Burning Castle

Burning Castle

Rating R, Language, violence. Note; rating’s may vary in chapters.

Author: brighttears

Pairing: Pending

Summery; Cloud is like any other moody teen, he has a mom and friends only he fights his battles with a sword. He had also discovered a secrete that will change his life. He meets a new friend but will destiny intervene? (Crossover with Naruto.)

Part 2 Village

‘It’s wet and I’m hungry’, was the first coherent thought that past through his muddled brain, not that it surprised him he thought distantly.

He felt cold and lazy, like he just wanted to stay right where he was and not worry about anything. But he was hungry and wet, it couldn’t be helped he had to get up and do something... What was he going to do? Breathing out loud he tried to open an eye to see where the hell he was and if he really needed to move after all. For some reason it was hard to open his heavy eye lid, when he had partially exceeded he quickly snapped it shut groaning a little.

To much light he decided by the throbbing in his mind. Startling he heard something shift to his left, well he assumed it was to his left or maybe right? Ah he didn’t know and it didn’t really matter right now. What mattered was opening his eyes and being able to move. Shifting ever so lightly, testing his hands and legs for movability. The boy attempted once again to open his eyes, this time taking it real slow.

Dull blue eyes cracked open trying to look around. He really couldn’t make head nor tails at what he saw or was even looking for. He just knew on instinct that he had to assist where he was and if any enemies were there. Groaning a little more he established it was some kind of cave with the walls but the light glowing crystals said otherwise. He had also noticed that a blanket was draped over him meaning someone had been here or was still here. He felt uneasy at that thought, so he slowly rolled on to his stomach not paying any attention to anything else but the sole idea of getting up. He felt a little shaky when he pushed up with his elbows then his hands trying to sit up straight.

He heard something move again along with the dull echoing of booted feet. Snapping his head up as fast as he could, he saw a figure approach before the world seemed to spin around him. Closing his eyes tightly against the vertigo and breathing deeply his head seemed to clear a little. He was in no danger right now, if he was the person would have either killed him or knocked him out by now, which didn’t happen. Breathing steadily he sat and opened his crystal blue eyes again only to come across another pair of blue eyes. He also noticed absentmindedly that the boy had blonde hair just like him, but it was spiked in layers all going up, that and it was long. The youth's hair was pulled back to make a small a pony tail, where as his own hair was just spiky and short.

He brought his hand up to his chest dismissing how the other one seemed to flinch at the move. He picked up a small crystal neckless staring at it, he really couldn’t remember anything and surprising he didn’t care right now. He did remember his name though he supposed holding the crystal helped to since his name was on it also. ‘Naruto’, looking up he noticed that the other blonde boy was now turning his head away flustered and blushing.

Blinking stupidly Naruto looked down and blushed a little himself, he was naked and was just sitting there for all the world to see him. Coughing Naruto quickly grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around him, trying not to make a disgusted sound when he also realized that he was covered in some sort of greenish blue slime.

Naruto for a minute ignored the boy instead looking around the crystal cave. Where the hell was he anyway. He didn’t remember ever seeing anything like this at all, he was sure of that. He looked behind the boy to see some pictures and, was that a bed? Was this kid, probably no older then him, living here or something. Naruto was brought out of his musing when the blonde youth shifted then started to speak some kind of language. Naruto just looked at him amused, ‘What the fuck was he saying’?

Cloud looked at the now covered boy, that still had drenched spiky blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Cloud had introduced himself, and apparently the boy didn’t understand if the confused and slightly annoyed face had a say in it.

Another thing about this boy Cloud had found out was that his face or rather his cheeks had three thin scars on either side, that and a spiral around the blonde boy’s navel. He looked to be around twelve to thirteen, or so. The boy didn’t look like a monster either just a regular human that had come from a crystal. ‘Right Cloud you have finally lost your mind’. This was going to be a pain if he could not understand Cloud, maybe another language, he only knew two the other was common all over the world, so if he didn’t know any other then he was screwed.

