The Enemy of my Enemy
By: Jenosavel
Cloud didn't understand. There was no mistaking the fact that the girl was responsible, but why? If she had summoned Meteor, why would she turn it back? It hadn't occured to Cloud that she could turn it back -much less that she would- but that was insignificant now. They needed to figure out why she'd wavered from Sephiroth's side and take advantage of that before she decided to change her mind again.
Unnoticed by the others who were now preoccupied with staring at the receding threat, Cloud flew down to Jenosavel.
She had killed Tifa. The thought ripped through him. Sephiroth had made her do it -for which he would never forgive the man- but it had been her hand that had performed the act. The sight of her spurred all the anger and pain in him to cry for blood.
"Jenova and the planet are enemies," Cloud said, forcing himself to look at the girl. "If you're not against the planet, then you're against her." How he wanted to make this girl pay for what she'd done to Tifa. Exacting revenge on her now, however, would do no good. As much as he didn't want to admit it, they needed her. They needed her to stop Sephiroth.
Against Jenova? The thought made Jenosavel gasp and wrap her arms tightly about herself. It couldn't be true, but as she turned the thought over in her head, she was forced to admit that it was. She had saved the planet, and if Jenova had seen hesitation alone as a crime, this would be utterly unforgivable. The girl sank to her knees. She existed solely for the life of Jenova, how could she ever turn away from that? What else was she good for?
She's already turned her back on you. You can't go back to her, not anymore. Jenosavel shook her head, unsuccessfully trying to force down the thoughts that came. You didn't do anything wrong and she marked you a failure, a traitor. She marked you a traitor because of what she did. She was the one behind this, she and that man. Images of a white coat and glasses flashed through her mind, drawing a small sobbing hiss from her throat. These fools had nothing to do with it. Only Mother and that man. They are the ones who must pay. They are the ones who need to be shown your worth!
"Jenova has made herself our enemy," Cloud said, not offering any comfort to the girl who was rocking back and forth. It could still be a trick. "She's taken everything that was dear to us away, and we only want to stop her from doing it to others as well. Will you help us?"
Help them fight Jenova? The thought was like a slap in the face. How can I side with the humans against Mother? No, she sided against me first. She needs to pay for abandoning me. She needs to see that I am not worthless! Jenosavel lifted her blank stare to Cloud's face.
"My name's Cloud," his fist clenched uncontrollably, but no sign of his emotions touched his voice. Summoning every ounce of willpower he had, Cloud pried his fingers open and extended his hand to the girl.
"I am called Jenosavel." The girl's recently obtained knowledge told her that shaking his hand would be a sign of friendship, of alliance. Feeling as though something inside her had suddenly broken, something which could never again be mended, she took his hand.
The feel of her hand in his was so human. It brought vivid images of Tifa's face, her warm smile, to mind and made Cloud want to die. Not acknowledging the pain, he shook Jenosavel's hand.
It was quite possibly the hardest thing he'd ever done.
The pain that always radiated from this red-cloaked man poured into Jenosavel with his touch. It was as deep and unstoppable as a raging flood, but it didn't bother her. For the first time, she understood. She understood his pain. Her pain. The pain they shared.
No, Jenova could not be allowed to cause such pain again.
The small bed was incredibly comfortable, and it was all Gohan could do to stay awake long enough to turn over the day's events in his head. The unneccessary fighting, both with Jenosavel, and with each other once she decided to help them -not everyone had been as trusting of her as Cloud had- had taken their toll on him. After that, they'd still taken the better part of the day to locate the rest of their friends who had been scattered throughout the countryside in search of the white materia. And when everyone had been gathered, the arguing had resumed about what should be done with the girl.
Aparently, to those who'd been in the fight against Sephiroth, anyone to do with him was not to be trusted.
All in all, it had been a draining day, and the next would no doubt be just as difficult. Tomorrow they set out after Jenova. They needed to find Jenova and defeat her if they were to defeat Sephiroth. So long as Jenova lived, Sephiroth could not be suppressed. In addition, there was no telling where Jenova might be, so they had travelled back to Trunks's house in Gohan's time to rest up. In the morning, they'd begin the search for the monster that was the root of all their troubles. They had no idea how to find her, but no one would come up with good ideas by being dead tired. It was just too much to think about.
Gohan closed his eyes and let sleep roll over him.
