Disclaimer - I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. Hope you'll enjoy another new chapter!


Connected

After what seems like an eternity, Cloud's eyes finally opened, but his vision was completely blurry mixed with an odd color of green. Mako. The blond thought as he recalled that he had fallen into the Lifestreams and met his future self and the future Zack. When his vision on things was more accurate, he looked around him. He was lying on an old bed of an abandoned wooden house, on his left side there is a chair and a small wooden nightstand, the large pieced sword that he had been given was rested against the wall at the end of the bed, a small window next to him. He sat up tiredly on his bed and looked outside through the dusty glass. He could see a field of white snow covering the ground and every tree outside. Seeing that the sun had risen to the top of the sky, Cloud guessed that it should be around noon right now.

'So you are awake.' A soft gentle voice spoke out.

The blond turned his gaze away from the window to meet a pair of blue familiar azure eyes. He was about to say his friend's name, when he noticed something is missing in those eyes, the sadness and the guiltiness weren't there, so he knew that this is-

'Genesis.' Cloud said the name in a soft whisper.

The auburn hair man didn't say anything as he just made his way to the chair next to him, gently lifting up his left arm like a doctor trying to see if there are any fractures and dislocations of the bones, which was covered by a single black sleeve, much to Cloud's surprise, because he couldn't remember that his SOLDIER uniform had a sleeve before and the black cloth he used to cover the black scars on his arm was in bits. Then the spiky hair boy remembered the words of his counterpart, saying that he gave him everything he had that will be useful for the upcoming battle against JENOVA, guessed when his future self said everything he meant the clothes as well. Yet what attracted him the most was the design on the black shoulder pauldron, it was a silver wolf holding a ring over its mouth, which is a pretty odd, but unique design.

'The Geostigma on your arm had completely disappeared.' The crimson Commander muttered as he released his hold on the clothed arm. 'Who are you?'

'Huh? What do you mean by who I am?' Cloud asked, not catching the meaning of Genesis's words.

'I want to know who you are: the boy who dreamed to be like Spehiroth one day, the cadet who had failed his test to become a SOLDIER, the materia-skilled SOLDIER 3rd Class, the Ex-SOLDIER, the mercenary, one of Gaia's heroes, her Champion or the Savior of the world?' Genesis asked as he stared deep into the blue sapphire eyes of the blond.

'I... I'm...' The blond hair boy doesn't know what to say, he quickly looked away from the auburn hair man. Who is he? After receiving the powers of his counterpart, does that made him different from whom he is? Is he now the Cloud Strife of the future?

You and I are more different than you think.

How different are we really? Cloud asked himself mentally as he unconsciously reached to clench the red orb in his sweater. Moon. He glanced at the man sitting next to him for a second before he closed his eyes. Moon is Genesis and Genesis is Moon, just like me and the other me from the future... But still... Moon is different from Genesis.

'I'm...' Cloud reopened his eyes and stared into his Commander's eyes. 'Simply Cloud Strife...'

A smile was formed on the auburn hair man's face as he said: 'That's what I expect to hear from Gaia's Chosen Champion. I shall accept my role as her Secret Knight.'

'Huh?' Cloud remembered that when Kadaj was possessed by JENOVA, he had mentioned something about Moon being the Secret Knight of Gaia, but is Genesis really going to accept something like that so simply? If he had a choice, he'll rather just be a simple delivery boy than being a Champion or Savior. Delivery boy? Where did that come from?

'Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess
We seek it thus, and take it to the sky
Ripples form on the water's surface
The wandering soul knows no rest..'

After Genesis had finished quoting, Cloud finished his sentence: 'Loveless Act I. Right?'

Genesis chuckled lightly as he replied: 'You are really more interesting than I have seen in my visions.'

'Visions?' The blond repeated.

'I have been having visions of you since I had made it to First Class. I saw you entered Shinra, your efforts to make it into SOLDIER and you with my... Future self, shall I say...' The man trailed off as if unsure if he should continue this conversation.

