"When everything feels like the movies, you bleed just to know you're alive." - Iris, Goo Goo Dolls.
"Cloud!" Genesis cried out. The redhead had only seen his lover succumb to Jenova's influence once and he never wanted to repeat the experience. It had been two years before the world had fallen and Sephiroth had made another one of his appearances. For a full five minutes, Cloud had been lost, before Genesis had managed to bring the swordsman back to his senses. His old body had sported a scar on his left side, where Cloud's hidden blade had sliced him clean open.
Cloud had been devastated for weeks afterwards and nearly committed suicide by monster attack during the following outbreak. Genesis had finally gotten Cloud to realize that, if he died, Genesis would soon follow his lover, just as sure as any other death. There hadn't much else in the world worth living for.
"Cloud!" Genesis shouted again, but still not answer, while Vincent stood stock still.
"We have to find him." The redhead finally said, turning to Vincent. "Scan the forest floor. I'll take the skies."
Vincent just looked at him oddly before giving him a small nod. He wasn't used to being the one ordered to take the ground. But, just as he had come back up, he was surprised when Genesis summoned one large black wing and took to the sky. He decided to ask later, he thought Sephiroth was the only one with a single black wing.
Genesis cursed as he glided across the top of the trees, the forest was too thick to see much of anything. "Cloud!" He called, but got no answer.
He saw the village ahead and finally a figure standing in the trail. "Cloud!"
The blonde however didn't respond. This was no good, Genesis scrambled and landed in front of the man.
"Cloud!" He shouted again and this time the blonde looked up. Genesis's heart fell into his stomach as Cloud stared at him with vacant cat slit eyes.
"Cloud, snap out of it, please." Genesis cried, grabbing Cloud by his shoulders.
Cloud however simply grabbed Genesis's arms and hurled him into the nearest tree. Genesis hit with a loud crack as the tree broke into pieces. He groaned a moment before standing. Cloud was already further up the trail, sword drawn. In minutes, he would hit the town.
Genesis was terrified. Even before, Jenova's control hadn't been this complete. Injuring Genesis had drawn the man out of it completely, but there had been flashes of Cloud's own mind before that. This time however, it seemed like Cloud wasn't even home.
"Vincent!" Genesis hollered, knowing he would need the man's presence to protect the village from Cloud.
Genesis drew Rapier. He didn't want to hurt Cloud, but he couldn't let him attack the village. It would send the blonde over the edge when he finally regained his mind.
He couldn't really maneuver with his wing too well this low and surrounded by trees, but he did manage to use it to give him a bit of a speed boost, placing himself between Cloud and the village.
"Cloud, fight her, I know you can." Genesis said, raising his sword.
The only response was Cloud lifting First Tsurugi and to bring it crashing down towards Genesis. In a bit of desperation, Genesis cast a sleep spell on Cloud. The blonde slumped over and the red head was startled, until he realized that Cloud had no accessories. His ribbon was gone, somewhere in a destroyed future.
Vincent came running out of the foliage as Genesis lifted Cloud.
"Jenova managed to break through his mental barriers. He was heading to the town." Genesis explained to the gunman.
Vincent nodded as he listened, then spoke. "We should leave Nibelheim at once."
"I'll show you to our transport, then I'll head to the inn and retrieve our things. Hopefully the hold she has on him will break when we get him away from Nibelheim. We should avoid the town however. I'll fly Cloud over, if you can follow around." Genesis replied.
Vincent just looked to Genesis, "I'll follow you in the air."
"How?" Genesis asked, confused. He had only known the man after the Omega incident.
Vincent just stayed silent as he transformed into his winged demon form.
"Chaos, right." Genesis said as a reminder to himself, before taking to the air with Cloud in his arms.
Vincent sat in the tent Genesis had erected for the trio about 10 miles outside Rocket Town. The redhead had kept the blonde asleep for the last few days, while they had made their way down the mountain and settled here. Now however it was time to see if Cloud would come to his senses.
Genesis slipped back into the tent, his wing already retracted. "There isn't anyone around. We can wake him without risk."
Vincent nodded and stood as Genesis walked over and pulled his magic out of Cloud.
The reaction was instantaneous as Cloud shot up, but when he opened his eyes, Genesis threw his arms around the blonde. They were Cloud's normal eyes. "Thank Minerva."
"Gen? What happened?" Cloud said a little startled, as he wrapped his arms around his lover.
"Jenova managed to manipulate you." Vincent said, watching the pair. Perhaps he had been a bit harsh on Genesis.
Cloud look startled. "I remember sitting and waiting for you to come out of the reactor and then nothing. What did I do?"
"Nothing, I was able to cast sleep on you. We took you away from the town, hoping her hold on you would break." Genesis said, pulling back from Cloud a bit.
Cloud visibly relaxed. "We should have known better. I knew I still had her cells and she hasn't selected Sephiroth as her host yet. Of course she'd come after me."
