Fic: The Endless Ocean - Chapter 2
Title: The Endless Ocean
Chapter 2/?
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word Count: ~3200
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud, Tseng/Aerith
Genre: AU, crossover, romance, adventure
Warnings: underage
Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII or Might and Magic and make no money from this work.
Summary: Cloud has spent the last five years wondering who he is and where he came from. He's travelled the continents of Enroth and Erathia in search of answers, and now he's arrived in Jadame. An unfortunate accident causes him to wake up with a head injury on board the Black Materia, whose captain is terrifyingly familiar.
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1
I meant to post this on a somewhat regular schedule. I also meant to work on finishing it this month. None of that happened and I blame Final Fantasy 14 in its entirety. It's a bad, bad game and you should never play it.
***
The window was dark when Cloud woke again, but Sephiroth was sitting at his desk with an oil lamp burning above him.
"What time is it?" Cloud asked.
"Two hours into red watch." Sephiroth finished whatever he was doing and lay down the bit of charcoal he was holding before moving over to the bed.
"That means nothing to me."
"It's around eight pm. How do you feel?"
"Better than I was. Kind of hungry, though."
Sephiroth nodded. "Feeling up to leaving the bed? Zack's probably in the galley if you want to see him."
"Yeah, I want to. Can I ... I don't suppose there are bathroom facilities on board, are there?"
He imagined that the way Sephiroth laughed might have been how he laughed before Nibelheim, though Cloud couldn't imagine ever having met him before that. Still, it was a pleasant laugh, with none of the cruel undertones that Cloud remembered. "No, and I don't trust your balance at the moment to not fall overboard out on the craplines, either. Use the chamber pot for now. I'll wait outside for you."
Cloud wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what a crapline was, and found himself feeling very glad that he had mostly avoided ships during his travels. Even the chamber pot was unpleasant now that he remembered the more modern facilities on Shinra's ships.
Sephiroth was leaning against the railing looking out over the sea when Cloud stepped out of the cabin. He breathed in the fresh sea air with a sigh of relief before taking a look around. The ship was far bigger than he had expected. There were at least twice as many crew on the deck as he had ever seen on the passenger ships he had taken, and they all seemed to be hard at work on tasks that Cloud only had the vaguest idea about. The ship itself was spotless and looked well-maintained; he doubted there was so much as a single rope out of place.
"Does my ship pass the inspection?" Sephiroth asked dryly.
"Why's the crew so big?"
"Some people dislike paying taxes. A large, heavily armed crew encourages cooperation."
"Ah, of course." Cloud shook his head, unsurprised by the answer. He still wasn't sure what Sephiroth's game was. He didn't seem reformed, exactly, but he certainly wasn't the same man who had tried to destroy the planet.
"Come, let's go find Zack."
The galley was loud and full of activity. Instead of working, however, these crew members were eating, drinking, and gambling. A man stood and shouted as they entered, and Cloud's heart nearly stopped at the sight of him. He was a bit older, with a few more scars, but Zack looked the same as he had all those years ago.
"He doesn't remember you," Sephiroth said firmly, then pushed Cloud towards the table. "Someone bring us something to eat," he shouted as he sat down, pushing Cloud onto the bench next to him.
"You're letting him walk around?" Zack asked without even looking at Cloud.
"Yes. This is Cloud Strife," Sephiroth said. "Cloud, Zack Fair."
Cloud hesitantly offered his hand, feeling more nervous than he had when he first met Zack as a cadet. "Nice to meet you, sir."
Zack stared at him for a moment before roughly grabbing his hand and giving it a cursory shake. "Captain, can I talk to you?"
"Go ahead." Two trays were set down on the table in front of them and Sephiroth grabbed a fork and began eating.
"Privately."
"No. Cloud's an old acquaintance. Are you planning on killing me in my sleep?" he asked, turning to Cloud.
Cloud gulped and glanced over at Zack before answering. "Not tonight."
"Sabotaging the ship?"
"I wouldn't know where to begin."
"Stealing a smallboat and heading for land?"
