A New Ally (Remake)
Hiro awoke in a bed, which surprised him. He looked around to see everyone around him. "Where are we?" Hiro asked, getting up from the bed.
"Gongaga Village. You and Cloud were knocked out. Cloud had a strange dream about Aeris." Tifa said, and Hiro chuckled.
"Really, I thought you two-" But Tifa interruped him.
"Not that kind of dream. Aeris is gone." Hiro gasped, surprised.
"Wait, what? Where did she go?" Hiro frantically got up, sitting on the bed. "You can't be serious, this is all just a joke, right?" Hiro asked, hoping that it was.
Cloud appeared beside of Tifa. "She is going to the City of Ancients. By herself."
Hiro didn't respond, he just got up. He noticed his sword beside of his bed, so he picked it up. He strapped it to his side, and he looked at Cloud. "So, we going or not?" Hiro asked, and Yuffie appeared beside of him.
"Hiro..the City of the Ancients is far from here." She said, but Hiro laughed.
"You think that will stop me?" Hiro said, but Cloud glared at him.
"You shouldn't laugh Hiro! Aeris could die! She is the only one that can save us from Meteor. Right now, she is out in the City of the Ancients, alone, and Sephiroth probably knows she is there! And you are just sitting there, laughing that you will save her! You're not some bigshot hero!" Cloud yelled at Hiro. Hiro turned to him, and gave him a cold glare.
"Bigshot? Bigshot!?"
"True, it may be wrong about me laughing about it, but I am going to the City of Ancients, and I will save Aeris. Stop being a jerk Cloud. I'm not trying to be a bigshot hero. I just want to save my friends. I would do the same for you, and every single one of you here. Cloud, stop assuming that I'm doing this to impress Yuffie or anyone else, I'm not like that." Hiro said, and that made Cloud look down.
"Sorry. I'm just having some problems right now." He said, putting his hand to his head.
"Besides, you're the one sitting around here instead of doing anything. So come on, let's go." Hiro said, but Cloud shook his head.
"You guys..go ahead. I'm afraid to get near her with Sephiroth there. I might-" Cloud was cut off by Arxen. Hiro sighed, he felt how hypocritical Cloud sounded before, and now he was whining about not going.
"God dammit! Just shut up. It may be your fault for giving Sephiroth the black materia, but that doesn't mean that you can just go and whine about it!"
Barret nodded in agreement.
"My fault?" Cloud said, and Barret sighed.
"I know you got problems... hell, we all do. But you don't ever understand yourself. But you gotta understand that there ain't no gettin' offa this train we're on, till we get to the end of the line." Barret told Cloud, while Hiro smirked a bit. He leaned up to Yuffie.
"First time Barret ever got that deep.." He whispered into her ear, and she giggled a bit. Hiro sometimes knew how to light up the mood. Hiro then turned serious again. "Cloud." Cloud turned his attention to the blonde haired boy. "We came this far...aren't you going to settle up with Sephiroth?" Hiro asked Cloud, and Cloud noted the serious tone in his voice. This was probably the first time Cloud has heard Hiro sound that serious.
"No... I'm afraid. If this keeps up, I may go crazy! I'm afraid..." Cloud said, looking down. Cloud had serperate himself from the group just moments ago. He was near the window, while everyone was watching him.
"Just a damn jackass, that's what you are... Yo, jes' think about it... How many people in this world do ya think really understand themselves? People get depressed in life because they don't know what's up. But, they go on living. They don't run away... Isn't that how it is?" Barret said, and Tifa looked at Cloud with concern.
"Cloud...you'll come with us right? I believe in you.." Tifa said, walking out of the room.
Everyone followed, besides Hiro. Yuffie grabbed onto his arm, hoping he would leave Cloud alone as well, but Hiro shook his head. Arxen got Yuffie out of the room. Arxen, Hiro, and Cloud were the only ones in the room now. They sat there in silence, the two warriors looking at each other. Arxen nodded, and Hiro did as well. They knew how to get him out.
"I can't believe it. Cloud Strife, being a pansy." Hiro said, and Cloud didn't look up.
