Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Cloud in Spiraland ❯ Besaid volume 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Yuna awoke the next morning to find her patient, and now gaurdian, missing from his bed. His sword was still against the wall and his shirt was still on his bed, so he was still in the village. She yawned before slipping on her pink moogle themed kimono and geta sandals. It was covered in pink triangles and circles and earts around the edges, the obi designed with cherries.

She left her room in the temple and exited to the rest of the village. Where on earth was he? She asked Ama, the girl who owned the dog, where her patient was. The answer was vague and unknowing. 'Somewhere near the shop' was as specific as it got. Yuna walked over to said item shop in search of the blonde to find he wasn't there. The shopkeeper Ingrid politely informed Yuna that he'd gone to the textile hut. On the other side of the village. Witha bow yuna mentally sighed and left for Jassu's fathers.

there, the apprentice summoner was informed of a 'secret purchase' he'd made with his own money.

"Oh yes yes yes, he had quite a bit of gil on him that one. And his pants!" The old man sighed in happiness and envy. "Oh I've never seen such finly woven cloth! I must discover his secret. Are you still here?"

"I'm just leaving," Yuna smiled before turning to him. "Oh1 sir, do you think you could possibly make me a travel skirt?"

"Of course of course, just come by in an hour and it will be done, I promise."

Yuna stood outside the temple now, waiting for her patient to come home. In truth she felt like a mother waiting for an errant child. After the clothers she'd gone back to see if he'd returned. He had of course come back during her absence, taking his sword and shirt. Darn him.

"Maybe I should look for him?" she wondered silently to herself.

The blitzers walked thorugh the village gates then, Cloud in tow. All of them were laughing of course about something one of them had done. She assumed it was something Cloud said, because when he spoke again, they laughed again. She was happy he was making friends with Wakka, especially after yesterday.

"I don't think I was ever so speechless in my life," Cloud laughed. "Oh, hey Yuna."

Yuna glared.

"Heh heh, uhm...sleep well?"

Wakka was laughing again this time. "You're in for it now brudda," he laughed putting a hand on the blondes shoulder. "Aurochs! To my place for drinks ya?"

as the jocks left for the safty of Wakka's hut, Cloud walked up to the teen. She was in a half worried half upset mood entirely directed at him. He notcied then, that her once floor length kimono had been replaced with a violet skirt slit up bothe side to midthigh. Also, she was wearing a white tank top.

"I like your skirt," he said honestly. "It fits your personality more."

Yuna blushed lightly, her anger now dimmed immensely. She'd recieved compliments from the villag boys before, but none had compared to the way Cloud gave his. They weren't complex or breathtaking. They were simple, sincere, and for some reason had her blushing like crazy. She motioned for him to come back into the temple.

"Oh!" Cloud started when they entered the room. "I uh, kinda got you something."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, for the journey. Those don't look very comfortable, and what wih the snow. I mean you'll be cold and frostbite is really dangerous, so ya know..." Cloud trailed off before reaching under his temporary bed for a box Yuna hadn't seen before. "Uhm...There's kinda two gifts..."

Yuna lifted the lid to the box. A pair of knee high leather boots were inside, with white satin ribbon to lace them up. The leather was tough and well worn on the outside and
feather soft on the inside. She took them out and saw a smaller box inside. Inside that box of course, was a silver charm in the shape of a french imperial iris hanging from a delicate silver chain.

"It has demi-eater woven in," Cloud said scratching the back of his head. "It's from Terra. It was my sister Aeris'."

"Oh, I couldn't..."

"No," Cloud said stopping her from giving it back. "I want you to have it. She would have wanted you to, I want you to have it too."

"Thank you. Thank you very much. Tommorrow, we go into the temple where I'm going to pray to the fayth. I'd like it if you came with me."

Cloud looked up at the girl. She was trying to figure out how to lace her new boots. With a small laugh he walked over and helped her pull out the tounge and lace them. He felt like he was teaching Mika to tie her shoes again. Only this time, Mika was a very pretty young woman by the name of Yuna.

"I feel like a little girl," she laughed quietly as he tied the right boot into a bow. "No-ones tied my shoes for me since my father did."

"Your father? What was he like?"

"Hm, High summoner Braska. He went on the same journey I'm about to go on. And he succeeded."

Something about succeeding this journey didn't sit well with Cloud. Plus, all his previous experiance with prayer tended to end very badly. Hishands moved mechanicly lacing the boot up as he spoke to her again.

