The Vampire and The Princess
Sweat trickled down her brow. The desert sun beat down hard. Her clothes stuck to her skin. Her throat was parched. She felt like giving up, of lying down in the sand until death claimed her.
No, she thought. No. She wouldn't give up. She'd have to try and get back, that's all. She'd have to concede defeat rather than death. What kind of insanity would be necessary for her to chose death, the total defeat, over a temporary defeat, which they could get over?
It had been pointless for her to do this. Pointless. How could she have thought that she could have trekked across this desert, alone and unaided? Must have been something someone said…
"Where is she?" Cloud took a step backwards, the blaze in the other man's eyes was that powerful.
"I don't know. How do I know where she is?" He replied.
"Hrm." He replied, looking out to the desert.
Then he strode and walked away to the chocobo stables.
"Hey! Where you going? Vi-stop, man! That's my chocobo!"
Her legs were weak. She could barley lift her head, such was the heat. She'd been walking for hours, trying to get back to the canyon…but she was so tired.
So tired. Perhaps she should just lay down and rest, just for a while…just for a while.
She fell to her knees. Just for a while. Just for a while. Something was coming over the dunes. A chocobo…someone on it…she noticed as she fell face down into the sand.
Just for a while…up again soon…she thought as a shadow passed over her.
Darkness. Where was she? A bed underneath her. A dream?
Sand in her mouth. No dream. It had happened. How had she got her?
She tried to get out of the bed, but fell back, exhausted even by that slight movement.
The door was opened as she was passing out once again. She tried to keep awake, but weariness was overcoming her.
Something put to her lips. Water. She drank, not even wondering who was her helper…
Cape…red…
Unconscious again.
She seemed so peaceful, asleep as she was. He wiped a few droplets of water from her lips, her chin, with his good hand. His 'purer' hand, as he sometimes thought of it.
He wondered how such a girl-woman, she was defiantly that now-could have ensnared him so. He wasn't sure at all.
"Love is blind…" He murmured to himself. Then he left her, at least for the time being.
She woke, ages later. She did not know how long she had been asleep for. She thought back, thinking hard. How did she get here? Who saved her from death?
She knew the answers, she though. Him. He had saved her. Saved her from the desert…and from herself. How? Riding, like some knight of old. Rescuing a princess, like in all the fairytales.
The fairytales of her land, of all lands on this planet. The planet they'd fought for together…
She wondered whether this was what it felt like. She wondered if this was what it felt like to be-
The door opened. He entered. She tried to speak, but he hushed her.
"You're too weak right now. You still need your rest. And food." He said, laying a plate down next to her bed.
She ate, her gusto for food, for life, diminished by her ordeal, and her confused thoughts.
He stayed, watching her with care. Did he too feel it? She didn't know. Maybe he was playing the part of a concerned parent, or maybe…maybe he felt it, was watching her with the care of a friend and more…
She finished eating. He took the plate, told her to rest, and then they would talk later. She followed his advice hoping…praying…
Sunlight through open blinds. Sitting up in bed, the princess, the thief, the ninja, the mischievous child, all in one. Sitting on a chair, silent and calculating as ever, another.
"Was it you?"
"Yes."
"I thought it was…I knew that you would come for me…"
"Yes…" He replied, wondering, hoping…
Silence for a while. Then she speaks once again.
"I…I'm sorry. For what I said. The other night."
"It was nothing." He says, shaking his head.
"But it was!" She says, true, raw emotion entering her voice. "I shouldn't have said things like that to you!" Tears glisten her eyes, and she attempts to hide them. "I shouldn't have…I, I lo…" She cuts her last word off before it can go any further. She is scared, frightened of what things may turn out to be.
He sits next to her, tries to comfort her. She buries her head in his chest, crying quietly. With his right hand, he strokes her hair, muttering words of comfort to her.
"I love, you Yuffie…" He murmurs, not too quiet to be unheard by her.
No more words are needed. They simply manage to take comfort in each other, and their closeness.
