Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Dreams ❯ Not Quite Forgotten ( Chapter 31 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: dracoqueen22 
What happens when Seraph meets Cloud.
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Hentai / Drama / Action | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 06.29.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 313 | Status: Completed
What happens when Seraph meets Cloud.
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Hentai / Drama / Action | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 06.29.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 313 | Status: Completed
Author's Note:
I must apologize for the confusion. In Chapter 29 of The Conclave, it read that Baal, second son of Seiryu was one of the first to join Balaam's cause in the first war. It should have read, Mabuz, second son of Seiryu. Baal is the first son of Seiryu. Sorry about that.
Chapter 31: Not Quite Forgotten
Tseng idly watched the other dark-haired man and child as they walked in front of him. Elena was talking to Denzel, but the man, Seraph was mostly silent. He kept his eyes on the path in front of him, as if constantly in thought, and without knowing it, he had become the center of the Wutaiian’s attention.
The Turk commander resisted the urge to frown in thought as he contemplated the stranger. He had the feeling that the man was familiar to him somehow. Not that Tseng was at all affected by that low voice or his leather encased…
He shook his head violently, clearing out the untoward images. Last he needed was to compare two entirely different men, no matter how much like a dead man Seraph looked.
Tseng remembered Sephiroth; the man that had tried to destroy the world was not what came to mind, however. He recalled the General before he went insane and burned down Nibelheim… before he was somehow returned to life only to destroy ShinRa tower and call Meteor… and before the silver-haired man stabbed him through the gut with the Masamune.
He wouldn’t say that they were friends… more like colleagues. Sephiroth was General of the ShinRa army, whilst Tseng was sub-commander and later commander of the Turks. As a result, the two of them knew each other over board meetings and the like. Even then, Sephiroth was a somewhat quiet, cold man. Tseng suspected it had more to do with not knowing any other way to be rather than an actual desire to be an asshole. The Turk himself tended to be introspective and even chilly to those that rubbed him the wrong way.
Still, even then Tseng found that he wanted to get to know the powerful General more than he had been allowed. There was no denying that Sephiroth was a beautiful man. His features were elegant, almost aristocratic with that unbelievably long silver hair and shining jade eyes. He also had the look of someone who didn’t understand or even know his own handsomeness. That was one of the more attractive aspects of his personality.
However, the only one the General even seemed to allow near him was his second, SOLDEIR 1st Class Zack Loire. The Wutaiian had always wondered if there was anything between the two or if they were just friends.
None of the mattered now, however. Sephiroth was dead, finally and completely. Cloud… or actually as he had heard, the ex-Turk Vincent, had taken him down six months earlier. Tseng only hoped that he stayed deceased this time. Gaia could not handle another of his crazed and bloodthirsty returns.
Which was another discussion point that the Wutaiian had turned over and over in his head many times. The Sephiroth he had known before, the one prior to the Nibelheim incident, didn’t seem the type to lose his mind and suddenly start killing people. Tseng remembered him being someone concerned over others, not really liking war or death, no matter how skilled he was at it. It seemed more like he had been trained and ingrained with the proper skills and had been told he had to use them, that he had been given no other choice.
He never sensed any plans for world domination from the silver-haired man, nor did he think that Sephiroth had wanted to destroy the world with Meteor. Something had happened to him along the way because the murderous intention behind jade eyes that stared at him as he was impaled… it was something that didn’t show the truth of a man.
“I thought we had talked about you disappearing into your head,” came Elena’s teasing voice from his side, distracting him from his thoughts.
He blinked owlishly before looking around, realizing he had been nearly walking in a daze, paying naught attention to his surroundings he had been so deep in thought. Seraph and Denzel were walking in front of them, the child chatting amicably with the taller man and holding his hand tightly, while Seraph listened patiently. It was quite endearing, so much so that Tseng found it hard to believe they weren’t father and son. The older male was surprisingly patient.
Tseng found himself recalling the dark-haired man’s story. Seraph Noire was looking to find his friend, Caryn Weathers. The both of them once worked in ShinRa, probably as part of the army.
He wondered what relationship the two men had. Were they best friends, lovers perhaps? And Mr. Noire had claimed to know something of Cloud Strife. If Tseng had been in the army, he was certain he would have remembered a man like Seraph Noire. Perhaps Cloud could recognize him as well.
The dark-haired man was unusually good with a sword, better than he had seen in a long time. Unlike Cloud’s hack and slash method, as much pummeling as it took, Seraph was more refined. Each move carefully calculated, not a single attack wasted. He was near poetry in motion.
Tseng wondered why Mr. Noire was no longer in ShinRa army. Had he deserted or been driven off? And why? What the importance of Caryn Weathers? Tseng resisted the urge to snort. His thoughts were becoming circuitous and getting him nowhere.
Snap! Tseng blinked and looked into shining, almost piercing brown eyes. Elena was standing before him, having just snapped her fingers to get his attention as she grinned devilishly. Her eyebrow cocked as she gave him a questioning look.
“They must be good thoughts to keep distracting you,” she commented. “Mind sharing?”
The Wutaiian shook his head in response. “A lot has happened today. I was merely running through the events in my mind,” he answered her, peeking around to see where they were. Their mismatched group was nearing both the Strifes’ home and Aeris’ church. It wouldn’t be long before they could leave Denzel with them and take Seraph to the ShinRa building.
She didn’t seem impressed by his answer. “Is that so?” Her eyes slid slyly to the dark-haired man walking in front of them, not at all embarrassed as her gaze traveled over a well-muscled behind. “They wouldn’t have anything to do with Mr. Angel?”
Tseng had to fight against the blush that was threatening to spread across his cheekbones, knowing with his somewhat fair skin it would be painfully obvious. She had nearly centered dead on his thoughts.
“Of course not. I was merely hypothesizing what had happened earlier today concerning you.”
He pinned her down with his steely gaze, hoping to fluster her enough into changing the subject and wanting her to explain how she managed to summon Ramuh without having the materia. Strange things had been happening lately, including Elena suddenly having this strange affinity for anything electrical and being able to withstand lightning bolts with ease.
Elena nodded in sudden understanding. “You want to know what happened earlier today.”
Tseng’s eyes flickered to their guests, realizing that neither male were paying them a bit of attention. “You called for Raijin… that is the name of one of the most ancient Wutaiian gods.”
The blonde took a deep breath. “It is Ramuh’s true name,” she answered, looking her boss in the eye. “He told me.”
The Wutaiian raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “He told you?”
Elena sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “I hear him speaking to me, in my mind. I know I’m not going crazy, especially since he showed up in the flesh during that battle. He says that I am his animus and he, my anima. I wasn’t quite sure of the connotations of those terms though.”
Tseng was having trouble wrapping his mind around that concept. The summon was speaking to his subordinate, in her mind. “When did you start hearing Raijin?”
