I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII or XIII OR ANY OF THEIR CHARACTERS…ALL OF THAT WOULD BELONG TO SQUARE-ENIX.

The small metal room echoed with the sound of flesh being violently pounded and the muffled groans of pain. Again, the PSICorps interrogators fist thudded hard into his gut; Cloud's wrists strained against the pair of handcuffs that tightly restrained him to the chair, his teeth biting down, hard, on the length of black burlap that had been tied painfully across his mouth. Before he could recover from the blow…WHAM! A sharp pain scorched through his jaw as a fist scored a direct hit.

SLAM! Two fists together smashed down onto the crown of his head, and Cloud could immediately feel the lump beginning to form. As he pulled himself upright two more bony handed punches landed on either side of his face. Just then, he felt his interrogators hands on his shoulders, pulling him forward, and drove his knee deep into Clouds chest.

The spikey-haired man doubled over, winded, tasting the acrid warmth of blood in his mouth. He could feel a livid bruise beginning to form under his eye. From time to time, the interrogator would take a moment to stretch and catch his breath, which allowed Cloud a moment to collect himself through the pain. However, as the interrogator pushed him back into an upright position, a sharp tap on the door echoed through the room. Immediately the door slid open with a loud hiss and another soldier, this one female, stepped inside.

"That's enough!" she barked as the interrogator yanked Cloud's head back, his fist readied "The Colonel wants him at least presentable."

The interrogator let out a low, disapproving grunt and flung the spikey-haired man's head painfully forward. Taking advantage of the reprieve, Cloud gulped down several deep breaths, feeling the blood slide from his nose. As the woman circled him, pulling a key from her pocket to undo the handcuffs on his ankles, the dull, burning ache slowly surfaced to his face. A small, ironic, chuckle escaped him; had he not experienced worse before, the pain may very well have defeated him. However, the moment of levity couldn't avert his mind from the simple reality of how bad his situation actually was.

He had been stripped of his gear, and he had no clue where Snow and Hope had been taken; they had been brought aboard a large airship, that much was certain, but knowing where they were being taken was an entirely different matter…nor did he have the vaguest idea how much longer they would remain alive. As soon as the thought had crossed his mind, a wave of misery crashed over him at the thought of Sam. This hadn't been his problem, he had tagged along just because they had needed, and because of that…

A rough tug on the back of his neck pulled him from his thoughts as the interrogator dragged him to his feet. His ankles were now free of their restraints, though his arms remained firmly locked behind him, and a rough shove pushed him forward. They made their way into a long, claustrophobic hallway, the heavy sounds of footfalls ringing in Cloud's ears. The woman led the way, the interrogator practically punching the back of his head to spur him onwards. They made their way into a large elevator, the woman punching in a code on the number pad, before Cloud felt a great lurching sensation in his stomach as the elevator descended. After a few moments the lift slowly came to a halt. Cloud watched, with furrowed brow, as the door slid open to reveal a large, dimly lit room filled with soldiers.

WHAM!

Cloud bit down on his gag, another painful lump began to form on the back of his head, as the interrogator urged him forward with another punch. Shooting the large man a filthy look, the spikey-haired man did as was urged and moved gingerly into the room.

It was a cargo bay, similar to the one aboard Cid's old Highwind ship. As the woman led him through a labyrinthian set up of crates and weapons canisters, Cloud stared in shock and awe as they came upon a large opening by the gargantuan bay doors, where several dozen soldiers had congregated; as well as several hulking Cie'th! As they approached, all of their eyes turned towards him, Cloud noticed that they had all come together around the most curious location. Buried deep within the bay, entombed around the crates and a thick outer layer of steel, was a tall spire made of flawless crystal. Though the room itself was dimly lit, the crystal spire blazed like a tiny sun, flooding the room in a dazzling blue light. As they approached, the spikey-haired man could almost feel it radiating energy; however, before he could take another good look, the woman held out her arm.

"Down" growled the interrogator; there was a sharp and brutal fire in the back of Cloud's leg and he bit down hard, his hands straining against the handcuffs, as he collapsed, another dull pain bruising his knees. Many in the room sniggered. However, Cloud's attention was quickly stolen as, at the far end of the room, the door slid opened again.

A few moments later, Hope, flanked by two soldiers, made his way over to them. Though the young man's face wore an expression of deepest relief at the sight of him, the spikey-haired man's brow furrowed at the state of the teenager. Hope's shirt and jacket were sopping wet, his silver hair glistening in the dim light, and he was shivering violently. As they guided him to Cloud's left, allowing the boy the dignity of lowering himself into a kneeling position, Cloud glared evilly at the two soldiers on either side of the teenager.

