Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Akirame Norwen ❯ Insomnia ( Chapter 26 )

(A/n: all right, let's take a quick break to regain our breaths. Quite invigorating, no? Hehe.... just wait, it'll wind up again, soon enough... just wait and see. Author's music selection:... this is a pretty quiet chapter, so quiet music is good. Perhaps Apocallyptica's "Unforgiven", or, just for kicks, the orchestrated version of the FFVII theme. Keep on reviewin'... and I'll keep writin'.)

Chapter 26: Insomnia

After a what seemed to be an hour, the movements in the bathroom seemed to cease. Sora had gone to fetch the captains, leaving Riku with Akirame, who had now woken up and was horrified by the details Riku was giving her. "Sephiroth...was on board, and you're telling me he's in that bathroom?!" She incredulously asked, hardly able to believe him.

"I'm telling you, I shoved the jerk in there! Once Cid and...Cid get here, you'll see for yourself. You should probably throw some pants on or something." Riku suggested, noting that Akirame was in a tank-top and shorts.

The two Cids hastily arrived, followed by Sora, who was toting a huge flashlight. "He's in there?" Cid Highwind muttered past his cigarette, which by now was half-burnt.

Riku nodded, and took the precaution of making sure his weapon was drawn. Armed with a flashlight and a gun, Cid Konnichiwa hastily swung the door open. Instead of Sephiroth, they found a crew member laying motionless, but not dead, on the floor. "What the !@#$?!" Cid H. Cursed, checking the body for any signs of injury. "The guy's okay, just a little bruised. I thought you told me Sephiroth was in here!"

"He....he *was* Sephiroth, I swear...." Riku stuttered, standing back in disbelief... did this mean that the vicious killer was still onboard?

Cid K. Shook his head. "Ugh... we're gonna have to repair the essential generator and perform a search of the ship. That guy's bound to be here somewhere."

At that moment Red burst into the room. "Guys, Erik is missing." He shouted in his Scottish ring.

"What? Red, where have you been?" Riku angrily demanded, standing to confront the hybrid.

"Aye, I was busy searching for Jerdania and Irvine when they ran off earlier. They're okay. But Erik is missing now."

"Come on guys, let's go find him." Riku instructed, heading towards the door.

"That's not a good idea. For all we know, your little friend could be dead. We need you to stay in your room, and our search parties will probably find him....or his body." Cid K. told them, now holding the faint body of the crew member.

Riku gave a frustrated growl. "I don't want to find him dead, what if he's after Sephiroth.... or what if he's fighting right now?!"

"Look, if you little !@#$*%$ kids want to get yourself killed, be my guest. But it's best if you just stay put so we don't have more bodies to collect." Cid H. grumbled past his ciggy.

Riku scowled and sat down on the edge of Akira's bed. He stayed put until the room had been cleared, and only him and Akira remained. "Riku....what exactly...happened? You never got to tell me...why Sephiroth was in this room."

"....He was going to kill you. I offered myself as a ransom... and when he didn't expect it, I tackled him into the bathroom." Riku explained, trying to relax his muscles.

"You actually offered yourself? But...why?"

"I..." Riku turned to look at her, searching for the words. When it came right down to it, he didn't know what he was doing... "I'm not exactly sure... I just wanted to see him gone, is all." He managed to say, wishing he could just be straightforward about his feelings for her... why was it so hard?

Akira bit her lip. Not exactly the answer she was looking for. Sighing, she shrugged and scooted over so she was sitting next to him. "Riku?" she said, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Hmm?" his heart suddenly did a flip.

"Thank you.... for saving me from a deranged crew member." She said, closing her eyes.

Riku gave another unseen smile and put an arm around her waist. "You're welcome."

Riku sat there, fighting off sleep. After all, he did have to protect her, no? Sephiroth could still be in the ship, anywhere.. hunting him and his friends down... his eyes were winning, constantly trying to roll into the back of his head. A few hours passed... he looked out the window. The sky was overcast and preparing for dawn, the calm gray before the sun's arrival. He gently nudged the sleeping head on his shoulder.

"Mmm...wha?" She sleepily asked, not even opening her eyes.

"Akirame... the sun's coming up." He told her, trying to get her to wake up.

"Mmph... I don't care... just....let me be here." She almost incoherently said, now hugging Riku while burying her face in his chest.

Riku's heart was going a million miles an hour. With a sigh, he kicked off his shoes and helped Akirame slide onto the bed so her head was resting on the pillows. He turned to his own bed, but Akira protested. "Mmm.... don't go... I was comfy when you held me." She sleepily mumbled, trying to sit up.

Riku couldn't believe his luck. Giving a silent thanks to whatever cosmic forces where responsible here, he sat next to Akira on her bed and gave the heavens a smile that outdid even Sora's as she clumsily climbed into his lap and rest her head on his chest.

Life couldn't have possibly been any better. Within moments, both were asleep, laying peacefully in each other's arms as the sun lazily crept into the sky.

Erik slowly awoke. He was still in the same room, but the hooded man was gone. The sky outside was full of clouds being torn by pink knives from the waking sun. What had transpired here but mere hours ago? He had experienced... truth... was it a window into the truth about his past? So many times before he had tried to remember what exactly had happened... why he had run away.. how he had managed to cross a whole continent to arrive in Edea's care... how he had met Red at Balamb Garden...

Suddenly he heard voices coming from the stairway. A group of armed crew members came trooping up the stairs. "You, are you all right? You look pale." A random member said, rushing to his side.

"I'm...I'm fine.. just sorta... lost right now." Erik said, feeling like he was swimming.

"What's your name son?"

"Erik...Erik Sandavol."

"Erik, huh? Your friends have been worrying about you... they'll be glad to know you're all right... what are you doing here alone?"

Erik paused for a moment before answering the gun-totting man. "...I was just...admiring the sunrise."

For some odd reason, Erik felt instantly comforted to be in Red's presence again. After all....Red had been with Erik through a good portion of his life, and had always been there to support the boy. He quietly sat down on the bed, looking at the red beast curled in the corner, peacefully slumbering.

No....suddenly questions began to arise in him... none of it really fit together... didn't he...didn't he actually know Red much longer than Irvine had? But... then how... a vortex of doubt started to swallow him. Why couldn't anything from his past fit together? Why did he always feel all this...doubt about the very things he knew to be true?

One of Red's wings fluttered slightly, and the dragon gave a deep sigh before opening an amber eye. It lazily lifted its head and gave a loud yawn. "Erik?"

"Yeah. I'm back." The blonde sleepily answered, hardly in the mood for a hearty reunion.

The dragon padded over and leapt cat-like onto the bed, causing the mattress to sink considerably. "Where were you last night? I looked everywhere for you."

Erik kicked off his shoes and leaned against the warm body of his friend. "I....I was in the top level... in the observation deck. I think I ran into someone I knew there."

"Aye, you've had quite a day, haven't ye? You ought to rest up while you still can. Riku will have us up and going here shortly." The dragon suggested, unfurling a wing and bringing it over Erik like a blanket.

Erik closed his eyes and sighed into sleep... it seemed like he could almost remember Red doing exactly this...when he was much, much younger.... even before he arrived at Edea's... why couldn't he remember? As far as he knew, Red was the closest thing to a father he had ever had since he was 10...

Red had disciplined him, trained him, made sure he never slept in past noon on the weekends... Red had even been the one to tell him stories about his ancient dragon kin. He couldn't envision Irvine even once the entire time... how did it all work out?

The need for sleep suddenly overwhelmed him, and his questions quickly dissolved as dreams came to weave new truths in his already disarrayed mind.