“My name is Cloud.” He said loudly like the other boy was deaf, well who knew maybe he was.

Cloud had also over exaggerated with his hands moving them around and pointing to him like he was the king or something. Naruto smiling at the antics and somewhat remembering that he had done the same thing in the past, finally understood the boy, Cloud. Smiling Naruto did the exact same thing that Cloud did, hands and all telling him is name. Silently laughing when he saw Clouds expression.

Cloud on the other hand was scowling almost shooting daggers towards the one called Naruto. He knew the other boy was playing with him, it was frustrating but also nice somewhat. This was the first time Cloud had acted like an child his age. Since he had prided himself of being an adult and not paying silly games with the other children he had grown up while they had not.

Turning his thoughts around he asked other questions from the blonde but he didn’t get to many answers. Apparently Naruto was fourteen and that’s about it, that and he was hungry.

“Great he has amnesia and knows next to nothing of where he lived, his family or friends and all he can think of is food.” Cloud muttered. Still frowning after awhile Cloud looked over at Naruto, who was now eating some bread and meat from one of the tins. He had claimed he didn’t know anything of ‘Gaia’ the worlds name. But what Cloud wanted was answers to his questions not blank stares. Like where did he live, why was he in the crystal or was he transported here by aliens, hey it could happen. Soon Cloud thoughts were going over more insane ideas.

He also had to figure out what to do with him. Apparently Naruto had no family that he remembered and on top of that he couldn’t live in the cave. Would his mom let Naruto stay, what would the villagers think. So many questions he would just have to figure it out tomorrow, he laid down followed by Naruto and had to look away once again because the blanket had slipped. God he would also have to get clothes, that was a priority.

Nice and warm that’s what Naruto felt all over, that and a little sticky. Well that’s what you get when you go to sleep with slime on your skin. Wrinkling his brows a little he tried to get some more sleep, he was tired and a little hungry now that he thought of it. Listening to the others breathing patterns Naruto guessed Cloud was still asleep. Moving slightly in the blanket Naruto was about to go back to his dreamless sleep when a large weight plopped right on top of him.

Crying out loud Naruto jumped up and out of the blankets, breathing fast he didn’t notice that Cloud was right beside him or anything else for that matter. All Naruto saw was a small dark figure staring right back at him with it’s strangely glowing red slitted pupils. It was a fox, a small fox at that with it’s reddish orange fluffy fur and white tipped tail. The only thing really strange about it besides the eyes were it’s ears. A piercing on the right side with a strange design of a spiral on it. Naruto looked over at Cloud and could tell he was tensing up while looking around the small area in search of something, maybe a weapon. Was this little fox that dangerous Naruto wondered. The fox got up suddenly still keeping it’s eyes on them before heading towards Naruto completely disregarding Cloud. Naruto looked over at his companion to see that Cloud had indeed inched away from the fox and was now heading towards one of the crystals ready to break it and lash out.

Very confused Naruto also got ready for a battle crouching down a little on his bent knees. The fox just kept quietly walking up towards the blonde then it did something both boys never would have expected it to do. The deadly fox sat right in front of Naruto rolling over to show it’s underside in a surrender Naruto could only assume. Ignoring Clouds warnings Naruto bent down and cautiously touched the foxes underbelly. Hearing a purr of some kind Naruto grinned and rubbed it’s belly in full laughing when the creature stretched out and flopped over laying it’s head on his lap. Cloud looked at the small display horribly confused, he knew what that thing looked like even though he had never seen anything quite like it. It was a fiend a monster. They were supposed to attack humans not cuddle up with them. Maybe it was just a small harmless fox, that wanted human company. He just couldn’t wrap his mind around that idea either..Walking slowly over to them Cloud got about a foot from Naruto before the fox turned it’s red eyes on him and gave a small warning growl.

