[.On The Edge.]

[Cloud // Cid]

(I wanted to RP as Cloud again, because I like RPing insane people....or weird ones. Anyway, feel free to jump in! But I warn you, Sephiroth is going to show up and there is going to be a fight between them. )

The Nightmare; the massacre...blood everywhere, people screaming at him...calling him a murderer, a monster.

He had to escape from the nightmare. He had to 'wake up'.

Unable to keep his rest peaceful, Cloud had thrown himself out of the emergency ward...almost from the brink of death, hooked up to a life-support machine...he was fine and ready for anything.
But his mind was still corrupted; plagued by visions and horrible voices...destroying his own morale and beleifs, and replacing them with Sephiroths.
And all those innocent workers...he mysteriously summoned a First Tsurugi-like blade out of almost thin air...glaring at anyone in his path as if they where nothing but trash to him.
He drew his weapon and cut them down, every single one of them...the throbbing pain of the Black Materia in his torso that remained, pounded hard against the 'repaired' patch where Kadaj had cut him. But this time, he was unphased by it. The only pain that was causing him any greif was his headaches...the ones that still remained even after fleeing to the closest place he could hide and gather information at th same time.

The ruins of Hojo's labs seemed to be fitting...the computers still worked and had plenty of information on them. And there was paperwork everywhere he could check out too, among other 'useful' items that he felt the need to utilise later.
But he was more concerned with hacking into a computer, one that faced a locked cell...a heavily reinforced cell that had the symbols 'Specimen-0' grafted onto it, and after reading some loose paperwork nearby the door, he confirmed that the cell had belonged to Sephiroth whilst he was still a boy and in training.
So maybe in these computers, he'd find information on the one-winged-angel or how his powers worked?

"Keep searching..." Cloud thought as he continued to hack throuh the computer files, his 'mystery sword' impaled into the ground beside him...wearing nothing but his trousers and a pair of socks, with his torso heavily bandaged up and wrapped up. But the scars of his past battles and injuries from abusing the Black Materia's power remained clear and visible on his back and arms.
He finally found a file about how Sephiroth's powers where connected to his temperment...and this strongly caught Clouds intrest. Since the 'monster' inside of him seemed to awaken whenever Cloud lost his temper or became afraid.
He decided to access the file, but it was password protected...if he tried to guess it an alarm would certainly sound and he'd be detected, and he didn't want to be caught again.
Especially in his current condition, wherby just looking at people he sees them as nothing but fodder and cuts them down. Thinking about them didn't result in anything but the usual reaction you'd expect Cloud to have. It was when he saw them, with his own eyes, that he instantly attacked.
Not wanting to risk guessing the password, Cloud raided through some more papers he thought looked interesting and began searching for a password of some kind...but found nothing.

"Dammit! I get so close!!" Cloud growled as he kicked a nearby chair over and snarled, until hearing a noise come from the entrance he used....

He was not alone.

[Aerith]

Something had lured her here,back to this building.She had remembered Yuffie telling her there we're two ways into Hojo's old lab,since she had broken in from the back way to find out anything she could bout "her experiment" but Hojo had been smart and hid that knowledge from the ninja.Delicate hands traced the hidden path she took to the lab,stepping over broken pieces of wall and other odd things till she reached the entrance.

"Oh dear it seems blocked,wait if I could squeeze through that opening".

Kneeling down and crawling on the dirty ground,her bracelets jingling just abit but not high enough for anyone far away to hear.Aerith crawled through the tiny space with much effort,groaning silently as she squeezed herself through.Slowly standing she hid behind a broken machine,hearing someone rummaging around in these ruins of a lab.When she looked out,there she saw the blonde boy searching for something.

So her feelings had been right,after all Aerith knew Cloud was being held in Shinra med ward but why was he searching down here.At least he was alone and no one else,keeping low she darted to hide behind another piece of broken machinery now just abit closer to where he was.

*Cloud i'm so happy to see your alright,but why are you down here of all place*

Her thoughts we're interuppted though,hearing a sound coming from the other entrance into this dismal and place of broken memories.Well she would soon find out who it was,then from her hiding spot she could see what was going to happen.

[Sephiroth]

Sephiroth had arrived...after a quiet waltze through masses of security undetected he had finally reunited himself with Cloud...only this time, of all places, the blonde had chosen the 'meeting place' to be this hellhole.

