This is a very first Final Fantasy 7 fanfic for me. This fanfic was made by both Crisis Haylo (read his sruff at fanfiction.net) and me. This is LONG...at least, I think so. It might be confusing at first, with super long intro for Cloud, and a bit of Barret and Vincent, but hopefully it'll become more clear on chapter 2, where we hope to clear things up and start letting the other characters pop out.
I tried to do my best to keep the characters in-character. I hope they are in character.......Org....
Anyway, please r&r! Oh yeah, "feel free to flame".
....by the way, if you also like Digimon, please go read our Digi fanfic! "Digital Monsters [ g i m m i c k ]. Yeah...I know....I like the word "gimmick".
...............................................................................................................................
c h a p t e r - o n e .
"....warm...."
"....-phiroth."
"Please, don't wake me up."
"....Sephiroth......."
".....I do not wish to open my eyes any longer."
Maybe this was the first time. The first time he had felt this touch. Her touch....
Finally.
And yet, he doesn't accept it?
The soft hands trembles as she caressed the smooth cheek of her child. She was scared. Scared of him.....her very own child. But why? It has been so many years. Since the birth of this child, she thought she'll never see him again, nor to touch him. This was her first time to touch him like so.
"Sephiroth," she called,once again, not knowing whether to smile, to cry...
For a moment, the young man didn't even move. His eyes were still shut in complete silence. Then slowly, the eyes opened, reflecting the dark world into his makou-colored eyes.
"......."
The woman choked at the simple sign of his wakening. She didn't know how to react, but her body did as her eyes released the first tear drop. Lowering her head, she placed them on his bare chest and held him tightly in her arms. The man was limp for a while, then slowly stiffened, trying to struggle in her hold.
"Mother? Where is she?"
The woman pulled herself away, slightly puzzled. Then she remembered.....after the great war, she heard about the story......the whole story, almost.
He thinks JENOVA is his mother......
Anger and jealousy was the second emotion as her sight blurred by tears.
I'm your mother, I'm your mother, I'm your-......
"Welcome back, Sephiroth."
* * * * * * * * * *
"C'mon right in and see the world's greatest event!"
The spiked hair man grinnied over-dramatically, tapping the table with the wooden cane. It was in another ol'sunny-day, in the middle of Argelone City at the market place. Cloud looked around, trying to persuade the customers into paying him and his "boss" by doing a cheap old magic trick. It has been almost a week since Cloud joined this little sneaky old magician as his assistant. Anything...anything for money. No job, no food, no nothing........and he was STARViNG. The old mercinary-self was running around in his mind again.
After the last battle with Sephiroth, the AVALANCHE group was doing fine. Tifa almost gained her happiness by living with Cloud for few months, while slowly showing her sign that she loved him. Cloud thought maybe it was just him....ignoring Marlene's theory that maybe Tifa likes him. Living with Tifa was okay....it really was. Tifa seemed happier to have him by her side everyday......sorta. Taking away few arguments and a bit of fights they had. But that wasn't his way, Cloud started to think. He didn't like to be cooped up in one place. He had to go. Go some where and do something. Even if Tifa did love him....love really didn't match his eye color.
That's how he beleived to himself.
Then, he just left. Simply that. Just left. (Well, of course he left a note saying "good-bye" and all.)
"Hey there, the pretty lady in red!"
Cloud pointed to the woman in red dress with his cane, trying to get her and her shopping-friends to watch the show. Successfully, they did, giggling. The word "pretty" always works in this humble city, Cloud once noted. Besides....
"I'm a pretty-boy......," Cloud thought to himself, smirking.
"Boss, we got some companies," Cloud turned to an old man, dressed in all tacky, yet old dress. He looked quite suspicious with doughy body, raggy gray beard and a fake-silk hat.
The man snorted, struggling up to his feet and waved pleasingly to the young ladies. Only five customers, but as long as if it was a pretty girls in just about the right age, he's up for it.
"Well, well, well......welome, young beautiful ladies! I am the great magician-...."