"Only if you tell me which way land is first."
"It's fine, Zack."
"So you might kill him tomorrow night and would sabotage the ship or take the chance to escape if you were competent? Good friend you are."
"I never said he was my friend. Just let him be." Sephiroth shoved half a potato into his mouth at once with a sort of finality meant to end the conversation.
"I probably won't kill you tomorrow night, either. Unless you try to kill me first."
"See?" Sephiroth said around the potato.
Zack glared in a way that made Cloud's heart ache. Sephiroth had been right; Zack seemed different than he used to be. The man he knew would have made a joke about his responses, even if he didn't trust him. Still, he could tell that Zack was concerned about Sephiroth. He wondered what they had been through together, and what Zack's new life as a pirate had been like.
"Where are you from?" Zack asked suddenly.
He started to answer automatically, recalling their conversation in the snow about their hometowns' strange names. The sharp pain in his thigh when Sephiroth pinched him brought him back to his senses. "White Cap," he said, thinking of the small snowy town in Enroth that had reminded him of Nibelheim.
Zack scoffed loudly and turned away from him.
"My head's really hurting," he whispered to Sephiroth, "can I go lie down again?"
Sephiroth looked at him and nodded, seeming to understand that he just needed to get away. "Go on. You can take your tray with you if you're still hungry."
"Sure you don't want to have Hojo look at him again?"
The tray tumbled out of Cloud's hands and landed with a loud clatter, spilling its contents everywhere. A chorus of cheers and clapping broke out. "Hojo?" He couldn't be here, he wasn't, he-
Sephiroth grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the galley, leaving the mess as it was. Cloud stumbled, attempting to keep up with Sephiroth's pace, but his mind was reeling in horror and he couldn't focus.
"He's here?"
"Shut up," Sephiroth snarled. He kept his tight grip on Cloud's arm until they were back in his cabin with the door shut. "He's here, and he's on this ship. Don't make any more of a fuss about it."
"No, no, no. He's dead. Sephiroth, please, we killed him. Tell me he's dead."
"Sorry." Sephiroth face softened and he gently nudged him onto the bed and sat next to him. "If it makes you feel any better, I reacted about the same way. Which means that Zack's going to be really suspicious now."
"Why is he here? On the ship? Shit! Did he do anything to me? Zack said 'again', didn't he?" Cloud found himself fighting back tears and nausea for the second time that day. He had an almost overwhelming urge to strip and check himself for new scars.
Sephiroth wrapped both arms around him and pinned him to his chest. "Calm down. I didn't leave you alone with him, and I didn't let him do anything but deal with your head. As for why he's here, he's the ship's doctor. I hired him so I could keep an eye on him."
"A doctor? He's a doctor? One that helps people? I think I'd like to subscribe to your theory that the Lifestream's fucking with us."
"It's not without its merits. On the bright side, he shows very few signs of being a mad scientist apart from an unnatural curiosity regarding breeding monsters."
Cloud had to laugh at the utter bizarreness of the situation. Hojo was alive, Zack didn't like him, and Sephiroth was sitting next to him and hugging him while offering what little comfort he could. "Remind me to never wish for anything ever again. And if I get hit on the head again and forget everything, don't remind me."
"I think I might ask the same thing of you."
"Deal."
***
Cloud found a spot up near the front of the ship that seemed to be mostly out of the way of the sailors who were working hard as they approached land. He had managed to catch Sephiroth for a moment to ask about the strangely coloured mist that they had passed through. It was apparently Aerith's doing, but he didn't get any further explanation. Sephiroth was just as busy as the rest of the crew, keeping the ship from running aground on any of the numerous sandbars that Cloud noticed on either side of the deep channel they were navigating. Wrecked hulls littered the area surrounding the Island of Regna, and Cloud wondered if the island had been chosen as a base because of how difficult it was to get to.
When he first saw land, Cloud had thought their journey was nearly over, but it wasn't until several hours later that they finally lowered the anchors in the harbour. Cloud listened as Sephiroth gave half the crew permission to go ashore at a time. Zack would be taking the Black Materia out again in two days' time, and the sailors all had to be ready to leave again by then.
