Kingdom Hearts II

Let the Lightning Flash

By LuckyLadybug

Notes: The characters aren't mine and the story is! Thanks to Aubrie for the title help! This piece was directly inspired by the prompts Brontophobia; Fear of Thunder and Lightning (storm clouds are blowing in) from 13 Fears and Connected (coiled inescapably) at 20 Heartbeats. As usual, it's deeply part of my timeline that started with The Darkness Will Rise from the Deep and I Don't Feel Enough for You to Cry.

He really did not want to be doing this.

He probably would not be, if not for several factors.

They were quite far from the city. It was possible that Cloud had walked back by now, and he had tried to rationalize that idea for some time in his mind. But somehow, it seemed much more likely that Cloud was still there, somewhere, and that he was continuing to stew over their disagreement.

If he was still there, he was probably getting soaked. The gray clouds had abruptly split open several minutes ago, generously spilling their contents over the grassy hills and mountains. And it did not seem as though the storm would cease any time soon.

Almost like how Cloud could suddenly explode with pent-up anger, and one would never know when he would finally be finished with his tirades.

The winged man smirked grimly to himself at the comparison. His strong wings flapped as he pushed through the torrents. By now he was completely drenched himself, his hair and clothes clinging to his skin. He must be insane. He could easily return to the town if he wished. It was as simple as teleporting, and no one would be the wiser.

But, if Cloud was still there and he was entirely wet, he could catch pneumonia. And then Zack would worry.

It always came back to Zack, didn't it. Well, that was logical, since he was the link between the two misfits. Both of them cared deeply about Zack even though they still often had trouble with their truce. And that was what always drove them to eventually set aside their pride and apologize. They did not want Zack to be unhappy.

But then there was the fact that like it or not, Sephiroth was bound to Cloud. They were connected; their fates were coiled inescapably. That probably meant that he was supposed to be responsible for the other's physical as well as mental well-being. And if he simply did nothing and allowed the fool to end up extremely ill, then who knew what would happen to himself as a consequence.

Ah, so now it was about himself as well as Zack. It seemed that he was using everyone except Cloud as a reason for his actions. Maybe he was like Cloud in that respect, too---they both would make excuses, some of them true, as a partial means of denying that they cared about each other.

. . . What a ridiculous thought. He did not care about Cloud, except as Zack's friend. He despised Cloud, loathed him, because of how alike they were with their struggles against their inner darkness.

And yet at the same time he respected Cloud for the compassion he had been shown after the dragon incident.

Was it possible to respect and abhor someone at the same time?

The thunder crashed overhead, as if demanding that he return his attention to the problem at hand. He looked up, fully focusing on the scene.

What an irritating obstacle it was. Night had been coming on anyway, but the furious clouds and pattering rain made the normally calm sky a complete labyrinth. The only light now was coming from the occasional flashes of lightning within the gray cotton, which randomly would snake out the bottom and hit various parts of the ground below him.

It had not been lightning before. He should really come back to terra firma, but would that be any safer? He would be wandering through an open field. Maybe Cloud had already been hit by one of the deadly bolts. Maybe this search was pointless and he was looking for a corpse.

Another blast sizzled several yards away, charring the patch of grass with which it came in contact. That was too close for comfort. And it had happened without warning. There was no way of telling where it would strike next.

It felt like a sharp prickling at first, when it attacked his right shoulder blade. His eyes widened, and he gasped as he froze in the air for what seemed an eternity. But it was only a split-second before the pain transformed into an electrifying fire that channeled through his shoulder and then his top wing as if he had been shot.

Was he going to die? Would he survive, but be permanently impaired in some way? Now his vision was blurring, but the sight of the lightning flashing around his arms and wings, and off his coat's sleeves, was not lost. The external flashover? Heh . . . maybe if he was lucky, most of the damage would go around him and not through him. But he did not believe in luck, and it did not seem to believe in him, either.

Time started again, and he was falling. His hair was blowing away from his face now, and the edges of his coat were beating with the increasing velocity. If he could just spread his wings . . . if he could only glide. . . . They felt like dead weight hanging from his back, dragging him down . . . down . . . to where the ground was hard and painful to hit.

