Final Fantasy VII
Scintilla
By Lucky_Ladybug
Notes: The characters are not mine and the story is! This was inspired by the prompt Abduction at Sefikura Week 2025. The first part takes place after Dirge of Cerberus, but while they're still on Gaia. The second part takes place after they're on Earth in my Twilight and Dawn timeline and Sephiroth and Cloud have grown close.
Incident #1: Gaia
Cloud was pretty much used to being jumped by random weirdos by now, much to his annoyance. He usually made short work of them and quickly moved on, unless the fight was part of something bigger happening, like when Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz had attacked him in the wastelands. When he was jumped that night as he wandered the darkened streets of Edge, he felt prepared to handle it.
For a while the fight proceeded pretty much as he had thought it would, with him definitely having the advantage over the group of thugs trying to rob him or whatever they were trying to do. But when several more joined the fight, it was just too much and too many. They overwhelmed him, beating him to the ground while one struck him harshly on the head. He groaned, his grip on the fusion sword loosening as he fell unconscious.
Waking up was hardly pleasant. His head was throbbing, so was the rest of his body, and somebody had just kicked him in the ribs. He hissed, flinching at the cruel gesture.
"What's . . . what's going on?" he managed to mumble. "Why are you still here?"
"Oh, I'm afraid my men took you on my orders, Mr. Strife," came a smooth, educated voice from a loudspeaker in the room. "You're in one of my warehouses."
"Why?" Cloud rasped. He didn't recognize the voice at all. Was it someone from Wall Market? Someone who knew Don Corneo? Someone else he'd ticked off?
"Let's say I'm trying a little experiment," the man replied.
"I'm not interested in your stupid experiments," Cloud retorted. He tried to get up only to be violently kicked back down. Another hiss of pain.
"You don't have much choice but to participate in this one, I'm afraid," the voice said. "You certainly held out well against my men. Just as I would expect from a SOLDIER . . . or one who fights as well as one."
Cloud frowned in confusion. "You know I'm not . . . ?"
"I know many things, Mr. Strife," was the disturbing answer. "And I hope to know many more before we're through."
Cloud scowled. "What do you want to know? Maybe I would've told you without your men roughing me up first."
"Oh, it's not so much what you know, Mr. Strife . . . just what your predicament may cause."
"Huh?" Cloud squinted up at the ceiling where the loudspeaker seemed to be coming from. "What are you . . ."
A buzzer interrupted him and several new thugs joined whoever was already in the room with him.
"This is a fight, Mr. Strife. A fight to the death."
A chill went through Cloud's veins, followed by an adrenaline rush. In spite of how badly beaten he already was, he struggled to his feet. "I'm not going down easy, whoever you are," he said. "I've faced worse than your men any day."
"That's the spirit, Mr. Strife!" The person sounded more entertained and pleased than anything else. "Yes, fight all you can for as long as you can. For when you can no longer go on . . . your life is forfeit."
Cloud clenched his teeth. This was not going to be fun. And he still didn't know what this creep's game was. Was he testing Cloud's endurance for some reason? Was this some screwy way of figuring out whether to hire Cloud for a job? Cloud already knew he'd say No after all this. Maybe some morons would get a charge out of being tested and hired this way, but not him.
The fights all blurred after a while. There was never just one opponent, but always at least two, usually more. He still had his fusion sword but no materia, and he fought and fought in spite of how his body was screaming at him to stop. He couldn't stop, couldn't give up and die now. He had reasons to live, people who could never stand it if something happened to him. He would never let this creep have the last laugh.
His drive and determination and love for everyone he cared about kept him going far longer than he should have been able to go. When his body finally gave out at long last and he collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily and gasping and trying and failing to get up, he knew it was it. He had fought with all his might, but there were still more opponents and he just. Could not. Do it.
He clenched a weak fist. "Tifa . . ." he whispered.
"Very impressive, Mr. Strife," came the hated voice again. "You performed even better than I thought possible, especially when you were already injured. But now, I'm afraid, it's all over."
Cloud could hear the safeties on multiple guns coming off at the same time. He tensed. "Why . . . why did you do this?" he choked out. "Who are you?"
The first gun fired.