"Hmph. Hiro, he sure has gotten soft." Arxen said, and Hiro nodded in agreement. They were hoping taunting would make Cloud get up on his feet again. It wasn't working, so Hiro decided to have a direct conversation with him.
"Cloud, don't be afraid of Sephiroth. If you do something, I'll stop you. You'll wake up if you're strong. But you aren't strong right now. Right now, you're being a weakling. This is exactly what Sephiroth wants you to do. Curl up in a ball and cry." Hiro said, and Arxen nodded in agreement.
"Cloud, Sephiroth is aiming for your emotions. He is being manipulative. You aren't fighting back. You're giving in! You got to fight back." Arxen said, but Cloud shook his head.
"You both don't understand. You don't know Sephiroth like I do." Cloud explained, and Hiro sighed.
"I do Cloud. I met him when I was young. A child. He was way different back then, but he went crazy. You have to remember I was at Nibelheim as well Cloud." Hiro said.
"But he didn't kill anyone you knew Hiro. He didn't kill a person from your family." Cloud said, but Hiro glared at him.
"Cloud, he killed Zek. Zek was like a brother to me! He harmed people I met that day, and he hurt someone very, very, very important to me." Hiro did not mention Tiamatt. He didn't really want to, just in case Cloud knew her. If Cloud knew her, then he would know of the relationship between Tiamatt and Sephiroth. Hiro thought that Cloud would start to make fun of Tiamatt, and Hiro couldn't take that.
"Anyway Cloud, Hiro does understand. I may not, since my family was kinda stupid anyway.." Arxen said, but Cloud shook his head.
"You don't understand a damn thing Hiro. That day was the worst day of my life. He killed my mother, my friends!" Cloud said. "He-"
Cloud didn't even get to finish that sentence when Hiro punched him across the face.
No one spoke, breathed, or even move at that moment. Hiro growled, and started to yell at Cloud. Arxen just sat there in shock.
"Don't understand? I got a damn scar from that day Cloud. A damn scar. Sephiroth didn't kill me, so he just gave me a mark so he would kill me later. He killed my friend Zek. True, I don't know your pain about losing your own mother. Hell, I didn't even have a mother. But don't start that crap that I don't understand. I understand alot more then you know Cloud. Alot more. I lived my life without loving parents. I would be happy with just a mother, or just a father. But I didn't have any. But I was happy! I had alot of people in my life that was like family! And right now, while the man that gave me the scar is still out there, I am still a bit happy. So stop whining like a girl, and let's save Aeris. You're acting like a guy who hates his life. A little whiny bitch. Stop it. Now come on, we have to save Aeris. Tifa isn't the only one that believes in you. All of Avalanche does. Arxen does." Arxen nodded in agreement. He didn't want to ruin what Hiro was saying. "I do as well Cloud." Hiro said, turning around. He and Arxen walked out of the room.
When Hiro and Arxen got out of the room, they walked out of the inn. Everyone was standing there waiting, and Hiro sighed. "If Cloud isn't coming, then I'm going to be the leader. No offense Arxen." Hiro saw Arxen glare at him about becoming leader, but of course he got over it. "I had a little bad moment with Cloud back there.." Hiro said, and he told them about his little fight with Cloud, and even the part where he punched him. Tifa looked a bit mad, but got over it when Hiro looked down. "But now is-" But he was cut off by a voice.
"What are you all waiting for?"
Everyone turned to see Cloud, holding the Buster Sword. "Let's get Aeris." Hiro smiled a bit.
"So did that punch knock some sense into you?" Hiro asked. Cloud nodded.
"Yea..I was thinking. You just got to remember if I go crazy, stop me." Hiro nodded.
"I will."
Now everyone was going to the City of Ancients, and Cid suggested they drop by Bone Village. Cloud said they would need a mystical item called the Lunar Harp. "What is the Lunar Harp?" Arxen asked, and Hiro shrugged.
"I have no clue either. But we'll need it to get pass that Sleeping Forest, right Cloud?" Hiro asked, and Cloud nodded.
"Yea. It will be very hard to find. Maybe we could ask someone at the Bone Village if they know anything about it. They probably do." Cloud explained, and Hiro nodded.
"Probably."
