A/N: My goodness! To hear such praises! I am grinning terribly and I feel terribly flattered. But also, I see…that some of you are becoming impatient with how the story is developing, just as I suspected. I suppose a lot of you wish for me to show the deeper part of love between the two characters by this point. But, all I can ask, for the moment, is to be patient with me. It is getting there. In fact, it shall start uncoiling within the next few installments.
Now, on the other hand, this month is being really terrible to me (despite the fact that it is the month of my birth) and I have had nothing but grief these past few weeks. In fact, both of my family cars ran into trouble at the same time and had to be sent in for auto repairs while all five of us, my dog not included, had to share one vehicle. It is quite terribly fascinating, really, and I have no intention on living through that again.
Also, I have to say that my updates are falling more and more behind because of my dilemmas and I feel I am disappointing many people by doing so. I shall try and quicken the pace but I will apologize in advance if I am unable.
And alas, this is where I warn you of Before Crisis spoilers. That, and that I'm not going to go much in detail about the game. I'm going to skip most of the storyline because, well frankly, I have never bought a phone in Japan to simply play it… Pardon.
The timeline for this game starts around Crisis Core and into the beginnings of Final Fantasy VII (PS1).
I'm changing the outcome of Before Crisis as well. Plus, I'm using the name Veld instead of Verdot for the man's name. I like it better. :}
If you're confused about some aspects, like the Before Crisis characters, please look them up.
Thank you for understanding and enjoy the next chapter.
Chapter 11
Zack ran up to Cloud. It had been a week since the exams and the results were yet to be announced. "Congratulations, Cloud! You made it! You're a 2nd class Soldier now!" He jumped into the air in joy only to come back down and rub his head.
Cloud was glaring at Zack over the head of his pillow. He had been sleeping rather peacefully when Zack had barged in and started all this raucous. He buried his face deeper into his pillow and started dozing again but it seemed Zack had other plans. He pulled Cloud up and off the bed and dragged him outside. Cloud bit back a growl of irritation, "Where are we going?" He blearily rubbed his eyes.
Zack grinned. "We have to go celebrate!"
Cloud felt himself very reluctant. "It's too early, Zack." He groaned. He blearily stared down the hall to where they were heading and automatically skidded to a stop. "Zack," he warned, "just where are you taking me?"
Zack was grinning from one ear to the other. "Why, to the announcement board, of course!"
Cloud's eyebrow twitched in irritation. There were bound to be a lot of people wanting to know their results and Cloud absolutely refused to go, "In my sleepwear?"
Zack looked at Cloud up and down and quirked a brow at the black pajamas. "I don't see anything wrong?"
Cloud snapped his jaw shut and spun on his bare heels. He was going to go back and change. Then, Zack could do whatever he liked. He sighed as he walked back down the hall. He was really cranky in the morning, especially without a warm drink after a hot shower… "I'll be right back."
Zack crossed his arms, still harboring that sly grin of something else, and nodded.
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There was something terribly wrong with him. No doubt about it. Sephiroth walked in a daze like manner around Shinra, unintentionally ignoring each and every being that greeted him on his way. There had to be something wrong with him. He heaved a big sigh as he rubbed his temples. There was just no possible way he could describe what he was feeling. He was lacking something, something crucial, and he didn't know what it was. After the battle with Cloud, he had felt overcome, feeling rather raw, and had experienced, for the first time, a strange instinctual urge to…do something…
He nearly growled with impatience and thundered the rest of the way down. Only one thing was for sure… he had absolutely no idea where he was going.
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Cloud was having lunch with Zack, Heinz, Kain, and Zemus, all congratulating themselves on passing and excitedly chatting about how Cloud had nearly bested the General when he noticed someone moving out of the corner of his eye. He thought it was strange; to notice this one person when there were a group of other people hanging out in the Cafeteria, but something about the way this person walked distracted him enough to make him defensive. Turning his head towards the direction of the stranger, he found himself staring at a Turk, and he was walking right towards him.
Cloud blinked as he noticed it was Tseng standing right in front of him. "Soldier, Cloud Strife?"
He turned around in his chair so that he could face Tseng directly. It was always the better option never to let your guard down in front of a Turk no matter how they helped or hunted you in the past, future… "Yes?"
Tseng nodded, acknowledging his attention. He held his hands behind his back and stood straighter than Cloud could ever think possible. "We have a mission for you. Please report to the briefing room on the forty-ninth floor as soon as possible."
Cloud quirked a brow, "A mission with both the Turks and Soldiers involved?"
Tseng looked at him in slight respect before nodding. "Then I assume you understand our situation in the company." Cloud slowly nodded. "Then please head there immediately." With that, he started walking away again.
Heinz and Zemus were gawking at him. "You have a mission already?"
Zack looked impressed as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Way to go, Cloud."
"I can't believe a Turk requested you specifically, "Heinz started, "you know they don't really work together with Soldiers."
"We've worked with him once before, right? On our way to Modeoheim." Zack indicated, "He's not as bad as he seems."
Cloud smiled knowingly. Though they had their differences, Tseng and the other Turks had worked with him and his group on occasions in the past future as well… "Who's the head of the Turks right now?"
Zack looked at him. "Huh? You don't know? It's that man called Veld."
"Veld?"
"Yeah," Zack looked up in thought, "I hear he's having trouble, though. Something about a rebel faction called Avalanche."
Cloud's eyes widened in surprise. Was this around the time where the original Avalanche rebellion group fell? This was a big surprise. He had originally thought that the faction had been destroyed by now, and it was strange. He nearly groaned, remembering the time when he had nearly died protecting Professor Rayleigh. He remembered he was grateful to the Turk that had rescued him during the time…but they had failed to protect the disk containing all the information on Soldier. "Avalanche? What are they trying to do?"
Zack shrugged with a bit of anger and sadness mingled together, "Dunno. I only know that I've lost close friends to them."
"Hm…" Cloud thought about all that had happened before but…, some things just didn't fit together. Like how Veld had disappeared with most of the Turks in later years, or how Tseng became the head…among other things. "Well, I guess I should go see what Tseng wants from me." He stood and threw the remaining contents of his lunch in the trash. Dusting his hands, he started for the door.
"Good luck!" Zack and the others waved.
"Thanks."
xxx xxx
Cloud went up to the forty-ninth floor of the Shinra building. It was where Soldier was mainly operated from and trained. Though, he'd never really had a chance to be here he actually knew his way around after raiding the building long time ago. He quickly made his way into the briefing room where Tseng and Director Lazard was waiting.
"Good afternoon, Soldier Strife." Lazard greeted as he indicated that Cloud sit in the chair in front of him. Tseng remained standing. "I suppose you're already aware that we have a mission for you and," he waved his hands in front of him, "don't worry. There is no need for mako in this mission."
Cloud quirked a brow but otherwise remained silent. It was true that he hadn't been injected with his dosage of mako yet but, glancing at Tseng, who stood with his eyes closed and a knowing smirk, he could tell the Director hadn't yet been informed of his already bearing mako. Or maybe the Turks were refusing to allow the information to leak out for whatever reason. "Director, are there any other Soldiers involved in this mission?"
Lazard shook his head in a negative. "No, I'm afraid not." He smiled, "But that is only because you seem to be the only one around to be able to pull this mission off." He chuckled as though there was something strange about the mission being assigned.
"I see…"
"Do not be alarmed, Strife. It is nothing like you think." Lazard flipped open a document file, pulled out a piece of paper, and slid the remaining papers in Cloud's general direction. Cloud opened it and flipped through. "This is the briefing for the mission. You are to accompany Rufus Shinra to a private party under a guise. There have been indicators that the leader of Avalanche has decided to crash the party and kidnap the President's son for ransom. He is to be a decoy, or bait, if you will. He must seem absolutely vulnerable to any attack and easy capture. You are to ensure that the plan does not happen and to capture the leader alive if possible." He stood, "Afterwards, you are to report to Veld. That is all." He chuckled again as though he found something humorous. "Tseng will show you the way."
