Disclaimer - I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. And I never said that it was the end back at chapter 21! I said the last chapter"s"! So enjoy!
Bitter Sweet
Cloud had been receiving fragment of memories from both his future self and the future Zack for the last three years, some of them weren't very pleasant thoughts, but most of them revealed to him how happy they were even after so many tragic incidents. In fact the memory that pleased him the most was the blueprints of the motorcycle "Fenrir". Thanks to that memory, he delivered the packages much easier and faster than with the "Hardy-Daytona", because the custom-made black motorcycle had expandable compartments on either sides of the front tires to fit all the pieces of First Tsurugi, separately or combined, and it could go 400 km/h, he could easily made to Banora from Mideel in a few hours, while with the "Hardy-Daytona" he needed half a day to make it.
As he drove through the Banora trees, Cloud gazed at the fruitless trees for a moment, thinking about what Moon had told him about the delicacy of these strange apple trees, before he started to slow down and came to a halt before the entrance of the village, next to a large mansion-like house.
'Cloud.' The blond heard someone called to him as he removed his black goggles and turned off the engine. He looked up to see the former Commander walking towards him in a farmer outfits. 'How have you been?'
'Great. It's good to see you too Angeal.' Cloud said rather nervously as he dismounted Fenrir, he hadn't seen Angeal for a while and seeing the man in a more civil dress than a SOLDIER uniform seemed a little out of character for a Ex-Commander.
'Here, this is your package.' The blond took out a small cardboard box from a compartment behind the seat of his bike and handed it to black hair man.
'Thank you.' Angeal replied as he took the small package. 'Why don't stay at my house for today? My mother will be please to finally meet you face-to-face. She had heard many things about you from Zack whenever he called by. She told me that she really wants to have good look at the new Hero.'
Sometimes Cloud didn't know what had kept him from killing the black porcupine hair man all these years, because he really can't see a single reason why he should let a big-mouthed person like Zack to live longer than 18 years. Besides, half of what the 2nd Class SOLDIER said was probably not true at all.
As for the hero part, it's completely false. He isn't a hero, Moon and Genesis were. Moon mentored him and helped him get back on his feet; Genesis protected him from JENOVA and saved his life... While he had done nothing that could be consider as a true hero. He was always protected by someone else... Now he is just... Cloud Strife, a simple delivery boy, that's all...
'Ok, I hope I won't cause you or Mrs. Hewley any trouble.' Cloud replied after a moment, since it would be impolite to decline the offer of Genesis' friend. And better tell her that everything that Zack told her wasn't true...
'Don't worry. My mother will be very please by your visit.' Angeal replied as he leaded them into the small peaceful village. They walked passed a Banora tree that is bigger than the ones he saw on the road. It was then that the blond recognized it as the one where Moon had buried his fake parents. The large bending tree looked very different from the one he saw in Lifestreams and it had already the Dumbapples on its branches. It looks more alive...
As they headed towards the third house at the right, Cloud could hear distant murmurs of the villagers about him being the hero, wasting his talents and time to just do some stupid deliveries. Because I am and always will be a delivery boy and I'm no hero at all. Besides I like my life as it is. Now he really understood what Sephiroth had felt whenever he goes to a public place.
'Ah, you are back, Angeal.' A woman in her late forties with dark brown hair, who wore a white sleeve-shirt and a green skirt, said as the two men entered. 'And I see you brought a guest with you.'
'Mother, this Cloud Strife. And Cloud, this is my mother.' Angeal presented as the blond took a step forward and extended his hand to the madam.
'A pleasure to meet you, ma'am.' The blond said as Angeal's mother shook his hand. Seeing this fragile woman somehow made him wondered why can't she tried to continue to live on for the sake of Angeal and chose to take her own life to atone her sins for given a cursed gift to her child and Genesis?
'Please call me, Gillian.' The dark brown hair woman replied before she turned to Angeal. 'Angeal, some workers came and wanted me to tell you that if you got back home with your package, please go immediately to the mansion.'
'Oh yeah. I almost forgot that.' This raised a certain suspicion from Cloud, because the former Commander rarely forgot things and voiced it out-loud, but then again, everyone forgot something once a while. Heck, Kadaj always forgot his tools on my bed!
