It was 10 something in the morning. I haven't slept at since I woke up last night from that so called 'dream'. I vaguely remembered what had happened. I couldn't remember a lot since I woke up and it slowly escaped my mind. I only knew that it felt so real and the dark shadows. This dark figure had stood above me and whispered something that I couldn't bear to here time and time again.

"I'll come back and finish you off"

Those words…not from him… but said again by another person. I closed my eyes and wished for the emotional pain go away. I subconsciously rubbed my shoulder. It had began to bled. It had a habit of being red or even sometimes bleeding when I thought about that time. I shook the thoughts out of my head and back on other parts of the dream.

"…Dream…"

I said it out loud to focus my thoughts on the words. However, I couldn't focus my mind on it because…maybe because it wasn't a dream. What had bugged me was that what I had last night wasn't mine…Aerith's hair had gotten on me…I had gone through many ideas in my head. One was that I had somehow found myself in Aerith's bed…

I stood up from my spot on the floor. I had my head rested on the edge of the bed. I had my sword in my hands and it had helped me stand up, like a cane. I looked on the bed remembering that theory I came up with earlier and looked at the bed. Nope no Aerith, though…

"Cloud, wake up, not now"

I scolded myself for thinking such perverted thoughts. I sat myself back on the floor and looked to the ceiling. I followed the arch ceiling, enriched with a golden chandelier. Beautiful paintings upon the ceilings. I was lost within the many candles that lit on the chandelier, their quiet orange glow quieting my eyes and closing them in a peaceful retreat. I unconsciously flew through my memories. I came upon the face of my mother and I quietly murmured something to myself…

"Please, mother, watch over me"

Suddenly, I had just realized something about my dream. Aerith…she hugged me in it…is…Is that how I got her hair on me? It was the only possibility, but, then again, I hugged her yesterday when we first met. Unbeknownst to me, a blush crept up as I remembered it. I had to ask her when I meet her toda-…Huh?

"Cloud, are you awake?"

Oh it was a knock, speak of the dev- angel. I decided to ask her when she came in.

"Yea I'm awake, you can come in"

She walked in. She was wearing a simple sundress, it was a light shade of purple, it could've gone for pink but I didn't think this way. Her hair was in one simple braid with pink ribbon on top. Her bangs showing her face. She was wearing some kind of shoes, they were brown and looked like boots, but I hardly think a girl like her would wear boots. She looked like…like…a commoner…

"Morning, Cloud, how was your night?"

"It was interesting"

"Oh, did you find anything last night?"

She picked up on the subject I was about to ask. It would've been kinda awkward if I did ask her about seeing her last night. I thank my mom for watching over me…

"Last night?"

"Yea, don't you remember? You went to check up on me and Kairi and then you said you'd walk around"

So I was right, it wasn't a dream at all. Holy shi- this is getting me worried. The darkness is coming forth…

"Oh yea, sorry I had completely forgotten. So why did you come speak to me?"

"I was telling you that breakfast has been served and we are to eat"

"Hey! Who's in command here?"

We smiled at the comment and just enjoyed the moment, after a minute I decided to ask her something.

"What's with the clothes? You look like one of us, not the princess of something"

"First off, I'm not a princess. Second, its to keep low, what would you think of your town knowing someone from the castle is with you. They would make a big fuss"

She had a point. Not a lot of people in Town know people in the castle. Anyone who goes to the castle their close relatives move in too. The only people that Town knows in the castle are the guards and many servants who come down to buy food for the chef. If she had worn something elegant they would know right away that she was a person from the castle.

"Well lets go, right after breakfast we'll make our way to Town and my home…well our home"

Goddamn I sound like a newlywed. She agreed and helped me get up. I felt a little sore seeing I haven't moved from that spot for about 5 hours and my legs were probably asleep by now. She went to the bathroom, and complained something about her hair. I went to my armor and started to put my boots on, then the belts then the metal guards. I was lucky enough that when my scar bled I wiped off the blood and put the shoulder guard so I couldn't be reminded of it. Soon after I finished she gotten out of the bathroom with a smile. I had no clue what she had done, but she seemed the same. I decided to keep my mouth shut as I fastened my sword to my back and ushered her out he door and closed it. I found myself 5 minutes later on a grand hallway. I presumed that it was a main corridor as many servants coming in and out of the halls with boxes of whatnots. The hall was the same as many other halls, except it was wider then the ones I've traveled in. Many paintings of scenery flowed across the stone walls and the candles were blown out, as the natural glow of the sun peaked upon the many windows. The orange glow seeping into the floor and her skin. Giving a natural glow to the environment, it was a nice warm feeling. She was a few steps ahead of me as we walked down the hallway. Her hands behind her back and her hair swaying back and forth in that braid of hers. She was nodding and saying hello to many people who walked down the hallways. Soon we reached maybe half the hallway as she opened the doors to a large, majestic room. Two very long dinner tables were in the room all seated by many, many people. Whom I presumed were very important people. And on one end, a figure sat, he seemed familiar, his eyes, his face, his skin. I knew I saw him somewhere. His white hair was so frightening familiar…

"Cloud?…Cloud…You awake?"

