Love is Like a Rose - Chapter 4: Friendly Spar
Leon headed for the Rising Falls. It was his favorite place in all of Hollow Bastion. The steady pounding of the ice pacified his thoughts. He usually went there to be alone. A lot of people avoided the area since it was believed that the ice was thin and would break at any moment. Leon thought this was just as good anyway, since it allowed him to be alone and think.
Life couldn't be any more complicated. He was falling for a girl almost ten years younger than him, his heart was torn into pieces, he hadn't spoken to Cloud since they teamed up in the Coliseum, Yuffie was acting snappish and strange, and through it all, Aerith somehow managed to keep a smile on her face. Leon let the wind caress his flushed face. Had Yuffie changed just to get his attention? Damn, he just couldn't seem to get that girl of his mind these days. Yuffie had some weird affect on him. Ever since that night when Cloud had returned, he couldn't bring himself to scowl at her for no reason. He couldn't get her words out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. He supposed he was just grateful for her gift of hope. Or maybe, it was something much more than gratefulness.
Leon pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt a migraine coming on.
"Come here often?" a clear, deep voice asked, followed by the clunk of booted footsteps.
Leon cringed. He really didn't feel like talking to anyone, let alone Cloud of all people. "What do you want?" he said a little more forcefully than he meant to.
Cloud stepped closer, his many chains and belts clinking as he did. "Aerith told me what happened," he said simply.
Leon tore his gaze away from Cloud. He lifted his eyes to the dreary sky. "Oh?" Leon arched an eyebrow in response.
"Yeah."
Pause. "...what do you want?"
Cloud cocked his head to the right. "I was here to ask for a friendly spar."
"Friendly spar. That's an oxymoron, don't you think? In order to be friendly, you must be friends, or at least on speaking terms."
Cloud's eyes narrowed. "Still a bit bitter I see."
Leon could feel himself losing his grip on his temper. "I was there for Aerith more times than you ever were." He unsheathed his Gunblade and let it rest on his shoulder. "But they say love is blind. And in this case it's true. What it is Aerith sees in you, I don't know. Love is crazy like that sometimes."
Cloud took out his own large sword. Leon vaguely wondered how he lugged that giant thing around. "Still up for that friendly spar?" Cloud asked again, gripping the hilt of his sword firmly.
"Why not? I could always use a good fight," Leon agreed, holding his Gunblade with both hands.
"Cid? You up here?" Yuffie called, pushing his bedroom door open.
"Yeah," came Cid's distracted answer. He stood by the window, peering through a telescope.
What? No unnecessary cursing? No "What the hell are you doing here"? What happened to the Cid she knew and loved? Yuffie crossed the room and stood by him. "Cid? What's up?" she asked. "Someone flushed your cigarettes down the toilet again or something?"
He pointed out the window towards the Rising Falls in the east. "They're gonna kill each other," he murmured.
"What are you talking about?" Yuffie asked, confused.
"Look!" Cid said, moving aside so Yuffie could look through his telescope.
Yuffie bent forward and put her face to the telescope. She turned the knob on the left of the telescope to focus it. Yuffie gasped. Cloud and Leon were engaged in battle. And judging by the way they swung their weapons around, it seemed like the were ready to hurt...or kill. "Holy crap!"
Cid sighed. "Damn kids these days...don't know how to solve their problems without killing each other. Will you four ever grow up?"
Yuffie shook her head. "Probably not," she answered, rushing out of the room. "Why would I want to grow up and become old and cranky like you?" Yuffie called over her shoulder.
"Dammit, Yuffie!" Cid yelled.
Yuffie grinned inwardly. The Cid she knew was back. Mission accomplished. But now she had another problem to take care of. She took off towards the castle gates as quickly as her legs could carry her.
Aerith was nearly knocked over in the hall by a running figure. "What the...?" she muttered before she realized that the figure was Yuffie. "Yuffie? Where are you running to?"
Yuffie came to a halt. "Squall and Cloud are about to kill each other down by the Rising Falls," she said breathlessly. "Come on!" she urged, pulling Aerith along with her.
Yuffie let go of Aerith's wrist and pulled ahead. she silently prayed.
The two made it out of the castle and were sprinting down the path as quickly as they could. They could see the forms of both Leon and Cloud in the distance. They could also see the cuts and bruises that covered both men. They were breathing heavily and held their weapons in a ready position. Their eyes were flaming with aggression.
"Leon! Cloud!" Yuffie yelled, waving her arms above her head as she neared. "You guys, stop it!"
They either seemed to ignore her or just didn't hear her. They continued to stare each other down with blazing eyes. Sapphire met cerulean.
"Leon!" Yuffie yelled louder this time.
Leon's head jerked up as he heard his name. "Yuffie?" he wondered aloud. He didn't see Cloud lifting his sword high above his head...
Yuffie gasped, feeling her heart stop. "Look out!"
Leon moved his head to the side just as Cloud's sword came down on him. It missed his head by inches, but sunk into the flesh where his neck and shoulder met. He cursed angrily, feeling the sting of blood. Recovering quickly, Leon swung his Gunblade around with grace and speed. It connected with Cloud's side and cut between his ribs.
