Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Never Left ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

K, looking over the chapter plan, maybe four or five chapters to this story in total. And I'll be updating every two or three days, this is just a side-project while I focus on my two Inuyasha stories, one of which is finishing soon.

 

Never Left

 

Chapter 2

 

Why do you keep torturing yourself?

 

I can't do this anymore. I need you.

 

You have me. I never left, you know that.

 

That's not enough…I need you here. I need you back.

 

You think you can bring me back?

 

There's a way, isn't there? There has to be.

 

Well…if there is a way, it's up to you to find it.

 

What's that supposed to mean?

 

“Hey, kid!”

 

The voice cut across the white expanse of nothingness, and Cloud blinked. He opened his eyes to find the field of flowers gone. He scowled and turned his head to the source of the voice, a man looking at him strangely. She had done it again. At least this time she had waited until he had parked. That she was able to pull him into that weird idyllic dreamscape was proof enough she wasn't gone entirely. What had she meant by that last remark? Was there something she wasn't telling him? Or something she couldn't?

 

“You were spaced out there. You okay kid?” the man asked.

 

“Yeah. I'm fine,” Cloud replied, climbing off Fenrir. The man shook his head and walked away, muttering something under his breath. Cloud ignored him and flipped the switch on the dashboard of the bike. The six compartments holding the Frist Tsurugi flipped open, and Cloud grabbed the main blade and one of the side blades. He slid the smaller blade into the hilt of the main blade and put them both in the holder on his back. He flipped the compartments shut and removed the keys before stepping onto the sidewalk. The address on the piece of paper Barret had accidentally given him was right.

 

Cloud pushed open the glass door of the small, inconspicuous three-story building and headed to the receptionist at the desk.

 

“Well well, look who came to visit.” Cloud stopped and turned his eyes to the left as Reno walked up to him from the elevators, tapping his electro-mag rod on his shoulder with a smirk. “Cloud. Long time,” Reno gave a half-hearted, mocking salute. “What brings you here?”

 

“I need to talk to Rufus,” Cloud said. Reno shrugged.

 

“Too bad, he ain't here. Why would he be?” he replied. Cloud narrowed his eyes and his hand shot to his shoulder. Reno lunged, and Cloud swung the First Tsurugi out. Reno's weapon halted against the gigantic blade, and Cloud reached out his left hand to detach the smaller but still efficient smaller blade from the sword and pointed it at Reno. Reno stepped back and held up his hands.

 

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Reno gasped. “Easy there.”

 

“Mr. Reno, should I call security?” the receptionist asked, standing up with the phone receiver.

 

“I am security!” Reno cried indignantly. The receptionist lifted her eyebrows, and Reno snorted. “Nah, relax. Cloud's our buddy, aren't ya?”

 

“Where is he?” Cloud demanded. Reno rolled his eyes.

 

“Yeesh, lighten up. Third floor, take a right. Second door on the left,” he supplied. Cloud nodded and stepped past him to the elevators, hitting the button. He lifted his head and watched the reflections in the shiny marble tile. His hand reached back and pulled the First Tsurugi back out, knocking Reno's weapon from his hands in the middle of a half-hearted assault. Cloud turned around.

 

“Alright alright, I'm going,” Reno grumbled, moving across the lobby to retrieve his weapon. Cloud walked to the elevator doors as the bell rang, and they slid open. He walked inside and pressed the button for the third floor, noticing Reno pick up his electro-mag rod and glare at him through the closing doors. Cloud waited patiently, listening to the hum of the elevator. The doors slid open and he stepped out, turning right. He counted the doors in his head and pushed open the second one.

 

Rude and Tseng turned their heads from either wall to watch him. Cloud tossed them each a glance and stepped up to the large desk in the middle of the room. Rufus turned from the window and gave a small smile.

 

“Cloud. What a surprise,” the Shin-Ra President said. “Have a seat.” Cloud moved to the two chairs in front of Rufus' desk but remaining standing. “Suit yourself,” Rufus sighed, sitting down himself and leaning back. Tseng and Rude shared a silent look behind Cloud's back as Rufus extended a hand. “What can I do for you?”

 

“I thought you were crippled,” Cloud muttered.

 

“The wheelchair was merely for my Geostigma. Now that I've been cured, my strength has returned,” Rufus explained. “But I thank you for your interest. Now, what's going on?

 

“I need you to tell me everything you know about Mako,” Cloud said. Rufus frowned and took back his hand.

 

“Well, Shin-Ra built a number of reactors to siphon Mako from the Planet by force but as I'm sure you know there are a number of naturally-occurring geysers around the Planet. Mako is refined by extracting energy from the Planet and-”

 

“Energy, by which you mean the Lifestream,” Cloud interrupted.

 

“Yes, if you like the proper term,” Rufus nodded. “The Lifestream is drained by the reactors and-”

 

“So the Lifestream and Mako are basically the same thing?” Cloud asked. Rufus let out a breath, annoyed at being interrupted twice.

