A/N: This is yet another smeegee-chan / wannon-chan collaboration. This time smeegee-chan is typing it up though! This fic has ~yaoi~ in it. If the idea of two men being in love, and doing things that people in love do then this fic probably isn't the fic for you. It's set after the end of the original Final Fantasy 7 game and um…well read and find out!! Once again for the thick of head. This is a YAOI fanfic so don't flame us if you don't like that sort of thing. It contains implied citrus, some lip action and some language…you have been warned! Also the title is a working title so if you think of anything more suited let us know.
~ The Other Side ~
Cloud was having difficulty sleeping. He had become something of an insomniac over the past week due largely to the dreams he had been experiencing and the noises Cid and Vincent made in the room next door. He had had it converted into a customised battle chamber for them all to practise in but they seemed to spend far longer hours than necessary in there and a lot of the noises sounded more like pleasure than pain.
Cid and Vincent weren't the real problem though; he had come to fear the dreams for their unknown qualities. He had defeated Sephiroth and meteor was gone. It was over. He should be at peace but instead each night he fought a battle in his own mind. In this battle his friends couldn't help, he couldn't even help himself. Eventually he would fall asleep but his sleep would be interrupted by the dreams. When he awoke the dream would be gone, nothing more than a half-remembered feeling and a nameless fear lurking at the back of his mind. Cloud wasn't sure if the dreams were good or bad but he feared he was going insane. He hated what was happening to him but he couldn't do anything to help himself until he worked out what was wrong. The only thing he knew for sure about the dreams was that Sephiroth was involved in some way but he couldn't ever remember enough to know how he was involved. The lack of sleep and forgotten knowledge were depressing Cloud. I have to find out what these dreams are about or soon I will be too scared to sleep at all. He thought urgently as his eyelids threatened to close and the dream began to emerge.
~ * ~
Cloud opened his eyes and saw…himself?
What? What is going on?
"Sephiroth . . . we meet again," the dream-Cloud said. Sephiroth! Where? Cloud thought, trying to turn around before realising that he had no control over the body he as in. He was inside it but not part of it, a separate consciousness inhabiting someone else's body.
"You don't seem surprised to see me," the body said. I must be in…Sephiroth…Cloud guessed.
"Why should I be? I knew that I would see you again," dream-Cloud said with a smile, walking towards Sephiroth slowly. Cloud felt Sephiroth's heartbeat quicken as dream-Cloud neared him.
"Really…how intriguing," Sephiroth mused, beginning to move to meet dream-Cloud. The met in the middle of the darkness, dangerously close to
one another. They press their noses together, staring each other down. Dream-Cloud turned his head away suddenly.
"I missed you," he said quietly. What?! There's no way in hell I could miss that monster! Cloud objected loudly in the silent recesses of his…Sephiroths'...mind but his body was speaking again.
"I missed you too," it said, softly breathing slightly at the end. What's up with this?! Cloud thought. He began to scream as dream-Cloud and Sephiroth kissed AAAAAAAAH!! Cloud woke up.
~ * ~
Cloud sat up abruptly, shaking All…all I remember is…kissing Sephiroth!! He thought. And the scary thing is…I enjoyed it…
There was a knock at his door and Cid entered.
"Cloud, Vincent's making breakfast…you hungry?" he asked. Cloud nodded, giggling inwardly at the though of Vincent cooking.
"Are you having?" Cloud asked suspiciously. Cid smirked.
"I've already eaten," he said smugly.
"What did Vincent make?" Cloud asked warily. Cid smirked again.
"He hasn't finished cooking yet." He said licking his lips. Cloud looked puzzled.
"Then what…never mind," Cloud started. Chances are I don't want to know he though, remembering the noises in the night.
"Ewww…" Cloud said to himself. Cid laughed and left the room.
Cloud walked downstairs slowly, trying to remember the details of his dream, trying to forget his suspicions about Cid and Vincent. The inviting aroma of waffles greeted him. He grinned at Vincent as he sat down.
"Smells good!"
"Vincent! Where are my fucking boxers!?" Cid's voice 'floated' (for lack of a better word) downstairs.
"…where you left them," Vincent seemed completely unfazed.
"I didn't leave them anywhere! You're the dumbass who took them off!" Cid's dulcet tones replied.
