-NIGHTMARES-
Mother, what is a promise?
To say you will do something and then to do it.
Like when I said I would come to find you?
Yes, like that.
What if you don't do what you said you would do?
Then the promise is broken.
It sounds just like a lie.
There is a difference.
What is the difference.
A lie is told purposefully.
A broken promise is not a lie?
Sometimes, it is simply that one lacks the ability to fulfill the promise.
Why make a promise that you cannot keep?
One does not always know the extent of one's abilities.
Mother?
Yes, my child?
I promise that I will find you, one day.
Your rewards will be endless should you fulfill that promise.
Steam filled the bathroom as Zack turned on the shower faucet. He was so tired and sore from the day's events, but he needed this. The closest he had come to bathing from before Nibelheim was chancing a dip in a stream or standing under a water fall whenever he could find a good source.
Other than that, it was up to the rain whenever it chose to fall. He set the borrowed clean set of clothes his best buddy let him have down on the sink counter as he peeled off his mucky clothes and stepped into the tub and pulled the curtains closed. The moment the warm water hit him his eyes rolled back into his head. He had forgotten what a relaxing hot shower felt like.
That defeat at the hands of that masked man had sucked, but he had to put it behind him. He was still alive, and able to fight another day. The next time he and the guy clashed blades, Zack swore his wouldn't break again.
Back in the kitchen, the rest had gathered to go over what had just happened. Tifa came down the stairs after checking on Angel and the kids. Cloud was brewing coffee for everyone to calm their nerves, and Yuffie was sitting at the table tapping her fingers. They all were anxious to actually talk about the night's events; they were waiting for Zack. Yuffie however wasn't so patient.
"So, you guys might have left some stuff out," Yuffie declared, "Who were those people? They were pretty tough!"
"Angel called them Harkons," Tifa replied, attempting to sit down. Before she did, she caught sight of the blood on Cloud's arm from the bullet, standing back up to run to his side. She grabbed a nearby rag, ran it under the water, and began dabbing at it.
Cloud's thoughts were troubled. It was a little too coincidental that when he lost focus during the spar, the word, Harkon, repeated in his mind like some kind of chant, and then the next few minutes they appeared. Was someone trying to warn him mentally? If so, then who sent the message?
"Hmm?" Cloud looked over to his right when he noticed Tifa pressing a cloth over his arm. "Thanks."
He had forgotten about such a light injury after taking on four goons and rushing in to save Zack. He wouldn't lie to himself and say it wasn't such a rewarding feeling to successfully save him this time.
Tifa stared down at him, her expression softening as she tended his wound. "Angel was terrified... and frustrated. She kept yelling 'Danger' and 'Harkon' over and over."
Yuffie spoke up as she snatched up another cupcake. "So those guys were Harkons? I mean... they said they were."
"Harkon? That's what Cloud kept mumbling on the roof," came Zack's voice as he entered the doorway drying his hair with a towel. The jeans that fit loosely on Cloud fit him perfectly, and the blue men's tank top fit well too.
Cloud just shrugged his shoulders, but winced slightly at the sting when the action accidentally forced Tifa to press harder on the wound. "I think someone was trying to warn me, but I have no idea who. It was so hushed, I could barely hear it, until you snapped me out of it."
He then looked to the girls for any ideas.
"Sorry." Tifa whispered, lifting the cloth momentarily. "What do you mean... someone was trying to warn you. We were all downstairs. How could anyone have warned you?"
Zack let the towel rest around his shoulders as he reached over for another cupcake and took a bite. "I didn't hear any warning either, but his eyes were glowing pretty bright... and they looked like a cat's."
Cloud sighed as he didn't even try to deny that fact. He knew it shouldn't be ignored, but he still didn't like to talk about it. He gave Tifa an apologetic look.
"I think..." he mentally scolded himself for not being honest with her. "Today, I've been getting these weird thoughts. Ones just like the message about those enemies. I think... someone's trying to get in my head."
Tifa delicately dabbed at the wound, trying to give him a reassuring look.
"You heard the warning in your head," she summarized. She glanced through the doorway at Angel, who was learning more words with the kids. "Do you think it's Angel? I mean, she can bring people back from the dead... we don't know what other abilities she has."
