159

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Square Enix and its associates.

Twelve…

Cloud nodded off for the fourth time and decided he had to stop. The sun had already started to go down and Kisari was stumbling she was so tired. They'd been traveling non-stop since that little episode with the bat and he felt guilty for making her run when it was he who wanted to run; from his own fears. Of course, that was ridiculous. There was no place to hide from himself, not even in the Lifestream. The Voices always chided him when he was there. Cloud glanced around, trying to figure out where they were. There was a shimmer of water ahead and he realized that they must have reached the great river located about halfway between the Gold Saucer and Cosmo Canyon. It would be as good a place as any to stop over for a much needed rest. He tapped Kisari's neck, aiming her toward the river, and her head jerked up eagerly. Cloud bit his lip. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't bothered to stop for lunch or dinner. Kisari must be wondering if he was trying to starve her.

"I'm sorry, girl," he said softly. Her head feathers flared up and she chirruped at him in a reassuring tone. He smiled wistfully. Sometimes he wished Tifa would just accept him like the chocobo did. Things would be so much easier if he didn't have to watch what he said and did around her all the time. He knew Tifa was just concerned for his sake, and it was nice that she cared so much about him, but it made talking awkward because he always felt like he had to censure everything he said or did to ensure she wouldn't misread it or blow everything out of proportion. He shrugged. So what else was new?

A deep overhang near the river's edge caught his eye and he turned for a better look. The place was covered from above and on one side by packed earth and the roots of a large tree, the perfect place for two weary travelers to take shelter for the night. He leaned in that direction and Kisari willingly followed his suggestion, picking her way delicately across the stones and sand. She stopped when she reached the earthen wall and Cloud slid gratefully off of her back, his legs unsteady from the long ride. He was reaching out to unbuckle the saddlebags when a wave of fatigue washed over him. He grabbed at Kisari and hung on, trying to keep from falling as his vision narrowed to a pinpoint of fading light.

"Que… ek?" she sounded startled and turned her head around to look at him.

Cloud couldn't find the energy to reassure her. It felt like the world was spinning wildly out of control and he shut his eyes tight, trying to keep from losing consciousness as pinwheels flashed in the back of his head. His muscles felt heavy and it took a great effort to lift one hand and blindly fumble the pack straps loose while he hung on to Kisari's side with the other. When he heard the saddlebags hit the ground with a muffled thud, he took a deep breath to steady himself and inched along her side, eyes still shut tight. With a shaking hand he pulled the bridle and reins over her head so she could graze. The gold chocobo didn't move a muscle while he was doing this, for which he was grateful, and after taking a few more deep breaths to steady himself he opened his eyes and cautiously let go of her. The world tilted slightly but didn't threaten to disappear and he wiped the cold sweat from his face then slowly bent down on one knee, using his hand for balance, and pulled a small bundle of greens out of the pack for Kisari. He glanced at his own rations. There was barely enough to get by if he kept his meals to a bite or two each day. He shrugged. It didn't matter really. His appetite was gone.

Cloud looked around. By his estimation, they were about two days ride from Cosmo Canyon, which he intended to skirt. Red XIII would probably be upset if he learned that Cloud had passed by without at least a quick visit. Of course, the same might be said for Cait Sith. He knew the robot cat went into automatic programming whenever it wasn't being directed by Reeve, but it had surprised him to learn that the cat really had a personality of its own. Not just a set of programmed responses; but true feelings, memories, and maybe even a soul. So yeah, Cait Sith would probably chew him out as well. But he was afraid. Sephiroth was threatening to consume him and he didn't want to endanger any of his friends if he lost control now. He remembered the bat and shuddered briefly.

