Chapter 14: Savior Of The Night
Location: Tifa's Room – Seventh Heaven
Time: 3:30 am Friday
Cloud's POV:
Bolting upright at the sound of thunder I searched the room still a little shaky from the disturbance. Outside thunder and lightening clashed and rumbled while the rain beat against the glass windows.
Hastily wiping my forehead with the back of my arm I found that I was perspiring more than I thought. The night was rather cool for a change so it was a little odd I thought at first.
At first…until I heard the quiet breathing of someone beside me. Turning quietly I soon came to realise why I was in the state I was in. There laying peacefully beside me was Tifa; her body hidden partially under the light sheets and as I ran my eyes down I saw that they were intertwined between her slender legs.
Shaking my head I blinked and tried to make sense of it all.
What had happened last night?
Tifa moved a little and with a sigh, nestled deeper into the pillow and drew the sheets up a little further. Slowly I made to move out of the bed to try and find my clothes. I was not going to have her awake to find us both…'together' like this.
It was while I was scrambling around on the floor for my pants that I thought I heard something downstairs. Stopping where I was I frowned and listened for anything that might suggest we were not alone.
I waited a few minutes and when I didn't hear anything more I quickly continued my search for my pants, finding them on the floor near the end of the bed and quietly slid them on, trying to keep my belt from clanging about and waking Tifa.
Something was up. I didn't even remember last night and neither Tifa nor I had taken anything that would have made us act the way we did. I knew that much at least.
Making my way downstairs half-dressed I took each step with the objective to keep as quiet as humanly possible.
"Go." I heard a whisper and then the sound of light footsteps could be heard coming towards the stairs. I breathed in sharply and waited for the person to approach. I reached back for my sword only to realise that I hadn't brought it with me in the first place.
Damn.
"Well if it isn't SOLDIER Cloud." A familiar voice spoke up.
I couldn't see whoever it was and so began to back up slowly.
"I'll deal with this one Reno." A rather devious sounding voice suddenly piped in.
It was then that I heard footsteps start to make their way past me. Eyes widened I was quick to bar their path from the way to Tifa's room.
"You're not making things easy Cloud." Reno sighed in a mock tone of annoyance.
"That's the idea." I replied quietly but warningly.
If he wanted to pass it would be through me and there was no way I was going to let him any closer to Tifa than he already was.
I knew what they were here for and they were not getting it.
"If you cooperate no one will get hurt. You have my word." The second voice intervened once more.
Frowning I replied in disgust, "Your word means nothing to me. You steal the lives of innocents."
"That is partly true…however they should thank me. Living in this world was only making them even more miserable."
Another attempt from Reno to pass was yet again blocked as I moved to stand directly in front of him.
Now that my eyes had adjusted to the dark I could make out his form far better than before.
"You really are sad you know that?" I stated questioningly.
"Have a nice sleep did you SOLDIER?" he asked; now steering off the topic of conversation.
Leaving my guard at the sudden realisation that last night had been no other than Kadaj's doing, I unknowingly allowed Reno access to Tifa as I jumped down the last of the stairs in order to get closer to him.
"What the fuck did you do?" I asked a little more loudly.
A laugh was all that was heard and that really pissed me off.
Thrusting my arm outwards I grabbed a hold of his neck and attempted to choke the humour out of him.
"If you don't tell me what happened last night I will not hesitate to kill you." I threatened while gripping onto his neck a little more firmly as if to prove my point.
"You cannot kill me." He choked out, his hands still at his sides not even attempting to break free.
Raising an eyebrow I queried, "And why is that?" however careful not to let on that I was a little confused at his statement.
"Because…" he coughed out, "I'm the one you're…after. I…am the only one wi-…with answers."
My frown began to fall slightly when I realised that he was in fact right. Damn the bastard to hell. I clenched onto his neck even tighter and whispered, "You will tell me what the hell is going on."
"I see no profit in it for me…other than my life…and you can't take that yet."
Vincent would have killed me personally if he found out that I had killed our only witness to the whereabouts of Lockheart. The main objective of the mission had been to find out what had happened to him.
I didn't know what to do. If I held on a little longer he would be gone, hopefully forever…but I couldn't, even if it meant yet another life would be taken.
Slowly and reluctantly I released my grip only to hear the gasps of a man who I should have choked the life out of. I was so tempted to reach out and finish the job.
"Tell me…where is Lockheart." I growled.
"Hehehe…" his sickening laugh emitted through the air. "He's dead…DEAD DEAD DEAD!" he called out in the most insane and malicious voice I had ever heard.
I fumed and backed him up against a wall, gripping onto his neck once more.
"Tell me WHERE LOCKHEART is!" I yelled as I slammed him into the bar.
"Lockheart died years ago you stupid fool." Was his reply, only to gain him a few more beatings.
Location: SOLDIER Base
Time: 3:30am
Vincent's POV:
"Sir?"
"Mmm." I replied with one raised eyebrow, not removing my head from my hand.
