"Heh." Didn't want to lose to him, huh? He'd had nothing to worry about on that regard at first, what with how he spent so much time pulling his strings. Having him deliver the Black Materia - all that manipulation was likely to make up for that original defeat. He had managed to set the man's plans back five years. Or had that just given him more time to develop his strategy?
Cloud shook his head again. Talking on this subject would help keep his focus elsewhere. "Originally, I'd just joined up with an anti-ShinRa group Tifa was a part of, but in the middle of our efforts to save the planet on an environmental level, we ran into greater problems." He swallowed. "Sephiroth murdered President ShinRa and stole the body of Jenova from the HQ. He wanted to destroy the world and make himself a god in the process."
There was so, so much more to it than that, but it would take a while to be able to relate all of it to his friend. Much of it he didn't want to tell at all, but at some point he'd need to. "That's what Aerith meant by an adventure. She joined up with our group in Midgar. I would rather she hadn't, but you know... she's very persistent."
So Cloud had decided to try and save the environment originally? That came as something of a shock, since the environment was really Shin-Ra's last concern most of the time. Then again, maybe that was the point. Maybe Cloud had wanted to position himself as far away from the company as possible once he'd gotten his head on straight. Still, it sounded like his efforts had warped into so much more...
Hearing more about Sephiroth only served to sour Zack's mood. It had been one thing to have the memory of that one nigh in Nibelheim, floating around in his head. But to know that the former general had returned to do so much worse -- that his insanity had only worsened as time had gone by --
The comment about Aerith was a decent enough distraction; it gave him an out so he didn't have to try and vocalize his thoughts on Sephiroth, at least. With the way Cloud was talking, it sounded like the man had been put out of his misery once and for all, and that was one thing Zack could be grateful for. "Yeah, she definitely is," he said, though his tone wasn't quite as convincing as it could have been. Still, he wasn't surprised that Aerith had invited herself to go along with Cloud. After letting him leave only for him to never come back, Zack could see where she would be reluctant to let it happen again.
As much as he wanted to avoid it, though, Zack had to know for sure. He leaned forward in his seat slightly, trying to make eye contact with his friend. "You stopped him, right?"
Save the environment, join a terrorist organization for money... same thing. Not worth delving into at this point in time. That had just been to set up the explanation, anyway, and there were more important matters - such as the one Zack's question addressed.
"Yeah." Cloud nodded with a little smile. "You know me... he never stood a chance." In the end, yes. His essence had broken apart into the lifestream. He was no longer a threat to the planet. What that had cost them, though... It was obvious that Aerith hadn't told him about her death. If she hadn't, then he wasn't going to mention it yet either. Not without her permission.
The destruction of Sector 7, the northern crater, the Weapons, Hojo... He'd tell him everything eventually, he was sure. He owed it to him. Little bits at a time, though. There was no need to overwhelm him, and certain things were going to be harder to take in than others.
The buses were coming to a stop now, and Cloud leaned forward to rest his head on the seat in front of him. "Go on ahead. I'll get out once my body gets more used to being stationary."
That cocky little remark from Cloud earned a full-blown grin from Zack. While it was painful to imagine his former general and his friend fighting to the death once again, Zack was still glad to know that Cloud had taken care of it, even in his absence. He'd done well, better than Zack could have ever imagined. He still couldn't kick that overwhelming feeling of pride for his friend.
"Sorry I wasn't there you give you a hand," he said sincerely. Zack would have loved to hang around and see Cloud really mature, but at the same time he wondered if his friend had gotten so strong because he hadn't been around. It was a headache to think about, but in the end he knew none of it could be changed, as much as he might wish for it.
It was enough of a miracle that he was sitting here and chatting with Cloud right now.
But that was when the bus stopped in town, and Cloud urged him to go on ahead. Zack frowned and hesitated for a moment, but it looked like his friend needed a moment to get his bearings. "All right. Feel better," he said, standing from his seat and giving Cloud's shoulder a quick squeeze. Now, to see what this Doyleton place was all about...
Cloud shook his head again. Talking on this subject would help keep his focus elsewhere. "Originally, I'd just joined up with an anti-ShinRa group Tifa was a part of, but in the middle of our efforts to save the planet on an environmental level, we ran into greater problems." He swallowed. "Sephiroth murdered President ShinRa and stole the body of Jenova from the HQ. He wanted to destroy the world and make himself a god in the process."
There was so, so much more to it than that, but it would take a while to be able to relate all of it to his friend. Much of it he didn't want to tell at all, but at some point he'd need to. "That's what Aerith meant by an adventure. She joined up with our group in Midgar. I would rather she hadn't, but you know... she's very persistent."
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Hearing more about Sephiroth only served to sour Zack's mood. It had been one thing to have the memory of that one nigh in Nibelheim, floating around in his head. But to know that the former general had returned to do so much worse -- that his insanity had only worsened as time had gone by --
The comment about Aerith was a decent enough distraction; it gave him an out so he didn't have to try and vocalize his thoughts on Sephiroth, at least. With the way Cloud was talking, it sounded like the man had been put out of his misery once and for all, and that was one thing Zack could be grateful for. "Yeah, she definitely is," he said, though his tone wasn't quite as convincing as it could have been. Still, he wasn't surprised that Aerith had invited herself to go along with Cloud. After letting him leave only for him to never come back, Zack could see where she would be reluctant to let it happen again.
As much as he wanted to avoid it, though, Zack had to know for sure. He leaned forward in his seat slightly, trying to make eye contact with his friend. "You stopped him, right?"
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"Yeah." Cloud nodded with a little smile. "You know me... he never stood a chance." In the end, yes. His essence had broken apart into the lifestream. He was no longer a threat to the planet. What that had cost them, though... It was obvious that Aerith hadn't told him about her death. If she hadn't, then he wasn't going to mention it yet either. Not without her permission.
The destruction of Sector 7, the northern crater, the Weapons, Hojo... He'd tell him everything eventually, he was sure. He owed it to him. Little bits at a time, though. There was no need to overwhelm him, and certain things were going to be harder to take in than others.
The buses were coming to a stop now, and Cloud leaned forward to rest his head on the seat in front of him. "Go on ahead. I'll get out once my body gets more used to being stationary."
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"Sorry I wasn't there you give you a hand," he said sincerely. Zack would have loved to hang around and see Cloud really mature, but at the same time he wondered if his friend had gotten so strong because he hadn't been around. It was a headache to think about, but in the end he knew none of it could be changed, as much as he might wish for it.
It was enough of a miracle that he was sitting here and chatting with Cloud right now.
But that was when the bus stopped in town, and Cloud urged him to go on ahead. Zack frowned and hesitated for a moment, but it looked like his friend needed a moment to get his bearings. "All right. Feel better," he said, standing from his seat and giving Cloud's shoulder a quick squeeze. Now, to see what this Doyleton place was all about...
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