p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Forget what was Tomorrow, Believe in Yesterday. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"A/N: I'm still alive! But work has been keeping me busy. I will update the story once or twice a month I promise! Also, I had a change of mind, so this is the last "No, no it's not like that, the character wakes up" chapter. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Also, on Wattpad I will be writing Sin's story as a separate, not fanfic online novel. My Wattpad nickname is Helsaric, please enjoy the story. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"And to you who were asking: /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Yes, there will be 'fluffy' romance between Kadaj and Sin. But it won't be the main theme, so I will concentrate more on action and character development throughout the story rather than plotless fluffy fillers. I'm not experienced in such stories, at least I think so. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Yes, Sin's homeworld in the novel was indeed destroyed, yet the cause was not known. She does think it could be Jenova though. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Chapter VI: Times of Change/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I am such a fool… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Room… it's all in blood. Loz. Kathy. Yazoo. Kadaj. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"As I caress the black feather in my hand, it turns into a card. Unnumbered card of a fool. The fool is me. Streets had turned into crimson rivers of blood: fire was reflected in the surfaces. I was a fool to let that happen, my heart is beating fast, I can sense it all, the pain, the fear. As I feel the anxiety swell up inside of me, I rub my thumb over the card, now depicting that fucking traitor Eckart as the fool, as it reveals its true nature. The one card we shared, share and will share until the end, the Tower. Why the hell… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The vision changes, once more./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Could it be… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"My first life? Again?/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Some years before unknown force – be it this Jenova thing or anything else –span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spancame and destroyed my homeworld… On the first day of the month of Towers, I was born. A team of scientists were talking in the room about some 'exploitation', 'nexus', 'synergy'… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"And a calming voice… like a choir, singing. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"All the voices, as if entire planet united in one chant. Hive mind. Perfect Unity. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The month of Towers, it has always been peculiar, very little children were born then. The Zodiac Sign of Great Emissary did watch over us, children of the Towers. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"A person appeared before me, her ashen blonde hair tied in a low, slightly messy bun. Her once sky-blue eyes now glistened with Eden's glow. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Jashe… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"My sister… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I wanted to embrace her, to tell her how much I missed her. She was not reborn with me, Eckart took her place. That guy I must have fallen for so hard that I forgot about everything else. My family, my life. Jashe was born during the month of Towers, too… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Then, she spoke:/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Oh… my dear sister…' a black mass emerges from behind the wall of green light, enveloping Jashe, devouring her… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"No…/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Farewell… dear sister…'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I'm immobilized. I can't breathe. My body is stiff, rigid, as if most tender frost covered it as a frail illusion, just to harden into a crystal coffin as it was done. I… can't… no more… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Jashe!" I wake up with a gasp, and quickly collapse back on the bed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Who is 'Jashe'?" a gentle voice asks. I turn to see Yazoo tending me. There is a bowl of water, he has a towel in his hand. I see him twist this towel in his hands and then put it on my forehead… I frown. Why would he do such a thing?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Your fever seems to drop, but if I were you, I would not leave the bed"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I see… it has to be fever but this one is not Eden-related. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Where's…" I do not get to finish the sentence, I see Loz carrying Kathy piggyback outside, as she is laughing. They are running through dirty but not filled with blood streets of Midgar. I must've had a nightmare. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Nightmares, fever, I need Eden as soon as possible. No. I need to spare it. This sickness is not Eden-related it just can't be. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""What… happened…?" I say, suddenly feeling weak. You won't give into this, Sin. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You're sick. You collapsed. Kathy slept on the couch, she wanted you to be comfortable."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I have all but forgotten how does one feel when illness strikes. You become weak, vulnerable, you need to depend on others. Last time that happened, Eckart was taking care of me. But now, I do not want to show my weakness to anybody, weakness means that you are a prey and there is no prey if there are no predators. Then again if you are the prey, that means the predator will hunt you down. You will die. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I want to die. