The Rising Sun

He woke early to an eerily quiet morning. The sun barely broke through the trees, and usually he would hear birdsong in the air. But today? Nothing. It seemed that since his brothers kids were taken away among everything else, the world seemed...quieter. In the brief time the children had been here, he had appreciated the laughter and sound of puppy play fights. But they didn't have that anymore. Not until they came back.

Cloud wasn't sure what to do with his melancholic mood, so he decided to go on a border patrol to occupy his mind and time. The sun streamed on his back as he walked quietly, slowly, to the borders edge. There he looked out, wondering how they were doing in Abaven...