☁️ (bigsword) wrote in valloic, @ 2020-10-08 11:21:00 |
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Entry tags: | !: action/thread/log |
DO YOU REMEMBER, CLOUD?WARNINGS Parental death, fire, trauma, identity/memory issues, vague spoilers for remake and OG
Tifa.
Cloud pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead as the image shifted and pain spiked through his head.
Tifa younger now. Long dark hair, big dark eyes. A white dress. She turned, smiled.
"Tifa…" Cloud got out between a groan of pain. His head dropped and when he lifted it again she was still there.
Do you remember, Cloud?
Older now. A green dress. Eyes bright as she looked at him.
"Promise you'll come and save me…"
Cloud's hand pressed harder into his head, the pain making it hard to focus on Tifa. On anything. And he heard before he saw, the distinct crack of wood breaking.
"Tifa!"
He ran toward the end of the hall where the floor gave out, a flash of green as Tifa fell. Cloud leapt and struck his hand out. Tifa. White top, black skirt, and utterly terrified as his fingers brushed hers but were unable to grip.
"TIFA!" Cloud shouted again
The floor gave out below him and he fell.
The sound of his mom in the kitchen stirred him. The bed firm, but comfortable, below him. Cloud groaned, pressed his hand to head. Why did his head hurt so much.
Do you remember, Cloud?
The voice again. Pain spiked anew in his head, like an ice pick being shoved straight through his brain and he moaned.
"I'd feel a lot better if I knew you'd found a good girl - one who'd make sure you didn't get into trouble…"
Cloud dropped his hand. Eyes focused on his gloves. They were wrong. Brown. Wrong. The wrong colour. Wrong. Breath in ragged gasps he kept looking hands pressing over the brown leather belt, the blue fabric, fingers clawed at the wide scarf around his neck.
Wrong. It was all wrong.
Do you remember, Cloud?
His mom turned. A scream died in Cloud's throat. Flames licked behind her, the counter, the curtains.
Do you remember, Cloud? Sephiroth whispered into his ear as he leaned down and closer to Cloud.
"No…" Cloud's hands clawed at his forehead, his face. "This isn't - you're not - this isn't real" he insisted.
Before him the flames engulfed the kitchen, engulfed his mother. He screamed and ran toward her, hand outstretched. He tripped, fell, and when he looked up his house was in front of him, taken over by flames.
Sephiroth kneeled beside him. "Do you remember, Cloud?"
Cloud reached his hand, clad in black leather, out again toward the house.
"Run, Cloud," Sephiroth spoke into his ear. "Run."
Cloud's feet pounded as he ran, heart pounding in his ears.
Tifa.
The Nibelheim reactor. Tifa.
Cloud tried to call out for her, but no matter how loud he screamed, nothing came out. He tripped, watched helplessly as Tifa picked up Sephiroth's sword and ascended the steps.
He fell. Everything went black.
But whatever happens, you can't fall in love with me.
Even if you think you have… it's not real
"Aerith?" he called out, nothing but his own echo called back.
Do you remember, Cloud?
Almost there, Cloud. We're almost there..
Cloud, promise me. Don’t let it be for nothing…
Cloud screamed. Silent. Gasped and tried to sit up but he couldn't. Above him the world looked hazy. No. There was something in the way.
He panicked. Fists pounded against the glass above him, the glass beside him. He kicked and kicked as best he could in the pod, kicked against the confines. But it was no use. He was trapped.
Your eyes…
He stopped struggling against the pod he was in.
"It's the mako…" he spoke quietly, hand pressed to the glass above him.
The pod gave out, everything was… wet. Water and mako swirled around him. Against what he wanted he breathed, breathed it in, felt it in his stomach, in his lungs. Felt himself drowning in it…
So Cloud… You were a SOLDIER. First Class, right?
Everything was black again.
Something in the blackness caught his eye and he reached his hand out. Fingers curled around the object, he pulled it towards himself and opened his palm.
The materia shimmered, aqua green. The same colour as the materia in Aerith's hair.
Do you remember, Cloud?
Do you remember… anything?
Back then... I only got scraped knees...
He woke. Grass beneath his hands. He pressed the heel of one into his head, eyes shut tight against the light. It hurt too much. He groaned. The air was fresh and he knew he was outside. Outside of the hotel.
Carefully he started to open his eyes, wincing in pain. He let out a few slow breaths. He lifted his gaze and in front of him was the flower. The one he'd gotten from Aerith in the streets of Midgar, the one he'd given to Tifa. He gasped softly, reached for the flower and picked it up as he moved to sit on the grass.
He touched the petals gingerly and the presence of the memento began to calm what lingered from the hotel. He tucked it into the leather bracing on his outfit, the same spot Aerith had put it and got to his feet. His head still pounded something fierce but he was out of that hotel and that was all that mattered right then.