Chapter 15: Terminus Part 2
NOTE: Like the last chapter, this baby changes POV.
"This is stupid," hissed Cloud as the ex-AVALANCHE prepared to take down Hojo's final attempt at destroying the world.
"I'm not happy about this either," Vincent replied quietly as he adjusted his gauntlet and checked up on his Materia. An uneasy feeling was making his chest constrict and he knew that he needed to be in perfect condition to fight. "However, if we don't finish this here and now, there might not be a Reno to save. We have to believe that he can survive for now. He's a strong man, a professional Turk. It will-"
"Just shut up," Cloud growled as he slipped goggles which looked suspiciously like Reno's over his eyes. "He's not going to wait forever."
Vincent remained silent before making his way to the airship and Cloud just ran a hand through his dull hair as he pushed Fenrir into the back of Barret's truck. The older man didn't blame Cloud at all, he just had to force himself to focus on the task at hand. For a moment he contemplated giving Rufus one last call. The younger man had been utterly pissed when the decision had been made to destroy the Tsevites first, and Vincent had been afraid that Rufus would act rashly.
Even after he had tried to convince the Shinra President, he wasn't fully confident that Rufus was going to be all right sitting in a safe area, surrounded by guards for his protection. Rufus was never one who sat back and let others take action.
The roar of the engines brought Vincent back to the present situation and he pushed back the desire to check up on the reckless man. Kind words were never said enough and it ate at him as much as the guilt of burdening him with demons did.
"Pull yourself together," he chided himself with dread weighing down his mind.
Although he desired to be more affectionate to the blond, he just couldn't bring him to do it. Thoughts of Lucrecia were constantly in his mind and he couldn't just push them away. She had meant more than life to him and he had loved and suffered all because of her. Even with her frozen existence in the crystals, he couldn't move on. Had she ever truly loved him as much as he loved her? Had she cherished their moments? It was hard to believe that considering all the shit he had forced her to live through, but he would still hope. Unfortunately, as long as he was left without those answers, he couldn't move on to care for Rufus as much as he should have.
"You alright, Vincent?" Yuffie asked worriedly.
Her head cocked to the side as she slowly swung her Conformer besides her still thin legs. She had grown up some during the years since Sephiroth's first defeat, but a childish innocence still covered her smaller body. Innocence that such an old sinful soul like him could never again attain.
"I'm fine. Are you ready?"
"Heh, are you kidding?! We get awesome gliders!"
Smiling warmly, Yuffie placed her delicate hand on his shoulder. With that, she turned around and headed back to the cockpit to bother Cid. Wind currents jolted the masterpiece of a flying vessel, but it didn't bother him. Unlike Cloud and Yuffie, he didn't get airsick. Thankfully, the young ninja had found a medication that would help her for this mission and Cid wouldn't have to worry about cleaning the upholstery again.
The sound of machinery creaking and the wind rushing over the metal encasing the battle-ready passengers helped the dark-haired man to focus on the upcoming battle. Any distraction or worry would be pointless and would give his opponents an opportunity to strike. That was something that he could not afford. First, however, he should go talk to Shelke and see how she was doing.
"How's that Cloud doin'?" Cid mumbled to Yuffie as she came into the cockpit.
"Mmm, he was pretty pissy and Vinnie didn't seem any better."
"Tch, ain't that jus' what we fucking need. These Tsevite bastards couldn't pick a damn better time to get us all off guard."
"You got that right, old man!"
"Aw, shut up you pup. So, I know that Cloud's fucked in the head right now 'cause his ex was kidnapped, but what's Valentine's deal? Did his fuck buddy yell at him?"
Yuffie grinned a little sadly as only a tinge of bitterness echoed in his words. "Well, he and Rufus did get into a little tiff because we had to use his Turks to help us with this. It seemed like Rufus wanted to save Reno first, which is understandable, but ol' Vinnie didn't let that happen."
"Well, it's not like Vincent don't know what the hell he's talkin' about! He's been around a lot fucking longer than that brat has and he was a top-notch Turk ta boot. Rufus don't understand that if we don't end this shit now, there won't be nobody to save anymore."
"Now, now, I'm sure he understands that, Cid, he's just worried. You'd have argued too if it was Vincent who had been captured."
Cid clamped his mouth shut over the round stub of a cigarette and looked ahead at his destination. Yuffie might have been a much younger girl, but she had a wisdom that the old pilot couldn't deny. That's why she was his confidant, a person who never judged him and who always had a shoulder to lean on. Damn it all if he wasn't embarrassed to have to get help from a kid right out of the cradle.
"Quit you're yapping, girly. You need ta get ready for the assault."
Throwing away the dying cigarette, he placed a new one into his mouth and chewed on it nervously as he maneuvered the heavy craft through the air. It took only a few more seconds before they were entering into dangerous territory. Using one hand to light up the cigarette, he glanced over at the young ninja.
"Get your skinny ass to the bay."
"Yes sir!" she replied as she patted his shoulder. "Let's kick some booty!"
It had all been ok. Really, it had. Even when Rosso had torn that strange materia from his body, and Chaos had been a little more unwilling to submit, everything was still ok. Part of Chaos being trapped within Rufus's body had actually been a good thing, but everything was far from fine now.
He had been in complete control, fighting off the demons when a sudden surge of foreign power coursed through his fiery veins. It seemed that there suddenly wasn't enough air, like the very breath was being crushed out of his lungs by an invisible beast. Voices were mere whispers as the cold pale moon washed over his morphing skin and a guttural roar tore through his throat. Hatred and blood-lust crushed his mind, completely overrunning everything that he had spent years controlling and creating.
Panic. Choking unabashed fear raced through the remnants of his mind. That was definitely the entirety of Chaos fusing into his body, the unbelievable power pouring out of his immortal form. There was no reason, no explanation for Chaos to be free and complete. It was necessary to use the beast's power, but as the darkness swallowed him mercilessly, fear filled his heart.
Hot tears poured from my eyes as I rested on the cold floor of my cell. Those two brats ended up shooting me with Mako darts until I overdosed. Now I was lying here, suffering from the Mako poisoning. But that just didn't really matter to me now; the suffering from having seen my brother murdered hurt so much worse. Over and over, those images played in my mind, torturing my every breath.
Why did I let him die? I had always been there before, I had always protected him, except…except…
The WEAPON attack. I hadn't been there for him at that time either and he had ended up in the hospital for months, almost years. Back then he had suffered greatly, and now? Now he was dead because of my stupidity.
