Notes Before The Story:
*EDIT*
It has been brought to my attention that, apparently, stating the pairing twice in the introduction information was still not clear. So I wanted to take a moment to ensure, for the future, that it is absolutely clear.
THIS FIC IS A YAOI PAIRING. WHILE THERE ARE NO GRAPHIC SCENES, IT IS STILL A YAOI FIC. IF THIS DOES BOTHER YOU IN ANY WAY, PLEASE MAKE NOTE NOW THAT IT IS, IN FACT, A YAOI FIC.
I hope this additional warning will clear up any confusion for my unhappy reviewer, and any future confusion. Again, for the review left regarding the pairing, I apologized that stating it twice was not clear. I hope this will get rid of any discrepancies.
Also, thanks so much for the reviews. I appreciate all of them!
*End EDIT*
Author's Notes: Just wanted to give a quick shout out...so sorry that the chapter was originally posted incorrectly! I was having issues with the server last night when I did all of my updating and must have clicked the wrong thing. HUGE thank you to Willow Strife, LunaNyx, and UTShadow for the call-out! Should be fixed now, and I apologize for the mix up... Seriously, thanks a ton! :D
Anyway...
This story has been an extremely long progress. It really started with a spark between my sister and I and developed into our take on a different side of the game. It basically does just tell the story from another perspective. Ergo, the summary is rather short and sweet. Please note that, because of some strong implications in almost anything Final Fantasy VII related, I did chose to use it as a pairing fic. Sorry if yaoi bothers you, but...well, read it anyway. Nothing graphic, no lemons - sorry yaoi fans. Please read, review,and enjoy! :)
Full Summary: The plot of the original FFVII game unfolds from the eyes of its antagonist: Sephiroth.
Characters/Parings: Sephiroth is of course the main character throughout this fic. Paring is strongly Sephiroth/Cloud, but, as mentioned, no graphic scenes will occur. Sorry again to any hardcore yaoi fans.
Setting: Parallel to the original Final Fantasy VII game, with flashbacks to prior events (namely the incident at Nibelhiem).
Rating Warnings For Story: Language (fairly mild), implied sex/yaoi references, complicated themes, and mental manipulation.
Disclaimer: Like so many others, I only wish I owned Final Fantasy. However, I sadly do not. Final Fantasy and anything affiliated with the content is property of SquarEnix. I make no profit from exploring possibilities.
Chapter One
'Promise me you'll never leave this room…'
*~*~*0*~*~*
"Well, the good news is we have two separate rooms," Zack announces as he enters the lobby of the Nibelheim Inn. "The bad news is one of the rooms only has one bed…meaning two will have to share…" his voice trails.
"I don't mind," one of the army soldiers says after a brief silence. Another silence follows, a little longer this time. Zack looks from myself to the other soldier, whose gaze has found interest in the floor.
"I can," I volunteer, eyes cutting towards Zack. He chuckles a little and gladly hands me one of the room keys, keeping the other for himself. The SOLDIER and the other grunt walk up the stairs. "Shall we?" I say, turning to the army personnel. He gives a weak smile in return, and follows me upstairs.
The room is dark and heavily warm when we enter. On the left, a door leads to a decently sized bathroom with a rather large walk-in shower, and to the right is a small closet. Sure enough, only one double bed sits in the center of the room. Opposite to us, a bright shade of orange floats in between the blinds, indicating sunset.
"It's getting close to dark," I say, placing my bag inside the closet. "We should get some rest. We'll have an early start tomorrow." The soldier nods as I face him. "By the way, you never told your name."
"Oh, i-it's Cloud," he replies abruptly, taking off his helmet. "Cloud Strife."
"Cloud? Cloud…" I repeat distantly. "You said you were from here, correct?"
"Yeah…" Cloud replies, a little embarrassed for some reason. He turns away and walks toward the bathroom, pacing nervously.
"Did you see your friends and family yet?" I ask casually, pulling the coat and leather straps away. The weight lifts from my shoulders, and I lay them on the bed beside me, readying myself for the night.
Cloud hesitates before answering, his back still to me. "Not yet…I was going to wait until after the mission…" he trials.
"I'll give you the time you need," I assure him. He turns to face me once more. A smile crosses his face for a moment, and he nods. Quickly, he turns his back to me once more, realizing that I have undressed down to my boxers behind him. "If it bothers you—" I say quickly, reaching for my pants.
"No—it's fine, sir," Cloud replies anxiously as he composes himself, "I just didn't know you were—er…"
"You're sure?" I ask, and the young grunt nods. He awkwardly undresses until only his boxers remain. Hands tear through his bag and clothes crumple to the floor as they are tossed. I look on quietly, amused. A smile crosses my lips as Cloud dumps out the contents of his bag. "What are you looking for?" I finally chuckle.
