"Wounds Never Lie"

By: Elf Fanatic Lark


Disclaimer- Okay, I know you're sick of hearing this but I still don't own Anything Final Fantasy 7. Nope, never have, never will! Ah well, on with the story!


Chapter 4

* The Beginning of the End*


The night was serene and Cloud was walking through the fields of Kalm. The air was crisp and the moon lit up the velveteen sky. The stars were shining their brightest, like little fireflies in the night sky. He sat down on the lush grass and leaned back, staring up at the stars. The soft blades of grass rustling in the wind, tickling his face as they swayed back and forth. Gradually his eyelids began to feel heavy, and he soon gave in to the gentle whispers of sleep.


Cloud wake up... You Foolish child! You're friends are dying! HAHA!


Cloud opened his eyes in an instant. The sight before him was devastating. Almost every member of AVALANCHE had been killed. A sword wound evident in each of their bodies. Cloud turned his gaze from the deep slashes in their sides, their blood still dripping from their fresh wounds. Fresh? The attack most have just occurred! The creature that killed them must not be too far away! A quiet sob alerted his keen hearing. It was Tifa. She was still alive! He had to find her. He ran to her, but stopped as he saw her huddled up behind a tree. Every time he approached she backed away frightened.


"What's the matter with you?" he asked, his heart broken to the fact that she wouldn't come near him.


"G-Get..away you, you MONSTER!"


He stared at her. She had called him a monster. He lowered his head to escape the picture in front of him. He hadn't done a thing, he was only going to ask her what had happened. As his vision lowered, the glint of red on his gloves alerted him. Blood. The blood of his friends covered his hands. I couldn't have done this...Tifa must be delusional...I couldn't have done this, he repeated in his mind over and over. He unsheathed his Ultima Weapon to prove to himself that he had not committed this heinous act. As he pulled his faithful sword from the holster on his back, he saw what he had hoped been a simple case of being at the right place, but at the wrong time. Its glow could barely be seen through the blood that had tainted its beauty. He noticed that his sword was different, no longer could he make out a pure iridescent blue glow, but an evil black. He recoiled, and dropped his only companion for so many lonely years on the ground in disgust. What had he done?


You fool. You are nothing more than a puppet, that's all you will ever be! You easily succumb to my slightest plea, now finish Tifa off, give her the freedom to peace. She can not be expected to live a life alone.....you at least should understand that. Release her to the Lifestream. (A place you'll never go....)


In an instant a foreign power took control of his body. Cloud was no longer in control....Jenova was. She used him to retrieve his sword, Cloud prayed inwardly that Tifa would dodge the fatal attack that Jenova had planned.....and she did. Jenova sighed, and withdrew her control, she couldn't fight Tifa on the outside and Cloud on the inside at the same time. She would have to find a way to make it a one-sided fight, and with a little more pushing, she would see results in her favor soon enough. Cloud felt feeling in his legs and arms again, overjoyed at his defeat of Jenova. He was oblivious to the fact that the battle still continued.


Tifa stood and took advantage of his confusion. He felt a powerful punch to his gut land, which launched him into a tree behind him, it felt as though all his ribs had broken. Only a flesh wound...he reminded himself. He stood weakly, and held his arm in front of him, his only defense as she prepared to go again, but before she could reach him he grabbed his sword and swung it, purely in defense. He saw her crumble to the ground in a sickening heap. He had killed Tifa, he had killed her without Jenova pulling his strings. What had he done?


If you leave now, I promise that none of your friends will die.......


********************


Cloud awoke gasping for air. It was that same nightmare again. His heart raced and his forehead was covered in cold sweat. The nightmare had never gone on for that long. He never got past the part where he saw Tifa. But, now it had completed itself, it had proved one thing to him. He had to get away and find Jenova. Otherwise, these dreams would continue to haunt him, until he went mad.


He was still weak from Jenova's attack, but he couldn't let it get to him, he needed to be strong. He pushed the covers aside and crept up the stairs to his room. One of the stairs creaked and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He walked wearily to his bedroom and pushed the door aside. Yawning he grabbed a backpack from his closet and packed a few needed items, mainly materia, x-potions, and ethers. He sheathed his Ultima Weapon, which was to his relief still the same iridescent blue, and walked down the steps, carefully avoiding the creaky step.


He gazed around the ground floor, putting into memory all the details, from the neatly organized bottles to the creaky step that he could never avoid, until he saw her. Tifa was sleeping soundlessly on the soft chair across from the couch that he had been on. Her angelic features were enhanced by the gentle blue hue of the moon, which was casting in its light from an open blind across the room. He wanted to wake her up, and say goodbye, but he didn't want to risk her insisting on coming. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, and placed a memento of his in her opened hand, a ruby red crystal that he had gotten in his old Shinra days. He always meant to give it to her, but this was the perfect time. With one final look around he headed through the thick oak doors that served as a temporary entrance to Tifa's bar, and he was off into the night. He walked soundlessly through the streets of Midgar, casting glances at the continuing activities of its inhabitants, wishing that he could be just another guy struggling in the big city, hoping for that one big break.


"That'll never happen..." he whispered to the wind, that seemed to kick up as he left the city limits.


Tifa moved slightly in her sleep, and wrapped her fingers carefully around the crystal. She absentmindedly held it to her heart, and smiled. She had no idea he had left, but she would find out soon enough.



(A/N Wowie Zowie! That's another chapter done! *pats herself on the back* Stay tuned for Chapter 5!!! Please read and review, even if you've already reviewed an earlier one! Oh and sorry for the short length, next time I'll try to make it longer!!! Thankies! ^__^)