"I never figured trash like you would be so smart...you knew I hated this place." Sephiroth growled deeply as he trailed one of his gloved hands across an old dusty computer screen, sighing heavily as he let his hand droop down to the keyboard...tracing his index finger across the keys until it reached his side once more.
Sephiroth knew the blonde was in a state of self-conflict...and that he may find a use for him in defeating Kadaj. An insane Cloud was a useful one.
He took intrest into what the blonde was doing, approaching without a shred of fear to lean over Clouds shoulder and look at the computer screen.
He then narrowed his eyes, looking slightly disgusted at what he found out Cloud was going to look at...and glared at the blonde distastefully in a way that Cloud wouldn't notice.

"Where you looking to blackmail me into giving you what remains of my black materia...or looking for a beating?" Sephiroth growled, before typing into the computer the password Cloud was looking for.

"It wouldn't have worked anyway, all those who knew about this file where killed during Meteorfall and almost all the copies where destroyed by Hojo or password protected." Sephiroth growled as he gestured to Cloud that he didn't need to hunt for the pasword anymore "Once you find out what you want, I'll delete this one too. Even if you try to tell others what you saw, no one would beleive you...you've gone mad, remember?" Sephiroth chuckled before approaching his old cell, gently stroking the handle before grasping it tightly and opening it.

"...but haven't we all gone mad, really?" he chuckled as he threw the heavily restrained door open with ease...obviously as a child that door would have been nearly impossible to open by hand...but now, at full power and ripe in the prime of age, nothing stood in his way.
Nothing.

"And we have an unwelcomed guest, Strife...maybe you should hunt them out...before i do."

[Cloud // Cid]

Cloud's attention shifted to the remains of some old computers once he heard a rattling noise, and was about to approach with caution to investigate...when of all people to show up, Sephiroth did.
Walking right through the main entrence.

"W-what!? SEPHIROTH!?" Cloud gawked. Out of all those people he saw and wanted to kill, whom he did kill, Sephiroth was not one of them.
He knew better than to pick a fight right now, clearly Sephiroth wasn't here for one either...he wanted something else.
The Black Materia, obviously. Cloud felt it still embedded within him, it was too deep to remove with the wound Kadaj gave him and too dangerous...it would have to be taken out through operation, but that couldn't be done until Clouds main injury healed fully.
Sephiroth wouldn't care less if he gutted him though to take the shards out...and just when he thought the one-winged angel was about to, instead of springing into attack, Cloud cowered and looked away...ignoring most of what Sephiroth was saying to him.
It was the gesture he was given to check the computer again that eased his concerns...he expected Sephiroth to be furious over Cloud wanting to see his old childood documents, but if anything...the one-winged-angel didn't seem to mind. Then again in the past, Sephiroth did confirm to Cloud that he didn't like people being uninformed about things...and preferred those in his company to know as much as possible before they died. Because that was life, to return to the planet...and help it grow by sharing knowlege.
He then overheard Sephiroth mentioning deleting the file and how nobody would beleive him...if he wasn't telling the truth Cloud would have attacked right then and there, but if he did even when saying it wasn't a lie...then that would just prove Sephiroths point even more.

"Everyone's gone mad. They all think they're in control...thinking that their's a meaning to life...that you can't become emotionless to protect those you hold close." Cloud answered tiredly, before checking through some of the files introductions about what Hojo had noticed in Sephiroths power and behavior.
It seemed when Sephiroth got angry or boistros, his power would be fully released...and that by 'taming' him (basically stripping him of his emotions) he fell under ShinRa's control...the very thing they wanted.
And that explained a lot about what happened back at Nibelheim...before that inccident, Sephiroth was powerful...but after going mad, with rage possibly mixed among other emotions he repressed, all his supernatural Jenova powers where released again. Just like when he was a child.
So if Cloud learnt how to 'destroy' his emotions, maybe he could protect his loved ones better? Without fear of butchering them by his 'alter ego'?
The sound and aftershock of Sephiroth ripping his old cell door clean off its hinges didn't startle Cloud one bit...if anything, he expected it.
But he didn't expect someone else to be here too...and if that was the case, he had to get rid of them, quickly.
But his mehtod would be no different to Sephiroths...regardless of if it was a security guard or a worker of ShinRa...Cloud would butcher them as he did the others. He was afraid of being caught again.

