The Fairest of All? Redux

by LuckyLadybug

Reworking of old story, now set in the current timeline. Why are Sephiroth and Cloud stuck in the Snow White fairy tale? Why is Sephiroth in the Snow White role and Cloud the Huntsman? Why is Zack narrating without them realizing it's him? Why are there pixies instead of Dwarfs? Why is Aerith's hair many yards long? This is one very warped fairy tale.

Kingdom Hearts

The Fairest of All?

By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters aren't mine and the story is! This is what happens when I rewatch Snow White (the animated one). This is a partial reworking of an old story I did in my original KH timeline. It's so amusing and cute I really wanted to share it on AO3, but it just wouldn't fit the current timeline without some adjustments. Many thanks to Crystal Rose of Pollux, as without her suggestion of the climatic revelation, I could not have put this version together. It won't be clear until the end that this is actually my current timeline and not AU, so please stick with me through all the fairytale silliness and enjoy the ride! As always, the idea of the Evil Queen enraged because Sephiroth is the fairest of all is based on a hilarious picture by LB82 on DeviantArt called Who is the Fairest? The original image has been removed, but a copy still exists in a Sephiroth fan club.

The clicking of heels echoed down the hallway, accompanied by an ominous shadow that gradually diminished to the size and build of a woman. Her face, which could have been beautiful, was cold and hard, frozen in a perpetual scowl. Her eyes were glittering with the anticipation of her morning ritual. She needed to be told that she was the most beautiful in the land. No one else told her, because she did not associate with her subjects, and they did not like her, anyway. But she did not care, as long as she could rule over them with fear.

Reaching the throne room, she grasped the golden carved door handles and flung them open. Light spilled into the room and the mirror glowed in response.

"Good morning, my queen," it intoned.

She smirked quietly as she walked over to it. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" she purred.

"You are very fair, it's true," replied the mirror, and the Queen's eyes narrowed at the new greeting. "But the exiled warrior who has arrived at the kingdom's borders is much fairer than you."

For a long moment an uneasy silence reigned in the spacious room. Then the enraged voice burst forth.

"WHAT?!" she screamed. "Who is this warrior? Show her to me!" Some filthy woman, no doubt, with short or unkempt hair and ragged, bloodstained clothes. How could she possibly be more fair than the Queen? How could anyone?

"The warrior is not a female," the mirror said.

In the next moment the Queen's reflection faded in favor of a scene. It seemed to be part of the forest, and a tall, well-built figure was standing to the side of a pool. Apparently he had just finished bathing, as he was in the act of wringing out his hair. He was bare to the waist, and the three blue wings sprouting from his back twitched as the morning light hit upon them.

The woman stared in a mixture of shock, horror, and disbelief. This . . . this creature was more fair than she? No! That was impossible. The mirror must be malfunctioning. She drew back her arm, fury sparking in her eyes. She would destroy it and start anew! Another mirror would not speak of such outrageous ideas! Another mirror would recognize that no one was more pleasing to the eye than she!

But before she could smash the glass, the man turned, as if he knew he was being watched. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

As the mirror went in for a closeup, an enraged gasp flew from the wicked Queen's lips. He was beautiful. His skin was smooth and firm, without blemish. His deep emerald eyes were framed by eyelashes for which many women would die. His expression was still serious, but it did not take away in the least from his features.

His silver hair was long and perfect. As he began to brush it, it glistened under the sun's rays. Most women spent their whole lives struggling to get their locks even half as fine.

She hated him. In one moment, her hatred had filled her heart nearly to the point of it bursting. A fist clenched, the long and pointed nails digging into her palm until drops of blood appeared.

"I want him dead!" the Queen caterwauled, her voice echoing unfavorably through the room. Any servants in listening range made themselves scarce, not wanting to know to whom she was referring. "Do you hear me? I WANT HIM DEAD!"

"I'm a mirror, not an assassin," retorted the wall hanging. "And don't yell at me, I only work here."

"Oh!" The Queen whirled around in disgust.

"I know what I will do," she plotted aloud, not caring who might be overhearing. "I will send for the best swordsman in the land. He will fight this warrior and bring his heart to me. No one will defy me by being the most fair!"

The unseen narrator leaned back as he picked up the threads of the familiar and yet perhaps not so familiar story. "So the Queen sent for the one guy she figured could get rid of this new threat. Not too much was known about him, except that he was honorable and good. There was no way that she could get him to kill poor Seph just because she was jealous of his looks. But, if she twisted the story around, she was pretty sure she could make him act as her puppet.

"When it was getting close to evening, the swordsman was finally found and brought to the palace. He wasn't told what the heck this was about, only that the Queen wanted to see him and that it must be serious, because well, she wouldn't be sending for him if it was something trivial."

The spiky-haired fighter for hire looked up, glowering in the general direction of the ceiling. "Will you shut up already?" he snapped. "I'm trying to think here."

The narrator blinked at being talked back to by one of the participants in the story. But then he merely threw up his hands in resignation. "Okay, okay!" he said. "You take over."

"Thanks," the other replied, rolling his eyes.

As he was led into the throne room, the Queen remained seated, staring down her nose at him. Such a sight he made, with his wild blond hair and his tattered red cape. From the left shoulder, a ragged bat wing was limply protruding. But what interested her was the large sword clasped in his hands. It could so easily accomplish her desires.

"You are Cloud Strife?" Her voice was dark and poisonous.

He took note instantly. "Yeah," he said, continuing to stand where he was. "What is it you want from me?"

Her lip curled in derision. "You dare to speak that way to your queen?!" she fumed. "Kneel! Bow before me as I am speaking to you!"

He flicked his wing. "I think I'll stay where I am, thanks," he said. So the rumors he had heard really were true. She was as unpleasant and annoying as everyone said. If she was worth respecting, he would do what she wanted. But as it was, there was no way he was going to adhere to her wishes. He had not even wanted to come there. But hey, what could he do, with guards prodding him all along the way? Maybe by coming, she would offer him money if he would do something for her. He could use it.

The Queen glowered. Oh, the insolent boy! She wanted to strike him down then and there. But she still needed him. However, after he did her bidding, she was becoming increasingly tempted to end his life.

"There is a vicious beast loose in the woods," she told him, her voice clipped and declaring her disapproval. "It may reach the town if left to roam. You will go after it and destroy it."

Cloud's expression never changed. "There's lots of creatures in the woods," he retorted. "How will I know which one? And more important, what am I going to be paid?"

"You will know." Her eyes were as daggers. "There is only one beast bearing three blue wings."

The blue eyes widened only slightly before returning to their indifferent gaze. "I won't go after anything without a down payment," he said.

A small bag was thrust at his feet. "That is only a brief portion of what you will receive for killing this monster," she said. "Bring its wings and its heart to me, as proof of its demise, and you will receive ten times this amount."

Cloud bent down, picking it up and weighing it in his hand. From the feel of it, there was enough for his introductory fee, plus at least ten extra golden coins.

"I'll go look for it," he muttered, turning to go.

That was true, at least. There was no need to let her know that he had no intention of killing this "monster."

xxxx

It was after dark when Cloud journeyed into the woods, but he did not care. He was used to their every path and curve, and he knew how to avoid the dangerous Heartless creatures that made the forest their home. The "beast" he was tracking knew as well. He would have to, to survive here for some indeterminable time.

So, he thought to himself, you came back. After all these years, you came back.

He stooped to pick up a fallen feather. As he held it up to the light, the deep blue color shone clearly under the moonlight.

If he had refused the Queen, she would have only gotten someone else. And who knew what she would have tried to do to him. He was not afraid of her, but he was on guard when it came to a situation such as this. Since he had accepted, he could look for the warrior himself, speak to him, find out what was going on. It would be much harder to do that if he was trying to intercept some other mercenary.

Why did you come back?

After the disappearance of their mutual friend Zack, the other two had grown distant from each other. Eventually, their feelings had spilled over into a cutting argument. Each had vowed not to come back, nor to speak to the other, until they found news of Zack. Sometimes Cloud regretted what had happened between them. He wondered now and then if Sephiroth ever did, too. Cloud's pride kept him from admitting it. Perhaps in Sephiroth's case, it was more out of sorrow rather than pride. He no longer felt worthy to be a hero. Maybe he no longer felt worthy to be a friend, either.

Cloud himself had returned as a last resort, hoping against hope that Zack had found his way home again and that he was waiting. But there was no such luck. Zack was still not in the kingdom of Hollow Bastion. And Hollow Bastion itself had pretty much gone to the dogs. Cloud was seriously tempted to leave again, once all this was sorted out.

Yet it was still home. Instead of leaving, maybe he should stay and try to fix things. The Restoration Committee was trying, but they had been forced into the Underground and had to continue their plans in the deepest secrecy.

Most people insisted that Zack must be dead by now. He would not have left if there was not some danger that he was afraid would harm his friends. He had probably led it away from town and allowed himself to be killed by it to save the others. But those who loved him would not believe it unless they found his dead body.