The blonde pursed her lips and appeared to think about it. “I think that I have always had some inkling of him in the back of my thoughts, but it was only recently that the words became clear.” She paused for a moment as if discussing anything internally before locking eyes with him again. “You haven’t heard anything?”
The Wutaiian shook his head, still baffled by her explanation. “Not a word, and I don’t intend to either. I don’t want anything inside my head.” He shivered slightly at the thought of anymore ‘voices’ in his mind.
Elena frowned. “I can’t really be sure whether or not you have a choice,” she replied enigmatically.
“A choice in what?” came Seraph’s voice, interrupting their small conversation. Both Turks looked up to see Denzel and the dark-haired man stopped in their tracks, eyeing them critically. They had come to a juncture in the road and were waiting for guidance from the two Turks.
Elena didn’t say anything, preferring to let her boss field the inquisitive question. “Which is the quickest way to Strife’s,” answered Tseng, easily changing the subject. “Whether to go past the church or through the alley is up for grabs.”
“Church?” questioned Seraph with a raise of his eyebrow. “In a place such as this? To what god is it attributed?”
Tseng frowned as he thought about it before realizing he had no clue. However, Elena did have the answer, having spent those few hours protecting Aeris when Midgar was attacked days prior.
“To Hephaestion, if I am not mistaken. One of the holy gods, a protector of Gaia,” explained the blonde.
Seraph nodded his head in understanding, pondering the church. He was instantly curious about the building, wanting to see it for himself. The former General had never really set foot in a place such as a church – Hojo wouldn’t have allowed any silly ideas like religion or spirituality – nor had he heard of Hephaestion. Beside him, Denzel shifted restlessly, already bored by the adult conversation.
“Would you like to see it?” questioned Elena, noting the dark-haired man’s thoughtful expression.
Mossy green eyes looked up into hers as he inclined his head in answer. “That I would. Is it far?” he questioned, shooting a concerned look towards Denzel, who was already starting to form an affectionate nest in his heart and was swaying on his feet a bit tiredly. It had been a long and stressing day.
The blonde shrugged. “A block down the road and then Strife’s house is just beyond,” she responded.
Seraph inclined his head in understanding. “Very well then. Could you take me there?”
Elena looked to her boss with a questioning guess. He merely nodded his head in answer, so she shrugged.
“Sure. We go right.”
The eclectic group turned right at the crossways and followed Elena as she led them up the street, Denzel trotting along at her side. Tseng and Seraph took up the rear, both men it seemed in deep thought,
“What do you know of the god Hephaestion?” Seraph asked, speaking to the silver-eyed man. He tried not to look too closely at Tseng, for fear that he would be recognized, but he was genuinely curious. He wondered how the Wutaiian had survived the Temple of the Ancients as well. It had been a vicious gut wound the other man had… not that Sephiroth wasn’t glad to see a man that might have been his friend still live.
Tseng mused quietly as he considered the stranger’s question. He didn’t miss, however, Elena’s surreptitious and knowing looks, which she kept casting over her shoulder. Her eyes would flicker between the two men before she returned her attention to Denzel, as if she were trying to tell him something. The blonde was convinced that Tseng had been alone for far too long. She had gotten it in her head lately to find someone for him, as if he had time for such a thing.
“He is not one of those that I am familiar with. I know he has something to do with the Ancients and being their guardian or something along those lines.”
“Interesting,” the former General commented but said nothing more. They fell into a short silence; the only sounds were Elena’s quiet laughter with the child and their feet clomping noisily over the broken and cracked pavement.
Tseng slipped into his thoughts easily enough, casting sidelong glances at the other dark-haired man. That feeling of vague familiarity passed over him again, and he resisted the urge to sigh aloud. Instead, he turned to more conversation. Though not really the talkative type, he knew it would distract him.
“Why did you leave ShinRa?” Tseng queried, for lack of a better topic. “It seems you are skilled. You would have been promoted if you had remained.”
Seraph frowned, not really meeting the Wutaiian’s silver eyes. “I didn’t agree with their methods… in many ways. Including how they treated their grunts.”
Tseng eyed him carefully. “When was this?” he questioned, wondering just how long the dark-haired man had been searching for his friend. Especially since he had claimed to either know or know of Cloud.
The former General did some quick calculations in his head. The Nibelheim incident was just over five years ago, and he, as Seraph, would have known Cloud sometime around then. Give or take another few years to get fed up with ShinRa… an efficient length of time for him to be searching and led to Midgar… “I joined ShinRa’s army about six years ago, deserted about three and started searching for Caryn about four months ago,” he finally answered, choosing his words carefully.
“Why did you wait so long to look for him?”
Seraph sighed. It was time to put his best lying skills to use. The ones he had been taught as a SOLDIER when faced with an enemy interrogation. “Caryn and I had a… falling out you could say, with my decision to leave ShinRa,” the dark-haired man explained.
At his words, the Wutaiian couldn’t help but form an image involving lots of screaming and thrown objects. Perhaps even a physical confrontation had occurred. Simply from the way that Seraph spoke of his friend, Tseng was led to think that Caryn may have been more than just a friend… maybe even a lover.
“With the destruction of Midgar and the whole Meteor incident, I grew worried about his welfare, despite our argument. I wanted to make things right as well, so I started to look for him,” Seraph finished, his explanation complete.
Tseng nodded his head in understanding. He opened his mouth to say something else but closed it again when he realized that they had arrived at the church. It didn’t look any worse than usual, given the hole in the ceiling from Cloud raining from the sky and the general battering it took. The Strifes had talked about fixing it up but really hadn’t had the time as of yet, things not really having the chance to settle down since Sephiroth and Meteor.
The dark-haired stranger stood and took in the appearance of the building, somewhat gaping at the large wooden doors and stained glass. It wasn’t that huge of a building, but it was somewhat intricate. Elena gestured that he should enter.
“Be careful of the floor,” she warned. “It is beginning to rot in some places.”
Seraph nodded in response before moving past both Turks and Denzel to push open one side of the double doors and step into the church. The others declined entering with him, which suited him just fine. He couldn’t explain his curiosity with the church or his sudden desire to see it, but for some reason he felt drawn to the establishment.
He stepped through the portal to the church, letting the door shut behind him and calmly took in his surroundings. It was very dim, all electricity having seemingly been cut off. However, a small corona of light shone down at the far end of the church, a bed of flowers growing within its circumference. Seraph walked carefully into the building, watching his step and listening for the creak or crack of the wooden floor.
Something about the building made him feel at peace, as if the worry that had been building in him over meeting with Strife was slowly beginning to dissipate. The very sight of the healthy and colorful flowers growing in such a seemingly decrepit and forgotten place was encouraging, and the building seemed to radiate a calming aura. He walked down the aisle until he stood at the very edge of the circle of light, looking up into the broken roof where the illumination was coming through. The garden seemed to be the very epitome of hope.
