...Where Are You...
...Lost and Confused...
"The hell???" Cloud exclaimed, loudly, nearly making Aeris jump. She took in a deep breath, staring blankly at the deep blue of his eyes.
"Cetra...," he repeated, deep in thought. Cloud hesitated, where the hell was he? Another dream? He had to admit, dreams would constantly come to him, but never this strange. Never this far. Everything seemed to be missing. He had no clue of where he was, what he was doing...and for yet again, who he was in such a place.
"Umm," Aeris began, coming up from behind him, "I guess you never heard of it...no one has, really. No one really knows this city exists, that's probably why we never get visitors."
Cloud inhaled deeply, never was he so confused about anything, "How did I get here," he thought aloud to himself, scratching his head. Aeris shook her head, as she realized every single word that she had said, went through one ear and right out the other.
"Where did you find me," Cloud demanded, shrilly, as he suddenly turned back to her.
"How you got here? You just fell out of nowhere...," she paused, with a joking expression, "You sure you weren't just sitting on the roof?" He shook his head, hopelessly, as he continued walking, still gripping tightly onto his wound, jus below his chest. The young woman quickly stepped up beside him, keeping pace.
"We should really find a place, so I could at least, find someway to stop the bleeding."
"I'm fine," Cloud suggested, not much of a suggestion. His eyes slowly gazed down at her, as his face laid on the road straight ahead, "A girl like you shouldn't be following me around. You never know what could happen to you."
Aeris let out a laugh, "What could happen to me?" She smiled, as she quickly strode up way in front of him. "You sure do sound like everyone else back at home..." she muttered, softly, expecting him not to hear much.
"Runaway?" Cloud replied, almost seeming to answer a question. Aeris came to a stop, as she gazed back at the man, who walked in her direction.
"Noooo," she uttered, with a sarcastic expression. Cloud showed a slight smile, as he made way passed her.
"I suggest you don't run from reality...that's what I did, and see where I am," he stated, with a smirk. Aeris sighed, continuing after him.
"So," she began, "you're in SOLDIER?" Every little thing she had said, had so much to do with what she or they should have known. But he hadn't put much of an effort into figuring out what was happening, although, it confused him more than ever.
"SOLDIER...." he uttered, "So you heard of it?" Aeris nodded her head, agreeing. "Yeah, I was actually..."
The young woman's expression turned frail, as she glanced down at the ground, with each step she took, "Zack was in SOLDIER....come to think of it, I never really knew what happened to him.."
"Maybe...," Cloud suggested, a memory slowly returning to him, "He was killed."
She blinked away what seemed to be tears, "Yeah....maybe..."
Cloud looked off, as he noticed a building just below the hill. "You had something special," he stated, remembering the words and story that she had once told him.
"You could say that," Aeris replied, simply, as she gazed out over the hill, at the Big City down below, "We planned to wed, you know...but everyone disagreed....and he never came back. Like he promised...." Cloud took in a deep breath, acting as though, he hadn't noticed that she was ready to break down into tears.
Aeris paused, an ounce of hope inside her, "...can I ask you a favor?" His eyes gazed back at her, as he tried to find a way down. "Can you...be my bodyguard?"
It seemed so sudden, every single word that escaped her rosy red lips. It was all a memory. All from something that happened in the past. Something so long ago. It was as if he was playing a roll, repeating history.
"I mean," Aeris began, "I'll repay you." Her round face filled with hope, as Cloud let out a soft laughter.
"Repay me?" he repeated, shaking his head, "How can, YOU, repay me?"
She smiled, "...how about a date?" Cloud paused, his eyes gazing up slowly at her. "I mean...," she began, "I don't have money on me, if that's what you want...."
"Deal," he replied, simply, and surely. Aeris' eyes quickly gazed up at him, surprised that he took the offer.
"Now, lets find a way down there," he stated, gazing down at the roofs of houses just beneath them. Aeris quickly rushed over beside him, as she glanced over, then turning back to him.
