Final Fantasy 7: The Hojo Clone
By Co V Schuler
Part 2: The Second Cetra
Chapter 8 (Continued a few minutes after the end of Chapter 7)
The two groups of people faced each other with anger and hatred. Avalanche, all of them finally back together again, and the last two people of Lee's group of destroyers. One had a gun-arm and the other was Gloom. Suddenly, the man with a gun-arm raised his arm to fire at Barret but Barret jumped to his right while Vincent blew off the man's head. Vincent then shot man's arms off so he couldn't be revived (he couldn't be revived without a head anyway, but it was just to make sure).
Gloom jumped at Vincent but Vincent dodged to his right and Gloom jumped into Cid's spear. Gloom yelled in pain and then started to pick up Cid by his spear. But Yuffie sent her boomerang through Gloom's neck and Gloom fell down, dead.
"Stupid shit heads. I swear that next time one of them comes near me, I will kill 'em," Cid was saying. "I promise you that..."
Yuffie ran to Vincent and said, "Where's Cloud?" Tifa, who had been running toward them, yelled, "Cloud's dead because of Aeris. Aeris spoke in his dreams and got Cloud to go fight Lee. Aeris nearly got us all killed by Lee and that...thing," she said as she gestured at the huge corpse that was laying on the ground and she gestured at the corpses body parts that were all over the ground and hills. "She brought all this upon us. All THIS. And she...she killed Cloud. And she made Cloud like HER. NOT ME. SHE MUST DIE BECAUSE OF HER DESTRUCTION!" Tifa's eyes were blazing as she ran toward Aeris, who was shocked at Tifa's rage and the announcement of Cloud's death.
Before Aeris knew that Tifa was that close, Tifa jump-kicked her in the stomach and then, when Aeris hit the ground, Tifa jumped as high as she could and landed on Aeris with her foot crushing Aeris' ribs. Aeris choked as Tifa started dealing blows to Aeris head. Then Aeris hands found her staff and she whacked Tifa as hard as she could in the head.
Aeris slowly stood up and said, "Tifa, I did what the Planet told me to do. I didn't know that it would kill Cloud. Please stop Tifa...please stop."
Barret's eyes widened when he realized that both of the girls were crying. Tifa jumped back up and said, "But you killed Cloud. And you made him like you. You don't deserve to live. You should DIE!"
With that said, Tifa lunged for Aeris and Aeris just raised her hand and...Barret's eyes widened even more. Tifa had stopped in mid-air. Barret looked at Cid; Cid had the same surprised expression. "Put me down you stupid bitch of an Ancient, put me down. You should die die die die!"
Aeris let out a few more tears. "It's not my fault. Tifa I loved him but I never made him like me. He...he loved you. And me. Its not me, its not me..." Aeris fell to the ground sobbing while Tifa still hung there, not able to move anything but her mouth.
Barret shook his head and said, "Okay people, stop the fighting. You two can't just-."
Suddenly green magic swirled around Tifa and Ice3, probably mastered, hit Aeris. Aeris flew back from the freezing ice and hit the dirt. "Ooh!"
Tifa fell to the ground and an evil smile crossed her face. Suddenly a figure in red and black came up from behind her and hit her across the head with a rifle butt. Vincent said, "Had to stop her or she would've killed Aeris. And we don't need Aeris to die twice."
Barret nodded in agreement. So did Cid and Red XIII. Barret looked around for Cait-Sith and then remembered that Cait-Sith was history. "Well," Barret started to say but a screaming Yuffie interrupted him.
"Hey guys," she was saying. "I revived Cloud!"
*
Two Days Later...
"I have one more day to live Cloud. One more day before my body runs out of Mako."
Cloud nodded, looking at Aeris. He touched her hand. They were on the Highwind in the Chocobo stables, taking care of a black Chocobo. Then, unexpectedly, Aeris leaned forward and kissed Cloud on the lips, her soft lips moving back and forth on his.
Cloud didn't know how to react; he did like it but...he had heard about the fight. And he didn't want to heart Tifa's feeling. Not knowing what to do, he decided to pull back. Aeris pulled back too and smiled an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, I uh, I just wanted one kiss from you..." She drifted off and then continued cleaning the Chocobo.
