Recommended Listening: I don't know. I listened to Dragonforce's "Evening Star" a lot while I wrote this, though it doesn't really go with the story. It mostly just goes with FFVII in general, with the theme of finding the promised land and all…and anything Dragonforce does is automatically epic, of course. Or maybe "Christmas in the Thirteenth Month" from the Ragnarok Online soundtrack. It has a nice "something about this is terribly wrong, but I don't know what it is" kind of feel to it. And the way the characters are "waltzing"…you get the idea.
Disclaimer: After a good long spout of writer's block in which I just could NOT figure out how to tie this part of the story to the ending-third of the story, I am back. Thanks to a good friend of mine, I have a little Chibi Sephiroth on my shoulder telling me how my story should go, hehe. Chibi Vincent has also helped tremendously…. And currently, Chibi Sephiroth needs to wash his mouth out and get his mind out of the gutter, hehe. We'll see, Seph. We'll see.
In other news, Chibi Genesis is telling me how to best torment our darling characters, hehe! Let us begin.
The Black Queen sought out her missing king while the White Rabbit chased after Alice. Was one to be found and one to be lost, or both to be found or both to be lost? There was no way to say for certain. In a world where everything made sense, the Red Queen was surely gone….
Chapter XII : Countermelody
"We should be the ones looking for Cloud," Tifa thought aloud. Rude sat at her bar while Reno spoke with Rufus and Vincent. He had a feeling that Reno had left him alone on purpose.
"Then…why aren't you going after him?" he asked. He had a perfectly good reason—he had to stay with Rufus and the Turks. But Tifa could go whenever she pleased…so why wasn't she?
"I don't know," she admitted. "I guess…now that I know, it's a little…I have to think." She poured herself another drink, throwing her head back with it. Rude admired her ability to take a fifth one and still not show any signs of drunkenness other than becoming a little more truthful. "And it's strange…I saw Sephiroth in Cloud and Cloud in Sephiroth. I didn't feel like I should need to go after Sephiroth. I hate Sephiroth with my whole being, but it was like talking to a real hero…like he wasn't even the same person. Which…I guess he's not. But…I shouldn't feel so…so good about it, damnit!" She washed her glass and whined, "I hate this."
Rude just listened to her rant. Listening was what he did best, after all. Yet, suddenly, her attention turned to him. "You know what?" she asked, calming herself.
"Uh…." He was taken aback. "...What?"
"You…really did a good job back there," she noted honestly. "When you came to my rescue, I mean. I almost thought you could've taken him on by yourself. I've never seen you fight with such…zeal."
A light pink tinge crept into Rude's cheeks. He could just feel Reno's sniggering eyes on him. "Uh…well…you…seemed as though you could use some assistance, Miss Lockheart," he stammered.
She smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Then, with a weight to her words that she was unaware of and was absent, in fact, to all but Rude, added, "But, really…thanks."
Rude just nodded to her, maybe said something along the lines of "it's nothing" or "just doing my job." But on the inside, he was beaming.
Sephiroth had almost jumped the gun on seeing Cloud. It was a good thing he hadn't.
When the blonde turned around, he saw it was the wrong one. Those cold, cruel, unstable eyes…. I'd know those eyes anywhere. I've stared into them so many times…wondering why….
Why…is he just talking to people?
Surely, Cloud Strife—that is, the evil, insane one—would be murdering people in the streets. Yet…he wasn't. He just strolled around, asking questions of passers-by. Sephiroth kept his distance so that he wouldn't be spotted, but he was immensely curious, and for all the right reasons. There was no reason he'd bother himself with what civilians had to say unless he was up to something.
He waited patiently, following slowly. Finally, someone Cloud had spoken to peeled off in his direction. He flagged the man down quickly before anyone else could see him. Of course, the man froze on seeing that long silver hair and the tattoo on his arm—that was Sephiroth's trademark, after all, aside from Masamune. If there were people who didn't recognize him before, there was no one on the Planet who would miss him now.
"Excuse me…" he said, but before he could say anything at all, the man started whimpering. He sighed—perhaps in order to get what he wanted, he was going to have to play the part…at least for the moment. The man didn't look like he was capable of moving otherwise. If only he knew that the real murderer was the other one….
"You," he said, in as dark a voice as he could manage—which was a hell of a dark voice. "Tell me…what did he say to you?"
The man whimpered again, and Sephiroth advanced. He whined louder, but then blurted out, "H-he said—he was looking for—a guy with silver hair—like you—but—but younger—and—and—maybe—with two other people—li—like him!"
Sephiroth wore a confused look for a moment, but then realized. Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz…he's looking for them. The puzzled expression returned as quickly as it had gone. But…why? What use are they to him? He couldn't care less about them, could he?
"My thanks," he told the man, forgetting about his act for a moment. "Ah…don't tell anyone about me, alright?"
