A/N : First, I wanna explain the title. There will most likely be smut, yes, but that isn't going to be the main focus. It'll be on the ships, smut, and
a n g s t
The smut might actually be posted on a different site. I'm cross-posting this on FFN and AO3, I might upload any smut to AO3 or maybe even AFFN. I don't really wanna upload it here because of the guideline thingies ._.
So I'll put like, a 'smexy time break' or smth on here, but have the actual scene on another site.
The title is kinda more of a joke. You know the song that goes "It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes"? That's the vibe I wanted. You're welcome .w.
Anyways, this will be a Polyamorous fanfiction. Cloud, Zack, Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal will all be together. Not just sexually, I want to have a lot of romantic stuff :3
I don't know exactly what trigger warnings to put, so I'll place them at the beginning of each chapter based on the contents of the chapter.
I won't put swearing as a TW in every chapter, because then I'd be putting it in every chapter. There will be at least one swear per chapter.
This Fanfiction is super AU. Like, Aerith is still alive during the 'final battle' and afterwards, deceased characters will have passed in different ways, and major events will not all be the same. I'm basically fucking up a shit ton of Final Fantasy VII, and probably shit before it.
Another thing; I use writing as a coping mechanism. I usually write about things like self-harm and suicidal ideation - I've been struggling for a few years with these two specifically. So, this fic will be like others I've written (Not every fic I've written has been like this, and I was on a different platform for basically all of them). Oh, and I have been getting help. I'm not seeing anyone at the moment, because being on camera makes my anxiety attack me with a stapler gun and tears, and I can't see anyone in person. So, no need to express concern; I don't know how to accept concern anyways. You gotta love the inability to handle certain situations because you lacked a healthy childhood :D
.. And the inability to understand some social situations that others understand perfectly and think you're weird for not getting it ._.
If you or a loved one is experiencing any of what I've mentioned, and anything I haven't, I urge you to reach out to someone. I know that many people won't listen to me; hell, I don't listen when other Authors state this in their fics - but I hope that you'll at least think about it.
I also don't have a beta.
SHIP LIST (Ships this Chapter) : Cloud x Sephiroth / They will not all be together immediately. I want to attempt a somewhat slow burn, but not too slow. This list will no longer appear in chapters once everyone is in the relationship.
TRIGGER WARNINGS : Major Character Death(s), Violence, Suicidal Ideation/Suicide, Kinda Gore? Just Going With Gore, Sexual References (not too graphic)
CHAPTER ONE
4:29pm, Tuesday, May XXth, 20XX
The Forest around two bodies has been completely flattened for just over a mile, and completely destroyed for a few more surrounding them. A sword that had broken into multiple swords laid abandoned at the edge of the chaos.
The two bodies have been fighting for hours, swapping blows and the upper hand. No sounds could be heard except their blades crashing together, one landing on the ground, and shouts of pain and anger. The occasional bout of silence stretched when one of the specific figures went flying hard enough, seeming to frustrate them more. In that silence, taunts could be heard from the one that launched the shorter figure, breaking the silence.
One figure laid on the ground, swearing under his breath. The figure was a Male, almost halfway through his Twenties. His almost golden hair stuck up in a stubborn point, now tangled and dirtied beyond expectations. His hair was matted with dried blood in most places, almost hiding the fact he was Blonde. The back of his head was gushing fresh blood from his impact with the rough terrain, following a dried trail that had previously gone down his neck.
He sat up, gripping his large Buster Sword in his right hand. His dark blue shirt was torn, his chest covered in blood and large gashes. His pants were still relatively intact, but he wouldn't be able to wear them again after this fight.
Glaring at the other figure with angry, glowing blue eyes, the male known as Cloud Strife stood up. His legs shaked, his ankle broken - Cloud refused to scream, knowing it was what that Monster across from him wanted. That Monster wanted to make him fall apart, keep him as a fucking PET! No way was Cloud going to let that happen - even if he wanted to, Cloud had to defeat the other. The world was at risk, not just his freedom and pride.
