Chapter Three: To Start a Journey

He strummed against the strings of his sitar, not following any pattern of notes. Different chords sung out, blending into a melody, harmonizing in ways Demyx never dreamed they would. He would frequently sit like this, him and his sitar, whenever he was depressed. However, he hadn't done it since he arrived at Radiant Garden. Today was his first time in the six months he'd been living there to actually drag it out and play it. When living with the Organization, it had been different.

Demyx was always looked down upon. No one saw him as a strong opponent and he was disliked for it. He tried to play along, pretending he wasn't strong. It was difficult, and at the end of the day he would sit down and play a song. He lost himself in the music. It was calming.

He hadn't summoned his sitar in six months; he was a little rusty. He played, none-the-less, not really caring. His music was the pathway to his nonexistent heart.

"Beautiful…"

At the voice, Demyx ceased playing, turning his head. "Oh, Aerith!" He sat his sitar down and stood, bowing slightly.

"I love your music, Demyx. It's very pleasing to the ear." She gave a half smile, her green eyes sparkling in the setting sun.

"Oh, that was nothing." He chuckled nervously.

"Tea?" She inquired.

Demyx nodded and they both took a seat on the steps where he had earlier been playing.

"By the way, Cloud locked up the shop for you. He said you ran out?" Aerith mentioned.

"Oh." Demyx acknowledged.

They sat silently for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company and drinking the tea Aerith had brought. There were many times when they sat, just like this, on the stairs. Demyx came to the stairs quite often…

"Aren't you… Demyx?"

He looked up at Aerith upon hearing her gentle voice. "Yeah…" He sighed.

"Cloud has told me a lot about you." She took a seat next to him. "I'm Aerith."

Demyx just shrugged, muttering a 'pleased to meet you'.

"Tea?"

He shook his head. "No, thanks."

"Cloud mentioned that you haven't been yourself lately. What's going on?"

"I dunno."

"Demyx…" She turned to face him. "I understand it must be hard. Coming here, living here. When all you've known in your existence is anger. Hatred. It's a big change, isn't it?"

"…yeah."

"Cloud, he's really come to like you. You seem to be good friends, right?"

"If we're such good friends, why couldn't he tell me he was sick?" Demyx asked, not even knowing he said it out loud. He blushed slightly, bringing his hand to his face as if to not let Aerith see it.

To Aerith, it didn't matter. She saw his sadness, wrapping her arms around him and bringing him into a tight hug. "So, you found out, then."

"I… I didn't mean to. The doctor, he just…"

"Do you know what it is?"

Demyx moved back, pausing a moment, then spoke, "Geostigma."

Aeris nodded. She smoothed out her pink dress, placing her hands on her knees. "It's a terrible sickness." She said so soft Demyx almost didn't hear it. "With no known cure, as I'm sure you know, he's soon to die. And I'm also sure you know that it was Sephiroth's doing."

Demyx nodded. He didn't look at her, just gazed at the steps, fiddling with his jeans Cloud had let him borrow that morning. Ok, so Demyx kinda took them without asking, but Cloud hadn't seemed to mind when he saw him at the bakery earlier, right?

Aeris continued. "When infected, it spreads throughout the body, making you feel weaker and weaker with each coming day. It takes at least a year for a person to die from it, for it to spread through the body. In the state Cloud is in now," She paused and swallowed, trying her hardest not to show her tears, "he could die at any moment."

It was so shocking that Demyx fell unconscious.

- - - - - - -

"It's getting worse, you know."

Cloud coughed, leaning over to pick up some old clothes scattered on the floor. He struggled standing back up, but managed, tossing them in the hamper. Turning away from Squall, he answered, "I know."

"Then do something about it."

"There's nothing I can--"

"I don't mean the Geostigma." Squall said, cutting Cloud off. He walked towards the blonde, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. Cloud's head lowered. "I mean, do something about Demyx. He can't stay here much longer. He's getting too attached to you." He removed his hand and stepped back. "Send him away."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because!" Cloud snapped. Almost immediately he felt a searing pain in his right arm and clutched it, trying to stop the pain. His eyes dilated, his face lost color. He fell to his knees, hunching over, grunting from the pain. It was taking over his whole body as images flashed through his head, of Demyx. Of Sephiroth.

