Gaia's Children
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VII. These belong to J.K. Rowling and Square Enix respectively.
Harry Potter/Final Fantasy VII Crossover
Warnings... this fanfic contains SLASH and unbetadness...
Pairings: Cloud/Harry and other pairings I'm uncertain of at the moment (but most likely Vincent/Aeris... don't ask...)
Summary: Harry Potter had won. He had defeated Voldemort and brought peace to the wizarding world. He had also died a martyr. Thousands of years later, a Doctor intent on surpassing Hojo resurrects him. Harry's not happy but soon finds out he was brought back by more than just the whims of a quack scientist...
A.N.: thanks to all those wonderful peeps who reviewed! I love you guys (in a platonic way) so much :D!! and also thanks to those who pointed out that battle scene at the end... I'd totally forgotten I'd put that side note there lol was meant to go back and fix it but never did o.o also questions :D firstly, Harry couldn't save himself from falling cause the way I see it, these's only a charm for soften his fall but not one to stop it (otherwise wouldn't dumbledore or someone used it when he fell in that quidditch match in third year?) also! there wouldn't be one to help him whizz back up (and that the wigardium leviosa spell won't work on humans) as if there was, people wouldn't need brooms and we wouldn't seen some idiots levitating themselves for fun in the first book lol and then TIFA AND AERIS - I got mixed reactions on what I've done with them... personally I used to like Tifa (she was pretty strong and great for support and didn't die like aeris does in the game) but then I started to hate her for what she had done to Cloud when they were little and then her stalkerish tendencies in KH2... on the other hand, I hated Aeris to begin with because of her blatant pinkness and because she died and thus wasting precious hours of traing -- however, after some really well written fics I've begun to really like her :3 so that's how I've come to sister!Aeris and bitch!Tifa here... I suppose I could still have made Tifa nice but the thing is, I needed someone to attempt to edge her way between Cloud and Harry and seriously, apart from Aeris, there is no one else better for the job so sorry to all those Tifa lovers... I'll try to dim down the bashing as much as I can for you though :) anywayz weeeee another chapter done and two more exams to go! Let's make the best of this time XD lol
Chapter 2.
The last thing Harry saw was Cloud terrified blue eyes. Subconsciously, he hoped he'd never that look on the blonde's face ever again. It made his heart clench very painfully.
After that everything was green.
Not the kind of green he'd see whenever he looked into a mirror; a much lighter shade. It reminded him of a big, soft, albeit green blanket as it wrapped itself around him, seeping warmth into his skin and into his blood.
He'd long shut his eyes, the gentle glow of mako was a lot more intense this close up. Even with them shut, he could see the light shining through his eyelids as if he was staring straight at the sun. A green sun that is... Harry mused, feeling for once he didn't have a single care in the world, all his fear seeping out of him as the mako flowed in.
No, not just mako... Life.
"You look much better now, love," a voice purred very close to him.
Emerald eyes snapped open in surprise, staring into bright brown eyes right in front of his face. He gasped at how close they were, immediately pushing himself backwards and away from them.
"Oh, that hurts," the girl teased, giggling at her own joke, "Don't you recognise me any more Harry?"
Harry gaped, "G-g-ginny?!" he stuttered. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be hallucinating but as he turned his gaze back up, she was still there.
The red-haired girl smiled serenely at him, moving closer to him once more, ignoring the slight tensing of his shoulders as she did so, "That's right, love," slim fingers rose and slipped under Harry's chin in a soft caress, "How long have I waited for this day to come," she said softly, staring deeply into his eyes as she leaned even closer.
"Stop!" a different voice shouted from behind him shocked Harry back into his senses. What in Merlin's name was he doing?! He stood swiftly, ignoring her protest, taking several steps back to put some distance between them.
Brown eyes darkened but a sickeningly sweet smile was plastered on her face, "Longbottom," she began, making Harry's eyes widen in surprise, "What a... pleasant surprise," she cooed, turning her sultry gaze to the male in question.
