Chapter Text
So this is how it ends.
That was Cloud’s only thought as his eyelids grew heavy.
It was ironic, really. He’d survived Sephiroth, the meteor, geostigma, going up against legions of Shinra troopers, Rufus and his Turks… only to be killed by a Zolom. A fucking Zolom!
Cloud’s last delivery had led him through some particularly treacherous terrain. A recent storm had taken out the bridge he was supposed to cross, so he mounted a chocobo and headed straight through the marshes. That was where the Zolom found him.
He thought nothing of it at first. After all, he’d fought those creatures before. But Cloud’s strength was not what it used to be. He had no reason to train as much now that Sephiroth no longer presented a constant threat to the Planet. He was still sharp and strong, but all it took was one badly timed dodge, one slip, and the damn creature used the opening it was given, sending Cloud flying and crashing into the side of the mountain, his sword slipping from his grasp.
He could feel blood dripping down his face, his whole body growing heavy. He couldn’t move. The edges of his vision started going dark, ears ringing. He could hear the Zolom slithering closer, sending waves of water splashing around its body, aiming to kill.
Right before his eyes closed and he lost consciousness, Cloud saw rays of mako-green light rising up around him. Then there was only darkness.
***
“Strife! Hey, Cloud! You with us, man?”
Cloud gasped, looking around wildly, feeling disoriented. He was surrounded by Shinra troopers! He tried to get up, get ready to defend himself against the attack he knew was coming, but he stumbled, catching himself on one knee. The guy who’d called his name earlier made a move to help him, then stopped and raised his hands in a placating gesture when Cloud flinched away.
“Easy there. You’re okay.”
Cloud reached around for his sword, but it was not on his back. How? It felt impossible — Cloud never went anywhere without his sword. He turned around to check. That was when he realized that he himself was wearing a Shinra uniform. He blinked in confusion. Nothing made sense! He took a few calming breaths and tried to remember how he got there.
That one trooper was still speaking to him in calming tones. Looking closer, Cloud realized that he remembered him from his training days. That was Kunsel. Cloud recognized a few others standing around them, giving him worried looks.
“You took quite a blow to the head, Cloud. You should sit down for now. Have some water. We’ll take you to a doctor if you’re feeling dizzy,” Kunsel was telling him just as another trooper, whose name Cloud could not remember, but vaguely recognized his face, came rushing in, flushed and panicked.
“I’m so sorry Cloud, this was all my fault! Are you alright?” he asked worriedly. “I know my aim is awful, but I never thought I’d hit someone like this. I owe you a coffee, man. No, lunch! I’ll buy you lunch for a week, just please don’t tell my commanding officer. I can’t afford to fail another class!”
The guy kept fretting, overwhelming Cloud even more. None of this made sense. What could have happened? How could he be here, in what seemed to be the past? Only minutes ago, he was fighting a Zolom in the Grasslands and now he was back at Shinra? Did he die and this was his personal hell? Doomed to relive his training days for all eternity?
“What happened here?”
A silky baritone voice posed the question from behind the group of infantrymen. Cloud felt goose bumps break out across his skin, suppressing a shiver. He would recognize that voice anywhere. The crowd parted, allowing Cloud to see him. Sephiroth stood tall, in full army uniform, commanding as ever.
This was definitely hell.
Cloud’s breath sped up and he tried to stave off the rising rage and panic. He heard Kunsel explaining what had happened, trying not to put too much blame on the guy-whose-name-Cloud-did-not-remember, but Cloud didn’t care about any of that. Standing so close to Sephiroth, all he could think about was fire, flames, death and all the lives lost at the hands of this man.
“How are you feeling, cadet?”
He was talking to Cloud. Somewhere in the fog of his mind, Cloud knew that a response was required. He tried to will his mouth to work.
“I’m fine,” he answered gruffly, then corrected himself, “Sir.”
Sephiroth gave him a once-over.
“Go see a doctor. You look like you might have a concussion.”
And with that, the general walked away. In the grand scheme of his daily duties, a random hurt cadet was barely more important than a fruit fly.
The troopers let out a collective sigh of relief for not getting in trouble with the general and Kunsel pulled Cloud to his feet, dragging him towards the infirmary.
But Cloud couldn’t take his mind off of Sephiroth.
