Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or it's characters.
The Trek
Cloud stormed out of the little village in the mountains never looking back. He didn't need to. He had found out from the old man earlier where he had to go in order to get this sword that he needed. That was where he was going right now. If he needed the blade so bad then he would just have to get it. He would do it though without his constant friends and companions.
As he walked he let his mind go back over what Tifa had said. She was to be married. Cloud should have known that it would happen since he hadn't been there but it was still something that he could hardly believe. It had taken him many years to see that Tifa was the woman for him but now it was too late. Oh he knew that he could try and take her away from this Steven but he wouldn't. He wouldn't do that to Tifa, he wouldn't get in the way of her happiness. Everyone was entitled to their happiness it seemed except for him.
Cloud shrugged his muscled shoulders and decided that he would never find happiness except in death. It was something that he could look forward to and it would hold a warm embrace for him. Yes death was all that he had left in this life to look forward to after he had completed his promise to Yuffie.
He hated the fact that Tifa was getting married though. He may have death to look forward to but at one time he had looked forward to seeing her smiling face. He had once longed to feel her touch and to feel that life that coursed in her. Now though he would never get to feel those things with her the way that he had wanted. Now he would only know her as a friend and maybe not even that anymore.
"If I had just been more kind and more, oh I don't know," Cloud muttered to himself as he kicked a rock that was in his path. He didn't know what he could have done but he knew that he should have done something to make Tifa realize that he loved her. Now that love was no more snuffed out like a candle in a gale of wind.
Cloud knew his feelings and those feelings told him that deep down he was better off without her. He knew that to be true but it just hurt. It hurt knowing that her love he would never have again. He knew that when she married this Steven she would be happy and she would have children. She would also be safe from anyone hunting him and all the enemies that he had accumulated over the years.
She wouldn't have to worry about him leaving the house and never coming back. She would never have to worry about getting a letter saying that he was dead. She was truly better off without him and he knew it. "Yes Tifa I understand that you are better off without me. I am glad that you have found your happiness after all these years. You deserve it," Cloud said as a weight was lifted from his heart.
His steps were lighter now and he knew that he was alone again. He was back to a place in his life that he knew very well. Yes indeed Cloud Strife was a man alone against all odds and that was just the way he liked it. There was no one better than him and he would prove it to Sephiroth's son and he would get Yuffie's kids back to her safe and sound. Yes she had trusted him and he wouldn't let that trust be misplaced. He would do everything he had to in order to return her children to her.
* * * * *
Tifa was not happy that Cloud had left her behind. He was the same old Cloud and she knew that there was never going to be anyone that could change him. At one time she had hoped that she could but now she knew better. She still loved him which hurt even more than telling him that she was getting married.
Tifa closed her eyes and felt her stomach where she knew that her child was growing. The child that once she had hoped Cloud would have been the father of. The child that now would have a different father and would never know Cloud probably. She knew that she had hurt Cloud and she knew that after he completed his quest then he would probably leave for good. She knew that he would search for his death in battle then and she knew that she was would never see him again though she hoped that she was wrong.
"It's alright Tifa Cloud is a big boy he can take care of himself," Yuffie said as she walked into the small room where Tifa had been pacing. Yuffie knew that Tifa was beating herself up over having found herself another man to take Cloud's place since he hadn't been there for her.
"I know he is a big boy Yuffie it is just that I think I hurt him even more than we did when he had first returned to us," Tifa said and she wondered if it wasn't the truth.
Yuffie walked over to Tifa and they both sat down on the rug in the center of the room. "I don't know Tifa, I don't know what to tell you. All I can say is that I am honestly happy for you. It is about time that you found yourself someone. Cloud had his chance and he passed it up though for reasons of his own. We know that know but it is too late to go back Tifa," Yuffie said as she put an arm around her friend and pulled her head down to her shoulder. It was weird Yuffie thought. She was comforting Tifa when it had always been the other way around. Tifa had always comforted her whenever Vincent had made her mad or sad. Tifa had always been the rock and now the roles were reversed.
"I didn't want to hurt him," Tifa said as tears sprang to her eyes and started to fall.
"I know Tifa, I know. We are all entitled to our happiness though, so you shouldn't feel this sad. You are going to get married and that is a great thing. What is more it is to a man that you love," Yuffie said as she placed her chin on the top of Tifa's head.
"Oh Yuffie I just don't know if I really love Steven," Tifa said as the tears kept falling.
"Tifa you know that you do or else you would have never agreed to marry him. You and I both know that you still love Cloud and there is nothing wrong with that. He is a great man, but Tifa, you want a family and that is something that I fear Cloud can't give you and you know that as well," Yuffie said as she stroked Tifa's hair.
