Questions Answered, More Raised

The cold biting wind cut straight to the bone. The purple fabric of his SOLDIER uniform did little to halt the ice fangs that tore at his skin, but Cloud didn't mind too much. He was ex-SOLDIER after all. It was Tifa and Aeris he was worried about. He wasn't sure how long they would be able to cope with this bitter weather, but, he reminded himself, they were only alive because of the Ice-Elemental materia combo they had equipped in their armor. And that's, he reflected a little more happily, positive effects would only increase as the intensity of the cold did. If things got much worse, he might just have to fish out his own Ice and Elemental materia.

"Where on this infernal planet are you taking us human?" Their newly rescued companion bit of the words as if they were foul.

"So you ARE from another planet?" Cloud returned just as coldly.

"What does it matter to you?" The tone in Vegeta's voice made Gohan wonder how long it would be before he took off into the air. Gohan shook his head. No, Vegeta was proud, but he wasn't stupid. He knew as little of this world as Gohan did, and wouldn't go running off without getting information first. It looked like the Cloud and Vegeta, even though they were already at each other's throats, would have to be civil. They needed each other. The thought made Gohan chuckle a little.

"Are you two okay?" Aeris questioned, huddling with Tifa in an attempt to stay warm. "Are you sure you don't need anything?"

Gohan cringed. He could already see how Vegeta would react. "I am not as weak a creature as yourself! This temperature has no effect on me!" he almost shouted, he was so outraged. Cloud forced himself to release his grip on Ulitma Weapon's hilt. The ivory blade on it's sapphire mount wouldn't solve anything right now. He needed to think and talk some information out of this guy without starting a fight. If someone got killed, that would just ruin things.

"So," he started. "Exactly how powerful are you?"

"More powerful than you," was the only reply. Cloud ground his teeth. Was there anyway to get to this guy? Seeing Vegeta suddenly sink into a particularly deep snow drift, seemed to give Cloud the edge he needed.

"And why is that?" He asked sharply. The confusion that had momentarily swept over Vegeta's face had better have been what Cloud thought it was. It looked like a reaction to Jenova. If that was indeed what it was, Cloud had just received the upper hand.

"Because, I am the Prince of the Saijins!" Vegeta stated firmly, as if that was supposed to mean something to Cloud.

"Well, I'm ex-SOLDIER, and a servant to her majesty Jenova."

Tifa tripped and fell flat into a snow pile that almost covered her completely before she pulled herself back up rather confused. Aeris had stopped dead in her tracks, but somehow new enough to trust Cloud and stay quiet.

"WHA...!" Tifa found Aeris's hand over her mouth before she could finish shouting her question. A subtle nod from Aeris told her to trust Cloud as well. Not bothering to brush the cold damp snow off of herself, her materia combo made the sensation quite pleasant, she began trudging along beside Aeris once again. In their minds, the two girls were think the same thing. What WAS Cloud up to now?

"And would you care to enlighten me as to why I should care?" Vegeta asked calmly.

"Because, her majesty has already informed me that you have been added to our family. She will no doubt begin breaking you in as a puppet soon." Cloud let a smirk play across his lips. He never would have dreamt that these things would pass those same lips, but this was almost kind of fun. The confusion and fear that Vegeta couldn't stop from creeping into his eyes were amusing. But, Cloud hadn't gotten any information yet, he needed to press this advantage while he had it. "She no doubt has already introduced herself to your mind. If you're lucky, she'll be pleased with what she finds there."

"I do not know what you're talking about!" Vegeta shouted indignantly. Cloud knew he'd struck something. "Will you stop that annoying chatter and be quiet?!"

No, Cloud needed to press this to its full advantage. He needed that information. "If your mind is strong enough, she may have to become a permanent resident of it to get the information that she wants." Cloud paused for the idea to sink in. When Vegeta's expressions uncontrollably twisted again, he continued, "The only other way would be for you to just tell her everything, but she's so far away, that would be impossible."

Gohan started ahead blankly. What was Cloud saying? From Aeris and Tifa's reactions, he knew it couldn't be sincere, but it had a ring of truth to it. Jenova? In people's heads? Could that be who he'd been hearing? NO! Cloud was just trying to scar Vegeta into spilling information they needed! It couldn't be the truth, at least it could be applying to him anyways...

