I've only written a few fanfics, but I thought I'd just post 'em up anyway. I'll probably end up updating in this thread, so keep checking back 
Tifa looked at the miserable man sitting in the corner. His depressed mood seemed contagious – there hadn’t been a single customer come in since he had, and there was little talk in the bar.
“You look like you need cheering up Cloud” she said, walking over to him.
“Eh?” he said, looking up. “Oh, I’ll just have my usual.”
“Right you are” she replied cheerily. She brought him his drink, which he quickly finished. Tifa sat down in the chair opposite. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing” Cloud said in a small voice, turning away from his oldest friend.
“Come on Cloud, I know when something’s wrong.”
“Really, I’m fine.”
“Cloud!” Tifa said loudly, banging her fist on the table, causing several people to look over at them. “Stop shutting us all out. Why are you always so depressed? You seemed like you were back to being a normal person after you were cured of the Stigma, but you’ve gone back into your usual stupor now. What’s wrong with you?”
Cloud stared at her for a long time, deciding whether or not to let Tifa know his problem. He had always been able to confide in her.
“It’s just what Sephiroth said after I defeated him again.”
“Oh, and what did he say?”
“That he refused to be just a memory. I think he’s right.”
“What do you mean?”
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve been having some terrible dreams, which I think may be premonitions.”
”What happens in these dreams?” Tifa ventured, eager to see into Cloud’s private life. She knew that she shouldn’t, but the temptation was too great.
“Well, usually it’s just Sephiroth killing everyone in his path, but recently it comes to a point where he is with Jenova” Cloud looked up. “I’m scared Tifa. What if these are premonitions, what if they do come true? I don’t think I can face him again.” There was fear in his voice, and Tifa could tell he was genuinely afraid. This must be bad. For all his fault’s, one thing that Tifa especially admired about Cloud was the fact that he was never afraid. If these dreams were scaring Cloud, there must be a big problem.
“I’m sure that they are just dreams Cloud, try to forget about them” she said in what she hoped was a comforting voice. The truth was that she was scared by Cloud being scared.
“But they’re getting worse Tifa – I can actually hear the screams and feel the blood splattering on me now. And you know what event is coming up.” She did know. In about one week, it would be the anniversary of Aeris’ death. Every year, Cloud held a small memorial in her memory.
“So you think that he’s getting stronger because of…… that?” Tifa asked.
“Maybe, it definitely seems that way.”
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know. I think I’ll go home – to Nibelheim and check out the reactor there. Jenova should still be there. Hopefully I’ll find out something.”
“But how can Sephiroth return? His physical body has been destroyed for years, and there are no more manifestations of him. What keeps bringing him back?”
“When I defeated him down in the Mako pit, he managed to imprint his will onto the Lifestream. This lets him keep a grip onto what life he has. And when I defeated him at Midgar, he summoned up his own tainted version of the Lifestream. I think it is this that he wishes to use to destroy this planet” Cloud explained.
“So where does Jenova come into his plan?”
“Jenova is his mother. He must want her to see him finish what she started.”
“When are you leaving for Nibelheim?”
“Tonight. Fenrir is in for its MOT and then I’m setting off.”
“I’m coming too Cloud. I want to see home again. I want to know more about Sephiroth’s grand plan.”
“No you aren’t Tifa. This is my problem, and I’m not dragging you all into it this time. I’ll deal with it on my own.”
”But you’re going to need all the help you can get Cloud. Sephiroth may be stronger this time than before. You might need the help” Tifa protested.
“Tifa, you can’t come. This is something that I need to do alone.” This silenced Tifa. She knew that once Cloud had made up his mind she wasn’t going to be able to persuade him otherwise.
“Just be careful OK. I want you back in one piece.” Cloud smiled, and took Tifa’s hand in his own.
“I promise” he said. Then he got up and left the bar, leaving Tifa alone at the table.
Cloud tapped his hand on the side of Fenrir – his most prized possession – impatiently. It had been a boring and uncomfortable journey from Junon to Costa Del Sol. And now there was a traffic jam while he was waiting to leave the holiday resort, his temper was running short. It was getting too dark now to drive, so he decided he might as well stay at the hotel. He had been hoping to at least make it to the Gold Saucer tonight.
After parking his bike in the car park, he booked a room for the night. It wasn’t until he was sitting on the bed that Cloud realised how tired he was. He collapsed instantly into a deep sleep.
Thunder roared overhead and lightning flashed in the distance. The town was silent; not a single person was on the street. It began to rain, and lightning flashed again, closer this time. Cloud was sure he saw the silhouette of a man up ahead in the brief moment of illumination. The man walked behind a house, out of Cloud’s view. He knew instantly who this man was – that silhouette was unmistakeable. He followed Sephiroth round behind the house, and looked into his face. Sephiroth opened his eyes, and met Cloud’s.
Cloud woke with a jolt. He was tangled in the sheets of his bed, and was sweating heavily. He untangled himself from the mess of his sheets, and looked out the window. The sun was just coming up. Cloud decided he wasn’t going to sleep anymore that night, and so decided to leave for Cosmo Canyon. Then he would travel to Nibelheim tomorrow to see if he could get to the bottom of all this.