Cloud blinked as he looked up and over in the girl's direction. It hadn't escaped his notice that she was only paying partly attention to the kids, returning to her scared and reclusive manner once more. If it was her, it was probably the best outcome. At least, he hoped she wouldn't try to take over his mind.
Cloud physically shook his head. What was he thinking? Of course, she would only try to help. She had made that clear when she revived both Denzel and Zack.
He reached over with his good arm to pull down three mugs for coffee because he was not about to give Yuffie any caffeine. That was a lesson he had learned the hard way.
"I think we can all agree on one thing," Zack piped up. "Those guys will be back, and next time they won't let their presence be known before they strike."
Cloud nodded before his eyes flashed with an idea. "And you need a proper sword, one that won't break."
"But you said you sold all your other swords," Zack reminded him.
"Not all of them," was his reply, "I still have my first one."
"So what are we going to do? Are we still going to Costa del Sol? We can't stay here." Tifa asked.
He looked at Tifa. "No, you're right. They're obviously not afraid to attack in the city. We should probably head out first thing tomorrow morning. A tourist resort would be something they hopefully wouldn't expect us to do."
He then smirked to the brunette at his side, "After all, whose crazy enough to go on vacation after that?"
Zack grinned as he watched the two. "So we're going to Costa del Sol? Sweet! Last time I was there I had to fend off a pack of enemies with nothing but an umbrella and my swim trunks. Guess who won?" He laughed.
Tifa nodded, putting the final dressing on Cloud's wound. "Good. Tomorrow, you two go do what you need to do. I'll pack up some things and get us ready to go."
"You're going to Costa del Sol?" Yuffie's eyes glinted.
Cloud "Mmmhmmm'ed" a reply as he drank from his mug, hoping the caffeine would work a little bit before the mako in his bloodstream burned it off quickly. Most of the time it never worked; he mainly liked the flavor of the sweet vanilla, especially when Tifa brewed it.
"Your best bet is probably to stick with us for now," he added after he swallowed. "They'll be after you too. I heard that masked man say that to Zack when they were fighting down below."
Zack nodded. "Yeah, he did and if I'm being honest I'm a bit nervous. The guy was strong. I've gone up against a lot of powerful enemies, but this guy... I think he's on par with a First Class."
Cloud looked over at Zack and couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You think he's on Sephiroth's level?"
Zack shook his head. "No, not quite, but not far off either. He feels more like he'd be on Genesis or Angeal's level."
Yuffie's expression was, for the briefest of moments, fearful... but only for that moment. Soon, she readopted her happy-go-lucky face. "So, you want me to come with you to Costa de sol? Admit it! You want me for my awesome skills as a great ninja warrior. Sure, I'll help you out."
"We appreciate it, Yuffie," Tifa smiled.
Cloud smirked as he rolled his eyes. He knew she was scared, but he couldn't blame her... and he was relieved. Not only was it helpful to have that extra support, but she was where he could ensure her safety. He'd never tell her, because she'd take full advantage of it, but he often thought of her as a little sister. "Just make sure you steal their materia and not ours this time... if they even have any. I didn't see a single one among them."
"Me neither," Zack replied, obviously thankful.
Cloud rinsed his cup out before looking over the dressings on his arm. He then smiled at Tifa. "Thanks, Teef."
Zack gently nudged Yuffie and smirked at the display.
The blond then headed into the living room next, where the kids had jut taught her what a puppy was.
"She already knows what Zack looks like," he lightly joked, looking over his shoulder.
"Hey, I heard that, Chocobo!" Came the sarcastically offended remark from his friend.
Cloud knelt down in front of her, not wanting to frighten her with his question, but he needed to know for sure, but first questions first: "Are you okay?"
Angel stared into his eyes, clearly still very worried. "Harkons... want me go back... no go back... please, no go back."
She looked at his bandage, her eyes widening. "They... hurt you! I'm sorry!"
He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Hey, calm down. it's alright. We won't let them take you back."
Cloud hated how scared she was, even now after they were gone. Sure, they were a problem, and needed to be dealt with, but there was no way Cloud would be able to live with himself if he let her go back to whatever hell she escaped from.
