Disclaimer: The characters, items, places etc of Final Fantasy VII are property of Squaresoft Ltd. These objects are used without permission for entertainment only, not for making money. No infringement is intended.
The other thing is, this has shonen-ai in it and at least the implication of yaoi. If you don't like or can't tolerate that then don't read.
Oh, and if Sephiroth seems to much OOC, just remember that he is Cloud, and that Cloud is Cloud. ^_^ hehehe! You can work it out. This is set after the end of the game.
:: :: Conversation happening in someone's head.
~ * ~
The Other World
By Jade Tatsu
Chapter 2 - Explanation
Reeve was dumbfounded at Cloud's actions only for an instant. The boy had always been hyper protective of his friends, or those he thought were. "Good acting you two," he complimented Cid and Vincent as the two of them moved away from the troops who had been guarding them. "But how did he know, especially about Wutai?"
"Reeve! Why didn't you &^%(*#@ wait for our signal?" Cid snarled at the man who was effectively the Leader of the World. "I agreed to do this for a price but not if you're going to stuff up everything and not if this," he gestured towards the troops and the Turks, "is what you've got planned for the kid."
"Still think you owe him?"
"I do owe him! Even if..."
"Even if he's still Sephiroth's puppet? Hojo's creation?"
At this Cid was silent but Vincent spoke, his eyes flashing but showing none of his concern or worries. "That may be Reeve but apart from being quiet and withdrawn this past week he has done nothing to incriminate himself. You better not be lying to us Reeve. I will destroy Hojo's creation, if nothing more than to save the innocent who was once Cloud Strife but I will not commit another sin. I will not destroy him if he is not Hojo's creation, if he has truly broken free. I will destroy you." With that Vincent turned and walked back into the house, dismissing the Turks and troops.
"If you're lying, we'll all be there to rip you apart Reeve." Cid followed Vincent, spitting his cigarette butt in his direction and pausing only to collect the Venus Gospel.
You can't destroy me because you'll never know the truth. And even if you find it, it will be far too late. You might be able to save yourselves but you won't be able to save Cloud. I do this for the people. Reeve turned towards the Turks who were still there. "What are you waiting for? His personal invitation? Get after him!"
"Yes sir!" They jolted into somewhat belated action.
"Idiots," Reeve muttered, turning away. He was a busy man and couldn't indulge in a rant about the fact that Cloud had gotten away. For now.
That was until a large explosion rang out from the other side of the hill. It came again and was this time accompanied by screams. Turk screams if the woman's voice he heard was any indication. Comet 2, Reeve decided, probably amplified. An effective way for Cloud to cover his tracks but it wouldn't be enough to kill the Turks so Reeve did nothing. He could be patient when the situation demanded. ::The people demand it,:: the voice told him firmly.
~ * ~
Reeve watched dispassionately as Sephiroth fell. He dismissed whatever garble the fallen warrior was trying to say as the mako light faded from his eyes. Whatever it was, it wasn't important and really, where had that look of surprise come from? Sephiroth had been around ShinRa for years. He should have been expecting something like this. He was a security risk. It was that simple. If it ever got out that he, the one meant to be Jenova's Child had gone against her wishes and killed what in effect was his mother and father, and ShinRa's greatest General there would be chaos and ShinRa would undoubtedly fall. There were always small organisations like Avalanche just waiting for their opportunity to strike and Reeve wasn't about to give them one. He'd spent too much time climbing ShinRa's corporate ladder, he wasn't about to see it fall, just when he'd reached the top.
He glanced over at the Turks. Reno was casting some spell on Elena. Annoying as she was, she was still a Turk and they took care of their own. "Rude, bring him along," Reeve instructed, waving his hand towards Sephiroth. He might have ruined our ultimate dreams for now but he's still a valuable experiment and as long as he's contained, the risk he poses is acceptable. I can authorise the Beta teams now too...
"...hey Reeve!" Rude finally managed to break through his thoughts. The Turk was speaking surprisingly loudly.
"What is it?" Reeve questioned, turning. He'd spent too much time here already. There were other things he needed to do but as he turned the source of Rude's agitation became apparent in the form of a small glittering crystal orb - a red orb.
"Summon materia?"
That wasn't possible. After Cloud had been defeated most of the summon materia had ceased functioning or had been intermittent at best. Then once the Weapons were gone they'd ceased functioning at all becoming dull red spheres that didn't even function as adequate paper weights. Dead Materia. Not unheard of before but not usual either. There were all sorts of theories - the Planet was punishing them; the Planet had decided that such power was better kept contained until such time that humans could control themselves; the Summoned had been on Cloud's or the Weapon's side all along or were extensions of them and did not wish to serve their killers - but no one knew exactly why. But this one, this one sparkled and glittered, even lying there half in shadow. This one was alive and Reeve could feel the force of its power from where he was standing.
