Chapter 2
And here is Chapter 2! I absolutely love writing this story – writing in general is just an amazing outlet, wouldn't some of you agree? Anyways, for those who already looked through the first chapter I'd like to thank you. I hope you liked what you read and I hope that this chapter will be just as good!
Again, comments and reviews are always welcomed; I would LOVE to hear what some of you are thinking! Is my writing any good?
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)
~ oOo ~
Amalia's feet punched the ground as she flew against the wind.
After leaving the bar, she decided to quickly stretch her calve muscles one more time then she immediately began to run through Edge, the city both she and her brother, Cloud, and Tifa resided in after the fall of Meteor and the destruction of Midgar. It had been almost four years since the incident, and as Amalia bound her way through the ever-bustling and growing city; she only smiled at the progress the people of Gaia had made.
One by one her feet stretched across the city until Amalia found herself leaving the outer walls of Edge. Not knowing where she was headed, Amalia just followed wherever her feet led her. Looking across the scenery outside of the city, Amalia only wished that there was more greenery; more trees, more grass, and definitely more flowers. Flowers…Amalia laughed to herself. Her love of anything green had always been a trait of hers, but it started to grow more intense after Aeris' death, which is why she always, always had a plant growing in her bedroom, no matter the season.
The more she ran, the more her breathing became ragged. Following the advice her mother had given her as a young child to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Her heart beat fast but she was able to continue at her steady pace. The blur of the people around her became a mirage as she ran passed everyone in the city. Some looked on at her graceful presence while others merely ignored her while they continued on with their daily lives. Glancing upon the people she could make out, and waved to all but a few, Amalia thought back to the bar when Tifa kissed her brother. Was she jealous? No – she had no reason to be. Did it make her giddy whenever she saw their "intimacy"? Always.
Was she happy for Cloud? Without a doubt – she had always hoped that the two of them would end up together and, even if it took some time, their "coupling up" was inevitable. After the fall of Meteor, Cloud had become distant – even to Amalia – because he couldn't cope with Aeris' death and how he blamed himself for her loss. But after the Reunion two years ago, Cloud had decided to take the chance and reconnect with all their friends, Tifa included. Since then, they had been together; inseparable with limits could be a possible way to describe their reconnecting relationship. And Amalia couldn't have been happier for her brother. She knew Cloud was happy and if he was cheerful with his life, even if he had an odd way of showing it, and the way he led it, then so was she.
What is it about a run that is so refreshing? Amalia thought. The pounding of the feet, the beating of the heart and the thumping of the head was enough to clear anyone's senses. She had no idea where she was even heading and to her, that was the best part of escaping from life and "running away" but always "coming back." Every time she escaped, Amalia always imagined she was flying, having the ability to release some tension and think about her needs and what she needed. She could run and leap for leagues on end and always find a new spot she had never been to, each place allowing her to look back and recollected about the life she had been living up until that point.
Several thoughts ran through Amalia's head as the wind scratched her face. Let's see, I attempted to join SOLDIER along with Cloud, I, unwillingly, had experiments conducted on my body that created me as I am today, I ended up saving the planet with my friends from a mass destruction of the world, I've helped people to take back their lives and live the fullest they can…
As she continued to push her body towards the further limits she was granted during Hojo's insane scientific experiments, Amalia glanced back within just the last few years. She had, unimaginably, been granted the chance to fall in love with the perfect man that ever walked on Gaia. True, he wasn't actually perfect per se, but to her, he was everything she never thought she would want in a man. He had killed people and so had she; he followed orders and did what he believed was right and as did she; he was the enemy and, technically, she was as well. Amalia's heart beat faster despite the pace she was pushing herself – she couldn't help but blush and become heated as his face molded from her memory. Whatever had happened in the past was done for and neither could escape what they each had equally done; all they could do was look into the future together and create a game plan for life they would diligently follow.
Glancing at the ground, she noticed that she was heading uphill and by the time Amalia knew what she was doing, she found herself standing above a cliff, overlooking the vast expanse of territory that separated Edge and where she stood. Her chest heaved up and down as her lungs began to reach a calm she hadn't felt since she began her morning run. Closing her eyes, it took a few minutes for her breathing to find a steady pace where she didn't feel so lightheaded. Opening her eyes to the bright sun that stood directly above her, Amalia once again scanned the vast area that surrounded her. She knew it was there she could feel its presence, she was just simply ignoring it until she could no longer overlook where her body had led her.
