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Let Him In	By : GodOfInsanity Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male > Cloud/Sephiroth Views: 2233 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 or its characters. Nor do I own Morrissey’s passage, either. I do not profit from any of it. I just had an itch to write this, so I did.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
Let Him In

Chapter warning(s): Language, Flashbacks, Some references to violence, Humor, Yaoi M/M, Amnesiac Sephiroth, Some fluffiness, Some angst, Implied/slight Het, OC

“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.”-Edgar Allan Poe

[:+ + + + +:]

CH12: Initiation
Sephiroth tried to ignore the curious dark eyes that seemed glued to his every move. Not that he was moving much, anyway. His jaw ground soundlessly while he kept his eyes focused ahead of him. He didn’t particularly care for flying at all or for being watched like he was some fascinating animal.
The blond ex-Mercenary sat ahead of Seph in the co-pilot seat next to Cid. He was silent for the most part, but he did cast worried glances behind him at the ex-General every so often.
The blond pilot wasn’t too thrilled about having a so-called Ex-psycho on board his baby, let alone sitting near his wife. There wasn’t much he could do but gripe about it to himself since it was Yuffie who had insisted upon the seating arrangement. What that woman wanted, that woman got no matter how hard he fought her. Maybe that’s why he loved her so much.
Even though Sephiroth had once been their enemy, Yuffie was taking him in stride. Out of Cloud, Cid, and Vincent, the Ninja was the only one who had almost immediately accepted Sephiroth for what he now was: not crazy. Yuffie believed that the man sitting next to her was sane. He looked sane, acted sane, and sounded sane, so by Yuffie’s book, the ex-General was sane.
“You don’t talk much, do you? That’s funny because when you nuts, you couldn’t stop talking, or should I say, preaching. You were always taunting us, especially Cloud,” Yuffie pointed out casually as if she were talking about something mediocre, like shopping for groceries.
Sephiroth limply shrugged. “I wouldn’t know anything about that. Sorry.”
“So…you really don’t remember?” Asked the Ninja as she leaned over some to peer at him more closely.
Without looking at her, the ex-Madman drawled, “So it would appear.”
Yuffie was thoughtfully silent for a few moments until something else caught her attention. “You know…you’re pretty good looking for a man. You’re pretty hot when you know, you’re not trying to kill us. You may not be my type, but a girl can still look.”
Sephiroth sighed and rubbed his aching, throbbing temples. Her incessant talking was annoying him endlessly, but he did not want to appear rude to any of Cloud’s friends, with the ex-Turk being the exception. He believed that he could be as rude as he liked to Valentine since that man had attacked him in an obviously failed attempt to kill him. Unlike the ex-Turk, Cid and Yuffie hadn’t reacted with any threat of violence. He may not like them all that much, but they were behaving and they were making a conscious effort. That was why he had to give them some credit at least. He would show them as much respect as they showed him. But still, all Yuffie’s references to his ‘insanity’ was bothering him immensely.
“Yuffie,” started Cloud, who had turned and looked pointedly at her. Once he had her undivided attention, he then continued, “Please don’t badger him about the past.”
The weary ex-General sighed in relief at the interception of his savior.
The ex-Thief pouted. “Aw, Cloud, sorry. I didn’t know he was so sensitive.”
“Don’t apologize to me,” sighed Cloud, who then turned around to face the front again.
The pregnant woman sighed, too, and then turned her attention back to the silver-haired male. “Sorry, Sephie! I’m just really nervous, but it’s not because of you. I just hate being in anything moving. I get really bad motion sickness, you see. Everyone always makes fun of me for it. It’s a big joke to them.”
Sephiroth’s elegant pale eyebrow arched up at that. “Sephie…?”
The Ninja woman nodded as if she had been calling him that silly nickname for ages already. “Yep! That’s what I’m gonna call you from now on.”
“No,” objected the increasingly growing irate ex-General.
“Yes! That’s what I’ll call you. You may not like it, but trust me, it’s easier just to call you that than your full name,” stubbornly insisted Yuffie.
