[A/N: Ok, 'nother short chapter. But it'll have to do, for now. The next one coming up should most definitely be longer, for you're entertainment purpouses ^.^ Anyways, it's late, I'm tired, read on. ^0^ ]
..x.x.x.x.x..
The air began to chill, little by little, the closer to the northern continent they got. Matrix only stopped once to drink from a fresh pool of water, revitalizing his much needed and spent energy. Cloud would have slept, after all he hadn't had even a wink within the last couple days. He had spent all his time searching. He didn't expect anything of this nature to happen. He felt pressured and confused.. And so alone.
He scoffed at himself. He had been alone pretty much all of his life, you'd think he'd be used to it by now, but he wasn't. After being in Tifa's company for so long, he finally felt what it was like to be needed. After a childhood of isolation, then years in the militant company of Shin-Ra trying to become someone he was not, he had pretty much given up on socialization. He supposed that all this time he really did need someone, it just didn't come out so well. It was a feeling he was still adjusting to, but he wanted it.
/Please be here, Tifa.. Please../ He thought ineptly.
Matrix finally came upon the beach leading to the excavation site, known as Bone Village. He sighed a breath of relief, glad to be off of the unstable tide of the ocean. Matrix was just as relieved, walking across water was definitely -not- as easy as it seemed. He clawed his way onto the soft sand and slowed to a quick walk towards the thick jungle that surrounded the Bone Village dig site. Just as the little place came into view, a familiar sensation took over Cloud's mind, only this time it was strong and distressing. Cloud clutched his head, squinting his eyes shut tightly as the images seared through his brain.
It became overwhelming, and Cloud doubled over, falling off of Matrix in a helpless -thud-. The frightened chocobo warked and nudged at the crumbled man, as if to summon him back up again. Cloud, though, could not.
His mind became enveloped in green light. It was bright and warm, yet empty and alone at the same time. From it, he sensed the feelings of sorrow and distress, happiness and fright, anger and discouragement, all flooding into him at once. It was a very familiar sensation, one that he could never forget. It was that of the Lifestream.
Cloud tried to focus his thoughts, trying to escape from this emerald hell, when all of a sudden two eyes manifested from the light, almost perfectly matching the green surroundings. More grew from the eyes, a face shaped behind them with small pink lips and chestnut hair. Her image was wavering.
/Aeris../ Cloud tried to reach out to her with his mind. He knew her time was fading. /Please wait.. I'll find you, just hold on a little bit longer, please try!/
In response, the young girl closed her eyes and nodded her head, soon dissipating into the atmosphere of his mind. Cloud immediately opened his eyes, sweat trickling down his forehead as he picked himself up, and without thinking, ran for the Sleeping Forest.
One of the excavation workers saw Cloud run past in a blur, and tried to shout out a warning before he went into the mysterious forest. When he was ignored, he sighed heavily and shook his head.
"Damn kids. They just don't know what this place is all about."
"What's wrong, Mike? Did another one slip in there?"
"Yeah. I don't know what they're up to these days. I only hope he doesn't get lost. This place will mercilessly swallow you whole."
The other man furrowed his brows together in thought, and after a moment of consideration, said, "Hey, ya think he has anything to do with that girl in pink?"
The one called Mike shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows. If he does, I hope he finds her. She's been wandering around alone in there for who knows how long now."
After that, there was only silence as the two men began there abysmal work once more.
.x.x.x.
"Let go of me, you filthy pig!" Tifa growled as she struggled beneath the grip of Tadrith's strong arms. "I swear to God if I get loose.."
Tadrith let out a snide chuckle. "Hush, my dear. That won't be happening anytime soon."
Tifa's skin was practically crawling just by touching this man. He continued to drag her to a large room somewhere beneath where Tifa's room had originally been. Tadrith pressed a few numbers on a metal panel by the door, too quickly for her to observe, and a metal whirring noise could be heard. Within seconds, the door opened to what appeared to be another bedroom. It looked almost identical to hers from before, only it had no windows and the main colors were crimson and black. Tadrith effortlessly shoved her into the oversized place, a placid smile plastered onto his chiseled features.
She wanted to smack it off. With her shoe.
"You'll be staying here for the time being, my precious dove. I shouldn't be too long gone, you see, I have some short business to attend to." He smiled wider with absolute glee. "Don't dirty up the place too much; there's no means of escape, so it's useless even considering it." He closed the door, trapping her inside to wait for who knows how long, for who knows what.
