Tifa awoke with a start sweat covering her body. Looking next to her, an
empty space lay where Cloud should have lain. She put a hand to her head
and rubbed her temples. In her mind, he dream of Neblhiem erupting into
green fire sheered her mind. She had watched it occurred. Her and everyone
else, minus Cloud and Barret had been on the Highwind.
Cloud and Barret had gone into the reactor to try and stop the explosion, but it had done no good. Luckily they had left in due time to get clear. The look in Cloud's eyes when that reactor let loose…
She shuddered and got out of bed, her nightshirt swaying in the cool breeze from the beach. Villa Le Cloud was there home since the explosion. Cloud made money, teaching SOLDIERS to fight, though none were as good as he was. Cloud was the last of Mako induced SOLDIERS… All others, had not survived their insanity trips…
She walked to the door, which lay open, and saw a glare from the T.V. in he living room. He sat there, his glowing blue eyes watching the screen as he flipped through the channels. She smiled, and started slowly forward. His long blond hair still spiked in the front and came down the sides of his head, and even though he was starting to gray, he only looked even more distinguish.
"You couldn't sleep?" She asked already knowing the answer.
He glanced at her, smiled and nodded. "I dreamed of…"
"Neblhiem?" She ventured grinning maliciously. Cloud grinned and her heart fluttered. She loved him so much. Moving to set next to him, she laid her head on his shoulder and they silently watched an old television show that one could only see in the unknown hours of night.
"Ben started into his second level of limit breaks yesterday," Cloud said breaking the silence. "Surprised me and caught me off guard when he just broke out with a summoned dragon looking blade."
"Already…" Tifa replied with a surprised tone. "He's as strong as you were when we were hunting Sephiroth. Do you think the Mako had anything to do with that?"
"Maybe," Cloud answered. "He's the first child to be born of a Mako father." He glanced down at Tifa's body. "And such a good looking mother."
Tifa elbowed Cloud in his stone side, and he made a mock sound of pain. Kissing her neck, Cloud began to hold her closer, when his head jerked to the front door.
"What is it?" She asked looking around. "What's wrong?"
He said nothing, as he rose silently and moved to where his Ultima blade lay above a mantle. The blade glowed white as he held it tight and moved to the door. Opening it slowly, he emerged into the darkness, turning on his front porch light.
Before him stood four figures all four looked familiar somehow but he could have sworn he had never seen them before. Tifa came in from behind him and made a gasp as their glowing eyes turned on him. "Zack," She whispered and Cloud's eyes narrowed as he recognized him to.
"Cloud," Zack whispered walking closer, his pointy black hair bouncing up and down. "Jehova calls for you."
Cloud loosened his stance and Tifa stepped back, knowing Cloud was ready to fight. "Zack," Cloud began in his whispery voice. "I know not why you are here, but if you are going to try what I think you are going to try then you better leave."
Zack shook his head no and smiled. He looked exactly the same age of his death. The other figures approached, all wearing black robes, hoods hiding their faces. "Jehova!" They all whispered in union.
"These are, or were Sephiroth's followers. The ones he slaughtered. They now follow Jehova, and since she lives in you alone, they follow you." Cloud didn't even hesitate as he dashed forward. It had been a while for him to stretch out like this, but Tifa knew it would not hinder him.
Zack jumped backwards drawing a black looking Buster Sword. The other figures drew spears and dashed forward. They slashed at him, but Cloud defended easily.
Tifa was prepared to join in herself, but Cloud fought better alone, and she would only slow him down. He was that good. One of the spears cut into two pieces followed by a piercing scream as the figure was cut in two, falling into a pile of black sand.
A hand laid itself on her shoulder, and Tifa turned to see Ben standing there. A combination of both her and Cloud, Ben stood taller than his father, with spiky long brown hair. Brown eyes glowed as he watched what was going on. At his side, he held his slender blade that he seemed very adept at using. He was eighteen years old, and chiseled from the same stone his father was.