Cloud looked up at Lazard confused, "Under a guise…,sir?"
"Yes," he said uncontrollably, "unfortunately, it was originally supposed to be a woman accompanying him but none of them would have been able to defend themselves outright in a battle. It has been determined that you are to go in their stead as you have the looks and the strength to pull this mission off."
Cloud faltered, greatly, "The…l-looks…,sir?" He couldn't believe this was happening.
Lazard looked at him thoughtfully with a hand under his chin. "Yes, the looks." He laughed, "You would easily pull for a female."
"You can't be –" Cloud gulped. "I-I mean, yes, sir…" He sighed.
Lazard nodded, obviously pleased. "Good. We'll be counting on you, Strife. Don't let us down." He directed towards Tseng, "Tseng will show you the way to the dresser. Afterwards, you are to meet him on the first floor before addressing Rufus. You'll be driven by car to the party with him. Do not act suspicious, get into the role as much as you can, and absolutely succeed this mission. Good luck to you Strife." He gathered the papers and left the room, leaving only Tseng and him in an awkward silence.
After a moment, apparently Tseng's way of letting the shock wear off, he was the first to speak. "I shall direct you to dressing rooms located," he opened the door and indicated out, "please follow me."
Cloud stood, albeit a bit wobbly, but surprisingly made it to the door. He gave a weak, "thanks…" before following Tseng to the elevators located at the end of the room. They walked to the dressers all the way in silence, Cloud unable to think of anything to say. He was just too preoccupied with the way things had turned out. Why had they chosen him to do the mission? Why couldn't it have been someone else? There were plenty female Soldiers in the vicinity, at least enough so that one of them could be spared to do the mission. Instead, they had stuck it to him. He sighed as he realized they had stopped with Tseng giving directions to three female employers, dressed in lab coats, who seemed highly amused at the situation.
Tseng turned back to Cloud after briefing the women about the situation. "Now that they understand our situation I shall leave you to them and await you in the first floor lobby. Report to me there after preparations are completed." He walked back to the elevator as the three women approached him.
"Well," one of the women, a blond haired woman who'd had her hair tied into a ponytail, "I've never been this excited about a strange mission before." She laughed lightly. "It's the first time I've heard of a mission like this."
Another woman, a brunette who had equally long hair nodded. "Yes. It really is strange for them to ask a male Soldier to dress female."
The third woman, who had black hair and sharp glasses looked at him assessing. "I believe we have our work cut out for us, but he may not make a bad girl." She smirked evilly that sent chills down Cloud's spine. "Truly," she said as she circled Cloud to get a better look, "this may turn out to be our best work yet." Cloud had a hard time swallowing. He didn't want to know what their original line of work was and knew he wouldn't want to know later. Indeed, why hadn't Lazard sent on of these scary and formidable, from the looks of it, women out onto the battlefield? He was betting they could best any Soldier any day.
Polished nails pushed up the black haired woman's glasses back into place as all three of them descended onto Cloud grinning sinisterly. Cloud barely fought the urge to scream.
xxx xxx
"Whew," The brunette slumped into the couch, "I can't believe we pulled it off."
The black haired woman was patting her sweaty brow with her handkerchief as she assessed their results with surprise, "Indeed, it truly is amazing."
The blond walked briskly over to stand where the other two were sitting on the couch and looked at him in their light, crossing her arms lightly as she did so. "Wow, I never knew a male could look so good dressed in drag." She tossed her ponytail back as it draped over her shoulder.
They all nodded in agreement. Cloud couldn't be more embarrassed. He couldn't believe he was doing this again. He'd thought that the last time was the last time he would dress like a woman but apparently, looking horridly into the mirror, he'd been wrong. They had given him extensions in his hair and a slim white dress that had a slit halfway down. He even had white lengthy earrings that jangled at his every move and slim gloves that reached beyond his elbows. He gawked. He knew he had been slim younger but he didn't think he'd been that slim! He spun in a flurry, his high heels nearly tripping him in the process. "Isn't there anything else I could wear? I don't think I'd be able to fight in…" he looked down with a gesture, "this!"
The three women waved their hands in negatives while shaking their heads. Apparently, they disagreed. "Of course not," it was the brunette, "but we're sure you'll be able to pull it off." She grinned widely before turning towards the other two, "I can't wait to get video footage of the party. It'll be so much fun!"
The other two nodded in agreement with smiles on their faces. "Hm~, it would be interesting" the black hair commented thoughtfully, "The other men might even fall for him."
The blond laughed, "Then, when they find out the truth, all of them will be questioning their sexual preferences." She hugged her stomach in laughter, wiping a tear she added, "I know I have."
"I can't wait to see the look on Tseng's face when he sees this. I love how there are cameras all over Shinra!" The brunette rushed to the overly large computer screens adorning one wall of the room. Looking back, she blew Cloud a kiss, "We'll be watching you, hun, so go out there and have some fun!" She waved.
The black haired woman tossed him a white fur coat. "Wouldn't want you to get a chill along the way, now would we?" She winked at him. "Good luck on your mission, boy. Don't get yourself killed because we'd love for you to visit us again."
"Oh," the blond clapped her hands once, "we forgot to mention our names." She smiled happily, "I'm Reina, the one at the computer's Sera, and glasses over there's Lira."
"I'm…Cloud…,"
Reina squealed, "Oh how utterly adorable. Nobody would expect you to be a guy with that kind of name. I like it. Well," she nudged him towards the exit, "we wouldn't want anyone waiting. You'd better hurry. Now, go get 'em tiger!"
Cloud couldn't believe it. There was no way he was going to be having fun dressed like this. He sighed. There was nothing he could do about it now, so he headed for the staircase. He didn't have keycards to use the elevators yet so he would have to walk all the way down. This was going to be terribly exciting…
xxx xxx
Cloud quickly rushed panting down the halls. He had been quietly walking through the halls of the Soldier floor when he was suddenly bumped into by a couple of Soldier 3rd classes. To his utmost horror, they had start hitting on him this way and that, asked him questions about where he was heading, and inquired whether they might help him with anything along the way. Cloud had just rapidly shaken his head, not trusting his voice, and walked away as fast as he could. He'd thought that they'd just give up when, suddenly, other voices started following the ones that had already been calling to him. Now, glancing back, there was a whole horde of male Soldiers bunching down the hallways and straight towards him. What was wrong with them all?
"Damn it." He cursed under his breath. He was having a cold sweat.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Sephiroth had been wandering around, wondering whether he should contact Cloud now or later about the documents when he suddenly felt the ground beneath him vibrate. He raised a brow and went to investigate when his phone rang. It was Lazard asking him to check out the disturbance on the forty-ninth floor. Apparently, something, or someone, was causing a disturbance and they were told to stop it. Flipping the phone close, Sephiroth went to investigate the raucous.
He stepped out of the elevator and walked down the narrow path before him. But, upon reaching its end, he felt the ground shift underneath him before a flurry of white ran past him. Their eyes met for a brief second before she was gone… A crowd followed close behind, calling at her in every way possible. Sephiroth froze, unable to take a step further.
He snapped, realizing he had been standing in the same position he had been five minutes ago. But the sight had just shocked him. Was he…attracted to the female? He shook his head in disbelief, and it was a female if her dress was anything to go by. But that couldn't be. He had often felt the same way towards Cloud… Then, did that mean he was attracted to Cloud, as well? He felt terribly disoriented.
He drew in a breath. Now that he thought of it, the blond female seemed remarkably similar to Cloud in so many ways… Deciding he needed more confirmation, he headed in the direction of the rumbling areas.
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Cloud was now blushing profusely of embarrassment. He had locked eyes with Sephiroth. Sephiroth had seen him. Sephiroth had seen him dressed as a girl. Ah~! This couldn't get any worse, was what he thought as he headed towards the stairway leading to the lower floors, the others still hot in pursuit. Now, he was going to be looked down upon in every aspect of the day. He gave a groan of resignation as his footfalls were heard down the stairwell. Unfortunately, and out of nowhere, the second his feet had hit the first floor he had bumped into a hard wall blocking his way. He grabbed his nose as he slid onto the steps from the impact. He was squinting back his tears as he noticed there were no sounds coming from behind him. Huh?
