Darkness Rising

By Chibi Nataku

Disclaimer: In no way do I hold claim over any of the characters of Kingdom Hearts, who are currently owned by Square. Despite my attempts to grab hold of even a cardboard cut-out of my favourite characters, my efforts have fallen short so they will probably always remain under rights of Square (the world is so unfair :P)

Author's Note: Well, I have been doing some serious thinking about this fic and unfortunately, I have a few announcements/questions to ask my readers. First off, because I personally don't want to be writing 50 chapters and you probably don't want to be reading that many, I've decided to increase the length of my chapters to consume more of the plot running around. I apologize for this, but I find it necessary in order to make my chapters more full of juicy plot and detail. This new little detail will probably be implemented for the next chapter.

Secondly, as many of you have probably noted, there are more than a few sexual innuendoes popping up every once in awhile, more of Sephiroth's end than Cloud's end. I hadn't intended to make it such, and I'm not sure if I should wander down that road. My friend keeps pointing out 'Wow, the yaoi-o-meter just sky-rocketed during that scene!' I'm toying with staying on the road of non-yaoi pairing or slowly making my way down there. Any comments? Any 'aye' or 'nay'? I'd love to hear from you guys!

Chapter 4 - Shadows of the Past

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"General, sir."

Sephiroth turned from reading over the report in his hands, gaze fixing on the older man in front of him. His gaze quickly shifted from Leokas Gast to the young man standing behind the brown-haired man's shoulder. He quirked an eyebrow of disinterest, not in the mood to deal with feverish children wishing to follow in his footprints and pester him at all hours. He grunted softly his acknowledgement of Leokas' presence, switching his gaze back to the paper in his hands; he had work to do before he was introduced to Ansem's newest recruit. He was looking forward to shifting some of his heavily dutied schedule to another man, hopeful one that showed some signs of competence.

"Sir, this young man is Cloud Strife." Leokas noted Sephiroth's disinterest in the blonde man at his shoulder. He passed a warm smile to the teenager, gesturing that the blonde should step forward. When Cloud remained back watching the General, he once more regarded his commander. "General, Strife here is Lord Ansem's newest recruit to our squad. He is very skilled with a blade, despite his lack of summers. I've seen him fight, sir, and I was..."

"If I wanted to sit for idle chatter about a little boy, I would have asked you. Luckily, I did not so I ask that you refrain from blowing this..." Sephiroth looked back Leokas to the blonde again, his gaze moving more slowing over the youth to make sure that he had taken in all the details of skill that outwardly showed. When he found little that impressed him, he turned his glowing aqua gaze back to the older man. "...child's skills out of proportion. I doubt his skills have been fully tested, and he has much growing to do."

Leokas nodded slowly, fully aware of the strain that his commander was under, giving Sephiroth an uncaring attitude. "With all do respect sir, Strife defeated Ricdak." He lifted his chin when the General's head came up sharply to regard him. Ricdak was one of the best Royal Guards that had ever used a blade save for the General himself. "Not only did he defeat Ricdak, but Strife did it in less than five minutes and only unsheathed his blade twice." Leokas took a step to the side and fully revealed their newest edition to the squad, though he noted that the blonde was looking rather modest at his praise. "Lord Ansem witnessed the fight, sir. He promoted Strife out of the general ranks right into the Royal Guards."

Sephiroth let his attention drift to the blonde standing in front of him. He took a few steps towards this youth, scanning the blonde's facial features as if trying to place the boy's lineage. As far as he could tell, this youth was a rare gem in a sea of commoners, probably having sulked from the peasant class. Despite this, he did recognize the accent of certain features, the unruly blonde locks were much more pronounced, the cobalt eyes were set in a younger face, but the rest of the features seemed to blend away in the casing given to this boy by his mother. "Who's your father, boy?"

"Walian Strife, sir." The blonde spoke evenly, hiding all signs of emotion away.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, the name ringing in his ears as if he had seen the man yesterday. However, that would never be so since Walian had died tragically several years ago during a skirmish in the lower city, but it appeared that the man had not failed to father a son, one that Sephiroth had never heard of. He was not one to be interested in the chatter of his men though, but to come face-to-face with a good soldier's child impressed him of the dead man's ability to keep secrets of such a nature. He looked the blonde over with a new regard for potential skill and nodded to himself. He would be sure to watch this boy fight if the blonde was at all as skilled as Walian. "How old are you, Strife?"