The more time passed, the more he felt like this place was real. And if the place was real, it meant that Sephiroth was real, too. Cloud must have gone ten years into the past, to a time before geostigma, before the meteor, before Jenova and Sephiroth losing his mind. That would mean that the man he’d just seen was not currently a threat, but it mattered little. To Cloud, it just meant that he did not yet possess Jenova’s powers.
And while Sephiroth was almost impossibly strong all by himself, beating him without Jenova’s mind control and regenerative abilities would certainly make things a lot easier.
Now that his thoughts had gone in that direction, Cloud’s mind started reeling, eagerly considering all the possibilities. Maybe if he killed Sephiroth as he was now, he wouldn’t come back. Maybe Cloud could kill him before he hurt anyone and get rid of him for good. He could save his mother, Nibelheim, Aerith, Zack, Tifa’s dad… Maybe even Denzel’s parents and everyone who would die of geostigma.
All he needed to do was kill Sephiroth.
***
After a quick doctor’s visit, Cloud was given a clean bill of health and sent on his way. He went straight to his bunk to try and get his bearings.
His body felt strange. He no longer had the enhancements he’d lived with for the past ten years. His body felt slower, weaker, shorter, too. Cloud was never tall, as Barret never failed to remind him, but at sixteen he was half a head shorter, which affected his core and balance. It felt limiting, being in his old body, which he’d long outgrown and surpassed. Now he’d need to learn to live with it again. Honing it into a proper fighting machine would take some time, probably even longer than before, since he had no enhancements helping him this time around. And he had no time to lose.
Cloud pulled up a calendar on his PHS. To his relief, it was March, which meant he had another six months until the attack on Nibelheim. That should be more than enough time to prevent it. But killing Sephiroth would not be easy. Even without Jenova’s powers, the man was nearly unstoppable, and Cloud’s sixteen-year-old self, who’d failed the SOLDIER exam and struggled in his classes, was certainly no match for him. Still, he’d killed Sephiroth three times in the past. If anyone could do it, Cloud could, so he just needed to find a way.
He tossed and turned, kicking the sheets, until, eventually, he fell into a restless sleep.
The following morning, Cloud was forced out of bed at an ungodly hour to join a roll call, then, after a quick shower and breakfast, shuffled after his comrades to attend their morning classes. It was starting to sink in that he was really here. He remembered living through all this before, but with all the events that followed, this felt like someone else’s life. It was like watching a 3D movie without the glasses — seeing two pictures, mostly the same, but never quite matching and forming a cohesive image. Like a slightly skewed version of reality where everything seemed familiar, but was different just enough to cause unease and a sense of freakish surrealism.
Cloud remembered enough about magical theory that he didn’t stand out in class like a sore thumb. It was ridiculous that they were teaching them theory and not letting them use materia in action. He supposed Shinra wanted them to know how to avoid magic and defend themselves, but weren't eager to invest millions into equipping all troopers with materia.
Cloud wondered if he could still use materia in his current state. It was safe to assume that he could, even if his body was probably very low on magic and he couldn’t cast anything advanced. He made a mental note to get ahold of a materia and test it. The ability would certainly be useful for what he was planning to do.
The afternoon classes consisted of shooting and sword practice. He used to be a great shot, but hadn’t used a gun in years and his teachers took note of his lackluster performance. With the sword, it was the opposite. He was suddenly the best in class, which earned him more than a few looks and raised eyebrows. Belatedly, he realized that maybe he should have played down his abilities.
The day passed quickly and the moment his classes for the day were done, he ran off to find a secluded spot in the Shinra complex. He got out his PHS and scrolled down to his mom’s number.
Cloud’s finger hovered, hesitant.
He could call her. She’d pick up. It was six months before anything bad would happen to her. He’d seen Sephiroth. He was right here in Midgar, perfectly sane, or as sane as he'd ever been, which meant that his mother was safe and sound in her home in Nibelheim.
Logically, he knew that. But a part of him was still afraid of calling and not finding her. Fearing that, if he called, everything would come crashing down like a house of cards, making him lose the people he cared about all over again.
Cloud hesitated for a few moments longer, then steeled himself, decision made. He’d never been a coward, and he wouldn’t turn into one now.
He took a deep breath and pressed the dial button.
It rang. One ring. Two.
By the third ring, Cloud’s heart was pounding. Then the call clicked, connecting.
“Hello?”
“Hi, ma,” he said, feeling blessed that he could hear her voice again after so long.
“Cloud?” she asked, sounding surprised and delighted to hear him, then immediately switched over to worry. “Is everything okay, honey? It’s unusual for you to call. Did something happen?”