 

“I don't know. I believe Mako is merely a more refined version of the Lifestream's energy, but more or less I suppose they're the same.”

 

“You know what happens to someone when they die,” Cloud said.

 

“Yes, their consciousness returns to the Lifestream, or so I've heard,” Rufus replied.

 

“So what happens to that consciousness when Mako is refined?”

 

“I have no idea,” Rufus admitted.

 

“Mako can be further refined and condensed into Materia. What effect does that have on the original Lifestream energy it was drawn from?” Cloud continued.

 

“Cloud, now you're asking questions I have no answers to.”

 

“You ran Shin-Ra, still do.”

 

“Yes, for about three months before Meteor wiped the company as we knew it off the map, and most of our employees and offices and technology with it,” Rufus scowled. “I never paid any attention to the specifics of Mako, I just know it's created by extracting the Lifestream from the Planet.”

 

“There has to be someone who knows,” Cloud insisted.

 

“Yes, except most of them are buried in the rubble of Midgar. You're welcome to look,” Rufus snorted. “Or you could ask Hojo, but that could be a problem too. From what I heard you and your buddies left him in a few dozen pieces.”

 

“Dammit,” Cloud cursed, lowering his head.

 

“Why are you asking me this?” Rufus demanded.

 

“The Lifestream can ultimately be made into Materia, right? The Lifestream is just energy but Mako is real, it has a form. What happens to the collective inside the Lifestream when it gets condensed like that? When they go from energy to physical?”

 

“I have no idea,” Rufus repeated. “What does it matter what happens?”

 

“Everything!” Cloud snapped, slamming his hands on the desk. Rufus glared at him and looked to the sides where Tseng and Rude had moved closer to them. He waved his hand and the Turks moved back slightly.

 

“My company only refined Mako. In case you've forgotten, figuring out what impact our actions had on the Lifestream wasn't a high priority,” Rufus glared. “You're asking questions I just can't answer.” Cloud turned his head away and closed his eyes. “Did you come here just to pump me for information? What's going on?” Rufus asked.

 

“Sephiroth,” Cloud started, taking a breath. “He found a way to avoid dissolution in the Lifestream and eventually came back. How?”

 

“I don't know the full answer. All I know is what Kadaj told me, that he and his gang were pieces of Sephiroth's will that had escaped and manifested,” Rufus replied. “Apparently Sephiroth's will was too strong to be destroyed entirely.”

 

“So that's all it takes to come back? Willpower?” Cloud asked hopefully.

 

“I'm not sure. If you'd like to try, go ahead,” Rufus snorted. “Besides, that's not the same, really. Sephiroth survived, but only as Kadaj. He needed Jenova's head to exert enough influence over Kadaj to truly reform, and before you ask I don't know how he did that either. You keep asking questions only the dead have answers to.”

 

“Yeah. That seems to be my problem lately,” Cloud agreed, turning to walk away.

 

“That's it then?” Rufus muttered. Rude and Tseng moved behind Cloud as he left, but he paused at the door.

 

“The consciousness of the Lifestream…would anyone know?” he whispered. Rufus barely heard him, and lifted an eyebrow.

 

“Perhaps one of those strange Planet-worshippers at Cosmo Canyon?”

 

“Thanks, I guess,” Cloud nodded, walking into the hall. Rufus sat back and shook his head.

 

“That was odd,” Rude said.

 

“What do you think he was asking for?” Tseng asked.

 

“I don't really know or care,” Rufus scowled, rubbing his temples. “Just have Reno warn us next time he comes around.”

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Outside, Cloud turned the keys on and Fenrir roared to life. He flipped open his cellphone, and dialled after taking a moment to remember the number.

 

“Yeah?” the voice answered.

 

“It's me. I need you to give me a lift,” Cloud explained, storing the First Tsurugi blades back in his bike.

 

“Where to?”

 

“Cosmo Canyon. And soon,” Cloud replied. “When can you pick me up, I'm in Edge.”

 

“Edge? I can probably be there in a couple of hours,” the voice said.

 

“Thanks. I'll be waiting on the highway,” Cloud said, hanging up. He revved Fenrir and drove down the street, turning right and heading to the highway leading to the ruins of Midgar.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Why did you leave me?

 

I had to.

 

But why? It isn't fair.

 

Life isn't fair sometimes. I wouldn't have left if I could have helped it.

 

If there was a way to get you back…

 

Why does it matter? Why do you want me back so badly?

 

I…I…

 

I see…

 

Cloud groaned as she left and put a gloved hand over his forehead. More half answers. She didn't want to leave? Was she toying with him or trying to help him? He shook his head and looked up at the approaching shadow moving swiftly across the sky. Shera banked and turned, and the back hatch slid into alignment with the highway. Cloud stepped off Fenrir and waited as the door retracted and the ramp extended before wheeling the vehicle into the airship.

 

“Hey, long time,” Cid waved, jumping down from a catwalk overlooking the cargo bay. “We're bringing the bike too?”