The night was dark and quiet. The companions had long since surrendered themselves to sleep -all of them but one. Cloud sat in a window watching the full moon make its way slowly across the black night sky. It wasn't his choice to be awake at this hour; he had tried to sleep. With Tifa's death, though, the only sleep he could get was fitful and plagued by nightmares of his foe.
Sephiroth wouldn't evade his grasp forever, but for the time being, the thought that he was free made Cloud restless. If everyone had awoke right that moment, he would have charged ahead. Every second that passed while he sat here was one more Sephiroth could use to get away.
A soft scraping noise caught Cloud's attention, and he turned his head. Bright moonlight pooled under the window making the shadows beyond even deeper. Combined with the cold gleam of the hardwood floor, the darkness was incredibly thick and difficult for Cloud's eyes to pierce. When the black blanket finally parted, though, he wasn't pleased with what he found.
The girl, Jenosavel, was standing in the doorway of the dining room whose window Cloud occupied. Of all the company he might have recieved, it was just his luck that it would be her. Turning his head back towards the moon, Cloud squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. What had been done to Tifa wasn't the girl's fault, but he would never be able to look at her without remembering his last sight of Tifa before the light had consumed her. He forced his fist to unclench as he looked back at the girl.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked. Keeping emotion from his voice was effortless now. It was effortless enough, in fact, that Cloud was beginning to wonder if he was even feeling anything at all. Maybe it was all in his head. Or maybe I've finally lost it.
"I don't sleep," Jenosavel responded, not moving from her place in the shadows. Despite appearing timid, her stare could have bored holes through Cloud. Other than her initial answer, she was silent and Cloud wondered if she was going to say anything at all or if she would just stand there staring at him all night. When he was about to get up and leave just to get away from that gaze, she shifted her weight.
"You hate me." It was said as a fact. If the idea meant anything to the girl one way or another, she hid it well. The only thing Cloud could detect in her voice was curiousity.
"I don't hate you," Cloud assured her, sighing and pressing his head back against the window frame. "You just remind me of things I'd rather forget. It's not your fault. I just lost someone very important to me, that's all."
Cloud wanted to rip out his hair. Why had he said that? He didn't need to explain himself to her! It was enough that he was polite to her. He should've just found some way to tell her to go away. In fact, if she pursued the subject, he would. To his surprise though, she remained quiet. He didn't to bother look at her. The way his hair stood on end told him she was just standing there staring at him again. Maybe he should tell her to go away after all and get it over with. It was certainly better than sitting here like this.
"She's waiting in the north."
Cloud started. Throwing his legs over the window sill, he turned to face the doorway.
"Jenova? How do you..." He trailed off as his eyes again adjusted to the dark. The girl wasn't there.
Sighing and shaking his head, he searched the darkness a moment more to be sure she was gone then propped his legs up again. Leaning back against the window frame he rubbed his forehead idly. She'd sure run off in a hurry. Not that it mattered; he wanted to be alone anyway. This night was so quiet and peaceful. If he tried hard enough, he could picture that he was still back in Nibelheim all those years ago. It had been a night like this one when he'd called Tifa out to the water tower. Waiting for her under the clear night sky had been so nerve-wracking for him. He'd really thought she wouldn't come. Looking back on it though, the memory was a fond one.
Cloud laughed, choking on the sound as weariness rushed over him. Back then he'd loved so much. Even two years ago in the fight against Sephiroth he'd loved so much. He'd hated just as fiercely, but it had been worth it. With his friends by his side nothing had daunted his spirit, and even when Aeris had died, he'd still be able to believe there was a future worth saving, a future worth living. Now, things weren't so clear. He was lost. Alone and without a purpose. Not even the need for vengence against Sephiroth helped very much. Once he killed Sephiroth, what was left?
Nothing.
Cloud smiled, the expression never touching his eyes, and gazed up at the round moon in the sky. Memories of the time he'd spent with Tifa, both as children and in Costa del Sol washed over him. Silent tears ran down his cheeks and he shifted to reach for the window's latch. With a little tug it gave way. Swinging the window open, Cloud leaned back and let the cold air sweep over him.
A sudden sound from in the house made Cloud tense; he would die before he let anyone see him like this. When a small, black kitten padded out of the shadows, though, he relaxed. It leapt up and sat down beside him on the window sill.
"So you like the fresh air too?" he asked, scratching the feline behind it's gold-tipped ears. The kitten looked at him quizzically before closing its eyes in contentment. "It helps drown out the memories, I think," he murmured.
A gentle purr was the only response he recieved, and somehow, he wouldn't have had it any other way.
