Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Ephemeral Existence ❯ 11: Major Arcana 22 ( Chapter 12 )

Ephemeral Existence
A C/S Story

Warnings: YAOI, kinda AU, drama, angst

Chapter 11: Major Arcana 22

A month had passed and everyone seemed to be returning to their `normal' lives; Cloud had returned to his friends and had already started fixing the damages of the Planet and Sephiroth had mysteriously left the Planet alone, working on something else now. Despite it, Zack knew that the word `normal' never applied to Sephiroth, Cloud, and the rest of the people they were associated with because they were never normal in the first place. Zack had watched Sephiroth and Cloud closely from the moment Sephiroth had defeated Cloud and had already noticed the effect the blond had on Sephiroth in those many weeks they had spent time together.

In retrospect, he knew there was something strange going on between those two and he was going to explain that to Sephiroth meticulously-- as soon as he figured out where he was. Her brother seemed to have disappeared from his home and even from the Sphere Company. He had tried her best to find him, using the advanced computers and whatnot. He was still in that purple abyss, looking for him where he thought he would be.

“Elysium,” he said to himself, nodding. “I never knew you'd actually come out of your comfort zone.” He turned everything off and went out of the abyss, walking on the hallways. Soon he was out of Sephiroth's abode and was strolling on the peculiar streets of Elysium. The ground was always clear of trash and beautiful flowers decorated the sides of the road. Elysium itself was like an olden-time trading town. As he passed by, people greeted him, some asking about the conditions of the Planet and others making remarks about Sephiroth's whereabouts.

Zack smiled and did his best to answer or relate to their queries or statements and then he went away. He found himself near the transportation area of Elysium and he noticed that there was a new place around. Feeling curious, he made his way over to it, watching the activities go on through the windows. It seemed to be an eating place; he hadn't seen that in Elysium in a long time. He walked inside and found his silver-haired friend sitting on one of the chairs, typing on his advanced laptop.

The raven-haired man sighed and went to him. In his eyes, he was not some righteous God, in his eyes he was always his best friend, someone he could watch over and take care of and reason with; they were both highly skilled in the things that they did and in fact, he could almost match him. Yet it had always been a shame that despite the fact that they were so close, they had different ideals which differentiated them easily from each other.

“What are you doing here?” Zack inquired softly, sitting next to him. Sephiroth didn't respond; he just continued typing, eyes focusing on the screen, shoulders slightly slumping. Once in a while a tired sigh would escape his lips and then his eyebrows would narrow as though he was in thought. Zack wondered what he was thinking; he could make a million conjectures yet none of them would come close unless he gave him a clue.

With nothing to do, he took out a pack of cards he had replicated from the Planet. Major Arcana, he thought, shuffling them carefully. Tarot references… twenty two cards… He did that for a while, cutting the cards and then shuffling them again. “You've been working too hard, Sephiroth, especially since Cloud left.” Again no response and he flipped one card and placed it on the table face down. “It has been a month, hasn't it?”

Sephiroth looked up, regarding him with a pensive yet cold gaze. It sent shivers down his spine and he disliked it when he did that. “Just leave me alone, Zack.” He returned to his activity and Zack snorted. It went like that for a while, the two friends losing themselves in their silence. Around them everything moved, some of the people chatting quietly about the Planet, which Sephiroth strangely made sarcastic remarks, surprising Zack with it.

“Seph,” he said, flipping the card on the table. “Look at me.”

For once Sephiroth did and then he noticed the dreaded card. “The Fool.”

And indeed on the card was the Fool, and they both knew who they were talking about.

“Yes,” Zack said, smiling faintly. “Despite his adventures, you still classified him as someone below you.” He sighed and continued, “You'd think he had no experience and he was just nothing, but an idiot who knew little, but he proved you wrong, hmm?” He took out another card and showed it to Sephiroth; it was Death. “I still remember how you watched him in that hospital sometimes, but you weren't the one who truly intimidated him.”

“I knew that,” Sephiroth said warningly, narrowing his eyes. “Don't patronize me.”

“I'm not,” Zack retorted. The air around them seemed to intensify yet he didn't mind. Let Sephiroth be irritated and mad for he hadn't seen anything else of him other than apathy and this strange solemnity around him. “He didn't seem to care about anything at that point because he said many times that he had nothing to lose.” He paused again, taking the two cards away. He placed two new cards on the table and flipped them over. “Guess who they are?”

“The Hermit and Justice,” Sephiroth answered.

Zack shook his head. “You're not thinking.”

“What is your point?” Sephiroth inquired.

“You should represent Justice,” Zack said, nodding. “You always did say that righteousness shall prevail.” He chuckled at that and Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “You're supposed to tell them what they did wrong yet…” he trailed off, shaking his head sadly. “Both of you couldn't even tell from right and wrong anymore.” He pointed at the Hermit. “So now, with all the knowledge you have and the way you isolate yourself, you're the Hermit.”

“Zack…” Sephiroth warned him. “Your defiance knows no boundaries.”

Zack ignored him and took out the card of the Devil. “The Devil should be thrilled because of your suffering.”

“Who are you talking about now?” Sephiroth inquired, losing his patience it seemed.

Zack didn't respond; he revealed two more cards and put them around the Devil card. “Temperance and the Lovers. Virtue and Choices.”

Sephiroth gazed at him for a long time and he showed him one more card:

Strength.

“You didn't expect him to really leave, did you?”

Sephiroth suddenly stood up, turning his laptop off.

“Or maybe you didn't expect him to have such strength that you yourself never attained.”

“Shut up!”

“Make your choices, Seph.”

“You know nothing,” Sephiroth spat, venom in his voice.

Zack just laughed. “I know more than you think.”

“You should be killed again,” Sephiroth hissed as he began to leave.

“That's your answer for everything,” Zack retorted, awfully calm in the situation. “Give me a real answer.”

“What do you want from me?”

“No, what do you want?”

Silence.

--

TT.TT It breaks my heart to see Sephy-kuns depressed.

Sorry for the long wait, guys, the computers at school blocked the website and I had to go to the library across the street. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. ^__^