The black hair man quickly excused himself and headed back to the way they came from. As soon as he had left, Gillian looked at him with a bright smile and asked he wanted some tea, which Cloud gladly accepted the offer.
Angeal's mother asked him to wait for a few minutes before she entered the kitchen room. Cloud took his time to look around the living room, it's maybe small and simple, but everything felt lively, with small pots of plants and photos.
One of the photos caught the blue sapphire eyes' attention. Cloud slowly stood and walked towards the small drawers where the photo laid on top. The picture showed a short black hair six-years-old kid with another kid about his age standing next to a Banora tree and smiling at the camera.
The blond picked up the frame and looked closer to the boy next to the probably little Angeal. The boy had shoulder-length auburn hair, which some bang covered the left side of his face, hiding one of the blue azure eyes that seemed to shine. Genesis...
The delivery boy put down the duo's photo and looked at the others on the drawer, all of them had Genesis in them, from childhood to SOLDIER. He took up another frame that held the photo of Genesis in his red coat, his face emotionless. Comparing the other one, the auburn hair man looked less happy at Shinra than when he is still a child.
'Genesis was always more joyful when he is with us.' Startled, Cloud almost dropped the wooden frame from his hands as he whirled around to see Gillian placing a tray with a small teapot and two tea cups filled with clear steaming liquid on the table. 'His parents had always considered only as a tool, never as their own child, not even a human being...'
The woman took her seat and pointed the chair opposite of hers to Cloud. The blond placed back to its original spot and took his seat and tea as Gillian continued: 'Genesis had never thought that his parent had considered him as a tool, only that their family's legacy is more important than what he wanted to be or to do. He had loved them, only in more discreet way.'
The Ex-SOLDIER glanced at the sad woman for a second before he looked at the slowly cooling liquid in his cup as he remembered clearly how Moon had dug his fake parents' grave with his own two hands and buried them personally than just letting rot in a corner of the mansion. He has a good heart all along, it's just that it was covered in thorns, which hid and protect it from others, but they hurt it at the same time.
'Judging by your expression, I guess you knew that already, don't you?' Gillian asked before she took a sip of her tea with an expression of I-know-everything on her face.
'Yes, in a manner of speaking.' Cloud replied before he brought the cup to his lips and drank the whole content in one breath.
'Thank you.' The blond looked at the woman questionably. 'For giving what Genesis longed for so long in his life...'
'I didn't give anything...' Cloud replied as he pushed the cup away from him. 'He gave me my dreams, my hope, my life... And all did was just watching him died in front of me without doing a single thing to save him...'
The dark brown hair woman placed her hand gently on the blond hair boy's in a comforting way as she said with a small smile: 'Being there for him is already enough for him. To see you safe and unharmed would be what Genesis wanted the most before he joined the Lifestreams.'
Cloud shook his head and pulled his hand away from the woman's as he whispered wearily: 'That doesn't change the fact that I did let him die...'
They stayed in silence for a long moment, lost in their own guilt and painful memories. Then Gillian cleared her throat, pointing to a room, and suggested to Cloud: 'Why don't you go and have some rest in Angeal's room? He won't be coming back for another two to three hours.'
'Thank you. I'm a little tired, now that you mention it.' Cloud said tiredly as he got up and headed towards the indicated room while the dark brown hair woman took up the tea set.
The room of the former Commander was well organized and clean, the Buster Sword that was once the memento of both Angeal's and Zack's legacy and pride in Cloud's future self's timeline is now well polished and rested neatly on the wall at the far corner of the room next to the bed.
Cloud slowly ran his fingers over the hilt of the giant sword. The sword might look plain and empty, but it held many memories in it just like him, from the past to the future.
Would it be better if JENOVA did take control over Sephiroth's mind? A voice asked in his mind. Cloud immediately slapped himself hard and hid his face in his hands, ashamed.
You can't think about that! Cloud Strife! It isn't worth it! Everything will be ruin! Your life will be ruin! Moon and Genesis did this for everyone, for your happiness! The blond scrolled himself as he popped down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Everything they did is worth it... Even if I lost half of my heart and soul for it... It's worth it... It's worth it... Everything...
Blue sapphire eyes slowly closed themselves and the blond fell into another dream filled with the memories of the owner of the red orange eyes.
