Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

To the Skies	By : sailtheplains Category: Final Fantasy VII > Het - Male/Female Views: 866 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Ok. This start isn't too horrible...
---

Are you feeling helpless yet?
---

As soon as he reached the door, his father grabbed him by the back of his shirt and threw him inside. He landed hard on the floor, cracking his lip. Fletcher and Morgan were nowhere in sight.

Laina Highwind was just getting up from the kitchen floor, her features were laced with fury. She stood up tall, blood smudged on her nose. "Max," her tone was soft and dangerous.

Cid looked up. His father was standing over him, glaring down at him. He quailed from him and tried to get up. To scurry away. To go to Morgan. To Fletcher. To his room. Anywhere. He felt all the air whoosh out of his lungs as his father"s boot connected with his stomach.

"Stay down, boy."

His father reached down and yanked the BB gun off his back, breaking the strap.

"Going to shoot me, were you, boy?"

Cid lay face down, blinking hard and didn"t answer. He stared into the wood grain, willing it all to be over.

"It"s a fake gun," his heard his mother saying. "He"s"," her voice broke as she took a deep breath. "He"s"not a real soldier""

Cid could practically feel his father"s eyes burning into the back of his head.

"I run into you people and you don"t even have real weapons?" His father snorted with disdain and threw the BB gun on the floor.

Somehow, it fired when it hit the wood.

Cid chanced looking up again.

Max Highwind was straightening slowly, staring at the gun. His mint-green eyes flicked over his wife. He raised his eyebrows. Laina Highwind had settled into a cat-like crouch. She didn"t take her eyes off her husband.

A stand-off. Who would give first? Who would move first? Who would draw a weapon first? Who would back off? Real power wasn"t always in a weapon; sometimes it was in sheer nerve and your ability to expose your enemy"s lack of it.

Laina moved first. She shoved off from her crouch. Max took a step back and catapulted himself forward. Cid"s mother went on both her knees and slid. His father struck empty air where she"d ducked and threw his fist down to grab a handful of her hair. He yanked up, hard.

She flew to her feet, and Cid saw she had his little BB gun. She pumped it twice and fired at the ceiling.

His father dropped instantly.

She stood over him with the BB gun, pumped it twice and aimed it at him. "Get up."

The look of loathing on his face was clear when he lifted his face. Cid saw no recognition that this man was his father, the man who loved his mother. He saw a man who looked at this woman and her son as his enemy.

"Get up!" She shouted at him. She fired the BB gun.

The little pellet struck the wood with a thunk, next to his father"s left hand. Max Highwind stood. "When my command finds out""

"They won"t have to if you don"t shut up," she shouted at him. She glared, showing only ferocity. She pumped the little gun and aimed it again. "Get to the basement door."

He kept a careful distance from her, circling almost. He put his back against a solid oak door.

"Open it up."

His lip lifted in a snarl. She fired the gun again. He flinched back, reaching behind him and opening the door.

"Get downstairs."

His fury was practically tangible. He put one foot on the top step.

"Now!" She ordered him.

But he didn"t. Suddenly, he was throwing himself off the stair and at Cid"s mother.

She took two steps back, pumped the gun and fired a fourth time. His father stumbled. The BB hadn"t even left a mark. Laina strode up to him and kicked him backwards.

He tumbled down into the dark basement.

Laina slammed the door and locked it. She choked on a dry sob and slumped down against the door, holding the BB gun.

Cid got up on his hands and knees, staring at his mother. He was breathing hard. "Mom?" his voice came out as a strangled croak.

She blinked a few times and then looked at him. The smile she gave him was full of exhausted despair. "Come here, Cid."

The boy stumbled up to his feet, nearly fell on his rubbery legs and managed to stagger to his mother. She outstretched her arms to him and he fell into them. She brushed the side of his face and smiled.

"Mom," he whispered to her, in a choked voice. "Ah"are you okay?"

