Chapter 4 "Life or Death"
The team assembled outside Cloud's bedroom, where he slept peacefully. "Ok," Cid began, "We're gonna fly ahead to the Ancient City with Bugen---somethin! You take care of Cloud till we get back, k?" Tifa nodded her head and went into Cloud's room as the others left. She watched him as he slept; he didn't so much as turn over anymore. "He seems ok when he's asleep," Tifa thought to herself, "but his fever's getting worse and his wound isn't healing well."
"Aer--is..." Cloud mumbled in his sleep.
"Cloud, please; don't go..."
1. * * *
Aeris and Cloud exchanged amusing stories of their past and what the crews been doing since Aeris' fateful day. Despite she knew that this was happening while she was dead, she didn't seem to mind at all. Cloud laughed at a joke Aeris said about when Cloud dressed up like a girl, and she couldn't help take it in. "I don't think I've ever heard you laugh before!" she jumped with a look of triumph on her face. "I laugh sometimes!" Cloud smiled.
"No, you smile; but you hardly laugh!" Aeris sat a little closer to Cloud, their faces almost touching each other. "I'd like to hear more of your laughing in the future."
"Aeris..." Cloud pleaded, but his plead meant nothing to her. "Please, Cloud." she begged, "Please, stay with me." Cloud's heart sunk, he didn't know what to say. She gave him a light kiss on the cheek, "I've missed you so much..."
"Aeris... I... Can't, I can't leave everything and everyone behind."
"I know, but," she sobbed, "Cloud, I can't stand it without you!"
"Aeris, I'd have to..."
"I know it's selfish of me to ask, but... I don't mean to alarm you Cloud but; you're already on the brink of death so it's like you're already halfway there." she felt awful for what she just said, but she knew it was the only way to convince him. "If you go now, I know that I'll be able to be with you, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to find you if you die later because by then my spirit will have already be sent away. I've been waiting here for you, please Cloud, tell me soon..."
* * *
Cloud didn't bother to open his eyes, every time he did he got more tired by the minute. Aeris, I miss her but... Should I leave everything behind? The thought had been burned into his mind, there was no one he could even ask for advice; they'd all think he was a nut. "What should I do..?"
"What should you do about what?"
Cloud turned his head toward the voice and opened his eyes, Tifa stood beside him and didn't move an inch. He just clued in that he accidentally said the question out loud. He quickly thought up a different reason. "What should I do about... The mission! We're going to fall behind!" Tifa laughed lightly and changed the wet cloth on his head with a new cold one. "We're way ahead of you on that one!"
"What do you mean?
"Barret, Cid and the others have already left for the Ancient City!"
Cloud felt a little bad now, not that he wasn't already. He felt like he abandoned his team. "What about you?" Tifa grabbed a wooden chair and sat near Cloud's head, she was blushing slightly. "I decided to stay behind with you."
Tifa... She's always been there for me... In Mideel... In Nimbleheim.... Always...
Cloud couldn't help but smile; Tifa was such a good friend... Friend... The title had a funny ring to it when used on Tifa. "I wonder why?" he thought. He couldn't go to Aeris, he couldn't bear leaving Tifa behind; but he couldn't live without Aeris either. The decision would be brutal...
Hours passed as Cloud slept peacefully this time, his fever was getting a little better. A whooshing sound came from outside the window. As Tifa walked closer, she could tell that it was a snowstorm. "Yeek, what a mess. I wonder how the others are doing?" As the snow blew harder, the room got colder, and Cloud shivered in his sleep. Tifa headed downstairs to talk to the innkeeper about more blankets for Cloud, when another storm was brewing elsewhere...
* * *
The scenery had changed this time; Cloud stood in a doorway as snow blew fiercely around him. A cliff could be seen straight ahead, which lead to a stream that linked to the large sea that the crew flew over so many times. "Aeris! Where are you!?" Cloud yelled, Aeris suddenly appeared in the distance. "Cloud, please; stay with me..." Her image started to fade, Cloud quickly ran towards her and grabbed her wrist. "Aeris don't go!" A small smile formed on her face, "Then stay with me..." The ground shattered underneath their feet, and Cloud and Aeris fell into the stream...
* * *
Cloud woke up with a chill down his spine; he lifted himself up to see out the window. The snow reminded him of the dream, "Aeris, she must be... Out there... Have to... Get her, before she... Falls again..."
As Tifa and the innkeeper looked in the back room for more blankets, Cloud slowly made his way downstairs. Opening the door opened all hell; the chill ran against his bare chest and bandages. "Aeris..." As he took two steps outside, the door slammed behind him.
Tifa then went back upstairs with extra blankets, only to find a empty bed and Cloud gone...
* * * * * *
Ohhhh, my writing sucks but the thought of this in my head is getting SO GOOD!!! I wish my writing were a little better, more detailed (hmm, perhaps I shouldn't have snoozed off during literature. ^_~ Hey, at least I'm honest!) Only a few more chapters to go, enjoy. Please R and R!