"Fifteen, sir." Again, the blonde's voice remained neutral in his reply. He watched as the General took a step back to regard him as if he were an insect under inspection before being stomped on, something that he would not allow. He had not fought hard to get to this point only to be tossed aside by one of the greatest fighters that ever lived. He rowed that he would be as good as General Sephiroth someday. He felt his jaw tighten when the General glanced skeptically at Leokas as if to confirm his age. "Sir, I will be sixteen within a month...the eleventh of next month to be exact."

"Same day as your father, I see." Sephiroth smirked coolly when the blonde rocked back slightly. He made a habit to learn about most of the generic details of all of the men under his control, sometimes even researching personality traits that he felt could prove a problem when dealing with other guards. He wanted harmony amoung his men and the best way to do that was to know exactly where to place them and with who. He prided himself with his abilities to know where each man was weak in order to best preserve that man's life in the call of duty, but he also liked to know such details so that he would never be caught flat-footed when confronted with an assessment of one of his men. He never wanted to have one of his guards go undefended if at all possible, and he personally defeated each and everyone of them should the circumstances allow. His men were one of his main duties, and he was sure that it would remain that way until the day the Promised Land greeted him.

Sephiroth cleared his throat and glanced at Leokas, nodding the dark-haired man closer. "Leokas, take Strife around to where he will be performing his duties and making his rounds. Should any man comment on this boy's age, speak no word against it. Strife will have to learn his place and work his way up the ladder if he wants any respect amoung his fellows. Get Strife a uniform and have him come to me for his guarding schedule on the sparring ring." He turned his back to the blonde and walked away, going back to his other, more pressing duties. He would be sure to test this whelp and show the boy his place in the ranks. He was certain that this spar would be a popular one to watch for his men as he did not often choose to beat on a new recruit so quickly. However, he was doing this to show the boy order and to catch glimpses of weakness that could be used against the blonde in a threatening situation. He needed to know these details before setting up where he wanted the blonde, and if Ricdak fell to this boy, then there was a need for him to see for himself what Walian's child could do.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cloud lay quietly in his bed, glowing eyes staring straight up at the stone ceiling as if the rocks held the answers that he was searching for. He ran a hand over his chest, wincing as his breast throbbed and his heart seemed to gallop when his fingers passed over where his nightmare had faded away. His limbs still felt cold like he had swam in icy waters, but his skin was warm to the touch, and he was covered in a thin layer of sweat. His gaze remained transfixed on the stone above him as his body and mind seemed to be attempting to sort through the damage it had suffered, not entirely certain if it had suffered any damage at all.

Slowly, after letting time slip by him for awhile, he sat up and ran a hand over his face and through his hair, rubbing his stiff neck gently. His muscles screamed in burning agony when he tried to move too quickly, and he was in no mood to deal with the tangle of silk sheets that wrapped around his body and held him in place. He set to work removing the material clinging to his body, tugging sparsely in frustration to his lack of productivity and the muscles that seemed to beg for more rest. He ignored his body's aches and protests and eventually managed to get himself free enough where he could climb to his feet, growling to find that beneath the sheet, he wore nothing at all. Again, he ignored such details and padded slowly towards his neatly folded clothing, grudgingly pulling on his trousers before wandering back to his bed.

His gaze fixed on the glowing aqua stone that Aerith had given him a few months back as it lay snuggled in the dishevelled sheets next to a sleeping Panic. He wondered how it had gotten into the bed considering he often hid the item away from prying eyes; he doubted anyone knew he had it. He reached out as he sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the small keepsake, rolling its minor weight around in the palm of his hand before staring at it. He felt a strange energy coursing through the small stone, pulsing softly as if it were trying to warm his flesh again. He took comfort in its warmth and familiarity as his mind wandered back to his dream-like confrontation.

He now knew beyond a doubt that Sephiroth was alive and was closer to him than he would like to admit. He had been completely knocked off guard by the silver-haired man's appearance in what was supposed to be a place of solitude for him away from all the headaches. His shock at finding Sephiroth so nearby and so obviously determined to hold some sort of claim over him led to his own show of weakness. He had been taken by surprise, lost his weapon without noticing, underestimated the silver-haired man's speed and accuracy, made assumptions about his fall, and unwittedly been overpowered at every turn until he had nearly lost himself to the lure of the darkness around him. He cursed himself for his own foolishness, that he should have seen this sort of attack coming since he confirmed the silver-haired man's living state. However, he had stupidly thought himself safe under Hades and in a place where Sephiroth could not find him. He would never forgive this act of stupidity on his part, nor would he turn his back to the problem that nearly cost him his life. Sephiroth's determination and fast-action had indicated just how insane the man was, but it also pointed to the fact that he was still the silver-haired man's target, not Aerith or any of his other acquaintances. He simply knew that this would not be their last meeting, and he would have to be ready for the next one.

