Chapter 11

Author's note: I know I've been absent for a long time, but I guess I'm back. Let's see shall we?

Cloud walked down the long corridor, his stomach not showing much. Two months had already passed, but there was no news from Vincent. Cloud was tempted to go up there himself, but he knew he was needed down here more. Sephiroth, seeing as how he could move more freely between the two realms, had gone up with Vincent a month ago.

Cloud tried to reach him through his thoughts, but there was always a barrier. Cloud worried, but his job as the underworld's caretaker called him urgently every minute. There had to be ceremonies for those who passed who ranked high or died in battle, the condemning of souls, making sure the pit was always half way full, etc.

Cloud just wanted to rest sometimes, but that never seemed to happen. His mother had stepped down from the throne, giving him full control. She merely sat in the background, or visited the people who passed on her families' genes for generations. On rare occasions, Cloud would see her at his father's grave.

His ashes were in a vase, sitting beneath a pillar in the middle of the endless desert that stretched past the castle. It was almost sad how in the end of his powerful reign he was just forgotten. Cloud had never felt the need to go, but this time he did.

Cloud went by himself, sure that he would be safe with his power. He walked by foot, never growing tired, never thirsty or hungry. It was almost pointless to be alive, but he knew he was alive for a reason.

When he reached the pillar, he sat down. His eyes lifted from the ground, and he gazed at the engravings on the pillar. He took in a deep breath, not sure what to say or do. He touched a hand to the pillar, feeling it's unusual warmth.

"I'm sorry, my son." Cloud closed his eyes, remembering when he was a naïve boy. This world was no different from the next, and Cloud used to be so mischievous. He loved to scare the servants, proclaiming he was going to eat them. Many harsh whips were given, and many harsh words.

But then again, he was only a boy.

Cloud opened his eyes, finding himself in a lush forest. He laid back in the grass, feeling the small blades rubbing against his skin. He felt completely at home in this world, so much that he wanted to stay forever.

"If you could come back to Earth Cloud, would you?" Cloud opened his eyes, seeing the suns rays peak through the trees. He opened up his palm, feeling the grass between his fingers.

"Why would you ask that?" Cloud asked softly, feeling a presence lay down next to him. He didn't look, but he could see the outline of his father through the corner of his eye. He relaxed, closing his eyes.

"Cloud, you were never meant to be born. I know I told you that when I was angry, but it wasn't a lie. You were not of my loins, Cloud." Cloud opened his eyes, looking up at the sky.

"Who is my father then?" Cloud asked, silently waiting for an answer. He had no fear of lies, since the dead could not lie. But he couldn't help but wonder why a part of himself was happy to not belong in the world of the dead.

"When I was young and foolish, I fell for the first woman who wanted me. Your mother had been pregnant from another man at the time, so I gave you my power. The true heir to my throne was from an affair and took your place in Earth." Cloud looked to the side, seeing the face of his father.

"Who is he?" Cloud asked, his father smiling softly.

"You do not know him, Cloud. His name is Denzel. He is still a boy." Cloud looked away, wondering if a boy could take being the ruler of the underworld.

"I could give you a life Cloud, along with Sephiroth. You can be happy in this land of plenty." Cloud closed his eyes, thinking of how great it would be for Sephiroth to be at his side at this moment.

"The only condition is that I take your child." Cloud opened his eyes, rising into a sitting position.

"You haven't changed old man." His father chuckled, his voice becoming the darker baritone Cloud grew up hearing.

"Denzel can not inherit my powers now. Instead, let your mother raise your child." Cloud sighed, thinking it over. He could give this all away in a second if he could. He could be happy in the world of the living.

"Would I thirst for blood?" Cloud asked, his father sitting up next to him.

"No. You would be human." Cloud stood up, walking towards a split in the trees. His father followed, Cloud contemplating his offer silently. No Lord would just give up everything to be human, but if being human meant he could escape from all of this, he wouldn't lie and say he wasn't tempted.

