Can We Start Over?

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Seph's POV

As my muscles finally allowed movement again, I found myself lying on my side, clutching my stomach. I was in so much pain a few minutes ago; now it's just gone. As I slowly stood myself up, I realized I was in the stream again with my Masamune still in hand and a young cadet standing in front of me.

I knew it was him, the one that had been burdened with hatred towards me for years, the same SOLDIER to whom the Planet trusted its fate to Cloud Strife. It was the same Ex-SOLDIER, first class, Cloud Strife, that struck me down, but this one was not a SOLDIER. He was wearing an MP Cadet uniform, and he looked a bit younger than the Cloud I knew.

Of course, it was the same Cloud; how could I possibly forget about that same taunting look in his eyes? The eyes of pity that I always hated, why did I only see either pity or fear when I looked at him? Was it because of me? That might be true now that I think about it. It was because of me and my actions that he feared me or felt sorry for me. Where was the look of joy that I once sought to see in him?!

.....................................................

Wait...did I mean that? The next thing I know, I start getting a migraine headache out of the thought of me...caring. Truthfully I did think that once before, but not as I am today. It's a not wholly hazy memory, but I can't seem to remember that, or even any happy bits of my past, very clearly. I guessed when I realized that I was a monster, I didn't need to hold on to any good memories.

But what was even remotely good about what I did? I know what I have done, and looking back at it now, I guess I do regret it. I want to start over; I want to fix this, but where do I even start? And how am I going to go back in time to do that?

"Do you wish to start over?" the blonde's voice asked. It was young for the Cloud I knew, but it was still the same voice, the one I kept closest to. They always say: keep your friends and family close but keep your enemies closer. And it was that fateful night at the Mako Reactor that Cloud became my enemy. But knowing Cloud now, he would have thought that giving me a second chance would be a horrible decision on his part.

So why would he offer me that chance? I stared blankly at him, mildly confused until he signed and repeated his question.

"Do you wish to start over?" It repeatedly rang in my head this time. I did want to start over. I want to try and change things. Deep down, I didn't want to destroy the planet, and I didn't want to eradicate all of humanity. That was all her ideals and not mine. So I'm going back. I'll change it before it even starts.

"Yes," I said, finally giving my answer. The blonde looked severely at me as if I wasn't truthful in my response. I stared back at the cadet. My resolve was unwavering; he continued to give me a look for the next few minutes as if contemplating my response before he nodded approval. Some part of me thought: He must think I was admitting defeat and is now taking pity on me. Well, jokes on him, If he lets me go back to the past, I'll see him again. He won't take pity on me for long when I have all the time in the world to tease his past self.

The blonde understood my resolve, and he knew I wouldn't let up. So he finally let me go, even if the look of his green eyes showed reluctance to give this old general a second chance...he did it anyway. As if he wanted me to come back.

As the world around me grew darker, the last thing I remember seeing before passing out was green........