Disclaimer: Advent Children is owned by Square-something. This is a non-profit work only for entertainment purposes.
Chapter 8
Message from the Cetra
The moment the women turned to flee the beasts attempted to pursue. Nanaki was prepared for them.
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The appearance of the first beast had taken Nanaki completely by surprise. It should have been impossible for a monster of that size to travel so deep into a populated area. There were so many humans on the streets one of them should have been able to see the creature.
Even stranger was how Nanaki and his human companions had detected the creature at the same time. Nanaki was not one to boast but his senses were far superior to any human's. In normal circumstances he was able to locate monsters long before they posed a threat to the group. This creature had been able to sneak up on not just him but his friends. The only way Nanaki could think of something being able to do that was as if it appeared out of thin air. At first he thought such a possibility to be ridicule but now he was not so sure.
The creature continued to confound him when it attempted to attack Yuffie instead of the Turks. It was not uncommon for a monster to attack the group's weakest member, Yuffie in most cases, but the Turks were in a far more vulnerable position. Until the monster had leap over their heads they had been completely unaware of the creature's location.
The creature displayed that it had more than enough speed and strength to gut both of the Turks without giving anyone else a chance to reacted. Instead it attempted to attack Yuffie, the only one who had even seen the creature, giving the rest of the party time to prepare for a counter attack. That action went against the natural instances of all creatures on the Planet, unless the creature's motives were not the kill.
In the libraries of Cosmos Canyon Nanaki had read of creatures that acted in similar manner to this beast. There were story of many different types of legendary beasts that protected the Planet in times of darkness when WEAPONS would be more of a hindrance than assistance.
The creatures were known as MESSENGERS. They were said to be composed of pure mako endowed with attributes that far surpassed those of all the other creatures born from the Planet. The Planet had given control over these legendary creatures to the holy race, the Cetra.
Much to his shame Nanaki had always disbelieved the stories. Even after everything he had seen with Cloud he could not bring himself to believe in the MESSENGERS. The descriptions of beasts were so fantastic that Nanaki could not believe that they were anything more than fairytales for young Cetra children.
The moment Nanaki landed on the creature's back his disbelief became shaky. The creature smelt strongly of unprocessed mako. There were many monsters that Nanaki had previously encountered that smelt of make but none of them compared to this one. Breathing in the monster scent was like taking a whiff of the Lifestream. Such a high concentration of mako should have killed any living being on the Planet.
Nanaki's doubts on the creature's identity vanished after he snapped the beast's neck. The creature revered back to the creature's original form, mako energy.
Grandfather had raised Nanaki never to disbelieve the truth when it was revealed to him no matter his personal feeling. As he stared down at where the beast had been Nanaki felt his mind race trying to prove a logic explanation.
All accounts on MESSENGERS stated that they could only be summoned by the Cetra. Aeris Gainsborough the last of the Cetra had died two years previously. There was no one on the Planet with the ability or knowledge to summon the MESSENGERS.
Even if there had been a member of the Cetra alive it did not explain why the MESSENGER had attacked the group. Not the group but the women. It first appeared that the MESSENGER had been aiming at Yuffie but after landing it went directly after Tifa. Could it be possible that Tifa was the target and not Yuffie? For now it was best to conjunct that the beasts were after both women incase the controller of the MESSENGERS was trying to trick the group.
Following the death of the first an army of MESSENGERS converged upon the group. Like the first these MESSENGERS full attention was focused on the women. During the chaos that followed their attack the beasts completely avoid contact with the Turks and Nanaki.
The group split up the Turks heading in one direction and the former members of AVALANCHE in the other. Headless to the danger Nanaki rushed after his female friends. It was not until he was surrounded on all sides by the MESSENGERS that he realized how rash his actions were.
Moving through the mass of monsters was one of the most unnerving experiences in Nanaki's life. At any moment he was expecting the creatures to turn from their chase and tear him to shreds. His conclusions that either Tifa and/or Yuffie were their targets were proven accurate. The MESSENGERS made no move to hinder his progression. Much to his bewilderment they were actually aiding his progression. The MESSENGERS in front of him moved out of his way allowing him to progress much faster then he could imagine.
Nanaki was not the only one who benefited from the MESSENGERS courteousness. A few bystanders had been on the street completely unprepared for a monster attack. At the sight of the MESSENGERS most of them froze in terror. It appeared to Nanaki that the MESSENGERS would crush the poor humans to death before they could even comprehend what was happening. He had not believed that the beasts would slow their chase to protect the innocent.
Much to his relief, the MESSENGERS proved Nanaki wrong. They once again moved as one to avoid the human obstacles along their path. Some of the MESSENGERS leap over the terrified humans heads while others slowed their pace as they made their way around the humans.
The strangest sight of all was of one of the MESSENGERS picking up a human child by the scruff of the child's neck as if it were a pup. Then the beast carefully carried the child over to a nearby doorstep. Gentle, the MESSENGER placed the child down in the relative safety of the doorstep before it merged back into the herd.
The MESSENGERS actions seemed to add clout to the concept that they were truly the guardians of the Planet. Why else would they protect humans at the expense of their prey?
That just was not possible. Nanaki would not believe that Yuffie or Tifa had somehow aroused the wraith of the Planet. They had been saviors of the Planet. There were times when Yuffie could incite anger in the gentlest soul but even with her flaws she had a good heart underneath her crudeness. And Tifa she had been fighting for the Planet long before Nanaki had even met her.
There had to be another reason for the MESSENGERS to protect the humans. It was possible the thing that had summoned the MESSENGERS wanted to keep the humans alive. Or the MESSENGERS could have an ingrained command that prevented them form harming none targets. It still left the question as to who had summoned the beasts.
At the moment Nanaki did not have the information to come to a logical conclusion on who was controlling the MESSENGERS. For now his efforts would be better put into keeping the MESSENGERS away from his friends.
According to the texts the MESSENGERS had only one weakness. They were controlled by external source but they were granted with a small level of independent sentience. Their sentience was only a little higher than a large cat's but it allowed them to act independent of their controller's will.
Their independents had been implemented into their basic design so it would be possible for their controller to control so many creatures without being mental overwhelmed. The concept was sound but there was one major flaw. It had been proven possible for an individual to distract the MESSENGERS from their goal.
Nanaki planed on using this weakness to give Tifa and Yuffie time to escape from the MESSENGERS. It was a risky proposition depending heavily on information that was centuries old. Information Nanaki was not sure he had recalled properly or that it was correct in the first place. MESSENGERS had only been mentioned in passing in all the texts on the Cetra. It was likely that his plan would be unsuccessful.
