Disclaimer: I do not own this, all rights go to their respective parties.
Summary: Claire Lightning Strife is set to live with her uncle Cloud after her mother is murdered. She is forced to pack up her minimum belongings and move from Oblivion District to the richest and most luxurious part of Twilight Town, Radiant garden. Where she realizes how different her mother and Cloud's lives truly are. Then there is also the rising concern of Larxene's killer. Who is he? Why did he kill Larxene? These are all Question's she asks herself. But most importantly. Will she be next?
Pairings: Luxord/Lightning/Zack, Cloud/Leon. Axel/Roxas, and Sora/Riku.
A/N: This story will contain drug usage and other graphic content such as self harm. It will be in future chapters just a warning.
Everything seemed to shift together. The line between reality and the past fusing together, enveloping me in a cold and tight cage of Denial and Numbness. My memories of the past three days dancing around each other almost as if they had been captured in my whirlwind of emotions, blurring together. The more important memories just peeking up out of tornado before being sucked back in. It was just images, constantly flashing each time I closed my eyes or blinked, like a crazy slideshow that refused to stop.
The police department, the dingy and small studio apartment, Luxord, Vexen, My Mothe-Larxene. Everything just flashed but when I tried to reach for them, my fingers itching to grasp one of them they would retaliate and throw me into the moment everything changed. The reason my mind and body was curling into itself. Defending itself the only way it could, by closing itself off. Not showing the massive destruction and disaster happening inside of the expressionless and emotionless shell that you called my body. The moment that Luxord came to the small and dingy apartment that Larxene and I shared.
The memory played almost like a scratchy disc, skipping the details, almost blurring them. It cleared as I opened the door of the apartment, and looked at Luxord. His blonde hair slicked back, his eyebrows and goatee neatly cut, and the dim flickering light making his eyebrow and ear piercings glisten. His Blue orbs watching me intently with a strange emotion in his eyes. His mouth moving, forming words, words that I already knew but that my mind would not allow me to hear again, muting it. My vision blurred and all I could see was a shoulder, curved and muscular, warm and safe. Strong arms wrapped around my broken frame as he moved me around the apartment tossing clothing into a bag that he had already semi-filled with clothing of his own that he was offering to me.
The memory blackened and the next memory that popped up was of my mothe- Larxene's pale face lying on the autopsy table. A white sheet, almost matching her pale skin which at some point had color, covering the top of her chest to her feet. Her shoulders bare and her hands placed palm up on the autopsy counter. The black and blue bruises that covered the inner part of her elbow no longer hiding her addiction that I had always known about. Her mouth was no longer pink but a sickly purple, her cheeks seeming to hollow even more even though she was already so thin, and her hair, the blonde slicked back hair with the two uncontrollable strands on either side was limp. But what continued to draw my attention was the bullet sized hole right between her thin eyebrows. The entrance of the bullet that had taken away her life and had left me an orphan.
Once again my vision blurs and the same shoulder appears again, this time a deep voice murmuring something in my ear. The voice comforts me and I find myself trying to reach out, to pry and figure out the words that it is saying. But just as I'm about to hear the sentence the meaningless words of comfort, gently prying the voice but only being able to raise it to a gently whisper, A higher voice another male's but not Luxord's says, "Claire?", which shoots me back to reality. My eyes removing themselves from the blue folder in my hands and looking up to the rearview mirror of the small White Prius.
Dark Black eyes are looking back at me, concern clear in them, and I can feel a wave of anger go through me. "How are you holding up back there?" Says the man who has thick black hair with a disappearing hairline, a long and curved nose, and two almost comically large front teeth. What was his name? I scan through my mind but give up as I see his eyes are still awaiting a response.
"Fine." I whisper and am surprised at the strength and hostility in my voice, the once described angelic voice, blunt and cold. The man, who I finally remember is named Mr. Kingsley, but who asked me to call him Goofy, flinches at the tone looking back at the road. I manage to catch surprise in his eyes but I look away the minute he looks back at the road. My aqua eyes staring out at the expansive amount of trees that decorate Highway 22, the busiest highway in all of Twilight Town which some called Purgatory Highway.
It was the only Highway that took you from The Oblivion District which was filled with Crime, Prostitution, and Drug activity considered Hell in some people's eyes and led to Radiant Garden, the cleanest, richest, and most well-kept part of the town. Where all the stuck up, rich, trust fund babies and their snobbish parents lived. My mind retaliated once again at that negative thought and threw up another image; this one was of the Chief of Police Xaldin. Xaldin was seated at his desk scrolling through paperwork before stopping on the page he needed. His words were muted as well but he handed me the image and I looked down at it.