He gently ran a hand over his heart, working to rebuild the walls that he had lost in his mental battling. He noted a small fading bruise, and he assumed that he had a much larger one on his back where Sephiroth had rammed his fist, a feeling he would rather do without during their next meeting. Aside from the bruise, only his muscles seemed to have been injured, rather, not injured, but worked to an extreme point of exhaustion. His arms and neck were stiff and aching, demanding that he rest himself. He ran a hand over his shoulders in an attempt to relax the painfully tense muscles with little success. Sephiroth had rattled him to the point of interfering with his concentration and generally lax state.

Slowly, he climbed back to his feet and walked back to where a full-length mirror rested against the stone wall, placing down the small stone back on top of his clothing. He checked his appearance over, noting how pale he had become during the night. His hands seemed to shake with effort, as if waiting for Sephiroth to step out of the shadows and attack him again. He turned so that his back was visible to the mirror, looking over his shoulder to confirm what his aching muscles already told him. A large black and purple bruise smeared his tanned flesh just below his shoulder blade, a dark foreboding of what could have been had he not escaped from the nightmare he had been trapped unwillingly in. Luckily, his shoulder had not swollen under the blow and only the bruise indicated the encounter, though he wondered why an act in a dream reflected on his flesh long after it ended. He sighed as he stretched his back, wincing as the bruised flesh protested angrily, about to walk away and fully cloth himself when something seemly insignificant caught his eye.

Had he not been tired and cranky, he would have noticed it a lot earlier. It appeared as the bruise above it did, a mark that marred his flesh and was easily dismissible. Smaller than half of his palm and considerably darker than the bruise, it showed on his lower back as a tattoo normally would, except, he had never placed a tattoo on any part of himself. He edged closer to mirror to better investigate the black symbol, knowing that he paled a few more shades were it possible as recognition dawned on him. It was in the shape of an elaborately decorated 'M' that appeared to have almost a winged appearance to it, a symbol that Sephiroth often used to mark himself back on Hollow Bastion. Its fine, crisp lines could not be denied as coincidence, and it was another hard blow to swallow after such a rough night. Sephiroth might not have gotten his heart, but the silver-haired man had certainly marked him as if he were property. It appeared that he really hadn't fully awakened from his nightmare.

"Damn you...I'll find you, and we will settle this once and for all. It will be over my cold dead corpse that you own me." Cloud was staring at the mirror as if he weren't actually seeing his own reflection in it. He clenched his demonic hand and set the walls around his emotions back into place. He would never let Sephiroth have his way so long as he lived. "You didn't win back then, and you won't win now."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sephiroth waited patiently for the newest recruit to appear at his side. He listened to the buzzing of gossip all around him in the sparring ring, more guards than usual hanging around like vultures over a kill. He knew that the rumour of the impending battle had spread like wildfire throughout the ranks, rumours that the great General would be beating up a fifteen-year-old recruit who had impressed Lord Ansem. Yet, he had kept to himself when shifting gaze moved to his back as he worked to nicks out of his blade, as though he were sitting in the sparring square for practise.

He remained with his back to the entrance as all of the voices died down to a dull whisper, and he could hear the voice of Leokas speaking about the history of how this open dirt arena came about. Again, he completely ignored the two as they approached, still working with his enormous blade. It was not until Leokas walked with the young blonde to the middle of the arena that he took to his feet and listened as Leokas started to point out various rooms that slipped off into the two buildings that flanked the sparring arena. He walked casually over to the pair, noting the size of the blade that the blonde had sheathed. He waited calmly as the older man finished talking about the arena, acutely aware of the blonde's gaze shifting back to him as if their new recruit expected an attack.

Leokas turned to regard his commander, saluting respectfully when he had the General's attention. "Sir, Strife has become familiar with his surroundings. Are there any other duties you ask of me for Cloud, sir?"

Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow at the use of the blonde's first name, an act that simply spelled out Leokas' liking for the youth. Men had to earn the use of their first name in the ranks. "Yes, please arrange living courters for Strife in the East Wing." He switched his gaze to the blonde looking at the dirt on the ground and kicking at it occasionally. "Strife, I have arranged your guard schedule for the week. I may make changes depending on your abilities to perform the duties assigned to you. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Cloud glanced off to the side, noting the mass amount of guards that seemed to just be standing around watching him, meaning that something was up. He let his gaze return to the dust that had collected on his boots, lightly smacking them together to remove as much as possible without looking rude. He immediately pulled away when the General lifted his chin, taking a step back cautiously, all too aware that a lot of the men around wished failure on him because of his lack of summers. He wouldn't fail though; he promised his ailing mother that he would surpass everyone and become the greatest swordsman that ever lived.

