Leon: The way the story's going, this might be the last chapter.
Maybe. *reviewing the movie and plan*
Cloud: *evil grin* I'm gonna love our later scene Seph.
Sephiroth: WTF are you talking about? *looks over my shoulder and watches the scene in the movie* WHAT? AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT? *looks at Cloud; whimpers*
Okay boys settle down. I own nothing.
It was a painful day for Roxas. He thought it hurt more to hear that his mother was gone, forever but he found himself proven wrong. The funeral was the most painful part of the whole thing, hearing the priest reciting the Blessing of Departure as he gazed at the coffin that held his mother's body, Cloud stood behind him with his hands on the boy's shoulders hoping he could offer some comfort. Roxas had pretty much been silent for the most part since his mother died after giving birth to her baby, a boy just as Sephiroth figure it would be, and he was named Ienzo.
Roxas had been allowed to look at the baby for a small amount of time after he had been born, he was pale, had silver- blue hair, and blue eyes like Aqua had given Roxas.
Sephiroth never left the boy alone though, he was prideful to have a son now. The only other thing that probably matter to him was trying to catch and kill the rest of the rebel army; he didn't shed a tear at the funeral and Aqua had been his wife. His wife! But then Roxas thought about what he had said that day when he first put the mandrake root under the bed, he had asked that the baby be saved if Dr. Xaldin, who was dead, had to choose. And it angered the boy, that all his mother was good for to that man was having his child when aside from that she loved him.
As Roxas sat in his empty room now, still dressed in his black clothes, he thought about how much he wanted to leave this place now that nothing could make him stay. His mother was dead, Terra wouldn't take him away because of a foolish mistake he had made during the second task, and he wouldn't be allowed near Ienzo, but he had nowhere to go really. Even if he did try to leave, Sephiroth or someone would stop him and bring him back; he had no hope.
xXxXxXx
Cloud was shushing the newborn boy so that he could sleep. His cradle was set in Sephiroth's office/bedroom where the man could keep watch of him, but the blonde thought it wasn't fair that such a horrible man fathered an innocent child such as Ienzo, but at least the General wasn't sending Roxas to some orphanage. Finally having the baby calmed Cloud set him tenderly in his cradle and was about to leave when Sephiroth's voice stopped him.
"You and Dr. Xaldin knew each other well, right Cloud?" the silverette asked.
Without hesitation Cloud met the other man's eye, "Of course, everyone one here knew him."
Sephiroth nodded in agreement. A record in hand he passed Cloud to go to his desk where a record player sat "You know, our deceased, stuttering friend said the we had a spy in the mill. Right under my nose, can you believe that?" He said.
The blonde's eyes widened at the random subject and he was grateful he decided to keep his back to the other man so he could quickly collect himself just as his name was called out again and he faced him. A sickeningly pleasant smile was on him pale face as he gestured for the servant to take a seat on the other side of his desk. Cloud sat and Sephiroth followed a moment later taking out a bottle of whisky.
Two shot glasses sat between them and the General filled one as he continued to talk, "You probably believe I'm some monster. Is that what you think of me, Cloud?" he held out the filled glass to the blonde.
Cloud sighed evenly, "My opinion doesn't matter, sir." He saw the glass offer to him and took it, not drinking a drop.
Watching the blonde Sephiroth pour himself a glass and drank it. Putting the glass down again he changed the subject for the second time, "Go to the storeroom please, I'll need more liquor."
Cloud set his untouched drink down, "Of course. Goodnight sir." He stood and was about to leave when he was stopped again.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Sephiroth asked.
Slowly the blonde turned back with a questioning expression. Sephiroth opened a draw and pulled out the key to the storeroom "I'm the only one holding with the key aren't I?" he asked.
"That's right, sir." Cloud answered quietly.
The silverette stood form his chair and walked around the desk, "There was something strange that day of the raid, about the lock to the storeroom. Not really all that important but it does tickle at the back of my brain. All those grenades and explosives they had and the lock hadn't been forced. Again, it's unimportant." He held the key out to the blonde. Once Cloud took hold of it the General placed his other hand on his, "Be very careful Cloud, who knows what may happen."