He'd kill Sephiroth for what he did to their friends.
The other was still taunting him, but Cloud ignored him. Cloud can't afford to get riled up, he needs to be thinking clearly. He needs to live.
Still glaring, Cloud raised his Buster Sword - Zack's Buster Sword, Angeal's Buster Sword - and took a step forward. He studied the figure across from him.
Once upon a time, he had admired his ethereal beauty. His long Silver hair was always untangled, flowing effortlessly as he stalked the Shinra grounds. It went down to just above his tailbone, Cloud thought. It never seemed to grow between their years of fighting. His glowing green eyes mocked him, the cat-like pupils glaring out at him from across the area. Oh how Cloud wished he could just stab those eyes into mush in his skull. He wanted to listen to that Monster beg for mercy.
Growling, he looked down his body again - not the first time he's looked for weak spots in this fight, but always worth a shot.
The single shoulder guard the Monster wore was long-gone, Cloud having knocked it off close to three hours ago. They've been fighting for eight hours, he was sure his friends were sleeping a few miles away by now. He hopes they're sleeping.
His shirt, however, remained almost completely intact. The belts that crossed his chest were unharmed, though Cloud could still see the most recent gash across his stomach still knitting itself back together. Cloud smiled, hoping that was more painful than Sephiroth was displaying.
Sephiroth's face had dried blood running down the right side, close to the outside of his right eye. That was the most damage that had been done to his face, but his head was surely still pounding from when Cloud had managed to smash his skull into the ground.
Cloud growled. Sephiroth was smirking at him. He could practically hear that Monster calling him a pretty puppet already. God, he needs to kill Sephiroth. NOW.
Lunging forwards, Cloud stayed low to the ground as he sped towards the Silver-haired nuisance.
Sephiroth let out a gleeful laugh, Cloud shuddering and almost tripping. That was exactly how he laughed that one night-
Swinging his Buster Sword in a downwards arc, Sephiroth easily caught his blade with his own - Masamune. Masamune was a seven-foot long Odame, Cloud always explained. Well, he never explained that it was basically taller than Sephiroth himself, or that it hadn't broken in over ten years of usage.
Cloud kept pushing down towards Sephiroth, Sephiroth showing signs of finally struggling to hold his blade in place.
Cloud can't spare a single moment to even remember that night. The one that they stole together, that was just for them-
Sparks flew, and his Buster Sword was thrown to the side - Cloud still holding it by its hilt - and Cloud leaped back as a few Firaga were thrown at him, and leaping much further as Sephiroth quickly launched a Flamewall. Cloud growled, not wanting to deal with his Infusion bullshit.
Sephiroth quickly leaped forwards, slashing down at Cloud three times, who managed to block two of the strikes. Cloud clenched his jaw as the final strike slashed across his chest, blood quickly gushing out and dripping down into his other still-bleeding wounds.
Stumbling back, Cloud barely dodged another Firaga blast, his right arm heating up as it flew past. The ground a few feet behind him burst into flames, quickly spreading into a new Flamewall.
"If you had said yes to me that one time, we wouldn't be here. You'd be standing by my side, my own Goddess."
Cloud sneered, glaring up at Sephiroth.
"I'm no Goddess, and you'll never be a God. You're a Monster, exactly what was wanted of you-"
Sephiroth grabbed Cloud by the tattered remains of his shirt, and lifted him several feet off the ground. Masamune was wedged between his hand and his Buster Sword, and Cloud let out a pained gasp as he let go of his sword - his hand bleeding from where Masamune had sliced.
Cloud brought his hands up and held onto Sephiroth's hand, and his feet were uselessly kicking at the other's chest. All it did was make Sephiroth smirk.
"That is where you are wrong, Cloud. I am exactly what you say I'm not. I AM a God, and I am perfection. I will cleanse this world, this Universe, and create my own better one. All I want is a Goddess by my Side, Cloud. All I want is you. And I will have you, one way or the other. I do not mind if you force my hand any further, you are more than aware that I have the ability to create clones. Though they are never as good as the real thing, a copy of perfection is still better than anything else."