It was a picture of four males standing in front of a very nice, elegant, and large two building home. Two adults and two teens, all of them huddled together, even in the picture they oozed happiness. The male at the right was tall and very angelic looking with Spikey Blonde hair, Sea Blue eyes, and pale skin. A small smile graced his lips and his arm was wrapped around one of the teens. That teen was a spitting image of him Blonde hair, blue eyes, and the same pale skin as the older man. He has a hand up as if in a middle of an awkward wave and his lips are formed into a matching awkward smile.
To the right, next to the Blonde male, with an arm securely wrapped around his waist is a tall and Brunette man with serious dark blue eyes, short and sleek brown hair, and a strong and masculine face with a scar running across his face. The scar which too many people can make them feel uneasy just adds character to the man and adds another ounce of masculinity. His other hand is lying firmly on the shoulder of the other teen. This boy has Spikey hair as well but it's a light shade of brown and light blue eyes that match the blonde haired boy's eyes. His skin is a tone darker than the awkward teen but he wears a large smile on his face, giving off joy and energy in spades.
I look back up at Chief Xaldin and can just make out some words, reading his lips. "Cloud…. Larxene…..Brother…..Uncle…..Family…..Moving." It didn't really take a rocket scientist to decipher what it meant. I was moving in to live with Cloud Strife and his family. They're names flying around in my mind and assigning themselves to the right people. The Blonde male was my Uncle Cloud; the blonde teen was his son Roxas who was seventeen. The man next to him was his Boyfriend of 15 years, Squall Leonheart, or Leon and the boy was his son Sora Leonheart who was the same age as Roxas.
The perfect family and here I was, the train wreck. Cloud Strife's Disastrous Niece whose….. Parent had been murdered and he had willingly accepted to care for. After no one else in the whole Strife family wanted anything to do with the Daughter of Larxene Strife, the Black sheep. It was either he takes me in or I'd end up in a foster home since they couldn't exactly ask my Father. My Father, from what I had been told, had run off the minute he had found out… Larxene was pregnant. Ran off like a dog with his tail between his legs, not even bothering to come and look at me when I was born or not even bothering to buy a box of diapers.
He left and Larxene was forced to play the part of Mom and Dad, and though she tried there was only so much a drug addict can do to raise a child. She had her needs that sometimes overpowered my needs. She needed her drug to function it was no longer a want; it was something she needed every day like eating and sleeping. She needed that to get up in the morning; she needed it to get through the day.
My mind blocked away the memories that began to creep up, like black veins. Creeping up slowly and wrapping themselves around my brain and heart. The memories of what would occur when she would run out of her substance. The memories of the violent outbursts of my mother that grew more physical the longer it took Vexen to come and drop it off. I bit my lip and looked down at my Lap and back at the folder that Goofy had given me in order for me to 'Get to Know' my family and all my papers.
I opened the front and there was the image that Xaldin showed me, a rectangle lying on the rather small stack of papers. My eyes narrowed a bit as I scanned the image. A feeling of something like desperation filling my stomach like cold icicles, as I searched for similarities between my Uncle and I. Something that I could latch onto and make me fit in with this Perfect Little Family. The most obvious difference was my Hair. Mine was a light pinkish color which though many had thought was fake was actually really mine, probably belonging to my father.
My eyes were similar to theirs, an aqua blue with specks of green around the pupil. The same skin tone as Cloud a light pale crème as well as the same facial features, high cheekbones, almond shaped eyes with thick eyelashes, and pinkish lips. For a moment I realized how much Cloud looked like my Mom. My Mind screeched to a halt, and all the memories disappeared, disintegrating and leaving only one image. My mother's smiling face.
I could feel my heart beating fast and the need to run coursing through my veins. I shut my eyes as they began to burn; I forced myself to take deep breaths as I tried to calm myself. Don't Cry, I chanted over and over again, don't be weak I snapped at myself. Goofy cleared his throat in the front seat, getting ready to speak, and a wave of irritation came over me making me forget the image and the urge to cry.
"Your Uncle, Cloud is a good man," He began and I rolled my eyes looking out the window. "Instantly wanted you to go live with him. Though I must say his Boyfriend Leon, did I tell you he don't like being called Squall? Well He doesn't. Leon isn't a man of many words." He reached out and moved the mirror to get a better view of me. I glared at him and he let out a nervous chuckle gripping the steering wheel with his white gloved hands.