A rustling in the brush brought Cloud to attention again. He gripped the sword, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. It could be a Heartless, or some other unsavory creature. But on the other hand, it could be . . .

He saw the glint of silver a moment too late. The Masamune was being held at his throat.

"Well, this is interesting," a low voice commented. "You're losing your touch, Cloud. If I'd wanted to kill you, you'd be dead by now."

Cloud glowered. "Sephiroth." He was still in the shadows, but now his light breathing could be heard nearby. "The Queen's out for your blood. What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything to her," was the grunted answer. "I've never even met her. She's a useless ruler, caring only for her own vanity. If I was still a hero, I would be leading the charge to bring her down."

"Hey, you chose to walk away from the life of a hero," Cloud retorted. "You could choose to come back to it."

"So could you, Cloud."

Cloud strained to see beyond the long katana to where his old rival was standing, but the shadows were too thick. A light breeze wafted through the trees' branches, and they waved their many arms, as if welcoming this meeting.

At last Sephiroth stepped into view, the moonlight shining upon his flowing hair. He looked the same as Cloud had always remembered. The years had not changed him, at least not physically. But the tired look in his eyes was obvious. And his wings seemed to be partially drooping.

Cloud frowned. "Why did you come back?" he asked.

"I heard that Zack might be here," Sephiroth replied.

"Well, he isn't," Cloud shot back.

"Not in town," Sephiroth said. "In the woods."

The frown deepened. "What would he be doing here?"

"I don't know." Sephiroth glanced over his shoulder. "But I will be staying until I learn the answer."

Cloud gripped the sword. "Don't even think of leaving me out!" he snapped, his voice harsh.

"I never said I would."

"You didn't come to tell me about this!" Cloud retorted. "Do you know I've been hired to kill you? That's the only reason I'm even in here in the first place!"

Sephiroth paused. "You didn't come to kill me," he said then.

Cloud only glowered. "What makes you say that?" he snapped.

Sephiroth shrugged. "You wouldn't even be talking to me, if that were the case," he said. "You would have yelled and lunged with your sword."

"Maybe I still will." Cloud regarded the other in disgusted anger. "If you knew Zack might be here, then you must've heard I'd come back to Hollow Bastion! It wouldn't have been any trouble for you, to teleport to my place and let me know what you'd found out! That was the deal, wasn't it?!" The longer he spoke, the more his voice rose. No wonder they had grown apart.

The only indication that Sephiroth was even reacting was a twitch of his upper wing. "I had a reason," he said.

"Oh yeah!" Cloud said. "I'm sure of it. You didn't want me to know. What a reason!"

"I didn't want you to know," Sephiroth said, his voice even, "because I didn't want you to have your hopes raised for nothing. I wanted to find Zack first, or find out what had happened to him, and then tell you."

"I would've told you, if I found something out!" Cloud screamed.

"Would you?"

Cloud blinked. When he really stopped to think about what he was saying . . . would he? Or would he have done exactly what Sephiroth had done? Maybe he would not have wanted to take any detours. Maybe he would have just wanted to hurry and start looking. Even though two people looking would possibly bring results sooner than one.

"If you don't have anything more to say, then I'm going to take my leave." Sephiroth half-turned, keeping his wings close to him.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud brought the buster sword to the other's throat. "I meant it when I said not to leave me out. I'm coming with you."

Sephiroth paused. "We would be able to cover more ground if we went in different directions," he said. "The forest is large. And if you don't return soon with proof of my death, the Queen might send someone after you."

"She'd probably just figure that I got killed by the 'beast,'" Cloud retorted. "I'm not going back there, with or without you. Unless we went to try to bring her down or something."

Sephiroth smirked slightly. "I thought you hated being a hero, Cloud."

"I do," Cloud muttered.

"And are you ever going to take your sword away from my neck?"

Cloud rolled his eyes as he stepped back, lowering the heavy weapon to the ground. "Okay," he said, "we'll split up. But we need a plan. How about we meet back here in three days or something?"

Sephiroth pondered on that for only a short time before nodding. "Alright," he consented. "And if one or the other doesn't show up, the one there will know that something has gone wrong."

"I won't know what to do," Cloud said. "Just randomly look everywhere?"

"I'm going this way," Sephiroth said, pointing North. "I've searched the south side. Why don't you try West?"

Cloud nodded. "Fine. Let's just hope I don't find Hansel and Gretel's gingerbread house."

Sephiroth was amused. "You'd be able to fight off the witch quite well," he said.

"If I wasn't so hungry I ate the whole house," Cloud muttered.

"Then the witch would be the last of your worries," Sephiroth said, equally sarcastic. "Your stomachache would be galactic."

Cloud snorted at that.

The narrator was also amused. "So Cloud and Seph went their own ways, hoping to find their missing friend. We'll come back to Cloud later. For now we'll follow Seph as he goes North, where the forest starts going uphill."

A wing twitched. Sephiroth looked up, as Cloud had done earlier.

"Are you planning to recount my entire experience?" he asked.

"That's the idea!" the narrator said.

Sephiroth's expression showed unbridled disgust.

The narrator chose to ignore it. Instead, he blissfully continued the narration.

"Well, it wasn't getting any earlier. As he went deeper into the woods, he figured he'd better find somewhere to crash for the night. Sleeping out in the open wasn't a good idea, because of the Heartless and all, but shelter was hard to come by. Still, as he came to the top of the next hill, he found what looked like an abandoned cabin. All the lights were off, and the door was even swinging open in the breeze!

"He thought it might be a hideout for Heartless, so he got his sword ready as he came to the door and peeked inside. Nothing creepy was in view, or in earshot, so he reached for the light switch."

"So the lights came on and it was a fully furnished place, with chairs, a table, beds . . . but the weird thing was, they were all really small! At least the ceiling was a normal height, or Seph wouldn't have even been able to get inside. When he did, he found gems and coins on one of the little beds, and weird trinkets too, like keys and bottlecaps.

"Turned out he'd wandered right into the domain of the Three Little Pixies!"

Sephiroth, who was standing by one of the beds, looked up in disbelief. "'Pixies'?!" he cried.

He frowned as he studied the unorthodox decor. If anyone still lived there, they were very careless. And he would not fit on any of the beds, even if he pushed all three of them side by side. They seemed to be crafted for children, and very small children at that. (Though, if that narrator was correct, it was pixies that had taken up residence.) But it was shelter from the Heartless, at least for now. He would just close the door and sit on the floor. Perhaps he would start a fire. The fireplace, amazingly, was normal in size.

Once the flames were crackling, he turned his attention to the kitchenette. He had not eaten since noon. Would there be anything here that would be suitable? He crossed the room, opening the first cupboard he came to. A jar of peanut butter and a package of crackers were inside. The next cupboard was bare. The third held a can of dried and candied fruit.

Not a very filling meal, to be sure. But he was not in the mood to go outside again and find an animal to kill. He pulled off his dark gloves, leaving them on the counter. Picking up the containers, he carried them to the child-size table before returning to search for silverware. With the dwellers' penchant for shiny things, it seemed that they would have collected knives, forks, and spoons. And here they were. He took a knife and returned to the table.

He would have to kneel on the floor to make the preparations. If he tried to sit in one of the chairs, he would only end up on the floor anyway—sprawling on his back and looking ridiculous.

He worked quickly, spreading the peanut butter on the crackers and pulling the plastic lid off of the metal can of fruit. Apparently it had already been eaten from, but there was still enough for him to have a good share and to leave some in case the residents came back (or in case he needed to come back). He could always replace it later, if need be.

He ate in silence by the fire, using a chair as his tray. His wings were spread around him, harmless as they lay on the rug. He stared into the blaze, deep in thought.

Where would Zack be, if he had come back? Why would he be in hiding? For that matter, why had he left? Was he badly hurt? Was he looking for his friends, as they were looking for him? Or did he even have amnesia? That was painful to think about. Zack looking at him, and not knowing him at all, was incomprehensible. But at least he would be alive. And he was such a resilient person, it was hard to imagine him not ever regaining his memories.

Finishing his scanty meal, he sighed and pushed the chair back. He had not slept well the previous night. And tonight he would need to keep semi-alert to watch the fire, unless he would rather sleep on the floor in the cold. Stretching out on the rug, he brought his wings close around him. His sword was right next to him, in case of a sudden attack. The Queen's forces were everywhere.

He stared into the flames, his eyes half-open. A wing thumped lightly on the floor as he dozed.

Somewhere in his semi-conscious state, the door was opening, and a trio of voices were exclaiming in disbelief at the state of their abode.

"Something took the food out of the cupboard!" exclaimed the first, who sounded the youngest.

"Something took a chair from the table!" cried the second, who sounded older, as well as the most kind.

"Something started a fire." The third voice sounded oldest, with a rough and suspicious hint to her tone. "And it's still here!"

