Hey. Remember me? Yeah, I live. I know, it's a shock after all this time. I've learned recently that I am incredibly slow when it comes to writing anymore. Sorry about that.
*exhales slowly* Alright, everybody. Get ready for a weird and possibly wild ride. I legit do not know how this crap happened, but it did. A lot. Before editing, this first chapter is 11,994 words, and I have no excuse for it other than there was no good place to cut it off DX So if you stay, you better be in for the long haul. Reasons you might not want to stay: I personally hate this first chapter; it just feels so weird to me, like I needed to do it better, but I couldn't figure out how to so it had to stay how it was. Also, 'what is canon' is kind of the question for this story - I've bent it so far I'm surprised it hasn't broken by now. In fact, most of this is headcanon, actually, so let me explain a few of those before we get started, otherwise you'll be very lost, methinks.
1 - I've never played a KH game further along in the timeline than 2, so everything I write here about how the characters' lives proceeded is pure conjecture. Assume with me that Sora knows about Roxas and has all his memories intact, even Castle Oblivion. We're also gonna say for the sake of the story that time flows differently in all the worlds, and that if you spend enough time traveling between them, your own aging kind of stops because it doesn't know which timestream to synch you to.
2 - Accept as fact that: Sephiroth and Zack once had an adventure in Spira, during the X-2 timeline, and gallivanted around the globe with the ladies; also, because I know he appeared in Birth By Sleep, we are going to assume that Zack is not dead in this continuity, and neither is Angeal - they both hang out on their home world with eachother and Genesis, because what else are they gonna do, really, but! Sephiroth remembers the timeline in which they died, and while none of the FFVII cast really understands why they're not anymore, both Sephiroth and Cloud have decided not to question it and just be grateful.
I think that's all you need to know just now for this to make a little bit of sense - if something else occurs to me, I'll be sure to to add it in the next chapter's note. For now, let's not make this gargantuan chapter any longer than it already is, eh? Onward, brave souls!
Riku.
"...Nng... Hm?"
Riku.
The silver-haired teen yawned as he sat up, opening bleary eyes and turning them toward his companion. "Sora, 'd you say sum'un?" he asked, his diction suffering as he attempted to clear the fogginess of sleep from his mind.
An answering yawn came from the brunette-turned-blonde as he shook his head and stretched out his skinny limbs, falling backwards into the sand to better bask in the island sun. "Nope," he replied, yawning again. "You're hearin' stuff."
Riku rolled his eyes and nudged the other boy with his foot. " 'f I'm awake now, you gotta be too," he mumbled, kicking him lightly. Sora groaned, but pulled himself back up, then slumped forward over his knees.
"But the sun's so waaaaarrm," he complained, turning his face up to it. "It drains my energy. Why'd y' think I slept so much before the worlds got connected? It makes me tired." Sora sighed, but leapt to his feet in a maneuver that always made Kairi glower at him, saying that he would hurt himself. Riku never bothered trying to dissuade him - after seeing all the stupid stunts the Keyblade Master pulled on his skateboard, he knew it was unlikely that any injury would come from this. "So if we're not gonna nap, what are we gonna do?" Sora asked, raking his hand through his spiky hair.
Riku!
The older boy tensed slightly, but tried to hide his discomfort. All they'd been through battling the darkness had turned Sora into a bit of a worrier, and anyway, it was probably nothing; just some remnant of a dream lingering in his mind. He climbed to his feet and shook the grains of sand from his straight silver curtain, unable to resist fluffing it afterwards. Sora nearly went back to the beach with his laughter, but Riku ignored him - he wasn't going to go around with it looking ruffled, and that was that. "I'm not sure," he answered, turning to gaze out at the ocean and the sky. The shades of blue were different, but they always met at the horizon, regardless, and seeing it always brought a slight smile to his face. Different didn't mean they couldn't coexist. "What do you wan-"
RIKU!
He broke off, gasping involuntarily as he fell to his knees in the same manner. Sora echoed the strange shout with a concerned cry, joining him on the sand and grabbing onto his shoulders. "Riku?!"
Riku! Are you listening?!
"Can you hear me?!"
Riku moaned, unable to hold back the sound. A sharp pain had stabbed at his head when the roar of his name had sounded within it, and as the voice from nowhere continued to speak to him, the feeling of his mind being impaled by a blade intensified. Sora's calls, progressively louder and more panicked and right next to his ear, didn't help any.
Answer me, Riku! Are you listening to me?
"Yes," he choked out, mercifully shutting up Sora as he tried to decide whether Riku was answering him or not. "I... hear you..."
Good, the voice thundered, and Riku whimpered, screwing his eyes shut from the enormous volume and pain. He waited, panting, for it to continue, then gasped and tensed up again as the pain began to recede, the sudden change accompanied by a new sensation. Though there was no one there but Sora, nor anything around to touch him, Riku felt a gentle weight on his head, as though someone were lightly resting a hand there. The shining strands covering his eyes didn't move, but for a moment he thought they had, feeling like the hand had pushed them away. A quick, soothing brush against his cheek came next, falsely wiping away a tear that had formed and slipped down down his face.
I'm... sorry, came the apology, followed by the feeling of the hand against his cheek again. I've not done this for quite some time, and besides, gentleness is... not my forte. I... didn't mean to hurt you.
"...Who... are you?" he asked quietly, unable to get much volume out of himself.
"What?!" Sora yelped, tightening his grip. "It's me, Riku! It's Sora!" Hurt flashed through his deep blue eyes when Riku managed to raise his head to shoot him a withering look, but the older boy couldn't muster up the energy to care at the moment.
"Not you," he muttered, taking advantage of his friend's presence and leaning forward to lay his forehead against the blonde's shoulder. "Voice... in my head." Sora's terror was palpable and - unfortunately - very audible as he began to screech out something Riku didn't bother trying to interpret.
You don't have to speak out loud, the voice said, sounding slightly irritated. I'm not on your island, after all.
So where are you? Riku countered mentally, hoping it would work and feeling a brief flash of satisfaction when the voice began to answer, though the words quickly banished it.
That's not important at the moment. What matters is that you and Sora have to get to your Gummi Ship, NOW.
Why? the teen demanded. I'm not in the habit of listening to voices in my head.
Cloud, he - for whoever was speaking was clearly masculine, Riku noted now that the feeling of being stabbed was almost gone and he could think again - replied. You know him, do you not? Are a friend to him?
Yes, Riku said somewhat cautiously, unsure of where this might be going.
Then do as I say, he said imperiously, with the air of one used to giving commands and seeing them followed. Riku bristled at the tone of his mind-voice. He was particularly un-fond of being controlled in any way after Ansem.
No, the youth almost growled, and he sensed a feeling of shock from whoever he was talking to. I'm not moving until I get answers. Who are you, for one? Why do you want us to get in the Gummi Ship? Where are we supposed to be going? And why are you in my head?!
What goes around comes around, Riku thought to himself as he was also growled at, though it sounded more feral, a snarl. You're wasting time! the man exclaimed angrily, and Riku grunted, falling more on Sora and raising a hand to his head. The bit of pain vanished almost instantly, followed by another disembodied caress. I- sorry. Though he had no earthly idea what the owner of the deep voice might look like, Riku envisioned him running a hand through his hair. I don't mean to cause you harm. But you ARE wasting time, he said, raising his voice just enough to get the point of his emotions across without anymore hurt to the sixteen year-old. There's not enough left to answer all that. Cloud is hurt, and in further danger. You and Sora must go to Radiant Garden, quickly. He needs help, and I... can no longer give it.