He knelt, black leather creaking slightly as he reached out touched one of the yellow flowers that grew there, surprised by how very strong it was. He had initially intended to pick it, maybe take the plant with him. However, something strongly urged him not to, and he left it alone. He took a moment to breathe in the fresh scent of the flowers before standing and swiftly leaving the church.
The others were patiently waiting for him outside, looking up when he exited through the doors, as if expecting him to say something.
“Well?” the blond questioned. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
Seraph regarded her coolly, not really sure how to answer that question considering he hadn’t even intended to look for anything. “You could say that,” he responded.
She seemed satisfied with that answer and gestured towards the path to the right. “We should keep going. It’s going to be dark soon and the monsters make their presence known in greater abundance after the sun falls.”
The former General nodded in acquiescence, quickly rejoining their line as they trotted down the street, Strife’s house not that far in the distance. As they walked, the adults were silent, most listening to Denzel’s idle and nonsensical chatter.
Elena appeared to be paying the brunet her strictest attentions, but in reality she was considering the stranger and her boss. She was an observant woman and had caught the interested glances that Tseng had bestowed upon the oblivious man. She had also caught the contemplative looks that Seraph had returned, though neither knew it. Already the cogs in her mind were turning, provided the stranger turned out to be someone who could be trusted of course.
The short walk was spent in silence among the adults, as it seemed they had run out of things to say for the time being. Tseng was considering all that Seraph had told him while the former General was wondering if Cloud would recognize him or not. Elena was scheming.
Within minutes, the eclectic foursome stood patiently outside the Strife household, while Tseng wandered up to the door and knocked loudly several times. It was a small home, only one story, but it was clean and ordered with many flowers growing in boxes out front. It looked a lot like the perfect family home, at least to Seraph. He had to fight down the urge to shift nervously on his feet as he stood next to Elena and Denzel. He couldn’t help but wonder if Strife would recognize him… and what would happen if he did.
The Turk commander stepped back from the door and waited patiently. A moment later the door opened, revealing spiky blond hair and shining mako blue eyes. They centered first on the Wutaiian, widening in surprise.
“Tseng? What are you doing here?” Cloud asked with shock. His eyes traveled over those that were with the commander, identifying Elena before landing on the dark-haired man beside her. He did an obvious double-take as his eyes ran over the tall man’s features, instant recognizing him for who he was.
An accusing gaze shot over to Tseng moments before his hand disappeared beside the doorway, wrapping around the sword that he kept on hand there for would be thieves. “Sephiroth!” snarled the former SOLDIER as he dove out the door, Buster Sword at the ready.
Tseng and Elena stared in shock at their newly found friend as he didn’t move a step, acceptance for his fate clearly registered on his features. Everything seemed to move so slowly, Seraph bowing his head in resignation, the Wutaiian’s look of sudden disbelief, Cloud dashing out the door in a murderous rage, unable to contain his anger… and Denzel suddenly moving, clinging to the front of the former General’s body, burying his face in the man’s shirt as he wrapped his arms around Seraph.
Cloud came to a sudden and abrupt halt as time picked up again, regarding the child with a confused expression.
“Sephiroth?” Tseng queried aloud, his voice registering his slight surprise and breaking the sudden silence as he turned to lock his gaze on the man he had thought a stranger.
“Yes!” spat Cloud. “You think I wouldn’t recognize his face? He’s cut his hair and dyed it. I don’t know how he changed his eye color, but it’s him all the same. Why are you protecting him?” he asked, turning his gaze on the little boy.
Denzel shrank under the anger but didn’t say a word, only buried his face further in Seraph’s front. The black leather gloved hand of the former General came up and to run his fingers through the boy’s hair in a gesture of fondness.
“I won’t begrudge you killing me,” said Seraph softly, careful not to sound threatening. “If you must slay me… do not let the child see.” He locked eyes with the man who had once idolized him, who he had almost killed, and who had nearly succeeded in taking him down on his own.
Mako blue eyes narrowed in anger as he considered the dark-haired man’s words, his grip tightening almost painfully on the handle of his sword. He wondered how he was going to get the confused child away from his sworn enemy. Obviously, the boy didn’t know who he was dealing with.
“Cloud?” Aeris’ voice suddenly broke into the tension as she appeared in the doorway, waddling somewhat under the weight of her pregnancy. Her jade eyes instantly took in the events, gasping softly at Seraph. “It was to be you?” she questioned, her gaze zeroing in on him. She barely registered the boy wrapped around his waist, though her eyes registered her confusion. Who was the child?
Mossy green orbs widened at the sight of the flower-girl. Hadn’t he killed her, too? Did no one he slay remain dead? It seemed all his ghosts were coming back to haunt him… though it left him with a measure of peace knowing that he hadn’t ruined quite as many lives as he believed. He only wished that he could see Zack once more as well.
However, it was her words that confused him. What was to be him? “I don’t know what you are talking about…” murmured Sephiroth shaking his head in denial. His body was wound up tight, the fight instinct still trying to kick in at the sight of the sharp sword still aimed for him. He worried for Denzel as well, the child not releasing his protective hold on him. He thought it cute that the brunet had already gotten attached to him so quickly…
“Tseng!” Cloud barked, narrowing his angry gaze on the Turk commander. “What is the meaning of this? How the hell did he get here?”
The Wutaiian forced himself to recover from his shock; his feelings of recognition were true after all. “We found him trying to fight off a pack of mutated Nibel wolves and protecting the boy. We helped them, and he told us his name was Seraph Noire and that he was searching for a friend. The boy, he told us, was not his own but was looking to find him a home. We thought that Aeris and you would be willing to take Denzel in,” explained the Turk, still processing the events.
The blond man nearly shook with his anger as he kept his sword raised high, unable to relax enough to let it down in the presence of his once greatest foe… a man he had not even been able to defeat on his own. Every nerve in his body was telling him to strike the traitorous former General down, never mind how he had come back to life. It had been ingrained in him to kill Sephiroth. He didn’t want to think that their battle of six months prior, and Vincent’s subsequent sacrifice, was for naught.
Abruptly, Cloud felt a calming hand on his shoulder and half-turned, seeing his wife behind him with a knowing look in her eyes. She sought to calm him, but it only halfway worked. He was still strung tightly, unable to stop the urge to kill, which rose in him every time he looked at the man that was once his mentor.
“Did you know?” he questioned the flower-girl quietly, ignoring the others for the moment. “Did the Planet say that he was alive?”
She shook her head in denial. “Not him specifically, no. I was told that they were bringing a warrior to fight the oncoming evil. That we would need his strength if we were to win, but Gaia never specified who.” Her gaze centered on the man in question, it almost seeming like she was looking right through him. “I never expected it to be him, however.”
Mako eyes narrowed before they centered on the former General. “That’s because he is not! This is some farce or trick of Jenova!”
Seraph sighed. “I know nothing of what you speak of, nor do I know why I was granted this second chance…”
“Shut up!” Cloud snarled. “Quit hiding behind the child and fight me like you intended!”
