Beyond
Flora Winters
I do not own Final Fantasy VII.
Summary: Sometimes the dead simply do not stay dead. This story will contain boy love, strong language, and scenes of explicit violence.
Chapter Four
Morning soon came and Cloud awoke to find that he was all alone on the bed in his cabin. He blinked his brilliant blue eyes several times and rolled over onto his back, stretching. There had been no bad dreams and he felt totally refreshed, to his astonishment.
He turned his head, wondering what time Rhys had left him. He had not even heard him leave. He put his naked hand where the man had been and smiled. It was still warm, so he could not have been gone long.
He got up, got dressed, slipped his boots on, and opened up his door. He could hear a few gruff voices and walked out on deck.
"Good morning, Mr. Strife," a few sailors called out and he waved back in polite greeting. He could actually see the Northern Continent in the near distance. It wouldn't be too long now.
The storm had blown itself out and the sky above his blonde head was so blue, it mirrored his eyes. He walked over to the railing and gazed down at the singing waves. It was like there had never been a storm at all.
"How was your night, Mr. Strife?" A voice asked from behind him. He turned around, seeing it was the captain of the vessel.
"It was good," Cloud told him honestly and with a genuine smile on his face. "I played cards with one of your crew members and he sucked."
The captain chuckled. "Which one was that?"
"Rhys," Cloud told him, shaking his head.
The captain blinked. "What was that?"
"Rhys," Cloud repeated, adding in some physical characteristics this time. "Tall, tan, shaggy white hair, crimson eyes…"
The captain slightly paled just a little and took off his sunglasses.
"He brought me some tea in this light blue mug," Cloud said, noticing the captain had crimson colored eyes as well. "He told me it was his mother's recipe. We played cards for a long while."
"Rhys…Rhys died one year ago, Mr. Strife," the captain said in a quiet voice. "The Sea Goddess took him during a terrible storm."
Cloud backed up against the railing and glared at him. "You lie…"
The captain shook his head. "He was washed overboard when a massive wave struck the ship."
"Well, maybe this is a different Rhys," Cloud said, only to freeze when the captain pulled out his worn leather wallet. The bearded man handed him a small photo. His eyes widened. It was Rhys.
"He was my only son," the captain whispered sadly. "He loved the sea."
Cloud could see and hear the mythological beauty.
"…So many ghosts stand around you…"
"How?" Cloud whispered, looking at the handsome young sailor's photo. "Why?"
The captain smiled a little warmly. "Some say the dead never truly leave us."
Cloud's heart ached. It was suddenly hard to breathe. He put his hand over his charm, feeling its comforting hum.
"His voice," Cloud said, handing the photo back to him. "He had a wonderful voice."
"He had a voice that would make any siren seasick green with envy," the captain chuckled. "I guess that is why the Goddess wanted him."
Cloud tried to smile.
"You keep that," the captain told him. "I have many more."
Cloud bit his bottom lip, nodding. The captain squeezed his shoulder and walked away from him. He held the photo to his chest, closing his eyes.
He had been so real. He could feel his warmth and smell his scent. He could still taste the tea on his tongue. He had felt such soothing comfort.
He opened his eyes and a single tear dripped from a sky blue orb. It slid down his cheek, dripping from his chin.
He slid the tiny photo into his pocket and rested against the railing. He looked out at the sea and smiled.
"Thanks for the tea, Rhys," he said, watching the dancing waves, "And for holding me through the night."
A warm wind ruffled through his spiky yellow hair. He could hear that familiar melodious chuckle.
0000000000000000000000000000000000
Cloud was just a few miles from Bone Village. He thanked the captain for his services, noticing the man was drinking from the same blue mug Rhys had handed him last night. It caused him to take a deep breath as he told the elder man to take care.
"You do the same, Mr. Strife," the captain told him, shaking his hand firmly. "And…thank you."
Cloud nodded his head, and made his way down the ramp to the boat which would take him to shore. He climbed in and sat down. Apparently he was the only one getting off here.
"Are you ready, Mr. Strife?" A sailor with red hair asked him from the oars.
He nodded. "Yes."
After a few minutes, he turned around to look back at the ship. His eyes widened. Rhys was sitting on the railing, waving to him with a big smile on his face. His shaggy white locks were blowing in the warm salty breeze.
He slowly raised his hand and waved back to the comforting spirit.
"Who are you waving to, Sir?" The sailor asked.
Cloud wiped a falling tear away with his other hand. "A friend."
The sailor cocked a brow, but minded his own business.
"Goodbye," Cloud whispered on the sunlit breeze. "Thank you."
Rhys was gone.
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Bone Village was just as Cloud remembered it. There were digging crews all over the place and scientists running around like crazy. They were always discovering something new about the planet. The tiniest little rock found would send them all into an excited shark feeding frenzy.
He gazed up at the massive skull of what was once some giant prehistoric beast. It always gave him chills whenever he looked at it. Some of the scientists had told him that it could have once been a weapon that had been destroyed long ago. He had faced two of those things and was glad this one was extinct.
