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Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody	By : DarkSeraphim1 Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1315 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, Before Crisis, or Dirge of Cerberus. I do not profit from the writing and/or posting of this fic. I am just a humble fan paying tribute to another's wonderful creations.

Chapter List
- 24
- 25
- 26
Chapter 25
            ‘Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost. Wings stripped away, the end is nigh.’ -Loveless, ACT II
            Cloud rolled his eyes as he watched Genesis Rhapsodos pace the length of Sephiroth’s living room. At least the man was dressed this time, he thought sourly, grateful that the seemingly uninhibited First taken the time to throw on his uniform before calling him. He slanted a glance at Reno, who shrugged as he slouched against the wall. Neither had expected the calls that had awakened them just after the sun had risen, not from Sephiroth, and certainly not from Sephiroth’s boyfriend.
            Genesis came to a halt and whirled around, nailing them both with an angry blue glare. “I thought you were his friends,” he snapped. “Why aren’t you willing to help me with this?”
            “Uh, maybe because you’re an asshole,” Reno suggested, less than helpful.
            Those mako-blue eyes narrowed on the Turk, and Cloud sighed as he stepped between them. They’d been here for over two hours, and he was running out of patience. “Look,” he began, “you’re overreacting a little here. Hojo’s been testing Sephiroth for years. This isn’t anything new. He’ll be back in a few hours, probably sicker than hell, but all right. In fact, he’ll probably be angry when he finds us here.”
            “You don’t understand,” Genesis declared impatiently. “You didn’t see him last time. He almost died, Cloud. He was bleeding to death when I found him, and Hojo’s the one who did it!”
            “Yeah, and two days later he was up and walking around,” Cloud pointed out, using the other man’s own words against him. “You told me that yourself, Genesis.”
            The irate First clenched his fists and stomped the ground like a child. “That’s not the point!”
            Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose and wondered how the hell Sephiroth had put up with this kind of fucking drama for so many years. “Gods,” he muttered under his breath, wondering what the hell Sephiroth saw in this immature, albeit handsome, SOLDIER. “Think about this, Genesis. If we go down there and interfere now, Hojo will only find a way to retaliate. It will only make things worse for Sephiroth, in the long run. Is that what you want?”
            Genesis looked away, drawing his lip between his teeth as he hid behind his bangs. “You don’t understand,” he repeated, his voice so faint that Cloud, even with his enhanced hearing, had to strain to hear him. “I think I already have. If something happens to him, it will be my fault. I challenged Hojo the day after he hurt Seph. I expected him to come after me, not Sephiroth. Seph’s been gone for eight hours, now. Hojo’s never kept him this long before. I know that something’s wrong. I-I can feel it, Cloud.”
            He looked back, his azure eyes swimming with tears, as he added, “I can’t lose him. I won’t lose him.”
            Reno snorted his opinion of that, and Cloud ignored him, studying the normally arrogant First closely. He sighed again, this time with resignation. Genesis certainly seemed to be devoted to Sephiroth this time around. Maybe, they really had changed things for the better. If nothing else, he could emphasize with the other man’s fear. He felt the same way about Kadaj, after all.
            “Alright,” he said finally, ignoring Reno’s surprised, “What?”, as he stepped forward. “We’ll help you, but--Nnnnhhh!”
            Cloud dropped to his knees as pain seared his body. Intense and somehow familiar, he found himself doubled-over, Genesis’ name spilling from his lips. He was only vaguely aware of Reno as he knelt beside him, of his voice as he asked him what was wrong. Fuck! he thought with the first stirrings of panic. Genesis had been right. Sephiroth was dying!
            A sound at the door drew broke through the haze of pain. The doorknob rattled as it was turned, then was followed by a hard thump. Cloud watched as Genesis jumped as though startled and ran towards the door, reaching it in a matter of seconds. He fumbled with the electronic lock, cursing as it beeped in protest. He finally punched in the right sequence of numbers and pulled the door open.
            He gasped as Sephiroth fell onto his feet, his battered body drenched in blood. “Seph!” He dropped to his knees, dragging the other man into his arms, shuddering as a smile formed on those beautiful bow lips. He tightened his hold and dragged the unconscious man over the threshold, snapping over his shoulder, “Don’t just stand there! Help me!”
            Cloud, stunned to see his nemesis covered in blood and half-dead, was snapped out of his paralysis by the Genesis’ urgent words. He pushed himself to his feet and rushed forward, grabbing Sephiroth’s feet and lifting him. They carried him to the sofa and laid him on the cool leather. He watched, feeling helpless as Genesis knelt beside his lover and began to check his wounds.
            “What can I do?” he asked, repeating the question when Genesis reacted with nothing more than a dazed glance.
            “Call Angeal,” he said, immediately turning back to his unconscious lover. “Tell him what’s happened, and have him call Dr. Hollander. I’m not letting Hojo touch him ever again!”
            Cloud winced at the hysteria that rose up in that last sentence and hastily dug his phone out of his pocket. He spared Reno a glance, not surprised to find him on his own phone, probably informing Rufus of the situation. He realized that he didn’t know General Hewley’s number and cringed. He’d have to call Zack, instead.
            Genesis heard Cloud speaking to someone but didn’t register his words. All of his attention was focused on Sephiroth, who’s ragged breath and sluggish heartbeat were enough to tell him just how close to death he truly was. He activated the Full Cure materia he carried in the lining of his coat, offering a prayer to The Goddess as he cast the healing spell. Cool green light swirled around Sephiroth, and Genesis was both relieved and appalled at the results. While the curative magic had managed to stop the bleeding, it hadn’t closed any of the numerous wounds on his face or chest.
