Chapter 4: Journey Through the Dark
The darkness seemed to press down on him as he walked in a stupor down the deserted, foggy streets, hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched. Reno's words swirled around in his mind, echoing with every step he took. It was almost too much for him to absorb, and he was having a hard time focusing on anything else.
Blue eyes glanced upward to the street sign, and he sighed. The quickest way home was not through the winding maze of streets, but actually through the woods that bordered their small town. Cloud hesitated, rationality warring with his desire to get home fast, and in the end, the latter won out.
Pulling his jacket collar up around his neck, he veered off the sidewalk and into the thick grass. It wasn't long before he was lost in the shadows of the trees, his footsteps and the quiet pattering of raindrops as a storm began. He groaned under his breath, his pace quickening even more. All the more reason for taking the shortcut, though he had no doubt he'd be soaked by the time he finally reached home.
Flicking his bangs back from his eyes, his thoughts wandered once more to his mother. A breath escaped him in a low sigh, a faint warmth flooding his chest. His mother was still alive; she cared about him and missed him. She hadn't wanted to let him go. It was strange that such a revelation could make him so overjoyed. Any normal person who had found out that their mother was a vampire, and that he was a freak because he had been affected by vampiric aura before his birth would probably be flipping out. Yet here Cloud was, practically beaming.
He shook his head, a small grin twitching his lips. "I'm probably insane," he mussed aloud.
"Yes, you are. Especially after all my warnings," a honeyed voice whispered out of the gloom.
Cloud whipped around, his sapphire eyes widening as he stared through the darkness, seeing nothing but the trees and shadows. His body had stiffened, hands withdrawing from his pockets to curl into fists. "Scarlet," he hissed softly, narrowed eyes darting everywhere.
"Who else, dear?" her voice trilled mockingly. "I warned you, didn't I? And you just had to go and talk to Reno, like an equal. You think just because your darling mommy is a vampire it makes you one of us?" Her laughter rang out and he gritted his teeth at the sound. "You're dead wrong. Prey."
A low growl escaped Cloud's lips, then he saw a faint movement out of the corner of his eye. He whirled, but there was no way he could block it; she was too fast. Her punch caught him in the ribs, and he heard them crack as he went staggering to the ground. Gasping, he coughed, pulling himself painfully onto his hands and knees.
"I'm not prey!" he gritted out between his teeth. The words had barely left his lips before she kicked him, sending him back to the wet earth.
"You keep telling yourself that, sweetie," she sneered, tossing back her flaxen curls. "It doesn't matter how tough you think you are, or how weak a vampire I am. The truth is I'll always be stronger than you."
Cloud lashed out at her, but Scarlet dodged effortlessly, clucking her tongue. "You just don't seem to get it," she sighed as he scrambled to find his feet, clutching at his injured side as he glowered at her. "Perhaps a little lesson in pain?"
He got struck by the palm of her hand against his chest, sending him smacking against the trunk of a thick oak tree. Before he even had the chance to recover himself, she had grabbed him around the waist, her fangs piercing his neck. In an instant Cloud was floating once more in that state of perfect bliss. He could feel his body falling limp, relaxing as he began to drift away. Why fight it? It felt wonderful, pure happiness. Why should he want to escape it?
'Aerith. . .'
A jolt raced through him and he gasped, his mind struggling to break through the clouding fog to reach the surface, his fist sailing outward as his foot kicked out as well. Thrown back into reality he heard Scarlet curse and drop him, rubbing her jaw as she glared at him furiously.
He reacted quickly, darting off into the trees to escape, hoping to loose her in the dark. A trickle of blood slid down his neck but he ignored it, as well as the searing pain in his ribs and back. Pausing, he tried to get his bearings despite the spinning of the world around him. If he could just make it into a place with lots of people-
This thought was cut short as an icy hand grabbed his left arm in an iron grip, twisting it sharply. Cloud screamed, forced to his knees as the bone snapped as easily as a twig as he tried to pull away.