The bullet never hit its target.
Instead, there came a clang as it struck metal and ricocheted back on the shooter. He cried out with a choked gasp as he collapsed to the floor.
Now the other guns fired, but not at Cloud. More clang of metal. More ricochets. And then . . . the sounds of blood and slaughter. All of Cloud's would-be assassins were soon lying dead around him.
Cloud could only lay there, stunned and bewildered. Someone had come to his rescue. Someone . . . but who?
"You came!" the voice exclaimed in delight. "I knew you would!"
The voice that responded was the last voice Cloud had ever expected to hear. And yet . . . somehow he'd known. The reflexes, the mastery of the sword, the swift work of death. . . . It could only be him.
"This was all a ploy to get me to come out?" Sephiroth sounded dark, dangerous. He wasn't amused or intrigued.
"It was a test," came the reply. "Could you bear for anyone other than yourself to be the one to defeat Mr. Strife? I knew you could not! If he were in danger, you would never let him perish if someone else were about to deal him the final blow."
Cloud could feel the rage rolling off Sephiroth in waves. But instead of even addressing the person, he bent down next to Cloud and lifted him into his arms. It was strange, almost, how gentle and tender he was being. Cloud hadn't thought Sephiroth could ever be like this again, not after his mind had shattered.
But . . . he had been different ever since their adventures in that other realm. He had helped Cloud out of a predicament the last time they had met, and now . . .
He straightened, Cloud's badly beaten body held firmly in his arms. "Once Cloud is safe, I'm coming back for you," he vowed. "And there is nowhere on this Planet that you will be able to hide from me. Count your moments alive. They're numbered."
Brief silence. Then, "My word, it isn't about you being the one to defeat him!" the voice gasped, honestly shocked. "You love him!"
Sephiroth unfurled his wing, flying up through a skylight without another word.
"I won't be here when you come back, Sephiroth," the voice quietly mused over the loudspeaker. "And we will meet again. You are too fascinating not to continue studying. You and Mr. Strife."
Cloud was barely conscious as Sephiroth flew into the sky. "Where are we?" he mumbled. Vaguely he remembered something about that nut's last words before they got away, but he was too hurt to really think about it. Maybe he would later.
"At the edge of Edge," Sephiroth replied, probably thinking he was clever.
Cloud grunted, slumping more against him as he felt and listened to Sephiroth's heart. It was racing, but slowing down to normal. That it was beating at all seemed incredible, unreal. In the past, Sephiroth returning to life would have been a horror. Cloud still wasn't sure what it was, but . . . Sephiroth had helped him the last time they had met, and now this time . . .
"You saved my life," he said gruffly. "How did you show up just at the right moment?"
"I felt your pain, Cloud," Sephiroth said. "I felt every hit, every blow you took. I felt your soul cry out for help, even though you knew there was no one to hear you. And I came. I told you I would, if you called out to me."
"I didn't, though," Cloud said.
"Not consciously, perhaps, but subconsciously," Sephiroth said.
Cloud grunted and gave a weak shrug. "I don't know if that creep would have really had me killed or not, but . . . thanks."
"Most likely he would have maimed you first," Sephiroth said. "That would have been a tragedy. To watch you fight was a work of art."
Cloud stiffened a bit at that. "Were you watching me fight?"
"After I arrived, yes," Sephiroth said. "Then I went in to help you when you needed me."
Cloud clenched a fist. It would have hurt any time, but especially now, when he was beat-up and bleeding and had just started to wonder if there was any chance Sephiroth could be saved, it was not what he needed or wanted to hear. "The old you would have come in as soon as he got there," he muttered bitterly. "He would have fought alongside me and never let things get as bad as they did. I needed you as soon as those thugs ganged up on me to kidnap me! Just how long were you watching?!"
Sephiroth was silent a moment. "Not long," he said at last. "Some of the time was spent looking for you. I didn't find you immediately." He sounded strange. Was he only realizing now that he should have gone in as soon as he arrived? Or maybe he just thought Cloud was ungrateful. Knowing the way he was now, that was most likely it.
