Recommended Listening: "A Bit of Happiness" from the .hack//sign soundtrack, or "Grandpa's Violin" from the .hack//LIMINALITY soundtrack. Or your own personal favorite sweet, warm, fuzzy, hallmark-channel-worthy piano arrangement. …Or Malice Mizer's "Illuminati," Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back"… maybe a little "Paralyzer"… you get the picture. Different songs for different parts, obviously…hahaha! And then…Adagio for Strings by Barber….
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any fits of fainting or fangirling-induced seizures. Well, anyway, here's your prize for waiting such a long time. Even though this, being the chapter with all the sex scenes, was the most fun, it was also the most difficult for some reason. I had long bouts of writer's block at multiple places in this chapter…but…oh, well. It's here now. I know this is one of the few reasons anyone reads guy X guy fanfiction, so I'll get on with it. Happy reading!
Alice held the white rabbit close and stroked his lovely silver fur. After a long, long race, they were finally together again, and they had made it—right on time—to the beautiful garden of paradise. Even the Black Queen had found her king and had returned to her court, reveling in her triumph at long last. Did Wonderland, or even reality, matter anymore? Now that they were close, now that they were complete in one another, the Queen of Hearts seemed to fade away. Surely their happiness could not be taken away now, even by the Red Queen. It was too strong, too solid. Eternal…and beautiful…. And as they slept in one another's arms, the White Rabbit's pocket watch continued to tick…tick…tick….
Chapter XIV : Ballad
Sephiroth threw him down roughly. They were out in the middle of nowhere now, in the wilderness. Cloud grunted and looked up at his new master, his eyes even wilder than they had been before. Sephiroth glared.
"What do you want from me?"
Cloud didn't answer at first, taken aback by his reactions. Was he being rejected…or taken for a "ride"…?
Unsatisfied with the delayed answer, Sephiroth reached down and yanked him up by his front collar, looking him fiercely in his crazed eyes. "What…do you want?!"
Cloud choked for a second before forcing out the first thing that came to mind. Well…not the first thing, persay…a lot of other, more questionable thoughts crossed his mind beforehand…but the first thing that sounded right. "…Wh…whatever you want." When Sephiroth blinked at him, Cloud decided to chance his wit against him. "What do you want?" he threw back at him.
The one-winged angel, too, choked for a moment. He threw his chaotic Cloud back down, decking him one or two hit points…nothing noticeable. Cloud turned his head upward again to try and read his expression, but couldn't make much sense of it. The poor once-general looked intensely confused.
"…I'm yours," Cloud offered softly, cautiously…almost scathingly. He was good at that, of course being a psychopath. And while he had his beautiful, insane Sephiroth reeling…he wanted to take as much advantage as possible. "You can beat me or toss me around or use me for batting practice…or you could…stab into me," he suggested ambiguously, creeping closer, slowly, across the dirt. "You could pound me into the ground and make me scream in pain…scream out your name. Beg you to stop, but you won't!! Oh, you won't…. You'll just ravage my flesh more violently…marking me…torturing me…."
Sephiroth turned back to him, visibly breathing faster. The one thing that excited him most—blood and pain. And then…. No—they weren't the same. Not in the least. He was talking about violence…literal violence, and violence alone. Not…that. Only…well, that would depend….
Cloud reached up carefully and put a hand on the tight leather bindings across Sephiroth's thighs…bindings he would gladly relieve him of. "…You know what I want. And what do you have to lose…?" he asked. "You don't care. All it is…is just a deeper sin. Tear me apart…open me up and rip into my insides."
Sephiroth's eyes leapt into Cloud's and locked there. The look in Cloud's eyes was serious…and something about it drew him in. It was not the same insane look that he had looked upon in Genesis, or in his own reflection…or even in this Cloud's, when he was saying such deliciously insane things….
He unsheathed Masamune.
Cloud skittered away, backing into a gnarled tree, fearing for a split second that Sephiroth had totally misunderstood him. The silver-haired destroyer of worlds raised the long blade and in a moment, it dropped down about him, slicing the blonde's skin open—but Cloud wasn't going to just watch his death. He had his eyes firmly shut….
After a few moments of realizing he was still alive, however, he opened them and looked down. He was cut in several places, blood oozing from the little slits as they would from paper cuts…but that was a trifle compared to…. He looked down at his clothes. Most of the extraneous buckles lay limp and severed on the earth beneath him…his shirt torn so it hung off his shoulders in tatters, threatening to keel over and die at any moment…and more importantly…the leather belt on his waist was now unusable and practically nonexistent.
He looked up, not certain what to expect…but the look in those fierce Mako-green eyes assured him. Sephiroth took a few strides forward, brandishing the tip of Masamune over Cloud's collarbone, scathing it along to make a slight incision. Cloud shuddered, but not enough to put a wave in that graceful crimson streak over his chest. The edge lifted, and for a moment, Cloud could breathe. For a moment.
When it had passed, Sephiroth descended on him, taking what was left of his shirt in his gloved fist and ripping the shreds off his body. The One-Winged Angel had taken the bait. And Cloud was in for it.
He was so in for it if he ever went back to face Tifa. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, so why worry?
The two of them—he and Sephiroth—had debated for a while about where was far away enough to be out of the reach of the rest of their party, yet pleasant and not too far, in case there was some kind of emergency. Some place that hadn't been hit too hard by Meteor—Nibelheim, for instance, would have been a horrible place to take the great general. Costa del Sol, on the other hand, was a place neither of them wanted to go to—Cloud, having grown up in Nibelheim, thought it was too hot, and Sephiroth thought it was ridiculous. What a nightmare. Still, they found a quiet little place for the two of them in Kalm, where Sephiroth had scooped him up as though he were his bride and marched right up to check-in at the inn.