A tall brunette stepped out from behind the mist. "Neville," Harry choked disbelievingly.
"Harry..." he replied softly, taking a step forward towards Harry.
And he would have hug the other male if Ginny didn't suddenly bolt up and hiss angrily at him, "I've told you Longbottom. He's mine!"
Neville merely raised an eyebrow at her but Harry could see how tense he was, "He doesn't belong to you, Ginerva, you know that."
She scowled, "Oh, does he belong to you then, does he?" Then she laughed as if the mere idea was an absolute joke.
"No," Neville rolled his eyes, "But," he glanced at the red-head to watch her reaction, "he does belong to someone so I suggest you keep your obsession to yourself."
She sneered, obviously not believing a word he was saying.
"How are you?" Neville asked softly, kneeling by Harry's side. The raven-haired male was only just coming out of his shock. Ginny hissed again at their proximity, glaring darkly at the side of Neville's head. Something seemed to keep her, however, from doing anything drastic to pry him off.
"I... What's going on?" Harry said, looking very lost and confused.
Neville smiled sadly at him, "I hadn't wanted this to happen," he replied softly, "You were meant to rest peacefully for all eternity as what you've rightfully deserved but..." his gaze turned to Ginny, "you were disturbed," he finished coldly.
Ginny screamed at him, what little patience she had for the brunette finally breaking, "What's that supposed to mean?! I'm only doing what's right! I've given him what he really deserves! I've given him my everything!I've given him life! What have you done for him Longbottom?!" Winds began to pick up, the glowing green mist swirling around her.
Neville stood, pushing Harry back down gently on the shoulder when the other male tried to do the same. He stepped forward, shielding him from the quickening gusts, "Freedom," he simply said.
The red-head roared in anger and, to Harry's rising horror, her visage twisted and morphed. Before long, she was but a distant likeness to her human heritage and more a deformed monster from some horror movie. What the hell was going on?!
Purple tentacles raised into the air before slashing down harshly towards Neville but before Harry could even cry out in warning, a bright yellow shield wrapped itself around them, protecting them from her wrath. Neville raised one arm in her direction, "Begone from here..."
"You're only delaying the inevitable, Longbottom!" Ginny screeched in agony as her mutated form started to slowly fade away, "There's only so long you cant keep him hidden from me! And the longer you do, the sooner you'll reach your grave!" she screamed one last time before she disappeared completely from sight.
The wind faded, the mist returning to its former calm, wafting around them.
"...what did she mean, Neville?" Harry spoke up after a moments silence, "Neville?" he repeated when his friend hadn't replied, "...Neville!"
The brunette had collapsed into a heap on the floor, shaking slightly and very pale as he clutched his left side in pain. Harry knelt down beside him, gently pushing him onto his back, prying his fingers away so he inspect the wound. It was a large gash, spanning twice the length of his hand and, though completely healed as far as he could see, it throbbed beneath his fingers with a worrying shade of red.
"Ah... that..." Neville panted slightly, trying to calm his own shaking, "It's... nothing," he tried to reassure Harry but no avail.
"What happened?" Harry asked, horrified as he placed his palm on the wound, feeding healing energies into it. The red faded a little and Neville seemed to be in less pain but there was nothing else he could do without knowing what caused it.
Neville sighed, "Harry... I guess the first thing to mention is that Ginny and I... we aren't human any more."
Harry nodded, having already sensed something different about his friend and considering the place he had brought him.
"Thousands of years ago," the brunette began, "After Voldemort had been defeated and you had... died," Neville let out another shuddering breath, "we discovered that Voldemort had left us a parting... gift," a haunted look appeared on his face, "He embedded a curse into the ground on which Hogwarts once stood with his dying breath. While normally it would turn the land into a barren waste and dead, it mutated. Hogwarts had always brimmed with magic, of its own and of its students, and so the curse took hold of all that extra magic. It mutated, became sentient, even creating its own army of monsters."
