Gangs, Drugs and Cloud.
Don't wake up now…I haven't finished! Please, you must listen to me! I…I'm not ready to fade. You're my only hope. There is more, its… better, I guess. Not so much history. Please, please, you must know of what I have gone through! You must know of Cloud, and Sephiroth!
…I knew I'd get your attention! Yes, Sephiroth.
At this time, a war was ending in Wutai and though it didn't seem like a war was going on over in Midgar, the news was always talking about it. I think it was the war that killed Dan, though Ivy and Fox both wouldn't say a word.
By the time I became 13, I was in SOLDIER. Cloud… Didn't get the cut. Ivy would do nothing to comfort him, and I was to happy with myself to notice. That attitude got me many cuffs upside the head and I had to sleep out in the hallway for a few nights. Fox had tried to tell Cloud that SOLDIER wasn't worth it, and that to be happy for himself: He wouldn't have to be the ones shipped to wherever if a war broke out.
Ivy though… Had a different approach. After a few days, she had gotten very sick of my attitude and decided that she would try and "cheer" Cloud up. Her idea of cheering was my idea of just plain mean.
"Cloud, just be happy your not Zack. He's gana be sent to war one day in the front lines, and his head'll be so big by then it will give the enemy a perfect target to take him out."
Man, I hated her after that. Despised her. I didn't want to be in the house at all, so I'll go wander the streets. I was only 13, but I had run into Metric again, and Spike, and they had introduced me to some of their… friends. They were a little older then me, most, part of a gang. Yeah, I knew then I should have busted them, should have taken them into the Shinra… But what would they do about it? I was more interested in what I would get out of it at the time. Drugs…
Stupid of me, I'm sure your saying. Yeah, it was. I was a real ass to Cloud, for he knew what I was up to (being 12, and my shadow most of the time). He wouldn't tell Ivy, or Fox, because I threatened him daily. I didn't know why he looked up to me. Guess… Guess it was a brotherly love. A bond we'd never break, even through those hard times.
I wont bother showing you what happened. To long to really do it accurately. I'll explain it instead, seeing how your so eager to meet Sephiroth.
I began to like the idea that I'd get some drinks, alcohol, cigarettes, odds and ends drugs. I was pressured into using them at the time, but I didn't care. I'd be so drunk I'd just kind of.. Take the pills or the powders. Didn't matter. We'd all laugh it off after, me going home smelling horrid. Everyone would be asleep. Everyone but Cloud, though I never realized this. He'd followed me, you see. He told me after a year. Every night he'd take the pistol Shinra gave him, and sneak from our apartment. He'd follow me, dressed in his fathers jacket( still to big) and all in black. No one bothered mess with him when he had the gun. All to drunk or stoned out of their minds in this part of town.
One evening, Cloud followed me all the way to sector 5, to the church where my gang and I would smoke and the ones who stole and robbed and hijacked stuff would count their loot. We'd hide it under a floorboard once we had it all counted. Well… Here's where it basically begins.
You see, one night, I think it was September, I kinda went up a rank with the guys in the gang. They wanted me to start robbing. I'd been a pick pocket in till then, laying back and just kinda… going with it. Well, being slightly out of my mind, I agreed. My first… assignment I guess you could say, was to take the valuables from Ivy's apartment.
Before you think me some insane psycho with no love whatsoever for these people who took me in, let me explain myself: I wasn't about to steal from Ivy Sky. Reason one would be: The woman would skin me alive!(she was 19 at this point, and growing more bitter by the day). I wasn't going to have my hide hanging on her wall next to my head! Second reason was we had nothing of value to take, so didn't much do me any good to even try.
Now, when I explained that there was nothing of value, Spike told me to take the weapons, the money, anything old. We were broke. We, Ivy mostly, earned just enough money to get us by with food and drink and pay the rent. When she got a bonus or some tips she'd buy us some clothes( maybe a shirt or a pair of jeans, she wasn't about to buy thrift shop goods. Only the good quality stuff for everyone). Spike said that if there wasn't anything of value at all, nab Cloud…
Man, there you go again. Thinking me an utter mad man. I wasn't going to do it!
But…I found myself agreeing. I didn't bother to fight back. I agreed. Little did I know Cloud was hiding behind the door. Spike forced me to leave, bring Cloud in and hold him for ransom. Well, I left, telling them it'd be a piece of Cake. As soon as I got back to the town though… Well, little Cloud could be seen running in a sprint up ahead. Of course I went after him, and he only ran faster.
I swear, if he hadn't have drop the gun out of fright he would have shot me.
Well, I picked up his gun after tripping on it, and continued after him. Got the little bug right before he reached sector 4, where we lived. He was kicking and screaming and crying all at once. Called me a traitor( among other…colorful things), and said I didn't deserve to be in SOLDIER.I smacked him a few times trying to get him to shut up.
Yes I smacked him! I didn't want him to wake up the whole neighbor hood! I didn't feel good about it, but I had to do it!
He fell after that, sobbing something about having trusted me. I knelt down and told him I wasn't going to do it. I was going to go tell the Shinra about the gang, and then Ivy about my mistake. He didn't believe me. I cant blame him for that either… He was right…
Anyways, after that, I went straight home with Cloud, woke Ivy and explained to her( a few more cuffs and a month out in the hall…No new clothes for me either when she got a raise),then I went to the Shinra. They said they'd deal with it. They didn't do much. All the children involved were returned to their homes, parents informed, and Spike… No idea what happened to him. I didn't have many friends after that…Wonder why…
