Chapter 5: A Long Gone Sister
Yazoo and his siblings were sleeping soundly deep within the Forgotten City after a long and successful mission. Meanwhile, Cloud was in a house with Tifa in Sector 7 having a conversation…
Cloud sighed “You know, a lot has happened since Sephiroth’s disappearance… and to think stopping Meteor wasn’t it…” Tifa said “Those three young ones that look like him are still out there. Are you going to stop them, or give up and die?” Cloud protested “What? Of course I’ll stop them. I cant let another Sephiroth return happen! But, there’s something I gotta tell you… that I shouldve said long before any of this. In Nibelheim, I had a sister before the fire happened. She had blonde hair and blue eyes like me, of course, but she wanted to get strong and be in SOLDIER at the time. She was very interested and battle overall. Her name was Stratos…” Tifa asked “Was this before we met?” Cloud nodded “Im certain it was. Positive. She never left home, though, except to go out and beat up monsters. She wasn’t usually gone very long, either. Everything was fine, but when I left to tried and join SOLDIER, even though I couldn’t, I didn’t see her even after returning to my hometown that day… I even checked inside my house. But Stratos wasn’t there. I asked my mom where she went, and she said she was out training… but didn’t specify her location.” Tifa gasped and asked “No… you don’t mean Sephiroth got her…” Cloud shook his head “No, I don’t think he did. If he killed her, I wouldve seen her body after the fire happened. Its impossible to miss it when Sephiroth kills someone. You know how brutal he was. But its strange… I didn’t see her in town, or in the mountains when I chased after Sephiroth. I never heard from her again… nor saw her.” Tifa asked “Maybe she fled when after hearing the struggle? Somewhere where she’d be safe?” Cloud shrugged “That’s what I wanna think. I don’t wanna believe Stratos died… I just cant. But I cant even imagine where she would have gone off to. If she’s alive, then… that’s what matters. Even if I do never see her again.” Tifa drifted “Cloud…” Cloud shook his head “I just hope Sephiroth didn’t get her while she was far away, during the incident with the Black Materia…” Tifa suggested “No, I think you were right about him not killing her. Sephiroth wouldn’t kill her unless you were watching. That’s the way he works. He wants you to watch and weep… literally.” Cloud nodded “Just like when he got Aeris… not just to stop Holy, but I remember his words clearly from our last fight…” Tifa sighed “You don’t really think those kids are going to bring Sephiroth back, do you? I’d hate to deal with him all over again…” Cloud sighed “I don’t know, but we cant risk it. I’ll get rid of them before they get far enough to try.” Cloud nodded and Tifa smiled at him. Cloud drew his buster sword and stood up “It doesn’t matter what they’re trying to do. What matters is I stop them before they can win.” Tifa nodded and smiled, and Cloud left the house. Cloud left Sector 7’s town area and went to an area with old broken down machinery near Sector 5. Cloud stopped running suddenly, and said “That noise… I don’t think im alone.” He heard a young woman’s giggle from behind and was knocked away to the wall with brute force. Cloud “Gah..! Who’s there?!” He quickly stood up, recovering and looked around but saw nothing. Cloud shook his head “The… ghost? No, im positive someone was there. Where’d she go?” Cloud gripped his sword and studied the area carefully, looking for his attacker. He heard another giggle from behind and someone forced him to the ground. Cloud “Agh..! Who are you?!” His buster sword flew out of his hand, and a woman dressed in black leather clothing stood before him laughing. The woman said “You forgot already? I guess you need more convincing… don’t you, Brother?” The shadows cleared from her face and revealed it, showing her long blonde hair and blue eyes, smiling down at him. Cloud cried “Stratos?! No way! I thought you… I thought something happened to you! What are you doing here?” She giggled and put a hand over her mouth happily “Give the boy a prize! Youre actually right! I am your long lost Sister! But im not here for a family reunion. Sorry, darling.” Cloud grew suspicious, unable to take his eyes off her sadistic expression “Stratos… what are you talking about?” Stratos laughed and revealed black and white butterfly wings from behind her, flying off the ground slightly “What am I talking about? Ohh, I would LOVE to tell you! But im afraid im bound by certain rules that forbid it. And besides, why would I want you to know everything you need to in order to get in our way? Whats the fun in that, hm brother?” Cloud hardened his gaze and got to his feet “No, stop! Youre not Stratos at all! My sister would never act like this! My real sister wanted to join SOLDIER and get strong. Stop acting and show yourself, whoever you are.” Stratos laughed heavily and shook her head “Im afraid youre wrong, my older brother. I am the same sister you had before Nibelheim got burned to ash. I just never told you I was alive because I couldn’t risk making a ruckus for an important somebody im working with. Cant have any slowdowns now, can we?” Cloud asked “What do you mean ‘we’? Where are your lackeys, Stratos?” Stratos