AN: The first section is before Cloud bursts in. Just wanted to fill you in on what triggered his appearance. Read, react, and check out the note at the end.

Chapter 12 – Etude de Agitato

Earlier...

Calm, it's only gray hair. That's normal at your age, right?

He sighed, releasing the new addition to his features. The large tub of goo that had become part of his morning ritual still sat unopened, and he didn't think he would touch it today. Something didn't feel right; something other than what appeared to be a physical manifestation of a hormonal imbalance.

Maybe Yuffie did this. She hasn't been particularly happy with me lately...

He winced at the understatement. He had gotten angry glares and sharp tongued barbs thrown at him for days. If there was ever a thing he wanted to avoid, it was Yuffie's wrath. Why he endured it...

A couple of good slices and she'd be less than a memory...

He shook his head. His thoughts had been off too, veering into darker and more violent regions. It often left him with a cold and slimy feeling, almost like something had awakened, but was waiting. Just waiting.

"HEY STRIFE! GET YOUR ASS TO WORK!" Yuffie greeted him from the bottom of the stairs, her voice ripping his thoughts into the present. He stared at the mirror for a second, squinting his eyes, frowning at himself.

Sometimes I hate you, Cloud.

Then he sprinted into his room, grabbing Ultima from where he had propped it against the wall. The feel of the grip in his hands soothed him, gave him strength. And Cloud hated weakness.

He made his way down the stairs, pushing past Yuffie, who was glaring at him with her hands on her hips. He shrugged her expression off with an indifferent glance.

"Asshole," she muttered, with frustration that lacked venom, once he was out of earshot. He was settling himself against the wall near the door, with a relaxed sort of formidability. His hair fell into his eyes without the usual gel to hold it in place, giving him an almost disreputable aura.

Let's see if any of these losers get rowdy today. I'm ready.

But instead of a patron, Yuffie was standing in front of him now. And she looked angry.

"What is your problem?" she said with an annoyed tone, arms folded in front of her, "Are you really that fucked in the head?" He instinctively brushed aside some of his bangs, bringing attention to the silvery gray streak in his hair. Yuffie gasped.

"What happened?" she asked, a flicker of concern in her eyes. He grunted. She returned his reply with an even deeper scowl.

"Geez, everyone's complete angst wrecks..." she starting saying, more to herself than to him, "Even Vincent and Tifa... I thought they were getting along so well..." He raised an eyebrow, frowning.

What do you mean by Vincent and Tifa?

"What?" he asked, low and growling, causing her to twitch, stopping her little rant.

"He visits her every week, stares at her when she's not looking-"she rattled off before clapping her hand over her mouth, eyes wide. His frown disappeared, replaced with a look of utter shock.

She lied.

"Cloud, I didn't mean it like that..." she protested, the anger vanished from her features. He blinked.

She fucking lied.

"I forgot you still love her, shit..." she screeched at herself, confused at who to point her frustration at.

Tifa fucking lied to me.

"I don't love her," he said with a calm and calculating voice. Yuffie opened her mouth to say more but quickly closed it. Fear flickered across her face.

He smiled, the smile of a man who has destroyed something. Then, he reached a hand out to her, pushing roughly on the back of her head. She started to protest, but was interrupted with a cold and savage kiss.

He pulled away, as a little green momentarily phased across his eyes. She stared at him, a mixture of fear and awe and something indefinable. He gave her the strange grin again, before turning to the door.

"Where are you going?" she croaked out. He gave a small spastic laugh.

"To say goodbye," he said, before stepping out into the day.

Back to the Present...

"What happened?" Tifa asked shakily, unconsciously indicating towards the streak in his hair with her hand. He smirked. Vincent put a little more pressure on her shoulder.

"I woke up," he said coolly while shifting the grip on his sword. Vincent's eyes grew wide upon hearing the words.

What was it that the journal said...?

"No!" Tifa protested, jerking closer towards Cloud. Vincent pulled her back.

