Slow

The river was gushing nearly out of its banks. This was undoubtedly going to be a flood-rain.

I grinned and leapt nimbly to a fallen tree over the river. Cloud laughed, but Vincent reached out a hand as if he were worried that I'd fall.

Yeah right. I'm a ninja. I wasn't about to fall. I threw my head back and started singing into the screaming sky. After the first few lines Cloud clambered up beside me and joined in.

"I've got another confession to make! I'm no fool! Everyone's got their chains to break! Mine was you!" All right, so maybe we didn't quite have the lyrics right. I liked ours better.

I think we were scaring Vinnie, though, as we were now dancing along the log above the rapidly rising water. Finally he sighed and stepped on, walking after us and shaking his head. We kept singing, getting louder as we went.

"Would you rather resist, or be abused? Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of
you? Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?"

I skipped every time we hit the word 'best.' I noticed Vincent wincing every time Cloud hauled me laughingly back towards the center of the log.

"Are you gone and onto someone new? I needed somewhere to hang my head without your news!
You gave me something that I didn't have, but had no use! I was too weak to give in Too strong to lose My heart is under arrest again but I break loose!"

Now we were across the river. The land turned to desert almost immediately. We were going to visit Red; Cloud and I started running full tilt the moment our feet touched (relatively) dry ground.

"My head is giving me life or death, but I can't choose! I swear I'll never give in, I refuse! Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you? Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?"

"Has someone taken your faith? It's real, the pain you feel! You trust, you must! Confess! Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you? Oh..."

"Has someone taken your faith? It's real, the pain you feel! The life, the love, you die to heal! The hope that starts, the broken hearts, you trust, you must, confess!"

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you? Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

Red XII saw us coming and came running to greet us. We never came here if we could help it; we were too easy to find here. Now, however, we'd just run straight through the worst storm of the last decade. I doubted Tifa had followed us through that. Red had offered us the use of a series of caves the last time we came to visit and that was where we headed now.

It was still raining in the desert.

"I've got another confession my friend, I'm no fool. I'm getting tired of starting again, somewhere new...Were you born to resist or be abused? I swear I'll never give in...I refuse."

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you? Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?