Cloud and Lightning had finally reached Bodhum, after 3 weeks of walking. The pristine condition beach amazed Cloud, the clear water startled Lightning. They seemed to stick out like sore thumbs in the beautiful scenery. Lightnings' hair had become a shade darker due to all the dirt from the nearby forest they'd trekked through. Clouds' face had smudged dark areas on his pale white skin. His jeans had a few tears on them and Lightnings' clothes were frayed around the edges.
"It's due sunset, Cloud," said Lightning, "We'll need a place to crash for tonight."
"You're right, I've got £10," replied Cloud, a hint of sadness in his voice. Lightning took her backpack off and lay it on the ground spilling the contents. She began looking through everything. She laughed as she picked up a little black book.
"What's that?" questioned Cloud.
"It's an address book, which my mum gave me before we left." Cloud stood there confused.
"And we are just getting told about this 10 years later, why?"
"Because we were never in a town or city which had a relative or friend nearby, Cloud," replied Lightning, slightly agitated. Cloud bent down to help Lightning pack the items into her backpack. The began walking towards the centre of town. People that passed Cloud and Lightning gave them funny looks. Cloud kept his head held high not bothering what other people thought of him. Lightning on the other hand looked down and tried not to make eye contact with some of the people. Clouds' small but strong hand tightened around Lightnings'. She looked up from the ground to see Cloud smiling at her.
Standing in front of the pair was a beautiful white building, stain glass window up at the top window, the design of an angel with a single blackish wing.
"Y'sure this is the place, Light?" asked Cloud, unsure of what they were getting themselves into. Light took the first steps up to the house. Raising her hand slowly she rapped on the door with her knuckles. Footsteps ran about inside the house. Suddenly the door swung open and standing there was a little boy, who looked about 11 years old.
"Ianto!" squealed Lightning. The boy, puzzled, smiled at Lightning. His spiky browny-black hair shimmering in the sunset behind Cloud and Lightning.
"Muuuum!" screamed Ianto, "there's a lady at the door with pink hair!"
"Well that's one way to describe me," pondered Lightning.
"Pink hair? I only two girls with pink hair and I haven't heard from them in years," came a voice in the hall, a slight Asian tone with an English accent. Coming into view a young Asian, possibly Japanese, lady stood there. Her hands clasped at her chest as she saw Lightning.
"Is it... Is it Claire!" screamed the lady, running towards them.
"Aunty Toshiko!" cried Lightning, running towards this lady, embracing each other as they met. Cloud scratched the back of his head and looked around.
"What's all this screamin' about?" asked a gruff male voice.
"Uncle Owen!" gasped Lightning, embracing the male as he came into view.
'He's got a large pair of lips..." thought Cloud, making sure he didn't say it out loud. Beside Owen the little boy, Ianto, stood the same way as Cloud, his right leg forward, left leg bent a bit at the back, right arm down bt his side, and still scratching his head. The lady ushered the pair inside the house as the sun was setting faster.
The inside of the house was immaculate. Pure white walls, not a smudge on them, just as Lightning remembered. The shining laminate flooring could blind with the shininess of it. There were no pictures hanging on the walls, or even any furniture, like drawers in the hallway. They were ushered into the living room by Owen.
"So, why has it taken you ten years to get here?" asked Toshiko, placing a tray of coffee on the floor.
"Well, we're looking for Serah. My sister was kidnapped because we share a certain trait," replied Lightning.
"And this trait would be?" questioned Owen.
"The power to negate the effect of an evil creature, which took my older brother," replied Cloud. Ianto laughed quite loudly after Cloud said that.
"Listen, supper is nearly ready, there is a bathroom upstairs to the left. Take a shower you two. We'll have clothes ready for you," said Tashiko, taking a sip of her coffee. Cloud let Lightning go first for her shower, and she was so happy she could feel the warm water against her. Tashiko and Ianto left the room leaving Owen, who was standing against the wall facing the windows, and Cloud, who was sitting on a cream leather couch.
"So, Kid, where are you going to find your brother and Serah?" asked Owen, glaring at Cloud making him feel uncomfortable.
"Well, we're looking for a man named Hojo," said Cloud, bringing a folded piece of paper from his pocket, "he has my brother and Serah, he experimented on them."
"Seems like we share a common enemy then. Tosh and I knew he was experimenting on humans, but to go as far as experimenting on my niece he's pushed the boundaries." Owen walked over to a cabinet and pushed into the board at the back of the cabinet. A slight whooshing sound was heard as a metal door slid upwards beside Cloud, showing an armoury of weapons, ranging from knives, to handguns, to MP5s and a RPG – 7. Clouds' eyes widened in shock, horror and excitement.
"There's something I want to give you, Cloud," whispered Owen as he reached up and took a key off the chain he was wearing. "This really did belong to your father, just before he died."
"You knew my dad?" gasped Cloud.
"You and Claire being neighbours wasn't a coincidence, it was meant to be, as was this journey."
Lightning stepped into the shower, the warm water relaxing every inch of her body. She looked down to see the dirt and mud flowing into the plughole. Her hair becoming the lighter pink again. She sighed a sigh of relief as she felt clean again. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her as she stepped out of the shower. She walked across the hallway to find Cloud walking up the stairs with a huge item under a cover.
"What's that, Cloud?" asked Lightning as she held on to her towel tighter.
"It's a gift from Owen," replied Cloud, trying as hard as he could not to stare at the mark on Lightnings' chest.
"What? Cloud?" questioned Lightning, "Oh, my face is up here." Pointing to her face. Cloud pointed to the weird mark on Lightnings' chest, just above her left breast.
"What's that?" asked Cloud, looking onto his wrist to see a weird motif on his arm.
"What's that?" asked Lightning, pointing to Clouds' wrist. The mark looked like a wolf, the Cloudy Wolf that Cloud had seen in his dreams, the wolf which protected him from the Slenderman in his nightmares. Lightning had the Odin l'Cie mark on her left breast.
"I'll talk to you after my shower, I really need to get washed, but don't go downstairs."
Cloud walked into Lightnings' room after his shower and after he'd got changed into a pair of black combats and a medium sized t-shirt which showed Clouds' muscles. Lightning was wearing a creamy brownish top with a brown turtle-neck underneath. A brown skirt and a a pair of brown knee length boots. A greenish metal pauldron on her left shoulder and a red cape attached to it. Specially made by Toshiko for Serahs' gunblade was a brown pouch which attached to the back of Lightnings' skirt.
"You look nice, much better clothes," laughed Cloud.
"Thanks, you look..." murmured Lightning, placing her palm on Clouds' stomach. Cloud moved closer to Lightning and pressed his lips against her soft, pink lips. Her aqua blue eyes closed tightly as she deepened the kiss. Clouds' cyan eyes closed slowly as he kissed her more passionately. Cloud moved back, finishing the kiss. Lightning inhale a deep breath.
"T-T-That was a surprise," gasped Lightning, turning a blush red.
"Time to get briefed," laughed Cloud.
"Briefed?"
"You're uncle and aunt are against Hojo and the company he owns. They're helping us break in, and that's the reason I got this weapon from Owen. It's my dads sword, the Buster Blade," said Cloud walking downstairs. Lightning gripped Clouds' hands and intertwined their fingers. Together they walked into the living room to see Toshiko and Owen waiting for the pair.