A/N: Aww thanks you guys, sorry for the long update but' school's been in the way. Anyway hope you guys enjoy this.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from FFVII and I never will.
Chapter Two: Dreaming, yet still awake with hounds, devils, and demons
Cloud moved back, with each step the other person took, his backside collided with the concrete walls of Seventh Heaven. 'Why…? Why now!' his mind and his heart raced in fear. Sure enough old wounds would open up at any moment. He thought to himself that if he was near something solid, he might not spill open.
He took in a sharp lungful of air, but then a hot invisible knife plunged into his left arm. Cloud grabbed his aching arm, and panted. His memory was going in and out now. The side walk would be there on moment, and then covered in darkness again. A mixture of silver, pink and green would come into view sometimes.
"Uh, hey, geez man, you don't look so good." The figure pointed out in a soothing tone.
"What are you doing here!" Cloud whispered harshly, still clinging on to feeling he might spill. "Are you involved with Sephiroth?" he asked still speaking in a hush whisper.
"Speak up, guy…" the voice said, Cloud could feel the breathing of the voice near his cheek. "Now what did you say?"
"Why…" he grasped him arm again, "What's your reason for being here? Are… Are you," he gasped from the pain again, while that happened he was cut off.
"Don't you ever," the voice's hand held on to the burning arm forcefully, "Ever, put me in with him, or even mention him in that category." Cloud tried to get grip off of his arm.
"Yeah, probably you don't fit into his category anyway…" Cloud said feeling the pain subside for now. "You're weak… I can tell by your grip."
"I'm not the one suffering from Geostigma again."
Cloud's eyes directed them to his left arm, black pus, or ooze was slowly trickling down his arm. Quickly, everything was turning into one mess of black paint. Cloud caught sight of the voice, it was a woman, and just like that he was out.
Cloud opened his eyes again, he wasn't on the streets of Seventh Heaven, but rather in it this time. Not on the floor, but rather on a soft bed. His head shifted slightly to his left arm, there were bandages wrapped about it. His vision was a bit blurry, but he saw a mess of black hair on the foot of the bed.
"Tifa."
"C… Cloud, you're awake?" she opened her eyes lazily, and then it struck, "You're awake! Thank Gaia you're alive!"
"What happened?" he asked politely cutting her off.
"You had passed out on the streets, holding your left arm a bit. This women…" she bit her lip, "she looked a lot like them. The hair, the eyes…" she noted the look on Cloud's face, "Anyway, she had managed to bring you inside. I didn't think twice about it, but all I wanted was to get you some place safe. Vincent and Yuffie were ready to attack, but you…"
"But I what?" he asked confused.
"You muttered 'no'… I thought you were crazy or something, I mean here you have a person striking a bearing resemblance to Sephiroth and the trio, and you said 'no'. You don't remember do you?" she thought for a moment, "Of course you don't, you were barely conscious."
"Where's the person now?"
"Gone, she left, she didn't want to stay, sensing some hostility in the air. Only thing she said was that, she hoped you'd feel better."
"Teef… My Geostigma is back…" he sounded a bit worried.
"I know, Cloud." She said in her own worried tone, "What happened?"
"She touched me…"
Static again, mute, then static again. Images bounced back and forth into his head. Cloud looked directly into the scene. Aerith's whole body would come into view, then the noise would turn to static, and a new image came.
"Hey, you all right?" this time a young woman with silver hair reached out her hand.
Static again.
"Helloooooo?" a head of brown, and worried green eyes looked into the man's mako colored eyes. "Anybody home?" she smiled.
Everything became mute for a moment, and then the annoying static sound came once more. Cloud gasped for air, and reached out for anything he could get, a hand, a warm hand came in reach, he couldn't see for a while. He took hold and looked up, visions finally clearing. Cloud's initial reaction was to gasp, the same women from before was holding his hand.
"You… You… didn't you just get me back inside?" he said, producing in his head that those words sounded foreign to him and her alike.
"It's a good thing I got you before you collapsed, then." The woman smiled.
'Her smile, it's like Aerith's…' he thought for a moment. "Then, then I was dreaming?" he thought back to what had happened.
"Dreaming, while awake." The woman instructed. "You freaked out about something, or at least that's what I thought, when you slammed your back against the wall." She looked at him slightly. "It looks like you just seen a ghost." She said softly noting the look on his face.
The static came back into his head, but the woman's image didn't change, just her voice. 'It's so warm, so welcoming, why? I don't even know her, but then again, it could just be me… I'm sure of it now, she's playing a trick on me. Just like Sephiroth…'
"Can you walk?"
