Cloud wakes up with a throbbing headache and slightly num body.

“Ugh… Ilan? Cid? Sam? Domar?” Cloud said looking around getting his body to work.

A man came walking in and smiled at Cloud and wrapped a thick fur blanket around him and handed him a cup of hot chocolate. Cloud held the warm cup in his hands and “ah”ed slightly at the warmth. Cloud took a drink and ended up coughing it up.

“Ah, not so fast there.” The man said. “Slow and steady.”

Cloud took another drink slower this time and felt it burn its way down his throat.

“Ah… hot.” Cloud hissed softly.

“Heh, you’ll live.” The man said patting Cloud on the shoulder.

 

Final Fantasy 7:Darkest Hours…..(Based on rpg)

Chapter Three

 

Cloud glanced around and noticed Cid not to far away from him sleeping, wrapped in about three more blanket then he was. Cid had not woken up yet but was looking well enough to cuss up a storm if need be once he woke up. Cloud glanced around again and found Sam sprawled under a heap of furs in a corner. Only Sam’s nose, part of his mouth and claw stuck out of the heap of furs. Cloud shook his head and wonder if Sam was even awake under all that fur. Domar suddenly sprang into his mind, he looked franticly around in fear the man might have buried Domar.

“Where’s Domar?” Cloud asked looking at the Man.

“You mean the stiff?” the man said calmly.

“YES!!” Cloud yelled but neither Cid nor Sam stirred.

The man shook his head and got up and walked up a few steps in the same room. Cloud got up and followed the man on shaky legs. Domar lay before the window also in a heap of furs, color restored to his flesh what little he had, the ugly wound on his neck gone. Cloud looked at Domar for a while and barely caught the raise and fall of the rhythm to Domar’s breathing under the heap of fur.

“Thank you.” Cloud said.

“Nothing you wouldn’t do if you could. Friend of yours?” the man replied.

“Yes.” Cloud counted something mentally, “Where’s Ilan?”

Cloud whispered at first as he realized she wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

“What?” the man asked.

“WHERE’S ILAN?!?” Cloud yelled in a half bloody rage.

The man jumped at Cloud’s sudden change in mode. Cloud pinned him against the wall with a deadly stare from his mako blue eyes. The man gulped, his throat suddenly dry and stammered to find words. He couldn’t find them and just pointed to the next room. Cloud jumped down the stairs and landed with a loud thump, and renewed strength as he rushed into the next room. Ilan lay on the make shift sofa there, flat on her back and wrapped in about three thick fur blankets. Cloud walked up to her and kneeled next to the sofa taking Ilan’s hands in his. Her hands where slightly clod to the touch and the man walked into the room.

“I thought you were all goners when I found out all laying in the snow. Took me three trips to get you all here. The one you called Domar I almost buried but I got hit upside the head about six times by an angry pixie so I used life on him, and he’s doing just fine...erm, if what he’s like right now is fine for him. Anyway, the one with the cigarettes was just cold. But when I picked up the one with the silver claw I thought he was the worst out of all of you, but to my surprise once I got the guy with the silver claw under some furs and warmed up he was fine.” The man paused long enough to light up a pipe he had in his hand, “But Ilan turned out to be the worst. She’s got some frost bite and doesn’t seem able to wake up.”

Cloud clenched her hand tight in his as if his presents beside her come wake her up but only in his wildest hopes would that happen. He shuddered slightly and placed Ilan’s hand down by her side.

“You wouldn’t mind if we stayed until she recovered.. would you?” Cloud said without looking at the man.

“I don’t mind.” The man said with a crooked smile.

Cloud picked up Ilan and walked into the next room with her. He placed her on top of his blanket and wrapped her up in another. He lay down beside her and watched her for a while. Hoping and waiting. Cid sat up and yawned. He looked around and itches the side of his head and nearly freaked when he couldn’t find his cigarettes. Cid scowled and stopped Cloud laying next to Ilan, but the scowl faded off his face. Cloud has a great sadness in his eyes as he brushed his fingers over the side of Ilan’s face and moved some of her short hair out of her face.

“Cloud?” Cid called out as he sat up but sat right back down, “Damn! That’s cold!!”

Cid pulled some furs around himself and sat there watching Cloud. So much to lose yet none to profit, Cid thought to himself for no reason. Cid shook his head and leaned back against the wall behind him. He muttered some more nonsense and then sighed loudly. Cloud glanced over in his direction and then turned his gaze back to Ilan.

“Sorry Cloud.” Cid said.

Cloud either didn’t hear he or chose not to respond. Either way Cid felt a little guilty. He didn’t know what was wrong with Ilan but he would find out, one way or another. Sam stirred slightly, nose twitching as if testing the air. All Sam did was pull his claw into the heap of furs he was under and resumed what one could only guess, sleeping. Cid got up with a fur wrapped around his shoulders and walked into the next room. He spotted the man and walked up to him, swiping the man’s pipe away from him and wiping it off before using it.

“Help yourself.” The man said with a small smile and pulled out another pipe from his pocket, “Got two.”

“You brought us here?” Cid asked looking at the man.

“Yes.”

The man lit up the second pipe and returned to listening to Cid.

“What happened to the girl?” Cid asked.

“You mean Ilan?”

Cid nodded his head and looked out a window while waiting for answer.

“She won’t wake up.” The man said as if that answered all of Cid’s questions.

Cid turned his head and glared at the man.

“Thanks.” Cid said bitterly and walked back into the next room with the pipe.

Cid walked back over to the pile of furs he had gotten up from and sat down on them thinking.

“Could it be coma?” Cid muttered to himself.

Cid shook his head at that thought and looked at Cloud and Ilan. For Cloud’s sake it better not be.