"Aeris' she was murdered as she prayed. By someone I once idolized," He mumbled. Amazingly she heard his mumbles clearly.

"I think, when you're grieiving, it's better to laugh. When my father died, I learned to laugh at everything that made me sad. I'd find myself practicing to smile and laugh in the mirror." Yuna looked at him expectantly. "What were the best things you two did together?"

"Chocobo racing, at the golden saucer." He smiled at her.

All night the two "greived" over lost family, stopping only when the sky began to lighten. Yuna had, blushingly asked Cloud to untie her shoes due to her lack of knowladge about the boots.

"There are so many gromet holes," Yuna laughed. "I might have to ask you to te them through the whole trip."

Cloud made a semi shocked look appear on his face. "You would treat me so cruelly?" It was easy to be around Yuna. Yuffie was too demanding, Tifa was too worrying, Aeris had been too inquisitive. But Yuna, she was easy to be around.

"Cruelty is Wakka running around in his underwear," Yuna laughed. Distantly, they both heard wild whoops of blitzball players and the shocked screams of a young woman.

Cloud shook his head and pulled out a pair of sleeping pants he'd purchased. They were blue, a rather light blue actually, but they were comfortable and he was just going to sleep in them. Yuna turned once she saw them, saving him and herself embaressment. He did the same when she took out her own nightgown.

"Good morning Yuna," He laughed getting comfortable.

"Good morning Cloud."

IDUNNOWHYIPUTTHESETWOTOGETHERIJUSTDID


It was well past noon when the two of them woke up, CLoud first and a good half hour before Yuna. How she could sleep so long was beyond him, but he had more practice from taking powernaps before watch. She'd have to learn how to powernap too on this trip. He had confidence in her, she could do it. Eventually Lulu came in to wake the girl, which of course took a good fifteen minutes.

Cloud waited outside.

Changing behind a curtain while she was asleep was one thing, being in the room while she changed and bathed was another thing entirely. She emerged soon after he began twirling his hunting knife in circles. It was something he'd bought recently, knowing he'd probably need it should they be trapped somewhere his sword would be of little use.

She came out barefoot, holding the boots he'd bought her and smiling a bit.

"You shouldn't have let me sleep in so long," She scolded him lightly.

"You were tired from last night." He said, missing Lulu's questioning glance. "Besides, I woke up a few minutes before you did." He put his knife back into his boot and shifted the weight of his sword on his shoulders. "So what do you feel like doing Yuna?"

"We go into the cloister of trials once Khimari gets here," she spoke in her soft voice. A voice he'd only heard in front of others. "After that I go to pray and hopefully I'll become a summoner.

Khimari was still sore about the previous day and a bit over protective of Yuna once Lulu asked about their night together. That had been full of evil smirk from the black mage and sputtering from both Cloud and Yuna. Lulu did of course laugh and dismiss it, taking Cloud aside after Khimari led Yuna into the Cloister.

"If the time comes," she began. "When it really would happen, I want you to do it. She should experiance it at least once."

That idea not only cemented that Yuna was supposedly destined for the same fate as Aeris, it also made him blush like a tomato.

The cloister was actually pretty simple and filled with materia shaped objects called spheres. The walls of stone were dusty and ancient, reminding him painfully of the city of the ancients. The antichamber of the temple was surprisingly vibrant in color and incredibly elaborate dispite the dreary atmosphere. Yuna began to climb the steps while Lulu and Khimari waited at the bottom. CLoud ran up halfway, holding her back a bit.

"Good louck," he mumbled.

"Thank you." She walked through the gate and Cloud was forced to rejoin Lulu and Khimari down on the floor.

"You like her don't you?" Lulu asked.

"..." Cloud remained silent, knwoign no matter how he answered, she would turn it around on him. She was like Tifa with Vincent abilaty to wring people for information and Reeves skill to use it against them. Damn if she wasn't smirking right now.

"It's alright if you do," she smiled. "Just don't tell Wakka, he might try and kill you."

Well wasn't that assuring.

He swore he heard Aeris laughing then and adamantly ignored it. Stupid her and Zax, Cloud could have been home having an avarage life with Tifa and pretending he was happy with someone he didn't love just like every other man in existance. But no, they had to go and try to make him happy. Damn them. Now he'd met a girl of petite build, with differently colored eyes who was about to embark on a journey she would more than likely die on or at the end of.

