SOD2
Shadow Of Doubt
Story by: Cessy Angel


Cloud descended the stairs slowly. Only small torches in the cave below illuminated the three beings making their way down the old stone stairs. Tifa strait behind Cloud, walking at a normal pace, even though she was freezing, the cold air was sucked in by their mouths, then released as small puffs of fog. Aerith was behind the two of them, trying to see what was in front of them.

"Cloud, what do you think is down here?" Tifa's question echoed through the empty tunnel.

The blond man finally reached the bottom, putting both feet on the cold soil. "I have no idea."

Aerith took a torch hanging beside her, the warmness of the fire on it created heat on her cold skin, she kept up pace, the others enjoying her idea. "Brr, it's too cold!" She whined.

"I told you to stay upstairs." Cloud turned around, Aerith grimaced and stuck out her tongue.

"Well, I don't like being alone in an old house like this, it creeps me out."

Cloud cocked his head and grinned. "Okay, Oh Brave One."

"That isn't funny!" Aerith giggled.

"Okay, okay, children. We can tell ourselves jokes AFTER we get out of here." Tifa started walking in front of them when she fell face-first in the dirt. "Augh!"

The duo giggled as they helped their friend up. The dark haired woman brushed the dirt off her skirt and shirt, while shaking her head vigorously to get the clumps of earth out of her long hair. After she finished, she took Aerith's torch and looked on the floor.

"Uh... Tifa?" Cloud looked at her confused.

Tifa continued looking on the floor, finally finding a gold object. She held it up, it was a key, she smiled in satisfaction with herself and looked at the others. "I knew I tripped on something!"

Cloud snatched the item from her hand and looked at it closely. "It's a key!"

The girls sighed together. "No shit, Sherlock." Tifa added, smiling.

"Well, it probably belongs to a door down here." He threw the key into the air and caught it again in his right hand.

Cloud began walking towards the end of the tunnel, noticing two doors. One was semi-open, while the other one was locked, shadows seemed to overtake the locked one. It was huge and old, obviously no one had been to the place in a long time. "Must be the key for this one."

"Well, go on and put the key in, already!" Aerith huddled next to Cloud as he gave them a serious look. "Oh, let me guess, you're going first, right?"

"Right."

"Spoilsport."

Cloud passed next to Tifa and made certain they were both behind him. Reaching the old key into the hole, he pushed and forced it into the small hole. Fungus grew all over the lock, so it took the man atleast several seconds before the door finally opened with a click.

"You two stay here, okay?" The girls grimaced and nodded.

The young man opened the door, then closed it shut again. Leaning against the door, he could see, with the help of three torches on the wall, five separate coffins. Four of them were small and covered in dust, while the fifth one was whine red and bigger. "Must be holding something important in there." He whispered to himself, not knowing that something inside the coffin heard him loud and clear.

Passing the other coffins, Cloud made his way through the small room up to the coffin at the end. The details on it were old and used, maybe thirty years, at least. He passed his hand along the ledge, the white dust stuck to his hand. "Okay Cloud, don't be a wuss." He told himself.

He took in a long breath, then opened the lid.

He gasped. Not really certain if he was expecting a monster, a skeleton, or nothing at all, but he certainly didn't expect to find a human. The man's features we're devilishly handsome. His long black hair hung around his pale face up to his back, he wore a crimson cape, along with a band at his head, and a black shirt and pants. Near his side, Cloud noticed a huge golden claw on the man's left arm, in his right, he was holding a mean-looking gun.

Cloud leaned over into the coffin, just to see if the man was alive or dead. His head peeked over the man's chest, just as his crimson eyes flung open, almost making him jump into the ceiling. The man looked at him, a huge grin forming on his face. "So you're names Cloud. Mine's Vincent." With that, he reached at Cloud and brung him into the coffin, closing the lid.

"What the... ?!" Cloud fell ontop of Vincent, the lid making him press against his body.

All he could see was the crimson red eyes, almost glowing in the dark. "I've been lonely. Nice of you to come visit." He whispered, his breath cold against Cloud's neck.

Vincent leaned over, his cheek rubbing against Cloud's, his nose pressing against his warm skin. He moved slowly, but with compassion. Cloud's eyes grew wide as he felt the other's lips reach for his. He sighed, letting the tongue reach into his mouth, while his was doing the same. Playing a bit with
Cloud's tongue, Vincent's hands reached behind the blond's back and pressed him closer and closer.


"Gettin' jiggy with it, na na na na na na na na na na na na na, gettin' jiggy with it..."

"Aerith, will you STOP singing that?!" Tifa snapped.

"Sorry, just trying to bring in some happy atmosphere." Aerith leaned against the door, quietly humming the song in her head.

"Cloud been in there's for, like... fifteen minutes! What's keeping him?" Tifa asked herself.

On the other side of the tunnel, a dark shape took form and walked towards them.

"Is it just me... or is it starting to feel a bit colder?" Tifa shivered and wrapped her arms around the waist, while leaning on the rock wall behind her.

Before Aerith could speak, another voice was heard from near. "Maybe."

Both girls twirled around, gently gasping as they saw Sephiroth. His long white hair stood out of the blackness, but his black clothes almost invisible. His face was calm the looking a bit bored.

"S-Sephiroth!" Aerith only managed to get the words out by mumbling.

"That's my name. Where's Cloud?" Amazingly, his voice and calming.

"We're not going to tell YOU!" Tifa sputtered.

"Oh," He pointed towards the door that Cloud had disappeared from only a couple of minutes ago from. "He went here, didn't he?"

Both girls looked at each other, then back at the white-haired man. "N-no! He... he... Uh..."

Sephiroth looked at them, a bit confused, but he just shrugged and got out his Masamune. Aerith and Tifa looked at him in horror, but he ignored them and sliced the door open. To his amazement, no one was there.

"I thought you said he was in here." He pouted.

"Huh?" Aerith looked around, seeing no sign of anyone in there.

A sound came from inside the coffin at the end. It sounded a bit muffled, but something was definitely inside. Sephiroth walked against it and opened the lid, both girls strait behind him.

"Cloud!?"

Cloud looked behind him, his face completely drenched with seat. Two strong arms held him against Vincent, while his were behind the other's back. He looked at them for a minute, then his blue eyes resting on his old friend.

"Sephiroth?!" He jumped up, flying out of Vincent's grips as he stood up, his knees on each side of the large box. Vincent, too, stood up and looked confused towards them.

"How could you?!" Sephiroth managed to get out, he walked to the other side of the room. "I though I was your best man! Now I see..."

Tifa and Aerith looked at Vincent, then at Cloud, then at Sephiroth. "You're gay!"

All three looked at them, then Cloud finally said, "Yeah." , Followed by Sephiroth's "So?"

"I can't believe it!" Both of them stormed out of the room and stomped in the tunnel.

Sephiroth looked back at Cloud, still pouting. He pointed towards the coffin. "I- is there any room for another one in there?"

Vincent shrugged. "Let's try it out."