AN: After the long wait-- yes! Here it is, folks! The next, lovely chapter you've all been waiting for! Woo-hoo! Oh, and please send me feedback! PLEASE! smudgy hearty-happy face Ah, and yes, thank you to all me reviewers!

Warning: Spoilers, AU and C/S. As for language, of course, I will have no problem in cursing. So please be aware of that.

PS: School has started for me (Aug 12), and updates won't be coming a whole lot. I'm trynig to get used to the system, and with all the difficult classes I'm taking (At least they say they're difficult; I mean, I'm taking a fricken college course and I'm only in HS!), I'm pretty sure my teachers will send me with time-consuming homework. But don't worry, this still will still be up and running! In fact, it's probably the only one I'll really be working on. Heh.

The Complete Opposite

By Kaz

Chapter VIII

"Where is he now?"

"Zack and Red are with him right now."

"He certainly has raised many new questions, hasn't he? JENOVA claiming him as her child, him denying it, and then a quarrel between them? And you say that he had a Fire materia inserted in his glove? Where is it now?"

"I have it."

"Mind I see? Ah, and from the feel of it, I would say our friend has done quite some work on it. Mastered it, I'll say. Such power lying within such a small item..."

"What do you make of him, Bugenhagen?"

The grandfather of Nanaki shook his head, smiling a bit as he eyed the materia in his hand. "You may not agree with me, General, but I would suggest you take him to the President."

Sephiroth frowned slightly, looking up from where he stood against the wall of the elderly man's observatory room. "Junon?"

Bugenhagen nodded. "I think that would be your best decision aside from bringing him here. With their technology, you'll be able to find your answers."

The silver-haired man nodded minutely, frowned at his feet as he became lost in thought. Bugenhagen watched the man for a moment, deciding on whether to tell the man or not about his theory. He eventually shook his head before returning to what he was doing before the Ex-General came in to talk with him.

"He's been in there for a while, hasn't he?"

"Perhaps," the lion answered.

Zack looked down at the red lion at his feet, wondering how the beast could've taken to their enemy so easily.

Red looked up and an animalistic grin crossed his face. "If you need to, go ahead."

Zack blinked, slightly taken by surprise by the lion's perceptiveness. Running a hand through his hair, he said, "Well, I was wondering about..."

"Cloud Strife?"

Zack nodded. "He's..."

"Different?" Red finished again.

Zack threw the lion an irritated look for interrupting him, but brushed it aside, nodding. "Yeah. I remember you telling me that not everyone are as they appear, and that we should be aware of changes in our lives for sometimes, a change is good as well. ...You also talked about mirrors and images. What was that about, again?"

Red sat up, his tail curling around his legs. "I had once heard a story where people had twins, almost."

"Twins?"

Red shook his head, his mane swaying slightly. "Let me rephrase that. Every person has a double, someone exactly like him or her, only completely the opposite, or else with a few differences. There would be someone like you or me somewhere."

Black brows rose. "Another me?"

Red nodded. "Yes, but you wouldn't know where, for if there were two of you, on the same Planet, then chaos would certainly reign over. It is not possibly for two persons exactly alike physically, yet differently inwardly, to exist in the same place."

Zack frowned. "Are you talking about alternate universes?" 1

Red dipped his head. "That is a word for it. Yes, there would be another you on another Planet parallel to this one."

Zack lowered his head for a moment, thinking. He looked up and stared at the door they were supposed to be watching. "And him?"

Red turned his gaze to the door, hearing the rubbing of clothing against skin behind the door. "It's a possibility."

Before Zack could respond, the door in front of them opened, creaking slightly. Black brows rose slightly at what he saw before him. Cloud Strife was dressed in a different attire than before. At first, Zack was surprised to see the blonde in his old Shinra 2 uniform, but he didn't bother asking, for asking wasn't part of his concern. But just hours ago the man asked surprisingly nicely about where he could find the clothing department. When he brought it up, Zack would've busted out laughing if it didn't concern his enemy. But because it did, he simply stared, looking the blonde over. Before, after the encounter with JENOVA, he had lost his shirt and his pants were barely held up without his straps. Almost self-consciously, he asked for clothes. Sephiroth seemed to not care if the man wanted clothing, so he appointed Zack and Red to look after him and make sure nothing happened. It was nearly an hour before he came out. He was dressed in straight black pants that resting on his hips, new black boots upon his feet, while a sleeveless white shirt covered his chest, dark blue lining the edges. His gloves were still in place, but a band was added, replacing what he wore earlier. If Zack wasn't straight, he would've commented in how stunning the blonde looked.

But he was, so...

"Must you stare?"

Zack blinked. "Er, sorry." He looked off to the side and scratched the base of his head. "Are you done?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah."

He looked down at the bundle of clothing in his hands. The uniform he wore was indeed Zack's, but Zack's from his world. The Zack that was supposed to be dead, Zack. After getting shot down, he stole the man's clothes, stealing his identity with them. Eventually, his clothes were repaired, but it still reeked of Zack, constantly reminding him of who he wasn't and tried to be. And not only were they ruined now, he had no use in wearing them since the man he saw dead was alive here.

