I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. I had a hard time deciding what avenue to take with this one. I know where I want to go, but getting there is proving kind of hard.
Twisted Fate
Chapter IX: Too Much
Tiffan watched through the window as the technician started Cloud's iodine drip. His skin prickled with goosebumps despite wearing a sweater and he soon had chewed all his fingernails down to the quick.
"How long until we know something?" He choked.
"We'll have the results immediately." The nurse assured him.
"What if there's something really wrong with him?"
"If there's something wrong, we'll find a way to fix it."
Despite her reassurance, Tiffan wasn't convinced. He rocked from one foot to the other, gnawing at his thumbnail as he watched the CT scanner pass over Cloud's head. The nurse was surprised that there were no relatively new scars or other physical abnormalities visible on his skin.
"Can I ask you something?" Tiffan said. "Uh…Can significant damage to one's brain drastically change their personality or how they perceive reality?"
The nurse's eyebrows knitted, she considered the question for a moment, but nodded. "It's very possible. Why do you ask?"
"I didn't want but to mention it in the exam room," Tiffan shivered like he was cold, "But he's changed a lot, it's like his personality just did a complete 180. He seems to recognize everyone he's met since waking up, but he remembers us differently."
"How so?"
"For instance…He swears that I'm supposed to be a woman, and Sephiroth is supposed to be a man. On top of that, he shies away from being intimate with me because he claims to only be attracted to women. Can you explain that? How can someone's sexual orientation just up and change? He also says that he's from some kind of parallel world where everything is backwards from how it is here."
"As I explained before, confabulation, or false memories, is very possible, as well as personality change. Damage to certain areas of the brain can make an individual more prone to violent outbursts, lack of impulse control…etcetera. Also, it's rare, but sexual orientation as well as gender roles and gender identification can change as well."
"That's so weird. About his personality…it's the opposite. Cloud used to be aggressive and impulsive before, but now he's calmer and more rational. He's quick to apologize and he's careful about my feelings. That's what's weird about it."
The nurse shook her head, clearly out of ideas. "We'll know more when we see how the test turns out."
"Okay…"
Cloud lay back on the examination table, draping his arm over his face to shield his eyes from the imposing light. They'd been waiting forever it felt like; the ticking of the clock on the wall above him slowly driving him mad.
Tiffan's heart felt heavy as it thrummed on top of his stomach, sending it into somersaults. Was it anxiety or hunger? Looking up at Cloud on the table beside him, he reached out, petting his soft blonde hair.
"Do you have a headache?" He whispered, not wanting to startle him.
"Kind of."
It was only a few minutes, but it seemed like forever. Cloud had nearly fallen asleep when the doctor walked back in. Scrambling to sit upright, Cloud would've fallen off the table had Tiffan not grabbed his arm just in time.
With a confused expression, the doctor placed her laptop on the roll away desk, turning the screen to them. There were two images of Cloud's brain, both perfectly clear.
"I don't understand, there's nothing there." Tiffan shook his head.
"Nor do I," the doctor said. "There was damage to the frontal lobe before. But now it's…it's gone. There's no way it could have healed like that."
Tiffan slowly looked at Cloud, who exhaled deeply. He watched Cloud's expression morph from relieved to content, then to somewhat smug. Cloud glanced cheekily at Tiffan's wide eyes, as if to say "See? I told you so."
Leaving the medical staff with more questions than
answers, Tiffan and Cloud headed silently back home. Tiffan kept his distance of Cloud, unsure of how to think or feel. He had no idea how to even speak. Even when they made it to the apartment, he couldn't find the right words.
Cloud on the other hand was relieved that he hadn't lost his mind quite yet. But he felt the tension mounting between them. Fortunately for his speechless companion, Cloud was able to find his voice.
"So what now?"
"What do you mean?" A shiver raced up his spine.
"Do you believe me?"
"I don't know," Tiffan stumbled toward the bedroom, "But I do know that you're not my Cloud."
"Tiffan…" Cloud had no time to speak before Tiffan shut the door on him.
Feeling that Tiffan needed time alone to sort his feelings, Cloud left. As he entered the hall, he felt the disk in his pocket and knew one more person that needed to see the MRI images. He wasn't sure if she was back from her own doctor visit, but felt it was worth a try.
Tapping on Sephiroth's door Cloud was surprised when it opened. But it wasn't Sephiroth who answered.
"Genesis?"
"Cloud?"
"Why are you wearing an apron?"
"I was just cleaning up in here."
"Why's it pink?"
"It's Sephiroth's."
"She wears pink?"
"Shocked me too." Genesis laughed breathily, opening the door wider, "She should be back at any minute. Come on in."
"Wait, you're not jealous that I'm here?"
Genesis locked eyes with him, his mouth becoming a hard line, "I never said I wasn't. And since you brought it up why are you here?"
"Uh…I just needed to talk to her. It's really important."
Genesis huffed and pushed past him, returning to folding Sephiroth's long neglected laundry. Cloud looked around, astounded by how different the place looked. The curtains on the window were open, letting in natural light, the tables and shelves had been dusted and cleared of clutter and trash. The broken vase swept up and the dishes were spotless. And now her clothes were clean and fresh.