Pulling a blanket from the pack, he stumbled to the overhang. It would at least protect him somewhat from roaming night hunters. He pulled out his sword and, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders, sat down with his back against the wall of dirt and roots. The night was cold; the sky a clear cobalt blue. He stared at the stars, holding the sword in his right hand just in case, and let his mind wander. Funny, but as much as Sephiroth tormented him, it was Aeris who came to mind now. There was an emptiness that welled up from deep inside of him whenever he thought of her, like his heart had been gouged out and nothing was left but a gaping wound. He missed her, worse than he would ever admit to anyone. She was the only one who had ever accepted him without reservations. She'd never questioned him, never doubted him like Tifa and the others. He remembered her green eyes, so similar yet so different from Sephiroth's; one minute laughing at him, the next looking deep into his. She had commented once that she wanted to get to know him, Cloud, as if he wasn't standing there right in front of her and he found himself once again wondering what she'd meant by that. But he would never know, because she'd returned to the planet. She was gone, and he remained.

Cloud shifted position to get away from a stone that was grinding into his back and pulled the blanket tighter around him, shivering as the cold from the ground started to seep into his body. Sleep dragged at him like an inexorable weight and he prayed that it would be enough to insure there were no dreams. He glanced around, checking to see that Kisari was comfortable. The chocobo had finished her bundle of greens and wandered off in search of choice tidbits amid the grasses which grew along the riverbank. Reassured, Cloud closed his eyes and fell instantly to sleep.

A lone bat settled silently onto a tree branch nearby and obediently stared at the man and bird, sending images back to its master.

Kisari nibbled halfheartedly at the surrounding grasses after she finished her greens. Then, when Cloud's breathing became soft and rhythmic, she knelt down beside him as she had done during the ship ride and leaned close to keep him warm. He muttered something in his sleep and turned towards her, hands clutching her feathers in a firm but not painful grip. A tear trickled down his cheek and he shuddered briefly.

"Wark?" Kisari dipped her head curiously toward him. She didn't understand what was wrong with her master. Even though she had lived with humans her entire life, there were still some things she couldn't make beak or tail feathers of. It wasn't that she didn't understand what they were saying. She did. And her naturally keen senses allowed her to pick up their stronger emotions too: excitement, happiness, anger, sadness. But what she was picking up from her master lately was different from all of those and it worried her. Extreme agitation and fear overrode most other emotions during the day, yet now she sensed an overwhelming sadness so deep that her avian heart swelled with it and she wanted to cover him protectively with her stubby wings as she would a newborn chick.

Abruptly the feeling from him changed. His breathing sped up and he began to toss his head from side to side. His fingers clutched painfully at her, pulling her feathers. And then his face began to change.

Crystal steps led down, spiraling into a darkness so complete that Cloud was forced to walk slowly to avoid falling over the edge. There were no handrails to grab hold of and even his enhanced vision couldn't pierce the dark more than a few meters ahead of him. A breeze caressed his face, teasing him with a breath of fresh air, and he looked around, searching for the source. Suddenly he realized that he was alone and that seemed wrong somehow. He stopped and the sound of his footsteps echoed through the endless space that lay beneath the Ancients' shell city. When the echoes faded away, he concentrated, listening for any sign that he had company. There was nothing. Cloud couldn't explain to himself why it felt wrong to be alone, so he shrugged and continued downward.

Aeris was below. He could feel her presence in his mind, calling softly to him. A pale light emanated from the bottom of the crystal stairs and Cloud followed it through an archway into a large cavern. There were rock columns and other ornate formations visible in a dappled light that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. He stepped a little further into the chamber and immediately spotted Aeris. She was kneeling on a stone dais in the center of a clear pool of water; her hands held together and her eyes closed as if she was praying, though for what he had no idea. The silence echoed around him, like a breeze as it caresses chimes in a cathedral, and something inside of him responded to it. It felt like he was coming home. He frowned. That couldn't be right. He'd never been to this place before; didn't even know it existed until he felt Aeris' voice calling to him as he slept in the shell house above.

