Here is the rough draft of Part One of my new FFVII fanfic in which I explore
some story points that kind of intrigued me.  I hope that there aren't any
silly mistakes (that always leaves the serious ones....).  ^_^

C&C welcomed and appreciated.  

For those people who have been wondering what's going on with my Ranma
1/2 fanfic "TIGER CLAW", it's on a minor hiatus as I do some plot
restructuring (i.e., struggling through writer's block). However, I am
still very much committed to finishing it.  Thanks for the support!

And now on to....

======================================================================
						CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
======================================================================

A Final Fantasy VII fanfic 

---------------
Disclaimer:
	All rights and privileges to Final Fantasy VII and its characters
belong to Square Co., Ltd.  The characters of this series are used
without permission for the purpose of entertainment only.  This work
of fiction is not meant for sale or profit.                
	All original characters are the creation of the author.  All
copyright 
privileges to these characters are reserved for the author.  

---------------
Author's notes:

	Warning: Adult language.

	This is primarily a CONTINUATION fanfic and contains major
SPOILERS for the game.  However, since I've taken some liberties with
the storyline, this story also qualifies as an ALTERNATE REALITY
fanfic.

Text Conventions
	(  ) are character thoughts
	/  / and //  // are mental dialogue
	[   ] are miscellaneous effects

=========================
PART 1:  DREAD HARBINGERS
=========================

	Cid found Yuffie huddled in the shelter of the Highwind II's
deckhouse, where she sat looking slightly green-faced as usual. 
Cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, he walked up behind
her and said cheerfully, "I thought you'd be over all this stupid
motion sickness stuff by now.  Don't you know that it's all in your
mind?"  Cid spoke with the blithe confidence of a man who had never
experienced any sort of motion sickness in his life.

	She glared at him.  "Damn you, old man!  I'm NOT imagining all
this!  What do you think I am, some kind of masochist!?  Don't you
think that if I could just think it all away, I would?"  She closed
her eyes and took a few deep gulps of air.

	"Hell, you look like a beached fish."

	"Screw you, Cid.  You should thank Red that I'm not spewing all
over your favorite boots.  That herbal concoction he gave me actually
works... sort of."

	"Hmph.  Did you help yourself to some of his materia while you
were visiting?"

	"I don't ALWAYS steal from you guys!" 

	"No, but you certainly try.  Well, I'm keeping a close eye on my
stuff so don't even think...."  Cid froze, then lunged for the railing
so suddenly that Yuffie thought that he was actually trying to jump
overboard.

	"Hey!"

	The cigarette butt fell from Cid's gaping mouth as he stared
directly below the Highwind.

	Yuffie started to look uneasy.  "Yo, Cid!"

	"What the HELL!?"

	"What's goin' on!?"  Yuffie was nearly hopping up and down with
impatience.  Cid mutely pointed down.  The young ninja sternly told
her stomach to behave and peer cautiously over the railing.  A look of
stunned disbelief appeared on her face just before she hastily backed
away from the rail.

	"T-T-That...that...can't be a WEAP...a WEAPON!?"

	Cid stared at the immense, dark shape swimming along the surface
of the water.  He muttered, "What the hell do you think it is, then? 
A bloody whale?"

---------------------------

	Somewhere between the Eastern and Western Continents, a Shinra
submarine filled with terrified crewmen frantically scooted out of the
path of a enormous greenish shape that cruised slowly just above the
sea floor.

---------------------------

	In Midgar, in the partially demolished Shinra building, Reeve was
struggling to ignore a pounding headache as he tried to work up a
feasible energy budget for the city.  It was a thankless task.  All
the Mako generators in the city were non-operational and the old
sources of power were nowhere as efficient.  Just as he had figured
out a complicated three-way shuffle to satisfy the energy needs of
four different sectors, his intercom buzzed.  He abruptly lost his
train of thought.

	"What is it now?  I told you I didn't want to be disturbed!"

	His assistant said, "Sir, this is important.  I think you better
hear this message from Junon right now."

	"Junon?  All right, all right!"

	Both the annoyance and the color slowly drained out of Reeve's
face as he listened to the report from the Junon Commander.

	"Please tell you you're joking."

	"Sir, I do not joke," the officer replied primly.

	"Are you POSITIVE?"

	"Yes sir.  Transmitting the videotape."

	Reeve shivered as an all too familiar green form slowly drifted
into view, then the picture skewed wildly as the submarine scrambled
out of the monster's way.

	"All right, try to keep an eye on it but for god's sake, don't do
anything to provoke it!"

	The commander visibly suppressed an urge to make an impertinent
remark -- something on the lines of 'Do you think I'm stupid?' -- but
military discipline prevailed.  He merely saluted and signed off.

	Reeve closed his eyes.  Seven months.  Seven measly months of
peace and quiet.  For god's sake, the Planet had nearly been
obliterated.  Surely humanity deserve a break from the threat of
catastrophe and utter destruction?  But apparently not....

	He slouched down in his posh chair and wondered.  Why did the
Emerald WEAPON reappear?   After all, the WEAPONs' sole purpose was to
eliminate threats to the Planet's well-being -- critical threats like
Jenova.  But all four WEAPONs had been destroyed.  And with Jenova
itself gone, there didn't seem to be any conceivable reason for the
Planet to resurrect the WEAPONs. 