He took another step back when the General took a step forward to cover the distance change between them. He repeated this until the General did not take a step towards him, shying away to stand with his back to the unpopulated area of the arena so the silver-haired man was looking at his profile. Again, his gaze returned to the dirt at his feet, waiting to get pummelled at any moment.

"This is no way for a Royal Guard to act, Strife." Sephiroth watched as the youth appeared to get a little skittish and sighed heavily. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy." He smirked when deep blue eyes slowly lifted to regard him, a torrent of emotion shifting in those endless pools. He was immediately aware that the blonde suspected what would come next, the youth probably afraid of losing face with his commanding officer, or worse, Lord Ansem. "You look nervous, Strife. Any problems?"

Cloud slowly shook his head. "No, sir." He heard the sing of a blade and immediately turned his back on the General, taking the clang of metal against metal as a sign to flip forwards several times, swivelling on one foot to face the silver-haired man. His left hand was immediately on his enormous blade, swinging it elegantly in a wide arc until his rested in front of him, forcing the General to stop and regard him. "I don't want to fight you, sir."

Sephiroth smirked coolly at the blonde, slightly impressed with the youth's speed. "You mean, you don't want to lose to me." He cocked his head to the side when the blonde's head snapped up and regarded him with an equally cool aura, immediately aware that he had pushed a few buttons on the youth. So, the blonde was cocky and overly confident in his skills. Sephiroth tucked that small piece of information away as he resheathed his blade at his side and took a few steps towards the blonde again.

Cloud set his footing, gaze following each movement that the General made. He shifted his blade so that the large flat side faced the silver-haired man as his ears picked out the cutting of air, some of the General's movements too fast to see. He was forced to lean back with the blows that held more strength than he had ever faced with an opponent, more speed, and more skill from anyone he had ever faced before. He idly smiled when he thought about how jealous the other boys would be over the fact that he managed to speak with and even fight General Sephiroth. However, that small distraction cost him his defense which the General smashed through easily and knocked him flying a few feet back.

Sephiroth resheathed his sword and followed the flying youth, smirking when the blonde tumbled to the ground sending up a cloud of dust. He wanted to finish this battle quickly so that the other men were not so afraid of a little arrogant boy. He found himself slightly surprised to find that behind the dust cloud, the blonde was already back standing up and fully defensive, his sword striking the edge of the youth's enormous blade. He jumped back a few feet to assess the situation, coming to the quick conclusion that this boy had victories that were determined on speed and agility rather than strength. He had yet to see any real skill out of the blonde, aside from a good defensive stance with limited openings for an attacker. He smiled as the blonde took measures to keep the distance between them, now walking in a perfect circle around each other.

"Cloud, do that move that you used to defeat Ricdak. I have a desire to witness it again." Both fighters stopped their battle to regard their Lord who had just appeared to watch. He already knew the fate of this fight, seeing as Sephiroth had never been defeated and Cloud needed to be trained up on certain skills. However, if he could catch his General's attention on the boy, there was a chance that Sephiroth would willingly teach the youth. If he could work it as such, he would do so if only to have two of the most powerful swordsmen at his disposal. He smiled genuinely at the blonde and nodded his approval. "Show our General what makes you good for your position."

Cloud took in a deep breath and resheathed his sword on his back, bending to catch a handful of dirt which he smeared over his hands to keep his grip tight on his blade. He almost completely ignored the General as he rose back to his feet, turning himself more sideways as he reached back and grabbed the hilt of his blade again. He let his gaze fix on his intended target as the General turned to regard him, eyes narrowing as he felt his muscles tense with readiness. He took one step forward. "Give me strength to crush my enemies...Omnislash!"

Sephiroth felt his body tense the moment to word left the blonde's lips, eyes narrowing as the youth was suddenly only a few feet in front of him and the blonde's blade was swinging down in a manner that embodied tremendous strength and speed. He slipped to the side, feeling the wind wash over him the blonde's blade passed through the spot he had once been, gaze falling on the youth's footsteps as the strike didn't finish with one fast hit. He did not have much time to study what he was up against, only used his instincts to avoid the much too skilled sword slashes that almost always met with flesh. He thought that the wild combination of slashes was over when the blonde jumped back, moving in to the opening that the youth left to finish this battle, only to be surprised that the boy was not quite finished and leapt at him with the enormous blade raised high. He swung his own blade to counter the movement and smash into the blonde, but he again was surprised by the sheer strength behind the hit, his blade dipping below before catching the youth in his side, sending the blonde flying again. He immediately advanced after the blonde, letting his blade come to rest against the youth's throat.