“Cloud!” exclaimed Aeris, surprised by his very vehemence. Sephiroth had so far, made no attempts to attack them, even looking as if he would allow Cloud to strike him down where he stood, were it not for the child blocking his way. It could have been just a ruse, but Aeris felt the stirring in her heart and the voice of the planet that it was not. This was truly a different Sephiroth then they had fought before.
The blond man shook his head. “No, Aeris. I cannot believe that the Planet would bring a murderer back to life, for any reason.”
Seraph regarded him calmly for a moment before looking down at the child that clung to him. “Denzel…” he said softly, garnering the boy’s attention. Innocent brown eyes looked up at him. “Please go to Elena.”
The boy shook his head ‘no’ fiercely as he buried his face further into the former General’s shirt. Seraph sighed before rubbing the hair on the boy’s head and glancing once at Elena. She nodded in understanding as she moved forward, unsure as to why she was agreeing to help Sephiroth but more concerned for the boy than anything.
“Go with Elena,” commanded the General more firmly as he pried the boy from his front and pushed him towards the blonde Turk. Denzel began to cry, resisting all movement as he turned red-rimmed eyes towards the man who had saved his life. The others watched this with observant eyes, Aeris’ heart going out to the poor boy. He seemed so worried for Sephiroth.
His face grim, the dark-haired man continued to push the boy forward until Elena claimed him, pulling the brunet towards Aeris. Denzel continued to weep as Aeris knelt slightly, enveloping him in a hug. He clung tightly to her, begging in his childlike voice not to hurt his ‘Seph’.
“How can a child be so wrong?” Elena murmured under her breath as her heart ached at the sight of the crying Denzel.
Her words, however, were not heard by the former members of ShinRa. Both Seraph and Cloud were eyeing each other carefully now that there was no longer a Denzel-shaped barrier between them. Tseng was standing off to the side, observing their movements, realizing that there was nothing he could do but watch and wait. This was a problem between them; he had no part of it. He could take up with the liar on his own at a later time… provided that Cloud didn’t kill him first.
He hoped that the blond man would realize, however, that this Sephiroth was not the same as the one that had tried to destroy the Planet six months prior. There was no mocking in his gaze or speech, no madness in his eyes. Only regret and sadness reflected in mossy green orbs. Tseng wondered if the former SOLDIER’s anger was too great to see the truth.
Seraph made his movements slow, never taking his eyes off Cloud. He took the sword that Gilgamesh had given him from its makeshift holster and slowly laid it on the ground before taking a step backwards from the weapon. Before… he never would have done such a thing, never unarmed himself before the enemy. Yet, he could no longer consider Cloud the enemy. If this was to be his retribution, his repentance for the pain he had caused, he would gladly accept it. He should have been stronger then… he should have resisted the siren’s haunting call.
“What are you doing?” hissed Cloud, surprise registering on his face.
“I will not fight you,” responded the former General. “I’ve no wish to hurt another innocent again.”
“Why not? You had no problem with it before. Did you suddenly grow a conscience?”
Seraph lowered his eyes, unable to come up with a proper response. Truly he had none but his apologies, but didn’t think they would be accepted. He had to try, however.
“I only have my deepest regret to offer,” the former General answered in a voice so soft, it was rather difficult to hear.
Cloud chewed on his lip in indecision, anger floating behind his every thought. His gaze darted from the unarmed Seraph to the crying child to Aeris’ hopeful face. He cursed angrily, more to himself than anyone else, before waving a hand at the former General. The man staggered suddenly and slowly sunk, catching himself almost immediately. His gaze flashed to Cloud for an instant, and he stopped resisting the magic. Before he could speak another word, Seraph’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed to the ground.
His face scrunching up in an almost unidentifiable emotion, Cloud wasted no time in turning around and angrily punching the side of the building, trying to both dispel the fight tension in his body and displaying his irritation at not being able to destroy the man that had killed his beloved once upon a time.
Elena gasped in surprise, looking towards the blond swordsman. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t kill him if that’s what you are asking!” Cloud snapped as he turned to glance over his shoulder. “I merely put him to sleep. He must not have any status protecting armor equipped. Pretty stupid if you ask me.”
Tseng moved to the fallen man’s side, checking him. “Sleeping soundly,” he confirmed before looking up at Cloud. “What now?”
The former SOLDIER sighed as he lowered his weapon, jabbing it into the rough dirt so that it would remain upright, and rubbing his forehead with his free hand. “I still don’t trust him, but if that kid is willing to cry and throw himself in front of him… I can’t just kill him. Especially if he won’t fight back.”
“Cloud,” called out Aeris softly, still trying to console Denzel. “It is supposed to be him, though I cannot fathom why.”
This revelation only caused the blond swordsman to sigh further before eyeing the Wutaiian Turk. “You have cuffs don’t you? And a jail at Neo-ShinRa HQ? Can you keep him there until we figure out what’s going on?”
Tseng mused idly as Elena nodded, she being the one to have the cuffs. Leaving Denzel’s side, she knelt at the fallen Seraph’s side, quickly pulling his hands behind his back and subduing them with the metal restraints. “If he is truly Sephiroth, I don’t see how our jails can hold him.”
“He is!” snapped Cloud. “My memory might fail me at times, but I know that bastard’s face. If he is really repentant, then he won’t try to break out. But if he does, then I will kill him on sight. It’s that simple.”
“Seph saved me,” murmured the child quietly, his voice carrying through the adult conversation. “Please don’t kill him.”
Cloud closed his eyes, trying to damper his fury and soften his own voice. He moved to kneel beside the boy, trying to lock eyes with him. “I won’t hurt him unless he tries to hurt my friends, okay?”
Denzel nodded in understanding, looking pitiful with his red-rimmed eyes and lower lip poked out.
Elena shook her head in disbelief. “What the hell ever happened to peace?” she questioned aloud. “Monsters attacking the cities… strange goings on everywhere and then Sephiroth suddenly appearing… madness has descended upon Gaia.”
“And I get the strange feeling it is only going to get worse,” murmured Tseng, moving to the sword that Seraph had placed on the ground. He bent over and picked it up, observing the blade.
“This is not the Masamune, but it is very similar. I wonder where he got it,” he stated aloud. He noticed there were strange markings on the blade but couldn’t make them out or read them. They were in a language he was not familiar with.
Cloud sighed. “I’ll cast Silence and Darkness for good measure, then you can wake him up. That way he won’t be any bit of a threat to you while you two take him to ShinRa HQ. I’ll get Denzel settled in here before I join you. It might also be a good idea to call Reeve.”
“If you can get through to him,” replied Elena. “The circuits are still having trouble with all the lines down, and I know he’s in Wutai. They, he and Archer, think Reno is there.”
Aeris shook her head, chuckling lightly. “It never leaves you, does it?” she questioned of her husband. “That natural knack for leadership…”
He shrugged idly, eyes still alit with some form of anger. “It is a matter of necessity.” His gaze fell on the still sleeping General as his voice dropped in timber. “Why couldn’t you just stay dead,” he mused aloud. “Why couldn’t you just stay in our memories and leave us in peace?”
