The Night That Calls
The pain was...excruciating. Maybe one could surmise it as something indescribable as the needles inserted themselves against my skin. It took me all of my sanity to laugh it out, feigning the pain as utter pleasure when it was not to be so. Truth be told, I'd give anything to be out of this hole, let alone out of this life.
It hurts...
Kill me already...
Let me die...
I don't want this anymore...
Kill me...
Kill me...
KILL ME!
"Sakura!"
I jerked awake, cold sweat trailing down my skin as Cloud's voice filtered through the still darkness. My dark brown hair was damp along with my clothes as I opened my mako green eyes that hid a dark brown of near onyx color that gazed back into Cloud's whose eyes mimicked mine, only his was once blue. His blond hair was spiked up, and, surprisingly, gravity seems to ignore it, making him look even more handsome with his out of bed hair.
"Sakura. Oi. Sakura."
"What time is it?" I asked.
He replied, "Five. You were dreaming."
I cussed, "ScheiBe," covering my eyes with my arm.
That night, I was injected by ShinRa's secret experiment called the mako energy, giving my eyes a new tint. So was Cloud, but he was in coma-like state. He suffered worse than I did, and it took us all our energies to escape that facility.
And on that night, I lost my uncle, who was an ex-SOLDIER, First Class.
Zack Fair.
I raised my hand to Cloud's arm, whispering, "Stay with me."
A few years ago, his eyes would have widened in shock. Now, he nodded silently. He settled in a sitting position beside me, saying, "I'll stay until you fall back to sleep." Out of habit, he caressed my hair, soothing my breathing.
My breathing slowly relaxed as each moment passed by. I slowly drifted back to sleep, unaffected by visions of the past that continued to plague me. Peaceful enough...peaceful to run away from the truth of it all.
The next time I woke up, dust floated amidst through the sun's rays. The bed on my side was messy, but the place where Cloud was supposed to be remained untouched.
I frowned.
Ever since Uncle Zack died, he had been silent and distant. It was as if my childhood crush turned stone cold as a coping mechanism. Sure, he couldn't save uncle. He was in a state of trauma, so, it was not his fault.
My phone vibrated from my bedside. Groaning, I took the liberty to check it and frowned even more. The number was unregistered. I decided to answer it, my voice hoarse from sleep as I let out a yawn.
"Sakura Strife." I took Cloud's family name after he decided to take me in in honor of my uncle.
"Strife, huh?"
I cringed at the voice, gripping my phone tightly.
Gulping loudly, I inhaled and was surprised at how calm my voice was. "Sephiroth...Crescent."
A soft chuckle came and went. "How...surprising. I expected you to cower in fear."
I cleared my throat as he continued on, "On better notes, I found this phone after I had a...small dalliance with Cloud yesterday. Tell me, does he still keep you in a bauble of ignorance, knowing that Mother will soon come to rise?"
I let out a mirthless laugh, saying, "Sephiroth, you're supposed to be dead. Genova's long gone. Over. Dead. The facility had been shut down five years ago. Rufus Shinra said so, you crazy cockroach."
"Is that what you believe?" he asked, his sleek voice making me recall all those nights I've watched every single Nibel die.
Don't think of him, don't think of him...
No matter how much chanting I made, my mind could not keep out the image of his long, silver hair and natural mako eyes.
"Will you tell me where they hid her?" he asked.
I sighed, "Look, bud. I have my pms, had a nightmare last night and just woke up. I don't know where she is, nor do I know what Shinra's planning. I avoided his lackies for years. I am way over with any association with him and the company. Goodbye." I shut the phone and ran down the stairs. There, Tifa, a brunette with the most beautiful brown eyes stood, a smile gracing her face.
"Why, hello Sakura," she greeted.
I looked around and saw Cloud sitting in the dining room, a coffee in his hand. Rushing to him, I slammed my hand on the table. Tifa raised a fine eyebrow while Cloud looked at me with the usual stoic face.
"Why didn't you tell me that you have a cellphone?" I asked, irate.
Before anyone could say anything else, I raged on, "And, why the fuck is Sephiroth alive?"
Cloud stiffened before me while Tifa looked enrage.
"Sephiroth?" she hissed.
I nodded.
Cloud, who was standing in still silence, miraculously spoke, "Did he contact you?"
