onepassingnight | In the woods with no one around...

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In the woods with no one around...

[The forest is dense enough to inhibit light, leaving a dappled pattern of shadow on the ground as the thin sun filters through the leaves. There are no obvious landmarks, but Mercury walks purposefully, as if she knows the way.

For all her bravado, the distant sound of a waterfall grows no closer; and when she comes to a small pile of rocks, she stops short.

She was here just a moment ago.

Cautiously now, Mercury keeps a wary eye on her surroundings and stays alert to every noise and rustle. To be sure of herself, she slips off one glove and lays it beside the rocks.

Straightening, the senshi moves forward again. But although she seems to make progress, ultimately she finds herself back at the pile yet again - and the glove remains exactly where she left it. She is lost.

Or trapped.]

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[there's a marked difference this time as they start forward and Cloud finds it interesting even if he doesn't let himself wonder too hard about the change. Ami's much more sure of herself now and so he switches his concentration to keeping an eye on their surroundings, only a pace or two behind her. Wherever they're going now, he feels better about it. Ami's footsteps are sure. Everything else that comes at him, he knows how to handle.]

[Then she hears it, and smiles. She certainly controls this place now, whatever force of Fate she's usurped it from in the dream world: The sound of the waterfall is unmistakable. She turns back to Cloud.]

Hurry! The way out must be by the water. We'll have to climb.

[But now, she has no fear of earthquakes or youma.]

[he makes a quiet sound in his throat of acknowledgement. It's apparent she now knows where they're going and Cloud trusts that. It's also apparently whatever was holding her back before is gone. She's not intent on staying behind now. Maybe he'll ask once they're somewhere safe - or maybe he won't. But there's a slight smirk on his lips as he shrugs.]

I think I can keep up.

[The forest thins to reveal the waterfall (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhWokGmcIv0) just as she promised. But also just as she said, the way looks difficult to climb. He can ask his questions, and she'll explain it all, once they're out.]

Can you make your way up here? [She's fairly sure she can. She doesn't know what Cloud can do; he's proven quite surprising at times.]

[he looks at the face of the cliff leading upward, assessing it. Not bad. His answer is an old move that harkens back to a time when his life was less concerned with guilt and his failures and more with being an unstoppable force. The sword twirls easily behind his back and then slips in the holster at his back, a casual, cocky move. He does glance at her sideways though and, assuming since she's the one holding it that that's the way the thread leads, ask:]

How are you going to hold the thread and climb at the same time?

[There should be a way...]

I won't. [And this is when still enjoying sewing becomes a practical advantage. She takes a pin from seemingly nowhere - must be wherever she keeps her other items, or a quirk of the dream - and pins the thread to her, near her waist.]

It'll trail behind as we go, but I'll be careful of that.

[he watches her secure it and then nods. As long as she's got it, he feels safe that she can't get lost or taken away. He's climbed a frozen mountain with nothing but his bare hands. He can handle this. Which means he'll keep his place behind her - just in case. Those boots don't look the friendliest when it comes to rock climbing.]

You first.

[Hey, she does everything in the boots! Including those flashy jumps and acrobatic maneuvers. She can handle climbing.

This time, she doesn't complain about going first; whether because of her new confidence or because it's Cloud. She simply steps up to the very base of the climb, and cranes her next to look up towards the top.

Then she focuses on what's in front of her. Her hands feel for a grip, and once she's sure she has it, she starts to climb.]

(ooc: and green (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JLqLN5ydLk) :|)

Edited 2011-09-02 03:38 (UTC)

[hey, Cloud's a sensible shoe-wear kind of guy. But he's not going to question what a girl can manage to do in heels. Instead he waits until she gets high enough for him to start up as well. Frankly, it's not often that he lets the fact he's a lot stronger than he should be show but at times like this it comes in handy. Toe and finger holds are easier to find when you can simply make what's there deeper by quietly digging in. Maybe he should have gone first and let Ami use the ones he makes - but then he wouldn't be able to catch her if she falls. He IS however careful not to look directly up as they go. He's already been well taught by another teammate in a short skirt.]

[Cloud's training is lucky for him; the girl who slapped a man (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPX2lQRN4v8) close to her for trying to touch her would not take well to having her skirt peeked at.

Progress is slow, but she makes it to the top without obstacle. Once there, she waits for Cloud to finish the last part of the climb. The air in front of her seems to shimmer, a faint and barely-visible portal already seems to be here. She stays focused on it.]

[no. No, Cloud's got LOTS of experience with girls in short skirts and he's very good at behaving himself. It's a show of respect - and he also knows he'd get his teeth kicked in. He may be male, but he's not suicidal.