It didn’t help that the others were wondering the very same thing.
***
I must apologize for the confusion. In Chapter 29 of The Conclave, it read that Baal, second son of Seiryu was one of the first to join Balaam's cause in the first war. It should have read, Mabuz, second son of Seiryu. Baal is the first son of Seiryu. Sorry about that.
Chapter 31: Not Quite Forgotten
Tseng idly watched the other dark-haired man and child as they walked in front of him. Elena was talking to Denzel, but the man, Seraph was mostly silent. He kept his eyes on the path in front of him, as if constantly in thought, and without knowing it, he had become the center of the Wutaiian’s attention.
The Turk commander resisted the urge to frown in thought as he contemplated the stranger. He had the feeling that the man was familiar to him somehow. Not that Tseng was at all affected by that low voice or his leather encased…
He shook his head violently, clearing out the untoward images. Last he needed was to compare two entirely different men, no matter how much like a dead man Seraph looked.
Tseng remembered Sephiroth; the man that had tried to destroy the world was not what came to mind, however. He recalled the General before he went insane and burned down Nibelheim… before he was somehow returned to life only to destroy ShinRa tower and call Meteor… and before the silver-haired man stabbed him through the gut with the Masamune.
He wouldn’t say that they were friends… more like colleagues. Sephiroth was General of the ShinRa army, whilst Tseng was sub-commander and later commander of the Turks. As a result, the two of them knew each other over board meetings and the like. Even then, Sephiroth was a somewhat quiet, cold man. Tseng suspected it had more to do with not knowing any other way to be rather than an actual desire to be an asshole. The Turk himself tended to be introspective and even chilly to those that rubbed him the wrong way.
Still, even then Tseng found that he wanted to get to know the powerful General more than he had been allowed. There was no denying that Sephiroth was a beautiful man. His features were elegant, almost aristocratic with that unbelievably long silver hair and shining jade eyes. He also had the look of someone who didn’t understand or even know his own handsomeness. That was one of the more attractive aspects of his personality.
However, the only one the General even seemed to allow near him was his second, SOLDEIR 1st Class Zack Loire. The Wutaiian had always wondered if there was anything between the two or if they were just friends.
None of the mattered now, however. Sephiroth was dead, finally and completely. Cloud… or actually as he had heard, the ex-Turk Vincent, had taken him down six months earlier. Tseng only hoped that he stayed deceased this time. Gaia could not handle another of his crazed and bloodthirsty returns.
Which was another discussion point that the Wutaiian had turned over and over in his head many times. The Sephiroth he had known before, the one prior to the Nibelheim incident, didn’t seem the type to lose his mind and suddenly start killing people. Tseng remembered him being someone concerned over others, not really liking war or death, no matter how skilled he was at it. It seemed more like he had been trained and ingrained with the proper skills and had been told he had to use them, that he had been given no other choice.
He never sensed any plans for world domination from the silver-haired man, nor did he think that Sephiroth had wanted to destroy the world with Meteor. Something had happened to him along the way because the murderous intention behind jade eyes that stared at him as he was impaled… it was something that didn’t show the truth of a man.
“I thought we had talked about you disappearing into your head,” came Elena’s teasing voice from his side, distracting him from his thoughts.
He blinked owlishly before looking around, realizing he had been nearly walking in a daze, paying naught attention to his surroundings he had been so deep in thought. Seraph and Denzel were walking in front of them, the child chatting amicably with the taller man and holding his hand tightly, while Seraph listened patiently. It was quite endearing, so much so that Tseng found it hard to believe they weren’t father and son. The older male was surprisingly patient.
Tseng found himself recalling the dark-haired man’s story. Seraph Noire was looking to find his friend, Caryn Weathers. The both of them once worked in ShinRa, probably as part of the army.
He wondered what relationship the two men had. Were they best friends, lovers perhaps? And Mr. Noire had claimed to know something of Cloud Strife. If Tseng had been in the army, he was certain he would have remembered a man like Seraph Noire. Perhaps Cloud could recognize him as well.
The dark-haired man was unusually good with a sword, better than he had seen in a long time. Unlike Cloud’s hack and slash method, as much pummeling as it took, Seraph was more refined. Each move carefully calculated, not a single attack wasted. He was near poetry in motion.
Tseng wondered why Mr. Noire was no longer in ShinRa army. Had he deserted or been driven off? And why? What the importance of Caryn Weathers? Tseng resisted the urge to snort. His thoughts were becoming circuitous and getting him nowhere.
Snap! Tseng blinked and looked into shining, almost piercing brown eyes. Elena was standing before him, having just snapped her fingers to get his attention as she grinned devilishly. Her eyebrow cocked as she gave him a questioning look.
“They must be good thoughts to keep distracting you,” she commented. “Mind sharing?”
The Wutaiian shook his head in response. “A lot has happened today. I was merely running through the events in my mind,” he answered her, peeking around to see where they were. Their mismatched group was nearing both the Strifes’ home and Aeris’ church. It wouldn’t be long before they could leave Denzel with them and take Seraph to the ShinRa building.
She didn’t seem impressed by his answer. “Is that so?” Her eyes slid slyly to the dark-haired man walking in front of them, not at all embarrassed as her gaze traveled over a well-muscled behind. “They wouldn’t have anything to do with Mr. Angel?”
Tseng had to fight against the blush that was threatening to spread across his cheekbones, knowing with his somewhat fair skin it would be painfully obvious. She had nearly centered dead on his thoughts.
“Of course not. I was merely hypothesizing what had happened earlier today concerning you.”
He pinned her down with his steely gaze, hoping to fluster her enough into changing the subject and wanting her to explain how she managed to summon Ramuh without having the materia. Strange things had been happening lately, including Elena suddenly having this strange affinity for anything electrical and being able to withstand lightning bolts with ease.
Elena nodded in sudden understanding. “You want to know what happened earlier today.”
Tseng’s eyes flickered to their guests, realizing that neither male were paying them a bit of attention. “You called for Raijin… that is the name of one of the most ancient Wutaiian gods.”
The blonde took a deep breath. “It is Ramuh’s true name,” she answered, looking her boss in the eye. “He told me.”
The Wutaiian raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “He told you?”
Elena sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “I hear him speaking to me, in my mind. I know I’m not going crazy, especially since he showed up in the flesh during that battle. He says that I am his animus and he, my anima. I wasn’t quite sure of the connotations of those terms though.”
Tseng was having trouble wrapping his mind around that concept. The summon was speaking to his subordinate, in her mind. “When did you start hearing Raijin?”
The blonde pursed her lips and appeared to think about it. “I think that I have always had some inkling of him in the back of my thoughts, but it was only recently that the words became clear.” She paused for a moment as if discussing anything internally before locking eyes with him again. “You haven’t heard anything?”
