I'm back :) I promised you guys Something About the Rain, and here it is!
Okay, so this is a collection of one shot chapters that revolve around the pasts and futures of the characters from the story, Is there an Elephant in the Room?. Also mine. If you haven't read, Is there and Elephant in the Room?, then don't read this, you will be highly confused.
Anyway, I'm having some fun writing this, though I don't know if I'll be able to get you guys a chapter a week. I'll try my best, but who knows *shrugs* It's only going to be 20 chapters long, I'm no longer taking suggestions for it, so don't complain if you suggest something and I don't put it in the story :P
Sometimes I'll tell you who the chapter is going to be about, sometimes I won't. But just a warning right now; this story is not fun and games. It's not a comedy love story like Elephant was. It's dark, deep, and deals with a lot of issues that have shaped the characters into what you saw in Elephant. This includes abuse, abandonment, depression, rape, suicide, attempted murder, threatened murder, death, and so on. It's not a happy story. Sure, it has a bittersweet ending which I won't spoil, and there are a lot of adorable moments in the story, but it's not comedy. Each chapter has it's own plot that deals with the characters, but they all fit in together in some way or another. :)
Some of the chapters are long, some are short, so deal with what you get :P
Well, that's all I have to say other than enjoy, review, and I hope I don't disappoint with Something About the Rain!
~Sunechirei
Disclaimer: I own no characters but Ellie, and later on Ellie's parents, Hana, Phoe, Seitaro, Hiro, and Kana. You guys know only one of those characters ;P But the plot is mine. All mine. Don't take it O.o
"That bitch! Where did she go?"
Bright lights from the lamps above nearly blinded me as soon as I burst out of the dark basement. It was the only light out there, and it wasn't bright at all, but still, it was foreign, and I hated it. I hated the light. Everything about it.
"There she is! Don't let her get away!"
My pounding heartbeat, the pulse in my ears, filled my mind as did my heavy, jagged breathing. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. It took all of my willpower to focus on those actions that normally seem to easy. Maybe it was the gun shots ringing out behind me, or the clicking of my feet hitting the pavement that made me so nervous. Maybe it was the threats being shouted behind me.
Or maybe the fact that I couldn't hear anything but my own breath.
"Get back here you piece of shit!"
That sound reached my ears, breaking through my thoughts.
Only a little bit farther. Then I would be safe. They wouldn't have been able to get me once I made it to the vast alley ways of my own territory. I would be able to lose them, get away, be safe once I was in the boundaries of my home.
But the safety net of tunnel like streets never came. A large hand wrapped around my upper arm, and I let out a yelp as I was dragged back into the body of a man. He was much taller than I, though not any bigger.
Reno.
Fear filled my body. I'd seen what he's done before. I've seen the things he's done to people he doesn't like.
"Why hello there, Princess," he whispered, brushing a hand along my chin. "It's been a while, hasn't it." Before I knew what was happening, a sharp pain dug into my cheek as his nails cut into my skin. I gasped and tried to grab at his wrist to pull it away, but it didn't matter. His hand was removed from my face and I was pushed away.
Or, it was more like I was shoved viciously towards the brick wall closest to me, my head banging against it viciously. I moaned quietly, trying to hide my pathetic whimper of pain. The shock of hitting my head sent a feeling of numbness to the very tip of my feet, and I collapsed, sliding down the wall. I tried to ignore the dull throbbing pain in my back from the scrapes.
I tried to shift, move in some way, but this only succeeded in drawing another whimper from the depth of my throat. But I wanted to stand. I needed to stand. It was the only thing on my mind.
Then, my wish was granted.
Reno's hand wrapped around my collar, and he lifted me off the ground, shoving me once more against the wall. My feet didn't touch the ground.
"Oh little Princess, did you honestly think you could out run me? Me of all people. The one that is feared throughout the city, the one who has never let a victim escape." He laughed maliciously, his breath tickling my ear. "Though, it's a shame I have to kill something as pretty as you."
I squirmed from beneath his body that pressed itself against my own, and tried to reach up and grab his wrist, but the stabbing pain in my arm kept me from doing so. Though I hadn't felt the feeling of suffering before, it now raged through my arm, stinging, stabbing, tearing through my flesh as though my arm were nothing but a piece of fabric. I let out another cry of pain, trying not to choke on the sound.
