Thank you to all who have read this story and a special thanks to those who have reviewed it, your comments were very kind and much appreciated. In regards to questions you have asked I don't want to give anymore away to what is already a pretty well-known story, but I will consider all ideas and suggestions. Thanks again!

Chapter 3

Yuffie hated chocobos. They were big, smelly and way too skittish for her liking. Despite all her father's best efforts to introduce her to the joys of riding, Yuffie preferred to walk, or, better yet, to let someone else do the driving while she sat back and enjoyed the trip. Never before had she regretted such sentiments, until she needed to escape from the Aquilines. And now, as if to chide her for her neglect of their breed, the knights' chocobos ran and swayed and shook everytime she tried to 'borrow' one. Finally she gave up. With a curse to their ancestors, she ran from the chocobos hoping the mysterious, black-clad warrior could keep Baigan and his louts busy while she made her escape.

Looking up she spied a bird flying overhead, a gentle screech cutting through the air. A hawk, or some other raptor no doubt. Yuffie glared at the intruder. After those damn chocobos she had enough of birds for one day... or one century for that matter.

Suddenly she heard the pounding beat of chocobo-mounted pursuit behind her. Turning she saw the unknown man who had saved her earlier gaining fast on his black chocobo. With a startled cry, she tried to run faster. Despite his earlier actions, she had no idea if he was friend or foe, and had little desire to find out which. The mounted warrior was too fast, however. He grabbed her by the back of her loose-fitting tunic and lifted her across his saddle as easily if she were a ragdoll. She only had time for a startled yelp and was then hanging onto the saddlehorn for dear life. Looking back past the flare of his dark cloak, she saw some of the Captain's red-clad knights giving pursuit. Yuffie closed her eyes in panicked frustration. This just kept getting better and better.

"You'll want to hold on tight." Despite the tumult of the ride Yuffie was able to just barely make out the grim warning of her unwanted companion. Looking forward she saw another knight locking a fence stile blocking off their path. Yet despite this obstruction the dark warrior showed no signs of slowing down.

"Aaaahhh! Oh no, Lord Leviathan!" shouted Yuffie, preparing for the inescapable collision. Just before they hit the obstruction, though, the chocobo flared out it's wings and just barely cleared the stile. The knight, stunned that the bird had made such a leap, clumsily felt for his sword, but the black-clad rider was too fast for him. Raising a gauntleted fist, he leveled the man with a solid punch made even more powerful by the forward propulsion of his mount.

As Yuffie looked back to peer at the knocked-out man, she saw the pursuing knights were about to open the stile and try to run them down. Before they opened the latch, however, the hawk from before swooped down and knocked them back in surprise. Yuffie could only gawk. Could it be a messenger from Lord Leviathan? No answers would come, though, as she was taken down the road at full gallop. The hawk flew overhead, it cries piercing the air.

-

"So, do you want to be a chocobo knight as well Cloud?"

The young man turned to stare at the girl addressing him. He nearly had to chuckle at how ridiculous she looked. Her skirt pulled up over her knees she was wading through a small tributary of the Mythril River, her face glistening with exertion. Stopping himself from smiling at her unorthodox appearance, he focused on her query.

"That would be pretty unlikely."

"Why?" asked the beautiful girl, stooping to pick up a small violet blossom. She added it to her basket of flowers. "Zack says you're quite the swordsmen."

Cloud blushed a little bit at the words of praise, but quickly came down to earth. "It takes more than that, Aerith." He grimaced as he said his words.

Aerith stopped from her search for blossoms for a moment. "Really? I thought knights just had to be brave!"

Cloud smiled at her sweet naiveté. "No, not brave. Just rich." He openly grinned at her puzzled expression. For one who was always around the Bishop and the Captain she seemed awfully innocent of the world. "It takes gil to be a knight. Even if I were to be knighted, which would be a miracle unto itself, I'd need a chocobo, weapons, armor and the rest. Those things don't come cheap, and unlike your boyfriend the Captain I don't have an estate to supply me."

Aerith frowned petulantly. "He's not my boyfriend. Just a friend." She brought her finger to her chin as if in deep thought. "But if you did have those things, you know, a chocobo and what not, would you want to be a knight?"

