Sleeping Cetra

Chapter 4

Sweet Song

Cloud groaned as he slipped off his chocobo, his body still sore from the fall. After he dragged his body back to Choco, the captain of the guard, Vincent Valentine, found him. His long, black hair was loose under the red headband he wore. His red cloak concealed his black clothing, his weapon, and his golden-clawed arm. Vincent was a very intimidating man, to say the least. He stood at a commanding six foot, towering over the younger prince. Vincent never expressed emotions on his face, but Cloud could see the fury in his blood red eyes. He was sure the captain was not pleased at all to find him in such a sorry state. After all, if anything happened to the younger prince, the queen would blame Vincent.

"I'm surprised you survived a fall like that," Vincent said quietly, as he got off his own black chocobo.

Cloud patted Choco, who gave a small squawk, while eying Vincent carefully. He thought back to his fall. Anything on the hill, he had slammed into: rocks, trees, roots, and bushes. It had torn him up badly, too. He could feel the sharp rocks slicing through his skin. How could he have survived? He did not even have a healing materia with him. Thinking back, he realized: it had to be that girl, that mysterious girl with a voice so pure and beautiful, it entranced him.

Just then, he felt a cold hand clamp onto his shoulder. Looking up, Cloud saw Vincent's metal gauntlet on his shoulder. His smouldering red eyes glared into Cloud's blue ones with annoyance.

"Are you listening? Your mother wants a word with you," he hissed.

"Figures," Cloud muttered.

He expected this. Every time he ran away, he would get a lecture from his mother. She would scold him like there was no tomorrow. Yet, Cloud was used to it and it never bothered him. With a resigned sigh, he returned to the castle, with Vincent keeping a very close eye on him.

He walked up to meet his mother in the throne room, where she was pacing back and forth. Her scepter was grasped tightly in her hand, and her knuckles were turning white. When Cloud entered, she looked up at the door, her sharp eyes narrowing at him. She walked toward him with every intention* of yelling at him. They met half way and Cloud waited for her to explode.

Behind his mother, he saw her advisors; and off to the side his brother sat on the steps leading up to the throne. Zack loved seeing Cloud get scolded, simply because because it was amusing. Whenever he could, he came to watch. The Queen Strife glared at her son with a great fury and brought her hand down as if to slap him. Cloud did not flinch, because he knew his mother would never hit him, even if she was angry with him.

"How dare you run off?" the Queen roared. "You could have possibly been hurt by a wild animal! You miss your studies, and not to mention, tear up your clothing. You leave without any indication of where you might be. You make me worry half to death and for what, so you can have fun riding that filthy bird and fight fiends? I have every intention of taking your chocobo away from you and grounding you to the castle!"

"Is that all?" Cloud asked, his voice sounding bored.

"Cloud Strife, you will take your duties seriously. It is time for you to grow up and stop with your childish fantasies. You have a duty to your crown, and soon you will rule your own kingdom."

"Maybe I don't want to rule my own kingdom!" he countered. "I want a life that is mine."

"Silence!" the queen ordered. "Zack, take your brother to his room and keep an eye on him. I have no time for this. We will continue this later, Cloud."

Zack left his spot and walked over to the pair. He placed his hand on his mother's shoulder to comfort her. She smiled gratefully at him, and then walked back to her throne. Zack took his younger brother by the arm and dragged him towards his chambers. When they were in the hallway, Cloud yanked his arm free, glaring at Zack.

"You really got mom ticked off his time," Zack said as they walked. "I'm surprised she didn't hit you. Not to mention you look like a mess; what the hell happened to you?"

The younger prince, however, was not listening to a word his brother was saying. Instead, his mind was elsewhere, thinking about that girl. He wondered who she was,why she was sitting in a middle of a forest all alone. Well, she was not all alone; she had those animals with her. That red one looked as though he would have taken his arm off had he tried to pursue the girl.

"Hello, planet to Cloud," Zack said, waving his hand in front of his brother's face.

Cloud blinked, looking back at his brother and noticing they were at his room. Cloud ran his hand through his locks and opened his bedroom door. He muttered a good-bye to his brother and walked in, closing the door behind him. Cloud's room was very luxurious: he had a gigantic bed to himself with fine bedding; he had a large plush rug at the end of the bed, and a warm fireplace sat opposite of his bed. A balcony window was built in, opposite of his door. He had a circular table with plates of fruit for him to enjoy, as well as a dresser filled with fine, decorated clothing. Tapestries, candles, and other décor filled his room. However, Cloud never really cared.