Cloud sighed and closed his eyes. He was too badly hurt physically to deal with this right now. Maybe Sephiroth really had only watched for a moment to assess the situation before swooping in. And even if that wasn't true, he had saved Cloud's life. Twisted or not, he wasn't the same megalomaniac as before. Or at least, he didn't seem to be right now.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I'm glad you came. Let's just not make a habit of me needing help, okay?"
"Well, that would be more up to you than me, Cloud," Sephiroth replied. Cloud could hear the smirk in his voice.
"Yeah, I know," Cloud muttered. He looked around, seeing the buildings growing more numerous and dense. "Where are we going?"
"Home," Sephiroth said. "So you can get the proper help."
"You're not going to treat me yourself?" Cloud wondered. Not that he specially wantedSephiroth to do that, but . . .
"Not this time." He sounded strange again.
Cloud frowned a bit. With anyone else, he might ask if they were okay. This was Sephiroth, of all people. He would just say he was, surely, and why would Cloud even ask anyway?
They landed at 7th Heaven, and for whatever reason, Sephiroth entered through the back door instead of going through the front and scaring everyone who might be in the bar.
He still nearly walked right into Tifa.
She gasped in shock and then horror and indignation. "Cloud!" She ran over, despite that putting her in extremely close proximity to Sephiroth. "What did you do to him?!"
"It wasn't him, Tifa," Cloud said as the surrealness of the scene really began to dawn on him. "He saved me, actually."
Sephiroth nodded. "I'll take him upstairs." He brushed past Tifa, heading for the stairs.
Tifa just stared after him a moment and then hurried to get what she could to help treat Cloud's injuries.
Upstairs, Sephiroth laid Cloud on the bed in his room. "You'll be alright now," he said. He stepped back.
"You're really going after the guy who did this?" Cloud asked.
"Of course. He could do it again, and he needs to get the message that no one hurts you except me." Sephiroth's eyes were dark, the pupils cat-like slits. He was still furious, perhaps even moreso now that he was seeing Cloud in the proper light and all that had been done to him.
"You haven't even been hurting me for a long time," Cloud remarked. "You've been helping me. Why?"
"Because . . ." Sephiroth hesitated, debating with himself. Finally he reached out, touching the side of Cloud's face. But he drew his hand back almost immediately when Cloud tensed. "Nevermind. We'll meet again, Cloud. Just let me know when you want me to come."
Cloud snorted at that. "Yeah right."
Then he was gone, leaving only a black feather behind.
Tifa arrived soon after, ready to do what she could to help.
"He's gone?" she said in surprise.
"He wanted to go beat up the guy who did this," Cloud said. "Probably leave him dead like all the thugs who were trying to shoot me."
Tifa sat down and started tending to the nearest wound. "Why did he save you?" she wondered.
"Don't know," Cloud said. "Something about . . . no one being allowed to hurt me except him." He scoffed.
Tifa sighed. "He'll probably be back, won't he." She didn't even sound surprised by this, just resigned.
"Probably," Cloud said. "Don't know when, though."
Outside in the dark, Sephiroth had not yet left. He had lingered to make sure Cloud would be alright. Now that Tifa was there, Sephiroth prepared to leave. He paused, staring down at his gloved hands as his eyes flickered.
"Cloud . . . I wish I were whole again," he whispered. "I wish there was a way. . . ."
The sane him was always there, of course, usually buried under years of insanity and grief. But of late he had started to bleed through to the surface more often, still twisted and melding with the more prominent side of his personality, but still present.
Was it the experiences he had gone through in World B? Without his memories, he had still been that curious mix of sane and insane, with the sane side rising to the surface much more often. That had continued since recovering his memories, as though now seeing he had a foothold, he refused to let go.
But for now, his eyes darkened again with the look of a hateful predator. Unfurling his wing, he flew off into the night.
It was time to teach Cloud's abductor why deliberately inciting his ire was a terrible mistake.
Incident #2: Earth
Cloud really didn't remember much of what had happened. Something about being accosted walking down a deserted hallway in the company building, fighting off his attackers, and ending up chloroformed by another while distracted. Now he was laying on a cold floor and it felt like he'd been stripped to his waist.