The journey to the peaceful village was long, boring and difficult. The red sand that covered the valleys surrounding it blew up around him, and stung his eyes. While crossing the barren terrain, he began to think about the last time he crossed. It was with his friends, and in a much comfier mode of transport. He crouched lower of Fenrir, trying to gain a little more streamlining for extra speed. He sped on, pondering his terrifying dreams, and what they could possibly mean.
About an hour after the sun disappeared behind the mountains, he could see the twinkling lights of Cosmo Canyon ahead. As Cloud pulled up outside, Nanaki came running down the steps. He looked concerned about something.
“Nanaki” he said. “What’s up?”
“Cloud, you’ve got to come with me, something’s happened” Nanaki said hurriedly.
“OK, but what’s up?” Cloud repeated.
“Something has happened to my father’s monument” was all Nanaki said, before he bolted off towards the tribute to his father; Seto.
Cloud followed him, trying to keep up, but only having two legs was a major disadvantage. Eventually, they arrived at the petrified body of the legendary warrior, and Cloud saw what Nanaki meant. Where Seto had once stood alone, watching over his son and all the people of Cosmo Canyon, he was now accompanied by several more statues. Statues of the lost warrior tribe – the Gi. They were pointing various weapons at Seto, and leering down at him menacingly.
“Where did they come from?” Cloud asked after a long silence. He began walking around the statues, examining them closely.
“It was two days ago. I came up in the morning, and they were here. They must’ve been put here overnight” Nanaki explained. “Check the left hand of that one Cloud” he said, indicating the one Cloud was currently looking at. There was a piece of paper in the warrior’s fist. Cloud wrenched it out, and saw that it had his name on. The message inside read:
I told you, I will never be just a memory, Cloud
Cloud let the note fall to the ground, where it was caught in a breeze and was blown away. He stood in silence, as he realised at that moment that his dreams weren’t actually dreams. They were either live events, or premonitions. He prayed that it was the latter.
“Cloud?” said Nanaki, bringing him out of his reverie. “What was in the note?”
“Sephiroth.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sephiroth. He did this. He put the statues here. He wants me to follow him, to find him” Cloud said, talking to himself.
“But didn’t you defeat Sephiroth?” Nanaki asked. Cloud had never told anyone – until yesterday – what Sephiroth’s final words had been. He told Nanaki everything, including the dreams that had occurred over the past weeks. Nanaki was silent after Cloud had finished, obviously contemplating what he had been told. “It would seem you’re right Cloud” he said eventually. “What are you going to do about it?”
“I’m heading to Nibelheim. Most of my dreams, or whatever they are, take place there. I hope I can get to the bottom of it there.”
“And if you don’t?”
“Then I suppose Sephiroth will finally achieve his goal.” Already, Cloud was considering Sephiroth’s plans. Previously he had summoned up Meteor in order could become one with the planet, and then tried summoning up an anti-lifestream. He suspected that it would have something in common with the others so far.
“Then hurry Cloud. You cannot afford to linger here any longer. You have to get to Nibelheim as fast as you can” Nanaki said, interrupting his thoughts.
“You aren’t going to try to come with me?” Cloud asked.
“No. I understand that this is personal between you and Sephiroth, and that you must fight this battle alone” Nanaki replied.
“Thank you, but I was hoping to spend the night here before going on to Nibelheim.”
“Are you sure this is wise Cloud? How can you be sure that these dreams haven’t already happened?”
“I can’t Nanaki, but if Sephiroth is still in Nibelheim, then I need my strength. I honestly don’t think I can fight anyone right now.”
“Very well, as you wish” Nanaki said, resignedly.
The sky was overcast with a large black cloud. It wasn’t a rain cloud though – it was too dark. Looking ahead of him, Cloud saw a town. He had been here before. He didn’t know what lay ahead, but couldn’t help himself from walking on. He went past burning houses and charred corpses, some with huge gashes on their torso, and some without a torso at all. He began to feel nauseous. There was a tug at his ankle, and Cloud looked down. There was a wounded man trying to get his attention, but Cloud pulled away from him. He had to go to the reactor. Something told him that the reactor was an important place to be. He walked through the mountains to the reactor. Standing on a ledge, he saw a man in black with long silver hair enter the reactor. Cloud followed him in, quietly keeping behind the man. Some guards opposed him, but the man cut them down instantly. He didn’t stop; he carried on walking through the door. Cloud followed him, followed him up the stairs. When the man reached the top, he turned and made eye contact with Cloud and smirked. A blinding light spilled out of the door as he opened it and walked into the room on the other side.
Once again, Cloud woke with a sweat. The dreams were getting more prominent now, but he still didn’t understand what they meant. He got up and decided to go and ask Nanaki. Ever since the death of Bugenhagen, Nanaki appeared to have inherited his wisdom. Cloud hoped he would at least have a good theory on what was happening.
Unfortunately, Nanaki could not tell Cloud anything about his dreams.
“They are unusual Cloud” he said. “I’ve never known anything like this, so I’m afraid I’ll be of no help to you.” Cloud sighed and threw himself down onto a chair.
“It’s OK, I wasn’t expecting too much” he said.
“So when will you leave for Nibelheim?” asked Nanaki.