	Reeve suddenly grimaced.  Was there a threat and he just didn't
know about it?  They had all assumed that Jenova was gone, but there
was no real proof.  And all of them knew about Jenova's incredible
regenerative powers.  

	There was no real way to know.  The Planet certainly wasn't
talking.  Only one person might have had the remotest idea what the
Planet 'thought'....  

	And Aeris was dead.

	Reeve uttered a wistful sigh as his fingers danced across his
keyboard.  "Let see what we got.  I know we have some data on the
WEAPONs.  Scarlet must have used it in developing the Sister Ray.  And
I can't forget those video we found up in Ifalna's house at Icicle
Inn."  He made a note to have someone retrieve them.

	His search kicked up a few files.  Worse than he had hoped but
better than he expected.  Fortunately, most of the Shinra database had
survived intact because of diligent backup procedures, even if the
Shinra Building had not, but he had been worried that Scarlet could
have tampered with the WEAPON files for in pursuit of her own
particular agenda.

---------------------------

	He stood at the bottom of the Northern Crater.  They had managed
to defeat Sephiroth.  Not just once, but twice.  Now there was nothing
to do but hope that the Planet could -- and would -- act to protect
itself from Meteor.  His friends headed for the surface and he turned
to follow them.

	Then he felt the mocking laughter in his head. 

	Sephiroth was still alive, somewhere in that pit.  

	He suddenly felt himself being torn away and cast downward as
Tifa's cries faded far behind.  At the end of his strange, twisting
journey, he looked down to see Sephiroth in his human form, blade in
hand... waiting for him.

	Cloud narrowed his eyes.  In his mind, there was no hatred.  No
fear.  Only steely determination and purpose.  He had to finish it. 
That was all.

	They stared at each other across their swords, then he could think
of nothing except an endless succession of blows.  He couldn't afford
to hold anything back.  It was just too risky with an opponent of
Sephiroth's caliber.

	Why he even felt the slightest impulse to hold back was a question
that he refused to consider.

	As he leapt into the air for the final, deadly slash, Sephiroth
stared up at him.  Time seemed to freeze for a brief instant.  And in
that instant, he could have sworn that Sephiroth said a single
word....

	Cloud slammed the blow home, then leapt back.  He watched
Sephiroth stagger... watched him struggle to lift the Masamune... and
watched as Sephiroth's body failed him.

	As blood trickled down Sephiroth's face, Cloud's nemesis slowly
lifted his head and gave Cloud a faint... smile.

	// Seph.... //

	Then Sephiroth's broken body exploded in a flare of light.

---------------------------
	
	A badly disoriented Cloud awoke with a start.  It took him a
couple of minutes to remember where he was and to track down the
persistent buzz.  He finally located his phone and mumbled, "Cloud
here."

	"Finally!  Where the hell have you been?"

	"I was... sleeping.  What's wrong?"

	Reeve said, "Bad news.  The Emerald WEAPON is back."

	"What!?  Are you sure?"

	"I just got a message from Junon Sub base.  The green monster was
seen happily puttering around the bottom of the ocean.  And don't
remind me that we destroyed it.  I know that.  I was there, remember?"

	"Damn it," Cloud muttered.
		
	At that moment, Cloud's phone buzzed again.  Frowning slightly, he
answered, connecting the caller to Reeve at the same time.  	

	Cid growled, "Guess what Yuffie and I just saw, guys."  He didn't
bother waiting for their answer.  "A goddamn WEAPON.  We were cruising
in the Highwind II near Wutai when we saw a huge, dark blue shape
moving along the surface of the water."

	Yuffie loudly yelled in the background, "And it's no mistake!  We
got pictures!"

	"Great.  Just great."  Reeve's headache started pounded even
fiercely.

	Cid said suspiciously, "You don't seem that surprised.  What
gives?"

	"I just got a message and some video footage from Junon Sub base. 
Now it's your turn.  Guess what's swimming around at the bottom of the
ocean.  One hint.  It's green."  Clutching the phone in one hand,
Reeve began to rummage through his desk for that elusive bottle of
pain-killers.

	"Aw, man.  Don't tell me...."

	"That's right."

	There was a thunking noise from Cid's end.

	"What's that, Cid?" Cloud asked.

	"Oh, that just Yuffie passing out.  You guys call the others?"

	"I haven't had the chance."  Reeve finally located the bottled,
dumped a tablet, then decided to double the dose.

	Cloud said, "All right.  Reeve, why don't you contact the others."
 He paused thoughtfully.  "Even if the WEAPONs aren't attacking,
they're actively moving around.  That doesn't sound good."

	Between pills, Reeve muttered, "I find the mere fact that they've
been reconstructed plenty disturbing.  And to think that they might be
hunting for something...."

	Cid quietly said, "You guys think this has something to do with
Jenova."
	
	Cloud began to pace in his bedroom.  "Well, it's an obvious sort
of conclusion.  Besides, if it isn't Jenova, that means there's a
major threat to this Planet that we know nothing about.  Personally, I
don't know which option is more frightening."

	"Gotcha."  Cid was silent for a moment, then said, "Hm, if the
green one's Emerald, I guess the blue one is...."