"I don't appreciate being Goldilocks," Sephiroth muttered.

"More like Silver Locks!" said the narrator.

"What is it?!" yelped the first. Flying over, she surveyed the form in confusion. "It's got wings, but it's not a pixie."

"It's tired," commented the second. "But it has a sword. It could be dangerous."

"It's a man!" the third declared.

"A man?!" squealed the first.

"Men don't have wings," said the second.

"This one does," said the third.

Sephiroth grunted in displeasure at all the noise. Snapping fully back to awareness, he focused on the small creature in front of him. It was dressed in black leather, the silvery hair cut boyishly short with a random piece flopping into the face. But it was obviously a female. She narrowed her eyes as the bright green orbs focused on her.

"What do you want?" she asked. "You broke into our house. Don't you know what angry pixies do to people who intrude?"

"I apologize for my intrusion, but I didn't break in," he said flatly. "The door was open."

The second placed her hands on her hips, shooting a worried look at the youngest member of their team. "Rikku! Did you leave the door open?" she wanted to know.

The one called Rikku shook her head in vehemence as she threw up her hands. "No way!" she exclaimed, her long, blonde braids bouncing with the motion. "And invite all the thieves in? Are you kidding?"

The third frowned. "Our magic should have kept everyone out, even if the door was open," she said. "For you to get in, your powers are either stronger than ours . . ."

Which they likely are, Sephiroth added to himself.

". . . Or you were supposed to find us," the second finished, brushing her brown hair behind an ear.

By now Sephiroth was pushing himself into a sitting position. The three fairies continued to hover in front of him, torn between suspicion, fascination, and total bewilderment. Suddenly they all starting talking at once.

"How do you get your hair like that?!"

"Why do you have wings?!"

"They look a lot warmer than pixie wings. Can I pet them?"

Sephiroth regarded them in disbelief. "No," he grunted, in answer to the last question. "Who are you three?"

The third shook her head. "You're on our property. We've got the asking rights. Who are you?"

Sephiroth merely smirked in dark amusement. "How will you know I'm telling the truth, even if I give a name?"

"Oh, we'll know!" returned the first.

The third flew around him, her expression bespeaking intense concentration. She studied his face. She held up a lock of hair and examined his wings, much to his vexation. She checked his pockets to make sure he had not stolen any treasures. All the while he tried to grab for her, with her flying out of his reach every time.

At last she came to a stop next to her companions. They exchanged a look, and she gave a firm nod before looking to him again.

"You're the exiled warrior Sephiroth," she said.

He did not react. "What makes you think so?" he asked.

"It all fits," she said. "Sephiroth is known for his green eyes, amazing silver hair, and deep blue wings. And he's left-handed. Your sword is where it's easiest to lift in your left hand."

He continued to smirk. "Maybe I'm a magician who cast a spell in order to resemble him," he said. "Sephiroth hasn't been seen in Hollow Bastion for some time."

"If he's looking for his friend, he'd come back," said the second.

Now Sephiroth came to attention. Had they seen Zack? Or were they just trying to get a reaction from him? He kept his expression impassive. "What friend?"

"Zack Fair!" exclaimed Rikku.

"Have you seen him?" Sephiroth's voice did not change, unless a bit of a warning had crept into it. He would be furious if they were only using Zack's name as a way to learn information. And he would not let them gain whatever they sought.

"Maybe," replied the third, crossing her arms. "But you won't learn anything else unless you give us a treasure."

A wing twitched. So this was their game. He should have suspected it was leading up to this. They were obsessed.

"You already searched my pockets," he said in annoyance. "And you didn't find anything you were interested in."

"Oh well," the third shrugged, "I guess you won't find anything out then."

"That isn't nice," objected the second. "He's worried about his friend!"

"He doesn't act that worried," retorted the third.

And look vulnerable? Never! Then they would know for certain that they had him at a disadvantage. That would not help Zack . . . and it would not be very enjoyable for his pride, either.

"We've never had a man here," Rikku exclaimed. "Can we keep him?"

Keep him? As if he was some sort of pet that could be ordered about! The girl did not seem to have much knowledge of men. He would never remain if they tried to treat him like that.

"Of course not!" admonished the third.

Rikku pouted, then turned to the other. "Aw, come on, Yunie," she appealed. "What do you say?"

"Yunie" frowned. "We shouldn't," she said. "But if he needs a place to stay, just for the night . . ."

Rikku nodded eagerly. "And we need to find out why he passed through the spell, too," she said.

The third narrowed her eyes. "That's true, unfortunately."

"I'm right here," Sephiroth grunted. They were talking around him as if he could not hear a word. And it was irritating.

This was the last place he wanted to spend the night. It would be more desirable to go outside and stay on guard for Heartless. But Heartless would not know about Zack, and if they did, they would not speak. Though it might be easier to elicit sensible words from them than from this trio.

"If you stay," spoke the third, "we'll be watching you."

"I'd be staying where I am," he answered. "I don't have any interest in your treasures. And I promise I will compensate you for my being here."

"Give him a pillow or something, Paine!" Rikku encouraged.

So now he knew the approximate names of them all. And all were odd names. But they were fitting for such an odd trio, he supposed.

"He can use his arm," Paine said.

Sephiroth shook his head. This was going to be a bizarre night. Slowly he laid on the floor again. Hopefully that would be a signal for them to be quiet. He was dozing again already.

He almost fancied that a fluffy pillow had magically appeared between his head and the rug. For that matter, it seemed that he was now laying on a cot, with a quilt as well. Pixie magic, perhaps . . . or his own imagination.

Though it sounded like "Yunie" was saying in satisfaction, "That's better!"

xxxx

The narrator had settled back, enjoying the show. "So, around the same time Seph's chilling in the pixies' house, Cloud's wandered pretty far West. He's thinking he'd better find a place to lay down and sleep, too. Maybe climbing a tree would have to do. But when he thinks about it, he really feels too tired to bother."

"Don't tell me what I'm thinking!" Cloud shot back.

"I know, though," the narrator smiled. "I'm telling this story, pal."

"Yeah, right." Cloud flicked his wing. "Shouldn't I have found something by now?" he muttered.

"And, as Cloud burst into a clearing, he noticed something coming out of the sky, right towards him! He frowned, staring up at it suspiciously. Is it a bird? A plane? . . . It's a winged monkey!"

Said winged monkey flew in his face with a devious chatter.

"Not what I had in mind," Cloud grunted.

He gripped his sword as the bizarre creature came to a landing. It chattered away in its language, holding out a wrapped scroll for him to take.

Slowly he accepted, stabbing his weapon into the ground as he did. It did not seem harmful, but he was not going to take a chance. He would keep the sword right here, where he could easily grab it. He had never seen such a thing before in Hollow Bastion. Where had it come from? And why was it offering him a rolled piece of paper?

He leaned on the sword, slipping off the ring as he spread out the parchment. And his eyes widened.

Your friend Zack Fair has returned and is at the palace. Come back at once.

That was all, though it bore the Queen's ring symbol at the bottom. Cloud could only frown.

This whole thing sounded weird. How would the Queen know about Zack? And why would she want him to leave his mission to kill the "beast" in the woods? She had been pretty adamant about him not returning unless he had Sephiroth's . . . ugh. His lip curled at the thought. That was just disgusting.

Maybe she thought he had already completed it. Or maybe she wondered if he had been the casualty instead of Sephiroth. Or there could even be some other explanation.

But in any case, he had to go, of course.

He folded the paper, sticking it in his pocket. Then he looked to the monkey thing. "Okay, I need to get there right away," he said.

It moved forward, suddenly lifting into the air. As it did, it caught Cloud under his arms. He only had enough time to cry out in shock and pull up his sword before they were flying away. "I could have flown there myself!" he yelled.

When they got to the palace, the winged monkey burst right through the doors of the throne room. It threw Cloud to the floor unceremoniously, then hovered right above him as it chattered some more.

Cloud grunted, more from annoyance than pain, as he sprawled on the cold tiles. He must look so stupid right now! Still clutching the sword, he began to push himself to his knees.

"Did you have success on your mission?" The Queen's voice was as clipped and frozen as he remembered. Or maybe moreso.

"No," Cloud said, pulling himself up all the way. "I didn't find anything yet."

"I see." She stared down at him from where she was standing. "How curious, then, that you were speaking to the creature earlier."

The blue eyes widened briefly. How would she know? How could she possibly know? Had he been spied on, like by these crazy monkeys? No, he would have heard them, or sensed them, or something. And Sephiroth certainly would have. Maybe she did not know any such thing. Maybe she was fishing for information.

"Why would I be?" he asked.

"A very good question. I am asking . . . no, I am demanding, for you to explain yourself." Her voice rose. It was almost imperceptible at the moment, yet he could make out the change very clearly.

He snorted. "I don't know what you're talking about. Why would I talk to him . . . it?"

