"You stay here?" Sora asked looking about the red room. Cloud, who sat
beside Sora's bedside, watched the boy silently for a while before he said,
"With wounds like that you could have died back there."
And Sora, whose gaze had immediately stopped wandering to focus on him, lowered themselves, unable to meet the other's questioning gaze.
Sora's black and white coat had been removed and the deep red singlet peeled away to reveal the horrific afore mentioned wound upon his back. The intense gashes ran from right shoulder blade down to the small of the back in three painful trails, marring the perfect skin. Of course such a thing was not easy to heal, but cure spell after cure spell, the blood had finally stopped, and was wrapped carefully by a thin restricting layer of cloth. It wasn't long before the boy came to afterwards.
And of course, such a vicious wound would pique a few questions within anyone's mind. But despite what Cloud thought or was now thinking, the next question came out automatically.
"Where are your friends?" It was a question brought up before, but it seemed more important now. Sora could of lost his heart to the heartless if not his life, for they were the most obvious culprits of the attack. But such a threat would prove no danger if his companions were with him. And when he found the boy, they were no where to be seen. Sora must have been attacked while he was alone. But why was he alone? Cloud thought these things as he stared intently at the now silent Sora. His head was lowered in shame or something more that Cloud could not place his finger on.
After awhile, Sora shook his head softly without ever lifting his eyes.
"I wouldn't have died." The boy replied stiffly, though Cloud knew the question was of friends and not of his physical condition. But the young soldier did not point it out, as it seemed unimportant right now.
"But.." Sora's uncertain voice started, but he seemed uncomfortable under Cloud's luminous gaze. He paused a moment as if trying to think of what to say before he finished with a customary 'Thank you'.
Cloud coolly shrugged in acknowledgement, but beneath the cool and uncaring exterior, he was still troubled.
The air was heavy as silence fell over the two with Cloud pondering things, and Sora considering things. Finally, finding that he could not leave the thought alone any longer, Cloud decided to speak up, only to have Sora speak first.
"Hey, uh, I was just thinking." Sora said uncertainly. "You said you were looking for someone before. Who is it?"
Even though the soldier knew immediately that boy was deliberately avoiding the earlier topic, never the less, his heart skipped a beat. Sora seemed to sense this for he lifted his gaze finally to level with Cloud's. Eyes of Fire and Ice met then. Cloud decided to allow the last subject to drop and focus on this. It was really all he was waiting for anyway. And while he did not want to get his hopes too high up, being disappointed a million times before, he could not help but see the hope that Sora carried about him despite everything.
A moment had passed, and it was Cloud's turn to turn his gaze away. Even though he was tired, he was going to try again. He was determined to keep going.
"Perhaps you've seen her." Cloud said in a lowered tone. "I've been looking for her for a long time."
Sora inclined his head slightly. "Is she a friend? A family member?"
"She is my light." Cloud said finally. At this, the boy looked thoughtful, and then replied evenly,
"What is her name? With all the traveling I've done, perhaps I've seen her around." Sora said hopefully.
"Perhaps." Cloud agreed, and he agreed whole-heartedly. He sighed deeply, breathing in the night air, he wasn't sure how he could continue with out sounding too vulnerable, or so weak. "Her name." He started, and already he could feel the pain rise in his chest, it burned and he furrowed a brow in frustration, trying to hold back a dam of emotions held back for so long. But it was always like this when he thought of her. "Her name is."
"Sorraaaaaaa!!!" A distant but loud voice shouted. Both heads snapped up in attention. Automatically, Sora began to move, but Cloud placed a hand upon his shoulder to keep him from rising.
"Th-that sounds like my friends, they're looking for me." Sora said with a slight tone of regret. He looked to Cloud apologetically. "I have to go."
But Cloud stood shaking his head. "No, you're not ready to go back yet."
Now this took Sora on by surprise. Perhaps because Cloud had read his thoughts exactly, but there was something more.
Looking to the open window balcony, Cloud reached fore his buster sword propped against the wall next to him. "Sora, you don't have to leave if you're not ready."
Sora watched Cloud with an unreadable expression. Several times he opened and closed his mouth as if to say something, but nothing ever came. Cloud took his gaze from the balcony and looked to the speechless Sora. Eyes stern, and somewhat determined he removed his hand from the boy's shoulder.
"Sora, I will take care of them. They will not take you if you are not ready, I will make sure of it." Cloud said in a solemn voice. Of course this unsettled Sora a bit and the boy was ready to jump to his feet had not Cloud locked him with that still gaze.
"Y,you're not going to hurt them are you? They're my friends. I mean, I have to go, I'm the key blade master and all.They need me, Kairi needs me." Sora said the last part as if to himself. And that sadness that Cloud knew all too well came over his face. It was a sadness so palpable, it would make anyone who saw it, want to fix it imeadietly
Without a word the young soldier turned and began to walk towards the window, where the voices floated in. Sword in hand he opend the doors to the balcony and stepped out. It was only then he stood for a second and glanced back, but not so much as to where he could see Sora.
"That you are the Key Blade master is only the more reason for you to be careful. You hold great power and shoulder much responsibility. But, key blade master or not, you're still human, a human with a heart that's been hurt deeply. I'm not sure what's caused this, but you are in no condition to continue your journey."
And with that firm resolve, a wing rose to the calling of distant winds. It stretched heaven wards, and before Sora could say anything more, Cloud took to the night skies.
