The Battle of Nibelheim

by Catsitta

For Illulian: Everyone knows that Sephiroth was the hero of the War with Wutai. What happens when the first battle occurs suddenly in the sleepy town of Nibelheim and he's the only SOLDIER there? How does a little blond boy play a part? AU.

4. Burning alive

A/N: Alright, this chapter is short but important. And guess what, I know for a fact that the next chapter will be the last. Enjoy this twisty-curvy, angsty and fluffy update.

Any comments, reviews and the like are loved. I thrive off feedback.

Disclaimer: This was for fun, not for profit. I own nothing FF7 related….blah blah blah. To quote another writer: "These are not my characters, I'm just abusing them".

Summary: Everyone knows that Sephiroth was the hero of the War with Wutai. What happens when the first battle occurs suddenly in the sleepy town of Nibelheim and he's the only SOLDIER there? And how does a little blond boy play a part? AU. Young!Seph & Young!Cloud

Words: 4, 548 (Short, I know)

Rating: T (mild gore, violence, and m/m flirty-fluffiness)

The Battle of Nibelheim

By Catsitta

Part four: Burning alive

Seven months later: Midgar

Running.

He hated running. He hated the fact that he was helpless to stop the chaos that surrounded him.

Burning.

Everything was burning. Fire reached high up into the sky, smoke billowing into an ominous, scalding storm cloud.

No matter how fast he ran. No matter how hard he tried. It was not enough. Never enough. He was choking on the very air that once tasted sweet, cleansed by the bitter cold of winter. His eyes stung and watered, practically blinding him. Sightless. Helpless. Unable to breathe. Unable to run. Unable to fight.

Cloud collapsed onto his knees and struggled to remain conscious. If he died here and now, then who would save the day? Who would be the hero? Pushing himself back onto un-stable legs, his body trembling violently from the effort, the blond SOLDIER shifted through the all-consuming blaze, ignoring the pain as the fire ate at unprotected flesh.

He had to fight. He had to stay strong. But the fire was too much. All around him were flames, white-hot and furiously rendering all it touched to ash. So many lives lost. Victims trapped in their homes—unenhanced bodies stripped bare by a hungry inferno, burnt alive or smothered by smoke. Cloud's sight was already blurred, but when everything plunged into darkness, he knew that it was lost.

Screams of terror and agony followed him into the bliss of oblivion.

000X000

Zack Fair watched powerlessly as his little, spiky-haired friend writhe in agony when his nightmare came to its climax. Cloud's young body twisted in the sheets, his muscles twitching and straining with every horror. Sweat beaded on the blond's brow and fell in little rivulet's down his face, neck and shoulders. At some point, Cloud managed to squirm his way free of the T-shirt he often wore to bed, perhaps subconsciously attempting to escape the scalding heat that existed only in his mind. The boy looked so…helpless. So fragile and tender with youth, it was agonizing to witness such a creature in the throes of inescapable pain.

Gently, the raven-haired SOLDIER placed a hand on a sweat-slick shoulder and gave the blond a shake. He could not watch this anymore, even if he was told not to disturb the boy's sleep unless the issue was a matter of life or death. Cloud should not have to suffer like this. Zack fought back tears as he continued to urge his friend to join the realm of the awake and living.

Cloud, apparently, was not ready.

Blue-eyes snapped open, bright with mako shine, and a blood-curdling scream erupted from his chest. Panic possessed a strong hold over the blond's features, making the boy quiver and pale. Next thing he knew, Cloud was retching off the side of the bed, emptying the scant contents of his stomach into the carefully positioned waste bin beside his bed. This was hardly the first time such had happened.

The young SOLDIER did not seem to calm down, even after coughing up what remained of his stomach acid. With a whimper, Cloud shivered and went limp. Crying did a body good sometimes, so Zack watched quietly as the blond sobbed into the tangled sheets, pouring all his anxieties and fears into the tears he shed. An hour later, the muffled sounds of crying were no more. Cloud sniffed and sat up weakly on the queen-sized bed.

