Reencounters

            "Water!" She yelled raising her staff above her head, spinning it on her hand and poiting it to the enemy . A thin ribbon of water surrounded her own body to then reach and hit hardly the heartless. She felt tired but she had to continue fighting. On her left, she heard Sora lively slashing the dark creatures with the keyblade. I'm happy I found them... But I have to continue alone.

            "Are you ok?" The boy asked looking at Aerith for a moment. She turned at him, hitting one hertless with her long staff.

            "I am! Do you need help?" She asked back. Sora only laughed continuing slashing and attacking the ones that would keep coming on his away. She smiled slightly at the boy's courage and strength. "Fire!" She called as a small fire ball appeared on her hand. The fire ball lifted in the air to stop on the top of her staff. From there the fire ball grew and went off to hit the heartless.

            ***

            He looked out of the window of the gummi ship they were traveling. Too many worlds... she could be anywhere now... How could I let this happen? How could one person change me like this? Yuffie is right... I wasn't like this... Until I started to know her better.

            "Don't worry. We'll find her. I'm sure we will." Yuffie's cheerful voice was heard behind him. He didn't move... he didn't want to move. She sighed and turned around to leave him alone... alone with his thoughts. But she stopped suddenly and looked down at the floor. "But you know... you're not the only one missing her." She said seriously.

            "It was my fault she left." He finally said. "If I only had said I could help her... but I didn't know she would go alone!"

            "Don't worry about that now." Yuffie quietly crossed her arms to her chest. "She would probably go alone anyway. Look... don't go so hard on you ok? We'll find her. And she's strong... She can take care of herself." She finally said, and left him.

            "I know..." He whispered.

            "Hey! We arrived at.... Olympus Coliseum!" Cid's voice was heard.

            ***

            "Olympus!" Sora exclaimed breathing in and looking up at the huge Coliseum in front of them.

            "There's a tournament going on." Aerith pointed to some advertisement papers. The trio scanned it with their enthusiastic eyes.

            "Let's enter!" Sora suggested lively. "What do you guys say?"

            "Yeah! We could! It would be great for us to train a little more." Donald agreeded with the boy. Goofy nodded and laughed in his silly way.

            "Are you sure you guys want to enter?" Aerith softly asked. They nodded and jumped excited. The girl nodded and smiled at her new friends. "Good luck for you then... I've seen you guys fighting... I'm sure you'll do fine! I'll be watching from the stands!"

            With that, she left them and headed for the stands to find a place from where she could have a good view to the arena. On her way, her shoulder hit another person's shoulder. She turned back to apologize to the person but the girl with whom she had ran into only smiled at her and continued on her way. The tournament is about to begin. Please take your seats. A man's voice spoke widely. Aerith rose her hand to her chest, she felt some energy flowing from outside the arena. It was probably nothing but she needed to be sure... Those kind of strong feelings that hit her like a sudden pain in her chest, usually only hit her when something bad is about to happen... she had felt it since she was a child. Cetras had that kind of power. So, she ran outside in a rush. Outside the doors of the Coliseum, her glowing green eyes searched everywhere only to find a dark figure in the corner... near the door which would lead outside that World. The dark figure lifted his head to look at her. Her hand covered her small mouth, her eyes watered softly when she realized who it was. He smiled at her evily, with his eyes full of evil pleasure... he had found her.

            "I knew you would come."

            ***

            "What was that?" Leon asked. "That scream... didn't you hear it?"

            "I heard! It was a woman's scream... coming from outside." Yuffie pointed to the entrance of the Coliseum.

            "Ah man! Now that it was about to begin!" Cid cursed mumbling. The three ran outside to find Aerith in the arms of a man dressed in black.

            "Sephiroth!" Yuffie gasped, her eyes widening of fear. Leon gritted his teeth and charged to attack the silver haired man. Sephiroth pushed Aerith aside, making her fell on the ground, struggling for life. Leon attacked with his sword but Sephiroth dodged and for instances their powerful swords met its blades. Yuffie ran towards Aerith to help her friend.

