"I'm telling you, he fell off the damn roof!!!"
"He did not!" Tifa hollered. "You tried to kill him!"
"I did not!!"
Currently, Tifa was busy arguing with Sephiroth. A few moments ago, Cloud had been up on the roof watching out for any unusual signs. When Sephiroth showed up, Cloud had accidentally lost his footing on the solar panels installed on his roof, came down off the roof, landed head first and was now out cold on the ground. Tifa had come outside to see what the noise was, and discovered Sephiroth leaning over Cloud's still form.
"You bastard Sephiroth...." Tifa snarled. "When Cloud comes to, we'll let HIM tell us whether he fell off the roof or not!"
"Very well...." Sephiroth said coldly, turning his back on the girl. "We shall see who is correct."
Just then, Cloud made a pained groaning noise. Tifa rushed to his side and knelt down beside her friend.
"Cloud!?" Tifa said desperately. "Are you alright?"
"......Aerrrrr.....ghhhh......." he groaned before falling silent once more. Tifa quickly cupped her hand under his chin to feel for a pulse. After finding one, she looked just a tad relieved. Her expression changed from shock to murderous in one second as she turned on Sephiroth.
"You....!!!" Tifa snorted. "You did this to Cloud, I know you did!!!"
"No I didn't." Sephiroth said casually. "It's not my fault if your friend is a goofy f....!!"
*CRACK*
Sephiroth was knocked backwards and fell to the ground as Tifa's fist came in contact with his jaw.
"Owwww...." Sephiroth growled.
"You deserved it, you bastard!" Tifa barked. "You're lucky I don't kill you right now!!"
Sephiroth screwed his face up as his mouth slowly filled up with blood. After spitting out a few mouthfuls, he stuck his thumb and his forefinger into his mouth and removed a tooth. He glared angrily at Tifa.
"Damn, you really know how to punch a guy, don't you?" Sephiroth said scornfully, as he tossed the tooth over his shoulder. As he stood up once again, Tifa backed up a few steps defensively, never taking her eyes off him.
"Where do you think you're going?! I'm never going to let you go, Sephiroth!" Tifa said angrily. "Now stand right here while I go call for backup..... and don't you dare move if you know what's good for you!!"
*"What am I supposed to do now?"*
*"Just sit there, bide your time and stay with Cloud. That's all I want you to do for now.*
*"Why?"*
*"Because you're going to face your next task......"*
*"And that is......?"*
-
-
-
* "Chosen One?! shit... what did he call her....Aeris??? Is that what your real name is!?"*
-
*"HEY!! Where'd you go?!"*
"Bide my time, eh?" Sephiroth sighed. "Very well female, I'll sit here while you go call for your precious backup."
"And don't you try anything funny either!"
Sephiroth folded his arms and let out a long sigh. "You have my word."
"That's what I was afraid of!"
Tifa and Sephiroth stood there in an angry silence for a few minutes.
"Look, just get your friend into this house somewhere."
Tifa leered at him. "You sound as if you care about him....."
"And you don't?" Sephiroth smirked.
Tifa bit her lip and fumed at the remark. "Shut up Sephiroth!!"
"Look, I have an idea." Sephiroth suggested. "You can get your friend in the house, keep your eye on me, and call for your backup all at the same time."
"How?"
"Let me carry him into the house." Sephiroth said, motioning to the blonde haired man out cold on the ground.
"But you'd only hurt him again!"
"Again?!" Sephiroth snorted. "I didn't hurt him the first time!"
"Why you bast....."
"Just shut up, you stupid woman!" Sephiroth snapped after finally losing his patience. He roughly picked up Cloud's unconscious form and draped the man over his shoulder. "Your main priority should be this guy, not me! Worry about him first and you can yell at me all you like afterward."
"As much as I hate to admit it..." Tifa said coldly. "You're right, Sephiroth."
"Aren't I always?" A crooked smile slowly made its way across the grey haired man's face.
Tifa only snorted as she walked back inside the house. Sephiroth followed her inside, being careful not to knock Cloud's head on the door frame.
----------------------------------------
Barret and Red XIII turned up at the house a few minutes later, after receiving Tifa's call on the PHS. Yuffie arrived on the scene as well, as she had been camping out in the nearby area.
"I wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it with my own eyes......" Red XIII said, shaking his head. "And now that I have, I don't want to believe it....."
"Shi't!!" Barret cursed. "Lucky thing we decided to stay in th' town for the night!!" He stared across the room at the grey haired man sitting quietly on the couch. "How the hell did this happen!? I thought Cloud killed him!!"
"He did." Tifa shrugged. "But he's back, isn't he?"
"Hey, do you think he has any rare Materia that he won't be needing?"