Finally, Sephiroth motioned Cloud over and helped him board one of the little wooden boats that were tied to the sides of the ship. Zack went with them, and Cloud couldn't help but feel that it was out of concern for Sephiroth. The man had looked apoplectic with rage at the sight of First Tsurugi on his back when Cloud left the cabin in the morning. Cloud himself had to overcome a wave of fear when he saw Sephiroth carrying Masamune. It was all he could do to keep from drawing his sword to defend himself. At least he hadn't actually seen Hojo, though he had kept a fearful eye out for him, probably to the great amusement of the crew.
Two men rowed the little boat to the dock, where several people were waiting to help them ashore. Sephiroth was greeted with a reserved cordiality, while Cloud lowered his head under the curious stares. Zack, on the other hand, received numerous friendly slaps on the back and shouted demands to know how long he was staying this time, and if he'd be joining them in the tavern. Zack neatly avoided promising anything; it seemed like he was going to stick by Sephiroth's side until he was forced to leave.
"People seem to really like you," Cloud noted quietly. He wasn't sure what he had expected after meeting Zack the previous night, but seeing him acting like he used to in SOLDIER came as a surprise. It made the fact that Zack didn't like or trust him hurt even more.
Zack glanced at him, as though he was surprised that Cloud had dared to even speak to him, but looked away again without a word.
"We'll go up to the keep," Sephiroth said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Cloud was sure it was meant to get him walking in the right direction, but the little squeeze Sephiroth gave him felt encouraging as well.
As they walked, Cloud took in his surroundings. The docks they had come ashore on were quite small, but Cloud could see another set across the harbour where most of the crew that had left the ship had gone.
"Quit gawking." Cloud saw Zack's hand coming towards his head, but didn't have a chance to react before Sephiroth casually swatted it away.
"I told you to leave him be. I haven't blindfolded him; he's free to look. And don't hit his head. That's an order."
Sephiroth proceeded to ignore Zack's protesting grumbles, and instead began pointing out some of the features of the island. "It's actually two islands," he said, indicating the one they were on and the land across the harbour. The larger of the two is crescent shaped; you'll be able to see a bit of the shape from the top of the hill. There are a few villages on it, and the majority of the people live there. This island houses the keep, which was finished six years ago, along with our main trading centre."
"What are those buildings?" Cloud pointed to two large stone buildings that appeared to be on the ends of the crescent-shaped island. They were smaller than the keep Sephiroth had pointed out, but still significantly larger than any other building.
"The old keeps. Mostly abandoned, but perhaps not as much as we'd like the world to believe."
"Sephiroth!"
"Sorry, Zack." Sephiroth smiled widely. "Perhaps I am getting a bit carried away. You haven't agreed to work with me yet."
Cloud frowned at the confidence with which Sephiroth had added on the 'yet'. Though it seemed fairly unlikely that his confidence was misplaced. Where else was he going to go, especially now that he had the answers he had been looking for? He didn't think he could go back to being a caravan guard again. "When can I see ... her?"
"Is tomorrow soon enough?"
Cloud shook his head. He needed to see Aerith. It was one thing for Sephiroth to tell him she was alive, but he wouldn't believe it until he had seen for himself. "I don't need to speak to her or anything, just ..."
"All right." Sephiroth turned down a side street, away from the main road that headed up to the keep.
"Where are you going?" Zack asked, following them doggedly.
"To see Aerith; I've got some new seeds for her. Why don't you go up to the keep?"
"No, I'll stay with you."
"It wasn't a suggestion, Zack. Go."
Cloud almost felt badly when he saw the look on Zack's face before he turned away, going back the way they had come. He wanted to offer some sort of reassurance, though he knew it wouldn't do any good.
"Give him time," Sephiroth said quietly, taking Cloud by the hand and continuing to guide him through a maze of streets. "He's just worried. I was always a bit more subtle when I came across the others. And I don't normally keep secrets from him."
"That he knows of."
