(Thank you all for your praise! I'm glad you like how the story is so far.
Now for the next chapter! Hope ya like it! ^_^)
~City of Eternal Night~
Traverse Town was dark. All the time. Cloud could tell, even after being there for five minutes.
He avoided the citizens as best he could, though it was no easy task; they were everywhere. The city itself was pleasant he supposed, or at least semi-pleasant. Although it would be more so after he got rid of the shadows that lurked about. Hopefully then the Demon would shut up and Cloud's headache would go away. And what a headache it was, since the being had been growling non-stop in his mind since their arrival.
He approached a large set of doors at the edge of town. He stood looking up at them for a moment. Yes, they were in there. So the doors were opened, and he stepped inside.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; people walked around without a care, going about their business as they most likely did every day. Believing they were perfectly safe, and that nothing could go wrong.
Cloud knew better.
*They are hiding. We must wait. They will soon reveal themselves.*
The response was a frown. So what was he supposed to do until the shadow creatures decided it was convinient to pop up and tear out people's hearts? A scent that came wafting through the air gave him an idea.
After all, when _was_ the last time he had eaten?
He wandered towards the smell of food, ignoring the Demon, who was screeching at him that he thought too much like a mortal. A small tavern came into his sights, and so he entered.
The atmosphere inside was a bit smokey, but the smells of food that came from all around made up for that tenfold. There was next to no one in the place. Good. All the better. He sat down on a stool next to a man with long black hair.
"You new?" he asked by way of greeting.
Cloud cast a disinterested glance at him, then shrugged. The man grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry, it's just that not many people come here anymore."
"So I gathered."
The raven-haired man held out a gloved hand.
"Name's Zack. Zack Masters. You are?"
Zack...that name sounded familiar. Against his better judgement, Cloud took his offered hand and shook it. There was just something that told him he could trust this guy.
"Cloud."
"...? Just Cloud?"
"Just Cloud."
"No last name?"
"Not that I recall." Nah, he just hadn't used it in a while.
"Hmm...oh well."
"Zack, are you pestering the customers again?"
At the new voice, both looked to see a woman with waist length brown hair and eyes of the same color. She glared at Zack crossly. The man in question held up his hands in defense.
"Nah, Teef, just trying to have a friendly conversation."
Cloud glanced at "Teef". She was familiar too...wait! Could she be...no, he wouldn't jump to conclusions. The chocolate eyed woman sighed in exasperation, then turned to Cloud with a smile.
"I hope he isn't annoying you," she said.
"Not at all." Well, maybe the fact that he was kinda nosy was annoying...
"Well that's good. My name's Tifa Lockhart. I own this place. Anything I can get for you?"
Tifa, huh? That name was definately familiar. It was as thoughan alarm had gone off in his brain. The Demon muttered some other curse on mortals, then fell back into silence.
"I...don't know." Cloud said. "What is there?"
"Unfortunately I have yet to get more supplies, so all we've got is stew, milk, and a few random alcoholic beverages."
"The stew's fine."
"Anything to drink?"
"No thank you."
"Okay then!" Tifa said cheerily. "I'll be right back."
She bustled into the next room to go about getting the food. Zack picked up a glass of beer he had most likely been drinking before, and downed it in one swallow.
"So..." he began, "are you from one of the destroyed worlds too?"
"Yeah."
Zack nodded.
"Been here long?"
"You could say that. You?"
Cloud was amazed at how easy it was to talk to this man, despite his nosiness. Zack was certainly an odd characteer, but he liked him. The Demon commented that he wasn't bad...for a mortal. A few minutes into their conversation, Tifa returned, and set a bowl and spoon in front of Cloud. The swordsman nodded in thanks. He picked up the spoon and dipped it into the bowl, then raised it to his lips.
"Careful, it's hot!" Tifa warned, but Cloud emptied the contents of the utensil into his mouth, the heat not bothering him in the least.
The stew was very good, so he took his time eating it, chewing slowly on the small bit of potato that had been in the broth.
"Teef's cooking is great, ain't it?" Zack said grinning.
Cloud just nodded. Tifa blushed.
For a while, the three conversed, the other occupants having left some time ago. They spoke about their old worlds, theories about why so many had been and were being destroyed, and a good may other things. And Cloud was beginning to find it odd how similar their world was to what he remembered of his. Not that that mattered all that much. He felt comfortable talking to these people, being around them. It was as though he had known them for a long time, like he had met them before. They, however, didn't seem to recognize him, however.
A scream from outside shattered the moment.
*Finally...*
Cloud rose from the stool, unsheathing the Buster Sword that he carried on his back.
"What's going on?" Tifa asked, looking worried.
"Those Without Hearts," he replied. "Stay here please."
Zack and Tifa exchanged glances, but nodded. A second later, the blonde warrior was gone. Zack glanced at Tifa's confused expression.
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head.
"It's not important, but...I feel like I've met that man before."
"You too, huh?"
"Yeah, it's really wierd."
The two stood in a companionable silence.
