1.1.1.1 Chapter VI
Two days passed when Chrissie finally managed to flutter her eyes open to greet the dawning of a shining new day.
"Ahhh!" she screamed and pulled the covers tightly over her head as the sun pierced her eyes, sending immense pain to her eyeballs. She didn't realize there was anybody in the room, nor did she really give any concern to it at the moment as she hid her eyes under the black sheets that she was wrapped in. She moaned as her cracked rib and shattered arm finally cared to acknowledge their existence to her brain.
A man's laughter was heard from the armchair in the corner of the room, and she felt her lip curl in annoyance. She decided against arguing with whoever the intruder was and simply let him enjoy his fun. He definitely wouldn't be laughing once she fully recuperated from her drama.
"I don't think you'll be performing tomorrow night," the male's voice continued to draw her in a bad mood. She grunted as a reply. She grasped harder on the covers, trying to block any light to her eyes that were still trying to focus but somehow the opposite was occurring. A quick swift movement flung the cover off her head where she was once again left to greet the afternoon sun.
"They said that I'll have to take over the lead singer," Cloud explained still holding the cover in his grasp.
"You're a bastard," she mumbled and quickly grabbed back for her blanket with her one good hand. Cloud had decided to not agitate the already pissed hornet and give in to her plea. "You will pay for your actions."
"What actions?" he asked, feeling a little silly talking through a blanket.
"You dared to hug me," she brought up the last memory of the night before. Her voice was stern, yet it definitely held a playful tone to it.
"Oh really," Cloud asked, playing along with her little game. "Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but you were the one to leap into my arms." Silence lingered for a moment as the blanket covering her face slowly slid away revealing her face that had now adjusted well to the lighting. Cloud gave her a handsome look with one eyebrow slightly higher than the other, and a half smile.
"Damn you," she cursed, already admitting defeat. Seeing the conversation had died with her last phrase, she attempted to sit up and learn about more important matters of the world. The cover slipped off as she leaned her back against the head of the bed, and she once again noticed that she was wearing only a bandage wrapped around her upper torso. Her wounded arm on the other hand was also bandaged, but also with a splint, which informed her that her bones were damaged in the feud.
In the strangest way she was thankful for the night they both had overcome. Feelings inside of her that she had once were buried in a grave had now flourished, even if she would only deny it openly. Suddenly, as she sat there with him being the only presence in the room, she felt a smile creep on to her lips. Of course, she had smiled before, but not a smile like she was experiencing at that moment. It was giddy, and somewhat comforting in a way.
Cloud could feel his knees beginning to weaken under his weight. He continued to look down at her, and he found his gaze caught in her steel orbs that seemed to reflect the light in such a way that it made her look ghostly. Never had he felt such a strong feeling over power him, even when he was leading Aeris with his promise of being her bodyguard.
'No, I can't do this. Not yet,' his mind was frustrated with the newfound emotion and the lust to have her in his arms at that exact moment. He shut his eyes and stepped away from the bed. Chrissie noticed his strange behavior and was snapped out of her own daydream. She took her eyes off of him, but not soon enough to not notice the bandaging he held on his right hand.
"Cloud, you're hurt," she stated rather bluntly.
"Yeah, I was shot in the hand," he explained, knowing that there was no point to try and lie. He held the limp hand open and tried to curl in his fingers but the pain was too great so he left them in a relaxed position.
The day passed away quickly and night once again came upon them. They all slept easily, with the exception of Cloud who had insisted that he slept on the wooden floor. The next day snuck on the band and the day was full of stress of trying to set everything up before their big gig. Chrissie though, stayed relaxed as she slept the day away in the king-sized bed that was much too comfy for a girl of her stator.
Soon night seized the day once again and a crowd had formed in the Event Square of the Gold Saucer. Now Cloud stood in the front of the audience, his mind trying not to relish too much in the past memories that had clearly written his fate in blood. His bandaged hand had a strong hold on the neck of the guitar, as the other was ready to strum the strings that were stretched across the body of his life music.