The Wutaiian shook his head, still baffled by her explanation. “Not a word, and I don’t intend to either. I don’t want anything inside my head.” He shivered slightly at the thought of anymore ‘voices’ in his mind.
Elena frowned. “I can’t really be sure whether or not you have a choice,” she replied enigmatically.
“A choice in what?” came Seraph’s voice, interrupting their small conversation. Both Turks looked up to see Denzel and the dark-haired man stopped in their tracks, eyeing them critically. They had come to a juncture in the road and were waiting for guidance from the two Turks.
Elena didn’t say anything, preferring to let her boss field the inquisitive question. “Which is the quickest way to Strife’s,” answered Tseng, easily changing the subject. “Whether to go past the church or through the alley is up for grabs.”
“Church?” questioned Seraph with a raise of his eyebrow. “In a place such as this? To what god is it attributed?”
Tseng frowned as he thought about it before realizing he had no clue. However, Elena did have the answer, having spent those few hours protecting Aeris when Midgar was attacked days prior.
“To Hephaestion, if I am not mistaken. One of the holy gods, a protector of Gaia,” explained the blonde.
Seraph nodded his head in understanding, pondering the church. He was instantly curious about the building, wanting to see it for himself. The former General had never really set foot in a place such as a church – Hojo wouldn’t have allowed any silly ideas like religion or spirituality – nor had he heard of Hephaestion. Beside him, Denzel shifted restlessly, already bored by the adult conversation.
“Would you like to see it?” questioned Elena, noting the dark-haired man’s thoughtful expression.
Mossy green eyes looked up into hers as he inclined his head in answer. “That I would. Is it far?” he questioned, shooting a concerned look towards Denzel, who was already starting to form an affectionate nest in his heart and was swaying on his feet a bit tiredly. It had been a long and stressing day.
The blonde shrugged. “A block down the road and then Strife’s house is just beyond,” she responded.
Seraph inclined his head in understanding. “Very well then. Could you take me there?”
Elena looked to her boss with a questioning guess. He merely nodded his head in answer, so she shrugged.
“Sure. We go right.”
The eclectic group turned right at the crossways and followed Elena as she led them up the street, Denzel trotting along at her side. Tseng and Seraph took up the rear, both men it seemed in deep thought,
“What do you know of the god Hephaestion?” Seraph asked, speaking to the silver-eyed man. He tried not to look too closely at Tseng, for fear that he would be recognized, but he was genuinely curious. He wondered how the Wutaiian had survived the Temple of the Ancients as well. It had been a vicious gut wound the other man had… not that Sephiroth wasn’t glad to see a man that might have been his friend still live.
Tseng mused quietly as he considered the stranger’s question. He didn’t miss, however, Elena’s surreptitious and knowing looks, which she kept casting over her shoulder. Her eyes would flicker between the two men before she returned her attention to Denzel, as if she were trying to tell him something. The blonde was convinced that Tseng had been alone for far too long. She had gotten it in her head lately to find someone for him, as if he had time for such a thing.
“He is not one of those that I am familiar with. I know he has something to do with the Ancients and being their guardian or something along those lines.”
“Interesting,” the former General commented but said nothing more. They fell into a short silence; the only sounds were Elena’s quiet laughter with the child and their feet clomping noisily over the broken and cracked pavement.
Tseng slipped into his thoughts easily enough, casting sidelong glances at the other dark-haired man. That feeling of vague familiarity passed over him again, and he resisted the urge to sigh aloud. Instead, he turned to more conversation. Though not really the talkative type, he knew it would distract him.
“Why did you leave ShinRa?” Tseng queried, for lack of a better topic. “It seems you are skilled. You would have been promoted if you had remained.”
Seraph frowned, not really meeting the Wutaiian’s silver eyes. “I didn’t agree with their methods… in many ways. Including how they treated their grunts.”
Tseng eyed him carefully. “When was this?” he questioned, wondering just how long the dark-haired man had been searching for his friend. Especially since he had claimed to either know or know of Cloud.
The former General did some quick calculations in his head. The Nibelheim incident was just over five years ago, and he, as Seraph, would have known Cloud sometime around then. Give or take another few years to get fed up with ShinRa… an efficient length of time for him to be searching and led to Midgar… “I joined ShinRa’s army about six years ago, deserted about three and started searching for Caryn about four months ago,” he finally answered, choosing his words carefully.
“Why did you wait so long to look for him?”
Seraph sighed. It was time to put his best lying skills to use. The ones he had been taught as a SOLDIER when faced with an enemy interrogation. “Caryn and I had a… falling out you could say, with my decision to leave ShinRa,” the dark-haired man explained.
At his words, the Wutaiian couldn’t help but form an image involving lots of screaming and thrown objects. Perhaps even a physical confrontation had occurred. Simply from the way that Seraph spoke of his friend, Tseng was led to think that Caryn may have been more than just a friend… maybe even a lover.
“With the destruction of Midgar and the whole Meteor incident, I grew worried about his welfare, despite our argument. I wanted to make things right as well, so I started to look for him,” Seraph finished, his explanation complete.
Tseng nodded his head in understanding. He opened his mouth to say something else but closed it again when he realized that they had arrived at the church. It didn’t look any worse than usual, given the hole in the ceiling from Cloud raining from the sky and the general battering it took. The Strifes had talked about fixing it up but really hadn’t had the time as of yet, things not really having the chance to settle down since Sephiroth and Meteor.
The dark-haired stranger stood and took in the appearance of the building, somewhat gaping at the large wooden doors and stained glass. It wasn’t that huge of a building, but it was somewhat intricate. Elena gestured that he should enter.
“Be careful of the floor,” she warned. “It is beginning to rot in some places.”
Seraph nodded in response before moving past both Turks and Denzel to push open one side of the double doors and step into the church. The others declined entering with him, which suited him just fine. He couldn’t explain his curiosity with the church or his sudden desire to see it, but for some reason he felt drawn to the establishment.
He stepped through the portal to the church, letting the door shut behind him and calmly took in his surroundings. It was very dim, all electricity having seemingly been cut off. However, a small corona of light shone down at the far end of the church, a bed of flowers growing within its circumference. Seraph walked carefully into the building, watching his step and listening for the creak or crack of the wooden floor.
Something about the building made him feel at peace, as if the worry that had been building in him over meeting with Strife was slowly beginning to dissipate. The very sight of the healthy and colorful flowers growing in such a seemingly decrepit and forgotten place was encouraging, and the building seemed to radiate a calming aura. He walked down the aisle until he stood at the very edge of the circle of light, looking up into the broken roof where the illumination was coming through. The garden seemed to be the very epitome of hope.
He knelt, black leather creaking slightly as he reached out touched one of the yellow flowers that grew there, surprised by how very strong it was. He had initially intended to pick it, maybe take the plant with him. However, something strongly urged him not to, and he left it alone. He took a moment to breathe in the fresh scent of the flowers before standing and swiftly leaving the church.
