I stood in the concealing darkness, silent and still, hearing Cid run over to Tifa. She was sputtering and gasping for breath.
Another flash of lightning and I saw their figures on the floor, Cid holding Tifa close, trying to calm her. His blazing eyes turned to me as darkness fell into the room once more.
"What the hell's your problem? You trying to kill Tifa, you little piece of shit!?" His voice growled at me.
...good, protect her from me...please...
Suddenly, the lights flickered back on dimly. It was probably just the wind before, a tangled wire maybe. Cid glanced up at the glowing bulb.
"Good, some lights so you can watch as I beat the shit outta you!" he stood up glaring at me, Tifa rising to her feet.
I barely had time to react as he bolted forward, throwing a hard punch to my cheek. I flew back, holding my face, pain rushing. Cid's eyes burned with a fierce hatred as he hit me again in the face, this time right in my eye. It stung and I bit back a yell of pain.
"How dare you even TOUCH Tifa!" he stepped closer, bringing back his fist for another punch.
The sound of fist hitting flesh echoed in my ears and everything seemed to go in slow motion as my anger rose and my palms clenched into fists.
He grabbed my blond spikes and held up my face for another beating. I caught his fist in my palm as it shot towards me. My muscles struggled against his force and I kicked him in the stomach, sending him doubling over in pain.
"If I had my lance I'd have killed you already," he coughed, holding his stomach.
"If I had my Ultima Weapon...you're lucky I DON'T have my Ultima Weapon," I smiled at him, feeling my swollen eye pulsating.
"You goddamn..." Cid trailed off as he threw another punch, this time hitting my mouth, his fist had a smear of my blood on it.
I reached up to my lips and felt warm blood pressed over them, bleeding into my mouth, the taste sweet to me. I dodged his next quick punch and punched my powerful fists into his face over and over, quicker until my hands rippled with Cid's blood from his split lip and bleeding nose.
Cid shoved me away, coughing and reaching his hands up to wipe the blood from his mouth. Without giving me a second to think, he tackled me, punching relentlessly as I blocked and punched back, everything happening so quick.
"Cid!!" Tifa shouted. "Cid, stop it!! Get away from him!" she shrieked and almost instantly, Cid threw me down, stumbling back over to Tifa.
"He deserves it, Tifa!" Cid's voice was full of greedy rage.
I peered down at my blood stained hands. But it was Cid's red blood covering them.
...my god, what have I done?... attacked my own friend... please, make this stop...
/Someone will die.../ Jenova was beginning to focus my wild anger, preparing my body to perform a fatal attack.
...Not Tifa, please...
"Cid, you have nothing to do with this! Leave him to me!" she held up her hands to stop his rambling protests.
I looked up from my bloodied hands just as Tifa's fist cracked hard against my jaw, bolting pain shot through me. My face hit the wooden planks of the floor, blood dripping from my lips. My jaw went numb and she kicked me in my side, knocking the wind from me with her boot against my ribs.
"I hate you! Why did you have to do this? Why did you have to ruin everything!?" She was near tears as she kicked again and again until she heard a satisfying snap in my ribs.
I reeled in pain, holding my abdomen, tears stinging in my eyes. I opened my mouth to scream, but she kicked me in the jaw, a terrible ache exploded in my face.
"Ever since we killed Sephiroth you've been acting so damn strange! I once thought I loved you!!!" She growled angrily, kicking me in my curled up shins. I could practically feel the blood vessels breaking as a bruise formed.
"I actually thought maybe we could be happy!! Never once did you repay my feelings! Never once did you realize how much you meant to me!" She kicked me again and I choked back tears. "But now! Look what you've done! You've ruined everything we could have had!!" she was screaming now, tears streaking down her face.
...I'm so sorry, Tifa...please let me die here... I don't ever wanna hurt you...
"But you're not the Cloud I once knew. You're a fucking lunatic attacking Cid and attacking me! How are we supposed to be happy now???!!!" Her voice screeched high with deep emotion and spilling anger.
...I'm still Cloud...I'm still the Cloud you know in here...I've just lost myself...
I pushed myself from the floor, breathing heavy, pain igniting through my body and deep in my heart. My blood was dark red on the wooden floor and all over my face and chest. My hands were glossy with mine and Cid's blood.
I glared up, my eyes blurry and my vision shook fiercely. I was trembling and Cid's face was just a blur of red while Tifa stood over me, glowering down.
/You get even weaker at the thought of hurting her... Emotions can be such a cruel thing. Let us eliminate the cause of this emotion/ Jenova laughed.
I couldn't even comprehend the words in my head as my body bolted from the floor, my hands set to kill Tifa.
...NO!!...
At the last split second, my emotions toppled over Jenova's will and I managed to pull myself from Jenova's restraints to divert my bloody hands to Cid, curling around his neck and twisting back with a sickening crack. Cid dropped to the floor, his body heavy with the weight of dead blood. I felt my heart beat as he fell.