"Yuffie!" Tifa groaned. "Is that all you ever think about?!"
"No....." Yuffie answered. "Sometimes I think about boyfriends.... and how to acquire them...."
"What's he doing right now?" Red XIII whispered, peering across the room.
"He just sits there. Next to Cloud." Tifa said quietly.
"He jus' sits there?!" Barret grunted. "That's a bit strange, don't ya' think?"
Tifa shook her head. "What's stranger is that he gave me his word that he wouldn't run away...."
"Sephiroth said this to you?" Red XIII butted in. "Are you sure that man sitting there is even the real one!?"
"If you're trying to talk about me behind my back, it's not working. I can hear what you're saying perfectly well." Sephiroth opened his eyes and looked in their direction. "And yes, I am the genuine article." the man raised his left hand to reveal the tattoo he had been branded with. "12 before you, number 13."
Red XIII made a deep growling noise. "Number 13!? That's the name the Shinra scientist called me! How dare you call me that!! I resented every minute I spent in that damn laboratory!!"
"And you think I liked being an experiment either?" Sephiroth said angrily.
"No but...."
"Uunnnnnghh......"
"Cloud!!!" Tifa yelped and rushed to his side, shoving Sephiroth off the couch.
"Damn woman..... I...."
"Cloud, speak to me!! Are you alright?!" Tifa yelled desperately, shaking Cloud.
"Tifa.....?" Cloud groaned. "Why.... are you yelling at me...?"
"I'm not...." Tifa said as tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm just happy to hear you again."
"Oh." Cloud said. Suddenly, he jerked up. "Where the hell is Sephiroth?!"
"On the floor." Sephiroth sighed.
"You bastard, I'll kill you!!!"
"Don't you think that's getting a bit old?" Sephiroth sighed. "You've said it several times, but never actually followed up on it."
"Arrrrrrrggggghhhh!!!!" Cloud growled and attempted to stand up.
"Cloud, lie down!" Tifa said quickly, holding him back. "You need some rest!"
"I'm fiii.... uuugghh!" Cloud gurgled. "Owww!"
"Ugh. Don't get up." Sephiroth smirked. "Just tell the lady how you knocked yourself unconscious so you can clear my name."
"Huh?" Cloud said, sounding confused.
"You mean you don't remember?" Sephiroth said, suddenly sitting up once more. "You were on the roof, saw me, went psycho, slipped on the tiles or something and fell head first to the ground. God knows what you were doing up there in the first place...."
"Watching out for you!!" Cloud growled.
"Is that what happened, Cloud?" Tifa asked.
"Yes." Cloud nodded. "It was raining while I was up there, and you know what solar panels are like when they're wet, don't you? Slippery as a fish."
"Told ya' so, female." Sephiroth smirked. "Next time when I say something, you'll believe me!"
"That'll be the day...." Tifa mumbled.
"Well what are we going to do with him now?" Yuffie suddenly spoke up. "You finally got your wish Cloud, you have Sephiroth. Now what are you gonna do with him?"
"That's a good question, what are you going to do with me?" Sephiroth said, eyebrows raised.
*"More importantly, what are you going to do with me?"*
*".......join their group."*
*"What?! Why on earth do you want me to do that?! I don't wanna be the good guy!!"*
*"....... no..... Sephiroth......"*
*"What's wrong?! Why do you sound so far away!?"*
-
*"Answer me, dammit!!!"*
-
*"Chosen One?! Aeris?!"*
"Maybe we should order him around..." Yuffie suggested. "I always wanted my own slave! I know, I could have him steal Materia for me!! And who better than Sephiroth to do it?! Everybody is shit scared of him, it would be easy!!"
"I have a better suggestion, why don't we........??" Red XIII stopped in his tracks and averted his attention to Sephiroth. The man was now standing there, his hands on both sides of his head, eyes closed and shaking like something was trying to get inside his head.
"Sephiroth....?" Red XIII asked. "Are you OK?"
"Speak to me, dammit!!!" Sephiroth hollered. "Say something!!! Don't stop now!!"
"What's wrong with Sephiroth?" Cloud asked, looking up.
"It looks like the same thing that happened to you all those times..." Tifa said thoughtfully.
"Huh?" Cloud asked, sounding puzzled. "What do you mean 'same thing that happened to me all those times'??"
"Cloud, remember when you used to go all psycho when something got inside of your head?" Tifa asked. "You'd shudder around like that and start yelling things out."
"That something that got inside my head was Sephiroth!" Cloud growled. "He even made me nearly strike down Aeris!! I'll never forgive him for that!"
"Well look at him now, Cloud." Tifa pointed. "He's acting the same way you did."
"But what could've gotten inside of his head??" Cloud wondered. "It sure doesn't sound too friendly."
