Warped Perspective

Chapter 12


Zackery was being held prisoner in Tylunar. Cloud has him in a special cage in a room on one of the top floors. The past few days were spent either in pain or listening to Cloud talk to himself. One occasion he heard Cloud debating the merits of Godhood. He then asked Zackery for his opinion on Godhood.

Zackery, “No one should have that much power.”

Cloud, “So, you wouldn’t want to be a god? Even if you had the power to stop me and save the lives of many people?”

Zackery, “Only to stop people like you.”

Cloud, “But where does the line between people like me and innocent people end? Before you know it, you are a monster just like me.”

Zackery, “Are you trying to mess with my mind?”

Cloud, “Yes and no. I want your honest opinion on Godhood.”

Zackery, “None of us deserve godhood.”

Cloud, “Thank you. I agree with you.”

Zackery is taken back, “You are not after godhood?”

Cloud, “I am of two minds at times. No, Godhood is too much of a pain. I am perfectly happy the way I am.”

During the times of pain he would spend curled up on the floor of the cage. Cloud would give suggestions on dealing with the pain. Some of them off the wall and not very possible. He figured Cloud’s sanity was like a pendulan. It swings from some sanity to utter insanity. His love for massacre nestled in between.

Cloud once mentioned Chancey’s arrival during their last duel, but Zackery couldn’t get out of Cloud whether he killed her or not. This added to the hate he sometimes felt towards Cloud. At times he felt sympathy for his grandfather. The man, in his more lucid moments, seemed in conflict with himself. These were the only times he witnessed some form guilt from Cloud. Mostly, Cloud seemed to be waiting for something to happen.

Zackery, “Is something about to happen?”

Cloud, “Yes.”

Zackery, “What?”

Cloud, “.........”

Zackery, “So, your not going to tell me?”

Cloud, “You’ll find out eventually. Only you have the ability stop Able or me.”

Zackery, “How?”

Cloud, “Embracing the Jenova within you. Otherwise your friends will die at his hands. So I ask you, do you want to become a god?”

~

That night, half the troops sneak in the base of the headquarters while the others parte ote onto the roof of the building. The troops, or Wutains, were given guns Kain and Sylaira. Sylaira smuggled the guns to them. Now, even the special troops would be easier to kill. Madnol stays on the Highwind.

Xavier, Chancey, and Vincent parachute onto the roof. Kain and Sylaira go through the ground floors. The Turks lead the charge through the lower floors. They start going through the levels. The troops begin to chase out guards and other nuisances. No civilians are in sight, just guards and enchaned fighters. Vincent leads the top level troops downward. The other heroes go looking into the side rooms for people. They are only interested in finding three people: Cloud, Zackery, or Able. They enter a large meeting room.

Chancey, “In the style of how Shinra built their meeting rooms.”

Able, “Yes, we do know how to appreciate good taste.”
The large chair swivels around to show Able sitting in it.

Able, “Where is Kain? I was soo much hoping to see him one last time.”

Xavier, “Well, life is full of disappointments.”

Able, “I’ll just kill you now and go looking for him later.”

They begin fighting Able. Able proves to be very a formable opponent. They find beating him almost impossible. Chancey is disarmed quickly, her gun shattered on the round. Xavier found himself pinned to the wall with his own twin swords. Then Zackery enters the room. Zackery walks over with his grandfather’s Ultimate sword in hand.

Zackery, “Cloud has a message for you, Able. He is tired of your stupid efforts to become a god. Is tired of a second rate core controller. I am here to kill your sorry ass.”

Able, “So, he sent the boy? Lets see if you can back those bold words.”

Able grabs one of Xavier's sword and proceeds to battle with Zackery. Zackery, with new speed and strength, is more than a match for Able. The look of fear begins to cross Able’s face. Zackery disarms his foe and stabs Able in the chest.

Able, “So, this is how I shall bite the bullet? I hope you enjoy your inheritance.... “

Zackslicslices Able’s head off.

During the fight, Chancey helped Xavier get free of his other sword. Zackery stares blankly at Able’s body, as the other two slowly approached him.

Chancey, “Are you alright, Zackery?”

Zackery, “I feared you were killed by Cloud. . . He told me you showed up after I was defeated by him but refused to say what happened next.”

Chancey, “He spared my life for some reason.”

Zackery starts to double over in pain.

Xavier, “Damn, what is wrong?”

Zackery, “God, it hurts!”

Chancey, “We need to get Vincent in here!”

They call him on PHS. They wait for what seemed a long time, their friend in immense pain. Vincent comes running in to see what he feared.

Vincent, “Damn, all we needed was the black materia. . . “

Cloud’s voice is then heard in the room, “You mean this?”

Cloud has a nice pair of white wings on his back and is looking at them through the open window. He is perched on the small ledge that went around the building. Cloud has the black materia also mounted onto a necklace around his neck.

Cloud, “I had both materias.”

Vincent, “They hold the cure to you and Zackery. Let us help you.”

Cloud, “I don’t want to be helped. I love to kill and make people unhappy. I enjoy this very much and you want to stop it?”

Vincent, “That is the insanity of Jenova. You don’t truly enjoy hurting your friends and innocent people.”

Cloud, “How about this. . . . If you catch up and beat me, you may have it. I will be going north now.”

Cloud then launches off his perch and flies away from the building.

Zackery lays curled in a ball. Xavier then calls Madnol over the radio and make plans for them to be picked up on the roof. Kain calls up and makes his report. He found the president dead in one of the rooms. Kain says they killed most of the soldiers and so far it looked good. The problems was, he didn’t think all the forces were in the building. He says he will keep an eye on the headquarters for them, if they wanted to go after Cloud.

They help Zackery to the roof and get him on Highwind. He seems in alot of pain and isn’t too responsive for a while.

The Highwind flies north. They lost track of Cloud a while back. Chancey thinks he is either in the Cetra City or more north. They park the airship near the bone village and continue on foot towards the old city. They are going through the ancient forest, when all feel a calm presence among them. Even Zackery’s pain seemed to ease. This presence grew stronger the closer they came to the old Cetra city. They find themselves being led through the city, along old paths of shell.

Chancey, “Cloud passed over this place. Shhh. . . . I think I hear something. . . ”

She stood in the center of the city, hearing the faint voice of a woman.

Woman, “He... is in.... the Northern Crater.... You must pray... a special prayer.... “

Chancey, “What special prayer?”

Madnol, who didn’t hear the voice, “Please, don’t let her go nuts too. . “

Vincent, “She isn’t crazy.”

Woman, “Two materia... one white... to heal the soul.... one black..... to kill the infection.... one ancient soul..... to recite the pray..... “

Chancey, “What prayer?!”

Woman, “Pray of your soul.... Only one of ancient breed can do it.... “

Chancey, “Wait , what did you mean. . . . I don’t understand. . . “

Vincent, “You were told what I heard once and what Nanaki also heard.”

Chancey, “The prayer of your soul. . .“

They go back to Highwind and fly north to the crater.