Lean On Me (FF7)

7

~Cloud's POV~

I stop the engine on my motorcycle pull off my shades. Tufa slides off the back of the bike, along with Yuffie. I unstrap the Buster sword from my back and hold the blade out horizontally in front of me. It's been awhile since I've held this thing. It still feels solid and strong in my hands, heavy and broad just like when Zack gave it to me. I look up the hill where a small patch of yellow flowers sprout from the earth, exactly along the same edge of a cliff Zack died on. At least he made good fertilizer... No, forget I even said that, that was a sick, sick joke.

I hang the blade by my side as I begin to walk up the hill. Behind me, Yuffie starts to follow, but Tifa holds out an arm to stop her and shakes her head. When I reach the top, I glance down at the flower bed, then look out over at the view. You can see Midgar clearly from here, the tall, slightly empty Shinra building, the rusty Sister Ray, the slums.

'Is this a grave?' Denzel once asked me.

'No, this is where a hero was born," I had answered absent mindedly. I used to sit up here and plop down beside Zack's buried body and talk to him as if he was really there. A flashback floods into my brain as I kneel by the flowers.

"There it is, Cloud. Midgar. There's a whole new life out there for us!"

Suddenly, Shinra soldiers march up out of nowhere, shooting Zack and not bothering with me. I limp over to my nearly-dead best friend. He smiles up at me weakly thought the blood smeared in his face. He reaches beside him and ,with his remaining strength, hands me the Buster Sword.

"Finish my legacy." he whispers before sliding his dark eyes shut.

"Cloud," I feel a hand in my shoulder, but j shrug it off, angrily stabbing the sword deep into the earth. It sinks halfway in, right at the head of the flower bed, like some sort of memorial. Then I grit my teeth and start to stand.

"Cloud?" Tifa says next to me.

Kill her, a voice deep in my head whispers.

"Get out!" I scream, holding my head as their voice gets louder.

Grab the buster sword. Kill Tifa.

"Tifa, run!" I yell, not even looking back at her, pressing my palms against my temples.

Now! My body becomes like a puppet, gripping the handle of the sword and ripping it out if the earth at an inhumane speed. I turn on Tifa, uncontrolled and swing the weapon at her. Yuffie pushes her down and they roll back to their feet. No! Stop! I can't control myself. Kill the girls. I charge at them against my will, swinging with expertise I didn't know I had. I'm not me... I'm being controlled. This fighting style is all too familiar. This time, they fight back.

"Cloud, stop!" Tifa yells at me while rolling away from my slash. She kicks me in the head and I stumble back a few steps before regaining my balance when that force should've knocked me out. She kicks that hard, yes. I raise my weapon again, which is this time knocked out of my hands by Yuffie's Conformer. It slides across the grass, way out of my reach. Tifa tries to knock my down while I look after my sword, but I block her hit without even glancing her way. What Is going on?! Why can't I stop! It's like watching myself from a distance.

I jump for the blade, snatching it back up and smiling at it, getting the feel. Suddenly, I'm on my back, facing a very angry Tifa. She holds her forearm against my throat. Add anymore pressure and she'd be choking me. I glare up at Yuffie, who stands over her shoulder, and spit in her face. she stumbles back, groaning in disgust.

"Dude, that's just nasty! I thought he was supposed to turn you into a monster, not an alpaca!" she glares at me.

Suddenly, it's like I've been snapped out of a trance. I blink a couple times before sitting up, easily letting Tifa fall away.

"What just happened?" I mutter, dazed. Then I hold up a hand when Yuffie tries to answer. "I don't really want to know."

"You don't," she agrees.

"Let's just go," Tifa mutters, stabbing the dirt where my sword was before.

~|~|~|~|~|~

"So wait, you were put under control again?" Vince looks at me in disbelief.

"Yeah, made me attack Yuffie and Tifa too." I nod, jamming my hands in my pockets.

"That's just... we have to find him," he shakes his head.

"But where do we start?" I sigh, kicking at a rock.

"I've got a pretty good idea." As I look into his deep crimson eyes and at his smirk, I realize why Vinnie give Barret the creeps.

SORRY, THIS CHAPTER IS A BIT SHORTER, I GOT HOME LATE TONIGHT. VOTE PLEASE?