	"Probably Sapphire."

	"That leaves Ruby and Diamond unaccounted for...."

	Reeve said, "....so far.  I'm ordering a chopper to take a look
around the Gold Saucer area to see if the Ruby WEAPON's shown up in
its old haunts.  But even if the desert's clean, that doesn't mean
much.  It could be lurking somewhere else.  And I don't have any way
to check to see if Diamond's back.  The submarines can't get past the
shallows up north."

	"We'll worry about that later."

	Cid said, "Cloud, you're off in Fort Condor, right?"

	"Yeah."

	"You want me to pick you up?"

	"I don't think that's necessary.  It'll only take me a couple of
hours to get to Midgar by chocobo.  It's probably better if you went
to pick up Tifa and Red at Kalm.  Tifa's got her chocobo but you know
how Red feels about riding."

	They all chuckled.  On several occasions, they had been forced to
travel by chocobo to otherwise inaccessible locations.  The sight of
Red awkwardly perched bird-back had been absolutely hilarious and a
sight to remember.  For his part, Red utterly failed to see the humor
of it.

	"And if Vincent's interested, you'll probably need to give him a
ride, also.  Hold it."

	"What is it, Cloud?"

	"I just remembered.  Remember those videotapes at Icicle Inn?  The
ones with Dr. Gast and Aeris' mother?  She said something about the
WEAPONs.  What ever happened to those tapes?"

	Reeve said, "They were one of the first things I thought of.  I've
already sent some guys up north to fetch them and any papers that
might still be lying around.  Hojo's men were pretty sloppy when they
cleaned out the place the first time."

	"In that case, I'll be at Midgar as soon as I can."

	"All right, then.  I'll keep hunting for information on this end."

	Cloud disconnected and stared blankly at the phone.  Usually, he
remembered almost nothing about his dreams.  But this time, something
definite lingered, like a strange aftertaste in the mouth.  

	Why was he dreaming about Sephiroth now?

------------------------------------

	Yuffie muttered, "How come he isn't hanging out with Tifa?"

	"That's none of your business, girl!  Give the guy some time." Cid
growled.

	"Time!  Time!  That's right, you guys always stick together and
protect each other's butts while us girls are left hanging in the
wind.  How about some commitment here?"

	"You're a fine one to talk, you pipsqueak.  What the hell do you
know about relationships anyway, kiddo?"

	"Enough to know that you and Shera...."

	"You leave Shera outta this, you...."  Cid lunged for the ninja
girl.  Yuffie gave him an impudent grin as she jumped down the stairs
and disappeared into the depths of the Highwind.

	Cid stomped around in frustration for a moment, then grinned
evilly.  He marched to the bridge and hit the ship-wide intercom.

	"Yuffie, better hang on to your stomach.  We've got places to go,
things to do!  The ride's liable to get a bit... rough."

	An unmistakable moan drifted back through the intercom.

	"And if you mess up my ship, you're cleaning it up!"

	"Urkkk...."

------------------------------------

	In North Corel, Marlene had just stepped outside to play when the
PHS buzzed.  Barret sleepily rolled over and muttered, "Yeah?"

	"Barret, I've got some bad news."
	
	"Reeve, I've been on my feet for the last 30 hours and you're
ruining what little rest I'm getting.  So spit it out.  Bad news about
what?"
	
	There was a slight pause before Reeve said, "The WEAPONs are
back."
	
	"What the hell!?"  Barret rolled over and flopped back down on his
bed.
	
	"To be precise, Cid spotted what looks to be the Sapphire WEAPON
near Wutai.  A Shinra sub nearly ran into the Emerald WEAPON near that
weird undersea crater."

	"That can't be!  They were all blown to hell and gone!"

	"I know, I know!  But we've got pictures and those WEAPONs are
pretty unmistakable."

	"Shit!  All right, then.  Do you guys need me right now?  I'm
supposed 
to reopen one of the old coal mines around Corel tomorrow.  But if you
think it's important...," Barret said.
	
	"No, not if you're busy.  With all the Mako reactors shut down,
everyone's in a real crunch energy-wise.  Getting those mines working
again is a top priority.  Besides, there's nothing you can really do
here in Midgar, anyway.  They don't seem to be doing anything at the
moment.  We'll keep you updated.  On your feet for thirty hours?  Get
some rest!"  

	Barret disconnected and gave the phone a morose stare.  Something
told him that Reeve would be calling back soon.  He wasn't expecting
good news.

------------------------------------
	
	As he waited for his friends to arrive, Reeve made one last phone
call.

	A lazy voice drawled, "Yo."

	"Reno, do you remember that conversation we had a while back?"
	
	"Yeah, about eventually having some work for us."
	
	"Well, are you interested?"

	Reno chuckled, "Sure, why not?  Lucky for you, we happen to be
free at the moment.  So what sort of dirty work you want done?"

	Reeve snorted.  "Please!  It's not that sort of job!"

	"Okay, so what do you want us to do?"

	"I want you to escort a group of scientists and techs out to
Shinra Mansion at Nibelheim.  And I want you to keep an eye on them as
they strip every book, every record, and every piece of equipment out
of that place."

