A/N: yeah, so I just wanted to finish at least ONE of my multi-chapter fanfics (so it's been 4 years? Who cares?) and I chose this one, because I always thought it was the most fun to write. Hopefully I'll finish it within about 2 weeks. As usual, don't own FFVII, 1984 by George Orwell or Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

Chapter 4 – Dreams and Reality

"You forgot?" Tifa demanded, banging her fist on the table.

"Yeah…so sue me," Cloud retorted.

"It could be really important!" Tifa shouted angrily.

"I though you said it was a load of bollocks?" Cloud asked.

"Yes, but now there's nobody to talk to here so I have to listen to your pathetic dreams, and there's a slight chance it could help!"

"So now I'm useful?" Cloud said, a small smile beginning to form on his face. Tifa merely glared at him, as though he had wronged her in some way.

"All I know is my dreams...I hear words like I've never heard before...they're everywhere...I can't escape from them-"

"Blah blah blah," Tifa interrupted, "And they're original. Well that's just great Cloud. Way to solve all our problems." Cloud decided it would be best not to contradict her; he had already been at the receiving end of a Beat Rush for telling her she'd look better if she got a haircut every one in a while. It was not an experience he cared to repeat.

"I'm going to bed," Tifa announced moodily, before stalking away from him and out of the bar.

Cloud sighed and sat down on a bar stool. What could all this mean? Maybe he was just going crazy...sure felt like that sometimes. And where was Vincent? And Sephiroth? He rubbed his temples, laying his head down on the bar.

Underneath the spreading chestnut tree,

I sold you and you sold me

There lie they, and here lie we

Under the spreading chestnut tree

"Oh good you're awake," Tifa said as she poked him in the shoulder. He didn't move. She sighed and raised her eyes to the heavens, wondering why the gods tried her so.

"I said," she poked Cloud again, "Oh...good...you're...awake," accompanying each word with a jab of her finger.

"I soldyou and you soldme..." Cloud murmured, moving his head.

"Believe me, if I could sell you, I would..." Tifa said, punching Cloud. He awoke with a start and looked around, his blue eyes wide.

"Oh good you're awake," Tifa said congenially. Cloud looked at her blankly for a moment, then shook his head.

"I just had another dream Tifa...new words...something about a tree..."

"Yeah, yeah, I sold you and you sold me...whatever-" Tifa started.

"How did you know?" Cloud cut in, standing up.

"You talk in your sleep, idiot," she said, "I've been listening to you for god knows how long. I also know you sometimes have a very naughty dream involving Barrett, Cosmo Canyon and a cream pie."

Cloud turned a shade of bright red and looked away.

"No...no I don't..." he said.

"Anyway, I neither want to know nor give a crap about your perverted fantasies, but I can hear somebody trying to break in."

"What? Seriously?" Cloud asked.

"No...April Fools!" Tifa shouted.

"Oh...okay..." replied Cloud.

"Of course seriously, you dumbass. It's November," she looked towards the ceiling, "Give me strength!"

That was when Cloud heard it; an incessant banging around the side of the building. It reminded him of that one Christmas when Barrett had gotten really drunk.

"Come on...let's go have a look..." Tifa said, putting on her gloves. Cloud picked up his Ultima Weapon and gave it a couple of swipes.

Together, they made their way out of the bar and into the cold night outside. The banging grew louder. They snuck around the side and down the alleyway, where they saw an oddly lumpy black figure pounding what seemed to be its fist against the side door.

"Who the hell are you?" Tifa demanded. The figure looked up, startled.

"Erm...I am y-your worst n-nightmare!" the figure stammered. Cloud and Tifa exchanged glances.

"Oh...so this is a nightmare?" Tifa enquired amiably, "That would explain why Cloud is always hanging around."

"Oh yeah?" said Cloud as he rounded on Tifa, "Well..." he faltered, "your hair's too long. There. I said it."

"Take that back! My hair looks good long!" shouted Tifa, squaring up to Cloud. They seemed to have completely forgotten about the mysterious figure.

Taking no chances, the figure picked up a rather conveniently placed piece of metal piping from the floor.

"Huh...well that was handy," he said, glancing at Cloud, who was being held in a head lock by Tifa. Without wasting any time, he brought the pipe down in two fell swoops.

The mysterious figure always found that 'thud' when his victims fell to the floor to be particularly satisfying.

The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way towards the lagoon. Though he had taken off his school sweater and trailed it now from one hand, his grey shirt stuck to him and his hair was plastered to his forehead.

"Owwww..." Cloud groaned as he opened his eyes. A bright light was shining right in his face, which didn't really help the banging headache he had. He tried to move his arms to shield his eyes, but found that it was tied to something.

Looking to his side, he could see he was strapped to some sort of table. The rest of the room was and vast; it looked like some sort of warehouse. Next to him were an identical table and a small trolley with various evil-looking instruments on them.

"Hello?" he croaked. He heard nothing but an echo.

