Chapter 5
Note before reading: Hello all, I have to say two things. 1. I have seen Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. It is the best movie I have ever seen in my life. Not once did it disappoint. 2. The viewing of this incredible masterpiece is not going to affect the ending of this fanfic, so no major spoilers. Basically, what you've seen in the trailers is what you're gonna get of the advent children plot in this fanfic. The ending is going to be my own idea, so anyone scared of knowing the real ending can still read.
Now that that's out of the way, here's the chapter.
The wind screamed around him, blocking out all other sound as Cloud weaved through the trees on Fenrir in the Ancient Forest. The trees still gave out that mystical, unearthly aura he'd wondered about since he'd first set foot in this place, but he wasn't contemplating the finer workings of the area at the moment. Cloud had one intent; get the kids, and get out. He wasn't going to stay any longer than he needed to. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck near the lake, that lake.
His mind didn't want to think about it, but his heart forced him to. Letting her fall downward into that water was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. He could remember being out there, his feet mechanically pushing him forward. One of his hands had been supporting her knees; the other he distinctly remembered was wrapped around her shoulder, holding her into him. Her head had gently rolled into his chest, and for a fleeting moment she looked like she was sleeping, only to be reminded with a painful pang what had just happened. He remembered standing there for almost an eternity, taking in every last detail of her porcelain face, once so alive with energy and emotion but now a mask of seriousness and inhumanity. Cloud knew this… body, wasn't Aeris anymore; that which made Aeris was returning to the planet, or flying among the stars above him. But no matter how he tried to convince himself that this wasn't her, Cloud's grip could only tighten around her slender body, refusing to let go. He didn't see his knuckles whiten, or feel his heart hammering in his chest. All he could remember was closing his eyes when he finally let go.
He felt something catch in his hand. His eyes slowly opened and he looked down to see the pink ribbon entangled in his fingers. He looked past his hand into the rippling clear blue waters to see what would be his last sight of Aeris; her light honey hair spreading out around her like the light that used to surround her when she was alive.
His thoughts were interrupted with the explosion of a gun being fired. Cloud's eyes focused on three men obstructing his view. Three silver haired men. He couldn't believe it, even though this was what he'd been expecting. The man in the centre pulled out his sword and walked forward, the two on either side continued firing. A shower of bullets flew past Cloud, a few meeting the cold, unwavering steel of Fenrir. He kicked a button on the side of his bike, and two compartments opened out, containing three swords in each. He removed one and swerved his bike to the side to avoid the constant stream of bullets.
The man in the middle, which he identified from Reno's description as Kadaj, waved his hand in the air. Several children dropped down from the trees, two of which to Cloud's horror were Denzel and Marlene. They all had a soulless look in their eyes, except Marlene, who was tugging at Denzel's hand in desperation.
Suddenly, too late, he realised that none of the children had moved, and he was headed straight for them. They stood unwavering in their positions like a ragged, war-torn army. Panicked, Cloud put all his strength into pressing the brakes on Fenrir. The bike screeched loudly, the piercing clang of machinery grinding making him wince. Cloud flew from the seat, being tossed through the air like a beach-ball and soon hit the merciless ground with a force so shocking he almost fainted. Desperately he tried to recover, tried pulling himself into to his feet but to no avail. His body wasn't having any of it. He managed to force himself into a kneeling position, his palms firmly planted on the cold earth to keep his body from falling down again. He looked at his sword, lying dejected and just barely out of reach.
Cloud realised that the children had made a circle around him, leaving one small gap in which a young man was walking through. He couldn't have been more than sixteen, and he looked like a younger Sephiroth. Kadaj. His sword, a souba, was brandished loosely in his right arm, and Cloud noted with disgust that Kadaj was waving it around like a child's plaything. The sneer on Kadaj's face widened as he bent forward to look at the blonde warrior.
"I knew you'd come!" he exclaimed, the taunting tone in his voice unmistakeable.
"I'm just here for the kids," Cloud replied both quickly and firmly.
"You see," Kadaj said, raising his voice to address his audience. He slowly circled Cloud, throwing his hands to the sky as if he were all powerful. "This man here, he's actually our brother!"
Brother! Cloud thought madly. There's no way I'm-
Then it hit him, the revelation making his stomach drop.
Oh no…
Kadaj turned to face him again, his manic grin spreading across his face like a young child who had gotten his way. He brought his beautiful twin blade to Cloud's neck. Cloud glared at Kadaj, the most evil glare he could muster at a time like this. To think, his cause of death was to be cut down by a teenager, all because he crashed his motorcycle. How pathetic.
"But then, it's too bad he's a traitor."
"Cloud," pleaded a little tiny voice. Kadaj spun quickly around, surprised at the interruption to his execution. Cloud seized his chance and made a lunge for his sword. Kadaj, seeing the man's desperate manoeuvre, brought his sword forward in a punishing deathblow. Cloud was lucky to get his sword raised in time, blocking the sharp edge of the souba with his own blade. Nevertheless, his arms didn't get the time to tense and the blonde warrior felt an intense jarring sensation bolt through his body, which threw him back a few steps. The silver-haired man was on him in an instant, executing attack after attack, backing Cloud up against a tree.
