[.Infinite Struggle.]

[Cloud // Cid]

(I couldn't think of a good topic title, lol.)


Whispers, all the voices...each one echoing within his mind, repeating...conflicting...demanding their needs be met. A shadow covering his eyes, blacking out all else but the voices. The want to be one with the voices kept the mental connection strong, and his thought track to collect the knowlege dispersed from the Black Materia remained strong when working with it.
It was when he tried to use independent thought, that the Black Materia conflicted...sending him into a fit of agonising screams, his body dowsed in pain and anger...for the pain he felt, he was told, was connected with Jenova's anger. She was angry with Cloud for not fulfilling her wants, and sent her anger through pain within his body by chanelling it through the Black Materia. He had two voices telling him to do two different things, and he couldn't fulfill both their wants. And above all, his wants where once again lost to the darkness.

It's their fault.

"It's noone's fault but my own." Cloud muttered as he sat in front of the flowerbed, which was still shimmering with water. Keeping the plants healthy and strong. It made Cloud feel slightly regretful over putting the wants of these voices before those of his friends, he was slowly wilting because of the lack of support...but it was his own fault, he pushed support away...he pushed contact away...
He pushed himself away.

Kill them. All of them.

Cloud remained silent and continued to glance at his reflection in the water, Second Tsurugi by his side and his entire back and torso covered in blood from the old wound he received in the battle against Tifa and Sephiroth. He knew after that fight neither would look at him the same way if he stayed alive...he wouldn't be able to show is face to anyone he knew again, not after everything he'd done.
The people he slaughtered in Fort Condor, the innocent people he killed as he made his way here...and those he injured in Junon.

"The only one who should die...is me..." Cloud muttered to himself, lightly rubbing his still sore wound on his torso...the wound that was close to where Tifa threw Second Tsurugi...the wound, where the Black Materia was embedded. Jenova's fury caused it to react once more, and Cloud was again sent into a storm of pain. His chest swelled from the darkness, almost as if it was about to erupt. He grasped his head and rolled onto his side; gritting his teeth together to prevent any agonising screams to escape his lungs, his body shivering from how much pain he was attempting to hold back...and his lifeless eyes suddenly flared up in colour, as if he'd just awakened from slumber. But the pain, being too much for him to handle now, finally took its toll and Cloud released an ear-peircing scream. Firmly shutting his eyes as he franticly rolled on the ground, throwing himself forwards to attempt a fight against the pain, only to stumble backwards again.
And as sudden as the pain started, it dispersed...and Cloud's eyes shot open and faded in colour once more, sighing deeply with releif that the burning in his torso and the ringing pains in his head where finally gone.

Hunt them down...kill every last one of them...

The darkness once again covered Clouds sight, and his pupils thinned to cat-like slits at the voice of Jenova...the voice of...mother.

"N-no!" Cloud growled before shaking his head, his eyes returning to normal, but pale and almost lifeless in colour "I---I won't let it happen again!!"
Then the Black Materia reacted once more, sending Cloud into another fit of screaming and clenching his head. Jenova's fury burning his mind, corroding his spirit. If he didn't die by his un-tended wounds, or at the hands of Kadaj, he'd end up dead because of the Black Materia.
Or even more so, at his own hand.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!"

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa struggled with her own thoughts even though she had chosen to help Cloud, to be there for him, she still had those wild images of him running through her head as a crazed Jenova spawn. It sent shivers down her spine every time she recalled that night but she still had to keep going no matter how much she had changed that night, or how much he had. Tifa was...is Clouds best friend and she always promised that she'd be there for him, she was when he fell into the lifestream and that was a strange ordeal in itself. So this couldn't be too bad right, they could get through this she just had to help him.

Before Tifa knew it she had walked all the way to Aerith's chapel, what compelled her feet to bring her here she had no idea but here she was standing in front of the oak doors. Long since this place has been deserted but on occasion people came to visit, to see her flowers. Tifa always found this place comforting, with Aerith gone....Aerith....Tifa's eyes widened, she had seen Aerith that night, she was there trying to help. No, yes, but how is that possible? Looking back up at the doors Tifa began to let herself in through them hoping that maybe she see her again, oh how she missed her friend so much.