"…Cloud?" Cloud froze. That was Sephiroth's voice, and looking up he confirmed that it was Sephiroth. He faltered before looking behind him. All of the other Soldiers were frozen in place, either unable to move or unwilling to go up against the General.
"Uh…," he didn't look back at Sephiroth, "yeah…" he squeaked before he looked down embarrassed.
Sephiroth seemed to notice his discomfort and tore his eyes away to glare sharply at the remaining underlings. "Leave this area immediately." He warned and within minutes, everyone scattered. Sighing, he glanced back at Cloud and crouched down on the stairwell beside him. He offered his hand, "Care to explain?"
Cloud grumbled before taking his hand. "I was chosen for a mission." He explained as Sephiroth helped him stand, "I'm supposed to look after Rufus at some party. Something about Avalanche targeting him there or something." He was still grumbling and was unable to meet Sephiroth's eyes.
Now, Sephiroth was absolutely sure. Although he wasn't attracted to the fairer sex, Cloud was changing his perspectives quite a bit when handling the female part of the race. He looked…attractive… "With Rufus?" He found he simply couldn't accept that. He finally realized what the feeling that had been bothering him before was. Possessiveness. He realized he didn't want Cloud's attention on anyone else beside's him. Was that how he was supposed to feel to someone he considered…his friend…? No, that couldn't be right. He had never felt that way towards Genesis, Angeal, or Zack. In fact, he had hardly cared whether Genesis was degenerating or when Angeal had betrayed him. Though, he had foreseen Angeal's betrayal…
"Yeah, I'm supposed to accompany him…" Cloud started walking down the steps in a slow paced manner, "to a party."
Sephiroth found himself unconsciously following Cloud's retreating form down the stairs. He was frowning now. "And leave yourself vulnerable to attack?" He didn't want Cloud harming himself in battle when he could have very well protected himself, or have been protected.
He finally looked back at Sephiroth, but with a frown of his own. "I can handle myself."
Sephiroth remembered that he had recently encountered the leader of Avalanche, a female, but her powers were impressive and strange. "Do not leave your guard down, Cloud. Your enemy is more formidable than you think."
Cloud looked at him thoughtfully. "Huh, well if you're impressed, it might really end up being a challenge bringing them back alive." He shrugged, something Sephiroth thought was graceful despite him being in a dress. Cloud sighed and frowned in disdain, "I can't believe I'm doing this again…"
Sephiroth quirked a brow, curious, "Again?"
They had now reached the lower floors of Shinra. The lobby was close. Cloud warily regarded Sephiroth's curiosity. "It's nothing."
"I see…" Sephiroth kept staring at Cloud's back until they had reached the first floor of Shinra and let out a breath of air. The white fur coat was making Cloud illuminate much more than it should and the thought that Cloud might attract quite a bit of attention was bothering Sephiroth deeply.
Cloud paused at the foot of the stairs, "Oh, I see Tseng." He took a step forward before looking back, "Thanks for helping me back there." He smiled, which froze Sephiroth to his spot. He wouldn't have budged even if he were to be run through with a sword. "We'll talk about things later." He rushed off towards Tseng, and Sephiroth took a step forward. He paused, restraining himself from stopping Cloud… Why did he spurn the thought of Cloud running towards someone else? …He simply stood and watched Cloud.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Tseng regarded Cloud with new light in his eyes. "That is very impressive." He nodded his approval. "An outstanding job."
Cloud's brow twitched. "I'm flattered but shouldn't we be going somewhere?"
Tseng merely smiled. "Of course." He led the way right out through the automatic doors. Cloud followed but found he was reluctant to do so when he saw a Rufus leaning against a black car, waiting for them. He pulled his coat tighter, it was also cold out.
Rufus pushed himself off of the car and regarded Cloud curiously, though Cloud looked at him less than enthusiastically. He held out his hand in an introductory fashion and smiled. "Rufus Shinra."
Cloud reluctantly accepted the hand, "Cloud Strife."
They clasped hands but, just then, Rufus pulled him closer. Cloud started, their faces merely inches apart, when Rufus gave a sly smile. "Cloud hm…?" He said as though tasting the name. "The pleasure's mine." He turned away and put a hand on Cloud's back, directing him towards the opened door of the car. Cloud got in. He turned to Tseng with a smirk. "We'll handle it from here. Keep watch in case things go wrong."
Tseng nodded, "Of course."
Rufus got into the car after Cloud before the car sped away into the night.
Tseng let out a small breath of air. Things might end up going wrong on a completely different note.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Sephiroth had been watching the whole interaction play out and was absolutely infuriated. He nearly growled, murderous, realizing that he had crushed the handrail of the staircase with one hand and now held Masamune in a trembling grip in the other. He stopped, glancing at himself and what he was doing. What had incited such a reaction? He looked over to where the counter girl stared at him wide eyed with fear. Had she been there the entire time? He looked back over to where Tseng, Rufus, and Cloud had been standing and grimaced. He re-sheathed Masamune and turned back up the stairs. He hadn't liked how close Rufus had gotten to Cloud.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Rufus led Cloud out of the car by the hand, which Cloud still took reluctantly. They had arrived at the party and Cloud was feeling a cold sweat down his spine. There was absolutely no way he could pull this off. He just couldn't, and the thought was making him terribly self-conscious. How had he been talked into this again? Oh, yes, it had been Tseng and Lazard… If he ever got his hands on them again…
Rufus put Cloud's hand on his arm and held it. "Try and act natural," he whispered, "otherwise, you might bring more attention to yourself."
Cloud meekly nodded. "Yes, sir…"
They walked up the steps and into the Grand Hall. "Call me Rufus." They were greeted by two doormen on either side, who bowed at their arrival.
"Is there anything you require assistance with, sir?" The one on the right, Rufus's side, asked.
Rufus simply waved his hand away indicating that he did not. "No." They continued walking until two double doors were opened in their path. Cloud couldn't help but gawk. The building was magnificent in splendor. It was decorated in reds and gold, the ceiling a dome with beautiful arcs, and pillars supporting the structure on both sides. If Cloud were to say anything about it, it was that it was a castle that he had never seen. Rufus seemed to notice Cloud's awe and leaned in with a sly smile, "Does it please you?"
Cloud snapped his head back down from staring at the ceiling at the sound of his voice. He glanced away, refusing to look Rufus straight in the face. The situation was embarrassing already; he didn't need to make it even more so, though he simply nodded to answer Rufus' question. "It's…nice…"
Rufus led Cloud down a grand step of stairs, leading into the main ballroom… and it was a ballroom. Though everybody was now staring, it was obvious to Cloud that these were all rich and important businessmen. Rufus leaned in to whisper into his ear, "Surprisingly, you're more beautiful than I would have thought possible for a man in Soldier."
Cloud whipped his head around to look at him, surprised. Now, what exactly, was Rufus saying? "What?"
Rufus shook his head, "Don't take any offense. I was merely complimenting you." They reached the bottom and were immediately greeted by many of the guests in the house. It was also obvious that these people had intimate business relations to Shinra.
One particularly well dressed gentleman, who also bore a monocle, came up with his wife and made quite the impression on Cloud. "Good evening," the man said, "how wonderful it is that you made it." He laughed heartily and twirled with his long mustache.
"I had nothing of particular interest to do at the company, so I thought I'd make an appearance," Rufus casually explained.
"I see." He heartily smiled. "Hm?" He looked at Cloud, fixing his monocle with one hand, "And who is this strapping young lady?"
Cloud blushed ashamed. He instantly looked down and hid a little behind Rufus. He most definitely didn't trust his voice enough to answer. Fortunately, he didn't have to. Rufus did it for him, "This is Cloud." He indicated with a hand, "Though, she's a bit shy."