"Noo..... Answer me, you bastard!!" Sephiroth growled. "Where did you go!?"
*"Sephiroth...... I......"*
*"Aeris!?"*
*"Yes! You... be....... here....... now....."*
*"You want me to be here now!? Where's here?!"*
*"Return...... Black Materia..... found...."*
*"Black Materia!? Yeah, I found it... uh.... manipulated the person who had it until I did... heh heh.... But I don't have it any more! It's in a Materia slot in my Masamune, wherever that is!!"*
*"Noo....... Ancients..... area..... here!"*
*"Huh?! What's wrong!? Why has this telepathic link suddenly become so hard to maintain?!"*
*".... now....."*
*"Return to the Black Materia!? Get it back!? Is that what you want me to do!?"*
*"Yes...... No...... all of you..... here...... now....."*
*"You want us to go somewhere!?"*
*"Yes..... ancients...... black materia......"*
*"You're not making any sense!!!"*
*"Go.... now!"*
"Aaaaagggghhh!!!" Sephiroth yelled angrily as the pain in his head became too much for him to bear. He clutched wildly at his head, and toppled to the floor from exhaustion.
"Sephiroth? Are you OK?" Tifa asked, looking down at the now exhausted man at her feet.
"That took..... everything I had....." Sephiroth panted, trying to catch his breath. "And it still wasn't enough......"
"What happened?" Cloud asked.
Sephiroth looked up at him from the floor with a pained expression on his face. "She spoke to me again.... but it was harder than ever....."
"Who did?" Cloud said coldly.
"...Aeris....."
"Aeris spoke to you??" Red XIII said, full of inquisition.
"I don't believe that for one second!!" Cloud said angrily. "You're lying, Sephiroth!!"
"What th' fuck!?" Barret suddenly spoke up. He grabbed Sephiroth roughly by the shoulder and pulled the man up to meet his eye level. "What the hell would Aeris want wit' you anyways?! And why would she speak to you and not us?!"
"You wouldn't......... understand....." Sephiroth said breathlessly. Barret snorted angrily and tossed him away. Sephiroth fell to the floor once again.
"Don't do that!" Red XIII said suddenly.
"Huh?" Barret was a little taken aback. "Since when did you care 'bout Sephiroth, Red?"
"I don't...." Red XIII said. "But you shouldn't be throwing him around, he's trying to tell us something about Aeris!"
"What if he's lying!?" Cloud said. "For all we know, the bastard could be making the whole story up!"
"Well he's doing a pretty good acting job...." Yuffie said quietly.
"I believe him." Red XIII said quietly.
"So howcum' he can hear Aeris and we can't?!" Barret growled.
"Cuz' she's speaking directly to him, dolt!" Yuffie said angrily. "If she wanted to talk to you, she would!! But why anybody would want to talk to you is beyond me...."
"Yuffie!!" Tifa yelped.
"I think I can give a reason.... would you like to hear it?" Red XIII asked.
"Go on Red, tell us what you think." Tifa nodded.
"Yeah, go on Red!" Yuffie whined. "I wanna hear!"
"Well...." Red XIII began. "We know Aeris is one of the Ancients... or the Cetra, right? She has the natural ability to talk to other people through telepathy, as well as being able to hear what the planet is saying."
"Uh-huh...." Barret nodded.
"Meanwhile, Sephiroth here is what you might call a 'Jenova Clone'......"
"SHUT UP!!!!" Sephiroth howled. "I'm no Jenova clone! And don't talk about my mother, I don't ever wanna hear that name again!!!"
Cloud looked at Sephiroth with puzzlement. "What the hell.....?"
Red XIII continued. "Jenova was the one that came down from the sky to bring harm to the planet..... basically, she was going to do exactly the same thing Sephiroth did......"
"What....??" Sephiroth yelped, looking up suddenly.
"Will you shut up, Sephiroth!?" Yuffie scorned. "We're trying to hear what Red has to say!"
"Jenova was a supreme being..... she was like the Cetra.... in a way.... She exhibited the same powers of them...... so it's no doubt she also had this telepathic ability. Sephiroth must have inherited this same ability from her......"
"You can inherit telepathy?" Yuffie said, sounding confused.
Red XIII nodded. "Some say you also inherit certain talents and personality traits as well, just like you inherit your eye colour or hair colour from your parents."
"I know about that all too well...." Cloud spoke up. "After all, I did get this wild blonde hair from my mom....."
"So what did Aeris say to you, Sephiroth?" Tifa asked, turning her attention to him.
"She wanted us to go somewhere......" Sephiroth sighed. "She sounded pretty desperate about it too....."