***
When Cloud woke up, the black starry curtain of the night had already replaced the blue sunny sky. The delivery boy slowly got up as he wondered how long did he slept. He quickly walked out of Angeal's room and was about to apologize to Gillian about his rather long nap, but he found no one in the dark living room.
His mako-enhanced eyes scanned the room quickly and then he tried to pick up some sound in house, but there is nothing. Everything is quiet, too quiet in fact. The blond ran outside to find the other houses lightless and probably empty also, the only place that still had some light on is at the Rhapsodos' mansion.
Everything is so... Lifeless... Cloud thought as he walked towards the mansion. When he was closer, he found that it wasn't only the light in the mansion that he saw. There is also light coming from the Banora tree! The marble white tree is now glowing in faint blue light. It's so beautiful...
Cloud would have stayed there, looking at the tree all night, but knowing what happen to the village is more important. The blond quickly got to his motorcycle and retrieved the main blade of First Tsurugi, leaving the six other pieces in the compartment. His sword and his ice skills are enough to beat anything, from a simple thief to a powerful summoned creature.
He quietly made his way to the double door entrance which was left ajar. What the hell is going on here? The blond thought as he walked into the hall and looked around him.
When he decided to search the upper floor first, he suddenly heard a small clinging sound on his left. The blond turned to the closed double door on his left and slowly approached it, his hand on the hilt of the sword tighten as he caught the sound of people's breathing and heartbeats.
He put his hand on the handle of the door and counted to three in his head before he burst into room, but when he did that, someone suddenly turned on the light, causing him to close his enhanced eyes, then another person jumped on him by surprise and caused them to both hit the floor.
'SURPRISE!!!' The blond heard the person on top of him yelled out, someone whom is very familiar with. When he opened his eyes the things he noticed was the mako cat-like eyes and shoulder-length silver hair hovering above him.
'KADAJ?!' Cloud quickly pushed the black leather clothed teen off of him and looked around him. The villagers are here, so is Angeal's mother and all of his friends! From Shinra to his family and from those he knew very well to those he hardly knew.
'See, Zack! I told you that Nii-san doesn't like surprises.' Kadaj said smugly as he got up and dusted himself up. 'And I told you that putting that drug in the tea is a bad idea too.'
'DRUG?!' Cloud repeated and stared at the spiky raven hair SOLDIER accusingly.
'Hey! You suggest it first!' Zack shouted back indignantly, completely ignoring the angry blond on the floor. 'Beside Cloud arrived here too soon and you miscalculated it! You told us that he won't be here until four pm, but instead it was exactly twelve o'clock and we have more than half of the job left undone! If not, I wouldn't have to put some extra sleeping pills in his drink!'
'Oh now is my fault! I recall that someone was panicking when he heard Nii-san's motorcycle outside and quickly ran towards Angeal's house and put some extra sleeping pills into a tea that had already some sedative drugs in it!' Kadaj shouted angrily as he glared at the spiky hair man.
Control... Control... Control... Cloud started to mutterer in his mind as he tried to keep himself calm and not do anything rash, such as trying to behead the two always immature boys or freezing them into an ice cube and smash them into pieces. He could have calmed his anger, if the two boys didn't start to argue louder and louder.
The Ex-SOLDIER quickly got up and hit both of on the head, hard enough to leave a large bump for a week, shouting: 'DON'T YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO THAN DOING SOMETHING AS CHILDISH AS THIS!'
'That's mean Cloudy. We just wanted to make a surprise for you.' Zack pouted, like kicked puppy.
'Yeah, Nii-san. Ouch. After all today is your special day.' Kadaj said as he rubbed the small bump on his head.
'What?' Cloud looked at them questionably.
'Today is August 11th.' Sephiroth, wearing a white sleeve shirt and black leather pants, said as he pulled the blond up to his feet.
'August 11th?' The delivery boy repeated, rumbling in his mind and searching for the meaning of this particular date. Then it hit him like a Mega Flare from a large Bahamut. 'Oh.'
'Oh indeed my dear.' Rayne Strife said as she approached her son and planted a small kiss on his forehead. 'Happy birthday Cloud. Gaia what is the world going into, with you forgetting your own birthday.'
Cloud let out a small embarrassed laugh and scratched his neck nervously. He had been so concentrated on his deliveries that he had completely forgotten that it is his birthday today, but drugging him was really a little bit out of the limit. Still, he was happy.