"Too bad she doesn't trust messengers. She'd have to trust them too much. She doesn't like the idea that someone could lie to her when she could simply pluck the truth from their brains instead," Cloud let the words come out as cold and uncaring as he could. How long would it take for this guy to crack and spill his guts? Cloud hoped it wasn't too long. The walk to the Highwind wasn't that long of a trip. Soon they'd all be able to see the ship lumbering on the horizon, and then it was only a matter of time.

"What do you mean?" Vegeta's voice was pure reluctance. He obviously hated being talked down to, but had no choice in his mind.

Cloud was pleased with his work, "Well, even if you did want to relay the information to someone higher in the ranks than yourself, I doubt her majesty would trust you. She'd probably still go digging in your head. I mean, you don't look very trustworthy."

"I am too! I have a warrior's honor to protect!" Vegeta argued. Gohan was beginning to see where this was going now. Still, it was hard not to listen to what Cloud was saying when it all seemed to be spelling out his own predicament. He shook his head. Thoughts like that wouldn't help anything right now.

"Maybe, but I doubt she'll trust you. Besides, there isn't anyone high enough in the ranks to tell it to here anyways, and if there was, you wouldn't tell them," Cloud sounded as if it was all trivial and matter of fact. Secretly he was grinning up a storm with pride. But he only hoped Vegeta would do what he wanted now. The next few sentences would be crucial.

"I would tell someone, if there was something to tell," Vegeta started to put up a defense again. That was not what Cloud wanted.

"Suit yourself, but I personally wouldn't want to relive my first experiences with Jenova," Cloud managed to hold onto his stoic expression a bit longer.

First experiences? Jenova? Gohan resisted the temptation to grip his own head in confusion. But, for as many memories as seemed to be missing of his time here, he had heard a voice those times. A voice no one else could hear...

"You know, hearing voices, that annoying buzzing noise. The sharp pain was quite unbearable too," Cloud gritted his teeth to maintain his composure. He was starting to call up some of his own memories that he'd prefer to leave buried. Thankfully, that was in the past; he was free of Jenova's awful control now.

Hearing voices. Sharp pain. Gohan felt like Cloud was spelling out the truth he'd been trying to ignore the past few days. Was this what was happening to him? Jenova? Suddenly he couldn't' feel his body anymore. Vaguely aware of the world around him leaping upwards, Gohan struggled to regain some semblance of control.

Why do you fight me?

No, he wouldn't give in. His father wouldn't give in; he wouldn't either! He'd faced far worse than this, like Cell. What could Jenova be compared to Cell?

Why don't you welcome the love of your new queen? I want only the best for you. I give you the greatest of gifts; you will find your life is now everlasting. You can have all the power in the world, all the power I posses, if you only serve me. All you have to do is give in, yield to my gentle control. I love you my boy.

Cloud fought to control the fear that gripped his soul as Gohan felt into the snow, hands embracing his head in what Cloud knew to be a tearing pain. As an inhuman shriek rippled through Gohan, Cloud once more took advantage of the scenario, "Well, that's what he gets."

Aeris and Tifa rushed up to Gohan's convulsing form with fear. They'd seen Cloud go through this and he was an ex-SOLDIER member. This had to be awful for a boy, but they knew from their painful experiences with Cloud that there was nothing they could do. This was a fight in the mind. Nothing anyone could do would help him now. He had to fight this on his own.

Vegeta was disturbed. He had watched this young son of Kakarot fight where both he and Kakarot were helpless. This young boy had saved his life in that same battle, and now here he was in this state. Was this truly the work of some fiend as the blonde man said? Could he truly be next? Horror inevitably crept into his face.

"He should've listened to me," Cloud continued nonchalantly, as he turned around and started to walk again. The effort to maintain this front was taking everything he had. That poor kid; why did he have to suffer? Why couldn't Jenova just die like they'd all thought she would? why couldn't Sephiroth and Hojo go with her? There were too many "why's" floating in Cloud's head to concentrate, but he needed to more than anything. If he was going to mount a resistance to Jenova and her forces he needed to get Vegeta to spill what he knew, before the man's memories started to be washed away in Jenova's wrath. Cloud couldn't help shaking his head, "He should've listened to me and given in to her. There's no resisting Jenova. The bigger they are the harder they fall as the saying goes."