"You guys ready to rock!" he exclaimed as he heard the roars from the excited crowd exclaim and throw their arms up in the air. Naturally, he only said what he had often heard many other famous bands say before they began to play, even if he did find it to be rather ridiculous. He decided to stop talking then, and he began to the cords of his song that lead into a song with harmonious words.
I wait for the day to come when I'll wake up and be a star. I dream of a different world... somewhere where we will go far.
I bitch about my life. I bitch about the scene. I hate this fucking town and wish that it was all a dream. Bitch, bitch, bitch! That's all you ever do. Bitch, bitch, bitch! Your ego will destroy you. Bitch, bitch, bitch! That's all I have to say. Bitch, bitch, bitch! Now I'll just fade away. Just as long as I act cool then people will suck up to me. They won't realize that I'm a fake and that's what I'm always going to be. A dreamer and a kid who changes every day. Someone that has to talk when he's got nothing to say. Hey kid, it's a great big world out there that you think you need to see. Hey kid, go on and live that life... But live it without me! Bitch, bitch, bitch! That's all you ever do. Bitch, bitch, bitch! No one's more punk than you. Bitch bitch, bitch! Your life is just a trend. Bitch, bitch, bitch! We'll see who's happy in the end.
The song ended and he found an applause that could literally knock him off his feet. The heat from the lights still had not affected him to the point of passing out, but for once in his life he felt recognized for the work he had done and it gave him a nauseated feeling. Never had he felt love like this, it was already addicting, and yet it frightened him to death. Now he would be stalked wherever he walked, and it would be hard to keep secretive.
He dismissed his thoughts quickly as he realized he only had a minute to rest before he would have to perform the next song. With the little amount of time he received, he scanned the audience for a familiar face. He came to no avail as the people waved their arms around violently, screaming for more.
Meanwhile, back at the Haunted Inn, Chrissie was in a sitting up position with her eyes transfixed on the television set before her. Undoubtedly she had the concert on, and she watched it intently. She longed to be on stage with the rest of the crew, and she felt almost jealous.
'Forget about it. We have more important things to do,' her mind convinced her, but she still couldn't help keep her eyes off the television. Her stomach tightened as she watched the lead singer stand silent on stage with the most handsome expression on his face. There was no smile, but rather a look of contentment and focus.
She smiled as a tingly warmth flowed through her body, starting at her feet and moving throughout every vein. Her mind began to drift, and she found herself leaning back on the bed panel making herself in a more comfortable position. She still held a smile on her face as she closed her eyes to let her thoughts take her away on wings of love.
Little to her knowledge, she was not alone that night. Two teens sat a waiting on the balcony that was built onto her humble little room. Dressed in black to hide their features, the two continued to sit in the darkness.
"She's almost asleep," the first whispered, stating what he had observed. The other stayed silent and simply nodded his head as a signal to start. They stood in unison, and with a single blow used their bodies to crash in through the window door.
Chrissie came to reality as she saw the two men sprawled on the floor, and she only managed to release one scream before she felt herself become confined in the stronghold of one of the men. Desperately she struggled against him, thrashing her legs around for her arms were held in the man's over powering grasp.
"Hurry up!" the one exclaimed while trying to contain her. The other finally managed to regain himself after breaking through the glass. He pulled a large bat from behind and Chrissie was sure that she was to die at that moment. She closed her eyes, waiting for the fatal blow, but the only thing she managed to feel was the immense blow from the large end of the baseball bat being pounded once in her head. Immediately unconscious, the men nodded at a job well done. The one that still held her swiftly swung her over his shoulder as they made a speedy getaway.
Back at the concert hall, Cloud played the last notes of his song when he felt a sudden pang shoot through his head. He looked straight, not to the audience, but past them with the pupils of his eyes shrinking to smallest that was humanly possible. The onrush passed, and he found himself breathing heavily, and he automatically sensed that there was danger lurking in the darkness.