"Um…never mind."
Looking up, the last I saw was the boot of the young ninja disappearing around the corner.
Best I make haste.
Location: Tifa's Room
Time: 3:40 am
Reno's POV:"Such a beauty aren't you?" I whispered; running my hand through her long ebony hair.
She stirred and then slowly opened her eyes to gaze up at me. I could see that the effects of Kadaj's little diversion had not completely worn off on her as yet. Cloud was quick to recover, but this one still had her mind set on having fun.
"You came." She smiled, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair away from my face.
With a nod I proceeded to lift her out of the bed in order to take her to away to the site Kadaj had insisted we meet up at.
"No lets stay." She murmured, pulling me back down with her.
I had to admit as much as I loathed this beauty, I couldn't help but grow aroused at the way in which she was acting towards me.
Closing my eyes I proceeded to lean in for a kiss when suddenly I found that I was having trouble breathing.
Opening my eyes I saw that Tifa now wore an expression of pure anger and yet her lips curled up into a smirk.
"What about Yuffie Reno?" she asked so innocently.
Coughing I replied, "What…about her?"
Growing even angrier she flipped herself on top of me still with the sheet around her…although I could still see her I noted with a smile. It was then that she reached down to the side of the bed and not a second later I found that instead of just her hand at the base of my neck, there was also a small blade.
"Now tell me, what is your game Reno?" she questioned, tracing the tip of the blade along my collarbone now.
Gulping painfully I answered, "I…nothing."
Rasing the blade to my neck again she held it firmly in place as if ready to slit my flesh.
"Kadaj…"
It was then that I saw the man whose name I had just spoken waiting at the door with a raised eyebrow. Tifa turned to follow my gaze, giving me time to knock the blade away and escape her hold.
"Sorry about this love." I whispered with a smile and hastily thrust a needle into her arm.
Almost instantly her eyes rolled back and her body fell limply onto the bed.
"Take her and lets get out of here." Kadaj instructed while twirling a certain object around his fingers.
The jewel glinted in the moonlight and I knew that he had found the materia. Our job here was done.
Carefully I lifted the unconscious girl into my arms and once again followed Kadaj into a large dark portal.
Location: Seventh Heaven
Time: 3:45 am Friday
Cloud's POV:
"Cloud?" a soft voice called my name.
Slowly I opened my eyes and tried to make out the person standing over me.
A girl…she had black hair and dark eyes.
"Yuffie?" I mumbled still having a little trouble coming too.
"What happened to you?" she asked, moving her hand to my stomach.
The pressure she applied to my wound made me queasy and I was about ready to hurl.
I began to sit up only to fall back down against the cold floor again in pain.
"Kadaj." I gasped.
A hand on my shoulder made me turn to look back up at her once more.
"He…they took the materia." I coughed out, now looking down at the bloody mess I had made on Tifa's floor.
Oh god not Tifa.
"Tifa!" I called now standing, dismissing the pain as best I could.
I stumbled to the stairs only to collapse onto them. I knew that the extent of my wounds were lethal. I was going to die. It didn't matter how much I didn't want it to be true…but I was losing too much blood.
Yuffie appeared at my side once again however she didn't seem…right?
Standing over me once more she stared at me with no expression whatsoever.
"Poor Cloud. He's gone and got himself in trouble again." She stated bluntly with a sigh.
Slowly she sat down on the stairs with her knees tucked under her chin and a solemn face resting upon them.
"Reno wasn't all that bad you know. He just wanted to make things right." She began.
Breathing heavily and feeling faint I stuttered, "What-tt do you mean?"
My eyes began to grow heavy and I felt my heart pounding against my chest.
"He was sad after his mother left you know." She explained softly.
Then turning to me she ran a hand through my hair and whispered, "See ya later Cloud."
Eyes widened I reached out to her and attempted to call her name. Nothing came out. I was losing consciousness. She wouldn't help me now anyway. Yuffie wasn't Yuffie.
A light suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs and slowly I lifted my head. There was someone standing there.
Someone tall. A man it seemed.
Squinting I choked out, "Who…are you?"
Slowly the person descended down the stairs coming to stand barefoot in front of me. Looking up once again I saw what seemed to be a mirror image of me staring back except his eyes were different. They reminded me of…Tifa's.
He slowly knelt in front of me and then stared at me for a moment with interest.
Then with a small smile he whispered, "Hey dad…"
Slowly he raised a white illuminated hand to my forehead, instantly making all the pain I had felt slowly evaporate to be replaced by a soothing feeling.
"Am I dead?" I whispered trying to reach for the hand.
However when I opened my eyes all I saw were two feet disappearing at the top of the stairs into the light.
My eyes fluttered shut yet again as I collapsed feeling the weakest I had in such a long time.
Location: Northern Cave Crater
Time: 4:00 am
Tifa's POV:
"Wake up love." A hand patted against my left cheek.
Shaking my head to force the hand away I opened my eyes only to see doubles of everything.
"Ah so the little princess finally decided to join us."
