White Flower
i am the voice keeping you to s a n i t y
chp. iv
twisted
*
The monster was disgusting. It was a gruesome red color, almost that of blood but with green added; as if thrown up. Large bulbous eyes watched them sinisterly, heavily lolling limbs banging against the stone as it inched closer to Aeris. Stiff, bristly hair covered its chest, and two fangs hung over its lower jaw, dripping some bitter-smelling liquid.
She was frozen in place, with nothing to protect herself. She had not a weapon, not even her staff! Curse the idiot who stole her chocobo! She closed her eyes tightly, as if believing that if she couldn't see it, it wouldn't hurt her. Instead, it rose a large, clawed paw and swung at her head. She opened her eyes, and braced herself for the pain.
Instead, a lean figure leaped in front of her, swinging the heavy blade it wielded at the monster. It snorted, raising the bleeding claw to its large eyes, as if to examine the wound. The figure turned to Aeris, a worried expression on his face.
"Aeris, go to the back!" Cloud told her, holding his sword in a defensive position. "Tifa, come on!"
Tifa sprang over obediently, balling her hands into fists. Aeris felt even worse; Tifa was able to fight with just her gloves and boots! Why did she have to be so frail, so weak, always the damsel in distress? She puckered out her lower lip in frustration and scooted to the back wall of the cave.
Leaping over at the monster, Tifa struck it quickly in the temple with her feet, quickly dodging the large, scaly tail it tried to hit her with. Cloud striked the tail with immense force, causing it to be sliced in two, rough pieces. The monster howled. Tifa, taking this to her advantage, began to pummel its back.
Aeris noticed that Cloud didn't realize his stomach was open every time he rose his sword to attacked the monster. She was about to warn him when a sickening crunch was heard. The monster struck its left leg against Cloud, causing him to fall back and hit his head against the stone.
"Cloud!" she cried, and she rushed over. Tifa was worried, but she continued to hit the monster, trying to kill it with so much anger in her. Finally, she leapt down, right in front of it. The monster, slightly puzzled at her brash method, was distracted. What a horrible mistake.
Tifa lunged at it, beginning to punch and kick it in the face with tremendous force. She neatly flipped in the air, kicking it in the jaw, and continued to buffet the poor behemoth. She sighed proudly as it weakened.
Aeris at the time, however, was attending to Cloud. He was awake, staring at her with wide, blue eyes, but it hurt for him to breath. She knew this because every time he took a breath, he winced. She ran her hand through his hair reassuringly as she held her other hand over his stomach. "Shh," she consoled as a green light emanated from the palm of her hand.
Cloud recovered quickly afterwards, and sprang up. He looked at Aeris, then said, "Don't get hurt." Then he ran over to continue his battle with the monster.
Aeris felt somewhat angry. He hadn't even bothered to thank her! She bit her lip, and sat there like a child robbed of its candy.
*
With a heavy clang, Cloud's sword struck the monsters neck. A sickening roar echoed through the cave, and it fell heavily upon the floor. Tifa grinned in relief, running over to capture Cloud in a hug. He hugged her back warmly. Both seemed to have forgotten Aeris was there.
"That's okay," she told herself quietly. "I'm okay."
She brushed herself off, and stared at them. They HAD forgotten she was there; they were still hugging! A peaked feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
"So, you managed to beat my monster," a voice rang through out the cave. Tifa and Cloud sprang away from each other, both flushing slightly. Aeris called out "Who are you?!"
The voice chuckled, and a thin figure escaped from the shadows. It was a short girl, dressed in a scandalous outfit with blues and yellows. She laughed again, as if amused by their weakened state.
"I am Almalda," the girl said smugly, twirling in her dress. She bent down to Cloud, and flicked her finger at him, then lifted her finger.
Cloud began to levitate, and he struggled to get on the ground. Tifa pulled on his foot, trying to get him on the floor, but Aeris walked up to Almalda defiantly.
"Who do you think you are?!" she cried out angrily. "How dare you!"
Aeris summoned a bolt of lightning on Almalda. It broke Cloud's levitation, but it didn't hurt Almalda. She laughed. "Is that all you've got?"
"No!" Aeris said angrily. "Actually, I have much more."
Almalda suddenly looked fearful, but it was soon replaced by an amused grin. "Oh, really?"
"It's not worth wasting on you," Aeris spat out. Almalda raised her eyebrows, then snapped her fingers. Cloud suddenly appeared at her side. Tifa gasped.
"Is he worth it?" Almalda asked. Aeris was speechless. Almalda smirked, and then, she and Cloud were gone.
Tifa finally broke down.