He turned towards the other two sitting behind him, one playing a bass and the other banging on the drums. Cloud looked at the two, worry in his eye as he set down his guitar next to the microphone. Taking easy steps, he walked to the closest and whispered a plan into his ear. Tobias gave a nod and Cloud walked off stage right, leaving a dream behind in the spotlight.
"Cloud!" a female's voice eagerly greeted him as he walked down a couple of steps that led to the exit of the Event Square. He stopped startled, and then turned to see whom the person that was trying to express him was.
"Tifa?" he questioned as he saw a woman stand in front of him with her hands cupped one in the other. Her hair was still raven black and long, touching the back of her exposed thighs. She wore the same little leather skirt that he recognized from her battle attire, but now she had a leather top to match. Besides a small change in clothing, she looked the same as she did a year earlier.
"What's going on?" she asked, curious of his quick exit on stage.
"I-I don't know. But I think something's wrong with Chrissie," he tried to explain the gut feeling that he had. Trying to be a good friend, he walked back up to her and gave her a smile. "Where's everybody else?"
"Vincent was the only other that I could manage to rally," she spoke while pointing to the shadowed figure behind her. "Everybody else is too busy living a life to come a deal with…whatever you want us to deal with."
Her words stabbed his heart. Obviously she was either living a lousy life, or he had taken her from the happiest that was possible. He didn't have time to ask, but he made that after everything was settled that he would have to have a long, hearty conversation with her.
"We'd best hurry," Vincent interrupted, showing his face. Cloud wasn't surprised to see him in his usual red cape, but then that was only a Vincent thing. He nodded in agreement and continued his decent on the stairs with the other two following close behind.
Author's Note: Well, you people are lucky I'm continuing this, considering I lost the original story and had to retype everything from where I last left off. I enjoy writing my story ahead of time, so that way I can get the main stuff down and change it before I have everything upload on fanfiction.net. Anyway, for the few people that are actually reading along with this and enjoying it, thank you, and I hope to see you all reading it some more. (Especially ShadowJake, considering he's one of the real ones that is keeping my inspiration up.)
Two days passed when Chrissie finally managed to flutter her eyes open to greet the dawning of a shining new day.
"Ahhh!" she screamed and pulled the covers tightly over her head as the sun pierced her eyes, sending immense pain to her eyeballs. She didn't realize there was anybody in the room, nor did she really give any concern to it at the moment as she hid her eyes under the black sheets that she was wrapped in. She moaned as her cracked rib and shattered arm finally cared to acknowledge their existence to her brain.
A man's laughter was heard from the armchair in the corner of the room, and she felt her lip curl in annoyance. She decided against arguing with whoever the intruder was and simply let him enjoy his fun. He definitely wouldn't be laughing once she fully recuperated from her drama.
"I don't think you'll be performing tomorrow night," the male's voice continued to draw her in a bad mood. She grunted as a reply. She grasped harder on the covers, trying to block any light to her eyes that were still trying to focus but somehow the opposite was occurring. A quick swift movement flung the cover off her head where she was once again left to greet the afternoon sun.
"They said that I'll have to take over the lead singer," Cloud explained still holding the cover in his grasp.
"You're a bastard," she mumbled and quickly grabbed back for her blanket with her one good hand. Cloud had decided to not agitate the already pissed hornet and give in to her plea. "You will pay for your actions."
"What actions?" he asked, feeling a little silly talking through a blanket.
"You dared to hug me," she brought up the last memory of the night before. Her voice was stern, yet it definitely held a playful tone to it.
"Oh really," Cloud asked, playing along with her little game. "Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but you were the one to leap into my arms." Silence lingered for a moment as the blanket covering her face slowly slid away revealing her face that had now adjusted well to the lighting. Cloud gave her a handsome look with one eyebrow slightly higher than the other, and a half smile.
"Damn you," she cursed, already admitting defeat. Seeing the conversation had died with her last phrase, she attempted to sit up and learn about more important matters of the world. The cover slipped off as she leaned her back against the head of the bed, and she once again noticed that she was wearing only a bandage wrapped around her upper torso. Her wounded arm on the other hand was also bandaged, but also with a splint, which informed her that her bones were damaged in the feud.