"The almighty," Cloud added dramatically at the back, yet in a sarcastic way.
The man ignored Cloud, getting used to him by now, "Dilgious!"
And the all famous "blah, blah, blah."
Cloud knew every word by now. The phrase Dilgious uses to every single groups of customers he meets before attempting his "deathifying magic".
Cloud and Dilgious has been arguing every night about this subject. While Dilgious believed he should capture the audiences' attention by starting with the deathtifying-trick, Cloud argued that he should start with more simple trick, going by the tradition.
But of course, he's the "boss".
After few more moments of Diligious's boring introductions few more customers came by, standing before the two magicians, peering up at them with curiousity.
"....and after my long years of painful training...," Diligious continued, which Cloud sighed loudly and heavily enough for Diligious to hear.
Diligious just glared at Cloud, waving his hand up to him and nodded, "well, I see that my trusty assistant is too excited to start performing.....so let's begin now, shall we?"
"Finally.....," Cloud sighed.
"Now ladies and gentlemen! Our first performance will be 'The Death Box'."
Ohhh. Ahhh.
Cloud groaned lightly under his breath as few more shoppers came by to watch. Diligious went to the back of a curtain that they set up, and came back with a small brown box with Cloud pulling up sets of knives and swords. Placing both the sets of sharp objects and the container infront of the viewers, Diligious help up his arms and spread them to side to side, grinning highly with his chest held up high like a wicked ring master.
"Cloud will now make himself squeeze into this small 'Death Box'..."
"Box...box....box...box...box.....," Cloud teasingly made an echo effect behind him, which made the girls giggle and Diligious's brows twitch.
"Please, excuse me while I help my assistant Cloud into the box," Diligious gleamed, walked over to Cloud and rudly grabbed him by the shirt from behind, as Cloud blinked and started to grumble down at his boss. The audiences eyed the two on the cheaply stage as they whispered curse words at each other, nudging and such but Diligious took over as he finally shoved Cloud into the box.
"Ehem....and now-...," Diligious returned to the viewers with a smile, straightening himself and clearing his throat. "..for the dangerously dangerous trick....."
Taking one smallest sword in the sets, he turned to the box with a smirk as he let the point of the sword touch the wall of the box, and slowly pushed it in.
"....?"
In the box, Cloud twisted himself around, being careful as the sword came in from the side, letting it slide to the other side without actually stabbing him. He knew how this trick went. All he has to do is move out of the way from the swords. After three swords are in, he was suppossed to open the secret trap door on the bottom of the box and the floor and sneak out. When all the swords were in the box, Diligious will start pulling them out, and while that, Cloud was to sneak back into the box. From the inside, he can hear the crowds gasping a bit, and some laughing hysterically. As the second sword made it's way through, Cloud managed to wiggle a bit more to the other side to get out of the way. By the third one came in, Cloud had opened the trap door right below him, and as he was about to slip out, he was stopped. He peered down to his legs, then widened his eyes at the sword that was piercing his pants down, pinning him at his spot.
"%^&#@!*&!??!?"
Cloud wanted to shout out as he tried to pull away. More and more swords started to poke its way again, but this time faster, as Diligious thought Cloud was already out from the box.
"......-yar-...!" Cloud tried to wiggle away, having so much trouble in such small spaces. Trying not to move that much, still caring about the whole process of success of this trick, he started to sweat.
Diligious continued to grin widely as he grabbed for a much sharper and biggest sword, flinging it around for it to shimmer under the sun before the amused crowds as he flung the sword SUPER FAST AND HARD TO THE FREAKIN' BOX! (I dunno. Just felt like typing like that)
"AGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The crowds' mouth gaped open as they saw the box being flinged up into the air with several swords as Cloud's free leg and arms waved around, pushing the other swords that was laying around him with the trap door open behind him. The groups blinked at this sight, seeing how Cloud was half way down to the rap door with ripping pants, grabbing hold of his scratch that he got from the last sword.
