Leon and Materia Don't Mix
Ren: …why do I have to do the disclaimer AGAIN?
Gala: I gave you Cloud but you made him faint, not my problem.
Ren: -sigh- It wasn't my fault.
Gala: -files her nails- Fine. I'll give you someone…
POOF
-A very dazed looking Kairi appears-
Ren: What the? You idiot you gave me HER? She's not even in this story!
Gala: Hey you said you wanted someone so here ya go. –disappears-
Ren: Arghhh…Do the disclaimer girlie, or suffer my wrath!
Kairi: -stares into the darkness- …meep…Sora?
Ren: GAH! Gala I'm going to kill you! She doesn't own anything except a large contract for a beating from me! –pulls out a metal bat and runs after Gala-
Kairi: …mommy…
Chapter 6: A Conflicted Past
Yuffie knocked loudly on Aerith and Cloud's door. She laughed when a loud crash emanated from the room. A slightly disheveled Cloud opened the door, an irritated look on his face.
"What's up Yuffie? Shouldn't you be packing?"
For once Yuffie didn't crack a joke or say something in regards to the noises that had come from the room. "I'm not going." She stared at the floor and turned as if to leave.
Cloud grabbed her arm, "What do you mean, you're not going? Why not?"
Yuffie mumbled something under her breath.
Aerith walked up behind Cloud, "Who is…oh hello Yuffie." Her smile fell on seeing the unhappy demeanor on the ninja's face.
Yuffie took a deep breath, "I don't want to go."
Aerith put her arm around Yuffie and shooed Cloud out of the room. She pulled her to a window bench and sat down with her.
"Now, tell me why you don't want to go. Don't you want to see if anyone is alive?"
Yuffie looked up at Aerith with tears in her eyes, "That's just it, everyone I cared for the most…died. I can't go back there, not now."
Aerith consoled the girl the best she knew how, "I wonder if this has something to do with Vincent."
Cloud wandered down to Rising Falls. Leaping nimbly across the floating platforms he paused briefly to feel the chill wind bite across the exposed skin of his face. Cloud suddenly realized that Aerith had pushed him out of the door without his cape. He shrugged his shoulders in indifference, "No one is down here anyway."
He actually found that without the crimson cloak, he could move about more freely. Although, he thought, the intimidation factor of the cloak far outweighed the restriction of movement.
Once he reached the bottom he leaned up against the icy wall, and pulled out an old photograph. He lovingly ran his fingers over the images, his digits lingering on one specific figure. "Tifa…" Sometimes when he closed his eyes he could almost see her standing there, hands on her hips and wine-colored eyes sparkling with mirth.
Cloud was startled out of his reverie by a loud splash followed by some pained mumbling coming from the opposite end of the cavern.
A very wet and disgruntled Leon soon appeared. He glared at the blonde swordsman, mumbling about idiotic platforms and loose stones.
Cloud crossed his arms, "What are you doing?"
"I came to train."
Cloud pulled out his buster sword, "Mind if I join you?"
Leon merely shrugged, pulled out his gleaming gunblade and fell into his battle stance; feet spread apart about shoulders width, and body slightly angled to become a smaller target.
Cloud stood nonchalantly with his sword held out in front of him with both hands. He cocked his head and looked oddly at Leon. "Since when did you start in that stance? It looks like Yuffie's."
Leon smirked, "Only the best fighters combine different fighting styles to maximize their fighting capabilities. It's also harder for your opponent to predict."
With that said, Leon ran forward slashing horizontally at head level. Cloud leaned back and parried the blow; he lashed out with his foot trying to trip Leon. But Leon was to fast; he sidestepped the kick and jabbed at Cloud's exposed side.
Cloud barely dodge the sharp point by performing a hasty somersault, he rolled and jumped to his feet and became a blur of black and yellow as he slashed right and left in quick succession. Leon thrust his sword out and the two swords collided with such force, both men felt the vibrations all the way up their arms.
Their swords locked at the hilts, they remained in that position for several seconds. Leon strained beneath the older man's utter strength. Finally as his arms were about to collapse, Leon pulled to the side and brought his sword handle down on Cloud's fingers eliciting a yell from the blonde as he dropped his sword from his numb digits.
"You weren't concentrating, why?"
