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In Dreams We Meet : Chapter 4
Ugh ... Should I get up? I hear someone calling me ... but it's not Rinoa. It's not Rinoa at all. Who is she ...? Who are they? How am I gonna know how to behave around them? Cloud didn't act like me. I don't act like Cloud. I hate thinking too much. Why is this happening to me? Will Rinoa even know the difference? What if she doesn't? What if Cloud makes a fool out of myself and Rinoa starts to like the new, smiling, Squall and when (or if) I do return, to my normal self, can she take it? Will she be dsappointed? I hate thinking too much. Does this girl like Cloud? Does Cloud like this girl? Hell, am I supposed to be getting close to this girl now? What now?
Sis ...
Sis... I'm all alone ... again.
Will I be alright ...? Am I gonna make it back ...?
Oh my Hyne I'm starting to sound like Rinoa.
Maybe that's not such a bad thing, admitting you need help.
But does admitting it make it any easier?
I think I'll just wake up. That way I'd stop thinking.
"Cloud! How are you feeling?" said Tifa, crouching beside him. She made to touch his forehead but Squall instinctively batted her hand away and regretted it. Tifa let out a small gasp, but brushed the pain away, her concern for Cloud setting in. Barret, looked like he wanted to murder Cloud. He never behaved that way to Tifa before, and there wasn't going to be a second time.
"What the hell is up with you Spike? Tifa's all concerned about you and you go pushing her aside like that!" yelled Barret, waving his gun-arm madly about. Tifa looked back imploringly at Barret, which shut him up.
"Stop it, Barret, it's fine," said Tifa. Squall gazed back at Tifa, then looked away and muttered an apology.
"If you're feeling better, we'd best be going," said Nanaki, startling Squall out of his skin. That red thing just talked ... Forgetting himself for a moment, he stared openly at Nanaki, who was swishing his fiery tail about indignantly.
"Something's wrong with Cloud, and Nanaki's right, we have to be moving on," said Vincent, surveying Squall closely, and Squall stared stonily back. Still quite unsure how to act around them, and also not knowing all of their names yet, he resolved to keep silent and pretend he's still ill. So far there's Tifa, Barret and Nanaki ... who are the other five...? And this man is creepy.
"Yeah! Who are you and what have you done with Cloud?" joked Yuffie, guffawing. Everyone except Vincent, Nanaki and Cait Sith glared at her.
"That was just lame, brat," said Cid, taking out a cigarette and lighted it, all the while dodging Yuffie's punches.
"Cid! Cloud's not alright yet, don't smoke that around here!" said Tifa indignantly. Squall groaned inwardly. She was acting like mother to them all. Like Quistis. But much to Squall's surprise, Cid dropped the cigarette and squashed it, muttering some profanities making everyone else cringe. Okay ... that's Cid ... but definitely not our headmaster... and the ninja girl is... brat ...?
"Cloud, we'd better go. Meteor falls in 5 more days," said Tifa, helping him to his feet. Squall nodded but did not move, waiting for everyone to leave, because he did not where exactly he was supposed to be heading. But everyone just stood there, watching him intently. Is Cloud the leader here ...? Squall sighed and ran his hair through his head. Spikes, thought Squall and groaned mentally. he gazed back at everyone and just said a final, "Let's go."
Everyone else's looks changed from silent consternation to open disbelief. Cloud ALWAYS says, "Let's mosey," which drives Cid and Barret and Yuffie up the wall. Squall felt increasingly stupid by the second. Then he decided to turn things around.
"What's wrong with you guys?" said Squall, trying his best to sound like Cloud, "C'mon, let's just leave!"
That seemed to do the trick. Everyone else began to walk off, including Tifa after a last look at Cloud, except Vincent who stayed behind to walk with him.
"Squall! Thank Hyne you're awake!" cried Rinoa, throwing her arms around her knight. Cloud let out a small "oof" and gently pried her off him while he tried to sit up. He looked around him ... and realized he didn't know anything about these people. And neither did he tell Squall anything about his friends. Assuming of course, that's where Squall currently was.
"Rinoa, let him breathe," said Quistis, smiling with relief. This must be Squall's girlfriend, thought Cloud. But what if she isn't? What if she just loves Squall and he doesn't love her back? What do I do then?
"Hey hey hey, we gotta get moving! Gotta kick Ultimecia's ass!" said Zell, jumping up and down and punching the air. A martial artist ...? Like Tifa, mused Cloud.
"Calm down Zell ... you too Sefie," said Irvine, grinning as he watched the petite little girl jump up and down as well.
"Rinny, let go of Squall! Let's go let's go!" squealed the ever-hyper Selphie. Can she really fight? She seems so innocent and happy, thought Cloud.
"Get up, Squall, let's go," said Quistis, turning to look at the looming castle in front of them. Seems like the had to cross a enormous chain as a bridge. Cloud got up and followed behind as everyone else walked in front of him.
"Hey," chirped Selphie, looking at the chain and turning to them with an evil glint in her eyes. "If we chop these chains off, do you think Ultimecia's castle will just drop down and die?"
"No, Sefie dearie, we just won't be able to get to Ultimecia's castle at all."
"Oh... and I thought it was a brilliant plan," said Selphie, but ran ahead of them anyway.
"Sefie! Don't go all by yourself!" yelled Irvine and ran after her, bumping into Zell and smirking at him. "Race ya there, Zell!" Irvine laughed and ran after them, reminiscing about how they used to play last time. Zell rubbed his side and yelled back, "Owwww! That hurt Irvine!" and proceeded to run after them. Cloud looked over to see the two girl's reaction, and saw that Rinoa was laughing and Quistis was sighing. Cloud looked at the trio ahead and smacked his forehead. He was stuck with a bunch of teenagers; crazy killing teenagers but nevertheless still teenagers who behaved like teenagers. It's a wonder Squall behaves more adult-like than me, thought Cloud. I'll have to behave like Squall from now on. Let's see ... Squall doesn't smile very much ... wait, he doesn't smile at all, and he doesn't talk much ... and ... Cloud thought hard, but that was all Squall seemed like to him. Hmm. That should be easy to pull off. Just behave like Vincent or Sephiroth then.
Wow.
"Did you want something?" said Squall a little nervously, when the gunman who offered to walk with him to the ship had not said anything at all. Squall had smacked himself mentally when he saw the airship. He should have just walked up to it earlier, instead of having everyone stare at him weirdly. Vincent gave him a look and then said, "You're not Cloud ... are you ...?"
"What are you talking about? Of course I am!" said Squall indignantly, his throat hoarse. He hated this. Hated talking, hated acting.He could not decipher Vincent's expression behind that cloak of his, but determinedly climbed aboard the airship.
To be continued! -