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"But not now. Please, not now… there are several more things I need. It has been a long time. I see the clock on the wall and how the seconds are passing. They are short enough, so let's say if those seconds really last one second each, so even with 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day and 365 ¼ days in a year, it should have been at least 300 years since I was last 'sick' in any way other than eden-related. Eden is meant to stop biological aging and protect the infected unit from any other illnesses. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Sin? What are you thinking about?" he asks, gently stroking my hair "You do look sad. Who is this 'Jashe' person you spoke about?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I close my eyes and feel something unpleasantly wet on my face. It is not rain, we are indoors. So why? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Sin!? You… don't need to tell me… if you don't want to. I did not want to make you cry."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Cry!? What? no! I am not… I'm not crying! It can't be… I keep lying to myself as Yazoo wipes the tears off my face. I don't want him to see me like that. In all my past lives, Eckart was the only person who… understood. He was like me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Jashe, she…" here I start coughing and I cough and cough… when my fit ends, I take a deep breath./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""She was my sister." I whisper, feeling like crying. "My dear sister…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Yazoo just nods and puts the wet cold towel on my forehead. I am the Monster's best warrior, could it really be that I am defeated by any cold or flu?! Oh, no!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Yazoo just sits there and takes care of me until I fall asleep. Again. This is a wheel that is spinning, round and round and once again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Two voices. Male and female. I know both of them. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Professor… Please, save her.' /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Listen ma'am, this child is dying, we have not developed the medicine yet. We cannot risk it all just because she was born in the Month of Towers, this is ridiculous…'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'She is special'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'No. She is just a child…'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'You said the same thing about Jashe.' /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Silence./span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Please! I swear on Caraidan covenant! I will do anything!'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Another voice joins/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Auntie? Is she okay'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'No, Eckart… please leave. Auntie is talking to doctor now.'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Why fool him?' doctor/professor shouts 'Shall he never know his best friend is dying'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Then a quarrel began. Eckart, the Monster from the times of her Sanity and this Professor./span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I then saw her yet again. The one who did not let me die the first time. Motherly smile on her façade, her arms open. She was clad in fine robes, resembling those of Divines painted on sacred canvases. Why? Why was she like that now? Why were her arms open? Why was she calling my real name as if I was…/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"…her daughter. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I open my eyes once again to see Kadaj tending me now. He is frowning upon me, with a sad expression. He is still wearing the bandage although his wound should have closed some time ago. He is holding something, a spoon with syrup. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Drink this." He says, holding the spoon near my lips. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I need a good excuse. Other medicine somehow interfering Eden's work? Yes, sounds good. I refuse to drink like a stubborn child. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Sin" he sighs "Please, it will help you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Why do you care? Give me em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"my/em medicine if you want to help" I say, barely opening my lips./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I can see his irritation. Oh, well. Never have I ever allowed anyone apart from Eckart to tend me and care for me. And I would like it to stay this way./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""In that case… you leave me no choice" he puts the spoon to his lips and drinks the syrup but does not gulp it down. Moron. I won't get better if he drinks this syrup, even if we both have taken Eden…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Something interrupts my thoughts. Something silky and warm, and it does not take me long to realize: a kiss. This is a shock for me. No, Sin, don't let em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"anyone/em in. This… no, just no. I can't. I cannot simply allow someone to take Eckart's place, even if there was no real love, I don't want to involve anyone else. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Kadaj's kiss was an opportunity for him to give medicine to me. It tastes sweet, a little bit too sweet for me. I gulp it down and push him away. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Ah! What was that for? I wanted to help you, since you appeared too weak to even drink it on your own" he teases, with a mocking smirk on his pretty face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You think you can take advantage of me just because I am sick? Then you are wro-"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""But you wouldn't mind it if Older Brother did that, would you?! Never mind… you are delirious… you won't even remember this… rest, Sin."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"What?! How did he know about what Cloud did?! Was he spying on me...? Thoughts rush through my head and I notice my heartbeat get faster. Why? I can't possibly know… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""K-Kadaj! W-wait!" I say but he is gone. I shiver, not knowing why. Maybe I am cold, maybe it is something different. I can just lie down with a wet towel on my head. I don't know what has gotten into him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The Monster… now appearing before me like a divine mother… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Jashe's voice. