Clouderella

Flames…

Sephiroth continued to stare at the door, cries of horror and surprise washing around him. They were nothing; insignificant. Mechanically, he strode through the crowd that surrounded the carnage, it's only interest being the small dagger that had been perfectly aimed between the man's ribs. The blood welled up around it, forced past the blade by strangled pulses, and ran to disappear into the crimson carpets. He saw Zack leave, probably to find that boy …whoever he was.

"Get away from him, monster! You, you're disgusting!"

Lockheart's daughter knelt in the pool of her father's blood, her pale skin stained as red as her eyes. Tears dirtied her face as she rubbed them away violently. "Your freak boyfriend killed my father," she spat, venom lacing every word. "I hope you and your sick whore are happy, whatever that stunt was supposed to accomplish, I hate you both for it. He took the only person I had. I should pay him back, don't you think?"

Sephiroth could find no pity for the bedraggled girl. He felt nothing but the lingering desperation that kept screaming at him to follow Zack in his search. Nobody here was of any importance to him, and it was that man who had driven him away; him, and Hojo.

He couldn't find any sign of that snivelling creature, probably crawled back under his rock. The voices were vicious now, telling him that it would be so simple to wipe these creatures away, they weren't like him. They weren't worth his effort.

Close your eyes

Ignoring her incensed wailing, he took a step toward the body, stopped by something that was wrapped around his waist. He'd stepped on the end of a trailing length of black silk; and it felt like he was being held again.


Let me touch you now

Shaking off the illogical feeling, he pulled the ribbon from the floor and wound it around his arm. It couldn't possibly have that effect on him, he was above all that, an illusion which had faded all too fast. But there was something important he had to do, if he could just remember. He couldn't hear his thoughts through the constant screaming in his mind. Just a silly dance, somebody must have spiked that disgusting punch.


Let me give you something that is real

And all the time he seemed to hear a voice from his childhood, and it was scared and sad and sorry. He heard a commotion outside the doors, but when the soldiers came back empty handed he guessed that Zack had taken the boy to safety. It would be foolish to bring him back, and Zack was obviously involved somehow. The mansion doors Slammed shut, the clang echoing through old walls. Nobody would be allowed entrance now, or egress, in case there had been an inside plot.

Close the door

As he turned his attention back to that knife, which he was drawn to, it was his love's, the bawling girl wrenched it out of it's visceral sheath. It dripped with that man's treacherous blood, and all Sephiroth wanted was to wipe the blade clean, restore it to it's owner. Effortlessly, he took it straight from her hand and pulled it across her chest, before wiping the black surface on his wrist, where the ribbon was bound. A smirk found it's way unwanted across his face, and he laughed at the irony as people cringed away from the madman.


Leave your fears behind

He wouldn't use that dagger again, he didn't need to when he had Masamune. He'd keep it safe, it was all he had left and he would remember that, even as he felt the alien thoughts slithering across his own. They consumed everything apart from the small, frightened voice he'd always believed part of himself.

Let me give you what you're giving me

Down below, in the basement, Hojo smiled a sadistic smile and took a look at his new pet, the tiny blonde curling in pain as he felt his love's betrayed agony.

He had suspected as much for a while now, but never actually realised that the other half had been right under his nose. The trap had worked perfectly, even the Mayor's death had been a bonus. What a clever planet, keeping balance in such a way. Such a pretty little thing, too, and now he had all the time in the world to turn that into his advantage. Of course, something would have to be done about the other one, that shouting was giving him a headache.

*~*~*~*~

Another day, another day in this pit. Another day with that great ugly bear who insisted on treating him like rubbish. Tifa kept insisting that he owed her something, and he'd just recently run into a really familiar girl that seemed to know he was keeping secrets. It was bad enough that he couldn't hear the voice he'd once found so familiar, but now he had others instead. One seemed friendly enough, but the other… He couldn't even remember why he was here, just knew he had to find Sephiroth.

You are the only thing

But they thought Sephiroth was his enemy… how could he tell them anything else. After what Tifa had said about Nibelheim, he'd lied, pretended that he was someone who could handle their accusations. Someone who wasn't in pain. It worked too, sometimes. Of course, he only wished that Zack could really have been there. Zack wouldn't have to lie, or pretend that he wasn't dying inside. Zack hadn't loved the man they all wanted to kill. Zack would have just admitted it then and there in the Shinra building, instead of trying to appease Tifa. If he didn't, he'd have to admit to being involved with another man, and the flames that had warmed even the mansion's basement.