Hours passed. It seemed like an eternity for the Gaurdians in the room, and somewhere in his mind, CLoud was sure night had fallen. Lulu was now sitting on the bottom step, bangs hanging in her face to hide her closed eyes. Her moogle was behind her, unbraiding and brushing her hair, signaling that she was indeed asleep. Khimari was also sitting, though he was in deep meditation, his lance balanced perfectly behind the stub of his broken horn.

That left Cloud sitting by the main entrance staring at the door in the same fashion a puppy would. This puppy however was twirling his knife around in his hand and picking his nails with the edge. A few more hours and Cloud had his altered shirt back on. It once again had it's sleeve, somthing he was glad for with the nights chill approaching. Or perhaps it was only in the temple.

He was startled when the door to the antichamber brust open revealing Wakka and a blonde kid he'd never seen before. And he'd met everyone in the village.

"What are you doing here?" Lulu immidiatly questioned Wakka, pinning him under her gaze. It reminded him of Tifa questioning Cid. "Didn't think we'd be able to handle it?" "No, it's uh...it's just..." He turned to the blonde beside him, "See, I told you she gets mad easy." "Is the summoner all right?" He asked curiously and somewhat snobbish."Who the hell are you?" CLoud asked, making himself known. Wakka spun around, hand on his chest in shock, while the blonde kid stumbled from surprise. He hid a smirk at that fact he could be so stealthy and sent a thank you to Vincent.
"My name's Tidus, Star player of the Zanarkand Abes!" He puffed his chest out importantly. Great, not only was there a dumb jock in the group, there was also a jock who thought he was the shit.
"Is that supposed ot mean somehting to me?" CLoud asked with a raised brow. He ignored the indignance from the boy and the gaping from Wakka, preferring instead to stand at the bottom of the stairs, facing the door Yuna had gone through. Honestly, he was a bit scared. He had such bad experiances inside Churches and Temples.The door opened then, putting CLoud out of his misery, Revealing Yuna leaning heavily against the doorframe. She attempted to Walk out on her own, but stumbled and began falling. He was thankful that the mako treatments had givin him extra speed when she fell in his arms. Khimari was a few steps behind him and her heard Tidus start foreward as well.
"I've done it CLoud." SHe smiled at him. "I have become a summoner!"
She passed out then from the lack of sustanance from her time in the room. But he was there to catch her. Cloud picked her up like he had in the jungle before and walked down the stairs and out the door. Cloud could faintly hear Lulu quietly yelling at Wakka for bringing Tidus in, at least he assumed, as he went to the room he'd shared with Yuna before. He laid her on the bed and got a glass of water from the stand.
"Wow, that guys a really dedicated brother," Tidus said, watching his main opposition for that peice of tail.
"Brudda?" Wakka asked, laughing. "Please, Puff's not Yuna's brudda."
"You mean they're?" Tidus questioned.
Lulu stepped in to answer him, she knew this type and wouldn't let him get with HER baby sister.
"Ever since he arrived they've been sleeping together," she played. "She tended his wounds so faithfully, just like a wife."
Back inside the room, Yuna was starting to feel much better. Even if CLoud was practicly force feeding her and making her drink gallons of water.
"Cloud," Yuna laughed pulling away, "I'm going to drown if you make me drink anymore water. And I'm so stuffed I can barely move."
He mumbled an apology while scratching the back of his head. He'd been worried she realized, something that made her very happy. Wakka and Lulu worried of course, but their worrying made her feel as if she'd done something wrong. He mumbled about getting up to let everyone know she was okay and she comlied easily enough.
Cloud escorted Yuna out of the temple, both noting that everyone had already left to notify the villagers. They were all standing round in a circle to see what their new summoner could do.
She was so much more graceful than anything Cloud had seen, When he and his friends used summon materia, it was quick, percise and simple. But this...this was in a league all it's own. It was beautiful and intricate and something passed down through the generations. Glyphs shone on the ground around her as the sky itself became part of her summoning dance. The creature was something he'd never seen before, birdlike and rainbow colored, it reminded him faintly of a painting in cosmo canyon. What was it again? A thunderbird. She performed a second motion after stroking it lightly and the bird flew off, dissapating into more of the glowing balls of light.
Yuna was trying hard not to stumble as she was congratulated, and Cloud walked up to hold her elbow and steady her. Yuna glance at him thankfully before talking with the rest of the villagers. Faintly, he noticed Tidus glaring at him challengingly. Tidus glanced at Yuna and licked his lips before turning back to Cloud.
'That little shit...' Cloud unconsiously tightened his arm around the new summoner.

