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: Heehee, I just wanted to say that when ' happens, it is to indicate a dream-like voice that Cloud can only hear unless otherwise specified. Of course, we all know that Cloud is crazy and hears voices in his head. ~{ indicates one very special person's speech. Of course, only Cloud can hear the voice (Geez, I give him way too many voices in his head)

AUTHOR'S WARNING: This fic has been bumped up to a yaoi pairing between Sephiroth and Cloud. You have been warned so proceed at your own risk. So far, it is merely some shounen-ai, but it might turn a bit more in later chapters.

Chapter 9 - Shadow Rearing Up

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

Cloud did not have to look up from the book that he was leafing through to know that Hades was suddenly beside him. The fact that the god was glowing red and breathing heavily automatically meant that he was in trouble for his failure at the Hercules Cup. Still, he continued to flip through the dry pages, occasionally brushing out a small fire that happen to ignite the paper. Eventually, he casually closed the book and looked at the flaming god of the Underworld. "Can I help you?"

Hades had to resist the urge to strangle the life out of the blonde, feeling his hands twitch at his sides. Slowly, he forced calm enough to form normal sentences in order to fully explain his displeasure with Cloud's performance at the tournament that the blonde had assured him a victory. He had nearly throttled the blonde's unconscious form when Cloud had dropped suddenly from the sky, but he had forced himself to stalk away back to the Underworld to await the blonde's arrival so that he could blast Cloud on his own ground.

He growled when the blonde threatened to go back to reading and entwined his fingers together to prevent him from smacking Cloud. He forced himself into a calm frame. "I happened to watch your fight against the spiky kid." He waited for the blonde to respond, and, when he only received a neutral look, he felt his temperature rising. "I seem to remember you saying that you could beat the kid...so, you know, I was just kind of wondering something." He knew that his hair had shifted to red. "How did you manage to fail as miserably as you did?" He yelled loudly, causing the blonde to jump slightly. It was the first time that he had raised his voice at the blonde warrior.

Cloud leaned back against Hades' heat and shrugged his shoulders, not certain that the god would believe him even if he did speak the truth. He doubted that saying 'a demonic form of himself tried to merge with him, and he bearly managed to escape the darkness but fell unconscious in the process' would go over very well. "It just happened. The kid was stronger than I thought."

Hades slowly nodded his head. "Stronger...than you thought?" When Cloud nodded at him, he grabbed the blonde by the hair and pulled their faces close together. "You were doing just fine flying around smashing them into the ground until...what, you got tired all of a sudden?" He released his hold and began to pace in irritation. "You dropped faster than Zeus on a pretty virgin. I mean...you just lay there! Then, the judges ruled that you can no longer fight because you wouldn't gain consciousness again...leaving the kid to fight Jerk-ules! Not you, the kid!"

Cloud ran a hand through his hair, smoothing the locks back into place. "Would it help if I said it won't happen again?"

"No!" Hades yelled, fully ready to swat the blonde across the room. "I want that block-head dead, and I employed you to do it! And what were you doing...sleeping! I gave you the perfect opportunity to crush Hercules like you said that you could, and you completely blew it!" He continued to pace, angered with the blonde's obvious neutrality to the current situation. He wasn't sure if the fact that the blonde had failed was bothering him more than Cloud's casual response to the failure. "I should rescind your contract and put you into eternal debt to me."

"I can beat Hercules." Cloud said quietly, slowly climbing to his feet. He brushed his cloak over his shoulders and crossed his arms. "However, I want to beat him outside of any tournament. If you change my contract to say that I can defeat him outside of the Coliseum, I give you my word that I will fill my contract by the end of the week." He watched Hades stop to watch him closely and lifted his chin from his cloak to show that he was speaking truthfully. "You can even watch to make sure that I do it."

Hades smirked and walked up so that he was staring down at the blonde. "You sound confident, just the way I like you. Why should I change your contract?"

"I have to find an island with a special kind of wood." Cloud watched Hades' smirked turn more playful and inwardly sighed. At least the god was no longer too angry with him. "Once I find the Dios tree, Hercules will fall quickly."

"The Dios tree?" Hades sat back on his heels and considered this new information, occasionally glancing down at the blonde. He was familiar with the rare plant, one of Demeter's favourites. Only the gods knew its whereabouts, and it was known to be one of the most wonderful plants that the goddess had ever created. "So, have you found where it is?" He asked almost casually.

Cloud shook his head. "Not yet. All I know is that it is on an island that is between the earth and sky."

Hades quirked an eyebrow. "And how would someone of your...intelligence...come across information pertaining to such a rare plant?" He watched the blonde glower at him and smirked, leaning close. "Come on now...you couldn't have found this out on your own. No one knows anything about the Dios tree that you have come in contact with...meaning you are getting your schooling from elsewhere."

Cloud could shrug his shoulders, very much aware that he could not exactly say that his friend who only he could see and talk to gave him the information. "I stumbled across it when I was looking at the broken barrels in the fighting arena."

"Stumbled would be a good word to use." Hades folded his hands behind his back and grinned arrogantly, his temper having slipped away into interest as to the resourcefulness of the blonde. Obviously, he had slightly underestimated Cloud's abilities to use a brain. "Well, since you seem convinced that you can beat Hercules with a stick, I think it would be in my best interest to tell you where you can find your little island."

Cloud smiled. "You know where it is?"

"Hello, all powerful god. Of course I know." Hades beamed and patted the blonde on the shoulder. "You are looking for the island called Atlantis."

"Isn't that a city?"

Hades shrugged. "Depends what you like in your cities. There are satyrs, fairies, and centaurs running around for a populace, but not much of interest for warriors. Humans keep trying to find it, but mortals only get to actually look at it when Zeus turns it into his own personal love-shack." He couldn't stop the violent shudder that ran down his body at that thought and had to wipe his hands on his robes as if they were suddenly very dirty. "Anyway...I can help you with the location if you really want...but you have to ask really nicely."

Cloud couldn't help but roll his eyes, shaking his head slightly at Hades' expectant grin. "Could you please tell me where I can find this Atlantis island?"

"Very good. On your knees, kissing my feet, and whining for the location would be much better for my god-complex." Hades wiggled his eyebrows and gestured at the ground at his feet.

Cloud glared at the god and crossed his arms stubbornly, turning his face to the side. "I don't beg for anyone." He stated flatly, his tone indicating that he would not hear of anything more on the matter of begging. "Either you tell me the location or I take the extra time to find and ask Zeus where it is, perhaps letting it slip your plans to kill Hercules."