"Bring it along. We'll have to ask him about this as well." Sephiroth, it seemed, still had the power to leave so many questions unanswered.
~ * ~
"Cloud, you're here?"
Cloud shrugged. "It seems I've got no choice when I sleep but what happened to you?" He couldn't help it. All the times he had seen Sephiroth, it didn't matter when, the man had been immaculately groomed. Even at the North Crater he'd carried a sense about him that he was proper and that the rest of them were curs, at the highest. He'd only lost that sense at the end. But this Sephiroth was disheveled. His long silver hair was matted and knotted. It would probably take forever to brush out. His clothing had rips and scuffs and stains of... blood?
"What happened?" Cloud asked again, more urgently. It was only then that he noticed the Masamune was missing.
"Oh... I got captured."
"You got captured?" Disbelief hung heavy in Cloud's voice.
"There are limits to my abilities and facing Reeve and the Turks is it."
"Ah... I'm sorry." Cloud looked at him, shivering slightly as the memory of years he'd spent captured returned. Memories he thankfully couldn't recall that well. "Do you know what they're going to do with you?"
Sephiroth shrugged. "I'm a valuable experiment. As you said earlier I am Jenova's Child but that meant nothing after a human merged with Jenova."
"Me? But what do you mean merged?"
"That didn't happen there?"
Cloud shook his head. "I don't think so but I'm not quite sure what you mean."
Sephiroth sighed, sounding amazingly old. "I am Jenova's Child," he placed the stress on the words deliberately. "I was injected with cells from her while I was still in the womb. The Cloud of this world in the end was claiming to be Jenova and in a very real sense he was. Hojo, after Gast's death attempted to revive Jenova but he couldn't. Her remains were too old, to preserved for that to work. But what he could do was merge he body with one that was already living. And so that's what he did. Cloud Strife was chosen to be the one she merged with."
"Why didn't they chose a female?" One thing Cloud knew, Jenova was female - her thoughts, her presence, her smell, everything said that she was female.
"Why? They couldn't find a woman who was mentally able. And it wasn't through lack of trying. Physically Jenova could have merged with anyone but mentally... 'The Host' as they called it had to be very special." Sephiroth's voice was thick with disgust at the scientists but when he went on all trace of emotion had vanished and his voice was a monotone. "After merging Cloud became the greatest General ShinRa had ever seen and I lost the greatest piece of my life." It was clear his pain was still with him. He shook his head, sending strands of his hair dancing in the sun like gossamer. "What about you? What's been happening there?"
Cloud was suddenly uncomfortable. Despite the fact that he knew this wasn't the Sephiroth he'd fought, not the Sephiroth he hated he was uncomfortable thanking the man. He sighed, a bit mockingly and scratched at the back of his head. "I actually have to thank you," Cloud managed to say after a few starts. "Reeve... Reeve decided to come for me but I managed to get away. I only hope Cid and Vincent are okay. He had them captured when I saw them last."
"It should be okay," Sephiroth brushed over Cloud's fumbling. "Reeve should only want you but please, tell me what happened on your world. You already said you never loved me but at the same time it was you who killed your world's version of me. So what happened? What was different?"
Cloud sighed again but this time it was different, a more considering sigh that stated for him the 'Oh boy... Where do I start?' that was running around his head. "Well, for a start, you were always ShinRa's General and Jenova's Child, although that didn't come up until later. As far as I know the possibility of bringing Jenova back to life by merging her with someone never occurred to anyone here, or at least, I don't think it was ever tried. For my part I was just a ShinRa ground troop, someone who failed to get into SOLDIER."
"But your eyes?" Sephiroth objected.
"I'll get to them," Cloud said with a smile. It felt good, just to be able to talk, just to be able to explain the last few years of his life. "Everything was fine until you went on a mission to Nibelheim, and there you meet Jenova. She'd been put there, in the reactor after Gast died, I think. No one probably knew what to do with it. After that you went insane and destroyed Nibelheim and then you went back to the reactor to free Jenova. That's when Zack caught you. You ran him through, Tifa as well when she confronted you. I got there about that time and Zack gave me his sword. He told me to kill you so I did, or I tried. You ran me through too," Cloud shivered at the memory. "But then you and Jenova fell into the Lifestream and it was assumed you were dead. Five years later though, you returned and you were trying to destroy the world again, no..." Cloud ordered the events in his mind. "You were trying to become immortal, become the Lifestream itself using the Black Materia and Meteor. That's when Avalanche and I fought you and I killed you again."
"Your eyes?" Sephiroth prompted. He obviously wanted to know how Cloud had gotten a SOLDIER's mako eyes if he'd been rejected.