He stripped out of his torn shirt and his shoulder guard, and tossed them to the floor carelessly, before he plopped down on his bed. He needed a bath to soothe his sore muscles. That fall really knocked him around. How did he survive? It was that girl. She had to be the one who healed him. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the pink ribbon and white materia that he had accidentally pulled off the girl. He stared at the ribbon that held her beautiful shiny brown locks in her thick braid. She looked like a peasant, but the ribbon's material was fine silk.

This must have been the only thing she ever had that was made of silk, he thought.

Cloud placed the ribbon down and looked at the materia. It was pure white. He never seen a materia like this before, and it did not seem to do anything. He placed with it between his fingers, wondering what the small materia was used for. In any case, he had to return it. That girl was probably looking for it right now. He never would have taken the ribbon and materia if she did not get scared. He had to return it to her soon, maybe tomorrow. There was only one problem, how would he get past her animals without having them tearing him apart?

Looking at the materia, an idea began to form in his mind. He placed the white materia on his bed, next to the ribbon and walked over to a large chest in the corner of his room. He kicked it open and looked inside to see hundreds of glowing orbs. He rummaged through the materia until he found one he was looking for. A small smile crept onto his lips.

X, X, X,

Aerith woke up early the following morning. She washed and dressed quickly so she could find her lost ribbon and materia. As she put on her boots she noticed that neither her aunts nor uncle were awake. This posed a dilemma: she could not leave without them knowing where she was going; after all, they went crazy when she used to hide from them when she was little. She grabbed a writing utensil and scribbled down a note quickly on the table.

Last night when she had returned home, she did not tell her aunts or uncle that she lost her ribbon and materia. She did not want to explain what had happened, as she was not a particularly good liar. If the three had found out that she had seen a stranger, they would lock her in her room and never let her out again. That was the last thing she needed. Finishing her note, Aerith left the house, closing the door behind her.

She met up with Nanaki and Cait Sith halfway towards the river where she assumed she had lost her ribbon and materia. They headed over and instantly Aerith began looking for it. She ran up and down the area, searching every corner, nook, and cranny of the ground.

"Aerith, Cait Sith and I looked here last night and could not find a thing," Nanaki said.

"I had to have lost it here, because my hair came undone; but I didn't think I lost the ribbon," she said now on her hands and knees, feeling through the tall grass.

"But Aerith, what if it got washed away by the rain?" asked Cait Sith.

"Then I'll go all the way down by the river no matter how far," she cried. "I have to find it, I just have to!"

The group searched the area until almost noon. Aerith slumped down by the river, dirt covering her hands and knees. She felt as if she was about to cry. How could she lose her mother's gifts? She felt so irresponsible.

Nanaki and Cait Sith rested a little ways from her, tired of looking as well. Aerith dipped her hands into the water and cringed. It was still cold, and it felt like needles prickling her skin. She sucked it up and washed her hands and knees clean.

"Aerith, will you sing for us again?" Cait Sith asked.

The emerald-eyed girl turned her head toward her friends. She frowned.

"I don't feel much like singing," she responded.

"But you never finished that song from yesterday! It was a new one, I know it was! Singing might make you feel better. Afterwards we can look again. We need to rest anyway, or we might get too tired and pass out."

Aerith looked at Cait Sith and could not help but smile. He was a persistent cat. Her friends loved hearing her gentle voice soothe them. She sighed and gave in. She closed her eyes thinking of the song she sang yesterday and continued where she left off.

X, X, X,

Not too far from Aerith, Prince Cloud was riding his chocobo at breakneck speed. He was not exactly sure where the spot was where he saw her, and he was worried she would not be there. Yet, when the wind brought to him her beautiful voice, he knew he would find her. This time he stayed on Choco, heading toward the angelic voice.

"So far and away, see the bird as it flies by. Gliding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky"

He urged Choco to hurry, needing to find her. This girl captivated him so much with merely a song. Who could this peasant girl be? He needed to know her, or at least return her things to her. After all, she did save him, and thanking her would be the nice thing to do as well.

"I've laid my memories and dreams upon those wings. Leave them now and see what tomorrow brings"

Wait, stop Choco," Cloud said, pulling gently on his reins.

Choco stopped and squawked softly. Cloud hushed him, listening to the strange girl's voice. He looked around, peering through the dense forest, until he saw her, sitting by the river. She was dipping her hands into the cold water washing them. Cloud smiled glad to have finally found her. He slid off Choco and began to approach the girl when he saw her animal friends near by.

Cloud watched them as he listened to her sing, yet he was unsure if they noticed him. He held his breath and when neither of the animals looked at him, he pulled out the materia he brought with him. He had never really used a pale yellow materia before until now. He held it in his palm and it began to glow. He aimed the magic at the animals. A yellow mist showered over them.