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'My dear sister… I know that you are strong enough. You /span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"can em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"snap out of it. Please, be strong sister. As long as I have you, I am not afraid anymore…'she then called my /emreal em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"name 'please… dear sister…'/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"In the middle of the night, I wake up, shivering because of the cold. Kadaj is holding several blankets in his hands. Did he… bring them for me? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I'm taking them. Your fever was going up again. Didn't Yazoo tell you that you only should use one blanket if you want to keep the fever low?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""But I'm cold!" I cry and wrap one last blanket around my body, as if I was afraid that he will take this one, too. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""No, you're not. You just em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"think/em that you are cold and these are two different things"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Yeah, right. Go on, tell me what I know and tell me what I feel. Maybe you will also decide when I can take Eden, huh? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Moron." I mumble, turning my back on him and tossing the wet towel off. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Oh, who is the moron here?" I can hear his soft, teasing voice "I did not try and overdo everything just to get sick in the end. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"And I don't/em kiss strangers."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Liar. I am a stranger to you. You don't know me. We just… we just happen to live under the same roof… 's nothin'…" I still refuse to look at him, even though minutes pass mercilessly. What the hell is he thinking? Even though I can feel his soft hands, long fingers stroking my messy hair, taking loose bangs away from my sweaty forehead. No, I will not fall for him. I… I just can't. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Sin." He whispers "Why did you do this?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Hmm?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Why did you save us, Mother, why did you decide to take care of us, complete strangers? Even though you seem to be Older Brother's friend, you help us, too… who are you? What are you?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I pretend to be asleep. I wish I knew those answers as well. Kadaj still strokes me, gently… it is nice. Feels good. The stroking suddenly stops and I open my eyes. Kadaj stands up and walks towards the kitchen. In the moonlight falling through the window I notice how skinny he is! Or maybe he appears so wearing that loose T-shirt and trousers held with a belt so tightly, that another hole had to be made in it so that it could be of use. In Kathy's brother's clothes, he looks like a man who shrunk slightly during the night and is slowly becoming too small for his own clothes. Kadaj… gentle caretaker, mysterious ally… or maybe not?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Soon, he comes back, with a cup of hot tea./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""It surely is cold here… I had to close the window" he hands the cup to me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The tea is unsweetened. I suddenly remember Cloud's words… Mako… mako, mako… could this be the name for my medicine? I take tiny sips, holding the cup in two hands./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Adorable." Kadaj says. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Huh?!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You look adorable, Sin. Don't mind me, you won't remember it once you get back to health… and to Older Brother" is it just me or did his voice just start breaking? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I finish my cup of tea, in silence. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Why the sudden chance of mind? You were harsh on me last time, thought I wanted to allure you into fake alliance."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I don't trust you. That's all. But we all need some kind of… affection. Since you are sick, it does not matter to you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I feel hurt by his words. Why, oh, why does he not believe me?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Am I… insane?" he asks, almost crying "I don't know how to carry out the Reunion, if I knew, it would not fail like that… Older Brother, why could he not understand? Mother… why did she leave us?" I notice tears on his cheeks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Kadaj, you are not the only orphan here. Kathy… and I, we are, too. I don't even remember my mother and because I could not cope with it, I lost my sister. And I blame no one but myself. I wish we could be reunited one day… but I trust you. Be it because of fever or anything else…" another coughing fit gets me. Kadaj brings out the syrup. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Can you drink it alone?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I don't answer./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Even though syrup is the lamest excuse for a kiss, it is good enough for me. Kadaj reminds me of Eckart, he fills in the space Eckart left after he took the damage from explosion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"We kiss. And forget about the whole world. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"His lips are silky and gentle, his skin appears cold. I can feel the heat of my own fever, lack of drug and my irregular heartbeat. Kadaj embraces me, I hold on to him for dear life. I'm delirious, maybe we both are./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"A quiet gasp interrupts us, and as Kathy stands in the room with her jaw dropped, I forget about all the 'motherly' feelings I had for her and remember why I hated children so much./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"A/N: I'm still alive! But work has been keeping me busy. I will update the story once or twice a month I promise! Also, I had a change of mind, so this is the last "No, no it's not like that, the character wakes up" chapter. