omegasquire - Tumblr blog

omegasquire · 5 months ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch34

Moments prior...

Sephiroth’s phone buzzed persistently in his coat pocket. He wanted to pick it up, but he wasn’t keen on the idea of being distracted while facing Isolfr. The young blond looked at him condescendingly, his lips curled like he had a secret to tell.

“Answer it,” Isolfr gestured at Sephiroth’s pocket.

Sephiroth’s brows knitted slightly. The encouragement didn’t bode well. “Why?”

Isolfr shrugged. “Just a suggestion.”

Wary, Sephiroth slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He kept his gaze on Isolfr as he answered it without looking at who it was.

“Sephiroth.” It was Vincent.

“What happened?” His grip tightened slightly around the hilt of the Masamune. There was no reason for Vincent to call him unless there was an emergency, especially now.

If Vincent had enough time to call him, that either meant that he and Cloud had taken care of their end, or something went wrong. Sephiroth doubted it to be former; Isolfr wouldn’t act nonchalantly if that was the case. Sephiroth wasn’t certain, but he had an inkling that there was a psychological connection between the three brothers that superseded human logic. Perhaps it was telepathy, or more on a collective, molecular level. Much like how Jenova could sense those who contained her cells, it was plausible Strife’s brothers had a similar ability.

Regardless of the answer, Sephiroth could tell from the smirk on Isolfr’s face that whatever mission they were set out to do was accomplished.

“Cloud needs you.” Though Vincent’s voice didn’t fluctuate much, there was an urgency there that Sephiroth recognized.

Narrowing his eyes, Sephiroth cut the call.

“Do you still want to keep me company?” Isolfr asked, flipping his dagger over and over as his lips curled upward. Flames still fanned around them, though most of it had been suppressed by Sephiroth’s magic. The young man nodded in the direction Vincent and Cloud were. “Ah, you might be too late, though.”

Sephiroth flicked his sword and lowered it. “What did you do to him?”

“Brother is coming home.” Isolfr closed his eyes briefly. “It’s been a long time since he’s been with Mother. She’ll give him a warm welcome.”

“I won’t let it happen.”

“You can try but even if it’s not enough now, he’ll eventually return.” Isolfr waved his hand dismissively as if he was shooing away a fly. “Go ahead, I’ll let you go meet him. Try to stop the inevitable.”

Sephiroth knew that Isolfr was mocking him. He was pressed between staying with the younger man or going to Cloud. If he let Isolfr be, he didn’t know what would happen to the rest of the mountain. He might turn around and seek out Zack who was in the opposite direction, or follow Sephiroth. He could easily slip away too, robbing them of the chance to put this chase to an end.

Yet, he couldn’t ignore Cloud. Vincent wouldn’t have called him if he could handle the situation himself. Vincent was a capable fighter and level-headed; he could hold his own in a battle and knew when to make a strategic retreat. What he couldn’t do, however, was anything that involved direct conflict with Jenova.

He wouldn’t know how to respond to Cloud’s condition without outright hurting him. In fact, there was no one among them that could handle Cloud’s sanity slipping.

Almost no one.

Sephiroth only relied on conjecture, but the incidents thus far proved that being in proximity with Cloud and engaging in physical contact helped the blond recover from Jenova’s assaults. If that theory held any weight to it, then Sephiroth had no choice.

No, even if it wasn’t true, he still had to go.

He couldn’t lose Cloud to Jenova.

Tucking his sword against the back of his arm, Sephiroth quickly called forth a high level spell to summon large pillars of ice around them and wasted no more time. He left Isolfr where he was, ignoring the blond’s laughter that chased his shadow, and hurried up the path to where Cloud and Vincent were. Despite himself, trepidation started to creep in and a worry that, like Isolfr mentioned, he would already be too late.

Sephiroth’s steps were urgent as he raced up the path. Whatever he expected to find as he arrived was nothing close to what he actually saw. Vincent was crouched on the ground next to Cloud who was covered in black liquid.

“What is this?” He reached out and carefully touched some of it that was splattered across the ground around the blond. Looking past him, Sephiroth saw what could only be Rael’s decapitated body. The same black liquid flowed from his wounds. “Blood?”

“Yes. Rael severed his own head and spilled his blood on Cloud.” Vincent turned over his hand to show Sephiroth his glove. “It’s not quite the same, but it makes me think of the monsters we crossed.”

“Agreed.” Sephiroth studied Vincent’s soiled glove and it truly looked like blood that had been dyed. He looked at Cloud who was practically covered in it, his face smudged in what looked like quick wiping. “Did he ingest it?”

“Yes.”

His lips tugged into a grimace. They had never come across a situation like this before, but the mere idea of ingesting the blood of one of Jenova’s children simply didn’t ring good news. More importantly, having further contact with Jenova was the last thing they wanted for Cloud.

“Tell me what happened.”

Sephiroth carefully studied Cloud. Vincent had him laying on his side, possibly to avoid Cloud choking on the black blood, though it was already too late for whatever he already swallowed.

“Rael wanted to show Cloud something. He kept insisting that Cloud understand the ‘truth’ about what happened to Claudia.” Vincent met Sephiroth’s gaze. “He said show, Sephiroth.”

Jenova was a master of illusions and could cause any unsuspecting person to see things that didn’t exist. She was an entity with abilities that exceeded human ability or comprehension. Causing a hallucination or shapeshifting was but a small taste of what she could do. Scientists like Hojo and those of the Science and Research Department could hardly touch her shadow and understand how vast her abilities were.

She seemed to share only a fraction of her abilities with Strife when he fully came under her control. Sephiroth and the others had seen her influence throughout their journey whenever they caught the tail end of rumors and saw the aftermath of her magic.

Knowing this, worry needled in Sephiroth’s mind as he looked down at Cloud’s unresponsive form. His eyes were barely open and weren’t focused. Their usual blue hue was practically nonexistent, overpowered by bright green irises that mirrored Sephiroth’s own. This change occurred in Cloud only when Jenova was encroaching on his mind.

“Mom...”

The mumble caught Sephiroth’s ear. Tears rolled down Cloud’s cheeks as he repeatedly called for his mom. Sephiroth’s thumb brushed away the tears.

What was Cloud seeing?

Sephiroth didn’t know the full story about Claudia’s death. What he gleaned from Strife only partly answered his questions while Strife went mad from the memory. Talking about Claudia was a landmine, so Sephiroth never pressed for it. (Frankly, he didn’t have the leisure to anyway. Strife didn’t give them any luxury to have a civil conversation.)

“We must pull him out of it.”

He nodded at Vincent’s words. “The question is how. Have you tried magic?”

Vincent shook his head. “I cast Esuna, but there was no response. I didn’t want to take any risks trying other spells.”

Strange as though that might have sounded at face value, Vincent’s judgment was sound. They didn’t know what exactly was going on with Cloud, or what would happen if they carelessly used spells on him. If they forced him to enter a deeper sleep, that might put him into a state they couldn’t rescue him from. Trying to use other panacea type spells might be useless as well; Jenova was known for being immune or having high resistance to ailment inducers and curatives. Furthermore, it was Cloud who was affected, not Jenova directly. If they weren’t careful, their efforts could backfire.

“Then we need an alternative.”

Vincent studied Cloud’s listless body. “Did you not mention to me how you have been able to help him in the past?”

Sephiroth shook his head slightly. “That was different.”

“Is it?” Vincent raised his head and looked at him pointedly.

Sephiroth frowned.

Perhaps it was the same. Jenova was still trying to overtake Cloud’s mind, she was simply using another method of attack. The true problem was just how damaging the attack could be on Cloud. If he didn’t do something, they could lose him.

“Regardless, we have no other choice,” he admitted. He had to try.

He set down Masamune and leaned down to lift Cloud’s body when Cloud suddenly started moving. His eyes widened and moved about aimlessly, still unseeing what was in front of him. He didn’t seem to sense Sephiroth or Vincent at all. Words tumbled from his tongue, whispered as if he was talking to himself.

“They will pay for their sins... They deserve death... Yes...”

He fumbled as he pushed up into a seated position. He drew in a shaky breath and started to get up. Words they never expected or wanted to hear soon came from Cloud’s lips as he wore a look of anticipation.

“I’m bac–”

Alarm was reflected in both Sephiroth’s and Vincent’s gazes. Sephiroth quickly grabbed him and pulled him back down before he could fully stand.

“Cloud!”

Cloud jerked and tried to break free. Sephiroth tightened his hold around the blond’s torso.

Cloud shuddered and clawed at Sephiroth’s arms. His boots dug into the ground as he tried to push away from him. Shaking his head, he whined, “She wants to see me!”

Like a child that was begging to return to his mother’s embrace, Cloud struggled against Sephiroth’s hold. His gaze whipped back and forth in a frantic search for something that wasn’t there. He lurched away from Sephiroth, still searching, but Sephiroth slid his hand over Cloud’s eyes and held him even tighter.

“Don’t go,” he whispered as he held him close. He knew that Cloud was trying to go to Jenova. It wasn’t simply a psychological tug, Cloud was physically trying to go to her. Sephiroth didn’t know where Jenova could possibly be, but right now that didn’t matter. He needed Cloud to remain here.

“Stay here,” he murmured against the curve of Cloud’s ear. “With me.”

Maybe Cloud still didn’t like him, and maybe he would rather be back in his own world than stay in this place any longer, but at this moment, he needed Cloud here. He needed Cloud next to him.

Just as abruptly as Cloud had started struggling, he stopped moving. His breath was ragged as he gulped for air.

“Stop–”

Before he could get another word out, Cloud bent forward. Sephiroth relaxed his grip somewhat as he felt Cloud’s body heave in the instinctive manner to expunge something from inside him. Sephiroth had seen enough people suddenly get violently sick to recognize the symptom right away.

The same black blood that covered the front of Cloud’s clothes was thrown up. Sephiroth continued to hold him, supporting his upper body as Cloud expelled mouthfuls of black blood.

Sephiroth slid his fingers through Cloud’s hair and pushed back his bangs.

Cloud trembled violently and gasped, “It hurts...”

Sephiroth tucked him against his chest. “I have you.”

“I...” Cloud’s voice was shaken and weak.

Sephiroth urged the other man to lean back against him. “You’re safe.”

It took effort for Cloud to finally relax and rest his weight against Sephiroth. As if his body could no longer support itself, he slid down and tilted his head up slowly. The green of his eyes was fading, gradually returning to their usual mako-enhanced blue.

Sephiroth quietly waited while Cloud slowly returned to reality. The haziness of his eyes was clearing up until finally Cloud’s gaze focused on Sephiroth.

“Sephir...?”

Sephiroth held back a sigh of relief. He merely tightened his hold around Cloud and nodded.

“Yes,” he responded quietly and carefully wiped Cloud’s face. It wasn’t much without getting Cloud to properly wash, but at least the blood wasn’t pouring from his lips anymore. “Just lean on me.”

He wanted to ask questions, especially about what Cloud saw, but he knew now wasn’t the time. Seeing how obedient Cloud was, he knew it would have to wait. They needed to get him off the mountain and somewhere they could properly take care of him.

“I’m back?” Cloud asked, his voice as quiet as Sephiroth’s.

Sephiroth nodded. “Yes.”

“Safe?”

“Yes.”

Cloud let out a weary sigh and closed his eyes. “Get me out of here. Please.”

“I will.” Sephiroth looked over at Vincent. “Find Zack. We’ll leave this place. If the other two are gone, we won’t pursue. Cloud is our priority.”

Vincent nodded and got up. Magic could be felt as fire magic was drawn forth and engulfed Rael’s body. After assuring the corpse would be properly burned, he picked up Masamune and left, allowing Sephiroth to return his attention to Cloud. Though the smaller man didn’t look like he had passed out, it was clear he didn’t have the strength in him to get up on his own.

It was time to go.

Looking down at him, Sephiroth slipped his arms under Cloud and lifted him up. Cloud didn’t so much as react except lean his head against Sephiroth’s chest. Making sure he was secured in his arms, Sephiroth turned to start making his way back down the path.

He nearly ran into Zack who was bolting up toward them. When Zack saw Cloud in Sephiroth’s arms, Zack’s eyes widened.

“Cloud?!” He ran right up to them and hovered worriedly. “Cloud, are you alright? What happened? I saw the ice and–”

Sephiroth tilted his head in the direction he had just come. “Zack, get Cloud’s sword. We’re heading back.”

Zack looked at the state of Cloud’s injuries and the blood that soaked his clothes. “Cloud, you okay?”

Cloud opened his eyes and gave a weak smile. “Yeah.”

Zack didn’t look convinced, but he nodded anyway. “Alright. I’ll go get Tsurugi, don’t worry buddy. We’ll take care of you!”

Cloud made a quiet sound of acknowledgement and closed his eyes again. Seeing this as a signal to keep going, Sephiroth walked past Zack. He wanted to hurry, but he was careful as he carried Cloud, making sure not to jostle him too much as he made his way down.

There would be no easy way to head back into town except on their own two feet. Vehicles had a hard time passing through this terrain, and they didn’t bring any chocobos with them.

“Do you think you can stay awake?” he asked Cloud, tilting his head to look down at him.

“I think... yeah,” Cloud replied after a long silence.

Sephiroth quickened his pace.

“I got it!” Zack called from behind them and jogged to catch up. He walked next to Sephiroth, constantly glancing at him until they met up with Vincent who was standing by the destruction that Zack and Vyd had caused during their fight.

“Oh, yeah that’s Vyd’s blood,” Zack nodded at the pool of black blood Vincent was studying. “I saw a lot of blood by Cloud’s sword. Was that...?”

Vincent nodded. “Rael’s. He killed himself in order to force Cloud to swallow his blood.”

Zack’s face scrunched up in disgust. “What? Then all of that...” his gaze settled on Cloud’s clothes, “All of that is blood?”

“Yes. We don’t know why he chose that method, but Cloud’s current state is the result.”

Zack’s worried look intensified and he looked at Sephiroth in an unspoken question about Cloud’s condition. Sephiroth met his gaze and shook his head.

“We need to return to town as quickly as possible and tend to any wounds. Zack, once we’re within limits, secure us some privacy at the inn,” he cautioned. “We don’t want anyone to see us, especially not Cloud.”

The back of Cloud’s hand lightly thumped against Sephiroth’s chest to call his attention. “You don’t have to... Just need rest...”

“No way!” Zack immediately objected.

“We’re heading to the inn.” Sephiroth frowned at him. “You need to be treated.”

“Yeah! He’s right, Cloud. Leave all the thinking and stuff to us,” Zack pointed to himself as he came to walk beside them. “I’ll make sure we have everything we need.”

Cloud smiled tiredly.

Zack looked up at Sephiroth. “I’ll go ahead.”

Sephiroth nodded.

Zack took off right away, running down the mountain path back to Nibelheim. There was urgency in his movements, a clear mission in his eyes.

Sephiroth watched him go before looking over at Vincent. His father silently met his gaze and nodded. Though Sephiroth hadn’t said anything, the communication was clear. Vincent walked ahead of them, giving Sephiroth and Cloud some space as he made sure the path was kept free of any dangers.

It was at times like this that Sephiroth appreciated how easy it was to talk to his father. Though they had spent many years apart, never knowing about each other’s existence, something inherent in their personalities allowed them to interact with little to no words needed.

It was the complete opposite when Sephiroth was talking with Zack. The other man always had to respond and ask questions. Still, despite this, Sephiroth could rely on Zack to make the right judgment call. He wouldn’t call Zack a comrade or friend if he couldn’t trust the man.

“Thanks...”

The sound of Cloud’s soft voice drew Sephiroth’s attention. He tilted his head to catch the younger man’s gaze as he looked up at him.

“For?” He already had a strong inkling why Cloud was thanking him, but he asked anyway because he wanted to hear it directly.

“For helping me.” Cloud lowered his eyes. “You could’ve killed me instead.”

“I could have,” Sephiroth confessed. He trained his gaze ahead, keeping Cloud in the periphery of his vision. “But I promised to send you home.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to be alive.”

Sephiroth lowered his head. His steps slowed down as he studied Cloud. When he stopped, he quietly asked, “Is that how you see me?”

Cloud, as if he was unsuspecting of the question, looked back up at him in surprise. “But I almost–”

“We are the opposite of each other, certainly. However, are we also each other’s enemies?” They had already established that neither he nor Cloud were the people they faced in their respective worlds. However, Sephiroth asked this question anyway because he wanted to hear it from Cloud. It was unfair to confront him right now, but he had already crossed the line. “Would you kill me if our positions had flipped?”

Cloud stared at him with wide eyes. He didn’t respond right away, but Sephiroth didn’t rush him. He silently waited until Cloud finally opened his mouth, “Maybe at first, but... not now. If you came to my world...”

Cloud’s gaze averted and he lowered his head. Sephiroth couldn’t see his expression, but he heard the guilt and conflict in Cloud’s voice. “I have a lot I want to protect...”

“As do I.”

“It’s... You had a lot of opportunities to kill me, but you didn’t,” Cloud continued quietly. He sounded like he was struggling to sort out his words. “You’re probably what he could’ve been if Nibelheim never happened. I wish...”

Cloud’s voice trailed. His hands flexed, but there was nothing in the air. Whatever he was hoping to grasp, it evaded him as easily as a thought.

“Sephiroth...” Cloud drew in a breath and lifted his head again. “Sephiroth.”

“Yes?” Sephiroth responded softly.

Cloud met his eyes. Though the man looked pale and ready to faint any second, he didn’t allow his gaze to waver. Drawing in another deep breath, he spoke these quiet words, “I trust you.”

Cloud’s voice didn’t hesitate this time. He didn’t stumble or murmur, or give Sephiroth any reason to believe he was lying or only telling half-truths. It was as if he wanted to make sure Sephiroth had no doubts.

Sephiroth unconsciously tightened his grip.

Before he could respond, Cloud lowered his head again. He rested it against Sephiroth’s chest, disallowing Sephiroth the chance to see his expression. Sephiroth calmed his thoughts before they got carried away, and looked ahead. He resumed walking, once more quickening his pace so that they could return to Nibelheim as soon as possible.

He would’ve been fine to continue the trek in silence, but just like before, Cloud’s voice broke it with just a few whispered words.

“Thank you... for keeping me safe.”

Sephiroth didn’t reply. He only tucked Cloud a little closer and continued walking.

#{ rose gold }

0 notes

omegasquire · 6 months ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch33

What happened to the presents he sent her? The money? Where did it all go? Were all of her responses a lie? Did she even have any idea?

Cloud wouldn't find answers here. Carefully closing the lid of the coffin, he marched back down the mountain and right into town. Tifa was still behind him, but she might as well have been a fly because he didn't care for her presence.

He roughly entered the post office and tracked down the mailman pretending to be busy in the back room. The hour was too late to bother with mail, especially in a small town like Nibelheim, yet here he was.

Once the man saw him, he became stiff. “Strife? What do you need?”

Cloud stopped before him. “My letters and the money I sent to my mom. Did they ever make it to her?”

The mailman sputtered. “Why of course! I sent everything with Geoffrey to deliver.”

Geoffrey. So he was the courier. “Where is he?”

“Why? What business do you have with him?”

Cloud's eyes narrowed. “Where is he?”

The mailman fidgeted and looked away. “I don’t know, probably at home.”

Cloud grew frustrated at this answer and demanded the man's address.

Why was it that no one was willing to answer his questions properly? They avoided his gaze. They didn’t greet him. They stammered and squirmed and acted like guilty children.

They hid from him that his mother had died, and if he hadn’t run into Tifa, he wouldn’t have known where she was buried. But what about everything else? What about his letters? The gifts? The money? He had portioned a part of his stipend to give to her so that she could continue to live comfortably in Nibelheim.

A SOLDIER’s income increased with their rank, and Cloud earned enough to support both himself and her. At first she didn’t want him to do it, saying it would be a waste, but he convinced her to take it anyway.

Every month he would send her money, a present, and a letter to catch her up on what was going on in Midgar. He would tell her about missions, about the things he saw, and people he interacted with.

At the end of every letter, he told her that he loved her. He secretly hoped that he would see her again, or that she would finally accept his offer to come to Midgar instead of staying in this wretched place that did nothing but hurt them. He tried multiple times to get her to visit, but she always pushed it off.

He didn’t understand it, but he respected her choice and compromised to just continue sending her things and writing to her.

But what now? What happened to all of it? Did his letters even make it to her? Were those her honest replies? Were they forged?

He didn’t want to think about it, but his mind couldn’t help but go in that direction.

Did they keep it? Did she get any of it?

Anger started to rise in Cloud and he quickened his steps.

He found Geoffrey at home and cornered him in his living room. Without so much as warning him, he grabbed the man by the front of his shirt and jerked him forward.

“I heard you’re the courier for the post office.”

“What the fuck are you– Yeah! Yeah I am, so what? Why are you treating me like this?!” Geoffrey demanded.

Cloud lowered his voice. “What happened to the letters and presents I sent my mom?”

“What? That’s what this is about? I gave it to the mayor! What of it?!”

“The mayor?”

“Yeah! He said that since it was from an important SOLDIER, it was best that he keep it safe. He didn’t want your mom accidentally losing it or something– I don’t fucking know! Why does it matter?! Let go of me! Fuc–”

Cloud’s mind went blank. He stopped moving and stared past Geoffrey in the direction of the mayor’s office. Geoffrey wriggled out of his slackened grip but Cloud didn’t pay attention. When he turned around, he saw Tifa was still following him around, but he hardly looked at her as he pushed past.

He felt like he was walking on a swaying ship, his steps unsteady as he made his way to the mayor’s office.

Did he hear Geoffrey correctly? Did he hear all of these confessions correctly?

“Strife, sir?”

Cloud stopped as he heard one of the soldiers calling out to him. When he glanced over, the other man hesitated upon seeing his face.

“Um, the others wanted to have a meal together and were wondering if you’d want to come. If you’re busy, that’s okay!” he quickly amended. “You’re back home, you gotta be with your family. I bet you want to be with your mom, right? Don’t worry, we won’t bother you!”

The soldier quickly retreated, letting Cloud continue towards the office. While the soldier meant well, his words made Cloud’s lips twist into an ugly snarl. If only he could be with family. If only he could be with his mother.

But she was dead. She was buried in the mountains with not even a stick to mark her grave. He couldn’t even hug her and tell her that he was home.

Bastards! All of them!

This time, when Cloud barged into the mayor’s office, the man wasn’t there. Cloud didn’t waste time and changed directions to head for the man’s home. Tifa called out his name, but Cloud continued to ignore her as he kicked open the door to the mayor’s home.

The mayor’s wife gave a startled cry. “What are you doing?!”

Cloud ignored her as well and went straight for the mayor who was practically hiding in his bedroom. The anger that burned inside Cloud grew hotter and hotter, like someone had poured lava down his throat and forced him to swallow. He wanted to vomit again, but he forced down the nausea.

“Did–” His voice cracked. “Did you take the money I sent my mom? Did you take the gifts?”

“W-What are you talking about? Boy, you are very quick to cause trouble here, just like you used to! You barge into someone’s home a-and– Did you not learn any manners over there in Midgar?” The mayor’s face was red and he spat out his indignant questions while shaking a finger at Cloud. “Do they let any uncouth bastard like you into their ranks? Is that it? Shame on Shinra! They should’ve rejected you! H-How can you accuse me of something I didn’t do!”

“Then why is everything pointing back to you?” Cloud’s eyes burned with the threat of tears. “You didn’t like us for a long time, but this? Did you have to do this? She’s all by herself! You would steal from her?!”

The mayor continued to sputter and defend himself, denying Cloud’s accusations. Cloud barely heard any of it.

Drawing in a shaky breath, his gaze turned away from the mayor and looked around him. He saw items around the house that didn’t look like they belonged; they were almost too expensive for a small town mayor to afford without additional funds.

Trinkets, jewelry, wall decor, and various other things that were too many to count. What use would a mayor have for even half of this junk and not even modernize his own town? It didn't even make any sense.

Cloud froze as he caught sight of a particular item mounted on the wall.

Was that the decorative sword he had sent to his mother after he earned his rank? Why...?

Something inside him broke.

Disbelief turned into anger, then pain, then despair. He could hardly digest everything that he was feeling. He wanted to lie to himself and say that the mayor was just holding onto it for safekeeping, or maybe Claudia let him hold onto it, that he was only jumping to conclusions because they never had a good relationship to begin with, but he knew it wasn’t true.

No... no, no, no...

His mind raced. He thought about everyone’s reactions so far. He thought about the strangeness of it all. Even if he wasn’t lauded as a ranked SOLDIER of Shinra, granting Nibelheim a bit of fame with his success, they should’ve been nicer to his mother.

When he arrived, they should’ve treated him with respect. They should’ve greeted him and told him congratulations even if they didn’t mean it.

He was important. He was strong. He fulfilled his goal. He found a place where people accepted him. He even–

Cloud’s thoughts ground to a halt.

Sephiroth.

Cloud suddenly wanted to see him. He wanted to be comforted in knowing that Sephiroth would always support him. He wanted to hear his voice.

Why couldn’t Sephiroth be here with him right now?

Cloud needed him.

There was no one else left.

What was he supposed to do now? How was he supposed to handle his mother’s death? This betrayal?

A wave of nausea hit him again. Cloud shoved away from the mayor and left. He felt like he was suffocating and gasped for air.

“Cloud? Cloud, please wait!”

Cloud faintly heard Tifa’s voice.

Why the hell was she still following him? Why couldn’t she leave him alone?

Tifa stopped short as if she was afraid of getting closer to him.

“Please, hear me out? I– I know you’re upset but he must’ve meant well, right?” Her gaze shook as she looked at him apprehensively. “He’s the mayor, I’m sure he had his reasons. Your mom... maybe she gave him permission?”

Hearing her go on made his stomach twist in an angry knot. He glared at her. “Did you know what was going on?”

Her eyes widened. “N-No! No, I had no idea. They said they took care of everything and–”

He cut her off. “Now that you do, you’re going to defend him?”

Tifa couldn’t respond.

Cloud straightened his back and looked her dead in the eyes. “You’re just as guilty.”

She paled at his words.

Cloud turned away from her and headed back to the mountain. This time, Tifa didn’t follow him. Cloud silently made his way back to where his mother was buried and stood before the hole he had dug. Shakily, he lifted the lid of the coffin.

Hot tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked at her laying there. His whole life had revolved around her. She was the one who bore him. The one who raised him. The one who first showed him love. The one who cared for and supported him unconditionally.

He loved her.

His kind and humble mother.

His world.

Cloud buried his face in his hands. A wretched cry was torn from his throat that came from deep within his chest. He called for her over and over, but he knew that she couldn’t answer. She left the land of the living far earlier than he ever expected her to. She was still young. She should’ve lived another thirty or forty years, easily.

Those people robbed her of that. They took so much from her. From him. Did she get even a single gil? Did she know that he collected different souvenirs because he thought she would like them? Did she know he always had her on his mind?

Those bastards probably hid everything from her.

They stole.

They lied.

They killed her.