"A curious phenomenon has been noted concerning the Exulted..."

"Don't, Tifa," Vincent whispered. She shot him a glare. He relaxed his grip.

"You're a real piece of work," Cloud continued with an eerily calm voice, "I bet you were happy when you found out I was dead." She gasped.

"Almost as if something has awakened inside of him..."

"How could you say that! How dare you!" she shouted, and before Vincent could stop her, she marched up to him. He heard the slap before he registered it happening. Cloud laughed, his cheek an angry red. Tifa's face was contorted with more hurt than rage.

"The catalyst is yet unknown, but seems to be connected with the emotional state..."

Vincent placed his hand on the gun at his side. His instincts were to shoot Cloud if he made any move to hurt or otherwise upset Tifa. But his loyalty to Tifa conflicted with his instincts. He didn't know if he could kill...

"A separate consciousness. I've decided to call it..."

"Tifa..." Vincent said warningly, unable to move into the circle of heightened emotion between the two fighters. She turned to his voice, and he noticed the tears waiting to fall from her eyes. Cloud continued smiling.

"...an Emotive. Considering Lucrecia's spirit is still intact..."

Cloud leaned in closer to her, with a dangerous mixture of love and cruelty in his glowing blue-green eyes. She turned her face towards him, a single tears slipping from the tight guard of her eyes.

Don't you dare touch her...

He smiled sweetly at her, placing his free hand gently on her cheek. Vincent had the gun cocked and aimed shortly after. Tifa's lower lip trembled, and she closed her eyes as he touched.

"I don't love you," she whispered, so only Cloud could hear. He leaned in, placing a kiss on her cheek. Vincent's gun hand began to shake.

"Don't touch her!" Vincent screamed, before he could stop himself. Tifa continued to look at Cloud, a small smile on her lips.

"I've never loved you. I could never love such a liar," Cloud said with tenderness as the smile disappeared from Tifa's face, "Such a liar and a whore. Goodbye." He adjusted the grip on his sword, ready for his final farewell to Tifa. Vincent's hand stopped it's shaking when he noticed she wasn't going to fight back.

"Tifa! Get away from him, he'll..." Vincent began, but the last part caught in his throat.

He'll what? Is he so twisted as to kill her?

He shook off the thoughts, and focused on his gun. He would kill Cloud if he had to.

"Please surrender, Tifa," Cloud continued with the same tenderness in his voice. She faced him with a blank face.

"No forgiveness... nothing left..." she mumbled with a far away voice. Vincent took a cautious step forward. The other two didn't move.

No, not nothing...

"Are you giving up that easily Tifa?" Vincent asked, with an edge of desperation in his voice, "Is his forgiveness worth so much more than life?" She blinked her blank eyes at him.

"You're going to listen to a demon, Tifa?" Cloud replied calmly, a cold stare fixed on Vincent. Tifa shook her head, causing Cloud to smile again.

"Tifa... please..." Vincent pleaded, trying to calm the trembling of his hand, "I..."

"What?" she whispered, the hint of her usual vivacious nature passing quickly in her voice. He clenched the gun, finally staying his hand. Cloud opened his mouth to say something...

"...Because I love you, Tifa," he burst out, before Cloud's serpent tongue could further poison the air. She smiled that sad smile while the tears spilled down her cheeks. Then she took a cautious step towards him. She didn't see Cloud raise his sword as she feebly began to move towards Vincent.

"BEHIND YOU!" a shrill voice cried out, but the sword was already in motion...

AN: Don't kill me. I'm a suspense writer, cliffhangers are natural for me. And no, he's not really evil. Ok, maybe a little. I'll try and update soon. At least I update faster then most people, eh?

HypernatedRikku: Calm. Just have a little faith in me, ok? When I say clouffie, I mean clouffie. Just remember her metaphor for love...something along the lines of a car wreck...

Theme song: Going Under Evanescence