Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Hateful Transformation ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

Hateful Transformation

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Square Enix, not me, owns FFVII. (I wish I did own it though. -.-)

Cloud's eyelids began to move rapidly as he slept, showing he was having a dream of some sort……… or rather, another one of his `memory dreams'. But this time, it wasn't about Sephiroth swooping down on Aeris like some kind of Angel of Death………….. And this wasn't even his memory…………..

~~

"Professor Gast………………?"

"Yes, Sephiroth?"

"When will Professor Hojo be here?"

"Soon, soon."

"………………But I don't want him to come. I hate the shots."

Professor Gast turned to look at a then eight year old Sephiroth, sorrow shining like Mako in his blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sephiroth…………….."

A few seconds later, Hojo, his hair then much shorter and in better shape, burst through the double doors opening up to the lab.

"Professor Gast, if you please, will you leave?" Hojo grumbled irritably, gathering his various syringes and placing them on a table near the chair that Sephiroth was now sitting on.

"Alius," Gast said, using first name terms with his student.

Hojo scowled, his dislike of his first name evident in his face. "Yes, Professor Gast?"

"Shouldn't you give the boy a break? He hasn't seen true daylight for days………… it's not healthy for someone his age."

Sephiroth looked directly into Gast's eyes at that moment, and smiled. A weak smile, yes, but a true smile. Gast smiled back, being as Hojo now had his back turned from both.

"Sephiroth needs these injections more than…………….. Sunlight. I rarely went outside when I was his age, and I'm in perfect health. I haven't gotten ill in years." Hojo said coldly, now facing the two of them. "Sephiroth, you aren't sick are you?" When Sephiroth shook his head no, a smirk came across his face, "See? He's fine."

"But Alius…………….." Gast half heartedly mumbled; his laid back style refusing to let him fight back as much as he wanted to. His protégé was the type that pitied none, cared for none. The only person that he might have cared for had been Lucrecia………… but his love for science overruled his love for her.

"Excuse me, but I really need to begin."

Gast glimpsed at Sephiroth, mouthed, "I'm sorry," then left the laboratory. Sephiroth stared mournfully, his last, and only, chance for getting out of the pain gone.

"Prepare yourself, my precious speciman………………" Hojo said unemotionally to his son, frightening smile on his lips. He held the syringe up close to the light, where it reflected of it. Sephiroth gazed at it, terrified expression locked on his abnormally pale face.

As Hojo brought it closer to his arm, Sephiroth closed his eyes, wishing that it would never come…………..

But sure enough, as Sephiroth consciously knew it would, it came………….. The burning sensation that came with it caused him to scream, to fall to the floor, hopelessly clutching his right arm with his left, a futile way to force the pain to subside………………………

Although the physical pain eventually went away…………………

The mental pain………….. And the hatred……………….

Burned within the man for the rest of his life.

~~

Cloud woke up, covered in sweat…………. Clutching his arm as he had done in the `dream'.

He had -really- been Sephiroth. -In- his mind. Seeing -his- memories.

That was……………. considerably disturbing.

He knew it was no ordinary dream created by his own mind.

It was far too deep for that.

Cloud had -really- felt Sephiroth's emotions. Sephiroth's hatred, pain, loneliness…………. And he understood those feelings.

He had felt similar emotions back in Nibelheim, when he was a child…………….. But Sephiroth's childhood was far harsher than his had ever been. At least he hadn't been a lab rat. To be nothing more than exploration for the field of science……………………

How could Hojo do such a thing to his -own- son? Cloud may have not had had the best father ever, since he had left the household shortly after he had been born, but how could someone see his own flesh and blood suffer by his own hand?

Although Cloud felt no pity whatsoever for Sephiroth………………..

His own detestation of Hojo increased dramatically.

Cloud slowly let go of his right arm, thinking. There was no way he would be able to rest after that……………….. He didn't want to see any more of Sephiroth's memories. They worried him. It made him feel like destiny -wanted- him to be Sephiroth.

But why?

Sephiroth was still insane in his memories, and in everyone else's memories……………… nothing would ever change that.

Unless…………………

He was -supposed- to change it.

Maybe the Planet wanted him to change things around…………..

Perhaps it hadn't wanted Sephiroth to go insane.

………………Or for Aeris to die.

……………For anyone to die.

But why change it? What was over was over, right? It still existed with most of its people, hadn't it?

……………So why bother? Was this world, with him as Sephiroth, supposed to overwrite the old one, the one he had lived in?

……………..There was no way that was going to happen. He would kill himself first. All of those memories of him and his friends……… with Tifa………. wasted………….

"That's not going to happen! I won't let it!" He screeched to the Planet. "…………I won't let it……………" He weakly muttered, voice quieting, realizing there was no way he could change what the Planet wanted. No way at all to control what was set for him………………….

"What do I do………………?" He suddenly asked himself, not expecting any type of answer.

Then, to his surprise, a response came…………… in his head.

"Walk."

"Walk?"

"Walk downstairs, Cloud."

"Why?"

"Go now Cloud. Ask questions later."

"………..Fine." Cloud mumbled, hoping this was some sort of hint from the Planet on what to do. Hoping it wasn't………………just him.

He jumped off the bed, and ran to the dresser. Without looking, he snatched the trench coat he had thrown there yesterday, and tossed it over himself. He would care more about his appearance later…………..

~~

Cloud practically flew down the numerous staircases, covering all twenty floors in less than two minutes. All he knew was that he -had- to get there, no matter the cost.

Once he was on the first floor, he began to hunt for anything that could give him a clue on what was happening.

And he found it………… or rather, her.

~~

She was wearing her usual pink dress, with a small red vest, her hair in a braid…………. Exactly as he remembered her.

The only difference was that she was ghostly, white going in and about her in tendrils, making her look like an old photograph.

"Aeris…………" He whispered, in shock.

She turned when she heard him, and a small caring smile appeared on her face. "I'm glad you found me. I was hoping you would listen to the voices in your head." She laughed merrily, and walked up closer to him, her smile disappearing.

"I'm sorry, Cloud…………….." She said softly, looking directly into his eyes.

"Sorry…………? What are you sorry for…………….?" Cloud said, his voice hinting curiosity.

"This was……………. My idea. I despised seeing you hate him………… Sephiroth………… so badly. ………It hurt me. I wanted you to be happy. But you just couldn't forget and live on…………." Aeris's voice faltered, her eyes still locked on Cloud, waiting for his reaction.

Cloud gazed at her, dazed expression in his normally alert eyes. "You? It was……………… you? You did………. This……….. To…………… me?" He mumbled feebly.

"Yes…………. I don't know what made," She said, then stopped, her eyes no longer on Cloud, but instead on a door behind them. "Oh no," She cried weakly, her hand automatically covering her mouth, panicked shimmer in the emerald irises of her eyes.

"What's the matter?" Cloud questioned, watching her closely.

"Zax………."

"What?!" He twisted his body around, and looked at the door, which was half open. Zax was there, standing in front of it, having gone inside when he realized Aeris knew he was there.

"What the hell's going on here?!" Zax shouted, throwing glances at his girlfriend………….. And his commanding officer; his friend.

"Answer me!" He yelled once more, fury filling his voice.

"I can explain," Aeris stated calmly, but Cloud raised a hand it front of her face to stop her. She nodded briefly, and fell silent without a fight.

"I shall be the one to explain," Cloud declared, his posture high, proud, acting as a general should.

"First of all…………." He stopped, and threw a frantic glance at Aeris. She simply nodded, a gesture for him to continue. He sighed, and ran his left hand through his silky silver hair.

"First of all," He repeated. "…………..I'm not Sephiroth."

~~