Cloud scratched the back of his head and wondered if he should kiss her, just to make her happy. Yeah, a kiss won't hurt, unless Tifa sees it. But she hasn't come out of her room ever since the fight. No one did anything; no one brought her food or anything. They all figured that she needed to cool down and wait till Aeris went back to the Planet.
Cloud walked over to Aeris side and put his hand on her chin and gently pulled her up. And he kissed her, her eyes brightened with delight. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself off the ground. Cloud smiled as he kissed. Her arms left his neck but she kept kissing. Cloud started to think it was lasting to long and he opened his eyes. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed she was unbuttoning her shirt.
Uh oh, he thought. That's NOT what I meant. He pulled away and shook his head. Aeris looked at his eyes and her face saddened a little bit. He pulled her shirt back on and whispered, "I don't think that we should...uh...you know."
She nodded, now getting herself back together. "Right," she said confidently. But I will never see you again. Why wouldn't you? The Cetra could live again. Cloud turned around and left the stables. When he was gone and she knew he was, she put her head on the Chocobo and started crying. Why shouldn't we, she kept thinking.
Then a voice popped into her head it she realized it was right. Because you know that you don't want to hurt Tifa. Aeris cried for a few more minutes and then left the stables. She had exactly 23 hours left before she would return to the Planet...forever. And she would never see Cloud again. Never. The thought appalled her but she would be strong. I will be strong, she said to herself. And Tifa and Cloud will be together.
*
Six Hours Later...
"That new Pres. is already causin' problems," Cid was complaining. Red XIII put in, "That is Shinra instinct and what they believe is their sole purpose."
"Maybe we should put our fist in their face and that will be a sole purpose," Barret said.
Cloud rolled his eyes and he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that Tifa walked into the room. Her eyes were definitely red from crying.
"Hey," Barret said to her, his voice trying to be soothing.
Cid looked away and tried to stay on the subject. "President Tanner is pullin' a new move. What is he doin' Barret?"
Barret looked at Cid and said, "The President said on national TV that he is going to make a huge announcement today at three. I ain't gotta' clue on what it is though."
Cloud snorted, obviously not pleased. "Pres. Tanner better not pull something dumb," he said grumpily. "I might tell Barret to snipe 'im."
Barret's face lit up with joy. "Really?! Please Cloud, that would be awesome." Everyone looked at Barret. He was...childish. Then Barret became himself again and said, "What the hell are you lookin' out.
"What time is it," Cloud asked. Red XIII looked at a clock, "Five till three." Cloud nodded and signaled Barret, who turned on the television.
"...Up on the Shinra announcement. Great President Tanner is going to make a speech..."
"I hope he isn't doing anything dumb," Cloud said again. Tifa was helping herself to some food in a corner of the room. Cloud got up and headed her way. Just as he got near her, she turned and said quietly, so no one else could here, "Why don't you love me?" Then she turned back around and left before Cloud could say anything. Cloud gave an exhausted sigh and went back to his seat.
"Hey Cid," he called. "Where were you and Red XIII while we were gone? We thought you were dead or captured."
Cid looked at him as if Cloud had said the dumbest thing. "Sure we got captured," he replied. "But they didn't escort us on the way back. No helicopters or nuttin'. And Red XIII over there was hiding behind some crates and started eating the Shinra people one by one. It was pretty cool because then our pilots rebelled against the Shinra. No one was hurt except for every Shinra guy on the ship." He paused and then added, "Red XIII had a good lunch. Then we flew around looking for you. We were flying when we saw that...thing. And you know the rest."
Cloud nodded and then asked, "How did you get the whole ship back?"
"Oh, that was easy; we flew to Junon first, at night, and hauled all the supplies from a warehouse. Then we went to Cosmo Canyon and old Bugenhagen and the Cosmo Canyon people helped us build it back. Learned a little more about the Planet and-."
"Quiet," Barret yelled. "Tanner is talkin."
They all turned to the large TV and watched. President Tanner was just stepping up to the podium. "Greetings to all," he said. Barret rolled his eyes.
"Shinra has supplied Mako to you for the past 50+ years. And Sephiroth and Avalanche think we were doing wrong. Both of them have been...disposed of."
