In Search Of Lost Souls.
Well, hasn't it been the longest time since I was last here. I'm so sorry about that. I offer my most sincere and profound apologies for all those who returned here. But yes, I am back once more and with a humble offering! The good news is I have up to chapter 16 all done and dusted, so I have plenty to offer the die hard amongst you. But without further ado, I shall not keep you longer than is necessary! Enjoy, and use that review button to either review of bite my head off. Please? Please? You would make a little Brit very happy!
Disclaimer: here we go again. I DON'T OWN THEM ALREADY… wish I did. But hey, we can have everything! Heh.
Chapter 3: Tough Choices.
A cold, unforgiving winter's day found Cloud leaning up a cluster of crates in the hidden waterway. With bent knees, his blade rested in his lap. From being abandoned for much more important matters, the neglect had really begun to show. Dust and dirt had collected in hard to clean areas and spots of tarnished metal screamed out from amidst gleaming silver. His left forearm rested on the flat of the blade whilst only his right elbow enjoyed the coolness of the metal with a hand to his mouth. An unlit cigarette twirled in and out of strong fingers before he pursed his lips around the end and repeating the previous action. Eventually his wait paid off.
Bemused, the brunette stood ankle-deep in the water that gently lapped about his boots. "Why are you here?" was his only form of greeting.
"Waiting for you," came the blunt reply around nicotine wrapped intoxication.
"Didn't think you smoked."
"Don't," he bit out once more, revealing the brand to be the favoured make of Cid. "But I could do with it."
"So…?" Leon shrugged, not quite connecting the cigarette and lack of smoke.
"Ain't got a light," the blonde mumbled. "Got one?"
"No," his company sighed. "Yuffie stole my last pack of matches for something untoward."
"Damn."
Flicking a switch on his gunblade, Leon initiated a fiery glow from the barrel of his weapon. As the head intensified, it finally caught the blonde's attention. The brunette smirked at the exhausted father, indicating the matter would not be reported further than the waterway. The blonde spoke no words as he leant forward and pressed the end into the scorching metal. His expression demonstrated thanks enough as he sat back and inhaled deeply. The only consolation he received from choking heavily was much chortling from the brunette.
"You never answered my question," sapphires implored their answer still.
"I was… hack… hoping you'd come down here," Cloud pounded at his chest. "I'm egging for a match."
"Sure," Leon agreed readily, preferring to spar with another rather than his own shadow. "Things not too good at home?" a mahogany eyebrow rose up his forehead.
Blonde spikes swayed from side to side as he cleared his lungs. "Not really. There are no problems between me and Aeris; we're getting along just great." The silly grin on his face emphasised his comment. "It's Meg," he slumped with fatigue. "She's been a little under the weather this past week. Neither Aeris nor I have had much sleep. Not that she sleeps regularly anyway. She's only three months old. Aeris is exhausted but won't give up. I had to get out or I'd snap."
Leon didn't know where to begin. This predicament was something he knew nothing about. Instead, he marched some metres away from Cloud and enticed him to fight. He needed no encouraging. Initially the battle was fast paced. Cloud gave everything he had, and more. Stepping aside from sparing had done little to dampen his ferocity. Despite this, exhaustion caused him the greatest hindrance.
Leon would allow him the odd moment to perform a simple healing spell to stem the steady red river that flowed from several points on his body. He didn't feel he was trying particularly hard but he had struck the blonde on numerous occasions, even knocking him off his feet once or twice. Eventually, Leon embedded the tip of his blade in between the cobbles and faced his skilled partner. Cerulean looked up from his collapsed form on the floor, using his blade as support. Question swirled with pain and intense fatigue.
"Why…" he gasped.
"Why did I stop?" Leon read his mind. "I don't want to leave little Megumi without a father," a faint smile peeked out from behind mahogany locks.
Blonde spikes hung towards the floor as Leon moved over to dress his more serious wounds. "Tired…" Cloud tried to gasp between pained intakes of breath.
"It can be forgiven. It's obvious you haven't slept. You were making some irrational attacks back there that left you open and vulnerable."
"Nyeh…."
"I mean it," the brunette sat back on his haunches, "when it matters most, you may fail in your quest."
"Thanks," he mumbled quietly in reply. "Say," he looked up and met his gaze once more. "You couldn't... accompany me back."
