Chapter 8
Green Eyes and Red Roses
Aeris knelt in her garden, humming as she examined the flowers. Despite the dirty atmosphere of the Midgar slums, this spot, behind her foster mother's house, was perfect for the blooms, as though a small protective bubble kept the air around it fresh. The presance of life there was comfortin in all the dead, cold meatal that was the giant Shinra city. And it was all Aeris had here. All she had to remind her of home. A home she only wished she could fully remember.
Sighing, she stood, brushing off the dirt from the brown pants she wore. Of course, this brief moment of bittersweet happiness would not last. Her thoughts then returned to Cloud, whom she had not seen for weeks in Remora'sien. Though they did not know each other as well as she would like, she felt as though their souls were connected, as though they were two halves of one whole. She smiled a little, wondering if he felt the same, then felt a blush rising to her cheeks.
Aeris giggled nervously, feeling like she had just anounced that to the world. What had brought such thoughts into her head? Cloud was like her brother, that was all. What was wrong with caring for a brother? This was when she remembered why she had come out in the middle of the night. She knelt again, listening hard for the voice of Lady Gaia. It was a difficult task, and slightly frustrating. Aeris found herself envying Cloud for his home under Mount Nibel, where the Planet's many voices were probably simple to hear. At last she found the voice she was looking for and called out to it.
~What do you seek, daughter?~
'Cloud...he hasn't been in the Garden lately. Is he alright?'
~Even I cannot say for certain. I know only that his sleep is filled with nightmares. Nightmares that keep him from Remora'sien.~
Aeris bit her lip. If Lady Gaia did not know what was wrong with Cloud, it had to be something very serious indeed.
'Please, is there anything I can do for him? He's my best friend...'
~Go to him, help him through the nightmare. Perhaps then he would be able to return to the Garden.~
She was alone again after that. And also a little confused. How did one go about entering another's dreams? Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustling in the rose bush to her near left. She froze. And turned.
And locked gazes with two eyes colored the same as her own.
She opened her mouth to release a shriek, only to have a hand clamped over her mouth.
"Shhhhh! Promise you won't scream!" a voice whispered urgently.
Aeris hesitated a moment before nodding. A sigh of relief came from whoever it was that was there, and the hand removed itself. The stranger came into the half-light then, revealing that it was a boy, about twelve. His skin looked paler than was healthy, and two silver colored bangs framed his face, the rest of his hair hidden under the hooded cloak he wore.
"Who are you?" she asked him, her own voice dropping instinctively to a whisper.
"No one of any consiquence," he replied, eyes glancing all about.
Aeris frowned.
"No one's here but us."
"How do _you_ know?"
"'Cause...'cause I just do, okay?"
The boy snorted and continued to comb the area with his eyes. Aeris le out an exasperated sigh.
"Are you hiding?" she wondered.
"Yeah."
She thought for a moment before coming to a decision.
"Okay, why don't you stay here?"
"What?! You don't even know what I did!"
"Did you kill someone?"
"No..."
"Are you a fugitive wanted for terrible crimes?"
"No!"
"Alright then! Now C'mon, before my mom wakes up and sees I'm gone."
Before he could protest further, the boy found himself being dragged into the house. It was darker inside, and quieter as well.
"We've gotta sneak upstairs from here," Aeris said, voice nearly inaudible. "The floorboards creak if you walk across them too fast."
The two children did their best to make thir way upstairs without a sound, cringing at any noise. Upon entering Aeris' room, the girl in question shut the door quietly and switched on the light. The boy squinted, the sudden brightness hurting his eyes.
"Alright, let's see those scratches!" Aeris said, turning to him.
"Scratches?"
She gave him a look.
"You were hiding in a _rose bush_."
He blinked, then looked down at his hands. Indeed, there were a good deal of scratches, and his cloak was ripped in a few places. He shrugged.
"It's not that serious."
"Would you just let me look at them?"
"What can you do?"
In answer she grabbed his hands.
"What are you-?!"
"~Cure.~"
A tingling sensation passed through him, then, when it subsided, Aeris let go. The boy looked at his hands for a moment, then up at the young healer.
"Thanks, I guess."
Footsteps were then heard outside.
"Shit..." he muttered as a loud banging was heard at the door.
"The people you were hiding from?"
"Yeah, that's them. I'm going."
With those words, he headed for the window.
"Hey, hang on!"
"What is it now?"
"I'm Aeris, and you never told me your name."
The boy smirked.
"Sephiroth."
And then he was gone.
(Yay! This chapter actually wasn't disgustingly short! ^_^ I hope it was acceptable.)
