A/N: Ok, so here's chapter 2! It picks up right where the other left off.
I think I may be doing that with most of the chapters except for maybe one
or two so I hope you don't mind too much
Chapter 2- Soaring Clouds
Raven was quickly jerked from her thoughts when she realized that Cloud was staring at her. She blushed slightly and looked up at him, meeting his surprisingly soft, blue eyes.
"May I ask what was troubling your mind just now?" he questioned politely, seeming genuinely interested in her thoughts. Surprise and curiosity as to why he would care flooded her mind, as well as a sudden fear because she could never tell him what she had really been thinking.
"Well, I was just thinking that those horrible demon hunters should leave you alone...." She trailed off lamely, feeling her cheeks burn in the cold, rainy weather.
"I suppose if I hid my wings it would make them leave me alone a lot more," he replied, not noticing her nervous reply, or pretending not to notice. Raven silently thanked him for it, and studied what she could see of his wings for a moment. Silky black feathers cascaded over a strong but fragile-looking bone structure. The large feathers repelled the falling rain, causing a continuous stream of water to run from his back. To her, his giant wings were stunningly beautiful, and she longed to touch one. Of course, she would never be able to do that, so she restrained herself and looked into the sky again.
"I wish I had wings, even if it did make people hunt me. I've always wished I could fly." A wistful expression formed on her face as the rain drops fell like tears on it. Silently she closed her eyes, tilting her head back down and sighing a little. None of this escaped Cloud's observant gaze as he watched her motionlessly.
"Would you like to go for a ride?" he suddenly asked, seeming to have a hint of hope in his otherwise steady voice. Raven's eyes snapped open as she looked at him, a bit shocked at the offer.
/Well, looks like I'll be able to touch those wings after all. That means I'll also be able to touch him.../
"That would be wonderful!" she replied, not able to hide the excitement and joy that the idea gave her. Cloud's face broke into a small smile, the first real one she had seen from him, and gracefully stretched his longs wings to their full extent. They were even more beautiful open than they had been closed, Raven noticed. The glossy feathers fell elegantly into place, not one out of order.
"Well then, get on my back," Cloud said, turning around for her. Raven smiled fully now that he could not see her face and gently climbed onto his back, being careful for his feathers. They were extremely soft to the touch and gave her butterflies in her stomach for reasons she didn't even know.
"Are you holding on tightly?" he asked over his shoulder, tensing for take- off.
"Yes, I am," Raven quickly replied, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly but loosely enough that she wasn't choking him. Being so close to his warm body made her blush, although she tried her hardest to stop it.
/I'm liking this way too much, I'm not supposed to enjoy him, just the flight! But there's just something about him...I can't explain it.../
Cloud crouched down and pushed off the ground, flapping his magnificent wings at the same time, causing them to rise into the air with incredible speed. He began to fly in small circles for a moment, looking over his should so he could just see her out of the corner of his eye.
"Where would you like to go?" he asked, seeming not to care. "Oh, and please try not to pull out any of my feathers." Raven gave him a quick nod and contemplated where to go for a moment.
"Anywhere is fine with me, just flying is enough. And you don't have to worry about your feathers, every last one will be there and in it's right place. I'm a cautious person." Raven grinned quickly and then let it slide away, looking off into the distance over the horizon. "And by the way, thank you for this. It's really nice of you."
"It's no trouble really," he replied and began flying over the forest. Raven peered down through the still pouring rain onto the multitudes of tree-tops below. The rich, green leaves created a carpet beneath them, seeming to cut them off from the ground world. Suddenly a clearing rushed into view below them and Cloud began circling over this. He dived down, spinning while gaining speed and then pulled back up just before they brushed the tops branches of the trees.
"The rain isn't making you too cold, is it?" he inquired softly, beginning to circle the clearing again.
"Not at all!" Raven replied, sounding as though it was absurd to think it could be. In truth, being soaking wet for so long had begun to make her go numb, but she was having too much fun to care, and didn't want Cloud to make her leave because she couldn't handle something so little as rain.
Cloud chuckled a little, spinning into another dive, headed towards the clearing again. Raven tightened her arms around him despite herself, and a huge smile broke onto her face as and adrenaline rush overtook her.
Suddenly, at the bottom of the dive, Cloud landed on a sturdy tree branch with perfect balance.
"S-sorry for such a short ride," he stammered out. "I'm not used to so much of a workout." Something about the way he said it told Raven it wasn't true, along with the fact that he was in such good physical shape, but she decided to let it go for the moment.
"It's no problem at all," Raven replied. "Would you like me to get off now?" She began to loosen her grip reluctantly, although her motions only betrayed confidence and indifference.
"S-sure," was his shaky reply. She climbed nimbly off his muscular back and looked at him with concern.
"Are you alright?" she asked nervously. Cloud had never showed any weakness in his voice, indicating to Raven that something must surely be wrong here.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." As soon as the words left his mouth, he passed out, falling from the fairly high tree branch to the ground below. As Raven regained her own balance after trying to catch him, she heard a sickening crack as Cloud's head struck a rock on the forest floor.
A/N: This seemed like another semi-good place to stop the chapter. I hope you're all enjoying it so far It seems like it could be a little boring, so give plenty of reviews with helpful suggestions please! Be nice with flames though.