Cloud’s gaze was unfocused as he looked up at the sky. It was dark now, but he didn’t feel like moving. He didn’t want to leave his mother alone.

After a lengthy silence, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He went through the contacts automatically and found Sephiroth’s number.

His thumb hovered over the icon to dial the number and hesitated.

What would he say?

Cloud stared at the screen blankly. It took him a long minute before he finally pressed the icon. The phone rang and rang, but the call didn’t connect. He paused, then tried again. It rang and rang, but still no answer.

He wondered if it was because he was in the mountains. It was possible that the signal was poor here. Or maybe Sephiroth just couldn’t answer the phone right now. Maybe he was busy. Or maybe he was already asleep. If Cloud called again, he would only disturb him.

The automated voice on the other end of the line asked if he wanted to leave a voicemail. Cloud almost hung up, but then he swallowed dryly and opened his mouth.

His voice shook despite his attempt to sound normal. “H-Hey, Seph... Just wanted to let you know we made it to Nibelheim. The trip wasn’t bad at all, the weather conditions were good. We didn’t run into much interference on the way. I, uh... I...”

Cloud’s voice trailed as he struggled to come up with the words. Bowing his head, he stared at his lap and silently sobbed. “I want to see you. This place... I hate it. My mom is dead. The mayor– they–”

Cloud roughly wiped away the tears that continued to stream down his face. “I really want to see you. I’ll– I’ll... um, take care of things here. Mom needs to be buried properly and... I just– I’ll–”

Kill them.

He drew in a shuddered breath and slowly let it out. “Don’t worry about me. I’m sorry. I’ll see you soon.”

After they die.

Cloud hung up. He lifted his head and carefully got up. As his gaze settled on Claudia’s corpse once more, the burning ache returned. Though he felt drained, a newfound conviction prevented him from stopping and settling down beside her.

Mom, I’ll be back. I’ll come get you.

He returned the lid to its original spot. He pushed some of the dirt back on top to prevent wildlife and nature from disturbing it.

As he went down the path once more, he abruptly stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of the town ahead.

What was he going to do?

How could he even move forward after all this?

Cloud wanted to tear this whole place apart, but he couldn't move.

It was then that softly, slowly, something beckoned him to move. It wasn’t towards the inn, though. Instead, his feet took him to the Shinra Mansion.

Something was calling him.

Like a man possessed, he entered and made his way down to the basement. He had no thoughts, only a destination, and that was where the lab and library joined. It was a place he hadn’t visited in a long time. A place he never thought he could find comfort in, yet served as a secret hideaway when he couldn’t handle being around the other townsfolk anymore.

Those days, he didn’t want to return home and make his mother worry. He didn’t want her to see how upset he was by the things they said.

Especially now, he didn’t want to go to that empty house and feel her absence. Here, in this basement, was best.

Yes, he could rest here for a moment.

Just... until he got his emotions under control...

Stopping before the desk in the library, Cloud leaned against it. Fresh tears flowed anew as another pained cry was ripped from him. He slammed his fist against the desk, wishing that everything was just a nightmare, but the sting of his palm told him otherwise.

He slid down to the floor and sobbed. He sobbed until he had no more tears to shed and his throat was raw. All that was left was emptiness.

‘My child.’

Cloud almost didn’t hear it.

‘My beloved one.’

He slowly sat up and frowned. He could’ve sworn he heard a voice, but there was no one around.

No, he corrected himself, it came from inside his head. It was tender and affectionate, reaching out to him with open arms.

‘You have returned. How they have hurt you, my poor child...’

The voice was strangely familiar to him, as if he had heard it long ago. Maybe it was when he was still a child.

It took Cloud a while to realize what it was. He hadn’t heard this voice since he went to Midgar. Yet, hearing it again, he knew who it belonged to.

If his mom was the one who birthed and raised him, then she was the one who comforted and nurtured him. She had no name, but he gave her one:

Mother.

Because that was how she acted towards him. She cared for him and listened to him whenever he vented his frustrations. She reached out to him every time he went outside of the town.

He didn’t know where her exact location was, but he had a feeling it was somewhere even further than the mansion. Somewhere across the mountain’s bridge that led to the reactor.

He was always afraid to cross that bridge, but instinctively he knew she was on the other side. She was kind and comforting, patiently waiting for him to take that step.

“Mother... Mother, she’s gone. Mom is gone.” His voice was just a whisper. “They–”

‘They killed her.’

“Yes...”

Mother’s voice was soothing. ‘Come to me, my child. My dearest son, I will make it better. Don’t suffer alone.’

Cloud hesitated, his lips pressed together in uncertainty. “But…”

‘Fear not, I will keep you safe. I will be with you.’

He hesitated again before finally pushing to his feet. His body was exhausted and his mind was an absolute mess, but hearing Mother call for him somehow made it bearable. He silently nodded and made his way back out of the mansion in the dead of night.

He didn’t count the minutes it took to reach the bridge. He hardly paid attention to where he was walking, merely relying on his memory and Mother’s voice to bring him to this place. His steps barely broke cadence until he finally stood at the edge of the cliff. The old bridge swayed slightly from the wind that naturally blew through the canyon. If it snapped, that would be the end of him.

‘Come home. Return to me.’

Yet, Mother was still calling him. She was welcoming him with open arms, he could tell. She would make it better. She would dry his tears and settle the turbulent emotions inside him. She would embrace him and fill the void that Claudia left.

Cloud glanced down at the first plank of wood. He drew in a breath to calm himself and took the first step. One foot, then the other, then repeat.

‘I will make it right.’

Yes.

‘They will pay for their sins.’

Yes.

‘They killed her.’

He choked down a sob. She was right. They did.

“They... they killed her.”

‘Yes.’

“They deserve death.”

‘Yes.’

“They will be eradicated.”

‘Yes.’

Cloud was ready to cross the final plank. Letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, a shaky smile formed on his lips as he stepped forward.

‘Welcome home, my son.’

“I’m bac–”

Cloud!

Cloud froze. His brows furrowed. The voice in his head was completely different. Who did it belong to?

Cloud!

Without warning, Cloud suddenly felt something grab him from behind. Arms wrapped around him and yanked him back. He felt a broad chest against his back, two hands firmly holding him close.

“Who–?”

Pain lanced through his head. Cloud groaned and twisted in the person’s grip, trying to break loose. Whoever this person was, whatever they wanted, they were getting in his way!

Try as he might, though, he couldn’t free himself.

He gripped at the arms that refused to release him. “Get off! She wants to see me!”

Don’t go. Stay here.

A hand covered his eyes. He was pulled away from the other side of the bridge. Though he fought against it – he needed to go to Mother! – the other person wouldn’t let him go.

With me.

Dizziness crashed against his senses like a tidal wave and sent him stumbling. His grip slackened, and he scratched weakly at the arm that circled his torso. He wanted to break free, but somehow his body wouldn’t cooperate.

It was as if it was listening to something else. Someone else’s voice.

Cloud felt like he was being wrenched in two different directions. His mind wanted one thing, but his body wanted something else. Back and forth, he was pulled taut like a victim to be drawn between two horses. It made him violently ill.

“Stop–”

He bent forward as bile rose in his throat. No, it was something thicker. It clung to his stomach, his lungs, his throat. It didn’t want to come out, but Cloud forced it. His body trembled fiercely as his hands quickly became covered in black liquid.

His breathing was harsh and uneven, and he gasped for air between violent coughs. “It hurts...”

“I have you.”

A low voice was heard near his ear. Cloud could barely concentrate on it as he forced out more black liquid. Fingers dipped into his hair and gently pushed it out of his face. Cloud groaned and leaned against the chest that supported him.

“I...”

That same low voice whispered to him, “You’re safe now.”

He didn’t know why the voice said he was safe, but Cloud could sense it. Somehow, he had been saved from the grasp of danger and pulled back into a safe place. Something bad would’ve happened if he didn’t listen to the person who held him.

Finally allowing himself to accept the fatigue that had weighed down his mind and body, Cloud sank against the person’s chest and tilted his head. He weakly looked up at the face of who it was and found green eyes looking back down at him.

Cloud recognized him.

“Sephir...?”

Sephiroth didn’t say anything, and only held him tighter.

#{ rose gold }

0 notes

omegasquire · 6 months ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch32

His head felt like it was pounding. All around him was a swirl of colors and vague images that he couldn’t discern. It made him nauseous.

“Is it that time again?”

A distorted voice reached his ears. It sounded male, neither young nor old. Cloud couldn’t tell who it belonged to.

“Yeah. I haven’t been able to write to her lately. I feel bad.”

Was that his own voice? Cloud wasn’t too sure. He sounded younger.

He tried to focus on it. For some reason, he knew it was important to listen to what was being said. He never had a conversation like this before, so that had to mean this was Strife. It didn’t make sense he would even be able to hear this, but regardless of how this was happening, he couldn’t ignore it. However he got here – whatever here was – he had no choice but to try and wade through it.

“You keep sending her money so she’s gotta know you still care for her, right? Don’t worry about it.”

“I know... I just wish I could talk to her.”

“That’s the problem with small towns. No modern technology. How the hell you grew up in that place, I don’t know.”

There was a pause before Cloud heard Strife respond quietly.

“Neither do I.”

Something about Strife’s voice didn’t sound right. Cloud couldn’t see what was going on around him, but it unnerved him. Something was wrong.

A wave of nausea hit Cloud, yet there was a strange thing about the sensation. He felt like he was slipping away, as if his whole body was about to be expunged rather than bile from his stomach. Though he was conscious of his own presence in this unknown space, it wasn’t like when he had slipped through the Lifestream and crossed worlds.

The weightlessness that surrounded him was only temporary. Slowly, like an anchor being lowered into the water, he was sinking.

Slowly, slowly.

Deeper, deeper.

The colors that flowed around him were beginning to blend and form shapes. An image, though not entirely clear, was forming before him.

Still, the voices that he heard were warped. Further still, he could recognize Strife’s among them. It was a strange dichotomy because while it was his own voice, the intonation and command was foreign to him.

“We’ll be reaching Nibelheim shortly. Mortin, go to the inn and check us into a couple rooms.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Sir, this is your first time returning, right?”

Strife made a sound of affirmation. “Mm, yeah.”

“You should see your mom then!”

The image around Cloud gradually became clearer. Sounds became less warped, and he could hear the rumble of a truck’s engine. He felt the hard bench beneath him and the constriction of straps and laces on his boots and uniform. There was a weight against his back, but considerably lighter than when he carried the Buster Sword or Tsurugi.

The sensations in his body felt both familiar and not, like he was wearing a suit that didn’t quite fit. As his vision cleared up, he could see he was riding in the bed of a military truck with a few other Shinra infantry.

It was reminiscent of when he had come with Zack and Sephiroth when he was a teenager. However, this time, he was in a position of command and others were looking to him for orders. Cloud tried to look around but couldn’t move his head. He was stuck with his gaze trained forward, his motions constricted by another conscience’s dictation.

Cloud was uncomfortable, yet even if he tried to will himself to separate from this body, he only felt himself becoming more rooted to it.

This creeping disconcertion continued until the truck stopped and he exited the bed with the others. Being unable to control his body reminded him of the time he felt himself being pulled by Sehiroth’s will to surrender the Black Materia to him. Yet, at the same time, this was more disorienting than that. While Cloud had felt connected to his body when he was answering to Sephiroth’s call, this experience of being pushed into what could only be Strife’s memories robbed him of all free will.

“A-Ah, Cloud Strife? We didn’t expect you to come.”

Cloud returned his focus on the innkeeper. He wasn’t the same one that Cloud had met in Nibelheim with Sephiroth and the others. This man was almost middle aged with a nervous waver to his gaze. He was avoiding looking Strife in the eyes.

Strife hardly looked at the man in return. “This is Nibelheim. I was the natural choice.”

“Of course, of course. H-Here are your room keys.”

Strife took the keys and passed them off to one of the other soldiers. “Get settled in. I’m going to take a walk.”

“Yes sir!”

Strife left the inn and headed for the streets. Cloud noticed the stark difference between the reception Strife had when returning to Nibelheim, versus Sephiroth’s visit in his own world. Sephiroth was a war hero, lauded and fawned over. Everyone was curious about him. Excited just to be able to see his face in person.

Not Strife. While people were minding their own business, none of them made eye contact. A glance was sneaked in here and there, but no one greeted the teen as he walked past.

Something tightened in Cloud’s chest that wasn’t quite his own. He wondered what expression Strife wore as he saw all this, because the clenching around his heart would’ve betrayed any farce of stoicism. Every step Strife took towards his house was filled both with joy and anxiousness.

Even though Cloud knew these emotions weren’t completely his, he felt a longing to see Claudia after such a long time. Maybe it was because he hadn’t seen his own mother in nearly a decade. The last time he saw her was the same day his whole world turned upside down.

“Mom,” Strife called as he made it to the front door. He knocked on the door and waited for a reply. Ten seconds, twenty seconds, no answer came. He tried again. “Are you home? Mom?”

Nothing.

“I shouldn't have lost my key...” Strife muttered.

“Cloud? Is... that you?”

A young woman’s voice caught his attention. Strife turned and saw who called him. The feeling in Strife’s chest dissipated as he saw who it was.

“...Tifa.”

Tifa wore an uncertain look on her face. “Um, you came back?”

“Just for a mission.” Strife stared at her.

An awkward silence stretched between them, giving Cloud time to take in the image of Tifa in this world. She really wasn’t that different from the girl he knew, but her hair was shorter and she wasn’t wearing that cowgirl outfit he remembered.

She wore shorts and a cropped pullover that exposed her toned abdomen. Her hands and wrists were covered in white wrapping that looked like they were meant for supporting her joints and fists rather than protecting an injury. She tucked a lock of damp hair behind her ear, showing evidence of sweat around her hairline from an obvious workout session.

“Um, are you looking for your mom?”

She seemed uncomfortable talking to Strife.

“Yeah.”

Tifa flinched and lowered her gaze. “S-She’s not here.”

Strife’s own gaze shifted to look somewhere away from Tifa. Cloud couldn’t see what her expression was when he heard Strife stiffly ask, “...You okay?”

He could hear the startle in Tifa’s voice. “Huh? Me? Oh, I’ve– I’ve been okay. Master Zangan has been taking in students and I’ve been training under him. ...You? How have you been?”

“Fine.”

The answer was so short, the disconnect between Strife and Tifa was clear as day. They didn’t have the same relationship that Cloud had with the Tifa of his world.

“You really made it into SOLDIER, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Cloud could see Tifa out of the corner of Strife’s gaze now, but Strife still didn’t look at her directly. She wore an awkward smile that only lasted a few seconds. “Congratulations.”

Strife merely made a short sound of acknowledgement before he suddenly turned and walked away. Cloud wanted to turn his head and see Tifa’s reaction, but Strife kept his gaze forward. He made his way back to the inn and joined the others to settle in for the evening.

The lack of emotional response he felt from Strife should’ve been comforting – he knew instinctively that connecting with Strife’s emotions was a bad idea – but it bothered Cloud instead. What happened between Strife and Tifa to cause them to react this way to each other?

This was the most information he was ever exposed to about Strife’s past. The hush-hush attitude that the others gave him whenever the subject came up was frustrating. He knew what was happening right now was dangerous, yet as time was passing and Cloud witnessed Strife’s interactions with those around him and how he would constantly stare in the distance, he couldn’t help but become more invested in the memory.

More ingrained in Strife.

“Have you been able to see your mom, sir?”

Strife shook his head. “I’ll try again after this is done.”

“I thought she would’ve come to see you at least. They should’ve told her that you’re in town, right?”

That tight feeling in his chest returned, except this time it wasn’t out of anticipation. Strife didn’t respond to the question that was directed his way. He continued on, working with the other soldiers to survey the path leading up the mountainside.

The details weren’t important for Cloud. What was important was the change within Strife. The uncertainty, the anxiety, the suspicion. It was this last emotion that stuck with Cloud.

Something was wrong.

This thought circled and circled in Cloud’s – no, Strife’s – mind. Though he continued the mission without issue, he couldn’t get rid of the knot in his gut.

Something was wrong.

Something was very wrong.

He needed to find out what it was.

Strife couldn’t sit still any longer, and when they returned to Nibelheim, he sent the others back to the inn while making his way to his house. Strife’s emotions bled into Cloud, and his heart pounded violently in his chest with each step Strife took towards his house.

He knew right away that Strife’s intuition was correct when he saw that the lights were off. All of a sudden, the warm home that he had grown up in looked abandoned. Empty.

Where were the lights? Did his mother go to bed early?

He knocked. No one answered.

Surely she would've been aware he was in town already. Where was she?

Cloud – no, Strife – reached for the door knob and tested it.

“Mom?”

His – no... Strife’s – voice wavered as he called out for Claudia beyond the door. When the door didn’t move, he forced it open and stepped inside to a dark room. There was no one inside. It wasn’t simply that no one wasn’t home at the moment, but the place looked like it hadn’t been inhabited in months.

“Mom...?”

Nothing.

Cloud – S t r i f e – quickly moved through each room and called for her again.

“Mom? Are you here? Hello? Mom?”

Still nothing.

It didn’t make sense.

He tried to wrack his brain for a possible reason that his mother wouldn’t be home and why his house would be abandoned.

“The mayor... He’ll know.”

Cloud – S t r i f e – muttered to himself and left his house. He beelined toward the mayor’s office and pushed his way through, startling the middle-aged woman who served as his secretary.

“Where’s my mom?”

The mayor startled as Cloud – S t r i f – burst into his office without so much as a warning.

“W-What?” His eyes widened at seeing the teen. “S-Strife?”

“Where is my mom?”

The man’s gaze shook slightly. “I don’t know. Isn’t she at home? Did you check?”

“I wouldn’t be here if she was. Where is she?”

The mayor fumbled and scoffed, straightening his posture in his chair. “I don’t keep track of everyone. Just because you’re now part of SOLDIER doesn’t mean you can barge in here like this. You’re still a boy. Mind your manners.”

Cloud’s – S t r i – mood darkened. He could tell that the man was hiding something. He grabbed the man by the front of his shirt and jerked him forward. “What happened to her? She’s my mom!”

“Let him go!”

The sound of a woman yelling at him made him turn his head. It was the secretary. She looked at them in fright, clutching at the front of her dress in a distressed manner.

“What are you doing? Cloud Strife, you let him go right this instant!”

Cloud – S t r – narrowed his eyes and shook the mayor like he was nothing more than a filthy mutt that needed to be punished. “Tell me what happened to my mom and I will.”

Her expression became nervous and her lips thinned. “N-Nothing happened to her.”

His grip tightened. “Don’t lie to me.”

Her eyes widened at the clear threat. “She– It was her own decision! We did nothing! I don’t know what thoughts you are having right now, but it was her own choice to head there.”

Cloud’s – S t – brows knitted. “There?”

“Past the cemetery.” The frightened woman swallowed, the color draining from her face. “I swear to you, we did nothing!”

Cemetery?

His thoughts raced. What was so significant about that place? It was just a path that led up to where the previous generation’s deceased were buried.

The mayor was tossed to the floor and Stri... no, Cloud pushed past the old woman as he left. His steps were hurried, becoming faster and faster until he was running. He climbed the path until he made it to the cemetery, but there were only rows of tombstones.

No, there was something else.

Someone was there.

Cloud’s gaze zeroed in on them.

Tifa.

Her head snapped up as if sensing his hostility. Her eyes widened when she saw him and froze. “C-Cloud? Wh-Why are you here?”

There was a knot in his throat. “What happened to my mom?”

Tifa stiffened. Before she could even form an answer, he closed the distance between them. Tifa scrambled to her feet and struggled to meet his gaze.

“Cloud, I–”

Her words failed her as Cloud silently stared her down. He could see his reflection in her wide eyes. He looked like he was ready to tear into her, a sight that should’ve frightened him too, but the emotions that tumbled and raged inside him wouldn’t let him focus on it.

Tifa bit her lip. “T-They took care of her. It was an accident, no one was expecting it to happen. You should’ve gotten notification, I thought you were just... but...”

When her gaze shifted to the side that led further up the path, Cloud didn’t wait for her to finish her sentence. He moved past her and followed the path. He could hear Tifa’s footsteps as she hurried after him, but he ignored her. He didn’t stop until he reached the plateau where a single unmarked grave was.

It wasn’t fancy or even considered halfhearted. It was just a simple mound of dirt packed on top of a specific spot. It looked like the dirt had slowly settled over time, possibly several months.

Months...

The same amount of time that his house had been unoccupied...

“We think she was trying to get herbs for Samantha’s son,” came Tifa’s meek voice. “No one really knows for sure. T-They were supposed to tell you. You should’ve gotten notification! They said they sent a letter!”

Tifa was desperate for his understanding, but her words went in one ear and out the other. Cloud went to the mound of dirt and started to dig it up with his hands. He didn’t care how inefficient it was. He dug and dug further, flinging piles of dirt to the side as he crawled on his knees.

“Mom... Mom... Mom...”

Cloud frantically called for her. His throat felt tight. His mouth was dry. His eyes stung.

He ignored Tifa trying to call for him as he continued to dig, even using his sword to cut a wider hole in the ground until finally he saw a wooden surface. His desperation surged and he pushed away more handfuls of dirt to reveal the top of a simple wooden box. It was the length of an adult human, its shape unmistakeable.

It was a coffin.

It wasn’t even buried that deep...

Cloud stood up and stared at it. His head was devoid of thoughts, unable to process what he was seeing. Trepidation gripped him, making him hesitate, but he forced himself to break open the top of the coffin and look inside.

Clothes ruined. A once gentle and beautiful face hardly recognizable. A body that carried various wounds that hadn’t been tended to. Cuts, scratches, bruises, broken bones, and...

Bile immediately rose in Cloud’s throat. He scrambled out of the pit he had created and bent over.

They took care of her? That was taking care of her?

Cloud felt sick.

He wiped his mouth and pushed to his feet. He didn’t want to look, but he made himself take in the details of what – who – was laying there.

“When?” His voice cracked.

“I don’t know exactly when.” Tifa shakily lowered her hands that were covering her mouth in shock, her voice trembling, “Mr. Wolton was the one who found her. He was out here visiting Mrs. Wolton’s grave with Charlie. You remember his dog, Charlie, right? They were here and Charlie is the one who actually found her.”

Cloud was silent as he listened, his back turned to Tifa.

“Cloud... They gave her a funeral. They buried her here because there was no space, and it just seemed right I guess?” She sounded uncertain even as she said this, as if she was repeating something that she had been told rather than her own thoughts. “James’s uncle said he didn’t have enough material to make her a proper headstone, and he didn’t want to give her something cheap, so that’s why the may–”

Cloud cut her off. “What about the money?”

“Huh?”

Cloud turned to look at her. Tifa wore a confused expression.

“I send her money every month.”

Tifa quickly shook her head.

Did she have no idea what he was talking about?

Then he needed to find someone who did.

Cloud looked inside the coffin again and felt like someone had stabbed him right through the heart. It tore at him to see her that way, and to know that he hadn't even been told it happened.

Why did no one tell him?

Why did no one tell him?!

#{ rose gold }

0 notes

omegasquire · 6 months ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch31

Together, Vincent and Cloud passed by Isolfr and made their way further up the unmarked path. Every step they took, Cloud liked their situation less and less. He was expecting a fight as soon as they caught up with the brothers, but apart from Zack drawing his sword at Vyd, the rest didn’t make any moves to pull out weapons.

Cloud felt like he was walking through the eye of the storm. He couldn’t help but feel anxious and anticipate the moment this impasse would break.

“Did Sephiroth give you something as security?”

Hearing the question from Vincent, Cloud nodded and pushed up his sleeve. “This.”

Vincent stared at it silently for a long moment. “Good. If we get separated and you see a need to use it, do not hesitate.”

“I know. He and I... we have an understanding.”

It wasn’t just a simple handshake sort of agreement that Cloud and Sephiroth shared. While Cloud didn’t know exactly what the feeling he had was, he did know that it had weight to it. Sephiroth’s words weren’t to be easily dismissed as careless remarks. He would fulfill his promise.

The knot that was tumbling around in Cloud’s gut calmed down a little as he repeated this thought to himself.

Silently drawing in a breath, Cloud focused ahead of him. He noticed it was winding in a strange manner that didn’t seem safe for a normal person to climb. It was the sort of pathway that was like a fairytale, bordering on treacherous before opening to a secret that could change the lives of many – or one special person.

Cloud slowed down as he reached the end and saw the last of the brothers sitting next to a flower. The flower looked like it was freshly planted, its roots yet to stretch into the surrounding earth and become one with the foliage.

“They killed her.”

Cloud’s muscles stiffened. It wasn’t Jenova who said these words this time, but Rael. “What does that mean? Jenova said the same thing.”

Rael gently touched the ground next to the flower. “There’s nothing here but herbs and flowers that only grow in high elevation. Did you know? The bouquets that Mom made actually had medicinal value.”

A furrow formed between Cloud’s brows. Rael had to be talking about Claudia, yet the mention of bouquets was foreign to him. Did his mother like bouquets? Cloud remembered there being flowers and potted plants in the house, but it wasn’t a hobby of hers to make arrangements. They were part of the decor to make the place seem warmer and more inviting. Cloud never paid them much attention.

Did this world’s Claudia have a special fascination with flowers? Did she study herbology? What was his mother like in this world?

“And?”

“Edelweiss is rare. Not everyone knows they exist, and even if they see them, they pass them by without a second thought.” Rael sighed sadly. “Mom must’ve thought it would be useful in town. She had a big heart. You know that, right? She loved Brother so much.”

Cloud knew Rael was referring to Strife, but the way the younger man looked at him was as if he was superimposing Strife’s image on him.

“She should’ve ignored the rest of them. If she just followed Brother to Midgar, that wouldn’t have happened.” Rael pushed up to his feet and dusted off his pants as he straightened up. “The maggots didn’t deserve her compassion.”

“Stop speaking in circles.” Cloud felt his patience was starting to reach its peak.

Rael’s wide-eyed gaze landed on him in an unnatural, unblinking manner. As he spread his fingers by his side, a sword materialized in his palm. “I’ll tell you. No, I’ll show you. It’s better if you see.”

Cloud immediately reached behind him for his sword. Simultaneously, Vincent withdrew his gun from its holster. Without preempt, Rael leapt forward, aiming for Cloud just as he barely got into position.

Tsurugi’s first blade slid across the length of Rael’s sword and pushed it away. Vincent put distance between them and took aim at Rael; he fired the first shot, the bullet aiming for the blond’s sword arm.

Rael quickly twisted his body to dodge and the bullet whipped past, just barely missing him. Cloud flicked his fingers against a leather strap and freed Tsurugi’s second blade. He swung the sword in a cross slice from his first attack to catch Rael mid-dodge.

The other blond was nimble, but he couldn’t avoid the attack and brought up his sword to block Cloud from cutting his chest open. Despite being stopped, Cloud followed through with the momentum and pushed Rael back.

There was resistance at first, but Rael suddenly backed away as Vincent fired again. Cloud knew very little about this world’s Vincent’s skills, but he had to trust the man with his back and that he would cover his blind spots. At times like this, they had to rely on each other.