"Uh…." The innkeep was a little…taken aback at Sephiroth's appearance, to say the least. And Cloud…in his arms like that?
"We're…uh…cosplayers," Cloud lied. "Fanboys."
"…Oh." The man behind the counter raised his eyebrows and shook his head, muttering something about not wanting to know, thoroughly perturbed…and booked them a nice, cozy room. The two of them wasted no time in getting up there and getting comfortable.
"It's…nice," Cloud said, attempting to make conversation. "…Hey…this room looks familiar…."
"It should," Sephiroth pointed out. "This was the room we stayed in when we were in the other Kalm…in my world." Cloud looked confused, so he continued, "Remember? Getting hit by a truck, not being able to pull off your own pants?" He smirked.
Cloud's face lit up in recognition, then lit up in red. "Th—that was your fault!!" he insisted, turning away abruptly. The thought crossed his mind that he wasn't going to have so much trouble taking them off this time around, but he silenced it immediately before he said something that might embarrass him for all time.
"Perhaps," Sephiroth conceded. "But I know you don't blame my discretion. And you're free to do as you please now." He came over to Cloud by the window, not coming close enough to cuddle, but…close enough to be close. "How are you feeling…?"
"Uh…like…I should be guilty for doing this…." Cloud answered honestly. "But…I'm not." He laughed goofily. "I…I don't think I've ever regretted something less in my life…."
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Decisive action. It feels good, doesn't it?"
"Y-yeah…."
They stood for a few minutes in silence, with no sound but the ticking of the second hand on the cuckoo clock on the wall. Even though they weren't saying anything, just the fact that they were together…that they could look at one another and understand each other when words were not enough…that was more value than speech could understand.
However…they were ever aware of that ticking. It kept interrupting their thoughts.
"I think I'm going to kill that thing," Cloud said out of the blue.
Sephiroth nodded, understanding what he was talking about. "If it 'cuckoo's in the middle of the night, I think I just may."
"Yeah…." Then Cloud looked quickly around the room, noticing something…peculiar. Speaking of being woken up in the night…. "Ah—S-Sephiroth…!"
"Hm?"
He formed his next words carefully. "…There's…only one bed."
Sephiroth blinked. "Yes…I can see that."
"S-so…." Cloud choked on his words, unable to breathe correctly. Does he want…to…?? His face bloomed up in vivid color.
"…Do you…want me to sleep on the sofa?" Sephiroth asked tentatively.
"N-no…no…not at all! I mean…unless…you want me to take it…I mean…I'm fine with…."
"…Sleeping in the same bed?"
"Y-yeah. That…that would be…fine."
"…Are you certain?"
"Y-yeah. I'm fine."
"…Fine?
"Fine…."
Sephiroth allowed a silence to sink in for a second…except for that damn clock…not replying for a moment…and then decided something needed to be said, brought out in the open. "Cloud…considering our…current status," he started—realizing that he was beating around the bush still, but he was getting closer than Cloud was, at any rate—"…is there…a 'step' that you'd like to draw the line at? Do you want to just leave it where it is…or…?"
Cloud looked up at him, confused and unsure, but there was something else on his face. He seemed almost…in need of something.
"…Or…do you want…more?"
Sephiroth waited for a moment, lengthening a space that he knew Cloud would not use to answer him…but then something came over him and he couldn't bear to allow that space to exist any longer. He pulled Cloud into his arms, pressing his lips to Cloud's half-open mouth. He felt Cloud's hands place themselves on his back and slide upwards, tighter, but in an innocent, purely romantic way, cradling his body as though it was precious.
It took a few all-too-short minutes for Sephiroth to pull back for air. Cloud's eyelids fluttered back up, dazed, looking up at his dear angel with not desire, but an awe and rapture that Sephiroth had never seen before directed at him. He'd seen it between Aerith and Zack…in the way Tifa used to daydream about Cloud before she died in his world…but never toward him. He'd felt like an outsider when he'd seen it before, knowing no one would ever look at him that way. And yet…here was Cloud. And that look…was meant for him. Only him.
He pressed his nose alongside Cloud's, pressing a hand to his cheek, stroking it. Cloud's eyes quivered shut once more as he leaned closer.
"…I…don't mind," he whispered.
"…Don't mind what?" Sephiroth asked, taken by surprise now that the context had entirely disappeared.
"…You're the only one I want," Cloud explained, his voice trembling now not from fear…but from emotion. "So…I don't mind…."
Sephiroth pulled back only far enough that he could get a good look at Cloud's face. It seemed as though he was sure of himself now…quite sure.
"I…I think…it's okay to be selfish…just this once," Cloud continued. "When I saved the world…I saved nothing for myself. I destroyed what would make me real…so I could hold on to what was right. But…now that I'm here…even though it seems like it should be wrong…it isn't. This is all I ever wanted…."
Sephiroth seemed to understand…even though Cloud was rambling just a little. He put a finger to Cloud's lips. Now that he knew what he wanted…there was only one thing left.
He was going to give Cloud the happiness that the world had denied him. And Cloud would grant him his own.