Now the fire came into her eyes. "I see all that is happening in my kingdom!" she cried. "I know that you spoke with him, and that both of you are seeking Zack Fair. And I know where the beast has gone!"

Right now he was torn between asking where Zack was (which she probably either did not know or would not tell him), and telling her to quit calling Sephiroth a "beast." Yeah, he had wings, but so what? That did not make him a monster. Cloud had a wing too, for that matter.

"What's your problem with the guy anyway?" he said.

The rage multiplied tenfold. "You will not question me!" she screamed. "And you will not see Zack Fair, either. You will be punished for your disobedience and your insolence!" She pointed a clawed finger at him. "You will be executed for treason against the Queen! But not before Sephiroth lays dead."

Now Cloud's anger was building as well. "I'm not going to kill him!" he yelled back. "And you don't know where Zack is. You just used him to get me to come here!" He brought his other hand to the sword's hilt. He would fight his way out of here if he had to.

He never had the chance. The floor opened underneath his feet. A cry of shock left his lips as he began to fall . . . down, down . . . into oblivion.

xxxx

When Sephiroth began to awaken again, there was the strange sensation that he was not alone. Of course, there were others in the house, but it seemed as though one of them was right there next to him. In fact, it felt like something was touching a wing. It twitched in reflex.

His eyes opened. Rikku was sitting on the floor, running her small hands over the lower wings, which were hanging over the side of the cot and to the rug.

"It must be nice, to have wings like this," she said, looking up at him.

He grunted. "They're useful," he replied.

She shook her head. "Not just that!" she said with impatience. "They don't look like they'd tear as easily as pixie wings do. And they're so soft!" With that, she scrambled underneath the deep blue plumage. "Warm, too!" she called.

Sephiroth moved his wings away from her. Even if her intentions were innocent, he was not comfortable with a stranger doing this. "What time is it?" he asked.

She sat up again, pouting. "It's morning," she replied, pointing to the window. "But it's cloudy today." She stretched. "Yunie went to get some berries and stuff for breakfast. Paine's getting some food, too. It's my turn to watch you!"

And how lucky I am, Sephiroth thought with dripping sarcasm.

He pulled himself into a sitting position. The pixie was right about it being morning. He had slept better than he had done the past few nights. Of course, one could never sleep well in the forests. There were too many things that could try to kill the slumberer. But when he had known that he was relatively safe for the time being, sleep had crept up so easy.

"How do you even fly with three wings?" Rikku asked, blinking at him. "Don't you need one on both shoulders?"

"I manage," Sephiroth grunted.

"Did you ever have a wing there?" she asked, pointing to his left shoulder.

"No," Sephiroth said, his tone flat.

"That's weird," frowned Rikku. "And where did they come from? Did they just grow? Is there some sub-species of human that has wings?"

"I've never heard of them," Sephiroth answered.

"Then was it some really nasty experiment?" She blinked up at him.

He smirked grimly. Ironically, it had been, at least for two of them. But he didn't want to explain that.

"It's just the way it is," he said then.

She pouted at his evasive responses. "Doesn't your hair ever get tangled up in your wings when you're flying?" she wanted to know. "It's so long! And what if it ever got caught on a sword in battle? Maybe someone would try to catch you by your hair."

"That wouldn't happen," Sephiroth replied in annoyance. Zack had wondered some of those same things in the past. It had amazed him that Sephiroth could actually manage with such long hair. But after so many years, Sephiroth was really quite used to it. It did not get in his way because he had learned how to ensure that it did not.

"How do you use that really long sword anyway?" she continued. "Especially if you're in a small place? What if it got stuck in the wall?"

Now Sephiroth gave her a weary look. "Do you ever stop asking questions?" he said.

She shrugged. "Sometimes."

"This would be a good time to stop."

Rikku crossed her arms, looking away. "Fine, then." She mulled over what had just transpired. "You know, you're as bad as Paine! Maybe worse."

He grunted. "Were you expecting anything different?"

She frowned. "I dunno."

Sephiroth sighed. As long as questions were being asked, there was something he needed to know as well. And it was important, unlike queries concerning his hair and his sword. Perhaps, since this talkative pixie was alone with him now, she would tell him what Paine had refused to speak of the previous night.

"Answer me honestly," he said, his voice stern. "Do you, or your friends, know anything about Zack Fair?"

Rikku came back to attention, shifting uncomfortably. "We know he's around," she said in an evasive way, looking at the man out of the corner of her eye.

Sephiroth's intense gaze did not change.

"Okay, okay, already!" Rikku shrugged. "We really don't know where he is. We just heard he'd come back to Hollow Bastion." She paused, frowning. "And he might be hurt. . . ."

"How badly?" Sephiroth demanded.

Rikku shook her head. "It must not be so bad he can't get around," she said.

Sephiroth leaned back. This was not good. He had been afraid that something had happened to Zack, or he would not have gone missing in the first place. But if he was still hurt, or if he had been hurt worse since then . . . who knew how serious it could be. Finding him had to be first priority.

"And there's some of those weird flying monkeys in the woods!"

He snapped back to the present. "What?" His eyes narrowed. What was she talking about?

"They're like part of the Queen's private army or something," Rikku frowned. "I don't like them. They catch fairies and use them like toys, until they break."

Well, that was not encouraging. Not that anything about this situation had been encouraging.

"Why would they be out?" Sephiroth asked.

"I don't know!" Rikku exclaimed. "It was like they were looking for something . . . or someone." She crossed her arms. "The Queen isn't mad at you or anything, is she?"

Sephiroth grunted. "I'm not one of her favorite people, no." There was no need to tell the full extent of her anger, that she had hired Cloud to kill and mutilate him. But he should not stay here. He had wanted shelter for the night, not to endanger those who came in contact with him. And who knew what might happen if he stayed, especially if she had her spies looking for him? He had probably learned all that there was to learn, anyway.

He started to get to his feet, letting the quilt fall to the cot. "I should leave."

Rikku flew up near his face. "You haven't even had breakfast yet!" she scolded. "You can't go off looking for Zack without eating."

"I'll find something," he answered.

"Oh come on! Yunie and Paine'll be back soon!" Rikku protested. "And they'll be upset if you leave without even saying goodbye!"

"I doubt that," Sephiroth said.

"A lot of the town's upset you left!" Rikku insisted. "Why did you go anyway? You didn't do anything wrong!"

Sephiroth looked away. "In some people's eyes, perhaps."

"Someone thinks you did?" Rikku frowned. "Who?"

"I do," Sephiroth said at last. "And Cloud does as well."

"Why?!" Rikku demanded.

"Nevermind," Sephiroth said. He didn't want to talk about it.

Rikku did not pay attention. "Maybe you and Cloud are both wrong!" she said. "Even the pixies like you, and you know they don't feel like that about a lot of humans! They still remember how you negotiated things to make things peaceful for both pixies and humans in Hollow Bastion!"

Sephiroth nodded. "I remember as well."

"So what I'm saying is, you're a good guy! You never stopped doing things like that . . . until, well, you left." Rikku frowned.

"I had my reasons," Sephiroth said. "And I'm sure some people—such as Cloud—were happy I left."

Rikku shook her head. "He hasn't been happy ever since you've been gone!" And she frowned with a new realization. "Don't you know how much he cares about you?"

"He did once," Sephiroth said quietly. "That was . . . a long time ago. We've changed too much since then."

"He still cares!" Rikku insisted.

Sephiroth was amused and somewhat intrigued by her insistence. "What makes you so sure?" he had to ask.

"He was happy whenever you guys were together," Rikku said. "Now he's never happy!"

"Because of Zack being gone. Not me," Sephiroth retorted.

At that moment, a thumping sound came from the door. Two pairs of eyes turned to look.

"Maybe that's Yunie and Paine now!" Rikku said, flying over to the knob.

Somehow Sephiroth knew something was going to go wrong, before the door was ever flung open. He wanted to tell her to stop, to wait. But he never had the chance.

The explosion was deafening. Out of instinct he threw his arms over his face and neck as chunks of wood pelted him. A bomb? The Queen had already learned his location and was trying again to end his life? It would be too much of a coincidence, to imagine that it was another enemy striking.

Slowly he straightened. The door was swinging on its hinges. The wooden porch was in pieces. He coughed, waving away the collecting smoke. The sound of rapidly flapping wings was growing further and further away. A winged monkey had done this, at the Queen's bidding. And where was . . . ?

He took several steps forward, then stopped. Rikku was laying on her side near the doorway, facing away from Sephiroth.

He narrowed his eyes, increasing his steps the rest of the way before collapsing to his knees next to the tiny form. Carefully he turned her towards him. Her body was limp. And she was not breathing.

She had been fine just a moment ago. . . .

No . . . he did not want anyone to die because of him . . . !

The bizarre and out of place sound of clapping echoed from somewhere far away. He looked up with a jerk. What . . . was that? Someone mocking the scene? . . . Or someone trying a strange and legendary way of reviving a pixie?