With that reassurance, Cloud focused solely on Rael. The younger man freely conjured magic in his other hand and aimed it at them. Electric currents appeared in the air and struck down from above like lightning amidst a storm.

Cloud pushed off the ground and dodged away from each strike. His steps were light like a dance, yet once he cleared the last attack, the swing of his sword was anything but light. Metal screeched against metal as his sword parried off of Rael’s and struck back.

Twisting out of the way of a stab, Cloud slid his sword between the pronged blades and jerked his wrist. Its design reminded him of Kadaj’s pronged sword, though the design of the blades themselves was different.

It didn’t matter. It still had the same flaws.

The sword flew out of Rael’s grasp and clattered to the ground behind Cloud. He followed through with his other sword and slashed through Rael’s arm. The cut wasn’t deep enough to dismember, but any normal person would need emergency healing in hopes of not losing full function of that limb. Rael, as a product of Jenova, didn’t show he was bothered by the wound even though he was bleeding profusely and had bone exposed.

It was the blood that caught Cloud by surprise more than the pain tolerance Rael displayed. Rather than regular blood, the substance that poured from Rael’s wound was black. Slips of green pigment seemed to mix in the liquid, like a snake slithering in the shadows. The sight was unnerving, and further emphasized how much of an aberration these three brothers’ existences were.

Rael lifted his injured arm and stretched out his hand toward Cloud. The black blood dripped from his fingertips as he smiled. “Mother flows through our veins, but it’s thanks to Mom that we can exist. Look! The same as you.”

Rael brought his other hand to his chest and leaned forward. “You agree, right? Mom bore you. She gave you life. And if it wasn’t for Mother, you would’ve lost that life back then.”

There was a truth in the younger blond’s words that Cloud didn’t like. His mother did give birth to him, and when the Nibelheim incident happened, it was thanks to Hojo experimenting on him and infusing him with Jenova cells that he was able to survive a fatal wound.

“I still bleed red.”

Green eyes grew round. Rael’s slitted pupils dilated as he focused on Cloud.

“Because you’re incomplete,” he whispered.

He didn’t get to say more as Vincent fired again. Rael jerked back and shook his head as if disappointed. A resolve seemed to form on the young man’s expression and he called his sword back into his grasp.

“It’s okay, it’s only temporary. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle. Soon, all the pieces will fit!” He grinned manically at them.

A chill ran across the backs of Cloud’s arms. He had to shut Rael up; the more he heard, the more ill at ease he felt. Something was telling him that he needed to end this fight right now.

He flicked the black blood off his sword’s edge before fitting both blades together. As magic once again curled in Rael’s palm, Cloud shifted stances and shot forward. He couldn’t let Rael take charge of the momentum of the fight.

~*~

A dagger bounced off the edge of Masamune’s blade. The throw hardly had any weight to it, as if Isolfr was merely messing with him. He had started doing this as soon as Sephiroth sensed magic being used in the direction where Cloud and Vincent had gone. It was clear he was stalling.

“What are you trying to do with him?” Sephiroth would play along, but only for so long.

“We’re showing him where Mom is.” The dagger returned to Isolfr’s hand and he flipped it over between his fingers. “He’s part of the family, so he should know.”

“Is her body here?” As the dagger flew toward him again, Sephiroth deflected it without effort.

Isolfr shrugged. “Hard to say after so many years.”

“What happened to her?”

Once again, the dagger returned to Isolfr. He didn’t throw it right away, but gripped it tightly as he scoffed, “Death. What do you think it means when there’s a body?”

“Answer properly.”

The tip of the Masamune barely skimmed the ground as Sephiroth slashed at an upward angle. A fissure was created, marking the path of Sephiroth’s attack until it suddenly stopped in front of Isolfr who had cut the space before him crosswise to interrupt the attack.

“You’ll get the answer I want to give you.” Isolfr continued to flip the dagger, almost as though he was fidgeting and couldn’t keep still. “Be happy we’re talking. I’d rather cut your head off.”

“Why stop?”

Sephiroth stepped forward as he gauged the distance between them. It would be easy for them to engage in a fight, but he wanted answers. Proper answers. After spending so much time asking questions and getting nothing for it, now that they were in front of each other, it was time to get results.

“Mother.” Isolfr rolled his eyes. “She loves Brother so much. He doesn’t even appreciate how much she’s doing for him... You can thank her for being able to live a while longer.”

“I’m flattered,” Sephiroth replied dryly.

The dagger flew at him; this time the movement was sharp and quick.

Isolfr snarled, “Thank her, not insult her. You’ve done more than enough to betray her.”

Fire gathered at Isolfr’s fingertips. The color was bright and different from a normal flame, like shining gold with ripples of red. It licked at the air hungrily like a starving beast. If a fire could be sentient, this one gave the impression that it wanted to consume its victim whole.

Isolfr flung it to the ground where it started to burn the foliage around them. The spread of the flames was controlled for now, but with time it would quickly overtake the plateau.

“I did not belong to her in the first place.”

Sephiroth sliced at the ground, cutting through one of the flame’s paths. It would only delay it for now.

“She is in you just as she is in us! And yet you refused her!” Despite the venom in Isolfr’s voice, he still did not engage in direct battle. He merely deflected attacks and watched the flames grow bigger, letting them find a new patch of foliage to burn.

Sephiroth took advantage of this and continued to cut off each path the flames spread. The flames were like reflections of Isolfr’s emotions, becoming larger and brighter with his surge of anger, then calming down to a more bearable, albeit still dangerous heat.

“A fake cannot replace the real thing,” Sephiroth simply said, as he pushed Masamune’s tip into the ground and flung dirt at the flames. “Jenova is not an Ancient, a goddess, or a means of salvation. Humans have learned the error of this thinking.”

“Mother is not a fake.” Isolfr flapped his arm, waving away the dirt that tried to get in his eyes. The tip of his dagger pointed at Sephiroth in clear accusation. “If anyone is fake, it’s you.”

The flames grew more greedy and fanned further out, starting to reach across the borderlines that Sephiroth had created to stop them. Isolfr urged his magic to send them wider and create a wall to separate them from the rest. If Sephiroth didn’t control it, the fire would consume their surroundings and stretch down the mountain.

Undeterred, he asked calmly, “What grounds do you have to call me fake?”

It was clear that Isolfr didn’t like his demeanor, as his expression darkened. “You know very well what I mean. You chose her over Mother.”

“My choice does not make me fake. It was never Jenova’s right to assume I would take her side; I don’t acknowledge her as my mother.” Magic gathered around Sephiroth’s palm. A chill descended around them as he called upon ice to suppress the heat of Isolfr’s fire.

“That’s why you must die. You had your chance. You had many opportunities, but you squandered all of them.” Isolfr spread his arms and used one hand to point in the direction where Cloud was currently fighting. “Brother called you again and again, yet you didn’t listen. Now it’s come to this.”

A mirthless grin stretched across Isolfr’s lips.

“You don't deserve another chance.”

~*~

The ground shook slightly as a greatsword slammed down. It sliced through air, barely missing Zack as he jumped out of range. The pressure of the swing was nothing to laugh at despite the blade being smaller than the Buster Sword. The one who wielded it was the reason it was such a threat: Vyd handled his weapon with ease.

The swings looked practiced, as if they were taken straight out of a training manual, but even so, Zack couldn’t underestimate the strength behind each deadly swing. Vyd was ruthless and had no qualms with following through each attack with the intention to kill.

Zack knew it wouldn’t be easy to fight Vyd after seeing how he and the other two brothers had laid waste to Costa Del Sol, but knowing and being on the receiving end of an attack were two different experiences.

He slashed back at the smaller man and was blocked by Vyd’s sword. Zack didn’t let it stop him and shifted his weight to throw the Vyd off balance, releasing one of his hands from the Buster Sword’s hilt so he could free up his movement. His foot slammed into Vyd’s chest and sent him flying back.

The hit didn’t put the man on his back, however. Vyd caught his balance before he could tumble over and frowned in a manner that almost looked like a pout.

“That’s not nice. Why did you kick me?”

Zack grasped his sword in both hands again. “Sorry, but I didn’t want to get hit. You’re pretty deadly with that sword.”

Vyd’s expression suddenly brightened. “I practiced a lot. But you know, I could never be like you or the General.”

“You’re not even a month old. Of course you wouldn’t be able to beat us, we’ve been at this for a long time!” Zack laughed, a bit proud of himself. “First Class SOLDIER!”

Vyd straightened up and dusted off his pants. “I wish Brother was able to be part of First. It wasn’t his dream at first, but the General... he’s really charismatic, you know? Who wouldn’t want to stand on the same plane as him?”

Zack gave a broad nod in agreement. “He’s the best of the best.”

Even though he didn’t really want to talk with Vyd, he couldn’t deny Sephiroth the praise he deserved. What bothered Zack, however, was that he had no idea what was going on further up the mountain. He could feel a change in the air in the direction where the others had gone.

It had to mean that they were fighting and magic was being used. Zack couldn’t tell what exactly was going on, and it made him anxious to meet up with them.

Was Cloud safe? He was the one in the most danger by being in contact with Strife’s lookalikes.

“Brother should’ve been with him,” Vyd lamented. “The General means so much to Brother. You know that, don’t you? You were there.”

Vyd got into a battle stance and closed the distance between them. His sword crashed against Zack’s, sending a violent tremor down both blades to their hands.

“I really like you. It’s thanks to you that Brother met him.”

Zack tightened his grip and forced the arc of Vyd’s sword away from his body. The blades broke away from each other and slammed back against each other again like a pair of bulls locking horns in a battle for dominance. “You know all about that, huh?”

“Yes!” Vyd kicked away from Zack and drew his sword close as if he wanted to hug it. “We love him so much. Every time I think of the General…”

A shudder ran through Vyd’s body. His pupils dilated slightly like a man in the midst of ecstasy. His hand slid down the length of his sword in a slow, stroking manner.

“Brother’s emotions are so deep, they’re suffocating,” he groaned. “I want to meet him. I want to meet him so much. Brother and the General will finally...”

Vyd sighed longingly. He hugged the sword closer and laughed. When he looked at Zack, he lifted a finger to his lips like he was sharing a secret.

Vyd spoke in a hushed voice. “I’m jealous. Rael gets to share first. Soon, our beloved Brother will understand why he should return to Mother.”

He pointed in the direction where Sephiroth and the others had gone. Zack’s shoulders stiffened. That creeping feeling of discomfort was growing with every word Vyd spoke.

He needed to find Cloud fast!

Vyd’s eyes clouded and he froze while staring blankly at the sky. Zack could barely resist the urge to run off and find Cloud and the others. He didn’t know what would happen if he left Vyd on his own, especially when he was acting this erratically.

When focus suddenly returned to Vyd, he gasped sharply. He clutched his sword as tears freely flowed from his eyes.

“Brother... Brother... Welcome home,” he whispered.

Zack paled.

~*~

Tar-like black blood flowed from Rael’s wounds. The young man paid them no mind as he fiercely grabbed at Cloud. Their bodies were so close, Vincent couldn’t take a shot. His grip tightened as he kept his gun trained on Rael, silently urging the two men to separate so he could fire.

However, ignorant of the man’s silent wish, Rael forced himself closer to Cloud and dug his slick fingers under one side of the helmet. With a violent jerk, he ripped it off Cloud’s head and threw it aside.

“Let go,” Cloud growled and tried to shove Rael off him, yet Rael made sure that the sword that was lodged in his torso didn’t budge, and that Cloud’s hand remained affixed to its hilt.

“You have to see. You have to know.” Rael ignored Cloud’s curses and grabbed at his hair. He jerked their heads close, holding Cloud’s gaze with his own as blood freely poured from his upturned lips. “They killed her. They deserved what they got.”

Cloud brought his knee between them and kicked out. Rael’s grip slipped from all the blood, but he didn’t let go of Cloud. The two of them crashed to the ground as Cloud wrestled to get Rael off him.

“Vincent!”

Vincent clenched his teeth. “I might hit you.”

Cloud glared up at Rael and slammed his fist in the other man’s jaw. Rael jerked from the hit and bent forward. He looked like he should be dead ten times over by now, with his body full of deep gouges and his insides exposed and sagging from their cavities, but he still clung stubbornly to Cloud. Blood got all over Cloud, staining his clothes and splashing across his cheeks.

“Swallow,” Rael urged, black blood continuously pouring from his lips as he opened his mouth wide. “Swallow it all.”

Cloud’s expression tensed in alarm. His eyes widened as Rael suddenly let go and called his abandoned sword into his hands.

However, despite the advantage of his position, Rael didn’t turn the sword on Cloud. Instead, the pronged blades fit against Rael’s own neck. Vincent instinctively knew he had to stop Rael as soon as he saw the blond smile.

He pulled the trigger without hesitation. Rael jerked as a bullet pierced through his skull.

This wasn’t cause for victory, though. Rael used the last of his strength to cut through his own throat in the same moment. Blood gushed and splattered Cloud who was stuck beneath him. A flood of black and green drenched him, and Cloud could barely cover his eyes.

“Hgh–!”

Rael’s body fell on top of him like a heavy sack of sand. Cloud coughed and turned his head to try and spit out the blood that flooded his mouth and threatened to choke him. Vincent was quick to holster his gun and move to Cloud’s side to help him out from under Rael’s beheaded corpse.

There was so much blood on him, Cloud had to wipe at his face as he blindly reached for Vincent’s hand. Vincent grabbed him and pulled him up to his feet.

His brows knitted as he saw Cloud continue to cough. “Are you okay?”

Cloud couldn’t respond; he covered his mouth with his hand as he continued to cough. His body swayed and Vincent had to catch him before he toppled over. He steadied the other man as he bent forward, and waited for the coughing fit to stop.

When he finally was able to breathe, Cloud remained still. He was silent for a long moment before lifting his head.

Vincent tensed as he met green eyes.

Cloud gasped and clutched Vincent’s arm. His gaze was unfocused as he looked at Vincent.

“Se... roth...” His voice shook. “Get...”

Like a marionette that had its strings cut, Cloud went limp.

#{ rose gold }

0 notes

omegasquire · 6 months ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch30

“–and that’s all I got.”

Zack was plopped on the bed Cloud had claimed as the four of them gathered in the inn room. He had his fingers laced behind his head as he stretched across the mattress. Cloud gave a small shake of his head when he had done it, but otherwise didn’t complain for the man to get off.

“It would be safe to assume they didn’t pass through the town,” Vincent supplied. “They must have gone around it.”

“We will still head to the graveyard to cover our bases. Keep an eye out for tracks or signs of disturbance.” Sephiroth picked up the Masamune. “If it looks like we need to travel further up the mountain, we’ll reconvene and make preparations.”

Though the instructions sounded like a lot of wasted time, Zack understood the reasoning behind it. Even when wars were done, soldiers didn’t easily forget their training. Without certainty to what waited ahead, even a small bag of food and water could determine one’s survivability.

Their opponents were no pushovers, after all. Better to lose time making preparations than take the risk and ensure death. If they were lucky – or perhaps unlucky – they wouldn’t have to go that far.

Pushing up, Zack hopped off the bed. “Alright! Let’s get going.”

He grabbed the Buster Sword that leaned against the wall and strapped it against his back. When it was secure, he glanced over at Cloud who was putting on his harness. A grin curled his lips.

“If we come across a pack of Nibel wolves, do you think I can see you fight again?” He inched closer to Cloud and nudged him.

Sephiroth cut in, “We aren’t here for monster subjugation.”

Zack frowned, his expression more like a pout than anything. “I know, I just want to see Cloud fight.”

Sephiroth gave him a disapproving look.

Zack groaned and came to Sephiroth’s side instead. He gave him a nudge as well, before following him out of the room. “You’re such a sourpuss, Seph. I’m trying to keep the mood light.”

He was fully aware of what situation they were in right now. That was why he was putting in the effort to liven the atmosphere around them with a jovial attitude. What awaited them wasn’t full of warm hugs and pleasant chatter.

Besides, none of them had happy memories of this place. They had their own reasons for avoiding Nibelheim. For Zack, it wasn’t just about this place being where Strife died. There were multiple layers to his discomfort, and the bitterness on his tongue stemmed from how Shinra had handled the whole situation back then.

Rufus was attempting to fix some of the wrongs of the past, but certain things just couldn’t be swept under the rug. Even Zack had his own boundaries. A lot of people thought he had no limits, but as his close friends knew, he was just like any other human. Optimism could be used as a means of defense too.

He knew how easy it was to drown in negative emotions. Anger and depression could consume a person, and he had seen how Strife had changed after Nibelheim’s incident. The young man couldn’t even be considered human anymore when he resurfaced after so many years of silence, but what was clear was the overwhelming emotions that propelled his actions.

Strife was always like that, now that Zack thought about it. Lacing his hands behind his head, he reflected on how Strife acted sometimes. It was strange, but at the time, Zack just chalked it up to Strife being young. They weren’t far apart in age, but even a few years was enough to say that Zack’s experiences were different from Strife’s. They had very different outlooks on life, too.

Maybe that was a hint. Maybe he should’ve paid more attention...

Zack mentally shook his head. He couldn’t dwell on something he couldn’t change. What he could change was what was ahead of him. Preventing harm was something he could definitely do.

“Are the pathways still narrow?” he heard Cloud ask.

“Yes. We will continue on foot from here,” Sephiroth replied.

“The terrain hasn’t shifted since Meteorfall?”

“There have been some geological changes throughout the planet, but from reports, Mt. Nibel has remained mostly untouched.”

Cloud gave a slight nod.

Witnessing this, Zack looked between the two of them.

He had been giving them both space on the way over here. While there were moments he had no choice, like when they drove – Vincent wasn’t known to drive himself, so Zack had to volunteer – but when it came to taking breaks or setting up camp, he purposely busied himself with tasks that could be handled alone, or paired up with Vincent.

It didn’t look like too much had changed, but something was definitely different now. Zack wondered if they finally had that heart-to-heart. He had been wanting the two of them to talk more and get to know each other properly.

It was about time it happened!

Zack lightened his steps and made his way outside the inn, wearing a grin. It took days to get to this point, but he was happy they were finally talking to each other normally. Whatever happened in Sephiroth’s office that day seemed to have resolved itself now.

Whatever it was, whatever happened, he didn’t care. He was just happy the relationship between Sephiroth and Cloud was better.

It’s just like old times.

~*~

With Sephiroth taking the lead, they headed to the other side of town. The townsfolk of Nibelheim were still present in the streets, but apart from a few key figures, they mostly left the men alone.

Cloud was familiar with the treatment; this was just like when he returned to Nibelheim as a teen. As if an invisible barrier had been erected, no one approached carelessly. He didn’t blame them. Sephiroth’s presence alone was like a predator suddenly appearing in a pen full of prey. Even if said predator didn’t pay them any attention, they would remain conscious of it.

As they came to the outskirts of Nibelheim, the scene around them became quieter, and if he turned his head, Cloud could see the Shinra Mansion standing on its own a short distance away. With its large property and gated fence, it discouraged passersby from wandering in.

Seeing it reminded Cloud of what he had seen in the simulation. The basement, the laboratory, the empty books, even the strangely damaged desk... He wanted to know what it meant. Yet, at the same time, he felt like he should stay far away from that place.

The sound of footsteps stopping drew his attention. Cloud turned his head and saw Sephiroth silently standing there. The other man was half turned, looking back at him. Cloud hadn’t realized that he had stopped as well until he saw the distance between them.

“You okay?” Zack asked, his head tilted slightly.

“...Yeah.” Cloud quickly turned away from the mansion and caught up with the others. When he came to stand by Sephiroth, he already anticipated the question that never breached the other man’s lips. “It’s fine.”

Sephiroth’s gaze lingered on him a moment before turning back around. “I will take you.”

He didn’t explain himself, but Cloud knew what he meant.

He was glad that Sephiroth didn’t ask further. In fact, he expected him to refuse. They weren’t here for the mansion, and considering how Sephiroth had found him in the simulation in a messy state, there was no telling if the real deal would have a greater effect on him. Sephiroth had every reason to ignore the mansion altogether and deny Cloud any chance to go there.

Cloud wasn’t going to question it and look the gift horse in the mouth. Keeping his gratitude silent, he continued with Sephiroth and the others along the path branching away from Nibelheim.

There were two main paths that led from Nibelheim: one leading to the mountains, and one leading to the graveyard. Cloud knew both, though that only applied to his own world. The path they now walked was slightly different from Cloud’s memory and wound its way further out.

“All of the names should be different, right?” he asked.

“It would be safe to assume so.”

Cloud’s brows knitted slightly at that answer. What wasn’t said was the state of the bodies underground. If he desecrated those graves and found the original people there, would he find Claudia? Or would they all be empty caskets? How would he even know it was her?

He tried to recall his own mother’s face and found it to be slightly blurry. Time could do that to people, and Cloud technically hadn’t seen her in almost a decade. If he closed his eyes, he could draw up her voice and her personality, and the way her hair would flow past her shoulders when it was released from its bun. He knew her blue eyes that were just like his before they were infused with mako, and she would often smile gently at him.

Was that it? Was that all he remembered about her appearance? Her favorite color, her favorite flower, her favorite weather, the stories she would tell him from his childhood... what were any of those? How did she feel about his father who he never knew? Did she really like being in Nibelheim, or was it a farce for Cloud’s sake?

She loved him, that much he knew, and she sacrificed many things for him. Why didn’t he remember more? Was mako the problem? Was it the experiments that messed with his mind?

They killed her.

Cloud immediately stopped and snatched Sephiroth’s arm, causing the taller man to halt.

“What is it?”

Cloud ignored the question as he tried to listen for a different voice. A voice only he could hear. He hadn’t heard her in days, though he couldn’t figure out why. The best assumption he had was because of the emergence of Isolfr and the other two brothers.

He probably wasn’t wrong, and the others likely had similar trains of thought. But why was she suddenly trying to get in his head now?

A hand touched the back of his palm.

Cloud lifted his head and saw Sephiroth at the end of that touch. His expression was neutral as he waited for Cloud’s response. Perhaps the other man didn’t need him to actually say anything. Though, if he took a moment to think about it, this was the first time Cloud had been the first to reach out.

When silence filled his head, Cloud let go of Sephiroth’s arm and slipped out of his grasp. It was easy to do so; Sephiroth’s grip was light, merely offering contact between them in quiet reciprocation for his unspoken request.

“It’s fine,” he finally said.

Zack stepped up next to him and gave him a worried look. With the helmet still in place, there was no way for Zack to gauge his expression, which made Zack’s worry more pronounced. “You okay, Cloud?”

“Yeah. Let’s keep going.”

Zack looked skeptical, but he didn’t press further. “Okay...”

Vincent observed them and made a low, thoughtful sound. “Perhaps we are getting closer.”

“Do you mean those three are nearby?” Zack’s brows rose in surprise.

“Perhaps,” Vincent repeated. “The graveyard is up ahead. If they are not there, then something else might be.”

Cloud silently drew in a breath and calmed his nerves. He didn’t want to be hounded by her voice again. Sephiroth was nearby – he still didn’t understand why Sephiroth was able to help him resist her – but that didn’t mean Cloud could let his guard down.

“Can you fight?” Sephiroth’s voice reached his ears.

There was a double meaning behind that question. Cloud nodded. “Yes.”

Sephiroth turned around and continued up the path. Cloud, Vincent and Zack followed suit, the latter sticking close to Cloud to offer his support.

The rest of the walk was quiet. The sound of stray twigs breaking and loose rock grinding under their boots announced their arrival as they ascended the path until they reached a plateau. There were no birds or small critters nearby to share their presence. It was as if they were avoiding the area.

As Cloud came to stand at the fence marking the beginning of the graveyard, he understood why. A young man with blond hair was leaning against one of the tombstones. It was Vyd. After what had happened at Costa Del Sol, Cloud had silently repeated those names in his head and committed them to memory.

This man was the one who killed the Turks and Reeve’s men. Even though the footage wasn’t clear, the details were defined enough to show what Vyd had done to them.

Vyd’s expression brightened as he saw Cloud and the others come into view. “Brother!”

When his gaze shifted towards Sephiroth, the look in his eyes changed slightly. It was uncomfortable to witness. As if there was a fanatic obsession there.

“I’m not your brother,” Cloud denied the relationship immediately.

Vyd wilted somewhat. “I knew you’d say that, but it still hurts.”

“I don’t care.”

Vyd’s gaze turned downward briefly before he looked up again. “It’s fine, you’ll change your mind soon. We have a present for you.”

“What present?” Zack asked warily.

“Not for you. Brother only.” Vyd tilted his head. “If you feel left out, I can give you one too?”

Zack’s hand came up to hover near the hilt of his sword. “I like presents.”

Thin lips stretched into a wide smile. “Me too! Brother should like this one. Mom is there.”

Cloud frowned, confused by the younger man’s words. Did ‘Mom’ mean Jenova? No, that didn’t seem right. Was it Claudia? If so, did that mean she was alive?

As soon as the question formed in his head, he tossed it aside. It didn’t make sense for Claudia to be alive when Jenova kept whispering about her death. In that case, was Vyd talking about her body? What would her body be doing away from the graveyard? Why wasn’t it disposed of like the rest of the original townsfolk of Nibelheim?

“And where is ‘there’?”

Vyd straightened up at Cloud’s question and got off the tombstone. He pointed toward the back of the graveyard. There was no well-trodden path there, but it was easy to tell that someone had walked that way recently.

“Keep going. I bet she’ll be happy to see you.” Vyd turned around, dragging his finger in the air until it settled on Zack. “Not you. We have to exchange presents!”

Zack drew the Buster Sword and smiled. “That’s right!”

He was volunteering to confront Vyd on his own. Cloud didn’t like the idea of that, but when Zack gave him a thumbs-up, Cloud held back his protest.

“Be careful.”

Zack gave Cloud a playful nudge on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. I’m a bonafide hero, I won’t go down that easily.”

Cloud returned his attention to Vyd. His eyes narrowed in a suspicious glare, though the other man couldn’t see it. He wanted to stay back with Zack if this would turn into a fight, but he recognized the importance of going forward. There was something he needed to see, and he didn’t think this free pass would come a second time around.

Wary, Cloud headed in the direction of where Vyd had pointed. Sephiroth and Vincent went with him, flanking him as they passed Vyd. Vyd didn’t move to imply an ambush, merely smiling as they walked by. His gaze briefly turned crazed as Sephiroth drew near, but even so, he didn’t do anything.

Cloud pushed down the discomfort he felt watching that and continued on. There was no fence beyond the far end of the graveyard, and as Cloud passed by different tombstones, they all had names he didn’t recognize. He didn’t expect to know any of them to begin with; it simply felt out of place for there to be tombstones to begin with. This place was imitating a history that didn’t exist.

Following the bend in the path, Cloud eventually saw it reach another, albeit smaller plateau. A young man stood before the steep cliff with his back to them. When he looked over his shoulder, Cloud recognized him as Isolfr.