"Exactly. There, up ahead. That's her house."
Cloud tore his thoughts away from Zack and looked where Sephiroth was pointing. It was a small house, but there was a large garden in the front, full of flowers, just the way she would have liked it.
"Do you want to talk to her?"
"I-What would I say?" There was nothing he could say without sounding insane. And Cloud wasn't quite sure he trusted himself to not start crying the instant he saw her.
"Do you want to wait here while I go talk to her?" Sephiroth asked, touching his cheek gently. "You'll be able to see her, at least."
He found himself nodding, although he wasn't even certain he would be able to cope with that much. Maybe waiting until tomorrow would be better.
"Okay, wait here, I won't be long." Sephiroth was gone before Cloud could change his mind, moving towards the house with the flowers with long strides that covered the distance quickly.
The door was opened by a man with shoulder-length black hair, and Cloud did a double-take, realizing that it was Tseng. Did he live with her? Sephiroth appeared to chat with him for a few moments, then Tseng went inside and Aerith appeared in his place. From the distance he was at, it seemed as though she hadn't changed in the slightest from the day Cloud had lowered her into the lake in the Forgotten City.
It looked like Sephiroth was luring her outside, taking small steps backwards while continuing their conversation. She followed him trustingly, though every nerve in Cloud's body was screaming at him to get her away. She laughed at something Sephiroth said, twirling her braid around her fingers like she always used to do. When Sephiroth pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her, Cloud heard her shriek of delight. She threw her arms around his neck and lifted her feet, make Sephiroth stagger slightly from the sudden weight on him.
All too soon, she was waving goodbye and going back inside as Sephiroth turned away and started walking back towards him.
"Cloud?" Sephiroth was looming over him, and Cloud realized that he was on the ground, his knees apparently having given out from under him. "Are you all right?"
Cloud tried to nod, but Sephiroth had knelt down and was holding his chin, wiping away what he realized were tears. "I-"
"I'm sorry," Sephiroth whispered, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close. "I'm so sorry."
"Liar!" Cloud choked out. "You knew exactly how much she meant to us when you killed her."
"I did ... even more than preventing her from using Holy, I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to take away your hope."
Hearing Sephiroth admit that, while at the same time attempting to comfort Cloud, was suddenly too much to bear. He shoved Sephiroth away and staggered to his feet. "What are you playing at here?" he shouted. "You rescued me and want me to work with you, but you still called me your puppet! You've got all my friends, my friends on your side, and you're turning them against me!
"Hojo's still-he's-and Aerith! Does Tseng keep her under guard for you? Is that what you meant by 'under your protection'?"
"Calm down, Cloud. You're still injured."
"Why the hell do you care? Why not just take advantage of it and kill me now? Or is it more fun to mess with my head for a while first?"
"That's unfair," Sephiroth said quietly, a drastic contrast to Cloud's shouting. "Please, come up to the keep. Don't do this here."
"I just-I just-" Cloud's anger suddenly deflated as the pain in his head grew. He glanced around at the crowd of people he had attracted and felt his face turn red in shame. Sephiroth wasn't supposed to be the reasonable one.
He followed when Sephiroth tugged on his arm, leading him back the way they had come and up the winding path to the keep. The solid stone structure was bleak and imposing, giving the impression that if he went in, he'd never leave again. He couldn't find the will to resist, however, and followed his old enemy inside. He thought he caught a glimpse of Zack as they walked, but hoped the man wouldn't approach them again. He couldn't cope, not now.
Eventually, Sephiroth opened the door to a large room and pushed Cloud inside, closing the door behind them.
"Did you get it all out, or was there anything else you'd like to discuss?" Sephiroth asked coldly. "I realize that you don't have quite the same audience here, but perhaps I could invite a few people in so you can undermine my authority a little more effectively."
"Fuck off." Cloud turned away and went to sit down on the deep bench by the room's tiny window. He wasn't about to allow Sephiroth to make him feel guilty on top of everything else.
"Fine." Sephiroth was gone before Cloud had quite registered that he was leaving, and he heard a key turning in the lock as soon as the door was shut.
