~2680 words. Cloud/Tifa. Fairy Tale AU, Royalty AU. Tifa POV. Angst, Dreams, Romance. For @clotibigbang.
Summary: Cloud is the crown prince of his kingdom but has been cursed into a deep sleep by a jealous Sephiroth who wants the throne all to himself. Tifa is the princess of a neighboring kingdom who befriended Cloud when they were children. Reunited as adults, they fell in love but have yet to confess their feelings to each other. Now cursed, Cloud’s true self is hidden deep within his dreams, and Tifa must traverse them to find it.
A deep silence had fallen over the Kingdom of Nibelheim. Sickly green light washed over the castle, the houses, the dusty pathways, and everything in between. Enchantment hung thick in the air and cast everything in an unearthly glow. Not a single soul was awake except for Tifa.
She ascended the final stairs of the tower, her echoing footsteps and labored breaths the only sounds in the castle. Her journey to reach this point had been difficult and draining, but at long last she was nearly to her goal. She paused at the top of the steps to catch her breath before pushing open the door to the tower.
“Cloud!” She rushed to his side, but he didn’t stir. He was lying on a simple bed with his eyes tightly shut. The ghostly pallor over his face and eerie green light dancing through the room made her heart clench.
This was the work of Lord Sephiroth, it had to be. The rumors had circulated for years, about nobles and other people of importance growing sick and dying under mysterious circumstances. Mako poisoning. And now the crown prince of Nibelheim was suffering from the condition. Once a victim lost consciousness, there was no hope of—
She shook her head. No. She couldn’t give up. Not on Cloud. He’d promised to be her hero, so long ago, but maybe he needed a hero too.
She rested a hand on his arm. “Cloud? Please, wake up.”
Still nothing. A lump built in her throat as she tried to keep her emotions in check. If only she’d told him how she felt, before it was too late. But she was true to her family’s surname and kept everything locked deep inside. Now she was reaping the consequences.
yousharknotpass
turnnoffyourmind
janainaart
areudirty
origamiaround
theartofmadeline
dededos