Tseng would probably give me a silent look of understanding and would never outright blame me, but I know that inside he would. He would probably blame himself too for turning his attention elsewhere, even if only for a moment, but it really wasn't his fault. I was here, it was my fault.
"S-shiva," I sobbed as I curled up tighter, sickness washing over my pain wracked body.
If gods were all-powerful, why the hell didn't they help him?! Rufus didn't deserve to be murdered by psychotic people's child-soldiers! He deserved only the best, even in his fucking death! Damn it all, he was too perfect, too regal to deserve such a brutal murder.
I hate those doctors far more than any human should be able to hate. I hate them for what they did to me, for what they're doing to the babies, for what they're doing to those kids, and for making those kids murder Rufus. I hate every fucking ounce of them and I am going to fucking kill them. Yes, I am going to murder them far more cruelly than they had killed Rufus and that will almost be enough to pay them back. No amount of torture can ever truly repay them for this horror. I can never ever forgive them, in all the years that I will live.
A pain throbbed in my stomach making me cringe. This pain had been around since I woke up and it worried me. Granted, I didn't feel like worrying much with the grief choking me, but now it was getting stronger. Was the Mako hurting my babies?
"Guh, if…if…"
Curling up tighter in a ball even more anger flared up. Those doctors were trying to kill my babies just as cruelly as they killed Rufus, and I wasn't going to fucking have any of that. I wasn't going to fail them like I failed the Boss.
Looking around, I bit my lip as only silence filled my ears. There were no guards, no murderous children, not even pissy crazy scientists. Oh I was sure that if I got down the hall there would be a wall of enhanced experimental humans, but I'd just worry about that when I got there. All that I had to worry about for now was the SOLDIER proof bars that held me back.
My hands were still sore and in pain from the last time I broke through something SOLDIER proof, could I even do it again? Then again, why bother going through the bars and down the hall to face guards? Yep, breaking through the damn walls were going to be easier.
Lifting myself off the stone floor, I winced as my skin peeled painfully from the rock leaving bright red marks on my flesh. Sickeningly, there was a tinge of green rising to the surface as well. The thin fabric of my patient's gown rode up on my thin legs, but modesty was the least of my issues.
I hobbled to the wall slowly, my limbs numb from staying in one position for so long and pain making me lean forward in an attempt at the fetal position while standing up. I figure that the back wall will probably led to a main room of sorts, so a better choice would be one of the side walls. With some luck, which I am sorely in need of, one of the walls could lead to outside and I would be home free. I concentrated on my hearing and wasn't surprised not to hear any nature sounds. This cell was inside some building.
"Fucking shit. Holy fucking shit!"
Forcing myself out of my doubled over position, I leaned all of my weight against one of the solid walls and braced myself against it.
"You think you can stop me, you piece of shit? Hah, l-like I'll let you stop me. I've got things to do."
Spreading my fingers wide, I dug them into the mortar surrounding the cement blocks and I pushed. I pushed harder than I have ever done in my life, probably harder than even a SOLDIER could. Damn it to hell if it made a huge noise, that didn't fucking matter! All I had to do was focus all of my muscles to push at the exact same time and this way the blocks would have to give in. The Mako that was forced into my body, pulsed through my veins, supplying my muscles with its poison. One more desperate heave and the blocks caved in with a loud crash.
Having stressed my body beyond what it was supposed to handle, I collapsed along with the broken stone and mortar. However, I didn't have enough time to just lay there and take a fucking nap. I gasped in pain as my stomach clenched painfully. Exerting myself probably wasn't the best thing to do, but it was better than just waiting for those nutcases to do as they pleased with me and my babies!
I hear running footsteps approaching this direction, and I force my healing muscles to begin working all over again as I jump up and run. It doesn't matter which direction, as long as it is away from those footsteps. I can just knock down the next wall anyway.
Running like a mad man down the numerous hallways, I didn't really have time to curse my luck. I tripped over my own feet, but I just keep moving; this easily resulted in a few broken toes, but that wasn't the worst thing that could happen to me. A bullet whizzed past my jawline, singeing the skin and the shouting was coming closer. Panic at the prospect of being caught again bubbled up in my chest making me push myself even harder. I could feel the poor little ones bouncing against my internal organs as I rushed through the building like a rat in a maze, seeking the exit.
Each breath burned within my lungs, and my muscles screamed in agony. It would have been easier to have just stood and fought, but that was a bigger risk to my already doomed children. This was my final shot, my only chance to save them like I couldn't save Rufus.
Burning lead buried itself into my back and into my right lung and I stumbled for just a moment. There was a wall ahead of me and I could feel rushing water on the other side. Water was always good and so I headed straight for that solid cement wall. My already suffering body heaved itself and crashed into the wall at full speed. In a feeble attempt to salvage the babies' lives as best as I could, I turned to the side, making my left side absorb the impact of the crash.
At first, I felt like a bug on a windshield and I was afraid that my momentum wasn't enough to break through the wall. Bones shattered, muscle tore, my fevered brain crashed against the inside of my thick skull. Splat would be the perfect word to describe how I felt. After a few uncertain and painful nanoseconds, the wall crumbled, pulling me into the current of the underwater stream that was on that side. Alarmed screams roared into my ears for only a moment before I was completely submerged under icy cold water.
Darkness and numbness surrounded me, making me fear for my life yet again. Did I escape the doctors only to drown in some underground river? Was I even ever going to make it to the surface? Only more darkness answered these questions for me. I could taste blood in my mouth and even as I held my breath, water was leaking into my lungs from the bullet wound. I tried to reach back to cover the hole, but I could no longer even feel my arms. I slowly drowned and the darkness seemed to form the gaping mouth of Odin's hell. It was my time for the Lifestream, and I had failed once more.
There was a vague sense of pressure against my chest, forcing still cold water to spill past my lifeless lips. Brutal winds nipped at my exposed flesh, seemingly trying to tear it into pieces. Wasn't I dead enough for the fucking PLANET? Couldn't at least the elements leave my body to decompose naturally for fuck's sake?!
The pressure once again was applied and I felt something warm drag across my face, melting the ice that was forming on my eyelashes. Cold biting air entered my dead lungs, constricting the airways to the point of forcing me to cough. My swollen eyes cracked open before once again shutting to block out the harsh bright light surrounding me. Warmth spread across my chest with that comfortable pressure and I forced my stiff arms into it. Fur, thick fur with body heat radiating out.
