Author's Note: I wrote this chapter a week ago. But, unfortunately, one of my stories had this false 'infraction' which locked my account up for nine days. I'm having lots of issues and the site isn't helping! But, I promised I would try to get a weekly update for this story, so here it is. Thanks to Riyoji Jeremishou for the inspiration! Kudos to her. And you should try reading her stories as well (it's her username). Her stories are all descriptive and awesome. But don't forget about mine over here! Now then, onto the story.
"…Mom?"
"Cloud? Sweetie! I'm so glad you called! How are you doing, Dear?"
Cloud swallowed dryly. His mother was…alive. And he knew for a fact that she had died five years ago. He had seen the fire that destroyed nearly all of Nibelheim. He had been unable to do anything about the fire, it had already spread rapidly and gone far out of control. He spent a few moments trying to calm himself. His mother was alive. He couldn't help but be overwhelmed with joy.
"I'm…I'm great. And you?"
"I've been so worried about you Cloud, you never call."
Oh, yes, that was his mother on the other line. Perfectly happy and worrying over every little thing wrong. But that didn't matter to Cloud.
"I'm sorry. How is everything in Nibelheim?"
"Well, it hasn't rained in weeks and…"
Now that the happiness was slowly dying off and replaced with the feeling 'what was I thinking when I said that', Cloud let his mind somewhat wander off. Five percent of his brain was still listening to his mother in case she said something…important. Doubtful. But he had managed to get the information he had wanted. Nibelheim was standing, hopefully forever, and there were no fires that needed to be worried about.
"Well, my friend Aeris and I would like to visit. Would that be okay?"
"Of course! I'm so glad you have a girlfriend, Cloud."
"Uhm, she's not my—"
"I've always wanted you to marry someone who could take care of you—"
"Mom!"
"Sorry, Dear."
"I'll be there either today or tomorrow. Love you, Mom. Bye." He sighed with relief and hung up the phone.
The sound of heavy feet hitting the hard floor rang out loudly. The floor even began to vibrate.
"What's going on!" Aeris exclaimed, very much alarmed.
"The SOLDIERs…They're coming," Cloud merely whispered.
"Then we should get out of here, and hurry."
"But Sephiroth—"
"Cloud…I know he's important to you. But Hojo won't kill an experiment. I promise you that. We need to find out what's going on, it could be extremely dangerous. Not just to Sephiroth, or the two of us, but maybe…"
"Maybe what?"
"Maybe it's bigger than just this one town. Now come on, Cloud. Please, you have to trust me."
Very hesitantly, Cloud nodded. He hated to admit it, but he had grown quite fond of the world's past threat. He was so cute. He tried to be tough, but he knew that Sephiroth understood everything that was happening around him. That he was just Hojo's toy and nothing more.
Aeris gently took Cloud's arm and led him to an elevator.
"Hey, don't we need a Card Key for that?" Cloud queried. He carefully examined the elevator door. "Wait, where's the slot?"
"The elevators don't need Card Keys. They threw that idea out ages ago. Nowadays, they use plain old keys."
"What's the difference?"
"There isn't one. But they think there is." Aeris rolled her eyes. "And to think, this is the company that's ruling the world." She giggled at the thought of President Shinra finally meeting his downfall. "When President Shinra dies—"
"His son takes over the company," Cloud finished.
"Well, true. And after Rufus dies, then the world can return to peace. After we find out what's going on."
Cloud nodded. "Right."
"Hold it right there you two."
Cloud and Aeris froze. Had they been caught? With a shaky breath, Cloud whirled around, aiming his Ultima Weapon at the person to whom the voice belonged too. A sword against a gun would be no good, but he could use the width of his sword to defend himself and Aeris if he needed to.
"Professor Valentine!" Aeris chimed.
Cloud blinked. "Vincent?"
Vincent walked over to Cloud and examined him, head to toe. "Who are you? You seem to be familiar. Ah, you're that Strife boy that Hojo keeps talking about."
"You're working for President Shinra now?" Cloud's eyes were icy. He couldn't be too sure of who to trust anymore because of the difference in the future that was now his present.
