Title: Mortis Aeternus

Author: x-YaoiWolf-x

Rating: M

Warning: At this point, I have no clue what to warn you about… eventually, in later chapters most likely, there will be warnings, but for now there are not… Maybe some OOC-ness, not sure. And Slash. Male/Male relationships, possible Male Harem. The usual, y'know.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII. I make no profit from this work. Nor do I own the Abhorsen series by Garth Nix.

AN: Prompt Exchange Challenge story number Two! I liked this one. It was easy this time. Mainly because I recognized the quote. In fact, I've read the books the quote is taken from, so yeah. Still, I haven't read them in a while I only remember the basic information because my memory sucks… and from those vague memories this idea sprouted. Here's hoping I do alright.

But anyway, here you all have a new story!

MORTIS AETERNUS

-x-x-x-

"Time and Death Sleep Side by Side"

- Garth Nix (Abhorsen)

-x-x-x-

Chapter One: Revelatio

Cloud Strife parked the Fenrir mk. 23 in the middle of the barren wastes of the nothingness that was the planet he now lived on. It had been entirely too long since the last human on Gaia had died and the animals along with them. The plants hadn't quite gone extinct yet, and so long as at least he was living they never really would, but they were endangered; only thriving in some areas where in others there was not a green thing in sight.

Though there wasn't much to see in the area, Cloud knew where he was going from ages of travelling to the same destination. Coming up upon the plateau that had once been a mountain, the blonde paused. Some steps ahead there stood a monument, a statue built of metal and stone and other materials. It was weathered and occasionally he would visit to repair the more worn bits; having been the one who had originally built it, it wasn't much of a hassle for him. Beyond that, it held vast sentimental value.

It represented life – Death in Life – and Time. Time after Death.

At the base of the statue more than a dozen names were carved, each the name of a person long returned to the Lifestream. Each meant the world to him in a separate way. Regardless of how many times he visited, he never stopped feeling.

He hadn't meant to come here, not today in any case, but something had pulled him here. As he neared the site where his memories dwelled, a figure came into view which froze him to the spot. It was a man. A man he hadn't seen in longer than he'd seen most of the people whose names were on the statue directly behind him. His breath left him as he stared, looking over the one before him with a mixture of emotions both intense and ambivalent.

The first to draw his attention were the eyes, glowing green and slightly widened in surprise; more emotion in them than this man had ever let slip in all the times he'd been alive. Silver strands fell in a waterfall behind him, the next to catch the ancient blonde's gaze. Finally, he perused the rest of him; pale skin and taught muscle. The man was entirely naked.

"Se-" Cloud choked on a breath as he tried to call the man's name. "Sephiroth?"

The other only stood there, looking more unsure than he had ever felt in the entirety of his existence. At least, the entirety of what he could remember of his existence. Some memories, he was finding, were a bit hazy. His expression remained closed off and neutral as he attempted to recall what had caused him to appear here, wherever 'here' was. The blonde across from him frowned.

"Why can't you ever stay dead," Cloud found himself muttering, wishing he knew what was going on and if this was meant to be a good thing or another end-of-the-world thing.

"It is not my fault this time," Sephiroth answered before clamping his mouth shut once more. He really hadn't meant to say that. The answer had been given almost on autopilot. It was an odd sensation to realize that he had reacted to the offhand comment in an entirely human way. It had been ages since he had last felt alive and even longer since he had last felt even remotely human.

Cloud, on his end, almost jumped as if he'd been electrocuted. Blinking, he took a long moment to just stare. The man's response had sounded almost sane. Could he be?

"Sephiroth?" the blonde asked again.

"In the flesh," The silver-haired man answered, a wry smile now gracing sculpted lips.

"You're…" Cloud's brows scrunched in a confused frown. "…normal…"

Sephiroth released a quick snort. "Was I ever normal?"