I couldn't have prevented myself from attacking. I only did it so I could save myself from attacking Tifa and killing her. Cid in place of Tifa, my final ounce of strength was well spent.
Tifa stared for several minutes, her hand caught wavering over her open mouth in shock. "C...CID!" she gasped through sobs, falling next to Cid's corpse. Her eyes turned to me defiantly.
"You killed him!!" She screamed, realizing she was alone and defenseless, with a killer.
"I..." I didn't know what to say. Jenova was as shocked as I was.
/Stupid boy! You think you can keep her safe from us?!/
...Tifa, I did it to save you! It was supposed to be you that my hands would have killed, but I've used my last string of emotion left for you and saved you the only way I could have... my love for you saved you...
"Cloud!!" she wasn't sure whether to be frightened or angry. She looked like she was expecting me to snap out of it after realizing I had killed Cid.
...I didn't want it to end this way, but it was the only way without hurting you...
I shed a silent tear deep within me for my fallen friend, who died at my own bloody hands.
Tifa was shaking and I could feel the tension building in the air, the tears making their way down her gentle sloping cheek.
"I hate you, Cloud Strife!! I hate you and I never want to see you again!!!" She spat my name hurtfully and cursed, hatred piercing through her every word, piercing my heart.
...But I did it out of love for you!...
She would never understand that I had saved her life. I did love her.
Tears were breaking in my eyes. They were tears not even the power of Jenova could stop. They were the tears from my broken heart.
"Go ahead, Cloud! Cry!! I don't care!! I hope you drown in your tears!" she screamed bitterly with an anger I had never seen in her before.
Tifa rubbed her teary red eyes and picked up the nightstand next to the bed with incredible strength, adrenaline fueling her muscles. She flung the small wooden table, hitting me right in the face. I was too disoriented to see it coming.
I fell back onto the floor, pain rupturing from the wound. Blood streamed down the pulsating gash in my forehead, into my eyes. Strands of my blond hair hung down in front, drenched red with blood. I was dizzy and Tifa's image was so blurry, I couldn't see her face.
She tore the lamp from the wall and split it open over my head, hearing it crack against my skull. I felt myself drop down, down... depressing into the floor.
Everything was black and in that final moment I felt Jenova lose her grasp on me, unable to keep my unconscious mind under her control. I was released from my prison and I felt everything go numb. I was free for only a second and I wanted to apologize to Tifa, but I couldn't see anymore.
The world had turned completely black and I lost consciousness...
Another flash of lightning and I saw their figures on the floor, Cid holding Tifa close, trying to calm her. His blazing eyes turned to me as darkness fell into the room once more.
"What the hell's your problem? You trying to kill Tifa, you little piece of shit!?" His voice growled at me.
...good, protect her from me...please...
Suddenly, the lights flickered back on dimly. It was probably just the wind before, a tangled wire maybe. Cid glanced up at the glowing bulb.
"Good, some lights so you can watch as I beat the shit outta you!" he stood up glaring at me, Tifa rising to her feet.
I barely had time to react as he bolted forward, throwing a hard punch to my cheek. I flew back, holding my face, pain rushing. Cid's eyes burned with a fierce hatred as he hit me again in the face, this time right in my eye. It stung and I bit back a yell of pain.
"How dare you even TOUCH Tifa!" he stepped closer, bringing back his fist for another punch.
The sound of fist hitting flesh echoed in my ears and everything seemed to go in slow motion as my anger rose and my palms clenched into fists.
He grabbed my blond spikes and held up my face for another beating. I caught his fist in my palm as it shot towards me. My muscles struggled against his force and I kicked him in the stomach, sending him doubling over in pain.
"If I had my lance I'd have killed you already," he coughed, holding his stomach.
"If I had my Ultima Weapon...you're lucky I DON'T have my Ultima Weapon," I smiled at him, feeling my swollen eye pulsating.
"You goddamn..." Cid trailed off as he threw another punch, this time hitting my mouth, his fist had a smear of my blood on it.
I reached up to my lips and felt warm blood pressed over them, bleeding into my mouth, the taste sweet to me. I dodged his next quick punch and punched my powerful fists into his face over and over, quicker until my hands rippled with Cid's blood from his split lip and bleeding nose.
Cid shoved me away, coughing and reaching his hands up to wipe the blood from his mouth. Without giving me a second to think, he tackled me, punching relentlessly as I blocked and punched back, everything happening so quick.
"Cid!!" Tifa shouted. "Cid, stop it!! Get away from him!" she shrieked and almost instantly, Cid threw me down, stumbling back over to Tifa.
"He deserves it, Tifa!" Cid's voice was full of greedy rage.
I peered down at my blood stained hands. But it was Cid's red blood covering them.
...my god, what have I done?... attacked my own friend... please, make this stop...
/Someone will die.../ Jenova was beginning to focus my wild anger, preparing my body to perform a fatal attack.
