Disclaimer: I do not own any final fantasy material, be it names, weapons, characters, modes of transportation, etc.

Warning: This story contains homosexuality, sex (both consensual and non) and gore. Please do not read if you are offended by any of this. Also, I have not played crisis core and so there will be no references to that game in here.

Chapter 4

Cloud warmed himself by the fire as the sun slowly stretched itself over the ground. How long had it been since he saw the sun? He had lost track of time being in that basement and resolved himself to ask Sephiroth as soon as the man awoke. He looked at the trees around him and found himself beaming with the colours he saw there. The yellows, reds, oranges and browns that were splashed over the leaves had never seemed so clear and full as they did that morning. It was all so beautiful that for a second he looked around for someone to share it with, but besides the obvious choice, there was no one.

He stared at his captor and felt a kind of anger rising in him that hadn't been there before. How dare this man keep him from going outside! Cloud had been missing all of this and he hadn't even realized it what he'd been taken away from. 'I could kill him right now.' He thought suddenly. 'I could slit his throat right now and he wouldn't be able to do anything. I could get away then!' He inched slowly towards his sword, eyes never once leaving the General. He would do it quickly, not giving the sleeping man any time to react to the pain.

Grabbing the hilt, Cloud made to slowly lift it of the ground, tugging it with both hands until a horrible realization hit him. 'I can't lift my sword.' Panicking, he looked in shock at the blade that he'd once been able to swing around as though it were paper before looking at his arms. 'Oh shit!' The formerly muscular limbs had become thin and defective from the months of disuse. He tried jerking the sword up, managing only to lift the end a few inches before it thudded to the ground, which caused Sephiroth to sit bolt upright with his hand on the Masamune.

Cloud sat stock still while the general's eyes locked with his and saw to his great dismay that the man was smirking. "I was wondering when you'd finally try to kill me. Tsk tsk Cloud, did you really think that you could lift any sword after the kind of treatment you've been given?" His captor shook his head at the obvious folly and laughed, though there was something distinctly disappointed in the way he sounded.

The blonde felt his face flush and he looked away, embarrassed and frustrated. "I didn't think I was that weak." He muttered looking at the leaf covered grass with a deep frown on his face. "I was going to slit your throat, or maybe even cut off your head…"

Arms curled around him, pulling him onto Sephiroth's lap and running down his torso in a stroking gesture. Those lips were at his ear once more, nibbling the lobe and causing goose bumps to race down his body. The voice that came past those lips was soft and deep, causing Cloud to squirm uncomfortably. "Well, I'm about to put the fire out, but in the future, instead of grabbing your sword, you could use it to burn me alive." The blonde shivered with mixed emotions as Sephiroth's tongue curled around his ear before snaking down the vein in his neck. "You could grab a branch and stick it through my eye and into my brain…" Cloud let out a tiny whimper as the general bit down on his collarbone. "You could even strangle me." Came the voice from below the blonde's chin. "You're a resourceful boy, I'm sure you'll think of something."

Cloud was shaking now and he tore himself away from the silver haired man, who watched him with a predatory glint in his eyes. "Stay there!" He yelled, trying to sound more confident than he felt and failing miserably. Those unholy green eyes raked over Cloud's body, making him shudder and back away another few paces. "And stop looking at me like that!"

"Why?"

"Huh?" Cloud blinked, unable to tear his gaze from those eyes that seemed to be slowly burning holes through the air around them.

"Why should I stop looking at you in whatever way I choose to?"

The blonde shivered again, noticing that the colours in his peripheral vision seemed almost drained of their vibrancy when placed next to the intensity in those eyes. It was though Sephiroth had the ability to suck the life from the world around him and store it within himself until it became just as twisted and warped as he was. Cloud answered him softly. "Because you make me feel unclean…"

The eyes became brighter and the man's lips parted over his teeth in a sick smile. The blonde watched him draw closer, rendered motionless by those eyes as though he had been turned to stone. "That, my darling puppet, is because you are unclean. You were constructed to be me, in many ways you are me, and as a result, you are smothered in the same vileness that flows through me." His face moved closer and Cloud closed his eyes tightly, feeling utter terror and revulsion within himself. Those cold, smooth lips pressed a kiss to each eyelid and whispered; "You and I will drown together in our filth." Then they were gone.