"Yuffie Cloud is entitled to his happiness as well. I think that maybe I took that from him when I agreed to marry Steven. I have never seen Cloud that way before in my life. Never," Tifa sobbed into Yuffie's chest.
"I think Tifa that you did the right thing. None of us knew at that time that Cloud was coming back. None of us knew anything about him during those twenty years. All we knew was that he was alive and the only reason we knew that was because we all had to believe it. I don't fault you and I think that Cloud won't either," Yuffie whispered to Tifa.
"I guess that you are right my friend. I love Steven and I love Cloud. I need and want a family. That is something that Steven can give me. Cloud perhaps could have but not anymore. He will have to find his own happiness," Tifa said as she lifted her head from Yuffie's breast.
That was when they both heard a sniff and some clapping. They both turned to see a man standing in the doorway. The same man that had nearly killed Cloud with that creature on the slopes of the mountains. The same man that had claimed to be Sephiroth's son. The same man that had kidnapped Yuffie's children.
"That was touching. Really I have never heard anything so sad in my life, let me dry my eyes please," he said sarcastically as he dabbed at his dry eyes. "Really now do you think that happiness truly exits? You are a fool and the hero Cloud is better off without you. You would have made him weak and my battle with him would have been so worthless. He wouldn't have had any steel in him and I would have defeated him easily," The man Soren said as he waved his hand at them.
"Shut up you bastard," Yuffie yelled at him. "You have my children. Why don't you just let them go. They never did anything to you."
"No they didn't did they. No I only need them to bring Cloud to me. He will come as long as I have your children. Yes that is what I need. He and I have a battle to fight and nothing will keep us from it," Soren said his voice as hard as the steel in his hand.
"So you want to kill Cloud for killing your father huh. Your father was mad and evil. If he had succeeded you wouldn't even be alive Soren. Do you really want to kill Cloud for something that was a good deed," Tifa asked as she grabbed Yuffie by the arm holding her back.
"As a matter of fact yes," Soren said as he started forward. "As of this moment I have men taking Marlene and Cassandra into custody. I will use them as bait as well as the both of you," Soren said as the distance between them closed.
* * * * *
"Well Marlene what do you think of this marriage thing. I don't know much but I think that Tifa hurt Cloud a lot," Cassandra said as she ran the whetstone down the length of her blade.
"I am happy for Tifa as you should be. After all you are a part of our little family now whether you want to admit it or not Cassandra. As such you need to be happy for the joy that each of us gets. It is a good thing that Tifa has finally decided to get on with her life," Marlene said trying to convince Cassandra.
"I am happy but it just seems sad that Cloud has no one. Out of everyone only Cloud doesn't have anyone now, right?" Cassandra thought that it was so but she wasn't sure.
"Well dad has me and I guess that he was seeing Aeris's mother for a time and he does have a new flame. Yuffie has Vincent, Tifa has Steven, and Cait Sith has well himself. I guess that you are right," Marlene said.
Marlene loved Cloud like a older brother that was true. She thought that he deserved his happiness but she wasn't sure that he would ever find it. His one chance he had passed up and she guessed that Cloud would never search for another woman in his life.
Just as Cassandra was getting ready to say something else the door to their room burst open and men poured into their room. There were more than ten of the men and they all had guns trained on the girls before they could even react.
Cassandra started to raise her sword when one of the men lifted his sword and pointed right at her, "I wouldn't if I were girlie. If you want to live then I suggest that you drop that sword and put your hands in the air. The same goes for your friend there."
"This isn't good at all is it Marlene," Cassandra said as she sat the sword down on the table in front of her. She didn't want to part with it since Cloud had given it to her and she wanted to keep it with her always. The problem was that she had to part with it if she wanted to live.
"Let's go girls," the man said and they marched the girls right out of the room.
* * * * *
Cloud was more than halfway up the mountain that he was told the sword was at the top of. The wind was whipping his cloths out behind him and his hair was plastered back. Still though Cloud kept climbing. He wouldn't give up not with being so close. He needed to get that sword and so he would.
Step after step he slowly climbed the hill never looking back down. He needed to look ahead and where to put his next step in order to keep from tumbling back down the mountain. "Now I know why no one has ever gotten this damn sword," Cloud growled to himself. Now not only was the wind blowing but the weather wasn't cooperating. It was snowing and his hands were cold making his grip unsure.
Cloud was starting to wonder if everyone froze to death before they reached the summit of the mountain. The higher he climbed the worse it got to. Before long it was blowing ice into his face and his lips were turning blue. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he too met the same fateful end that many before him had.
