Final Fantasy VII [3rd Instalment]
Emerald Princess of Vernea
Chapter Sixteen
When those final memories faded, Tifa found herself standing for the final time on the central platform of Memoria. She looked down at Cloud, standing beside her, appearing in the form of his fourteen-year-old self. The look of worry had gone from his face, replaced with a look of resignation, acceptance. He could not look at her.
"Cloud……" began Tifa, but she stopped herself short. What could she possibly say? She longed to apologise for all the doubts and the suffering he must have endured all those years, but it would mean nothing. The past could not be changed with a simple apology. Neither could people. It was up to the individual to accept the past, recognise it as a part of them, and then find the strength to move on.
She was just wondering if Cloud had realised this as well, when he suddenly raised his head and met Tifa's gaze. There was a smile on his face.
"Then… this is goodbye, Tifa," he told her, his smile soft. "Until we meet again……"
The three manifestations guarding the paths of his memory rose to their feet. They turned their backs on the memories and faced the younger Cloud. Tifa, startled by this sudden, unified action, could only watch. "…………!" she exclaimed.
The three Clouds walked forward along the paths until they came to the central platform. One of them brushed past Tifa without even seeing her. Tifa stepped back out of the way, wondering what was happening. The manifestations came to a stop around the young Cloud, who continued to look at Tifa with a serene smile.
The first Cloud then walked forward, approaching the young Cloud. His image flickered and rippled as he stepped into that of the young Cloud. He turned and looked at Tifa, mimicking the young Cloud's stance and smile. The second manifestation followed him, and then the third, until all three were stood as one within the image of the young Cloud. They began to glow, and the light became so bright that Tifa could barely see the images through the blinding light.
Up above her, the final manifestation of Cloud began to descend from the area above. Tifa caught only a glimpse of him through the light as he floated down into the glowing mass before her, joining with the forms of his other manifestations. She saw him rise to his feet. The light then increased in intensity. Tifa felt its hot rays burning the skin on her arms as she raised them to shield her face.
Just when she thought that she was going to burn from the heat of the light, it began to fade. The air around her cooled and after a few moments she was able to lower her arms and open her eyes. She looked ahead at the centre of the platform.
Cloud was lying facedown on the ground in front of her. Just one Cloud, the Cloud she knew. The other manifestations had vanished within the light, merging into one. Tifa started to approach him, but then stopped as he suddenly moved. His body twitched and he inhaled sharply. He moved his hands and placed his palms firmly on the rock. He then began to push himself slowly to his knees. Once on his knees, he tried to stand up. He staggered, unsteady, until he finally managed to stand upright. He raised his head. As he did so he groaned and keeled over, dropping back to his knees. A dark shadow swept over him, smothering him. He fell back to the floor.
"Cloud!!"
Tifa was by his side in an instant. She knelt beside him and placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to help him up. At her touch Cloud's body shivered from head to toe, and he clutched his head as though in pain. His fingers twisted and gripped the blond spikes of his hair, tugging harshly. He writhed on the floor, groaning. Tifa tore one of his hands away from his head and held it firmly in hers, squeezing it tightly.
Cloud responded by clenching his fist tightly around hers. "Uh…… ah, uh……!" he moaned, his body still twisting and writhing. Tifa maintained her grip on him, refusing to let go.
Suddenly the writhing came to a stop, and Cloud became still. Tifa's eyes widened, and her heart clenched. Cloud then gave a shuddering breath, and his body relaxed. The shadows began to retreat from his body, fading away like a bad dream. Colour returned to his face, and he opened his eyes. Tifa tried to help him to sit up, but he pushed her hand away and sat up on his own. He blinked a few times, shook his head to gather himself, and then looked up at Tifa.
"Uh…… Tifa……"
Tifa's eyes filled. "Oh, Cloud……! It's really you, isn't it?"
"Yeah….." answered Cloud. He smiled. "Tifa…… We finally…… meet again……"
Together they stood up. Cloud still seemed a little wobbly, but he was standing on his own two feet. Seeing this, Tifa stamped her foot angrily. "You stupid jerk!" she snapped. "You had us all worried sick!!"
Cloud suddenly groaned and dropped to his knees. He began to tremble. The colour drained from his face. "Krgh……!" he moaned, leaning over. Tifa knelt beside him, terrified that her mock-anger had in some way caused this sudden pain.