This time both eyebrows vanished into his hairline. "Ah," Leon figured his reasoning. "You'll be in trouble off the missus. Sure." A grin was his grateful reply.
On the walk home, the cure spells completed their function, allowing Cloud to walk unaided to his front door. He didn't particularly want to walk into his home dripping blood from numerous wounds. Aeris had enough to worry about right now. What he had expected came almost as soon as he walked in.
"Thank heavens you're alright," she fought against the tears, looking up from her bawling infant cradled snugly in her arms. "I was worried sick," the tears finally spilled forth, "I can't take her crying much more," she sobbed as he moved to land a gentle kiss on her cheek before taking Megumi from her.
"I… I… got talking to Leon," he explained before lowering his head amongst the distressed cries. "Hush, Daddy's home now."
"Is she alright?" Leon hissed to Aeris whilst she dried her eyes. "More to the point, are you alright?"
She could only nod in reply before another voice answered for her. "She's been crying since I got here." Leon's jaw almost dropped as Yuffie came from a side room. "Aeris asked me to come over. She needed the company or I think she would have gone crazy. She's not much better."
"What's wrong with her," the brunette glanced sideways, watching Cloud pace back and forth, rocking Megumi in his arms and offering her soothing words.
"The doctors say she has a mild infection, but it should pass. I went this morning; her breathing's just not right. They just said to keep her warm and keep her fluids up and to come back if she gets worse."
"She's a bit better now," Yuffie interjected.
"Yeah," the exhausted mother sighed. "I could do with a break. Will you stay for a little while," pleading emeralds looked to sapphires.
"She's quieter," Yuffie commented as Cloud sat on a chair with Leon and Aeris opposite him on the couch, Yuffie on the arm.
Cloud nodded, still engrossed with her miniature beauty. In the momentary silence they could hear her snuffles and the occasional stressed intake of breath. Never once would her father tear his eyes away from her fragile form, declining to participate in the conversation in front of him. Guilt from his brief absence would not allow him to do so.
As the conversation lengthened, Aeris accepted that Cloud refused to let her fret over their offspring and thus grew more relaxed, enjoying the company that she had longed for. Times had meant that at least one of them was busy when the others weren't. For once that had all changed. Despite them all under the same roof at the same time, Cloud still declined participation. With his head bowed over the tiny bundle in his arms, the others failed to witness his deepening frown. The chatting suddenly ceased when the blonde took a sharp intake of breath.
"Meg…"
The tone of his voice gave Aeris the most cause for concern. Not only did the call of her name cause the air to quiver; the question and fear were thick.
"Megumi?"
This time it was much shriller in deliverance. His hand quivered by her head, which rested in the crook of his elbow. When he looked up, Leon baulked and Yuffie almost fell off the arm of the settee in shock. The fear for another life was etched in his face and emphasised by storming cerulean.
"She's not breathing," he panicked, leaping to his feet and repositioning his daughter so that her head rested on his shoulder.
Instantly, Aeris flung herself from the sofa, becoming as frantic as the blonde. The more they fussed, the less sense either of them made. Luckily, both Leon and Yuffie had their wits about them. Whilst Yuffie phoned the hospital to warn of their arrival, Leon quickly lifted Megumi from the distraught pair and bolted from the building.
The hospital was only a short distance away and took no time at a run. By the time the brunette had presented the struggling bundle to the assembled team of medics, her parents had arrived, beside themselves with worry. They could only stand back and watch with their precious daughter's life in the hands of a team of dedicated professionals.
Aeris was a state whilst they watched the doctors trying to save her tiny life. Cloud became numb and unmoving as he could only watch her tiny face being swallowed by the mask they administered. Leon and Yuffie had a game to hold back her frantic mother who only wanted to comfort her baby. She may have been small in stature but her devotion was immeasurable. A thumbs up from the consultant on the other side of the glass was the only thing that calmed her nerves and left her supporters to pick her up off the floor.
When he was certain that Aeris was marginally settled, Leon looked over his shoulder at the blonde. Cerulean remained fixated as tube after line was fed into his barely visible infant. Little else appeared to matter to him. When a small sample of blood was withdrawn, his green complexion became greatly enhanced. There was nothing more he could do but clamp his hand over his mouth, retch, and promptly bolt from the room. By now, three pairs of eyes followed his sharp exit.