	Elena looked up in surprise at the slightly horrified on Reno's
face.  

	"Oh crap!  You want us to babysit a bunch of geeks!?  Man, this
WILL cost you!  Come on, Reeve.  Please tell me you're joking."

	In a quiet voice, he said, "I'm deadly serious, Reno.  There's
some very sensitive material sitting in that Mansion and security's
nonexistent.  I want a disinterested party to make sure that none of
these guys start getting weird ideas.  The last thing I need is some
half-wit scientist getting delusions of following Hojo's footsteps. 
There's an incredible amount of information related to Jenova,
Sephiroth, and other classified projects in the Mansion.  Do you get
my drift?"

	Reno grimaced. "Yeah.  How come Shinra didn't grab all that stuff
sooner?"
	
	"I don't know.  Scientific research used to be entirely Hojo's
area.  Security was not his strong point.  For a scientist, he could
be incredibly absentminded and sloppy."

	The Turk exhaled slowly.  "All right.  We'll do it.  When do you
want to start?"

	"As soon as possible."

	"Reeve, what's the big rush?"
	
	There was a long pause, then the Shinra executive said, "I'd
planned to do something like this for a while.  Unfortunately,
something's nasty has suddenly come up.  I need every scrap of Hojo's
information I can get my hands on and I need it NOW.  Although...."

	"Although...."
	
	"I'm afraid that we're already too late."

	"Get your technogeeks together.  We'll be there within the hour."
	
	After Reeve hung up, Reno looked at Elena and Rude.  The two Turks
had been playing a lackadaisical game of poker, but now both looked
very curious.  She asked, "What's up?  You said something about
babysitting?"
	
	"Yeah.  Reeve's got an urgent job for us."
	
	"And...."
	
	Reno smiled sourly.  "We get to rummage through Hojo's garbage."
	
	"Oh, yuck."
	
	"Come on.  This is a rush job."
	
------------------------------------

	Tifa stared thoughtfully at the rain drenched scenery surrounding
Kalm.  Actually, she didn't have much to worry about.  Things had
turned out rather well for her.  After Meteor had been destroyed and
all the immediate chaos had settled down, both she and Cloud had taken
up residence in Kalm Town -- unfortunately, not with each other.  With
their frequent travels to visit friends and to hunt down the
occasional monsters, Kalm ended up being more a base of operations
than a home.  

	Despite the constant travel and activity, Cloud actually seemed...
content.  She had been pleasantly surprised at the change in him after
Sephiroth's destruction.  Tifa had never quite realized just how
Sephiroth's mere existence had oppressed Cloud.  With that dark,
haunting presence gone, he had lost much of the edgy broodiness that
she had noticed when she found him sitting outside the train station
in Midgar.  For the first time in years, he had fully emerged from
Sephiroth's shadow and Tifa liked what she saw.

	But it also puzzled her a great deal.

	Cloud had been right.  Her experiences in the Lifestream at Mideel
made her realize that she had never really known him, never played
with him, rarely ever spoken to him....  The Cloud she had known had
been always been withdrawn and isolated, even as a child.   

	She shook her head at the insensitivity of children.  Although she
had been nice enough to him -- that was to say, not actively cruel --
she had basically ignored him.  He had simply been the kid on the
fringes that the adults always yelled at and the other kids always
picked on.  Their meeting at the water tower just before his departure
for Midgar had been her first and only chance to really speak to him
one-on-one.

	But when had he changed from a loner to a leader?  Where Cloud had
acquired that quiet confidence and assertiveness,.... where did he get
the inner strength to overcome Sephiroth's brutal domination and
manipulation?  Somehow, she couldn't quite see him developing up those
abilities while working for Shinra.  He freely admitted that he had
been nothing more than a common trooper -- in his own words, just
another grunt in the field.

	What was more amazing was her recent realization that much of his
transformation had occurred right before her very eyes.  She could
still remember the sullen, mercenary young man from their first
meeting at the train station just under a year ago -- a man who cared
about money first and everything else a distant second.

	One year....  It felt like a lifetime.  
	
	But a few short weeks after that fateful meeting, with Meteor
hovering overhead and Sephiroth lurking beneath their feet at the
Northern Crater, Cloud had become the trusted leader of their odd
little group -- the man whose encouragement and leadership
successfully guided them into and out of battle with the most evil and
powerful being on the Planet.  

	What had happened in those seven years since their secret meeting
at the water tower?  She was intensely curious but was equally
reluctant to pry.  What few details he let slip hinted at... terrible
things.  With the shaky state of his memory, it was better to let
sleeping dogs lie.  Cloud had managed to reach a tenuous peace with
himself.  The last thing she wanted was to take that peace away from
him.

	Tifa sighed.  Things were certainly going well but life was far
from perfect.  Perhaps the most important problem for her was the fact
that their relationship seemed stalled at the 'close plutonic friend'
stage.  And it wasn't Cloud's fault.  Well, not exactly his fault.  

	There were times where she would catch him staring out into the
distance with a wistful look on his face.  It was a look of sadness,
regret, loneliness.  It wasn't hard to guess what -- or rather who --
he was thinking about.
	
	Aeris.