***
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Chapter 2/?
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word Count: ~3200
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud, Tseng/Aerith
Genre: AU, crossover, romance, adventure
Warnings: underage
Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII or Might and Magic and make no money from this work.
Summary: Cloud has spent the last five years wondering who he is and where he came from. He's travelled the continents of Enroth and Erathia in search of answers, and now he's arrived in Jadame. An unfortunate accident causes him to wake up with a head injury on board the Black Materia, whose captain is terrifyingly familiar.
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1
I meant to post this on a somewhat regular schedule. I also meant to work on finishing it this month. None of that happened and I blame Final Fantasy 14 in its entirety. It's a bad, bad game and you should never play it.
***
The window was dark when Cloud woke again, but Sephiroth was sitting at his desk with an oil lamp burning above him.
"What time is it?" Cloud asked.
"Two hours into red watch." Sephiroth finished whatever he was doing and lay down the bit of charcoal he was holding before moving over to the bed.
"That means nothing to me."
"It's around eight pm. How do you feel?"
"Better than I was. Kind of hungry, though."
Sephiroth nodded. "Feeling up to leaving the bed? Zack's probably in the galley if you want to see him."
"Yeah, I want to. Can I ... I don't suppose there are bathroom facilities on board, are there?"
He imagined that the way Sephiroth laughed might have been how he laughed before Nibelheim, though Cloud couldn't imagine ever having met him before that. Still, it was a pleasant laugh, with none of the cruel undertones that Cloud remembered. "No, and I don't trust your balance at the moment to not fall overboard out on the craplines, either. Use the chamber pot for now. I'll wait outside for you."
Cloud wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what a crapline was, and found himself feeling very glad that he had mostly avoided ships during his travels. Even the chamber pot was unpleasant now that he remembered the more modern facilities on Shinra's ships.
Sephiroth was leaning against the railing looking out over the sea when Cloud stepped out of the cabin. He breathed in the fresh sea air with a sigh of relief before taking a look around. The ship was far bigger than he had expected. There were at least twice as many crew on the deck as he had ever seen on the passenger ships he had taken, and they all seemed to be hard at work on tasks that Cloud only had the vaguest idea about. The ship itself was spotless and looked well-maintained; he doubted there was so much as a single rope out of place.
"Does my ship pass the inspection?" Sephiroth asked dryly.
"Why's the crew so big?"
"Some people dislike paying taxes. A large, heavily armed crew encourages cooperation."
"Ah, of course." Cloud shook his head, unsurprised by the answer. He still wasn't sure what Sephiroth's game was. He didn't seem reformed, exactly, but he certainly wasn't the same man who had tried to destroy the planet.
"Come, let's go find Zack."
The galley was loud and full of activity. Instead of working, however, these crew members were eating, drinking, and gambling. A man stood and shouted as they entered, and Cloud's heart nearly stopped at the sight of him. He was a bit older, with a few more scars, but Zack looked the same as he had all those years ago.
"He doesn't remember you," Sephiroth said firmly, then pushed Cloud towards the table. "Someone bring us something to eat," he shouted as he sat down, pushing Cloud onto the bench next to him.
"You're letting him walk around?" Zack asked without even looking at Cloud.
"Yes. This is Cloud Strife," Sephiroth said. "Cloud, Zack Fair."
Cloud hesitantly offered his hand, feeling more nervous than he had when he first met Zack as a cadet. "Nice to meet you, sir."
Zack stared at him for a moment before roughly grabbing his hand and giving it a cursory shake. "Captain, can I talk to you?"
"Go ahead." Two trays were set down on the table in front of them and Sephiroth grabbed a fork and began eating.
"Privately."
"No. Cloud's an old acquaintance. Are you planning on killing me in my sleep?" he asked, turning to Cloud.
Cloud gulped and glanced over at Zack before answering. "Not tonight."
"Sabotaging the ship?"
"I wouldn't know where to begin."
"Stealing a smallboat and heading for land?"
"Only if you tell me which way land is first."