It belonged to Zack, but the First refused to let the Third sleep alone anymore, not after what happened…

Being a SOLDIER is never easy and never pretty. People die and sometimes you are the one who snuffed out their life. But other times, you walk among the civilians and see the death in their eyes. It cut into the heart like a blade to patrol under the Plate in the slums. So many people were sick with poverty and abuse, their conditions a result of other men's greed and apathy. Some would say what they suffered was not an illness, and while it is not something that can be treated with medicines, it does weaken and kill. Corruption flourishes and the weak must endure. Society can be seen slowly crumbling yet the powerful ignore the plight of those they see as lesser than themselves.

Cloud grew up in a town so small that he never saw true nature of men when they sink their claws into power and status. Ignorance is bliss, and innocence is stained grey as experience opens the eyes to the injustices of the world. But what the blond witnessed did more than darken his child-like purity of heart and mind—it shattered everything that he once believed into shards of sugar-coated glass. The scene that met them little less than two weeks ago revolted even Zack and he was a First Class, one who had seen his share of bloodbaths and nightmares.

It was a mission gone awry. There was nothing they could have said or done to change a thing, but the guilt still remained, sharp and piercing.

Upon arriving in a little mountain village, one none too far from Nibelheim, the two SOLDIERS and their team witnessed an awful sight. Bodies littered the streets, eyes wide and glassy, blood pooling beneath their lifeless forms. Some were riddled with bullets, others were maimed with blades. There was even one little girl of perhaps eleven or twelve whose entire face was disfigured by the corrosive nature of acid.

The team carefully moved throughout the scene, each wary and alert. This slaughter was fresh and meant that the terrorists (as they came to assume as they trekked through the village) could potentially be nearby.

Cloud clutched his sword tightly and stayed close to Zack. The First trembled with rage and his trademark smile had long since become a tense line. It was appalling to see what humans were capable of doing to their own in cold blood. What was the purpose of this? The message? So far, he saw none. Realizing that they had a duty to any survivors, the SOLDIER instructed his team to check every house, hut and shed. If someone could hide in it, behind it, under it, beside it, then they were to investigate.

Slowly, the search for the unlikely began.

An hour passed before Zack noticed his little, blond, Third Class shadow. The boy was incredibly pale and his blue eyes damp. He had a near death grip on the wolf's tooth strung around his neck and he kept chanting a little mantra about 'Fenrir' giving him strength. "Cloud?"

Said addressed Third fell silent and looked up, "Zack."

"Hey buddy, I know it's hard to stomach but things aren't always this bad."

Cloud was silent for a while before he answered,"Does it make me a bad SOLDIER to hate the thought of war or killing another human being?"

"What? No, Spike, no, it doesn't! True, it makes things harder when you have to fight but…it also means you are human. Very few people are born with the ability to kill another of his kind in cold blood or even desperation. Many SOLDIERs will tell you that they never forgive themselves for having to take a life, and some still have guilt and nightmares… Veterans, even, sometimes regret each drop of blood that stains their name. But they still fight because the death of one could save a thousand others."

The blond fell silent again for a time before he let out a shuddering sigh,"C'mon, let's hurry so we can get out of here."

That was when the first explosion rocked the village. A whistle, a crash, a flash of light and then everything disappeared into flames. Screams. Pain. Desperation. The cries of SOLDIERs intermingled with the roar of the fire.

Zack clutched Cloud to his chest and stood back from the collapsed entryway. Above them, the roof was threatening to come crashing down as the support beams were eaten away. Smoke filled the air and made it hard to breath, so the pair dropped close to the floor and sucked in deep breaths of clean oxygen. The little reservoir would not last long at the rate the fire burned, so the two SOLDIERs leapt to their feet, tugging the scarf of their uniform up around their noses, before rushing towards the back wall.

