Cloud felt as if he would never move again. His whole body felt heavy and he couldn't move without feeling some sort of resistance in his body. His Mako eyes opened slightly, taking in the bright sunlight. He shut them at once, groaning. He rolled his head to the right and opened them, the sun not shining directly in his eyes this time. He could just make out the hazy figures of Aeris and Zack. Aeris seemed to be coming closer to Cloud, but everything was so blurred, he couldn't really tell until she was standing right next to him. "Are you alright, Cloud?" Aeris asked, her figure blocking out the sun.
Cloud blinked, shaking his head slightly, trying to get his vision to clear, but that only sent pain through his head. "Ugh…how long have I been out?" he asked Aeris, flexing his fingers, trying to regain feeling in them. He felt pain seize his arms from the rush of blood flowing in his veins, but he ignored it and waited for an answer from Aeris.
"Um…only a few hours." Aeris responded after a moments pause. Cloud, after the pain had vanished from his arms, sat up, blinking. Slowly, his vision was becoming cleared and sharper. He noticed that he was laying on a blanket in the middle of the forest. He yawned shutting his eyes before opening them again and looking at Zack. Zack was not looking at him, instead he was looking at the ground, fiddling with a leaf.
As Cloud sat there, his mind became clearer and suddenly, he realized that he was missing something. The weight of his buster sword was gone. "Zack, where's my buster sword?" Cloud asked his friend. Zack didn't look up. "Zack?" When Zack only kept looking at the ground, not responding, Cloud turned to look at Aeris, flinching, his Mako eyes flashing from the pain and questioned her. "Why isn't Zack answering me?"
Aeris frowned and turned away from Cloud and went to sit down beside Zack. Cloud blinked, okay now Aeris wasn't going to talk to him…fine, two could play at that game! Or not…Cloud felt something attack his very being, pain flaring through him, but Cloud reached inside his pocket and dug out the aspirin bottle. He twisted it open and swallowed three pills at once.
"Damn this headache! It won't leave me alone for a second will it?" Cloud raged inside his mind. He laid back down on the blanket, raising his hands above his head and resting his head against them. What Cloud really, really hadn't expected was a reply.
"No,"Cloud sat up, his eyes wide. He looked around, wondering if anyone had said anything. Zack and Aeris seemed to be quiet, but then Cloud heard faint whispers. He ignored them, figuring they couldn't have spoken. When he saw no one else around, he sighed, maybe he was just hearing things…
"Oh, no, you are far beyond hearing things, Strife. Heh, you're such a fool for going with your friends. It would have done you better to just have stayed at the Garden-or better yet, back at home where you belong. Now, here I wait for you, heh-heh. I can't wait to see you again, Cloud."
Cloud blinked, the harsh voice echoing through his mind. His blood ran cold as he realized who was speaking to him through his mind. He had no idea that Sephiroth could do that, but anything was possible-especially if you were dead. "Shut the hell up…" Cloud muttered aloud, glaring at the ground.
Zack, who had heard Cloud, looked up from where he was sitting. He stood and walked over to Cloud. Cloud paid no heed as he continued to solely concentrate on Sephiroth's voice.
"I wonder what it feels like to hurt a friend…I wouldn't know, I have no friends Strife, well if you exclude you from that 'none'. You're a great friend for someone who willing gives themselves to my control! Ha ha!"
"You're rambling on pointlessly…" Cloud muttered, not realizing Zack was standing there.
"And you are talking to yourself," Zack commented. Cloud looked up, his eyes looking at Zack's face. Zack looked rather angry or upset about something. Cloud hadn't thought anyone was listening to him, otherwise, he would have kept quiet. "I see you're talking, why wouldn't you talk earlier? Where's my buster sword?"
Zack's Mako blue eyes only hardened. "You mean you don't know?" Cloud shook his head, lost. "It's in my possession now and you're not getting it back until I say so."
"Why?" Cloud asked, feeling very confused. In the back of his mind, he heard fading laughter before pain flashed through his mind and then subsiding. He had shut his eyes when the pain had come, and now when he opened them again, he was shocked to see Zack standing beside Aeris. They were packing camp, keeping a close eye on him. Why were they acting so strange?
&&&
Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin stood in front of Rufus ShinRa, looking at him with emotionless eyes. Rufus, however, was staring at them all, his blue eyes burning into them as he spoke, "So you understand that I want you to kill a spiky haired-blonde man with the name Cloud Strife, along with anyone who might be traveling with him?"