Staring around at the room I was now in, I concentrated on getting my vision to return to normal before I said anything.
I felt so sick and uneasy.
"So she's not going to talk." The same voice spoke again.
Turning my gaze to where I thought the voice was coming from I found myself staring at no other than Reno.
"Re-no?" I gasped feeling rather nauseous.
With a smirk he turned and seemed to say something to someone. I followed his gaze and saw that at the other end of the room stood an unamused silver haired man…Kadaj.
"Do what you must, just don't disturb me." He spoke carelessly as he gazed upon something I couldn't make out yet.
Closing my eyes I tried to compose myself only to hear Reno call out to me again.
"Yo honey this ain't no time for sleeping."
Opening my eyes once more I suddenly realised that I couldn't move my arms or my legs.
Rolling my head to the side I stared up at my left arm strapped to a large wooden wheel of some sort.
"Wha…" my head rolled back to the middle and rested against the wood as I tried to catch my breath.
"Where am I?" I breathed, my eyes opening and closing every now and then.
"Aww does Tifa feel lost without her Cloud?" he asked in a mocking tone of sympathy.
Hearing Cloud's name suddenly made me jolt and feel a little more awake.
"Where is he?" I breathed, my head now throbbing painfully.
Wincing I whimpered and murmured tiny words of consolation under my breath.
"Blondie's dead. Went and got himself killed." He replied bluntly while playing with his nails.
I felt my bottom lip quiver as I pictured Cloud lying face down somewhere…unmoving.
I forced the image out of my mind and turned to Reno once more except now I was fuming.
"What did you do to him?" I asked, glaring at him angrily while trying to twist my way out of the straps that bound me to the contraption I was resting against.
"No point trying to escape…I'll only tie you back up again." He advised with a raised eyebrow.
"What the hell do you want with me Reno?" I tried to cry out only to hear it come out in a small whimper showing just how weak I felt.
Suddenly his expression twitched and he turned around with his head in his hands. Frowning I tilted my head to see what he was doing and then about a minute later his left hand thrust back out towards me while he still kept his back to me.
I observed his hand and saw that he was holding something.
Squinting in order to see what it was I saw that it was a photo.
I was about to try and make out what the photo was until Reno suddenly spun around looking slightly confused in a strange way, making his way towards me.
Once again he thrust the picture towards me with a slightly insane smile.
"Tell me who this is?" he asked pointing to someone sitting in a chair.
Biting my lip I focused on the picture and realised that it was…me?
"Me?" I breathed in confusion.
"Who's the other one?" he asked breathing heavily and seeming to become frustrated as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Dad?" I stated wondering why he even had these photos.
"Okay now this one."
This time he showed me one of a woman and a girl. Turning away I answered, "Me and mum."
Was this why he brought me here? To torture me? What had I done?
"Good, now tell me who this is."
Slowly he raised a photo and held it a few centimetres away from my eyes making it hard to focus on.
Once my eyes had adjusted I frowned. Blinking I tried to make out the picture again only to see that it was still the same as before.
"That…why is she…"
"She was mine before she was yours." He stated firmly sounded lost and in pain.
I stared at the boy in the picture with my mother. My mother was with…Reno…but why?
"I don't get it." I stated shaking my head refusing to believe that he might somehow be…
"She was MY mother and you took her from me." He whispered now crumpling the photo before my eyes and letting it fall from the palm of his hand.
I watched it fall slowly to the floor and stared as it made slight crackling noises as it tried to unfold.
Then I felt my chin tilted upwards roughly and forced to stare into the eyes of a more than irate man. He stared at me as if pondering whether to do something or not and then without warning the back of his hand met with my left cheek.
My head swivelled to the right and caused the right side of my face to bang into the board behind me. My hair came over my face hiding me somewhat as I tried to compose myself, not allowing myself to give him the satisfaction of seeing my tears of pain.
Slowly I turned back to face him and saw that he was running his hands through his hair in frustration. He didn't seem to know what he was doing or why he was doing it.
In the distance I saw that Kadaj was now outside holding onto the materia and muttering under his breath.
Oh no…if he finished whatever it is he was doing…the planet was doomed as I thought back to what Vincent had told me only a few nights ago.
I decided that I had to try and snap Reno out of it and make him see reason.
"Reno please don't do this. Look, Kadaj is going to destroy the planet and you and everyone else will die along with it." I rushed out in one breath.
"You don't get it do you? She left me for you and…" he suddenly grabbed a blade from the table beside him and began to make his way towards me.
I inhaled deeply and knew that if I didn't try my best to stop him in the next few seconds I was as good as dead.
A/N: Okay I know I've been a lazy ass but…yeah, I've been a lazy ass.
Anyways I was going to write a bit more at the end on Cloud's POV but I knew that I'd only put off posting it.
So here you are. Please review even if it's to tell me what a jerk I am for not updating earlier
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot. The characters and everything associated with this story all belong to Square Enix.
Yunie Tidus