“You trying to get rid of me?” Cloud asked with a smile. “I’ll probably set off soon. I just wanted to see if you knew anything about these dreams first, to try and shed some light on the situation.”
“All I can think of is either Sephiroth has somehow found a way to enter your dreams, or they are what they are – dreams.”
“No, they aren’t dreams. They’re too real to be merely dreams. Plus with the Gi statues appearing here and that note…” Cloud trailed off.
“It looks as if he has returned” Nanaki finished. Cloud nodded in agreement. “Then I’ll tell you again Cloud; hurry on to Nibelheim. Go and stop Sephiroth from returning again.”
“You’re right” Cloud said. “I’ll see you when I’ve sorted this out.”
“Good luck Cloud, but I hope greatly that you won’t need it.”
He was in a bad mood when he arrived at Nibelheim. It had been early when he left Cosmo Canyon, and the sun had come up only briefly, to be hidden behind large rain clouds. Cloud felt apprehensive as he pulled up outside Nibelheim. After several weeks of discomfort and restless nights, he was finally going to unravel the mystery. He had a feeling that this would be his final encounter with Sephiroth, whether it be by the hands of fate, or his own. He entered his home town, looking around nervously. There wasn’t anyone out on the streets. Cloud became worried as a sudden downpour of rain came on, and the clouds became thicker and heavier. This surely wasn’t happening. He was frozen to the spot as the sky gradually darkened, and he heard a rumble of thunder quite close by. A bolt of lightning briefly illuminated the town, and Cloud saw what he feared he would see. There was a silhouette of a man in the distance. The man walked behind a building, and Cloud followed. He reached the point where the man had disappeared, and looked behind the building which he had walked, but there was only empty, Urgently, Cloud cast about for the man he had just lost. A noise above him caught his attention. He looked up, but before he could focus on the man, he was struck on the back of the head with the butt of the handle of the large blade he wielded, and Cloud blacked out.
Cloud noticed that the rain had stopped when he awoke. The back of his head ached where he had been struck. He pulled himself onto his feet, and saw that he was no longer in Nibelheim. He was lying on the plains before them, but how he got there he had no idea. He assumed that he had been carried out of Nibelheim after being knocked unconscious. While he tried to gain his bearings again, Cloud assessed what his dreams had told him. It seemed that they were premonitions, which was one thing he could be thankful for. He set off towards Nibelheim again, while he continued to ponder his dreams. He wasn’t far from the town when it sprung into flames. It was all too sudden for it to be an accidental fire, and an intentional fire wouldn’t spread so fast. He could hear screams coming from Nibelheim too, and began to sprint towards his birthplace.
As he neared Nibelheim it became apparent the fire was now an uncontrollable blaze. Cloud was sure the smoke emanating from it would be visible from the Gold Saucer. The closer Cloud got to Nibelheim, the thicker the fumes became from the fire. He began to feel light headed, and disoriented. He forced himself on though; he had to stop this once and for all. The town was just as it had been the last time he was in a situation like this. Every building was burning fiercely, and there was no one on the streets. At least no one living. There were corpses strewn all over the ground, some were horribly burned, and others were horribly slashed all over their bodies. The rank smell of burnt flesh filled the air, and made Cloud feel even more nauseous. Through the thick smoke, Cloud could see the shadow of two people. One ran at the other, but was cut down before he had made two steps by the other. Then the killer’s shadow was gone. Cloud began to walk after him, towards Mt. Nibelheim, but there was a tug on his ankle. There was a barely alive man trying to get his attention. Cloud looked at him, and wanted nothing more than to be able to save him, but he had a more important task at hand. If he didn’t stop Sephiroth soon, there would be many more deaths. It was also clear from the man’s injuries that he had no hope of surviving, even if Cloud did have the time. He headed to the rear of the town; he was positive Sephiroth was going to the reactor. He tried to concentrate on his objective, rather than the desecrated bodies that lay at his feet. He again tried to organise his thoughts, and come up with a suitable plan of attack against Sephiroth while he travelled along the dangerous mountain path that ran between Nibelheim and the reactor, but he couldn’t get the images of the mass murder Sephiroth had just committed out of his head. Before he knew it, he was standing on a rocky outcrop that overlooked the reactor. Looking into the crevasse below, he saw Sephiroth slowly climbing the reactor steps.
“This is it” Cloud muttered to himself, and set off to the place where Sephiroth’s physical body had died years ago. As he entered the reactor, a cold chill washed over him. Something big was going to happen here, and soon. Cloud was determined that this would be the death of Sephiroth. Up ahead he could see two guards opposing Sephiroth, trying to stop him, but were easily overpowered by Sephiroth’s superior ability. He showed no remorse for the two lives he had just ended, but merely strode past them. Cloud followed, and glanced at the men sprawled on the floor as he passed by. The floor around the bodies glistened with fresh blood, but Cloud had no time to stop and grieve for them. Sephiroth was climbing the steps to a door marked ‘Jenova.’
“Sephiroth!” Cloud shouted, drawing his sword. Sephiroth turned, and looked down at Cloud.
“Ah. You came” he said calmly. “I was beginning to wonder if you were getting my messages at all Cloud.”
“The dreams” Cloud stated.
“Yes, the dreams. I projected you my intentions for the new world to lure you here Cloud.”