"Idiot," she snarled, panting as she applied more pressure to his arm. "Do you like pain, Cloud Strife? If that's the case, I'll be more than happy to oblige you before you die." Her nails dug into his flesh, bringing blood, twisting his arm harder.
He was gasping, his head swirling dizzily as he tried to focus on anything besides the pain. Slowly he inched his right hand into his pocket, feeling the cool metal of his slim pocketknife. He drew the knife out carefully, flicking the blade open before stabbing it into Scarlet's arm. She shrieked in pain, releasing him abruptly.
'Silver,' Cloud realized dimly, trying to get his body to move faster as he staggered upright. But it wasn't quick enough.
She backhanded him, his head hitting the rocky ground with a sickening thud, the knife flying out of his hand. The teen was vaguely aware of something sticky and wet trickling through his hair, but he couldn't summon enough strength to wonder what it was.
He was being dragged upright again, and once more Scarlet's fangs sank into him. This time there was no blissful fall into a sleepy haze, only the searing agony and pain that sent fire racing through his wounded body. But somewhere inside of him he dragged up the power to strike back, tearing at her, punching, kicking, anything to get away, to make her let him go. Her hold loosened slightly and he drove his elbow into her gut, forcing her to drop him.
Frantically, his good hand felt through the plant life, the fingers closing once more around cool silver. Scarlet was on him once more, but this time he drove the blade into her chest. Letting out a bloodcurdling shriek, she threw him from her, and this time he fell into darkness before he hit the ground.
&&&
Something was wrong. Aerith paced nervously in Cloud's living room, biting her lip. Zack's message from Cloud had been clear; there was no way she could have misinterpreted it. He should have been home long before.
Once again, Aerith drew out her cell phone and dialed the phone number engraved in her mind. Only the dull ring answered her frantic prayers, droning on and on.
She snapped the device close, yanking open the front door. Moving faster than any human eye could follow, she ran through the city to an apartment complex on the outskirts, straight for the room she knew Scarlet rented. The blond vampire wasn't there. The sickening dread in Aerith's stomach worsened, but she remained where she was, waiting.
It wasn't long before the door opened, and the disheveled Scarlet walked in. She was a mess; blond ringlets were matted and tangled, one of her shoes missing a heel, her pale body and crimson dress stained by mud, grass- and blood. Whatever had happened, Cloud had obviously put up one hell of a fight.
Scarlet's head jerked up as Aerith stepped toward her, but she wasn't quick enough. The shorter woman caught her around the throat, throwing her back against the wall, emerald eyes blazing.
"Where is he?" she demanded in a low growl. "What have you done?"
"Go to hell!" Scarlet gasped through the pressure Aerith was applying to her windpipe.
Aerith slammed her again, this time harder, mildly pleased to hear the sound of pain from the blond. "I'm only going to ask one more time before I rip you apart," she told her coldly. "Where is Cloud?"
"In the forest," she spat, her eyes blazing. "I hope the carrion birds have gotten to him by now."
Effortlessly, she threw Scarlet away, staring down at her with icy green eyes. "If he dies," she told her calmly, "I am coming back here, ripping out your heart, and making you eat it."
She was out of the apartment in less then ten seconds, rapidly dialing Zack's cell as she raced out into the street. He had only said hello before she began talking quickly. "Zack- I need your help, now. Scarlet went after Cloud." She heard the other swear, but didn't give him time to speak. "She left him in the woods. We have to find him fast."
"Right. I'll be there soon."
Aerith had already hung up, her feet carrying her directly into the thick of the trees. Frantically she searched, all her senses stretched out as she desperately looked for the blond.
"Cloud! Can you hear me?! CLOUD! Answer me!" she cried out, her voice breaking the eerie silence. "Cloud!"
"Aery!" The brunette whipped around to see Reno emerging from the gloom, his blue suit jacket unbuttoned, eyes flooded with urgency. "I found him, c'mon!"
She immediately whirled to follow him, racing through the forest. "How?" she gasped as they sped along. "How did you know?"