Tifa silently made her way in, walking down through the aisle not quite sure what she'd find here. The place hadn't changed much, it still had the broken church chairs to her right that she had caused with her fight here and up where the alter was meant to be there was the pool of flowers and...

"Cloud?..."

Tifa's voice was all but a whisper, she couldn't bring her body to move any further or her lips to speak louder. She wasn't even sure if he knew she was there. Her heart bled as she watched him, watched him struggle, it was all she could do, just watch...

"N-no!" Cloud growled before shaking his head, his eyes returning to normal, but pale and almost lifeless in colour "I---I won't let it happen again!!"

Tifa's face was horror struck, was he fighting it, was there really hope for them. Cautiously she took a step forward but only one, she really didn't want to be so close to him, for the first time in her life she feared him, she was afraid...


Tifa grabbed her own head with her hands in reaction to Cloud's screaming, it was so painful, the screams echoed every horrible emotion he was going through and Tifa couldn't help but recoil.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!"

It seemed that he was left alone for a moment and Tifa took this as her chance, though she was horrified at what could happen if he did know she was here. No she had to try, for his sake, he needed to know he wasn't alone, not anymore.

"Cloud?"

Her voice was just above a whisper, enough so he could hear her.

[Four Fiends]

(Hey, is this what I think it is?)

Despite the turmoil unfolding within the shoddy structure, all outside the creaking timbers of the church was still. But as anyone knew, there were two kinds of silence. The first was simply due to a lack of presence, or anything to create noise. The second kind came when something undesirable alienated all sources of sound with its own presence. In this situation, the latter came out on top.

One by one they came, silently landing upon the trash heap opposite of the church within mere seconds of eachother. First was Rubicante, who folded himself into a kneeling position upon impact. The second was Cagnazzo, who landed bluntly yet stealthily on all fours (which was really his only option, but still) slightly uphill from Rubicante. Then came Barbariccia, who’s touchdown into a sitting position was nothing short of graceful despite the speed at which she had descended. Last to arrive was Scarmiglione, who crashed into the mound with a larger degree of force. The sound of crunched metal momentarily resonated throughout the slum before returning to its status quo.

Cagnazzo spoke almost instantly, his elongated tongue sweeping across his jagged maw in anticipation. “Come on Rubicante! Let me just go in there and devour him! That puppet pisses me off!”

Barbariccia, of all people, chimed in immediately after. “I would have to agree with the gator on this one. Lets just go in there and rip the Malebolg out of his chest! I refuse to let anyone else get ahold of that gorgeous body before I do!” This prompted a grunt from Scarmiglione and Cagnazzo, openly displaying their irritation at Barbariccia’s thought process, but the offending party made a show of ignoring both. Rubicante seemed to ignore the speakers at first, slouching back for better seating. He detected the presence of two individuals within the confines of the church; one was his prey, while the other was the woman he had met at the bar. An atmosphere of tension, anger and pain littered the place.

“We will wait, regardless of what you request.” This produced a snarl from Cagnazzo, which Rubicante skillfully ignored. “This puppet is being pursued by another, who brings more of the Malebolg with him. We will allow the two to meet before we begin our intervention.” He reclined one elbow upon a scrap of metal, propping his chin in the same hand. “Besides, if we wait long enough it is possible that a certain other individual may appear here. One who knows the whereabouts of the Empyrean....”

(So yeah, until a certain Sephy wannabe does his thing the Fiends are just going to be sitting outside. Notice them or don't, they won't fight yet.)

[Cloud // Cid]

(yes, Ruffy, it issssss! But I have no IDEA when Kadaj's gonna get their own damn internet supply so they can come online. <_<)

As Jenova's voice screamed through Clouds mind the darkness once again started to fight. Cloud tried to fight back, tried to put his demon back into its cage...but failure...nothing but that.
Spirits would try to pull Cloud back from this madness, but the blonde seemed too far in the depths of shadow and darkness to allow such spirits to release him. The spirits of his friends, memories manifested into anchors which would have kept Cloud sane...but the Black materia released his demon, it slowly started to destroy those manifestations of memories...which is why Cloud attacked anyone whenever that demon was free. His memories where slowly being destroyed by that black crystal.
Try as he may, he couldn't part himself from it. The whispers promising the power to defeat any foe he saw fit, the whispers promising inner peace...the promise, of freedom from Sephiroth.
ALL WHERE LIES.