It was impossible to even guess how long I remained still, trying to revive my weary body. All I knew was the constant heat and that soft fur. Eventually, my eyes opened again revealing brilliant sunlight and a snowscape that was unlike any I had ever seen. Frozen trees glimmered in the warmth of the sun and snow decorated everything that surrounded me. Looking up, my eyes were caught in two golden eyes glimmering with something that I could not recognize. Those intense eyes belonged to a giant grey wolf that had found it fit to lie across my chest, saving my internal organs from complete failure.
"What are-are you…doing?" I questioned in a harsh whisper. Even my vocal chords were frozen.
The thick hot tongue slid across my face again, before the beast stood up and relieved that pressure. Its large nose sniffed me over before it straightened up and gave me a strange look that I could not even begin to describe. Shaking a few snowflakes off of its grey and black fur, it turned from me and began to walk away.
"W-wait!" I called out desperately, reaching out with a bloody hand. Blood filled my mouth as I forced words out of my damaged throat. "Don't…please don't leave…"
The wolf never turned around and soon I was left all alone in the frozen lands, practically naked and half-dead. Pain was starting to return to my abdomen and I could no longer feel any movement from within my body. It was unsettling since I had grown used to the constant motion, and I knew that I needed to get some medical help. Maybe I was near Icicle Inn? Looking around again as I struggled to stand up I realized that I probably wasn't anywhere near that snowy haven. If I was correct, I was probably closer to the City of the Ancients.
"Hehe, you fucking bastards," I cursed as I struggled to my bare feet. "You all mus' b-be have-having a b-ball up there, jus' watching me die slowly." This was just too cruel, I should be dead, not suffering even more. "Well fuck you!" I screeched to the graying sky.
I took a few minutes to flip off the heavens and scream every obscenity to every deity I knew, but after that I began to head south. At least I was hoping that I was moving south and that I was right about being near the City of the Ancients. I might be able to reach the fucking port in a few days, maybe even weeks if my injuries didn't kill me first. A whistling sound in my lungs reminded me that there was a hole in my lungs, but there was nothing I could do now. More importantly, I needed to find clothing or I would die of hypothermia and frost bite.
Looking around, I laughed harshly as there was nothing that would even be worth trying to make clothing out of. The vegetation was spindly and stiff and could never be made into coverings for my shivering legs or arms. Even the bark of the trees would be worthless assuming that I could even get it off without the aid some kind of cutting instrument. Yep, the gods were definitely using me for entertainment.
The pain of the unhealed bones and muscles in my left side made traveling even more difficult than normal. Cold snow had kept the swelling to a minimum, but it was still pretty bad. Limping along like an injured animal just made me even more pissed off and nervous. Even though there was nothing in this barren land, I couldn't help but feel the dread of showing weakness. Beasts always died if they weren't perfectly fit and I sure as hell wasn't anything close to being fit.
Trudging through the snow in bare feet is not something I would ever recommend, but there I was doing it. I would glance down every once in a while to make sure my toes hadn't fallen off, but I got sick seeing them turn more and more green. It was probably all the Mako rushing down to heal and salvage my feet, but how long could that last? A few hours? Not bothering to ponder it any longer, I just kept forcing one foot in front of the other. The wet gown ended up seeping away my heat, so I had to strip out of my only clothing and carry it in front of me, hoping that it would dry fast. Completely naked in this god-forsaken terrain as night was beginning to fall, and I couldn't help but laugh some more. I would definitely be dead in a few hours.
However, even with that knowledge I just kept trudging along. I sure was one stubborn son-of-a-bitch. Even though I was still wheezing because of the hole in my lung, the blood had frozen over the hole, leaving only caked frozen blood on my bare back. My bright red hair hung limply around my face as I continued to walk, and I brushed it back every once in a while with my icy fingers. The pain in my stomach increased with every step making my attempt at salvation a living hell. There was still no sign of life from within me and soon I found myself crying instead of laughing.
"Cloud!" I cried in desperation as I stumbled to the ground. "Please, Cloud, help me!"
The wind whistling through the thin trees was the only response that I received. I knew that if I just laid there I would freeze to death faster, so I began to crawl through the snow. Soon, my blood was marking my impossible journey as my hands and knees were scraped up by the sharp ground under the snow.
"P-please," I begged to the wind, willing it to carry my message to the only man that I loved and wanted to spend my life with. "I c-can't do this alone!"
I was too tired to even scream as the pain and agony in my abdomen finally became unbearable. Collapsing into the snow I panted heavily as I rolled on my back to see the stars coming out. It was easy to feel the temperature dropping as the sun no longer showed its happy little face. I lifted up one hand and saw that it wasn't healing like it should have been. I guess that I was out of Mako, or my body was too cold to actually use it. Sighing, I placed the frozen gown over my stomach.
After a few minutes, I began to chuckle again. I could just imagine some fucking native taking a refreshing walk with his kids and then suddenly coming upon my pretty naked body. In my mind they would scream and run away, sure to tell their tribe that they had seen a naked snow demon with fiery hair even down there. Yep, that would totally be my luck.
Even as I was laughing over my imaginary plight, the gods found it interesting to give me an even harder time. A deep growl came from the trees to the right and immediately my senses jumped up. Yep, it was a fucking monster.
"Shit!" I hissed.
Obviously, my blood was attracting some unwanted guests. Before I could even try to come up with a self-defense plan, another growl came from the other side making me jump. My enhanced eyes picked up several monsters creeping towards me. A few were even snapping at each other as if to claim my gangly flesh first. My heart began to pound as I looked around futilely for some kind of weapon. However, it just wouldn't be entertaining enough if there was a large stick or maybe even a fucking piece of Materia lying around. Nope, I had nothing but a sharp rock I found under the snow.
Another gasp made me close my eyes for a moment as the pain was almost too much. Why was the pain bothering me now?! At that moment, I was gifted with the horrifying revelation as to why. Elena's words were echoing in my head about all kinds of symptoms. I was having rhythmic pain, to the point that I could keep time with it. For fuck's sake, I was having contractions.
"Oh no you don't," I growled as I clenched my teeth.
It didn't matter if I was growling at the beasts or the helpless babies within my body. What mattered was figuring a way out of this situation. My body was warning me that something was wrong and the babies needed to get out now. I didn't have time to beat these monsters, and I'm sure that I wouldn't even be able to in my condition.
