#if some members of AVALANCHE made it (Yuffie Aerith cid) does that mean the others stayed behind when their world fell? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

omegasquire · 7 years

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Rose Gold: Ch 6

Cloud was starting to get used to seeing old faces scrutinizing him and treating him with disdain. Reeve looked at him like he didn’t know him -- and he didn’t. None of them did. Aerith, however, wanted to remedy that. Her exclamation to speak with him had been a shock for all of them. Cloud was certain her request would be refused, but Sephiroth gave his permission.

Now, all of them were gathered in Reeve’s office. It overlooked the harbor city, as well as the clear waters. The cannon that had once been the centerpiece of the harbor now looked inoperable, possibly abandoned over time. Cloud could see it from where the office was, nested above the barrel.

He was surprised to see Reeve here. He knew Reeve was working on restoring the balance of the planet, but he had heard no word of the man calling Junon his base. Then again, he was now supposedly in a different world.

He was still trying to understand that. Gaia’s request buzzed in his head, a jumble of words that were only now starting to make sense. Starting to. He wouldn’t go so far as to say he grasped everything, only that he finally had something to work with.

Turning his attention to Aerith, who stood across from him, Cloud eased the tension from his shoulders. “What did you want to know?”

“Everything. I know you aren’t from here. Who are you? Who were you in your world?”

“His world?” Yuffie leaned in, alarm written on her face. “As in another one? Like Jenova?”

“No, not like that.” Aerith’s lips pressed together. She stared at Cloud intently. “As in he’s from a world just like ours. You come from a reality that isn’t that different from ours, don’t you?”

Cloud said nothing.

“You aren’t Jenova’s son.” Aerith’s words were the very same Cloud had told Red, and would continue to tell anyone who asked or accused him. To hear someone say he wasn’t Jenova’s son, and with certainty, was both unexpected and relieving. “You refuse to acknowledge her as your mother even though that is who we know you as.”

“She isn’t,” he agreed.

Before anyone could interrupt, Aerith quickly continued, “Then who is she to you?”

“She’s the Calamity. She’s nothing more than a monster that needs to be destroyed.” His gaze darted to the others. “Whatever you think, I’m not her son.”

“Who are you, then?” Red asked, ears perked in interest.

Cloud’s hands curled in. That was a simple question with a complicated answer. He didn’t know where to start, if he was one of the planet’s saviors, or a member of AVALANCHE, or a fraud SOLDIER, or a man who had been forced to face tragedy at a terribly young age.

He supposed it all came down to one thing: “Nobody.”

He wasn’t someone who deserved any special treatment. He had no medals or title to imply an important status. He didn’t carry with him any proof of his trials and accomplishments, however few they were. He was just some guy from a small town in the middle of the mountains. A nobody.

“That’s not an answer.”

Cloud was just short of bristling when Sephiroth spoke. He shot the man a look, his lips flattening into a line. “I’m from Nibelheim; that town doesn’t breed heroes. I was nobody there, and when I joined Shinra, I was nobody there as well. ...I never made it into SOLDIER, so I still wasn’t a somebody.”

“You never made it into SOLDIER?” Zack’s incredulous tone drew his gaze.

“No.” The reminder of his failure scratched at his throat. Cloud swallowed it down and kept his voice level. “I never passed the exam to enter the program.”

“Your eyes glow like you’ve been injected with mako...” Zack looked at him in confusion. Cloud had always known Zack to have bright blue eyes, their glow a trademark feature for every SOLDIER. He liked Zack’s eyes, because just as they were bright, they were also warm.

As a teen, he had wondered if his eyes would ever be like that. If he made it into SOLDIER, would he have the same warm blues that Zack had?

But he didn’t make it into SOLDIER. His eyes were a fraud.

Jaw ticking, Cloud tried to bury the sour thought. “I had mako poisoning.”

Aerith’s eyes widened. Cloud tried to read the emotions on her face, but there were too many to sort through, changing too quickly for him to catch. Looking at Zack again, he saw it was frozen in disbelief. He didn’t mean to upset Zack, but truth was truth; he had to be trapped in an underground laboratory for almost half a decade in order to gain the same traits and abilities normal SOLDIERs had.

“That’s...”

Cloud returned his attention on Aerith and almost looked away again. Her expression had finally settled into one of pity and horror. Or maybe it was sympathy?

She doesn’t truly care for you.

That voice was back.

“What happened?” Zack asked.

Cloud shook his head, partly to remove the voice in his head, and partly to suppress the painful emotions that came with the topic. He wasn’t enthused about talking about that time, but this was a chance for him to explain himself and let them see he wasn’t related to Jenova.

