Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Lunatic Pandora ❯ I Need Some Sleep ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two: I Need Some Sleep

One-Winged Angel: Welcome to the new and improved chapter two. For those of you that read the original version, it's pretty much the second half of chapter one split into a separate chapter now. Yeah… They were HUGE… >_>;; ::Sigh:: But I suffer. Disclaimer my love!

Cloud: Angel doesn't own anything worthwhile, only the game. Don't sue.

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I need some sleep,

It can't go on like this

I tried counting sheep

But there's one I always miss.

Everyone says, I'm gettin' down too low

Everyone says, you just gotta let it go

You just gotta let it go

You just gotta let it go… -- “I Need Some Sleep” from the Shrek 2 Soundtrack

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The silence was concerning; a sure sign that his companion was either late or hiding away somewhere in the room behind the door, quietly waiting for the opportune moment to strike his victim. Shuddering with excitement the teen thrust open the oak portal, half expecting an attack at the moment that he stepped onto the soft, carpeted threshold.

Nothing. The silence lingered.

A slight pout caused his bottom lip to curl just barely, slender fingers groping through the unexpected darkness for the light switch along the wall, wrapping around the small plastic knob and flicking it upwards as he found it. Light poured over the dark corridor, spilling into every corner and chasing away the darkness that had blocked his view of the entire room just seconds before, revealing nothing but the familiar small couch tucked away in the corner, assorted other things strewn about the area. For a general, he really does have a messy house. He thought coolly, a mocking chuckle shaking his chest as he slipped the black leather boots of a Shinra MP off of his feet, tossing them haphazardly onto the tiles surrounding the entrance before shutting the door. Dashing into the space like a small child he launched himself onto the plush sofa, snuggling into it's familiar, vanilla scented depths. For some reason he noted that everything about the man seemed to smell distantly of vanilla, matching pleasantly with the paleness of his hair and skin.

“Come on, where are you!? I know you're here…” Glancing around the edge of the couch he checked about the length of the room, finally coming to the conclusion that the object of his search was nowhere to be seen. Leaping off of the overstuffed cushions he landed clumsily on the floor, staggering forward before regaining his balance and taking off towards the depths of the living quarters. Turning a corner he slowed his pace, walking down the hallway of the familiar place, stopping momentarily before each door he passed to listen for any sign of his host. Coming to an end at the far door he smiled, knowing the room as his companion's bedroom; the place he enjoyed hiding during their little “game,” the elder man often catching him off guard with some present to thrill him with, be it a small orb of materia or a picture of the place his last mission was held at. He enjoyed the pictures the most, the fourteen-year-old having traveled almost completely around Gaea through the images and artifacts that he saw.

Placing his hand on the brass knob he twisted the item, pushing open the gate to the room and stepping into the already lit area. “You know, it isn't polite to just walk into someone's house and explore as you wish.” A bubble of excitement overcame the teen, his face bright as he turned to face the source of the sound, sapphire eyes locking onto the form of his lover. The man stepped closer to him, peering down at him in an amused manner, eyes holding the warm glow that they only seemed to get when the young teen was around him and no one else.

“Aw, sorry Sephiroth-sama, do you want me to leave? I mean I can if I bother you…” A soft sigh escaped the man's lips, the elder standing before him in a kindly manner, face held in the palm of his gloved hand in mock irritation.

“You're such a nuisance, do you know that?”

“Yeah, and you know you love every moment of it Sephy-poo.” Emerald orbs turned upwards, narrowed with an agitation at the small nickname. The youth gave a yelp as he felt the man's arms encase his waist, tossing him onto the fluffy sheets of his large bed, watching as he sunk into it's depths before rebounding back out in a mass of golden hair and black cloth.

“Don't call me that.”

“Why, it's such a cute name for you Sephy-poo! It's a sign of my love for you.” A laugh, deep and rich slipped past his lips at his partner's childlike innocence, the man taking a step closer to the bed.

And the moment flashed, the once cheerful atmosphere being cleaved in two by the blinding spasm of white light. What were once the soft silken coverings of the bed were now nothing but black space, an abyss that seemed to shoot out in either direction, threatening to swallow him up without leaving a trace. Cloud opened his mouth as if to scream only to find that no sound came, the darkness seemingly devouring that as well as the image, leaving only the once kind laughter to twist and bend in the air, taking a different shape from what it once was to a voice that the man knew all too well.

“… Traitors… They're taking the planet from her, from Mother…” Shaking his head violently he fell on what he thought was hard ground, hands creeping up through the tresses of golden thread and clinging tight to his scalp, pulling at the strands mercilessly as he squeezed his eyes shut.

“Stop it…”

“You betrayed them all, you betrayed me…” Cloud felt his body begin to shake uncontrollably, forcing himself to continue facing the ground, to focus all of his attention at the nothingness holding him up. Without consent from his brain his eyelids slowly lifted, like a curtain on some horrible show, determined to show him the terrifying encore to a play that had held him captivated for as long as he could remember. Streams of a crimson liquid were pooling about his hands and knees, spreading wide around him in a circle of scarlet blood, drenching his arms and legs and feet. Azure orbs widened in surprise and fear, the boy lifting his head to glance around for a source of the warm, sticky substance.

