A young orphaned Cloud is found by Sephiroth in the mako reactor on Mt. Nibel. There is something special about the boy – something in his eyes. Following a horrifying discovery, Sephiroth abandons Shinra and the glory of his hero status, retreating into seclusion. He decides to adopt Cloud and raise him, honing him into an agent of darkness.
Hey, guuuuys. It's been a long hiatus since I penned my last fanfic so let me know if there's anything that could use improvement. I got the idea for this story whilst thinking about how much Cloud idolizes Sephiroth and thought it would be cool to see Seph in a mentor/ parent role. Hope you enjoy!
I don't own Final Fantasy! The following has been written purely for fun and not profit (Please don't sue me, Square Enix, I haven't got any money).
Chapter One
"An Anomaly At The Reactor"
The pod door rose with a mechanical hiss, air rushing out from the sudden pressure relief. Silence filled the empty chamber of the reactor. There were no workers present today; no engineers, no scientists – not even any of the troublesome kids from town who sometimes tried to sneak in. Had there been anyone in the reactor, they would have frozen to watch, speechless, as a small figure climbed out from the pod and tumbled to the floor.
Ouch!
A young boy with a shock of pale blonde hair looked up from the ground, holding up an arm to block the lights above. A pair of impossibly blue eyes blinked around at their new surroundings, their depths burning with an unnatural intensity that rivalled the seething depths of a mako refinery. A range of emotions flickered within them – fear, shock, curiosity. Where was he? How had he come to be here?
"Unnngh," he groaned, climbing to his feet. The cold, cavernous space of the chamber stretched all around him. He felt so small and alone, and with no knowledge about himself or his identity, it was no wonder that his eyes suddenly glistened with tears.
What should I do? he wondered faintly. I can't stay here. This place is creepy.
His mind made up on this point at least, he took his first uncertain steps away from the pod and eased himself down from the podium. He was about to climb over the railing and swing down onto the walkway when a chilling sound echoed through the reactor. A low, guttural growl, it rose in pitch and aggression until it became uncomfortably close. It seemed to move all around, circling the core of the facility like a ghost.
"Who's there?" the poor child croaked. Tears rolled down his cheeks, for his terror was extreme. No sooner had he pleaded his enquiry to the shadows did a monstrous creature emerge from behind one of the durasteel doors. A great wolf-like beast with a scorpion's tail and a grotesque face that snarled with predatory purpose, it slunk low to the ground and onto the walkway, its glittering eyes locked upon the boy.
"No... Oh, no, help..."
With a cry of fear he spun round to flee back to his pod. Was this really how things were going to end? His first few moments of waking so abruptly cut short? He expected to feel razor-sharp claws and teeth locking onto his little shoulders, but just as he scrambled into his pod, instead heard the sound of a painful howl. He dared to look back, and gasped.
A man stood over the beast, its body now still and sprawled across the floor. He clasped in his hands the hilt of a long sword, which shuddered as he gave it one final shove down into the creature's flesh. A curious armour of black leather covered his muscled form, and a long spill of silver hair rained down to his ankles. His gaze – which gleamed the same uncanny green – met the boy's with a flicker of surprise and confusion, as though his presence here made no sense.
The terrified child wanted nothing more than to jump back into his pod and never come back out, but the enormous man sheathed his sword and spoke in a tone so unexpectedly soft it made him pause.
"It's alright," he promised, his voice a deep rumble, smooth and restrained. "It's alright. You're safe now."
For a long time the boy just stared at the beast, his mind reeling as he tried to process his situation. Whoever this man was, he had just saved him. As much as the boy was beginning to wish he had never woken up and opened his pod, he realized he had no choice but to trust his strange saviour.
"Are you hurt?" the man questioned, slowly stepping closer. "What's your name?"
The boy's throat tightened. He choked out a response but the stranger frowned.
"What did you say?" he asked, only inches away now. He loomed over the boy like a giant, startling him so greatly he answered, this time much louder,
"I don't know!"
The man's wintry eyes narrowed. He looked away and his gaze fell upon the opened pod.
"This," he motioned, "this device. Is this where you came from?"
The mute boy could only nod. A sudden change came over the man then. His eyes, so clear and glacial before, widened with shock. He looked around, casting his gaze about as though searching for something. A gloved hand flew to his forehead, and he muttered something under his breath that sounded like, "... Jenova... no, can't possibly..."
He seemed so scared, so confused. Seeing his saviour in this way gave the boy more confidence and engendered a flicker of affection in him, for he too was lost and frightened. Emboldened, he approached the man and tentatively reached out to grasp his trench-coat.
"Mister," he prompted, "are... are you okay, mister?"
Startled, the man looked down as though he had forgotten the boy was there.
"I..." He didn't seem to know. "Yes, I'm fine. My apologies. You... you must be frightened. It's alright. Come with me."
And with that, the stranger grasped the child's hand and led him away from the reactor. The boy's fear melted away a little, for as his tiny fingers were swallowed by his saviour's strong but gentle grip he suddenly felt so very protected. As they approached the doors at the end of the corridor, he silently wished he could hold onto this feeling and that whatever lay beyond this place, he might be allowed to stay with his strange rescuer.
Hope you guys enjoyed, rate and review if you want more!