“I was part of the group that went to check on the Nibelheim reactor. When the town was burned down--” he shot a brief accusatory look at Sephiroth, “--I was injured. Hojo took me for experiments. He thought he could make another Sephiroth, so I was kept in a tank full of mako for almost five years. ...I turned out to be a failure, though.”

You were perfect. He presumed you deficient, but you were everything he could hope for and more. You are everything. No one sees it. Not as I do.

Cloud mentally pushed her away. He didn’t want to listen to her.

Aerith stepped toward him. She paused as if uncertain before reaching for his hands, holding them in hers. Cloud stiffened but didn’t pull away. “I’ve seen those who have been poisoned. Shinra and Hojo experimented on many people, hurting and killing them. You made it out.”

“With help,” he muttered. Zack was the reason he was alive.

“What about Jenova?” Yuffie quipped.

“Being infused with Jenova’s cells was part of the experiments... the Jenova Project.”

“So even if you say you aren’t Jenova’s son, you still got her inside you.” Cid’s suspicion was clear in his voice. “How do we know you aren’t her puppet?”

You are only a puppet to those who deceive and distrust you. Aren’t you already their puppet? They take everything away from you, leaving you nothing. You are oppressed, made docile to their commands.

Cloud knit his brows to hide a flinch.

Aerith turned to Cid in disapproval. “Stop. I want to talk to him, not accuse him.”

“I’m not accusing, I’m stating the truth,” Cid returned.

“He’s here to help us. Gaia needs him, just as she needs all of us, to keep her safe.” Aerith looked at Cloud again, lightly squeezing his hands. She searched his face. “You’ve done it before. In your world, you fought for the planet, and you know us.”

He nodded.

“Who were we?”

“Allies and friends. I traveled with AVALANCHE to hunt down Jenova...” His gaze landed on Sephiroth, his voice low. “...and you. You took everything away from me.”

He’ll do it again. He won’t let you live. You won’t be able to do what you want, he’ll make sure of that.

Pain spiked in his head. He shook it off and eased out of Aerith’s grasp. Every word was like a needle spearing his mind. He didn’t want to admit it, but the voice was right. Sephiroth was likely the least enthused about the idea of giving him a chance.

Sephiroth didn’t like him, just as Cloud didn’t like him. If he was in Sephiroth’s place, he’d probably act the same way. But he was on the other side. In this backwards world, he was the enemy while Sephiroth remained the hero.

It stung. Even in this reality, Sephiroth remained perched on his pedestal. He was someone the others respected, and maybe even considered a friend. Cloud couldn’t help but hate him a little for that. It was probably a childish feeling, but he had once looked up to Sephiroth too. He wasn’t someone Cloud could ever relate to, though it had once been his wish to be close to him.

There’s no reason to pine for something that will never change. He will abandon you. They will all cast you aside.

“Did you...” Aerith called his attention. “Did you save your world?”

“Yes. At a heavy cost...”

He grimaced, partially because of the old wound of having Aerith taken away from them in the Forbidden City, and partially because he felt claws digging into his mind. They raked along the walls of his conscious, making him slightly nauseous.

Why couldn’t he make her go away?

Don’t push me away. I will give you everything. Please, let us be together.

“You said you were here to save someone.”

Cloud forced himself to focus on Red in hopes of distracting himself from the pain. “Yeah.”

The lion tilted his head in a curious gesture. “Does this just mean the planet, or someone else as well?”

Cloud tried to shake his head but quickly stopped. Sudden movements made his head hurt worse. He wanted to sit down, but his legs wouldn’t bend. “I’m not sure. It might.”

He knew he had to save ‘someone’ but who that was eluded him. He wanted to voice this, but he felt if he did, his helplessness would be made clear. He was a wandering fool, grasping at straws while stuck in a foreign world, with his friends wanting to kill him. He couldn’t save anyone here, especially when he didn’t know who he was supposed to be saving in the first place.

Save me. Save yourself. Who said you aren’t the one that needs saving? I can be the one to do that. I can be everything you want and need. I love you. Please, share your love with me, too.

He gritted his teeth. He didn’t want her love. He wasn’t going to love her, either. He wanted nothing to do with her.

“That’s not very specific.” Cid frowned, still disgruntled.

“But it still remains Gaia doesn’t want us to harm him. He can fight alongside us,” Aerith offered.

Yuffie shifted her weight, her eyes moving back and forth between them. “But... even if he fights with us, what are we supposed to do about Jenova? I mean, she’s back, right? That’s what we’re talking about?”

“Aye, seems like it.” Cait Sith rubbed a gloved hand over his head.

