Memories Ch 2 The Secret

Cloud was soaring through the air he felt so weightless like a bird. Suddenly he fell to the ground and landed in a field of tulips. “Cloud.” Cloud’s heart filled with joy. “Tifa, is that you?” “Cloud you frighten me with your thoughts.” “Tifa there is no other way you, Marlene, and Denzel meant the whole world to me. Now that that is gone I have no other reason to live.” “Cloud, it is not your time. Your time will come but it is not now. You must live your life.” “Not without you I can’t. I miss you so much Tifa. My life is not the same without you.” “Cloud you must be strong for me, for Marlene, and for Denzel you must. I will always be with you wherever you go whatever you do. I love you Cloud.” “I love you too.”


         Cloud woke up and sighed a deep sigh. Oh Tifa, he thought, I don’t know how I will live without you but I will try. He heard a sharp tapping at the door so he quickly got dressed and headed downstairs to answer the door. When he opened the door Denzel immediately gave him a big hug. “Denzel, I’m so glad to see you.” Denzel looked up at Cloud with tears running down his cheeks. “Denzel, what’s wrong?” “It’s Marlene” “What about Marlene?” “She-she has turned.” “What?” “She has become one of them. She went to Sephiroth and told him all about you so he probably already knows how to defeat you.” Cloud looked at Denzel in horror. Cloud saw a glance of Sephiroth in his head.


         He was surrounded by fire. “Hello Cloud. How are you? It has been a long time.” Cloud’s heart filled with horror. “Sephiroth? How?” “With the help of your little friend Marlene. She looks pretty cute now doesn’t she?” Sephiroth showed Cloud an image of Marlene with a long black cape, red eyes, and silver hair like Sephiroth. Cloud could see her black wings hidden underneath her cape. “What have you done to her you bastard?” “Now Cloud that is not very nice. After all Marlene came to me out of her own free will.” Cloud’s anger rose even higher and regret began to fill his heart. He missed Marlene so much he missed the family that he once had.

         “Aw poor Cloud beginning to have regrets about Marlene? Poor Cloud so alone in the world. Ha ha ha how pathetic you are.” “At least I am capable of love of feeling love of giving love. You on the other hand have never known love that’s what makes you and me so different. No one can live without love I have learned that.” “Ha, love smove. I don’t need love. I have mother and that should be good enough.” “Do you mean to tell me that you have never wanted or thought how it would be if someone loved you and you loved them in return?” “Nope I never have and I never will.” “I think you have.” Sephiroth’s eyes turned red with hatred and rage. “DON’T YOU EVER LECTURE ME ON LOVE AGAIN.”

All of a sudden a fierce pain drove through Cloud’s body. Cloud groaned in pain and could barely stand up. “Oh poor poor Cloud. He he. Allow me to explain through my ability to get into your mind I can also control your body so I can basically do what I damn well please to you. Ha ha ha ha ha.” Cloud tried to fight Sephiroth and get him out of his head but he couldn’t Sephiroth was to strong. “You can’t beat me Cloud thanks to Marlene. You know that little brat has helped me more than you know.” Cloud fought for consciousness. “Sephiroth why why are you doing this?” “Because I can, Cloud. Because I can.” Everything went black.


“Cloud what have you done?” “Tifa, I tried really I did. Marlene has told him everything about me my weaknesses everything. He is too strong Tifa. I don’t know what to do.” “Cloud you must confront him face to face that is the only way in which you can defeat him.” “Tifa I-I can’t. I don’t know what he has done to me.” “Don’t worry Cloud have faith in yourself.”

“Tifa.” Cloud leaned forward when he noticed that he was in his bed. Pain seared through Cloud’s body like a sword. He groaned in pain and leaned back into the pillows. He looked towards the door and saw Denzel there. Denzel walked towards Cloud with a tray of food and a teapot. “Here Cloud I thought you might be hungry.” “Thank you Denzel.”

A fierce headache just hit Cloud like a boulder and he groaned in pain. Denzel’s eyes glowed with pity for Cloud. He wanted to help him but he didn’t know how. Denzel gave Cloud a cup of tea and said, “Here this will help with the pain.” Cloud took a sip of the tea and leaned deeper into the pillows and sighed in relief. His headache felt a little better. His whole body felt so weak he could hardly move without feeling any pain.