Bone Village
"What do you mean that the Lunar Harp is under the earth!?" Arxen said, and the man sighed. The man was big, wearing only a white T-shirt, which showed his muscles. He wore blue jeans, and brown boots. He had a helmet on, with a light, so they could dig in the night. He had hairy arms, and he had black hair. He had very tan skin, and his eyes were brown. He looked around his mid-thirties.
"Sorry kid, but it'll take a day to get that." The man said, and he sighed once again. "We'll need a extra hand to get the thing anyway." He said, and someone yelled.
"Hey Boss! I found something!" The man turned around.
"What is it?" The other man held up a rock. A shiny rock. The man looked at it.
"Oh, it is just another fake. Throw it away." He said, and the other man sighed.
"Yes sir.." The man turned around.
"Sorry about that. By the way, my name is Charles Hogg, but most people call me Charles or Boss." The man smirked with pride at his name.
"Anyway, what I was saying is we need a extra hand to help us find it."
Hiro blinked, and smirked. "I can do it!" Hiro said, stepping foward.
Charles looked at him, then bursted out laughing. So did the other diggers. "Sorry kid, but this is a man's job. You're to skinny." Charles said, and Hiro glared at him. Hiro eyed the shovel near him, and he grabbed it. "What are you doing kid?" Charles asked, and Hiro sighed.
"Digging." Hiro began to dig, and to everyone's surprise, he was pretty fast. He dug pretty deep to, and when he was done, he had to jump to get out of the hole. Charles stood there amazed.
"Woah. Get this kid a helmet! And some work clothes! Kid, you're going to stay out here and help us dig." Charles said, and Hiro turned to Cloud.
"Is that okay?" Hiro asked, and Cloud nodded.
"Just find the harp for us." Cloud said.
Later that night
Hiro sighed when he put on the work clothes. He wore the exact same thing Charles wore, expect only smaller in size. Hiro sighed even more when he put on his helmet.
"Cloud, Barret, Cid, or Arxen could of helped me, lazy bunch of bastards." Hiro muttered to himself, walking out of the changing room.
"Alright men! Tonight, we gonna dig and dig and dig till we can't dig no more!!" He heard Charles say, and Hiro sighed.
"Well this is going to suck." Hiro said, walking ahead.
"Hey! Hey! Wait up!" Hiro turned around to see Arxen and Barret, who were also in work clothes.
"You two are going to help?" Hiro asked, and Barret nodded.
"Yea, it may be hard with one arm, but I'll be fine." Barret said, and Arxen nodded.
"We weren't just going to left you work all day. So let's go." Arxen said, and they walked over to Charles, who was standing near a wall.
"Charles." Charles looked at Hiro.
"What should we do?" Hiro asked, and Charles looked over to the other diggers.
"Go over there and help. It will take atleast a month to get this done. That thing your looking for, it will take even longer to find. We need something special to blow the ground up to make the process go faster."
"What about dynamite?"
"Dynamite? Good idea. But we need to find some." Charles admitted, and then Arxen snapped his fingers. "Cid. Cid has some dynamite! I'll go ask him for some." Arxen said, running off.
"In the mean time, you two go around and dig in spots where you think that thing is." Charles said, and he started to dig near the wall. Hiro and Barret looked at each other, then shrugged.
"Alright, now, get digging!" Hiro walked over to a spot, and sighed. Wow. This is really stupid. I mean REALLY stupid. Who would do this? Hiro thought to himself. He kept digging, and got deeper, until someone stopped him and said: "Turn on your light boy." Hiro sighed, and turned on his helmet light. "Well, might as well keep digging." Hiro muttered, until he heard Arxen.
"Hey! I got the dynamite!" Everyone saw Arxen with wagon full of dynamite, which surprised Hiro and Barret.
"How did you get that much?" Arxen smirked.
"I know ways." Arxen said. Threatened to take all the smokes Cid had and destroy them. What does that tell you?
"Alright boys, set up the dynamite! Scarface! One-Arm! Blue spike! Go dig a big hole, then put the dynamite in!" Hiro, Barret, and Arxen glared at Charles, and one of the diggers laughed.
"He gives nicknames to everyone. He can't remember people's names, so the fool just makes up nicknames." The digger said, and Charles glared at him.
