Silmeria - Happy reading.
Disclaimer - I claim no rights to Final Fantasy VII
Chapter Thirteen - Minerva's Trinity - Part One
Cloud stared unabashedly at the outfit that was laid across the bed and wondered very briefly when did designers start to sew materia slots into clothing? Weapons and bangles and armbands sure, but clothing? It didn't make any sense unless-
"This is a traditional outfit." Zack explained, standing next to him and staring down at the robes with a fond smile. "The piece belonged to my grandmother who was an Omega." Zack rubbed the back of his head, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "I know it's a little...decorative but the clothing was meant to show status and power. She was the Alpha Guide of Midgar and it did well for her to show the people what such a title meant by wearing those clothing." Zack turned away, but Cloud didn't miss the sad light entering those violet eyes. "I know that it's a lot to ask on such short notice-"
"I'll wear it." Cloud interrupted softly, his eyes having yet to leave the outfit-how could he when it was so beautiful?- "I would be honored to wear it." Cloud leaned down, lifting the long black and red silk sleeve and marveled at how well the materia slots fit into the clothing. Thankfully, the black pants were loose and comfortable also holding one materia slot near the hip area. The sash was a deep red coloring that was tied by a silver wolf head that represented the Fair Family and when Cloud took a closer look to examine it, he was taken by surprise when he discovered that it was mithril instead of the previous guessed silver and the eyes were...
"Orichalcum." Zack stated heavily, his eyes darkening at the sight of it. "The metal was a staple in my grandfather's life. He was rather fond of it and decorated his and grandmother's clothing with it whenever the opportunity arose. It wasn't our colors, but he wasn't a man to let such a simple fact stop him."
"Oh." Cloud looked at the remainder of the outfit. The shirt wasn't too bad with its long sleeves and open chest area that also carried Orichalcum buttons. Seeing such a thing forced him to realize just how expensive the entire outfit was and how much effort Zack took to keep in fine condition.
"Are you sure?" Cloud asked softly. "I mean this outfit belonged to your grandmother. It's not something that you shouldn't let anyone wear, Zack."
"That's the thing, Cloud." Zack smiled, his eyes gleaming with an emotion that Cloud refused to identify. "You're not just anyone, you know? You're...everything."
Cloud felt his cheeks burn at the admission, turning his head away so that Zack could miss the tale tale of his cheeks. How embarrassing. "Thank you, Zack."
"You silly thing." Zack murmured, stepping closer to Cloud and wrapping him in a warm hug that had Cloud internally purring at the mix of smells that Zack seemed to emit. "There's no need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you for taking this trip with me. It would have been boring without you."
"Really?" Cloud muttered into Zack's broader shoulder. "I don't see how I could make anything more interesting."
"Are you kidding?" Zack stepped back, grinning to hide the fact that he already missed Cloud's warmth. "Before you came, my life was filled with nothing but meetings, delegations, negotiations, and the occasional arranged marriage."
"Arranged? Occasional?"
"Eh?" Zack shrugged it off like was nothing-which in hindsight, probably was- "I get the occasional marriage proposal and I turn them down. That's not my style."
"But-" Cloud shook his head, turning back to the set of clothing on the bed. If he had arrived a little later then it was possible that someone else would have been wearing this and the thought caused Cloud to turn his lips into a thunderous frown. He didn't-he didn't want anyone wearing this other than himself.
"loud? Cloud!"
"Y-yes?" Cloud turned back around to see Zack giving him a concern look before a knowing look crossed his features and a smirk pulled at his lips before he, too, looked down at his grandmother's piece. "Sorry. I went into a daze."
Zack shot him another knowing look, one that had Cloud turning to face the window to hide his blush. Outside, the City of Junon was bustling with activity. He could hear the constant moving elevator that took residents to the small village below and outside the city. He could hear the whistle of the boats leaving port. Junon was a mechanical creature that never stopped breathing. It was nothing like Midgar- a city that had power in the air, streets and in its people. Back home, there was a sense of joy, of pride, but Junon? Cloud felt nothing but greed and power and mix of arrogance so suffocating that he had to take a breather in the lower village to right his shields concerning Zack to the point of where the man all but demanded for him to return to Midgar, but Cloud brushed it aside, stating that he would be fine in time.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Zack murmured, a serious expression flickering across his features. "You keep fazing out. Is Junon too much for you? We can always go back home and state that the city disagrees with you."
"No." Cloud responded quickly, reaching over and placing a hand on Zack's forearm. "I'm fine. I promise." Cloud turned away, his eyes flickering to the outside window. "I was just thinking about..."
"About?" Zack prodded gently.
"How jealous I was about someone else wearing those clothing." Cloud moved towards the window, making sure to keep his back to the Sentinel who gave a noise of amusement and surprise. "I started thinking "If I didn't meet you in time, then someone else would be wearing that beautiful piece of clothing and I wouldn't be here."