“Everything’s fine, ma.”
“Really?” She sounded like she didn’t believe him. “You sound a little strange.”
“Would you believe me if I told you I just wanted to hear your voice?”
“Now you really got me worried, because that doesn’t sound like you at all!”
Luckily, she sounded more teasing than worried, trying to lift his spirits as always. Gods, Cloud had missed her so much.
“I’m just a little homesick, ma, but everything’s fine.”
“Oh, honey, I miss you, too! It’s too quiet here without you. But you know how proud I am of all the hard work you’re doing. I’m sure it will all be worth it.”
Cloud bit his tongue, knowing that it wouldn’t, in fact, be worth it. His education with Shinra had been completely useless to him later in life. He wished he could just ditch it all and not waste any more time, but this time around, he had more important reasons to remain, since Sephiroth was here and needed to be dealt with.
“Thanks, ma,” Cloud said instead and changed the topic. “Do you have enough money? I could send you some.”
“I’m good. Don’t worry about me. Use your hard-earned money to have some fun. Experience what a big city like Midgar has to offer. Find a girl and treat her to something nice.”
Whenever she said things like that, it made Cloud uncomfortable. Even at sixteen, he’d known there would never be a girl for him, as he had no interest in them. He hadn't had a chance to tell her before, as she was taken from him before he was ready to put a name to what he felt. Maybe this time he could… But not now. He was talking to his mother for the first time years and the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint her. He knew she loved him and would always support him, but there was always that deep-seated, perhaps irrational fear of making her sad and disappointed. That’s why he’d kept quiet before and allowed her to continue to think that, one day, he’d bring home a girl — an older, more mature girl that could keep him on the straight and narrow. Even now, ten years later, those words echoed in his mind.
“I should go now,” he said, ending the call before his thoughts could turn sullen. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Talk to you soon, honey. I’m so proud of you, never forget that.”
The words got him choked up; he hung up without saying anything more. Cloud rubbed his eyes in frustration, his fingers coming off wet. He brushed away the tears angrily, annoyed with himself for crying. He couldn’t even explain why — it’s not like he was sad. There were too many emotions inside him, overwhelming him. Happiness and relief for being able to talk to his mother, but there was also guilt about lying, or at least not being fully honest with her, and fear of one day hurting and disappointing her.
But things would be different this time, they had to be. First, he’d save her and then everything else would fall into place.
***
The next few days were a whirlwind of classes and weapons practice. Cloud was starting to settle back into a routine that used to be so familiar to him as a cadet. And at night, he spent hours staring at the ceiling, trying to come up with ways to kill Sephiroth. He needed a fool-proof method, ideally one that couldn’t be traced back to him. A subtle method, quick enough to take down Sephiroth without giving him a chance to find out and evade it.
Needless to say, the planning was not going well, because meeting all those requirements seemed impossible.
On the fifth day of being back, Cloud unexpectedly came across Zack in the cafeteria.
“Spike!” the man called out with a little wave and a huge smile on his face.
Suddenly seeing Zack again made a lump lodge in Cloud’s throat and before he even realized what he was doing, he strode across the hall.
Despite Cloud’s dislike of physical contact, his arms itched to hold him, to confirm the man was solid and real. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around Zack, who, to his credit, only froze for about a second before returning the hug and crushing Cloud for all he was worth.
“Did something happen while I was away? Not that I mind. I’m always up for hugs!”
“Nah, it's just too quiet here without your constant talking. I guess I learned to appreciate you more,” he teased, moving away.
“You always say such sweet things,” Zack said in a mock-offended tone, but he was smiling.
Stepping back into their playful bantering was like coming home. He’d missed it a lot. He’d missed Zack a whole lot.
“Well, now that I’m back, I’ll make sure to tell you aaall about my mission, since you seem so interested.”
“Sounds good,” Cloud laughed. “Are you busy tonight? It’d be nice to order takeout and hang for a while.”
“Sure thing, I’m free.” Zack sounded a bit taken aback, though, and Cloud understood why. Usually, Cloud was never the one to suggest meeting up. Being an introvert, it was always up to Zack to drag him out of his shell and practically force him to spend time with him. So, for Cloud to suggest it himself was very unusual. But, as with everything, Zack just took it in stride. “Is seven good for you?”
“Seven sounds great. I’ll see you then.”
