Takes place after Kairi's rescue; contains spoilers for the end of Kingdom Hearts.

Written from Cloud's perspective.

~*~

Ephemeral Blossoms

Akai Kitsune

Part 8: Total Eclipse of the Heart

~*~

"Mr... Mr. Strife?"

A meek voice at my side brought me back from my memories, and I turned to watch as Kairi slipped into the chair beside mine, an expression of concern in her eyes.

"Do you need something?" I asked, my voice calm.

Her eyes narrowed, all timid posture fading away. "Need something?" she echoed, her voice slightly angered. "We haven't seen you for days! Cid's really worried, you know! First Leon and the others leave for Hollow Bastion, then Sora disappears, and then you-" She stopped herself abruptly, lips pursed, as she seemed to read something in my face. "Oh, never mind. Where have you been, though?"

I shrugged, taking a quick sip of my drink. "Nowhere in particular."

Lost... lost in my own memories. Though I had to admit that her visit was a welcomed distraction. The things that had occurred after my capture were far from pleasant. I... didn't want to think about that.

"Cloud... aw, Cloud, I'm so sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen."

A lot of things happened that weren't meant to, you know...

"Well next time you decide to do nothing," Kairi continued, raising an eyebrow, "Tell us first, okay? Or at least tell Cid. He's been driving me crazy this whole time."

My lips quirked into a small smile, and I shook my head. "You remind me of a girl I used to know."

Kairi blinked, curious. "Aerith, you mean?"

I sat back, eyes darkening. "No... not Aerith. Someone I grew up with. A good friend."

"Zack... what happened to him? Where was he, all this time?"

"Cloud... Cloud, I'll get him for you. I'll kill him for hurting you like this..."

Ah, Tifa... it was me who was supposed to protect you, wasn't it?

"What was she like?" the girl asked, leaning her elbows on the table.

I sighed quietly, closing my eyes at the memories. "She was... an incredible person. A bit like you - fiery, yet caring. She was always smiling and laughing about something, even when no one else could."

"It's not so bad, is it?"

"You're stronger. That's what you always wanted, after all."

"I'm sorry, Cloud. I didn't mean that. I just... don't want to see you like this anymore."

"What happened?"

I opened my eyes, gazing up at the stars. "Darkness fell," I murmured, a fist tightening around my empty glass. "We were swallowed by it. I haven't seen her since that day."

Kairi was silent for a long moment, staring at the table. "That's... a lot like what happened to my island," she finally replied, her voice hushed. I glanced at her, one eyebrow raised, but didn't say anything. Everyone in town had lost a home, or someone important to them. It was commonplace, and she was lucky to have seen someone she cared about again.

The Keybearer... my thoughts turned to him then, shaking my head at the irony. Hades had tried to get me to kill the boy, and if I hadn't failed, I wondered what would have happened to all the worlds, then.

What would have happened to Aerith -

Ah, but I didn't want to think of that. I was simply grateful that the kid was so unbelievably strong and tenacious. I watched him in the other tournaments sometimes, ignoring his companions and focusing on the child who had defeated me. The animalistic creatures who followed him were no challenge - I took them out fairly easily in our battle - but Sora... he was special.

"I guess I can see a little bit of myself in you - a scrawny kid from some backwater town-"

"Why am I always smiling? Ask yourself this - 'why aren't I smiling too?' "

"Life's not so bad when you let people into it."

"Well at least we both know that some of our friends are okay," Kairi offered a bright smile, looking up at me. "And Sora's going to make things better, I just know it."

I couldn't shake my doubts, but her optimism made me feel a little better. It was true; if Sora succeeded, things would change. The worlds would return, and everyone would go back to where they're supposed to be... right?

I would go back home, and Aerith would be...

But would she even remember me?

"Don't look back-"

"I hope so," I murmured, though I wasn't quite certain who I was speaking to. "I hope nothing like this happens again."

"It won't," the young girl spoke with such confidence, as if she couldn't see how difficult it was, or how potentially hopeless everything seemed.