Nanaki let out a yawn, his eyes growing heavy. Cait Sith was trying to best to stay in balance on his moogle; however he body was growing heavy. Nanaki, Cait Sith and his moogle soon slumped forward, falling asleep.

Cloud grinned and pocketed his materia, thankful that it worked. Choco nudged him gently and Cloud grinned back at the bird.

"In your dearest memories, do you remember loving me? Was it fate that brought us close and now leaves me behind?

As Aerith sang the next verse, Cloud's head snapped towards her. She still did not notice him. He came out of the forest and headed her way. He noticed the young girl was sitting barefoot on the ground, washing her legs, dirty from crawling in the dirt. As she finished the last line of the verse, she looked down at the water at her reflection. She scooped up some more water gently washing her cheeks.

"A voice from the past, joining yours and mine. Adding up the layers of harmony and so it goes, on and on."

When the ripples in the water stopped and Aerith could see her reflection again, she gasped. She could see Cloud's reflection in it also.

"Melodies of life to the sky beyond the flying birds - forever and beyond," Cloud finished, remembering the song.

Aerith scrambled to her feet and looked at Cloud in shock, just as she did yesterday. Cloud smiled gently but all Aerith could think of doing was to run away.

She slipped past Cloud in a flash and rushed over to her friends for help, when she noticed they were sound asleep. Aerith began tugging on Nanaki to get him to wake up, but it was useless. She looked back to see Cloud coming after her, trying to say something but the young girl did not give him time.

She headed for the water where several large rocks poked out so she could pass over without falling in; Aerith jumped to the first and skipped to the second, when the man spoke again.

"WAIT!" Cloud called out.

Aerith turned around but instead of stopping, she continued to hop across the stones. Cloud followed her stepping into the river with his boots, not caring at all about the water. As Aerith neared the opposite bank, she went to jump onto another rock. As she landed with her bare feet on the slippery stone, she slipped, and let out a scream; but she found herself not in the cold water, but in the safe, warm arms of the mysterious man.

Cloud held her by the waist before he picked her up bridal style. Aerith clasped her hands around his neck out of fear, as he took her back to the other side, setting her gently on her feet. His hand held her by the waist.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, his blue eyes meeting her emerald ones.

Aerith opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Ever since she was little her, guardians told her never to talk to strangers. Up until now, she never met one and she was scared. She slipped away from Cloud again, but she did not get far. He caught her by the wrist, stopping her.

"Please don't run," he begged. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to return something to you."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the two items. He turned over Aerith's hand and placed the pink ribbon and the white materia in her palm. Cloud let her go and backed off, not wanting to frighten her any more.

Aerith stared down at what she believed she had lost. She looked at them with tears brimming in her eyes. She held them to her closely, closing her eyes. Cloud turned around, ready to leave when he heard her call out.

"Thank you!"

Cloud turned back to her.

"Thank you for returning this to me!" she said. "They are very important to me."

Cloud smiled, "It's really me who should be thanking you. If you didn't heal me yesterday, I could have died or something."

Aerith smiled back at him warmly. Cloud had to admit she had one pretty smile.

"Are my friends okay?"

"Yeah, I just used sleeping materia so I could get close to you. I thought they would rip me to shreds if I tried."

Aerith giggled. "They are very protective of me."

Aerith sat down on the ground and began fixing her hair. She tired the materia securely with the ribbon and began to braid her earth-coloured locks. Cloud watched her, unsure of what to say.

"Do you live here?" he asked eventually. The girl nodded.

"Yes, I live with here with my aunts and uncle."

"Aren't you afraid of the monsters?"

"No, I have everyone watching over me, and I never wander out too far. You can sit down."

Cloud watched her hold her hand out to sit down. He took a place across from her, and watched her finish braiding her hair.

"It must be nice living out here," he said finally. "It seems peaceful."

"And lonely, you are the first person I've met."

"You're kidding?"

She shook her head and frowned. She leaned down and hugged her knees to her chest, and rested her hand under her chin. Cloud studied her. She was definitely beautiful. Her brown hair was shiny and her emerald eyes sparkled. She had a slender body and creamy skin, without so much as a single blemish.

Aerith could feel his eyes on him. She felt her cheeks burn a little. This was the first time ever that she talked to someone around her own age. Not to mention he was a man, and a very handsome looking man at that. His eyes were very beautiful.

"Oh!" Aerith remembered suddenly. "I have been so rude. I did not even properly introduce myself. I am Aerith."

Cloud smiled. It was then it occurred to him that this girl had no idea he was a prince. This was too good to be true. She was not one of the fakes back at the castle, who only liked him for his money and title. Cloud felt the corners of his mouth twitch. He held out his hand for her to shake.

"My name is Cloud."