Instead of answering, she lifted a thumb and wiped the blood off his busted lip. She took a breath, seeming to steady herself. "This hurt a lot?"

He shook his head, staring at her. Something was wrong. Whenever something like this happened"she would"get cold and silent. She would pack him off to bed immediately and stay up all night, drinking tea (and sometimes more than that). But this time she seemed"strangely broken.

"Mom?" Cid felt the burning sting of tears in his eyes. "Mom? Are you okay? Mom?"

She didn"t answer. She just stared at the floor for a moment. Finally, she looked up. She brought a smile back to her face and stroked his cheek. "I love you, Cid." She pulled him to her shoulder. He could feel her shoulders shaking. He gripped his small fingers around her and stared at the wall.

"Mom?"

"Yeah, Cid."

"Why was Dad scared of my BB gun?"

He heard her sniff miserably, a horrible, ironic laugh escaping her throat. "Because he doesn"t see a BB gun anymore, Cid. He sees weapons and enemies."

"Why?" He leaned upwards to look into her face.

She was trying to keep from crying in front of him. He could see how she kept blinking and her deep breaths. "Because of war. Sometimes when soldiers come back"things have happened to them that they can"t forget. And they"ll be all right and then suddenly"they"ll remember something. It will seem real to them."

"Like a dream?"

"Almost," she told him, setting him more comfortably on her lap on the floor. "When was the last time you had a nightmare, Cid?"

He tongued his busted lip, tasting coppery blood. "I don"t remember."

"But do you remember what it felt like?"

He nodded.

"Imagine that you"re having a nightmare"but even when you wake up, it doesn"t go away." She looked down, quelling a breath. "It only gets worse. And you don"t know what"s real or what"s not anymore."

Cid felt everything fall away from him. He just stared at his mother"s face. "That"s what it"s like"?"

She nodded.

"Then why can"t we cure him?" He grabbed onto her shirt desperately, feeling tears on his cheeks. "Don"t they have a"a Materia for that or something?"

She shook her head. "You can"t cure it"it just happens""

"That"s not fair!" he shouted. He choked on a dry sob. "That isn"t fair""

"I know," she told him, helplessly, miserably. She grabbed him up again, rocking him against her shoulder as if he were Morgan"s age while he sobbed.

The next day was spent entirely upstairs.

Cid awoke to his mother placing a cool hand on his forehead. He jumped, breathing hard. She cupped his face in her hands. "You all right?" she asked him quietly.

He nodded.

"Come on then. We"re having breakfast in Morgan"s room."

He sat up. "Why?"

His mother seemed distracted when she faced him. "Why because it"s her birthday. Come on."

He stood up and followed her. Across the hall was his parents" room, and to his left was Fletcher"s room. He exited and passed the staircase.

He could a heavy thump! thump! thump! in the walls.

And shouting. He could hear someone shouting.

"Laina! Laina! Let me out!"

He stopped at the top of the staircase, staring at the floor far below.

"Morgan! Cid!"

Cid tensed, his young body going still as stone. He felt a cool touch on his arm. The look his mother gave him was solemn. "Come on, Cid." She took his hand and led him further down the hall to his sister"s room. It didn"t stop him from looking back.

Dad"

Fletcher was already seated in Morgan"s room. There was a purple bruise on the side of his face and he was staring at the floor. Morgan looked timidly away when her mother entered.

She sat Cid down next to Morgan on the bed. "How old are you today, Morgan?"

The girl looked up. "I"m five."

"You"re gettin" old," said her mother, quietly. "You"re gonna need a cane soon."

Morgan smiled. "I"m not that old, Mom."

"Well, in honor of your turning five, we"ll have breakfast in your room today." Laina Highwind stood up and went to a small tray she"d prepared. There was a crock of oatmeal, a pot of honey, toast with jam and a plate of eggs and sausages. She divided them up for her children while they sat, quietly.

Cid leaned against the wall. He was sure he could feel the vibrations of his father beating on the locked door downstairs.

"Fletcher, I"m sorry! Laina! Unlock the door!"

