Do I have an excuse? I'm sure I could think of a few, but I won't. I'm sorry. Really really sorry. Hope you enjoy the chapter.
-o-o-
"No," Zack declared stubbornly. He clutched one of the pillows tighter to his chest and huffed out stubbornly. "You can't make me."
"Zack, you're being exceptionally childish. You have to," Sephiroth insisted.
"Have to what?" Cloud asked, having just come in. He kicked off his shoes and crawled onto the bed, where he was immediately snatched up and quickly replaced the pillow in Zack's possessive grip. "What does Zack have to do?"
"It's all Seph's fault," he whined. "He's the one that brought me here."
"Zack doesn't want to leave," Sephiroth explained, rolling his eyes. "I've told him repeatedly that we can come back some other time if it pleases him and he still insists on being unreasonable."
"I'm not being unreasonable! I belong here!" Zack argued. "These are my people! I missed being here! You can't make me leave!"
"But Zack... I don't want to be apart," Cloud said, looking up at him with heartbreaking blue eyes. "I don't want to leave you behind."
"Cloud..." Zack forced himself to look away from those eyes. They were going to be the death of him, he was sure. "This is my home."
"I have a home. I don't like it, but I have a home," Cloud pointed out. "I wouldn't get all attached if we visited there."
"That's because you're the only cool one there. Other than your mom, I think. Anyway, here everyone is cool. It's nice here and I missed it. I hadn't even realized it, but I do."
"Missing it does not mean an extended say," Cloud informed him, wiggling in his grip. "Didn't you tell me that you were glad to get out of here? You would have spent your life eating frogs and farming or something."
"And you never would have met any of us," Sephiroth added. "And if you stay here then you'll be all alone. Cloud and I are going back to Midgar and Angeal and Genesis may very well follow. Would you really be happy being left behind?"
Confronted with logic, Zack had to concede but, as always, it was not a quite admission of their right-ness.
"FINE. I'LL COME BACK WITH YOU SINCE YOU'RE NOT GIVING ME ANY CHOICE!"
"Okay then. When are we leaving, Seph?"
"The sooner the better," was his blunt reply. Zack let go of Cloud and launched himself haphazardly at their General and proceeded to get into a mock wrestling match. Cloud flopped over on the bed to watch, calling out encouragement every so often.
When the two men finally rolled apart, dripping with sweat, Cloud was grinning and snickering into the sheets. When they looked at him curiously, he buried his face into the bed to cover his giggles.
"Okay Spike, I'm asking. What the hell?" Zack huffed.
"Try looking at eachother," he suggested before collapsing into a fit of laughter. They did as instructed and smiled reluctantly. They were both red and extremely ruffled.
"Almost looks like we were doing something else," Zack pointed out slyly. "It's giving me ideas."
"Oh, do share," Sephiroth smirked. "Ideas are more fun with more people."
"So much more fun," he agreed and threw himself at the man. He was caught and kissed passionately until they remembered they weren't alone. They opened their arms to Cloud and looked at him invitingly.
"I think the ideas Zack has will have to make do with two people," he laughed. "I want to play with my cursed sword."
"That thing scares me," Zack pouted. "Why'd you have to pick the cursed sword?"
The sword, propped in a corner, looked innocent enough. Cloud hadn't named the blade yet and so it was 'lovingly' referred to as the cursed sword or the evil thing with no name. Zack was still trying to persuade Cloud to name it Fluffy. He believed that the cutesy name would lessen the fact that it was cursed. Genesis wanted to call it Overcompensation. Sephiroth wanted to call it Advertisement. After those suggestions, Angeal declared that all other suggestions would have to go through him before they even made it to Cloud.
"I picked the cursed sword because I like it. Did you want to spar with me?" Cloud asked hopefully. Though they had allowed Cloud the sword, none of his lovers would spar with him.
"Nope. Go chop down some trees. Find some small monsters to fight. I still think that thing's junk. It can't even equip materia," Zack said critically.
"Who needs materia?" Cloud said lightly, shooting a slightly worried look at Sephiroth. He didn't like keeping things from his lovers and it seemed that Sephiroth hadn't told Zack that Cloud was useless with materia.
"Zack..." Sephiroth said uncertainly, meeting Cloud's eye. "I think you ought to know something about Cloud's materia training..."
"What?" Zack asked slowly, looking between Cloud and Sephiroth, not missing the look they shared. "What's wrong with Cloud's materia training?"
"Nothing is wrong, per se," Sephiroth stalled and then frowned. "Cloud, go distract Angeal and Genesis. I think I hear them returning. Take your sword and tell them that you plan to go alone into the forest to try your luck with some monsters. That should sufficiently distract them."