As he broke off into a cough, it registered suddenly in Riku's mind how tired the voice had sounded throughout the entirety of the conversation, and though he wasn't quite certain how to go about it, he attempted to reach out with his consciousness and touch whomever he was communicating with, as had been done for him. He jumped, startling the nearly forgotten Sora when he felt as though his hand had been slapped. Don't waste energy, the man admonished, coughing once more. Just get in your vessel and come to Radiant Garden, or Cloud will not survive, nor will any of your other friends.
And you? Riku asked rather softly, feeling solemn. He didn't answer for a moment.
...I am probably going to die regardless, he said at last, and Riku knew from Sora's resumed babbling that he had shown how he felt about that on his face. I am injured. It... feels severe.
Feels?
The man chuckled mirthlessly, and the sound was strained. I haven't looked, he admitted, and Riku could somehow sense him grimacing. While I generally have a high tolerance for pain, and no problems with the sight of 'blood and guts,' I am somewhat afraid that I might lose consciousness if I look down.
Drawing in a deep breath, Riku rose to his feet, pulling a once again startled Sora up with him and looking into his eyes. "We need to get to Radiant Garden," he said, reasonably pleased when his voice did not tremble. "Cloud and the others may be in danger."
Sora was blinking rapidly, clearly flabbergasted, but recovered enough to nod and turn towards the world exit. "Can you-" he tried, cutting off and shaking his head. "Can- are you... okay?" the younger teen asked helplessly, looking him over. Riku nodded but didn't speak, simply striding along beside him, and the two made quick progress to the Gummi Ship. Once aboard, Riku strapped himself into the co-pilot's seat, pressing a few buttons, but allowing Sora to do the majority of the flying. As soon as they reached the vast expanse of blue in which all the worlds floated, Riku leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, reaching out once more.
Are you still... there? he asked tentatively, wondering faintly what he would do if he received no answer.
Are you under way? the voice responded after a brief silence, and Riku let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.
Yes, he replied, we're heading for Radiant Garden now. But you still haven't answered my questions. Who are you, and why are you in my head? Though he was still curious as to the answers, repeating his inquiries was more a gambit to keep the man talking now than for gathering the information. Still, he made sure to place the right amount of sternness and stubbornness into his mental voice. How are you talking to me?
A heavy sigh came from the other end of the connection, and Riku wondered with slight amusement when he had started thinking of this as a phone call. I cannot answer that.
Why? Riku demanded. I know you know. A bold-faced lie. Tell me, he said forcefully.
The silence was longer this time, but his companion spoke back up. No. There is a reason, he said, interrupting the silver-haired boy before he could express his indignation, and though I will make it known, I will not tell it to you now.
And why not?
Another sigh. It is of some importance, and this... connection... is like a phone call- (despite the severity of both the situation and conversation, Riku was forced to suppress laughter at the fact that he was not alone in his perception of their bond.) -and it is not something to be said unless it is spoken in person.
The levity in his heart died away as Riku considered something the man had said. You're hurt. What if... I can't heal you... before-
Then it will no longer matter, he answered infuriatingly. Fly faster. Cloud-
Who are you?! Riku interrupted with no little anger in his tone. Sora introduced me to everyone in Radiant Garden after we saved the worlds from the Nobodies, and I have no idea who you might be.
It is not-
You tell me or I will take control of this Gummi Ship and turn it back around, Riku threatened vehemently. And before you say it, yes, I WILL do it. Tell me. Now. But the silence that followed the words was his only, resounding answer.
"We're getting close," Sora piped up, glancing over at him, and Riku cracked an eye open to meet his gaze. "Where do we need to get off?"
The Crystal Fissure, the voice spoke in answer, and Riku relayed the message, feeling a bit of fear creep unbidden into his heart at the increased weariness and weakness evident in it. Cloud is at the Dark Depths. The Heartless have not died out yet, and they are surrounding him. You must hurry.
Riku took a breath, then let it out in a sigh of his own. Just tell me your name. ...Please. You said you helped Cloud, right? That makes you an ally in my book. Just... tell me. Who are you?
Again there was silence save for the sound of the Gummi Ship's engines, and Riku opened both eyes to help Sora with the landing sequence, resigning himself to the fact that he would receive no answer. As they set down in Radiant Garden and rushed down the gangplank, setting off for their destination, Riku summoned Soul Eater and steeled himself for a difficult battle. Whatever Heartless had managed to hang on despite that they should have been long dead were bound to be tough, and-
Sephiroth.
Riku staggered slightly, not having expected to hear anything else, but righted himself before Sora noticed his stumble. What?
My name is Sephiroth. In his shocked mental silence (wasn't the name of...?!) Riku clearly heard his correspondent take a labored breath. Cloud won't last much longer, Riku. ...And I don't think I will, either. Then the silence fell again, and Riku increased his speed, gesturing for Sora to do the same. In moments, they had made their way up the hill and burst onto the open plateau where the battle was taking place.
~.~.~.~
Cloud's breath was beginning to come in quick puffs, his heartbeat erratic, and the muscles in his arms quivering with the effort of holding the Buster Sword aloft. The strain of dodging a wild leap from one of the Heartless forced him down to one knee, and the blonde warrior gritted his teeth, struggling to rise back up.
"Curaga!" shouted a familiar youthful voice, and Cloud gave a surprised inhale as energy surged back into his battered form, wasting no time in taking advantage of his position on the ground to push off and lunge at a Defender that had turned its back to him upon hearing the new voice. The sharp, heavy blade of his inherited sword cleaved the blue and purple Heartless in two, but he didn't bother watching it burst apart in the customary flash of light. Instead, Cloud dodged again - not an enemy this time, but the grinning boy who had quite literally flown over the Heartless to land beside him, his Ultima Weapon Keyblade gleaming. "Hiya, Cloud," he said cheerfully, standing back-to-back with the man so often referred to as a chocobo. Said man didn't answer verbally, simply nodding in acknowledgement before leaping back into the fray, Sora copying him.
Riku, meanwhile, ran along the edges, casting spells at the Green Requiems and Crescendos that hovered and hopped about the battlefield, respectively. This'll be much easier if I take out the healers first, he thought to himself as he too hopped around, dodging the blows of the larger Heartless, swinging his ridged Keyblade through the healing enemies he could reach and firing off a Graviga spell at those he couldn't yet, pulling them down to his level. He couldn't stop a smirk from forming on his face. I love being the smart one.
Ah, a boy after my own heart, Sephiroth said dryly, and Riku stumbled again, jumping backwards away from the battle to cast his gaze about. Be careful your friends don't begin coming to you for -he broke off into a cough - everything, though. You'll soon be sick of your intelligence.
Where are you? Riku asked, unable to see any sign of Cloud's - former? - rival anywhere on the plateau. His eyes slid across something dark somewhere behind the two spiky-haired blondes, then snapped back to it, narrowing as he scrutinized it. What's that?
Sephiroth sounded as though he were grimacing when he responded, That would be a piece of my wing. ...Well. One of them. The Heartless jumped me while I was covering Cloud.
Riku huffed, quickly dragging one hand through his hair. Alright, that answers one question, but not the other, he said, bright eyes darting around as he studied the flow of the battle. Where are you? Given the severity of the situation, he was pointedly ignoring the fact that Sephiroth appeared to have wings. It wasn't that surprising, anyways; Cloud had one as well. Not to mention, he and Sora were friends with talking animals - people with wings really weren't that big a deal.