He blacked out immediately upon contact with it. He never did have the time to wonder again if he would die, or where Cloud was, or what Zack would do if something happened to both of his friends.

"Oh, wake up for crying out loud."

Green eyes slowly slipped open as consciousness returned. There was a crackling sound right near him, accompanied by warmth and dancing red and orange claws---and being skilled with pyro attacks, the combined identity of a fire was known without even being able to see clearly.

And the voice. . . . He did not have to see the speaker, either, to know that it was Cloud.

Finally things started coming back into focus. He was laying on his left side, facing the flames, and beyond them were stone walls and a yawning entrance, through which the pouring ran could still be seen. It was a cave. . . .

Cloud was just to his side, near his head. He was sitting on a rock, idly throwing another twig into the fire. His appearance was bedraggled and weary, the hair hiding his right eye as usual and now almost seeming matted down from the rainwater that had soaked it. The one wing hung from his left shoulder, and even it looked more ragged than usual. But that was probably just because it was drenched as well, and because Cloud usually kept it hanging downward.

Cloud still hated that wing. He could not carry it with pride. Not that Sephiroth had ever become pleased with his own extra appendages, but at least he had learned to make use of them. Usually they served him well.

He awoke further. What was laying over him? It could be felt and seen against his chest---something red and at least partially dry. Wait . . . if it was red. . . . Cloud's cloak? Cloud had let his hated enemy take his cloak? His gaze traveled fully down to it. Yes . . . that was what it was. He reached out with a shaking hand, fingering the tattered cloth. Surely Cloud was cold himself.

A shiver ran through the blond's body, as if in answer to the unspoken query. But he leaned further near the fire, saying nothing.

The rest of the memories were starting to come back---the storm, the lightning, the crash. . . . Why was he still alive? And everything seemed to be in working order, at least as much as his still-clearing mind could determine. All limbs could move normally, though there was definite pain when he twitched the top wing and then tried to operate his right arm.

"I'm awake," he mumbled at last, as Cloud's exasperated cry registered again.

Immediately Cloud looked over, his blue eyes frustrated and aflame. "What's the matter with you?" he snapped. "Flying around in a lightning storm, and getting yourself struck by it? You're just lucky you're not dead or paralyzed!

"And then, if that's not enough, you crash down right outside the cave. I couldn't even figure out what'd happened at first, but judging from the scream and the hole burned in your coat, I put the pieces together." He glowered. "If you hadn't ended up here when you fell, you'd probably be as good as dead right now."

A grim smirk made its way over the tired features. "Lightning rarely hits the same spot twice," he answered. "Or so I've heard."

"In your case, I bet it would," Cloud grumbled.

Then the fury rose again. "I thought you'd gone back to Hollow Bastion!" he cried. "What were you doing?! I didn't think you'd do something so stupid like trying to fly in a storm!"

Sephiroth fell silent. Should he tell the truth? There was not any reason why he should, unless he was trying to guilt Cloud because of his outburst. But Cloud would not care anyway. Cloud would tell him that he should have teleported back to Hollow Bastion.

And maybe he should have. He had been wrong; Cloud had found a safe haven from the storm. All that had really been accomplished during Sephiroth's search was the obtaining of some very inconvenient injuries, including a rather sore bruise to his pride.

So now the question remaining was, Should he inflict another blow to said pride by letting Cloud think him a moron, or should it be done by letting him know the truth? Allowing Cloud to think him an enemy had always been agreeable to him, before the truth of his friendship with Zack had been revealed. But to be thought of as a moron, a fool who did not know the first thing about lightning safety . . . that was unacceptable.

. . . Actually, telling his true intentions could be thought of as him being a moron too---except for the Zack angle.

There he was, dragging Zack into it again. Even though Zack was a large part of things, he should not be used as an excuse.

"I was looking for you."

Cloud was struck silent. When the green eyes looked up at him again, the immense disbelief and confusion in the blue orbs was obvious.

"Looking for me?" he repeated at long last. He frowned. "Why?"

Might as well be blunt, if he was going to say this much. "Because I didn't know you'd found a cave as a shelter."

Slowly he began to push himself up. Underneath the cloak, he was still wearing his clothes, which were being dried by the fire. It would have been better if the wet apparel had been removed entirely, but the cloak by itself was certainly not enough to cover him, and the cold air from outside was still blowing in through the doorway. Cloud had done what he had thought best, considering the situation.

