Sephiroth's Redemption
written by Kat_Aclysm
Rated PG: For occasional course language and other stuff...
DISCLAIMER: Final Fantasy VII isn't mine (OK it is, I own a copy, but that's not the point). Final Fantasy VII Copyright 1997, 1998 Square Co., Ltd. Final Fantasy and SquareSoft are registered trademarks of Square Co., Ltd. (Squallsoft if you own VIII ^-^)
NOTE: Before reading this, Finish Final Fantasy VII first as this story contains spoilers. The plot is a continuation of where the game ends.
Stuff in *'s is spoken in telepathy. Aeris and Sephiroth talk to each other quite a lot in this way.
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Seeing as though three years have passed since the end of Final Fantasy 7, these are the ages of everybody: Cloud is 24, Tifa's now 23, Barret is 38, Red XIII is 48, Cid is 35, Yuffie would be 19 and Vincent's 30 (if you could say that). Aeris would be around 25, and Sephiroth would be about 28.
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Chapter 1 - Thankyou..... For Everything.
Around three years has passed since the defeat of Sephiroth, and all is well... or all is well for a planet that had Mako reactors sucking it dry, and a megalomaniac who brought a Meteor down from the heavens so he could suck out it's 'Lifestream'.
Our story starts in Nibelheim, where a young 'ex-SOLDIER' (well, that's what he said at the time) turned AVALANCHE member lives, and is now playing a game of poker with an almost girlfriend and a few war-buddies.
"I'll see your twenty, and raise you two."
"Cloud, you should really stop betting."
"But I wanna win." Cloud smiled. "There you go Tifa, what are you gonna do with that?"
"Fine, I'll see your two, and raise you fifty."
"Count me out." Red XIII sighed, tossed his cards on the table and went to sit with Barret.
"I'll see your fifty, and raise you one."
"Okay then..... I'll see your one, and raise you a hundred gil."
"Okay Tifa, you win." Cloud moaned, as he slammed his cards down on the table. "My hand can't be worth that much if you keep raising the stakes like that. I give up, you win."
"Really?" Tifa asked. "I win?"
"Yes." Cloud said, slightly annoyed. "You win.... again."
"Let me see your cards. I wanna see what I was trying to beat." Tifa said, trying to control her giggles.
"I had a straight flush." Cloud sighed as he handed the cards to his friend.
"Awww that's too bad." Tifa giggled. "I thought for sure you would have won that time. Too bad you kept raising the stakes."
"What?!" Cloud blurted out. "Why? What the hell did you have?!"
"I was bluffing."
"WHAT?!" Cloud yelled. "Aarrrgh! She did it to me again!!!"
Tifa burst out laughing, Red XIII shook his head and sighed, and Barret couldn't help but laugh just a little. Cloud could be such an idiot when it came to betting money.
"Well that's what ya' get when you try to sell yerself out, ya' know." Barret chuckled. "Do yerself a favour Cloud - never go down to the Gold Saucer and play in that damned casino Cait Sith owns now."
"Rggghhhh...." Cloud growled. "Now I'm broke for the rest of the week. I hope you're happy Tifa - now I don't have enough money to buy any food - let alone take you out this Saturday night."
"It doesn't matter, Cloud..." Tifa sighed. "We can stay at your house and watch the stars for all I care - just as long as I can be with you."
Cloud stopped dead in his tracks. "Do you really mean that, Tifa?"
"Of course not, silly!!" Tifa giggled.
"And she swore she never had any feelings for him." Red XIII whispered to Barret. "I'm beginning to think that's true....."
"Do ya' think we should get outta here an leave em' alone?" Barret asked.
"I don't think so." Red XIII shook his head. "Cloud did invite us over here for a friendly game of cards."
"Yeh, but itsall' BUT friendly right now." Barret chuckled, and watched as Tifa fell down laughing while Cloud stormed off.
Red XIII and Barret just watched the scene as if it was nothing new. After a few minutes, Tifa got up off the floor and sat at the table once more.
"Oh that was sooo funny!" Tifa giggled as she began to count her winnings on the table.
"Do you really think that?" Red XIII said quietly. "You've run one your childhood friends broke with a stupid game. You've hurt his feelings, exploited one of his faults and laughed at his humiliation. I fail to see the humour in that."
"Did I really upset him?"
"You mean to say that you didn't see the expression on his face when he walked out of the room?" Red XIII raised an eyebrow.
"He was upset?"
"I'll say he was. I don't know if you knew it or not, Tifa," Red XIII sighed. "But that kid is crazy about you. Why do you think he always wants you around? Why do you think he takes you so seriously when you suggest that the both of you do something alone together? Why do you think he looks so upset when you hurt him?"
"Oh dear......" Tifa sighed sadly. "I guess I should go talk to him......"
"You guess?" Red XIII growled.
"Where did he go?" Tifa asked.
"He was headed for th' front door when ya' laughed at him." Barret said. "God knows where the lil' recreant is now."
"Thanks!" Tifa yelled, then ran off in search of Cloud.
Red XIII and Barret sat in the silence for a few moments.
"Why'd you tell her that?!" Barret asked. "I never knew Cloud liked Tifa! I bet you 1000 gil they don't get together."
"I bet you 1000 gil they do." Red XIII chuckled.
"You're on!" Barret laughed, and the two shook a non gun arm and a paw on it to seal the deal.
"You know...." Red XIII smirked. "I don't know for sure if Cloud likes Tifa. But it will be interesting to see what happens."
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Meanwhile, elsewhere......
"...gghhh......."
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"Unnnghhh......!!!"
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-
*His will is stronger than I ever imagined......*
-
-
"Huh? Who said that???"
-
"Am I dead?"
"Yes."
"So what's supposed to happen after you die? Do you become one with the Lifestream and become little more than a memory?"
"No......"
"Well?"
"Your physical form disintegrates and returns to the Lifestream, while the part inside that made you who you were, the part that is you....... lives on forever......."
"Lives on forever....? Where?"
"Wherever it is deemed to...... but you are condemned to spend the rest of eternity in this barren place."
"What....?? But you're stuck here as well, aren't you?"
"No."
"Huh?!"
"I came down from the Promised Land to tell y......."
"The Promised Land?! You're in the Promised Land!? Why aren't I there!?"
-
"Well?"
"You mean you don't know why?"
"They......they lost my reservation.....?"
"No, but I want you to think long and hard about the life you lived......"
"Okay...."
-
-
-
".........Oh crap."
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"Exactly. Those who do not live a thoughtful and good-hearted life eventually end up in this place."
"So...... you came here to ridicule me?"
"No... I came to tell you something......"
"......?"
"I forgive you."
"Huh?"
"You killed me. I forgive you."
"Why?"
"I know why you killed me, Sephiroth. But I forgive you."
"How do you know my name?!"
"Everyone knows your name, Sephiroth. You're the one who brought Meteor down on the planet."
"Arrrgh!!! Shut up! If I could hurt you, I would!!"
"Not so strong without your body, are you Sephiroth?"
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"Are you?"
"No."
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"I still forgive you."
"Why?"
"Because I know in my heart that you wanted to hear that."
"Who....... who are you....?"
"Who am I? I will remain nameless to you for a while, but you will meet up with me in due time..... if you agree to what I want you to do for me......."
"And that is......?"
"Heeee heee heee hee....... Wouldn't you like to know, Sephiroth?"
"Well?!"
"I have to change the thoughts and the words of one very sinister and evil person....."
"Why do you have to do that?"
"Because his life wasn't what it was supposed to be......"
"???"
"But after his past was known to him, how he was just another experiment, he took it as his calling to destroy every last human being alive.... Hee hee.... he walked in the shadows of Jenova."
"Wha??? What's this guy's name?"
".....Sephiroth."
"But why me?! Why are you doing this to me!?"
"Sephiroth!!! Calm down! Nothing bad will come of you!"
"Huh?"
"If given another chance......"
"Another chance??"
"Another chance at living again."
"You're willing to give me another chance at life!? Can you even do that??"
"Yes Sephiroth, but at a cost on my own behalf. Your fate will be my fate. After your resurrection, I have to return as well. If you continue in your old ways, you'll end up back here when you die... and so will I."
"You're going to make the supreme sacrifice for me? You'll give up your heaven just so I can live again!?"
"Of course."
"But..... why?!"
"Because I believe your life wasn't what it was supposed to be. Your life was wasted because people manipulated you to do what they wanted. Isn't that true?"
"..................."
"Professor Gast wanted to create ordinary soldiers with the powers of the Cetra. You were the one that was produced..... but what Professor Gast used to alter you was definitely not Cetra genes..... they created you to be the ultimate soldier. And you were. They trained you, ordered you around till you were the top ranking SOLDIER officer."
"Yes. That's true."
"And after you found out about how you were created, you took it upon yourself to carry out Jenova's will....."
".............."
"...bring down Meteor, create a gigantic injury in the planet..... absorb the Lifestream and evolve into a superior being......"
"That's right. How did you know all that?!"
"The planet told me. It told me everything.... and how to stop you....."
"........???"
"I was the one who summoned Holy."
"WHAT?! Why you....."
"Even in death you cannot escape your dark side, can you?"
"..........................."
"You have an uncontrollable anger, Sephiroth. Once you get it going, it controls you. When we return to the planet, that will be something we'll have to work on."
"You're seriously going to resurrect me, aren't you?"
"Well, you're not going to repeat the way you lived the first time are you?"
"You're really going to resurrect me, even though you know damn well who I am?"
"Yes. "
"But.... why?! Why do you trust me!?"
"Because I care. You don't like being here, do you?"
"I hate it!!"
"See? Well then Sephiroth, Do you want another chance? Do you want to live again, redeem yourself, clear your name?"
"How do I do that?"
"You fight for good, care for the weak and injured, look out for the inexperienced."
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"Are you willing to do this, Sephiroth?"
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"This is pathetic. Catch 22, as always...... I knew this was too good to be true."
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"Will you? If you don't agree to the conditions I've given you, I won't bother resurrecting you. Why would anyone bring another round of destruction down on the planet?"
"Alright!! I get the point!!"
"Well? Are you willing to?"
"Yes."
"Promise me you'll turn your back on your old ways."
"Alright already!! I promise!"
"I like to hear that. Remember, seeing as though you promised, I have to hold you to it."
"Oh great......"