Cloud hit the wall first but his moderate, Third Class strength was not nearly enough to break through. Even when Zack crashed into the barrier, he made little progress. He stumbled backwards and stared with dismay at the single crack that displayed their effort. The pair locked eyes and nodded. Once again, they threw their weight against the wall…

It could have been seconds, minutes or hours later when at last the wall gave way. Zack had long since resorted to assaulting the obstacle with his sword, and that gave him just enough of an advantage to burst through. He turned around to see if Cloud was following and paled. The blond SOLDIER rushed towards escape, but just before he could hurl himself to freedom, the building shuddered and collapsed.

"CLOUD!" His scream piercing the air.

"Leave him," a veteran Second ordered,"The life of a Third is not worth risking that of a First. I'm sorry, Fair, but I must insist." Zack spun around and found himself standing before a significantly smaller team than he entered with. All that remained was one Second and a handful of Thirds. The cadets that were with them were nowhere to be found nor could he see the other Second.

"I can't!" Zack shouted before a cough rattled his body.

"You've already breathed in too much smoke…and we have to get out of here before we all burn alive." The Second retorted before grabbing the First's wrist.

"NO!" He thrashed against the man's grip resulting in some Third's rushing over to restrain him. Soon, they were heading towards the helicopter. Zack screamed and writhed and struggled the whole way and only calmed down when they reached Midgar. But it was because he was limp with grief and had long since shed all his tears. "Cloud…"

In the depth of mourning, he locked himself in his room for a week straight afterwards. His mentor, Angeal, did all he could to comfort the raven-haired SOLDIER, but he failed miserably. After a while, he merely slipped food beneath the door and ordered his student to eat. Three days into the week, Zack managed to swallow a few bites and tall glass of water, but he still felt sick with grief.

At week's end, he finally unlocked the door and joined the world again, but everything was in shades of gray. He could not bring himself to bounce or smile or harass his superior officers. In fact, he avoided Sephiroth entirely. The silver-haired General and Cloud were practically the best of friends, and only when the blond was around did he seem happy. But, he could not spend the rest of his life away from Sephiroth, so one day, he found himself in his office, a mission report in hand.

"General…" He murmured, keeping his eyes downcast.

Sephiroth said nothing so Zack looked up. The man was toying with a silver bracelet, the kind one slotted materia in…and it looked exactly like the one Cloud wore practically 24/7!

"He gave this to me, you know." The silver General said after a time,"I often wonder how he would have reacted if I had shown it to him…after all these years, I still have a keepsake from a child. A child that grew into an impressive SOLDIER. A SOLDIER that would have come home to a surprise."

Zack opened his mouth to reply but Sephiroth thrust an envelope into his hands. It was addressed to Cloud. Seeing his General nod, the First tore the letter open and read the words inside. Tears filled his eyes. "A promotion…" It had been six months since Cloud made SOLDIER and it was just a month shy of his seventeenth birthday. The kid had earned it, but…

The pair fell into silence, their sorrows heavy in the air.

Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing a certain crimson-haired Turk.

"R-reno?" Zack blinked with surprise at the teen's smirk.

"Yo Fair, I think this belongs to yah and the General." Said mentioned Turk replied before tugging something into view…wait, not something, someone! Blue eyes and tangled, blond spikes caught his attention.

"CLOUD!" The First shouted and the boy in the doorway gave a weak smile.

"Hey Zack…Sephiroth… It's been a while… If you'll excuse me, I think I'll pass out now." Cloud murmured with a tremble in his voice. Reno caught the Third around the waist and kept him from hitting the ground.

"I picked the kid up on the outskirts of Midgar. He's really weak, yo, and has a fever, but he said he had to see yah before he went to the hospital."

"How? We thought he was dead!" Zack cried.

Reno shrugged,"The kid's got moxy, I'll just say that much."

Moxy. Zack was not sure what it meant but it did not matter in the end. It had been almost a month since that fateful day Cloud came home and the blond had spoken so little. It was only in the past few days that the teen returned to his duties, albeit reluctantly. Yet the nightmares were far from gone. He could see the shadows in the blond's gaze as he went through the motions. It scared him. Never before did the First ever believe he would see his friend broken.