The team assembled outside Cloud's bedroom, where he slept peacefully. "Ok," Cid began, "We're gonna fly ahead to the Ancient City with Bugen---somethin! You take care of Cloud till we get back, k?" Tifa nodded her head and went into Cloud's room as the others left. She watched him as he slept; he didn't so much as turn over anymore. "He seems ok when he's asleep," Tifa thought to herself, "but his fever's getting worse and his wound isn't healing well."
"Aer--is..." Cloud mumbled in his sleep.
"Cloud, please; don't go..."
1. * * *
Aeris and Cloud exchanged amusing stories of their past and what the crews been doing since Aeris' fateful day. Despite she knew that this was happening while she was dead, she didn't seem to mind at all. Cloud laughed at a joke Aeris said about when Cloud dressed up like a girl, and she couldn't help take it in. "I don't think I've ever heard you laugh before!" she jumped with a look of triumph on her face. "I laugh sometimes!" Cloud smiled.
"No, you smile; but you hardly laugh!" Aeris sat a little closer to Cloud, their faces almost touching each other. "I'd like to hear more of your laughing in the future."
"Aeris..." Cloud pleaded, but his plead meant nothing to her. "Please, Cloud." she begged, "Please, stay with me." Cloud's heart sunk, he didn't know what to say. She gave him a light kiss on the cheek, "I've missed you so much..."
"Aeris... I... Can't, I can't leave everything and everyone behind."
"I know, but," she sobbed, "Cloud, I can't stand it without you!"
"Aeris, I'd have to..."
"I know it's selfish of me to ask, but... I don't mean to alarm you Cloud but; you're already on the brink of death so it's like you're already halfway there." she felt awful for what she just said, but she knew it was the only way to convince him. "If you go now, I know that I'll be able to be with you, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to find you if you die later because by then my spirit will have already be sent away. I've been waiting here for you, please Cloud, tell me soon..."
* * *
Cloud didn't bother to open his eyes, every time he did he got more tired by the minute. Aeris, I miss her but... Should I leave everything behind? The thought had been burned into his mind, there was no one he could even ask for advice; they'd all think he was a nut. "What should I do..?"
"What should you do about what?"
Cloud turned his head toward the voice and opened his eyes, Tifa stood beside him and didn't move an inch. He just clued in that he accidentally said the question out loud. He quickly thought up a different reason. "What should I do about... The mission! We're going to fall behind!" Tifa laughed lightly and changed the wet cloth on his head with a new cold one. "We're way ahead of you on that one!"
"What do you mean?
"Barret, Cid and the others have already left for the Ancient City!"
Cloud felt a little bad now, not that he wasn't already. He felt like he abandoned his team. "What about you?" Tifa grabbed a wooden chair and sat near Cloud's head, she was blushing slightly. "I decided to stay behind with you."
Tifa... She's always been there for me... In Mideel... In Nimbleheim.... Always...
Cloud couldn't help but smile; Tifa was such a good friend... Friend... The title had a funny ring to it when used on Tifa. "I wonder why?" he thought. He couldn't go to Aeris, he couldn't bear leaving Tifa behind; but he couldn't live without Aeris either. The decision would be brutal...
Hours passed as Cloud slept peacefully this time, his fever was getting a little better. A whooshing sound came from outside the window. As Tifa walked closer, she could tell that it was a snowstorm. "Yeek, what a mess. I wonder how the others are doing?" As the snow blew harder, the room got colder, and Cloud shivered in his sleep. Tifa headed downstairs to talk to the innkeeper about more blankets for Cloud, when another storm was brewing elsewhere...
* * *
The scenery had changed this time; Cloud stood in a doorway as snow blew fiercely around him. A cliff could be seen straight ahead, which lead to a stream that linked to the large sea that the crew flew over so many times. "Aeris! Where are you!?" Cloud yelled, Aeris suddenly appeared in the distance. "Cloud, please; stay with me..." Her image started to fade, Cloud quickly ran towards her and grabbed her wrist. "Aeris don't go!" A small smile formed on her face, "Then stay with me..." The ground shattered underneath their feet, and Cloud and Aeris fell into the stream...
* * *
Cloud woke up with a chill down his spine; he lifted himself up to see out the window. The snow reminded him of the dream, "Aeris, she must be... Out there... Have to... Get her, before she... Falls again..."
As Tifa and the innkeeper looked in the back room for more blankets, Cloud slowly made his way downstairs. Opening the door opened all hell; the chill ran against his bare chest and bandages. "Aeris..." As he took two steps outside, the door slammed behind him.
Tifa then went back upstairs with extra blankets, only to find a empty bed and Cloud gone...
* * * * * *
Ohhhh, my writing sucks but the thought of this in my head is getting SO GOOD!!! I wish my writing were a little better, more detailed (hmm, perhaps I shouldn't have snoozed off during literature. ^_~ Hey, at least I'm honest!) Only a few more chapters to go, enjoy. Please R and R!