A series of staggered wooden pillars jutted up from the water, leading across to the dais where Aeris knelt and he hopped slowly from one to another, watching her as he approached. The Voices began to whisper frantically to him as he moved toward Aeris. They sounded afraid, almost panicked, and he shook his head. Didn't they understand? He just wanted to ask her what she was doing here and why she had left him alone back at the Temple of the Ancients. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry for hitting her after he gave the Black Materia to Sephiroth. It had been wrong to blame her for his own weakness. And even though she had forgiven him in a dream after Vincent knocked him out to keep him from killing her, it wasn't enough. He needed to tell her person.

Pain suddenly exploded inside his skull and he staggered and nearly fell, grabbing his head as a force more powerful than any magical attack he'd ever endured ripped through him. It took control of his arms and legs, and against his will he felt his hand slowly reach back to draw his sword. The elegant blade shimmered as he brought it around and he stared at it. It was incredibly long and slender. His feet moved him toward Aeris and his hands slowly raised the sword to shoulder height, preparatory to striking down at her defenseless figure. Aeris looked up and smiled at him, as if only just now becoming aware of his presence. He tried to shout a warning, tried to scream at her to run, but his throat constricted and he couldn't say anything. He was going to kill her! HE was going to KILL her!

As if in slow motion, he felt himself drive the sword through her chest. There was no resistance. Aeris stared up at him, the smile still fixed on her face, and Cloud watched as the life slowly faded from her eyes. She slumped onto his sword and he dropped it, fingers numb with shock. No! This couldn't be happening! This wasn't how it happened! He stumbled backwards as the Materia fell from Aeris' ribbon and bounced with small chiming sounds as it dropped from pillar to pillar before it finally hit the water below with a tiny splash. Tears threatened to blur his vision as he stumbled to the water's edge and watched it sink into the depths. Then he saw his reflection in the water and his eyes widened in horror. Silver brows arched slowly over glowing green eyes and the lips turned up in a cruel smile.

"You were going to kill her anyway," his reflection said. Then it started to laugh.

Cloud lunged to his feet, almost hitting Kisari with his head. She jumped back and he went to his knees, breathing heavily. He raised a shaking hand to his face, the dream still imprinted upon his mind's eye. When his fingers felt unfamiliar features he lunged up again, dropping the sword, and staggered to the river's edge. He had to wake up! Dropping to his knees beside the water, he leaned over to scoop it into his face then froze when he saw his reflection. Sephiroth was staring back at him, green eyes wide with horror. His horror!

"Oh god, no…!"

He pulled at his hair, seeing in the water what his hands confirmed. It was long and fine, sweeping in silver cascades over elegant brows, green eyes, and a cruel mouth. Fear surged through him and he frantically splashed cold water into his face.

"No," splash

"No!" splash

"NO!"

"Get out! GET OUT!" he screamed.

Kisari stood uncertainly beside his sword and cast off blanket, watching the human who was and yet wasn't her master as he beat at the ground repeatedly with his fists. He looked wrong, but felt right, and it confused her.

Hojo jumped when the image suddenly flashed into his mind. He'd been concentrating on trying to get one of the infected humans in Midgar to go up into the ruined floors of the Shinra Headquarters to see if anything was left of his lab when Sephiroth suddenly emerged in all his glory from the body of the blonde trooper. The scientist immediately dropped control of the human.

"Yes!" Hojo started to giggle uncontrollably. "Yes, yes, yes!" He rubbed his tentacles together. How ironic! All that work and here it turned out that his first attempt, the cast-off, the Failure, was Sephiroth's choice! Jenova's voice murmured a disjointed approval inside of him and Hojo swelled with pride. He turned and jetted toward his secret lab, but stopped halfway, swiveling slowly as he realized that a battle was taking place between Sephiroth and the trooper. Hojo frowned as he watched the boy splash water onto his face then begin beating his fists repeatedly onto the ground, screaming something Hojo couldn't hear. Whatever the boy was doing, it was succeeding because Sephiroth's features slowly withdrew to be replaced once more by Cloud's.