He then shook his head and chuckled. "This is nothing; it'll be healed by tomorrow, especially with Tifa's healing remedies." He flexed his injured arm just to show her it wasn't a big deal. "See? It's feeling better already, I don't even feel the pain."
"Cloud's made of tough stuff Angel," Denzel chimed in. "He once took down a giant dragon in the middle of the city, while saving me and Tifa from other monsters and falling debris!"
"It wasn't that impressive," Cloud retorted.
"Are you kidding? We would've died then if you hadn't swooped in like you did." The boy wasn't going to let this go.
"Well, when you put it that way..."
Angel smiled watching the exchange between the two.
"Impressive." she repeated. She then took on a very serious expression. "Harkons... more strong... more... hurry?..." she shook her head, knowing that was not the right word.
"Fast?" asked Marlene, trying to help.
"Yes," Angel nodded. "More fast... and Kane... more more strong."
Cloud huffed at that. "I don't know who this Kane is, but I doubt he's as strong as Sephiroth. I've beaten that... man... three times and once before I had my mako strength. If I can take down the general of SOLDIER with nothing more than pure determination then I think I can handle anything these Harkons can throw at me."
"Yeah," Denzel cheered offering his guardian and hero a fist bump to which Cloud returned.
The blond stopped then, slowly retracting his fist after the gesture. "What happened to your eye?"
The smile quickly vanished from the boy's face, and he looked down.
"I... I got in a fight," the pre-teen admitted quietly.
Cloud felt his adrenaline rise again, fresh from a fight, but then he calmed his nerves with a deep sigh through his nose, letting it fade away. "Denzel... I'm sure Tifa's already given you a lecture, so I'll spare you mine... most of it anyway. Want to talk about it?"
"I know you said that fighting should only be as a last resort," Denzel said, "but I just couldn't... let him talk about her like that, Cloud! I couldn't!"
Cloud reached a hand over to Denzel and placed it strongly on his shoulder. "Whoa, steady there, Denzel. Start from the beginning. Who said what about who?"
Denzel took a breath and let it out. "Doran Billings was waiting for his mom to pick him up while we were waiting for Tifa. He started running his mouth about how we get special treatment because you saved the world. Me and Marlene... we ignored him. But then, he started talking about Tifa... called her a... well... called her a really bad word."
His face flushed as he recalled the incident.
"He said you would never want her cuz she's... used," Denzel explained, "so I slugged him... and we got into a fight until the principle came and broke it up."
He looked at Cloud pleadingly. "I just couldn't help it. He made me so mad!"
Cloud took it all in, letting the boy have his say, but his expressions betrayed him. What was said about Tifa... he felt very offended and angry, but none of it was directed towards Denzel. The boy had acted... in all honesty, just as Cloud would have acted... and had done in the past when the kids in his hometown used to talk trash about his mother because she was a single parent.
With a warm, proud look in his eyes he turned his attentions back to Denzel.
"Obviously Tifa's already handled this, so I've got nothing to say to make you feel worse, and in all honesty, while it wasn't right what you did, your heart was right where it should be."
He then became more serious. "I'd bet Gil to gysahl greens he wouldn't be complaining if it were the other way around and he were getting special treatment."
He then leaned in closer, "Though, I doubt he'd survive it, because his morals aren't as strong as yours."
He then shook his head, irritated by the way some random kid thought Tifa would go that route. Billings... where had he heard that name before? Then it came to him. That was the name of the shopkeeper where Cloud had sold his Rune Blade... the same shopkeeper that Yuffie mentioned had some unpleasant things to say about Tifa. "Billings... sounds like I need to pay that shopkeeper a visit."
There were a good few years time when he and Tifa had been apart, but one thing he knew for certain: in all the years he had known her, there was never a time when she showed herself as anything other than genuine, and her motives were always pure. He never once asked if there had been other suitors, and he didn't have to. She was loyal, and if there had been they would have come back, but no one ever had. It was one of the things that helped him hold onto hope.
He focused his attention back on Denzel. "Since I'm your guardian, I can spoil you however I want. Next time I'll be picking you up from school and we'll see how that plays out."
Denzel nodded, obviously being harder on himself than anyone else could be. "I know. I shouldn't have let him get to me... but no one talks about my family like that."
