Chapter 11

Back to the present again. Cloud, who was still in the living room, sat on the couch, staring at the ceiling like a zombie. A total failure, that’s what he is. He looked terrible and makes no difference than a large chunk of garbage waiting to be dumped. All the heroic and brave look on him disappeared and what was left was a man that looked 20 years older. Nothing like the person he used to be.

Aeris, his wife was nowhere to be seen. Because of his temper and his rage, he made her angry and disappointed. This man had once passed through so many obstacles to finally be with Aeris but he blew it. True, he knew about something about Aeris that was better kept secret, and he can’t be blamed for his outrage, but it was already the past. There is no reason to cling to it. Aeris is his wife, now. He should let it go, no matter what she did.

“Hey.”

Cloud felt a slap on his head and turned around furiously. The man that claimed is his father and the person that once had an affair with his wife was standing behind him, staring at him coldly. Cloud was really locked deep in thoughts. He didn’t even know of the man’s presence. Cloud ignored him and continued staring at the ceiling.

“Hey!”

The man slapped his head again and this time Cloud got angry and jumped on him. The man dodged skilfully and Cloud crashed right on the floor. Cloud, lying on the floor in pain, pushed himself up but didn’t fight back. He wasn’t in the mood to. He staring at him coldly, and the man stared back.

“What was that for?”

Cloud broke the silent atmosphere. The man didn’t answer. Cloud got even angrier.

“Answer me! Damn it!”

Cloud shouted at the man but the man was still cool as ice. Then, slowly, he answered.

“You don’t want to kill me? I thought you have a very, very bad temper.”

“It was you who made me turned into this.” Cloud argued. He got a point. Cloud’s temper outbreak only started this man turned up.

“No. It has nothing to do with me. This is what you really are. You are the destroyer.”

The man replied and Cloud looked at him with a strange look. He had enough about this destroyer and Jenova business. He wants to get out of this and live his life like everyone else. But somehow, he knew he couldn’t.

“You are the destroyer and you have the responsibility to protect the planet from all threats. This is your destiny.”

The man continued and Cloud continued looking at him. He doesn’t want to be any destroyer. He had been through wars and countless number of battle. He needed peace. But, what that was hidden inside him stopped him from achieving that.

“Come on. We have some training to do.”

The man said and started walking towards the door. But then, he stopped. Cloud remained unmoved. He just stood at his current position.

The man turned back and approached Cloud.

The man suddenly violently grabbed Cloud by his collar and then dragged Cloud him. Cloud struggled and tried to free himself but he couldn’t. The man locked both of Cloud arms with only one hand and limited Cloud’s movement.

The man dragged him across the room into the bathroom and then he shove Cloud towards the mirror and grabbed Cloud’s head, forcing Cloud to see himself through the mirror. Cloud got a shock when he saw himself. He didn’t look like what he used to look before. His hair was messed up. His eyes were tired and his face was dry. He looked so haggard. The person inside the mirror doesn’t look like him.

“Look at yourself. This isn’t you. You look like a failure, not a warrior you are destined to be.”

The man said and flung Cloud towards the mirror. Cloud resisted but he was still shocked. The man then let him go. Walked away from the bathroom, and then voice was heard from outside.

“Wash up. I will be waiting for you outside.”

The voice disappeared and Cloud was left alone in the bathroom, staring at himself.

Cloud walked out of the house and looked around. It is a sunny day and everything looks fine. It looks like just another day in Kalm.

Cloud felt fresh. He had felt this for quite some time already. That man was right. Just a quick wash-up can make a big difference. The cold water washed away his some of his thoughts and worries and he can now think clearer now. He thought too much about the events that happened around him. He needed a break.

“Hey, feeling better?”

Cloud looked around and saw the man standing not far away from him. The man was like usual. Still wearing that rag-like clothing and the face that only had slight expression. The man hadn’t changed a bit since the first time he saw him.

“Here, take this.”

The man threw a stick towards Cloud and Cloud caught it with grace. The stick was just a wooden stick, nothing special with it. 3 feet long, 2 inches in diameter, hard, and had a pointy end. Cloud swung it a few times and he started to get the idea why the man gave him this stick.

“Now, try hitting me with that stick. No magic, no spell. Just pure hand-to-hand combat.”

The man said and Cloud realized that what he guessed was right after all. The man was going to have a fight with him. But this time, no magic, no weapons, just a wooden stick battle. Cloud accepted this challenge. Either to brush up his sword fighting skills or just to whack up the man for whatever reason.

“What weapon as you using?”

Cloud asked the man, for he wanted a fair battle. The man shook his head, showed his hands, which are empty, indicating he wanted to fight without any weapons. Cloud felt offended, as if the man was looking down on his sword fighting skills. Cloud cracked his knuckles, and readied a stance.

“Ready?”

The man asked. Cloud nodded slightly and immediately, he dashed like lightning towards the man, and viciously slashed the man. But the man was too quick for him. He ducked and get out off the way. Cloud, being very agile, kicked at the surface where he landed and he charged towards the man with the wooden stick pointing at the man, attempting a stab. But the man just kicked the ground and avoided. Cloud missed again.