"Cloud." Zack murmured, wanting to reach forward and bring the Guide into his arms, but knowing that this wasn't the best time. He couldn't tell him that wasn't true. If Cloud hadn't shown up, Zack would have eventually would have courted another Guide. He didn't know who he would have ended up with, but the thought of that person not being Cloud caused a shiver of nausea to run through him. Knowing him now, Zack couldn't imagine not being around him and not seeing him as often as he did. Zack wanted Cloud around and he never wanted the younger man to leave him.
"Well." Zack began softly, approaching the Guide and wrapping his arms around his waist. "We don't have to worry about that now, right? We're both here and I don't have eyes or designs on anyone else but you, Cloud, and that's not going to change." Zack tugged him closer, burying his face into his neck. "What about you, hmm? You have designs and eyes only for me?"
"Of course I do." Cloud snorted, gently tangling himself out of Zack's hold. "If I didn't, I would be travelling to another city with you, now wouldn't I? I wouldn't be worried about whether or not you got with another Guide and I wouldn't be worried about meeting this Rufus Shinra and his little ragtag group of a council."
"Don't forget about Weiss from Edge." Zack stated, all pretense of their little romance session gone in the wake of the Gathering. "You need to be careful around him, eh? And his Guide." Zack shuddered at the thought. "What a weird pair."
"What was her name again?" Cloud titled his head to the side. On the trip over, Zack prepped him on names, titles, and locations: there was Alpha Sentinel Rufus Shinra of the Junon and Alpha Sentinel Weiss or rather, Weiss the Immaculate and his Guide. The names were old titles from the war against Xavier and two preferred to keep them over their original names which were lost to the pages of time.
"Alpha Guide Rosso the Crimson." Zack smacked lips, as if the name left a foul taste in his mouth. Edge was a rather strange city but its ground troops were parallel to SOLDIER and he was wary of the distance between them at the moment. Personally, Zack had no problem with Weiss and Rosso, but with Xavier's blood running through his veins, Rosso named him Enemy No. 1 and refused to speak with him on formal terms which mean negotiations and meetings on this scale were difficult as hell.
"You're...not very well liked are you?" Cloud asked, his tone timid and careful which made Zack wince lightly. "I'm sorry, but I don't know how to phrase it."
"Grandfather Xavier's actions echoed across Gaia and effected all cities in one matter or the other." Zack stated solemnly. "I'm still fixing the problems but the process is difficult, but I'm grateful that Weiss and Rufus aren't trying to knock down my doors with ships and troops. The war took a toll on all three of us." Zack shook his head. "Rufus' father was lost in the final days of the war and his brother, Lezard, became wheelchair bound. Weiss' brother, Nero, was tortured by Xavier's elite squad and he inherited the ability to wield magic naturally through the trauma. So." Zack looked worn down and Cloud wrapped his arms around him and brought him into a tight hug. "So, the road to redemption is long and painful, but I'm glad that I have you now, you know? It makes it easier to bear."
"I'll be here." Cloud murmured, stepping back and gathering Zack's hands into his own. "You shouldn't have to bear this burden alone, Zack. So, I'm here, alright? Anything you need, just ask."
Zack nodded, glancing down at their entwined hands, feeling the warmth of Cloud's determination and his solace of the fact that this amazing man hadn't run for the hills. He didn't know how long he would have Cloud, but he hoped it was for a long time.
"I know." Cloud continued softly, as if reading his mind. "I know that being Xavier's grandson isn't easy, but you've changed Midgar around for the better. The people are happy and content and depend upon you and you've taken so many precautions to stop this from happening again." Cloud's lips thinned, his eyes darkening at the descending thoughts that were invading his mind. "You're so careful and I wonder just how many of those that you've taken? Should I be worried about some of them?"
"No." Zack raised his eyes, stepping into Cloud's arms and bringing him closer and burying his face into his Guide's wild locks. "You have nothing to worry about, alright?" Zack's heart tightened at the first and unfortunately, not last lie that would escape his lips. He swallowed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath and inhaling Cloud's wonderful scent and for the first time in years, he prayed. Prayed for salvation, forgiveness and a long, happy life with the one in his arms.
Minerva, bless us both and let us enjoy a happy life full of peace and love. Minerva, let us survive and find solace in one another for as long as we may live.
Cloud was nervous.
Meeting new people was never his forte but he was always polite in the face of newcomers and he honestly didn't see the difference with this meeting. Except, he wasn't meeting normal people. He was meeting the Alpha Sentinel and Guides of Gaia. Prominent men and women who ruled with kind and firm hands. Men and women who were destined and chosen to lead the entire planet into a bright future under Minerva's careful gaze.
He was meeting literal Rulers of Gaia.
He was meeting the Sovereignty of Gaia.
He was meeting Minerva's Trinity.
