I think we need at least the mention now. Disclaimer: you get it.
Well I've toyed long enough it's time to get some serious stuff out there. The next chaps will be short sweet and to the point. But now we've got the attention of about half the society cloti I think. Someone likes it. I just don't know who. This means review!!!!! Without the notification from you the fans, I have no idea what I'm doing. So plez read and rev.
Anywho. The next chap will focus yet again on spiky. Remind you he did nearly die so we've gota give'em a comeback chap.
Well here it is.
COUNT TO TEN 1...2…3…… OH FUCK THIS!:
He awoke sore but oddly comfortable. His hands rested on something soft and smooth. 'Huh' it was skin. Not just skin, her skin. Her shoulder was cupped gently under his palm and her head rested on him as though he were the most comfortable pillow in the house. 'What happened. Am I…… no….. I can't be……. Not when I was just about to…….' He suddenly felt the room grow dark and he found himself looking down again at his body. 'Oh shit not again.'
"We need to talk….." Koty's voice startled him as his face came into view.
"Another out of body experience huh?"
"No….. I pulled you from your body to converse with you."
"Kay….. Now what do you want. I was almost feeling better what are you going to do to screw that up now?"
"That was unnecessary…." He looked hurt.
"Sorry it's just ever since you showed up things have gone to hell. So what is it?"
"The paradox. You've seen it yes?"
"Duh…… you were there"
"Other than that you've seen it elsewhere."
"In a dream but it's just a dream."
"It's after Tifa….."
"What!!!!?" he couldn't contain his irritation any longer.
"She created it. I'm sure she's told you of the girl from my world."
"I wouldn't know." He lied. He had heard her discuss it but she also mentioned that it felt like a nightmare.
"It was…. How shall I put this….. The girl was her….. In another world….. She was never meant to meet herself."
"What do you mean?"
"Say you look into a mirror. How do you know that you're just looking at the mirror? How do you know your reflection isn't looking back? Say that rift travel takes you into the mirror world. Now there is no glass. But they are not just look a likes. They are the people of your world. The names are different. Their experience and personalities differ. But their role is the same."
"How is that even remotely relevant?"
"Hear me out strife… if you should see yourself then you aren't yourself any longer. You are merely a part of a huge whole. Once the pieces collect the will of the cosmos….. The soul of infinity shall we put it……. Will not allow two of the same creation to be in the same area."
"So then what."
"The soul of infinity pulls the pieces together to determine which is more worthy….. This is what is known as a paradox."
"So that thing is this 'soul of infinity'"
"No…. the paradox that seeks Tifa is known as a grim paradox."
"Okay and that means?"
"Once a paradox is formed it will reroute the course of time and space to accommodate the distortion with which it is created." he continued "however, that is just the problem a basic paradox reroutes itself. History as it were cannot reroute the present. Only the past. This in turn meant that my present mixed with Tifa who is at this time the present of your world would create a paradox that is far stronger than any other. A fatal paradox. She is an irritant in the eyes of time."
"And a fatal paradox cannot reroute. So what does it mean? If it can't reroute what happens?"
"It has no choice but to eliminate the irritant. The irritant is expelled from time. Present future and even the past."
"You mean…?"
"She will cease to exist."
"How do we kill this thing…?
"………."
"No head games Koty….. How do we kill it……?"
"……………."
"You don't know do you?"
"Some things even evade my knowledge."
"Can we stop it?"
"My knowledge of a Grimm paradox is limited. But I know it will not stop until it is either destroyed or it……"
"It what……..?"
"It succeeds in its mission."
"I won't permit this. I won't have it……. I'll kill this thing myself."
"It's not so simple. I can only deduce that by destroying the dimensions which were responsible for its birth that it will be destroyed. And I cannot nor will I commit that sin. There are too many lives at stake."
"And now you have a conscience"
"……."
"You kill people with your bare hands you kidnap Tifa and from what I've heard from Vincent you're far from being friendly with the dead. And now you develop a conscience"
"Strife!!!!" Koty's voice took a dark tone. "What I do I do for the good of those around me. That means you….. Do not mistake me for a murderer. If I hadn't shown up things would have been better. But I cannot help that…… I was just as much forced into this as you. But if I should leave that would put your family and my only friend in danger. And as much as I would love to end this here and now I cannot put the lives of innocent people in danger. Even for the sake of a friend I will not become a monster."