"Who's there?" he demanded.

But there was no answer.

It was then that the other two returned. As they approached, baskets in hand, they could only stare at the scene in disbelief.

"What happened here?" Paine demanded.

"Rikku!" Yuna cried, flying over and kneeling down beside the motionless pixie.

Sephiroth leaned back. When he spoke, his voice was sobered.

"A winged monkey left a bomb at the door. She didn't realize there was a problem and opened it."

If he had only been able to stop her, to warn her, that something would go wrong. . . . He had stood by, dumbly watching. Would there have even been time to say anything? She had moved so fast, flinging the door wide open. . . . Most likely, he could not have stopped her. But he still felt so responsible.

Paine's eyes flashed. "This is because of you!" she accused. "I knew you were bad news. I never should have said you could stay here."

Sephiroth began to pull himself upright. He should have left last night, even though they had agreed for him to stay. He must have been extremely tired, to the point of not fully being aware of anything. The last thing he wanted was to be a burden on anyone, but now it was much worse than just that. For someone guiltless to be dead because of him . . .

"Wait!" Yuna cried. "She's still alive!"

Both Paine and Sephiroth froze, turning to stare. Rikku was stirring now, weakly groaning as her eyes fluttered open. She blinked up at Yuna in confusion.

"Let's not do that again, okay?" she mumbled. "That was not cool."

Yuna just hugged her in relief.

Sephiroth stared. She had been dead. He could recognize a dead body when he saw one, especially after all the battles he had been in. How was she alive now? Was it some special pixie power? Paine and Yuna had both acted like they believed Rikku to be dead.

Perhaps the mysterious clapping had actually worked?

Paine looked back to Sephiroth. "It doesn't change that this happened because you're a wanted man," she said. "I don't want you here, and I don't care how you got past our barrier last night. Maybe something else even broke it before you ever got here." For all they would know, the Queen had been spying from the beginning. Maybe she had planned on Sephiroth reaching the fairies' home. And even though Sephiroth would not be able to help that, it still made Paine angry.

"I'm not planning to stay." Sephiroth started to walk past them. "I've imposed too much already."

Rikku frowned, looking up at him. "It's not like it was your fault!" she exclaimed woozily. She was going to have to be more careful when she heard crashes at the door. She had just been lucky this time. It might not happen this way another time.

"It was close enough," said Sephiroth. Why . . . why did this always happen? First Zack and now this pixie. . . . He had exiled himself in the first place afraid it was his fault Zack was missing. That was why Cloud had come to hate him so much. He was not worthy to be a hero, and he had proved that again.

Yuna bit her lip. "If you need to go, we need to tell you something first," she said.

He stopped, looking back. "What's that?" he asked.

"The birds and some of the other animals are our friends," she told him, "and they're saying that the Queen has taken a prisoner—someone you were talking with yesterday."

Sephiroth froze, his eyes narrowing. Cloud? The witch had Cloud? How had that happened? Did she know Cloud had never intended to kill him? Had she gotten him out of spite and a desire to see him suffer? Or was there another reason. . . .

"Do they know what she's going to do with him?" he inquired.

"She'll kill him, when you're dead," Paine said. "Why does she hate you so much, if you've done nothing to oppose her reign?"

"I don't have any idea." Sephiroth gripped the Masamune as he headed out the door. "I'd offer to fix your porch when this is over, but you can probably do that yourselves, can't you?" Now his tone was matter-of-fact.

"Yes," Paine said gruffly.

He nodded.

"Have these animals said anything about Zack Fair?" he asked.

"No." Paine's voice was short. "They haven't seen him."

And that was what he needed to know. Spreading his wings, he took flight into the gray sky. Behind him, the pixies were still talking.

"Maybe we should help him," Rikku was saying.

"The warrior Sephiroth doesn't need our help," Paine scoffed.

"I still have this feeling that something's going to go wrong," Yuna commented, worry in her tone.

Their voices faded as he rose higher, using the air pressure against his wings. He had to save Cloud. And maybe . . . even though he was skeptical he could really do anything, it was time for him to go up against the Evil Queen as well. She was ruining his home and endangering everyone because of trying to get him. He would not stand for that any longer.

Hollow Bastion was going to be free once more.

xxxx

"Hello? Helloooo?"

The voice penetrated Cloud's fragmented consciousness. He grunted, his wing thumping on the floor as he began to awaken. The fall had been awful. All he remembered of the impact was throwing out his hands to soften the blow, and that it had not worked very well. His head had hit the wall and it had been lights out. Was he even still alive at all? Death was weird, if this was it.

. . . No, the headache was stabbing through him with too much intensity. He was very alive.

"Where is this?" he mumbled.

"The dungeon, I'm afraid," answered a voice that sounded much too cheerful for the subject matter.

Blue eyes weakly slid open. Something was laying on the floor in front of him. . . . Something long and brownish-red in color. Okay, now he was fully awake. This hair was longer than Sephiroth's!

"Who are you?" He pushed himself into a sitting position, ignoring the headache screaming for attention. Maybe if he ignored it long enough, it would go away.

"Rapunzel," she smiled.

"Oh. Well, that's great," he said, still sardonic. "What are you in here for?"

She shrugged. "The Queen's jealous of my hair," she said.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Why not just cut it off?!" he retorted.

She reached around, idly toying with some of the auburn locks. "I think she gets more satisfaction out of having me down here," she said. "She really is envious of anyone who has what she wants most. Beauty is more important to her than anything else." Now her eyes widened, as if something was just clicking. "Oh! You're Cloud Strife, aren't you?" she suddenly interjected.

"Last I checked." While he spoke, he idly turned an extensive piece of hair between his hands. What was he doing? He probably looked like an idiot. He let go, dropping his hands into his lap.

"The Queen was very angry that you disobeyed her," said Rapunzel, her tone filled with mock reproach.

"Yeah, I actually figured that." Cloud frowned. "So what? You think I should've killed the guy and brought the Queen what she wanted?"

"Oh goodness no!" was the answer. "You made the right choice. Sephiroth didn't do anything worthy of death." She smiled in amusement. "Except to be prettier than she is."

Cloud's mouth dropped open. "That's what all this is about?!" he cried, incredulous. "She wants him dead because she thinks he's . . ." He could only keep staring.

A nod. "She has a magic mirror that shows her things, and when she asks it, it will tell her who is the fairest in all the land. Since Sephiroth returned, it told her he was more fair than she is."

"That's just . . ." Cloud shook his head. There were no words good enough to express his disbelief over this idiocy.

"Haven't you ever tried to get out of here?" he said instead.

"The only way out is up," she said, pointing to the darkness above them where the ceiling should be. "But there's nothing to climb on. There's a ladder way up there, but I can't reach it."

Cloud frowned. One thing was sure. He was not going to stay in here. But he couldn't do the logical thing and fly up to the trapdoor; there wasn't enough room to spread his wing. And there was no other door; only a slot in the wall for a meager amount of food to be pushed through on a tray. That really did leave one escape option.

"What about your hair?" he said then.

She blinked. "Hmm?"

It was hard to ignore how ludicrous this sounded. But Cloud continued, "We could . . . I don't know, braid it or something, and then try to throw it up and get it caught on something." He studied the amazing tresses as a plan tried to formulate in his mind. If they braided it, and tied it in a loop like a rope, maybe they would have a chance. Right now, his head was throbbing way too much to even think of using his wing to fly. And he did not want to stay trapped for another moment.

"I tried that once," she said, "but it didn't work."

"Well, let's try again!" Cloud snapped.

"Okay then," Rapunzel said. "But I hope you know what you're in for!"

Cloud did not know how long he spent braiding all of that hair. Every time he thought he was nearing the end, he looked and saw more coiled yards ahead of him. By the time he was at last tying a knot in the loop, he was exhausted.

"Just how long did it take you to grow all this hair anyway?" he exclaimed.

"All of my life," she smiled.

"And there wasn't some kind of hair growth spell put on you or something?" Cloud inspected the loop. If they were lucky, it would catch and they could climb. If they were not lucky, there were many possibilities. The loop could come untied. The hair could start unraveling. It could break. And all such scenarios would end with them crashing back to earth.

"Nope!" she said.

Cloud sighed. "Well, whatever. You'd better stand back. There's no telling where this thing might go."

Rapunzel stepped back, watching with curiosity as Cloud twirled the hair rope and threw it. Both stared at the natural lasso as it soared. In the next moment, it hit the wall and began to slide down.

Cloud let out a frustrated breath. "We'll just have to try again," he said.

And the scene repeated several times, in every variation possible. Cloud lassoed every one of the four walls, not to mention himself, Rapunzel, and once, both of them together. By this time his wing was pulsating with his frustration, and his hands were running into his hair, making it more wild than it already was.

"Patience!" Rapunzel said lightly.

