It was the screaming that woke Cloud. Hysterical, raving howls and a shrill voice shouting comforting words. He scrambled out of the dusty bed. In the back of his mind, he found himself missing the warmth that had been curled around him in the middle of the night. When the screaming increased in volume, Cloud snatched his rifle from beside the bed and ran out of the room.
It was from downstairs. Cloud tightened his hands around his rifle, trying to pretend that they weren't shaking. Zack had told him about how Sephiroth had been hiding himself in the library down there, mumbling nonsense and accusing him of being a traitor. Had Sephiroth done something down there? Had Zack tried to intercede? Were they both all right?
The shouting wasn't dying down. It was getting worse. Cloud felt sick.
"--monster! What else--"
"--human--"
"--how could--"
"--Hojo--"
Oh yes. Looking down the crickety stairwell and hearing Hojo mentioned, Cloud really wanted to go back up the stairs and hide under the blankets. Maybe this was all just a bad dream.
He heard what sounded like someone being thrown into something hard. Cringing, Cloud stumbled down the stairs. Why by Odin did he get stuck with the two violent first class SOLDIERS?
"Sephiroth!" Zack howled. Taking a deep breath, Cloud ran the rest of the way.
Cloud followed the shouts, trying to ignore the small lab. It was too easy to imagine what could have happened here. Light shone under the library door, and he could see where figures were moving, casting shadows. He swallowed, hearing another meaty thunk.
...dammit.
"Guys!" he shouted, kicking at the door. To his surprise, it opened immediately. What Cloud saw in there didn't surprise him, though.
It almost killed all of his higher brain functions, but it didn't surprise him.
Balancing on sleek, writhing tentacles, Zack and Sephiroth faced off, the broken remains of a desk between them. Only his coat clothed Sephiroth, revealing exactly where the tentacles began at his torso. Zack twisted his upper body, but he had enough clothes left that Cloud couldn't see where flesh transformed into scales.
That was all right. He had enough of a view.
"Spike," Zack began shakily.
Sephiroth's face was turned away from Cloud, but he could still tell that it was twisted, eyes glowing with an animalistic rage. One tentacle smashed against a desk leg, completely shattering it.
Cloud blinked, realizing a moment too late that he had dropped his gun somewhere in his travels. It was all right. Tentacles kicked his rifle's ass any day of the week.
"Aeris is going to be in heaven," he managed.
All tentacles froze. Zack and Sephiroth stared at him. Cloud shook his head and kneeled to grab his gun again. "Zack," he began. He swallowed and glanced nervously at Sephiroth. "Sir?" He started asking if they were all right, realized that was the dumbest possible question he could possibly ask, and swallowed again. "How are you going to get up the stairs?"
...No. That was the dumbest possible question he could ask.
"Strife?" Sephiroth inquired softly, the fire fading from emerald eyes.
Zack was still staring at him. "You're right," he said in awe. "Aeris would love this."
Sephiroth stared between both of them. Even as he began mumbling to himself, Cloud tried to figure out how to get them both up the stairway. A distant part of his mind babbled nonsensically about tentacles. Another part noted that they both still looked hot. Yet another decided Aeris might have the right idea.
The rest decided, for his sanity's sake, he had better focus on the here and now.
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Date: 2006-09-16 02:55 am (UTC)It was from downstairs. Cloud tightened his hands around his rifle, trying to pretend that they weren't shaking. Zack had told him about how Sephiroth had been hiding himself in the library down there, mumbling nonsense and accusing him of being a traitor. Had Sephiroth done something down there? Had Zack tried to intercede? Were they both all right?
The shouting wasn't dying down. It was getting worse. Cloud felt sick.
"--monster! What else--"
"--human--"
"--how could--"
"--Hojo--"
Oh yes. Looking down the crickety stairwell and hearing Hojo mentioned, Cloud really wanted to go back up the stairs and hide under the blankets. Maybe this was all just a bad dream.
He heard what sounded like someone being thrown into something hard. Cringing, Cloud stumbled down the stairs. Why by Odin did he get stuck with the two violent first class SOLDIERS?
"Sephiroth!" Zack howled. Taking a deep breath, Cloud ran the rest of the way.
Cloud followed the shouts, trying to ignore the small lab. It was too easy to imagine what could have happened here. Light shone under the library door, and he could see where figures were moving, casting shadows. He swallowed, hearing another meaty thunk.
...dammit.
"Guys!" he shouted, kicking at the door. To his surprise, it opened immediately. What Cloud saw in there didn't surprise him, though.
It almost killed all of his higher brain functions, but it didn't surprise him.
Balancing on sleek, writhing tentacles, Zack and Sephiroth faced off, the broken remains of a desk between them. Only his coat clothed Sephiroth, revealing exactly where the tentacles began at his torso. Zack twisted his upper body, but he had enough clothes left that Cloud couldn't see where flesh transformed into scales.
That was all right. He had enough of a view.
"Spike," Zack began shakily.
Sephiroth's face was turned away from Cloud, but he could still tell that it was twisted, eyes glowing with an animalistic rage. One tentacle smashed against a desk leg, completely shattering it.
Cloud blinked, realizing a moment too late that he had dropped his gun somewhere in his travels. It was all right. Tentacles kicked his rifle's ass any day of the week.
"Aeris is going to be in heaven," he managed.
All tentacles froze. Zack and Sephiroth stared at him. Cloud shook his head and kneeled to grab his gun again. "Zack," he began. He swallowed and glanced nervously at Sephiroth. "Sir?" He started asking if they were all right, realized that was the dumbest possible question he could possibly ask, and swallowed again. "How are you going to get up the stairs?"
...No. That was the dumbest possible question he could ask.
"Strife?" Sephiroth inquired softly, the fire fading from emerald eyes.
Zack was still staring at him. "You're right," he said in awe. "Aeris would love this."
Sephiroth stared between both of them. Even as he began mumbling to himself, Cloud tried to figure out how to get them both up the stairway. A distant part of his mind babbled nonsensically about tentacles. Another part noted that they both still looked hot. Yet another decided Aeris might have the right idea.
The rest decided, for his sanity's sake, he had better focus on the here and now.
"Pullies?" Cloud offered weakly.
~~~~~
Just scratched out. ...Yeah. *coughs*