"Sure. Of course if I had a wings and a beak I'd want to be a bird and soar through the air as well." He sighed, a dark expression clouding his handsome features. "I think that might be more likely than being knighted. I'm not exactly of noble birth." Seeing her sorrowful expression he broke himself out of his dark mood. For some reason it pained him to see her sad. "Besides, if I was knighted who would be your guard for these little flower hunts of yours? With the Bishop sending Zack out on all those missions lately, I'm all you've got." In fact Zack had asked his squire friend to accompany the flower girl, worried about brigands and beasts in the wild. Cloud had agreed, both as a chance to repay Zack for his friendship and, also, as a chance to spend time with her. Despite his best efforts he had found it difficult to avoid getting close to Aerith. He himself knew he was quiet and taciturn, but something about her brought out strange, new feelings in him. Zack had that effect on his as well, but his friendship with the flower girl was different in certain subtle ways he did not care to admit even to himself at this time.

Despite his attempts at humor Aerith's face now lost some of it sparkle at the mention of Zack and the Bishop. She looked at Cloud with earnest curiosity and concern. "Isn't it unusual for the Captain of the Aquiline Knights to be away from the city so much, Cloud? I mean, Zack never went abroad so often in the past."

Cloud shrugged, surmising she must be lonely without the Captain. He knew himself to be a poor substitute for his lively, good-natured friend. "There may be something going on with the Wutaians, or perhaps the Patriarch requires some sort of assistance." He smiled sardonically at his female companion. "They don't exactly invite me to the strategy sessions, so I could only speculate."

Aerith didn't respond to his joke, however, and continued to look worried. "He thought I was spending too much time with him..."

Cloud looked at her in confusion. "Eh? Too much time with who?"

Aerith smiled and shook her head. "It doesn't matter." She looked back at the water. "Let's head down that way Cloud. I see some falconhead blossoms. They're one of His Grace's favorites." Cloud nodded, but still sensed some sort of tension within his pretty friend as they made their way down the shore.

"There's a farmhouse over there! Hey, mister are you listening to me?"

Cloud broke himself out of his reverie and turned back to glare at his riding companion, the young Wutaian who had announced herself as Yuffie the Mouse. Since she had overcome her initial fear of him within about a half hour of her rescue she had not stopped talking. Though he had wanted to push on, he decided to stop at the farmhouse, if only to get a break from her blather.

"Of course we could ride on if you want. I bet there's a village nearby. Farmhouses are always near villages. I remember this one time, I visited this farm and they had a two-headed roadbull, I was so shocked..."

"Stop your chattering!" Cloud growled in frustration. "We'll spend the night here." He received an offended "humph" in return.

The farmhouse was as ugly a hovel as Cloud had ever seen. The house was a dilapidated old shack with barely a tile of roof left, while the barn was little more than a jumbled collection of rotting sticks tied together with a cloth canvas overhead. There were only a few scrawny looking chickens and pigs running around, squawking and bleating in obvious hunger. Some of the neglect could no doubt be blamed on the drought, but Cloud doubted this farm had ever been prosperous. Seeing the farmer, a rail-thin tall man dressed in a grungy hooded tunic chopping wood, a horrid scowl decorating his face confirmed his suspicions. This was not the look of a prosperous man. The farmer grabbed a nearby ax, signaling his obese, grunting wife to stay behind him. "Get back wench..!" he hissed at her in frustration, eyeing the riders nervously.

Cloud grimaced. They would get no warm reception here. Still, there was no guarantee they would find another roof to sleep under, and he really did need a break from Yuffie's incessant stream of annoying consciousness.

"Good evening sir. Milady." The polite words had no effect on the peasants. "My comrade and I need lodging for the night."

The farmer shook his head, his expression turning even more dour. "There's no room for you here."

"We'll pay for it, of course." The farmer's eyes widened and Cloud shook his meager gil sack. There wasn't much, but from the look of these two, any gil would be a fortune to them. "We would be happy to make a contribution to your fine homestead." Yuffie scoffed noisily at that, but Cloud silenced her with a glare.