"Easy for you to say!" Cloud retorted. "You probably had to learn patience, if you've been in here a long time."

"I did!" she confirmed, her tone cheery. "And it wasn't easy at all."

Cloud sighed again. Slipping the braid off from around their waists, he grasped it firmly. He would have to get control of himself. The more angry he got, the more trouble he would have concentrating on what he needed to do. Sephiroth had taught him that. . . .

He shook his head, sending the makeshift lariat flying once more. This was not a time to be thinking about Sephiroth's lessons in tough love. Why was he, anyway? He and Sephiroth had been estranged for some time.

The rope stopped. Cloud snapped back to the present, staring up into the darkness above. The hair was suspended somewhere up there, but would it come loose at the slightest movement? He gave a tug. It held fast.

"You did it!" Rapunzel smiled, mock clapping.

"Go me," Cloud shrugged. "Okay, let's try going up, before something else goes wrong." He grabbed the braid-rope, gripping tightly with his hands as he began to climb. Hopefully there would actually be something up there, a door, or even a window. Otherwise they would just be left dangling without a possible direction to take.

"Think positive!" Rapunzel encouraged, as she began to climb up behind him.

He spread his wing for balance. "Negative thinking is realistic," he said flatly.

"So is positive thinking," Rapunzel said.

Cloud snorted. "You really are a lot like Zack," he muttered. "Did you know that?"

Rapunzel just smiled.

xxxx

The Queen cared little for what was happening in the dungeon. Believing her bomb had surely worked, she went back to the magic mirror.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" she asked.

The mirror sighed. "You are very fair, it's true," it said, "but the exiled warrior Sephiroth is more fair than you."

Her face contorted in rage. "HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!" she screamed, a purple hue coming over her flesh. "I HAD HIM KILLED!"

"He survived," the mirror said boredly. "Isn't it about time you gave up?"

"Never!" she screamed. "He will come here to save Cloud Strife, and then I'll kill him. By my own hands, to make sure there aren't any more foul-ups!" And with that she whirled, flinging open the door to her private laboratory. "His friends are his weakness. I'll see to it that it's because of them he perishes!"

xxxx

It seemed too strange, that Sephiroth was able to make it inside the palace without incident. Nothing had tried to stop him, including the Queen's private army of winged monkeys. He was perfectly fine with that, except for the fact that it was probably a trap. He needed to get Cloud, and preferably defeat the Queen, before leaving. She would continue to come after them if he left her alone.

And so, he thought with grim amusement, the once-revered former hero must step forward again.

Would anyone care? He did not operate to get recognition and praise, but it was still angering, when people took his and others' efforts for granted. Sometimes he wondered how Zack could want to even fight for such ungrateful entities. And Zack would tell him it was because it was the only right thing to do . . . which was what Sephiroth had taught him and what he knew Seph still believed.

Zack would be right, of course. And Sephiroth might add now that it was the only way to keep his friends, and himself, safe. Sitting around doing nothing had never been his style. He was a man of action.

Of course, what he did not see in himself was that he still had the heart of a true hero. He desired to protect above all else, even though he still feared being unable to protect and instead unwillingly causing harm to someone innocent. But the attack on Rikku and Cloud being abducted were the last straws. He would step forward again as a hero now.

The shriek that came as he neared the throne room was almost deafening. As he thrust open the heavy doors, winged monkeys greeted him with loud and vicious chatters. Nothing was visible in the room, save for this absurd army. He would have to get past them before he could do anything else.

He lunged, bearing his sword. They lunged as well, and feathers and fur began to fly. He was quick with his weapon, but they were full of mischief. And there were so many of them compared to one of him. They leapt upon his back. They threw long arms around his legs. They pulled on his hair and wings. And while they did this, others would try to bite and tear. It was all he could do to keep himself from being overwhelmed. He really needed someone else's help.

As he stepped further into the room, wrestling with a simian perched on his back, the panel under his left foot abruptly began to open. Now what?! With a grunt of surprise he moved aside, peering into the space with suspicion. Would more of the creatures come up? There were too many already. He had wanted to avoid using his fire attacks inside the palace. It was too dangerous. Yet it might be the only way to have a victory.

But it was Cloud who began climbing out. He took in the scene with narrowed eyes as he hoisted himself up and knelt on the tiles nearby. "What a circus," he muttered.

Then he fully noticed Sephiroth watching him. His eyes widened. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I heard the Queen had taken you," Sephiroth said, his tone flat. As another monkey approached, grabbing at the lower right wing, he swatted it away.

Cloud blinked. But then the registering surprise was gone. "You're going to get mobbed," he said.

"If you'd care to help, it would be appreciated." He turned, bringing up his sword in defense as a creature soared down from the balcony. From its outstretched, curled hands, it had every intention of attempted strangulation. Or even a swift snapping of the neck. In one movement it was cut down. Two more monkeys took its place.

"Such a sight!"

A female voice as well? He looked back to the hole. A strange young woman was climbing out. Well, she was ordinary enough—except that as she stood, she reached into the space to pull out her hair. Which kept coming. And coming.

"Rapunzel," Cloud said, by way of explanation.

Sephiroth gave him a blank stare. "And you made your way out of the dungeon by using her hair as a rope."

"Hey, if it works." Cloud shrugged.

"Can I borrow your sword?" she asked Sephiroth.

He fixed her with an annoyed stare. "No."

"Just for a moment!" she protested.

"A moment would be too long!" As Sephiroth spoke, half a dozen monkeys leaped at them. He and Cloud sprang into action with their weapons. Rapunzel twirled her hair as a lasso, capturing two of the creatures. As they were unceremoniously deposited into the hole, she smiled in triumph.

"There."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. Her only response was to hold out her braid, slicing it through the buster sword.

"It feels so nice, to have short hair again," she smiled, reaching behind herself to inspect the new length.

It was hardly what Cloud would call "short." Sure, it was not as long as a football field, but now it was an inch or two less than Sephiroth's tresses. Oh well. Who cared, when they were being bombarded by mutated monkeys?

Across the room, three more monkeys yelped as they were abruptly blasted. The trio looked up, staring in that direction. The pixies were hovering in the air, high-fiving each other.

"Alright!" Rikku exclaimed. "We'll beat this witch yet!"

"It's about time," Paine grumbled.

Yuna smiled.

Cloud continued to stare in disbelief. "Pixies?! Where did they come from?" he wondered.

Sephiroth grunted in reply. He was even more bewildered than Cloud. So Rikku and Yuna had finally prevailed and had gotten Paine to agree with them? Or maybe she had decided that they would be in danger whether they helped or not, and that they needed to help fight for their land's freedom. It did not matter. What mattered was that they now had more help.

And they were valuable assets. They all assisted Rapunzel with sending some of the creatures into the dungeon, and once it was filled, Rikku slammed the door on them. Then Paine made certain it was locked.

The Queen, emerging from her laboratory, could hardly believe her eyes. Her powerful army was being conquered! Some had been locked away. Others were dead. And all because of a small group of people. Look! Cloud Strife had broken free of his imprisonment, and . . . Rapunzel too?! That treacherous girl! She was enjoying herself as they defied the army and the Queen. Even some of the forest fairies had ventured out.

And there . . . there was the man who was the cause of all of this! Sephiroth was cutting down another beast, rescuing Cloud Strife from its fury. His hair was so perfect as it streamed behind him. . . . And his movements were so skilled and graceful. His eyes were narrowed in concentration, and perhaps anger, over the situation.

She would not stand for it. He would suffer for all he was and all he had done. She lunged.

Sephiroth, with his attention focused on the menace he could see, never had a chance.

The knife plunged into his back with a searing fury. He froze, his eyes widening in pain.

Cloud could only stare, his heart leaping into his throat.

For a brief moment, Sephiroth caught the other's gaze. A weak smirk came over his features. Cloud had been surprised when Sephiroth had come to the palace. Maybe to some extent, Sephiroth was also astonished. But though they had been estranged, his feelings that Cloud was an ally, even a friend, had not been altered. Something in Cloud's eyes said that he felt the same.

The second passed. The blade was withdrawn, its owner cackling in horrific glee. Sephiroth collapsed to the floor.

As the older man fell, Cloud came to life. "What did you do?!" he screamed at the Queen—the witch—standing before him. Hatred was welling in his heart. How could she do this? Sephiroth had done nothing to her, nothing that he could control, at any rate. She was willing to murder him because . . . because . . .

He dropped to his knees, not caring as he sank into the blood. Sephiroth was breathing heavily, clutching at the floor in desperation and agony. The upper wing, closest to the wound, gave a weak twitch.

Cloud reached out, grabbing for the older man's arm. His fingers curled around the muscle. "You can't die!" he yelled. "You're stronger than that! You can hold on. . . ." But he trailed off. Sephiroth's eyes were glazing over. His pulse was racing.