Standing directly in front of her was the sword – the buster sword that had belonged to Zack. Amalia took a few steps forward until her hands grazed the metal underneath the handle. A smiled appeared on her lips and she laughed out loud. "Still rusting I see? Well I wonder how long it'll take before you're completely bronze." She looked into the sky. "Hey Aeris – you up there? You better tell Zack his sword's turning completely orange unless he tells someone to clean it up for him!" Amalia chuckled again until she had to hold her stomach, attempting to hold back a monster of a laugh. Neither anger nor sadness gripped the edge of her consciousness; the death of her friends had occurred years ago and she had enough time to mourn and come to the conclusion that they were never coming back. As much as she missed them both, she kept explaining to herself that they were in a better world – and they were together.
"Oh!"
A chocobo is calling you, kweh! A chocobo is calling you, kweh!
She twisted her waist around and grabbed the phone which was held in place between her hip and her shorts. The sound of her ringtone caught her off guard and another smile, a wider one, appeared on her face as she recognized the caller ID that flashed against the screen. Answering the phone, she said "Hello?"
"Well hey there cuteness, got a minute?" A male's voice protruded from her end and she could imagine the face of the one who was calling her.
Walking around on the edge of the cliff Amalia replied, "Yeah I've got a minute. I was just taking a break from my morning run."
"Oh, so you decided to take a run today? Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"And why wouldn't it be? You know I like to go running, what's the harm in that?"
"N – Nothing, you just need to be careful out there. Anything could suddenly attack you out there."
"What's gonna attack me out here?"
"Anything creepy-crawly, has claws and will attack you for no apparent reason!" his voice was becoming heavy and Amalia could tell the idea of her being out on her own was bugging him.
"Hey, Turk," She flat lined her voice, purposely speaking in a monotonous degree of tone. "You do know who you're talking to, right? I was a part of AVANLANCHE; you know, the group who defeated Sephiroth, saved the planet and… Oh yeah! We kicked your ass as well!"
"Alright, alright I get the point. Just, promise me you'll be careful, ok? That's all I'm gonna ask for, yo."
"I shall do my best."
The man sighed on the other end knowing defeat was inevitable. Amalia was stubborn in her own right and he knew that, although she was listening to his advice, she wouldn't really take it when she didn't see a point. "Good, I guess I'll take that. So then, where did you head off too this time?"
"It's not a matter of where I wanted to go, but where my body decided to fly me too."
"Oh?"
"I'm at the cliff, looking at Zack's sword."
The male on the other end sighed and Amalia knew what he was going to tell her. "Babe…why do you torture yourself like that?"
"It's not torture, more like…reminiscing. It's been so long since I've feet any pain when I look at it." Amalia stopped pacing and stood directly in front of the sword again. "Besides, thinking back on the past isn't a bad thing from time to time." The male on the other end laughed a little and Amalia knew there was a reason why he had decided to call her; she could hear it in his voice. "Alright mister – spill. Why did you call me?"
"What? I can't simply call and talk to the most beautiful girl in the world?" Amalia remained silent for a minute. "Was that a bit much?"
She stifled a giggle. "I give you brownie points for trying."
"Damn," he muttered into the phone. "At least I tried, yo. But, in all seriousness, I want to see you. Do you have time today?"
Amalia closed her eyes and tried to think if there was anything she had to do today. "No, I think I'm free. I – wait! I just remembered! What about your mission? Is it over - are you finally back? How did it go?" She talked excitedly into her phone, unaware that the caller was attempting to get her attention.
"Ashe."
"Were you guys successful? Did everyone do ok?"
"Ashe?"
"What about you, did you have any -"
"Ashe!" She instantly shut her mouth and became silent. The voice on the other end immediately began to produce a full hearty-laugh; she knew there was a smile on his lips, something she wanted to desperately see for herself; to touch, to feel, to skim her own lips over his. Talking on the phone just wasn't enough for her anymore. "Angel, just calm down ok? The mission was a success and we're all ok. Well, almost all of us."
"What do you mean?"
"Hey, you answer my question first and I'll answer yours; are you free today?"
"Well of course I am; I told Cloud that if he needs anything he can call me. So until then, I can and will spend all my time with you, if that's what you're asking?" She smiled on her side and when the male chuckled at his, she could tell that he was still smiling. "If your mission is over, where you at? Your apartment?"
"No, I'm over at Healen taking care of a few things."