'And,' Tifa thought to herself, 'I think that it's more than just a feeling...'
~City of Eternal Night~
Traverse Town was dark. All the time. Cloud could tell, even after being there for five minutes.
He avoided the citizens as best he could, though it was no easy task; they were everywhere. The city itself was pleasant he supposed, or at least semi-pleasant. Although it would be more so after he got rid of the shadows that lurked about. Hopefully then the Demon would shut up and Cloud's headache would go away. And what a headache it was, since the being had been growling non-stop in his mind since their arrival.
He approached a large set of doors at the edge of town. He stood looking up at them for a moment. Yes, they were in there. So the doors were opened, and he stepped inside.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; people walked around without a care, going about their business as they most likely did every day. Believing they were perfectly safe, and that nothing could go wrong.
Cloud knew better.
*They are hiding. We must wait. They will soon reveal themselves.*
The response was a frown. So what was he supposed to do until the shadow creatures decided it was convinient to pop up and tear out people's hearts? A scent that came wafting through the air gave him an idea.
After all, when _was_ the last time he had eaten?
He wandered towards the smell of food, ignoring the Demon, who was screeching at him that he thought too much like a mortal. A small tavern came into his sights, and so he entered.
The atmosphere inside was a bit smokey, but the smells of food that came from all around made up for that tenfold. There was next to no one in the place. Good. All the better. He sat down on a stool next to a man with long black hair.
"You new?" he asked by way of greeting.
Cloud cast a disinterested glance at him, then shrugged. The man grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry, it's just that not many people come here anymore."
"So I gathered."
The raven-haired man held out a gloved hand.
"Name's Zack. Zack Masters. You are?"
Zack...that name sounded familiar. Against his better judgement, Cloud took his offered hand and shook it. There was just something that told him he could trust this guy.
"Cloud."
"...? Just Cloud?"
"Just Cloud."
"No last name?"
"Not that I recall." Nah, he just hadn't used it in a while.
"Hmm...oh well."
"Zack, are you pestering the customers again?"
At the new voice, both looked to see a woman with waist length brown hair and eyes of the same color. She glared at Zack crossly. The man in question held up his hands in defense.
"Nah, Teef, just trying to have a friendly conversation."
Cloud glanced at "Teef". She was familiar too...wait! Could she be...no, he wouldn't jump to conclusions. The chocolate eyed woman sighed in exasperation, then turned to Cloud with a smile.
"I hope he isn't annoying you," she said.
"Not at all." Well, maybe the fact that he was kinda nosy was annoying...
"Well that's good. My name's Tifa Lockhart. I own this place. Anything I can get for you?"
Tifa, huh? That name was definately familiar. It was as thoughan alarm had gone off in his brain. The Demon muttered some other curse on mortals, then fell back into silence.
"I...don't know." Cloud said. "What is there?"
"Unfortunately I have yet to get more supplies, so all we've got is stew, milk, and a few random alcoholic beverages."
"The stew's fine."
"Anything to drink?"
"No thank you."
"Okay then!" Tifa said cheerily. "I'll be right back."
She bustled into the next room to go about getting the food. Zack picked up a glass of beer he had most likely been drinking before, and downed it in one swallow.
"So..." he began, "are you from one of the destroyed worlds too?"
"Yeah."
Zack nodded.
"Been here long?"
"You could say that. You?"
Cloud was amazed at how easy it was to talk to this man, despite his nosiness. Zack was certainly an odd characteer, but he liked him. The Demon commented that he wasn't bad...for a mortal. A few minutes into their conversation, Tifa returned, and set a bowl and spoon in front of Cloud. The swordsman nodded in thanks. He picked up the spoon and dipped it into the bowl, then raised it to his lips.
"Careful, it's hot!" Tifa warned, but Cloud emptied the contents of the utensil into his mouth, the heat not bothering him in the least.
The stew was very good, so he took his time eating it, chewing slowly on the small bit of potato that had been in the broth.
"Teef's cooking is great, ain't it?" Zack said grinning.
Cloud just nodded. Tifa blushed.
For a while, the three conversed, the other occupants having left some time ago. They spoke about their old worlds, theories about why so many had been and were being destroyed, and a good may other things. And Cloud was beginning to find it odd how similar their world was to what he remembered of his. Not that that mattered all that much. He felt comfortable talking to these people, being around them. It was as though he had known them for a long time, like he had met them before. They, however, didn't seem to recognize him, however.
A scream from outside shattered the moment.
*Finally...*
Cloud rose from the stool, unsheathing the Buster Sword that he carried on his back.
"What's going on?" Tifa asked, looking worried.
"Those Without Hearts," he replied. "Stay here please."
Zack and Tifa exchanged glances, but nodded. A second later, the blonde warrior was gone. Zack glanced at Tifa's confused expression.
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head.
"It's not important, but...I feel like I've met that man before."
"You too, huh?"
"Yeah, it's really wierd."
The two stood in a companionable silence.
'And,' Tifa thought to herself, 'I think that it's more than just a feeling...'