Don't you guys just love how consistent I am with my updates? I know, I know. Y'all want a sequel? You'll get one. Luckily I hammered out the general idea of the sequel with someone before my flash drive crashed. Small mercies.
However I am concerned about how many people are demanding a sequel soon. Don't you at least want me to finish this first? Seriously, what they heck. Love you all though.
-o-o-
"Vincent, then," Zack agreed pleasantly. "Thanks for telling us your name but I'm still wondering about my little blond lover."
"He is unconscious."
"Wow," Zack said sarcastically, clearly losing his patience. He was usually one of the best-tempered men he knew but that did not stand when it was CLOUD who was in danger. "That's fantastic. Can you explain how he got that way and or why you have him?"
"Yes," Vincent answered. "But not now."
Sephiroth snatched the phone up and snarled, "Explain now and I may not kill you slowly when I find you."
Vincent seemed to pause at that. "...And who are you?"
"MY NAME ISN'T IMPORTANT!" Sephiroth growled. Angeal took the phone from him with a 'behave yourself! look.'
"There are four of us here. We all have an interest in Cloud's wellbeing and we will do what we must to ensure he stays safe," Angeal warned.
"I have only rendered him unconscious. I will return him to the mansion after I complete a quick errand. We will return before sunset. I must go, he's waking," Vincent said in a rush and the phone went dead.
Zack looked to Sephiroth. "Well?"
"Like hell we're just going to wait here!" Sephiroth snapped. "Let's go!"
-o-o-
Cloud was usually a fairly pleasant riser. But then again those times he had a reason to be pleasant. Instead of a soft, warm bed he had a cold slab of rock. Instead of thick, plush blankets he had chilly Mt. Nibel air. Instead of a lover beside him he had a stranger that kidnapped him.
His eyes fluttered open as he recalled all the red and the monster charging.
"Uhh," Cloud groaned, squinting at the red stranger. "What happened?"
"I took you with me," he said shortly.
"But what about that one thing that followed you through the door? Hey, where's the door?" Cloud asked dumbly, not fully awake.
"It is gone now. I took you with me while I escaped. The door is... several miles south of our current point," Vincent explained. "My name is Vincent."
"I'm Cloud."
"I gathered as much from your friends," he commented dryly. "They called."
"Seph and Zack?" he mumbled.
"One of them introduced himself as Zack but the other just yelled," Vincent deadpanned.
"That's Sephiroth. He gets a little... Angry sometimes," Cloud finished lamely.
"We should move," Vincent said abruptly.
"Back to them?" the cadet asked hopefully.
"Away, I'm sorry," Vincent apologized. "If your Sephiroth is the one I'm thinking of then we have no time and we have to move fast."
"Wha? Oh! He won't actually kill you or anything!" Cloud tried to reassure him but Vincent shook his head.
"If we don't do this then he'll kill us all," Vincent told him gravely. He turned and began to walk. Cloud scrambled up and jogged to catch up with him.
He didn't think of running the other way or drawing his sword, even for a minute.
-o-o-
The hike was hard. Cloud grew up in Nibelheim so he was pretty used to it... at one point. Living in Midgar had definitely weakened his mountain climbing skills.
"How much longer?" Cloud grunted out.
"Approximately one-fourth of a mile," Vincent said.
"I said longer, not farther," Cloud complained.
"I can't predict that," Vincent argued. "Our pace has been erratic. We move faster at some points than we do at others-"
"Okay! I don't care. I won't ask, just shut up!" Cloud cried out in frustration.
Vincent was silent. Cloud calmed down rather quickly and took stock of his surroundings. He knew the scenery was familiar but couldn't place it. He rarely came out this far so he had to think hard to remember.
The memories were sluggish and that worried Cloud. Usually he had an excellent memory and prided himself on his mental recall. He struggled with his words in his head before looking at Vincent in concern.
"There's something wrong," he said, sounding a little bit fearful. Vincent halted and looked at him. He didn't speak but he looked Cloud over quickly.
"What is it?" he murmured.