The man nodded, shutting his eyes tightly, nearly in tears.
When he opened his eyes, Sephiroth was gone.
Yazoo and Loz had set up camp in the woods somewhere. They had very little idea where exactly that was, but at the moment that wasn't what was first and foremost on their minds. The monsters there seemed to be weak enough, and they could find food and shelter pretty easily. They had bigger and more pressing problems.
Genesis was gone. Kadaj was still unconscious and his body unstable. Genesis wasn't there to help him if something went wrong, but on the other hand, he was no longer using them, dragging them along on an iron leash with his crazy schemes. There was no one else to whom they knew for a fact that they could go, but at the same time, it was freeing. After all, they had never known for a fact that Genesis was going to help them in the first place, so they were essentially back where they started—but better off.
Kadaj slept peacefully in Loz's arms. Yazoo thought about going over and taking him from his older brother—it was his turn, after all—but Loz was a crybaby. Besides…his beloved younger brother looked so beautiful there, so calm and serene, that he didn't have the heart to move him.
It wasn't that he didn't want to wake him. No…he would have given anything to wake him. No questions asked.
"It's quiet," Loz commented. "…Peaceful."
Yazoo nodded. "Yeah…for once." He sighed. "I wish Kadaj could be awake to enjoy it.
Loz nodded as well. Great, Yazoo thought grudgingly to himself. He's going to cry anyway. Geez. As much as I love you, Loz, you really need to grow up.
But…I guess not growing up isn't so bad. The youngest of us is, in fact, the eldest of us, and vice versa. It doesn't really matter…because we have Kadaj. Even if he isn't awake…we'll find some way….
A crack ran through the air quite suddenly, forcing Loz and Yazoo to jump up with their weapons in hand by reflex. They looked to the west to see a tree float for a moment, and then come crashing down. A monster? A man? A friend? An enemy?
They weren't going to stick around to find out.
"Put it out!" Yazoo commanded Loz, who took Kadaj onto his back and poured the kettle of water they'd been planning to boil out over the fire. Yazoo gathered what little they'd brought with them and tried to hide the rest in case it was someone tracking them. Though he couldn't cover the fire entirely, he scattered the ashes and shoved some leaves and straw on the ground over it.
Having no time to double-check, the two bolted the scene in haste with Kadaj, their most prized possession. However…they didn't expect their pursuer to have the speed of the wind. Black feathers danced around them before they could even lose sight of the campsite.
A familiar voice commanded them:
"Give me Kadaj."
"You think Cloud's alright?" Zack asked.
Aerith only sighed. "I hope so."
"What do you mean, you 'hope so?' Don't you have like…a sixth sense about this kind of stuff?"
"It doesn't work like that, Zack. I think I'd be able to feel it if he was part of the Lifestream…but that's all."
"Aw," Zack grumbled. "Isn't there anything we can do? Can't we go after him?" He clasped his hands behind his neck, leaning back in his chair. It looked about ready to fall over, but Vincent, Red XIII, and Aerith didn't say anything…though Aerith looked close to have an anxiety attack. "We oughta be helping them. Seph and Cloud. Y'know. Why aren't we?"
"You're the second person to say that," Vincent said to him. "But…face facts. We won't be able to catch Sephiroth now. We don't know where he's gone, and we have no idea where to start looking for Cloud. Even less than he does."
"There's no use worrying about it," Rufus cut in from another table. "If everything you say is true…we still have no idea if Cloud, Genesis, your Vincent, and the brothers are still alive. Obviously, dimensions weren't meant to open into each other either, but we don't know how it happened or how to correct it...or if it needs correcting."
"Then let's find out!" Zack piped up enthusiastically, leaning back farther. "You're smart—what do you know about it? Whaddo we do first?"
Rufus scoffed, flicking his wrist out at him. "What—you expect the answer to just fall into my hands?"
Zack jerked backward, yelping out in pain as the back of his head—as well as his entire body—hit the floor. A strange, nearly invisible energy rippled through the room, upsetting glasses full of whisky and tea and nearly unfurling Aerith's little pink ribbon. Before they could figure out what sort of cosmic force had flown into their bar, it calmed, as though it was a passing breeze, and dissipated.
Something plastic and rectangular dropped into Rufus's outstretched palm.
"You're shitting me," he muttered, though swearing was not becoming to him. If there was anything he hated more than incompetent people, it was to be publicly insulted and embarrassed by karma.
"What is that?" Tifa asked from behind the bar, coming through the miniature door and out into the patron's area.
Rufus gave it a once-over. "It's…a videotape. Ah…let's see…it's marked…." He pulled it out and blinked, his eyes popping wide. "It's…my name?!"
