[A/N: yay, next chapter, up and running ^.^ this one's got a lot of action n stuff in it, so I hope you like! XD Caution to readers for some strong language in this chapter, along with some sexual stuff... (Damn Tadrith, grrrrr.)
..x.x.x.x.x..
Cloud found himself drifting endlessly through the dense, green forest. For being so far north, the air was surprisingly warm, sending sticky perspiration to drip from Cloud's famished skin. He hadn't rested, eaten or showered in days, and he didn't care. He felt so close to his destination, yet so far away. He had wondered helplessly into this godforsaken place, and was lost beyond all imagining.
Yet he felt like he was being driven, by some unseen force. He closed his eyes and felt it all around him. It was a very powerful sensation that made his nerve endings tingle. He slowed to a stop, keeping his eyes closed, trying with all his might to focus on the sensation. He felt this a warm feeling envelope him, cradling him like a lost child. His heart felt lighter, as if all the burdens of his life had been lifted, setting him free to the warm wind. He felt his whole body lighten, as if he was floating, and concentrated on the vast amount of energy that flowed into his mind, fulfilling the rest of his body.
Slowly and reluctantly, he opened his eyes, only to see that the forest was gone, to be replaced by a shallow green mist that shimmered and flowed around him. He felt unimaginably peaceful, and gazed around the beauteous place. This was definitely not the Lifestream; which held the feelings of anguish and despair as well. This place felt like a warm haven, a paradise. He felt like there was so much more to it, as if he were only being shown a mere preview of the real thing. He wanted to explore it's every boundaries and embrace the warmth and peace around him. He felt.. Like he belonged.
He turned around slowly, and gasped to see the figure of a young woman standing before him. As he looked, he saw that she wasn't standing, she was actually -floating- above the soft green, liquidy surface, sending ripples about her feet in delicate ringlets. She looked like an angel, surrounded by green mist that suited her lovely, emerald eyes.
She smiled at him, a genuine smile of relief and pure joy. It sent Cloud's heart into a million melting pieces, and felt his own features reflect the smile of hers.
"Cloud!" She breathed in her soft, feminine voice. "You.. You came to me!"
Cloud stepped forward, wanting to hug her, to hold her in his arms and just -feel- her presence. He was so unimaginably happy to see her that he lost track of everything he wanted to tell her.
As he stepped closer, his foot began to sink into the liquid-like surface beneath Aeris. He jumped back in surprise and looked up at her in confusion, but soon forgot about it when she reached forward and touched his face. Her floating made her appear a foot taller then Cloud was, so he had to strain his neck up to see her. Her caress was so warm and soft to the touch... He closed his eyes and put his hand on top of hers.
"Aeris.." He whispered. He remembered the dreams of her, how she had been so clear to see, yet so hard to understand.. How she had been beckoning for him.. He opened his eyes.
"Aeris, is this the Promised Land?" He asked, softly.
She nodded her petite head. "This is only a piece of it, though. I'm not able to show you the real thing, unless-"
"Is everything ok?" Cloud cut her off, remembering her distress and his sorrow. So many things started flooding him, as he began to remember the events of the past couple months. "Are you comfortable here? Are you treated well? Are there others to take care of you?" The questions poured out of him like a worried waterfall.
Aeris giggled and nodded. "Of course, silly. I am a Cetra, after all. This is where I belong, with my family. Yet, I still feel alone.." Her tone softened.
Cloud looked down away from her beautiful face, ashamed to look at her. "Aeris, I'm so sorry about what happened. I should have been able to save you, to keep you from being.." He stopped, unable to finish the sentence. "Heh. Some bodyguard I am."
"Cloud, you were a wonderful bodyguard. I wouldn't have asked for anybody else." She smiled empathetically, which warmed his heart once more. "It wasn't your fault, Cloud. I don't hold anything against you about it, it was just meant to be." Her facial expression softened even more, but her eyes sparkled with a brilliant glimmer.
"Cloud, I have to go soon. Permanently. As a Cetra, I have to leave to the real Promised Land, where my ancestors traveled centuries ago. As I said before, what you see here is only a piece of it..." She paused, looking away from Cloud, as if to let her words sink into Cloud's mind.