"I can see that is something he and you share." I didn't respond just grabbed a strand of my hair, the shoulder length strand falling gently back onto my shoulder. The black beanie that was on my head pressing it down and my bangs covering my right eye. I wore a large Black Hoody; one of Luxord's clothing items, a pair of dark blue jeans, and some Pure Black Converse. Underneath of the Hoody was a Plain White shirt, the tip of it visible in the curve of the Hoody that fit large as well, I had to tie it at the back with a rubber band. Everything fit me huge except my jeans and sneakers which belonged to me. I only had three pairs of shoes the black Converse, a pair of black and white vans, and white Nike's, and then the five different pair of jeans. The rest belonged to Luxord.
It all fit me big and looked baggy but what did you expect when the guy was six foot two and I barely made it to five foot seven? I was used to it, though. After all ever since I had met him Six years ago, when I was ten and he was sixteen, he had always given me either clothing he never wore or hadn't fit him. He would come visit me and just hand me a bag or a box of stuff and I would put it under my bed since I didn't have a dresser or closet. We didn't have to say anything I knew he was taking care of me and he knew I was grateful. He looked out for me, He understood me, and I would always be thankful.
"Leon's a police officer, While Cloud's a therapist. One of the best therapists in all of Twilight Town. Sora and Roxas are in their last year of High School they start a week from now on September 1st. A good pair of kids those two are a good family in general. This will be a good change for you. A fresh start away from all that crime and addiction over in Oblivion District. Away from all of that." Goofy said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
A ball rose in my throat of anger and sadness, of hate and Despair. I narrowed my eyes and glared at Goofy again through the rearview mirror. Taking great pleasure as he squirmed and cleared his throat either out of nervousness or awkwardness I didn't know, and neither did I care. I closed the blue folder and tucked it back into the duffel bag, closing the zipper of the bag and crossing my arms over my chest.
"Well here we are!" Goofy said stopping the car, his voice a bit to cheerful. I turned my head and looked at the large and elegant light brown two floor house, or as I would call it Mansion. The home was painted a light brown with Dark wood windows and a black tiled roof. The home had a dark wood porch, which was surrounded by a wood fence, with a swing and steps going up to the glass double doors. The large glass double doors were underneath a Dark wood arch with two Dark brown pillars supporting it up. A grey cement pathway led across the dark green and well-kept yard to the sidewalk and towards the white mailbox. Another path broke off of the main path and led to the driveway. A Black mustang was parked in the driveway right in front of the garage door, a basketball hoop attached to the top of the garage.
"Come on now Claire." He said cheerfully, hopping out of the car. I sighed and grabbed the duffel bag and opened the car door, closing it gently behind me. I followed Goofy to the porch steps a bounce in his step, which sent a spike of irritation through me. He climbed up the porch steps whistling and I followed slowly, taking in my new living area. We stopped in front of the glass double doors that had an intricate black swirl design; I stared at it a few seconds before looking back at Goofy. He was fixing his polo shirt and swiped his palms across his Pants; I looked at the evening sky filled with Reds, Oranges, and Yellows with hints of Blue and Pink.
Goofy knocked on the door quickly but in a rhythm before putting his arms behind his back and waiting. Exactly five seconds later the door open and Goofy said a friendly, "Hey there." Followed by a laugh. I turned but the older man's lanky form blocked my line of sight.
"Hello Goofy, How are you?" Asked a calm and cool voice that was wrapped with a smile.
"Very Well, Thank ya for asking Cloud! Just came to drop off the merchandise." He joked chuckling, while I narrowed my eyes and glared at the back of his head. Goofy nodded and stepped to the side finally allowing me to look at the man who had opened the door. My eyes looked into Cloud's and I took in his white button up shirt, Dark Jeans, and Black dress shoes. He looked causal and professional even with his spiked blonde hair.
His mouth opened slightly as a strange emotion which I could only place as shock crossed his face. "You have Larxene's eyes." He whispered almost as if he were afraid to break this quiet shock filled silence. Once he mentioned her a pang went through my chest and my eyes looked down at my sneakers my hands burying themselves into the pockets of my jeans. I fixed my beanie out of habit as Cloud turned his attention to Goofy, "Would you like to come in?" He said politely but I could feel his eyes flickering between the two of us. Trying desperately to be polite but probably wanting to find more features Larxene and I shared.
I looked at Goofy out of the corner of my eye and saw him shake his head and look at his watch. "I'm going to have to pass Cloud. I am a bit late and I don't want to get the Miss upset, you know?" Cloud nodded and smiled understandingly. Goofy smiled back and turned to see me, pulling out a small rectangular car from his pocket and extending it to me.
"If you need anything, anything at all. Don't be afraid to call." I quickly grabbed it and held it between my thin fingers. Nodding but mentally thinking, 'I'm not going to call you'. He smiled pleased but unaware of what I had said to myself and walked down the steps.