"You are a monster. Just as much a monster if not more than I am. You kill these people and don't even show a sign of regret. If there is a monster out there I think you would be right at the top of the list."
"If that is how you feel I cannot change that….. But know first…… that I am your only hope in this situation. Your only method of defense against an unstoppable enemy….. Lithium is but a handful of pawns being played by a king. The paradox however is but one enemy with limitless potential. If I leave now Tifa will die…….. And anyone who stands between her and her fate will parish with her. Including you. I am no monster, and I will not become one………… and as far as regret goes….. You have no idea what I regret….. Consider the source before you judge me too harshly."
With that cloud found himself again lying beneath Tifa and his vision had brightened. 'I just don't like this…….' He thought of any way he could possibly muster in order to protect her. He was running short on options. 'what if he's right…… what if this thing can't be stopped……… no there's gotta be a way to kill it."
He soon fell asleep again and he could not even in slumber rid himself of the thoughts.
The dreams returned and he found them less and less like nightmares and more like premonitions.
"Cloud…….. Cloud….." Aerith's voice invaded his core again but she was nowhere to be found.
"Stop it….. No more head games." His response to her brought demonic laughter from the darkness around him. It was a deep guttural laughter as if a roll of thunder had decided to mock him.
"You are a clever one…." The voice called "we are impressed"
"Knock it off. I know what you are….. I won't let you kill her….."
"You trust the puppet man…..? Hahaha… he is the one who will destroy her…… he will kill her in due time…. Hahaha"
"What….. Don't toy with me." Cloud violently swung his arm to rid himself of the presence behind him "you're the paradox I'm no idiot. I know what you're trying to do."
"We are hurt. Mehahhaa. You do not trust us….. We want to make it safe……. But we need her….. She is the mother….."
"Mother…… what are you getting at……"
"Mother brought us here…….. She will bear the soul within her……… and we will be whole…. Father.."
"Don't play with my head you freak." Cloud was irritated and was shouting with obvious rage until he looked down and saw a patch of flowers beneath his feet. "Huh….?"
"Cloud listen he is playing with your mind…… don't let him win….. Listen to me." Aerith was behind him whispering into his ears.
"Stop messing with me…… I won't do it…. You won't have her.."
"It's me cloud…… you have to wake up….. If he wins something terrible will happen to both of you….. This man doesn't know the full extent of the paradox…… its not after Tifa's life……… it's after yours."
"What….." he looked back to see Aerith sitting on her knees the all too familiar blade of the masamune piercing her body. "Aerith……"
"Foolish girl….. What could you possibly understand." Sephiroth stood behind her a Grimm look of displeasure on his face. "Hello cloud….. And good bye…"
He was now awake. 'What…..' Tifa was still asleep against him and he felt his pulse return to normal. 'What the hell is going on…'
He brushed her hair away from her face and carefully watched her. The rise and fall of her chest as she breathed made him relax. And the look of contentment on her face made him forget all that he had dreamed. He watched her for a moment and then noticed small spot at the crook of her elbow.
It was barely noticeable and wouldn't be normally seen by the human eye. It wasn't discolored or even for that matter very big. But the realization of what it was turned his stomach inside out. 'What happened? Tifa please tell me you didn't….'
"You're awake….." a soft hand brushed his face and he almost didn't notice it.
"Yeah……"
"What's the matter?" Tifa looked at him questioningly before noticing his gaze and where it was directed. "Oh……"
"Tifa what happened….. That's an old scar….."
"It's nothing……"
"Bull…… what did you do……… and why are you hiding it…..?"
"It's nothing sweetie please."
He grabbed her arm and pulled it up into view.
"Those are needle holes……. What did you do."
"Uhhh….."
"Tell me."
"Alright. Aright. Stop yelling please…. You're not going to like it."
"Ill deal with it."
"Well while you were gone….. I….. I…."
"You what?"
"I went to see a doctor."
"And they gave you a shot….. I don't buy it."
"Please listen…… this is really hard……. It wasn't a regular doctor…… it was a psychiatrist……."
"What? Why?" he asked plainly confused as to why she would need one.
"Denzel was worried….. He said I started talking in my sleep….. Yuffie noticed to. And the nightmares lately were just….. Too much… so I decided to get some help."
"And….." he was impatient.
"One…. Two…. Three…."
"What are you doing?"
"Counting….. She said if I count to ten that it would reduce the stress….."