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Also, on Wattpad I will be writing Sin's story as a separate, not fanfic online novel. My Wattpad nickname is Helsaric, please enjoy the story. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"And to you who were asking: /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Yes, there will be 'fluffy' romance between Kadaj and Sin. But it won't be the main theme, so I will concentrate more on action and character development throughout the story rather than plotless fluffy fillers. I'm not experienced in such stories, at least I think so. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Yes, Sin's homeworld in the novel was indeed destroyed, yet the cause was not known. She does think it could be Jenova though. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Chapter VI: Times of Change/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I am such a fool… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Room… it's all in blood. Loz. Kathy. Yazoo. Kadaj. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"As I caress the black feather in my hand, it turns into a card. Unnumbered card of a fool. The fool is me. Streets had turned into crimson rivers of blood: fire was reflected in the surfaces. I was a fool to let that happen, my heart is beating fast, I can sense it all, the pain, the fear. As I feel the anxiety swell up inside of me, I rub my thumb over the card, now depicting that fucking traitor Eckart as the fool, as it reveals its true nature. The one card we shared, share and will share until the end, the Tower. Why the hell… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The vision changes, once more./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Could it be… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"My first life? Again?/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Some years before unknown force – be it this Jenova thing or anything else –span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spancame and destroyed my homeworld… On the first day of the month of Towers, I was born. A team of scientists were talking in the room about some 'exploitation', 'nexus', 'synergy'… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"And a calming voice… like a choir, singing. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"All the voices, as if entire planet united in one chant. Hive mind. Perfect Unity. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The month of Towers, it has always been peculiar, very little children were born then. The Zodiac Sign of Great Emissary did watch over us, children of the Towers. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"A person appeared before me, her ashen blonde hair tied in a low, slightly messy bun. Her once sky-blue eyes now glistened with Eden's glow. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Jashe… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"My sister… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I wanted to embrace her, to tell her how much I missed her. She was not reborn with me, Eckart took her place. That guy I must have fallen for so hard that I forgot about everything else. My family, my life. Jashe was born during the month of Towers, too… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Then, she spoke:/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Oh… my dear sister…' a black mass emerges from behind the wall of green light, enveloping Jashe, devouring her… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"No…/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Farewell… dear sister…'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I'm immobilized. I can't breathe. My body is stiff, rigid, as if most tender frost covered it as a frail illusion, just to harden into a crystal coffin as it was done. I… can't… no more… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Jashe!" I wake up with a gasp, and quickly collapse back on the bed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Who is 'Jashe'?" a gentle voice asks. I turn to see Yazoo tending me. There is a bowl of water, he has a towel in his hand. I see him twist this towel in his hands and then put it on my forehead… I frown. Why would he do such a thing?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Your fever seems to drop, but if I were you, I would not leave the bed"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I see… it has to be fever but this one is not Eden-related. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Where's…" I do not get to finish the sentence, I see Loz carrying Kathy piggyback outside, as she is laughing. They are running through dirty but not filled with blood streets of Midgar. I must've had a nightmare. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Nightmares, fever, I need Eden as soon as possible. No. I need to spare it. This sickness is not Eden-related it just can't be. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""What… happened…?" I say, suddenly feeling weak. You won't give into this, Sin. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You're sick. You collapsed. Kathy slept on the couch, she wanted you to be comfortable."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I have all but forgotten how does one feel when illness strikes. You become weak, vulnerable, you need to depend on others. Last time that happened, Eckart was taking care of me. But now, I do not want to show my weakness to anybody, weakness means that you are a prey and there is no prey if there are no predators. Then again if you are the prey, that means the predator will hunt you down. You will die. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I want to die. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"But not now. Please, not now… there are several more things I need. It has been a long time. I see the clock on the wall and how the seconds are passing. They are short enough, so let's say if those seconds really last one second each, so even with 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day and 365 ¼ days in a year, it should have been at least 300 years since I was last 'sick' in any way other than eden-related. Eden is meant to stop biological aging and protect the infected unit from any other illnesses. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Sin? What are you thinking about?" he asks, gently stroking my hair "You do look sad. Who is this 'Jashe' person you spoke about?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I close my eyes and feel something unpleasantly wet on my face. It is not rain, we are indoors. So why? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Sin!? You… don't need to tell me… if you don't want to. I did not want to make you cry."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Cry!? What? no! I am not… I'm not crying! It can't be… I keep lying to myself as Yazoo wipes the tears off my face. I don't want him to see me like that. In all my past lives, Eckart was the only person who… understood. He was like me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Jashe, she…" here I start coughing and I cough and cough… when my fit ends, I take a deep breath./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""She was my sister." I whisper, feeling like crying. "My dear sister…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Yazoo just nods and puts the wet cold towel on my forehead. I am the Monster's best warrior, could it really be that I am defeated by any cold or flu?! Oh, no!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Yazoo just sits there and takes care of me until I fall asleep. Again. This is a wheel that is spinning, round and round and once again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Two voices. Male and female. I know both of them. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Professor… Please, save her.' /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Listen ma'am, this child is dying, we have not developed the medicine yet. We cannot risk it all just because she was born in the Month of Towers, this is ridiculous…'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'She is special'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'No. She is just a child…'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'You said the same thing about Jashe.' /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Silence./span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Please! I swear on Caraidan covenant! I will do anything!'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Another voice joins/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Auntie? Is she okay'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'No, Eckart… please leave. Auntie is talking to doctor now.'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'Why fool him?' doctor/professor shouts 'Shall he never know his best friend is dying'/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Then a quarrel began. Eckart, the Monster from the times of her Sanity and this Professor./span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I then saw her yet again. The one who did not let me die the first time. Motherly smile on her façade, her arms open. She was clad in fine robes, resembling those of Divines painted on sacred canvases. Why? Why was she like that now? Why were her arms open? Why was she calling my real name as if I was…/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"…her daughter. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I open my eyes once again to see Kadaj tending me now. He is frowning upon me, with a sad expression. He is still wearing the bandage although his wound should have closed some time ago. He is holding something, a spoon with syrup. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Drink this." He says, holding the spoon near my lips. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I need a good excuse. Other medicine somehow interfering Eden's work? Yes, sounds good. I refuse to drink like a stubborn child. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Sin" he sighs "Please, it will help you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Why do you care? Give me em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"my/em medicine if you want to help" I say, barely opening my lips./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I can see his irritation. Oh, well. Never have I ever allowed anyone apart from Eckart to tend me and care for me. And I would like it to stay this way./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""In that case… you leave me no choice" he puts the spoon to his lips and drinks the syrup but does not gulp it down. Moron. I won't get better if he drinks this syrup, even if we both have taken Eden…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Something interrupts my thoughts. Something silky and warm, and it does not take me long to realize: a kiss. This is a shock for me. No, Sin, don't let em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"anyone/em in. This… no, just no. I can't. I cannot simply allow someone to take Eckart's place, even if there was no real love, I don't want to involve anyone else. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Kadaj's kiss was an opportunity for him to give medicine to me. It tastes sweet, a little bit too sweet for me. I gulp it down and push him away. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Ah! What was that for? I wanted to help you, since you appeared too weak to even drink it on your own" he teases, with a mocking smirk on his pretty face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You think you can take advantage of me just because I am sick? Then you are wro-"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""But you wouldn't mind it if Older Brother did that, would you?! Never mind… you are delirious… you won't even remember this… rest, Sin."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"What?! How did he know about what Cloud did?! Was he spying on me...? Thoughts rush through my head and I notice my heartbeat get faster. Why? I can't possibly know… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""K-Kadaj! W-wait!" I say but he is gone. I shiver, not knowing why. Maybe I am cold, maybe it is something different. I can just lie down with a wet towel on my head. I don't know what has gotten into him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The Monster… now appearing before me like a divine mother… /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Jashe's voice. