Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Ephemeral Existence ❯ 02: Promised Land? ( Chapter 2 )

Ephemeral Existence
A C/S Story

Warning: YAOI, Cloud torture (I'm sorry Cloud! TT.TT), kinda AU
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. Phooey.

Chapter 02: Promised Land?

Cloud opened his eyes and was shocked. White. There was only white all around him--the walls, the sheets, the floors, and the uniforms. Uniforms? he thought wistfully, trying to reach out for that white clothing with one of his hands. There was a tug, and he winced, trying to figure out what was going on. He wanted to lift his body, but he was so tired as though someone had drugged him.

He finally realized that he was in a hospital. Nurses and doctors surrounded him, injecting different kinds of liquid into his body. He gasped, causing his body to arch, and the tubes connected to his body jerked. He cried out, feeling a wetness in his eyes. The white-clad people exchanged worried glances and one of them attempted to restrain him.

“What's happening?!” Cloud shouted angrily for the first time in--

At once, his memories came rushing into his mind. His companions, Cid, Barret, Vincent, Tifa, Yuffie, Tifa and the others… were dead. And it was Sephiroth's fault; Sephiroth had killed them all, and then he had decided to keep Cloud, for some sort of observation…

Clarity dawned on the blond prisoner, and he stopped, calming down for a moment. His eyes looked left and right, trying to find a way to avoid this examination. Could he use his powers here? He tried to move a muscle, but what he felt was pure numbness. They neutralized me, he thought, looking at the ceiling and ignoring the curious glances that the nurses sent him.

“How is he?” a firm voice inquired, and the group of doctors and nurses departed, allowing the new figure to enter the room and see Cloud. “Is he any different than us?”

“Technically, he is the same as us,” a female informed the new comer, who Cloud recognized was Sephiroth. “There's really not much difference. I'm quite amazed that he is a mortal.”

Sephiroth walked his way over to Cloud, and snorted, looking at the blond in distaste. “Yes, but instead of feeling impressed or amazed, that new knowledge alarms me. Who knows what would happen if I didn't destroy the Planet in time?”

We would have probably defeated you and lived the rest of our lives in peace, Cloud answered; he wished he could say that out loud, but his throat was sore from the screaming fit he had a few minutes ago. He clenched his eyes shut, biting his lips. Maybe he could make himself faint, so he didn't have to face Sephiroth anymore. It was humiliating to be tied down like a ravage animal, and have many people examine him as though he was a specimen.

That reminded him of Hojo and the experiments with him and Zack, which worsened his current anxiety.

“Leave us,” Sephiroth muttered, and they obeyed, exiting the room immediately. The silver-haired god neared him, gazing at him thoughtfully. Cloud couldn't take those sharp silver eyes anymore; he was repulsed and disgusted with himself because of his position. He wondered if suicide was still available to him, but easily tossed it away as an afterthought.

If Death were to claim him, nothing else would happen. It wasn't like he had a soul or anything, did he? But I have a conscience; that's enough, isn't it? he questioned. And that must be Sephiroth's weakness. He never regarded me or the others as equals; I'm something below him. His mind was beginning to work, logic seeping in and irrationality going out.

“I don't understand you, Sephiroth,” Cloud muttered, surprised by his own calmness and his ability to speak again. “Sure, you can study me all you want, from my head to my feet and from my conscience to my subconscious. Sure, you think you can avoid future mistakes and failures like me in your future projects, whatever they may be.” He coughed; his throat was hurting again. He waited for a while; Sephiroth was merely watching him with those haunting eyes. “But that's not going to stop the inhabitants of the other worlds from having their own lives.”

“You've made that point before,” Sephiroth said, tilting his head to the side and gazing at one of the silver instruments on the table. The ex-General grabbed a blade and leaned closer to Cloud. “Still, no words of persuasion or any kind of evidence that proves your true existence, will convince me.” The blade neared Cloud, making his eyes widen in alarm. “Sometimes, I like to think of the Planet as a mass of pawns, or maybe bees, if that works for you.” The blade was touching the skin of his pale arm. “They can all be controlled by one supreme being; that is why I never thought of them to be any higher than me and my ancestors.”

“But haven't we proved enough to you by rebelling against you--” Cloud winced, the tip of the blade sinking into his skin. He bit his lips again, and said in his mind repeatedly that Sephiroth wasn't that mindless to actually torture him here. Other people might see him; they could burst into the room right now. Then again, would they even help someone like him?

That made him think of Zack. Where was he? Had he abandoned him? For all he knew, Sephiroth had probably eliminated him for good! Never mind the fact that this was his best and closest friend! When people are driven into the edge of insanity, they do things that aren't expected from themselves!

Sephiroth pulled the knife back, staring at Cloud's bleeding bruise with a morbid curiosity. The color red contrasted Cloud's pale skin.

“Sephiroth…” the blond murmured. What was happening? Why did he feel sleepy? Was it because of those drugs that those people had injected into him before?

Sephiroth smiled and put the blade back to its original place. “Hmm, I think it's best for me to finally take you to my home. You've been here for weeks.”

“Weeks?” Cloud inquired softly. “What are you…?” His eyes drifted shut, sleep taking over him. Idealistic dreams and realistic nightmares were going to haunt him until he woke up to return to his new and twisted reality.

“What am I going to do with you?” Sephiroth questioned, a strange smile on his lips. “Many things actually. That knife was one of them.” He paused, putting one of his hands on Cloud's wounds. His palm glowed a shimmering green and he raised his hand, gazing at the unblemished skin that he had healed. “I have questions, and I believe you may be able to answer them.”

--

Much love to my friend, Armageddon Child, for reading this first. If not, I probably would've given up on it, and it would be pushing up daisies. X.X