"I don't know. My mind is... drifting. It's hard to think straight," Cloud struggled to explain. It was getting worse by the minute.
"You seem as if you're native to this area," Vincent remarked. "Can you remember ever going to the reactor?"
"Yeah, a few times," Cloud answered with confusion. "Is that where we're going?"
"That's where we're going," Vincent agreed. "I have a theory but I'll wait until later so I can confirm it, okay?"
"O-okay," Cloud accepted.
"If it gets to be too much, tell me," Vincent instructed, beginning to move forward. Cloud followed.
"I will," Cloud promised. "Is it happening to you too?"
Vincent immediately saw why he asked. If the sensation Cloud was feeling was shared by himself, it would mean he was native to Nibelheim as well.
"Mildly," Vincent answered. "I have been in these mountains longer than you but I was not born here."
"How long?" Cloud asked, watching the ground so he could keep an eye on his feet. They did not seem to be at their best.
"Longer than you would believe, little one," he murmured. Cloud looked up in surprise. "I've been here... nearly twenty-two years."
Cloud looked astonished, so much that he forgot to keep watch over his feet and he pitched forward. Vincent caught him faster than he had seen anyone but Sephiroth move.
"You've been here longer than me! Where did you live?" Cloud asked, not caring that he was only held up by Vincent.
"In the mansion. Specifically, the basement," Vincent answered. "In a coffin. I did not wake for over twenty years."
"O-oh..." Cloud muttered. "You... How old are you?"
"Mid forties."
"Wow," Cloud mouthed. He seemed to realize his predicament and tried to stand on unsteady legs. "Wow."
Vincent steadied him and drew back.
"You were... An experiment?" Cloud asked quietly.
"I was dying and someone did everything they could to keep me alive," Vincent answered just as softly. He allowed the silence to continue for a moment more before clearing his throat. "We should continue moving if you can manage."
"I can. I will," Cloud perked up a little. When Vincent glanced over he smiled bashfully. "I can be pretty stubborn."
Vincent gazed at him almost long enough to make Cloud squirm and then turned away, "I'm sure you can."
Cloud cocked his head and thought. Vincent's tone sounded... almost pacifying. As if he didn't really believe it. Cloud huffed and ignored when the other man looked back at him. He looked at his feet and considered. He nodded sharply to himself and turned towards where the road would curve to show the reactor. He could do it, he encouraged.
He ran.
Vincent was startled and he cursed ruefully, realizing Cloud took his words as a challenge. He shook his head and began to run after him. He could have easily overtaken Cloud and forced him to stop but he was proving a point so Vincent would let him continue.
Cloud didn't stop until he was at the reactor stairs. Vincent settled beside him and he grinned up at him. With that, he began jogging up the stairs. Vincent rolled his eyes as the childish display but didn't do anything about it other than pursue him.
At the top of the stairs, Cloud stood aside for Vincent to get to the door. He didn't know how to open the thing without the code and wondered if Vincent did. He watched as Vincent considered the door and prompt ripped the keypad from the wall and fiddled with the wires. Eventually the door clicked and allowed them to enter.
The wandered into the reactor and the door automatically shut behind them.
-o-o-
"Where is that Tifa?" Sephiroth growled. He peered around himself in a vain attempt to recognize where he was. Tracking Cloud and Vincent was proving harder than he first anticipated.
"We aren't bringing her out here," Angeal sighed warningly. "It's much too dangerous."
"Then why can't SOLDIERs be more like animals?" he complained. "Then we could have tracked him by scent."
"Sephiroth, do you HEAR yourself?" Angeal asked in disbelief. Sephiroth made a face at him.
"This is Cloud," he growled.
"You're being ridiculous," Angeal argued.
"I am not. I want to save Cloud!" Sephiroth burst out, looking unusually terrifying.
Angeal was not amused.
"From what?" Angeal snorted. "From what Vincent said, he would return Cloud by tonight, unharmed."
"And you're going to trust that?" Sephiroth seethed.
"Yes, because he had no reason to lie."
"He could have lied so we wouldn't follow," he pointed out.