I snorted, "Yeah, with your missing phone."
Cloud instantly ushered me to my room, saying, "Stay here. I'll fix this." And before my retaliation formed, the door closed, making a clicking sound.
"Oh, great." Sarcasm dripped like venom in my mouth. "Keep me locked up, I knew you would. It's not like I can't fight or anything..." and I kept on venting my anger through mumbling. Despite how Tifa always told me to never mumble, it came out as a habit when I don't get what I want.
Being a curious bunny, I pressed my ear against my door, smirking at the muffled sound of argument.
Trouble in paradise?
While listening, I could hear words like trauma, insane, and my favorite word, child. This made me so sure that they were talking about me and Sephiroth.
Was I a child?
Emotionally, yes.
Physically, no. I was seventeen, and I could handle myself.
This just made my resolve even more firm.
Tonight, I will hunt down Sephiroth Crescent.
1.1.1.
A soft thud could be heard as I landed on a soft patch of grass. I flinched at the impact, considering how I jumped from the second floor window. Still, as an ex-test subject, I kept in mind that what I was doing was a mission. No questions asked.
Ignore the pain. Keep your head in the game.
I crept to the garage, cussing in the process as I tried to unlock the gate. Without much success, I gave up altogether deciding to trek until I arrive at the outskirts of Midgar.
"Damn, I hate walking," I muttered.
I headed towards the center plaza, where a statue dedicated to ShinRa Company overlooked the city.
This might be because of my prejudice, but I always thought that the statue looked ugly. Fucking ugly. Fugly. One could assume that the spiral-like tower was like some sort of a cage. Or that's just me. Sorry.
When I managed to arrive at the outskirts, men in black stood behind a figure in a wheelchair, whose face was covered in a hood. Each of the men has a special trait: the one at the middle has his black hair swept back in a short ponytail with a red dot between his eyes. The other one n the left has sunglasses despite the dark sky, his scalp bald. The one on the right has flaming red hair, cropped yet spiked up with green eyes unlike my own.
And I recognized their scents.
With a hiss, I said, "Shinra."
The one in the wheelchair stood up. He took off his hood to reveal a handsome figure, his blond hair swept back with matching blue eyes. Wih a smirk, he let ou ta low chuckle. "When Cloud left, we knew you were soon to follow."
"Shut up, Shinra," I hissed. "I'm not going with you."
I glanced nervously at Reno, the redhead, Tseung the brunette, and Rude the baldy. They were an elite group of hired mercenaries that worked for Shinra called the Turks. They were supposed to be disbanded after Cloud destroyed the facilities.
"Whoa, yo," Reno said defensively. "Who said we were smuggling you away? We're actually here to help you, yo."
I looked at Shinra with doubting stare. With a gesture of his hand, Tseung went to something that was covered by a cloth of some sort. This made me blink twice, realizing that I did not notice it standing there before.
Tseung smiled kindly, a smile I was always on the receiving end as a child. "A gift from the president." He pulled away the cloth, and my eyes widened at its beauty. The motorcycle was a charcoal grey with red streaks of fire decorating it at its sides. The thrusters were colored in gunmetal grey that glowed neon red. When I walked to examine the intricate designs closer, I noticed the very advance handicraft placed upon the device. A GPRS device was located somewhere on the dashboard, and the meters were all glowing crimson. The motorcycle itself was a brand-new.
"This is Hel," Shinra said in his arrogant voice, "the sister of Cloud's bike."
I traced the designs, entranced while asking, "Why are you giving this go me?"
"We lost contact on Cloud when we met him a while ago," Rude said, "and we want him back. The president feels a debt of gratitude when he saved his life a few years ago."
"A debt I am willing to pay," Shinra said solemnly.
I launched myself on the seat, turning he engines on. The engine roared, giving me a small grin.
Shinra walked towards me, saying, "You forgot these." A pair of black goggles with a red tint for the lens made my grin even wider. Damn, Shinra still knows my style.
"This does not mean I already like you," I stated.
Shinra laughed. "I understand. Stay safe, Fair."
I smiled for the first time at that ass. "It's Strife, Rufus. Keep yourself updated." I put on my goggles revving the engine even more. "Now, will you tell me the location?"
