Warm hands. That was what Sephiroth remembered about Cloud. The silver haired man looked up at the back of the lid to his coffin, shivering. Warm, warm hands. And a warm smile and warm eyes and warm voice and just….warm. So unlike his hometown, so unlike himself.
He didn't sleep. Because when he slept he dreamed. Dreamed of what the Others did in his absence. Hojo…had locked him in this casket, keeping him contained. The Jenova in his blood had proved inert….so Hojo had used one of the clones to carry out his plans. And through those accursed cells, he could see everything.
Burning. Cloud was burning. And he couldn't help but scream into the darkness, eyes spread wide and seeing nothing.
And then darkness overwhelmed him.
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Vincent Valentine blinked as soft candlelight filtered in through the cracked lid of his sarcophagus. The blonde men blinking down at him from either side looked curious, and he blinked back.
He found that his limbs, rusty and stiff, still moved as he sat up, cracking his back loudly. He looked beside him, seeing a coffin even more chained than his had been. He realized that his joints would soon give out after so long without use, so he tried to speak.
"Let him out too." he said, groggy from sleep. Something in his head rumbled sardonically as he rolled out of the coffin, stumbling into the rougher blond blearily. "Tell him to shut up." he muttered, before falling, only to be caught again.
"Other…person?" the spiky blond asked, and the pilot…he smelled like grease and wind and tea and smoke, blinked at the dark man in his arms.
"I fear I cannot stand, after so long. Please tell him to shut up. He's screaming too loud." the man muttered, blinking to adjust his eyes.
"ooookay….Spiky, cut him out." the man barked, and the man…Spiky, how appropriate. Chains clanked and the lid was pushed off. Both of them gasped, and the smoker dropped Vincent to the ground. He looked up indignantly as he fell sideways, trying to pick himself up.
Green eyes starred blankly up at the ceiling, and the inside of the lid was clawed and bloody. White cotton scrubs covered the slender form of their sworn enemy. Only it wasn't. there was no tattoo or scars, just a forever youthful face that starred up at them.
Cloud looked down at the man, hands over his mouth. He remembered…seeing him, Hojo's suppression technique had broken and he fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face and a sob caught in his throat.
"What the fuck is gon' on?" Cid asked the man he had picked up again, and the brunette shrugged.
"Some sort of history, I imagine. With Hojo…it is likely. I am Vincent valentine, who are you?" he asked, and the man blinked.
"Fuckin Cid Highwind, and dun ferget it!" he said, and settled Vincent against the wall as he lifted the other man out of the coffin. Silver hair, obviously allowed to run rampant during his imprisonment, fell to the floor in waves. And Cloud shuddered, reaching out.
"Seph…Seph, baby…it's me. Remember?" he asked in a whisper, and Cid nearly choked on his unlit cigarette. He watched as the silver head turned, eyes blinking slowly, filling with glowing green tears. Fuck, the man all but oozed Mako.
"Cloud…is it…you?" he asked in a whisper, one arm, the fingers covered in blood from trying to get out, stroked his face. Cloud gasped sharply, leaning into the touch. Vincent tugged on Cids pants him.
"A little assistance, Cid Highwind. I am still unable to stand right." he said softly, clearly an indication to leave the pair alone. "His screaming has stopped, and the blond one can hear again. I would like to see the sky." he said, and Cid nodded, helping him upright.
"Craziest thing…."he muttered, and Vincent shrugged.
"The labs may have more information than this crypt. It's a little further from here." Vincent said, gesturing past a set of doors to a ladder. Cid nodded, heading for it to begin the search.
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Nine hours later, Cid was ready to call the cynical gunner a friend. The dead lizard thingy helped, and the fact that the man could read Hojo's scrawl. Apparently, the crazy Sephiroth they had been chasing was a clone. Not the bona fide general, just a clone that had assumed his identity. It was also not the clone who'd almost killed Zack Fair or Cloud himself.
"Well fuck me dry and serve me to a Marlboro." Cid said softly as he looked over the files they had uncovered. Vincent hummed in agreement, perched on a table and surrounded in papers.
"I would echo that sentiment if I could, Cid Highwind. As it is I shall just say that you are right." he said softly, and they looked up as the door opened. Cloud was supporting Sephiroth on his shoulder, the man looking angry.
"It appears that Jenova is trying to…Reunite?" He asked softly, picking up a file that Cid had thrown. Vincent nodded absently, looking over another file.
"It seems that Hojo has degenerated more in the years since Lucretia locked me away." he said softly, and Cloud blinked.
"Who?" he asked, and Vincent looked up at him, closing the file with a snap. Sephiroth grunted softly as he was settled beside Vincent. He shook his head softly, pinching his forehead in thought.
"The researcher who turned me into what I am. She is also Sephiroths mother." he said, picking up another file. "She also apparently is the one who drugged my Hojo." he said, and the three jerked to look at him. He had said this with tight lipped rage.
"Wait…your….Hojo?" Sephiroth asked, and Vincent nodded, lips pursed as he read another file, this one written in a feminine scrawl.
"Yes. Before…before we were stationed here, me and Hojo were lovers." he said, slapping the file down. He picked up another one, this one red. "She was determined to break us up….she resorted to drugging the both of us with behavioral modifiers. Hojo….he did shoot me yes, but that's because Lucretia ordered him to."
"Damn." Cid said softly, rubbing the back of his neck. Cloud nodded, settling next to Sephiroth, who wrapped an arm around his waist. This did not go unnoticed by Cid.
"Hojo…used a memory suppressant on me." cloud said softly, leaning into the taller man, who rested his head on his shoulder. "five years…Cid, I'm not seventeen, I'm twenty-two." he said, voice also soft, reverent. The broken mako tanks in the corner were mute testament to his lost memories.
"Zack…what happened to him?" Sephiroth asked, and Cloud looked up at him sadly. He looked lost, like he didn't know.
"With Hojo…who knows. He was brilliant. It is likely your friend is somewhere still, in stasis or worse. There is one option….at the Reactor, there is a Mako Cave. He may have found refuge there after his injuries at the hands of Number One." Vincent said, and he sighed. The last file was dropped to the floor, papers fanning out in the gust.
"We can go back to the others later." Cid said, and he opened the door. "Let's leave this for a little while. You two need to get out of this crypt." he said, and Cloud nodded. The two sleepers could move a little better now, and followed the blonds.
"I think….I would like that." Sephiroth said, and Cloud smiled, taking his hand. The four made their way out of the labs, looking up at the stars for the first time in a long time.