Title: For Whom the Bell Tolls
Author: Sae
Fan-verse: Kingdom Hearts FFVII
Couplings: VincentXCid, some implied CloudXSephiroth
Rating: PG-13 and most likely to stay that way.
Disclaimer: KH & FFVII belong to Squaresoft. Not me. Nope, nope, nope.
Warnings: Yaoi. Many little kids running around. Blatant screw-up-ed-ness of Sephiroth's family. (Hey, this is KH, ANYTHING could happen) Sad, sad angst at the end. Chibi Zell.....On sugar.
Chapter 1: Until it Sleeps
So tear me open, but beware
There's things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me, until I'm clean
o o o
"Cloud, wait up!"
"Aww, come on, you slow-pokes!"
"Who you calling slow, blondie?"
"You, you little squirt."
"Hey!"
Cid sighed, walking through the abandoned halls below the great castle, Hollow Bastion. Three children ran around within his sight, jumping off rocks, playing tag and exploring each dark corner and crevice. How in the heck the three 'adventurers' had talked the blond mechanic into exploring with them, Cid would never know. Guess I'm getting' soft, he thought. He couldn't help it; he liked the kids that came from the city to play in the castle halls. Somehow or other he had become the unofficial chaperone and guardian of the assorted group. Now, today, three of the most adventurous had talked him into taking them below the low levels of the castle into the Waterways. Blond Cloud, the oldest at thirteen; tough, energetic Tifa at eleven, and resilient Squall, the youngest at nine.
Tifa ran back to Cid, taking his hand and tugging on it. "Come on, Mr. Cid." She pleaded. "You gotta hurry and make sure Cloud doesn't fall in a pit!"
"I heard that!" Cloud yelled from around a corner. "And come on, we found another room!" Tifa abandoned Cid's hand and raced off towards her friends.
Cid rounded the corner to find all three tugging on the handle of the door, trying to open it. He smirked, folding his arms and watching. Squall let go of the handle in disgust. "We can't do it." He griped. "Mr. Cid, you get it open."
"Yeah, Cid." Cloud said, rattling the handle in frustration. "You can do it, I know you can." He gave up and stood back.
Cid knelt in front of the door, testing the handle. "Thing's rusted shut, is all." He said. "Not locked or anything." He stood. "Guess it stays shut."
"Awww, come ON, Cid!" Cloud said, hands on his hips. "You giving up?"
"Chicken." Squall muttered.
Cid glared at them both. "Chicken, huh?" he asked. "Chicken this. Stand back." The three moved away as Cid readied himself in front of the door. He tensed a moment, then lashed out with one foot, hitting the door just above the handle. Cloud let out a whoop as the door slammed open.
The room was dimly lit by scones set into the stone walls. Three long boxes rested on the floor, dusty from years of disuse. Cid looked around, and not seeing anything that would attempt to eat them, he beckoned the others inside.
"Whoa." Cloud said, running his hand along the lid of one box, lifting off a layer of black dust. "Wonder what's in these?"
"Dead people." Squall replied matter-of-factly.
"You're so gross." Tifa said, looking at one end of a box. "Hey, they aren't nailed shut. I bet we could open them. Come here, you two." Cloud and Squall both went to stand beside her, while Cid watched over their shoulders. "Ok, one, two, three, push!" As one, they pushed up on the edges of the box, lifting the lid with a dusty creak.
Cid whistled low as Cloud pulled back a layer of plastic protecting the contents. Guns. Over two dozen, each in its own rack; rifles, shotguns, handguns and what looked like a mini-rocket launcher. Boxes of what was apparently ammo filled a full third of the box, which was big enough to hold a person. "Somebody liked to shoot things." Cid said, lifting out a long, gleaming rifle.
"Are there more in these boxes?" Tifa asked, examining the next in line. Her friends came to help her as Cid replaced the rifle. The next box contained what used to be clothing, but was dry-rot and mold-spotted from age. Cloud lifted out what used to be a silk shirt, wrinkling his nose as it fell apart in his hands. "Gross. Bet we find a saddle in the third. Or food."
"Nope, dead people." Squall stated, attempting to shove at the lid of the third box. "I think this one's bolted shut." He stepped back. "Mr. Cid?"
Cid sighed. "So that's why you guys got me down here, to do all the hard stuff for you, huh?"
"Yep!" Tifa said brightly.
Cid shook his head. "Whatever." He held one hand out to the side, closed his eyes, and summoned. Gleaming swirls came from his hand, condensing into his Summon-weapon, a five-foot gleaming metal handle with a foot-long blade attached to one end. He shoved the tip under the edge of the box. "Come on, you think I'm doing this all alone?" He asked. The children scrambled to help, all four tugging together on the make-shift lever. The lid slowly came up with a rusty screech of nails. Cid grasped the edges, shoving up with a small grunt. It fell off the other side with a thud. They all leaned over to look in.
It was man. He was tall, six feet at least. He was garbed in all black, studded with metal designs in places. What appeared to be a red-cloak wrapped around his shoulders, the high collar blocking the bottom half of his face. His hands were folded on his stomach, one normal, one covered in gleaming golden metal up to just past the elbow. Ebony hair flowed around his face.
"Told ya." Squall whispered softly. "Dead people."
