Chapter Twenty-One

When Cloud finally woke up, the first thing he noticed, was that he was covered in blood. He blinked, realizing there was no wound. How had he gotten hurt? He looked around and the first thing he noticed was the bloody sword lying only a few feet away from his hand. Cloud looked up from it, wondering whose blood was on the sword. His question was answered as his Mako green eyes followed a bloody trail up to where Zack was sitting, looking out the window. He noticed that Zack's clothes were torn and he could see the bandages. "Cloud?" came a voice from beside him.

Cloud turned to look at who had spoken and saw Tifa. "Tifa? Did I-?" he couldn't finish the sentence as he pointed towards Kadaj's bloody sword while glancing over at Zack.

When Tifa answered, it was just as Cloud feared, "Yes Cloud, you did that, but it isn't your fault, you didn't have any control over your actions."

Cloud shook his head angrily. There was one thing wrong with what Tifa had said. It had been his fault! He was the one Sephiroth had used, he was the one who jumped on the train and followed his friends. "It is my fault, Tifa!" he argued, his voice full of sorrowful disbelief.

When he said that, everyone looked over at Cloud. Cloud looked down at the steel floor but he was forced to look up again as he saw Zack's and his blood on the ground. When he did look up, Cloud met the eyes of Aeris. She was staring at him intently. "Can you…forgive me?" Cloud asked.

"No," Aeris replied quietly, "you don't need to be forgiven by any of us."

"But both of you…I let you die."

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Zack looked at Cloud, narrowing his eyes; Cloud his best friend…was responsible for his death? Sure, he remembered being shot at…but Cloud could have prevented it? Suddenly, he noticed Aeris was looking at him, speaking, "Zack, Cloud doesn't need to be forgiven, does he?"

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Cloud sighed, yes he did need to be forgiven! He looked over at his friends and then his eyes found the Souba and the drying blood on it. He closed his eyes, sighing, "I'm sorry,"

"Give back my sword Strife Brother!" Kadaj wailed from another section of the train. Cloud opened his eyes and turned to stare at the metal wall as a loud 'THUNCK" was heard from where Kadaj was banging his head against the wall.

"Shut up Kadaj! Otherwise they'll never untie us!" Yazoo's emotionless voice drifted into Cloud's ears.

"Why are they tied up?…" Cloud asked, picking himself up off the floor.

"Because Yazoo was threatening Rinoa and Kadaj is a danger to himself and everyone around him." Tifa explained, still sitting against the wall.

Cloud shook his head, closing his eyes, pitying the two brothers on the other side of the train. He opened his eyes and bent down, very aware that everyone was looking at him with shock as he picked up the Souba and went over to the door leading to Kadaj and Yazoo. He opened it, not looking at anyone, and walked over to Kadaj and Yazoo. "Brothers, I see you are in a little knot."

"Shut up Strife!" Kadaj snapped, but then his eyes found his bloody blade. "My sword! You brought me my sword!"

Cloud bent down over Kadaj and cut the ropes biding him and then did the same thing to Yazoo. They stood up and Kadaj turned to look at Kadaj. The silver-haired teen leapt for the Souba. Cloud moved it out of Kadaj's reach, sensing everyone's gaze on him from the doorway as he gave Kadaj and hard stare. Then he held ou the Souba and Kadaj reached for it immediately. "Cloud! Don't give it to him!" Tifa suddenly yelped as Cloud released the sword and Kadaj took it and sheathed it.

He walked past Kadaj and Yazoo and everyone else. The two brothers were following behind him, looking nervously at their Big Brother's friends. Cloud went over to a seat and sat down. "Cloud why did you-?" Aeris started but she never finished as Kadaj went up to her and demanded his summon materia back.

"Sit down, Kadaj!" Cloud suddenly snapped. To everyone's surprise, Kadaj obeyed silently.

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Zack couldn't believe that Cloud had actually given Kadaj his sword back-and he had untied them! Why? Was Cloud still being manipulated? Zack looked over at Cloud, but Cloud was looking down at the floor, staring at the blood on his hands.

"Cloud?" Zack called from where he was standing. Cloud looked up at Zack for a split of a second, but then looked down again. He sighed and walked over to Cloud, keeping a close eye on Kadaj and Yazoo. "Cloud, it wasn't you're fault, besides, I'm perfectly fine."

"Really?" Cloud asked, his voice dull as he looked up at Zack.

