"So he's an inanimate object now?" Sephiroth asked incredulously. He covered Cloud's ear, knowing that the boy wasn't asleep.
"Only if you want him to be," Jenova replied. "He is your gift – you decide what he is. 'Doll' is only a term I had given to him once he came into being."
Kadaj burst into hysterical laughter. "That's one of the best pranks I've ever seen from you, Mother." Awkwardly, his mirth transistioned into silence. "It's a joke, right? He isn't staying here, is he?"
Jenova simply nodded. Kadaj slumped in his seat, seemingly accepting Cloud's permanent stay.
...Less than two seconds later, he jumped up and started loudly making death threats aimed at Cloud. Jenova herself had to restrain him, and that set Cloud off into another crying fit.
"I want mama!" he yelled at Jenova, red-faced. "Give her back!" He sniffed, then huffed involuntarily. "Give ba-a-ah-ack muh-mama." Cloud buried his face back into Sephiroth's shoulder, further soiling it while sobbing again.
Sephiroth slowly backed away up the stairs to lay Cloud down onto his bed.
"No! No, no, noooo!" Cloud screamed, clawing at Sephiroth when he tried to pry him off. The boy clung desperately to the man, refusing to be let go. Sephiroth compromised and lay down next to Cloud, who instantly held onto Sephiroth with all his strength.
The human was not going to survive that winter. I used too much time and energy to make Cloud, and I was not going to lose him, Jenova explained generously. Sephiroth vaguely sensed that his brothers were in on the conversation as well. Whether or not the human made that Deal, I was going to take him. The human easily agreed – it didn't want Cloud to perish, either, even if it meant never seeing him again. However, I was merciful and promised to allow him to visit it.
How often? Sephiroth asked.
Once every six months.
Weekly.
Two months.
Every four days.
Throw him back and never bring him again! Kadaj interjected, still fuming strongly.
Twice a month. No less, Jenova offered.
Fine, Sephiroth agreed. Continue.
Being nice enough to not cause any trouble, Jenova did. Surprisingly. I've been meaning to grant you a gift like this for quite a while. The wait was worth it. I made him for you, and Cloud is whatever you want him to be: companion, helper, servant – anything.
Why does he get a present like that first? Loz questioned.
You do know that this can backfire on us, right? Cloud isn't mindless and is fully capable of making his own choices, you know, Sephiroth asked next, pushing Loz's inquiry to the side. He rubbed Cloud's back, physically hearing his sniffles begin to quiet.
Would you really want to have a mindless object that does absolutely nothing until you command it to do so? I am aware that he can resist and fight back any time he wants to. However, I have made a thing or two that can prevent that. As for you, Loz, Sephiroth has this gift first because he is responsible enough. Despite all of my attempts, there is a chance that this can go wrong. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Sephiroth nearly snorted. The old totem pole was being put to use again. Though he didn't like the implication that he was a test subject, however temporary the role would last.
Tell me, then, he said.
Her face burned. So did her arms, legs, stomach area, and back. Mrs. Strife shakily got back on her feet, cuts and scrapes littering her hands and parts of her arms and legs. After she touched her stinging face, Mrs. Strife deduced that that part of her body took most of the damage.
Ignoring the small bits of blood and the part of her mind telling her to go back home until she physically recovered from the incident, Mrs. Strife found the trail back up Mt. Nibel after several failed attempts to scale the slope.
Don't, a voice in her head said. You can't go up there anymore.
Mrs. Strife ignored the warning and stubbornly resumed her weak climb. She knew perfectly well that she couldn't have Cloud anymore, but everything in her was screaming at her to go up the mountain, to get her son back.
It's not safe, the voice in her head insisted.
Mrs. Strife didn't care whether anything happened to her or not. She wanted her baby boy back. She couldn't have him back, but that didn't stop her from trying.
She suddenly felt faint, and her vision went black. The sight of the interior of her home later greeted her. She nearly didn't recognize her surroundings; she had been away from home for so long...
Too long. Cloud was coming back, even if it killed her.
Three more failed attempts at trying to go back up the mountain later, Mrs. Strife was forced to give up. She sat by her bed, sobbing and mourning the loss of her son.