"We'll wait for the rocket to be ready and then Vincent and I can take care of her when the time comes." Genesis said, looking over at the gunman.
Vincent nodded in agreement. "It would not be wise for you to return to Nibelheim until she is disposed of."
"No argument here. Tifa's the only thing left for me there and she's probably better off where she is." Cloud said with a sigh.
"You don't truly believe that, do you?" Vincent said with astonishment.
"Why? Living in Nibelheim will be good for her." Cloud said, looking over at his old friend.
"Exactly how is that? Our Tifa was a strong, independent woman, who could take care of herself. She'll suffocate in that town." Vincent said, showing a rare bit of emotion in his voice.
"She'll never be our Tifa. It took the town being destroyed and Meteor to make her into the woman we knew. That's why I say she's better off." Cloud said, snapping at Vincent a bit.
Genesis couldn't help it, he just laughed. He laughed so hard he couldn't stand. Vincent gave him a cold stare as Cloud leaned down next to him. Still, he laughed.
"Are you alright?" Cloud asked, slightly annoyed.
"I know, I've developed a problem with laughing at the most inappropriate times, but really!" Genesis let out another chuckle. "You'd have to see the two of you. And then add to it the imagine of Tifa beating the piss out of both of you for trying to decide what's best for her." He was still laughing, but he had righted himself a bit.
Cloud just shook his head, but a small smile was on his lips. "I suppose that is rather humorous."
"I suppose your friend is right as well. If fate decides Tifa needs to leave the village, she will." Vincent said, looking away from the pair.
"We do have other, more pressing matters on our hands." Cloud acknowledged, standing up and offering Genesis a hand.
The red head took the offered hand and stood. "Well, at least now we can let Sephiroth and Vincent talk. I would have liked to bring a few of the files from the manor with me, but it's not worth going back at this point in time."
"If he insists on the files after I've spoken to him, they can be retrieved at a later date." Vincent said, before pulling the door to the tent open.
"Where are you going?" Cloud asked.
"I'm going to go scout the area." Vincent said and a moment later he was gone.
Genesis just smiled before pulling Cloud into a deep kiss. "I had just gotten back from scouting right before we woke you."
Cloud just shook his head. "I'll have to thank Vincent later." Before pulling Genesis into another kiss.
Slowly Genesis worked on Cloud's buckles as Cloud helped him to remove his coat. With practiced precision, each article of clothing hit the floor. They needed this, especially after the scare in Nibelheim. Genesis needed to know that Cloud was still his, still with him and Cloud need to know that he was still in control of himself.
It was kisses and sweaty limbs, fevered thrusting, hearts pounding, but most of all it was a deep rooted love for one another. When it was over, Genesis pulled Cloud close, wrapping his arms around him.
"I love you." He said, looking into the blonde's eyes.
"I love you too, Gen. Thank you for stopping me, for bringing me back again." Cloud said, running his hand through his lover's hair. Touching Genesis's hair was one of his favorite things.
"I won't let her have you. She needs to understand that you are mine now." Genesis said, placing another kiss on Cloud's lips. "But as much as I hate to say it, we should probably get dressed. Vincent's kindness is likely to run out soon."
Cloud just took another moment to enjoy Genesis's warmth, before shifting to clean himself and get dressed.
"We aren't due back at Shinra for at least another week." Cloud said, looking out over the horizon.
Genesis just shrugged. "It will look good on your record if we show back up early."
Cloud just snorted. "Like I'm worried about my performance record at Shinra."
"Have you decided how you're going to deal with Hojo yet?" Vincent said, looking over to Cloud.
"You've gotten to kill the bastard twice now. Let someone else get a little enjoyment out of it for once." Cloud said with a bit of a smirk.
"I've got a little bit of an idea, but it's risky." Genesis said, looking at the two men.
"A risky idea is better than none." Cloud replied.
"Sometimes." Vincent interjected.
"We need to break the Tsviets out. I'm pretty sure a few of them would be willing to do the job. We'd have to aid in their escape afterwards and it will be tricky to play our cards right and not get caught, but it can be done. It's also less of a risk then just out right killing the professors ourselves." Genesis explained.
"If we want to stay with the company, it's likely the best plan." Cloud said in agreement.
"And what of the Tsviets afterwards? Shinra will want to find them." Vincent said, crossing his arms.
"If you take them to the Forgotten City, they'll be safe. Shinra doesn't even know it exists right now. Other then the three of us standing here, Aerith is the only one who could possibly find it and I doubt she'll be helping Shinra." Genesis said, looking over to Vincent.
"That's if they agree." Vincent pointed out.
"Leave that to me." Genesis said. "At their very core, all they wanted was to be left alone. I think that's the desire of any experiment."
The implication wasn't lost on the other two standing there and Vincent just nodded his head in agreement.
