Sleeping Cetra
Chapter 6
Decisions, Decisions
"Aerith, you are not going out there," Tifa said firmly as she washed the breakfast dishes. "You came home a wreck last night. We were worried sick, and it looks like another storm is approaching."
"It's not fair," Aerith stamped her foot impatiently. "I'm going to be sixteen years old the day after tomorrow. Why can't you start treating me like an adult and not a child?"
Aerith had been arguing with her aunt ever since Tifa refused to allow her to leave the house. Yuffie and Barret watched the two argue, not sure whether they should interrupt. Aerith came home looking, in Barret's own words, like hell. She also returned home incredibly late. It was not actually that late, but to her aunts and uncle, any time Aerith returned home after six, they gave her the third degree.
Aerith was definitely tired of being treated like a child. She wanted out of the house, even though she was lying about where she was going. She wanted to see Cloud. The two promised to meet by the river, where Cloud had a surprise for her.
"Aunt Yuffie, Uncle Barret can't you guys help me out?" she asked, hoping they would make Tifa understand her. The two looked between Aerith's pleading eyes and Tifa's glaring ones. The two looked nervously at each other with a side-glance when Barret spoke first.
"Listen, Aerith, we worry about you," he began, which caused Aerith's face to fall. She knew exactly what this was leading.
"And we made rules," Yuffie added.
"And if you want to be treated like a sixteen year old girl than you should start acting like one," Tifa cut in. "You will obey our rules for your own safety. I'm sorry Aerith, but you're grounded."
Aerith looked as though she was going to burst into tears. She looked at Yuffie and Barret, but they looked away, avoiding her beseeching glance. She turned away from her family and ran to her room, slamming the door loudly. She flung herself onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow. She was tired of this treatment; she felt like a prisoner. Looking up, she saw the forest from her window. Without thinking about the consequences, she got up from her bed and opened the window. She shivered slightly, feeling the cool air blow against her. Her coat was in the main room, and getting it would definitely rouse suspicion.
Aerith sat on the windowsill and slipped her legs out the other side. She got up and closed the window only so it was open enough for her to get back in. Without looking back, the girl made a dash for the woods. She went to the river, hoping to see Cloud as soon as she got there.
X, X, X
"Your mother has told me to watch you," Vincent sighed, watching Cloud pace around his room. "She does not like the idea of you sneaking out, especially since you are to meet your future bride in two days."
Cloud looked up at him coldly. He didn't hate Vincent; he had nothing against the man. What he did hate was being treated like a prisoner. Vincent was only doing his job, but a job he wished Vincent would do a bit more leniently. Cloud stared at the window. He had to find a way to get Vincent to leave him alone, or at least not see what he was doing.
"Can't you sit still?" Vincent asked as he watched Cloud pace back and forth.
"Not when you're watching me," Cloud said through gritted teeth.
Vincent shook his head. Babysitting Cloud was not one of the things he wished to be doing. After all, Cloud was well on his way to becoming king, if it were not for his lack of discipline. Cloud continued to pace and then stopped for a moment; he looked at Vincent, and shook his head. He looked at the windows around his room. He could not escape or even have a chance climbing through any window. The balcony was out of the question, since Vincent would refuse him access to it.
Cloud moved toward the room joining his, which was his private bathroom. Vincent stood up, making Cloud give him a peculiar look. The crimson eyes stared at Cloud and his azure ones stared back.
"You are not going in there with me." Cloud said firmly.
Vincent glared at him and turned away. "You have five minutes," he muttered in embarrassment.
Cloud walked into his bathroom and closed the door, quietly locking it. He hurried toward the window, unlocked it, and poked his head out. The ledge was tight, but he was determined to escape Vincent and this prison. He climbed out and landed on the edge. He carefully moved against the castle, body pressed against the stone.
Cloud was not a daring acrobat, but he was crazy enough to sneak out of the castle like this. He had done it before, but not too many times. He carefully walked along the ledge until he came to a balcony. Using his upper body strength, he carefully lowered himself down to the roof of a lower tower. Next he shimmied down several patches of ivy that had grown along the castle wall, which came from the gardens. Once he was safely down from the gardens, he sprinted across the grounds to the stables. He had to be fast, for surely, by now, Vincent must have been well aware that Cloud was gone.
