I FEEL SO HORRIBLE ABOUT THIS CHAPTER... FORGIVE ME GUYS!! T.T
~Cloud's POV~
I can't believe this. How could I have been so stupid? I can't fall asleep, not with what's awaiting Yuffie and the others in the morning. I have a feeling my death will be worse than the rest. That's alright. I deserve it. Yuffie turns in my hold, her now warm body curling up against my front. I sleepily pull her tighter to my body, kissing her cool forehead gently. She looks up at me, brown eyes looking darker than before.
"You're still awake?" She whispers.
"I can't sleep," I shrug.
"Neither can I." She loops her arms under mine and pulls me closer by the backs of my shoulder blades. She tucks her pointy chin into the crook of my neck and sighs. "I just hope it's quick."
"There's no such hope for me," I chuckle darkly and she bites down on her lip, pulling her head back to look me in the eye.
"We'll just have to pray that Tseng still has some decency then." I shake my head slightly and bring my mouth down to hers, pulling her close. Our last kisses... Hmm. Just doesn't sound right. More like a story title. She moves her arms to behind my neck and pulls me even closer for better access to my mouth. Thank goodness Cid is asleep, or we'd be getting a lecture about decency.
Yuffie rolls on top of me, blocking any escape, not that I wanted one. I pull away, panting for air, to see her smiling down at me. "Tired yet?"
"You're not helping," I roll my eyes. She laughs quietly and kisses along my jaw before laying the side of her head against my chest and closing her eyes.
"You aren't either, Mr. Insomniac."
"Well that makes you Mrs. Insomniac," I grin, kissing the top of her pine scented head before resting a hand on the small of her back, my other arm acting as a pillow.
"Goodnight," she yawns.
"Night."
The second I succumb to the heaviness of my eyelids, I'm in the same place I was when I jumped into the Lifestream in a practical suicide attempt. I blink at the brightness. The "sky" is actually bright green, moving slowly like the liquid it is. The ocean is crystal clear, the sand a soft powder under my boots.
"So you wish you could make the sacrifice for them all, huh?" I hear a voice behind me, ever upbeat and teasing.
"Yeah," I say quietly, looking down at the ground. "It's my fault they're in this mess."
"I don't think that's entirely true, but I won't beg you for the details of your depressing life," Zack grins at me and I chuckle despite the circumstances.
"Good."
"You know, you aren't the only one," he says, looking out at the water before he sits on the sand. I sit beside him slowly.
"What do you mean?"
"There are others who wish they could take everyone else's place."
"Who?" I frown, resting my arm against my one bent knee.
"Well there's you for one," he starts carefully. "That pilot guy.. He doesn't know. He wishes he could have the bravery to die for you all, but he's torn between his family and Avalanche. That guy's got more brain and feeling than he lets on."
"I know," I nod. Huh. The water is the same color as his eyes. Creepy.
"Then there's Mr. Vampire," Zack smiles at me tauntingly. "He's gone back to secretly moping about his sins. He blames himself for what happened Violet, and he's blaming himself now for not being able to save you all. Especially Derek."
"Well then he needs to deal with it," I joke. I've always felt so light hearted around Zack, my best friend. I'm glad that he and Aeris found a way to temporarily bring me here, even if that means they're technically killing me every time I come here. They always bring Mr back though, no worries.
"Barret too," he says with a deep sigh. "He's not hesitating like the other two. He really will die for you all."
"I know."
"And we all know Reeve is the scaredy cat," he bumps his shoulder against mine playfully. "He just loves to hide away in his office and write."
"Hey Zack?"
"Hmm?"
"What about Reno?" Zack inhales loudly.
"Oh boy. He's a really different guy. As you already know, he's in love with Yuffie, but he knows he doesn't have a chance with you around, so he's trying to distract himself with other women and drinks, but it's obviously not working. He's been depressed for almost seven years now, you know."
"Huh?" I furrow my eyebrows. Reno would be the last person I'd diagnose with depression.
"Yeah," Zack flops back and stares at the sky. "He was supposedly taking antidepressants for that, but then he got addicted to them and almost lost his job. That was weeks before you came back to Midgar to do that reactor job. He got off those before the first time you saw him. He had to fight through all that Meteor and Sephiroth crap while trying to get his life back in order.
"After Meteor destroyed Midgar and Sephiroth was killed, he couldn't take it anymore and attempted suicide. Rufus and Elena found him laying in a puddle of his own blood at the Healin Lodge and fixed him up. After getting lectured a million times by Elena, as I'm sure you expected, he apologized for the attempt and turned to alcohol."
I sigh and play with the sand between my fingers. I feel like I'm invading personal information, but I just need to know why he's so... Strange.
