Redemption

Standard disclaimers apply

By: Lazeralk

Part 4

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Cloud took a deep breath and then settled on his feet, hands hanging loosely at his sides. The Advents saw the stance for what it was and, after a silent conversation in their heads, moved to flank their nervous brother. Kadaj lightly touched the blonde on the arm, meaning to be reassuring, and received quite a shock when Cloud flinched and half drew his blade.

The blonde resheathed his sword quickly and moved so that he was not surrounded by the people whom he had recently fought to the death with, even if they were his brothers. Kadaj's face seemed to crumple before he shook his head and gained a determined expression, his hands curling into fists.

"Welcome, travelers from another world, to my home." Said the new elf, and when Cloud turned his attention to him, he saw that Elrohir was looking at him with some concern and that the new elf was smiling gently at them.

Cloud nodded his head, but said nothing, already scolding himself mentally for reacting the way he had. He was supposed to help the Advents be a family and being a jerk when they touched him was not going to help. He made up his mind to apologize to Kadaj later, and sent a quick glance at the youngest brother.

Kadaj watched the new elf and would not look at him. Cloud ducked his head a little and continued to yell at himself. Yazoo crossed his arms defensively over his chest and sneered at his brother. Cloud wondered what they were talking about since he knew they could share thoughts. Elrohir was also watching them with renewed suspicion.

"I am Elrond Halfelven. My son tells me that the four of you have been brought to us from another world by the Valar. He has told me of your rebirths here and of your great strength." Said the elegant elf.

Kadaj nodded and smiled with the child-like innocence that only his particular brand of insanity could give. Yazoo cocked his head to the side, the only indication that he was even listening and Loz shifted uneasily from foot to foot.

"Elrohir had also told me that the Valar from your world has asked him to aid you in your quest. What exactly is it that your four were sent here to do?" questioned the elf lord as he gestured to a set of chairs, inviting them to sit. Cloud debated a moment before he unsheathed Ultima Weapon and laid it gently on the floor. He took a seat and motioned for Kadaj to take the one next to him. The youngest brother was immensely pleased by this and plopped into the seat eagerly.

"Mother said that one day we can go back to Midgar, but we have to be a family first." Kadaj told Lord Elrond, as if that explained everything.

Yazoo and Loz eased into seats and pretended to listen as they had a conversation in their heads. Lord Elrond frowned and took a seat behind his desk, leaning forward on his elbows. Cloud shifted nervously in his seat. Even sitting down did not diminish the elf's considerable presence. His whole being radiated control and wisdom, and he reminded Cloud faintly of Sephiroth, before the General had lost his mind.

"A family?" asked Lord Elrond, gently prompting.

Cloud leaned backwards and gazed out the window. He didn't want to tell anyone anything. His personal history was not exactly a comfortable conversation topic. If he didn't trust Aerith as much as he did, or see that in this strange new world, he had to pick a side, he wouldn't even consider telling these people anything. Besides, telling the nice elf everything seemed a little mean. He wouldn't understand half of it and he might end up kicking them out. How do you explain to someone who's still living in the technological dark ages that you're a freak of science?

'Try.' whispered Aerith in his head.

You sure about that? The whole Sephiroth went crazy because he was possessed by an alien life form who was trying to destroy the Planet and when he died parts of his body regenerated into those three? You really think he'll just calmly accept it and say 'That is tricky. Well, best of luck'? C'mon Aerith. Not even you're this naïve.

'Try.' She insisted.

Cloud sighed heavily and then leaned forward again, resting his elbows on his knees and giving Elrond a long look. By Shiva, he reminded him of Sephiroth. Elrohir had taken a chair off to the side of the room and was studying him intently. He closed his eyes, picked a condensed and heavily edited-for-public-consumption version, and prayed that he was making the right choice.

"Several years ago there was large corporation called Shin-Ra that controlled most of Midgar. They had a sort of private army of super powerful warriors called SOLDIER. There was one SOLDIER who was better than all the rest, General Sephiroth. Lots of people admired him, even me." Cloud licked his lips and paused.

"Shin-Ra had this scientist called Dr. Hojo." He said and the Advents shivered in revulsion, their faces drawn in dark lines.

"Dr. Hojo was the one who discovered a way to make the Lifestream into a chemical injection, called Mako, which could be used on humans. The SOLDIERS all had Mako in them, and that's what made them so strong and fast. No one but Dr. Hojo knew why Sephiroth was so much stronger than anyone else." Again he paused, wondering if he should include his personal history in the story.

"I joined SOLDIER when I was fifteen. I was really thrilled to actually meet Sephiroth. He'd been my childhood idol for a long time. He was just like I thought he'd be, commanding and impressive, no matter what he was doing. I met another SOLDIER while I was there, Zack. He was Sephiroth's friend, and my best friend. One day Sephiroth disappeared, while he, Zack and I were on a mission in my hometown, Nibelheim. We found Sephiroth in the reactor, he'd killed everyone in the whole town, burned it to the ground. He ended up killing Zack too, and nearly killing me. I quit SOLDIER after that and turned mercenary." He stopped again, watching Elrond's face for his reaction and found slight confusion, but nothing too suspicious. With another sign, he plowed on.