"What's wrong, Princess? Does it hurt?"
"Damn you!" I managed to hiss. "Damn you to hell!"
His other hand, the one not holding onto my collar, slipped around my throat tickling the cuts and bruises I'd attained not long ago. The grip tightened, like he was going to strangle me, but not too tightly. Chances are, he just wished to scare me. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of doing so.
"Please, Princess. You know as well as I do that I'm too horrible for hell. After all, I did kill that girl without even a hint of remorse."
"And does your wife know about that?" His grip loosened on both my neck, and my collar. Though I wasn't looking directly at him, I knew he was shocked. No one was supposed to know about his sick wife, and young son. No one was supposed to know that he had a family, and that he just chose to ignore them every day. "Does your wife, and your poor little boy, know about what you do while you're away? Or do you lie to them all the time?"
The pressure left, but not for long.
Almost as soon as I looked up to see what Reno was doing, his hand swung around and he backhanded me across the face. My eyes widened as I flew across the alley, landing not far from Reno, on the ground. The entire right side of my body scraped against the ground, cutting open my flesh, ripping my black, leather clothing.
I was too shocked to make a sound.
The taste of blood invaded my tongue, and I tried not to move, hoping the man attacking me would think I passed out, or even died, from that attack. He wasn't fooled, however, and his voice rang out through the alley.
"Princess, you really are something. Feisty, strong, smart, yet at the same time so fragile, so foolish, and so pathetic." I felt his foot dig into my stomach, sending a vicious taste of acid up my throat, and I started coughing. Another kick, more acid, more coughing. I could do nothing to stop him from attacking me like this. Nothing to protect myself.
"Now, now, Reno, don't kill her yet, I wish to speak with her," that familiar, cool voice said, appearing out of nowhere. Or maybe he'd been there the entire time, watching from the shadows as his second in command beat the shit out of me. A painful smile graced my lips as I thought about his malicious tendencies. It was possible he just wanted a show.
That man.
Seifer.
The one who nearly killed me eight years before, when I'd done absolutely nothing. The only crime, if you could call it that, I committed that day was to walk down the back streets in his territory.
If Vince hadn't found me...
"Now then, Miss Princess, how nice to see you here tonight. I wasn't expecting you to actually come and visit me." His voice was silky, smooth, thick, like warm honey dripping off a spoon. If I could have shuddered, I would have. Instead, I pushed myself off the ground, coughing up droplets of blood onto the ground in front of me. My vision slightly blurry, I crawled to my knees, using every ounce of self preservation to keep myself awake. The headache persisting in my skull didn't help with that, willing me to go to sleep, to let the darkness take over.
I didn't let it.
"Don't think too highly of yourself," I growled, managing to get to my feet. Using the wall to support my injured body, I glared up at Seifer and Reno, wondering why the two of them hadn't just taken me out yet. It was then I noticed the two of them weren't alone. Two females, ones I didn't recognize were there as well. Probably young, abused girls Seifer had pulled off the streets.
Pathetic.
"I don't actually think that highly of myself, Miss Princess." The warm honey was gone. "If anything, I'm ashamed of the way I've acted in the past. The fact that I've let you get away with your, your shenanigans for so long is insulting to my reputation. If only there were something I could do..." He trailed off, eyes narrowing dangerously at me.
Then, he waved a hand, nodding at the two girls behind him. They slowly moved towards me, their mouths turned up into violent grins of malice. "Say hello to Zack for me," Seifer said with a laugh. "If you survive, anyway." The last I saw of him was his back becoming shrouded by darkness, disappearing into the labyrinth of his home.
"So, this bitch thinks she can just wander 'round our territory and get away with it?" The girl who spoke was farther away from me than the other girl, her head turned back slightly as though she were talking to Reno. I saw him nod, his grin widening. The girl laughed. "I don't think she could even take me."
This sent me into a painful fit of laughter. Every bone in my abdomen ached, but I continued to chuckle at the girl's insolence and foolishness. Only a few could actually fight me and win in the desolate lands of Hallow Bastion. I was known as The Princess of Night, the most dangerous female who fought in the dark abyss that was my home. It was indeed, dark, and desolate, and horrible, but it was still my kingdom.
