Make a wish
Laguna looked at the defiling lands through the window of the Ragnarok. Kyros was at his side, smiling at his un-unusual behaviour. He seemed even more hyperactive than before, even more than when they were in the army. But, what was the most important for Kyros was that he was happy again. He had found his son… Squall, son of Raine Leonhart, Raine… When Squall had first found out about his parents, he'd gotten very angry at Laguna and he had left, saying that he should never, /ever/ speak to him again. But after the great gathering, involving Angel, Zack and Sky, something stirred in him, maybe it was even Seifer's doing, but he just threw himself on his father, crying out that he didn't want him to leave him alone. They had talked after that, talked for hours. Finally Squall accepted Laguna's explanations, how everything had turned, how all was out of control for both of them. And now, they were quite a pair, the young head of SeeD was changing, as well as his father through that new relationship.
- You're happy, Laguna. It's good to see your smile again, love.
- Kyros! You're just a tease!, the other man answered, You know, your sweet tongue won't lead you to anything, not while we're on the Ragnarok with Angel and Sky sleeping here…
- Laguna, Laguna, Laguna! I was just saying that your son was the reason of you smiles, that's all.
- Oh, yeah, you're right. My son is at home, do you believe it? Do you believe it!?!
The lean fighter chuckled and shook his head in despair. But still, he was very curious about the reason why Zack had asked them to go get his brothers asap. The little blond was coughing a lot, maybe the silver-haired doctor wanted to hospitalise him… Suddenly, Laguna started to run around like crazy, announcing their arrival to Esthar Airstation.
********
- Look, Angel I-I don't /know/ how… why… I cannot…… just be prepared, okay? Your brother didn't listened to me and look at him, now, Adrian said, pointing Zack on the bed.
The doctor was sleeping peacefully. Angel nodded but, deep down inside of him, he could feel that something was wrong somewhere. Zack had always succeeded in keeping his self-control, so why would they treat him for shock? Adrian then turned to Sky and explained the situation again, but they still didn't know what it was all about. When he lead them to a rest room, though, everything cleared up. Sephiroth was reading a book on a rocking chair.
- Mr. Valentine? Your sons are here.
Sky was shaking all over and he took some very hesitant steps toward his father, who simply stood up, the way he used to, and walked to his shivering child. The blond sank in the warm embrace… Sephiroth ruffled his hair gently.
- Sky…, he whispered, You have to lie down, you /need/ to rest… How many times will I have to tell you? Listen to your brother when you don't feel well.
- D-dad?!?, muttered Angel, You're alive… H-How…
The doctor's twin swayed dangerously on his feet, unbelieving what he was seeing.
- Angel!!!, suddenly screamed Adrian, Troy! Bring a sedative, quick!
- And a fever breaker…, calmly added Sephiroth, My son is suffering. Sky…? Sky? C'mon, let's get you to bed.
Sephiroth guided his son toward his own bed, unbuckling his belt, trousers and shoes before laying him back down as a nurse arrived near him with a tray. She gently passed a hand on the blond's forehead, slipping a small thermometer into his mouth. Sky whimpered but his father hushed him. Vivian retired the tube, frowned and went to the closet to retrieve some warm blankets while Angel was taken care of and put to sleep forcefully. Sky was given a powerful fever breaker and a stronger dose of his antibiotics. Turning to Adrian, the silver haired man said in a sheepish tone:
- At least they didn't scream like I imagined they would…
********
Seifer sighed.
- Can't you do anything /right/?
- What? It's not my fault I don't have any balance on those things…
Squall helped Seifer up to his feet. The tall blond tried again to roll some more but fell graciously on his bottom again. The brunette chuckled, holding out his hand once more to his mate. Seifer grunted but let Squall support him by the waist to try again. He had never tried roller blades before and had agreed to go for a ride with him anyway. If it wasn't for the numerous parts of protection he wore, he would have much more than a sore back…
- Take it slow, you don't have to go fast at first. One step, let roll, than another, let roll and so on…
Seifer followed the instructions given to him and slowly, began to catch it. Squall let him go and after few minutes he could really tell that it was a success.
