Disclaimer
Do not own, yaoi warning… What else can I say? Interlude between 'Calm before the storm' and 'Peace upon us… Please'… You know I like to have a lot of reviews… Thanks to everyone who've written to me already: Argentowolf, Lauren, Dark Child, Mistress of Terror (I'm forgetting an awful lot of people, please forgive me) and I know one of you declared I was the goddess of yaoi, I am glad you think so. I humbly bow to everyone of you, and know that also 'Memories of gold' is coming, too, and it's set after the event in FF8. So, anyway, if anyone involved in Squaresoft appears, don't pursue me!!!!!!!!!! Please! I'm broke flat… Thanks in advance!
Nibelheim, the gates of insanity
- Oh, and those who had family here, you're free until tonight.
Sephiroth watched a little sadly his lover trudge toward his home. He had had a very rough ride in the back of the truck. When they had been forced to fight against that dragon, Cloud hadn't been able to stand up at all, he just collapsed in the mud, heaving up his previous meal until Zack came back to lend him a hand. Since then, he was in a terrible state, physically speaking. When he was sure Cloud had entered his house, the dark haired man turned up to look at his superior.
- Sir, I believe you too had some relative in this town. Shouldn't you be going too?
Sephiroth raised an inquiring eyebrow at his Commander, who simply winked. The General held back the urge to blush and 'humphed' indignantly. He decided to play the game.
- I'm surprised you even know about that one, Commander. At least next time, don't go broadcasting it in front of the troops. Then since you spilled the beans, I guess I'm going to go visit my second mother, so don't expect me to be back until tomorrow morning. Gather up at the mountain trail at 6:00. I won't tolerate any lateness. Dismissed.
Zack saluted as the troopers entered the inn and grinned at Sephiroth, who returned it playfully before walking down the town's square, following his lover's path. He found himself staring at a modest house, small and a little old, but still, it looked cosy. The silver-haired man knocked at the door.
- Please! Just give me a minute!
The voice was stunning, so clear, like Cloud, obviously a tone or two higher… When the door opened, he was in the presence of a beautiful woman. She had a bright blond hair, almost white and blue eyes that shone with worry, though.
- Welcome, what can I do for you, sir?
- Is Cloud at home?
- Cloud? You mean… oh you mean! Please, please do come in… but don't reprimand him, he can't help it.
She lead him to a small bedroom, but Cloud wasn't there. He got out of the bathroom few seconds after and both Cloud's mother and Sephiroth grabbed him to lay him on his bed. That's when the General noticed all the pictures pinned to the wall…
- Cloud, my boy, are you going to be alright?
- Mom… can I have… water?
- Here.
After several minutes, the blond finally came over his motion sickness and sat up only to blush furiously when he noticed Sephiroth looking around his bedroom, caught in the reading of all those old articles and photographs… His attention rested however on a certain picture of the Strifes, Cloud, his mother and his father. The General smiled seeing that indeed those wild spikes were passed down by his father… They looked happy, the little boy was on his mother's shoulders, laughing.
- Cloud, there is someone here to see you. I think it's someone from the army.
- Sephiroth…?
- Are you better, now? Can you introduce me to your mother?
- S-sure, he answered, blushing badly, Mom, this is Sephiroth, Sephiroth, my mother, Rose Strife.
Rose startled and stood up quickly, taking a glance at the man before him then looking at the photographs on the walls…
- This is the Shinra's /General/ Sephiroth?!?
Cloud mumbled something like 'yeah' under his breath and his mother immediately cupped his chin and lifted his face so she could have a closer look at his son. Her eyes widened and she took a softer expression.
- He's your boyfriend, mm?, she turned and looked at Sephiroth, You're his boyfriend, am I right?
Sephiroth nodded shyly. Rose glomped Cloud happily.
- I knew it! I knew it! Your father wasn't believing me, but I knew you were different… That's why you were so stressed, my poor boy. I don't care, do you hear me? I don't care who you love, as long as you're happy. In fact, I was hoping that you would find someone to take care of you. My… I always said you were beautiful, but I must say it's a shock to see /who/ you managed to seduce!
- Miss Strife, how did you-
- Oh, no 'miss' please, call me Rose. I knew you were a high-rank officer, and when Cloud presented you, he just said your name. Would you have been here on business, I don't think you would have let that slip, no? Now, come here, Sephiroth, she said.
She took her son's hands and put them into Sephiroth's.
- Take care of him, I'll go prepare dinner. And I'll bring you some night clothes.