...Not Tifa, please...
"Cid, you have nothing to do with this! Leave him to me!" she held up her hands to stop his rambling protests.
I looked up from my bloodied hands just as Tifa's fist cracked hard against my jaw, bolting pain shot through me. My face hit the wooden planks of the floor, blood dripping from my lips. My jaw went numb and she kicked me in my side, knocking the wind from me with her boot against my ribs.
"I hate you! Why did you have to do this? Why did you have to ruin everything!?" She was near tears as she kicked again and again until she heard a satisfying snap in my ribs.
I reeled in pain, holding my abdomen, tears stinging in my eyes. I opened my mouth to scream, but she kicked me in the jaw, a terrible ache exploded in my face.
"Ever since we killed Sephiroth you've been acting so damn strange! I once thought I loved you!!!" She growled angrily, kicking me in my curled up shins. I could practically feel the blood vessels breaking as a bruise formed.
"I actually thought maybe we could be happy!! Never once did you repay my feelings! Never once did you realize how much you meant to me!" She kicked me again and I choked back tears. "But now! Look what you've done! You've ruined everything we could have had!!" she was screaming now, tears streaking down her face.
...I'm so sorry, Tifa...please let me die here... I don't ever wanna hurt you...
"But you're not the Cloud I once knew. You're a fucking lunatic attacking Cid and attacking me! How are we supposed to be happy now???!!!" Her voice screeched high with deep emotion and spilling anger.
...I'm still Cloud...I'm still the Cloud you know in here...I've just lost myself...
I pushed myself from the floor, breathing heavy, pain igniting through my body and deep in my heart. My blood was dark red on the wooden floor and all over my face and chest. My hands were glossy with mine and Cid's blood.
I glared up, my eyes blurry and my vision shook fiercely. I was trembling and Cid's face was just a blur of red while Tifa stood over me, glowering down.
/You get even weaker at the thought of hurting her... Emotions can be such a cruel thing. Let us eliminate the cause of this emotion/ Jenova laughed.
I couldn't even comprehend the words in my head as my body bolted from the floor, my hands set to kill Tifa.
...NO!!...
At the last split second, my emotions toppled over Jenova's will and I managed to pull myself from Jenova's restraints to divert my bloody hands to Cid, curling around his neck and twisting back with a sickening crack. Cid dropped to the floor, his body heavy with the weight of dead blood. I felt my heart beat as he fell.
I couldn't have prevented myself from attacking. I only did it so I could save myself from attacking Tifa and killing her. Cid in place of Tifa, my final ounce of strength was well spent.
Tifa stared for several minutes, her hand caught wavering over her open mouth in shock. "C...CID!" she gasped through sobs, falling next to Cid's corpse. Her eyes turned to me defiantly.
"You killed him!!" She screamed, realizing she was alone and defenseless, with a killer.
"I..." I didn't know what to say. Jenova was as shocked as I was.
/Stupid boy! You think you can keep her safe from us?!/
...Tifa, I did it to save you! It was supposed to be you that my hands would have killed, but I've used my last string of emotion left for you and saved you the only way I could have... my love for you saved you...
"Cloud!!" she wasn't sure whether to be frightened or angry. She looked like she was expecting me to snap out of it after realizing I had killed Cid.
...I didn't want it to end this way, but it was the only way without hurting you...
I shed a silent tear deep within me for my fallen friend, who died at my own bloody hands.
Tifa was shaking and I could feel the tension building in the air, the tears making their way down her gentle sloping cheek.
"I hate you, Cloud Strife!! I hate you and I never want to see you again!!!" She spat my name hurtfully and cursed, hatred piercing through her every word, piercing my heart.
...But I did it out of love for you!...
She would never understand that I had saved her life. I did love her.
Tears were breaking in my eyes. They were tears not even the power of Jenova could stop. They were the tears from my broken heart.
"Go ahead, Cloud! Cry!! I don't care!! I hope you drown in your tears!" she screamed bitterly with an anger I had never seen in her before.
Tifa rubbed her teary red eyes and picked up the nightstand next to the bed with incredible strength, adrenaline fueling her muscles. She flung the small wooden table, hitting me right in the face. I was too disoriented to see it coming.
I fell back onto the floor, pain rupturing from the wound. Blood streamed down the pulsating gash in my forehead, into my eyes. Strands of my blond hair hung down in front, drenched red with blood. I was dizzy and Tifa's image was so blurry, I couldn't see her face.
She tore the lamp from the wall and split it open over my head, hearing it crack against my skull. I felt myself drop down, down... depressing into the floor.
Everything was black and in that final moment I felt Jenova lose her grasp on me, unable to keep my unconscious mind under her control. I was released from my prison and I felt everything go numb. I was free for only a second and I wanted to apologize to Tifa, but I couldn't see anymore.
The world had turned completely black and I lost consciousness...