𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖢𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖽 𝖮𝖿 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖯𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖾𝗍

27: The cure to the curse.

It felt as if my head was about to split in half with this pain. 

But without controlling this myself, I was surrounded with visions. I saw Tifa being carried in the chocobo carriage to the Corneo's audition. Then another vision is how Corneo smiles at me while licking his mouth. After that, there is a vision of Tifa laying on the cold floor where she is unconscious. Biggs and Jesse were killed in another one and the sector's 7 pillar was falling..

I was overwhelmed with the visions and the pain was agonizing. Any second I knew I would be knocked out cold.

"....ui.... Yui...... Yui!!" I felt Cloud's strong pair of arms around my shoulders.

He snapped me out of the visions. I didn't notice it before, but I was crying and then I felt blood pouring down my nose with a more intense flow than before. My head was still slightly throbbing but the worst was definitely over.

"Are you alright?" he tried to look at me, but I lifted my face to look at Cloud. To confirm if he was really here right now.

He looked stunned at how my face looked probably. 

"C-Cloud.." I said, feeling relieved just by seeing him, "What happened? Are you okay?"

Why is it that Cloud's simple touch made me snap out of my agonizing visions. His touch felt somehow relieving and his presence now made me feel so much better than from seconds ago.

"Hey.." Cloud peered at my face which brought me back to reality.

"O-Oh.. My face must be a mess now, sorry about that." I laughed it off while wiping my nose that was still intensely bleeding.

Seeing he has got no answer from me, he only kept staring. Not being able to stand to see him watching my not so pretty moment, I smiled to reassure him, "It's the visions. I felt a slight headache back in the tunnels after using my ability, so now I'm paying the price for using it too much." I smiled.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said a bit harshly which made me look at him.

"... If I told you, you would send me home. And I wanted to be with you as long as I could." I said with a sad smile.

He peered into my face. I noticed his fierce expression soften at my words.

"This wouldn't be the last time we see each other." he sighed as he looked away.

I felt my heart clench at his words.

"Yeah.. I wouldn't let that be the last time either." I chuckled.

He looked back at me, "I'll walk you back home."

But I felt myself frown, "What about Tifa? She was in that carriage, wasn't she?" I looked on the ground, knowing that from my visions.

"Yeah.. But she's got this." he said.

I shook my head, "No, Cloud. We are going after her."

He only kept staring whilst not understanding. I knew he was about to say something he didn't have to say, so I interrupted him.

"Sometimes even strong girls need support." I said.

He kept quiet for a while but then spoke up, "Did you see anything in your visions?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yeah.." I felt the fatigue getting the best of me.

"You should rest." he said.

I sighed out of disbelief, "There's no time for that. We've got to save Tifa." 

But then I felt his arms wrap around my back and knees as he lifted me up in his arms as if I were a princess.

"That wasn't a question." he said as he started to proceed inside the sector 6.

I felt my cheeks redden, "Cloud, let me down! This is so embarrassing." 

I heard him snicker as we now entered the city that never sleeps, Wall Market.

Of course, everyone was staring at me and Cloud since I was in his arms like that. Even though I was moved by Cloud's concern, my heart was about to burst first of it all!

".... This is so embarrassing... I feel humiliated, Cloud!" I hid my face with my hands.

"You'll never see those people again." he defended his actions.

I sighed, "But we are going to be here for a while.."

He looked at me and stared deeply into my eyes. His eyes then went down to my nose that was no longer bleeding, yet there was a trace of dry blood.

"Next time, if you don't feel well, I'd prefer you telling me before it gets to this extent again." he said, as if scolding me.

I felt myself smile at his concern. We certainly got closer just with spending one whole day together.

"It won't happen again." I smiled, "Now, you can let me down and we can get going." I continued but he seemed to ignore my pleading, "We're here." he said as he stood in front of the grand hall's gate.

I remembered the flashbacks of this place which made me slightly shiver. Cloud put me on the ground gently and we both then opened the gate. I saw a familiar figure standing in front of the entrance to Corneo's mansion.

Once the certain person also took a notice, he gasped out of disbelief.

"Yui!" his smile widened along with his eyes.

He didn't hesitate for a moment and approached me quickly, only to hug me.

"Leslie, oof–" he was hugging me so tightly that it was difficult to breathe.

Cloud coughed to state that he was here as well which made Leslie separate from me, "Sorry. I lost my composure, however, you know very well why that is. Why have you disappeared just like that without saying anything?" his voice got stern.

I felt myself smile nervously, "Uhh.. I knew my job was done and I was sure you two had a lot to catch up to." 

He then bursted out laughing.

I never saw Leslie being this happy, I met him when he was ultimately depressed and then I remember seeing his crying face when he reunited with his fiancee.

I met Leslie in the past on the day his fiancee went missing. He was in the abandoned church, praying for his fiancee's safety when we met. He was really mean and defensive back then, but the more we got to know each other and I got to know about his whereabouts, he shared the story of his fiancee's disappearance. 

Being the person that I am, I used my ability for him to track her down. It was really hard to locate her because I have never seen her, but thanks to Leslie, she was found, safe and sound. On the day of their reunion, I disappeared without a trace, knowing I've done everything I could. It were the good deeds that Leslie told me about that his fiancee did. She was, and still is, a wonderful person.