Cloud perked up and nodded eagerly. "Does that mean I actually can go find some monsters?"
"No way," Sephiroth and Zack answered immediately. Cloud gave them both a cute pout and retrieved his sword. With a wave he dashed out the door. They watched him go in silence.
"Okay, Seph," Zack began. He turned to his lover, looking frightfully serious. "Let me try again. What's wrong with Cloud's materia training?"
-o-o-
Cloud tried to put on his most disgruntled face as he darted down the stairs, hoping to intercept the two ex-Generals before they made it to the stairs. He succeeded barely.
Just as he hit the last step, Genesis turned the corner and began to climb the stairs himself. They crashed and both went tumbling down. They reeled from the impact for a moment before Cloud was lifted off the older male and set down on the stairs. Angeal turned and helped haul Genesis to his feet.
"Where's the fire, Kitten?" Genesis asked when the room finally stopped spinning. "Why are you carrying the evil chunk of sharpened metal?"
"Sephiroth and Zack are still refusing to spar with me. So I'm gonna go try and find some monsters. Don't worry, I have a map. I won't get lost." Cloud pulled out a rolled up piece of paper and waved it a bit.
Both men reacted in much the same way. Their eyes widened and they looked at eachother with guarded eyes.
Angeal sighed and Cloud flinched slightly when his large hand fell into his chocobo-yellow hair. Both men looked weary but concerned.
"A map isn't going to do much when a giant dragon or something comes to eat you," Genesis said doubtfully after a long pause. "Actually, I bet the map won't do anything unless it's a magical map."
"Oh! I've seen a dragon before. They're really scary. It ate like three Nibel Wolves for breakfast," Cloud threw out. "Anyway, I think I'll be okay. I could disarm Zack!"
"Yes, but Cloud, Zack doesn't have claws and fangs. And he wasn't trying to kill you," Angeal explained, trying to urge Cloud up the stairs. "Let's go talk to Sephiroth and Zack. They'll tell you the same thing."
"But I don't wanna!" Cloud whined, slipping out of Angeal's loose grip. "Please can you both spar with me? I don't really want to go fighting monsters in the jungle but I really have no other choice. I want to get used to my sword as quick as I can!"
"Angeal, he's serious. I don't want any of us to be cursed just as much as the next guy, but if we don't then he probably will end up just running off trying to find a monster," Genesis reasoned, looking at his oldest friend who frowned.
"I still don't like it," Angeal conceded grimly and Cloud grinned and did a little victory dance that made the other two smile reluctantly. Then it registered that he was about to go off into the jungle with Angeal and Genesis fully armed.
He wasn't quite so happy after that.
-o-o-
"So... Cloud's not normal?" Zack asked, tuning out the buzz of conversation from the first floor. He needed to focus now more than ever. "What does this mean for us?"
"He's not not normal!" Sephiroth said sharply. "He's simply not... common. He has been trained in swordsmanship and other physical styles of fighting, making him quite formidable, but he has no natural affinity for it. In most cases, the lack of physical talent would be overshadowed by an affinity for materia and magic, and yet he cannot even equip a materia. He simply... Doesn't feel the life inside materia."
"So it's like the materia is dead to him?"
"Yes, it would seem so."
"You haven't answered my question," Zack pointed out hesitantly. "What does this mean for us?"
Sephiroth was silent for a moment before he said, "We must remain vigilant. This abnormality may mean something to someone. I am concerned about Hojo most of all. He is not pleased by my independence and may jump at the chance to begin a 'study' into such abnormalities simply out of spite."
"You know what I say about that," Zack reminded him. "Hey, do you hear Cloud anymore? I can't."
Sephiroth cocked his head and listened as carefully as he could. He could hear every little thing going on in the building when concentrating, but nothing sounded like Cloud. "I can't hear him."
"Where do you suppose he got to? Angeal and Gen are gone too," he pointed out.
"Are we done with our discussion?"
"Mm, yeah, I would say so. Then we're...?"
"Going to find them, of course," Sephiroth invited standing and offering a hand to Zack. Hauling Zack to his feet, they both headed for their weapons and then to the door.
When they were in the front office, Sephiroth stepped up and politely inquired if the woman running the inn had seen any of the misplaced friends.
"Yes, they left quite awhile though. The small blond ran into the one with the red hair," she offered. "They talked about going into the forest to fight monsters or some such."
"Thank you," he said politely, making her blush.
"I-it's no problem, really," she insisted.