Cloud was about to tell him to continue, but Genesis beats him to it. 'Could you answer that question that Kadaj had asked you at the Science Department? About why you let Moon kissed you?'

'WH-WHAT?! N-NO I-I DIDN'T! I WAS ABOUT TO... NO I MEAN... I... OH GAIA!' The blond hid his face in his hands, unable to face the man, his cheeks was as red as a full blossomed rose. He really doesn't like the situation he is in right now! It was like confessing indirectly to Moon!

'Do you love him?' This question caused the tips of Cloud's ears to redden slightly as he replied he doesn't know.

'Then do you love me?' Genesis asked in casual tone.

The Ex-SOLDIER made some sort of chocking sound before he looked up and he stuttered: 'I-It-It's the same thing!'

The copper bangs of the man hid his eyes from the boy, making it hard to guess what's the man was thinking, but judging by the neutral tone he used to tell him to rest, Cloud could guessed that the man was not really content with his answer. When the crimson coated man left the wooden house, the blond fell back onto the bed with his body heavier than before, hoping that he will fall asleep again and forget this whole conversation.

Do I love Moon? Do I love you? How should I know? Moon had always been by my side and I feel safe whenever he was with me... Genesis, you... You just looked after me, from afar... Even though we didn't spent a lot of time together, I could trust you as easily as I trust Moon... But does that mean I love you too...? Is this even love? GAIA! THIS IS A MESS!

With that many unanswered questions and unwanted thoughts swirling in his mind, Cloud fell once more into a restless sleep.

***

The Ex-SOLDIER only woke up when the sun was at its twilight, his body was lighter and his strength seemed to have return, but he doesn't feel like getting up and walk around the room. He turned to face the window and curled into a tight ball on the bed, planning on what he should do and say to Genesis when he comes back from whatever thing he was doing during all those hours while he was sleeping, as he removed the black gloves on his hands and placed them next to the pillow.

Hearing the sound of shuffling footsteps coming from outside, Cloud, not sure he was ready to confront the auburn hair man yet, decided to close his eyes shut and pretended he was still sleeping.

The blond held his breath when he heard the door opened and closed, he could feel his heart beating slightly faster as the footsteps approached his bed and stopped right behind him. He almost flinched when Genesis sat down on the bed next to him.

'I hate you.' Cloud almost let out a gasp at the three simple words. 'That's what I had thought at first when I first saw you in my dreams and visions. You seemed stronger than me and even more determined than I am when I first join SOLDIER. Even after you had failed your exams to enter SOLDIER, you still continue to believe that you'll make it one day, that's why I hate you. You made feel like I didn't do enough in my life, that I had been doing nothing than sweeping the floor for your grand arrival.'

Cloud lay perfectly still and listening to every word spoken by the somehow calm Commander as the man continued: 'I felt threaten by you, but when I saw that you need someone's help, I thought that I didn't need to worry, because you are still weak. I was wrong and I became more restless when you joined SOLDIER.'

'I really wanted to crush when you came to my office that day, but I couldn't... You seemed more different than when you were in my dreams. You were... Glowing... When you were on the stage, you are beautiful... I really laugh at myself that night at the bar, telling myself that I am going crazy, but I took those words back when I had heard what you had said that day.' Cloud cracked his left eye opened and stole a glance over his shoulder at the auburn hair man sitting next to him, who is staring at the closed door with a faraway look like he is seeing the narrow future in front of him, before he closed his eye again.

'That day, I had received a mission from Lazard, asking me to go to Wutai and I could choose another SOLDIER to accompany me. You are the first person who I had thought of, so I decided to announce the news to you personally, but instead I had overheard your little conversation with Zack.' The blond couldn't help, but grimaced slightly at the thought of the childish conversation he had with Zack.

'I thank you for your words and understanding, but I hope that you'll understand now that I am no longer human. Just like my future self. I'm a monster.'