"You're a liar, Sephiroth...." Cloud said coldly. "This is just part of some plan you have, isn't it?"
"But what if Sephiroth really is telling the truth?" Tifa asked.
"Did someone screw up your brain?!" Cloud said angrily. "This is the man who brought down Meteor, and nearly killed us all!! Doesn't that tell you anything about him?!"
"That was then, this is now....." Sephiroth said quietly. "When.... Jenova manipulated me to suit her masterplan......"
"And I suppose you're going to tell us that you're here to help us now?!" Cloud roared. "Yeah, three years ago, you nearly totalled this planet.... and now you're here to benefit us??..... a likely story. You won't fool me, bastard."
Sephiroth looked at Cloud with an annoyed expression on face as he slowly shook his head. "You're a very begrudging person, aren't you?"
"Oh, and I wonder why....." Cloud snorted sarcastically.
"Sephiroth?! Where does Aeris want us to go?!" Tifa said in frustration, trying to stop what looked like a brewing fight.
"Do you think I know?!" Sephiroth growled. "It was hard enough making all that out!"
"Calm down Sephiroth...." Red XIII said calmly. "Just try to remember what she said...."
"Mainly 'Black Materia' and Ancients." Sephiroth sighed. "I wish it was more clear...."
"Black Materia??" Yuffie said, perked up with sudden interest. "This could be interesting......."
"There we go, he mentions the Black Materia." Cloud yelled. "You lost it Sephiroth, we're not finding it for you!!! What would you do with it, anyway? Summon an even larger Meteor?!"
"Cloud!!!" Red XIII said, losing his temper. "Stop!!"
Cloud looked slightly annoyed with Red XIII but stayed silent.
"Hang on, let's piece this together....." Tifa said thoughtfully. "Aeris wants us to go somewhere, and kept mentioning the Black Materia and the ancients...... She either wants us to go to where the Black Materia is now, or where it was....."
"No, she didn't want us to go where it is now....." Sephiroth shook his head.
"The Temple of The Ancients!!!" Tifa said suddenly. "Aeris wants us to go to The Temple of The Ancients!!"
"That makes perfect sense....." Sephiroth said quietly.
"But how can we go there?!" Cloud intervened. "That place imploded in on itself when Cait Sith retrieved the Black Materia for us! Of course..... that was before you stole the Black Materia from me the first time....."
"Maybe she just wants us to go to the site where it used to be." Sephiroth said, ignoring Cloud's comment.
"Maybe you just want to stand in the place where you murdered Aeris and laugh about it!" Cloud hissed. "I'll never lose my mistrust in you."
"Suits me fine." Sephiroth shrugged. "I'll still get my orders carried out regardless of whether I befriend you or not."
"Well, Aeris wants us to go to The Temple of The Ancients?" Red XIII said. "What are we waiting for, let's go!!"
Cloud jumped up suddenly. "You're not seriously...... Uhhhuughh...."
"Cloud!" Tifa yelped, and rushed to his aid. "You're too weak to get up!"
"I have to!" Cloud yelped. "I just have to go along with you guys!"
"Why?"
"To make sure this bastard doesn't try anything on any of you!!" Cloud growled. "I have to go. If anything happens to any of you.... I'll never forgive myself."
"But you can't even stand up!" Tifa shook her head. "You'll only make yourself worse if you come with us!"
"But.....!"
"No buts, Cloud." Tifa said sternly. "You're staying behind, and that's that."
"No he's not." Sephiroth said, sounding bored.
"But he can't even stand up, let alone walk!" Tifa defended.
"Who said he would be?" Sephiroth shrugged. "I can carry him, can't I?"
"What?!" Cloud choked.
"Sephiroth!" Tifa folded her arms and closed her eyes. "I wouldn't trust you with Cloud, never in a million....."
When Tifa opened her eyes again, there was no Cloud, and no Sephiroth. She heard the front door slam loudly. Yuffie smothered a giggle. Red XIII couldn't help but smile.
"What's so funny?" Tifa asked. "And where did Cloud go?"
"He went flying on the back of a one winged angel....." Red XIII smiled. "With much reluctance."
"Arrggh! I'm gonna kill em' both!" Tifa growled, and ran off outside.
Barret and Red XIII exchanged glances.
"Looks like I'm winnin' this bet." Barret smiled. "Pay up the 1000 gil, feline."
"Aaaahhh, not so fast." Red XIII smiled. "This hasn't even begun yet. Remember, although Cloud and Tifa aren't together, you gave this bet no time limit. Therefore, we have the rest of their lives before this is settled."
"You &*?*ing cat!!!" Barret snorted. "I didn't see that!!"
"Never mind Barret. I'll buy you something nice with the money when I win this bet." Red XIII said sympathetically. "Now what say we go follow Tifa and go find out what's going on at The Temple of The Ancients?"