"Hold on, sir!" Reno said, taking the tape from him. "This could be dangerous, yo? If you watch it, you might get a nosebleed and then some creepy assassin will call you and say in a creepy voice, 'You will die in seven—'"
Rufus snatched the tape from him and whacked him upside the head with it before he could finish. Tifa snatched it from him once he'd done so, heading toward the TV that overlooked the bar. "That ripple…. You said that was what happened when you came to this world, right, you two?" she asked, turning to Aerith and Zack.
Zack took a second to think about it while Aerith nodded. "Yup," he confirmed. "Sounds about right—oh! That tape is from another world! Maybe our world!"
"Maybe," Tifa shrugged, popping the tape in. "Let's find out. Maybe it'll start making some sense out of all this."
"Or make it more complicated," Rufus muttered. He and everyone else in the room hoped that wouldn't be the case.
(PLAY)
(0:00:01)
Rufus backed up after turning the recorder on, sitting back in the dirty wheelchair he'd spent the last few years of his life in. It was also the chair in which he would spend the last few moments of his life. He knew it was close.
"Good evening," he began, but then cleared his throat awkwardly. He didn't think that was appropriate for this situation. A few thunderless glows of lightning fumed in the dark, cloud-ridden sky behind the broken window in the back. Everything looked very grey.
"If you're watching this tape," the president continued, "I will assume that you belong to a dimension different and separate from my own. I will also assume that yours is the dimension that Genesis currently resides in.
"You may or may not already know this…but there are infinite dimensions. With each decision we make, another dimension appears where we did not make that decision. If you went left in this dimension, another exists where you went right. If you joined the military, there is another dimension where you didn't. Or if you dropped out, there is one where you stayed. As there are infinite possibilities, there are infinite worlds in which those possibilities come into being….
"In case that's confusing to you…there are a lot of parallel universes. More than you can count, and all of them are different.
"As for us…." He didn't continue for a few seconds, a shadow falling over his eyes. His throat tensed for a moment and his teeth clenched tightly, as if holding back some deep anguish. At length, he breathed deeply, shuddering as he exhaled, and then covered his mouth with his left hand as a hacking cough rose up. It sounded horrible even though it was muffled—and the black marks of the all-too-familiar disease on his bared left hand showed why.
"Our dimension…is lost."
Sephiroth swore. Damnit! I lost him!
Where had he gone wrong? He'd tracked insane-Cloud here…and then he'd just disappeared. Into thin air.
The odd part about it was…he hadn't felt the battle high when he'd been so near to Cloud. He was only made aware of it now…because it was returning, without Cloud's presence. He stared over the plains with a heavy glare, trying to spot Cloud again, but he couldn't see him. Perhaps it was because he knew Cloud was there, but didn't know where he was? Was it the fear that created the high? But then…
Why am I no longer afraid?
…Is it…because…of my Cloud?
A now familiar feeling came over him…he closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply only once. It was true, he knew…because the sane Cloud – his Cloud – had given him life and meaning beyond a meaningless existence…because once they were at an understanding, he looked into his eyes without prejudice or predisposition…without either idolizing or loathing, without fear or superficial awe…because he looked at Sephiroth with a deep and unconditional love even when the general lost trust in him and drew Masamune to his throat…because he refused to even defend himself against the man who tried to kill him…because Cloud knew his innocence and could not deny his heart. How long had the proud silver hero searched for something real only to find emptiness and falsehood? How long had he struggled to reach out to others only to have them ripped away? How long had Cloud also been groping, taking only fistfuls of air as he grasped for clarity and something—anything—that felt right?
And now that they'd found it…found one another. Was it right that they could be separated so cruelly…?
"Cloud…where are you?" he whispered to the silence, clenching his fists, allowing his face to tighten in anxiety. Where had he gone? Why hadn't he returned? Why hadn't he sent word or something, even if he couldn't come? Why hadn't he at least heard something? Was he dea—
No. Absolutely not.
There had to be something else.
He could not be. He could never be….
Something caught Sephiroth's eye below as he flew overhead. This place…he hadn't seen it since…well, that hadn't been the real place. It had only been a simulation. Still, he tired, and decided he would come to rest on the point of the harbor…one of the last places he'd sparred with his close friend, Genesis…when he was still a close friend. Even if it hadn't been the real place…it had still looked exactly like this then. It still littered his memories.
They, his closest friends, really his only friends from those times, had been ripped away…and so had his mother, his father—which may have been a good thing or a bad thing depending on whose version you heard—Tifa, Barrett…so many countless others. And Cloud had lost Zack and Aeris, as well—his closest friends. It didn't seem right or fair that all this would be taken from them, only to find happiness…only to be taken away.
No…I'll find Cloud. I'll follow him to the ends of the Planet and into the Lifestream, if I have to. I won't let him slip through my fingers…not Cloud. Not now. This is one happiness that I refuse to let go of.
There was a small clacking sound behind him. Sephiroth whirled around, certain it wasn't only his imagination, but he saw nothing…nothing but the stone harbor, glowing in the light of the fading sun just as it had the last time he'd seen….