If it did work and he was able to draw there attention away from the women there was still a problem. He was curtain he could out run the MESSENGERS but if he did that he would lose their attention. A direct confrontation with the beasts would be foolhardy. On a one on one basic he had a chance to be successfully but against an army there was no chance he could survive.
These concerns were pointless there were no other avenues of action available to Nanaki. This was the only way to save his friends. They had give Nanaki so much he would not let them die. As for his own safety he would have time to revise that portion of his plan on the run.
----
The first MESSENGER broke away from the pack to pursue the women. Nanaki allowed it to leave the confines of the group before he acted. Using his full weight he slammed his body into the beast's left flank sending it hurling into a wall.
The rest of the MESSENGERS swarmed past Nanaki still oblivious to him. Not for long, Nanaki thought with a growl. Without hesitation he leapt through the air landing in front of the pack. As his paws touched the pavement he took a clawed swipe at the head beast.
Nanaki continued pressing his assault against the MESSENGERS. Clawing and biting his surrounding opponents, he did everything in his power to keep them from continuing. The struggle, for Nanaki, seemed to last for an eternity. All his efforts were in vain the MESSENGERS were slowly making their way forward, towards Tifa and Yuffie.
Despair began to sink into his heart. He did not have the endurance to hold of the beast much longer. Not enough time had past for his friends to have made it to the Highwind. There had to be something else he could do to save them.
Sharp pain erupted from his abdomen caught him completely off guard. Had he been bite? A new pain bust along his right flank answered his question. They were attacking him.
Never before in his life had Nanaki felt such relief at being the focus of a legion of monster. The pain from his injury had sent a rush of joy though him. His plan had worked he could save the women.
This was all quite amusing in a morbid sort of way. If he was actually able to survive he would have to share his thoughts with Yuffie. He was certain that she could appreciate the humor.
Now that the MESSENGERS attention was focused solely of Nanaki they had begun a single-minded onslaught against him. Using his full strength Nanaki began to forge through the mass of sharp teeth and claws. There sheer numbers worked to his advantage. The beasts were unable to inflict any real damage without hitting each other. The only injuries he had currently received were only flesh wounds.
There limited mental capacities proved to be another sort of weakness. They had not yet realized that their attacks could be more effective if they tried to kill him as a group instead of individuals.
As he continued pressing forwards the mako that created them began to assault his senses. The scent of mako was so thick around him that he was beginning to have difficultly breathing. The green of the creatures surrounding him gave the impression of being surrounded by dull mako. He could almost imagine being trapped in one of those mako tubes in Nibelheim.
The thought was very presumptuous. Even with the MESSENGERS bearing down on him this was not even a taste of what it felt like being soaked in undiluted mako. For someone as strong as Cloud to have been so traumatized by the experience Nanaki could only assumed it far more horrible than anything imaginable.
Cloud, Nanaki felt his eyes go wide as he thought about his missing friend. There was one very important player in the Planet's affairs Nanaki had not considered.
The scent of fresh air forced Nanaki to put his revelation away. He needed to focus on surviving at the moment. A split second latter he pushed his way into the empty streets. Nanaki broke out into a run looking back once to make sure the MESSENGERS were following.
------
Beyond his eyes the red and black world swirled in a crazy, gothic kaleidoscope. Cloud moaned weakly as he was hit in full by the pain and nausea that his body had been experiencing during his lack of awareness. The pain his body had been feeling was nothing compared to what his mind was experiencing.
If his mind had been in proper working order it would have been difficult to put into word the sensations racing though his mind. In his current state it was nearly impossible.
Hundreds of tiny hands were reaching into his mind. Each hand was attempting to pull his mind in their direction. Their efforts made it feel as though Cloud's mind was being stretch across the length of the Planet.
No pain came from the disturbing sensation. Even though Cloud was free of mental pain he was having difficultly thinking. At the edge of his conscious awareness, where the voices laid, thousands of things were moving.
There were smoky shadows dancing tantalizingly closeness to Cloud's own thoughts. At first he tried to ignore them as he tried to clear his mind. Against his wishes his attention kept wandering towards the shadows. As he focused on them Cloud could hear faint whispers coming from them.
The voices taking a new form Cloud guess freighted and fascinated at the same time. Where they change or was he? A shiver ran though him. Trying not to continue thinking along those lines Cloud focused his attention on one of the shadows.
Cloud's awareness brushed tentatively against the shadow. At the contact Cloud's mind was painfully jerked some where else.
Darkness surrounded him. This place he had been here before. He was not given any addition time to examine the location. Indistinct voices scream out from the darkness drowning his thoughts out with their volume. Emotions reach out from the darkness wrapping around his heart.
Panic filled Cloud as the foreign feelings began forcing their way into him. Stay away. Pain, anger, fear, and so many others coiled inside him. The emotions the voices were crushing him.
Stop!
They did. The darkness remained around the stunned Cloud but it remained silent. As Cloud's mind began to calm he discovered that the voices and the emotions were lurking in the surrounding darkness. Things were different this time. They were no longer overwhelming him...they were...waiting for him.
Realization struck Cloud's mind carrying along with it a rush of power like nothing Cloud had every experienced. This place was one of the voices. As long as he was here he could control the voice. Tenderly he brushed his fingers against the all in composing blackness.
Emotions and thoughts swirled against his finger tips as if they were a tangible substance. This was the opportunity for him to discover Jenova's plans. Was this what Aeris meant when she said he know why Jenova wanted the children.
There was not time for him to ponder on the thought. In a far away corner of his mind Cloud could feel the pull slowly returning. He would have to retrieve the information quickly.
Opening his mind to the voice Cloud let the voice's mind flow unhindered into his own. Unlike before he was not overwhelmed by a flood of sensations, the information came to him a steady stream.
With a clinical detachment Cloud began examining the voice's memories for the answers he was seeking. He took a special effort to make sure they did not spill into his own memories. There were far too many problems with his memories to complicate them further.
Even though the voice was no longer overwhelming his mind it was impossible for him to find anything of use. Instead of forming a distinguishable time line the memories were clumped together in a huge disjointed heap. It was like trying to untangle a giant knot. Cloud had no idea where to begin. A slight tug on his mind reminded him of his time limits. There had to be a simpler way.
As long as he was here he could control the voice. It should be possible for him to force it to tell him what he needed to know. How exactly was he going to do that? As he considered his options a sinking feeling began to form in the pit of his stomach.
Was not it wrong for him to even considering controlling the voices. If he did control the voice how would he be different from... Did it matter he had to do this, for Marlene, for Tifa. How could he protect them if he did not know what he was protecting them from?