Now that he was seeing them up close, he saw the differences in their features. Just in their expressions, Vyd and Isolfr displayed vastly different emotions. Isolfr’s eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of them.

“There’s one less of you,” Isolfr noted before looking at Cloud. He bared his teeth in a fake smile. “I don’t really like you right now, Brother, but Mother has been waiting for too long.”

“I don’t care if you like me or not,” Cloud retorted.

Isolfr laughed bitterly. “You don’t have to.”

There was clearly more to be said, but Isolfr shut his mouth. He studied Cloud for a moment before looking at Sephiroth. The man had been quiet this whole time, but his gaze was anything but placid.

“Traitor,” Isolfr hissed. “I have business with you. They can keep going.”

Cloud’s instincts were warning him. The brothers were trying to split them up. Zack might’ve volunteered to preoccupy Vyd, but the fact that Isolfr was singling out Sephiroth made it clear that there was purpose behind it. He didn’t like it.

“Why should I deal with you?” Sephiroth’s cold question reflected his own suspicions to their situation.

Isolfr shrugged. “Because I’m asking nicely. We can make Nibelheim new again.”

“You would raze Nibelheim to the ground for this?” Vincent didn’t seem surprised at the threat.

“You know very well that we can. Was the ship not warning enough?” The smile on the blond man’s lips turned vicious.

Seeing this, Vincent cast a glance at Sephiroth. After a moment’s deliberation, Sephiroth turned his gaze on Cloud.

“Vincent will be with me,” Cloud reassured him.

Sephiroth nodded, though Cloud could tell he wasn’t happy with the decision. Cloud wouldn’t be either if he was in the other man’s position. Begrudgingly, they had to separate when it was the least ideal time to do so.

Cloud couldn’t waste time. If the last brother, Rael, had something for him, then he would figure out what it was and immediately head back. With Vincent nearby as well, he shouldn’t have to worry about suddenly losing his mind. If this world’s Vincent was anything like the one Cloud knew, then the older man would make the pragmatic decision and handle things appropriately.

“Let’s go.”

#{ rose gold }

0 notes

omegasquire · 6 months ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch29

True to their theory, the further they traveled, the clearer it became what direction Strife’s brothers were headed. As Cloud had predicted, it was Nibelheim.

They used the enemies they fought as checkpoints to track how widespread the abnormalities were. While not many for now, the fact that there was more than earlier that day was concerning. They marked the map on the tablet and took their notes, and forwarded the information to Shinra for Rufus and the others to piece together.

“No. We will keep pursuing at our current pace.” Sephiroth was speaking to Rufus on the phone while the rest of them were setting up camp. “If our guess is correct, they will have settled there and are waiting for us.”

Cloud tried to recall the last time he set up camp like this. It was over two years ago, wasn’t it? He didn’t count the days he spent in the abandoned church.

It was probably before Meteorfall that he had to help pitch a tent or build a campfire because the group was too far from an inn. Apart from Midgar, other settlements were smaller and spread out across the continent, easily making it a requirement to plan for nights spent outside. It was a reflection of how much Midgar monopolized the world, and how appealing it was for people across even the ocean to want to move there.

For someone like Cloud who grew up in a small town like Nibelheim, Midgar was a paradise he could hardly fathom until he finally went there. It was easier to be surrounded by strangers than have someone who, through a string of connections, knew everything about each other.

Everybody knew everybody, as the saying went.

It was both fortunate and taxing to be in a place where no one knew him. He could start fresh, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. There were many hardships that he had to deal with on his own, and friends didn’t pour in just because he was around the same age as some of the enlisted.

Perhaps it was because of where he came from, or maybe it was his personality – or both – but Cloud didn’t have an easy time adjusting, especially in the beginning.

“This reminds me of the good old days!” Zack grinned as he lightly tugged on one of the tent’s guy lines to make sure it was secured properly. “We’d take turns keeping watch and sharing stories about our hometowns.”

“All you spoke about were your parents and Aerith,” Sephiroth commented as he slipped his phone back in his pocket.

Zack looked at him in offense. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. My parents were the best, and Aerith is even better than the best.”

Cloud couldn’t help but roll his eyes a little as he heard this, though the corners of his lips twitched in an amused smile. He lowered his head to try and hide it as he used a knife to cut open the package of stew ingredients that had been packed for them when they left Costa Del Sol.

Though the airship had access to a far better selection, it wasn’t realistic for them to take too much food that could easily spoil when they were going to spend most of their time on the move. Dehydrated or vacuum-sealed food items were easiest to put together and created the least waste. Soups and stews that just required dumping ingredients in boiling water were the simplest of them all, which suited a non-cook like Cloud well.

“I saw that!”

Cloud lifted his head. “Saw what?”

“You’re making fun of me, huh?” Despite the accusatory words, Zack’s tone was light. “You’ve seen her, Aerith is an angel who came down from heaven. She’s beautiful, patient, kind, funny... There’s no one in the world like her!”

Sephiroth silently shook his head and came next to Cloud. He held out his hand, pointing at the knife Cloud was holding.

Cloud paused briefly but then flipped the blade over and passed the handle to the other man. He watched as Sephiroth cut into another package that had cured meat.

All the while, Zack continued to sing his praises, “Have you ever seen hair as soft as hers? They’re like... like feathers! Dove feathers! Have you ever touched a dove? Their wings are really soft. Aerith’s hair is like that. And her eyes? Not even materia can match her eyes.”

Zack paced around them, seemingly lost in his own world. Vincent walked around him with a jug of clean water and poured it into the pot that Cloud and Sephiroth were prepping. When it was at the right height, he adjusted the fire so that it could start to heat up the ingredients.

“Emeralds. No, prettier than emeralds. Jades? No.” Zack rubbed his chin as he thought hard about what word to use. “What’s prettier than those? Not everyone has green eyes, y’know? I can’t say they’re prettier than leaves, that would be an insult.”

He snapped his fingers. “Hey, Seph, you have green eyes!”

“I do.”

Cloud unwittingly glanced over at the taller man. As if sensing his gaze, Sephiroth turned his head slightly toward him. Sharp green eyes met his in an unwavering stare that carried a single and silent question.

What do you see?

That was what those eyes were asking him. Cloud’s throat tightened. He could offer a dozen different answers, but these were all from his memories and what he knew about a man who only shared the name and face as the one in front of him. They didn’t match this man who currently worked beside him, preparing their meal.

What did he see in this man’s eyes? Beyond the vibrant color, beyond the unique shape of his pupils, what did he see?

“I’m sorry Seph, but it’s just not the same. Aerith’s are better.” Zack nodded enthusiastically, ignorant to the exchange between Cloud and Sephiroth.

Beneath the calm that reflected in Sephiroth’s expression were different emotions that, like fish in water, would briefly surface before disappearing. It was as if Sephiroth was purposely drawing them back so that all Cloud would see was a serenity that belied what was hidden within.

“Not even diamonds can compare. Do you think diamonds can be green?”

“No,” Vincent answered in a deadpan manner.

“Right? I knew it! That means hers are the prettiest.” Zack clapped his hands and started to toss one of the sleeping bags inside the tent. “I gotta tell her later. Everyone agrees that her eyes are the prettiest.”

If Cloud hadn’t been staring closely enough, he would’ve missed the look in Sephiroth’s eyes. It was only a hint, but he still caught it.

It was then he knew his answer. What did he see? It wasn’t madness, hate, or condescension. It wasn’t an obsession that came off like an illness. It wasn’t even indifference.

Reliability.

Security.

Those eyes held a promise: I will protect you.

Cloud’s body stiffened; he didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t long ago that those very same eyes – this very same person – was ready to kill him. Even though that feeling had passed from both of them and they had reached an agreement, that didn’t necessarily mean either of them had any obligation to do more than what was absolutely necessary for each other.

As it stood, their main priority was to hunt down Strife’s brothers and put a stop to them. Cloud’s safety wasn’t explicitly part of the package, only the assurance that he wouldn’t suddenly switch sides. Loyalty and safety were two completely different concepts.

And yet, it was safety that Cloud saw in Sephiroth’s gaze.

Was this because of their conversation in the vehicle? Did making sure he returned back to his own world translate to safety? When Cloud had heard Sephiroth’s answer, he was simply grateful that they shared the same goal. Cloud wanted to go back, and Sephiroth would help him. At the same time, they would eliminate the threat on this planet.

Now... It didn’t seem like it was just about him making it back alive or in one piece. There was something different that was hiding behind that promise, and he didn’t know what it was.

“Mm, that smells really good,” Zack groaned hungrily as he popped his head out of the tent. “Is it almost ready?”

Cloud quickly turned his head and stared at the stew he had been stirring. Bringing up the spoon, he could only guess by its thickness if it was close to finished or not without actually tasting it.

Vincent answered for him. “Yes.”

Zack stretched his arms over his head. He acted like he was on vacation, instead of on a mission to chase down their enemies. “Great! I’m starving.”

Cloud didn’t say anything as he focused on keeping the stew from burning.

After a moment, a knife was held out to him. The handle was facing him as long fingers carefully held the blunt side of the blade. Cloud reached for it automatically before pausing. His eyes traced over the backs of those fingers, up the dark sleeve of a leather coat, past the bend of an elbow, and finally to the face of the man who was silently passing the knife to him.

Cloud didn’t need the knife back; there was nothing he needed to chop or open. Maybe it was symbolic, or maybe there was no significance behind it. Maybe Sephiroth just wanted to give it to him.

Whether the action was meaningful or not, Cloud moved his hand again and grasped the handle. He carefully took it from Sephiroth and held it. When Sephiroth withdrew his hand, Cloud’s eyes lingered on him with a flicker of uncertainty before he sheathed the knife and set it aside.

“Thanks,” he murmured.

He didn’t think Sephiroth would hear him over the bubbling of the stew or the crackle of the fire, but he felt Sephiroth’s gaze still on him. Cloud wasn’t going to explain himself and just purposely focused on the stew.

He accepted one of the bowls that Vincent held out to him and found the other man looking at him as well. It startled Cloud.

Was it genetic for these two to stare like a pair of cats at people?

Cloud averted his gaze and pretended he didn’t see anything. Eventually, he could feel the intensity of their stares fade and he could portion the stew peacefully.

There was just enough for them to finish and be sated. Cloud passed off the bowls and each of them sat down to eat. The campfire at the center kept them warm while the closing night brought its chill at their backs. There was no need for conversation at this point, though Zack seemed it was necessary to break the silence every once in a while with comments about how Aerith was great at “everything.”

One would think that Zack and Aerith were newly dating, considering how over the moon Zack acted when it came to praising Aerith, but they had been together for years. This was simply Zack’s personality, and as Cloud listened, he didn’t find it out of place at all.

If this was how they were in this world, then they must’ve been the same way in Cloud’s world. Maybe if Zack had survived the ambush, he and Aerith could be together and enjoying their relationship to its fullest.

This train of thought made Cloud feel a little bitter but also envious. He wouldn’t be so selfish as to say that he wished Zack had lived instead of him, but if Zack had lived, then he could have what Cloud currently lacked.

Zack and Aerith had unconditional love, and shared all their happy and painful moments together. They leaned on each other and pressed forward. It was so plain to see, even a blind person would have no choice but to acknowledge their relationship.

Tifa...

Cloud inwardly frowned as he thought of her. Not just the one back home, but also the one in this world.

He caused both of them pain...

He felt like trash knowing that he was the cause of Tifa’s suffering. Even if it was Strife’s fault that this world’s Tifa had to live with her trauma, it was still his counterpart. And now, because he was currently stuck in this world, Strife’s brothers were causing mayhem and even crippled Barret. There was no way she would forgive him even if he begged her.

Cloud quickly banished his current train of thought. If he wanted to make it up to her, even if she never accepted him, he had to get rid of those brothers.

~*~

A long yawn broke the silence that not even birds or animals dared to disturb. Running a hand through his hair, Vyd leaned forward and braced his weight on his knees.

“Is it done?”

Rael was crouched on the ground. His focus was trained on a single spot over the edge of the cliff. While his expression was blank, there was a stiffness that stretched over his shoulders and down his limbs that could easily be seen from behind.

“Humans are truly cruel,” Rael murmured, violence laced in his quiet voice. “They are uncaring. They are selfish and greedy. How long do you think she suffered?”

Vyd slowly got up and came to stand next to Rael. He looked down as well. Below them was a fresh corpse that painted the cliffside a bold shade of red.

“Longer than this man. Far longer.” Lamenting, Vyd looked past the discarded human to the other side of the mountain path. It wouldn’t be long before they reached their destination, and soon after, their pursuers would catch up. “Brother will be sad.”

A scoff followed his words. Isolfr was walking towards them. “He doesn’t even know.”

“We should tell him.”

“Why?”

Rael lifted his head. “I want him to know.”

Isolfr’s eyes narrowed. He stared at Rael for a long moment. “You’ll go first?”

Rael nodded without hesitation. “I was the first to begin with.”

Isolfr’s lips pulled back into a snarl at those words.

“This is why they deserve to be obliterated. You–” Isolfr pointed at Rael but didn’t say anything for a long minute. Clicking his tongue, he let out a harsh breath. “Let’s go.”

Rael stood up, wearing a meek smile as he followed after the other man. Vyd followed alongside them and slid into the driver’s side as they returned to the vehicle they had stolen.

~*~

“What direction is the graveyard?” Cloud asked as he leaned toward the passenger window.

They were on the outskirts of Nibelheim, nearly within walking distance of the town. The plan was for them to head into town and survey the place. They needed to make sure that Strife’s brothers hadn’t decided to stay there where normal citizens could be caught in the crossfire.

Unlike Costa Del Sol, Nibelheim didn’t have a designated member from Shinra or Reeve’s personal forces to evacuate them prior. Or rather, it was more accurate to say they were missing...

It was most likely the cause of the brothers. While it did tell Cloud and the others where their general location was, it also meant limiting the support that could be given in a timely manner.

Sephiroth had denied having Cid or one of Shinra’s private helicopters come to them. On the off chance that the pilot was killed or the airship stolen, it was better to eliminate the option to begin with.

The decision was a double edge sword. Still, no one had any objections and agreed that from here on out, they would have to be even more cautious than before. Not only were the brothers dangerous, Nibelheim’s surroundings were dangerous as well. The terrain could easily send someone to their death, and even quicker than that would be whatever beast made the mountain range their habitat.

“Beyond the Shinra Mansion,” Sephiroth replied. “When the town was recreated, its layout wasn’t changed. They wanted to completely mask the incident from would-be travelers.”

Sephiroth turned the vehicle and slowed down as they neared a relatively empty spot just outside of town. He parked, Zack’s vehicle coming to a stop nearby.

“They didn’t expect there to be any survivors.”

“Even if there were,” Cloud added in his agreement, “who would believe them? It’s a remote town.”

“Yes.”

Both of them got out of the vehicle and joined Zack and Vincent as the other men circled around to the front.

“Spread out and gather information,” was the order Sephiroth gave out. “Cloud, with me. We will secure a room at the inn, then head out.”

Cloud had the helmet under his arm. He nodded and put the helmet on; he didn’t forget that the people here didn’t know about him.

“Let’s go.”

“Roger!” Zack saluted jokingly and gave Vincent a nudge with his elbow. “Let’s go, Vincent.”

Vincent scowled slightly but walked with Zack as they headed into town. It seemed this world’s Vincent wasn’t fond of being touched, Cloud noted. Not that it would stop someone like Zack who was the complete opposite.

Making sure his sword was secured in the straps, Cloud followed Sephiroth. He silently cast a sweeping glance at the buildings they passed as Sephiroth led the way to the inn. It felt both familiar and foreign. Maybe it was because he had seen the simulation that he was already aware of the structural differences between each world’s version.

Regardless, the disconnect Cloud felt with the town persisted. Something stirred in him that was almost painful, but he was able to ignore those emotions and look at the place objectively.

Maybe he was feeling like this because he was with Sephiroth.

The last time he had walked through the front gates of Nibelheim with Sephiroth was when the man had gone insane. While Cloud doubted the man beside him would suddenly lose his mind, much like the death of his own mother, he could never forget that day.

“Upstairs.”

Cloud turned his head at Sephiroth’s call and followed him up to where the rooms were located. The innkeeper watched them go, his eyes lingering on the weapon at Cloud’s back until he disappeared up the stairs. It was strangely nostalgic; Cloud was used to people staring at his sword when he was walking the streets of Edge, though their attitude towards him there was much different from this world.

Was he a hero? Not necessarily. Many people didn’t know who he was – not his name or his deeds – but they recognized his profession. If he wasn’t working his delivery job, he was fighting. With only so many people who knew how to properly use a sword, and even less how to use one of his size, it was easy to tell who did mercenary type jobs or basic surveillance to keep the inner city safe.

“It’s been a while,” Cloud unintentionally muttered his thoughts aloud.

“Being in Nibelheim?”

Hearing the question, Cloud shook his head. “That too, but... people staring at me like that innkeeper. Usually it was because of my sword.”

He moved to the room’s window and lifted one side of the curtain. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw Sephiroth glance down at it. Cloud’s own gaze moved to the Masamune tucked against the back of Sephiroth’s arm.

It was rare to see it sheathed, but with its long blade a threat to any who might stand behind the man, it was only practical to cover the sharp edge. The sheathe must’ve been custom made as well, to allow Sephiroth to easily remove it without disrupting his movement in battle.

In contrast, Tsurugi was on full display like the bared fangs of a beast. The design wasn’t Cloud’s original intention, but it worked well enough when he got used to using the different pieces. Now, the weight was comforting and especially in this world, he didn’t feel so naked and vulnerable.

He didn’t openly say it, but he was thankful that Sephiroth didn’t put any unreasonable restrictions on him carrying his sword. Maybe it was a show of trust?

Whatever the case, Cloud took in the state of the room. Considering how small Nibelheim was, it wasn’t equipped with modern or highly technological mechanisms. It seemed like it was furnished with only the essentials, as if the innkeeper never expected anyone to actually come through and validate purchasing better items.

“Two rooms?” he guessed, as he counted only two beds.

“Yes. We will be in this one. Zack and Vincent will be next door,” Sephiroth answered.

Cloud a small sound of agreement. “Are we heading to the graveyard?”

“When they return.” As if to back this up, Sephiroth set his sword on one of the beds. “If we cannot find traces of them or clues about Claudia’s missing body, then we’ll keep going.”

Following Sephiroth’s example, Cloud carefully removed his harness and leaned his sword against the wall by the other bed. He sat by the window and continued to stare outside; there wasn’t much they could do in the meantime, except wait for the other two men to report in.

He wanted answers... whatever they might be.

#{ rose gold }

0 notes

omegasquire · 6 months ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch28

Four men watched as the airship took flight and headed back across the ocean. It was bound for Midgar, where Barret could receive better medical attention. Costa Del Sol wouldn’t be able to do anything else for him at this point. This left Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud and Vincent behind to pursue the three brothers.

Supplies were split between two vehicles, allowing them to travel with minimal worry. Water, tents, blankets, and other necessities were packed in the back. No one knew how far Strife’s brothers went, but with the Highwind traveling back to Midgar, there would be no immediate assistance if something happened.

The landscape of the Western Continent was not kind to unprepared travelers either. Every major city was surrounded by mountains or dense forests teeming with monsters. Even the rivers could be dangerous if someone wasn’t careful.

That wasn’t all.

Sephiroth looked at the other three. “We need to also monitor for any unusual activity with the wildlife. Mutations, abnormal behavior, anything noteworthy. We need to check if the anomaly has spread to this side.”

Zack raised his hand like a kid in a classroom. “Do you think we need to kill them?”

“Yes. We don’t know what will happen to the rest of the environment if we leave them alone, and any unsuspecting traveler can become an easy target.”

“They might be in pain, too,” Zack murmured. “Yeah, it’s probably better that way...”

Sephiroth nodded. “We won’t go out of our way to search for any, but we'll take care of the ones that are in our path.”

The other men nodded in return. They split into pairs and climbed into each vehicle: Sephiroth and Cloud in one, with Zack and Vincent in the other.

To have Cloud automatically climb into the vehicle with Sephiroth was a bit surprising. He assumed Cloud would prefer to ride with Zack since the two of them were still in a strange state of impassivity that was neither friendly nor hostile. Cloud responded better to Zack and it was clear that the blond man felt more comfortable to him, so it was natural for Sephiroth to think the two would be together.

Seeing Cloud sitting next to him, Sephiroth paused briefly before starting the engine. With the sun in their faces, they headed out.

Unlike civilian cars that were meant for shorter trips and leisure, military-grade vehicles weren’t equipped with radios for easy listening. A silence that was just shy of becoming awkward settled between Sephiroth and Cloud as they followed the main road.

There was no way to know with absolute certainty that their destination was the same as Strife’s lookalikes, but following the messages that they had left behind with Vincent, it was their best guess:

Nibelheim.

It was a place he didn’t think he would return to anytime soon. He had unconsciously avoided it, finding that the memories of that place had left a deep scar on his heart. That was the last place he saw Strife before he died.

Yes, he died that day.

The Strife that returned years later was no longer the young man that Sephiroth knew. He was no longer the person he loved. The madness and rage that consumed him were alien. He exhibited abilities that exceeded the natural limits of the human body. And when it came to the end, he couldn’t even be considered human anymore...

Sephiroth closed his heart off that day to ensure his hand wouldn’t falter. He resolved that he would be the one to deliver the final blow. The fight was so personal to him, he sent everyone away so he could confront Strife alone, but he was glad that Zack didn’t listen to him that day.

The man’s stubbornness worked in his favor and supported Sephiroth. He knew about the intimate relationship between Strife and him. Between men who spent years in the service together, it would be strange if Zack didn’t recognize the emotional toll Sephiroth had to deal with.

Despite how Zack could be a little annoying at times, Sephiroth was grateful for him. Besides, if not for him, Sephiroth wouldn’t have met Strife.

“Hey.”

Sephiroth looked out of the corner of his eye. “What?”

“You said that if I break the bangle, you would know.” Cloud’s voice almost came off as indifferent, but such a comment was anything but light. “How?”

Sephiroth was quiet for a moment as he considered his response. There wasn’t a short answer he could provide, and many things he wasn’t inclined to share.

“Every being on Gaia has magic. Humans, animals, monsters, even plants.”

Cloud made a sound of agreement. “That’s why some creatures can use elemental magic.”

“Right. Not everything can utilize the magic they have, but even the smallest amount exists.” Sephiroth glanced at him. “Did you take the magic aptitude test when you joined Shinra?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know that’s how we measure one’s affinity for materia usage. Some are better than others, and when you join SOLDIER, it’s used to determine your strengths and weaknesses for different missions.”

Sephiroth recalled the time when he oversaw some of the recruits for Third Class being tested. It wasn’t simply about strength when it came to joining SOLDIER. Shinra was building an army of superhumans, and that spanned from physical to magical, to mental capacities. When war was ready to break out, or simply when Shinra deigned something to be an obstacle, it was necessary to understand which people were best fit for the mission.

Even before joining SOLDIER, there was a preliminary test just to get enlisted. Shinra was thorough in filtering through who they could use and who they considered expendable.

Looking at Cloud out of the corner of his eye, Sephiroth wondered about the other man’s results. Cloud didn’t make it into the SOLDIER program, but he hadn’t heard the exact details as to why.

They didn’t really talk about their pasts to begin with.

Certain subjects were sensitive for both of them, and it stemmed from their days in the military.

“That bangle,” Sephiroth continued, “has my magic in it. I will feel it if it breaks.”

He saw Cloud’s brows knit. “I’ve never heard of someone infusing items with their own magic.”

“It’s not common.”

Cloud pushed up his sleeve to look at the bangle. He wore a pensive expression as he studied it. As his fingers traced its shape, he spoke in a slightly lowered voice, “Why did you make it? It doesn’t look like something you would make for yourself.”

Sephiroth’s grip tightened slightly around the steering wheel. “Yes, it wasn’t for me. It was for someone else.”

He wasn’t going to say who it was for.

And yet, Cloud opened his mouth. “For Strife?”

Sephiroth didn’t respond right away. His gaze was trained forward as a silence stretched between them for a long moment before he replied, “Let’s hope there won’t come a time for you to break it.”

Cloud pushed down his sleeve. The bangle remained visible enough under the sleeve of his clothes, upholding the promise made to always keep it within view.

Another silence encompassed the atmosphere inside the vehicle. Both men had their own thoughts to sort through, and for Sephiroth, he wanted to silence the emotions that stirred in his chest. Talking with Cloud reminded him of the past, and of a piece of himself that he wished he had completely erased. The day Strife died should’ve been the day Sephiroth forgot everything they shared and distanced himself from those memories.

Yet, try though he did, Sephiroth couldn’t let go. He couldn’t ignore the pain-filled beating of his heart. He couldn’t erase what he felt from the day he met Strife, to when he fell in love, to when he had to sever ties.

A weight, almost ignorable, somehow suddenly felt so much heavier. It pressed down on his skin, digging into his finger as if to cut it off.

It took Sephiroth a moment to realize it was his own hand curling in and making the ring under his glove press against his finger. He relaxed his grip and quickly banished his thoughts before they took him to a place he wanted to avoid.

The quiet inside the vehicle lingered a while longer until Cloud spoke again.

“Would you kill me if I broke it?” His tone was still low, and when Sephiroth glanced at him, the blond had his head turned toward the window.

“That depends on the circumstances.”

Cloud paused. “...I want to return home.”

Sephiroth silently let out a breath. He had the same goal; he needed Cloud to return to his own world. The other man couldn’t stay here.

“You will.”

He would make sure that Cloud returned alive and in one piece. Killing him would be the last resort.

Cloud continued to look outside the window, but Sephiroth could hear his soft voice.

“Thanks.”

~*~

A stylus was lightly dragged across the screen. A red circle was drawn on the map that was displayed, marking their current location.

Cloud looked up from the tablet and grimaced at the sight before him. It was the corpse of a mutated coeurl. Like the chocobo that Rufus showed them in the underground research facility, the coeurl had abnormal features and was oozing black liquid instead of blood. It was as if it had ink flowing through its veins.

Zack was carefully lifting up one of the coeurl’s legs with the tip of his sword. “It looks like it ate a whole tire.”

Cloud focused on the beast’s chest and noticed how it was expanded more than normal.

“This is more severe than the chocobo.” Sephiroth turned his gaze to the path ahead. It wasn’t an official road but diverted near the mountainside. It would be very difficult to take the mountain path instead of the main roads.

“This is not the natural habitat for coeurls,” Vincent added. “They prefer colder climates in the north, or higher elevations.”

Cloud knelt and used the camera feature of the tablet to capture the areas that Zack pointed out. Zack reached out to cautiously touch the black liquid with a gloved hand. He lifted his hand to test the liquid’s viscosity, allowing Cloud to take a picture of it.

“Is this an effect from Strife’s brothers coming through?” Zack asked and wiped his glove on the grass. His face scrunched up as he did, grimacing at how it tried to cling to the leather. “Eww...”

Sephiroth glanced over with a frown. “Why did you touch it with your hand?”

“But Cloud needs to get an accurate picture.” Zack stood up and tugged off the glove.