Cloud noted how gifted Kadaj was with a sword. The only other person he had ever known with this talent was Sephiroth. In fact, their fighting style was scarily similar. In other ways however, it was nothing like it at all. The teen was too cocky for his own good, and Cloud saw major flaws in his swordsmanship. Parts of his body were left wide open, begging for an attack, which Cloud was only too happy to comply to. He ducked a haymaker swing from Kadaj, bringing his sword around in an attempt to pierce the teen's side. Kadaj saw it at the last second and jumped back, turning his impalement to a flesh wound in the arm.
Loz and Yazoo, who were hanging back until seeing their brother get hit, made for Cloud. Their attacks were perfectly executed, both men applying precise teamwork to overwhelm their opponent. However, it should have been a well-known fact by now that Cloud Strife was not a man that got overwhelmed so easily. Each attack was blocked with the same accuracy in which they were executed. The blonde's sword swung in a flash of silver, blocking both the blade and the bullets from the gunblade. Cloud leapt backwards, narrowly avoiding a side-kick from Yazoo and spun to block a punch from Loz, the latter making him grimace in pain at the strength of the man. He ran into an open clearing; the other two had decided that they could use the trees to their advantage, and he needed to see every attack as it came.
He stopped, breathing deeply. Adrenaline could only give so much, and he knew he couldn't keep this up. Looking left and right, he saw Yazoo and Loz running towards him, blades at the ready. Cloud was slightly disappointed they weren't firing their gunblades. They were obviously clever enough to know there was a chance that they could hit each other in the crossfire. He waited until they came closer, and jumped high into the air, barely grabbing the bent branch of a silver tree above him. Yazoo ran to Loz, jumping up with cat-like agility. Loz grabbed the bottom of Yazoo's foot and propelled the long-haired man higher into the air, straight for Cloud. His mako-enhanced eyes narrowed; he wasn't expecting that. He swung around the branch of the tree and launched himself off it, ready to meet blades with Yazoo once more.
The next attack he had barely even the time to see, much less avoid it. First it was just a shot of blue in the corner of his eye, then his body was spasaming with pain. His sword fell instantly from his gloved hand, plunging into the soft earth below, and he felt himself falling for the second time since he'd arrived in this godforsaken place.
He was caught by the two men, and was roughly thrown in front of a laughing Kadaj.
"You'd be wise not to forget about me so easily," he scolded, wagging his index finger in front of Cloud's limp body. His smiling face turned into an evil sneer. "It's a fatal mistake, brother. Now tell me, where have you hidden mother? I might make your demise a painless one."
Cloud curled his fingers into the loose earth, trying to grip on something.
"What..." he choked out. It took him considerable effort to speak. "Are you talking... about?"
Kadaj gripped Cloud's collar and pulled him upwards, right into his face. Cloud started. His eyes... so emotionless, so callous. Exactly the same...
The teen mistook the warrior's reaction for fear and smiled.
"Don't play me for a fool. I know you have her, we were told-"
His speech was cut short by several gunshots. A red cape fluttered downward, weaving through the silver trees towards the four men. Yazoo and Loz immediately started shooting, and Kadaj threw the injured Cloud back on the floor in frustration, brandishing his souba once more.
The red cape flew around, dodging bullets like nobody's business. The three silver-haired men, angered at their interruption started swinging wildly at this animated garment, all the while moving further and further away. Eventually, the garment stopped dodging, and flew straight for Cloud, fluttering over him for a millisecond before both disappearing into the trees. Kadaj, seeing this, threw his sword on the ground.
"Dammit!"
"Thanks for saving my ass back there," Cloud said to his rescuer. Raven black hair, porcelain white skin, the features of the one and only Vincent Valentine. He was leaning against a tree, ruby eyes staring into space.
"Don't mention it." There was something so non-committing in his reply. "Are you feeling better?"
"...yeah."
Vincent turned to look at him.
"Don't feel so bad," he advised. "There was nothing you could have done to save them; they're under Kadaj's control now."
Cloud was silent for a long time before speaking.
"I think, they're going back to Midgar," he said.
"It is their most logical destination," Vincent replied.
"But what I don't understand is, why did they bring them..." Cloud looked to the calm surface of the lake, where she...
"Here?" Vincent finished, returning Cloud from his nostalgic reflection. "I'm not certain."
Cloud's attention was not focused on the gunslinger anymore however. He was looking past him, focused on another person standing there. Not now. Of all possible moments, why did it have to be now?
"You came back," she whispered softly, her eyes looking at the rippling water. "The place you dreaded to be." Her glittering green eyes turned to Cloud's silky sapphire ones, and they stared at each other for what seemed an eternity.
"How does it feel?" she asked. "You know, by my being here, and also down there..." Her elegant pale hand stretched out and pointed to the centre of the lake.
"Aeris," he whispered. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"Wouldn't it be much better not to remember that one time?" she said, crossing her arms thoughtfully and looking down at Cloud with a smile. She laughed. "You wanna know what I remember? I remember our night at the gold saucer. Remember when we were at the play, and you kissed my hand?"
"Stop," he pleaded.