“We haven’t seen much of that,” Zack noted. “It’s been little more than a day, but shouldn’t we have seen something by now? Besides this.”

Aerith shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“I still don’t think we should be trusting him.” Cid’s lips turned into a stubborn scowl.

See how they argue?

Cloud could barely hear them. Jenova’s voice -- it had to be hers, there was no other possibility -- grew louder, drowning out all other sounds. He felt her reaching for him, phantom arms slowly circling him.

They doubt. They don’t believe you. None of them truly understands what you are going through -- what you have been through. They will take you for granted, even if they decide to let you live.

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to shove her back.

I will listen to you. I will free you from your suffering. Just let us be together. Let me embrace you.

A hand suddenly gripped his arm like a vice, cool leather pressed against his skin. Cloud jerked, his eyes flying open. He looked up at Sephiroth who had suddenly crossed the distance between them. His skin burned where Sephiroth touched him, too close to the sensation of Jenova’s reaching hands.

Yanking out of Sephiroth’s grasp, Cloud narrowed his eyes. “Don’t touch me.”

Please... Please, let me...

He stumbled, vertigo rocking his balance. Cloud’s vision swam, certain his knees would finally buckle, when he felt Sephiroth grab him again, trapping both of his arms.

The backs of Cloud’s eyes burned as he focused on the man’s face, meeting that piercing stare. The pounding in his head felt like a thousand hammers and clubs beating against the walls of his mind. Swallowing thickly, he tried to pull free, but Sephiroth didn’t let him go.

“I said don’t touch me,” he forced out through clenched teeth. He barely heard himself, as if he was speaking from a distance.

Sephiroth’s grip only tightened. He stepped closer to Cloud, towering over him.

The close proximity of the other man’s body was suffocating. Cloud sucked in a breath, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He felt ill, and forced himself to remain on his own two feet. He wasn’t going to sag in the man’s arms like some pup needing support. He wouldn’t show Sephiroth any more weakness than he already had.

Exhaling shakily, he didn’t blink as he held eye contact with the taller man. Gradually, the nausea and dizziness faded, and the burning behind his eyes seceded as well. Jenova hissed in the back of his mind, but as he slowly gathered himself together and managed to stand up straight without wanting to tuck his head between his knees, she, too, left.

He didn’t understand why or how she had been chased away, but relief washed over him all the same. Sucking in another breath, he shuddered at the lingering contact between him and Sephiroth.

“Let go,” he repeated, his voice rough.

Sephiroth either didn’t hear him or chose to ignore him because he still didn’t release him. He stared at him, green eyes narrowing to match his own expression.

“We won’t kill you, but you are still dangerous here. You are connected to Jenova; you’re not leaving our sight.”

Cloud wore a look of distaste but didn’t argue. He clenched his fists, too aware of the meaning of those words. Jenova was affecting him, and he didn’t know how to fight her. He’d never had this happen before. He’d never felt her dig into him like this when he was chasing after the Sephiroth of his world.

Knowing she was inside him again, spinning her lies and trying to coax him into siding with her, nearly made him nauseous again. Before, he had constantly been degraded to a puppet, seen as a tool rather than a person -- an expendable pawn on the chessboard in Jenova’s ploy.

Here, he knew he was still a pawn, but her tactic had changed. She insisted he was special, that he would never be wanted by anyone except her, and her love would be more than enough for him. It was disgusting. He didn’t want to be treated like a toy, and he certainly didn’t want to be cherished by a monster.

“Hey, Sephiroth?” Zack came around, entering the corner of Cloud’s view. “Maybe we should--”

An alarm suddenly blared just beyond the doors, cutting him off. A comm on Reeve's desk chirruped. “Reeve, sir!”

“What is it?”

For the first time, Cloud heard him speak. He had forgotten the man was there.

“There are monsters entering Junon from the port! What do we do?”

“Have a unit go there immediately to handle the monsters. We need another unit to make sure the civilians are moved to safety.”

“Yes, sir!”

Reeve turned and looked right at Cloud. The question was there, even if he hadn't said it aloud: who or what was the cause? There was only one answer, and Cloud knew everyone had all thought it because their eyes landed on him. He was the cause. Whether or not he had a personal hand in it, it didn’t matter. He was the source of the threat.

Sephiroth finally released him and turned to the others. “Cid, Yuffie, guard him.”

“What? I’m not--”

“But--”

“Keep him safe.” Sephiroth glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “We’re not done yet. Zack, help get the citizens to safety. Everyone else, we’ll spread out and eliminate the threat.”

There was a chorus of agreement, albeit a couple were made reluctantly, before they started leaving the office. Sephiroth paused to give a few final words before he left. “Make sure he doesn’t try to run away. If he does, subdue him, but don’t kill him.”