..Perfection? Cloud was aware Sephiroth was out of his mind, he had witnessed the Monster in front of him break into millions of pieces so many years ago. He didn't think that he was so crazy to think of Cloud as..
"Wait, what the hell do you mean?" He snarled.
Sephiroth smiled. And a silence surrounded them, as Cloud waited for an answer.
"..Perfection, is what I'm assuming you're asking about. Or do you not enjoy being called a Goddess? Either way, they will be the same in the end."
"What the fuck are you on about!"
Cloud kicked Sephiroth in the chest roughly, and Sephiroth let him go. He stared at Cloud as he fell, the shorter male landing on his feet.
Cloud swallowed. How the hell was he going to get out of this? He was still feeling the occasional jolt from the Thundaga he was hit by not much earlier, and his injuries were catching up to him. With the current calm period, his adrenaline was starting to fizz out, and he could feel the pulsing of each gash. Cloud's head felt abnormally light, and he became aware of his body shaking ever so slightly.
So, he stood up straight from his slight slouch. Resolve in his eyes, he stared up at Sephiroth, who still slightly towered over him.
"You are mine, Cloud Strife. Body, Mind, Soul - everything you are, is mine. And I would allow myself to be yours, if you would stop this foolish game and come with me. We have our own destiny to fulfill." His deep voice sent shivers down Cloud's spine, as it always had. Some of the things he's said in this fight keep reminding him of one night, and he wishes that he had forgotten it.
They both should have forgotten it.
Sephiroth seems to have become obsessed with it, and Cloud can't understand why for the life of him.
Cloud turned his back to Sephiroth, and bent to pick up his sword. He lingered in a crouch, his hand brushing the hilt.
".. No."
Cloud choked, his eyes widening in agony. He couldn't even scream.
Cloud barely registered Masamune going in deeper, barely grazing his spine as it slowly penetrated the other side of his chest. He looked down, and watched in a sickening mixture of horror and fascination as Masamune kept going - emerging from his chest, and slowly digging deeper towards the ground.
He's left to assume that Sephiroth stopped once he felt the ground, because he felt less pressure on the sword than before. Cloud stares, blood pouring out of his chest and down the sword, forming a quickly growing puddle on the ground beneath the sword. Correction. Ground around the sword, the sword was in the earth.
He's been given what he's always wanted. A solution to their endless dance, a death worth disappointing his Mother for, a death he's been longing for.
Cloud shakily stood up, his legs barely able to support him. He felt something dripping down his face, subconsciously knowing they were tears. He could barely think - Cloud knew he wanted this to happen, but why? Why was he crying?
A sigh echoed throughout the battleground, and screams of dismay and anger could be heard just too far away.
"Never turn your back on the enemy. How many times did I drill that into you myself? I do wish we needn't have done this, my Goddess. Maybe I'll be able to bring you back once I remake our ideal Universe - no, I will bring you back once I am ready. You'll wait patiently for me, won't you?" Sephiroth said. It was hard to identify what that note in his voice was, Cloud's mind was still trying to understand the slowly growing pain Masamune is causing.
Cloud turned around, a crazed smile upon Sephiroth's face. He barely registered the slowly forming tears in the madman's eyes, as Cloud slowly stumbled forwards a step.
Then, Cloud launched himself at Sephiroth. Ah, this was what he had planned to do. How long had he been planning this moment? Surely it was years - but why now?
He looked up at Sephiroth, and shakily brought up his hands to hold Sephiroth's shoulders.
Sephiroth looked surprised, not expecting Cloud to.. do any of this. Not turn his back, not let himself die, not lunge at him with the intent on taking Sephiroth with him.
Sephiroth should have been more careful. Now, he and his 'Goddess' would remain in an imperfect afterlife together - but surely being with Cloud would make it better, Cloud would bet Sephiroth's entire life savings that the Monster was thinking that. Cloud had seemed to somehow always make things better with just his presence.
