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Premonitions: Uncut	By : Hippo_and_Friends_with_Benefits Category: Final Fantasy VII > General Views: 3901 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, and I am not making any money of of this writing.

Chapter List
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Chapter 58: On the Trail of the Woman in Leather
Upon entering Kalm, Cloud could see endless construction. He had heard it had been burnt by Bestla, but the town seemed to be already starting to recover.
The entire town seemed occupied, and there were workers everywhere. Some were painting buildings. Others were putting new cobblestones in the street. Still others were running their shops as usual.
Cloud found it rather interesting. These people were expecting their doom, yet they continued to restore their town, and continued to live their lives as normal. Perhaps they needed something to do.
In any case, Cloud knew exactly where he would be going. He remembered a hardware shop near the town square that was, thankfully, not burnt. He would buy a shovel, dig a tunnel under the wall, and enter Midgar. And then, it would depend on luck. He would ask around about a woman in leather, and he figured that the area near the Shinra Building would be the perfect place to start.
But after overhearing two workers who were putting cobblestones in, such an endeavor lost all of its necessity.
"Shit happens," said the first worker. "Just ask that hot chick in leather from Midgar."
He had no idea where that conversation began, or what led to that comment, but that was all he needed to hear. Cloud stopped in his tracks. He immediately rushed over to them.
"What did you say?" he asked.
"Nothing," replied the first worker. "Just the funniest thing I've ever heard of."
"What?" asked Cloud, visibly impatient.
"This girl that was found near the Shinra Building in Midgar. She had some fortune," he said. "Or rather misfortune. She was laying on her back in a pile of shit."
"Seriously?" asked Cloud. "A pile of shit? A literal one?"
"Dead serious," the man replied. "Manure in the back of William McPherson's pickup. He must've been selling it to people growing gardens on their balconies. It's his side business. "
"That stuff is crap," added the second worker. "Both literally and figuratively. My wife tried to grow a garden in it and all the plants died before they sprouted. McPherson needs to stick to his real talents."
"How did she get there?" Cloud asked.
"Damned if I know," the first worker answered. "She was passed out, so it looks like she either fell or partied too hard."
"And she was wearing leather?" Cloud asked. "You're absolutely sure?"
"Sure as I'm sure the sky's blue," he answered. "I'm guessing she was either a biker or a whore. Neither would surprise me."
If Cloud tracked down the owner of the pickup truck, he would find the woman in leather for sure.
"Where can I find this William McPherson?" Cloud asked.
"He owns the chocobo farm outside the city," the man answered. "That's why they call him Choco Bill."
He remembered that place; he knew it was between Kalm and the swamp. He now knew where he had to go. His quest was already coming to an end, and it turned out to be much easier than expected.
Growing ever impatient for an answer, Cloud quickly fast-walked out of Kalm and back to the Highwind.
"Not so much as a fucking thank you!" shouted the worker.
He then went back to work as if the encounter never happened.
A FEW MINUTES LATER...
When Cloud got to the farm, it seemed quiet and tranquil like a Sunday morning. There seemed to be little activity, save a few chocobos grazing out front in a pen. He was somewhat envious; these birds had now idea how much trouble the world was in. They simply carried on their peaceful existence.
The lane to the house was nearly a mile, giving Cloud plenty of time to think as he made his way towards the house. Was Aerith alive? Was she on this farm? If he knocked on the front door he was walking towards, would she answer it and leap into his arms? Or was it a clone of Aerith that he saw roaming the streets of Midgar? In any case, he understood that before the day was out, he would know the answer.
But, of course, there were other questions. If it really was Aerith, where would they go from there? He and Tifa had admitted their love for each other. They were even talking about getting married. He was well aware of the consequences of them not ending up together, and they had been given a unique second chance at each other.
But he remembered what he had told Tifa, and it was true; he had committed to Aerith first. She had also told him that she loved him. And he most certainly loved her. Of course, had he known then what he knew now, he never would have pursued a relationship with her, but he knew that any speculation about how the past might have been would be a futile effort.
And of course, there was the sex. He knew for sure that he and Aerith were sexually compatible, but with him and the abstinent Tifa, it would be a mystery until their wedding night.
Then, there was his mother. He recalled her telling him that he should have an older girlfriend; Aerith was, Tifa wasn't.
And there were the other questions; the ones that had nothing to do with either girl. Why wasn't the White Materia glowing this time? Was Bestla still in the area?
At this point, Cloud reached the front of the house. His heart was racing. His mouth was dry. Preparing himself for anything, Cloud knocked at the door.
The door was answered twenty seconds later. Bill looked about seventy, but seemed to have some youthful spunk in him.
"Good afternoon," he greeted cheerfully.
"Good afternoon," Cloud replied. He noticed his hand was trembling.
"What brings you here?" Bill asked. "Here to see the chocobos?"
"Actually, I heard you took a girl here," Cloud said. "One who passed out in your truck?"
"We sure did," Bill replied. "Last night, to be exact. I figured someone would come looking for her sooner or later. Do you know her?"
"I might," Cloud replied honestly. "I am indeed looking for someone, and it might be her. Is she still here?"
"Well, my boy," Bill continued, "she is. When we got home, we found her in the back of the truck. On top of all that manure."
