Silmeria - Happy reading.
Disclaimer - I claim no rights to Final Fantasy VII
Chapter Fourteen - Minerva's Trinity - Part Two
"You've grown pale again." Zack murmured, taking Cloud's pasty cheeks into his hands, a worried light entering his eyes. "Is it the air again? Do we need to go back to the hotel?" Zack rubbed Cloud's cheekbones, his lips thinning at the state of his Guide. Things had been going well so far. So much, that Zack was inclined to formally introduce Cloud as his intended, but looking at the state of his Guide now, he didn't think it was wise to bring anymore pressure on Cloud for the moment.
"No." Cloud returned, reaching up and covering his hands over Zack's giving them a tight, grateful squeeze. "It's fine." Cloud's eyes scanned the room at large before his voice dropped into a strained whisper that not even Zack's impressive hearing could catch. "It-it's the air. It's stagnant."
Zack raised an eyebrow at the confession. "Didn't you just tell me that it wasn't the air?"
Cloud's lips twitched, his eyes turning brighter with amusement-at Zack's expense- "Not that kind of air, I'm afraid, but the emotional sort. You know the expression, right? You could cut the tension with a knife?"
Zack's expression flickered from unsure, confused before finally settling on sympathetic. "Perhaps I've grown immune to it? I can't feel it. I'm sorry."
"It's nothing to apologize about, Zack." Cloud soothed, rubbing a thumb over Zack's scarred knuckles. "I'm taking comfort in the fact that you're trying to understand at all. That's better than nothing, right? Besides, Guides can feel emotions a little bit better than Sentinels. It's just the way of the world, but I wonder if the other Guides can feel it? Or if they're ignoring it?"
"I honestly don't think that they've felt it before." Zack confessed in a hushed tone, his eyes straying to Rosso's tall, sensual form before drifting to Tseng, Rufus' Guide before a frown flickered across his features at the thought. "No, I don't think they've felt it before."
"Is that a bad thing?" Cloud questioned, tilting his head to side, a stray lock of blond hair falling into his eyes. "I mean, in my case?"
Zack's eyes softened at the worried tone before reaching forward and pushing that stray lock of hair out of his Guide's eyes, grinning when Cloud blushed at the action. "Not at all. It just means that you're a bit more sensitive than the others and that can be a good thing, you know? Guides who refuse to acknowledge the emotions of others for their own sanity are denying a part of themselves. Never, since I met you, have I seen you push away emotions that belonged to others."
"I think it's...good to embrace emotions." Cloud began, chewing on his bottom lip at the hushed confession. "Of course, we must protect our minds, but I find nothing wrong with embracing sadness, happiness, fear and anger." Cloud looked around as if he was now noticing that they weren't alone. He took a deep breath, he pulled Zack's hands away and intertwined them as he settled them down to their sides. "At any rate, shall we finish introducing ourselves? It behooves me to meet Rosso, but needs must, right?"
"Of course." Zack's lips quirked at the thought of meeting such a woman, who was no match for Cloud nor Aerith. "But, why don't we meet Rufus and Tseng? A soft blow before getting a total knockout."
"You know." Cloud began with a sarcastic drawl. "You're not convincing me to meet these people. In fact, I'm feeling a little peckish." Cloud pouted, sending Zack into a series of quiet chuckles. "I wish to return home, my lord."
"Do you, my lady?" Zack murmured, placing his hand at the small of Cloud's back and guiding him towards a curious Rufus and Tseng. "Will you be patient with me? We will return home and make wild and passionate love until the sunrises." Zack leaned, burying his face in Cloud's neck and watching, enraptured, as Cloud's cheeks grew to a deep, vivid red.
"Pervert." Cloud grumbled, the blush faded and leaving a small, shy smile in its place. "You're a dastardly pervert, Zack Fair."
"You love me." Zack whispered, wiggling his eyebrows and his expression turned startled when Cloud turned to him, pressing a kiss against his cheek when they stopped in front of the hosts of the party.
"That I do."
