Genre: AU, fantasy
Pairings: ?
Warnings: Memory loss, peril, action violence
Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words
Can I just say, I love Sephiroth? He is so fun to write about . . . Who's your favorite? Cloud's mine . . . X3
"Sephiroth?"
Blinking, pulling himself from his blank-eyed gaze across Heaven, Sephiroth turned his teal eyes on Sora. The short, young Angel who always looked more innocent than a dove wore a white robe today belted around the waist with braided gold and silver. A gift, several years ago, from Sephiroth himself. Gold for Cloud, silver for Sephiroth.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked, absently pulling his long silver hair back with a thong. "Shouldn't you be learning to fly?"
Sora shrugged, his bright eyes holding the mischief of youth. "Yes. But I won't be missed."
Of course you will, Sephiroth thought with a faint smile. Not only was Sora beloved by all in Heaven, but he was also the only child of the Queen of Heaven. The benevolent sister of the God of Light. She had left Heaven long ago only to return and fall in love with Cloud's father. Upon giving birth to her son she'd given him into Cloud's care, charging the older brother with always protecting her son before once more leaving.
Now, almost seventy years later, Sephiroth could not blame her. This plane of existence was dark compared with others he had glimpsed. As Key of Heaven, Aravis had shown him other worlds, other planes. Aravis. God of Light. One whom Sephiroth had once sworn blind allegiance. One whom he now saw as shortsighted and flawed.
A hideously rude awakening to one who had been overjoyed to be Key of Heaven almost two-thousand years ago. He knew Aravis would choose a new Key soon. Sephiroth was too . . . jaded now. Only one of innocence and purity could be Key. It was a fact. A fact Sephiroth suspected Aravis fabricated to make sure no one ever used the power of the Key to rule Heaven him or herself.
"Let me see your wings," he said presently, dragging himself out of his musings.
Sora was giving him a funny look. Blinking, the young Angel pulled back a little with a sour face. "It hurts, Sephiroth," he complained.
"You'll never get used to it, either, unless you use them," Sephiroth countered. "Let me see them."
Looking as petulant as the young ever looked, Sora closed his eyes. After long moments gleaming white wings stained with blood flowed down his back in a glittering fall. Sora's face tightened in pain, his lips drawn into a thin line. Taking pity on the poor boy, Sephiroth turned him around, pushing him onto the balcony rail. Then he dug his fingers into the silken feathers.
Making a soft sound of surprise, Sora melted at once under the skillful ministrations. "Mmm," he purred, "that feels good."
Sephiroth chuckled. "They won't bleed like this forever. Once the scars heal and your wings strengthen, it won't hurt anymore."
Straightening, Sora faced the much older Angel. "Can we fly? Right now? You aren't busy, right? Please?"
Once, a long time ago, Sephiroth had cared for all Angels in Heaven. Just as he'd loved Aravis, their God. Now, he was somewhat disillusioned. Angels were mostly blind fools, following their god without question. Only one Arch Angel questioned this, and he was Sephiroth's closest friend. Cloud.
Then, there was Sora. Too young and innocent to know there was such a thing as 'bad' in the universe. Too pure and sweet to believe anything but the absolute best of everyone and everything he encountered. Too angelic not to be loved. Sephiroth had never met anyone before that he wanted to shelter from everything ugly and evil. Until Sora.
"Shall we get your brother, then?" he asked, for there was nothing he loved more than sharing in Sora's enchanting company with Cloud.
Sora seemed to love nothing more than to be with them, for his smile shamed the sun as he nodded, sliding his hand into Sephiroth's. Squeezing the small fingers gently, Sephiroth walked through the halls of Heaven until they found Cloud. The Arch Angel was also alone, and he had only half turned before Sora was upon him, squeezing his brother's middle hard.
"Fly with us?" he pleaded, his eyes widening soulfully.
It was likely Sora plain didn't know what affect that look had on others. The child didn't know what 'guile' was. But Sephiroth saw Cloud melt instantly, smiling faintly and nodding. The look in his eyes was amused when he met Sephiroth's gaze.
So with Sora between them the powerful Key of Heaven and Arch Angel spread their wings and took to the endless, glorious skies of Heaven. Flying here was effortless, for there was no resistance as could be found on the mortal planes. Sora laughed brightly, a sound of pure happiness as he drifted between them.
Sephiroth realized the young Angel was not actually flying at all. His wings hung limp down his back, the feathers rustling lazily in the breeze floating by. Half-frowning, half-grinning, Sephiroth let go of Sora's hand. The young Angel yelped and swung to latch onto his brother, clinging to keep from falling out of the sky.
Cloud's soft laughter echoed Sephiroth's own.
"Lazy kid," Sephiroth scolded, "you're up here to learn to fly. Not to make us do all the work. You have wings. Use them!"
With his arms wrapped around Cloud's neck and legs wrapped around his brother's waist Sora clung like a limpet, refusing to let go. He giggled when Sephiroth tried to pry him loose and was spectacularly unsuccessful.
Cloud gripped his brother's arms and tugged. "Come on," he said softly, voice far from stern. "Sephiroth is right—you should learn to fly, Sora."
Sora pouted adorably for a moment, then relinquished his hold. Letting go of his brother, he spread his wings wide, taking in a deep, audible breath. Air billowed under his wings, and he looked surprised that he didn't fall. At least not right away.
"You have to move them, Sora," Cloud encouraged, his own wings gracefully moving up and down.
After a few tries, Sora got the hang of staying aloft. Sephiroth smiled.