"With wounds like that you could have died back there."
And Sora, whose gaze had immediately stopped wandering to focus on him, lowered themselves, unable to meet the other's questioning gaze.
Sora's black and white coat had been removed and the deep red singlet peeled away to reveal the horrific afore mentioned wound upon his back. The intense gashes ran from right shoulder blade down to the small of the back in three painful trails, marring the perfect skin. Of course such a thing was not easy to heal, but cure spell after cure spell, the blood had finally stopped, and was wrapped carefully by a thin restricting layer of cloth. It wasn't long before the boy came to afterwards.
And of course, such a vicious wound would pique a few questions within anyone's mind. But despite what Cloud thought or was now thinking, the next question came out automatically.
"Where are your friends?" It was a question brought up before, but it seemed more important now. Sora could of lost his heart to the heartless if not his life, for they were the most obvious culprits of the attack. But such a threat would prove no danger if his companions were with him. And when he found the boy, they were no where to be seen. Sora must have been attacked while he was alone. But why was he alone? Cloud thought these things as he stared intently at the now silent Sora. His head was lowered in shame or something more that Cloud could not place his finger on.
After awhile, Sora shook his head softly without ever lifting his eyes.
"I wouldn't have died." The boy replied stiffly, though Cloud knew the question was of friends and not of his physical condition. But the young soldier did not point it out, as it seemed unimportant right now.
"But.." Sora's uncertain voice started, but he seemed uncomfortable under Cloud's luminous gaze. He paused a moment as if trying to think of what to say before he finished with a customary 'Thank you'.
Cloud coolly shrugged in acknowledgement, but beneath the cool and uncaring exterior, he was still troubled.
The air was heavy as silence fell over the two with Cloud pondering things, and Sora considering things. Finally, finding that he could not leave the thought alone any longer, Cloud decided to speak up, only to have Sora speak first.
"Hey, uh, I was just thinking." Sora said uncertainly. "You said you were looking for someone before. Who is it?"
Even though the soldier knew immediately that boy was deliberately avoiding the earlier topic, never the less, his heart skipped a beat. Sora seemed to sense this for he lifted his gaze finally to level with Cloud's. Eyes of Fire and Ice met then. Cloud decided to allow the last subject to drop and focus on this. It was really all he was waiting for anyway. And while he did not want to get his hopes too high up, being disappointed a million times before, he could not help but see the hope that Sora carried about him despite everything.
A moment had passed, and it was Cloud's turn to turn his gaze away. Even though he was tired, he was going to try again. He was determined to keep going.
"Perhaps you've seen her." Cloud said in a lowered tone. "I've been looking for her for a long time."
Sora inclined his head slightly. "Is she a friend? A family member?"
"She is my light." Cloud said finally. At this, the boy looked thoughtful, and then replied evenly,
"What is her name? With all the traveling I've done, perhaps I've seen her around." Sora said hopefully.
"Perhaps." Cloud agreed, and he agreed whole-heartedly. He sighed deeply, breathing in the night air, he wasn't sure how he could continue with out sounding too vulnerable, or so weak. "Her name." He started, and already he could feel the pain rise in his chest, it burned and he furrowed a brow in frustration, trying to hold back a dam of emotions held back for so long. But it was always like this when he thought of her. "Her name is."
"Sorraaaaaaa!!!" A distant but loud voice shouted. Both heads snapped up in attention. Automatically, Sora began to move, but Cloud placed a hand upon his shoulder to keep him from rising.
"Th-that sounds like my friends, they're looking for me." Sora said with a slight tone of regret. He looked to Cloud apologetically. "I have to go."
But Cloud stood shaking his head. "No, you're not ready to go back yet."
Now this took Sora on by surprise. Perhaps because Cloud had read his thoughts exactly, but there was something more.
Looking to the open window balcony, Cloud reached fore his buster sword propped against the wall next to him. "Sora, you don't have to leave if you're not ready."
Sora watched Cloud with an unreadable expression. Several times he opened and closed his mouth as if to say something, but nothing ever came. Cloud took his gaze from the balcony and looked to the speechless Sora. Eyes stern, and somewhat determined he removed his hand from the boy's shoulder.
"Sora, I will take care of them. They will not take you if you are not ready, I will make sure of it." Cloud said in a solemn voice. Of course this unsettled Sora a bit and the boy was ready to jump to his feet had not Cloud locked him with that still gaze.
"Y,you're not going to hurt them are you? They're my friends. I mean, I have to go, I'm the key blade master and all.They need me, Kairi needs me." Sora said the last part as if to himself. And that sadness that Cloud knew all too well came over his face. It was a sadness so palpable, it would make anyone who saw it, want to fix it imeadietly
Without a word the young soldier turned and began to walk towards the window, where the voices floated in. Sword in hand he opend the doors to the balcony and stepped out. It was only then he stood for a second and glanced back, but not so much as to where he could see Sora.
"That you are the Key Blade master is only the more reason for you to be careful. You hold great power and shoulder much responsibility. But, key blade master or not, you're still human, a human with a heart that's been hurt deeply. I'm not sure what's caused this, but you are in no condition to continue your journey."
And with that firm resolve, a wing rose to the calling of distant winds. It stretched heaven wards, and before Sora could say anything more, Cloud took to the night skies.