It took Cloud the better part of a day, upwards of fifteen hours to make it halfway up the mountain. Due to his enhanced strength and stamina he was able to climb about four times faster than the normal person would have been able to. He knew that it would take him at least three more days to make the rest of the journey though. Three more days of hell and three more days to climb fifteen thousand more feet.
Cloud sheltered for the night in a small hollow in the side of the mountain where the wind didn't hit him and he wasn't near so cold. He knew that he needed sleep and yet was afraid that if he fell asleep then he might not wake up. He laid there for more than an hour debating whether to sleep or not when Yuffie's voice came back to him, "I trusted you Cloud. I trusted you."
"I know Yuffie, and I will succeed," Cloud said. He knew what he had to do then and he knew that it was going to be unpleasant. He slowly stood up and walked back out into the blinding wind and snow. He placed his cold hand on the rocky side of the mountain and once again slowly started to climb.
All the while Yuffie's voice kept egging him on. He wouldn't fail her. Not again. Not anymore. He would make it up there and then everything would be fine. He climbed with only Yuffie's voice in his head and one thought in his mind. The thought that he had to get the blade. He climbed in a haze and the cold continued to sap his strength.
Darkness fell again but Cloud didn't even notice. He had his goal in his mind and he wouldn't fail. He continued to climb oblivious to the fact that it was dangerous to climb in the dark with his arms trembling and his hand's turning blue from the cold. Cloud lost all thought shortly after that.
The next thing that he remembered was that he was laying on his stomach in an area that wasn't so cold. The cold didn't seem to touch him anymore and he knew that was a very bad thing since it meant that the onset of death wasn't that far off. He put his arms underneath him and pushed himself to his feet. He stood there and looked around. The sun was up and shining brightly and Cloud had to rub his eyes so that they would adjust to the light.
Cloud knew that he was at the summit of the mountain when he turned his head and saw the object of his quest. He knew that he had to get he sword and so he walked over to it slowly. It was hovering in the air with nothing supporting it. Cloud flexed his hands and the skin cracked and he started to bleed. "Well it seems that I got frostbitten nearly to the point of death," he said to himself.
The air was starting to make him wonder. There was no way that it should be as warm as it was. The mountain where he was standing should have been covered in snow not having grass growing around the summit with a warm breeze ruffling his hair. "This is just getting too interesting."
"Well sword it seems you and I have had a destiny and now it is time to fulfill that destiny," Cloud said and he believed it.
He reached for the sword and as his hand got within about six inches of the hilt Cloud's hand was covered in frost. He jerked his hand back and rubbed it. "Ok now that was unexpected. It seems I must persist though," Cloud said as he reached forward.
As his hand neared the hilt for a second time it was coated in frost again and his hand started to ache. He knew that he was in trouble but he had to get the sword. He pushed his hand forward and it moved slowly as the frost moved up his arm to match how far he had moved his hand.
Cloud couldn't hardly move his fingers his hand was so cold. As his hand closed to within an inch of the hilt fire erupted from the blade bathing his hand melting the ice coating his hand and burning the flesh. Cloud gritted his teeth as he smelled his burning flesh. Cloud wanted to cry out in pain but it wasn't in him to do so though no one was around to hear his screams of pain.
Cloud felt the hilt press against his palm and he closed his hand around the hilt. His fingers fit perfectly around the hilt and he watched in amazement as his flesh grew back on his hand. He knew at that moment that the frost and the fire had been but a test to see if he had the perseverance to get the sword.
He held the sword in front of him and slashed the blade a few times. It was balanced perfectly and the blade was sharper than any other sword he had ever seen. It was a good blade and one he had been told was the only hope of killing his enemy.
Cloud's eyes blazed as he thought of his enemy. Septhiroth and his son Soren. They would die and Yuffie would get her children back. Cloud made a promise and he would keep it. Nothing short of death would keep Cloud from killing those enemies that would destroy the world given the chance.
Cloud sheathed his new blade and headed back down the mountain all the while fueled by thoughts of getting Yuffie's children back. Cloud moved with purpose and all thoughts of the betrayal of Tifa fled his mind. He had to kill his enemies and there was nothing else to it.
* * * * *
Cloud saw the old man standing out front of his house when Cloud arrived. he had a sad face and Cloud couldn't guess why but he was going to find out. He walked right up to him and asked, "What is it why the long face."
"Your friends they are gone. Soren came and took them. He brought many men with guns and other weapons and your friends went without even putting up a fight. I couldn't stop them, I'm sorry," the old man said as he hung his head.