"Cloud! Come back!"
*
Cloud didn't know where he was. Well, he did but not exactly. He did know he was in a prison cell, being watched over a by a teenager in an ugly dress. But he didn't know where this prison cell was. In annoyance, he struck the ground with his fist.
"Temper, temper," Almalda, the girl, teased.
"Shut up, you filth," Cloud spat out, crossing his arms. Almalda smiled sugary-sweet.
"That's not nice," she said. "So let's change the subject. Which of those girls do you like better?"
Cloud glared at the girl hatefully. "They're my friends; I care for them evenly."
"Oh, really?" the girl giggled, conjuring up a hologram of Tifa and Aeris. "It seems to me you liked the busty one."
"Hmph," Cloud snorted. "What do you know?"
"Oh! So you like HER," Almalda cried out triumphantly, pointing to Aeris.
Cloud ignored her. "Whatever."
"Well, isn't that cold," Almalda whimpered. "You must be some heartless babe magnet; I mean, here you are, stringing these poor girls along..."
"Shut up!" Cloud yelled in frustration. "You don't know Tifa! You definitely don't know Aeris! So just leave them out of this!"
"Oh, my poor dear," she clucked, shaking her head. "They are in this. I mean, I need to find out which I can have for my plaything. I wouldn't want to hurt your girlfriend."
"Lay a finger on either and I'll see to your end," he seethed. But Almalda dismissed him with a smile.
"Whatever, Cloud," she said, grinning as she leaned against the wall. "It's either one or both."
Cloud fidgeted, then said softly, "Touch Aeris and die."
"Alright then," Almalda said simply, clicking her fingers. The hologram of Aeris flickered and disappeared. "You'll just have to save Ms. Busts."
*
"GAH! MY GLOVE IS CAUGHT IN THE THORNS!"
"Dang it Tifa, hurry up! We need to rescue Cloud!"
*
PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER: Tifa and Aeris to the rescue! As they battle Almalda, they find out what she's really after, and they escape with Cloud. But Tifa gets captured, and who knows where Almalda will bring her! Especially since if you hurt Almalda, you harm Tifa! Read as Cloud and Aeris formulate a plan to save their friend.
Author's Note: I HATE THIS CHAPTER! I HATE IT! It's so short, and not well- written! But I want to get to some mushy parts! -whimpers- ARGH!!
i am the voice keeping you to s a n i t y
chp. iv
twisted
*
The monster was disgusting. It was a gruesome red color, almost that of blood but with green added; as if thrown up. Large bulbous eyes watched them sinisterly, heavily lolling limbs banging against the stone as it inched closer to Aeris. Stiff, bristly hair covered its chest, and two fangs hung over its lower jaw, dripping some bitter-smelling liquid.
She was frozen in place, with nothing to protect herself. She had not a weapon, not even her staff! Curse the idiot who stole her chocobo! She closed her eyes tightly, as if believing that if she couldn't see it, it wouldn't hurt her. Instead, it rose a large, clawed paw and swung at her head. She opened her eyes, and braced herself for the pain.
Instead, a lean figure leaped in front of her, swinging the heavy blade it wielded at the monster. It snorted, raising the bleeding claw to its large eyes, as if to examine the wound. The figure turned to Aeris, a worried expression on his face.
"Aeris, go to the back!" Cloud told her, holding his sword in a defensive position. "Tifa, come on!"
Tifa sprang over obediently, balling her hands into fists. Aeris felt even worse; Tifa was able to fight with just her gloves and boots! Why did she have to be so frail, so weak, always the damsel in distress? She puckered out her lower lip in frustration and scooted to the back wall of the cave.
Leaping over at the monster, Tifa struck it quickly in the temple with her feet, quickly dodging the large, scaly tail it tried to hit her with. Cloud striked the tail with immense force, causing it to be sliced in two, rough pieces. The monster howled. Tifa, taking this to her advantage, began to pummel its back.
Aeris noticed that Cloud didn't realize his stomach was open every time he rose his sword to attacked the monster. She was about to warn him when a sickening crunch was heard. The monster struck its left leg against Cloud, causing him to fall back and hit his head against the stone.
"Cloud!" she cried, and she rushed over. Tifa was worried, but she continued to hit the monster, trying to kill it with so much anger in her. Finally, she leapt down, right in front of it. The monster, slightly puzzled at her brash method, was distracted. What a horrible mistake.
Tifa lunged at it, beginning to punch and kick it in the face with tremendous force. She neatly flipped in the air, kicking it in the jaw, and continued to buffet the poor behemoth. She sighed proudly as it weakened.