"Why don't YOU go get rid of them then!? Silver-monster." Cloud hissed, his eyes becomming cat-like slits much like Sephiroths. The Black Materia churning in his torso and burning at his heart...if he didn't learn to become cold and emotionless...then the materia would train him to be cold and ruthless...nothing but a murdering monster.

((Sorry for th sucky posts, feeling sick right now and can't type anything good without sneezing every second. ))

[Aerith]

Aerith's eye widened when she saw the familiar silver haired man,if Sephiroth was here then this wasn't going to end well.She watched as she went over to one of the computers,typing in something that seemed like a password and go on about this and that about deleting it after Cloud read what he needed to.She kept quiet as a mouse not moving a inch,but her eyes followed every movement Sephiroth made.

When he was done with the computer,and mentioning madness he proceeded to a door and ripped it clearly off it's hinges.He was getting way to powerful,and she wasn't going to let him continue this.It was when he said that someone else was here,she knew he was talking about her and if she was caught then it would be all over once again.No she wouldn't let herself be killed by "him" or by Cloud,there had to be a way to make Cloud see the light and come to his senses.

Standing up with a determined look on her face,Aerith slowly emerged from her hiding spot.She shot a look of concern to Cloud,then another to Sephiroth.Did he think this was all still a game to him,to toy with lives and be happy he has those black materia shards inside him.Bringing a hand to her chest,she gripped the white materia that Zack had given back to her.

"Sephiroth your madness must come to a end,you don't belong here anymore and I will stop you like I did last time".

[Sephiroth]

Sephiroth was about to turn around and whack Cloud senseless for such rubbish spilling from his mouth...how he thinks himself as the centre of everyone's attention...when quite clearly the blonde is not.
It's what's inside of him that is drawing people attention to him. Get rid of the black materia and he'd just be branded mad and ignored.
Sephiroth knew what the blonde wanted though to avoid this, and it was out of the question.

"You'd go even more mad if you tried to do that, Strife." Sephiroth muttered, his back still turned on Cloud "...how about you finish reading that document; and maybe then you'd change your mind." he added fruther as he entered the old cell.
It was pitch black as always...everything had remained untouched since he was relocated as a teenager, it was hard to beleive this place was his old home.
And then Cloud had to open his mouth again...shouting orders at him now? Was he just asking for a beating or had the materia truely robbed him of his mind?
Then again, Sephiroth felt his own presence among Cloud...it was as if when he had the black materia it absorbed some of his conciousness, and by Cloud transferring half of it so brutally to himself, half of Sephiroths 'copied' conciousness (his behavior) must have been released into Cloud.
Like a plague though, Sephiroth knew that if someone removed the materia from Cloud in the same manner he had it removed from himself then there was a risk of there being 'multiple Sephiroth clones' again.
And this time, he might not be able to get rid of them all...they might all start following Kadaj, with him being younger and more of a leader right now. And if they did start to follow him, there was no doubt Kadaj would use the clones to get rid of Sephiroth.
So to avoid this, he had to find the White Materia and overpower Cloud to keep him from going totally insane...and maybe then he may find any other clones and do the same to them.

"Don't get pushy with me, Strife." Sephiroth growled as he exited the cell, approaching another nearby computer and hacking into it. That was when Aerith's voice showed up to distract him, once again.
He stopped what he was doing and turned to look over his shoulder, Aerith was in plain sight and determined with the idea Sephiroth caused Cloud's 'illness'.
He just chuckled and continued hacking the computer.

"If you think I made Strife go mad, why don't you ask him to confirm that? Because if you think I'm mad, then I can't trust myself in saying that I am not. Because wouldn't a madman deny being insane to begin with?" Sephiroth chuckled "And I do belong here. This is where I was raised, so I have every right to be here." he finished, a slight growl slipping from his sentance as he finally hacked the computer.

"Strife, I hope you're done reading that file, because I'm getting rid of it...right now."