"Cloud!? Are you all right!?"
In response Cloud writhed, holding his head tightly in his hands. He tried to lift his head, but the pain was too great. Tifa stayed close beside him, running her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe his obvious pain.
A strange noise then filled the air, and Tifa snapped her head up. She knew that sound without having to think about it. It was the cry of the planet. The cry came from all around her, from the swirling clouds that circled Memoria like a slow storm. Of course, it was the planet's cry that was causing Cloud to writhe in pain. The mako in his bloodstream made his body more sensitive to its cries, down here at least. Tifa's eyes turned and looked at the swirling clouds swirling around Memoria, pulsing faintly with a pale green light.
"V, voice…" Tifa looked down. Cloud was still holding his head, but he managed to bear it long enough to open one eye and look at her. He gritted his teeth. "Their…"
Tifa closed her eyes and listened. She could hear them, too. "I see," she said. "We're… in the Lifestream, aren't we? Everyone's waiting. Let's go back, Cloud. Back to everyone…"
That thought seemed to give Cloud the strength he needed. The trembling slowly stopped, and he lowered his hands. "Yeah, I guess so…" He shook his head, blotting out the sound. "Come on, Tifa. Let's go home……"
The fighter held out her hand once again. This time Cloud took it and Tifa pulled him back onto his feet. Cloud automatically reached behind him. His hand closed around the familiar hilt of the Buster Sword—Zack's sword. The secret of how he got the sword… he would keep to himself. Though his memories were now slipping back into place, there were some that he preferred to keep to himself. He released the hilt and turned to Tifa, who smiled. They were ready to go home.
The Lifestream must have sensed that they were ready to leave, for at that moment the platform and all its memory pathways vanished from sight. The ground beneath them disappeared, but neither Tifa nor Cloud were worried that they might fall. The planet had brought them here to reveal the truth, and now it was sending them back to the world above where they belonged.
Just as they thought, they began to rise up through the Lifestream. It was no longer smothering and choking as Tifa had first felt when she had fallen into it. Instead it was warm and welcoming. Up ahead she could see the light of the world above, growing larger as they floated closer to it. Tifa closed her eyes, ready to feel the wind rushing against her face once more.
Barret could barely contain his anxiety as he looked down on Tifa. The young fighter lay on the grass before him, her body quite still. His brow was creased in concern, and his lips were twitching. His clothes were damp and dripping, but he did not care about that. All he was concerned about was Tifa.
Barret and the others had been frantic with worry when Tifa and Cloud did not meet up with them. They had returned to Mideel to find that the town had completely disappeared. The ground had opened up and swallowed the town almost entirely, and in its place was a large lake of pure mako. Only a few remnants of buildings remained. The casualties were few, but Tifa and Cloud were not among them.
Fearing the worst, Barret had rushed to the mako lake, trying to find any sign of Tifa or Cloud. The surface of the lake was smooth—there was no sign of them.
Then the water bubbled, and two figures burst up from beneath the surface of the lake. It was them. Without hesitation Barret had dived into the water and swam to Tifa, grabbing her before she could sink again. Vincent had dived in after him and swam to grab Cloud. Together they had dragged the two back to the shore.
Barret leaned over her. "Yo! You awright!? Tifa!?"
Hearing his voice, Tifa stirred. Her body twitched. "U… Unn……?" She opened her eyes slowly and blinked. She saw Barret standing over her, his face filled with worry. She sat up. "Barret… You came back. I……" She shook her head, clearing the fog. Then it came back to her and her eyes widened. "Cloud… Where is he?"
"Don't worry about him," said Barret. He looked over at Cloud. The swordsman was lying just a few feet away, near the lake's edge. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing softly. His face was peaceful and he was smiling softly, as though a weight had finally been lifted from his soul. Barret shook his head. "He's a tough one."
Tifa sighed in relief. "Barret……" she said. "I…… When I was in the Lifestream I saw the real Cloud. I mean, I didn't really find him. Cloud found himself on his own…"
Barret looked at her carefully. He smiled, conceding defeat in the face of this extraordinary young woman. After everything she had been through in her life, she still came out strong as ever, with complete faith in herself and her friends. "Awright, I know…" he said. "I shouldn't have doubted him." He shook his head. "But I can't win against you. You're some kinda lady."