"And it's never nice to break a promise to one of the Cetra..... unpleasant things may happen to you....."
"May I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Sephiroth, what did you want to know?"
"Why don't you just resurrect all the people I've killed instead?!"
"Because many of them have returned to the planet and have become one with the Lifestream. They don't want to return. They are happy where they are."
"Very well...."
"So then Sephiroth..... are you ready to return?"
"I don't know......"
"You do realise that when you return, your body will have aged the number of years you have been away?"
"It will? That's alright I guess..... how long was I away?"
"Almost three years."
"So when I return, I'll be about....."
"You'll have the body of a healthy 28 year old male."
"OK then, if you say so. I'm ready to return."
"Alright Sephiroth.... but after you've been resurrected, The first thing I want you to do is to find Cloud. Tell him that I'm alright."
"Huh?"
"His heart has held a deep sorrow since the day you killed me."
"Alright Chosen One, I'll do as you say."
"Chosen One....?"
"You're speaking to me from the Promised Land..... you can resurrect me...... what other proof do you need? You're the Chosen One!!"
"...*sigh*..... if you say so, Sephiroth. Every so often, I'll talk to you and tell you where you're needed. Tag along with Cloud and his group for a few weeks and get to know them. You'll see then that not all people are bad."
"If you say so......"
"You might want to keep yourself hidden from the other townsfolk for a while because many people are still scared of you, even though you've been gone for three years."
"That's a laugh."
"Alright then. You'll be back on the planet in a few minutes."
"OK then."
-
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"Oh, and Sephiroth?"
"Yes?"
"I'll be joining you all in a while. Don't forget."
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"Thankyou."
"For what?"
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"Everything."
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"You're welcome."
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"Cloud?!"
"CLOUD?!"
Tifa was still looking for Cloud. It had gotten quite cold and dark outside now, and the only lights lighting up Nibelheim were the glow of the candles from people's houses. Nibelheim was another town that converted to solar power when Shinra went out of business thanks to that little incident at Midgar with a certain Meteor. The problem with Solar Power was that it was so unreliable - so it was only used to power essential appliances like refrigerators and (of course) the TV.
"Have you found him yet?" Red XIII asked, looking around.
"No...... Tifa said, close to tears. "He's nowhere to be seen!!"
"Well I can't sniff him out, and my sense of smell is as sharp as a cat's..."
"Uhhh Red?" Tifa asked, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you a cat?"
"Sort of." Red XIII chuckled. "I am what you see."
"Well if you have the hearing of a cat, that must mean you have the sight of a cat too."
"Yes...." Red XIII said. "What's your point?"
"I've read about how well cats can see in the dark....." Tifa explained. "So why don't you go looking for Cloud in the town, where it's dark?!"
"Alright then.... Red XIII sighed. "You look back inside the house. I'll see you in about 10 minutes or so."
Cloud watched from the roof as Tifa closed his front door and Red XIII walked off into the town. He wasn't going to be spotted if he could help it - he hadn't run away just because Tifa had infuriated him, he had come up here to think and to be alone. With Tifa living in his house until other accommodation could be made available, Cloud didn't have much solitude any more.
He had been up on the roof the whole time, just thinking about what had happened to everything over the last couple of years. Now with Sephiroth gone, the planet was safe again..... but there was nothing to do.
"There is no use for the soldier in times of peace." Cloud said quietly to himself as he looked to the night sky. How true that statement was. After Sephiroth's defeat, Cloud had returned to the town where he had grown up before he left home to join SOLDIER. The reason - he did not know. But then again, Cid had returned to his hometown, as had Yuffie. Cait Sith had opened his own attraction as the Gold Saucer, and the last time anyone saw Vincent was when he ran off in the direction of a certain waterfall.
"So this is what we saved......" Cloud smiled slightly as a shooting star raced across a star streaked sky for a brief moment. "The entire planet. Our right to exist. I just wish you were here Aeris, so you could enjoy what you saved."
Sephiroth had killed Aeris, another reason Cloud had hated him so much. He wondered how she was doing, and where she was, and more importantly, if she was alright. Cloud missed her so much, both as a friend and an ally. If only he could talk to her just one more time.... he would find out how she was doing.
"Cloud?! Is that you?"
Cloud looked down on the front yard of his house, his thoughts now interrupted. Barret had spotted him. Cloud grunted angrily and swore to find a better hiding spot next time.
"Yeah...." Cloud said finally. "It's me. What do you want?"
"We're looking for ya' buddy." Barret said kindly.
Cloud smiled a little, Barret had called him 'buddy', something he didn't do often. He jumped off the roof and landed right next to where Barret was standing.
"I suppose you want me to come inside?" Cloud said.
"I don't mind what ya' do...." Barret said. "Just as long as ya' can get Tifa to shut up."
Cloud and Barret chuckled a little and walked inside.
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"Cloud!!!" Tifa yelled. "Where the hell were you?!"
"I don't suppose it reall......"
"And why didn't you come when I called you!?" Tifa interrupted. "I was worried sick about you!!"
"Tifa, I'm....."
"Don't 'sorry' me, Cloud!!" Tifa yelled. "I know you were hiding from us!!"
"Tifa!!" Cloud said sternly to get her attention. "I was going to say that I'm gonna go to sleep now!"
"You are?" Tifa said in a much quieter tone than before.
"Yes..." Cloud said coldly. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, maybe' we should be goin' too." Barret suggested.
"Yes, I'll leave with Barret." Red XIII nodded. "We'll see you later on in the future, Cloud....."
"An' if Tifa gets to be a problem, jus' phone me on the PHS..." Barret whispered, making Cloud smother a giggle.
"But where will you stay?" Tifa asked. "You're just going to leave us?"
"We're gonna spend the night in the hotel." Barret said. "Jus' like old times. Then phone Cid tomorrow mornin' and get him to pick us up on the Highwind."
"Good luck trying to find him nowadays!" Tifa said. "The last I heard about him was that he was going after that Shera woman."
Red XIII smiled secretively. "Oh yes, now I remember..... don't worry. Cid will be easy to find. But we really must be going now."
"OK then, if you're gonna go, I guess I'll see you both later then." Cloud smiled, and just watched as Barret and Red XIII left the house.
"What on earth was Red XIII smiling about?" Tifa asked Cloud, sounding puzzled.
"I think I can guess......."
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"You're going to bed without any dinner?" Tifa asked.
"No, I went and bought something while you guys were out looking for me...." Cloud said with a slight grin.
"I know how much that statement irritates you."
"Why do you run off, Cloud?" Tifa asked, sounding a little hurt. "Is it because of me?"
"I don't want to discuss this, Tifa....." Cloud sighed, and began to walk out of the room.
"But Cloud, I want to know what's wrong!" Tifa yelped. But Cloud was out of earshot now.
Tifa growled. "Fine... be that way, Cloud Strife...."
Tifa slumped down in the chair and picked up the TV remote. Aiming it at the TV, she pressed the power button and flipped through a couple of stations. After deciding on an old black and white horror movie, she put her feet up on the armrest of the other chair in the room and settled back to watch the movie.
"I'm afraid that Ellias is quite quite mad. That fact combined with all his skill and strength makes him quite the formidable foe......"
"So he is highly dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs.....?"
"Not really, that is, if you want your head ripped off....."
"What a boring movie....." Tifa yawned. "Even Barney is scarier than this......"
Just then, the signal dropped out, and the TV appeared to go dead.
"Oh damn." Tifa sighed, got up and checked on the TV. "I bet the generator's run flat again.... stupid solar power....."
Tifa whacked the side of the TV in annoyance. "Stupid TV! The rotten thing never works this late at night!"
Just then, the screen crackled loudly and a picture of a dark hooded man came up on the screen.
"We must prepare for the arrival of the one winged angel!!!"
"What the hell......?" Tifa stuttered.
"....the time of Sephiroth's return is almost upon us! OWARA will support him till the end! Meteor will scorn the sky once more!"
"CLOUD!!!" Tifa yelled. "Get in here, now!!!"
"W...what's wrong....?" Cloud said crankily as he entered the room. "I was asleep......" he grumbled.
"I don't care!" Tifa said hurriedly. "Look what's being broadcast on the TV!"
"Huh?"
The man of the television sounded more excited with every sentence. "We must prepare an empire for him!! His name will be heard on every corner of the globe!! Join OWARA now and chant his mighty name! Sephiroth! Sephiroth! Sephiroth!!!"
Just then, the TV went dead again. A second later, the movie came back on. Tifa stood there dumbfounded, while Cloud looked a little annoyed with the events.
"I don't remember that being in 'The Night of The Living Dead'." Cloud mused.
"It's not funny Cloud!!! That was an advertisement for a Sephiroth cult!!"
"Someone went to a lot of effort to bar the signal to the TV station like that...." Cloud said thoughtfully.
"Do you really think Sephiroth's around!?" Tifa asked, wide eyed.
"No way!" Cloud growled. "I killed that bastard..... there's no way......"
"Then what do you suppose this 'OWARA' group is up to?"
"It's just a cult, nothing more." Cloud said determinedly. "I wouldn't pay it any mind. Anyone who joins that cult is stupid. If they do, then let the stupid mindless sheep have their 'almighty' Sephiroth. Probably just some nobody in a black cape......"
"Just as long as it's not the real one." Tifa smiled. "Personally, I don't wanna have to fight anything like him ever again."
"Neither do I." Cloud smiled back. "Now let's just drop the subject and go to sleep."
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Sephiroth looked up at the town clock. The time was 12:08 PM. The Chosen One had just resurrected him a few minutes ago and had dumped him just on the border of Nibelheim with the instruction to find Cloud. Sephiroth wondered if he looked any different from what he did three years ago. He walked over to the nearby frozen lake and looked down at his reflection - almost no change. The curious glow in Sephiroth's eyes that signified he had been injected with Jenova's cells and fused with Mako energy was still the same - the same luminous turquoise eyes stared back at him with a slight look of annoyance. Turning over his left hand revealed a tattoo of the number 1.
"So I'm still the same, right down to the last scar......"
Sephiroth reached behind him as if to pull out his Masamune from its sheath...... but it was not there. After a quick check on his person, Sephiroth noticed that he did not have any weapon at all.
"Aaarrgggh!!" Sephiroth growled out of frustration. "The least you could have done was equip me with a weapon, Chosen One!!!"