            "He... wanted... to... take... m-me... to... darkness..." She said between gasps. Yuffie looked at her and back to the fight. "I... saw Cloud." She said, making Yufiie turn to her attention at her again. "I saw.... his.... his image..."

            "No... he wanted to trick you." Yuffie said but Aerith shook her head. They heard the tournament beggining. It all happened so quickly... voices cheering... Leon screaming and Sephiroth laughing. In a brief moment Aerith fell into a deep sleep.

            ***

            Cloud Strife was there... in the middle of the arena. His oponent entered and his blue eyes stared at them. Sora looked back at Cloud. This will be tough... The boy thought quietly.

            From a high place in the stands, a person attentively watched every single move Cloud made. The slim figure passed a hand through the brown hair and smiled.

            ***

            Sephiroth looked at him and smirked. Leon glared and ran at Sephiroth, his sword in his grip and raised it to meet Sephiroth's sword. Sephiroth jumped back away from Leon, releasing both of each other from their swords. Sephiroth started circling around Leon who didn't move, he just kept looking at his movements.

            "You remind me of someone..." Sephiroth started. "A loser..."  Leon ran at him and swung his sword at him. Sephiroth moved as fast as he could to avoid being hit, but he felt his arm sting rapidly so he glared back at Leon. Sephiroth swung his sword at him trying with all his strenght to hit Leon but their swords only locked together again. Leon brought his sword away from Sephiroth's, but he was faster and punched him on the stomach. Leon coughed blood. He wiped it with from his mouth with the back of his hand and glared back at Sephiroth. Leon swung his sword again and Sephiroth jumped back, followed by Leon , who this time, slightly  cut his leg.  His hands were now covered with Sephiroth's blood. Leon had marked him with his strenght. Sephiroth twirls his sword at him to slash his chest. Leon moved backwards but Sephiroth's sword still caught part of his chest. Sephiroth smirked and in a brief moment, he was gone in the shadows.Through his cold and wounded blue eyes, Leon looked at the unconscious girl and smiled slightly for seeing her safe. It had passed days, weeks, or even years since he last smiled and just for seeing her sleeping safely in Yuffie's arms, he smiled. He fell on his knees, his sword laying beside him. The painful cut Sephiroth had made on his chest was hurting him so much that he felt like he was going to die. But he couldn't... not right now.

            ***

            Cloud walked out of the arena, when he felt someone stopping on his way. He lifted his blue eyes to look at the person who was staring at him. She was about his age.

            "I watched you fighting... You remind me of someone I knew..." The girl said. "Do you know someone named Squall?"

            "No." Cloud said starting to walk again. But the girl stopped him by placing one hand on his arm. "I've answered you. I have more important things to do now. Would you please let me go?" He coldly said freeing his arm from her hand.

            "I'm sorry. I thought you could help me." The girl dressed in blue said. "Guess I was wrong."

            "Look... I need to find someone too." He said understanding the girl since he was looking for the person he loved above all things in the Universe. "I can't waste my time now. I have to speak with Hades."

            "He promised you he would find who you were looking for too?" The girl asked looking down at the floor.

            "Yeah..." He nodded.

            "He said he would lead me back to Squall, but I had to make a deal with him first. Kill Sora. The boy with whom you fought. The keyblade master. But I couldn't do it... so I decided to keep on looking for him on my own." The girl confessed. He noticed her eyes were watering.

            "Don't worry. You'll find him." Cloud said passing by her to leave.

            "Wait! We can look for them together!" The girl said.

            "Listen..." Cloud sighed impatiently. "I don't think you should come. I can't take care of you, I can't protect you because I have to find Aerith. And that's all. I can't be delayed." He said, feeling he needed to be with Aerith more than anything.

            "But I can fight too! I promise I won't bother you. It's just that... I've passed too much time alone..." She said. "Please..."

            "Then... I just want you to know that I'm not going to be your bodyguard." He said looking away from her.

            "I understand... Thank you." She said smiling a bit. "I'm Rinoa."

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