Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Hateful Transformation ❯ Chapter Eight ( Chapter 8 )

Hateful Transformation

Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN IT!!! -Runs away screaming-

"Who are you?!" Cloud asked frantically in his mind, eyes snapping open. When no answer came, he groaned, and sat up, rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. "And what do you want with me…………………?" He whispered shortly afterward.

"General? Sir? Is there anything wrong?" The tall Guard asked quizzically, watching his superior intensely. "Anything we can help you with?"

"No………………… I'm fine." Cloud replied, followed by a "Really." when he saw the other Guard's expression.

"Very well sir. If you need anything, feel free to ask us!" The other guard said mockingly, smiling mischievously at his comrade, whom grinned back. Obviously, they were looking for a promotion as large as Young Cloud's had been.

"Fine. For now, just be quiet." Cloud ordered, rolling his eyes. Slowly, he sat back up, and leaned against the gray metal frame. He desperately wished there was something to do.

Then he thought of something………………… Practice with the Masamune. If he wasn't able to wield it correctly for some reason, he could blame the train. Or just go to the back of the train, where no one would be able to see him.

~~

Grasping the sword in his left hand, being as in his right it felt…………… wrong, he stood up, told the three others where he was going, and took long strides to the very back of the cargo train.

When he got there, he located the perfect spot-an area almost completely surrounded by crates, both metal and wood.

Holding the fine hilt of the legendary sword firmly in his left hand, he attempted to imitate Sephiroth's style-and succeeded. It was easy…………………. Far easier than Cloud thought it was going to be. A long time ago, he won a replica of the Masamune at the Gold Saucer, and that sword was nowhere near the value of the original. Grinning triumphantly to himself, he searched for something that he could possibly attack. He found something that might possibly do………………. An old pipe, covered with rust. It was on laying on the floor, and every few seconds it would roll between two indentions on the floor, back and forth.

Placing the Masamune by his side once more, he picked up the pipe, and examined it. It was still firm, despite of its look of many years.

It would have to do.

Cloud propped it up against a few crates, and stared at it for a moment, before taking out the Masamune and getting in the same attack position he had been in before.

Before attacking it, Cloud bit his bottom lip nervously, hoping he would be able to defend himself later-At Nibelheim. He was sure he was going to need to know how to protect himself efficiently.

Cloud lunged the ancient pipe with the infamous sword of death-cleaving the pipe in half. The top part swayed ominously, before finally falling, rolling up to Cloud's feet. He smiled, and leaned forward to pick it up with his right hand. He chuckled, and threw it up in the air. As it fell, he caught it, looked at it for a moment more, and then let it fall to the floor. He then held the Masamune up vertically, having to slant it over a bit so it wouldn't hit the ceiling. "I………………. Can see why this is the only thing he uses," Cloud said to himself. He twirled it between two fingers, and then started to walk to the front of the train.

~~

"So………………." Young Cloud muttered sickly as he saw his military leader came strolling in. "You're done?"

"Yes," Cloud replied, sitting back on the same crate he had been sitting on before. "I'm done."

"Umm………….. General sir?" One of the Guards said tensely. "Would you mind if we-" He gestured to the other guard-"Spar a bit? In the back? We hadn't wanted to disturb you while you were practicing General……… Sir………….."

Cloud nodded. "Go ahead, feel free to do anything you want."

Both guards bowed, and ran to the back, their short swords already out and ready. Cloud sighed as he watched them, then crossed his arms behind his head and leaned against the chilly metal wall once again.

~~

There was no conversation for a long time. Cloud finally grew bored of staring around the cramped compartment, and closed his eyes tightly.

This time, however, he did fall asleep……………………

~~

"Cloud………………… Cloud…………………. Wake up, please………………….." An anguished voice cried. Tifa's. Cloud tried to answer, but failed. All he could see was himself……………. Half of him was Sephiroth's, and half……………….. His old self. He looked at the palm his hands, which were bare of the gloves that covered them just seconds before-one was far paler, and longer, than the other. He held out his arm so he could see what color his eyes glowed. On the left, green, the right, blue.