The more psychotic variation of the pair lay under a tree on the warm earth, one decently battered, reclining in a pile of rags that used to be his clothes, and the other enveloping him, equally bare but twice as magnificent…but at least Sephiroth's garments were mostly in one piece a few feet away. Cloud was covered in wounds, bruises, and friction burns, but he didn't seem to mind so much. As far as he was concerned, he had just been ravaged by the most sexual, most powerful man to exist on the Planet. He could deal with a few scars.
Sephiroth lifted his body up with only his arms, keeping his hips planted firmly where they were. Cloud's eyes fluttered up into the curtain of silver that had come about them. He heard his lover speak. "…Enough for you?"
"Not nearly," Cloud sighed, but in a tone that said he was entirely satisfied…for now. "Maybe if you do that more often…I can make do with only one lifetime of it."
Sephiroth scoffed a little, running a hand through his hair to pull it over to one side. It wasn't entirely cooperative, considering its length, in a situation like this. "When did you learn to talk dirty?"
"When did you learn to fuck that hard?" Cloud countered.
Sephiroth thought about it. "I suppose…it's a lot like torture and murder, but…while using your body as a weapon. And there's so much more pleasure. Almost better than slaughtering the fools."
"…Have you always thought about it that way?"
"…No," he admitted. "It's just with you."
Cloud blinked. "M…me?"
"…As much as I loved tormenting you before…this gives me no end of enjoyment," Sephrioth explained. "The high I already feel around you increases tenfold and I want to kill and caress and torment you all at once…and you let me…." He basked in that knowledge for a moment. "…My slave…you'll let me do whatever I want to you. You beg me for it. I thought I would enjoy it more when you protested, but…. Why? What made you act this way?"
"I don't have much of a choice," Cloud told him, reaching up with one hand to caress his face. "You don't give me much choice."
"Mmm…I don't recall ever commanding you."
"You don't have to," Cloud insisted, smitten in a twisted sort of way.
Sephiroth seemed pleased with that answer, his curled smirk creeping up on his lips. He broke that expression, bearing down on Cloud to kiss him once more. Cloud pulled him close, only to sigh, needy still, as the lips pulled away. "I wish…we could just stay like this," he whispered.
"Why can't we…?"
Cloud was…mildly shocked by that statement. "I mean…stay here. Like this, just lying here…."
"Yes…?"
"Well…we have to go find Mother!"
"She can't die. Mother will still be there when we return, no matter how long we take," Sephiroth assured him. "We have all the time in the world. It's the others who have to rush to stop us. We can take our time."
"But…don't you want to see the Promised Land…?"
Sephiroth thought about it for a few minutes. Truth be told, while they were like this, all their glorious goals seemed to…pale. Cloud thought the same thing, but he couldn't believe that his hero would. They said nothing for what seemed like such a very long time….
"…I don't need the Promised Land," Sephiroth finally answered. "I will find it for Mother…but…."
The rest of that thought was never spoken. But it didn't need to be…they never had to say a word. It was entirely, unconditionally, understood.
Vincent paled a little—was that possible?—at the door as he heard the growls from inside. Vincent S.—that is, the Vincent of Sephiroth's world—was inside getting his replacement arm and leg attached. Rufus said they would give him steel limbs instead of brass ones so that they could tell the two apart. Vincent S. was also getting a new set of clothes, blue in color, for the purposes of differentiation from Vincent C. Even though the two Vincents were rarely in one room together, the number of times they showed up side by side in conversation was becoming astounding and all too confusing. Thus, the initials made their way in, as per Yuffie's suggestion, and they would take on different looks. Essentially, they would be living like twin brothers. That was going to be difficult to get used to, since they were both effectively loners, and yet would be drawn together—and lumped together—naturally.
Vincent C. cringed a little at the sounds he heard, but waited patiently for ShinRa's men to finish in there. As soon as they came out, he went in to see his twin. He looked a little better now, other than the sweating and paleness from the sheer pain of attaching his nerves individually to the metallic parts. He knew he had never been one for anesthetics, himself. He hated status ailments and drugs worse than he hated pain. And that was mostly ShinRa's fault. But they were also the only ones that could make metal limbs of the caliber Vincent S. would need…and he was technically working for them now. Damn contract.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, mostly as a formality. He could see damn well how he was feeling.
"You know damn well how I'm feeling," Vincent S. growled. Well…perhaps they were more alike than they originally realized. "You've been through this before."
"Is getting a leg any different from getting an arm?" Vincent C. looked down at the shiny, new steel and glanced down at his tarnished arm. Well…he thought he'd been keeping his claw clean, but in comparison, it looked pretty shabby. It was thirty-three years old. He made a mental note to polish it.
"It's…a little more awkward than the arm," Vincent S. admitted. "But it almost makes the arm easier. Or maybe that's only because the arm's been ripped off before."
"It looks good," Vincent C. offered.
Vincent S. sighed. "I appreciate you trying to comfort me."
"But…?"
"…What's the status on our mission?"
Vincent C. nodded, knowing he'd also be more concerned about Genesis, impatient to get back into the fight, even after that. Also…it was a nice distraction from the pain. "Still no sign of him. Either he's in damn good hiding, or we're all blind. Yuffie has all of Wutai on the lookout, Cid's charting the skies for any sign of a black wing, and ShinRa is caking the Planet with spies. If he so much as sneezes, we'll know where he is. Or we should. We still don't know why he's hesitating."
"What's different about our world than other worlds?"
"Hm? Ah…." Of course, being the same person, the first thing he thought of was exactly what Vincent S. was thinking of. "You think…that's it?"
"Cloud found a way to our world just like Genesis found a way into other worlds. Obviously, no one in Genesis's own world figured it out before he did, otherwise the Rufus in the tape would have mentioned that."