His rationalization did not completely vanquish his uncertainly. Maybe-maybe he would not have to do any controlling. Just asking the voice might be enough. Closing his eyes Cloud quieted the voice with his mind as he reached out towards it. Why are you after Marlene?
The world quivered as the voice tried to pull away from him. Instinctually Cloud reached out forcing the voice to remain in place. The voice quivered in Cloud's mental grasped like one of the palm sized rabbits Cloud used to capture as a child. The comparison disturbed Cloud. I have to do this, he reminded himself pushing the feeling aside. Or mostly aside his stomach was still twisting in displeasure.
Centering himself Cloud tried again. This time he applied a small potion of his will against the voice, trying his hardest not to dominate it. The memories of how it felt to be dominated drifted across his mind for an instant. He was not going to do that to someone not even an enemy. Why are the children important?
The quivering increased to a violent trembling as the voice tried to free itself from his grasp. A howl of agony shattered the empty silence. The cry sent chills though Cloud as his body empathized with the voice's terror. His mind, however, was so engulfed by his success he could not even acknowledge hearing the sound. The voice's defenses were crumbling under his mental assault. It would not take much now just a little more pressure and the voice would break, utterly.
The easiness of it all was intoxicating. He would have never imagined it would have been so simple. All it took was the slightest effort and the voice was practical his. Would it be just as easy controlling the others? Some distant part of him whispered, it would. Why should he stop at gathering information? With this new ability it would be so much simpler to use the voice as puppets.
Puppets, the word echoed in his mind as Cloud realized what not just what he had been thinking but what he had doing. He jerked his hand away from the darkness pulling it protectively against his chest as though the thoughts had begun to burn.
I-I wasn't doing that. That's not me. Denial was thick in his mind he did not want to believe what he had been willing to do. It had to be some type of trick like before. Jenova was messing with his mind. He wanted to deny it but the truth weight heavy in his mind burying him underneath a mountain of shame.
What kind of monster was he becoming? The voices might not be humans but they were people with wills of their own. Stealing others free will was something Sephiroth did. Not Him. Cloud was not turning into Him.
The voice tightened against him tantalizingly close whispering in silence to his mind. It would not take much... I am not Sephiroth.
Everything went silent for a moment letting Cloud regain control over his thoughts. This place...Cloud had to get out of here before he did something he regretted. Even now he could feel the voice's mind next to just waiting to be...
Taking a shaky breath Cloud tried to think of away out of the darkness. This was all in his mind, was not it, or was it in the voice's mind. Cloud was not sure which but he did not think it mattered. When he had been awake the voices had been nothing more than whispers. That was not exactly true but it had not been like this. All he needed to do was wake up.
Narrowing his eyes he tried to see past the darkness to the outside world where he belonged. The attempt seemed childish at first that was until things began to change.
Reds and whites began bleeding into the black forming a large blur. Cool night air brush soothingly across his aching body with the exception of his left side. There was something warm pressed against his left side.
The feeling of the voice became much more distant as it returned to being a whisper. As that voice dimmed Cloud began to hear the others. They tore at his mind threatening to drag him back into the darkness. Cloud did not allow himself to react to their presences. He kept focused on the cool night air surrounding his body.
It work, the voices faded to soft bearable whispers hovering along the edge of his awareness. Cloud had not been able to completely free his mind. He should not have expected to be able to free himself entirely from Her grip. Jenova still had Her claws sunk deep in his soul trying to pull him to Her.
For now he would have to resign to having the haunting feeling deep in his soul. As long as he continued fighting against her it would be alright. What a coward, he should not be putting up with her like this. If he was stronger he could free his mind.
Blinking rapidly Cloud tried to clear his vision to give himself something to focus on beside his own self destructive thoughts. Sephiroth had used thoughts like those against him before. This time he could not allow that to happen. Tifa and the others were not here to help keep him together. It was his responsibility to keep strong. Not that he was doing a good job.
After that bitter thought Cloud found that his vision had completely cleared. He gasped in surprise, hovering only a hand's span away from his face was Vincent. The dark man gave no response to Cloud's surprise his unreadable red eyes continued to stare down at Cloud.
Vincent's gaze made Cloud's skin crawl but that was not what caused the younger man to look away from his friend in shame. In the hazy of Cloud's mind he could vague remember seeing the world through those red eyes. What would Vincent do if he knew the truth?
Trying to distract himself from the shame coursing through his mind Cloud questioned Vincent. "What's going on?" Cloud winced as he heard his own voice. It was raw and weak, just like him. Here he was trying to make himself better instead of finding out what had happened. At least he had thought enough to ask the right question, even if it was for the wrong reasons.
Cloud remembered fighting the voices in the forest. After his crash into the tree his memories began to blur. Strange...vision that was best word were scattered across his memories. It was difficult for him to place the order of them. Many seemed to have come from fragments of other people's memories.
Not wanting to consider that at the moment Cloud turned his attention to their environment. Thick evergreen trees surround the pair confining Cloud's view of the world. They were still in the Sleeping forest but where.
The glitter of steel drew Cloud's attention to the ground beside him. Just like the vision his broadsword was resting beside him awaiting him. Who had moved that? Kadaj was the only person Cloud could think of. The youngest of the voice had been the last here before Vincent arrived. Why would he do that?
Thinking about the silver haired boy sent a feeling of uncertain though Cloud's mind. There was something familiar about Kadaj.
Before Cloud could continue the train of thought his face flushed in embarrassment as he realized the compromising position he was in. Cloud was leaning against Vincent as the older man held him in a sitting position. Impulsively, Cloud tried to push Vincent off him to regain a portion of his dignity. His body protested the potential movement by sending pain flaring though out his nervous system.
Gasping from the pain Cloud suddenly realized just how vulnerable he was. From how his body was aching he was not sure he would be able to stand. Fighting was completely out of the question.
The damage was not permanent nor would it be deliberating for long. Underneath his skin he could feel the tingle of mako knitting his body back together. In a short amount of time his body would be completely healed except the part that hurt the most. Mako could not tear the Jenova out of him and heal those scars. Only he could if he was stronger.
Cloud turned his attention away from his troubles realizing that Vincent had not answered his question. It was not uncommon for Vincent to remain silent for extend periods of time but he always answered questions directed towards him. Vincent's answers were not always clear but he did answer.
The older man's silence began to put Cloud even more on edge. What could be keeping Vincent from answering? There were so many ways Cloud could answer that question each more terrifying than the first.
The memorial a year ago Vincent had been there, he saw Cloud's breakdown. After that Cloud doubted Vincent trusted the mercenary or his sanity. Finding the Cloud lying unconscious in the middle of nowhere could only worsen Vincent's opinion. Whatever he thought of Cloud could not be that far off the mark.