His smile faded and his eyes saddened. "So I'll never be able to see you again." His heart began to fill with sadness again, but it was expected.
"Cloud.." Aeris whispered, then looked into his eyes in a pleading manner. "Come with me. Away to the Promised Land. I can bring one person with me, only someone I truly care about, who I'd want to spend the rest of eternity with." She smiled for a moment. "Besides, you still owe me that one date, remember? This one will just.. Take a while."
Cloud's heart skipped a beat. Several, in fact. She was offering him paradise with the most beautiful angel in the heavens. He already knew the answer; it was one he couldn't refuse.
He smiled at Aeris.
.x.x.x.
Tifa awaited, sitting on the edge of the large, four poster crimson and ebony bed, under the beautiful crimson and black lace drapery that hung above it and around the posts. Her heart was beating immensely fast, feeling almost like a school girl on a first date. Although this was far worse, and far more dangerous. She waited for what seemed like hours, and was to the point when she thought Tadrith would never come. She had kicked off her shoes, feeling the pain of the high-heels ebb into her ankles. She had a different use for those, besides.
She had cleaned the mess of feathers off of the bed, hoping Tadrith wouldn't notice a couple pillows gone missing. She had to bust open a couple of others to find what she needed, but the search was worth it. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping her plan would work, at least a little bit.
The sound of machinery whirring brought Tifa to attention, and she looked up quickly in the direction of the large door. Her heart beat faster as Tadrith walked in, a dark smile on his lips. Closing the door behind him, his eyes wandered over to her, gazing over her figure with a hungry desire.
"Oh, my sweet little dove. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this." He licked his lips and moved closer to her. He noticed how she remained calm, like before, not flinching. He let out a silky, dark laugh. "I see you've accepted this. I, for your sake, hope you don't have anything planned."
Closer.
Tifa felt her stomach churn. She knew she was playing with fire, but something had to be done. She wasn't about to let herself succumb to this.. Creep.
Closer.
Tadrith licked his lips again, plainly staring her from head to toe. She stood up before him, allowing his eyes to drink again in her heavenly form. "My.. You're are the eloquence of perfection, my dear."
Closer.
Tifa kept a calm perspective. She would play everything like she had planned. No mishaps, it could cost her dearly if she did. She turned around, not wanting to face his rude staring and hungry eyes.
She soon felt the breath of Tadrith on the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. /Take it, Tifa. You have to. Just for a little while.. Suck it up, you can do it./ She felt Tadrith's hands slip around her waist, pulling her close to him, forcing her to feel how much he desired her. She winced.
Tadrith smelled the side of Tifa's neck, pressing her close to his body, feeling her every curve. "You've no idea how long I've been waiting for you, Tifa. Since the day I saw you." He kissed along the side of her neck, and she clenched her fingers, in disgust.
"Waiting for that perfect woman to come my way... with a body as lucius as yours.." He lifted his hands to her breasts. "..So I could snatch her away for myself." He fondled her over her dress, squeezing and rubbing her bodice. Tifa closed her eyes and fought the urge to hit him.
"Now that I finally have you, my perfect little dove," He continued, smoothly into her ear. He turned her around and pressed her backwards into the bed, until she fell onto her back with him pinning her down on top. He continued to press his body hard into her, making her squirm slightly with revulsion. "..I will never let you go." He whispered into her ear, snaking his tongue across her skin.
Tifa winced, holding back the urge to spew her insides all over his repulsive face, but she kept calm, and played along. That perfect moment would come. She reluctantly placed her arms around his back and shoulders, trying to seem interested, and lifted her thigh, purposely rubbing it into his flaming groin.
Tadrith purred in response and closed his eyes. "Mmmm.. I'm so glad you decided to submit yourself to me. He gasped slightly as she pressed her thigh a little harder between his legs. He reached up and slid his hands under her gown, grabbing and squeezing her breasts with great contentment.
/This is it./ Tifa thought. She positioned the quills of the feathers from the pillows between each of her knuckles, so that when she made a fist, the sharp ends jutted out. Most of the down feathers were too small to use as a potent weapon, so she used the largest ones she could find and bundled them together to make them harder and sharper.
She looked up at Tadrith's face, which twisted with pleasure at the feeling of her body so close to his. She smiled to herself. She was going to enjoy this. She cooed his name in a sexy tone of voice, beckoning him to open his eyes. "Oh, Tadrith.."