“What do you mean intentions?”
“Well, in the past my plans have been too intricate, and you have thwarted them too easily. Now I intend to have this planet descend into a world of despair and death. I will have a bloodbath across all nations, causing the planet to cry out in despair.” Sephiroth announced. As he talked, he grew excited and Cloud could see the passion Sephiroth harboured for his dream and for this he admiringly, though grudgingly so.
“But how will the planet crying out help you?” he asked.
“By forcing the planet to cry out loud, it will also call to more of Jenova’s race to come to this planet. Then, Jenova’s task will be complete after years of waiting.” Once again, Cloud could see the bare passion coming from Sephiroth.
“What was Jenova’s task?”
“That is why we are here Cloud. Why don’t you come and see?” Sephiroth turned away, and the door sprung open before him. A bright light spilled out through it, and Cloud had to shield his eyes. He caught up to Sephiroth, who was standing silently before the great statue of Jenova.
“Sephiroth!” Cloud shouted for a second time. Sephiroth gave no answer. “Don’t ignore me you coward.”
“Please, be quiet Cloud” Sephiroth commanded.
“I won’t let you do this again” Cloud spat, defiantly.
“I know you won’t. That is why I’m going to have to kill you soon” replied Sephiroth, without changing the tone of his voice. He remained silent for several more moments, and then slowly turned to face Cloud. “Now, I believe you wanted to fight me?”
“I won’t let you do this again” Cloud repeated, bringing his sword up to the guard position. Sephiroth’s lips twitched into a small smile.
“So you said. Well let us once again cross blades Cloud” he said, drawing his own menacing sword. They stood facing each other for a moment, each trying to psyche the other out. Their blades glinted from the unseen light source. Then, as if by an unspoken rule, they both rushed at each other, furiously attempting to land a hit on the other. Cloud attacked with everything he knew of sword fighting, but Sephiroth was equal to him. No matter where Cloud tried to place his blows, Sephiroth’s Masamune was always in the way. It was as if he knew exactly where the next attack was coming from. Cloud was finding it difficult to keep up.
Sephiroth began his own attack, constantly bombarding him with attempted hits from all directions. Slowly, Cloud was forced back, and out of the door.
After a few short minutes of this constant barrage of attacks, he began to tire. He couldn’t carry on fending off attacks like this; he had to make this battle his own, or give up his life. He cast about during a brief pause in Sephiroth’s attack, looking for something suitable to change the tide of the fight. He noticed the Mako tanks that Professor Hojo had used to conduct experiments on humans. It was the products of these tanks that had driven Sephiroth to discover his roots, and then insane. He side-stepped out of the way of Sephiroth’s next blow, and leapt up onto the nearest tank.
“No running Cloud” Sephiroth said before jumping up to meet him. They clashed swords once more, and across them Cloud said
“I’m not running from anything.”
With the uneven footing, the momentum of their battle slowed considerably, allowing Cloud to measure his attacks better, forcing his enemy to slow his own attack, and defend more. Just as it seemed Cloud was finally getting the better of him, Sephiroth took an unexpected step back, causing Cloud to stumble with the force of his attack. Sephiroth drew his sword across the extract pipe for one of the tanks, causing steam to erupt out of it. With this sudden wall of steam engulfing him, Cloud became disoriented, and tried to pear through the steam to see Sephiroth, but it was too dense. He sensed movement behind him, and quickly spun around, but saw nothing. Then a silhouette burst towards him, brandishing a fierce sword. Cloud’s own sword was sent flying out of his hands, and far out of his reach. Then a foot connected with his ribs, bringing him to his knees. Cloud looked up, and Sephiroth raised his empty hand. With a small motion, the steam dispersed, and Cloud could see the mix of malice and triumph in his eyes.
“This ends now Cloud” he spat. Cloud was thrown backwards by an unseen force into one of the Mako tanks. He slumped to the floor, and searched for his sword, but Sephiroth was in front of him again. “I’m not going to make any more mistakes with you. I’ll have no fun with you. This is going to be a quick, clean kill.” Cloud was thrown sideways this time, down the stairs and towards the two slain guards. He felt his shoulder pop out of place. ”On your feet” Sephiroth barked. Cloud was lifted up against his will, the pain in his shoulder was excruciating, and he could barely stand on his own feet. He was barely conscious when Sephiroth raised his sword, and looked deep into Cloud’s eyes. “Goodbye Cloud” he said. And those were the last words Cloud ever heard. He felt a coldness in his gut, and looked down. The Masamune had impaled him, and as Sephiroth slid it out, blood spilled out with it. The edge of his vision became blurred, and he fell to the floor. He glanced at Sephiroth who had a content look on his face. He had finally defeated his oldest enemy, and there was no one to stop his plans now. Cloud tried to speak, but could only manage to cough up blood. His vision completely faded, and Cloud decided his time was up, and let his body fail, and let his soul return to the planet once more.
There was a woman ahead – a familiar woman. She walked towards him, and had a kind look on her face. She offered her hand, and Cloud took it, and allowed her to lead him through the brightness.
“I let everyone down” he said glumly. His voice sounded like it was coming from a distance.
“No, you didn’t” came the reply. “It’s not your fault. I forgive you, and everyone else will. You could do no more” replied Aeris.
