Disclaimer: I do not own the characters,locations, or items of Final Fantasy VII, they belong to Square-Enix.
Chapter One
Blade of Blood
"The final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."
---------Anne Frank
The plains stretched out as far as he could see, but, unlike the peaceful land around him, the future was an enigma. He had watched the others leave, all going in their own seperate directions, and wondered how many of their paths would lead back to this place. How many would return to face the grim reality and follow him to Hell itself? He saw it in their eyes when they left, the future. They all had one, but he was still stuck in the past.
Cloud Strife leaned back against the rock behind him, the Ultima sword laying across his lap. The light from the setting sun dancing across it's crystalline surface and reflected it into his icy, sad eyes. The blade, like his hands, appeared clean, but he knew they were both stained with the blood of countless people. How many anonymous Shinra soldiers' lives were taken by this legendary blade? How many futures, families, and friends had been left behind by the men and women he had slain?
He glanced at Tifa, and caught her gazing at him from afar. It seemed that was what she had been doing during the extent of thier journeys and adventures togather. Cloud was no fool, he knew that she cared deeply for him, and at one time he thought that even she could love him. He once thought that they could share the twin suffering that bonded them togather, but, alas, it seemed that she was misguided in her affection.
He'd known that they could never be. After Aeris's death they had grown closer, and he thought he could trust her. That idea came tumbling down even as he was adrift in Lifestream. She'd lied to him. He couldn't understand why. If she cared for him so much then why would she hide their past and go along with all the lies he had created for himself? Couldn't she see that he couldn't be all the things she hoped he would? He was too different now, too wrapped up in his blood-lust and the misery he would inflict on those who wronged him. Didn't she notice the blood that coated the very sword he would wield time and again in a futile struggle that no longer mattered to him?
The blood of his sword also coated his hands. He raised his clenched fists and stared at them. The hands of a killer, a murderer. The reflection of his face on the stainless, glassy blade of the Ultima saddened him. The face of a killer.
How could Aeris love such a face? How could she allow such blood-stained hands to embrace her, or help her up after she stumbled, or heal her wounds when she was injured? Did she ever see him as he really was? Cloud didn't think so.
She only saw in him what she saw in Zack. Him and Zack were so much alike, but Cloud was a completely different person. Cloud fought because that was the only way he knew how to solve his problems. At least Zack had a cause that he believed in without a doubt, and fought for what was just and good. Cloud, in his lonely selfishness, fought only for himself. His struggle was for himself and the blood he craved to spill for the injustice.
That was all that was left to him. The only ability he had had for a long time was to take life. He realized he'd never done anything intentionally to improve the lives of others. He smiled sarcastically at his reflection. It was humorous how the greed he'd hated festered inside of him.
The thought of this whole insane quest ripped him apart on the inside. He knew what it was all about, the whole reason he kept going. For him it was about the past. He fought not for the future, but for the pain that had been dealt to him in the past. Everything that had been wrong in his life centered around the Shinra. It was because of the Shinra that his father had fought and died for them in the war. It was the Shinra's fault that he'd never known his father. It was they who created monsters like Hojo, Rufus, and Sephiroth.
Sephiroth killed his family. Sephiroth killed Aeris. Sephiroth burned his town to the ground. Sephiroth used him as his own puppet. For those reasons, Sephioth would pay.
Cloud had nothing left in life, nothing but pain and despair. The only thing he could do to make it all go away was to kill Sephiroth.
Cloud Strife gazed into the darkened sky. Yes, he knew what he was fighting for. He fought for vengeance, for it was the only option left to him.
----------I have found that I like getting into Cloud's head. I feel that there are so many directions his character can reasonably take. He does, truely, become one of those heroes that stay with you long after the credits roll.
Chapter One
Blade of Blood
"The final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."
---------Anne Frank
The plains stretched out as far as he could see, but, unlike the peaceful land around him, the future was an enigma. He had watched the others leave, all going in their own seperate directions, and wondered how many of their paths would lead back to this place. How many would return to face the grim reality and follow him to Hell itself? He saw it in their eyes when they left, the future. They all had one, but he was still stuck in the past.
Cloud Strife leaned back against the rock behind him, the Ultima sword laying across his lap. The light from the setting sun dancing across it's crystalline surface and reflected it into his icy, sad eyes. The blade, like his hands, appeared clean, but he knew they were both stained with the blood of countless people. How many anonymous Shinra soldiers' lives were taken by this legendary blade? How many futures, families, and friends had been left behind by the men and women he had slain?
He glanced at Tifa, and caught her gazing at him from afar. It seemed that was what she had been doing during the extent of thier journeys and adventures togather. Cloud was no fool, he knew that she cared deeply for him, and at one time he thought that even she could love him. He once thought that they could share the twin suffering that bonded them togather, but, alas, it seemed that she was misguided in her affection.
He'd known that they could never be. After Aeris's death they had grown closer, and he thought he could trust her. That idea came tumbling down even as he was adrift in Lifestream. She'd lied to him. He couldn't understand why. If she cared for him so much then why would she hide their past and go along with all the lies he had created for himself? Couldn't she see that he couldn't be all the things she hoped he would? He was too different now, too wrapped up in his blood-lust and the misery he would inflict on those who wronged him. Didn't she notice the blood that coated the very sword he would wield time and again in a futile struggle that no longer mattered to him?
The blood of his sword also coated his hands. He raised his clenched fists and stared at them. The hands of a killer, a murderer. The reflection of his face on the stainless, glassy blade of the Ultima saddened him. The face of a killer.
How could Aeris love such a face? How could she allow such blood-stained hands to embrace her, or help her up after she stumbled, or heal her wounds when she was injured? Did she ever see him as he really was? Cloud didn't think so.
She only saw in him what she saw in Zack. Him and Zack were so much alike, but Cloud was a completely different person. Cloud fought because that was the only way he knew how to solve his problems. At least Zack had a cause that he believed in without a doubt, and fought for what was just and good. Cloud, in his lonely selfishness, fought only for himself. His struggle was for himself and the blood he craved to spill for the injustice.
That was all that was left to him. The only ability he had had for a long time was to take life. He realized he'd never done anything intentionally to improve the lives of others. He smiled sarcastically at his reflection. It was humorous how the greed he'd hated festered inside of him.
The thought of this whole insane quest ripped him apart on the inside. He knew what it was all about, the whole reason he kept going. For him it was about the past. He fought not for the future, but for the pain that had been dealt to him in the past. Everything that had been wrong in his life centered around the Shinra. It was because of the Shinra that his father had fought and died for them in the war. It was the Shinra's fault that he'd never known his father. It was they who created monsters like Hojo, Rufus, and Sephiroth.
Sephiroth killed his family. Sephiroth killed Aeris. Sephiroth burned his town to the ground. Sephiroth used him as his own puppet. For those reasons, Sephioth would pay.
Cloud had nothing left in life, nothing but pain and despair. The only thing he could do to make it all go away was to kill Sephiroth.
Cloud Strife gazed into the darkened sky. Yes, he knew what he was fighting for. He fought for vengeance, for it was the only option left to him.
----------I have found that I like getting into Cloud's head. I feel that there are so many directions his character can reasonably take. He does, truely, become one of those heroes that stay with you long after the credits roll.