Denzel looked at Cloud and thought he must be in more pain than he is letting me know about. I can just see it in his eyes.

Cloud ate the food on the tray and drank all of the tea. He felt so refreshed. His headache had completely gone away, but he still had so much pain. “Denzel.” “Yes.” “Did Marlene tell you about Tifa and-?” ?Yes Cloud she did and I forgive you.” “ I feel so guilty about it I never thought that it would end like this. I miss her so much and now that she’s gone I can’t find the strength to move on with my life. You, Marlene, and Tifa gave me reason to live now that half of it is gone I don’t know what to do.”

Denzel couldn’t think of anything to say but then a memory hit him of what Tifa called her deep secret. Now that he thought of it he knew that he must tell Cloud even though he knew it would break his heart. He didn’t want to break Cloud’s comfort by telling him this. Maybe I can tell him tomorrow, Denzel thought. No, I must tell him now he needs to know.

“Cloud there is something that I need to tell you.” “Yes.” “It’s about Tifa. She made me swear not to tell you this, but she has kept this secret for so long and you need to know. Tifa was cheating on you with Reno.” Cloud’s face became so pale he seemed like a ghost. His eyes filled with tears Cloud just couldn’t believe it. Denzel put his hand on Cloud’s arm. “Cloud I am so sorry. I- I didn’t mean to upset you I just wanted to tell you the truth. Tifa wasn’t strong enough to tell you. I told her millions of times to tell you, but she never did. That is why Tifa was screaming your name before she died she wanted to tell you the truth.”

Cloud just didn’t seem like he was listening. He was staring off into space and his eyes just looked so confused and lost. Cloud looked into Denzel’s eyes and said, “Please Denzel I just w-want t-to be alone.” Denzel understood and closed the door. When Denzel left Cloud took out the picture he always kept in his pocket of him, Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel. Tears fell from his eyes and hit the picture. He closed his eyes and pressed the picture to his heart. “Did you ever love me? Was I so blinded by love that I didn’t see your unhappiness? So everything you said to me about how much you loved me was a lie. I guess I needed you more than you needed me.” Cloud’s whole body just seemed to lose all of its strength. He felt so helpless and alone. He wanted to curl into a ball and die.

In the hallway Denzel heard Cloud in his agony say those things about Tifa and regret suddenly filled his heart. I shouldn’t have told him, he thought, but now he knows. Denzel walked away from the door and headed for the kitchen.

Cloud’s eyes were filled with tears. His body just didn’t feel like his own. It felt so heavy and lifeless. Cloud groaned as a sharp pain again went through his body. He closed his eyes and he just realized how exhausted he was. I must try to get some sleep. It might help me deal with the pain.


“Cloud, Cloud please listen tome, Cloud.” “Please just leave me alone.” “Please I can explain.” “There is nothing to explain, Tifa. You never loved me. I still love you though and I will never stop loving you.” “Cloud I’m-.” “Please just leave me alone I want to be alone.”

Cloud woke up and sighed in pain. He didn’t realize how bad the pain was. He felt sweat running down his forehead. He put his hand on his forehead to see if he was warm. Holy shit he thought his forehead felt as if it was on fire. He felt the sudden urge to go out to the garden but he knew that he didn’t have the strength to stand up and get out of bed. He sighed and thought, well I must just try it for the hell of it. As soon as he threw the covers off of him he heard a soft tap at the door.

“Come in.” It was Denzel. He walked towards the bedside with another tray of food and tea. “Cloud I’m sorry. I-I-I’ve shouldn’t have told you.” “No,” said Cloud. “I am glad that you told me. It must have taken a lot of courage for you to tell me that.” As Denzel placed the tray in front of Cloud, Cloud began to feel sick and he gagged. “Please ,Denzel, I am not hungry.” “But you must eat something it will help you feel better.” “Please I just want to get some rest, please.” Denzel sighed, “Okay, I’ll just leave the tray here just in case you need it later.” Denzel closed the door behind him. Cloud reached for the bottle of pills on his bedside table. He popped two into his mouth and drunk some tea to help the pills get down your throat.