The sword had impaled Cloud just below his collarbone from behind, and exited just above the middle of his ribcage. When he had lunged at Sephiroth, Masamune had pierced into him just below his own ribcage, and he thought it exited above the small of his back on his own left side.
Both seemed to understand the screaming was closer, and Cloud could faintly identify Tseng, Yuffie, and Aerith among them. Ah, they had been watching after all.
Sephiroth looked down at Cloud, both shocked as tears rolled down his cheeks.
".. Why wouldn't you let me give you the world. I wanted to give you everything, wanted to.. I don't understand how you tolerate me."
Cloud frowned at this, his vision quickly fuzzing and blacking at the edges. His last sentence didn't fit. Cloud's knees buckled, and Sephiroth fell down to his own knees with him. Cloud felt Sephiroth place his hands on his lower back.
"I've hurt you so much. Why? Cloud, please, why did I..?" More tears rolled down his face, and Cloud could see that the tears looked far from normal.
Sephiroth's tears were cloudy, and his eyes seemed to glow brighter with each released tear. It was like.. something had been.. Using Sephiroth.
Cloud's eyes widened as he realized this fact. He couldn't force himself to understand much with how foggy his head has become, and how close to falling unconscious he is.
All he can piece together is that Sephiroth had less control than he thought, but how much did he have?
"Cloud..? Cloud?! Cloud, stay- Cloud, what-" A cough from above, and Cloud faintly feels a few drops fall onto his hair, his head had been moved and a hand was missing from his back.
Cloud just wants to sleep.
More coughing. Cloud finds himself slightly irritated by it, but unsure why. Maybe it's preventing his sleep.
There's a lot of noise around him, and things are touching him. He keeps hearing people yell about Clouds and Death.
'The sky looks nice. Blue.. Clouds..'
Cloud feels like he can finally sleep.
So he does.
Sephiroth watches through foggy eyes as Cloud's head falls back limply, and can see Cloud faintly focus on the sky.
He doesn't know what he's saying, all he knows is that he's panicking and half of the words are Cloud's name.
He screams in agony as he watches bright blue Mako eyes slowly dim, an almost faded and foggy gray-blue mixture taking its place slowly.
Sephiroth has watched people die before. He's killed people, watched everything bleed out of them. But nothing has ever hurt him on a scale even worth comparing to Cloud dying.
He remembers the early days. The ones he had with Cloud. He remembered them starting as acquaintances of Zack Fair, who was both of their Best Friend at the time. Then, before they knew it, they were friends, and that was changing just as fast.
At first, Sephiroth thought he saw Cloud as a bester friend, since he felt for Cloud and Zack differently. So, he spoke to Zack, since he was the only one available and was most in tune with emotions, kind of. Zack had gaped at him, and broke into a massive grin after a few tense and silent seconds. He simply told Sephiroth that "You don't choose who you love, that's what Angeal always says. Other than Dreams and Honour."
It took the two of them - Sephiroth and Cloud - months to figure everything out, and.. he enjoyed the time they spent together, to say the least. He remembers stealing away days to spend time with Cloud, they did so much to not get caught. Their last night together had been the most meaningful, to Sephiroth at least. The first and last night Cloud had fully trusted Sephiroth with him, his entire being.
And he fucked everything up.
Granted, he didn't have complete control of himself, but the beginning is when he had the most control. The most Jenova had been able to do was speak to him, and influence minor body movements.
He felt so.. raw, vulnerable that day.
Sephiroth couldn't handle all the information being fed on a broken brass platter to him, even though he knew to take it all with a grain of salt. That, combined with the close proximity to that alien led to Sephiroth being one of, if not the worst thing, to happen to the Planet.
Gaia. He wishes he could go back.
Maybe if he had just let Zack in the room, if he hadn't been alone there, of he had listened to anyone-
The next thing he knew, he was told to set Nibelheim on fire. So he did. He was told to kill everyone, but he didn't want to, and managed to resist that one request. That had angered Jenova, now that Sephiroth thought about it. She had screeched with rage, which he had ignored at the time due to mistaking it as one of the many terrified screams of agony and horror, then asked for him to kill Claudia.