………………
By time Cloud had returned, the drama had calmed significantly. Aeris chose to wait for her partner before she moved to Megumi's side. Initially, they were still unable to see her. He was subdued as he returned to the group. His complexion was pink once more but the rest of him didn't look so good. His face and hair were damp with water whilst his T-shirt was sodden from the misdirected torrent having been washed away. Still, Aeris hurried over and wrapped her arms around him. They gave each other the strength they needed to see them through the aftermath of the ordeal.
The wait to see their baby was everlasting. When they finally got to see her, it was a daunting task. Protected by the incubator, Megumi was surrounded by monitors and machines that aided her recovery. Peering down through the top of the incubator, the number of tubes that emanated from her fragile form was unbelievable. Neither of them spoke as their eyes met over their shared treasure.
Cloud did not look up from the cot when the consultant approached. Aeris silently pleaded for an explanation. After flipping through the clipboard and glancing at the monitors in turn, he addressed the pair.
"Your little girl's going to be fine," he paused as Aeris almost collapsed with relief. "To be honest, it was touch and go for a time, but all signs are good. We're still investigating the cause of her illness, but your friends' quick reactions minimised any potential… backlash. Your daughter's difficulty in breathing was caused by a viral infection that resulted in her airways narrowing. That's why she's wheezing still; so don't be alarmed by that. We're currently giving her steroids to boost her immune system but the only thing we can do is let her get over this naturally."
"Can't you give her anything?" Aeris pleaded.
"I'm sorry," he looked down to his white front, "but antibiotics won't work and your magic sadly does not extend this far."
"I know," the flower girl nodded, "this is too severe for my powers. Flesh wounds are more my specialty," her smile was weak. A curt snort from Cloud told her that he found this comment amusing.
"All we can do for her is help her fight the infection. If there's anything you need or want to know, don't hesitate to ask." He nodded his leave, allowing fretting parents to be alone.
"I'm sorry," Cloud whispered through a porthole as he gently trailed a finger up and down the length of her splinted forearm. Aeris peered at him through the heated Perspex and frowned. Right now he only saw Megumi. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. This is all my fault," his voice cracked as he continued, "I should have been there for you."
A minute grunt was his daughter's only reply as she settled into slumber, grimacing against the tubes that made her breathing easier. "Nothing's your fault," Aeris pleaded to him in a whisper. "Don't blame yourself. I was helpless too."
"I wasn't there when she needed me," cerulean gleamed with guilt. "This is all my fault," he whispered into a forearm.
"No," she stated, moving to perch on his knee, desperate to be as close as possible. "Stop thinking like that." Her warm touch on his face softened his stiff stature and helped him relax. Only one of them looked up as Leon and Yuffie returned to see how their favourite niece was getting along.
"How is she?" Yuffie asked in a whisper when Aeris approached, leaving Cloud maintaining a vigil at Megumi's side.
"The doctor says she's going to be fine. Thank heavens," she sighed, battling the tears. She nodded in acknowledgement with her bowed head when Leon placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Yuffie then stepped forward and embraced her, offering the extra support.
"How's he coping," the brunette nodded towards the blonde, who still refused to abandon his tiny beloved's side.
"I think it's really hit him hard," Aeris glanced over her shoulder at him, her voice close to breaking. "He thinks it's all his fault. He's really torn up over this."
"He did look really ill before," Yuffie mused. "It's so odd to see him this way."
"Meaning?" sapphires narrowed in her direction.
"Just that… someone so… reserved with their feelings can almost fall apart. They may appear cold and stonehearted on the outside, but inside they're softies…" She glanced sideways as Leon cast his gaze to the sterile floor.
"He loves her immensely," Aeris looked to him once more. He still studied her rhythmically rising and falling chest.
Sapphires studied the blonde whilst Yuffie offered practically every condolence she could to Aeris. Their conversation slowly drowned out to him. Cloud was oblivious to the rest of the world. Only his daughter mattered right now. He appeared almost pensive with the one hand over his mouth. In reality, it hid the battling emotions that were ready to storm forth.
Both girls looked round upon hearing a strained intake of breath. Cloud now had his eyes buried in his hand but he could not hide the grimace completely. Tears appeared beneath his palm and fell unnoticed to the floor. Slowly he lost the battle to the stored emotions and broke down, practically bawling into the hands that covered his face.