Cloud took the key and with a final, "Goodnight, sir." He left
xXxXxXx
It was clear to him. With Xaldin dead there was only a matter of time until he was found out, Cloud had to leave, he had to find the other rebels that were still alive and hide with them until something could be done about Sephiroth.
He went down to the kitchen with his bag that he used to carry supplies and whatnot to the rebels and moved the stone slab from the hidden dugout packing what was there inside. Once he had everything he snuck upstairs, he at least had to say goodbye to Roxas even though it would hurt them both.
Entering the boy's room as quietly and quickly as possible he shook Roxas awake, "Roxas, Roxas, I'm leaving tonight."
Roxas blinked his eyes to rid them of sleep as he heard what the man was telling him "Where are you going?" he asked.
Cloud shook his head, his gaze bouncing between the boy and the door "I can't tell you Roxas, it's too dangerous for you to know." He said brushing the boy's bangs from his face.
Suddenly feeling a glimmer of hope in him that he could finally leave he grasped Cloud's arm desperately, "Let me go with you."
Immediately the man shook his head, "I can't do that Roxas."
"Take me with you!" Roxas cried launching himself up to hug Cloud around his waist.
Cloud hugged him back tightly still shaking his head, "I can't take you with me, but I promise I'll come for you and Ienzo. I'll come back."
"Please! Take me with you! Let me go with you, I can't stay here anymore! I don't want to be here anymore, there's nothing for me, nothing at all! Take me with you Cloud, please." Roxas sobbed into the man's jacket.
Unable to deny him now because of the tears, and the hard truth, Cloud nodded, "Hurry then."
Without needing to be told twice Roxas broke his hold and shot from his bed, he slipped on his shoes and a coat then took Cloud's hand as they went back down the stairs to leave out the kitchen entrance. Cloud grabbed an umbrella and opened the door, looking through the sheets of rain outside he looked for any sentries that could catch them. Finding none he opened the umbrella and pulled Roxas flush against his side and walked out with him being sure to close the door.
They went into the woods and walked for a while, how long exactly they didn't know, but the rain had been sure to wet their sides near the outer part of the umbrella covering them and their ankles down, and the stream they were crossing didn't help.
"Cloud, who can help us?" Roxas asked quietly.
"My lover and his allies have been hiding out here; we're going to find them." The older blonde answered.
"What's his name?" the boy asked, the silence was disturbing.
"Leon, everyone calls him Leon." Cloud answered, not adding the possibility that the man could be dead. He abruptly stopped walking and looked around "I heard something." He whispered when he felt the boy's gaze on him. He looked around a little more before shaking his head, "Never mind, it was nothing. Don't worry about it." As he turned back to the path though he gasped at coming face to face with Sephiroth and some of his troops.
The silverette smirked sadistically, "Cloud." He looked at the younger blonde "Roxas."
Instinctively Cloud brought Roxas closer to his side.
xXxXxXx
Roughly Sephiroth dragged Roxas back into his room at the mill and swung him around by the arm in his grasp, nothing but pure rage burning in his cat-like eyes as he glowered at the frightened boy "Just how long have you know about all this? Laughing behind my back?" he hissed backhanding Roxas's face "Little son of a bitch." He turned to the door where two soldiers stood while still holding Roxas's arm "Watch him. Anyone tries to come in," he looked back at the blonde "He dies first."
Roxas was left alone in the room, the door locked and guarded. Cloud had been taken to the storeroom and who knows what Sephiroth might do to him, they would probably never see each other again. First Terra tells him he can't go to the Underworld, then his mother dies and he can't see his brother, now he was going to torture, maybe kill Cloud? Now there really was nothing for him to hope for, and that was the thought going through his head as he collapsed on his bed crying.
xXxXxXx
Cloud made eye contact with neither Kadaj who was tying him to the pillar of the storeroom, or Sephiroth who was going through his bag of supplies.
