[.Betting on a Race.]

[Aerith]

The Gold Saucer the only place to be for entertainment and fun,but how many times must she come back from the life stream...to relive life and possibly be happy.Would it have been better to stay dead,but to get another chance at life and take it by the horns was better then anything.

"I won't mess up this time,a second chance or third it doesn't matter.I want to laugh and be sad,be with friends and feel what it's like to be loved once again".

Aerith nodded her head,that was her decision as she headed to the chocobo races.Taking some gil out,she placed a bet on a green chocobo,and a blue one hoping for a little luck to come her way.

Her mind drifted to wondering how Cloud and the other's we're doing,she had only come back after helping with the Geostigma and seeing Midgar rebuilt to it's former glory.Rufus had kept his promise,and she didn't want a repeat of Sephiroth or Jenova.

[Zack]

Zack had been in this wondrous place for a what seemed to him a few days but truth be known it had been more like a few months since time wasn't really important in the fun park it flew by so easily for anyone not keeping track he jumped out of the blue air tube. (Cant remember what there called)) and landed in front of the Chocobo stadium smiling as he rose up the stairway, upon arriving Zack placed some gill and placed a bet on a green chocobo. his appearance was a little difference now rather than his normal blue solder uniform he had dawned an almost exact duplicate one but black in appearance along his amoured shoulder was a mirthel amour plate as well, And since time flew so fast his hair was even more wilder than normal.

As he looked over the chocobos Zack cheer loudly as the race began.

[Aerith]

"Go green chocobo come on,do your best out there I know you will".

Aerith didn't even notice Zack among the crowd of cheering people all wanting their chocobo to win the race.Her eyes seemed to twinkle as the chocobo's went racing down the track,this was alot more funner then she remembered of course her first time here wasn't as fun as it is now.

"Come on come on,go faster".

[Cloud // Cid]

So far away from home...

Love-struck darkness swirled within, his heart jaded as his eyes.

I cannot stand it anymore...

Shrouded in a mystical aura he removed himself from the trolly-cart which hauled him over the barren wasteland of Corel, dressed in his usual attire with richer taints of black and silver.
The sweet smell of the carts fumes tingled his very senses, machines...he didn't know why he loved them, he just seemed to become consumed within houghts about how they ran and why they ran.
Just like the human being, they run on fuel to power their daily needs to work and play...but machines where much better than people ver where to him.
For one, machines couldn't TALK to you.
They couldn't haunt your dreams with images of nothing but their faces either, machines after all didn't have faces.
Humans did...or things that seemed human.
Rubbing his still sore chest, Cloud entered Gold Saucer, flashing his 'unlimited pass' to the gatekeeper as he strolled by...his deep black coat trailing behind him like a cloud of darkness.
Stood in the centre of the 'pathway' room, the blonde decided to head into Chocobo square to place a bet in hope of taking his mind off what recently happened at Tifas Bar.
He entered the bustling square, everyone was shouting at the large birds and their jockeys...displays of frsutration and excitement churned within the air...confusion was all that awaited Cloud if he took part in this race.

But none the less, he'd take part in the next one.
Heading over to the main desk, Cloud revealed 100gil and placed a bet on the black chocobo: Tsao.
His very (almost white) hair brought out the colour in his eyes extreamly well...their vibrant emerald-green colour was almost faded, as if they had been exposed to too much sunlight and became bleached.
But, of course, eyes never did that.

Cloud finished placing his bet for the next race and waited, itting on a nearby bench for the race to begin.
Well, once this one had finished...

[Aerith]

The race had ended and neither of her chocobo's won at all,a little disappointed she didn't let that get down.There was always another race,but right now she wanted to check out the other attractions and games here since it's been a long time.Going by the bench where other's waited to see the next race start,Aerith didn't notice Cloud at first but stopped and turned back around.

"Cloud is that you,I hardly recognized you sitting here".

Aerith bent foreward studying the boy before her,the smile she always wore on her face showed.She had heard about the incident at Tifa's bar,among the other things that we're happening as well.Could there not ever be peace,did something always have to happen that shatter's the stillness.

[Cloud // Cid]

Cloud heard Aerith's voice...at first he thought he was dreaming again...well, day dreaming, that is.
But the thought soon vanished once he saw her face...those gleaming green-blue eyes of hers shining in the artificial light of Gold Saucer.
Where as his, stayed cold and lifeless...maintaining their clouded-jade colour.
He he sulked and glanced down at the floor, before sighing heavily.

"So I wasn't seeing...or hearing...things...you're all alive..." Cloud muttered, just loud enough for people close by to hear.
He heard Aerith comment on how different he looked, and how hard it was to recognise him.

"I've heard that a lot today." Cloud answered back in an emotionless tone, not bitterly cold, just his usual emotionless self "It's not just my outfit either, is it? I physically LOOK different too, don't I?" he added...glancing up at Aerith for a second before looking at the ground again.

"Wait...don't answer that...I...I don't want to hear it..."

(Sorry for the late reply, been very busy)

[Aerith]

"Cloud why have you become like this,could it be because of Sephiroth."

Her words we're soft and comforting,she always worried about Cloud and even now as he sit's here right in front of her.Taking a seat beside him,she looked upwards for no reason or rather just something to do.