By: Jenosavel
Cloud didn't understand. There was no mistaking the fact that the girl was responsible, but why? If she had summoned Meteor, why would she turn it back? It hadn't occured to Cloud that she could turn it back -much less that she would- but that was insignificant now. They needed to figure out why she'd wavered from Sephiroth's side and take advantage of that before she decided to change her mind again.
Unnoticed by the others who were now preoccupied with staring at the receding threat, Cloud flew down to Jenosavel.
She had killed Tifa. The thought ripped through him. Sephiroth had made her do it -for which he would never forgive the man- but it had been her hand that had performed the act. The sight of her spurred all the anger and pain in him to cry for blood.
"Jenova and the planet are enemies," Cloud said, forcing himself to look at the girl. "If you're not against the planet, then you're against her." How he wanted to make this girl pay for what she'd done to Tifa. Exacting revenge on her now, however, would do no good. As much as he didn't want to admit it, they needed her. They needed her to stop Sephiroth.
Against Jenova? The thought made Jenosavel gasp and wrap her arms tightly about herself. It couldn't be true, but as she turned the thought over in her head, she was forced to admit that it was. She had saved the planet, and if Jenova had seen hesitation alone as a crime, this would be utterly unforgivable. The girl sank to her knees. She existed solely for the life of Jenova, how could she ever turn away from that? What else was she good for?
She's already turned her back on you. You can't go back to her, not anymore. Jenosavel shook her head, unsuccessfully trying to force down the thoughts that came. You didn't do anything wrong and she marked you a failure, a traitor. She marked you a traitor because of what she did. She was the one behind this, she and that man. Images of a white coat and glasses flashed through her mind, drawing a small sobbing hiss from her throat. These fools had nothing to do with it. Only Mother and that man. They are the ones who must pay. They are the ones who need to be shown your worth!
"Jenova has made herself our enemy," Cloud said, not offering any comfort to the girl who was rocking back and forth. It could still be a trick. "She's taken everything that was dear to us away, and we only want to stop her from doing it to others as well. Will you help us?"
Help them fight Jenova? The thought was like a slap in the face. How can I side with the humans against Mother? No, she sided against me first. She needs to pay for abandoning me. She needs to see that I am not worthless! Jenosavel lifted her blank stare to Cloud's face.
"My name's Cloud," his fist clenched uncontrollably, but no sign of his emotions touched his voice. Summoning every ounce of willpower he had, Cloud pried his fingers open and extended his hand to the girl.
"I am called Jenosavel." The girl's recently obtained knowledge told her that shaking his hand would be a sign of friendship, of alliance. Feeling as though something inside her had suddenly broken, something which could never again be mended, she took his hand.
The feel of her hand in his was so human. It brought vivid images of Tifa's face, her warm smile, to mind and made Cloud want to die. Not acknowledging the pain, he shook Jenosavel's hand.
It was quite possibly the hardest thing he'd ever done.
The pain that always radiated from this red-cloaked man poured into Jenosavel with his touch. It was as deep and unstoppable as a raging flood, but it didn't bother her. For the first time, she understood. She understood his pain. Her pain. The pain they shared.
No, Jenova could not be allowed to cause such pain again.
The small bed was incredibly comfortable, and it was all Gohan could do to stay awake long enough to turn over the day's events in his head. The unneccessary fighting, both with Jenosavel, and with each other once she decided to help them -not everyone had been as trusting of her as Cloud had- had taken their toll on him. After that, they'd still taken the better part of the day to locate the rest of their friends who had been scattered throughout the countryside in search of the white materia. And when everyone had been gathered, the arguing had resumed about what should be done with the girl.
Aparently, to those who'd been in the fight against Sephiroth, anyone to do with him was not to be trusted.
All in all, it had been a draining day, and the next would no doubt be just as difficult. Tomorrow they set out after Jenova. They needed to find Jenova and defeat her if they were to defeat Sephiroth. So long as Jenova lived, Sephiroth could not be suppressed. In addition, there was no telling where Jenova might be, so they had travelled back to Trunks's house in Gohan's time to rest up. In the morning, they'd begin the search for the monster that was the root of all their troubles. They had no idea how to find her, but no one would come up with good ideas by being dead tired. It was just too much to think about.
Gohan closed his eyes and let sleep roll over him.
