DISCLAIMER: Okay…I was thinking of making everyone wait and sweat for the next chapter, but to be honest, I'm a busy woman and I don't have time for silly games. I must also warn you that some things in this chap might be controversy material but you might have to kiss my ass since I altered it a bit to fit my story.

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Death to Destiny

By Morbid Mother

Appearing

Cloud walked into the ruined church to find that he had some rather unexpected guests.

Well, what a pair, Rude and Elena. What are they doing here?

"Tell Shinra I'm no longer interested."

"Too late," said Rude, "Tseng took him into hiding. Shinra's now a hot figure, too."

"You lied!"

"Shinra had to, to get you to do the job."

"How many are there?"

"Four," Elena said without hesitation.

A tell tale gleam appeared in Cloud's eyes, "how many are there in Jenova's Gang?"

Rude sighed.

"Don't tell—,"

"Fifteen in all, although the upper hands aren't known to fight, so that leaves seven."

"All we need is Reno, Cloud," Elena said.

This time it was Cloud's turn to sigh, although that, and his vague expression, was imperceptible, "what's so special about Reno?"

Rude took a moment to answer, calculating how much he should tell Cloud to get the young man to comply.

"Reno is a distant relative of Shinra," was Rude's curt reply.

Cloud visibly smirked and scratched his head. Cold-blooded, disease spreading, bitch fucking Shinra? All that sick bastard wanted is to save his company if anything happened to him.

"So…the only reason why Shinra is risking all of our necks is because he and Reno share a drop of blood."

It wasn't a question, so Rude didn't answer.

"If Reno dies then no one inherits Shinra," Elena was beside herself, "Reno is his blood and the company was everything his father worked for! It was our future, it created thousands of jobs and—,"

"Destroyed many more lives!" Cloud said in a menacing voice, "Shinra is nothing more than a bankrupt bastard."

Cloud walked past Rude and Elena, "if you're so concerned for Reno then what are you doing here?" he lounged back in a pew that was least damaged and ignored the two…

"Leave."

"You—,"

Rude firmly grasped Elena's arm and motioned to the broken door. She glared at Cloud for a moment, and then followed Rude obediently.

Everything fell silent. Stone cold words no longer bounced against the dilapidated walls. No sounds could be heard from outside, no birds sang. Nature was as barren as the ruined church.

Once Cloud had heard the engine of the car recede he was left completely in his own presence; the one thing he hated more than company that could remind him of the past. He could roll the conversation with Rude and Elena over and over again. Committing every one of their words to his mind and he thought…that was why Shinra had any patience for the hypertensive young man. But, that same feeling that he had felt running towards Hannah began gnawing at the back of his mind again. Something was telling him that Rude wasn't disclosing all he knew. Cloud didn't know why he let the man go. Cloud thought of the even younger man that was kidnapped by Jenova's Children; after all, Reno was hardly older than Yuffie.

Why did the name have such a familiar ring to it?

Jenova's Children…

"Mother!"

Suddenly, pieces of different and many pictures began falling into place; pieces belonging to pictures that had painfully formed themselves a year ago and longer.

They knew me…

The familiarity of which Hannah and Long Yan San had mockingly spoken to him…

She used my name as if…

And then it made perfect sense. A collage of different images emerged into one…

Another one of Kudaj's gang...

But—that doesn't cover half of it. Who is this 'Lovelace?' and what is this reunion they're talking about?

"My reunion…" said that gnawing voice at the back of his mind.

Cloud's eyes drooped, and he slipped into that world where the body is neither asleep nor awake. Despite the going-ons in his mind, especially when his body slipped into such state, Cloud loved living in what had once been Aerith's church, for the very fact that she had been a life line for him when she was still living; and a life line even when the Geostigma, in his body, had began to take control. It was as if it was meant, by Fate, that she died, so that he could live. He owed so much to her.


"You'll be alright."

He jerked at the voice.

Pause.

"But, he shouldn't mean anything to me…"

She sighed as if this wasn't the first time he had confessed his insecurities; and indeed, it wasn't.

"Dilly dally, shilly shally! You should always follow your heart."

"But, what about the gang…and Tifa…"

"You've done so much for them, Cloud, what about you? Have you forgotten that you risked your neck for them not long ago?"

"It's just that I've—,"

Sigh.

"I'm not that far away, Cloud."

Cloud glanced behind him, longing tearing its vicious claws at his eyes and his heart. Like every time he turned to just catch a glimpse of her face, it was never there. She was gone, dead. Cloud was so much reminded of the face in the dream. But, the face in his dream was completely nameless, of no consequence, and…

Just someone to take away the pain.

Cloud sighed and rubbed groggily at his eyes. Tonight wouldn't be pleasant.


Author's Note: THERE!!! I've finally finished with the fourth chapter! Please tell me how it turned out, because I simply cannot bare it if you can't understand a word I'm saying…so R&R, thanx. (That lovely little button to the screens right? Right in front of your left. THANK YOU!)

Anyways, I'll be sure to finish my assignments and for all you virgins, keep my story bookmarked because I'll be adding references to this mix, and you can even message me with your e-mail address. Or (male virgins) you can email me your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!