Sweat trickled down her brow. The desert sun beat down hard. Her clothes stuck to her skin. Her throat was parched. She felt like giving up, of lying down in the sand until death claimed her.
No, she thought. No. She wouldn't give up. She'd have to try and get back, that's all. She'd have to concede defeat rather than death. What kind of insanity would be necessary for her to chose death, the total defeat, over a temporary defeat, which they could get over?
It had been pointless for her to do this. Pointless. How could she have thought that she could have trekked across this desert, alone and unaided? Must have been something someone said…
"Where is she?" Cloud took a step backwards, the blaze in the other man's eyes was that powerful.
"I don't know. How do I know where she is?" He replied.
"Hrm." He replied, looking out to the desert.
Then he strode and walked away to the chocobo stables.
"Hey! Where you going? Vi-stop, man! That's my chocobo!"
Her legs were weak. She could barley lift her head, such was the heat. She'd been walking for hours, trying to get back to the canyon…but she was so tired.
So tired. Perhaps she should just lay down and rest, just for a while…just for a while.
She fell to her knees. Just for a while. Just for a while. Something was coming over the dunes. A chocobo…someone on it…she noticed as she fell face down into the sand.
Just for a while…up again soon…she thought as a shadow passed over her.
Darkness. Where was she? A bed underneath her. A dream?
Sand in her mouth. No dream. It had happened. How had she got her?
She tried to get out of the bed, but fell back, exhausted even by that slight movement.
The door was opened as she was passing out once again. She tried to keep awake, but weariness was overcoming her.
Something put to her lips. Water. She drank, not even wondering who was her helper…
Cape…red…
Unconscious again.
She seemed so peaceful, asleep as she was. He wiped a few droplets of water from her lips, her chin, with his good hand. His 'purer' hand, as he sometimes thought of it.
He wondered how such a girl-woman, she was defiantly that now-could have ensnared him so. He wasn't sure at all.
"Love is blind…" He murmured to himself. Then he left her, at least for the time being.
She woke, ages later. She did not know how long she had been asleep for. She thought back, thinking hard. How did she get here? Who saved her from death?
She knew the answers, she though. Him. He had saved her. Saved her from the desert…and from herself. How? Riding, like some knight of old. Rescuing a princess, like in all the fairytales.
The fairytales of her land, of all lands on this planet. The planet they'd fought for together…
She wondered whether this was what it felt like. She wondered if this was what it felt like to be-
The door opened. He entered. She tried to speak, but he hushed her.
"You're too weak right now. You still need your rest. And food." He said, laying a plate down next to her bed.
She ate, her gusto for food, for life, diminished by her ordeal, and her confused thoughts.
He stayed, watching her with care. Did he too feel it? She didn't know. Maybe he was playing the part of a concerned parent, or maybe…maybe he felt it, was watching her with the care of a friend and more…
She finished eating. He took the plate, told her to rest, and then they would talk later. She followed his advice hoping…praying…
Sunlight through open blinds. Sitting up in bed, the princess, the thief, the ninja, the mischievous child, all in one. Sitting on a chair, silent and calculating as ever, another.
"Was it you?"
"Yes."
"I thought it was…I knew that you would come for me…"
"Yes…" He replied, wondering, hoping…
Silence for a while. Then she speaks once again.
"I…I'm sorry. For what I said. The other night."
"It was nothing." He says, shaking his head.
"But it was!" She says, true, raw emotion entering her voice. "I shouldn't have said things like that to you!" Tears glisten her eyes, and she attempts to hide them. "I shouldn't have…I, I lo…" She cuts her last word off before it can go any further. She is scared, frightened of what things may turn out to be.
He sits next to her, tries to comfort her. She buries her head in his chest, crying quietly. With his right hand, he strokes her hair, muttering words of comfort to her.
"I love, you Yuffie…" He murmurs, not too quiet to be unheard by her.
No more words are needed. They simply manage to take comfort in each other, and their closeness.