Number VII
The woman in a brown cloak entered the church of ex-sector 5 silently, remembering all the rumours she had heard about this place ever since she had joined SOLDIER about 14 years ago. Amused, she looked around, and noticed the church had been used as a battlefield for quite a few times before of the Cleaning Rain; still, she was finally able to relax as the calmness of the holy place landed upon her. She sighed.
"I've always wanted to visit this place", she whispered. "Ever since I heard this place existed.." She touched the wooden wall softly with one of her long fingers. "But ah, I never got the chance, because of my duties... and now... this place - just like everything else around here - is in ruins..." She leaned her head backwards and stared through the broken ceiling. They say the water came through the floor, rose up and started to pour down, as the rain. "I was in ruins then", she continued quietly. "Maybe.. if I could've visited this place, even once, I... Hmm", she closed her eyes and smiled ironically. "No, I shouldn't be thinking what if; I should move on."
She opened her eyes and walked straight to the place where the water had been. It's gone by now, now that every single sick people have recovered. The Geostigma. I wonder if I have it now? -But no, I know he suffered from headaches as well. This is not the stigma. She looked around and noticed the broken altar and some flowers. They say the last Ancient grew some flowers here. That she could hear the Planet's voice from here. Maybe... She bent down and touched one of the white flowers. It was soft and.. wet? The woman blinked. Ah. Her fingers started to feel funny, as if they were tickling, and as she raised her hand to see her fingers she noticed they were shining in green. "So the water reacts to the Jenova cells", she muttered. But there's not enough of it to... She stood up and looked around again. There was no one else but her. But still she could feel a presence... but it was not an evil kind. Could it be that Ancient girl? She shivered and crossed her arms around herself.
"I cannot stay here", she said dreamily. "I am not pure enough to stay in such a place. Because of what I've done..."
She left the church, as silently as she had come, and as the door closed behind her the flowers raised from the floor, flew in circles, and an unheard voice whispered after the woman.
---
"I have made up my mind", Cloud informed. Rufus rose his eyebrows, and the Turks all stared at their former enemy, all in silence, waiting. Everyone else expect Reno were keeping their hands crossed in front of them, hands close enough to their weapons - just in case. Reno kept his hands in his pockets, squeezing his electric rod secretly. Cloud smiled at Tifa and continued: "I want to finish with my past already. It has returned too many times by now, and everytime it has brought more sorrow to the ones I care about. Hmm. It's time to end this." He looked at Rufus sharply. "General Celes should be the last link between me and you guys."
"I see", Rufus said, hiding his smiling lips behind his crossed hands. "So in other words, after General Celes has been... taken care of, you want us to leave you and your family alone?"
Cloud nodded, his eyes still on Rufus. "Exactly."
Rufus stood up and offered his right hand. "Deal", he said, smiling. Cloud stared at his hand, wondering where the catch was. Rufus looked amused. "My, my, allies shouldn't be suspicious with each other, right?" His eyes got a sharp, dangerous look Cloud recognized from a long time ago. Cloud shrugged his shoulders and shook hands with Rufus. But both men kept staring at each other's eyes. The tension between the two could be easily sensed, and Tifa and the Turks found themselves really uneasy in the atmosphere. Finally the men retreated from each other, and Rufus left, leading his little group out of the room.
Tifa touched Cloud's shoulder. "That was scary", she whispered, squeezing his arm.
"..Yeah." He turned to face his wife. "I'll finish with my past, and come back to you", he said. Tifa smiled and kissed him. "Be careful, ok?" she said, trying to hold her tears back. "Yeah.." the man replied softly.
---
"My, my... He's still naive - as if they'd really let us SOLDIERs go!" the woman whispered as she watched the five remaining Shinra members leaving the 7th Heaven, heading back to their hideout in Healin. She knew exactly where they lived, she knew everything necessary about the five. So Mister survived the explosion given by Diamond... What a pity. Even the stigma failed to get him. Does someone protect him? The Ancient girl? Ha, why should she protect such a guy? She spat on the ground and closed her Mako glowing eyes. "Young and naive", she repeated. "Just like over 10 years ago... right, my subordinate?" A tear fell down her cheek, and she dried it away angrily. But she couldn't help it but laugh sadly. "Such a pity I must end this all now... I really, really wanted to know you better, see you in the spotlights you first wished for... but it's too late now." She stood up, her cloak floating in the air. "Do not disappoint me, my subordinate", she whispered before turning away.
---END OF PART 1, NATŠÁLO (the beginning).