"N-NO!! I don't want to hear about that right now!!" Cloud screamed as Jenova, and the Black Materia, continued to pressure him...force their wants onto his mortal body...
How painful the darkness was.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!" Cloud screamed, finally getting to his feet, clasping the sides of his head and releasing another loud roar of pain. And then, once more, the pain stopped.
He was alone again.
Alone.
The sweet silence of being on his own...

"Cloud?"

...well that didn't last long. Tifa's voice, as soft as it was to Cloud, was the last thing he wanted to hear. He was still mentally unstable, and if Jenova or the Black Materia decided to attack him again, he didn't even want to think of what he'd do to Tifa.
SLowly he turned to face her, ever so slowly to ensure he didn't startle her or...anything else...but he remained silent. The blonde just stared at her like a beaten animal, terrified and wounded. His wounds still appearing fresh, even though the inccidents he obtained them from where many days ago.
His pain would never heal. His wounds would never heal.
He, would never heal.

His silence would seem bitter to the likes of Sephiroth or someone of a high rank in SOLDIER, but to anyone else who had a heart...he would look like a child, afraid to speak in fear of being punished. His mako-green eyes had faded so much in colour that it looked like he was going to eventually go blind, possibly from how weak his body was right now as he hosted the Black Materia. Skin as white as snow, hair shimmering a mix of silver and golden blond...stained red at the sides where he placed his hands.
He literally was a walking corpse, it wouldn't take much to finish him off with how badly wounded he was.
When he was certain Tifa wasn't here to kill him, although he wouldn't have cared regardless of her motives to do so, he eased his frightened posture and returned to the 'shadowed Cloud'...the one who showed little emotion other than uncertainty.

"...Tifa, I don't know why you're here. But things might not turn out too well for either of us if you stay." Cloud sighed as he turned to the flowers again and sat down infront of them. He remained silent for awhile, examining the flowers and the pool of water they bathed in. After a few seconds of silence, Cloud sighed and examined the room before speaking again.

"I'm glad I chose here. This was the first place I met Aerith, the place so many of the orphans Geostigma was cured..." Cloud began, before looking over his shoulder at Tifa.

"...this is the only place where I still remember everything. Outside, I forget. I forget who I am, who my friends are and where I was even born. But here it's different." Cloud said, turning to glance at the water again once he was finished speaking. A small smile appeared on his lips, ever so small...but powerful enough to remind the blonde of why he came here.

"I wouldn't choose anywhere else. I want to leave with my memories. With our memories."


(I promised a long post, but...I failed. sorry.)

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa closed her eyes, she swore she sensed his body tense at the mention of his name. However she told herself she'd keep fighting, keep fighting for him thus she willed her eyes to open, to see him. She tried to hide the shock as he turned to look at her, it was not the Cloud she used to know, the Cloud she loved for so long...His eyes were so drawn and full of hurt, blood stained his body, his hair, his hands, his heart; everything about him was breaking.

The silence was deafening, consuming, keeping her from moving closer to him. She could see he was hurting, that in this briefest of moments he was showing her that he was afraid, almost childlike and he feared her too. It wasn't until the silence grew and no movement was made did he ease, returning into that hollow Cloud who showed no emotion, nothing, just an empty shell.

His voice pierced her as he spoke, almost sounding like it was defeated not just tired. Her eyes bore into his back as he turned away form her , she followed his gaze to the flowers floating in the water, she mused on them, watched them move about the water in perfect harmony much like Aerith.

She didn't quite get it, his tone, his demeanor and why now he chose to come here. As she listened to his words, pieced the puzzles in her head the links began to form and she suddenly was taken by fear. Not just any fear but the gut wrenching fear that grips your heart, that chokes you, that deafens all your sense. Tifa knew...