Cloud glanced over to where he had lost his hold on his sword, gritting his teeth when the blade against his throat pushed in threateningly. Slowly, he raised his hands in defeat, looking down at his dirty hands in dismay. In fact, his entire body was covered in a thin layer of dust with the occasional fleck of blood one of the many scrapes he'd received when he hit the ground. He wiped one of his cheeks with the back of his hand, succeeding in smearing more dirt than he removed. Slowly, he looked around at all the people staring at him where he sat in a cloud of dust.

He had managed to make a fool of himself in front of all of his peers, including Lord Ansem who had thought he had skill. Obviously, he had a lot more learning to do before he would be ready to make guard rounds, especially considering it took him only two sword hits from the General to defeat him. How was he supposed to be a great swordsman if he suffered such a humiliating defeat? He feared that the other boys in his neighbourhood would be bound to laugh at him for his stupidity into thinking that giving up his idolizing the General for his own arrogant self would help him defeat the hero. He had practiced so hard to not be exactly like the General, but his efforts had only gotten him a roll in the dirt.

"On your feet, Strife." Sephiroth watched the youth slowly stand, looking the boy over for any injury. It appeared that only the blonde's pride had been damaged in their exchange, despite how well the young man had done against him. Most guards did not last passed the first blow, let alone be able to counterattack against him. He admitted that there was more to this boy than just a bit of speed and a big sword; Walian's child had skill and fierce determination, determined to do what he would have to look into at a later date. He reached out and patted the youth on the shoulder. "You're not bad, boy. Not many can still stand after I've hit them."

"Not many can injure our General either." Ansem gestured to the silver-haired man's shoulder, lifting his chin as all eyes fixed on the General. "Even you must admit Cloud is good, General. A gem like him does not walk through the front door very often. I believe he is only a year or two younger than you were when you waltz into my courtyard."

Sephiroth looked at the metal shoulder pad, eyes narrowing as his gaze fell on a deep scratch that nearly cut through the strong material. He lifted a hand to investigate the mark, eyes shifting to his arm where a small, miniscule scratch had appeared through his leather jacket. He touched the wound as if it were a phantom thing, his mind somewhat denying that there was a mark on his flesh given to him by a mere child. His gaze switched to the blonde who looked about as shocked as the dead silent guards standing around him. "...Im...possible..." He breathed out slowly, as he looked at the wound again.

He never thought he would see the day when he felt his own skills were lacking something, but as he looked at the blonde youth in front of him, he found something about himself falling short somehow. He could not place what it was, but it suddenly came to his attention that there was something that this boy had that he did not. He never thought that he would ever reach a day where Lord Ansem would praise a child over him, an indication that everyone was taken with this boy. Was his reign threatened, or was this boy a mere copycat like the others before him? That skill that the boy had used indicated that he might be more than a copycat that idolized him. He admitted that he was stumped as to how to react to this new turn of events. Should he be angry and remove the blonde before it was too late, or should he be interested in the fact that this boy could actually provide a challenge for him?

A real opponent... Somewhere, behind all the shock and denial, it was a phrase with a very nice ring to it.

He had forgotten what a real opponent looked like. He had forgotten what a challenge to his skills felt like. He had forgotten what being left in mystery as to the victor of a fight could be like.

How had he forgotten such things? Were they even worth letting his mind touch on? What would it feel like to allow the blonde youth to nurture skill and provide him with a challenge to his own skills?

"...a real opponent...?" He whispered softly, feeling the words as they passed over his tongue.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"He's mine! He's always been mine since the day I allowed his miserable existence to persist past the age of fifteen! No one will have him but me! Mine! My opponent! My challenge! Mine, mine, MINE!!!!" Sephiroth spat each word venomously as his sword blade cut through anything that was in front of his swing. He had actually managed to make it from the room he had been placed in and now raged in the vast plains of the Underworld, furious over his lost chance to grab his property.

How could this have happened? Why would the planet be keeping watch over Cloud?