Vincent knew. In the vision, from what Cloud could piece together, Vincent had been able to detect the mercenary's presence. The dark man was not stupid he would know what had happened, even though Cloud unsure. There were so many things Cloud did not understand but Vincent, he had been at the beginning of everything, when Sephiroth had been conceived. If anyone know what was happening to Cloud Vincent would.
Cloud was afraid of that. Part of him wanted someone to explain what was happening, only a small part. The rest of him was scared that Vincent would say what Cloud dreaded the most. That Cloud was turning into Sephiroth. The mercenary could not deal with that not now maybe when it was over when he could think clearly, if it was ever over.
There was a second part to his fear. If Vincent did know did he hate Cloud for it or even worse could he be afraid of Cloud? Cloud tried to shake the thought away along with the feeling it was swirling in him.
Why did it matter what Vincent thought now. Over the last year Cloud had done everything in his power to drive his friends away. They all had to be afraid of him they had to hate for how he acted, Tifa especially. The only thing that he ever caused her was pain.
His fears could be misplaced Cloud thought half heartily trying to clear away the sudden depression weight down on his mind. There could be some other reasons ones that did not have to do with Cloud at all.
There was Marlene. Had Vincent come for the girl? It seemed farfetched for the dark man to go out of his way to save the girl but if someone had asked him. A sharp unidentifiable emotion twisted in Cloud's chest like a knife taking his breath away.
Tifa...she was the only one who knew that Marlene was missing. Cloud had promised he would save Marlene, did not Tifa trust him.
The thought of Tifa's distrust hurt more than all of his injuries combined. It was his fault. What right did he have to expect that Tifa would ever depend on him? He could not blame her. When had he ever kept any of his promises? Why should Tifa think that this one was any different than all the others?
This time would be different. Cloud fervently thought to himself, he was not going to fail her. No matter what happened to him, he would make sure Tifa would not get hurt, again.
The young mercenary began to realize that someone was missing. Marlene. Where was Marlene? Renewed Terror gripped Cloud snapping him out of his brooding. Vincent had Marlene in the vision. The girl was not here now. Had something happening to her?
Cloud was not sure how much time had passed between the visions and the present, anything could have happened. The last of the vision the one with Jenova had been like one of his episodes. What if he had hurt Marlene?
In his current physical condition it would have been impossible but how had he gotten most of the injuries. The tree surely caused most of them but doubt lingered in his mind. Vincent could have done some of them especial if Cloud was locked in a hallucination. No matter how crazed he was he would have hurt Marlene.
"Calm yourself." As expected, Vincent's voice was cool and flat making it impossible for Cloud to determine the man's emotions. Guiltily Cloud turned his head to face the older man wanting and not wanting to see the expression on Vincent's face. Nothing, like always Vincent kept his emotion's tightly guarded, the few that he had.
Cloud could not find his voice to ask about the little girl. There had to be an easier way. You could see. Cloud felt his eyes widen in terror. No, no he could not do that Vincent was his friend. What kind of monster was he to even consider it?
That's what you are a monster. Turning into... Focus, desperately Cloud focused on Vincent's face trying to keep those thoughts away. It was not working doubts along with fear creep into his mind causing his breath to come out into short panic burst. Think of something else.
"Why didn't you answer me?" The question came out of Cloud's mouth as a harsh snapped sharpened by the younger man's fears. Cloud felt an instant of relief as his mind settled only to have it sour into regret. He should not have snapped at Vincent like that. So weak, he could not control his emotions. To afraid to ask the questions he need answered.
The older man did not even bate an eye at Cloud's harsh tone he merely regarded the blond with an abnormal glimmer of concern in his eyes. Cloud careful ignored the expression not wanting to think of the reason the normal cold man would display even a tone of warmth.
"I was listening for our enemy." The voices were still there, Cloud trusted Vincent's observations but he was still surprised. Why? Marlene, you idiot, Vincent had the girl last. Since the voices had not yet attacked Cloud assumed that the dark man had Marlene safely hidden away. Cloud had not time to enjoy the small portion of relief that knowledge gave him.
When the voices came to reclaim the girl there was nothing Cloud and Vincent would be able to do. Against one of them Vincent would have stood a chance but the group would overtake him. In Cloud's state he would have been a hindrance. Weak, shaking his head Cloud forced back his self criticism. There was more to worry about than his mistakes, like why had the voices left.
As if by reply a deafening sound erupted from the forest due north of the pair sending minor trembles across the forest floor. Blasts like that one had been going off during the visions. Cloud searched his fleeting memories of the time. Someone had sent them off...Vincent, he was linked to them. Cloud shot a questioning look at his dark haired companion.
"They are too great a threat for me to handle alone." There was a hint of reproof in the dark man's voice causing a flush of embarrassment across the mercenary's face. Vincent's tone was an echo of Cloud's thoughts it just seemed more humiliating for someone else to point it out. "To divert their attention I set off a series of explosives. I left a few mines near the detonation sights to keep them occupied."
The moment he finished speaking an enormous explosion erupted once again from the north, slightly closer than the last. How on the Planet had Vincent been able to plan so far in advance?
Cloud always had trouble coming up with the most basic of plans, while in a few moments Vincent displayed an inhuman level of foresight. Foresight Cloud had not even known the older man possessed. Turks always advertised they were prepared to deal with anything after seeing a decade's inactive ex-Turk pull that off, Cloud could say the advertising was not an exaggeration. It was a good thing Reno and his group never showed so much initiative. In better circumstances Cloud would have actually smiled at his musing.
"How many mines did you set?" Explosion had been going off all during the vision. Cloud was curious to hear just how many mines Vincent had set. A silly question crossed the blonde's mind. How had Vincent been carrying so many around?
Where had that come from? Strange, Cloud's mood was starting to lighten ever so slightly. At the moment he felt more like himself than he had in years.
The older man's face remained blank as he answered the question. "Enough." Was Vincent joking? That could not be possible, Vincent never joked. The young man had to be reading too much into Vincent's answer. People could not change that much over a year or a lifetime, started to smile slightly. Maybe other things would not have changed.
Cloud's good humor end abruptly as he considered the reason for his mood. It was Vincent, he was the reason. The older man was acting like nothing had happened between them. Shame tugged at Cloud's heart. Here he was, believing lies again. Things were not going back the way they were. He had screwed up too much this time.
Making Tifa cry, she was not going to let him come back even if he could. There was something terrible wrong with him. More than he ever considered over the years. The hallucinations, the voice...the vision, they were not going to end.
Don't think that, killing Jenova would end them. Things might not continue the way they were but he would make sure Tifa was happy. He would bring Marlene back to her. After this he would not let anything hurt Tifa ever again.