The blond sighs with defeat, stuffing the scattered clothing back into his duffle bag. "I—er...forgot my pajamas…" He is embarrassed to admit it, and clearly even more so that he is in nothing more than his boxer shorts.
I laugh. "It's fine if you just sleep in that." Cloud hesitates, but stands and nods. The blond curls up into a ball beneath the warm covers beside me, and I slide in beside him.
*~*~*0*~*~*
The room has been dark for hours, and moonlight creeps in from between the blinds. I stare towards the ceiling, my gaze trailing distantly. I breathe deeply, my chest rising beneath the thin layer of sheets. Beside me, the blond grunt shifts and sighs as he adjusts himself. I look over to him, and a dim white gleams on his eyes.
"You're still awake?" I ask, sitting up. Cloud hesitates.
"I-I, uh…yeah," he mumbles, curling tighter beneath the sheet. Bright Mako eyes study him in the darkness. "Sorry…I…didn't mean to wake you, sir," he continues quietly as my weight leaves the bed.
"You didn't," I reply lightly. Soft footsteps echo in the silence, and I cross to the window. Long hair shimmers in the dim moonlight, and I brush the silver locks from my face. I gaze past my own gleaming irises, studying the velvet-blue scenery.
"I didn't?" he asks trying to sound casual. He shifts beneath the soft cotton sheets. "But I thought you were asleep?" A soft chuckle escapes my lips.
"I wouldn't call it sleeping," I reply, still staring out the window. "More like dozing." A silence falls in the room, and Mako eyes scan the darkness outside the window. His soft and curious gaze bores into me, and I know he is studying my silhouette. "Are you…worried?" I ask suddenly.
"W-worried, sir?" he replied nervously. "I – why would I be worried?"
"I heard you talking to Zack earlier," I say, turning slightly so that I can see Cloud over my shoulder. "Your hometown…you must be anxious after all of these years. And I'm sure the fact that we're here to prevent dangerous monsters from overrunning the town doesn't do much to help the matter."
"I'm not worried about the mission, if that's what you mean," Cloud says sternly as he turns away from my gaze.
"That isn't what I said," I chuckle.
"So…what about you?" Cloud asks quietly, dodging my question. "I mean – are you…having trouble sleeping, sir?" My eyes meet his for a moment, and I turn back to the window. Another silence falls between us, echoing across the hotel walls. The moon peeks over the tall mountain peak, dimly illuminating the sleeping village. Just outside, a well shadows the ground and old-style houses encircle it.
"This place…" I whispered suddenly; a tone of confusion dances on the words as I continue. "This scenery…it's so familiar – like I've been here before." I pause, brows furrowing, as I focus on my reflection. "But…this is the first time I've ever been assigned to this place – I haven't been here before. But then why…?" My voice trails and I close my eyes as I try to recall anything – a photograph, an early mission. After a moment, I open my eyes and turn; the blond has turned away, hugging his knees to his chest as he studies the wall beside the bed. I cross the room silently, bare feet hardly making a sound on the stiff carpet. Gently, I place a hand on his shoulder. Cloud jumps with the sudden touch and turns to meet my gaze.
"I…didn't mean to concern you," I say softly.
"I-I…you didn't, sir, I just –"
"Shh," I hiss, and Cloud's stammering stopped almost immediately; a finger presses against soft lips. Bright cobalt eyes stare upward into gleaming pools of calm Mako as our eyes meet. My hand falls from Cloud's lips, and I draw closer to him, our eyes locked. He swallows nervously. The blond is hesitant but his eyes close longingly as those lips brush my own.
I press my lips against the blond's, and the space closes between us as I wrap an arm around him. He sighs limply into the kiss and his body relaxes against mine. A slow moment passes, lips part. Cloud keeps his lids closed, and I study his peaceful face. I lean down and whisper softly, lips barely an inch from the blond's ear.
"You're terrible at hiding things." I say, almost chuckling, and he can't help but exchange a nervous laugh. Lips press against my own once more and I close my eyes. I had known the blond for a month now. His fidgeting, his anxiousness, and the heat that flushed across his cheeks when our eyes would meet. And yet he had never dared to approach me, never spoken unless first addressed…never dreamed to crave the attention I felt so drawn to give him.
"I was planning to shower in the morning," I finally say, voice quiet and warm. "But the warm water might do me some good. I think I'll go ahead." I stand and walk toward the bathroom door. Stopping, I look back at Cloud over my shoulder. "You can join me if you like." I add, closing the door behind me. Wordlessly, I turn the water on and steam fogs the glass door. Fully undressed, I step inside and the hot water tingles against cool flesh. Small portions of shampoo rest on the caddy, and I lather my tangled wet hair.
