Broken Wings - Chapter Fifty-Four
"Aerith?"
A soft, feminine laugh rang in his ears, and he felt fingers brush her shoulders. "Hey, Cloud," Aerith said. "Been a while?"
Cloud reached up to place a hand on where he felt hers, but it passed through only air. "Too long," he said.
"Don't you go depressed on me," she scolded kindly. "Or I'll leave." He couldn't tell if the threat was idle or not. She laughed again, the sound like bell tones through crisp air, to assure him that she was not angry.
"Aerith," he asked. "What do you know about this?"
"So curt? Can't I have a decent greeting?" She stopped when he lowered his head. "This is troubling you, I am sorry."
"No, I was rude, I'm—"
"Ask me anything," she interrupted. "And I'll do my best to help."
"Where is Faramir, then?"
"You plan on aiding her?" Her voice turned sad. "It will cause you so much pain…"
"Vincent has gone," Cloud defended himself.
"Vincent could not have possibly been spared. You have a choice."
"I don't believe that."
"You will," she assured him, mournfully. She hesitated before she spoke again. "Faramir is nestled between the mountains and the sea, hidden so well from the world that it is near impossible to find it without the aid of one who has been there."
"Can I find someone, then?"
"You can," she said. "But unless it is Aralyn…I fear you would not agree to travel alongside him. I will show you, and guide you."
"Have you been there?"
Another laugh, but this one more melancholy. "Zack has."
"Then one more question."
"Anything."
"Who is Aralyn?"
Aerith hesitated and withdrew her hand from his body. "Anything but that, Cloud."
"Why not?" Cloud burst out, suddenly angry. He turned, letting his rage control him, to see her backed away, her hands folded neatly over her pink dress and her long, brunette braid thrown over one shoulder. "Why won't anyone speak of it? Can it be so horrible?"
"Oh, Cloud…I am sorry, but I have to agree with Vincent on this. You can't know. You couldn't take it."
"Why? Tell me that, at least?"
"Cloud, I know you are angry but please believe me…she has hurt so much, and having her friends turn against her would be another blow that I fear she couldn't take."
"Why would we turn against her?" Cloud said, his volume more tame but his tone still icy. "She's a kind girl, and she's never done anything to earn distrust."
"I am glad your friendship with her stands so firm. Please…keep it that way. She needs your acceptance. I'm so sorry."
"Aerith…"
But she disappeared, smiling at him sadly one last time. "You will see." He heard her voice echo. "Everything will work out."
A/N: Cloud's a little OOC here...I've never heard him talk angrily, but you have to believe he's capable of it. I have seen him give Kadaj a nasty glare though in AC! Right after Kadaj mourns his mother...haha...I can't watch that with a straight face.
There is some important stuff in here, so it's not entirely fluffy fillings...I'll leave it to you to decipher it all out.
Heads up, within the next two chapters will come a revelation that will hit like a paint can to the face. That's what it did to me, anyway...but I think you'll enjoy it in the end. Sephy and Aralyn will come face to face again soon.
Remember when I said that this wouldn't go over 70 chapters? Forget that. Hope ya'll don't mind.