"That's true…." Vincent C. agreed. "Do you think it has something to do with the fact that Cloud found a point of convergence?"
"It might be troubling him. It seems Genesis only found a way into new worlds after he'd absorbed the Lifestream. Cloud did it on his own."
"So…does that mean he knows Cloud can defeat him? Or just that he's curious?"
"…Could be either." Vincent S. swallowed hard. "In a way, I hope it's the former…so that we can defeat him." A grave look came over his face. "But…I also hope it isn't."
Vincent C. realized what he meant in a moment. "...Because if that's true…."
"...Let's hope Cloud finds his weakness…before Genesis finds Cloud."
Sephiroth wished he could convey to Cloud just how weak he made him feel…in a good way. A very good way. He'd always felt that love of any kind was little more than a weakness…and he couldn't be more grateful to know that it was…and to keep it with him always.
He laid his dear, heroic love down on the soft bed in the room in Kalm. Slowly, but surely, all the thousands of buckles strapped across Cloud's body came undone, latches opened by leather fingers. The cuckoo clock kept ticking, but they ignored it.
Cloud shuddered as the knitted shirt slipped off his back, over his head. But before letting Sephiroth at his waist, he held up a hand and reached up to start relieving the general of some of his useless straps and buckles. The shoulder pads went first, then the straps crisscrossing his chest, then the rest of it…piece by piece until they both laid there in only their pants, their bodies warm with the anticipation and the resonating passion between them.
Only one thing left.
Sephiroth climbed up so that he was almost straddling Cloud and leaned down to kiss him, shadowing him with thousands of slivers of white hair. Cloud's hands lifted up to Sephiroth's chest, feeling the subtle curvatures of his muscles and the firmness of his flesh. The tighter his fingers clung to his skin, the deeper Sephiroth's mouth delved into his lips. Seamlessly, out of thin air, Cloud felt Sephiroth's hips press into the fork of his legs and, taken by surprise, gasped, gripping harder. From this proximity…it was starting to become obvious just what he was in for. He could feel it. And, of course, he'd expected something…more substantial than normal…but…even so, he'd underestimated….
Sephiroth started to develop a steady rhythm, pulsing into him, moving harmoniously with Cloud. Every gentle thrust made him more and more aware of his manhood…how solid it was becoming…how close they were…just a few thin layers of leather…that was all that was keeping them from coming closer than ever before. He reached down to release Cloud from his bindings, even as he kissed him, pulling down that last bit of clothing by the belt loops.
Before they knew it, the last shred of barrier was gone, lying tossed away and forgotten on the floor somewhere. Cloud moaned louder now, feeling the strange smoothness of Sephiroth's flawless skin…with all the scars he'd sustained over the years, was that kind of perfection even possible?
Sephiroth reached down to grip him where he knew he would love it most. Fingering, caressing, squeezing, keeping a pulse up and kissing on any piece of skin he could find as he did so…Cloud moaned as his touch, arching his back into Sephiroth's hand, feeling himself losing control. Sephiroth smiled…he could tell he was making Cloud very happy…very needy. That pleased him to no end.
"Mmm…no…that's not enough," the one-winged angel whispered softly.
"H-huh…?"
"Back up…."
Cloud did so, not sure of what Sephiroth was getting at, scooching backwards into the headboard. He started to worry a little when Sephiroth didn't crawl up to follow him, but then…. "You deserve better than that," he spoke tenderly to Cloud…just as he relinquished the ability to speak.
Cloud gasped as he felt Sephiroth's mouth close around him. So warm…and wet…and tight…! He moaned more audibly, bordering on sobs, almost unable to take the immense ecstasy of that touch. As Sephiroth nipped him, Cloud struggled to breathe…as he sucked, Cloud whined and tightened his legs closed on Sephiroth's jaw. Sephiroth pulled him in as far as he could, slipping back only momentarily, only to come forward again, taking him in deeper…it was all Cloud could do to keep from making too much noise.
Sephiroth pressed his tongue in and dragged it across Cloud's entire length as he lifted up his gaze. Cloud relaxed slightly, but couldn't do so entirely. He looked up desperately at the man he loved, covered in sweat, desperate to be taken and marked. Sephiroth was only too happy to grant that wish.
After a brief preparation, Sephiroth pulled Cloud's legs a little more spread. "…Are you ready?"
Cloud looked up at him. "F-for what?"
"You know what comes next."
His partner flushed. "Y-yeah…" he muttered. "I'm alright."
"But…I might hurt you," Sephiroth mentioned softly, in a more serious tone.
"Well…that's what cure materia is for," Cloud rebutted jokingly.
"Cloud…" Sephiroth growled disapprovingly…but his willpower was wavering terribly.
"Sephiroth…!" Cloud complained. He showed another painfully desperate look. "…Please. I can't wait any longer. Don't be afraid…."
Sephiroth almost laughed at the irony of that statement…he should have been the one telling Cloud not to fear…he was on top, in control, and Cloud was going to be the one getting the physical brunt of all this. "…I'm not afraid."
"…Then stop hesitating and do it!"
Sephiroth looked up, sensing the challenge in Cloud's voice. "Very well. You asked for it." Cloud nodded quickly. Oh, yes he did. He begged for it. "…I'll…try to be gentle," Sephiroth added.
Cloud shook his head. "Don't be."
