I swear I meant to update sooner…anyways I've got chapters up to 23 done now so I'll try to get those up. (I know, promises promises!)
Final Fantasy and all things like unto it belong to Squeenix. Missy and Skye are mine. Nyah.
Chapter 17-
I milked my sick days for all they were worth. I knew that, eventually I'd be dragged out of bed and forced to eat with my "favorite" people. I was dreading that. It had been three days. Most of my wounds were healed, with the only exceptions of the echoes of larger blows that lingered. I used all my energy to force my body not to heal like some weird inhuman freak, but I could only do so much. I could always try and re-break a few of my previous fractures, but that might look suspicious.
The weather seemed to mock me during this time. From my windows peaked sparkles of sun, slipping through the cracks in the curtains I usually left closed. The sun beamed proudly, daring a cloud to attempt an assault on its flawless canvas. The birds flitted and chirped their song. It all made me wish I had my handgun.
I struggled with my limited options as I flexed my toes through the crimson silk. I would get spoiled from all these luxuries, I knew it. It made returning to "my" life seem that much harder. I was determined to do it, though.
As I rested, I came to the conclusion that I had, at best, three options. Since apparently I can't die (or at least stay dead), kamikaze or any other type of suicide was ruled out. Now, option 1: I could fight back with every fiber of my being. The reality of my success however was less than 0 percent seeing as I've never been successful before. Option 2: I could cooperate. I could possibly, in time, learn to be happy here. Grow immune to the fact that everyone will die, if not directly by my hand. I could be just like Sephiroth. Then there was option 3: I could escape. It was a long shot, I knew. Even the barriers have barriers around here. Even if I could navigate through the maze of the vents unnoticed, it was doubtful I could get past the other threats fencing me in. Knowing him, Sephiroth probably had other cute-but-deadly pets lurking about, waiting for a yummy dinner.
The swirling patterns from the ceiling formed in my mind as I went over my fate. I had been fighting six years over option two, knowing I'd lose my soul if I succumbed. Option one and three were really all I had.
I mentally sighed. How nice it must be to not have a conscience. If I didn't my choice would be much easier. I struggled to accept my longing for this, but deep down I think I knew why I felt the way I did. I was tired. I was tired of fighting and losing, tired of always bolting my doors (though it did no help), tired of death. I wanted nothing more than to lay my weapons down and start living like a normal human. Human…was I still that? Was I ever?
I wondered what normal humans lived like. Well, whatever happened in Tokyo certainly wasn't normal. Normal people don't hatch wings in their back and speak in the third person after falling off a 50 story building. Or maybe they did and I was just missing all the action. I wonder what provoked that odd occurrence. A kind of defense system? Was I just insane? Don't answer that.
You're not insane.
Of course not. If the voices say so…
A tinkling bell sounded in my ear. Laughter.
"What's so funny?" I demanded, rather annoyed that there was yet another person in my head that was mocking me.
It's very amusing… she said.
"What is?"
Your thoughts. So very…amusing. But not as amusing as to watch everything from in here.
I could almost feel her swimming through my memories.
You're all so… she paused for the right wordhuman. I'm starting to actually care about things. It's awful. I've been docile much too long. Her voice grew fierce, like a roar pounding in my ears.
"Who are you?" My head shook and twisted of its own accord.
Her light tone came back, and I imagined her smiling. Why, I'm you of course.
"Me?"
Yes.
"But that makes no sense, how can you be me?I'm me!"
And like the Cheshire cat, her presence slowly dissipated into nothingness.
"I've completely lost it!"
"Normally I would disagree, but you may be onto something." Sephiroth was standing in the doorway, wearing a look of amusement with just a hint of the need to put me in a straight jacket.
"How long have you been standing there," I muttered.
"Quite long enough. Hearing voices? Tsk tsk, I thought that pleasure was mine all mine."
I was considering taking the bedpost and ramming it through him-after all, an eye for an eye-but if I really thought it through, he'd probably come back to haunt me.
"Are you listening to me?" His tone was aggravated now.
"No, I'm ignoring you. Go away."