***
Cloud spent the next few days in much the same way. He attended classes, practiced his swordsmanship and tried to relearn how to be a good marksman. His nights were spent relaxing and watching awful, corny movies with Zack, laughing and truly enjoying himself for the first time in as long as he could remember.
He knew time was short and that he was supposed to be making plans, but by gods, he just needed some time to forget all about the Lifestream and the bad things looming over him and simply enjoy himself for a few days. After everything he’d lived through, he believed he’d deserved it and then some.
But things rarely went the way Cloud wanted them to, so he should have known it couldn’t last.
A few days later, he showed up at Zack’s door and rang the bell as usual. The door took a little longer to open and then a slightly disheveled looking Zack ushered him in, complaining about exploding popcorn, a terrible mess all over his kitchen floor and needing to make a new batch. He pushed Cloud towards the living room, talking a mile a minute, and before Cloud knew it, he was left by the living room door, while Zack hopped over to the kitchen to deal with whatever supposed catastrophe he had going on there. Cloud chuckled and shook his head.
“Hello.”
Cloud’s blood ran cold, his head snapping towards the sound. Zack's armchair was currently occupied by none other than the silver-haired general himself. Cloud’s good mood instantly evaporated.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered Zack and Sephiroth being friends. Sephiroth being here was probably not unusual, but a completely unreasonable, overprotective side of Cloud wanted to throw him out and demand he never approach Zack again.
Seconds ticked by, the situation growing more awkward with each passing one. At long last, Cloud forced himself to grind out, “Hello,” followed by, “Sir,” a few seconds too late.
Sephiroth gave him an odd look. He was used to people fearing him and being awkward around him, but Cloud’s tone was probably a touch too hostile to pass as either of those emotions. Not that Cloud cared. He wasn’t here to make nice with Sephiroth, of all people.
The man’s assessing gaze lingered on Cloud for a few more moments before turning away. Apparently, he’d decided to ignore him in favor of… Cloud blinked at the sight before him. Sephiroth was scrolling through the list of Zack’s crappy movies, trying to pick one to watch. The entire scene looked surreal. Seeing the Calamity’s Son, the man who’d killed and destroyed everything Cloud held dear, sitting casually on an armchair, in a t-shirt and sweatpants, one socked foot folded beneath him, the very picture of relaxation, choosing the night’s entertainment was almost too much for Cloud’s brain to take. So he mumbled something about going to help Zack and fled towards the kitchen.
“I thought it was going to be just the two of us.” Cloud couldn’t help how accusatory he sounded.
“Wanna keep me all to yourself?” Zack joked, then explained, “Seph had a really bad day. They lost some people on his mission. He doesn’t really show it, but losing troopers always hits hard, so I wasn’t gonna let him be alone tonight. I hope you don’t mind.”
Cloud opened his mouth, ready to say that he did in fact mind, but then he closed it. Saying something like that would just make him sound like an asshole, especially since he couldn’t explain why he had an issue with Sephiroth to begin with. For all anyone knew, the man was a paragon of virtue. A hero among heroes. So Cloud just shook his head, making Zack think it was fine.
“Besides, I’ve been looking for a chance to introduce the two of you for ages. I seem to remember a certain someone idolizing our beloved general to the point of obsession,” he teased, elbowing Cloud in the ribs playfully, as if there was any doubt who he was talking about. Cloud blushed.
“That was ages ago!” Even Cloud could hear the sulkiness in his own voice. He wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. The feeling intensified when Zack burst out laughing. How rude.
“I saw you mooning over his photos on your PHS barely a month ago. This is your chance to make googly eyes at him in person, don’t waste it. And don’t say I’ve never done anything for you!”
Cloud felt his face burning, stunned speechless. He couldn’t even deny it. That sounded like something his sixteen-year-old self would do. But he’d changed so much since then! The last thing he wanted now was to be in the same room with Sephiroth, much less try to engage him in conversation or act civil. Tonight was going to be a nightmare.
Cloud was snapped out of his thoughts as Zack threw his dishrag into the sink, grabbed an enormous bowl of popcorn and ordered him to follow him. By the time they reached the living room, Sephiroth had settled on a movie. It was some foreign language art-house production and Cloud wanted to groan out loud. Of course he’d have pretentious taste in movies. But Zack didn’t complain, so Cloud kept his mouth shut. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to focus on the movie anyway, not with Sephiroth in the room.