"Dry meat," the General took out a small box and sniffed it "Tobacco. All you had to do was ask and I would have given this to you Cloud, no need to steal it behind my back." He pulled out the small stack of envelopes and handed them to Kadaj just as the younger soldier finished tying up the blonde, "Whoever wrote these letters get me their names. Have them in front of me by tomorrow."
Kadaj nodded, "Yes sir."
"You can go now." Sephiroth said.
Kadaj looked at Cloud then back at his superior with uncertainty, "Can you handle him?"
A cross between a scoff and a laugh came from the General's lips, "Please, he's practically a child."
Cloud glared at the ground, "You always that so about me. I'm young and helpless, I hardly know anything. Those thoughts about me allowed me to get away with it. You never actually saw me."
"Well shit." Sephiroth smirked taking hold of the blonde's chin roughly "You figured out my one flaw: arrogance. But," he let him go and went over to a table, Cloud watching him with a burning gaze "I want to know any weak points you may have. Quite a simple process," he picked up the same small hammer he used on the stutterer before turning back to face Cloud so that he could see it "You talk and I judge whether or not what you say is true." He turned back to the table.
But that was a mistake on his part as Cloud took that opportunity to take the knife he always kept rolled up in the waistline of his pants and began cutting the rope binding his hands together in front of him, Sephiroth continued to speak and look over his weapons as he did so, "We have just the tools for that. It isn't difficult. You learn on the job how to go about these things. When we start- AH!" he gave a shout as a searing pain shot through his left shoulder and whatever had been used ripped down his skin a couple of inches before tearing out.
Reaching a hand back he felt the blood flowing out and he turned to see Cloud with his knife in hand, panting in disbelief that he had actually stabbed someone. But he didn't relent, when the silverette was facing him full body he dug his blade into the front of the shoulder he already hurt then into his right arm bringing Sephiroth to his knees. With the man gasping in pain he stuck the blade into his mouth pressing the sharp edge to corner threatening to rip it open.
"Don't take me a for an old man, a wounded prisoner, or some halfwit child you son of a bitch. If you lay one hand on that boy, you'll be another addition the pigs I've had to gut!" Cloud hissed as he pulled the blade sharply and cutting the skin open making blood spurt. Some of it got onto his neck and he backed away as Sephiroth hunched over holding the wound before he walked out of the storeroom. He quickly cleaned the blade on the sleeve of his shirt before rolling the knife back in his waistline and walked towards the woods as calmly as he could manage.
Loz however; noticed him and became confused "Did he… let him go?" he asked Kadaj who was listening to the lottery numbers being announced over the radio, looking at the ticket he found earlier that week.
Miffed that he was being bothered Kadaj threw down the ticket "The fuck are you talking about?" he growled walking over to the bigger soldier. When Cloud was pointed out he got confused and called out to him; the blonde just walked faster and Kadaj pulled out his gun just as Sephiroth staggered out of the storeroom.
"Bring him to me! Get him and bring back here!" he said covering the wound on his mouth.
Kadaj and Loz stared in shock when they saw the superior's state, blood on his arms and face, running down his neck, but when they tried to question him Sephiroth roared, "Bring him back to me, damn it!" his hand moved from his face and they saw the cut at his lip.
Disturbed at the sight and feeling the need to get away Kadaj called out, "Mount up!"
Cloud ran faster and into the forest when he heard Sephiroth shouting. He pushed himself over his limit running the way he was, desperate to get away and find help before he was caught. He stopped to catch his breath but only got in a few gulps when he heard the pounding of hooves behind him, the bastards were on horses and already caught up! He started off again hoping to put distance between them, but he was already tired and ready to fall over, and they already had him surrounded when they got to a clearing.
Not wanting to be taken easily Cloud pulled his knife out again holding it for Kadaj to see as he dismounted his horse. The small silverette was smirking as he held his hands up and made shushing noises, approaching the blonde as if he could make him listen to him, "Better for you to come quietly, no struggling. The General said if you do well to behave…" he cut himself off when Cloud put the knife to his own throat "Oh please sweetheart. If anyone's gonna kill you, it'll be me." He said with a smirk before a sudden rain a bullets started coming out of nowhere hitting him twice in the back, twice in the chest, and once in the face.