That set Sephiroth off. Permission to really tear Cloud up…even though his conscience and his love were strong, they couldn't overpower his desires for something so twisted at that moment. He grabbed hold of Cloud's body and slid in slowly, drawing more noise out of Cloud the further he went…enjoying every moment of it. Once he was in as far as he could go…he began. He started thrusting, in and out, never fully out, but always far enough that he could stab back into Cloud's body. Now Cloud was screaming, screams that sent a rush through Sephiroth's veins, that spurred him to thrust harder, to pound his love in as hard as he could, if only to hear him scream out his name.
And he did…but Cloud never once screamed for him to stop. He moved with Sephiroth, losing control of his own body, surrendering it completely to the will of the one-winged angel.
For just a moment in time, there were not two people in that room. There was a single being, a single conjoined heart bound by love, a single body bound by desire. A single rhythmic movement, a single harmony of existence. No force of this world or any other world could tear them apart.
Not even time. Not even death.
Reno did a double take out the window of his helicopter, but…he decided that he was just seeing things. All this stuff about Sephiroth and Genesis and alternate worlds was getting to him. It was just a pair of large black birds courting each other or fighting over a mate or something.
In truth, Sephiroth and Cloud had been chasing each other in flight for a few hours now, dipping, diving, in and out of clouds, up towards the sun, then down, skimming the edges of each of their single black wings into the sea. Each trying to one-up the other in crazy stunts, or flying by only long enough to stroke the other's face with soft, feathery fingers…they had no time for or even the slightest interest in causing havoc, chaos, and mayhem.
At last, Sephiroth leapt on his little psychotic lover and the two went flying towards the ground. With a single wing flap to soften their fall, they went tumbling across the rolling hills of the plains, coming to a halt somewhere near the base of a mountain, one on top of the other. Sephiroth leaned down and licked Cloud's neck thouroughly. The little blonde just cackled and pushed him away.
"Sephiroth!! Cut it out!"
"But you enjoy it." Sephiroth got up off of him, folding up his wing. Black feathers danced around them in masses. It was a wonder they had any left to fly with after shedding so much.
"I do," Cloud admitted, not bothering to get up. "But do you?"
Sephiroth turned away, not quite feeling mushy enough to admit that. He was still a destroyer of worlds, after all. "It's amusing."
"Oh, admit it! You're just as attached to me as I am to you!"
"I believe it is you who are desperate for my companionship," Sephiroth corrected. "I simply humor you."
"If you were humoring me, you'd already be halfway to Mother by now."
"And you would be right beside me."
"Well…yes…but I like it better this way. And so do you…you said so yourself."
"Did I…?"
"Of course you did. You were the one who suggested this."
"I don't recall."
"Sephiroth!" Cloud whined. He sighed a little, smiling as Sephiroth turned away. He knew his love was only playing with him. After all, screwing with Cloud was what Sephiroth did best….
"Let's go back to Midgar."
"Huh? Midgar?" Cloud blinked a little. "Why would you want to go there? Didn't you destroy it like I did?"
"Yes. But…there was a church there that I don't think was entirely destroyed. I thought it was special to you."
"Huh…? It was?"
"We should go see it at least once. If only to finish the job."
Cloud raised his eyebrows, smiling a little. "Well…if you say so. It's a promise, then."
Sephiroth laughed lightly. "A promise, eh?" He'd also promised Mother he'd reach the Promised Land…but he'd never really gotten there. Of course, it wasn't too late to create a land like that. But they had all the time in the world…and Sephiroth was planning on taking it.
Cloud reached up to catch one last feather, twirling it in his fingers fondly. Sephiroth's feather. Probably. It might have been his own, but he preferred to think of it as Sephiroth's….
Wait…another floating down? And another? But it had been at least a few minutes since they had landed…that wasn't right…there should have been no more feathers floating around. Physics denied it. Even…if physics had been constantly battered, attacked, and denied existence since SOLDIER came along. He looked up to see where they were coming from.
"…Sephiroth…" he whispered, his eyes widening a little at what he saw.
"What is it?" Sephiroth turned around, sensing the disturbance in Cloud's voice. He followed Cloud's eyes, frowning, not quite understanding what could make him look so…shocked…but then realized—flew towards him—
A few seconds later, and Cloud might have been impaled.
Masamune clashed with Genesis's Rapier as the red-coated angel came crashing down from the heavens. The force of Sephiroth's impact as he leapt to intercept him sent them both flying off at an angle, away from Cloud. Cloud pulled out his own blade, leaping into the fray against Genesis, but something told him…they couldn't defeat him.
They had, all of them, attempted to absorb the Lifestream in the hopes that it would make them invincible. The difference was that although Genesis was outnumbered and was up against two of the most powerful men of any reality…he had succeeded.
All at once, Genesis flew up behind Cloud and spun at him, throwing him backward, skidding across the land and into the earth. But just as it seemed he wouldn't be able to dodge the next blow, Sephiroth flew up again into Genesis's face, unleashing a flurry of blows, keeping Genesis on the defensive at a distance with the length of his blade. As soon as Genesis found an opening, however, he'd countered and was coming at Sephiroth again full force….
Cloud got up once more to return to battle, but as he looked up, he saw the intensity. He flew forward, closing the distance in less than a second, but somehow that second stretched. Masamune flew out…Rapier parried…Rapier circled…Sephiroth lost momentum….
Warm blood sprayed across Cloud's face.
"SEPHIROOOOOOOTH!!"
Cloud's eyes shot open and he sat up suddenly.
"What is it…?"
Cloud blinked a few times and looked over at Sephiroth, laying beside him, still sane, still the one he loved…. "I…don't know. I just got this really…bad chill…."
"…A dream?"
