AUTHORS NOTE: *puff, pant* PRESENTING... CHAPTER 8! *wild applause* ^.^
Ok,ok, Sorry this has taken sooo~o long - i'v just been majorly caught up in making my 'puter game (watch dis space - when I put it online I'll expect you all to play it! ^____^) - that and i wanted to make dis chappy good (which would have been impossible with the insperation.. or LACK-OF.. that I'v had recently!).
M'kay.. next up - I'v changed my 'writing' abit.. well, more like I'v put the speech in inverted commas - eg-- "Everyone should stop pretending that it's Tifa I like" Cloud said angrily, wrapping his arms around a beaming Aerith (heehee.. couldn't resist! *^.^*) - and thoughts in regular commas - eg-- 'I wish I was more like Aerith..' Tifa/the author of this ficcy thought (take your pick - but no flaming for that!.. I just lubb Aerith [alot] more than Tifa!) - ok? ok!
Oh and.. I'd really love it if you could tell me what you thought about this chappy (As well as the others! plz!) so R & R! If anyone reading this is a Tifa or Yuffie fan, they'll be finding their 'Love Tester' matches soon.. so stay tuned! *big grin* ^____^
In response to some reviews:
Kenneth - thanks for the compliments and sorry if my detail can go abit overboard, but meh! I mean.. it's a struggle just trying to RULE OUT words I shouldn't use in the story. I'm a sucker for writing in detail! But i really appreciate your review! CC is always welcomed (bighting my head off in a review is NOT! ^.^) so thanks ^.^
Crashbandicoot - yep! REALLY 75 chapters long (yes, I AM crazy!.. and i love it!) But seriously, I was reviewing overall what I was gunna put in this story (alotta stuff!) and ended up making it OVER 75 chapters in content.. so basically.. 75 if i'm luck.. at the least *sweatdrop* ^.^ But I love writing it, and it isn't gunna just circle around Aerith and Cloud (mainly, but not ONLY), there'll be some big twists and suprises coming up! Wait and see (and read!.. and review! ^.^)
chandavatika - *falls over* a faithful reader?! wOOt! I'm real happy to hear that.. I wasn't even sure if that many people WERE reading this (I was even considering discontinuing it on fanfiction.net.. but I'm hooked now so no chance of that!) but reading your reviews makes it all worthwhile! So thank you so much for the totally *sweet* comments! (read below! ^.~)
on that note I'll let you read the story.. and just to let 2 people out there feel spesh and know they make this world a WAY better place:

This chapter is dedicated to my mate Kimmy (happy b'day!) and the nicest reviewer ever.. chandavatika! ^.^

Angel Reborn
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CHAPTER EIGHT

AERITH and CLOUD
in
"Pinch Me"

~Yuotsu glade - ruins of Midgar~
•°•
"Hello! Hello!"

'My head.. hurts..'

"Hello! Hello!"

'I must have been.. dreaming.. it all..'

"Oh! Movement!"

Cloud shifted slightly as he lay with his eyes shut. His head was aching tremendously for some unknown reason and as he squeezed his lids shut tightly it did nothing to sooth the pain, wanting so desperately to just drift back into that beautiful dream he was having of his lost love.. and never wake up.. .

"Are you.. okay?" the voice asked him, with genuine concern. The soothing touch of a cool hand was pressed against his aching forehead and Cloud groaned slightly - beginning to drift back to reality.

"I think my.. head.. is broken.. ."

A delicate chuckle met his ears in response, and moments later where once a hand touched against his forehead, the moisture of a damp cloth began to gently mop his skin. "You hit your head quite hard when you fell," the voice explained quietly, "take it slowly and you should start to feel a little better soon."

Cloud opened his eyes slightly, flinching at the sudden onslaught of bright sunlight that streamed down into them and obscured his immediate view. 'I Fell?'

It was around the same time that Aerith spoke the words that Clouds vision finally chose to focus on the woman kneeling next to him. "Let me introduce myself," she began - flashing him a genuinely warm smile, "my name is Aerith.. Aerith Gainsborough." The sweet Cetra extended her hand, obviously intending for Cloud to shake it - but he was far to shocked to even notice her small gesture, instead feeling his heart thumping crazily and his stomache erupting in butterflies.

"Aerith..." he whispered, just loud enough for the pretty young lady to pick up on all the hidden emotion it beared. Retracting her hand slowly, she began to stare at him with a curious look on her face, blushing as he finished with a wonderful smile flashed in her direction. "..Pinch me."

Aerith was a little puzzled as to meaning behind it, but lent forward anyway - reaching her fingers towards some exposed skin on Clouds arm, before quickly deciding against it and shaking her head. "No.. I could never.. ." The blush deepened on her cheeks and she traced the petals of a flower by her knees softly, smiling as she averted her eyes from his. "..Hurt you."

