CHAPTER 9:
INTRIGUED...
The procession to Merlins house was completed silently, aside from the occasional murmuring of Riku to Rhiara. For her unconscious benefit supposedly. Along the way though, Aerith had added something enjoyably surprising. Apparently Cloud had been around and would be staying in Hollow Bastion for awhile, so Sora and the rest would get a chance to see him.
This piece of information had been forgotten temporarily due to the obvious episode that had taken place by Felicity, but Aerith was glad to reveal it now. It seemed like most of them needed anything to lift their spirits at that moment.
As they approached the house of the famous wizard, as well as the Central HQ for the Hollow Bastion restoration committee, they noticed a figure exiting out of the ancient door.
To most of the group, he was no one new.
He was a close friend who had been known for years, but drifted from time to time. He was a powerful figure who showed up in their pasts, teaching them something about inner lights along the way. He was a loyal ally to their cause, always a support when needed.
But to a set ice colored blue eyes, he was a completely new and curious experience.
The figure in the iced eye's focus was tall, obviously well built and well trained from the series of battles he fought frequently. He had spiky ,bright blonde hair ;layered in the bangs and falling slightly over a pair of blue eyes. Not as chilled as hers were. They were warmer, more of a sky colored shade, yet they showed a series of components the ice eyes could identify with very easily.
Malia could immediately tell his aura. There was a deep sense of struggle, a battle within himself. The forces of light and darkness were waging their own war with in his very subconscious. Each side desperate to take control. He had a prescence of determination and withdrawl and longing and recklessly calm composure as he struggled to maintain himself. To maintain being kept in the search of his own closure.
The extremely large broad sword on his back (which Felicity, had she been in a better mood, would have most certainly sought out to compare and rival with her own) was not his only power. Malia caught a wisp of certain elements circling him. Darkness and a twilight essence in particularly. They gave her almost a vision of his true power. The vision of a fallen and torn angel.
There was so much of everything circling him that Malia wasn't really quite sure of it all. One thing was for sure though. She knew that she had never been so intrigued about one individual in her life. She had never felt a presence of this kind of aura in so long. Not since her own…
"Cloud! Hey! How's it going?!" Sora waved to Cloud energetically, always glad at a chance to see the fellow ,spiky haired ,questing warrior. "So it looks like you blew back around!"
"Hey Sora," Cloud said calmly, nodding to the group whom most of the members he had seen earlier. "Yeah," he added folding his arms casually ,seeming to look off into the distance. His eyes were seen swarming with thoughts as he leaned against the stone wall. "I did come back."
"And he's gonna stick around," Yuffie piped playfully over the blonde's shoulder. "Right Cloud?"
Sora's eyes seemed to take on a certain sparkle that Riku and Kairi could easily identify as his "eager face." His spiky hair practically standing on end to hear the answer he hoped, hoping immediately that Cloud would actually be around for a while this time.
Cloud closed his eyes peacefully and half smiled. "Pretty much I guess. I think this time I'll be near here for quite a while. I've been brought here with things to do."
For some reason, even though having just barely met him, Malia felt an almost wave of relief and contentment with his words too. He was staying. Wait…so what? What significance was he of her concern as of this moment? He didn't concern her. Why would she be happy he might linger in the Radiant Garden ruins?
Malia felt herself stir uncomfortably within her own mind, causing her to gaze at Cloud more intensely, as if looking for answers to the feeling that were probing her mind.
He almost sensed this, and then opened one eye curiously from his relaxed state and now took full note of the new members in the party. His sky blue eyes scanned them over. First starting with Malia, the source of the intensity, and working his way through Felicity, the unconscious Rhiara in Riku's arms, Riku himself and then Kairi.
"Um…Sora, who are these people?" he questioned. Malia noticed his gaze had lingered on her first, this causing an almost embarrassed blush on her pale cheeks.