When Cloud opened his eyes he realized that Sephiroth had gone back to the fire and crushed it with his boot, sending up tiny flecks of ash. He watched the man settle himself on the ground and lie down once more. "Wake me when the sun sets." The blonde nodded, a little dazed and Sephiroth closed those eerie eyes, drifting to sleep once more. Upon looking around, Cloud realized that all of the colours had returned to their proper vibrancy.

He quietly slunk over to the man and looked down at him. When sleeping, Sephiroth looked almost like a corpse, or some kind of otherworldly doll. He didn't look like he belonged in this plane of existence let alone the planet, but seeing him there, defenseless on the leaf covered grass; he couldn't help but reach out and touch the general's arm, just to make sure he was real.

The man was warm to the touch which never ceased to surprise Cloud, for from his lips and demeanor, he would have expected the man to be much colder, like the cadaver he so resembled. Still, the way he touched Cloud… The young man pulled back regretfully, reminding himself that this man was the reason for all of his pain. He was no longer the one who Cloud could turn his thoughts to when he felt scared or alone. They both had changed too much. He sat close to Sephiroth, a chilly autumn wind causing him to rub his arms.

He looked at the sky, a feeling of helplessness washing over him. 'Zack, I don't know what I should do, what I can do. God I wish you were here to help me. I could really use your advice… I miss you. You and Aerith both. I need you guys.'

A warm wind smelling of spring flowers and musk broke over him, rippling through his hair and brushing against his cheeks. He closed his eyes, a sense of hope filling him to the brim and causing his mind to slow down a little bit. A sleepy haze settled over him, making him yawn a little bit. He lay down next to Sephiroth and for once, didn't mind when he was automatically tucked close against the general's chest.

Spaceissittinginalibrarycurrentlytowritethisandiscompltetelywelloncemorebutsheisstillsotiredthatshewantstosmackherheadoffthetablerepeatedlyohwellgottagetthisthingdone

The Highwind landed around the time the sun went down after an unsuccessful day of searching and the crew, agitated and tired began to grow restless. Eventually, Barret declared that he "wasn't gonna spend another second on this mother fuckin' air ship!" and that anyone who had half a brain in their head should go into town with him. Most immediately complied, glad of a reason to leave the heavy fog of depression that seemed to seep out from under Tifa's door and through the rest of the air ship.

Though the group spread through the town, the place where everyone seemed to settle when it got dark was the bar. Cid, Barret and Red XIII got a corner on the far left to themselves where people gave them a wide birth. It wasn't every day they got a talking animal and two grouchy men that intimidating coming through. Both Cid and Barret ordered tall mugs of beer, too tired to really be bothered by a coherent conversation. Still, the attempt was made.

"How's Marlene?" asked Cid, taking a drink and wiping his mouth.

"Good. How's Shera?" Barret replied.

Cid shrugged, taking another drink, this time longer. "Weird. Stuff's awkward now, you know? Great lady, but not in my interests. Too much of a friend to be anything else." Barret nodded and the silence fell again, not particularly uncomfortable, but definitely there.

Red XIII broke it, his tail twitching anxiously. "Do you think that Tifa will be alright? She was still in her room when we left…" The previous day, Barret had had to carry her in after about an hour. The crew hadn't heard from her since then, and it seemed as though Yuffie was the only one she'd let talk to her, for it was the ninja who came and told them that she wasn't going to join them.

"What the hell do you we left the fucking ship for? I could stand anymore of her goddamn moping!" Cid grumbled into his already empty glass. He called to the bar tender for another glass while Red XIII looked reproachfully at him

"You should really be more kind to her Cid, she's having a pretty rough time of it, isn't she Barret?" But Barret was staring at something over the top of the red lion creature's head and was starting to chuckle.