Cloud held out his hand to take it, and threw the soiled glove into the burn pile they had started. There was no point in keeping it when it couldn’t be cleaned. They couldn’t afford to leave the corpse as is, or anything that it might’ve touched. It was a unanimous decision that any mutation they came across would be properly disposed of to minimize it spreading to other creatures. They had no idea if it was contagious or not, like a virus.

“If it is an effect, then we know which direction they are heading.” Vincent turned in the same direction that Sephiroth was looking.

“Nibelheim,” Cloud said quietly.

He saved the file and sent it off to Shinra’s database. While not an official ask – correction, order – from Rufus, they agreed that it was best to catalogue what they came across. There was no designated role for them; Cloud simply had the tablet nearest to him and took up the task of taking notes on the coeurl.

“You’re certain?”

Sephiroth’s gaze landed on him. Cloud straightened up and nodded.

“The more I think about it, that has to be their destination. There are too many unknowns there. My mo–” He stopped himself and quickly corrected, “Strife’s mother is missing from the list of deceased, and they said that they would go to the one who ‘bore’ them.”

“Only mothers can bear offspring. If Cloud is correct, then we may see more of these anomalies,” Vincent added.

“So we really think it’s because of them that this is happening?” Zack scratched the back of his head as he looked at the dead coeurl. He sighed and touched the materia slotted in his sword. Fire magic was drawn from the orb and redirected at the corpse and burn pile. “Why didn’t it happen in the Northern Continent? Why now?”

Vincent shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Whatever the answer, we need to be vigilant in eliminating the ones we see.” Sephiroth nodded at the fire Zack had started. The strong scent of burning fur and flesh started to rise. “Once that’s done, we’ll move out.”

The other men sounded their agreement. Cloud decided to make his way back to the vehicle that he was riding in with Sephiroth. He opened the door and returned the tablet to its original spot. Once it was secured, he leaned against the side of the vehicle. Like Sephiroth and Vincent had done, he looked in the direction where he knew Nibelheim to be.

The place he no longer called his home.

It was the place where he was born, and the place where he grew up, but after all that happened and changed, especially how the place had been repopulated with fakes and strangers, he couldn’t call it home anymore.

His home was now in Edge.

To visit Nibelheim again, even in another world like this, he didn’t feel any strong attachment. If anything, he felt detached. As if something inside him had completely cut ties with that town. Maybe it was a feeling that had steadily grown over time, and now it was finally dawning on him just how estranged the place was to him.

“We will be returning to your hometown.”

Cloud turned his head and saw Sephiroth approaching. “It’s the place I grew up, but it’s not my home.”

“Yours was destroyed by my counterpart.”

“Yes.”

Cloud still remembered the rage he had felt that day. Even if dozens of other memories from those days were still scrambled in his head, that very day the town was set on fire, he could never forget. There had been times when he wished he could, but then he would forget his mother who was always caring and tender to him.

She was the one person who would never fault him or turn her back on him. She supported him to the best of her ability as a single mother. Even when she nagged and fussed, he would always love her. The day she died tore a hole in his heart that could never be covered up.

‘They killed her.’

Suddenly, Cloud recalled the words that Jenova had whispered in his mind when he had been in the simulator. He turned the words over in his head. He wished he didn’t think about it in the first place, but much like his earlier supposition back in Costa Del Sol, an ill, creeping feeling climbed up his spine and made him tense.

“If...” He pressed his lips together. He didn’t want to say it. “If we don’t find her body, what does that mean? Did she not die when the town was destroyed?”

“Possibly.” Sephiroth was studying him. “She could’ve died at a different point in time, or she may be alive. Though, I doubt the latter is possible.”

“She’s dead.” Cloud was certain.

“How do you know?”

Cloud hesitated. “Jenova. I don’t know if what she said was true about her mu– about how she died... but I don’t think she’s lying about Claudia’s death.”

Sephiroth frowned.

Cloud knew that the mention of Jenova didn’t come with good news. He wore the same frown, unsettled that he had gleaned this information – possible information – from the being he wanted the least interaction with.

“What did she say?” he heard Sephiroth ask carefully.

“Only that ‘they killed her.’ She didn’t specify who she was talking about, but who else could it be?” Cloud didn’t like thinking about it, it just made him increasingly uneasy the longer he did. “What I don’t know is who ‘they’ are.”

Cloud didn’t expect Sephiroth to have an answer, and when he was met with silence, he wasn’t disappointed. It just made the mystery grow, and even though this woman wasn’t his mother, he still had an emotional response to the idea of her being murdered.

Chapter 28

That wasn’t all.

Zack raised his hand like a kid in a classroom. “Do you think we need to kill them?”

“Yes. We don’t know what will happen to the rest of the environment if we leave them alone, and any unsuspecting traveler can become an easy target.”

“They might be in pain, too,” Zack murmured. “Yeah, it’s probably better that way...”

Sephiroth nodded. “We won’t go out of our way to search for any, but we'll take care of the ones that are in our path.”

The other men nodded in return. They split into pairs and climbed into each vehicle: Sephiroth and Cloud in one, with Zack and Vincent in the other.

Seeing Cloud sitting next to him, Sephiroth paused briefly before starting the engine. With the sun in their faces, they headed out.

Nibelheim.

Yes, he died that day.

Despite how Zack could be a little annoying at times, Sephiroth was grateful for him. Besides, if not for him, Sephiroth wouldn’t have met Strife.

“Hey.”

Sephiroth looked out of the corner of his eye. “What?”

“You said that if I break the bangle, you would know.” Cloud’s voice almost came off as indifferent, but such a comment was anything but light. “How?”

Sephiroth was quiet for a moment as he considered his response. There wasn’t a short answer he could provide, and many things he wasn’t inclined to share.

“Every being on Gaia has magic. Humans, animals, monsters, even plants.”

Cloud made a sound of agreement. “That’s why some creatures can use elemental magic.”

“Right. Not everything can utilize the magic they have, but even the smallest amount exists.” Sephiroth glanced at him. “Did you take the magic aptitude test when you joined Shinra?”

“Yes.”

Even before joining SOLDIER, there was a preliminary test just to get enlisted. Shinra was thorough in filtering through who they could use and who they considered expendable.

Looking at Cloud out of the corner of his eye, Sephiroth wondered about the other man’s results. Cloud didn’t make it into the SOLDIER program, but he hadn’t heard the exact details as to why.

They didn’t really talk about their pasts to begin with.

Certain subjects were sensitive for both of them, and it stemmed from their days in the military.

“That bangle,” Sephiroth continued, “has my magic in it. I will feel it if it breaks.”

He saw Cloud’s brows knit. “I’ve never heard of someone infusing items with their own magic.”

“It’s not common.”

Sephiroth’s grip tightened slightly around the steering wheel. “Yes, it wasn’t for me. It was for someone else.”

He wasn’t going to say who it was for.

And yet, Cloud opened his mouth. “For Strife?”

Cloud pushed down his sleeve. The bangle remained visible enough under the sleeve of his clothes, upholding the promise made to always keep it within view.

A weight, almost ignorable, somehow suddenly felt so much heavier. It pressed down on his skin, digging into his finger as if to cut it off.

The quiet inside the vehicle lingered a while longer until Cloud spoke again.

“Would you kill me if I broke it?” His tone was still low, and when Sephiroth glanced at him, the blond had his head turned toward the window.

“That depends on the circumstances.”

Cloud paused. “...I want to return home.”

Sephiroth silently let out a breath. He had the same goal; he needed Cloud to return to his own world. The other man couldn’t stay here.

“You will.”

He would make sure that Cloud returned alive and in one piece. Killing him would be the last resort.

Cloud continued to look outside the window, but Sephiroth could hear his soft voice.

“Thanks.”

~*~

A stylus was lightly dragged across the screen. A red circle was drawn on the map that was displayed, marking their current location.

Zack was carefully lifting up one of the coeurl’s legs with the tip of his sword. “It looks like it ate a whole tire.”

Cloud focused on the beast’s chest and noticed how it was expanded more than normal.

“This is not the natural habitat for coeurls,” Vincent added. “They prefer colder climates in the north, or higher elevations.”

Sephiroth glanced over with a frown. “Why did you touch it with your hand?”

“But Cloud needs to get an accurate picture.” Zack stood up and tugged off the glove.

“If it is an effect, then we know which direction they are heading.” Vincent turned in the same direction that Sephiroth was looking.

“Nibelheim,” Cloud said quietly.

“You’re certain?”

Sephiroth’s gaze landed on him. Cloud straightened up and nodded.

“Only mothers can bear offspring. If Cloud is correct, then we may see more of these anomalies,” Vincent added.

Vincent shook his head. “I don’t know.”

The place he no longer called his home.

His home was now in Edge.

“We will be returning to your hometown.”

Cloud turned his head and saw Sephiroth approaching. “It’s the place I grew up, but it’s not my home.”

“Yours was destroyed by my counterpart.”

“Yes.”

‘They killed her.’

“If...” He pressed his lips together. He didn’t want to say it. “If we don’t find her body, what does that mean? Did she not die when the town was destroyed?”

“Possibly.” Sephiroth was studying him. “She could’ve died at a different point in time, or she may be alive. Though, I doubt the latter is possible.”

“She’s dead.” Cloud was certain.

“How do you know?”

Cloud hesitated. “Jenova. I don’t know if what she said was true about her mu– about how she died... but I don’t think she’s lying about Claudia’s death.”

Sephiroth frowned.

“What did she say?” he heard Sephiroth ask carefully.

What happened to her? Why were there so many unanswered questions surrounding Nibelheim and Strife?

#{ rose gold }

0 notes

omegasquire · 6 months ago

Text

The next few days, I'll be mass posting the chapters that are lagging behind what I have uploaded on AO3. They should be caught up to current releases by Christmas so that both sites are the same.

On a side note, as another personal update, the holiday season has put a bit of stress on my body and I'm kinda sitting in a weird spot of optimism and anxiety as I approach the next stage of treatment for my condition. I'm both looking forward to it and nervous because it'll be another major change for me.

More than anything, I need to settle down and avoid any possible bumps in this delicate time so I'm contemplating a small hiatus to give myself time to focus on my health. I don't want to, I really want to write, but my nerves won't let me focus. I'm surprised I made it through Chapter 33 as quickly as I did lol.

We'll see! I appreciate everyone's patience, I really do. The fact I take so long to update RG without someone coming for my kidney is amazing to me (jk lol) because I know a long time ago I would've been faced with more aggressive feedback on my upload schedule.

Anyway, I'll make another announcement as that time gets closer. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a safe holiday! I'll be taking time to be with family and those close to me before I focus on the next chapter.

Happy holidays!

#{ from the author }

0 notes

omegasquire · 9 months ago

Text

Personal update time~ I know I haven't been active much in terms of sharing personal news. What little I've given on AO3 is just about the gist of it.

That isn't to say I had nothing to say, but that over the past (many) weeks, my life got flipped upside down because of my condition. To put it shortly, I was diagnosed with the big C.

It takes a lot to get used to. Emotionally, psychologically, and just overall having to make big adjustments to suit my condition. It's draining a lot of times, but I try to fit in writing here and there when the mood strikes. It's like a welcome distraction from all the craziness I'm going through irl.

That being said, it does mean I go slower. I won't go into detail, but just everything is... slower. Including getting my head together to write.

With the latest chapter posted on AO3 (Chapter 30) as of today, we're at a crucial point and I want to make sure it plays out properly. (I'll probably do a post dump for the chapters that I've been neglecting to put here on Tumblr. Sorry about that.)

I'm glad that people have been patient with me and encouraging, both those who know me irl and even the readers who have sent their best wishes. I'm still keeping my head up, I just need stay that way as I truck through this for the long haul.

Thank you again to the readers who have stuck by and given me support. We may not know each other beyond a digital screen and some text, but I still appreciate the warm feelings!

I'll give you a nice(?) Christmas/New Year's present for sure!

#{ from the author }

1 note · View note

omegasquire · 11 months ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch 27

Sephiroth quietly watched as Cloud tried to recover. Seeing the way he had responded to Tifa’s painful and aggrieved words, Sephiroth could tell that Cloud needed a moment in private. He didn’t know the extent of Cloud’s relationship with the Tifa from his world, but it was intimate enough to cause such a strong reaction out of Cloud.

It upset him.

That was why he chose to bring Cloud here where it was secluded. There was a low chance that anyone would come by and interrupt them. It suited Sephiroth; it would probably take more than a few minutes for Cloud to settle.

Seeing him struggle reminded Sephiroth of the past when Strife would shuffle back and forth in a similar fashion. But, unlike Strife, Cloud seemed to internalize his emotions a lot more. That wasn’t to say Cloud wasn’t vocal about his issues, but there was plenty left unsaid that could only be glinted from the man’s body language or his facial expressions.

The helmet that Cloud wore was currently hiding the latter from Sephiroth, but the hunch in his shoulders and the way he kept clenching his fists was enough to let Sephiroth know how he felt. Looking at Cloud was like looking at an older version of Strife, yet at the same time he could see hints of Cloud in Strife’s past behaviors.

The images conflicted in Sephiroth’s mind, and an old urge he swore to bury was tickling the back of his mind.

It troubled him how often he was getting these feelings. The more he spent time with Cloud, the more the instinct tried to kick in and he found himself reaching for the other man. Sephiroth could try to write it off that it was simply his sense of responsibility so that Cloud didn’t succumb to the mental assaults from Jenova, but he knew that wasn’t the only answer.

When he saw Cloud’s face...

Sephiroth’s lips pressed slightly. He didn’t know if it was a mercy on his resolve that Cloud was wearing the helmet right now, or not.

He glanced over at the blond man and saw the crack in the side of the helmet. Tifa had struck him hard enough to damage it. If given the chance, she likely would’ve put more force into it, but she had controlled her strength to avoid fully breaking it.

Sephiroth didn’t know the full story behind Strife’s and Tifa’s childhood, only what Tifa and Strife allowed others to know, but he had enough information to grasp why she was having such a difficult time accepting Cloud.

It was clear that Cloud wanted to know the story as well, and he had tried to get it out of Sephiroth, but Sephiroth wasn’t the correct person to provide those answers. Perhaps Cloud would never find those answers now that Tifa had pushed him out. Sephiroth considered how this would affect Cloud from here on out.

Cloud was vulnerable to Jenova’s attacks. He might be physically strong – it only took one battle between him and Cloud to gauge his strength – but mentally, he was weak. It was far too easy for Jenova to slip in and spread her poison.

She wasn’t speaking to him when they were both in Sephiroth’s office last time, but that didn’t make the incident less shaky. Sephiroth had turned the scene over in his head multiple times, and the theories he came up with left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Anything but that.

Sephiroth frowned at himself. He needed to prevent Cloud from straying. None of them could afford Cloud taking Jenova’s side. If Cloud succumbed to Jenova’s will because his mental fortitude was cracking, then they would have no choice but to wage war.

Except it wouldn’t just be them against Cloud. There were Strife’s brothers as well. Jenova, if she manifested, would also need to be defeated. The losses would be exponential.

Sephiroth needed to prevent that at all costs.

Cloud stopped moving. The abrupt halt drew Sephiroth out of his thoughts and he looked at Cloud in silent expectation. Cloud was as still as a block of ice, but as ice was sure to melt, he slowly turned toward Sephiroth.

“I... need something from you.”

Cloud’s voice was low, but Sephiroth heard it clearly. While the buzz of mechanical equipment surrounded them on the roof, along with the sounds of construction the next street over, Sephiroth was close enough to pick up the hesitation in Cloud’s tone.

“What is it?”

Cloud didn’t reply but instead stepped closer to Sephiroth. When he was standing right in front of him, he carefully removed the helmet. Beneath blond bangs that were slightly matted from being pressed down under the helmet too long were two bright blue eyes that hinted at green. They stared straight at Sephiroth, slightly red around the edges as if they were agitated.

He didn’t look like he was going to cry, but he was clearly still shaken. The corners of his mouth twitched, as though there were too many words he wanted to say, yet couldn’t bring himself to articulate a single one.

Sephiroth didn’t know what it was Cloud wanted, but he felt that urge again. The same urge that seemed to propel him into action even when he didn’t want to. Even when he swore to himself that he would ignore it completely.

When Cloud didn’t speak, Sephiroth lifted a hand. The action was smooth and slow, but internally Sephiroth was hesitant. He expected Cloud to pull back right away, but as his fingers brushed the smaller man’s arm, Cloud didn’t move.

In fact, it looked like he was waiting.

Sephiroth held Cloud’s shoulder and felt how tense it was. The tip of his thumb lightly brushed against the curve of his neck. He wasn’t certain if this was what Cloud wanted him to do, but since he hadn’t been pushed off, he let the touch linger.

Slowly, the tension in Cloud’s shoulders faded. His lashes fluttered slightly as he closed his eyes and drew a silent breath of relief. Seconds ticked by where neither of them moved; Sephiroth continued to quietly stroke Cloud's neck and listened to his breathing until it settled into a soft and easy rhythm.

With the same carefulness, he withdrew his hand and waited for Cloud to give him an explanation. Cloud opened his eyes again, and this time the distress seemed to have faded, but he didn’t explain himself. Instead, Cloud merely looked down at the helmet and turned it over to inspect the damage.

“I’ll need another one.”

Sephiroth knew he was avoiding the topic, but he played along. “There are spares in the airship that you can take.”

“Will we be heading there before going after the brothers?” Cloud lifted his gaze again.

“We will decide that shortly. Barret is in critical condition; if he needs to be moved right away, then his transfer will take priority.” Sephiroth saw the way anger flashed across Cloud’s eyes at the mention of Barret. “If that’s the case, our team will prepare for the trip and travel by ground.”

“It looked like they took a vehicle, so they will have a lead on us.”

Sephiroth nodded. “Eventually they will run out of resources and will have to find an alternative. That’ll give us time to catch up and figure out what their plans are.”

“Vincent should be able to fill in the holes.” Cloud glanced at the door that led down from the roof.

Sephiroth saw the hesitation in Cloud’s eyes. He had a strong feeling it wasn’t about Vincent, but rather who else was downstairs. Perhaps he was taking Tifa’s words literally and wanted to avoid accidentally crossing paths.

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed his father’s number. It didn’t take more than two rings for Vincent to answer.

“Where?”

“Rooftop.”

There was no affirmation from Vincent’s end. The call ended just as abruptly as it began. Any other person would’ve found the conversation – if it could be called one – to be jarring, but for Sephiroth, there was no unnecessary chatter. It was far different from talking to someone like Zack who hardly ever seemed to run out of things to say even when it was irrelevant.

Sephiroth slipped the phone back in his pocket. “Vincent is on his way.”

Cloud gave a quiet sound of acknowledgement. “He knows what’s going on, right?”

“Yes. He has been kept apprised of the details.”

“And how does he feel about having me around?”

Another person answered Cloud as he leapt up from over the edge of the building. It wasn’t clear where Vincent had come from, but it seemed he deemed it inefficient to climb stairs like any normal person.

“Unless you plan to follow in Strife’s footsteps, my opinion of you is impartial.” Vincent made his way towards them. “However, I will not be your enemy.”

Cloud met Vincent’s gaze as the two came within talking distance of each other. “If you’re like the one I know, I wouldn’t want to be your enemy either.”

“Am I formidable?” There was a faint note of curiosity in Vincent’s voice.

Cloud shrugged. It was missable, but Sephiroth could see the slight relaxation in the younger man’s stance that contrasted sharply with his earlier attitude. “If turning into Chaos is formidable, then yeah.”

Vincent made a low sound of contemplation. “I see.”

He didn’t say anything beyond that. It was as if he was simply digesting the information in his own way. Rather than ask for more information, Vincent looked at Sephiroth.

“Isolfr, Rael, and Vyd. Those are their names. They can disguise themselves, so we will need to be vigilant in tracking them down.” He looked at Cloud in turn. “Rael said this to me: ‘Everything that was robbed will be returned. All the wrongs will be made right, from beginning to end.’ Does that mean anything to you?”

Cloud shook his head.

“Then what about ‘paying respects to the one who bore them’?”

Cloud shook his head again. “Wouldn’t that be Jenova?”

“If they were seeking Jenova, they wouldn’t head west,” Sephiroth disagreed. “Shinra doesn’t have a piece of her body, nor would they send it somewhere west of us.”

Sephiroth had asked Rufus to make sure. Their conversation that day eventually spurred Rufus to do a sweep of the surrounding Midgar area for abnormalities. Both of them hoped that nothing would turn up, but then Rufus came back with samples of mutated beasts.

“Maybe in this world Rufus and Shinra are more reliable, but that wasn’t the case for me.” Cloud scowled. “Nibelheim is where they originally hid her body, and when Rufus had the chance, he took a piece of her from the Northern Crater.”

“Then they should be heading back to the Northern Crater.”

Vincent interjected. “What’s troubling is their wording. They have always referred to Jenova as ‘Mother,’ not ‘the one who bore them.’ I believe this is significant.”

“Agreed.”

The three men were quiet as they tried to decipher the brothers’ words. The phrase “one who bore us” gave the impression that they were talking about a mother. Mothers bore their children into the world. However, it was clear that it wasn’t Jenova they were talking about.

If not her, then who could possibly play the role of the “bearer”?

Cloud’s head lowered, drawing Sephiroth’s gaze.

“What is it?”

The blond’s grip on his helmet tightened slightly but he didn’t lift his head. “Strife’s mother is dead, right?”

“Yes. When Nibelheim was destroyed, everyone had perished.”

“You pay your respects to the dead.” Cloud slowly drew in a breath and raised his gaze. “What happened to the bodies?”

Sephiroth suppressed a grimace. He didn’t like what he was about to tell Cloud; it was something he had strongly disagreed with, but the order went out and he was already removed from the case. “The townsfolk were taken by Shinra. Everything was erased, including the names of the people who lived there.”

At first, Cloud’s expression was blank, but then it shifted into angry resignation. He scoffed and looked away.

“Figures...”

“Do you think that they are going to see Strife’s mother?” Vincent spoke before an awkward silence could form between them.

“The bodies were supposed to be disposed of.” Sephiroth recalled the details of the incident. It was years ago, but there were still some things that stood out to him. “There were some bodies that seemed to be missing during the initial sweep, but Shinra made sure to clean everything up before reconstructing the town. When I reviewed the files, her remains weren’t among the number found.”

Cloud was quiet for a moment. “Does that mean her body wasn’t recovered?”

“It’s a possibility.”

“Then perhaps that is what they meant,” Vincent mused.

“But if her body is missing, how do they intend to find it?”

That was a question none of them knew the answer to. At least, it didn’t seem like Strife’s brothers would be able to find her by conventional means.

“But...”

Cloud’s mutter drew Sephiroth’s gaze. There was a deep-seated worry in his blue eyes.

“Why would her body be missing?”

~*~

Cloud leaned against the air conditioning unit. Next to him was Vincent; the man had stayed behind while Sephiroth went downstairs to reconvene with Zack and the others. Despite him and Vincent being strangers in this world, his quiet presence somehow felt familiar.

No words were spoken between them, but the silence wasn’t awkward for him. Cloud was able to let go of the emotions that had strung him up like a hanged man. Coming to Costa Del Sol kept him on edge, and what happened outside of Barret’s room left him reeling.

If not for Sephiroth, he probably would still be rattled. It was a weird thought to have, but when the other man had touched him, he felt like he was able to breathe again. Like a knot that was slowly unraveling, the tension that had spread over his body faded.

This wasn’t the first time he had noticed this effect happening. Prior to this was when they were in Sephiroth’s office. Cloud felt like he had been possessed by something. It was a creepy sensation that he didn’t want to experience again.

More and more strange things were happening to him, and he didn’t know why. Was it simply Jenova? Was it because of Strife’s brothers? Did something happen to him when he transferred over to this world?

There were too many questions.

The only answer he knew – even if he still didn’t understand it – was that when he was near Sephiroth or when the other man touched him, his mind wasn’t so chaotic. Jenova’s voice disappeared, and the emotions that surged without explanation calmed.

To put it another way, he was like a sedative. Maybe he could even be called a walking tranquilizer.

Whatever the analogy, Cloud couldn’t ignore the benefit of having Sephiroth closeby. Whether he wanted to accept it or not, having Sephiroth near was a surer way to ward off Jenova than the bangle on his wrist.

Maybe it was the safest place for him to be.

“I heard that you and Sephiroth have opposite roles in your world.”

Vincent’s voice cut through Cloud’s thoughts. He looked up at him. “Yes. He was the one who tried to destroy the world.”

Vincent’s gaze was aimed at the horizon where they could see the field beyond the city. “Did he believe Jenova to be his mother?”

“Yes. Hojo let him believe it was her. I don’t know if he ever found out the truth; he was no longer himself when we chased him down.”

The other man didn’t say anything for a while. When he opened his mouth, it was to ask, “Was Hojo his father?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

The reaction wasn’t what Cloud expected. He studied Vincent. “Is something different here?”

Crimson red eyes shifted in his direction. “Hojo was never his father. He was merely the one who raised him.”

Cloud tried to wrap his head around that. He sometimes questioned how someone like Hojo could sire someone like Sephiroth, unless all of his features came from his mother’s side, Lucrecia. If Hojo wasn’t the father, then who was?

“Me.”

Cloud’s eyes widened at Vincent’s admission. It was as if he was already aware of the question on Cloud’s mind.

Vincent let his left hand slip out from under the fold of his cloak to show the gold-tinted gauntlet. “Lucrecia and I were lovers. It means nothing in face of someone’s profession, but Sephiroth does not carry Hojo’s genes. He was only the one who watched over his growth.”

The wording Vincent used felt strange to Cloud. He wanted to ask about it, but he stopped himself as he saw Vincent start to remove the gauntlet. The movement was simple, neither delicate nor careless. With slow and smooth motions, the gauntlet was slipped off, leaving the black glove underneath.

The sight of the glove was familiar to Cloud, but not what it was covering. As Vincent pushed down the edge of the glove, Cloud’s eyes widened. There were scars that webbed across Vincent’s arm, gradually condensing as they neared his hand. His whole hand was dark as if he had dipped it in ink, and at the tips of each finger was a small yet sharp claw.

“Though I look like this, I am still Sephiroth’s father.” There was a single gold band on Vincent’s fourth finger. “I once doubted if she truly loved me, but this is my proof. As is Sephiroth.”

Vincent started to put on the glove and gauntlet again. He flexed his hand to test if the fit was correct before tightening the straps. When he was done, he turned his attention back to Cloud who had been silently watching him.

“I have learned to live with my sin, and learned that monstrosity is not simply based on how one looks. You could say it’s a person’s soul that determines whether or not they’re evil, and should be killed.”

The two of them held eye contact. This was the most Cloud had ever heard Vincent speak in one session; it was hard not to pay close attention.

“By that measure, I judge your death will be nothing but unnecessary blood spilt. In fact, it might be the opposite.”

Cloud’s brows twitched. “How?”

Vincent looked to the distance, his eyes narrowing at something neither of them could see. Yet, Cloud had a feeling it was the brothers who were steadily getting further ahead. “I don’t know.”