"....h-hey! What the....," one guy glared furiously down at Cloud, getting the idea that it was nothing but a stupid foolish trick.
"You guys cheated on us!"
"Ahhh...," Diligious held up his arms, backing away from the angry mobs, then suddenly laughed with his huge mouth gaping open through his bushy beard.
"DAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!" small particles of spit flew about as he laughed, grabbing for the sack full of coins, flinging it over his shoulder and bounced over the huge groups of shoppers like a rubbery bouncing ball.
"Hey! My money!!!" Cloud tried to pull himself up, but froze suddenly, seeing few of the customers looming over him with maddening look. He started to sweat and laugh nervously, smiling as he waved, then quickly jumped out from the pinning sword, ripping out from his pants and limping his way quickly to Diligious. The kill-joy crowds started to chase them, demanding for their money back as several of the groups grabbed for their weapons and such.
"You old freak!" Cloud shouted at him from behind as he gasped for breath as the two continued to dash their way. "Gimmie my portion of the money!"
"Hmph!" The gooey, yet hard dough, Diligious glances over to Cloud, running through the group of panicing chickens.
"First come, first serve! Besides, what did you do to earn such money? Nothing! Such pitiful lazy....spoiled rude bratty-brat punk like you do don't deserve a gil!"
Diligious's hand reached out, grabbing random panicing chicken as he flung one at Cloud. Cloud yelled over as he tripped over some other chickens, as Diligious laughed again.
"....you stupid ol' almost-dying-wet bag! ....dammit! How can that little filth run so much father then I do!?"
He pushed himself back to his feet, continuing to run.
By the time Cloud came out into the open field, out from the cluttery city, he as lost sight of Diligious. He was breathing harder than before and yet the crowds were still right behind him. Before he knew it, Cloud was hit on the back with flying frying pan and webt down splat on his face. Pushing himself up, he swallowed, finding them surrounding Cloud. His eyes twitched in fear, but he managed to smile.
"Ah...you guys! You're getting me all wrong! Hey, I'm not the criminal. It was that old man! I'm innocent-....."
"Kill him!"
"WAiT! ....wait. Haha...," another sweat dripped from his chin. "Hey...how's this? I'll.....do you guys a magic trick? Um...name a trick you want me to do."
The crowds continued to glare at him, but one man came stepping out with a bag, smirking down at him.
"Okay, you lil' punk. How 'bout you try disappearing from this bag, eh? If you're still in the bag after three seconds, you're spikes are so gonna get FLAT!" He exclaimed, pounding his fist into his palm.
"...hm..well, I guess it doesn't hurt," in bit of sarcasm," to try."
Cloud took the bag from the man, looking around to the steaming mobs. He opened the bag and slipped himself in, letting the man come over to tightly tie up the opening. Before going away, he "accidently" kicked Cloud, chuckling an apology.
"Now.....," the man stood over the bag. "I'll do the counting....ready?"
"Ahh...wait a se-...."
"One. Two....."
Thr crowds gripped tightly onto their weapon of choice, ready to open some can of wup' ass.
"THREE!"
The beating began. As they started to beat against the bag, lots of dusts came puffing out into the air. The beating continued on and on and on......
* * *
It was nothing but dusts and darkness. The whole room was filled with enough of that. Lost files, lost works, lost memories of the great genius was scattered all over the floor. Everything was left untouched after the last battle. The desks, all lined up neatly, but yet most were burned, cracked and ruined. Computeres and other mechanical things weren't working no longer with ripped and shredded papers laying all around them.It almost looked like an ancient ruin of some temple, dispite of the traces of highly developed and civilized futuristic objects.
At the very corner of the room, there was a door. Through the door was a room in the same condition, but with different objecs. In it stood many tubes in various shapes and sizes. In it, used to be failed creation of Proffessor Hojo. Some weren't empty though. Some tubes still had those failed experiments. They were dead. All of them were started to decay, their pieces of rotten organs floating around their body in the tube. The small clock, laying on the floor under the blanket of dust still ticked, but in uneasy rhythm.