With a parting awkward smile, Sephiroth and Zack were out into the heat of Gongaga. Though slightly worried, they didn't rush into the woods. Zack spoke briefly with some of the townspeople and Sephiroth browsed over the wares in the market while he waited. When Zack returned, he found Sephiroth tossing him an apple while biting into his own.
"So someone says that they went east, did you want to check?" Zack asked, biting into his own apple.
"Of course," Sephiroth answered, turning his apple over in his hands. The apple held up under his careful scrutiny and he took a bite. "This is Cloud that we're talking about. Do you really expect us to just wait around for him?"
"Nah, of course not. He's a delicate little choco-head. He needs us there so he's not molested by a wild chocobo. Wouldn't that suck? I mean we've already laid claim to his virginity, but still," Zack rambled as they walked leisurely to the forest.
"Zack, I still wonder how your parents didn't drown you as a child," he tried to say sternly, but it was ruined by the obvious suppressed laughter.
"You've changed so much," Zack marveled. "I think I like the new you. I always thought it was sad that you didn't laugh."
Sephiroth smiled at him softly. "Well guess what? I laugh a lot more now."
"It's cause I'm awesome, I think!" Zack yelled out, laughing almost hysterically.
"Have I told you recently how much I love you?" Sephiroth asked, smiling at him again. "If I haven't, I apologize."
"Nah, it's all good. Love ya too!" Zack tried to regain his composure, taking deep breaths. "And we need to find Cloud to tell him too. Let's speed up, okay?"
Sephiroth nodded. "Sounds good."
Without a moments hesitation, they both began running in the direction the townsperson had indicated.
-o-o-
Eventually the SOLDIER pair found their target. He was in a small clearing next to the river they had found before. They were quite pleased at the condition they found him in. Actually, they were quite pleased with the condition all of them were in.
Cloud and Genesis were naked, Cloud clutched in Genesis' arms, dozing peacefully. Angeal wore nothing but his pants and when they arrived he had just been putting on his belt.
"Looks like you had some fun. Did you even train a little?" Zack teased them. They both looked over quickly, having not heard their approach.
"Depends on what you mean by training," Genesis drawled lazily from his shaded spot under a tree.
"Something not sex?"
"Oh, no. Sorry," Genesis smirked and Zack blushed, looking away. Genesis' smirk widened "Did you want to do some 'training'?"
"Not with you," Zack said mullishly, kicking the ground.
"Ignore him," Angeal advised. "Yes, we did get some training done. But then Genesis... Acted like Genesis."
"That explains it," Sephiroth said and Zack nodded.
"Hey now! Don't be mean!" Genesis called but was quickly distracted when Cloud shifted and sleepily hit his chest.
"Shu' up, 'm sleepin'." Cloud shifted and promply fell back to sleep.
"Well, the chocobo has spoken. I say we head back?" Zack said quietly.
"Sure," Angeal agreed instantly. "But his sword..."
All four men looked over at the innocent-looking weapon propped up against a nearby tree. They each thought about the supposed curse.
"I can carry it," Sephiroth offered. "I don't really believe in curses anyway."
"I knew there was a reason me and Cloud kept you around," Zack said gratefully and Angeal gave him a sharp look. He thought that Sephiroth could potentially believe him.
"Oh, that's nice, that it," Sephiroth commented dryly, picked up the sword and running his fingers over it thoughtfully. "How old do you think this sword is?"
"Oh no, don't tell me... It's an ancient cursed sword. Shit, we're all screwed!" Zack groaned to himself. "Why, Cloud, why?"
"Shut up Zack. I'm simply thinking that it has no place for materia and every modern sword is equiped to handle materia. Also, it has a certain... feeling... when you hold it."
"I didn't notice anything when I held it in the store," Zack told him, drawing a bit closer. "Here, as long as I don't get cursed, hand it to me."
Sephiroth complied and Zack looked at the blade thoughtfully. He swung it a bit and held it out to Angeal, who warily accepted it. He examined the blade closely and met Sephiroth and Zack's eyes. He could tell they were thinking exactly what he was. Still, to be safe...
"Gen, put Cloud down for a moment and come here, would you?" he called quietly. He heard grumbling from behind him and grass rustling. Cloth moved over cloth and Genesis appeared beside him with his pants on.
"What is it?" he asked. Angeal wordlessly offered him the sword and he regarded the thing with utmost caution. "What?"
"Can you take a look at it?" he urged. "For Cloud. Take a look at it."
"Fine," he snapped. He hesitated before grabbing the sword. almost at once his face changed into shock.
"This sword... Is it... You think it's?" he asked, looking up.
They all nodded solemnly.
"It's... made out of materia."
-o-o-
I'm so sorry for the wait. T.T In all fairness, my computer died so it's not like I could post it before now.