"Jump houses?," she uttered, her eyes open wide. Cloud cocked his head, with a grin, probably the first time she saw the young man smile.
"You can't be any slower, can you?" he called out, as he turned to check up on the young girl. She gave him a side smile, as she quickly hopped from one end to the other.
"You shouldn't taunt a girl," Aeris replied, standing in front of him. His eyes quickly adjusted to the sight straight ahead, as he lost all sense of feel. Had he been seeing an illusion? Or perhaps, that was truly reality. He slowly treaded down a narrow walkway, as he gazed up at the tall crystalline structure. The bright rays of the sun hitting the edges gently.
It was surreal, almost too real...The Lost City of the Ancients. Aeris quickly walked up beside him, taking a glance at the young man, as she waved a free hand before him. Cloud's blue eyes immediately gaped at her, she looked a bit concerned.
"I'm sure you'll find someone there," she began, "that or you can always talk to the elder."
He sat, staring off into space at the edge of town. It was definitely a sight to see, from the tall newfound buildings, to the crystalline ice that surrounded it. Almost like a dream from the past, a death burden....a lie.
Everything was so real, everything I saw up til now, was there....but still, I held onto that uncertain feeling I had. That feeling that was telling me that something was up, and I was gonna have to face it sooner or later. Aeris was alive, a city that was never of existence until now, a past that I was experiencing all over again.
"Hey," Aeris greeted, warmly, as she took a seat beside him. Then, handing him a small loaf of bread, that he rejected. She smiled, as she glanced at the young man, curiously, up and down.
"You should really be more concerned about your health, ya know...," she uttered, taking a bite, as her emerald eyes once again adjusted onto where his were. She quickly gazed up startled, as she noticed someone whom she'd recall quite familiar.
"Well, if it isn't the lovely daughter of Infalna," a tall red headed man stated, as he gazed at the intimacy of the two. He was somewhere in his mid-twenties, dressed in a blue navy suit, his white collared shirt buttoned down halfway.
Aeris quickly stood up, a bit on the nervous side, as a curious Cloud soon followed. The two men stared at one another, gaping at eachother, in odd silence, as Aeris slowly crept back behind Cloud.
Reno smirked, as a grin soon fell into place across his lips, as he tossed away the burnt out cigarette. "Fancy seeing you wandering about, again," he said, as his hands slid into his side pockets.
"Who told you to follow," Aeris snapped, as she gripped onto Cloud's shoulder, tightly.
The red head smiled, "They sent out a search party to track you down, I suggest you return to the castle, Princess."
"What am I? Some type of pet dog?" she muttered, crossing her arms, firmly.
Cloud stared out the wide glass windows of an odd place in which he had never seen or heard of. He let out a soft laughter, interrupting the silence of the dark room. Turns out she's royalty. Things just couldn't get any worse....
"Can I come in?" a soft voice echoed from outside the door, in the hallway. He jerked his body, as he glanced across the darkened room. But before he had a chance to reply, the door slowly slid open, revealing a nervous Aeris. She smiled, as she allowed herself in, pulling shut the door behind her.
"Dark in here...," she uttered, softly, bestil by his expression, "You should turn on the lights." Cloud glanced down, then his eyes slowly met hers.
"It's right there," he replied, reluctantly, pointing to the switch beside her.
Aeris smiled, glumly, as she switched on the lights, "Sorry...I----I didn't tell you sooner. I figured you were smart enough to know...Actually, I didn't think you were that dumb."
"It's not like it matters," he stated, as he walked over to the bed sitting down. Aeris slowly crept up beside him, as she slowly sat down, as if determined to not scare the young man away. She leaned over, peering over his right shoulder, as she tried to get a glimpse of what he was holding onto.
"Oh yea," she began, as she quickly stood up, walking into the bathroom. Minutes later, coming out with a wet cloth, "I almost forgot...." She slowly knelt down in front of Cloud, as her eyes met his, in a quick stare.
"What are you doing?" he questioned, although, he knew quite well, the answer.
