"So you just so happen to experience one of the rarest, and weirdest symptoms of mako, and you never sought help for it? What the hell man! Rut makes people crazy! If I had known - "
"You're seeing someone. I'm not making shit complicated." Cloud cut in, nearly rolling his eyes.
"It doesn't have to be complicated!" Zack defended.
"Can you cut it out already? I'm grown. I can choose who I want help from, and I chose him. He didn't force himself on me. Hell, he even gave me an out when he asked me!" Cloud had enough by this point.
"But - "
"Enough, puppy." Angeal had heard half of the argument. He decided to step in before things got too heated.
"Maybe you two need a break." The commander suggested. "Give time to think about what happened and properly process that Cloud does have the right to choose. Meanwhile Cloud needs to understand Zack is just looking out for you."
"I don't need it. I don't want it." The blond ignored the way Zack flinched.
"...You're one crazy son of a bitch, you know that? You act older, but you're barely an adult. I get it, your nightmares changed you, but you don't have to be so reckless!" Zack yelled, he wasn't backing down.
Cloud avoided his gaze. He couldn't even look at him. Zack sighed, almost a groan of frustration. He gave into the warning look from his old mentor and walked away. When he left Angeal studied the blond, who was contemplating where to go from here. This was supposed to be his two hour break of freedom.
"He really means well. Give him time to come around. He needs to remember he's barely older than you. He's more mad that you refused to seek help for so long." He spoke gently, knowing this boy had the fire of Genesis when pushed to a point.
"I don't like being a burden." Cloud nearly snarled.
"You're never a burden for seeking help over something you don't have control over." Angeal wondered where these insecurities came from.
"But I have to be strong! If I'm not then what's the point of even trying?"
"Why do you need to be strong? Far as I can see it you already are. What's the rush to get stronger?" The commander inquired curiously.
"So my friends don't have to die for me."
That earned a strange look from Angeal. Cloud wondered if he gave too much information. He decided maybe it was time to turn in early. Cloud turned to take his leave from the lounge area.
Angeal brought up what he learned to at first Genesis and Sephiroth. After he put some thought about it, he decided to tell Zack too. Sephiroth didn't answer. Genesis was just as confused, but Zack was sad.
"I think I know what he means. Damn it, why didn't I realize sooner?" Zack cursed when he called.
"You were more concerned about Sephiroth taking advantage of the boy. To be honest I believe he has a good grasp of the situation at hand to keep Sephiroth in check. He's not afraid to say his mind." Angeal knew how his old pupil's mind worked.
"Yeah, yeah. I can't help it, man. He was so...he made me want to protect him from the world. Then all of a sudden he's ripped away from me. I get him back, but he's different. It hurts. I barely see any of the old Spike in him now."
"Was it because of those dreams?" Angeal guessed.
"I suppose. I don't know all of what he dreams, but some of it centers around me dying. Others are about Sephiroth hurting him. Then there's a girl in a pink dress, surrounded by flowers. Flowers...flowers! Why didn't I make that connection earlier! Hold on, I gotta look at something real quick."
Zack rushed into Tseng's office. The Turk raised an eyebrow. The lieutenant flashed a grin.
"The girl with flowers in the pink dress! I know who he was dreaming about! It's the flower girl in the Slums!" Zack exclaimed excitedly.
"They've never met. I asked her already." Tseng had his doubts.
"Read the journal again! Take a look at the way she speaks. Doesn't that sound like her? It has to be her! There's no one else with her magic with flowers!" The lieutenant insisted.
Tseng pulled out the journal. He kept the original, while allowing Sephiroth or Zack to keep a copy. The general declined, but the lieutenant kept his for further study. Tseng turned the pages until he found the one Zack spoke of.
He read the entry again.
And the familiarity of the way she spoke reminded him of his own conversations with her. The rare moments he allowed himself to be close. Zack grinned wider if possible as he saw that Tseng realized he was right.
"How could he dream of someone he's never met?" Zack asked, feeling proud of himself.
"And what exactly are we supposed to do about this? He won't speak to anyone about this. He barely spoke to you about them. Now that he knows we found his old journal, he won't make another."