Cloud stepped in close and patted the man on the shoulder. "It is alright. Don't worry about it. There was a reason they didn't fight. They knew they would have been killed and none of them want to die. I don't blame them at all," Cloud said as his anger started to build again.
He couldn't believe that his friends were now hostages as well! What was he going to do. He was good that was true but he couldn't fight if they threatened the lives of his friends. Cloud knew at that moment that he was dead and he accepted like he always had. He wasn't afraid of it in fact he would welcome the end that it would bring. It would leave an opening for someone else to become a hero. Maybe someone would be a better hero than Cloud was. That was all Cloud could hope for.
"I have a way of getting you where you need to go now but we must wait a full day. That is when the full moon is," the old man said breaking into Cloud's thoughts.
"Then we will wait won't we," Cloud said his voice dead. The old man shivered at the sound of it.
"I have something to ask you. They took Cassandra with them as well. Will you please save her when you save your friends," the old man asked a bit nervous that Cloud might say no.
Cloud turned slowly and the old man took a step back at the glowing eyes that he saw. "I will do what I can old man that is all I can promise now," Cloud said in his cold voice. A voice that made the old man wonder just what this hero might do. He then turned and walked away from the old man and into the house. He had some packing to do.
* * * * *
A full day had passed and Cloud was packed. Cloud put his small backpack on and then slung his new sword across his back. His backpack contained enough food and water for three days. He didn't plan on being wherever he was going for any longer than that. If he was though then he would just have to kill a few monsters and learn to like the meat that they provided. He had something to do and he was quite sure that he wouldn't survive it.
Cloud walked into the room where Cassandra and Marlene had been when they had been taken away. He walked around the room and noticed the scuff marks on the wooden floor. They were the marks of men used to wearing combat boots and the scuff marks indicated that the boots they were wearing were indeed combat boots.
Cloud ran his hand along the wall where it looked like one of the men might have walked along with the tip of his blade pressed into the wood. "I don't care how may there were. They are all going to die," Cloud whispered to no one as his eyes fell on the table and the two swords laying upon it.
One he recognized right away for it's familiar weight wasn't with him now. He looked upon his Buster sword, his only constant in his life. The sword that had been with him through everything. The sword that he would die with in his hand if he had his way. Cloud walked over to the table then and gazed at the second sword.
The second sword was familiar as well. Cloud never forgot a sword that he handled and the sword laying on the table next to his Buster sword was none other than the blade he had bought for Cassandra. He closed his eyes then and took a deep breath. Now he knew that they had taken them and left their weapons here. Cloud figured he would need to arm his friends if they were to get out of there and so he picked up both blades and slung across his back. It was very ackward to move around with three blades on ones back but he couldn't help it. If he had to battle then he would just drop two of them. He figured that he would need both of them.
He left the room then and went to where Tifa and Yuffie had been staying and filled up the rest of his backpack with Yuffie's throwing stars. He didn't know what else to take and so he headed to find the old man. Cloud needed to hurry up and save his friends. He didn't know why but he just felt that something bad was going to happen if he didn't.
* * * * *
Cloud found the old man in a small room at the back of the house that had runes along the walls and a large circle drawn on the floor. Cloud saw that at four points on the circle were marked what seemed to be the four directions. The old man was sitting cross legged with his back to the far wall and his eyes closed. He kept intoning the same phrase over and over.
Cloud couldn't understand what the words were. They just seemed to flow right over his mind without him being able to grasp them in any way. It was frustrating especially since Cloud needed to get going so that he could save his friends.
Cloud waited patiently for over fifteen minutes and then rather abruptly he said, "Old man when are you going to send me on my way like you said that you would."
The old man opened his eyes and smiled at Cloud as light shot through the roof of the room and piercied the center of the circle. The light shot out to the four directions that were marked and a small door seemed to open in the center of the circle as all the runes around the room glowed brightly.
"Well Cloud it would seem that I am ready now," the old man said as he started to laugh. "Yes Cloud go on and meet your destiny. You have something to do I believe," the old man cackled like a man possessed. Cloud wasn't too sure that the old man was sane anymore. He wondered if perhaps losing his granddaughter had been too much for the old man. Cloud had heard that people lost their minds before from the grief of losing a loved one. Cloud though had never had to worry about that though, until Aeris had died. Cloud shook his head to clear it of dwindling on the past. He needed to look ahead at the moment and not back.
"Step through the door Cloud," came the old man's voice hard and firm. It held a note of command it seemed to Cloud who just shrugged and walked forward into the blinding light.
