Lamenting Innocence

Acte 2: Memory Delve

I don't own Final Fantasy 7 or any of them for that matter so don't sue!

"Cloud?" called a familiar voice from behind the closed door to the room where Cloud lay. . "You alright? Can we come in?"

"Yes, yes! Can we?" called another cheerful voice followed by a low exasperated voice.

"Why so uppity cat?" muttered the voice, "I mean the porcupine head's prolly still asleep-"

Cloud coughed loudly from behind the door and answered, "I'm awake you guys... you can all come in."

"Yay!" chirped a voice, pushing open the door to reveal three figures. "Glad to see you're alright!" the stuffed Mog walked in, a cat sitting on top of it, party hat on it's head. This creature's name was Cait Sith and was an ex-spy for the pre-mentioned ShinRa company.

"Outta the way cat!" cried another voice, a large African American man entering the room. He was dressed in simple green trousers, boots and a torn leather vest and a gattling gun replaced his left forearm. Atop his shoulder was his young daughter Marlene, her short brown hair held back from her face by 2 pink hairclips.

"Cloud!" chirped Marlene when she saw Cloud, "Daddy let me down and see Cloud!"

"No, not now sweetie," cooed Barret, (Barret cooing?! XD) "Cloud isn't completely well yet."

"Aww..." moaned Marlene.

"Am I allowed to come in as well?" questioned a voice from behind the wall of Cloud's room, a figure soon entering the room.

"Why didn't you?" questioned Cait Sith, who was bouncing around the room, obviously enjoying himself. "Come on in Red!"

"I told you to stop calling me that..." murmured the figure entering the room, "Call me by my real name, Nanaki," But Nanaki was not a human, but an animal, like a wolf, but with blazing red fur. He was blind in his left eye, for an "X" shaped scar covered it. On his front right leg, the numeral "XIII" (13 o.o) was tattooed on, over a variety of other decorative tattoos. The end of his tail was elit with a bright flame. He had a ferocious exterior, but his heart was pure and kind. He was another of ShinRa's test subjects, but was saved in a rescue mission to save Aeris in the ShinRa building. He was a descendent of an ancient race, and the only known survivor.

"Nanaki, Cait Sith, Barret..." murmured Cloud in a daze, "How long have I been out?"

"Three days at least," commented Nanaki, "You had a high fever and her constantly thrashing and moaning in your sleep."

"Oh..." stated Cloud, looking dreamily at the ceiling.

"What happened to ya Cloud?" questioned Barret, "Vincent carried you all the way back here and just dropped you off in Tifa n' Yuffie's arms and walked off. Weird dude."

Cloud tried to shrug his shoulders, but the excruciating pain that he had felt earlier before he fainted in the Ancient City returned to him. Cloud moaned in pain and started to sweat profusely.

"C-Cloud?" questioned Nanaki in concern, walking over to a shuddering Cloud. "Oh, no! It's happening again! Get Tifa!"

Barret and Cait Sith looked at Nanaki blankly for a second but after a moment remembered why Tifa's assistance was needed and cried "TIFA!!"

The sound of loud footsteps running down the hall was heard as a breathless Tifa slammed open the screamed "What is it?!"

"T-the convulsions, Tifa!" cried Nanaki, "I think they're starting again!"

"N-no!" stammered Tifa, "Shall I go in?"

"It seems to be the only way that worked!" cried Nanaki worriedly, "You must go in!"

"R-right!" cried Tifa, running over to a shuddering Cloud's side. Tifa pulled up a chair next to Cloud and gently moved his shivering hand from its place on Cloud's forehead, over to her awaiting palm. Tifa placed her other hand over Cloud's and closed her eyes, concentrating deeply.

Barret and Cait Sith looked on in curiosity while Tifa started to murmur words to Cloud.

"Cloud..." murmured a transfixed Tifa, her hands gently moving Cloud's hand in hers, stroking the indented lines on his palm. "Open your hear to me...I want to help you..."

"What in God's name is she blabbering about?!" muttered Barret to Nanaki, confused.

"Shut up!" hissed Nanaki, "you'll see."

I'm in. thought Tifa as she looked around the familiar place. Tifa had entered into Cloud's consciousness once again, the last time this had happened was when Cloud's mind was infected with Mako in Mideel and Tifa was transported to this place when the Lifestream overflowed. Tifa looked around, a few of the Cloud's memories, disguised in Cloud's form, in various places.

I think I'll start with that memory, Thought Tifa, walking over to a Cloud who stood against a tunnel wall of some kind. "Hey there..." started Tifa, "Do you hold the memory that troubles Cloud so?"

The blank-eyed Cloud turned toward Tifa and said in his echoing voice, "One of them..."

"H-how many are there?" questioned Tifa in surprise, "Can you point the other memory holders to me?"

"I can show you all of them..." murmured the memory, "Will you come with me?"

Tifa nodded her head in agreement and the memory bended toward the tunnel, as if to fall in, but caught itself on an invisible material that prevented the fall. The memory placed both hands on the invisible material and closed its eyes, as if concentrating deeply. Suddenly, the clear surface moved, like a rock being dropped into a pond, ripples escaladed from the center of the hole out toward the sides, an image soon appearing on the rippled surface.