The door slid open with yet another hiss; Cloud and Hope turned as two large men came marching towards them. The one on the left bore, much to Cloud's anger, Ascalon across his back, while the other had Hope's black boomerang across his shoulders. However, dangling between them, being dragged by the arms, was Snow. The two men unceremoniously threw his brother-in-law onto the floor between them, and Cloud got his first look at him. Snow's face was swollen and bruised and the golden locks sticking out from beneath his bandanna were stained dark red as blood oozed from his head. Cloud and Hope exchanged looks, he could see the panic in the boy's eyes at the tall man's ragged breathing, but a wave of relief washed over him as Snow craned his neck upward and flashed them his usual toothy, albeit bloodied, grin.

Cloud quickly cut his eyes to get another quick look around, one of his problems now solved. The two men who held their weapons were only a few feet away, deep in conversation, and not paying them any mind; and a ship this size, minus the piloting and engineering crew, there couldn't have been more than soldiers present. Down, but not out, if they worked together, maybe they could make a break for it. But something was wrong, their entire situation sat foully with him. The Cie'th…he'd never known the crystalline monsters to behave in such a passive manner, like trained dogs. As for the soldiers around them, even with three captives disarmed and knelt, helpless, on the floor, were entirely too casual about the entire situation. However, something caught Cloud's eye; no, he was sure it had been a trick of the eye, but for a moment…he was sure the crate behind a group of three soldiers had cat ears.

Suddenly, a voice, loud, sharp, and raspy, cut across the air as though on a loud speaker, instantly snapping Cloud back to reality, as all soldiers gave off crisp salutes.

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

Cloud turned and watched as Colonel Matsuki marched into the room, followed closely by McGregor. Both were wearing expressions of smug superiority, though Matsuki's gaze was glued to the crystal spire. However, Cloud noticed something shining in his hand and found that Matsuki was holding the tiny stone. More curiously, it was pulsating with a light similar to the spire.

"We found this" he explained without anyone asking "in the tower's basement. There was a most curious reaction between the two artifacts and the energy readings from said reaction got stupendous. It seemed a shame to just leave it behind, so I brought it for further study. A powerful new energy source will look very good to the people."

Snow stirred from beside him, his eye was quickly swelling shut; he took several deep, wheezy breaths and then roared: "YOU SELF-RIGHTEOUS BASTARD!"

His words echoed loudly throughout the room and Cloud could feel an almost electric charge in the air. Several soldiers shifted uncomfortably, however, Matsuki turned as calmly as ever and regarded Snow as if he were filth on his shoes.

"Now, now" sneered the Colonel "No need to be ungracious."

"Ungracious?!" scoffed Hope incredulously "You imprisoned and tortured us!"

"Several of my men were assaulted" Matsuki replied smoothly "and espionage, young master Estheim, is a crime punishable by death. Something, I'm sure, even your beloved council would agree with. I was merely protecting my own."

"Don't patronize me, Colonel" snapped the silver-haired teenager "We saw the Pythium! Heard how you were ahead of schedule!"

"Conjecture at best" scoffed Matsuki indifferently. "Besides, everything that you observed, illegally if I may add, was part of my investigation into this crisis. You heard nothing I particularly care about."

"That's enough Eli!" snapped Cloud "You can play semantics all you want. It doesn't change what we heard…what we know you're planning to do."

"Captain, I grow tired-"

"-then explain to me, how you can use a pack of twenty-five Gorgonopsids to gain control of the colonies. Even if you aren't distributing the Pythium, fear breeds chaos, and chaos requires a strong hand to squash out."

Matsuki stared at him uncomprehendingly for a moment and then let out a bark of malevolent laughter. "You continue to impress and amaze me, Captain Strife. Your assumption is, indeed, correct. After all, I did warn you: I don't need to attack a town to get what I want."

There was another angry roar. Cloud turned a moment too late as Snow shot to his feet and charged the young Colonel, his fist reared for the attack! But something was wrong, as Matsuki, nor any of his soldiers, had not reacted to one of their prisoners breaking free. The young Colonel merely held out his arm…

WHAM!