"In the five years you were initially thought dead, Zack and I were prisoners, guinea pigs of Hojo. He gave me a SOLDIER's abilities, amongst other things." Cloud's voice betrayed no emotion.
"I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"That I caused you so much pain," Sephiroth could see parts of the story Cloud was not telling him.
"It wasn't you!" Cloud objected. "It wasn't even really you here. It was all Jenova! I should have known that earlier. I should never have blamed you."
"We're only human Cloud, despite what they do to our bodies. We are only human. We both needed someone to blame." Sephiroth dismissed the matter before he asked the question which had begun to form in Cloud's mind. "I wonder if we could meet? I mean really meet. Cross dimensions. I'd accept an invite to yours if I could."
"That we're talking seems to indicate that there is some connection," Cloud said slowly. This was way beyond him and he had no idea of even how to begin to approach the question. His face was full of confusion, straining to find sense.
"Don't worry about it, Cloud. It's just a wish," Sephiroth said with a smile. "Although you do look adorable with that expression," he added, bending over to gently kiss Cloud's forehead. "Just like I remember," he faded from the world.
~ * ~
Cloud awoke with a start, thrashing, tangling himself in his blanket. Sephiroth had kissed him! Granted there was nothing intimate with it but he had still kissed him and the look in his eyes said he wanted... needed more.
::But it's not like you didn't like it,:: the voice was back. ::I don't know why you're so surprised. You know how he feels. I'm just surprised he didn't make it deeper.::
"Why am I so surprised?.. You are me aren't you?"
::I am you, yes. But I'm a different part Cloud. Don't worry about the differences too much. They aren't important.:: The voice was silent after that.
"Don't worry, he says," Cloud muttered, settling back down to see if he could get some more sleep. It was too dark to attempt to travel now and the voice was right about one thing, after he'd gotten over his initial surprise he did have the faint desire for more.
~ * ~
"That's it!" Cid was tired of lying awake, worrying about Cloud. Reeve was up to something and even if he wasn't lying about the kid being Hojo's still it wasn't right. "I owe him too damn much."
"What are you waiting for?" Vincent's voice sounded from the window.
"^$%#!" Cid jumped before peering though the darkness at Vincent. "You &^%#$* vampire, you're dressed?"
"I've been waiting. I can't fly the Bronco and that's the quickest way to the Highwind."
"Humph! Well then, hurry up and throw me my clothes."
Vincent complied, throwing various articles of clothing towards the bed where Cid sat. "Idiot! I need my boxers first. Where the hell'd you put them?"
"How am I supposed to know? You weren't exactly neat either. It took me forever to find my clothes."
Cid didn't dignify that with an answer.
They made it to the Bronco easily and Cid soon had it gliding through the night sky towards the Highwind.
"Heh! I'm just glad the kid refused to give it back to ShinRa!" Cid said with a smile at the memory. Cloud had been adamant when he faced Reeve down about it, when the issue had finally come up. What had he said? Oh yes, he'd been so quiet Reeve almost hadn't heard but he'd been determined. 'No Reeve, the Highwind used to belong to ShinRa. But since Cid has provided both the crew and fuel for quite some time, it belongs to us now.' "Just another thing I owe him for," he sighed. "What do you think Reeve's up to?"
"Something. He was not telling us the truth." It appeared Vincent was back to his normal self.
A time and a place for all things, you idiot! Cid thought to himself. Vincent was the way he was because he was focused. He knew the rules of engagement very well indeed.
"I believe we should collect everyone first," Vincent said quietly as they came upon the clearing the Highwind was tethered in. "That way we can see if Reeve has said anything to them."
"What about Cloud?"
"He's capable of looking after himself," was Valentine's only reply.
"..."
~ * ~
Sephiroth awoke but he was intelligent enough to keep his eyes closed as full awareness and feeling came to him. Memories first, always of him. Awesome blue eyes, reckless hair that just wouldn't conform, a soft voice and protection, strength and love that promised eternity. That was nothing more than a dream, his eternity would be spent alone but Sephiroth was hard pressed to keep from crying out in longing as those memories faded. I killed you. I destroyed that dream.
Memories closer to the present followed. Turks and Reeve. That bastard's attack from behind. Sephiroth's body tensed but he forces himself to relax. At the moment there was nothing he could do and while the attack had been cowardly and overwhelming, it did show that at least Reeve took him seriously and really didn't want him running loose.
Voices slowly came to him, faded, disjointed, almost completely out of earshot but definitely there.
"... Project A... awakening... Still don't know... Looks stable... not strong enough..." None of them made any sense because it didn't seem like they were talking about him, and it certainly didn't sound like a prison.