- Hey, looks like you got it!
But Squall's smile quickly faded when he noticed that the blond was going toward a slope.
- Brake, Seifer, you're not ready for slopes…
- How?
- Use the rubber behind your right roller skate!
- Isn't there any other way?!?
- What do you mean 'any other way'??? You mean you DON'T HAVE BREAKS?!?! SEIFER!!!
- YAAAAAAA!!!!!
The brunette watched as Seifer tried to deal with the slope, but the blond failed. A small patch of gravel had the best of him and he tumbled down on the side of the cycle track. He heard his name called and groaned. Squall was here all of a sudden, asking him if he was okay, to what he answered with his usual smirk, lifting himself up to prove his point but… Squall paled dangerously when he saw his left arm.
- Seifer…, he murmured, Can you move your left arm?
- Sure, why do you… Ugh!
The SeeD leader immediately grabbed Seifer to prevent him any more pain.
- Don't. Move. Your. Arm. We are going straight to the hospital.
********
'Doctor Valentine is needed in emergency room 2 immediately, I repeat, Doctor Valentine, emergency room 2. Thank you.'
Zackary Valentine hurriedly walked up to the emergency room 2. Few hours of forced sleep had been enough for him. He was still astonished to see his father still there, but by reading Hojo's notes on the subject, he was understanding a little better what had happened. Sephiroth's mind needed a break, or a thing like that. Slipping into surgery gloves, he pushed the double doors and asked what was going on.
- A rather harsh fall, it seems. The patient wanted you as his doctor, and no one else would do.
- Hm? And who is it?
- A certain Seifer Almasy. You know him?
Zack's eyes widened. He had heard of him, first as the Sorceress's Knight, second as one of Angel's student. Moving to the stretcher, the doctor examined the blond closely. Sighing, he looked at Seifer and told him to brace himself.
- Nathan, where are the radios?
- Here, sir. Left arm broken, dislocated shoulder. What's worrying is the dark patch here, I think the edge of the bone sectioned a vein or artery here. Already received a tranq injection.
- Indeed… This is unfortunate. Okay, Seifer? We'll have to replace your shoulder and then you will be transferred to the surgery block. Your fracture pierced a blood vessel and make your arm swell. I won't hide it to you, it will hurt. Nathan, make sure his arm doesn't move. Amy, make sure he doesn't squirm away. At three, one, two, three!
Seifer tensed as the bone was replaced. It hurt, but it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Save for the white spots he as seeing, that is. The stretcher moved out, Amy and Nathan taking him up to the surgery room. Zack got out and went to see Squall waiting outside with his father. Laguna greeted the doctor and asked if Seifer was okay.
- He will be, don't worry. He has to undergo a minor surgery to repair a blood vessel, a common operation when we treat that sort of fracture. He should be able to go home tonight and he will be out of the surgery room in about half an hour.
- But what can we do now?, asked the brunette.
- Did you hospitalize your brother, Zack?
- Well, sort of… Angel is kept here, too. He's still sleeping, though. But Sky and father are awake. They're in the room back there.
Laguna and Squall looked at each other in confusion before hurrying to the room Zack had pointed. They barged in and they saw that indeed Angel was sleeping while Sky was drawing on a paper block and, at the far end of the room, rocking on his chair, was the one supposed to be the father of that family. Sephiroth Valentine. The silver-haired man looked exactly the same as the man on the photographs the teachers had shown them. He was reading next to the window, his lower section wrapped in a warm blanket and seemed absorbed in his book. Sky, however put aside his drawing and greeted his visitors.
- Oh Squall! Laguna! This is a surprise! What brings you here?
Squall started explaining everything but Laguna walked up to Sephiroth. The silver-haired man retired his reading frames and looked up. Both looked at each other for a long time and the President of Esthar was taken aback by the brightness of those green eyes. Simply astonishing. Finally, Sephiroth spoke.