"…Hn?" Cloud was caught off guard. "What did you…?"
"Can you stand, walk even?"
"Answer me something…"
"Don't talk so much, you don't look good." She said waving her free hand.
"Why do you look so much…?"
"Please…" she begged softly. "Don't… Save your strength."
'Is she scared? I don't feel tired, in fact I feel lighter than air, but I can't move… I feel light, but I can't move… Heavy and yet not,' he thought. His breathing was getting a bit heavy. The left hand the woman was holding went numb as well, and so did his arm.
"Why, do you look like him?...Them?" he asked resting his head against the wall.
"I'm taking you inside." She said whispering to him, completely ignoring him.
"Answer me…" he said in a weak state.
---
"So then, you're the youngest?" Reno asked looking down the sidewalk.
She nodded looking at him for a small moment. As much as Seruma enjoyed the man's company, even if it was forced on to her, she didn't feel much like talking at all. To her his words, his manner of talking sounded, alien, foreign to her ears.
They walked in unison, at a very slow pace, whether they didn't know what to say, or they didn't want the company to end, was best left to them…
"By seven seconds." Seruma answered truthfully, silver hair covered her face slightly.
Reno turned his attention to her, her eyes were piercing, as if they were staring right into the very soul of the other person. It's said that when you look into someone's eyes you can peer into their soul, that didn't seem like the case for this woman in Reno's presence.
"Where did you say you lived again?" Reno looked further down the side walk, they had stopped moving. "It's not to be rude or anything, but I don't exactly have the best memory, ya know?"
"…" she drew in a small breath of air and sighed. "We live close by," her words sounded a bit sharp. She realized how her tone sounded, and looked away quickly. "I'm not… I'm not the best person to talk to… If anything, I'd prefer that my sister did all the talking."
"Wouldn't that make you um…" he thought about it for a moment, "Just a shadow then?"
"I suppose…"
"You do know we've stopped walking, right?" he nudged in their direction.
"…" she looked around and noticed they still need half a block.
In the distance, both of them could only distinguish two silhouettes from a far. One was leaning against the other for support.
'Karumen? What is she doing!' the younger one thought for a moment. She had a feeling it was her, no matter what anybody else said or thought. She started walking forward, just lightly tugging the Turk's shirt.
Reno followed and looked at her as she began to show the way. He followed behind her slightly, but as she started to jog, he picked up speed. The silhouettes were getting clearer, and the figures were now as clear as day, with each step they ran.
Seruma stopped suddenly, but the Turk hadn't noticed, slightly bumping into her. Reno looked in front of him, what was before him was Cloud being supported by the other twin. From his point of view he didn't look to well at all.
"What are you…?"
"He's not feeling to good." Karumen cut off her sister, she sounded worried. "I found him like that, honest…"
"Let me take him." Reno offered, but Seruma outstretched her arm, as a mean to stop him.
"No, it's okay, I can take him back." Karumen said, as her other sister started to walk towards the two.
Reno moved forward, trying to get into the commotion. Something didn't seem right, but for right now he wanted to know about Cloud. The one with longer hair offered her hand to help, but the one with shorter hair refused.
"I don't want you touching him… It's bad enough I did."
The red haired Turk raised his eyebrow in confusion.
"Take him inside then." The youngest said feeling defeated.
Reno walked forward, and decided to go on and hold the door open for Cloud and Karumen. As they made their way through, he caught a glance of Cloud, and sluggish as his movement was, his eyes held some sense of awareness.
"The other one…" Cloud's voice was but a gentle whisper, "She looks a lot like him."
The youngest looked at Cloud and growled. She walked in front of them before they reached the doorway and forcefully held Cloud's left arm. Karumen threw her a glance as if to say 'Hurt him and you'll get it'.
"Don't ever put him with me, or my sister." The grip was getting softer.
"Heh… Yeah you're not as strong as him."
"I'm not the one who's sick." Seruma pointed out.
"Enough you two!" Karumen whispered harshly. "Now move, Seru, you're in my way." She said in a rather rude voice.
Seruma stepped back, and watched the oldest walk into the building, she followed in back, and Reno proceeded after her.
---
Yuffie stopped talking slightly and peered down the area. She gasped, it was enough to make Vincent and Shelke looked in her direction. Her body was trembling slightly, but she had fear kick in when she saw what appeared to be Cloud's limp body.
Vincent hand his hand on the handle of Cerberus, while Shelke stared at the newcomers coldly.
"What did you do with Cloud!" Yuffie blurted out.
Tifa and Rude turned around from their post, and looked at the newcomers. Tifa's instantly went to Cloud's body. It looked almost like a rag doll, he couldn't support the weight of his own body, at least that's how it seemed.
