Erica

by: Char Aznable

zeon4eva@wmconnect.com

Hiya! Well, my name is Char and welcome to my weird world of fanfic crossovers. Erica is my own character, BTW. The rest belong to Square. If you like this one, I may post the one I did with FF7 meets Lord of the Rings. I haven't got done with that one yet. Oh, and just a little juicy tidbit, I've already got the second part to this one planned out, so when this one is complete, I'll post the second one. But, oh well, onto the fic. Enjoy! ^_^

Sincerely,

                                                            Char Aznable

***

 Yet another grueling day in SOILDER. I hated this place...it's so gray and dreary. I went through the grueling training with out a word, but my body, when I lie down at night, is so sore, I can't even blink with out it hurting. My name is Erica, I joined SOILDER after hearing of the amazing benefits. But after I joined, it was nothing put pain, and I saw no benefits. I sat down at the middle table at the mess hall, I was slumped over. I hadn't slept in nearly three days, but I was beginning to get used to that. I stared at the slop that they called food as it was placed in front of me.

"Thank you, Cloud."

"No big, Erica, you look like you're about to pass out anyway." he sat down next to me and looked at my face. "Are they working you too hard?"

"Don't they always?" looking at the slop suddenly made me realize my hunger, I grabbed whatever utensil was beside me and woofed it down.

"You haven't eaten lately, have you?"

"No." I said, in between bites. I looked at Cloud's tray and stared at it. "Umm...are you gonna eat that?"

"No." he shoved the tray in front of my face, I gobbled it up. I heard the doors to the mess hall open, and the familiar clack of boots on the tile.

"Good morning, Erica."

"Mornin', Sephiroth." I said, I wiped my mouth off with my shirt sleeve.

"How are they treating you?" I tried to hide my face from him, but he took my chin in his hands, and lifted up my head. I could feel that my eyelids wanted to close, but, they wouldn't let me sleep. Sephiroth clicked his tounge. Cloud looked at me, I could see worry in his eyes as Sephiroth pulled me towards him. "Hojo never learns, does he?" he held me close and rocked me like a sick child. His body was warm and it made me sleepier than I already was. I could barely keep my eyes open, so I just let them drop. "Poor thing...worked to a frazzle, never gets any food or sleep."

"I don't know why, Sephiroth, but she always seems to go right to sleep when you hold her."

He smiled. "Maybe it's my irresistable charms."

Cloud snickered and watched as Sephiroth carried me away to my quarters. He lay me down on the bed. "You can sleep in peace, little one." I felt his hand brush across my cheek. He sat down on the bed, and sighed. "Barely even 14 and you've joined SOILDER...must have been tough for you back home." he kissed my forehead. "Don't worry, you can sleep now, little one." I heard his boots clack across the floor, then I heard the door open and shut. I don't know how long I was asleep, but it didn't feel like even a second went by when Cloud was shaking me awake.

"Erica, Erica, wake up. We've got a mission!"

"Just five more mintues, Sephie..." I heard some one walk up beside Cloud.

"Erica, you've been sleeping all day yesterday and half of today. I know that you're tired, but we have to leave now."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "...Where are we goin'?" I yawned and nearly fell back on top of the pillow, but Sephiroth caught me.

"We're going to Trabia."

"Trabia?" I suddenly didn't feel tired anymore.

"Why are you so excited?"

I looked up at Sephiroth. "That's my hometown!"

***

I slept nearly all the way there. Sephiroth did happen to poke me awake every now and again. Cloud would shake me awake and point something out. He was so excited, but I wasn't too excited. The reason I left home was to get away from it all. It was horrible there, of course I loved Trabia, there's no place like home, right? But it...it just...I don't know. I finally did get a straight hour of sleep, I guess my commrades saw no point in waking me up if I'd just nod off again. But I woke up when the truck lurched to a halt.

"Erica..." said Sephiroth. "You're home..."

I stepped out of the truck and breathed in the fresh air. After being stuck in Midgar for so long, you begin to appreciate things like clean air and water. "Home..." I ran into the village, smiling, I was so happy to be home! But when I got through the gates...it wasn't like I left it.

Sephiroth and Cloud were laughing, they were happy for me, but they stopped when I hit the ground. "What...happened here...?" I clawed at the dirt with my hands. And then pounded it with my fists. "WHAT HAPPENED?!"

Sephiroth came up to me. "It looks like the reactor exploded."