"Oh, sorry, which way are we going?"

"Over here"

She led me to a small door to the side of the grand room into a small, but still large room with many long dinner tables. There had to be at least 100 tables inside. It reminds me…of school…

"Um…"

"Yeah, I know it's almost like school again huh?"

"Yeah, if you throw in about 10 million munny into just lunch"

She laughed at my commend and she led me to a long table filled with variety of cuisine fit only for…well people better then commoners. She grabbed some china plates and gave me one and we both got our share of foods. They looked better then what Town has to offer… She looked around, almost seemingly trying to find something, then she moved quickly towards the end of the room. She was greeted by many, many, people who knew her…

"A lot of people know you Aerith"

"Yeah, I'm known as the castle's 'flower girl' because I spend a lot of my time tending the plants on castle grounds."

"Ahh, I see"

She and I shared a little moment together of happiness

"And it seems that a lot of people know you, Cloud"

And it seems it did. Who wouldn't notice a man strapped in armor with a huge sword down his back. I could hear people whisper about me, and what I was doing with a girl like her. Some wanted to know if I was a commoner and how did I get in the castle. Others said that I was a child of a famous hero…

"No, they only know my father, I'm known as the hero's kid"

She stopped and she looked at me with a smile

"Soon, they will know you by your name, and know you for who you are"

I was taken back at that. No one ever said anything like that to me with the exception of a few people. She was a very perceptive person. I think I'm already enjoying our time together. Soon enough, we stopped at a table. She waved at her 'father' or her uncle or whatever. She gave him a kiss and told him about leaving later. Soon right after we ate. Besides that breakfast had been very silent with the exception of a couple people asking who I am or the people at the other side talking. The food, by the way, wasn't as great as anything I've ever tasted. Even Yuffie's cooking was better then this, and she rarely cooks. What I wouldn't give for one of her omelets. Soon enough, I didn't notice, but everyone had left and it was only Hiro, Aerith and myself. We took a quiet stroll through the hallway, through the ICE and into the hallway near the door. All the while we were talking about the petty stuff like animals, books, and history, while Hiro hugged his neice all the way there. Soon we…well Hiromi had found us and knew that we were leaving soon. Kairi was all tearful and crying and Aerith picked her from her father's arms and carried her kissing her many times before we left. And soon we would…

We arrived at the door and it opened to reveal the morning sun coming up, the quiet orange glow had begun to take shape into the bright annoying light of noon, but the clouds, I realized, had been moving quiet quickly and maybe they would block the sun out. And now we had to leave before it gets any late. Aerith had said her tearful goodbyes to Kairi, and I promised Kairi that she could with us to the River Night Fair and she squeaked with glee. Aerith had hugged her father and Hiromi and I shook their hands telling them they could visit anytime. I wrote down my address for them and handed it to them. Kairi gave me a hug, in which she squeezed the air out of me. We turned to leave before something unexpected happened…

"Cloud"

Someone had called me. I turned around seeing Hiromi and Hiroyuki bowing down to me and Kairi cutely trying to copy her father. I was taken back, this was a sign of respect and I, being a lower class, should be bowing to them. Not them to me.

"Please…Cloud…Regard my daughter, she is not known of your world, please take care of her. She is my world"

I was taken back by Hiroyuki's statement…his niece yet she's his whole world…

"Cloud, Aerith may not know what your world, please take care of her. She's like another daughter of mine and she's so close to Kairi. It would devastate her if something happened to Aerith. Please guard her with your life"

Hiromi…

"I will, Hiromi"

Suddenly she came up to me hugged me. I bent down and picked Kairi up and she hugged me hard, I could feel her tears down my cheek.

"Clou-niichan, I wuv Aer-neechan. Keep her safe for me?"

"Sure thing, sweety. I promise you" I whispered in her ear

She looked me in the eye with her hand in front and her pinky out

"Pinky promise?"

….

"Mommy, will you always protect me?"

"Sweety, I will always be here with you. No matter what"

"Pinky promise mommy?" he stuck his pinky out and she smiled beautifully

"Oh, Cloud, I…"

….

"…promise"

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