Slowly she willed her feet to move, step by step her feet guided her to him. Her face so pale now as fresh tears escaped her eyes. In one motion Tifa knelt to her knees behind him, her arms hesitant slid over his shoulders and lightly around his neck as she hugged him from behind. Holding him to her she didn't care that he could throw her off, that he could kill her she just knew that she had to show him she was here, that this was real, that she cared for him, that she wasn't a lost memory.

"Don't do this...."

The tears now freely flowed down her cheeks as she rested her head on his back. Her tears mixing with his blood as it smeared on her face. Tifa couldn't help but feel further away from him than every before and this time she was losing him, unable to catch up.

"Please Cloud...."

A mere whisper escaped her lips as she pulled him closer to her ever so gently. No more thoughts ran through her head like wild fire and only the truest of feeling she had remained.

"I love you..."

[Gabriel]

They had checked the church before. Of course they had; it had been one of the first places they’d looked. But they were too shorthanded to set up permanent surveillance, so they could do little more than check back regularly. On his way back to headquarters after yet another endless, fruitless day of searching, it was Gabriel who would finish his shift with the now-routine inspection of the ruined church in the deserted slums of Midgar.

Although he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was that gave him the impression, the Turk knew the moment he set foot in the slums that something was different. It was too… quiet. Slowing his pace, a hand strayed to the butt of one of his handguns where it rested in its holster. Far too quiet. As though the sprawling ruins of Midgar held their breath in anticipation of… what?

Above the deafening silence, he thought he heard a scream. His imagination? Somehow, he doubted it.

It was the figures, seated on the rubble across from the heavy oak doors of the church, which he noticed first. Four of them. He paused, observing them silently. Monsters— that was the only word he had to describe them. And they seemed to be waiting for something. The Turk’s gaze shifted to the church once more, a frown drawing his brow. If he wanted to get near the church, he would have to expose himself to the four.

He was here to look for Cloud. That was what he would do.

The doors were ajar. By chance, as Gabriel slipped through, a sudden outburst of screaming covered any sounds of his entrance. He half-expected to see the target being tortured to death by the Sephiroth clones, but as his eyes adjusted to the change in light, what he actually saw was quite different. There was the man they had been searching for, alive, but perhaps not so well.

The blood did not trouble him— as a Turk, Gabriel was more than used to that. He had, only a short while ago, been assigned to the cleanup of Fort Condor, after all.

It was the apparent breakdown that the blond was suffering that disturbed him. He had not been in Junon, but the Fort Condor massacre was more than enough evidence of what the man was capable with when suffering a psychotic episode. And yet, the girl, who was the only other present in the church, seemed less concerned for her own safety, than for the wellbeing of Cloud. Tifa. Reno had introduced them once, in the bar in Edge.

The screaming stopped. Even in the sudden deathly silence that followed, the quiet words between the two were barely audible. As Tifa moved to embrace the blond, Gabriel had the sudden distinct impression he was intruding on something private.

Slipping back outside, the Turk shot a glance at the four strange entities, still there just waiting for something or other. Gabriel had any number of theories of what exactly they were after, none of which were at all reassuring. He pulled his cellphone from his pocket, moving to one side of the church doors and leaning against the wall.

Dialling, he rummaged in his pocket for a pack of cigarettes as he waited for someone to pick up. It rang once, twice… Where the hell was his lighter? There was a clunk on the other end of the line, and he flinched as what sounded like the ShinRa HQ intruder alarm screamed through the receiver and into his ear. What the hell was going on?

“Tseng? I’ve located the target— the church in the slums.” A short pause. Whatever was happening at headquarters, the director’s tone of voice gave nothing away. “No problem.”

Surveillance. Simple enough. Returning the cellphone to his pocket, he continued his search for his lighter. Was it Kadaj who’d infiltrated headquarters? The Turks had been tracking the Remnant; Gabriel knew he would easily have been able to reach Midgar by now. He would think Cloud was still in HQ, wouldn’t he? Or at least that those shards were still there. They’d intended to remove the shards from Cloud’s chest before he’d escaped, after all. Well, that momma’s boy wouldn’t pose too much of a threat. And if Kadaj was distracted in the ShinRa building, Gabriel’s job would be easy, until backup arrived. That was, if those four creatures kept to their current comportment.