The farmer continued to scowl as he considered. His wife, whose eyes never left the gil Cloud had held up, began to nudge and nod at him. He shook her off with a growl. "You may sleep in the barn." he finally relented. "But find your own food! We have nothing to spare."

Cloud ignored the man's rudeness, and merely nodded his head. "I thank you." Guiding his chocobo over to the barn he dismounted and began to tend to the hawk. Yuffie jumped down as well. Cloud noticed the farmer still staring at them intently, the sour gaze sending small shivers down the nape of his neck. They would have to be cautious while in this place he decided as Yuffie accompanied him into the barn, chattering about some chicken which laid golden eggs she had once heard about.

-

"Ah! Cloud, help!" The young squire jumped up from the riverbank he had been sitting at, fear coursing through him at his companion's cry. He ran down the bank and found Aerith sitting in the clear water, a confused-looking ipooh at her feet.

Cloud looked from girl to beast quickly, unsure of what best method to take with the situation. Ipoohs looked violent, but were in fact quite calm and friendly if not provoked. They were bear-like herbivores who foraged mainly along the riverbanks. Curious by nature, they would occasionally approach humans in hopes of treats. Cloud realized Aerith would have no way of knowing this, however, for they mainly lived on the West Continent where he grew up. They were not completely unknown near Junon on the western coast, but were quite rare here in Aquila.

"Cloud..." Aerith half-whispered and half-whimpered as she looked at him with wide eyes. She was obviously very frightened.

He had to do something, though he had no desire to draw his sword on a peaceful, if wild creature. He grinned slightly as a rather unorthodox idea came to mind. The young warrior raised his arms and bugged his eyes out, yelling in a roar at the top of his lungs at the ipooh. Both flower girl and beast exchanged a bewildered glance, and the ipooh ran off among the rushes.

Aerith now looked at Cloud with the same terrified glance she had graced the ipooh with, and suddenly it was too much for Cloud. Seeing her there, sitting in the water, her basket of flowers tipped over with the blossoms floating on the surface, a look of surprised bewilderment on her pretty face, it just became too funny. He started laughing loudly, unable to control his mirth.

Aerith looked puzzled, then slightly hurt. Finally she fixed him with an intent, furious glare and tried to get herself cleaned off as much as possible while still maintaining the small shred of dignity she had left. Gathering up what blossoms remained she began to make her way back to the city.

Cloud stopped her. "I'm sorry Aerith. It was just an ipooh, they're common where I come from, and gentle. You just looked so funny sitting there..." he stopped as her eyes narrowed in anger. Cloud choked back his last few remaining chuckles. "My apologies, milady. I would not have laughed had you been in any real danger."

Aerith still looked angry, but her eyes abruptly widened and she looked behind him in surprise. "Oh, look out Cloud, it's come back!" Cloud turned back in surprise, but saw nothing. Aerith, however, took advantage of his confusion to push him hard into the water. He splashed down headfirst, giving only a small yell of surprise before he went under. Sitting up, he sputtered angrily and shook some mud out of his spiky hair. Aerith smiled at him a little too sweetly. "Oops, sorry, my mistake. But I do accept your apology, Cloud."

Cloud's eyes widened in surprise. "You- You pushed me!"

Aerith smiled sardonically. "Wow you noticed! And people say you're not all that sharp, huh?"

Cloud stared at her grumpily for a moment, before standing and looking down at his sodden clothes. Looking up he saw her in the same state. What a pair they would be when they returned to Aquila. The thought caused him to laugh again, so hard he couldn't stop. Aerith looked at him in shock for a moment, then realized what they looked like as well. She too started to laugh, a silvery peel compared to Cloud's great guffaw, but just as uncontrollable. The two collapsed on the bank, nearly breathless due to their mirth.

"Thank you, Cloud." Aerith choked as she tried to catch her breath. "You saved me, after all. I should have been more grateful."

"Sure, saved you from a big, cuddly ipooh." Cloud chuckled, a wry smirk on his handsome face. "Who knows, if I hadn't come it might have snuggled you to death."

"Hey, you never know. Dead is dead, after all." She smiled warmly at her friend. "You really are my knight, Sir Cloud."

