TBIAD3
To be in a Dream
Chapter 3
Story by: Cessy Angel


Darkness, it was the same all over again, but I couldn't help feeling anxious. My eyes closed, and my hands clenched while I seemingly floated in a non-excitant world. I wonder how everything would have happened if I hadn't existed, if all I would have done would be to float in blackened water and see the others run after Sephiroth. No, things would have been so much different. Sephiroth, he would never have had...

"I came back! Sephiroth!" I yelled, my body twisting in all directions. "I came back! Just like I promised! Where are you?" My eyes darted from left to right. This time, there were no footsteps, no white shadow, but I knew he was there. Why wouldn't he come out? Was he mad at me?

I gripped the shirt on my chest. My feet were running in nothing, I couldn't move anywhere! My hands reached out as if to take hold of what never was there. But after several tries, my hands touched something soft, something silky.

"Cloud, my Cloud..." He turned around and took me into his arms as if I were his child. My hands were enveloped with his hair, so soft they were. I looked upwards only to gaze into his eyes, those glowing, as if flowing with living energy, emerald green eyes. He gaze me a soft smile, when was the last time I had seen such a smile?

He cooed words of reassurance in my ear, and then put me back on my feet next to him. I never realized how tall he was! Then he turned away and grabbed by hand. I walked after him, a gently tug pulling me forward after each step.

"Where are you taking me?" My question didn't seem to have reached his ears. Maybe it did. I don't know. I waited a moment, debating if or if not ask him again. No answer came, and I was so curious! Just the same as the last time...

I shivered, even though it wasn't cold.

"I need to show you something, Cloud..." He said in a soft mumble.

What could he show me? Another chill ran through my back. There were some things I didn't want to see, and I prayed Sephiroth would not be the one to show them again to me. All those nightmares, they had happened so long ago. Most were a blur, and I wanted them to stay that way.

Sephiroth turned around and looked deeply into my eyes, his hands tightening around mine and he even bent down so his face would be directly in front of me. A shot of pain reached his eyes, but it only lasted a small moment.

"Do you remember... the day we first met?" He said, all of a sudden.

"Huh...?"

"That day, that mission..."

"The Wutaiin war..." The memory came back to me, but only in a blur. A day both precious and horrifying. "Why? Why do you want me to remember that day? Sephiroth, please tell me the meaning of this! Why are you–"

"I'm sorry..." His arm swung at me, and I didn't move. I couldn't move. The hit he gave me sent me flying across wherever it was where we were, and I hit what seemed like an invisible wall. I slumped against it, only then noticing that the wall I was against was the same as the one in Wutai. I wanted to run as far away from here, but it felt as if I was paralyzed, numb.

"Seph..iro..th... why...?" My words were slurred, but my body hurt so much!

He walked in front of me and crouched. His hand extended and his fingers closed around the contours of my face. Lowering his head, he closed his eyes and whispered. "Remember..."

"But I don't want to! Don't you understand, Sephiroth! I have no past! The one I had... it wasn't even my own, how am I supposed to remember if I don't even know if it's mine or not? All I can recall are nothing more than images, and with those I re-create what I think happened. Why do you want me to remember what isn't there?" I noticed that my vision was blurring. Could I be crying? Crying is for the weak! But I felt a tightening sensation in my throat, and warm silvery liquid streamed down my face.

He looked at me, his gaze never leaving my own. I saw a single shimmering tear fall from his eye, down his cheek, and onto my still hand. He opened his mouth, but no word came. His eyes closed and he spoke gently. "It's for your own good, Cloud. Or do you want to live your life as if it were an illusion? I only want to show them to you, so you will be prepared for the moment. Trust me, please. I would do nothing to hurt you. You are like my guardian angel."

"No. You have it wrong, there. It is you, Sephiroth, that is my guardian angel." I felt warmly saying that. I saw that a small smile had taken place on his gentle face. From the sky above, I saw a feather fly into his silver strands of hair. My hand moved, as if mechanically, and took the feather between my fingers. I brought it up to my mouth, where I felt its soft filaments tickle my lips.

Sephiroth didn't do anything else. He looked at the feather and back at me. "So angelic, Cloud! I can do nothing else but to show you what you were meant to see." He got up, and looked down at me. All of the strength left me, and I slouched against the wall.

My eyes widened and the feather left my hand and flew into the wind. "No! Not now!"

He bent down one last time, his hand was placed over my face. "You will enter a dream world deeper than this one. Cloud, make me proud and understand why I do this."

In all of an instant, I only saw blackness again. Sephiroth disappeared. I was lost again. And slowly, my body felt heavier, my mind felt as if it were slowly dying. It was even hard... to do something as easy as to think.

I bid my farewells to the real world, to my dream world, all because I knew I was going into something much deeper than that. Only I didn't know what.


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Author's note: Sorry for taking so long getting out this chapter! (A lot of homework and stuff) Ah... I've been reading way too many Ann Rice books this past month (notice from the point-of-vue?) I'll try getting chapter 4 out soon! Please review!