Despite the vague answer, Cloud understood the uncertainty. It was only conjecture, but if Vincent’s words held any weight to them, then it was all the more reason to be cautious. When they went after Strife’s siblings, the level of danger would undoubtedly increase a dozen times over. If something happened to Cloud, what would that entail?

What about that time he felt possessed? Did that mean anything?

Goosebumps rose on the backs of Cloud’s arms. He wished he didn’t have such a thought, but now that it surfaced, he couldn’t shake it.

#{ rose gold }

0 notes

omegasquire · 11 months ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch 26

The silence in the conference room was heavy. The tension was so thick, it was almost tangible. The scene that played on screen was nothing less than a nightmare. Even though the view was far, enough detail came through to show what was going on across the beachside city.

If there had been any question before about how strong Strife’s lookalikes were, now they knew. There was no ambiguity to their ruthlessness and strength. Normal people wouldn’t stand a chance; normal weapons barely made a dent. Sending the wrong people to fight them was synonymous with sending them to their graves.

The brothers’ inhumanity was as clear as day. They would spare no one.

Tifa’s hands shook as she covered her mouth. Almost as soon as the fighting had started, she was frozen in horror. It was like witnessing the massacre of Nibelheim all over again, except this time she truly couldn’t do anything to help. She was on the other side of the ocean, watching a recording of this event well after the fact.

The sound of Reeve sighing gravely could be heard on the other end of the speaker. He had been placed on video call during the meeting, a hologram of him in his office projected just above the device.

Reeve was pressing his fingers to his temples. “This was transmitted to us through the surveillance moogle I had sent with Team Typhon.”

“The feed cuts off abruptly,” Red noted as the footage they were all looking at froze just before something collided with it.

Sephiroth’s eyes were narrowed. “Why did it take so long to relay the message?”

Reeve shook his head and lifted his gaze. “As you can see, it was damaged. It didn’t register in our system until an hour ago. I contacted you as soon as I could.”

Even by just an hour, that was still lost time when it came to getting Barret help and chasing after Strife’s brothers. Everyone was already calculating their losses and just how dangerous it was to confront these three. Sending even one wrong person would lead to death.

“We have to go to him.” Tifa was barely able to lower her hands without feeling like vomiting.

Zack nodded. “She’s right. Costa Del Sol doesn’t have the right equipment to take care of his wounds. And the others need a proper burial...”

Peoples’ expressions were grim. The moogle had captured the gorey deaths of Reeve’s men and the Turks. Reno could be heard spitting a vile curse from his spot in the back, and for once no one reprimanded him for it. They all had similar feelings.

However, there was a distinct difference between each of them when it came to who they were cursing. While most weren’t directing their anger at Cloud, a few couldn’t help but instinctively resent him. Tifa, especially, saw Cloud as the true culprit.

Even if Strife’s brothers were the ones who did the deed and murdered people, they wouldn’t be here if not for Cloud. Simply by proxy, he was the one who killed them.

Bile rose in Tifa’s throat as she struggled with her emotions. She wasn’t too familiar with Knife or Rod – she didn’t even know the names of the people Reeve had stationed at Costa Del Sol – but she was close to Barret. They had spent so much time together, it would’ve been strange if she wasn’t affected by his injuries.

Worry and anger gnawed at her as questions kept popping up: Was he alive? Was he dead? Where was he being treated? How long would it take to get to him? Could they fix the damage inflicted on both of his arms? Would Barret ever be okay again?

Tifa’s hand clenched into a fist. She pressed it against her chest as if it would somehow calm her down. She felt Aerith next to her, holding her other hand. It was a gesture of comfort that Tifa wished she could erase the growing knot of raw emotions inside her.

“It won’t take long to get the airship up and running.” Cid sighed and roughly ran a hand through his hair. “If we’re going to Costa Del Sol, there’ll be the time difference to consider.”

Sephiroth turned to look at them. “We will leave as soon as it’s ready. We’ll split into two groups: one will do damage control and see that Barret gets proper medical attention; the other will go after those three.”

When Sephiroth’s gaze landed on Cloud, Cloud’s expression was dark. “Are you leaving me here?”

No one answered right away.

“Sending you would play into their hands,” Rufus openly mused. He leaned to one side, propping his chin on the back of his hand as he looked from Cloud to the frozen footage. “It would be safer to keep you here.”

Reno straightened up. “Who’s going to babysit him?”

“That would fall on us,” Rude replied. His comment suggested removing the Turks from the pursuit.

Reno looked at him, ready to protest, when Sephiroth interrupted.

“No.” He was still looking at Cloud, holding the blond man’s gaze as his mood seemed to worsen at the mention of being watched by the Turks. “You’ll be with us.”

“Is– um, is that safe?” Yuffie hesitantly asked, fidgeting nervously.

“No,” he repeated. “However, there is no guarantee that while we are away, Jenova won’t strike again. I want you within sight.”

Cloud nodded slightly after a moment.

Tifa didn’t like it. She didn’t want anything to do with Cloud, or have him involved with what was going on.

Why did they have to suffer because of him?

She hated that they had no choice but to take him with them because he was too dangerous to leave alone. Even if the Turks were capable at their job and Midgar was equipped with all sorts of defense mechanisms, the safest place for Cloud to be was next to Sephiroth. There was Zack as well, but it was already clear that Zack would hesitate to kill Cloud if it came down to that. Sephiroth was the only one pragmatic and capable enough to land the blow without hesitation.

“Yuffie,” Tifa looked at the younger woman. “Can you take care of Marlene?”

Yuffie’s eyes widened. “Huh? What? Me?”

Tifa knew Yuffie didn’t want to go. It was clear on her face that she was terrified of the idea of heading to Costa Del Sol. “Yes. She likes you, so you won’t have to worry about a thing.”

“I know!” Yuffie quickly replied. “I just– I thought you would want to stay?”

Tifa drew in a deep breath and tried to shake off her anxiety. She didn’t know if she wanted to cry or lash out, but there was no way she was going to be left behind. Barret meant too much to her. She had to see for herself that he was okay.

“I...”

Her gaze slowly shifted to look at Cloud. She saw him staring at her and nearly flinched; his gaze was so serious, it made her tense up. Strife never looked at her that way, so she wasn’t sure how to respond to it. Still, she couldn’t waver.

“I have to go.”

“Don’t worry Tifa,” Aerith spoke softly next to her and squeezed her hand. “We’ll make sure he’s okay.”

She could only nod in return.

~*~

Cloud wanted to bury his head in his hands. He never expected that scene from Costa Del Sol to happen. Some part of him already expected that Strife’s lookalikes would be formidable, but he didn’t think that they would be like this. They were destructive, yes, but more importantly they were savage. They had no problem with torture, especially the one called Isolfr.

Anger surged in Cloud’s chest as he vividly recalled what the younger man had said.

“You’ll make a good welcoming gift.”

The rest of the dialogue that passed between each party member couldn’t be heard over the sound of explosions and gunfire, but this one sentence before it all started rang in Cloud’s ears.

Barret was mutilated just to drag him out of Midgar. Cloud knew it was bait, but he couldn’t ignore it. Even if Sephiroth told him that he had to stay behind, he would argue that it was necessary for him to go to Costa Del Sol.

Who would even be able to watch over him if, like Sephiroth had said, Jenova struck while their defenses were thin? How was Sephiroth supposed to come find him if he was halfway across the planet?

Cloud still didn’t know what magic was applied on the bangle that Sephiroth had given him, or how it would let Sephiroth pinpoint his location. It seemed to be more than just a fancy tracker; there was more to it that he didn’t understand.

Since that was the case, he had to go with Sephiroth.

Sephiroth didn’t seem like he would sit back after what happened either. Cloud doubted he would even entertain sending the others after Strife’s brothers now that they knew how ruthless they really could be. They could stand toe-to-toe with Barret and Vincent individually. If either of them was like the versions from Cloud’s world, then that wasn’t easy to do, especially when it came to Vincent.

Vincent wasn’t the type to boast about his power or take the foremost position in a fight, but he had experience from his early years, and the strength of a monster when he lost control. He was quick on his feet and didn’t hesitate to make judgment calls during battle. If there was one person Cloud could give his back to, it was him.

He had no idea how this Vincent measured up to the one from his world, but even so, he couldn’t have been that different. Which meant that the brothers were very strong... Enough to keep Vincent on his guard.

Cloud hit the railing with his fist. It wasn’t common for him to lash out, least of all against inanimate objects, but that was how angry he was. Barret might want to kill him, just like the others did – maybe they still do – but that didn’t mean Cloud wished for Barret’s death in return.

This world’s Barret didn’t go through the same trials, but Cloud still had an emotional connection with the guy. They were comrades and friends. He wouldn’t abandon Barret, just as he wouldn’t abandon the rest of them.

And Tifa...

Cloud stared outside the window. The clouds rolled by as the airship sped through the air towards Costa Del Sol. Even more crushing than Barret’s injuries, Tifa’s distress tore at Cloud. She hated him, and certainly blamed him for everything that was happening, but Tifa was still special to Cloud. She was the person he grew up with; she was the one who knew his faults and cared for him regardless; she was the one who pulled him out of his downward spiral.

He wished he could comfort her, but he knew that if he tried, she would only resent him. The idea of her turning away from him for good scared him.

“We will be landing shortly.”

Cloud turned his head to see Sephiroth approaching.

During the entire trip, he had to be cautious about the others on the ship; it wasn’t just Avalanche, but the workers who barely knew anything about his situation. They acted like he wasn’t there, silently creating a barrier between them and Cloud that was uncomfortable.

He couldn’t avoid it, though, as he had to remain near Sephiroth. Even though he had free movement on the airship, that didn’t mean that other people wanted to see him roaming around on his own.

Frankly, at this point, Cloud’s current worries were far too important to pay them much mind. (Though, that didn’t mean he didn’t notice.) With their destination drawing near, Cloud couldn’t afford to lose focus. He had to gather his resolve, because what came next would not be easy.

“Barret is at the hospital?” he asked Sephiroth.

“Yes. They’ve managed to stabilize him, albeit barely. The amount of blood loss was almost fatal.” Sephiroth looked at him. “You will join me and Zack to pursue Strife’s brothers.”

Cloud nodded. He figured that would be the case. He was useless in medicine, and he doubted anyone wanted him near a comrade in critical condition.

“Do you know where they went?”

“West.” Just as he said it, the clouds beneath them parted. Below them was an open field next to Costa Del Sol, signaling their arrival. “We’ll confirm the details with Vincent when we meet up with him.”

Cloud felt a little apprehensive about meeting Vincent, but he hoped that he could rely on his intuition about the other man and treat him as he normally would. “Alright.”

He watched as the airship slowly descended and landed on the ground. It would take a bit for the motors to wind down and make it safe for them to exit, but Sephiroth was already moving towards the exit.

Cloud followed suit, quickly checking that his helmet was still in place as he went. He was able to keep his sword on him all through the flight; its weight was comforting as it rested against his back. If he was going to join the fight with Sephiroth, it was necessary for him to be armed. It made some of the others uncomfortable, but they didn’t say anything since it was Sephiroth’s order for him to have it.

Despite how awkward their last meeting in Sephiroth’s office had gone, Cloud was secretly grateful that the other man didn’t mention it. It was as if Sephiroth had chosen to forget or ignore what had happened, which made Cloud do the same.

He tried to ignore the tension that still lingered between them and keep his focus on what was important. He knew that eventually they would have to come back to address what happened, but now wasn’t the time.

One by one, the others gathered to leave the airship. They climbed into two separate vehicles; Zack drove one, while Sephiroth drove the other with Cloud in the passenger seat.

As they made their way to Costa Del Sol, it became increasingly clear how much damage had been done. If the civilians hadn’t been evacuated, there would have been dozens of deaths. They would’ve been caught by stray bullets and explosions, struck by magic, or caught under collapsing structures.

Cloud looked out the passenger window and saw people in the midst of cleaning up. The evacuated civilians were returning, saddened by the destruction but alive and well. Compared to Junon, Costa Del Sol had suffered more damage, but it was still better than the loss of lives.

“Where is Vincent?” he asked Sephiroth, turning his head to glance over at the older man.

“The hospital. We will meet up with him and take stock of the situation.” Sephiroth glanced back at him before returning his gaze to the front. He carefully weaved past the debris as he made his way to their destination. “After that, we’ll pursue Strife’s brothers.”

Cloud nodded.

A silence fell between them, but before it could stretch too long, Sephiroth spoke again. “When we arrive, don’t agitate the situation.”

Cloud didn’t like the other man’s wording, but he understood what he meant. Whatever the situation was at the hospital, he would be walking on eggshells. If anything, he questioned if he really should be here or not.

Yet, because Sephiroth was going, he had to go as well.

“I know.”

The vehicle slowed down as they reached the hospital and pulled into the parking lot. Zack drove up next to them and parked so the others could get off. Cloud saw Tifa practically leap out of the back door and quickly made her way to the entrance. Aerith followed her at a hurried pace as she tried to keep up with Tifa.

Cloud climbed down from the vehicle at a slower pace in comparison to the women, but he was still brisk to join Sephiroth and Zack on the other side.

“Should we give them a moment?” Zack asked Sephiroth as he waved at Cloud.

“Yes. We need to meet up with Vincent anyway.” Sephiroth led the way inside, with Cloud and Zack right behind him.

It was rare for Zack to not try and lighten the mood whenever it turned grave or heavy with tension, but this time it seemed like even someone like Zack couldn’t avoid the gloom that darkened all their minds. He was quiet as they entered the hospital and checked in with the receptionist for Barret’s location.

Considering it was small, and more like a clinic than a hospital, it didn’t take long to locate Barret’s room. There was a window on the side of the wall, but the curtain was drawn, disallowing people from looking inside. Standing in the hallway to meet them by his door was a familiar man.

With black hair, red eyes, and a tall physique, Vincent was easy to spot. He stood out against the cream colored hallways and beach-styled waiting benches.

The tall man’s gaze shifted from Sephiroth to Zack, to Cloud. He silently studied Cloud for a moment before returning his attention back to Sephiroth. “His condition hasn’t changed.”

Sephiroth nodded and stopped before the door that had a small window slit. It was hardly enough to peek through. “Nothing from the physician?”

Vincent shook his head. “He will need better medical attention. There’s nothing more they can do at this point than keep him stabilized.”

“Is he conscious?” Zack asked and leaned next to Sephiroth to try and look through the window slit too.

“He hasn’t woken up since the battle.” Vincent gave a slight nod at the drawn curtain. “They had the curtains open before you came.”

Cloud could tell what that meant. Whatever Barret’s condition was, it wasn’t good. Tifa and Aerith probably thought it was better to hide it, even if only temporarily. It made Cloud’s worry grow; he wanted to look through the window slit as well and see what was going on.

“Leave them,” Sephiroth responded and stepped away from the door. He glanced in Cloud’s direction and gave a small nod.

Cloud hesitated but moved toward the door. Zack gave him room to peek, letting Cloud get closer. There wasn’t a lot he could see, but he could make out the edge of the bed and what looked like a machine positioned next to it. A blanket was drawn high, but Cloud couldn’t see Barret’s condition at all.

He reached toward the door handle but stopped himself.

What was he going to do if he did see?

He couldn’t change what happened. Cloud pulled back his hand and took a step back.

Almost as soon as he did, the door was yanked open from the other end. Cloud startled and froze when he saw Tifa gripping the door with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her face was flushed from crying, and her eyes were puffy and burned with anger. She glared straight at Cloud.

“Because of you...” she hissed as more tears flowed down her cheeks.

Cloud’s eyes widened. It wasn’t her words that made him freeze, but the expression on her face. The last time he saw that expression was when her father died. That time period was still mixed up in his memory, but he distinctly remembered the anger and anguish on her face when he found her in the reactor. Even while her life was being threatened, she held onto those emotions.

He was so transfixed by her expression, Cloud didn’t see her swing. All he felt was the impact, and his body jerked from the force. He crashed against Sephiroth, who caught him before he fell to the floor. Cloud hardly noticed; he was still looking at Tifa as she clasped her bruised fist to her chest. She looked like she wanted to hit him again.

“He can’t–” She choked on a sob that threatened to drown out her words. “His arms–!”

Cloud strained to look past her and finally had a better view inside. Aerith was next to Barret’s bed, her eyes puffy from fresh tears as well. When she saw Cloud looking at her, she shook her head helplessly.

Cloud forced himself to stand upright and paled as he took in the sight of Barret on the bed. The footage they saw back in Midgar didn’t detail just how badly the large man was injured. To see it upclose like this made Cloud’s mind go blank.

He would never be able to use his arms again...

Tifa moved in front of Cloud’s vision, blocking him from seeing Barret. She roughly wiped at her tears, the action only agitating her eyes even more. “Leave. Don’t ever show your face to me again.”

Cloud unconsciously stumbled back. He felt his back hit Sephiroth’s chest, and the other man steadied him. Tifa shoved the door closed in his face, only barely stopping herself from fully slamming it if only because they were in a hospital.

He stared at the closed door in shock. Words he never expected or wanted to hear rang in his ears. Tifa had rejected him. No, she was completely cutting him off. Even if he wasn’t the one who injured Barret, in her eyes, he might as well have done it.

The one person he didn’t want to see turn their back on him...

“...Vincent.” Sephiroth’s hand settled on Cloud’s arm and firmly held it. “We’ll continue later.”

“Find me when you are ready,” Vincent replied and turned to head down the hallway.

Zack looked between Sephiroth, Cloud, and the door. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll stay here and let you know what’s going on.”

Sephiroth only nodded and moved down the hall. He brought Cloud along with him, taking advantage of the stupor Cloud was in to lead him somewhere private.

It was only as they made their way to the rooftop that Cloud finally shook himself free of Sephiroth’s grip. He deliberately took a step away from the taller man and sucked in a deep breath. His chest was tight and his throat felt like it would shut any second.

There were a million words he wanted to say, a million questions he wanted to ask, but nothing came out. His hands clenched into fists and his shoulders trembled as he reeled from what just happened.

Eventually, all he could do was whisper a curse. “Shit...”

#{ rose gold }

0 notes

omegasquire · 1 year ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch 25

CW: graphic violence

The sound of gunfire could be heard for blocks. With the streets and buildings as empty as they were, there was no danger of stray bullets as the battle raged across Costa Del Sol. Even the people who were on the cargo ship had retreated back on board to hide. They were quick to lower their heads as soon as the fighting started.

It was a good thing, too, for Strife’s brothers didn’t care for what damage they wrought. Vincent twisted his body out of the way as a sword was thrust in his direction. His gaze followed the length of the blade to its wielder, Rael.

The young man was fair of face, probably the youngest looking of the three brothers, though age meant little for beings that weren’t born through natural means. Compared to Isolfr and Vyd, he was the calmest, if by only a miniscule amount.

He swung his blade with trained practice. As if he had spent time in the military, his cuts were simple but unhesitant. They had a purpose without any flashiness, and currently that purpose was to kill Vincent.

Vincent quickly leapt back to create distance between them. He raised his gun and took aim. With the same surety as Rael showed, Vincent didn’t pause to pull the trigger. Despite what relations his son had with the original, the three blonds they were currently fighting against had nothing to do with Sephiroth.

That was why it wasn’t hard for Vincent to resolve himself and treat the brothers as no more than Jenova’s puppets that needed to have their strings cut.

His bullets were deflected, but he didn’t let that bother him. He discarded the empty shells and reloaded in a single motion with ease, once more dodging and taking aim.

“Isolfr calls you Father-in-law. Can I do that too?” Rael suddenly asked him as he chased after him across the rooftops.

“No.” Vincent blocked another thrust with the back of his gauntlet and smacked the blade away before firing his gun. “I have no relations with you three.”

Rael ducked and swept his leg out, following the momentum. “But Sephiroth and Brother–”

Vincent caught Rael’s leg and shoved it away before stepping back. Despite how light the attack looked, Vincent’s palm tingled from the force of the kick. He had to be careful and not underestimate Rael simply because of how he looked.

“He’s not your brother.”

“He is.” Rael’s lips curled into a smile. “If Mother says he’s our brother, then that’s what he is. It doesn’t matter if he’s from another world. You see...”

The blond paused and let out a low laugh. Like Isolfr had done on the ship, he touched his head, then his chest.

“It’s the same.”

Vincent’s expression was impassive but inwardly he was troubled. He didn’t understand the gesture any more today than he did when Isolfr had done it several days ago. There was some significance there, but what it was eluded him.

He quickly pushed the thought aside to ponder on later. Right now, he had to put a stop to Rael.

“Isolfr doesn’t want to share,” Rael continued, lowering his voice a little as if he was telling Vincent a secret, “but then you won’t understand how important it is. Did you know? The longer you keep him from us, the worse it gets.”

Vincent’s brows furrowed. He didn’t know if he should be listening to this or not. “What do you mean?”

This time, Rael’s smile was sad, as if he was lamenting an event that had yet to pass. “See? Keeping you in the dark is a bad idea.”

Yet, despite the way he spoke, Rael still continued to attack him. His sword created deep slashes in cement and wood, destroying the roof they were currently dancing on. It wouldn’t be long before Vincent would have to move to another building, lest he wanted to fall through the structure.

Unexpectedly, Rael stopped moving. He stared at his feet thoughtfully, almost like he had forgotten Vincent was right there, before glancing into the distance where more gunfire and fighting could be heard.

“I’ll give you a hint. Isolfr will get mad if I say more, but this should be okay,” Rael mused. He suddenly turned his head to meet Vincent’s gaze. His eyes were wide and unblinking; his lips were stretched into an eerie smile. “Everything that was robbed will be returned. All the wrongs will be made right, from beginning to end.”

A chill ran up Vincent’s spine. He knew there were plenty of loose screws in these brothers’ heads – they were products of Jenova after all – but to see Rael’s rapid change in behavior was disturbing. Vincent committed the cryptic message to memory and decided he would try to decode it later.

“You really are Jenova’s children,” he muttered.

Rael’s expression instantly turned bright like a proud child. “We are! That’s why we need to get the family together soon. Mother is lonely and misses Brother very much.”

Vincent scoffed. He was done listening. Any other questions he asked out of this sibling wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Perhaps only Isolfr was able to give straight answers, but he was unwilling to do so.

Glancing in the direction where the others were fighting, Vincent quickly calmed his thoughts. “Enough. You won’t meet him.”

The smile on Rael’s face melted away and he sighed. “Father-in-law, I really don’t like you...”

Vincent raised his gun. “That’s fine by me.”

~*~

“Fuck!”

“Watch out!”

There was a scream as a large sword pierced through a man’s body. It was shoved further and further, until it burst out of the man’s back. As soon as it did, the blade changed directions and sliced clean through the rest of the man’s torso.

Watching the body topple in two different directions was a horrible sight even for veterans like Rod and Knife. They had seen their fair share of death, but brutality like this was never easy to swallow. Just because they performed a lot of dirty deeds on Shinra’s behalf, there was a difference in their work and what was happening before them.

“Get down!”

Knife quickly dove behind a piece of rubble. Behind her, she heard the distinctive sound of a grenade hitting the ground. Rod skidded into the same hiding spot next to her and covered his head. Knife barely had enough time to do the same before the grenade exploded.

“Warn me sooner!” she shouted. “Are you crazy?!”

Rod flipped his middle finger and pushed himself up. He pressed one hand to the side of his head, shaking off the ringing in his ears as he looked over the edge of the rubble.

“What do you want me to do, count to ten? Who has time for that?” He clicked his tongue and grimaced as he saw Vyd unharmed despite the destruction around him. There was a crater beneath his feet, and a nearby building sported a giant hole in its wall. “Besides, it didn’t do a damn thing!”

Knife carefully got up just enough to look over the rubble with him. She cursed. “Do you think they’re as strong as Strife?”

“Don’t say that, yo. That’s bad luck.” Rod dug into the inner pockets of his suit jacket and pulled out another grenade.

When Knife saw it, she quickly shook her head. “We already saw that won’t work.”

He rolled his eyes at her. “I’m creating a distraction. Think you can get close?”

“A lot closer than you ever could.”

It was a terrible time to have this sort of banter, but Knife had no choice but to respond to it. If not for Rod, she would’ve been scared stiff. Unlike their seniors, they had no idea what it was like to fight Strife. In fact, only certain people were able to fight against him, and none of those people were here.

With the minimal information they received from Vincent, they knew that the brothers would be difficult to take down, but they had no idea what the full extent of their strength was. If a grenade didn’t leave a scratch, then what did that mean?

Was this a suicide mission?

Knife bit her bottom lip. “Shit, I don’t know...”

Rod grabbed her arm and pulled her down. When she was eye level, Rod jabbed her in the chest with his finger. “You’re a Turk. We don’t second guess ourselves.”

“Oh shut up.” She knocked his hand away. Taking a deep breath, she dug into her pockets for more knives. They weren’t as explosive or flashy or even as harmful as some of the other Turks’ signature weapons, but there was one thing she could do that Rod couldn’t. “Speak for yourself, cheerleader boy. You’re shaking more than me.”

“Fuck off,” Rod grinned. “It’s adrenaline, yo.”

Knife laughed despite the fear stabbing at her very soul. She instinctively knew that they were going to suffer. They weren’t Sephiroth or Zack, and their weapons didn’t do a thing against them. Glancing to the side, she caught sight of Reeve’s men in pieces on the ground. That could easily be them next.

“...On your go.”

Rod jumped to his feet and pointed his baton at Vyd. “Hey buddy, over here. I think we’d look like a great couple. How ‘bout we dance, huh?”

He vaulted over the rubble and approached Vyd. Though he had shown Knife the spare grenade, what he had in his other hand was materia instead. It gave off a soft green glow as he drew on the magic stored within it. If a grenade by itself didn’t work, then the least he could do was make it give a bigger bang.

Vyd tilted his head slightly and watched Rod come to a stop. He saw what was in Rod’s hands and laughed. “I like this dance!”

Rod gritted his teeth. He gathered his resolve and forced out a grin. Maybe it was suicide, but he wasn’t going to just roll over without trying. Gripping the materia tightly, he called on a potent spell. Just before he released the spell, he threw the grenade.

“Let’s go!”

Right as the grenade clattered on the ground by Vyd’s feet, Rod loosed the fire spell right on it. He dropped down and covered his head as the grenade exploded, the damage amplified by the spell. Dust and rubble flew everywhere.

Using that moment to sneak in close, Knife quickly moved through the cloud of dust. She wasn’t strong in close combat, but assassination was a special skill of hers that she planned on using right now. Even if she failed to make a fatal blow, anyone would writhe in pain if they had a couple knives shoved in them.

She circled around the shadow that slowly started to appear in the cloud and adjusted her grip on her knives. Her steps softened and her breathing slowed as she slipped closer. Then, as soon as she was within range of Vyd’s blind spot...

“You’re not that quiet.”

A sword pierced through her abdomen. Knife gasped, at first not registering the pain, only to choke and scream as it pushed deeper into her. When she lifted her head, she saw that it wasn’t Vyd’s back that she was aiming at, but his front.