‘Well it doesn’t like you,’ Cloud thought sarcastically, only to have his thoughts spoken out loud when Naruto had ventured along the same lines. Cloud looked down towards the blonde and was about to tell him off when he noticed something. Naruto was yet again naked and without any clothing.

Morning had not come soon enough for Cloud. Ever since the little fox had stayed he could swear it was watching him, giving him the ‘evil eye’ as Tifa once said. He tried persuade Naruto of eliminating it, it was a fiend after all. But the blonde youth was just as stubborn as he was when it came to things. So now here they were exiting the cave, his safe heaven that had now been disturbed by Naruto and the fox. He didn’t even know how the thing got in the cave in the first place. All animals stayed far away from there, it was just another mystery he would have to solve where Naruto was concerned.

More importantly what was his mom going to say. He could just see it now, ‘Hey mom can we let Naruto who has no idea where he’s from or why he was in a crystal stay? Oh and the little fox fiend too.’ Oh yes that would go over swell. His mom was already stressed as it was and now this, but he couldn’t just walk away. Even though it has been a short amount of time having spent with the other blonde. He felt that he could relate to Naruto in away. That they were... actually sort of friends not like the local kids that liked to pick on him.

Chancing a glance to his right he saw out of the corner of his eye that Naruto was looking around the mountain and trees. The little fox right behind him like it was protecting Naruto had not left his side once. The thing only reached to Naruto’s knees and seeing as how Naruto wasn’t all that tall, it looked funny. Another dirt path came towards them, one that would veer of towards the right and all the way up past the abrasive mountain. Where the rector was, and a lot more dangerous monsters that seemed to lurk there. Cloud kept going down hill with Naruto right behind him still looking over the landscape. There were trees and grass, why did Naruto find it so fascinating. Another thing, Naruto seemed to be rather quiet not like when they first met with him asking question after question about ‘Gaia’. Cloud supposed that Naruto just had a lot to take in, he didn’t know where he was or anything about himself. One thing that kept puzzling Cloud though was the spiral. When the blonde had been naked Cloud had caught sight of a rather large spiral right at his navel the same as the foxes earing. Speaking of that why did the fox have an earing like that?

Was it really a pet and not a fiend. Cloud looked at the fox and it’s reds eyes, he just wasn’t sure. Maybe one of the villagers could help him there. Chancing a look back up to the right where the reactor was, Cloud frowned and looked ahead again. He did not like the reactor, not only was his father killed during an ‘accident’ there. But also because when he was a little younger Tifa and him had went up that very same hill and had an accident crossing the wooden bridge just before they could reach the reactor. It ended up with Tifa actually falling down a sharp ledge to the bridge. She was alright but the villagers had pointed the finger at him. That’s why he really didn’t join in on any picnics anymore or played with the other kids.

He prided himself far above there silly games after all. All they wanted to do was play tag and laze about, while he, Cloud was actually doing something for the village, helping them with farming and killing. Chasing off the monsters that would sometimes come down the hill into the village. Looking up briefly Cloud could tell they were almost to the village. All they had to do was get past the old mansion that ShinRa had built basically abandoned near there village.

Naruto slowly yawned, stretching out his mussels. He was currently looking around the landscape. Nothing felt right or similar and for some reason he was extremely annoyed that the trees were not all that big and they were not bunched up together for a good climb. He had noticed that Cloud would look in his direction every so often then he would go back to his own thoughts, which Naruto didn’t even want to know right now nor figure them out. To Naruto Cloud was just plain weird and a little boring.

Sighing he tipped his head back a little meeting the sun that was blazing down on them as they continued fourth. Soon they had reached something resembling a village, a small one at that too. The only thing that Naruto saw wrong with this picture was a large mansion up over a slope just before you would get into the actual village. Naruto looked back at the small fox that was still right beside him. He was actually starting to warm up to the fox and didn’t want it to get chased out of the village. He bent down and picked it up settling the fox in his clothed arms. Togging a little on the blanket that was wrapped around his body like a toga dress. The fox looked at him for a minute then it jumped on his shoulder and stayed silent. Naruto turned his head to watch Could walk into the small village, shrugging Naruto followed. When he finally arrived he was feeling...angry... no maybe sorrow about the village.