A sudden gust of ice-cold wind blew in from Mt. Nibel and swirled around him. After wrapping his arms around himself, he quickly discovered that he wasn't wearing a shirt, his black cape or anything.
"What the.....?!" He breathed a quick sigh of relief when he found that he was wearing his black pants and knee high boots. "Where the hell did my shirt go?"
Sephiroth looked around the ground quickly for any of his stuff. After finding nothing, he sighed in frustration.
"Hmmm.... well what would you expect when The Chosen One is a female?"
As the ice-wind picked up speed, Sephiroth shivered profusely - he had forgotten what it was like to be cold and now felt the sensation rather strongly. He headed off in search of warmth - no sooner had he gotten into the town when he was spotted by a young boy taking a can of garbage outside for his mother. The child looked petrified and dropped what he was holding. The garbage can made a deafening clatter as it hit the pavement.
"Sefyrof!!! Oh my god, I saw Sefyrof!!!" the boy yelped and ran inside his house as fast as his skinny little legs could take him. Sephiroth mentally slapped his forehead and dove for cover. So much for listening to The Chosen One's advice about keeping himself hidden.
The boy quickly came out with his mother.
"Oh you did not...." the mother said angrily.
"I did momma, I did, right there!!!" the boy defended. "I saw Sefyrof!!"
"Honey, Sephiroth is dead.... so how can he be here?"
"Sefyrof isn't dead, he just ran off when I was taking out the garbage!!"
"It was probably just a cat or something, honey." the mother sighed wearily. "Now come back inside. It's your bedtime, anyway."
"How will I be able to sleep with Sefyrof around here, momma!?" the boy squeaked. "He'll kill us all for sure!"
*"That brat just called me 'Sefyrof'! Hey, Chosen One?? Can't I just silence their voices?!"*
*"Hell no, Sephiroth! Don't fall into your old ways! However will you redeem your soul if you kill people like that?!"*
* "I don't know, but I sure wish they'd stop talking about me. The more people that talk about me means the more people that will be looking for me... isn't that right, Chosen one?"*
*Well if you want less people to talk about seeing you... stop revealing yourself to everybody!!!"*
* "Why didn't I think of that?!"*
"Come inside!!!" the mother got quite angry and dragged her son inside. Sephiroth was glad to see them go.
"That was a close one." he sighed.
* "It sure was..... now go find Cloud!!"*
"Alright fine!" Sephiroth growled, and promptly shivered as another cold gust of air blew up behind him. "I just wish you'd resurrected me with warmer clothes......."
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Cloud stared blankly into the fire that was burning nicely in his fireplace. The commercial about the Sephiroth cult had filled his head with many thoughts, and now he could not sleep.
Right now, he was thinking about Aeris again, and feeling downright miserable about it. Just then, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked up as Tifa sat down next to him with a worried expression painted on her face.
"I know something's wrong Cloud." she sighed. "There's no use trying to hide it from me. I know something's upsetting you. I want you to tell me what it is."
"Oh Tifa...." Cloud began. "It's not you if that's what you're worried about....."
"Then what is it?"
"It's just...... Aeris." Cloud hung his head. "I miss her. She was a good person. She didn't deserve to die..... at least..... not like that...."
"We all miss her, Cloud...." Tifa said kindly. "And we did everything we could...."
"I know.... but it still wasn't enough." Cloud sighed.
"Yeah...."
"And another thing.... just thinking about Sephiroth....." Cloud said thoughtfully. "Just how great of an opponent was he?"
"Sephiroth was never great....." Tifa said coldly. "He was a terrible, evil man who got what he deserved."
"But his power was awesome." Cloud sighed. "He knew we could never beat him in the beginning.... until we caught up with him at the bottom of the Great Northern Cave..... he could have killed us all in one whisper if he had wanted to....."
"He was the one holding back Holy....." Tifa said thoughtfully. "We nearly didn't destroy him too......"
"I know." Cloud smiled weakly. "Now that I look back on it, I'm surprised we even had the power to beat him.... Sephiroth showed us what a fight really was."
"Ugghhh....." Tifa growled. "You sound like you admired him...."
"I did.... once. When I was a child, I dreamed of being like him." Cloud smiled. "I just think it was interesting how he never really went all out on us until that final battle..... when he was in that form....... like an angel.... only with one wing..... "
"The only reason he went all out on us in the end is because he knew he couldn't win!"
"I know." Cloud nodded. "I hate to admit it, but it sucks now that Sephiroth is gone."
"Huh?!" Tifa squeaked. "Are you serious?!"
Cloud and Tifa sat in silence for a few moments.
"When we were after Sephiroth, we were all together." Cloud smiled. "And we did the stupidest things...... remember the time I dressed up like a woman just so we could get into the Honeybee Inn?"
"Yes..." Tifa giggled. "I still think you looked so cute..."
"Yeah, and remember how we all hijacked the Highwind?!" Cloud chuckled. "And when we first met Cid and raced the Chocobos we had bred at the Gold Saucer?"
"Of course I do!" Tifa chuckled. "There were heaps of funny things that happened to us on our adventure!"
"There were also many serious things as well...." Cloud smile quickly faded. "Like when Sector 7 came crashing down on the slums.... when Cait Sith turned out to be a traitor.... and when I gave Sephiroth the Black Materia....."
"Cloud, you have to expect that. Any adventure has many triumphs and tragedies...."
Tifa stopped and watched as Cloud yawned.
"You should get some sleep, Cloud." Tifa smiled. "You look like you could do with some."
"I feel like I need to sleep, but I can't." Cloud sighed. "My head's too full of thoughts."
"Poor Cloud....." Tifa sighed, patting him gently on the back. "I have a suggestion...."
"Oh yeah?" Cloud raised his eyebrows in inquisition.
Tifa got up and left the room. A few minutes later, she returned with a futon mattress, a pillow and a faded flannel blanket. She lay the futon down on the floor near the fireplace and tossed the pillow on it.
"And I suppose you want me to lie down on this?" Cloud smiled slightly. "You know, I could have just got up and walked over to where it was set up before......"
"Just crawl onto the futon, lay your head against me and make yourself comfortable." Tifa said kindly. "If you still can't sleep then, at least you're not alone....."
Cloud decided to do what he was told. He leaned back against Tifa and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Thanks Tifa."
"What for?"
"....... everything."
Tifa paused for a few moments before deciding on an answer.
"That's alright Cloud."
"You can have my bed again if you want."
"Where will you sleep?" Tifa cocked her head to one side.
Cloud smiled sleepily. "Here....."
"If you're sure....." Tifa said. No sooner had she finished her sentence, Cloud was asleep. Tifa just smiled at him and covered him with the flannel blanket.
"That's one of my favourite things about you, Cloud Strife." Tifa sighed happily. "You're so courteous."
She kissed the sleeping man's forehead lightly before getting up and leaving the room.
----------------------------------
"Oh dammit! Which house is does the freak Cloud live at?! I forget!!"
Sephiroth was annoyed. He had been looking for Cloud's house for about the last hour, but to no avail.
"If only people wrote their names on their letterboxes or something! I'd find him easily!" Sephiroth growled, ripped a nearby letterbox off its post and slammed it on the ground. It made a loud clattering sound, and frightened a nearby cat.
"Screw this 'keeping myself hidden', Chosen One.... I really wish I could...."
Just then, the front door of the steel blue coloured house was flung open. A very angry and half-asleep man stormed up the path and shoved Sephiroth in the back.
"It's 3 am in the morning, boy! What the hell do you...." the man stopped dead in his tracks when his bloodshot eyes recognised the dark figure standing at the bottom of his pathway.
Sephiroth turned to face the man. "I wouldn't poke me if I were you. Do you know where I can find a guy called 'Cloud'?" he asked, sounding very bored.
The man opened his mouth but no words came out. He froze like a statue.
"Well?!" Sephiroth growled. "Have you seen him?!"
".......no......."
"Well why didn't you say that?!" Sephiroth sighed, and walked off down the path. "Geez! Some people......"
The man only watched as Sephiroth disappeared around the corner.
"That man was..... Sephiroth....." he said blankly as the wind blew his front door shut, locking him out of his house.
----------------------------------
At eight o'clock the following morning, Cloud didn't feel very good. He woke up blearily, stretched his arms above his head, yawned, got up, and headed for the bathroom to relieve himself. No sooner had he reached the knob on the bathroom door did someone knock loudly on his front door.
"Oh gawd.... why does this always happen?" Cloud groaned. "What do I do? I have to answer the stupid door, but I really have to pee!!"
Just then, Tifa walked into the room and headed for the front door.
"Maybe she IS good for something......" Cloud thought to himself as he closed the bathroom door behind him. For the next few minutes, Cloud could hear nothing but two muffled voices - one was Tifa's, the other he couldn't recognise. After he had finished his duties and left the bathroom, he noticed Tifa standing in the middle of the room with a pained expression written on her face.
"What's the matter, Tifa?" Cloud wondered.
"Cloud..... there's something you should know...." Tifa sighed. "That was Bruce, the guy who lives two houses down the road, the guy that always seems maniacally depressed..."
"What's wrong with him now?" Cloud groaned. "Has he discovered his liquor cabinet again...?!"
"He claims that he saw Sephiroth in the dead of the night...."
"He can't have...." Cloud growled. "I killed that bastard.... Barret witnessed it, Cid and Vincent, Cait Sith, Red XIII was there.... even Yuffie did..... and you!"
"I know Cloud...." Tifa nodded. "But if Bruce claims to have seen Sephiroth, we should respect that and believe him...."
"The idiot was probably drunk at the time....." Cloud grunted. "When did he reckon this happened?"
"Last night." Tifa answered. "He said Sephiroth came to his house, ripped his mailbox off its post and threw it to the ground. The noise woke him up, and went he went to check what the racket was, there was Sephiroth on his pathway. He also said that Sephiroth locked him out of his house and walked off."
"That's just ridiculous." Cloud shook his head. "Why would Sephiroth come and just destroy HIS mailbox? It just doesn't make sense! If Sephiroth was here, he would have set fire to the town again or something....."
"I know Cloud... but we should check it out anyway...." Tifa suggested. "What if Sephiroth really isn't dead? What if he really did do what Bruce claimed he had done?"
"Alright Tifa, we'll go." Cloud sighed in annoyance. "But this is totally stupid. Sephiroth is dead, and you know it."
