Final Fantasy 7: The Hojo Clone
By Co V Schuler
Part 3: The Lifestream's Fate
Chapter 26 (Continued A Few minutes after the end of Chapter 25)
Inside the cage, Tifa blinked awake and gasped in horror. Hojo! But how…
He laughed is stupid laugh and someone entered the room…Zack! How could Zack be alive, Tifa thought. What the…
Aeris?!
Aeris entered the room also, starting to say something to Hojo but paused when she saw Tifa and Nanaki.
Nanaki groaned and stirred. When he saw the two resurrected people, he frowned, started to say something, then just stared.
Tifa was just plain speechless.
Hojo laughed his stupid laugh and said, "I sense shock coming from these two. He, he, he… would you like for me to explain, since you, Tifa, will not be the only Tifa." Tifa didn't say anything; just sat down on the floor, her jaw dropped.
"What is your friend Cloud, Tifa? Is he a botched-together human freak…or is he a clone? Or maybe both?" He paused as if waiting for an answer. Tifa was still too shocked to say anything.
Hojo nodded slightly, as if taking a mental note. "He is both…but he is a failure. A pathetic failure that was constructed by my idiot original." Hojo shook his head in anger as he said "idiot original". "But that's okay," he continued, "because I fixed the problem. And now, Cloud, Aeris, Zack, and soon you, Tifa, will be perfect."
Tifa gasped.
Hojo shook with laughter and Aeris grimly smiled. Zack fell to the ground, laughing so hard that tears were flowing.
"She looks as she were scared," Zack laughed. Hojo laughed too and Aeris just gave them weird looks. Then, Aeris interrupted Hojo and handed him a file, saying, "Cloud can reproduce." She grinned at Tifa with a mocking face, then added, "With talent."
"YOU BITCH," Tifa leapt up with anger. Aeris laughed and said, "That's right Tifa. I had sex with him. What's your problem?"
"Don't touch him," Tifa screamed but Aeris just laughed and replied, "What are you going to do? Your stuck in that cage…in fact, I don't think I'm satisfied…"
She left, laughing. Tifa was dumbfounded. Cloud was alive…how was he alive? He died destroying the Proud Clod 2…oh no!
Tifa looked up and said, "He's not the real Cloud, is he?"
Hojo looked up from his computer console. He smiled, saying, "Yes. But I'm not sure if he's still a pathetic failure. He-," he started to continue but Tifa yelled.
"He's NEVER been a failure. You are the failure you insignificant FREAK!"
Hojo turned dark. His voice was shaky as he asked, "Wha-a-at did you ju-u-ust call me?"
"FREAK," Tifa screamed it at him again. Hojo started shaking and he left the room. Zack glared at Tifa and Nanaki was shaking his head. "Tifa, Tifa, Tifa," Zack said, shaking his head. "Bad move."
Tifa looked at him, hoping that he would shut up.
He didn't.
*
Cloud felt bad…but at the same time good. Aeris was a good…a good…how could he put it? A good sexer? Nah, that's not natural. Or maybe…
The door opened and Aeris walked in, smiling. "Hey," she said simply. Cloud smiled and looked at her. He knew it wasn't right; Tifa wouldn't like it…but who cared about Tifa?
He blinked and when he opened his eyes, Aeris had her shirt off. Whoa, Cloud thought, that was fast. Then she was on top of him, and Cloud gladly assisted her in pulling off her dress.
*
Hojo walked through the hallways, slowly clenching and unclenching his fists. "All I've ever been called is a freak," he mumbled. "Why does everybody hate me?"
He turned a corner and-POW!
Hojo flew back into the wall and saw stars. He started to get up, hearing some girl's frantic, short shrieks and-BAM! Hojo lost all sense of balance and where he was as another hit crashed into his chest.
Hojo opened his eyes just before he blacked out. It was Vincent.
*
Tifa banged on the cage and Zack just said, "It's no use. Your strength can't destroy titanium caging. We made it just for you and Avalanche, Tifa."
"Shut up," Tifa screamed at Zack.
Tifa sat back, discouraged. Red XIII approached her and whispered, "Did it occur to you that they haven't taken our Materia."