And I was the Princess.
Not the Queen.
Yet.
"What's wrong, dick hole?" This insult only succeeded in sending me into a more violent fit. She was so stupid.
"You're... just... so... ridiculous!" I tried to keep myself from saying this, but it was like my mouth wasn't listening to reason. There was no way this girl would let me get away with telling her this. Normally, I could care less, but Reno's earlier attacks had taken their toll on me. Even though I was dangerous, she could still easily kill me.
So, I could see the punch coming before it did.
It collided with my cheek, the same one that had been scratched earlier, and I fell to the ground again. I was still laughing, however, trying to ignore the pain, and the footsteps coming towards me. However, when the other females, foot connected with my stomach, I stopped, coughing viciously. More blood.
Then, Reno's hand wrapped around the back of my neck, and somehow, he pulled me up off the ground. I was pulled close to him, like he was going to hug me, but instead, he pressed a knife against my stomach, not digging into my skin, but still, drawing slight amounts of blood.
"You fucking dirty bastard," I hissed, reaching for his wrist.
"There's no such thing as 'dirty' in street fighting, Princess." Then, I was being shoved against a wall. A wave of dizziness crashed over my head, and the knife was removed from my stomach. I heard it clatter, hitting the ground as Reno tossed it away before his voice was at my ear again. "You know that as well as I do."
"Reno," one of the girls whined, "let her go! Seifer said we could do it!" The knife was picked up. I don't know how I knew that, but I did. Reno didn't let me go, however. I began to struggle against him. "It's no use, Princess. You're too weak, and we're too excited for you to get out of this," he muttered to me. "You don't seem to realize how long we've wanted to do this to you. You came here, eight years ago, acting like the best woman in town, but of course, you proved it with your fighting skills. Too bad you got caught today, 'cause you're going to die now."
I tried to talk, but instead I coughed, spitting up blood. The man laughed, then caressed my cheek softly. I let out a slight cry of pain when his fingers trailed the gashes on my skin, and squirmed again. Every bone in my body, broken or not, was screaming at me to get away.
Then he let me go. I fell to the ground, slumping against the wall.
"Do you think I should kill her now? Or should we torture her some more?" A girlish voice asked as a hand grabbed my collar. The hand against my neck was soft. One of the girls. Though the blur of my vision, I could see the knife coming towards me again, and it pressed against my throat.
"Torture. I want this to be fun," the other woman replied, her voice much softer, but more venomous. I shuddered, realizing that Reno wasn't the only malicious one there. "Actually, why don't we get rid of that nickname of hers. She was originally named for her hair, after all."
Princess of Darkness. Named for my long, black hair.
As soon as I realized what was going on, a surge of adrenaline rushed through me and I managed to grab the woman's wrist, twisting it so harshly I heard the bone snap. She screamed and let go of the knife, backing away from me. The knife fell to the ground, hitting my skin, and eventually, landing in between my legs. I felt the blade cut through the flesh of my leg, and I let out a scream.
My hands went immediately to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but it seems Reno and the other woman were desperate to kill me now. Reno's hands wrapped around my wrist and he shoved them back against the wall.
"Oh, the Princess is injured," he whispered, and I felt the other woman grab the knife from between my legs. "This is going to be even more fun." I couldn't understand why he said that. Was he mocking me? Was beating up a young woman to the point of death not satisfy him enough? Did he have to say the obvious right into my ear?
Then, a lock of my hair was yanked upward. The pain was nearly unbearable, but I couldn't make a sound as the knife sliced through the long strands of hair. When they fell back against my face, the tips tickled my chin.
"N-No!" I gasped, struggling feebly against Reno, desperate to get away. The fatigue from running, and the loss of blood kept me from doing much damage, however, and the strange woman continued to chop off all of my hair, laughing like a maniac. Reno too, seemed extremely amused as he let my wrists go and moved his hands to my neck. I didn't care. I didn't care at all. The only thing I could think about were the words that had been told to me so long ago.
"Your hair... it's um... it's very pretty when it's long."
Even though I would never see him again, I desperately wanted to keep my hair long, in memory of what I had, in memory of my mother, of my father, of him.