Tifa jumped over the counter, for that small moment panic ran through her mind. Without Cloud in that moment, right there, she felt almost helpless. Something had to be done though, to get Cloud away from the lady.
"What did you do with Cloud?" Tifa repeated for Yuffie. She walked forward, her hand tightly curled into a fist.
"Hang on Tifa!" Reno called out making his voice heard. He stepped next to Seruma and Karumen. "Look I know what you're thinking and--"
"No one asked you!" Yuffie said feeling around the seat for her weapon.
Vincent has his gun drawn, and pointed to the one in pink and green. He turned his head to look at the young girl, Shelke for a moment. The faint hum of her EM sabers were heard, her glowing amber eyes looked back at him for a moment.
Yuffie smiled in triumph as she found her weapon, and rushed forward to Cloud's rescue. Vincent watched her, and feared the worst, as did Shelke. Shelke's feet shuffled to move forward, but Vincent stopped her.
"Yuffie…!" Tifa called out, as she stopped in her path.
Rude eyed Reno carefully, trying to figure out why he was with those two in the first place. Reno eyed his partner back with the look and quickly looked at Yuffie, she was charging pretty fast. Within a moment Yuffie was an inch away from the one with shorter hair, yet like a flash her shuriken only sliced through the air. Reno yelped in surprise to find the shuriken close to his nose.
"What the hell are you doing!" Reno yelled a Yuffie pushing the weapon out of his way.
"If you hadn't been standing there then maybe you wouldn't have almost gotten caught under my attack!"
"If you were faster then none of this would've happened." A voice said in back of Vincent.
Yuffie turned around and looked at Shelke, she had her back turned to everyone, pointing her weapon to the neck of a silver haired woman. This was the one who wasn't holding Cloud.
"Put Mr. Strife down." Shelke said, glowing amber eyes shown to the woman.
Vincent now at a good distance, pointed his weapon in the direction of the figures head. Yuffie growled saying something along the lines of 'show off-ing kid'. The one with longer hair just smiled and moved back slightly, but the young girl wasn't going to let her out of her sights.
Vincent looked at Shelke, and to the opponent. He mind raced saying that she should protect her, but if he pulled the trigger anything could happen. If that was the chance he was going to take to protect his companions… He pulled the trigger slightly.
Seruma looked at the small motion of Vincent hand and made a face, "You pull that trigger and I'll use a shield." She eyed Shelke in a rather amused way.
"It's okay Vincent Valentine." Shelke said holding the EM saber dangerously close to Seruma's neck.
"Tifa…" weak voice was heard near Seruma.
"Cloud!" Tifa called out rushing towards his aid. In her sights she caught hint of Cloud and the other.
Rude tried to pull back Tifa but she was already gone. Reno pushed Yuffie slightly to the side and pulled harshly on Tifa's wrist.
"Let go Reno, can't you see his…!"
"He's trying to tell you something." The one holding Cloud spoke. "Now would you care to listen, or not?"
Tifa kept her mouth shut, and harshly pulled her wrist away from Reno. Rude had caught up, and provided some comfort to the fighting beauty. Reno stood next to his partner, and had his ears on the speaker. Yuffie was standing next to Vincent, still feeling a bit defeated seeing as how Shelke had gotten to the opponents first. Vincent and Shelke just listened to what Cloud had to say.
"No more…" Cloud's vision was becoming blurry for a moment. "Knock it off all of you…" his finally closed his eyes, and placed a peaceful mask on his face.
Karumen looked at cloud slightly and smiled. 'He's like a little kid,' she thought, looking back at her twin. Seruma reappeared in back of her, and took hold of Cloud while Karumen moved forward.
Shelke blinked slightly still in awe and in slight fear of how the woman moved.
"Now then," Karumen sighed slightly and looked at the group of people. "You really should take him some place to rest; he doesn't look to good…"
Reno ran over to Seruma's side, and offered his hand to help with Cloud. She accepted, but her role was quickly taken over by Rude, as an attempt to help. Tifa watched Cloud helplessly and looked back at the one wearing pink and green. She was dangerously close to her.
Tifa jumped back, still looking into the woman's eyes, they seemed almost soulless for a moment. The other one just sat down near a stool that was close to the window. Yuffie and Shelke eyed the one in pink for a moment.
"What do you want?" Tifa asked trying to suppress the anger building up slightly.
"Just some help." The lady replied slightly, "my name's Karumen Ilela. The one sitting by herself is my sister, my twin, named Seruma."
"What makes you think we're going to help you?"