Hades tried not to look as mortified as he actually was before finally just settling for pointing directly at the blonde. "Hey, you're not allowed to manipulate the situation in your favour! It is not in your contract!" He glared at Cloud when the blonde only hid a satisfied smirk in the red cloak and beckoned a scroll to hand in a flash of black smoke. He handed the rolled up paper to the blonde and watched closely as Cloud examined it, smirking as his blonde warrior seemed to nod in approval. He liked having smart dancing monkeys, especially ones that he had under his control. "Inform me when and where you will be challenging Jerk-ules. I want to be there to give you two thumbs up or smite you for failure."

"Very well, but you have to hold up on your part of the bargain if I do this. All the information that you have on Sephiroth, I want it." Cloud only vaguely heard the sound of a hand slapping forehead and knew instinctively that Zax was lurking around. He shook his head and ignored the dark-haired man, intent on watching Hades consider his request.

Hades couldn't help the grin that spread across his lips and nodded at the blonde. "Of course. Would I ever lie about the information that I hold?" He sighed at Cloud's skeptical look and threw his hands in the air. "Oh come on, Blondie! Like how much information are you expecting about Suckitoff!"

Cloud opened his mouth to correct Hades on the General's name, but he found that his jaw just stopped working as he processed the name that Sephiroth had been called. The silence in the room indicated that Zax was also stunned, seeing as the dark-haired man was usually to laugh at such jokes. He could only stare up at Hades, slightly mortified. He dared to think what Hades called him behind his back when all things about the god were considered.

Hades noted the blonde's inability to speak and patted Cloud on the shoulder. "I know it's hard for you, but please, try to think in a linear fashion...weaving off in another direction isn't healthy for someone of your mortal state." He grinned when Cloud's jaw snapped shut noisily, and he received another stony glare. "Now, you have your location so I'm sure you can find a tree to hack up. I want results this time, Spikey. Got it?"

"Indeed." Cloud tucked the scroll into his cloak and stood. "I want information on the General when I get back."

Hades grinned. "Oh don't worry, your General is closer to getting you than your little shadow friend was sticking its tongue down your throat." He noted that the blonde stopped moving at his comparison and leaned in so that their faces were close enough where they could look at each other eye-to-eye. "He looked an awful lot like you, almost like a dark evil twin. You wouldn't happen to know what that was would you?"

Cloud looked down to his feet and slowly shook his head. "No, I don't."

"Well, that's cute. I didn't think that you did, you know, because you are a fighter with only enough brainpower to support one cause at a time." Hades waved a dismissive hand in the air, intent on researching the mystery himself when he found the time in the eternity that he had saved up. It was obvious that the demonic manifestation had something to do with the darkness, and Hades wanted to know what it would take to get that form to take over. He knew that Cloud would be much more useful to him if the blonde was tipped to the evil side of the scale. "Well, I have places to go and people to annoy. I'll let you get on your little tree hunt."

Cloud slowly nodded and watched Hades drift off, glancing down at the book under his elbow before sighing heavily and running a hand threw his hair. He had hoped that he had been the only one to have seen the manifestation, but he admitted that it was obvious that the god of the Dead would see it as well.

He jumped slightly when a hand landed on his shoulder, swiveling to find Zax grinning at him, shifting to the side when the dark-haired man jumped onto the dusty table. "So, Hades knows."

~{Doesn't really matter when you really think about it. We'll be off and gone long before he figures it out. That god doesn't have a clue.}~ Zax ran a finger over the book that Cloud had been looking at and smiled warmly when the blonde flopped back in the chair and sighed heavily. ~{May I ask why you are so interested in wrangling information out of Hades about everyone's favourite crazed General?}~

"Because I think he knows more than he is letting on, and I want the information that he has. I think that he knows where Sephiroth is." Cloud rubbed his eyes, trying to rub away the exhaustion that he felt resting over his body. He had to at least find to location that he could teleport to before he would allow himself to find a comfortable spot to settling himself for a sleep, meaning he had to stare at the scroll he now had. All he needed was the focus to keep his eyes from closing.

Zax leaned back on his elbows and watched Cloud struggle against sleep. ~{What do you plan to do when you find Sephiroth?}~

Cloud sighed and dropped his hands back to his sides. "Kill him again. This time I hope that he stays in the grave." He glanced over at the dark-haired man, noting that Zax was looking elsewhere, a common sign that his friend knew something that he did not. "Are you going to tell me what you know?"

~{Nah, it's not important. I was just thinking.}~ Zax grinned and shook out his dark mane, avoiding looking at Cloud. Certainly, he knew information that the blonde did not, seeing as he was one with the planet that was desperate to prevent Cloud's fall into darkness. He knew Sephiroth's purpose in Cloud's life, and he doubted that it would be his place to tell the blonde that the actual light that Cloud had been thinking of for the last while was actually a crazed obsessive General. He knew that Sephiroth had been created by the planet to be the blonde's one and only light, but it had been unable to stop the transition of the General as it concentrated on protecting its strong heart from danger. A light could be easily replaced, a strong heart could not.

Slowly, Zax looked back at Cloud and smiled slightly, noting the blonde's questioning stare in his direction. ~{Why do you hate him so? He seemed like a good guy before the insanity, yet...you never seemed to like him then either. It was weird.}~

Cloud couldn't help rolling his eyes like an annoyed child. "It doesn't matter. We have other things to do before I move to take him down again." He noted Zax's hardened look and shrugged his shoulders, looking in the opposite direction of his friend. He could immediately tell that this conversation would not end until he had explained himself fully, a fact that annoyed him in his tired state. "Look, he ruined my reputation. The people hate me thanks to what he did."

~{The murders?}~ Zax didn't need Cloud to reply, the blonde's pained look giving away how much Sephiroth's actions had wounded Cloud. ~{He killed whole sections of town with your sword and covered you in blood to wake up after he drugged you. Everyone said that you had gone mad and butchered innocent families who had looked up to you as a hero. They blamed the Heartless attack that happened the next day on you. I seem to remember...}~

"Zax, stop...I don't want to remember. That...was a long time ago." Cloud nearly pleaded, rubbing his eyes again if only to keep his hands from fidgeting with his belt buckles. "Sephiroth took everything from me. My life, my friends, my duties...I killed him while Aerith watched because he had taken her hostage after murdering Leokas. I had to cut him down to save her before abandoning my duties to save Leokas' only daughter...I raised her, Zax." Cloud looked down at his hands as if they may still be covered with the blood of that fateful day so many years ago. "I took her to Traverse Town and hid away my face with a cloak. No one knew I was there, but I heard all the rumors...the hate. Every survivor of Hollow Bastion hated me, hoped that I had died...only Aerith believed because she had seen him do it...."