"Well I'll be damned." Said the bear like man pointing to the door. The other two turned to look and were surprised to see Vincent Valentine stepping in rather tentatively, like he wasn't sure if he was allowed. The two men waved him over and he looked relieved, walking towards them briskly and sitting when they indicated to a chair. "I never thought of you as the drinking type Vincent." Barret said, clapping him on the shoulder before looking guilty when the red eyed man shrunk away from him in pain. "Oh shit! Sorry, I forgot!"

Vincent gave him a pained half smile, waving off his apology with a clawed hand. "It's alright. I do not drink very often, but tonight I felt the need to indulge in good company." He met all of their eyes to show his sincerity.

"Well, ya won't find a better place to do it!" The pilot grinned. "Order whatever ya want Vin! Since it's yer first night out here with us, I'll pay."

The ex Turk's eyes widened and he shook his head, trying to smile again and wishing that he could do it properly on command. "No, tonight I treat all of you. I've been causing a hassle with my arm, it's the least I can do."

The two argued halfheartedly about who would treat whom, but in the end Vincent won and ordered the men a pitcher of alcohol and a few shots of vodka for himself. He offered to get something for Red XIII, but the red lion declined on the basis that he was too young to be drinking, and was just there for the companionship.

When the pitcher and the shots were drained and the men were considerably louder and rowdier from the alcohol in their veins, Vincent got up to pay. A little wobbly, but still able to walk, he went to the counter and the bartender rang up their total. Cid watched the red eyed man, laughing a little. "Ha, only two shot's and he's already drunk, what a lightweight!"

Barret was looking at the pilot with a raised eyebrow. "You were lookin' at his ass just now."

Cid's mouth dropped open, his cheeks going pink in embarrassment that he tried to unsuccessfully cover by becoming louder. "The hell I was! Where's yer head at sayin' shit like that?!" When Barret's expression didn't change he turned to Red XIII. "You saw, didn't ya?" But the red lion-esque creature shook his head.

"Pardon? Oh, sorry Cid, I wasn't really paying attention." The young beast offered a sheepish smile to which the pilot looked horrified, especially when the object of the conversation returned.

"Well, I've paid, we can leave anytime." He looked curiously at the mixed expressions of the group. "Did something hap-"

"I wasn't lookin' at your ass!" The chain smoker blurted out, cutting Vincent off and rendering the bar temporarily quiet.

"A..Alright?" The red eyed man tried another half smile, convinced that this one had failed as well. "Well, at any rate, I think we should get back, it is starting to get fairly late and I'm almost certain that we'll all have hangovers if we don't get a good night's sleep. We still have a job to do." His cheeks had been tinted a soft pink from the vodka and he knew that if he didn't get back soon, he would very likely pass out where he stood.

The group of four staggered out of the bar, good spirits restored due to a man inside singing a nursery song at the top of his lungs with hand gestures. Barret was still laughing loudly from the display inside and now gave Vincent a small punch on his uninjured arm. "Damn Vincent, you can come drinking with us anytime! That was great!"

Cid nodded in agreement, grinning and giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "It was great having ya along, you should do more often."

A small genuine smile of happiness worked its way onto Vincent's face and he replied; "You know, I think I will."

Spaceisasleepybutdiligentlittlefanfictionwriterwholikesbothreadingandwritinggayandshouldprobablybedoingworkbutherpartnerhasnotyetshownupsoherexcuseiset

Sephiroth woke up with the feeling of something warm and alive pressed against his chest, and though his first impulse was to strike it dead, he refrained and instead slid his eyes open. He felt the corners of his mouth curl up at the sides from the sight. His precious Cloud was curled up to him like an angel, with his forehead pressed against the general's chest. The silver haired man stroked the blonde man's cheek, deciding not to punish the boy for failing to wake him. 'At least he will be able to move by himself tonight, I'm not sure I would be able to fly two full nights in a row.'