His furious thoughts jumped from one question to the next as he settling into just rending listless souls that strayed into his path, now using his gloved hands rather than putting in effort to swing his sword. His mind was clouded with the last moments of the dream, each moment playing over in painfully slow motion, from the moment when the blonde screamed for him to stop to the moment when he was ejected from the blonde's mind and back into his own body. He was angered at the symphony of voices that spoken in unison, the only reason that Cloud was not currently his property. However, he was angrier that he could not do anything about his frustration aside from killing the souls that wandered around; he could not find Cloud and vent a bit of frustration, or he would void his contract and lose access to the blonde altogether. Such thoughts only added to the anger that he felt for having the perfect opportunity stolen away from right in between his fingers.

He eventually settled his anger down in a simmering mass at the back of his mind where it could be ignored while he forced himself to regard some aspects of the dream in a more analytical manner. As he had done when he was commander of the Royal Guards, he went over every detail of the dream, his actions, and his eventual loss of his hold on Cloud. Not a single detail, not even the far away lapping of water against stone, went unnoted and unscrutinized. He began to break the large aspects of the dream down into chewable sections.

His attention first slipped over the fact of the blonde's weak points during the dream. It was obvious that he had completely caught the younger man off-guard. He had only managed to catch Cloud so vulnerable a handful of times over the entirety that he had known the blonde, and Cloud had often recovered a lot faster. This small glitch in the blonde could have been caused by a number of things, but it had inevitably led to Cloud's capture easier than he had expected. He was almost certain that it was not all of the younger man's doing, rather, he was suspicious that Hades might have broken down of few of the Cloud's walls through the manner of knocking the blonde unconscious. So, he could pass the lack of power as an unfavourable coincidence that had lifted any sort of challenge from the blonde's capture.

Next, his mind jumped over to the very obvious question of why the planet would be protecting Cloud. Since Hades was the god of the Underworld and there was Demeter as the goddess of the Earth, he could mostly assume that it was not their current planet that had protected the blonde. As far as he knew, Cloud had only stepped on Traverse Town and Hollow Bastion, meaning that it was probably one of those two planets. He almost completely passed of Traverse Town seeing as the blonde was rarely seen in public and had shown no real connection to that world. That left Sephiroth with the only planet that really made some sense, Hollow Bastion, their home planet. He would need to research to say for absolute certain, but for now, he felt safe to assume, especially considering Cloud's dreamscape was the palace.

Of course, now he needed to figure out why Hollow Bastion would be protecting a mere mortal who excelled with two things, taking orders and fighting. His mind laced over all possibilities, yet he was not happy with the options that came to mind.

He forced himself to more look at what Cloud could offer a planet. He knew that the blonde was a strong fighter, an intelligent guard with strong self-morals, and a mostly likeable person once the blonde's walls were broken down. He was aware that Cloud had never found any interest in women and had never taken on any sort of vaguely sexual relationships despite the constant attempts by some of the female guards to do so. He had watched how much Cloud had remained solitary, only leaving the palace when ordered or when it was required for personal matters. Most of the blonde's free time was spent in general solitude either sparring or sitting quietly on his own, a fact that had caught his interest most of all. He had watched as most of the other guards were taken with the blonde, often taking Cloud's silence as a joke to be laughed at. He all but gritted his teeth to admit that the blonde might have made a better commanding officer, but it was painfully clear that Cloud did not want such responsibilities. No, Cloud would much rather be standing on the same pedestal with him as an equal, a small bit of information that had sometimes made him want to throttle the life out of the blonde for his audacity. Perhaps it was Cloud's individuality and often stubborn manners that the planet liked.

Sephiroth felt the slowly fading anger flare up slightly as he thought over all of the qualities that he desired to keep under his control yet was denied at every turn that he took. What was he doing wrong? If only the blonde had fallen more quickly to his power and the walls around the blonde's heart had not been so sturdy! He would have claimed Cloud long ago if the blonde's heart wasn't so strong against the darkness....

He suddenly stopped cold in his tracks as he walked along the river of Phelegthon when he appeared to have cleared his mind enough of his anger to see unclouded for a moment.

Cloud's heart? Was that the key to the mystery? Had he overlooked such a small detail for too many years? It seemed so simple now that his mind played over the thoughts that cascaded over his mind. Was the planet called to protect the strength of the blonde's heart? Why and how would it know when Cloud was in danger?

Slowly, the conclusions formed together into a large picture, all the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. The planet protected Cloud because of the blonde's ability to resist the darkness that had consumed the planet and had nearly taken the life of almost every Royal Guard on duty. It was probably the planet that allowed the blonde to escape mostly untouched by the effects of the Heartless, meaning that the blonde's heart had to be strong, so strong that it could fight off the effects of the all-consuming darkness. It was the blonde's heart that had managed to evade him for so long, and it was that same heart that Hades could not control.

