Title: Loving Corpses
Summary: Everyone knows what Cloud is, and they put it to good use. He just wishes that a night of passion didn't always have to be rewarded with waking to another dead lover.
Warnings: boy/boy, dark themes
Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it? Not mine.
Bold: Chaos Italicized: Vincent
"That is...mildly disturbing," the keeper expresses, staring intently at the bodies of the incubus and his previous 'meal.' As if he thinks wishing it less so would make it such.
I would be doing that, too if you weren't containing me...Chaos mopes.
Well, in nature cats grow thousands of tiny spines on their genitals because they didn't get neutered. It's no less disgusting just because it's natural.
So you want him neutered?! The demon asks, horrified.
That is not what I said...
"I'm used to it. I wouldn't be able to heal without doing that, after all," the blond shrugs, covering the human.
"Shouldn't you dress him?" the ravenet asks, incredulous.
"Agreeable as that would be," the feathered man starts, pushing from the wall. "We haven't the time. Leave that to whoever finds him. It sounds insensitive, I'm sure, but there is no helping it; we must continue."
"What are you trying to accomplish, anyway?"
"We have a few goals... To end degradation, to kill Echidna the rest of the way, and the last one is the very thing you're after:"
"To annihilate the gods."
"To terminate the gods."
"To stop the gods," they say together. "That way no one will hurt Sephiroth," Cloud continues.
If possible, Vincent pales further at the name, but it goes unnoticed by the other two. Cloud's email alert goes off, producing distasteful looks on every somewhat living face in the room.
"This test was made by humans, you know. But when it was introduced to the Fae, they realized there wasn't any harm in it for most of us. After all, if the bullet lands on us, not much happens but a bit of pain. The humans would leave the Fae, with the thought they would die, but of course that's not how it went down. The same night, the Fae would find all the humans who participated, leading them to death. Last is the door of death. Mortals often claim nothing can hurt a dead man... But that is not so, is it, Cloud?" the childhood friend asks, the gun clicking at his chest hollowly.
"Depends on how dead they are, I guess. Plenty can hurt the undead, but if you're six deep, well, even if the past isn't through with you if you're sleeping in a coffin what are you gonna hear?" he asks, pulling the trigger. No bullet. He offers it to his left. "What about you, Kunsel? Got the guts?" The man looks uneasy. "Just playing; this is an immortals' game," he cocks the gun again, shooting the Lamia directly in the chest. "Looks like you lose, Johnny. Go hatch some other plot to get Tifa. And next time: leave my friends out of it or I'll do a lot worse than a bullet to the heart," the incubus threatens darkly.
"What kind of Fae are you?"
"Were you really raised with other Lamia? It's rude to ask, you know. C'mon Kuns, let's mosey."
"What was that about?!" the SOLDIER asks once outside.
"I was retrieving you," the blond states blandly.
"That's not what I meant."
"I suppose it was mostly about revenge," the blond muses.
"Revenge? No one should ever seek revenge! It just messes things up worse," Kunsel says, self-assured.
Cloud stops a moment. "Kunsel...have you ever been betrayed by some one without ever knowing why? Because if you haven't don't talk about revenge like that..." he pushes past, straddling the bike. "You walking?"
Revenge is sweetest
Whether served warm or cold
We contemplate it
In times of sorrow,
Of desperation or need
We often seek it
Ever since that time
My life had only known my
Despairing partner:
Revenge
Who brought me only
Sadness materialized
Would you call it wrong?
Hiding inside the
Martyr's pose with dead roses
Starved and withered down
Everyone knew it:
No matter how justified
She was the killer
That they labeled me
"It's been a while...Cloud," Angeal greets. He doesn't seem as shocked as one would think, but then again: he's Angeal, the incubus must reminds himself.
"I suppose it has... But a while will no longer pass so forsaken for you. You are beloved by us; you are perfect. Can you feel it, Angeal? The second hand crushing the throat of your humanity; the trigger hand of demi-godliness creeping down your back, seducing you to our way? Because I can see it dying in you to be reborn as one of us. Join us, as an ally, a friend...a lover."
"Don't misunderstand: just because I understand doesn't mean I care. And just because you aren't dead right now doesn't mean we're on the same side. What are you two thinking? You realize everyone is on high alert for you two? That if the Turks find you you're done?"
"I'm open to falling from grace. In fact...I already have," the youth smiles darkly, splaying his wing out to the open air of the mostly abandoned house. "You have one, too. I feel it, Angeal, trying to rip free from what you've been taught is the 'good' side. Don't be better than you want to be. Redefine 'perfection!' That is your true potential, to be as we are; to be flawless. Together we will seek the gift and slay the gods -freeing the Goddess and saving Sephiroth!"
The elder shuts his eyes tightly. He does want to save Sephiroth...but at what cost?
"You are conflicted, I see. I leave this task to Genesis; I suppose he is better suited."
"Cloud, Wait..."
"Have you decided?"
"I'll go with you... We'll save Sephiroth...and we'll save you."
Cloud shakes his head, a whimsical smile turning the corners of his mouth. "I am too far gone to save, darling. But help save my love, and I can still feel alive."
A/N: So, I'm sure this answered the big question: what are those two after, but dropped the bigger question: why does Cloud have to be sacrificed? And what's his thing with revenge? Well, it all comes together soon, this won't be as cliffhangingly horrible as the original FFVII.
Sis: Thank you for your awesome set of reviews, it got this chapter up sooner (though it probably ended up shorter...ah, well, hope you enjoyed it anyway!)
I really kind of like the broken haiku lines I've been doing, but what do you guys think? does it need to stop?