"Why are you there?" She gasped into the phone and clutched it tighter to her face. "You didn't get hurt did you?!"
"Are you kidding me? I'm invincible, yo. I didn't get hurt but Elena did. Nothing too serious, just a monster snuck up on her and slashed her arm pretty good. She'll be here for a few days." He heard Amalia release a breath, one she hadn't noticed that she had been holding. "We just got back within the last hour and I called as soon as I had a moment."
"Oh, well ok. So now that you're mission is done what's the plan? Do you still have to work for the rest of the day?"
"Nope, I was given a few days off because Elena's stuck here so the boss said we could go home. And I want to spend all my time with you. Would it be easier if I just met you at the apartment?"
"No, no! I'll meet you there. I'd like to say hi to everyone!"
"Uh, I'd feel more comfortable if I met you at my place babe."
"Seriously? What's going to harm me on the way to Healen? More monsters?"
"You never know!"
Amalia sighed into the phone. "Spill it mister, why are you being so protective right now? You're acting as if you don't want me out on my own."
He stayed quiet for a while, not quite sure how to provide an answer until he had no choice left; even if his only option was still truthful, it just wasn't the type of truthful information he wanted to be able to tell her. "Angel, we haven't seen each other in weeks other than a few rare phone calls. I've been worried sick about you and I just don't want you to get hurt."
"Again, one of the heroes who saved Gaia?"
"I know babe…" The man sighed once more, knowing, again, that defeat was certain and definitely in his future. "Alright, meet me here at Healen. But please be careful."
"Aye-aye, captain! I still want to see everyone else while I'm there as well!"
"And I'm sure they'd love to see you too."
"Give me some time to head back into town and to take a shower. I'd rather be clean when I see you then and not all…sweaty." Amalia gently touched my arm. "Oh, and sticky too." She couldn't help but to giggle.
"Aww…but I like it when you're sweaty." Amalia growled into the phone. "Ok, ok Ashe I get it. Just text me when you're leaving Edge, ok? And stay safe, make sure you're swords are in the bike with you."
"Will do, Turkey."
"Love you babe. Stay safe, yo."
"Love you too, Reno." And Amalia ended the call as the last word left her lips. The last word she loved to pronounce time and time again.
~ oOo ~
Now that she had plans, Amalia sprinted as fast as she could back to Seventh Heaven. Using the abilities she had acquired by pretending to be a First Class SOLDIER she jumped across rocks and skipped across mass sections of land until she reached the gates to the city. Running through the winding streets of the city, she narrowly avoided hitting people and always replied "sorry" if she accidently did hit someone; which she did – multiple times. Although it had been quicker than when she had started running earlier that morning, it seemed as if time passed rather slowly when she left the cliff on the outskirts of town, as if even the goddess of time wasn't pulling her strings before Amalia could see the one person she wanted to see and hold the most. But once her feet found their way home, she slowed her paced but barged into the door, tripping over the welcome mat that lay on the ground and tumbled inside the bar as the door burst open the closed with much ferocity as she stumbled her way into the empty building.
Tripping over her own two-feet, she performed several summersaults before her body decided to stop. Landing painfully on her back, she panted, unable to catch a smooth rhythm of breathing to calm her beating heart. Amalia looked up at the ceiling to find Tifa leaning over her with wide, curious eyes. "Amalia, are you all right? Why do you sound as if you're being chased?" The bartender held her hand out and Amalia grabbed it, somehow needing the help to stand on her own two feet. Her heart was still pounding against her ribcage and she had to take slow, deep breaths in order to concentrate on her thoughts.
"S-sorry… I was… I am…" Placing her hands one her knees she leaned forward and breathed until she could form a correct sentence. Tifa walked behind the counter and came back with a cold glass of water in her hand, which she gave to her friend. Smiling as she took the glass, Amalia drank the cup in a few gulps and held the empty glass in her hand. "Ahh, much better." Though her heart was still beating like crazy, she could somewhat breathe normally and that was good enough for her. "I was out running and got a call to go meet a friend who's out at Healen. So I ran back here so I could change and head there as fast as I could."
Tifa blinked her eyes a few times, nodded then took the empty glass from Amalia's hands before heading behind the counter again. "I didn't know you had any friends who were at Healen. Are they ok?"
"Oh yeah, they're fine. They were visiting a friend there and want me to pick them up. So I might not be back for a couple of days." Glancing up the stairs, she asked, "Is Cloud home?"