It worked. He instantly opened his dark eyes to look at her, surprised that she had given in to him as she did. The moment his eyelids flickered, Tifa drew back her fist as far as the bed would allow, and sent a spiked punch directly into Tadrith's eyes. He screeched in pain and grabbed at his face while Tifa kneed him in the groin, only as much as her gown would allow.
She immediately kicked his body away from her as he howled in murderous pain, and Tifa bolted for the door. She had torn the heels off of her shoes and jammed them into the door frame so that when Tadrith opened and closed it, the lock wouldn't catch. She grabbed at the metal handle and yanked.
Nothing.
Tifa felt panic rise into her throat, and yanked harder. /Why the hell won't it open!!/
Tadrith had pulled himself up onto the bed, yanking at the drapery to drag his weight up. He rubbed at his left eye, which appeared to be swollen and pricked with many small red holes. "You ungrateful little bitch." He spat. "It's not a locking mechanism. The whole door is mechanical, it will only open with my command, my code." He stared up at her, wincing in pain.
"Fuck!" She screamed, feeling all her hope drain away. She couldn't kill him, then she'd never get out. Then she'd rot in here, alone, next to his stinking dead corpse.
Tadrith had managed to get to his feet, though still had a hard time walking from the blow she had delt him to his groins. Tifa pounded the door with an angry fist. Tadrith smiled up at her, deviance radiating from his once-handsome features. "Didn't I say you'd regret it if you did something stupid?"
He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Come here."
Tifa stayed where she stood. Tadrith's eyes glowered with darkness. He took a step forward. "I said. Come. Here."
Tifa frowned and stayed her ground. /See if I act like his little dog./
Tadrith growled menacingly and shot a hand forward, grabbing part of Tifa's long gown and thrusting her to the floor, landing on her back with a harsh -thud-. She gasped out in unexpected pain as Tadrith quickly got down on his knees and straddled her. Tifa reached out to strike him and landed a hardy blow on his jaw, then gathered her feet to kick him away from her.
Tadrith growled in fury and grabbed her slender leg just after she kicked him, then yanked her down hard so that she slid underneath him once more. This time, he grabbed both her wrists and held them against the floor above her head with one hand, slapping her hard with the other. She gasped at the blow, leaving a red welt on her porcelain cheek.
Tadrith sneered down at her. Tifa felt helpless now, she couldn't move anything, and had no way of escape. She was trapped in this dark spider's web. She opened her mouth to cry out, but Tadrith leaned down and kissed her hard, muffling her noises. She struggled to get away from his mouth, from his grasp, but to no avail.
While Tadrith pressed his mouth into hers, he slowly slid a hand down to lift the skirts of Tifa's velvet, crimson gown.
.x.x.x.
"Okay, Cloud." Aeris said, tears glimmering in her eyes. She smiled softly at the young man in front of her. "Please, be careful, and come back to me soon. I don't have much longer."
Cloud smiled up at the beautiful young girl. He felt happy, complete, for the first real time of his life, and it wasn't from being in the presence of the Promised Land. This was real.
"I promise you, Aeris. As soon as I find her, I'll come back for you, before it's too late." His smile grew, knowing he was being truthful, knowing he'd be back to see this darling angel.
He turned around and closed his eyes, preparing to return to reality. "I love you, Aeris." He whispered to the girl just as she disappeared behind him, who smiled and bowed her head in return.
When his eyes opened, he found himself back in the Sleeping Forest, only this time, the trees were slightly bent before him to reveal a path. Cloud smiled and began journeying it back. He mentally thanked Aeris for showing him the way.. He would have never made it back on his own. Not with the time limit that was placed upon him now. He had very little time to retrieve Tifa and return here. He breathed out a deep breathe, hoping he wouldn't be too late.
He couldn't bear to break this promise.
..x.x.x.x.x..
[A/N: *gasp!* What's gonna happen!? What was Cloud's decision? What's gonna happen with Tifa??! ::dramatic soap opera music:: I'll probably be posting the next chapter pretty soon, don't wanna keep anyone on the edge here ^.^] ::falls on knees:: PPLLLLEEASSEEE review!!!! I need it!! I don't have that many now.. *snifflez* I'm beginning to feel.. quite unloved....... *sniff sniff* ]
..x.x.x.x.x..