"Are you sure?" In an attempted to recapture a trace of his once lighter mood Cloud attempted a joke. It fell flat before he had even finished saying it. Cloud would not let himself stop, depression was making him weak. He had to be strong for Tifa.
"Because it sounds like overkill to me." The joke sounded like a painfully desperate plea to Cloud's ears revealing his weakness to the older man. Shamefully Cloud looked away not wanting to see disapproval in Vincent's expression real or imagined. Vincent was going to abandon Cloud here, they all were. You wanted it this way.
"No. They are all alive. The explosives were only enough to temporary distract them." Still scared of being alone, shutting the thought away Cloud smiled faintly. For someone with no sense of humor Vincent could be very amusing at times.
Looking down at his right arm Cloud frowned with confusion. An angry red gash glared out from Cloud's pale arm right above his glove. How had that happened?
During the vision Cloud could not remember seeing that particular injury. The pain coming from it was still fresh implying that it had been inflected after the tree. Something had happened after Vincent's arrival.
An episode, fearfully Cloud continued staring at the injury. Had he hurt himself, Cloud could only hope that was the answer. He could not bare the thought that he had done more.
It was silly getting so excited over this. Cloud had already reasoned Vincent would be acting differently if Cloud had harmed Marlene. What...what if it had been someone else. There could have been another member of AVALACHE here Cloud did not know about.
"I was unable to awaken you with conventional means therefore I tried a more creative application of a common one." Blinking with confusion Cloud's mind raced trying to decode what Vincent had said. The young mercenary could not think of any type of method of waking someone up that would leave a gash like that. A flash of insight hit him and Cloud turned back to face Vincent.
"You," Cloud keep a careful watch of the older man's pale face, "pinched me." The only answer to the question was the carefully blank expression on Vincent's face, a yes. Why Vincent was being so elusive? The mercenary could not think of a reason for Vincent not to answer the question.
As he continued looked at Vincent's visible guarded face, Cloud was not sure he wanted to know. It had to be a very distressing reason. A fraction of the vision flashed across Cloud's mind. Vincent shaking Cloud's lump body calling out Cloud's name with actual emotion in his voice.
The vision cleared as quickly as a heartbeat leaving Cloud puzzled. Was it possible that Vincent was embarrassed? In all their time together Cloud could not remember ever seeing the older man display that level of emotion. It was possible. The Vincent Cloud known would have considered behavior like that unseemly. There was logic in the conclusion a strange twisted amusing logic. Vincent Valentine embarrassed for worry about someone, not someone, Cloud.
The amusement faded. He knows, Cloud's pervious fear drifted back to the forefront of his mind. Only something that extreme would have drawn such a strong emotional response from Vincent. At the moment Cloud could not let himself think about the reason. It was not important. Getting out of here with Marlene was the only thing that was important.
"We have to get out of here. I can't fight." Admitting his weakness sent a rush of shame though Cloud. Not allowing himself to dwell on his weakness Cloud tried once again to spot Marlene. There was still no sign of the girl in the surrounding foliage. She had to be nearby. There had not been enough time for Vincent to have hidden her that far away. "Where's Marlene?"
The masked expression in Vincent's red eyes sharpened as Cloud asked the question. The younger man swallowed, he had just revealed that he know Vincent had Marlene. Stupid, if Vincent had any suspicions on what had happened Cloud had just answered them all.
After almost losing himself in a lie all those years ago Cloud had swore never to lie again. That had not even lasted a year. During his last months in the Seventh Heaven he had lied to Tifa, telling her he was fine, telling himself he was fine. That had been one of his worse lies. Everything had turned out so wrong. He hurt Tifa. Even after that he was still to afraid of the truth, to afraid to accept the rejection of his friends.
Instead of stating his accusations or even hinting at them Vincent broke the silence in an odd way. "Come out." Cloud had only a moment to puzzle over the command before there was a stir of movement behind the dark man's back. Marlene, shyly the little girl stepped away from Vincent stopping directly in front of Cloud.
"Hey. Marlene." As the girl emerging from her hiding spot Cloud put on his special smile one just for Marlene. It was a silly smile that always made her laugh before but not now. Cloud felt the smile melt into a frown as he got his first good look at the girl.
Marlene did not look up to acknowledge that she had even heard him. Her dark eyes remained focus on the grassy floor on the forest her hands fidgeting nervously at the hems of her dirt smudged pale dress. The little girl Cloud remembered never acted like that not even around strangers. Despair sank into to Cloud's soul crushing the air out of his lungs.
Despite how hard things got Marlene had always been like a beam of light, bright and cheerful. Even after Denzel had developed Geostigma Marlene continued to smile. Now-now she was not smiling.
Cloud could not even being to think of what the voices could have done to Marlene to change her so much. They would have had to do something terrible to take her smile away like that. No it was not there fault it was Cloud's.
He should have gotten to the church faster. He could have gone faster. If he had then Marlene would be where she belonged safe and sound with Tifa. Not traveling across the continents with a group of mad men serving a monster. No child should have to go through that especially Marlene.
The way she was acting now it was as if she was afraid, afraid of Cloud. With Vincent in the vision Marlene had acted as herself, not now. Seeing Cloud must have upset her more than everything else that had happened.
Cloud could not blame her for her fear. The last time she had seen him he had been acting crazy. If that was not enough she surely heard something about the memorial, probably from Barrett. He would have told all the kids just how crazy and dangerous Cloud was. One of the few times Barrett would have been right about something.
Even if the fear was justified it hurt so much actually seeing the fear. Cloud would never go so far to say Marlene was a like a daughter to him but they had been very close during the year they had spent together. For her to be afraid of him like this...
All this time he kept telling himself this was how she would react, how all his friends would react. Until now he had never believed his fears. They haunted him but deep inside he thought it would have been different. Reality hurt, he should have to keep relearning that lesson.
"We need to go." Until Marlene was returned to the Seventh Heaven she was in danger. Thinking of the girl's safe Cloud tried to pull himself out of the pit of despair he had fallen into. It seemed so pointless. One of the few people he cared for was scared of him. How would the others act?
He was not the one that was important. Tifa, Marlene, Vincent, and all of his other friends were important. They were the reason he was doing this. If they all hated him in the end it did not matter. As long as they were alive that was important.
"Can you stand?" Lost in his inner turmoil Cloud was only about to shake his head, so pathetic. Without another word Vincent pulled the mercenary's arm over his shoulder. Shame, fear, and a thousand of other negative emotions swarmed in Cloud's mind each fighting for dominions. The conflict kept him from glancing at Vincent as the older man pulled Cloud into a standing position. Did he even care which one won?