Neville stared down at the still body of his classmate, face aghast. Her wounds seeped with blood, the red slowly darkening in colour as the poison began to take over her body.
"Longbottom, hurry!" he heard someone call out.
The brunette closed his eyes and raised his wand. Letting out a shuddering breath, he silently cast the banishing spell.
They couldn't let them absorb another body into their ranks.
Neville paused, a strange look crossing his face, "The monsters you see these days are only but a shadow of what they once were. They attacked anything with an ounce of magic, eager to feed on the power that brought them to life and eager to spread further out in the world. With the amount of magic within Hogwarts walls, it didn't take long before they outnumbered us, that number increasing every time they killed. They spared no one; magic and muggle alike. Eventually, many gave up fighting and, combining the efforts of magic and muggle technology, they created shelters deep within the earth and sealed off tightly."
"We've got to keep fighting!" Ginny cried, fisted bunched tightly, silent tears running down her face even as she stared them down angrily.
"You may be suicidal but we aren't," one of them said, Neville didn't know which and frankly, he was beyond caring. They needed to move soon or they'd be trapped...
"But Harry-!"
"Is dead," One of them sneered; Neville resisted the urge to punch him in the face no matter how satisfying it would be, "And he's lucky he is too else I would've tortured that ponce and then sent him to those monsters as a lovely gift. This is all his fault after all."
Neville grit his teeth angrily as the people around him twittered in agreement. Beside him, Ginerva Weasley seethed, "You..."
They soon learnt never to anger the female Weasley ever again though they would never get a chance to put that lesson into action anyway.
And Neville wondered if it was wrong if he hadn't felt a single thing as he silently altered the scene to seem just like any other monster attack.
"However," the brunette swallowed uncomfortably, "there were also many wizards and witches who weren't willing to give up yet; Ginny and I, the only ones still alive in our group apart from Snape, at its head. We didn't want to give up our home, the home that you had so painstakingly won for us. Eventually we discovered a means of which we could weaken them and put us back on a much more even level at which we could fight them. It worked," a wistful look came on his face as he gave a small humourless laugh, "but unfortunately, there was one side-effect; it filled the air with poisonous residue that slowly but surely killed everyone of us. We tried to enter the shelters but were scorned and sent away. They thought us monsters in human form trying to infiltrate their base so we could eat them. And so, we died. However... Ginny and I didn't make it to eternal rest as we had hoped..."
Welcome, a voice called out to them.
Neville and Ginny glanced at each other uncertainly before the red-head spoke up, "Who are you? And where are we?" she said, gesturing to their misty green surroundings.
You are in a place of in-between. A realm within the Lifestream of Gaia where there is only peace and tranquility. Who were are however, it will become clear to you should you accept.
"Accept?" Neville echoed, "Accept what?"
This world has been torn asunder by a great catastrophe but you, who would not let go of hope, have brought its people back from the brink of extinction. Your love for this world was great, far great than any we have seen for many years and so we offer you this. A new life; one that will allow you to continue to serve this planet and its remaining people. Return this world to its former glory.
Neville looked down at his feet; he felt clearly divided in two. On the one hand, passing on meant he could see all his family and his friends again but on the other hand, this was an opportunity. To save what was left of his home. To save what his loved ones had all given their life for.
A laugh to his left brought him out of his thoughts. He turned to look at Ginny but she had turned away, her hair shielding her face. She laughed again, Neville shivering from tinge of insanity that accompanied it.
"Love for this world?" she said disbelievingly, "Help those people?" she laughed again, "Do you take me for a fool?!" she screamed.
Neville watched wide-eyed as winds swirled around her, an angry red glow surrounding her form.
"He gave everything for them," she said, her voice dipping low, "and what did they do to repay him? They threw away everything," she hissed, "Everything he had left for them because they were afraid. They cursed his name for making them fight the last of shadows. They spat on his grave because the monster they had created had left them a parting gift, one they were too weak to handle. And you expect me to want to save them?!" she screamed. A dark crimson light burst out and engulfed her.