Reno sat in his room. He'd been keeping to himself more and more lately. He couldn't look at half of the other Turks without being reminded of how they died.
Oh, for the most part it was just vague knowledge. Rod had died in the line of duty, someone had gotten the drop on him, it had been a set up. Gun had died in one of the monster attacks, that had come with an image of the blonde Reno didn't know crying her eyes out.
Then there was Rude. Every time he looked at Rude, all he could see was cold dead eyes and a gaping hole in the man's chest. With Tseng he saw body parts. That had made him want to vomit in the middle of a meeting yesterday.
There were other memories, too. Chasing Genesis across the continents, hundreds of freaking copies of the man, the destruction that was just a prelude to Sephiroth's fucking insanity. Chasing a silver haired demon across the world and interfering with Cloud, who was so damn willing to take on the mad man himself. Why wasn't Reno just letting the man do the dirty work. The memories didn't make sense. Knowledge that the ancient, for whom Tseng had been sticking his neck out to protect, being dead. Stabbed through the chest by Sephiroth, though he apparently hadn't been witness to that one. Then there was a giant Rock in the sky. And it was all a mess.
He had memories of dropping the sector 7 plate under orders. How fucked up was that? If any of these memories were true, he'd have to keep an eye on old man Shinra. Of course, there were Cloud and Genesis. Time Travelers extraordinaire! He had read Cloud's file, thoroughly, before making any adjustments to it. The thing was thin, plain and boring, but most importantly it showed that the man hadn't left Nibelheim until he'd come to Shinra and over fucking night turned into a SOLDIER prodigy.
Reno had said that he believed Cloud simply out of spite, but now, as he was putting pieces together, the story seemed almost fucking true. Reno really needed to take up drinking. Well, drinking more anyway.
"Sephiroth said he can get away in about half an hour. Angeal however is with Zack and couldn't really talk." Genesis said, walking towards Cloud and Vincent. He had stepped out back to make the call. They were currently in the back alley of the theater district, a place Genesis had gone many times just to get away.
"Sephiroth's the important one anyway." Cloud said, stepping away from the wall.
"I'm going to tell him that you said he was important." Genesis said with a smirk.
"You wouldn't dare." Cloud almost growled and Vincent just looked confused.
"Hasn't Cloud mentioned it?" Genesis said, suppressing a bit of a laugh, glancing at Vincent.
"What's he talking about, Cloud?" Vincent said, glancing over to the swordsman.
"Our hero has fan." Genesis told Vincent as Cloud just glared at the redhead.
"You aren't serious?" Vincent said, looking over to Cloud.
"It does appear that he is a bit obsessed." Cloud said begrudgingly.
"You should use that to your advantage and become friends with him. It would do him some good." Vincent said.
"Not you too." Cloud said, shaking his head. "Damnit Vincent, you know why I can don't that."
"No, actually I don't" Vincent said looking at the blonde. "You have a lot in common with him. There aren't a lot of people like him in the world. Look what happened when he lost what few friends he had? The more ties to the world he has the more stable his mind is. Any objection you have can't be more important than that."
"You sound like Genesis." Cloud said now irritated with both of them.
"What's the real reason you refuse to acknowledge him Cloud?" Vincent said pressing the issue where Genesis hadn't dared. The redhead wasn't about to stop him however.
Cloud remained silent, but Vincent kept pressing. "It's not a betrayal. She would want you to do this you know? Betraying her would be letting the man go insane again, risking all those lives, including hers all over again. Whatever it takes, that's what you told me right? Why is befriending this man off that list?"
Cloud just whirled around and slammed Vincent into the wall. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
Vincent just looked at him coolly as Genesis let the scene play out. Genesis knew Cloud needed this, he had once been jealous of the way the gunman and his lover had been able to read each other, how they could provide just what each other needed. Now however he was grateful for it. Genesis would never have been able to say the hurtful things Cloud needed to hear.
"I know more than you think" Vincent finally said.
"She has nothing to do with this, I made my peace with her years ago." Cloud snapped.
"Then what is it Cloud? Sephiroth's making you irrational again, like only he can. Are you forever going to let the man manipulate you? Even when he's not a threat?" Vincent said, as Cloud pressed him further into the wall. Some of the stone facade was starting to crack.
"Shut up, you have no idea." Cloud raged again.
"Then tell me." Vincent replied, though he had placed his gauntlet hand on Cloud's wrist.
"Who the hell am I, if he's not my enemy anymore?" Cloud practically screamed as he threw Vincent off to the side. In a flash, he was up the side of the building and gone.
"Cloud!" Genesis cried.
"Go after him, I've done what I can. Now he just needs to come to terms with the truth." Vincent said, looking to Genesis. "I'll stay here and wait for Sephiroth."
