Chapter 7 - Return
The Highwind cut through the sky like a hot knife through butter. Cloud stood apart from the rest of his friends, above the piloting controls. He had that all to familiar steely look in his eye. The same lack of emotion on his face. The scene was all to familiar, and it was beginning to scare some of the others. Cloud had been in same spot with that same look many a time, but that was when battle was constant, and living was a struggle. Nobody wanted those times back.
"Cid...Cid, how long?" asked Cloud monotonously.
"Not long," replied Cid with a glance at Cloud that he did not catch.
Cid hurried to the others who were in the planning room, discussing what could be going on in Nibelheim.
"Guys," said Cid, upon entering. "Cloud is starting to scare the crap out of me. The closer we get to Nibelheim, the more like his old self he becomes."
"Then maybe we shouldn't go," suggested Tifa timidly.
"You do know Cloud will kill us all if we stop him from going," said Vincent. "Then he would go on foot. So there is no point."
"I guess you're right," said Tifa with a sigh.
Aeris stood up.
"I'm going to talk with him," said Aeris, her voice sounding almost defiant.
Aeris walked out without another word.
"She does have her ways with him," said Red, before going back to a brooding state.
Aeris made her way to the bridge, and slowly up behind Cloud. She draped her arms around his shoulders, and when Cloud looked back at her, she saw something in his eyes she never thought she would see. An incredible sadness.
"What's wrong, Cloud?" asked Aeris, alarmed.
"Aeris...I...I don't want to do this, Aeris," sad Cloud sadly. "I don't want to have to fight anymore. My entire life, I've fought. When will it have been enough?"
"Oh, Cloud," said Aeris, resting her head next to his.
The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful. And before anybody wanted it, the Highwind had arrived on the outskirts of Nibelheim.
When Cloud and the others stepped out of the airship, they saw something that they never wanted to see ever again.
Stuck point first into the dusty path lead into Nibelheim was the Masamune.
"No...it couldn't be," whispered Cloud, his mouth going dry. "He...he's gone."
"Cloud," said Aeris timidly. "There is something on the handle."
Cloud slowly made his way towards the sword, as if expecting it to jump up and bite him. When nothing did happen, Cloud pulled off what had been rolled around the handle, a piece of parchment. He pulled the parchment strait, and red the message that had been written on it.
What was mine is now yours. Take what was used for evil, and put it to good use.
The message had been signed with the image of a single wing.
"This is to much," said Cloud, looking back at his friends.
"What does that piece of paper say?" questioned Red.
Cloud re-read the message to the rest of the group.
"You're right," said Barret. "This is to much."
Suddenly, the sound of a bullet shot through the night sky. And it didn't come from Vincent or Barret. It came from inside of Nibelheim.
Cloud removed the Dragoon Saber from his back, and dropped it to the ground.
"What are you doing, Cloud?" asked everyone simultaneously.
"I'm doing what I was bid," said Cloud, pulling the Masamune from the ground. "Taking what was used for evil and putting it to good use."
With out another word, Cloud hurried into Nibelheim, closely followed by the others. eE didn't catch any of the looks of concern that were passed his way.
The Highwind cut through the sky like a hot knife through butter. Cloud stood apart from the rest of his friends, above the piloting controls. He had that all to familiar steely look in his eye. The same lack of emotion on his face. The scene was all to familiar, and it was beginning to scare some of the others. Cloud had been in same spot with that same look many a time, but that was when battle was constant, and living was a struggle. Nobody wanted those times back.
"Cid...Cid, how long?" asked Cloud monotonously.
"Not long," replied Cid with a glance at Cloud that he did not catch.
Cid hurried to the others who were in the planning room, discussing what could be going on in Nibelheim.
"Guys," said Cid, upon entering. "Cloud is starting to scare the crap out of me. The closer we get to Nibelheim, the more like his old self he becomes."
"Then maybe we shouldn't go," suggested Tifa timidly.
"You do know Cloud will kill us all if we stop him from going," said Vincent. "Then he would go on foot. So there is no point."
"I guess you're right," said Tifa with a sigh.
Aeris stood up.
"I'm going to talk with him," said Aeris, her voice sounding almost defiant.
Aeris walked out without another word.
"She does have her ways with him," said Red, before going back to a brooding state.
Aeris made her way to the bridge, and slowly up behind Cloud. She draped her arms around his shoulders, and when Cloud looked back at her, she saw something in his eyes she never thought she would see. An incredible sadness.
"What's wrong, Cloud?" asked Aeris, alarmed.
"Aeris...I...I don't want to do this, Aeris," sad Cloud sadly. "I don't want to have to fight anymore. My entire life, I've fought. When will it have been enough?"
"Oh, Cloud," said Aeris, resting her head next to his.
The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful. And before anybody wanted it, the Highwind had arrived on the outskirts of Nibelheim.
When Cloud and the others stepped out of the airship, they saw something that they never wanted to see ever again.
Stuck point first into the dusty path lead into Nibelheim was the Masamune.
"No...it couldn't be," whispered Cloud, his mouth going dry. "He...he's gone."
"Cloud," said Aeris timidly. "There is something on the handle."
Cloud slowly made his way towards the sword, as if expecting it to jump up and bite him. When nothing did happen, Cloud pulled off what had been rolled around the handle, a piece of parchment. He pulled the parchment strait, and red the message that had been written on it.
What was mine is now yours. Take what was used for evil, and put it to good use.
The message had been signed with the image of a single wing.
"This is to much," said Cloud, looking back at his friends.
"What does that piece of paper say?" questioned Red.
Cloud re-read the message to the rest of the group.
"You're right," said Barret. "This is to much."
Suddenly, the sound of a bullet shot through the night sky. And it didn't come from Vincent or Barret. It came from inside of Nibelheim.
Cloud removed the Dragoon Saber from his back, and dropped it to the ground.
"What are you doing, Cloud?" asked everyone simultaneously.
"I'm doing what I was bid," said Cloud, pulling the Masamune from the ground. "Taking what was used for evil and putting it to good use."
With out another word, Cloud hurried into Nibelheim, closely followed by the others. eE didn't catch any of the looks of concern that were passed his way.