"There's a tracker placed in Cloud's bike," I raised my eyebrows at Tseung, yet he continued as if no action had occurred, "when the president talked to him. We already set the entire scenario in case if things go wrong."
"Meaning sending me into a crater of snakes that could devour me in one strike?"
At Shinra's raised eyebrows, my confidence fell as I exclaimed, "Oh, for the love of Planet, not that crater!"
I felt a pat on my back as Reno said, "You're on your own, yo."
I groaned, "I knew that ShinRa Company was going to be the death of me." Revving the engine for the last time, I headed off towards the crater of doom, where everything began.
I was wary, to say the least. That was the last place I wanted to be, but if Cloud was truly in trouble, he needs AVALANCHE in this, the old rebel group that included Tifa Lockheart herself, Barret Wallace, Cid Highwind, Princess Yuffie Kisaragi and the irresistible Vincent Valentine, who was currently engaged to the said princess by a miracle. Marvelous.
It was too soon for me to realize that I arrived at my personal hell. The crater looked bigger since the last time I saw it. Shinra's facility – should I say, old facility – still stood in its glory. Parked at the front of the building was Fenrir, Cloud's motorcycle dyed in black.
I took off my goggles, muttering, "Cloud, what were you thinking?"
I tuned down my engine, switching it to off mode. Before I decided to enter my death, I decided to play with some of the buttons Shinra didn't bother explaining. Few hidden compartments burst out of the bike. My eyes nearly widened when I saw little ball-like objects that glowed in different colors.
Materia? Sweet~
I took some along with me, brining my favorite weapon called a Nodatchi. It's a short sword that's light enough to carry and easy to swing around. But in my case, being petite, it was heavy enough to cause damage. I had a special sheath made so that I could carry the object behind my back. Closing my eyes for the moment, a quick flash of being taught how to use one entered my mind.
"You know how to use that, brat?" Uncle Sid asked, his cropped blond hair messy as his brown eyes gazed at me, his unshaven looks truly marked him as a stereotype for a mechanic.
I looked at him in confusion, "I just have to swing it around so that I could hit people, right?" I said, making small movements that I took from the movies I have watched with one hand. I almost hit Cloud, who blocked it with his gigantic buster sword that was thick as his entire body and thrice my size while carrying a box of spare parts.
"Whoops," I said, about to retract the weapon when Cloud took a step forward. He placed the box on the floor and moved behind me. With both arms, he helped me position a stance, placing both of my hands at the weapon's handle.
"You're small, and the weapon's heavy," Cloud said in my ear. "But, you're quick and agile. You'd want that for your advantage."And then, he picked up the box and headed off, not looking back.
Not one of my better days, but, it was worth a lecture.
My feet made soft clicking noises as I climbed up the metal stairs. I flinched in disgust at the dusty area along with the incubators and such. The smell of metal cascaded through my senses, making me cringe. All of them held bad memories, and as much as I wanted to get out of the place, Cloud was in need of help, not that he couldn't fight himself. He was not a war hero for nothing.
"Cloud?" I called out.
This was a stupid move, considering how a very long sword I recognized as a Masamune, darted too close to my ear. It was due to Cloud's training that I managed to duck just in time, pulling out my Nodatchi from my back. I spun around hoping to get a good view of the attacker to se Sephiroth, who was already retrieving the weapon of my demise.
"Where's Cloud?" I asked.
"Hmn?" he smirked.
"Where is he?" I said, trying to contain my anger inside.
Sephiroth pointed his weapon towards my face and said, "Why don't you fight for the answer?"
I gritted my teeth, "Bring it on, buster."
The sound of swords clashing could be heard within a few miles, considering the still silence of the area. I used my speed and analyzed Sephiroth's movements, trying to find a loophole in his attacks.
ScheiBe, he's too quick! So this is how it is to fight a First Class.
It was by a nanosecond when I managed to block an attack that could have sliced me into small pieces. With our faces close, Sephiroth asked, "Tell me, little Fair, is Cloud really that important to you?"
I grinded my Nodatchi against him, gasping, "What's…in it…for you?!" I pushed forward, managing to sidetrack his weapon. The Materia inside my hand glowed as I summoned red flames to devour the man, who nonchalantly evaded it as if it was just a gust of wind. I jumped backwards, still facing the man I had once admired.