"It's fine, Zack."
"So you might kill him tomorrow night and would sabotage the ship or take the chance to escape if you were competent? Good friend you are."
"I never said he was my friend. Just let him be." Sephiroth shoved half a potato into his mouth at once with a sort of finality meant to end the conversation.
"I probably won't kill you tomorrow night, either. Unless you try to kill me first."
"See?" Sephiroth said around the potato.
Zack glared in a way that made Cloud's heart ache. Sephiroth had been right; Zack seemed different than he used to be. The man he knew would have made a joke about his responses, even if he didn't trust him. Still, he could tell that Zack was concerned about Sephiroth. He wondered what they had been through together, and what Zack's new life as a pirate had been like.
"Where are you from?" Zack asked suddenly.
He started to answer automatically, recalling their conversation in the snow about their hometowns' strange names. The sharp pain in his thigh when Sephiroth pinched him brought him back to his senses. "White Cap," he said, thinking of the small snowy town in Enroth that had reminded him of Nibelheim.
Zack scoffed loudly and turned away from him.
"My head's really hurting," he whispered to Sephiroth, "can I go lie down again?"
Sephiroth looked at him and nodded, seeming to understand that he just needed to get away. "Go on. You can take your tray with you if you're still hungry."
"Sure you don't want to have Hojo look at him again?"
The tray tumbled out of Cloud's hands and landed with a loud clatter, spilling its contents everywhere. A chorus of cheers and clapping broke out. "Hojo?" He couldn't be here, he wasn't, he-
Sephiroth grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the galley, leaving the mess as it was. Cloud stumbled, attempting to keep up with Sephiroth's pace, but his mind was reeling in horror and he couldn't focus.
"He's here?"
"Shut up," Sephiroth snarled. He kept his tight grip on Cloud's arm until they were back in his cabin with the door shut. "He's here, and he's on this ship. Don't make any more of a fuss about it."
"No, no, no. He's dead. Sephiroth, please, we killed him. Tell me he's dead."
"Sorry." Sephiroth face softened and he gently nudged him onto the bed and sat next to him. "If it makes you feel any better, I reacted about the same way. Which means that Zack's going to be really suspicious now."
"Why is he here? On the ship? Shit! Did he do anything to me? Zack said 'again', didn't he?" Cloud found himself fighting back tears and nausea for the second time that day. He had an almost overwhelming urge to strip and check himself for new scars.
Sephiroth wrapped both arms around him and pinned him to his chest. "Calm down. I didn't leave you alone with him, and I didn't let him do anything but deal with your head. As for why he's here, he's the ship's doctor. I hired him so I could keep an eye on him."
"A doctor? He's a doctor? One that helps people? I think I'd like to subscribe to your theory that the Lifestream's fucking with us."
"It's not without its merits. On the bright side, he shows very few signs of being a mad scientist apart from an unnatural curiosity regarding breeding monsters."
Cloud had to laugh at the utter bizarreness of the situation. Hojo was alive, Zack didn't like him, and Sephiroth was sitting next to him and hugging him while offering what little comfort he could. "Remind me to never wish for anything ever again. And if I get hit on the head again and forget everything, don't remind me."
"I think I might ask the same thing of you."
"Deal."
***
Cloud found a spot up near the front of the ship that seemed to be mostly out of the way of the sailors who were working hard as they approached land. He had managed to catch Sephiroth for a moment to ask about the strangely coloured mist that they had passed through. It was apparently Aerith's doing, but he didn't get any further explanation. Sephiroth was just as busy as the rest of the crew, keeping the ship from running aground on any of the numerous sandbars that Cloud noticed on either side of the deep channel they were navigating. Wrecked hulls littered the area surrounding the Island of Regna, and Cloud wondered if the island had been chosen as a base because of how difficult it was to get to.
When he first saw land, Cloud had thought their journey was nearly over, but it wasn't until several hours later that they finally lowered the anchors in the harbour. Cloud listened as Sephiroth gave half the crew permission to go ashore at a time. Zack would be taking the Black Materia out again in two days' time, and the sailors all had to be ready to leave again by then.