Zax cocked his head to the side, watching the blonde sink a little more heavily into the wooden chair, looking suddenly much older and exhausted. ~{Why do you think that he did it?}~

Cloud couldn't hold in a snort of disgust. "Because he was insane."

~{He watched you. Everyday, slipping in and out of the shadows, eyes constantly on you. He always knew where to find you...even scheduled it so that he could watch you at your guard post for a night shift. He would watch you constantly for hours.}~ Zax slipped off the desk when Cloud began to fidget, slipping in behind the blonde's back, setting his hands on the shoulders of the chair. He leaned in close so that his ear was beside Cloud. ~{He watched every movement, every blink of an eye, every shift of clothing, every shift in your hair with a breeze...no movement of yours went unnoticed.}~ He grabbed the blonde's shoulders when Cloud moved to stand, forcing Cloud to remain seated. ~{And you always knew that he was there. Every night...every second that he slipped into range near you. You liked his attention...didn't you, until he betrayed you...?}~

"No." Cloud snapped, trying to shift his shoulders out of Zax's grip. He glanced back when the dark-haired man continued to hold him firmly. His gaze met with Zax's, and he was forced to look away when he knew that his eyes betrayed him, an admittance that he would never voice out loud to anyone.

He had been lulled by the sudden attention that he had received from the General, more curious as to the reasons for the change, but he had also been slightly entranced. In all of his life, he had never been the subject to constant attention, never wanted for the person that he was, not even by his own family. He had fallen into equal curiosity of the General as Sephiroth had seemed to have for him, but he had maintained a very stonic appearance on the outside, only his glowing eyes betraying the fact that he took some semblance of comfort from the General watching him from the shadows. He had often voiced how he hated the General's attention to improve his skill, but he had enjoyed it in the silence of his own mind. He had wanted to be accepted by his peers, instead, they envied his skill with a blade, all except Sephiroth who viewed him differently, as if they were standing an equal level with one another. He had fought for that equality, but he had only received it from the General, despite their often bloody spars. He supposed that, aside from Leokas, Sephiroth was the closest friend that he had back then.

His mother had always told him that love was a weakness, that she had once fallen into the trap before he was born. She had often voiced the fact that it was a poison that should be avoided at all costs, especially for her only child. He remembered the long lectures of the signs of being in love and how to avoid them. He had listened to it for so long that he now considered her words the reason for the fact that he had never falling for anyone. He had felt nothing for the women that often hung on him at the royal balls, the men that slapped him on the shoulder for good luck before he walked into the arena against the General, and even for the woman the his uncle seemed bound and determined to have him marry. He had only felt alone, standing on the outside beside his mother who often lost herself in a distant memory, a memory that he knew was of a lost love. She never spoke of the other man, and he never asked about it.

Then she left him standing alone on one side of the wall that he could never get past to associate with other people. And so, he continued to stand alone, sometimes cursing his mother's good luck of death. He stood looking out at the sunset, aware that no one could understand how he had grown to be the warrior that he had become, stunted with an almost childish innocence that he was desperate to hide from prying eyes. He had watched the world pass him by from a window or from behind a fence where the other children never realized that he was there until he had lived twelve summers.

Up till that point, his life had been swinging a sword. He woke up, practiced, ate lunch, practiced, ate dinner, practiced, learned to read and write, practiced, slept, dreamed of practicing. Occasionally, his loud uncle would order him around and make rude comments on how small he was, a runt of an illegitimate litter as he was called. He never understood those words considering his father had been rightfully married to his mother, and he had never really understood how his uncle could hate his father so, especially considering Walian was his uncle's only brother. Perhaps it was because he was the only male offspring produced, meaning he was the only child that the family had who had the ability to carry on the Strife name.

Yet, he never married. He never loved, and he never even bothered to concern himself with women too much. He was not interested in rolling in the sheets with anyone; frankly, he wouldn't know what to do with a naked woman if he had one or a man for that matter. He was confused with the entire process, and, in his confusion, he had refused to learn for fear of reducing himself to a foolish child again. However, he had seemed to receive more attention from the women the more he resisted, like he had become some sort of silent challenge to bed. He suspected that there was a bet going on with the court women and even his fellow guards who would be the first to slip beneath the sheets with him. None of them won that bet, though the one drunken rape attempt had been as close as he had come, but that guard had 'accidentally' broken his arms and legs in multiple places.

Cloud sighed heavily and glanced over to Zax, fully aware that the silence between them had persisted for an extended period of time. He flipped the book beside the dark-haired man closed and climbed to his feet, not interested in reading anymore. He looked at Zax, leaning in on his friend until their equally glowing gazes met. "He'll be dead by the time I free Hollow Bastion."

~{You really are determined to hide what you don't understand. I mean, it's obvious the guy likes you...probably in more ways than one...but you...you just stay completely stonic.}~ Zax hopped off the table that he had been sitting on, folding his hands behind his head as Cloud turned to regard him once more. ~{You've been like this since the first day that I met you. Don't you think that you've been alive and free long enough to want to make yourself happy for once?}~

"I am happy." Cloud replied.

~{Angst doesn't count as a happy emotion.}~ Zax quipped back, letting his hands fall back to his sides. ~{Look at you!}~ He gestured at the blonde from head to foot. ~{You never smile. You bottle up your feelings because that's what has been beaten into you from the time you could walk. You are out to please everyone else, to uphold some stupid reputation that you are important to people. If you don't understand something, you avoid doing it. For the planet's sake, you don't even break the rules to further yourself!}~

Cloud looked away from his friend and shifted his weight, setting a hand on his hip. "What makes you devil's advocate all of a sudden?"

~{You also have a nasty habit of avoiding uncomfortable situations where your motives may be questioned.}~ Zax walked over towards the blonde and rested a hand on Cloud's shoulder, noting that the blonde attempted to shrug off his hand. ~{Stop running away, Cloud.}~

Cloud seized Zax by the collar of the dark-haired man's sweater, pulling Zax close to him so that their noses were only a few inches apart. "What do you know, Zax? You know absolutely nothing about me! You ran off just like she did!" He felt a bit of the colour drain from his face as he shoved Zax back and turned his back to the dark-haired man. He felt ashamed that he had lost some of his temper over something so trivial, but he was stubborn enough where he would not apologize. "I will get by doing things my way, just like I always have."