Would he ever go quiet? Would he ever be quiet?

Be quiet! Cid ordered him silently. Just shut up!

But he didn"t. Through the walls, Cid could hear him.

"Laina""

"Here, Cid."

"It's Morgan"s birthday! Please!"

"Cid."

"Come on!"

"Cid!"

Cid jerked upwards, the bite in his mother"s voice calling him back. She stared at his eyes for a moment and then handed him a plate. Looking at his eggs made him want to throw up but he ate them anyway. His mother ate nothing.

While they ate, his mother gave Morgan her presents. There were only a few of them, as they had little money to spare.

The first was a little dress, brand new and shade of dark green that brought out Morgan"s eyes. It was fine velvet but plain. There was no adorning lace or ribbons. It was just a simple, pretty dress with a pair of shiny, black leather shoes to match.

The next was a brown leather messenger-style bag for carrying books and notepaper.

The last was a book entitled, Weapons Training for the Beginner.

Cid glanced at Morgan"s face, which was bright in delight. Fletcher was staring at the gifts; he seemed to have realized something. The oldest of the Highwind children looked at their mother.

Whatever went between them, Cid didn"t see but Fletcher was the first to look away. He was about to ask when his mother looked at him and smiled. "Do you want some more to eat, Cid?"

He shook his head, keeping quiet. He tried to catch Fletcher"s eye but his older brother wouldn"t look at him.

They spent the day quietly. His mother did not permit them to go downstairs. She pulled out a book. It was one Cid had never heard of and, for some reason, he had a hard time keeping the title in his head. It was some sort of fantasy story. An evil ring or something. Laina Highwind read it to them. Morgan paid rapt attention, Fletcher seemed lost in thought and Cid laid back on the floor and was certain he felt the vibrations of his father beating on the door"although he had long since gone silent.

He crept over to Fletcher during the story and said, very quietly, "What happened to you?"

Fletched scowled, touched the bruise, but didn"t answer the question. "None "o your business."

Cid looked away. He crept over to Morgan and sat down, trying to concentrate on the story.

By the time night had fallen and their mother had sent them off to bed, no one was really all that tired.

It took Cid hours to fall asleep. And when he finally managed to, he had uneasy dreams about locked doors and screaming voices and blood that stuck to his hands and the walls and everything else. He awoke, covered in sweat, trembling and breathing hard.

It was around seven in the morning. He"d have to be up soon anyway. Rubbing his eyes, he turned on his light and got dressed for school. He picked his backpack up off the floor and opened his door very carefully.

The hallway was dark. He poked his head out, looking around the corner. It was empty. So Cid crept into the hallway and down the stairs. He heard voices.

""be ready by this afternoon, then?" It was a man"s voice, one he didn"t recognize.

"Yes, and they"ll be going to Lineway directly, correct? Not stopping anywhere." His mother"s voice, sounding anxious.

"Yes. It"s directly south and across the river from the Gold Saucer."

Cid narrowed his eyes. What were they talking about? He stepped off the stairs, coming into view.

His mother turned to look at him immediately. "Oh, good morning. What are you doing up so early?"

Cid had himself all prepped to ask her"and suddenly, his courage deserted him. He looked down. "I couldn"t sleep. Bad dreams."

There was silence for a moment.

"Would you like some toast?"

He nodded, glancing warily at the man at the table. He was drinking a cup of coffee and had long, brown hair tied back in a ponytail. He smiled at Cid disarmingly. Cid glared back. He followed his mother into the kitchen and she gave him some toast. He put honey on it and ate it, dripping, at the kitchen counter.

His mother said nothing of it.

She sent him off to the little school in town with Fletcher. Neither of them spoke on the way and Cid spent an uneasy day sitting through Mathematics, Science, and other subjects. He wasn"t interested in any of it today. Something was eating at him. From the look Fletcher had given their mother to the strange man at the table this morning. Something was going on.

But what?

He would soon find out.

---
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

To the Skies