Tifa shook her head; not giving what Nanaki had said any thought…then, "Oh."
She stood up, and focused on the magic of Ice3. Green swirled around her and she heard Zack starting to shout. Then she let it loose on the cage. The cage froze over, and Tifa busted out of there with a quick punch.
Zack's eyes were wide. "Shit," he said simply, then grabbed his sword out of his sheath and attacked Tifa. Tifa dodged the first swing, but didn't the second.
The sword cut across her chest, ripping her shirt and making a half-inch gash across her chest. She fell back, stunned and a little off balance.
Nanaki suddenly came out of nowhere and landed on Zack, sinking his jaws into Zack's sword-arm. Zack flung him away with surprising strength. Zack saw Nanaki's surprised face and said, "I work for Aeris so we can have sex." Then he charged Nanaki.
Nanaki dodged to his left and started to jump again but lost his balance. Zack dove forward in a kill-form, but a yell from his right followed a split-second later by a kick in the head. It hurt Zack, but Zack plunged forward, his sword-sinking deep into Red's chest. Zack hit a wall, the sword separated from his hands.
Tifa turned and saw Nanaki, lying on the floor, gasping for air. A pool of blood encircled him.
Tifa's eyes filled with concern but a punch, followed by a tear of clothing reminded her of Zack. She flew back from the punch and hit the floor. Zack was grinning when she looked up, holding a piece of cloth in his hands.
She looked down at her chest; it was bare, her breasts swinging free. Dammit, she thought. She jumped to her feet and tried to sidekick Zack in the head. He blocked it, grabbed the foot, and twisted her around. She spun in the air and as she flew, she heard another tear of clothing.
She hit the ground and got up, her lip busted. Then she felt cold air on her legs and looked at Zack; he was holding her shorts. She was naked. Pervert, she thought. The pervert is playing with me.
She jumped at him, getting a good hit on his chin but he recovered quickly, grabbing her leg and throwing her in mid-air. She flew around and hit the wall. Stars flew around and her vision blurred. Stay awake, she told herself.
Suddenly, Zack was on top of her.
Rape!
Tifa instinctively threw a punch at a blurry figure in front of her. Contact! Zack flew back, stunned from the sudden blow.
Tifa jumped and grabbed a chair. She picked it up and slammed Zack in the head with it. Zack fell back, unconscious. Tifa grabbed her clothes and put them back on; her shirt wouldn't help hiding her chest but she put it on anyway. Then she remembered Nanaki!
She immediately focused on Cure3, and started healing him; it didn't work. The wounds couldn't be healed by magic. Only a doctor's hands. Damn!
Tifa jumped up and tried to think of what to do. Zack was still unconscious. She dragged him to the cage and locked him in. Then she left the room, trying to find Hojo. He wouldn't get away. She had taken several turns and as she was passing another door, she heard movement inside.
Then a moan. Aeris!
Tifa kicked down the door and saw-Cloud! -and Aeris! They were…making love!!!
Tifa gasped…
*
Sharon screamed and started hitting Vincent on the back. "Why are you doing this? You traitor! DIE!"
Vincent whirled around, anger in his eyes. He had lost control. Anger had consumed him, and he was sick of this insignificant bitch. Vincent pushed her back and she fell. Surprised by his retaliation, Sharon whipped out a knife, and charged Vincent.
Vincent sidestepped her and she stumbled forward into…Hojo!
"Damn," Vincent muttered. "That was supposed to my job."
Sharon was gasping. Breathing fast, she tried to put her thoughts together. But a taunting voice whispered in her head, saying, "You killed him. You fool."
"He was preparing a way for me to re-enter the world."
Fear consumed Sharon. It was Jenova! In her head! Sharon grabbed her hair and shrieked.
Vincent just stared and laughed. Sharon yelled, "NO! Get away from me! NOOOOO! It can't be…no, no, no…" She was now on her knees, whimpering. Vincent didn't love her; she had killed Hojo; Jenova was in her head and…the world hated her. Sharon's crying stopped, her sadness and self-pity gone.
Then the voice returned, giving orders. "Kill the traitor."
Sharon pulled the knife out and looked at the cold Vincent. "You will die. Hojo had returned with even more strength and you will DIE!"