Aeris at the time, however, was attending to Cloud. He was awake, staring at her with wide, blue eyes, but it hurt for him to breath. She knew this because every time he took a breath, he winced. She ran her hand through his hair reassuringly as she held her other hand over his stomach. "Shh," she consoled as a green light emanated from the palm of her hand.
Cloud recovered quickly afterwards, and sprang up. He looked at Aeris, then said, "Don't get hurt." Then he ran over to continue his battle with the monster.
Aeris felt somewhat angry. He hadn't even bothered to thank her! She bit her lip, and sat there like a child robbed of its candy.
*
With a heavy clang, Cloud's sword struck the monsters neck. A sickening roar echoed through the cave, and it fell heavily upon the floor. Tifa grinned in relief, running over to capture Cloud in a hug. He hugged her back warmly. Both seemed to have forgotten Aeris was there.
"That's okay," she told herself quietly. "I'm okay."
She brushed herself off, and stared at them. They HAD forgotten she was there; they were still hugging! A peaked feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
"So, you managed to beat my monster," a voice rang through out the cave. Tifa and Cloud sprang away from each other, both flushing slightly. Aeris called out "Who are you?!"
The voice chuckled, and a thin figure escaped from the shadows. It was a short girl, dressed in a scandalous outfit with blues and yellows. She laughed again, as if amused by their weakened state.
"I am Almalda," the girl said smugly, twirling in her dress. She bent down to Cloud, and flicked her finger at him, then lifted her finger.
Cloud began to levitate, and he struggled to get on the ground. Tifa pulled on his foot, trying to get him on the floor, but Aeris walked up to Almalda defiantly.
"Who do you think you are?!" she cried out angrily. "How dare you!"
Aeris summoned a bolt of lightning on Almalda. It broke Cloud's levitation, but it didn't hurt Almalda. She laughed. "Is that all you've got?"
"No!" Aeris said angrily. "Actually, I have much more."
Almalda suddenly looked fearful, but it was soon replaced by an amused grin. "Oh, really?"
"It's not worth wasting on you," Aeris spat out. Almalda raised her eyebrows, then snapped her fingers. Cloud suddenly appeared at her side. Tifa gasped.
"Is he worth it?" Almalda asked. Aeris was speechless. Almalda smirked, and then, she and Cloud were gone.
Tifa finally broke down.
"Cloud! Come back!"
*
Cloud didn't know where he was. Well, he did but not exactly. He did know he was in a prison cell, being watched over a by a teenager in an ugly dress. But he didn't know where this prison cell was. In annoyance, he struck the ground with his fist.
"Temper, temper," Almalda, the girl, teased.
"Shut up, you filth," Cloud spat out, crossing his arms. Almalda smiled sugary-sweet.
"That's not nice," she said. "So let's change the subject. Which of those girls do you like better?"
Cloud glared at the girl hatefully. "They're my friends; I care for them evenly."
"Oh, really?" the girl giggled, conjuring up a hologram of Tifa and Aeris. "It seems to me you liked the busty one."
"Hmph," Cloud snorted. "What do you know?"
"Oh! So you like HER," Almalda cried out triumphantly, pointing to Aeris.
Cloud ignored her. "Whatever."
"Well, isn't that cold," Almalda whimpered. "You must be some heartless babe magnet; I mean, here you are, stringing these poor girls along..."
"Shut up!" Cloud yelled in frustration. "You don't know Tifa! You definitely don't know Aeris! So just leave them out of this!"
"Oh, my poor dear," she clucked, shaking her head. "They are in this. I mean, I need to find out which I can have for my plaything. I wouldn't want to hurt your girlfriend."
"Lay a finger on either and I'll see to your end," he seethed. But Almalda dismissed him with a smile.
"Whatever, Cloud," she said, grinning as she leaned against the wall. "It's either one or both."
Cloud fidgeted, then said softly, "Touch Aeris and die."
"Alright then," Almalda said simply, clicking her fingers. The hologram of Aeris flickered and disappeared. "You'll just have to save Ms. Busts."
*
"GAH! MY GLOVE IS CAUGHT IN THE THORNS!"
"Dang it Tifa, hurry up! We need to rescue Cloud!"
*
PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER: Tifa and Aeris to the rescue! As they battle Almalda, they find out what she's really after, and they escape with Cloud. But Tifa gets captured, and who knows where Almalda will bring her! Especially since if you hurt Almalda, you harm Tifa! Read as Cloud and Aeris formulate a plan to save their friend.
Author's Note: I HATE THIS CHAPTER! I HATE IT! It's so short, and not well- written! But I want to get to some mushy parts! -whimpers- ARGH!!