"No…I don't think so." Cloud sighed. "If it was…I can't remember it." He laid back down and turned towards Sephiroth. He never thought he'd see that kind of concern in the general's eyes…that is, to the untrained eye, the face would have just been a blank stare. But Cloud could see the tenderness behind the rough outside. He couldn't always…but he knew Sephiroth well after all these years. It was there, no matter what anyone else said. "…Don't worry about it."
Sephiroth didn't reply immediately. "Are you alright?"
"I said don't worry…." Cloud fidgeted. "That's not like you…."
Sephiroth's mouth twitched a little, almost into a smile. "You're right. But it's mostly your doing."
"What? My doing?"
"After letting you slip away so many times only to come to this point…perhaps I've become paranoid and overprotective," Sephiroth admitted. As a general rule, he liked to take good care of his things. Masamune was still in top condition after all those years, as was his armor…and Cloud belonged to him now, too. Cloud was more important than the general's material possessions, of course, but he still belonged to him. He wasn't going to coddle Strife, but he wouldn't let him fall prey to something like sickness or ill mental health. That would just be ridiculous. Especially for the savior of the world.
"Yeah…?" Cloud smiled a little, knowing the thought process just by looking. "I guess that's okay, then…."
Cloud laid there with him for a little longer and then got up, stretching out. Sephiroth sat up behind him. "Oh…hey, Sephiroth…" Cloud mentioned, turning towards him. "…There's…a place I wanted to show you…since it probably didn't mean anything to you before you came here…I wanted to take you there."
Sephiroth watched him…but didn't ask too much. "Alright." If Cloud wanted to, that was fine with him. "Being a little resolute, aren't we? That's not like you." he teased.
Cloud smiled a little. "Your fault."
"Is it?"
A nod came in response. "You make me feel like I can take on the world."
A small laugh parted Sephiroth's lips for only a moment. "Huh," he marveled, a smile threatening his stoic face. "I wonder why."
The two left that morning, ignoring the odd stares from the innkeep. Even Fenrir wasn't quite as fast as Sephiroth's flight, but it kept up rather well, considering. Sephiroth just ducked to the side every now and then to allow Cloud to catch up. He would have just carried Cloud…but according to him, this place was a little far, and he didn't want to strain his wing. If they met Genesis, he was going to need it.
Which was why Sephiroth was flying so low to the ground…so as not to be spotted from afar. He didn't mind it if the general population found out about his existence and started panicking so much as he minded having to fight off Genesis again. One thing Cloud had mentioned about this place was that he could more easily speak to his Aerith—er, Aeris—from there. As she was part of the Lifestream now, she might have some answers about Genesis and how they might defeat him.
As such, he almost didn't notice the figure on ground level who looked so dejected and distraught…and so familiar. He frowned and ducked down low enough that he was right in front of Cloud, and then veered off to the left. Cloud got the message and leaned his weight to turn the bike after him, unsure of what he'd seen.
But as they came closer, he understood a little. It was…himself. Well…not himself, but the psychotic Cloud that Sephiroth had fought in his world. And he was carrying…Kadaj? And sobbing? But why…?
Sephiroth touched down lightly and approached cautiously. Psycho-Cloud's head jerked up, hopeful…but then his face twisted into a deeper anguish. He tore out his oversized blade and lashed out at Sephiroth with a painful cry, miles inaccurate, and Sephiroth merely hopped backwards to dodge what might have been a critical blow. Psycho-Cloud was not in any mental condition to be picking a fight with them….
"Leave me alone!!" he cried at them. "Leave me!!" He sobbed, clutching Kadaj to his body. "I don't want you!! Why?! Why, why, why?!?!"
Sephiroth and his lover exchanged confused glances, but they couldn't make heads or tails of the behavior. This Cloud was insane normally, yes, but he wasn't…incoherent. Something must have happened to him…but…they had lost track of him at the same time as loosing track of Genesis. They couldn't even begin to guess what was wrong.
That Cloud shuddered, dropping to his knees, and began to calm a little, clinging to Kadaj, though he was no longer the one he loved. And then…he began to laugh. It chilled the heroes' spines, forcing them to unwittingly step backward. "…You…you can't possibly imagine…this pain," he hissed. "But…you will."
He stood up, dragging Kadaj with him more loosely…limply. "You can't possibly imagine…the torment…. You don't know real pain, even if you've lost before…because you've never even had to begin with. But once you have—!!" He cackled uncontrollably, his entire body quivering. And suddenly, he wheeled around, pointing a finger at his other self, a wild look in his eyes. "You!!"
Sephiroth ran forward to protect his love if he needed to, but Psycho-Cloud didn't make another move. "You…" he continued in the same creepy moan, more quietly, "He'll come for you next…and you can run, you can hide, all you want…but you can't stop it…."
He turned away, stalking away, dragging Kadaj's body along behind him.
"I thought…we had all the time we wanted," he lamented, sobbing again. "But we….
"…It's still…ticking."
His voice trailed away as the distance widened, leaving Sephiroth and his love behind….
"…Ticking…."
"Are you sure you're alright?"
"What do you think…?" Vincent S. growled irritably. He was sick of everyone worrying about him, especially Vincent C. He, of all people, should know very well how he felt and should know that he was going to lend them his combat strength, even if he was slightly weakened. Even in this state, he was more powerful and more skilled than the average fighter.
"You're a liability," Vincent C. reminded him.
"I'm as good as under-leveled. I'll be fine," Vincent S. insisted.