I wasn't gifted with any more time to think about it as one of the Stilvas lunged at me. It was a flurry of pincers and teeth, but I managed to break one of its front leg things and flung it towards the other ravenous beasts. Howls of pain and bloodthirsty screams echoed in the area as the injured Stilva was eaten up by the other creatures. Another contraction kept me from finding a way to escape and I cried out in the agony.
In desperation, there was only one thing I could do. I smeared a handful of the snow on my bruised stomach before I used the rock in my hand and cut into its flesh. Fresh blood spilt on the pristine snow, immediately catching the attention of the still hungry monsters. Digging the sharp end of the rock deeper I couldn't help but scream as I sliced through the muscles and right through blood vessels.
"Oh shit, holy fuck, holy shit…"
I was probably in shock as more blood gushed from the sloppy cut and a squirt from one of the arteries splashed blood onto my face. Another beast lunged at me fully intending to eat my innards, but some invisible force seemed to stop it. As a matter of fact, all the beasts began circling around me, but it seemed that they couldn't come within a certain distance.
"If you get those babies out, I can transform and save you. Right now the best I can do is to hold those things back."
"S-save us?" I asked Damnation in surprise even as the pain made my next cut even uglier.
"Yes."
While his powers kept those beasties away, I continued to work on extracting my little ones. Moving my own intestines out of the way, I could see something that had to be the womb. If it wasn't I was dead meat. Forcing my shaking hand to steady, I made a shallow incision into the delicate tissue, praying that I wasn't going to cut a baby up. Instead I was graced with the nice view of one of my darling little one's rear end. Grabbing its leg, I tore the tissue with my other hand and pulled out the tiniest human being I have ever seen.
Blood and some other shit covered the thin and wrinkled kid and I couldn't help but think that it was the ugliest thing I had ever seen in my life. At the same time, a warm fondness bubbled up in my chest, but I pushed that feeling down to get the other guy out. With the first kid on my gown, I reached into my own body and pulled the guy out noticing that I had been correct in assuming that I could never give birth to a girl. Two ugly baby boys squirmed weakly on the gown making me cry in surprise and happiness. They were alive for now.
"O-ok, let's go, D-damnation."
"Not so fast idiot, you got one left."
"What the hell?!"
Reaching in, I felt another tiny leg and I nearly screamed in horror. There was another one of these in my stomach? Holy fuck! No wonder it was always so active in there! A wave of dizziness from a lack of blood almost knocked me out, but I pushed myself a little harder. Almost done.
The last child I pulled out seemed smaller than the other two, and she wasn't breathing. I didn't have time to bemoan the fact that the baby was indeed a girl, but instead panic arose in me and I tried to figure out what to do. If I attempted CPR, I might crush her tiny body, but if I didn't she would probably die.
"Maybe she's already dead?" he suggested. "Let's just change and save the other two."
Survival of the fittest was it? Those were the rules I had learned to grow up with in the slums. Eat or be eaten. However, on that icy cold plain, where I should have died ten times over, this little girl was given the opportunity for life. She was too small to do it herself, but that's what the fuck I was for! I'd be damned before I gave up on her! If someone hadn't given a damn about me, I might now have had the crazy life I've been proud to live, and there was no way in hell I wouldn't do the same for her.
Taking a few seconds to knot and cut the umbilical cords of all three babies, I suppressed Damnation's attempt at trying to take over so we could hurry up and began gentle CPR on the little girl. It didn't take much breath at all to fill her lungs and one of my thin fingers was enough to push that tiny breath out. Worry began to fill my mind as she didn't respond to my CPR and the other two guys began to feebly cry as their bodies suffered from the biting cold wind. I attempted to clean the shit off of them, but I couldn't take the time to do it right while I was trying to get the girl to breath.
"Breathe, kid, just fucking breath!" I begged, sure that the gods were truly enjoying my plight right now. "Come on, do it for mama."
A tiny cough into my mouth as I almost began the CPR again shocked me, making me back up to stare down at the little fighter. Her tiny body was struggling to breath on its own, but she sure as hell was trying. Miniscule fingers clenched at the air, trying to force it to submit and enter into her lungs and I began to sob in joy.
However, it wouldn't be right if I could just enjoy the fact that they were still alive and that I wasn't dead either. Nope, those motherfucking gods really had it in for me. Pain exploded in my abdomen making me fall back into the red steaming snow, screaming. It felt like acid burning me up from the inside, and I couldn't see what it was. As a matter of fact, I couldn't see anything at all. Pain was blinding me, and it even robbed me of all senses but touch.
"Give your body to me!" Damnation screeched in fear. "You're going to die!"
Die? Finally? No, there were three kids on my fucking gown that needed help and I had to give it to them. Though I hadn't really gotten the chance to examine them closely and appreciate their beauty, I would time enough for that later. Right now, I needed to live and that meant that I had to let Damnation take over. It was kind of funny that he couldn't seem to wrestle my control away while I was in my death throes.
"Take it!"
Pain was replaced with the horrid feeling of my body changing, shifting into another form. Broken bones and muscles were re-formed, shaped into a hulking form that I recognized from my dream. His guttural roar echoed across the dead lands, scattering all the beasts who had wanted to make me dinner. His bloodthirsty eyes glanced around at the landscape and laughed at the wind's feeble attempt to knock him down.
"Now it's time to do my duty," he growled as he shook his massive head.
"Duty?" I asked nervously. "What duty? We need to get those kids to a hospital or they'll die!"
"Chaos hasn't destroyed all life like he was supposed to, so I must do it."
Destroy all life? Aww, shit no! Couldn't he have picked a better time to tell me?
"Listen you bastard! I just saved those little guys' lives and I'm not going to let you touch them!"
"Fine, I'll just let the elements kill them."
Snorting as he ignored my screams, Damnation stretched out his massive wings and took to the air. Below I watched helplessly as the three babies cried on the wet and dirty cloth. I could see the animals circling back now that the presence of the beast was disappearing and I couldn't even look anymore. I didn't want to witness the children being torn up and eaten. It just made me sick.
Deathly stillness weighed heavily on the occupants of the room as they stood in place, shocked by the scene in front of them. Vincent's heavy uneven steps clanked loudly in the painful silence as he stumbled to the crumpled form of the Shinra President. Dried blood painted the wall behind him in a fresco of sadness and tears, large crimson drops frozen in place. Elena ran out of the basement but her wails of horror and grief echoed down the others.