Sephiroth mulled over the information he had been given, not entirely sure on what to make of it. For the most part, he was disgusted. Mrs. Strife had given up her son out of desperation so Cloud could live, all so he could be reduced to...an object.
But he couldn't help that strange satisfaction at that, either. Cloud was...his. Literally. Sephiroth still couldn't believe it, couldn't get used to the idea. He could change Cloud completely if he wanted to; he could mold and affect him in many ways.
He wiped the still wet tears off of the boy's face, still feeling Cloud's sadness creeping into his own mind.
That was part of how Cloud was 'designed' as well. The reason that only Sephiroth was able to mentally communicate with Cloud and feel his emotions was because of their... Bond? That was the only thing Sephiroth could really call it. Their mental bond made it much simpler for Sephiroth to know how Cloud was feeling, if he was sick, or if he was hurt. Being able to literally see through Cloud's eyes was no coincidence, either.
Cloud was absolutely nothing without Sephiroth. That much was made true. However, when Sephiroth told his mother of his own feelings towards Cloud, she was surprised.
That has nothing to do with me, she had said. She then explained why it had been important for him and Cloud to have been together in the beginning.
Jenova had wanted Cloud and Sephiroth to at least be on good terms with each other. Brotherly feelings were beyond what she had wanted, but she wouldn't complain – if anything, that made things better.
At first, Sephiroth didn't feel too well over the set-up. But his own feelings rang true and so did Cloud's; Sephiroth wasn't sure how, but somehow he knew it. He then wondered what else about Cloud was 'made' beforehand – if his mother had anything to do with Cloud's physical features, mentality, traits, or gender.
Those were determined naturally by his parents. Unless you'd prefer a female with a different appearance? Sephiroth had instantly denied that offer. Too much had happened to Cloud already, and Sephiroth didn't want him to be changed, anyways.
Stopping his thoughts for a moment, Sephiroth delved into Cloud's mind, sifting through the boy's sentiments. The most prominent emotions were grief and anger, and Sephiroth did his best to mentally soothe him, succeeding a little. Not much, since the trauma was too great for him and had happened very recently, but a little. Soon, Sephiroth lost himself into Cloud's mind, digging through his memories, watching how he perceived certain things, amusing himself with Cloud's small likes and dislikes (Sephiroth couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Cloud's strong dislike for having his cheeks pinched or pulled), and then he remembered that one thing Jenova mentioned that could be used to keep Cloud in line.
Tentatively, Sephiroth pushed himself deep into Cloud's mind, prodding at certain parts of his mind.
Cloud's eyes snapped open and he sat up. Surprised, Sephiroth stilled before prodding at Cloud's mind again. Robot-like, Cloud slid off the bed and walked towards the door, stopping there.
Turn around, Sephiroth said, suddenly aware then of what he was doing.
Cloud obeyed. There was absolutely no way he could do anything else. What Sephiroth saw next nearly made him gasp.
The boy's pupils were dilated, his blue irises nearly completely covered up by the black. The worst part was, however, his expression.
Empty. There was nothing Sephiroth could see in those blank eyes; definitely nothing that was the Cloud he had come to know. Cloud's eyes continued to stare blankly ahead of him, unblinking. The shell of a boy that Sephiroth saw nearly made him sick. He pulled out of Cloud's mind, relieved when the emptiness left and was replaced by confusion.
Sephiroth silently beckoned for Cloud to come back to bed, standing up to turn off the light. He moved faster when Cloud worriedly protested against Sephiroth's leaving. As he lay back down and pulled the blanket over them, he made a decision.
He was not going to treat or see Cloud any differently. And he was never ever going to force him like that.
Ever.
Notes:
Started: 2013年9月9日（月）
Finished: 2013年9月12日（木）
Twenty reviews for a single chapter. Hooooolllllllllyyyy SHIT. ಥ_ಥ That is the most feedback I've ever gotten just for one chapter. Thanks a lot, guys, I really appreciate it. And I've gotta thank everyone for sticking with me, especially the ones that have been following this from the start. But this story is far from over. There is another date to look forward to in here, but I'm keeping that to myself. Sorry. :3 I tried to explain as much as I could in this chapter, but if there's still confusion or anything that's unclear, don't be afraid to let me know.
Again, thanks for being patient and bearing with me. Especially you, Radius. Without you, this would've been discontinued a long time ago.