The sighs he had been answered with on the journey to the Garden made a return, soft exhales echoing within his mind. Don't bother, Sephiroth muttered darkly, bitterness in his tone. Help Cloud and Sora dispose of these Heartless so they can't get into the town. You can't help me. Not unless you've magically regained your ability to travel through the darkness.
Riku opened his eyes wide and blinked a few times. That's why I can't see hide nor hair of you? You opened a Dark Corridor?
Again, though he could not see the other man, the Keyblade wielder knew somehow that he too was blinking. Is that what they're called? he asked, though he did not sound very interested. Rather unoriginal. But yes. I thought to draw the Heartless away from Cloud so he could escape. I thought it had worked, but- He sighed again. You know very well that there are always more. By the time I realized that he was once again surrounded, I had been injured, and it seems that my wounds have rendered me incapable of returning from the darkness.
Riku let out a sigh as well, long and heavy. ...Do you know where you went in? he asked at last, fully expecting the sense of confusion that channeled into his mind from Sephiroth's. He focused on the conversation at hand, keeping an eye on the battle that raged only a few feet away from him, but tuning out the ringing and scraping sounds of metal against metal and claws.
What does it matter? he said cautiously, as though testing the waters. You are no longer capable of-
First off, Riku interrupted, a surge of what felt like anger coursing through him and traveling through their link to magnify his voice, I don't know how you knew I ever lost it, but it didn't stay gone. The King was wrong - it didn't leave at Xemnas's castle because I didn't belong to the darkness anymore. I had just been rid of Ansem's shadow, and I'd been relying on his power for so long that I couldn't do anything on my own for MONTHS after th-
Riku! Sephiroth broke in, sounding pained, and the teen flinched, realizing what had happened. The residual bitterness in him at feeling so helpless after he was finally restored to the way he should have been had indeed made his mental voice louder, and more powerful; in letting that frustration out of its cage, he had harmed Sephiroth in the same way the swordsman had initially caused him pain.
I... I'm sorry, he apologized sincerely, trying again to reach out comfortingly with his consciousness. This time, Sephiroth either did not bother swatting him away or no longer had the energy to do so, and Riku poked around gently in his mind until he figured out how the sensation of touch had been imitated for him, then gave the man's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. It's difficult, but I can travel the darkness for brief periods of time. Did you enter the Corridor next to the... piece of your wing? he asked, deciding there was no delicate way to put it.
Sephiroth drew in a ragged-sounding breath, and Riku gripped his shoulder again when he felt the shudder that ran through the man's body. Yes, he answered at last, sounding to be utterly exhausted, and after taking a breath for courage, the teen leapt back into the midst of the fight he'd never stopped studying, ducking and spinning around and through various attacks until he had reached the pile of dark, bloodied feathers. Once there, he gritted his teeth and focused his energy, forcing the black aperture to appear in front of him. Before he had a chance to second-guess himself, he leapt through into the darkness, ignoring the sound of Sora shouting his name.
"Rik-"
And then the Key Master's voice was gone, swallowed by the void that Riku now stood in, scanning his surroundings for Sephiroth. Sora had mentioned the man before, telling Kairi about the 'epic' battles they'd had. No doubt he'd been embellishing, forgetting that Riku was leaning against the wall, but he was also incredibly vague, never describing anything but the 'psychotically' long sword he wielded with an 'insane' amount of ease. Riku rolled his eyes thinking about it. Cloud's rival must have been good-looking, or Sora would have taken the time to tell their female friend what he looked like - he had painted a very vibrant picture of Xaldin and Vexen.
But it didn't really matter, Riku supposed. After all, aside from Heartless, there shouldn't be much else here. Holding up Soul Eater in a battle-ready position, he began to move through the dark, thankful for the strange glow that had always been in his eyes, making it easier for him to see in any kind of darkness, and giving them their color, a mixture of the sky and sea's blues. He leapt backwards when something crunched under his foot, pointedly making no sound. As he examined what he had stepped on, Riku felt a sense of disbelief growing in him. Heartless burst when they were defeated, releasing the hearts held inside them either to Kingdom Hearts or to another Heartless, depending on how they were defeated. Never, by any weapon, had he known it possible for them to simply die, leaving bodies behind, but he could not deny that the thing on the ground was a piece of a Heartless - the hand of a Neoshadow, if he was not mistaken.
Slightly disconcerted by his find, Riku continued on his way, wondering exactly who he was coming to help. Cloud had always spoken ill of Sephiroth, referring to him as the darkness from within his own heart, a black stain that had to be removed from the world. Yet, he had apparently rescued Cloud from the Heartless, or at the very least been fighting alongside him. If the man was as evil as Cloud said, why would he ever have assisted him, when he could easily have stood back and laughed as the blonde was ripped to shreds? Something wasn't adding up.
The sound of ragged breaths filled Riku's ears rather than his mind, and he snapped his eyes forward, immediately spotting the figure on the ground, unsurprisingly at the epicenter of the dismembered Heartless. Trying not to listen to the squishing, squelching sound as his shoes came down on them, Riku jogged across the raised path of body parts, letting Soul Eater flash back into... wherever it stayed when he wasn't using it. He'd wondered about it before, but quickly decided it didn't matter so long as it came when he summoned it. He reached the injured man in short order - and turned away, an involuntary squeak leaving his mouth as he tried to keep his lunch from following. A very quiet shifting sound reached his ears, and Riku clenched his hands into tight fists, still fighting nausea as he forced himself to turn back around.
Sephiroth's eyes, a light but vibrant glowing green, and beginning to turn glassy, met his own. "Riku," he said softly, his normally rich voice now as weakened as his body. Still, he managed to tilt his head. "You're pale." He raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for an explanation, and Riku simply shook his head as he knelt down beside him. This man was not normal. "Why?"
"You really haven't looked at this?" Riku asked incredulously, gesturing to Sephiroth's wounds, then ducking his head and covering his mouth with his hands as the stench of blood filled and overpowered his already sensitive nose. After a moment, he recovered, and was able to look back up, feeling his expression become grim.
Sephiroth looked at him with a sort of dark curiosity, never once glancing downward. "No," he answered honestly, letting his eyes slide closed. "I don't believe I want to, either, if it makes you want to vomit. Is it that bad?"
Ignoring that comment for the time being, Riku sighed heavily and somewhat shakily, covering his eyes with his right hand. "It's terrible. I thought I'd seen severe injuries before, but this- I don't know what to do with you. Healing spells don't work in here, and I can't possibly move you like this."
Silence reigned for a moment before Sephiroth reopened his bright orbs and fixed Riku with a hard stare. "Nonetheless, it must be done," he rasped, raising his head up slightly, then, -impossibly - bringing his right arm off the ground and reaching for Riku. "Help me," he ordered, voice wavering, and despite the commanding manner in which it was said, Riku rushed to obey, pulling the man's outstretched around his shoulders and hauling him off the cold ground. A scream of pain escaped the tall man, but Sephiroth seemed to fall silent as soon as he could bite off the sound, falling on Riku at the same moment, making him stagger both from the sudden weight and the long strands of silver that obscured his vision as they landed in front of his face. Letting out a grunt, Riku reached up and pushed them away, swiftly replacing his hand on Sephiroth's body to support him as he tried to hurry to the exit.