He was also in such a complete daze. Maybe it hadn't been chloroform they used, but something else. Whatever it was, he couldn't fully come out of it. Everything was so hazy. . . .
"Mr. Strife? Are you with us again, Mr. Strife?"
He could only manage a grunt in response.
"Do you remember your name?"
Of course he remembered his name. He wasn't that far gone. Another, more annoyed grunt.
"Good!" Apparently the guy was taking that as a Yes. "Tell me, Mr. Strife, do you know if there are portals between Earth and Gaia?"
What the heck? Even if he knew, why would he tell this creep?
"Nothing now? Well, I know you likely wouldn't want to tell me even if you do know, but then I'm afraid you'll only end up hurt worse."
A sharp kick to the other side of his ribs. He flinched, but still said nothing.
"You aregoing to be difficult, aren't you? Well, no matter. I'd be disappointed if you weren't! You really should have high endurance to withstand my questioning for quite some time. I'm prepared for that. You might not be."
He growled low in his throat. Of course it was going to be like that.
He thought he heard something like the guy saying he was a professor at some university on Gaia who'd ended up here and was trying to get back home, but maybe he was wrong on that. Everything was getting hazy again.
Ugh, why couldn't he fully wake up. . . .
The guy's men were rough on him—kicking, hitting, backhanding him. . . . He could fight them off easily if his whole body didn't feel like a jellyfish. As it was, he could barely make his body move.
"Not so tough now, are you?" sneered one.
"This is the guy who brought down Sephiroth?" laughed another.
"Then Sephiroth must be a pushover," said a third.
"Now, boys, you really mustn't mock him," the professor interjected. "It's hardly his fault he's having such a bad reaction to what you used on him. And Sephiroth is nothing to jest about, as many have discovered before you."
Cloud managed a grunt of agreement.
"So, Mr. Strife, what about Sephiroth?" the guy asked now. "How did he send everyone here? Does he know if there are portals, do you suppose? I wonder if he would tell all . . . if it was the only way to save you."
Alarm and anger rose in Cloud's heart. No. . . . he wasn't going to be used as a bargaining chip. He wasn't.Not that Sephiroth knew anything on the subject anyway. He was just as confused as everyone else. He hadn't deliberately sent everyone here with a portal. Whatever spell he had used had done that for him. And it had turned out to be a blessing for all of them, especially him.
Sometimes there were breaks in the questioning so Cloud could rest. It never seemed to last long enough and the hitting and slapping started again, and then the questions. . . .
Who was Sephiroth to him? How was the man alive? What was the true extent of his powers?
The only thing Cloud managed to say in response to any of their intrusive nonsense was a mumbled and likely barely distinguishable oath. That only earned him a further kick and a displeased comment from his captor. But he wasn't going to talk. These people . . . they didn't deserve to know anything, even the few answers he could give.
That was when the door nearly blew off its hinges. He looked up blearily, seeing the figure silhouetted in the doorway, the moon behind him—silver hair streaming out, black clothes, a wing to match. . . . Dark angel framed against the sky. . . .
"What are you doing? Why was Cloud taken?" His voice was like ice.
"Ah, Sephiroth! Welcome, welcome!" Cloud's captor grinned. "You can have him back all in good time. Just answer a few things for me, will you?"
Sephiroth just glowered, not answering further. The insane him probably would have felled every kidnapper in the room by now. Sane again, his glare was, perhaps, enough to do that anyway.
Undeterred, the abductor leaned back in the chair and brought his fingertips together. "It really is remarkable how you got us all here," he commented. "How did you do it? A portal? Just how strong are your powers? Do you still have access to all of them?"
Of course, Sephiroth refused to answer. His men tried to lunge from all sides, weapons bared, only to be thrown back all at once by an upraised hand and Sephiroth's forceful telekinesis. Someone else tried to shoot and his gun was promptly carved in pieces by two swings of the Masamune.
"That's only a small sample," he said. "Don't push me."
The abductor found this exhilarating instead of concerning. Who was this nut? He was reveling in everything, enjoying seeing Sephiroth defend himself against all of the guy's men. Laughing, laughing. . . .
"Oh, we'll definitely have to meet again," he declared. "But for now I believe this little experiment is over."