"Yuna," CLoud whispered as they were getting ready for the nights celebration. "What are they glowing balls of light that come off of the fiends and aeons?"
"Pyreflies," Yuna said, looking through her chest for a pair of socks. She loved the boots, but they made her feet sweat and one part was giving her a blister. "Uhm...Cloud, do you think you could maybe? Yuna held out the necklace he'd givin her a few days before. "I had to take it off while I showered."
"It's mythril, so it shouldn't rust," Cloud said stupidly as he clasped the chain. "Uhm, I have something I have to show you after the party." He faltered for a moment when she nodded. "Tidus, I don't trust him."
Yuna nodded before the two of them headed out. The village circle was now playing host to a giant bonfire everyone was gathered around. Over on one side the aurochs were messing around, tosssing the ball back and forth. A few waved at him, while the others invited him over later. The side which Yuna was occupying (and Cloud so he could ward off the evil Tidus) was covered in elders and children. Old people smell...but the kids were pretty cool.
The youngest boy of them all was climbing up his back, trying to take him down while an older boy was helping out, takinghim by an arm. The girls were poking him with wooden swords, the same way Marlene did when Denzel jumped on Cloud. Was there some unwritten law that demanded children attack adults? Or were they all enacting some anceint instinctive ritual of blood sacrifice? And why did he still love kids?!
Clous slowly stood up, roaring like a monster and causing the kids to laugh delightedly. He marched around a few feet, only faintly surprised when the girls jumped on him too. He marched around for quite a few minutes until the children's arms got tired of holding on. Mako was a good thing when dealing with children, he'd discovered this long ago, it gave him an extra energy boost and let him keep up and catch them easily.
"Let me introduce you to the team," he heard Wakka say to Tidus. He almost felt bad for the boy, from what he'd seen of the Aurochs, they were dirty boys. Wakka was talking about Tidus having a fuzzy memory and saying odd things. He was akward introducing himself and the rest of the team seemed less than enthusiastic. Especially when he changed the team goal. Wakka seemed okay with it though, and made the team more at ease witht he new plan until they were all but shouting "Victory"."Victory! Victory! Victory!"
Cloud ignored it, deciding to play to the kids that he was tired. And they let him go, only long enough to sit down beside Yuna. They moment his rear touched the ground they were creating a dogpile. He looked up when he heard Yuna laughing at him.
"Help, please." Yuna laughed and was about to help him when the villagers began shouting some incrdibly kind things to the newest guest. One of the kids even got up to yell at him. "You heathen!" An old man wheezed out, shaking his cane angirly."Stay away from the summoner!" His wife agreed."You're a bad man!" This came form the child who'd previuosly sat on his head. At least the kid was off him now, but Yuna was walking over to Tidus, assuring everyone that she would be fine near the stranger. "I'm Yuna," She introduced herself, trying to ignore the looks he was giving Cloud behind her. "Thank you so much for your help earlier." "I'm sorry about that." Tidus laughed, "Wasn't that... Wasn't I not supposed to... Guess I...kind of overreacted." "Oh, no, Cloud was actually getting ready to get me out." Tidus flinched at the name of the other man. He glanced over, seeing a littl egirl braiding Clouds shaggy blonde hair. He wondered if his cold reaction was due to how the older man acted.
"Um, I saw that aeon thing," Tidus started anew, hoping to get on the brunettes good side. "That was amazing!" "Really?" Yuna asked. "Do you think I can become high summoner?"
"Lady Yuna," A kid ran up yelling. "Cloud needs to be prettier! Will you please come help us?!" Both teens turned around to find that Cloud was now sporting a stylish crown of flowers, as well as a necklace. The boys had armed him with a wooden sword and a crudely made spear. The girls were mashing up berries for warpaint, he looked like a tribal king. "He's so kind to them," Tidus heard Yuna sigh happily. "So, tomorrow, then." Tidus started. "Tomorrow?" "We're going on the same boat, aren't we?" "Oh, really?" "We can talk more," Yuna commented. "You can tell me all about Zanarkand!" Tidus watched her walking back over to the broody, yet childfriendly man. They did look good together, but he was older than she was. Not to mention he wasn't a superstar! his musing's were cut short by Wakka's arm around his neck. "She's cute, ya?" The dark man commented, waggling his eyebrows."Yeah," Tidus said nodding. "Don't get no ideas." "No promises there, big guy," Tidus laughed. "Hey, but what if she, like, comes on to me?" Wakka scoffed at the very thought. "That's not going to happen. THose two were made for each other ya? They just don't know it yet. Hey, if you get tired, let me know. I had a bed made for you."
Back by Cloud and Yuna, the whole village was taking part in decorating the ex-SOLDIER. He was a surprisingly good sport about all of it, the elders would whisper behind their hands. He's being so kind for her, The elders would whisper. He's fallign in love with her, the elders would whisper.

