Author's note: I'm not entirely sure if there are actual races in FFVII despite the fact that there are different… cultures such as Yuffie being from Wutai with an obvious Japanese surname and pagodas (which feels different versus the more familiar and technologically advanced cities such as Midgard), and with Barret being the only Black man I ever remember seeing, I thought I'd insert that Rude was designed with the idea of a South American descent – according to Nomura – while Nanaki is of a different species. So in that respect, I chose to refer to Rude as having Hispanic descent.
Sanctum: the things you've pointed out are not news to me but I do thank you for your criticism.
TheSessh25: Thank you for reading!
Disclaimer: I'm really not creative enough to form a group such as... what follows.
[ III ]
Tifa jerked her head upward and quickly searched the ceiling, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to see past the pitch black. The ceilings were high enough that all the colors below couldn't illuminate it's vastness.
"I don't see anything," Tifa whispered.
Yuffie clung to Tifa for support as she stood, the backs of her arm and shirt stained with patches of blood. "Tifa? I want to go back to the others..."
"We haven't finished - "
"But I saw Sephiroth in the rafters!"
"Maybe it was a trick of the lights," Tifa tried to reason, though a little on edge herself.
Yuffie shook her head vigorously, "No! I saw him staring at me! At us! We can't face him alone, Tifa!"
Tifa wouldn't openly admit it in that situation but the idea of having been watched unaware was rather discerning. What if he really had been watching them all that time? She couldn't denounce that theory. It was highly plausible. With a deep breath and a visibly uncomfortable Yuffie at her side, Tifa nodded.
"We'll be quick and efficient and if we find nothing else of importance, we'll leave, alright?"
The poor girl seemed to debate about the proposed plan for a minute before she inclined. Tifa was right, it wasn't like either of them to abandon such important tasks in the middle. The idea strengthened Yuffie's resolve and with renewed endurance, the bounce waltz back into her steps.
The colossal Event Square sat empty. No bodies, no blood, nothing. Cloud swept his eyes from one end of the seating arena to the other. It was dead silent. Not a single abnormality. Directly in front of him was a Renaissance-age prop set. It reminded him of the play he once starred in with Aeris so many years ago. He couldn't remember how he got involved in the acting or how he was coerced into standing before an enormous crowd and played Knight in Shining Armor. The memory itself had grown hazy and he'd forgotten all about it until his gaze fell upon the stage.
A high-pitched scream echoed in the air, bringing Cloud back to the present. That was definitely Yuffie's voice, he thought. Did something happen? He turned and dashed for the entrance. It slid shut thunderously before his face. He heaved a solid punch and kicked at the door but found that it wasn't an ordinary door. It was made of steel, had no doorknob and was slid shut on mechanical rails.
He cursed aloud, his right fist throbbing and reached for First Ken, but froze. Could he really destroy private property and risk being indebted to Shinra? Was now even the time to think about that? Just as he unsheathed First Ken, a high-pitched ringing pierced his ears. Cloud immediately dropped his sword back into the holster and covered both ears tightly with his palms. The ringing grew even higher in pitch and images of him, Barret and Jesse setting up bombs in Sector 5 flashed across his shut eyes. He was vaguely aware of falling onto his knees as he tried to suppress the knife-like pain in his head.
"Stop..." he breathed heavily, "Stop it..."
He winced as the sound raised in decibels and felt himself fall on his side - the same side which he'd fallen out of bed. Droplets of sweat dotted his forehead and his hands clutched roughly at his hair, unable to hold off the screeching. His mind whirled and distorted, repeated images of him suffering the same sound at Reactor 5's bridge and images of Sephiroth blurred into one. Then, things turned black.
I hear... footsteps... heavy footsteps. They're approaching me.
"Who?"
Someone...
"Someone? Who?"
... It sounds familiar.
"Like whose?"
Like... like... someone I am very close to...
"Sephiroth?"
Yeah, like Sephiroth...
"SEPHIROTH!" Cloud flung his right fist.
"Whoa! Calm down!"