"Was. I was working for him and Professor Hojo. I've just quit. I no longer want to be a part of corrupting and hurting Code—I mean, Sephiroth."
"What are they doing to Sephiroth?"
"He's experimenting on him, trying to find out how much he's changed, and how much he can do to him."
"Is that creep hurting him?"
Vincent's eyes softened and sighed. "Yes. He is. But there's nothing we can do. If we try to stop him, Hojo will only send all of his top-class SOLDIERs after us."
"Sephiroth…"
Aeris gently touched Cloud's shoulder. "It will all be worth it when we find out what's going on."
Cloud curled his fingers around Vincent's shirt and pulled him to eye level. "Do you remember me?"
Vincent calmly stared down at Cloud's determined face and dark blue eyes. "I've never seen you before. At least, not in real life. I've seen you in a video clip once. You were sneaking into the lab. The security cameras caught you. Then, you took young Sephiroth and ran off with him to who knows where. And here you are today."
"You don't remember anything? Meteor? Lucrecia?"
"…Lucrecia? Yes, I know of her."
"Do you remember meeting her in that cave? Under the waterfall?"
"Please, Mr. Strife, I do not recall anything. Why are you asking me such things?"
"Professor Valentine, Cloud says that you, me, him, and a bunch of other people were involved in saving our world. There was a meteor that was supposed to come and destroy it. I saved it by praying for Holy, and the others all defeated Sephiroth in battle."
"You believe him? It seems to me that…well, he may need some examination. Are you sure he doesn't have an overdose of Mako?"
"Vincent! Please! You were asleep in your coffin for about thirty years…You were in love with Lucrecia! But she ran off with Hojo and Sephiroth was born."
Vincent's human hand twitched. "How do you know this?"
"Because I was there! Please Vincent, you have to believe me. We need your help. We have absolutely no idea what's ahead of us."
"Please, Vincent. You've helped me out thus far," Aeris added. "Believe Cloud. His story makes sense in a way."
Vincent was quiet for a while. But the sound of footsteps were growing louder. He inserted his own key into the slot, and pushed Cloud and Aeris. "In here," he said simply before entering the elevator himself. The doors slid shut just as the sea of blue and red clad soldiers came into view.
"Vincent, will you join us?" Aeris asked, hopeful.
Cloud seemed reluctant to ask again. He wanted Vincent on his side again, but he wasn't going to pester the man if he didn't want to join.
"I will do anything for my love. After all, I am still repenting."
"So will you?" Aeris asked again.
"I don't know, young Aeris. I know you can see the light in people's hearts. But you are too open minded at times, and accept everything that's told to you."
Aeris was silent. "That isn't true, Professor Valentine. I know Cloud is telling the truth."
"He may very well be telling the truth. But he could be telling it from what he thinks. It may not have really happened."
"Then explain how he knows us!"
"I'm famous and you're…"
"He knows me because he's known me for a long time. We saved the world together, Professor Vincent."
Cloud sighed and looked at Vincent. One more time. "Help me save Lucrecia's one and only son." A low blow, but maybe it would work.
Vincent pondered this. "I will tell you this. For now, I will separate from you two and go off on my own journey to find my own truth. But when I feel I am ready, and I feel that what Mr. Strife says is true…Then I will join you."
Aeris sighed and looked at Cloud.
"It's good enough," Cloud said in a resigning voice.
"I will head to Junon, and see what I can find there."
"We'll be in Nibelheim for a while. You know, in case you change your mind."
The elevator hit the first floor. The three half-expected to see the floor cluttered with the SOLIDERs.
"We got on first, remember?" Vincent said, stepping out of the elevator and walking off. "You have a few more seconds before the other elevators all reach this floor."
Cloud and Aeris looked at each other and nodded. They ran past Vincent and out of the building.
"Perhaps we'll meet sooner than you expect!" Vincent called out to them. He too walked out of Shinra HQ and down the lonely, barren streets.
"Oh, my sweet martyr, why must you leave your flower to wilt?"
Author's Note: Okay, okay, I know Vincent's poetry sucks! But I'm not a poet! Again, I'm sorry it took so long to update. I was going to post it last Friday, but that was the day I got my infraction.
