FINAL FANTASY

PATH OF DARKNESS

Chapter Six

Trouble In Zanarkand

If one were to ask Cloud why he was'nt a bit more excited about Aeris being alive, he would have anwsered, Sephiroth is'nt dead. An honest anwser, and simple to. For the last two hours the group had been marching down a road that had

appeared out of nowhere with a sign on it saying, this way to Zanarkand. Cloud walked as if possesed, completely obsessed with finding Sephiroth.

Squall as was normal had not spoken at all since they began walking. Aeris had been suprisingly quiet, having lapsed into a deep thoughtful silence. Cloud knew she had a theory just by the way she was walking, but she did'nt want to

share it until she was sure. Finally Cloud could stand it no longer. "So, what do you think Atrum is?" He asked the question with no warning, and therefore felt that he had asked a good question.

Aeris looked up and said "Huh?" "What do you think Atrum is?" Cloud repeated. Aeris paused her walking and the other two followed. Squall folded his arms and turned to face Aeris with a questioning look on his face.

Aeris looked between them nervously before replying with "I think he's you." She pointed at Cloud, who looked rather suprised. "Me? What do you mean?"

"I think sleeping in that tube might have put her brain in dissorder." Squall said calmly. Aeris glared at him putting her hands on her hips. "I mean like a clone, or alternate self. Think about it, he was suprised when Cloud asked a perfectly good

question, and his fighting style is identical to Cloud's to the smallest detail. Then consider what he said, he declared himself his own person. The manner of it sugests he is insecure about his identity." Aeris explained.

Cloud took a moment to absorb all this. A clone? Of him? He tried to wrap his mind around it but failed, but then he recalled something Jenova had said. Atrum had some of her cells, and Aeris was right, the guy did fight like him.

"If you're right, where would this clone come from?" Squall asked. Aeris shrugged her shoulders. "Jenova, you would'nt happen to know anything about this would you?" Cloud asked suspiciously. An evil chuckle passed through his mind.

Suddenly intense pain ripped through his head and he fell to his knees with a grunt. "Cloud!" Aeris exclaimed rushing over. Squall turned a concerned glance on Cloud, but quickly whirled drawing Revolver as their surroundings changed.

"Oh, bad bad bad bad bad." Squall muttered as a massive city appeared all around them with people turning to veiw them. "Whats b...oh." Aeris said turning to see. They were in the middle of a street that was being used as a walkway

surrounded by dozens of people, all of which looked at Cloud as he squirmed on the ground in agony.

"Do you people have a doctor?!?!?" Squall said loudly. "Yeah, hold on, i'll go get him!!" Said a young man wearing the weirdest outfit ever. One pant leg went down to his shin, the other stopped at the knee. He dashed off, presumably

to find a doctor.

While all this went on Cloud moved deep inside himself ignoring his physical beings pain. "I'll take that as a yes." Cloud said dryly. "Now now, do'nt get angry. You gave me permission." Jenova said with a wicked cackle. "No i did'nt, but that

proves it, you did clone me." Cloud replied.

"Oh yes you did, remember back in Timber, you said you would do anything to kill Sephiroth. So i cloned you when we passed through worlds, creating a new you that would destroy Sephiroth, or at least try. I did it when we passed between worlds to get here, the new you thought he was you're future self at first. But that did'nt add up as he could'nt remember ever meeting you. So he began to suspect the truth, that he is a clone. Now it would seem he wants to destroy you

so he can take you're place. How amusing!" Jenova laughed evily.

"Curse you you BITCH!!!!!!" Cloud roared in fury, earning even more laughter from Jenova.

Meanwhile the young man quickly returned followed by a man in a doctors uniform. "Out of my way!" The doctor said moving next to Cloud. Squall kept his sword out pointing it at anyone who tried to get close. "I'm doctor Krojan. How

did this happen?" Krojan asked.

"I'm Aeris, and i do'nt know, he just dropped." Krojan nodded and checked Cloud's pulse as he groaned in pain.

"Ho...ow right...one...e" Cloud muttered little bits of words much to everyones confusion. "Cloud can you here me? My name is Dr.Krojan i'm here to help you but i need you're help! I need you to tell me whats wrong!" Krojan said.

Cloud no longer seemed to be in pain, instead he seemed almost like he was asleep, accept for the fact he was speaking. "G...ell...t" The words came out fragmented. "What's he saying?" Squall asked looking over his shoulder.