When she was gone, Sephiroth kissed Cloud on the cheek, but was very confused. It was amazing; Rose knew everything that involved his son's life. And how could she know they were about to ask her shelter for the night? Brushing off those thought, he concentrated on Cloud, pulling him into a tight embrace. He could hear Rose busying herself in the kitchen, and for a brief moment he closed his eyes… A blinding flash startled him and a ravaging pain bounced in his head, alarming his mate who quickly asked him if he was ok. Unable to answer, Sephiroth only groaned and let his mind drift off. He felt his body being lain on a soft mattress and surrendered. The warmth was taking some of his pain away… Cloud murmured something that he didn't quite understand, but when two arms made their way around his waist, he just gave up and fell into oblivion.
- Boys? Diner is ready!
No answer. She called her son and climbed the stairs to ask him if he was okay, but what worried her was that Sephiroth, Cloud's boyfriend, wasn't answering. She carefully made her way to the bedroom, silently, only the soft ruffle of her orange dress could be heard. Peeking into the bedroom, she smiled at the sight. Oh, Roman… I wish you'd be here to see our son. She bent down and woke up Cloud.
- Oh dear, you don't want to miss diner, ne? Is your boyfriend tired?
- Yeah, a little. I'll help you set the table, and then I'll wake him up.
- I'm so glad you're back… Tell me more about him, he seems so… sad, even when he sleeps.
Cloud sighed, following his mother down the stairs. Sitting down at the table, he scratched the back of his neck nervously.
- Mom… Sephiroth really wished he could have a family, too. All he knew when he grew up was how he could suffer when he was left alone with his father…
********
Sephiroth and Cloud retired themselves early, well they had to be at the mountain trail before the troops… Rose kissed them both and wished good night, herself going back to the living room, clad in a heavy shawl to resume her knitting. She didn't expect to see Sephiroth climb down the stairs an hour later, looking tired but obviously unable to sleep. The silver-haired man sat down on the couch, looking outside by the window. He could see the inn from here, and all the lights were out. Zack was probably snoring by now… The woman installed in the old armchair continued her work, and for a moment Sephiroth wondered what his life could have been if he had had a mother like her when he was young. All he remembered was the lab, the lab assistants and the pain of the experiments… Rose saw the flash of hurt on his face and let go of her work to sit down next to him.
- What's wrong? Why are you so sad?, she asked softly
- I… I envy Cloud to have you as his mother. He loves you very much. I wish I still had mine.
- Oh my…, she whispered, I'm so sorry… How was she?
Sephiroth shook his head grimly.
- I… don't know. She died while giving birth to me…
- Oh no… I shouldn't have bring this up, forgive me. You seem so hurt talking about this… Come with me, I'll make you some tea. As long as you are here, you can consider yourself at home.
The silver-haired man lifted his head, a small smile marking his features and a tear rolling down his cheek. Rose smiled in return, guiding him into the small kitchen, asking him why he was crying.
- Because I never had place to call 'home' before.
*******
The next morning, Sephiroth thanked his now step mother and took his leave very early, so he wouldn't be seen with Cloud. The journey started rather well, if they wasn't counting that annoying man with his camera and the guide which turned out to be Tifa. That girl was the cause of Cloud's lonely childhood, and all she seemed to care about was the attention she was on the receiving end of. No wonder with the ridiculous outfit she was wearing. No one could miss her… But he was forced to take her, hell she was the daughter's mayor, and since he wasn't trusting Shinra very much, to refuse was very hazardous. And his lover did not want the girl to know he was here, even if he could have proposed himself as the guide, after all his father had been the village's best scout, and Cloud himself knew the mountains like nobody else. Since he was an outcast, the little blond had passed all his times in the Nibel mountains. The first leg of the trip went fairly well, the small group defended itself pretty well against the monsters roaming around, well, for Sephiroth they weren't very difficult to kill. When they reached the suspended bridge, though… everything seemed to turn sour.
- From now on, it's very dangerous!
To Sephiroth it sounded almost cheerful. When he reached her and Zack, the bridge collapsed. The General managed to grab a hold of Cloud and clung to the ropes while his Commander tried to save the girl. After that, everything went black. The next thing he was aware of was that his head hurt. A lot. And he thought he was hearing something whisper… to me… come child… free…
- Sephiroth? Sephiroth… can you hear me? I already healed your wounds, are you alright?