Tifa nodded. "Yes. But let's go anyway to shut the old drunkard up. Take your sword, you'll probably need it."
"To fight off Sephiroth?"
"No, to fight off Mr. Bruce when we call him a liar."
Cloud chuckled at Tifa's remark. He picked up his Ultima Weapon just before they walked out the front door.
----------------------------------
Cloud and Tifa arrived at Bruce's house just a few minutes later. The mousy haired man ran up the path when he saw them arrive.
"Where have you two been?!" the man complained. "Sephiroth could have come back and killed me while you two were off dilly-dallying, ya' know!"
"I don't think he would have bothered...." Cloud whispered to Tifa. "It isn't worth raising a finger to that man..... "
"Cloud!" Tifa giggled. "Don't say that!"
"Okay Bruce...." Cloud said, focusing on the task at hand. "Now where did Sephiroth throw your letterbox?"
Bruce handed the metallic item to Cloud. "There it is. The bastard crushed it good, he did."
"Hmmm...." Cloud inspected the letterbox carefully before handing it back. "I don't think Sephiroth would have done this...."
"And why not!?" Bruce snorted.
"Well, Sephiroth has incredible strength." Cloud explained. "If he intended to throw this letterbox down on the ground, he really would have. It would be no more than a crumpled flat mess. This thing is still recognisable as a letterbox."
"But I still saw Sephiroth!!" Bruce defended.
"I don't think you did." Cloud said, shaking his head.
"Cloud......" Tifa sighed.
"Do you think he got into the drink a bit last night by any chance?" Cloud whispered to Tifa.
"Cloud!"
"Go off back to my place, Tifa." Cloud whispered. "I'll handle this."
"What are yer whispering about?!" the man said angrily. "Don't yer believe me? I saw Sephiroth, dammit!"
"Yeah yeah, whatever...." Cloud grunted. "And I suppose you believe in Santa Claus too?"
"Bloody oath, man!" Bruce yelled. "Of course I do!! Who else puts the presents under the tree?"
Tifa slapped her forehead.
"Your mother!!!" Cloud sighed angrily, and began to walk off.
"Was that a wise crack at my mother!?" Bruce hollered. "I'll have you know that...."
*SLAM*
Cloud had already walked into his house and slammed the front door.
--------------------------------------
Just as Cloud and Tifa had gone inside the house once more, they heard a knock at the door.
"If that's Bruce again, I'll give him a piece of my mind...." Cloud grumbled as he opened the door. Standing there was not Bruce, rather a young boy with a frightened expression on his face.
"A.... are you Cloud?" the boy asked nervously.
"Yeah...." Cloud nodded. "Why? What's up?"
"That man you spoke to....." the boy said quietly. "He... I saw Sefyrof last night too."
"Ohhh..." Cloud groaned. "Not you too..."
"Quiet Cloud!" Tifa interrupted. "Let him speak!"
Tifa crouched down to meet the boy's eye level. "Did you say you saw Sephiroth, young man?"
"Uh-huh." the boy nodded. "When I was taking out the garbage for momma.... he was just walkin by, mindin' his own biz'ness. When I called out that I saw him, he.... he ran off. So please don't be so quick to judge Mr. Bruce.... cuz' I believe him. Both him and me seen Sefyrof last night."
"Wow." Tifa said quietly. "Two sightings in one day. What do you make of that, Cloud?"
"I don't know....." Cloud shrugged.
"You can go now, young man." Tifa said kindly. "You've been a great help."
"Thanks!" the boy said happily and ran off down the road.
Cloud stood there in disbelief. "I don't know what to make of all this..." he said quietly.
"Come on Cloud...." Tifa said, giving him a pat on the back. "In both sightings, Sephiroth was only seen at night. If you're going to do something about it, at least wait till the sun goes down."
"You know Tifa, you're right." Cloud said, snapping out of his trance. "I'll sit on the roof of this house tonight and watch over the town."
"Let's go inside, Cloud." Tifa smiled. "For all we know, it could be just the overactive imagination of a child, and the illusion of a drunkard. Either that, or a messenger from this stupid OWARA Sephiroth cult."
"You know Tifa," Cloud smiled. "You could very well be right."
----------------------------------
"You alright up there Cloud?"
*sigh* "Yes Tifa. I'm fine."
"You don't need any food? I can go cook you something if you do...."
"I'm fine, Tifa! Really, I am!"
"Are you sure?"
"YES."
"Alright then, I'll leave you to it. But if you need anything.... anything at all, don't hesitate to knock on the roof!"
"Bye Tifa. Go inside."
"Okay....."
Cloud breathed a sigh of relief as Tifa went back in his house. He was supposed to be sitting on the roof watching out for this supposed 'Sephiroth' to show up, but with Tifa dotting over him every five minutes or so, he couldn't really do much watching out.
Cloud was uncomfortable up on the roof, the entire thing was covered in solar panels, every house was now. It was hard to keep his footing up there - every few minutes he'd have to shift his position or he'd slide down the roof slowly.
"Stupid solar panels....." Cloud grumbled. "More trouble than they're worth......"
Just then, Cloud's foot slipped and the blade of his Ultima Weapon clunked loudly against the roof. Tifa came rushing out of the house and looked up expectantly.
"You wanted something?" she smiled.
Cloud sighed. "No Tifa, I didn't. I'm fine."
"Then why did you knock on the roof?!"
"I didn't." Cloud shrugged. "I lost my footing a little, that's all."
"Well.... okay. You be careful up there, Cloud. I don't want you getting hurt."
"Yes Tifa, I'll be careful. Now go inside."
Cloud mentally slapped his forehead as Tifa went in the house once more, and swore to try and keep a better footing on the roof. Just then, a light rain began to fall from the heavens.
"Great. Now I'm not only uncomfortable, I'm gonna get wet!" Cloud growled.
Just then, he heard the footsteps of someone walking through the town. Cloud sat up cautiously and watched......
"Oh." Cloud grunted. It was only Bruce taking out some garbage. After dumping his load at the end of his property, the man walked back into his house and slammed the door behind him.
"False alarm." Cloud said to himself.
As the time passed, the rain got heavier. Cloud cursed his situation as raindrops splashed on his face and the rest of him. His clothes were soaked now and felt rather uncomfortable against his skin. The uncomfortableness was the only thing keeping him slightly awake. Cloud finally gave up and rested his head on his knee, closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. He was not having fun.
"Are you having fun up there?"
"Huh?!" Cloud jerked up. "Who said that?!"
"I'm down here, you idiot."
Cloud looked down to his front yard. A man with waist length silver hair and curious turquoise eyes stared at him with a humoured expression on his face.
"Sephiroth!?!" Cloud choked. "What the hell are you doing here!?"
"I was just about to ask you the same question, Cloud Strife." Sephiroth smirked. "What the hell do you think you're doing up there? Are you gonna bay at the moon? Or crow when the sun comes up?"
"So it was true......" Cloud growled. "That kid and the drunken bastard were telling the truth! Dammit! I was hoping they were wrong!!"
"Drunken bastard?" Sephiroth said inquisitively. "You mean the clueless man who just stood there like a dumbass after I wrecked his letterbox?"
"Rrrrrrrggghhhhhhh.........!!!"
"I must give you credit, Cloud." Sephiroth smiled. "You're the only one who hasn't frozen like a statue or turned into an incompetent slug the minute they set eyes on me."
"I killed you, Sephiroth!!!" Cloud howled. "You shouldn't be alive, I murdered you!!"
"And I'm hurt, Cloud." Sephiroth said, feigning hurt. "How could you do such a thing.... and to your favourite hero?"
"What?!?!" Cloud snorted. "You're not my hero, I hate your guts!!"
"Really? Well that's a change from wanting to emulate me....." Sephiroth smirked. "Wasn't that the reason you signed up for SOLDIER? To be just like me?"
"ARRRGGGHH!!!!"
*"Sephiroth!! Stop this immediately!! All you're doing is making Cloud furious!!"*
*"C'mon Chosen One!! Can't I have a little fun with him first??"*
*NO!!! You're supposed to be befriending him! Not pissing him off! Apologise to him right now!!"*
*"But what for?*
*"Everything!!!"*
*"What?"*
*Just do it! Do it now before something bad happens!!"*
*"Alright, all right!!!"*
"You're a bastard, and I hate you!!" Cloud yelled. "I want you to DIE!!"
"Hey!!" Sephiroth said loudly. "Calm down! Don't get so worked up, I'm not here to annoy you, I came to tell you something....."
"What...?" Cloud said coldly. "What did you come here to tell me?"
"She's alright."
"Who's alright?!" Cloud growled.
"I don't know!!" Sephiroth said in frustration. "She never told me her name! She just sent me here to tell you that she's alright!"
"Who are you talking about?!" Cloud snapped. "Tell me now!!"
"I don't know... the girl....." Sephiroth shrugged. "The Chosen One."
"That doesn't tell me anything!!!!"
"It tells you a lot actually." Sephiroth said. "Come on, how many Chosen Ones are there? Only one, that's why they call her 'The Chosen One'."
"You're fucking nuts......." Cloud spat. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now....."
"Uhhh..... because I'm good?" Sephiroth offered.
"Liar. You don't even know her name, do you!?"
"She never told me her name!!" Sephiroth offered. "But she said I killed her."
".....Aeris!?" Cloud said, suddenly standing up. "Why did.......whoa!!!"
"Hey, be careful!" Sephiroth said angrily.
Cloud lost his footing on the solar panel now slippery from the rain. His sword clanged loudly down the roof, into the guttering and made a dull thud as it hit the ground. Cloud tumbled off the roof and landed on the ground head first before collapsing in a heap at Sephiroth's boot.
"Oh shit!!!" Sephiroth cursed as he quickly bent down to see if Cloud was alright.
"Aeris......" Cloud gurgled before finally passing out.
"Cloud?" Sephiroth said urgently, and shook the man. "Cloud?!"
Just then, Tifa opened the door.
"Cloud, you wanted somethiiiii......." she froze at the scene in front of her. Sephiroth mentally slapped himself as he imagine what the scene would look like to Tifa.
"It's not what you think!" Sephiroth yelped.
"Like hell it isn't.....!!"
Sephiroth froze, not knowing what to do.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Be Continued......
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Writer's Ramblings:
Hey, what did you think? Do you like it??
written by Kat_Aclysm
Rated PG: For occasional course language and other stuff...