The dazed red eyes of Vincent glanced over the stiff body before he looked around the rest of the room. In his mind he could easily see what had happened. He could see how Rufus luckily dodged one bullet before facing his opponent. Then, for some reason that he couldn't even begin to fathom, Rufus hadn't dodged again. He had stood there and was shot straight on. The specialty gun that was the blonde's constant companion rested on the musty floor, unscathed and still fully loaded. If he wasn't out of ammunition, why the hell didn't he fucking shoot!
Foreign hot tears stung at his eyes as the ex-Turk slid to his knees next to the body. Fear almost prevented him from touching the man, but he forced himself to do it anyway. A very small part of his mind was begging that it really wasn't Rufus, that it had to be another unfortunate person. For Odin's sake, he finally had a chance to move on, to truly treasure this man! He couldn't be dead now!
"Is he-?" Tseng questioned before emotion choked out the rest of the sentence.
The Wutaiese was struggling to keep his composure and Vincent could easily relate. He had to be sure that it was the man that he had cared for who now lay lifeless on the harsh stone floors of the dungeon. The golden gauntlet glimmered in the dim light as he reached out softly and brushed back the still, blond hair back to reveal blank blue eyes. All intensity which had been burned into the younger man was gone, lost in the endless Lifestream.
"It is."
Those words sounded so final, so empty. Disbelief filled him, almost as if this was all another nightmare that he would be shaken out of, something that he could push to the back of his mind and forever forget. Was that even his voice that had pronounced the doom of such a prideful man? How could he ever sound that distant and unemotional? Didn't he love this man?
"Vincent?" Cid called out softly from behind him. His voice was full of concern and worry but he was wise enough to stay out of striking distance. After all, Vincent was nothing more than a monster, so who knew how he would react in this situation. "Valentine, ya need ta speak to me, buddy."
"Vincent Valentine, he is correct," Shelke said softly, trying her best to be supportive.
Metal slid carefully down the still soft skin, brushing past those harsh lips which had scarred him and loved him unlike any other person had. Blood stained that snowy skin, marring his perfect complexion. Delicately, the leathered hand brushed the hair aside to reveal the bleeding entrance wound. Sticky scarlet blood gently oozed out of the bullet hole, still trailing down the pathway already etched by a river of dried blood.
"Vincent," Cid begged, shuffling uncomfortably. "He's dead."
"One shot to the chest, two to the head," the dark-haired man muttered in response.
Tseng jerked a little before staring intently at the older man's back. "That sounds like a professional hit, Valentine. He wasn't taken out by some grunt, no that's an assassin's work."
"Why would he drop his gun?" Vincent asked Tseng quietly.
"I don't know. He knew better than to let his guard down, and he was trained to protect his weapon almost as well as himself."
"There aren't any wounds that suggest a struggle," the red-eyed man mumbled, almost more to himself than to anyone else. "There aren't-"
A nearly imperceptible flutter of eyelids made the very breath catch in the ex-Turk's throat. No other movement even suggested what he saw was more than wishful thinking. Was it possible that his desire to see Rufus alive once more caused a delusion? Or was it…
"Rufus?" he whispered softly, too scared to hope.
Cradling Rufus with one arm, he used his teeth to yank off the leather glove from his free hand and he pressed the cold digits against the carotid artery. Nothing. Nothing, before a faint beat from a desperate heart.
"Dear Shiva," Vincent gasped. "Tseng, I need a Mastered Cure, now!"
Everyone gaped in shock, but Tseng recovered quickly. He rushed over and began casting the Materia with abandon.
"Rude!" he barked out, hoping that Vincent wasn't delusional. "You and Shelke help me get the President out of here. He's in critical condition! Cid, please start the plane so that we can get out of here."
"Reno?"
Cloud walked through the carnage carefully, gently checking the pulses of the shredded bodies he stepped over. Although it was slowing him down, he couldn't just leave someone in that condition if they weren't dead. He'd have to put them out of their misery.
"Reno, are you in here?"
The echoes of his voice in the docking warehouse the only noise he could hear. Unfortunately, he knew that he wasn't alone and that what was in there with him wasn't human. He remembered being told about Reno's demon problem and he was betting that Reno just lost control. If he could bring the red-head back under control, there wouldn't have to be a fight. Even so, his baby the Ultima Weapon was out and ready for some use. It wouldn't do any good not to be prepared for the worst.
His enhanced eyes picked up a glimmer of a shadow before it was gone again. So, the demon was circling around him waiting for an opportune moment to strike, was he? Well, he would just have to make that opportunity.
"Come on, baby!" he called out as his eyes darted around. "Are you hurt?"
Dropping to one knee, he slackened his grip on the Ultima Weapon and turned "all" of his attention to the body he was inspecting. If he was right, this demon was still a newborn. He might have all the damn power in the world and was probably strong enough to tear a regular SOLDIER into pieces easily, but that didn't mean he was smart. He probably didn't know a thing about strategy.
Just as Cloud had assumed, Damnation took the bait and dived right at him, fully intending to rip his head off in a not-so-clean way. However, Cloud wasn't the Hero of the PLANET for no reason. He had beaten the almighty Sephiroth twice and some newbie hot-shot demon wasn't going to surprise him. In a fluid movement, he side-stepped the attack and drew his sword across the beasts chest leaving a shallow gash. That was his first warning to this monster.
"Sorry, Reno," he muttered as he watched the beast spit and hiss in anger at being injured. It kept looking down at the blood in disbelief. "You can kick my ass later for this."
"You think you have a chance, mortal?" Damnation growled. "I will have the pleasure of eating your innards while they're still hot!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just attack."
Cloud's careless attitude seemed to confuse the demon and it took a step back.
"Why aren't you afraid?" he demanded. "I can't feel your heart beating as fast as all the others."
"Come and find out," Cloud taunted.
To be honest, he was a little afraid of hurting this demon too badly. What if the injuries transferred over to Reno? He wouldn't be able to chop off limbs to subdue the beast if that meant that Reno would be doomed with little stubs too.
The demon growled in frustration before lowering its head in a mock of a bull charging. Those golden horns did look sharp, but Cloud knew that he had this fight; he had a plan and knew how to execute it.
"Please don't hold this against me, Reno," he apologized before he began the attack.
Swinging his giant blade down into the cement floor, the impact shot a wave of energy towards the agitated beast. Damnation howled in surprise before jumping up to take flight and to get out of the danger. However, that's exactly where Cloud thought he would be and was already there. With one carefully placed swing, his blade easily sliced through the thin membrane and bones of the wings. A shrieking scream which was made even more painful by Cloud's enhancements echoed in the metal building as Damnation fell back to the ground.