Then a new sensation came to him. It was one so familiar but so hated he recognised it immediately. The feel of his hair floating, the feel of his entire body floating, and the taste, the smell of the green liquid he was in. Liquid which maintained his body, giving him the nutrients and air he needed to live while holding him trapped.
A lab then. The thought came to him with cold certainty and he shivered as his memories again overwhelmed him. Watching, standing on the outside surrounded by ants scurrying around dressed in white coats. Watching a figure so achingly familiar yet so stunningly beautiful to his eyes but unable to say anything as they slowly moved in the tank, heading towards the other... the thing that was also suspended in the liquid. Jenova. He wanted to scream, to shout, to stop the experiment, to take the familiar weight of the Apocalypse blade, strapped across his back and drive it through the heart of that thing, the thing they called his mother who was now going to take away his life.
Cloud moved, always closer to Jenova just as the scientist's requested although how the instructions were being relayed Sephiroth didn't know. Most of them seemed too busy with frenzied activity with only Hojo and Gast providing a centre of calm.
The boy had agreed to do this for them but Sephiroth didn't know why. '"For you,"' was the answer his love had given him, while wrapped in the safety of his arms but that was not nearly answer enough. Why Cloud? he raged silently. I don't need you to be stronger. I just need you to be you so that I know, no matter what happens you'll always be there for me. Cloud, don't do this, he begged internally but could do nothing more than watch like the perfect, emotionless SOLDIER he was supposed to be.
Cloud looked back just once as he reached Jenova and was reaching out to embrace her, reaching out to take that body into his own. For you, his eyes said again. And for me, so that I can stand by your side and so that we're strong enough to defeat ShinRa no matter what truth they learn.
No! Cloud, no! Sephiroth screamed mentally. Don't go away! But by then it was far too late. Jenova had sensed a living being near it and that putrefied, rotting body had reached out, faster than the eye could see and wrapped itself around Cloud, pinning him in position. The scientists, Sephiroth, everyone had one last glimpse of wide blue eyes holding more terror and agony that the world should ever know before the liquid covered everything. But by then it was all over, and Sephiroth's heart had been ripped apart.
No. It wasn't. That came after, when I didn't think things could hurt anymore, Sephiroth thought remorsefully. Would it have been different if he'd just refused to let ShinRa experiment on Cloud, just told them their perfect killing machine, Jenova's Child, still had a human heart?
Tap, tap, tap.
His thoughts and guilt was interrupted by something in the present, something outside his cell.
"Sephiroth," the voice was high pitched and had a nasal quality to it but he didn't recognise it. "We know you're awake," it continued as Sephiroth came to the conclusion it belonged to a scientist. Only they had that mixture of arrogance and self-assuredness in their tone all the time. "So why don't you open your eyes and look around?" The scientist invited with a note of triumph.
Sephiroth complied in opening his eyes at least, fixing the obnoxious lab rat with a glare from his emerald eyes that would have shattered stone. As it was the man had the good taste to quail before he scurried away, a look of terror on his face. Sephiroth smiled briefly, letting his canines show. It was a small victory and hardly important but he had always enjoyed putting the fear of god, or the fear of him into those white-coated freaks.
He looked around. The lab was large, filled with benches and equipment. While he couldn't see it clearly he assumed everything was spotlessly clean and ready to be used. Everywhere there seemed to be white coated people scurrying, some with clip boards, some without, some hastily scribbling notes in half literate scrawl - he'd never seen any of the make notes legibly. Along the walls though were blue uniformed troops interspersed with mechanical guards. They weren't taking any risks and he assumed the place was packed with surveillance equipment.
Sephiroth looked closer. There were definite focal points for the activity. There was one around him but he dismissed them disdainfully. He'd have more than ample opportunity to study them later. There was one around something he could see it the distance, something that glittered and sparkled. It glittered red. Was that... Summon materia?
He shrugged. It didn't really matter if it was or wasn't. There wasn't much he could do from here but it was a potential weapon once he got out his this cage and there didn't appear to be that much security around it. There couldn't be. Security lead to corrupted test results he knew was the view of most scientists. Still its presence explained the movements of some of the scientists but there was still movement unaccounted for, something to the side of him.
Sephiroth looked over slowly. There was a second tank in the lab and it was occupied, though the figure could hardly be more than a child. Those bastards! They're experimenting on children now? Sephiroth looked closer. The child had a halo of short blonde hair and was male. He bobbed gently in the fluid. Thin arms and legs gave the impression of grace and to Sephiroth it looked like he'd be beautiful when he grew up.
Gently, ever so gently they floated, moved by currents, eddies in the liquid Sephiroth could not see, slowly turning around and as Sephiroth saw the child's face fully he gasped, gapped and felt his heart go cold.
Cloud...
To be continued...
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