"Oh," Cloud replied.
"How she got there, God only knows," Bill said. "We noticed when we got home. We almost dumped her on the compost heap with all the manure. Of course, her leather outfit was ruined. My Granddaughter, Chloe, bathed her and dressed her."
Cloud then pulled out his cell phone and showed Bill a selfie he had taken with Aerith on the Costa del Sol Boardwalk.
"Is this her?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's Milly," Bill replied.
There was an awkward silence. Cloud gave a skeptical look.
"Her name's not Milly," he dismissed.
Bill's eyes began to looked troubled. "I think you better come inside."
Cloud obeyed and followed Bill into the kitchen, sitting down at the table.
"I know Milly's not her name," Bill continued. "That's what Chloe called her. Milly was my late daughter's name. Billy and Chloe are her kids."
"Did she tell you her name is Aerith?" Cloud asked.
Bill shook his head. "This is the part I've been trying to tell you, son; the reason I called you inside and sat you down. She doesn't know her name."
Cloud gave a skeptical look.
"She doesn't know her name?!"
"We asked her who she was," Bill continued, "and she didn't know. She didn't have any ID on her whatsoever. But I only heard of one girl named Aerith. And I heard she was killed."
"That's the Aerith I'm looking for, and I saw she was killed," Cloud said. "She was stabbed from behind. But then I could have sworn I saw her in Midgar. Her back was turned to me when I saw her, but she was wearing the same black leather you found her in."
"Is she your girlfriend?" asked Bill.
"Possibly," Cloud replied. "If it is really Aerith, then yes, she is. There's also the possibility that she's a clone of some sort. Aerith wasn't just anybody. There was interest in cloning her. They even tried mating her with an animal to get them both to reproduce. Disgusting, I know, but her captor wasn't exactly sane."
"My goodness!" exclaimed Bill. "That would explain why she doesn't know her own name. She can't if she was never given one."
"And if she's the real Aerith..." Cloud began.
"She might have amnesia," Bill finished for him. "But if she is who you think she is, seeing you might jog her memory."
"You think so?" asked Cloud.
"I think so," Bill echoed. He then pointed to the back door. "But there's only one way to find out. She's feeding the animals out back if you want to check."
Cloud, with his heart pounding and his palms sweaty, stood up.
"Thank you," he said before making his way out the back door.
OUTSIDE...
Cloud stepped out the back door to see a long, winding path, of which he could not see the other end of. He looked down it with anticipation; he would likely find her somewhere along this path. His search strongly felt as if it was coming to an end.
The first thing he saw outside along the path were chocobo stables. There were one or two birds in each of them. Most of them went about their business, eating grass and squabbling with their pen-mates, but a few of them took interest and approached Cloud as he walked by. Of course, he did not acknowledge them. He was focused on one thing, and one thing only. Thus, the creatures gave him perplexed looks as he continued down the path until it came to a bend the turned the path to the left. There, Cloud stopped briefly. He was aware that he might see her as soon as he turned. Prepared for anything, Cloud gathered himself and turned along with the path.
The path continued. He could see more traditional livestock from here on out. There were cows here, and they, too, sporadically took interest in Cloud. He could see them, out of the corner of his eye, grazing and walking around in circles as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. He somewhat envied them; they had no clue what that ominous object in the sky meant. As far as they were concerned, it was just another sun or moon that was completely harmless. To them, it was just there. And then, Cloud reached another corner. This time, the path turned to the right. He again briefly stopped to prepare himself, and then continued along his way.
Now he could see the path lined with pig pens. On the right was a line of pens with sows and their piglets. To the left was a line of pens with each occupied by a single barrow, obviously being prepared for the chop-hop. Cloud felt sorry for the poor creatures, though he realized, by simply looking up at the sky, that the whole human race was in that situation. He continued until he reached one more sharp curve in the path. This one turned to the left again. Cloud began to grow anxious; it seemed the world was teasing him in someway. He did not know what he would see once he turned again, but he knew he would find out in a matter of moments. After a brief stop, Cloud, once again, turned with the path.
This time, the fourth time, the path continued straight from the bend. But it did not make another curve this time. Instead, it led into a field of tall grass and disappeared. Cloud realized that this was the end of the farm. Realizing that this was the last of the path, Cloud carefully scanned his surroundings as he proceeded. He could see horses this time; they were in large, open pens, with some grazing and some running.
As Cloud continued to scan the sides of the path, a girl came into view.
He came to a stop. This was it. Was this Aerith? In a few moments, he would know the answer.
This girl was feeding carrots and sugar cubes to the horses. Her back was turned to him. She was wearing a red baby tee and a pair of dark blue jeans that quite flattered her backside. Her body shape was completely identical to that of the woman in leather he had seen the day before. She also had the exact same hair was well.
And then, she began to turn. First, her cheek came into view. Next, a familiar-looking emerald eye presented itself. Finally, she had turned a full one hundred and eighty degrees.
Cloud was now looking into Aerith's face.
She gasped, and placed her hand on her chest.
"Sorry!" she apologized. "You got me by surprise."
Cloud smiled. It was most certainly Aerith's voice.
And then, she spoke again.
"And you are?"
Cloud's smile faded from his face.
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Premonitions: Uncut