"Seph-i-roth…"
The high intensified sharply as the words rang behind him deliberately. A single black feather blew forward, stroking Sephiroth's cheek tenderly as it passed. The hairs on the shaft blurred and quaked in the effects of the rush.
That voice…?!
He turned slowly to face his enemy, slowly bringing his eyes toward the other's face. His face, that Vincent had blown off before, in all of its perfect glory, twisted and beautiful at once, remained, just as it had been…as insane…as cruel…as smug. The red knight had returned to brandish his rapier again…but how? He'd been torn apart at the point of convergence…so how?!
Genesis smirked at him, delighted by his face. "Sephiroth…so wonderful to see you again."
(00:01:28)
Rufus swallowed back the mucus of his pestilence and continued, slowly, more gravely, "I don't know what's happened in your dimension…but in ours, the situation is bleak. We fought against Genesis and against Jenova, but his power was too great. He defeated Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud, Reno...Rude…Vincent…Tse…." He trailed off then, unable to speak the name of his most trusted bodyguard. "…He…killed…many of them. And when Meteor hit…we were helpless to stop it. He absorbed the Lifestream into himself…."
"Surprised?" Genesis laughed on seeing Sephiroth's horrified face. "Oh, don't look at me like that…not when I went through so much trouble to bring you a gift!"
Genesis swept down atop the doorway over the outstretched path on the harbor which Sephiroth stood on. He was carrying something quite large with him—two somethings, actually, though he moved too quickly for Sephiroth to identify exactly what they were at first glance. "It's state-of-the-art, of course, and perfect for a swordsman like yourself. Though…." He turned slowly to face Sephiroth smugly. "…it…is a little broad for your taste…and its reach not quite as long. It's not Masamune by any means, but it's quite a versatile weapon."
He swung the heavy piece of steel over his shoulder and down into the edifice on which he stood. First Tsurugi glimmered in the light, all seven of its parts skewed and awry from its locked position. "Oh, ho, ho! You recognize it? Of course you would…a man of such skill with a blade…" Genesis confirmed, drawing out his words as though he were slowly pressing a knife into Sephiroth's open chest. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Even when it's a little scratched and broken…I'm sure you can fix it up." He smirked. "Take good care of it, Sephiroth. Its former owner never parted with it. You'd have to pry it from his cold…dead…hands."
A shrill laugh burst from his lungs at the sight of Sephiroth's reaction. A cold realization had drained the color from the general's face, horror parting his eyelids by leagues. Genesis tossed the sword unelegantly down at him, where it clattered gracelessly to a standstill. "Here! Take it! It's yours! Take it as a keepsake to remember him by!"
Sephiroth stared at it, attempting to grasp the weight of his words, but something wasn't clicking. Denial…that was the spider's thread that was holding him up, enabling him to remain on his feet. "…Y…You…."
"That's right," Genesis giggled. "Oh, he tried so hard to avenge Vincent. He came at me with everything he had…but he'd spent quite a bit of it defeating the other Cloud. No limits, no magic left…he went down hard…but he came down…with a force so great and terrible that it made the whole Planet tremble…."
"Vincent…?" Sephiroth breathed, barely able to voice it.
"Hm? Oh, yes. Of course. Did I not tell you?" Genesis asked innocently. "The Turk has-been, right? Oh, he put up a valiant effort. It's too bad…that it was all in vain. I would have brought that brass arm of his for you, too, but it was much too bulky to haul around in addition to your other present. I think this one was much more…thoughtful…and considerate."
He looked down at Sephiroth's dejected disposition, the fists that clenched up, one of them branded with the number "1" he'd been running from all his life. Well, it looked like he was going to allow Genesis to keep talking, at any rate…to continue reciting the poetic lines of this most crushing defeat. "He made it all too easy…stepping in my way like that," he continued. "I made quick work of him, for someone who's supposedly so skilled. I guess he wasn't everything they said he was. A minor character, after all. That's too bad.
"Well, at least he protected Cloud, neh?" He chuckled, then gasped, as if realizing something. "Oh…wait…but in the end, he couldn't, could he?"
Sephiroth's head snapped up. How…dare he make so light? How dare he tease and laugh and cast aside Cloud's life so flippantly?! The great hero's wing flared up again, unfurling as his glare intensified, and suddenly he could not contain himself any longer. Genesis…Genesis….
You…you will die!!!
Sephiroth leapt into the sky with all his strength, rage, passion, thirst for vengeance burning within him. Genesis seemed unphased by the sudden attack, unsurprised, and unafraid, but that didn't matter. If he wasn't afraid now, Sephiroth would put the fear in him. Genesis had never been able to stand up and defeat him. And now…now when rage so fueled him…he wouldn't stand a chance. He would fall with a force as great and terrible as his own evil and treachery.
