"Cloud?"
Cloud stood, frozen, as he stared down at a city abandoned. The city, the cliffs, the grassless plains, everything looked exactly the same as it did so long ago. He didn't want to look down. He knew that if he looked down even the teeniest bit, a hilt would come into view. Look down even farther, and he'd see the whole thing.
A long sword, rusted over from years of neglect and never to be used again, thrust into the ground to serve the sole purpose of a memorial. A grave marker.
"Cloud."
"Painful, is it not?" A silky voice said from behind Cloud. He turned, and stared into fierce green-blue eyes.
"Sephiroth," Cloud hissed through his teeth. Sephiroth didn't look at Cloud, instead keeping his gaze firmly on the rusted sword.
"Painful to come back here, after all of your efforts to distance yourself both physically and mentally." Sephiroth turned his icy stare to Cloud's. "How does it feel, Cloud? How does it feel to be reminded that you are responsible for his death?"
"S-shut up!" The blonde gripped the hilt of his sword with a shaky hand, but couldn't bring himself to draw it. "Y-you were the one responsible! He...he died protecting me...from you! You're the cause of his death!"
Sephiroth laughed ferally. "I regret he had to die," he admitted, "but it was necessary. He needed to be killed to throw you into emotional turmoil." Another laugh. "But it appears you've finally accepted his death. I suppose I'll simply have to find another target."
"Another target..." Cloud repeated in a breathy whisper. "What do you mean? Tell me!" The silver haired man shook his head.
"Through your blackened heart my sword shall not go, for there is no greater wound than that of woe; someone in your faith will instead meet their fate, as through your love hatred for me shall create." Sephiroth walked away without another word. Cloud growled as the words replayed in his mind. He found his strength and drew his sword. He charged the man, closer, closer, until...
"Cloud, wake up!"
THWACK!
"Oww!" Cloud jolted upright and rubbed his sore cheek. Eyes wide, he scanned the room, but it was empty, save him and Leon. Abruptly realizing that Leon had slapped him, he glared at the gunblader, who simply shrugged in response.
"Don't give me that look. How can anyone sleep with you tossing around and groaning like that?" Cloud took another look around and noticed that it was still very early in the morning. Maybe around three a.m. He also noticed that Leon was wearing baggy red silk sleep pants and a white t-shirt. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair distractedly.
"Sorry..." The blonde mumbled, not completely back to reality despite the harshness of the slap. His mind was revolving around Sephiroth's words. What in hell does he mean?
Leon shook his head. "No problem." He spared a glance out the window and sighed. "I'm going back to bed." He turned to leave Cloud's bedroom, but Cloud grabbed his wrist.
"Leon..." They stared at each other in silence, one confused, the other conflicted. Deciding that Leon would be the easiest to explain his nightmare to, consideing their similar backgrounds, Cloud sighed. "What do you know about cryptic poetry?" Leon raised an eyebrow.
"As much as the next Shakespeare enthusiast," He said, half serious and half sarcastic. "Why?"
"Through your blackened heart my sword shall not go, for there is no greater wound than that of woe; someone in your faith will instead meet their fate, as through your love hatred for me shall create."
Leon just blinked. "...Never took you for a poet."
Cloud scoffed. "I didn't write it, Sephiroth said it. In my dream just now." He looked at the gunblader with all the fire he could muster. "It means something, something bad, and I need to know what that something is." Remembering he was still holding Leon's wrist, Cloud let it go and sat indian style in his bed.
Leon crossed his arms. "Sorry to tell you this, but I'm not exactly the best person to ask."
"Yes, you are," The blonde replied simply. "Cid's too simple to understand cryptic stuff, Sora's too young, and the girls would flip out if they knew anything about it."
"..." Leon sighed and sat next to Cloud on the bed. "Fine, I'll see what I can figure out. Line at a time...'Through your blackened heart my sword shall not go,'...I think it means you aren't his target."
"...I'm not?" Cloud's mind briefly floated to Sephiroth's comment about finding a new target, but he swiftly pushed it away.
"Either that, or you are his target, but he's not looking to hurt you. Next...'For there is no greater wound than that of woe,'...He wants to hurt you, but not physically. I'm thinking more emotionally."
"He's done that before..." The blonde murmered. Leon heard his tone and almost felt bad for Cloud. He didn't deserve the torture that Sephiroth had put him through.
"Line three...'Someone in your faith will instead meet their fate,"...something will happen to someone who trusts you."
"How many people in this castle actually still trust me?" Leon didn't know the answer. He could only speak for himself.
"I do, for one. And last...'As through your love hatred for me shall create."...Something you love will make you hate Sephiroth. Well...more than you already do." Cloud nodded sadly as the pieces fell into place in his mind..
"...He's going to hurt someone I love just to get to me, just like he did before."
"Before?" Leon asked under his breath. Cloud had been through this before? The blonde ignored the short question.
"Leon, I have to go now," Cloud muttered even quieter than Leon had. So quiet, he was sure the gunblader hadn't heard him. He walked to his bureau and quickly got dressed in his usual attire. Trying to play it cool, he looked out the window. "Maybe you should-"
"You're leaving? Why?" The brunette demanded, standing up. Cloud left the room and headed towards the castle's entrance. To the blonde's dismay, Leon followed. "Tell me why, Cloud,"
"You don't have to know. All you need to know is that I'm leaving." He said stubbornly as he entered the foyer. A few more steps and he could be out the door and flying away.
Leon grabbed his wrist.
"There's no point in running away!" Leon hissed, trying to keep his voice down, but not able to hide his anger. Cloud glared daggers into the gunblader's head.
"You wouldn't understand." He said as calmly as he could manage. Leon's grip on his wrist tightened.
"I don't understand? Fine, then make me understand! Explain to me the point of you leaving...no, abandoning the people that love you!" He yelled, venom lacing his words. Cloud tensed.
"Leon, please, just let me go!"
"No!"
Cloud lost it. He thrashed around in Leon's grip, eventually succeeding in pinning the older man against the wall. Leon looked shocked. Since when had Cloud been able to out-muscle him? They stood there in anxious silence, until Cloud did something that stunned Leon silent.
Slowly, deeply, lovingly, Cloud moved his lips against the older man's with a tenderness that was unheard of for the blonde. Leon's eyes slipped shut. His mind froze. He unconsciously brought his hands to rest on slender hips. Cloud pulled away, pulling Leon back into the world of the living with him. The blonde caressed the gunblader's face gently, and Leon's eyes opened again to lock on a tear streaked face, brows knitted in concern, and a pair of fearful looking sapphires. Not fearful for his own well being, Leon realized, but fear for the well being of the people he held dear.
"I refuse to have another person I love killed because of me...I wouldn't be able to take it...Please, Leon, let me go..." Leon was speechless. He simply nodded slightly and wiped the blonde's tears away with the back of his hand. Cloud appeared to want to lean into the touch, but thinking better of it, pulled away instead. He walked a few feet away, and Leon watched as the blonde disappeared into the early morning shadows.