The others were patiently waiting for him outside, looking up when he exited through the doors, as if expecting him to say something.
“Well?” the blond questioned. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
Seraph regarded her coolly, not really sure how to answer that question considering he hadn’t even intended to look for anything. “You could say that,” he responded.
She seemed satisfied with that answer and gestured towards the path to the right. “We should keep going. It’s going to be dark soon and the monsters make their presence known in greater abundance after the sun falls.”
The former General nodded in acquiescence, quickly rejoining their line as they trotted down the street, Strife’s house not that far in the distance. As they walked, the adults were silent, most listening to Denzel’s idle and nonsensical chatter.
Elena appeared to be paying the brunet her strictest attentions, but in reality she was considering the stranger and her boss. She was an observant woman and had caught the interested glances that Tseng had bestowed upon the oblivious man. She had also caught the contemplative looks that Seraph had returned, though neither knew it. Already the cogs in her mind were turning, provided the stranger turned out to be someone who could be trusted of course.
The short walk was spent in silence among the adults, as it seemed they had run out of things to say for the time being. Tseng was considering all that Seraph had told him while the former General was wondering if Cloud would recognize him or not. Elena was scheming.
Within minutes, the eclectic foursome stood patiently outside the Strife household, while Tseng wandered up to the door and knocked loudly several times. It was a small home, only one story, but it was clean and ordered with many flowers growing in boxes out front. It looked a lot like the perfect family home, at least to Seraph. He had to fight down the urge to shift nervously on his feet as he stood next to Elena and Denzel. He couldn’t help but wonder if Strife would recognize him… and what would happen if he did.
The Turk commander stepped back from the door and waited patiently. A moment later the door opened, revealing spiky blond hair and shining mako blue eyes. They centered first on the Wutaiian, widening in surprise.
“Tseng? What are you doing here?” Cloud asked with shock. His eyes traveled over those that were with the commander, identifying Elena before landing on the dark-haired man beside her. He did an obvious double-take as his eyes ran over the tall man’s features, instant recognizing him for who he was.
An accusing gaze shot over to Tseng moments before his hand disappeared beside the doorway, wrapping around the sword that he kept on hand there for would be thieves. “Sephiroth!” snarled the former SOLDIER as he dove out the door, Buster Sword at the ready.
Tseng and Elena stared in shock at their newly found friend as he didn’t move a step, acceptance for his fate clearly registered on his features. Everything seemed to move so slowly, Seraph bowing his head in resignation, the Wutaiian’s look of sudden disbelief, Cloud dashing out the door in a murderous rage, unable to contain his anger… and Denzel suddenly moving, clinging to the front of the former General’s body, burying his face in the man’s shirt as he wrapped his arms around Seraph.
Cloud came to a sudden and abrupt halt as time picked up again, regarding the child with a confused expression.
“Sephiroth?” Tseng queried aloud, his voice registering his slight surprise and breaking the sudden silence as he turned to lock his gaze on the man he had thought a stranger.
“Yes!” spat Cloud. “You think I wouldn’t recognize his face? He’s cut his hair and dyed it. I don’t know how he changed his eye color, but it’s him all the same. Why are you protecting him?” he asked, turning his gaze on the little boy.
Denzel shrank under the anger but didn’t say a word, only buried his face further in Seraph’s front. The black leather gloved hand of the former General came up and to run his fingers through the boy’s hair in a gesture of fondness.
“I won’t begrudge you killing me,” said Seraph softly, careful not to sound threatening. “If you must slay me… do not let the child see.” He locked eyes with the man who had once idolized him, who he had almost killed, and who had nearly succeeded in taking him down on his own.
Mako blue eyes narrowed in anger as he considered the dark-haired man’s words, his grip tightening almost painfully on the handle of his sword. He wondered how he was going to get the confused child away from his sworn enemy. Obviously, the boy didn’t know who he was dealing with.
“Cloud?” Aeris’ voice suddenly broke into the tension as she appeared in the doorway, waddling somewhat under the weight of her pregnancy. Her jade eyes instantly took in the events, gasping softly at Seraph. “It was to be you?” she questioned, her gaze zeroing in on him. She barely registered the boy wrapped around his waist, though her eyes registered her confusion. Who was the child?
Mossy green orbs widened at the sight of the flower-girl. Hadn’t he killed her, too? Did no one he slay remain dead? It seemed all his ghosts were coming back to haunt him… though it left him with a measure of peace knowing that he hadn’t ruined quite as many lives as he believed. He only wished that he could see Zack once more as well.
However, it was her words that confused him. What was to be him? “I don’t know what you are talking about…” murmured Sephiroth shaking his head in denial. His body was wound up tight, the fight instinct still trying to kick in at the sight of the sharp sword still aimed for him. He worried for Denzel as well, the child not releasing his protective hold on him. He thought it cute that the brunet had already gotten attached to him so quickly…
“Tseng!” Cloud barked, narrowing his angry gaze on the Turk commander. “What is the meaning of this? How the hell did he get here?”
The Wutaiian forced himself to recover from his shock; his feelings of recognition were true after all. “We found him trying to fight off a pack of mutated Nibel wolves and protecting the boy. We helped them, and he told us his name was Seraph Noire and that he was searching for a friend. The boy, he told us, was not his own but was looking to find him a home. We thought that Aeris and you would be willing to take Denzel in,” explained the Turk, still processing the events.
The blond man nearly shook with his anger as he kept his sword raised high, unable to relax enough to let it down in the presence of his once greatest foe… a man he had not even been able to defeat on his own. Every nerve in his body was telling him to strike the traitorous former General down, never mind how he had come back to life. It had been ingrained in him to kill Sephiroth. He didn’t want to think that their battle of six months prior, and Vincent’s subsequent sacrifice, was for naught.
Abruptly, Cloud felt a calming hand on his shoulder and half-turned, seeing his wife behind him with a knowing look in her eyes. She sought to calm him, but it only halfway worked. He was still strung tightly, unable to stop the urge to kill, which rose in him every time he looked at the man that was once his mentor.
“Did you know?” he questioned the flower-girl quietly, ignoring the others for the moment. “Did the Planet say that he was alive?”
She shook her head in denial. “Not him specifically, no. I was told that they were bringing a warrior to fight the oncoming evil. That we would need his strength if we were to win, but Gaia never specified who.” Her gaze centered on the man in question, it almost seeming like she was looking right through him. “I never expected it to be him, however.”
Mako eyes narrowed before they centered on the former General. “That’s because he is not! This is some farce or trick of Jenova!”
Seraph sighed. “I know nothing of what you speak of, nor do I know why I was granted this second chance…”
“Shut up!” Cloud snarled. “Quit hiding behind the child and fight me like you intended!”
“Cloud!” exclaimed Aeris, surprised by his very vehemence. Sephiroth had so far, made no attempts to attack them, even looking as if he would allow Cloud to strike him down where he stood, were it not for the child blocking his way. It could have been just a ruse, but Aeris felt the stirring in her heart and the voice of the planet that it was not. This was truly a different Sephiroth then they had fought before.