Chapter 2- Soaring Clouds
Raven was quickly jerked from her thoughts when she realized that Cloud was staring at her. She blushed slightly and looked up at him, meeting his surprisingly soft, blue eyes.
"May I ask what was troubling your mind just now?" he questioned politely, seeming genuinely interested in her thoughts. Surprise and curiosity as to why he would care flooded her mind, as well as a sudden fear because she could never tell him what she had really been thinking.
"Well, I was just thinking that those horrible demon hunters should leave you alone...." She trailed off lamely, feeling her cheeks burn in the cold, rainy weather.
"I suppose if I hid my wings it would make them leave me alone a lot more," he replied, not noticing her nervous reply, or pretending not to notice. Raven silently thanked him for it, and studied what she could see of his wings for a moment. Silky black feathers cascaded over a strong but fragile-looking bone structure. The large feathers repelled the falling rain, causing a continuous stream of water to run from his back. To her, his giant wings were stunningly beautiful, and she longed to touch one. Of course, she would never be able to do that, so she restrained herself and looked into the sky again.
"I wish I had wings, even if it did make people hunt me. I've always wished I could fly." A wistful expression formed on her face as the rain drops fell like tears on it. Silently she closed her eyes, tilting her head back down and sighing a little. None of this escaped Cloud's observant gaze as he watched her motionlessly.
"Would you like to go for a ride?" he suddenly asked, seeming to have a hint of hope in his otherwise steady voice. Raven's eyes snapped open as she looked at him, a bit shocked at the offer.
/Well, looks like I'll be able to touch those wings after all. That means I'll also be able to touch him.../
"That would be wonderful!" she replied, not able to hide the excitement and joy that the idea gave her. Cloud's face broke into a small smile, the first real one she had seen from him, and gracefully stretched his longs wings to their full extent. They were even more beautiful open than they had been closed, Raven noticed. The glossy feathers fell elegantly into place, not one out of order.
"Well then, get on my back," Cloud said, turning around for her. Raven smiled fully now that he could not see her face and gently climbed onto his back, being careful for his feathers. They were extremely soft to the touch and gave her butterflies in her stomach for reasons she didn't even know.
"Are you holding on tightly?" he asked over his shoulder, tensing for take- off.
"Yes, I am," Raven quickly replied, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly but loosely enough that she wasn't choking him. Being so close to his warm body made her blush, although she tried her hardest to stop it.
/I'm liking this way too much, I'm not supposed to enjoy him, just the flight! But there's just something about him...I can't explain it.../
Cloud crouched down and pushed off the ground, flapping his magnificent wings at the same time, causing them to rise into the air with incredible speed. He began to fly in small circles for a moment, looking over his should so he could just see her out of the corner of his eye.
"Where would you like to go?" he asked, seeming not to care. "Oh, and please try not to pull out any of my feathers." Raven gave him a quick nod and contemplated where to go for a moment.
"Anywhere is fine with me, just flying is enough. And you don't have to worry about your feathers, every last one will be there and in it's right place. I'm a cautious person." Raven grinned quickly and then let it slide away, looking off into the distance over the horizon. "And by the way, thank you for this. It's really nice of you."
"It's no trouble really," he replied and began flying over the forest. Raven peered down through the still pouring rain onto the multitudes of tree-tops below. The rich, green leaves created a carpet beneath them, seeming to cut them off from the ground world. Suddenly a clearing rushed into view below them and Cloud began circling over this. He dived down, spinning while gaining speed and then pulled back up just before they brushed the tops branches of the trees.
"The rain isn't making you too cold, is it?" he inquired softly, beginning to circle the clearing again.
"Not at all!" Raven replied, sounding as though it was absurd to think it could be. In truth, being soaking wet for so long had begun to make her go numb, but she was having too much fun to care, and didn't want Cloud to make her leave because she couldn't handle something so little as rain.
Cloud chuckled a little, spinning into another dive, headed towards the clearing again. Raven tightened her arms around him despite herself, and a huge smile broke onto her face as and adrenaline rush overtook her.
Suddenly, at the bottom of the dive, Cloud landed on a sturdy tree branch with perfect balance.
"S-sorry for such a short ride," he stammered out. "I'm not used to so much of a workout." Something about the way he said it told Raven it wasn't true, along with the fact that he was in such good physical shape, but she decided to let it go for the moment.
"It's no problem at all," Raven replied. "Would you like me to get off now?" She began to loosen her grip reluctantly, although her motions only betrayed confidence and indifference.
"S-sure," was his shaky reply. She climbed nimbly off his muscular back and looked at him with concern.
"Are you alright?" she asked nervously. Cloud had never showed any weakness in his voice, indicating to Raven that something must surely be wrong here.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." As soon as the words left his mouth, he passed out, falling from the fairly high tree branch to the ground below. As Raven regained her own balance after trying to catch him, she heard a sickening crack as Cloud's head struck a rock on the forest floor.
A/N: This seemed like another semi-good place to stop the chapter. I hope you're all enjoying it so far It seems like it could be a little boring, so give plenty of reviews with helpful suggestions please! Be nice with flames though.