"This place looks great. You fixed it up on your own?"
"Yeah, someone had to do it; she wasn't going to."
"I figured she was happy with it like that. Isn't she gonna be mad?"
"Perhaps," Genesis placed the laundry basket aside. "But I don't care."
Something about Genesis' behavior and the way he answered set off a bell in Cloud's mind. "Can I ask you something? Something personal?"
"You can. Doesn't mean I'll answer it though."
"Do you have feelings for her?"
Genesis seemed to ignore him, grabbing the basket and heading for Sephiroth's bedroom. Cloud followed, hoping to either get the answer or apologize.
"Why would you ask me that?" Genesis began to neatly stack the clothes in the dresser.
"Sorry, I just never knew a guy to willingly clean up a girl's house unless he wanted something out of it."
"First off, Sephiroth is not a girl, she's a woman. Second, are you such a guy?"
Cloud paused. Scratching the back of his head, he nodded, "Unfortunately. Once I cleaned the entire bar so Tifa wouldn't have to."
"And what did that get you?"
"She came to bed sooner."
"And that's what you wanted?"
A smug grin tugged at the corner of Cloud's mouth, "If you knew Tifa, you'd want her to come straight to bed too."
Genesis rolled his eyes, shaking his head slowly, "So you're playing with someone else's heart too?"
"What?"
Genesis slammed the drawer shut, "Sephiroth, Tiffan, and now this Tifa person? Do you even care about any of them?"
Cloud's back stiffened, "Yes I do. That's why I'm here. Sephiroth and Tiffan both need to know the truth so they can get on with their lives and so I can find a way to get back home to Tifa."
"What truth?"
"That I'm not the guy they think I am. Tiffan is already starting to get the hint, I think, and now I need to show Sephiroth the evidence before things get worse."
Genesis raised an eyebrow at him, side-stepping to get past him.
"What was that look for?"
"For thinking that Sephiroth and Tiffan are both so stupid as to mistake you for someone else."
"I don't think they're stupid. But I do think they're confused. I know I am. Look, I'm not from here. I'm from a parallel world, I wish I knew how and why I got here but somehow I am and I'm living in the shoes of my doppelganger. I did not sleep with Sephiroth and I don't intend to. I'm in a committed relationship with a woman named Tifa and all I want is to go home to her."
Genesis' eyes widened and one of them twitched. "…Bullshit…"
"I sincerely wish I was bullshitting you, but I'm dead serious. I need to show her the pictures on this disk." He held the disk out to him, "They're the images from my MRI. When the Cloud you know was wounded at Fort Tamblin, he suffered serious brain injuries that left him in a coma for weeks. The scans done this morning show no sign of any such damage."
Genesis took the disk cautiously. "I'll show her the pictures if you leave right now."
"I'm leaving, just make sure she sees them."
Cloud leaned against the door as he closed it behind him. He wanted to be there to explain everything to her again, but the last thing he needed was Genesis as an enemy. Satisfied with the hope that he'd show her the pictures, Cloud was about to start down the hall when a voice rang out behind him.
"Stop right there, Soldier." Sephiroth approached from behind, reaching out to grab his shoulder. "What were you doing in my house?"
He turned to face her, "I was just…I was hoping to find you. I wanted to talk to you."
"About what?" She dropped her hand, taking a step back from him.
"I wanted to show you the images from my MRI. I really need you to believe my story."
Sephiroth sighed heavily, shutting her eyes tight lest she roll them. "Look, I've had a hard morning. Can we just drop it? Please?"
Looking into her eyes, Cloud noticed the redness around the edges, making them greener than they actually were. She wasn't lying, something was definitely wrong.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." She went for the doorknob, but Cloud grabbed her arms, pulling her to his chest.
"Tell me." He felt that ache in his core again. The desire he had for her. Seeing even the slightest vulnerability lit it up.
"I want something, Cloud. But I'm not sure how to get it." Her lips trembled as she struggled to keep her composure.
"What is it?"
"I'm not ready to tell you yet." She shrugged out of his grasp and entered her apartment, slamming the door in his face.
Glancing at the sideboard, she realized the picture of her and Aeron was sitting upright and free of dust. Tracking her eyes across the floor she saw the clean, decluttered coffee table and the new addition replacing the vase that held her flowers. The flowers had been cut from the stems and coated with some sort of glossy resin before being placed into a beautiful lidded jar on a pedestal.
"What?" She saw Genesis standing in front of the open window. "Why are you wearing that stupid thing?"
"I thought it would bring out my eyes." He joked, hoping to arouse some kind of humor in her.
Sephiroth wanted to smile, but found it too difficult as she began to cry. Genesis went to her, offering her a friendly hug. She accepted his affection, burying her face in his shoulder.
She whimpered softly. "I'm not allowed to have anything even remotely normal, am I?"
"Sephiroth…"
"I hate my life…I just want to be a normal woman, and I can't. They took it away from me and didn't even ask me first."
"They bred you be a Soldier and nothing more."
"I'm the best Soldier there is! Why can't I be a wife and a mother too? Why is that too much to ask for?"
That was the moment Genesis felt his heart truly break for the first time.
