Hidden Identity (Book Two)-Complete

Year Five, Day Twenty

Cloud POV

I have no idea what to do next. As the elected leader of the group, they are all looking to me for direction. We're going after Sephiroth, but I have no idea where to even start looking for him. Maybe I should get a map and decide from there where to go next.

Barret and Red XIII are still snoring away-really loudly, I might add. I don't know if any of the girls are awake yet, so I'll just go on my own into town. First the item shop to get a map.

"Good morning, sir! What can I do for you today?" the shopkeeper says cheerfully when I enter his store.

"Do you have any good maps?" I ask him, looking around at the potions, elixirs, tents, and other useful items for sale.

"Maps? Yes, we have a nice collection of maps for sale right over in the corner between the tents and the magazines. I saw you coming in last night with a bunch of others. You tourists?"

"Tourists? Uh, yes, we're tourists," I lie. I couldn't exactly say 'no, we're fugitives running from ShinRa while trying to save the planet from an evil lunatic who everyone thinks is dead.'

"Cool, where do you plan on going next?"

"We don't know. That's why we need a map. Ours got lost."

I walk over to the display of maps. After looking through them, I find a nice big one that shows all the towns and cities and continents known to us. This'll be very helpful.

I quickly pay for it and leave. Just as I'm exiting the shop, I run smack into someone entering. "Sorry."

"Cloud?"

The person is Cress. She's got a black cloak on. I hold out a hand to help her up.

She takes it. "Thanks, and sorry about that. I should've been looking where I was going."

"No, it's my fault. My mind was on other things. New cloak?"

"Tifa bought it for me. To hide my hair since it kind of...stands out..."

"Ah..."

"What were you doing in the item shop?" she asks, tugging her hood lower over her face whenever a person walks by.

I hold up the map. "Getting a map."

She laughs. "I thought men didn't like using maps."

"I'd rather use a map then ask for directions. Plus I have decide where we're even gonna go next since you all decided to make me the leader of this 'quest'."

Cress picks at the hem of her cloak nervously. "Aerith...thinks I might be her friend, Sam, who went missing five years ago...I don't really know what to think...the name seems a little familiar...but I don't know...and she says I was dating a SOLDIER who was friends with her boyfriend, Zack-hey, are you okay?"

At the sound of that last name, my head twinges painfully. It did this before when Aerith talked about her boyfriend. Why?

"I'm okay, just a headache," I reply. "We should head back to the inn and figure out what to do next."

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Cress POV

We all gather in the boys' room again to discuss our next plan of action. I sit next to Red on the floor, running my fingers over his soft fur. He doesn't mind when I do this, and I'm glad. It's really comforting to have him by my side like this. Especially now that I have all these conflicting thoughts in my mind.

Could I really be her friend Sam? I really don't know...something doesn't add up, and I feel like she wasn't telling me everything, that she was hiding something. What if that something is the key to unlocking my memories? Maybe I should ask her...no, I'm sure she'll tell me eventually...

Did I really date a SOLDIER? I wonder if she can tell me more about him. Maybe that'll bring back some memories, too. And her boyfriend, Zack, I want to know more about him, too. Something tells me he's important to my past.

"Cress?"

The sound of my name yanks me back to reality. I look up. Everyone is looking at me. Why? Did I do something? Is there something on my face?

"We're taking a vote on where to go next," Aerith tells me. "Tifa wants to go back to visit the ruins of Nibelheim. Red wants to go to his home in Cosmo Canyon. Barret doesn't care where we go. I overheard some people saying a bunch of monsters were spotted near the Mythril Mines, so I want to go there to help out. You and Cloud are the only ones who have yet to place a vote."

"I..." I say. What should I say? "I...I want to help out at the Mythril Mines, too."

"Two votes for the mines, one for Nibelheim, and one for Cosmo Canyon. Cloud? You're the leader so your vote will decide."

He frowns and thinks for a moment before saying. "As much as I'd like to go to Nibelheim, I think we should help out at the mines. There's even a bounty for the monsters. A good way to earn some money for supplies."

"You still thinking like a merc," Barret states, huffing. "Fine with me. I feel like killing something right now, anyways."

Tifa holds up the map. "According to this, the mines are across some swamps. Our vehicles won't drive over those. However, there is a chocobo farm on this side of the swamp. We could rent some to get across. And I bet if we told them we were going to get rid of all the monsters in the area, they might let us rent them for free or at least discounted. It's a two day trip, so we'll half to sleep outside at least once on the way there."

"Sounds like a plan! Let's get going!" Aerith declares brightly.

We head outside and pile into our rides. Climbing behind Cloud, I, again, hesitate before putting my arms around him. I still feel shy about being so close to him. That's just natural, right?

"I've never ridden a chocobo before, have you!?" I yell to Cloud of the wind as we set off.

"Once! It's kind of an interesting experience!" he shouts back. "A little fun, too, I admit!"

"Okay!"

I lean against his back. He smells kind of nice. I feel my face get hot at that thought. Why did I just think about that? 

I wonder...Cloud was in SOLDIER before, too. If I was dating one of his comrades, could we have met before? Would he remember me, if we had?

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Aerith POV

When we stop for the night and set up camp amongst the rocks, I notice Cress sitting by herself a little ways from everyone else by the fire.

I go over and sit by her. "You still thinking about what I told you last night?"

"Yes, I am...could you...tell me more about the SOLDIER guy I was dating?" she asks slowly.

"Well...he was pretty powerful, 1st Class, I believe. I lot of people looked up to him, including Zack. One time, ShinRa gave him and Zack a month-long vacation in Costa del Sol, and we went with them. There were only two bedrooms with one bed each in out cottage. Zack and I took one room, but you guys were really uncomfortable with sleeping together, so you had an argument about who would sleep on the couch. You won, and he got the bed.

"Something happened and you two ended up sleeping together, anyways. Then, the next day, you and I went shopping and got cornered by these guys on our way back. Zack and your boyfriend came to our rescue just in time...we had such a good time there at the beach...it's one of my most fondest memories."

"What was his name?" Cress asks. She looks so hopeful.

I look away guiltily. "I'm sorry...for some reason, I can't remember his name."

I'm such a liar. But I have this horrible feeling that something bad will happen if she finds out it was Sephiroth she loved. I want to save her from any pain.