"Bull shit," Barret yelled. Everyone hushed him. "I believe also, that we were doing wrong. So now, one reactor by another, we are going to re-modify them into atmospheric generators. All of Shinra's scientists have agreed that is safe to suck ozone and gas out of the atmosphere and turn it into energy. We will keep using Mako for small, secluded settlements. But other than that, Shinra is going good. And we will build our empire and restart our space missions."
Cid sighed and Barret was muttering.
"I hope that you all will continue to support Shinra and we will continue to serve you. Thank you." He then gave a corny salute and left camera. Barret turned off the TV and was about to start raving and cussing but Cloud cut him off before he could say anything.
"We have a problem."
"No mother fu-," Barret started but Vincent cut him off. "I agree."
Cloud continued. "Let's go see Bugenhagen and ask him about this. Maybe Shinra has gone a little better with this 'oozy gas' thing."
"Ozone and gas," Vincent corrected.
"Whatever," he said. Then he got up and went to his room to get some sleep. Cid not only expanded parts of the ship; he got everyone their own quarters. Almost, Cloud has to share with Tifa, who had been staying with Yuffie and Vincent. Cloud went to his room and slept.
*
Knock, knock knock. Cloud snapped awake and sat up in bed. It was pitch black in his room. "Yeah yeah," he mumbled as the knocking came again. He stumbled through the dark until he found the door and opened it. Aeris was standing there, dressed in a special pink dress and lipstick covering his eyes.
He blinked. "Hey," he said simply. She smiled, a little embarrassed. She looked around and said quietly, "I have to go back...in three hours. And I...I just wanted to talk to you before I die...I know that this time I will never come back...never." She sniffed and Cloud, let her inside his room led her to a sofa. He sat at one end and she the other.
"So what do you want to talk about?"
She shrugged. "Just make sure that you keep your eye on Shinra, okay? They are always hurting the Planet. Please...never let your guard down."
He nodded, noticing that she was edging closer...
"And Cloud," she started...then a small pain hit his arm, in the blood vessel in his elbow joint. Then, before he knew it...he was unconscious.
*
Cloud woke up to Aeris worried look. "Are you okay? You've been out for about three hours and-," Cloud suddenly jumped up but pain in his arm slowed him. He looked at it and saw a small hole. A needle, he wondered. Three hours she said. He had been asleep for three hours..., "Your leaving soon," he said as he faced her again. His eyes widened.
"Goodbye Cloud. I love you."
Starting at her feet, her body began to dissipate into nothing. Just slowly disappearing from view, nothing but what looked like green dots of magic left. Her head was last to disappear and she said in her final seconds, "I will always love you Cloud. I will be watching..." And she died, for the second time, the magic dots suddenly disappeared.
Cloud's face turned into sadness and...he couldn't. Was she really gone? Cloud sat on the sofa and softly cried, for the first time in his life.
*
One Day Later...
The Highwind approached with such speed that Bugenhagen thought that they were going past Cosmo Canyon. But then it stopped and landed about a mile away. A few minutes later, a crew of seven people came running into town. Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart, Barret Wallace, Cid Highwind, Nanaki, Vincent Valentine, and Yuffie Kist...Bugenhagen shrugged at Yuffie's last name. Something like that, he smiled to himself.
They came and up and after a few minutes of introductions and tea, Bugenhagen asked, "Why have you come here, Avalanche. Isn't Lee dead? I sensed him return to the Planet."
"Yeah, he's dead. But Tanner, the new President, is doing something new. Something that we need your help on."
Bugenhagen raised an eyebrow.
Barret said something that made Bugenhagen gasp. Then Bugenhagen's face became captured in fear. Barret had said, "Tanner plans on changing most reactors into atmosphere suckers."
Bugenhagen shook his head. "The Planet's doom will come a few days after the first reactor is activated," he said gravely. Avalanche all looked at one antoerh and Barret yelled, "DAMMIT!"
Authors note
Nope, the series is not over. In fact, it's just launching into the main body of the book. Now, as the title tells you, the plot thickens and someone will continue what Lee set up, only making it much more powerful. Hope you enjoy more!