He knew where to go, a violent tugging leading him to the women Jenova wanted slaughtered. He vaguely remembered Cloud introducing him to her the second day they were sent to Nibelheim. He didn't stop to think that it was Cloud's Mother until after he had already impaled the poor woman.
Then the tugging changed, trying to lead him back to the lab, to the reactor-
Cloud was laying outside of his house. Reaching for the house, for his Mother. It was obvious that he had heard his Mother's scream by the look on his face. The horror, agony, sorrow - and disbelief. He knew he wasn't the one to taunt Cloud, Jenova must have started using his body. Sephiroth.. he remembers shutting down after seeing Cloud.
Then he remembers being thrown into the Mako, the head of that Alien bitch falling with him. He saw Cloud almost tumble down himself, but he collapsed on the bridge he stood on instead.
Sephiroth was thankful that someone had stopped him. That Cloud stopped him.
But… He came back. With less control than before. He hurt Cloud again, and Cloud killed him again. Sephiroth could tell that his actions had a part in breaking the man. Gaia, how he hated himself, how he hated Jenova. He was so glad Cloud had done him in again.
He really tried his best to stay away, but he was brought back again. And again. And again. Cloud wasn't even 25 yet, but he had killed Sephiroth so many times he lost count. And every time he's forced back, Jenova makes him hurt Cloud more.
So, he understands part of the obsession with Cloud. He had always been.. well, obsessed with him. Postponing work to call and check in on him, taking days off to spend time with the Cadet even if Cloud couldn't take the day off, arriving later than usual after making sure Cloud got somewhere safely. He had stopped himself from going overboard - he didn't sneak pictures, he didn't steal clothes (he only gave Cloud his clothes, he made sure Cloud's clothes were either washed and returned, or in a special dresser made for when Cloud stays over), he didn't collect hair - he managed to stay relatively normal and calm about his obsession.
He knows it was an obsession. But it wasn't bad. It didn't interfere with either of their lives, it didn't bother anyone - if anything, Cloud had enjoyed it. He was the one to point it out to Sephiroth, after watching Sephiroth walk by his class the second time that hour (he needed to make sure his Love was okay, that no one was doing anything-).
Sephiroth knew that others had interest. His fellow firsts seemed interested, but never did anything to suggest so to Cloud. Sephiroth still thinks he was being paranoid. He tended to be like that about Cloud.
That's why losing Cloud hurt so much.
Sephiroth is supposed to be the one leaving. He knew he was the one that pushed Cloud this far. He made Cloud think he needed to die in order to kill Sephiroth.
Sephiroth just wasn't trying hard enough.
Now that they'll be together, maybe Sephiroth can stay away. He'll never let anyone hurt Cloud again, even if that means keeping his distance while doing so.
Sephiroth registers the fact that he's crying, heavy sobs wracking his body -
People are trying to push Sephiroth off his sword, most likely to get to Cloud. Their voices mix together, their tones a cacophony of rage, despair, and horror. He seemed to excel at causing those specific emotions, lately.
Sephiroth growled, and clung to Cloud with almost renewed strength. He pulled Cloud as close to him as he possibly could, not even wincing as Masamune slid deeper into his own body.
He had impaled Cloud with Masamune, making sure to not stop until the hilt met with his Love's back. He wasn't sure how Cloud had managed to stand up, Masamune must have been at least five feet in the earth below them. But Cloud has always exceeded his expectations, it was one of the many many reasons on the long list of why Sephiroth was so enamoured with his.. Goddess.
His Goddess.
His Goddess is dead.
He killed his Goddess.
Sephiroth cast a weak Firaga, not wanting to kill his Goddess' loved ones just yet. If Cloud did not return, he'd bring his loved ones to him in the Lifestream. His Goddess deserves happiness, and all the love in the world, after all.
The Firaga had caused most of the figures to back away hastily, understanding the warning. One stayed, and was hitting Sephiroth over the head with something small and weak.