The blue of Clouds eyes deepened with longing as he watched her shyly kneeling there with such innocent purity, refusing to cause him even the slight discomfort a pinch could cause. 'Aerith.. .' Reaching out to take her delicate hand in his own, Cloud murmered quietly, "But than how will I ever know if I'm just dreaming this all or not?.. ."

The moment was shattered into a thousand shards as the stillness of the glade was filled with a frantic shouting from some distance away, mingled with loud angry squawks that made Aerith leap to her feet in alarm.

"It's mad!!! MAD I TELLS YA!!! Distract it Tifa!!!" More shouts, wails and warks were followed by a shrill scream.

"OWW!!! It pecked me on the sholder!!!" Laughter and than loud protesting.

"OMIGAWSH! IT JUST SWALLOWED ONE OF MY MATERIA BALLS!!! THIS MEANS WAR!!!"

Cloud groaned and scrambled to his feet as Aerith took off in the direction of all the commotion, determined to never let her out of his sight again.

After some time of ducking, dodging and leaping over all manner of branches and thorn-covered bushes, The two finally broke out of the edge of the forest and were greeted by a scene of utter chaos. Yuffie was running around in an attempt to shake off one very annoyed chocobo, wailing at the top of her lungs and glancing back over her sholder as the large bird flapped it's golden wings threateningly. After some time of this going on, the roles were switched when the cheeky chocobo managed to snatch another of the shining materia balls from the ninjas exposed item pouch, causing immediate outrage.

"NOOOOOO!!! GIVE THAT BACK YOU DUMB BIRD!!!"

Tifa was standing off to one side, rubbing her sholder tenderly while she munched on the juicy white flesh of a Rasa fruit - seeming to be completely absorbed in her own little world.

Aerith had began to clamber down to where Yuffie was still being pursued, a worried look on her face. "SNOW! STOP THAT!" she shouted out when she reached the bottom, feeling relieved when her golden chocobo slid to a halt on her command.

Yuffie continued to run for a little while longer, having still not fully realised the chase had ended, and continuing to wail and curse loudly all the while.

Forgetting about the pain on her sholder and the fruit she'd been snacking on, Tifa head had shot up at the familiar voice she was hearing - her eyes widening considerably as she recognised the figure in pink close by. "A-AERITH?!" She darted over to her old friend, wrapping her in a warm embrace and failing to notice the look of complete suprise that came over her face. "I can't believe it's you! you're actually alive!"

Cloud had made his way over to where the two girls stood, as well as Yuffie - who was gaping and spluttering out her disbelief at who was actually standing infront of her!

"It's so great to see you! How in the world did this happen?" Tifas eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she stepped back and allowed Yuffie to take her turn in welcoming back their old friend.

"You're even prettier than I remember!! Not to mention all those lil' balls of materia slotted into your weapon!" she announced, with undisguised interest.

Aerith smiled and nodded sullenly, a look of absolute confusion crossing her face as three sets of eyes focused on her, obviously waiting for her mutual recognition in return for the enthusiastic welcomes she'd recieved.

It never came. Aerith was baffled.

"W-Who.. are you all?" she asked, in a hushed whisper.

Her question was met with absolute silence, save for the chirping of a noisy insect somewhere nearby.

Clouds heart had lurched in his chest when the truth registered - actually, more like ripped completely clean of his entire body. He felt like breaking down and crying. It just couldn't be true! He'd moped endlessly at having lost Aerith after her death, and now that he'd finally found her again his spirit was completely defeated with the news that.. *she didn't even remember him!* Cloud bit his lip harshly, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill out for all to see, but it was hard. His heart was aching.. actually ACHING! From all his effort in preventing the emotions from coming out, his bottom lip had began to bleed quite badly, droplets of the bright red liquid began to pool around his teeth and dribble down his chin.

Aerith, who had been staring down at her feet in dissappointment with herself at having hurt the three strangers unintentionally, was the first to notice Clouds current state. She supressed a gasp and rushed to him - dispite the fact that she didn't have the slightest idea who he was - and pulled the ribbon from her long brown hair, gently holding his chin and wiping away the blood from around his mouth with worry. As she did, her face held a look of untold sadness - she really *wanted* to know who they all were.. wanted to be a part of their lives.. .

Tifa had been equally as unlucky in supressing her emotions, she dabbed at her eyes with the knuckle of her index finger and sniffled quietly.

Yuffie had tried to act as brave as she could master, which was easier for her considering how long she'd only known the Ancient compared to Cloud and Tifa, granted.. it was still long enough to form a bond with her - which she had - but Yuffie just hadn't been through what the others had with Aerith.

Gathering up her courage, the teenage ninja hugged Tifa reassuringly and smiled. "Don't worry Tiff!" She whispered enthusiastically, "We'll *help* her to remember us all!"

On hearing Yuffie's hushed words to Tifa, Cloud allowed a smile to come across his mouth and a determined thought to enter his mind. 'Yes, I'll help Aerith to remember me.. if it's the last thing I do..!'
•°•
©Erica Runge - 9th of February, 2003. All main characters, etc ©Squaresoft and FFVII.