It was Sephiroth’s turn to sigh. The woman had a point, he had to admit. He didn’t like it one bit, but if her calling him ‘Sephie’ helped ease her discomfort around him, then he would allow it. “Fine.”
“Yay!” Shrieked the pregnant woman who had mostly forgotten her motion sickness. It was strange, but she found that she actually enjoyed Sephiroth’s company. He was a bit aloof and stiff like Vincent, but she liked him nevertheless.
Cloud cracked a small smile as he listened to Yuffie pester Sephiroth for the rest of the ride to Midgar. It surprised him that Yuffie was already so friendly with Sephiroth, but he was glad for it. He knew he wouldn’t be able to expect the same from Barret or Tifa. Reeve possibly, because the guy was so…well, empathetic was the only word at the moment he could think of to describe Reeve. Red XIII (or called Nanaki by mostly everyone) and Cait Sith would probably be very cautious around Seph, but he doubted that they would be openly hostile.
All in all, the blond warrior wasn’t exactly looking forward to the reunion with the rest of his friends. There was no telling what would happen and he found himself desperately hoping that Zack and Aerith knew what they were doing.

[:+ + + + +:]

Midgar was different. It didn’t seem the same to Cloud at all. That wasn’t so shocking, really. A lot it had been destroyed, reduced to nothing but rubble. It was just surprising to see that the city was no longer in shambles. It had been rebuilt and upgraded to the point that Cloud didn’t recognize much of anything.
The people of this new Midgar seemed different, too. They didn’t seem to recall METEOR or any other past tragedies. It was as if they had forgotten everything. These people also didn’t seem to remember the ex-General as he strode alongside Cloud.
Sure, Seph received a lot of curious stares, but that’s all it was, curiosity and attraction. No hate, pain, or any other such animosity was directed at the former Shinra General.
Sephiroth didn’t fail to notice all the people gawking at him as he passed. They stared at his Cloud too, to his annoyance, but their stares lingered longer on the ex-General. He wasn’t exactly certain why they stared at him, but he figured it wasn’t every day that a 6’1” fit man dressed in black leather with long flowing silver hair strolled into their city.
“Where did your friends go?” Inquired the silver-haired man in an effort to distract himself from all of the inquisitive stares. Something about being stared at made him feel uncomfortable and on edge.
Glancing around, Cloud silently noted all of the different changes. They had been walking for over twenty minutes now and he had yet to see a single familiar face. Most of the people out on the streets and in the stores were younger than him. There were some around his age, but most were fresh-faced and young. These were not the faces of troubled and anguished people.
“Cloud? Did you not hear me?”
Startled from his thoughts by a large hand on his shoulder, the blond shook his head and looked up at the taller man. “Sorry, what?”
The ex-General frowned, yet he still clung to his patience. “I asked you where your friends have gone.”
“Oh. Well, Cid took Yuffie to the doctor.”
“She seemed fine when we saw her last…”
Cloud smiled at Sephiroth’s naïveté. The man had once been a weapon of war and that had been one of the problems. He had never known about friends, lovers, family, love, and everything else that had to do with everyday life. It wasn’t so surprising that everything that consisted of a normal life was foreign and new to the former General. “She’s pregnant, Seph. Pregnant women receive regular checkups to ensure that the baby is healthy.”
“Oh.”
The ex-Mercenary suddenly halted in front of a shop that sported weapons and armor behind the reinforced glass windows. He studied it for a moment and read the shop’s name and then sighed when he recognized the name. Turning to Sephiroth, he nodded and gestured to the store. “This is the place.”
Because of the bright light shining into his enhanced eyes, Sephiroth had to squint his eyes to read the words on the sign. “Yasu’s Sword and Smith.”
“That’s right,” confirmed Cloud as he strode towards the door, which was strangely already propped open. With a quick gesture of his hand, he motioned for the other to follow as he walked into the shop.
As soon as the spiky-haired man had walked inside, he realized why the door had been open. It was hot as an inferno in the shop. As he glanced around, he noticed dozens upon dozens of swords, guns, and other weapons mounted on the walls, safely in the display cases, or propped on the counter space. There were even various kinds of armored gear hanging on racks or donned on mannequins, some of which had weapons clutched in their plastic hands. He also noted a separate counter towards the back that led to another open door.