Cloud blushed. Why the hell am I blushing? I didn't do anything he thought randomly as Vincent served the waffles and Cid continued to rant about his missing boxers. Cloud occupied himself with eating his waffles as Vincent did the dishes. Suddenly, Vincent slipped and a knife clanged loudly against the edge of the sink, as suddenly, Cloud stopped eating and dropped his fork, his eyes became vacant as he stared into space.
~ * ~
Cloud was in the dream world again, looking through Sephiroth's eyes, with a rush the memory of his previous dream returned. Not again…he thought. Dream-Cloud was nowhere to be seen I wonder where I…he is?
~Who are you?~ The voice sounded all around Cloud, the air echoed with it and his consciousness as filled.
~You are real! I'm not imagining you, I'm not going crazy!!~ Sephiroth's voice had a wild edge as if he were trying to convince himself.
We are in the same mind Cloud thought and was answered instantly by the strange echoing voice.
~My mind~ it claimed.
Sephiroth? Cloud thought incredulously. You can hear me?
~You know me but who are you?~ Sephiroth's voice sounded uncharacteristicly confused.
I am Cloud
~You lie!~ Sephiroth denied vehemently.
I am Cloud clung to his identity.
~No! You can't be!~ Sephiroth's voice now sounded panicked.
~You're gone!~
Gone?
~Dead! I killed you…I'm sorry~ Cloud suspected that if he were talking aloud he would be crying.
You…killed me? Cloud felt strangely unemotional.
~You were insane! I had no choice…I'm sorry~
But I came here before and I…Cloud was here and…and you kissed me…him…Cloud …Cloud sputtered.
~Yes, I kissed Cloud…which proves you're not him!~ Sephiroth said proudly.
How? Cloud asked.
~I remember I could feel you then as well…I thought you were just my imagination or something…but that...was over 5 years ago~ Sephiroth said sadly.
Huh? But I just dreamt that last night!! Cloud exclaimed.
~Dreams are not bound by time~ Sephiroth whispered, his voice lacking the manic edge it had held when Cloud had battled him.
In my reality you went insane, it was you that was killed…
~You were my idol~
You were my idol
~What went wrong?~
You just went crazy when you found out about Jenova and the Cetra…you killed so many people…
~You've got it all around the wrong way! It was you who went crazy…I'm so confused…~
You and me both…I don't know what to believe anymore…what is real and what is a dream?
"Cloud!" The voice came from outside their consciousness.
"Cloud?"
~Who is it?~
I don't know
"Oi! Dumbass!"
~Cid~
Cid…how do you know?
~He was part of AVALANCHE they helped me defeat you~
They helped me defeat you
"Wake up fucker!"
~Goodbye~
We will meet again
~Perhaps~
~ * ~
Cloud's eyes snapped open and he glared at Cid angrily.
"You bastard! What the hell were you doing? Trying to scare us to death?!" Cid yelled. Cloud rose slowly from his chair.
"…sorry Cid…" He said quietly, walking up the stairs to his room.
"HEY! WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!?" Cid yelled after him.
"…I need to…be alone for awhile" Cloud responded calmly. As he entered his room he could hear Cid talking.
"He passes out on the table and then just gets up and walks off! The dumbass is insane!!"
"…he was only out for a few seconds," Vincent's more reasonable tone delivered a shock to Cloud.
I was talking to Sephiroth for considerably longer than a few seconds he thought bewilderedly, then he remembered Sephiroth's words 'Dreams are not bound by time.' Cloud struggled with this concept, lying down on his bed to think.
~Where am I?~ the voice intruded on his solitude.
Sephiroth? He queried, oddly unsurprised to feel his presence in his mind.
~Cloud?~
You are in my mind now. Cloud told him.
~Is it like this for you?~ Despite the vagueness of the question of the question Cloud knew what he meant.
It is a bit overwhelming being in your mind he confirmed It's…different…this way… having you in my mind…
~I feel…helpless…I can't move, I can't look around…you're in control…I'm…I'm just floating here!~ Sephiroth exclaimed.
I know…you'll get used to it, don't worry…
~You know, you are so much like the Cloud I used to know…not the man I had to kill…~
And vice-versa…Cloud thought.
~But I still have no idea which is dream and which is reality~
Me neither…
~Perhaps they both are~ they thought in unison.
