Chapter Three: Cloud doesn't do wolves.
"Wow!" Reno exclaimed as he and the other Turks entered the airship. "I have ta admit Cid, you sure do know which ships to steal!" Cid made a rude gesture at him, then reached under the panel, pulling out a bucket and handing it to Yuffie. "What...?" She asked curiously. "I'm goin' back to Rocket Town, so I can tell Shera what's up." Cid said, starting to flip switches and push buttons on the control panel. "And I plan on gettin' there as soon as possible, so if you puke, puke in that." Yuffie turned a little green just thinking about it and ran off to the back. "I have to hand it to you Cid, you sure do know how to shut her up." Tifa commented with a smile. "Cid? Are there even enough rooms in yer house for all a' us?" Barret asked. "...Naw, but you guys can stay the night at the $#!& inn or somethin'." "You're so hospitable." Red said quietly, his tail swishing in annoyance.
"Hey! Would ya rather try to all fit into the one #$& spare bedroom in the house? I thought not." Cid snapped back. "Oh, by the way, hang on to something." With that the Highwind shot into the air, sending everyone, for the second time, flying across the room. Cid snorted with laughter. "Dammit Cid! Quit doing that!" Tifa exclaimed, pulling herself out from under Red. "Tch! You wrinkled my suit." Reno said disapprovingly, standing up and straightening out his suit before helping Elena to her feet. Vincent had, somehow, maintained his balance and stood in the center of the room, the smallest of smiles flickering across his face as he watched his friends struggle to their feet.
"Alright, we're there!" Cid said after a moment, and everyone immediately clutched to something nearby. Surprisingly, the airship landed so smoothly they wouldn't have noticed, if they couldn't see out of the huge observation window in the front. "...This highly amuses you, doesn't it?" Cloud asked Cid scathingly. Cid just smiled.
"WHAT!" Shera screeched, making Cid take an involuntary step back. "I-it's not a bad as you think!" Cid explained hurriedly. "We're just going to save the world again, I mean, we did okay last time...don't worry. We'll be fine." "YOU COME IN HERE, TELL ME THAT YOUR GOING ON AN ADVENTURE TO KILL AN EVIL ALIEN CREATURE, AND YOUR TELLING ME NOT TO WORRY! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU! YOU COULD BE KILLED!" Shera exclaimed loudly enough that the who neighborhood could probably hear. Cid smiled weakly and pulled a pink materia out of his pocket, flashing it in front of her. "Well...I've got my luck plus materia. Heh." Shera just stared at him, speechless. "Don't worry! I'll be fine! No alien monster is gonna kill me. Besides," He said, taking a drag off of his cigarette. "I have everyone else with me, and it'll be pretty damn hard for anything to takle all of us." "Don't smoke in the house." Shera snapped, snatching the cigarette out of his hand and stomping off.
"She took it better then I thought she would." Cloud said. He and everyone else had been hovering by the door, waiting for Cid to finish. "You know what Cloud? You can go shove it up your ass. I'm gonna go off and see if I can fix this..." With that Cid walked down the hall and knocked on the bedroom door lightly. "Shera?" He asked sheepishly. "YOU INSENSITIVE BASTARD! I'M CHANGING THE LOCKS WHILE YOUR GONE!" Shera roared back. "But it's my house!" Cid exclaimed. "YOU'D BETTER HOPE THAT THING KILLS YOU, BECAUSE IF YOU COME BACK HERE WHAT I'LL DO TO YOU WILL PALE IN COMPARISON!" Cid grimaced and walked back into the living room.