"No, no, no!" Hojo danced about angrily. "Stupid miserable Failure!" He whirled around and stormed through the passageway, wishing he had legs to stomp with. Instead he could only sputter and fling his tentacles about in frustration. This was unbearable! Absolutely unacceptable! Angrily, he focused his attention on all the infected monsters he'd collected in Nibelheim and commanded them to head south immediately! He wanted Cloud, now! Unharmed if possible, but any way he could get him, as long as the body remained alive for Sephiroth. Damn that Cloud! He had never had this much trouble with any of his other experiments. Of course, he'd never had this kind of success with them either. Perhaps, if he destroyed the boy's mind…? Yes! Anything to bring Sephiroth back to life! He had created a god! He would not see it continually beaten by a nothing little SOLDIER wannabe!

Red XIII glanced up from the body of the missing Cosmo Canyon student and growled low in his throat. These abominable growths, which had begun to show up on a few of the local monsters and had so far evaded his patrols, were beginning to spread. He raised his head, shaking it angrily, and the beads laced into his red mane clicked and jingled softly. He glared across the canyon. He could smell the sickness in the air. It defiled his nose and made him sneeze. He laid his ears back. Then the breeze shifted and a familiar scent reached him. He raised his head. Cloud? It was mixed in with the scent of many beasts, all of which carried the same foul odor of sickness on them. Red XIII leaped over the student's body without thinking and ran toward the scent. Cloud was here! And he was in danger!

Red was almost at the edge of the canyons before he spotted them and his good eye narrowed. There were more than thirty monsters, many not even from this region, and they were churning up so much dust that at first he couldn't make out what they were doing. Then, as he ran closer, Red saw the figures of a human and chocobo fighting in their midst. Cloud's sword suddenly flashed in the sunlight, moving so fast it was little more than a blur and the chocobo was lashing out with beak and claws, trying her best to defend her master. Red XIII raised his muzzle and howled his hunting cry as he sprang forward. Snapping, kicking, and dodging he forced his way meter by hard earned meter toward them. The monsters were packed so thick that they impeded his movement and he growled angrily. It was like a wall of bodies! Their sheer numbers were slowing him down. He spotted a brief opening, as the monsters nearest Cloud fell back from his sword, and Red lunged through it, running as fast as he could toward his friend. One look was enough to make Red's gut clench up. Cloud looked utterly exhausted and even the chocobo's head was hanging low. Red wondered how long the battle had been going on before he came within scenting distance.

Cloud looked up briefly when he heard the familiar battle cry. He spun to slash at a huge Nibel Wolf, cutting it in half, then turned and yelled, "Stay back, Red! They're infected!"

Red XIII stumbled in surprise, then gritted his teeth and continued to work his way toward Cloud. He dodged past a dragon that looked more dead than alive. It was so covered in growths that it seemed impossible it could still move, let alone see enough to attack anything. Cloud shot him a harried look but before he could protest, two Desert Sahagins attacked him from behind and he spun about to face them, hacking desperately. They jumped back and he tried again. "I think Hojo's infected them somehow! Please… take Kisari and get away from here! If they scratch you…" he gritted his teeth and swung the sword around in a circle as a bird flapped its wings over his head, temporarily blinding him. "…you'll be infected just like these monsters!" Two Head Hunters leapt in, scoring his back and arms with razor sharp claws. Cloud staggered, his breathing ragged. He tried to concentrate his energy into a Limit Break attack, but he had no strength left and instead lashed out blindly at them.

"War…rrk!" Kisari objected loudly. She pounced on the locust-shaped Head Hunter nearest Cloud and pecked at its eyes with her sharp beak, kicking the other one in the face with her claws. An angry chocobo was not something any sane monster wanted to face, but these creatures were not sane. Red had never seen them like this before; not even the few infected ones he'd killed. It was almost as if they were possessed by some incredible will that was intent upon taking Cloud down.