Sephiroth just smirked, saying, "Will you cry in despair the moment you see his lifeless body?"
I fought the urge to recklessly kill him on the spot.
Rule #01: Keep your eyes on your opponent.
Rule #02: Never attack out of anger.
Rule #03: Analyze. Never do anything reckless.
Cloud's voice rang in my ears. It was the only thing that kept me on my feet without breaking all rules in one go.
And then, I felt a liquid dripping from above. I looked up at the bridge that connect the other facility and saw a hint of blond hair.
That's when it hit me.
The metallic smell was…blood.
"Cloud!" I cried. I ran for him, my feet making loud noises. The flight was terrible as each step brought dread. The moment I reached the second floor, I was on my knees, feeling for his pulse.
Alive. Thank Planet.
"Cloud? Big brother? Big brother?" I whispered.
I heard a groan, followed by Cloud's eyes slowly opening. "S…kura? How?"
My breathing hitched as tears swam down my cheeks. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm here. I'll bring you home, okay? You'll be safe."
"S…phiroth…behind you…"
I turned and felt a stab right at the middle of my chest. Blood trickled down my lips as I stared into his cat-like eyes of green.
"And you'll die along with him?" he smiled.
Despite the pain, despite the dire situation, I smiled, earning a frown from him.
"You smile at your own death?" he asked.
I chuckled, albeit painfully. "I smile at my own idiocy." More blood came out of my mouth, but I ignored it, ignored even the pain, as I continued to talk, "I smile for loving the people around me and for not being able to travel the world after this. I smile for experiencing the love from someone like Cloud. I smile for not being able to fulfill my dreams, but also for letting others fulfill their own. I smile for loving two people who I knew would never love me the way I loved them." I leaned closer, edging deeper into his blade.
Sephiroth's eyes widened at every movement until our faces were inches apart. With my bloodied hands, I took hold of his face, pressing my lips softly against his.
His reaction was even more priceless as confusion raged along with anger.
I pulled away, and, with one last smile, closed my eyes and let darkness take me.
1.1.1.
I opened my eyes to see whiteness around me. Everything was just plain white.
And I hate white.
"Hey, sweetie," I heard a soft voice behind me.
I turned to see Auntie Aerith, her green eyes looking at me affectionately. She still wore the usual clothes she did before she died, her wavy brown hair tied in a bow. Beside her stood a man with raven black hair and eyes that matches Cloud's.
"Uncle Zack?" I whispered.
He opened his arms and I ran into him, feeling his warmth after so long. A sniff escaped my nose, which I would have denied to anyone else but my uncle.
"Aw, you crying again? What did I say about being a crybaby?" he said.
A soft smack could be heard, followed by Auntie Aerith saying, "Is that how you treat your niece after years of not seeing her?"
I laughed, looking up at my uncle, "That never grows old."
Both of them joined in chorus. It felt like the family I so dearly missed, and I loved it.
It was Auntie Aerith who first regained her composure. With a sad smile, she said, "You need to return, Sakura. It's not your time yet."
"Got to agree with this one, brat," Uncle Zack said.
My lips began to tremble. "No! I want to go with you! Don't you understand how much I miss you? Please, you have to take me!" I clutched Uncle Zack's arm, letting him know of my desperation. "I don't want to be separated from you anymore…"
"Sakura," Uncle Zack called out.
I looked up and he smiled kindly. "You know, you should also think about the others who are fighting for your life right now. They want you back. Look," he gestured. The white surroundings changed into a hospital room with cream walls. On the bed laid a figure with dark brown hair and pale skin that covered her due to the blood loss. Beside her was a girl a few years younger than her, whose brown eyes were wide and baggy from crying. She was holding this girl's hand as the machines tried to force her to live.
"Marlene?" I said. Barret's daughter was a close acquaintance, and we could easily be compared to sisters.
I turned to face my aunt and uncle, who both faded into the background as they whispered, "Go."
The soft beeping of the machines woke me up. Slowly, I forced my eyes to open, and a gasp that sounded like Yuffie said, "Hell, ya! She's awake!"
I looked sideways with my eyes and whispered, "Cloud?"
"Recovering as quickly as you did," a deep voice said.