They settled in and Sephiroth pressed play. About ten minutes in, Zack started making observations, occasionally making fun of certain plot points and directorial decisions. Cloud expected Sephiroth to tell him to shut up, or ignore him, but the man actually chuckled, rolling his eyes at Zack’s antics. And while he didn’t join in the dissing, he clearly didn’t mind it, giving Zack a fond look when he went on an especially long-winded and exaggerated tirade.
This man was completely unlike anything Cloud knew about Sephiroth. He’d spent years facing against him, chasing him around the world and even had him in his damn head, but he’d never seen this version of him. A generous part of him whispered that perhaps this was the true Sephiroth, the man he was before he was manipulated and twisted by Jenova, but Cloud quickly crushed it. It didn’t matter. Sephiroth had to pay. He had to die.
Throughout the movie, Cloud kept watching Sephiroth, assessing his every move. He was barely even aware of the movie playing in the background. He was so unsubtle about it that eventually Sephiroth looked at him dead on, raising one delicate eyebrow questioningly. Cloud blushed at being caught, properly shamed, and looked away. After that, he at least tried not to stare. Mostly, he still failed, and continued to watch the man anyway.
In the end, the evening was pretty uneventful. It was not as if Cloud had expected Sephiroth to suddenly call Masamune and go on a murderous rampage, but the entire time he waited for something to happen, even if he himself did not know what. But nothing did.
When the movie ended, Sephiroth stood, stretched out his long legs, thanked Zack for inviting him over and wished them both a good night before going back to his room. As the door clicked behind him, Cloud could finally breathe again.
Now that he was finally relaxing, tension slowly leaving his body, a sudden blow to his arm came as an even bigger shock. It made him jerk away, but it was only Zack.
“Damn it, Spike, I told you not to waste this chance! I get that you are shy or whatever, but you didn’t even say a single word to him,” Zack whined. “I have no idea when I’ll get him to agree to something like this again.”
“It’s fine, Zack. You don’t need to play matchmaker. I don’t think he and I are meant to be friends.”
“Says who? I know you have self-esteem issues, but Seph doesn’t judge people like that! If he likes you, you can totally be friends! And why wouldn’t he like you? You’re great! I like you, and I’m a great judge of character!”
That brought a smile to Cloud’s face. “Thanks, Zack.”
“Just… Next time, try not to do sit there like a mannequin and you’ll be fine.”
Cloud flinched at his choice of words, he couldn’t help it. Zack couldn’t have known, of course, but calling him a mannequin reminded Cloud of being a puppet and that, especially in any context relating to Sephiroth, was not something he wanted to think about. He told himself that Sephiroth had no way of controlling him anymore, since Cloud's current body didn't have S-cells. It helped him relax, but it also served as a reminder that Sephiroth still needed to be dealt with before it was too late.
***
After a few more days of trying to come up with a plan to kill Sephiroth, Cloud was at wit’s end. His biggest problem was that such a plan required subterfuge, and that wasn’t something he was good at. It wasn’t his style. No matter the enemy, Cloud was used to facing them head on and fighting with all his might until he brought them down.
So this posed a problem.
He thought about Yuffie’s countless stories of her life as a ninja. She mentioned assassinating leaders, taking down whole army squadrons with some well-placed poison and creating chaos with Berserk materia. Knowing Yuffie, many of those were probably exaggerated, if not outright lies, but Cloud still racked his brain, trying to come up with anything useful.
And then it came to him.
He remembered Yuffie telling him about an exceptionally powerful brand of poison that could take out a large Behemoth with only a few drops. Cloud remembered this particular story because she went on and on about how hard it was to find this poison in Wutai, because the plant used to make it only grew around Midgar — which suited Cloud perfectly. It was unusual for anything to grow in and around Midgar, because of all the pollution, but Cloud thought it was strangely fitting that one of the most toxic plants would grow here, for that exact reason.
Yuffie said the powder was odorless and easy to mix into tea or coffee, because it was heat resistant. It wouldn't lose its potency when added to boiling water. Of course, after all this time, Cloud could not remember the name of the plant, but he was confident he could find it. He knew enough to search for it.
His first instinct was to grab his PHS and run a search, but then he paused. Having the name of the poison that killed Sephiroth in his search history might not be such a good idea. It would undoubtedly make him the prime suspect. So he made a beeline for the library instead, checking out several books on botany and plants.
Four hours of reading the driest, most boring texts later, he had a name. Now all he needed was to get the plant.
The following day was Sunday, which meant no classes. It was perfect for Cloud to put his plan into action.