"I will not!" Red barked, in full agreement with the chocobo for once. He sailed over the backs of two more Head Hunters, kicking them away with his powerful hind legs, and grabbed a Castanet with his teeth, shaking it until he heard limbs snap. He spat it out and dodged through the legs of a Dual Horn, slashing its belly open as he made his way toward Cloud and Kisari. His lips wrinkled in disgust at both the sour taste in his mouth and the fact that he couldn't do more damage. At last he found the opening he needed and launched himself through the air. He hit the bird that was harrying Cloud, his weight and momentum knocking it to the ground, and savagely ripped its throat open. He spat the blood out then with a defiant toss of his head he took up position beside his human friend.

"Red…" Cloud sounded like he was torn between gratitude and distress.

"Don't say it! I will not leave my friend to fight alone!" he barked with finality.

Cloud groaned, but he had no time to argue as two Bandersnatches lunged over the backs of the Dual Horn in front of him. He whipped up his heavy bladed sword and hacked at them, staggering from the weight and his own weariness. Up close Red could see that Cloud was on the verge of collapsing. His face was set into a deep frown of concentration and sweat was dripping freely into his eyes, matting his hair and blinding him. He swiped at his face briefly in an attempt to clear his vision. An Arc Dragon blew flame at him and he barely brought the sword up in time to deflect the flames. He stumbled as another Arc Dragon slammed into him from the side. Gripping the sword with both hands he tried to swing it around against his new attacker, but his movements were too slow and he missed. The Buster Sword gleamed red in the sunlight and his arms and face were covered in a mixture of his blood and that of the monsters he'd killed.

Out of nowhere, another Nibel wolf sailed through the air and landed on Cloud's back, almost knocking him to the ground. Red XIII howled with rage. He slammed through it with a Sled Fang attack and it vanished in a spray of limbs. Then he slid to a stop, turned and grabbed a two-legged Valamyu that was trying to sneak up on Cloud's right. He tossed it into the air, ripping off one of its legs in the process and was about to finish it off when he thought he heard Cloud's breath catch. He turned quickly and saw, to his surprise and dismay, that a flock of bats had surrounded his friend. He could barely see him through the wall of flapping wings. Cloud tried to bring his sword up to defend himself, but dozens of tiny teeth bit him in the neck and shoulders, arms and legs; each one draining away a small part of what little strength he had left; and slowly his knees buckled and he started to fall.

"Cloud!" Red lunged toward the bats the same instant that Kisari let out an angry screech and ran toward her master. Simultaneously every monster in the area crowded in front of them, forming a barrier between them and Cloud. Someone WAS directing them! There was no other explanation for their unusual behavior and Red XIII wondered if Cloud could be right. Was it Hojo? A dragon bowled Red over with a flick of its tail and blew flames at the chocobo, forcing them both to back off. Red XIII lunged to his feet instantly and tried to find a way around it, snapping frantically even as he realized that the monsters weren't so much trying to kill him and Kisari as to keep them away from Cloud! Rage flared up inside him, filling him until all he could see was red, and he went berserk. Eyes glaring, Red bayed at the sky and charged forward, slamming himself repeatedly like a battering ram into the wall of monsters in front of him. It no longer mattered whether he killed the creatures or how much damage he took himself, only that he reach his goal no matter what!

As Cloud sank to the ground, he felt his senses fading and knew his body had finally succumbed to the poison of the infected beasts. Strength flowed from him like the blood he was losing from multiple wounds. Yet a burning heat was also rising up inside of him; an anger such as he had never felt before; and the power of it overwhelmed him while at the same time it gave him a cold sort of satisfaction. He didn't will it, but his body slowly straightened and he rose to his feet in one fluid motion. Without thought, he raised his left hand into the air and flicked his fingers outward. A sneer pulled at his lips as he gazed at the pitiful creatures that had incurred his wrath. They were hardly worth his attention.