DISCLAIMER: Final Fantasy VII isn't mine (OK it is, I own a copy, but that's not the point). Final Fantasy VII Copyright 1997, 1998 Square Co., Ltd. Final Fantasy and SquareSoft are registered trademarks of Square Co., Ltd. (Squallsoft if you own VIII ^-^)
NOTE: Before reading this, Finish Final Fantasy VII first as this story contains spoilers. The plot is a continuation of where the game ends.
Stuff in *'s is spoken in telepathy. Aeris and Sephiroth talk to each other quite a lot in this way.
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Seeing as though three years have passed since the end of Final Fantasy 7, these are the ages of everybody: Cloud is 24, Tifa's now 23, Barret is 38, Red XIII is 48, Cid is 35, Yuffie would be 19 and Vincent's 30 (if you could say that). Aeris would be around 25, and Sephiroth would be about 28.
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Chapter 1 - Thankyou..... For Everything.
Around three years has passed since the defeat of Sephiroth, and all is well... or all is well for a planet that had Mako reactors sucking it dry, and a megalomaniac who brought a Meteor down from the heavens so he could suck out it's 'Lifestream'.
Our story starts in Nibelheim, where a young 'ex-SOLDIER' (well, that's what he said at the time) turned AVALANCHE member lives, and is now playing a game of poker with an almost girlfriend and a few war-buddies.
"I'll see your twenty, and raise you two."
"Cloud, you should really stop betting."
"But I wanna win." Cloud smiled. "There you go Tifa, what are you gonna do with that?"
"Fine, I'll see your two, and raise you fifty."
"Count me out." Red XIII sighed, tossed his cards on the table and went to sit with Barret.
"I'll see your fifty, and raise you one."
"Okay then..... I'll see your one, and raise you a hundred gil."
"Okay Tifa, you win." Cloud moaned, as he slammed his cards down on the table. "My hand can't be worth that much if you keep raising the stakes like that. I give up, you win."
"Really?" Tifa asked. "I win?"
"Yes." Cloud said, slightly annoyed. "You win.... again."
"Let me see your cards. I wanna see what I was trying to beat." Tifa said, trying to control her giggles.
"I had a straight flush." Cloud sighed as he handed the cards to his friend.
"Awww that's too bad." Tifa giggled. "I thought for sure you would have won that time. Too bad you kept raising the stakes."
"What?!" Cloud blurted out. "Why? What the hell did you have?!"
"I was bluffing."
"WHAT?!" Cloud yelled. "Aarrrgh! She did it to me again!!!"
Tifa burst out laughing, Red XIII shook his head and sighed, and Barret couldn't help but laugh just a little. Cloud could be such an idiot when it came to betting money.
"Well that's what ya' get when you try to sell yerself out, ya' know." Barret chuckled. "Do yerself a favour Cloud - never go down to the Gold Saucer and play in that damned casino Cait Sith owns now."
"Rggghhhh...." Cloud growled. "Now I'm broke for the rest of the week. I hope you're happy Tifa - now I don't have enough money to buy any food - let alone take you out this Saturday night."
"It doesn't matter, Cloud..." Tifa sighed. "We can stay at your house and watch the stars for all I care - just as long as I can be with you."
Cloud stopped dead in his tracks. "Do you really mean that, Tifa?"
"Of course not, silly!!" Tifa giggled.
"And she swore she never had any feelings for him." Red XIII whispered to Barret. "I'm beginning to think that's true....."
"Do ya' think we should get outta here an leave em' alone?" Barret asked.
"I don't think so." Red XIII shook his head. "Cloud did invite us over here for a friendly game of cards."
"Yeh, but itsall' BUT friendly right now." Barret chuckled, and watched as Tifa fell down laughing while Cloud stormed off.
Red XIII and Barret just watched the scene as if it was nothing new. After a few minutes, Tifa got up off the floor and sat at the table once more.
"Oh that was sooo funny!" Tifa giggled as she began to count her winnings on the table.
"Do you really think that?" Red XIII said quietly. "You've run one your childhood friends broke with a stupid game. You've hurt his feelings, exploited one of his faults and laughed at his humiliation. I fail to see the humour in that."
"Did I really upset him?"
"You mean to say that you didn't see the expression on his face when he walked out of the room?" Red XIII raised an eyebrow.
"He was upset?"
"I'll say he was. I don't know if you knew it or not, Tifa," Red XIII sighed. "But that kid is crazy about you. Why do you think he always wants you around? Why do you think he takes you so seriously when you suggest that the both of you do something alone together? Why do you think he looks so upset when you hurt him?"
"Oh dear......" Tifa sighed sadly. "I guess I should go talk to him......"
"You guess?" Red XIII growled.
"Where did he go?" Tifa asked.
"He was headed for th' front door when ya' laughed at him." Barret said. "God knows where the lil' recreant is now."
"Thanks!" Tifa yelled, then ran off in search of Cloud.
Red XIII and Barret sat in the silence for a few moments.
"Why'd you tell her that?!" Barret asked. "I never knew Cloud liked Tifa! I bet you 1000 gil they don't get together."
"I bet you 1000 gil they do." Red XIII chuckled.
"You're on!" Barret laughed, and the two shook a non gun arm and a paw on it to seal the deal.
"You know...." Red XIII smirked. "I don't know for sure if Cloud likes Tifa. But it will be interesting to see what happens."
----------------------------------
Meanwhile, elsewhere......
"...gghhh......."
-
"Unnnghhh......!!!"
-
-
*His will is stronger than I ever imagined......*
-
-
"Huh? Who said that???"
-
"Am I dead?"
"Yes."
"So what's supposed to happen after you die? Do you become one with the Lifestream and become little more than a memory?"
"No......"
"Well?"
"Your physical form disintegrates and returns to the Lifestream, while the part inside that made you who you were, the part that is you....... lives on forever......."
"Lives on forever....? Where?"
"Wherever it is deemed to...... but you are condemned to spend the rest of eternity in this barren place."
"What....?? But you're stuck here as well, aren't you?"
"No."
"Huh?!"
"I came down from the Promised Land to tell y......."
"The Promised Land?! You're in the Promised Land!? Why aren't I there!?"
-
"Well?"
"You mean you don't know why?"
"They......they lost my reservation.....?"
"No, but I want you to think long and hard about the life you lived......"
"Okay...."
-
-
-
".........Oh crap."
-
-
"Exactly. Those who do not live a thoughtful and good-hearted life eventually end up in this place."
"So...... you came here to ridicule me?"
"No... I came to tell you something......"
"......?"
"I forgive you."
"Huh?"
"You killed me. I forgive you."
"Why?"
"I know why you killed me, Sephiroth. But I forgive you."
"How do you know my name?!"
"Everyone knows your name, Sephiroth. You're the one who brought Meteor down on the planet."
"Arrrgh!!! Shut up! If I could hurt you, I would!!"
"Not so strong without your body, are you Sephiroth?"
-
"Are you?"
"No."
-
"I still forgive you."
"Why?"
"Because I know in my heart that you wanted to hear that."
"Who....... who are you....?"
"Who am I? I will remain nameless to you for a while, but you will meet up with me in due time..... if you agree to what I want you to do for me......."
"And that is......?"
"Heeee heee heee hee....... Wouldn't you like to know, Sephiroth?"
"Well?!"
"I have to change the thoughts and the words of one very sinister and evil person....."
"Why do you have to do that?"
"Because his life wasn't what it was supposed to be......"
"???"
"But after his past was known to him, how he was just another experiment, he took it as his calling to destroy every last human being alive.... Hee hee.... he walked in the shadows of Jenova."
"Wha??? What's this guy's name?"
".....Sephiroth."
"But why me?! Why are you doing this to me!?"
"Sephiroth!!! Calm down! Nothing bad will come of you!"
"Huh?"
"If given another chance......"
"Another chance??"
"Another chance at living again."
"You're willing to give me another chance at life!? Can you even do that??"
"Yes Sephiroth, but at a cost on my own behalf. Your fate will be my fate. After your resurrection, I have to return as well. If you continue in your old ways, you'll end up back here when you die... and so will I."
"You're going to make the supreme sacrifice for me? You'll give up your heaven just so I can live again!?"
"Of course."
"But..... why?!"
"Because I believe your life wasn't what it was supposed to be. Your life was wasted because people manipulated you to do what they wanted. Isn't that true?"
"..................."
"Professor Gast wanted to create ordinary soldiers with the powers of the Cetra. You were the one that was produced..... but what Professor Gast used to alter you was definitely not Cetra genes..... they created you to be the ultimate soldier. And you were. They trained you, ordered you around till you were the top ranking SOLDIER officer."
"Yes. That's true."
"And after you found out about how you were created, you took it upon yourself to carry out Jenova's will....."
".............."
"...bring down Meteor, create a gigantic injury in the planet..... absorb the Lifestream and evolve into a superior being......"
"That's right. How did you know all that?!"
"The planet told me. It told me everything.... and how to stop you....."
"........???"
"I was the one who summoned Holy."
"WHAT?! Why you....."
"Even in death you cannot escape your dark side, can you?"
"..........................."
"You have an uncontrollable anger, Sephiroth. Once you get it going, it controls you. When we return to the planet, that will be something we'll have to work on."
"You're seriously going to resurrect me, aren't you?"
"Well, you're not going to repeat the way you lived the first time are you?"
"You're really going to resurrect me, even though you know damn well who I am?"
"Yes. "
"But.... why?! Why do you trust me!?"
"Because I care. You don't like being here, do you?"
"I hate it!!"
"See? Well then Sephiroth, Do you want another chance? Do you want to live again, redeem yourself, clear your name?"
"How do I do that?"
"You fight for good, care for the weak and injured, look out for the inexperienced."
-
"Are you willing to do this, Sephiroth?"
-
-
"This is pathetic. Catch 22, as always...... I knew this was too good to be true."
-
-
"Will you? If you don't agree to the conditions I've given you, I won't bother resurrecting you. Why would anyone bring another round of destruction down on the planet?"
"Alright!! I get the point!!"
"Well? Are you willing to?"
"Yes."
"Promise me you'll turn your back on your old ways."
"Alright already!! I promise!"
"I like to hear that. Remember, seeing as though you promised, I have to hold you to it."
"Oh great......"
"And it's never nice to break a promise to one of the Cetra..... unpleasant things may happen to you....."