A perfume fills the shower, a clean and tangy scent that tickles my nose. Hands run through the silver locks tenderly as I rinse the foam away. Eyes close, and warm streams of soapy water trickle across my face. The heat is relaxing; my apprehension melts away.
Moments later, the walk-in door slides open, and closes again. A smile touches my lips, but I don't open my eyes—I pretend not to notice. Warm arms wrap loosely around my waist, the hands clasping and falling against the small of my back. I embrace the body tightly, and there is no space between us. Hands press against Cloud's back, caressing him every few moments. My head rests in damp blond locks and Cloud's rests gently on my chest.
We stand like that for minutes that seem to be drawn into hours, warm water pouring over us. Neither of us want to move or say anything, just stay in each other's arms.
"Something bad is going to happen tomorrow." I finally say, my voice quiet and hoarse.
"Wha—what are you talking about?" he asks urgently. He looks upward into deep pools of Lifestream.
"I…can feel it," I whisper, unable to meet his gaze. "Something bad. …Whatever happens, Cloud…"
"Sephiroth…what's wrong?" Cloud replies, eyes searching my face for answers.
"Whatever happens…don't…don't let me hurt you," I say. 'Promise me…'
"I…I promise," Cloud agrees unsurely.
Without another word, I pull out of the embrace, cutting off the water. Sliding the fogged door open, I step out and dry my hair with a plush towel. Cloud steps out after me. My mind feels clouded and somehow unfocused – confusion I've never felt before.
The next day, we travelled to the reactor. The trek was long, and Mount Nibel looked as though it would live up to its reputation of "ruthless". The guide casually directed us along the rocky, narrow paths and to a rickety bridge. When it collapsed, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Cloud?!" I call as I approach the unconscious grunt. Gently, I remove the teen's helmet. "Cloud…" I remove a black glove from my hand, urgently felling for a pulse beneath soft skin. Suddenly, the blond stirs.
"Seph…Sephiroth?" he groans groggily as he sits up.
"I'm glad you're alright," I say calmly, offering the helmet back to the blond.
"What about Tifa and the others?" Cloud asks, taking the helmet and putting it back over golden spikes.
"She and Zack were with me," I reply. "However, I have been unable to locate the other." I pause for a moment, eyes scanning the mountain pass. "Unfortunately, time is of the essence and we have none to spare. We haven't the time to search for him." Before Cloud could protest, I stand and began walking down the steep slope. "We'll go back to the other two and continue to the reactor."
I remember the foreboding that overcame me as we approached the Nibel Reactor. Heavy and hindering…something that made my head and heart pound. But I never could have imagined the secrets that the small town and reactor held.
"You average members of SOLDIER are Mako-infused humans," I explain. "You're enhanced but you're still human." My eyes drift from his gaze, looking back to the lifeless form behind the small window. "But then…what are those things? Their Mako energy levels are exponentially higher than yours."
"Are they…monsters?" he asks, eyes studying the capsule.
"Exactly," I reply. "And it is Hojo of ShinRa that produced these monsters. Abominations produced by Mako energy. That's what these monsters really are." I exhale heavily, and Zack is silent for a moment.
"You said 'average' member," he begins. "What about you?" My eyes study the capsule for a moment, and suddenly a sharp ring silences the clanking of the reactor. I falter as the disgusting realization sets over me, and gloved fingers fist silver locks. I feel a hand on my shoulder and his face appears before me; I push him away.
"Could it be…that I…?" I swallow hard at the lump that has formed in my throat and try to steady my trembling body. "…was I created this way, too?" I wonder aloud. Heat knots inside me, and my jaw clenches tightly. Knuckles whiten beneath leather, and I close my eyes. Suddenly, the anger bursts inside me. The slender blade screeches as it cuts across the metal of the container in front of me. Almost inaudible, I hear my name shudder in the air.
"You saw it!" I yell, breathing in heavy pants. "All of them…were humans…!"
"Human!?" he repeats, his voice intense with disbelief. "No way!" The blade hisses against the metal as it falls from the surface, and the weapon clatters to the floor.
"I knew…ever since I was a child," I say, the words shaky. My body feels week and unstable, knees limp beneath the weight of my form. "I was not like the others… I knew mine was a special existence." Gloved hands tremble before my eyes and I gaze at them wearily. "But…not like this…"
I couldn't believe it…I wouldn't. I don't know how long I was lost beneath the pages of ShinRa's records in the basement of the ShinRa Manor. Day and night blurred together and sleep didn't occur to me. Time…didn't matter. The truth was buried in there somewhere – I could feel it. I don't remember many of the words written on the yellowed pages, but I remember something in those words…changed who I was forever.
*~*~*0*~*~*
'A million years from now would be too soon…'