Aerith looked at his hand for a moment, unsure, and then meekly took it. He had a firm yet gentle grip on her tiny hand. She smiled up at him, incredibly happy to have met him. Suddenly the sound of loud squawking rang through the forest. Aerith's head snapped up to see a golden bird tied to a tree.

"What is that?" Aerith questioned, never having seen a chocobo in her life.

"That's Choco, my chocobo," Cloud said getting up. "He's irritated that I didn't feed him."

Cloud walked over to his pet, gently placing a hand on its beak. He pulled out some more of its food to feed it; the bird snatched it away and pecked at it quickly.

"It's magnificent," Aerith said right behind Cloud.

Aerith reached out to touch the bird but Cloud snatched her hand away. He gently pushed her a little ways away while placing him in between the two.

"Choco isn't fond of people, other than me and my brother," Cloud instructed, feeling cautious. He didn't want her hurt.

The bird turned toward Cloud and Aerith. He promptly stretched out its neck and looked straight* at Aerith. The young girl stared back at the bird, nervous. Cloud tried to push Choco back, but as the bird was much bigger than the prince was, Choco promptly pushed Cloud aside and stood as close as it could toward Aerith.

"Uh, hi?" Aerith said to the bird.

The bird brought its beak inches from her. Aerith shut her eyes expecting it to hurt her, but surprisingly, it did not. Instead, the bird began to nuzzle against her, chirping happily. Aerith giggled and placed a hand against its feather neck and began rubbing it.

"Wow," said Cloud in surprise. "Choco usually pecks any other person."

"He is such a sweet bird," Aerith smiled.

"Would you like to ride him?" Cloud asked.

Before Aerith could answer, she noticed Cait Sith and Nanaki were stirring. She looked over at Cloud and took his hand. It was time she introduced him to her friends. Cait Sith and Nanaki were skeptical of Cloud at first, but when Aerith told him he was a good person, they began to warm up to him. Cloud was a good person and it showed, even if he was a quiet one.

After chatting for a bit more, Aerith noticed the sun was descending lower. She slapped herself mentally realizing her guardians would worry.

"I have to go!" she announced. "I have to get home."

"I'll take you back," Cloud offered.

"NO!" Aerith shouted, but then said more calmly, "No, I can make it back all right.

She began to run off when Cloud called out, "What about the ride on Choco?"

"Tomorrow!" she called, waving as she ran through the woods. "Meet me at the river!"

X, X, X,

Across the vast ocean, atop the highest mountain in the entire planet, sat the wicked castle of the dark lord, Sephiroth. His black fortress radiated evil; several shrouded figures walked up and down the castle as guards, although it did not matter: no one was foolish enough to try to climb the hazardous mountain to get inside the great northern crater where Sephiroth's castle dwelt. It would be suicide to try to climb it, and even if someone made it through, the guards would kill them on the spot.

Down the twisty stone hallways, lit only by torches every few feet, was a throne room. Inside was a giant crystal throne with a horrific figure of some type of humanoid trapped inside. It looked akin to a robot or something of that nature. Seated at the top of the throne, dressed in normal black attire, a sword at his side, and his silver hair sweeping behind him, was the dark lord Sephiroth.

His sharply bright eyes were anything but warm and joyous. They radiated anger beyond compare, because for nearly sixteen years he had been searching for the Princess of the Cetra, who had vanished without a trace. He had sent his darkest fiends to find her, but none of them could find even a hint of where she could be.

"Damn it!" Sephiroth cursed aloud, slamming his fist against the armrest of his throne. "It has been sixteen years, and still no sign of the princess. I've sent hordes of fiends to find her, and yet no child came close to her. A princess with hair like the earth, eyes like the emeralds, and a voice like the angels. My curse will be complete. I will not let them make a fool out of me."

Sephiroth held out his hand and shot three orbs into the air. They hit the ceiling violently, sending three crystals crashing to the ground. They shattered instantly, making the three figures that had been slumbering inside awaken.

"Kadaj," Sephiroth spoke. "Yazoo, Loz: I have a mission for you, my brothers."

"Yes, big brother?" Kadaj said falling to one knee in a bow. The other two followed suit.

"Find me the Princess of the Cetra," he ordered. "Find her before midnight of her birthday, four…" Sephiroth trailed off as he looked out a window to see the moon high above. "Three days from now."

Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo, each looking very much like Sephiroth, but with minor variations and distinct auras, all bowed. Then, without another word, they exited the throne room.

X, X, X,

Author Note- Yes, I am back to writing. I know it's been a while (a whole summer) but I've been super busy. Perhaps now my updates will be coming and I will find time to finish my stories. Anyway, enjoy and please leave a review.

Revised: Thanks to my beta for editing the story!