Once Ami's safely at the top though, he can concentrate on just himself. He has no idea what's at the top, whether it's another trap or something else entirely but being on the cliff face and unable to be a help isn't how he wants to spend his time. So he doesn't bother hold back and try to pretend he's 'normal' once it's just sheer cliff face in front of himself. Tightening his fingers on a sturdy outcrop, he lets his feet and free arm go. A quick heft with his anchored arm and he gets the soles of his boots almost directly under him, so that he's all but crouched vertically on the stone face. Then it's just a matter of pushing off hard and arching.

Gravity takes a kick to the nuts.

Cloud lands in an easy crouch at the top of the cliff and straightens smoothly, eyes narrowed slightly. He's not sure what the shimmer in the air means but Ami doesn't look alarmed. There's single chin dip of a nod to show he's ready to go.]

Now what?

[That seems to take her aback, just for a second, when she hadn't even batted an eye at his physical abilities.]

You don't see it?

[It's there, thin and hard to see but so present to the girl straining to look for it. Mercury nods towards the portal to draw attention to the right point.]

That leads back to the human world. [Which is another thing Cloud can ask about once they're there.] I'll go first. I can re-open it if anything happens.

[Without further delay, she steps forward, and if she's nervous about where she may end up after all, she doesn't show it as her head stays high.]

[he doesn't see what she's gesturing toward. He can tell there's something strange about the air in front of them but there's nothing specific for him. His eyebrows do go up a little at the 'human world' term but he's not going to ask. When she starts forward though, he takes one long stride and falls in next to her. Of course he's not going to simply trust this place or shimmery air. He'll put a hand on her shoulder. He's not letting them get separated.]

We'll go together.

[She stiffens, as she almost always does at touch; but with a conscious effort, she relaxes her shoulder again, and nods.

When she steps through the portal, their hands stay joined, though she seems to be pulling on Cloud's arm suddenly.]

[he's familiar with that reaction to foreign touch himself so he doesn't let it phase him. He also doesn't let go of her either though, taking her hand and wrapping his fingers firmly. At her nod, he gives his own in return and steps through.

Things blur. But he feels the tug on his arm and he tightens his grip, other hand sliding back to curve around the hilt of his sword.]

[They're in a spacious, clean, white building. Mercury seems to recognize it; at least, she relaxes a little once they're inside and the warped space closes behind them both.]

We're here. [She turns her head to the side, speaking to Cloud over her shoulder.] You weren't injured? It normally takes a person with a good amount of power to travel between these dimensions so easily.

[whether it's because it's Ami's dream that goes easy on him or Cloud just is that used to strange power coursing through him, but he shakes his head. A little vertigo - but no where near as bad as his motion sickness can be. He lets go of her hand but he stays close as he looks around the building.

It's new to him.

Looking down at her hip, curious to whether it's still there or if it disappears when it finishes its use, he asks:]

Do you still have the string?

No. It vanished once it wasn't needed anymore. [But somehow she doesn't quite meet his eyes when she says this; in fact, she looks away.

It's no lie; he can see that for himself easily enough. But she, at least, is not surprised the help only lasts this long.]

[Cloud doesn't consider himself the most observant but he still notices the change in her. For a minute, he's simply silent, looking at her and then, voice low as always, he asks:]

What was that string, Ami?

That string was someone deciding to help us. [It's not nearly adequate enough of an explanation.]

[since they seem to be in no immediate danger, Cloud will simply stay where he is - waiting for the rest of the explanation. It's not demanding; she can 'distract' him any time she wants with a dozen other things but it's strange to see her so closed in and he can't decide if she wants to tell him something or not.]

[When she wakes up, she'll decide this dream self was deluded, for the simple reason that she's drifted so far from Kunzite's ideals that she can hardly imagine he'd still pick her up (but she'll be so relieved that he did, that she hasn't been abandoned).

Right now, it's simply the fulfillment of their promise.]

The leader of the shitennou, Kunzite. He has power in this forest. Probably, that thread came from him. [Who else could it be?]

[o-kay... She's mentioned the shitennou before. He'll give a grunt and a single nod to show he heard. It does make him wonder about this Kunzite though. Because it was either the forest or the man that's made Ami go quiet like this. Either way he doesn't pry. Instead he looks around them and asks the obvious question.]

Where are we?

We've returned to the human world. The Dark Kingdom is within a separate subspace dimension. [She gestures to indicate their surroundings.]

This is the science building of the university. It may seem strange, but it's one of the places, along with a nearby bridge, where the borders between those two dimensions is at its easiest to cross.

[he'll nod, that single chin dip but his eyes go back to her after another scan of the room. He's still waiting.]

Now what?

In the woods with no one around...

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i love how pretty some of the pgsm DK territory is. XD

very pretty, and I liked the blue filter they shot it with

when it gets green it gets depressing /links in comment

lol - green in Cloud's world usually means a psychotic episode

let's have no green for cloud... XD

very, very sound plan ;)

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