Panic in Katailu
The dragon looked at Cloud with wide eyes. He had stopped right in front of Mikko's shop, and a half of the village was already burning. The shopkeeper had taken Sephiroth and the twins to safety while the blond was killing the thing. He avoided the tail swap easily, unleashing a climhazzard that sliced the creature in two. Not even stopping he used his enemy skill materia to drown the fire with aqualung. Some houses were severely damaged, if not completely burnt.
The villagers came back from their hideout, some mourning dear ones and losses. Emily ran down the place with the twins who flew off her arms to throw themselves on their father, wailing and trembling. Strapping back Ultima weapon, Cloud tried to reassure Angel and Zack, with no avail.
- Cloud, Emily started, Mikko said he'll be back with Sephiroth in a while…
The blond nodded and took the way to his home with the kids. However he couldn't convince them to go to sleep.
- The monstew will eat ME!!!, cried Zack, I don wanna be eaten!!!!!!!!!!!
- NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
Cloud knew it was fruitless to explain again that he had killed the dragon, the kids were scared to death. He sat down on the couch and brought them on his lap, gently stroking their silver hair until they stopped crying. Tired by a long trip and a rather harsh encounter with a dragon they slipped off. The blond lay them on the couch, covering them carefully with a blanket. He stood up to hang his weapon and seeing the empty space where the Masamune were usually resting, he got suddenly worried and stood in front of the window, waiting for his lover to return. An hour later he saw Mikko dragging back Sephiroth home, a weird look on his face.
******
Cloud and Mikko looked over Sephiroth all night long while Emily babysat Angel and Zack. The silver-haired man had a high fever and was having some trouble to breath. Giving him his medicine on time and trying to cool him down, they worked hard to steady his state. The shopkeeper had called a doctor hours ago.
- Mr. Timi! How is my best student! I didn't know you were living in such a beautiful house!
- Dr. Stark, please, it's not my home, but a friend's… His kids are still sleeping… This way, please.
As they climbed the stairs they could hear someone coughing hard, and by the sound Dr. Stark could tell it was painful. Mikko explained all the symptoms and developments of the disease, what happened to the village, and the shock the patient received. They entered the bedroom, where Cloud was taking care of Sephiroth.
- Mr Strife… What happened?
- We just had the time to free the chocobos, the dragon swapped his tail toward the kids. Sephiroth took the blow at full force and was thrown into a tree… Dr Stark?!? You're Mikko's teacher?
The young shopkeeper smiled and together him and his teacher began examining Sephiroth for more serious injuries and traumas. Cloud meanwhile went downstairs to cook breakfast and phone Vincent, then Barret. Angel and Zack ate with appetite, already recovered from their fright of the last day, they went to see their sick father upstairs before leaving for the lake with Emily. The two men soon climbed down the stairs.
- Why don't you come back to the hospital to pass your tests? This town definitely needs a doctor, Mikko.
- But who will stay here? Emily can run the shop alone for a while, but Cloud can't stay alone with Seph sick and the twins…
- Don't worry about this, Cloud interrupted, I just called Vincent and Barret, they'll come down today…
- Mr. Strife, you should be very careful with Mr. Valentine for the next weeks. His state worsened. Just don't let him out of bed, give him his medicine, a lot of liquid and he must rest. Here, take this inhaler and use it if he cough too much. At anytime, if it's becoming worse again, take him to the Rocket Town clinic. Dr Josh is a friend of mine, just tell him to call me.
Cloud nodded and made his way back to his bedroom. Sephiroth was turning and tossing in the bed, searching for warmth. The blond slipped under the covers, gently embracing his lover who woke up.
- Shhhhh… Everything is fine, just sleep, 'k?
The silver-haired man snuggled closer and returned to a peaceful sleep.
******
He was trapped. Could not breath. Something was pinning him down. His children screamed in terror, Cloud limp on the ground. The fire that consumed all… the village, the houses and his soul. Thousand of people cursing him…
The alien woman wrapped his tentacles around his neck and smiled cruelly…
- Useless puppet…
*******
- No… no… JENOVA… no… Cloud… Cloud…
Zack stirred, woken by his father's raving.
- Daddy?, he asked sleepily, Daddy Cwoud… Shephy 's waving again…
- Is he tossing?
- Yeah…
Cloud gently dislodged himself from Angel and switched place with Zack. He shook his mate a little, waking him from his nightmare. The silver-haired man bolted upright, eyes wide open, searching frantically what could have woken him. Cloud started to massage his shoulders, lulling him back to calm. Sephiroth sagged against those warm hands, he sighed contentedly, rubbing his cheek on Cloud's neck.
- Better, now?
- Mmmm…Yeah… Don't leave me alone…
- I'm not, don't worry. Do you want something?
- Warmth…
Cloud smirked and slipped next to his lover, rubbing his back gently, noticing that Sephiroth's fever was down. He covered Angel and Zack before snuggling comfortably under the blankets, lulled back to sleep by the low purring sound of his mate.
******
- What is doing Cloud anyway? He should be down by this time…
Marlene, Angel and Zack giggled as Elmyra glared at him. The kids finished their breakfast and went to play outside. Barret grumbled as his wife gave him his coffee.
- Zack said he was tired, I'll go wake him up.