"What did you say Maggot?"
Apparently, 'Maggot', was the digger's nickname. "N-Nothing sir!" Maggot said, and Charles sighed.
"You go help Scarface. He'll need it." Hiro and the others walked over to a good spot of earth, and started to dig a giant hole.
"Maggot? Why did he give you that name?" Hiro asked, and Maggot shrugged. "I have no clue. He just gave it to me for no reason. The real name is John." Maggot said.
"I can see why he gave you your nicknames. No offense intended on the One-Arm and Scarface thing, but it was funny to hear him being called Blue Spike." Maggot laughed at Arxen, who was about to hit him with a shovel.
"Don't do it Arxen." Hiro said.
After digging half of the hole, Hiro threw his helmet back. "Screw the helmet, I don't need it." Hiro said. Arxen and Barret did the same thing.
"Guys! Boss is really going to get mad!" Maggot said, but Hiro shrugged.
"Who cares, I've been through worst." Hiro, said, while he continued to dig.
They were almost done digging the hole, until Barret just had to ask. "Why do you guys dig holes Maggot? Why not just getta real job?" Barret asked. Maggot wiped the sweat off of his forehead.
"This is a real job Barret. We are historians, sort of. We search for things down in the earth. So, instead of getting people to do our work for us, we do it ourselves." Maggot explained.
"I wouldn't trade this job for any other job in the world. It is really fun. Besides, after this, I'll get to see my wife and kid. I'll get breaks alot more often, and I'm home alot more." Maggot laughed.
"I'm glad you have fun with your job Maggot." Arxen said, and Hiro finally completed the hole.
"Alright, get all the dynamite." Hiro said, and Charles was already on it.
"Alright. You four can go back and watch." Charles said, dumping the dynamite into the hole. Hiro, Maggot, Arxen, and Barret got out of the hole, and ran over to the wall. Charles lit the fuse, and began to walk away, but his leg got caught in a hole.
"Huh? Oh-" Charles began to rant with vulgar language, trying to pull his leg out, but it was stuck. He then tripped, and fell to the grond. "HELP!!" He cried.
Hiro quickly ran towards him, and picked up a shovel. "Hold on! I'll dig you out!" Hiro began to dig, but Charles was crying.
"You don't have enough time! We're going to die!" Hiro could probably survive the blast by a bit of life, but Charles would die.
"Damn, Arxen!" Arxen knew what to do.
"Haste!" Hiro began to dig very fast, and when he finally got Charles out, he picked Charles up. Charles was very heavy, but Hiro didn't care. He ran, and so did Charles. The explosion made a loud bang, and a light blinded everyone.
A couple of minutes passed until the smoke, dust, and light were gone. Charles sat up, and looked around. He was alive! He was so happy. Hiro was fine too, and he sighed. He stood up, and dusted himself off. "Well, I think that will take up alot of ground and- Woah!"
He was being hugged tightly by Charles. "Oh! You saved my life! My kids and my wife, I'll get to see them again! Thank you!" He said, placing Hiro down. Hiro smiled.
"No problem." Hiro said.
"I'll do anything to repay you!" Charles was serious about it, and Hiro thought for a moment.
"Hmm...I got it. Why don't you learn everyone's name, and stop calling them nicknames." Charles nodded.
"Of course, and I will start with you four. Let me see. You're Hiro." Hiro nodded, smiling. "Arxen.." Arxen also nodded. "Barret..." Barret smirked. "And Maggot's real name is John!" Maggot nodded.
"Getting called Maggot annoyed me sir."
"Today, your boss, Charles Hogg, will be a new man who knows people's names! No longer will I use offensive nicknames!" Everyone started to cheer, and Hiro, Arxen, and Barret laughed. Hiro decided to check out the hole, so he looked into it to see a chest. Hiro jumped down into the hole, and opened the chest. It was a harp, and Hiro could only mumble one word:
"Jackpot!"
The next day
"So they made you honorary historians? That is pretty cool Hiro." Yuffie said, as the gang walked through the Sleeping Forest.
"Yea. It was pretty cool." Hiro said, and Tifa laughed.
"I can imagine you and Arxen being historians, but Barret? Come on!" Tifa said, and Barret glared at her.
