Last major revision: 10/18/98 Last modified: 02/10/99 ====================================================================== CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: A Final Fantasy VII fanfic by Madamhydra ====================================================================== PART 6 (side story): MIND GAME ====================================================================== --------------- 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: Violence, Adult language and subject matter. This is a CONTINUATION - ALTERNATE REALITY Final Fantasy VII fanfic. It contains major SPOILERS for the game. --------------- Text Conventions ( ) are character thoughts / / and // // are mental dialogue [ ] are miscellaneous images or sound effects ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** In the basement of the Shinra Building, there exists a storage area for all the video recorded by the security littering the building. But in the chaos that follows the Meteor incident, most people forget about the videotape archive... and the secrets it contains. On one of the topmost shelves sits a box of videotapes recorded on the night of President Shinra's death. Most of the footage consists of the same monotonous views of empty detention cells on the 67th floor, but there are three tapes that might be of particular interest. Each was neatly labelled 'Avalanche'. The first tape covers a cell containing a large black man with a gun grafted on his hand and a large, red-furred beast that looks like a cross between a wolf and a cat. The second tape shows a pretty brown-haired young woman quietly sitting on an uncomfortable cell cot. The third tape focuses on a cell containing a skimpily dressed woman with long, dark hair. She lies on the lone cell cot while her male companion sits on the floor. He's of medium height or perhaps a bit shorter, with a muscular but not over-developed physique. A quick search of the Shinra personnel database would have quickly identified the spiky blond-haired young man as Cloud Strife. ------------------------- [ Shinra security video, 67th floor detention area, Cell B ] Without warning, the door to Cloud's cell slid open and a tall, instantly recognizable black-dressed man with long, silvery-white hair stepped inside. Sephiroth glanced briefly at Tifa as she slept, then he turned his attention to the young man slouched against the wall. Minutes ticked by as he stared down at the peacefully sleeping Cloud with a faint frown on his face. Slowly... tentatively... Sephiroth bent down and reached out his hand. It was an hesitant, almost gentle sort of gesture. But before he touched Cloud, Sephiroth's expression abruptly went cold and remote. He again reached for Cloud, but this time, he brutally grabbed the young man by the throat and effortlessly hauled him to his feet. Despite the rough handling, Cloud remained fast asleep until Sephiroth said, "WAKE UP." Cloud's eyes slowly opened at Sephiroth's softly voiced command, then widened in shock as he recognized the man in black standing in front of him. Fear warred with hatred on his face as he mutely stared at the man he had once idolized so much. A sinister little smile appeared on Sephiroth's lips and he lightly brushed his fingers along Cloud's cheek. But unlike his earlier, aborted gesture, there was no kindness or gentleness in the ex-general's hands now. In a malevolent purr, Sephiroth said, "What do we have here? A little SOLDIER boy? Or a fool playing dress-up? You don't remember a thing, do you? How remarkably convenient. After all, who would want to be a failure like you, hm?" Under Sephiroth's contemptuous gaze, the young man visibly cringed. The black-caped man glanced over his shoulder at the soundly sleeping Tifa, then turned back to his hapless victim. "Nibelheim burned and you did nothing. Pretty little Tifa lay bleeding all over the reactor floor and you did absolutely nothing. While you blubbered like an idiot... while you were moaning and wailing about your lost family and hometown... someone else was trying to DO something about it. Someone else was checking for survivors. Someone else was saving little Tifa's life. Someone else was trying to stop me... and amazingly enough, he managed to succeed... or partially, at least." Sephiroth cocked his head slightly, then lightly tapped Cloud's forehead. "Isn't it amazing what a little self-delusion will do? All the shame... all the helplessness... gone." Cloud shuddered and he shook his head frantically. His mouth moved but no words emerged. "My, don't we even look the part? Instead of being a nobody, you're now a dashing ex-SOLDIER, complete with a suitably formidable weapon and... wardrobe." There was a barely noticeable pause in Sephiroth's voice on the last word, but the man quickly shook away the brief instant of hesitation. He leaned closer and whispered viciously, "You can dress like a SOLDIER." Sephiroth tapped the familiar insignia on Cloud's belt. "You might even be able to trick yourself into fighting like a SOLDIER. But you'll never be anything more than a pathetic copy of a real SOLDIER... and an even poorer copy of him...." The anger and confusion in Cloud's expression had long since given way to overwhelming terror. He cowered under Sephiroth's verbal onslaught but couldn't tear his eyes away from that terrible, ice green stare. "And when I'm through with you, you'll know exactly what you are. A fake. A hollow shell. A puppet of flesh with no name and no mind of its own." Cloud closed his eyes, his whole body shaking uncontrollably. Sephiroth chuckled quietly. "The truth hurts, doesn't it? But enough for now. We'll have plenty of time to talk about this later on. LOOK AT ME." Cloud involuntarily opened his eyes and met Sephiroth's gaze. It was a terrible mistake. Long moments passed before Sephiroth released his hold on his victim's chin and stepped back. Cloud remained frozen in place against the wall, his ice blue eyes utterly empty of thought, will, or feeling. The man in black smiled at the sight. "Cloud, you wanted so badly to become a SOLDIER. So be it. Here are your superior officer's orders. FOLLOW ME AND OBEY." A wave of his hand and Cloud's blank eyes closed. The young man slowly slid back to the floor, taking up the same position he had before Sephiroth's entrance. As Cloud's head sank down on his chest, Sephiroth gave him a little, condescending pat on the head "That's a good boy. Now we begin the game." With those words, Sephiroth stalked out the cell, sword in hand. He left behind a sleeping young woman, a tormented young man, and an open cell door. ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** Just a little tale of 'what might have been', suitably altered to fit the CONFLICTS OF INTEREST plot line. ^_^ -------------------------------------------- madamhydra@aol.com /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/:E http://www.geocities.com/~madamhydra/