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Requiem of a Spirit	By : worsel Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 725 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
Title: Requiem of a Spirit (10/?)

Pairing: VxC, SxC

Rating: NC-17 overall, this chap PG

Warnings: Post AC, fluff, angst, sex

Spoilers: Spoilers for AC

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of the characters.

A/N: I am SO sorry
AFF readers! I know it�s taken me forever to post new chapters! I haven�t
gotten to read my reviews, and also the upload ate my page breaks! I�ll try to fix
that when I have time! I was having some major problems doing anything when AFF
switched everything, but I have returned and will be posting my updates here!

Sorry, I�m late
again, but you all are probably used to it by now. I had to go back to college
and hit a spot of writer�s block. I also made the mistake of borrowing KH2 from
Jeff, and buying Dirge of Cerberus. And the one time I decided to go out, I got
stood up� >>

Anyway� You
know, as I type this, I think, �Wow. I should just take the angst label off.�
But there IS angst I SWEAR! It�s� just� gonna take a
while. =__=

PS: I have a MySpace now! So feel free to add me on there! http
:// www .myspace .com / zgworsel�� Just remove the spaces!

�So why are we doing this again?� Sephiroth
queried while Reno
practically shoved him into a chair in front of the sink.

�Because, Cloud asked me to,� the redhead replied
in a bored tone.

�Yes, but why are we dyeing my hair?�

�Somehow, people got this crazy notion that
people with silver hair are psycho killers! Now how did that happen, I wonder?�

�Point taken,� the former general conceded.

Reno
cracked his knuckles and began to open a few bottles. �Now don�t you worry. When I�m done with you, your hair will be as black as
midnight.� Sephiroth growled through gritted teeth while the Turk poured black
ooze into a gloved palm. �Quit your whining and hold still!�

Sephiroth begrudgingly obliged, if only for the
fact that Cloud was in the next room and would likely kill him if any harm
befell the Turk.� As if on cue, the
blonde entered the kitchen. His serious expression melted a little as Reno worked the slightly
viscous fluid into the general�s hair.

�So Cloud, you�ve been asking for a lot of favors
lately,� the Turk drawled.

�Sorry,� Cloud apologized. �You�re probably
getting annoyed.�

�Not really. You�re making my life interesting.
Plus, it�s keeping me out of the office!�

�Having problems with Rufus?�

�I�d rather not talk about it.� There was
finality in Reno�s
tone that made Cloud drop the subject immediately.

�I love how you people just talk as if I�m not
here,� Sephiroth snarled. Reno
promptly yanked on the man�s hair and continued.

�I haven�t found anything about those creatures
yet. The only suspicious thing I found was a report of a missing �Razor Cat.�
Hideous thing, and it�s spikier than you are! Other
than that, there are no reports of anything like what you described, so it�s
either extremely secretive, a random freak species, or the information was
destroyed with most of Shin Ra�s archives. Don�t worry though, I�ll keep
searching.�

�I appreciate it.�

�As I said, it keeps things interesting. Rufus
has arranged for me to drop you off in Junon, and
you�ll have a buggy waiting for you in Costa del Sol
that you�ll take to Gongaga. I also made sure that Fenrir will get a new paint
job; I�ve got a friend in the city that runs a shop. Rufus was kinda mad that I�ve been helping you out so much lately,
but he�ll get over it.�

�Thanks again.�

�No problem!� Reno
shouted over the indignant squawk that Sephiroth made when Reno plunged the man�s head under a jet of
water.

A few minutes and an attempted drowning later, Reno freed the formerly
silver haired man from his torture, and escorted everyone outside.

�Alright, everyone into the
vehicle!� Reno
called. �Now don�t let the grouch get wet or he�ll melt. Other than that,
Cloud, I expect you to have my babies for all that I do for you!�

�Not likely,� Vincent grumbled.

�Well, it was worth a shot.�

The journey from Costa del
Sol had been a short one, but it wasn�t really surprising with how
Cloud drove. Sephiroth surmised that the blonde had picked up the finer points
of driving from Zack, but he refused to complain about it. He�d never bothered
to drive anywhere, so Cloud had never learned to drive effectively without
giving anyone whiplash.

It wasn�t that Sephiroth couldn�t drive; the
military taught him to drive or pilot anything. There was just always someone
else to do the job, or he made better time on foot.

Gongaga itself was a small village in the middle
of nowhere, surrounded by dense forests. It was almost insignificant and people
might wonder why Sephiroth had even passed through on his path of destruction.
Zack� This had been Zack�s home, and the SOLDIER had held fond memories of the
place.

Jenova knew the place would damage Cloud�s
fragile subconscious, and ventured there accordingly. What she hadn�t known was
that the fraction of Sephiroth�s mind that had been conscious at the time came
here for forgiveness.

He wasn�t sure what he needed to be forgiven for.
Perhaps for failing his loved ones, or maybe for
turning into the type of power hungry animal he�d always hated. He was sure of
one thing though, he hadn�t yet found that forgiveness.