	When the Lifestream had emerged to save the Planet from Meteor,
she had thought that Cloud had basically reconciled himself to Aeris'
fate.  But it now seemed pretty clear that he still grieved deeply for
the flower girl.

	It wasn't that she hated Aeris.  Far from it.  She had developed a
strong liking and respect for the girl during their brief time
together.  Tifa had mourned her death as much as the others.  But she
couldn't deny that she resented Aeris at times, resented that instant,
mysterious bond that she had with Cloud.  It was a bond that
apparently still existed.

	Tifa loved him.  And she was pretty sure that he cared about her. 
However, Cloud's lingering feelings for Aeris made it almost
impossible for her to discuss her true feelings with him.  

	Maybe she was just being greedy, but Tifa didn't want to be his
second choice.  In the contest for Cloud's heart, she didn't want to
be the winner by default, simply because she was the only one still
alive.

	"The Highwind's here."  She started as Red XIII's low, gravelly
voice interrupted her musings.  

	Climbing aboard, she was pleasantly surprised to find Vincent
already on board.  He acknowledged her and Red's presence with a
slight nod, then retired to his usual secluded location toward the
back of the bridge.  Yuffie had actually staggered out of the
Highwind's hold to greet her.  As the ninja girl made her appearance,
Cid took a deep puff on his smoke and cheerfully said, "Exciting ride,
hm?  I always wanted to see how the Highwind II would handle without
the motion dampers on."

	Yuffie gave him a malevolent stare and snarled, "I'll get you for
this, Cid!"  With those words, she fled the bridge.

	As usual, Vincent said nothing about that exchange.  However, he
did raise his eyebrows slightly.  Cid shrugged carelessly and put on
an innocent look that fooled no one as he headed the Highwind toward
Midgar.

---------------------------

	As he rode north, Cloud pondered about the two oddly disturbing...
things that marred the otherwise comfortable life he now had.	

	When he had sensed Aeris' soothing presence after his final,
personal confrontation with Sephiroth, Cloud had thought that he had
come to grips with her death.  But ever since the destruction of
Meteor, he had felt a quiet, subdued sensation of grief and loss.  It
wasn't anything like his heart-wrenching, burning sorrow as he
helplessly watched Aeris being brutally murdered by Sephiroth.  

	It wasn't a crippling pain.  Instead, it was more like a mild,
persistent ache in his soul -- a wound that lingered and would never
quite heal properly.

	But he could deal with it.  Aeris had returned to the Planet.  She
had reached her Promised Land.  He wouldn't dream of dragging her back
into the cruel physical world for his own selfish reasons.

	What worried him more were the dreams -- dreams that came with
increasing frequency.  

	They weren't the terrifying, gut-wrenching nightmares as he might
have expected, considering the experiences he had been through.  No,
they were much more disturbing because they were... pleasant dreams.  
His conscious mind could not -- or would not -- recall any specific
details, but he could remember quite clearly the feelings involved. 
They were feelings of laughter, of camaraderie, of friendship and
trust....  
	
	The dreams profoundly bothered Cloud because they hinted at a
terrible loss.  
	
	There had been someone that he had known.  Someone he had been
very close to.  Someone who had almost certainly been the very best
friend he had ever had....  

	....and someone he had utterly forgotten.

-----------------------------------

	An hour later, Cloud glared out from under his rainhood and swore.
 This was utterly ridiculous.  He and his friends had crisscrossed the
world untold number of times in their quest to save the Planet from
Sephiroth.  They had hacked their way through trackless jungle,
crossed burning deserts, sailed over oceans, hiked into the very
bowels of the earth,....  

	So how the hell did he manage to get lost riding from Fort Condor
to Midgar?  On a gold chocobo, no less.  He prayed that Cid won't find
out, otherwise he'd never hear the end of it.
	
	"Where on earth am I now!?" he shouted at no one in particular.

	Nikki, his gold chocobo, stamped its foot in annoyance, as if to
deny any involvement in their current predicament.

	Cloud grinned and scratched the chocobo's crest.  "Sorry, didn't
mean to imply that it was your fault."

	He and his mount soon found themselves on a rocky outcrop.  To his
relief, he saw the great city of Midgar spread out below him.  

	(Well, better late than never.)

	Dismounting, he stepped a bit closer to the edge to get a better
look at the city.  

	(Weird.  Without the Mako reactors running, it looks a lot dimmer
than it did back then....)

	[ flash ]

	Cloud dazedly looked down at his wet hands.  For some strange
reason, he had been expecting -- and dreading -- the sight of blood. 
But there was nothing on his hands except plain, ordinary rainwater.

	He shivered.  He needed to get away from here.  Something deep
inside was shouting that there was something horribly wrong with this
place.  He whirled and took a quick step toward his chocobo.  

	There was a loud crack under his feet.  Startled, Cloud glanced
down.  At first, he thought that it was just a branch, then he
abruptly realized that he stepped on a bone.  A human bone.

	He quickly scanned the area and soon found the rest of the body. 
The scraps of flesh on the bones and the strands of black hair still
clinging to the skull told him that the corpse wasn't that old.  It
had probably only been lying there for a year or so.  