.....tick..... tick..... tick.....
One tube, one of the smallest one, started to glow faintly, eerie and almost sickning. Inside, a small white thing floated in the middle, surrounded by the liquid inside. It's back was curved forward, legs curled up to its chest, being in a ball-like state. The figure twitched lighty now, as it slowly raises it head up, its eyes closed. As if trying to find out what its happening around it, or where it was in, its slender arms reached out, twitching madly as it had having trouble moving. Everything was in complete silence still, but a disturbing noise like a hear heart pumping, and blood rushinng through veins can be heard inside the tube. The arms still stretched out twaords the glassy wall of the tube, and the palm came in contact with the wall.
* * *
The red eyes flashed open. The figure...or more of a creature breathed lightly under his cape. His neck stretched away from where he was facing, and looked over to the horizon far off to the distance, letting the wind rush pass him, his cape and hair dancing along with the rude flow. Vincent stood still on the roof of the mansion of the Shinra. His eyes reflected the horizon and the dark silvery sky where the sun was started to set again.
Why did he come back here again?
His feet tapped off from the roof of the mansion and he started to shoot straight down smoothly like a silent arrow. He landed onto the dark ground. He then started to walk along the small twisted road, heading to the exit through the gate, passing by the old graves standing by. His eyes looked over the carvings.....funny....he never really paid much attention to it. All these people. Once living, once sinned, and died.
"......"
Opening the gate, he stepped out quietly, looking up to see the brunette haired girl looking up to greet him with a smile.
"Wanna go back to my place for some drink?" she asked in her casual way.
"No," he replied, walking past her.
Tifa stared at him, then shruged mentally and followed the tall man, her braided hair swaying in the wind with her new blue laced dress.
"I'm glad you came by," she spoke, smiling again. "It's been quite bored than usual since...Cloud left."
"......"
"....and I was about on my way to Barret's place, before I heard that you were coming! You should join me, Vincent. I'm planning to stay there for about three to five days, since I got a week off from my job here. It'll be like the old times. I'm sure Barret would love to see you again, though I doubt he'll admit it," she giggled lightly as they walked into the town street.
Vincent didn't say a word. He seemed to be in his own thoughts as Tifa gazed up at him.
"......Where have you been all this time? We hardly ever see you or hear about you. I thought perhaps you came back to the Shinra Mansion, but then you weren't. Why come back, Vincent?"
"......"
Tifa sighed, looking away from him as she waved to her neighbors who were just walking by. "Well, I think it'll be a good idea for you to come along. You should come along. It'll be so much fun!"
* * *
"Glug, glug, glug, glug......P'haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Cloud took out a deep sigh as he swang the mug down into the table. He rubbed his swollen cheek with one fist and glanced over to Barret.
"Thanks for the free drinks and food, Barret," Cloud said.
"Free food? Who said anything about free food!? You're damn gonna pay for 'em, and I'm not letting you leave my place till you do!"
"Aw, but aren't we friends?"
"We were never friends, punk! If you dun have any money, you're gonnahave to pay with your body, or pay with your belongings."
"...ahh...pay with my body?" Cloud eyed him with a smirk, qurking his brow.
"You damn right!"
The customers in the bar looked to Barret, then started to whisper at each other. Barret looked around him, puzzled, then quickly got the idea of what impression they took of him.
"I dun mean by that! SHUT YOUR DAMN FOOD HOLES!" he swang around his metallic arm, and glared back down at Cloud.
"Dad!"
Just then, a little girl with brown hair came skipping in, swinging her books down onto a table and walked directly up to Barret and Cloud. Marlene seemed a bit older now, and she seemed to be breathing hard from running back from school.
"Hey.....Cloud...what happened to you?"
"Don't say a word to her, Cloud," gruffed the bear. "I dun want you to give your damn fuckin' influence to Marlene."
"Look who's talkin'.....," Cloud mumbled, narrowing his eyes as he looked to the side, reffering to how Barret uses his language.