Snow was thrown backward and collapsed onto his rump. Cloud felt his jaw drop, unable to comprehend what he had just witnessed. The tall fighter's fist had failed to pass Matsuki's hand and collided with the Barrier that had formed there. There was no mistaking it, even if Cloud couldn't explain it: that was magic!

Without even breaking his stance, Matsuki turned his hand over and snapped his fingers. One of the Cie'th who stood nearby shambled over hastily. It reared back one of its thick, tree trunk-like arms and swung it upward. Cloud stared transfixed as Snow let out a painful shout as the Cie'ths vicious attack connected on his jaw and sent the tall man skidding back across the floor and landing perfectly back into place. Both men turned to their fallen comrade; Snow shuddered for a moment and then vomited a thick glob of blood onto the floor. Cloud exchanged looks with Hope, seeing the terror in the boy's face, and his words tumbled out almost immediately.

"You're a l'Cie?!"

"The last l'Cie, in fact" Matsuki's voice was calm and cool as he slowly approached them. "Pandaemonium, the Fal'Cie who branded me, was terrified during the fall. He made it my Focus to save him…something I was unable to do, as Eden soon landed on top of him. When I awoke, with my brand frozen and powers still active, I knew that I was destined for greatness."

He turned towards the large, crystal monster next to him, regarding with a mixture of revulsion and pride, and placed his hand on its face. Cloud tensed, waiting for the creature's instincts to kick in and maul Matsuki. But found that the creature did nothing, made no movement or even act as though Matsuki were there. It seemed to go from violent beast to a harmless statue in an instant.

"Then, I found that Cie'th sought me out" Matsuki explained, wearing (much to Cloud's horror) the same power-hungry look when he thought about controlling Sephiroth. "I found I could command them, make them do as I wished. So long as they remain near me, they become tame. Unorthodox, I grant you, but fine hounds to serve at their masters beck and call."

Cloud paused, his mind racing from the sheer ludicrousness of what he was hearing. Next to him, Snow could only grunt and glare hatefully at the Colonel; Hope was in total shock, muttering over and over to himself: "He's a l'Cie…I can't believe it…"

"Eli, listen to me" pleaded Cloud, doing his best to keep calm but feeling a very familiar panic beginning to overcome him. This was Rufus Shinra and Hojo all over again; if there was any reasoning left in him, he had to talk him down. "A l'Cie's power is derived from the Fal'Cie they serve. If your Fal'Cie is dead, then your power is finite. Do you realize what happens when you hit your limit? What happens when you turn into one of your 'hounds' and turn on your own people?"

However, this did not have the effect Cloud had hoped for as, much to his horror, Matsuki reared back and let out another bark of insane laughter.

"And that is where you come in, Captain. You will return, with me, to Cocoon; as you've been less than willing to allow me to help you with Sephiroth. So, I will take you into my custody and see if we can't coax him out…in one form or another. Either way, I'll absorb what I can of Sephiroth's residual energy to fuel my own powers. With some luck, you may provide me enough power for years to come. And, while I have you, perhaps that will keep Sergeant Farron and the rest of that rabble group in line."

Cloud could only stare, dumbfoundedly, at Matsuki. The plan was sadistic, too cruel to have any basis, but he could see the resolution on the young Colonel's face. However, his worries did not abate as McGregor stepped forward and whispered something in Matsuki's ear.

"Hmm, yes" said Matsuki with a contemplative look on his face "Quite right Sergeant McGregor, an excellent suggestion."

McGregor bowed deeply with that shameless, slavish look on her face. When Matsuki turned his gaze back to them, his eyes fell, malevolently, on Hope.

"Per Sergeant McGregor's sagely council, perhaps that plan would work best for young Master Estheim as well."

"What?!" The words tumbled from Cloud before he could stop them, but found that he was not the only one to do so. Snow seemed to catch his second wind and pushed himself back onto his knees.

"Oh yes" said Matsuki smoothly "Master Estheim will be pivotal in keeping the Academy Council in line. As I have come to learn, he is not unintelligent. With time and training, who knows: perhaps he could be as useful and advisor to me, as poor of a spy he is for his father."

Snow made another violent gesture, but Hope and Cloud moved simultaneously and threw their bodies in front of him. At once, Cloud caught his brother-in-law's furious eye and whispered: "Do you want him to deliver Serah your corpse?"

The tall-fighter gnashed his teeth angrily, but his words appeared to hit home as Snow cast his eyes downward but remained in place. Cloud turned back; Hope's eyes cut between Matsuki and McGregor, but a look of realization swept over the boy.