The horse started neighing in fear as more came out hitting the others surrounding soldiered in the back of their necks, chests, backs, heads, anywhere that could prove fatal. When the firing finally stopped, only two of them got away, the rest were dead or dying, and Cloud stood in the center of it all completely shocked and confused.
"Cloud!"
A familiar, relief filled voice caught the blonde's ear and he turned to see a group of rebels come out of the trees carrying rifles, some men he recognized and others who's faces were new, but his main focus was the one who called out to him, the man who looked like he just got over a heart attack, Leon.
He ran up to him and hugged him tightly around his back, "Thank goodness you're alive." Finally in a warm, protective embrace Cloud let himself break down. The fear built up in all that had happened in the day washing over him in waves as he cried his eyes out on his lover's shoulder.
"Shh. It's alright, I'm here now. You're alright." Leon whispered as the blonde cried, swaying them from side to side slowly.
Around them the other rebels were firing off shots at the fallen bodies for extra measure and taking the horses that were pretty much just standing around without any idea of what they could do.
"Hey Leon! Let's get outta here already!" Riku called.
"Screw that! Let's go take on Sephiroth! We got the men!" Seifer said.
"We're not doing anything yet!" Leon snapped.
"You should." Cloud said "He's week now. Their numbers are low and he's wounded, curtsey of me. The bastard thought he could torture me, but I always keep my knife on me."
Seifer started laughing, "Serves him right! C'mon, let's go settle things once and for all with that asshole!" the other rebels cheered in agreement.
xXxXxXx
Roxas sat on his bed, his tears long run dry and anything else that could cheer him up gone. All he felt he could do was wait until Sephiroth decided he should kill him. Then a familiar fluttering reached his ears and he looked up to see Naminé just above him, he never thought he'd be so happy to see the fairy! Holding his hand out palm down for her to sit on he smiled at her as she chattered in a sweet tone.
"I decided to allow you one more chance." Naminé flew off at the voice and Roxas looked in front of him to see…
"Terra!" he shot up from his bed and hooked his arms around the prince's neck, kissing him deeply. Terra's arms were around him in an instant and he petted his hair as they reveled in the contact.
Slowly the brunette broke away and tucked the blonde's head under his chin, "Will you do as I say?" Roxas nodded "You promise not to question what I ask you to do, and carry everything out?" Roxas nodded again and Terra pushed him back enough to look into his eyes "This will be your last chance." The blonde nodded again "Listen to me now, as fast as you can go get your brother. Bring him to the labyrinth, okay?"
Roxas blinked in confusion, "My little brother?"
"We'll be needing him." Terra said. When Roxas was about to say something he held his hand up, "No questions."
"I was trying to tell you the door is locked." Roxas said.
Terra nodded his head in understanding but smiled as he held out a piece of chalk to the boy, "Simply make your own door then."
Roxas took it and rolled it between his fingers, the memories of the second task coming back to him, "I hope you know I'm sorry."
Terra lifted his face, "Sorry? I'm giving you this chance aren't I?"
"But, if I had listened in the first place Kairi and Xion would be alive." The blonde said.
The prince cupped his face and kissed his lips "We can speak of this later, when you return." He whispered after breaking away.
xXxXxXx
Sephiroth had already finished washing his face of the blood from the wound Cloud gave him before he ran off; it went from the left corner to of his mouth until it was parallel to the corner of his eye and it hurt like a bitch. He picked up a threaded needle ready to give himself stitches, all the while thinking, 'When I get my hands on that little bastard, I am going to make him suffer worse than what he did to me, and what I did to that stutterer, a hundred fold.'
As he continued the painful process of pulling his torn skin together he didn't notice that Roxas had snuck in and was hiding by his desk watching him. Slowly he turned so that he faced the other end of the desk where he could see Ienzo in his cradle, his hand holding the chalk hovering over the flat surface of it.