"These are all friends of mine Cloud." Sora piped, stepping aside with an outstretched hadn indicated to the group. He then glanced over slightly and gave a re-assuring smile toward Felicity who still looked a bit down from speaking blindly earlier.
Aerithe then stepped next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder with the same smile. "Some of them newer than others." She added.
This made Felicity's face brighten. She was just so relieved to be re-assured that the group was still accepting her, even after all the horrible things she had said. She liked them a lot. The continuous kindness was something she cherished. Malia saw her smile and grinned slightly too, happy to see her friend's spirits were lifting.
Aerithe then looked back to Riku and Kairi. "These two are Riku and Kairi, Cloud." She pointed out, not voiding them their moment in the spotlight. "They're the two friends that Sora was trying so hard to find. Remember?"
Cloud gazed at Sora's too closest friends, Kairi waving with a smile and Riku giving an acknowledging nod. Cloud watched the smiling Kairi for a minute , then smiled knowingly himself.
"I see, so you're his light," he said matter-o-factly addressing Kairi. "Well that wasn't hard to tell, I can see why."
Kairi blushed deeply ,as did Sora, though giving a goofy smile while thinking of Kairi. He tried to bring the attention elsewhere. "Yeah…um, and the new three are some girls we helped back in Traverse Town."
Cloud's eyebrows raised slightly in question.
Yuffie groaned and dismissed the statement with a wave of her hand. "We'll tell you later." She looked back at the unconscious princess. "Right now we have to get those guys to see the King. Rhiara is the name of the passed out girl, apparently she's a Princess. And those two are her guardians."
"Name's Felicity," Felicity said with a quiet smile, not her usual perky self. "I'm the weapons expert."
"I'm Malia," Malia said smoothly, trying to speak for herself. "A mage."
Cloud nodded in acknowledgement, a very Riku-like reply. "Cloud." He said simply. "Lets get you guys in here, Leon's in there too. They caught sight of the King's ship on the radar, so it shouldn't be too long before her gets here. Be the way, Leon looked pretty ticked off. You guys say something to make him mad?"
Felicity looked down immediately. The mortification returning once more.
Yuffie sighed again. "We'll tell you that later too."
Cloud merely shrugged and passed their group, heading out into the Town instead of returning to Merlins cottage.
"Cloud?" Sora asked confused. "Where are you going? Every one's going in!"
"I have something to do." Cloud merely stated. He then kept walking off, not even turning around.
"Hey wait!" Sora called after him, turning to follow him, but was caught on the shoulder by Aerithe, who shook her head kindly to deteriorate him from continuing.
"Just let him go Sora," she said quietly with a smile. "You know how he is. Besides, we've got your own friends to worry about."
Sora sighed and nodded, taking one last look at Cloud over his shoulder and then going in with the rest of them.
Some one else took a long last look at Cloud too. She stared at him for a while, focusing on his large blade and on the form of him in his black apparel. She stared as he walked away. She stared till she was alone, and realized that she never usually did things like that. Lingering until she was the last one to regain her senses. That wasn't like her at all.
She hurried to go through the wizard's door before some one noticed her absence.
She gave one last thought to the one called Cloud. He was very intriguing to her. Very intriguing indeed…
A/N-
Hey everyone! Im really sorry this chapter is sooo short! And Im really sorry I took so long too! I have been trying to gain my thoughts to get into my Ouran Story and completely neglected this one in the process! I decided I should at least post SOMETHING, ya know? This chapter was originally way longer, but the rest of it is still unfinished, so I thought I should at least get something to you guys...I'll keep going though! Dont you worry haha!
READ AND REVIEW!
Hope you enjoyed it^^
OH! And check out my other story too, its an Ouran one, barey starting...but its gonna be good I promise^^ Also be on the look out for another KH fic i'll be starting very soon. Its a whole next generation thign! I'll put in a preview of the summary next time! Something to keep you waiting!
Until then my awsome readers^^
_Tasia^^