"All you gotta do is say yes, Cloud," his father told him, Cloud stopping in a clearing. He took in a deep breath, enjoying the smells of the fresh air. He felt the sun on his skin, and he couldn't feel better.

"No." His father moved in front of him, a frown on his lips.

"I am giving you what you want, why deny it?" His father asked, Cloud looking to his father with calm eyes.

"You may not understand father, but unlike you I had a choice. I may not have known, but I had one. After all I've been through to get here, I wouldn't give that up for anything." Cloud gasped when a hand pierced through his stomach, his eyes wide with horror as his father's eyes danced with mirth.

"Then your child has no reason to live. Girl's are worthless in this world." Cloud fell to the ground, suddenly back in the never ending sand. He grit his teeth, touching a hand to his stomach. There were no blood or wounds, but suddenly the bump was gone.

Cloud didn't have to guess to know.

His father had taken his daughter from him.

Cloud got to his feet when the pain ebbed away, his eyes blank as he burst into flames. He saw or heard nothing, consumed by his rage and sadness. He walked aimlessly further into the desert.

:::+:::

Sephiroth opened his eyes. He sat up in the bed he laid in, Vincent sound asleep in the other. Sephiroth touched a hand to his stomach; feeling like something important had been torn from him. Sephiroth walked over to the window, looking out to the endless buildings.

This world was disgusting.

He saw the orphans sleeping in the gutters, the people who no one cared for eating scraps from the garbage. Sephiroth sighed softly, looking up to the sky. He wondered how Cloud was doing, hoping everything was all right with him. He left the safety of his apartment, heading downstairs to the street.

He and Vincent had managed to get a gang together, and together they had started to fight Shinra. There was Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, Cid, Nanaki, Aerith, and Barret's little girl Marlene. They all knew of Vincent's monsters but none knew of his tie to the other realms. Sephiroth liked it better that way.

They had managed to kill the President and take down all the reactors, but Rufus just took his father's place. Genesis and Angeal were long gone, and Zack gone with them. Zack had joined their crazy team, but to protect Aerith he had sacrificed his life. A life he sacrificed because Sephiroth wasn't there to save him.

Sephiroth sighed softly, rubbing his eyes of the sleep he hadn't managed to gain. He looked to the streets, the people even more horrible than before. Rufus cut off all food supply to the outer sectors, trying to starve them out of hiding. Soup kitchens opened up, people trying to help others.

It was all falling apart.

"Do you have any food?" Sephiroth looked down, a woman standing in front of him. Sephiroth shook his head, the woman frowning before moving away. She pushed a child down when it got in her way, the child slamming into a trashcan. Sephiroth went to the kid's aid, helping him to his feet. The kid just collapsed again, so Sephiroth picked him up.

He held him close to his body to give him warmth, bringing the kid inside. He ran a bath, placing the kid on the bathroom floor.

"What are you doing?" Sephiroth looked up, seeing Vincent standing by the door. He pulled a candy bar from his jacket pocket, the last one he had. He tore open the paper, tearing off a piece.

"You are wasting your time, Sephiroth." Sephiroth didn't listen, pressing the chocolate to the kid's lips. The chapped lips opened, the chocolate licked by a dry tongue. The kid raised a small hand, grabbing the piece of chocolate.

"Somebody's gotta look after him." Sephiroth turned off the water, letting the kid finish his piece of chocolate before helping him strip and get into the tub. Sephiroth got a cloth, putting soap on it. He let the kid eat another piece of chocolate as he cleaned him, feeling an urge to call this boy his own.

"Should I inform the others we have another mouth to feed?" Vincent asked, Sephiroth nodding silently. Vincent left with that, Sephiroth cleaning the boy slowly. The frail body was covered in bruises, and the sight of his ribs made Sephiroth cringe.

This kid had been through a war.

Sephiroth finished cleaning up the boy, letting him eat the rest of the chocolate as he brushed out his matted hair and got him some clean clothes. They were originally for Marlene, but they weren't girly.