The image was a video, directly from Cloud's memory. It showed Cloud falling through this very tunnel, into a dark abyss.

"Where am I?" a voice echoed throughout the tunnel.

"C-Cloud?!" cried Tifa in alarm, "Where are you?" Suddenly, Tifa watched as the rippled screen showed the image of a falling Cloud, down the very tunnel that she was looking into. "Cloud...I can hear your thoughts."

As Cloud continued to fall, Tifa was able to hear his thoughts (Just like she said. xD). "I defeated Sephiroth, right?" echoed Cloud, "Where is everyone? I hope they're all right...Suddenly a loud thud was heard as Cloud fell onto the dark ground.

"So..." said a familiar voice that sent chills down Tifa's spine, "You've arrived."

"Sephiroth!" cried Cloud, "Show yourself!"

An eerie luminosity seemed to reminisce around the dark chamber, lighting the dark chamber with a damp light. Sephiroth laughed in his monotone voice and stepped out of the darkness. He was bare from the chest up (;x), wearing dark pants and boots. In his hand was the deadly 6-foot sword, the Masamune, gleaming with an eerie light. "Come on."

All of Cloud's built-up hatred for this man finally escaped, unleashing multiple deadly blows on Sephiroth's Jenova-infused body, dark blood splattering Cloud's face with every blow. Sephiroth looked up at Cloud, his body dripping with his own blood. "It...can't be..." stammered Sephiroth, falling to the ground, and disappearing.

The ground of the cavern started to crumble and the dark chamber suddenly changed into the center of the planet, the red rocks crumbling toward the core. Cloud stood dumbfounded on the red rocks, shocked at his seemingly easy defeat of Sephiroth and the sudden change of interior.

"Cloud!" cried a voice, a hand reaching toward the man, "Grab on!"

Tifa realized that the voice was her own and was shocked. Cloud hadn't gone anywhere she thought, he was just standing there, gazing into the planet's core...I never knew that Cloud defeated Sephiroth on his own...

"I can feel him." murmured a voice.

"What?" questioned Tifa, looking around, thinking that the memory had said something. To Tifa's disbelief though, the memory was still standing next to her, absorbed in what was happening in the mirror. Tifa returned her gaze to the mirror and watched the familiar scene from Cloud's eyes. Then who...?

"He's still alive!" screamed the mysterious voice again.

"Who is it?!" cried Tifa, confused.

"He's calling to you..." murmured the memory, shifting its gaze to Tifa.

"Who...Cloud is?!"

"Yes. He's trying to tell you but the memory is too painful for him. He doesn't want to relive it again."

"But..." started Tifa, "That memory, it showed me something that I never knew but, was that really the one that troubled him so?"

"No..." murmured the voice, "He's still concealing it from you."

"I see..." said Tifa, obviously hurt by this statement. "C-can you tell me anything at all?!"

The memory nodded and said, "I can tell you one thing: The wings of Light and Darkness will once again meet, this time intertwining into the Darkness's deepest desire."

"That..." started Tifa, "I don't understand..."

"You will understand soon enough," murmured the memory. "Now you must go. Cloud will be awakening soon."

"But-"started Tifa, her body starting to become transparent, and her feet starting to lift off the ground, "Tell me!" However, Tifa's attempts were in vain, for she was lifted up into the air and transported back to the Highwind.

"Oh..." murmured Tifa opening her heavy eyelids, "Am I back?"

"Tifa..." called a voice, "Thanks."

"Cloud?!" cried Tifa bolting upright, hitting her head on the top bunk. She was the one laying in the bed now, and Cloud was the one sitting by her. "Oww..."

"You awright Tifa?" called Barret from the back of the room.

"Yeah, yeah," said Tifa sarcastically, rubbing her throbbing forehead and standing up to stretch.

"Thanks again," said Cloud, "You went into my memory didn't you?"

"Wha-?" Tifa gasped, "I didn't know that you knew I could do that!"

"Well..." started Cloud, "Nanaki told me."

"Oh." Muttered Tifa, changing the subject, "So how are you now, Cloud? The pain gone?"

"Yeah, thanks!" lied Cloud, putting on a forced smile, who knew perfectly well that the pain wasn't something that could be cured so easily. "What'd you see in my memory?"

"Oh!" cried Tifa, "Nothing much, just a strange riddle."

"A riddle?" questioned Cloud hesitantly.

"Yeah," laughed Tifa, "It was really weird, too: 'The wings of Light and Darkness will once again meet, this time intertwining into the Darkness's deepest desire.'"

Cloud looked solemnly at the carpeted floor, thinking about this.

Tifa stared at him blankly for a minute and was about to question Cloud about his awkward behavior, but a ear-splitting scream rang out from one of the rooms; not a human scream mind you, but the scream of a beast.

Acte 2: Fin

A/N- Well... I think that's the first real Cliffhanger I've ever left on a fic...kinda nifty. Well, please R&R and the next chapter will be up shortly! And thanks to those of you who reviewed! -.