"You okay now, Cloud?" he murmured, rubbing the teen's back.

"Yeah…I guess." Cloud's voice was but a whisper.

"C'mon. Get cleaned up. Seph's got a surprise for you now that you're feeling better."

The words were strained and both knew that the other was pretending for the sake of each other's sanity. There was too much pain to forget and sometimes, the only thing they could do to cope was ignore the problem that blazed before them.

"Okay…" And with that, Cloud crawled off the bed and made his way to the bathroom, snagging his uniform on the way there.

000X000

Sephiroth tapped impatiently on his desk, eyes flicking from the computer screen before him and the door. He told Zack to bring Cloud to his office at o' eight hundred hours. It was a good half hour past that. The little blond was always punctual unless the puppy was involved. Zack never did seem to learn the importance of promptness despite his rise through the ranks.

But Cloud…brave, brilliant Cloud. He was a model SOLDIER, well, that was until that damn mission in the mountains. Something shook the blond to the core and left the teen fragile. Perhaps it was being trapped in a burning building, or seeing the victims of a pointless slaughter that did it. Or was it being left behind and having to fight his way back home. He was an amazing boy, resilient and resourceful, but this latest incident damped his prideful glow.

Hopefully, this news would cheer him up. After spending his seventeenth birthday locked in Zack's room, there was a need for celebration…a need to put the light back into those blue eyes.

Suddenly, his office door flew open and Zack marched in. It was obvious he was trying hard to fall back into the swing of things and a smile was forced onto the raven-haired SOLDIER's lips. But the feeling was wrong, and even his optimism seemed to be fleeting in these darker days.

"Hello Zackary…Cloud." Sephiroth rose from his desk and rounded to the front.

Cloud attempted to salute, but his friend stopped him, grabbing the teen's wrist and pulling it back down to his side.

"Heya, Seph. Here's Spike, all squeaky-clean and ready for action."

Sephiroth chuckled softly,"Zackary, you are dismissed."

"B-but…Seph!" whined Zack before he employed the infamous puppy pout of doom. To which, Cloud responded by shoving the First out the door and practically slamming it in his face to keep him from rushing back inside.

The smallest of mischievous smiles curled on Cloud's lips. Perhaps things were improving.

Clearing his throat, Sephiroth regained the Third's attention. Cloud looked up at the General and sighed,"What do you need, Sephiroth? Zack said something about a surprise…"

"Yes. This is for you." The silver-haired warrior pulled the tattered envelope from his leather jacket and held it out for Cloud to take. Quirking his brows, the little blond reached out and gingerly took the letter. His expression seemed to inquire as to why the letter was already open, but he fished out the paper inside nonetheless. His eyes flicked from line to line, widening the closer he came to the bottom. After a long moment of hesitation and silence, Cloud looked up, his eyes watering with unshed tears.

"This can't be real…" He murmured.

"Oh, but it is." Sephiroth replied with a fond smile,"Welcome to Second Class, Cloud Strife. You're moving up in the world."

"But the mission…?"

"This promotion was valid prior to your last mission. It was supposed to be given to you upon your return, but as circumstance would have it…"

He wondered for a moment if Cloud was going to cry…Then, the blond rushed forwards and wrapped both arms around his waist, hugging the General like a favored stuffed animal. It was odd how Sephiroth felt comfortable allowing him to do so…he felt no uneasiness with the contact, only a surge of affection. It had hurt so much when the blond was reported as MIA. He was reluctant to pronounce the SOLDIER dead but he was almost forced to do so just as the blond reappeared.

"You are happy then?" Sephiroth asked softly, stroking the blond spikes with familiarity. During Cloud first six months as a SOLDIER, he spent a great deal of time observing the teen and spoke with him in private as much as convention would allow. During these conversations, sometimes, old memories would surface and the General found himself comforting the blond in any way he could. Touch always seemed to work the best…

Cloud did not say anything; he merely snuggled against his chest for a while, taking in deep, reassuring breaths. "Cloud?"