Sephiroth walked the boy to the kitchen, the rest of the gang wide awake. Tifa guided the boy to a seat, putting a bowl of day old oatmeal in front of him. The boy scarfed it down, almost choking in his rush. Sephiroth sat down next to him, urging him to slow down.

"No one will take it from you." The boy looked to him, a black eye appearing around his left eye. He ate more slowly, though still rushed. He finished it quickly, Tifa giving him some more.

Sephiroth suddenly became angry at the world.

How could it have gotten this bad?

How did he just stand by and watch it happen?

Sephiroth got up from his seat, ordering Tifa to watch the boy.

"My names Denzel." Sephiroth stopped, looking over his shoulder. The boy looked to Sephiroth with tired eyes, swallowing his mouthful.

"My name. It's Denzel." Sephiroth looked away, the look in the boy's eyes making him angry with spite at Shinra.

"I heard about you Sephiroth. They say you are helping us. They say you'll save us." Sephiroth grit his teeth, unable to even make eye contact with the kid.

"My mommy and daddy believed in you, until the very end." Sephiroth's hand clenched into a fist, his usual composure breaking as Denzel spoke.

He wasn't helping anyone.

Everybody he knew was gone, and the one person he loved he had left all alone. He couldn't help anyone, not even himself.

"Thank you, Sephiroth." Sephiroth looked down to the ground, leaving the room silently. He left the apartment, heading straight for the Shinra building. He lacked the power he had as a soldier, but he made up for it for the power he was allowed to have in this world.

He summoned his sword, anger coursing through his veins.

"Stop!" Sephiroth stopped at the sound of Cloud's mother's voice, looking over his shoulder to see her standing by an alley entrance.

"Cloud needs you, Sephiroth. He lost his child." Sephiroth's lips parted, his anger boiling over.

"Who did it?" Sephiroth asked, her eyes full of sadness.

"He spoke with his father. He took the baby in revenge of his death." Sephiroth took in a deep breath, lowering the tip of his sword.

"Come, Sephiroth. Cloud is in a blurry of rage. He's heading for the line that links the realms. He's going to burn them if you don't stop him." Sephiroth grit his teeth, looking to the Shinra building.

Why?

Why was this their reality?

Why couldn't he save both of them? Sephiroth closed his eyes, wondering what he should do.

"Sephiroth, Cloud needs you. The child has others to protect him. Cloud is all alone now." Sephiroth looked to her face, nodding his head once. He followed her into the alley, passing through the darkness into the other realm. He saw the endless sand, looking to the side to see Cloud's mother had not followed him.

'Save… me.' Sephiroth started to run, passing by a pillar that stood in the sand. He ran quickly to find Cloud, feeling something warm against his face.

'Sephiroth'.

Sephiroth saw the ball of fire, his footsteps suddenly becoming heavy as a pressure tried to push him down.

"Cloud!" Sephiroth called, the fireball still moving slowly.

"Cloud stop!" Sephiroth fell to the ground, the pressure too great. He tried to force himself to his knees, tried to get closer.

"She's gone." Cloud stopped, the pressure not lifting.

"I was foolish and now she's gone." Sephiroth dragged himself forward, Cloud still so far away.

"I will burn away the realms, then we shall start a new." Sephiroth felt himself sinking into the sand, the souls of the damned screaming as they reached for him. Sephiroth felt so unbearably weak in the face of Cloud's power, his limbs becoming numb.

"That's what you wanted, isn't it?" Sephiroth tried to grab onto something, the sand crushing his body.

"No!" Cloud looked over his shoulder, Sephiroth's slow decent stopping. The fire dwindled down, Cloud's blue eyes shining through.

"Everything you loved is gone Sephiroth. What more do you want from this world?" Sephiroth couldn't speak, his vision becoming blurry. The last thing he saw was that he was pack in the basement. Right when he thought he would burn down the world, he looked up.

Cloud's face was the last thing he saw.