Genesis just nodded before taking off after Cloud. His heart hurt to know how much Cloud let Sephiroth define him. He had thought that Cloud had gotten over that so long ago. It seemed old wounds were easy to tear open again.
Genesis found Cloud sitting on top of Aerith's church. He was watching the woman tend to her flowers through the hole. She had no idea that he was around.
"You know, this could be considered pretty creepy." Genesis said, sitting down next to Cloud.
"Call it payback for her watching us from the Lifestream." Cloud said weakly.
Genesis just let out a small laugh, before he sobered again. "About back there."
"I don't want to talk about." Cloud said, looking away.
"That's the problem, Cloud." Genesis replied, placing a hand on the blonde's arm. "Why does he mean so much to you? That you can't be anything if you're not his enemy."
"I... I didn't mean it like that." Cloud said, realizing how it must have sounded. "I... just for so long, I didn't know anything except for the fact that he was my enemy. I defined myself by it. Even when the memories came back, that definition still stayed. It was constant in everything. Sephiroth was always the enemy. He was a focus, a goal. I hate to say it, but I actually came to fear his appearances less and less because I knew I could control them. I knew I could win. Now, here, that's all gone. He's not the enemy anymore and now I almost feel lost all over again. Combined with mom, it's just... all a bit much." Cloud admitted to his lover.
Genesis just leaned over and gave Cloud a quick kiss. "Then find something else to define your life by."
Cloud just slipped his hand into Genesis's. "I think I have something in mind."
Genesis just grinned. "What might that be?"
"A certain, tall, redheaded, good looking man." Cloud said, leaning his head on Genesis's shoulder.
Genesis just pouted a bit. "And here I was hoping it would be me."
Cloud just shoved him a bit, shaking his head. "I love you."
"I love you too, but we should be heading back. Sephiroth will be meeting with Vincent soon." Genesis said, standing.
"Alright." Cloud said, following Genesis.
As they were about to climb down from the church however, a large black blur went soaring past them, screaming all the way.
"No way in Gaia did that just-" Cloud said, leaning over the side of hole.
"Some things are just meant to be." Genesis laughed as Cloud saw Aerith run to Zack's side.
"We should check on him." Cloud said, staring down.
"He survived just fine before, he'll survive again." Genesis said, tugging on Cloud's arm.
"Just... wow. I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore." Cloud said, before leaving with Genesis.
"You could at least help me find him. He could be anywhere." Angeal said, following Sephiroth.
"I told you who I was meeting with. Your student will be fine, Angeal, if not just a bit clumsy. You would probably benefit from coming with me more than the other way around." Sephiroth replied smoothly.
"You're only worried about going because Cloud will be there." Angeal said a bit annoyed.
"Hardly. They've offered answers we've waited long enough for." Sephiroth scoffed.
"Don't lie, it's obvious that, if he wasn't with Genesis, you'd be pursuing him yourself. Heck, the only thing that's probably stopping you from doing that anyways is how badly Genesis can kick your ass now." Angeal snapped. Normally he wasn't this short with Sephiroth, but his man-crush was getting annoying.
"Is that what you think? That I have romantic feelings for Cloud?" Sephiroth said, turning on Angeal. "The same could be said of you and that student of yours. Zack seems to be the only thing you focus or worry about."
"That's ridiculous. Zack's my student." Angeal said, crossing his arms. "It's obvious you're jealous of Genesis."
"If I am jealous of anything, it's how open he is with his feelings for Cloud." Sephiroth admitted.
"At least you admit it." Angeal said, but there was a hint of defeat in his voice.
"Not his feeling for Cloud, fool." Sephiroth snapped.
Angeal just gave him a 'yah right' look.
"This is what I mean." Sephiroth said finally beyond frustrated. He just hoped Angeal wouldn't hit him too hard, as he grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, pulling him closer as he crashed their lips together.
Angeal was too stunned to reply and Sephiroth just pulled back, looking away. "I do not have romantic feelings for Cloud."
Angeal's mind was still reeling over the fact that Sephiroth had just kissed him. Kissed him! However, when his mind decided to start working again, Sephiroth was already halfway up the alley.
"Wait!" Angeal cried, running to the man's side, he grabbed his arm and Sephiroth turned to face him, his featured steeled over into his stoic mask, but it was too late and Angeal had already seen a bit of the sorrow on his face.
"What." He said shortly.
Angeal just cupped his face, before he leaned in and kissed Sephiroth again.
End of chapter 8, I hope you enjoyed it. With the New Year I should be getting back into my normal writing schedule :)
On another note, I know a lot of you don't read much outside of this site. To that end I would like to point you to sinnatious's live journal. They wrote the Fifth Act, and are currently writing a Gen/Cloud fic by the name of Beloved. They don't plan on posting it here so you'd be doing yourself a favor by wondering over and checking it out.
sinnatious . livejournal . com
Anyway Please leave a review- DHT