Cloud found himself drifting endlessly through the dense, green forest. For being so far north, the air was surprisingly warm, sending sticky perspiration to drip from Cloud's famished skin. He hadn't rested, eaten or showered in days, and he didn't care. He felt so close to his destination, yet so far away. He had wondered helplessly into this godforsaken place, and was lost beyond all imagining.
Yet he felt like he was being driven, by some unseen force. He closed his eyes and felt it all around him. It was a very powerful sensation that made his nerve endings tingle. He slowed to a stop, keeping his eyes closed, trying with all his might to focus on the sensation. He felt this a warm feeling envelope him, cradling him like a lost child. His heart felt lighter, as if all the burdens of his life had been lifted, setting him free to the warm wind. He felt his whole body lighten, as if he was floating, and concentrated on the vast amount of energy that flowed into his mind, fulfilling the rest of his body.
Slowly and reluctantly, he opened his eyes, only to see that the forest was gone, to be replaced by a shallow green mist that shimmered and flowed around him. He felt unimaginably peaceful, and gazed around the beauteous place. This was definitely not the Lifestream; which held the feelings of anguish and despair as well. This place felt like a warm haven, a paradise. He felt like there was so much more to it, as if he were only being shown a mere preview of the real thing. He wanted to explore it's every boundaries and embrace the warmth and peace around him. He felt.. Like he belonged.
He turned around slowly, and gasped to see the figure of a young woman standing before him. As he looked, he saw that she wasn't standing, she was actually -floating- above the soft green, liquidy surface, sending ripples about her feet in delicate ringlets. She looked like an angel, surrounded by green mist that suited her lovely, emerald eyes.
She smiled at him, a genuine smile of relief and pure joy. It sent Cloud's heart into a million melting pieces, and felt his own features reflect the smile of hers.
"Cloud!" She breathed in her soft, feminine voice. "You.. You came to me!"
Cloud stepped forward, wanting to hug her, to hold her in his arms and just -feel- her presence. He was so unimaginably happy to see her that he lost track of everything he wanted to tell her.
As he stepped closer, his foot began to sink into the liquid-like surface beneath Aeris. He jumped back in surprise and looked up at her in confusion, but soon forgot about it when she reached forward and touched his face. Her floating made her appear a foot taller then Cloud was, so he had to strain his neck up to see her. Her caress was so warm and soft to the touch... He closed his eyes and put his hand on top of hers.
"Aeris.." He whispered. He remembered the dreams of her, how she had been so clear to see, yet so hard to understand.. How she had been beckoning for him.. He opened his eyes.
"Aeris, is this the Promised Land?" He asked, softly.
She nodded her petite head. "This is only a piece of it, though. I'm not able to show you the real thing, unless-"
"Is everything ok?" Cloud cut her off, remembering her distress and his sorrow. So many things started flooding him, as he began to remember the events of the past couple months. "Are you comfortable here? Are you treated well? Are there others to take care of you?" The questions poured out of him like a worried waterfall.
Aeris giggled and nodded. "Of course, silly. I am a Cetra, after all. This is where I belong, with my family. Yet, I still feel alone.." Her tone softened.
Cloud looked down away from her beautiful face, ashamed to look at her. "Aeris, I'm so sorry about what happened. I should have been able to save you, to keep you from being.." He stopped, unable to finish the sentence. "Heh. Some bodyguard I am."
"Cloud, you were a wonderful bodyguard. I wouldn't have asked for anybody else." She smiled empathetically, which warmed his heart once more. "It wasn't your fault, Cloud. I don't hold anything against you about it, it was just meant to be." Her facial expression softened even more, but her eyes sparkled with a brilliant glimmer.
"Cloud, I have to go soon. Permanently. As a Cetra, I have to leave to the real Promised Land, where my ancestors traveled centuries ago. As I said before, what you see here is only a piece of it..." She paused, looking away from Cloud, as if to let her words sink into Cloud's mind.
His smile faded and his eyes saddened. "So I'll never be able to see you again." His heart began to fill with sadness again, but it was expected.