	Curiosity made him take a closer look at the bones, especially at
the skull.  The relatively smooth edges along the cuts made it clear
that this had been no accidental death.  Apparently not content with
practically cleaving the man's head in half, probably with a sword,
someone had literally hacked the poor bastard apart. 

	/ But the eyes just wouldn't... stop... staring... at him.... /

	/ Get out of my head! /

	The skull slipped from his numb fingers as an agonizing pain
exploded in his brain.  He staggered, then the rain-softened soil
suddenly gave away beneath his feet.  He toppled off the steep
outcrop, bounced once, and landed heavily on a tiny ledge fifty feet
below.

-----------------------------------

	In Reeve's office, Cid grumbled, "Where the hell are Cloud?  A
couple of hours, he says.  If I'd had any idea it was going to take
him this long...."

	Tifa paced anxiously.  "It doesn't take 'this long' to get here
from Fort Condor."

	Reeve said mildly, "Maybe the weather's the problem?"

	Cid flung himself down in a comfortable chair.  "Hell, those gold
chocobos can run on the ocean!  You think a little rain and mud's
going to bother them?"  

	Tifa pulled out her phone and tried calling Cloud.  Everyone
waited tensely as the phone rang and rang.  No answer.  Finally, there
was a click on the other end.

	"Cloud, where on earth are you!?" Tifa shouted.

	At first there was no answer, then Tifa heard a familiar warble. 
She stared at the phone in shock.

	"Nikki!?"

	Cid jumped up and yelled, "Who the hell's Nikki?"

	Tifa distractedly muttered, "Cloud's chocobo.  Cloud!?"

	There was another fretful warble, followed by a distressed cooing
sound... then they heard a very faint groan.

	"Oh god!  Something's happened to him!  Cid...."

	"Come on, we can track him from the Highwind."  He, Tifa, and the
others stormed out of Reeve's office.  By the time they had reboarded
the Highwind, Cait Sith was waiting for them on the bridge, anxiously
rocking back and forth.

-----------------------------------

	"The signal's coming from around here.  The kid can't be too far,"
Cid muttered.

	Tifa and the others frantically peered through the gathering
darkness and mist.  The temperature was dropping quickly and the rain
was getting heavier.

	"If we don't find him soon, he could die of exposure."
	
	Yuffie tried to be reassuring.  "Cloud's tough.  He won't croak
just because of a little bad weather, Tifa."

	It was Vincent, as usual, who first sighted their quarry.

	"Down there, on the ledge."  Perched on a tiny ledge fifty feet or
so below a rocky outcrop was a golden chocobo who was huddled
protectively over a still human body.  There was a sheer drop of well
over a hundred feet on the other side of the ledge.  

	Tifa whispered, "If Cloud moves...."

	Cid pounded her lightly on the shoulder.  "Quit thinking about it
and let's go get him!"

	Unable to land the Highwind, everyone went over the side on a rope
ladder.  Once down on the outcrop, Cid, Tifa, and several crewmembers
held a rope as Vincent climbed down.  Everyone was soon soaking wet
and dirty.  The mud made footing uncertain and the cliff was
dangerously unstable, with bits of it crumbling off without warning. 
The chocobo objected loudly as stones and dirt rained down on it in
spite of Vincent's best efforts to be careful during his climb.

	Fortunately, it turned out that getting down the cliff was the
hardest part of the rescue.  Once on the ledge, Vincent had simply
tossed Cloud on Nikki's back and ridden the gold chocobo up to the
top.

	Back in the Highwind's sickbay, Cid offered Tifa a hot cup of
coffee and asked, "How's he doing?"

	"He had a few cracked ribs, some nasty cuts and bruises.  The Full
Cure materia's taken care of any physical injuries that he's got but
he's still out cold."

	"Must have taken a bad knock on the head going down the cliff."
	
	"That's why I think we should hurry back to Midgar.  I want a
doctor to take a look at him, just in case."

	"We're already underway.  Tifa, could you tell whether all those
injuries came from the fall?"

	For a moment, she didn't quite understand the question, then she
said, "You don't think it was just an accident?  You think that he
might have been attacked or shoved off the cliff?"

	"Come on.  The kid's damn quick on his feet.  Even with all that
mud and junk, it's hard to imagine him just falling off without
someone -- or something -- helping him along."

	She shook her head.  "Stupid....  I should have thought about that
myself.  But no, I didn't find anything unusual."

	Back on the Highwind's bridge, Cid stopped to speak to Vincent. 
"I saw you looking around at the ground back there.  Find anything?"

	"No significant traces of any other creature on the outcrop.  That
doesn't mean much.  It could have been a flying creature or something
small."

	"So did you find anything at all suspicious?"

	"A corpse."

	Cid nearly choked on his coffee.  "And you didn't say...."

	"It had been there for at least a year, maybe more."

	The pilot shrugged.  "Oh well, in that case, it couldn't have had
anything to do with Cloud's fall."

-----------------------------------

	While the doctor at Mideel had been a calm, reassuring bedside
manner, Dr. Stephen was smug, arrogant and incredibly abrasive. 
However, Tifa couldn't argue with the man's medical expertise.

	"Interesting."  He prodded Cloud's stomach.  "Marvellous muscle
tone, but typical of SOLDIER personnel.  And the eyes.... hmmm....
yes...."