"Grrr..." Barret grumbled as they walked out the door.
"Hey!!!" Yuffie yelped suddenly. "Wait for me!!!"
--------------------------------
Cloud, Tifa and Sephiroth were just on the border of Nibelheim, headed out of town. Sephiroth had been carrying Cloud on his back for a while now, and Cloud was beginning to wriggle and squirm.
"Are you quite comfortable there?"
"Yeah....."
"Well stop moving around so much. I don't really want to carry you, you know."
"I never asked you to....." Cloud grumbled.. "So why are you?"
Sephiroth thought for a bit before deciding on an answer. "Because I can."
"Is Cloud getting too heavy for you, Sephiroth?" Tifa asked.
"Why should you care?"
"Because if he's not heavy enough, then I need to feed him more."
Cloud only groaned at the remark. Sephiroth chose to remain silent.
The group walked on till they reached the very outskirts of the town.
"I wanna get off." Cloud said suddenly.
"Why, what's wrong?!" Sephiroth said angrily.
"Are you hot or something?!" Cloud grumbled. "Your back is sticky! And you smell terrible! Have you ever heard of deodorant?! Or a bath!?"
"That does it....." Sephiroth lost his temper, and let go of Cloud, making him slide off his back and onto the ground. "You're not hitching a ride on me any more. I'm going to The Temple of The Ancients by myself. I don't need you guys, screw the lot of you!"
"Good riddance to you!" Cloud jeered.
"Cloud!!" Tifa snapped. "We need to keep Sephiroth in close proximity! What if he goes on another killing spree?!"
"Oh come on, I don't even have my Masamune!!" Sephiroth growled. "As if I would do that!!!"
"As if you wouldn't!!!" Cloud snarled back, sound equally annoyed.
"Screw you all, I've had enough of this!"
Sephiroth leaped high into the air, and attempted to fly off. It didn't work - he came plummeting down again and landed face first in the snow.
"What the hell are you doing?" Cloud asked, slightly annoyed.
"I don't understand...." Sephiroth said sounding confused. "I used to be able to fly...." he stood up once more, and closed his eyes. A look of intense concentration soon appeared on his face.
Cloud looked on with slight confusion. Tifa raised an eyebrow at the scene.
"What the heck are you trying to do, Sephiroth!?"
Sephiroth stood there for a few more seconds before letting out a cry of frustration. "Dammit!!! It doesn't work!!!"
"What doesn't?"
"I used to be able to call on awesome destructive powers...." Sephiroth complained. "But I can't use them! It seems they've gone!"
"Probably just as well too!" Tifa scolded. "I remember your true power just before we engaged in that final battle! You just stood there looking bored, while you threw out huge ripples of green energy at us! You messed our party up quite a bit!!!"
"My highest third level limit break....." Sephiroth said, deep in thought.
"What?" Cloud looked up. "You have third level limit breaks too?"
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at Cloud. "Everybody has limit breaks, you dolt!"
"Yeah, but not third level ones!!!" Cloud yelled. "I'll have you know that......"
Tifa suddenly barged in between the two males. "Exccuuuse me guys, but Cloud? Where's your PHS?"
"Right here..." Cloud said, digging into his pocket and producing the small phone. "Why?"
"We're headed for The Temple of The Ancients, aren't we?" Tifa asked, her hands on her hips.
"Yeah.... why?" Cloud wondered.
"Seeing as though you two boys are so busy talking, you won't have any time to call Cid and get him to fly the Highwind over here, will you?!"
"Oh wait, I......" Cloud started.
"Guys!!!" Yuffie called out. "Waiiiiitt uuupp!!! We're coming!"
"Yeah, don't leave us' behind!!!" Barret yelled. "We wanna come too!"
"Yes, we have to come!" Red XIII said as they finally reached the group. "Especially if we're going to meet Aeris...."
"When we meet up again, I'll give her one of my big Yuffie hugs!!!" Yuffie squealed, and skipped around, hugging herself.
"You guys really believe what Sephiroth says, don't you?!" Cloud said in disbelief. "Why?! The guy is a liar! He tried to take away everything that was important to us!!"
"Well he's a pretty good liar, isn't he?" Yuffie said. "I believe him. No-one is that good an actor!"
"The only reason I'm going is because there might be a chance of us seeing Aeris again." Tifa smiled. "And I wouldn't miss an opportunity like that for anything."
Red XIII looked at Sephiroth with a thoughtful expression. "The fact that he's even with us again means something......"
"What about you Barret?" Cloud asked. "You don't believe Sephiroth, do you?"
"Ah' don't know fer sure....." Barret grunted. "But I'll go just for th' heck of it!"
