Title: Mako Blue Horizon

Chapter: 2

Author: Kage Kashu

Archive: Ask. Give credit where it's due. Then... ?

Genre: General. Humor/Drama/Angst/Romance/Action/Adventure

Story Summary: What would happen if Cloud never went to Midgar? Who would take his place? And who would take Sephiroth's place as Jenova's right hand? Because of a Mako induced illness, Cloud never went to Midgar. Because of his absence, things that were supposed to happen never did, and things that were never supposed to happen did. Sephiroth-centric with Cloudy moments.

Chapter Summary: They get back to the hideout. And then... Morning. Changes become a little more apparent.

Disclaimer: Dun own them, wish I did.

Author's notes: You need to have played the game to get this part. Things are stranger now. I like strange. I don't like Barret. He's a Marshmallow.

Warnings: Very AU. Drinking? Barret being an idiot? And, once again, AU.

~*~*~*~*~*~

From the Top of the Late Train

'Planet, I hope someone opens this damned thing soon...' thought Seph as he sat on top of the train.

A little squirming, and a child's head popped out of his coat. "We there yet?"

"Kind of," answered Seph. "But, if no one opens the doors soon, it's a cold ride the rest of the way back."

"Cold?"

"Yes," he sighed, reaching down to pound on the doors again. This time they swung open to reveal a very annoyed Barret. Oh well, no time for that. He pulled the child out of his coat and shoved her into Barret's arms before flipping around to land safely inside the train himself.

For the first time in years, Seph felt appreciated. The members of Avalanche had been worried about him. How embarrassing...

For the second time that evening, Barret told him that any questions (especially if they had to do with pay) would have to wait until they reached the hideout. (He'd also been angry that Marlene had been near Reactor 1 when the bomb went off.) Then he hopped over a bunch of crates, going to the front of the train with the girl.

'How is it,' he wondered, 'that a black man has a kid who's as pale as I am??'

After complimenting him and whatnot Biggs and Wedge followed him. Jessie, to his surprise, lingered.

She leaned really close and said, "Your face is pitch black, you know," then she proceeded to wipe his face off. Then she grinned and followed the others.

He blinked after her. If that wasn't a come on, he didn't know what was.

/Too bad you're gay then, right?/

He nodded absently to the voice that seemed to be occurring more often now than not.

'And schizophrenic, too.'

Soft laughter, /So it seems.../

~*~

At the Hideout

After a drink and a brief discussion with Tifa, the bar's owner, he took the pinball machine down stairs. He smirked at the television. Jessie grinned sheepishly, saying that she must have messed up, making her little bomb. The explosion was too big. The timing was off. It must have been a mistake of hers, right?

Or in the plans. She seemed too intelligent to Seph to easily make a mistake like that. When he told her so, she blushed at him.

He talked with Wedge a few minutes after Jessie got over the compliment, intent on making him something special. He didn't really catch what, though. Wedge was the food person he had seemed to be. Roly-poly because Tifa let him be taste-tester.

And Biggs was more the drinking type. Seph accepted the drinking contest. He figured that he might as well get buzzed, while the other man got slobbering drunk, before talking to Barret about his money.

~*~

Late That Night, Avalanche's 'Counsel Room'

Seph stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. It wouldn't be so bad, he decided, if Barret didn't snore so loudly. And he would have sworn that Tifa and Jessie were trying to snuggle with him. He had to keep moving. Sadly enough, he knew that telling them that he was gay would only serve to make them more vehement. And Barret would start accusing him of... well, being a perv, most likely.

He sighed. Alright, if he couldn't sleep down here... maybe he could try upstairs.

~*~

Next Morning, Upstairs

Tifa smiled at the sight of the bar... or, more specifically, the person slumped against it. Seph snored obliviously into the crook of his left arm, katana clutched in his right, like a child would clutch a teddy bear. She giggled. Too cute.

With a snort, he slid off of the bar stool he had been precariously balanced on and fell to the floor with a resounding 'thump'. The giggle grew into a deeper laugh as he spluttered from the floor. "Didn't sleep to well last night, I take it?"

He glared at her briefly before resuming his dignified façade. "Barret's snoring kept me up half the night."

She chuckled again. "Need a drink?"

He resumed his seat and nodded tiredly.

"I'm going with you guys today."

He blinked.

"You didn't realize? Barret was asking for help. I am as well. We need some way to save the planet from the money grubbing Shinra." She sighed. "The rest of us... We're nothing. I don't think Barret realizes that, yet. But you... You are exactly what we need. Would you please..."

"You are going against Shinra..." he murmured, and she glanced up, half- fearfully. "That means... eventually... you'll have to handle Hojo's creations."

"Hojo?"

"Head of scientific research. You could say... I have a grudge."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Does that mean you'll help us?"

"For now, at least," he sighed.

*thump*

*bbbvvvvvvvvvvvvv*

She glanced over at the pinball machine. "Ah, Barret, you're up!"

Barret charged directly up to Seph, nearly running Tifa over in the process. "I can only give you 1000 gil for this next mission."

"..." Seph's eyes narrowed, and Tifa backed up.

"Ah, Barret, you can do better than that!"

Planet, the man could look so pathetic... "But that money's for Marlene's schooling!"

She whispered comfort. Once they won this fight (being the big fight), Barret would have enough to put Marlene through school and then some.

Giant shoulders slumped in defeat. "2000. It's all I got."

Seph lifted one eyebrow. "I suppose you're lucky I'm in this partially for personal reasons."

Barret growled, and Tifa grabbed his arm. Not to keep him from hurting Seph. No, she knew better than that. But, apparently, Barret didn't. Seph could take him down without looking, she was certain.

There would need to be some unity in the group. And for once, she was glad that she had left Nibelheim to come here. She would at least be able to keep Barret from getting himself killed too quickly.

~*~*~*~*~*~

So... Read, Review. Tell me what you think. (I like it.) Is it any good? (Please tell me what you think.) My opinion is subjective... (I need objective opinions...)

Danyella Skyler Silverfire, Eh? You want me too... Nevermind. By the time this is posted... will have been by.

jen0va99, You wouldn't believe the trouble I went through to figure out who took Seph's place... Seph... well, can you imagine how hard this'll be for him? Just wait 'til Cloud joins them... *evil smirk*

Thank you, for reading.