“Hello Cloud.” “Please leave me alone just leave me alone.” “Aw little Cloud. You finally found out about your slut wife. Ha ha ha. You’re so naïve Cloud. What did you think she was doing all the time when she said that she was going out with friends? Are you really that stupid?” “Don’t you dare talk about my wife like that.” “You’re ex- wife you dumb shit. Why do you think she was calling your name before she died? She wanted to tell you that she was leaving you, that is was over.” “No she wouldn’t she loved Marlene and Denzel as if they were her own.” “Ha ha ha. Oh my goodness that is why I will never want to fall in love it makes you stupid.” “No it doesn’t.” “And when the person that you love dies you feel alone. Don’t you Cloud.” “LEAVE ME ALONE.” “I know you agree with me Cloud. I know you do.” “No, I will not give in to you.” Sephiroth gave Cloud an evil smile. “You don’t have to I will just keep on torturing you like this.” A fierce pain came over Cloud’s body. His body felt like it was on fire and that he wouldn’t be able to breathe again.

A deafening scream escaped Cloud’s mouth as he tossed and turned in the bed. Denzel ran in the room and was horrified with what he saw. Cloud’s face was as pale as death and he was tossing and turning with his hands over his ears. Denzel ran towards Cloud and put his hand on Cloud’s shoulder. Instead of hearing the voice of Cloud he heard the voice of Sephiroth. “Cloud is not here.” Denzel’s heart filled with horror, but then he heard the voice of Cloud’s which sounded so desperate and lost. “Denzel please help me. I’m so lost and don’t know what to believe. I need some help. Please help me.” “Yes Cloud I promise. I will never give up on my family.” Sephiroth took over Cloud. “Aw. The little brat cares for you Cloud. I don’t know why because you do nothing but take advantage of him.” “No Denzel please don’t listen to him. Please Denzel I love you like my own son.”

Denzel heard another piercing scream from Cloud and watched in horror as Cloud’s eyes became red and he began to shake uncontrollably. “Listen to me you little brat. Cloud was never there for you. He abandoned you, Marlene, and Tifa.” Denzel looked into Sephiroth’s eyes and said, “You are wrong Cloud was always there for us. Even though his life was hard he always found the time to spend time with us. Even when he was bleeding and in pain. He loved all of us. We were his family.” “You little brat listen to me Cloud doesn’t love you.” Sephiroth sent Denzel an image of Marlene she was shaking uncontrollably. She had long silver hair like Sephiroth. Her eyes were red and she had wings coming out of her back. Oh Marlene, thought Denzel, we will never give up on you. I promise. The image came out of his head.

Just then Denzel knew what he needed to do in order to save Cloud. What if he doesn’t survive, thought Denzel. But then other thoughts came through Denzel’s head Cloud would want me to do it. He wouldn’t care if he died or not. He would just want Sephiroth out of his body. Denzel ran out of the room. “Ha ha ha. It looks like the little brat has some sense after all.” “He is not leaving me,” said Cloud. “You retarded bastard of course he is.”

Denzel was looking around the kitchen for something that was just right. He knew that he didn’t have much time until Sephiroth had full control of Cloud. He finally found the perfect weapon a knife. Once he found the sharpest one he ran upstairs with it.

At the sound of Denzel’s footsteps coming up the stairs Cloud said, “See I told you he wasn’t leaving me.” Sephiroth was filled with anger and a fierce pain came through Cloud’s body. He could hardly breathe. He tried to scream but he didn’t have the strength to.

Denzel came into the room and saw Cloud tossing and turning trying to fight against Sephiroth with all of his strength. He is fighting so hard, thought Denzel, I hope he will survive this. Denzel walked towards the bedside and immediately he heard Sephiroth’s voice inside his head. “What the hell are you doing you little brat?” I guess he already saw the knife I was holding in my hand. “Cloud if you can hear me I’m doing this for you for all of us.” Denzel then heard Cloud’s voice in his head. ‘Do it Denzel. I can’t fight him much longer. I love you my son.” Denzel’s heart filled with joy. He had never heard Cloud call him son before. All right I can do this I have to do this. He again heard Sephiroth’s voice in his head as he raised the knife. “No, you don’t really need to do this. Cloud abandoned you, Tifa, and Marlene. Don’t do this you can have revenge by watching him suffer.” Denzel ignored what Sephiroth had said and raised the knife higher and aimed at Cloud’s heart. “I love you so much Cloud.” He closed his eyes and lowered the knife.