With that, he pressed a button and swirled out of the room in his chair via a secret panel in the wall.
Sephiroth ran over, feeling across the wall for the way to open it. Failing to find the lever, he turned his attention away from it. He surely could have found it, had he kept looking, but he was far more concerned about Cloud.
The guy's men weren't any threat now. They cowered and whimpered, just wanting to not stir up any more of Sephiroth's wrath. He glowered at them, eyes cat-like slits, and knelt down beside the beaten form. "Cloud . . ."
Cloud could hear the pain in his voice. He hadn't got there soon enough to stop this from happening. Cloud knew that feeling all too well—the guilt, the grief, the blame. . . . He didn't want Sephiroth to feel it.
He reached up a shaking hand, managing to make contact with the side of Sephiroth's face. "Okay. . . . I'm okay," he mumbled. His hand ran down the long bangs before dropping back to the floor.
Sephiroth reached for him, taking him in his arms and cradling him close. "You're not okay," he said sorrowfully. "But you will be." Then he stepped outside and took flight.
The sudden motion was jarring and yet a relief all at once. Cloud slumped farther against his rescuer as consciousness left him.
When Cloud regained consciousness again at last, he finally felt more like himself. He was laying on his bed at home, still shirtless, and Sephiroth was tenderly tending to every cut and bruise. The pain and anger in his eyes was obvious; the pupils were still cat-like slits. Then he paused, sickened horror filling his face as he stared down at Cloud's mid-section.
Cloud knew immediately what he was looking at. Not any injury from tonight, but the remnants of a very old injury, one for which he still bore the scars and always would. This was the first time Sephiroth had actually seen the traces of what his blade had done to Cloud. Cloud had tried to keep it from him, but on this occasion he had failed.
"Hey . . . it's over," Cloud rasped, reaching to lay his hand on Sephiroth's.
"I did that to you," Sephiroth whispered. "And so many others. . . ." His gaze traveled over the rest of Cloud's upper body. Indeed, there were multiple scars from their fights.
"You've probably got more from me, if you'd let them show," Cloud remarked.
Sephiroth shook his head. "Any wounds you gave me were justified. Mine never were." He sighed heavily, returning his attention to the remaining injuries from that night. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Cloud said. "What the heck did they give me anyway?!"
"I don't know," Sephiroth said darkly. "Vincent took a blood sample to run some tests."
"I hated feeling so useless," Cloud muttered.
"But at least you surely realize you couldn't help it," Sephiroth said.
"I guess," Cloud said. "If I could have fought them all off in the first place. . . ."
Sephiroth said, "You were drugged while you were distracted fighting them all off. They knew that was the only way they could get you."
". . . I guess you don't know who that nut is," Cloud said, deciding to change the subject.
"He taught at a university in Midgar," Sephiroth said. "Genesis liked him. I never did. Now I know I was right." He finished cleaning and bandaging the last wound. "Not that I care about being right. I wish with all my heart I wasn't."
"You found me in time," Cloud said. "I'm glad you were right about that."
"I heard the commotion and saw you being dragged out into the car when I looked through a window on the fifth floor," Sephiroth said, the anger still audible in his voice. "I jumped out the window and tried to catch it in time, but I couldn't."
Cloud had to weakly smirk, imagining the scene it must have caused had anyone seen Sephiroth make such a leap without hurting himself.
"Zack and I and Reno and Rude looked everywhere," Sephiroth continued. "Finally Reno reported that the car was down at the docks in the warehouse district. I flew over to get there faster."
"How long was I gone?" Cloud wondered. "It seemed like days."
"More like several hours," Sephiroth replied. "But that was too much as it was."
"Imagine, that creep had the nerve to bust right into the building to take me," Cloud snorted. "Even Dalton wouldn't do that."
"Dalton probably would if he thought he could get away with it," Sephiroth said.
"What a jerk," Cloud grumbled.
"This person took you to get at me," Sephiroth said. "That was obvious."
"I know." Cloud gripped Sephiroth's hand again. He couldn't say it was okay, because it wasn't. He would feel horrible had the situation been reversed. Sephiroth was aching now.