"Huh, cool..." he said, "Echo!" He smiled as he heard his voice rebound at him tens of times. There was nothing he liked more than the sound of his own voice.

Suddenly, he could hear a banging sound, and raised voices. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

The door in the corner of the room flew open, and two men came in, dragging a struggling Tifa between them.

"I said, let me go!" she screamed, biting and elbowing and thrashing about.

"Woah...Tifa...chillax..." Cloud said, giving her a dopey smile.

"Do you want us to sedate you like we sedated your little friend over there?" one of the men said to Tifa.

"Ha...it probably wouldn't have made a difference to Cloud...he's so dopey anyway," Tifa spat back.

"You know what?" one of the guards said to the other.

"What?" his comrade replied.

"I played that game...FFVII...and these people ain't nothing like them characters in that game," he said, looking back and forth between Cloud and Tifa.

"Really?" his friend said with interest as they heaved Tifa on to the table.

"Oh yeah...that blonde dude is like all heroic and stoic and quiet and whatnot...and this chick is really nice and kind of motherly," he said, strapping Tifa down.

"Hey dumbass," Tifa said, still writhing and twisting, "That's because it's a GAME. As in, not real life. GAWD!!"

Cloud chuckled to himself.

The two guards finally succeeded in strapping Tifa down.

"The boss will be along shortly," one said, whilst his companion smirked in the background. Then they left. Cloud kind of wished they hadn't; no doubt Tifa would find a way to make this all his fault. He could have used the extra protection, even if she was tied up.

"Cloud, this is all your fault," Tifa hissed from her table.

"How?" Cloud asked, knowing that he really shouldn't enrage her further.

"You're the one who started that fight in the alleyway...dissing my awesome hair."

Cloud didn't reply. In stead, he waggled his fingers in front of his face. They looked so cool when he was drugged up.

"Tifa, check out my fingers," he said, giggling.

"Cloud...how long has your hand been free?" Tifa asked.

"I don't know," he replied.

"BLOODY WELL UNTIE YOURSELF!" she screamed, making the whole room shake.

"Oh yeah..." Cloud said, reaching across to his other hand. Soon, he was completely free. He began to make his way over to her table, but got distracted by the trolley. Those instruments...they were so shiny. Shiny was good. Why did he think they looked evil before?

"Cloud..." Tifa said warningly. He quickly remembered where he was and untied her.

"Okay let's go," Tifa said, punching the air a couple of times. Cloud, having lost his Ultima Weapon, picked up a shiny metal scalpel and looked at it admiringly. Gosh, if he was a metal instrument, he would most definitely be this scalpel. It was so...smooth and manly. Wow. It was just...amazing.

A sharp blow to the side of his head brought him back into the real world.

"Cloud!" Tifa barked. She tilted her head to one side, indicating the door, "Let's go," she commanded. Cloud nodded and they ran.

As soon as they opened the door a loud siren went off. But, rather than stopping, they continued, Cloud in front, holding the amazing scalpel at an arm's length in front of him.

"Hey! Escapees!" came a booming voice from behind them. It sounded so familiar. Cloud was tempted to stop and have a look but he knew Tifa would kill him if the guards didn't.

"Hey...Stop!" Now that was definitely familiar. Cloud looked over his shoulder.

"Cid?" he asked wonderingly.

"Darn tootin'!" Cid whooped, "We havin' a jail break? I want in on this!"

Cid joined their group, and all three ran as fast as the wind, Cloud only getting distracted once by his own reflection in a particularly shiny door.

They soon reached the exit, and, somewhat suspiciously, had not been chased yet. In fact, their escape was pretty easy. All the exits were signposted.

However, just as they reached the final door, they head an ominous voice behind them.

"Just where do you think you're going?" it said. Cloud turned; it was one of the guards from earlier.

"Isn't it kind of obvious?" Cloud asked, stopping. Tifa grabbed his arm and shoved him in front of her.

Cloud heard some kind of mechanism begin to whirr somewhere nearby. Then he saw it; a large metal door was moving slowly out of the wall about ten feet in front of them.

"Go faster Cloud!" Tifa screamed, pushing him along in front of her. They weren't going to make it; the gap was closing more quickly that Cloud originally thought.

But, they were getting closer; Cid scraped through, and Cloud's scalpel was almost level with the gap, which was now about one and a half feet across. Cloud dived through, and, to his relief, felt Tifa leap through behind him.

"Arghhh!" came a high pitched scream. Cloud stopped. Tifa was standing still, her head pulled backwards. Her hair was caught in the door.

"I told you it was too long!" Cloud said.

"Don't you dare start," Tifa said through gritted teeth.

I knew this would come in handy...how could it not? It's so pretty, thought Cloud, looking lovingly at the scalpel. He hastily hacked at Tifa's hair, freeing her from the door.

"Come on, I know a place we can go," Cid said.

Cloud stood back, admiring his handiwork. It was quite possibly the world's worst hair cut. At least there were no shiny surfaces here.