The volume of the whispers at the edge of Cloud's mind increased snapping the young man out of his current mental state. "They're coming." Cloud's voice was barely a whisper as he informed his dark haired friend of the danger.
Without questioning his younger friend's knowledge Vincent looked behind. Narrowing his red eyes he appeared to be gauging the distance between the groups. There was little doubt in Cloud's mind that Vincent would be able to accomplish the feat. Vincent's senses were beyond normal humans linked with his Turk training there was nothing he could not detect.
Even if it was possible for the voices to avoid Vincent's detection there was nothing Cloud could do to help. He had the ability to accurately detect the voice but was now too afraid to try. Memories of what he had been doing in the dark place still haunted his memory. If he went back their again Cloud was sure he could stop himself from making a terrible mistake.
A huge blast ripped through the gentle forest causing the ground to shake nearly causing Cloud to loss his footing. That explosion was much closer than the last ones had been. They were not going to have enough time to get away before the voices arrived.
There was only one course of action left for the small group if they wanted most of the members to survive. Cloud was having trouble standing even with Vincent's supported. All he would do was slow them down. They would have to leave him behind. Somehow he would find enough strength to keep the voices away from his friends.
Cloud started to open his mouth to voice his plan but an unusually intense look from Vincent silenced him. What was Vincent thinking? If he knew what Cloud was going to say he then he had to know it was the only way. Unless there was something more than explosives up Vincent's sleeves. "Marlene, go to the bike." Without even a glance at Cloud the little girl sprinted ahead of the men disappearing into the dense forest.
Glancing over to the dark haired man Cloud tried to drive the image of Marlene out of his mind. Getting her back to the Seventh Heaven would make her smile again. Would not it?
"Bike?" Out of the many things Cloud thought Vincent was capable of having a bike was not one of them. The mercenary was still unsure of how exactly how Vincent had gotten to the forest but he doubted the man had ridden a motorcycle. If Vincent had been riding a motorcycle there was no way on the Planet he could have arrived before Cloud or the voices.
Without answering Vincent began to drag Cloud in the direction where Marlene had disappeared. So weak, it was so humiliating to have Vincent practical carrying him, like he was a child. Everything had run completely out of control, not that it had even been under Cloud's control. He should have been able to do this alone. He was going to do this alone.
When they arrived at a relatively safe location Cloud would make Vincent take Marlene back to Midgar. All Cloud would need after that was a short rest to regain enough strength to fight. It would not have to be a long rest. Even now he could feel his strength returning as the mako continued healing his injuries. The voices had likely collected Cloud's weapons of the Fenrir so Cloud could only hope they would not come back for this one. If they did then would just fight without a weapon.
"I believe you call it the Fenrir." For a moment Cloud paused in confusion as he tried to decipher Vincent's off hand comment. Why would Vincent mention the Fenrir? Cloud blinked as realization hit him, the bike it was the Fenrir. How on the Planet had Vincent gotten it?
The bike had been left at the mercy of the voices. Would not it have been logical for them to disable it limit Cloud's mobility. First leaving Cloud alive and now this was it possible they wanted Cloud to escape.
No, that did not make any sense. At the ambush they had been trying to kill him, had not they. Cloud's breath quickened with terror. They had been trying to convert him. Were they so sure of Jenova's control over him that it did not matter to them if he escaped?
The world shaking ripped Cloud back to the real world. Another explosive, Cloud cursed himself for not paying attention. If he had been stuck in his mind then he could have been able to judge the distance from the last blast.
Vincent stopped abruptly puzzled Cloud looked, they were there. Lying only a few feet ahead of them was Cloud's bike the Fenrir. Standing obediently beside the Fenrir was little Marlene. Keeping his attention away from the girl Cloud focused on his motorcycle. All his swords with the exception of the one in the woods were in there proper place. The observation caused a feeling of uneasiness to swarm in Cloud's mind, one that he could not quite banish.
Seemingly unconcerned with the condition of the bike Vincent released his grip allowing the younger man to stand on his own. Cloud stumbled a moment as he regained his balance, his face red with an embarrassed flusher. Maybe his stumbling had amused Marlene. Taking a hopeful glance in the girl's direction Cloud was met with disappointment. She had not even looked up.
"Can you drive?" Cloud's throat had tightened to the point were he was having trouble answer so he nodded to the dark man. Staggering slightly Cloud crossed the short distance to his bike without looking at either of his companions. Cloud frown as he arrived, there was not enough room on the bike for all three of them. It was clear that Vincent was planning on Cloud driving with Marlene as the additional rider. The dark man could not be planning on just staying here.
"What about you?" The question was difficult to force out of Cloud's uncooperative throat. There was no reason for Cloud to be so upset, Marlene was fine.
Keeping himself focused Cloud looked towards Vincent feeling his heart sink further. The red caped man had nearly retreated into the thick foliage of the forest. They would kill him. With his injuries there was not a thing Cloud could do to stop him. It would be...No.
What was wrong with him? Cloud was a monster if he could not stop himself from thinking those thoughts. At least now he was able to control them. What if his control failed, the only answer was a shiver down Cloud's spine.
In the moonlight Vincent eyes seemed to have changed from red to gold. It was not the light they had to change. Turning into Chaos, Vincent could not possible be thinking of traveling like that. "Are you crazy?" Not that Cloud had a right to accuse anyone of that fault but at least he was not trying to become an uncontrollable monster.
"You need not worry I have developed more control over my demons since last we meet." A frown crossed Cloud's face as he tried to judge how truthfully his dark friend was being. It was not that he did not want to trust Vincent, he wanted to trust Vincent, but the older man had never been able to control any of the beasts before. For him to be able to do it after only a year of time seemed very odd.
"There is a lake due west of here. Meet me there." Without giving Cloud a chance to protest Vincent disappeared into the forest. Bending over Cloud began to pull the Fenrir up. There was no reason to worry about Vincent the man never lied.
Cloud could feel Marlene's fearfully gaze drilling into his back as he finish righting the Fenrir. I am so sorry. The words would not come out of his mouth making Cloud feel even worse. She needed some type of assurance but Cloud could say anything. Don't worry your going home soon.
----
At the far left edge of Nanaki's peripheral there was a blur of green. Nanaki halted his flight as one of the more aggressive MESSENGER attempted to disembowel him. The beast faulted miserable but instead of continuing the attack it stood there blocking Nanaki's path so it's brothers could caught up to the feline.
Growling in frustration at the beast's poor tactics, Nanaki merely leap over the MESSENGER. As soon as he felt the gravel under his paws he continued running. Nanaki's few doubts on the beast's main weakness had vanished during the chase. They had the poorest reasoning skills Nanaki had even encounter in a creature. At a number of times they could have taken him but he had survived due to their single mindedness.
