Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no profit from it.
SHARDS COLLIDE
CHAPTER 24
'This can't be!' Came the wild thoughts of a man half insane with grief and rage. He continued to charge headlong towards the opponent clad in black leather with silvery hair. However, Sephiroth was not the one Cloud constantly looked at now. Instead it was the now lifeless husk of a man he once called friend and brother.
'This can't be possible!' He continued to cry to himself mentally.
He ran closer…
'I won't accept it!'
Even closer…
'I refuse to accept it!!'
Closer…
'Oh please don't let it be so…'
Closer…
Suddenly Cloud was standing over the dark haired man and within a heartbeat he was kneeling by his friend's side shaking his lifeless body frantically.
"Come on Zack! Wake up buddy!" The blond haired man cried in a half hysterical voice.
Hot tears were now streaming down his eyes and his hands shook drastically, growing worse with every passing second. Cloud simply wouldn't stop shaking him. He wouldn't let go and own up to the reality that the husk lying there within his arms was no longer Zack. It was no longer the dark haired brother he had known for the better part of his life. It was no longer the man who could laugh in the face of danger and accept any burden and take it upon himself to rectify. It was no longer Zack.
This fact made the man weep even more as he suddenly dug his face against the dead man's shoulder crying loudly into the night.
Suddenly Cloud heard the clatter of soft feet and before he realized it, Aeris was prying the dead body from his arms. Reflexively he tugged even harder on the dark haired corps.
Aeris placed a gentle hand over Cloud's own. Yet when Cloud looked up into her eyes, even more grief arose in his heart, so much he didn't think he could take it anymore. The woman's eyes were almost just as wild with horror and sadness as his own. Her hands where shaking slightly from barely suppress grief, sadness and heartache. Her eyes were glazed with dread and deep pain as tears continued to flow freely from them. Cloud noticed the constant shaking she was getting all over her body yet she continued to overpower it as she pried Zack's body away from his arms.
"Cloud…please…?"
The very tone in which she said it was more then enough for Cloud's arms to finally go limp. The words came out with such sadness and anxiety, almost as if it was a desperate plea dredging out from her very core. Cloud had no choice. His body no longer worked at his own accord.
Aeris lightly took Zack up in her arms and suddenly she was shaking even more now. Tears came at an even greater rate as she looked towards the face of the soulless corps. After a few moments, she ruthlessly began to fight back her overwhelming emotions. She closed her eyes to focus and slowly her body began to glow in a soft green color. In a matter of seconds Zack's body too was engulfed in the green glow.
Tifa, Barret and Red were standing a few feet away from the other two, equal grief evident in their eyes as well. They were completely baffled by Aeris green glow however.
"What's goin on?" Barret asked in a silent voice.
"I think she's trying to heal him…" Tifa replied mystically.
Red 13 narrowed his eyes slightly in a concerned manner. "… It's too late for that. No amount of healing can save him now… he's gone."
A few feet away Aeris was just now painfully realizing the very words Red 13 had just muttered. As the dull green glow began to dissipate, Zack's body continued to remain unchanged. Aeris shut her eyes tightly and once again her body began to glow but this time in a voilent green hue surrounding her and Zack both in a huge almost blinding green light. Yet when the light faded, the body still remained the same.
Aeris silently began to cry again. Cloud too was devastated by the failed attempt.
"Now you see… Life is a cruel mistress indeed." Sephiroth said, speaking for the first time since killing the dark haired man. "The man is dead. Nothing will ever bring him back. Such is the rule of the lifestream correct? This is reality! This!!!" He pointed savagely towards Zack. "Is the price for those who defy mother and I!"
Suddenly in a matter of seconds, Cloud scooped up Zack's fallen buster sword and charged towards the hated man with lightning speed nearly matching Zack's own. However, Cloud had no time to realize the enhanced abilities as he ruthlessly attacked the silvery haired man.
Sephiroth's eyes widened slightly at Cloud's speed but it was quickly replaced with an arrogant grin as he deftly sped back in retreat. Sephiroth floated deftly into the air, above Cloud's attacks.
Cloud growled in insane rage and quickly jumped up in an attack but missed again as Sephiroth was too high up. The silver haired man laughed loudly at the failed attempt.
"It is useless to defy me! That man has suffered the consequences of such an action. He openly defied me in a sad attempt at protecting you, his friends. That pathetic gesture of heroism cost him his life…." Sephiroth looked up in an almost nostalgic way. "He was always one to act upon drastic decisions. I trust that you all are more intelligent then to try what he has failed at!"
"YOU BASTARD!" Cloud seethed, finally giving voice to his wild emotions. "YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE ME! I WILL KILL YOU! I PROMISE YOU THAT! I WILL GUT YOU LIKE THE PIG YOU ARE!"
Sephiroth chuckled at the man's rage. "A new era has just begun! Rejoice, you all have the privilege of watching the beginning of my conquests! ALL OF MIDGAR, ALL OF THE WHOLE WORLD WITH BE MOLDED IN MOTHERS IMAGE AND I WILL BECOME MASTER UNDER THE RULE OF JENOVA! THIS IS THE DAWN BUT HEED MY WORDS AND BEWARE, THE DAY OF RECONING WILL SOON BE UPON YOU AND NONE OF YOU WILL SURVIVE IT! ALL WILL BE HOW MOTHER WANTS IT TO BE!"