"And what about Snow?" shot Hope "What are you going to do with him?"

Matsuki sneered again "That rebellious streak of yours will have to be the first thing we train out of you. But don't you worry, I have a much more immediate purpose for Mr. Villiers. Which is why we will be making a short stop before we make for Cocoon."

A surge of ominousness crept up Cloud's spine; however, the female soldier who led Cloud there, moved up and whispered in McGregor's ear. She nodded and gave the woman a dismissive wave.

"Colonel" she said "we've arrived."

The ship gave a stomach-turning lurch and quickly began to settle; the young Colonel gave a lazy wave of his hand and the three Cie'th shambled away, before settling, out of sight, in a dark corner.

"Get them into place" said Matsuki; on command, three soldiers, one tall but very pale, one large and burly, and a woman with long, dark hair, moved over towards them, pulling them onto their feet and moving them in front of the bay doors.

The doors unlatched with a loud hiss and slid open; Cloud recoiled slightly as they were bathed in fierce, bright sunlight. As his eyes slowly adjusted, he took another look and, to his utter amazement, found that they were back in New Bodhum! The airship was positioned so that it hovered just over the surf, giving them a perfect, panoramic view of the village. Already a large crowd was beginning to form in the center of the beach. Among them, Cloud could barely make out Sazh and Lenora, as well as the pink-haired figures of Claire and Serah.

Matsuki moved out in front of them, the tails of his coat flapping in the wind of the turbines, making him look more impressive and imposing. He paced several times and when he spoke, he was loud and clear.

"People of New Bodhum. I understand that times have been difficult; with sacrifice comes hardship, and with hardship comes frustration. These are to be expected of anyone. However, through patience and sticking together, we have achieved some semblance of uniformity in these trying times, have we not? There are some who have resisted the aid of PSICorps. Not because they are trying to undermine this peace, but from a misguided, but understandable, mistrust of the previous administration of our military. Though we had occasionally stepped on each-others toes, I had held out hope that, one day, we might find some common ground so that we could continue moving forward as a community."

Though Cloud knew it was all a lie, he had to admit that Matsuki was an outstanding orator and that his speech was very effective. Many in the crowd nodded their heads; several broke out into applause. Matsuki let this go for a moment before silencing them with a mere raise of his hand.

"However, today, my hopes for that future have taken an unfortunate step backwards. The men you see before you have perverted a noble mission to repair your generator and bring energy to your homes. Ladies and Gentlemen, earlier today, these men made an attempt on my life."

"HE'S LYING!" Hope's voice echoed across the beach. However, the pale man who restrained him gave a fierce tug on the back of the neck, silencing him at once. But from the corner of his eye, Cloud saw the soldier lean in and whisper something into the boy's ear; a curious expression forming on Hope's face. Matsuki, who had noticed none of this, gave a big, theatrical shake of his head and continued.

"Master Estheim here, though staunchly firm in his opinion of me, remains a young and impressionable young man. I have no doubts that he was likely swept up in the haste and foolhardiness of these events."

Hope continued to glare daggers as Matsuki made a grand sweeping gesture and moved down the line.

"Mr. Villiers. I know that the relationship between he and I has been shaky at best. Despite our differences, I recognize his skills and his potential as a leader among you. I am greatly disappointed to find that he is a part of this heinous scheme."

Somewhere in the crowd, Gadot's voice rang out in a slew of obscenities, but quickly fell silent. Matsuki moved down the line again and Cloud soon found himself glaring into his dark, beady eyes.

"Finally, Captain Strife. A man, like many of you, I hold a deep-seated respect for. The most shocking to me to even be involved in a plot of this nature. And likely: even its mastermind."

The crowd gasped loudly, and Matsuki shot him a self-satisfied smile. Cloud merely glared.

"Don't do this Eli" he warned in a voice no louder than a whisper "You'll never come back from this if you do."

However, Matsuki turned to readdress the crowd, "But I want to assure all of you that, despite today's vigilantism, we have continued to seek a diplomatic solution. The Captain and Master Estheim will be joining me when I return to Cocoon; with time and a small show of example, I believe I can show these two the error of their ways. So that, when they return, they can continue to help restore prosperity to our society. Unfortunately, there can be no peace without justice, and it falls unto me to make an uneasy decision."