"Great. May I remind you all that this is the same guy we stopped from annihilating this entire planet!? And now you're all siding with the enemy!?" Cloud sighed sarcastically. "What great friends I have......"
There was an uneasy silence over the group for the next few minutes.
"Hey Sephiroth....." Barret said, breaking the silence. "Where 'bouts in The Temple of The Ancients are we meetin' her anyways?"
"Yeah Sephy....." Yuffie piped up. "Where did Aeris say she'll meet us???"
"I never said we were going to meet Aeris!" Sephiroth angrily. "At no point in any conversation with her did she ever say she was going to meet either me OR us!"
The group fell silent.
"And don't call me 'Sephy'!!!" Sephiroth yelped. "Or 'Sefyrof', or 'Seph'......"
"Then why th' hell are we going?!" Barret growled.
"I don't know!!!" Sephiroth said, losing his temper. "She said a lot of things! You all just deciphered what I told you and came up with the conclusion that Aeris wants us to go to The Temple of The Ancients!!!"
"Then why don't you just try asking her again?!" Tifa blurted out.
"Yeah, go on Sephiroth!!!" Yuffie said angrily.
"Shut up, the lot of you!!" Sephiroth snapped, as he turned his back on them. "I'll try."
"Whatsa matter?" Barret taunted. "Are you a chicken wuss?!"
"Shut up!!!" Sephiroth yelled. "I said I was going to try, dammit!!"
"Oh."
*"Aeris!? Where the hell are you!?"*
-
*"Answer me, dammit!!"*
-
"Well?!" Barret said impatiently. "What is she saying??"
"Barret! You'll upset his concentration!" Red XIII said angrily. "Be patient."
"She remains as silent as the stars....." Sephiroth sighed.
"The only one of us who can speak to Aeris is Sephiroth...." Cloud said suddenly. "How convenient."
That remark pushed the grey haired man over the limit. In an instant Sephiroth swung around and roughly gripped Cloud by the throat.
"Do you want to live to see tomorrow?!" he said coldly.
Suddenly, within the young man's subconscious, a voice registers......
If you continue in your old ways, you'll end up back there again.......... so will I.
You cannot escape your dark side, can you?
You have an uncontrollable anger.... Once you get it going, it controls you.
Live..... redeem yourself..... clear your name.....
Cloud's heart has held a deep sorrow since the day you killed me........
Maybe it can never be repaired......
Don't do this, Sephiroth. Please. Do it for me.
Suddenly realising what he was about to do, Sephiroth immediately let go of the man and took two steps backward. "Cloud, I...."
Tifa, Yuffie looked at him with horrified looks on their faces. Red XIII smiled slightly and dropped his head to the ground.
"Just as I thought....."
Cloud raised both his eyebrows as Sephiroth took another step backwards.
"What the hell......?" Cloud said suddenly. "You've lost the plot, Sephiroth. Were you trying to kill me or what??"
"....No." Sephiroth said, shaking his head. "I... didn't mean to...... sorry...."
"AAArrrrghhh!!!!"
Sephiroth turned around suddenly just as Barret tackled him to the ground. "Cloud was' right 'bout you!! We shoulda' listened to him!! Now you're gonna die!"
Barret began beating the stuffing out of him.
"Barret!" Yuffie yelped. "Stop!"
But Barret still pummelled the man for all he was worth.
"Haaa haaa....." Sephiroth gurgled, half conscious. "I'm not going to fight you....."
"Barret!!!" Yuffie pleaded. "Do you want to kill him?! Stop it!!"
"Hey come on Barret..... Stop that." Cloud said, in spite of what had happened to him just moments ago.
Barret lowered his eyes to meet Sephiroth's turquoise ones. They looked into his like a lost puppy. This made Barret even angrier.
"What's the matter?! Can't take a beating, can you!?!"
"Can you stop bashing me now? I'm not feeling so great any more...." Sephiroth said quietly. He stared off into the distance. Barret landed another punch across his face. A small pained groan escaped him as he felt something crack in his jaw. But he did not resist Barret's attacks.
"Please..... stop...." Sephiroth gurgled before losing consciousness.
Suddenly, Red XIII leaped over Cloud and rushed at Barret. Leaping onto the gun-armed man, he pinned him down by his shoulders and growled deeply.
"Now that's quite enough, don't you think??" Red XIII snorted. He backed down off Barret and sat down in the snow. Barret sat up and looked angrily at Red XIII.
"Now why'd ya' hafta go and do that?!" Barret growled.
"I don't believe you!!" Red XIII growled angrily. "I know you don't like the man, but we'd better keep him alive!"
"Why?!" Barret asked.