Inside the stables, Cloud saw Choco pecking at his greens. Cloud quickly saddled him and hopped on him. But instead of riding out, Cloud realized the moment Choco was found gone Vincent would track him down with another one of the birds. He opened all the other stable doors and took a bag of the food; and when he opened the stable door, the birds followed. He threw the bag as far as he could. As the Chocobos were still hungry, they chased after the greens.
Even though Chocobos were tamed while eating, once free they would run around and be nearly impossible to catch. The bag was hardly full too. At least it would give Cloud a good advantage on getting away.
X, X, X,
Yazoo watched as his pack of creepers returned. They had all searched in different directions, as far as the continent would let them, and all but one had returned. Yazoo looked at them with an expression of misleading boredom on his face, his long hair hanging off to the side as he tilted his head. He was pondering. Finally coming to a decision, he straightened* up and looked at the creepers.
"Go find the one we lost," he ordered, his smooth voice monotone.
The creepers all fanned out in search of the missing pack member.
X, X, X,
Aerith was crouching down by the riverbank, staring at her reflection. She was humming her song as her fingertips made ripples in the water. She sighed, wondering what was taking Cloud so long. She worried that maybe he was already here. Perhaps he left her, thinking she would not come; but Aerith shook her head. No, he had a long way to travel. He would not just leave her.
She sighed once more and turned to look up at the sky. There were several clouds, but the day proved to be sunny. As she stared, she slowly began to sing her song. Singing seemed to be the only thing that cheered her up.
"If I should leave this lonely world behind, your voice will still remember our melody," she sang.
"Don't say that," said a voice from behind her.
Aerith turned around and smiled as she slowly rose from the ground. There was Cloud, riding Choco. He quietly slid off the bird and approached the girl. She blushed slightly, looking down as he approached, but then looked up again; as she did so, a single strand of brown hair fell into her face. Cloud reached up his hand and hooked the strand behind her ear.
"Don't sing that line ever again," he whispered. "I never want anything to happen to you."
"Cloud," Aerith blushed even more. "So, where are you going to take me?"
"It's a surprise," he said, taking her hand.
X, X, X,
"Tifa, would you stop pacing back and forth?" Yuffie whined. "It's hard to concentrate."
"Sorry, but I feel bad for yelling at Aerith," Tifa sighed. "I should go in there* and apologize."
Tifa headed for Aerith's room. She grasped the handle and was about to open it when Barret let out a grunt.
"Oh, leave her alone," Barret said, lowering his voice. "Besides, we need to finish her birthday surprise. She's probably sleeping, anyway."
"Yeah, I guess, but still, you guys know that that tonight is the last night we'll be living together under this roof."
Tifa returned to her friends and sat down in her chair. Yuffie laid her project on the table, which was none other then a dress she had been attempting to sew, but was failing miserable as the seams were coming undone. Barret, on the other hand was fashioning a suitable crown for Aerith, for her to wear upon her homecoming. Since, of course there would be no clothing or such for Aerith upon her return to the palace. Tifa had been trying to bake the traditional birthday cake that she made every year for Aerith's birthday; yet, she kept becoming distracted, wanting to apologize to Aerith.
"I'm really going to miss living here… with Aerith," Yuffie frowned.
"We knew this day was coming." Tifa tried to sound strong. "I just wish it hadn't arrived so soon."
The three sat around the table sadly. Tomorrow at the end of the day, the curse would be nothing more than a bad memory. Aerith could live peacefully and marry the Prince of Nibelheim. Of course, on one of their secret trips to town, the three discovered the announcement of Aerith's engagement. It was after all the talk of the town.
"Cheer up, guys," Tifa said getting up. "Aerith will be safe from Sephiroth. We did it. We kept the princess safe."
Tifa went back to making the cake. Yuffie and Barret looked at each other, and Yuffie sighed as she redid the sewing on the dress, trying this time to make a neat stitch. Barret looked at the crown he was making out of gold. However, at the three worked in silence each knew what the other was thinking: how much they did not want to say good-bye to Aerith.
X, X, X,
"Cloud, can I take off this blindfold?" Aerith asked.
Before the two began to ride to their destination, Cloud had blindfolded Aerith, saying what he wanted to show her was a surprise. She sat on the back of his Chocobo, holding him around the waist. Before the ride began, Aerith begged Cloud not to do anything scary since she agreed to go through the whole trip blindfolded.