"Saw Scarlet leave the club right after Spike," he called over his shoulder. "I knew what she was going to do, so I followed. I lost them though, and it took me a few minutes to find them. But by then-"
His voice trailed off, but she didn't need him to finish as they arrived in a clearing flooded with the scent of blood, Cloud's motionless body sprawled on his side.
"Cloud! Oh Cloud, please, sweet Lifestream, let him be alive!"
She cried out, dropping to her knees beside him, her eyes numbingly assessing the damage as she gently rolled him onto his back. His arm was obviously broken, the bone probably shattered. There were numerous cuts, some shallow, some deep, bruises, and a fractured skull. Her fingers encountered the thick blood in his hair as she felt carefully for the damage.
"Oh Cloud," Aerith whispered, choking back a sob as she tried to continue the examination.
Her small hands slid down his chest when suddenly he cried out. Startled, she pulled her hand back, realizing his ribs were injured, sending her into a panic. They were broken, but that wasn't what made her afraid. The labored, almost spluttering sound of his breathing combined with that hinted at a punctured lung.
The world seemed to spin around her and she let out a wailing cry, burying her face in her hands. "No! No!"
"Aery!" Reno was kneeling beside her, his hands on her shoulder. "You gotta keep it together!"
"He's-he's-"
"Aerith!" He gave her a little shake, urgency creeping into his tone. "We have to get him out of here so we can take care of him. If we don't, you're going to loose him. Now, c'mon!"
Swallowing her sorrow, she forced herself to act, helping Reno lift the bleeding blond into his arms. Once Cloud was secure in his hold they took off for her house, arriving in less then 3 minutes. Reno set Cloud carefully down on the couch as Aerith raced up the stairs for a first aid kit left by the house's previous tenants. She set to work at once, cleaning the blood away as she wound bandages around the injuries.
"Zack's still out looking," she managed to say calmly. "Will you. . .?"
"Yeah. I've got in under control, Aery." Reno had already drawn out his cell phone, moving away as he called Zack.
It didn't take long for Zack to arrive, and once he had, it took everything Reno had to keep the black haired vampire from going right back out to kill Scarlet. In the end he stayed, because his best friends needed him. He and the red-haired Turk watched in silence as Aerith worked, her eyes bright, lip quivering. Suddenly she stopped, her head drooping.
"It's no use," she whispered.
"What do you mean?" Zack demanded, stepping closer. "Is he gonna make it?"
She shook her head mutely, her voice breaking as she spoke. "I've done everything I can, but it's not enough. He's lost too much blood-"
"Then we'll get him to a hospital," he suggested frantically. "C'mon Aerith, we can't just let him. . ."
"A hospital wouldn't do him any good," she chocked out. "His lung's punctured and filling up with blood. He's. . . he's dying Zack, and there's nothing we can do."
Zack's fist smashed a hole through the wall as he swore. Aerith turned her head away, sobbing tearlessly from her place on the ground, Cloud's limp hand clutched in her own. The human's breathing was growing fainter and shallower with each passing second.
"That's not quite true, Aery," Reno told her quietly. Emerald eyes lifted to meet tiger green, and he continued, "There is something you can do."
"That's not a life," she whispered, shaking her head in despair. "How can I do that to him?"
"Would you rather loose him forever?" he inquired, tone hardening. "Aerith, you know what he wants. You know what you want. You better do it now though, before there's no choice left."
The woman glanced at Zack who merely shrugged and shook his head. "I don't want to loose him either, but it's not my choice. It's between you two."
"Aerith," Reno said again, drawing her attention back to him. "If you won't do it, then I will."
"It's not our choice to make," she told them, but she was already turning to Cloud, leaning over him, her mind gently tugging at his.
"Cloud? Cloud? Wake up, please, open your eyes."
&&&
An angel's voice was dragging him out of the void of blackness and pain, and he struggled to respond. Cloud tried to open his eyes, but it was too bright, and his lids were too heavy.
