Title: A Dark Lullaby
Author: Between the Borders
Pairing: Pending
Status: Work in Progress
Rating: M
Wanted: beta reader
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII
Summery: Slight AU Cloud learns early on how cruel the world can be when his mother dies. He spends the young years of his life fending for himself were he meets Vincent, uncovers a conspiracy and joins ShinRa in hopes to solve it.
Welcome to the first installment of A Dark Lullaby: The Sickness
Cloud blinked, nothing changed and that caused him to blink again. Still nothing. The small room which he sat in was bare. The white walls were blinding in the sunlight which streamed in through an open window. A soft breeze wafted across the room, gently brushing stands of bright blond hair and yet even with such a beautiful warm day, the blue eyed boy felt completely cold.
His mother was going to die.
The news had been delivered in such a way, that at first Cloud had not understood. It had taken a few seconds for his brain to work them out and a few more for them to completely sink in.
"Are you positive?" the voice that had asked the question was quiet and subdued and even though Cloud was more mature then most his age, there was some things little boys of ten do not know how to handle. The impeding death of their mother bring one of them.
"Yes," healer answered, his tone cold almost uncaring.
"How long?"
"Three months, four with medicine." The cold from earlier gave way to numbness and in the back of his mind the boy with bright blue eyes wonder which was worst.
The plague that has swept across Nibelheim had come fast and without warning. At first it had been the elderly who had been infected. Wrinkled and callous skin had become young and soft again, sparing steps had become light and springy and the curse of old age had reversed till youth came back to it's peek. They had all been wary and ecstatic, but had never questioned the whys, the origins or the consequences.
That had been four years ago.
Three years ago the sickness as it was referred to now had taken a turn for the worst. The elderly who had taken back their youth had been killed within weeks of each other. Their autopsies showed melted organs and decaying bones. What ever had cause the de aging process to happen has also speed up the bodies metabolism to the point where it had come to eat it self to sustain it's functions.
The next to fall were the adults, though they had been slower and much less noticeable. It was a gradual decrease and soon hardly anyone seemed to be getting sick and the few who had already succumb to the sickness died a while later. Six months passed with no one dying or becoming ill left everyone to believe that it was gone.
The next year- two years ago, Cloud's mother had gone out to get some berries for a pie she had wanted to make. Normally, he wouldn't have worried his mother always went out to forge for berries, but then she didn't come home, nor did she appear the next day or the one after. Soon a week has passed and still nothing. Then on the fourth day of the second week she had appeared. Weak and worn, the people who had found her had taken her to the healers house to recuperate. Then the announcement came: his mother was sick.
Soon after the announcement children began falling ill and dying. The blame was immediately pushed upon his mother and by association him. It was her fault for bringing the sickness back, her fault for their children dying, her fault for the plague.
Things began to change for the Strife family then.
They were shunned and snubbed. Sneered at and glared, they were thrown from stores and driven out of restaurants. His mother had said nothing and so he too was silent, but then one day it went farther then expected.
They had been out for a walk in the town on some errands when it happened. A child- Tifa Lockheart had collapsed near them as they had strolled down the street. The sun was bright and smiling warming the cool day. The people who had been around them had instantly gathered around the fallen child, his mother and himself included. The next thing he knew the person whom had bent down to check on whether or not Tifa was okay was suddenly screaming she was sick. The crowd gathered about immediately began to blame them, throwing rocks and sticks and whatever they could get their hands on at the small family.
His mother had done her best to protect him and soon the gather crowd quickly became a riot which needed the local law enforcement to bring order back, but not before enough damaged was inflicted upon his mother to warrant a urgent visit to the healers. That night when the room stilled and the healer had left he had looked upon his mother and asked.
"Why do are they blaming you when they become sick?"
"Because it's so much easier to blame something tangible, then believe it's the simple whim of a god to take their children and family. I just happen to be what is tangible and readily available." The blue eyed boy had stared at her with round eyes as the silent message behind her unspoken words became clear to him. She was here and she was able, so she would bare it so they could go on with that much less on their shoulders.
With that understanding and the rapid deterioration of his mother's health, due to the beating she had taken, his youth and innocence were quickly exchanged for reality and cynicism. The once vibrant blond had become distant and soon the sight of him working instead of playing became common place. He had learned to hunt for food, gathered herbs for sickness and wounds, chop wood, cook, clean- he did everything he could to help his mother who had become more or less bed ridden as time went on. The children teased him, bullied him, pushed him around and stole his things and all the while the adults looked on without a move to help as he bore it all without complaint.
He had been eight then.