She slammed on the door with her fist, yelling after Tadrith at the top of her lungs. She knew it was pointless; he was probably laughing at her right now. She threw herself onto the king-sized bed and punched one of the pillows, bursting it at the seams, sending black down feathers floating into the air.
/How could I be so Damn stupid!/ She scolded herself. /I knew I shouldn't of followed him here! I was too damn busy trying to keep myself occupied from Cloud. And now he's gone, without even a clue as to where I am, looking for a woman who is already DEAD, who is torturing him in his dreams for him to find her.. Nobody knows where I am... I'm completely defenseless and alone.. And this retarded psychopath who's probably nearly a hundred years old wants me to become his beloved wife./ She sighed, feeling too damned angry to cry.
Just then, she heard a familiar cry. It was faint, but clear.. Tifa's eyes widened as she realized who it belonged to.
"Blade.." She whispered. She remembered the fresh cuts on Tadrith's hands as he lead her around his house. "The fucking bastard!!" She thought about that night in the hotel, about how while she was sleeping, Tadrith was out capturing her chocobo. He was setting her up all this time, luring her closer and closer to his unavoidable clutches. She clenched her fists until it hurt.
"If he's messing with her right now..." She paused. "I hope she peck's his fucking eyes out." She didn't care that her time spent around Cid was finally catching up with her. She was too angry and spiteful. She was more angry with herself, and just plain disgusted with Tadrith Shin-Ra.
She punched another delicate pillow, sending another feathery cascade of soft, black down. /How could I be so stupid. I was so upset over leaving Cloud that I didn't focus, I didn't think. Now I'm in a no-win situation. I'm stuck./ She sighed and thought about Cloud, as she always had. /He's probably having the time of his life right now. I wonder if he.. Finally found her.. I.. I hope he's happy./
She would have cried if she had anymore tears left. Cloud's gone and happy, and her life of misery was just beginning. She trailed her fingers over the down, admiring their elegance. Just when she thought all hope was gone, she got an idea. She began searching through the scattered feathers, looking for just the right ones.
Her hope was perking up. Maybe she would have a chance, after all.
..x.x.x.x.x..
[Review review review!!!! I wanna know if I'm getting cheesy or not. I kind of didn't want Tadrith to be a time defiant human being, but damnit, I kinda had no choice. I feel like I lost the reality, there -.- Please let me know what you think; lot's more surprises coming up soon ^.^ ]
..x.x.x.x.x..
The air began to chill, little by little, the closer to the northern continent they got. Matrix only stopped once to drink from a fresh pool of water, revitalizing his much needed and spent energy. Cloud would have slept, after all he hadn't had even a wink within the last couple days. He had spent all his time searching. He didn't expect anything of this nature to happen. He felt pressured and confused.. And so alone.
He scoffed at himself. He had been alone pretty much all of his life, you'd think he'd be used to it by now, but he wasn't. After being in Tifa's company for so long, he finally felt what it was like to be needed. After a childhood of isolation, then years in the militant company of Shin-Ra trying to become someone he was not, he had pretty much given up on socialization. He supposed that all this time he really did need someone, it just didn't come out so well. It was a feeling he was still adjusting to, but he wanted it.
/Please be here, Tifa.. Please../ He thought ineptly.
Matrix finally came upon the beach leading to the excavation site, known as Bone Village. He sighed a breath of relief, glad to be off of the unstable tide of the ocean. Matrix was just as relieved, walking across water was definitely -not- as easy as it seemed. He clawed his way onto the soft sand and slowed to a quick walk towards the thick jungle that surrounded the Bone Village dig site. Just as the little place came into view, a familiar sensation took over Cloud's mind, only this time it was strong and distressing. Cloud clutched his head, squinting his eyes shut tightly as the images seared through his brain.
It became overwhelming, and Cloud doubled over, falling off of Matrix in a helpless -thud-. The frightened chocobo warked and nudged at the crumbled man, as if to summon him back up again. Cloud, though, could not.
His mind became enveloped in green light. It was bright and warm, yet empty and alone at the same time. From it, he sensed the feelings of sorrow and distress, happiness and fright, anger and discouragement, all flooding into him at once. It was a very familiar sensation, one that he could never forget. It was that of the Lifestream.
Cloud tried to focus his thoughts, trying to escape from this emerald hell, when all of a sudden two eyes manifested from the light, almost perfectly matching the green surroundings. More grew from the eyes, a face shaped behind them with small pink lips and chestnut hair. Her image was wavering.