Krojan did not reply but instead stuck a thermometer in Cloud's mouth. "Holy crap, his temprature is 117 degrees! That could kill him!!" Krojan said whipping out a cell phone. He opened it pressed one button and said into the receiver

"I need ice, alot of it quickly. I also need the full emergency kit and i need it in five minutes or less, and if i do'nt have it by then i'll fire who ever is told to bring it!" Then he put it away and pulled out a syringe and pushed the needle into

Cloud's arm.

"Out...o...ight...e...ere." Cloud said. "Come on Cloud. What are you trying to say?" Aeris asked in concern. Krojan leaned down close and listened. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!!!!" Cloud roared, almost deafening Krojan, not to mention

everyone else.

Then Cloud lifted off the ground as he began to glow green. He hung in the air, still seeming to be asleep. Then a single strand of black light flew out of Cloud and swerved around the area earning several screams of shock from the crowd.

"What the hell?!" Krojan yelled. Then Cloud's eyes opened and he fell to the ground, the glow gone. "CLOUD ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?!?!?!?" Aeris shouted rushing to Cloud's side as he slowly began to stand.

"Guys." Squall said calmly, no longer facing the crowd but instead looking out over the side of the street where there was a massive drop. Aeris turned to look and gasped when she saw what was happening. The black strand was changing,

growing, gaining shape.

Cloud stood and drew his sword adopting a casual stance.

"IT"S TIME TO END THIS, JENOVA!!!!!!" Cloud shouted at the thing. "Thats Jenova?" Aeris whispered to herself. A wicked laugh echoed outwards as the Jenova turned into a round creature with a tentacle sticking out of either side of her head

which protruded from her body. "Indeed my child, indeed." Jenova said mockingly.

"What is that?" Squall asked. "That is Jenova. Sephiroth's mother. The reason he turned out the way he did. Shes the one who allowed Sephiroth to control me. BUT MY STRINGS ARE CUT JENOVA!!!!!!

I AM YOU"RE PUPPET NO LONGER!!!!!!!" Cloud roared defiantly. The crowd scattered before Jenova screaming.

Krojan moved back and off to the side a good distance, but stayed close enough to help if someone got hurt. "True, but can the same be said of Atrum. He would do anything to get what you have." Jenova said. Cloud narrowed his eyes.

"Therefore, you are no longer necessary." Jenova continued. Cloud smirked as he said "Thats just the sort of thing i'd expect from Sephiroth's mother." Jenova laughed and started to speak, much to Cloud's delight.

"I thought you knew better. I'm not really his mother remember. His mother was that fool human Lucrecia."

"What?" Came from behind Jenova. Cloud inclined his head towards Jenova as if to say, bye, or, nice knowing you.

Jenova slowly turned around to find Sephiroth hovering there, a horrified look on his face. "What did you say?" He asked. Jenova backed away slowly. "You see Sephiroth, she said it herself! She's no more you're mother than Zack was!" Cloud shouted.

"Do'nt listen to him my son! He is lying!" Jenova said.

Sephiroth was'nt listening, he was trembling with rage. "You lied to me all these years. I killed thousands for you, because i thought you were my mother. I though you loved me, but obviously you do'nt or you would have been honest."

Sephiroth said as a single tear fell from his eyes.

"I had no choice! If i told you the truth you would'nt have..." Sephiroth cut Jenova off with a yell of "KILLED FOR YOU!?!?!? TRIED TO DESTROY THE PLANET IN YOU'RE NAME!?!?!?!? OF COURSE NOT!!!!! I'M JUST A TOOL TO YOU!!!!!!"

"Son..." Jenova said backing away. "Do'nt. Call. Me. That." Sephiroth said in a cold quiet tone.

"I've become a monster thanks to you." Sephiroth continued, drawing his sword. Cloud watched in awe as Sephiroth rushed forward, and with a single swing of his sword cut Jenova into five peices, all of which fell into the gasses that

had built up under Zanarkand over the past hundred years. For a moment silence reighned. Then Squall shouted "Where is Rinoa?!" Sephiroth hovered down onto the road a little bit away from them.

"I do'nt know, she disappeared once we arrived in this world." Sephiroth replied.

Suddenly clapping came from down the road on the oppositte side. The group turned to find Atrum standing there with Rinoa, he was holding a knife to her throat. He said "Good to see you."