“Hey, you don’t happen to have a light, do you?” he called to the four, not expecting any answer from beings that were, in his mind, little more than monsters— even if one or two did have rather human features.

[Cloud // Cid]

Cloud was contemplaiting the calm nature of the building, the room filled with flowers and water in the centre of it made for an ideal place for the blonde to relax. There where no monsters in here, no remnants of Sephiroth...no Sephiroth...
The thought of what was going to happen within the next few hours to him...what he saw in the dream...made him feel more secure about the idea of going along with the path it had set him. A path, that would free him from the chains of Jenova, The Black Materia and Sephiroth.
Cloud didn't react or say anything as Tifa held him, he just continued to look down at the flowers and keep his feelings to himself. Even though he was slightly afraid of what would happen to everyone else when he was gone, thanks to the dream again, he felt that deep down inside everything would be alright in the end...just as it always was.

"I love you..."

Those words...why was she telling him this now? Just because he was accepting the cold embrace of Death? Aerith knew something would happen when she risked her life for them and the Planet, she knew the dangers...and Cloud knows his. He knows the path the others must tread in order to defeat the REAL enemy, the one whom he saw in his dream...and HEARD on his way here.
Luckily though, the foul person left him alone.

"Tifa..." Cloud began in a slight whisper "...this is for everyone's sake. Even if I got rid of the materia now, it's poison sunk in deep enough to become part of me." he added, watching as his blood finally reached the water...observing how the trail of crimson liquid was slowly taking over the portion of water nearest him. He also felt the need to keep quiet on the whole 'I love you' buisness...even near death, he was too afraid and too stubborn to admit he loved her back.

"Tifa, I had an Epiphany...in my dream..." Cloud continued, taking a moment to regain his track of though...the loss of blood was causing his vision and mind to rapidly deteriorate...and he knew he had to pass this information to someone quickly.

"...we're fighting the wrong people, the Remnants are a problem but in the end they'll have to realise there's a bigger issue that THEY will have to deal with as well. In the dream I saw some monsters, about four of them. They seek the Black Materia as well..." Cloud informed, before taking a breather.

"...BUT...have you ever wondered...why all these people we thought where dead...have all returned? Why everyone wants the Black Materia? I don't know why...but I saw everything in my dream. A sudden realisation of everything we did wrong that caused this mess." Cloud added, lowering his head slightly and muttering quietly....

"...we let him live all these years, to plot this whole thing out..."

((Oooh! PLOT TWIST!! ))

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa’s hold lessened around Cloud’s neck, the way he just sidetracked her feelings and brushed them away without even acknowledging them made her heart sink and slightly chill. She didn’t argue with him when he said that it was ‘for the sake of everyone’ for it would just be pointless. Tifa had given up on saving Cloud now, now she just wanted him to know that she felt this way. That she was here even when she knew he would leave her very soon, she was still here still fighting for him, fighting beside him till the end and everything that comes in-between yet he kept silent and she began to retreat as a few tears began to fall down her face and onto his cheek.

Her arms began to fall away from his shoulders as she stood up. By now tears had formed in her eyes and she didn’t want him to see, she stood and turned her back on him. Not in a way that was telling him she was leaving him it was just her own defense mechanism, she didn’t want to put him under any more pressure than what he was already in. Cloud didn’t need to see her cry.

"Tifa, I had an Epiphany...in my dream..."

Tifa listened, what else was left to do? The heartbroken woman could do nothing more but listen. Everything he was saying now; though it sunk into some part of her brain for later use, was just a blur. The way he spoke about what he was trying to let her know only confirmed her fears. It was here, here in this scared place that the battle will rage, that a war will start and that a loss that will affect her so deeply will occur. Tifa kept silent even after he finished, the realization of her own was too demanding and causing her to lose all words.