Tifa smiled back at him. A look of weariness then passed over her face, as all the events of the past few days came upon her all at once. Her eyes became heavy; she struggled to keep them open. Slowly she lay back down on the ground, letting her body relax against the damp wood.
"People have so many things pent up inside of themselves…" she whispered. She watched the clouds float by overhead, tinted red by the overshadowing form of Meteor in the sky. She breathed in deeply, exhaled softly. Her eyes fluttered shut. "And they can forget so many things…… Strange…… isn't it…… ……" She became still.
Barret's eyes widened. "Yo, Tifa! Snap outta it!! Tifa……!?"
A few hours later, when Cloud and Tifa had both regained consciousness, they and all the others gathered in the Operations on board the Highwind. Cloud was at the head of the table, trying to gather his thoughts. When he was ready he turned to face the others, who stood around the table, watching him. Cloud shook his head.
"Everyone…… I'm sorry. I don't know what to say……"
"Don't say anything, Cloud," said Red XIII. "All you've been doing is apologising."
Cloud nodded. It was true. From the moment he woke up in one of the Highwind's cabins an hour ago, to the moment when everyone arrived in the Ops Room for this meeting, all he had done was apologise. It was becoming repetitive, but it was all he could think of to say. Cloud lowered his head. It was time to explain the truth.
"I never was in SOLDIER," he confessed. "I made up the stories about what happened to me five years ago, about being in SOLDIER. I left my village looking for glory, but never made it into SOLDIER……" He sighed. "I was so ashamed of myself for being so weak; then I heard this story from my friend Zack… And I created an illusion of myself made up of what I had seen in my life…… And I continued to play the charade as if it were true."
"Illusion, huh…? Pretty damn strong for a 'lusion, I'd say," remarked Barret.
Cloud nodded in agreement. "I'm physically built like someone in SOLDIER," he continued. "Hojo's plan to clone Sephiroth wasn't that difficult. It was just the same procedure they use when creating members of SOLDIER." He tried to think of the best way to explain it. "You see, someone in SOLDIER isn't simply exposed to Mako energy. Their bodies are actually injected with Jenova cells…… For better or worse, only the strong can enter SOLDIER. It has nothing to do with the Jenova Reunion. But weak people…… like me, get lose in the whole thing.
"The combination of Jenova cells, Sephiroth's strong will, and my own weaknesses are what created me. Everyone knew that. I'm…… Cloud." He spread his palms and shook his head. "……The master of my illusionary world. But I can't remain trapped in an illusion anymore…… I'm going to live my life without pretending."
A smile spread on Tifa's face. "You sure are messed up, Cloud!"
"That means there ain't no difference from before!" said Barret, stifling a laugh. A few of the others giggled along with him, including Tifa. Hearing the giggles, Cloud could not help but smile a little bit. No matter what happened, his friends were still his friends. They would never change.
"By the way, Cloud," said Cait Sith. "What are you going to do now? Don't tell me you're going to leave the ship?"
The giggles fell silent. Even the smile disappeared from Cloud's face as he thought the matter over. "……I'm the reason why Meteor is falling towards us," he said. He raised his eyes and looked at everyone, his expression adamant. "That's why I have to do everything in my power to fight this thing."
"Good!!" said Barret. "Then you're gonna keep fightin' to save the planet!?"
"It's like you always told me, Barret," Cloud said.
Barret stared, confused. What did he mean by that? Then the answer came to him, and he flushed. "Oh, uh, you mean that!"
"What? I don't understand!" said Red XIII, looking from one man to the other. The two men shared a knowing look with each other, and they both smiled. This confused Red XIII even more, and he turned his head repeatedly.
When the two men spoke, they spoke together:
"There ain't no gettin' offa this train we on!"
"This train we on don't make no stops!" chimed in Cait, seemingly unaware that his version was more than a little inaccurate.
No one seemed to notice, or at least didn't care, for they all smiled and cheered in joy. The team was together again at last, and that knowledge left them all feeling energised and ready to take on anything. A member of the Highwind crew opened the double doors and the team left the Operations Room. Some headed towards the bridge, while others went off to different parts of the ship to prepare themselves.
Cloud stayed in the Ops Room for a while, looking over the world map displayed at the back of the room. Cid and Barret had filled him in on what had happened since the fiasco at the Northern Crater, so he knew all about Meteor and Shinra's plans to destroy it using the special materia known as Huge Materia. He had been impressed when he saw the pieces they had collected from North Corel and Fort Condor and agreed that he, too, could feel the immense power radiating from them.
