A/N- Man I haven't updated in MONTHS! heh Sorry guys..well for those diehard fans, if I have any, I'm getting back into it now, I kinda died out of reading fanfiction awhile ago and in doing so died out of my own heh...heh.. So I was re-reading my first few chapters, man I'm sucha n00b at all this, I spotted so many grammatical errors not to mention cheesy parts! heh..heh.. So I'll try to improve as I go along now, I'm trying to get my story back in line. So yeah sorry if plot holes pop out of nowhere heh
Chapter III – Cloudy Skies
"Meet the worlds most 'famous' hero of all time! See his strength, agility, speed and splendour up at the Coliseum. Don't miss out!"
A small creature called out from the Coliseum gates. He was the head honcho for organising the events in the Coliseum. Well that's at least what Yuffie believed. She watched him continue his preaching outside the gates before she was forced away by Aerith who was dragging her towards the small group of markets, which were situated further down the path from the Coliseum.
"Now, now Yuffie. We didn't come here to play games with the big boys" Aerith lectured Yuffie as she pulled her away from the Coliseum entrance.
"But I like playing with the big boys!" Yuffie pouted to Aerith. Yuffie pulled Aerith's arm off showing that she'll walk along. Yuffie trudged along side her thinking about fighting in the Coliseum. The last time she competed was when she had to fight by herself in Hades Cup. She thought she'd show off to Leon withher ability to fight by herself. She ended up staying in the lower levels and being beaten down by Sora and his gang. She twisted her ankle during that battle...
"I told you wouldn't be able to handle it by yourself" Leon interrupted her ramblings of how her trip in battlewas intentional. He sat her down on the bench on the side of the coliseum after helping her out of the coliseum by holding her arm around his neck to take pressure off her foot.
"It doesn't hurt that mu-owh!" Yuffie said as Leon slid her shoe off her left foot. Yuffie was surprised she didn't notice him knelt down to her foot.
"Could you tell me next time your going to do something like that! That really hurt!" Yuffie wimpered to Leon.
"Whatever" Leon sighed out."I have to take your stocking off"
BeforeYuffie could respond Leon had alreadyreachedup to the top of her stocking and pulled itslowly downher leg, being gentle around her ankle as he slid his hands under the stocking around her calf muscle and ankle. Yuffie's heart was pounding in reaction to Leon's sudden 'movement'. She was still trying to recollect what he just did. Itwasn't normal that Leon just slid his hand down her leg, in fact Leon even touching her wasn't normal.
"…you're going to have to be off your foot for a few days. I'm going to go get ice, you stay here." Leon announced after investigating Yuffie's injured leg. Yuffie felt she could breathe a little easier when he left to get some ice. 'Did…Did that actually happen or did I just black out the whole time of that? ...If that really did happen…then I think I'm going to injure my ankles more often!' Yuffie snickered at her own thought on the situation. Not too long after did Leon return with some ice.
"It's not a lot but its all they could give since there are still lots of patients with injuries coming in from the competition." Leon said when he returned, with what seemed like quite a lot of ice. Yuffie didn't really know why Leon had to explain the whole situation with the ice. It's not like she really cared but the thought that Leon was saying more then 'yeah, whatever' made her happy enough.
"What are you snickering at?" Aerith questioned when she heard Yuffie giggling about something.
"Oh, it's nothing!" Yuffie said quickly.
"You do realise that when you speak in an evasive tone you're only bringing more attention to your situation." Aerith told Yuffie.
"Yeah, whatever"
"Heh" Aerith smiled as she noticed Yuffie picking up things that Leon would say to avoid conversations.
As the two entered the market area there was huge roar from the Coliseum.
"Man, I want to see what's happening!" whinged Yuffie.
"Oh come on Yuf shopping isn't 'that' bad is it?" Aerith said in response to the whining.
"Well when it lacks things like-"
"Like what?" Aerith questioned puzzled Yuffie stopped mid-sentence. She turned to see what Yuffie had stopped to look at.
"It's not possible!" Yuffie exclaimed. Aerith still being puzzled at what was so amazing tried to look closer at what Yuffie was staring at.
"It's…It's…Materia!" Yuffie yelled with extreme exhilaration sprinting over to the stall that had the large marble like orbs.
"Oh, materia! I haven't seen it in years!" Aerith said finally recognising the spheres. Once they both reached the store Yuffie quickly snatched one up and examined it. The magic inside the marble made a warm glow over her hand as she held it up.
"And soon it'll all be mine nyuk nyuk nyuk" Yuffie said under her breath as she was already plotting her plan of pilfering.