'Come on Nii-san! Your cake waits!' Kadaj said excitedly as he dragged the blond towards the table in the middle of this large ballroom, the other tables next to it were filled with different kind of foods and drinks. The one in the middle had one large chocolate cake with his name and a small lighten candle on the center.
'Hurry up! Hurry up! Make a wish!' Zack and Kadaj said at the same time, jumping up and down on their spots. Angeal and Sephiroth shook their heads in exasperation at the two puppy-like boys.
The blond rolled his eyes in annoyance before he closed them. There is only one wish that he always wanted, but it will always be a wish that will never be realized, no matter how much he thought about it or how long he kept repeating it. It will remain a dream forever and ever.
I want to see him again. I want to see him smile again. Cloud wished as he blew off the small flame of the candle. At that exact moment, Hell broke loose.
Cheers and applauses irrupted in the ballroom, there are even some "FOOD!" or "DIG IN!" came out of the sea of the people. The blond quickly jumped away from the food-filled tables as the guests rushed towards them like hungry wolves.
'Sheesh. Everyone is dying of hunger or what?' Cloud said in a low voice, so no one who doesn't have enhanced hearing could hear what he just said, as he moved away from the large crowd and stood at the corner of the room where he could see everything.
'Well, you can't really blame them.' Sephiroth softly said as he joined him in silence. 'After all, they had spent at three hour and thirty minutes to wait for you to wake up and come to the mansion. They had become quite hungry and thirsty.'
'And staring the food and not touching them could be a little more troublesome.' Kadaj chipped in, giving them two pieces of chocolate cake with the forks. The two men took their piece of cake and ate silently as they watched the other guests scattered around the large luxury room, talking about all and nothing.
After a moment, Kadaj suddenly asked: 'Hey, Nii-san, will you miss me like you miss him, if I disappear one day?'
'What?' Cloud almost dropped his fork at the sudden strange question. 'What do you mean?'
The silver hair boy looked at his leather gloved hand sadly as he replied: 'Well, I'll disappear one day or another, right? I was created by JENOVA through the tainted Lifestream. Now she is gone and all, my existence in this world will slowly fade away, right? Or... JENOVA might control my mind again...'
'That I might not be certain, my boy. Ho ho hooo!' A old and wise voice spoke out.
The trio looked up to see a man in his late eighties in a blue and green robe and wore a pair of thick sunglass came floating towards them. The old man was named Bugenhagen, a retired skilled Shinra employee and also known as the Elder of Cosmos Canyon, and he is also the adoptive grandfather of Nanaki.
'Hello, Bugenhagen. What do you mean by it might not be certain? Does that mean that Kadaj won't fade away or being control?' Cloud asked worried. Kadaj might sometimes be troublesome, but he is a brother to him, he can't allow anything bad happen to him after all they had been through.
'Yes, it is.' Bugenhagen replied with one of his mysterious smile. 'Though I might not be sure, but I get the feeling that it is impossible that JENOVA can still reside inside of Kadaj or Sephiroth or anyone who had her cells in them.'
'Why is that?' Sephiroth asked, curious.
'You see, from the files that Shelke had been able to save in the network and other information that I had gathered. Genesis from the future, had always been staying and guarding Cloud all along the years of training in Shinra, am I correct?' The trio nodded. 'Ho ho hoo. It is a theory that I cannot confirm, but I believe that it is true. Gaia had created the weapon that will annihilate JENOVA from the face of the planet.'
'WHAT!?' Cloud and Kadaj shouted, but quickly covered their mouth with their hand. Looking around, people were talking so loud that they hardly heard their shout.
'What do you mean by that? Nii-san was Gaia's ultimate weapon. He is more powerful than any of the giant armored monstrous Weapons that the Lifestreams had created to protect the planet.' Kadaj said in a low voice.
'No, no, no, Kadaj. Not that sort of Weapon.' Bugenhagen replied as he readjusted his sunglasses. 'I think that Gaia had reconstructed the cells inside Genesis from the future, making them immune to JENOVA cells, but they do not have the strength to completely eradicated JENOVA cells inside a body.'
'What does that have to do with us?' Kadaj asked impatiently.