Cid made no small story of his efforts as temporary leader. In fact the pilot bragged so much that Cloud wondered just how much of it was true, and kept looking to Barret for confirmation. The ex-resistance leader would simply shrug, so Cloud stayed silent and let the pilot continue.
As Cloud looked up at the map, he wondered where they would be heading to next. He got the feeling that there were more pieces of Huge Materia out there, no doubt found in a place controlled by Shinra. It seemed that the only way to find out where the next piece was located was to ask a member of Shinra. Cloud sighed. It looked like he was going to have to find Cait and pry the information out of him. Making up his mind, Cloud turned his back on the world map and headed towards the exit.
The Highwind crewmember was still by the door, seemingly waiting for him. Cloud stopped by the door and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. The crewmember stood to attention and saluted. Cloud did the same.
Seeing this as permission to speak, the crewmember grinned broadly. "Cloud, I was deeply moved by your story!" he said. "I'm a really weak person and so I could really understand how you feel, Cloud!" He grinned again. "No one knows when the fighting will begin. But let's get ready!"
Cloud nodded. It seemed he was not the only one who felt that way. It made him wonder… just how many people in the world suffered from this feeling of weakness? How many were punishing themselves for not feeling strong enough to protect the ones they cared about most?
Quickly Cloud pushed that thought aside. There was time to worry about that one later. Now he had other things to think about. Turning, he gave the crewmember a pat on the shoulder and then headed out into the corridor, looking for Cait.
Cait Sith… Now there was a character Cloud still could not fully understand. The cat a member of Shinra—or rather, the person that was controlling him was a member of Shinra. Technically, Cait was still a spy. He was meant to be informing Shinra of their movements and plans, thwarting them at every opportunity. Yet Cait had done more to aid their cause than to drive them from it.
In fact, Cloud realised, aside from glossing over various bits of information, the only real thing Cait had done to hinder them was to steal the Keystone. According to Barret, Cait had been a big help in Junon, helping him and Tifa when they were about to be executed by Shinra. He had provided them with knowledge about the Huge Materia, and the locations of the two pieces they had already collected. He fought alongside them.
Why was Cait doing this? What did he get out of all of this? Had he defected from Shinra, or was he a double agent now? These were all questions Cloud longed to ask him, but somehow he doubted he would get a straight answer.
Another Highwind crewmember informed Cloud that he had seen Cait heading up onto the outer deck. Cloud looked at the stairs that led to that deck. He was surprised Cait could even get that Mog of his up those stairs. Then again, Cait seemed able to move that Mog into many unusual places. It appeared the Mog was more versatile than it looked.
Cloud spotted Cait as soon as he walked on deck. The cat was stood near the stern, looking out at the nearby forest. A little ways in was a large gap where Mideel once stood. Now all that was there was a faint, luminous green glow. It was this that Cait seemed to be looking at. At least, that's what he appeared to be doing. He could be using this moment to report to Shinra for all they knew.
Cloud shoved that thought quickly out of his mind. After everything he had done, such as giving Sephiroth the Black Materia and allowing him to summon Meteor, he had no place to be doubting Cait.
Cait Sith must not have heard Cloud walk up, for as the swordsman stood next to him both the cat and the Mog jumped in fright, and Cait dropped his megaphone onto the floor. Seeing that it was just Cloud, Cait Sith relaxed and wiped his brow. A torn look passed over his furry face, and he lowered his head. The Mog did the same.
"Listen, Cloud," said the cat, somewhat hesitantly. "We're right in the middle of the mission for the Huge Materia, right?" Cloud tilted his head curiously. The cat seemed almost troubled, like he couldn't quite make up his mind on something. Whatever it was, he seemed to come to a decision, for the Mog raised its head and jumped up, waving its large arms. "I know this is kinda outta the blue," the cat continued, "but there's an underwater reactor at Junon. As far as I can see, that's the only one left. That's that. Let's go!"
Well, Cloud thought, there was no need to pry information out of him after all. Perhaps Cait had defected from Shinra, or at least was thinking about it. Not for the first time Cloud wondered about the person who was controlling Cait back at Shinra Headquarters. Who was he?
He decided not to ask. Let the cat have his secrets. The truth would reveal itself eventually. It always did.