Zax sighed heavily. ~{Geez Cloud, you need to get laid...badly!}~ Even as it was intended as a joke, he knew the punch was coming long before Cloud swiveled in one smooth motion, accepting the blow happily. He technically deserved it, but he needed to force the blonde to face the unknown that Cloud was always avoiding. He knew that the blonde had been force fed too much neglect and anger, and it was now hindering Cloud's abilities to resist the darkness.

He stumbled back a few steps and rubbed his throbbing jaw. ~{Nice punch...I bet that you're a really quiet lover, no screaming, no nothing. Some people are really into that. They think it's a challenge.}~ He knew that he was poking at an already cornered animal, but it appeared to be working. Cloud was venting, at him but venting all the same. If he could get Cloud to open up just a little bit, the blonde would be able to resist the darkness more.

"I don't need to listen to this. I have better things to do with my time." Cloud turned and stalked away from the dark-haired man.

~{Coward. Running away with your tail tucked between your legs just like you always do when the going gets tough.}~ Zax admitted that even he was shocked when Cloud turned and leapt clean across the table between them, gasping as his neck was seized, and he was slammed back against a bookcase. Luckily, he couldn't actually be choked. ~{What do you feel, Cloud?}~

"Nothing." Cloud stated firmly.

Zax wrapped his hands around Cloud's strong wrists. ~{You're lying. You feel something about him. What do you feel?}~

"Nothing!" Cloud insisted more firmly.

~{What do you feel?!}~ Zax gritted his teeth as Cloud's hands tightened around his throat considerably, moving passed the point of the blonde's natural strength.

"I want him dead!" Cloud breathed out from between clenched teeth.

~{Why do you want him dead?}~ Zax now strained to break Cloud's hold on his neck, feeling his windpipe being crushed under the blonde's strong grip. He also felt dark energy building, a complete opposite to what he wanted, immediately noting that Cloud's wing slipped from beneath the red cloak. He grimaced as the blonde's hand began to turn very cold. ~{Cloud...stop!}~

Cloud knew that Zax had spoken to him, but he could not focus on the words as he tried to figure out why he was so bound and determined to have Sephiroth removed from existence. He was aware of the answer, but the whispers wouldn't let him act on them, the feeling of wings moving to embrace him making his mind jump from one thought to another much too quickly to focus. He was not even sure of the words that he spoke as a cold satisfied chuckle echoed in his ear. "They never loved me...They hated me! I'm a curse that everyone hates. My own parents loathed me from the moment I was born!"

Zax let out a small cry of pain as dark energy pulled at his skin, and he was aware of the blonde's grip tightening again, certain that Cloud was about to break his neck. ~{Cloud... why do you hate the General?}~

"..."

~{Cloud, why do you hate the General? What has he done to make you like this?}~ Zax questioned again, this time with more pain in his voice.

Cloud felt a cruel smirk pull over his lips that was not truly his own, and he watched as Zax's eyes widened with silent acknowledgement. He felt his arms begin to shake with strain as he forced himself to take control of his body again, a war between two sides waged where he could not actually see his opponent this time. He let out a small growl as he ripped his hands away from Zax's throat and forced himself back a few feet, grabbing his head as a soft chuckle slithered through his mind, the phantom brush of a hand on his lower back.

'You're so lovely when you resist. We can play this game for a long time...' A sinister voice echoed passed the blonde's ear.

"No! I won't let you! Get out!" Cloud swiveled his body, shaking his head wildly in an attempt to rid himself of the coldness that was slipping around his shoulders. He was unable to hold in a straggled cry as his knees gave out on him like the back of his legs had been kicked, yet he felt the darkness melt away from him as he put more force behind his struggles and pulled himself free once more. He felt himself falling backwards vaguely, grunting when arms wrapped around his shoulders and his body was steadied again. "Zax...?"

Zax pulled the blonde close to his chest and sighed in relief, glad that Cloud had resisted against the attack. ~{It's alright, Cloud. You did great just like I knew that you could.}~ He rested his forehead against the blonde's temple, not certain if he could handle the darkness that kept grabbing at Cloud whenever he tried to help. Things were starting to get very dangerous, for both Cloud and himself.

Cloud leaned against his friend, feeling suddenly very uncomfortable in his armour. He closed his eyes and sighed contently. "I think...I'm going to sleep for a little while...."

~{Oh no you aren't! I am not dragging your sorry butt around the Underworld halls. You are staying awake long enough to get to your room!}~ Zax hefted Cloud up, wrapping an arm around the blonde's waist as Cloud continued to lean heavily on him. He practically started to drag the blonde from the library, occasionally kicking Cloud's feet to get them working. ~{You're getting lazy in your old age, Cloud.}~

"Maybe I should retire then...I'm getting too old for this stuff..." Cloud smiled weakly when Zax laughed and forced his feet beneath him again, forcing his body to walk just a little further. He could worry about taking off his armour when he actually made it to his room. "I wonder if the Underworld gives a good pension...?"

Zax smiled at Cloud's attempt at humouring him. It was rare that the blonde was in a jocular mood. ~{Doubtful. You haven't put in your twenty-five years into the service.}~

"Damn..."

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

Sephiroth stared at the note in his gloved hand, somewhat confused as to whom it had come from and what it meant. He shifted his weight and leaned back against the burning building at his back, completely comfortable with the flames jumping from home to home. He reached back and scratched his head, still examining to letter before turning it over in his hands, quirking an eyebrow at a strange symbol on the back, one that he recognized slightly. "Heartless?" He looked around him for the bearer of the message to question to sender of this little bizarre gift. He eventually glanced back down to the note. "I wasn't aware that the Heartless were literate..." Slowly, his eyes scanned the strange message once more.

'You failed and now you are losing.'

He slowly let the paper slip through his fingers, taking a step back when the paper melted into a black puddle that shifted into a small Heartless. He watched the creature before clenching a fist, suddenly very aware of just who had sent him a letter. "Ansem..." He took a step away from the Heartless, moving to stand in the middle of the blood stained street. "So, you knew where to find me, meaning you've become more powerful. And by writing me a letter, it means that you have a body." He glanced back at the Heartless that seemed equally intent on watching him in return. "I take it that this message is an invitation that you have something important to tell me? You never did have much tact for originality."