"Almost there," Cloud said, "A few more minutes."
Indeed, a few minutes later Cloud tugged on the reins, stopping Choco from moving. The bird gave his familiar "Wark" like sound and scratched the ground. Cloud slipped off the bird and carefully took Aerith by the waist and helped her down. He took both of her hands and led her a little ways.
"Now?" Aerith asked.
"Just a second," Cloud said letting go of her hands.
He positioned her by gripping her shoulders. He smiled and slowly slipped off the blindfold. He whispered in her ear to look and she felt the breath inside her lungs vanish. In front of her, sitting in a massive field, was a magnificent aircraft. It was a huge metal aircraft with engines. There were two incredibly large propellers set on either side of the ship, and a smaller one behind. The structure was so enormous and amazing that the young girl did not know what to say or think. One the side of the ship printed in bold red characters where the letters: HIGHWIND.
Aerith stood there and Cloud could see the amazement in her eyes. He smiled and took her hand. She looked at him and back at the aircraft. He pulled her along and Aerith found herself following him down the green field. Only then did Aerith notice the small village nearby, as well as the aircraft hanger behind it. Finally coming to a stop at the base of the ship, Aerith had her head tilted high to see just how enormous it was.
"Cloud what is that?" Aerith asked.
"THAT," another voice rudely cut in, "is my airship!"
The two turned their heads to the entrance of the ship to find a older looking man with blonde hair, goggles on his head, a blue pilot coat and brown pants, storming towards them. In between his lips was a lit cigarette.
"Airship?" Aerith asked.
"Don't get any ideas!" he said suspiciously. "The ship is mine and if you think you're going to steal it, you have another thing coming."
"Cid, calm down, this is a friend of mine," Cloud said with barely suppressed laughter.
"I don't give a damn if she's a friend of yours. I worked too damn hard making this ship to have some good for nothing––"
"Your aircraft is amazing," Aerith said, turning to Cid, obviously not paying attention to his accusations. "You must have worked hard to make such a wonderful ship."
Cid looked taken aback. Aerith was looking at him, her green eyes sparkling and her warm smile dissolving any distrust Cid had for her. Rubbing the back of his neck he looked away, rather ashamed and a little sheepish. He flicked his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out.
"Sorry about that," Cid said. "Name's Cid Highwind and yeah, I did build her."
"Oh, I did not mean to be rude," Aerith apologized, "I am Aerith."
"I wanted to show Aerith this. I knew she would appreciate this," Cloud said smugly. "Is she ready to fly?"
Cid looked up at his ship and gave a hearty laugh.
"Of course she is Your High…" Cid stopped short when Cloud shot him a dirty look.
He glared at him and nodded his head toward Aerith. It quickly became apparent to Cid that Aerith did not know that Cloud was a prince. The very idea confused Cid, but he was not about to disobey a Prince.
Aerith did not notice for she was still looking at the ship. Being stuck in a forest, she never saw anything like this, due to how sheltered had her aunts and uncle had treated her. She had never even talked to other people before Cloud. She did not even know what a Chocobo was.
"I mean she is ready to fly, but the first flight will be tomorrow," Cid amended.
"You mean… she will be in the air?" Aerith asked completely amazed.
"Darling, she'll be high above those clouds over our head. She'll be flying over oceans and mountains and all over this planet," boasted Cid.
Aerith closed her eyes and imagined being up in the air seeing the world below her. It was almost unfathomable.
"Hey Cid, you promised me I could get a ride in it," Cloud reminded.
"Yeah well, you know… you're…" Cid gave him a look and Cloud nodded.
"Can Aerith come with me?"
Aerith spun around and gasped, "Oh please!"
"This is not some ride at the Gold Saucer!" Cid grumbled. "I don't care if it's your birthday!"
"Well, tomorrow is my birthday," said Aerith brightly. "I'm turning sixteen."
Cid and Cloud both looked at each other. Aerith had a smile on her face. Cloud looked at Cid and eyebrow raised. Cid sighed.
X, X, X,
The Creepers scratched across the ground as found the body of their dead pack member. One let out a howl and the others followed. Near it, they found the scent that they were sent to search for along with a few others. Quietly, the creatures slunk away as they melted into the shadows and headed back to their master.
