Final Fantasy VII:

Destiny of the One Winged Angel Chapter: 9 – Confrontation

"I really owe you my life, you know that…I just wish that things could have turned out differently…" he said, the rain patting into his hair as it fell from the dark clouds above. Cloud ran a hand through his hair, and tilted his head back, unaware of the form that spied from behind. "Oh, I almost forgot, I got you something from her garden," he exclaimed, straightening and pulling out a flower from his belt, "see, she planted them herself, and they've practically covered the whole place now," he commented as he placed the bloom of yellow at the base of the board. Cloud jumped as thunder clapped and a blast of lightning followed, some miles away. "Well, Zack, it's been nice talking to you…I'll see you again when I see you," he said, standing up and turning back to face the way he had come. He paused, something had caught his eye, "Who's there?" he asked, stepping forward to see if what he had seen was real, or a trick, "Come out, I know you're there," he bluffed.

            Seeing that he had no choice, and that he would still be discovered if they had walked passed him. He took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the boulder, at about the same time as a lightning bolt struck, the sound of thunder and its crack made him flinch inside, a reaction he did not show on the exterior.

            Cloud looked at the man, his eyes widened in surprise, he hadn't counted on the person just walking out from behind their place of hiding with such ease, and showing no sign of tentativeness. The surprise subsided, and suspicion settled in.

            "Aren't you the guy outside the Inn?" he asked, his tone displaying the fact that he was unsure. The cloaked figure stood there, seeming to hesitate a moment.

            "I am…" he replied, sighing as he did so, "I came here for the view…I'm a tourist and came to view the ruins of Midgar," he lied quickly, catching the odd look that was given him.

            "O-kay…I'm Cloud, and you are…?" Cloud said slowly, and prompting the man, he didn't trust him; his reply had seemed a little smooth.  Who would want to come over to this place to view these ruins, it wasn't a pretty sight and only flowers grew all over the place.

            "The name's Se- I mean Gabe," he replied, after a moment of hesitation. He had a bad feeling about this man, who had introduced himself as Cloud, he felt that if he revealed his true name and his appearance, something bad was going to happen. He also couldn't deny a sense of union, or rather companionship and familiarity with this man, they had met somewhere before and it was that feeling that gave rise to his hesitance.

            "Well, Gabe…aren't you going to remove the cowl, I mean the rain's not that bad," Cloud said, folding his arms and taking a step forward. The rain had become lighter, but the thunder and lightning were still present, booming and cracking every now and then. A knot had formed in his gut, something wasn't right about this man, in fact it was the whole scene that sent unease washing through him. He also couldn't shake off the feeling that he had met him somewhere before, the voice of course sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it without the face, and the name didn't sound right either, 'He sounds a lot like Sephiroth, but it can't be…he died five years ago, I was there,'

            At that moment a bolt of lightning struck, somewhere behind them, in the direction of the ruins, lighting the whole area up. The man had frozen, no longer looking at Cloud, but at something past him.

            "Tut-Tut, Cloud, don't you know your General when you see him," an all too familiar voice said, in mock disappointment.

~*~

They had just reached the stables as soon as a cloaked figure had ridden off, it was hard to catch who they were since their cowl was pulled up, just like theirs. They supposed it was for the same reason as well, to keep them from getting wet.

            "What can I get you miss?" the stable owner asked, catching the desperation in Tifas eyes, as she pulled down her cowl.

            " A chocobo please, your best as well," she said quickly, the owner nodded and went to fetch the birds, "Lumira, I strongly suggest you stay here, I have a bad feeling about this and I need you to be safe in case something bad happens,"

            "Make that two!" the young girl called as the owner took out one, "Tifa, I'm sorry, but I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not, I'm still coming…like I said back at Nibelheim, I'm coming with you wherever you're going, because I have a feeling that I have to be here…" she said, turning on her friend with a serious look, as she pulled her cowl down.

            Tifa looked at her, a mix of emotions crashing together, confusing her, but only one she knew and that was that Cloud would never have let her come, if his feeling was as strong as hers. She knew where he had gone and was planning on following as soon as Lumira had settled in, but she couldn't stall any longer.

            "Okay, you can come, but at the first sign of danger, you have to promise me that you'll mount the nearest chocobo and leg it back," she said, conceding to the young girls determined expression, which at the sound of this news broke into an elated grin.

            "Oh, thank you Tifa! I promise that I'll return as so as trouble hits!" she cried joyfully, and throwing her arms about the older woman's neck in an embrace. The owner returned with the two mounts, they paid the price asked for and they mounted and rode in the direction that the cloaked figure before them had gone in.

~*~

"I-it can't be…you're dead…" Cloud stammered, stepping back involuntarily, but at the sound of these words, he hardly believed them himself. The figure that stood before him, as he had turned to face the speaker, was tall, just slightly taller than him, but shorter than the cloaked figure that watched by the boulder. He had black hair that was spiked into quills at the front, but straight at the back, falling just past his shoulders. His eyes were dark and he wore similar clothing to what Cloud was wearing, but instead of the blade he normally wielded, he held a long blade, shorter than the Masamune.

            "Oh…you're looking at this?" the man inquired, gesturing to the blade that Cloud was looking at, "it's a Nodachi…I was given it when I woke up…but I believe you currently hold what is truly mine," he finished, the last words being hissed. Cloud had continued stepping back without realising it, and only came into awareness when his back came into contact with the firm chest of the tall figure behind him. He twirled about, a mix of fear and shock in his eyes as he looked into the hood of cloak, but still he could not see if what was said was true, that the man under this was his former General and one time friend, turned foe. "Look at me Cloud, not at him! He is merely a confused ghost sent back to interfere with what should have been!" the man cried behind him, his voice commanding.