That makes me want to live at all

Then they had seen him, aboard that ship. He'd almost betrayed himself then, forgetting that Sephiroth would likely not recognise him or even want to. But he had, he'd seen something then, a flicker, and for a moment they were free of whatever Hojo had done to keep them apart. Aerith had known about Zack, she'd wanted to see the boy that hid behind her old flame… He'd had to lie to her too, after all, she wanted something he really couldn't give anymore. Tifa too, had seen him there, although perhaps, forgotten even through her attempts to agree with him, because, of course, she noticed him now he was apparently a soldier. He knew she was lying, Cloud would have nothing to do with either and despite their opinions to the contrary, he was loveless. Those girls would not leave him be, he would never be able to tell them that it had been him at the party. So he was their well behaved little protector, pretending to have no other interest than theirs at heart. Lies upon lies, and none were believed.

When I am with you, there's no reason to pretend

When they'd met, alone, in that basement back in Nibelheim he'd felt that link again, if only briefly. But that time it had been overwhelmed by the memories of that ball so long ago. The knowledge that he'd destroyed the man he loved, and the village of their birth. It had been a joint effort, orchestrated by Zack, since of course, he always knew what to do. Sephiroth didn't even acknowledge him for himself, but merely as his other half, under Jenova's influence that was all they were. Twisted to fit her plans, he still had no recollection of that dance, they became automatons, puppets.

That when I am with you, I feel flames again

But they'd always been linked as closely as if that ribbon still tied them at the waist. Since his birth, he had felt it. His link to the man he'd only held for a few minutes but known forever. Their link had been used to Jenova's advantage, how foolish to fall into such a simple trap. It allowed him to be controlled so easily, manipulated through his secrets. But he would not let go, for than he would lose the only thing he had.

That man could make him do anything… but he had his own influence. He knew Sephiroth saw something in him, and would help his rebellion against Jenova. They were both so guilty, and at the temple of the ancients he had only felt elation when it was he that Sephiroth addressed, and not Aerith. I am always by your side… Did he know, then?


Just put me inside you, I would never ever leave

~*~*~*~*~*~

As Sephiroth left his naïve little doll in the crater… he closed his eyes for a moment, to see that Jenova was sleeping now; it was difficult to exert that amount of control for any amount of time after all, he didn't leave entirely. He watched, crouching invisibly in the thick foliage, as those ungrateful people took his love away. He was certain now, having seen the dagger he wore in the Shinra tower. His hand fell to the hilt of a blade he always wore strapped to his boot, touching it with silent reverance. It wasn't often Jenova left him to his own devices, and he always used the chances to help, killing the president, the bastard who had the nerve to imprison his heart… clearing a path through the swamp, leaving messages whenever he could. He knew he had to help, but at the same time he knew it was risking Jenova's success to be so close. In his mind, he knew the boy would be up to the task, easily the only person that could stop him. Besides, they had Zack to look after them, and so, he would risk everything for just one more dance.

Just put me inside you, I would never ever leave you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author's Not availiable at the moment, please leave your message after the sounds of tortured screaming: Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrggghhhhh, Cliff Richard's on the telly again, turn it OVER!

1) Um, is this now turning into a weird goth opera or something? Anyway, let me just apologise for using that oh so lovely Vast song in such a weird context! (I sometimes occasionally admit that it could be used for Zack x Cloud… but I reckon it fits here scarily well. ^_^ and it makes me go all WAFFy inside whenever I listen to it.)

2)…you might see more of Vast, later on, because I reckon Cloud would sing Just like that! I have the perfect song lined up for the Whirlwind Maze/Black Materia bit ('Touched'), as well as a couple of Metallica, oh, and whatever else I'm listening to at the mo' probably StainD (Oh yeah, can you say; 'It's Been Awhile' *evil grin*) Slipknot, Sepultura… just about anything but Elton John, actually. *winces at the horrible thought*

3)Also, let me apologise for skipping five/six years in one song, but I really had no other clue as to what else to do. If you have a better suggestion, just put it in the REVIEW:P

4)This is a sooo very botched up chapter, it may well be binned and replaced.

Hello… is anybody there? …hello?

Yessss? you have reached the resssssidence of one B. Elzzzzebub, pleezzzzzzzze, who may I say isss crawling?