X, X, X,
The sun had already set when Aerith and Cloud were on their journey back to the forest. The stars began to poke out of the purple blanket that was the sky. Aerith rested her head on Cloud's back as they rode together, eyes staring at the night sky. Absently she began humming her song.
Cloud peered back at her out of the corner of his eyes and smiled. He never felt happier in his life. This was what he missed out of life. Someone he could talk to and be with like this. Someone he could love. Cloud felt his heart flip inside him. Did he actually think love? Yes, he did. Somehow, even in this short time, he had grown to love Aerith. She had no title or high-class status. She was just a regular girl and the girl he wanted to be with forever, a simple peasant girl and not a Princess.
Suddenly, Cloud tensed up. How could he forget that he was ENGAGED? A single word that made his whole world come crashing down. Aerith could feel his tension. Gently, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"No, nothing," He lied.
Aerith frowned and tilted her head to the side to try to see Cloud's face. Cloud could see she was worried and need to change the subject.
"Could you… sing the rest of your song for me? I never heard the end of it."
Aerith was silent for a moment. Whether it was an odd request at the time or whether she realized Cloud was changing the subject, she did not respond to it. Instead, she did as he requested. She sang her entire song including the last lines for Cloud.
"Your voice will still remember our melody. Now I know we'll carry on, melodies of life come circle round and grow deep in our heart… as long as we remember."
Aerith finished singing when she realized they were at the river where they always met. She slipped off Choco and looked up at Cloud who was staring down at her. She smiled at him and he returned it.
"Should I escort you home?" offered Cloud.
"No, I'll be okay," she insisted.
She turned to head home when she turned around to look at Cloud. He was still watching her, knowing very well that he wanted to make sure she made it home safely. She brushed her bangs from her eyes while slowly walking backwards.
"I would like it if you can come meet my family."
"I'd love to," replied Cloud.
"I live in the cottage down this path," Aerith said continuing to walk backward. "Come tomorrow evening for dinner."
Cloud nodded and watched Aerith disappear into the woods. When she was finally gone, he smiled and looked up at the sky. The stars were shining brightly, and it was then that Cloud realized he wanted to be with Aerith. He knew it, and even if he had to give up his crown, he was going to be with her.
X, X, X,
Aerith climbed back through her window quietly. She pulled off her boots and took of her coat. Soundlessly, she crept to the door and pressed her ear to it, wondering if her aunts and uncle even noticed her absence. Instead of going out to check, Aerith closed her window and crawled into her bed, too tired to care now.
A loud knocking awoke Aerith the next morning. She dragged the covers over her head and turned over so she could go back to sleep, when the door opened and her aunts and uncle walked in. The trio surrounded her bed and beckoned her to wake up. Aerith ignored them and placed her pillow over head and went back to sleep. Yuffie and Tifa each seized her blanket and yanked it off her as Barret took her pillow.
Aerith turned over and opened her eyes. "What do you guys want?"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they shouted excitedly.
"You were asleep for a long time." Yuffie said placing a hand on her hip. "Its already three!"
Aerith rubbed her eyes.
"Make a wish and blow out the candles," Tifa said, holding up a cake with sixteen candles in it.
Aerith smiled and closed her eyes to make a wish. When she formed it in her head, she blew out the candles and her relatives cheered.
"Here is your birthday present!" Barret said, handing her a box. Aerith placed it in her lap and opened it up. She removed the paper covering the item and pulled it out. Aerith gasped as she pulled out a long white gown; she stared at it in awe, not knowing what to say. She had never received such an extravagant gift before. It was always small things. She fingered the silky material, still unsure what to make of it.
"Try it on!" Yuffie crowed.
Aerith stood up, still holding the dress in her hand. Yuffie and Barret excused themselves from the room so Tifa could help her into the dress: it fell off her shoulders gracefully, and the bodice clung to her slim figure perfectly; the skirt fell down in cascades, gently brushing the floor. Tifa zipped up the back of the dress and then motioned the young girl to sit. Tifa undid her braid, which caused her long brown locks to come out in waves as she brushed it. Tifa took a white [a white...? Ribbon?] and tied back several of her strands to keep some of her hair out of her face, while leaving it mostly loose, while tying the white materia with her hair, as Aerith usually did.