shrugged “My lackeys? Hahaha, did you hear that, mister? He actually thinks I’m the one running the game here! Ehhh, sorry. Wrong answer, brother. Im the one helping, not ordering.” Cloud asked “What do you want? What are you after, Stratos? Explain yourself!” Stratos shrugged “Oh, what a wonderful question! Funny you should ask! But im afraid im out of time to play with you right now, Cloud. Sayonara, old brother!” Stratos cackled in a high pitched voice and vanished through black mist that sparkled with a deep purple. Cloud reached his hand out and realized he was crying as she disappeared “Stratos… what happened to you..? What are you doing..?” He shook his head sadly “Who’s bossing her around? I… I’ve gotta help her…” Cloud picked up his buster sword and looked at it. Cloud sadly spoke “Stratos… no… not you too… is she working for Sephiroth…?” Cloud decided to return home in Sector 7, feeling deeply discouraged after his encounter with Stratos. Tifa saw how sad Cloud was when he came in, and asked “Cloud, what happened out there?” Cloud shook his head sadly “I ran into Stratos on my way to search for the remnants… and she was… completely different. And not good different. She acted so unlike herself, so callous, like I meant nothing to her… and she seemed to be operating under someone else’s authority based on the things she did say.” Tifa suggested “You don’t think she’s working for Sephiroth, do you..?” Cloud replied “I don’t know. She refused to explain what she wanted or who she was working with. And before I knew it, she faded through this sparkly dark mist… and she also had butterfly-like wings that were black and white. But mostly black in color. And she was wearing black leather clothing and boots, as well…” Tifa asked “Did she always dress like that?” Cloud nodded “Normally, yes. But she never showed butterfly wings when we were growing up. Not once. So I don’t know how she got those…” Tifa sighed “Cloud, im really sorry… I don’t know what to say. If there’s anything I can say, that I can do to help you… please tell me. You don’t have to do this alone…” Cloud sighed and shook his head “I don’t want to kill or even hurt my own sister, but… if she really is up to anything nasty, I don’t have a choice but to stop her. Im not even sure if Sephiroth is the one pulling the strings on her here… I don’t know who she’s working for. Especially given the nature of those wings she had. Sephiroth would never give his lackeys butterfly wings, even if they are higher ups in his eyes.” Tifa said “Oh great… first Sephiroth, and now Stratos? We need a plan…” Cloud nodded silently and sat down across from Tifa at the table.
To Be Continued…
Yazoo and his siblings were sleeping soundly deep within the Forgotten City after a long and successful mission. Meanwhile, Cloud was in a house with Tifa in Sector 7 having a conversation…
Cloud sighed “You know, a lot has happened since Sephiroth’s disappearance… and to think stopping Meteor wasn’t it…” Tifa said “Those three young ones that look like him are still out there. Are you going to stop them, or give up and die?” Cloud protested “What? Of course I’ll stop them. I cant let another Sephiroth return happen! But, there’s something I gotta tell you… that I shouldve said long before any of this. In Nibelheim, I had a sister before the fire happened. She had blonde hair and blue eyes like me, of course, but she wanted to get strong and be in SOLDIER at the time. She was very interested and battle overall. Her name was Stratos…” Tifa asked “Was this before we met?” Cloud nodded “Im certain it was. Positive. She never left home, though, except to go out and beat up monsters. She wasn’t usually gone very long, either. Everything was fine, but when I left to tried and join SOLDIER, even though I couldn’t, I didn’t see her even after returning to my hometown that day… I even checked inside my house. But Stratos wasn’t there. I asked my mom where she went, and she said she was out training… but didn’t specify her location.” Tifa gasped and asked “No… you don’t mean Sephiroth got her…” Cloud shook his head “No, I don’t think he did. If he killed her, I wouldve seen her body after the fire happened. Its impossible to miss it when Sephiroth kills someone. You know how brutal he was. But its strange… I didn’t see her in town, or in the mountains when I chased after Sephiroth. I never heard from her again… nor saw her.” Tifa asked “Maybe she fled when after hearing the struggle? Somewhere where she’d be safe?” Cloud shrugged “That’s what I wanna think. I don’t wanna believe Stratos died… I just cant. But I cant even imagine where she would have gone off to. If she’s alive, then… that’s what matters. Even if I do never see her again.” Tifa drifted “Cloud…” Cloud shook his head “I just hope Sephiroth didn’t get her while she was far away, during the incident with the Black Materia…” Tifa suggested “No, I think you were right about him not killing her. Sephiroth wouldn’t kill her unless you were watching. That’s the way he works. He wants you to watch and weep… literally.” Cloud nodded “Just like when he got Aeris… not just to stop Holy, but I remember his words clearly from our last fight…” Tifa sighed “You don’t really think those kids are going to bring Sephiroth back, do you? I’d hate to deal with him all over