"Okay, maybe. But he's trying to change everything so that these dreams don't happen. Maybe we need to start making precautions. He mentions Sephiroth burned Nibelheim. But it's still standing. Therefore it hasn't happened yet. So all we gotta do is ensure he never steps foot there!"
"But why would he be sent there? There's literally nothing there." Tseng frowned.
"No. But there's a reactor. And isn't that an old town with a building that Shinra owns? I looked into his old towns history when he disappeared. It's been sitting there since around the time of Sephiroth's birth." Zack knew that random piece of information would come in handy.
"...I don't know if anything you say holds merit. But I will see about having a look into this." Tseng was going to pull in a favor. If he sent any of his men in, it would lead a trail. If someone were pulling strings on Sephiroth, then Tseng has to tread carefully.
Plus he grew up with some old stories that came from Nibelheim. The loss of a legendary Turk, for one. Tseng recalled the nights Veld stared at the bottle, recalling old memories of the friend he never got closure over.
That night Tseng made the call.
"That Fenrir is wild. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes right now." Veld commented when he answered.
"Can I call in a favor? I can't send my men to a certain location. Not without alerting someone. I don't even know who it is I'm avoiding, but this is a lead I can't ignore."
"Depends where it is you're interested."
"Nibelheim."
"...You digging up old bones? The last I tried, more of my men went missing." Veld's voice darkened.
"Fenrir has dreams. Very specific dreams of people he never met. Dreams of Nibelheim burning. I cannot ignore this connection, this same connection of a location where a lot of secrets were kept by silencing one of ours. I know you're itching for the same justice." Tseng knew it was a risk going this far.
"Why would he dream of that village burning? I say let it burn."
"Not if it can be prevented. If it holds any merit, then we can have a better understanding who we're working against and then plan around that. If nothing turns up then this boy has a very vivid imagination when he sleeps."
"...Who exactly does he dream about?"
"A man with a gun for an arm. A cat or dog creature that talks. Some girl named Tifa. I've looked into that lead, she's the daughter of Nibelheim's mayor. Nothing shows that she's left the village. Then there's another girl who is efficient with magic. An even younger girl who is a ninja. Then there's a man who uses a three barreled gun. An older gentleman who wields a spear. Last a robotic cat on a fat moogle."
"Hold up. A man with a three barreled gun? Is there any other details?" Veld latched onto this description.
"He has dark hair, wears a cape and has a golden claw. Why?"
"...Vincent. He preferred three barreled guns."
Tseng pulled up the file. An old photograph of a young man with some Wutai heritage. He had dark hair and brown eyes. In the file it matched Veld's description of his preferred choice of weapon.
Well then. Hook line and sinker.
"And where did he supposedly die?" Tseng knew he got Veld interested now.
"Nibelheim. Damn it, give me a bit of time. I need to think this over. This is also high risk for us, too you know that right? If there's any traps, whoever I send out there will be on their own."
"Take all the precautions you need. I just want this looked into before Nibelheim becomes an interest to send people in for." Tseng wasn't sure how much time he's racing against.
He will only panic if Aerith ever decides to give up her blue and white dress for a pink one. Then Tseng will start feeling the pressure that time was of the essence. Then again he wasn't sure what would happen first, Nibelheim burning or the dress change.
"I'll keep you updated if there's anything." Veld promised before hanging up.
Tseng sent a vague message to Zack. He warned him to never speak of what they talked about earlier and that the matter might be looked into. Zack replied almost instantly, saying that his lips are sealed.
Tseng sighed, knowing the lieutenant wouldn't rat him out. He just had to take precautions. And a part of him hoped that nothing will come up. However he couldn't shake that the coincidences were too great.
In his line of work there was no such thing as coincidence. He learned this a long time ago. Tseng recalled the gut instincts that got him interested in one strange recruit a year ago.
Who knew that same recruit had more surprises to unravel? This was strange. Tseng couldn't think Cloud had anything else to reveal to the world. Maybe this repetitive life had some merit. But that lead to dark thoughts Tseng wasn't interested in.
First, they had to find something.
Tseng really hoped that they were chasing smoke and mirrors and not an actual smoking gun. Yet something told him stop being so hopeful. To keep himself busy the Turk went back to work.