He blew gently over the young man's ear to wake him and found it slightly endearing when the boy made a little groaning noise before snuggling closer to the man's warm torso. Nibbling his captive's earlobe, he whispered softly to the sleeping boy; "Time to wake up my sweet, we need to start moving before the night is too far gone." He lowered his face and nuzzled Cloud's soft neck. 'He is so delicate…' Sephiroth's pupils dilated and a feral smile crossed his face. 'I want to hurt him. Now.' He sunk his teeth into the boy's exquisite neck, feeling the blonde jolt awake as he tasted blood. Cloud's blood. Cloud's delicious blood. He wanted more, but as soon as he let go to find another spot, his former subordinate leapt back holding his neck.

"What the hell was that for?!" The young man shouted as he glared at him. Sephiroth licked the remaining blood off of his lips as though he was tasting an exotic fruit and chuckled.

"I wanted to hurt you, so I did. I must say, you taste delectable." He brushed a few strands of hair away from his face before picking up his pack and standing. "Come, we are already starting late and I do not wish to lose more time. It will be slower on foot, but we can't risk flying right now, especially during the day." He calculated in his head the time it would take them to reach Costa de Sol with breaks for rest and training and settled on five days.

"I forgot that you could fly…" Cloud's voice eased him out of his musings and when he saw the look of wonder on the boy's face he had to turn away. It reminded him too much of how things might have once been. His lip curled and he turned back to the blonde man.

"How else could we have gotten here this quickly? Walking doesn't tire me out that much." He caught Cloud's wrist in his hand and looked at the boy's neck. The bite wasn't too bad but it would probably leave a mark. 'Good.' Sephiroth smirked in satisfaction and began dragging the blonde in the direction he knew they needed to go. When Cloud protested, he let go easily, not particularly in the mood for an argument.

They walked in silence for two hours until the spiky haired man began shivering from the cold fall night. Sephiroth paused just long enough to remove his trench coat and drape it over Cloud's shoulders before he started to walk again. The younger of the two fell behind a few paces in surprise before running to catch up. "Th..thanks… Won't you be cold though?"

The general shook his head and replied without breaking his pace; "I have grown accustomed to the cold. As a former member of SOLDIER I was trained to endure any kind of climate in case I was given a mission in a specific region."

The young man beside him stared at his feet with a faded sort of regret. When he noticed Sephiroth watching him he offered a beaten down smile. "I wouldn't know what SOLDIER is like. I thought for ages that I had been a part of it, but then…"

"You realized that you weren't." Sephiroth finished for him, not bothering to keep the smile from his lips. "I forced you to realize that you weren't. That you were fake."

Cloud looked away, a pained bitterness on his face that leaked into his voice when he next spoke. "Yeah… That I was fake. I think that deep down; I always knew that I wasn't strong enough to be among their ranks. I just wish I had found out in a different way."

Sephiroth sighed, unable to find sympathy for the young man, yet feeling a need to explain. "How would finding it out a different way have changed anything? It was a fact that you had to face eventually, and a truth like that always hurts, which is why it is better to accept it the first time. I had to drag you to the truth while you dug your heels in as far as they would go."

The blonde nodded, shame faced. "I know. I was scared… I didn't want to know the truth, no matter how many times you showed me. It was only when Tifa-"

"Don't talk about her."

The General felt Cloud glaring at him and tilted his face to return the look. The boy had no business talking about that woman when he was with Sephiroth. After all, the spiky haired man belonged to him, and for what the captor had in mind, Cloud must believe that he had no one. "Fine." The boy said, breaking eye contact. "Then why did YOU help me?" He asked scathingly.

Sephiroth was taken aback slightly, though he tried to let no inkling of surprise register on his face, he thought he saw something like smug satisfaction in Cloud's eyes. "I'm not sure myself," he answered coldly. "Ask something else."

The young man nodded, obviously congratulating himself for catching his tormentor off guard. "Okay then," he started, "You say that I didn't kill you, but I remember stabbing you right through the chest. You fell over, covered in blood…" Cloud's voice faltered a little as he remembered, but he forced himself to continue. "Your eyes were wide and blood from your hair line started to drip into them. You got swallowed by the life stream. You died! I remember! Or are you going to tell me that was fake too!? Explain that!" The blonde voice had risen to a shout and Sephiroth stopped moving for a moment, remembering himself what had transpired that night. Slowly, he shook his head and looked Cloud in the eyes.