And in a moment, it was done, annihilated, cast down with such hatred and finality that it could not be undone even if Sephiroth had in any way wished it to be. Masamune cut clean through his throat, relieving Genesis of his most vital organ, stripping him of his existence and his life.
And it was over.
Genesis had always challenged him…but never had he been so easy to silence.
It was numbing, unnatural…that so grievous a crime could be avenged in only a few seconds. It couldn't…could it?
Genesis had never gone down without a fight…never.
And now….
(00:02:06)
"…And now he is unstoppable."
Rufus paused a moment to let the gravity of that statement sink in. "Do you understand? He cannot be killed. It wouldn't matter if the Meteor had come down on him and him alone, tearing his body to pieces and burning the remains to nothing—he will piece himself back together and he will heal! What he can't heal, he regenerates…no status will claim him, no weakness to be exploited, no surprise tactic can be taken against his omniscience…he's practically become a god!"
There was nothing in the way of satisfaction to accompany Sephiroth's revenge. There was no feeling in his heart. What…had happened? This changed nothing…. Cloud was still…gone.
…Gone….
He looked down at Genesis's dismembered body…and then down at the other thing his most hated enemy had been holding. A body…? Whisps of silver hair framing the face of no one more than a child….
…Kadaj…?
"Sephiroth…you know, it's rude to interrupt."
Sephiroth stopped stark still. It…wasn't possible!
Genesis's head, lips moving, eyes blinking, smirked up at him as greenish tendrils of energy flowed from his jaw down to his stub of a neck on his body and back, pulling the two together. Pieces of skin and muscle reached out and reattached until it looked as though it had sewn itself back together, no stitches…just a disgusting fusion of flesh and bone.
And so, he rose. Sephiroth backed away, shock and terror lighting his eyes. Genesis laughed softly. "Ahhh…Sephiroth. Are you afraid? You certainly should be…if you mean to kill me. That…ah…seems to be your intent, unless I…misinterpreted that?" he asked, stroking his healing throat. It made a low hissing sound as it repieced the last severed cells. He looked back at Kadaj and picked him up, standing up straight once more, as Sephiroth widened the distance between them, unsure what to do. "…Oh!" Genesis noticed the look of confusion. "You noticed Kadaj. Yes, well…if you'll allow me to finish…. Do not despair, great hero! I have brought you your…salvation."
(00:02:43)
"Even our strongest heroes couldn't defeat them…even our most advanced weapons and technologies." Rufus shook his head. "There was nothing we could do to stop him once he had absorbed the Lifestream.
"We thought perhaps…that we could do something…something, if only we, too, could tap into the powers of alternate realities…but we are too late. I have nothing left…and no one left to turn to. Elena, too, lies dying in the next room…all are dying."
A small meteor outside the window crashed down into the earth, creating a distant explosion…followed by another, and more. They began to swarm the skies. Rufus glanced back, but only for a moment, with a sad calmness. His face was that of a dead man walking.
"…My time runs thin.
"I pray that you, whoever you are, will find a way to defeat him that we could not. The Lifestream…it moves everything, and everything moves in it.
"The key is surely there…but while Genesis holds that power….
"…He holds everything."
Rufus reached up to press the stop button on the recorder.
"…Goodbye."
(NO INPUT DETECTED)
"In this world, Kadaj became you…in your world, he became Cloud. So…he has the potential to summon both back into this world," Genesis explained. "So…in this world, if you attempted to restore Cloud…wouldn't it be the Cloud of this world? The one you chased after…? The one you love?" He held Kadaj close, tauntingly, and turned his face gently upwards only to lick his cheek provocatively and offensively.
Sephiroth took another step back, starting to understand where this was leading…why Genesis had killed Cloud and made such a devious, disgusting deed of it, only to return and spit in his face. "…You think you can hold him hostage and try to control me?!" He growled. "I already know that Kadaj's ability isn't true…it's transient and no more than an illusion of a face coupled with its real power!"
"No, no, no…but it is true, Sephiroth! You can just ask the Cloud of your world…oh, wait. He's dead, too, isn't he?" He shrugged. "Oopsie. Well, all the easier it will be for you to return Cloud to his original state."
"You're a filthy liar," Sephiroth accused bitterly and harshly. "And a bad one, at that. You can speak in riddles all you want, but you can't lie to me!"
"And you're a stubborn ass," the red knight shot back. "Even if it is true, nothing I can say would convince you."
"If it was true, you wouldn't be telling me! You have no reason to return Cloud to me…not after—!" He couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence.
"Ah!" Genesis lifted a finger. "Ah, ah! Now there's the thing, isn't it? I have no reason to return Cloud to you…that's true." He smirked, laying Kadaj down on the stone. "However…" lifting his head, "…I have every reason…to make you fight for him."