Cid pinned Cloud down by the shoulders as the young blond writhed under his hold. "It's me, Cid!"
Cloud stopped his struggle and blinked several times. The haze obscuring Cid's face cleared and he saw the stubbled man with a lit cigarette between his lips. "Cid..."
The man nodded. "It's me, Spiky."
"Cid..." Cloud repeated. When Cid stared in anticipation, Cloud continued, "Your ashes are going to burn me."
The man laughed and promptly hopped off, leaving Vincent to hoist Cloud upright. Behind his usual crowd, Reno and Rude watched in unenthused silence.
Nanaki came to Cloud's side. "You were gone for over an hour so we grew concerned. What happened?"
Cloud swallowed tightly and turned to face the stage. Did I black out for that long? He had been hiding the fact that Sephiroth had been on his mind lately and now seemed like the perfect opportunity to spill the beans. Maybe the dreams were paving way for his paranoia that would more than likely morph into hallucinations later on if he didn't face the troubles now.
"Are you okay?" It was Tifa. Her question gave Cloud room to avoid the previous one. He wanted to confess to the almost-tangible dreams but another part of him wanted to keep it a secret.
"Yeah, I think I just had a bad dream."
"Dreaming on the job eh? Someone's relaxed." It was Reno this time.
Cloud would've said something to Reno but changed his mind and chose to re-direct interrogations toward the subject that brought them all to the Gold Saucer in the first place. "Did anyone find anything?"
Several heads shook in the negative but Cloud caught the stolen glance that Tifa gave Yuffie. It was the kind of look that asked, "Are you going to tell?" Solemnly, the teen fessed up. She dug into her pockets, succeeded in alerting everyone with her shuffling and produced a green Materia. At first Cloud thought she had brought it from home but Yuffie told otherwise.
"Tifa and I found this by some dead bodies on the Chocobo track."
Cloud had only begun to reach for it when the Turks stepped forward simultaneously. Rude extended a clear bag between his gloved hands and held it open, simply staring at Yuffie. She clenched the green orb in her own hands and glared at Rude defiantly. At her reaction, Rude peered at Cloud through his shades. Was it necessary for the guy to wear shades all the time? He couldn't possibly be just an extremely talented, legally blind man, could he? Cloud didn't think he had ever seen Rude without his trademark sunglasses but he could imagine that with the man being more or less of Hispanic background that he'd have brown eyes.
"Give him the Materia, Yuffie," Cloud agreed. "They're the actual investigators and we're only here to help."
The female ninja thinned her lips before heaving the Materia into Rude's bag. It wasn't as if a Barrier Materia was rare anyway, she consoled herself. Still, she couldn't help but to grimace inwardly at parting from the orb.
"Now that all's taken care of, we've to report to HQ. Party's over." Reno again.
"What about the prison?" Cloud questioned.
"Party's over," Reno repeated. "We'll deal with that another time."
No one appeared hesitant about leaving the graveyard behind. The Turks were the first to lead the way, followed by Barret, Nanaki, the girls, Cid and then Vincent. Cloud trailed behind, noting that the once immovable door was now slid all the way open, just the way it had when he first walked into the area. Had he imagined it all?
As they ascended to the rooftop, neither Reno nor Rude made any gestures for Cloud to follow. He gladly took it as a sign that his duty with those boys were over. Shortly after, the Shinra helicopter whirred to life and Reno's voice bounced through the intercom. "Re-entry is prohibited and punishable by Shinra authorities."
Barret snickered. "Shinra ain't nothin' nowadays."
The Turks took flight, leaving the group shrugging off Reno's warning and filed into the Highwind. From where Cloud stood, he could see the desert below spreading as far as his eyes could see until the blue silhouettes of Mount Coral disturbed the yellow sands. He silently hoped that in the least, the prison would be spared. The concept of death baking in the desert for days didn't sound pleasant even in his imagination.
"We need to contact Reeve." Cloud and the gang looked at Vincent who stood against the ship's interior.
Nanaki nodded. "You're correct, friend. Perhaps Reeve can provide us with more."