This continued for a few times, and Cloud started to warm up already. His slashes become more and more vicious and his moves become faster. But the man wasn’t losing out either. He ducked each and every of his attacks but still hasn’t counterattacked yet. He seems to be so calm, and avoiding the attacks looks so simple to him. Cloud, on the other hand, become more and more furious, since his attacks couldn’t even hit the man even once.

Suddenly, without warning, the man suddenly slapped Cloud on the face, and Cloud cried out, as he never expected that attack. Cloud regained his stance but he found out something was missing. His wooden stick isn’t in his hands. He looked up and saw the man holding his wooden stick, swinging it. Cloud was astonished to see this. He never thought that he could be tricked and defeated so easily. He was stunned.

“Looks like your skills aren’t what I expected.”

The man said and Cloud stood there in silence. The man flung the stick back to Cloud again.

“Try again. Now, don’t think about anything else. Your mind is clear. Nothing attached onto it.”

The man said and Cloud felt a surge of fury in him again. But, he tried to control it and now he was calm again. Cloud was ready again.

This time, it was the man that charged towards Cloud. The man launched a few attacks and Cloud spotted it, and defended against it well. A few times he tried to counterattack but every attempt failed. This time, he managed to keep his cool and carefully but quickly decided where to defend and how. The man then gave up and jumped back. Cloud started to get a little tired but the man looked as calm as usual.

“Not bad. Now defend this.”

The man said and Cloud readied his defence. He expected the man to charge towards him and launch even more attacks but the man didn’t. The man just simply lifted up his hand and a fireball immediately shot out of his palms. Cloud didn’t expect that coming and was hit directly, sending him flying a yard backwards. Cloud crashed onto the floor, and cried out in pain.

The man walked towards Cloud and cast a healing spelling. Cloud immediately recovered and scolded the man.

“That was so cheap! I thought you said no spells!!!”

“I told you something was coming, defend yourself, but you still got hit. It’s your fault for believing me the first place.”

What kind of stupid excuse was that? Cloud was very angry for the man acting so cheap and he pushed himself up, grabbed the stick next to him and launched a very quick combination of very fierce attacks. Each attack was followed with a cry and although it was only a wooden stick, it looks so frightful and makes no difference than a sword. But still, the man defended well against it.

“Why you…”

Cloud’s temper was shot up to the top. He started to think about other things concerning the man. First the person that had an affair with Aeris, a father he never had, the person that left his mother…

Cloud felt a blow on his left shoulder and he was sent flying backwards again. Cloud was hit the moment he couldn’t concentrate. But now, everything had come back to him. He regained his concentration and his body was filled with the strength of his anger. His eyes were filled with strength, and then he kicked against the floor where he nearly crash-landed and charged towards the man. He prepared his wooden stick and started to…

“Omni…”

Immediately, countless numbers of flashes were seen and slashing sound was heard. Cloud slashed again and again with all his might and all his strength. He went into a frenzy mode and jumped around the man, slashing in everyway he could. But alas, he didn’t even have a hit. After around 30 attempts, he prepared for a final blast and slashed towards the man. The slash looked so powerful and fierce, but the man avoided it and the stick smashed onto the ground and the stick broke. Cloud stopped.

Cloud, breathing heavily, looked at the man. The man was looking fine, without even sweat on his face. Cloud felt so lost. He once thought he was so powerful but now he couldn’t even scratch the man even a bit. He lost his confidence in his fighting ability.

“Not bad. Not bad at all.”

The man said and Cloud looked up at the man. The man was smiling slightly at Cloud and looks quite happy with Cloud performance. Cloud was puzzled. He didn’t understand a bit.

“You are one fighter that fights using emotions. When your head is as clear as water, you think well. When your head is filled with the fire of fury, you attack strong. Come with me, I could train you into a very powerful fighter.”

Cloud heard the man saying about training and now he hesitated. He would really want to become a powerful fighter despite all the peace and quiet he wanted but he still felt uneasy with this man. The past of this man troubles him.

“I know you might not want to be trained by me but I do this because something big is going to happen. If you aren’t as ready as want you to be, I am afraid the future of this planet might be at risk.”

Cloud listened and couldn’t figure out a bit. The planet at risk? Again? He heard this many times and he was tired of it. But, deep down, he knew that he was destined to save the planet. Sephiroth, meteor, the ancient army. He was destined to walk this path.

“Don’t you want to whack the hell out of me after all I had done to you? I will train you until you can defeat me.”

The man continued. He was trying to lure Cloud by offering Cloud a chance to defeat him, something Cloud really wanted. But, will Cloud accept it?

“Meet me here at midnight. We will go somewhere far away for the training.”

The man said and started to leave. Cloud was again left in a position where he must decide. To go or not to go. He hates decisions. It makes his life hard.

“Another thing. You are really strong.”

The man stopped and said. Cloud looked at the man and the man turned around.

“Nobody before you had ever injured me before.”

The man said and took off his raggy shirt, revealing a few wounds on his body. Blood are still flowing from those wounds showing that it was Cloud that did those injuries. Cloud injured the man without knowing it. The man then wore his shirt again and walked away. Cloud, regained his confidence in fighting, decided to choose the path he thought he will never choose.