"Had I been aware of it," he continued now, "I probably would have returned to Hollow Bastion."

Though, had he known of Cloud's location, he could have simply taken the other with him during such a departure. If he would have done so, and if Cloud would have agreed to it. With Cloud, it was hard to know what he would do. His mood seemed to fluctuate by the minute at times.

The implication was clearly there, even though it had not been directly stated. "You thought I was out in the open or something?" Cloud asked. This was such a bizarre conversation to be having. Imagine, being told that his arch-enemy and sometimes grudging ally had been struck by lightning due to searching for him. It was not like Sephiroth to be reckless.

He got a slow nod in reply. "Or laying dead after a lightning strike," Sephiroth said dryly.

Cloud slumped back. "I . . . I didn't realize." It almost sounded as though he was genuinely sorry for his earlier outburst.

Was that true? It was a surprise. When had Cloud ever regretted anything he had said to Sephiroth? He certainly had not shown it before now. He was usually content to say whatever he pleased, whether or not it would be offensive.

Now he raised his gaze again. "Why?" he asked.

And that was what had been so frustrating to determine. What was the answer? Partially for Zack, partially for himself . . . but did any part of him actually care for Cloud's sake?

"I didn't want your death on my hands."

Cloud watched him searchingly. "Zack wouldn't have blamed you. We both know that."

"When I do something, I like to have it done right. That includes my assignment concerning you." Sephiroth pulled the edges of the cloak closer around him. It was freezing. If he tried now, would he have the strength to teleport both himself and Cloud? Or would he greatly rue the effort? Maybe he would land them somewhere much worse than a cave in the middle of a storm.

The frown deepened. "So it's because you're bound to me?" Cloud crossed his arms. "I don't want to be some charity case." Now he looked insulted.

It would be easy to just leave it like that, to let him think that was all of which Sephiroth's idea consisted. But that would certainly make it more difficult to deal with Cloud in the future. And that was the last thing he wanted.

"It wasn't because of a charity case." A shudder passed through the strong form. Were his wings dry yet? If he could bring them around him, that would provide added warmth. But the top one was still paining him. It might take several hours, at least, before he could use it or his right arm very well. Cloud had not mentioned that he was burned, though, so that was something, if it was true.

Unless there was internal damage. That would have to be seen to later, somehow---not that the thought of going to a doctor was pleasant. Heh . . . had he even gone for a basic check-up at all since he had been brought back to life? Probably not, since he had only done it in the past whenever it was a requirement for all those in the military. It was all too easy to imagine the irritating questions he would get now, if he wandered into a clinic with three wings sprouting from his back.

"What, then?"

He came back to the present. Cloud was still watching him with suspicion, looking annoyed. It was only making him vexed to have to prolong this discussion, but Cloud was not likely to let it drop.

". . . I was looking for you because . . ." Bah, nothing sounded right. He turned slightly, coughing into the fire. Hopefully he was not coming down with something.

"Why did you give me your cloak?"

Cloud was not happy at the conversation being turned to him. "Because you needed it," he retorted, a noticeable edge having slipped into his voice.

"So did you," Sephiroth duly pointed out.

Cloud rolled his eyes. "I'd been in the cave for a while. I wasn't that wet. You were soaked through when you crashed outside. And you were really heavy when I dragged you in here." A pause. "I thought you might be dead at first."

"I'm sure you weren't worried."

The bat wing twitched in obvious annoyance. "Why would I worry about you?"

"My point exactly. Unless it would be because of Zack, you wouldn't."

Sephiroth coughed again under his breath. Outside, the rain showed no signs of decreasing. He was probably going to have to take a chance and try to teleport them home. It would not be good for either of them to have to continue their sojourn in this location.

". . . Maybe I would."

". . . What?" He could not have heard right. Green eyes turned, questioning, back to the blond's form. Cloud was hunched forward, glaring into the fire, his arms crossed on his legs. He did not look as though he had just spoken. Probably, he had not. Why would he, and to say something like that?

"I said maybe I would!" Cloud screamed, tossing another stick into the hungry flames.