Though he had sounded well enough for his condition while he lay in the midst of the carnage, Sephiroth's breathing quickly became labored and ragged, and though Riku hadn't thought it possible, he was forced to hold up more of the man's weight. He forced down the nausea once more when he felt the warm, sticky substance beginning to cover his torso and right arm, reached across his own body to brace Sephiroth's left shoulder so he didn't collapse. Taking a breath to steady himself, Riku went back to his earlier tactic of trying to keep the silver-haired man talking, though this time it was more to comfort himself than to be sure he was still alive - the hot, heavy puffs of air on the back of his neck made him aware of that. "How are you not dead?" he blurted out, biting the side of his cheek afterwards. Great job, Riku.
Sephiroth staggered, gripping tight to Riku's shoulder as another small scream left him; Riku himself was cringing as he felt more blood pour onto him from the gaping slashes. A series of bizarre noises came from Sephiroth then, and it took Riku a moment to realize that the man was laughing. "Cloud would tell you that, of all the things I am capable of, the one thing I could never do right was die," he responded, coughing. "It seems I still haven't learned how."
"Right," the boy muttered under his breath, trying and failing to remove the image of Sephiroth's wounds from his mind's eye as yet more of the crimson liquid dripped from them to land on Riku's skin. He had known already that Cloud and Sephiroth both came from another world - one that had apparently not been restored, as they had not returned - but the proof in the fact of Sephiroth's ability to keep breathing in this state was somewhat disturbing. Glancing up briefly from the mess of bodies for them to trip on, Riku caught sight of light, and his eyes drank it in greedily as he stepped up his pace as much as he dared. "The corridor's just ahead," he said, eagerness evident in his voice. "We're almost there." Sephiroth failed to reply, but his breathing hadn't stopped, so Riku pressed on, wishing he could just pull Sephiroth onto his back and carry him, but, knowing that was out of the question.
"Can you handle it if I run?" he asked, glancing over at his bloodied rescuee. "The sooner we get out of here-"
"Just do it," came a hiss, and Riku didn't bother waiting any longer, latching on tight to the older man's body and lunging for the nearing light. Again, Sephiroth was either too weak to scream or simply didn't bother, though a third option of being in too much pain to scream flitted through Riku's mind as Sephiroth went almost limp in his grasp. Within seconds, they had reentered the light, falling back into Radiant Garden from out of the darkness' clutches, and the comforting sound of the corridor closing rather than opening made the teen want to sag in relief that they were out. Wanting and doing were two entirely different things, however, and he knew that there was no way he would risk dropping his burden; it might not have been true, but Sephiroth looked as though his heart might simply stop beating if he hit the ground.
The sound of pounding feet against the rocky ground met both their ears, and Riku looked up to see Sora running across the plateau, now devoid of Heartless. "Ri-" Sora began, then broke off with a yelp, leaping backwards and crashing into Cloud, who was also coming toward them. "Is that Sephiroth?!" the darker blonde practically squealed. "What in the world happened to-?"
Sephiroth chose that moment to begin coughing violently, falling to one knee, and Riku let out a startled sound of his own, dropping down to support him. Sora appeared as instantly as though he'd teleported on the man's other side, quickly taking hold of his upper arm and placing a hand on his back. "Sephiroth." Cloud repeated the name, coming no closer than he was, arms crossed over his chest. "You still can't die right, can you?" Sora's eyes were on him within a second of hearing the word 'die', the righteous fury he always exhibited while fighting his enemies beginning to burn within them.
"Cloud," he nearly growled, and Riku looked over Sephiroth's bowed head at him, concerned. "What do you think you're saying? He's-"
"Laughing," Riku assured Sora when the strange noises started back up, shaking his head both at the frightened expression on his friend's face and the reason for it. Apparently finished trying to hack up a lung, Sephiroth turned his head upward and focused on Cloud, something like a grin forming on his face.
"What did I tell you, Riku?" he croaked, letting out a few more chuckles. Riku shook his head again.
Sora was decidedly not amused, frowning worriedly and jerking back when a drop of blood splashed onto his pants leg. The color drained from his face as he looked at Sephiroth again, apparently (somehow) just seeing enormous gashes for the first time. "Oh, Zeus!" he cursed, eyes wide and panicky. "We gotta heal you right now! Cur-"
"No!" Sephiroth snapped, surprising Sora into silence, though his expression showed very clearly what he thought of the command. "You'll only kill me faster. Take me to..." He paused, apparently out of breath, and leaned somewhat grudgingly to the right, resting his head against Riku's. He struggled not to squirm at the contact. "Aerith," he finished, lifting his head up again and attempting to rise to his feet. Shaking off the faintly uncomfortable feeling from those seconds of odd contact, Riku was quick to assist him, casting Sora a furious glance when he tried to do the same and accidentally plunged his hand into one of the huge tears in Sephiroth's body, causing him to shriek and fall back, practically into Riku's arms. Sora jumped away, shivering and looking alternately at his scarlet hand and Sephiroth, whom Riku had managed to get back to a standing position, though he was once again supporting most of the tall man's weight. "Aerith," Sephiroth said again, his voice raw and his eyes trying to slide closed, leading him to blink repeatedly. "She's not much of a chance, but she's my only one." Drawing in a shuddering breath, he succeeded in turning his head to lock eyes with Riku once more. "Please," he murmured.
Pulling in a deep breath of his own, Riku steeled himself for the what would be a difficult trek back to the town, even if they got him into the Gummi Ship to transport him the majority of the way. Gritting his teeth, he started forward, Sora by his side and Cloud walking ahead of them all, his black coat billowing in the wind that started to blow as though created to impede their progress. Behind his head, Riku heard the quiet rustling of Sephiroth's deep blue feathers, the wing resting gently against his back as its owner made it a point to keep it outstretched for balance, and thanked the stars that the mangled wing was on his left side. They'd never have made it out of the Dark Corridor if it weren't.
What should have been a fairly quick trek back to the Fissure took more time than Riku had wanted to measure, though he couldn't stop himself doing so when he realized that Sephiroth's trembling and general frailty seemed to increase at five minute intervals. After twenty had passed, he was more than relieved to see that they were nearly there, but could no longer hold back the question that had been plaguing him, and, he knew, Sora as well.
"Cloud," he called out to the blonde after giving Sephiroth a tap on the shoulder so as not to startle him. The man looked back at him over his shoulder, silently asking what he wanted. Sora was looking over at him as well, question in the very way he walked. "What happened here?" The Keyblade Master's gaze shifted - no, more like snapped - to Cloud immediately, eyes narrowed slightly. Death disturbed the younger islander, and to hear a man he respected speak so dispassionately of Sephiroth's near-death state had not been easy on him.
Cloud didn't react to the question, and it was clear that he had been expecting it. "Those Heartless appeared while I was here in the Great Maw, and chased me to the Dark Depths. As you know it's a dead end, so I had to make a stand there."
Riku narrowed his eyes a bit as well as he asked the next question. "And did Sephiroth save you, or even just help you?"
They had passed from the Maw and into the narrow space between the towering walls of crystal before Cloud spoke up. "Yes," he said simply, and Riku nodded silently while Sora glowered, stomping past them all to the swirling, glowing portal of light of the ground that would enable them to, for lack of a better term, beam back up to the Gummi Ship, which had automatically closed itself up and risen to hover in the sky, waiting. He disappeared in a white flash and a multitude of sparkles, as though someone had just poured a tub of glitter over his head. Cloud was only a step behind, vanishing in the same manner, and leaving Riku to roll his eyes as he tugged Sephiroth along. Thanks for the help, he groused mentally, and was only marginally surprised when another chuckle came from his left.