[Cloud // Cid]

Cloud's attention quickly jolted up to the cell Sephiroth had entered, growling in irritation as the one-winged-angel so easily remained calm. Even when he was angry with Cloud he wouldn't shout at him, he just glared and growled at him in a threatening manner...he was just trying to get a point across that he wasn't one to be messed with.
And the blonde took note of that quickly and returned his attention to the computer.
He was nearly done reading the document now, it was a shame it had to be deleted...but Cloud could plainly see why it had to be destroyed.
The full list of test results where on this one document; Sephiroth's weak spots, any health problems, who trained him and how he was tamed to be rid of emotions.
And the methods to rid Sephiroth of his emotions sounded truely horrible, Cloud was afraid of going through it himself. His skin turned white from sickness, his eyes remaining cat-like and wide-eyed as he continued to read the document.
If this fell into the wrong hands, someone could mass an army of emotionless drones...who'd kill when ordered without any morale to stop them. But in the right hands, this document could actually be used to defeat Sephiroth...or at least make him squirm from the small (but helpful) list of weak points that where identified. Plus, ridding himself of his emotions was the only way for Cloud to keep sane...well, keep from going any deeper into madness more like it.
Cloud then heard Aeriths voice, jolting his attention immidiatly to her....great, it had to be one of his friends...just one of them he wanted to avoid until he could control himself better.
Thankfully though, Sephiroth wasn't encouraging him to do anything. Well, except maybe talk to Aerith...but deep inside of Cloud's mind and his darknening heart, he didn't want to do anything or say anything.
He just muttered Aerith's name silently with his lips, still remaining shocked.
hat was when Sephiroth mentioned deleting the file now.

"HEY! I'm not done reading that!! Leave it for a few more minutes!!" Cloud snapped before searching his pockets franticly for something. Thankfully he found it, a memory stick.
He was going to make a copy of this file regardless of what happened if Sephiroth found out right now, he knew he could flee faster than Sephiroth could chase...so if worst came to worst he could make a run for it with the file.
There! The copy was completed!
....but what about Aerith?

"...you should leave, Aerith. Right now...it's dangerous here."

[Aerith]

"I'm not going to desert you Cloud,he won't hurt me if I have something he needs".

Aerith took a few steps foreward then stopped,taking something off from around her neck and holding it in her closed fist.She then revealed what it was,the white materia.The flower girl knew this is what Sephiroth had been searching for,Zack had trusted her with it and to protect it.She was going to do that no matter the cost,besides it was her mother's memento that she left behind for Aerith to take care of.

"This is what you wanted and couldn't get from Zack,but I simply won't hand it over to you Sephiroth".

Aerith closed her hand around the white materia,it glowed in her hand.She held it close to her chest and waited to see what the one winged angel would do,she looked over to Cloud then back at Sephiroth.It was a risk to reveal she had the white materia,especially what Sephiroth would do with it if he ever managed to get it.

"I know Cloud is not mad,he is only in this condition because of the black materia and because of what happened with Kadaj he lost one of those shards".

ooc: sorry that sucked XP

[Sephiroth]

((This post is going to suck! XD ))

"Then finish reading it, Strife. QUICKLY." Sephiroth warned, before looking over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of the blonde doing something...was he copying the file!?
Narrowing his eyes and directing his gaze back to the computer once he'd confirmed his suspision by Cloud placing a memory stick in his back pocket, Sephiroth didn't hesitate to erase the documents on the database. For now, he'd play dumb and pretend he didn't see Cloud just copy that file.
Once the data was officially gone from the hard drives, Sephiroth turned to face Aerith slightly...still looking over to the computer he was on occasionally, as if distracted or pretending to be.

"I'm not the one who needs it...I only want it to fix a problem, that the one who needs it has." Sephiroth informed, before typing into the computer again for something.

"Cloud has gone mad. Everybody knows, they've either witnessed it or felt it...he's in no condition to be around anyone but himself." Sephiroth informed as he started to print a document out, approaching the printer and releived to see that there was ink left within the machine.

"If you examined the bodies of those who where brutally murdered in Fort Condor, Kalm and even Edge...it was all Cloud. NailBat was used to kill those in Kalm and Fort Condor, that's why suspisions of me causing the killings where lifted. I don't use such a weapon." Sephiroth began, as he received the document he printed and rummaged through some old papers to find a pair of small glasses...of which he used to start reading the paper in such dim light.

"You have your enemies confused. Hate lingers in every living thing, anyone has the potential to become a hazard to the planet...those you think are good and pure of heart, could just be using a ruse to disguise their darkness." Sephiroth explained as he lowered the paper and glared at Cloud.

"Just look at him...on the outside he looks helpless...wounded and behaving like a broken child...but inside, I can feel it. The rage, the fury. He wants to let it out, so let him." Sephiroth informed before resuming the reading of the document.

"The Black Materia only reacts violently, usually causing pain, in those with no sense of direction in life...who have darkness in their hearts, but no knowlege of it." Sephiroth chuckled.