"There it is now!" Cid called back from the head of the Sierra. "Yeah…he ain't here no more. But this is where the readings were comin' from."
Vincent C. approached him, followed by the rest of the party, looking down at the patch of land from up in the airship. The wounds in the earth confirmed the theory…Genesis had been here…and judging by the problems he had apparently had in actually landing his blows, either Cloud, Sephiroth, or both had probably been there, too.
They took the ship down to look around a bit, but found very little besides what they could see from the sky. Vincent was hoping that they could at least figure out which direction they went in from the direction of the battle signs, but…it looked like they'd been all over the place.
"If you was Genesis, what wouldya do?" Cid asked the two Vincents.
They both glanced up. They had no idea between the two of them. They hadn't really known the guy.
"Probably try to kill one or both of them, and probably succeed…" Vincent S. grumbled.
"He didn't succeed in killing you," Vincent C. pointed out.
"…Something distracted him," Vincent S. explained. "I'm not sure what it was…between losing two limbs and being ripped apart otherwise, my memory is a little blurry."
"Hey, guys!! Over here!" Yuffie's voice piped up from somewhere to their left. They left the empty place they were searching and followed her voice. "Look!" she called, pointing excitedly, dancing around on her toes.
The three of them slid down the side of a small dent in the Planet left by the shockwave of someone's sword—or the impact of someone's body—and came to take a closer look. Red XIII, Tifa, and Barrett ran up from another part of the wreckage, as well. They all stared at the line of black feathers leading away north….
"…Where the hell are they going…?"
"The Forbidden Capital," the two Vincents said in unison.
"Huh??" Yuffie gasped. "You mean…where Aeris died?"
"But…how do you know that?" Tifa asked. "Why would they go there?"
"If anyone can tell Cloud how to stop Genesis, it's her," Nanaki agreed. "Cloud would know that. So would Genesis."
"So that's where we'll go, too!" Barrett decided. "C'mon! Let's go!"
The others ran back to the Sierra, but the two Vincents lingered for a moment. One looked to the other. "…Is it too late?"
The other one didn't answer.
Cloud kept sobbing as he dragged Kadaj's body around Edge. He got a lot of stares, still, but he didn't notice them. He was headed for only one place…and that was the only thing that kept him going.
"It's…like I promised," he muttered. "You see? Here it is…the church you talked about. Isn't it…beautiful…?"
He pulled Kadaj through the doors, staining the floor with blood. "I don't know…if you wanted to destroy it or not…did you? Did you want to…?"
He stopped at the little bed of flowers that surrounded the pool in the floor. Another sob escaped.
"Look at it, Sephiroth…." he whined desperately. "Look at it…! Can't you see it…? It's all here, just like it was before…."
He sniffed and looked down at the water, the tears streaming down his face. "…Look…."
Cloud stared for he knew not how long…minutes? Hours? But he lifted Kadaj's body up, walked into the water…and placed it there, allowing it to sink.
"Look…."
He backed up. "I…I kept my promise. We came here…together. Can you…can you see it…?"
He turned away. "Sephiroth?" He started to walk out then, slowly. "Sephiroth…?" he called, his mind completely gone. "…Sephiroth? Where are you? I can't see you….
"Sephiroth…?"
And away he walked, into the world, not knowing what had happened in his absence. Not knowing that Aeris's healing rain had filled the pool in the church, and now filled Kadaj's body….
"Sephiroth? Where are you? Where did you go…?
"…I can't see you…."
The sparkling white trees of the Icicle Area filled Cloud with a kind of dread…but Sephiroth's presence comforted him. He couldn't help but feel they were pressed for time…even though there was no deadline he could think of….
He left Fenrir at the entrance and approached the river slowly. He breathed deeply, trying to gather his thoughts.
"…Cloud?"
He looked back. Sephiroth looked concerned again.
"Uh…it's nothing," he answered. "Just…well, you wouldn't know this…because she's alive…but…." He swallowed hard. "…Aeris…died here."
Sephiroth blinked, suddenly understanding. "Here…?"
Cloud nodded. "…I…I almost killed her myself," he said shakily. "Well…because I was under your control. Well…not you…but…the other you…. Well, not really you at all…."
Sephiroth held up a hand and placed it on Cloud's shoulder to quiet him. That line of thought was painful enough as it was without Cloud exacerbating it. The blonde swallowed a little, understanding Sephiroth's intentions, and nodded, turning back to the river. He walked forward, wading in, and Sephiroth allowed him, giving him a little space.
"…I lowered her into the water here," he explained. "I thought…I would return her there." He shuddered a little, looking up towards the sky, up to where Sephiroth had been before…on that day. It seemed so quiet now. "...She hasn't contacted me in a long time. Before, she'd come and talk to me a lot…but…." He sighed. "I guess…I've found…a corner of peace for myself. I hope she doesn't mind…."
Sephiroth wanted to say something to comfort him…remind him that he has Aerith, and that she never minded that they were together. But…it didn't seem like it was his place.
"…I wanted to talk to her," Cloud explained. "Because she's part of the Lifestream…she might know how we can stop Genesis. I thought it would be easier here…where she's still so close." He closed his eyes tightly. "…I won't let my indecision…cause me to lose anyone else. Not when I've finally found happiness."
Sephiroth blinked at him, silenced by the gravity of his words. Cloud simply turned and smiled at him. "I'll find some way," he told him. "I promise that. I'll find a way to protect that happiness."
He'd only turned away from that place for a moment…but only a moment was necessary. Suddenly, while his eyes were turned to the light, the clock pendulum swung to a halt.