He turned and nodded to one of the soldiers; there was a small scuffle and a loud clatter, and the spikey-haired man watched in terror as Snow was dragged forward and thrown back onto all fours. A large soldier, that Cloud recognized as his own interrogator, moved into the light, his imposing form holding Ascalon tightly in his hand. From somewhere out in the crowd, there was a harsh, dry sob; Cloud turned as his sister-in-law collapsed to her knees in tears, Claire right at her side but not taking her eyes off of the scene in front of her.

Just then a loud and angry voice rang out amongst the pin-drop stillness "YOU CALL THIS JUSTICE?!"

Cloud looked and found the voice belonged to a tall, olive skinned woman with dark hair that fell just passed her tattooed shoulders. Oerba Yun Fang stood tall and proud; the tip of her twin bladed spear buried in the sand. Ever at her side, the fiery-headed Vanille wore an expression that was half way between panic and determined fury.

"If this was really about the law, then you would abide by the law yourself!"

"That's right!" squealed Vanille "Please, you don't have to do this!"

Their twos voice became four as Maqui and Lebreau barked their objections. Four soon became ten. Before long, the entire crowd, who had just yesterday turned their backs on the young leader of NORA in favor of PSICorps, rang out in unison as they all cried for mercy. Matsuki made a theatrical grimace at this; however, Cloud could see his jaw tighten as he gnashed his teeth in frustration.

"I know" he spoke loudly and calmly, in spite of himself "that this may seem a harsh, and even cruel, punishment. But we can no more suffer murderers in these trying times than any other. The allegations against him are serious indeed, and the sentence for which can only be: reciprocity. Let this stand as a warning to anyone else who thinks themselves above the law!"

He turned towards the interrogator and slashed the air with his arm.

The world around Cloud seemed to go into slow motion, watching the interrogator flex his fingers around the red, pebbled handle of the father blade. The roar of the crowd reached its crescendo, as the large man then hefted it into the air. Snow's, once defiant glare, quickly became a look of pure panic. At once Claire, Fang, Gadot, Lebreau, Maqui, and Yuj all charged forward; simultaneously, Cloud felt the hand restraining him vanish in an instant. Cutting his eyes quickly, Cloud watched as the large, burly man raised his right arm, giving him a proper look as five fingers transfigured into gun barrels. The newly transformed weapon began to rotate; slowly at first, then faster and faster before:

BRATA-TATATATATA!

Screams of shock ripped across the air, peppered by the earsplitting roar of gunfire. The interrogator bucked violently as his body was shredded by hot lead. Ascalon tumbled backward out of his hands and the body hit the ground with an earthshattering rumble.

As the weapon grinded to a halt, Cloud could sense that he was not the only one staring in disbelief. The large man turned to face them, pulling the helmet off his face and Cloud felt his jaw drop in surprise and disbelief:

"Barret?!"

"Get'cha spikey ass up!" The large man grunted, grinning a toothy white grin "We got work to do!"

Matsuki seemed to recover himself at these words, his face contorting into a mask of sheer rage "RESTRAIN HIM!"

Suddenly everything exploded into overdrive as many things began happening around Cloud all at once. One of the smaller, female, soldiers had stepped forward, pulling what appeared to be a large metal star from behind her, reared back her arm and threw it hard.

WOOSH!

The star circled the room, many soldiers shouting in surprise as it collided violently with their weapons, knocking them to the ground. There was a loud, bestial roar and he watched as Red XIII leapt from behind one of the crates and began swiping and kicking furiously at the equally surprised soldiers. Leaping off of his back, the small and furry Cait Sith perfectly stuck the landing. Cloud watched as the little feline robot unfurled what looked like several playing cards in his hands and tossed them onto each of the downed soldiers. Their armor began to crackle with static and, no matter how much they struggled, remained prone on the ground.

There was a clacking sound from behind and the pressure biting into his wrists fell away with the handcuffs that clattered to the floor. His arms now freed, the spikey-haired man lowered his position and rocketed his legs forward as he pushed into a roll. Feeling cold metal against his swollen shoulder, Cloud curled his fingers around the pebbled handle and reclaimed his sword. Moving his weapon with his usual grace and finesse, he quickly and easily sliced through the chains of the handcuffs on Snow's wrists.

There was an angry yell from behind; Cloud turned as McGregor charged, her Gunblade aloft. However, the woman nearest Hope reach out and grabbed her wrist in both hands. Using the silver sergeant's momentum against her, she kicked out her feet, guiding her into forward flip, and McGregor crashed onto her back, but soon found herself pinned as the woman then planned her foot against the soldier's throat. The woman turned her eyes back up and locked eyes with a stunned Cloud; pulling the helmet from her head, the spikey-haired man let out a sigh of relief and a grin cut across his face at the sight of Tifa Lockhart.