“So its now then….” Tifa’s voice was strained; it was easy to tell she was holding back tears so she could speak. “I guess its goodbye huh?….” Tifa slightly laughed to herself though it was only to hide a fresh wave a tears “Well at least you know right? Even if I never will…” She took in a deep breath hoping that courage will flow in with it. “Then lets give it our all.” Tifa began to put on her gloves. “We’ll fight to the bitter end right.” Tifa’s gloved hands fell to her sides as she raised her head to face the entrance to the church, she didn’t care if Cloud objected and if he did then he would have to kill her to stop her from fighting, she would not let him fight alone nor…die alone.

[Four Fiends]

(Sorry if this is a little incomprehensible.)

The Fiends were well into the show being put on for them behind closed doors when, to their surprise, someone made an unscheduled appearance. All four sets of eyes fell upon the suited man as he waltzed into the open and made a beeline for the chapel. Their observation of his intrusion passed in eerie silence, their gaze following him like something out of a horror flick. Only Barbariccia regarded him any differently, tapping a finger to lips as she inspected him in her usual piece-of-meat manner.

When the figure disappeared from view a scream became audible. This got a chuckle out of Cagnazzo; why was a mystery best left unsolved. Oddly enough, it was Scarmiglione who spoke up. “Mood....has changed....” Rubicante only nodded in silent agreement. Considering the distance and barriers, it was impossible for them to catch everything. However, the atmosphere within the building had taken a turn for the worse in some way or another. The human they knew as Cloud had clearly snapped, so Rubicante was swift to place the blame on him. The woman within, Tifa, had no idea what she was in store for....

The well-dressed human from earlier emerged, flipped out a phone and chatted away with someone on the other end. Each Fiend could clearly make out the words “target” and slums”, indicating that a third party left out of their calculations may interfere at any moment. Not a good thing. What was worse was when the man had finished his conversation. Of all things, he nonchalantly turned to them and shouted out. Rubicante visibly flinched as his inquiry echoed about the slums. Cagnazzo licked his chops, making his intentions clear. With something of an annoyed sigh the Fiend of fire stood and approached the man. Assuming nothing happened between point A and B he would offer him his hand, which would produce a tiny flame that floated a mere inch from the palm.

[Kadaj]

((I'm tired, so this is gonna be bad. <_< Also, the reason Kadaj apparently "didn't notice" Gabriel will become clear as soon as I get round to posting as him.

Edit: Just realise I totally forgot to mention Yazoo... Even to ignore him.

Um... Pretend I didn't. <_<''))


As soon as he reached Midgar, he knew: Cloud was no longer in the ShinRa building. He could still sense the power of the Black Materia there, but it was far stronger here, amplified by the tainted soul of their traitorous brother. The battle with Vincent had left the Remnant injured and worn down, but that would not prevent him from taking Cloud’s shards. He would not let it.

Slowing Fenrir to a halt outside of the church, Kadaj’s eyes were drawn immediately to the Fiend in red standing near the building— not even pausing to consider there might be others nearby, and therefore not noticing the other three perched on the rubble across from the church. His eyes narrowed. He didn’t know who or what this “man” was, and quite frankly he didn’t care. There was only one thing on his mind at the moment, and that was made perfectly clear as Souba was in his hand in a second, pointed towards Rubicante— a warning.

“Stay out of my way,” he hissed, his words laced with venom, “or I’ll kill you.”

He would not waste his time attacking him now. The shards were his priority— the one embedded in his own chest was reacting to the presence of the fragments carried by Cloud, the dark energy pulsing erratically, pain flowing through his body like liquid fire, and drawing the dark shroud across his mind once more.

Striding to the doors of the church, he did not so much as pause at whatever would unfold outside of the church at the appearance of his brother and himself. Kicking the doors open viciously, his expression was pure insanity as his feline eyes sought out Cloud. The female who stood between them might as well have not existed at all for all the mind he paid her.

“So, brother. You have the shards for me?”