"How wonderful," he laughed happily, "such a charming young lady." He looked at Cloud with an extended hand, "It is a pleasure, my lady." Cloud had difficulty swallowing but accepted the hand, nodding, which the man immediately kissed over with a bow. Now he was really glad of the gloves. He looked up, releasing the hand, "Have a good evening, dear lady." He smiled, and with that, left chatting happily with his wife.
Rufus gave an impressed smile. "I'm surprised you managed to fool them." He glanced at Cloud's aghast expression, "Though…I was pretty fooled myself the first time I saw you." He chuckled and looked away, "Imagine," he shrugged, "me being fooled by a man dressed like an angel."
Cloud nearly hurled. "Please…stop, sir…"
Rufus frowned and looked at him again. "I told you to call me Rufus."
Cloud glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "…Rufus…" he whispered looking away.
"Hm…" Rufus crossed his arms before smiling again, "It's strange I can't seem to stay mad at you for long," He turned and looked at the crowd before them, "When those incompetent fools always seem to grate on my nerves."
"I see…"
Rufus laughed, running a hand through his hair. "Don't take it personally but, most times I even find those in Soldier to be incompetent." He huffed a couple times before grabbing Cloud by the arm and dragging him somewhere, Cloud obediently followed without questions.
They arrived at a table lined with the most extravagant foods Cloud had ever seen, in this lifetime and the last. He couldn't believe that this was what rich people spent their money on but…looking at the selections, he would've been tempted to as well. Glancing at Rufus, he found him plating a couple things and wolfing them down in an impatient manner while looking at the crowd. Cloud looked back at the selection of foods but found he couldn't bring himself to simply grab and eat all that money. Apparently, though, Rufus seemed to notice his hesitation and started piling up a plate of everything before handing it to him. "Eat it. It doesn't taste bad."
Cloud accepted it with uncertainty. "Thank you…"
Rufus's brow rose curiously. "If you're still indecisive, I can also help you eat it." He suggested with a shrug.
Cloud looked at him defensively before grabbing on and shoving it in his mouth. He paused, faltering. Chewing more slowly, he realized that the little thing he had just taken a bite out of was more than delicious. He took another from his plate and ate that one as well, and the one after, and the one after. He never noticed Rufus looking at him with amusement in his eyes.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Sephiroth was pacing wildly in his study. He simply couldn't sit still. It felt like he was being cheated of something important but he couldn't quite place what it was. He growled, frustrated. He needed to find the source of his distraction and fast.
Zack barged in just at that moment. "Hey," he waved, "have you seen Cloud?"
Sephiroth paused mid-step. Cloud… He felt something within his chest tighten at the thought of Cloud leaving with Rufus. Immediately, he came to the realization that his anxiety had something to do with Cloud. He immediately rushed out the door.
"H-Hey," Zack followed him running, "Sephiroth?"
"We have to find Cloud."
Zack skidded to a stop, a disbelieving look on his face. "Hey…," he pointed at Sephiroth, "did you just call Cloud by his name?" he grinned. "I knew it! You like him!" He punched a fist into the air in victory, "I knew you guys would be fast friends."
Sephiroth spun on his heels, facing Zack faster than the eye could see, and froze. "…like?" Did…he like Cloud…?
"Yeah," Zack rushed up to him and patted him on the shoulder, "I mean, you guys are so similar!" He hailed laughing.
Sephiroth's face fell. Did he like Cloud? Sephiroth thought about it and easily found that the answer was yes but…did that mean he cared for him? He frowned and looked at Zack, "What do you mean by 'like'?"
Zack looked at him confused, "Just what I said." He put his hands on his hips, "Don't you like him enough to worry about him or something?" He cocked his head and frowned, "Huh, isn't how you felt towards Genesis and Angeal the same as what you're feeling towards Cloud?"
No. That was the immediate answer that came to Sephiroth and he couldn't help but be hesitant to answer. He looked at Zack, wondering if he could wring the answers about what he was feeling from him while keeping Zack ignorant of them. He stood straighter and crossed his arms. "Zack," he began, "I had no particular affections for Genesis nor Angeal."
Zack cocked his head to one side, "Really?" He put a hand on his chin and looked deep in thought, "Then," he looked back up confused, "how do you feel about Cloud?"
Sephiroth shrugged. "I am unsure." He simply stated.
"Oh." Zack looked put-out.
He sighed, which made Zack look at him, "And how are you supposed to feel about a friend, Zack?"
Zack crossed his arms and grinned, "Like you should protect them and trust them." He said without hesitation, "They're always there for you and you know you can count on them." He went on excitedly. "Or if they watch your back while you watch theirs!"
Sephiroth waved his hand indicating that he'd had enough. It was true that the things Zack had mentioned were what he felt towards Cloud but, that hadn't explained his other feelings for him. Now, how was he supposed to get that sort of information from Zack? Who did Zack… "…How is Aerith?"
Ah, it seemed Sephiroth had found the right switch when Zack's expression changed, "Oh, she's great!" He laughed, scratching the back of his head. "I couldn't live without her."
Sephiroth knit his brows together indicating he didn't understand. "You cannot?"
"Yeah, it's like she's my other half. We have a lot in common," he laughed, "Sometimes, I can't stop thinking about her."
"I see…" This wasn't helping at all. He turned to continue walking away.
"Well, I guess you could say that I love her."
Now that gave Sephiroth an abrupt stop. He turned back towards Zack. "Love?" His gut clenched at the thought, and it wasn't a good feeling. What was love to him? He looked at Zack in disbelief.
Zack matched Sephiroth's doubtful look with a confused look of his own. "Yeah, love." He frowned, "Haven't you ever loved anyone before?"
Sephiroth looked at him blankly.
Zack slapped his forehead in utter disbelief. "You haven't?" he chuckled nervously, "I mean, you can't not have…right?" When Sephiroth still didn't answer, Zack groaned. "Look," he tried to explain, "haven't you ever felt like you had to protect a person no matter what?" He raised a brow in question, "Or felt that you had to stay by them through the worst of times?"
Sephiroth was now wholly disinterested and he indicated that he was by walking away again. "The President." He answered dryly.
Zack fought to catch up to him, "No, not like that!" he laughed. How could the world's greatest General be so ignorant when it came to love? "Okay," Zack thought about it, "then let's start with something smaller. What about someone you admire? Like your father, or something?"
Sephiroth kept walking but looked at Zack sharply, "My father is no concern of mine. I've never met him."
"Oh." Zack looked disheartened. "Then what about just someone you admire?"
Sephiroth thought about it. There were never many people he thought about that had impressed him in the least. "I admire no one..." Pausing, he thought about it again. For the last couple of times, he had been consistently impressed by Cloud. Could he have begun to admire "…Cloud?"
Zack's jaw dropped, though with good humor. "You admire Cloud?" he couldn't help but laugh, "That's strange, for the General to admire someone who just turned Soldier." Zack added thoughtfully, "Though, Cloud really is impressive. I can't believe he stood up against you for nearly an hour!" Zack started chatting about how great Cloud was in this and that. Sephiroth merely ignored him and continued his brisk pace. It didn't matter that he had stopped, before, to listen to Zack. That strange distracting feeling was still egging at him.
It didn't matter. He would find Cloud and determine what was making him feel so agitated.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
There was a crash through one of the high windows lining the dome of a ceiling. Cloud automatically grabbed Rufus and pulled them both behind the tables where he had been indulging himself greatly in earlier. There was a shriek and Cloud peaked out and around the table fast enough to spot three people shooting through the windows in a blur of olive greens to land, with weapons drawn, on the ground. Cloud blinked, they were situated with one person a little forward at the center and the other two flanking the back. Squinting, he made out that the leader of the trio was indeed a girl.
She held up her sword, her beige cape billowing out behind her. "Which one of you is Rufus Shinra?" she demanded.
Cloud looked behind him at Rufus, who was currently occupying the floor in a calm type of manner. "Rufus…, sir." Rufus frowned at that, "Please take cover while I try and deal with the situation."
He waved his hand in incompliance. "Drop the 'sir'."