 

“Yeah, can't leave it,” Cloud replied. Cid shrugged and walked to the edge of the cargo bay, operating the manual controls for the hatch. The ramp slid back into place and the door slid down.

 

“So why Cosmo Canyon?” Cid asked, heading back to the bridge of the ship.

 

“Gotta talk to some of the people there,” Cloud explained, following the captain.

 

“About what?”

 

“Stuff.”

 

“Hey, you know that shit ain't gonna fly with me,” Cid warned as they stepped into the elevator leading up.

 

“I just…need some answers,” Cloud clarified.

 

“Is that right? About what?” Cid repeated. “We ain't going to anywhere but Hell until I get a straight answer Cloud.”

 

“I…” Cloud paused for a moment. “I want to know if there's a way to get Aeris back.”

 

“Aeris?” Cid frowned as the elevator opened on the main deck. “Ain't it a few years late to try and find a way?”

 

“I never thought there might be a way until now,” Cloud shrugged, walking to the steps leading to the deck's glass bottom and sitting down. Cid rolled his eyes and took his place at the helm, flipping three switches and taking the wheel.

 

“Well do what ya need to do, I ain't your daddy,” he grunted, putting out a hand to adjust the elevation level. “Ya find a way, more power to ya I guess.”

 

“There has to be a way. I have to see her again,” Cloud said.

 

“Is that right? Still smitten after all this time?” Cid replied, picking up a cigarette from the table behind him, putting it in his mouth and patting his pockets for a lighter.

 

“I…I thought I would get over it,” Cloud admitted. “But every time I think about her…it hurts. Even now. And I know I'm moping over it and it's frustrating to you guys…”

 

“Damn straight,” Cid nodded.

 

“I just can't get my mind off her. I figured it was just a silly crush I'd get over, but…”

 

“Yeah yeah, we all got problems in the romance department, welcome to life,” Cid huffed, lighting his cigarette.

 

“I thought you were living with Shera?” Cloud asked.

 

“Yeah, but that ain't romance, she's just the help. And she scares away all the women because they think I'm just an old coot with a maid,” Cid complained, taking a drag.

 

“No romance? I thought you named the airship after her?”

 

“Shut that spiky-headed little mouth of yours.”

 

Cloud smirked and turned to watch the mountains near Midgar come into view as the airship turned and began flying to Cosmo Canyon.

 

“Hey,” Cid said suddenly. “You find a way, you let us know. I think we all wanna see her again.”

 

“I know,” Cloud agreed. “But not like I do.” Cid shook his head.

 

“That boy has it bad,” he thought, going back to maintaining the ship. He leaned forward to stare at Cloud's face.

 

“Hey, when was the last time you got some sleep?” he asked.

 

“Couple days ago, two or three.”

 

“Three days? Holy shit,” Cid muttered. “How the hell do you keep moving?” Cloud shrugged again, and Cid rolled his eyes.

 

“I keep busy. You keep moving, sleep doesn't slow you down that much.”

 

“Huh, sure,” Cid snorted. “Whatever, like I said I ain't your daddy. Do whatever ya want.”

 

“Cid…how did you deal with losing your dream?” Cloud asked suddenly. Cid stopped in the middle of a drag and looked down.

 

“Huh?”

 

“When Shin-Ra cut the funding for the space program…how did you deal with it? Knowing it was probably a waste of time, but there was still hope?” Cloud repeated.

 

“Kid, have you listened to me talk lately?” Cid scoffed. “That's how I dealt with shit like that.” He stopped laughing and shrugged. “Nah…I dunno. Like you said, I figured it was a lost cause but I knew there was still a chance that the bastards would come back someday. So I lived my life and figured there was nothing to do for it.”

 

“Yeah, but…what if you had gone to the Shin-Ra yourself? Maybe they would have listened,” Cloud pointed out.

 

“Maybe, or maybe it would have been a waste of my goddamn time,” Cid replied. “Hey, if this about Aeris? Cause if it is, this don't apply. Aeris was a sweetheart, the Shin-Ra were assholes.”

 

“I guess,” Cloud agreed.

 

“Alright, just sit down and shut up, I got a ten-ton hunk of steel to keep airborne here. Have a nap or something,” Cid ordered. Cloud leaned his head back on the stairs and listened to the hum of the airship engines in the distance. His eyes slowly drifted closed. Cid looked down at him and snorted.

 

“I meant in the back, there's a sofa in the passenger area,” he said to the sleeping boy. Naturally he didn't a response. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he took a drag of his cigarette and went back to the airship. Suddenly, there was a beeping, and Cid looked down. He picked up the receiver for the airship's on-board phone.

 

“Yeah?” he answered, taking his cigarette from his mouth. “Oh hey…yeah…he's asleep,” he said, looking down at Cloud. “Like hell, he ain't slept in three days, I ain't wakin' him up. Why?…Cosmo Canyon…yeah, probably…I'll call ya, yeah. See ya.” Cid hung up and put his cigarette back his mouth.