He made his way through the buzzing as quickly as he could without tripping over an excited archaeologist. The last thing he wanted was to be caught up in the excitement of a new rock being found that was a trillion years older than the last one. There would be tears of joy and wine would rain down from the sky.
He was going to have to make his way through the Sleeping Forest in order to get to the ancient Cetra City. Well, it was a good thing the Sleeping Forest was no longer in bed. They were going to have to change the name.
The passageway was dark, but he didn't really mind. He wasn't afraid of the dark, just the things that could be lurking within it. He didn't have a light, but he did have his charm.
He pulled it out and the shadows ran screaming with their drawers pulled up around their necks. It illuminated the passage all around him. There was nothing to be afraid of in here.
The Sleeping Forest was not silent any longer. He could hear the chirping of birds and hear the whispers in the leaves above his head.
The sun was shining down in dazzling golden beams through the green. He could suddenly see wisps of her running. She was laughing.
"You can't catch me, Cloud," she laughed, vanishing in golden mist. Her gentle laughter echoed all around him.
"I'll give you a flower," she whispered like the fragrant wind, "For a kiss on the cheek."
Her flowers had been so beautiful. He could still see them. They were so bright and yellow. They were just like tiny little suns surrounded by shimmering petals.
"Come on, Cloud," she called and he could see her running in the distance ahead of him, through the beams of brilliant sunlight. "We have a world to save."
He reached out for her, only to watch her vanish like the fading mist in the light. "Aeris…"
"…so many ghosts…"
He shook his head and walked along through the beautiful forest. Everything was in bloom and he could smell the flowers. Zack had loved flowers, too.
He wanted to know why. Why did that bastard have to be here? Why did the Lifestream spit him out here? It made his blood boil with rage. He had no right to be in such a beautiful place.
He walked out of the forest, looking down at the ancient city, and crossed his arms. It was all suddenly so very quiet. Not even the wind was blowing. All was still.
He began to follow the trail which led down to the city. He knew Sephiroth was here. Everything went silent when he was near. He knew exactly where he was going to look first.
He began to run. He began to run as if all the demons of Hell had been unleashed to overtake him.
He flew across the stone made bridge, which would lead him to where he had laid Aeris to rest. He didn't want to think about it. He forced the memory from his mind with a shout.
He raced up the path and there was the pool with in front of the giant shell looking structure. Beams of sunlight were filtering down, dancing on the surface of the turquoise pool. The water was so still.
"She's not down there," he told himself as he slowly made his way up to the edge of the pool. "She's one with the planet now…just like…"
A splash made him yelp and leap away. He had his sword drawn, ready to tear into something.
It had only been a fish. In his mind, he had seen nothing but a pool of bubbling blood and Sephiroth rising up out of the froth to fillet him with those scary green eyes. He shook his head.
He looked at the shell structure and made his way around the pool to it. Everything was so damn quiet. It was nerve racking.
A voice suddenly whispered his name when he stepped inside. It was Sephiroth. He walked around the corner, seeing the glowing stairs which would lead him down to where Aeris had prayed for Holy.
He froze on the first step. He couldn't go down there. He would see it all play out before his eyes again.
"Come to me, Cloud," the voice called out to him from below. "Or I'll make sure that it does for a very long time."
"Fuck you!" Cloud yelled.
Sephiroth chuckled. "I'll think on it."
Cloud sniffed. Now he really was pissed. He was going to stab that bastard through the heart and give his blade a good twist as he jerked it out of him.
"Vivid," Sephiroth laughed. "You're turning me on."
"Shut up!" Cloud hissed, racing down the steps. The city below was so bright and full of radiant splendor. Just the though of that bastard being in such a beautiful place was blasphemous.
He looked over to see the temple dome where Aeris had prayed and died. She had given her very life for the planet. Her loving spirit had called out and made Holy shine for everyone to see.
He made his way across to it and slowly up the steps. He froze at the top. It was Sephiroth.
The silver haired general was sprawled out on the marble floor in the center. He was half naked and caked in dried blood. The bright beams of light made his hair shine like molten strands of moonlight.
Rage filled him. The bastard was lying in the very place where he had murdered Aeris. It was like he was mocking it by being here like this. Oh, he hated him.
Cloud walked over, looming above him with his sword drawn. He snarled when those emerald eyes fluttered open under long lashes.
"Go ahead," Sephiroth rasped. "Kill me again…"
Cloud wanted to. He wanted to hack and slash him into unrecognizable pieces of meat. He wanted to stab and scream until all the pain went away.
He suddenly did scream and drove his sword down right next to Sephiroth's amazed face. Metal screamed right along with him as he drove it through the marble flooring.
The scream echoed all around into stunned silence.
"Why?" Sephiroth asked.
"I'm not you!" Cloud roared, backing away from him. "I'm nothing like you!"
Sephiroth smirked. "You got that right. Nobody in this miserable world is like me."
"I'm here," He said, looking at him with ire. "What do you want?"
"Get me out of here," Sephiroth said, trying to sit up and couldn't. "I can't move and I really hate this place."