Here, on this Planet, it seemed, everything was better, technology and life far better than on his Gaea. The dead there were living here. Everything was the opposite. ...Almost. Sephiroth was still a block of ice on legs, Red was still a youth in his years and have decades to go through until he needed to pass his information onto the next generation, Vincent was indeed Sephiroth's father and carries the same curse, and all of AVALANCHE holds the same personalities as before. All the same... but the opposite.

Cloud wondered what could've been wrong with this world that Gaea saw as hazardous to his Planet to Sephiroth. (It was only obvious she was talking about Sephiroth now that he learned a bit about it and saw him killing JENOVA and Cloud himself had done.) He was appointed by her to help this Gaea, but as of this moment, he was seen untrustworthy and an enemy. It was understandable, yes, but he just wished that it was easier to gain their trust. He knew he couldn't get that from Barret, knowing the hotheaded man, but he hoped that someone besides Red and his grandfather would see him differently. Then, he could help in killing JENOVA once and for all.

But first...

"Where's my bag?"

Zack turned back to the blonde. "Huh?"

"My bag."

A black brow rose while the opposite eye squinted, mouth screwed into a lopsided frown. It was a strange expression of thought, but one nonetheless. Zack shook his head as he rose to his feet. "Dunno. If you really want it, it's probably back on the Highwind."

"Take me."

Zack shrugged and turned to Red. "Tell Sephiroth where we're going."

The lion dipped his head before obliging, disappearing out the front door of the store. The two men followed slowly after, Zack leading to the Highwind. He didn't want to bring the blonde to the airship, but Red's words were stuck in his head. Glancing over his shoulder at the blonde who kept his head down, miming his steps just a foot behind, he wondered if what the lion said could be true. Was this man the same Cloud Strife that they knew? If not, then how would that affect them? More over, how would it affect Sephiroth? During their journey in stopping Cloud from destroying Gaea, there was one time that the General broke down. It was the one and only time Zack had seen his superior actually shed tears. Anger was nothing new for the man, and happiness was a rarity. But broken and open sadness... Zack squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He didn't want to see his friend like that ever again. He'd kill Cloud Strife himself if he ever saw that look on his face again. It didn't matter if this blonde was him or not, he'd kill him. And... if he was Cloud Strife, the one they knew, then he had to be more careful then ever.

Zack opened his eyes and frowned.

That didn't sound right, he thought. Not just but several hours ago they witnessed the man beat JENOVA senseless, his mother. And the anger put into his actions weren't that of a displeased child. No, it was pure hatred. The man denied being her son and assaulted her. Was that the act of the Cloud Strife they knew, who always obeyed his mother's commands and did what she wanted, getting his very way up to nearly the very end? No, Zack figured, it was the act of someone who despised the feminine monstrosity. This man...

"Are you really going to leave me in there alone?"

The question brought Zack from his thoughts and he looked up to see Cloud- the blonde (there was no way he could tell or label him as the enemy after what just happened) standing in the entrance of the airship. His arms were crossed over his chest, hands seemingly clutching the uniform to his chest. Zack shook his head and followed the man inside. He again led to the room the blonde was staying in earlier, guessing that his stuff was still there since no one ever picked it up. Unfortunately, it wasn't there, so they ventured to the bridge, Zack going straight to the control panel to check how it was doing.

"Hey! Don't $#ing touch my ship!" 3

Zack immediately turned around to face an angry blonde pilot, cigarette smoke flying in his face. Zack coughed and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hey, Cid."

"Don't $#ing 'Hey, Cid' me! You were tryin' to touch my $#ing ship! Never touch my ship!" the pilot fumed.

Zack grinned and slid away from the controls and the pilot, looking over his shoulder to see the other blonde gone. He cursed and looked around, finding him nowhere. He was about to start a line of curses when he heard one of the metallic doors open and close. By memory, Zack knew it led to the bow of the ship. Zack turned to Cid.

"Hey, turn on the cameras for outside."

Cid blew smoke in the man's face. "What? What for?"

Zack rolled his eyes. "Just do it."

Cid sniffed at being ordered by someone younger than him, but obliged and switched on all the cameras, adjusting to zero-in on the ones solely for outside. Zack stood beside the pilot and studied the screen, watching as the blonde walked out to the rim and peer over the side with his traveling pack hanging limply in one hand, the other still holding the uniform.

Cloud sighed and shook his head, dropping his bag and looking down that the uniform in the crook of his arm. He was not Zack. He wasn't the man he thought he was. He was just some brainwashed SOLDIER that barely made his way through things. At least, that's how he knew things. But here, on this Gaea, there was more to it than that. Yes, he was in SOLDIER, but he had a feeling that something went on in the Academy 4 that he was missing. It was obvious there was a lot he was missing on the journey to save the Planet, but he felt there was something very important that he needed to know from Shinra. If only Zack or Sephiroth...