He left Cait to his musings and returned to the lower decks. He was making his way toward the bridge when he spotted Yuffie by the walkway. The ninja was leaning over, with her hands on her knees, her head hanging over the edge of the path. She looked pale, and her knees quivered. Cloud went over to her.
"Huh?" Yuffie grunted when Cloud spoke to her. She did not raise her head. Her eyes remained fixed on the workings beneath them. "How would you even know? You don't know how tough it is… getting sick on boats and rides……"
At that moment the engines roared into life, causing the whole ship to shudder from top to bottom. The path beneath their feet trembled, and Cloud felt the slightly unpleasant vertigo sensation as the ship rose off the ground. The ninja paled further and clamped her hand over her mouth.
"So, please……" she mumbled, her words muffled by her hand. "Just leave me alone."
"……I really do understand, Yuffie," Cloud told her. "When I get sick on a flight, it's a real killer." He crossed his arms and tapped a finger against his bicep. "When I was in SOLDIER, I completely forgot about my motion sickness."
The dark look on Yuffie's face said it all. "Oh……" she said with a distinct, menacing tone. "Isn't there any way to prevent this?"
"Well, according to my research……" Cloud began. "First off, if you're nervous, you won't get sick. But you can't always be nervous." He closed his eyes and thought some more. Then he dropped to his knees and began to do some squats, ignoring Yuffie's baffled look. "With this much space, your best bet is to move around while you're riding. It also might be a good idea to stretch out sometimes, too. But in SOLDIER, we spent a lot of time in trucks. That sucked……"
Another thought occurred to him, this time an unpleasant one, and his face paled at the thought of it. He closed his eyes and held his head in his hands, rocking it. "And there's one thing you mustn't do when riding. And that is…… Read! Once you get sick, there's nothing anyone can do. I know it's tough……"
Yuffie tried to raise her head. Even that simple movement seemed to make her feel worse, and she let it drop back down lifelessly. "……So you're a little better off than me," she said quietly. "But I don't feel…… well." She swallowed hard. "Where's the next stop? Can't you get there any quicker? Cloud, put me in your party, so I can get off this ship."
Cloud looked down at the ninja in sympathy. He remembered this suffering all too well. As far back as he could remember (which was quite a long way now that his memories were back as they should be), he had never been able to cope with travel too well. It didn't matter whether the journey was by car or by chopper; he was always left feeling sick to his stomach. Of course that problem was psychological, he knew, since he had not felt sick since he believed he was a member of SOLDIER.
Since there was nothing he could do to help the ailing ninja, he left her to her misery and head on, finally, towards the bridge.
The others were already here, waiting for him to arrive. A number of heads turned to look at him as he stepped up onto the bridge. One of those heads was Barret. The man glared at Cloud with an ambivalent expression: a mix of irritation and excitement.
"C'mon, Cloud! Don't #&$^ around!" the man snapped fiercely. Then he grinned and looked out at the land ahead. "We're goin' to Junon, boyee!!"
Cloud scratched the back of his head and sighed. He then looked left at Tifa, who was also looking out at the land as it swept by beneath them; the Highwind was now making its way northwest towards Junon.
As though sensing his gaze, Tifa turned and looked at him. She smiled at him, and seeing her smile, Cloud could not help but smile back a little. Yes, he was right. No matter what happened, his friends were still his friends. They would never change.
Something he was thankful for.
End of Part Twelve
Part Thirteen: Key to the Ancients
A Note from the Authoress
Well, that's another section completed. Only three parts left to write. I split the story into fifteen separate parts. In case you're interested, Part Fourteen is called Gene Warfare and Part Fifteen is called One Winged Angel.
I also think this instalment is going to end up the biggest out of all of them. Particularly since I'm on Chapter 16 and still have Junon, Rocket Town, Cosmo Canyon, the City of the Ancients, Midgar and Northern Crater to do.
Oh, that's right… I almost forgot. Now that Memoria is complete, I'm going to be working on the Bonus Instalment for the next chapter or so. I'm going to be writing up the flashback in Nibelheim, so you can get a little more Zack out of me. Be sure to check there for my next update, okay?
Also, thanks to everyone who views my updates still. I noticed I get viewers from places like Korea. I'm so honoured. 고맙습니다 (I hope this is right; I don't know any Korean, just basic Japanese.)