"No, that wasn't fake." He started walking again, his gaze not leaving the trail in front of them. "You would have made an excellent SOLDIER."

The blonde trailed after the bare-chested man with a confused look on his face. "What does that have to do with anyth-"

Sephiroth drew the Masamune in a lightning like movement and smacked his captive's forehead with the flat of it. "Let me finish!" he snarled at the dumbstruck young man. "Those idiots at Shinra were lucky to have you, not that they appreciated your power… You were strong, even without the mako. Your one problem was that the moment you set foot on the field, you became worried that you'd hurt someone. This prevented you from achieving your full potential. You could never muster the same aggression that the other boys had, the same need to hurt someone else. But I digress. You were strong. In many ways you remind me of how I used to be, wanting to help people, choosing to protect the weak. But do you know? You could have been stronger than me."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Asked the small voice behind him.

Sephiroth whirled to face Cloud, grabbing his chin and forcing it upwards so that the blonde had no choice but to look him in the face. "Interrupt me one more time and I don't care how sweet you are, I'll cut out your tongue and feed it too you. It would be such a shame to put a stop to your singing, wouldn't it my darling chickadee? Nod if you understand what I'm saying." Cloud, his eyes wide and panicked, nodded. "Good boy." He kissed the tip of the blonde man's nose and began to move forward once more.

"Do you know what made me become as powerful as I am right now? Hate. You've experienced it yourself, though at the time you obviously didn't know how to control it. Neither did I at first, which is why I troubled myself with something as meaningless as your town. The magnitude of the emotion overwhelmed me and I struck out at the first thing I could. My companions. My life changed that day. The day I found out that everything I thought I knew, everything I had been taught to believe was a lie. My very existence was planned from the beginning by some unsound scientist hoping to create the ultimate weapon. No matter how hard I tried to make sense of my life, it would always come undone. I was certain of only one thing: How I hated the planet and its inhabitants… How I longed to clean and gut it for Mother… They wanted the ultimate weapon, they simply weren't aware of the consequences of creating it with a mind of its own.

But then there was you. You stopped me not once, but twice. It took me a long time after my first failed attempt to realize why. How could my subordinate have garnered enough strength and willpower to stop me, the most powerful person to be created? Then it dawned on me. You had it too, the hate that made the very fiber of your being feel as though it were on fire. I had triggered it at first by burning your town and killing your kin, that started it, but then you saw that even your dear friends had fallen under my wrath. That must have shredded the final bit of reason in your mind." Sephiroth drew in a deep breath, running his tongue over his lips in pleasure. "It must have been an exquisite sight when you first became consumed in your own rage, your own hatred. I will always regret missing it…

But your fury had a direction. You knew exactly what you were doing, exactly who you were going after. Seeing you there, impaled on my sword and still fighting, it was one of the most terrifying, most arousing things I had ever seen in my life. To see an emotion that uncontaminated, that pure, was sheer ecstasy. And so, on that night, you destroyed a part of me."

"But you came back."

Sephiroth turned, fixing Cloud with an extremely dangerous look, so that the blonde looked at the ground in fear. "Yes." The general said in a silky voice. "I came back. My consciousness was so deeply rooted in your mind that you had ceased to feel me there. I knew everything about you, and therefore, I also knew how to hurt you the most. I had to see it again, that utter hatred that you possessed. I had to see if you were able to keep it burning. The Ancient had to be disposed of anyway, and the fact that she was important to you killed two birds with one stone. Of course," he paused, examining his nails "It would have been much more effective if I hadn't failed in making you kill her. Still, from her death, I had not only garnered the reaction I wished, but had also seen you experience complete and total despair. For the second time you caught me off guard. I had thought that your hate was beautiful, but the look in your eyes, like your world had just been shattered… it took my breath away.

