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A/N: Installment eleven!

Meh, writers block…but, enjoy and review!

Rating (Chapter): T

Words: 1,530

Summary: Living forever is a blessing and a curse, one that strips away everything that once defined you. After 500 years and his share of tribulation, Cloud Strife stands as the immortal guardian of human kind. Will a prayer answered and a crisis' emergence, give rise to the only thing he ever desired? CloudxSephiroth. Alternate Universe. M-PREG. Dark.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; I am merely abusing them for my entertainment and for the entertainment of others.

Guardian

By Catsitta

Chapter ten:

Not for the first time, she watched her Guardian sleep.

Youthful features contorted into expressions of hidden sorrows. He was in pain. His nightmares threatened to consume him. So many burdens laid upon his eternal shoulders, and yet, he was no closer to redemption.

Rena sighed.

The moon above was high, and soft light poured in through an open window, casting a rectangle of white against weather-faded stone. Here, in Sanctuary, Guardian lived and it was here she grew up under his watchful eye. She was seven when her mother died in childbirth, much to her Guardian's dismay, though he tried to hide his grief behind indifference.

So, for half of her life, Rena walked in her ancestor's shoes, taking up her duties at a young age. The blond man needed someone to take care of him—not in body, but in mind and soul. Guardian needed someone to talk to him, to keep him sane, to assure him that he was alive and well. He never admitted to weakness, but Rena knew, perhaps better than her predecessors ever did.

She had a certain empathetic connection to the Planet that even her mother never understood. At night, Rena dreamed of ancient cities with buildings as tall as mountains and of warriors with glowing eyes. Spirits of long ago flitted through these imaginings, regaling her with their lives, significant or not. She saw children born and buried, and lovers come together then torn apart. Dreams of civilizations both primitive and unbelievably advanced graced her in both wakefulness and sleep.

It was because of these dreams, that Rena woke and found herself restless. After leaving her small bedroom she wandered into the main hall, where perhaps six wooden pews stood quietly…upon one of which her Guardian lay, still dressed in his leather armor, metal pauldrons and boots abandoned on the floor. Thus, she found herself watching him…

Why would her mind not quiet?

It was a silly question to ask since the answer was clear. Rena could not find her peace until her Guardian found redemption. After countless years of protecting and guiding humankind, the blond seemed almost oblivious to anything that would sway a normal person's heart. He needed someone to break past his barriers, to free him from his shell. Guardian needed a guardian, but whom?

Human lovers were a pointless pursuit, Rena knew, for the spirits of the Lifestream explained his WEAPON nature. Immortal and incapable of siring offspring…but so desiring of a mate. It was strange when her dreams followed her Guardian's journeys into a heartbreak—lovers of every shape, size, color and gender had walked into his life, only to be disappointed by the fact that their affections could never truly be returned. When he stopped attempting to preserve a sense of humanity through basic comforts, Rena did not know…but Guardian was breaking apart before her eyes. His progression into oblivion was centuries in the making, but he was teetering precariously close to the brink of self-destruction.

Unable to watch any longer, Rena tore her gaze away.

It was strange, she found herself thinking, how in every way he was light, she was dark. Contrasting in appearance yet oddly complimentary in behavior—a mutualism seeded and grown through countless generations.

Eyes of dark-umber—ones that glint faintly of gold in the sunlight—fell upon the alter before which many had come to pray. Men and women knew of Guardian's existence and whispered of his deeds. They heralded him a divine warrior, a fallen angel, a demon seeking his absolution…when in truth, he was but a mortal man cursed with immortality's blessing. A man who carried out the will of the Planet through protecting humankind and guiding them on the path towards reconstructing their broken world.

This very church was once a ruin, Rena knew, but with careful hands it was rebuilt and the landscape cleansed of rubble. It was a lonely place. A stark, white structure standing proud amidst the wild, dark-green tangles of nature. How long it took her Guardian and her ancestors to create this place was a mystery, but in the end, it did not matter how…or how long…

Did anything matter in the end?

Rena clasped her hands together and gazed up at the elaborate mural that adorned the wall. Emerald hues bathed cold stone in surreal light, said green forming tendrils that entwined with azure shades as well as those of black. Framed by these colors, was a female figure clad in elaborate armor, her face expressionless, her eyes piercing.