He started forward, and Tifa held a hand out to stop him. Ben brushed her off and charged the closest cloaked figure. It struck out toward him and Ben dodged easily. He came up underneath, and slid the long katana into the figure sending it screaming into a pile of dust.
Another wale opened up as a blur of whitish blue hit another figure, freezing him where he stood. Cloud turned toward Zack who stood smiling at him. "Who is this?" He asked glancing toward Ben. "You have grown up quite a bit, to have your own son, Cloud."
"Who is he?" Ben asked. "What's he want, Dad?"
"I'm not sure," Cloud replied to Ben. "He claims to be an old dead friend, but…"
"I was no friend of yours!" Zack snapped. "I helped you, and you let me die with your damn motion sickness!"
Zack snapped his fingers, and the three black piles of sand sped toward Ben. Ben tried to dash away, but the sand spread out, and circled him. It jumped toward him, covering his boots, and going up his black pants.
Zack smiled evilly as he walked next to Cloud's side. "One word and he is dead…" Zack whispered. "But if you come with me, I will set him free."
"How can I be assured of this?" Cloud asked eyeing Zack.
Zack laughed softly. "Because, the sand must cover you to transport you with us. And Ben seems strong enough to handle his own. So what's it going to be?"
"Don't Da…" Ben tried to holler out, but the sand covered his mouth, cutting off his voice.
Cloud frowned and nodded. Zack smiled and the sand dropped from Ben and covered Cloud in a blur of speed. A sound of metal hitting stone sounded, as the Ultima fell from Clouds black hands. Ben charged Zack, his blade raised to kill. "DRAGON SWIPE!" Ben roared as his katana changed from metal to a version of a dragon, cutting the air and sending a curved bar of energy toward Zack.
Zack snapped his fingers, and they fell into the ground, disappearing from sight.
Ben stopped running, and fell to his knees, at the spot his father had once stood. Tifa approached from behind, putting a hand on her son's bare tan shoulder.
"Get a hold of Barret." Ben whispered. "Tell him of this, and I will get a hold of Vincent." Tifa nodded, and started off to call Barret.
Cloud and Barret had gone into the reactor to try and stop the explosion, but it had done no good. Luckily they had left in due time to get clear. The look in Cloud's eyes when that reactor let loose…
She shuddered and got out of bed, her nightshirt swaying in the cool breeze from the beach. Villa Le Cloud was there home since the explosion. Cloud made money, teaching SOLDIERS to fight, though none were as good as he was. Cloud was the last of Mako induced SOLDIERS… All others, had not survived their insanity trips…
She walked to the door, which lay open, and saw a glare from the T.V. in he living room. He sat there, his glowing blue eyes watching the screen as he flipped through the channels. She smiled, and started slowly forward. His long blond hair still spiked in the front and came down the sides of his head, and even though he was starting to gray, he only looked even more distinguish.
"You couldn't sleep?" She asked already knowing the answer.
He glanced at her, smiled and nodded. "I dreamed of…"
"Neblhiem?" She ventured grinning maliciously. Cloud grinned and her heart fluttered. She loved him so much. Moving to set next to him, she laid her head on his shoulder and they silently watched an old television show that one could only see in the unknown hours of night.
"Ben started into his second level of limit breaks yesterday," Cloud said breaking the silence. "Surprised me and caught me off guard when he just broke out with a summoned dragon looking blade."
"Already…" Tifa replied with a surprised tone. "He's as strong as you were when we were hunting Sephiroth. Do you think the Mako had anything to do with that?"
"Maybe," Cloud answered. "He's the first child to be born of a Mako father." He glanced down at Tifa's body. "And such a good looking mother."
Tifa elbowed Cloud in his stone side, and he made a mock sound of pain. Kissing her neck, Cloud began to hold her closer, when his head jerked to the front door.
"What is it?" She asked looking around. "What's wrong?"