"May I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Sephiroth, what did you want to know?"
"Why don't you just resurrect all the people I've killed instead?!"
"Because many of them have returned to the planet and have become one with the Lifestream. They don't want to return. They are happy where they are."
"Very well...."
"So then Sephiroth..... are you ready to return?"
"I don't know......"
"You do realise that when you return, your body will have aged the number of years you have been away?"
"It will? That's alright I guess..... how long was I away?"
"Almost three years."
"So when I return, I'll be about....."
"You'll have the body of a healthy 28 year old male."
"OK then, if you say so. I'm ready to return."
"Alright Sephiroth.... but after you've been resurrected, The first thing I want you to do is to find Cloud. Tell him that I'm alright."
"Huh?"
"His heart has held a deep sorrow since the day you killed me."
"Alright Chosen One, I'll do as you say."
"Chosen One....?"
"You're speaking to me from the Promised Land..... you can resurrect me...... what other proof do you need? You're the Chosen One!!"
"...*sigh*..... if you say so, Sephiroth. Every so often, I'll talk to you and tell you where you're needed. Tag along with Cloud and his group for a few weeks and get to know them. You'll see then that not all people are bad."
"If you say so......"
"You might want to keep yourself hidden from the other townsfolk for a while because many people are still scared of you, even though you've been gone for three years."
"That's a laugh."
"Alright then. You'll be back on the planet in a few minutes."
"OK then."
-
-
"Oh, and Sephiroth?"
"Yes?"
"I'll be joining you all in a while. Don't forget."
-
-
"Thankyou."
"For what?"
-
-
"Everything."
-
-
"You're welcome."
----------------------------------
"Cloud?!"
"CLOUD?!"
Tifa was still looking for Cloud. It had gotten quite cold and dark outside now, and the only lights lighting up Nibelheim were the glow of the candles from people's houses. Nibelheim was another town that converted to solar power when Shinra went out of business thanks to that little incident at Midgar with a certain Meteor. The problem with Solar Power was that it was so unreliable - so it was only used to power essential appliances like refrigerators and (of course) the TV.
"Have you found him yet?" Red XIII asked, looking around.
"No...... Tifa said, close to tears. "He's nowhere to be seen!!"
"Well I can't sniff him out, and my sense of smell is as sharp as a cat's..."
"Uhhh Red?" Tifa asked, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you a cat?"
"Sort of." Red XIII chuckled. "I am what you see."
"Well if you have the hearing of a cat, that must mean you have the sight of a cat too."
"Yes...." Red XIII said. "What's your point?"
"I've read about how well cats can see in the dark....." Tifa explained. "So why don't you go looking for Cloud in the town, where it's dark?!"
"Alright then.... Red XIII sighed. "You look back inside the house. I'll see you in about 10 minutes or so."
Cloud watched from the roof as Tifa closed his front door and Red XIII walked off into the town. He wasn't going to be spotted if he could help it - he hadn't run away just because Tifa had infuriated him, he had come up here to think and to be alone. With Tifa living in his house until other accommodation could be made available, Cloud didn't have much solitude any more.
He had been up on the roof the whole time, just thinking about what had happened to everything over the last couple of years. Now with Sephiroth gone, the planet was safe again..... but there was nothing to do.
"There is no use for the soldier in times of peace." Cloud said quietly to himself as he looked to the night sky. How true that statement was. After Sephiroth's defeat, Cloud had returned to the town where he had grown up before he left home to join SOLDIER. The reason - he did not know. But then again, Cid had returned to his hometown, as had Yuffie. Cait Sith had opened his own attraction as the Gold Saucer, and the last time anyone saw Vincent was when he ran off in the direction of a certain waterfall.
"So this is what we saved......" Cloud smiled slightly as a shooting star raced across a star streaked sky for a brief moment. "The entire planet. Our right to exist. I just wish you were here Aeris, so you could enjoy what you saved."
Sephiroth had killed Aeris, another reason Cloud had hated him so much. He wondered how she was doing, and where she was, and more importantly, if she was alright. Cloud missed her so much, both as a friend and an ally. If only he could talk to her just one more time.... he would find out how she was doing.
"Cloud?! Is that you?"
Cloud looked down on the front yard of his house, his thoughts now interrupted. Barret had spotted him. Cloud grunted angrily and swore to find a better hiding spot next time.
"Yeah...." Cloud said finally. "It's me. What do you want?"
"We're looking for ya' buddy." Barret said kindly.
Cloud smiled a little, Barret had called him 'buddy', something he didn't do often. He jumped off the roof and landed right next to where Barret was standing.
"I suppose you want me to come inside?" Cloud said.
"I don't mind what ya' do...." Barret said. "Just as long as ya' can get Tifa to shut up."
Cloud and Barret chuckled a little and walked inside.
----------------------------------
"Cloud!!!" Tifa yelled. "Where the hell were you?!"
"I don't suppose it reall......"
"And why didn't you come when I called you!?" Tifa interrupted. "I was worried sick about you!!"
"Tifa, I'm....."
"Don't 'sorry' me, Cloud!!" Tifa yelled. "I know you were hiding from us!!"
"Tifa!!" Cloud said sternly to get her attention. "I was going to say that I'm gonna go to sleep now!"
"You are?" Tifa said in a much quieter tone than before.
"Yes..." Cloud said coldly. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, maybe' we should be goin' too." Barret suggested.
"Yes, I'll leave with Barret." Red XIII nodded. "We'll see you later on in the future, Cloud....."
"An' if Tifa gets to be a problem, jus' phone me on the PHS..." Barret whispered, making Cloud smother a giggle.
"But where will you stay?" Tifa asked. "You're just going to leave us?"
"We're gonna spend the night in the hotel." Barret said. "Jus' like old times. Then phone Cid tomorrow mornin' and get him to pick us up on the Highwind."
"Good luck trying to find him nowadays!" Tifa said. "The last I heard about him was that he was going after that Shera woman."
Red XIII smiled secretively. "Oh yes, now I remember..... don't worry. Cid will be easy to find. But we really must be going now."
"OK then, if you're gonna go, I guess I'll see you both later then." Cloud smiled, and just watched as Barret and Red XIII left the house.
"What on earth was Red XIII smiling about?" Tifa asked Cloud, sounding puzzled.
"I think I can guess......."
----------------------------------
"You're going to bed without any dinner?" Tifa asked.
"No, I went and bought something while you guys were out looking for me...." Cloud said with a slight grin.
"I know how much that statement irritates you."
"Why do you run off, Cloud?" Tifa asked, sounding a little hurt. "Is it because of me?"
"I don't want to discuss this, Tifa....." Cloud sighed, and began to walk out of the room.
"But Cloud, I want to know what's wrong!" Tifa yelped. But Cloud was out of earshot now.
Tifa growled. "Fine... be that way, Cloud Strife...."
Tifa slumped down in the chair and picked up the TV remote. Aiming it at the TV, she pressed the power button and flipped through a couple of stations. After deciding on an old black and white horror movie, she put her feet up on the armrest of the other chair in the room and settled back to watch the movie.
"I'm afraid that Ellias is quite quite mad. That fact combined with all his skill and strength makes him quite the formidable foe......"
"So he is highly dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs.....?"
"Not really, that is, if you want your head ripped off....."
"What a boring movie....." Tifa yawned. "Even Barney is scarier than this......"
Just then, the signal dropped out, and the TV appeared to go dead.
"Oh damn." Tifa sighed, got up and checked on the TV. "I bet the generator's run flat again.... stupid solar power....."
Tifa whacked the side of the TV in annoyance. "Stupid TV! The rotten thing never works this late at night!"
Just then, the screen crackled loudly and a picture of a dark hooded man came up on the screen.
"We must prepare for the arrival of the one winged angel!!!"
"What the hell......?" Tifa stuttered.
"....the time of Sephiroth's return is almost upon us! OWARA will support him till the end! Meteor will scorn the sky once more!"
"CLOUD!!!" Tifa yelled. "Get in here, now!!!"
"W...what's wrong....?" Cloud said crankily as he entered the room. "I was asleep......" he grumbled.
"I don't care!" Tifa said hurriedly. "Look what's being broadcast on the TV!"
"Huh?"
The man of the television sounded more excited with every sentence. "We must prepare an empire for him!! His name will be heard on every corner of the globe!! Join OWARA now and chant his mighty name! Sephiroth! Sephiroth! Sephiroth!!!"
Just then, the TV went dead again. A second later, the movie came back on. Tifa stood there dumbfounded, while Cloud looked a little annoyed with the events.
"I don't remember that being in 'The Night of The Living Dead'." Cloud mused.
"It's not funny Cloud!!! That was an advertisement for a Sephiroth cult!!"
"Someone went to a lot of effort to bar the signal to the TV station like that...." Cloud said thoughtfully.
"Do you really think Sephiroth's around!?" Tifa asked, wide eyed.
"No way!" Cloud growled. "I killed that bastard..... there's no way......"
"Then what do you suppose this 'OWARA' group is up to?"
"It's just a cult, nothing more." Cloud said determinedly. "I wouldn't pay it any mind. Anyone who joins that cult is stupid. If they do, then let the stupid mindless sheep have their 'almighty' Sephiroth. Probably just some nobody in a black cape......"
"Just as long as it's not the real one." Tifa smiled. "Personally, I don't wanna have to fight anything like him ever again."
"Neither do I." Cloud smiled back. "Now let's just drop the subject and go to sleep."
----------------------------------
Sephiroth looked up at the town clock. The time was 12:08 PM. The Chosen One had just resurrected him a few minutes ago and had dumped him just on the border of Nibelheim with the instruction to find Cloud. Sephiroth wondered if he looked any different from what he did three years ago. He walked over to the nearby frozen lake and looked down at his reflection - almost no change. The curious glow in Sephiroth's eyes that signified he had been injected with Jenova's cells and fused with Mako energy was still the same - the same luminous turquoise eyes stared back at him with a slight look of annoyance. Turning over his left hand revealed a tattoo of the number 1.
"So I'm still the same, right down to the last scar......"
Sephiroth reached behind him as if to pull out his Masamune from its sheath...... but it was not there. After a quick check on his person, Sephiroth noticed that he did not have any weapon at all.
"Aaarrgggh!!" Sephiroth growled out of frustration. "The least you could have done was equip me with a weapon, Chosen One!!!"
