Redemption

Standard disclaimers apply

By: Lazeralk

Part 3

Dedicated to Lady Thief, my Beta reader, who absolutely rocks beyond mortal comprehension. Thanks for the links and the info!

0o0o0

Cloud continued to stare at Elrohir, his mind struggling to comprehend how the other man could have said such a silly thing with such a straight face. He chanced a look at his brothers and found them suspicious, indifferent and oblivious.

"Did you just say what I think you just said?" questioned Cloud as he turned his attention back to Elrohir.

The archers shared a look and Elrohir gave the blonde suspicious eyes.

"What do you mean Cloud Strife?" he asked, his voice warm with the first stirrings of insulted anger.

"What do you mean 'elves', and can you please stop calling me by my full name? Just Cloud is fine." Replied the blonde, his voice trying to be apologetic and inoffensive.

"My apologies. We are elves, Cloud, is it so hard to believe?"

The ex-SOLDIER didn't reply, but bowed his head and sucked in a cleansing breath. Bahamut's Scales Aerith! Where the hell did you send us?

"Who's scales?" asked Elrohir, a frown on his face, just as Aerith's dainty laughter filled the air with the sent of flowers. The 'elves' reacted as if they'd been shot, jerking to attention and scrambling for weapons as they scanned the surrounding area.

'Another world, a different time Cloud. Trust in your family and your new friends. Help them, defend them, heal them; and be helped and defended and healed in return.' Said Aerith and Cloud was both surprised and pleased to hear her voice again.

"What about the others Aerith? Tifa and the kids?" he asked in a whisper, a small smile on his face as he felt Aerith's presence at his back. Just like old times.

'No worries Cloud, I'll let AVALANCH know what's happening. They will welcome you home, you and the Advent Children.' She replied.

"Who is that?" demanded Elrohir, his blade now drawn. The archers had turned their bows back on Cloud and his brothers with scowls on their faces.

"It's Mother." Said Kadaj stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest and assuming a lazy stance; one hip cocked to the side.

"That's the Cetra that Aniue* killed." Argued Yazoo, his face bland but set.

"It's Mother!" hissed Kadaj in return, glaring fiercely at the sharpshooter.

"The Advent Children?" asked Cloud, smirking and pretending to ignore the quarrelling brothers. They were actually kind of cute like this, he decided.

'It's what we call them here in the Lifestream.' Replied Aerith. 'Listen up you three; your Aniue has a message for you.'

The three silver haired men snapped to attention, their eyes focused on Cloud with a burning intensity. Cloud's smile faded and he returned their stares with his usual bleak eyes. He tensed and flexed his fingers when Sephiroth's voice echoed through the forest.

'I release you all.'

The four from the Planet stood silent and strung, waiting for more of the General's words, but he said nothing else.

'Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz, Cloud. You are all free to choose your own paths now. Do not waste this chance to be who you truly are.' Said Aerith gently, her voice sweet and kind.

"Only Mother would say that." Growled Kadaj to Yazoo before his face smoothed and he turned towards Cloud.

"We won't waste it Mother. We'll be good." He said, quite seriously, to the air just beyond his blonde brother. Cloud smirked and shook his head.

"Will you kindly explain what is happening?" demanded Elrohir coldly.

"Aerith speaks to us from the Lifestream." Answered Cloud, spreading his hands in a sort of helpless gesture, as if to say: 'I can't do anything about it'.

"And Aniue." Said Yazoo, his fingers playing along the edge of his Velvet Nightmare.

"And Sephiroth." Agreed Cloud, his voice at once sad and bitter. He had not enjoyed killing his childhood idol. But that was best left for another time.

"Aerith is your God?" asked Elrohir again, as if trying to understand exactly what she was.

'I was once a living being, last of the Ancients. When I died I journeyed to the Lifestream, as all living things do when they die. The Lifestream is the beginning and the end of all things, the essence of the soul of the Planet. As a Cetra, or Ancient in the modern tongue, I am the Guardian of the Lifestream. I am much like your Valar, a being with power over life and death, but not absolute power.' Explained Aerith, her voice gentle.

Elrohir seemed to ponder this a moment, his eyes narrowed as he weighed Aerith's words, and the soothing scent of her flowers. He raised his eyes to Cloud, and looked a little unsure as to whom he should be addressing.

"Do the Valar know of this?" he asked at last, settling on staring at Cloud's shoulder.