My conscience slowly slipped away from me. I couldn't think straight, my vision was blurry, my ears were ringing, and I wondered;
Is this what death feels like?
"Look at her! Not exactly pretty now!" The woman was laughing at me, I knew that, but I didn't know why. What had I ever done to them? Was it back when I first ran here, to Hallow Bastion from my nice life? Did I offend them? Or was it when I kicked the ass of their top fighter without even trying?
Wet droplets of rain splashed on my face, clearing my head just a little bit.
"Oh shit! Scarlet, we need to get out of here! There's someone coming."
"But she's still alive-"
"Let her go! I won't be caught for murder here."
"Well then just kill-"
"Move!"
I heard running footsteps splash through the puddles that the strong rain had created, but that wasn't all. There were slower steps, calmer, and I braced myself for another attack. When the person who had scared off the attackers, stopped moving, I flinched, knowing that I was going to die now.
A soft hand brushing against my cheek startled me into opening my eyes, and what I saw was shocking. Bright blue eyes, blond hair, wet from the rain, and an expression of pain greeted me. I instantly recognized the man, despite my vision slowly going, and the rain that was pouring down upon the two of us.
My breathing quickened as the man's fingers trailed the cuts on my face, and he caught my gaze, staring at me intensely. The lingering fingers touched the large gash on my face, causing me to cringe in pain. The hand pulled back quickly in shock, and I dearly wished I hadn't done such a thing. I tried to say something, but like before, coughed instead, and more blood came out, causing me to once again realize how much pain I was in.
Once my coughing fit had ended, a hand moved to the back of my head, pulling me away from the wall, then the other one reached under my legs, and I was lifted gently into the air. My vision blurred again, but this time, I saw black spots, and I knew that I wasn't going to last much longer. There was no way I could survive after losing this much blood.
I just wished I could have said goodbye.
At first I felt nothing. No pain, no sadness, nothing. Then there was heat flooding through my body. A wide back radiating with the heat that brought me so much comfort. Then I realized I was moving. Someone was carrying me, on their back, walking quickly.
I could only think about how nice it felt. How wonderful it was to be with this person. I thought I was dead. I could remember everything that happened before; all the pain that followed the attacks on my body, all of the anger and sadness I'd felt. Him showing up right before I passed. Maybe I was in heaven. He would be there with me.
Then I felt the pain.
You don't feel pain when you're dead.
I cried out suddenly as the dull, throbbing sensations flooded through my body once more, and I gripped the back of the person's coat. They stopped moving when I made the curdled sound. I became aware of the rain dripping down on my face, soaking my clothing, numbing my body to the cold. But not the pain. I desperately wished it would get rid of the pain.
But then the person spoke, and I forgot about everything.
"Are you alright?"
A shiver ran through my body at these words. His soft, deep voice brought back memories of when I was younger, before I hated everything about this world. Back to the days when life was more like a splendid dream, rather than a horrid nightmare.
"I was able to wrap your arm and leg, but I'm not good at that kind of stuff." His voice vibrated through his back and to my chest, bringing about a wave of comfort. At the same time, however, it brought about thoughts I no longer wanted to have. Thoughts about returning, thoughts about the first time he kissed me, about the first time he'd been there when no one else would even think about it, and worst of all, the time when he held me close and told me he loved me.
I opened my eyes finally, looking at the back of his neck.
"Why are you here?" My tone was harsher than I'd intended. I sounded angry, but I wasn't at all. If anything, I was extremely happy, euphoric, almost. But I didn't want him to know that. I didn't want him to know how much I longed to see him, to hear his voice over the past eight years. If he knew, there would be no way I would be able to leave him again.
He started walking again, slower this time, like he didn't want me to feel anymore pain. It was too late for that. My leg throbbed, as did my arm, and my cheek; every part of my body hurt.
Especially my heart.
"I was looking for you," he whispered, bowing his head.
"Why?" My voice cracked.
"I needed to find you. Did you not want to be found?"
He was accusing me of leaving. I knew it. But it made me think. Did I want to be found? Did I want to leave the people I'd grown to love down here? Zack and Aerith were like the parents I'd lost, the others like the siblings I could never have. They had become my family after mine was lost to death. They were my support, my life...