Still smiling, Cloud shook his head, waving her off. "I'm just a squire, not a knight. And that was just an overgrown teddy bear, not a dragon."

"I don't care. You still stuck up for me Cloud." She reached back and began to fiddle her long braid. "It's customary for a lady to favor her knight with a token, is it not? Here." Her golden brown hair fell free, almost causing Cloud to gasp at the even greater beauty it gave her delicate features. "My favorite ribbon. I'm sure you'll wear at the next joust, milord?" An amused smile tugged at the corner of her pretty face at her overdone language.

Cloud rolled his eyes at her. "You know, you've spent way too much time with Zack. You're starting to pick up some of his annoying habits." He pushed the ribbon away in amusement.

Aerith opened her mouth in mock surprise. "Surely milord would not think of rejecting his lady's favor?" She dropped the ribbon in his lap. "I really must insist you take it. A girl has a reputation to maintain, you know."

Cloud picked up the ribbon, still smirking. "Why don't we head back, Aerith? I think you've had enough sun for one day."

Aerith giggled at him as he helped her up. As she stood their faces came very close, and both could feel the other's breath on their cheeks. They stood still for a moment, until Cloud moved back uncomfortably. Aerith smiled at him a little sadly, and laid her hand on his chest. "But please keep the ribbon, Cloud. I- I would like you to have it."

"Sir? Sir Cloud? Are you there?"

His mind brought back to the present, Cloud moved his eyes from the pink ribbon he held in his hand. He returned it to the small interior pocket of his black tabard, just over his heart where he always kept it, and glanced at the hawk, its eyes covered by a small leather hood which relaxed the bird and allowed her to rest. Standing he looked at Yuffie over the gate of the long unused chocobo stall he had disappeared into, a pained look in his eyes.

Yuffie didn't notice his expression. "Oh, there you are! If there's nothing else, I think I'll turn in."

Cloud came out of the stall. "You can take care of my chocobo." He said sternly.

Yuffie looked like she wanted to argue, but thought better of it when she saw the glare on her new companion's face. "Oh, all right" she huffed.

"Gather some wood for the night as well. And sleep with one eye open! Don't bother disturbing me in the night either, I'm a light sleeper and I'm liable to take your head off before I know it's you."

"All right, already!" Yuffie complained with a whine. "Come on girl." She grabbed the black chocobo's bridle. The bird resisted her tug. "Come on, let's go! Be a good girl now!" She looked helplessly at Cloud who wore a look of disgust on his face. "She's a stubborn little lady! What's her name?"

"HIS name is Sleipnir." huffed Cloud.

Yuffie looked underneath the chocobo, her eyes widening in surprise. "HIS name! Pretty name..."

Cloud ruffled his mount's feathers. "Go with her boy, she didn't mean to hurt your feelings." The chocobo moved off with the ninja at his master's words.

"Sleipnir..." Yuffie droned on, leading the chocobo to nearby brook. "I'm sure we'll be good friends as soon as I tell you a little story about a tiny little thief named Zidane who tamed the legendary giant chocobo..."

Cloud moved back into his stall, his hand going to the pocket over his heart which held her ribbon. He stared at the floor of the barn, more memories assaulting him as he waited. He didn't look up until the last red rays of sunlight pierced through the cracks in the wall. Peering at the sun with wearied eyes his expression became sorrowful. "One day..." he whispered, the sun beginning to disappear under the horizon.

-

"Thanks again, Lord Leviathan. Thanks once again!" Yuffie muttered bitterly as she gathered firewood. She was in a foul mood after being ordered around by her new friend Cloud Strife. Just who did he think he was? Making her gather supplies and take care of his big, stupid chocobo! She was a proud Wutaian ninja of an ancient clan. No one ordered her around!

"That's right, Lord Leviathan!" she cried in answer to her own thoughts. "I don't care what that spiky-headed jerk did for me! I'm not staying here another minute." She resolutely threw the gathered firewood to the ground. "So there! Goodbye Mr. Tall, Spooky and Spike-haired and good riddance!"

The young Wutaian kunoichi was stopped in her newly free tracks, however by the sound of creeping, nearby footsteps. She looked around in nervous fear, trying desperately to discern any approaching threat with her ninja sense. Nothing became evident, but the footsteps continued.