His eyes opened, brilliant scarlet.
o o o
So tear me open, pour me out
There's things inside that scream and shout
And the pain still hates me
So hold me, until it sleeps
Author: Sae
Fan-verse: Kingdom Hearts FFVII
Couplings: VincentXCid, some implied CloudXSephiroth
Rating: PG-13 and most likely to stay that way.
Disclaimer: KH & FFVII belong to Squaresoft. Not me. Nope, nope, nope.
Warnings: Yaoi. Many little kids running around. Blatant screw-up-ed-ness of Sephiroth's family. (Hey, this is KH, ANYTHING could happen) Sad, sad angst at the end. Chibi Zell.....On sugar.
Chapter 1: Until it Sleeps
So tear me open, but beware
There's things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me, until I'm clean
o o o
"Cloud, wait up!"
"Aww, come on, you slow-pokes!"
"Who you calling slow, blondie?"
"You, you little squirt."
"Hey!"
Cid sighed, walking through the abandoned halls below the great castle, Hollow Bastion. Three children ran around within his sight, jumping off rocks, playing tag and exploring each dark corner and crevice. How in the heck the three 'adventurers' had talked the blond mechanic into exploring with them, Cid would never know. Guess I'm getting' soft, he thought. He couldn't help it; he liked the kids that came from the city to play in the castle halls. Somehow or other he had become the unofficial chaperone and guardian of the assorted group. Now, today, three of the most adventurous had talked him into taking them below the low levels of the castle into the Waterways. Blond Cloud, the oldest at thirteen; tough, energetic Tifa at eleven, and resilient Squall, the youngest at nine.
Tifa ran back to Cid, taking his hand and tugging on it. "Come on, Mr. Cid." She pleaded. "You gotta hurry and make sure Cloud doesn't fall in a pit!"
"I heard that!" Cloud yelled from around a corner. "And come on, we found another room!" Tifa abandoned Cid's hand and raced off towards her friends.
Cid rounded the corner to find all three tugging on the handle of the door, trying to open it. He smirked, folding his arms and watching. Squall let go of the handle in disgust. "We can't do it." He griped. "Mr. Cid, you get it open."
"Yeah, Cid." Cloud said, rattling the handle in frustration. "You can do it, I know you can." He gave up and stood back.
Cid knelt in front of the door, testing the handle. "Thing's rusted shut, is all." He said. "Not locked or anything." He stood. "Guess it stays shut."
"Awww, come ON, Cid!" Cloud said, hands on his hips. "You giving up?"
"Chicken." Squall muttered.
Cid glared at them both. "Chicken, huh?" he asked. "Chicken this. Stand back." The three moved away as Cid readied himself in front of the door. He tensed a moment, then lashed out with one foot, hitting the door just above the handle. Cloud let out a whoop as the door slammed open.
The room was dimly lit by scones set into the stone walls. Three long boxes rested on the floor, dusty from years of disuse. Cid looked around, and not seeing anything that would attempt to eat them, he beckoned the others inside.
"Whoa." Cloud said, running his hand along the lid of one box, lifting off a layer of black dust. "Wonder what's in these?"
"Dead people." Squall replied matter-of-factly.
"You're so gross." Tifa said, looking at one end of a box. "Hey, they aren't nailed shut. I bet we could open them. Come here, you two." Cloud and Squall both went to stand beside her, while Cid watched over their shoulders. "Ok, one, two, three, push!" As one, they pushed up on the edges of the box, lifting the lid with a dusty creak.
Cid whistled low as Cloud pulled back a layer of plastic protecting the contents. Guns. Over two dozen, each in its own rack; rifles, shotguns, handguns and what looked like a mini-rocket launcher. Boxes of what was apparently ammo filled a full third of the box, which was big enough to hold a person. "Somebody liked to shoot things." Cid said, lifting out a long, gleaming rifle.
"Are there more in these boxes?" Tifa asked, examining the next in line. Her friends came to help her as Cid replaced the rifle. The next box contained what used to be clothing, but was dry-rot and mold-spotted from age. Cloud lifted out what used to be a silk shirt, wrinkling his nose as it fell apart in his hands. "Gross. Bet we find a saddle in the third. Or food."
"Nope, dead people." Squall stated, attempting to shove at the lid of the third box. "I think this one's bolted shut." He stepped back. "Mr. Cid?"
Cid sighed. "So that's why you guys got me down here, to do all the hard stuff for you, huh?"
"Yep!" Tifa said brightly.
Cid shook his head. "Whatever." He held one hand out to the side, closed his eyes, and summoned. Gleaming swirls came from his hand, condensing into his Summon-weapon, a five-foot gleaming metal handle with a foot-long blade attached to one end. He shoved the tip under the edge of the box. "Come on, you think I'm doing this all alone?" He asked. The children scrambled to help, all four tugging together on the make-shift lever. The lid slowly came up with a rusty screech of nails. Cid grasped the edges, shoving up with a small grunt. It fell off the other side with a thud. They all leaned over to look in.
It was man. He was tall, six feet at least. He was garbed in all black, studded with metal designs in places. What appeared to be a red-cloak wrapped around his shoulders, the high collar blocking the bottom half of his face. His hands were folded on his stomach, one normal, one covered in gleaming golden metal up to just past the elbow. Ebony hair flowed around his face.
"Told ya." Squall whispered softly. "Dead people."
His eyes opened, brilliant scarlet.
o o o
So tear me open, pour me out
There's things inside that scream and shout
And the pain still hates me
So hold me, until it sleeps