To the Morrow, For the Past

Chapter 30 – Zeke's Choice

"I'm not going to disappear." Cloud reassured Sephiroth again, an amused smirk on his face, "I'm just going to spend some time with Zeke at the church." His hand was on Sephiroth's chest when the man made a move to follow him. "Alone."

Sephiroth gave a half pout and sighed. "Alright." He said reluctantly.

It had been seven days since Cloud had returned, and Sephiroth was still anxious when Cloud was out of his sight. He could understand it. It was a lot easier to remember that someone was alive and well if you could see them, a lot easier to feel like you could protect them from ever having to go away again if you were by their side. But Cloud needed to spend time with his son, especially when the boy had asked for it.

"I'll be back." Cloud reassured Sephiroth, reaching up to give him a small kiss. "I promise."

– – – – – – – – – –

Cloud arrived at the church and was surprised that Aerith wasn't there. The only times he'd seen the church empty of her presence was late at night, or after she had died. Even then, a part of her had still been there.

But now, it was just Zeke, kneeling in front of the flowers with his hands clasped in front of him in prayer. Cloud quietly moved to sit next to him, waiting for the boy to be done.

"I can't hear her." The words were quiet, whispered in fear. Zeke opened his eyes and looked at Cloud. He looked terrified. "Every day of my life, for as long as I can remember, I could hear her in the back of my mind. A thousand whispers. Even when I shouldn't have been able to, even when Aerith had trouble and Jenova was shouting in my mind, I could still hear her..." He swallowed and looked back at the flowers, tears gathering in his eyes. "But since you came back, my head's been silent. Nothing. Not a whisper."

Cloud gathered the boy into his arms as he began to sob. He couldn't imagine what the boy was going though, the pain of losing something that had always been there. "What did Aerith say?" He asked quietly.

Zeke shook his head, "I haven't told her." He said, "I... I'm afraid..." He clutched to his father as if his life depended on it, and Cloud held him back just as tightly. "I want to go to Lucrecia's cave." Zeke said after a few minutes. "The planet felt closer there..."

Probably because of all the mako. Cloud nodded, "Yeah." He told his son, "I'll arrange that."

– – – – – – – –

Zeke had wanted to go alone, and with some hesitation, Cloud and Sephiroth had allowed it. The boy was more than capable in a fight, and if something happened, the pilot would be there. The pilot had been given strict instructions to follow Zeke's orders.

He was gone for a few days, and when he came back, he was quiet. Very quiet. He wouldn't answer Cloud's questions and even Aerith was getting worried, but they had bigger things to worry about. The Jenovians were close enough now that they could be seen during the day, and Cloud was reminded strongly of the days leading up to Meteorfall, not just by the visuals, but also by the general atmosphere around them. Boding. Dark. Scared. They had to act, but they still didn't have any plan. Nobody had been able to think of anything that would take care of them before they landed.

They were no closer to a solution.

– – – – – – – –

Three days after Zeke had come back from Lucrecia's cave, Zack received a frantic call from Aerith. He paled and almost dropped the phone. Cloud looked at him with worry and curiosity, and Zack swallowed before speaking.

"Zeke knocked Aerith out with a sleep spell and took Holy."

Beside Cloud, Sephiroth froze and went pale. Cloud looked between them, about to demand answers, to know what the hell was going on, when he felt a very familiar pull and an insatiable urge to make his way up.

"Reunion..." He whispered, looking up to the ceiling, terrified. Were the Jenovians recruiting from the planet below? Were they looking for their lost member? Cloud didn't know, but he knew he had to find out. Sephiroth was already heading towards the stairs, and Cloud decided to follow the call.

"Hey wait!" Zack followed them, phone still clutched in his hands. "What's going on?"

"We're being called to the roof." Cloud told Zack as they began to climb. He could have stopped himself, he could have turned around and fought against it, but for some reason he knew that he shouldn't, that this was the reunion call he had to follow.

They made their way up the stairs, soon finding themselves on the roof of the building. Standing on the very edge was Zeke, his long coat flapping in the wind. For the first time since he'd come back to the past he wasn't wearing his hat and his long silver hair was dancing in the wind.

He was facing them, his back to Midgar, and when his family arrived he opened his eyes. Green eyes met theirs and a small, sad smile formed on his face.

"There was a play I went to once." He said, his voice quiet but easily heard even over the wind. "I loved the poetry of it. 'When the war of the beasts, brings about the worlds end, the goddess descends from the sky...' but I could never remember the next part... I wish I could remember the next part... It's been driving me mad."

"Wings of light and dark spread afar, she guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting." Sephiroth spoke quietly, taking a step forward towards the boy.

"Don't!" Zeke held his hand out, palm forward. "Don't come any closer."

Cloud could see the pain and fear in the boy's face he wanted to do nothing more than gather him up in his arms, to hold him close and take all the pain away. But he didn't know what was happening, what was going on. Sephiroth seemed to understand so Cloud would follow his lead.

"The play is called Loveless." Sephiroth let his hand drop and spoke to Zeke. "An old... friend of mine used to repeat it incessantly... I can teach it to you. All of it... If you come away from the edge."