"All right Chekov. We had better move back to camp now." Yuffie hoped her voice sounded more confident than she felt as she addressed her imaginary companion. "You and Shake take the right. Staniv and I will take the left. All right guys?" Yuffie answered herself in three different voices, and began to move back to the barn. The footsteps suddenly grew louder. Yuffie took off in a dash. "Attack men! Show no mercy! I'll come back with the others!"

Yuffie arrived at the farm and knelt behind the ramshackle farmhouse surveying the yard. She never saw the wild-eyed farmer lift up his axe as he came from behind her. She did, however, see the huge, black form of what seemed to be a wild dog or wolf throw himself at the farmer, who shrieked in agony as his throat was torn out.

In a panic, Yuffie ran back to the barn and threw herself through the door, shrieking madly for Cloud who seemed to be nowhere in sight. In the stall he had been sleeping in she looked around desperately for her shuriken belt or his sword, but found only Cloud's materia gauntlet. She grabbed and identified a high-power ice materia. Readying herself next to a crack in the wall she prepared for an attack.

A hand gently touched her shoulder causing her let out a small yelp of fear. She calmed a bit when she turned to see Cloud's black cloak, but she nearly hit the roof when a female face looked out under the hood. Yuffie gaped openly at the image. This woman, if that was what she really was, was breathtaking in a strange, ethereal way. Her green eyes grabbed the pale moonlight and glowed with a luminous intensity. Strawberry lips curled into a slight smile at the Wutaian girl's discomfort, their color contrasted strikingly with pale, flawless skin they adorned. Yuffie almost blurted out a 'who are you', but the woman stopped her by bringing a graceful finger to her lips with a 'shhh'.

The woman looked out into the yard, and began moving towards the door. Yuffie tried to stop her. "Don't go out there, miss! There's a wolf, a huge wolf! And a dead man..!"

"I know." The woman cut off the ninja and favored her with a beautiful, reassuring smile. She then made her way out the door.

"Miss, please!" Yuffie cried, but it was too late. The woman was walking across the farmyard, and the black wolf was approaching. Yuffie closed her eyes in terror and awaited the worst. But when no scream came, she looked out again and saw the wolf walking peacefully next to the black-cloaked lady.

The young Wutaian looked extremely confused as she peered at the duo. "Maybe I'm dreaming? My eyes are open, though... But maybe I'm asleep, dreaming I'm awake, wondering if I'm dreaming..?"

"You are dreaming." The melodic voice of the unknown lady rang out from the darkness.

Yuffie gasped in shock and looked to the heavens. "Oh, Lord Leviathan, I have not seen what I have just seen! I am not thinking what I am now thinking! These are mysterious and otherworldly things, and I pray to you not to make me a part of them!" Looking out at the yard again, she saw the lady and the wolf continue to walk in silence with one another.

-

Commander Baigan entered the beautiful private gardens of the Bishop of Aquila. However, such loveliness was lost on him, as he never had much of an appreciation for flowers. Besides, they were the doing of that insufferable little twit that Captain Zack and the Bishop were so obsessed with. For the life of him the soldier could not see the attraction. She was pretty enough he supposed, in a common sort of way, though her lack of the colorful and fashionable tints and rouges the ladies of his own set used took away from any luster she might have had. Her manners were definitely of the gutter as well. Her demure little smiles and blushing shyness wearied him. A true lady of the world was able to maintain conversation of a more cosmopolitan set. As far as Baigan was concerned that useless, little flower girl should pull weeds, fertilize the ground and be sent home on her inconsequential, boring little way.

The commander spotted the Bishop, and bowed low. "You sent for me, Your Grace?"

The holy man ignored his vassal for a moment as he continued to peer at a beautiful iris. Finally he turned and faced the man. "Baigan... you serve as Zack's second, do you not?"

Baigan bowed again. "I have the honor, Your Grace."

The Bishop smirked in amusement. "Yes, of course. You have the... 'honor.'" He turned back to examining his flowers as he talked. "And of course you take over certain administrative duties while my Captain of the Guard is on assignment... as I have been forced to send him as of late."