[Cloud // Cid]

All Cloud could do to hide his feelings from Tifa as she spoke to him was look away from her, but he could only do that for so long...he knew Tifa would try everything she could to stop his fate, the fate he was destined to abide with. Fighting the end he saw in his dream would only bring further pain to Tifa, but when the time came...the hour of his death...he had the right to battle, but no choice but to fail.

"...sorry Tifa..." Cloud muttered quietly, getting to his feet reluctantly and turning at last to face Tifa "...the hour is now, I know what will happen...and you have to leave now before---"

BAM! The doors slammed open and in came the white menace...well...the junior version at least. But where was his comrade, Yazoo? More importantly, where was Sephiroth? In his dream, all 3 of the silver-haired maniacs showed up...but it withered down to just Kadaj. Only he was here. Which meant...

"...Tifa, get out of here and find Sephiroth..." Cloud said coldly as he stared at Kadaj, speaking to her in a volum only she'd be able to hear at the distance she was from him "...tell him I was wrong." .

“So, brother. You have the shards for me?”

How he hated conflicts like this, but what else could he do but take part in them? It was his life afterall...he always wound up in situations like this. You'd think he'd be use to it by now, and with the help of the dream he'd be ready for this conflict. And in a way, he was ready for Kadaj. Cloud was glad Sephiroth wasn't here, he may have finally found out why the last hour of his life was a 'changing point' in everyones lives...including his old enemies life. His own death meant everyone elses would be better...at least to some extent.
There was no expression on his face, when before Tifa and the silver-monster showed up Cloud was terrifide of going through this. But after realising what this hour meant to everyones fates was more important than his own life, which had destroyed so many others.
The sun was setting...and the comming of the dawn would issue a new chapter in this tale of life.

"I have the shards." Cloud chuckled "...but by what right to you deserve them? You're just a puppy." he mocked as he reached down to grab the heavily damaged and blood-stained Tsurugi, a sly smile planted on his face even as the pain of movement rushed through his body.
The Black Shards where reacting violently, but his wounds caused enough pain to mask the dark-pain out. But Tifa had to leave for who knows when he'd snap again.
Only he knew that moment; the moment where he seals his fate.

"If Sephiroth was here, he'd be ashamed of you." he further teased with the same sly smile on his face.

"And I already know he's ashamed of me."

((BAAAAAD!!)

[Gabriel]

Gabriel had returned to searching for his lighter the moment after he’d called out to the Fiends, but as Rubicante moved towards him, he glanced up at the strange being, his expression impassive but with a slight tensing of his body that suggested his wariness. He hadn’t expected a reaction. Though he kept his cool attitude, his hands strayed to the twin guns, ready to shoot down the Fiend (or try to, at least) if he was looking to start something. Instead… well, he was offered exactly what he asked for; a light.

Eyeing Rubicante suspiciously, he didn’t move for a moment as he stared at the small flame that was just… floating there.
“Eh… Nice trick,” he said finally, lighting the cigarette on the proffered flame and taking a long drag, observing the Fiend as he breathed out slowly through his nose. Finally he added; “Thanks.”

It seemed he was about to say something else (most likely to question who, or more importantly what, the four were exactly) but the sound of a motorcycle approaching drew his attention. Swearing under his breath, the Turk retreated around the corner of the church, ignoring whatever Rubicante would decide to do about the new arrivals. Drawing his guns, he peered cautiously around the edge of the building. Still only two. A good thing, he supposed. He should let Tseng know they were here… but the first of the two disappeared into the church almost immediately. No time.

Making a split-second decision, he had stepped out from his cover, taking aim at the second, the one with long hair, and squeezed off a couple of rounds from one of the two handguns at him. Split the two up. They were more vulnerable alone.


((Bad.))

[Kadaj]

Kadaj practically snarled as Cloud used the same humiliating nickname that Sephiroth had given him. His grip tightened about the hilt of Souba, and it seemed he would attack at any moment… but then the blonde spoke again. The Remnant’s gaze dropped to the ground, his expression momentarily hidden beneath his hair. Feline eyes rose to meet eyes of Mako-blue, and the sneer on face of the Child of Jenova was pure malice.