/Aeris../ Cloud tried to reach out to her with his mind. He knew her time was fading. /Please wait.. I'll find you, just hold on a little bit longer, please try!/
In response, the young girl closed her eyes and nodded her head, soon dissipating into the atmosphere of his mind. Cloud immediately opened his eyes, sweat trickling down his forehead as he picked himself up, and without thinking, ran for the Sleeping Forest.
One of the excavation workers saw Cloud run past in a blur, and tried to shout out a warning before he went into the mysterious forest. When he was ignored, he sighed heavily and shook his head.
"Damn kids. They just don't know what this place is all about."
"What's wrong, Mike? Did another one slip in there?"
"Yeah. I don't know what they're up to these days. I only hope he doesn't get lost. This place will mercilessly swallow you whole."
The other man furrowed his brows together in thought, and after a moment of consideration, said, "Hey, ya think he has anything to do with that girl in pink?"
The one called Mike shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows. If he does, I hope he finds her. She's been wandering around alone in there for who knows how long now."
After that, there was only silence as the two men began there abysmal work once more.
.x.x.x.
"Let go of me, you filthy pig!" Tifa growled as she struggled beneath the grip of Tadrith's strong arms. "I swear to God if I get loose.."
Tadrith let out a snide chuckle. "Hush, my dear. That won't be happening anytime soon."
Tifa's skin was practically crawling just by touching this man. He continued to drag her to a large room somewhere beneath where Tifa's room had originally been. Tadrith pressed a few numbers on a metal panel by the door, too quickly for her to observe, and a metal whirring noise could be heard. Within seconds, the door opened to what appeared to be another bedroom. It looked almost identical to hers from before, only it had no windows and the main colors were crimson and black. Tadrith effortlessly shoved her into the oversized place, a placid smile plastered onto his chiseled features.
She wanted to smack it off. With her shoe.
"You'll be staying here for the time being, my precious dove. I shouldn't be too long gone, you see, I have some short business to attend to." He smiled wider with absolute glee. "Don't dirty up the place too much; there's no means of escape, so it's useless even considering it." He closed the door, trapping her inside to wait for who knows how long, for who knows what.
She slammed on the door with her fist, yelling after Tadrith at the top of her lungs. She knew it was pointless; he was probably laughing at her right now. She threw herself onto the king-sized bed and punched one of the pillows, bursting it at the seams, sending black down feathers floating into the air.
/How could I be so Damn stupid!/ She scolded herself. /I knew I shouldn't of followed him here! I was too damn busy trying to keep myself occupied from Cloud. And now he's gone, without even a clue as to where I am, looking for a woman who is already DEAD, who is torturing him in his dreams for him to find her.. Nobody knows where I am... I'm completely defenseless and alone.. And this retarded psychopath who's probably nearly a hundred years old wants me to become his beloved wife./ She sighed, feeling too damned angry to cry.
Just then, she heard a familiar cry. It was faint, but clear.. Tifa's eyes widened as she realized who it belonged to.
"Blade.." She whispered. She remembered the fresh cuts on Tadrith's hands as he lead her around his house. "The fucking bastard!!" She thought about that night in the hotel, about how while she was sleeping, Tadrith was out capturing her chocobo. He was setting her up all this time, luring her closer and closer to his unavoidable clutches. She clenched her fists until it hurt.
"If he's messing with her right now..." She paused. "I hope she peck's his fucking eyes out." She didn't care that her time spent around Cid was finally catching up with her. She was too angry and spiteful. She was more angry with herself, and just plain disgusted with Tadrith Shin-Ra.
She punched another delicate pillow, sending another feathery cascade of soft, black down. /How could I be so stupid. I was so upset over leaving Cloud that I didn't focus, I didn't think. Now I'm in a no-win situation. I'm stuck./ She sighed and thought about Cloud, as she always had. /He's probably having the time of his life right now. I wonder if he.. Finally found her.. I.. I hope he's happy./
She would have cried if she had anymore tears left. Cloud's gone and happy, and her life of misery was just beginning. She trailed her fingers over the down, admiring their elegance. Just when she thought all hope was gone, she got an idea. She began searching through the scattered feathers, looking for just the right ones.
Her hope was perking up. Maybe she would have a chance, after all.
..x.x.x.x.x..
[Review review review!!!! I wanna know if I'm getting cheesy or not. I kind of didn't want Tadrith to be a time defiant human being, but damnit, I kinda had no choice. I feel like I lost the reality, there -.- Please let me know what you think; lot's more surprises coming up soon ^.^ ]