"Jes' because I talk different-" But he was cut off by everyone laughing. Besides Red and Vincent, Red smirked while Vincent was still his usual self. They used the Lunar Harp not to long ago, and it awoke the forest. They entered the city, and Yuffie gasped.
"Wow. This place is pretty." Yuffie admitted.
"I doubt an-" But she was cut off when a monster appeared. It lunged at her, but Hiro quickly killed it. He held the sword upside down, like the way someone would stab another with a knife.
"You were saying?" Hiro knew she was going to say nothing bad happens here.
"What was that?" Tifa asked. Hiro sighed.
"A Rilfsak. They must of come from the forest-" Hiro looked at everyone to see that they were looking at him, kinda shocked that he knew what that was. "I kinda learned some monsters from a teacher of mine." Hiro said, rubbing the back of his head. "Anyway, we should watch out for them. There will be more of them, I know it." Hiro said, and everyone nodded. They all walked around the City of Ancients, and, like Hiro said, they fought more of the Rilfsak, some Grimguards, and somehow, a couple of Zuus.
They finally made it to a house, where everyone decided to rest.
Later that night
Hiro sighed deeply while he laid on a bed. It was night, and Hiro was restless. He was to busy thinking of Aeris, and was very worried about her. What would happen if Sephiroth got to her? Would he kill her? Hiro didn't even want to think about it. He closed his eyes, trying to go to sleep, but he heard someone sigh. Hiro got up to hear a door open, then close. He decided to check who it was. He got up, and went outside to see Yuffie, who was looking at the sky.
"Yuffie? Yuffie what is the matter?" Hiro asked her, going up to her. Yuffie turned to him. "I'm worried about Aeris." She said, and Hiro nodded. "I understand. I am too. We just have to be strong and believe that she is doing okay." Hiro explained, and Yuffie nodded, but then looked down. "What if she isn't okay? What if she's dead?" She asked him, not even turning around to look at him.
"I have already thought of that, but you got to remember that Aeris is strong. Aeris can take care of herself." Hiro said, and Yuffie turned around, and looked at him.
"You really think so?"
Hiro nodded. "I do. Don't you?"
Yuffie hugged him tightly, and Hiro did the same. He was pretty shocked by the hug, but he enjoyed it.
"She is like a big sister to me." Yuffie said into Hiro's chest. She felt, warm, safe, as if she could never be harmed in Hiro's arms. She never had this feeling about anyone before. Why did it appear now? She blushed a bit, and she looked at him. Hiro looked back at her, smiling.
"Really? Almost like Tiamatt and me.." Hiro mumbled the last part, and Yuffie didn't hear.
"Yea. She was always there to help me, even though I was a thief." Yuffie said, lauging a bit at the final part. Hiro did as well.
Hiro let go of her, and he put his right hand on her shoulder. She felt a bit bad when he let go, she didn't want him to, she didn't know why.
"Yuffie, I'm sure she is alright. You just got to believe that she is still alive. Have hope, like me."
Yuffie nodded, and she smiled. "Thank you Hiro." Hiro nodded. He then kissed her on the cheek, which made her turn red. She was shocked how embarrssed she was from a kiss on the cheek, from the guy she use to hate.
"Now, go on to bed. We got a big day tomorrow." Hiro said, and Yuffie nodded.
"Alright. See you tomorrow. Good night.." She said, walking back inside quickly. Hiro was confused why, but didn't ask any questions about it at all.
.Hiro was alone. He looked up to the sky, and crossed his arms. "Well...what should I do now? You usually have good advice." Hiro knew it was strange to talk to a person who wasn't there, but right now, he didn't care one bit.
"I wish you could give me good advice like you did back then Tiamatt." Hiro said, running his hand through his hair.
"Oh well..I just hope you are alright. The same goes for Aeris.."
Inside, Yuffie sat on her bed, thinking. Why did she feel this way for him? She didn't understand, they were just dating, nothing big or huge. She didn't love him. She is giving him the shot he wanted. Yet..now, her heart raced everytime he was near her. Everytime they were together. She then came to a conclusion.
She likes Hiro more than just a friend, way more.
Got one more chapter to rewrite for this story!
CR11