A sudden gust of ice-cold wind blew in from Mt. Nibel and swirled around him. After wrapping his arms around himself, he quickly discovered that he wasn't wearing a shirt, his black cape or anything.
"What the.....?!" He breathed a quick sigh of relief when he found that he was wearing his black pants and knee high boots. "Where the hell did my shirt go?"
Sephiroth looked around the ground quickly for any of his stuff. After finding nothing, he sighed in frustration.
"Hmmm.... well what would you expect when The Chosen One is a female?"
As the ice-wind picked up speed, Sephiroth shivered profusely - he had forgotten what it was like to be cold and now felt the sensation rather strongly. He headed off in search of warmth - no sooner had he gotten into the town when he was spotted by a young boy taking a can of garbage outside for his mother. The child looked petrified and dropped what he was holding. The garbage can made a deafening clatter as it hit the pavement.
"Sefyrof!!! Oh my god, I saw Sefyrof!!!" the boy yelped and ran inside his house as fast as his skinny little legs could take him. Sephiroth mentally slapped his forehead and dove for cover. So much for listening to The Chosen One's advice about keeping himself hidden.
The boy quickly came out with his mother.
"Oh you did not...." the mother said angrily.
"I did momma, I did, right there!!!" the boy defended. "I saw Sefyrof!!"
"Honey, Sephiroth is dead.... so how can he be here?"
"Sefyrof isn't dead, he just ran off when I was taking out the garbage!!"
"It was probably just a cat or something, honey." the mother sighed wearily. "Now come back inside. It's your bedtime, anyway."
"How will I be able to sleep with Sefyrof around here, momma!?" the boy squeaked. "He'll kill us all for sure!"
*"That brat just called me 'Sefyrof'! Hey, Chosen One?? Can't I just silence their voices?!"*
*"Hell no, Sephiroth! Don't fall into your old ways! However will you redeem your soul if you kill people like that?!"*
* "I don't know, but I sure wish they'd stop talking about me. The more people that talk about me means the more people that will be looking for me... isn't that right, Chosen one?"*
*Well if you want less people to talk about seeing you... stop revealing yourself to everybody!!!"*
* "Why didn't I think of that?!"*
"Come inside!!!" the mother got quite angry and dragged her son inside. Sephiroth was glad to see them go.
"That was a close one." he sighed.
* "It sure was..... now go find Cloud!!"*
"Alright fine!" Sephiroth growled, and promptly shivered as another cold gust of air blew up behind him. "I just wish you'd resurrected me with warmer clothes......."
----------------------------------
Cloud stared blankly into the fire that was burning nicely in his fireplace. The commercial about the Sephiroth cult had filled his head with many thoughts, and now he could not sleep.
Right now, he was thinking about Aeris again, and feeling downright miserable about it. Just then, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked up as Tifa sat down next to him with a worried expression painted on her face.
"I know something's wrong Cloud." she sighed. "There's no use trying to hide it from me. I know something's upsetting you. I want you to tell me what it is."
"Oh Tifa...." Cloud began. "It's not you if that's what you're worried about....."
"Then what is it?"
"It's just...... Aeris." Cloud hung his head. "I miss her. She was a good person. She didn't deserve to die..... at least..... not like that...."
"We all miss her, Cloud...." Tifa said kindly. "And we did everything we could...."
"I know.... but it still wasn't enough." Cloud sighed.
"Yeah...."
"And another thing.... just thinking about Sephiroth....." Cloud said thoughtfully. "Just how great of an opponent was he?"
"Sephiroth was never great....." Tifa said coldly. "He was a terrible, evil man who got what he deserved."
"But his power was awesome." Cloud sighed. "He knew we could never beat him in the beginning.... until we caught up with him at the bottom of the Great Northern Cave..... he could have killed us all in one whisper if he had wanted to....."
"He was the one holding back Holy....." Tifa said thoughtfully. "We nearly didn't destroy him too......"
"I know." Cloud smiled weakly. "Now that I look back on it, I'm surprised we even had the power to beat him.... Sephiroth showed us what a fight really was."
"Ugghhh....." Tifa growled. "You sound like you admired him...."
"I did.... once. When I was a child, I dreamed of being like him." Cloud smiled. "I just think it was interesting how he never really went all out on us until that final battle..... when he was in that form....... like an angel.... only with one wing..... "
"The only reason he went all out on us in the end is because he knew he couldn't win!"
"I know." Cloud nodded. "I hate to admit it, but it sucks now that Sephiroth is gone."
"Huh?!" Tifa squeaked. "Are you serious?!"
Cloud and Tifa sat in silence for a few moments.
"When we were after Sephiroth, we were all together." Cloud smiled. "And we did the stupidest things...... remember the time I dressed up like a woman just so we could get into the Honeybee Inn?"
"Yes..." Tifa giggled. "I still think you looked so cute..."
"Yeah, and remember how we all hijacked the Highwind?!" Cloud chuckled. "And when we first met Cid and raced the Chocobos we had bred at the Gold Saucer?"
"Of course I do!" Tifa chuckled. "There were heaps of funny things that happened to us on our adventure!"
"There were also many serious things as well...." Cloud smile quickly faded. "Like when Sector 7 came crashing down on the slums.... when Cait Sith turned out to be a traitor.... and when I gave Sephiroth the Black Materia....."
"Cloud, you have to expect that. Any adventure has many triumphs and tragedies...."
Tifa stopped and watched as Cloud yawned.
"You should get some sleep, Cloud." Tifa smiled. "You look like you could do with some."
"I feel like I need to sleep, but I can't." Cloud sighed. "My head's too full of thoughts."
"Poor Cloud....." Tifa sighed, patting him gently on the back. "I have a suggestion...."
"Oh yeah?" Cloud raised his eyebrows in inquisition.
Tifa got up and left the room. A few minutes later, she returned with a futon mattress, a pillow and a faded flannel blanket. She lay the futon down on the floor near the fireplace and tossed the pillow on it.
"And I suppose you want me to lie down on this?" Cloud smiled slightly. "You know, I could have just got up and walked over to where it was set up before......"
"Just crawl onto the futon, lay your head against me and make yourself comfortable." Tifa said kindly. "If you still can't sleep then, at least you're not alone....."
Cloud decided to do what he was told. He leaned back against Tifa and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Thanks Tifa."
"What for?"
"....... everything."
Tifa paused for a few moments before deciding on an answer.
"That's alright Cloud."
"You can have my bed again if you want."
"Where will you sleep?" Tifa cocked her head to one side.
Cloud smiled sleepily. "Here....."
"If you're sure....." Tifa said. No sooner had she finished her sentence, Cloud was asleep. Tifa just smiled at him and covered him with the flannel blanket.
"That's one of my favourite things about you, Cloud Strife." Tifa sighed happily. "You're so courteous."
She kissed the sleeping man's forehead lightly before getting up and leaving the room.
----------------------------------
"Oh dammit! Which house is does the freak Cloud live at?! I forget!!"
Sephiroth was annoyed. He had been looking for Cloud's house for about the last hour, but to no avail.
"If only people wrote their names on their letterboxes or something! I'd find him easily!" Sephiroth growled, ripped a nearby letterbox off its post and slammed it on the ground. It made a loud clattering sound, and frightened a nearby cat.
"Screw this 'keeping myself hidden', Chosen One.... I really wish I could...."
Just then, the front door of the steel blue coloured house was flung open. A very angry and half-asleep man stormed up the path and shoved Sephiroth in the back.
"It's 3 am in the morning, boy! What the hell do you...." the man stopped dead in his tracks when his bloodshot eyes recognised the dark figure standing at the bottom of his pathway.
Sephiroth turned to face the man. "I wouldn't poke me if I were you. Do you know where I can find a guy called 'Cloud'?" he asked, sounding very bored.
The man opened his mouth but no words came out. He froze like a statue.
"Well?!" Sephiroth growled. "Have you seen him?!"
".......no......."
"Well why didn't you say that?!" Sephiroth sighed, and walked off down the path. "Geez! Some people......"
The man only watched as Sephiroth disappeared around the corner.
"That man was..... Sephiroth....." he said blankly as the wind blew his front door shut, locking him out of his house.
----------------------------------
At eight o'clock the following morning, Cloud didn't feel very good. He woke up blearily, stretched his arms above his head, yawned, got up, and headed for the bathroom to relieve himself. No sooner had he reached the knob on the bathroom door did someone knock loudly on his front door.
"Oh gawd.... why does this always happen?" Cloud groaned. "What do I do? I have to answer the stupid door, but I really have to pee!!"
Just then, Tifa walked into the room and headed for the front door.
"Maybe she IS good for something......" Cloud thought to himself as he closed the bathroom door behind him. For the next few minutes, Cloud could hear nothing but two muffled voices - one was Tifa's, the other he couldn't recognise. After he had finished his duties and left the bathroom, he noticed Tifa standing in the middle of the room with a pained expression written on her face.
"What's the matter, Tifa?" Cloud wondered.
"Cloud..... there's something you should know...." Tifa sighed. "That was Bruce, the guy who lives two houses down the road, the guy that always seems maniacally depressed..."
"What's wrong with him now?" Cloud groaned. "Has he discovered his liquor cabinet again...?!"
"He claims that he saw Sephiroth in the dead of the night...."
"He can't have...." Cloud growled. "I killed that bastard.... Barret witnessed it, Cid and Vincent, Cait Sith, Red XIII was there.... even Yuffie did..... and you!"
"I know Cloud...." Tifa nodded. "But if Bruce claims to have seen Sephiroth, we should respect that and believe him...."
"The idiot was probably drunk at the time....." Cloud grunted. "When did he reckon this happened?"
"Last night." Tifa answered. "He said Sephiroth came to his house, ripped his mailbox off its post and threw it to the ground. The noise woke him up, and went he went to check what the racket was, there was Sephiroth on his pathway. He also said that Sephiroth locked him out of his house and walked off."
"That's just ridiculous." Cloud shook his head. "Why would Sephiroth come and just destroy HIS mailbox? It just doesn't make sense! If Sephiroth was here, he would have set fire to the town again or something....."
"I know Cloud... but we should check it out anyway...." Tifa suggested. "What if Sephiroth really isn't dead? What if he really did do what Bruce claimed he had done?"
"Alright Tifa, we'll go." Cloud sighed in annoyance. "But this is totally stupid. Sephiroth is dead, and you know it."