After hearing the word "monster", Cloud gritted his teeth, he was mad, in fact, he is beyond mad. Stopped pretending to be asleep, he sat up and said angrily: 'Monster. Monster. Monster. Is that all you have to say?! Who could be consider as a human and who could be call a monster?!'

The crimson coated man didn't seemed surprised by the blond outburst or the fact that he wasn't sleeping all along as he got up from the bed without turning around to face the blond or saying a word and walked to the middle of the room, then he placed his left hand on his forehead like praying and a large black wing burst out of his left shoulder.

'What would you call this? The wing of an angel or a monster?' Genesis turned around, as his wing curled around him, and looked straight into the sapphire blue eyes of the blond. 'Angels don't have black wings... Only monsters have them. You fear it, don't you?'

Cloud looked down at his hands sadly as he replied: 'Yes, I did, but-' His hand clenched into tight fists. 'I don't think of you as a monster... You could have let me die or kill me while I'm still sleeping, but you didn't...'

'That doesn't make-'

'That makes all the difference!' The blond shouted furiously as he got off the bed and stood up. 'That's what makes a person a human or a monster! You had saved me, isn't that enough of a reason to prove that you are still human! Having a wing on your back, doesn't mean that you are monster! Why can't you see that? Why can't you accept it? Why can't you give anyone a chance to accept you like this? WHY?'

Genesis stared at him emotionlessly for a moment before he closed his eyes and whispered softly: 'You are really special Cloud Strife. You can see things that I can't and help those who are around you with all you have. How can I not see?'

The Ex-SOLDIER quietly walked towards the man and reached out to caress his face gently, this action caused the winged man to stare at him strangely, as he replied with a wide smile: 'Then why don't you start by opening your eyes now? That will be a good start, right?'

The auburn hair man's bright azure eyes stared into the sky blue ones. For a moment, Cloud thought that it was Moon who is standing in front of him and he felt mesmerized by those glowing orbs just like when they were at the fountain next to the Loveless Street. It was like both he and Moon were connected to each other.

Then Genesis leaned down and pressed his lips against the smaller ones. Cloud's eyes widen slightly at the sudden contact and the strange warmth that was growing in him, part of him wanted to pull away, but another part of him told him to stay close to this man. What is this feeling? It's so... Warm... Cloud thought as Genesis deepens their kiss.

When the man pulled back a little and placed his chin on the boy's shoulder, embracing the lithe form in his arms, he asked: 'Could I hold you? Even if it's just for tonight, could I?'

The blond blinked his eyes in surprise at the request which sounded almost desperate. He wondered why the crimson Commander asked him that. Then he remembered what Genesis's parent had said in the visions of the future and how they treated him. He couldn't imagine what the auburn hair man might have felt, because he had always his own mother supporting and encouraging him. For some reason, it pained him to think how Genesis had suffered for the consequence of others. He didn't really did anything really wrong to others, he had done what he was ordered to do, but in the end, he was the one who must suffer, everything and all alone.

Cloud returned the hug and let his eyes closed. This was the only thing he could do to comfort Genesis, the only way to give him something that had always been missing in his life... Something that he never had in his whole life until now... Even if what he gives to him now doesn't last forever, he just wishes that Genesis had at the very least a moment of peace, by giving him the love and care he deserved.

I... I won't let you be forgotten... You and Moon... I'll make sure that that future won't happen... No one needs to die for saving the world from a frozen corps. I'll make sure of that. Cloud thought as he pulled the man closer to him. For a moment, he thought he could feel Moon's warmth emanating from Genesis, like he was holding his longtime friend instead of the crimson coated SOLDIER.


After spending two weeks filled with tests, I had survived my little trip from Hell itself and some annoying writer's blocks, I had finally accomplished this chapter. But I think I kind of screw it, so please tell me if this chapter is good or bad, so I could improve the next one. THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAD READ AND REVIEWED "The Endless Cycle"!