- Yes? Is there something you want to ask me? Why I am not dead if I may guess?
- No… Well, yes, but you can tell me later. I'm pleased to meet you. I'm Laguna Loire.
- Sephiroth Valentine-Strife. Please do tell me what brings you here.
- My son's boyfriend…
- DAD!!!, exclaimed Squall, blushing
- …had a little accident and broke his arm. Squall, don't be so… Hey! Look who's coming in!
Seifer, laying on a stretcher passed in front of them. He was still unconscious and Squall immediately went to him and grabbed his hand gently. Sephiroth turned his gaze toward the window, god it /hurt/… His book fell on the floor, he didn't noticed he was gripping painfully the handles of his chair.
- Cloud…
The faint whisper of the deceased was enough to make Sky jump in his bed and he hurriedly pushed the emergency button. Zack soon pushed the double doors, silently asking what was going on but when he saw his father, he brushed Laguna away gently. Taking a deep breath, he lay a hand on Sephiroth's forehead. He was trembling, now.
- Dad? Are you feeling alright?
- No…, he whispered as a tear ran down his cheek, It hurts, Zack…
- Where?, the doctor asked softly. Do you want to lay back? I can take you to my room…
- Yes, please… Take me there.
Carefully the doctor picked up his father, wrapping his shoulders in a warm blanket. Murmuring a soft apologize to Squall and Laguna, he walked to his rest room, helping Sephiroth down on the soft mattress. Zack closed the curtains of the small window, tucking him in.
- Is there anything I can do for you? Do you need anything?
- Yes… I need… I-I need him! Gods I /need/ him!!!
The son quickly caught his father in a tight embrace. He had feared that he might have forgotten about Cloud because of the casualness he showed, but now it was obvious he hadn't. The grief was still there, as fresh as it was six months ago. Sephiroth still needed to mourn.
- Dad…, Zack said sadly, He's still here, with you. I don't think he would leave you, even in death. I… think I feel him, sometimes. Don't let the grief overcome you, just let it out, okay? I'm here… Angel and Sky too, you can always come to us.
Sephiroth broke down. He was scared, he was tired, confused, lost, hurt and alone. Painfully alone, but Zack was there, holding him securely. He let himself cry until no more tears fell, and by then, he was thoroughly exhausted. Closing his eyes, Sephiroth drifted to the world of dreams.
********
He was surrounded by a very familiar decoration, or lack of it to be more precise. The furniture, the disposition of the rooms, he was in his old quarters, in the Shinra Tower, a little before Cloud… Turning on his heels, he suddenly faced a person he thought he would never see again. However, the proof that he was indeed dead sprouted from his back in forms of wings. Sephiroth fell on his knees. The angel smiled sadly but nonetheless bent down to embrace him, letting the older man cry on his shoulder once more.
- When they told me that I had to soothe a soul, I didn't expect it would be yours, Seph.
The silver haired man held him tighter.
- Help me… Please help me to go through this, Zack! It hurts too much!
- Tell me what happened, tell me why your hurt so much.
- Cloud's gone!
Zack's eyes widened in disbelief. No wonder Sephiroth was hurting. However… the angel was finding it strange he hadn't see the blonde yet. Maybe he just passed away…
- When?, he asked softly.
- Six month… ago, Sephiroth choked, he died right into my arms…
- Odd, whispered Zack, I didn't see him. I know he wouldn't go to the Promised Land without you. I did saw your father, your real father, Vincent, and his boyfriend, hey I even saw Rufus enter through here with Tifa of all people… But I didn't welcomed Cloud. He's not here…
End
Author's note
O_o That's it! Second chapter of 'Memories of Gold'. Zack still have a lot to tell Sephy, though so the next chapter will start with the dream sequence. I deliberately avoid that question of you all, I know that if I talk about Cloud, I'll spoil the beans. So that's it. All I will say is this: my mouth stays shut until the next chapter or the next one, I still don't know… Hey won't it be fun to watch you twitch under my cliffhanger? Mwahahahahaha!!!! See ya for: 'A new friendship'