"Well...uh...I think it'd be best to just leave her alone for a while." Cid said quietly, and sat down on the couch. "It looks like I'll be spending the night at the inn too. Or the bar. Whichever." "Cid, are you feeling alright? You haven't been saying $# after every other word." Tifa asked in mock concern. Cid shot her a glare. "Shera...doesn't like me to curse in the house. Or smoke in the house. Or drink in the house. Or play poker in the house." Barret snorted. "What's so funny?" Cid snapped. "Oh, nuthin'. It's jus that she used ta be the subservient one around here." Cid flipped him off and stood up. "Well, I'm gonna go off to the bar. Hopefully it'll give Shera enough time to calm down enough for me to talk to her without getting the living crap beat out of me." "Great! Count me in!" Reno said, bouncing up off of the couch at once, and Rude soon followed suit.
"So let me get this straight..." Tifa began. "...You're going to go to the bar, then come back here drunk and expect her to be calm?" Cid ignored her and went out the door, Reno and Rude trailing behind.
Cid stumbled into the inn around 1:00. Reno and Rude had already returned before him, so that he could talk to Shera privately. "So, how'd it go?" Tifa asked smugly, already knowing the answer. "...I'm gonna have ta buy a new $#& door." Cid grumbled. "Huh? Why?" Tifa inquired. "...I dunno, she chucked somethin' big at the bedroom door when I tried to talk to her, the wood's all cracked, and the door nearly flew offa it's hinges." "Ouch." Reno commented from the couch, where he was still, amazingly (considering the amount of alcohol he had ingested) awake.
"So when are we leaving in the morning?" Elena asked. "Around 6:00." Vincent replied, standing off in a corner. "We'll be headed toward the Icicle Inn and the Northern Crater first, seeing as that's the last place she was seen alive before this. Perhaps we can find out how she survived, or some clues as to where she is." "Yeesh, that early?" Yuffie whined. "We'd better get some rest." Cloud said, getting up and stretching, then wandering down the hall to his room. Everyone else exchanged good-nights and started off to their respective rooms.
Cloud closed the door behind him with a sigh, glad to be away from everybody else. His eyes scanned the dark room, making out the dark outline of the bed along the wall, a dresser on another, and some pictures hanging in between. It wasn't much, but it was better then trying to stay at Cid's place.
Pathetic. Did they really think that I'd go back to the Crater so soon? Or that they'd find out where I went? The idiocy of humans never ceases to amaze me. It's like you're begging for extinction.
Cloud clenched his eyes shut and shook his head, as if it would make her go away. You got what you wanted. You're free. You don't need me anymore. He thought.
Quite the contrary. I still have plans for you, my pet.
You really think I'm going to do what you say? Cloud thought, trying to ignore her and sitting down on the edge of his bed.
No. At least if you had any say in it...which you don't. You just haven't gotten it through your head yet. That's alright, there'll be plenty of time for you to learn.
Tough talk for someone who uses someone else to do all their work. Cloud thought back scathingly. If you are really as powerful as you act, then why not go out and do it yourself?
Because...it's not nearly as fun as watching you struggle, like a mouse that the cat has by the tail. And with that she was gone. Cloud shuddered involuntarily and climbed under the covers, trying to fall asleep.
Cloud stood on the platform, the sword raised above his head. His arms shook slightly as he looked down at the girl before him, her head bent down in prayer, not noticing his presence. He starting to swing the sword down--
"Cloud!" Tifa exclaimed. "What the hell are ya doin'?" Barret roared.
Cloud stopped the sword just before it hit and shook his head, taking a step back. "Ugh...what are you making me do?" He asked nobody in particular. Aeris looked up for the first time and, seeing Cloud, smiled happily. Suddenly something leaped from the ceiling, barreling down towards her. Cloud tried to move, to speak, but he couldn't. Aeris was still smiling when the sword pierced through her midsection. Her eyes widened in shock, and Sephiroth smoothly pulled the sword out of her back, letting her fall forward. Cloud caught her before she hit the ground, holding her close as she drew her final breath, then slackened in his grip. "Aeris!" He cried, shaking her. "This can't be real!"