He said nothing, as he rose silently and moved to where his Ultima blade lay above a mantle. The blade glowed white as he held it tight and moved to the door. Opening it slowly, he emerged into the darkness, turning on his front porch light.
Before him stood four figures all four looked familiar somehow but he could have sworn he had never seen them before. Tifa came in from behind him and made a gasp as their glowing eyes turned on him. "Zack," She whispered and Cloud's eyes narrowed as he recognized him to.
"Cloud," Zack whispered walking closer, his pointy black hair bouncing up and down. "Jehova calls for you."
Cloud loosened his stance and Tifa stepped back, knowing Cloud was ready to fight. "Zack," Cloud began in his whispery voice. "I know not why you are here, but if you are going to try what I think you are going to try then you better leave."
Zack shook his head no and smiled. He looked exactly the same age of his death. The other figures approached, all wearing black robes, hoods hiding their faces. "Jehova!" They all whispered in union.
"These are, or were Sephiroth's followers. The ones he slaughtered. They now follow Jehova, and since she lives in you alone, they follow you." Cloud didn't even hesitate as he dashed forward. It had been a while for him to stretch out like this, but Tifa knew it would not hinder him.
Zack jumped backwards drawing a black looking Buster Sword. The other figures drew spears and dashed forward. They slashed at him, but Cloud defended easily.
Tifa was prepared to join in herself, but Cloud fought better alone, and she would only slow him down. He was that good. One of the spears cut into two pieces followed by a piercing scream as the figure was cut in two, falling into a pile of black sand.
A hand laid itself on her shoulder, and Tifa turned to see Ben standing there. A combination of both her and Cloud, Ben stood taller than his father, with spiky long brown hair. Brown eyes glowed as he watched what was going on. At his side, he held his slender blade that he seemed very adept at using. He was eighteen years old, and chiseled from the same stone his father was.
He started forward, and Tifa held a hand out to stop him. Ben brushed her off and charged the closest cloaked figure. It struck out toward him and Ben dodged easily. He came up underneath, and slid the long katana into the figure sending it screaming into a pile of dust.
Another wale opened up as a blur of whitish blue hit another figure, freezing him where he stood. Cloud turned toward Zack who stood smiling at him. "Who is this?" He asked glancing toward Ben. "You have grown up quite a bit, to have your own son, Cloud."
"Who is he?" Ben asked. "What's he want, Dad?"
"I'm not sure," Cloud replied to Ben. "He claims to be an old dead friend, but…"
"I was no friend of yours!" Zack snapped. "I helped you, and you let me die with your damn motion sickness!"
Zack snapped his fingers, and the three black piles of sand sped toward Ben. Ben tried to dash away, but the sand spread out, and circled him. It jumped toward him, covering his boots, and going up his black pants.
Zack smiled evilly as he walked next to Cloud's side. "One word and he is dead…" Zack whispered. "But if you come with me, I will set him free."
"How can I be assured of this?" Cloud asked eyeing Zack.
Zack laughed softly. "Because, the sand must cover you to transport you with us. And Ben seems strong enough to handle his own. So what's it going to be?"
"Don't Da…" Ben tried to holler out, but the sand covered his mouth, cutting off his voice.
Cloud frowned and nodded. Zack smiled and the sand dropped from Ben and covered Cloud in a blur of speed. A sound of metal hitting stone sounded, as the Ultima fell from Clouds black hands. Ben charged Zack, his blade raised to kill. "DRAGON SWIPE!" Ben roared as his katana changed from metal to a version of a dragon, cutting the air and sending a curved bar of energy toward Zack.
Zack snapped his fingers, and they fell into the ground, disappearing from sight.
Ben stopped running, and fell to his knees, at the spot his father had once stood. Tifa approached from behind, putting a hand on her son's bare tan shoulder.
"Get a hold of Barret." Ben whispered. "Tell him of this, and I will get a hold of Vincent." Tifa nodded, and started off to call Barret.