I sat on the edge of my bed, facing away from that face. However, ignoring Seph never did work, and as I assumed, he cleared his throat and continued on.
"It would seem you're feeling better. Wonderful. That means you can come down for dinner at 7:00."
"Actually, I feel a bit queasy…" I lied eagerly. He wasn't having any of that.
"You'll be fine." He tosses a rather formal looking dress at me, soaked in rich blackness.
"What the hell is this!" I demanded, holding it up by the edges as if it were contaminated.
"You don't like it?" He seemed truly shocked. His silver brows knitted together. "You always wear skirts."
"It's a dress! A formal dress!" I shrieked. "Do I look like a wear a dress to dinner?"
"It's not that bad…"
"The trio put you up to this, didn't they?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Actually, it was my idea. It should be a celebration, you getting back up on your feet and all." His lips held a faint echo of a smile; his old smile.
"I don't have anything to celebrate," I mumbled. "Besides, I didn't think you'd be so cruel as to make me dress up for dinner with you people."
That's how it felt. I had no right to celebrate when I didn't even know if my friends were alive. Mina was still asleep in the deepest of slumbers, probably around here somewhere. Innocent people were dead, a city destroyed, lies in ruin, and I was supposed to celebrate? I felt like I was in some sort of twilight zone, an alternate reality. It just wasn't fair. Nothing was.
"You're too pessimistic, love," he sighed in exasperation. "Just put the bloody dress on."
I pulled my lips together into a firm line. "Tell me they're okay."
"Pardon?" He was feigning ignorance.
"You know who I'm talking about!" I screamed, grasping strands of my hair between my fingers tightly. "Cloud, Skye! Tifa, Yuffie, Vincent, Red! Tell me they're okay!" I was shrieking by now, which was rather unlike me.
He paused, keeping his face composed and his features clear of guilt.
"A little sore," he finally answered. "But in one piece, if that helps."
I gave a heavy sigh of relief. Surely he meant they were alive. As cruel and sadistic as he was, he would tell me the truth. I had to stop and wonder if he ever truly lied to me on purpose, and my mind was blank.
My knees buckled, and I fell to the carpet. I was sobbing, happily. Cloud was okay. Had he heard my words? Or was his heart to weak that his ears were deaf, and he might never know how I felt. Perhaps that would be better. For him, at least.
When my eyes had no tears left to shed, I glanced up like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. To my surprise, Seph looked almost sympathetic. Almost. The pain of him knowing my reasoning, my love for someone other than him, trumped empathy.
His face quickly contorted back into its normal smooth planes.
"I said they were in one piece," he snapped "I never said they were alive." And with those words, he spun on his heels, slamming the door behind him as he left.
Even with his last statement, I knew everyone was alive. They had to be. I had to have faith. It was the only thing I could have faith in right now. It was the last sure thing in my life at the moment, and I was going to cling to that last ray as hard as I could.
I smoothed out the wrinkles in my dress I had just created, and laid it out on my bed. I looked it over more carefully, and cursed under my breath. I liked it. But still, I had a thing against getting dolled up in fancy clothes just to descend a staircase to meet for "family" dinner. Maybe I'm just strange that I never wanted all the expensive pleasantries I've received. Maybe it has to do with the years I spent at ShinRa (though most of those memories are blank). Or perhaps it's my issues with men and society. I shouldn't have to put on a dress because he says so. Just because I'm female doesn't mean I have to comply to his wishes. When had he become so sexist? And why did I feel so strangely about this? It's just a stupid dress. A stupid, pretty dress.
I sighed at myself. I was going to have to eat with them. I was going to put on this damned dress, and eat dinner with them. I hoped it would make Sephiroth happy enough that I could get some answers. There was nothing worse about being kidnapped, than not knowing what was going to happen to you.
Glancing at the clock, I saw it was only 6:00 pm. I still had an hour. An hour with nothing to do but obsess over every thought passing though my mind.
Okay, yeah this chapter is really short. I'm sorry, I tried to make it longer and did my best. Hopefully the next ones wont be so short…but anyways, I couldn't add on anymore without merging the next chapter to this one.
Review please! Love ya all for sticking with me through this.