Sephiroth frowned deeply, drawing the torn red cloth closer around him as he shivered. "Why?" he grunted. "I've done nothing that should cause you to feel any concern over me. For ages I made you believe that I was an enemy, and I haven't especially tried to be endearing even after you learned different."

Cloud glared. "Do you think I'd want to see you die after the stupid argument we had?" He gripped his upper arms, the gloved fingers digging deep into the muscles.

"I didn't think you'd care one way or another."

"Yeah. I didn't think so either." The bat wing twitched again. "And I know I'm going to regret this conversation later."

"I won't bring it up again, if you don't."

"If you do anyway, I'll blame it on whatever you're coming down with and say it never happened."

"I don't doubt it." Sephiroth observed the other in silence. "Or maybe you're coming down with something," he remarked in a dry tone, "and you're delirious right now."

"I wouldn't put it past myself."

Slowly Sephiroth reached up, placing his left hand on the rocky wall above him and gripping a piece that was jutting out. Spreading his wings as much as he could for balance, he began to pull himself upright. His other shoulder was still aching, and he held the arm as close to his body as he could. Zack would no doubt worry when he was told. It would be foolish to try to hide the injury from him. That had been learned long ago. Zack just had a vexing way of knowing, whether he was actually informed or not.

"Let's put the fire out and go," he said now.

Cloud frowned, starting to rise as well. "Can you make it?" he demanded.

"We'll soon find out."

He watched as Cloud made his way to the entrance and bent down, scooping up dirt in his hands that had long ago washed into the cavern due to floods and runoffs. Then he walked back to the fire, dumping the dirt on the flames to quell them. They flickered, shrinking in size but refusing to extinguish entirely.

Sephiroth took a shaking step forward, then another, traveling to where the dirt had piled up. It was despicable, to observe as someone else did all the work. Maybe he would be able to assist, if he forced himself. Though it was definitely unpleasant to even start to bend down. His back immediately protested.

Cloud gave him a black look as he returned to the spot as well. "If you fall down, I might not be able to get you back up," he grumbled, "and you might not have the strength to do any teleporting."

"I won't fall down," Sephiroth retorted, but he straightened up again anyway. Not because of what Cloud was saying, but because he honestly did not know himself if it was the best course of action. Tumbling face first into the generously scattered earth was not exactly high on his list of priorities.

Several more handfuls of dirt put out the fire the rest of the way, and then Cloud was pulling off the dusty gloves as he came back to where Sephiroth was standing with crossed arms. "If you think you can make it, let's go," he directed, taking hold of the older man's shoulder in a grudging manner.

Sephiroth gave a short nod and began to concentrate. He was a warrior, familiar with pain. It was easy enough to block it out while focusing on opening a portal. But it would make him weak. Hopefully his sense of direction was not such that they would go to another world, as he had done once when he had been alone and injured.

The bright glow enveloped them both, and Cloud had to shut his eyes as he waited for it to evaporate. Sephiroth left his eyes open. He was used to this experience by now, though it had been strange the first times, even for him.

Then it began to fade, as it always did. And thus, it was the moment of truth. Would he have sent them home, or would they have ended up in another location, something even more bizarre than the Disney Castle? The latter was not something to anticipate with enthusiasm.

But the light dissipated, leaving them in Cloud's bare living room. The lamp was on, illuminating the old television set, the worn rug, and the orange couch, which had also seen better days. To be honest, it was probably the first time Sephiroth was relieved to see the small room. They were back.

"Hey! Man, I was about to start out again looking for you guys in the rain!"

Both looked up at the familiar voice. Zack was coming over to them from across the room, his lavender eyes wide as they displayed both surprise and relief. A folded umbrella was propped near the front door, but his raven locks and his clothes were damp anyway.

He stopped in front of them, crossing his arms as he shook his head over-dramatically. "You left your door unlocked again, Cloud. And you're both drenched!" he scolded. "What am I gonna do with you guys?!"

Cloud started to pull off his boots. "Right now, both of us just want showers and clean clothes," he said. "But I don't have anything here that would fit Sephiroth." Bending down, he took hold of the boots and carried them back to the door, then straightened again as he walked towards the short hall.

"My clothes are at Zack's house," Sephiroth answered in a flat voice.