Cloud gritted his teeth. Why did he have to be so stubborn? It's not like he ever minded the Turks calling him 'sir' or 'sire' or 'boss' or whatever else they could come up with. "Please…Rufus…" he grit out.
He smirked, obviously pleased with his little victory, but shook his head in a slight manner and shrugged. He sighed. "I'm not one to go play hide and seek." He made a move to stand, "And I never back down in the face of an enemy." He stood and carefully walked out into the opening. The enemy's entrance had cleared the center of any tables, chairs, or the like so nothing hindered Rufus' path. Cloud attempted to stop him but that would've given away his position. He clenched his hand in a fist as Rufus stepped over broken glass and littered junk while making his way to the center. "I'm Rufus Shinra." He announced.
That bastard! Cloud nearly growled for all the trouble he was receiving trying to protect a man who intentionally put himself in harm's way. "Damn it." He cursed under his breath.
Cloud watched as the girl stepped a little closer, her fist tightening around her sword hilt. "I am called Elfé, the leader of Avalanche!" She looked around, tugging her gloves tighter and observing the battleground. "Where is your silver-haired warrior?"
Rufus tipped his head a little to one side and put his hands into his pockets, a movement that seemed to make Elfé nervous, "Sephiroth? He's not here right now." Rufus still held that calm demeanor which led everyone to believe he was unfazed by the situation.
"I see…" Elfé walked a little to the right, unconcerned about whatever threat Rufus might prove to be. She lowered her sword and looked at the food left on one of the remaining upright tables next to her. Seeming dissatisfied, she turned back to Rufus, "Is this what you spend your money on, Shinra?" she glowered menacingly, looking distasteful. "How pitiful."
Rufus shrugged unmoved, "It's no concern of yours."
She glared, pointing her sword towards his chest. "It soon shall be." She hissed, taking up position. She whipped her head towards Rufus and the other two that had flanked her before walked up. "Restrain him." she ordered, "We'll need him alive for the fall of Shinra…for now."
Cloud scowled as he leaned back against the fallen table. He lifted his coat sleeve to reveal the bangle he was glad to have brought along. In it were a couple of his stored materia…especially one in particular. He concentrated greatly until the materia started glowing brightly. He lifted his arm and directed it in the general direction of the girl, Elfé. "Alexander!"
All four of them at the center paused. Soon there was a huge rumbling along the ground before the summon 'Alexander' came roiling upward. Dropping on its two massive arms, it glared right down at Elfé. Elfé backed up a step, "W-Wha?"
"Don't kill her!" Cloud yelled, "We only need to subdue her!"
Alexander roiled in response, taking a quick glance at Cloud and seeming happy that it was, indeed, Cloud, before looking back down at Elfé. She brought up her sword and stood defensively against the massive creature. Alexander rumbled as his Judgment attack came down on and around Elfé. Apparently, as Alexander's Judgment skill was being blocked by a shield that had surrounded her body, Alexander had already known about it. The attack went on relentlessly with Elfé down on one knee, with a strained look, and her sword up in a blocking motion as though it would apply more pressure.
Elfé struggled as she was being dredged into the ground in a crater created by the force of impact. "H-How…can this be?" she strained out with a grunt.
Cloud took this opportunity to knock out the two Avalanche grunts and to reach where Rufus was standing, right behind the impenetrable fortress that was Alexander. "Rufus!" Cloud called. "We need to get you and everyone else out of here."
Rufus, still looking unconcerned, stared up at Alexander's massive body. "I'm impressed." He smirked. He looked at Cloud, "You're more than meets the eye, Cloud."
Cloud felt his brow twitch with irritation. How could he be so calm and stand there looking so inconspicuously unperturbed? He suddenly had the insane urge to slap the man straight, but refrained. "We need to get out of here." He strained each syllable. He looked towards how Alexander was faring against Elfé and grimaced. She was still crouching but she was on two feet now. They were in a losing situation.
Elfé suddenly gave a burst of energy and shot Alexander's attack away. She stood there panting and shaking with agitation as she threw a glare at Rufus, then at Cloud. "Who are you?" she demanded, she glanced at Cloud from top to bottom, trying to determine whether he was important in any way.
"Cloud Strife!" he shot back. "I'm here to detain you."
She looked at him from top to bottom again with utter disbelief. "They sent…a woman…?"
Cloud groaned with a hand to his forehead. Of course she wouldn't take him seriously dressed like this! He huffed, "You have no right to judge my abilities," he waved a hand towards her, "as you are female yourself." He tried to put a bit of force into his voice so that his embarrassment wouldn't show.
She frowned, putting her sword in position again. "Very well. It doesn't matter. All Shinra must fall!" She charged.
"Alexander!" Cloud yelled. Alexander shifted fast enough so that one of his arms now blockaded the path between them. Elfé skidded to a stop. "So you are the one who summoned the beast!" she yelled over the top of Alexander's massive structure.
Cloud ignored her and turned to Rufus who, irritatingly enough seemed to be enjoying this whole outplay of force. "We need to get everybody else out of here." He strained. He glanced around to find all the guests huddled about behind the fallen tabletops, all of them desperately trying to avoid the battle. Cloud growled in irritation. If they didn't receive backup soon, the whole place might just come crumbling down with all the people in it.
He snorted, "Look around you, Cloud." He spread his arms out. Cloud looked around, figuring he'd see the same thing he saw a couple seconds ago…he blinked in surprise. Why hadn't he noticed it before? "Is that a barrier?"
Rufus nodded. The entire center was wrapped around in what looked like a very strong barrier. Rufus indicated towards a group of people off to the left side of them. Cloud noticed that the gentleman they had greeted earlier and his wife were also among the group. The entire group seemed to be concentrating, each on their own…bangles? "Huh?"
Rufus chuckled, "They are a company that specializes in the production of Materia, a company right under our own." He shrugged nonchalantly, "Of course, besides the ones gathered there, not many people in that company can actually use the materia." He glanced back at Cloud, "Satisfied?"
Cloud slowly nodded, though with a frown, "But you're still in danger."
"And so are you."
He frowned even more, "I can handle myself." Cloud looked back at Alexander to see that Elfé had been trying to get past. He still hadn't figured a way to put a dent in that shield of hers. "Alexander, put a chasm between us!"
Rumbling in response, Alexander shot out his holy attack and created a large gap in between them and Elfé, who seemed to cry indignantly in response. "That will not stop me!" she declared. She drew her sword out in front of her and started charging. As her foot landed at the edge of the, rather large in Cloud's opinion, chasm she leaped.
Cloud only had barely enough time to react. He held out his hand and invoked another materia from his wrist. It was a Hell Thundaga materia and it shot directly into Elfé. She was thrown back, harshly, with a grunt. Rufus whistled, "How did you manage to find such strong materia?" he asked curiously.
Cloud shifted. He couldn't tell Rufus that he had mastered fusing materia in the past future. It would reveal too much, especially with him able to cast them all effortlessly. Instead, he just shrugged it off, "I found them while I was traveling around, before I became Soldier." Even as he said this he had never quite taken his eyes off of Elfé, and for good reason. She was getting back up again.
"I won't be defeated so easily." She grunted out, rising back onto her feet with a struggle. She charged again and leapt towards them once more with fury in her eyes.
Cloud threw another blast of thunder but it was being held off by her sword. He kept at it, his concentration never wavering. "Alexander," he called, "merge your attack with mine!" Alexander automatically beamed right at Elfé and fused his attack together with Cloud's thunder. The effect was drastic. The instant Alexander's Judgment and Clouds Hell Thundaga touched, a shockwave of power exploded into one point causing a large circular crater underneath them all in effect. Elfé had been successfully knocked back.
"No…" Cloud heard Elfé struggle to stand again. Her shield was cracking from around her and it was coming down fast. Elfé punched the ground. "No!" she yelled through gritted teeth, "I won't give up!" She struggled to stand.
Cloud sighed and left Rufus' side, walking to the edge of the chasm which separated them. "Give up." He called. "You have lost."
She glared at him, still struggling to get up, "No! I won't lose to Shinra!"