"Oh shut up, it's not like we can follow now," Angeal shook his head. "Let's just stay here for a little longer while we wait for Zack and Genesis to get back."
As if summoned by Angeal's words, the two turned around a bend in the road and came into the sight of Sephiroth and Angeal.
Sephiroth merely grunted in response and began walking towards the approaching pair. The two had gone into town in search of a map and is the rolled up paper in Genesis's hand was any indication, they had found one.
When they were less than ten meters apart, Zack began to run towards Sephiroth, who caught him easily when he came close. He hugged the younger teen tightly and was slightly calmed.
"Hey Seph," Zack greeted softly, nuzzling into his older lover's embrace.
"Zack," Sephiroth acknowledged. "Have you found what you sought?"
"Yeah, Gen has it," Zack answered and stepped back, swiping at his eyes, hoping Sephiroth would miss it. He didn't, but he refrained from commenting.
Genesis reached the group and silently handed over the map and it was quickly spread out and pinned down with nearby rocks. They each took a side and studied it.
"There's the town," Genesis pointed out obviously. All of their eyes flicked to that spot and Angeal pointed to the next spot, saying, "The mansion."
"And here," Zack sighed and covered half the map. He looked at each of the men, more serious than they had ever seen him. "Is where Cloud might be."
-o-o-
Cloud fell to his knees, gasping loudly. In addition to his earlier confusion, he felt strength leaving him by the second. Vincent looked down impassively.
"I think I should share my theory now," he decided.
"You think?" Cloud tried to sound angry but he was too out of breath for it to carry any real weight.
"There is something in here. Her name is Jenova," Vincent explained. "I can't tell you exactly what she is but I think she is affecting you so strongly because you were born here, in her reach. You have been... infected. It isn't fatal and you don't notice it. She has probably sensed that you have built a tolerance and is trying to eliminate it."
"Can you dumb that down just a bit?" Cloud gasped.
"She thinks you're coming to kill her," Vincent stated bluntly.
"That's crazy!" Cloud protested.
"It is," Vincent nodded. "Because obviously I'm the one who's going to kill her."
"WHAT?"
-o-o-
Genesis was in the lead, holding the map in his hands. Sephiroth hiked just behind him. Both Angeal and Zack opted to stay in town in case Vincent came through on his promise to bring Cloud back before dark. Angeal had faith and Zack had less than no tolerance for the cold.
Out of the two, Sephiroth probably had the highest skill reading maps but Genesis had more experience reading them on the field with no set scale. So for now he had to be content with following the man doggedly.
They continued on until the path abruptly ended. Genesis blinked owlishly and consulted the map. He handed it over to Sephiroth and edged closer to the gaping cliff.
Sephiroth looked at the map and twisted it until he thought he understood where they were. He blinked as well. According to the map, the path shouldn't end for about another five miles. He looked at the cliff.
"Genesis," he called, furrowing his brows. "That's wrong. That cliff is wrong."
"Sephiroth, it's not wrong," Genesis sighed patiently. "That map is what's wrong, not the rock slide. At least, I think it was a rock slide. Something happened here to wear the path away like this. It looks really recent."
"Do you think that man did it to keep us from pursuing?" Sephiroth asked, outrage seeping into his voice.
"Perhaps," Genesis, on the other hand, sounded absolutely icy. He was cold enough to freeze even a native to Mt. Nibel where they stood.
"Genesis," Sephiroth's voice sounded overwhelmingly strange so Genesis turned to him to see horror dawning on his face. "When do you think this happened?"
"What do you mean?" he asked warily.
"Where was Cloud when this happened?" Sephiroth reiterated. Genesis caught the meaning and his eyes widened.
"Do you mean...?"
"Was Cloud caught in this?" Sephiroth demanded. "Did he get hurt?"
Genesis didn't answer. He immediately stood and peered down the cliff. Without a word, he jumped down, plunging further than the light reached. Sephiroth strode up and followed, leather duster flapping in the wind rushing past.
-o-o-
They fell far, farther than they previously thought possible. Minutes ticked by and suddenly they were startled when they saw the ground rushing up to meet them with savage glee. They each adjusted their fall so they would land with minimal damage.