And when it faded away, she was gone.
"Somehow," Neville murmured, "she landed back in England. Then one by one, she set about destroying each and everyone of the shelters. They called her the 'Calamity from the Skies'. And she almost succeeded is killing them all too. However, despite how powerful she may have become, she was still only one witch and before long, the remaining wizards and witches overpowered her and they sealed her away."
Neville glanced at Harry tiredly, "I, as you can, accepted the offer. That's why I could bring you here when you fell in the mako. Not that it would have hurt you anyway. Gaia had always acknowledged you as her Child, even at the moment of your conception."
Harry rolled what Neville had told him around his mind, shock finally ebbing away. Grief filled him when he had heard what Voldemort had left what remained of his family, but the hand on his arm brought him comfort. That those who meant the most to him hadn't blamed him or hated him for leaving them behind.
"That still doesn't explain that," Harry finally said, pointing to Neville's scar.
Neville grimaced.
"Ginny, stop this immediately!" he called out to the raging red-haired female.
"Get out of my way, Neville!" she yelled back, not pausing in her destruction of the small settlement, "Why are you helping them anyway? They killed him! They killed us!"
Neville bit his lip, hurriedly putting out one fire while blocking one of her blasts at another building, "Ginny, please! Revenge will solve nothing! Harry wouldn't have wanted this!"
"What do you know!" as the world exploded around her, Neville gasped as his side burst out in pain.
And as the dust cleared away, there was no more Ginny, only a large chasm in the Earth. A gash like the one now present on Neville's side.
Neville had chosen to be Gaia's avatar and now, her pain was also his.
Harry could only stare at him in horror.
His emerald eyes took in the paleness of his friend's skin, the way his body shook every so often from the pain that racked his body. Life being drained from him even as they spoke.
"Shinra," Harry growled, the hate he had harboured for them filled his whole body, "I-"
Neville shook his head, smiling despite looking so sickly, "I will be fine, Harry," he tried to reassure once more, "You don't need to save anyone any more."
Harry's eyes shuttered, heart clenching as he felt his own words coming back to haunt him. He didn't want to save anyone any more.
But this wasn't just anyone. This was Neville.
He took a deep breath; yes, this was different. He needed to do this, "I won't let you die, Neville. My Hero complex won't allow it," he joked weakly, his heart not really into it.
Neville just smiled back sadly.
I'm sorry.
-
"Everyday Mako reactors suck up Spirit energy, diminishing it," Bugenhagen said, "Spirit energy gets compressed in the reactors and processed into Mako energy. All living things are being used up and thrown away. In other words, Mako energy will only destroy the Planet..."
A solemn silence fell over the room.
"The story of the planets and those who lived with them..." the old man spoke up one last time before he ushered them away, "You want to know more? Then you must listen to the words of the elders."
As Cloud, Tifa and Barret made their way down to meet the rest of the gang, they were surprised to see Aeris barrelling towards them.
"What's wrong?" Cloud asked worriedly, seeing the tears running down her face.
"There's something you should come and see Cloud," and then, to their amazement, she smiled, her eyes gleaming. They were tears of happiness.
"What is it?" Cloud asked, confused as he made his way into the room Aeris was gesturing towards.
As soon as he stepped inside though, he froze.
For there on a bed asleep, was none other than Harry.
"A pilgrim found his on a beach nearby," an elder stepping up beside them explained, "He brought him to us in the hope that we could help him. And when he didn't wake, we had hoped someone would find him here and recognise him. It seems that time has finally come," he smiled, eyes shining brightly at the two moved to sit beside the sleeping man.
Aeris gently brushed Harry's fringe from his face as she smiled down at the person she had come to love as her little brother. Cloud sat on Harry's other side, hand squeezing the others as if to reassure himself that Harry was really there, "Do you know what's wrong with him?"