Sephiroth opened his eyes slowly, only to find out that Cloud was over him. He sighed. His lover explained that they had been lucky, because the other trooper fell to the left and had surely collided with the pointy rocks below. On the other hand, Zack and Tifa had rolled down the cliff and they were probably all right. The silver haired man tried to get on his elbows, but his head was spinning. Cloud suggested he took some time to rest, what he gladly accepted. They finally joined Zack and Tifa some hours later and reached the reactor. By the time they arrived, Sephiroth was suffering from a severe headache, which made him extremely irritable. Ordering Cloud to take care of the lady, he entered the reactor with Zack.
*********
Nothing could have prepared Sephiroth to the horrors that reactor held. After asking Zack to close the malfunctioning tank, he took a closer look to the different capsules. All had a number and somehow he found those codes very familiar. He could not see very well inside, mostly because the porthole was too high. Leaving this for later, he climbed the stairs and stared, shocked, at the locked door. In large, red letters, the name of his mother, JENOVA. He was suddenly assaulted by a demented laugh, tearing at his heart, hammering his already throbbing head. He realised then what Hojo had meant by saying he was sending him to his mother. She was truly behind that door, and she wanted him, /now/.
- Look around you, my child, she sneered, look how many times your father had to try before creating you. How many mistakes it took to reach perfection!
- NO!!!!!! You're not my mother! Get out of my head!!!!
Sephiroth staggered down the stairs but was suddenly taken by a fierce rage. He could not have been created, it couldn't be… He could not have been lied to all his life? Doubt seized him. Doubt and fear that his whole life was meant to be meaningless other than being a tool to use and to toss away afterward. Doubting about himself. Were his feelings really here? Was he really human? He lifted himself to one of the porthole and he nearly screamed that it couldn't be true. Those things were SOLDIERS… the number on the tank were their squad's and their ID tag's numbers combined.
- No! I can't be like those! I'm not…
- Of course you are not human. Have you ever seen someone with a strength like yours? Mwahahahaahaha!!!
- No!!!
- Sephiroth?
- Have I truly been created this way? I refuse to believe you!!!
He wasn't hearing Zack call his name, and it took everything the Commander had to stop his superior officer from destroying everything in the reactor. The Masamune was slashing every tank without even scratching them. The dark haired man shouted loud enough that Sephiroth finally heard him, but he turned on his heals and left in a hurry, almost running and Zack could swear that there were tears in the corner of those eyes.
********
The Shinra Mansion was creepy, gloomy and dangerous. The old wooden planks threatened to break at each step. Cloud went down to the basement and his heart skipped a beat when he heard the very recognizable sound of his lover's sobbing. Running toward the library, he nearly fell over a pile of books trying to reach Sephiroth. The silver haired man was curled around himself, an old, worn out book thrown away carelessly near him. The blond picked him up to embrace him, to what Sephiroth responded by breaking down completely. It took some time for Cloud to calm him down, after what he asked what was the matter.
- I… have been created… by Hojo, he said mournfully pointing the book, I'm not human, I'm a monster…
- No, whispered Cloud, no you aren't. You are the most human person I have ever seen. You may have been created, what I doubt greatly, but do you think it matters to me? You are my world, I love you Sephiroth, no matter where you are from, no matter what happened to you. I love you.
Sephiroth looked at Cloud with wide eyes and hugged him. He was tired, confused… so lost within himself. The silver haired man let Cloud rock him back and forth, drowning in this soothing rhythm.
- Why are you doing all this?
- Because I promised not to let you down. Because you asked me. You are endangering a life, here. You're dangerous for yourself. Please, follow me. An hour or two of rest could be useful now.
Sephiroth stood up shakily and picked up the old book. Cloud loved him, it didn't mattered… But he still wanted to know. He kissed Cloud fervently and explained him that he wanted to understand some things. He would have to face Hojo when he would be back.
- Go home, love. I will join you later. And thank you… for loving me…
The blond kissed him back, asking one more time if he would be okay, to what the older man answered with a reassuring smile. He watched the young soon-to-be First class SOLDIER make his way out and picked out few more books from the shelves. Sitting down in the chair behind the desk, he resumed his reading. He was an experiment. From the very beginning of his life. He also learned that JENOVA was an Ancient, but he couldn't find any proof that she was his mother. Hojo had noted that he had injected Sephiroth JENOVA cells when he was still in the womb… If JENOVA was an Ancient, and if he had received JENOVA cells as an embryo…
- That freak, he muttered, he's more twisted than anything. That thing cannot be my mother.
