The Final Case
An FF7 Detective Story
Chapter 4
From Cloud's Perspective
Luck. Who knew what luck really was... perhaps it was the favor of some God with a twisted sense of humor, or maybe it was simply cosmic coincidence, as if the very fabric of the universe favored some over others. Sometimes I wondered exactly what I had done to the rest of the world to deserve the fate which had bound itself to me. Other times I would quiet my mind, hovering on the edge of self-pity, looking into that emotional abyss which leads to insanity. All roads lead to Midgar, it is here that fate ends, it is here that my life draws to a close. Perhaps when I was younger I might have feared death, that eternal blackness, a final terminus on my pathetic journey. Now, I simply embraced it, I held on to the darkness growing within me, the hatred which fermented in my heart.
If only I could tell the world what these eyes have seen. I would tell them of Zack's bravery, his immense strength and fearless mind, as he turned to face the limitless multitudes. Perhaps I would tell them of the hideous experiments that had been performed on my body and mind, which had left me a confused wreck wandering the underworld of Midgar alone and hopeless. Maybe I would tell them of the endless running battles, Shinra's constant pursuit of me through the dismal cityscape, and the wounds which had ravaged my body.
Somehow I still found the strength buried deep within me to climb further, pulling myself up the support cables which dangled from the plate above. With Shinra's forces strewn all over Midgar's slums in the endless quest to find me, I knew the only freedom was far above. If I could somehow reach the surface, I could deliver Zack's revenge. I did not know how I would break in, or what I would do, or even if my wounds would allow me to survive... but it did not matter. Zack had died protecting me, and I could not let his death go unanswered. I now had to fight for both of us, I now had to live two lives to honor him, and live up to my failures. Luck had a different plan in store for me, however. My hand, slick with warm blood, slipped from the cable and I began to slide further down. Desperately I grasped at the air and tried to hold myself up, but it was for nought. Metal groaned in protest and the cable dislodged itself from the plate above, sending me tumbling through the air to my certain death. My last thought was a curse, intense, pure hatred directed at the force which had brought me to this end. May Shinra be erased from the Earth, may all of their works be forgotten and buried for all eternity, may all of their leaders die slowly, in agonizing pain, crying out for release from their own tortured hell, may they burn forever. The hate flowed through me as my struggle ceased and I fell silently through the air. Darkness.
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It's time to wake up.
Huh?
Yes. You still live.
I don't understand...
You have a new purpose.
Confusion...
Blackness surrounded me, and I wondered if this was what death felt like, an endless nothingness in which I would be forever conscious. I could imagine no greater hell than an eternity of sensory deprivation. Pain. It was the first sensation in the darkness, and it enveloped me completely. Agony seethed through my body, coming from everywhere, it was if pain itself coursed through my veins. Sound. An angel's soft tones echoed in my mind. Her words passed through me without a hint of understanding, but the voice was comforting, soothing and lovely beyond any possible description. If my eternity were to be spent in blackness, it would all be worth it to hear that voice.
My eyes fluttered open and I was nearly blinded by the light which seemed to envelope me, embracing me with it's loving warmth. A woman was there, her long brown hair shimmering in the light, her emerald eyes alive with concern and worry. Those eyes... It was as if I were looking into a calm forest, filled with boundless life. I did not know her, but in that moment I wished nothing more than the chance to do so. It was then that I noticed the flowers around me, and I wondered again if I had died... flowers did not grow in Midgar, everyone knew that. Their scent found its way into my nostrils, their wondrous aroma filling my heart with... something I couldn't understand. I forced myself to stand and look up, seeing the gaping hole in the roof of this glorious church. Obviously this place had saved my life, as worthless as it might be.
"Are you okay?" The voice was so beautiful, so wondrous. I took in the sight of her, the lovely pink dress, the beautifully braided hair and that intoxicating smile. I stopped myself.. I did not know this woman, and my mind was a wreck, the remnants of whatever Shinra had done to me. I could not trust my own emotions.
"Where?" I asked simply.
"This is a church in the Sector 5 slums. You fell from above. You really gave me a scare." She replied sweetly. For a moment I thought I saw her eyes looking over me, as if her thoughts were little different than mine. Imagination. Who would want to look at.. me. Certainly no one I ever encountered was remotely interested in me. Why was I thinking this? Maybe I should just talk to her... How?
"..I came crashing down?" The answer was obvious, but it had to be asked anyway.
"The roof and the flower bed must have broken your fall. You're lucky." She smiled sweetly, and for the first time I noticed that my wounds had been cleansed. She had cared for me, and quite possibly saved my life.
"This flower bed... is it yours?" The answer to that question was obvious too. Why was I standing here talking to her? I should have thanked her and left as quickly as my legs could carry me. I had no idea how long I had been here. She merely nodded in reply, and for a moment I felt extremely guilty. Those flowers had to be exceptionally rare here...
"Sorry about that." I responded sheepishly.
"That's all right. The flowers here are quite resilient because this is a sacred place. They say grass and flowers won't grow in Midgar. But for some reason, they have no trouble blooming here. I love it here." She replied as she began to tend them. I already loved it here too, though not necessarily because of the flowers. What? The errant thought struck me as particularly bizarre. I shook my head to clear my confused mind. I had to get moving...
"Thanks for.. helping me." It was the only thing that I could think of to say.
"Don't mention it! Say... we don't know each other's names, do we? I'm Aerith, the flower girl. Nice to meet you!" She responded, her cheery voice confusing me. I had no idea how she could be so cheery after having a stranger fall through her roof and destroy her flower bed. Normally such blatant happiness and cheeriness would have annoyed me to no end, but somehow she was different... I actually found myself wanting to smile at her in return. But I didn't, I couldn't. Nervousness overtook me and I fought the impulse to hide my face from the amazing woman who had saved me.
"The name's Cloud. I do a bit of everything." I responded seriously. I had to maintain control over myself.
"Oh, a jack of all trades?" She giggled. Why did she find this amusing?
"I do whatever's needed." I replied simply, but she giggled even more. I felt the annoying crack of a smile starting to work it's way onto my face, and I suppressed it with some difficulty.
"What's so funny, why are you laughing?" I asked. I had intended for the reply to sound angry and annoyed, but instead a hint of amusement crept into my voice. She smiled at me again, her beautiful eyes staring into my soul... I could get lost in there. What? I had just met this woman. But I couldn't resist... I was intensely drawn to her...
Crash. The door to the old church flew open, revealing four dark figures, covered in black. Their long, unbuttoned trench coats draped nearly to the floor, their downcast heads covered by fedoras that hid their faces and cast menacing shadows which played across their bodies as they moved soundlessly. Dark hair flowed from beneath the hat worn by the leader, and he looked up, his eyes glaring with intensity as he slid a polished revolver from his dark, obsidian coat and gripped it with quiet confidence. I knew who they were of course... who in Midgar didn't know of the Turks, the dirty shadow-assassins and intelligence agents of Shinra's highest echelons. You would find them around every foul, refuse-strewn alley corner, you wouldn't know they were following you until the revolver pressed against the back of your skull. Apparently I had lingered far too long in the old church... I should have escaped when the opportunity presented itself. Yet their gazes passed right over me, their eyes fixating on the lovely flower girl behind me. It was as if they didn't even know who I was... or maybe they just didn't care.
"Cloud... I don't suppose you've ever been a bodyguard..." The lovely voice began behind me. But she didn't need to ask me, my decision to help her had been the made the moment I opened my eyes and saw her leaning over me...