	Tifa cleared her throat and said pointedly, "Doctor, you're
supposed to checking out his injuries.  He's not a specimen.  He's
your patient!"

	He snorted, "I am well aware of that.  However, as I've just
noted, he's in superb physical shape.  He only has a mild concussion
-- it's nothing a little rest won't take care of."
	
	Tifa sighed with relief.  The doctor continued, "You, however, are
another story.  I refuse to be responsible for your health if you
continue to stand around in those wet, ridiculously skimpy clothes."

	She flushed angrily.  "'Ridiculously skimpy....'  Just where do
you get off telling me...!"

	Standing in the doorway, Reeve said, "He's right."  
	
	When Tifa glared furiously at him, the Shinra exec hastily
elaborated.  "I wasn't talking about your clothes!  I mean, you're
exhausted, wet, and dirty.  Why don't you grab a quick hot shower and
change?  It'll only take a few minutes and Cloud's not going anywhere
in his present condition."

	Tifa looked a bit reluctant, then suddenly sneezed twice. 
"Thanks.  I'll think I'll do that."

-----------------------------------

	Wavering in and out of consciousness, Cloud slowly opened his
eyes.  He was lying on an examination table....

	/ NO! /

	...and someone dressed in a white labcoat was approaching with
something in his hand....

	/ NO! /

	"As I live and breath.  It's Code C from the Nibelheim project! 
Oh, Dr. Roissy will be thrilled to find out that you're still alive
and kicking.  She was absolutely devastated when Hojo told her that
you and the other specimen were killed after your escape."

	/ Oh, god... not that voice..../ 
	
	Fear and loathing churned his stomach.  That snide, weaselly voice
was the stuff of nightmares because it always led to another
'session'... more 'treatments',... more pain,... another chunk of his
mind getting eaten away....

	"And let's take a good look at you."

	And then the labcoated figure touched him with those icy cold
hands.

	/ Not this time, you pig! /

	A low, terrifying snarl of rage filled the room as Cloud suddenly
slammed the doctor into the wall.  He slid off the examination table
with predatory grace, then stalked toward the stunned scientist lying
on the floor.  

	With a vicious little purr in his voice, he said, "Well.  I'm not
tied up, strapped down, or doped to the gills.  Not so quite so easy
to handle now, am I, my man?"  

	Dr. Stephen scrambled backward.  "NO!  Don't touch me!"
	
	A hot, feral glitter burned in Cloud's blue eyes as he stared down
at his old tormenter-now-victim.  "Why should I listen to you?  You
never listened to me.  No matter how much it hurt."
	
	"Don't take it out on me!  I was just following Hojo's orders!"

	Cloud snarled, "But you enjoyed it, didn't you?  You and your
damned clammy hands always poking and prying,... sticking them where
they damn well didn't belong!  Treating me like a fucking piece of
meat...."

	"Come on!  It was nothing personal.  It was my job to do regular
examinations of you and the 'Z' guy... what's his name... oh yeah! 
That SOLDIER fellow, Zack."

	Cloud pounced on the quivering scientist and grabbed him by the
throat.  Viciously shaking his victim back and forth, he hissed, "You
remember HIS name, but you can't remember MINE!?  How come you didn't
hurt HIM nearly as much as you hurt ME!?"

	In a distinctly nasal whine, Dr. Stephen said, "That wasn't my
fault!  Of course he withstood the treatments better than you!  After
all, Zack was Sephiroth's chosen protege.  You have to be special to
be someone like that!  Can I help it if you were too weak to handle 
the same sort of stuff?  He was a SOLDIER and you were just a nobody...."

	  Cloud suddenly dumped the terrified scientist on the floor and
grabbed at his head as those last few words echoed loudly in his
brain.    

	/ Too weak.... nobody.... Just a nobody.... /

		// Leave him alone!  He's a human being, damn it! //

	/ No one cares about me..../

		// Hang in there. //

	/ I'm losing myself.... /

		// I won't leave you alone. //

	/ Get out of my head! /

		// We're friends, right? //

	/ Tifa.... /

		// Hope the girl survived.... //
		
	/ I'm standing right in front of you.... /

		// Why are you hiding from her? //
		
	/ Why can't you see who I am? /

		// Don't you want her to recognize you? //

	/ Of course she doesn't notice me. 
	/ Teasing little bitch.... 
	/ She's too busy flirting with Zack and Sephiroth.... /

		// Seph.... //

	/ It's all his fault. /
	
		// It's all my fault. //

	/ He destroyed my life. /

		// I could have tried harder. //
		
	/ Zack.... 
	/ Everybody likes Zack. 
	/ Everybody respects Zack. 
	/ Everybody trusts Zack. 
	/ I have nothing. 
	/ And Zack's got it all. 
	/ But a few good whacks will soon take care of THAT. /