He had once read through one of his Lord's reports before the fall of his planet, almost an obsessive hobby he had developed when he could not watch the blonde. He had stumbled upon a few tid-bits of information that had been interlaced in no real order about the Heartless and those with strong hearts. He was aware that those with the strongest hearts were all women, known as the Princesses of Heart, and often possessed an innocent purity to them. These individuals were very rare, only seven in all the worlds that graced the universe. He had an odd suspicious that the woman that he had captured for Hades was one of these Princesses.

Several pages later were details of those known as the strong hearts. As far as his research could tell, there was a single strong heart on every planet, a so-called protector. These strong hearts did not particularly embody any special power aside from the fact that they were often difficult to cast a shadow over. It appeared that they tended to stand out in some form or fashion, whether it be by appearance, skill, or annoyance value. He had made special note that Lord Ansem had paid close attention to the strong hearts because it appeared that they usually managed to escape from a dying world during a Heartless attack. He himself had been interested in the small scribbling about an object known as a 'key blade' which randomly selected one of these strong hearts during a time of great need to accomplish some unknown task, but it could be assumed that it involved something to do with defeating the Heartless.

Could it be that little Cloud Strife was the strong heart for Hollow Bastion?

Sephiroth supposed that it made sense given the blonde's reputation and attracting qualities. He remembered how Cloud had made his debut as a member of the Royal Guards at the tender age of fifteen, and he watched as the blonde excelled at almost everything at an almost inhuman rate. When Ansem had made several of the guards immortal, it was only Cloud that stepped out completely untouched by the darkness aside from glowing eyes and an ageless body. During Hollow Bastion's fall, it was Cloud that had defeated the Heartless and saved several people from an obviously gruesome demise. And after the loss of their planet, Cloud was always the one who silently vowed to liberate the planet from the control of the Heartless. Even after a second treatment of darkness, Cloud's mind remained intact and very few dark qualities had made an appearance, unlike Sephiroth. He admitted that the blonde had managed to slip between the cracks of few too many times, but now he realized why.

Should Cloud be the protector of the planet of Hollow Bastion, it would be obvious as to why the planet would take actions to keep the blonde safe from harm. The planet desired liberation and only one with the ability to vanquish the Heartless would be able to do so, though he had yet to see Cloud refer to the gigantic sword as a 'key blade'. Perhaps Cloud would never be able to gain access to this 'key blade', but Sephiroth supposed that Cloud could probably do it without the object with the blonde's stubborn resoluteness. With the planet protecting Cloud, it would almost be impossible for Hades or even himself to convert the blonde over to full darkness until the Hollow Bastion was liberated. Until that time, he would only be able to keep the blonde at an arms reach.

He sighed in aggravation and rubbed his temples. As far as he could tell, he really only had two options that he could do in order to further his plans to capture his property back. He could either absorb the lifeforce that was still held in Hollow Bastion and become the planet, thereby advancing towards being the sole owner of Cloud...along with the rest of the miserable life that inhabited the planet. Secondly, he could completely ignore absorbing the planet unless needed and finish his contract with Hades then make a deal with Cloud to liberate the planet in exchange for Cloud's submission to being his property until the end of time and life itself. He was not actually too sure which of his plans he like better, seeing as one involved him actually being nice to his property for a little while and not killing everything that the blonde holds dear while the other allowed him free reign to pillage, kill, and burn as much as he pleased. Of course, he could always formulate more plans depending on Cloud's actions.

Silently, Sephiroth rolled back on his heels and sheathed his blade at his side. His gaze shifted around the plains that he now stood on and rested a hand on the hilt of Masamune, mind wandering with his glowing eyes. "The planet and I are to be one." He felt a cruel smirk pulled at his lips. "Cloud will eventually be forced to admit defeat to me. He is mine so such trivial matters are petty. My canary can only stretch out its wings so far before I can get close enough to subdue its free nature."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cloud stopped running a comb through his blonde locks when he felt clawed hands tugging insistently on his pant leg, glancing down to find Panic looking around the room nervously. He, at first, ignored the little creature and slipped the red cloak around his shoulders, making sure to cover the leathery wing that was folded neatly against his back. Eventually, he took a step away from the mirror, pulling his pant leg from an obviously insistent Panic. "What?"

Panic glanced up at the blonde then looked around nervously, reaching out to grab onto Cloud's pant leg again. It inched closer and swallowed the lump in its throat. "I...uh...slept in...First time I've slept in a couple hundred years..." It looked up the distance to regard the blonde's face, flashing a toothy grin. "You have to...you know...get up to the tournament or Hades will blow his top if you're late."