"Hmm... we think it's all the mako that his body has absorbed though we don't know how that happened or how he would end up on a beach," another elder said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"I... see..." Cloud bit his lip. If it was mako poisoning, then the effects would be unpredictable. For all they knew, Harry could be in lots of pain at the moment though the elder had tried to reassure him that that wasn't the case. The effects of mako varied from person to person and Harry might never awaken ever again.
Cloud's insides twisted horribly at that thought.
-
Bugenhagen had asked for two others to accompany him and Nanaki, or otherwise known as Red XII, and as the leader of their rag-tag bunch, Cloud was expected to go. Cloud hadn't wanted to leave Harry's side however but after much pushing and prodding from Aeris and promising him that Harry would still be there when he got back, he'd left with Tifa to explore wherever Bugenhagen was taking them, though very reluctantly.
Aeris sighed, settling herself down on the bed where Harry slept. She gently tucked the blankets around him, hand reaching out to caress his cheek, "Please wake up soon Harry," she whispered, "We missed you so much and it hurts to find you again only to see you like this. You know," she leaned closer like she used to when the two would share happy secrets, "Cloud was so broken when he told me what had happened. He blamed himself for not being able to save you. He would act like nothing was wrong in front of the others but I know he had cried. Crying because he thought he would never see you again."
No response.
Aeris sniffled at little but forced a small smile on her face as she sat back and turned her gaze to the ceiling, "Anyway, you've certainly missed out on a lot of stuff. Hmm... where should I start? Oh! You know, Cloud had to dress up like a girl, with a long wig and a frilly dress," she giggled as she remembered the mortified look on his face as he exited the dresser, "He looked so cute. It was so we could infiltrate Don Corneo's mansion. Remember him? The really fat man who owned most of Sector 6? We got in easily enough and saved Tifa though we had to get out via the sewer," she reminisced, nose wrinkling as she remembered the smell, "and then, we had to hurry back to Sector 7," she said sombrely, "the President had ordered the plate to be dropped on the slums so they could destroy Avalanche for good and make for more... I heard Jessie, Biggs and Wedge didn't make it... Do you remember them?" she glanced at Harry but still no reaction. With another sigh, she turned her gaze back to the ceiling, "I don't know the details of what happened afterwards but Cloud and the others had to break into Shinra to save me," a slight wistful smile came upon her face, "You'd be so annoyed if you knew the Turks had captured me and Hojo tried to breed me..."
"I'm going to smash Hojo's head in," a loud groan came from her right.
Aeris jumped, staring wide-eyed as Harry's eyelids twitched and then slow but surely pried open, his emerald orbs blinking sleepily back at her, "Right after I kill whoever tried to split my head in half," he grumbled, raising a hand to rub his aching head. Then he smiled in amusement at the absolutely stunned look on the brunette's face, "Hi, Aeris."
"H-h-h..." she stuttered before she flung herself onto Harry's body, hugging him tightly, "Harry!! You're awake!"
"Yep," he grinned as he tried to sit up only to flop back down onto the bed, moaning loudly, "Okay, bad idea."
Aeris snorted but gently placed her hand on his forehead, "Heal."
Warmth resonated from her palm, Harry sighing happily as the pain went away.
"It's great to have you back," Aeris suddenly mumbled. Harry stared at her, her eyes glistening slightly with moisture, and smiled back, for once whole-heartedly agreeing.
It was great to be back.
-
Both Harry and Cloud had always been a bit of an insomniac, thus it wasn't a surprise that several hours after the sun had set and the moon hung high in the sky, they were the last two around the bonfire. The others had long retired to the makeshift beds the villagers had kindly made for them and the bonfire having dwindled to only a fraction of its previous size, yet these two remained, relishing in the other's company.
For Harry they may have been separated for mere hours but for Cloud, it'd been several hollowing weeks, steeped in misery and anger yet never having the chance to mourn properly. So it wasn't surprising that the blonde wishing to be in his presence, if only for he sake of peace of mind. And Harry... he found no reason to disagree.