After landing with quiet thumps, gritting their teeth as the shock shot through their bodies, they peered around themselves to get their bearings. Genesis spotted fresh rock and walked towards it. Sephiroth saw faint light coming from further away in the dark.
Genesis crouched over the rock, studying it. He looked for any indication that someone may have been injured in the rock slide. He was so absorbed in his task that he didn't notice when Sephiroth drifted off towards the light.
Sephiroth followed the faint traces of light that his eyes could pick up. He turned a corner and the light increased slightly in intensity. His steps quickened without any conscious thought. He quickened and quickened until-
He fell to a stop abruptly, eyes widening at the sight before him. His mouth fell open and his breath left him in a large gust.
He swallowed and blinked, snapping out of his stupor. He stepped forward hesitantly until he stood at the edge. He looked down at the liquid seething before his feet.
The liquid turned and moved as if possessed, green rivers flowing over eachother, under eachother, into eachother. The liquid moved a little, lapping at his boots slightly. His rational instinct to move away was trumped by his want to stay there and never more again.
"Sephiroth?" his name of the lips of his lover woke him and he blinked slowly, sluggishly, as if just awoken. He turned away from the tempting sight to call back.
"I'm here! Follow the light!"
Sephiroth heard mild cursing and some stumbling as Genesis obeyed his instructions. Within moments, he appeared in the General's view.
Genesis' initial reaction was identical to Sephiroth's own. He was shocked into silence, eyes moving quickly, trying to take in everything in perfect detail.
"Genesis," Sephiroth called, bringing his attention back to the man. He blinked and shook his head as if clearing the effects from it.
"Wow," was all he could say. He drifted forward, looking past Sephiroth. "I thought they were exaggerating."
"I guess not," Sephiroth murmured, turning to look as well.
"I didn't find any evidence that Cloud was caught in the slide," Genesis reported.
"That is good," Sephiroth summed up. "We still need to find him though."
"Perhaps we'll get lucky. Perhaps Vincent will return Cloud to us," Genesis said hopefully.
"Perhaps..." Sephiroth allowed the subject to drift as they stared.
"Sephiroth," Genesis sounded wistful. "I wish Angeal was here to see this with us. It's... beautiful."
"I know," Sephiroth murmured. "I with the same for Zack and Cloud. They would love this. Even if Cloud has already seen this."
"He'd love to be here anyway, I'm sure," Genesis assured him.
"I think he planned on showing us himself," Sephiroth confessed.
"Well, circumstances..."
They both sighed and looked at eachother, communicating with their eyes. They couldn't stay there obviously, not with Cloud still absent. They promised Zack that they would look and neither of them could let him down.
Without another look at the mako fountain, they turned and walked back the way the came, already planning how best to make the climb back to the path.
-o-o-
"Angeal?" Zack asked, peeking out from the blankets. Angeal grunted in response but Zack didn't speak again. He preferred to watch his mentor flipping through papers from Sephiroth's bags. They had recent news printed on them and there was even some paperwork.
Angeal sighed and set the papers down. He took a deep breath to steady himself before Zack could rile him in the least. He didn't expect Zack to do anything intentionally but sometimes he wasn't exactly mindful of the things he said and did.
"Yes, Zack?" Angeal answered softly.
"Do you think Cloud is okay?" he sounded lost and scared.
Angeal dropped everything and went to his student, hugging him. He lifted the layers away from Zack and slid under with him, covering them both. Zack scooted as close as possible and wrapped his arms around Angeal.
"Yes, Zack," Angeal answered. "I think that Cloud will somehow find his way back to us. In this, we must have faith."
Angeal waited with bated breath for Zack's response. He sensed that it was a loaded question and was worried that he may answer wrong.
Instead, he was rewarded with a smile peeked out from the dark spikes framing Zack's tanned face. He held in the sigh of relief and instead hugged Zack closer.
-o-o-
I'm writing a new FFVII story. I am actually pretty excited about it. I'll let you know when I post it but it'll probably we a while since I'd like to get it mostly finished before I start to post.