"Tifa………………" Another voice called to her sorrowfully. "He ain't waking up anytime soon." Cloud easily recognized this voice too…………………… Barret's.

"This is……………….. Even worse than the Mako poisoning………………….." Tifa replied, her voice echoing softly around the black hell.

"But Tifa…………………" Cloud screeched, tone raspy, as if it were unsure what it should sound like. "I'm here…………….." He struggled to stand up, but was unable to. One of his legs was longer than the other, just as his fingers had been.

Aggravated, he sat down, and propped his legs up. At this, he finally noticed what he was wearing. On top, he was wearing the same uniform that he had worn as Sephiroth. However, instead of the black pants that he had been wearing earlier, he had the plum colored SOLDIER pants on. On one side of him, it was far too short. On the other, it fit perfectly. He continued to listen to Tifa's and Barret's ongoing conversation. The whole thing was about Barret trying-and failing-to make her feel better, if only a little.

A little while later, their conversation seemed to die. Then, Cloud could hear other voices-Red XIII's, Cid's, Cait Sith's (Or rather, Reeve's.), and Yuffie's, whom, surprisingly, seemed to be the most saddened after Tifa.

After them, there was nothing for a long while. Cloud didn't try to say anything again, nor did he move a single muscle.

"Cloud………………… I'm sorry………………… I tried…………………" A flower girl's voice mumbled softly directly in his mind.

Then everything vanished.

~~

"General! General! Wake up! Please! A dragon's attacking us!"

"Wha---?" Cloud muttered, starting to stir. "A dragon? Where?"

"Outside! It rammed into the train!" The guard answered, panicked expression on his boyish face. Then a curious look came across it. "What's wrong with your eyes?" He asked, staring blankly at him, dragon easily forgotten.

"My……………… eyes?" Cloud mumbled quizzically, then shook his head. "Never mind. We'll talk later." He grasped the Masamune tightly, and threw the door leading outside open, causing it to fall off of its hinges.

"Sephiroth! I want to fight too!" Young Cloud's voice came from behind him. "I found a weapon! See?" He showed him a sword he had found on the train-A Force Stealer. Cloud remembered that sword fondly. It had been his second real weapon, after the Buster Sword.

"Very well. Come." He commanded firmly, and then ran to the front of the train, where the Mako-enhanced dragon was.

"Wait!" Young Cloud yelled, running to try and catch up, rain drizzling on them both.

~~

The dragon was a midnight black color, all except for its hide, which was white. As most dragons were, it was gigantic, quite capable of killing average humans in one swipe with its massive claws.

Cloud held out his Masamune in his left hand, as he had done on the train. It now felt natural to hold it that way. Young Cloud, however, was having some problems adjusting the Force Stealer correctly.

"Hey, uh…………. Seph?" He mumbled meekly, just missing an attack from the fiend. "How do you think I should hold this thing?"

Cloud smiled, and with the Masamune, he imitated his own style he had learned from Zax many years ago. "Like this." He explained calmly, and then lunged at the creature at full force. It howled loudly, and then tried to lick it to somehow heal it. At this moment, Young Cloud ran up to the creature and swung wildly at it. It caused little damage, but young Cloud didn't seem to care. This was his first time going after such a creature, and he was proud of himself.

Cloud let his younger self attack one more time, then lunged at it once more-for the last time. It howled pitifully one last time, and then fell over, dead. Near its corpse, lay a red Materia, Bahamut. Cloud walked slowly over and picked it up, then tossed to young Cloud. "That's for you," He said, grinning. "For such an excellent job."

Young Cloud caught it easily, and examined it over thoroughly. A few seconds later, he smiled. "Thanks………………. It's my first……………….. Materia that is………………" He placed it into one of the Force Stealer's slots, and then threw the sword over his shoulder.

"Let's go back," Cloud said, holding out a hand to catch a few of the ever-growing raindrops. "We'll probably have to walk the rest of the way to Nibelheim, but there's no point to do so in this weather."

"Yeah, you're right," Young Cloud answered promptly, and then began to walk back to the cargo train, followed by a soaking wet Cloud.

~~