"You know what I mean," Cloud huffed, easily falling into the seemingly ordinary conversation with his once not-quite-mortal enemy. Granted, it had been a dozen lifetimes since he had really spoken to anyone and he would honestly take what he could get at this point. It reminded of a time before they'd become enemies, when they'd been something along the line of tentative friends on the verge of something more. After they had formed that something more, conversation hadn't been quite as innocent…

A chuckle left Sephiroth's throat, breaking him from his wandering thoughts and he shook his head to do away with them. That had been so long ago. He'd nearly forgotten all about it until the man himself stood right before him once more.

"I am sane," Sephiroth answered, an amused light in his eyes that the blonde couldn't miss. "As sane as I ever was, at least."

Cloud frowned and rolled his eyes. Meaning he was back to normal, well, normal for Sephiroth. Cloud found he wanted to grin at that thought alone, but an eternity of only vague hints of almost smiles had him at a loss. Perhaps he would get the practice now, though. Since Sephiroth was back. Come to think of it…

"Why are you back?" the blonde spoke his thoughts aloud. Sephiroth smirked, a response already past his tongue.

"Not pleased to see me, Cloud?"

Cloud fought to keep the blush from his face. "Just answer the question."

Sephiroth sighed and shook his head. Only two words left his lips in reply.

"The Planet."

Cloud stared in silence for a long minute at the blunt answer. Sephiroth stared back. Finally, Cloud frowned and crossed his arms with a huff. "That's not a good enough answer."

The silver-haired man merely shrugged. "That is the only answer I have."

The blonde let out a long breath and shook his head in mild exasperation, dropping his arms back to his side. He turned to walk a distance away in thought before turning again to face the returnee. "So what now?"

In answer to the sudden inquiry, Sephiroth could only stare blankly. Did Strife expect him to have all the answers? He had only just been brought back to life. He shouldn't be expected to know all the secrets of the cosmos after centuries of being a non-existence in the pit of Gaia. Cloud looked back at him as if he were slow and Sephiroth stomped on the urge to glare at the man across from him.

"You realize," Cloud drawled out when there was no response, "that you and I are the only two living beings on the planet, right?"

"No," Sephiroth's brows furrowed. "I did not realize."

Silence.

Cloud had to wonder if nobody had explained anything to the ex-General before just shoving him from the Lifestream and back into a semi-mortal existence. He'd had friends in death, right? He knew at least Zack and Aerith would've spoken with Sephiroth on friendly terms. Had they just not bothered and figured that Cloud would work it all out when he discovered his archenemy returned from the dead… again? Cloud sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Maybe he should stop thinking about it and try something…

"Maybe I should just ask the planet…"

Sephiroth looked up from his own contemplation at the blonde's muttered words. "You can do that?"

Cloud shrugged and looked over at the other man with a frown. "Sort of."

"How?" Not even he could speak to the planet and he was at least a small part Cetra.

"Uh…" Should he explain? Cloud wondered, unsure. It wasn't overly complicated just kind of, odd sounding. There wouldn't be any harm in it. Right? "It's gonna make me sound insane…"

Sephiroth sent the blonde a blank stare, one eyebrow pointedly raised. Cloud returned the stare dumbly for a good minute. "Oh, right…" he rolled his eyes.

The blond took a few moments to organize his thoughts before starting in on his explanation. Even with the preparation, it sounded like complete idiocy or the inane ravings of a person entirely off his rocker.

"It's like a game of telephone, basically," he stated, hoping it would be enough, but Sephioth only continued to stare as if expecting more. "Or I guess you could compare it to passing notes in a classroom?"

Still nothing. Cloud was beginning to wonder if Sephiroth maybe just didn't understand his references. He paused then nodded to himself. That was probably the case. He doubted the silver-haired man stood before him had ever experienced either of those things growing up. He sighed.

"Okay," he began again. "What happens is simple. I try to ask Zack. Sometimes he's there, sometimes he's not, but he's usually the closest existence I can latch on to who can pass along the message."

Cloud paused to make sure Sephiroth was following and it didn't seem like the man was confused, but he wasn't entirely sure.