All three nodded. It was Seifer who spoke up after Rufus had finished, "And how much are we getting paid again?"
"More than you've been paid in your life-more money than you've ever owned, I should say." Rufus corrected himself. He had just so happened to have stumbled upon these three when he was looking for General Caraway's place, and decided to make allies with them instead. "Do you understand your instructions?" Rufus asked, eyeing every single one of them.
"Affirmative," Fujin nodded.
"Yes, sir," Raijin responded.
Seifer only nodded. These instructions were simple enough. Find Cloud Strife, kill his companions, and then report any sightings of three silver-haired teenagers within a fifty mile radius of Galbadia. Easy enough.
&&&
Sephiroth reached Balamb within a matter of a few minutes. He rushed towards the train, smile on his face. He looked at the time the train was leaving. At two o'clock. It was one thirty now. He grinned, approaching the train, but he was stopped by a man who had a stern look on his face. "I'm sorry sir, but you cannot board the train until it is ready to leave."
Sephiroth smirked, cracking his knuckles. His eyes flashed a dangerous hue before he punched the man in the gut, making him crumple before Sephiroth's feet. Sephiroth did so much as glance at the man as he walked past him. Kadaj and Yazoo glanced down at the man without care and followed Sephiroth without a word. They headed towards the very back of the train. Only when they had reached it, did Sephiroth speak.
"Strife and his friends are coming aboard this very same train. A while ago, I told you we were going to kill him, well it's a change of plans. I want you to stay back here and do not leave this compartment." Sephiroth growled, looking at Kadaj and Yazoo.
They nodded, fear showing in their eyes at Sephiroth's tone. Sephiroth nodded and then sat down, looking out the window, waiting for Cloud to arrive. He was going to have one hell of a time! Ha, ha!
&&&
Seifer went to the entrance of Galbadia and exited it, carrying his Gunblade. He didn't speak to Fujin or Raijin as he made his way across the open plains, keeping alert for any monsters that might decide to show their ugly faces in front of him. His eyes flashed as he remembered his rival. Hopefully-if he were lucky enough, Squall would be with Cloud. That would make his day! Killing his biggest foe, how nice that would be!
&&&
Zack sighed heavily, they would need to be off if they were going to get to the train on time. He felt rather angry, like he had for the past few hours, and all of his anger was directed at Cloud. How could Cloud say he didn't know why Zack would not give him the buster sword back? He knew what he had done! He fumed as he sat there next to Aeris, his back to Cloud.
Cloud had tried to hurt Aeris with that damn sword of his! His lips twisted into a snarl as he remembered the color of Cloud's eyes. They had been green and boiling with rage. Zack hadn't even thought of taking it into consideration that Sephiroth could manipulate Cloud; he had never known Sephiroth to do that.
Zack stood up and grabbed his stuff. It was nearly two, they had to get going. "Come on Aeris, let's go," he said quietly as he began walking towards Balamb, following the dirt trail. Aeris came up beside him and touched him lightly on the shoulder.
"Zack, I know you're mad at Cloud, but please forgive him. He didn't mean to." Aeris told him gently. Zack felt anger coil up within him, but when he spoke, his words were soft and masked the hidden rage within, "But how do you know that?"
Aeris blinked, looking at Zack closely before replying, "I don't. Just look at the way he keeps looking at us, Zack. If you haven't noticed, he's been very confused about thing right now. He keeps asking me why you're mad, but I haven't told him. I can't tell him-he'd leave."
"Why would be do that?" Zack asked, looking at Aeris, his eyes narrowing.
Aeris smiled weakly before looking back at Cloud. She hadn't told Zack about Cloud being manipulated by Sephiroth. Now, she guessed, was the time he knew. It might help things. "Well…before Cloud defeated Sephiroth for the second time, just after I was killed-Sephiroth took control of Cloud's mind and body. Cloud couldn't act for himself. Sephiroth had told Cloud to bring him the Black Materia, and Cloud had at the expense of everyone. Well AVALANCHE went to the Northern Crater and found Cloud. He had given Sephiroth the Black Materia and that was when Sephiroth had used it to summon Meteor. Cloud, though, regained control over himself, which was the good thing-I don't think Tifa or anyone else would want to fight a friend."
Zack nodded slowly, not sure what to think. Why hadn't Aeris told him sooner? He looked back at Cloud, who was looking ahead, a frown on his face. Cloud did not seem to see Zack as he looked at his friend. Zack sighed and turned all the way around and quickened his pace, seeing the small ghost-town up ahead.