Poor Zack though, as Cloud looked up, pain flashed through his head. He shut his eyes tight from the pain, everything seeming to freeze around him a he dropped to his knees. Everything flashed green as his surroundings vanished and were replaced by a garden of flowers and the broken pillars and pews of Aeris's church. Zack blinked, finding himself standing beside Cloud and Tifa, who were both out cold. Dark green liquid covered Cloud's left arm and had burned small holes into the ground around him. Then, everything changed and everything turned white. It was bright, blinding white light and Zack found himself standing over Cloud, who had his eyes closed, drifting in the forever brightness of where ever he was. That was when Zack noticed something. He saw paws where his feet should have been. He had paws? And fur! And those paws were shaped like a wolf's…Zack was a wolf?

Zack's eyes snapped open . He found himself looking at the floor, shock spreading through his body. He stood up, stumbling towards a seat. He sat down, feeling Cloud's regretful gaze on him. Zack tried to block Cloud out for a moment as he thought about what he had just seen. He knew it had all been real, but it was hard to believe. What had been wrong with Cloud in the image of Aeris's church? 'Geostigma,' the word had just popped into his head. What was Geostigma? Zack turned to look at Cloud, Kadaj, and Yazoo. Then he looked at Tifa.

"What is Geostigma?" he asked. At once all eyes were on him when he had uttered 'Geostigma'.

Tifa would have answered if Kadaj hadn't jumped up, yelling, "My invitation to the Reunion! I shall take back Mother and together we'll take over the Planet!"

"One problem with that Kadaj, this isn't Gaia, the Planet." Aeris pointed out, watching as Kadaj's face suddenly grew rather upset.

"Shut the hell up and sit down Kadaj!" Cloud snapped, hitting Kadaj in the back of the head really hard.

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He was free! Chaos glared at the monster in front of him. He flexed his claws, a nasty grin on his face as he rushed forward and slashed it down, ripping its heart out. The monster shrieked in pain as it died. Chaos felt the urge to spill more blood rise within him as he watched the monster twitch until life had left it completely. He wanted to kill…and not just monsters. He wanted to shed the blood of a human-to hear them scream as he killed them. Chaos turned from the forest, his lips curling in a snarl. He could heard train in the distance. Trains always had people on them.

Chaos came very close to the train and then he leapt at it, his claws ripping through the metal. Loud groans came from the metal as he ripped and slashed at it, tearing it away. He could hear a loud scream coming from within the train as he jumped in, his red eyes dripping with a crimson blood-like hue. Chaos set his eyes on a young girl cowering behind an older man who had a gun out.

Quite suddenly, the smell of the wounded filled his nostrils. Chaos growled, turning to the wounded human, his eyes flashing as he saw the blood covering the man's clothes. He was standing, reaching for a large sword. "Chaos?" a loud and familiar voice filled the room. Chaos's curled his lips into a snarl as he realized who was talking. It was Cait Sith, that really annoying toy cat. Chaos ignored the talking toy as he moved forward.

Suddenly he heard a loud, girly scream coming from the other side of the train. Chaos's eyes snapped over to where the scream had come from. "Cloud! Brother! Hide me!" That was Kadaj.

Chaos noticed Cloud sitting there, looking at him with anger. He seemed very tense. Chaos turned his head away from Cloud, shaking it roughly and then his eyes caught sight of Red XIII, Tifa, and Barret. He knew these people…and damn that Vincent! Chaos could feel Vincent taking back control. Chaos curled his lips, snarling in a deep voice, "I'll get you next time,"

All at once, Vincent was standing there, hunched over, but he stood up at once, feeling slightly dizzy as he looked around. His eyes found Zack, who was glaring at him, "What?" he asked coolly, his crimson eyes flashing. Then Vincent turned to look at what Chaos had done to the train. He sighed, shaking his head. Then Vincent noticed that there was blood on his hand whipped it away, turning back to Zack and waited for a reply.

"What was that?" Zack finally asked, sitting down.

Though Vincent had waited for a reply, he did not answer Zack as he turned to everyone, changing the subject completely, "Have you found a way out of here yet? And what happened to Zack and Cloud?"

"No, and it's a long story." Tifa responded.

"Then let's hear it." Vincent responded, looking over at Cloud who was covered in blood. He noticed that some was flecked on his face as if it had splattered everywhere.

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Cloud was silent the whole time that Tifa was talking. After she had finished, Vincent gave Cloud a very rare look. It was a look of understanding and pity. Cloud didn't want to be pitied, and just that look from Vincent made him stand up. He had lost all rights to be the leader of AVALANCHE, he knew, and now, he found himself wanting to leave.

"Brother? Where are you going?" Kadaj asked as the train finally slowed to a halt. Cloud didn't respond as he jumped out of the hole that Chaos had made.

"Cloud!' Tifa called, about to go after him as Kadaj and Yazoo jumped off too. Tifa was held back by Vincent, who had placed his human hand on her shoulder.

"Let him go," Vincent spoke, watching Cloud vanish over the hills.