Intrigued by all the different kinds of weapons, Sephiroth walked slowly throughout the store, his leather boots barely making a sound. He didn’t even notice when Cloud disappeared into another room. All his attention was focused on the blades glistening in the fluorescent lights. Something about them entranced him in a similar way that his Cloud did. They were deadly and beautiful, just like Cloud.
One sword in particular called out to the ex-General. Catching it out of the corner of his eye, he turned around and approached it like a stalking cat. Once he had reached the slender blade, which was mounted on the counter, he touched the metal with a gloved finger. Then he slipped his glove off and trailed his fingers lightly along the cool, smooth feel of the blade. He touched the slightly curved end of the sword and accidently cut himself. Glancing down at his finger, he stared as the slight cut clotted and healed almost instantaneously before his eyes. Not the least bit fazed by this, he touched the blade again but instead, he ran his hand in the opposite direction towards the hilt of the sword.
Curling his fingers around the hilt, he used his gloved hand to support the sharp end of the blade as he gingerly raised the katana off of its mount. Holding it in his bare left hand now, he felt the weight of it and noted that it was heavier than it looked. Yet something about holding it felt familiar to him somehow.
And that’s when it hit Sephiroth. From his nightmares, he recalled seeing the other Sephiroth wielding a sword similar to this one, yet in his dreams, it was several feet longer.
Lowering his arm, he would have dropped the katana if not for the clenched grip of his hand around the hilt.
Eyes unconfused, the ex-General saw images of himself, dressed in black leathers and armor, wielding that lengthy dream sword in countless battles. He watched with eyes unblinking as the sword moved as an extension of his arm, effortlessly decapitating and slicing apart many enemies. He saw himself summoning the sword numerous times and it coming to him like a loyal beast. The ex-General could feel a peculiar attachment to this sword, this sword that had helped him take many lives. And in these memories, he knew that some of those lives had been the lives of innocents.
He then saw distorted images of blood and fire, screams and laughter. It was rounding up on him too fast for him to bear. These memories…these memories assaulted him at a pace that he could barely tolerate at all. It was hard to grasp, let alone accept all the repulsion, the horror, and the sickness that came with them.
Body slackened and eyes dilated, he witnessed that long sword clash against a much larger sword. A familiar sword: Cloud’s First Tsurugi.
Frozen in horror, he could do nothing but watch as the slender blade knocked aside First Tsurugi to then pierce rather violently through Cloud’s body.
No!
The katana clattered noiselessly to the floor as he quickly sank down to his knees. His hands buried in his hair and gripping his locks tightly, Seph shook his head in denial. Watery eyes screwed shut tight; he rocked back and forth like a mental patient.
So…he had hurt Cloud. He had actually stabbed him. Sephiroth had tried to kill Cloud. That explained all the scars on his Cloud’s pale body. All those scars he would stare at and would trace with the tips of his fingers. Those very scars that upon question, Cloud had been hesitant to answer. He would either shake his head or change the subject.
It was all his fault…
A slender hand gently touched the top of Sephiroth’s head. It felt much too small and fragile to be Cloud’s.
Looking up at the person who stood before him, his green eyes widened and his mouth fell open.
It was a girl.
A short, petite young pretty woman with kind emerald green eyes and a long brown braid stood before him. Something about her expression was poignant, yet serene as she looked down at him with…familiarity? Recognition. This girl knew him somehow.
Sephiroth couldn’t say anything for he was speechless. Why, he didn’t know. Who was this girl? And why was she here? What did she want from him?
Sliding her hand down from the top of his head, she delicately touched him on the side of his face. Fingers tenderly brushed away the wetness that stained his cheeks. Had he been…crying? Yes, yes, he had been crying.
“In another time and place, you and I would have known love for one another,” softly said the green-eyed girl. She looked indescribably forlorn as she said this. The tips of her fingers traced the contours of his gorgeous face. Her fingertips, along with her lovely eyes, stopped momentarily to rest on his parted lips.