Cloud inhaled sharply and clutched at the wound as the pain numbed his side, caught off-guard.
Leon bit his tongue, focusing on not crying out. The pain was almost unbearable. His vision began to grow hazy. He heard Cloud's boots click as he advanced on him, he heard Cloud's sword whooshing through the air, and he awaited the pain that would send him reeling into unconsciousness.
...but the pain never came. Instead, a high-pitched shriek from Aerith and a blood-curling scream from Yuffie filled his ears. He looked up in time to catch Yuffie's falling body. He cradled her limp form in his arms. A trail of blood leaked from a large wound between her shoulder and collarbone. Yuffie's face was contorted in pain and tears built up in her amethyst eyes. Behind the tears, Leon could see terror anchoring itself in her. He couldn't believe she had taken the hit for him. And judging by her reaction, she couldn't believe it either.
"Yuffie! Oh my God, Yuffie," Aerith said worriedly as she came to a stop, panting.
Yuffie scrunched her eyes shut. She couldn't let Leon see her cry. Her entire body was trembling with both hurt and adrenaline. "God, it hurts so much," she whimpered, struggling to get up.
"Leon, help me get Yuffie to the Hospital Wing, now. Cloud, you go find the nearest nurse in town," Aerith instructed, taking a few potions from a satchel.
Leon lifted Yuffie in his arms and nodded. "Okay, let's go."
Aerith opened a potion. "Here, Yuffie. Drink," she commanded.
Yuffie took the potion and downed it quickly, a bitter taste snaking itself down her throat. She immediately began to feel its healing effects. She looked at Cloud, who let his sword clatter to the ground. "Cloud, it's not your fault. I should've known better than to dive into the middle of a fight. I have to learn how to think before I act."
Cloud shook his head slowly, still trying to comprehend the fact that he nearly stabbed one of his closest friends. All because he'd lost control.
Leon met Cloud's gaze before took off towards the castle with Yuffie in his arms. Aerith gave Cloud a sympathetic look. "Hurry. Yuffie needs medical help. Magic and potions can only do so much," Aerith said quietly.
Picking up his sword, Cloud looked in the direction of the small town Aerith spoke of. He nodded determinedly. "All right. I won't let you down," he said before darting towards the path that led to town.
Aerith watched him go. "I know you won't," she whispered to his retreating back, knowing he wouldn't hear her.
Yuffie couldn't tell if she was unconscious or conscious between the time that they reached the hospital wing and the time she was healed. It was like she was floating in a mist of darkness. Her vision was blurry at the edges from what she guessed was loss of blood. Her head was pounding, and her injury was shooting bolts of pain throughout her entire body.
Leon gently put her on a bed, and Aerith immediately cast a healing spell to get rid of the blood. "Will she be all right?" Leon queried, holding his own gash with his hand.
Aerith began to clean the wound with a cotton ball drenched with peroxide. She didn't answer right away. Her emerald eyes looked up at Leon. "To tell you the truth, I really don't know."
Yuffie heard Leon's breathing come out haggard. "Isn't there some magic or medicine?" His voice sounded choked with emotion.
Aerith shrugged. "Curaga will keep her going for only so long. I can stop an infection, but if she doesn't stop bleeding soon, she could die from loss of blood," Aerith explained gently while dabbing at Yuffie's wound with a sort of lotion. "Hopefully these antibiotics will work."
Leon began to pace, his many belts and chains clinking as he did. "Why didn't you stop her or something?" he demanded.
Aerith sighed. "Stopping Yuffie is like stopping a wave," she commented.
"Cloud had better come with that nurse soon," Leon growled, clenching his fists as he paced.
"He will. Cloud never goes back on his word," Aerith said firmly.
"I hope you're right, Aerith."
Aerith lowered her head. "Me too," she said, inaudible to Leon's ears. She sighed softly and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "That should keep her stable until Cloud comes back."
Leon sat in a chair and held his head in his hands. He finally became aware of the pain in his shoulder. He hissed through clenched teeth.
Aerith looked at him. "Are you okay?"
Leon didn't look up. "Fine," he answered curtly.
"You're hurt, aren't you?" she stated rather than asked as she walked up to him.
Leon still didn't meet her gaze. "Just a little cut. Nothing to worry about or anything. Besides, Yuffie needs more help than I do."
Placing her hand on his shoulder, Aerith concentrated and healed his wound with a Cure spell. "You're lucky he didn't hit any crucial veins."
Leon lifted his cobalt eyes to Aerith's bright green ones. "I can't stop thinking about her, Aerith."
Aerith was taken by surprise. "Who?"
"Yuffie."
Yuffie heard her name and her ears perked up. She managed to open one bleary eye and glance in Leon and Aerith's direction.
"That night Cloud came back..." his voice began to crack, but he cleared his throat and continued. "She comforted me. I can't get her words out of my head. I can't get her out of my head!" His voice began to rise. "I can't stop thinking about her, no matter what I do or what I say. There's nothing I can do to keep my mind off her."
Yuffie struggled to lift her hand to her cheek. She pinched it and grimaced. No, she definitely wasn't dreaming. Did that mean that Leon shared her feelings? She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer and let them slide shut. Yuffie finally gave into the darkness that beckoned her to unconsciousness.