She attacked Vincent with overwhelming power. Vincent was driven back, the knife sinking through his left thigh. He twisted around, elbowing Sharon in the face and she spun back. Vincent pulled the knife out of his thigh and threw it at her. Bad throw; it hit her, but the handle was what made contact.
Vincent stepped back. He was bleeding badly. Silently, he focused on the magic he had with him. Slowly, the magic healed his wound and Vincent looked back at Sharon. She was unconscious.
He started walking down the hallway when he realized that Hojo…Hojo was gone! Where'd he go, Vincent wondered. Vincent continued walking when he saw Tifa down the hallway. She was struggling with someone…Vincent squinted and saw…Aeris!
What's going on…
Tifa put all her strength into one last push and forced the naked Aeris back. Screaming with rage, Aeris fell back and then leaped at Tifa. Tifa started to raise a foot when Cloud crashed into her from the side.
"Cloud! What the hell are you doing?" Cloud pinned her on the floor and Aeris looked down the hall at Vincent.
Vincent couldn't believe his eyes. He knew that she was alive but…he still hadn't accepted it.
He blinked and in a flash she was running at him. Her breasts were swinging free…no! Don't even think about it! Remember what Sharon had done to you!
Slowly, Vincent raised his Sniper CR, and winced as he said, "Don't come any closer Aeris. Cloud, get off of Tifa. All movements slow!"
Vincent started getting into the flow and felt the adrenaline of battle. One wrong move and chaos. "Cloud, what the hell are you doing," he asked. Cloud and Tifa were about twenty feet down the hallway.
"Hold up," Vincent said. "How are you even alive? And what is that shit on your arm?"
Cloud was standing up, green mist slowly emerging from his eyes. Vincent remembered the mist; it was always there when Cloud went on a killing spree. Then, in a flash of movement, Cloud grabbed Tifa and flung her into a room; Aeris leaped at Vincent…Vincent turned and started to pull the trigger.
The silenced gun popped out a bullet and it sank into Aeris', right above her left breast…right into her heart.
She spun in mid-air from the impact and hit the floor, dead.
What have I done, Vincent asked himself. A panicky feeling started to come over him but he fought hard to control it. He stepped back from Aeris dead body and suddenly he sensed someone behind him.
He spun around in time to see a fist and darkness.
*
Tifa fought Cloud with her strength but it wasn't enough. Cloud was too strong. And he was just like Zack; perverted. "Get off of me! What's wrong with you Cloud?"
Cloud stopped. What the hell am I doing?
He got up and put his hands on his head. "What's happening to me," he yelled. Then he heard a voice in his head. Come to me, my child. Follow the path of stars.
Tifa watched Cloud suddenly go into a trance and leave the room, walking like a zombie. A creeping feeling spread over her. That wasn't the real Cloud. Cloud was dead, so how could he be alive?
Then again, how could Zack, Aeris, and Hojo be alive? Tifa got to her feet to go help Vincent.
She went into the hallway and saw a naked dead body on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. And she saw Vincent lying on the ground, four people nearby him.
Hojo, Zack, another Aeris!?, and…Sephiroth!?
Tifa gasped and they looked down the hallway at her. Then Sephiroth charged her and Tifa tried to defend herself but she was taken down in a matter of seconds…
*
Cloud had wandered outside into the thick rain. The darkened clouds above him cast a dark day. He felt a calling, as if he wanted to bond with something. He had to.
But as he wandered through the woods, haunting thoughts filled his head. He had been hurting Tifa…and Aeris wanted him too, even told him to. Cloud shivered in the rain.
How are these people even alive?
Cloud reached a clearing and something strange towering over him. It was flesh, colored like a bruise. It was tall and Cloud, for some reason, caught himself calling it beautiful. Other towers of it were around or in the distance. Four in all, Cloud counted. And the one in front of him was forming a torso…
It was a monster. It was Jenova.
Cloud caught himself thinking about walking into it. What the hell am I thinking, he thought. Then, as if walking to it would solve all his problems, Cloud walked over to the thing and touched it.
A tingling feeling touched his fingers and spread through his body.
He screamed and then something came out of Jenova, grabbed him, and pulled him in….