He took a train to the slums, disembarking at Sector 5, and headed for the wilderness from there. Moving away from the city, he came across a few monsters, but he made quick work of them. There was nothing here that posed a challenge for him, even in his unenhanced, younger body.
The books helped steer him in the right direction and, in less than an hour, he was clutching several handfuls of poisonous leaves. All he needed to do now was to dry them and grind them into powder. It would take some time, but for now, everything was going smoothly.
He headed back towards the station, making double time now that the roads were clear of monsters.
Cloud stood at the train station, fiddling with the satchel that contained his prized possession, when a friendly female voice called out to him.
“You’re Cloud, right?”
He lifted his gaze and met curious green eyes looking back at him. His breath caught.
“Aerith,” he choked out without thinking, forgetting that he wasn’t supposed to know her name.
“Yep, that’s me. And I guess you must be Cloud, then.”
“I am,” he nodded.
“We should talk. There’s a church…”
Before she could finish, he interrupted with, “I know.”
She nodded, unsurprised that he knew any of that.
“Let’s go then.”
She moved without waiting for him to reply, and he followed. They didn’t speak until they reached the church. Aerith pushed the heavy doors open and Cloud followed inside. The place looked quite different from what he remembered. There was no hole in the roof, for one thing. Cloud realized it meant that Aerith and Zack hadn’t met yet and he felt inexplicably guilty. Maybe he was changing things too much. He was not supposed to meet her this early. Then again, he was not supposed to meet Sephiroth either, not until their mission to Nibelheim. He wanted to erase the horrible events that were about to happen, but he didn’t like the idea of changing anything else. Zack and Aerith were perfect for each other, and he didn’t want to mess that up.
“I have memories of you,” Aerith said out of the blue, startling him out of his thoughts.
“What?”
“I have fragments of memories of things that never happened, of friends I never met. Memories of travels and fighting to save the world. You’re in many of them. I thought they were just dreams, but then I saw you there at the station and realized it was all real.”
She was looking at Cloud as if waiting for some confirmation, but he stayed quiet.
“Also, you knew me.”
He looked away, but nodded reluctantly.
“You know, ever since I was little, I could hear the Planet speaking to me, inside my head. I’m not crazy or anything,” she hurried to add.
“I know.”
“Anyway, the Planet told me you’d come. Though, to be honest, I didn’t fully trust the voice, not until today. I did wonder if I was a little crazy, imagining things.”
“You’re not crazy, Aerith. I know the Planet speaks to you.”
The girl beamed. “That’s good to know. And it’s good that you know.” She giggled to herself before sobering up and looking at him seriously. “The Planet also told me what you’re planning to do.”
Cloud was confused for a moment, before he understood what she meant. He clutched his satchel against himself.
“Oh? And what did the Planet say?”
Aerith looked at the item Cloud was holding before pinning him under a measuring look, containing wisdom far beyond her years.
“She says you’re going to destroy the Calamity. She’s very pleased.”
Cloud let out a sigh of relief. He’d worried the Planet would be against his plan.
“I don’t know how much you’ve seen of the future, but I’m going to fix things, Aerith. I’m going to make everything better.”
He reached out to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Is this about the man with long silver hair I kept seeing in my memories? He seemed to play an important part in what happened.”
“Yes. It was all his fault. And with him gone, everything will be fixed.”
Aerith hummed, as if considering, and stepped away from Cloud, walking towards the altar, with her hands clasped behind her back.
“You don’t agree?” he asked, and he couldn’t quite keep the edge out of his tone.
“I don’t agree. I don’t disagree, either. I don’t know enough to have an informed opinion. But!” she pointed her index finger at Cloud, “I simply don’t think that murder ever should be the first choice. If all else fails, then maybe. But it seems to me like you decided to kill that man before he’s even done anything wrong.”
The accusation ran deep, especially since, on a certain level, Cloud could see the truth in it, but he wasn’t in the place to hear it.
“You’re right, you’re not in the position to make an informed opinion. You have no idea what he’s done and how many people he’s killed.”
“From what I understand, he hasn’t killed anyone yet,” she paused, considering. “Well, I suppose he did, in battle. He was in a war, after all, but you know what I mean.”
Cloud ran his fingers through his fair and sighed in frustration.
“I don’t want to argue with you, Aerith. The Planet sent me back in time for a reason and this is it. I need to deal with him. You said yourself that the Planet is pleased with my plan.”
She nodded reluctantly.