Strange, how this situation was both similar and different to that other time Cloud had been abducted. This time, Cloud had been so drugged up he hadn't been allowed to fight. And Sephiroth had burst in the moment he had arrived. He hadn't lingered to watch what was going on or whatever. And he hadn't killed anyone this time, even though he likely would have been justified in doing so.
Sephiroth finally squeezed Cloud's hand in turn. "I'll let everyone know you're awake," he said. "Zack is still driving back from where he was looking."
"I'd rather the girls and the kids didn't see me like this," Cloud mumbled, indicating all the bandaging and visible bruises. "Tifa was so worried that other time. . . ."
"I know." Sephiroth handed Cloud a clean shirt. "Do you need help putting it on?"
"I've got it." Cloud rose up, grimacing as he did, but somehow slid one arm into the shirt and then the other. He fumbled a bit with the buttons, but managed to close them and then leaned back with a sigh. ". . . Thanks," he said at last.
Sephiroth nodded. "I retrieved the one they took off of you, but I assumed you'd want it washed before wearing it again."
"Yeah, probably," Cloud said. A pause, then, "You know, I think that was the first time I've seen you use telekinesis when you're sane."
"That man's thugs regret tangling with me and will likely, wisely try to avoid it in the future," Sephiroth remarked. "But I know we'll hear from him again. He'll just hire other henchmen."
"Yeah, probably so." Cloud frowned. "What he was going on about. . . . Do you think there's really portals to Gaia here?"
"I wouldn't be surprised, after all we've been learning," Sephiroth said. "And in any case . . . I have the ability to make portals. If I can figure out the coordinates for Gaia, I should be able to open one to there myself."
"Maybe you could dump that guy in one," Cloud grunted.
"I might, only I wonder if he wants to return there for completely innocuous reasons," Sephiroth said. "Perhaps we'd be cursing Gaia to send him back there."
Cloud rolled his eyes. "With our luck, probably."
Sephiroth hesitated again. "Cloud . . . how much do you remember about that other time?"
"Huh?" Cloud blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"How much do you remember about . . . everything. Why you were taken, who did it . . ." He trailed off. If there was more he was going to ask, he didn't.
Cloud frowned, thinking. "I remember everything," he said. "At least, I'm pretty sure I do. That creep took me to deliberately draw you out. He admitted that, didn't he? And . . ." He looked at Sephiroth in horror. ". . . Did you ever find him that night?"
"No, I didn't," Sephiroth said sorrowfully. "And tonight . . . it was him again. I'm sure of it, even though before we only heard his voice."
"Great." Cloud passed a hand over his eyes. "So he'll probably come after me again."
"He will sorely regret it if he does," Sephiroth responded, his eyes dark. Insane or sane, he wouldn't tolerate his loved ones being harmed.
"Sephiroth . . ." Cloud looked up at him. "Back then, you seemed like you were getting better, kind of. I mean, you were still nuts, but I kept seeing glimpses of the real you. What happened? You suddenly flipped and sent us all here when you were trying to conquer the world again or something. What made you go off the deep end again?"
Sephiroth paused, looking honestly confused. "I . . . don't know," he realized. "I don't remember."
"Was it Rufus making all those other yous?" Cloud wondered. "Did that trigger something in you again?"
"I . . ." Sephiroth shook his head. "I don't know." He stared off into the distance. "It almost seems that it wasn't, that it was something else, but . . ." He looked back to Cloud in further, utter bewilderment. "The sense I'm getting from the memories just out of my reach is that it may have not even been for an evil reason that I used that spell. But . . . that's what we have always thought. And what other reason could it have been? Why else would I send everyone to a new planet? Wasn't I just trying to get all of you out of my way so I would be free to conquer Gaia? I didn't mean to send myself as well. At least . . . I never thought I did. . . ."
Cloud leaned into the pillows, pondering. Something wasn't adding up. It had never added up, but they had never tried to take it out and examine it before.
". . . Why would you send me away too?" he said at last. "You wanted me with you. You said you only felt alive anymore when you were with me."
"Yes, that's true," Sephiroth said. He stared off into the distance. ". . . I remember those days. I wanted to be with you so badly, but I respected your space when I hadn't before. And I . . . wished that I were truly myself again, so that perhaps you would want to be with me too. . . . No, so that I would be worthy of you. . . ." He trailed off, staring at Cloud in shock.