Tifa looked at the miserable man sitting in the corner. His depressed mood seemed contagious – there hadn’t been a single customer come in since he had, and there was little talk in the bar.
“You look like you need cheering up Cloud” she said, walking over to him.
“Eh?” he said, looking up. “Oh, I’ll just have my usual.”
“Right you are” she replied cheerily. She brought him his drink, which he quickly finished. Tifa sat down in the chair opposite. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing” Cloud said in a small voice, turning away from his oldest friend.
“Come on Cloud, I know when something’s wrong.”
“Really, I’m fine.”
“Cloud!” Tifa said loudly, banging her fist on the table, causing several people to look over at them. “Stop shutting us all out. Why are you always so depressed? You seemed like you were back to being a normal person after you were cured of the Stigma, but you’ve gone back into your usual stupor now. What’s wrong with you?”
Cloud stared at her for a long time, deciding whether or not to let Tifa know his problem. He had always been able to confide in her.
“It’s just what Sephiroth said after I defeated him again.”
“Oh, and what did he say?”
“That he refused to be just a memory. I think he’s right.”
“What do you mean?”
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve been having some terrible dreams, which I think may be premonitions.”
”What happens in these dreams?” Tifa ventured, eager to see into Cloud’s private life. She knew that she shouldn’t, but the temptation was too great.
“Well, usually it’s just Sephiroth killing everyone in his path, but recently it comes to a point where he is with Jenova” Cloud looked up. “I’m scared Tifa. What if these are premonitions, what if they do come true? I don’t think I can face him again.” There was fear in his voice, and Tifa could tell he was genuinely afraid. This must be bad. For all his fault’s, one thing that Tifa especially admired about Cloud was the fact that he was never afraid. If these dreams were scaring Cloud, there must be a big problem.
“I’m sure that they are just dreams Cloud, try to forget about them” she said in what she hoped was a comforting voice. The truth was that she was scared by Cloud being scared.
“But they’re getting worse Tifa – I can actually hear the screams and feel the blood splattering on me now. And you know what event is coming up.” She did know. In about one week, it would be the anniversary of Aeris’ death. Every year, Cloud held a small memorial in her memory.
“So you think that he’s getting stronger because of…… that?” Tifa asked.
“Maybe, it definitely seems that way.”
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know. I think I’ll go home – to Nibelheim and check out the reactor there. Jenova should still be there. Hopefully I’ll find out something.”
“But how can Sephiroth return? His physical body has been destroyed for years, and there are no more manifestations of him. What keeps bringing him back?”
“When I defeated him down in the Mako pit, he managed to imprint his will onto the Lifestream. This lets him keep a grip onto what life he has. And when I defeated him at Midgar, he summoned up his own tainted version of the Lifestream. I think it is this that he wishes to use to destroy this planet” Cloud explained.
“So where does Jenova come into his plan?”
“Jenova is his mother. He must want her to see him finish what she started.”
“When are you leaving for Nibelheim?”
“Tonight. Fenrir is in for its MOT and then I’m setting off.”
“I’m coming too Cloud. I want to see home again. I want to know more about Sephiroth’s grand plan.”
“No you aren’t Tifa. This is my problem, and I’m not dragging you all into it this time. I’ll deal with it on my own.”
”But you’re going to need all the help you can get Cloud. Sephiroth may be stronger this time than before. You might need the help” Tifa protested.
“Tifa, you can’t come. This is something that I need to do alone.” This silenced Tifa. She knew that once Cloud had made up his mind she wasn’t going to be able to persuade him otherwise.
“Just be careful OK. I want you back in one piece.” Cloud smiled, and took Tifa’s hand in his own.
“I promise” he said. Then he got up and left the bar, leaving Tifa alone at the table.
Cloud tapped his hand on the side of Fenrir – his most prized possession – impatiently. It had been a boring and uncomfortable journey from Junon to Costa Del Sol. And now there was a traffic jam while he was waiting to leave the holiday resort, his temper was running short. It was getting too dark now to drive, so he decided he might as well stay at the hotel. He had been hoping to at least make it to the Gold Saucer tonight.
After parking his bike in the car park, he booked a room for the night. It wasn’t until he was sitting on the bed that Cloud realised how tired he was. He collapsed instantly into a deep sleep.
Thunder roared overhead and lightning flashed in the distance. The town was silent; not a single person was on the street. It began to rain, and lightning flashed again, closer this time. Cloud was sure he saw the silhouette of a man up ahead in the brief moment of illumination. The man walked behind a house, out of Cloud’s view. He knew instantly who this man was – that silhouette was unmistakeable. He followed Sephiroth round behind the house, and looked into his face. Sephiroth opened his eyes, and met Cloud’s.
Cloud woke with a jolt. He was tangled in the sheets of his bed, and was sweating heavily. He untangled himself from the mess of his sheets, and looked out the window. The sun was just coming up. Cloud decided he wasn’t going to sleep anymore that night, and so decided to leave for Cosmo Canyon. Then he would travel to Nibelheim tomorrow to see if he could get to the bottom of all this.