Cloud smirked at him, "Hey, we all have to pick our battles. There are plenty of times when it's best to walk away, but here's a bit of truth you'll eventually learn on your own. Even as an adult you'll never grow out of that. I've caused a few bleeding noses in my day, and received my fair share in return. Learn to channel that anger on something that really poses a threat. I'll take you out to a monster-filled area some time and show you what I mean. You could use practice with other weapons."
"Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Spiky?" asked Zack as he made his way into the living room.
"What do you mean?" the blond asked, confused as he turned to his friend.
Zack merely placed his hands on his hips. "Since when did you become such an inspirational life coach? You used to be such a shy, timid kid with self-esteem issues, and now you're this confident big shot who boasts his power and can definitely back it up."
Cloud just shrugged. "It's been a long day, and I've taken down what feels like a small army. With everything going on, it's tough just keeping my sanity in check."
Zack chuckled. "Okay, hero, cool your jets. I just wanted to ask a few questions."
Cloud shook his head as he jerked a thumb towards the closet in the wall. "Pillows and Blankets are in there. You can crash on my bed for the night and Yuffie can have the pull-out chair."
"Wait, if I take your bed then where will you sleep?"
Cloud glanced over towards the kitchen and fought to suppress a blush. He was going to ask her naturally, but he just felt like he needed to be closer to Tifa tonight.
He looked down at Angel then and tried to make sure he didn't seem angry or bothered by what he was about to ask her, which he wasn't, but she had already gone through enough tonight. "Angel, was it... was it you who warned me of the Harkons before they showed up?"
Angel nodded and placed her finger gently on his temple. "Connected."
Cloud sighed with relief then. "I'm glad it was you. It's not the first time someone's tried to get into my head; last time they tried to control me into almost hurting my friends."
It was a memory he wish he could forget. He still wasn't sure if it was Sephiroth or Jenova that had tried to overtake him. It very well may have been both, but that was in the past. He just wanted to know so he could stop worrying. He also didn't want her to think he was mad at her. "If you need me, I'll be upstairs."
He nodded to the kids. "Bedtime... we leave an hour before dawn if we want to make the first few ferries."
Angel smiled at him, glancing quickly at the kids. "Good night... Cloud."
He smiled kindly at her. "Goodnight, Angel."
Cloud followed the kids upstairs leaving Zack to watch him go and smile. "You know, I think this is the first time I've ever really seen him happy. He was always so hard on himself before. Full of self doubt, and Gaia knows how long he carried the blame of Nibelheim on his shoulders. I'm sure he blamed himself from what happened to me, too, but I think what you've been doing has helped him heal a lot better." He turned to her then and smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome... Zack." she said slowly. Thinking about it for a moment, she added, "Doubt... what does it mean?"
Zack had to think about that one for a minute. It wasn't hard to explain; he just wanted to make sure she understood. "Doubt is when you have a lack of faith in something or someone. Like if someone said to you they'd meet you in the kitchen for breakfast and didn't show up, and the next day they promised the same thing, and you doubted they'd be there." He then sighed as he headed into the closet to pull out the extra sheet and pillow. "Self doubt is a bit different. It's when you believe you, yourself, aren't good enough to do something."
The explanation and the following revelation painted a shocked expression on her face. "Cloud... self doubt?" She could hardly believe it.
Zack growled at the sheets as he wrestled them out of the closet. "Yeah, he told me so on the roof, that he doubted himself for the longest time. He felt like a failure for letting his friends down." He then winked at her, "But I straightened him out. I told him if he ever doubted himself again I'd knock him out and stick him in a chocobo coop. That earned me a bruise on my side from where the flat of his sword smacked me," he laughed.
He then grinned at her. "You don't have to worry about him, Angel. He owes a lot to you and he just doesn't know how to say it. He can save the world as many times as he wants, but he'll still be that shy country boy from the backwater town."
Cloud made sure the kids were in bed and that they weren't still upset from this night's events. He gulped back his nerves and knocked on Tifa's bedroom door. "Tifa?"
When she opened the door, he could see that her hair was a bit messy, and she was dressed in a tank top and a pair of shorts. "Cloud? Is something wrong?"