"You alright?" said Tifa, looking directly at a flummoxed Snow.

"No," wheezed the tall fighter "I damn near shit my pants!"

Training his attention onto Matsuki, Cloud watched with a sadistic satisfaction as the young Colonel observed the last of his largest men falling to a swift roundhouse kick from the newly unmasked Vincent Valentine. He gnashed his teeth together and made a violent step forward, only to be stopped as the woman behind him nestled a gun barrel comfortably at the back of his head. Cloud turned, confused. All of his friends were accounted for…so then who held Matsuki?

Almost as an answer to his thoughts, the woman pulled the helmet from her head and let it clatter to the ground. A curtain of bright red unfurled down to the woman's shoulders and a determined flame blazed behind her brown eyes.

"Move and I'll burn you down" growled Cissnei, Tifa's partner.

The spike of adrenaline still surged through Cloud's body, but he took a calming breath as things began to slow around him, especially in the sight of his friends. Vincent kept his weapon trained at his side, cut his gaze over towards the spikey-haired man.

"Something tells me you don't understand the finer details of making a plan" his deep voice purred with sardonicism.

"Me?!" cried Cloud exasperatedly "You brought the whole team on a stealth mission!"

"Can you blame him?" Cissnei quipped with a grin "Especially with how far things went off the rails."

"What is the meaning of this?" Matsuki's voice was a dangerous growl. The spikey-haired man turned to the Colonel and stared at him pitifully. Mako Blue exchanged glances with deep Blood red and Vincent spoke in his deep, calm voice.

"Cloud called me a few days ago and asked if it would be possible to infiltrate your ranks so that someone could keep an eye on you. Easy enough of a task. But what alarmed me the most was your reckless disregard for others in your quest for grandeur. So, I called in the others."

He cast Cloud a meaningful look, to which the spikey-haired man shrugged, before continuing. "Six Gaians, a robot cat, and a lion have been right next to you, gathering information, and you didn't even notice."

He turned towards Tifa and watched as she placed a finger to her ear and said casually "Cid? You ready?"

"Hold yer damn horses" screeched Cid's voice, causing the brunette to recoil "Now, where's that fuckin' thing?"

"It's to your left captain"

"I FUCKIN' KNEW THAT, I AIN'T A GODDAMN IDJIT!"

Cid's voice was drowned by the earsplitting screech of feedback as the speakers switched on. For a moment there was silence, many in the crowd but all quickly fell silent as a loud voice echoed across the village:

YOU SELF-RIGHTEOUS BASTARD!

Now, now, no need to be ungracious.

Cloud could hear many voices cry out in offense and confusion; however, Matsuki's expression quickly widened into a look of pure shock as his own words came washing over him.

Then explain to me, how you can use a pack of twenty-five Gorgonopsids to gain control of the colonies. Even if you aren't distributing the Pythium, fear breeds chaos, and chaos requires a strong hand to squash out.

A bone-chilling laugh echoed across the silence You continue to impress and amaze me, Captain Strife. Your assumption is, indeed, correct. After all, I did warn you: I don't need to attack a town to get what I want.

Cloud cut his eyes to the large crowd; while many wore looks of abject terror and surprise, the spikey-haired man was pleased to see that, for some, the wheels were finally beginning to turn. Heads came together and outraged fingers were being pointed at the Colonel. But Cloud's gaze sought out Claire's; she had moved towards the ship, halfway between it and the crowd. Her pale aqua orbs met with Mako Blue, and Cloud saw something reflected there that he couldn't quite make out, but made him smile all the same. Impression? Pride?

You're a l'Cie?!

A loud gasp echoed across the crashing waves at Hope's revelation, snapping Cloud out of his moment of revelry. Matsuki continued to glare defiantly at him as his own words reflected: The last l'Cie, in fact. Pandaemonium, the Fal'Cie who branded me, was terrified during the fall. He made it my Focus to save him…something I was unable to do, as Eden soon landed on top of him. When I awoke, with my brand frozen and powers still active, I knew that I was destined for greatness.

Then, I found that Cie'th sought me out. I found I could command them, make them do as I wished. So long as they remain near me, they become tame. Unorthodox, I grant you, but fine hounds to serve at their master's beck and call.