The Queen sneered at them both. "His strength won't save him, or his beauty," she said. "I put a fact-acting enchanted poison on the blade."

"You're horrible!" Rapunzel cried from the balcony. There were monkeys in her path, but they had ceased fighting for the time being. They were all watching the scene below. And Rapunzel was close enough to hear what was being said. The echo in the room was eerie.

"Don't listen to that!" Cloud burst out now. "What about Zack? We still have to find Zack. If he comes and you're . . ." He trailed off. At the mention of Zack's name, Sephiroth had struggled for awareness again. But he was quickly fading. And any shred of hope Cloud had tried to cling to was evaporating as well.

His shoulders slumped. "Don't die," he whispered, his voice cracking. They had encountered each other for the first time in ages, and they had slipped into their familiar banter. For a short time, one of Cloud's old friends had returned. This time he would not come back. And . . . was it Cloud's fault? Would Sephiroth be fine if Cloud had not come to the palace? But how could he not have come? What if the Queen actually had known where Zack was? Cloud had needed to find out.

The Queen, meanwhile, had decided to kill Cloud with the same knife while he was distracted. But as she raised the blade, something suddenly slammed into her mid-section. She looked down in shock. Sephiroth, arm trembling, had plunged the Masamune through her to save Cloud.

The swift action startled Cloud and he looked at the scene in shock. "Sephiroth?!"

Sephiroth's hand dropped. That had taken the last of his strength. He only had the chance to give a weak smirk of regret before his eyes dimmed. The wings were still.

Cloud's own wing stiffened, then drooped. "No," he choked out. "You can't . . ."

And a burst of rage and desperation surged through his heart. "Wake up!" he screamed, giving the lifeless form a rough shake. "Do you want to see her win? WAKE UP!"

But Sephiroth did not respond.

The witch threw back her head, cackling insanely despite her fatal wound. "I am the most fair once again!" she cried. "Sephiroth is dead!" She looked to the mirror. "Tell me, mirror!" she exclaimed. "Tell me that he is dead. Tell me who is the fairest in the land!"

"The fairest is you," the mirror said in resignation.

"Yes! YES!" the wicked voice screamed. Lightning flashed overhead as thunder boomed. The castle shook from its very foundation. Perhaps the building, and even the world itself, was furious at such treachery.

She did not realize that she was standing on the trapdoor to the dungeon.

But the pixies realized. And Paine had had more than enough of her. With a swift motion, she unlocked the passage. The Queen's eyes widened. Now she knew too late what was happening. A demented cry tore from her lips as she plunged downward. Immediately Paine pulled out the Masamune from her falling body and all the fairies closed the door again.

"And make sure it's sealed doubly tight!" directed Rikku as they worked.

Cloud stared up at them as they finished the task. Now they were coming over, hovering above the body. All were solemn, and at least two of them actually looked sad. Paine laid the Masamune next to Sephiroth, where it belonged.

"He saved me," Cloud rasped. "With his last breath, he saved my life. . . ."

Rikku looked about to cry. She floated down, laying her tiny hands on Sephiroth's chest. "No. . . . You can't be gone! You were nice, and I had so much more to ask you!"

Cloud clenched a fist. "Can't you do something?!" he demanded. "You've got magic. Get rid of the poison. Let him live!"

Paine shook her head. "It's already too late." She looked to where Rikku and Yuna were both desperately trying to draw out the poison with their magic. Nothing was happening.

Despair stabbed into Cloud's heart. Sephiroth could not die like this! He could not! "This can't be the way it ends!" he yelled. "He can't die like this!"

Everyone was coming around now, staring down at Sephiroth's lifeless body. Tears pricked Rapunzel's eyes. "Oh no. . . . Cloud, I'm so sorry."

Cloud shook his head. "He's not dead! He's not!" His shoulders slumped in his helpless despair. "He's not. . . ."

But he knew his words were in vain.

xxxx

The narrator was in tears as he struggle to continue the tale.

"The Queen had got her way as she died. All she cared about was being the most beautiful and screw everything else! But everybody knew that the mirror was wrong that she'd ever been the fairest of them all. She never had been! Being the fairest isn't just about physical beauty. It's also about being a good person! Seph was the fairest not only because of his good looks, but because of his kind and protective nature."

Cloud stared down at Sephiroth as they quietly left the castle. He was too heavy for Cloud to carry alone, but the pixies were using their magic to keep his body afloat while Cloud did what he could to hold onto him.

Old friend now gone. . . .

Somehow he held it together until they got him outside and down the steps. He felt like he was going to just collapse from grief, but he didn't. He couldn't. He just held Sephiroth close to him.

"He's still the fairest," he said at last, darkly, angrily. "We should show everyone what the Queen did and that she's nothing compared to him!"

"With a poison like she used, his beauty will never fade," Paine remarked. "He's frozen in time."

Rikku was still crying. "We could make something pretty," she said. "A glass coffin trimmed in gold, like pixies have when someone special dies. . . ."

". . . They just let everyone always look at the bodies?" Cloud said, a bit creeped out.

"It's how we honor them," Yuna said.

Cloud looked down at Sephiroth. If he would always be like this, never decaying, then it disturbed Cloud somehow, to think of burying him.

". . . Let's do it," he said.

"Cloud would never let anyone think for one minute that the Queen was better!" the narrator quavered. "Seph would lie in state on the castle grounds, eternally the most fair.

"The people of Hollow Bastion all turned out to mourn the loss of their hero. Seph had been exiled, but they still remembered and loved him, and they knew it was a lot because of him that they were free now."

The narrator trailed off, and there was a desperate sound of a doorknob rattling. "Let me out of here!" he screamed. "I've gotta go to them! I've gotta!"

"You will not leave," came a woman's voice from the other side of the door. "You could ruin everything by interfering in this moment. You already managed to revive the pixie from afar with your ridiculous clapping. But Sephiroth cannot be restored so easily."

"I'm going to get out of here!" the narrator snapped. "Seph! Cloud!"

"Silence!" the woman ordered.

For some reason, those grieving on the castle grounds didn't hear the strange argument.

Cloud stood numbly, watching as the people lined up to pay their last respects. Sephiroth was laying in the glass coffin, the wings having been brought gently around him and his hands clasped on his chest. Rikku had laid her multi-colored scarf under Sephiroth's hands, a gesture of sorrow and goodbye.

Everything had seemed like a horrible blur ever since Cloud had been forced to accept that Sephiroth was dead. Merlin and the pixies had magically crafted the coffin, mourning him as well, and Leon had been kind when he had offered to help Cloud lift Sephiroth into it. He had known and understood Cloud's complicated feelings for the man and felt compassion and kindness to see Cloud mourning now.

Lifting Sephiroth had been hard, especially with the wings. Cloud hadn't wanted to do anything to hurt the wings. They had hung limply over the edges of the coffin before Cloud had gently moved the upper wing to fit inside. Leon had stood by, rightly assuming Cloud wanted to handle that part of things himself.

When Cloud had tucked all the wings inside the casket, he had run his fingers over them, still grieving. "I remember how much it always used to annoy me when the feathers got everywhere,"he had said quietly. "Then I was glad to find them because it meant he was alive and okay." And he had paused, frowning. "What happened, Leon? I mean . . . I know we were supposed to have had some big falling out, but . . . why? It doesn't make any sense! We'd got so close. . . ."

"That's how it goes sometimes," Leon had answered. "It doesn't make sense, but it happens to people every day."

It hadn't been a satisfying answer. "I don't remember the argument at all," Cloud had retorted. "Almost like . . . I was just told that's what happened."

"You know it happened, though," Leon said.

"Do I?" Cloud stared down at Sephiroth. Right now, he felt like he didn't know much of anything.

In the present, Cloud only felt that way all the more, and it was growing more and more troubling. "This is wrong," he whispered. "It's all wrong."

Paine looked to him. "At least they still think highly of him."

"I know," Cloud said. "That's good, but . . . this shouldn't be happening. Sephiroth shouldn't be dead."

"No, he shouldn't," Yuna said quietly.

A pang stabbed Cloud in the heart and he jumped a mile, placing his hand over it.

"Something's just not right," he said. "This has . . . this has happened before." He rocked back, stunned and bewildered by that thought that had come to him. It made no sense, yet he knew it was true. This wasn't the first time the Evil Queen had come after Sephiroth. It had happened before. He knew it had, he remembered it had! So . . . what was going on now? Why had it happened again? Why was any of this happening?!

Rikku stared at him. "What?! How?!" she exclaimed.

"I don't know!" Cloud cried. "The memory's there, but it's stuck!" He gripped at the sides of his head.

The pixies looked at each other, concerned and bewildered. Finally Yuna spoke. "What's happened before?" she asked kindly.

"This!" Cloud gestured at Sephiroth. "She's attacked him before! He's . . . she tried to kill him before!"

"And how was he alright then?" Yuna persisted.