"What else did 'she' say?"
"Cloud….." she was in tears. "I can't help it but…."
"Just tell me what's going on……" he was yelling.
"The doctor told me it was manic depression and an acute bipolar disorder…. It's no big deal…"
"Why the needles then?" he added vindictively
"It was just something to reduce the dreams…… its nothing serious."
"Yes it is. What would require you to do that…."
"I just needed to fix myself its nothing."
"Tifa…… what was in the needles….." his voice was low as if he were expecting something.
"I….. Don't ……. No cloud….. I can't……."
"What was in them Teef…. I'm not mad just concerned." He gritted his teeth.
"Mako……" she muttered under her breath.
"Tifa…….. You could've been killed. What the hell"
"I tried to tell you."
"Tell me the doc gave you a small prescription……"
"It wasn't one……."
"What?!"
"I just took a small amount…….. To kill the voices……….. I didn't take that much…."
"Tifa……! When….. How much I wana know everything……."
"Last month…… only a small needle full"
"Tifa…. Don't do that……. You could've died from that." He pulled her close to him "haven't you learned from me that mako is not a pain killer."
"But it was only a small amount."
"Enough could have killed you…. I've been poisoned from that shit. And you're going to shoot it into yourself. Have you lost your mind"
"Yes!!!" she screamed.
"Uhh"
"That's what they say… I'm going crazy…… I hear them every night when you're gone the voices…. All those people……….. They cry………. They want me to save them……. They laugh at me and my pathetic self…….. Tell me that you're not coming back……….. I needed something to make them leave…….. When you're gone I go insane………"
"Tifa…."
"The mako is suppose to suppress the senses while heightening physical aptitude……. That's what Vincent said. I thought if I take a small dose I could handle being alone better." She bawled into his chest as if she had never cried before. " I'm sorry…… okay…… I'm sorry…….. I haven't done it in nearly two weeks."
"Two weeks? When was the last time you did it other than that."
"Three days……"
"Jesus Teef. You're going to kill yourself."
"When you're screwed up on it you don't seem too effected."
"That's because I get a large amount but I've also been exposed to it before. Raw mako is dangerous…… we need to send you to a physician to see if any permanent damage was caused."
"Cloud……please."
He began to count in his head.
"Cloud…….. I love you….. I just didn't want to worry you……"
'One …..'
"That's why I didn't tell you" she cradled herself into him "but I can't go to another doctor. I can't…. I don't want Denzel to think I'm….. Crazy."
'two……."
"I……. just don't want to be alone……. Please don't send me to another……"
'Three…….'
"I'm scared."
'OH FUCK THIS.'
He grabbed her face with his free hand and pulled her lips to his own. He never wanted her to feel alone or scared. Scared was a word that never fit her. 'That's it. I'm tired of being gone. I'm done with the business. I'll find a different job. I'm not leaving you alone. Not anymore.'
"Tifa." His voice was soft.
"No don't….." she flinched as if afraid he would strike her.
"It's okay. You won't have to worry anymore…… I'm staying."
"Huh?"
"I'm not going to let you feel alone anymore."
"Cloud"
"I quit. I'm never letting you out of my sight again…."
"I'm not a child."
"I know but you still shouldn't have to feel alone." He kissed her again. "But no more mako okay."
"But the voices."
"What about them. If they want a piece of you they'll have to come through me to get it."
"Cloud….." she pressed herself to him as hard as she possibly could.
"You see……. I won't let them hurt you anymore. I love you"
"You don't think I'm crazy?"
"No….. Just lonely…."
He held her to himself until she fell asleep. He almost fell asleep himself until again he found himself in another out of body moment. 'Sunuva… one…. Two .. Three.'
"Cloud…. I have found a possible solution to our problem."
"What now…. Ya know I was kina busy."
"Wooing Miss Lockheart now are we." He chuckled "well that is a feet to be accomplished but this is dire it is a jump but I think I can destroy lithium and the paradox but it requires tact and a tremendous amount of power…."
"What…… I'm listening."
"I can't let Tifa die……. Nor you…….. I…. have made a choice……….. The blood will have to stain me but I will not waver."
"Koty?"
"You don't trust me but I need you to understand……. I will need an extensive amount of time to gather that kind of power. And even then it might not work."
"Doesn't matter what are we planning."
Koty lowered his eyes.
'This won't end well….. Oh boy …… one … two ….. Three'