Everyone in the room cringed at the insane rants and raves the silver haired man was giving off. Aeris hugged Zack's corps closer to her body. Barret tried his best to look angry but he couldn't help the slight fear that was invading his body. Tifa took a tentative step back, unsure of what would happen next. Red 13 stood his ground evenly, grimly prepared for anything that awaited him. Cloud, however, continued to glare at the man with hatred in his eyes.
"I don't give a $hit about your plans or your mother! 'YOUR' day of reconing is coming sooner then you think Sephiroth!"
Once again, that arrogant grin formed on Sephiroth's lips. "I await the challenge. I have seen into your true being Cloud Strife! Your day of calling is soon approaching! Till next we meet!"
Suddenly the room lit up in a flurry of brilliant light, blinding everyone. Cloud savagely opened his eyes against the bright light yet when everything was visible once more Sephiroth was gone.
"Damnit!" Cloud seethed. He then trained his eyes on Zack's body once more and all the anger left him, quickly replaced by overwhelming grief. His steps faltered as he walked closer and closer towards painful reality. Reality that Zack was indeed very dead.
Aeris was still sobbing softly, crying into the dead man's chest while she had him carefully perched up in her arms. Each sob forced Cloud's heart to contract painfully. Everything was hazy and Cloud couldn't discern where he was walking or why. Everything became a sudden void too great for him to comprehend anymore. He heard the soft voice of Tifa calling his name yet he could not answer. He didn't want to answer. He wanted to escape this painful world. He no longer wanted any part in it. Too much pain had seized him already.
"…I couldn't save him… no matter how hard I tried…" Aeris continued ranting in a silent voice. Cloud continued to walk aimlessly until finally he plopped down in front of his dead friend.
Tifa took a step towards Cloud, deep sympathy evident in her eyes.
BRAPP BAP BAP BAP BAP
Suddenly the room was engulfed in a stream of intense bullet fire and Tifa ran as fast as she could towards Cloud and Aeris. Without a word of warning, the dark haired woman quickly rammed into them both knocking them out of the way right before that very spot was riddled with a barrage of bullets.
Everyone else dodged for cover as well. Barret hefted his arm up in anger. "Damn! Just when you think Shinra's all finished! What the hell are they fighting for though? Their president's dead! It's all over!"
A smoke bomb flew into the room forcing Barret to run from cover, desperately heading towards another safety point.
Soon the room was covered with incoming bullets, smoke bombs and even explosive bombs began to raid the huge office building.
"We've got to get out of here!" Red shouted above the blare of explosions and bullet fire.
"The entrance!" Tifa screamed. "They're attacking us from outside. If we take the stairs they won't be able to track us!"
"Let's do it!" Barret shouted, making a run for the exit. Red quickly followed, sprinting towards the double doors. Tifa spun back towards the two remaining members of the team, realizing they were still grieving over their lost friend, completely oblivious to what was happening around them.
"Cloud! Aeris! We've got to get out of here! The whole place is going to be destroyed. We'll die if we stay here!"
Cloud turned his face away stubbornly. "I'm not leaving Zack."
Tifa glared in frustration. "What are you talking about Cloud? Are you just going to give up?"
Cloud said nothing but continued to keep his head lowered. Tifa was enraged at how stubborn they were being. "And what about you Aeris? Are you just going to give up too? Are you just going to give Shinra the satisfaction of winning?"
Aeris looked up towards Tifa with tear glazed eyes, still breathing heavily with anguish. "Tifa… I can't leave him. H- he would never leave us! I can't!"
Tifa placed a sympathetic hand on Aeris shoulder. "He's gone Aeris… let him go…"
Aeris didn't say anything.
"Please Aeris! Zack would have wanted you to live. He would have wanted all of us to live. He died so that we wouldn't have to suffer by Sephiroth's hands. If you stay here now he will have died in vain."
Aeris looked down with sad eyes as she pondered the woman's words. "… What Zack would have wanted…?"
"Yes!" Tifa replied with relief that she was getting through to the green-eyed girl. She then trained her eyes towards Cloud who still stubbornly kept his head lowered. Tifa bit her lip then narrowed her eyes lightly. "I'm sorry Cloud but there's no other way…"
Cloud was slightly flustered by Tifa's comment and turned his head in question only to see a fist flying his way before everything suddenly when black.
Tifa eased Cloud over and hefted his limp form over her shoulder. Aeris was shocked speechless by what she had just seen. Tifa turned towards the girl and pointed towards Zack's discarded sword. "Get that! We might need it for our escape!"
Aeris slowly looked back towards Zack's still form. "Leave him!" Tifa replied. "He's dead and there's nothing more we can do. We can't afford to carry his weight on our own. We've got to go now!"
Aeris silently wiped away the last of her tears then grabbed the dark haired man's sword and ran for the double doors their other team members had recently passed through.
::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::
Author's note: Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 25.