He saw how disheveled she looked, like she had just rolled out of bed and he instantly felt guilty. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't." she said a little too quickly, then added, "I was just relaxing. I'm too hyped up to fall right asleep."
He felt a little better, but it still didn't help his nerves any. "If it's not any trouble... I mean... the thing is..." Gaia, why couldn't he SAY IT?! "I sort of let Zack have my bed tonight, and Yuffie's hogging the chair... so I was wondering if maybe... you wouldn't mind... that is..." He mentally slapped himself; He had just boasted what a powerful warrior he was, yet now he was acting like a shy little boy, the same one that fell for her all those years ago. "Would you mind if I crashed with you tonight?" He was still a nervous wreck, but at least he finally got it out.
"Yes!" she blurted out instantly. She took a slow breath. "Of course."
He felt a bit sheepish when she raised her voice like that. He hoped he hadn't annoyed her with his dumb shyness that would forever haunt him. "Th-thanks," he replied, stepping into her room as she stepped to the side. He noticed which side of the bed was hers from the direction the sheets had been tossed and made to choose the other side. "I promise, I won' take up much room."
"It's fine," she smiled, shutting the door and following behind him. She was about to say something when one of her feet caught on the other and down she went, on her way to kiss the floor.
She never even made it half way as Cloud swooped in to catch her. He knew she was strong; her power and skill had never slowed him down and often times finished off any foes he couldn't kill in one hit. They had been through a lot, and with this recent attack he wanted to make sure she wasn't hiding any injuries or pain from him. He swore he'd protect her, but he didn't want her to think she needed to act tough and hide her pain in front of him. He wanted to convey this so badly, but words always failed him, so he tried with his eyes, offering her the most heartfelt and worried expression he had. "I've got you."
Her voice was breathy and soft. "I know."
His nerves faded as a small smile grew. He secretly vowed that as soon as this nightmare was cleared up, he'd make it up to her. "Looks like we both need the rest, huh? Come on. We'll have to get an early start in the morning." He helped her back to her feet before he looked sheepish again, but it was different from before, "Just don't tell anyone this, but I'm barely keeping my eyes open. That coffee saved me from face planting right in the kitchen."
She chuckled. "So I'm not the only one who feels like I've lived about 3 months in one day?"
He returned the chuckle with a small laugh of his own as he sat down on the edge of the bed and took off his boots, shoulder guards and pretty much everything except for his pants. He then laid down and sighed with comfort, able to finally relax. "Guess we're both great at hiding our exhaustion."
Laying down on the bed, she slid herself under the covers. "I guess so," she agreed, laying on her side to face him.
He smirked at her as he laid on his back and turned his head towards her as his eye lids slid shut. "Night, Teef," he whispered as he slowly drifted off to sleep. The day had been rough, but he had gained so much. He felt like the champion everyone praised him as for once, and it was a nice feeling.
He didn't know where he was... it was cold... white... dark. Looking down at himself, he noticed that his hands were not his own... nor any other part of him. He felt alone... oppressed... frightened... and a sense of panicked anticipation. In front of him was a large, glass wall, and he gasped as he saw the ghostly reflection on it: the image of Angel. He was seeing everything from her eyes... Suddenly, the fluorescent lighting came on, and a few laboratory technicians entered the room. And the scene melted away into a new, more terrifying one.
She was strapped down inside a long glass box, wires crossed over her. The sound of medical monitors beeping... clicking... humming. A plastic tube had been inserted down her throat, forcing her to breathe in rhythm with a machine. She could see small holes in the side of the box, and a sense of dread crept from within her as the box began lowering. She wanted to scream, but the tube in her throat wouldn't allow it. She could feel it coming... the green water that burned... that sometimes dissolved her skin. She saw the cyan reflecting off the glass.
The liquid began pouring in through the holes, wetting her back first. The burning sensation was scalding. It was like laying in a pool of lava and then dousing the burns with alcohol. Tears poured out of her eyes as the level rose higher. The acidic water entered her nose, ears, and mouth, and she squeezed her eyes shut to protect them. The pain steadily grew, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't even moan.
The scene faded into a new one. She sat on a hard, metal chair in front of a steel table. Both legs and arms were restrained to the chair. A lab technician stood over her, holding a pill.