There was something in her voice, her touch, and her facial expression that made Sephiroth feel weak, so utterly weak. A different kind of weak compared to when Cloud touched him.
“Who…who are you?” Finally voiced Sephiroth as he gazed up at her, clearly mesmerized by her.
“You were supposed to be mine and I yours,” she murmured, her hand moving to cradle the side of his face. “It was meant to be, destined even, but it did not happen.”
Seeing himself reflected in her green depths, he breathed, “Why?”
“Not everything that’s meant to happen happens,” she whispered right before dropping her hand from his face. She then clasped both her hands together. “Sometimes someone or something interferes…”
Not comprehending what she meant, he tilted his head to the side as he stared at her.
“Everything will become clear to you soon enough. I just want you to know…” The girl trailed off as she leaned over, her face scant inches away from his. “…that I do not blame you. I forgive you, Sephiroth.”
He was going to ask her what exactly she had forgiven him for, but as soon as he had parted his lips to speak; her petal soft lips were on his. Pressing her lips to his in what only could be a chaste kiss, she closed her eyes for a few timeless moments.
Closing his eyes, too, he felt something foreign, yet soft course gently through his being. He couldn’t think of any way to accurately describe the feeling. It was light, it was calm, and it was tranquil. It left him flooded with something only Cloud had inspired in him before: hope and love.

[:+ + + + +:]
“Seph? Everything ok? Who were you talking to?” Inquired Cloud as he knelt down in front of the other man.
Opening his eyes, Sephiroth saw that the woman who smelled of flowers was gone. He quickly glanced around looking for the brown-haired woman, but she was nowhere to be seen.
“Seph…?”
Somewhat distressed, Sephiroth looked at Cloud and inquired in exasperation, “Where did she go? There was a woman here with me. She was here. I know she was…”
“There’s no one here, Seph. Just you and me,” stated a concerned looking Cloud who reached over and touched Sephiroth’s forehead with the back of his hand.
“I was talking to her and she was talking to me. Did you not hear her?”
“No, I only heard you talking. That’s why I came out here. I heard a noise, and then I heard you speaking. I came out here and found you alone,” explained the blond-haired man.
There was movement out of the corner of Sephiroth’s eye. He turned and saw a dark-haired woman picking up the forgotten sword. She rose up from her kneeling position and gingerly placed the thankfully undamaged blade back on its mount. Staring at it for a few moments, she soon snapped out of her thoughts. She turned around and looked at the two kneeling men.
Standing at 5’0”, she was short, but there was strength in her short stature. Her arms and legs were muscled to the point that it was obvious that she worked hard at what she did. The calluses on her hand were another testament to that fact that she labored away every day as a blacksmith.
It was obvious that this woman was of Wutai descent. A burgundy bandana covered most of her short blue black hair, which was tied in a tight pony tail. There was also a welding hat on her head, the visor tilted back so that she could see and breathe better.
The woman’s eyes were almost as black as her hair. Something about them spoke of hardship, assertiveness, calmness, and maturity. She looked young in the face and fit in body, yet the crinkles at the corners of her eyes suggested that she was most likely in her mid-thirties.
Clad in what could only be deemed a blacksmith’s outfit, she wore a long-sleeved navy-blue shirt, black slacks, and a blacksmith’s apron. On her arms she wore worn out black gloves that reached up almost to her shoulders. On her petite feet she wore big black boots that were just as worn out as the gloves. Around her hips she wore several black belts of various sizes. One of the belts had two sword sheathes attached. At her hip she had a katana and a wakizashi. Something about the placement of the swords and the condition that they were in suggested that they weren’t just there for decoration.
“I remember you,” the woman said simply in a heavy Wutai accent as she stared down at Sephiroth. Her eyes glazed over for a moment as if recalling a particular memory. In an instant it was over and she shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. In a voice unhindered by emotion, she added, “The Demon of Wutai. I never thought I would ever see you again.”
“I don’t-“ Sephiroth started, but he was cut off by the woman’s raised hand.