Again he screamed, his voice blending with the darkness around him and vanishing into the obscurity that had no end.

* * *

Whether it was the rasping breaths that awoke him or the scream of pure and utter terror exploding from his own mouth eluded the blonde as he shot upright in his makeshift bed, gasping pitifully for the precious air that seemed to escape him in his panic, hands tightly clutching the cloth draped over his form. Azure orbs reflected every lingering emotion from the dream that still coursed through his mind and body, shaking him to his very soul, a look of blank, unadulterated fear painted clearly over his features. Slender, quavering hands slowly unlatched themselves from the death grip they had induced upon the blanket now gathered in a forgotten mass on his lap to snake through the damp strands of sunlight that hung in his face.

“Are ya alright? Ya look like you just saw a ghost or sumthin.'” Keeping his stare locked onto the ground before him he nodded slowly, absentmindedly, full lips parted as he took in the bitter mountain air that engulfed them all. Distantly he heard the one that had addressed him get to their feet, a slight pause in the sound of their movement lingering before the man continued on his way, stepping out into the clearing of the valley. “Hurry it up kid, we've gotta get going before things get too bad here.” There. So they were heading there; apparently the choice had been made without his consent, leaving him to simply follow after the others, back into that cursed hellhole that he had once called a home.

And for some reason, he was laughing.

A deep, dejected sound, ringing in the thin, chill air of the steep mountain crevices, startling even him as it erupted from his chest and rebounded in a broken echo back to his ears, a shudder creeping down his spine at the morbid resonance. Releasing his scalp from the firm grasp that he had induced upon it Cloud shoved his palms to the snowy earth, raising himself shakily to his feet. A wave of nausea washed over him as he rose, his vision whirling before him as the young man took a single step forward only to see the world become momentarily engulfed in darkness. The darkness that swelled his sight gave way to that image, the image of the blood-coated warrior and the mocking, stinging words; words that he knew were all too true. Crying out he felt himself fall somewhere in the distance, his body numbed from the void that surrounded him on all sides; an ocean of pure, unadulterated black, swallowing his very being and wiping away all the color that once spread wide about him.

“Are you alright Cloud?” The rushing, icy air came to an abrupt halt as the words trailed into his mind, a tendril of thought that seemed to tie about him and drag him from the abyss that threatened to draw him to its depths. Foggy, azure orbs slowly came into focus as he peered up at the man that held him, bare skin touching his, the figure holding him tight to their chest in a protective, almost loving motion. Opening his mouth to speak he found no words came, a low groan responding to the other's inquiry in a pitiful attempt at speech. “You suddenly collapsed.” The melodic, soothing tone the person carried signified whom it was in Cloud's muddled mind, the blond leaning appreciatively into the man's form before breaking away to stand straight once more.

“I'm fine, really. I guess I'm still just a little tired from last night, I didn't get a lot of sleep, you know?”

“Are you sure you are all right?” His arms lingered about the man's chest, as if the man was afraid that if he released the other he would just crumble to the floor before him. A sharp grimace twisted the sunlight haired man's face as he turned in the other's grasp to face him, spheres of mako colored jewels narrowed into a deadly glare. Taken aback Vincent loosened his hold on the man, still holding him to his warm chest, arms hanging limply around his shoulders. “Cloud…?”

“I said I was fine Vincent!” Forcefully he shoved the other away, breaking out of the kind embrace and causing the demon to shirk back away from him, scarlet eyes widening with shock and a tint of hurt as he watched the man storm in the direction of the rest of the group. Letting his arms fall lifelessly to his side he frowned, eyes watching slowly as Cloud made his way across the barren bank of white and over towards the distinct form of Red XIII, stopping alongside the canine-like creature and peering out along the rows of mountains.

“What the hell's his problem?” Dragging himself harshly from his thoughts he turned, facing the sound of the gruff yet kind voice, shaking his head to respond to the question, tresses of midnight tickling his neck and cheeks as he did so. Scarlet eyes turned to face the ground, his mind racing with thoughts and uncertainties of its own, searching desperately for some reason, some motive, behind the youth's reaction. Unable to come to a conclusion he again let his eyes fall upon his only company, once more shaking his head to symbolize his futile attempts.

“I'm not sure…” Yet again he adverted his attention to the leader of their party, a distant look of thought washing over his features as his gaze traced every movement, every tiny motion that the other made. Finding nothing in the search Vincent gave a low sigh, curls of icy particles wrapping around his face and reminding him that he had left his cloak to the younger man last night, the cause of his chilled face. Brushing the notion off for the moment he continued to examine Cloud, ruby orbs darkened with the emotions and doubts he concealed there, mind racing with the solutions he could come up with. The frown that marred his face deepened, if possible, his eyes darkening even further at the aspect that came to mind, a sudden rush of memories mixed with the present. That-

The thought was cut short, much to his relief, as a friendly hand clasped down on his shoulder, tearing him from his daze and back into the cold reality that surrounded him. “I'm sure he's just in a bad mood or somethin', got nothin' ta do with you. Don't worry about it, hell, if I were him I wouldn't wanna go back ta that hell hole any more than he does.” Absently the vampiric being nodded in an agreement to the man's notion, orbs of pooled blood once more turning to face the form of his companion for a simple moment of inspection and curiosity. A grin slipped over the pilot's features as he raised his arm before the man, the familiar dark red cloth hanging limply on it in a mass of billowing color. “Here ya go; ya look kinda cold without this.” Before the man could react to retrieve the cape Cid had swept it around his shoulders, pulling him closer so as to pull the cloth up about the lower portion of his face. Buckling the small, metallic clasps, starting at the other's chest and working his way up to his chin he once more leaned into the other, azure blue orbs hazed as he peered into the startle, flushed face of his companion.