Did I really want to be found?
"I don't know...," I finally answered, voice in a low whisper as I buried my face into his back. "I don't know."
Silence greeted my revelation, and I felt a pang in my heart. He shouldn't have come. I wished desperately that I could go back in time and change what happened tonight so he wouldn't have found me. He didn't need to be here, listening to me hurting him even more than I already had. Eight years ago should have been the last time I brought pain to him. When I graduated from high school. When I kissed him then said goodbye for the last time.
When I left him.
Finally, he answered me. I was expecting him to reject me, to tell me he was going to take me to a hospital and leave, but that's not what he said. He said to me; "Well, I've found you anyway. I've found you, and I'm taking you home with me." He sounded so confident with those words, it made me want to cry. I kept the tears to myself, however. No need to make him worry about me.
"Don't do this, Cloud..."
Why did he have to do this to me, to himself?
He was the one person who didn't try to console me about my parents by talking about them. I lived with his family for two years, from the time I was sixteen, until the day before I graduated from high school. During that time, he never brought up the topic of my parents, but when I would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming, he was the one who came in to comfort me. No one else bothered to help me. They would talk about my parents all the time, like they had been gone for years, rather than months. I had to leave because of that. Yet, despite this, he didn't seem to realize how much him taking me back would hurt.
I couldn't go back there. If he brought me back, I would just run away again. They were too close, Radiant Garden and Hallow Bastion. I would have to go farther next time. Then he wouldn't be able to find me again. Honestly, I didn't know how he found me this time, but he had always been resourceful.
"I don't want to go back there," I whimpered when he said nothing in response. "I can't go back there."
"You're not going back to my parents house. I'm taking you back to live with me." Cloud sounded slightly amused, and my face flushed red. Of course he didn't live with his parents anymore. At the age of twenty-seven, you would think it would be obvious that a person didn't live with his parents anymore. "So please, don't run away again."
I laughed. It hurt, but I laughed. My stomach ached from this, and my chest felt like it was being ripped apart, but I couldn't stop laughing. He sounded pathetic, desperate, and hopeful. Never in my life had I heard him sound in such a way. Even when his brother left, and he apologized to me for doing nothing, he hadn't sounded so strange.
"Why should I stay?" I rasped, clenching my fists tightly in front of his neck. "You probably don't want me around. Not after what I did."
"If I didn't want you around, then why would I have spent all of my free time in the past eight years searching for you?"
From the moment I left, he'd been searching for me. He'd wanted to find me as soon as I was gone. Even though I'd hurt him, even though I'd brought so much hatred to him during the two years I lived with his parents, he wanted to find me. I couldn't understand why. I didn't want to understand why. I didn't want to know why that realization brought so much warmth to my body, and why I felt so loved. All I wanted was to relish in the moment.
"Cloud?"
"Hm?"
"I'm sorry."
Painful tears filled my eyes, blurring my vision once more. I buried my face in his back, hugging his neck tightly, and cried. It had been so long since I let myself go and sobbed like this, since the night before my high school graduation. He'd been there that time too. He had always been there for me when I cried. It was like he had a radar that could seek me out when I was upset.
I remember then that Cloud put me down. He pulled my arms away from his neck and allowed my feet to touch the ground. Immediately I thought he was going to leave me there. This was why I didn't cry. I didn't want to annoy anyone. They would all leave me then. But he didn't leave. Instead, he turned around and wrapped his arms gently around my sore and tired body, keeping me upright. Even though my legs wanted me to give in, he kept me from falling to the ground, his body warm, comforting, but at the same time, getting me wet.
The rain had begun to let up, not stopping, but getting lighter, and rays of sunlight broke through the clouds above us. Even though my eyes were closed, and I was sobbing, I could tell it was lighter in the dense, desolate streets of Hallow Bastion. This only served to make me cry harder.
How long I was allowing myself to be so emotional was lost to me. Whether it was a few minutes, an hour, or even longer, I couldn't tell at all. I only remember being comforted by Cloud, his hand moving up and down my back gently, and his comforting words being whispered into the top of my head.
When it ended, however, he picked me up again, bridal style. It hurt slightly, yet at the same time, it was one of the best feelings in the world. I couldn't walk. He knew that.