Squall's eyes widened and he leaned down to help his friend. "Cloud? Cloud! What's going--" He paused as he removed Cloud's hand grasping his arm and ripped the blue cloth down. There was a mark, like there had always been, but it had grown darker, wider. What look like black blood trickled down the blonde's arm. Squall wrenched back, the black substance dripping off his leather gloves.

This had never happened before. Squall had no idea what to do.

Subconsciously he grabbed the phone, dialing the number for the local doctor. "Hello? My friend, he-- Cloud!"

Cloud had reached up, despite the pain, and pulled the plug out of the jack in the phone. He tried to stand, and eventually succeeded. "This… is my problem." Cloud bit out. He stumbled forward, limp in his left leg. "No doctor. No Demyx. I have to take care of this my self."

Squall realized what he was saying and grabbed Cloud's right arm, the one with the mark of Geostigma. "You're in no condition to fight him, you know that! You'll get yourself killed! Do you really want that!"

Cloud didn't respond.

"Well?"

"I have to fight him. I have to try. If I don't, my life would mean nothing. And I'd only be proving Demyx right."

"Right about what?"

"That I'm scared of him." Cloud admitted. "Tell Demyx that…" He sniffed, his eyelids slowly closing. "…it was nice, having him as a friend."

That's when Squall knew he couldn't stop him. So, he released Cloud's arm, glancing off to the side. "Yeah. I'll do that."

"Thanks."

The soft smile that was adorning Cloud's features, would be the last smile Squall would ever see from him. "No problem. Anything…" He bit back tears. "…for a good friend."

"See you in the afterlife." Cloud waved, stumbling out the front door, leaving Squall to only stand there, a tear slipping past gray-blue eyes as he watched his friend, one he had known for several years of his life, struggle down the cobblestone walk and disappear into the setting sun.

"Cloud…" Squall's voice trembled as he called the name, reaching out.

"Squall?"

Squall's head snapped to the side, his bottom lip shaking, trembling, as he saw Aeris, Demyx limp in her arms, struggling to hold him up. "What hap--"

"He fell unconscious." She stated. "I think it was out of shock. He didn't realize that Cloud's death was near. Speaking of Cloud," she passed Demyx on to Squall, brushing invisible dust off her dress, "where is he?"

"Gone."

"Gone? What do you mean, 'gone'?"

"Just that."

A gasp escaped her lips. "He… left?"

"After Sephiroth, no doubt. He'll die before he reaches him."

Aerith nodded in realization, slumping down on the steps to Cloud's house. "What're we gonna tell Demyx?"

"Don't know. Frankly, I don't care right now." Squall took Demyx inside and laid him on the couch, heading back outside and taking a seat next to Aerith. She leaned against him, her head on his shoulder and he patted her knee. "It was bound to happen some time, you know."

"I know." Aerith replied sorrowfully. "I just… wish it hadn't happened so soon. Demyx… he really likes him."

"More like love if you ask me."

"What? You know Nobodies don't have feelings."

Squall chuckled. "Maybe Demyx is different."

- - - - - - -

"Ya look like shit, Strife." Cid grumbled. He stood and went to Cloud, who had just entered his Gummi ship repair shop. Cloud didn't say anything, just coughed and walked toward one of the ships. "Hey, whaddya think ya doin'? You ain't plannin' to fly one of 'em, are ya?"

"I gotta find Sephiroth." Cloud answered, his voice weak and hoarse.

"Oh no, you ain't. I ain't lettin' you fly my best ship."

"Then you fly it."

Cid stepped back in surprise, taking the stick in his mouth out and pointing it at Cloud. "I ain't flyin' this thing to find Sephiroth. I don't care what you want with him, but I ain't goin'."

"Then don't worry about it."