Vincent agreed with a nod into his high collar. "The problem is finding him." His eyes traveled to Cloud standing across from him.
Cloud sighed, turning his attention toward Cid who was readying the Highwind for take-off. "Reeve's a hard man to locate. His calls have always been encoded so I've never actually gotten his number."
"Why didn't ya just ask for it?" Barret chimed in, seating himself on a box of crates.
Cloud shook his head. "He went through the trouble of encoding it. I should respect his reasons."
"For a man like him, maskin' his whereabouts was probably a piece o' cake." Barret replied. He sauntered over to the windows to look down Highwind's sides as they lifted into the air, then turned to call over his shoulders. "Hey, Cid! Make sure ya keep this thing nice n' smooth. You know how Cloud and Yuffie gets if we hit too much turbulence!"
"When's the last time you heard from him?" Vincent queried, bringing the spike-haired blond back into the conversation.
"Quite a while. I haven't heard from him since I lost the previous phone."
"But I've given you the same number."
Cloud shrugged. "If he doesn't contact me, he doesn't."
Vincent fell into thought, ending the conversation. Tifa and Yuffie were discussing something quietly at the very bow of the ship, Barret had seated himself with his arms crossed and eyes closed, Nanaki was watching Cid navigate and conversing on a low level with him, so Cloud retracted a few steps and sat. He too, had things to discuss. With himself. He also needed to distract his mind of the ship's motions.
The four children were ecstatic to see the grown-ups returned. Per usual, Nanaki's pups had more to say than their little snouts could handle. Marlene was telling her father about a board game Denzel had shown her while Denzel stood aside and smiled shyly. If anyone knew better, they'd say the boy was developing a crush on the brave yet innocent girl who was always by his side. Cloud headed straight up the stairs and returned shortly with a black, leather trench coat.
"I'm gonna go see Zack. Keep your ears and eyes peeled for word of Reeve or Cait Sith," and he was out the door.
The team grew solemn for a moment until the unaware kiddies broke the morose moment with their new board game. Yuffie fidgeted in her seat at the bar stool before biting her lips and making up her mind. Evidently, she had been rolling the through around on the trip home.
"Guys... I have something I need to tell you."
Once again, the group froze in thought.
"I guess now isn't the best time but..." She quickly eyed all the young ones. "I saw him."
Nanaki's ears perked up. "Him as in him?"
Yuffie nodded. "Yes. Tifa didn't believe me but I did see him."
Tifa waved her hands to interject. "I didn't say I didn't believe you. I was reasoning with your - "
"Delusion?" Yuffie finished sarcastically. It was obvious she felt a little snuffed.
"Your circumstances," Tifa corrected. "You hit your head pretty hard when you fell and there were lights all over the place. I just didn't want to jump to conclusions."
"Same thing. You still don't believe me."
Tifa slumped onto the bar counter, opposite Yuffie. The younger girl was letting the small misinterpretation turn into a giant rejection and Tifa knew that it was up to her to set things straight. "You're right. Accept my sincere apology, Yuffie."
"Accepted!" There was no space for hesitance in Yuffie's automatic reply. It almost sounded like she had expected to hear those words.
How nice it was to be so easily forgiven, Tifa smiled introspectively.
"And?" Cid urged, having paused at the door. He had meant to go outside for a smoke but Yuffie's confession had rooted him to the room.
"And... I'm fairly positive he had been watching us the whole time. Call it instincts. When I screamed and looked at Tifa, then back, he was gone. In an instant!"
The adults fell silent, save for the children resuming a board game. Though they knew that Marlene and Denzel were mature enough to probably eavesdrop, Nanaki's children were still too young in his kind's years. Misreading the silence as a form of uncomfortable rejection, Yuffie persisted.
"I'm serious!"
"Then all the more reason to find Reeve. He might be able to hack into the Gold Saucer's millions of security cameras," Vincent concluded. "We'll also know for sure who's behind all the senseless slaughter."
The team nodded.