“It is, but Cloud, you need to remember that the Planet, despite being the source of all life and generously giving herself to all living creatures, is still not human. She doesn’t know mercy or forgiveness. She cannot understand redemption. These are the things that make us human, and you should never lose sight of that, if you don’t want to lose yourself.”
“Don’t tell me you believe Sephiroth should get a chance at redemption?” Cloud sounded outraged by the very idea.
“I don’t know. Maybe he deserves it, maybe he doesn’t. I’ve never even met the man. But what gives you the right to decide that he doesn’t? Are you a god?”
Cloud physically took a step back, as if slapped. He blamed Sephiroth for his pretension to godhood and here he was, making decisions about someone’s life and death, acting like one himself.
“I should go,” he said, instead of admitting any of his thoughts out loud.
Cloud suddenly really didn’t want to be here. He was glad to see Aerith alive, but this conversation left a bitter taste in his mouth and presented him with all the problems he didn’t want to face. He finally had his poisonous plant, his plan was well on the way, and it was too late to turn back now. In a few days, Sephiroth would be dead and they would all be able to move on and forget he ever existed.
“Alright,” Aerith said amicably, almost knowingly. “Don’t forget what I said, though.”
He couldn’t get away fast enough, walking as briskly as he could without breaking into a run.
A week later, the leaves were dried and ground into a fine powder. Cloud had tried to sniff it, careful not to inhale any of it, and true to Yuffie’s word, it had no odor. Cloud felt good about his chances. Sephiroth was a trained fighter, nearly invincible in battle, but he wasn’t immortal and even he couldn’t survive a poison this potent. Or so Cloud hoped.
While waiting for the poison to be ready, Cloud had worked out the best way to administer it.
Sephiroth seemed to be a creature of habit, and with very little digging (namely, grilling Zack for information), Cloud discovered his daily routine. The part relevant to Cloud’s plan was that Sephiroth drank coffee in his office every morning. He used a separate coffee machine from everyone else, because he drank a particularly strong blend that unenhanced stomachs couldn’t digest. Cloud was relieved by this information, because it meant there was no risk of anyone else getting poisoned by mistake.
That still left the problem of gaining access to the coffee machine, since it was inside the general’s office, but even with that, Cloud had things working in his favor. Namely, the entire building was covered by cameras, apart from that office. The man was a paranoid bastard and didn’t want anyone filming him. A part of Cloud believed this was due to Sephiroth’s deep-rooted childhood trauma of being under constant surveillance in the labs and having official photographers and fans alike chasing him with flashing cameras into adulthood, but he refused to have any sympathy for the man. Either way, this gave him a chance to cover his tracks and leave no evidence behind.
Sephiroth had left on a mission two days prior and Cloud had it on good authority (Zack, of course) that he wasn’t due back until tomorrow evening. It presented Cloud with the perfect opportunity to go in and poison his coffee.
He spent most of the day revisiting his conversation with Aerith, mulling over her words, but he refused to be deterred. He had to do this. It was the only way.
The final key to his plan was an Ice materia, which he’d “borrowed” from Zack the day before. If all went well, he’d return it tomorrow, with Zack being none the wiser. No one expected him to be able to use a materia anyway, since that wasn’t something cadets were taught.
After the roll call, Cloud made sure everyone saw him get to his bunk just before lights out. He waited until the room got filled with soft (and not so soft) snores. When he was certain everyone else was asleep, he snuck out of bed, grabbed everything he needed and tiptoed out of the room.
He headed for the toilet, but just before reaching it, when he was in a camera blind spot, he changed directions and opened the emergency stairs door. The stairs weren’t covered by cameras, which was a ridiculous omission in Cloud’s opinion. It probably never even occurred to Shinra that someone could attack them from the inside like this. All the cameras across the building served more as a deterrent, to prevent people from slacking off or stealing office supplies, rather than Shinra worrying about something more serious.
Cloud took two stairs at a time, eager to get this over with and return to his bunk.
He was a little winded when he reached his goal — the 66th floor. Sephiroth’s office was right across from him, but there was a camera between him and the door. He needed to deal with it before he could move.
Cloud must not be seen here, not tonight.
He took out the materia. His palms were sweaty. This was the moment of truth. He hadn’t tested it, but he was sure he could still use it. All he needed was the weakest Blizzard anyway, just enough to freeze the camera lens and make the recording useless. He could do this.