Sephiroth finished with his stitches and cut the thread, taping a piece of gauze over it. Going back to his desk he poured himself a shot of whisky, not noticing Roxas right under his nose; he knocked back the drink and hissed as it stung his wound, blood collected on the gauze but he only poured another glass. Before he could take a sip though he noticed something, at the edge of his desk across from him was a piece of chalk. Suspicious that someone was in the room with him he readied his gun.
A soldier came in behind, "Sir if I may." He walked over to the soldier "We need you."
"What is it?" he asked.
"Loz came back, wounded."
"Wounded?" Sephiroth took a quick look at his son before following the soldier out.
From behind a stack of sacks Roxas poked his head out to make sure they were gone before he stood up and went over to where the General left his drink. From the inner pocket of his coat he pulled out the bottle of sleeping drops Xaldin gave his mother during her pregnancy and put some in the glass, stirring it into the drink.
xXxXxXx
Sephiroth entered the dining room where Loz was having his wound being tended to "Where is Kadaj?" he asked but the other silverette solemnly shook his head.
Sighing the General sat down in front of him, "How many?"
"I can't say for sure. Fifty at least maybe."
"General no one has made it back and our watches aren't responding." Yazoo said.
"How many men are here at the camp?" Sephiroth asked.
Yazoo shook his head, "Twenty, perhaps less."
Sephiroth looked at his men, they were likely outnumbered, and he felt afraid for the first time.
xXxXxXx
Roxas gently lifted Ienzo from his cradle whispering, "We're leaving this place together. Just as I promised you, so don't be afraid. I won't let any harm come to you." He turned to leave the room but he heard Sephiroth coming back.
"Put them at the edge of the forest, report to me when another squad gets back. Radio for reinforcements." He came into the room and picked up his glass. Before he drank he took out his watch and looked at the time, then he took a drink just as Roxas was sneaking past him with Ienzo in his arms.
But just when the blonde thought he was safe there was an explosion behind him, and it got Sephiroth's attention.
"Leave him." The silverette said pointing at the baby.
Roxas shook his head and when the man took a step forward he faltered, the sleeping drops working on him. Roxas took that moment to run; Sephiroth took his gun from his belt. The boy went to the kitchen hoping to use the door there seeing how it was closer to the labyrinth, he ran out the door just as Sephiroth caught himself on the railing of the stairs.
Sephiroth went to the doorway and saw what was going on outside, it was just like the raid only this time fire was burning. But ignoring all that he ran after Roxas in the woods.
xXxXxXx
With Leon, Riku, and Seifer behind him Cloud burst into Roxas's room looking for the boy, "Roxas!"
"So where is he?" Seifer asked.
Cloud looked around the room for some sign, "I don't know. I don't see any way for him to have gotten out; the door was locked and guarded." Then his gaze fell on a door-like rectangle drawn on the wall by the bed and something clicked in his head "I think I know where he might be."
xXxXxXx
Roxas ran into the labyrinth carrying Ienzo in his arms, Sephiroth following at a distance due to the medicine in his system. Roxas thought he was doing great in trying to find the center of the labyrinth, until he got to a dead end 'Oh I wish Naminé were here to help me!' he thought. A rumbling caught his attention and he turned around to see the walls of the labyrinth parting for him, an opportunity he didn't waste as he ran through. The walls closed again as Sephiroth got to that very spot, then he had to back track.
Roxas looked around when he heard Terra call to him, "Ven hurry!" and he went to him "Give me the boy. The full moon is high; we can open the portal now."
"What do you have in your hand?" Roxas asked when he spotted a glint of metal.
Terra ran a free hand carefully over the blade of the dagger in his hand, "The only way for the portal to open is if we give the blood of an innocent. All we need is a drop, nothing more. It's the last task, now hurry."
As much as Roxas wanted to go, he shook his head and the prince grew angry, "You promised to listen to me, now give the boy to me!"
"Ienzo stays with me!" he cried holding the baby close to him.
Terra stared astonished, "You would… You would give up your rights, you sacred rights for this little bastard? You don't even know him!"
Roxas winced, "I would."
"And you would give up your throne for this brat who caused you nothing but misery and embarrassment?" Terra asked harshly.