again…” Cloud sighed “I don’t know, but we cant risk it. I’ll get rid of them before they get far enough to try.” Cloud nodded and Tifa smiled at him. Cloud drew his buster sword and stood up “It doesn’t matter what they’re trying to do. What matters is I stop them before they can win.” Tifa nodded and smiled, and Cloud left the house. Cloud left Sector 7’s town area and went to an area with old broken down machinery near Sector 5. Cloud stopped running suddenly, and said “That noise… I don’t think im alone.” He heard a young woman’s giggle from behind and was knocked away to the wall with brute force. Cloud “Gah..! Who’s there?!” He quickly stood up, recovering and looked around but saw nothing. Cloud shook his head “The… ghost? No, im positive someone was there. Where’d she go?” Cloud gripped his sword and studied the area carefully, looking for his attacker. He heard another giggle from behind and someone forced him to the ground. Cloud “Agh..! Who are you?!” His buster sword flew out of his hand, and a woman dressed in black leather clothing stood before him laughing. The woman said “You forgot already? I guess you need more convincing… don’t you, Brother?” The shadows cleared from her face and revealed it, showing her long blonde hair and blue eyes, smiling down at him. Cloud cried “Stratos?! No way! I thought you… I thought something happened to you! What are you doing here?” She giggled and put a hand over her mouth happily “Give the boy a prize! Youre actually right! I am your long lost Sister! But im not here for a family reunion. Sorry, darling.” Cloud grew suspicious, unable to take his eyes off her sadistic expression “Stratos… what are you talking about?” Stratos laughed and revealed black and white butterfly wings from behind her, flying off the ground slightly “What am I talking about? Ohh, I would LOVE to tell you! But im afraid im bound by certain rules that forbid it. And besides, why would I want you to know everything you need to in order to get in our way? Whats the fun in that, hm brother?” Cloud hardened his gaze and got to his feet “No, stop! Youre not Stratos at all! My sister would never act like this! My real sister wanted to join SOLDIER and get strong. Stop acting and show yourself, whoever you are.” Stratos laughed heavily and shook her head “Im afraid youre wrong, my older brother. I am the same sister you had before Nibelheim got burned to ash. I just never told you I was alive because I couldn’t risk making a ruckus for an important somebody im working with. Cant have any slowdowns now, can we?” Cloud asked “What do you mean ‘we’? Where are your lackeys, Stratos?” Stratos shrugged “My lackeys? Hahaha, did you hear that, mister? He actually thinks I’m the one running the game here! Ehhh, sorry. Wrong answer, brother. Im the one helping, not ordering.” Cloud asked “What do you want? What are you after, Stratos? Explain yourself!” Stratos shrugged “Oh, what a wonderful question! Funny you should ask! But im afraid im out of time to play with you right now, Cloud. Sayonara, old brother!” Stratos cackled in a high pitched voice and vanished through black mist that sparkled with a deep purple. Cloud reached his hand out and realized he was crying as she disappeared “Stratos… what happened to you..? What are you doing..?” He shook his head sadly “Who’s bossing her around? I… I’ve gotta help her…” Cloud picked up his buster sword and looked at it. Cloud sadly spoke “Stratos… no… not you too… is she working for Sephiroth…?” Cloud decided to return home in Sector 7, feeling deeply discouraged after his encounter with Stratos. Tifa saw how sad Cloud was when he came in, and asked “Cloud, what happened out there?” Cloud shook his head sadly “I ran into Stratos on my way to search for the remnants… and she was… completely different. And not good different. She acted so unlike herself, so callous, like I meant nothing to her… and she seemed to be operating under someone else’s authority based on the things she did say.” Tifa suggested “You don’t think she’s working for Sephiroth, do you..?” Cloud replied “I don’t know. She refused to explain what she wanted or who she was working with. And before I knew it, she faded through this sparkly dark mist… and she also had butterfly-like wings that were black and white. But mostly black in color. And she was wearing black leather clothing and boots, as well…” Tifa asked “Did she always dress like that?” Cloud nodded “Normally, yes. But she never showed butterfly wings when we were growing up. Not once. So I don’t know how she got those…” Tifa sighed “Cloud, im really sorry… I don’t know what to say. If there’s anything I can say, that I can do to help you… please tell me. You don’t have to do this alone…” Cloud sighed and shook his head “I don’t want to kill or even hurt my own sister, but… if she really is up to anything nasty, I don’t have a choice but to stop her. Im not even sure if Sephiroth is the one pulling the strings on her here… I don’t know who she’s working for. Especially given the nature of those wings she had. Sephiroth would never give his lackeys butterfly wings, even if they are higher ups in his eyes.” Tifa said “Oh great… first Sephiroth, and now Stratos? We need a plan…” Cloud nodded silently and sat down across from Tifa at the table.
To Be Continued…