"Are you still listening in?" he demanded, though there was no force behind it. Yes. Of course, was the amused answer, and Riku rolled his eyes again, returning to narrowing them as they neared the greenish-yellow portal. "Ever been through one of these before?" he asked warily, turning his head to look into dulling green eyes. No, Sephiroth replied, apparently having become too exhausted to speak aloud, or perhaps he was simply saving his remaining strength. Riku sighed lightly. "Well, it's a whole lot different from a Dark Corridor, and it might... hurt a bit, since you're used to the darkness."
Shoving both of Riku's theories out the window, Sephiroth scoffed and said derisively, "And you think 'a bit' more pain will matter?" The sixteen year-old opened his mouth to gripe about his companion's attitude, but was interrupted. "Just do it," he said for the second time, and Riku stepped forward without a word, pulling the tall warrior closer against him as they were transported to the humming vessel. Once aboard, Riku relaxed his grip, seeing the thin line Sephiroth's lips had formed, no doubt to keep from releasing any more screams.
"-y? How could you-?" came Sora's voice, and the new arrivals both turned in its direction - though on Sephiroth's part, turning consisted of letting his head fall against Riku's shoulder and blinking at the arguing blondes that came into view when the silver-haired teen moved.
"You're better than I am, Sora," Cloud said bluntly, cutting him off. The two spiky-haired swordsmen - if the Keyblade could be called a sword - were standing almost face-to-face as Sora's limbs trembled, showing how upset he was. "Even after everything he's done, if you knew the details, you'd still be able to forgive him. I can't. And I'm not going to help him." Sora simply stared, disbelieving, as Cloud turned his back, looking out the windshield of the ship. "But..." He sighed. "I won't fight him again unless he starts it. He actually did... save me back there. I've rarely seen him fight so hard." Another sigh. "And he... drew them away when they were too much for me to handle anymore. He's half-dead so I wouldn't be all dead."
Both blondes flew a few feet into the air and whirled around when the familiar voice, albeit raspy now, filled the room. "As touching as this is," Sephiroth panted, mustering up some reserves of energy to glare at Cloud, "I'd appreciate being taken to Aerith more than I do hearing you give up on hunting me down."
Sora jumped as Cloud glared back, and rushed for the controls, making the ship lurch into motion. Cloud squawked indignantly as he struggled to regain his balance. Riku echoed the sound as he nearly crashed into the wall behind him, Sephiroth's considerable weight having all landed on him in the upset, and he flinched when their torsos slammed together, a breathless gasp leaving the injured man. True to his word, Cloud looked on, but did nothing to help as Riku struggled to get Sephiroth off of him without causing him too much more pain. The entire front of Riku's body was now as red as his left side, and he tried not to think about how long the scent of Sephiroth's blood would take to cease haunting him. "Sora," he exclaimed, making his friend's head snap up, deep blue eyes meeting his own glowing aqua. "The point is to save him, not kill him before we can get him to Aerith!"
Sora flinched and quickly turned back to his task, piloting the ship far more smoothly than he had been. "Sorry," he mumbled, just loud enough for Riku's ears to pick it up. "I panicked when I saw him again."
I suppose I can't blame him for that, Riku thought grimly, taking a moment to look Cloud's unlikely rescuer over now that they were in the light. The gaping slashes in Sephiroth's upper body were continuing to ooze blood, staining even his dark coat and pants crimson, and both articles of clothing were looking reminiscent of rags. As he tried to maneuver the man back into their previous position so he could help him to Aerith when they arrived, he saw a flash of white within all the red, blanching and hoping he could keep from vomiting when he realized that it was one of Sephiroth's ribs. The dark blue wings sprouting from his right shoulder and hip seemed to be fine, only bloodstained, but his single left wing no longer swept the floor with its feathers. Riku shuddered and looked away from the mangled appendage, forcing the image of the pile of quills and bloody flesh on the cliff out of his head. "How did you get this way?" he whispered, pulling Sephiroth's right arm around his shoulders again.
"The disadvantage of a seven-foot sword," Sephiroth said quietly, gripping the proffered shoulder tightly to steady himself as Sora turned the ship, "is that once something gets inside your guard and you've no more energy to cast a spell, there's really nothing you can do for it." He grimaced. "Except let it rip you apart and try not to die before you can get far enough away to kill it."
"Landing," Sora called then, rapidly pressing buttons and pulling levers to achieve a smooth descent. Riku caught his eyes and nodded thankfully once they were grounded, and Sora gave him a tiny smile in return. "I'll run ahead and tell Aerith what's going on," he announced, already at the gangplank waiting for it to open wide enough to let him out. "Cloud..." He took a breath and met the older blonde's gaze fearlessly. "Help Riku. Please. You're right. I don't care what he did. Sephiroth doesn't deserve to die like this."
Thank him for the vote of confidence later, Sephiroth thought at Riku, struggling to put something like a smile on his face - which, Riku noted belatedly, was also splattered with blood, and the lengthy curtain of silver hanging down from his head had turned pink in spots.
Tell him yourself, Riku retorted as he partially picked him up and started for the exit. Cloud's clunky footsteps started up behind them, and Sephiroth exhaled heavily.
If Aerith's healing doesn't kill me, I might.
Why would it kill you to be healed? Riku asked, cautiously picking his way down the ramp. Why in the name of all that was sensible were these gummi blocks slippery? It defied all logic, and one misstep would likely spell the end of Sephiroth. Cloud stomping around back there and making the ramp shake was not making this any easier. That makes about as much sense as these slick gummi blocks.
Sephiroth laughed again at his grumbling, but sobered quickly. It's complicated, he said softly.
We've got plenty of time, Riku pointed out as they stepped onto solid ground. At this pace, it'll take us forever to get to Aerith.
If I survive, I'll tell you. If I don't, it won't matter anyway.
Riku scowled. Fine, he groused, I'll put that on the list.
List? Sephiroth repeated, confusion in his voice. What list?
Of things you're going to tell me once you're healed. Or did you forget you promised to tell me how we're having this conversation? His scowl became a somewhat worried frown when he saw Sephiroth flinch, as it didn't appear to be due to his injuries.
...Yes, he replied after a moment. He missed a step, and Riku hurried to catch him before he went down. I did forget I said that, he continued as they straightened up. A sigh followed his words. It seems I was more desperate for your help than I thought. Another sigh. ...Don't drop me, Riku, he said then, and something came through their strange link that might have been sadness.
I'm not going to drop you, Riku answered, forehead creasing further. We're almost to the edge of town. We'll be to Aerith's soon now. Sephiroth sighed yet again, and Riku got the distinct feeling that he hadn't been talking about letting him hit the cobblestones.
They walked on slowly through the rows of houses. Riku was quickly coming to loathe the uneven rocks that made the street, as they seemed to have made it their mission in life to trip people with silver and/or white hair; Merlin was eternally stumbling over them, and for the first time Riku considered that the old wizard was right about them being enchanted to make him fall. Certainly sounds like something Maleficent would have done if she knew he was trying to cast spells against her, he thought to himself. Old hag loved to make people miserable.
"Riku, Cloud!"
He glanced up as Sora appeared before him, speeding towards the three of them on his skateboard. He had one hand outstretched toward the sky; clasped within it was another, more slender hand, and attached to it was Aerith, sparkling with previously-bottled pixie dust, her emerald eyes wide and showing panic as she flew through the air. Riku couldn't help a snort. If he'd never flown before and was being pulled by Sora the Skateboard Master like that, he'd be screaming. Probably profanities, but screaming nonetheless. Personally, he thought Aerith was doing quite well, an opinion that Cloud didn't appear to share from the look on his face when Riku glanced back at him.