"When you want to move, just reposition your body," he instructed. "Like this." He leaned forward in demonstration, beating his wings.
Cloud followed him, the two older Angels flying backward and calling encouragement to the younger. Sora followed with obvious difficulty. Sephiroth could see he was hurting, but it was the only way for him to get stronger. Eventually, though, Sora's strength began to fail.
"Cloud—" he whimpered piteously.
Cloud was there in an instant, his strength more than enough to support his small brother as his wings almost lazily stroked the air. Sora's wings vanished as he snuggled into Cloud's arms with a sigh. Sephiroth watched them, almost unbelievably happy. It was only when with these two that he ever found this coveted tranquility.
The three flew at a leisurely pace through the skies, watching Heaven's perfect landscape far, far below. In these upper levels of Heaven where only Arch Angels resided there was only uninterrupted peace. It was easy for Sephiroth to forget the things that haunted him, the doubts and questions.
"Here," Cloud said abruptly, not quite startling Sephiroth, "carry him for a minute."
Blinking, not bothering to question, Sephiroth held his arms and Cloud shifted Sora into his hold. Sora blinked owlishly, looking like he'd been awakened from dozing. Cloud folded his wings and plummeted while the pair watched. Sephiroth followed more sedately, and soon he saw the reason for Cloud's sudden descent.
Below them was Aerith, Cloud's soul-mated companion. The Arch Angel with soft brown hair and loving green eyes leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss to Cloud's cheek.
"Sorry to interrupt you," she said in that sweet, melodic voice of hers, "but Aravis wished to speak with Sephiroth."
Sora jumped out of Sephiroth's arms a few feet above the ground and wrapped his arms around Aerith's waist, grinning sweetly. Sephiroth couldn't help but smile even as his heart recoiled at the thought of speaking with Aravis. The God had only one reason to wish to see Sephiroth. A new Key of Heaven had been chosen.
"Thank you," he said, nodding to Aerith.
She smiled sadly as if she knew what was on his mind. Possibly she knew the reason Aravis wanted to see him. She was deepest in Aravis' confidence.
"Come see us after?" Sora begged, grabbing Sephiroth's hand before the Key could fly off.
Looking into those impossibly large blue eyes, Sephiroth smiled and nodded. He couldn't imagine a time when he could refuse those eyes anything.
But that time came much faster than he could imagine. Because Aravis chose Sora to be the new Key of Heaven. The son of Heaven's brightest star, the Queen of Heaven. The light of every Angel and Arch Angel's eye. Sora, whom it would ruin. Sora, the only one he'd ever sworn to protect.
Because Heartless killed his brother and since he was no longer Key of Heaven God did nothing. Because he realized he wanted to protect nothing. He wanted to destroy it all.
o0o 0o0 o0o
Bright silver flashes in the wan light, the clash of metal grinding on the ears. The shriek as it slides along is enough to make a person reel with abused nerves. Sephiroth's eyes are merciless as he rides his attack, his sword pushing ever harder against Cloud's. The pair writhe in the sky, black wings stark against white, hard bodies fighting for dominance, each looking for something different.
Or perhaps the same.
Sephiroth laughs quietly, his eyes pitiless. "You fought harder a thousand years ago, Cloud," he taunts.
Which, of course, is hardly fair. A thousand years ago they fought side-by-side against the Heartless, fought to vanquish them once and for all and rid Earth of their evil scourge. How can he be expected to fight as passionately against a man he once loved? Possibly loves still?
Sephiroth reaches out and flutters his fingers over Cloud's face, momentarily startling the younger Angel into lowering his guard. The long sword Sephiroth carries carves a glittering arc and plunges into Cloud's chest, too high to puncture his heart. Cloud grunts, his wings folding close to his body, sword falling away as the pair plummet to Earth.
"We don't have to fight at all," Sephiroth whispers in Cloud's ear. "Not each other. You can still stand beside me, Cloud."
Cloud's wings fan out, his body twisting as he wrenches himself free of the blade. Blood splatters the ground as he narrowly misses hitting down hard. Panting, covering his wound while retrieving his sword, Cloud glares at his once-friend.
"You tried to kill Sora," he growls. "You almost did kill Sora!"
"So does he wish to fight me now?" Sephiroth counters. He laughs derisively. "I doubt that. You won't win against me, Cloud. Your heart's not in it."
Face contorting with pain that has nothing to do with his wound, Cloud lunges at his enemy, their swords clashing. The shriek and grind of metal is enough to make a person want to weep, and blood covers the ground in a red flood . . .
Sora sat bolt upright in bed, gasping, eyes wide and sightless. His chest felt too tight for breath. Moments later warm hands were on him, soothing and comforting, startling him. Turning, he saw the human girl, Kairi, sitting beside him on the bed. He blinked, trying to will his body to calm down.
"Sorry," she said, her red-brown eyes sad. "You've been crying in your sleep for almost an hour."
Blinking, realizing his face was indeed wet, Sora wiped at his eyes. "Sorry," he mumbled, the image of Sephiroth and Cloud fighting still fresh in his mind. "Bad dream."
Kairi's hands pushed insistently at his shoulders, urging him to lay down. After a moment of resistance he gave in to her demand, still feeling a little uncomfortable around her. It was weird that she remembered him as friend and to him she was a perfect stranger.
And yet . . . when he lay his head on her lap, his fears and pain vanished, simply melting away like a dim memory. Sighing, breathing in her sweet scent, he closed his eyes again and felt himself drift off into an untroubled sleep.