"If I wasn't so worried over...minor things...I wouldn't feel the same pain myself, but like Cloud I can put up a ruse easily...so I don't look like I'm being effected." Sephiroth sighed, tossing the papers over his shoulder and taking the glasses off.

"Another dead end, in a road of dead ends."

[Cloud // Cid]

Cloud gawked when he saw the White Materia, in an instant turning away and grasping his new sword (which will be called Second Tsurugi) as if seeking support.
His head lowered, using his right hand to rub his face and left to hold the sword, Cloud began panting as the Black Materia started to react in his torso.
The fury, the anger of such raw power...it burnt his insides and drenched them in pain. But Sephiroth was right, he must have been mad to suddenly rip half the materia clean from Sephiroths torso and embed it in himself.
And ever since he obtained that half, he feared loosing it...he wanted more of its power, more of its whispers...they seemed to override what little voices he heard from Jenova, it was as if the Black Materia wanted to utilise Cloud as its transportation vessel to its real host...whomever that may be.
Cloud clenched Second Tsurigi with both hands and ripped it clean out of the ground, swinging it at a nearby pile of metal scrap and cutting it clean in two with a single blow.

"Put that materia away, Aerith." Cloud sighed, tiredly as if sustaining an injury and beginning a recovery.
Maintinaing his back on Aerith, Second Tsurugi still held within his hands, Cloud delivered a peircing glare at Sephiroth.
Since when did he start worrying about 'minor issues'!? Whatever they where, Cloud was certain that one of the issues was himself. He stole half the materia and impaled himself with it, becomming mad with power and giving Sephiroth a weak image.
Come to think of it, since he was found in Kalm...Cloud didn't recall Sephiroth killing anyone.

"What's your problem!?" Cloud growled at the one-winged-angel as he just tossed the papers over his shoulder "...why do I care!? You're just becomming soft, I guess that's not a bad thing for everyone else...they might be able to kill you for me. But seriously, I want an excuse to why you give a damn about me!" Cloud growled, before turning to look over his shoulder.

"Aerith. I told you to go already, it's dangerous here." he informed in a bitterly cold tone, before turning to glare at Sephiroth again.

"Are you just messing with my head, or does Momma's boy simply not want to play today?"

((Really bad, sorry! D= ))

[Tifa Lockhart]

*Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale*

Intruder alert. Intruder alert.

"Stop her, don't let her get away!!

Tifa was racing down the halls of Shin-ra building, her heart beating so hard in her chest. Cloud where are you?... Her boots pounded the floor as she raced up the staircase to the main recreation hall.

"Stop right there, we have you surrounded!"

Tifa would not stop though, she had to reach the elevator and fast for something inside her was telling her to hurry before it was too late.

*Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale*

Right kick to the head. Left punch to the jaw. Keep moving Tifa. Pivot. Swing. Punch. Ding. The elevator doors closed.

*Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale*

Flashes, images of Cloud rushed through her head as she waited for the elevator to climb to the higher levels. Whats going on Cloud

"He was going mad at your bar Tifa, I've never seen him like that, he was crazy..."
"They set up a trap for him, he had not chance..."
"I heard they have him a the Shin-ra building now in intensive care...Tifa I wouldn't go after him..."
"They want to extract the black materia from him..."

Tifa remembered the face of the Shin-ra employee who told her that information. If was so full of terror for hers was glaring at him with the hatred of a thousand raging fires.

*Ding*

"Fire!!!"

Round upon rounds fired into the elevator cabin as the doors opened, but when the smoke cleared there was not Tifa lying in its wake.

"What!?! Where is she!?"

*Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale*

Pushing herself through the air vent was proving to be a slow task. She had to stop every time the Shin-ra ran past under her and turning was a difficult feat. What after seem so long she let herself into the emergency room only to find nothing there. Cloud There was blood everywhere and a life support machine lying on the ground and when she looked at it made her heart skip a beat. "Cloud what have you done?..."

She followed the path of destruction out the room and into the corridor. There were so many people slain lying on the ground and in their own pool of blood that Tifa felt sick. However she followed his trail.

*Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale*

Everything was quite in this section of the building, only faintly could the sirens be heard, indicating that she was in the building. Up a head there was the faintest glow of white light followed by the unmistakable voice of Cloud. The closer she got the further she wanted to run. There he stood; barley stood, a sword clasped in his hands ready. His eyes, Tifa would never forget those eyes. They were so drawn and dark, just not his own, he look psychotic, a trapped animal ready to pounce. Tifa was rooted to the spot, her body stiffened just at the site of him, how could this have happened?