The journey to the peaceful village was long, boring and difficult. The red sand that covered the valleys surrounding it blew up around him, and stung his eyes. While crossing the barren terrain, he began to think about the last time he crossed. It was with his friends, and in a much comfier mode of transport. He crouched lower of Fenrir, trying to gain a little more streamlining for extra speed. He sped on, pondering his terrifying dreams, and what they could possibly mean.
About an hour after the sun disappeared behind the mountains, he could see the twinkling lights of Cosmo Canyon ahead. As Cloud pulled up outside, Nanaki came running down the steps. He looked concerned about something.
“Nanaki” he said. “What’s up?”
“Cloud, you’ve got to come with me, something’s happened” Nanaki said hurriedly.
“OK, but what’s up?” Cloud repeated.
“Something has happened to my father’s monument” was all Nanaki said, before he bolted off towards the tribute to his father; Seto.
Cloud followed him, trying to keep up, but only having two legs was a major disadvantage. Eventually, they arrived at the petrified body of the legendary warrior, and Cloud saw what Nanaki meant. Where Seto had once stood alone, watching over his son and all the people of Cosmo Canyon, he was now accompanied by several more statues. Statues of the lost warrior tribe – the Gi. They were pointing various weapons at Seto, and leering down at him menacingly.
“Where did they come from?” Cloud asked after a long silence. He began walking around the statues, examining them closely.
“It was two days ago. I came up in the morning, and they were here. They must’ve been put here overnight” Nanaki explained. “Check the left hand of that one Cloud” he said, indicating the one Cloud was currently looking at. There was a piece of paper in the warrior’s fist. Cloud wrenched it out, and saw that it had his name on. The message inside read:
I told you, I will never be just a memory, Cloud
Cloud let the note fall to the ground, where it was caught in a breeze and was blown away. He stood in silence, as he realised at that moment that his dreams weren’t actually dreams. They were either live events, or premonitions. He prayed that it was the latter.
“Cloud?” said Nanaki, bringing him out of his reverie. “What was in the note?”
“Sephiroth.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sephiroth. He did this. He put the statues here. He wants me to follow him, to find him” Cloud said, talking to himself.
“But didn’t you defeat Sephiroth?” Nanaki asked. Cloud had never told anyone – until yesterday – what Sephiroth’s final words had been. He told Nanaki everything, including the dreams that had occurred over the past weeks. Nanaki was silent after Cloud had finished, obviously contemplating what he had been told. “It would seem you’re right Cloud” he said eventually. “What are you going to do about it?”
“I’m heading to Nibelheim. Most of my dreams, or whatever they are, take place there. I hope I can get to the bottom of it there.”
“And if you don’t?”
“Then I suppose Sephiroth will finally achieve his goal.” Already, Cloud was considering Sephiroth’s plans. Previously he had summoned up Meteor in order could become one with the planet, and then tried summoning up an anti-lifestream. He suspected that it would have something in common with the others so far.
“Then hurry Cloud. You cannot afford to linger here any longer. You have to get to Nibelheim as fast as you can” Nanaki said, interrupting his thoughts.
“You aren’t going to try to come with me?” Cloud asked.
“No. I understand that this is personal between you and Sephiroth, and that you must fight this battle alone” Nanaki replied.
“Thank you, but I was hoping to spend the night here before going on to Nibelheim.”
“Are you sure this is wise Cloud? How can you be sure that these dreams haven’t already happened?”
“I can’t Nanaki, but if Sephiroth is still in Nibelheim, then I need my strength. I honestly don’t think I can fight anyone right now.”
“Very well, as you wish” Nanaki said, resignedly.
The sky was overcast with a large black cloud. It wasn’t a rain cloud though – it was too dark. Looking ahead of him, Cloud saw a town. He had been here before. He didn’t know what lay ahead, but couldn’t help himself from walking on. He went past burning houses and charred corpses, some with huge gashes on their torso, and some without a torso at all. He began to feel nauseous. There was a tug at his ankle, and Cloud looked down. There was a wounded man trying to get his attention, but Cloud pulled away from him. He had to go to the reactor. Something told him that the reactor was an important place to be. He walked through the mountains to the reactor. Standing on a ledge, he saw a man in black with long silver hair enter the reactor. Cloud followed him in, quietly keeping behind the man. Some guards opposed him, but the man cut them down instantly. He didn’t stop; he carried on walking through the door. Cloud followed him, followed him up the stairs. When the man reached the top, he turned and made eye contact with Cloud and smirked. A blinding light spilled out of the door as he opened it and walked into the room on the other side.
Once again, Cloud woke with a sweat. The dreams were getting more prominent now, but he still didn’t understand what they meant. He got up and decided to go and ask Nanaki. Ever since the death of Bugenhagen, Nanaki appeared to have inherited his wisdom. Cloud hoped he would at least have a good theory on what was happening.
Unfortunately, Nanaki could not tell Cloud anything about his dreams.
“They are unusual Cloud” he said. “I’ve never known anything like this, so I’m afraid I’ll be of no help to you.” Cloud sighed and threw himself down onto a chair.
“It’s OK, I wasn’t expecting too much” he said.
“So when will you leave for Nibelheim?” asked Nanaki.
“You trying to get rid of me?” Cloud asked with a smile. “I’ll probably set off soon. I just wanted to see if you knew anything about these dreams first, to try and shed some light on the situation.”