He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair before summoning up a teleportation spell. He had done his end of the bargain with Hades, so he supposed that he could take the time to find out what his older brother wanted from him. He slipped into the darkness without another thought and stepped out in the main hall of Hollow Bastion's palace, glancing about at the women frozen in crystals. He recognized one as the Princess of Heart that he had captured.

He didn't have to wait long for the sound of boots on carpet and slowly turned to regard a strange woman dressed in all black, shifting his gaze away as if completely disinterested. He ignored her and looked around the room, noting that it had not changed considerably. Eventually, he glanced back at the dark-clad woman. "What are you staring at, woman?"

"May I ask who you may be? This place is not for mortals, especially one's with simple blades such as that. The Heartless own this area." Maleficent stated flatly, not particularly impressed with this silver-haired man herself. She did sense dark power around the man, one that was quite strong, but she was not about to mention such to him. "I suggest you leave."

Sephiroth snorted arrogantly. "I have business here. I suggest your remove yourself before you feel just how simple this sword is. I've killed for less." He walked a few steps away, eyes narrowing as a dark circle formed around him, Heartless stepping into his path. He sighed heavily and shook his head. "I'm in no mood for games, foolish witch." He lifted a hand in the air and summoned up his fire pillar.

Maleficent felt her lips curve upwards ever so slightly, now certain of the power that this warrior had. This man had partially given over to the darkness, meaning that he was controllable, and she was in need of new warriors since the failure by almost all of her comrades. She was about to open her mouth to greet him properly when Riku stepped up beside her, a strange smile set across the boy's lips, as if he recognized the silver-haired warrior. "Dear boy, you have other business to attend to."

"Don't play with me." Ansem replied harshly, glancing at Maleficent out of the corner of his eye. He smirked as Sephiroth turned to regard him, there gazes meeting equally. He noted that his younger sibling had arrived much more quickly than he had expected, meaning that Sephiroth had nothing better to do than be patronized. "Welcome back, my brother." He noted Maleficent's calculating look and folded his hands behind his back, turning to regard her fully. "Leave. I have private business to attend to, meaning that you are not currently wanted here."

Sephiroth watched as the woman slowly nodded, cast him a devious look before turning and disappearing out of the room. He immediately turned his attention back to the child standing in front of him, only the boy's voice giving away the fact that it was Ansem. He smirked and walked over to his older brother, reaching out to pat Ansem on the head as one would a small child. "And here I thought you had grown up. Obviously, I was wrong."

Ansem shifted his head away from Sephiroth's touch and started to walk down the hallway, casually walking up the steps until he had reached the open platform. He glanced to the side as Sephiroth merely jumped the distance to stand beside him. "I take it that my new body does not meet your approval?"

"I could think of older people to take over." Sephiroth replied, shifting himself so that he was facing the boy. "What's this about? I have much more important things to do with my time than come when you send me silly messages to prove that you found a body."

"Ah, so you did get my message. I thought as much considering you arrived so quickly after I had sent it to you. Obviously, the words have confused your puny little brain, drawing you back here as quickly as your teleportation spell could carry you." Ansem smirked when Sephiroth did not answer and merely glared at him instead. He chuckled softly and gestured as his brother. "So, what is it you want to know?"

Sephiroth flexed his hand, aware that he could strike his older brother down now that Ansem inhabited a normal body. He would be sure to keep such things in mind for now and not act upon them just yet. "You said that I failed. What...?"

Ansem lifted a hand dismissively. "Let's leave that part till last, shall we?" He didn't bother to wait for a reply. "You are failing miserably at protecting that little thing you call your property. He's slipping into darkness faster than I anticipated, and the planet is screaming loudly. I think it even sent a messenger to try to slow the process, but General Strife's little quirks are pulling him down."

"And what quirks would those be?" Sephiroth questioned wearily, interested in finding information about his property that may lead him to capturing his canary more quickly.

"Let's just say that he gives you a run for top prize about trouble childhood. Actually, he has been treated much more roughly than you have, and he is just good at hiding his flaws away." Ansem shifted his weight and folded his hands behind his back again, glancing at his younger sibling when Sephiroth seemed to be forming new ideas of what could have happened to Cloud. He smirked and shook his head. "Anyway, I want you to stop his spiraling decent into darkness before all of Hollow Bastion dies. It would do me little good to make it this far just to have my strongest General falter at the finish line. I need him in good enough condition to finish my work, so I'm employing you with the duty of stopping the darkness for a little while."

Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow, smirking as he found it amusing that Ansem always seemed to 'employ' him when his older brother required help. He was well-aware that Ansem trusted him the most of anyone, probably because he allowed himself to be controlled by his sibling without much question. All he wanted was Cloud, and if Ansem was ordering him to get a bit closer to his property, he would do it without much persuasion. All he needed was some space to work with Cloud. "I will do what I can...though..."

Ansem quirked a silvery eyebrow, not used to hearing Sephiroth speaking with hesitation. "What is it?"

"It's Hades. I work for him, under a particularly nasty contract where I cannot have open contact with my property. I cannot speak a word he can hear or place anything in regards to myself in his path." Sephiroth looked down at his gloved hand, wiggling his fingers in slight boredom. He eventually glanced over to his brother, noting that Ansem seemed to be thinking about his words, a small smirk pulling at his lips. What better way to have his contract revoked than by the head-case controlling Hades indirectly. "Therefore, I can only have contact with my Cloud when Hades permits." He didn't bother to mention to dream he had coming his way, not seeing it to his advantage.

"Interesting." Ansem began to pace almost casually, his mind working over the information that he had just been given. This would not help him very much if Sephiroth could not come in contact with his favourite General, but the fact that Hades controlled his younger sibling made it all the more easy for him to work his authority. "I will be sure to speak with Hades and insist that he change your terms. I need you for duties that involve General Strife. Once I have your terms changed, you will help me?"

Sephiroth smirked and let his hand drop back to his side. "I'll give you what you want, and I will get what I want. This just gives me a better chance to claim him fully, with or without his consent." He sighed almost contently, enjoying the new opportunity that was set before him to cage his now struggling canary. Perhaps Cloud had accidentally broken a wing in his struggles, meaning he required some help to be nurtured back to good health, a service he was fully willing to provide.

