In the back of his mind, Cloud knew this moment was coming the moment that he and the other Heroes wound up on Gaia. There were some close scrapes along the way, but he knew himself enough to know that if he heard about them then he'd have to show up. It's not really surprise that washed over Cloud's face as he came face to face with himself, but it wasn't a moment he could take calmly either.
He knew the outfit, he knew this Cloud, or at least the one who had wound up in Crystallis in that other cycle. He'd sat backseat in his mind, watching as everything fell apart, watching as he gave his life to kill his Sephiroth once and for all. It had left Cloud in an odd spot of witnessing his future without experiencing it. And the others he knew on Crystallis, the other Heroes, had assured him that he didn't have to be that future self if he didn't want to be. It was even something he'd come to vow, to be himself rather than what fate or destiny or Gaia demanded of him.
But now, faced with the Other Him, a not much older man who was doing a good job of holding back how worn he felt. It was almost entirely unlike looking in a mirror. The younger Cloud stood there, wavering on his feet in his modified ShinRa uniform. His hand twitched, his grip on his helmet loosening and falling to the ground with a thunk. Zack gave a soft trill but even the chocobo could feel how heavy this moment was.
The noises pulled Cloud back to the present reality and he put his hand up, gesturing for the others to wait. None of them wanted a confrontation and he trusted in his own knowledge of himself that this Other Cloud didn't either. Still, given the company they were keeping it could lead to trouble. Hopefully Elena hadn't reported back to the other Turks yet. Cloud shot a brief glance over his shoulder at the back of their group, a heavy hood hiding the silver hair beneath. The biggest secret they were keeping as they passed through this world. He looked back at his future, normal blue eyes meeting the pair with the mako glow.
"I..." Cloud's voice caught in his throat. This was a conversation he'd had in his mind, in his dreams, several times over and over again, endlessly when he had nowhere else to direct his thoughts. This was someone he wanted to confront, to question, perhaps even blame for everything he was going through. He swallowed, mindful of how dry his mouth felt. He tried again. Of all answers to all questions, he knew this one. He'd been repeating it to himself for months.
"I'm you. A different you. I'm from a different world. I got brought there two years ago and now...you and I are different." Two years. So much had happened in that time. He was turning 18 this month. A birthday the other Cloud had celebrated in a tube in a basement not far from this spot.
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timeasmymeasure
Mostly copying from the other thread since we haven't diverted much yet, but editing
Date: 2016-11-14 08:18 pm (UTC)He knew the outfit, he knew this Cloud, or at least the one who had wound up in Crystallis in that other cycle. He'd sat backseat in his mind, watching as everything fell apart, watching as he gave his life to kill his Sephiroth once and for all. It had left Cloud in an odd spot of witnessing his future without experiencing it. And the others he knew on Crystallis, the other Heroes, had assured him that he didn't have to be that future self if he didn't want to be. It was even something he'd come to vow, to be himself rather than what fate or destiny or Gaia demanded of him.
But now, faced with the Other Him, a not much older man who was doing a good job of holding back how worn he felt. It was almost entirely unlike looking in a mirror. The younger Cloud stood there, wavering on his feet in his modified ShinRa uniform. His hand twitched, his grip on his helmet loosening and falling to the ground with a thunk. Zack gave a soft trill but even the chocobo could feel how heavy this moment was.
The noises pulled Cloud back to the present reality and he put his hand up, gesturing for the others to wait. None of them wanted a confrontation and he trusted in his own knowledge of himself that this Other Cloud didn't either. Still, given the company they were keeping it could lead to trouble. Hopefully Elena hadn't reported back to the other Turks yet. Cloud shot a brief glance over his shoulder at the back of their group, a heavy hood hiding the silver hair beneath. The biggest secret they were keeping as they passed through this world. He looked back at his future, normal blue eyes meeting the pair with the mako glow.
"I..." Cloud's voice caught in his throat. This was a conversation he'd had in his mind, in his dreams, several times over and over again, endlessly when he had nowhere else to direct his thoughts. This was someone he wanted to confront, to question, perhaps even blame for everything he was going through. He swallowed, mindful of how dry his mouth felt. He tried again. Of all answers to all questions, he knew this one. He'd been repeating it to himself for months.
"I'm you. A different you. I'm from a different world. I got brought there two years ago and now...you and I are different." Two years. So much had happened in that time. He was turning 18 this month. A birthday the other Cloud had celebrated in a tube in a basement not far from this spot.