Summer Days *36*

I love this chapter too.

____________________

There was no sound.You couldn't hear anything and everything played out before you in slow motion. Xemnas' lips moved but no words came to your ears. Tifa slumped to the ground her tears falling freely.Ven jumped at Xemnas screaming noiselessly, as Roxas struggled to hold him back. Roxas's face was blank.Xemnas nodded and walked away. Ven didn't stop screaming at him. You lifted your hand to your face to feel the warm salty liquid streaming from your eyes.Slowly sound returned.Tifa wasn't just crying she was sobbing loudly, you could hear her now. Roxas was as silent as he was before. Ven dug his fingers through his hair, if he pulled any harder his hair would rip out.Not that it mattered anymore as far as he was concerned.Cloud was gone.Gone forever just like their mom and sister. He was Ven mumbled something under his breath and left the house, slamming the front door closed behind him.Tifa was still crying on the ground and Roxas had managed to find his way to the couch where he sat down staring ahead.You let out a sob and sat besides him."He's gone." Roxas said softly."R-Roxas." You cried."Gone."You leaned your head on his shoulder and cried. After a moment Roxas wrapped his arm around you, you began to cry harder.Tifa, unbeknownst to you, had moved into the kitchen still crying and grabbed the cordless phone.You could hear her dialing a number and she began to sob into the phone making her hard to understand.The door opened and Leon came in followed by Cid, Auron and Angeal. They walked into the kitchen to find Tifa.You were still crying when you felt someone touch your head and rub your back. Words were spoken but they were all blurred together, more people came as time passed. But as the house slowly began to fill up with your friends the more time just seemed to mix together.You didn't know the time or the number of people in the house but you remained on the couch next to Roxas still, others were on the couch with you now as well, and you began to fall asleep your eyes red and puffy still from all the tears you've shed. You fell asleep crying for the friend you've come to know and love.You cried for the man you saw as a brother.Ven sat on the pitcher's mound of the Hollow Bastion Academy's baseball field. The sun had set already and the only light came from the moon and the street lights down the road a few blocks over.He held his head between his hands.First his mom and sister.Now his older brother.He heard footsteps come near him. Ven stood up."Ven man, I'm so sorry..", Terra began.Ven took off for the field exit, Terra quickly followed."Ven!" He called after him.Ven didn't stop running. Terra jumped and tackled him to the ground by third base. They wrestled until Terra pinned him down."Let go of me!" Ven yelled."No." Terra said through clenched teeth."Just let me go!""No. I... I want to help." Terra muttered .Ven shook his head forcefully shoved Terra off him, "Help? Help?! My brother is dead and it's my fault!! It's always my fault? How do you think you can help?!"Terra opened his mouth then closed it again."Thats what I thought. No one can help me now."Terra glared at him, "Shut up."Ven tried to protest but Terra cut him off."No, listen to me right now. I'm not going to lose my best friend again. I..I wasn't there for you before Ven, I'm sorry man. I really am.""Get lost." Ven whispered and turned to leave."Are you gonna run?" Ven froze in his tracks. Terra got up off the ground and brushed his pants off. "Listen Ven, I know how hard it was for you when you know your mom and sis died. But you had your brothers to help you through it. Just think of how Roxas is feeling right now man."Ven was silent."... Think of [Name] Ventus."Ven sighed and covered his face with his hands, "I killed them Terra. I killed the people I loved most. They all died because of me."Terra remained silent, "So you just gonna give up on life again. Go find the nearest punk gang and cause mayhem?" Ven sighed, "No."Ven began to walk away again, "I need time to think."Terra set a hand on his shoulder, "Stay. I'll leave. I know this is where you come to think. But Ven?"Ven turned to look at his best friend, "This time just know that Im here for you man."Ven nodded and Terra turned to walk away."I set her in bed." Zack said quietly, walking down the stairs, "Where's Roxas?"Angeal pointed towards the upstairs bedrooms, "Went to bed I think."Tifa was sitting besides Yuffie and Aerith on the couch, they were comforting her. Angeal, Auron and Cid stood by the kitchen counters that out looked the living room. Leon was sitting on one of the couches. Riku, Sora, Namine, Xion, Demyx and Zexion were talking to each other quietly in a corner of the room. They had come to offer comfort to Roxas, you, and Ven. Axel, Reno and Terra had left a moment ago to find Ven.Zack leaned against the counter besides Angeal."I can't believe this..." Zack mumbled."How did Xemnas find out before me?" Auron thought aloud.Tifa stood and walked over to Auron and the group around him. Her eyes were swollen and red."I want to know." She said."Know what darlin'?" Cid said softly."I want to know how-" She broke off in a small sob."Are you sure Tifa?" Auron asked wearily.She nodded, everyone was listening now."The report says that his body was found in the town square a few feet from the town's trolley system."The few who didn't know what had happened were listening closely."How did he die Auron just tell me that. I don't want to know anything more." Tifa replied.Auron clenched his jaw then unclenched it, "He was hit by a trolley."Everything was silent.Leon stood, "Im leaving."He started for the door but stopped at your voice. You had woken up in bed and was heading back downstairs to make sure everything was ok, well as ok as it could be considering."He saved me. Remember?" You whispered as you stood at the top of the stairs. "My first day here. I was almost hit by a trolley but Cloud pulled me out of the way. Remember?"Everyone was silent and you could feel the tears falling down your face again. Zack stood to take you back to bed but Leon turned around and walked towards you. When he reached you he wrapped his arm around your shoulders and led you back to your room.He tucked you in."Im sorry Leon." You apologized.You couldn't even imagine his pain. Cloud was his best friend."Yeah. So am I." He replied. He leaned over and pecked you on the forehead then left your room without another word.You closed your heavy eyes and let sleep overtake you.A faint voice whispered.