Sora hopped off the board, kicking it up to hold it in his right hand and pulling Aerith down to his side with the other. The brunette finally released a squeak, and her legs were wobbling as she pulled her hand out of Sora's and brushed off her skirt. All traces of weakness left her when she turned to smile at Cloud and caught sight of Sephiroth first, horror showing on her face, and she raced toward them, faster than Sora could hope to skate. "Sephiroth?!" she exclaimed as she skidded to a halt and swept her eyes over him. "What happened?" she demanded forcefully, glaring at all of them.
"Cloud was fighting a bunch of Heartless and Sephiroth saved him!" Sora supplied as he too jogged over, stopping on Sephiroth's left. "There were too many, though, and- well," he said awkwardly, gesturing toward the swordsman. "You see it."
Aerith shook her head and reached out to touch Sephiroth's bloodied face, cupping his cheek as she tilted his head to look him in the eye. "Oh, Sephiroth," she said sadly. "You really don't know how to die, do you?" She pushed Sora away when he gasped and stuck his face in front of hers, effectively ignoring him. Riku met his friend's eyes and shook his head, then tilted it towards Sephiroth, hoping Sora would understand the message - 'he's more important right now.' Sora was decidedly upset, but gave his own quick nod in reply.
Sephiroth, meanwhile, was attempting a cheeky grin. "Can't seem to learn," he replied, and Aerith stepped closer to pull him into a very strange hug, as there wasn't much of him she could safely touch. "Maybe one day I'll figure it out, though."
She sighed. "Well, come on, then," she said, her voice gaining strength as she made to turn back toward her house. She paused when Sephiroth's caught her elbow, and looked back at him questioningly.
"It's nice to see you when you're not hanging off my sword," he said with a small smile, which really only amounted to the slightest upturn of his lips.
Aerith squeezed his forearm gently, a sweet smile on her own visage. "It's nice to see you when you're not preparing to drive it through me. You're much more pleasant to be around when you're not killing me."
"I imagine I am," Sephiroth chuckled, then broke off into a pained hiss, gripping Riku's right shoulder so tightly that it creaked under the pressure; Riku gritted his teeth, grunting. Sora flinched, waving his hands around at the sound and making disgusted faces. Aerith immediately laid her own hand against it, green light enveloping the pale appendage as she murmured, "Cure." The familiar cool sensation of a healing spell flowed through Riku's arm, and he relaxed his tensed muscles, letting out a breath of relief.
That hurt, he said accusingly to Sephiroth, who didn't respond, then let out his own sigh. "We need to hurry, Aerith," he said, though it should have been an unnecessary statement, and the brunette nodded.
"Yes, we do," she agreed, her eyes flicking over to Cloud. "The extra bed is still where you put it last time I had to patch up Yuffie; I'll need your help to get it out and set up..."
The blonde nodded and strode past them in the direction of Aerith's home. She smiled thankfully as he started to move and scurried on ahead of him. "Hurry up, please, boys!" she called back. "This won't take long, and Sephiroth is in more danger than he may be letting on!"
Sora spluttered at that as she vanished around the corner in a blur of pink. "Like this isn't dangerous enough?!" he shouted after her, pointing to the places on Sephiroth's torso where skin and muscle were disturbingly absent, flashes of white bone showing through when he moved. He sighed aggravatedly as he - carefully this time - moved closer to his old opponent and took hold of him. "Lean on me and give Riku a break, okay?" he said in the seldom-used gentle tone he usually saved for Pooh Bear, and Riku was surprised when Sephiroth obeyed - though he was thoroughly unsurprised when Sora staggered under the weight, and had already tightened his own grip on Sephiroth in anticipation, waiting until the Keybearer regained his balance to loosen up. Sora let out a heavy breath, then nodded, apparently for his own benefit. "Right, let's get you over to Aerith's place," he said aloud, and the three set off in silence save the sound of their shoes against the stones and Sephiroth's labored breaths.
If I ask a question, will you actually answer it this time? Riku asked after a moment, daring to bring his eyes up from the ground and glance at Sephiroth.
It depends, Sephiroth replied, his mental voice sounding far too relaxed for the state he was in - though he was trying to hide it, Riku could still see Sora shivering as he too became covered with a considerable amount of their companion's blood, and wondered not for the first time how Sephiroth could still be alive, let alone walking and talking as he was. Ask, and I'll answer if I can.
Riku's frown returned with a vengeance. Well, now I've got another one. Why is it that earlier I could hear you breathing and tell when you were making faces, and now we're just talking?
I believe I mentioned that it has been a very long time since I've done this, came a rather dry-sounding response, and Riku nodded his head, forehead still creased. It's taken this time to remember how to control what goes through to you and what stays mine. You weren't supposed to be able to know the things you did, only to hear my voice and feel my touch if I wanted you to. It shouldn't happen anymore.
And emotions? Riku asked quietly. Am I meant to feel those from you?
Sephiroth tensed, which panicked Sora slightly, but the silver-haired man somehow managed to shake his head, telling the youngest member of the party that it was nothing to concern himself about. What was your first question? he asked, pointedly ignoring Riku's previous comment and all attempts the younger silverette made at saying it again. Finally, Riku huffed and let it drop, rolling his eyes.
Fine. I want to know why Cloud and Aerith made those comments about you dying. Will you tell me that?
Yes, Sephiroth answered smoothly, making Riku's eyebrows shoot up at his sudden compliance. But I suggest you ask that aloud. Sora, as you may have noticed, was very bothered by it, and I would prefer not to start on an explanation 'out of the blue'. Your friend already thinks me slightly insane, and I'd rather not make that opinion worse.
Makes sense, Riku thought. "Sephiroth," he said, and Sora's deep blue eyes flicked over to him curiously. He hardly noticed, busy trying to rid himself of the feeling that speaking with his mouth instead of his mind was unnatural. "Why did Cloud say that about you? And Aerith? About you dying." The words almost didn't want to come, as though his tongue and lips didn't want to form them. He shot Sephiroth a look, trying to let his own emotions of worry and an undeniable bit of fear flow through their connection.
You'll be fine, Riku, Sephiroth said assuringly, even as he opened his mouth and began to answer the audible question. "Very simply put, it is because I have returned several times from death to continue harassing Cloud and his companions - and I do not mean from the brink, as I am now." It's like learning another language. When you aren't used to it, it's difficult to switch back and forth. The transition will come to feel natural in time.
Riku resisted the urge to put a hand to his temples, but did close his eyes as his head began to spin - Sephiroth's two voices, the rich baritone in his mind and the diminished, raspy version coming from his mouth were overlapping painfully as his mind tried to focus and take it all in at once. Thankfully, he said no more through the link, continuing to speak normally for Sora's benefit. "Cloud killed me twice-"
"Twice?!" Sora burst out, looking Sephiroth up and down as though searching for evidence.
"-unless," Sephiroth went on as though nothing had been said, save a slight upturn of his lips to indicate his amusement, "you count our third dramatic battle, during which... Hm. Nevermind. That's a bit complicated to explain. Suffice it to say that I was not truly there, though if looked at from the right perspective, one could say that he has killed me three times."
"Why?" Sora asked, appearing completely flabbergasted. "I know you two were supposed to be enemies, but... he actually... killed you?" The blonde's eyebrows were knitted together, and a sadness was in his eyes. "I thought... I thought he was a hero..."