Cloud sighed as he picked up his sword and ran his hand through his blonde gravity defying spikes, "Yuffie's not coming with us."
It was Leon's turn to look shocked. "Why not? I thought she wanted to go."
Cloud shook his head, "I think it's too painful for her to go back. She lost her entire family when the Heartless came. She acts like it doesn't bother her…"
"…but she calls out to them in her sleep." Leon finished for him.
Cloud merely nodded, "I'm not sure what will happen if we leave her here alone. I just don't want her to get hurt anymore than she has been."
"I'll stay with her."
Cloud blinked in surprise, "Why?"
Leon crossed his arms nonchalantly and brushed imaginary dirt off his sleeve, "I've never been to your world and I see no reason to go now."
A slight smirk formed on Cloud's face, "This could be a good thing, I know he cares about her. The question is, how MUCH does he care. Now is the perfect time to find out"
Leon as if reading Cloud's thoughts spoke up, "I'm not doing this for her, I just don't want to hear you and Aerith going at it all hours of the night."
Cloud's face reddened in embarrassment, "Wh-what, we...ah weren't, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Leon pointed to a picture lying on the ground, "Does she know about that woman in the picture."
Cloud glanced down to find the picture he had been looking at earlier had somehow fallen out of his pocket during the fight. "This has nothing to do with Aerith, it's in the past."
Leon stared hard at Cloud, "You still love her, don't you?"
Cloud glanced at the picture guiltily, "A little…we were going to get married. She was pregnant." He gazed fondly at the picture; in it was everyone from AVALANCHE with their respective lovers and partners on Valentine's Day. They had all decided to get together at the Golden Saucer, the giant amusement park in the desert.
Everything was perfect in the picture; everyone had someone to lean on. Even though Yuffie and Vincent hadn't brought anyone to the party it didn't take long for Yuffie to convince Vincent that the loners of the group should at least look like they were having a good time. She ended up dragging Vincent on almost every single ride in the park. As Cloud and Tifa entered the hall where their rooms were located, they happened to see Yuffie and Vincent going into their rooms for the night. They both watched as Yuffie stopped at her door and suddenly kissed Vincent full on the lips and dashed inside her room; her face tomato red. As Vincent turned to go to his room, Cloud could have sworn he was smiling. Yuffie had persuaded the stoic gunman to leave his cloak in the room, how she did that no one will ever know.
Leon's voice broke him out of his reverie. "What are you going to do if you find her? Are you just going to forget about Aerith?"
Cloud stiffened and glared at Leon, "What I do or don't do is none of your business Leonhart." He turned and exited the room swiftly. But a nagging voice at the back of his head refused to leave him alone "What will I do if she's alive?"
Yuffie rubbed her sore lower-back; it was really uncomfortable sitting in the small space behind a statue in the hallway just outside Leon's room. She felt rather embarrassed about her earlier display of emotion; Yuffie couldn't remember the last time she cried in front of someone.
So now she was sitting in this small space waiting for the chance to pull another prank on Squall, not just any prank, one that would earn her a stern scolding from Cloud and Aerith. Maybe they would forget about how weak she was when they got mad. Yes, that was it she'd remind them that she was perfectly fine; nothing affects the Great Ninja Yuffie!
She flattened herself against the statue when she heard faint footsteps coming down the hall. Only instead of Squall it was Cloud, and he looked a little troubled. She considered playing her prank on Cloud but thought better of it. She didn't want him THAT mad.
It wasn't long before she heard footsteps again, only this time she knew it was Squall. There was no mistaking the familiar creak of soft leather and the soft clinking of metal buckles.
She concentrated on the green orb in her hand and willed the spell onto Squall. When the light faded she peeked around the corner of the statue's base and cackled with delight. Oh yes, she was definitely going to be in trouble, just exactly what she wanted.
Don't you just love cliffhangers? Mwhahahaha
Grakka…I have no idea why this story seems to be getting more and more serious. Sorry about the delay, I just started college and I haven't been able to work on anything game-related. But I have much planned for the next chapter. I just thought of something…are you guys really sure you want the next chapter? I could just leave it like this. Lol, I'm not that evil…ok, maybe I am. Seriously y'all are gonna love the next chapter.
Laterz, Gala