“All I can think of is either Sephiroth has somehow found a way to enter your dreams, or they are what they are – dreams.”
“No, they aren’t dreams. They’re too real to be merely dreams. Plus with the Gi statues appearing here and that note…” Cloud trailed off.
“It looks as if he has returned” Nanaki finished. Cloud nodded in agreement. “Then I’ll tell you again Cloud; hurry on to Nibelheim. Go and stop Sephiroth from returning again.”
“You’re right” Cloud said. “I’ll see you when I’ve sorted this out.”
“Good luck Cloud, but I hope greatly that you won’t need it.”
He was in a bad mood when he arrived at Nibelheim. It had been early when he left Cosmo Canyon, and the sun had come up only briefly, to be hidden behind large rain clouds. Cloud felt apprehensive as he pulled up outside Nibelheim. After several weeks of discomfort and restless nights, he was finally going to unravel the mystery. He had a feeling that this would be his final encounter with Sephiroth, whether it be by the hands of fate, or his own. He entered his home town, looking around nervously. There wasn’t anyone out on the streets. Cloud became worried as a sudden downpour of rain came on, and the clouds became thicker and heavier. This surely wasn’t happening. He was frozen to the spot as the sky gradually darkened, and he heard a rumble of thunder quite close by. A bolt of lightning briefly illuminated the town, and Cloud saw what he feared he would see. There was a silhouette of a man in the distance. The man walked behind a building, and Cloud followed. He reached the point where the man had disappeared, and looked behind the building which he had walked, but there was only empty, Urgently, Cloud cast about for the man he had just lost. A noise above him caught his attention. He looked up, but before he could focus on the man, he was struck on the back of the head with the butt of the handle of the large blade he wielded, and Cloud blacked out.
Cloud noticed that the rain had stopped when he awoke. The back of his head ached where he had been struck. He pulled himself onto his feet, and saw that he was no longer in Nibelheim. He was lying on the plains before them, but how he got there he had no idea. He assumed that he had been carried out of Nibelheim after being knocked unconscious. While he tried to gain his bearings again, Cloud assessed what his dreams had told him. It seemed that they were premonitions, which was one thing he could be thankful for. He set off towards Nibelheim again, while he continued to ponder his dreams. He wasn’t far from the town when it sprung into flames. It was all too sudden for it to be an accidental fire, and an intentional fire wouldn’t spread so fast. He could hear screams coming from Nibelheim too, and began to sprint towards his birthplace.
As he neared Nibelheim it became apparent the fire was now an uncontrollable blaze. Cloud was sure the smoke emanating from it would be visible from the Gold Saucer. The closer Cloud got to Nibelheim, the thicker the fumes became from the fire. He began to feel light headed, and disoriented. He forced himself on though; he had to stop this once and for all. The town was just as it had been the last time he was in a situation like this. Every building was burning fiercely, and there was no one on the streets. At least no one living. There were corpses strewn all over the ground, some were horribly burned, and others were horribly slashed all over their bodies. The rank smell of burnt flesh filled the air, and made Cloud feel even more nauseous. Through the thick smoke, Cloud could see the shadow of two people. One ran at the other, but was cut down before he had made two steps by the other. Then the killer’s shadow was gone. Cloud began to walk after him, towards Mt. Nibelheim, but there was a tug on his ankle. There was a barely alive man trying to get his attention. Cloud looked at him, and wanted nothing more than to be able to save him, but he had a more important task at hand. If he didn’t stop Sephiroth soon, there would be many more deaths. It was also clear from the man’s injuries that he had no hope of surviving, even if Cloud did have the time. He headed to the rear of the town; he was positive Sephiroth was going to the reactor. He tried to concentrate on his objective, rather than the desecrated bodies that lay at his feet. He again tried to organise his thoughts, and come up with a suitable plan of attack against Sephiroth while he travelled along the dangerous mountain path that ran between Nibelheim and the reactor, but he couldn’t get the images of the mass murder Sephiroth had just committed out of his head. Before he knew it, he was standing on a rocky outcrop that overlooked the reactor. Looking into the crevasse below, he saw Sephiroth slowly climbing the reactor steps.
“This is it” Cloud muttered to himself, and set off to the place where Sephiroth’s physical body had died years ago. As he entered the reactor, a cold chill washed over him. Something big was going to happen here, and soon. Cloud was determined that this would be the death of Sephiroth. Up ahead he could see two guards opposing Sephiroth, trying to stop him, but were easily overpowered by Sephiroth’s superior ability. He showed no remorse for the two lives he had just ended, but merely strode past them. Cloud followed, and glanced at the men sprawled on the floor as he passed by. The floor around the bodies glistened with fresh blood, but Cloud had no time to stop and grieve for them. Sephiroth was climbing the steps to a door marked ‘Jenova.’
“Sephiroth!” Cloud shouted, drawing his sword. Sephiroth turned, and looked down at Cloud.
“Ah. You came” he said calmly. “I was beginning to wonder if you were getting my messages at all Cloud.”
“The dreams” Cloud stated.
“Yes, the dreams. I projected you my intentions for the new world to lure you here Cloud.”
“What do you mean intentions?”