"Una, ould oo ury uh," Cloud asked, trying not to move his mouth too much. She'd been painting on and around it for the last ten minuites and CLoud had to yawn.

"Hold on," yuna said, her own mouth open as she painted him. She couldn't explainhow, but she could understand him perfectly, whether he was mumbling, muttering to himself, or talking as she painted him up. She even understood the words he spoke in his sleep. Such sad and anguished words, even now she hadn't asked him about it. During her time with the fayth, Aeris had once again showed up, revealing to Yuna Clouds secret origin. Hence the extra time inside the stoney walls.

"All done!" Yuna said happily. She watched the blondes mouth streach impossibly wide as he yawned.

"Good," Cloud said, resisting the urge to itch right below his left eye. Botta had come over and painted the Aurochs team logo right there, making sure that it was in depth and detailed down to the team cheer scrawled beneath it. "Come on, I wanted to show you something." Cloud stood and helped Yuna up and began walking to the village gates. He made sure to unsheath his sword in front of tidus as a warning however.

Cloud led her to the monument for a safe trip after only a few battles. He made sure Yuna fought in said battles so she would be more experianced, ready of course to step in any minute. Thankfully he and the ultima weapon weren't needed.

"So?" Yuna asked. "What ia it?"

"Materia," Cloud said pulling an orb out of his armlet. It was rainbow colored and shone with hundreds of shimmering platelets. "Master summon materia. It summons the same way you can summon Your..."

"Valefor," Yuna filled in. "Are you saying you want to fight them?"

"No, I want to teach you to use materia," Cloud said. "Master Summon allows full access to all of the summons from my home..."

"Terra." Yuna explained how she knew the name of his homeworld. "Aeris, she came during my time with the fayth and told me about where you're actually from. Thats why I took so long."

He placed the materia back into his armlet with a nod, upset that he hadn't been able to tell her. Maybe Aeris had only told her a little bit, then again, it was Aeris. He went back to explaining the basics of materia usage. How to focus your energy and reach into the depths of the little sphere, pulling out it's hidden power.

"I only have mastered materia with me, so you'll have to be careful," He said, pulling out a master magic sphere and handing it to her. "Now, equip it by pushing it into your ring. It'll fit." He waited until she did so, however hesitantly. "Alright, I'm going to tell you a spell To focus on alright? Lets start with something you know..."

"Cure?" Yuna asked.

"No, you might end up using the kind you're used to...bingo," CLoud said, spotting a fiend. "Now, I want you to imagine that fiend turning very very small alright?"

Yuina nodded, focusing on both the unsuspecting flan and the materia. Tiny flan, tiny flan, tiny flan. The materia in her ring was reacting sluggishly and reluctantly, she heard Cloud whispering for her to keep steady. Be insistant, yet undemanding. The magical sphere flushed then and exited through the summoner's fingertips, right at the now miniscule flan.

"I did it!" Yuna was amazed at the sphere on her ring, so docile now. "It was so strange...I'd never cast any spell like that before."

"That's materia. Honestly I'd never seen spells cast without it until I came here." He walked over to the quarter sized Flan and picked it up. "Think Lulu would let us keep it?"

"Defintly not," Yuna shook her head. "She's actually kind of scared of them."

"Are you serious?"

"Dead serious."

"Amazing. Oh, one more thing, from now on, whenever you cast a spell using materia, use a motion you wouldn't normally use," Lcoud said taking the materia back. "That way you don't end up catching your bunk on fire."

"What's yours? And what do you men bunk?"

Cloud cheered mentally. Aeris had only told Yuna he was from another world, yay!

"Mine?" Cloud gave the tiny flan to Yuna before casting his own Toad spell on it. "That's mine. I hold my fistin front of me."

"And bunk?"

"I was in the army once. ShinRa's army to be exact. I was training to become one of the elite's. A SOLDIER, first class. I wanted to be just like my hero."

Yuna watched as his eyes grew hard and cold as he remembered something surely terrible. She walked up and placed a hand on his arm to draw himout of his course and unforgiving memories. She was glad it worked and mentioned they should head back. The dark sky was once again lightening.