Wutaiverse
A little late but still fresh off the keyboard. If anyone's celebrating the 4th I wish you all lots and lots of safe and fun. and for those of you not, use it as an excuse and party anyway.
Title: 1985 - 08 - A Different Ending
Author: Scrolls
Rating: PG-13?
Fandom/Pairing: FF7/None (eventual Aeris/Cloud/Sephiroth/Zack)
Disclaimer: SqaureEnix Owns, I'm just having some fun.
Notes: Wutai didn't exactly live up to Cloud's expectations.
Summary: What if Momma Strife had taken Cloud and Aeris and gone to Wutai?
Constructive criticism will be hugged while flames will be used to line the bunny hutch.
Enjoy Ladies and Gentlemen.
1985 - 08 - A Different Ending
The morning Tea Garden was a lovely little spot whose designers seemed to understand that not everyone was bright and chipper when the courts started. A square roofed patio was connected to the main building by a raised walkway with several vines attached to the railings. Three small ponds, each with their own colors were simply designed; the whole garden gave off a sense of calm that was ready to become true movement when needed.
“Gaijin!”
“Worm!”
“Pale Filth!”
Unfortunately, the carefully cultivated sense of calm was being broken by one of those more annoying occurrences of human nature.
Hanonaru Fujira, Takakawa Sai, and Uwamatane Kojo were the sons of minor nobles sent by their superiors to represent them in the Royal Pagoda. Despite their so-called ‘better’ rearing, like all children the world over they were quick to copy the words of their parents.
“Shove him in the water! See if he’ll wriggle!”
Twisting to his left Cloud grabbed Kojo’s hand and using the move taught just yesterday, landed the boy right into the koi pond. Like all children of the Imperial Court he attended the lessons Pagoda provided. However, unlike many of the other children, Cloud already had experience on how to use some of what was taught.
Three years past Cloud and his mother had left Nibleheim, left the whispers and looks, the tripping and shoving, the slights and bruises. And in his own mind Cloud would admit that he was happy to leave, happy that finally he would be at a place where he could finally play with the other children, could finally stop keeping a constant eye out for the older, meaner kids, could finally stop sticking so close to his mother.
But it hadn’t happened, and truth be told, the scenery might have changed, but all else was the same. People still whispered, still stared. The bullying had shifted a little, what with all the servants and other adults it was hard for them to truly get away with anything. Though somehow-as now-the bullies still managed to practice their trade.
Only a handful could actually hurt him-these three included, and no matter how obvious his hurts were the fights and teasing always wound up with Cloud getting into trouble, or being blamed for something and it would get back to his mother, who would just sigh and shake her head and placate whoever had brought Cloud to her this time.
And it wasn’t as if Cloud wanted them to stop altogether, he knew that was impossible-and not just because he knew there were bullies everywhere one went, but because Cloud being bullied was the way of things. All he really wanted was to be able to come out to one of the tea gardens and not have people trying to push him into the water, to not have servants or whoever hauling him before him mother or worse the Emperor. That’s all he wanted really, was to just not have them getting him into so much trouble.
A sudden breeze ruffled the leaves, reminding him all-to-well of Aeris’s sigh after he had snuck into her garden, covered in red and bruises and just wanting to get away from the torment for just a bit.
“Cloud, if you want this to stop you have to fight back!”
“What! I can’t do that Aeris! I’ll just get into more trouble!”
“Well if you won’t fight back then have them be the ones caught and in trouble, maybe then they’ll leave you alone for a bit.”
Sitting there listening to Aeris talk like that, Cloud had been flabbergasted beyond words, she had talked as if he could actually do something about all this! But what if you could? Asked that little voice that had been niggling at him lately. What if you did?
And it wasn’t just those, other things Aeris said, had been saying kept echoing back to him, making him wonder, maybe, just maybe, could he change this? Did he even dare to try?
You won’t know if you can do something if you don’t even try! Words spoken just this morning by the Instructor of Arms to his newest student. And though the words were meant for another, Cloud decided that maybe he could follow the advice, and just this once, turn the bullies plan on themselves and see what happened.
The wind faded and the faint sound of laughter and walking pricked his ears. He was still getting used to his senses, only upgraded last month, but if he was judging right they would be coming out of the hallway in just a few moments. And considering the looks the other three were exchanging either they heard the same of new he had heard.
If he wanted this to be different then he had to wait until the last second to act. If he moved to early they would be sorted out by the speakers arrived. By the same, if he acted too late, he would be caught along with the rest. Moving back Cloud scanned the surrounding buildings, looking for the best escape route.
One…Two…Three…Three ways out that would both allow him to get away and hide from the view of those coming. And as for where he would act, that was in the one place that he had made sure he didn’t get near; to his right between a willow-cherry and a statue of Da-chao was a little bit of land sticking out into the pond, the perfect spot to throw someone into the water.
The creak of wood and a raised voice about all the noise ahead told Cloud that now was the time to act. Side-stepping Fujita’s punch he slipped past Sai’s outstretched arm, and turning grabbed the other boy, twisted, and sent him straight into the water. Kojo and Fujita came at him together, their raised hands telling the plan for him to join Sai. He waited…waited…waited…and when they rushed him he dropped, rolled, and coming up behind the two, helped their momentum with a good strong push so they could join their friend in the water.
“What was that splash?”
He didn’t bother to look, he just moved, running towards the closest of the three escapes. Despite himself Cloud couldn’t help the small smile taking over his face, he had done it, he had changed it. And as the servants came out into the garden and spotted the boys, Cloud slipped under a walkway and off to see Aeris.