Cloud was nervous. He wasn't the butterfly type of nervous. He was the piss his pants nervous and it showed in the sweat that dripped down his face and into the silk outfit that he wore. It showed in the shaking of his hands and it showed in how weak his shields were which, in the case of Zack's firm words, were a big no-no. It was an unspoken rule that Guides couldn't allow the slightest crack in their shields in case the Sentinels of the Gathering went into zone-outs or their senses and emotions heightened.
"Hush." Zack suddenly appeared at his side, brushing his lips against Cloud's temple in an attempt to get the smaller man to calm down. "It's going to be fine, alright? How many times did we go over this?"
"Eight times." Cloud muttered, much to Zack's surprise and wicked amusement. "What if I mess up? You should have brought Aerith-"
"No." Zack responded firmly. "I brought you and I wanted to bring you. Besides, Aerith doesn't like Rosso and they almost destroyed the Sanctuary in Edge two years ago."
"Huh?" Cloud's nervousness swept away in the form of curiosity. "What happened? Aerith got in a fight? Our Aerith?"
"That woman is a spitfire." Zack muttered, internally glad that the smell of fear had vanished from Cloud's scent-mission accomplished. "She wields magic like it's nothing and Rosso's not bad herself, but she's got nothing on Aerith and let's say that Weiss was disappointed in his Guide that year was a fucking understatement." Zack held up a hand to interrupt Cloud's question. "You can't tell Aerith I told you, alright? She's still super embarrassed about the whole thing."
"She shouldn't be." Cloud reassured. "That woman has nothing to be ashamed about-"
"And neither do you." Zack purred, his eyes drifting from Cloud's brushed hair and down to his slippered feet. The man looked amazing and Zack's was right, the outfit fitted him in all the right places and he was inclined to rip it off if he didn't respect his grandmother.
"Stop." Cloud turned back to the door that bore the Shinra Insignia and even through the thick wood, he could hear the low murmur of voices full of curiosity. Thankfully, he was confident that they weren't the last to arrive. "Are we going in?"
"Are you ready?" Zack held out an arm, smiling deeply when Cloud tucked his arm into his elbow and silently urged him on. "Good, that's my Cloud. We're going to shine, right?"
"Like the stars themselves." Cloud cheekily remarked, earning a wild grin and a kiss to the cheek as the doors opened, causing Cloud to flinch at the bright light and noise that suddenly blasted against his shields. He looked over to see how Zack was faring and found the man steady and his face set in a blank expression and a small smile pulling at his lips. That's right, that was the aristocratic face that all Alpha Sentinels wore and Cloud found that he didn't like it. He liked to see Zack smile and laugh and tease others around him, but he understood.
He would just have to make Zack smile brighter and laugh harder when all of this was over.
"Alpha Sentinel Zachary Fair." a smooth voice spoke from the right, causing both men to turn and see a rather imposing man in white approach him with confidence that bordered on arrogance. "Hello again."
"Alpha Sentinel Weiss." Zack greeted smoothly. "Hello again. I take it Edge is doing well?"
Weiss nodded, his eyes drifting to Cloud who nodded in greeting having remembered that he was on equal ground now considering that he was one of the Trinity. Or at least, a part of it. Cloud took the time to take a good look at Weiss. The man was tall, a little above Zack's height, with broad shoulders underneath a long white and black embroidered jacket and white pants with knee high, fur lined boots. What was more prominent, however, was the two katanas crossing at the small of the man's back. He wasn't aware that Gathering allowed weapons.
"For my peace of mind." Weiss interrupted Cloud's investigation and he found himself staring into Weiss' gray, rather emotionless eyes. What a strange man. "You never know what's going to happen, right, Zack?"
"Right." Zack returned tightly, his small smile vanishing in the form of a rather tight smirk that reached his eyes. "Lady Faremis sends the Lady Rosso her regards, Alpha Weiss."
Weiss' lips pulled into a rather amused smirk and Cloud couldn't help but flinch at Zack's remark. Talk about a burn. "I will make sure that Lady Rosso gets it, Alpha Fair. If you'll excuse me? I have to retrieve my Guide. It was a pleasure...?" Weiss tilted his head to the side, forcing Cloud to realize that he had been ignored. On purpose.
Bastard.
"Alpha Guide Cloud Strife of Midgar." Cloud introduced himself firmly, making sure that he kept eye contact with the Alpha of Edge. "Keep my name in the depths of your memory, Alpha Weiss, you will be seeing me much more often."
Weiss gave a small noise of curiosity at his title and Zack softly purred at his side. He let it slide. For now. "Well! Indeed I shall, Alpha Guide Strife. Until we meet again? Have a good evening."
"Wow." Zack murmured, staring at Cloud as if the man had grown a second head. "Where did that come from?"
Cloud sniffed, watching as Weiss walked away with a confident stride. Asshole. "He was rude. I don't like rude people, especially assholes."
"I'll keep that in mind." Zack chuckled, nudging him gently. "Well, one down and one to go. Up for it?"
Cloud's groan of despair was answer enough.