Cid grumbled his compliance and Yuffie wore a worried look before nodding. “Okay.”

Cloud’s mouth set into a flat line but let himself be ordered to stay put. Sephiroth wouldn’t let him move a muscle. He’d likely pin Cloud down himself if necessary. Cloud couldn’t let that happen.

“Aerith.”

She turned around to look at Zack and seemed to sense what he was thinking because she took his hand. His fingers curled around hers. “What you said back there. About Strife fighting on our side, and the whole parallel worlds thing. Is it really true?”

“Yes. He comes from a different world, much like ours, where he is not the one who tried to ruin the planet. He's innocent.”

“That’s great, but...” His mouth quickly turned down. “Cid’s definitely against it. The others are, too.”

“I know, but we can’t give up.” She bridged the gap between them and briefly hugged him. “He’ll suffer for our sake, and for Gaia’s.”

Zack wrapped his arms around her. “I still don’t get why this is happening. Jenova, him, everything. I thought we took care of things.”

“I wish I knew as well. Gaia is sick, to the point she had to call him here. Whatever is happening to her...” She shook her head. Zack held her closer. “We must work together.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Zack gave one last squeeze before letting go. He smiled at her. “When you put two good things together, you get something great. Like us! Now let’s go save Junon.”

Aerith laughed softly and nodded. “Okay.”

He turned his wrist, angling the strike across the beast’s torso. It was a clean cut, slicing the beast perfectly in two. Sephiroth moved with deadly grace, green eyes focused on the enemies before him. The challenge was not the monsters themselves but his surroundings. He had to tailor his attacks and avoid as much collateral damage as possible.

There was some saving grace that the attack had come from the waters instead of land. They could back them into its depths and build a barricade to prevent their return. Reeve would have to coordinate his troops and make changes to assure the harbor town remained safe.

This massive assault bothered him. They were fortunate they weren’t in a larger city. It was clear they were here for Strife, be it to take him or kill him, or kill them for keeping him away from Jenova. Which one it was remained uncertain, but regardless the answer, they had to stop this attack.

Jenova shouldn’t have express power over the beasts that roamed the planet. They were free creatures. Gaia was the only one who had any hold over them, if she were to exert any command at all. Surely, Gaia would’ve prevented Jenova from doing this.

Why wasn’t she?

Sephiroth sliced through two foes at once, taking their heads clean off their shoulders.

Was the situation worse than they thought?

He didn’t have the connection Aerith had with Gaia. He couldn’t hear her voice or follow her direction. To ask her to show them what was happening to her would be impossible, and it irritated him to know this. As it stood, they were floundering in the dark.

There had to be a way to fix this. Gaia was unable to heal herself, to the point she brought Strife over from a parallel world.

The concept of a parallel world didn’t bother Sephiroth as it probably should’ve. It was the fact Strife was the one to carry between the dimensions that made him uneasy.

Of all people, it had to be him.

Jumping to a high roof, Sephiroth surveyed his surroundings. He heard the gunfire of infantrymen engaged in their battles. While not products of Shinra, they trained to keep the planet safe. Reeve took them in and watched over them here at Junon. What had started out as a small group expanded into a few organization of eager individuals who wanted to restore the balance between the people and create a peaceful place for everyone to live. It was two years in the making and there was much to be done.

Especially now. They were facing a potential repeat of history, and the planet’s defenses were worse off than it was the first time. If Strife joined Jenova, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Sephiroth’s grip tightened around the handle of his sword. His hands felt hot under his gloves. He hadn’t meant to touch Strife. He wanted to avoid any physical contact with the other man, but when he saw the strain in his face to keep his expression neutral, and the precarious balance he maintained to stay upright, Sephiroth reached for him. He should’ve reached for his sword instead, especially when a bright green had rolled over Strife’s irises, but being able to touch Strife made him falter.

He’d stepped closer to Strife without conscious thought, and it took a great amount of effort to keep his emotions in check. He wiped all expression from his face as he met Strife’s eyes. It was both nostalgic and foreign to see that handsome face looking up at him.

Years ago, that same face would look up at him with affection. A smile would curl his lips, and when he would lean into him...

Sephiroth slammed the brakes on that train of thought. He wouldn’t let his emotions take control. They couldn’t trust Strife. There were still too many unknowns surrounding the man. He was too dangerous to be left alone.

Sephiroth lifted his hand, turning his palm up to stare at it. His jaw clenched and he curled his fingers in. No matter how good it felt to be touch Strife, he couldn’t be swayed by the longing in his heart.

#{ rose gold }

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