Before I really knew where we were, or could get used to be carried in such a way, Cloud put me down again, this time sitting me on a bench. I looked around, not sure where I was. I'd never seen this place before. It seemed nice.
Suddenly, I became aware of his hand near my face. He stroked my cheek, fingers trailing the cuts lightly. It stung, but I hid my desire to flinch. Slowly, his hand moved up my face and eventually ran themselves through the uneven locks of hair that fell all around my face. I hadn't seen the state my hair was in yet, but from what I could tell, it would have to be cut extremely short. I flushed and looked away from Cloud, ashamed.
"I'm sorry..." I muttered, closing my eyes when his warm hand caressed my cheek again.
"Why do you keep apologizing?" Cloud's voice was a deep whisper, and he pulled my head up to face him. Those blue eyes of his were staring at me intensely, waiting patiently for an answer. I didn't want to answer him. I didn't know if I could.
"Because, I've done nothing but hurt you," I managed to choke out, trying not to let my voice crack. The man scoffed at my reasoning. "And... my hair... it got cut." His before unreadable expression had turned into one of puzzlement. "Before... you said my hair was pretty long... it's short now." My cheeks blossomed with heat when I said this. But he just laughed, wrapping both of his hands around my face, pressing his forehead to mine.
"You're alive. I could care less about how long your hair is." His breath tickled my face. Every nerve in my body lit up.
I guess my body was still reacting to the crying from earlier, and I hiccuped slightly.
"I think we should get you to the hospital now," Cloud said suddenly, moving his head away from mine. "There should be one near here."
My eyes traveled to the bandage on my leg, the one that had become drenched in blood, and felt bile rise in my throat. The red liquid seeping from my leg reminded me of all the pain I experienced before returned, full force. I moaned slightly, bending over, slightly amazed that my mind had been so distracted I didn't even feel the pain. Maybe it was the adrenaline, though.
As soon as I made this noise, Cloud stood, a concerned look crossing his eyes, and he turned around to leave. Somewhere, I knew he was just going to find the hospital, then maybe have someone come get me, but that rational part of me was pushed to the side by the overwhelming fear of being left alone to die. Even though I knew it was going to hurt, I stood up as well and jumped forward, trying to grab his shirt. I managed, barely, as I fell to my knees, leg throbbing.
"Wait...," I muttered to him, as he turned around to face me again. I was looking down at the ground, the wet, muddy ground, and let go of his shirt, feeling embarrassed for reaching out to him like that. "Please, wait... for just a second." Maybe the desperation in my voice caught his attention, or maybe it was the fact that I was sitting on the ground, unable to move that kept Cloud standing there. He didn't lean down, though. I was too afraid to look up at him. "Don't... don't leave me here alone. I don't want to be alone anymore."
I'd experienced him again. I'd tasted what it was like to be with him again, to be the center of his attention again. There was no way I could let it go. It was selfish of me. I hated myself for being so pathetic, but I just couldn't let him leave me.
Every fiber in my being was sick of being alone in this world. Yes, I had my new family, but they couldn't bring me the feelings that Cloud did. Part of me thought I would move on from him after a time, and that I would find someone knew to love. But I couldn't let him go. Every night I dreamed about him. Every day I remembered things about him, both bad and good. Even the times when he would witness the things his brother did to me, and just walked away. The time he hit me when we were kids, which I later found out was to keep me away from Sephiroth.
The first night he stayed with me, during that thunderstorm.
That day when I tried to jump off the bridge, but he stopped me.
Every day since I'd met him, I remembered on a daily basis.
I couldn't live without him again.
"I'm not going to leave you."
His calloused hand was a complete contrast to his smooth voice as he crouched down and pulled my chin up. His striking blue eyes met my own ruby ones, and I could feel myself melt inside. He was so perfect.
"I can't leave you."
He leaned his head down, coming closer to me, but still staying far enough away that I was entranced by his stare.
"I could never leave you."
Closer. He came closer, and I closed my eyes, hoping to hear the words I'd longed for ever since the day I left him. I knew he was smiling at this point. I was too. This was just too perfect, even though I was in so much pain. It was a perfect moment.
"I love you too much, Tifa."
Then, he kissed me.