If Sora fell, even once, even to a single, lucky shot from the Heartless, it would all be over.

A hand touched my arm, and I blinked, looking up again. Kairi watched me with soft concern in her eyes.

"Don't worry so much," she whispered, "He can do it. I know he can."

That said, she rose from the chair and left the tavern, into the night air of Traverse Town. I sat there for a while longer, thinking.

Such confidence she had in him, a mere child. It was foolish, almost blind. She had no idea what he was up against - and neither did he. This was Ansem, the source of all the Heartless and more. This was the ruler of Hollow Bastion, a man who was twisted and destroyed by the darkness he sought to understand. He knew power, had tasted it before either of them had even been born.

How could she be so calm, when the one she loved was surely leaving her side to die?

But the look in her eyes... that sense of peace, contentment. I know I had seen the same expression on Aerith's face, the same smile.

"I'm still here."

Maybe... maybe I could have a little faith in him, too.

~*~*~

I looked up from within my glass prison as the door in the far corner opened, my gaze already fixed into a glare. After a week of seeing no one except the man who then walked through it, I had adjusted to the odd routine he had set for himself.

"Good morning," Hojo greeted pleasantly, barely gracing me with a sideways glance.

I didn't reply. It certainly hadn't taken me a week to learn that Hojo never actually wanted to talk - merely gave others the privilege of hearing him speak.

"I'm surprised you're awake," he continued, scribbling something unintelligible in the notebook he constantly carried with him. "The Mako left you very drained this week. You probably slept through most of these little examinations."

I snorted. "You sure it wasn't the conversation?"

Okay, so Zack had had a little influence on me... but Hojo was unruffled, as usual. I think nothing short of the world exploding would make him look up if he didn't want to.

Unless someone threatened his work. That would get his attention.

Unfortunately, stuck in my cage, I couldn't do anything about either tactic. So was again, I reverted back to silence and let him ramble.

"Actually, I'm quite pleased that you're awake," the scientist smiled, his white teeth glinting in the lights above. "It means your resistance to the effects of Mako is improving. Slowly, granted, but it's better than I expected. You're turning out to be quite a find, Strife."

Oh yes, that's exactly what I wanted to hear.

Hojo went back to his scribbling, so I went back to counting the ceiling tiles. I was going for a different pattern this time: multiples of five instead of two... maybe tomorrow I'd try diagonally...

"But you know," Hojo spoke up after a moment, and I closed my eyes. Damn, damn, damn. Lost count again. "You know, there's something missing in all this."

"Logic?" I offered.

His lip quirked. "Not quite, boy. I was referring more to our missing hypothesis. Every experiment needs one, after all."

He wanted a hypothesis? Why not, how long before said experiment breaks free and wrings your-

"That's going to change soon, though," he said, in a voice that expected me to be happy about it. "I've just been informed of a very important shipment to arrive at the lab before next week. I'm sure you'll be pleased."

Oh, I'm sure, too. If my new home wasn't so small, I'd be doing cartwheels.

I knew he wouldn't elaborate - Hojo was fanatical about keeping secrets, at least from what I'd seen already - so I went back to the tiles. They were a lot less intimidating, that's for sure.

I bet Zack wouldn't be intimidated by this guy...

... Zack would've driven him mad in three days, if he wasn't nuts already.

Wonder what he's doing...

He and Tifa were probably wearing holes in the floor of the bar wondering what happened. I didn't know where the training facility for SOLDIER really was, but I had the feeling it wasn't far enough to take a week to get there. So that meant Zack was starting to realize something was up.

I hoped it also meant that he could find me somehow...

Fifty-eight... fifty-nine...

Hojo moved to stand beside the container, pushing a few of the buttons in the side panel. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him, trying to see what he was doing. I had learned a few of his patterns, just as I had grown adjusted to his routine - certain combinations of buttons meant different experiments for that particular day.

As he finished, I groaned inwardly. Enhanced Mako treatment was on the schedule for today. Just what I needed.