He frowned. Why was she resisting so hard? "Why are you doing this?"
She ground her teeth as she spat out, "Many of my comrades were killed by Shinra. I can't forgive that."
Cloud stared at her. Somehow, he couldn't muster up any pity or sympathy for this girl. He had seen far too much already… "And you're going to avenge them by killing yourself?"
"…" She didn't answer.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Give up."
"…"
Cloud flipped his phone open and dialed a phone number he, surprisingly, knew by heart. Earlier, Tseng had handed him his number to keep in contact in case things went wrong but Cloud hadn't needed to look at it to know his number hadn't changed over the many years of his being a Turk… The phone rang twice before it clicked, 'Tseng, here.'
"Tseng? We've got her under custody." He scratched his head, "I wasn't sure what Veld's number was…"
'I understand. We'll be over immediately.' He hung up.
Cloud turned back to Rufus, who seemed to be frustrated about something. He walked over after making sure Elfé wasn't going to be moving any time soon. Apparently, when he had shot the Hell Thundaga, together with Alexander's Judgment, it had grazed past her shields just enough to hit her. Now, she was mildly affected with poison and her legs were temporarily petrified. "Something wrong?"
Rufus looked at him with a bored expression, his hands in his pockets and gave a half shrug, "If my father weren't so incompetent…"
Cloud rubbed his forehead. Now it was all coming back together, and he remembered why he found Rufus irritating most of the time. He remembered, before, that Rufus had been out for his father's position in the company for a long time and that he was set out to rule in fear, not money and power… "So," he asked as if he didn't know the answer, "you want to take the company from your father?"
Rufus smirked with mischief, "There is nothing that the old man can do anymore. He's running the company into the ground." He ground out in irritation.
Cloud suddenly realized that his feet were starting to hurt and slid to sit on the ground. He took the time to take the straps off his heels… "How differently would you do things?" he continued asking as though he were genuinely curious.
Rufus didn't seem to mind answering. "Money and power can hold someone's attention only for so very long," he started, "but people never forget their fears."
Cloud sighed again. "If I was scared all the time," he glanced up at Rufus after he had successfully taken off one shoe, "I'd be all the more tired."
Rufus looked at him thoughtfully then. "Then, what do you suppose is the best solution?"
Cloud thought about what sort of answer he should give. He distinctly remembered that Rufus hadn't cared even a tiny bit about the Planet's welfare back in the past, his past, and that had only changed until after everything had gone wrong, so saying 'By caring for the Planet and its people' would probably be the worst answer he could give… He frowned, distinctly remembering another little fact. Someone had once mentioned that Avalanche had been funded by Rufus in the past, which gave him an idea of what Rufus' thoughts were at the time. Of course, he couldn't just blurt out that he knew, "I'm not sure. I don't think I was ever made for business or politics." He settled for untying the other shoe instead of saying too much.
Rufus crossed his arms, "Hm…"
"Where is she?" Cloud turned towards the direction of the voice and stood after he had successfully taken off the other shoe. When he looked at the person again, he realized the man was someone he had never seen before. Though, judging from the way Tseng flanked him, he was guessing this man was Veld.
"She?"
The man looked worried; his brows knitting and making him seem more prominent, "My daughter, Felicia!" he stressed.
Cloud was taken aback, "She's your daughter?" Even Rufus looked mildly surprised at the discovery. Cloud turned towards where he knew Elfé was lying on the ground, listening to every word. Of course, neither Veld nor Tseng could make her out because Alexander's arm lie in the way…
Tseng walked up to him, as calm as ever. "We need to contain her quickly. She is a risk unto herself and everything around her."
Cloud nodded and looked up at Alexander, "Alexander, we can handle everything from here. Thanks."
Alexander rumbled in response before quaking the floor and disappearing. Cloud noticed both Tseng and Veld looked startled. Apparently, they hadn't realized that the large building looking structure had been a materia summon, and very much alive. "She's over there." Cloud indicated to the girl lying angrily on the floor. "But be careful. I only paralyzed her temporarily. The effect should wear off in a couple hours."
Veld immediately went towards the edge of the chasm and looked at the daughter he hadn't seen in ages. "Felicia." He sighed relieved. He shuffled around his suit until he pulled a strange materia from his inner pocket. "This is the support materia for Zirconiade that Fuhito wanted to use." He explained with a soft smile, "I'm glad we found you when we did or your life might have been in danger."
She looked at him strangely before she was suddenly overcome with remembering something. "D…D-Daddy?"
Tseng stepped up next to Veld, "Fuhito has been dispatched."
Veld edged closer. "Felicia, the Zirconiade materia grafted to the back of your hand was left with enough strength to shield you but," he started forward again only to have Tseng hold him back, "that's going to run out soon."
Elfé looked scornful. "I've been betrayed…"
"Fuhito has used you…" Veld looked around, hearing someone's phone go off. It was Rufus'… He quickly turned back to Elfé. "We have to get out of here, quickly." He pressed for urgency. "We're not safe here anymore."
Cloud quickly looked at Rufus' passive face. Apparently, his father had taken to calling him… "The situation?" Rufus confirmed into the phone. "Hm…? There's –"
Cloud quickly stepped up and snatched his phone away. He flipped it shut and gave a stern look towards Rufus. "Don't you dare try…." He threatened. He knew enough about the Turks to know that they didn't retire from the job except in a body bag. He knew Veld and his daughter were really going to be chased all around the globe, especially since he was the chief and knowing too much classified info about the company, and Cloud wanted to give them a head start.
Rufus merely raised a curious brow in Cloud's direction. "Something bothering you?"
Cloud let out an irritated huff. "You never change do you…" he whispered more to himself.
Rufus was about to say something when they were suddenly interrupted by a crash through one of the other remaining windows. A body landed right in back of Elfé. She looked startled, "Fuhito!"
"He's alive?" Tseng drew his gun.
"Don't move!" Fuhito yelled. He drew Elfé up by the arm, though she still couldn't use her legs, and dragged her a little backwards.
"Felicia!" Veld inched as close as he could without falling through.
Fuhito ripped one of Elfé's gloves off, the one that had the materia, and extracted the sphere brutally. Elfé gave a cry of pain before she was tossed aside onto the floor. Fuhito glared at Veld and put his hand out, "Hand me the materia or your daughter dies before your very eyes."
Veld looked at him with malice. "Don't you dare touch her." He threatened.
"Hand over the materia." He demanded more firmly.
"…Fine." He carefully tossed the strange looking materia across the chasm and into Fuhito's awaiting hand.
Fuhito smirked. "Good, now I have all the pieces…" He stepped back a couple of times before raising his hands into the air. Four similarly shaped materia floated above him and into a circle. The Zirconiade materia started glowing with strong energy. "Finally…"
"Stop!" Cloud felt the sudden urge to try and stop this madness. He had felt the pulse from the strange materia and had compelled to take a step forward. "Don't summon him!"
Fuhito started cackling with as much insanity as Hojo once had. Cloud involuntarily shivered at the thought. "Now, Zirconiade will destroy all life on this planet and allow it to survive for a little bit longer." The entire area was flashed in a green light until Cloud couldn't see anything anymore.
Cloud managed to crack open his eyes after feeling the light dissipate a little. He looked around and realized that there were only four of them there. Everybody else had disappeared. He choked, "Are we…in a different dimension?"
Veld was looking desperately around for Elfé while Tseng took a quick glance at Rufus to see that he was unhurt. "It seems we have been transported into Zirconiade's realm." Tseng deduced.
"Damn…" Cloud cursed, tossing his shoes off to the side. He glanced at Tseng off to the side. "I don't suppose you have a change of clothes somewhere…? This outfit is really getting to me…"
Tseng quirked an amused eyebrow. "I see no problem."
Cloud muttered angrily off to the side. "Then what about another weapon? I can't keep using my materia forever."
The other three only looked at him before drawing what guns they had. Rufus held a sawed shotgun, Tseng his pistol, and Veld what seemed like an extra gun and a materia slotted into his prosthetic arm… Fortunately, Tseng seemed to have an extra gun in his arsenal and handed it to Cloud. "I hope you know how to use this."
