A/N; THIS IS YORI FROM CHAOXXYORI, my story, no hatin'.

Imaginary
By: Princess Yori
Summary: Cloud's been having nightmares, can his sanity be saved?
Genre: Horror/Angst
Pairing: ZackxAeris implied.
Setting: AU
Rating: T
Status: Complete
Type: Multi-Chapter

Disclaimer: All related Final Fantasy names and characters are copyrighted © by the almighty Square Enix. This story and the possible OCs involved are all me, however. Enjoy.

'Zack? Zack, where are you going? Don't leave me here!' Cloud's eyes widened but it wouldn't help him see, all there was, was green. And Zack, who was retreating from him. He couldn't be sure he had even heard him.

A grim response escaped the darkened Soldier. Cloud flinched from the words, shaking his head.

'I'm going to die Cloud,' A deranged sort of laugh. 'I'm going to die, so you can live, get it?'

'Zack!' But his friend was soon lost to the green fog, as was he.

Cloud jolted upward, glancing around the empty room. He exhaled, anymore dreams like that and he might as well stop going to bed. His eyes slid closed trying to recollect his thoughts. Why—why was it always Zack? He shook his head and pried his eyes open again. He always felt so vulnerable in his dreams. He slid his legs up resting on his knees. He couldn't control them, though everyone always said a dream could be controlled by you, a wish your heart made. But why would he wish for Zack to die? There had to be a message or something, what was he missing? Watching the same dream a thousand times… There wasn't anything, maybe he just wasn't remembering it all.

"Damn it."

"Oh Cloud, you're awake?" Aeris poked her head through the semi-opened door, mostly left that way for when Marlene and Denzel needed him.

"Looks that way."

She pushed her way into the room and climbed on his bed next to him. He eyed her while she scrutinized him, any second she would ask him why. He didn't exactly have a lie to tell her either, how ridiculous would it be to tell her he was having nightmares? He exhaled, and she played with his hair.

"So Cloud, why are you up?"

"Why are you?" He retorted avoiding the question, still trying to figure out a lie.

"Apparently I drank too much, besides Zack snores too much for me to sleep!"

"Zack…" Cloud drifted off thoughtfully; at least the dream wasn't true, well…obviously.

"Um, yeah, Zack remember your friend?" She looked concerned, great now Motherly Aeris was going to show her face. "What's bothering you so much? For someone who's practically falling asleep during practice you're sure not doing a lot of sleeping here."

"Guess I just do all of my thinking at night," He shrugged.

"You can't lie, you know that?"

He frowned, and turned his head to stare out of the window. If he pretended she wasn't there, maybe she'd go away. How childish, he scolded himself. Besides, Aeris was persistent, until she got what she wanted, she wasn't leaving.

So you can live, get it? His eyes widened slightly, and he turned back to Aeris. But, she wasn't there; to his surprise he was alone again. No, he muttered to himself, No I don't get it.

Morning arrived, slowly but surely, normally he'd appreciate being awake before everyone else, appreciate being alone even. But now, he hated every second, staring out at the rising sun he wished Aeris would come back and demand something of him. The truth, or anything, even if he'd lie through his teeth and push her away, it would be better than lying to himself. He was driving himself insane picking apart the dream, little by little, getting nowhere at all. He wouldn't let himself impose his new secret upon anyone. It wasn't their problem, besides they'd only treat him like Marlene or Denzel, saying it was all just a dream and send him on his merry way. But, he didn't feel very 'merry' and it was more than a dream, he swore it.

"Oh, you are awake," Tifa's voice, he turned from the window and nodded at her. "Aeris thought you might be sleeping still."

He shrugged; she pushed the door open farther with a hand on her hip. He waited for her to tell him what to do for the day, deliver this, deliver that, and then for her lecture about needing to complete the tasks before he got anywhere near Zack and the buster sword. She ran through the list fairly quickly, holding up her hand once she reached the very end.

"No Zack, no sword," He finished for her, she smiled at him, and he half-heartedly returned it. "Got it."

"Good, breakfast should be ready soon by the way."

He nodded and she left for the kitchen, where he was sure Aeris was already. He wasn't particularly excited for his trip around town, especially since it contained stopping by the Turks. They always were arguing and wanting him to solve their problems. It was amazing they got anything done without him; they'd probably die if he ever stopped showing up. He smiled to himself, what a way to bring down Shin-Ra. Not that there was much left to bring down.

"Cloud!" Reno greeted him whole-heartedly as he appeared at their building. "What'd ya bring me today? Anything good?"

"It's a bomb, quick catch," He tossed it at Reno, who caught it and stared horrified at the package.

"Funny Cloud," Tseng muttered from behind a book, not bothering to look up.

"Ooh," Cissnei pulled the package out of Reno's hands. "My upgrade!"

Reno took the package back and tossed it at Cloud, pouting. He pointed at it while Cissnei shot darts in the back of his head with her eyes.

"Take it back," Reno said, receiving a slap from Cissnei. She skipped over to Cloud taking the package in her hands.

"Guess I have a test subject now…"

Cloud backed out of the room before something dangerous happened to them all. Tseng followed in suit, subtly thanking Cloud. Cloud shrugged and stepped back onto his bike, moving to his next destination. Tifa knew how to create a wild goose chase, paired with barely legible hand writing it took him awhile before he returned back home. Tifa greeted him from the bar, he continued onto the living part of the house.

"Food's cold! Just how you like it Cloud," Yuffie bounced in his face, he side stepped her.

"When'd you get here?"

"Apparently just after you left," Vincent remarked from a dark corner, Cloud raised an eyebrow. He understood the whole darkness thing, but did he always have to talk so ominously?

"How'd Cissnei like her upgrade?" Cid smirked as Cloud turned around to face the pilot.

"Guess I'll find out tomorrow when Reno jumps me."

"Not my fault he blew his Gil," Cid chuckled; Cloud sometimes wondered if an evil mastermind was contained behind the smoke and alcohol.

"So Cloud, how'd you sleep last night," Aeris asked, commencing a stare down with him.

"Just fine, Aeris, what about yourself?"

"Perfectly," The group around them stared confused as they sensed the electricity between the two of them.

"Hey Cloud!" Zack's arm snaked around him, and Cloud turned to look up at his friend. "Ready?"

He nodded while trying to avoid the darkened images of Zack that threatened to invade his mind.