Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Gift ❯ Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, first chappy; and just so you know I finally came up with an actual plot to go with this (got the idea when I started writing the third chapter), so that should lessen the impact of the chapter 6 revision; the plotline still needs some refinement though, which is fine because I want to do more situation building first. In any case, you don't know what I'm referring to there…and won't until much later!

Mwahahahaha!!! Ha…ha… …um…yeah… I'm done now…

The Gift

Chapter 1

Cloud gazed apprehensively at the mostly rebuilt town of Mideel. It had been roughly nine months since he'd been washed up here, three months since Sephiroth's death by Cloud's hand. The town was now built around the edges of the softly glowing mako lake, debris, primarily wood from the obliterated buildings, still floated lazily in the energy-rich water.

"I'm here, Sephiroth," Cloud murmured. "Now what?"

Two days ago, and with little explaination for his departure, Cloud had left Tifa's bar on the outskirts of Midgar, where he had been living for the last two months. He had decided that even if he could resist the voice in his head, he couldn't just ignore it. He had to investigate. He had to know if it was really Sephiroth speaking to him.

Exhausted in every way imaginable, Cloud continued into the town and took a room at the inn, falling asleep almost the moment his head touched the pillow.

He was floating, surrounded by the glow of the Lifestream.

He couldn't feel his fingers or toes or even his own flesh, yet he could feel the arms around his waist, the beating of the heart within the chest pressed against his back, the lips moving against the nape of his neck...

-:- You won't last much longer here, Cloud... -:-

Cloud stared at pale green light painted on the ceiling for several minutes before realizing that he was awake. Slowly he got out of bed and walked to the window, looking down at the mako lake shining so brightly that the full moon could not make a reflection in it.

Cloud's mako-blue eyes widened as he caught sight of a tall figure standing in the center of the lake, not making so much as a ripple on it's surface; in fact he seemed to be either standing on the water or hovering above it. Slowly the figure turned and Cloud could feel the glowing jade eyes burning into him, even though the distance was too great for him to see them.

-:- Come. It is time. -:-

Cloud nodded slightly and left the room; he walked down the hall to the front door of the inn, drawing a strange look and quiet question from the young woman who was sitting half-asleep at the front desk. He ignored her and stepped out into the night.

Cloud came to a stop at the lake's edge and couldn't bring himself to be the least bit surprised when a large piece of driftwood - it appeared to once have been part of someone's porch - floated straight over to him and stopped at the shore, bobbing quietly in the small waves. Cloud hesitated only a moment before stepping onto it and being carried slowly out onto the lake.

As the makeshift boat drifted, Cloud couldn't help but wonder if he actually had been compelled to come here and simply didn't know it - certainly he hadn't been aware of it when he was being manipulated by Sephiroth before - but as he neared the figure in the lake he decided that it was far to late for that to make a difference either way.

Looking at the figure before him, Cloud realized that it was not a person at all, at least...not in the literal, physical sense. Beneath the image of pale flesh, dark cloth, and silver hair, Cloud could see the movement of the Lifestream; swirls of energy manifesting Sephiroth's form. Strangely, Cloud felt a pang in his chest that resembled sorrow.

-:- Cloud. -:- Sephiroth's mouth did not move.

"Why have you called me? What do you want?"

-:- To give you something. A parting gift, if you will, but also a great responsibility. -:-

"I don't want anything from you." There was no spite in his tone, though plenty of bitterness.

-:- It is much too late for that. This is already yours. -:- Sephiroth reached into the mako lake and pulled out what looked like a Huge Meteria, it was almost Summon-red in color, but darker, a color closer to that of blood.

"What is it?"

-:- You don't remember. -:- It wasn't quite a question. Sephiroth held the object out, and Cloud hesitated for quite a while before accepting it. -:- It was...to fill a void. I do not know if it would have worked, but I hope it brings you some measure of... -:- and the last "word" from Sephiroth was not so much a word as a concept - peace, comfort, contentment, purpose, fulfillment, happiness, and many other emotions both rolled into one and in place of one another - all of these feelings together, or, if not, then at least one of them, was what Cloud supposed that inclusive and the same time exclusive feeling meant.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Cloud asked.

-:- It is already yours. -:- Sephiroth repeated.

The collection of Lifestream energy that made up Sephiroth's hand touched the crystal, and suddenly it was crystal no longer, but fluid that poured through Cloud's hands like blood but left no stain, leaving him holding something small and warm and alive...and infinitely precious.

Cloud's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open slightly, and he looked up at Sephiroth in disbelief - for what Cloud held was a newborn child with a shock of silver hair, and brilliant mako-blue eyes. Sephiroth's "hand" touched the infant's forehead for a moment, and then drifted from there up to the side of Cloud's face; the sensation was hard to describe, less substantial than the night breeze blowing across the lake, but at the same time more acute. The glowing jade eyes burned into Cloud's lapis ones, and then Sephiroth's lips closed on Cloud's.

It was like kissing light, and taking it in cell by cell.

-:- Forgive me... -:- Sephiroth's voice echoed in every atom of Cloud's being. -:- ...and... thank you... -:-

Cloud opened his eyes and silently watched Sephiroth disperse into the Lifestream for the second time.

-:- Think of it, Cloud. A descendent of Jenova, conceived within the Lifestream. Is it even within your ability to imagine how powerful our son will be? -:-

Cloud's eyes widened in combined awe and terror as the fragment of memory released him, then a fierce desire to protect the infant took over and he cradled his son against his chest.

A/N: Yeah, this is kinda short - I almost think of it as a second prologue myself… So there's the situation; what do you think?

Reviews are Muse fodder!

Feed the Muse!