Cloud landed behind the creature, a little disoriented because that shriek busted one of his eardrums. Blood trickled out of his left ear, but he just shook it off. That was nothing compared to other wounds he's had before.
"Just give it up, demon," Cloud sighed. "It's obvious that you can't win against me. I'm not some helpless villager that you can slaughter, like all these innocent people. If you force me to fight you longer, I probably won't hold back, and I'll kill you."
Those blue eyes shone fiercely, making the demon consider his next move carefully. If this mortal was serious, he could easily kill Damnation. If he was bluffing, then what would he do? The demon cursed himself as he could not read this creature. The man's heart rate was normal, his eyes told no lies, and he was definitely holding that gigantic sword in a threatening manner. How was he even able to hold such a thing? It had to weigh more than he did!
"I'd listen to him," Reno suggested wearily. "He's a kickass fighter, and he's beaten more threatening baddies than you."
"How can this be?" Damnation spat. "I am of Chaos, I am supposed to destroy all life!"
"Listen, Vincent already took care of Chaos, and I don't want to have to do the same to you," Cloud replied. "Honestly? I've had enough fighting for the day. Don't make me kick your ass."
"Hah, you wouldn't hurt this body," Damnation taunted, trying to keep an upper hand. "You wouldn't dare because any injury will also hurt your mate."
A pain spread in Reno's chest as he watched Cloud answer without missing a beat or without even flinching.
"What makes you think that would stop me?"
Reno couldn't help but feel more disappointed. Now he was berating himself for even hoping that Cloud would miss him. It was true that he didn't deny that they were mates, but he didn't affirm it either. Cloud was the one who had broken it off so Reno knew it had been wishful thinking. After all, the blonde's body language didn't even speak of concern. It almost seemed as if he were bothered by having to come here for Reno.
"Don't you love this mortal?" Damnation asked, now a little unsure of himself.
Cloud sighed and let his grip on that massive sword loosen some. The truth was that he was absolutely freaking out about this whole situation. Was Reno really somewhere inside that thing? How was he supposed to be sure that the red-head was ok? However, if he didn't trick this beast, it might take too long.
"Listen, you're just pissing me off, now." Cracking his neck, he gave the demon a harsh stare. "Let him out, or I'll just kill you both."
In an attempt at making his bluff seem serious, he yanked his sword off the ground and stepped back into an attack stance.
"Fine, fine," the demon replied.
It wouldn't do any good to fight this experienced mortal. He would just have to wait until his strength was revived and he could come up with a plan. It would definitely take a few days before his wing would be able to recover from the damage, and he could use the time to come up with a plan. It would also take a few days for his ego to heal.
As he was transforming back to Reno, a thought occurred to the demon. If that blond could trick him, why couldn't he trick the stupid mortal? Cloud came rushing over, worried to death about Reno. He dropped the Ultima Weapon and cradled the cold naked body of his ex-boyfriend to his chest.
"Baby, are you all right? Shiva, you're so freakin' cold!" Pulling off his leather gloves, he began to rub Reno's arms, trying to get the blood flowing. "Come on, babe, you can do it, you can pull out of this."
The hero gasped as he saw the deep cuts into Reno's stomach. Guilt crashed over him nearly making him gag. It was obvious that he was no longer pregnant, but where was the baby? Did those crazy doctors already take it?
"Reno, please, you-"
Sharp claws snapped out, slashing across the soft flesh of Cloud's face. The surprise and force of the hit forced the ex-trooper back a few feet and dark blood splashed against the dirty cement floor.
"Take that, mortal!" Damnation snarled, pleased that he had managed to hurt that pompous human.
Although I was feeling more than a little pissed off at Cloud, seeing Damnation hurt him like that sent a surge of fury through me. This damned demon took advantage of me, he even fucking left my babies for dead! All because Cloud didn't fucking come and save me! That bastard was going to pay, and Damnation wasn't going to take that away from me.
The next thing I knew, I was punching my ex-lover's already bleeding face. At that moment I hated him with all my passion. If he had come to me in my time of need, none of this would have happened. He had the power to save my precious babies, the power to save me! But he didn't, he didn't come to save me!
"Fuck you bastard!" I screeched in pain and anger. "I hate you, I fucking hate your guts!"
Strong hands wrapped around my wrists and pulled me close to the body I had yearned for. Shiva, why couldn't he help me? Why didn't he? I sobbed into his chest, and he just held me. The sound of his heartbeat was so familiar and calming that I couldn't keep up the energy to fight him. His warm blood dripped on the back of my neck and rolled down my back, but there was no blood-lust this time. Only weariness and sorrow. Rufus and the babies, they were all dead.
"Where is the baby?" he asked quietly as he warily rubbed my back. "Did they take it?"
"Dead."
"What?!"
Cloud seemed surprised and I could here his heart beat increase. He was upset about this?
"I had three," I sighed tiredly. "Killed by monsters on the plains."
Cloud continued to hold me and rub my back, but I could sense his restlessness. One of his hands moved to my stomach and applied pressure to hold back what little blood I still had. It was a useless gesture if anything. I had already lost so much blood and it was too hard to keep fighting.
"Hey, Reno," he whispered softly into my ear. "I'm getting you to a hospital first, and then I…"
I really wanted to hear all that he had to say, but the words slipped past my mind as I let my swollen eyes slide shut. Exhaustion unlike I've ever felt before weighed over my entire body, numbing the pain that was sure to make me cry even harder. Even my lips felt exhausted and that was saying something. I felt a slight pressure on them, but it didn't matter anymore. Sleep, that's all I wanted. To sleep and never wake up.
The cold bitter wind whipped at every inch of the blond's exposed flesh and his warm breath crystallized in the air before being flung behind. The roar of Fenrir sounded foreign in the open plains, but it was a comfort to the driver's ears. For probably the hundredth time that day, Cloud stopped the vehicle and hopped off of it. Rubbing his sore limbs and shaking the frost from his hair, he pulled his Ultima Weapon out and explored the area. No signs of blood or unusual monster activity once again, so he sighed and straddled back on his bike.
"Damn it," Cloud huffed as he blew warm air on his gloved hands. "Good thing I listened to Tifa and brought these ear warmers."
The dark head-band looking thing covered both ears and kept them far warmer than his nose was. It wouldn't be a surprise if he came back with frost bite. The hero also winced in pain from the stitches in his face that were rubbing up against the bandages. Damnation had cut his face deeply, and Reno's punches didn't make it any better. However, that pain didn't compare to seeing his emaciated and ruined ex-boyfriend so full of hate and telling it right to his face. He knew that Reno would hate him, but hearing it had made it final.