I knew I had to face you again in combat with all of your hate and despair channeled straight at me. This time, I told myself, I'd be ready." At this point, the general stopped walking completely and began to set up a fire. Once he had a small flame going he looked at Cloud stonily. "But you disappointed me. When we fought, your companions battled me alongside you. With them there, you did not need to let loose your emotions.

I wasn't finished though, I brought you down with me for one final combat. You came, and without the others to distract you, you reached within yourself and found that glorious emotion once more. It was more than I could have ever dreamed of… but at the last moment, you lost the will to kill me. You could no longer muster the hate that you needed to finish me. Yes Cloud, you drove your sword through my chest, but whether you'll admit it to yourself or not, you missed my heart on purpose. You missed my vitals on purpose. The life stream surrounded me and I tried to understand what possessed you to not finish me off. And then it dawned on me. You are afraid of your own power, you are afraid of the hatred that you are so capable of. You have the strength to defeat me properly; you simply refuse to use it.

I have stolen you away from the life you know to unlock it, to help you live up to your full potential. You are me and I am you. Our combined strength could knock this world off its axis."

"And the life stream?"

"As you've probably realized by now, my body is not like other human's. The life stream repels Jenova's body and most things connected with her. For anyone else, it would have dissolved them, but because of how I was created, the cells formed a shield around my body, protecting me from the life stream's effects."

Cloud nodded, seemingly lost in thought as Sephiroth stoked their tiny fire. When the flames were to his satisfaction, the general took the young man wearing his coat by the arm and sat the blonde on his lap. The spiky haired man shifted a little awkwardly but stopped moving completely when he felt those lips ghosting over his ear once more. "You know, one day I will set you free, and at that point, you will be able to make your own decisions and choose your own path in life, but until then, you will belong to me body and mind." He kissed the bite mark that he had left earlier, and ran his tongue over it, soothing the wound before sucking on it.

He could hear Cloud struggling with his breath, trying not to show the pleasure Sephiroth knew he felt, just like always. "However," he stroked a line down the blonde's chest with his finger, hearing the young man let a tiny gasp escape his lips. "If you swear to not try to escape and follow my instructions exactly, I will promise to never chain you again."

The blonde looked at him mistrustfully. "Not if the instructions involve hurting other people."

Sephiroth nodded. "These instructions will pertain mainly to training. I wouldn't dream of involving outside sources while you're with me."

Cloud chewed his lip, trying to find a negative other than not being held captive. When he couldn't find one he nodded. "I swear. You already know my vow, I want to hear yours."

The silver haired man's lips turned up slightly at the corners. "I swear on the bond you and I once shared that I will never again bind you. Now get up." Sephiroth's eyes regained that steely glint of cruelty. "You're about to run until you drop."

--

Chapter four, done! Just letting everyone know that the next chapter will take me a little bit longer to write because I'm a little bit iffy with it still. I think about two weeks will be enough. Sorry, it's just that projects are piling up and I really do need to start working a second job or my head will explode from my teeny tiny salary. To my reviewers:

kelle611: It would have been a very bad idea for Cloud to run and in his current state, he probably wouldn't have gotten very far. I'm not sure if I would run, or if I'd be too scared to try it. Thanks for the review!

d0rkgoddess: I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so far! I wasn't originally going to put Vincent in, but it became too tempting to resist.

spopococ: Hee hee, Tina's foobishness. I'm sorry, that would be frustrating, but I'm glad you were able to read it in the end. Cloud didn't run, sorry...

Stoic-Genius: Only Vincent knows his motives at this point, and he's sure as heck not going to tell us yet. Cloud tries, but at this point in time, he is a failure.

demonlifehealer: Woah... you have loads of questions! Fortunately, they will all be answered. Unfortunately, the answers come lateron. You've probably figured out now though that yes, there is a lovely side dish of ValenWind!

amberblood- But of course! Sephy's really a cuddly sneaky bunny on the inside, he just doesn't know how to express his feelings and he's VERY concerned about Cloud's sleeping habits! ;

I love you all! But I will love you even more if you read, enjoy and review! Stick around until the end my duckies!