"Because…" she brought her lips close to Tifa's ear. "Cloud protected me, wouldn't you agree?"
Tifa pushed the figure back and her eyes flared up with anger, "What happened to him, answer me!"
Seruma rose up from her seat, but Karumen told her to sit back down. She scoffed and did as she was told, but her eyes still lingered on Tifa. Karumen tilted back and forth for a moment before thinking of an answer.
"He's sick, and like any sick person he needs rest, besides I don't think he wants the rest of you to get infected."
"Infected?" Yuffie whispered, watching Seruma walk past her and sitting down in the spot Vincent had been sitting in.
"Do you want to know with what?" Seruma said taunting Yuffie with a smirk.
"Seruma," Karumen said sternly glancing at her sibling.
Seruma growled slightly and threw her arms in the air as defeat. She muttered something under her breath and turned to face the window.
"The kids got his geostigma back." Seruma said loudly, with no expression what so ever.
Tifa eyes widened with an expression of fear. 'I thought… No wait, why am I worried, we can get the water from the church,' that thought alone was enough to calm her down.
"We know all about the water from that church." Seruma pointed out, looking back at everyone. "But anyway… Let's cut to the chase now. We want Vincent and Cloud."
Yuffie stepped in front of Vincent and looked at Seruma; she was going to protect Vincent. Yuffie knew though that Vincent could protect himself, but she wanted to prove something to him, and possibly show Shelke what it meant to protect someone.
"Not on your life!" Tifa raised her voice.
"Relax," Karumen said in a soothing tone, "we might not need their help for about months from now. Anyway, we're abusing our stay," if you could even call it a stay, "tell Cloud for me and my sister that I hope he feels better."
The sibling pushed her self off the table now, and started to walk past Yuffie and Vincent. Vincent's red orbs darted back to Shelke who was closest to Yuffie. Seruma lifted a hand and gently patted Shelke's head, messing up the pattern of orange brown hair. The ex Turk glared at the woman, but she shook her head slightly.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you little one." She said softly to Shelke. "Wouldn't want people to get worried now, right?" she directed her gaze to Vincent.
Shelke caught sight of Vincent and Yuffie, Yuffie's eyes held some fear, but that was to be expected from her. Yet Vincent's eyes for some strange reason held fear, it didn't seem all the normal, and quite frankly Shelke didn't want to see him like that.
"Refrain from touching her." Vincent said coldly, like ice piercing flesh all together.
"Heh," Seruma patted her head again, "I'm not doing anything, Vincent Valentine. At the most, you should take care of your ninja friend more, and stop worrying about the little one. She was the one who tried to fight us, she looks a little bit shaken up, no?"
"I am not!" Yuffie busted out, swinging her huge shuriken slightly. "Don't make me give you pain-a-la-Yuffie!"
Both Shelke and Vincent looked away from Yuffie, feeling a bit embarrassed by her now. Seruma just smiled at Yuffie, and before warning let out a small laugh. Tifa looked back at Seruma, and so did the others, her laughter wouldn't stop now.
"I'm…" she laughed, "Really sorry…" she said coughing for a moment. "I can see why he likes it here so much."
"Who likes it here so much?" Yuffie questioned pointing her shuriken at her.
"Cloud." She said rubbing her eye for a moment. "But whatever," she shrugged, and started for the entrance, "Good day to you." With that Karumen followed after her.
Tifa stood there for a moment trying to process everything into her brain, but it wouldn't go through, it felt like a dream. It just didn't stick, until Seruma's word flooded back, 'the kids got geostigma.' She moved up slowly to the room, and saw that Reno and Rude were exiting the hallway.
Tifa opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
"He's resting." Rude said in a calm tone. Tifa relaxed when he said that.
"Thank you." Tifa said whispering directly to him.
Reno made no effort to look at them, so he decided to walk back down the stairs, and head out the door. Shelke watched him walk by for a moment before looking back at Vincent again, she sighed and decided to sit back down again.
Yuffie walked up behind Reno, and puffed her cheeks up a bit. "Hey!" she called out to him, grabbing onto his right shoulder.
"What do ya want, kid?" Reno said taking her hand off of his shoulder.
"Why were you with them?" she asked.
Everyone's attention focused the red head. Reno tried to formulate something, but the only thing he could think out was that possibly it was fate, or something.
"I ran into them by accident on my way here… We were talking and then before you know it Cloud's passed out on the street."
"Is that all?"
"Yes." He said feeling a bit annoyed, "Now if you don't mind I'm going to try and find a place that won't sober me up." And with that he walked out of the Seventh Heaven.
"I'm not buying that." Yuffie said looking back at Vincent, and then glanced at Shelke.