The night was dark and quiet. The companions had long since surrendered themselves to sleep -all of them but one. Cloud sat in a window watching the full moon make its way slowly across the black night sky. It wasn't his choice to be awake at this hour; he had tried to sleep. With Tifa's death, though, the only sleep he could get was fitful and plagued by nightmares of his foe.
Sephiroth wouldn't evade his grasp forever, but for the time being, the thought that he was free made Cloud restless. If everyone had awoke right that moment, he would have charged ahead. Every second that passed while he sat here was one more Sephiroth could use to get away.
A soft scraping noise caught Cloud's attention, and he turned his head. Bright moonlight pooled under the window making the shadows beyond even deeper. Combined with the cold gleam of the hardwood floor, the darkness was incredibly thick and difficult for Cloud's eyes to pierce. When the black blanket finally parted, though, he wasn't pleased with what he found.
The girl, Jenosavel, was standing in the doorway of the dining room whose window Cloud occupied. Of all the company he might have recieved, it was just his luck that it would be her. Turning his head back towards the moon, Cloud squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. What had been done to Tifa wasn't the girl's fault, but he would never be able to look at her without remembering his last sight of Tifa before the light had consumed her. He forced his fist to unclench as he looked back at the girl.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked. Keeping emotion from his voice was effortless now. It was effortless enough, in fact, that Cloud was beginning to wonder if he was even feeling anything at all. Maybe it was all in his head. Or maybe I've finally lost it.
"I don't sleep," Jenosavel responded, not moving from her place in the shadows. Despite appearing timid, her stare could have bored holes through Cloud. Other than her initial answer, she was silent and Cloud wondered if she was going to say anything at all or if she would just stand there staring at him all night. When he was about to get up and leave just to get away from that gaze, she shifted her weight.
"You hate me." It was said as a fact. If the idea meant anything to the girl one way or another, she hid it well. The only thing Cloud could detect in her voice was curiousity.
"I don't hate you," Cloud assured her, sighing and pressing his head back against the window frame. "You just remind me of things I'd rather forget. It's not your fault. I just lost someone very important to me, that's all."
Cloud wanted to rip out his hair. Why had he said that? He didn't need to explain himself to her! It was enough that he was polite to her. He should've just found some way to tell her to go away. In fact, if she pursued the subject, he would. To his surprise though, she remained quiet. He didn't to bother look at her. The way his hair stood on end told him she was just standing there staring at him again. Maybe he should tell her to go away after all and get it over with. It was certainly better than sitting here like this.
"She's waiting in the north."
Cloud started. Throwing his legs over the window sill, he turned to face the doorway.
"Jenova? How do you..." He trailed off as his eyes again adjusted to the dark. The girl wasn't there.
Sighing and shaking his head, he searched the darkness a moment more to be sure she was gone then propped his legs up again. Leaning back against the window frame he rubbed his forehead idly. She'd sure run off in a hurry. Not that it mattered; he wanted to be alone anyway. This night was so quiet and peaceful. If he tried hard enough, he could picture that he was still back in Nibelheim all those years ago. It had been a night like this one when he'd called Tifa out to the water tower. Waiting for her under the clear night sky had been so nerve-wracking for him. He'd really thought she wouldn't come. Looking back on it though, the memory was a fond one.
Cloud laughed, choking on the sound as weariness rushed over him. Back then he'd loved so much. Even two years ago in the fight against Sephiroth he'd loved so much. He'd hated just as fiercely, but it had been worth it. With his friends by his side nothing had daunted his spirit, and even when Aeris had died, he'd still be able to believe there was a future worth saving, a future worth living. Now, things weren't so clear. He was lost. Alone and without a purpose. Not even the need for vengence against Sephiroth helped very much. Once he killed Sephiroth, what was left?
Nothing.
Cloud smiled, the expression never touching his eyes, and gazed up at the round moon in the sky. Memories of the time he'd spent with Tifa, both as children and in Costa del Sol washed over him. Silent tears ran down his cheeks and he shifted to reach for the window's latch. With a little tug it gave way. Swinging the window open, Cloud leaned back and let the cold air sweep over him.
A sudden sound from in the house made Cloud tense; he would die before he let anyone see him like this. When a small, black kitten padded out of the shadows, though, he relaxed. It leapt up and sat down beside him on the window sill.
"So you like the fresh air too?" he asked, scratching the feline behind it's gold-tipped ears. The kitten looked at him quizzically before closing its eyes in contentment. "It helps drown out the memories, I think," he murmured.
A gentle purr was the only response he recieved, and somehow, he wouldn't have had it any other way.