In the strangest way she was thankful for the night they both had overcome. Feelings inside of her that she had once were buried in a grave had now flourished, even if she would only deny it openly. Suddenly, as she sat there with him being the only presence in the room, she felt a smile creep on to her lips. Of course, she had smiled before, but not a smile like she was experiencing at that moment. It was giddy, and somewhat comforting in a way.
Cloud could feel his knees beginning to weaken under his weight. He continued to look down at her, and he found his gaze caught in her steel orbs that seemed to reflect the light in such a way that it made her look ghostly. Never had he felt such a strong feeling over power him, even when he was leading Aeris with his promise of being her bodyguard.
'No, I can't do this. Not yet,' his mind was frustrated with the newfound emotion and the lust to have her in his arms at that exact moment. He shut his eyes and stepped away from the bed. Chrissie noticed his strange behavior and was snapped out of her own daydream. She took her eyes off of him, but not soon enough to not notice the bandaging he held on his right hand.
"Cloud, you're hurt," she stated rather bluntly.
"Yeah, I was shot in the hand," he explained, knowing that there was no point to try and lie. He held the limp hand open and tried to curl in his fingers but the pain was too great so he left them in a relaxed position.
The day passed away quickly and night once again came upon them. They all slept easily, with the exception of Cloud who had insisted that he slept on the wooden floor. The next day snuck on the band and the day was full of stress of trying to set everything up before their big gig. Chrissie though, stayed relaxed as she slept the day away in the king-sized bed that was much too comfy for a girl of her stator.
Soon night seized the day once again and a crowd had formed in the Event Square of the Gold Saucer. Now Cloud stood in the front of the audience, his mind trying not to relish too much in the past memories that had clearly written his fate in blood. His bandaged hand had a strong hold on the neck of the guitar, as the other was ready to strum the strings that were stretched across the body of his life music.
"You guys ready to rock!" he exclaimed as he heard the roars from the excited crowd exclaim and throw their arms up in the air. Naturally, he only said what he had often heard many other famous bands say before they began to play, even if he did find it to be rather ridiculous. He decided to stop talking then, and he began to the cords of his song that lead into a song with harmonious words.
I wait for the day to come when I'll wake up and be a star. I dream of a different world... somewhere where we will go far.
I bitch about my life. I bitch about the scene. I hate this fucking town and wish that it was all a dream. Bitch, bitch, bitch! That's all you ever do. Bitch, bitch, bitch! Your ego will destroy you. Bitch, bitch, bitch! That's all I have to say. Bitch, bitch, bitch! Now I'll just fade away. Just as long as I act cool then people will suck up to me. They won't realize that I'm a fake and that's what I'm always going to be. A dreamer and a kid who changes every day. Someone that has to talk when he's got nothing to say. Hey kid, it's a great big world out there that you think you need to see. Hey kid, go on and live that life... But live it without me! Bitch, bitch, bitch! That's all you ever do. Bitch, bitch, bitch! No one's more punk than you. Bitch bitch, bitch! Your life is just a trend. Bitch, bitch, bitch! We'll see who's happy in the end.
The song ended and he found an applause that could literally knock him off his feet. The heat from the lights still had not affected him to the point of passing out, but for once in his life he felt recognized for the work he had done and it gave him a nauseated feeling. Never had he felt love like this, it was already addicting, and yet it frightened him to death. Now he would be stalked wherever he walked, and it would be hard to keep secretive.
He dismissed his thoughts quickly as he realized he only had a minute to rest before he would have to perform the next song. With the little amount of time he received, he scanned the audience for a familiar face. He came to no avail as the people waved their arms around violently, screaming for more.
Meanwhile, back at the Haunted Inn, Chrissie was in a sitting up position with her eyes transfixed on the television set before her. Undoubtedly she had the concert on, and she watched it intently. She longed to be on stage with the rest of the crew, and she felt almost jealous.