"Hn?" The blond peered up at him, his face the picture of innocence.

Sephiroth's heart skipped a beat and the words he was to say caught in his throat. Perfection. Cloud had to be the definition of perfection. Like a little angel come to save him from himself. The silver General could not help it. His actions were impulsive. But the next thing either of them knew, their lips were touching.

000X000

Burning. He was burning alive again. But this burning was different. The fire was internal and could not be escaped. It caught him in its fury and stole away his breath. It was a blazing inferno of emotion…of feeling the moment their lips brushed together.

Cloud gasped when Sephiroth drew away. The silver General flushed with embarrassment, obviously interpreting his reaction as a form of rejection. Unsure exactly what he was feeling, just knowing that it could not be wrong because by Gaia it felt too right, Cloud struggled to hang onto the sensation. He did not want to go back to the pain and darkness. He was losing himself in the shadows of the past. The nightmares were consuming him. Destroying him. He could not let go of the one thing that brought him to the edge of reality yet again.

So, he grabbed the warrior's pauldrons and pulled himself up to Sephiroth's height, crushing his lips to the General's in one swift motion. Again, the fire burned. It was terrifying yet alluring. He wanted to get away as fast as possible and never let go again. Cloud did not know when he wrapped his legs around Sephiroth's waist, but by the time the kiss broke, leaving them both panting, he was clinging to the General with all his might.

Mako green eyes were hooded with pleasure…and, desire? Yes. The smoky gleam that reflected into those irises could not be anything other than desire. Sephiroth wanted him. But…what did that entail? Cloud caught his breath and stared at the silver General for a long while, suddenly uncertain of his actions and their consequences.

"Sephiroth…" He began, noting, with embarrassment, the husky quality of his voice. Cloud flushed with color when he remembered Zack teasing him about his 'phone sex' voice after a day of strenuous exercise. Only, he had not run until his legs felt like jelly and his throat was raw. He merely kissed Sephiroth… Then again, could anyone merely kiss the great General of ShinRa? Damn it, why did he feel cheap all of the sudden, like a girl at the Honeybee? Slowly, he tried to disentangle himself from the larger man, but apparently, Sephiroth had other plans.

"Cloud." There was a smirk in the silver warrior's voice as his hands dropped from where they were buried in his hair to Cloud's ass. The blond let out a squeak of surprise and felt himself deepen in color as the General held him there, gazing into his eyes an almost poetic, lovingly fashion. Sephiroth smiled and gently nipped at Cloud's lips again, teasing the blond as well as wordlessly asking for permission to kiss him again.

Remembering how alive and wonderful he felt, Cloud abandoned his embarrassment and worry for a little while longer and hummed his approval. Strong arms held him tight against Sephiroth's chest, and once again, he was burning as a moment years in the making at last came to a peak.

000X000

Three months later; Midgar

"So, you're moving in with Seph?" Zack asked quietly as Cloud began packing his belongings.

"Yes, of course… Why?" The Second Class SOLDIER looked up from the duffle bag he was stuffing.

"It's just…well, really fast, y'know. Have you thought about the implications and…"

"Zack, it's okay. Don't worry. I'm a big boy now; I can take care of myself." Cloud smiled. He had been doing a lot of smiling since being promoted, more than likely because that was also the day he and Sephiroth started dating… If you could call what they were doing dating.

There were no little gifts of candies or flowers, or candle lit dinners. Just, longer talks in Sephiroth's office, a shared lunch on occasion and sparring. Gaia, the sparring! It was almost sad how hard Cloud was trying to beat the silver General, only to have the man fling him effortlessly across the room, the action chased by one taunt or another. Most days the blond would limp home from a day of training, bruised but happy.

"I know, but you're my little chocobo!" Zack whined.