Tifa nodded. "Yes. But let's go anyway to shut the old drunkard up. Take your sword, you'll probably need it."
"To fight off Sephiroth?"
"No, to fight off Mr. Bruce when we call him a liar."
Cloud chuckled at Tifa's remark. He picked up his Ultima Weapon just before they walked out the front door.
----------------------------------
Cloud and Tifa arrived at Bruce's house just a few minutes later. The mousy haired man ran up the path when he saw them arrive.
"Where have you two been?!" the man complained. "Sephiroth could have come back and killed me while you two were off dilly-dallying, ya' know!"
"I don't think he would have bothered...." Cloud whispered to Tifa. "It isn't worth raising a finger to that man..... "
"Cloud!" Tifa giggled. "Don't say that!"
"Okay Bruce...." Cloud said, focusing on the task at hand. "Now where did Sephiroth throw your letterbox?"
Bruce handed the metallic item to Cloud. "There it is. The bastard crushed it good, he did."
"Hmmm...." Cloud inspected the letterbox carefully before handing it back. "I don't think Sephiroth would have done this...."
"And why not!?" Bruce snorted.
"Well, Sephiroth has incredible strength." Cloud explained. "If he intended to throw this letterbox down on the ground, he really would have. It would be no more than a crumpled flat mess. This thing is still recognisable as a letterbox."
"But I still saw Sephiroth!!" Bruce defended.
"I don't think you did." Cloud said, shaking his head.
"Cloud......" Tifa sighed.
"Do you think he got into the drink a bit last night by any chance?" Cloud whispered to Tifa.
"Cloud!"
"Go off back to my place, Tifa." Cloud whispered. "I'll handle this."
"What are yer whispering about?!" the man said angrily. "Don't yer believe me? I saw Sephiroth, dammit!"
"Yeah yeah, whatever...." Cloud grunted. "And I suppose you believe in Santa Claus too?"
"Bloody oath, man!" Bruce yelled. "Of course I do!! Who else puts the presents under the tree?"
Tifa slapped her forehead.
"Your mother!!!" Cloud sighed angrily, and began to walk off.
"Was that a wise crack at my mother!?" Bruce hollered. "I'll have you know that...."
*SLAM*
Cloud had already walked into his house and slammed the front door.
--------------------------------------
Just as Cloud and Tifa had gone inside the house once more, they heard a knock at the door.
"If that's Bruce again, I'll give him a piece of my mind...." Cloud grumbled as he opened the door. Standing there was not Bruce, rather a young boy with a frightened expression on his face.
"A.... are you Cloud?" the boy asked nervously.
"Yeah...." Cloud nodded. "Why? What's up?"
"That man you spoke to....." the boy said quietly. "He... I saw Sefyrof last night too."
"Ohhh..." Cloud groaned. "Not you too..."
"Quiet Cloud!" Tifa interrupted. "Let him speak!"
Tifa crouched down to meet the boy's eye level. "Did you say you saw Sephiroth, young man?"
"Uh-huh." the boy nodded. "When I was taking out the garbage for momma.... he was just walkin by, mindin' his own biz'ness. When I called out that I saw him, he.... he ran off. So please don't be so quick to judge Mr. Bruce.... cuz' I believe him. Both him and me seen Sefyrof last night."
"Wow." Tifa said quietly. "Two sightings in one day. What do you make of that, Cloud?"
"I don't know....." Cloud shrugged.
"You can go now, young man." Tifa said kindly. "You've been a great help."
"Thanks!" the boy said happily and ran off down the road.
Cloud stood there in disbelief. "I don't know what to make of all this..." he said quietly.
"Come on Cloud...." Tifa said, giving him a pat on the back. "In both sightings, Sephiroth was only seen at night. If you're going to do something about it, at least wait till the sun goes down."
"You know Tifa, you're right." Cloud said, snapping out of his trance. "I'll sit on the roof of this house tonight and watch over the town."
"Let's go inside, Cloud." Tifa smiled. "For all we know, it could be just the overactive imagination of a child, and the illusion of a drunkard. Either that, or a messenger from this stupid OWARA Sephiroth cult."
"You know Tifa," Cloud smiled. "You could very well be right."
----------------------------------
"You alright up there Cloud?"
*sigh* "Yes Tifa. I'm fine."
"You don't need any food? I can go cook you something if you do...."
"I'm fine, Tifa! Really, I am!"
"Are you sure?"
"YES."
"Alright then, I'll leave you to it. But if you need anything.... anything at all, don't hesitate to knock on the roof!"
"Bye Tifa. Go inside."
"Okay....."
Cloud breathed a sigh of relief as Tifa went back in his house. He was supposed to be sitting on the roof watching out for this supposed 'Sephiroth' to show up, but with Tifa dotting over him every five minutes or so, he couldn't really do much watching out.
Cloud was uncomfortable up on the roof, the entire thing was covered in solar panels, every house was now. It was hard to keep his footing up there - every few minutes he'd have to shift his position or he'd slide down the roof slowly.
"Stupid solar panels....." Cloud grumbled. "More trouble than they're worth......"
Just then, Cloud's foot slipped and the blade of his Ultima Weapon clunked loudly against the roof. Tifa came rushing out of the house and looked up expectantly.
"You wanted something?" she smiled.
Cloud sighed. "No Tifa, I didn't. I'm fine."
"Then why did you knock on the roof?!"
"I didn't." Cloud shrugged. "I lost my footing a little, that's all."
"Well.... okay. You be careful up there, Cloud. I don't want you getting hurt."
"Yes Tifa, I'll be careful. Now go inside."
Cloud mentally slapped his forehead as Tifa went in the house once more, and swore to try and keep a better footing on the roof. Just then, a light rain began to fall from the heavens.
"Great. Now I'm not only uncomfortable, I'm gonna get wet!" Cloud growled.
Just then, he heard the footsteps of someone walking through the town. Cloud sat up cautiously and watched......
"Oh." Cloud grunted. It was only Bruce taking out some garbage. After dumping his load at the end of his property, the man walked back into his house and slammed the door behind him.
"False alarm." Cloud said to himself.
As the time passed, the rain got heavier. Cloud cursed his situation as raindrops splashed on his face and the rest of him. His clothes were soaked now and felt rather uncomfortable against his skin. The uncomfortableness was the only thing keeping him slightly awake. Cloud finally gave up and rested his head on his knee, closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. He was not having fun.
"Are you having fun up there?"
"Huh?!" Cloud jerked up. "Who said that?!"
"I'm down here, you idiot."
Cloud looked down to his front yard. A man with waist length silver hair and curious turquoise eyes stared at him with a humoured expression on his face.
"Sephiroth!?!" Cloud choked. "What the hell are you doing here!?"
"I was just about to ask you the same question, Cloud Strife." Sephiroth smirked. "What the hell do you think you're doing up there? Are you gonna bay at the moon? Or crow when the sun comes up?"
"So it was true......" Cloud growled. "That kid and the drunken bastard were telling the truth! Dammit! I was hoping they were wrong!!"
"Drunken bastard?" Sephiroth said inquisitively. "You mean the clueless man who just stood there like a dumbass after I wrecked his letterbox?"
"Rrrrrrrggghhhhhhh.........!!!"
"I must give you credit, Cloud." Sephiroth smiled. "You're the only one who hasn't frozen like a statue or turned into an incompetent slug the minute they set eyes on me."
"I killed you, Sephiroth!!!" Cloud howled. "You shouldn't be alive, I murdered you!!"
"And I'm hurt, Cloud." Sephiroth said, feigning hurt. "How could you do such a thing.... and to your favourite hero?"
"What?!?!" Cloud snorted. "You're not my hero, I hate your guts!!"
"Really? Well that's a change from wanting to emulate me....." Sephiroth smirked. "Wasn't that the reason you signed up for SOLDIER? To be just like me?"
"ARRRGGGHH!!!!"
*"Sephiroth!! Stop this immediately!! All you're doing is making Cloud furious!!"*
*"C'mon Chosen One!! Can't I have a little fun with him first??"*
*NO!!! You're supposed to be befriending him! Not pissing him off! Apologise to him right now!!"*
*"But what for?*
*"Everything!!!"*
*"What?"*
*Just do it! Do it now before something bad happens!!"*
*"Alright, all right!!!"*
"You're a bastard, and I hate you!!" Cloud yelled. "I want you to DIE!!"
"Hey!!" Sephiroth said loudly. "Calm down! Don't get so worked up, I'm not here to annoy you, I came to tell you something....."
"What...?" Cloud said coldly. "What did you come here to tell me?"
"She's alright."
"Who's alright?!" Cloud growled.
"I don't know!!" Sephiroth said in frustration. "She never told me her name! She just sent me here to tell you that she's alright!"
"Who are you talking about?!" Cloud snapped. "Tell me now!!"
"I don't know... the girl....." Sephiroth shrugged. "The Chosen One."
"That doesn't tell me anything!!!!"
"It tells you a lot actually." Sephiroth said. "Come on, how many Chosen Ones are there? Only one, that's why they call her 'The Chosen One'."
"You're fucking nuts......." Cloud spat. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now....."
"Uhhh..... because I'm good?" Sephiroth offered.
"Liar. You don't even know her name, do you!?"
"She never told me her name!!" Sephiroth offered. "But she said I killed her."
".....Aeris!?" Cloud said, suddenly standing up. "Why did.......whoa!!!"
"Hey, be careful!" Sephiroth said angrily.
Cloud lost his footing on the solar panel now slippery from the rain. His sword clanged loudly down the roof, into the guttering and made a dull thud as it hit the ground. Cloud tumbled off the roof and landed on the ground head first before collapsing in a heap at Sephiroth's boot.
"Oh shit!!!" Sephiroth cursed as he quickly bent down to see if Cloud was alright.
"Aeris......" Cloud gurgled before finally passing out.
"Cloud?" Sephiroth said urgently, and shook the man. "Cloud?!"
Just then, Tifa opened the door.
"Cloud, you wanted somethiiiii......." she froze at the scene in front of her. Sephiroth mentally slapped himself as he imagine what the scene would look like to Tifa.
"It's not what you think!" Sephiroth yelped.
"Like hell it isn't.....!!"
Sephiroth froze, not knowing what to do.
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To Be Continued......
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Writer's Ramblings:
Hey, what did you think? Do you like it??