“Cid…” The soft announcement seemed to bring him to his senses, the engineer backing away from the form hastily, staggering clumsily in the process to stare sheepishly at the ground. Pausing for a moment he raised his head once more, taking a step in the direction of the others.

“Yeah… Yeah, sorry.” He whispered the words softly, face turned downward to stare at the frozen terrain, as subtle sigh sounding in the distance and catching his attention. Lifting his face to turn in the direction of the midnight-haired man he watched him walk towards the remainder of the group, the form trekking over the already flattened pallid earth and to the edge of the hovering metal wing. Halting the vampire-like being glanced briefly over his shoulder, eyes darting over to the other once more.

“Come, we need to leave.” Whispering the words under his breath he continued his path forward, not waiting for a reply to come afterwards, the sound of his golden metal boots crunching lightly in the snow ricocheting throughout the thin, icy air. Shaking his head slowly the pilot took a few steps forward, slowly catching up to the other in a lazy pace, his mouth widening in a yawn of boredom and fatigue.

“Same cold bastard as always…” Dropping the sentence Cid came up next to the man, stepping out into the blizzard-strewn valley to glance up and down the length of the towering forms that lingered on every side of the group. A low groan made its way from his chest as he took in the newer layers of snow and thick, shimmering ice, the translucent crystal coating almost every inch of the ground, mountains and the Highwind. A low whistle slipped from his lips at the sight, sky blue orbs dashing along the cliff side from one end to the other, taking in the collapsed entrance of the Nibelheim mountains. “Damn… That's a problem…”

“Can't we find some other way in!? There has to be one-!” The shout of protest diverted both men's attention to the other side of the clearing, the duo stopping to watch in curiosity and concern at the blond-haired man, the figure across from him shaking her long man of deep brown hair in disapproval. A low hiss slipped past Vincent's thin lips at the sign of the argument, the man clearly in no mood to deal with another one of their quarrels.

“Cloud, there is no other way! Get over it!” Gloved hands reached up to run through the waist-length tresses, the dark strands shining dully in the morning light, her equally dark eyes closing in annoyance and frustration. Turning away from the man, ignoring his lingering protests and shouts she stepped across the threshold of ice and snow, making her way over towards the young Wutain girl that stood watch at the gates of the town. Coming to the teen's side both stepped into the mass of familiar shapes, Cloud's dull, emotionless eyes watching as they disappeared into it's depths, a deep anger seeming to linger in their darkened pits.

“Damn you!” Cursing violently he clutched at his form with tawny arms, holding himself tightly against the cold and the fear that he felt distantly in the back of his mind, words and pictures flitting in and out of his memory as he stared blankly towards the memorable town. Shaking his head gently he turned to face the two as they approached him, neither saying a word as they moved towards the man, both halting in the same stilled silence before his form. A feral look, like that of an animal trapped in a cage with no escape overcame the spiky-blond haired form, deep pools of sapphire watching as the shorter of the two turned to face the place Tifa had entered into.

“…Ready kid?” Glancing over his shoulder Cid peered into the unwavering depths, the other nodding hesitantly before pacing ahead of the two and nearer to the gate of the town, his feet stopping as he let his head hand, eyes half closed as they faced the pale earth.

“Asshole… What do you think?” The words were meek, an attempt as shrouding the apprehension that clearly lingered in his form at reentering the place that he hated - yet loved - so much. Laughing imperceptibly to himself he continued his path forward without a reply, globes of deep blue turning to face the old hometown as he stepped into the midst of the demon abode, his form vanishing in the minute distance as he entered a building off to the side. Remaining where they were neither man made an effort at moving, both staring nonchalantly off into the distance, rapid thoughts pounding through their minds in a dizzying manner. Shaking off the thoughts Vincent followed in the other's footsteps, his footprints falling alongside the boot marks of his companion as he made his way over the icy entry and disappearing just as the others before him had.

“Damn… everyone's in a bad mood today ain't they?” Cid muttered the words under his breathe, their content being swept away by the chill breeze that whipped through the thin air as he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, his feet leaving a third set of prints alongside the others that rest there.

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One-Winged Angel: Thank you all for reading, I really appreciate it.

Cloud: Now, read and review! Review our minions!!

One-Winged Angel: Please?? If you do, I may send Vincent and Cloud to your front door to strip for you!

Cloud and Vincent: O_O No way in hell.

One-Winged Angel: No Sephy or Cid if you don't agree…

Cloud and Vincent: Alright, alright!