"Hehe. And your chocobo is leaving the nest. I mean, for Gaia's sake, I am seventeen and a SOLDIER Second Class. You don't have to worry. Sephiroth makes me happy and I make him happy. Isn't it enough that your two best friends have found someone to love?"

"I-I guess… ever since Angeal…" His voice had dropped to a whisper.

"I understand, Zack. Your mentor was important to you, but he and Genesis were important to Sephiroth too. Yet, he's moving on with his life knowing that he can't bring them back home… I know you don't want to hear this, but, appreciate what you have and don't worry about what you've lost. The only thing you can do in life is move forwards. I mean, you've got friends who care about you. A girlfriend who loves you to death. A roof over your head, shoes on your feet and food in your belly. I mean, things aren't that bad."

Zack sighed,"You're the subordinate officer here, why are you giving me advice?"

"Well sor-ry, Lieutenant Fair. Just because your second-in-command now doesn't mean that I can't smack some good ol' country boy sense into yah!" Cloud drawled before looping an arm around the raven-haired man's shoulders. "So. Do I get a hug or not?"

Blue eyes met that of aquamarine.

"Of course you do!" Zack shouted, startling Cloud when the First leapt on him and proceeded to squeeze the daylights out of him.

"Too much! Too much! Can't breathe." The blond groaned.

"Serves you right for talking back, chocobo head." Zack laughed before releasing his captive.

They smiled at each other. For just a moment, the world looked a little brighter.

000X000

Zack helped Cloud carry his belongings up to Sephiroth's room. The First had a little bounce to his step and was chattering away mindlessly, pointing out random things with child-like wonder. Cloud was basically ignoring him when he heard him ask,"So, you and Seph done it yet?"

The blond froze in his steps and gave his friend a bug-eyed look,"What?"

"Y'know, have you guys had sex?"

"No."

"Have you two fooled around?"

"Ah, no."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"So, you're a virgin then?"

"ZACK!" By this point, Cloud was completely red and glaring daggers at the raven-haired SOLDIER. "Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Asking inappropriate questions!"

They fell into a lull of silence for a while.

"So, is that a yes?"

"ZACK!"

"Zackary."

The pair looked up when they heard a silky baritone voice. Sephiroth stood leaning against the doorframe of his apartment, one silver brow arched, arms crossed. "Would you happen to be harassing one of my Second's?"

"Aw, stop with the act, Seph, call him your boyfriend already. It's painful to hear you be all General-ly when we're in private." Zack scolded, giving the General a bit of a pout.

"Zack, you are embarrassing me…" Cloud complained, but was promptly ignored.

"How I address my lover is my business, Zackary."

"Zack. Seriously, how many times do we have to go over this… Call. Me. Zack."

"Hello, are either of you listening?"

When the banter between the two First's continued, Cloud rolled his eyes, dropped his duffle bag, and grabbed Sephiroth by the lapels of his jacket. Two seconds later their lips connected and Zack finally shut up. Well, mostly. The raven-haired's man did squeak with complaint when the General deepened the kiss and to touch and squeeze more intimate areas.

Apparently deciding he had nothing further left to say, Zack turned on his heel, dropped what he was carrying for Cloud, and walked away.

"I think we scarred him for life," Cloud murmured when their kiss broke.

"His fault for watching." Sephiroth replied with a smirk.

"True… but hey, will you help me get my stuff inside?"

The released each other and gathered Cloud's belongings.

As the door shut behind them and they shared a smile, everything bad that happened in their lives started to fade away into memory. A brush of the shoulder, a touch of the lips, little did they know that this could not last forever. As their fingers entwine and they walk hand in hand, time seems to grow still for a moment as they are lost in this strange thing called love. They both wondered if the joy would dissipate and the feelings lost, leaving them bitter and cold. But for now the future looked bright and there remained but one thing to do.

Wait.

A/N: ( Review my pretties! Also, I'm working on a side story detailing Cloud's journey back home. I did not include it here because it just did not fit the flow of the storyline all that well… So keep an eye out for 'Burning Alive'. Hehe, one more chappie to go!)