-Diamond Weapon
Green Eyes and Red Roses
Aeris knelt in her garden, humming as she examined the flowers. Despite the dirty atmosphere of the Midgar slums, this spot, behind her foster mother's house, was perfect for the blooms, as though a small protective bubble kept the air around it fresh. The presance of life there was comfortin in all the dead, cold meatal that was the giant Shinra city. And it was all Aeris had here. All she had to remind her of home. A home she only wished she could fully remember.
Sighing, she stood, brushing off the dirt from the brown pants she wore. Of course, this brief moment of bittersweet happiness would not last. Her thoughts then returned to Cloud, whom she had not seen for weeks in Remora'sien. Though they did not know each other as well as she would like, she felt as though their souls were connected, as though they were two halves of one whole. She smiled a little, wondering if he felt the same, then felt a blush rising to her cheeks.
Aeris giggled nervously, feeling like she had just anounced that to the world. What had brought such thoughts into her head? Cloud was like her brother, that was all. What was wrong with caring for a brother? This was when she remembered why she had come out in the middle of the night. She knelt again, listening hard for the voice of Lady Gaia. It was a difficult task, and slightly frustrating. Aeris found herself envying Cloud for his home under Mount Nibel, where the Planet's many voices were probably simple to hear. At last she found the voice she was looking for and called out to it.
~What do you seek, daughter?~
'Cloud...he hasn't been in the Garden lately. Is he alright?'
~Even I cannot say for certain. I know only that his sleep is filled with nightmares. Nightmares that keep him from Remora'sien.~
Aeris bit her lip. If Lady Gaia did not know what was wrong with Cloud, it had to be something very serious indeed.
'Please, is there anything I can do for him? He's my best friend...'
~Go to him, help him through the nightmare. Perhaps then he would be able to return to the Garden.~
She was alone again after that. And also a little confused. How did one go about entering another's dreams? Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustling in the rose bush to her near left. She froze. And turned.
And locked gazes with two eyes colored the same as her own.
She opened her mouth to release a shriek, only to have a hand clamped over her mouth.
"Shhhhh! Promise you won't scream!" a voice whispered urgently.
Aeris hesitated a moment before nodding. A sigh of relief came from whoever it was that was there, and the hand removed itself. The stranger came into the half-light then, revealing that it was a boy, about twelve. His skin looked paler than was healthy, and two silver colored bangs framed his face, the rest of his hair hidden under the hooded cloak he wore.
"Who are you?" she asked him, her own voice dropping instinctively to a whisper.
"No one of any consiquence," he replied, eyes glancing all about.
Aeris frowned.
"No one's here but us."
"How do _you_ know?"
"'Cause...'cause I just do, okay?"
The boy snorted and continued to comb the area with his eyes. Aeris le out an exasperated sigh.
"Are you hiding?" she wondered.
"Yeah."
She thought for a moment before coming to a decision.
"Okay, why don't you stay here?"
"What?! You don't even know what I did!"
"Did you kill someone?"
"No..."
"Are you a fugitive wanted for terrible crimes?"
"No!"
"Alright then! Now C'mon, before my mom wakes up and sees I'm gone."
Before he could protest further, the boy found himself being dragged into the house. It was darker inside, and quieter as well.
"We've gotta sneak upstairs from here," Aeris said, voice nearly inaudible. "The floorboards creak if you walk across them too fast."
The two children did their best to make thir way upstairs without a sound, cringing at any noise. Upon entering Aeris' room, the girl in question shut the door quietly and switched on the light. The boy squinted, the sudden brightness hurting his eyes.
"Alright, let's see those scratches!" Aeris said, turning to him.
"Scratches?"
She gave him a look.
"You were hiding in a _rose bush_."
He blinked, then looked down at his hands. Indeed, there were a good deal of scratches, and his cloak was ripped in a few places. He shrugged.
"It's not that serious."
"Would you just let me look at them?"
"What can you do?"
In answer she grabbed his hands.
"What are you-?!"
"~Cure.~"
A tingling sensation passed through him, then, when it subsided, Aeris let go. The boy looked at his hands for a moment, then up at the young healer.
"Thanks, I guess."
Footsteps were then heard outside.
"Shit..." he muttered as a loud banging was heard at the door.
"The people you were hiding from?"
"Yeah, that's them. I'm going."
With those words, he headed for the window.
"Hey, hang on!"
"What is it now?"
"I'm Aeris, and you never told me your name."
The boy smirked.
"Sephiroth."
And then he was gone.
(Yay! This chapter actually wasn't disgustingly short! ^_^ I hope it was acceptable.)
-Diamond Weapon