"Have a safe trip." Cloud called after the retreating Social Worker, Goofy turning and raising a hand in acknowledgment before climbing into his Prius. Cloud watched him for a bit before looking back at me and smiling softly at me. I watched as he took a step back and moved aside, allowing me entrance into the home, "Come in."
I walked in and the first thing I noticed was how large the house really was. The entrance's floor was made of white marble and had two dark rugs on the floor one right in front of the door and the other between the two sets of stairs leading up to the second floor. A large glass chandelier hung above the rug and the small table that was on top of it, and in between the two stairs. The stairs had Black stone steps with a matching black railing with a white cover on the top of it for people to hold onto it. The walls in the entrance were a Light caramel brown with Painting scattered around, most of them on the two walls of the stairs.
"This is the entrance of the home." Cloud said after I had pretty much freely gawked for a whole three minutes. "To your left," He pointed to a very elegant archway with Black trimming on the edges. "Is the dining room." Inside from my spot I could see a large Table that had at least twelve chairs. The table and chairs all made of Dark brown wood and underneath another glass chandelier, except this one was square and the lights were pointing up instead of down. She could also just make out a fireplace and piano. I have always wanted to learn the piano… I thought and looked at Cloud who once again smiled and pointed to his right. Where an identical Archway was, "Over there is the Library slash Study. You can occasionally find me or Leon in there but you are welcome to enter it whenever you like. There is also a bathroom in there that is to the left." He said warmly and I had only counted four large bookcases before he was moving straight, past the stairs and into another room.
This room had the walls painted a light grey color with a white ceiling. The floor was still white Marble but was covered mostly by a White rug with a Dark grey rim. A large, plush, and very comfortable looking Dark grey couch was placed a couple of steps in front of the entrance with four squared gray pillows on it. In front of it was a dark brown coffee table with glass in the middle. A Green plant was in the middle beside some magazines and the remote for the Huge Plasma TV on the wall, right above another Fireplace. Two smaller love seat couches were beside the coffee table but these were white. Two Cabinets were beside the Fireplace, one held Cd's, while the other had thick books. "This is the living room." Cloud said as he walked in smiling warmly at me. "To the left are the sliding doors that lead outside where there is a pool, Jacuzzi, and barbeque. To the right is where the kitchen is." He led me to the kitchen and I followed still looking around the living room but not finding anything out of place. How long did it take to clean here?
When we entered the kitchen looked very warm and homey. The floors were no longer marble but sleek brown wood. The walls were painted white but everything else was either dark brown or Black. The kitchen had an island right in the middle of the kitchen with three large lamps hanging from the ceiling, with four large chairs on the left side of the Island. The right side it had the sinks and the stove, fridge, oven, and a lot of counter space. Drawers lined the counters some probably holding Knives, forks, and spoons while other contained ingredients.
Suddenly the door to the right of us opened and a portly woman with light brown hair, crème skin, and a warm face walked out. She wore a Dark blue Button up shirt, Black skirt, and Black flats. Her hair tied back in a bun and in her small chubby hand was what looked to be a Jar of something. That must be the pantry, I mused as she looked up from reading the label, her eyes widening slightly before smiling gently. "Good evening Mr. Stryker."
"Ah Good Evening Ms. Potts. This is my Niece, Claire. Claire this is our House Keeper, Ms. Potts." They even have a Maid! I nodded my head knowing that if I smiled it would look too forced.
"Hello there darling, you are very pretty."
"T-Thank you." I whispered my cheeks blushing at her warmness and motherliness. Motherliness…. My mind shot me back into reality as Ms. Potts was talking to my uncle.
"-For Dinner?" Ms. Potts said.
"Yes Spaghetti will be fine, just make extra garlic bread. You know how Sora is." Ms. Potts laughed and nodded,
"Of Course Mr. Stryker. Know if you two will excuse me." She bowed politely and walked towards one of the counters and pulled out some pots. Cloud smiled at the older woman before walking to the right of the kitchen where another dining table was this one much more simpler than the one at the entrance. It was just a squared wood table with matching wood chairs; the seats of the chairs seemed to be white pillows.
Another door was right beside the table and I stared at it. "That's the laundry room." Answered Cloud as he caught my vision. I nodded and looked to the left of the table where the dining room was. We walked through it and went back to the entrance, Cloud climbed up the steps and I followed quietly behind. When we reached the top, large thumps began to sound on the dark wood of the upstairs floor. My eyes looked up just in time as a large black and gold Doberman came thundering down one of the halls.