Naruto didn’t know and he didn’t like it either. It felt like he was home but wasn’t, it was hard to put into words. Trying to get his mind to sway somewhere else, he saw some people walking around and or doing some kind of chore. Be it washing the clothes or gardening. There weren’t to many houses but they looked in good shape, better shape then the road, which was all dirt and crusted. In the far back Naruto could make out a large pound or lake and beyond that were farms and livestock. To the right after the entrance into the village there was a large windmill along with a stone well. ‘Windmill’ Naruto thought trying to see why it should have been called something else.

Whatever his head was starting to hurt not to mention he was hungry and dirty. Naruto walked a little faster when he realized that Cloud was already well into the small village and was heading towards his house. Naruto caught up still looking around the village and it’s dirt roads. There were children running around and playing, while the adults from outside watched, so he could guess this village was very tight and would help out each other in the time of need. ‘Just like my village,’ Naruto thought before he shook his head, his headache was apparently getting worse.

He could see that some of the adults and kids had finally noticed the stranger walking around with a small fox draped over his shoulder. Or it could have been the way he was dressed, since Cloud didn’t have an clothes in the cave he had to make due with the blankets and well it looked like Naruto was ready to go to a toga party. That and he still had some slime and the greenish blue water in his hair that had dried. Yes he must have been a sight to see indeed. He did the only thing that was suitable at this point. He waved and shouted good morning to everyone with a big fat grin in place of his frown he had worn only a few seconds ago. People muttered and talked while some waved back and said good morning right back to him. For some reason this confused the blonde even more, but shrugged it off and ran towards Cloud who was waiting for him. The house that Naruto saw in front of Cloud had two stories, it was painted blue with a white trim surrounding it. The house also had a couple of shutters and a small garden right before entering the little white gate.

To Naruto it felt safe and welcome, just like all the other houses in the village. But he did note that some houses were in different colors.

“This is where I live, come on in and be quiet my mom might be sleeping.” Cloud said, breaking Naruto’s train of thought. Nodding they both went in quietly.

It turned out they really didn’t have to because Cloud’s mom was in the kitchen, banging pots and the like that echoed all throughout the house. Naruto smelled something cooking and wanted to eat right now and by judging the way the fox’s nose was acting out he wanted some to. Walking through a small cream colored hallway and stepping into the right was the kitchen. Right beside the kitchen looked like the up stairs. “Mom I’m home” Cloud announced, walking directly into the kitchen before sitting down.

Naruto leaned by the doorway just watching the conformation, looking around the counters and floors. Spinning around Mrs. Strife let out a large sigh before engulfing Cloud in a large hug, not stopping to take a breath while she went on and on about responsibility and to not go into the hills after dark and so on. Naruto smirked a little seeing as how Cloud was trying to tell her that they had a guest and was struggling with his mom, a light blush on his cheeks from either embarrassment or anger. Naruto turned his eyes away giving Cloud some privacy with his mom. He frowned slightly when he thought about that, did he have a mom and or dad. He didn’t know but after looking at the small family embrace he hoped he did

“Who’s this Cloud, a friend of yours” Mrs. Strife said happily. She was glad that Cloud had gotten a friend finally and hoped that it would work out, but she had never seen him before in the village. “Yeah that’s what I want to talk to you about.” Cloud started but was cut off when She finally really got a good look at the boy and he was filthy.

“Oh no you go up the stairs and get washed up right now mister, you can borrow some clothes.” She finished looking at the toga getup. Naruto grinned and waved going to do just that. A nice hot shower was really staring to sound good right about now.