Sephiroth gave him a piercing glare, but Genesis seemed to hardly notice. "You know why? Because you and I both know that you can't kill me. There's no skill or power you have that can put me to death. No one has that kind of power. Not now that I have taken the ultimate power into my body!"
"Ultimate power…?"
Genesis drew his rapier. "Come now, old friend. Why don't you come this way…and face your death like a good hero should?"
Sephiroth faltered. If Genesis was immortal as he said he was—and there was plenty of evidence to support that fact— there was no way…and the power he had shown before, in the crater of his world…a power even greater than that of the Cloud that had gone insane, or that of his own beloved Cloud, too, apparently….
As a courtesy, Genesis asked, "Does the player have one last line he wishes to recite before his final exit?"
A monstrous voice emerged, shaking the foundations of the edifice they stood on.
"DIE!!!"
Genesis spun around, but too late to fend off the attack from the colossal beast. Sephiroth drew in a sharp gasp—Chaos! It was Vincent! He'd survived!
Only a few seconds into the brawl and Genesis had thrown him off, but Sephiroth acted quickly…he flew down upon him when Vincent had flown back and tackled him with a flurry of blades. When Genesis had gotten a combo-breaker in and pushed him back, Chaos swept in again to deal a few blows….
…And that was when Sephiroth noticed. Vincent was missing a limb. No…two limbs. His left arm had been ripped clean off…and then one of his legs….
That only infuriated him more, and he leapt after Genesis as soon as he had the opportunity. This was going to stop, here and now. For Vincent, for Cloud, and for himself.
He would fight for his happiness…the happiness he'd finally found and embraced. And as long as his friends, Vincent, others like him, would still fight for him after losing an arm and a leg already—he would fight to the death!
It was quickly decided after watching that video that they could not sit around and wait. Even if Cloud was someone Sephiroth had to find on his own…Genesis was not.
"Yo…. You don't really think he…survived, do ya?" Reno asked. "I mean…Zack and Aeris said he was really, definitely, head-blown-off dead!"
"You heard what he said!" Rufus interjected from the back seat of the helicopter. "I mean…what I said. N-nevermind that. The assumption we have to make is that he wouldn't be killed…even by a shot to the head."
"But then…what are we going to do if we find him?" Rude asked tentatively. "If we can't kill him…."
"Even if all we can do is pinpoint his position, it'll be better than doing nothing. Also…it'll unfortunately confirm the theory…that he is indeed immortal," Rufus grumbled.
Reno fidgeted uncomfortably. "Yeah? Well…." He whimpered a little. "I hope we find him with his brains splattered on the ground somewhere."
At that moment, Reno's cell rang. "Yo?"
"Hey…Reno? Can you do me a favor?"
"Uh…who's this?"
"Ah—Zack! It's me, Zack!"
"Oh, yeah. Dead guy."
"Yeah, sorry…I forgot you wouldn't recognize my voice…hey, listen! Can you do me a favor while you're out there…?"
"Yeah, shoot."
"Can you…also keep an eye out for Cloud? Either of 'em? I…well, I just…you know."
"Yeah, yeah. I know what you mean. You keep an eye out too, alright? I'll keep mine peeled. We all want Cloud back safe an' sound, yo? I mean…the real one. Our Cloud."
"Yeah. Yeah, of course. I'll call you back if I find anything."
It was almost twenty minutes, as they were passing over the plains of the world map, before Reno spotted something down below.
"Yo, look! A chocobo!"
"Reno…keep your mind on your mission for once," Rufus growled.
"Aw, I'm keepin', I'm keepin'! I'm just…." He blinked. And squinted. "But that…really?"
"What is it?"
Reno suddenly became very excited, enough so that he almost started jumping up and down in his seat. That wasn't a chocobo—that wasn't a chocobo at all! He started clicking switches on the control pad. "Hang on, Sir! I'm takin' us down!!"
It was no good.
Sephiroth attempted to pull himself up off the ground, but Genesis's rapier pierced his shoulder hard, pinning him there facedown. A few dozen yards away, Vincent lay lifeless, reverted from his Chaos form, bleeding from his missing appendages. It was a wonder he'd survived this long….
Hell, it was a wonder Sephiroth had survived this long.
Genesis just wasn't taking damage…all the blood they drew was quickly healed up as though it never had been there. If he hadn't had that power, they may have at least had a chance….
"Do you see now how futile it is?" Genesis smirked. "I thought you'd ruined my plans, but it's all worked out nicely. With both you and your beloved Cloud out of the way, this world is as good as gone…not to mention yours. But I'll have to find a way to get back there…it's not an easy task to return to the same dimension twice.
"There must be something special about the Cloud you love," he admitted. "He opened the pathway between his world and yours, and went back through it, to the exact time period as well. It's not easy to manipulate time and space with such precision…and yet he did so without even thinking."