"Eat." the technician said, trying to place the pill in her mouth.
She shook her head defiantly, keeping her lips sealed.
"Eat." the technician repeated, attempting again. She stood her ground, refusing.
"Punishment." the technician warned. The fear blossomed out from the pit of her stomach. What would it be today? Suddenly, a powerful shock erupted from the back of her neck, and her body convulsed for a few seconds. When she finally stilled, the technician popped the pill in her mouth and covered it and her nose. She couldn't breathe!
"Eat."
She struggled, the panic rising and overtaking her. A gray color began to form in her vision, so she finally swallowed. The pill burned as it traveled down her esophagus and continued to burn in her stomach. The slight burning became a flame... the flame became an inferno of agony.
A flash of another day in the glass box...
The scene faded into a new one. She sat in a white room with very high ceilings and observation windows on all sides. She lay on a cold table, strapped down while a scientist gave her injection after injection, filled with the green water... in the same area of her shoulder. So many of them. The technician then picked up a very thick needle. Without a word, he jammed the needed into her arm, driving it into the bone by striking it with a hammer. She shrieked as the needle bored in and then sucked out a dark reddish-brown substance with flecks of glowing turquoise mixed in. The technician repeated this process three more times, one for each limb. She sobbed and screeched, hoping it would end soon.
A flash of another day in the glass box...
The scene faded into a new one. She sat in the middle of a very cold room wearing nothing but that gown. The temperature continued to plummet, and her feet and hands grew numb. She had stopped shivering hours ago. Her eyes were so heavy that she could no longer hold them open.
A flash of another day in the glass box...
The scene faded into a new one. She sat on the cold, hard floor. A man with red hair stared at her from behind the observation window, apparently very upset. A technician stood next to her, wielding a nasty-looking whip. Her back was so raw and bloody, but he wouldn't stop hitting her.
A flash of another day in the glass box...
The scene faded into a new one. She was a little girl now, sitting in a room next to a little boy with long, silver hair. A lab technician approached her and grasped her arm, pulling her to stand up. He must have used a little too much strength because she released a cry of pain. The little boy stood up, ready to react.
"Sit!" the lab technician shouted.
"No!" the boy shouted.
"Punishment!" the lab technician warned, but the boy refused to listen. The lab technician removed a rod from his lab coat and flicked a small switch on it. The rod came to life with electricity.
"Sit!" the lab technician commanded.
"NO!" the boy screamed, thrusting his hand towards the technician, who suddenly burst into flames. The boy ran forward and seized her hand, pulling her away from the fire and embracing her. Four more technicians and two Harkons entered the room, and one of the Harkons wore a silver mask. The boy stepped in front of her protectively and thrust out both hands towards the technicians. Out of his fingers shot lightning that not even a thundaga spell could produce. All four technicians convulsed and collapsed.
The Harkons pulled out tranquilizer guns and unloaded them in the boy, who collapsed but was still conscious. The Harkon with the silver mask dashed forward and snatched the girl's arm, dragging her from the boy. She screamed and shrieked, reaching for the boy... trying to get back to him, but the Harkon carried her further and further away until she could no longer see him.
Flashes of pain, injections, the glass box, lashings, shocks, carving with scalpels, sleep deprivation, cold exposure, isolation... and one man's face... red hair... cold, blue eyes caused the fear to grow to absolute hysterical panic... releasing itself in the form of a blood-curdling scream...
The Seventh Heaven building was finally quiet after a day of complete insanity. Some of it normal and good, but a lot of it unusual and downright unsettling. The living room was in disarray, with things broken and scattered across the floor. It would be cleaned, but not while Yuffie gently snored on the chair, her legs hanging off the side and she was drooling as she turned over in her sleep. A vision most unbecoming of a princess, her father would always say.
Angel was tossing and turning on the couch, her sleep troubled. Marlene and Denzel were sleeping soundly and Zack was sleeping lightly. Waking up every twenty minutes or so, out of sheer habit from his time on the run. It would take him a while to break that habit, he knew, but it was nice not to feel hunted by the entire force of Shinra now. He knew they were still targets, though.
Suddenly, from upstairs, the sound of Cloud's scream met Zack's ears.
