(Cloud)

The strangest thing about the body switch between Zack and me was that…I still felt just like me. I still felt like Cloud. When I spoke, my voice sounded like it was mine, not his. Although, when he spoke, I could also hear my own voice coming from his throat.

The best thing about the body switch was that…this was the most quiet I had in days...Despite the panic and strain from trying to save Aerith.

What I wonder is, how exactly did this happen?! Zack was trying to get through the barrier I put down…Aerith stole my attention for two seconds and then I wake up on the floor in the lab here.

That redheaded girl that was crying before—Cissnei—I think that's what Zack called her—she told me to wait. I think she knows who we are but she's staying quiet for some reason…

I waited…staring at myself on a metal table with a bandaged wound on my head and shoulder, and then…

This man—my clone—he woke up.

I knew who he was. Definitely, if I was still in Zack's body, and things were just as wonderfully quiet as they were…Zack is probably experiencing the same quiet time in my body…

I was right. Zack was pissed. Nevertheless, I was still right.

So, I wonder how long I'll have to stay being Zack?

"Cloudy, get a move on!"

Now as I tried to watch Zack try to go about and do what he usually does, flipping himself off tables, skidding to a stop for no reason…However, his first task was getting off that table completely…

I shut my eyes only to hear the sound of the body he occupied—my body—hitting a concrete floor.

"Cloud, you're too short!"

"Zack, your feet missed the floor!" I retorted.

"Oh like that's not the best comeback you can come up with!" He yelled, picking himself up.

"It's not…but I just shouldn't say what I wanted to…I'd insult that poor floor."

"I-insult the FLOOR?!"

"Yes. I'd end up insulting the floor," I snapped.

Well, the quiet didn't last as long as I hoped. Man, even when he is out of my mind and across the room…he is still arguing with me.

He looked over at me, "well, let's go then!"

Well, he sure does snap back fast.

I looked back at the room and something occurred to me. Everything repeated from here. Aerith ending up in the Shin-ra building…Sephiroth said it'd be a challenge but he never said that he was going to undo anything not pertaining to him…I got it! So I need to find Aerith…and Red XIII!

Aerith was taken to make some super-breed… Why didn't I think of this before?! Why'd we drag her along with us?!

"Zack! I know where she is!"

His back stiffened. "Where?!"

"I don't know! I can take you there though!"

His face fell. I could read his expression, 'gee, nice joke. Not funny.'

"I'm serious. I can take you to her!"

Finding my ways through the halls wasn't all that easy…only until I came across it…that smell of dried blood and burned chemicals…the bitter, coppery scent of mako…that's what brought the memory back to my consciousness.

It triggered something in Zack's head as well…he shook his head repeatedly; "there's no way she's here. They wouldn't do that to Aerith…!"

"She's an Ancient, Zack. Of course they would've taken her."

He clenched his fists and his knuckles looked as if they were about to break through his skin. "Not to Hojo. They cannot take Aerith to him."

A scream cracked through the silence followed by a loud clamor of objects hitting something metal.

"No! NO!"

"Aerith!"

It was as if our brains were working as the same mind again. Zack and I both ran toward the noise.

We both halted mid-run when we saw the scene. That was defiantly not Red XIII.

Aerith, stripped down to her slip, was left banging against the glass cell she was caged in trying to escape from a silver-haired man.

Her eyes lit up as she saw both me and Zack standing side by side. A huge smile crossed her face as she clapped her hands.

At that, she shouted at the man, pointing through the glass at us.

He yelled something back, slowly approaching her.

She backed up until she hit the panel that wouldn't let her go any farter.

Zack threw himself against the glass, trying to shatter it. "Sephiroth!"

"Zack, he isn't Sephiroth…look…"

Aerith yelled something at the man, shaking her finger at him with one hand on her hip.

I couldn't hear anything being that the glass cell was close to soundproof.

I watched Zack crack up out of the corner of my eye.

The man inside sunk to the floor, throwing his arms up at her.

Zack snorted, "Kid must only be sixteen or something…"

Aerith eyed us, mouthing silent sentences. Zack pointed to the locked door…which appeared to be only accessible through a code. Her head bent down and she whispered into the boy's ear. He held out his hand to her, showing a device concealed inside his glove.

She touched it gently and the door slid open.

Sound broke in…heavy breaths and gasps broke through the quiet. Something was obviously happening in there. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "Thank you, Kadaj."

"I…I'm" The boy's voice was awfully quiet, "I'm sorry for doing what I was told…I didn't know it was a bad thing."

Wait…wasn't this a déjà vu of what happened with Red XIII? Who is this kid?

She stroked his hair away from his face. "It's okay…but you need to find someone to love that's your own age. Don't let that madman tell you what to do."

So it was Hojo that wanted to breed Aerith with this…this…

The boy stared up at us. He had the same color silver hair as Sephiroth and he resembled him greatly, especially with his green cat-like eyes that darted wildly from me, to Zack, to Aerith. Was he the challenge?

Is he truly Sephiroth?

Aerith eyeballed us both for a second before going into a giggle fit. "Wow, you two are in quite a predicament, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Zack asked, trying to act like me as much as he could.

She looked at Zack, "By the way you're staring at me with my lack of decent clothing on, Cloud—if that is your real name, I would've thought you were Zack. And just look at how shy Zack is…being all quiet like that, I would've said he was Cloud."

"Okay, you got us," I said. How did she figure us out that fast? I mean, that is just inhuman!

She walked up and patted both of us on the shoulder, "Hmmm…Oh! I know how to fix you guys!"

"How?"

"I'm going to say I'm sorry ahead of time and that Kadaj will keep me safe until you two wake up. Also, nothing happened, okay?" She smiled another sweet smile before leaning up too close to Zack.

"Aerith, what are you gonn—," Zack started. She kicked him in the kidney…at least I think it was his kidney…I hope it was his kidney and nothing else, for his sake. Then she kissed me full on the mouth. Either way you spin it, she caused us both to pass out.


Chapter 7 up! Yes! So...Aerith figured out that surprise is truely the best way to make a man pass out. You see, Aerith kneed Zack, which he wasn't counting on so...down he went. Cloud on the other hand, wasn't expecting a kiss...down he went. Ta-da! So anyway, Kadaj was introduced...he's going to be trouble for Cloud. As for the mystery of Sephiroth and his "challenge" we're going to find out how hard that mission is going to be! Especially when we get the chance to meet the real Sephiroth. I own none of the main characters because if I did, Sephiroth would be five and he would've burned down the sliding board instead of Nibelheim. What? It'd be just as tragic...