"I don't know!" Cloud said. "I don't remember. But . . ." He looked around at all the bewildered people. "What are we all doing here?! What's going on?! Something's wrong. This whole thing is wrong!"

Most of the crowd looked like they felt Cloud was speaking out of grief. But the pixies and a select few of the others seemed to be taking it seriously.

"So it's like the past is repeating itself?" Paine asked.

"I don't know!" Cloud said again. "Maybe!" He looked down at Sephiroth, panic building in his veins. "It's like . . . I feel like we went to bed peaceful and then all this happened? But that's crazy! We had a falling out years ago and just met again now and . . ." He trailed off. The memories were weaving in and out of his mind, confusing, bewildering him.

"It's not crazy," Yuna said. "Maybe you did go to bed peaceful. What if someone has all of us under a sleeping curse? We could all be sharing the same dream, maybe something they thought up to torture us."

That sounded both terrifying and worth thinking about. "Who would do that?" Cloud frowned. "Who could do that?!"

"The Evil Queen herself," Paine said. "Dream curses aren't really her thing, though. That sounds more like . . ."

"Maleficent," Cloud gasped. She was afraid of Sephiroth, but would she try to strike back at him this way? Could she even get him this way? Most magic didn't work on him. But . . . the Evil Queen had almost killed him before, so some magic worked on him. Maybe Maleficent would have some loophole to make a dream curse work too.

"Maleficent?!" Rikku made a face. "She's seriously bad news! I'm glad we found that out before we got in too deep working for her!"

Cloud ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, suppose that's what's going on. What do we do?!" he exclaimed.

Paine sighed. "Look, what is Sephiroth to you?" she asked.

Cloud stared at the limp form. Now a certain numbness was starting to come over him as the horror processed yet again. Dead. . . . Sephiroth was dead. . . . They had come through so much together . . . and they still needed to find Zack. . . . Now Cloud would be continuing that quest alone. And to have to tell Zack that his . . . their . . .

"He was my friend," he mumbled. "I didn't want him to die. . . . I didn't want him to get hurt at all. . . ."

"And do you love him?" Yuna asked.

Cloud was silent. What a weird thing to be pondering what it came to Sephiroth. He respected Sephiroth, he liked him . . . he wanted to make sure nothing happened to him. . . . He swallowed down the cotton cultivating in his throat. "I . . . I don't know," he said at last. "Maybe . . . ?" He frowned, hesitating. "I think so. . . ." He stared at the body again. He just wanted Sephiroth to wake up. And to be alright.

"Yeah," he said then. As he said it, he knew it was true. "I do."

Yuna smiled again. "Then maybe he still has a chance."

Cloud looked at her in disbelief. "But . . . Paine said it was too late. . . ."

"Maybe I was wrong," Paine said gruffly.

"So what do I do?" Cloud asked.

"Think about it," Paine said.

Cloud mouthed that to himself, frowning as he tried to determine what was meant and what he should do. The Evil Queen had attacked Sephiroth with a poisoned knife. She was known for trying to kill with enchanted poisons. Was it possible . . . conceivable . . . that what she had done to Sephiroth could be broken, and because of the spell they were all potentially under, they hadn't realized?

Was he . . . not really dead?

That thought made Cloud dizzy. He gripped the edge of the coffin as he almost fell forward into it. "Sephiroth?" he rasped. "Are you . . . still here?"

He certainly didn't look like he was.

"Sephiroth, please . . . answer me. Come back!" Shaking, Cloud leaned over him more.

This had . . . happened before. Cloud had begged, pleaded for Sephiroth to wake up. He had . . . cried? Yes . . . his tears had broke the spell. Right now it felt like the tears were locked inside. He had to try something, anything. Even . . . the more standard method of breaking an enchanted death.

He didn't hesitate. He bent down, kissing Sephiroth on the lips before straightening and staring at him. Had it worked? Would it work?

Please. . . . Please, God, bring him back. Wake him up!

A slight wing twitch. Cloud knew he hadn't bumped it. "Sephiroth?!" he cried.

Sephiroth slowly opened his eyes. "Cloud . . ." He sat up, staring at his surroundings in confused disbelief while around them, everyone cheered for joy. The pixies clasped hands and danced in the air.

"You're alive," Cloud rasped. "Oh God, you're alive!" He dove at Sephiroth, hugging him tightly. The stab wound, he found, had closed up. Sephiroth was completely healed.

Sephiroth started in surprise. Then, smiling, he pulled Cloud close with both arms and all wings. "Cloud . . ." he whispered in Cloud's ear. "You saved my life."

"Thank God it worked," Cloud whispered back. "I didn't know if it would. . . ."

A ring of energy went out from around them, sweeping over everyone present.

Rikku squealed in delight. "You broke the other curse too!" she exclaimed. "True love always works!"

"Other curse?" Sephiroth looked to Cloud, bewildered. "What . . ."

And suddenly he woke with a gasp, staring at the ceiling in his room.

He slumped back into the pillow on his bed, passing a hand across his forehead. "What . . . was that?!"

A dream? But . . . it had felt so real. . . .

"Sephiroth!" Cloud burst into the room, wide awake, eyes bloodshot. "Are you alright?!"

Sephiroth pushed himself upright. "Yes." He frowned. "I was dreaming we were stuck in a fairytale, mostly Snow White, but with elements of other things. . . ."

Cloud shook his head. "I was too! We were stuck in the same dream! Most of Radiant Garden was! Even Aerith! Not Zack, though." He frowned.

"I wonder why." Sephiroth leaned back against the pillow. ". . . And you broke the curse?"

"Yeah, I guess. Both of them. The one on you and the one on . . . everyone." Cloud looked bewildered. "Didn't know a sleeping curse could be broken from inside the weird dream."

Sephiroth smiled a bit. "True love is powerful."

Cloud sighed. ". . . So . . . why would anyone do that? We thought maybe it was Maleficent, but . . ."

Sephiroth looked troubled at that. "If it was, she may know we released her prisoners from her pocket dimension and is furious about it. But if she is now reaching out to try to get to me through dreams, she'll regret that," he vowed. "I don't know where she is right now, but I should at least be able to protect us from being affected by such a spell again."

"Hope so." Cloud still looked tense, but he was slowly relaxing. "I'm glad we didn't really have a falling out."

Sephiroth smiled. "I as well."

"That'd better never really happen," Cloud said.

"After all we went through to get close, I honestly don't think it will," Sephiroth said. "We mean too much to each other to allow something like that to happen."

Cloud looked more skeptical, knowing human nature, but he wanted to believe. Sephiroth's confidence was comforting and encouraging, at least.

A yawn brought their attention to the doorway. Zack was stumbling out of his room, hair wild, and blinked at his best friends. "Boy, did I have a weird dream," he said. "I was locked in a room by some creepy lady and forced to narrate some crazy fairytale about you guys."

Cloud and Sephiroth stared at him. "You were the narrator?" Sephiroth frowned.

"Then part of the curse also made us not recognize your voice," Cloud said, frowning too. This was really, really weird.

"Curse?!" Zack exclaimed, snapping fully awake. "Wait, it wasn't just a dream?!" He stared at them in horror.

"The whole town was sharing a cursed dream," Sephiroth frowned. "It may be Maleficent's doing."

Zack pondered that. "You know, I think it was her!" he exclaimed. "It sounded like her voice when she was keeping me trapped in that room watching everything going on through a . . . crystal ball or something."

"That's messed up," Cloud frowned. "Why didn't she just put you in the fairytale like everyone else?"

"I don't know!" Zack said with a helpless shrug. "She was talking really weird, saying I'd wreck everything if she let me out to go to the . . . the wake!" He shuddered at the memory of Seph laying dead in the coffin. Dream or not, that wasn't something he had ever wanted to see again.

Cloud looked a bit sick. "She knew your true love would save us, even though we didn't recognize your voice when you were narrating," he realized. "That's why she wouldn't let you out."

Sephiroth laid a hand on Cloud's arm. "She underestimated you," he said. "Your true love was enough to save us as well, even when you were being affected by her curse and her false memories. Don't forget that."

Cloud nodded, overcome by that realization. "Yeah. . . ."

Zack beamed at that. "Yeah! You were awesome, Cloud!"

Cloud went red. "I just . . . I did what had to be done," he said. "What I was praying would work."

Sephiroth hugged him around the waist. "And it did."

As he moved to sit up straighter on the bed, something fell into his lap. He looked down at it in surprised confusion.

Cloud followed his gaze. "What's . . ."

But he trailed off as Sephiroth held up a small, multicolored scarf, pixie-size.

Zack blinked in bewilderment. "Hey, isn't that what Rikku gave Seph when he was laying in the coffin?"

"Yes," Sephiroth said, staring at it.

"So why do you have it now?!" Cloud exclaimed. "We were in a dream, weren't we?! . . .Weren't we?!"

Sephiroth just continued to stare at the scarf. "Were we?" he said at last.

No one knew how to answer.