Also for the hundredth time that day, Cloud rested his head on the arm-bars and sighed heavily. Who was he kidding? Reno wouldn't care any more for him if he really did find the remains of the children, he might even hate the blond more. So why did he so desperately need to look for them?
"Such a fool, always a fool," he mumbled into his jacket's sleeve. "Stubborn, jackass, idiot-"
Sensing something, Cloud stopped his self-detestation and looked around. In a stark contrast of the pale snow, a single dark-furred wolf stared at the man. Wind blew its thick fur, but the beast didn't even flinch. Golden eyes narrowed as it studied the man carefully. Cloud tilted his head as he felt familiarity in looking at he creature. He knew who it was, but didn't know how.
"Fenrir," he mumbled as the beast looked towards the next clump of mangled trees in the distance.
The regal head lifted as a long mournful howl echoed through the frozen lands, the sound being whipped away and tossed by the cruel winds. Clenching his hands on the grips, Cloud knew what it was saying. Once again, it had helped him. Kick starting the giant machine, the man never looked back as he drove off, but if he had, there would have been nothing there but the wind swept snow.
It didn't take very long to reach the clump of malformed trees, but even as he drew nearer he could see the evidence of many creatures gathering. A few frozen carcasses of half-eaten monsters rested in the numerous prints that still hadn't been covered by new snow. Some of the prints were still fresh. Not wanting to take his bike into the grove, Cloud parked the thing and made the rest of the walk on foot.
Snow crunched under his heavy black boots almost in harmony with the wind whistling through the bare branches. Soon he saw that the snow was tinged with pink, certainly blood. He must be getting closer. Following the bloody trail, he saw that it had to have been Reno, crawling through the snow, bleeding. How much did that man suffer alone? Even more guilt weighed on his mind, but for now, he just had to find the remains no matter how gruesome they were.
The trees ahead parted to reveal a small opening within the grove and when Cloud stepped into it he was dumfounded. A small unhappy cry rose above the wind and there were three bloodied babies resting on a torn gown. Carnage surrounded the babies with blood and flesh strewn around, but not a single mark on any of the little ones.
"What the fuck?" he whispered as he drew nearer.
Numerous prints surrounded the area, far more than had been on the outside, but still, there they were! Doubt of his sanity made Cloud reach out and poke one of the babies who didn't take it very well. Another shriek of annoyance rang in his ears before the little one struggled to catch his breath. Drawing his hand back, the man still couldn't help but just stare at them. This was unreal, they should be dead. Even if they hadn't been eaten by the wildlife, it was below zero and they were completely naked. They should have frozen to death.
"How did you-"
The child who had remained calm while his brother cried and his sister struggled for her life slowly opened his eyes, shocking Cloud into silence. Blood red, those eyes were blood red. It stared right into his eyes as if it knew exactly who he was. A feeling of fear flitted in the man's chest as it never turned its eyes away. It was almost as if he knew that Cloud was coming and was just waiting.
"Holy Shiva," he muttered as it finally yawned, breaking the eye contact.
The entire scene was just too weird, but he fell to his knees and gathered all three of them up to his chest. They were so small and felt so fragile that he was scared his SOLDIER strength would hurt them. However, they needed to get out of this place so he rushed back to his Fenrir where he un-strapped his blanket. Being overly careful, he wrapped them all up in it and carried them as he dragged Fenrir along behind him. Surely, riding on a motorcycle across the rugged land would kill them, but then again who knew? Still, he didn't want to tempt fate any more.
When night drew its dark veil over the land, Cloud camped out in a small uninhabited cave. Material helped to provide a fire where he heated up snow until it was warm enough to wash off the filthy babies. They had all been silent during the entire trip which worried him somewhat.
Picking up the one who seemed different from the others, he cursed in his head as gently dipped some bandage in the water and began scrubbing the grime off of the child. How the hell was he supposed to know the proper way of bathing a baby? He barely knew how to bathe older children, and now this?
"Tch, aren't you lucky you got a failure like me around?" he asked the baby as he rubbed its tiny feet clean. "Feel free to complain, little guy, I know I suck."
The child just watched him carefully as if measuring his very words. To be honest, Cloud wouldn't have been surprised if the child had spoken back to him. It was just creepy like that. Thankfully, it said nothing and just watched as its body was cleaned with the warm water. The fire kept all of them warm while Cloud continued diligently with his task.
When he finally reached the head, the hero of the PLANET nearly dropped the baby as he felt how soft the head was. Why the hell was its head fucking soft?! Weren't there supposed to be bones there or something? The baby finally whined in annoyance as Cloud poked at the head again.
"Fuck," he groaned as he set the baby down. "Something must be wrong with your head, and I'm the only one around? Damn, you guys don't have much luck, huh."
Sighing almost in annoyance, the child looked at Cloud calmly as if reassuring him that everything would be just fine. He just wanted to finish the damn bath. His tiny hand reached out, deliberate and confidently, spreading those tiny fingers. Feeling something warm tickling his chest, Cloud couldn't help but chuckle and reach out his finger for the baby to take a hold of.
"Ok, fine. I'll just finish cleaning you up and I'm sure that we can get your head fixed when I get you to the hospital."
A look of eternal patience crossed the child's face as Cloud went back to work. However, Cloud couldn't help but get a little uncomfortable as he washed the child's fine hair. At first he had thought that it was a pale red, but the red washed off in the water. It became more and more apparent that this child had silver hair.
Setting down the kid carefully, he stared at it in a new way. Yes, those blood red eyes weren't only unusual in color, but they were shaped more like cat eyes than a human's eyes. Silver hair, unusual eyes, and an unusual intelligence. The fear returned two-fold as he looked down at the baby.
"Sephiroth?" he mumbled before looking away.
It just couldn't be, it couldn't! The Lifestream would never send him back to the PLANET! Even Jenova couldn't make that happen! But…she did manage to send the Remnants out, didn't she? Was she now able to actually bring forth her son once more? If she really could, then…
The thought barely crossed his mind before he shuddered and pushed it back. Yes, he had killed countless monsters and even a few people, but that still didn't make killing a baby in any way all right. However, if it really was Sephiroth, did he have a choice?
