Sorry it took so long to update!

Chapter 7 (another short chapter)

Tifa blinked slowly as she woke up. She gazed outside the window and squinted at the early morning sunlight. "Cloud? Are you up?" Running her hand over the other side of the bed, she noted that he apparently had left. She got out of bed and wandered to the bathroom to look for him. No one was there. She looked in the lobby of the hotel, but still didn't see him. "I…guess he didn't come home at all last night," she said shakily, fearing just what this must mean.

Quickly running into her room, she threw on a pair of blue jean shorts, a white t-shirt, and her hiking boots. "He must still be in the basement!" As she slipped her gloves on, she knocked on the doors to the others' rooms and dashed down the stairs, running out the door.

The dark mansion leered over her as she entered the building in search for her love. "Cloud! Cloud, where are you?" She ran up the stairs, entered the bedroom, and bolted down the poor, wooden stairs that led to the basement. "Are you in here, Cloud?"

"Here I am, Tifa."

"Cloud!" She turned around and saw him standing in the entrance of the basement. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright!" Tifa ascended the stairs and hugged him. "I was so worried when I woke up." After a few moments, she pulled away, fear in her eyes. Normally, he would have hugged her back. Normally, he would have said, "It's alright, Tifa. I'm here." Normally, he would have had a heartbeat. "Cloud? What happened to you?" She looked up to him and gasped. His eyes were cold and green instead of warm and blue.

Cloud stared down at his wife, though he felt no love for her. If she were truly worried, she would've come last night. "If you were truly worried, you would've come last night."

"But, Cloud! I thought you were still searching! I was tired, so I went to bed early. I just thought that--"

Silence her. Cloud reached out, picked her up by the collar of her shirt, and raised her over his head. "You will be silent. Everyone will be silent. The world shall be silent. The world shall die with the name Sephiroth on its lips."

Tifa struggled to free herself, then kicked him in the abdomen. "Sorry, Cloud!" He collasped, dropping his wife. She landed awkwardly on her feet, causing her to lose her balance. She waved her arms, trying to maintain her footing, but was unable to stop the inevitable. Falling back, she tumbled down a few stairs, then fell off them all together and landed in the center of the steps. "Cl…oud…" Gazing toward the library, she saw Vincent slowly crawling towards her, his eyes back to the normal red. Then, her vision blurred until it became completely dark.

Cloud started to tremble as he coughed uncontrollably. It wasn't because of the pain in his stomach. No, it wasn't that at all. He was fighting for control of his body. "Seph…ir…oth…!" he shouted, trying to banish the crazed man from his mind. "You're…not…a…part…of…me…! You…had…to…enter…me…to…take…over…!"

Then how could I control you before?

"I…don't…know…! Some kind…of…telekinesis…" Cloud screamed, his shouts echoing throughout the mansion. "You…won't…win!" The black mist poured from his mouth and fell towards the floor where Tifa lay. Cloud gazed lazily at her and yelled, "Tifa! Move!" She couldn't hear him, however, as she was unconscious.

Cloud couldn't bear to watch, though he couldn't take his eyes away. The black mist was upon her. It would only be a matter of seconds before it reached her. Suddenly, though, a black and red figure fell on her, and the mist entered it. "Vincent!"