He wiped his palms on his trousers and slotted the materia into his bracelet. It was the most basic, standard issue Shinra leather bracelet. He took that one from Zack as well, but he was sure the man wouldn’t notice since he had far better equipment now.
Cloud reached for the magic inside of him. For a moment, nothing happened. He tried again and saw the materia light up, growing cold against his wrist. He aimed at the camera across the hall and cast. Amazingly, it worked!
He felt drained, his current body unused to the effects of magic, but he pressed on. He rushed along the hallway and opened the door to Sephiroth’s office. Thankfully, it was unlocked. Being as strong as he was made Sephiroth feel invincible, not fearing anyone, which left him complacent and in turn made him vulnerable. Cloud would not waste this chance.
He put on gloves, so there was no risk of him leaving any fingerprints. He opened the door and headed straight for the coffee machine. There was a can of ground coffee next to it and Cloud opened it. He poured the contents of his box into it and used a finger to mix the powders. The colors were slightly mismatched, but after mixing them, it was barely noticeable. He replaced the lid and snuck out the way he came. He wished he could remove the ice from the camera, but he didn’t have a Fire (and he was too drained to cast it, even if he did). All he could do was rely on the fact that it was a warm day, and hope it would melt before anyone noticed and raised an alarm.
Cloud rushed to the stairs, all but running back, not stopping until he was safely beneath his covers.
He lay awake that night, unable to sleep. He told himself it was the excitement. After all, he was about to get rid of Sephiroth once and for all.
***
The following day, Cloud saw Sephiroth in the distance. So, the man was back.
That meant there was just tonight and then…
He’ll make coffee in the morning.
Not long now.
***
After a fitful sleep, Cloud woke up and headed for his classes. He couldn’t focus on anything, making multiple mistakes and getting scolded for it. But none of it mattered. He kept waiting for the sound system to announce the death of their general.
As the day progressed, his tension grew.
There was no announcement.
Did they decide to cover up Sephiroth’s death? He wouldn’t put it past Shinra to do just that.
Did the bastard pick today of all days to change his routine and skip coffee?
Did Jenova’s cells make him immune to poison?
Did he refuse to die just to spite Cloud?
By the afternoon, Cloud’s stomach was in knots and he felt a migraine pounding behind his eyes, growing in intensity.
A call on his PHS startled him so much, he nearly jumped out of his skin. It was only Zack.
“Hi, Zack.”
“Hey, Spike! Are you free tonight?”
Cloud really didn’t feel like company, but it was Zack and he didn’t want to refuse him. With some reluctance, he agreed to go to Zack’s at eight that night.
The rest of the day passed in a daze and before he knew it, he was standing in front of Zack’s door, ringing the bell. He waited and waited, but the door remained closed. Cloud felt his frustration rising and decided to call Zack to see what was up. Before he could get a word in, the man started apologizing.
“Spike! I’m sooo sorry! I got held up on the way home. I saw this sweet old lady getting mugged, so of course I got involved! I stopped the robbery, but now I have to stay here until the police can take my statement. They’re holding me here like I’m the criminal,” he whined loudly, making sure the officers heard just how unhappy he was about the situation.
“It’s fine Zack. We can just meet up on another night.”
“What?! No way! I’ll be back before you know it! The door is open, so just let yourself in.”
“Zack, it’s really—”
“Nooo, Cloudy, come on! I’m already having a shitty night, please don’t make it worse.”
There was really no arguing with Zack when he got like this. If he left now, Cloud would have to deal with his sulking for the better part of the next week, so with a mighty sigh, he reached for the door and let himself in.
“Fine, fine, I’m going in. I’ll be waiting, but hurry up and get your ass here.”
“Yessir!” Zack laughed and hung up.
Why the hell did Zack leave his door unlocked, anyway, Cloud wondered as he walked in. It was certainly strange, but Cloud learned long ago not to question Zack’s behavior.
He pressed the light switch and nothing happened, making him heave another sigh. Nothing was going his way today. What else could go wrong? Cloud headed for the living room, slowly making his way along the wall in the dark.
Once there, he reached for the living room light switch, but before he could press it, he felt something cold and sharp settle against his neck.
Cloud swallowed, the blade pressing into his skin, but not enough to draw blood.
He turned around. Even in the dark he could see two glowing, slitted mako-green eyes glaring at him with palpable hatred he hadn’t known since a lifetime ago.
“Who the hell are you?” Sephiroth demanded.
Cloud couldn’t breathe.