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Chapter 7 - Actions Speak Louder Than Words
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Cloud rolled over and opened his eyes; it was weird having another sleeping in the same house. Cloud wondered how Zak was doing and so got to his feet and crossed to the door. He pulled it open slightly and looked at the back of the couch. Nothing moved and so Cloud pulled the door fully open. The first thing Cloud noticed was the figure stood by the wardrobe. Cloud grabbed his Ultima Sword and held it out at arms length.
"Who are you?" he shouted. Zak turned around, his eyes blazing a beautiful green
"I'm Zak" he said innocently holding up his hands
"You are not" said Cloud. The person looked like Zak but his eyes were green and Sephiroth's coat fitted him lengthways but Zak had shorter shoulders than Sephiroth had.
"Good point" said Zak. Clouds sword was struck causing it to explode, Zak then threw his sabre which went through Cloud's shoulder and into the wall pinning him there. Cloud gasped, it had been years since he had felt real pain. Zak picked up the Masamune from the wardrobe before destroying the glass that kept the materia out of reach. He leant down and picked them up pocketing them.
"I thought no human could touch them" said Zak crossing the room to Cloud "Am I less human then?" he asked before slamming Clouds head against the wall. As Cloud passed out he heard Zak say in Sephiroth's distinct cold voice
"I guess you were never able to protect me, just like you failed to protect her" said Zak before leaving the house.
When Cloud awoke the sun was up and he was still nailed to the wall. Roaring he ripped the sword out and stormed out of his house to sector 5 and Tifa's bar.
"Cloud!" she shrieked in happiness as he walked in but she did not hug him as she noticed the badly bandaged wound, Cloud had merely cello taped a cloth over the wound
"What happened?" she asked
"Zak" said Cloud "He's possessed by Sephiroth!" Tifa raised an eyebrow
"Are you sure?" she asked "You look like you haven't slept in ages"
"Look!" shouted Cloud showing her the wound then the sabre "It's definitely Sephiroth"
"What do you mean he possessed him?" asked Tifa
"One second it was Zak, next second I was impaled against the wall" said Cloud "The power I sensed in Zak must have come from Sephiroth"
"I thought you collected all of Sephiroth's items?" said Tifa
"I must have missed one" said Cloud thinking back, but he never remembered seeing anything that Zak was wearing on Sephiroth.
Zak sat upon a large boulder near Kalm; he crossed his legs and thought back wondering what he had done in Midgar.
What are you doing? Asked a voice in Zak's mind making him jump
"Who's that?" asked Zak
Can't you guess? It said
"Yes" said Zak looking at the ring "Sephiroth, right?"
Exactly thought Sephiroth Now then, I want you to do this for me
Authors note: I'm not putting what Sephiroth says in "" because he is, technically, not saying anything, it's not a mistake it's what I believe is correct
"What?" asked Zak
Take my materia from your pocket and crush it into powder. Zak raised his eyebrows looking at the yellow materia, it was rock solid
It might be rock solid but you can crush it with my help. Zak nodded and crushed the materia into powder which lay glittering in his palms.
"Now what?" asked Zak
Inhale it said Sephiroth.
"Is this safe?" asked Zak, he had remembered that people exposed to mako can undergo devastating effects and materia was mako.
Half right thought Sephiroth It comes from a materia spring, from the spring it is detoxed of its mako properties making it harmless, unless you equip it
"Can't I just equip it?" asked Zak
No, someone could take it from you, now inhale
Zak obeyed putting the dust by his mouth and in one large intake of breath the powder vanished. Zak gasped and coughed as his head rush kicked in. He laughed leaning back but managed to keep his balance.
"That's amazing" he said smiling
Now do the others commanded Sephiroth. Zak did the other two but paused on the black materia powder.
Be careful, this is beyond any type of power anyone has ever had said Sephiroth Do not take it all at once
Zak ignored Sephiroth and took the black powder in one go. He screamed in agony as the pain rippled through his body and he fell off the boulder writhing upon the ground. Two minutes later he crawled to his feet, pure energy glittering around him. There was an explosion which turned the boulder to dust. The explosion continued outwards turning to flames which gutted Kalm inside out.
I told you to take it in moderation said Sephiroth
"Oh shut up you backseat driver" said Zak. Power rippled around him
Listen to me commanded Sephiroth. Zak weighed his options, if Sephiroth was as powerful as he was supposed to be then he could probably kill Zak even without a body.
Very true said Sephiroth if you follow my plans then you will be my second in command once I get my body back
"When I'm second in command" started Zak
I will let you keep your new powers as I will have my own said Sephiroth.
"Where to?" asked Zak
Nibelheim said Sephiroth. An explosion beneath Zak's feet sent him shooting through the air followed by a hurricane of air currents. The air currents swept up the flames which came roaring after Zak but they could not hurt him, he was more powerful than any human alive.