"The reason for that is mostly because he's got his own little place in my head," when Sephiroth raised an eyebrow in mild intrigue, Cloud briefly expanded. "Since at one point he and I existed as sort of one person. Not literally, but his memories had messed up my head. Along with you and your share in messing with my head, I ended up with a foothold into the stream subconsciously. Zack, being an existence that has been a part of me for ages now, is the easiest to find when I'm reaching out."

Sephiroth nodded so Cloud continued.

"Once in a while, I can maybe find Aerith. Or she'll come find me. Either way, I have to get someone in the Stream to pass along my questions to Gaia. If it's Zack, he has to go find Aerith and ask her to pass it along. Aerith can just go directly since she's part Cetra."

"So," Sephiroth interrupted. "You cannot speak to the planet personally, but because your mind has been damaged you are able to speak with those in the Lifestream who can then take a message to Gaia for you."

It wasn't spoken as a question, only a statement, but Cloud nodded anyway in confirmation.

"It can work the other way, also," Cloud continued. "But usually, The Planet just answers directly."

"How?"

"Uh," Cloud hadn't expected the man to ask that, but he probably should have. "She just… does. It's like… it's sort of like Jenova. Only, it's Gaia instead."

"She speaks into your mind."

"Mostly," Cloud shrugged.

"Mostly?" Sephiroth inquired.

"She doesn't speak in words. The Planet speaks in pictures. Images sent directly into your mind."

"Ah, I see."

Cloud nodded again for no real reason. Honestly, it was a pain to go through the process just to ask a question, but he really wanted to know what Sephiroth was doing here, alive and sane. The clearing of a throat had the blonde looking over at his once-enemy who stared at him expectantly with piercing Mako green eyes.

"Proceed," the silver-haired ex-General commanded in an emotionless monotone. Cloud did as he was told only because he was going to do so anyway. Squaring his shoulders, the blonde warrior closed his eyes and let himself drift to the part of his consciousness that was connected to the Lifestream of Gaia.

It didn't take as long as he thought it would to find what he was looking for. In fact, it found him.

"Spiky!"

Cloud opened his eyes to find himself in a landscape of white and nothing more. To his right stood a familiar figure clad perpetually in SOLDIER First Class black, a wide grin already in place and both hands resting on his waist.

"Zack," Cloud smiled at the sight of his best friend.

"Heya, Chocobo," Zack's grin widened. "What's a fine thing like you doing in a place like this?"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "I need you to pass along a few questions, Zack."

"Sure thing. What did you need me to do? Should I get Aerith?"

"You're going to have to anyway. It might be faster if you did get her now, though," Cloud figured. Zack nodded and assured him that he'd be back in a minute before jogging off into the white and disappearing. Cloud just stayed put.

Not a minute later, Zack returned, a smiling half-Cetra right behind him.

"Cloud!" Aerith exclaimed happily and rushed over to hug her dear friend. "Zack said you had some questions! I'm here to help so ask away."

The lively Ancient clasped her hands in front of her chest and smiled expectantly. Cloud huffed a small laugh and smiled before spilling his concerns.

"I don't know if you two know this, but I had an unexpected visitor today. I mean, really unexpected," he looked around at the other two. Aerith looked calm, nodding with a smile still sat on her lips, while Zack looked confused and curious. "I need to know why he showed up so suddenly when he's supposed to be dead. When I asked him, all he said was that the Planet had sent him back."

"Okay…" Zack began, completely lost. He knew for a fact that everyone on Gaia was dead besides the blond he was currently speaking with. The Planet could've sent anyone back. "Who was it?"

"Sephiroth."

Zack's eyes widened. He hadn't seen Sephiroth for a while. Not since at least a week ago, he thought. It was hard to keep track of time in the Stream. But the Planet had sent the man back? "Seph's… alive?"

Cloud nodded. "Yes, and I need to know why. He doesn't know, apparently, and, though he seems to be sane, I would really rather have the Planet explain her reasons. I need to know what's going on."

Aerith had stayed quiet this entire time but let out a sigh now. Both males turned to face her when she moved in front of them.

"Aer?" Zack tilted his head in question. "Do you know something?"