'Forget about it. We have more important things to do,' her mind convinced her, but she still couldn't help keep her eyes off the television. Her stomach tightened as she watched the lead singer stand silent on stage with the most handsome expression on his face. There was no smile, but rather a look of contentment and focus.
She smiled as a tingly warmth flowed through her body, starting at her feet and moving throughout every vein. Her mind began to drift, and she found herself leaning back on the bed panel making herself in a more comfortable position. She still held a smile on her face as she closed her eyes to let her thoughts take her away on wings of love.
Little to her knowledge, she was not alone that night. Two teens sat a waiting on the balcony that was built onto her humble little room. Dressed in black to hide their features, the two continued to sit in the darkness.
"She's almost asleep," the first whispered, stating what he had observed. The other stayed silent and simply nodded his head as a signal to start. They stood in unison, and with a single blow used their bodies to crash in through the window door.
Chrissie came to reality as she saw the two men sprawled on the floor, and she only managed to release one scream before she felt herself become confined in the stronghold of one of the men. Desperately she struggled against him, thrashing her legs around for her arms were held in the man's over powering grasp.
"Hurry up!" the one exclaimed while trying to contain her. The other finally managed to regain himself after breaking through the glass. He pulled a large bat from behind and Chrissie was sure that she was to die at that moment. She closed her eyes, waiting for the fatal blow, but the only thing she managed to feel was the immense blow from the large end of the baseball bat being pounded once in her head. Immediately unconscious, the men nodded at a job well done. The one that still held her swiftly swung her over his shoulder as they made a speedy getaway.
Back at the concert hall, Cloud played the last notes of his song when he felt a sudden pang shoot through his head. He looked straight, not to the audience, but past them with the pupils of his eyes shrinking to smallest that was humanly possible. The onrush passed, and he found himself breathing heavily, and he automatically sensed that there was danger lurking in the darkness.
He turned towards the other two sitting behind him, one playing a bass and the other banging on the drums. Cloud looked at the two, worry in his eye as he set down his guitar next to the microphone. Taking easy steps, he walked to the closest and whispered a plan into his ear. Tobias gave a nod and Cloud walked off stage right, leaving a dream behind in the spotlight.
"Cloud!" a female's voice eagerly greeted him as he walked down a couple of steps that led to the exit of the Event Square. He stopped startled, and then turned to see whom the person that was trying to express him was.
"Tifa?" he questioned as he saw a woman stand in front of him with her hands cupped one in the other. Her hair was still raven black and long, touching the back of her exposed thighs. She wore the same little leather skirt that he recognized from her battle attire, but now she had a leather top to match. Besides a small change in clothing, she looked the same as she did a year earlier.
"What's going on?" she asked, curious of his quick exit on stage.
"I-I don't know. But I think something's wrong with Chrissie," he tried to explain the gut feeling that he had. Trying to be a good friend, he walked back up to her and gave her a smile. "Where's everybody else?"
"Vincent was the only other that I could manage to rally," she spoke while pointing to the shadowed figure behind her. "Everybody else is too busy living a life to come a deal with…whatever you want us to deal with."
Her words stabbed his heart. Obviously she was either living a lousy life, or he had taken her from the happiest that was possible. He didn't have time to ask, but he made that after everything was settled that he would have to have a long, hearty conversation with her.
"We'd best hurry," Vincent interrupted, showing his face. Cloud wasn't surprised to see him in his usual red cape, but then that was only a Vincent thing. He nodded in agreement and continued his decent on the stairs with the other two following close behind.
Author's Note: Well, you people are lucky I'm continuing this, considering I lost the original story and had to retype everything from where I last left off. I enjoy writing my story ahead of time, so that way I can get the main stuff down and change it before I have everything upload on fanfiction.net. Anyway, for the few people that are actually reading along with this and enjoying it, thank you, and I hope to see you all reading it some more. (Especially ShadowJake, considering he's one of the real ones that is keeping my inspiration up.)