"Cloud.." Aeris whispered, then looked into his eyes in a pleading manner. "Come with me. Away to the Promised Land. I can bring one person with me, only someone I truly care about, who I'd want to spend the rest of eternity with." She smiled for a moment. "Besides, you still owe me that one date, remember? This one will just.. Take a while."
Cloud's heart skipped a beat. Several, in fact. She was offering him paradise with the most beautiful angel in the heavens. He already knew the answer; it was one he couldn't refuse.
He smiled at Aeris.
.x.x.x.
Tifa awaited, sitting on the edge of the large, four poster crimson and ebony bed, under the beautiful crimson and black lace drapery that hung above it and around the posts. Her heart was beating immensely fast, feeling almost like a school girl on a first date. Although this was far worse, and far more dangerous. She waited for what seemed like hours, and was to the point when she thought Tadrith would never come. She had kicked off her shoes, feeling the pain of the high-heels ebb into her ankles. She had a different use for those, besides.
She had cleaned the mess of feathers off of the bed, hoping Tadrith wouldn't notice a couple pillows gone missing. She had to bust open a couple of others to find what she needed, but the search was worth it. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping her plan would work, at least a little bit.
The sound of machinery whirring brought Tifa to attention, and she looked up quickly in the direction of the large door. Her heart beat faster as Tadrith walked in, a dark smile on his lips. Closing the door behind him, his eyes wandered over to her, gazing over her figure with a hungry desire.
"Oh, my sweet little dove. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this." He licked his lips and moved closer to her. He noticed how she remained calm, like before, not flinching. He let out a silky, dark laugh. "I see you've accepted this. I, for your sake, hope you don't have anything planned."
Closer.
Tifa felt her stomach churn. She knew she was playing with fire, but something had to be done. She wasn't about to let herself succumb to this.. Creep.
Closer.
Tadrith licked his lips again, plainly staring her from head to toe. She stood up before him, allowing his eyes to drink again in her heavenly form. "My.. You're are the eloquence of perfection, my dear."
Closer.
Tifa kept a calm perspective. She would play everything like she had planned. No mishaps, it could cost her dearly if she did. She turned around, not wanting to face his rude staring and hungry eyes.
She soon felt the breath of Tadrith on the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. /Take it, Tifa. You have to. Just for a little while.. Suck it up, you can do it./ She felt Tadrith's hands slip around her waist, pulling her close to him, forcing her to feel how much he desired her. She winced.
Tadrith smelled the side of Tifa's neck, pressing her close to his body, feeling her every curve. "You've no idea how long I've been waiting for you, Tifa. Since the day I saw you." He kissed along the side of her neck, and she clenched her fingers, in disgust.
"Waiting for that perfect woman to come my way... with a body as lucius as yours.." He lifted his hands to her breasts. "..So I could snatch her away for myself." He fondled her over her dress, squeezing and rubbing her bodice. Tifa closed her eyes and fought the urge to hit him.
"Now that I finally have you, my perfect little dove," He continued, smoothly into her ear. He turned her around and pressed her backwards into the bed, until she fell onto her back with him pinning her down on top. He continued to press his body hard into her, making her squirm slightly with revulsion. "..I will never let you go." He whispered into her ear, snaking his tongue across her skin.
Tifa winced, holding back the urge to spew her insides all over his repulsive face, but she kept calm, and played along. That perfect moment would come. She reluctantly placed her arms around his back and shoulders, trying to seem interested, and lifted her thigh, purposely rubbing it into his flaming groin.
Tadrith purred in response and closed his eyes. "Mmmm.. I'm so glad you decided to submit yourself to me. He gasped slightly as she pressed her thigh a little harder between his legs. He reached up and slid his hands under her gown, grabbing and squeezing her breasts with great contentment.
/This is it./ Tifa thought. She positioned the quills of the feathers from the pillows between each of her knuckles, so that when she made a fist, the sharp ends jutted out. Most of the down feathers were too small to use as a potent weapon, so she used the largest ones she could find and bundled them together to make them harder and sharper.
She looked up at Tadrith's face, which twisted with pleasure at the feeling of her body so close to his. She smiled to herself. She was going to enjoy this. She cooed his name in a sexy tone of voice, beckoning him to open his eyes. "Oh, Tadrith.."