“Well, in the past my plans have been too intricate, and you have thwarted them too easily. Now I intend to have this planet descend into a world of despair and death. I will have a bloodbath across all nations, causing the planet to cry out in despair.” Sephiroth announced. As he talked, he grew excited and Cloud could see the passion Sephiroth harboured for his dream and for this he admiringly, though grudgingly so.
“But how will the planet crying out help you?” he asked.
“By forcing the planet to cry out loud, it will also call to more of Jenova’s race to come to this planet. Then, Jenova’s task will be complete after years of waiting.” Once again, Cloud could see the bare passion coming from Sephiroth.
“What was Jenova’s task?”
“That is why we are here Cloud. Why don’t you come and see?” Sephiroth turned away, and the door sprung open before him. A bright light spilled out through it, and Cloud had to shield his eyes. He caught up to Sephiroth, who was standing silently before the great statue of Jenova.
“Sephiroth!” Cloud shouted for a second time. Sephiroth gave no answer. “Don’t ignore me you coward.”
“Please, be quiet Cloud” Sephiroth commanded.
“I won’t let you do this again” Cloud spat, defiantly.
“I know you won’t. That is why I’m going to have to kill you soon” replied Sephiroth, without changing the tone of his voice. He remained silent for several more moments, and then slowly turned to face Cloud. “Now, I believe you wanted to fight me?”
“I won’t let you do this again” Cloud repeated, bringing his sword up to the guard position. Sephiroth’s lips twitched into a small smile.
“So you said. Well let us once again cross blades Cloud” he said, drawing his own menacing sword. They stood facing each other for a moment, each trying to psyche the other out. Their blades glinted from the unseen light source. Then, as if by an unspoken rule, they both rushed at each other, furiously attempting to land a hit on the other. Cloud attacked with everything he knew of sword fighting, but Sephiroth was equal to him. No matter where Cloud tried to place his blows, Sephiroth’s Masamune was always in the way. It was as if he knew exactly where the next attack was coming from. Cloud was finding it difficult to keep up.
Sephiroth began his own attack, constantly bombarding him with attempted hits from all directions. Slowly, Cloud was forced back, and out of the door.
After a few short minutes of this constant barrage of attacks, he began to tire. He couldn’t carry on fending off attacks like this; he had to make this battle his own, or give up his life. He cast about during a brief pause in Sephiroth’s attack, looking for something suitable to change the tide of the fight. He noticed the Mako tanks that Professor Hojo had used to conduct experiments on humans. It was the products of these tanks that had driven Sephiroth to discover his roots, and then insane. He side-stepped out of the way of Sephiroth’s next blow, and leapt up onto the nearest tank.
“No running Cloud” Sephiroth said before jumping up to meet him. They clashed swords once more, and across them Cloud said
“I’m not running from anything.”
With the uneven footing, the momentum of their battle slowed considerably, allowing Cloud to measure his attacks better, forcing his enemy to slow his own attack, and defend more. Just as it seemed Cloud was finally getting the better of him, Sephiroth took an unexpected step back, causing Cloud to stumble with the force of his attack. Sephiroth drew his sword across the extract pipe for one of the tanks, causing steam to erupt out of it. With this sudden wall of steam engulfing him, Cloud became disoriented, and tried to pear through the steam to see Sephiroth, but it was too dense. He sensed movement behind him, and quickly spun around, but saw nothing. Then a silhouette burst towards him, brandishing a fierce sword. Cloud’s own sword was sent flying out of his hands, and far out of his reach. Then a foot connected with his ribs, bringing him to his knees. Cloud looked up, and Sephiroth raised his empty hand. With a small motion, the steam dispersed, and Cloud could see the mix of malice and triumph in his eyes.
“This ends now Cloud” he spat. Cloud was thrown backwards by an unseen force into one of the Mako tanks. He slumped to the floor, and searched for his sword, but Sephiroth was in front of him again. “I’m not going to make any more mistakes with you. I’ll have no fun with you. This is going to be a quick, clean kill.” Cloud was thrown sideways this time, down the stairs and towards the two slain guards. He felt his shoulder pop out of place. ”On your feet” Sephiroth barked. Cloud was lifted up against his will, the pain in his shoulder was excruciating, and he could barely stand on his own feet. He was barely conscious when Sephiroth raised his sword, and looked deep into Cloud’s eyes. “Goodbye Cloud” he said. And those were the last words Cloud ever heard. He felt a coldness in his gut, and looked down. The Masamune had impaled him, and as Sephiroth slid it out, blood spilled out with it. The edge of his vision became blurred, and he fell to the floor. He glanced at Sephiroth who had a content look on his face. He had finally defeated his oldest enemy, and there was no one to stop his plans now. Cloud tried to speak, but could only manage to cough up blood. His vision completely faded, and Cloud decided his time was up, and let his body fail, and let his soul return to the planet once more.
There was a woman ahead – a familiar woman. She walked towards him, and had a kind look on her face. She offered her hand, and Cloud took it, and allowed her to lead him through the brightness.
“I let everyone down” he said glumly. His voice sounded like it was coming from a distance.
“No, you didn’t” came the reply. “It’s not your fault. I forgive you, and everyone else will. You could do no more” replied Aeris.
Anyway, nice work! I hope to read more works from you in the future.