Chapter Title: Stuck in the Desert… With Him

Warning(s): Um… nothing much. I'm still new to the first person thing so… watch out? :Sweat drop:

Summary: I'm not too pleased with my situation at the moment. Walking in this smoldering heat with a companion who's not too right in the head… can create all sorts of chaos you would not want to be a part of.

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to Cloud, Zack, me, and anyone else who really can't stand the heat. Dart and Vix, you guys like it so no dedication for you! :Angry face:

A/N:Well, it took me long enough, ne? X3 Vix got her chapter done and posted as soon as we finished writing our third chapter. But I am lazy and I didn't find inspiration to write it until almost time to get to bed so I can go to work the next morning. Man, I'm going to be tired. XP But it was worth it because Cloudy and Darty are worth it! Anyway, don't forget to read chapter two of Secret Stardust and Vix's chapter two of First Impressions: Cloud Strife. Reading those two will help you better understand what's going on here. Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review and ask Cloudy questions! He'd be more than happy, or annoyed, to answer them for you! :)

Chapter II: Stuck in the Desert… With Him

The next world… if you could call it that… wasn't any better. Those… rabbits transported me to a land crowded with people dressed in strange clothing, sand in every possible direction, the sun burning brightly enough to make your skin rash, and a crocodile-infested river… which I, involuntarily, took a swim in. And, to make things worse, I wasn't alone.

HE was there. Not exactly what I'd call paradise…

As in the previous world, he didn't have much tact. The first thing out of his mouth was, of course, vulgarity and then some. He then drags me to a small but cozy restaurant only because he can't stand being away from food for more than two seconds… though, I must say… his cooking is not exactly terrible, not that I'll ever admit that to him… even though he already knows it… his demeanor was proof enough. However, he wasn't exactly bad company to have while I ate. Most of the time, he was even hospitable.

All that ended once I saw his eating mannerisms…

It's as if he was raised in the wild, which I pointed out without much restraint… and which he admitted to willingly. The way he chewed on his food was revolting. I couldn't even begin to fathom how in… whatever world he came from, he was able to survive… though wild animals do best in their natural habitat.

After the comment of me being his mother, I took my leave. The comment of him being my… "boyfriend" ensured me of never returning to that restaurant. What a moron…

It didn't do much good… he decided to follow me anyway… much to my dismay. Shiva… it's as if we were glued together by those rabbits instead of just thrown into the same world.

However, he was somewhat… I can't believe I'm saying this… pleasant to be around. We held a conversation for the first time since we met. And for once, I didn't want to murder him. Well… for the most part.

Throughout our conversation, I noticed how gentle his soul really was. Yeah, there's that wild animal side to him, but there's also something much more… serene. He seemed truly worried over the fact of how I cannot be exposed to the sun's rays for long periods of time. Though it is something I tend to hide extremely well from others, he was able to pick up on it with no trouble at all.

He smiles often enough. Enough to make my own face hurt from all the grins. He can laugh whenever he wants, smile, be a fool, intelligent… the only thing he can't be is ill of heart. That's a rare trait in a person, though something I am very familiar with. I don't need to know him long enough to know that much.

What really shocked me was when he made an effort to remember my hometown. Nibelheim. Though he struggled in the beginning, he made sure to keep a record of it in that remarkable mind of his.

Nibelheim. That place where so much had changed so many lives. A place where I was born and raised and living with my mother, the one who taught me everything I know. The one who showed me what it's like to love and feel love and to pass that love on to another… whether that person were of this world or the next. A place… where I was no longer allowed to visit…. This man tried to remember that name for…. I still am not sure of the reason behind his actions. He truly is a curious person….

…or so I thought before he made another one of his ridiculous comments. Something about women. I refuse to talk about that subject with him. Especially when the subject in question is one I lack experience with. The women in my life… let's just say don't appeal to my better nature. We'll leave it at that for now.

After that, I just didn't want to talk to him anymore. He got under my skin… and gravely at that. He could have told me we were about to walk into a Materia shop with Yuffie with a never-ending supply of the ninja's addiction and I still wouldn't have said a word to him about our sanity being shattered.

Naturally, when he thrust out his hand and said his name, I was more annoyed than flattered at the thought that he allowed me the privilege of knowing who he was. However, this did not stop me from hearing, thinking, or forgetting who the man with the red armor's name was.

Dart Feld.

A bizarre name for a bizarre character. The "Dart" part fits him perfectly…. However, "Feld" is completely foreign to me… I wonder where it originated from. I know from this "Neet" he speaks of… but what of its meaning? No matter. The fact remains that he has a strange name. Heh… I'm one to talk.

Still… he was considerate enough to give his name. That makes us acquaintances. He's an odd one. No matter how often I try to tell him I am not particularly fond of company… he does something to show that HE is. I can't quite figure out why…. He just is.

I was considering giving him my name but… felt it be better to wait off on that. I'm not entirely sure if he's going to stick around long enough to care so why bother in the first place? I rather not become too familiar with someone that's to take their leave in a few days' time.

Also, I wasn't in the mood to hear his poor attempt at joking when it comes to my name. My name is not exactly… normal… though I am quite fond of my name and I am not ashamed to display it, and I believe it suits me well, I wasn't looking forward to what he had to say about it. It was a dilemma that I chose to avoid… for the time being. I don't know whether he is going to be in the next world with me or not.

Though my intuition informs me that he is or will be.

I'll continue to hope that he won't be. I'm still pretty pissed off at him for shoving me into the river. I like to bathe as much as the next person, but being forced into a body of water that was infested with crocodiles is not something I am prepared to tolerate. So, naturally, I threw him in.

Long story short, we got into a brawl, I was upset, he was having the time of his life, got chased around by crocodiles, then was transported to… I'm not entirely sure where… All I know is it's very difficult to move on account of how crowded it is. Seriously, I could use some alone time.

I don't think I can take another world filled with so many people. Wait. Let me rephrase that. I don't think I can't take another world filled with so many people and HIM. He's going to continue to drive me insane until I finally snap and strangle him to his death. The more I think about it, the more I think it would actually be a pretty logical idea.

Sometimes I see him eyeing me in a very peculiar way. A way where I think he might be thinking of something very odd… besides being my… "boyfriend."

The way he looks at me is more in a way one would look at an old friend…

I think I might remind him of someone. That's a relief at least I know there is someone back in his world that had some sense. I bet it was this person that helped keep him in check.

I wonder if I'll ever run into that person. Maybe he can give me some pointers on how to deal with this "Dart." How the Summons know I can't even begin to comprehend how to go about this situation. He truly is much more stressful than… then again, he and I were always together to make things work out no matter what the problem, be it difficult or simple, may be…

Oh no…