"Your bleeding must have dried up by now," She uttered, softly, her voice playing a sweet melody against the walls of the quiet room. "Mother always said, that you should stop the bleeding first. But I guess its a little too late."
...You should marry an older woman, one that will take care of you...
"Take off your shirt," Aeris' voice came, interrupting his thoughts. Cloud stared at her for a brief moment, a bit confused, trying to get in the words that she had just said.
"What?" he uttered, his palms pressed down on the bed, as he looked down at the woman before him.
She shook her head, "How am I supposed to get to the wound, if you don't cooperate?" She slowly began tugging at his shirt, when his hands quickly fell onto hers.
"What are you doin'?" Cloud asked, seeming as though he were a child. Aeris sat back, as she stared up blankly at him. Hopeless.
"The least you could try and do, is lift up your shirt high enough, so I can help you...," she replied, simply, and persuasively, a smile soon finding way to her full lips. Cloud took in a deep breath, as he then, did what he was told. Her delicate fingers slowly traced across what was soon to be a scar. She gently pressed the warm cloth against his bared skin, just above his stomach, being sure not to hurt the young man.
"How old are you?" he suddenly questioned, a thought that had just entered his mind, "Turning twenty-three right?" Aeris hesitated, as she glanced up at him, then back down.
"How did you know that?" she asked, surprised, "....Another birthday this month, as if it mattered....how old are you?"
Cloud replied, "Twenty-two, this year."
"I was twenty-two once," she laughed, "actually, I still am...time sure does fly by." She slowly looked up at him, her emerald eyes filling with laughter. Cloud took in a deep breath, as he let go of his shirt, letting it fall loosely back into place.
"So..," she began, hesitating, as she stood up, "What do you plan on doing, now?" He couldn't help but notice, the look she had, as she glanced away.
"..Finding a way home," he replied. Aeris flashed him an awkward smile.
"I can help," she suggested, suddenly, "I mean...since you don't know anyone around here...I can find someway to lead you out. Ya know..give you a head start."
Cloud turned away, deep in thought, "I don't..."
"Please take me up on my offer," she suggested, before he had a chance to finish. His blue eyes gazed up at the girl, who had a hopeful look on her face. "I mean, you could spend a night here, and you could head out by noon tomorrow...I know someone that might be able to help you."
Cloud hesitated, as he glanced around the fashioned room. He slowly rubbed the back of his neck, as he thought severely, being sure not to give himself any more of a headache. "I guess that'll work."
Aeris smiled, as she slowly pulled the wide door shut in front of her. He was a stranger, but just the thought and feel she had when she was around him couldn't stop her from wanting him there. It was way different from all the things she had asked for in her life, it was almost like a role someone gave her. A perfect World, with no twist or turn. Not even for the better. Everything was played out, like a scene from one of those shows she sat through nearly every week.
The young woman, turned around happily, when she was then greeted by a tall figure. "Rufus!"
The blonde young man smiled, slyly, as his blue eyes gazed roughly at her. He was dressed in white, a color that he made his own. But it was true, the man definitely looked good in it, giving a soft touch to his icy blue eyes.
Aeris nudged around, as she soon began to feel uncomfortable, "You scared me." Rufus shook his head, as he circled around the petite young woman.
And when his eyes met wit hers again, "Seems you've taken an interest into your new friend."
"Are you assuming things, again?" she questioned, her eyes burning into his, "You know you're not related to me, to tell me who I should and should not be friends with." He let out a laugh, as he gazed down at her angered face.
"Do you remember what your mother and my father agreed upon, before she died?" he questioned, expecting her to know the answer.
"Of course, I remember," Aeris replied, simply, "But what makes you think that watching over me, has anything to do wit you forcing me to marry you?" Rufus took in a deep breath, as he tried to hold back any words that would have been too harsh. She smiled, as she slowly made way passed him, her shoulder pushing roughly against his chest. He turned around, as he watched her quickly made way down the narrow hallway.
He smiled, slyly. Something worth trying for a change.