Now here he was two years later, sitting in the healers house with his dying mother. Ten and already feeling the world crashing down on his shoulders. What was he going to do now? The young boy sighed, banishing the pleasant numbness into the back of his thoughts as he tabulated the cost of her medicine , the healers fee, and her stay here in the clinic. Cloud frowned. He didn't have enough money. With medicine and the fee for this visit he was already down to their last coins. There was no way he could even begin to imagine paying for the medicine much less treatment.
"Are there any other options?" The blond asked.
"I'm afraid not boy," the doctor answered almost callously.
"Is there no way I can pay you back later?"
"No."
"What about-"
"No."
"But-"
"Cloud it's okay," Mary Strife finally spoke up silencing the young blond.
"If we're done here you can leave." the Healer said indifferently more or less kicking them out.
Was his mother's life really going to end this way? Just because this stupid healer was not going to compromise on the payment. Weren't these people suppose to help those in need? Wasn't that part of their oath? Cloud growled in frustration at the healer's lack of cooperation.
"We're finished now, please leave. I will bill you later." The man said pushing the small family out the door.
"Hypocrite." the little boy cursed glaring darkly at the man.
"Excuse me?" the healer replied indignantly.
"I said your a hypocrite!" Cloud spat, "You made a promise to help everyone who needs help and not to pick and choose who you help and don't. Your such a liar. A greedy hypocritical liar and I hope you rot in hell!" he yelled before running out.
And thus began Cloud's new life.
School has been put on hold. Playing outside had been put on hold. Youth had been put on hold and left to the back burner, probably never to see the light of day again. The days progressed and steadily his mother deteriorated, leaving him helpless as she became weaker and weaker. The bullying got worse, the weather got cooler, food became harder to find and the people became more unforgiving. It had become habit for the young boy to go out at night to avoid the town and scrounge around the forest looking for things of value and food to eat.
Gradually the days became weeks and weeks became months, two months came and two weeks after she was dead. It was a cool morning much like the one her impeding death had been foretold that Mary Strife passed away and the small town of Nibelheim got it's one and only orphan.
The early morning air was cold against Cloud's pale skin. Life in the little village of Nibelheim was only beginning to stir as the small child stole away into the mountains before any of the villagers even left their cozy beds. The sun was only starting to rise in the distance coloring the skies in hues of red and gold. Cloud paused in his trek to admire the mesh of colors and enjoy the fresh air for a moment allowing himself to relax even as he started walking deeper into the mountains.
Winter was coming early the blond could tell feeling the deep chills in his bones as he forged for berries and herbs to store for the coming months. Later he would chop firewood, but for the moment food was the priority. The ever green trees of the forest filled their air with tangy pine and musky bark. The rich scent of freshly fallen rain lingered beneath the earthy tone as droplets lingered on golden leaves.
Cloud deftly jumped over a fallen log following a lesser worn path through the undergrowth. He had taken this path many times in the past year. The small trail hidden away from sight by a brush of thorn bushes. The only reason he had know about it was because he had stumbled upon it while looking for a place to hide from the village boys who had decided to "practice" their new found martial arts skills on the blond.
A cold wind pierced through Cloud's thin clothing causing goose bumps to rise up his arms and a shiver to trail down his back. Groaning, slightly to small boy decided to add hunting to the list. He needed some furs and meats for trade or he would freeze during the coming winter.
The mountain was a quiet hum when Cloud reach the clearing picking up herbs and different types of leaves on the way. Patches of berry bushes littered the area and an odd apple tree, so out of place on the Nibelheim forest. Deftly the blond began placing the berries into the basket he had brought with him making sure to fill the container before stopping. Next he eyed the apple tree. Picking the ripe fruit out with a practiced hand before putting the in his bag to make pies and preserves later. Some of the apples would be sold and hopefully he would make enough money to restock on salt.
Hefting the back up and settling his basket the blond made his way home to drop off his bounty and gather his more handy weapons.
By the time Cloud arrived at the town most of it's inhabitance were up and getting ready for the day. The blond ignored most of them as he walked to his house and placed the food in the cellar before locking it tightly taking care that no one but him could access it's contents. He had learned the first time the boys in his village had raided his pantry to never leave it unlocked.
Pushing upon his bedroom door, Cloud barely glanced around as he grabbed his homemade bow and a bag of worn down arrows. Slinging both over slim shoulders the boy left once more to go hunting, grabbing a new and bigger basket on his way out. With the skill of many years of practice the small blond ignored the scornful eyes of the villagers as he left the town once more.
Rolling his shoulders the nine year old though grimly. Time to go hunting.
Please Review and if anyone spots any errors, please inform me. Thank you.
~Between the Borders