The blond man shook his head. “No, Aeris. I cannot believe that the Planet would bring a murderer back to life, for any reason.”
Seraph regarded him calmly for a moment before looking down at the child that clung to him. “Denzel…” he said softly, garnering the boy’s attention. Innocent brown eyes looked up at him. “Please go to Elena.”
The boy shook his head ‘no’ fiercely as he buried his face further into the former General’s shirt. Seraph sighed before rubbing the hair on the boy’s head and glancing once at Elena. She nodded in understanding as she moved forward, unsure as to why she was agreeing to help Sephiroth but more concerned for the boy than anything.
“Go with Elena,” commanded the General more firmly as he pried the boy from his front and pushed him towards the blonde Turk. Denzel began to cry, resisting all movement as he turned red-rimmed eyes towards the man who had saved his life. The others watched this with observant eyes, Aeris’ heart going out to the poor boy. He seemed so worried for Sephiroth.
His face grim, the dark-haired man continued to push the boy forward until Elena claimed him, pulling the brunet towards Aeris. Denzel continued to weep as Aeris knelt slightly, enveloping him in a hug. He clung tightly to her, begging in his childlike voice not to hurt his ‘Seph’.
“How can a child be so wrong?” Elena murmured under her breath as her heart ached at the sight of the crying Denzel.
Her words, however, were not heard by the former members of ShinRa. Both Seraph and Cloud were eyeing each other carefully now that there was no longer a Denzel-shaped barrier between them. Tseng was standing off to the side, observing their movements, realizing that there was nothing he could do but watch and wait. This was a problem between them; he had no part of it. He could take up with the liar on his own at a later time… provided that Cloud didn’t kill him first.
He hoped that the blond man would realize, however, that this Sephiroth was not the same as the one that had tried to destroy the Planet six months prior. There was no mocking in his gaze or speech, no madness in his eyes. Only regret and sadness reflected in mossy green orbs. Tseng wondered if the former SOLDIER’s anger was too great to see the truth.
Seraph made his movements slow, never taking his eyes off Cloud. He took the sword that Gilgamesh had given him from its makeshift holster and slowly laid it on the ground before taking a step backwards from the weapon. Before… he never would have done such a thing, never unarmed himself before the enemy. Yet, he could no longer consider Cloud the enemy. If this was to be his retribution, his repentance for the pain he had caused, he would gladly accept it. He should have been stronger then… he should have resisted the siren’s haunting call.
“What are you doing?” hissed Cloud, surprise registering on his face.
“I will not fight you,” responded the former General. “I’ve no wish to hurt another innocent again.”
“Why not? You had no problem with it before. Did you suddenly grow a conscience?”
Seraph lowered his eyes, unable to come up with a proper response. Truly he had none but his apologies, but didn’t think they would be accepted. He had to try, however.
“I only have my deepest regret to offer,” the former General answered in a voice so soft, it was rather difficult to hear.
Cloud chewed on his lip in indecision, anger floating behind his every thought. His gaze darted from the unarmed Seraph to the crying child to Aeris’ hopeful face. He cursed angrily, more to himself than anyone else, before waving a hand at the former General. The man staggered suddenly and slowly sunk, catching himself almost immediately. His gaze flashed to Cloud for an instant, and he stopped resisting the magic. Before he could speak another word, Seraph’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed to the ground.
His face scrunching up in an almost unidentifiable emotion, Cloud wasted no time in turning around and angrily punching the side of the building, trying to both dispel the fight tension in his body and displaying his irritation at not being able to destroy the man that had killed his beloved once upon a time.
Elena gasped in surprise, looking towards the blond swordsman. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t kill him if that’s what you are asking!” Cloud snapped as he turned to glance over his shoulder. “I merely put him to sleep. He must not have any status protecting armor equipped. Pretty stupid if you ask me.”
Tseng moved to the fallen man’s side, checking him. “Sleeping soundly,” he confirmed before looking up at Cloud. “What now?”
The former SOLDIER sighed as he lowered his weapon, jabbing it into the rough dirt so that it would remain upright, and rubbing his forehead with his free hand. “I still don’t trust him, but if that kid is willing to cry and throw himself in front of him… I can’t just kill him. Especially if he won’t fight back.”
“Cloud,” called out Aeris softly, still trying to console Denzel. “It is supposed to be him, though I cannot fathom why.”
This revelation only caused the blond swordsman to sigh further before eyeing the Wutaiian Turk. “You have cuffs don’t you? And a jail at Neo-ShinRa HQ? Can you keep him there until we figure out what’s going on?”
Tseng mused idly as Elena nodded, she being the one to have the cuffs. Leaving Denzel’s side, she knelt at the fallen Seraph’s side, quickly pulling his hands behind his back and subduing them with the metal restraints. “If he is truly Sephiroth, I don’t see how our jails can hold him.”
“He is!” snapped Cloud. “My memory might fail me at times, but I know that bastard’s face. If he is really repentant, then he won’t try to break out. But if he does, then I will kill him on sight. It’s that simple.”
“Seph saved me,” murmured the child quietly, his voice carrying through the adult conversation. “Please don’t kill him.”
Cloud closed his eyes, trying to damper his fury and soften his own voice. He moved to kneel beside the boy, trying to lock eyes with him. “I won’t hurt him unless he tries to hurt my friends, okay?”
Denzel nodded in understanding, looking pitiful with his red-rimmed eyes and lower lip poked out.
Elena shook her head in disbelief. “What the hell ever happened to peace?” she questioned aloud. “Monsters attacking the cities… strange goings on everywhere and then Sephiroth suddenly appearing… madness has descended upon Gaia.”
“And I get the strange feeling it is only going to get worse,” murmured Tseng, moving to the sword that Seraph had placed on the ground. He bent over and picked it up, observing the blade.
“This is not the Masamune, but it is very similar. I wonder where he got it,” he stated aloud. He noticed there were strange markings on the blade but couldn’t make them out or read them. They were in a language he was not familiar with.
Cloud sighed. “I’ll cast Silence and Darkness for good measure, then you can wake him up. That way he won’t be any bit of a threat to you while you two take him to ShinRa HQ. I’ll get Denzel settled in here before I join you. It might also be a good idea to call Reeve.”
“If you can get through to him,” replied Elena. “The circuits are still having trouble with all the lines down, and I know he’s in Wutai. They, he and Archer, think Reno is there.”
Aeris shook her head, chuckling lightly. “It never leaves you, does it?” she questioned of her husband. “That natural knack for leadership…”
He shrugged idly, eyes still alit with some form of anger. “It is a matter of necessity.” His gaze fell on the still sleeping General as his voice dropped in timber. “Why couldn’t you just stay dead,” he mused aloud. “Why couldn’t you just stay in our memories and leave us in peace?”
It didn’t help that the others were wondering the very same thing.
***