By the time Aeris had darted to his side, he sat awkwardly on the cold tiles. As soon as he felt her warm embrace he squeezed back, still unrelenting in his feelings. With the possible severity of the situation dawning on them both, Aeris also gave into the emotions that troubled her turbulent mind. Together, they comforted the other.
A fighter and a ninja looked on in awe. Neither of them knew how to address the situation. "Wow," Yuffie sighed. "To think someone can love another that much. So much it hurts. I wish I could have someone who would love me that much."
"I'm sure you will," Leon whispered.
Violets migrated sideways, displaying a hint of disappointment. Leon only looked to her when she sighed heavily. Her sadness was unavoidable. He couldn't find the words as she turned to leave, her head bowed.
"If you only let your wishes come true," he quietly spoke to the sombre air. "It's not just our friends who love like that. We're all capable. Even… me." His last sentence was almost inaudible to himself. "If only you knew," he exhaled, making his own exit and leaving the family alone.
………………
Glints of neon seeped through cracks in the curtain as he sat on his sofa, hands clasped in front of his chin. He entertained a multitude of thoughts as sapphires fixed unfocussed on the threadbare carpet. Perhaps he should stop pacing. Luckily, Yuffie had somehow managed to miss it. She still lived at the address but it wasn't often that she spent the night here. That was fine to Leon; it gave him more unprecedented time for reflection.
Without realising it, he found himself on his knees in the corner of his living room, scattering all that sat on a low table. Next, the makeshift tablecloth was flung aside unceremoniously. Outstretched palms rested on the smooth varnished surface of the ornate wooden chest before him. This was the only thing he had salvaged from Hollow Bastion. Few had returned to their birthplace, but he had assisted in the recovery of lost ones. Inside lay the most precious memories of all that he felt close to. Slowly, and noisily, the lid was lifted with plumes of dust billowing upwards
An assortment of treasures lay concealed within. In all the years he had been here, he hadn't distributed the items to their respective owners. A pink ribbon decorated what appeared to be an ornate pearl or marble that belonged to Aeris. A tattered rag doll dressed all in black was Yuffie's. She never used to put it down, but after setting up a new life in Traverse Town she had shunned it. The loss of her parents pained her too much. There were many other little trinkets that littered the bottom of the chest, which belonged to the girls. There was only one thing that belonged to the blonde: a small package wrapped up in a red handkerchief and string. Gently tugging at the bow, he revealed the contents within. Enclosed were two photo frames and a letter written in his mother's hand. He had found the parcel by her side after returning to Hollow Bastion. It appeared that she had anticipated the disaster that beset them all. Taking his time, he studied the contents.
He chose not to open the letter; he was intruding enough as it was. Yet the photos caught his attention. The larger of the two was solely of Cloud and his mother, taken weeks before the fall of their home. That must have been the last time Cloud had laughed so freely and it showed under the glass. The other… this was really interesting. From the location, it had to have been taken before the blonde moved to Hollow Bastion. The trees and mountain scenery told of that. Clearly it had to be his hometown. The picture itself was almost two decades old. A small, blonde haired toddler grinned from between wooden sides. The woman in the photo was definitely his mother; only ten years younger than Leon remembered her. And the man? Little was known about Cloud's father, only that he had died before they left. Cloud never spoke of him. That was fine for Leon; he never remembered his family. His mother had died giving birth to him, and his own father? He wasn't around when she died and nothing more had been heard of him since. Now it was time for his treasured items.
There was little he had wanted to take away with him, except the chest before him, the leather sheath for his gunblade, and a scrapbook of his most precious memories.
"So that's where it got to," he placed the sheath aside before taking the scrapbook in both his hands. Holding the black, spiral bound book in his upturned palms, he fell back on his rear towards the middle of the room.
The orange glow from the window illuminated his collection with a surreal glow. Inside were snippets from papers, notes passed in class, and his favourite photos. As he relived times long passed, a rare smile spread across his face whilst he flipped deeper into his past. And then he came to the dearest of them all. Something he had feared lost in the flames. But it sat before him, hastily slipped in between the pages for safe keeping, intended to eventually be glued in with the rest.