Ansem smirked and turned away from Sephiroth, moving towards to large door that would lead him to the End of the World. Even if sealed, he would know the path, and now that he had insurance that his General would not slip below the surface, he could enjoy his soon-to-be victory. He felt Sephiroth walk up beside him but didn't bother to glance back at his younger sibling. All of the pieces were falling into place, just like he had planned. Soon, the keyblade would arrive, and he would let the consciousness in his body loose to kill the brunette. He predicted an easy victory on the bases of probability of his abilities compared to those of the boy on the way.

"What about the other part of the note?" Sephiroth asked quietly, smirking when he broke Ansem from whatever crazed thought his older brother was having. When Ansem looked at him in annoyance, he folded his arms across his chest stubbornly. "The note, Ansem. The other part of the note. I want to know what your crazed words meant."

Ansem sighed in annoyance and waved a dismissive hand in the air, more in the mood for evil plotting than dealing with his younger sibling right now. "What do you think it meant?"

Sephiroth shook his head slightly. "I don't claim to want to understand what goes on in that ugly head of yours. Tell me and I will leave to perform my other duties."

"I said that you failed, and that is exactly what I meant. You're a failure." Ansem stated coldly, glancing over to Sephiroth.

"I believe you've told that to me many times over our childhoods, meaning that it could be for anything that you might want to dredge up from the past." Sephiroth stated equally as coldly, setting a hand over Masamune's hilt, a silent warning that he was not in the mood for Ansem's mind games.

Ansem didn't have to glance down at Sephiroth's sword to know his sibling's intent with the blade, especially considering he was practically at the right height now to stare directly at his brother's sword. He sighed and shook his head, looking back at the enormous door. "Very well. Since you are intent of being the royal bastard that you are, I will speak plainly for you, in slow sentences just so that you can follow along." Ansem swiveled gracefully to fully face Sephiroth, their gaze meeting. "You failed to sire any sort of progeny. General Strife remains the only child to Walian. Though you attempted for years to hide your secret of wanting a child, especially one as gifted as Strife, it was still very obvious to me how you treated him when you got it in your ridiculous fantasies that the boy could in fact be your child."

Sephiroth had suspected that those would be the words from Ansem's mouth, but even in his obsessive state of mind, it fell on him like a ton of bricks. Perhaps it was not the information that Cloud was not his child that bothered him the most; rather, he thought it was the fact that Ansem had easily picked out his desire to have a child that made his body feel cold. Certainly, he had desired a child of his own, and the fact that Cloud had been hidden for so long almost sealed it in his mind that the blonde was most likely his only offspring.

Yet, he could not ignore the small part of him that was denying Ansem's information. As far as he could tell, Cloud could still be his child. The boy's age, paired with the date of the blonde's birth meant that either man could technically be Cloud's father. He had carried his relationship with Elecia until her marriage to Walian, indicating that she could have already conceived the child with him. Also, as far as he could tell in his background check, Walian had actually failed to sire another child on Elecia, though she did become pregnant at least three more times after Cloud's birth, but she had been unable to take those children to term. With all things considered, Cloud should be his child.

He glared at Ansem who was calmly watching him. "He's mine." He stated with a hint of protective anger in his voice. "His date of birth, his age, the fact that Walian could not sire another child on her...Cloud must be my child."

Ansem sensed that this would be the case with his stubborn brother and smiled in pity. "Even if that was all true, a bastard is not allowed to sire a child by the rules of the court. If Cloud is your son, I would have put an end to the boy's life long ago to uphold the laws, but I did not." He held up a hand when Sephiroth was about to reply heatedly, waving his younger sibling into silence once more. "You are an old man, my brother. How old is it? Eighty? Ninty now?"

Sephiroth lifted his chin and glared at Ansem. "I don't see how my age has anything to do with my abilities." He watched Ansem's skeptical look and shook his head. "One hundred and four if you can't subtract from your own age."

"Ah, yes." Ansem smiled and ran a hand through his short silver hair. "It was so long ago that father made us immortals, was it not?" He chuckled when Sephiroth merely grunted a response, probably thinking up a new way to convince him that Cloud's father was not so certain. He smiled almost pleasantly at Sephiroth. "Father was a brilliant man. He always knew how to enforce the rules by dodging them completely and making it so that they could not actually be broken."

Sephiroth quirked an annoyed eyebrow and brushed a few stray locks of hair back over his shoulder. "Father was a lunatic. You are quickly going that way too, with all this subtle scheming and body-snatching."

Ansem cocked his head to the side and smirked. "You don't get it, do you?" When Sephiroth merely stared at him, he shook his head. "Father knew that there was a chance that you might try to sire your own little bastards so he made sure to sterilize you." He took a small step when Sephiroth's eyes flashed angrily and held up his hands so that he could finish explaining himself. "Don't worry, you are not alone in your sterileness. I'm unable to have children and so is our darling Strife. Any who has been subjected the darkness for the purpose of gaining immortality...sadly lose the ability to sire children."

Sephiroth turned his face to the side angrily. "And why would father make it so that his heir to the throne was unable to sire children?"

"You were a smart boy back then. Father suspected that you may figure something was amiss if it was only you, so he made a large sacrifice by having me included." Ansem smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "See, you aren't alone, but you also cannot be Strife's father."

Sephiroth growled. "Yet, you continually kept prodding at the uncertainty of Cloud's origin. So, you either didn't know yourself until recently, or you were playing with me?"

Ansem smirked cruelly and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "It is an older sibling's duty to torment his younger brother." He watched Sephiroth's hand settle on the sword. "I knew, but I was doing an experiment on you, as usual. I was testing your behaviour when the object of uncertainty is placed in front of you. I never thought that you had the parental side to you, but I will admit that you surprised me. You took to Strife faster than you had to any other guard. Mind you, the fact that Strife was your only challenge did also play a factor in my study."

Sephiroth snarled angrily and stalked the distance between them and grabbed the front of Ansem's yellow shirt, pulling his brother off the floor. He unsheathed his blade and pressed it against his older brother's throat. "I could slit your throat and put a stop to your mad plans right now."

"You could, but you won't." Ansem smirked, quirking an eyebrow as the blade as his throat pushed in further. Had he underestimated his younger sibling's reaction to torment? He doubted it, but he decided to make certain that Sephiroth would not kill this body seeing as he was unsure of what would happen to his spirit if the body died. "Brother, I meant no harm by hiding the information from you. However, I've now opened up a new opportunity for you, a much better one."