Aerith and Zack had both forgiven him, but he
couldn�t forgive himself. Not until he was sure that he had made things right,
and that may never happen. However, his dream still haunted him. There was
something important in that book, and Aerith had told him to find it.

�Are you just going to sit there?� A deep voice
grumbled near him.

Sephiroth looked up at Vincent and then around
him. This village hadn�t changed at all.

�Why did we have to come here again?� the former
General queried.

�Cloud feels, shall we say, obliged to come and
visit Zack�s family,� Vincent uttered. �He�s all they have left of their son.�

Sephiroth sighed and clamored out of the buggy,
following his companions into the dense forest towards the town. There were a
few pesky creatures blocking the path and dropping down from trees, but they
were mowed down by Vincent and Cloud before one could blink.

�Tch.
These aren�t even worth the time,� Cloud huffed in frustration.

�You realize that you�re always on edge when we
come here?� The gunman murmured.

�Not now Vincent!� The blonde growled.

�Understood.� With
that the ex-Turk fell into silence once again.

Cloud hoisted his pack further up onto his
shoulder. �We�ll be staying the night here, so you know.�

Sephiroth couldn�t decide whether the blonde was
speaking to him, or if he expected a reply, so he remained silent throughout
the rest of their trek to the village.

Once inside the village warm smiles greeted them
from all directions. Some children and pets milled about while their mothers
tended chores and the men worked at clearing forest or running shops. The
village was still rather rudimentary and a bit on the traditional side.
Sephiroth was surprised that these people were so willing to let them in, but
they probably knew Cloud and Vincent well by now.

�This village has grown,� Sephiroth proclaimed.

�Yeah, some of people who fled Midgar after
Meteor came here,� Cloud replied.

�But aren�t there many who stayed?�

�Not really. Most of the inhabitants fled to
several of the smaller towns and villages. Some even set up new ones. Only the
strongest or the most despicable can truly survive in what is left of Midgar.
It�s still the same breeding ground of filth that it always was,� Vincent
added.

Sephiroth was about to reply but was cut short by
some sort of shrieking beast.

�I SWEAR you boys are going to die of heat
stroke!�

After recovering from the initial shock he
realized the beast was in fact a woman probably in her forties. She had plain
brown hair tied into a long braid, but her bright violet eyes betrayed her
identity.

�Hey mom!�
Cloud exclaimed and pulled the woman, obviously Zack�s mother, into a tight
hug.

�You didn�t run into any trouble on the way, did
you?�

�No, just a few low level monsters. Nothing to worry about.�

�Good. And how are you, Vincent?�

�Fine ma�am,� The gunman replied as calmly as
ever. That earned him a swift cuff on the head. How the woman was able to reach
that high, he�d never know.

�I�ve told you a thousand times, it�s Mom to you!
And where is my hug?� She shouted before pulling Vincent into a more sedate
embrace. Vincent glared over the woman�s shoulder to Cloud and indulged her
behavior if only for the sake of the blonde.

�See? That wasn�t so bad! Honestly, I don�t see
why you make such a fuss!� Her gleaming eyes finally settled on Sephiroth for a
moment, and this time she smacked Cloud on the back of the head. �Why didn�t
you tell me you were bringing company?�

�We didn�t think you�d mind!� Cloud squawked as
Zack�s mother glared at him.

�I don�t mind, but this means I have to cook
something special for our guest! You could�ve warned me! And aren�t you going
to introduce me to your friend?�

All three men stood perfectly still for a moment.

�Well, um� First off, he�s not THAT kind of
friend and uh� His name is� Steph!�

�Steph?�

�Yeah� It�s short for Stephen!�

�Well, it�s nice to meet you Stephen. I�m Grace,
but you are welcome to call me Mom. Were you also a friend of Zack�s?�

�Yes, that�s right. We worked together for a
while,� Sephiroth replied.

�I see. Well, you boys better change into more
appropriate clothes, and feel free to wander around. Last thing I need is you
getting in my way in the kitchen!�

Cloud muttered something about a spatula, but
hefted their pack over his shoulder again and followed Grace into the house.

Sephiroth personally never thought he�d wear
shorts in his life, but here he was clad in Khaki shorts and a white t-shirt,
with a bandage covering the �1� tattooed on his arm. Cloud happened to get into
a similar blue outfit without much insistence on Grace�s part.

Vincent, however, was sulking under a tree far
away from all of the villagers. Zack�s mother had literally started smacking
him with a wooden spoon before he finally gave in and changed into shorts and a
t-shirt, but he still refused to wear color. �I will keep SOME freedom from
that damned witch!� he cried.

Sephiroth was mulling over how ridiculously pale
Vincent�s legs were when Cloud flopped down beside him.

�Nice day, huh?� the blonde asked.

�It�s hot.� Sephiroth swept his bangs from his
eyes. �I�m sweaty, tired, and people keep calling me �Steph�.
So no, it�s not nice.�

�Sorry. I couldn�t think of anything better.�

�Couldn�t you think of something more�
dignified?�

�In the what, 2 seconds I had? No.�

�I think you truly are blonde sometimes.�

�Isn�t at least the village nice?� Cloud asked
ignoring the previous statement.