Zeke shook his head and took a small step back, his heal now perched over the edge of the building. "I have to do this." He told them, "I know what I have to do now."

"Zack..." Cloud tried this time, reaching for his boy. "You're calling for us..."

Zeke shook his head. "Do you know what the last thing she said to me was?" He asked, answering himself before anybody else could, "You are complete." He let out a bitter laugh, "You are complete. Then nothing! Even when I went to Lucrecia's cave, I couldn't hear her. I couldn't hear anything. And then... And then I knew what I had to do."

He lifted his arms to his side and looked up at the sky. Above him, the Jenovians were growing brighter and brighter. "I'm not calling you." Zeke said to Cloud, "I'm calling them."

"What are you planning!?" Zack called out to the boy, "To call them down so they get here faster? We can't let them die here!"

"I know what I have to do..." Zeke said to them. "'He will know when it is needed. The white of light, the end of life. He will know what to do and where to go. He will know his journey must end...' Every day of my life has been leading to this. Every day of my life, the planet has been giving me her power, trickling it into me so that it filled my every cell. Every day of my damn life, the planet has been moulding me into what she needed... I thought she was benevolent, that she cared for all the creatures on her surface... And she does... But what is the life and soul of one in comparison to everything else? Sacrifice one to save them all... She knew this was going to happen. That's why I was saved. That's why I was brought here..."

Cloud was vaguely aware of the door behind them opening and someone joining them, but his attention was consumed by the boy on the edge of the building, sprouting nonsense. He didn't know what was going on, but by the terrified reactions of those around him, it was something bad.

"Zeke..." The newcomer was Aerith and she stepped forward, joining them in their line. "Don't do this... it will consume you..."

Zeke's eyes met Aerith's and he gave her a sad smile. "I know." He said, his voice losing the volume it had gained. "And it's going to be worse for you than it is for me. When it's done... I won't exist any more... And its you who'll have to face that..."

He looked down at his hand, at the small orb held within it. After a moment, he lifted his head and regarded the people in front of him. "I love you." He said to them, "and I'm sorry."

With that, he crossed his arms over his chest, bending forward slightly before lifting his arms with a burst of speed. From his back sprouted two wings, one scarily familiar to Cloud. Dark feathers fell from it, slowly drifting away in the wind. But the other side, the other wing was a brilliant silver.

"Wings of light and dark..." Sephiroth quoted, looking at the boy in astonishment.

But Cloud couldn't speak, he couldn't think as he watched his son step backwards off the ledge and slowly rise with the steady and slow beat of his wings. The pull on him became stronger and he took several steps forwards, intending on jumping after his boy. The only thing stopping him was the strong grip from Zack.

"You said it would consume him." Cloud spoke quickly, turning to Aerith. She was kneeling on the ground, tears pouring from her eyes and her hands clasped in front of her as if in prayer. "You said it would consume him and he said he wouldn't exist anymore. Aerith, what's going on!?"

"Holy." Zack spoke from behind him, still holding him down. "Holy-" His voice broke, "Holy consumes the soul of the caster."

No. That wasn't right. Aerith's soul had moved on to the lifestream, joined the planet. She hadn't been consumed. "No." He shook his head, still looking at Aerith, "You weren't!"

"She was interrupted." This time it was Sephiroth speaking. He too had fallen to his knees, his eyes stuck on the young man hovering far away. "She didn't complete the spell..."

Cloud tore his eyes from Aerith and looked up at his boy. Zeke was hovering in place, several feet above them and a dozen feet in front of them. His hands were held in front of him, a glowing orb floating between them. His eyes were closed in concentration and Cloud could feel the pull as he summoned the Jenovians.

They came, their screams deafening and their lights blinding. They floated around Zeke before flying into him, forcing their way under his skin. One by one, they merged into him, but Zeke didn't move, didn't cry out, just kept his eyes closed and his arms steady around Holy. The sky darkened and opened up, rain began to heavily fall.

Cloud tried to run forward, to join his boy. He knew that there was no way to reach him, no way that he could jump that high and that far, but he had to try. Even if he fell to his death, he had to try. He couldn't just let Zeke die all alone in the sky. But he was held back, strong arms circled him and held him against a leather clad chest. Sephiroth was the one holding him now, holding him back, stopping him. "Let me go!" He ordered, trying to break free. "Let me-"

There was a blinding flash of light. It came from Zeke, it came from Holy. The light shone and grew, surrounding Zeke and forming the shape of an egg. It stopped for a moment before shrinking rapidly, falling in on itself until it was no bigger than the materia it had come from. It fell to the ground, leaving the sky empty.

"ZACK!"

All at once, Cloud felt his world crashing around him, the rain hurt his skin, the wind battered his head, his heart had stopped. For the second time in his life, he let out a guttural scream of rage, sorrow and helplessness as he stared at the place his son had been just moments before. And for the second time in his life, Cloud Strife stopped. His eyes went blank and his body slumped down, able to do no more than preform its basic functions.

Zeke was gone.