"Do not worry. Soon this girl will become part of this planet's energy." Sephiroth said, slipping his kantana back into it's sheath. "All that is left if to go North. The 'Promised Land' waits for me over the snowy fields." He raised his arms up into the air and leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling. "There I will become a new being by uniting with the planet. As will this girl..."
"Shut up." Cloud hissed, looking down at Aeris's still face, a small smile still fixed on it. He looked back at Sephiroth, emitting pure hatred. "The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don't mean a thing. Aeris is gone. Aeris will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry...or get angry..." He pulled her closer to him, holding back tears. "What about us...what are WE supposed to do! What about my pain!" He shook, whether with rage or sadness, he didn't know. "My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!"
Sephiroth slowly lowered his arms and looked at Cloud curiously. "What are you saying? That you have feelings too?" Cloud laid Aeris gently on the ground and jumped to his feet. "Of course! Who do you think I am!" Sephiroth stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Ha! Stop acting as if you were sad. There's no need to act as if you're angry either." Sephiroth started to float about seven feet off the ground, still looking highly amused. "Because, Cloud. You are..." He shot up into the air, leaving Cloud staring up after him, confused.
Because, you are...a puppet.
Cloud's eyes shot open, and darted around the room before confirming that he was in a room at the Rocket Town inn. He ran a hand through his hair and sat up.
Get up. It's time you started putting my plans in motion.
Cloud swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up as instructed, an odd ringing in his ears. He grabbed the Ultima Weapon, which was leaned against the wall, and strapped it onto his back. He opened the door a crack and poked his head out, looking around. No one was there. He stepped out of the hall and started off--
"A little late to be taking a walk."
Cloud turned around to see two crimson eyes staring at him intently through the darkness. "It never is Vincent." He replied. "In fact, it's the best time. Don't you think?" Vincent's eyes narrowed and he took a step closer to Cloud, making more of him visible. "...With your sword?" Cloud glanced over his shoulder at the large sword strapped on his back, and shrugged. "...Don't toy with me Cloud. I'm not stupid. Just get back in your room." Vincent said, taking a step to the side and clearing the path to his door. Cloud didn't budge. "It's obvious that Jenova has been trying harder to manipulate you then in the past, since you are now the last living person carrying her cells. You can't run off alone in the middle of the night." "Not true." Cloud stated coolly. "Nanaki also has Jenova cells, although a very small and less concentrated amount, since Professor Hojo wasn't sure how they'd react to him and he didn't want one of his prized specimens to die. But that's beside the point." Cloud turned around and continued on towards the door.
"Cloud..." Vincent began, but he stopped when he noticed Cloud shift slightly, and saw that he had a materia in his hand. It started to glow slightly before Vincent dove to the side, a dozen spears of ice narrowly missing him. By the time he looked up, Cloud was already gone. Vincent jumped to his feet and burst out the door, looking around, but it was no use.
Cloud was nowhere in sight.
"He WHAT!" Tifa exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. "We've gotta go after him! We have to find him before--" "Calm down Tifa." Vincent said soothingly. "I'm sure we'll find him in time. But first we have to figure out where exactly he was heading. "...So that's how that thing got out." Reno said slowly, shaking his head. "Damn. That's just...damn." "We should ask around town first." Elena said. "I'll help do that." "I've gotta go tell Shera what's up...again. I think she'll be slightly less pissed off at me if she knows that I'm going to help a friend." Cid said, lighting a cigarette. "And of course you all know that I'm going to be providing the services of the Highwind to help find him."
"Jus' wait till I find him." Barret growled. "I'll knock some sense in ta his white spikey-headed ass." "And I'll steal his materia! You know...so that he's no longer...a threat to himself. Yeah." Yuffie said, smiling innocently.
"...So, how'd it go?" Tifa asked, leaning against the wall of Cid's house after thirty minutes of questioning people (hey, it's a small town). "Meh. A little better. At least now she's not threatening to change the locks while I'm gone." Cid grumbled, stepping outside. "What about you? Find out anything?" Tifa sighed and shook her head. "Not a thing. The others may have had more luck then me, though. We just have to wait for them." "No need." Red said quietly, padding up. "I couldn't find his trail. He must have been trying really hard to cover his tracks." Soon everyone returned with the same abysmal report, until Yuffie finally hopped back, looking pleased with herself.