Sephiroth tightened his grip on the boy's shirt, eyes narrowing angrily. "And what new opportunity would that be, dearest brother?"

Ansem noted that Sephiroth was not about to put him back on the floor and sighed heavily, wondering what he had done to get such a short-tempered brother after the darkness had driven Sephiroth down a more insane path. "Put me down and I will tell you."

"Tell me now and I will put you down." Sephiroth replied coldly. "Don't tell me and you'll end up on the floor in many pieces."

Ansem rolled his eyes, reaching up to grasp Sephiroth's wrist. "Simply because General Strife is not your offspring doesn't mean that you can't make him yours by other means. Think of it, brother." When Sephiroth made no response and almost impatiently tapped a foot, Ansem shifted himself in his younger sibling's strong grip. "Imagine his body against yours, every muscles moving because you make it so, having him trapped against you, whispering your name alone breathlessly...think of how beautiful he would be arching beneath you, grasping you desperately for final release...Imagine how wonderful it would be...."

Sephiroth shifted his weight and unwittingly felt his grip on Ansem's shirt loosen and his sword pull away a little. Yes, he had thought of that when he had first come to be intent on making the blonde his all those years ago. He had nearly made an attempt to claim Cloud's body before the fall of Hollow Bastion, but the night of his plans, Cloud had actually decided to be social and wander in a group of guards.

He had been certain to study the blonde in every way over the five years that it had come to his attention that he desired his only challenge to become simply that, only his. He was watched every reaction, every shift of muscle, every situation that would produce a smile, every water droplet that slipped down the blonde's flesh when Cloud bathed. He had first been mesmerized with every detail that he had missed previously and had quickly admitted that he may try something if he were ever in the bathhouse alone with the blonde. Even during the spars he managed to convince Cloud into, he had been intent to get close for any physical contact when watching no longer suited him. Even a single brush of skin was enough to make him desire more.

He knew that Cloud would have resisted his advances, seeing as the blonde had never taken a lover, though the bets to do so ran rampant through the court. No, he had never attempted to bed Elecia's only child, though he now wished that he had. If he couldn't have Elecia, her offspring would technically be the next best thing, though Cloud did have characteristics that were just as intoxicatingly sweet. If he pursued long enough, he knew that he could bed the blonde and keep him the next morning too.

Ansem could see Sephiroth's mind working and smirked, aware that his plan to keep Cloud safe would come together if his younger sibling could keep the blonde occupied and out of danger. Even if that meant having Sephiroth sleep with the blonde, he would rather have to deal with that instead of having his greater plans fail. Besides, he would be interested in seeing what effect such an act would have on the stoic blonde, if only for new experimental properties. He thought that it was about time that someone shook Cloud's foundations other than obsessive insanity.

He grinned when Sephiroth placed him back on the ground and smoothed down his tight shirt again. "I told you it was a new great opportunity. Now, if only you would be able to pull it off."

"I will make him mine. Perhaps clipping his wings will just be the start of getting him to submit to me?" Sephiroth sheathed his blade at his side again and ran his chin over his knuckles, thinking of the best way to slip a hand around the blonde and claim Cloud once and for all. "I doubt that forcing him would do well."

Ansem quirked an eyebrow and folded his hands behind his back. "You can't rape the willing, Sephiroth."

It was Sephiroth's turn to quirk an eyebrow. "What are you implying?"

"Oh please, you didn't see it?" Ansem ran a hand through his hair before folding his arms across his chest. "I think Strife is just playing hard to get. Play a little hard ball with him, and I'm sure he'll show his real colours." He smirked, knowing that his suggestion could have an adverse effect of what he wanted, but at least he could laugh when the blonde slugged his younger sibling. Besides, he wanted Sephiroth to move close as quickly as possible, and if his brother decided the push the issue, at least Strife would have a real good reason to give in to the darkness and rip Sephiroth limb from limb. He would get a good show. Besides, it was all in the name of science, so it was justified.

Sephiroth passed a sideways glance at Ansem and noted his sibling's calculated look. He would watch Cloud before making any attempt to claim the blonde, if only to eliminate the small factor that the blonde may actually show some interest that he was not aware of. Of course, the probability that he had missed such an important detail was very low. He prided himself on knowing all that there was about his men, meaning that Cloud could not have hidden something like that. No, he was certain that he would have to work for it, but he always liked a challenge, especially Cloud.

Ansem let his hands drop back to his sides as he sensed the keyblade drawing close, glancing at Sephiroth. "I have other business arriving. I suggest you leave and make yourself useful elsewhere." He began walking down the steps before his younger sibling could protest, instinctively aware when Sephiroth left the area, a crooked smirk forming on his features. He ran a hand down his arm. "Time to let you loose on your little friend, Riku. Don't disappoint me."

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

Sephiroth slipped silently into Cloud's room, pressing himself up against the door as he slid the wood back into place quietly. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkened room, and he became acutely aware of the signs of a temper tantrum, something that was so rare from Cloud. He stepped over the shattered remnants of what looked to be a table and proceeded cautiously over to where he knew that the blonde was sleeping soundly thanks to Hades.

He nearly tripped over carelessly discarded armour, noting that the pieces were strewn about the room in a fashion that indicated that Cloud had not really cared where the armour landed. The blonde's boots were separated by quite a distance, probably kicked off unceremoniously just to be rid of the confines of leather. He was amused by the fact that the blonde's many belts were strewn around the room as if a battle had happened to remove the leather. It appeared that only the blonde's cloak had managed to be dropped in a suitable place and lay hanging on one of the only chairs remaining. He noted that even Cloud's sword, the blonde's most prized possession, had been allowed to fall to the stone floor where it would, indicating either an extreme hurry or exhaustion, Sephiroth voting for the latter because he had often seen Cloud working himself too hard for the Royal Guards.

He ventured closer to the bed, stopping when his knees brushed the edge, leaving him to look down at the curled form of one of his most prized possessions. He smiled as he found Cloud mostly curled up, only one hand drifting beneath the pillow and the blonde's hair sweeping down across Cloud's face, hiding the blonde's closed eyes. Cloud looked more relaxed than was normally possible for the blonde, though the fact that Cloud's sweater was half-pulled up and the blonde's pants were undone made him raise a questionable eyebrow. Obviously Cloud's clothing had won the battle and the blonde had given up half-way through an attempt to remove the articles of material. It appeared to him that the blonde had only defeated his socks, bare feet curled together as if to keep warm.