"Yes, I would." The blonde said in a small tone.
Terra's face turned from rage to sorrow, "You would even… give up your love for me… for him?"
That question hurt more than anything, but as much as he hated to say it "I'm… I'm sorry Terra. Forgive me please, I love you… I don't wish to, but… I would." Roxas answered sadly.
Terra smiled softly, trying to suppress some emotion, "I love you too, Prince Ventus. That is why I will let it be as you wish."
Roxas was roughly turned and came face to face with Sephiroth; he didn't even hear the man come up behind him! Sephiroth took Ienzo from Roxas's arms and began to walk away, but when he heard the blonde cry, "No!" he pulled his gun from his waist and fired it.
Roxas gasped in pain, his eyes were wide. He touched the wound and looked at his hand again, completely covered in blood. As more spilled from the wound in his belly just bellow his chest he fell by the hole in the center that led down, his bloody hand hanging out and blood dripping down, he was gasping, trying to hold on even as his body grew colder.
xXxXxXx
Sephiroth made it out of the labyrinth with Ienzo in his arms only to be met with the entire rebel army that attacked the camp waiting for him, Cloud standing in the front beside Leon. Seeing that he could do nothing he held the baby out looking at Cloud, "My son."
Hesitantly the blonde stepped forward and took Ienzo, stepping back to Leon's side, the brunette's arm going around his shoulders.
The defeated General looked at his watch then looked at Cloud again, "Tell him when his father died, that I-"
"No." Cloud said cutting him off "I won't even so much as speak your name, at all."
With that Leon pulled his revolver from his belt and fired it, hitting Sephiroth in the cheek. The rebels watched as the man fell over dead, finally their fight with him was over. Still worried about Roxas, Cloud went into the labyrinth with Leon, Riku, and Seifer following behind him. When they finally reached the center Cloud handed the baby to Leon and went to the dying boy's side.
Blood was still flowing from the bullet wound and was coming from his nose, his breaths were quick and shallow, he couldn't even turn his head when he heard someone kneel beside him. The edges of his vision were growing darker and he could barely hear Cloud humming the lullaby he asked for not too long ago. The rain fell around them.
The blood on his hand was dripping down into the center of the whole dropping onto the stone with the image of a man, a boy, and a baby.
Roxas saw a light in his eyes and from within the light he heard a voice speak to him, "Stand my son, and come forward."
xXxXxXx
The boy found himself standing in a hall decorated with red and gold, he looked down at himself and saw he was unharmed and his clothes were changed. It looked like the outfit Aqua made for him, accept the T-jacket was gray one side and black on the other, the pants were shorts that looked the same only instead of white it was gray. Under the jacket was a vest that was held closed by only one button, black, and around the waistline in took on a white and blue stripe patterning. His shoes were black, red, and gray with gold around the ankles, like cuffs.
After admiring the new look he walked further into the hall, two high thrones in the center. In one of them sat a man with black hair tied in a short ponytail on top of his head, he had a beard and a mustache too. A gold circlet on his head and warm loving smile on his face; he knew this man and he smiled up at him, "Father."
"By choosing to use your own blood and not that of an innocent you have completed the final and most important task." The man said proudly.
From the side of the throne Terra stepped out, a wide smile on his face, around the blonde flew Kairi, Naminé, and Xion chattering happily. "You made the right choice, Ventus." Terra said stepping forward and taking the boy's hand in his own.
"I'm so sorry I left." Ventus said.
Chuckling softly Terra kissed his lips, "Don't apologize, no one blames you. Now come, your father and I have wait for a very long time."
Ventus smiled as the people of the court applauded.
xXxXxXx
Roxas smiled then it was gone. As Cloud continued to hum sadly the boy's breathing stopped and he went still, Cloud laid he head on Roxas's chest and cried with the regret that he could save him.
Cloud & Terra: You bastard! *chasing Sephiroth with their weapons*
Sephiroth: *running* You guys take things to seriously!
Um guys?
Seifer: I don't think you can stop them.
Maybe not.
Ven & Leon: *laughing their asses off*