Hojo looked up, meeting my eyes for a moment. He smiled coldly.

"Ready for the day to begin?" he asked in a bright voice.

I gave him my best glare, and continued to do so as he filled my chamber with whatever tainted Mako he experimented with, and I fell gratefully into unconsciousness.

Zack... where are you...?

~*~

"Are you certain?"

"Of course I am. Am I ever wrong?"

"You can't expect me to answer that honestly."

I came awake slowly, still groggy from Hojo's latest experimentation, and heard the voices before I opened my eyes. I halted any movement and waited, listening as best as I could, while the argument continued.

"Oh come now. Is that any way to treat the man to whom you owe your existence?" Hojo, of course.

"I owe you nothing. You're a fool if you think I feel anything for you except contempt." A sharp voice, stern and full of inner strength. It was a man's voice, and by the sounds of it, someone of high rank.

"And yet you run to me when you cannot understand who you are," Hojo replied in a cool voice. I could hear the smile he must have given the other man.

"Run to you?" The strange man laughed briefly. "You forget who has begged myself, and the President, for years to have me returned to your labs. I only came to give you something else to amuse yourself with."

"A pitiful specimen," Hojo grumbled, "But with the potential to become a creature worthy of serving you."

"Are you certain this is the one you've been looking for?" The other asked, his voice doubtful. "I sense nothing familiar nor shadowed about him. The only thing that gives me confidence is the faith that Zack has in him."

The scientist snorted. "As if that fool's word is worth your notice."

The stranger fell into silence for a long moment, and I almost opened my eyes to see if the conversation was over. Finally the man responded in a quiet, yet dangerously threatening voice, "I notice men who deserve my respect. Zack is one of those men - and no skulking scientist who has eyes only for his own plans can say otherwise, especially to my face." His voice settled down. "Don't forget who it was who told me about Strife in the first place."

This time, I couldn't withhold my shock, and my eyes snapped open.

Zack was helping them? He... he was part of this?

He let this happen... he let Hojo do this...?

... Zack...

I raised my head, and my gaze was drawn to the communications screen Hojo stood in front of. And in that instant, the man in the screen noticed and locked eyes with mine, green eyes aglow with Mako.

The General Sephiroth, his face known by everyone on the Bastion, stared into my eyes, and he smiled.

I felt all hope wither away at that single expression.

"I'll leave you to your work now," he said after a moment, speaking to Hojo even though his eyes never left mine. "I look forward to the end results."

The screen faded to black, taking Sephiroth with it. I shivered, eyes wide, unable to contain my fear.

Sephiroth's idea. Hojo's experiment.

And Zack... Zack's betrayal...

I knew then, that there would be no escape for me. I was trapped here, doomed to whatever fate they had planned for me... and I couldn't do a thing about it.

~*~

AN: Seems a good enough spot to stop. Sorry for the delay in update, everyone! ^^;; My muse has been very fickle lately. This chapter was slow because of the lack of Zack, I like to think. *snicker* But don't worry, he should be coming back next chapter! (If all goes well, anyway...)

I hope I satisfied the Sephiroth fans. *pokes him* He's difficult to write! I never imagined he'd be such a challenge. In this fic he's quite a bit more familiar with Hojo, but this is of course for plot, so... *shrug*

Next chapter - actually, even I have no idea what will happen. *snicker* More about Hojo's experiment will be revealed, though - and what is Zack's role in all this?

Reviewer Responses:

Kanojo Miseru-to Kurai: Your theories scare me, O_o Although haven't we already seen Cloud in a dress? *thinks back to FFVII* That's a scary memory.

eternal star: Actually, I was being sarcastic. Of course I know Sephiroth, but truthfully, I don't like him very much. I don't know how big a role he'll be playing in this fic, but we'll see what happens, ^_^

Koorino Megumi: That's MY catchphrase! :P Yeah, Zack's suspicion comes up a bit later, too...

Anime no Megami: Chapter 8? What's that? Never heard of it... ^^;;