Cloud rolled Fenrir to a skidding stop over the cliff as he usually did. Over the past few days, the trusty Buster sword had succeeded in slanting to it's right, casting an awkward crucifix-like shadow. He re-staked the sword and stood back, taking in the view of Midgard and Edge. Rufus' previous assumption may be true, he told himself. He couldn't imagine anyone else holding the level of power that was displayed at the Gold Saucer but it could still be the work of someone else as well. Someone else who was almost at his equal. His thoughts drifted to images of a former hot-headed First Class SOLDIER named Genesis Rhapsodos. Cloud didn't know Genesis well, but he had seen the man on several occasions during the times he hung around with Zack. Like Sephiroth, Genesis was a gifted child who had lived a glamorous life. He was greatly admired, extremely talented and shot up the SOLDIER ranks but became corrupted and eventually a threat to mankind.
... but that was a decade ago. Cloud was sure the man was gone just as Zack would never return.
As the dark thoughts concluded, Cloud was suddenly drilled by a ringing in his ears again. He covered both ears with his gloved hands, trying to deflect the noise from penetrating any further and squeezed his eyes shut. It didn't help. The ringing was inside his head and rose higher and higher. He involuntarily clenched his teeth and shook his head side to side, anything to draw away the noise. His entire head felt about to burst from the sound and his heart wanted to tear away from his chest. He grunted in pain and collapsed, knocking over the Buster sword and kicking Fenrir over. Then, as quickly as it began, it stopped.
Cloud's eyes were still shut and he could hear his laborious gasps echo around him. The pounding of his heart steadily slowed along with his breath. When his nerves had calmed, he opened his eyes and found himself staring directly as a setting sun that painted the sky a reddish-orange.
- RING! -
Cloud started at the sound of his phone going off in his side pocket. He stood slowly, dusting away at his side and pant legs. When he pulled out his phone, it was an unidentifiable number. His heart lept with hope.
"It's me," he answered dully, masking his relief and subsiding pain.
The voice on the other line wasn't who he'd expected. "Hello, Cloud. How have you been?"
"Rufus..."
"That would be me. I have a proposition for you."
Cloud thought about it. "About?"
"Call it a hunch but I have a feeling you'll be looking for Reeve. I know how to reach him."
In the back of Cloud's mind, he could see the blond heir pacing back and forth as he spoke - his way of commanding attention. "And what's the other part of your deal?"
Rufus chuckled amusingly before adding, "You come see me. Alone."
"There's no reason for me to see you."
"Oh but, you need to find Reeve as soon as possible, correct?" The smile on Rufus' face was evident in his voice.
"What do you want to see me for? We are on the phone. Whatever you have to say, say it." He pulled the Buster sword out and packed down the dirt with his boots before reinserting the sword into the soil.
"Time is wasting, Cloud."
"I'll consider your proposition," and he snapped his phone shut.
He reminded himself that Rufus was not to be taken lightly nor was he to be underestimated as he uprighted Fenrir. He stared at the sword and whispered a prayer that he hoped would be answered. "Please contact me soon, Reeve."
The group had just dispersed at the inn when the bar phone rang. Tifa hopped over to answer.
"7th Heaven, this is Tifa speaking. How may I be of service?"
There was a scratching noise.
"Hello? 7th Heaven, this is Tifa speaking," she repeated.
Still more scratching static. Tifa furrowed her brows. She was about to announce herself again for a third time when a voice came over the receiver. It was distorted by static and unclear so she wasn't able to identify the voice.
"I'm sorry, we are closed for the night and there's too much static so I can't hear you."
More static and then a voice trying to break through the noise. She could now make out a male voice.
"... Cloud..."
Tifa frowned. "Cloud? Is that you?"
"... there..."
"Cloud?"
Suddenly the distortion cleared and the voice made it through. "Tifa? It's me, is it okay if I just sleep over at Marlene's?"
It was Denzel. Odd, what was wrong with Barret's phone? "It's fine since you're already over there. Don't forget to brush your teeth."