"I hope you're not planning anything stupid" Aerith asked eying her suspiciously. "I quite remember you trying to steal my own collection from my flower house back in Hollow Bastian"
"Of course not Aer, I've grown out of that! I'll be turning 17 soon! I'm not a child anymore!" Yuffie lied as she pocketed one behind her back.
"HEY!" A large man grabbed Yuffie by the arm which had just pocketed the materia. "You better put that back before I take your arm as a replacement!" The man yelled at her.
"Put what back?" Yuffie said trying desperately to sound innocent while struggling to get the man's grip of her arm.
"Yuffie! You didn't!" Aerith said shocked at the man's accusation.
"Heheh its no sweat Aer, he's just delusional" Yuffie said breaking a sweat from her trapped position. Yuffie started to show fear in her face when her struggling to get free was becoming useless
"Why you little bitch!" The man said gripping her arm tighter causing Yuffie to yelp in pain.
"Yuffie!"
"Where are we going Cid?" Leon questioned the pilot standing confused in front of him.
"…Where the hell is it?"
"…Don't tell me you're lo-"
"I'm not lost! Look you go on ahead I'll find this place…wherever the hell it is" Cid ordered to Leon. Leon just shrugged it off and turned back towards the markets. As he was walking something caught his eye as he walked along the path. He saw a blonde spiked man walking out of the markets towards the coliseum. Leon recognised him as the man he was teamed up with for the Hades cup. He never really got to know the man during the match because he only ever saw him before they fought. All he knew was that his name was Cloud. So Leon thought of actually confronting the man this time and ask him where he was from, Leon had a feeling he'd met the man briefly in his teenage years.
"What do you want?" The red cloaked man asked Leon as he approached him.
"…I just want to ask you something." Leon said to him. Cloud turned around slowly and stood in front of Leon waiting for the question.
"…Your fighting skills are very different from the people here; you aren't from this world, are you?"
Cloud was surprised by Leon's unexpected question of where he'd come from. A strange feeling inside of him felt it was ok to talk to this man,it wasalmost as if he'd met him before.
"…Your right about one thing…I'm not from here. I ended up here nine years ago after my world was destroyed… destroying half of me with it" He looked down to his claw like hand, clenching and unclenching it.
"…nine years…" Leon repeated. "…my world was attacked nine years ago as well but it wasn't destroyed. This is only something I found out recently. I believed it was gone as well…but it was merely overrun by the heartless…I had lived in Balamb Garden's boarding school. It was near a castle…which was called Hollow Bastion"
"…Hollow Bastion?" Cloud said. "A castle that rose above the falls… I lived in a small village to the west of there." Cloud felt strange talking about his past, but the feeling of returning home, returning to his light over rid his feelings of secrecy.
"…Nibelheim." Leon said finally after a few of moment silence between them. "I went to the mountains there for a training hike once."
"You were that group? …now I recognise you…you were head of the SeeD camp group, Squall Leonhart."
"I left that name a long time ago!" Leon said a little too harshly then he had meant to say it. Cloud didn't seem to be affected by Leon's reaction, knowing that he himself left things behind after he left Hollow Bastion. Leon began to ponder on thoughts that he had long forgotten. The word SeeD, Garden, his true name. 'So much has changed since, Aerith and Yuffie said they came from the West as well. This man…he must be the one Aerith mentions every so often…always waiting for him…I'm always waiting …waiting for someone who will never come back to me…'
"…is there…any one else who was with you?" Cloud asked seeing that Leon wasn't going to ask any more of him. Leon looked up and nodded in response.Cloud knew this man Leon would know ofthe one he seeksand felt he could trust him to deliver a message to her. "Would you mind if you delivered a message… to Aerith" Leon nodded again and waited for Cloud to inform him of this message "…tell her that there is something I need to take care of…my darkness will only be gone once I have dwelt with it in person and I will not return till it has finished…she will…understand" Leon didn't quite understand what Cloud was telling him but would send the message none the less.
"Ahhh!" Leon turned to the scream coming from the markets. 'That was Yuffie! What has she done now?' Leon turned to where Cloud was standing but he was already walking off down the path. Leon knew they'd meet again so he turned and began to run towards where he heard the scream.
"OK! OK! I'll put it back!" Yuffie pleaded with the man holding her arm.
"What makes me believe you will!" The man flamed back at her.
"Please let her go sir! I'll make sure she gives it back! Please just put her down!" Aerith pleaded with the man. The man looked at Aerith then at Yuffie again.
"You're just part of her little scheme! Why should I believe you?" The man said to Aerith. As Leon approached hesaw the commotion and quickly hastened towards the scene.