"Cloud..." her tiny voice drifted among them all.

*Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.*

[Cloud // Cid]

((Sorry for the lateness. Been sick in bed with the flu. Alright now though. ))

Cloud was still furious, the darkness within his heart was painful...and his anger made the pain swell and churn with every 'dark' thouht he had.

'Is this what you want?' Cloud thought as he raised his sword and smashed it into the ground again, delivering the threat at Sephiroth.

'I'm still waiting for an answer...' he thought again, as the darkness finally started to take its toll on his still weakened and damaged body.
Cloud began to pant, and his eyes began to loose their vibrant colour, as his heart raced...violently he clenched his torso and locked his teeth togther in what would seem to be a pain-driven snarl.
He raised his gaze up towards Sephiroth and then shifted the 'death-glare' to his right side...as if hiding the glare from Aerith, yet acting as if he was giving it to her too.

'Are you out of your mind?!' Cloud thought, when suddenly his 'alter-ego' began to fight back against his own conciousness. As if an argument was taking place between Cloud's 'devil and angel'. All in his head, of course, and unable to be heard by anyone else but him.
But from what they where arguing about...it seemed the devil was winning. Since Cloud continued to snarl and glare at Aerith and Sephiroth like a savage animal, just waiting to maul them both.
And just when he thought things where not hard already, he heard a feint voice...not his subconcious 'egos' either...it was real.
And adjusting his gaze slightly he saw a new figure among those already present.
It was Tifa.

"Does everyone WANT to die!? Why can't I just...crawl into a corner and deal with things on my own for once!?" Cloud growled, keeping his back turned on Aerith...releasing his grasp from his sword and stumbling backwards, sheilding his eyes with his left hand as he turned from Tifa.

"D-don't look at me, Tifa. I'm...a monster..."

((CRAPPY!!))

[Aerith]

Aerith again felt so helpless,she desperately wanted to just run to Cloud and hold him close in her arms to comfort and sooth this pain he was going through.But she couldn't get near him,this was a fight Cloud himself would have to deal with.She stepped back once more,when he had grasped his sword and glared at her and Sephiroth like a animal wanting to tear it's prey apart from limb to limb.

"Cloud this is something only you can overcome,don't let the inner demons take over you.Your not lost,you just have to find that light again".

Aerith took the white materia off the chain it was on,she placed it where it was before snugged between her pink ribbon in her hair.She was going to leave,but then heard a voice she hadn't heard for so long.Turning her head slightly,the flower girl caught a glimpse of Tifa now among them in this dark and broken lab.Had she been worried about Cloud as well,it would only seem natural since after all she was close to the blonde.

Turning back to Cloud,she saw he had calmed down but had turned his back on her.It was sad Tifa had to see him like this,after all the things they had been through.Giving a sigh she thought it was best for her to just leave,if she continued to linger she would only cause more problems.

"Your not a monster Cloud,and Tifa.....please help him".

ooc:Bleh sucky post,got no muse

[Sephiroth]

((I'll reply to this when Tifa does))

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa's eyes widened and she bit her bottom lip, she had really no concern for anything else right now but Cloud. The words he spoke pierced her hearts but she still took a hesitant step forward.

"Cloud..."

Tifa's voice was still so small yet she was slowly building courage as she took a few more steps closer, she really wasn't sure how he'd react if she came close to him but she had to at least try. Tifa stopped when she heard a the familiar voice of Aerith, she hadn't seen her in so long and she had missed her so much, had it been anywhere else she would have embraced her friend and asked her so many questions as to how she got back, however Cloud needed her so instead she nodded her head to Aerith and began to approach Cloud.

Cloud stumbled and Tifa wanted to catch him and hold him up but he would not even look at her even though by now they were in arms reach.
He just turned away form her and shielded his eyes but Tifa would not just give up on him.

"You are not a monster Cloud..." she began softly "You are just Cloud, Cloud who I grew up with, remember?"

Tifa slowly raised her had to the one that covered his face, she had a determine look on her face yet it was full of kindness and friendship. When her finger tips touched his hand she dared to pull it away, forcing him to either look at her or she'd move so he had too.

"Cloud, you remember right?..."


((sorry if its a bad post I'm having a brain freeze ))