Eli, listen to me Cloud's own pleading voice arose A l'Cie's power is derived from the Fal'Cie they serve. If your Fal'Cie is dead, then your power is finite. Do you realize what happens when you hit your limit? What happens when you turn into one of your 'hounds' and turn on your own people?

And that is where you come in, Captain. You will return, with me, to Cocoon; as you've been less than willing to allow me to help you with Sephiroth. So, I will take you into my custody and see if we can't coax him out…in one form or another. Either way, I'll absorb what I can of Sephiroth's residual energy to fuel my own powers. With some luck, you may provide me enough power for years to come. And, while I have you, perhaps that will keep Sergeant Farron and the rest of that rabble group in line.

Per Sergeant McGregor's sagely council, perhaps that plan would work best for young Master Estheim as well. Oh yes, Master Estheim will be pivotal in keeping the Academy Council in line. As I have come to learn, he is not unintelligent. With time and training, who knows: perhaps he could be as useful and advisor to me, as poor of a spy he is for his father.

And what about Snow? What are you going to do with him?

That rebellious streak of yours will have to be the first thing we train out of you. But don't you worry, I have a much more immediate purpose for Mr. Villiers. Which is why we will be making a short stop before we make for Cocoon.

As the recording ended, there was only the sound of waves crashing in the surf. All eyes that were trained on the PSICorps airship glared judgmentally. Even the soldiers that Yuffie, Cait, and Red all detained all had turned shamefaced. McGregor bared her teeth and continued to glare at her captor; but Matsuki remained stock still, his expression fathomless. Cloud made his way over to him

"Eli," said Cloud in a voice so low that only he could hear "I learned a long time ago that men only reveal their plan when they think they've already won. Your mistake was thinking we were out when you only had us down. But your secret's out now, and there's no coming back from this. It's over, you've lost."

Matsuki bowed his head, his shoulders trembling. for a moment Cloud thought that his tough exterior had finally cracked to show the age beneath. However, Mako Blue eyes widened in horror as he realized that Matsuki wasn't crying…he was laughing. The same insane, malevolent laugh that he had taunted them with before.

"Lost?" gasped the Colonel. With a lightning fast move, Matsuki bent low and drove his elbow deep into Cissnei's gut. As she doubled over, wheezing, the Colonel seized her by the collar and threw her forward. However, with a professional athleticism, Cissnei tucked in her shoulders and rolled into it, bringing her back into a crouched position and her weapon retrained on Matsuki.

"I don't lose, Captain" spat Matsuki venomously and snapped his fingers. But nothing happened. Matsuki snapped his fingers again, but again, nothing. "I command you: Come to your master!"

From the dark corner of the cargo bay, the two of the three large Cie'th shambled forward; someone watching screamed in panic and the spikey-haired man gripped his sword, at the ready. But something was wrong. Cloud's eyebrows shot upward as the charging monsters rapid shambling began to slow into crawling shuffle, before collapsing onto the ground. Cloud exchanged looks with Snow and Cissnei and, gripping his sword tightly, slowly made his way over to them. What he saw made him gasp in total shock.

Both were undeniably dead but the only visible mark on either was a deep stab wound, pierced directly into the bloodied red eye on their chests. Cloud turned his gaze back to Matsuki, who had already turned his eyes behind him. The final of the three remained in the corner, its back turned to the others. Slowly it began to turn and then collapsed to the ground, but Cloud watched as a long, bone-white blade withdrew from it as it fell. Cloud blinked hard, a trick of the sun glare, it had to have been…for a moment, the blade appeared to be wreathed in golden light but, as he looked again, it appeared a normal sword blade. However, the spikey-haired man found himself staring in total disbelief at the sword's owner, as he stepped from the shadows. Looking out on the entire scene with emerald green eyes stood their mysterious blue-haired companion.

"Hey guys" chimed Sam Aker "Miss me?"

"Sam!" cried Hope, his voice a mixture of relief and surprise.

"N-no way!" stammered Snow "We thought you were dead! How'd you escape?"

"Oh, those guys," Sam scoffed playfully "they couldn't hit the broadside of an Adamantoise. Easy to evade."

"YOU?!"

A thrill of shock erupted across his skin and Cloud's head turned so fast that his neck cricked. Fang stood rooted to the spot, her fists clenched, but a look of terrible fury across her face. Vanille's terrified expression bounced between her closest friend and the blue-haired young man. However, the fury on Fang's face was nothing compared to the one that contorted Matsuki's, a vein throbbing angrily in his neck. He thrust a hand inside his coat and roared "STAY BACK!"