Or maybe…neither of them are dreams…
~They could be separate…alternative…realities, linked somehow by something that…~
Happened in the past?
~How will we know?~
Huh?
~How will we know the truth?~
I have no idea…
Cloud heard Sephiroth sigh but something was puzzling him.
Sephiroth can I ask you something?
~Uh…I guess so~
Why…why did you kiss me?
~In my reality we were…in love with each other before you went insane that is…~
Really? We…in my reality…you were my general…I respected you a lot…I even had a bit of a crush on you…Cloud could feel his face heat up, his embarrassment was enhanced with the knowledge that Sephiroth could feel his discomfort.
~Do you hate me now?~
Not at all…you're so much nicer than the Sephiroth that I knew in the end
~I wish I could meet you~
Same here…is it possible?
~No…I don't see how~
I guess we'll have to settle for this…
~Unless…our worlds could meet…our paths may one day cross~
I hope so
~Me too…I'd better go~
In other words you're waking up?
~Yeah~
Talk to you again
~Soon~ Sephiroth confirmed, then he was gone, leaving Cloud feeling empty and alone.
~ * ~
In his own world, his alternative reality, Sephiroth awoke. His face glistened with a faint sheen, moisture from tears he had shed in his sleep. In his mind he knew that the Cloud he loved and respected had died long before he struck the killing blow but in his heart he couldn't help but wonder if somewhere inside the crazed shell he had struck down, a faint remnant of his childhood hero, his idol, the general a nation had looked up to had remained. Part of him had died when Cloud was killed. The world was safe, the deadly Meteor that Cloud had summoned was destroyed by the lifestream but Sephiroth had to live with the guilt and the pain of losing his only love.
Now Cloud is alive. He is just like the Cloud I remember but he isn't him…he can't be the same…
Sephiroth stood up slowly and looked at himself in the mirror. He had aged well, his silver hair wouldn't show any sign of grey but his face too was unmarred as he gazed at himself lost in though the image seemed to blur and Cloud looked out at him from the mirror. He appeared exactly as Cloud remembered him…
Will I ever see Cloud in this reality?
"Sephiroth!" Sephiroth broke from his reverie at the harsh voice.
"You better have some clothes on!" Barrett entered the room to see Sephiroth standing in front of the mirror in only a sheet and a smile.
"Foo' put some bloody clothes on!" Sephiroth sighed. Barrett had come to stay in his villa a while because of 'woman troubles' he'd only been there for two days and already Sephiroth was having 'Barrett troubles.'
"What's the matter?" Sephiroth asked as he walked towards the bathroom.
"That bastard Cid kept me up all night!" Barrett exclaimed angrily.
"Huh?"
"Him and Vincent," Barrett explained with a scowl as Sephiroth his a smile.
"Don't be such a homophobe," Sephiroth said as he pushed Barrett out of his room.
"Hey! I ain't got nothin' against it, I jes' don't wanna see it…or hear it!" he protested as Sephiroth laughed and shut the door behind him. He may be a good fighter and a great friend but he's such a fool! Sephiroth thought as he began to brush his hair. As he untangled the long strands he thought of Cloud Maybe he was just a dream…maybe it feels so real because I miss him so much and I feel so guilty…I can't stop loving him…Sephiroth's head hung slightly as the comb dropped from his fingers and he remembered the times Cloud and he had experienced together. To tears escaped from his eyes and slowly began to slip down his face.
~ End Part One ~
Hope you liked that ^.^ In another note I went on FFN to find me some fics and I noticed one had 57 reviews I thought Wow this must be good!, taking a little peek I discovered that it wasn't. All the reviews were flames. While there is no doubt in my mind that the 'fic' was deserving of each and every one I think it's a little sad that you'll take the time to hack something but you won't take the time to give some honest feedback to someone who really needs it. In case you missed the point WE NEED FEEDBACK! We thrive on it, it's our bread and water! In a not totally unrelated note some of the buttons on my keyboard are…temperamental at best so I humbly apologise for any typo's. Email them to me and I'll fix 'em. I take full credit (or blame) for the Cid/Vincent bits. Wannon-chan and I had a little war over that, since they ended up getting it on it two realities we can conclude that I won ^.^ This fic was a joint creation of smeegee-san and wannon-chan.
~ smeegee-san ( smee_gee@hotmail.com ) ~