They were in trouble!
He dashed up the stairs, remembering that he no longer had a usable sword. Eyes darting around at the top of the stairs, Zack looked for anything that might pass for a weapon... and saw First Tsurugi leaning against the wall of the bedroom.
At first it was a quiet moaning, a few twitches from his sword hand, but that soon changed as the dream progressed. His head jerked from side to side, his hands clenching into fists and his heart began to race with battle energy surging.
Finally, at the end he jolted upright in bed, screaming with rage and pain as his fist slammed down on the nightstand next to the bed, reducing the top half to splinters and causing the two front legs to snap and collapse
Snapping up, Tifa jumped at the show of violence.
"Cloud?!" she cried, "Cloud, it's... it's all right!"
She stood up on her knees, inching closer to him and gently... and tentatively... placing her hands on his shoulders
His eyes were glowing brightly, wild and unfocused as he panted, "So much mako..." Something soft and comforting grasped his shoulders, and he didn't even try to regain focus of his vision. He instinctively latched into it with his own arms, grasping those hands firmly, like an anchor to safety. Then the voice reached him, and his eyes dimmed allowing his vision to return. When he finally focused, he saw Tifa looking terrified, but she was also really close. Her hands were gripping his shoulders, and his hands were gripping hers. A sorrowful expression stole across his face as he lessened his grip.
"Tifa?... I didn't... hurt you, did I?"
It had been so long since his night terrors had been that vivid, but this time, it made it worse because these weren't his own. Regardless, he knew when he awoke from them he would see the damage he had caused, unintentionally. It was one of the reasons why he stashed his sword on the other side of the room to prevent his own unconscious efforts to grasp the hilt and cause building-collapsing level damage.
"No, you didn't hurt me," she tried to reassure him. She met his eyes and kept her hands on his shoulders.
He sighed with relief hearing that. It was one of the fears that always plagued him and why it had taken him so long to admit his true feelings, even to himself. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her in any way, and these night terrors had been the biggest reason. It had been so long since they had happened that he'd hoped was finally rid of them. This one was different though, and it made him angry. He felt the fear, and sympathized with it, but it wasn't his own.
"What... what happened?" she asked.
While his mind tried to calm down, his body was still shaken, and he could feel his arms trembling. His limbs and back, particularly his shoulder blades, had always been of keen interest to Hojo; looking back, after the wing Sephiroth had sprouted, he realized why. He started to panic again as those memories tried to surface, but he fought to focus on Tifa. She was the only thing keeping him grounded right now.
She watched the flurry of emotions blaze through him, and pulled him towards her, holding him as tightly as she could in a comforting embrace.
"It's okay." she whispered.
The moment she pulled him into the embrace, a warm calm washed over him, like cleansing ocean waves. His heart rate instantly slowed and returned to normal, and his breathing slowly evened out. He closed his eyes and took in her strong presence. Nothing else in the world mattered at that moment, and no one else existed. It was just him and her.
Heavy footsteps rushed to the door, and Cloud's formerly panicked mind instantly reacted. Pulling Tifa behind him, he grabbed one of the broken shards of wood from the nightstand and aimed it at the door. Zack busted in with Cloud's Fusion Sword, poised to strike any intruders, only to stop and stare at the two. It was the most awkward moment Cloud had suffered. It was on par with the moment at the Don Corneo's mansion, when Tifa realized the girl with Aerith that came to rescue her was really Cloud.
"Uhh..." Zack was at a loss for words as he blushed with embarrassment, probably thinking he might have interrupted something. "I am so sorry. I heard a shout and..." His blush turned a darker shade of red when he saw the wooden spike. "Are you role playing a vampire?"
Now it was Cloud's turn to blush. "It's not what it looks like! Get your mind out of the gutter!" He then stopped and glanced behind him, just now realizing how close they had been and how intimate it had felt. It was the closest he had been to her in years, and he couldn't put words into it, it just felt... right.
Tifa blushed, rolling her eyes and smirking at Zack. "It was just... a nightmare, Zack." Though she was now behind him, she left one hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Sorry we woke you."
Zack lowered the sword, scratching the back of his head. "Must've been some nightmare. I'll go check on the kids; they're probably confused and worried. Um, goodnight." With that he left, while setting the sword against the far wall.
