Elena
By Marie Freed


	The narrow dirt path was lined with tall grass and flowers, feeding on
the sunlight of the summer, and striving to stretch their petals and bloom to their
full potential.  Two small blossoming hills suspended a log above the trail, and the
sun cast it's shadow across the wavy grass.  On top of the log, in the middle of this
perfect landscape, Elena sat, a depressed blue aura cast around her.  Everything that
she had once known was gone. Midgar, the Shinra, her dreams...and Tseng.  She chipped
a piece of bark off of the log and threw it as far as she could.  The air halted it, 
so it only traveled about a yard before falling down to the path.  She stared down at 
the shadow of her, the log, and the person standing near her.  P...person standing near 
her?!  She turned abruptly and looked up to see a face that terrified her.  The face of
her enemy.  Long blond swords of hair stuck out of his head.  His crossed arms were 
masculine and threatening.  On his back lay his long broad sword.  His mako-eyes stared
down at her.
	"Oh...oh!" stuttered Elena.  "It's you!  You're Cloud!  Uh...uh...Reno?
Rude?! Security!!" she cried, hoping for some assistance, but then realized that
there was no one within shouting distance.  "P...please don't kill me!" she pleaded.
	"I'm not gonna hurt you," said Cloud simply.
	"Huh?  Really?"
	"Not unless you attack me."  Elena eased a tiny bit but stayed on guard.
"Mind if I sit down?"
	"Huh?  Oh, sure."
	Cloud sat down by her, dangling his feet over the edge of the log.  Elena
swallowed a loud gulp.  "So, what's wrong?" the young mercenary asked her.
	"Um...what makes you think that something's wrong?"
	"You looked really bummed when I got here."
	"Oh?  Um...it's...uh...nothing..."  Cloud looked out across the sunny
terrain, silently.  Elena had expected him to push her for more details like Rude
and Reno, who would never leave anyone alone.  She sighed and then murmured, "He's the
only guy I ever knew who had any sence at all."
	Cloud turned his head back toward her.  "Tseng?"
	She nodded.
	"You miss him, don't you?"
	"Yeah..."
	"I'm sorry about that," he said gently.  "You know, I wasn't the one who..."
	"I know..." she assured him.  "We never actually had a relationship,
but...I don't know.  There was so much more I wanted to learn from him."
	"I know how you feel."
	"Oh...yeah.  That ancient.  Yeah, I'm sorry about that."
	"How'd you know about that?"
	"The whole Shinra base knew.  Everyone was worried we wouldn't be able to
find the Promised Land without her."
	"Figures."
	"Well...I mean...some people did care...Reno and Rude both kinda liked
her so they were pretty bummed and...um...I heard rumors that Reeve was caught
crying."
	"Reeve?"  Cloud turned.
	"Well, I didn't believe the rumors."
	The shadows had stretched across the pollen-dusted grass, but the sun was
still blazing in the sky.  "Sometimes I wonder," said Elena.  "Is it really all
worth it?  All this...war.  I mean, I like fighting and all, but...killing's always made
me very uneasy. And what has war really accomplished anyway?"  She looked at Cloud.  "It
makes it so girls like me have hard times finding dates!" she concluded laughing.
	Cloud let a small smile creep over his face and then stared back out at
the field. 
"Ah, don't worry about it.  You're a pretty girl.  I'm sure you'll find
someone."
	"Me?  Pretty?" said Elena, surprised.  No one had ever said that to her
before. 
She stared at Cloud and saw him in a new light.  He wasn't her enemy. 
"Hey...um...Cloud...I was wondering..."
	"Yeah?"
	She began blushing.  "Are...um...heh heh...are you and Tifa..."
	"Yep."
	"Rats!"  Elena moaned.  "Oh, I'm never gonna find a great guy..."
	Cloud stared over at the pathetic girl and rolled his eyes.  He dug into
his pocket, picked something out of it, and threw it to Elena.  She stared down at the
coins in her hands, the golden glare of the sun radiating off them, her eyes wide with
shock.  "10,000 GIL?!" she exclaimed.
	Cloud shrugged.  "Coastal de Sol's up north.  Buy yourself a nice bathing
suit, pick up a few guys, and have a good time."
	"ALL RIGHT!" cried the ecstatic girl jumping onto the dirt trail.  "You
AVALANCHE guys ain't half bad!"  Elena eagerly ran down the dirt trail.
	"Elena!" Cloud shouted after her.  "Coastal de Sol is the other way!"
	She stopped in her tracks.  "Oh yeah.  Thank you!"
	"No prob."
	Soon Elena was gone and the dust she had kicked up in her haste had settled
down.  Cloud lay down on the log, staring up at the sky and thought of Aeris.