That seemed to work. Cloud wasn't sure what it was, but he'd finally struck a nerve.

"What are you saying?!" Vegeta's terror was open now. "Are you saying that this Jenova is more powerful than us Saijins?! Impossible!!"

Cloud motioned behind him toward where he knew Gohan would be. "See for yourself. Jenova's already wiped out an entire race that was supposedly all superior. They didn't stand a chance and fell without much resistance." Cloud fervently hoped that Aeris hadn't heard that. He could only imagine the lost expression she might have at hearing her people's fate talked of so coldly. But, at least, he was getting somewhere.

Vegeta fell quiet. Apparently he was considering his options. "If I tell you what Jenova wants, will I be left alone?"

Cloud was careful not to agree too readily. The last thing he needed was Vegeta getting suspicious now. "I don't think she'll trust you. I've already proven myself, but you? I don't know."

"She must!"

"You can try, but I'm not guaranteeing anything," Cloud replied sounding doubtful. He was eternally grateful that the Jenova hadn't really taken an effect in Vegeta yet. If it had, she would've been trying to keep as much information away from Cloud as she could. But this progress was proof that Jenova hadn't gained any real control yet. Thankfully, that meant his memories wouldn't be disturbed yet either. "Start by telling me where you're from, and how you got here," Cloud said carefully. He didn't want to sound eager and ruin everything he'd worked for.

"I was on that infernal planet Earth," Vegeta began, sounding rather angry that he was saying anything. But he didn't stop talking. "I was with Kakarot and his friends when we all felt a new power suddenly. It was an immense power, but nothing I couldn't handle. I left the others to see for myself what the source of this energy was. All I found was a single man, no great fiends like I've faced before. He was standing with a lost expression on his face before a swirling mass of color. It was obvious to me that that was the source of the power I felt. I decided to investigate, what is one human to the prince of the Saijins? He saw me coming and," Vegeta paused. He sounded even more reluctant.

"You better tell me everything, truthfully, or Jenova really won't trust you," Cloud commented, pushing Vegeta to continue his story.

"I realized to late he was in control of the light, as he abruptly moved it into my path. As I encountered it, everything became black as night, and when I could see again, I was with you."

Cloud took a while to digest the information. "What did this man look like?"

Cloud guessed that the memory must have been pretty dramatic from the way Vegeta answered without hesitation, "I will remember that blasted human for all of eternity! He was very tall with eyes of green fire. He was elderly, as his hair was like a million pale mirror fragments, and he wore black leather."

Cloud had feared that. There was no doubt in his mind it was Sephiroth. But, that raised another question, how had Sephiroth gained the means to travel to another world? The light had to have been what he used, but what was it? How had he created it? Would Sephiroth try to destroy that world as he did this one? There were too many questions that needed answering...

"I only wish," Vegeta continued, startling Cloud, "that I did not have this blasted feeling that I've been here before. It is rather annoying to feel as if I'd lived my life here when I haven't even an idea of where here is."

Great, one more question to add to the list. But, Cloud decided, it was a trivial one. It could just be deja vu, or, more likely, he was a Cetra and the shared memories of all of his species were finding their way into his head.

Cloud could see the Highwind now. It wouldn't be long before they were there. Pausing, he suddenly remembered Gohan. Spinning on his heel, he was glad to see that the boy had gotten control of himself once more. Aeris and Tifa were plowing their way forward, supporting the boy's weakened body. They'd make it to the Highwind without any more trouble, but the question was, what would they do then? Cloud thought for a moment while he started walking towards the Highwind once more. Hadn't Gohan said something about that Mr. Piccolo? Well, that was a place to start. Anyone like Sephiroth, especially if they could get him on their side, would be a great plus.

Note: Isn't it fitting that I'm listening to my FFVII soundtrack now? ^_^ I think I'm gonna be able to keep up this writing pace for a while! I'm hoping to have another chapter out by Mon. night!