"Tseng caught on after about a year or two and forced him into sobriety so that he could continue his work with the Turks. After you saved the world from Sephiroth a second time, he thought maybe he was finally pulling through. I don't know what drove him to it, but he tried to shoot himself, but the gun jammed and Rude took it away before he could try again.
"Cloud, you should see him when he's not around you guys. He's always quiet unless he's drunk, he blames himself for almost everything that happened to Midgar, he just hates himself. But obviously Elena and Rude are watching him closely and Tseng used to be monitoring everything he ate, but lately he hasn't, which is why that guy is so thin," Zack shakes his head. "Reno might hide it well, but he's got a messed up mind with a messed up life and someone needs to come help him. I think the only reason he fell in love with Yuffie is because she was the only thing he felt was really constant in his life. She's probably the only thing that has him hanging on to his sanity."
"I highly doubt Reno would be going insane," I roll my eyes.
"Really? He talks out loud to nothing, he hallucinates, his dreams leave him screaming at night, and he's always staring off into space before screaming at something that isn't there. Care to speak further?" A black eyebrow is raised in my directions on I shake my head. We had no idea. When did he become the enemy? Yuffie isn't a possession. She's a person.
"So I guess I'll be seeing you soon? I mean, the execution is in..." I look down at Zack's wrist. "An hour."
"You'll just have to see how it all plays out," Zack gives me a weak smile. "I just don't think you'll like the outcome of today."
"What do you mean?"
"Just wait and see!" He laughs, ruffling g my hair before standing and pulling me to my feet. "Yuffie's freaking out right now, you might want to go back now."
"See ya later," I give him a lopsided smile before closing my eyes and feeling myself return. Slowly, I can feel myself fading back into my body.
"Cloud! Wake up! Oh my God... Cid, he doesn't have a heartbeat!" Someone far off yells.
"Yuffie, he..."
"Cloud?" I blink my eyes open and give her a confused face.
"Did you really have to wake me up? I'm tired."
"Holy crap," Yuffie breathes, throwing her arms around me. "You were freaking dead!"
"Zack wanted to chat," I give her an apologetic smile. She hits my temple playfully.
"Don't scare us like that!"
"Pff, I wasn't scared," Cid insists.
"Cid, if I remember correctly, you were running in circles, cussing, and saying 'he's dead he's dead he's dead he's dead'," Vincent smirks. Cid rolls his eyes with a scoff and mutters something incoherent.
~|~|~|~|~
"Dad!" Someone nearly knocks me over by hugging me from behind.
"Hey Denz," I chuckle, looking around the large room nervously. People are bustling everywhere, guards and Turks with loaded guns, cameramen getting their equipment set up.
"Hey kid," Yuffie gives him a weak smile and he nods. I spot Reno standing alone in the back and staring at the wall. Rude comes over and touches his shoulder, making him jolt awake and nod quickly. He is kinda bony... But hasn't he always been like that?
"Shh," Elena hushes us. "The cameras are going on in thirty seconds. If you make a ruckus, they're not going to give you a very quick death."
"Right," I grumble, hanging an arm over Denzel's shoulders and the other around Yuffie's waist.
Some hired woman makes a dramatic speech about our nuisance team and another load of crap about how we go out and assassinate people. I can tell Cid wants to blow up at that point, but we manage not to make a sound, even while the camera is pointed at us. I just hold Yuffie closer to my side. Do I look like a murderous villain to you? While Derek is practically clinging to Tifa and Kathy, Denzel holds his head up proudly. Good kid. Marlene hugs Barret's leg tighter.
"Hat please," the woman holds out her hand. Elena huffs and hold out the hat full of papers with our names on them.
"This feels like the Hunger Games," Tifa murmurs to Vincent and we all force down our nervous laughs.
"And first off, we have Barret Wallace."
If Barret could pale, he would have. Forcing aside all emotions, he hugs Marlene before hanging her to Vincent. The man accepts her and hides her face in his cape. Please tell me this isn't real. Someone is going to come save us. Please... Tseng kicks the back of Barret's knees, forcing him to his knees and holds a gun to his head. Please... Tifa hides in Vincent's cloak as well, and I close my eyes, my heart pounding. Leviathan.... The gun goes of and we all flinch, knowing that it's over. There's no way to go back. Barret's gone. I bite my cheek and open my eyes again. "He really will die for you all." If only I had taken Zack literally.
"Alrighty then, who's next," the announcer says heartlessly. I try to close out Marlene and Tifa's quiet sniffles as poor Vince tries to comfort them both. "Yuffie Kisaragi." NO!