It was Cloud's turn to quirk a brow. "I was only an infantryman a little while ago." He reminded.
"Ah, yes." Tseng seemed unmoved.
Cloud checked the clips Tseng had handed to him as extras and unlocked the safety of the gun. "We should split into two groups. We'll find Fuhito and the support materia faster that way."
Tseng and Veld nodded while Rufus seemed to take everything leisurely. "Then –" Tseng was immediately cut off.
Rufus suddenly grabbed Cloud's arm and hauling him forward. "Take the left." he ordered the Turks, "We'll cover the right. Meet us towards the end." The other two nodded.
"H-Hey!" Cloud was having trouble keeping up with Rufus' brisk pace while being dragged by one arm. "Slow down!" He reluctantly complied as they made their way around the maze like area. Something, besides the fact that they had transported to another dimension bothered him, if only a little, "It's too quiet…" It was true. There were no monsters or obstructions blocking their path towards Zirconiade.
Rufus kept his pace. "That makes it easier for us."
They quickly made their way through the maze like area until they stumbled upon a one-way path. Cloud sighed. "I think the summon is just beyond that point."
Rufus snorted. "Let's go."
True enough, as they made their way inside, Cloud spotted an enormous creature floating before them with its eyes closed. Rufus paused while Cloud attempted to approach it a little with his gun drawn. He took a step and froze. Zirconiade must have sensed his presence because his eyes were slowly opening to take in its visitors. Cloud aimed the gun at its head and waited for any sudden movements… but nothing came. Instead, surprisingly, the beast opened its mouth to talk, "So…I see…" it rasped, as though it hadn't used its voice in ages. "I am to be…destroyed again…in this…incomplete…form."
Cloud looked at it confused. "You…remember?" he asked tentatively.
"It is…changed…" it continued. "You, child of…past…present…future…, child of…Minerva…. You…have come for me…instead…"
"Huh? What does that mean? Minerva?" Cloud was all splitting headaches now, "You're not going to destroy all life and obey that Fuhito guy?"
"I…am not…so easily swayed…by that frail…human." It growled nastily, "You…," he seemed to assess Cloud closely with the slit pupils of a dragon, "you…hold the ability…to release me…"
Rufus looked startled. Now when had summons been able to talk? And what was this talk about 'remembering' and 'again'. "What is going on?"
Zirconiade glared at Rufus, "I did not…address you…human." He snarled. Rufus didn't seem to falter, but took a step back anyway. He ignored Rufus and turned back to Cloud just as Cloud managed to make out Tseng and Veld heading towards them. "Take me with you, warrior…" it commanded, "I shall not…fall prey…to that fate…again. By…the Planet…and Her will…, I am yours…" There was a bright flash of light, engulfing them all, before they found themselves back in the grand hall.
Cloud looked down at his hand at the faintly glowing materia. He faintly heard a voice in his head, Only you shall summon me…or allow me to slumber…. Cloud shook his head. He didn't think there would ever be a time he would choose to use such a dangerous materia. Sighing, he glanced around.
Rufus cleared his throat and stepped up closer to Cloud. "It seems you have quite a bit to explain." He smirked.
Cloud frowned, until he noticed a slight movement off to the side. Apparently, Fuhito hadn't died yet and was struggling with calculations of what was going on. "No! How could this happen? Why didn't it work?" He raged on and on. "Damn it!" He looked at Elfé, who still lay on the floor beside him. "It's all your fault!" He grabbed her by the arm.
"Felicia!" Veld, though still startled by what had happened, apparently wasn't going to let his surprise stop him from taking care of more important matters first. He glared at Fuhito. "Let go of her this instant!"
Fuhito laughed maniacally. "It doesn't matter." He grinned cynically. "She's dying anyway."
Cloud looked at Elfé to see that he was right. All the life seemed to be draining from her limbs. Apparently, having such a powerful summon extracted so brutally was taking its toll on her life. He turned to Tseng. "How can we save her?"
Tseng looked hopeless. "I'm…not sure. All of the support materia was destroyed in the other realm." He looked downcast. "We knew of no other method to save her…"
Fuhito cackled, "That's right. She's going to die and return to the lifestream." He snapped his teeth in anger, "Though that's small compensation for such a failure."
Cloud's shoulders sagged tiredly. Was there really no hope for the girl? …I can spare the girl's life…if you wish… He looked down at the materia in his hand and blinked in surprise. "You can do that?"
Rufus looked at him strangely, "To whom are you speaking to?"
Cloud ignored him. …She has been my vessel…. If I am close…I shall revive her life force. Cloud gripped the materia tighter within his hand and looked up towards the others. "We need to get her away from him."
Veld and Tseng nodded. "But how?" Tseng asked.
"I…" Actually, he really didn't know how.
Fuhito snorted, "You can't stop me." He pulled Elfé closer to him and held a blade to her throat. "I'll get out of here," he laughed, "and create a new Avalanche! And, this time, I won't fail to destroy every one of you!"
"No!" Cloud shouted, "There's no way we would lose to someone like you!"
"Quiet!" he snarled, "I'll –"
Suddenly, there was a sudden slice of wind that blew past them and towards Fuhito before he fell to the ground in a bloody pulp. "Wha…?" Cloud took a step back and whirled around to see Sephiroth standing at the door with his sword drawn. He glanced down at all of them. "S…General!"
Sephiroth looked at them one after the other. He seemed unimpressed by display but his eyes seemed to linger a little on Cloud. Rufus started walking towards him. "Sephiroth. What are you doing here?" He stopped before he reached the stairs. "Did that old man send you?"
Cloud shifted, "Never mind that." he quickly turned back around and headed to wear Elfé lay, gasping at her side. He grabbed Veld by the arm on the way, "We need to save your daughter."
They reached the edge of the chasm and paused. Elfé was a little beyond reach. Veld paced a little nervously. "How are we going to get across? There are no paths open."
Cloud gave a frustrated growl before putting his hand out in front of him again. It was a bit much, using a summon for such a trivial thing as getting across a chasm, but this was an emergency. "Alexander," he called, "we need you to do us a little favor…"
The floor rumbled again before Alexander stood behind them. He leaned forward and lifted his arm. Cloud dragged Veld on it with him. Of course, Cloud figured he could have simply jumped across the chasm…but he feared that the clothes he was wearing would restrict him movement too much and send him to his doom… The chasm was actually much larger and deeper than he had first thought. Though insecure, Veld clambered on, "How are we going to save her?" He rubbed his face, disheartened, while Alexander moved them across and landed them on the other side.
Cloud thanked Alexander before the jumping down and rushing towards Elfé. He glared at Veld. "You shouldn't give up so easily." He clutched Zirconiade and held it closer to her. "Can you do it?" he asked softly.
…Yes…
Zirconiade's materia started glowing softly before an eerie light surrounded Elfé. Veld grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"He's trying to save her." Cloud ground out. Why did everything have to be so difficult? "Don't worry. Your daughter will survive." Veld eventually let go and he started focusing on what Zirconiade was trying to do.
Some time passed until the green light dissipated in and around her. Cloud sat back with a sigh. Apparently, Zirconiade had borrowed some of his strength to power his own. But, looking down at Elfé, he saw that she had regained color and was breathing quite normally. Veld approached her hesitantly, "Felicia…?"
Elfé groaned and rolled over before opening her eyes. She blinked a couple time until her vision focused on the people in front of her. She looked at them one after the other. "Daddy?"
"Felicia!" Veld breathed relieved, hugging her close to him. "I'm so glad you're alive."
Cloud leaned against a nearby wall and looked tiredly at the two. "You should get out of here." He reminded them. "The President's not going to be happy."
Veld looked at him gratefully then nodded. "I understand. The others have arranged transportation for us. Since we have all defected from the company, we are now known as traitors. We will be hunted to our deaths."