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, looking truly puzzled. "And did you not kill the members of Organization XIII?" he asked. Riku almost wanted to summon Soul Eater and put another hole in him when he saw Sora's expression become haunted.
Do you have any idea how long it's taken to get him over that?! he raged, not even caring when Sephiroth stumbled from his volume, barely suppressing a cry. Why would you say that to him?! You-
"Sephiroth?!" Sora exclaimed frantically as the warrior nearly fell on top of him, and quickly scrambled in front of him to push on his shoulders until he was standing up straight again. "Hang on," the Keybearer begged, eyes sparkling. "We're almost there! Don't you die on me, Sephiroth! Hold on just a little more!" A groan was the only answer he recieved, and Sora hurried back to his previous position, taking hold of Sephiroth again. "Come on, Riku," he practically commanded, shooting him a quick look. Riku almost stumbled himself from the combined factors of Sora's tone, increased pace, and his facial expression - the pained look he always got when someone mentioned his former nemesi (and Kairi wasn't around) had vanished completely, replaced by a burning determination. Riku's fury similarly ebbed, a feeling of discomfort beginning to grow in its wake.
For a moment, he had regressed to the way he was when the darkness first swallowed the islands and he worked for Maleficent. All she'd had to do was tell him that Kairi was in danger, and he had leapt into battle with Sora, caring nothing for how he might hurt; the red-haired girl was all that mattered. Now here he was again, fully aware that he injured Sephiroth and not feeling any remorse, concerned only for Sora's well-being. Even now, he felt no shame for what he had done - and that above all else was what disturbed him, a weight settling on his chest as they continued down the road.
Scarcely two minutes had gone by before the familiar stone cottage came into view, the rainbow of flowers that surrounded it waving gently, cheerfully, in the same breeze that ruffled Sephiroth's feathers and blew the almost overpowering smell of his blood into Riku and Sora's faces. The flower girl herself stood in the open doorway, smiling despite the sorrowful aura that emanated from her. Beside her was Cloud, watching them impassively as they approached, muscled arms crossed over his chest. Sora let out a small, wordless cheer when Aerith raised her hand in greeting and waved them forward, nudging Cloud aside to give them a clear path inside. A frown came to every face as, in response, Sephiroth locked up, digging his heels into the ground and refusing to move any further.
"What's the matter?" Aerith called, her eyebrows knitting together. "Come on!"
"No!" Sephiroth shouted back, shaking his head rapidly. Sora made a sound that was half indignant and half resigned when strands of flying silver began to smack him in the face, no doubt stinging his skin. Riku was in a similar predicament, though his reaction was merely to huff. "No," he repeated more calmly, and did not budge.
"Really, what's the matter?" Aerith asked again, coming forward. Though his face didn't change, Cloud was on her heels, looking more tense than he had before.
Sephiroth's eyes slid past her to the room inside the little house, where a bed could be seen, white sheets spred across it and a fluffy comforter of the same color folded down at the bottom. "I assume you want the truth," he murmured. Aerith nodded, and he took a breath. "The thought of trying to get on that bed while I am conscious frightens me," Sephiroth announced bluntly. Riku saw Sora's jaw drop, Aerith blink, and Cloud smirk. He wasn't quite sure what to call what his own face was doing.
"Seriously?!" Sora asked incredulously, something like a scowl on his face now. "THAT'S why you got all stiff?" Sephiroth cut his eyes at the blonde, but was interrupted before he managed a single syllable by a snicker from Cloud, upon which the tall man shut his mouth and turned his eyes skyward. Just get it over with, he grumbled, and Riku was certain that he hadn't meant it to be overheard.
"The mighty Sephiroth is afraid?" Cloud said mockingly, advancing past the halted Aerith to stand in front of his rival, the grin on his face evidence that, at the moment, he didn't even care that he had to look up at the silver-haired man. "And here I thought I'd never see the day. I'm marking this on my calendar."
Sephiroth released a sigh. "Laugh if you will," he said, sounding nonchalant. Cloud's smirk receded somewhat. "The facts will not change because of it, and the facts are that I am grievously injured and very nearly terrified of how much more pain will come from the effort of attempting to lie down on that mattress, not to mention how greatly the healing itself will hurt."
Cloud let out a very small sigh and shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest again. "So what do you want?" he asked, a challenge in his voice. "You said bring you to Aerith. Against my better judgement, here you are. Now you won't take the healing you asked for?" He clenched a fist. "How about I knock you unconscious and throw you on there?"
Aerith huffed, coming up next to him with one hand on her hip, the other covering his fisted hand. "Honestly," she groused, rolling her eyes. "Can't you two even pretend to get along for a couple of minutes? I swear-"
"Actually," Sephiroth cut in; Aerith fell silent, raising a questioning eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a terrible plan."
"Are you completely nuts?!" Riku finally burst out, releasing his hold on the man and stepping out in front of him to meet his eyes. Sora yelped as Sephiroth swayed from having lost the extra support, but he seemed to recover quickly enough, never breaking his light green gaze from Riku's narrowed aqua. "Nothing you have said or done today has made any semblance of sense," the sixteen year-old went on, understanding Cloud's frustration when the swordsman did not respond in any way, his expression carved from impassive stone. "You're Cloud's worst enemy, but you saved his life. You apparently killed Aerith back on your world, though I don't have any idea how that worked, and now the two of you are exchanging niceties like old friends. If what I've heard about you is true, you could stare down every villain Sora has ever gone up against and not even bat an eye, yet you're afraid of going in Aerith's house so she can heal you because it's going to hurt, and mind you this is after you said that more pain can't matter given how much you're already dealing with!" Riku came to a stop; he realized he had been pacing, and turned to face Sephiroth once more, quickly raking a sticky hand through his already bloodied hair. "So I would really just like to know - are you crazy? Are you insane, really?"
In the seconds of silence that followed his tirade, Riku took a quick glance around at the others, pointedly not blushing when he saw that they were all staring at him with varying degrees of incredulity; Sora was even shaking his head as he looked at him with wide eyes. Then the sound of Sephiroth's weak, raspy chuckles brought all eyes back to him. "Not at the moment," he replied when his laughter had died away, his expression taking on a somber look. "I've been largely sane since we arrived in this world."
"So, you were crazy before, though?" Sora asked, scrunching up his face.
"Completely," Sephiroth answered seriously. "I had only brief moments of clarity, and when I awakened from that haze, the things I saw disturbed me so much that I fled back into the safety of my insanity, where my conscience could no longer tell me that I deserved to burn in Ifrit's fire for the rest of eternity as penance for my actions." Before anyone could say a word, though several mouths were open, Sephiroth was speaking again, his tone much lighter. "As I was saying, the best way to proceed is for me to be unconscious - though I think I have a simpler solution than Cloud," he said as the blonde cracked his knuckles in apparent anticipation.
"What is it, then?" Aerith asked, twirling her braid around her left arm, drumming the fingers of her right hand against her hip bone.
Sephiroth grimaced. "If Cloud will consent to catch me," he began, shooting the other man a glance, "I will look down. I have no doubt that I will pass out when I see myself. Riku and Sora look as though they've been in a very literal bloodbath, and I know that none of it is theirs."
Riku had to agree with the assessment. While he couldn't see himself, he could see Sora very well; all the lighter colors of his clothing had been dyed red with Sephiroth's blood, to the point that they probably wouldn't come clean without help from the fairies who made them. He glanced down at himself then, unable to help it, and quickly forced his eyes upward - he was saturated with crimson, all over his clothes and his skin where the fabric didn't cover him.