"Figured as much." Cloud wandered into the small bathroom and flipped on the light, then turned to the sink to wash his hands. "Why don't you take him back with you, then?"

Zack nodded cheerfully. "I got the Jeep outside," he said.

The thought of going with Zack was a relief, especially since Cloud's house only had one bathroom and Sephiroth did not particularly want to wait his turn for the shower. "Fine," he said, nodding as well as he headed for the door.

"I'll check in later," Zack called to Cloud as he turned to follow the silver-haired man.

"Alright," Cloud agreed, moving to shut the door. "But don't try driving back here if the storm gets worse."

Zack gave his friend a mock salute.

He stared as his lavender gaze focused on the tear in the black material of Seph's coat. "Hey, what happened to you?" he gasped, reaching out to touch the edges. They were singed, but there was no visible damage to the skin showing through the hole.

Sephiroth grunted, looking over his shoulder at his friend. "I was struck by lightning," he announced matter-of-factly.

Zack's eyes widened. "What?!" he gasped. He shook his head, giving a low whistle. "Man, Seph, that must be some story."

"That's one way to put it."

Zack grabbed up the umbrella, popping it open as he turned the doorknob. Outside, the rain still continued to pour. He sighed as he stepped onto the porch and waited for Seph to join him.

"Seriously, Seph, are you okay?" he demanded, watching as the door was pulled shut behind the silver-haired man.

"I'm fine," Sephiroth said in reply. "My shoulder is sore, but that's the only problem." Already he could see Zack eyeing said shoulder, and he had most likely noticed the awkward way Sephiroth was carrying that arm.

"I'll see to it that you get it checked out anyway," Zack promised, holding the umbrella above them both as they headed for the Jeep. He smiled. "And don't worry about the thing with your wings, Seph," he added. "There's at least one doctor I know of who'll help you without messing with them." He hauled open the door as they reached the vehicle, handing the umbrella to Seph before climbing inside.

Sephiroth took it in his left hand, then walked around to the passenger side and got in as well, folding the object after him. "I should be able to take care of these things myself, without relying on anyone," he said as he pulled the umbrella in and tossed it in the back. He was grateful for Zack's help, of course, but it sometimes felt to him that he depended too much on his friend ever since he had acquired the wings and had been branded a fraud by the military.

"Hey, it's not like you asked me," Zack smirked, cuffing him gently on his uninjured shoulder before placing the key in the ignition. "I'm just offering info to my buddy."

Sephiroth reached up for the seatbelt, affixing it before looking over at the brunet. "I suppose," he acknowledged.

He shifted in the seat, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. It was hard to get positioned right, considering his top wing. The two lower ones simply hung down on either side of him, and he had brought them over his legs, but the uppermost limb was always a struggle to manipulate in a car. He shifted again, turning so that he was leaning toward the left. Then he slipped the wing under the seatbelt and across his chest. It was good enough for now.

Zack switched on the heat as he began to pull away from the curb. "So how did you and Cloud manage to get along?" he asked in a casual tone, extending his hand to the windshield wipers' button.

"About as good as you could expect," Sephiroth informed, his voice matter-of-fact as he watched the blue feathers blowing from the warm air. "We didn't kill each other."

Zack snickered. "Good deal."

"Cloud was . . . helpful, actually." Sephiroth leaned back, still favoring his left side. Their conversation was not something he would even tell Zack. It was private between the two of them, and Cloud hoped, soon forgotten. But it was unlikely that either of them would ever not remember. It was too odd to forget.

So . . . Cloud would worry about him aside from the matter of Zack's concern? Interesting. He must have meant it; something like that would never be said out of idleness.

What a strange person.

"You know . . . I think Cloud cares about you."

Sephiroth frowned, immediately looking over at Zack. The brunet was watching the road, completely calm, a quiet smile on his features.

"He has no reason to," Sephiroth grunted. "What makes you think so?"

Zack shrugged. "Oh . . . just a feeling." He grinned in the darkness. "And as you know, my friend, my feelings are often right."

"And sometimes they're wrong."

"Ouch," Zack commented in a good-natured way. "Well, of course, no one can be right all the time. But I'm pretty sure I'm right about this."

"I think you're insane."

"We'll see," Zack smiled. "We'll see."