So, he grabbed it, and broke it in his fist, clenching as hard as he could. He didn't care about a new liquid (it's not Goddess' get it off getitoff) that had briefly dropped onto his skull, nor did he care for the agonized scream that accompanied it. He didn't let go for a few seconds, ignoring the weak tugging of someone trying to get it away.
When he did let go, he cast a stronger Firaga over the weaker one, slowly forming a Fire Wall around him and the most important figure in this pitiful world.
More agonized screaming, and rushed footsteps fleeing his spell. He figured the person was on fire, he could hear others attempting to smother the fire.
He cast the strongest Firaga he could around them, a huge Fire Wall slowly expanding to cover a few feet around them, and hundred of feet into the air. The smell of charred flesh invaded his senses, so he buried his face in his Goddess' hair. The scent of blood and sweat overpowered what Cloud usually smelt like - usually, he smelt like maple trees, a warm spring wind, sometimes had a hint of wolf, and sugar. Oddly, he remembers Cloud being a Sugar Fiend - reckless, chaotic, and completely haywire when it came to sugary products. That's not counting the influence Zack had on him.
Cloud had managed to put the fear of Gaia into all of them. As long as sugar was involved, people feared peering around corners and into closets for the paranoia that Cloud's blue eyes would be peering back at them. Cloud had managed to fit into one of Sephiroth's office drawers, and Sephiroth found him on a sugar high three hours later, he had found Zack's candy stash.
Sephiroth found himself laughing, the fire crackling around them almost muting his voice.
He felt his wound trying to knit itself back together, and grew frustrated. He wanted to follow his Cloud, goddammit.
So, hissing with delirious rage, Sephiroth cast two more spells simultaneously -
A large block of Ice encased Sephiroth and Cloud, so thick and cold that Sephiroth could barely see Cloud below him, he highly doubted anyone would see them from outside.
As they were invaded in ice quickly, the Firaga went wild, Sephiroth no longer controlling it. He didn't care about what happened afterwards.
As the Ice formed, a Thundaga was crackling into existence just outside of the block of ice. The second it finished, it almost instantly started melting all over from the untamable Firaga, and the water helped conduct the Thundaga, which started to shatter the ice it touched.
Within the next few seconds, Sephiroth and Cloud were nothing more than a ton of charred, bloody, melting chunks surrounded by absolute chaos.
Chunks of hair were scattered as the ice fell, as well as most other body parts. Within a few minutes, Cloud's family would be able to identify a few pieces of their body.
Their bodies were blue and red, eyes had shattered upon contact with the earth beneath them, hands were bloody and missing fingers - some of the parts were indistinguishable, and some parts couldn't be identified as Cloud's or Sephiroth's.
A large puddle of water continued flowing around their chunks, the earth charred by fire and electricity around them. The Firaga sputtered and died as the caster fell, almost shattering much like the two ex-lovers' bodies had.
The Thundaga had faded after the final blow, but the puddle still had visible jolts of electricity leftover.
A charred feminine body laid several feet beyond the general chaos, charred completely black and devoid of any defining details. Any clothes were long gone, much of the flesh had been burnt away, and the hair had gone up in flames faster than one could say Fire.
A few other figures stood and stared at the messes in shock, unable to do anything except unconsciously breathe.
Most of the figures had some sort of burn damage that could be healed or fixed with the proper materials. A lion-like form had retained no burn damage, along with the one with a single claw and a long cape.
Silence echoed around the battlefield.
Unspoken promises filled the minds of each individual present - none would forget. This day, these men, that woman - all would be remembered, and honoured accordingly.
An unheard scream echoed through the grounds, falling on unsheathing ears. Sobbing followed, mixing with the screams.
A single feather fell from the grasps of a woman who usually heard the unheard.
A feather that should never have been given to her.
The woman collapses, her head feeling ready to explode.
A single heard scream echoed through the grounds.
:D
Hope this first chapter was entertaining enough. I don't have many plans for this, so I'm kinda rolling with the punches here.
I also don't have an upload schedule ._.