Aerith was holding her left hand to her mouth now, braid still wrapped around it. "Oh, Gaia," she said with a wince. "You haven't seen yourself?" Sephiroth responded with a shake of his head, and Aerith drew in a calming breath. "That'll do it, then," she said, shaking her head as well, and wincing again when turning it to the right pulled her hair. "Cloud?" she asked, and though he didn't look pleased, Cloud nodded and strode across the cobblestones to stand behind Sephiroth.
"You'll want to let go of him now, Sora," he said, placing one of his hands between Sephiroth's shoulder blades to steady him as the Keyblade wielder stepped away uncertainly, backing up until he stood next to Riku. "And Aerith, maybe you should go get your mirror. It'll be easier," he went on, raising himself up on his toes to meet her gaze over the shoulder that didn't have a big blue wing blocking the way. Despite the situation, the sight was met with snickers from Sora and a short burst of laughter from Aerith. Cloud scowled, and the brunette let out another stream of giggles as she ran back into her home, emerging only seconds later with a mirror as tall as she was.
Sephiroth closed his eyes as she arranged herself and the glass in front of him, clearly delaying the inevitable. "What if you don't fall backwards when you faint?" Riku asked just as Aerith opened her mouth to give the all-clear. Frowns were on faces again as the possibility was considered.
"You and Sora stand in front of him," Aerith suggested, taking one hand off the mirror's frame to gesture towards the injured swordsman. "Form a triangle with Cloud, and that way he'll be able to see the mirror and the two of you can lean whichever way you need to to catch him." Riku nodded, seeing the sense in the premise, while Sora was already jogging over to get into position, hands out and ready. "Sound alright to you, Sephiroth?" Aerith called over, and was rewarded with a nod. Riku strode to stand in front of Sephiroth's right side, mimicking Sora's posture, and glanced back at the pink-clad woman. "Okay, Sephiroth," she announced, her voice strong but grim. "Go ahead and look."
The light green glow became visible once more, slitted pupils slowly raising to the mirror's surface and focusing on the image reflected there, then dilating to the point that their peculiar shape was no longer discernible. Riku hadn't thought it possible for Sephiroth's face to be any paler than it already was, but it could apparently happen, as some unknown color reserves drained from his skin, leaving him an almost papery white - or perhaps bone-white, to match the color of his ribs, which showed when he shifted to take in the full extent of his injuries. That, apparently, was too much for him to handle, for his widened eyes immediately rolled back, eyelids sliding shut over them as his body first stiffened and then fell limply into Cloud's waiting arms, red-tinted silver falling to cover part of his ashen face as his head lolled to the side.
Leaving the mirror propped against the side of her house, Aerith approached, her sadness now showing on her face. Gently, she tucked the wayward strands of hair behind Sephiroth's ear, letting her fingertips rest on his cheek for a few seconds. Then she sighed and brought her hand back to her side, this time brushing it against Sephiroth's own hand. She mumbled something that Riku couldn't understand before turning her back to the group, her boots making muffled thuds against the ground as she walked back to her door. "Get him inside, Cloud," her voice wafted back to them. "It's going to be a rough night for all three of us." Cloud said nothing, merely readjusted his hold on Sephiroth and followed Aerith into the cottage, Sora and Riku trailing behind.
Sephiroth was soon deposited on the mattress, the white sheets instantly becoming red. Sora's face was pinched as he quietly asked Aerith what he could do to help, his eyes continually flicking back to the figure on the bed. Riku offered no assistance, knowing that Aerith would only shoo Sora away, and stepped softly towards Sephiroth, looking him over openly rather than with the glances the blue-eyed boy was throwing. Sora had spoken before of how intimidating a presence he had, and even when Riku had found him, wounded though he was, the man had still been imposing. The discomfort he had felt after the comment about the Organization returned, with what was perhaps guilt beginning to form in his heart. While he had been awake, Riku felt no remorse whatsoever, but now... Sephiroth looked small, and he was becoming more and more ashamed with himself for intentionally causing him more pain.
Aerith's rejection met his ears along with the sound of Sora's footsteps heading for the door. "Riku?" he asked as he reached it, one hand on the doorframe. "Are you... coming outside with me?"
"Yes," Aerith answered for him, suddenly there pushing him away from Sephiroth's bedside. "Both of you go clean up. Come back later."
"But-!" Riku protested, pulling out of her grasp and planting his feet. The second she had taken hold of him, Riku's guilt had exploded, his insides burning with shame. He couldn't just leave, not now; there had to be something he could do to apologize for his actions-
"Riku," Aerith said sadly, hands on his shoulders. There were tears glistening in her eyes, unshed, but more than noticeable. "Please," she begged. "It's best that you go. You don't want to see this."
"But..." he tried again, scrambling to dredge up a reason not to leave. "We have unfinished business," he said, then admitted defeat and allowed himself to sound childish, "He promised. He promised that he would answer my questions. Important questions."
Cloud, who had been a statue in the corner since Sephiroth was out of his arms, stepped forward, nudging Aerith back into the room as he fixed Riku with an unwavering gaze. "Go with Sora," he commanded, going back to his nearly trademarked pose with his arms across his chest. "Do as Aerith says."
"He promised-"
"You don't want to know," Cloud interrupted, almost warningly.
Riku stood firm. "Yeah, actually, I do. ...But... what if-" he started, then found he couldn't go on.
"Sephiroth won't be stopped by something like this," Aerith said, reappearing at Cloud's shoulder. "I promise you that." She attempted a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Don't worry, Riku. I'll send Cloud for you when he's well enough to talk."
There was no time to say anything else, as Cloud bodily removed both Riku and Sora from the cottage, closing the door firmly in their faces and locking it. Riku felt himself frowning as a sigh left his mouth.
"...Dude, you look gross," Sora announced a moment later, poking at his sticky red shoulder. "Let's clean up, like Aerith said. Cid's place is always open."
Riku sighed again, turning to look at the blonde, a half-smile forming on his face when he saw Sora plucking at his own clothes, eyes scrunched and tongue stuck out. "You go ahead," he said, taking a deep breath of the sweet air the flowers provided. "Cid'll skin us if we get blood all over his furniture, and that's bound to happen if one of us is waiting on the shower."
Sora chuckled. "Good point," he conceded. "I'll come get you when it's your turn." He started to turn away, then paused, placing a hand on Riku's shoulder. "She's right, y'know. Sephiroth's the strongest guy I've ever met. He'll be fine."
Riku nodded, offering a pale smile again. "Yeah..."
"He was the voice in your head," Sora said, no question in his tone, and Riku nodded. "I guess that's what he promised to tell you about, then?"
"And a couple other things," Riku shrugged, his forehead creasing as he looked back at Aerith's door. "And I think Cloud knows the answers."
"Seems to," Sora agreed, pulling his hand back and putting his arms behind his head. "I wouldn't worry too much about what he said, though. Cloud thinks everything about Sephiroth is bad, but I think today's proved that it's not. He'll pull through, and then we'll find out what the deal is, right?"
"Right," Riku replied, his smile feeling a bit more real this time.
Wow. That is really long, isn't it? Sorry DX Anyway, let me know what you think in a review - aside from the massive length of this first chapter and the AU-ness, is there anything inherently wrong that you can think of? Basically, what do you like and what do you not? Should I continue? To be honest, I will whether it gets a positive response or not because I've already written two, almost three more chapters because this thing eats my brain and I can't help it DX Enough of my rambling though. Thank you guys so much for reading if you made it this far; I love you all!