Author's Note:

I've put myself in a bit of a quandry. I seriously don't know whether to keep Reno alive or not. So I have a proposal. I'm going to sit back, and let you, the readers, decide. I've always wanted a bit more interaction between myself and those that read my stories, so I'll post it here.

If you have a particular opinion on Reno's fate, e-mail me at nargsmash yahoo .co .uk (I had to put the spaces in to make the address visible). Note, if Reno the character dies, he will still appear in an OOC fashion in the disclaimers, since people seem to like the Reno/Reeve stuff there. I kind of need that stuff, too, since it works as a tension breaker in the story and I'm unable to actually put funny moments in the story itself. I will not post a follow up chapter to this story until I receive some sort of consensus.

Chapter Forty Three

Influence

The wave of green energy struck Cloud in the chest, sending him hurtling through the air. As it did, a golden aura stretched out and formed around him, sealing away the energy blast, preventing it from furthering damaging him. Aeris. It must have been.

He was unsure how long he spent in the air. As he flew, his stomach began to heave. The motion and the blurring of space as he rocketed through the sky from the force of the blast was giving him an upset stomach. Finally he crashed into the ground, but courtesy of the gold aura around him, he felt nothing. His body tumbled and spun, flipping end over end, but no damage was taken.

Cloud rolled and moved onto his hands and knees. He vomited, emptying his stomach onto the metal ground that he now stood. He collapsed, and clutched at his ribs. When the dry heaving stopped, he took a sniff at the air and nearly threw up again.

The smell of the vomit mingled with burnt flesh and acrid smoke. He looked about and gasped. All around him was the wreckage of the Highwind.

His mind spun, and he realized that his head hurt. It was exactly the same as it had been so long ago, after the first Highwind's crash. It was almost as if the events afterward hadn't happened. A distant ringing was sounding in Cloud's ears. Clasping his hands over his ears, he closed his eyes and wished it to go away.

Instinctively reaching for Ultima Weapon, he swore. The sword must have been lost during his trip through the sky.

The pain continued, humming inside his skull, calling to him, beckoning him. Pain began to crawl along the inside of his face, clawing at his eyes, pulling at his teeth.

He wanted to scream. He gritted his teeth. Jenova would not have him. He... would... resist!

Something inside him snapped. Not the kind of snap where a man loses his sanity, or his grasp of what was real, or even the kind where you lose hold of your temper and fly into a rage. But something inside of Cloud did snap.

The whistling-like buzz disappeared, vanishing from Cloud's mind entirely. And in its place came the sound of clapping.

The ex-Soldier looked up, and for a moment doubted what was left of his mind, what was left of his sanity.

Cid stood leaning against a ruined bulkhead, cigarette in mouth, and Venus Gospel slung over his shoulder, clapping slowly and deliberately. His face looked proud, yet cynical.

"Not bad, kid. Maybe there's some hope for you after all."

"Cid? But you're dead!"

"And I can't walk, either. Funny how here I am, standing alive in your presence."

"But how?"

An annoyed look came over the pilot's face. "The hell should I know? 'Course, I'm not really alive. So don't get your hopes up. I suppose I'm some sort of memory, or a symbol, something in your mind, something you recognize. I've appeared to you a few times in the past, and to that Vincent fellow. I'm just takin' on a shape that means something to you."

"Why Cid, then?"

"Dammit, I don't always look the same. I've come to you before as Aeris, the one supposedly calling out to you, telling you she was alive. 'Course it was a load of shit. I just needed to get you on the right path."

"What path? What are you talking about?"

The apparition shook its head. As it moved, Cloud could see that that was all it was. It wasn't really there at all, but at the same time, it seemed quite solid. "You really are a numbskull. I ain't good at explainin' this magic crap, but I'll try.

"All right. You have Jenova's DNA in you. So that makes you part Cetra."

"Come again?"

"Shit, looks like I'm gonna have to start from the beginning. All right. Jenova was never really a single entity. Not in the sense you believe. Jenova was a disease, something that came from elsewhere and turned the Cetra against each other. I can't explain it better. Just accept that Jenova was at one time Cetra, a whole lotta Cetra, and move on."

Cloud felt a bit bewildered by the vague information, but he nodded his head. "Okay, go on."

"Good, you're not gonna be a pinhead about this. Well, as a Cetra, you have certain powers. None of that healing or defensive crap that Aeris or the make-shift Cetra Rufus have, but powers all the same. You're dangerously adept with Materia, you're incredibly strong and fast, and on some level, you're connected with the Planet. That's why you were drawn to working for Avalanche. Not for money, and not for Tifa. Because of the chance to get in touch with the Planet on some level. But because you're Jenova infected, she can influence you. But for some reason, you're able to resist. Which makes you the one."

"The one what?"

"The champion. The one that needs to kill her. Only someone with her taint in their blood can kill her. You need to look directly at her, accept her for what she is, and reject her. Only you can do this."

"I feel a 'but' coming on."

The figure of Cid nodded. "Maybe you're not so dumb after all. There is a but. Jenova has chosen out a champion of her own to kill you. She sees you as a threat, something that won't conform. Her champion won't stop until you're dead, kid."

"And her champion is also someone tainted by her? Someone from Soldier? Like Sephiroth?"

"You're quick, kid. I didn't expect you to jump to that conclusion right away. Yeah, someone like Sephiroth. But not Sephiroth himself. He's managing to resist, but not as well as you. He needs help."

"Then who is the champion?"

Cid grunted, then rolled his spear across his shoulders, deftly turning it about, end over end, until it landed in his hand. He held it up. "This is an unbelievably fine weapon. Perfectly balanced, excellent for throwing, and damn good for close combat."

With an offhand gesture, the pilot tossed the spear to Cloud, who deftly caught it. Cid said, "It's yours now. I'm dead, so I don't really need it. Use it wisely."

"Cid, wait. Who's Jenova's champion?"

The remains of the Highwind rocked, and Cloud fell. He used the spear to catch himself, using it as an anchor and something to lean onto, balancing his weight. Cloud looked up, and saw that Cid was gone. He cursed softly. "Goodbye, old friend."

The ship jolted again, slamming to one side as some great force collided with it from the ground. The whole world seemed to shake. Cloud steadied himself, and held the spear just as he had seen Cid do so many times. He was ready.

The Highwind moved one last time, and this time the wall gave way. Metal burst open, making an awful squeal as it tore. Cloud protectively covered his face with one hand. When he pulled it down, he looked at the silhouette who now stood in the hole, a figure who brandished a sword in one hand, a familiar looking man.

Rude.

Author's Note:

Remember, I'm not posting anymore until I receive some e-mails about the fate of Reno. Time for some audience participation! ( nargsmash yahoo .co .uk ) (Once again, had to put the spaces in to make the address visible)