Slowly, he let a hand run down the blonde's naked arm, eyes shifting to where Cloud's head rested half way on the pillow. He leaned over the sleeping warrior, running his gloved fingers through the now mostly disheveled blonde spikes, smiling when Cloud did not move away from his touch.

He stood straight again, gaze still fixed on his property, as he began to remove his gloves, laying the black leather on the nearby table that leaned precariously. Slowly, he removed the metal belts around his wrists, legs, and waist, casually pulling off his leather coat and tossing it on a nearby chair that only had three legs and shuddered under the weight of the material. He pushed Cloud's legs over so that he could seat himself on the edge of the bed to removed his boots as if he lived in the same room, more relaxed and comfortable than he should be with such a dangerous warrior sleeping next to him. He set his boots aside and stretched out his legs before glancing once at the door just to make sure that it was still closed. Casually, he turned and climbed over the blonde, settling himself in behind Cloud, chuckling when the blonde still didn't shift away from him.

One thing about Cloud that had always amused him was the fact that the blonde was an extremely heavy sleeper. He once had to drag Cloud from bed still asleep and shake the blonde quite violently in order to rose Cloud from slumber. Of course, once Cloud was awake, he later found out, there was no way that the blonde would sleep again for the rest of the night. Many of the guards had mocked the blonde for the odd sleeping habits, not usually one that made for a good guard. However, the fact that Cloud could remain awake for four days straight to cover for sick comrades and then managed to sleep for a full day in the noisy sleeping barracks was a feat that even Sephiroth wished that he had. Still, he had never understood how Cloud could sleep through yelling drunk guards, but the moment a weapon was unsheathed in the blonde's general vicinity, Cloud was wide awake and ready for action. It was quite impressive to watch and he himself had only seen it twice only because he had been walking by when the blonde's fellows decided to play a practical joke that involved cutting off Cloud's clothing to make it look like the blonde had been a victim of abuse or rape, he wasn't sure.

Still, an unarmed opponent could easily slip into the blonde's bed, just as he was doing. Even without Hades' help, he knew that Cloud would probably not rouse at all during the night so he was prepared to take full advantage of the blonde's sleeping quirk.

Sephiroth casually shoved Cloud's head off of the pillow, chuckling when the blonde mumbled something unintelligible in response. He lifted the pillow and shook his head as he found exactly what he knew he would be faced with. In the blonde's hand was a fairly substantial knife that could seriously threatened any enemy's life, and the knife he knew had a long history with the blonde. He reached down and shifted Cloud's hold on the hilt of the blade, smirking as his eyes fell on an inscription of 'Walian Strife', Cloud's father's name. It was the only possession that the blonde kept of his father, and he knew that Cloud had only used to blade three times, all of those times causing nearly life-threatening injury to his would-be attackers.

He silently replaced the pillow, not really wanting to wrestle the blade from Cloud's often stubborn grip. He carefully pulled the blonde's head back onto the pillow, nestling his own body closer, lifting a hand brush his fingers through Cloud's soft hair before running his fingers down the blonde's naked arm. He grasped the upper part of Cloud's arm and gazed down into the blonde's peacefully sleeping face, a crooked smile playing over his lips. "I could clip your wings so easily, bringing you back to earth to my waiting arms...never to fly again." He released his hold on the blonde's arm, not interested in breaking the appendage, his hand instead running down to Cloud's nearest leg. "No, I think you will be needing some good health for a little while longer, and I would much rather allow you to keep your sensual wings...perhaps I'll just break your legs instead..."

He quirked an eyebrow when the blonde shifted back against him, Cloud's leg swinging back to smash into his knee as if a sleepy warning. He chuckled and pulled the blonde closer, nestling his face into the crook of Cloud's warm neck as he snaked an arm protectively around the blonde's waist, lifting his head when his fingers brushed over a much slimmer waist than he last remembered. "Not eating? Tsk, tsk, that only encourages me, my canary."

As he sat and watched Cloud sleep, he ran his fingers over the blonde's facial features, outlining the strong jaw, smooth cheek bones, golden eyebrows and perfect nose. He felt his jaw set with frustration as he picked out each of the younger man's parental features, finding none of them matching his own the harder he looked. "You should have been mine!" He whispered harshly, slamming his fist into the bed beside the blonde's face, uncurling his fingers to force Cloud's face to look up at him. He smirked possessively and leaned closer to the blonde, their lips nearly touching as his long hair slipped over his naked shoulder and pooled around Cloud's face. "Have no fear, my precious canary. You will be mine, and I will keep you nice and safe." He ran his finger over a different part of the blonde's face with each word. "You've always been mine, in one way or another. And soon, I will make it so that you will never leave my side again. I will cage you in my arms and keep you where I want you." He grinned crookedly as he glanced down at where Cloud's legs now outstretched themselves. "You don't need your legs when I get done with you so I doubt that you'll complain if you lose use of them for a few weeks while I make you mine again."

Sephiroth chuckled and shifted himself back again, wrapping a leg protectively around the blonde's still clothed ones. He pushed his nose into the blonde's hair and breathed deeply before settling himself comfortably, gently kissing the back of Cloud's neck. "First thing first, my beautiful canary...If I win your mind, your body will follow easy." He tightened his hold around the blonde's waist, smirking arrogantly. "I think we should spend some...quality time together, since I've got two whole days with you, my little canary."

He closed his eyes and relaxed, reaching out with his mind to find a connection with the sleeping blonde. Since he had already ventured into Cloud's mind, he found it easy to push through and stepped into a blackened landscape, one that he was familiar with. He just needed to find which dreamscape Cloud had escaped to, and he would be able to have his fun with the blonde once more.

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

Well, if can't guess by now, this has turned into a potentially yaoi fic between Sephiroth and Cloud. I think I got a little carried away with the sex talk, and I am hoping to cut it down in the next chapter. I don't know. I tried rewriting certain parts, and I don't think that it changed much. Oh well, I guess I will live with it. Not my greatest chapter, but it settles things.

Next up, the second encounter between Cloud and Sephiroth. Still thinking that one through, but I have a few ideas. It will be interesting to see Cloud actually ready to fight back and more happy realizations will come about. Maybe demonic Cloud will pop up and cop a feel again. Not sure what to do with considering he just sort of popped into my head, and he's decided to stay. On the bright side, I came up with a new fic idea with evil Cloud which I think would be kind of fun to write.