He laughed at the fallen hero. "But what does that matter to a man about to join the countless souls of the Lifestream? About to join in me?! Pathetic. I guess your role in this play is over, fair hero. All are punished."
As a passing thought, Sephiroth wondered briefly what it was about villains that made them want to gloat and have these long monologues about how evil they were and how the heroes would never win.
And then he thought of Cloud, as the blade passed out of his back and lifted to deal the final blow. He would be joining Cloud soon. Of course, he had wanted it to be different…he had wanted to live with Cloud. And he'd wanted to exact his revenge. He'd wanted so much…. And so much was taken from him, after he gave so much for the world. Was it all for nothing?
Suddenly, Genesis gasped above him. "You!!"
Sephiroth just barely lifted his head back enough to see…it was Cloud!! Cloud had come—no. He was once again disappointed…the darkness over his eyes proved it wasn't the one he'd been seeking….
…But Vincent was alive! For the time being…. And Cloud the insane, who Genesis had also claimed dead, also here, living, standing, breathing….
…Did that…mean…? Maybe…?
He suddenly realized what Genesis was so alarmed about—Cloud was holding Kadaj's body.
Genesis had left it unattended so that he might do battle with Sephiroth and Vincent…and Cloud, in all his trickery and insane whims, had snuck up to take him. What he wanted Kadaj for…well, why would he? What would be the point?
Genesis flew after him, but Cloud ducked down, instead of spreading his wing, into the dark crevasses of the harbor. He knew he couldn't outrun Genesis…but he could hide as much as he wanted.
He had to have Kadaj. He had to.
Because—Sephiroth!!!
And just like that, Genesis had forgotten about killing Sephiroth. His life had been spared by fate…again. What was the life of a hero worth to the powers of fate?
Was he really a hero if he couldn't save Cloud…?
The faint, sudden hope that had shot through his heart only seconds ago dimmed, sputtered, and perished. First Tsurugi still lay on the ground out at the harbor…and Vincent wouldn't have left Cloud if there was any possibility of saving him…even as much as he'd distrusted Cloud. He knew the truth now…he knew Cloud's innocence and had nearly given his life before to protect him.
If Cloud was still alive…Vincent wouldn't be here.
He managed to make his way over to his father's quickly dying body and used the cure materia he had on…first to keep himself alive, and then to stop Vincent's bleeding as much as he could. "Vincent…Vincent…are you still with me…?"
Vincent's eyelids fluttered slightly at his voice. "Not…dead yet," he managed to whisper.
Sephiroth swallowed hard. "Vincent…did you find Cloud? The good one? Is he alright?!"
Vincent exhaled. He'd lost a lot of blood…it was hard for him to speak, and even as he formed the words on his lips…no sound came out.
"Vincent—!" But it was no use. He wasn't getting anything out of him. But Vincent's face looked grave…Sephiroth hoped it was only because he was near death.
…How are we going to get out of here?!
Sephiroth wasn't strong enough to fly them out of there now, and once…if…Genesis caught up with Cloud and took Kadaj away…he'd be back for their lives. They were sitting there, waiting for death. There had to be some way….
And yet…still he returned to Sephiroth's thoughts. Even if it was no time to think of him….
Cloud…where are you?!
He laid out on a large stone in the center of an open plain. He hadn't seen civilization in hours.
Not wanting to attract the attention of any more monsters, he'd laid out in the sun, staring up at the sky. What was he looking for? A bird…an airship? For wings?
No…just one wing.
But nothing passed by overhead. Nothing…until a black chopper came into view. It had ShinRa corporation's logo painted on the side. He thought of waving to them…but then, if this world was one in which he was wanted and evil, that might not be a good thing. He had no idea what kind of place he was in now.
And he was feeling a bit too exhausted to deal with it or try to find out.
The whole time he'd been in these other worlds, he'd been wishing for home…and then he would think of Sephiroth, and he would feel alright again. He would be perfectly alright if only he could stay with Sephiroth….
But now…Sephiroth was gone.
He wondered if he was home now…if maybe he had just had a dream. If that was so…he wished he could go back to the dream. He wanted to stay with Sephiroth, even if that meant saving the world again, or going through some terrible pain again. He wanted to return to the man he loved.
"Oiiii! Yo, Chocobooooooooo-heeeeeaaaaaad!" a familiar voice called from the helicopter.
"…Reno…" he whispered, not bothering to get up from his perch…but he did sit up and wave a little. Unless Sephiroth was with them….
…Gods, he was obsessed.
The chopper touched down and Reno ran to him, followed by Rude and Rufus. "Damn, Reno!" Rufus said incredulously. "How did you spot him from such a distance?"
"Aw, c'mon, sir! You tellin' me you can't see that bright yellow spike a mile away?" He grinned. "Yo, Cloud! You alright? You look like hell…."