'The cells have the potential to evolve and reconstructed in many ways to protect themselves. The point is, when Genesis approached Cloud, the cells inside him started to affect Cloud's and the endless cycle of evolution started. But what really made Cloud's cells more immune to JENOVA cells, is that they are not only fused with the alien cells, but with the Lifestreams too. Making them more powerful than the ones that was inside Genesis' and had more wide range of infecting and changing the JENOVA cells.' Seeing the blank looks of the trio, Bugenhagen put his explanation in a more simple way to understand. 'This means that all of you, who had JENOVA cells before, now had Cloud's modified ones and are more connected to him. So you won't disappear, unless Cloud died or you died of old age, which I doubt that it will happen.'
'Grandfather.' A low feline voice said. The red lion slowly walked towards them, giving each of them a respect bow before he looked at his adopted grandfather. 'The others are waiting for you about the Lifestreams reaction after the incident of JENOVA at Midgar.'
'Ah yes, Nanaki. Excuse me gentlemen.' The elder of Cosmo Canyon excused himself and followed Nanaki through the crowd.
Cloud let out a heavy sigh, trying to calm down and digesting the information that was given to them, as he turned to say something to Kadaj, but the teen didn't give him the chance to say anything and ran off, saying that he had something to talk with Zack.
'I don't think you need to worry about him, he is fine. I could easily feel it.' Sephiroth said in a reassuring tone. 'I think the one who needs people to worry about is you.'
'Me? Don't be ridiculous Sephiroth. I'm fine and I lived happily with Kadaj. Everything is great.' Cloud said as he gestured around him to empathize his meaning.
'Of course, but tell me why every year you simply told Kadaj to drop a bouquet at Genesis memorial at Edge, instead of coming there personally?' The once Great General demanded as he slammed his half empty dish down on nearest table.
'Then why didn't you visit Lucrecia all these years?' Cloud shot back and slammed his on the table too, holding back his anger and glaring at the silver hair General. He had showed both Sephiroth and Vincent the crystal cave where Lucrecia is resting, in coma-like state and imprisoned inside crystals, waiting for her child and her lover to come see her one day. Well, the lover part was complete, but the child part isn't.
Their glaring contest continued for about another ten minutes, then Sephiroth, looking ashamed and tired, turned his gaze to Zack's and Kadaj's small group as he said: 'I never really know her, I... I just don't know what to say when I see her... It's sort of... Frightening... Even though Vincent told me lot of things about her, how beautiful and smart she was, and how much she wanted me to visit her... Still, I felt like she is a complete stranger to me, not like the warm welcoming feeling that I had pictured during my whole childhood...'
Sephiroth chuckled softly as he pulled a silver bang over his ear as he continued: 'I'm pretty much a coward, am I? Facing thousands of armies and powerful monsters all my life, fearless and confidant, and I were afraid of going inside a cave to meet my mother.'
Seeing the sadden expression of Sephiroth, Cloud thought about himself and what he did all these years. Deliveries and deliveries, he hardly talked to anyone than with Kadaj and Zack, who often came to his shop and pulled him out for a drink, other than that, he was completely isolated from the social world and drowned in the deep sea of memories of both past and future.
'I think I'm more of a coward than you are.' Cloud said as he looked out the window that is the closest to them. 'I was always running away, away from reality. I wanted to keep myself locked up inside my memories, so I won't feel guilty about what I had failed in the past. Like you, I don't want to go to Genesis memorial, because... I'm guilty... For his death... But you... You are guilty for never knowing the truth and had made her wait so long for you.'
'I guess what I want to say is.' Cerulean eyes looked into green cat-like eyes. 'Lucrecia had never blamed you for making her wait so long. You should really go and see her, I'm sure she'll be happy when you come with Vincent next time he visits.'
They stared at each other for a moment before a small smile appeared on Sephiroth before he placed his hand over the unruly golden spikes as he said: 'Now I understand why Genesis wants to protect you with his life. Thank you.'
'Sephiroth!' Someone called out. The two swordsmen turned to the crowd to see Angeal waving at them. The silver hair man quietly excused himself and left the blond alone in his corner.
Seeing that his last company had left, Cloud decided to have a walk outside while no one noticed him, so he silently slipped outside of the mansion. Feeling his breathing easier than before and the cold night air was calming his nerves.
Author's note - The next chapter will be the ending! So stay tune for it!
THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO READ, REVIEW AND LIKE MY STORY!