The photo had always sat by his bedside lamp and clock. He had often spent many sleepless nights gazing at the group beaming back at him. In total, six faces grinned up at him from his palms. He was fifteen when this was taken. That hairstyle was a mistake. In front of him was a young and fresh-faced Cloud, flanked on either side by a girl. One lived with them now but the other had been lost to the flames. Aeris stood on his left, smiling bashfully as his head was close to hers. The only time he had been so forward with her. On his right, the girl was the same age, but with long, brown hair and mahogany eyes. Her name was Tifa, if he recalled correctly. Everyone knew that she fancied the shy blonde. There was no hiding that fact. She was popular amongst the boys, but only because of her voluptuous figure. In front of Aeris stood a tiny Yuffie, aged only six. He remembered how she had screamed until she could join them in the shot. Stood in her pyjamas, her favourite rag doll was pressed to her chin. And then his attention focussed on the two in the back. One was himself and the other… the other… how he missed her. Black hair with faint light brown streaks came past her shoulders. Her brown eyes smiled whatever the weather. All of them watched the camera, except one: himself. The one he had his arm around fixated him. Back then he had been sure that she was the one.
As his fingers caressed the smooth surface on the rear of the photo, the tips became aware of an abnormality. There was nothing obviously wrong from looking at the front so he resorted to flipping the picture to find the cause. His surprise was more than slight upon spotting a second photo attached, mistakenly stuck by the residue left from tape. Gently prising the smaller portrait away, he couldn't believe his luck. Another photo he had feared lost forever now sat snugly in the palm of his hand. And this time they were alone together. How he found her beautiful still, even if his hairstyle was awful, the girl he embraced round the waist drew attention away from him. Only sixteen in this picture, she had scribbled 'With love, Rinoa,' in her flowing hand across the bottom. He read the line over and over, and still it held more meaning than others could see. Suddenly, an idea hit him.
In his haste to get to his feet, he elbowed the chest. Clutching at his throbbing extremity, he observed the slipped panel in the lid. As he poked it with the tip of his finger, the panel fell away to reveal a secret compartment. This was new to him, and there was something hidden within. Taking the yellow, padded envelope from its concealed place, he held it in both hands. His name, or his former name, was scribbled on the front in a hand he recalled, but could not put a name to. No one around him possessed such a scrawl. The one it most identified was Rinoa's. His heart leapt into his throat as he sat on the sofa to open the package.
Despite being small, it held a weight. Peering in, he found no note or explanation otherwise. Glancing back at the chest lid, there appeared to be nothing more. He rose up and walked over, peering into its deep hollow. There, bright as anything, lay a small folded slip of paper, yellowed with age. It didn't appear that the note had come from the parcel, but surely should have accompanied it. Its message was simple and read: 'If you come here, you'll find me. Usual place. Rinoa.'
Leon could only frown. It was dated the last day he had seen her. She must have slipped it into his chest as she snuck from his room on that fateful morning. Setting the note aside, he peered into the envelope.
His expression was a mask of surprise. All these years a gift had been hidden under his nose. Using one finger to lift the heavy chain from inside, he observed the new acquisition. Studying it revealed his gift to be a pendent in the shape of a lion's head on a substantial chain. He couldn't have been sure how long he stared at the swinging chain before he hastily fastened it about his neck. At first, the metal was cold against bare flesh.
As he read the note again, thoughts stormed in his head. Didn't she leave Hollow Bastion with her father? Was she waiting for him in their secret place? Maybe there was the chance she wasn't on the ship with her father that was captured by the heartless and destroyed. Maybe she got out alive and still lives, like them, only in another world. His breathing quickened as more and more possibilities battled to the forefront of his mind.
Without thinking, he bolted for the door. With his fingers encasing the doorknob, he stopped for a moment.
"Think!" he exclaimed. "Plan. I need a plan," he gasped, grabbing armfuls of paper and darting to the kitchen table to devise a strategy in order to search for her. It seemed much more likely that she could have survived and he intended to find her. Preparing himself for a long, sleepless night, he spread out over the table.
……
Slow but sure? Why not tell me what you think! Please? I know. I'm being pushy. Heck, I didn't get where I am now without it! Hah hah hah.
Leon's lost his sane streak! Aw, poor Yuffie and Leon. Bit blind ain't they? Will they? Won't they? Only time will tell! Tune in next time. I assure you I shall be here this time! So sorry to you all again. I'm mean, aren't I!