Red cloak that looked as if termites had fun that covered a metal claw of gold at his left. Long black hair with eyes of crimson and a pale pallor to accompany the weirdness, making me recall how I used to call him names as a child.
Yep, it was the Valentine couple, unless Vincent married into the Kisaragi clan. Wait, how do royal marriages work again?
Ugh, I'm having a headache.
"Sakura?" I heard Marlene's timid voice beside me.
I forced a smile, and in turn, she clutched my hand gently.
"Aren't you a bit too noisy, you fucking arse?"
Uncle Sid.
I let out a contented huff, closing my eyes once again.
1.1.1.
It took at least two weeks before I was releases from the hospital. My body recovered pretty quick, surprising the doctor that handled me during my stay. We had to tell him about being one of the few experiments that survived, and, of course, he swore confidentiality, unless he wanted to be sent to the gutters (Uncle Sid's light way of saying how he'll make sure that the guy's going to die a slow and painful death).
Cloud recovered twice as quick. Though our wounds would have killed normal people, we were, as what I could tell, far from normal.
Nothing was heard of Sephiroth. Shinra, who was nearly murdered by the members of AVALANCHE for sending me in, tried to locate him. So far, he was unseen by the populace.
Nut, I did not let that trouble me. So far, I knew that Sephiroth would come when the time was right.
"Careful, lass," Uncle Barret said as he hoisted me gently from the car we rode. His skin was dark and one of his arms was a cyborg that could propel bullets at his call. He had to be gentle with the way he carried me since my injuries were still smarting.
I limped for the inn Tifa managed. With Cloud clutching my other arm, he, along with Uncle Sid, helped me up the flight of stairs we had to take to my room. The moment I found the safe haven of my bed, Uncle Sid made a weird hand gesture and said, "Stay."
I kept my face straight and said, "I promise to stay out of trouble for the time being." I didn't specify how long though.
Confident with what I said, Uncle Sid turned and left, leaving me with Cloud.
"I'll be fine, don't worry," I smiled wanly at him. "I have my books and movies to keep me company."
With a quick nod, he left.
I limped towards the television, an old model at that, and tuned the channel. There, I started watching movies that I've managed to collect, replaying my favorite movie called Ashes and Flames, a movie about an orphan who decided to bring revenge upon his oppressors.
It was not until eight in the evening when I decided to call it a night. Tired but happy at the fact that I was safe in bed, I switched off the television and hit the hay.
That was when I heard the beating of a wing, which was odd. What creature could have one wing? This made me frown as I went to the window. Below, I could still see lights from the welcome home celebration that Yuffie had planned for us. I did not attend due to boredom and the fact that an underage like her knew how to mix alcohol.
There, in front of me, was the last person I wanted to see.
I groaned. Of course, the infamous One-winged Angel Sephiroth, completely insane incarnation of a crazy alien called Jenova. This truly calls for a celebration. Now, I do believe in Murphy's Law, the law that states that something goes wrong when you least expect it.
But, Sephiroth didn't move. He just floated there, his eyes on me.
Facing him, I said softly, "You didn't kill me. If you wanted to, you would have, but you didn't."
I waited for him to reply, but he didn't say anything.
"Um," I said, pointing at my room, "I'm heading back in, so…whatevs."
I turned around, only to be stopped by his deep voice. "What is humanity?"
I turned to face him for the last time before going to bed, "Humanity is when you feel something. Pain, anger, insanity – that completely sums it up. You are humanity. I am humanity. Good night, Sephy."
I launched myself to my bed, instantly falling asleep.
For the next few days, I saw him just outside of my window at the same time. Instead of telling Tifa, I kept my mouth shut. Instead of yelling in fear, I suddenly felt safe.
On the anniversary of the month of his stalking, I got up the courage to ask him a question that bothered me. "Why are you here, Sephiroth?"
His reply was, "Why are you here?"
I replied straightly, "Because this is home, where Cloud, Tifa and the others are. They make me feel safe." I was sure of this answer because they have given me a reason to live five years ago when I thought I was going to lose myself mentally. They showed me a new light.
With a finally nod, he took off, but not without muttering loud enough for me to hear, "Then, I will find my home." Good eve to you, Fair."
I whispered into the stillness of the night, knowing that I will never see him again, "It's Strife to you now, General Sephiroth. And farewell."