"What-"
"Alpha Sentinel Fair." Rufus greeted smoothly, reaching out a hand which Zack took with a tight grin that failed to reach his eyes. "Good evening. I'm glad that you decided to grace us with your presence this year. I know that you've been terribly busy as of late." Rufus' gray eyes slid to Cloud and his lips curled into an amused smile that sent a shiver down his spine. "Is this the Guide that I've been hearing about? The one that insulted Weiss?"
"Cloud, this is Alpha Sentinel Rufus Shinra of Junon and his Guide, Tseng. Rufus, Tseng, this Alpha Guide Cloud Strife of Midgar, formerly of Nibelheim."
"Nibelheim?" Tseng murmured, reaching out and intertwining his hands with Cloud in a formal Guide greeting. "A mountainous village, correct?"
"Yes." Cloud flushed, pleased that Tseng held some aspects of tradition within such a modern city. "It's nothing special."
"It's home." Tseng stated, his lips pulling into a small smile before it vanished in a blink of an eye. "We all think our homes are nothing special, but at the end of the day, it is something that we yearn to return to, yes?"
"If that's the case, then where's home for you?" Cloud watched as Tseng shook his head, his brown eyes darkening at the thought. "I'm sorry-"
"Wutai." Tseng responded, shooting Rufus a look but wasn't surprised to find him in a discussion with Zack. "I hail from Wutai, the capital specifically."
"Oh." Cloud leaned closer, his eyes curious at the thought of Wutai, a country hidden in the west and hidden away from prying eyes. Although considered powerful, Wutai was what considered a "silent nation" - a land that preferred not to interfere with the world's problems. "What's it like?"
"Traditional." Tseng responded, chuckling when Cloud only blinked at the vague response. "Wutai is a beautiful country, but it's steeped in old tradition and the rules about Guides isn't as forgiving as it is in the outside world. It's the reason why I came to Junon in the first place." Tseng turned to Rufus, a soft look flickering over his features at the sight of his Sentinel.
"I didn't realize the rules were so harsh." Cloud murmured, feeling pity for the man next to him. "I'm...guessing that Wutai was along Jenova's Path?"
Tseng blinked, startled at the statement before nodding tightly. "It's not common knowledge, but Jenova's dark magic managed to seep into Wutai's lands and root itself for generations. Life for Guides were difficult because we were considered precious and at some points, a commodity. Our Crown Princess, Yuffie Kisaragi, was rumored to be a Guide before I left the country. I never did figure out if it was true or not." Tseng shrugged, as if his Crown Princess was no longer a concern to him. "If it is true, then may Leviathan guide her to a happy life."
"That's right." Cloud whispered, drawing Tseng's attention back to him. "Wutai has more than one deity. I'm...so used to everyone praising Minerva."
"I do praise her, but Leviathan has my heart. It's difficult to give up what you were raised upon, you see?" Tseng's lips pulled into a small smile at the thought. "Rufus gave me a small Leviathan statue as an anniversary gift. It sits on my nightstand and I send a small prayer every night. It-" Tseng shook his head and sighed. "It bothers him that I pray to anyone but Minerva."
"His family..." Cloud began, remembering the Family Tree in the Book of Minerva. "Didn't they-"
"Yes." Tseng nodded to Cloud's unasked question. "For a quite number of years before the Fair Family saved them from Her control. It amazes me that the families aren't closer than they should be, but with Xavier's actions, I don't see a reconciliation in the near future."
"No." Cloud murmured, feeling a rush of pity for the Fair and Shinra Families. "I'm afraid not, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends, right? I realize that we just met-"
"It's an absolute pleasure to meet someone who doesn't have a hidden agenda." Tseng's eyes strayed to Rosso, who, much to their surprise, was staring at them with a small, malicious smile as if she could hear their conversation. "Trust me, an absolute pleasure. So, enough about me, what about you? What's home like?"
"Cold." Cloud responded, meaning it in every sense of the word. The people, the land and wind were always cold and colder still now that his parents were gone from this world. In truth, he no longer considered Nibelheim home. Tifa was here and he supposed that she was his family now as well as Zack.