He continued to read until late in the night, not seeing that the time was passing… Slowly but surely, his eyelids became heavier and the hardships of the day taking their toll, Sephiroth fell asleep, exhausted. That's all JENOVA needed. She took advantage of him while he was sleeping, trying to tie up what was left of his control over her. The silver haired General woke up at one go, writhing in pain as he struggled against that mental attack. The pain was unbearable. And he could hear her laugh.
- You're mine, child… Mwahahahaha!!!
********
Zack was dumbstruck. Sephiroth seemed to have completely lost control of himself. His laugh had chilled him to the bones. He had then ran after him, but when he got out…
- Dear Lord, NO!!!
The dark haired SOLDIER gasped in horror. Cloud was lying on the ground in front of his house. He leaped his way to him, hurriedly crawling up to him to pull his out of the raging fire. That was when he realised the blond was crying. Looking toward the house in flames, he shook his head and embraced the boy tightly.
- I'm sorry… Get a hold of yourself, and listen, he said holding him comfortingly, Cloud, Cloud listen to me! Sephiroth had gone nuts! He's going to the reactor to see his mother and-
- No!!! No!!!, sobbed the blond, Noooooooo… JENOVA… JENOVA got to Sephiroth! I have to Stop her! Help me, Zack…
Zack nodded. Drying his tears and ignoring the searing pain he felt in his burnt arm, Cloud followed his friend up to the mountain trail and to the reactor. They ran into the Mayor's body, impaled through the heart by the neat edge of the Masamune. They suddenly heard a painful cry coming from the tank room, and Zack rushed to it, Cloud on his tail.
- I hate you!!!
It was Tifa. She was at the top of the stairs, wielding the Masamune. Sephiroth looked at her coldly, his eyes narrowing to slits before snatching the blade from her and he slashed her through the chest. She tumbled down, falling at Cloud's feet who picked her up to put her to safety while Zack broke the metal door to set the score with Sephiroth. But he flew out of the room seconds later, deadly wounded. The blond's eyes watered as he burst into the room, knowing what he had to do.
- They are stealing the Planet to mother… But I'm with you now… I'll help you…
- SEPHIROTH!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? MY TOWN, MY MOTHER!!! GIVE THEM BACK!
Sephiroth looked back to Cloud whose face was tear stained, he was trembling under the assault of so much emotion. The silver haired man seemed to regain control of his body and he yanked away the heavy metal gear standing before the Mako tank containing the creature known as JENOVA. Then, turning toward his love, he raised a hand that pushed him out of the room, where he could be safe from the grasp of his so called mother.
- I swear, he said to the creature, If I'm to die, I'm bringing you with me…
With effort, he lifted the sword and chopped her head off. But the action alone weakened him and he trudged to get out of the reactor, firmly clutching JENOVA's head. He gave Cloud a mournful look before leaving for the bridge. The blond stood up with difficulty, and Zack told him to kill Sephiroth. Walking over to Zack, he grabbed the hilt of the Buster sword. He had to do it. He had asked him. He had to do it… I will stop you… I will… stop… He joined Sephiroth on the bridge, but the General was battling for control. Cloud's heart leaped; his love was still in control of a part of himself. Running toward him, he cried out his name in hope of helping him, but he found himself suddenly impaled on the Masamune, his feet no longer on the bridge.
- Don't push your luck, the creature sneered.
- Seph, he squeaked.
The real Sephiroth resurfaced, a pained expression marking his features as he pleaded Cloud to take his life before he could do harm again.
- Cloud… Please… Kill me… She's trying to control me… Cloud! Cloud please…
Cloud braced himself and brought his feet on the ground, swinging the blade to the left, sending both Sephiroth and JENOVA's head in the Mako below. He fell to his knees, crying, pressing his bleeding wound. I'm coming… Sephiroth, wait for me in the Lifestream…Then everything went black.
End
Author's note
O_o… You all know what's next to come. I want to warn you: I'm not going to describe each scene… My birthday was January 29th this week!!! I just turned 22! Happy birthday to me!!! I had a great b-day gift from Sephy and Cloud!!!! Want to know what it was? Let'S just say it was hot enough to give me nosebleed even when I sleep… I also got a ticket to go see the Mtl Canadians at the Bell center! The game was great! I was so close to the players I could recognize them just by seeing their faces!!! I even saw Jaromir Jagr (on the ice though, not in person…) Next chapter: escaping from hell.