Cloud narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. "Can you really…can you really bring Zack back? Can you bring…"
Sephiroth cocked a brow. "You want her, too?"
Cloud nodded. He wanted his friend back, too.
"Sorry," Sephiroth said, shaking his head. "I can only do one, and I agreed to Zacky."
Cloud loomed down at him with angry green eyes. He should have slammed his sword down through his guts and twisted until he pissed himself.
Sephiroth reached up. "Get me out of here and I'll give him back to you."
Cloud bit his bottom lip, shook his head, and grasped his bigger hand. The moment he did so, he cried out in bone melting agony.
"Fool!" Sephiroth howled with laughter as dark light exploded from between their clasped hands. He was sucking out Cloud's life force.
Cloud fell to his knees as Sephiroth sat up beside him, sucking him dry. He looked into those blazing green eyes and lowered his head.
"Silly, Cloud," Sephiroth chuckled, rising to his feet. "Did you truly think I would have any part in making you happy?"
Cloud weakly tried to pull his hand free from his iron hold. His whole body was falling asleep on him. He was going numb all over.
Sephiroth suddenly released his hand and he collapsed on his face with a groan. He couldn't move any part of his body. He was helpless…just like when…
"You really fucked me over, Cloud," Sephiroth said, standing over his fallen form, kicking him in the ribs with a sharp black booted foot.
Cloud tried to scream and couldn't as he was forced over onto his back. He watched as Sephiroth pulled his own sword up out of the marble flooring.
"I am going to drive this through your chest and twist around a few times," Sephiroth told him with a demonic giggle. "And I'll make all your terrors dance before your dying eyes as I do so, too."
Cloud took a deep breath.
"Doesn't that just sound like a howling good time, Cloud?" He asked, raising the sword up high over his head, bringing it down with a loud shout. The tip of the sword touched the surface of Cloud's vest and shattered into a thousand glittering fragments in the sunlight. Sephiroth staggered backwards in shock, looking at the ruined sword. "What power is this?"
A bright red glow shimmered from underneath Cloud's vest as heavenly voices filled the air with song. A pink rose scented mist rolled over the two of them like ocean waves.
Sephiroth snarled and hissed as he and Cloud were lifted up into the air. A gong echoed like thunder over a radiant sea.
"That which was taken," a beautiful voice sang in flawless melody, "Shall be returned once more."
Cloud opened his eyes, seeing the beautiful man from the festival. He was floating within radiant ruby red splendor as he descended a mountain of rolling pink clouds. His mythic beauty was marvelous, brilliant, and truly terrifying to behold.
Sephiroth reached out to strangle Cloud, but the blonde was washed away in ice pink mist. He was nowhere to be found. Sephiroth instantly found that he was being restrained and suspended spread-eagled in the air by flowing black hair that shimmered like onyx fire.
Amethyst gemstone eyes were burning into him like roaring twin stars. This mans terrible beauty was blindingly horrifying.
"You can't fight me, Lord Sephiroth," the man cooed with such serenity. "You can fight all the powers in this world, but I am that which you can never defeat."
Sephiroth growled and fought with the hissing dark locks. He called upon all his powers but it was suppressed by an even greater force than his own. "Who the hell are you?"
"I am Forgiveness," the man smiled with teeth like moonlight. "I am Peace."
Sephiroth gasped when those radiant white arms embraced him with such calming warmth. Divine voices filled the rose scented air all around. The two of them were floating in a pink Heaven.
"I am Love," the man whispered like snow white doves, kissing his cheek as blazing stars danced all around them. "Give me all your pain, Lord Sephiroth. Give me all your hate and all your sorrow."
"No!" Sephiroth screamed in horror, fighting with all his powers to get free. "Let me go!"
"Never," the mythological beauty said, hugging him with such tenderness as the fires and the ice raged all around them. "Let it out. Let it all out."
"Stop it!" Sephiroth wailed, struggling to get free from him. "You can't make me!"
The entity held him in light and warmth. "I'll never let you go. I'll never abandon you."
"I hate you!" Sephiroth screamed, tears of molten fire flowing from his burning green orbs. "I HATE YOU ALL!"
Forgiveness, Peace, and Love smiled. He took Sephiroth's lips with his own, filling him with light, drowning all his pain, hatred, wrath, and sorrow with calm.
"Everything will be all right," he cooed, holding the fallen god ever so close. "All is forgiven."
Forgiveness, Peace, and Love looked up at the heavens and smiled. The portal was opening. It was time for the healing to take place.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Cloud was floating in blissful heavenly scent. All his physical pain was gone and his mind was calm. The soothing light was so warm.
"Open your eyes, my heavenly Cloud," the voice told him. "And go to the one your heart sings eternally for."
Song filled his ears as he opened his eyes to the light. He could see a familiar hand reaching down for him. He knew that hand.
"Zack?" He whispered. His voice echoed for an eternity as he reached up for him.
He could see his smiling face.
"I've been waiting, Cloudy."
Their hands met, clasped, and brilliant red light flashed, pulsing like a healed heartbeat all around.
TBC…
Please review and tell me what you think.
Flora.