"Or when we were on the gondola and all the fireworks were exploding around us, and I told you-"
"Don't say it!" he exclaimed.
"- that I wanted to meet you. Do you remember that Cloud?"
Cloud was shaking; all the memories of her were flooding back, filling his mind with unwanted thoughts that made him feel more guilt-ridden than ever.
"Doesn't it make you feel better to remember the good things?" she asked, walking over to him, past the bewildered Vincent. She knelt down and slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him back to lean against her.
"It's alright," she whispered comfortingly in his ear. "You know, I never blamed you for anything. See you soon, okay?"
And with that, Cloud was left alone once more. Cloud squeezed his arm to stop the pain that bit faster, but Vincent had already seen and was leaning forward to look Cloud in the eye. No matter how much agony he was in at the moment, Cloud found it hard to avoid the unwavering, cold garnet eyes.
"Geostigma occurs when your body has overworked itself purging the impure, evil substances within." He stood up and walked around Cloud to one of the many white, glowing trees.
"Something that flows within our bodies resembles the lifestream, which fights the evil substances that intrude within."
Cloud turned to Vincent, his pain forgotten.
"The abominable one, who makes heaven suffer…"
He knew immediately the next word that would exit Vincent's mouth before he'd even uttered it.
"Jenova."
"They kept asking me where 'mother' was," Cloud mused. "And Reno did tell me that Kadaj was obsessed with the reunion. Why are they looking for Jenova?"
"If Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz acquire the head of Jenova, another Sephiroth could be created. Depending on her whim, of course."
"Another Sephiroth…" he muttered. "How is that possible?" Vincent shook his head.
"I don't know."
Cloud stood up. "I have to get to Midgar and stop Kadaj," he said. "One Sephiroth was bad enough."
"Cloud wait," Vincent called in a sharp tone. Cloud turned.
"Yeah?"
"Tell me about Aeris," he said.
"What?" Cloud asked, taken completely by surprise, but soon recovered himself. "Why would I be thinking about her at a time like this?" Vincent gave him a look.
"I am aware that your geostigma illusions are of her Cloud, you were far from discreet when you spoke with her. How long have these been going on for?"
Cloud paused, crossing his arms and looking down. It was bad enough that Tifa knew about his disease, without Vincent knowing. Soon all of Avalanche would probably know. He didn't want that. He didn't want all their concern or pity. He just wanted to be left alone.
"The illusions?" he said. "About a week I suppose. They're so real Vincent. I can touch her; her scent is the same and everything about her…"
"It's not Aeris, Cloud. It's Jenova."
"If you saw Lucrecia, would you care if it was Jenova or not?" he retorted.
"I don't believe in things that aren't real," he said simply.
"You say that now, but-"
"Is that why you aren't fighting it? So you can see her?"
Cloud looked up in shock. Vincent looked at him and huffed.
"I can see you deteriorating Cloud. I used to be a Turk you know. I'm far from slow."
"Right…" he replied sombrely.
"Is there anything else you're not telling me?"
He hesitated. Vincent glared at him.
"I must know Cloud. So you won't do anything… regrettable."
"I-" he started. Could he tell him? What if…
"I've been having dreams," he said.
"Of her?"
"…yeah."
"What happens?"
"She…" he looked to the lake once more. "dies."
"Every time?" he asked in surprise.
Cloud nodded. His mako blue eyes were still in the direction of the lake, but they were glazed over, and he looked like he was someplace far away. "I can never stop it," he said, more to himself than to his comrade.
Vincent put his hand on Cloud's shoulder. The blonde warrior looked up, surprised at the rare gesture of comfort.
"We have more in common than we realise. Lucrecia… I couldn't save her, I just watched as Hojo…" he sighed angrily. "People tell me that it wasn't my fault, that he did those sick, sick things to both her and me, but I still think if I had done something earlier, things would be different. Sephiroth wouldn't have been born, and Lucrecia, my beloved Lucrecia, would still be alive. Your guilt is no different I believe. I can understand how you feel."
Cloud sat down again, and started playing with the grass.
"I just… don't know what it's all supposed to mean. Why do I have to-"
"Cloud," Vincent interrupted. "Maybe, just maybe the reason you dream of Aeris dying all the time is because that's what you obsess over."
Cloud opened his mouth to protest, but Vincent cut him off with a wave of his pale hand and continued.
"When you think of Aeris, what do you think of?"
Cloud looked at Vincent, realisation on his face. That was all the answer Vincent needed.
"Maybe that's what's wrong. Perhaps if you try to think of her differently, your dreams might improve."
Silence hung between them. The minutes ticked by, each contemplating the events that were unfolding. After much thinking, Cloud broke the silence.
"Have you ever been forgiven for a sin?"
"I've never tried," Vincent answered. Cloud stood up.
"I think I'll try. If I find the answer, I'll let you know."
Authors' note: Again, it took ages for me to update. From now on, I'll be as quick as I can, but I won't be making any promises. Sorry all.
On another note, let's all love Vincent Valentine!
Laters!
L.C.
chaosxShion: Thank you so much for your continued support, it's much appreciated! Who's your favourite ff7 character?