"Sephiroth found out that he wasn't like other SOLDIERS, that Dr. Hojo had done other things to him. He'd used parts from a creature that fell from the stars to make Sephiroth into the perfect SOLDIER. He called the creature Jenova." He said and shot a look at the Advents. They dutifully kept their mouths shut and glared at the floor.

"Jenova did something to Sephiroth, made him go crazy or just took over his mind completely. I don't know, but he wasn't the same anymore. He killed everyone he came across and destroyed wherever he went. He was looking for the black materia, a summon materia that would bring a giant asteroid down on the Planet and kill everything on it at once." He looked at Elrohir and found him with an appalled expression, as if he couldn't quite believe it.

"A group of anti-Shin-Ra freedom fighters called AVALANCHE hired me and we went from place to place, trying to stop Sephiroth and never quite managing it. We finally caught up with him, and I ended up killing him. It wasn't till a few years later that these three showed up, going on about Reunion." Said Cloud, waving at the three of them as he sat back, inviting them to tell their versions.

Kadaj gave Cloud sympathetic eyes that still had a hard edge to them, as if he were sorry that his brother had been hurt, but not sorry that whatever had hurt happened.

"We are the Remnants of Sephiroth. After he died, parts of his body regenerated into us. We grew up in the labs at Shin-Ra with Dr. Hojo's assistants. They talked about him all the time and said they got the instructions for all the things they did to us out of his books. Mother whispered to us all the time and told us to have a Reunion. She told us to find her so that we could all be together again, as a family. So we found her, and I knew she was just genetic material, but I really thought we'd be a family. She opened me up to Sephiroth and he came back through me. He and Ni-san fought, and Ni-san won again, but I died. Then Mother abandoned us and Aniki and Oni-chan died too." Said Kadaj, looking very sad.

"Yazoo shot me, and then I died. Aerith spoke to me in the Lifestream and said we could all have another chance, and if we could be a real family, we could go back." Said Cloud, looking at his new brothers with a contemplative expression.

"Aerith said she'd be our new Mother." Said Kadaj, a smile on his face.

"Aerith said that?" asked Cloud, a disturbed expression on his face, thinking of how Aerith had almost been his girlfriend. Ew.

"She's really nice, and she really loves us. Especially you Ni-san." Yeah? Don't tell Zack that.

"She asked me to look out for you and to obey you in all things since that's what good little brothers do." Said Kadaj serenely. Cloud just looked at him, askance. By Shiva, he really was off his rocker.

'Now now Cloud. Be nice.' Said Aerith.

Are you going to be doing this the whole time?

'Whatever do you mean Cloud?'

Reading my mind and talking to me in my head. Their going to think we're nuts.

'Oh alright, you big baby. I'll leave you boys alone, but don't be afraid to call on me ok?'

You know I'll call if I need you Aerith. I always have.

"Well." Said Lord Elrond, looking as if he knew he was interrupting, even though he had no way of knowing about the silent conversation he was having with Aerith. "If my son has been given this task by the Valar to assist you, then I see no reason why you should not stay here with us in Imladris. I'll have rooms prepared for you all."

"Thank you for your hospitality." Said Cloud, then he glanced at his brothers and they mumbled their thanks as well. Suspicion brewed in his mind as he considered the elf Lord's words. Why hadn't he said anything about their story? Why didn't he ask any questions? Wasn't he going to say anything? What about giving them some info in return?

"Of course, you are all welcome. Now, Elrohir will show you around until your rooms are ready and come to fetch you when it is time for the evening meal." Said Elrond, nodding to his son and dismissing them from his office with the same easy elegance that the General used to have. Cloud was torn between immense respect for the elf lord, and screaming suspicion. He had half a mind to turn around and have a little interrogation of his own.

The five of them trooped sullenly out of Elrond's office and Elrohir watched carefully as Cloud reattached his blade to his back, the blonde's fingers gripping the sword for half a second longer than Elrohir was comfortable with. They wandered through the twisting halls of Imladris for a good hour or so before a female elf came to whisper in Elrohir's ear. The dark haired elf showed them a set of rooms that overlooked a courtyard and left them to get settled, still watching Cloud carefully.

"Ni-san?" asked Kadaj, once they'd all washed up a little. He found his blonde older brother sitting on the deck with his legs swinging over the side, staring out into space. One of the relatively smaller pieces of First Tsurugi was sheathed horizontally at the small of his back.

"Ah?" returned Cloud, not bothering to look at him as he gazed lazily around the courtyard with its little fountain. Kadaj took a seat next to him, but still a little ways away, and was very careful not to touch him.

"This is…our new home, right?"

Cloud looked at him and then away before he gave a sad, half smile.

"For the time being."

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End part 4