(Argh! Why won't the damn italics show up even when I put it in .html
format...?! Maybe it has something to do with this crappy, spellcheck
lacking word processor? *curses word processor execively*
Naomi: Umm...I don't mean to seem too angelic, but shouldn't we do something about Ansem's predicament?
Hmm...why not? not like I have anything more interesting to do. Akumi? You're comin' with me. Oh, and bring a weapon, 'kay?
Akumi: *pulls out Bishamon Sword stolen from Samanosuke(Onimusha)* Sure! ^_^
Ummm....o...kay....anyway, Naomi? can you type up the chapters for me while I'm gone?
Naomi: I guess so.
Thanks!
Thus, Akumi and I step into "The Abyss"...
Akumi: Cut the drama! You do know your way around your room, right?
Mostly... ^_^;
Akumi:-_-; Somehow I don't feel reassured...
. . . W A I T I N G . . .
_______________________________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------
"Hi, Cloud!"
"Hello, Aerith."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------
~Coming of a Storm~
Aerith stared over his shoulder at the book he held.
"What's that book Cloud?"
The spiky haired man smiled a little, but did not look up from his reading.
"Just some Wutainese legends," he said simply, turning a page.
"Ohhh..."
She wore a thoughtful look for a moment, then nodded to herself. She sat down beside him, then ducked under his arm. Cloud looked at her for a moment with a raised eyebrow, but continued to read soon thereafter(?). There was silence for a while, then Aerith poked Cloud in the nose, once more drawing his attention from his book.
"Come on," she said, slipping off the bed and pulling him along with her. "Tifa's made dinner this time, and she sent me to come and get you."
He smiled again and shook his head, but allowed himself to be dragged from the room.
Memories...a greater flood...words...names...
MidgarZackBarretTifaShinRaSOLDIERreactorsNanakiYuffieVincentCidmateriamakoC etraPromisedLandcrisisJenovaWEAPONsHolyMeteorAerithSephiroth...
"Cloud? Cloud!"
He woke to the worried faces of his two mortal comrades. Yes, he remembered now. Remembered everything. Aerith's name had been the trigger. But...
"Are you alright?" Tifa asked him.
Cloud was silent for a moment before he sighed and shook his head.
"You don't remember anything, do you?" he asked looking at them.
"What do you mean?" Zack frowned.
"...forget it."
The Shadow and Spirit Hunters watched the now frozen scenery of Hollow Bastion from the west tower balcony.
"Maybe," Cloud said finally, "it would have been better if I had not remembered anything at all."
"Yeah, I guess," Leon replied. "It's...tough to lose someone you love. I know how you feel."
Cloud shook his head.
"I suppose I've changed too much," he said. "Even if she was still alive, would she accept me? For what I've become?"
"I couldn't say."
"Brutally honest, aren't you?"
"Would you rather I lie?"
"No."
Leon leaned against the nearby wall, his expression lacking anything that would reveal his current thoughts. The two did not speak anymore for a time, both lost in thought.
"Hey, Scarface."
The Spirit Hunter flinched at the nickname, then glared over at Cloud.
"What?"
"What was her name?"
He had certainly not expected that question. He did not reply for a moment.
"Rinoa. Why?"
"Just curious."
"You don't exactly strike me as the curious type."
"I'm not, normally. Anyway I was just wanted to break the silence. Did she die?"
"You have trouble staying on topic don't you? And yes, she did. What about this Aerith person?"
"Slaughtered by my mortal enemy."
"I see."
Cloud closed his eyes, looking distant for a moment. Then he chuckled dryly, gazing up at the grey, snowy sky with what looked like a hint of remorse in his eyes.
"I can't stand remanicing. And yet here I am doing so anyway. I'm not sure if I understand myself."
"Hmph. I'm sure you understand yourself better than I understand you."
"Is that supposed to be insulting?"
"Only if you take it the wrong way."
"Excuse me? I'm kinda lost, do you think you could help me out?"
The two turned to see a girl with short black hair tied in a bandanna dressed in shinobi attire. Her smoke colored eyes widened when she saw the face of the Shadow Hunter.
"Cloud...?"
Cloud looked genuinely surprised.
"Aren't you...?"
"Well," said Ansem, who had just come up to them. "I see you already know Yuffie Kisaragi, the Hunter of Wind."