I felt tears starting to sting the corner of my eyes. Cloud kneeled down next to me. "Are you OK?"

"No! I'm not okay!" I smacked Cloud out of the way. I lifted my head and looked around the village. It was in ruins, and no one was around.

"Erica..." Sephiroth grabbed my shoulders and stood me up. "I know that you're upset...but..."

"Shut-up..." I shoved his hands off of me. "You have no idea how I feel." the tears started to fall down my face now, he took his hand and wiped them away.

"Don't cry..."

"Who said I was crying?"

"And don't be so stubborn either. And I know exactly how you feel now...alone..."

"No!" I took his hand off of my face and let it drop. "That's not how I feel at all!" I looked at him, he was crying a little. "Not at all!" I took off running, I ran and ran until I got to the only place that I was comfortable at. A mako fountain, the mako bubbled and gurgled, it was a calming sound. I sat there, curled up on a rock, listening to the fountain bubble, when I heard them calling out for me. "I'm not going back...they can look all they want..." I heard something rustle in the bushes. "Why did you follow me, Sephiroth?!" but no reply came, I turned around to look in the bushes, a wolf leaped out and started to attack me, I screamed.

     Sephiroth was looking for her desperatly. Why did she run away? he thought. He was coming toward the Trabia woods when he heard me scream. "Erica!" he motioned to Cloud and they took off running.

When they arrived, the wolf was gone. I was sitting up, holding my arm, and sobbing hysterically. Sephiroth and Cloud ran over to me. "Erica?"

"...Sephie?" I sobbed. He lay me down against a rock.

"What happened?"

"A wolf...jumped out...bit my arm..." I moved my hand to reveal a bloody gash in my arm. Sephiroth held me in his arms. "Stop...you'll get blood all over your clothes."

"I don't care..."

"Hey," Cloud walked over to us. "Let's camp out here, okay? That way, we won't have to move her."

"Good thinking, Cloud, you go get some firewood, and I'll bandage her wound."

"Kay." Cloud ran off into the woods to find some firewood, and Sephiroth reached into his cloak and pulled out some bandages. I closed my eyes and let him put on the cloths. It stung, but I tried not to show it.

"I'm done." Sephiroth stood back. "You can rest now..." he got down on the ground and took me in his embrace. "...don't scare me like that..." he whispered. As always, I fell asleep while he was holding me. It's not that I don't enjoy the attention because I'm little and all...but I think that he likes me. Sephiroth lay down with me on the rock, his arms around my stomach. He kept me warm and I kept him warm. We stayed snuggled together the entire night.

***

It was the next morning, Cloud looked a little puffed up since he found Sephiroth and I snuggled together on a rock.

"Don't be mad, Cloud. Nothing happened, he was just trying to keep me warm."

"..." Cloud just sat there with his arms across his chest. Sephiroth came in from the town, he was cleaning up, while Cloud watched over me. When he walked in, all I could do was stare and stare, Cloud rolled his eyes and kept poking at the fire.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine...but it still hurts..."

"Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?" he grinned.

"It would help, bunches."

"Well, okay." Sephiroth leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek. When he pulled away, he was blushing slightly, Cloud was sitting by the fire, gagging.

"Oh, Cloud!" I wobbled over to him and hit him on the back of the head.

"Ouch!" he rubbed his head. Sephiroth pointed and laughed. It was like it was back in Midgar, good times. Sephiroth grinned.

"Did you know that fresh Mako makes an excellent liquor?"

Cloud sighed. "Here we go again..."

I giggled. "No, I didn't know that."

Sephiroth flicked his hand in the air. "How did you know that this was here?"

"I found it when I was little," I swirled my fingers around in the Mako. "I always liked to come here and listen to the gentle sounds it made." I took my fingers out of the liquid, and looked up at Sephiroth. "But, I got poisoned by it, and my parents never allowed me near it again."

"I see,"

"But it doesn't bother me now." I dipped my fingers in the Mako and licked them.

Sephiroth slapped my hand. "That will kill you!"

"I thought you said,"

"Only if you boil it."

"Oh," I sat down on the ground, embarassed that I had been such a fool. "My stomach hurts,"

"It's just the Mako,"

"No, it really hurts, Mako wouldn't do this, would it?"

"Yes, it would. You'll just have to let it run its course."

"Ugh," my stomach gurggled, I got up and ran into the woods.

"Poor little thing, she should have known better."

Cloud shook his head and continued poking the fire, they heard a scream, and they took off running.

***