"Whatever she has taken I'll make sure she gives it back" Leon said confidently causing the man to actually pay attention to his words rather then trying to keep hold of the struggling Yuffie.
"Squall!" Leon twitched at the name and glared at Yuffie.
"You better pray that this man let's you go without us having to stay here for more then is required" He said to Yuffie in an annoyed tone. Yuffie made a nervous smile back at him.
"Oh thank god you're here I was get-"
"Ahhhh! Run for your lives!" Aerith was cut off by a group of people who were running towards them. The crowd sprinted past them and were clumsily knocking over pots and displays in a mad panic. More people soon joined the mad rush and were soon shoving people aside to get in front of them. One such person was shoved into the materia display which knocked the glowing orbs onto the ground. The owner of the shop released Yuffie's arm once this had happened to only pick up the guy who was just pushed into it. Yuffie landed on the ground, lost balance and fell over from the sudden plummet. When she was on the floor she noticed that there was materia scattered around that had been knocked off the stand. 'Nyuk nyuk nyuk'
"Something tells me we should be leaving along with them" Aerith said.
"You don't say?" Leon commented sarcastically.
"Well" Yuffie said "I suggest-we-leave-right-now-ok-bye" Yuffie said quickly before sprinting off down the path.
"…ah…" Leon managed to say before he soon followed after Yuffie, Aerith trailing behind him.
Yuffie was running so fast she thought she was breaking limits. She was taking corners here and there to dodge crowds. In fact she was running so fast she lost track of where she was trying to get to or where she was.
"ahhh crap…wait…isn't the shipyard that way?" Yuffie pointed to her left. "Hmm… well it is now" She said as she continued on with her inaccurate directions hoping it leads to her destination.
Leon turned around to see whereabouts Aerith was behind him. She was trailing a small distance behind him but not too far. He looked up to where the commotion had started and saw a swarm of heartless starting to seep from the coliseum. Though the heartless were being held back by Hercules, the main attraction to the coliseum or at least that's how he was portrayed. Leon also noticed a small shadow standing on the very top of the coliseum. Leon couldn't tell if it was just a heartless or it was actually a person. Whatever it was he wasn't concerned with getting near it. Leon turned back around to see where Yuffie went but realised she wasn't running in front of him any more. 'God, where'd she go? We don't have time to stuff around here! What if she's lost and ends up running towards the enemy rather then the air field. God dam it! She probably has!'
"Where's Yuffie?" Aerith puffed out once she'd caught up with Leon. Leon turned towards her but didn't look at her. He was busy seeing if he could spot Yuffie through one of the market cubicles.
"…Wait, don't tell me…you lost track of her and now your trying to cover it up by finding her before you can answer the question. Am I right?" Aerith said trying to make amusement out of the situation considering it wasn't something to laugh about if Yuffie was lost during a rampage.
"You head to the shipyard and I'll get Yuffie" Leon said annoyed at both Aerith and Yuffie; Aerith for ridiculing him and Yuffie for getting lost. Aerith followed his order and headed towards the shipyard which was down the path to the right.
"Where the hell am I now?" Yuffie said in frustration when coming to another unknown area. It was almost as if she was getting closer to the back of the coliseum rather then the shipyard. Yuffie tried to get her bearings straight by trying to find some sort of map in her bag. She started rummaging through her bag though it was too full of pilfered materia to even see anything. While she was rummaging one of the glowing marbles toppled out of the bag and started to roll off down the path. Yuffie noticed it quickly and chased after it. Once she caught up with it she leapt down to grab the marble off the ground "Oh you ain't escaping my gra-" Yuffie noticed that the materia had rolled next to a man's tall black boot. Yuffie slowly looked up to the looming shadow above her. Once her vision reached the man's face all of her body just seemed to freeze up. The tall dark man glared down at her with insane green eyesand drew up a long blade to her throat.
"You're taking mother's energy; you have the mark of a traitor"
A/N- Oooo Suspence-much? XD heheh yes well I'm trying to get some action goin on so yeh its hard writing fics when I keep changing the story --;; good thing I havnt introduced original characters...yet... Bu anyway For those of you who are interested, I have drawn the scene in which Leon is 'tending' Yuffie's ankle. Just check out my DeviantArt Account and it should be there link is in my profile. Yeah, I know materia is kinda non-existent in KH but yeah I needed to give Yuffie her obsession back, it gets the best of her every time heheheh Well I hope your enjoying it, Next chapter is under way so please be patient with me, I have to re read the chapter several times before I submit nods Reviews are much appreciated :)