It was still dark in the master's bedroom. Cloud was indeed still sleeping, sprawled on his back, Sephiroth's head resting peacefully on his chest. Carefully she shook Cloud a little, leaving Sephiroth to his rest. The silver-haired man grunted and rolled to the other end of the bed as Cloud gently dislodged him. The blond followed Elmyra to the kitchen, where he waved Barret sleepily.
They ate their breakfast in silence after what they left to work some things out in the woods. The week had been peaceful, Sephiroth seemed to recover and the wood supplies for the winter were almost up. Elmyra sat in the chair near the bed and resumed her knitting. Nothing warned them when the ground shook violently, releasing a dark green substance on the ground, surrounding the kids. It started by attacking their wings, so that way they couldn't escape. Cloud and Barret heard their distress calls, Sephiroth and Elmyra too, they all ran to see what was happening.
- Marlene!
- My babies! Zack! Angel!
Cloud didn't think more and dived into the green pool to his children, using the Ultima weapon to free them of the green goo stuck to their wings.
- Go! Fly to daddy Sephy! Quick! Marlene, hop on my back!
The little girl obeyed and climbed on his uncle Cloud's back, who swam back to the shore. Barret quickly took his daughter and helped him to his feet.
- Cloud! Barret! Behind me!
Sephiroth had already his wings wide open, protecting Elmyra and the children. Barret succeeded in reaching them on time, but Cloud was tackled down by a dark green wave. He held back his Holy Aura, not wanting to hurt Cloud. Suddenly, a red light surrounded the blond. Everyone expected an Omnislash… and when two golden wings sprouted from his back, everyone gasped and Sephiroth fell on the ground, whispering tenderly that he haven't saw something so beautiful in all his life. Cloud's blue eyes turned to a deep aquamarine and he took off, hovering above the threatening pool, chanting some strange verses. Arms turned up toward the sky, he looked down one last time.
- Celestial Winds!
The clouds parted and a golden ray of energy travelled down to his open arms. Cloud brought them together, fists closed and the energy was propelled toward the pool, which returned into the depths of the Planet. The blond angel flapped his wings to get down, but due to the novelty of the thing, he swayed and began to fall, but was caught by Sephiroth, Angel and Zack. When they lay him on the ground, he was sleeping deeply. Barret, Marlene and Elmyra came to join them.
- What the hell was that anyway? Shouted Barret
- I don't know, and I don't /want/ to know…
- Daddy Shephy? Why you nevew told us daddy Cwoud had wings?
- Because I didn't know, Angel, I never saw him with wings before…
- Why Cwoud don wake up?
- He's tired, dearies, don't wake up your daddy… By the way… You look better today, Sephiroth.
- I feel better, too Elmyra, thanks for your help.
- Dad, can we go to Costa del Sol before going back home? I wanna go swim!
- Well… What do you think, Elmyra?
- That's a good idea.
- Let's get Cloud to bed and I'll call Cid to take you there.
******
So the same day Barret and Elmyra left for Costa del Sol. After dinner, Sephiroth put the kids to bed and joined his lover under the covers for the night.
- My beautiful Cloud… how could you hide those magnificent wings from me?
- I don't know… I didn't know myself… Sephy…
Cloud purred as he felt a warm hand on his chest, teasing the tender flesh of his nipples, and kissed his way to Sephiroth's ear to whisper his needs. To what the silver-haired man answered by a fierce kiss and a more direct use of his hands, cupping the growing member and stroking it a few times. Cloud let him, anyway he was too tired to play the seme tonight…
Life continued as it always had before… Until Cloud woke up one morning, two weeks later, sick as hell. Sephiroth immediately called Mikko, who was back from Mideel with his medicine diploma. The doctor arrived with his wife, Emily, to take care of the twins. After examination, and a blood sample, he gave Cloud some pills and told him to relax, it was probably stress or something like that.
- Poow daddy Cwoud…
- Yeah, it's not funny. Go see him and try to cheer him up…
The phone interrupted him.
- Mikko? ……… Yeah…… Okay……… Sit down? Ok, ok……… Yeah, yeah… I'm going to tell him he's… WHAT? STOP LAUGHING IT'S NOT FUNNY!!! HOW ON EARTH AM I GOING TO TELL HIM THAT HE'S PREGNANT AGAIN!?!…………… You're right… sorry, I'm a little nervous right now, oh &%?& I'll call you back later!
Cloud was at the end of the staircase, eyes wide open and pale as a sheet. Sephiroth hurriedly guided him to the couch to lie him down. Zack came closer to his father and patted his air gently.
- It's a bad thing pregeant, daddy Shephy?
- No, no, it' not… It's just unusual, for Cloud, I mean, for men to get pregnant.
- So what does it means? asked Angel.
- It means that daddy Cloud and I will have another baby, a sister or a brother for you.
- Nnnggh…
- Cwoud will have a baby? Where is it?
- The same place you were before you were born, Zack, right here, Sephiroth answered, pointing Cloud's belly
- Seph… Seph, I'm going to throw up…
Sephiroth and the kids reared back and Cloud ran all the way to the bathroom, shutting close the door behind him. Sephiroth sighed and went to the kitchen with the kids.
- Okay, who want to help daddy Sephy to make ginger cookies?
End
Author's note
I'm very sorry about the delay… I'm in my new home, but cannot get my new internet connection to work!!! Grrrrr… but my friend got a pc and a connection that works… Again sorry for the delay! I love you all! Next chapter: The true nature of Vincent Valentine.