Sephiroth glanced at him. �I suppose. I�ve always
hated this place.�

�Always?�

�Well, not really. Only since Nibelheim. I hate that place too.�

�I see.� There was a long moment of silence. �I
miss him too.�

�I�m sure you do.�

�Since you know everything it seems.�

�What did you expect?�

Cloud shrugged and simply stared at the
surrounding forest. �Her husband died.�

�Lovely change in topic. Whose husband?�

�Grace�s. It�s
one of the reasons we come here. She gets lonely.�

�Why did you start coming here?�

�Well, the first time, I was chasing you. The
next, I don�t know. I just felt compelled to come here. Grace and her husband
had been worried about their son for over five years. I guess I had to give
them closure.�

�And yourself as well?�

�I guess. I told them about Aerith. I never told
them about us, but I never had to, really. I think Grace knew from the moment I
showed up.�

�So she is part of your surrogate family.�

�Yeah.
Vincent, me, and now you, are all she has left.�

�Ah yes, I almost forgot about our sulking
�friend�.�

�Well, we�re in the middle of the jungle. Need to
keep cool.�

�And preserve whatever is left of his brain.�

�Hey you three!
Dinner�s ready!� Grace called out the front door.

Sephiroth and Vincent shuffled into the house,
but Cloud kept staring down the trail. He could�ve sworn he saw something pink
out of the corner of his eye, but all he could see now was an elderly lady
taking flowers to the graveyard.

�Are you coming inside, Cloud?� Vincent inquired
from the door.

�Sorry, thought I saw something!� Or someone,
he tacked on mentally.

Dinner had been a rather tense affair for
Vincent. Between avoiding Grace and attempting to ignore Cloud and Sephiroth�s
rekindling friendship, he felt a general tightening in his stomach that could
not be attributed to food poisoning. He�d heard pieces of their conversation
earlier, and it was disconcerting to know that he couldn�t be part of it.
�
All in all, by the end of the evening, Vincent
was simply ready to crawl into bed, curl up next to Cloud, and sleep until they
had to leave. However, the Gods, being the bitches they were, did not seem to
agree. Vincent glared at the nightstand where Cloud�s phone chirped
oh-so-cheerfully while the screen flashed �RENO�. Vincent elbowed Cloud, but the blonde
kept quietly snoring. He glared at the malevolent piece of technology, �Shut
up!�

The phone fell silent, and Vincent sighed in
relief, only to jerk when it started its tirade again.

The dark haired man groaned, half-crawled over
Cloud and grasped the phone from the nightstand, flicking it open.

�What are you wearing?� Reno�s voice murmured.

Vincent�s arm that was supporting most of his
weight slid across the sheet, and he landed face-first into Cloud�s side. Cloud
only muttered in his sleep about stupid chocobos.

�What the--- Why are you
calling?� Vincent spat as he picked some of his hair from
his mouth.

�Vincent! Well, this is awkward. Well, not
really. I just kinda wasn�t expecting you to pick up
the phone!�

�You will die.�

�Calm down, yo! It�s a
joke. Anyway, I needed to talk to you.�

�Why? I swear if this is not important I�m going
to crush your skull!� Vincent growled trying to keep his voice as low as
possible.

�Is Cloud around?�

�He�s asleep. Why?�

�Go outside for a minute.�

�Why?�

�You seriously love that question, don�t you?
Just get away from him for a minute!�

Vincent tapped the blonde�s shoulder
experimentally, but Cloud didn�t stir. �Fine. Give me
a minute,� the gunman grumbled and slipped out of bed as quietly as possible.
It didn�t really help though, as he nearly broke his neck trying to exit the
house.

�Jeez yo!
Making enough noise?�

�Shut up! It�s your fault!� Vincent sneered.

�My fault? Whatever. Are you outside yet?�

�Yes, now what�s so important?�

�Right! So, I
was making my usual rounds tonight.�

�Congratulations, you managed to stay sober. Your
tolerance to alcohol is amazing.�

�Not those rounds! The ones for Shin Ra! I had to
go to Wall Market because someone owed us something, top secret, but that�s not
the point!�

�Then what IS the point?�

�I was passing through the old Sector 5 slums--
it�s worse than ever by the way-- and I saw something weird in the old church.�

�Define weird.�

�I saw HER! The Ancient!�

�You mean Aerith?� Vincent nearly dropped the
phone, but remembered calmly that this was Reno, and he could be stupid. Or drunk.

�That�s her name! But anyway, when I looked
again, she was gone!�

�So, I�m standing outside in pajamas so you can
tell me that you saw something that wasn�t there? That�s great.�

�Let me finish! So, I thought I was seeing things
as well, so I went into the church. I kinda felt like
someone was watching me the entire time, but there�s something seriously wrong
in that church!�

�Define wrong.�

�The flowers are all dead.�

A/N: Okay so lots of humour. Teeny bit o� angst. And plot pieces� So tired� T__T
- 10
- 11
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Requiem of a Spirit