Cloud nodded a little. "It's…kind of hard to fight monsters bare-handed," he replied softly…absent-mindedly. "I lost First Tsurugi…at the convergence…." He looked back in the direction he'd come from. So far…. "But then…nevermind. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about…."
"The other universe, right?" At hearing Reno say that, Cloud's face shot up and lit up in surprise. "Yeah, yeah. We heard. Met up with goody-goody Sephiroth and Zack and Aeris, too. Welcome back, by the way!"
Cloud gaped at them. "S…Sephiroth is here?" That was the only part of that conversation that he could still remember clearly.
Reno nodded. "Yeah! But he went off lookin' for you, yo, and we've been lookin' for Genesis. If he had a cell phone, I'd just ring him up for ya, but—"
"He does!"
"Ehh??"
"It's…it's my phone! It's my number! Call my number!"
Reno looked at him like he was crazy, but flipped open his little black phone and rang him up. Cloud's phone started to play a nine-tone fanfare in his pocket. "Yo, Cloud…it's just you."
"No…just wait for it!" Cloud insisted, hope growing inside of him. Sephiroth…pick up! Pick up!!
Sephiroth picked up. Reno meant helicopter…he hoped. That would help immensely right now.
"Whoa…no way! Hey, is this Sephiroth?" Reno asked on the other side, hearing Sephiroth pick up.
"…Yes. Listen, I'm in trouble…Vincent's about to die, Genesis survived…he's nearby…I need a lift. I'm too weak to fly us out. Gods, and Cloud…Cloud…he killed Cloud…!" Sephiroth moaned. "Vincent tried to save him…but here's his sword…and Genesis—"
"Ohhh, so that's where it went. Hey, Cloud! He found your sword!"
Sephiroth stopped dead, blinking. "…What?"
"Thanks for telling us. Hey, where are you? We'll come pick you up. Feels weird to be sayin' that to the destroyer of worlds, yo?"
"Cloud…" Sephiroth breathed, exasperated, "…Cloud is…there? Alive?"
"Yeah! You wanna talk to him?"
Sephiroth opened his mouth for an immediate yes, but then stopped. Vincent was fading fast….
"…You'd better get down here," he said at length, though he wanted more than anything to hear Cloud's voice. "I…I want to see him face to face. And give his sword back to him personally."
Reno seemed to nod, though that was inaudible. "He says he doesn't wanna talk to ya, Chocobo-head."
"I—I never said that!! Reno—!!" Sephiroth hissed in protest. That was the last thing he wanted Cloud to think!
"Hey, hey! It's all good! We'll be right there, yo! Sit tight, don't get caught!"
There was silence on the other line. Sephiroth hung up and looked out to the sea.
Cloud was alive…and rushing towards his arms at this moment.
He hoped it would be enough for Vincent to live.
It had taken a lot of effort, but Genesis was far, far off course by now. Cloud had led him quite astray with his tactics…and they had worked, it seemed. Not that he'd ever tell you what they were—that was a secret.
He looked down at his prize and cradled him sweetly in the darkness. "You're mine now…" he mused. "I'll wake you and bring you back into this world…my Sephiroth. Oh…why couldn't you have been part of my world…? We could have made such wonders together…why did you call me crazy? Why did you look at me with hate…? You know…how much I loved you….
"But that will change now."
He stroked Kadaj's hair lovingly, pulling it gently from his face, casting his dark magic over him, coaxing the spirit out. "Come on…come on…."
And slowly, the form began to change. The hair grew longer, the face older and more pronounced, the eyes darker and more sinister. Cloud's face lit up as he witnessed the rebirth…the moment he'd been waiting for had come! Oh, happy aberration that granted his wishes and wrapped him in ecstasy!
He had no idea what this new one would be like. Maybe he would still hate him…but Cloud wanted to take that chance. The off chance that he could possibly hold his hero in his arms like he once did…before he'd abandoned him. Because the general really had abandoned him…and betrayed him. And for what? A few lost, inferior souls. But this one wouldn't do that. If anything, this one would abandon him…but for a higher purpose. And that would be alright…because he could respect that. And he could wait. He could wait forever, if only there was some chance of his affection and approval falling on him once more.
Those silver-lashed, sunken eyes opened steadily, lifting towards his face….
"Welcome back…Sephiroth."
countermelody 1) a second melody that overlaps and intertwines with the first, portraying a different mood, a glimpse of another place, or a secret obscured. There may be more than one countermelody at any time….
: End Chapter XII :
Ending Notes: Hahaha…longer chapter this time. I must, must, MUST thank Queen of Light 17 for the comment she made about Vincent actually living. I was planning on killing him off for the sake of…y'know, simplicity. Having two Vincents running around isn't exactly easy to describe in words, at least…especially since you can't just say evil-Vincent good-Vincent because…well, they're both good, ehehe. But something about what she said about Vincent meets Vincent finally got me off of my creative block. Whoops, spoilers, Vincent lives? Haha! Thank you!