"A-aerith?" he managed to gasp, moaning at the pain that clenched his body in a vice like grip.
"Cloud." Her voice was urgent, fearful. "Cloud, honey, there isn't much time. You're dying."
His dark lashed lids fluttered again, this time managing to stay open a sliver, enough to see her radiantly beautiful face, forest green eyes burning into his soul. "Yeah. . ." His voice trailed off weakly, and he struggled to remain conscious.
"Cloud. I know you said you wanted it before, but I have to ask. Do you want to be one of us? Do you want me to change you?"
His lips twitched weakly, managing a small smile. "You have to ask, Aerith?" he forced out softly as the conscious world began to fade away. "It's what I've wanted since the first time I saw you. . ."
She closed her eyes, and he dimly felt the touch of her icy hand against his cheek. Then there was a sharp pain in his neck, and he knew nothing more as he was flung into the sweet void of oblivion once more.
&&&
Cloud's heart had stopped beating five minutes ago.
With Reno and Zack's help, Aerith had moved the blond into one of the bedrooms, one that had all the blinds drawn. Newborn vampires were extremely sensitive to the light for a few days, and though it was no where near dawn yet, there was no sense in taking unnecessary risks.
Once she was certain Cloud was as comfortable as she could make him, Aerith left Zack to keep watch, walking out into the hall and slumping against the wall. She felt Reno's hand touch her shoulder, and allowed her friend to pull her into a comforting embrace.
"Did I do the right thing?" she whispered against his chest.
He sighed. "Aery, you heard what Spike said. He wanted this, yo."
"How can anyone want this?" she asked bitterly, pulling back enough to see his eyes. "How can anyone want to be this way?"
A red eyebrow arched, green eyes incredulous. "You serious, Aery? The chance to be with someone you love forever? Hell, a lot of people want that."
The brunette blinked, rubbing wearily at her eyes. "Forever isn't that great."
Reno groaned. "You're only sayin' that because you've spent it alone. Forever's different when you have someone to share it with."
"Maybe you're right," she murmured, then pulled away and started down the stairs.
"Where you goin', yo?" he inquired.
She flashed him a grin, her teeth glittering in the dim light. "I didn't finish with Scarlet yet."
&&&
Understandably, Scarlet wasn't pleased when for the second time that night Aerith showed up at her apartment, which the brunette could tell right away by the butcher's knife that was thrown at her. She dodged it effortlessly, striding forward to grab the other by her hair and swing her into the wall. Scarlet shrieked and swore furiously, but the shorter woman ignored it, planting her hand directly over the blond's throat, the other closing over the wicked gash on her arm.
"You should have stayed out of my business, Scarlet." Aerith's voice was light but with the barest a hint of a snarl. "You should have left Cloud alone."
Black eyes were narrowed and glittering angrily. "I hope he's very dead by now," she spat.
"Out of luck, I'm afraid."
She laughed scornfully, baring her teeth. "Then I'll just have to finish him off better this time. I'll drain him dry and leave him on your doorstep. How does that sound?"
Aerith's expression hadn't wavered. "That only works on humans."
Before the brunette's words had fully sunk in, Scarlet caught sight of movement at the door, and suddenly someone was standing behind Aerith. Her dark eyes widened, a fearful hiss escaping her at the sight, and even the other woman was momentarily taken aback, having not seen him .
Cloud stepped nearer, moving fluidly in complete silence. Even in the darkness his sapphire eyes glowed with an inner luminosity, brighter than they had ever been before. His skin was paler than milk, the pallor showing quiet clearly that he needed to feed soon. Clearly either Reno or Zack had let him borrow some clothing to replace his ruined ones since the pitch black shirt was looser than what he typically wore, as were the dark blue jeans. He was even more attractive than before, something Aerith hadn't believed possible, but it seemed she was wrong.
After meeting his gaze, Aerith inclined her head slightly, stepping away from Scarlet and allowing him to take her place. Despite the weakness that newborns usually had their first few days of life, she was not worried about him being harmed.