"Because the fact that he's even alive again means something!" Red XIII said determinedly. "And whether the meaning behind this is good or bad, Sephiroth is our only ticket to Aeris!"
"What makes you so sure that he even speaks to her?!" Cloud asked. "How do you know that he isn't lying?!"
"I just know!" Red XIII said determinedly. "Besides, Grandfather used to speak to people like that too..... when he did, he put his hands on either side of his head and concentrate for all he was worth...... just like Sephiroth did."
"What??" Cloud yelped. "Bugenhagen could use telepathy too?!"
"You would have been surprised if you knew some of the things he could do." Red XIII smiled. "But most of the time he used to like to say 'Hoo hooo hoooo'."
"Bugenhagen...." Cloud chuckled a little. "I liked him....."
"Enough of this chatter!" Red XIII said suddenly. "Let's call the Highwind! The sooner we get to The Temple of The Ancients, the sooner we find out what's going on!"
"Yeah!!" Yuffie said, jumping up. "And the sooner we get to see Aeris!!"
"But Sephiroth never said we were going to meet Aeris, Yuffie." Tifa sighed. "We're not even sure why Aeris told him to go there!"
"Who cares?!" Cloud said, picking his PHS out of his pocket. "This makes for the perfect opportunity to see Cid again!!!"
"No. The real reason we call Cid is so we can get out of this place." Red XIII said quietly. "We'll get hypothermia if we stand out here any longer in this cold night."
--------------------------------
When the plane soared overhead and landed in the field just outside Nibelheim, Everyone ran out to greet it's pilot. Everybody that is, except for Cloud who still couldn't stand up properly. He gave Tifa a hopeful look as she began to run off with the rest of the group.
"Oh Cloud...." Tifa sighed as she turned back and sat down in the snow next to him. "Don't you worry your spiky head over this. We'll come back and carry you into the Highwind."
"Thanks Tifa...." Cloud nodded. "Now get a move on over there! You wanna say 'hi' to Cid again, don't you??"
"Yeeaaahhh....." Tifa nodded, and jumped up. "You don't mind?"
"Not at all." Cloud chuckled. "Just make sure you don't forget I'm here and fly off without me!"
"Cloud, we would never leave you behind!!" Tifa yelled happily as she wrapped her arms around his head. "Now I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't go anywhere!"
"As if I can." Cloud grumbled, as he watched Tifa run off toward the Highwind.
"Heeh heeh heeeh heh....."
"Huh??" Cloud jumped suddenly. He thought he had been the only one there. As he looked around, he saw Red XIII lying down a little distance away from him.
"Red?" Cloud asked. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you with the others?"
"She displays much affection for you when she thinks no-one else is around, doesn't she?"
"Oh come on, Red......" Cloud sighed. "You know Tifa's always been like that......"
Red XIII chuckled at Cloud's remark.
"What...??"
"How very much I would like to go after them....." Red XIII smiled. "But I am needed here...."
"What?" Cloud asked. "What do you mean, 'you're needed here'?"
"Someone has to stay with him, don't they?" Red said, his smile fading. "If I don't keep him warm like this, then he'll suffer from hypothermia and most probably die."
"Hypothermia??" Cloud said, puzzled. "But I don't even feel the slightest bit cold!"
"Not you....." Red XIII said, shaking his head. "I meant Sephiroth."
"You're keeping him warm?? How are you doing that?"
"I'm lying across his belly." Red XIII said, then lay down once more. "It seems to be the warmest part of you and your kind. It makes sense too, most of your internal organs all lie within the whole area, both your belly and your ribcage."
"Uh huh." Cloud nodded. "You can also inflict the most damage on someone if you rip open their stomach with your blade. Heh heh, if you crack open someone's sternum, his guts will start leaking down into the rest of his body."
"Ugh...."Red XIII groaned. "You know this from experience??"
"No." Cloud smiled. "I saw it once in a movie."
"Enough of this subject...." Red XIII said, looking up. "Here comes our group."
"Hey Cloud, did you miss us?" Tifa smiled as the group arrived back at the border of Nibelheim.
"No, I didn't." Cloud said. "Red and I chatted for a bit."
"And Cloud is a most interesting conversationalist." Red XIII chuckled. "Can you all go now so we can talk some more?"
"Red!!" Tifa giggled. "You can all talk some more when we board the Highwind. Now let's go!"
"But who's going to carry me?" Cloud wondered. "I can't walk!"
"I'll answer that question for you, buddy."
"Cid!" Cloud cried. "Hey, I was wondering when you'd show up!!"
"Obviously now." Cid chuckled. "Cuz' you guys want me to pilot you around again, don't you?"
"There's so much we need to need to tell you, Cid." Cloud sighed.