She shook her head. "No. Mother Gaia has been restless lately, but she hasn't said anything. I didn't think there was anything to worry about, but…," the pink-clad Cetra frowned. "Maybe there is…"

"Will you ask her?" Cloud asked, now more worried than he'd originally been. Aerith nodded and closed her eyes. It was only a moment later when images began to flash across Cloud's psyche.

The last handful of humans, dead. Fallen to the barren ground like bags of sand.

Animals bleating, whining, and scattering. Numbers decreasing with every passing sunset.

Plants withering. Disappearing entirely in some places.

Buildings crumbling. Cities once occupied and thriving falling to nothing more than empty structures. Ruins weathered and beaten to mere rocks and rubbles in a sea of sand.

Clouds of fog and dust blotting the already polluted skies. The sun burning red and hotter than ever through the haze of the atmosphere. The light being smothered by a blanket of smog, dust, and fog.

A dark barren land.

The planet crumbling, torn apart in the large expanse of space, breaking off piece by piece until there is nothing.

Only a void.

Non-existent.

Cloud found himself gulping for air when he resurfaced from the onslaught of imagery. Across from him, Aerith stared wide-eyed at nothing. Zack only stood confused, not having seen what Gaia had foretold.

[The Planet is dying?]

Cloud flinched at the familiar voice suddenly in his head. He had forgotten it was even possible. It was a bitter wake-up call to realize that Sephiroth still had a place of his own in Cloud's mind. The blonde shook the notion away for the time being and responded.

[Looks that way.] From what he had seen and what he knew was already happening on Gaia the end of the sequence seemed inevitable. But was that really what would happen? Had that been what the Planet had been trying to say, or was it something else? [She didn't really answer my question…]

[Try again.]

"Right," Cloud nodded. He looked toward Aerith. "That didn't answer the question, will you ask again?"

The Ancient nodded shakily and once again closed her eyes. The answer came even quicker than before. Images of familiar faces flashed with impossible speed behind Cloud's eyes. Sephiroth only the first of a handful of faces long gone but not forgotten.

[An army?]

Sephiroth's question sparked an answering thought in the blonde's mind. Was it an army? He hadn't counted, but there couldn't be more than maybe nine or ten that had been presented by Gaia. In the least, it was an odd group of long dead faces.

[Maybe… She's resurrecting the dead.]

[For what purpose?]

Sephiroth's tone sounded distant, as if his mind was already wandering along the train of possibilities and explanations that could make the most sense out of what little convoluted information they were being given. Cloud's own mind was beginning to calculate and piece together the images and speculation, as well, but he shook himself to focus on the now around him.

[I'll try to get more information.]

"Aerith?" Cloud went to ask the woman to dig for more. Anything that might help. He saw that she was already doing so, however, and stood expectantly instead. Zack, it seemed, had already given up on being kept in the loop and only stood there, still immensely confused.

A creature. Large and ancient, made of pure darkness. It grew from within the very center of the planet, a hulking mass of nothingness. A void, yet not formless. The form it took was larger than a WEAPON. Larger than any ever to have existed, blotting out the view of the darkened sky entirely. A dragon-like head sat on a firm neck and large muscular shoulders, red and black with slit yellow eyes and horns curled around the sides, another pair of horns stood standing straight and tall only slight curved at the base on the inside of the first two. Large wings spread from it's back, not two but six bat-like wings, webbing torn and decaying between the bones, layered and stayed, unmoving; as if only for decoration, or something much worse than mere flight. Three tails, all sleek and pointed, swayed from the base of it's spine like whips. The monster's piercing yellow gaze swept across the desolate expanse of Gaia, nothing but death and promise in it's cold stare

Cloud stood shocked and silent as the image abruptly vanished. The air around the group was now entirely quiet in the wake of such an image. Absently, Cloud met Zack's eyes only to see them wide with concern and something bordering on fear. Aerith had collapsed to the floor, legs curled against her side on the ground and expression filled with fear and worry. In his mind, Sephiroth was entirely silent.

[What… What was that?]