A gale rose around him. It brushed his cheeks and he closed his eyes at the heady feeling as the power of his spell circled him like a lover's embrace. The bats were tossed aside like so much chaff, vanishing into tiny puffs of smoke if they came too close, for this was no ordinary wind spell but one he had created on his own. He called it Storm and it encompassed both the elements of wind and fire. Cloud rotated his wrist in a slow, almost casual gesture and the winds suddenly slashed at the monsters around him, tearing them violently from the ground and tossing them like leaves into the air. He clenched his fingers and they vanished like the bats. The whirlwind expanded, whipping through the others. It hit Red and threw him bodily into the air. Kisari squawked angrily as the gale pushed at her. She spread her stubby wings, claws digging into the ground, and scratched deep furrows as she tried to stay on her feet.

Though startled, Red was quick. He landed on his feet, mane flared out in surprise. He stared at Cloud as the blonde SOLDIER stood calmly in the center of the storm. His face seemed different somehow, his hair lighter and… longer? In horror Red XIII realized who he resembled.

"Pests!" Cloud snarled with Sephiroth's voice. He moved as if to step through the gales that swirled around him, disdainful of the havoc he had wrought. Then abruptly he staggered. Frowning, he glanced down at the many wounds which covered his body and his green eyes flashed with rage. "Damn you, Hojo," he growled, face twisting with fury. He swayed, stumbled forward one more step then abruptly crumpled into a graceful heap on the ground. The winds fell with him, leaving an empty space where the monsters had been blown away or incinerated.

Red looked around in confusion. What had just happened? Cloud looked like Cloud again. Kisari started toward her master the instant the winds stopped, apparently unconcerned by the fact that he had just changed into somebody else. She never made it. An enormous shadow suddenly loomed over Cloud's unconscious form. A giant reptilian bird Red had never seen before slowly settled on top of his friend, clutched his body in its oversized talons, then leaped into the air and sped away northwards. Kisari tried to follow, but the remaining monsters hampered her, milling about aimlessly now that their target was gone. Furious, she let out an angry screech and leaped over them, running across their backs, pecking and kicking all the way. When she finally won free of the impediments, the gold chocobo hit the ground running, neck stretched flat out, and chased after the bird which was already vanishing over the horizon with her master.

Red watched her go, his mind spinning. He had seen Cloud flip out before, but not like this. Never like this! Had Cloud really turned into Sephiroth or had he been deceived? No! He shook his head and snapped automatically as one of the remaining monsters wandered too close. No! He knew what he had seen. As impossible as it seemed, Cloud's eyes definitely turned green and his hair had been silver, not blonde! And that wind spell. He'd never seen Cloud use any wind spell save when he summoned Typoon and this hadn't been anything like a normal summons. He stared after Kisari and indecision gnawed at him. He could still smell Cloud's scent, though it was fading fast. Red XIII looked back toward Cosmo Canyon, then at the milling monsters, and finally in the direction his friend had disappeared. He was torn between two loyalties. But he needed to make a decision now! There were the students, but…

With a cry of dismay, he gathered himself and raced after Kisari and Cloud.

--------------------------------------------

1wngdngl: I totally loved having Cloud say that line! It's so NOT like Cloud that I thought people would get a kick out of it.

Jana-Yggdrasil: Yes, Cloud's turning into Sephiroth! I thought when, during Advent Children, Cloud fell down in front of Zack's sword and his eyes turned catlike that it would be a really cool idea to follow up on. Glad you think so too.

Sinnocently: Great minds, you know. I'd love to hear your story too, so please write it!

Vermillion Dragoness, thanks for the uplifting review you gave me on Chapter 11! It's people like you who make it all worth while. -

And to all who've taken the time to leave a quick (or long o) review, THANKS!! I really need it sometimes, just to reaffirm that someone's really reading my story and not just cruising the titles.