He stopped just a few paces away from Scarlet, his glowing orbs fixed on hers. She met his gaze with open hostility, her teeth bared, though the fear was plain in her eyes. Seeing it, Cloud smirked, his eyes flicking down to the still unhealed injury on her arm. "What a blow to your pride that must have been," he said softly. "Injured by a human."
Scarlet snarled, but there was little more she could do; she was clearly no match.
As if sensing this, the smile on the blond man's face widened. "I really should be thanking you," he told her casually. "If I hadn't had to fight so hard against you to survive, I would never have attained this strength."
The anger only deepened, but so did the fear. Scarlet hunched back, obviously preparing to defend her life.
Cloud blinked, shaking his head as he took a step away from you. "I won't fight you today," he addressed her, regally, like a king to a servant. "But make no mistake; try to harm me or someone I love again, and it will be the last thing you do."
He stepped away from the shivering flaxen haired woman, staring at her scornfully before turning and striding out of the apartment. Aerith lingered momentarily longer, her voice icy.
"My warning is the same to you. I don't want to see you for at least five hundred years."
She turned, her braid swinging out behind her in an arch as she swept out of the room, leaving Scarlet to shriek and rage alone.
&&&
She was waiting for him in the darkened room when he returned from feeding an hour later. Though she had offered to take him, he had declined in favor of going with Zack and Reno. She wasn't offended though. Perhaps it was a male thing, bonding or whatever you wanted to call it. Either way, Aerith was content to wait until Cloud returned to her home.
He glided into the room on cat's paws, but she had sensed his approach long before and was already standing to greet him when he entered. Closing the door quietly behind him he moved forward to her, pausing for a moment, uncertainty flickering in his gaze. She stepped into his arms easily, erasing his fears with a gentle kiss to his lips before resting her head against his chest with a sigh. Cloud's arms wrapped around her, and she could feel the relief coming off of him in waves.
"I thought you'd be angry," he murmured almost wonderingly. "I thought you didn't want me this way."
"I would have done everything in my power to keep you human," Aerith admitted, "but that could never drive me to risk loosing you or my love for you." She pulled back enough so that her own jewel bright emerald eyes locked with his sapphire. "I still love you as much as ever, no matter what you are."
He exhaled softly, holding her tighter. "I'm glad."
"Still a man of few words," she teased lightly, poking him in the chest. "At least some things never change."
Cloud's crooked smile crossed his face and she beamed at him. He released her, leading her over to sit on the bed, speaking softly. "Reno thinks it's best if we leave this area. He doesn't think Rufus is going to be very pleased with any of this, and advises that we get to a place beyond his power."
She wasn't surprised by this. "Does he have any suggestions?"
"He thinks Elena-my mother- will be willing to welcome us. He's going to give her a call to see."
"Hmm," Aerith hummed. The idea of starting over was certainly appealing. No doubt Zack would come with them, but. . . "What is Reno planning to do?"
Cloud chuckled. "He's acting torn, but I think his mind's already made up. Love of his job can't compete with his love for my mother anymore, and I'm completely certain he'll be coming with us when we go to her."
"That's good," she murmured. "I wouldn't want him to be left behind on his own."
He nodded absently, his arm looping around her waist to draw her closer to his side. "Aerith. Do you remember when you told me I didn't want to know the truth about forever?"
She smiled ruefully, shaking her head. "I do, but I wasn't entirely correct, as Reno has pointed out to me. I was only seeing half of the truth, only one option. Forever is devastating when you are alone in the vast changes of the world." She sighed, her head falling to his shoulder.
Cloud tipped her chin up, bringing her forest green up to meet his sky. "Then what's the other half?"
"It only exists if you have someone at your side." Aerith's voice was a mere whisper, but he heard every word clearly. "The truth about forever is it isn't long enough when you have the love of your soul at your side."
His eyes blazed with emotion as he touched her cheek. 'Forever," he vowed.
"Forever," she agreed.