"Wha-- Hey, you listen 'ere, Strife. I-- shit! What the hell do ya think you're doin'! That don't go there! Hey, don't bleed all over the ship! Argh! Cloud, let me do that! You jus' sit back and relax. Looks like I'll be goin' after all…" Cid heaved a sigh, hopping into the captain's seat with his hands on the steering wheel. He turned to Cloud, his eyes narrowing to slits. "You ain't in the best of conditions to be fightin' him."

"Just take me." Cloud said curtly, shifting in his seat to gaze out the window.

"I don't know where the hell he is! Only time I knew was when he was here, lookin' for you."

"We'll look for him then."

Cid shook his head, starting up the ship. "Fine. Got any idea?"

Cloud shrugged. "The Coliseum."

"A'ight, Strife. Man, I'm gettin' to old for this shit."

- - - - - - -

"The Great Ninja Yuffie, at your service!"

Demyx gave her a strange look of disbelief. "Yeah, sure."

Yuffie stomped the ground, fists clenching at her sides. "I am! Ask anybody! I jump through the rooftops, and--"

"Steal people's cars." Cloud interrupted and Yuffie whacked him over the head.

"I do not!"

"Do so. With those Chinese stars of yours. You pick the locks with them."

"They're called shuriken, dumb butt, and I don't pick car locks with them! He's gonna think I'm some sort of thief!"

"But… you are…"

"Oh, just shut up."

Demyx chuckled a bit. Yuffie scowled at him, leaning right up in his face.

"Whaddya laughin' at?"

Thinking it was brave and this girl couldn't do anything to him, he said, "You."

It was the stupidest thing to say, because Yuffie grabbed his arm and flipped him over. "Excuse me?"

"I… I wasn't laughing at anything!"

"Good. You learn quick."

"Stop tormenting him, Yuff."

"Oh, I wasn't tormenting him. That was nothing!"

"If it was nothing, why does my back hurt so much?"

"Apologize, Yuffie."

"I'm not apologizing to him! He laughed at me!''

"Yuffie…"

"Oh, fine. I'm sorry Demyx."

"It's… fine."

"See! He's ok!"

"Like I said he would be! You worry too much, Aerith."

Demyx sat up, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the light. Two forms appeared in his line of vision, and focusing, he noticed one to be the youthful ninja, and the other to be the caring healer. Yuffie and Aerith.

"How're you feeling?" Aerith asked. She handed Demyx a mug filled to the brim in hot chocolate.

He took a sip. It burned his throat, but he ignored it. It tasted way too good. "I'm... fine."

"Well, if you were fine, you wouldn't have fainted." Yuffie explained. "So, just lay there and let us take care of everything!"

"Where's Cloud?"

Aerith and Yuffie glanced nervously at each other, both gnawing on their bottom lips. They knew something, Demyx could tell.

"Are you hungry?" Aerith asked hastily.

"Don't change the subject. Where is he?"

"Umn..." The chestnut hair woman looked down, avoiding answering the question that she knew Demyx wouldn't like. "We have sandwiches. And soup. And--"

"He left."

Demyx looked over at Yuffie, eyes widened and unbelieving. "No. No he didn't. He's taking care of the bakery, right?"

Yuffie solemnly shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"Where'd he go?"

"We don't know." Aerith whispered. "He just... left. Cid's gone too."

"We think that he is the one driving Cloud." Yuffie added.

Demyx growled lowly. "And where were all of you to stop him?"

"I was with you--"

"And I was training with Tifa in the Bailey." The ninja admitted.

Aerith nodded her head and added, "The only one that was with him was Leon. But he couldn't stop him."

"Well, why the hell not?!" Demyx shouted, enraged. He slammed his fist against the wall next to him, getting up out of bed. "He's gonna get himself killed if he fights him! Why didn't he--"

Aerith put a hand on his shoulder, and he immediately quieted. "Demyx," she whispered, head hanging, "there's something you should know."

end chapter three

Authoress's Note: Guess what, my faithful children! Chapter FOUR. Out now, go read.

--ED