(Distant Memories) FF7 Cloud and Sepharoth By: Alex Garland Chapter 3

"Not at all I am grateful for all that you have done for me already I don't know how I could ever pay you or your sister back for all the kindness and generosity that you have shown me all ready." Said Sephiroth sounding a bit flustered wile following Cloud once more down the hall.

Cloud grabbed two towels off a rack and tossed one to Sephiroth, "Well I hope you like an open aired bath because that's the only thing we have other than the shower upstairs near Aeris's room and I don't think you want to go in there." Cloud taking a wicker basket and throwing his cloths in it and wrapping a small towel around his waist to cover up his manhood.

Cloud turned his back so Sephiroth could get undressed and get into the water without the worry of someone watching. Sephiroth stepped into the water relaxing fully when he sat down but looked over at Clouds turned back curiously.

"Cloud…" Sephiroth paused, "What happened to your back? It's riddled with scars." Sephiroth looked at Cloud with sympathy, worry, and kindness.

"Most of them are from when the accident happed and some of them I don't know I can't remember." Cloud said with a smile but Sephiroth could see the sadness in his eyes.

Sephiroth walked up to Cloud and touched two especially large scars on the lower part of Cloud's shoulder blades. "How about these two? They look partially old but the more you look into the middle of them they look pretty new."

"I can't remember how I got them but every time I try to remember a pain shoots right through them so I try not to remember how they came to be." Cloud slowly moved away hiding his blush as they spent the rest of the time bathing in silence. Sephiroth was the first to get out. Drying off then putting the boxers on that were lent to him by Cloud. Cloud turned and began to get out Sephiroth turned to give Cloud some privacy and in the process of putting his pants on.

Cloud turned and faced Sephiroth's back, "Oh my god! Sephiroth you're bleeding!" Cloud yelled as he came up to Sephiroth.

Sephiroth turned his head to face Cloud, "I don't feel any blood or pain." Sephiroth stated while trying to find the source of the blood.

The next thing either of them knew white wings appeared from Clouds back and touched Sephiroths wound healing it as well as cleaning the blood away. Sephiroth turned and looked into Clouds eyes only to see them glazed and empty. Clouds wings moved and touched Sephirtoh's face gently as a small smile graced his face. Sephiroth slowly moved his hand to touch Clouds wings and as he thought they were soft like clouds in the sky. At Sephiroth's touch Cloud purred and leaned into Seph's touch like a cat would.

"Cloud? Cloud can you hear and understand me?" Asked Sephiroth but only receiving a tilt of Clouds head and taking that as a no.

Seph taking the hint released his own wing. Cloud immediately latched on to Seph with a big smile on his face with a little life returning to his eyes. Cloud stretched out his wings and touched Sephs wing in a jester of hello. Seph doing the same by touching Clouds wings with his one black wing. Seph formed a message inside his head and transmitted it through his wing to Clouds wings, 'Cloud can you hear or understand me at all?'

'Yes.' Cloud's simple thought message said before it continued, 'I remember you from a long time ago Sephiroth number 001' Cloud's thought's formed the message.

'Cloud how do you know that? For we have only just met 9 to 10 hours ago.' Seph's message sent with confusion and curiosity.

'We met 27 years ago for the first time you were 13 I was 9 Dr. Hojo wanted us to meet for he created us.' Clouds message was somewhat a large amount of information to Seph.

'Oh god. Hogosha? Is it really you?' Seph's message was laced with hope and happiness.

'That is what you use to call me before we were given names Hikari' Cloud replied using Seph's name before he was called Sephiroth.

'Oh god how I have missed you Hogasha I thought I lost you after we were split up. What happened to you tell me everything.' Seph's message said with much joy and happiness as he hugged Cloud.

Cloud hugged back 'Hikari I am not the same person I once was and let me explain. It was a few weeks after they took you way from me that was when Dr. Hojo started me on my weapons training and they gave me your sword. I didn't want to kill with your sword I wanted it as a memory of us but Hojo wouldn't allow it and it was then Hojo deemed me as a failed experiment and tried to kill me with your sword it was when Hojo stabbed me with your sword I lost control of my powers. My wings emerged and my power flowed out of me and destroyed the building and everyone in it I grabbed your sword and my own and I dragged them both as far as I could with the wounds I sustained. I collapsed and then next thing I remembered was Aeris's Mother caring for me she thought I was an orphan that was hiding behind the building and was caught in the wreckage. It was then I made myself forget everything in order to protect myself and the people who were caring for me it was 3 years after Aeris's mom found me that she passed away due to illness so I stayed and took care of Aeris for she was pursued by Shinra well I persuaded them to stop by fighting them and winning since then we have been safe.' Clouds message tolled Seph all the events up till now and Cloud could not help but hug Seph into a loving embrace.

Seph sighed, 'Hogosha back then I should have known that something was wrong. When I felt fear and sadness serge through me that I could not explain why.' Sadness was written all over Seph's face when Seph's message was sent. Cloud's expression was empty unable to say anything that could comfort his love but Seph continued, 'And after the feelings of fear and sadness it just grew day after day, week after week soon it became year's. The scientists thought I was becoming more unstable and they started locking me in a cell. One day they told me about you and the lab they said that you died and I…I just snapped. I started killing and destroying anything in my path releasing all the pent-up feelings from the years before. When I came to my senses I was covered in blood and fire was all around me. In that moment I took hold of a soldier's sword and I cut off one of my wings out of penitence knowing you would not forgive me for killing so many.'

Cloud touched Seph's face tilting his chin so that Seph's eyes met Clouds gaze, 'Hikari that's all in the past we were both hurting. I'm just glad that we could be together once more.' Cloud embraced Seph in his arms and all of their longing for each other just simply washed away.

A knock came from the door startling the two, "Cloud. Sephiroth dinner's almost done so come down soon ok?" Aeris called in her polite tone walking away from the door to give the two men some privacy.

Cloud's wings faded away back into his back. Cloud griped Seph's arms as his legs felt weak. Sephiroth held Cloud close until Cloud could stand on his own. Cloud looked up and smiled at Seph.

"Well I think we should finish getting dressed and head back inside before Aeris comes looking for us Hikari." Cloud said with a glow in his completion and a bounce in his step.