"Zack is alive as well,I know you two we're best friends.It makes me wonder what he would say,about your new look".

Turning towards Cloud she placed a warm hand under his chin,making it turn and look at her.If he looked deep enough,her expression was filled with worrieness and sorrow.In truth she didn't like the way Cloud looked,Aerith always preferred the old one.

"Black materia made you this way,can't you go back to yourself".

[Cloud // Cid]

(Hey Aerith, can you make my custom title 'Nibelheims Lone Wolf' and make my Sephiroth account have 'The Dark Demon of Death')

"I figured, since you and Sephiroth..not to mention Kadaj...are alive, then he must have been too." Cloud muttered as he maintained his emotionless expression, even as Aerith gently made him look at her he looked pretty much lifeless.

"Not a lot of people like my new look, but I couldn't avoid getting it. It's a side effect to the materia."
He sighed heavily once Aerith mentioned the black materia and 'returning to normal'...and as a defense mechanism he forced himself to look away from her.

"I can't go back...not yet...I...have to keep this materia safe from everyone." Cloud answered, gazing at his gloved hands.

"...including myself."

[Aerith]

"The Black Materia shouldn't be used by anyone,I could try to purify it".

It probably wasn't even possible to do that,but she could try at least.Aerith just wanted to live in a place where there we're no problems,where the children of the future didn't have to hide in fear from anything.

"Sephiroth and Kadaj escaped from the lifestream,it was my duty to keep them there but it seems I failed".

[Zack]

Zack had been lost in the past as a dark sensation came over him eveything went dark withen his mind as it tore into his past feelings only to allow him to escape once again only to realise time had moved on alot, Thos was one of the main reasons zack had jept his distance from the people he once knew he had decidd this when he was revived from the udeath he was in.

Now the Chocobo race that he had bet on was over and he had lost a few gill ,
He slowly moved his head to the side as he heard his named mentioned only to see to familer face's as he stared at cloud zack felt something withen him churn somthing was wroung with cloud yet this was there time Zack slowly began to leave the chocobo stadium until outside, He took anouther look over his sholder and began to set forth for anouther trip.

[Cloud // Cid]

"Aerith, I don't plan on using the materia for anything. But I have to keep it embedded within my chest..otherwise it will fall into the wrong hands." Cloud begna, then heard about Sephiroth and kadaj escaping because of her.

"Don't blame yourself, it's not worth it. What happens, happens, and there's nothing we can do about it." Cloud added in a hollow and emotionless tone...glancing at Aerith for a split second before running into deep thought again.

"Aerith, I don't know what's inside of me...but it says if I give you the black materia then something...horrible...will happen to all of us. And I know it's not Jenova or Sephiroth, I recognise their voices." Cloud began, stroking a hand through his hair.

"But the voice...sounds very familiar....I can't put my finger on who it is. It's the same voice that told me to steal half the black materia from Sephiroth...it's the same voice that ordered me to trash Tifa's bar...the same accursed voice that's telling me that I shouldn't be here right now." Cloud sighed heavily before placing his head in his hands, ensuring his monstrous eyes where hidden from view.
Those jaded peircing eyes.

"I...don't know what's wrong with me."

[Aerith]

"But I don't want to see you suffer,is it......Hojo your afraid of or perhaps the voice that is ringing in your ears".

Aerith didn't want to come off as someone who was nosey,she was concerned beyond anything about Cloud.Feeling a familiar presense that was here,then now it has somehow moved far away she stood up slowly putting her hands together looking around.

"Zack....is that you,was it you that was just here.Please Cloud needs us both again,you know as well as I do he needs our aid in anyway".

Zack he was here the whole time,but why couldn't she sense his presense till now.Was he hiding and not wanting to face her,could it be he was worried for his long time friend who was now changed and possessed the black materia.

"ZACK.....".

[Cloud // Cid]

"Hojo's voice, huh? No...it doesn't sound like him either." Cloud answered, before getting up to see how his chocobo was doing in the next race.
It was in a good neck-and-neck race between the blue chocobo.


"Aerith...do you think I'm going crazy?" Cloud asked in a mellow and emotionless tone, still not looking at the flower girl.

"And be honest."

((Crap post, sorry.))

[Aerith]

"How can you ask me such a thing,no I don't think your going crazy".

Voices but who's voices could Cloud be hearing,or rather which voice is he hearing.Not Sephiroth or his remnants,even Hojo it's not him trying to get into Cloud's mind.Who could it be then,Aerith didn't know.

"That is my honest answer.....".

[Cloud // Cid]

"Heh...good." Cloud chuckled, feeling slightly releived.
His black chocobo didn't win the race, but came second instead...shame really, that chocobo always use to win back when it had it's old jockey.
The same as the black materia, it use to work back when it had it's old master and was in one peice.
Sephiroth, was it's master. He was the only being who could use it to it's full potential. But somehow, Cloud had found a way to harness it's power and enfuse it with his physical being...making him faster, stronger...and even smarter than before.
But of course, negative side effects drag down those bonuses...mood swings, dark appearence, loss of emotions...just to point out a few.
The side effects are gradual, of course, and not immidiate.

"...because the last person I asked, told me I was crazy."