Deciding not to think of it, Cloud turned his attention to the other two children and he bathed them as well. They all had soft heads which made Cloud wonder if maybe that was normal for kids. Well, he still had to be careful because even if it was normal, it could still hurt them if they fell on their heads, or something like that. However, he was pretty sure that something wasn't normal about how the little girl was acting. She remained pretty limp and he would have thought her dead except for her struggling breaths and the tiny erratic heart beats he could feel.
"Don't worry, I'll get you guys to professional doctors soon, you just got to hold on a little longer."
Making a kind of cocoon, Cloud wrapped those two up in his blankets and set them close enough to the fire to stay warm. Once that was done, new dread filled his chest as he looked at the last child. The baby was staring at him in curiosity, perhaps wondering why he wasn't wrapped up in the blanket as well. Gulping roughly, Cloud carefully picked up the baby and took him out into the snow. He also dragged his sword along as he walked farther and farther away from the cave.
Different thoughts were racing through his mind as he took the child away from his siblings, away from the warmth and safety. As if he was sensing some kind of danger, the baby began to wriggle in Cloud's arm, making unhappy and almost desperate noises. Seeing this made the hero feel even worse, but what choice did he have? The PLANET needed to be protected from Jenova even if it meant killing a child. If he waited for the baby to grow up, he might not be strong enough to fight. After all, who knew how a Mako-laden person like him was supposed to age? What if he degenerated within a few years? Who would protect the PLANET and all those he loved within it?
"Why me?" he whispered as he finally stopped. "Why do I have to fucking do this?"
Wasn't killing Sephiroth twice enough of a punishment? Didn't he already pay for his sins by saving this fucking PLANET from every little thing that threatened it? The baby began to wail as he set it on the cold snow and stood up.
"This isn't fair!" he screamed at the skies, louder than the baby's desperate cries. "Yes, I know I let Zack and Aerith die, but why do you keep punishing me?! Why a baby?!"
Grabbing his Ultima Weapon he aimed at the small child. He would just do this quickly and painlessly, and get it over with. Then, he would bury the child and never speak of it to anyone. No one had to know that he done such a horrendous thing. Lifting the heavy blade up higher, he poised it over the wailing child.
Tears stung at his eyes as the wind continued to whip around. Even if someone knew, they wouldn't blame him. He was saving millions and maybe even billions of lives and it only took the life of a defenseless premature baby. It should be easy, one life for so many others.
But…but…
Looking down, he couldn't pretend not to notice the tears running down the child's dear face. How could he guarantee that this baby would destroy the world? What if it would never? Then he would be murdering an innocent child, pure and simple murder. Could he take that chance?
"Cloud."
The soft voice chilled the struggling man to his very core. It was the voice of one whom he had loved, had worshiped, had hated. Swallowing hard, he turned to the side and lowered his sword slowly as he glanced at the man beside him. The harsh wind whipped around the long platinum hair and even the darkness couldn't dim the glowing Mako eyes of the almighty General.
"Sephiroth, why are you here?" he asked wearily. "Here to make me kill you again?"
"Don't kill him," Sephiroth entreated tiredly.
Everything about his body language spoke of fatigue and hopelessness. The Adonis of a body was still in top shape, but he hunched in the wind and his breaths came out slowly and almost forced. Besides the body language, his tone was not the usual confident commands. Instead, it was flat and exhausted.
"Why shouldn't I? He's just you, and you'll just try to destroy the PLANET once more. You know I can't let that happen."
"Yes, I know you care for the PLANET." Sephiroth winced and clenched his stomach where there was undoubtedly a scar from being impaled by Zack's sword. "I don't have much time before Mother will pull me back to the Lifestream. That child there is not me, and I will pay dearly for that."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't need to worry about that, just…don't kill an innocent child for my sins."
"Sephiroth, I can't take chances," Cloud replied. "He isn't normal, he's just like you!"
"I was just fine before, Cloud, but I failed. I had the chance to make the right decision and I didn't. Don't take his chance away because of that."
The blonde looked down at the snow and sighed. Sephiroth was right, everyone deserved a chance for better or for worse. It was not his place to take away that. After all, he had been given a chance even when he didn't deserve it.
"Sephiroth," Cloud whispered. "She took you away from me, how can you keep going back to her? If you know what you are doing is wrong, why? Why the hell do you keep doing it?!"
The pain and bitterness was more than clear and Sephiroth looked away.
"There are things that you may never know, Cloud, at least until you come to the Lifestream."
"That's just an excuse!"
"Cloud, go back to Reno."
The soft command startled the blond. The Great General still wasn't looking him in the eye, and Cloud felt the pain in his heart throb.
"Sephiroth…"
"He's better to you than anyone else has ever been, and you better treat him right. You owe him that much."
Had his first love been watching over him the entire time, even under Jenova's control? Had he cared so much that even death couldn't stop him from fussing over such a hopeless case? Cloud's pale freezing hand reached out to stroke Sephiroth's cheek softly, almost as if he was worried that he was hallucinating. A gloved hand covered his own, and the platinum-haired man leaned in. His thin lips brushed against the delicate flesh of Cloud's ear and his addicting voice whispered his final words.
"Please take care of my child, Cloud. Help him earn my Masamune."
There were so many questions, so many things that he wanted to say but never did, but it was too late. He, Sephiroth, was gone again. The hero's hand still tingled from the warmth of Sephiroth's gloved hand and his ear was burning with that familiar breath.
"What do you know?" he murmured to himself as he looked at the silent child shivering in the harsh wind. "Even my ex wants me to get back with Reno."
Sighing, he lifted up the child and carefully held it against his bare chest, protecting it from the elements with his shirt and jacket. It was possible that Jenova had staged the entire thing, that she had commanded Sephiroth to play on a very tender and sore spot of his heart. Hell, it was even possible that this child really was a reincarnation of Sephiroth and that the last several minutes was all a lie to bring the giver of death back to the PLANET.
However, Cloud couldn't bring himself to believe that at all. It was probably sentimental foolishness, but he found himself believing that it had to be true. Sephiroth had been too sincere, too sorrowful. He had been so fucking weary, and yet he was not defeated. Perhaps he had been fighting that bitch in the very Lifestream, struggling to pay for his sins. Well, like he had said, Cloud would never understand it until he went to the Lifestream himself.
"Well, little one, I apologize for letting you get cold like that."
The child looked up as if he was accepting the apology before he snuggled against the warm flesh some more.
"You know what?" Cloud whispered softly as he looked out into the endless whiteness. "Your name should be Revelation. I think…I think he would have liked that."