It worked. He instantly opened his dark eyes to look at her, surprised that she had given in to him as she did. The moment his eyelids flickered, Tifa drew back her fist as far as the bed would allow, and sent a spiked punch directly into Tadrith's eyes. He screeched in pain and grabbed at his face while Tifa kneed him in the groin, only as much as her gown would allow.
She immediately kicked his body away from her as he howled in murderous pain, and Tifa bolted for the door. She had torn the heels off of her shoes and jammed them into the door frame so that when Tadrith opened and closed it, the lock wouldn't catch. She grabbed at the metal handle and yanked.
Nothing.
Tifa felt panic rise into her throat, and yanked harder. /Why the hell won't it open!!/
Tadrith had pulled himself up onto the bed, yanking at the drapery to drag his weight up. He rubbed at his left eye, which appeared to be swollen and pricked with many small red holes. "You ungrateful little bitch." He spat. "It's not a locking mechanism. The whole door is mechanical, it will only open with my command, my code." He stared up at her, wincing in pain.
"Fuck!" She screamed, feeling all her hope drain away. She couldn't kill him, then she'd never get out. Then she'd rot in here, alone, next to his stinking dead corpse.
Tadrith had managed to get to his feet, though still had a hard time walking from the blow she had delt him to his groins. Tifa pounded the door with an angry fist. Tadrith smiled up at her, deviance radiating from his once-handsome features. "Didn't I say you'd regret it if you did something stupid?"
He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Come here."
Tifa stayed where she stood. Tadrith's eyes glowered with darkness. He took a step forward. "I said. Come. Here."
Tifa frowned and stayed her ground. /See if I act like his little dog./
Tadrith growled menacingly and shot a hand forward, grabbing part of Tifa's long gown and thrusting her to the floor, landing on her back with a harsh -thud-. She gasped out in unexpected pain as Tadrith quickly got down on his knees and straddled her. Tifa reached out to strike him and landed a hardy blow on his jaw, then gathered her feet to kick him away from her.
Tadrith growled in fury and grabbed her slender leg just after she kicked him, then yanked her down hard so that she slid underneath him once more. This time, he grabbed both her wrists and held them against the floor above her head with one hand, slapping her hard with the other. She gasped at the blow, leaving a red welt on her porcelain cheek.
Tadrith sneered down at her. Tifa felt helpless now, she couldn't move anything, and had no way of escape. She was trapped in this dark spider's web. She opened her mouth to cry out, but Tadrith leaned down and kissed her hard, muffling her noises. She struggled to get away from his mouth, from his grasp, but to no avail.
While Tadrith pressed his mouth into hers, he slowly slid a hand down to lift the skirts of Tifa's velvet, crimson gown.
.x.x.x.
"Okay, Cloud." Aeris said, tears glimmering in her eyes. She smiled softly at the young man in front of her. "Please, be careful, and come back to me soon. I don't have much longer."
Cloud smiled up at the beautiful young girl. He felt happy, complete, for the first real time of his life, and it wasn't from being in the presence of the Promised Land. This was real.
"I promise you, Aeris. As soon as I find her, I'll come back for you, before it's too late." His smile grew, knowing he was being truthful, knowing he'd be back to see this darling angel.
He turned around and closed his eyes, preparing to return to reality. "I love you, Aeris." He whispered to the girl just as she disappeared behind him, who smiled and bowed her head in return.
When his eyes opened, he found himself back in the Sleeping Forest, only this time, the trees were slightly bent before him to reveal a path. Cloud smiled and began journeying it back. He mentally thanked Aeris for showing him the way.. He would have never made it back on his own. Not with the time limit that was placed upon him now. He had very little time to retrieve Tifa and return here. He breathed out a deep breathe, hoping he wouldn't be too late.
He couldn't bear to break this promise.
..x.x.x.x.x..
[A/N: *gasp!* What's gonna happen!? What was Cloud's decision? What's gonna happen with Tifa??! ::dramatic soap opera music:: I'll probably be posting the next chapter pretty soon, don't wanna keep anyone on the edge here ^.^] ::falls on knees:: PPLLLLEEASSEEE review!!!! I need it!! I don't have that many now.. *snifflez* I'm beginning to feel.. quite unloved....... *sniff sniff* ]