Cloud noted the way Sephiroth's voice had trailed off before he had repeated himself. From what he had deduced, Gaia had allowed Sephiroth and Zack to see her last answer. For whatever reason, the Planet had felt the need to pull them into the loop; to emphasize the importance of this one image. Why?

[Something.]

[Something?] Sephiroth did not sound entirely pleased with the blonde's simple answer. [Explain, Cloud.]

[I can't. I don't know what it is.] Cloud huffed, running a hand through his hair in an unconscious gesture of stress. [I can only assume that it's a big enough threat to Gaia that she feels the need to assemble a fighting force, even if it means gathering the dead and shoving them back into life.]

[Aerith doesn't know what it is?]

Cloud hadn't even thought to ask. He turned to the Cetra who was still sat on the floor, staring at nothing.

"Aerith?" At the call of her name, she looked up. He repeated Sephiroth's question. "What was that?"

She only shook her head. "I don't know. It's existence preceded the existence of the Ancients by millions of years."

Cloud nodded and suddenly found himself back on the plateau that had once been a mountain, facing Sephiroth with a frown. The one-time General stood, brows furrowed and contemplative.

"She didn't know," Cloud told him. "Whatever it is, it apparently predated the Cetra by millennia."

"Why is it a threat now, then?" Sephiroth asked, still staring at the ground in contemplation.

Cloud only shrugged.

"What does Gaia expect us to do?"

"Fight, obviously," Cloud huffed. He crossed his arms and turned to look over the expanse of the wastes. Sephiroth paced forward to stand beside and a little behind him, also staring out at the flat viewless scenery.

"And until then?" The silver-haired man sighed, not liking the feeling of being without a plan or specific purpose at that moment.

"We'll have to wait for her to spit out the others."

"How long will it take for the others to be brought back?"

There was a pause while Cloud apparently asked. "Zack says Aerith says two years."

"So long?" Sephiroth frowned, not sure he wanted to wait around that long. Unsure if he even could, really. Patient though he was, he had limits.

"Give or take," the blond shrugged. For his part, he had lived alone for the greater part of a dozen centuries. Now that Sephiroth was here, he wouldn't be entirely alone. Two years was nothing in comparison.

"And when can we expect this Ancient Destroyer," he almost used air quotes. Sephiroth inferred that if their allies would get there in the course of two years it would be safe to assume that the beast they'd been shown would not come before that time. Cloud had already asked this question, if the immediate answer was anything to go by.

"Gaia can't tell based on our time tables. She says soon but to the Planet's soon could be a month away or a century from now."

"I think I would rather it be later rather than sooner if that is the case," Seph huffed. "I am not sure about yourself, but I am deplorably out of shape."

Cloud stood still for a moment as the other's words registered. When they finally had, he couldn't control himself. For the first time in so many years, Cloud Strife laughed. A very free sort of laughter that hadn't been entirely present in his life since even before all his friends and family had left this world.

"Well," he grinned, beginning to walk back to where his motorcycle was. Sephiroth followed a step behind. "We've got time."

"Yes," Sephiroth smiled, enjoying the feeling that had swept through him at the sound of Cloud's laughter. He was glad the other had his back to him at that moment. The last time he had ever heard that sound had been in Nibelheim. "To spare."

"You'll get used to it," Cloud waved the words away as they reached the Fenrir mk. 23.

"Hn," was all Sephiroth answered in return.

-x-x-x-

AN: So! There you have it. Hope you liked and want it to continue. I don't know when I'll update this, but I promise I will! I apologize for starting it when I haven't gotten around to updating SOLDIER or SCDream, but it's alright. I'm working on new chapters for both of those even while I worked on this. Plus another story, but that won't be up for a while. I don't want to put it up until I sort out all this other junk I've been uploading… So, yeah. But, hey, I hope you enjoyed this and look forward to more!

So! One question: Should I keep the pairing as strictly ASGZC (eventually) or add people to it and make it a legit Cloud-Harem. Answer this question for me, please! Thank you!

Love you readers a ton~ Please Favorite, Alert, and Review!

ALSO! Please take some minutes to check out the poll on my profile (it has nothing to do with this story)~. Thank you! :D