Cloud was looking back in equal shock. "Sephiroth . . . is it possible at all that you did know using that spell would heal you? That you even did it because of that? Maybe the price for using it was forgetting the real reason you cast it or something. I don't know. Magic that powerful must have had a price."
". . . It is possible," Sephiroth realized. "It's hard to comprehend, in one way. I believed so strongly that Jenova was my mother. Did I know that using that spell would break our connection and reveal the truth?"
"Probably not," Cloud said.
"And I still wanted the world. But . . ." He was staring at Cloud again. "You had become my world, Cloud. Being with you was all I wanted. Not Gaia's destruction. Not godhood. Just . . . you."
Cloud's eyes widened, the memory of his abductor's words finally returning to him.
"My word, it isn't about you being the one to defeat him! You love him!"
"Funny," he said at last. "The guy who took me . . . he figured it out before we did. Or at least, before I did."
Sephiroth still looked like he wasn't sure what to think. "If this is actually true, Cloud . . . how would you feel about it? Would you be angry with me for thrusting us into this other world, this other life . . . because of you?"
"I . . ." Cloud pondered, but it was impossible to really know the answer to such a hypothetical question. Or was it. . . .
"You sent us all into a better life," he said at last, smiling. "If any of this is true, maybe you also even knew Zack and Aerith and Angeal would be restored if you did it. Maybe it wasn't just for me; maybe you did it to save them too."
Sephiroth finally smiled a bit. "That is an encouraging thought."
"I'm not mad," Cloud continued. "I'm grateful." He reached up to draw Sephiroth down into a hug. "Thanks, for all of this."
Sephiroth held him close. Had this been his dream when he had used the power that had sent them all here? Had he known he would forget the reason for doing it but still felt the chance of that happiness was worth it?
It definitely had been worth it. He was whole and they were all here together. And, despite the weight of his sins from his insanity, they felt he was worthy. Cloud felt he was worthy.
"Shall we tell the others of our theory?" Sephiroth asked.
"Let's talk to Zack and Aerith first, see if they might remember anything," Cloud said. "Probably not tonight, though."
"Yes, not tonight. You need to rest." Sephiroth drew back and walked over to the door. "I should let the others come in now. Are you ready?"
Cloud nodded. "Yeah."
He smiled as Tifa, Aerith, Marlene, and Denzel all hurried in once Sephiroth let them know it was alright. Zack followed as soon as he arrived. They were all happy and relieved to see Cloud awake and alert, and Cloud was happy to see all of them. Sephiroth stayed too, smiling gently at the scene. By now, finally, his pupils had expanded. He wasn't as furious as he had been.
They were still worried about what this person might cause in the future, but for now they would relax and let Cloud recover. Hopefully nothing else would go wrong before then.
Cloud and Sephiroth had a lot to think about too. Could the idea they had come up with be true? It sounded crazy, impossible, and yet it didn't. It was comforting in a way, even, to think that maybe Sephiroth really hadn't backslid after it had seemed like his sane self had been getting more of a foothold again. Maybe they would never know for sure, but Cloud felt like he would continue thinking that perhaps that really was the explanation anyway. It would be interesting to see what Zack and Aerith would say about it later.
For now, he needed to rest.
He settled in the bed, hugging the others again as the pull of sleep increased. The last sight he saw was Sephiroth embracing him and smiling warmly.
He smiled and hugged back, drifting to sleep peacefully in Sephiroth's arms.
Ending Notes: Well, this is an interesting theory they have come up with. Could it be true? The original, unfinished Twilight and Dawn story certainly doesn't have it this way, but then again, that story's timeline is hard to place because it was a mild crossover with Yu-Gi-Oh!, and at the time, I was writing a different YGOtimeline than my current one. I also wasn't trying to incorporate Dissidia at that time (the first game hadn't even come out yet!), but now it's essential to what I want to achieve. So a Twilight and Dawntaking place in the current timeline might have some things go differently and could involve a different reason for their displacement to Earth. Time will tell. Perhaps.