I Stand Alone


[Now I've told you this once before
You can't control me
If you try to take me down you're gonna break
Now I feel your every nothing that you're doing for me
I'm picking you outta me]

"You think you're going to win," he muttered passively. A smirk played on those sensuous thin lips, a strand of lively silver dancing over his face, coldly beautiful..

"I will!" gritted the man, caught up in the web that smirk cast, fingers tingling, trembling.. clutching the chilled metal. Blue orbs exhausting untainted animosity toward the man in front of him, trying desperately to rip the piercing, holding gaze of cat green.. shuddering.. feeling the man rape his soul...

"Puppet.. puppet.. puppet," he crooned, letting out a nauseatingly sweet sounding laugh. "You've given me the Black Materia. What can you do? It's so.. easy.. to control you.."

"NO!" Cloud nearly leapt forward, his stomach queasy from the hatred that had lined up his insides, ready to lash out at Sephiroth. "I'm tired of this, Sephiroth. I'm going to settle this!"

Jolting his resolute courage, his feet spread, grating the gravel into the dirt. His sword raised high, Cloud pushed himself forward, blazing, letting out a frustrated cry as he ran toward his relaxed opponent.

Those eyes.. those horrible.. horrible eyes... burning.. laughing.. hard.. veiled...

....just as green as Aeris'...

but his gaze would never be as pure as hers!

[you run away]

For a moment, he shut his eyes.. straining to put all his strength into that single blow. It wasn't a fair battle, Sephiroth hadn't drawn his sword, but he didn't care. Cloud couldn't care less.... but as the blade went down, it struck the ground with a hollow thud.. and skidded over the gravel, throwing up several sparks.

He stumbled forward, straight through the spot Sephiroth had just stood in. Catching himself, Cloud paused, opening his eyes to look upon the earth. He was gone.

[I stand alone
Inside
I stand alone]

The man let his blade fall, and in frustration, punched the ground.

'Why.. why won't he stand.. and fight me..'

[You're always hiding behind your so called goddess
So what you don't think that we can see your face
Resurrected back before the final fallen
now they've arrest until I can make my own way]

With a sigh, Cloud fell back, letting himself fall upon the gravel. Sitting, he drew his knees toward him, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face into his gloved hands, trembling slightly.

'He can't hide forever.. he's going to come out with Jenova and whatever hell he's planning....' a ragged sigh escaped him. 'I have to go on.. everyone's counting on me..'

[I'm not afraid of fading]

'I can do this.'

[I stand alone
Feeling your sting down inside of me
I'm not dying for it
I stand alone
Everything that I believe is fading
I stand alone
Inside
I stand alone]

And so, the supposed former SOLDIER stood up, dusted himself off, and grabbed his sword. Staring at the blade for a moment, he watched his reflection blink. A part of him still couldn't believe that he was a clone.. if anything.. shouldn't clones look like the one they were cloned after? It was a vast, fruitless thought.. eyes wandering over his "chocobo" hair.. but a moment later, he placed it back in the sheath. He had better things to do than feel sorry for himself.

Everyone was back in Kalm..

He turned, shielding his face from the sunlight, looking in the distance at the small town.

[And now its my time (now its my time)
It's my time to dream (my time to dream)
Dream of the sky (dream of the sky)
Make me believe that this place is invaded
By the poison in me
Help me decide if my fire will burn out
Before you can breathe]

As he walked back, hands shoved into the pockets of his pants, he let his mind wander. Would he be able to make something of himself? Would killing Sephiroth be the beginning of his own identity and existance? Would the end of Sephiroth really be his beginning? What would stop with Sephiroth's death.. what would begin?

'Don't start..' he scolded himself. 'Thinking about these things will only make things worse.. Tifa.. what would you say? I don't know how to lead everyone anymore..'

[Breathe into me]

Before he realized it, he was standing on the neat stone street that ran through Kalm. Surprisingly, the normally active town was silent..

Painfully, it reminded him of Nibelheim..

[I stand alone
Inside
I stand alone
Feeling your sting down inside of me
I'm not dying for it
I stand alone
Everything that I believe is fading]

Lonliness touched him, casting the painted blue sky a bitter gray.. silence envaded his senses. He could feel himself slipping.. falling away into whatever Sephiroth had spun within his twisted little mind.. it was evident Cloud had lost part of himself a long time ago.. or even all of himself.. but he was going to at least try to hang onto.. something. Anything.

The wind picked up, rustling his blonde spikes, tickling his bare skin with its chilly caress.

[I stand alone
Inside
I stand alone
Inside
I stand alone
Inside
I stand alone
Inside]

Without blinking, he turned and walked inside the Inn.



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