"What'chuu 'jus sa-..."
"It's a long story," Cloud turned back to Marlene, ignoring Barret.
Cloud can remember the whole thing still, feeling the throbbing pain pinching him all over with the wounds he got. He can remember the beating as the mobs started to beat on the bag. He got hit fives time, and as the dust started to rise from the bating, Cloud managed to slip out amazingly away from them, peering down at them from rows of rocks. It took a while for them to finally stop as they only discovered one of the mob in a bag, beaten silly and twitching while Cloud ran the rest of his way to elsewhere.
"...hehehe," Cloud felt proud about his sneakiness, then stopped his secret snickering as he saw Barret giving him a nasty look.
"Well, I guess I'll be going now," Cloud stood up, walking towards the exist.
"No you ain't! Grumblegrumblegrumble.......!!!"
Completely ignoring, he was almost out, but he paused, seeing a familiar figure out in the street, right infront of the door.
"Ah.....Ti-"
"Cloud!"
Looking up, Tifa's mouth dropped open. She stood there for few seconds, then ran up the steps, walking in to meet Cloud, who took a step back.
"Cloud! Wow....you look....like you're doing fine," she said, looking up and down at Cloud with bruises all over with a gray rug around his waist.
"You were in a fight again, huh?"
"......no," Cloud answered her meekly, noticing her eyes stopped at the rug. "It's a new fashion."
"Look queer," Barret added.
The rest of the customers started to laugh, along with Tifa and Marlene. As they were laughing, and Cloud trying to stay cool through his uneasiness, Vincent walked in calmly, not minding the others, paused to look around, and took a seat for himself.
"Vincent!" Cloud mused himself at his sudden appearence.
Tifa took a seat beside Vincent as well and started to explain how she met Vincent and suggested he should join her a week vacation in the North Corel, where Barret built a small new bar there.
"Vincent, I haven't seen you in a while," Cloud sat beside him, too, trying to hide his rug from other's sight, especially Barret, Vincent, and Tifa.
"Hmph....," Barret whiped his hand with his laced apron (Marlene makes him wear it everyday). "Tifa....didn't know you were comin'."
"Oh, Barret....aren't you gonna say hi to Vincent?" Tifa smiled, winking at him, knowing that Barret was trying to avoid Vincent.
Barret gruffed under his breath, then nodded over to Vincent and Vincent just simple stared up at Barret with his arms crossed, leaning in his seat.
"So Cloud, what's happening with you? You hardly ever write to me anymore," Tifa faced Cloud, feeling odd.
"Nothing," meekly, he replied.
* * *
"Mister Olglie?"
A woman behind the desk looked up from her papers, smiling to a man sitting at the waiting room.
"You're next for the interview."
The nervous young man got up in his fine suit and walked into the room, closing the door.
The place was a small building of ANGELS, a new national group of some organization. It was recent that this project started. There were two organization groups. One was the ANGELS, and the other was the KEEPERS, much higher rank then the ANGELS. They were part of a famous company called the Heavens. They were company of communication, such as the internet, the phone lines, and anything that has to do with communications. They were starting to hire more and more people for ANGELS. They promised a good job for anybody, even the poor and not so educated ones. Anyone.
The ANGELS were like armies, the marine forces and such, an organizing groups to keep track on their projects, system, workers and such. People who are more skilled on certain things had certain other jobs, like building and constracting offices and factories, hiring people, teaching and training the new workers and so on.
The KEEPERS planned and constructs the projects. They keep in traclk with all the information, organizing the other things after the ANGELS and so on. (I don't know...)
Although Heaven is still very new, started only few years ago, it's popularity was increasing. More and more people were willing to work there mostly because of their well kept promise about good job for everyone.
"Thank you, Mister Olglie," a man at a desk smiled up at the interviewed man who got the hint that he got the job as ANGEL. Olglie bowed to the man as he got up, saying thank you in his most polite way and walked out, closing the door.