He already knew she was there.

How?!

“Knife!”

Vyd jerked his sword out of her and turned in time to block Rod’s swing. His grip tightened around Rod’s wrist as he jerked the redhead forward and slammed his knee into his stomach. When Rod crumpled to the ground, Vyd looked down at both him and Knife in interest.

“Are you two a couple?”

“Huh?!” Rod spat, and rolled up to his feet. “The hell are you talking about?”

“Why else would you risk your lives that way?”

“It’s called being comrades,” Rod pressed his hand to his stomach, gauging the extent of the damage. He straightened up and quickly glanced at Knife who was steadily bleeding out. “Yo, you’re not dead yet right?”

Knife could only groan in pain.

Vyd watched them and snapped his fingers. A smile slowly spread across his face. “I get it. I’ll make sure you’re not separated.”

~*~

Magic gathered at the end of the barrels. Far more destructive than the other fights that were happening across Costa Del Sol, Barret found himself trying to pin down a flea. Isolfr was quick and agile, moving in a way that just barely dodged his bullets without wasting energy. Fighting him was more annoying than fighting Sephiroth, and that annoying prick at least earned his respect.

Isolfr, who Barret learned was one of the triplets that had come down from the Northern Crater, didn’t have even the smallest ounce of respect from him. He didn’t even deserve Barret’s fear as Strife had instilled in everyone during the End of Days.

Strife had been both a demon and an angel, an attractive young man who had been grotesquely mutilated by bonding with Jenova. He wasn’t human anymore by the time they confronted him at the Crater.

He was such a pathetic sight in Barret’s eyes. The only thing he could vouch for was at least Strife had accomplishments under his belt. He was a SOLDIER. A kid like Strife was brainwashed by Shinra and made into their tool.

But it was his own damn fault he chose Jenova’s side.

Magic burst from the end of his gun arm. The blast had a heavy recoil on his shoulder, but Barret had done this plenty of times to brace for the shock. He rolled his shoulder and took his stance again, his hand gripping at the base of his gun arm to stabilize as he pointed the barrels at Isolfr again.

The young blond looked over his shoulder at the broken helipad. They had gradually traveled towards the landing zone, but before Isolfr could get even close to it, Barret was purposely driving him back. It meant that some equipment was being damaged as well, but he didn’t care.

It was better for neither of them to have access to a helicopter, than to risk the brothers obtaining it just because he thought it’d be useful later. If they needed to get air support, it would have to come from the rig in the middle of the ocean.

He needed to make sure that they didn’t board a boat either. Barret didn’t know why Vincent didn’t just blast all of them into the sea, but now that they were here in Costa Del Sol, he had no plans on letting them get to Junon.

They weren’t going to get anywhere near Marlene!

“You ain’t going nowhere, pineapple head! If I have to blow up this whole harbor, then that’s what I’m gonna do,” he growled.

Isolfr stared at him flatly. The expression on his face irritated Barret. It was as if Isolfr saw him as the flea. “I’m starting to wonder if you’ll make a good enough gift for him.”

Bullets rained down around Isolfr. Not all of them could be dodged; Isolfr had to use his daggers to deflect the ones that would make contact. The sound of metal striking metal was easily buried under the cacophonous sound of gunfire.

Barret felt the heat of the chamber grow warmer the longer he persisted and roughly clicked his tongue. He lowered the gun and discharged the exhausted coolant with a jerk of his arm. He retrieved a new one from his jacket pocket and slapped it into place, simultaneously changing the settings to switch the type of bullets he would use.

“What, I’m too big to wrap into a neat little bow?” He took aim again. “Sorry but I never planned on being put in a box anyway.”

Isolfr smiled coldly. “I can fix that. And...”

He used the tip of his dagger to point above them. The animatronic mog was still floating high overhead. It stayed well out of reach as it offered a panoramic view of the fighting on the ground.

Isolfr lowered his dagger to point at Barret in turn. “He will watch. I will make sure that he understands.”

“Shut your damn mouth,” Barret snarled. The barrels of his gun whirled back into action and sent another barrage of bullets at Isolfr.

The bullets this time were charged with elemental magic. They burst open on any surface they impacted, turning the ground they walked on as safe as a river of charged eels. Isolfr jumped up and balanced on top of an awning that already looked like it was ready to collapse.

He silently looked down at Barret before slowly opening his mouth. “I changed my mind. I’ll keep you alive.”

At the end of these words, he leapt off the awning. Barret was waiting for this moment. He charged a burst shot and aimed where he knew the blond would land.

Isolfr barely missed being hit by immediately pushing off the ground and grabbing a railing. With a sleight of hand, he threw one of his daggers at Barret. He quickly followed after it and closed the distance between him and Barret.

Barret was built like a house, and he could handle getting cut or hit better than most people, but there was a disadvantage to his physique: he wasn’t nimble. It made him a bad match against Isolfr who clearly excelled at close combat.

The smaller man could easily get into Barret’s weak spot by stepping within melee range. Though Barret had deflected the first dagger, knocking it out of the smaller man’s grasp, he couldn't stop the one in Isolfr’s other hand.

Barret caught the blade with his palm, allowing it to pierce through. “I'm not going down that easy,” he growled.

Isolfr merely smirked back and opened his free hand. The dagger that had been discarded returned into his grip. While Barret’s only hand was occupied, he thrust the dagger into the man's gun arm.

Barret roared as the blade dug into his flesh and sliced through tendons and muscles. His hand tightly gripped around the dagger and caught Isolfr's. He yanked the smaller man away from him, flinging him to the side.

Isolfr didn't release his hold on the dagger even though Barret tried to shake him off. He used the momentum of the swing and skidded on the ground, yanking Barret along with him.

Barret slammed against the ground. The wind was knocked out of him, and before he could even suck in a breath, he felt Isolfr's weight crash down on his chest.

“Get off me!”

Isolfr ignored his demand. He switched his grip and stomped his foot against Barret's neck. The arm in his grasp was pulled taut and he inspected it the way a butcher would inspect meat.

“I don't think you need this.”

Barret choked on his own breath and struggled to toss Isolfr off. He twisted and swung his gun arm to force the blond off, but Isolfr hardly paid it any mind as he shoved his dagger in Barret's only normal arm.

Barret thrashed. He shouted obscenities and struck at Isolfr again. This time he landed a blow.

At a heavy cost.

Blood poured freely. Even though Barret had a high tolerance for pain, that meant nothing now. No human could withstand this without screaming. Even the toughest soldier on the battlefield would turn into a child.

Isolfr let go and shook the blood from his fingers.

Barret struggled to look up at him through the tears that streamed down his face. The pain was unbearable, and with each second that passed, the pool of blood beneath him grew. He spat a curse through clenched teeth and glared at Isolfr.

Isolfr bared his teeth in a cruel grin. He stepped off Barret and turned his head just as a bullet shot past him. Another bullet made him step back and put distance between him and Barret.

Vincent landed next to Barret and glanced down at him. The man was always pale, but right now his face was as white as a sheet. His gaze shook as he took in Barret’s injuries.

He looked up and aimed his gun at Isolfr. At the same time, he extended his other hand and sent a healing spell through Barret’s body. Barret could hardly tell; his mind and senses were blank from the pain. All he could do was force himself to stay conscious.

Isolfr spread his fingers and his daggers disappeared. “Rael let you go. Fine. Someone needs to deliver the message in person.”

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of something breaking could be heard. Pieces of the animatronic plummeted to the ground. It was no longer usable, but it didn’t matter; the feed was likely already sent to Reeve.

A vehicle skidded into range and the side door was opened to reveal Vyd in the driver’s seat. Rael shot down from somewhere above and swung himself inside the vehicle. Isolfr turned and went to join them, pausing only to glance over his shoulder at Vincent.

“Tell Brother to come soon.”

Vincent’s grip tightened on his gun, but he didn’t fire. He watched the vehicle speed off and holstered the gun. He looked down at Barret who was barely holding on.

“I’ll get you help,” he promised.

Barret felt his vision darken. He didn’t know what Vincent said after that, nor could he respond as blood collected in his mouth. He didn’t know where else he had been injured, but blood in the mouth was never a good thing.

His eyes rolled back as he finally lost grip of his consciousness.

#{ rose gold }#cw: graphic violence

0 notes

omegasquire · 1 year ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch 24

A tense silence stretched between them. Sephiroth met Cloud’s gaze, giving nothing away with his expression.

Finally, Sephiroth replied. “I haven’t hidden information about Strife from you.”

It wasn’t an answer that Cloud could be satisfied with. He clicked his tongue. “But you won’t give me more unless I ask.”

He had noticed that talking with Sephiroth about his own counterpart was a difficult task. While, as Sephiroth said, the man technically didn’t hide information about Strife, the information he brought forth to the table wasn’t much either.

Recalling their last meeting, Cloud belatedly realized that he had been the one driving the conversation when it came to Strife. It was easy to talk about Jenova, but Strife seemed to be a sensitive topic. If Cloud thought about it objectively, it made sense. Unlike in his world, Strife was a comrade of Zack and Sephiroth. It was different having a stranger betray humanity, versus someone you intimately knew.

But somehow, the urge wouldn’t disappear. There was no shaking this feeling twisting inside.

Sephiroth shook his head slowly. “Irrelevant information doesn’t need to be discussed.”

How was it irrelevant?

“I don’t know if it’s irrelevant if I haven’t heard it first.” Cloud frowned. “Am I not allowed to know about what happened to me here?”

“You know enough.”

It wasn’t.

Cloud felt his frustration rising. He felt like he was suffocating. He should’ve let it go by now, but his tongue wouldn’t stop. It was as if something was pressuring him to get that answer.

“How am I supposed to help if you won’t tell me? You know the most.” He leaned forward. “The others don’t know Strife like you and Zack do. I can’t ask them.”

“Tifa is–”

Cloud cut him off. “You know I can’t.”

Sephiroth frowned.

Something was wrong.

Cloud knew it, but he couldn’t stop. He had to get it out. He had to say these words, even though he didn’t know where they came from. Were they even his own?

“Cloud...”

He pushed up out of his seat and braced his weight against the table as he leaned over it. He didn’t know what expression he was wearing, or why his face felt hot. His breath was shallow as he forced out his next words.

“What am I to you?”

The question felt out of place; somehow, they were heavier than they meant to be. There was a meaning that he didn’t understand.

Sephiroth’s eyes widened.

He suddenly reached out and grabbed Cloud’s shoulder. Cloud gripped at Sephiroth’s wrist, but the taller man didn’t let go. He stood up and circled around the table to stand before Cloud. When Cloud opened his mouth, Sephiroth quickly covered it with his other hand.

“Don’t.” Sephiroth studied him. “Is she talking to you right now? Nod or shake your head.”

At first Cloud didn’t understand, but then he realized what Sephiroth meant. This whole scene was abnormal for him. He knew he could get agitated easily, but not like this. It was like something foreign was trying to worm its way into his body.

Closing his eyes, Cloud tried to calm his racing heart. He didn’t understand what was going on with him right now. The only certainty was that Jenova wasn’t currently talking to him. He shook his head.

Sephiroth didn’t remove his hand until Cloud loosened his grip on the man’s wrist. He slowly lowered his hand from Cloud’s mouth. “What happened?”

Cloud drew in a deep breath and opened his eyes. He shook his head again, this time out of confusion. “I don’t know.”

Another silence passed between them as Cloud collected himself.

Why did it feel comforting? Why did having Sephiroth close help him calm down?

Cloud couldn’t figure out the answer and pushed the questions to the corner of his mind as he focused on his own breathing.

When it seemed like he was back to normal, Sephiroth let him go. “I’ll take you back to Zack’s.”

Cloud didn’t argue. He ran his hand over his face, pressing at his eyelids as he tried to sort out what just transpired. He didn’t feel like himself, and that was disconcerting.

Like he had been possessed...

“Alright.”

~*~

Sephiroth stared at the wall, not truly focusing on it as his thoughts circled back to what happened in his office. Somehow, their conversation had quickly gotten out of control, and there was a franticness in Cloud’s demeanor that was unlike what he had displayed before.

Cloud always came across as level-headed, even if he did show signs of having a temper. His current situation was far from ideal, but despite that, he remained cooperative and reacted within expected boundaries.

It was hard to say if it was due to this man being from a different world, or if this was a reflection of his age and the trials he faced. Either way, the sudden divergence from his usual personality caught Sephiroth off guard.

What disturbed him even more was the words that Cloud practically choked on: “What am I to you?”

The question was familiar, though it came from another’s lips. Hearing it brought forth an unpleasant memory for Sephiroth, which led to him removing Cloud from his office. Zack was already home, so it was easy to pass the blond off to him.

However, on the flip side, this gave Sephiroth plenty of time to struggle with his own thoughts.

‘What am I to you?’

Strife asked this same question once upon a time. They stood on opposite sides of a large fissure in the ground, as if Gaia herself was drawing a line between them.

Sephiroth remembered clearly what answer he had given the young man then.

Even more clearly, he remembered the venomous retort that Strife had given him.

‘Then why are you betraying me?’

Sephiroth closed his eyes. He let out a heavy sigh and tried to wipe the memory from his mind. He shoved down the emotions that came with that memory and silently reminded himself that the past couldn’t be rewritten, and he did what needed to be done.

It wasn’t betrayal. Strife had to be stopped...

Sephiroth leaned back and let his head rest against the back of his chair. When he opened his eyes again, it was only to glare at the ceiling.

“This needs to end,” he murmured. “He needs to go back to his own world.”

~*~

The musty air of the caverns could easily lead an inexperienced person into a state of panic due to the decreased amount of oxygen and the dark conditions. Without a light source and path markers, it was very easy to get lost.

For someone like Barret who was experienced in mining and had no issues digging deeper and deeper into the earth for new sources of material, this was no different from being in the mountains that had its own conditions for lack of oxygen due to the higher elevation.

What frustrated him, however, was that while he was working hard to discover new oil veins and search for new minerals that were worth global distribution, the results were far less than he hoped. This led him to go deeper and deeper, and spread his search across the mountainside. Surely, there would be a resource they could use without depleting Gaia of her very lifeblood.

To make matters more annoying, he now had to babysit some redheaded punk in a suit.

He eyed the scrawny looking Turk in distaste. It didn’t matter what truce Avalanche had with Shinra, under it all, Barret still hated every single one of them. The only exceptions were Zack and Sephiroth, but sometimes even they got on his nerves. Especially Sephiroth.

He and Sephiroth didn’t always see eye-to-eye. Barret acknowledged his strength and achievements, and he knew that without the General, they would’ve had a much harder time fighting against Strife and Jenova, but that stuck-up attitude of his and the fact he was still shaking hands with Rufus grated on Barret.

Rod caught him glaring and shrugged. He had a careless swagger to him that was reminiscent of Reno. It made sense, considering how he looked up to the other redhead. They had a senior-junior work relationship, and it was easy to see that Rod wished he could be like Reno.

“Yo, don’t look at me like that. Boss-man said we needed to go to Costa Del Sol pronto.” Rod stretched his arms over his head and yawned. “I bet it’s about that guy.”

“That guy?” Barret’s eyes narrowed.

Rod looked back at him in exasperation. They were currently making their way to the seaside city. He had received orders to bring Barret along, so here they were. “Does mining make you deaf? That guy.”

“I ain’t deaf!”

Barret’s mood darkened. Rod had filled him in on what was going on at Midgar. He was ready to grab the nearest chocobo and ride it across the ocean to meet “that guy,” and give him a proper greeting. Before he could, this damn punk told him that there were orders for both of them to follow, and that included going to Costa Del Sol.

It wouldn’t be long before they made it, and hopefully he could get clear answers on what the hell was going on while he was underground. As far as he knew, not-Strife was wandering around on some mission to save something or someone. Barret didn’t believe that bullshit for even a second.

Not when the man’s not-brothers were currently coming down from the Northern Crater. It didn’t take a genius to know it was so they could unite their little family and resume sending the planet into a state of turmoil.

Before it came to that point, Barret planned on throwing a wrench into their plans. Several dozen bullet-sized wrenches.

“So are we supposed to be heading up to the Northern Continent to meet these damn clones?” he ended up asking.

Rod snorted. “How should I know, big guy? We’re meeting up with Knife and she’ll give us the rundown.”

Barret grumbled none too quietly. He didn’t like being left clueless. “Knife, Sword, Candlestick, whoever, I don’t care, but I want answers right when we get there.”

“Yeah, sure.”

~*~

Dusk fell over the coastline, painting the waters with a myriad of sparkles as the sun gradually disappeared over the horizon. It was a beautiful sight, one that Costa Del Sol knew of quite well, as many people were known to linger on the beach to enjoy evening activities.

At the main dock where commercial and private ships could anchor, a cargo ship was unloading both crates and people. It was a normal sight for people in Costa Del Sol, for it was by ship that they imported and exported certain goods to the other continents.

This constant traffic helped the harbor city thrive on tourism. While travel wasn’t the same as before Meteorfall, enough ships still came through from Junon to keep the city thriving.

It was unfortunate, however, that such a day as this one hailed the arrival of three – no, four – important figures.

Walking down the unusually vacant boardwalk, a young man with raven black hair led the way for the other three. At the end of the group was Vincent, who silently followed like a shadow. One would think that he was acting as a chaperone for the other three, but that was far from the truth.

As they paused in the middle of an empty street, one of the young men snickered.

“Did you tell them we were coming?”

Vincent didn’t bother hiding it. “Yes.”

He had sent a message as soon as he received a signal, letting the others know that he had arrived at Costa Del Sol. He learned that Reeve had mobilized a few of his fighters that were already in the city to coordinate an evacuation. Knife and Rod should’ve been here already, along with Barret.

He didn’t see any sign of the three yet, but it was a matter of time before they crossed paths. A fight was inevitable.

The young man in lead – Isolfr apparently was his name – took a look around them. “I don’t sense anyone.”

“We want to reduce collateral damage.”

The one who snickered, Vyd, leisurely stretched. “Can we start?”

The last one, Rael, shook his head. “Not everyone is here. Ah, but the numbers will be unfair, won’t it?”

Isolfr merely continued along the deserted street. “It doesn’t matter. He’s not here.”

“Do you plan to go to where he is?” Vincent’s hand slipped under his cloak. His fingers lightly brushed over the handle of his gun.

Isolfr’s lips twisted into a sneer. “Father-in-law, you keep asking the same questions. Do you really want to know what we have planned?”

Rael stretched out his hand. A pronged sword formed in his palm as if it was crafted out of thin air.

“We’ll be reunited,” he spoke to Vincent with a smile of his own. Compared to Isolfr’s, it was almost innocent. “Brother will come. He won’t be able to resist!”

Isolfr stopped and turned around. Just like Rael, he opened both hands and daggers settled in his grasp. Next to him, Vyd bore a large sword that he rested against his shoulder. Their disguises melted away; black hair returned to blond, and their civilian clothes changed into their original outfits.

As if on cue, more people came out from the shadows to meet them.

Rod and Knife emerged from opposite corners, while Barret made his way down the street from the other end, animosity clearly etched on his face as he grew closer. Behind him were the fighters that were in Reeve’s employ, clearly unmatched even with rifles in their hands.

Isolfr pointed one of his daggers at Vincent. “If you survive, you can tell him this: we will pay our respects to the one who bore us.”

“Even if you don’t,” Vyd chimed in with a wide grin, “It’s okay. He’ll know anyway.”

The presence of a small machine hovering high in the air wouldn’t be caught even for someone with enhanced senses, but as Vyd’s gaze turned upward, Vincent glanced at the sky and saw a small mog floating above them. It wasn’t one of the live creatures known to wander and hide in the wilderness, but an animatronic.

It was likely another of Reeve’s creations and how he could monitor the happenings of the missions he sent his people on. Not only was it a means of communication like Cait Sith, but it was a free-roaming camera. This moogle likely wasn’t as intricate as Cait Sith – the cat was the only one with its own ego – but the creature would perform its job without fail.

Vyd waved at the moogle. “See you soon!”

“Over my dead body!” Barret roared and aimed his gun arm at them.

Isolfr laughed coldly. “You’ll make a good welcoming gift.”

#{ rose gold }

0 notes

omegasquire · 1 year ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch 23

“It was found dying near the marsh. At first we believed its abnormalities to be because of what lives there, but even the swamp can’t do this,” Tseng replied to Cloud.

Sephiroth stepped next to Cloud and passed a tablet to him. “Here. There are pictures of the location and the state it was found.”

Cloud startled slightly when he realized how close Sephiroth was, but took the tablet and tapped the screen to pull up the first of several images. Each picture that he looked at was a different angle of the chocobo and its surroundings.

The more he saw, the more disturbing it was.

“This doesn't make sense,” he muttered.

“It was the only one on site, according to the report.” Sephiroth looked past Cloud’s shoulder to study the chocobo. “Judging from your reaction, something like this didn’t happen for you.”

Cloud shook his head. “I didn’t hear anything about Geostigma spreading to monsters. This is nothing like Geostigma.”

He lifted his head to look at the mutated chocobo. It was unsettling. While humans suffering from Geostigma was a nightmare, mutated wildlife was even worse. There weren’t nearly enough people in the world who could fight against monsters; that was why mercenaries and designated patrol groups went out to secure the safety of a well-known travel zone or where there was population.

When Midgar fell and Edge took its place, there were no longer any walls to prevent the outside from harming those within. Cloud had joined his share of hunts to keep the city outskirts safe, whether it was by pay or his own volition. There were hardly enough fighters to do the job, unless street thugs counted.

Here, in this world, there was a higher supply of able fighters to defend Midgar and its people. There were likely more throughout the world, too, whether they fell until Rufus’ command or someone else’s.

Still, was that enough?

On top of Jenova and the triplets, did they have to worry about mutations as well? Cloud didn’t like the thought of that; there were too many variables as is. Adding one more element was adding one more possible casualty. Not only humans, but now wildlife was in danger.

The question was, however…

“Why would monsters be affected?” Cloud focused on the abnormalities of its mutation. “Geostigma was the result of the Lifestream emerging to protect Gaia. People were infected because they were exposed to the tainted Stream.”

He turned his gaze towards Sephiroth. “It was believed it was because Sephiroth – by proxy, Jenova – was the source of the tainting. The ones who suffered from that exposure were humans, not animals. I don’t know if that meant animals had no value in being infected, or if they were incapable.”

“Then we are facing something completely new,” Sephiroth concluded as he met Cloud’s gaze.

Cloud nodded.

Rufus tapped the crown of his cane in a thoughtful manner. “We’ll broaden our search and determine how widespread the mutation is. I had hoped that you could provide insight, but it seems that our predicament doesn’t align with yours.”

It was clearly dismissive, but there was no denying the older man’s words. This was something he hadn’t faced before, and if Cloud’s intuition was correct, then the creepy feeling he had when he walked by the other tanks meant that this might be a worldwide problem.

Was this development because Jenova and the brothers had emerged? It was hard to say, but that was the most logical conclusion that he could come up with.

“I’ll have the driver send you back. We’ll discuss again when we have more conclusive information.” Rufus glanced at Tseng. “Escort them out.”

Tseng gave a short nod. “Yes, President.”

Tseng took the lead and retraced their steps back to the elevator. Cloud and Sephiroth followed suit, though Cloud couldn’t help but look at the creatures that Shinra had captured. He was bothered; sudden changes never meant a good thing. Not in his experience.

~*~

The ride had been quiet, but it didn’t take long for Cloud to return to Shinra Headquarters with Sephiroth. All the while, Cloud’s thoughts kept turning over and over as he tried to make sense of what he just saw in that underground lab.

When Geostigma spread across his world, it was originally known as “Midgar pox.” People thought that Midgar was its origin, and that it was a curse brought on by the sins that Midgar committed. However, as it spread across the world, it became clear it was Gaia herself who was rejecting her current conditions.

Though they had avoided the world’s immediate destruction, within her veins still swam a poison that caused the precious children who she nurtured to grow sick. Those who were more sensitive to the Lifestream and mako exposure were more susceptible.

It was a miracle of sorts that Cloud resisted becoming sick for as long as he did. After being poisoned twice, one would think that he would be among the first batch of the afflicted.

The mutation that now was showing up in this world was nothing like Geostigma. If Jenova was still present in the Lifestream, then Geostigma should be running rampant. People like Zack and Sephiroth should be showing signs of illness since they were exposed to high concentrations of mako and Jenova cells.

Sephiroth, especially, should be one of the first people to fall.

The fact that Geostigma didn’t exist here, and Sephiroth was still sane despite being exposed to Jenova cells since gestation, created a large hole in logic that Cloud couldn’t wrap his head around. He still didn’t know what happened to Strife and why he was taken in by Jenova instead.

“Are you getting off?”

Cloud snapped out of his thoughts, caught off guard by Sephiroth’s voice. He quickly gathered himself as he realized the elevator had arrived at their destination and Sephiroth was waiting for him.

“Yeah,” he replied automatically. Then, he noticed the floor number on the elevator. “This doesn’t lead to the private quarters.”

“I know.”

Sephiroth didn’t elaborate and simply kept walking like he expected Cloud to automatically follow. Considering the restrictions he still had, Cloud had no choice.

It didn’t take long for him to recognize the hallways they were walking down. Excluding when he came to drop off his stuff, the last time he was in Sephiroth’s office was when the other man had given him the bangle. Reminded of it, Cloud unconsciously touched the item on his wrist. He never took it off, even when he showered or slept. Though he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to break it if he came under attack by Jenova again, he didn’t want to accidentally trigger it. Considering the high quality material, a little bit of water wasn’t going to damage it at all.

Sephiroth opened the door to his office and stepped aside to let Cloud enter. Cloud went in, thinking the other man was just giving him a moment to gather the bag he had left behind, but much to his surprise, Sephiroth entered behind him and closed the door.

“Why did you close the door?” Cloud frowned, though Sephiroth couldn’t see it.

“There are things to take care of,” Sephiroth replied and made his way to his desk.

It left Cloud in a state of limbo; he didn’t want to stay in this office, but he couldn’t leave either. He opened his mouth to insist that he needed to return to Zack’s place, yet hesitated to speak. Sephiroth was already sitting down and turning his attention away from Cloud.

Left to decide on his own how to pass the time, Cloud sat at the table. He was frustrated at the other man. He felt like a dog who had been dragged indoors and made to figure out how to entertain itself. However, unlike a dog, he had no toys – only the wood carving he had started.

He wasn’t quite comfortable with pulling it out, but he had nothing else to distract him, and it wasn’t a secret he could hide after the fact when the man had already seen it. Silently letting out a resigned breath, Cloud removed his helmet and set it aside. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair to rid himself of the feeling of having his hair smushed down.

Had he been paying attention, he would’ve seen Sephiroth glance his way.

After a hesitant moment, Cloud finally decided to pick up where he left off. It took him a bit to settle back into the rhythm, but eventually he was able to focus and let his surroundings become nothing more than white noise. Even the sound of Sephiroth typing became insignificant.