There lacking mental capacities were well compensated by their numbers. It would have been simple for Nanaki to defeat a small group of the MESSENGER with few complications. The pity was he was not facing a small group but a numberless army. Nanaki's only defense, not including their stupidity, was to out run them. At the beginning the task had been easy now it was becoming increasingly difficult.
Nanaki's endurance was withering away with each drop of his paws. It had lowered to the point that the MESSENGERS, he had easily outrun at the beginning, were almost on top of him. The faster runners of the pack had been able to pass him. Unlike living creatures the MESSENGERS it seemed had an endless supply of energy.
At Nanaki's current rate he would soon falter leaving himself at the mercy of the MESSENGER. Mercy the beasts and there controller did not appear to have for enemies. At least they were focused on him instead of the innocent humans of Midgar.
All during his flight Nanaki had hoped for a miracle despite how irrational it seemed. His impulsive plan had been based purely on his running abilities, which were failing. Before he had begun he had believed he would come up with some way to survive during the run. At least twenty minutes had passed and his plan had not evolved pasted running for his life.
He could not allow himself to die not only for the sake of himself and his friends but for the sake of the entire Planet. There was information he had concluded about the enemy that his companions must have. With this as his motivating he continued running even as he felt his body begin to fail.
A loud roaring sound, registering in Nanaki's mind as a mechanical engine, though it was too loud to be a conventional engine, interrupted the feline's attempts at creating a working escape plan. Looking into the darkening sky over Midgar Nanaki tried to identify the cause of the sound, which seemed very familiar now.
Several hundred meters away from Nanaki's current position was the Highwind. Nanaki had never considered the mechanical creation attractive by any stretch of the imagination but seeing it hanging over the city surround by the faint lights of the awaking evening stars it was spectacular.
The airship was flying dangerous low almost brushing against the roofs of Midgar's buildings. The cargo hatch was wide open facing in his direction. A familiar blur that could only be Yuffie was leaning out far outside the safely zone. Heedless of the danger, like always, the ninja waved at him in a highly animated fashion.
At this distance it was impossible for Nanaki to hear her screams but it was apparent what she wanted. From her gestures and how low the airship was Nanaki assumed that his friends wanted him to do the impossible. Come on Red jump, Nanaki could hear Yuffie's high pitched voice screaming encouragement in his mind. His body allowed him the ability to jump further than normal humans but there was way he could make a jump at that distance.
A dark figure with a shock of red at the top of it's head peered out beside Yuffie waving with less excitement than the Ninja. Reno, if Nanaki's lungs had not been burning from lack of oxygen he would have sighed. Why were they expecting this of him? Where in all his travels with the group had he displayed the ability to jump so far. Humans they always demand the most insane things.
Even though his was not planning on making the insane jump his friends expected of him Nanaki continued running towards the Highwind. There was a chance he could jump aboard if the airship was closer and lower. At the moment it was his only chance. From behind he could hear the MESSENGERS increasing there paces as they sensed him reaching his limit.
As he continued getting closer the Highwind he was able to make out his friends much better. On the right side of the bay stood Tifa with her hands raised to her mouth shouting something at him. On the opposite side of the bay Yuffie had gone from standing still to jumping up and down. The girl was going to fall out of the ship if she kept that up.
There were no traces of the two Turks. It appeared that Reno had returned to the safety of the interior of the bay after making a single attempt. That was not surprising in the least. In the past Nanaki had been an enemy of the two men, unlike Tifa he had not encountered them on friendlier terms. The fact that Reno made an attempt to help was encourage. As long as Yuffie keep from picking a fight things should go smoothly between the two groups.
Nanaki could not hold off jumping any longer even though the airship was just out of his natural jumping distance. In a few more moments his body would collapse under the strain. No amount of will power could keep him going past that point. The MESSENGERS released a growl of anticipation.
Nanaki focused all his attention on the golden lights coming out of the cargo bay placing the monsters, his friends, and the danger of the Planet in the furthest reaches of his mind. There was only his objective, the cargo bay.
Without breaking his pace Nanak bounded into the air. As he flew through the air his mind remained on the target. It was growing steady closer and closer. Then with horror he realized that he did not have the momentum to complete the jump.
Nanaki stretch his massive body to his limit trying to lengthening his weakening jump. It was working but he was not sure it would be enough. The cargo bay was just out of reach.
"You can do it Red!" Yuffie shrill voice shattered Nanaki intense concentration. How could she, he thought as he felt himself freefalling through the air unable to make heads or tails of were he was falling.
All his thoughts on varies ways to harm the young ninja came to a halt as he slammed into a large metallic surface. The landing was jarred his entire skeletal system but he was alive that was all he could ask for. Somehow Yuffie's shouts of encouragement had defeated the laws of physicals.
A loud slam came from in front of him, the bay door closing Nanaki mused as his mind cleared. Before he could even attempt to stand something warm wrapped around in a tender hug. It was Tifa of course the human woman was prone to emotion displays. Normal Nanaki found them comforting but now as not the time.
Gently Nanaki used his noise to nudge the woman on the shoulder. Without protest the woman broke the embrace smiling brightly with relief. As she got a better look at him a frown crossed her feature. Yuffie was the first to comment on his injures. "Man, Red you look like you've been though the shredder."
Without a care for his personal space the ninja had practical put her small face in his own. "Do you mind?" Nanaki could not believe he had just said that, there was not time for petty squabbling. Not realizing the situation or not caring Yuffie smirked arrogantly at him. "Not really."
Fighting down the harsh response at the tip of his tongue Nanaki looked past Yuffie giving Tifa a pleading look. His plead was not necessary the woman was already planning to defuse things.
"Yuffie can you help me patch Red up." Smiling at the ninja, Tifa handed the girl a handful of bandages. The girl pouted as she accepted the wraps much to Nanaki's relief she backed away. With Yuffie no longer blocking his field of vision Nanaki made a very surprising discovery.
Knelling to the right of Tifa was Rude. In the silent Turk's hands was a small first aid kit that Tifa busily sorting though. The familiarity the pair seemed to have with each other was not what Nanaki had expected. During the earlier conversation with the Turks Nanaki had gathered Tifa and Rude know each other. Seeing how they were acting now Nanaki reevaluated his first impression from acquaintances to friends, maybe more. The way Rude was watching Tifa made the feline wonder if friends as inappropriate description as acquaintances had been.