		// ....!? //

	/ Nothing to say now, Mr. hotshot SOLDIER? /

		// .... //

	/ Stop it!  Stop looking at me! /

		// .... //
		
	/ Get out of my head! /
	
		// Wish I could.... //

	/ What... what have I done? /

		// Don't be so hard on yourself. //
	
	/ I didn't mean to.... /
		
		// It wasn't you. //
		
	/ Oh god, I'm sorry.... /

		// I'm sorry I couldn't save you.... //

	/ You saved my life. /

		// ....from the darkness inside. //

	/ Why can't I be strong like you? /
	
		// Strength... sometimes hurts. //

	/ I'm just a murderer.... /

		// I'm a murderer....//

	/ I killed my only friend..../

		// I killed my best friend.... //

	/ ....because he had everything I desired.... /

		// ....because he became a soulless monster.... //

	/ .... because he was everything I wanted to be. /

		// ....because he was going to destroy the world. //
		
	/ I must be crazy. /
	
		// He was insane. //
		
	/ But that's no excuse for what I've done. /
	
		// But that's no excuse for what I've done. //

	/ I didn't HAVE to do it. /

		// I HAD to do it. //

	/ It was the wrong thing to do. /
	
		// It was the right thing to do. //

	/ And that only makes it worse. /

		// But that doesn't make it any better. //	
		
	/ I want to be like you. /

		// Just be yourself. //

	/ ....want... to... be... you.... /

	Taking advantage of Cloud's apparent seizure, the doctor hastily
scurried out of the room as Cloud sagged to his knees.

	Several moments later, he slowly struggled to his feet.  Grabbing
the examination table for support, he stared at his unfamiliar
surroundings.

	"How did I get here?  Oww..."  He winced as he moved his head too
suddenly.

	Just then Tifa walked into the room after her shower.  When she
saw Cloud conscious and standing on his feet, she ran toward him and
grabbed him with a cry of relief.

	"You're awake!  Are you all right?  You had me really worried
there!  Here, sit down before you fall over.  Where on earth did that
doctor run off to?  Damn it!"  

	After helping Cloud into a chair, she knelt beside him and said,
"Cloud, Are you okay?"

	"Yeah, I... think so.  Except for this headache."

  	"Do you remember what happened to you?  Were you attacked?"

	Cloud frowned slightly and rubbed his forehead.  "What happened? 
All I can remember is... hell, falling off that damned outcrop.  God,
how clumsy of me."  He grimaced.

	"That's it?  You just... tripped and fell off a cliff?" Tifa
sputtered in disbelief.
	
	"No, that wasn't exactly it.  I... think I stepped on something. 
I bent down to take a look at it.  The next thing I know, the ground
collapses under my feet.  That's about it."  He gave Tifa a curious
look.  "How did you guys find me?"

	"We managed to track you there using the signal from your phone. 
How are you feeling?  Everyone else is in Reeve's office but we can
put off our talk until you're feeling better...."

	"No, no.  I don't want to do that.  I'm fine."  
	
	"Are you sure?  Maybe I should go find that doctor and let him
take a look at you."

	Cloud shook his head emphatically, then winced at the dull throb
of pain.  "No, don't.  Doctors give me the creeps."

	Tifa's expression softened.  Considering Cloud's experiences with
Hojo, it was only natural that he had developed a strong aversion to
the medical profession.  "All right.  I'm sure that the guys will be
interested in seeing that you're okay."

	Cloud give her a wry grin.  "They probably want to poke fun at me
for tripping over my own feet." 

	But as they were walking out of the infirmary, Dr. Stephen
suddenly popped out from one of the side offices.  He nervously asked
Tifa, "Is he... is he gone?  God, I thought he was about to... EEK!"  

	His words trailed off into a squeak of fear as he saw Cloud
standing behind Tifa.  His eyes bulging in terror, the scientist fled
back into the side office and slammed the door.  There was the click
of locks, followed by the sound of furniture being shoved against the
door.
	
	Tifa blinked in astonishment.  "What the hell was that all about?"
 She turned, then started when she saw the expression of intense,
barely controlled hostility on Cloud's face.

	"Cloud, what's wrong?  Do you know that man?" she asked.

	He tersely replied, "Yes.  He was one of Dr. Hojo's assistants at
Nibelheim.  He was the one who carried out a lot of the actual...
experimentation."  His fists clenched.  "I'd like to pound the crap
out of him for some of the stuff he put us through."  He took a few
deep breaths as he struggled to calm himself.  
	
	"Cloud...."
	
	"No, I'm fine.  Really.  It's just that I never thought about
running into some of Hojo's flunkeys again... and he can't be the only
one still alive."  He shivered slightly.  "I... don't want to think
about it anymore, Tifa."

	She said quietly, "Okay, Cloud.  But I'm here if you ever need to
talk about it...."
	
	He gave her a small grin.  "Thanks."
	
	"....and I can always help you beat him to a pulp."	
	
	Cloud chuckled softly as they entered the elevator and headed for
Reeve's office.

(to be continued)

------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------

Sephiroth smiling... that's rarely a good sign.

Cloud's past turns out to be much darker and murkier than anyone ever
imagined (like that's any great surprise).  But who is this dear
friend he can't -- or won't -- remember?

In parts 2-3, 
	- a familiar crackpot reappears...
	- learn the perils of unauthorized research...
	- object, object -- who's got the object?
	- Reno gets carried away while Elena ends in the gutter...
	- find out what Scarlet really carries up her skirt...
		
	(no, this is NOT a lemon!)    ^_^;

--------------------------------------------
madamhydra@aol.com         /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/:E