I tense instantly and Yuffie slowly wiggles out of my hold. She gives me a weak smile before reaching up and pecking me on the lips, going forward toward Tseng. I cross my arms tightly and glare at the floor. Denzel looks at me helplessly and I can feel that rare sympathetic gaze from Cid. My eyes shut again when Yuffie falls with a thud. Coward! You can't even watch! And off goes the gun. Or so I thought.
Someone screams and I feel Denzel shake my arm and my eyes snap open, looking around us at the havoc. Tseng is unarmed and looking around, confused. Reno is breathing heavily and holding a small handgun, Rude and Elena giving him an incredulous look. Marlene slides out of Vincent's arms and runs toward the fallen body of her father, Vince and Tifa chasing after her.
"Daddy," Marlene whimpers, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek.
"At ease," Tseng holds a hand up to the guards aiming at Reno. "Leave us."
Everyone but the Turks and Avalanche leaves the room, the camera still rolling. Tseng turns his piercing gaze to redheaded Turk.
"You wouldn't."
"I might."
"You're too weak."
"I'm not."
"Really? Suicidal attempts aren't considered a weakness?" Reno's eyes painfully flicker to Yuffie for a moment, who is clinging to my arm. "I'm sorry, but insanity, starvation! addiction, and depression are all considered weak to me."
"I'm not insane," Reno grits, flicking the safety off on the gun. "Just a little different."
"Keep telling yourself that," his supposed friend snarls. "If you're not too weak, then why don't you shoot?" No answer. "You're afraid, Reno. Just admit it."
"No," he glares at him, shooting once. Tseng moves easily, as the move was expected, and casts a bolt spell on him.
"Down, doggy," the dark haired man taunts. Reno clenches his jaw and tries to fight against the strong electricity spell. Rude and Elena watch helplessly like us.
"You forgot," Reno pants after Tseng's magic energy runs out. "I don't take orders from anyone."
Boom! Tseng falls. Two dead. One that was there from the start, and another that used to be one of our own. Elena bites on her lip and blinks any tears away, Rude prying the weapon from his partners shaking fingers.
"We need to get out of here," Cid finally speaks up, his eyes never leaving Barret. Bye buddy. Have fun with Zack. I have to admit, I'm kinda jealous! Don't steal my best friend, okay?
"But Barret.." Tifa starts.
"As heartless as it sounds, I ain't luggin around a dead body," he shakes his head. "Even if it is just Barret."
"What's up with him?" Yuffie nods toward Reno. To save Elena from explaining, I cover for her.
"I tell you later." Still, I follow her to the kneeling Turk's side, lightly touching his shoulder. He looks up with a drained smile.
"I do alright?"
"What was he talking about?" Yuffie demands.
"I told you I'd tell you later," I hiss before Reno answers. "Right now we've got to leave."
"Wait, tell her what, yo?" Reno stands wearily.
"About your... Situation."
"Oh."
Elena grabs the gun from Rude and nods for us to follow her. Vincent pries Marlene off Barret and carries her after us, Derek and Kathy following with forever scarred looks on their faces. Tifa lingers back and talks to them quietly. I can't seem to let go of Yuffie. It was so close... Zack, why Barret? "This way," Elena nods toward the hall to our left. Several guards try to get the kids from the back, but being Tifa's student is a plus. Denzel elbows some guy in the face before catching him with an uppercut that knock him out. Kathy sweeps her leg out and knocks the next over, and Derek yanks out his boomerang. Once the guards are knocked out, the kids run to catch up with us, a proud smile worn on Tifa's lips.
"Nice job, Denz," I send him a half hearted smile before catching the sword that Reno tossed in my direction. I missed you, fusion swords.
"I seriously need my staff," Denzel groans, rubbing his pointy elbow. "That hurt!"
"Hurry up!" The blonde Turk rushes us again as we exit the building, hurrying for the Highwind. I'm surprised they didn't attempt to tow that thing yet. The second Cid get inside, he starts the engine, barely waiting for Reeve, who fell behind by a couple seconds, before taking off.
"We made it," Yuffie pants, holding up her fist. I bump it gently and tiredly, trying to catch my breath as well.
"So what do we do now?" Elena huffs.
"How the frick am I supposed to know?" Cid raises an eyebrow at her. This place won't feel the same without Marshmallow.
I KNOW! I FEEL HORRIBLE! BUT I FEEL LIKE THEY'VE ESCAPED DEATH TOO MANY TIMES, SOMEONE WOUKD HAVE DIED BY NOW! BUT YOU CAN SUE ME FOR A MILLION COOKIES IF YOU WANT..? I WAS AXTIALLY THINKING OF KILLING TIFA BUT... WE DONT REALLY NEED BROODING VINCENT TO COME BACK :( SAWEE!
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