Ah, so that was why a lot of the Turks had disappeared all at once last time. He had been wondering what had happened to that Turk he had worked with before and why only Tseng, Reno, Rude, and Elena seemed to remain… "…Things will work out well." Cloud glanced at them, "Good luck."
Veld nodded appreciatively, "I thank you. If you were not here…we would have lost." He picked up Felicia and walked towards Alexander. Cloud got up and followed them onto the summon who brought them back safely on the other side before disappearing. Tseng and Veld exchanged a few words before they left through the door Sephiroth was currently leaning against.
Rufus shrugged before heading out as well. Cloud decided to follow but paused when he walked up next to Sephiroth. "Why did you come?"
Sephiroth sighed and leaned off the wall. "Who can say anymore…"
Cloud gave it little thought. "Still…, I'm glad you came." He smiled softly and rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his hair tiredly, "I don't know what I would have done otherwise…" he stepped through and out the door.
Sephiroth looked at the retreating back a little surprised. Cloud had been glad he came…? And why did that warm his heart a little, the thought that Cloud was happy at the thought of him coming…
xxx xxx
Rufus' breath came out as a puff of white smoke in the cool night air. He had felt agitated because his father was losing a good asset to Shinra. He couldn't simply lose all of the Turks at once. They were a necessity.
He glanced back as he heard footsteps approaching. It was Cloud, with Sephiroth trailing behind him. "You must be tired."
Cloud lifted his eyes to meet his and frowned. "You seem worried about something." There was a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Is it because of the Turks?"
Rufus' eyes widened a fraction of an inch. "How did you…"
Cloud sighed heavily. "You shouldn't worry. Not all of them will disappear on you…" Sephiroth cleared his throat. Cloud snapped up as his posture straightened, "I-I mean, they can't all have gone…could they?" he laughed nervously.
Rufus wasn't dumb enough to believe Cloud's attempted cover up. There was something going on and he was curious to find out…but what could it be? And why was it Cloud always knew what was on his mind? "Cloud," he questioned, "have we met somewhere before?" Though, Rufus was sure he would have remembered someone that looked like Cloud if they had met before. But, it was an innocent question.
Cloud started nervously, as if wondering whether he should lie or tell the truth. "N-No…" he laughed apprehensively, waving his arms in denial, "Of course we couldn't have…"
Rufus quirked a brow at that and crossed his arms. "Then tell me," he suggested, "why it seems you have known me over the years."
"…We're similar?" Cloud answered unsure. There was no way he could tell Rufus that he had indeed known him for years…
Rufus shook his head. "You should answer me honestly, Cloud." He tsked disappointed. "It's obvious you're not telling me the whole truth."
Cloud was left speechless. He knew he was never good at lying but what could he say to make Rufus think otherwise? Thankfully, Sephiroth decided to intervene. "Vice President," he called, "We should head back to the company. The President has decided to exterminate the remaining Turks."
Cloud's eyes widened in surprise. "We have to stop him!" he panicked. Who knew what would happen if the Turks weren't there, especially if things turned out for the worst. "We can't let him do that!"
Rufus looked at him incredulously. "Why do you care what happens to the Turks? They do not associate with Soldiers all that often."
Cloud closed his mouth shut and looked to Sephiroth for answers. Would it really be all that bad if Rufus knew the truth? Sephiroth merely shook his head, indicating that he didn't know. Mind Projection… Zirconiade whispered into his mind. It is one of my abilities…
Cloud looked down at the materia. "How will that help?"
Rufus and Sephiroth looked at Cloud as though they should be concerned with him talking to himself. "Perhaps Sephiroth is right." Rufus began, "You should go rest for now. We'll talk tomorrow…"
Cloud dismissed the idea. "Zirconiade talks to me in my head. Apparently, only I can hear him…" he explained, though he was still worried that the materia could…
"I see…" Rufus looked at the unsuspecting materia with newfound respect. "He's more powerful than I thought."
Zirconiade continued. I can show anyone you choose…whatever you wish to show them through your memories…
"Well, that's convenient…" Cloud huffed. "But…is it really the right thing to do?"
…That is up to you to decide…
Cloud glanced at Rufus from the corner of his eye and looked worried. He then looked at Sephiroth as though he had all the answers. Sephiroth frowned and crossed his arms. "You have never informed me of your…other…relations." He carefully phrased, leaving out the more important details that meant Cloud's relationships had been in the past future.
Cloud looked at him like he was no help at all and glanced back at Rufus. "I guess there's nothing to lose…" He held out Zirconiade's materia to Rufus. "Zirconiade said he has the power of mental projection, that you could see my memories…"
Rufus looked at the materia then back at Cloud, quirking a brow. "I don't see how that answers any of my questions."
Cloud shifted uncomfortably and glanced around to make sure no one was listening in. "I'm…kind of from the future…" he trailed off lamely.
Rufus looked absolutely doubtful. He looked at Sephiroth. "And by your lack of reaction, I suppose you've already known?"
"…" Sephiroth stayed quiet.
"If it doesn't work," Cloud fumed, "you don't have to believe me." Maybe it really was better that Rufus didn't know some things, though it could save him from making some of the same mistakes over again…And, thought Cloud, give him an advantage in shifting Shinra's views on using mako energy dredged up from the Planet.
"…Fine." He held his hand out over the materia.
"He said I could choose what I chose to show you but…," The materia in his hand started glowing softly. "I guess I'll just show you everything that has to do with you."
There was a soft flash of green as Cloud activated Zirconiade's ability without actually summoning him. Flashes of what he knew of Rufus went through his mind as fast as it could, yet he saw them all. Apparently, Rufus was seeing them all as well. The materia dimmed, finished as quickly as it started.
Rufus gasped with the sudden feeling of being overcome by all of the experiences in the past, future. He looked at Cloud as though he was seeing a completely different person. "That…can't be possible…" he choked, trying to regain his breath by bending over and grabbing his knees for support.
Cloud looked at him concerned, "Rufus…?"
Rufus slowly straightened and pulled the neck of his collar open, as though it were suffocating him, before looking at Cloud. There was a slight sheen of cold sweat on his brow. "You've," he cleared his throat, "saved me a lot of trouble."
Cloud nodded slowly, "Yeah…"
He sighed, closed his eyes, and put his hands into his pockets. He turned around, his back to Cloud. "My father was right."
Cloud took a step forward with a hand outstretched. "What are you going to do now…?" he was worried Rufus might just kill his father anyway.
Rufus glanced back and looked Cloud once over. "Why haven't I acted upon my feelings before?" he mumbled more to himself.
"Hu –?" Just then, Rufus whirled on his feet and grabbed Cloud by the front of his coat. Cloud nearly tripped over himself with the sudden movement, and was about to reprimand Rufus when their lips suddenly touched. He froze in wide-eyed shock. What was Rufus doing?
Rufus pulled away and released Cloud with a smirk, an absolutely smug expression. He regarded how absolutely startling it had been for Cloud and laughed. Sephiroth had also taken a step forward but froze where he stood. "I never realized I could fall for someone like you after all that had happened."
Cloud was gawking in disbelief as his hand slowly rose to his mouth.
Rufus looked at him thoughtfully. "Come to think of it. You've never kissed anyone before, have you?" he looked victorious.
"H-How…" he stammered for words.
He shrugged and started walking towards a chopper that had been brought in by a Soldier sometime earlier in their conversation. He laughed, and glancing back he added, "The Turks know everything."
Cloud was fuming now. How could it have been Rufus who had stolen his first kiss? He started marching up to him, with several things to say on his mind, when Sephiroth suddenly stopped him by grabbing his arm. "You –!" he yelled towards Rufus.
Rufus got on the chopper with a sly grin as it lifted from the ground. "We'll talk again soon, Cloud." He announced before he was whirling away through the night.
"I can't believe this!" he ranted, shrugging off Sephiroth's hand and stomping away in the direction of the company.
Sephiroth was speechless. He couldn't believe it either. The last thing he had expected Rufus to do was kiss Cloud, and the burning irritation in his chest wasn't helping him cope with it. He ground his teeth as he followed Cloud in the direction home.
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