Finally, Sephiroth motioned Cloud over and helped him board one of the little wooden boats that were tied to the sides of the ship. Zack went with them, and Cloud couldn't help but feel that it was out of concern for Sephiroth. The man had looked apoplectic with rage at the sight of First Tsurugi on his back when Cloud left the cabin in the morning. Cloud himself had to overcome a wave of fear when he saw Sephiroth carrying Masamune. It was all he could do to keep from drawing his sword to defend himself. At least he hadn't actually seen Hojo, though he had kept a fearful eye out for him, probably to the great amusement of the crew.
Two men rowed the little boat to the dock, where several people were waiting to help them ashore. Sephiroth was greeted with a reserved cordiality, while Cloud lowered his head under the curious stares. Zack, on the other hand, received numerous friendly slaps on the back and shouted demands to know how long he was staying this time, and if he'd be joining them in the tavern. Zack neatly avoided promising anything; it seemed like he was going to stick by Sephiroth's side until he was forced to leave.
"People seem to really like you," Cloud noted quietly. He wasn't sure what he had expected after meeting Zack the previous night, but seeing him acting like he used to in SOLDIER came as a surprise. It made the fact that Zack didn't like or trust him hurt even more.
Zack glanced at him, as though he was surprised that Cloud had dared to even speak to him, but looked away again without a word.
"We'll go up to the keep," Sephiroth said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Cloud was sure it was meant to get him walking in the right direction, but the little squeeze Sephiroth gave him felt encouraging as well.
As they walked, Cloud took in his surroundings. The docks they had come ashore on were quite small, but Cloud could see another set across the harbour where most of the crew that had left the ship had gone.
"Quit gawking." Cloud saw Zack's hand coming towards his head, but didn't have a chance to react before Sephiroth casually swatted it away.
"I told you to leave him be. I haven't blindfolded him; he's free to look. And don't hit his head. That's an order."
Sephiroth proceeded to ignore Zack's protesting grumbles, and instead began pointing out some of the features of the island. "It's actually two islands," he said, indicating the one they were on and the land across the harbour. The larger of the two is crescent shaped; you'll be able to see a bit of the shape from the top of the hill. There are a few villages on it, and the majority of the people live there. This island houses the keep, which was finished six years ago, along with our main trading centre."
"What are those buildings?" Cloud pointed to two large stone buildings that appeared to be on the ends of the crescent-shaped island. They were smaller than the keep Sephiroth had pointed out, but still significantly larger than any other building.
"The old keeps. Mostly abandoned, but perhaps not as much as we'd like the world to believe."
"Sephiroth!"
"Sorry, Zack." Sephiroth smiled widely. "Perhaps I am getting a bit carried away. You haven't agreed to work with me yet."
Cloud frowned at the confidence with which Sephiroth had added on the 'yet'. Though it seemed fairly unlikely that his confidence was misplaced. Where else was he going to go, especially now that he had the answers he had been looking for? He didn't think he could go back to being a caravan guard again. "When can I see ... her?"
"Is tomorrow soon enough?"
Cloud shook his head. He needed to see Aerith. It was one thing for Sephiroth to tell him she was alive, but he wouldn't believe it until he had seen for himself. "I don't need to speak to her or anything, just ..."
"All right." Sephiroth turned down a side street, away from the main road that headed up to the keep.
"Where are you going?" Zack asked, following them doggedly.
"To see Aerith; I've got some new seeds for her. Why don't you go up to the keep?"
"No, I'll stay with you."
"It wasn't a suggestion, Zack. Go."
Cloud almost felt badly when he saw the look on Zack's face before he turned away, going back the way they had come. He wanted to offer some sort of reassurance, though he knew it wouldn't do any good.
"Give him time," Sephiroth said quietly, taking Cloud by the hand and continuing to guide him through a maze of streets. "He's just worried. I was always a bit more subtle when I came across the others. And I don't normally keep secrets from him."
"That he knows of."
"Exactly. There, up ahead. That's her house."