Tifa shook her head. "No, he got a call for a delivery so he's gone. Marlene and Denzel are also out, they're with Barrett."
"Ah, alright. Well, I'm gonna get ready, just holler if you need anything." And with that, she pounded up the stairs taking two at a time. Walking into her room, she shut the door and immediately began to discard the drenched clothing that was sticking to her glistening body. Jumping into the bathroom that was attached to her own room, Amalia took a quick shower, but was still able to shampoo and condition her hair, which now smelled like cherry blossoms, her favorite scent. When both her hair and body were scrubbed clean, she dried herself off and dressed into her clothes; short denim shorts, a white short-sleeved shirt with a black button-up over the white with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, then she put on her black ankle boots (1), only tying the laces halfway where the top flaps fell downward. She towel dried her hair as best she could but left it, knowing the wind would dry it for her and straighten it at the same time, considering her hair naturally straightened all on its own. Grabbing a small duffel bag from her closet, she threw in a few pieces of clothes, mainly a several items of underwear and bras, and one or two shirts, depending if there was an item she particularly wanted to wear; everything else she could find at Reno's house.
Standing, Amalia looked at herself in the mirror that hung behind her door and she liked what she saw. There was a natural blush on her cheeks from running around her room but there was something missing. Her eyes widened when she realized that she wasn't wearing the necklace. Grabbing a black box off of her nightstand, she opened it up and grabbed the jewelry that was safely inside. It was a flat sculpture of a chocobo where the beak and feet were silver but the feathers were a rich royal blue; her favorite color. Placing the necklace over her head, Amalia smiled at how the piece fit right at the spot where her breasts began to form along her chest. Happy with the end result of hurrying to get ready, Amalia looked at her phone and noticed that it was a little after eleven. Oh, that's not too bad, she thought. If I leave now I should be there sometime after noon.
Grabbing the semi-full bag off the floor and shutting the door behind her, Amalia made her way downstairs where Tifa was still working behind the counter. She was scrubbing pots and pands, shot glasses and beer mugs. Considering she was also good at multitasking, she was preparing lunch, potentially for whenever the kids were to arrive back home with Barrett; but with all the excitement she had contained within herself, Amalia didn't even feel hungry. Tifa looked up from her work as she heard her friend walk down the stairs. "Leaving already?"
"Yep, I'm gone. Tell Cloud where I'm at and that I'm just a phone call away."
"Got it Amalia. Have fun, and tell your friend I said hi!" Tifa flashed a small smile and went back to cutting the sandwiches she was preparing, watching as her childhood friend walked out of her sight through the back door. She continued working on lunch, knowing that the kids would be home relatively soon. Healen Lodge, she thought. Why would she have any friends over there? I better mention this to Cloud when he returns.
Amalia nodded her head and, this time, exited through the back door where she kept her bike; the precious bike that Reno had helped her choose. Closing the door behind her and locking it, she heaved the strap of her bag over her shoulders, instead of placing it in the end compartment, and pulled the cover off of her bike. Hers was similar to Cloud's, the only difference being hers was blue and she called it Shiva. Throwing a leg over the seat, Amalia ignited the beast and brought it back to life after a while of not driving it. Reaching down below where the speedometer was, she pressed a button and a compartment opened, revealing the special goggles Reno had given her as a gift for when she purchased the bike a year ago. They were an exact copy to the one's he always wore on his forehead; he had given her the gift because she always loved to play with his whenever she had the chance to snatch them off of his head.
Grabbing her phone out of the bag, she quickly sent a message to Reno saying she was about to leave and that she'd be there after twelve. Securing that the phone was safe once again in the bag that was on her back, she made sure that the goggles were securely in place over her eyes before she kicked the bike into gear as the wind instantaneously blew against her face. Within a matter of seconds, Amalia found herself already outside the limits of the city and when she found the sign directing her towards Healen, she couldn't help but smile as she turned Shiva to follow the road the sign had guided her. Soon baby, I will see you.
~ oOo ~
Author's Notes:
(1): Specifically, my brain keeps thinking of the boots that are almost calf length and the top portion can hold over to give off the illusion of ankle boots. However you want to imagine it is up to you – just remember that they're boots and they are black.
And here we are at the end of the second chapter. I hope this one made people happy – Reno has finally entered into the story! Yay!
Reviews? Comments? Questions or concerns? I'd love to answer anything that might be probing your minds about this story. Until next time!
Chocobocolina ~ out! :3