Shaking her head, the Wutai woman didn’t look the least bit bothered by his presence. She merely shrugged her shoulders and explained, “I know you don’t remember. But I remember you. I remember you and Shinra’s army invading my homeland. I was but a girl then, but I remember you. I saw you kill my father.”
Sephiroth didn’t know what to say to that, especially since her words sounded more like cold, hard facts than recollections. She should despise him and despise Shinra, but she didn’t seem to have an ounce of hate coursing through her. It was as if she had done the impossible by accepting everything that had happened in the past.
“You only did what you had been ordered to do. My father would have killed you, too, but you were better. You were stronger, faster, and smarter. You bested him and the entire Wutai army. I will not lie by saying I was proud of the defeat, nor will I lie by saying I wasn’t happy about Shinra’s demise, but that was and still is all in the past,” spoke the dark-haired woman as she offered her hand to him.
Sephiroth didn’t understand it, but he got the distinct impression that if he didn’t take her hand that she would be insulted. So he did. He reached up and clasped her hand in his. He nearly yelped as her hand closed around his and then jerked him up to his feet. Gaia, this woman was strong. He had not been expecting such strength from a woman, and a petite, short one at that.
“The name’s Yasu. Cloud is an old friend of mine. From time to time, he brings his weapons here and I fix them for him,” explicated the Wutai woman as she firmly shook his hand, and then released it. There was a slight smile on her tanned face as she added, “But imagine my surprise when out of the blue, he calls me and orders a sword to be made. And no, it’s not just any sword. It’s a special kind of sword. A sword for a certain dead General of Shinra.”
“It’s a…pleasure to meet you, Yasu,” Sephiroth said slowly. He felt a bit awkward still since his social skills were still not up to par. Technically, Yasu was the fifth person he had met and talked to. Not counting the flower woman, of course. The green-eyed woman he wasn’t even sure he had even met.
“Come along, Sephiroth. I have something to show you,” revealed Yasu as she started walking towards the back of the shop.
The ex-General looked at Cloud, who in turned smiled and shrugged at him. “Go on, Seph. You heard her.”
“Aren’t you coming?”
“No, you go ahead. I have to make a call,” said Cloud as fished a cell phone out of his pocket. With a look of encouragement, he nodded at Sephiroth, and then stepped outside.
Sighing, Sephiroth had little choice but to walk to the back of the shop and enter through the doorway to what looked like a blacksmith’s force. It was extra hot in the room and it explained why the entire shop felt like a furnace.
“Over here, General,” called Yasu.
Following the sound of her voice, he found Yasu standing near an anvil with a long sword resting on it. She held a hammer in her hand. Once he had neared her, she offered the hammer to him.
Taking the hammer, he looked at it in confusion and then looked at her. What did she expect him to do with it? Hold it?
Yasu held the long, slender sword down in place with a clamp. The blade itself was red hot and looked as if all it needed were a few final touches here and then. “This is your sword, General. I have one rule when I forge a blade and the rule is that the wielder of the weapon has to finish it themselves.”
“Why?”
The Wutai woman said no more as she reached over and showed him what he had to do. She was patient as she instructed him on how to use the hammer and how to even everything out. Yasu was pleased that he turned out to be a fast, adequate learner and that he didn’t mess anything up. Unfortunately, in the past there had been hopeless customers who had somehow ruined their order.
An hour or so later, Yasu slid the now completed and cooled blade into a sword sheathe. She held it out for Sephiroth to take.
The ex-General stared at it and hesitated as if being given a sword might be a bad idea.
“Sephiroth, a weapon, especially a sword, is but a tool for you to use. It does not make the man who or what he is. What you do with it is your choice,” were Yasu’s calm, wise words as she waited for him to take the sword from her waiting hand.
Nodding curtly, Sephiroth then reached over and wrapped the fingers of his left hand around the sheathed sword. He took it once the blacksmith had released it. Holding it in both of his hands, he stared down at it as he contemplated. Could he actually bring himself to use this?
Watching him patiently, Yasu then suggested, “Why don’t you unsheathe it and try it out.”