Baigan raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the tone of this conversation. Rarely had he been alone in the presence of the Bishop without the Captain, and now their lord was asking such enigmatic questions. However, he kept his curiosity to himself. "You are correct, Your Grace. I have been stepping in for the Captain in regards to certain duties."

"Well, I have another assignment for you." The Bishop approached the commander, a fierce glint in his eye. "You know of my ward, Aerith, who tends this garden for me?"

Baigan nodded. 'That little trollop again?' he thought to himself, but said nothing.

The Bishop's eyes sought the sky as he continued. "She is the daughter of a minor scholar who was killed while traveling. Her mother, may she rest with the Cetran God as well, I had the honor of meeting once. She was an exquisite woman... so beautiful... those eyes, that luminous smile... and now that beauty has come to life again in the daughter..." He stopped suddenly as he remembered where he was. "After their deaths she came here to Aquila, where I quickly made her acquaintance once I discovered her tragedy. What else could I do but see to her welfare? I gave here these gardens to attend, as she confided in me she had inherited her mother's love of flowers. And I had your superior, the dashing Captain Zack attend to her when I was unable to. They became... close." The Bishop frowned at this. "Such a shame his new duties take him away from Aquila so often now."

'Such a shame, indeed.' Baigan thought ironically, but he said nothing and merely waited for the Bishop to continue his story.

"I had hoped to have you supervise her in your Captain's absence." He either did not notice or pretended not to notice Baigan's disgusted grimace at that thought. "But Zack, ever industrious, had a friend of his take over the duties instead. You are familiar with him, I believe. Simon's squire, that young man with whom you had an... incident with at the last tourney."

"Strife..." The Bishop smiled at Baigan's whispered growl.

"Indeed. Cloud Strife." The Bishop began to walk slowly through the garden, as Baigan followed diligently. "Far be it from me to question my own Captain of the Guard, but one wonders whether a more suitable guardian may have been found than an ignoble country squire. Zack seems to trust him, but I worry about the young man's behavior. I mean, standing up to a proud knight such as yourself at a public gathering... that must have been quite humiliating for you, Baigan." He smiled smugly at his vassal.

The commander's face darkened. He had not forgotten that day and hatred surged in his heart for Cloud Strife.

"So you can see my dilemma. I cannot second guess my Captain, but I also cannot trust so precious a dove to a bumpkin. And that's where you come in." He turned to face Baigan, his hawk-like eyes narrowing intently. "You must keep an eye on them. Where they go, you follow. And you will tell me everything that transpires between them."

"I would not want to disobey you, Your Grace, but I do have duties as commander..."

"Let your men cover for you." The Bishop interrupted imperiously. "This command must take priority. I cannot let my... I cannot let Aerith be corrupted in any way by that oaf." He stopped and cleared his throat as he realized the harshness of his tone. "I have made a special promise to our Cetran God to take care of her as if she were my own. That oath must not be broken. Do you understand, Baigan?"

The soldier bowed. "Of course, Your Grace. I will not let them out of my sight, I promise you."

The Bishop smiled again, though there was no humor in it. "Very good. I appreciate loyalty above all else in my subordinates, Baigan. I would reward you with higher office, but of course the Captaincy is filled... for now." Baigan's eyes lit up at the last. "Now go. He takes her to the riverbanks to find more of those blossoms she cherishes so. Let me know what you observe." The Bishop lifted his ring, which Baigan kissed before hurrying off.

"All that trouble... for a simple flower peasant." Baigan muttered, his thoughts coming back into the present as he spotted one of his men up ahead holding a fresh mount. The Captain was hurrying back to Aquila to inform the Bishop of the surprising turn of events the search for Yuffie the Mouse had taken. He also planned to gather more knights for an even greater manhunt. But this time it would be no simple, little thief-girl they would be searching for.

Baigan deftly dismounted and jumped on the rested white chocobo that had been prepared for him. "Wait for me Strife!" he cried as he galloped off towards the Bishop's city. "I will return for you... with an army at my back! You will then truly see how much greater I am than you! You will beg forgiveness for ever daring to stand up to me as I take you miserable head from your commoner shoulders!"