Behind Shinra's Doors
Chapter 7: Nightmares
Night. Probably the most precious times in a SOILDER'S days. It was the bridge that would get them from yesterday to tomorrow, present to future, questions to answers. Or just a period when you can actually not move without being yelled at. However, this group of soldiers was accustomed to a disappointment to this idea of the night.
Every young man slept peacefully in his bed, tangled up in his sheets alone or with another to occupy him through the night. This was the hour when not even the breath of a living form could be heard, pure silence that seemed as if the world has stopped for a brief moment. All broken by the shrilling scream of one.
Zack was the closest to the shriek and jumped from its tone. He knew where the sound came from and bolted out of bed to Cloud's room. Many other boys were already out in the hall with him but none dared to look into the room the sound was coming from. Zack pushed in way in through the door to find Cloud tearing his sheets while he wailed bloody murder. The 19 year old rushed to claim Cloud's thrashing arms without being hit himself.
"CLOUD!" Zack yelled but it had to be repeated four more times for the blonde to settle down and open his blue eyes. His body was glossed in sweat and soon accompanied with the droplets of his tears. Cloud threw his arms around Zack, mumbling words into his chest that were muffled. Zack rocked him to a softer state.
"Fuck! Zack tell your pussy-assed friend to get a shrink for these childish nightmares!" One voice from a crowd of many was agreed with other voices that supported the protester.
"Yah! Isn't he too old for nightmares!"
"FUCK YOU RONNEY!" Zack yelled at the smart-ass but soon stopped when he was the first to see Sephiroth. All others saw him last and parted a path into the room. As if his aura brought the dead none spoke a word or breathed to loudly, all except Cloud who continued to whimper into Zack's torso. Sephiroth looked down at the trembling blonde and for a second his green eyes soften at the sight of him.
"What happened?" His emotionless voice echoed the silent room.
"Cloud had a nightmare sir." Zack said simply.
"I heard a nightmare from the 49th floor." Sephiroth seemed a bit more amazed in horror then concerned. Zack nodded his head 'yes' to his commander. Those that poked their faces in the room thought this was a chance for their benefit.
"Sir, this isn't the first time Cloud has had them."
"He's been screaming like this since the beginning!" another whined.
"This is the fourth one this week and we'll never get the sleep we need with him screaming like this." This was the point that caused a ripple of 'yah' through the crowd.
As a commander who wants discipline and a sense of fairness from his pupils, Sephiroth had only one choice.
"Then he will not reside on the same floor as you are but I will assign him to another room closer where he can be assisted without disturbance."
"Don't take him to a shrink sir! He's not some nut-case, he's just has a hard past!" Zack pleaded for his friend's safety.
"Which is why he will not be taken to a shrink or any doctors of the matter; trust me. He won't be far from you, just a room above you." He looked at the rest of the young boys staring wide-eyed at their leader. "Go back to bed!" he snarled, shooing the jackals away. "You too Liam." Liam, still stained with lipstick dragged his feet back to his room.
"You go to bed also; I'll take Mr. Strife to his room." Zack had a hard time letting go of Cloud but he managed to walk out the door without a pause. The blonde was left alone with the silver haired man and neither spoke. Cloud continued to tremble, not sure on what to do with his hands now that Zack wasn't there to hold on to. Not even Reno, his love, was there to smooth away his ridges. Only an impassive general stood in his room, delivering neither comfort of warmth from his icy stare.
If Cloud could recall the moment from now, he would say an eternity passed that matched how long Sephiroth looked at him and didn't move. Cloud couldn't bring himself to view his mentor in this condition. It wasn't in embarrassment but shock in to how real his nightmare seemed. The silence became a comfort to him until Sephirtoh broke it with the motioning to his dresser.
He pulled out his clothes and threw them next to Cloud before checking for any other possessions of his. "Is this all?" he asked. Cloud didn't answer and the general strode to him and lifted his chin towards his face abruptly. "Is this all?" he said even slower. Cloud nodded 'yes'; now aware of what's happening now. "Follow." Sephiroth walked out the door leaving Cloud to fend for his own clothes and catch up.
He was at the elevator when Cloud ran by his side. "Where am I going?" Cloud asked.
"Your new room is on floor 49. Same as me, so I can deal with your nightmares and not disturb my pupils." Sephiroth kept his eyes on the steel barrier but shifted his eyes to Cloud through a thin veil of silver threads.
"Oh." It puzzled Cloud as to how protective this general was even though it didn't match his tone nor stance. Since when did such a higher power as Sephiroth cared for his SOLIDERS?
That was only part one of Nightmares, expect a part two which Cloud explains to Sephiroth his family. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!