"No, Pluto! Sit." Cloud commanded the dog instantly stopping and sitting, his dog tag which was attached to a black collar thumping against his furry chest. His tongue rolled out of his mouth as he stared at Cloud who petted him.
"This is the family Pet, Pluto." He walked past him and Pluto followed him, craning his neck to watch him. But once he couldn't he turned his dark brown eyes to me. I took a step forward smiling gently and leaned down a bit sticking out my hand to him. Pluto sniffed my hand and gave it a gentle lick before he cocked his head to the left his tongue once again rolling out. I petted him between the ear, before scratching, Pluto leaning closer to my touch.
"You never had a dog before?" Cloud asked watching me intently; I shook my head, no. Cloud nodded before realization hit him. "Your mom was allergic to dogs wasn't she?" He said and I looked down the image of my mother smiling once again coming to the front of my mind. I nodded and Cloud sighed,
"I'm sorry." He said realizing what he had said. "Back to the tour." He mumbled pointing to the spot in front of us. I stood and realized that this was another living room except it seemed more like a guy room. The room was grey and the couches were red, another large plasma TV was on the wall between two rather large windows. A cabinet was underneath the TV where a bunch of Video Games, Movies, and Gaming Consoles were.
"This is the gaming room where the boys usually are." He then pointed to the right where one door was right between two large paintings and two cabinets but decided to show it to me as he walked over and opened it.
"This is mine and Leon's room the master bedroom." The room was huge. That's all I could say. There was a King size bed in the middle with two night stands on either side, a large area where they had a desk and their own personal living room. There was a hallway which I could only guess was the bathroom. I nodded and took a step back; Cloud closed the door before going to the left of the living room where there were two separate halls. Separated by a row of counters that had pictures of them and maybe friends?
"The hall on the right is Where Sora's room and Roxas's rooms are. Your room is to the left." He explained as he walked over to the left and walked through the hall. It was painted Gray like the rest of the top floor and he finally reached the White door at the end. "This is your room." He opened the door and stepped inside allowing me as well.
The room was bigger than my old one that was for sure. Well… I hadn't even had a room it was just a small section in the apartment that was closed off with a curtain. This room was a probably the same size as our studio apartment. Two of the walls were painted a light green while the other two were just white; the floor was a greyish brown type of carpet. The bed was a king size and was pushed against the wall right in front of the door which was painted green. It had two light brown nightstands beside the bed which had light green blankets and two large white pillows, two medium sized dark green pillows, and one small brown pillow. On one of the nightstands was an alarm clock and on the other was a green lamp. A light desk was placed to the right of the room against one of the white walls with a white plush looking chair. The desk was beside an open doorway which must be the bathroom I guessed. There was also a Green Loveseat to the left which was between a small table with a plant and a white bookshelf. They were leaning against a large window, with white curtains, that brought in the yellow evening sun and the view of the front of the house. In the middle of the room was a White rug white had light green swirls in the middle.
I walked into the doorway on the right and was surprised to see two doors, "One is the walk in closet and the other is the bathroom." Cloud said opening the door to the left which was the walk in and then the door on the right which was a very nice bathroom. It had a large mirror with a white counter with a very spacious sink. Drawers were underneath the counters and the toilet was to the right with a cabinet above it. Straight across from the door was the shower/ bathtub. The walls were painted Green following the same theme of the bedroom.
Cloud walked back into the bathroom and I followed dropping the duffel bag on the bed. My eyes glancing over at the clock that read, 6:35. Cloud crossed his arms and watched me for a few second before finally speaking.
"I'm going to go help Ms. Potts with Dinner, Leon took the boys to get some supplies for school. I'll take you tomorrow since we have to go sign you up and for you to take the entrance exam. I also have to go and get your uniform. You can unpack and I'll come up to call you to dinner. If you are not ready than you can eat here in your room or you can eat with us. I am not going to force you to do anything the choice is yours, Claire." Cloud nodded and turned just as Pluto trotted into the room and jumped on my bed, making himself comfortable on the green sheets.
"Pluto-" Cloud began but I cut him off. "It's okay." I whispered rubbing my arm, feeling the softness of the hoody rub against my arm. He looked at me and Smiled,
"Okay, I'll be up in an hour." The older man turned and walked out of the room closing the door softly behind him and leaving me alone.
(Damn longest chapter I have ever written! Well Hello there this is actually my first story Kingdom Hearts/ Final Fantasy story ever and I am excited. Just two things you should know about me is that if you review I update faster so maybe just two or three reviews to get me started. And two yes this is a yaoi story if you haven't read the description. This will also be a love triangle story between Lightning, Luxord, and Zack. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask! Thanks for checking it out and hope you continue reading it!)