So they sat there side by side, staring up at the twinkling stars as Harry recounted another one of his adventures to the enraptured Cloud to pass the time. It was something he had often done when they had stayed at the church when the blonde recovered and there was little else of interest to do. A wistful but happy smile would always come across Harry's face as he relived the memories that were little more than legends in crumbling history books these days. The bad memories were still there but as so much time had passed, only the deep longing for his past life, family and friends remained. But with every word he spoke, he felt as if he were there again – if only for a little while.
Cloud loved every moment of it. All the pain and sorrow the raven-haired man seemed to carry around with him everyday slipped away as he narrated wondrous tales to the avidly listening blonde, a beauteous smile on his face. Cloud felt like he could stay like this forever. But unfortunately, the group was due to leave the next morning and he wouldn't have Harry all to himself any more. That didn't mean he wasn't going to make the best of this time however.
Cloud blinked, straightening up, wondering if he had heard what Harry just said wrong, "What...?"
"Hum...?" Harry glanced at him, it wasn't often Cloud interjected.
The blonde hesitated but steeled his resolve not a moment later, "What did you just say?" he asked again.
"Oh, er..." Harry scratched the back of his neck, gaze returning to the star-filled sky thoughtfully, "I said that Hogwarts lake was always this brilliant, beautiful shade of blue. Like your eyes, actually."
"You... think my eyes are beautiful?" Cloud echoed, looking at him with an unreadable expression.
Harry, still staring happily up at the stars, nodded, "Yes. Ever since that first time I met you... Oh," he paused, wondering if he had said something weird. He turned to look at the blonde, "Cloud, I-"
He never got to finish what he was going to say however when a pair of lips descended on his. For a moment, he sat there frozen in surprise but then his brain finally caught up with his body as he pressed forward, deepening the kiss as he wrapped his arms around Cloud. Encouraged, the blonde got a little bolder as he slipped a hand under the other's shirt, trailing his fingers across warm skin. Harry gave a soft moan, lips parting slightly. Cloud seized this opportunity immediately, slipping his tongue inside Harry's mouth, eager to immerse himself in taste that was wholly and completely, Harry.
And then, all too soon they had to pull apart, breathing heavily.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Cloud breathed out softly, pulling the smaller man closer towards him.
Harry just smiled, emerald eyes sparkling happily up at him as he hugged him tighter, "You better get up before we leave without you!"
Cloud blinked again, "What?" he asked, confused.
Harry's voice went up an octave, "I said, you better get up now before we leave without you!" and then something hard hit Cloud's head.
"Ow!" Cloud yelped, clutching his aching head as he sat up, "Yuffie!"
"Hehehe," the female ninja grinned widely, waving the large frying pan in her hand in his face, "Sorry, Cloudster. You left me with no other choice," she chirped, sounding completely unapologetic.
"Cloud, are you all right?" a soft voice called out.
The blonde pushed down the blush threatening to appear as he remembered what he had dreamt only moments before. When he finally got it under control, he gazed up at the raven-haired man. What was supposed to be a reassuring smile turned into a frown when he realised how heavily the other man was leaning against the door frame. He quickly stood, wrapping an arm around his waist and drawing him close to support him. Harry smiled at him gratefully.
"Are you okay?" Cloud looked at him in concern.
"Just a little drained," Harry said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. But I'm going to slow you guys down..." he bit lip slightly; he hated being a burden but he didn't want Cloud to go off without him...
The blonde barely resisted the urge to lean forward and bite it for him, "I don't care. I'm not leaving without you," Cloud said, ignoring the cooing noises Yuffie started to make in the background.
The smile that spread across Harry's face was more than enough to make up for that annoyance.
A.N. Ehehe... I've written my first kiss scene! ...though it was only a dream... still... Hahaha... -feels a little weird for some reason- anyway... hopefully it wasn't too bad lol and hopefully I haven't gone too fast and made this chapter a little awkward... oh well :3 tell me what you think? Love it or should I rewrite it?
