Sea of Green

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and its characters belongs to Square-Enix

-so what do you think?-

-wow, I can't believe it!-

-really? He did that?-

-That's classified information-

-Oh God no. That's impossible!! I don't want to die!!!!!-

Cloud awoke instantly. His eyes were wide and he was in a cold sweat. He sat up, breathing heavily.

Just another dream.

The blonde closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing. His heart was pounding away, like a jackhammer, desperately trying to escape the confines of his chest. The clock on his nightstand glowed with the numbers 12:00 emanating from it.

Cloud got up and went to the bathroom connected to his room. He took a good look in the mirror. What he found was not comforting. A haunted man greeted him, ravaged by fatigue. The eyes were blood red, with aqua blue in the center. The muscles were tense, accentuated by the layer of sweat that covered the body, giving them more definition. Unruly stubble covered his face, giving him the look of an untamed beast.

It was the look of a man who could inspire pity from the devil himself.

Come on Strife, get it together. It was just a dream.

He grabbed a Styrofoam paper cup and filled it with water. His eyes darted from the cup to the mirror repeatedly, as if they were conspiring against him. Closing his eyes, Cloud opened the medicine cabinet behind the mirror. His hands knew instinctively where to go, performing this action to the point of mastery.

The haggard man looked at the bottle. It read ADULT DOSAGE 2 PILLS. He knew what was going to happen. It always happened. What the hell was going to be different this time?

He opened the bottle, popped 4 pills into his mouth, and drank his water.

As he was walking back to his bed, feeling the effects of the medicine already, there was one thought he had in his mind. This thought always followed him to sleep. No matter how many times he woke up in the middle of the night, it was this thought that always emerged.

Oh Gaia, please don't let this happen again.

A/N: Hey guys, its me again. I felt bad about my horrendously late update, so I decided to let you guys see what I've been working on in the meantime. Also, to my He Was Nothing Special reviewers, I'm sorry for not mentioning you guys. I'll mention you here and in the next chapter. After all, what is an artist without his adoring public?

Thanks to FantasizingDreams, Mischievant, Lady Valtaya, and Erissa. I hope you guys like this as well.