All eyes turned back to the Colonel as he withdrew the tiny, crystal orb, that now shown like a tiny sun in his hand. He was inching closer to the crystal spire, which also pulsed with energy.

"I told you" growled the Colonel "that the readings fluctuated when these two crystals were in proximity to each other. If energy spikes from being near each other, then logic dictates that collision would result in a massive overload. Perhaps enough to wipe out this village and, maybe, part of the Archylte with it!"

"Crazy sumbitch!" growled Barret, his weapon trained on the Colonel. However, Matsuki waved the tiny crystal towards him, clutching it as if it were a sword. Seeing his grip on sanity beginning to wane, Cloud held his arm out in front of Barret.

"You'd kill us all just to prove a point?!"

"A tragic accident" raved Matsuki, looking positively deranged now "You little rocks, Captain, may make you superior to the rest of these plebeians, but they won't save you from the blast. Not like my own."

"You overestimate your own strength" chided Sam, glaring mutinously at the Colonel, who whipped around, holding the crystal towards him. "You're not immune to dying yourself."

"Death is a weakness applicable to paltry beings like you. I am a man destined for greatness!"

"ELI, NO!" Cloud screamed as Matsuki turned on his heel and slammed the crystal onto the spire. The two blazed a blinding white light, and Cloud could feel many around him moving. However, the spikey-haired mans mind immediately rushed to his wife. He turned around, Snow and the others ducking for cover.

There was a cacophonous blast and blinding flash of light; Cloud was thrown forward and everything dissolved around him.

~o0o~

However, Cloud was never in pain; oddly enough, what swept over him was a strange feeling of peace and weightlessness. Without even realizing it, he had shut his eyes. With a steadying breath, he slowly opened them.

He appeared to be a blinding white space that seemed to stretch on forever. But he was not alone in the expanse, as Cloud's eyes soon fixated themselves on the rose-colored hair of his wife. As he looked around him, most everyone was there. Snow and Hope exchanged looks of utter confusion with Vincent, Barret, Tifa, and Cissnei. Red, Cait Sith, and Yuffie all cried out in surprise as they moved in their newfound weightlessness.

Flipping himself around, the spikey-haired ex-SOLDIER found something that he did not expect to see. The same girl, with hair as white as her skin, staring out at them. She reached out her hand towards them, but Cloud turned his head to exchange confused looks with Claire. Who was this girl, and what the hell was going on here?

However, someone screamed as a black bolt appeared from nowhere and struck the girl square in the chest. Straining his eyes against the whiteness, Cloud could just make out the form of a spear! A look of shock and terrible pain emerged over the girl's face, but nothing compared to the shouts of surprise from around him as the pierced skin erupted into deep cracks. Turning her gaze back towards the group, her arm still held out, a ring of blue and green light enveloped her wrist.

There was a blast like a gunshot and tendrils of golden light burst from her open hand. They snaked around each of them and then struck; there were cries of pain all around him, but Cloud grit his teeth and held back his own as a tendril bit down on the crook of his left arm. As the pain began to subside, he turned back towards the girl, and watched as the cracks across her body began to glow a fierce red.

VWOOM!

The girl exploded in a thunderous blast, three bloodred orbs scattering to all directions. Cloud watched, helpless, as the wave crashed into him. It hit in all its fury, knocking him breathless.

There was a blinding flash and he reacted a second too late and buried his face into his arms, a searing pain scalding into his eyes. Terrible visions flashed across his mind like some demented television program: Claire was locked in vicious combat with a young woman who wielded three blades; a young boy sat on an iron throne and watched as Hope burst into flame. Snow lunged, fist raised, at a woman, who held her arms aloft and rained down chains upon his head; he could see himself standing before a stern-faced man who was holding, what appeared to be a rifle, against his head. The four scenes evaporated like smoke, each shooting into the sky, glowing like stars. There was a dark city, a large temple looming overhead; he could see many, faceless people standing arms wide before a familiar dazzling light.

His vision went fuzzy and then all was gone.

Hey everyone; whoa, he's gone for almost two years and has TWO chapters up at once?! I know. I hope you guys didn't think I'd be gone this long and NOT have something for you? Also, good note: Chapter 5 is about fifty percent done, so HOPEFULLY I can have that up before Monday. Turns out, a quarantine is the best thing to help my writing, LOL. Anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter, don't forget to leave me a review.