Slowly drawing the blade out of its sanctuary, Sephiroth held the sword in his left hand and watched as it glinted in the light. He noticed something else, too. There was this distinct feeling of completion as he held his sword. It was strange how tranquil he felt from merely holding this sword in his hand. It was much different than the katana he had held earlier. That had felt ok, but this…felt right.
“Your body remembers, General. Close your eyes and move. Don’t think, just move,” advised Yasu as she leaned against the wall and watched him with her arms crossed.
Following her advice, his eyes slid closed as he did his best to draw his mind completely blank. When he was ready, he started to move. And move he did, his body moving as one with the lengthy sword.
Yasu’s voice broke whatever trance Sephiroth was in. “Open your eyes now, General.”
Opening his eyes, Sephiroth was still moving. His body was moving in such a way that he remembered seeing in his memories. He smoothly parried his sword as if he was fighting an imaginary foe and the more he moved, the faster his blade sliced through the air. Instead of being horrified, he was amazed at this transformation. The woman had been right. Even though his mind had forgotten everything, his body still remembered everything.
“Looking good, Seph,” complimented Cloud from his place leaning in the doorway. His arms were crossed and it was highly probable that he had been watching the entire time.
Sephiroth abruptly stopped moving and everything came crashing to a halt. He sheathed the sword and turned around to look at the blond warrior. Narrowing his green eyes, he asked, “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough,” murmured Cloud with a cocky little smirk. He glanced over at Yasu. “You outdid yourself this time, Yasu.”
Yasu waved a hand dismissively. She was a very humble person and didn’t care much for praise. All she cared for was to know that she had done the job right and that nothing needed to be corrected. “He’s right, General. You look good with that sword.”
“Why do you keep calling me ‘General’?” Inquired Sephiroth as he turned to regard the short woman.
The blacksmith cocked her head to the side and asked, “You were once a great General, were you not?”
“Yes, but that was in the past. You said that everything that’s happened is in the past now,” pointed out the ex-General.
“Ah, that is true, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t meant to be a General once more,” said Yasu as she regarded him with a solemn gaze. “Just because you are no longer Shinra’s General does not mean you will never lead anyone else. Whether you know it or not, you are a leader. And like Cloud, you are fit to lead men and women into battle.”
Sephiroth wasn’t so sure of that, but he didn’t attempt to deny it, either.
“She’s right,” agreed Cloud who walked over to stand next to the silver-haired man. “You ready to go?”
“Hold on,” said Sephiroth as he looked to Yasu. “Does this sword have a name?”
“It’s yours now, General. You name her whatever you want to name her.”
“Thank you, Yasu,” said Sephiroth with a bit of a bow that was meant to honor her. Something about it was very Wutai-like.
Years ago, Yasu might not have been so accommodating to the man who had dominated her country, but that was then. This was now. The past had no place dictating what would happen in the future. The General would undoubtedly play a part in the future, be it good or ill of will.
Sephiroth was here now whether anyone liked it or not.

[:+ + + + +:]
Before Cloud had had a chance to walk out of the shop door, Sephiroth had grabbed him and shoved him hard against the closest barren wall. Cupping the side of Cloud’s face in one hand, the former madman rested his other hand on the wall beside the blond’s head. He then leaned down and kissed Cloud so hard he was sure that both of their lips would bruise from the sheer pressure of it. Forcing his tongue into the blond’s mouth, he was pleased when he felt the slighter man begin to kiss him back.
“Mmm, someone’s happy,” commented Cloud as he gazed up at the ecstatic ex-General. “I’m taking that as a thank you…”
“Are we leaving Midgar now?” Inquired Sephiroth as he rested his forehead against Cloud’s. He felt the blond’s hand stroking his face. A thumb came into play to rub against the ex-General’s lips as if the owner was tempted to wage an assault of his own.
“Soon. But until then, come here,” replied Cloud as he leaned up and smashed his lips to the other man’s. One hand cradled the back of Sephiroth’s skull while the other hand ran down to grope the curve of the ex-General’s taut ass.
“Well, well…I’ll be damned, Cloud Strife is making out with a Ghost,” came a masculine voice that was familiar only to Cloud.

[:+ + + + +:]
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