Aerith stood up when she was finished and walked out of the room to the kitchen, where Yuffie and Barret were. The moment they saw Aerith, they showered her with compliments. Aerith blushed: even though they always showered her with compliments, she had never gotten used to it.
"This is a beautiful gift." Aerith said, after the compliments died down. "I don't know what to say."
"Well. we have one more gift for you," Tifa stated, as she secretly pulled out a second box.
She handed the simple white box to her and Aerith smiled. Lifting the lid, she found the object obscured by tissue paper. Pushing it aside, she found the item inside. Aerith dropped the box, but held the object in both her hands. Her mouth hung open as she stared at the beautiful gold crown in her hand. It simplicity appealed to her, but why would her family give her a crown? Were they trying to make her feel like a princess, a wish she had when she was a child?
"Why are you giving me a crown?" Confusion was written all over the young girl's face.
"It suits you," Tifa smiled.
"You should have given me this when I was a child," Aerith laughed. "When I was a kid I wanted to be a princess. Don't get me wrong, the crown is beautiful, but I think I'm too old to play dress up."
She looked up at her aunts and uncle. She watched them stare at her with an uneasy look on their faces. They were itching to tell her something; she could see it. They wanted to tell her, but were either reluctant or unsure.
"What is it?" the emerald-eyed girl asked.
"Aerith," Barret began, "That crown is not a toy. It is real gold"
"What?" the girl gasped. "Why would you give me a gold crown? If you found gold, why make me a crown? Why not sell it and move out of this house? We would not have to work hard, and we can live in the castle towns. Why… why would you do this?"
Aerith stared at them as though they were insane. Barret looked at Tifa, silently asking her to take over in explaining to Aerith.
"Aerith, we have something to tell you." Tifa breathed deeply, steeling herself to the next words. "You do not belong here with us. You are not our niece. That crown is what you truly are. You are Princess Aerith of the Cetra."
Aerith's eyes went wide and the crown fell to the ground with a loud clatter. She looked between the three people she had come to known as her family with disbelief. Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably, forcing her to clutch the table.
"This isn't true," she said shaking her head.
"We kept you here to protect you," Yuffie piped up. "We are going to take you back to the palace where your mother and father are waiting."
Aerith was still shaking her head. How could they keep this from her for sixteen years? It made little to no sense. She was a princess of the nearby kingdom! She had dreamt of living in that palace when she was a child, believing she could be a princess; but that dream vanished when she became older, and now her dream was not a mere dream, but a reality! She could not understand how this could be happening. Then the thought of Cloud floated into her head. What would he think if he found out?
"This is a joke…" Aerith said staring at them frantically. The three shook their heads and remained silent. Aerith placed her hand on her forehead and again tried to make sense of all this.
"But," she began again, "what about my friends?" But as soon as the words were spoken, Aerith covered her mouth. She had forgotten about her so-called family members' rules about not talking to any strangers.
"WHAT?" Tifa blurted out, her face as pale as a ghost's. "We told you never to talk to anyone!"
"NO!" Aerith yelled. "I was tired of you guys keeping me here away from everyone. I was alone. I hated being here. I met Nanaki and Cait Sith and they watched over me. Then I met him."
"Him," Tifa parroted, the horror on her face growing.
"He's so sweet and gentle. He feels the same way as I do. He understood me! I love him!"
"You can't love him!" Tifa argued. "You're already engaged! You are engaged to the Prince of Nibelheim. This man you met… you can never see him again!"
Aerith's eyes went wide. She stared at Tifa for a moment, tears formed in her eyes. Tifa's eyes softened. She approached the girl but Aerith pushed past her, rushing into her room and slamming the door. She fell onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow, and cried. She screamed, "NO" repeatedly. Her whole life had become unraveled in one day. Everything she had believed was a lie. What was worse was she already was intended to be married.
Aerith had felt pain before. She fell down and got right back up. Yet, now the pain was inside her, so strong that it engulfed her. The weight of the pain of being lied to burned into her mind. Yet, the pain of not seeing Cloud and her love for him ignored put a weight far too heavy on her heart and soul.
X, X, X,
Author Note- Sorry for taking so long again! School is just killing me. I have no time to write. Anyway, enjoy and leave a review.
Revised: thanks for my beta for editing.
