Cloud's insanity

After being pulled out of the pool by Nanaki, Cloud and Avalanche left the Ancient capital to follow Sephiroth, determined to settle the score with him. There was no way he could get away with this. They travelled through the caves and crevices of the mountains, reaching Icicle Town completely exhausted. But the Inn was posing a major problem; they only had four beds. Cait Sith was disconnected and left in a corner.

- Okay, began Cloud nervously, I guess we'll all have to share…

Vincent bent down near Nanaki and whispered something.

- I will go with Cloud, the beast said.

- And I'll go with him!!!

Everyone looked at Cid and Vincent, who were pointing each other.

- What! I ain't sleepin' with fat man over there!, Cid said pointing Barret

Tifa sighed saying that she would go with him, and quickly, everyone got in bed to sleep. Cloud was the last one to fall asleep, and just before he did, he scratched Red's ears.

- Thank you, Nanaki… For keeping the nightmares away…

- Do you wish to talk about it?

- Maybe *yawn* tomorrow…

Red XIII watched the blond's eyes drift shut and curled on himself to sleep.

- As much as you hate it, you are still a child too, Cloud…

********

Left, right, left… After escaping Elena and the Shinra, and after learning how Ilfana and Aerith were captured by Hojo, Avalanche was riding down the slopes on snowboards. Until the trail ended, of course. Everyone went flying and they landed in a heap near a tree.

- &$?&!!!! I'm too old for this, damnit!!!, Cid yelled

- YAAAAAA!!!!!!!

Yuffie was running around, totally terrified. Vincent was trying to get to her, but she just kept on avoiding him. Cid burst out laughing at the sight; the ninja had Vincent's claws firmly entangled in her hair. It seemed that the artificial arm detached itself from Vincent's forearm when he fell.

- Get it out! Get it out!

- Stay calm, the dark haired man said, and don't move. I have to put my arm back in it to get it out.

After few minutes of struggling, Vincent succeeded in retrieving his arm (and freeing Yuffie's hair by the way…). And they were ready to face the cold wind of the great glacier. The snow was whipping at their faces, blurring their vision and making their ascension a living hell. They walked in the knee deep snow for hours, it seemed, when they finally reached a little house at the base of a high peak. They all rushed in, thanking the old man living there and gathering near the fire. Then, all of a sudden, Tifa stood up.

- Where is Cloud?!?

He was nowhere to be found.

********

The cold… the cold was biting his flesh, paralysing freeze… He was drowning, how come he hadn't see that source? He felt nothing but the sharp needle pricks of the water numbing his limbs.

- Hold on…

A hand grabbed his collar and Cloud was hurled out of the water, leaned against a blissfully warm surface. The wind and the cold were gone, only the warmth, now…

- I will do everything in my power to be with you soon… Keep going… Bring the Black Materia to the Northern Crater…

- C-c-c-cold…, was the only thing the blond could manage.

- I can help for that.

The next thing he knew was that a warm mouth was on him, taking all the cold away.

********

Vincent burst open the door of the little lodge, Cid and Mr. Horzloff on his tail. He was carrying a frozen blond in his arms that he hurriedly took near the fire. Red was quick to sit on his lap and again the beast noticed that strange smell emanating from him. What happened to him? Was he raped again?  But his question should never been answered. The night passed, everybody took that time to rest so they would be ready to confront the Gaea's cliff. Cloud woke up so confused and nervous that he started to worry everyone. However, the ascension went fairly well this time, with the equipment and the good advices of Mr. Horzloff.

Cloud could see the crater, could sense now all the power of Sephiroth concentrated on him. The constant whisper of his voice in his head. The caves were full of monsters and howling wind. The whisper turned into a painful rumble, and Cloud fell on his knees. His skull was going to blow under the force of the attack. Tifa was soon on him, holding him by the shoulders. The scenery around them changed all of a sudden, and they found themselves in Nibelheim…

********

- Don't listen to him! He's trying to trick you again!

The fire was burning everything around them, and Sephiroth smiled sadly. He lifted an arm and Tifa was hovering above the ground, all her will and voice useless now.