Cloud sighed as he tossed the wooden shard to the corner of the room where no one would step on it, before running a had over his face. "That could have gone better."
He then turned his attention back over to Tifa, unsure how she felt after that. He felt much better now, but he didn't want to scare her anymore. If she wanted him to leave, he would, even if he still felt the need to be close to her.
As he turned, she smiled at him. She let her palm run down his arm until she held his hand in hers. "You want to talk about it?"
His fears and self doubt melted away by her touch. It was so easy to get lost in her ruby red eyes, and he felt himself instantly pacified. Now came the hard part: talking. The old him would have shied away and either turned over to go back to sleep or left. He wasn't that person anymore. Tifa's many lectures about running away and accepting his fears had finally sunk in, and he owed it to her to open up more, even if he sucked at it.
So with a deep sigh to steel himself he told her the dream, in the clearest detail he could. A lot of it was fogged in a green mist, not unlike the time when he suffered from mako poisoning.
"But... it wasn't me this was happening to. I'm pretty sure it was Angel," he finished. "If she returns to them, she'll suffer more of that... and probably worse...we can't let that happen."
Tifa blinked, staring at him for what seemed like the longest time.
"Wait, you said she was being pulled away from someone... you mean there might be others in that place?" she finally said.
Cloud rubbed his forehead as he tried to focus on that person. They had been so blurry he couldn't tell if it was a boy or girl, he or she had long hair, but only the voice gave him away as a young boy. Cloud was bothered by the abilities he had but realized he had been trying to protect Angel, and he was scared, trying to lash out and escape... just like he and Zack had done... "I don't know... I want to ask her, but I don't want to send her into a panic with these memories."
He took her hand in his and gently rubbed against the top of it with his thumb. "What do you think about all this?"
"I know you don't want to push her," she began, softening her voice, "but what if it's someone she cares about? You said she was screaming as they took her from him." She sighed, placing her other hand over his. "If there are others in this horrible place, we need to help them... don't we?"
Cloud nodded in agreement. She was right, as usual. He could just barely remember the early days under Hojo's care, how he wished someone would rescue him and Zack, whenever he wasn't overwhelmed by the realization that his entire village was dead. The fear that plagued him most was memory of seeing Tifa laying there at the reactor, bleeding out from a wound on her torso. He glanced down at the old injury. Only a scar still existed, but it still bothered him to know how close she came to death that night.
He swore that she would never come that close, ever again, even if it came down to giving up his own life, he'd do it without a second thought.
"We do," he replied with a determined resolve. "If there's a chance we can get them out of that hell then I'll find away."
She smiled at him. "We can try talking to her tomorrow. We need some sleep, right now. " She took a breath, tilting her head. "Unless you think she's awake right now."
Cloud really didn't want to get out of her bed... not when they had finally seemed to become more open with each other. Before, Tifa would back away when he woke up from such a nightmare, but tonight she had pulled him closer. He couldn't find the words to tell her, afraid she'd think he was losing it again by offering the possibility that it may happen again, but he'd be lying if he said he wanted her to do anything different. Just being near her was like a healing embrace; a constant shower of cure being cast over him, and he relished in it.
But then he thought about Angel and how she most likely had the same dream he did, if they were as connected as the girl had explained. She didn't need to suffer that alone. "I'd better go check on her. I had you to comfort me, but all she has is Yuffie and we both know how bad she is with comforting others about that, if she even woke up at all." He blushed when he realized he had admitted to being comforted by her and cleared his throat as he got out of bed. "I'll be back in a little bit."
"I... I could come with you... if you want," she suggested.
It was small, barely even there, but those who knew him best would be able to tell he was smiling with relief. He was barely able to come out of that nightmare on his own. What good would he be to someone else? Tifa coming along, on the other hand, would make it so much easier. He didn't trust his words at that point and simply nodded.
She inched herself off the bed, hesitantly releasing his hand.
"Let's mosey." she quipped, smirking at him.
Cloud spluttered at her choice of words. "You guys are never going to let that go, are you?" He tried to act annoyed, but he was smiling.
That smile vanished when he stepped into the living room.