Cloud tore his thoughts away from Zack and looked where Sephiroth was pointing. It was a small house, but there was a large garden in the front, full of flowers, just the way she would have liked it.
"Do you want to talk to her?"
"I-What would I say?" There was nothing he could say without sounding insane. And Cloud wasn't quite sure he trusted himself to not start crying the instant he saw her.
"Do you want to wait here while I go talk to her?" Sephiroth asked, touching his cheek gently. "You'll be able to see her, at least."
He found himself nodding, although he wasn't even certain he would be able to cope with that much. Maybe waiting until tomorrow would be better.
"Okay, wait here, I won't be long." Sephiroth was gone before Cloud could change his mind, moving towards the house with the flowers with long strides that covered the distance quickly.
The door was opened by a man with shoulder-length black hair, and Cloud did a double-take, realizing that it was Tseng. Did he live with her? Sephiroth appeared to chat with him for a few moments, then Tseng went inside and Aerith appeared in his place. From the distance he was at, it seemed as though she hadn't changed in the slightest from the day Cloud had lowered her into the lake in the Forgotten City.
It looked like Sephiroth was luring her outside, taking small steps backwards while continuing their conversation. She followed him trustingly, though every nerve in Cloud's body was screaming at him to get her away. She laughed at something Sephiroth said, twirling her braid around her fingers like she always used to do. When Sephiroth pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her, Cloud heard her shriek of delight. She threw her arms around his neck and lifted her feet, make Sephiroth stagger slightly from the sudden weight on him.
All too soon, she was waving goodbye and going back inside as Sephiroth turned away and started walking back towards him.
"Cloud?" Sephiroth was looming over him, and Cloud realized that he was on the ground, his knees apparently having given out from under him. "Are you all right?"
Cloud tried to nod, but Sephiroth had knelt down and was holding his chin, wiping away what he realized were tears. "I-"
"I'm sorry," Sephiroth whispered, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close. "I'm so sorry."
"Liar!" Cloud choked out. "You knew exactly how much she meant to us when you killed her."
"I did ... even more than preventing her from using Holy, I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to take away your hope."
Hearing Sephiroth admit that, while at the same time attempting to comfort Cloud, was suddenly too much to bear. He shoved Sephiroth away and staggered to his feet. "What are you playing at here?" he shouted. "You rescued me and want me to work with you, but you still called me your puppet! You've got all my friends, my friends on your side, and you're turning them against me!
"Hojo's still-he's-and Aerith! Does Tseng keep her under guard for you? Is that what you meant by 'under your protection'?"
"Calm down, Cloud. You're still injured."
"Why the hell do you care? Why not just take advantage of it and kill me now? Or is it more fun to mess with my head for a while first?"
"That's unfair," Sephiroth said quietly, a drastic contrast to Cloud's shouting. "Please, come up to the keep. Don't do this here."
"I just-I just-" Cloud's anger suddenly deflated as the pain in his head grew. He glanced around at the crowd of people he had attracted and felt his face turn red in shame. Sephiroth wasn't supposed to be the reasonable one.
He followed when Sephiroth tugged on his arm, leading him back the way they had come and up the winding path to the keep. The solid stone structure was bleak and imposing, giving the impression that if he went in, he'd never leave again. He couldn't find the will to resist, however, and followed his old enemy inside. He thought he caught a glimpse of Zack as they walked, but hoped the man wouldn't approach them again. He couldn't cope, not now.
Eventually, Sephiroth opened the door to a large room and pushed Cloud inside, closing the door behind them.
"Did you get it all out, or was there anything else you'd like to discuss?" Sephiroth asked coldly. "I realize that you don't have quite the same audience here, but perhaps I could invite a few people in so you can undermine my authority a little more effectively."
"Fuck off." Cloud turned away and went to sit down on the deep bench by the room's tiny window. He wasn't about to allow Sephiroth to make him feel guilty on top of everything else.
"Fine." Sephiroth was gone before Cloud had quite registered that he was leaving, and he heard a key turning in the lock as soon as the door was shut.
***
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