            He turned about a bit too slowly, a flash of silver glinted through the near darkness, rain still patting down accompanied by the occasional roll of thunder and a distant flash. He believed that the blade was going to cut through him, he couldn't possibly react fast enough to counter the blow, but the thin sliver of the blade froze in the air, just in front of his face with a sharp metallic 'clang'. It took Cloud a moment to realise that the man behind him had reached for his blade and had parried the blow, protecting him, 'If this really is Sephiroth, he wouldn't have blocked that blow…' he thought.

            "I may not know your name, but if I was once your General, which I am sure I was, you should know that I frown upon such dishonourable acts, such as this," he said in a dangerous voice. Cloud's eyes widened, 'It is him…but it can't be…' the man laughed out loud.

            "A good retort, but still that was a long time ago, there is no SOLDIER anymore, only the Guard, and they're half the fighters we were, excluding you of course, Strife," he barked, the laugh still in his words. At the last word, the man now supposed to be Sephiroth, pushed back with his blade and the man staggered back, Cloud took the chance to roll out of the way and unsheathe the Buster Sword.

            "Zack was my friend! Whoever you are, you're not him!" he cried, getting into a ready stance. The man laughed again, this time harsher and more menacing.

            "Oh, but I am…and you know it, I've just been given a chance to live again," he said, shaking his hair of the rain that dampened it. No matter how much he tried to deny it, Cloud couldn't help but to consider the truth of his words, 'No, it's not true…Zack died a long time ago…there is no force that could bring him back, not even Sephiroth…this has to be a twisted joke,' A clash of blades rang through the air, bringing him back to his senses, the tall man had parried the blow from the other man, saving him again. Cloud swung his sword up, just as the tall man pulled back his blade and turned, getting ready to lay a blow, as the other charged, stepping out of the way as the long blade cut towards him, and brought his blade descending, only to meet with the edge of the Buster Sword. "Nice block Cloud, but really…put a little more effort, that's twice your superior had to protect you, it's a wonder you managed to kill him," he taunted.

            A blast of lightning travelled from the Buster Sword, trailing up and connecting with the Nodachi, sending its wave into the holder. The man cried in pain and surprise, stumbling back, but keeping a firm hold of his weapon. He glared through the rain that dripped into his eyes from his hair, and let out an enraged roar, swiping the blade in an upward arc. The blade missed by mere millimetres as Cloud jumped back, a sharp whistling cut through the air to his right, the man twirled and brought the blade up to meet with the long blade of his second adversary.

            "So…you are helping him out," he said, somewhat disappointed, "oh well, you will only suffer the same fate as him," with that he jumped back and prepared to leap in to attack. The tall man drew his sword back, and stepped out the way at the last minute of his adversary's assault, smashing the pommel onto the base of his neck. Cloud took the opportunity to charge in, he brought his sword up above his head, and slashed downwards, coming into contact with the wet earth where the man had once been, he turned just in time to block the blow the came towards him.

            "You aren't Zack!" he hissed through his teeth, he could almost feel the breath of his attacker, and could clearly see them at this close range. The similarity was uncanny, maybe it really was him, but if so, how.

            "Just keep telling yourself that," he chimed, a small self-indulgent smile playing across his face, as his eyes flashed with menace. He shoved Cloud roughly, using all his weight, and released one hand from his blade, landing a punch across the others face, sending him scrambling back, already unbalanced by the unpredicted shove.

            "Cloud!!!" a female voice shrieked as they came into view of the current battle. Cloud looked up at the sound of his name and saw Tifa, running towards him, her cowl flown back by the light wind that had joined the rain. His eyes narrowed as he saw Lumira's form, following behind, but on her tracks was someone else, but the cowl of their cloak obscured their features. Alarm shot through him, whoever they were, they were either in league with the person claiming to be Zack, or the one that had been claimed to be Sephiroth. He scrambled to his feet, only to be knocked down again by the dark haired man, he stood over him now, the Nodachi held above his head.

            "It was good seeing you Cloud, too bad we didn't have time to catch up face-to-face," he said, and the blade began its descent. Everyone at the scene cried 'No' at the same time, but only the tall man had run in, crying the word as he thrust his blade through the other mans back, the body slumping back onto his shoulder, "looks like you broke your own rule…Sephiroth…" he said, slumping down onto his side, as the blade was withdrawn. Cloud looked up at the tall form above him and caught a glimmer of his countenance as a flash of lightning broke the sky, before he could say anything screams of fear and alarm ripped through the air.

            They turned to see Tifa and Lumira, held by some creatures that too were unrecognisable as any beast they had met before. They were tall and spindly, their limbs practically bones. Their hands and feet each had three fingers and toes, their faces were gaunt and expressionless with no recognisable features. The sight was grotesque, and sent shivers upon them as a low, unearthly moan escaped the part of their faces that should bear a mouth.

            "Tifa! Lumira!" Cloud cried, rising to his feet, just as light exploded from the hands of the cloaked person that had arrived with them. The beams shot towards the beasts, but had no effect. The last glimpse he caught, before a sharp blow to the back of his head sent him falling into darkness, was of the tall man running towards the two monstrosities with his long blade, ready to strike and rescue the girls.

            "I believe I will finish you off another time, old friend, so I'll be taking what belongs to me and two beautiful ladies…oh and thanks for the flower…" the man said, his voice close to his ear, then vanished as he lost consciousness.