Minutes passed in silence with the sole sound of metal slowly cutting out slender chips of wood. At some point, a small pile of shavings gathered on the table as Cloud continued to work.

He was so engrossed, it wasn’t until a long shadow fell over the table that he realized Sephiroth was close.

Cloud’s head snapped up to see the man standing next to the table. He was holding a notepad in hand. Cloud was surprised he hadn’t sensed Sephiroth draw near, least of all stopped typing a while ago. The man quietly looked at him as if he was observing him. With an impassive expression on his face, it was difficult for Cloud to know what he was thinking.

Shifting his gaze between Sephiroth and the tablet, Cloud cautiously asked, “What do you need?”

Sephiroth held out the notepad to him. “I need you to write down everything you know about Geostigma. We need to compare any similarities with what we saw. If it’s a disease that can eventually spread to humans…” His voice trailed.

Cloud set down his carving and took the notepad. “My handwriting is bad,” he warned.

“That’s fine.”

Though Sephiroth said it would be fine, Cloud had his doubts. He looked at the notepad dubiously with a slight furrow to his brows. “Don’t you have a tablet?”

“No.”

He looked up at the other man again. He didn’t know if Sephiroth was telling the truth or not.

Seeing how he wasn’t budging, Cloud almost clicked his tongue. The more he spent time with the other man, the more his emotions were tossed around. One minute he was cautious, another he was angry, and another he felt weary and resigned to the relationship that was thrust upon them.

Somehow, he felt like he was being strung along to Sephiroth’s pace.

Cloud brushed aside the wood shavings and gave himself room to write. “I don’t know a lot,” he admitted. “Even with global research, it still wasn’t fully understood.”

“Whatever you can give will help.” Sephiroth moved back to his desk.

He was giving Cloud space to write without feeling pressured. Cloud was grateful; he didn’t like someone hovering over his shoulder, and the distance between him and Sephiroth gave him breathing room to properly reflect on what information he knew about the disease.

Starting with common knowledge, he jotted down how the Geostigma spread, who it affected, and the approximate amount of time it took before someone died from it. It was information he learned from speaking with others and his own research.

He also wrote about what he had learned from Rufus, and the events that supported the theory. Especially the emergence of Kadaj and his brothers, and what they did.

When it came down to the symptoms, Cloud paused. He recalled the faces of all the people he’d seen that were afflicted by Geostigma. Not just Denzel, but strangers and acquaintances alike. Even himself. He knew intimately what it was like to feel the sharp and searing pain at the site of the infection. While his symptoms were moderate by some standards, he was a unique case. He doubted even those suffering from severe symptoms went through what he did.

He couldn’t get rid of the presence of Sephiroth.

Cloud tapped the pen against the paper before starting to list the symptoms he knew of. He used his own experience as a template to lay out some of his findings. It was all too clear in his memory how he had spent days gritting his teeth against waves of pain. It wasn’t frequent, but still common enough that there were times he was reluctant to take long drives out of precaution that he would suddenly lose control of his muscles and send the bike crashing.

Cloud unconsciously touched his arm as he read over what he had written.

“Are you hurt?”

Cloud looked at Sephiroth in confusion. “Huh?”

“Your arm.” Sephiroth pointed at the way Cloud was holding onto it.

“No, I’m not.” Cloud let go, only to hesitate and continue, “It... I lied.”

Sephiroth said nothing. He only got up from his seat and moved to where Cloud was, drawing out the chair opposite of him like he had done before.

Cloud looked down at his arm and recalled vividly how the Geostigma had become a constant part of his life for months. It seemed just yesterday that he was fighting the remnant and was doused in the church’s healing waters that erased the plague on his body.

“For some it comes quickly, but for others it’s gradual. It wasn’t immediate for me; it took months before I showed symptoms of the Geostigma.” He didn’t like talking about it. Thinking of the days when he had to figure out how to deal with the Geostigma was uncomfortable for him. “You could get headaches, vomiting, spasms, or fever. Sometimes it happened simultaneously. The most common sign was a festering on their skin. Mine was concentrated on my arm.”

He wasn’t sure if he would eventually get it on other parts of his body, but he was grateful it didn’t come to that point.

If he ended up unable to move because it spread to his other limbs...

He had thought about the possibility many times, and it scared him.

Cloud shoved those feelings down before he drowned in them.

“I had to clean and wrap it all the time. Having it rub against my clothes was uncomfortable.” At the same time, Cloud had to alter his clothes so that it looked like a strange fashion statement as opposed to a means to hide his illness. By some stroke of luck, the others didn’t question it; they merely took it as one of his quirks. “The pain came and went. There were also hallucinations...”

His lips pressed together into a line. He didn’t want to say that the hallucinations were about Sephiroth and his past.

“How long did it last?” Sephiroth asked when Cloud fell into silence.

Cloud drew in a silent breath and shook his head. “A while. I didn’t count the days. At first it wasn’t bad, but as time passed, it grew worse.”

To his surprise, Sephiroth’s hand reached across the table and caught his wrist. The man’s grip wasn’t tight, but almost cautious – gentle? – as he turned Cloud’s arm over. He seemed to be inspecting it, as if he could somehow tell whether he was still sick or not beneath the borrowed uniform.

“And now?” the older man asked, his voice a little softer than Cloud was used to.

Cloud wasn’t sure what to make of his behavior. He felt awkward; this was something he’d never experienced before. “No, I don’t have it anymore. Zack would’ve told you even if I lied.”

Sephiroth made a quiet sound of affirmation. “Yes, he would.”

He held Cloud’s wrist a little longer before letting it go. There was a subtle intimacy in the action that was a little perturbing for Cloud. The few times he ever had contact with Sephiroth – the one he knew – it was out of violence or some perverted desire to coax Cloud into abandoning humanity.

There was an instinct there for Cloud to immediately jerk back, but the man before him gave no reason for him to suspect manipulation or harm. If anything, it was as if Sephiroth was treating him carefully.

Shouldn’t this man want to avoid touching him? Cloud was wearing the face of his enemy.

Lifting his gaze, Cloud found Sephiroth staring at him. Those unique, sharp green eyes encompassed Cloud’s vision in a way that made it uncomfortably easy for the other man to do as he wished. More than once, Cloud had left a gap in his defenses for his world’s Sephiroth to slip in and touch his mind. Whether it was directly, or through a touch, Sephiroth whispered poison in his ear.

Jenova was doing the same thing. She was constantly trying to get under his skin and feed him lies to get him to change sides.

Her persistence was worse than Sephiroth’s, and it made Cloud sick to know that she was becoming more aggressive with her methods. If the triplets were her way of answering his resistance to her call, then they were bound to be relentless in their pursuit until he either gave in or killed them.

A lingering inquiry that probed Cloud’s mind, though, stemmed from the man before him.

If Strife’s lookalikes were Jenova’s way of chasing him down when he didn’t succumb to her mental games, why was he able to in the first place? Why was he able to snap out of her hold when Sephiroth was near?

Cloud’s gaze flicked down to the other man’s hand that remained near even if it no longer touched him. “Sephiroth... I have a question.”

To his murmur, Sephiroth replied calmly. “Say it.”

“How…” Cloud paused and looked up again to meet the other man’s gaze. “How are you able to resist Jenova? In my world, you were chosen, but here, it was me.”

Sephiroth was silent. It was a lengthy pause before he replied, and it was an answer that Cloud didn’t expect. “We’ll speak on that later.”

Cloud’s brows knitted. “Why can’t you tell me now?”

“There are more important matters to take care of.” Sephiroth drew back his hand and straightened his posture.

“You won’t tell me what happened in Strife’s past, and you won’t tell me why you can resist Jenova.” Cloud let out a frustrated breath. “Then tell me about this: if we are going to fight those three, then we need to know more about Strife. I need to know more about him.”

Sephiroth met his gaze quietly. “There are some details about him that I don’t know about. However... why is it important to know about him? Is it not your personal curiosity?”

“I am curious,” Cloud admitted and straightened his posture as well. “But that’s not the only reason. I don’t know if my thinking is correct, but Sephiroth’s remnants were pieces of him.”

He didn’t think much of it at the time, but in retrospect there was a similarity and even familiarity to Kadaj’s, Yazoo’s and Loz’s behaviors that he couldn’t shake. The one who was the most disturbingly similar was Kadaj, and it had nothing to do with his looks. If anything, Kadaj’s appearance was probably most similar to Sephiroth in his youth.

What really stood out was his personality. That manic, obsessive part of him that haunted Cloud throughout his whole journey chasing the man’s shadow. He had a childish, twisted personality with zero regard for consequences. All that drove him was a desperate need to be reunited with Jenova and see the destruction of all humanity.

He would restart the apocalypse with Cloud’s corpse strung up as a banner of victory.

Now that Cloud was facing his own remnants, he was aware of the glaring hole in his information. Strife was a stranger to him, and no one was willing to tell him more. Zack skirted around the negative parts of Strife’s personality, only singing praises and falling into nostalgia. He hadn’t spoken to Aerith about it either, and there was no way he could reach out to the others either.

This left Sephiroth, and the other man was acting reluctant to say anything about it.

“If I’m right, then Strife’s remnants might be similar,” Cloud concluded.

“We have to consider the possibility that they aren’t. What happened in your world does not always correlate with ours,” Sephiroth countered. “What we saw earlier is proof of that.”

“Not everything, but the fact that these three brothers exist means there’s a high possibility they follow the same formula.” Cloud stared hard at Sephiroth. “Why won’t you tell me about him?”

#{ rose gold }

0 notes

omegasquire · 1 year ago

Text

Rose Gold: Ch 22

They weren’t done at all. Though the rest of the day had passed without incident, Cloud’s mind wasn’t quiet in the least. It was about time they got an update of what was going on the other side of the planet. Strife’s lookalikes making it all the way down the mountains already was shocking, but based on what Vincent’s report detailed, they had taken a bloody and violent express route.

Cloud could understand Vincent’s choice to take a step back while following them. It was simply too risky to take them on by himself. It was just a sad misfortune that innocent people had to suffer for his inaction. If Vincent here was anything like the one from his world, then surely his choices weighed heavily on his mind. This wouldn’t be the first time he’d made himself step back and allowed others to get hurt for the sake of a bigger picture.

The one upside to this was now that they were headed to Costa Del Sol, people would be able to join him in fighting against the triplets. The concern, however, was what impact they would have.

There was no way around it, though. They could make plans all day, but without knowing the full extent of the brothers’ abilities, those plans meant nothing.

Whether for good or bad, at least now they had better access to the three. With proper backup, they could make a move.

He just wished he knew more. He wanted to step forward and confront them himself, but he knew he would be rejected if he tried to put forth the suggestion. Just because he was being allowed to move around didn’t mean they trusted him. Suggesting to meet the brothers would likely come across as him trying to switch sides.

Cloud’s lips pressed into a line. He frowned at the piece of wood in his hands, a pencil repeatedly tapping its side as his thoughts continued to tumble over and over.

It was already two days after their meeting, and Cloud found himself sitting alone with the supplies that he and Aerith bought. He didn’t think their use would come so soon. Cloud was secretly grateful that she had convinced him to buy them.

Heaving a sigh, Cloud mentally shook off his thoughts and returned his focus to the wood. He turned it over in his hand, letting his fingers brush over the soft grain. It would be easy to work with; all he had to do was roughly sketch what he wanted to make.

It took a few long minutes for him to finally start drawing on the sides of the wooden block. He didn’t really have inspiration for something new; he just needed something to keep his hands occupied when they itched with the desire to pick up his sword and head for battle.

The feeling was reminiscent of when he was still struggling to get used to a domestic lifestyle in Edge. Rebuilding 7th Heaven and making homes for everyone was both rewarding and strange to him. Spending so much time away from his own hometown and then finding himself on the road for weeks on end made him forget what it was like to have a home to call his own.

He, Tifa and Barret worked hard to start over, and they enjoyed quiet nights when they could enjoy a meal and drink, and find comfort in a soft bed and solid roof over their heads.

However, as time went on and new challenges appeared, Cloud found that he needed to adjust his way of thinking. He needed to worry about money, about utilities, about food and all sorts of other things that he never had to deal with before. Tifa took the vanguard when it came to making many of these lifestyle decisions, but Cloud unconsciously knew that he had his own role to play to support the life they both wanted.

He picked up a job, learned how to create relationships, and after getting his bike, he was able to move more freely. It was so different from what he knew, he struggled with it mentally. Sometimes, he drove out just to get back that sense of familiarity of being on the road and cleaning up pockets of monster infested areas to make travel safe for normal citizens.

The quiet hours he spent with a small block of wood and a chisel in his hands really helped him to destress. Now that he was here in this world, he couldn't go out for a drive and let off steam. This small piece of wood was the next best option, especially when his leash was still short. He was cautious against stretching his luck too far when they were in such a sensitive situation right now.

Cloud put down the pencil and picked up one of the tools. Turning the block over again, he started to carve away the pieces he didn't need. The quiet sound of wood being shaved and dropping on the floor was all that could be heard, the space around Cloud as peaceful as his mind when he finally stopped thinking.

It wasn't certain how long time had passed, but Cloud's focus remained on the carving until he suddenly sensed someone nearby. He startled, his head snapping up to see who it was.

He was surprised to see Sephiroth there; the distance between them was alarmingly small. How could Cloud not realize the other man was so close? Was he that focused, or had Sephiroth suppressed his presence?

Feeling awkward, as if he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't, Cloud sat up. “What is it?”

“Rufus called for you.”

Clouds brows knitted. “And he made you come get me?”

Sephiroth looked slightly annoyed. “No, the invitation is for both of us.”

It took Cloud a moment to understand. He recalled how Rufus had insisted on them spending time together. He had managed to avoid being dragged into meeting him yesterday, but now that Sephiroth was involved, there was no escaping.

Cloud unconsciously clicked his tongue. He shared Sephiroth’s annoyance; Rufus wasn't someone he wanted to spend time with if he could help it. Much like how he didn't get along with the Turks, Cloud didn't get along with Rufus. Part of it was personal, and part of it was the older man's ethics. They had very different viewpoints, and Cloud had a feeling he was going to have the same clash with this world's Rufus for similar reasons.

Cloud dusted off the wood shavings and gathered up his things. “What does he want?”

He was half expecting that invitation to be dinner like the man had previously suggested. To his surprise, Sephiroth replied, “A tour.”

Cloud wore a confused look as he stood up. A tour? Of what?

He wanted to ask, but as he found himself standing before Sephiroth, the question dissolved as he met the man's gaze. It was as if Sephiroth had his own question to ask, but neither of them spoke on it.

It was still uncomfortable for Cloud to be alone in Sephiroth’s company, despite how their last encounter had gone. It wasn't for lack of trust in Sephiroth's abilities, or suspicion that he wouldn't keep his word, but the deep seeded animosity he had for “Sephiroth” was difficult to completely ignore.

It must've been the same from Sephiroth's perspective as well. If Cloud allowed himself to look at it objectively, Sephiroth probably hated his presence in this world. For whatever reason, he was helping to keep Jenova in check instead of just trying to kill him, but he had to feel the same animosity for “Cloud” who tried to destroy the world.

‘Don't think too badly of him.’

Aerith's words popped in Cloud's mind. He inwardly sighed. He was trying...

“Let’s go.” Sephiroth turned around and led the way.

Cloud followed, though it wasn't long before he interrupted the silence between them. “I need to put this away.”

Sephiroth's gaze slid down to the bag in his hand. After a brief pause, he changed directions. “Put it in my office.”

Cloud startled and was about to protest, but Sephiroth was already moving off. He had no choice but to go with him.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for them to make it to the office. While Cloud has been reluctant to come back here and leave his things behind, he was even more reluctant to bring it along while they were in Rufus' company.

They rode the elevator down. Unlike when he had ridden with Aerith, a silence permeated the air around him and Sephiroth. It was a bit stifling for Cloud, but he wasn’t going to be the first to break that silence. It seemed Sephiroth wasn’t going to do so either, which made the trip feel longer than it was.

When the elevator announced their arrival, Cloud noticed it wasn’t to the ground floor, but the basement parking garage. Rather than the garage on ground level that was for company vehicles, the one in the basement was private. This was where executives and important figures could leave with minimal risk.

In this particular case, Cloud and Sephiroth were joining Rufus in a state car that looked like something only a man of his particular taste could enjoy riding. With its elongated body, pearl white finish, and tinted windows, there was no question who this car belonged to. If anything, it stood out like a sore thumb amongst the other, more subtle vehicles parked in the garage.

Standing by the front passenger side was Tseng, while the driver’s side looked to be occupied already. Tseng spotted them and knocked on the window. The driver climbed out and circled around to open the back door for Cloud and Sephiroth to get in. Cloud had never seen the man before; the unfamiliarity made him keep his helmet in place out of precaution. He didn’t know how widespread the news went about his existence. He doubted many people knew he was here at all.

Cloud slid into the backseat of the car. Sephiroth entered right after him and closed the door. Turning his gaze forward, Cloud saw Rufus sitting opposite of them. He leaned against the seat leisurely, as if he was reclining on a sofa instead of the back of a car. A tinted glass separated the back portion of the car with the front. It likely was remote controlled so that the partition could slide down on command.

Cloud half expected there to be a place for drinks hidden in a side compartment. Seeing none, he couldn’t help but comment. “No wine? I figured you would be drinking.”

Rufus didn’t seem to take offense to Cloud’s sarcasm. If anything, he looked somewhat amused. “Is that something my counterpart would do?”

“Who knows.” Cloud shrugged. “I never cared to spend time with him.”

Rufus lightly tapped his knee with a finger. Despite what Cloud had heard about his injury, it was almost impossible to tell that there was anything wrong with the other man’s leg. The cane that leaned against the seat next to him could’ve been mistaken as mere accessory if the onlooker didn’t know any better.

“I’m curious,” Rufus admitted easily, while the car started up and began to leave the garage. “Since the moment we met, you have not shown me any courtesy or respect. I understand that you were not officially part of SOLDIER, but I am still the president of Shinra. It leads me to believe your relationship with the other ‘me’ is... disagreeable at the least.”

Cloud’s response was flat. “You didn’t do anything that deserved it. It shouldn’t be a surprise that you have a lot of people who don’t like you.”

“A place of power is burdened by success and opposition. The envy and hate of others means nothing when they can’t even act on those emotions.” The corner of Rufus’ lips curled. “Why should I be concerned with their opinions when I have benefitted them?”

“Benefitted from them,” Cloud corrected.

Rufus’ smile widened. “And they continue to have places to stay, food to eat, and a running source of energy to provide them with their every need.”

Cloud scoffed. It was easy to get riled up whenever he spoke with Rufus, especially now that it was just them. Much like the way that he and Reno didn’t mesh well, Cloud and Rufus were no better. There was an arrogance and stubbornness that grated on Cloud’s nerves; it triggered his temper that was a bit too short sometimes.

Looking out the window, Cloud could see that Midgar’s current state did, indeed, provide all that Rufus said. However, much like the argument that had led to its destruction in Cloud’s world, this metropolis was doomed if it didn’t change.

“...Why won’t you let it go? The longer you hold onto your empire, the longer it takes for the planet to recover.”

Rufus’ fingers laced. “Do you propose that we stop utilizing mako altogether?”

“Yes.”

“And what would we use instead?” Before Cloud could answer, Rufus continued, “Oil? Outdated resources with less efficient output? Should we rely on the mining business in Corel and distribute it across the world? The reason we have adopted the use of mako and materia in the current world is because everything else was inferior.”

“Then you’re continuing to hurt the planet.” Cloud’s voice hardened. “Didn’t you learn what happens when she’s in a weakened state?”

Much to his annoyance, Rufus chuckled. “Mining won’t? You’re shortsighted. Why should a doctor draw blood from a shriveled vein when he could easily use a healthy one? Shinra is that doctor, and the world is my patient. The blood of the planet saves many lives, and will continue to do so. And, much like the human body, she will replenish with time.”

“A good doctor would realize that drawing too much blood will harm the patient,” Cloud countered, irritated. “She won’t be able to recover quickly enough.”

Talking to Rufus was like talking to a wall. Cloud didn’t like this conversation at all. Why were they even talking about this when supposedly he was being taken on a tour?

Rufus held out his hand, palm up as if he was expecting for something to be placed there. “Then tell me. Is your world in a better place than mine? Is the ‘me’ over there in a more prosperous position?”

“Midgar and Shinra are done. ‘You’ made a fresh start to rebuild the city.” As much as Cloud didn’t want to say it, he had to at least acknowledge what the Rufus of his world was doing. It was an apology too late, but at least by working in the background he was making some effort to replace what had been lost.

Shaking his head, Rufus clicked his tongue. “Charity work. A city lost, and now... How disappointing.”

“Disappointing?”

“Shamefully so. I can only guess what I must be doing there and why. I’m quite curious to learn how far I’ve fallen.” Rufus turned his head to look out the window and pointed in the distance. “Look there. Production has decreased by more than sixty percent; the citizens here would riot if they were completely devoid of Shinra’s services. What is the point of being in Midgar if it cannot support their needs and provide security? These people fear abandonment and loss, and that includes material things.”

People wandered about the streets as they passed, showing Cloud how well-off the people on the Upper Plate still were. There were signs that some things had changed, but they hadn’t yet fully let go of the crutch they willingly leaned on.

“Fear. That is what drives people to do or avoid something. It’s a powerful motivator.” Rufus’ gaze shifted back to Cloud. “And I am their haven against that which they fear.”

Cloud couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Talking with Rufus like this reminded him too much of the early encounters he had with the man from his own world. Apparently, it didn’t matter what happened in either world; Rufus’ character remained the same.

“It isn’t me who is preventing the planet from recovering. It’s them. The people cling to her tit, desperate for convenience and comfort.” Rufus spread his fingers. “I am merely the deliverer.”

“You are ‘delivering’ Gaia to her death.”

Rufus chuckled. “Do you think you can sway the minds of so many that way? That is naivety. Or... could that be why you were sent here? Aren’t you here to save someone or something? Perhaps it’s Gaia herself.”

Cloud’s lips pulled into a line. He always had a strong feeling that all the content that concerned him would be forwarded to Rufus, but he didn’t like how his own words were being used against him this way.

“If that’s true, then I have more reason to not be courteous or respectful to you.”

If anything, it gave Cloud more reason to draw a line with Rufus. They were working together to get rid of Strife’s lookalikes and Jenova, but he wasn’t obligated to get along with him.

The two of them stared at each other. Though Cloud still had his helmet on, Rufus looked at him dead-on. As Rufus’ lips curled again, he tapped the partition between them and the front seats.

“Ecological behavior hardly seems like a natural approach for someone like you, though perhaps Gaia is hoping you would play the part of her advocate.” The older man shrugged. “Regardless, I believe there is a bigger threat to the planet than my humble domain.”

Cloud let out a harsh breath and nodded. At least now they were changing subjects. “Are you finally going to tell me why we’re driving around Midgar?”

This time it was Sephiroth who replied. So far, the man had been keeping quiet while Cloud and Rufus argued. “You asked if anyone had suffered from a strange disease.”

Cloud’s brows furrowed in suspicion. “Yes?”

Sephiroth looked back at him, silent for a moment. “You’ll see.”

The answer was vague, but Cloud didn’t press and quieted down. With just two words, the conversation between him and Rufus was put to an end, and Cloud turned his attention back to the window.

Thankfully, the trip didn’t take long. But when they made it to their destination, Cloud wouldn’t help but ask in bewilderment, “A hospital?”

The car was parked in a private garage and everyone climbed out except for the driver. Tseng circled around to stand by Rufus. Cloud unconsciously stood near Sephiroth as he took in the name of the hospital.

It clearly wasn’t a normal hospital for regular patients. The fact that they were entering from the back made Cloud believe this wasn’t really a hospital at all.

“Come.”

Rufus strode past them and led the way to a set of double doors. He walked at an easy pace, as if the world was meant to follow his speed and not the other way around. Whenever he took a step with his injured leg, there was only a small stutter in his stride.

Cloud followed Rufus inside and through a set of security checkpoints. When they stood before an elevator, he noticed there was no “up” button. It only went down. He held off asking his questions for now and joined the others onto the elevator once it arrived and silently rode it down.

There were no numbers on the display panel to announce how far down they were going, only lights that slowly traveled from left to right. Cloud assumed the lack of labels was to prevent unwanted company from knowing exactly where they were headed. Only those with authority could know which button to press.

When the doors opened up again, Cloud was greeted with a completely different sight. Far from the image of a hospital, this place looked like a research facility. In fact, it gave him the same vibe as the Science and Research Division that Hojo used to run.

However, despite that, the subjects and staff here were nothing like the test subjects that Hojo enjoyed toying with. As they made their way further in, Cloud glanced at the large tanks that enclosed different monsters that could be commonly found in the wild.

“Take a look,” Rufus encouraged, glancing over his shoulder at Cloud.

Cloud stopped in front of one of the monsters. He couldn’t figure it out at first glance, but instinctively he knew there was something inherently wrong with it. Like a sickness that ran under the skin, something about this creature was unnatural.

“When Sephiroth mentioned that you had asked about diseases, I took initiative to track any abnormalities.” Rufus gestured for them to continue moving on. “This place used to be one of the labs for the Science and Research Division. I saw no reason to have it destroyed when the department was... vacated, which has turned into a wise decision.”

Cloud looked at each tank that held a different creature. Though there weren’t many, the sample was wide enough to give Cloud a sense that Rufus had put in effort to track down enough specimens. It was no small feat to not only mobilize enough people to do the job, but also have it completed in so short a timeframe.

It was a stark contrast to what was happening on the forefront, where they were waiting for the right time to move against their enemy. Cloud couldn’t complain, though. He understood the delicateness of the operation, and how easily the wrong move could endanger hundreds of people. Vincent’s reluctance to engage in battle was proof enough that Jenova’s children were not to be underestimated.

“These don’t show significant changes, but our recent catch is worth looking at. That is why I brought both of you here.”

Rufus stopped in front of a tank where a chocobo was encased. Unlike its brethren which were known for their bright, sunny plumage, this one was a sickly color. Under its wings was dark and wet, as if coated with tar. The beak was unusually sharp and jagged, as if it had been sharpened on an uneven rock. If that wasn’t enough, one detail stuck out more than any other: the bird’s eyes.

There were six of them.

Cloud’s eyes widened as he stared at the chocobo’s face. He always loved chocobos; when he learned how to breed and raise his own, he made sure to take care of her. During the days of his travel with Avalanche, he kept the bird stabled in the Highwind. After Meteorfall, he chose to give her to Bill to take care of.

Visiting his farm was routine for him, as was taking her out for a ride. Housing her in Edge simply wasn’t plausible, however, and when it came down to obtaining Fenrir and his work, sometimes it was better not to have a bird join him in a monster’s territory where she could easily be killed.

Viribus. That was her name.

Seeing the chocobo before him, Cloud was suddenly reminded of her and felt the pang of longing in his chest. She was only a chocobo, but he missed her all the same, much like everyone else he was forced to leave behind.

He unconsciously stepped closer to the glass.

“What...?”

#{ rose gold }

0 notes