"Hehe! I asked around the bar, and some guy getting home late last night saw a medium sized guy with spikey blond hair and a huge sword heading South in a hurry." "South?" Vincent asked sharply. "Then he's going to loop around the North Corel mountains and go to Costa Del Sol, from there he can catch a ship and head back to Junon, then use the Submarine to get to the Northern Continent..." "Shit!" Cid exclaimed. "C'mon then, we've gotta get to the Highwind and try to catch up with him before he gets too far." In the blink of an eye, everyone was dashing off to the Highwind, parked dutifully in the field just outside of Rocket Town, so as to avoid charring people to a crisp with the rockets.
Cid flipped switches and pressed buttons, cursing the whole time. "We can't turn the $#&# rockets on, because we could pass right over him and never know it. Goin' on foot, he couldn't have gotten far, probably only made it to the Nibelheim area by now...it shouldn't take too long to find him."
Cloud slowed to a stop. He thought he had heard rustling in the grass near him. He reached behind him to grab his sword, but he was too slow. Out of nowhere two light tan wolves suddenly burst out of the tall grass in front of him, hair bristled. Two others quickly appeared behind him, cutting off his exit. He waited a moment, and when they didn't move he drew his sword and swung on the nearest wolf, who quickly dodged out of the way and, seeing and opening, darted forward and ripped into Cloud's right arm. Cloud dropped the sword and flinched in pain, then punched the wolf as hard as he could with his left hand, making it let go of him for a moment.
Suddenly he heard gunfire, and one of the wolves in front of him went flying, it's body riddled with bullets. The other wolf, before it had time to react, had it's throat sliced open by a...metal paper crane? Cloud looked off to the side, and saw his friends running over, quickly beating off the wolves. He forgot how quietly the airship could run when Cid wanted it to. "Oh my god, Cloud!" A familiar voice called, and Tifa grabbed his injured arm, which looked like something had just taken a massive bite out of it. Which something had.
Cloud turned his head to her confusedly as she pulled out a restore materia.
There! She isn't expecting it! Kill her!
Cloud shook his head and grabbed it with his free arm. But...
Do it! Kill her!
"There...I think I fixed it. That's what you get for running around out here alone." Tifa said, putting away her restore materia and smiling. "Come on, let's get out of here." She tugged on Cloud's arm. He didn't budge. She turned around and looked at him, seeing that he had his eyes closed and was looking down, shaking slightly. "...Cloud?" Tifa asked, taking a step towards him, not sure how to react. He opened his eyes and looked up at her with cold indifference. Nobody else noticed, since they were busy dispatching the last of the wolves, who were faster and smarter then the first two. Cloud bent down and picked up his sword, the hilt still wet with his blood.
Tifa quickly jumped back. "Ah! Cloud! Don't!" Her back hit a tree, which she had unfortunately backed into. Cloud swung the sword--
"Cloud, stop!" Someone exclaimed, grabbing his arm. He looked over and saw, to his surprise, Yuffie, who also looked surprised at her own daring. He looked between Yuffie and Tifa, then took a quick step back. Tifa let out a sigh of relief and relaxed.
Pathetic... Jenova hissed, but left for the time being.
Cloud put his face in his hands, shaking. "I nearly did it again..." He choked out. "I could have killed you. All of you. And not have known it. And it's not going to stop...it'll never stop..." "Cloud..." Tifa began, but he didn't seem to hear her. "It'll never stop...until one of us is dead..." Suddenly, before Tifa could stop him, Cloud tightened his grip on his sword and turned it around, stabbing it through his gut. His knees buckled and he heard someone screaming his name before losing consciousness.