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 25
Cloud moaned groggily as he felt himself being rushed frantically down the hallways of the Shinra building. The blond man looked around in confusion wondering what was going on. Slowly he began to recollect his thoughts then suddenly he shot his head up and looked around frantically.
"Oh god!" He screamed. "Where's Zack?!? Don't tell me we left without Zack???"
No one said anything as the continued to run faster down the hallways. Aeris lowered her head but said nothing. Tifa, who had been helping Barret carry Cloud down the hall's, shifted her face away slightly. "There wasn't any choice Cloud."
Cloud turned his head towards the young brunette haired woman. "How could you? Zack was my friend! Tifa how could you!?! We've gotta go back! We can't just-"
Suddenly, Tifa stopped in her downward sprint and clutched Cloud's shirt in her hands tightly forcing him back a few steps. "Tifa what are yo-"
"Shut up Cloud! Just shut the hell up! I didn't want to leave him behind ok?! No one did! But right now your acting like a royal jackass you know that? There was no other way! We had to leave him behind or else we would be dead too! That's not what Zack would have wanted! He would have wanted us to keep going! To move on! And that's what we're doing Cloud! That's what I'm trying to get you to do!"
Cloud blinked rapidly at the woman's sudden burst of anger and the tears that soon followed. "…Tifa…"
"Save it!" the woman said as she suddenly released him from her grasp then yanked his hand forward. "Let's just get going or we'll end up dead!"
Cloud could do nothing but comply and he ran faster to keep up with the others. Suddenly the wall's violently burst into flames around them. Apparently Shinra was trying to destroy the whole building simply to eliminate them. It made no sense to Cloud's mind. Why would they want to focus so much attention on such a small band of rebels?
Another huge explosion went off a few yards ahead of them causing Barret and Red 13 to fall back, a few feet in front of them.
"$hit!" Barret yelled in alarm. "They got the whole area blocked off! How the hell are we gonna get out now?"
Tifa anxiously looked around for an alternate route. Soon everyone else joined in scanning their surroundings. Barret knocked on the walls checking to see if they were weak enough for him to blast through. Red 13 was using his heightened senses to try and sniff his way to some unknown escape tunnel or something of that sort. Even Aeris, who was still grieving over the recent tragedy, was now also trying to help everyone find a way out.
Cloud couldn't understand it. Why fight? Everything was lost… Zack was dead! DEAD! They couldn't survive. Zack was only the first to die. Soon they would all join him. They were only delaying the inevitable.
'Why do they continue to resist!' Cloud screamed in his mind. 'It's hopeless! All hopeless.'
'No…It's not hopeless…' A silent, nearly unnoticeable voice said in reply. He knew that voice. It was coming from the very depths of his soul. It was the same voice of reason he had heard during the day his life had been ruined my Sephiroth. Somehow, someway the platinum haired SOLDIER always found some way to ruin his life, to ruin his happiness. It wasn't fair. Why did things have to go this way?
Little by little, he continued to think in despair about all that had gone wrong in his life and surprisingly they all began to fall into the same place. As Cloud continued to sit there in his spot, he couldn't help the new rising sensation washing over him. Rapidly, his depression soon turned over into anger and rage. Suddenly it all made sense to him. He knew why Tifa and Aeris and the others were trying to get out. He knew why they still fought. He knew why, even with the last of their strength, they still clung to desperate life.
Cloud knew now what he had to do. If anything, he had to live on to defeat Sephiroth. The least he could do was to rid humanity of the evil threat that was Sephiroth. At least then no one else would ever have to suffer the same way he was forced to suffer. That was what Zack died for and if need be, that would be what he too would die for. Even if it took the very essence from him, he would make sure Sephiroth died. That was his purpose.
Cloud quickly snapped his eyes open, unbeknownst to him, they began glowing with that familiar green glow more then usual. Cloud looked around anxiously like the others were then walked over towards a nearby window. Suddenly he found their exit.
Cloud dashed away from the rest of the group at a rapid speed.
"Cloud!" Tifa called after him as she saw the man run off. "Cloud where are you going?" Panic was beginning to rise in the young brunette haired girl's heart. Had the trauma of losing his friend been too much for him? Had he finally snapped and was now trying to run away from reality? Tifa couldn't bare it. Cloud was and would always be the only one who could understand her. They had both gone through so much, she couldn't bare to lose him when they had just recently found one another again. Tifa ran after the blond haired man as fast as she could.
"Cloud please stop!"
"Where are they going?" Barret asked rhetorically as he continued to scan the area searching for a way out.
Aeris stood quietly watching as Tifa and Cloud ran off. It pained her heart but she knew this was something only Tifa could help Cloud deal with. "Just let them go Barret… They'll be back."
Barret grumbled something under his breath but nodded his acceptance then continued his search.
****
Cloud finished the run towards his destination on the upper floor then nodded his head with a satisfied grin on his face. "This is our last option." He said to himself absent-mindedly.
"What's our last option?" Came a voice from behind, startling the blond haired man from his thoughts. "Cloud what are you talking about?"
Cloud turned to face Tifa yet the expression on his face brought fresh relief and uncertain dread to her heart at the same time. His face was determined, yet for some reason that was all she saw there, Determination and nothing else.
"Cloud?"
Cloud rushed up towards Tifa and grasped her shoulders in his arms. "Tifa, I'm glad you're here. Round up the others. Get them to this floor. You remember those vehicles we saw when we passed by this area before right?"
"…Yeah…I think so."
"Excellent! Look; just trust me on this. I want you to get the others and start up the motors on the truck we saw. I'll be waiting there for you. Don't worry, we'll get out of this building yet!"
Tifa didn't know what to say. Cloud definitely had a plan but something about him unnerved her for some reason. Despite her feelings however, Tifa nodded her head briskly. "Ok Cloud. I don't know what you've got planned but I'll do it."
Tifa turned around to head towards the others but stopped at the last second. She turned back slightly and placed her hand lightly on the man's shoulder. "Just…just be careful alright?"
Cloud nodded lightly, still with that determined expression on his face yet Tifa thought she saw the slight glimmer of compassion flash across his eyes, if only for a split second.
"I'll be fine Tifa, just get going."
Without another word Tifa ran at full speed back towards the rest of the group.
::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::
Author's note: Ok I know this chapter was pretty short and it probably kinda sucked in its own way too. I apologize for that but I'll put the next chapter out soon. As always, thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 26.