Cloud shook his head. What was he thinking? Ask Zack or Sephiroth for answers? Pfft.

Yeah right, he thought bitterly. They would rather maul me than have a decent conversation with me. -Not that I want to talk to Sephiroth anyway.

Even if he was the savior of the Planet, Cloud could not see the man as a civil being. From what he experienced, from what he knew, Sephiroth was just as evil and a bastard as he thought Cloud was. He destroyed his hometown, nearly killed Tifa, killed Zack...

Zack...

Cloud held the uniform out at arms length. He may have worn it for days on end, but it still was not his; only Zack's. He couldn't wear it now with the man so very much alive. No, there was no need for it now. He did admit, he was comfortable wearing it, but that was because it was the only thing he worn. Cloud shook his head and retracted his arms, checking his glove. Once he felt the smooth round object hidden further in his glove, he summoned the fire, incinerating the clothes. He threw them up in the air and watched them flutter to the ground below in bits and pieces.

"Goodbye, Zack-made-Cloud. You are no longer needed," he muttered to himself. His eyes narrowed and flashed before he lowered his head and banished any reminiscing thoughts. He sat down and opened his pack, finding that he just needed to do something. His emergency supplies were still intact, and there was more room than before, when the flower case took up space. He rummaged through his things and found something that didn't belong to him. Well, two things, really. "What's...?"

Knitting his brows, he lifted up a piece of laminated paper wrapped in a circular object. Slipping the paper out of the object, he unrolled it to find it a picture. It was of himself, Zack and Sephiroth probably several years ago. Cloud knew there was no such picture taken in his Academy years. Was this Cloud in the picture the one that thought Gaea as a toy? Cloud raked his brain, trying to make sure he never took such a picture.

No, with my memories back, I know that I never took a picture with them. I... I was just a lowly SOLDIER. It would be more convincing if it was just Zack and Sephiroth who were in the picture because Zack was only a rank or two behind the man.

Cloud studied the picture. He- this world's Cloud- was standing between the taller men, smiling like a happy child. To his left was Zack who grinned goofily, a hand signal flashed in the air at the last minute. His arm was around Cloud's shoulders. As for Sephiroth at the boy's right, he simply stood still, arms crossed.

"Always in black and silver, aren't you, Sephiroth?" Cloud snorted.

But then he noticed something different. The man's hands were bare. On his hand was a gold band. Cloud blinked, bringing the picture closer to his face. Band? He pulled away slightly after a few moments and looked over the rest of the image. His eye caught a similar silver band on the blonde's same hand. Frowning, Cloud pulled back and looked down in his other hand. The object that was keeping the picture rolled looked oddly like the band on both males' fingers. Only...

Cloud lifted the ring up and turned it over and over, looking for a sign. He looked on the inside of the band to find small writing.

"My Angel," Cloud read.

But who was this for? Cloud had a sneaking idea, but feared finding out. Still, he had to know. Swallowing and glaring at the ring, he pulled off his left glove and slipped the ring over his fourth finger. To his dismay, it fit. He turned the ring over with his thumb, trying to get used to the feel of the silver thing on his finger. His gaze returned to the picture. He bit his lip as his eyes focused on the ring on blonde's hand.

Not mine... Not mine... There's no way in hell this is mine- his. Where the hell did I get it anyway? Not mine... Not mine...

Cloud could only hope it wasn't his- Er, Cloud's. But with the way it fit on his hand, and how the picture couldn't possibly be fake, he feared what it could mean. His eyes shifted from the ring to the picture and back again, unsure of what to think.

He wasn't given much of a chance to anyway when a cold, low voice interrupted.

"Cloud Strife." 5

AN: Hey-hey! I know this is a filler chapter (once again), but it still gets things going and explained. Zack seems to be pulled into the small loop Red and Bugenhagen are in, and now we need the rest of them to believe dear Cloudy is an okay guy! (A total eye-stopper too, might I add. Hehe.) Well, more to come! Especially the mysterious ring and picture... Please review!

1 Don't you just wonder about those things and if they're really true? Okay, so maybe this note isn't important, but I thought it would make someone curious or something. (Sorry, I'm just weird like that.)

2 Just wondering- that IS how you spell it, right? Not ShinRa?

3 $#ing is, to the unsure, the F word. Really, I would put f and three asterisks and then -ing, but since those things don't work, I've settled with the less than satisfactory $#ing. Too bad cuss words can't be used on ffnet. Meh. Once again, I note that I dislike this update system.

4 I always get mixed up with what Shinra is, but I also have it as an educational place as well. Courtesy of Lady Yashodoa who sparked the idea. (Shinra being a half-military, half-scholarship school is an interesting and strange possibility...)

5 Yeah, I've been doing that a lot in this story, huh? Leaving the chapter with exchanged names and such. Tell me if it gets annoying, okay? (Oh, and it shouldn't be hard to guess who just said Cloudie's name. Heehee.)