A force hit Cloud from behind, square in the back, pushing him forward. It took only a moment for the pain to rush forward and paralyze him. Sephiroth's face lit up in horror and he called out Cloud's name…but somehow, it sounded muffled to him…distant….
His head dropped a little as his hands reached up to grip the long piece of steel that pierced straight through him. Blood. His vision blurred. There was blood in his mouth. He choked.
Thoughts raced through his head. This is the same as…. … No, I have to protect it! … Aeris…what are you trying to say to me? … Sephiroth…don't watch this…please…. … I'm not dying…that just…doesn't happen…. … The others…what about them? My friends? … Is this it? The end? … Why couldn't this happen when I wished for it with all my heart?! Why now?! … Is this punishment? … Sephiroth…Sephiroth!
He raised his head with some difficulty, the sound of his name on his lips, but his knees were going weak and he couldn't breathe for the blood in his throat. The only thing holding him up was the sword in his back…even his fists on it loosened with weakness. Vision blurred and darkened. Was Sephiroth rushing forward…? He couldn't see…. A blur….
The sword slipped out and Cloud's body fell forward into Sephiroth's arms.
"I'm gettin' a helluvah fucking reading from there…you were damn right, Vincent! Uh…both of ya!" Cid called back.
A dull rumble echoed from the ground and a glow sparked up from one area of the frozen wood. The others blanched. "He's here alright…" Barrett confirmed grimly.
"…Hey, isn't that place…?" Yuffie asked, but Cid cut her off.
"Come on! Let's go! Move, move!"
The seven of them essentially jumped ship, Cid parking the Sierra in hover mode. Genesis was here, and likely fighting Cloud…. Tifa, in particular, ran as fast as she could. Sephiroth was probably there, too…and if anything happened to Cloud…anything at all…. God, you idiot! Why would you bring Sephiroth, of all people, to a place like this?! Cloud was betraying all they had ever worked for…all because he had some sick fantasy about being with the man who had murdered everyone in his life….
The rumbles died off, as did the glows. Something shot off into the skies, but it was impossible to see what it was in that light. They pressed on quickly, coming at length to the part in the trees…to the river….
Sephiroth stayed at Cloud's side, leaning over him, staring into his face. There was no flutter behind Cloud's eyelids…no subtle rise and fall of his chest. No gentle shiver at Sephiroth's touch.
But he refused to step across that threshold…to breach the gap in his understanding. Still pretending he didn't understand what Genesis had done to his Cloud. His heart had frozen up, bracing against the threat of the hardest fall he had yet to face…but it didn't start up again long enough to feel the pain. His body had hardened into stone…his existence numbed.
His eyes didn't even rise at the approach of hurried footsteps. He leaned on Masamune for support, though it was covered in blood…he'd planted it firmly into the banks before him. He'd managed to gouge a hole in Genesis's body, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough…. It meant nothing.
The group that had come to rescue them had arrived too late. They stood before a familiar scene, silenced. But…it was Cloud. Cloud had never…he would never….
Tifa's breath quickened, her eyes darting between the trees, Cloud, the bloodied Masamune, the gaping wound in his body…. "Y-you…" she breathed, quivering with rage.
Vincent C. turned to her, realizing what she was thinking. He couldn't help but think it himself…but Genesis…. "Tifa…!"
"You…what did you do to Cloud!?"
She sprinted forward, clenching her fists to deal her own murder out…but Vincent S. dashed in front of her, the only one of them who had no lingering memories and no suspicions of his own. Whose sole purpose had been for the last three years to protect his son…who had fought against Cloud before. He threw up his new silver claw to block the blows that she then turned on him. "Get out of my way!" she screamed at him. "Murderer!!"
Sephiroth did not turn his eyes up even now, while all of Cloud's happiness fell apart around him. Their time had come to an abrupt end. And still…he could not feel for the world that would wither away and buckle to destruction without him. He had saved the world so many times…only to have his own ripped away. It was like Cloud had said…. And he was tired. The world, the things that Tifa and Vincent fought for, fought over…their meaning was quickly fading.
Tifa eventually broke free of Vincent S. as the others watched, unable to choose a side, and ran at Sephiroth, flailing her fist into his face, unblocked. Sephiroth staggered backwards into the water, still unaware of the world around him, as she unleashed her punishment on him and then was once more dragged back by his father. She screamed meaningless words at him and wailed as a light sniffling started to break through from Yuffie behind her. And still, Sephiroth did not react.
Cloud's body still lay lifeless on the banks of the river. The rest of the world, as far as he was concerned, lay with him.
And it was at that moment that Cloud opened his eyes.
ballad 1) a love song, based on an often tragic love story.
: End Chapter XIV :
Ending Notes: DON'T GO YET—I'M NOT DONE!! This is NOT the end! I'm very, very, very anti-unhappy-ending, so take my word for it when I say this is not the end and EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY. You notice I saved the worst cliffhanger for the most fulfilling chapter as far as fangirl-ness, hehe! I mean…intentional? What do you mean, intentional? It wasn't intentional! What's intentional? I do not know the meaning of this word….
And…wow. Long chapter is looooooong. Good thing I decided to split this up a little between this chapter and the last one….
Foster's rule of literature that a sex scene will never end up sounding good in words does not apply to fan fiction. So there.
Buckle your seatbelts, guys…because things are about to get trippy. Trippier than two Vincents and two Clouds and two Sephiroths and three different worlds and people dying and putting their body parts back together and all of that? Yes. How is that possible? You will see when we get there.