Did Cloud knew, Nanaki consider the possibility as he watched the pair working on him. The inner working of his friends' relationships was a territory Nanaki was uncomfortable with. Beside how would Yuffie put it...oh yes it was none of his business. It was times like this Nanaki was grateful for being the last of his kind. Mating rituals, at least the human ones, seemed to be needlessly complex.
The aching in Nanaki's body began to die away as his friends began to apply varies potions to his injuries. Nanaki allowed himself a moment to enjoy to cooling feeling that came from the potions as they sank deep into his skin. For an instant he wanted nothing more than to take a long nap to refresh from all his running but he could not. Until he was able to warn his friends he could not rest.
"What were those things?" The question came from a Yuffie who was still sulking over having been put to work. There was a murmur of similar question from the rest of the group along with a few idle speculations. Nanaki could no longer laze in the comfort of the healing items this was his opportunity to speak.
"They are known as MESSENGERS. One of the Planet's many different types of guardians." Nanaki's bold display of knowledge brought the humans' chatter to an end leaving the room eerily silent. Three sets of human eyes and a pair of shades rested on the feline making Nanaki feel very uncomfortable. The holes in his understanding of the MESSENGERS transformed from tiny pin points to bottomless pits. His companions were expecting him to inform them on all of the different aspects of the MESSENGERS but his knowledge was very limited. Unsure of how to continue Nanaki froze allowing the others to make inaccurate conclusions.
Reno was the first out of the group to vocalize his opinion. "That's gratitude for you. You wasted all your time trying to save the Planet and it comes back to bite you. No pay, no thanks, I don't see why AVALACHE even tries."
While Reno's criticism was valid using the give information the comment on AVALACHE at the end was inappropriate for the situation. Tifa and Nanaki were willing to ignore the comment but Yuffie was not as mature as her age dictated she should act.
In a huff the young ninja stomped over to Reno jumping into his face. She then began to snap at him with more hostility than was required. "Like you would understand you're just a crazy drunk."
The Turk continued leaning casual against one of the many crates littering unfazed by Yuffie's accusations. There was a moment when it looked as though the Turk was just going to ignore the ninja. Relief filled Nanaki and he prepared to continue with his story. Then without missing a beat Reno leered down at Yuffie, "You must not understand either. From what I've heard the Planet is not your primary concern."
Oh no, Nanaki watch in a mixture of embarrassment and horror as Yuffie's face turned a very uncommon shade of red. There was nothing he could do or say that would keep the girl form erupting or the fight she would surely initiate.
"Yuffie, could you please finish helping me with Nanaki?" Tifa's voice was gentle yet strong as she attempted to diffuse the situation. Conflict rage across Yuffie's faces causing Nanaki to worry about how she would respond. Yuffie was not always the most reasonable individual. The leer on Reno's face could not be helping the situation. Nanaki would have tried to help but he was afraid that if he spoke it would be the spark to ignite the conflict.
"Come on, Yuffie." Once again Tifa's voice was gentle there was a hint of persistence in it this time. Nanaki breathed a sigh of relief as Yuffie gave Reno a final hatefully glare then stalked back towards the group. Yuffie only acted this agitated when something was deeply troubling her. The encounter with the MESSENGERS appeared to have shaken her worse than she was permitting herself to reveal. Poor Yuffie, human women were sensitive to the strangest things.
"Reno before you say anything could you please let Red continue." With a guileless expression the red haired Turk closed his mouth bowing towards Tifa in a most exaggerated fashion. Shaking his head at the human's arrogance Nanaki once again discovered he was at the attention of his companions' attention.
Nanaki felt himself freeze again his who warning flying out of his mind. Why was he acting like a pup? Just because he was not a scholar on the MESSENGER did not mean he was ill informed. Everyone was depending on his answers, it was so nerve racking.
"You can continue now." The dark haired woman rubbed her soft hands against Nanaki's flank with encouragement. Giving Tifa a smile of gratitude for her help in regaining his courage the feline continued.
"The Planet is not the enemy here. In most circumstances the MESSENGERS could only be summoned by the Cetra." As expected there were several gasp of disbelief came from his audiences. The worse came from Tifa who had been the closes to their Cetra friend. "Aeris was the last and she..." The woman could not continue.
"Yes all the Cetra are dead but Jenova still lives." Everything exploded at once. "What the- . "
"NO WAY, we killed that freak."
"Oh Cloud."
There were several other more crude remarks coming mainly from Yuffie and Reno but it had become impossible for Nanaki to distinguish the differences. The human voices blurred together pounding at his sensitive ears.
"Please let me finish." Nanaki roared over the human's chatter to reclaim their fleeting attention. There was a pause and Nanaki leap back into his narrative before the humans stated talking again.
"That is not a fact but the most probable conclusion. At the outbreak of Geostigma many of the elders began to suspect that the monster had survived. In all the records of the Cetra the only being that could harness the energy of the Planet was Jenova. With technology humans can access a portion of the Planet's power but not on the magnitude the elders were sensing.
"I was not certain at first until the memorial." At the corner of Nanaki's vision he saw Tifa lower her head. "Cloud's," Nanaki searched for a word that would not speak to negatively of his young friend. After all none of this was Cloud's fault. "...strange behavior pointed in the direction of Jenova being the enemy. The arrival of men that appear like Sephiroth only adds more evidences.
"Using it's link to the Planet Jenova theoretically could control the MESSENGERS." Pausing Nanaki gave his companions the chance to review the information. "Why would Jenova send them after the ladies?" Reno asked with uncharacteristic thoughtfulness as he stared blankly at the back wall of the bay. It was strange seeing the brash Turk seeming so reserved.
"They were after us?" Stupefied the feline could only start at the bewildered ninja. How on the Planet could she not have noticed?
"Cloud." The soft whisper escaped from Tifa as the young woman came to Nanaki's conclusion. She covered her mouth grief tangible as tears in her eyes. Hesitantly Rude placed his arm around Tifa's shoulders to comfort the martial artist.
"What do you mean by Cloud?" Once again Nanaki was taken back by Yuffie's inability to grasp a simple concept. The ninja was looking between Nanaki and Tifa trying to decide which would answer her question.
Sighing heavy the feline answered the girl, "To weaken Cloud mental Jenova is trying to keep him separated from his most important person." Nanaki keep from naming Tifa so not to further distress the woman. At the moment she looked horrible. Tears were freely falling from her eyes for Tifa to allow that she had to feel terrible.
Rude was making a fumbled attempt at consulting her. Seeing the frantic look on his face could have been amusing if it was not caused by Nanaki's grieving friend.
Returning his attention to Yuffie Nanaki was puzzled to see a faint blush on the girl's cheeks. The girl's eye glittered in bright excitement.
"Jenova thinks I am Cloud's most important person."