A faint, but familiar hum sang in Rena's ears, and so, she knelt.

"Planet…are you listening?" She asked—her voice quiet and respectful.

'Child of mine…' Gaia sang in Her chorus of a thousand voices. 'I always hear your prayers.'

"Why do I dream of the past and it's nightmares? With each passing night, the terrors grip me stronger…I am afraid."

'It is wise to never forget the past, lest history repeats itself. A warning, child of mine, these dreams of which I share. A warning that something is coming…a crisis. May this knowledge prevent needless death and sorrows.'

Rena shivered, the voice of the Planet was a powerful one and to have Gaia speaking into her mind was a rattling experience. But she held strong. She had to know…

"When? And what form will the crisis take?"

A pause.

'Time…names…none of it I know nor care to know. Such is human trifles. But I sense it coming, child of mine, whether it arises in next turn or after the next thousand, I cannot say. Nor do I know of what it consists. Much like when Calamity from the skies emerged, I can only sense the danger, not what shape it will take or exactly when it will wreak havoc.'

"What can I do?"

'Wait, child of mine, that is all.'

She could sense the Planet receding as another question burned into the forefront of her mind, urgent almost to the point of panic.

'You wish to ask a question, child of mine?'

Rena swallowed the dry lump in her throat. Butterflies fluttered in her gut, and the words spilled from her lips before she could restrain them.

"What of your Guardian?"

'He will do as he was born to do. My son will meet the crisis upon its emergence.'

"I…I do not think he will…Planet, forgive me for my boldness, but your son…he is pain. He aches for something you have taken away and it is breaking him apart."

Strangely enough, Gaia's hum became thoughtful if not somewhat sad.

'I feel his sorrows, child of mine.'

"Planet, he is lonely. Too many deaths have made him leery of love and trust. He speaks often of sleep and how he wishes to do as his brothers and make his rest eternal."

'He is WEAPON.'

"He was once human," Rena whispered and she could feel Her hesitation…her reluctant acknowledgment.

'Humans seek…mates. Desire offspring. My son is not human any longer.'

"Then is there another…like him?"

'My guardians are all sons.' Gaia's remark was oddly dry.

"So there is another…"

'My youngest WEAPON…was unique.'

"Was, not is…Please Planet, if I crisis is coming, you will need your chosen Guardian to be strong. What harm can come of waking another of your sons if it makes you stronger and safer?"

'You ask of me a great deal, child of mine. And you are but a mere human.'

Rena drew in a shuddering breath, Gaia's divine might weighed heavily upon her, testing the girl's strength of will. Sweat beaded upon her brow as pain erupted in her skull. Tears, hot and heavy, began to streak down her face.

"Please…for him. I ask of you this for his happiness because he refuses to do so himself. My family and he are entwined, and I would do anything for him. Anything…" She felt so small; so insignificant as the melody of the Planet raised into a deafening crescendo.

'There is much that you do not understand, child of mind.' It was a warning. It was her last chance to back away. Rena braced herself against the floor and pressed close against the cool stone.

"Anything…" She repeated,"…anything it takes for your chosen son to find peace with himself. If he continues as he is, whatever crises lies ahead will likely consume him. Please. He needs to find a reason to be strong."

'Very well, child of mine, I will grant you this wish.'

Joy bloomed in Rena's heart and she would have smiled had a wave of pain not crashed heavily upon her.

'But now you must bear the weight of its cost.'

It was if all of the Planet's history flooded her body, igniting every nerve and assaulting her senses. She would have screamed had she been able to breathe. So this was the price of her Guardian's happiness? Memories, so many memories…it was like living and dying a thousand lives over. So much pain…it was too much…

And then, everything slowed…

It was when she saw the sculpted, angelic features of Jenova's son that Rena realized that she was immersed in her Guardian's memories.

A/N: (Mini cliffhanger I guess. I know I promises Seph in this chapter, but then I realized that I needed to lay a little more foundation before doing so. Next chapter, said meeting is in the rough draft, so hopefully it will stay there. But yeah~ I hope you enjoyed his chapter and will review! They make me smile and keep writing. I mean, yeah, I love to write, but I'll admit to being a sucker for a little flattery. Anywho~)