Violet Shadows (FF7)

10) Mr. Holzoff's Cabin

A loud thump wakes me up, making me jump and sit up quickly. The room spins and I wince, pressing one hand to the side of my head. A soft white blanket rolls off my chest at my sudden movement and the brightness around me slowly seems to get darker as I adjust.

"We're lucky Vincent was awake long enough to help this guy," a man's voice says, higher pitched than what I wanted to hear. What?

Aw, having Vincent withdrawals?

... No.

Liar.

Jerk.

"Hmm?" I look around for anyone, but see nothing.

"Up here." Looking up, I see Cloud against the far right wall on top of a ladder and fishing around in the loft. "I hid our materia up here just in case." I nod and let my head sink back into my pillows.

"How long were we out?"

"Surprisingly, you and Yuffie were the worst off." Ugh. "We've all been awake for a day and a half waiting, and we were all out for about a day so..."

"Two or three then?"

"Closer to three," he nods. "It's been hard to tell with no sunlight because of the storm, and this guy doesn't have a clock."

"Hmm." A moment of silence ensues before he slides down the side of the wooden poles and holds up a bulging pouch.

"Found it." I give him a small smile. So young, yet almost as old as me in a way. His tilts his head in my direction in a way that reminds me of a puppy and stares into my eyes in a way that's pretty uncomfortable. "I think he was worried about you, you know."

"Huh?" I frown, furrowing my eyebrows. Since when is anyone worried about me?

"Vincent. He was pretty restless, and he wouldn't stop looking at your door."

"I remind him of my sister," I roll my eyes, sliding my legs out of the bed. "That's why he has some weird instinct to protect me or whatever."

"I don't think so," he mutters, looking down at his boots. "What's scary is he keeps saying your name when he sleeps."

"Memories probably," I chuckle. "I used to annoy the crap out of him at the mansion." The corner of Cloud's mouth twitches into a half smile and he pulls out his own materia, letting the magical orbs sink into his pale skin before handing me the bag. I shake my head, always declining the magic. I don't want anything to do with mako inside me ever again... No, never.

~33 YEARS AGO~

I insert the needle under my skin, pushing the plunger so that the bright green fluid floods through my veins, calming my jittery nerves. Then I hide the chest back under the mass of clothes in my closet. How nobody has noticed the glow in my eyes or the addiction I hide I have no idea, but I wish to keep it that way. It's been harder since David and I have started sharing a room, but he's busy with SOLDIER stuff all the time. Due to his enhanced hearing, I can't get up in the middle of the night and quench my need for the mako, so every morning I run to the bathroom as if it was a fire drill or something and push the stuff into my arm. Most people would frown upon it. I say they don't understand the feeling of power and relaxlation only mako can provide.

Just as I shut the closet door, the bedroom door swings open and David waltzes in, grinning like a fool. I raise an eyebrow at him skeptically, opening my dresser to grab some pajamas.