'The Valar know all things here in Middle Earth. They have allowed me to bring my precious friends here to heal themselves, and each other. We ask that you aid them in this, Elrohir, son of Elrond.'

"If…" the elf began, licking his lips and taking a deep breath to steady himself. "If the Valar ask this of me…I can do no less than obey."

He sheathed his blade and issued orders in his own language again to the circle of silent archers. They immediately put up their bows and stood off to the side, but their faces retained their suspicious scowls. Loz rubbed his stomach as he climbed to his feet and gave a great yawn. Cloud watched the action and fought a smile.

"We're going then?" asked Cloud, watching Elrohir and casting glances as the archers. He knew that he was fast enough to get to his sword and block an arrow or two if they decided to attack, but he didn't want to risk his brothers getting hurt. Kadaj still had Souba, and Yazoo had a single gunblade left to him, but Loz's pile bunker had been destroyed. He still had a gunblade strapped to his back, but it looked as if even he had forgotten it.

Elrohir nodded and watched with suspicion, curiosity and then blatant astonishment as Cloud calmly pulled each of his heavy blades out of the ground, assembled them into one giant sword and then casually flipped the whole thing over his shoulder and attached it to the holster on his back. When he was finished adjusting both the blade and his clothes, he looked expectantly at Elrohir.

The elf stared at him and his truly massive sword for a moment before he set off at a slow walk in the direction he had indicated earlier.

"Where are we going?" asked Kadaj, sliding up next to Cloud and beaming happily at him when Cloud did not object.

"To Elrohir's house I guess." Answered Cloud, gazing at the scenery and wondering how long it would be before they reached anything like civilization.

"The Elven stronghold of Imladris is about a day and a half's walk from here at this pace." Said Elrohir, coming to walk on Cloud's other side.

"Can't we go any faster?" complained Loz, looking as if he were very upset. "I'm hungry."

"You are Men, and with such heavy weaponry…" said Elrohir, glancing at Cloud's sword again, as if trying to see where all the pieces fit together.

"Any pace you set, we can match." Yazoo said, his tone saying without words how ridiculous he thought the elf was being. Walking this slow for their sakes was a nasty insult to the somewhat cynical middle child.

Elrohir frowned at him and then said something in his own language to the archers that flanked them on all sides. They nodded and then dashed off into the forest, Elrohir sprinting after them. Cloud and his brothers smirked and gave chase, running tirelessly alongside the elves and hiding snickers at their looks of disbelief. Cloud glanced upwards and then at Kadaj, his blue eyes gleaming. Kadaj caught his meaning and the two of them leapt up into the tree tops in a single easy bound. They jumped from branch to branch over the elves heads, keeping easy pace with them as they ran.

0o0o0

It was just over four hours of solid running, by Cloud's estimation, that they reached Elrohir's home. They had stopped short of reaching the boarders of the small city and were met by more elves that called out greetings to their small company and cast curious glances at the Advent Children and the ex-SOLDIER.

"This way." Said Elrohir quietly as he led the four newcomers towards a large structure in what seemed to be the center of an endless sprawling garden, full of waterfalls and flowers. The elves that had been with them along their journey remained flanking them, their eyes still narrowed with suspicion and their bodies still poised to strike at a moments notice.

Cloud's eyes darted from side to side, trying to take in all the sights of the beautiful place, a quiet sense of awe filing him up. This place was like the Lifestream where he went to speak to Aerith sometimes. It was quiet and peaceful, but also bursting with life and the joy of living. The Advents, as he'd come to call them in his head sometimes, were gazing around with equal wonder and even Yazoo looked on with a soft, child-like happiness.

"Your home is very beautiful." Said Kadaj to Elrohir, smiling widely.

"My thanks. Come, we go to see my Adar immediately." Answered Elrohir as he navigated the twisting and seemingly endless corridors of the building with ease. Finally they reached a door and Elrohir knocked politely, calling out in that flowing language of his that Cloud was itching to understand.

A masculine, but still lovely, voice answered him and then Cloud and his brother's were ushered into the room. A very tall, stately looking elf was already speaking to Elrohir quietly in their language and Cloud guessed that he must be Elrohir's father, and the one who would, supposedly, determine their fates in this new world.

0o0o0

End part 3

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you all keep my hopes for this story up and the evil plot bunnies at bay.

*Aniue – the most polite and formal way to say 'older brother'