(Naomi: Okay, for Di's sake, please review, alright? I'll try to get another chapter put soon, or Di will if she get's back before I get around to it...which I seriously doubt...)
Naomi: Umm...I don't mean to seem too angelic, but shouldn't we do something about Ansem's predicament?
Hmm...why not? not like I have anything more interesting to do. Akumi? You're comin' with me. Oh, and bring a weapon, 'kay?
Akumi: *pulls out Bishamon Sword stolen from Samanosuke(Onimusha)* Sure! ^_^
Ummm....o...kay....anyway, Naomi? can you type up the chapters for me while I'm gone?
Naomi: I guess so.
Thanks!
Thus, Akumi and I step into "The Abyss"...
Akumi: Cut the drama! You do know your way around your room, right?
Mostly... ^_^;
Akumi:-_-; Somehow I don't feel reassured...
. . . W A I T I N G . . .
_______________________________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------
"Hi, Cloud!"
"Hello, Aerith."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------
~Coming of a Storm~
Aerith stared over his shoulder at the book he held.
"What's that book Cloud?"
The spiky haired man smiled a little, but did not look up from his reading.
"Just some Wutainese legends," he said simply, turning a page.
"Ohhh..."
She wore a thoughtful look for a moment, then nodded to herself. She sat down beside him, then ducked under his arm. Cloud looked at her for a moment with a raised eyebrow, but continued to read soon thereafter(?). There was silence for a while, then Aerith poked Cloud in the nose, once more drawing his attention from his book.
"Come on," she said, slipping off the bed and pulling him along with her. "Tifa's made dinner this time, and she sent me to come and get you."
He smiled again and shook his head, but allowed himself to be dragged from the room.
Memories...a greater flood...words...names...
MidgarZackBarretTifaShinRaSOLDIERreactorsNanakiYuffieVincentCidmateriamakoC etraPromisedLandcrisisJenovaWEAPONsHolyMeteorAerithSephiroth...
"Cloud? Cloud!"
He woke to the worried faces of his two mortal comrades. Yes, he remembered now. Remembered everything. Aerith's name had been the trigger. But...
"Are you alright?" Tifa asked him.
Cloud was silent for a moment before he sighed and shook his head.
"You don't remember anything, do you?" he asked looking at them.
"What do you mean?" Zack frowned.
"...forget it."
The Shadow and Spirit Hunters watched the now frozen scenery of Hollow Bastion from the west tower balcony.
"Maybe," Cloud said finally, "it would have been better if I had not remembered anything at all."
"Yeah, I guess," Leon replied. "It's...tough to lose someone you love. I know how you feel."
Cloud shook his head.
"I suppose I've changed too much," he said. "Even if she was still alive, would she accept me? For what I've become?"
"I couldn't say."
"Brutally honest, aren't you?"
"Would you rather I lie?"
"No."
Leon leaned against the nearby wall, his expression lacking anything that would reveal his current thoughts. The two did not speak anymore for a time, both lost in thought.
"Hey, Scarface."
The Spirit Hunter flinched at the nickname, then glared over at Cloud.
"What?"
"What was her name?"
He had certainly not expected that question. He did not reply for a moment.
"Rinoa. Why?"
"Just curious."
"You don't exactly strike me as the curious type."
"I'm not, normally. Anyway I was just wanted to break the silence. Did she die?"
"You have trouble staying on topic don't you? And yes, she did. What about this Aerith person?"
"Slaughtered by my mortal enemy."
"I see."
Cloud closed his eyes, looking distant for a moment. Then he chuckled dryly, gazing up at the grey, snowy sky with what looked like a hint of remorse in his eyes.
"I can't stand remanicing. And yet here I am doing so anyway. I'm not sure if I understand myself."
"Hmph. I'm sure you understand yourself better than I understand you."
"Is that supposed to be insulting?"
"Only if you take it the wrong way."
"Excuse me? I'm kinda lost, do you think you could help me out?"
The two turned to see a girl with short black hair tied in a bandanna dressed in shinobi attire. Her smoke colored eyes widened when she saw the face of the Shadow Hunter.
"Cloud...?"
Cloud looked genuinely surprised.
"Aren't you...?"
"Well," said Ansem, who had just come up to them. "I see you already know Yuffie Kisaragi, the Hunter of Wind."
(Naomi: Okay, for Di's sake, please review, alright? I'll try to get another chapter put soon, or Di will if she get's back before I get around to it...which I seriously doubt...)