Cloud quirked an eyebrow and adjusted the belts around his waist to fit more snugly before walking over to the bed. He sat down quietly and began to slip into his boots, noting that Panic followed him quite closely and even attempted to belt up his other boot to quicken his pace. He shooed the little demon away and went about taking his time, making sure that he slipped into the right mind set for a small tournament. As he sat up, he found Panic sitting beside him on the bed attempting to imitate his acts and ran his fingers through his hair, smiling when Panic tried and failed to do lack of hair. Silently, he grabbed the lithe demon and set Panic on his right shoulder to sit while he walked; it annoyed him to constantly stop and start to allow Panic to keep up with him. "How long did I sleep for?"

"Four days." Panic replied as it rearranged itself to dangle its skinny legs off of the blonde's shoulder. It glanced back at Cloud when it felt the blonde stiffen. "Took quite a beating too. You looked like you were having a nightmare that you couldn't escape from. I tried to get into your dream to help out, but something prevented me..."

"Yeah...a nightmare." Cloud let his gaze settle on the ground beneath his feet as he walked towards the gates out of the Underworld, kicking up a bit of dirt as he went. His muscles were still sore, and he was glad that this tournament would be a snap to fulfill, though, he wasn't sure if he would be penalized for lateness. Either way, he would have no trouble winning considering he could kill the enemies he was facing with his bare hands and little effort. He reached back and rubbed his neck, trying to work the kinks from his joints. "How long do you think this tournament will last?"

Panic shrugged its shoulders and played with its thin tail. "Dunno, but Hades says he's gonna watch you fight. Said he might be able to line a bit of a challenge up, but that was just before he started muttering and walking off to the Coliseum to...I think help some kid out." Again it shrugged its shoulders, brushing the information off as completely trivial in the grand scheme of things. All it was concerned about was getting Cloud up to the Coliseum on time to face off with whatever Hades had planned.

Cloud stopped in front of the open gates of the Underworld, glancing around to make sure that he was not about to be ambushed by Hades' slobbering three-headed brute for a dog. When all was quiet, he took a few cautious steps outside of the Underworld, glancing around while listening for any signs of approach. When Cerberus did not make an appearance, he cocked his head to the side. As far as he knew, Cerberus never stopped guarding the gates to the Underworld. "Where's Cerberus?"

"Walkies, probably." Panic grinned when the blonde looked at him in slight disbelief. "Yeah, just hope that you never get walky-duty. Hades hands that one down for punishment."

Cloud shrugged his shoulders. "Could be worse."

"Well...Hades insists that the Underworld be kept clean so any messes that Cerberus does, the person walking has to clean up with a baggy." Panic made small dimensional hand motions when the blonde looked at it again. "Quite a small baggy."

Cloud felt his body visibly shudder. "Right, let's not talk about that anymore." He began walking again, only taking a few steps before turning to regard Panic when the little demon slipped off of his shoulder and waved at him. "You aren't coming to the Coliseum?"

Panic slowly shook its head. "Hades gave me other duties to do." It turned and started to tromp back to the Underworld, stopping to regard the blonde again. "Win for me, kay?"

Cloud nodded and began walking again, mind on some of the information that Panic had given him. He vaguely wondered what Hades was up to, especially when it came to helping out someone. Still, even with his muscles tired and aching, he doubted that a challenge would present itself to him during this tournament. He found this battling more of an inconvenience than anything, and he would sooner try to take on Hercules to get rid of his contract than battle stupid old Heartless. All he wanted to do was find Sephiroth and step from the nightmare that he seemed to be drowning in. Once he was not distracted with the former General, he could concentrate on how he would finally liberate Hollow Bastion from the Heartless and take back his home. However, before any of that, he needed to win a stupid tournament, and win he would.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Excellent! I have finally gotten to the point where Cloud actually enters the Kingdom Hearts game. So, now comes the battle of legends...well, not really. Now comes the battle where our hero wipes the floor with a magic-throwing duck, a slow shield-holding dog, and a short spiky kid.

Like I said above, the chapters will probably be getting longer, meaning that it may take me a bit more time to get one posted depending on the length. I'm not really going to any set length, rather, I'll finish it when it seems appropriate for the plot to end. Hopefully, I'll get my Cloud/Sephiroth backstory thrown in a bit more.

Right, I have also kicked this fic up to a Cloud and Sephiroth fic, instead of just elements of Sephiroth. He threatened me with a crazed look in his eyes so I agreed. I think he's reading over my shoulder...that or I'm crazy and I see things that aren't real... :P