“I don’t care what Sephiroth thinks. Soon, I’m going to kill him. I won’t let him have Mother’s love,” his voice was tense, loathing and rage coiled beneath his words, like a monster ready to burst from its cage at any moment. And then, he laughed. His usual, somewhat childish “giggle” seeming so utterly incongruous when belonging to a cold-blooded killer that it only added to the image of his insanity.

“By what right…? I’ve fought for these shards. I’ll give anything to claim them all and fulfil Mother’s wishes. I’ll give everything. THAT is why they are MINE by right!”

Not even Mother would be able to overlook him once he had all of the shards. Lifting his arms to the sides just slightly, palms up, he smirked.

“You were only ever the delivery boy.”

[Yazoo]

Kadaj...

His brother hadn't even looked at him senice they had faced Vincent Valentine, driven into Migar by some wild force that he wouldn't even share with his brother. He didn't understand it, these Black Shards. They where just parts of Materia to him; Deadly Materia that was, no- had changed the younger clone.

You're so far gone...

By the time he had dismounted from the Motorcylce, Velvet Nightmare had already been pulled from his side. The fve presences had been noticed by him, if not by the other Silver Haired Child of Jenova. Yazoo watched them all wairly, his ever stoic look on his face. His booted feet fell heavily on the ground of the slums, senses alive and wired as he watched for everything, anything that could become a threat to the two.

What you are doing...

He still had to protect Kadaj, even if the Elders brother was filled with swirling doubt about his mental state. That-Thing he had seen on the cliff edge had return, and in full force as well. And it wasn't letting go of it's hold on his little brother. The Ivory Gunslinger turned his gaze to each potential threat as Kadaj passed them, trailing behind the younger by several yards. Not only for maximium effect, but for a clear shot as well.

No, the thing that you've scummbed to...

The unearthly beings left him be, but the darkly dressed man that reminded him of the Turks dress pulled out one of his weapons, stepping out to engage him in gunplay, it seemed. Yazoo's green eyes flashed at this, for the first time in awhile showing a flicker of annoyance on his face. He didn't have time for this, there wasn't any need for this, and Kadaj had already disspaered into the Church. With easy flick of his wrist, he leveled the gun to chest level of the other and barely aimed before shooting. Yazoo didn't want to deal with this human right now, and before he even knew if the Turk had dodged it or not, he had streamed foward, almost a silver blur, a heavy boot pushed to kick the other in the ribs...

I don't think I can follow it anymore...

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa still had her back to Cloud; she was ready to face whoever came in that door and protect her best friend. She didn’t want him to die and she knew that she was only ever going to prolong the inevitable but what if fate and destiny could change?

"...sorry Tifa..." Cloud muttered quietly, getting to his feet reluctantly and turning at last to face Tifa "...the hour is now, I know what will happen...and you have to leave now before---"

Tifa was about to tell him to shut up and get over himself but the doors to the church burst open and she tighten her fists. So I guess this is it… Tifa didn’t say what she thought, there was just no need for it. Though she wished that things wouldn’t end this way what choice was there left? If he ran Kadaj would just follow, if he hid Kadaj would find him, this was Cloud’s only other option and as much as Tifa hated it, she knew he was ready to die.

"...Tifa, get out of here and find Sephiroth..." Cloud said coldly as he stared at Kadaj, speaking to her in a volume only she'd be able to hear at the distance she was from him "...tell him I was wrong."

Tifa lost thought, she tilted her head over her shoulder to look at Cloud with quite a strange look. She didn’t understand what he was wanting her to do, what she did know was that she wont leave him now, and for one; she looked back to Kadaj, she didn’t think she could. Though he appeared to not notice her, something just seemed rather odd with him, for one where was his brothers?

“Cloud I’m not leaving you, go tell him yourself!”

Her comment was heard but ignored, he was already engaging in conversation with Kadaj, she felt quite useless but it didn’t stop her from being what stood between Kadaj and Cloud. She stood her ground and would not leave, he’d have to kill her himself if he wanted her gone…Tifa shuddered to think that Cloud in his state he is quite capable of doing just that…



(((bad!)))