"Just cold? No warmth?" Tseng prodded, quick to catch on to the simple word game.
"No, none at all. It's that way all year long, you see." Cloud's heart tightened as he remembered Jason's smile. The only genuine smile besides his mother and father's that he experienced. "It was best that I...explore better interests. It's good for the soul."
"Indeed." Tseng was quiet before returning his attention to Rufus, whom, by then, had returned his attention back to his Guide was waiting patiently for the end of their conversation. "Well. It was certainly nice to meet you, Guide Strife or should I say Fair?"
"That depends." Cloud murmured, shooting Zack a sly look when the man chuckled, a bashful flush staining his tan cheeks. "On how long I'll have to wait."
"Not too long. If Sentinels are one thing, they are impatient. Far from the hunters that the Cetra dictated them to be."
A bashful laugh escaped Cloud's mouth at the comparison. Of course, he could never imagine Zack to be the hunter or predator type, but he had yet to see all the man's moods.
"No." Cloud finally responded, huffing when Zack shuffled in his direction, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "I suppose not."
"So." Zack led him away, shooting one last smirk in Rufus and Tseng's direction before taking him towards the balcony that overlooked Junon. "Did you like them? All of them?"
"Am I supposed to answer that?" Cloud mumbled, the doors slipping shut and muffling the noise of the party inside. "I haven't met Rosso and honestly, I don't think I want to meet her."
"I'm afraid that you have to, sweetheart." Zack gave him a sympathetic look when Cloud winced at the thought. "It would be an insult if we don't introduce ourselves to her. We've met Weiss, fortunately, but not his Guide or second-in-command. Why don't we rest a little and then-" Zack's turned, a sharp noise cutting him off and he held back a wince when Rosso's curvy form slipped onto the balcony, her crimson dress trailing behind her like a pool of blood.
"Lady Rosso." Zack greeted, straightening his posture and the playful man that Cloud was falling in love with was gone and the Alpha of Midgar was in its place: stern and confident. "To what we owe this pleasure?"
Rosso smiled, crimson lips curling into a wicked smile as she inched closer, her heels clicking against the floor of the balcony. "I just wanted to introduce myself to the star of the show." She looked Cloud up and down before tilting her head and allowing a curl of red hair to move into her eyes. "Cloud, was it?"
"Yes." Cloud stepped forward, shivering the despite the warm sea air. "Alpha Guide Cloud Strife-"
Rosso cut him off with a mild, amused snort. "Not yet. You don't have that Alpha scent-that smell that seems to linger on Zack like a bad stench."
"You watch your mouth." Cloud snapped, the words out of his mouth before he could stop them and his heart clenched when he noticed that Rosso's eyes narrowed at his tone. Cloud, however, did not take a step back away from the woman's growing anger. In fact, it was Zack that had to place an arm around his waist to pull him back when Rosso snarled at the insult.
"Stop that's enough." Zack ordered, tugging Cloud against his chest and at the corner of his eye, he noticed that they had garnered not only the attention of Rufus' personal guard, but the other occupants as well. "Rosso, you need to leave. Now."
"Why." Rosso demanded, stepping closer. "Do you honestly think I need to respect him or you? After the atrocities that your family has committed? I'm sick of having to suck up to you because of the power and prestige that you so called hold-!"
At this point, Weiss had appeared at the balcony doors, his mouth set into a frown. "Rosso-" the words halted in his throat when he noticed the light emerging from his Guide's hand. "Rosso!"
Even when the anger had cleared, Cloud realized that Rosso had grown angrier in the snap of a second and it was too late to stop the woman's rage. Too late to stop her as she released the energy in her hand toward the balcony floor forcing it to shatter and force him and Zack into Junon's rushing waters below and block out the Weiss' and Rufus' screams as they plunged below, hitting the water hard enough for him to start black out. Vaguely, he feels Zack's hand reach for him before the blackness and chill of the water takes him away.
So much for a decent vacation.