"There's so much I wanna tell you...." Cid chuckled.
"Yeah??" Cloud said, full of interest. "Like what?"
"Like that I totally overhauled the Highwind." Cid smiled. "The interior is more like a large house now.... I furbished it and everything! It has a kitchen, bedrooms, laundry..... you name it!"
"Why did you do that?"
" It's our home away from home, isn't it?" Cid mused. "Well now it's just my home!"
"Cool. I'll have to see it once we get inside." Cloud nodded.
"Now you said that you wanted to tell me a whole bunch of stuff??"
"Uh huh." Cloud sighed. "And not all of it is good news. And then there's the other thing we need to tell you about...."
"That doesn't matter. Tell me once we're inside." Cid said, beckoning to his plane. "We'll chat about it over coffee or tea or whatever. I don't know what the #@^& you like."
"Coffee with milk, two sugars." Tifa intervened, patting Cloud on the head. "And he likes a cookie to go with it, don't you Cloud?"
The group fell silent.
"Looks like love is in the air tonight, eh fellas?" Cid chuckled putting an arm around both Cloud and Tifa. "Well I guessed at it, but to find out that it was true... heh heh....well!"
Cloud's eyebrows shot up into his fringe. "What.....??"
"I don't love Cloud!!!" Tifa yelped, jerking backwards. "I don't even like the jerk!! Sure, we were childhood friends, but that's it! The only reason I know what he likes is because I've been living with him for so long!!!"
"Do you want to know what I think?" Red XIII spoke up.
"What?!" Tifa cried. "What do you think?!"
"I think someone could be owing me 1000 gil...."
"Shut up cat." Barret groaned. "Not now....."
"Look guys, I'm sorry...." Cid sighed. "I've embarrassed you both now, haven't I? Why don't we just forget about this whole $%@#ing thing and climb on board the Highwind? I bet you just can't wait to tell me what's happened to you all....."
"Ecstatic." Cloud grunted.
"Well come on then. Shera can't wait for us forever, you know!" Cid chuckled.
"Shera?" Tifa wondered. "You finally got together with her?"
"Oh yeah....." Cid chuckled. "She's a great kid, and she's partly responsible for the way the Highwind looks now. And she does some wicked mechanic work too....... Now get your asses in gear and follow me!!"
Cid and the group began to walk towards the plane. A couple of seconds later, Cid turned around and noticed that both Cloud and Red XIII were not following.
"What's the #@&%'s the matter with you, Cloud?" Cid asked. "Ohhhh that's right. Tifa said you hurt yourself and aren't very good on your feet still, are you?"
"Nope." Cloud shook his head. "It makes me dizzy just thinking about it."
"Only one way to fix that, isn't there?" Cid chuckled as he flicked his cigarette to the ground and stamped it out. "I'll have to carry you, won't I?"
"Yeah."
"No, I'll do that...." Barret chimed in, and roughly picked Cloud up. "We don' want no lightweights luggin' around nobody round here."
"Lightweight....??" Cid said angrily. "The word you're lookin' for, you ^%#$%, is 'Highwind'!"
"*&@# you!" Barret growled. "What the hell are you goin' on with anyway??"
"Oh who gives a $@#*??" Cid snorted. "Just get that damn thing on my plane before I fly off without you!"
"Thing....?" Cloud choked.
"Ahh shut the hell up, you old man." Barret yawned. "I could out cuss you any day of th' week..."
"Old man?!" Cid roared. "Shi't!! I'm three years younger than you!"
"I don't want no details, Highwind....." Barret grunted. "Jus' shut yer yap and fly the stupid plane."
"Don't argue with each other." Red XIII said calmly. "We're all in this together."
"Yeah, the cat's right...." Barret sighed. "Sorry Cid. I guess I'm jus' up for a good fight, that's all."
"Phhhh, it's OK...." Cid said casually. "I kinda like arguing with you anyway."
"We mus do this again sometime." Barret chuckled.
"Yeah...." Cid nodded. He averted his attention to Red XIII. "Hey Red? Aren't you coming too?"
"Of course." Red XIII smiled. "But I have something I want you to carry for me. I would myself, but my paws don't grip as well as yours do. I've just been sitting here for a while keeping him warm."
"For you Red, I'll do anything." Cid smiled. "Now what do you want me to carry?"
"Not what..... who." Red XIII shook his head slowly and let out a long sigh before standing up and getting off what he was sitting on.
Cid jumped a mile when he realised what Red XIII had been sitting on.
"I think you know who I'm talking about now." Red XIII dropped his head and smiled slightly.
"What....?!" Cid yelled. "Sephiroth?!"
"Oh yeah Cid...." Cloud said quietly. "That was the other thing we wanted to talk to you about....."