[Text]
Title: 1985 - 08 - A Different Ending
Author: Scrolls
Rating: PG-13?
Fandom/Pairing: FF7/None (eventual Aeris/Cloud/Sephiroth/Zack)
Disclaimer: SqaureEnix Owns, I'm just having some fun.
Notes: Wutai didn't exactly live up to Cloud's expectations.
Summary: What if Momma Strife had taken Cloud and Aeris and gone to Wutai?
Constructive criticism will be hugged while flames will be used to line the bunny hutch.
Enjoy Ladies and Gentlemen.
1985 - 08 - A Different Ending
The morning Tea Garden was a lovely little spot whose designers seemed to understand that not everyone was bright and chipper when the courts started. A square roofed patio was connected to the main building by a raised walkway with several vines attached to the railings. Three small ponds, each with their own colors were simply designed; the whole garden gave off a sense of calm that was ready to become true movement when needed.
“Gaijin!”
“Worm!”
“Pale Filth!”
Unfortunately, the carefully cultivated sense of calm was being broken by one of those more annoying occurrences of human nature.
Hanonaru Fujira, Takakawa Sai, and Uwamatane Kojo were the sons of minor nobles sent by their superiors to represent them in the Royal Pagoda. Despite their so-called ‘better’ rearing, like all children the world over they were quick to copy the words of their parents.
“Shove him in the water! See if he’ll wriggle!”
Twisting to his left Cloud grabbed Kojo’s hand and using the move taught just yesterday, landed the boy right into the koi pond. Like all children of the Imperial Court he attended the lessons Pagoda provided. However, unlike many of the other children, Cloud already had experience on how to use some of what was taught.
Three years past Cloud and his mother had left Nibleheim, left the whispers and looks, the tripping and shoving, the slights and bruises. And in his own mind Cloud would admit that he was happy to leave, happy that finally he would be at a place where he could finally play with the other children, could finally stop keeping a constant eye out for the older, meaner kids, could finally stop sticking so close to his mother.
But it hadn’t happened, and truth be told, the scenery might have changed, but all else was the same. People still whispered, still stared. The bullying had shifted a little, what with all the servants and other adults it was hard for them to truly get away with anything. Though somehow-as now-the bullies still managed to practice their trade.
Only a handful could actually hurt him-these three included, and no matter how obvious his hurts were the fights and teasing always wound up with Cloud getting into trouble, or being blamed for something and it would get back to his mother, who would just sigh and shake her head and placate whoever had brought Cloud to her this time.
And it wasn’t as if Cloud wanted them to stop altogether, he knew that was impossible-and not just because he knew there were bullies everywhere one went, but because Cloud being bullied was the way of things. All he really wanted was to be able to come out to one of the tea gardens and not have people trying to push him into the water, to not have servants or whoever hauling him before him mother or worse the Emperor. That’s all he wanted really, was to just not have them getting him into so much trouble.
A sudden breeze ruffled the leaves, reminding him all-to-well of Aeris’s sigh after he had snuck into her garden, covered in red and bruises and just wanting to get away from the torment for just a bit.
“Cloud, if you want this to stop you have to fight back!”
“What! I can’t do that Aeris! I’ll just get into more trouble!”
“Well if you won’t fight back then have them be the ones caught and in trouble, maybe then they’ll leave you alone for a bit.”
Sitting there listening to Aeris talk like that, Cloud had been flabbergasted beyond words, she had talked as if he could actually do something about all this! But what if you could? Asked that little voice that had been niggling at him lately. What if you did?
And it wasn’t just those, other things Aeris said, had been saying kept echoing back to him, making him wonder, maybe, just maybe, could he change this? Did he even dare to try?
You won’t know if you can do something if you don’t even try! Words spoken just this morning by the Instructor of Arms to his newest student. And though the words were meant for another, Cloud decided that maybe he could follow the advice, and just this once, turn the bullies plan on themselves and see what happened.
The wind faded and the faint sound of laughter and walking pricked his ears. He was still getting used to his senses, only upgraded last month, but if he was judging right they would be coming out of the hallway in just a few moments. And considering the looks the other three were exchanging either they heard the same of new he had heard.
If he wanted this to be different then he had to wait until the last second to act. If he moved to early they would be sorted out by the speakers arrived. By the same, if he acted too late, he would be caught along with the rest. Moving back Cloud scanned the surrounding buildings, looking for the best escape route.
One…Two…Three…Three ways out that would both allow him to get away and hide from the view of those coming. And as for where he would act, that was in the one place that he had made sure he didn’t get near; to his right between a willow-cherry and a statue of Da-chao was a little bit of land sticking out into the pond, the perfect spot to throw someone into the water.
The creak of wood and a raised voice about all the noise ahead told Cloud that now was the time to act. Side-stepping Fujita’s punch he slipped past Sai’s outstretched arm, and turning grabbed the other boy, twisted, and sent him straight into the water. Kojo and Fujita came at him together, their raised hands telling the plan for him to join Sai. He waited…waited…waited…and when they rushed him he dropped, rolled, and coming up behind the two, helped their momentum with a good strong push so they could join their friend in the water.
“What was that splash?”
He didn’t bother to look, he just moved, running towards the closest of the three escapes. Despite himself Cloud couldn’t help the small smile taking over his face, he had done it, he had changed it. And as the servants came out into the garden and spotted the boys, Cloud slipped under a walkway and off to see Aeris.
[Text]