Denzel thanked her and hung up. Tifa stood there unsure what to think. Pondering it over made eerie sense though, since the distortion made Denzel's voice very different. She'd have to let Barret know at a different time that his phone was going under.
Thinking of it no more, she decided to call Cloud instead. He hadn't contacted them yet and they haven't contacted him since he left either, to update on Reeve's whereabouts. Unsurprisingly, he didn't answer so she left him a brief message about none of them being able to locate Reeve. She cradled the phone and sighed. Cloud really needed to pick up that phone or it's just useless! Tifa shook her head and went up to bathe. He would contact them soon, she hoped.
The wood flooring creaked under Cloud's weight as he pulled his holster off and sat down. He leaned against the church wall and shut his phone. Tifa's voice message only stated the obvious - Reeve was yet to be found. If only things were a bit easier, he thought wishfully. The permanent pool of water shimmered under the moon's light. There was nothing else they could do at that point in time but hope that Reeve would somehow, call them instead.
Sleep overcame him easily, despite the unrest on his mind. It probably meant his body needed to recharge what he'd been neglecting. It didn't help much that his dreams have been a little on the disturbing side as of late. Before those ideas finished passing through his thoughts, he found himself in a surreal place. He was back home in Nibelheim, standing by the front doorway and his mother was standing in the kitchen cooking a meal.
Mom?
"Cloud, have you found a girlfriend yet?"
Cloud shook his head. It felt like this conversation was had one too many times before. He stared at his mother's back. "I..."
Suddenly he found himself staring in disbelief at his mother's blood-soaked corpse. She laid dead, facing someone's leather clad boots. Sephiroth!
"Why did you - "
Boiling anger rose to his head and overflowed. He charged at the smirking man, unable to finish his angry words. Sephiroth had just killed his mother in cold blood. How can he do such a thing!
Cloud swiped at Sephiroth with the Buster sword. In a retaliation movement too quick for Cloud's watering eyes, the Buster sword was flown out from his grip, leaving him open. Just as fast, Sephiroth slashed across Cloud's chest. Blood spurted from the gash and spilled over the floor between their feet where his mother was no longer lying. The realization hit Cloud and he gasped at the non-existent body, unprepared for Sephiroth's next move. With no hesitance, the ex-General stabbed cleanly through Cloud's chest, skewering him in mid-air.
Cloud coughed deeply and sputtered blood. Sephiroth drew his arms back, bringing Cloud closer to him and smiled joyously at the desperately writhing boy. Then, he sent Cloud flying off his sword and crashing into the far wall with a fierce kick. Cloud defenselessly smashed into the concrete and fell with a splattering thud, face down onto the equally hard floor. He groaned loudly and coughed again, blood seeping from his mouth. His eyes were blurred from both the pain and tears. Sephiroth's footsteps clanked over the floor as Cloud struggled to turn over. When he finally felt the cold floor beneath his back, the silver-haired man was already standing over him.
Cloud's eyes focused in and out. He wanted to stand up and fight. Fight Sephiroth! But his fingers had turned cold and were numbed. Sephiroth raised Masamune, point down and staked. The burning sensation in his chest forced Cloud to jerk awake, covered in sweat. He rubbed at his chest where Sephiroth had stabbed on more than one occasion. It was burning a hole through to the other side. At least it felt like it.
He glanced up at the full moon. He must've fallen asleep for a few hours because the smell of dawn was in the air. In front of him, the pool was still shimmering, beckoning him so he knelt over it and splashed his face several times. The coolness of the water eased some of the burning in his chest. He splashed a few more times over his face and neck, and shook the water off his hair.
What was that dream?
It wasn't an event that occurred in the past - at least not to his memory. Did it happen before? Cloud wasn't sure. He did have a serious case of identity crisis for a while. Was that Zack's memories? No, he doubted it. He shook his head again.
These dreams need to stop! They're going to drive me insane again!
Unable to fall back to sleep, Cloud gathered up First Ken. The search for Reeve was a priority that was posing a challenge - a challenge that they had to meet.