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"'My dear sister… I know that you are strong enough. You /span/emspan lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"can em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"snap out of it. Please, be strong sister. As long as I have you, I am not afraid anymore…'she then called my /emreal em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"name 'please… dear sister…'/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"In the middle of the night, I wake up, shivering because of the cold. Kadaj is holding several blankets in his hands. Did he… bring them for me? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I'm taking them. Your fever was going up again. Didn't Yazoo tell you that you only should use one blanket if you want to keep the fever low?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""But I'm cold!" I cry and wrap one last blanket around my body, as if I was afraid that he will take this one, too. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""No, you're not. You just em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"think/em that you are cold and these are two different things"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Yeah, right. Go on, tell me what I know and tell me what I feel. Maybe you will also decide when I can take Eden, huh? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Moron." I mumble, turning my back on him and tossing the wet towel off. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Oh, who is the moron here?" I can hear his soft, teasing voice "I did not try and overdo everything just to get sick in the end. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"And I don't/em kiss strangers."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Liar. I am a stranger to you. You don't know me. We just… we just happen to live under the same roof… 's nothin'…" I still refuse to look at him, even though minutes pass mercilessly. What the hell is he thinking? Even though I can feel his soft hands, long fingers stroking my messy hair, taking loose bangs away from my sweaty forehead. No, I will not fall for him. I… I just can't. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Sin." He whispers "Why did you do this?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Hmm?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Why did you save us, Mother, why did you decide to take care of us, complete strangers? Even though you seem to be Older Brother's friend, you help us, too… who are you? What are you?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I pretend to be asleep. I wish I knew those answers as well. Kadaj still strokes me, gently… it is nice. Feels good. The stroking suddenly stops and I open my eyes. Kadaj stands up and walks towards the kitchen. In the moonlight falling through the window I notice how skinny he is! Or maybe he appears so wearing that loose T-shirt and trousers held with a belt so tightly, that another hole had to be made in it so that it could be of use. In Kathy's brother's clothes, he looks like a man who shrunk slightly during the night and is slowly becoming too small for his own clothes. Kadaj… gentle caretaker, mysterious ally… or maybe not?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Soon, he comes back, with a cup of hot tea./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""It surely is cold here… I had to close the window" he hands the cup to me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The tea is unsweetened. I suddenly remember Cloud's words… Mako… mako, mako… could this be the name for my medicine? I take tiny sips, holding the cup in two hands./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Adorable." Kadaj says. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Huh?!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You look adorable, Sin. Don't mind me, you won't remember it once you get back to health… and to Older Brother" is it just me or did his voice just start breaking? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I finish my cup of tea, in silence. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Why the sudden chance of mind? You were harsh on me last time, thought I wanted to allure you into fake alliance."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I don't trust you. That's all. But we all need some kind of… affection. Since you are sick, it does not matter to you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I feel hurt by his words. Why, oh, why does he not believe me?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Am I… insane?" he asks, almost crying "I don't know how to carry out the Reunion, if I knew, it would not fail like that… Older Brother, why could he not understand? Mother… why did she leave us?" I notice tears on his cheeks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Kadaj, you are not the only orphan here. Kathy… and I, we are, too. I don't even remember my mother and because I could not cope with it, I lost my sister. And I blame no one but myself. I wish we could be reunited one day… but I trust you. Be it because of fever or anything else…" another coughing fit gets me. Kadaj brings out the syrup. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Can you drink it alone?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I don't answer./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Even though syrup is the lamest excuse for a kiss, it is good enough for me. Kadaj reminds me of Eckart, he fills in the space Eckart left after he took the damage from explosion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"We kiss. And forget about the whole world. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"His lips are silky and gentle, his skin appears cold. I can feel the heat of my own fever, lack of drug and my irregular heartbeat. Kadaj embraces me, I hold on to him for dear life. I'm delirious, maybe we both are./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"A quiet gasp interrupts us, and as Kathy stands in the room with her jaw dropped, I forget about all the 'motherly' feelings I had for her and remember why I hated children so much./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;" /p