- You forgot? Or is something making you forget?

- I don't… know what you're… talking about…

- You tried to stop me, but you weren't… you weren't /him/… Wait a minute, you remember the picture?

- Yeah…

- There it is. Look, it wasn't you, Cloud, wake up, or you'll become her puppet! You have to believe me!!!

- No!!! I can't believe you! I can't!!! It can't be true!!!

Sephiroth then made another switch in the decorum, showing the blond in his house with his mother and another person… A certain person with silver hair. They were taking diner, talking and Sephiroth seemed very happy, and Cloud was blushing a lot. All of a sudden, though, the blond yelled.

- I refuse to believe you!!!

- Stop overprotecting him!, Sephiroth yelled back, Don't you see it's hurting him?

- What is going on…, the blond moaned pitifully

********

- Cloud! Are you alright?

The blond lifted himself from the ground, his shoulders shaking with mirth as he laughed insanely. JENOVA took that chance to attack Avalanche, taking advantage of the fact that Cloud was temporary hysterical and couldn't fight. After that, as if the creature itself was the reason of his disorder, Avalanche's leader slumped to the ground, unmoving. Vincent and Red were soon over him, but the moment the mythril claw touched him, he jerked up, a strange glow haunting his eyes. His hands were trembling as he reached for the black materia inside his belt. He tended it to Nanaki.

- T-take it. I don't know what I-I could do with it when I'll find him. Hehehe… Keep it safe for me.

- Be assured I will, the red beast answered.

- Wait! I'm coming with you! said Tifa

- I will accompany you, too.

Vincent and Tifa then joined Cloud as he began the last walk to his goal; to Sephiroth. The room where they ended was utterly beautiful. Condensed Mako was forming an overall wall of crystalline materia, reflecting the smallest amount of light. It was luminous and transparent, but Sephiroth was nowhere to be found. Cloud was looking around in a daze, suddenly feeling a numbing peace. It would only fade when professor Hojo stepped into the room with Scarlet and Rufus.

- Amazing… It seems that the 'Reunion' theory was indeed founded. All the clones gathered here… But only one succeeded. What is your number?

- I… I-I don't have a n-number… You said I was a f-failure…

- WHAT??? Only the failure made it here?

- Give me a number, professor…

- Hmph! You don't deserve any, failure… It wouldn't be surprising if even Sephiroth was showing up today!

Rufus and Scarlet stepped in the centre of the place, looking greedily at all the Mako.

- So /this/ is the true Promised Land, after all, the VP said in a awe

That's when Cloud began to hear him, clearer than before… He turned and turned, calling Sephiroth's name. Then, curiously, Nanaki came with the Black Materia he gave Cloud. Tifa couldn't believe what she was seeing, and tried to warn the blond that he was being controlled by Sephiroth.

- Cloud! Cloud! What are you doing?!?

But Cloud didn't hear her. His body was floating in the air, his head balancing lifelessly, like a puppet whose string were loosened.

- Sephiroth? Sephiroth, where are you? I'm here, and I have the black materia… Show yourself to me…

In less than a second he was howled up to the ceiling, into an intertwinement of vines. In the centre of that vine labyrinth was a Mako cocoon, and inside was the one and only Sephiroth. The ex-General seemed asleep. Cloud hugged sadly the cocoon.

- I am here… I am here, finally…

The black materia passed through the Mako and Sephiroth absorbed it. In no time everything collapsed, a maniacal laugh was heard. JENOVA fell on them both, cutting all the vines and sending Cloud and Sephiroth in the gaping pool of Mako down below.

End

Author's notes

Oh Gosh… I'm so smashed right now… But at least I'm home, for good, now and I don't plan of falling sick for the rest of my life, do you hear? I swear, I'll /never/ go to hospital again. It's more scary than everything I've ever saw… *shudders* The only good point is that I have a few more days off. So I'll be able to fully recover (and writes a new chapter faster, too…) Oh, and Lauren, did change your e-mail address? I sent you two e-mails, but you did not answered… Could you email me? Thanks in advance, pal! See ya all in : The Lifestream.