            “Godsdamnit!” he hissed, casting the spell a second time, only to be disappointed when it failed to work. For some reason, Sephiroth’s body was resisting the spell, or something was blocking it, which made no fucking sense at all. Sephiroth’s body might be resistant to magic, but not to this extent.
            Genesis let out a harsh breath and began to undress him. He removed the broken weapon harness and belt, then struggled with the skin-tight leather trench Sephiroth had always preferred, talking to him all the while. “You’re going to be okay, Seph. Cloud’s calling Angeal, and he’ll be here soon. I’m just going to see if I can’t clean up some of these wounds before he and Dr. Hollander come. It might hurt, and I’m sorry if it does, but I don’t have a choice.”
            His tone changed as he called out, “Reno?”
            Reno looked surprised as he lowered the phone. “Yeah?”
            “Would you please go into the bathroom and fetch the first-aid kit?”
            “Uh, y-yeah,” Reno stammered, practically running into the other room. He returned a few moments later with a plain white box. “Here you go, yo.”
            “Thank you.” Genesis opened the box and reached for the small brown bottle of hydrogen peroxide. He unscrewed the cap and set it aside, pulling a package of bandages out of the kit. He tore them open and grabbed the peroxide, wincing at what he was about to do. “Here we go, Seph. Just remember that it’s for your own good, alright?”
            He poured the peroxide over the deepest of the wounds, watching with stark blue eyes as the wound began to bubble and hiss. He waited a few moments before taking one of the bandages and carefully laying it over the wound, allowing it to soak up the clear liquid. He pulled the bandage back, relieved to see that the bleeding hadn’t begun anew.
            “We’re going to need more bandages,” he murmured, half to himself.
            Reno, who looked more shaken than Genesis at Sephiroth’s condition, jumped to his feet. “I’m on it, yo. Just don’t lock me out!”
            He ran from the room, leaving the door open in his haste, and Cloud moved to close it. As he drifted back to the two SOLDIERs, he realized that he had seen wounds like these before. After AVALANCHE had parachuted into Midgar, they had ended up on top of the Sister Ray, which was a sister version of the Junon Cannon. They had defeated Scarlet and Heidigger in Prod Clod, only to come upon Hojo himself.
            Hojo had transformed twice during their battle, both forms brandishing arms with razor-sharp claws. Sephiroth’s wounds looked nearly identical to those Hojo had inflected upon them, and he wondered if maybe that wasn’t what had happened to him. It hadn’t been the hardest battle they’d fought in their quest to stop Sephiroth and Meteor, but had been difficult. Hojo had shown a speed he shouldn’t have possessed, even after admitting that he’d injected himself with Jenova cells years prior. What Cloud didn’t understand was—if he was right—why Sephiroth had had such a difficult time fighting him.
            “Cloud?”
            He focused on the redheaded first, who was watching him with worried blue eyes. “Yes?”
            “Are you any good with materia?”
            Cloud thought of all the battles he had fought, and all the materia he had mastered over the years, and smiled faintly. “I do all right.”
            “Then, try casting this.” Genesis handed him the Full Cure materia, hoping that the curative orb would work better in another’s hands. “I’ve cast it twice, but all it’s done is halt the bleeding. It’s almost as if something is blocking the spell, though I know that’s not possible. So, if you would. . .?”
            Cloud nodded, his golden spikes swaying, and drew closer. He knelt beside Genesis, making sure to give him room to work. As he gathered his energy to cast the spell, he felt it. Gaia, he thought with bitterness. The Planet itself was blocking the their attempts to heal Sephiroth, hoping to eliminate its nemesis’ most powerful tool in the process. While he could understand The Planet’s desire to do so, he couldn’t allow it happen. Sephiroth couldn’t die, not after all he’d gone through to repent for what he’d done. It wasn’t fair, or right, and Cloud was going to stop it.
            He closed his eyes and concentrated, searching for the pure force of the Lifestream which Aerith had once claimed he was connected to. As he found it, he had to struggle to retain his sense of self. There were so many souls here, many of whom Sephiroth himself had ‘freed’, that he was nearly overwhelmed. They remembered, even if the rest of the world did not.
            He sharpened his focus, calling upon them to help him, Gaia’s chosen champion, in his quest to aid another. Fear swirled around him--their fear--but he was insistent. If they wanted him to continue to protect them, they would help him in this. Otherwise, Gaia could kiss his ass and find another protector. He had lost enough as it was. He wouldn’t lose this chance to save Sephiroth, who was working so hard save the planet which hated him. Not now, not like this.
            At last, the Lifestream responded, despite the displeasure he felt from Gaia herself. The magic rose up within him, strong and sure and full of power. He released the spell into the world, directing it towards the dying man. As a large green mist enveloped Sephiroth, he could only pray that it would be enough.
            “Oh, thank The Goddess!”
            Cloud opened his eyes at the relieved exclamation. Sephiroth’s wounds had disappeared, gone as though they had never been, and he smiled with his own relief. Genesis was hovering over the other man, using already bloodied bandages in an attempt to wipe the blood from his lover’s face, smearing it across Sephiroth’s pale skin as he did so. Cloud went into the bathroom, blushing a little as he passed the wrecked tangle of sheets and blankets that was Sephiroth’s bed, and grabbed two towels off of the rack. He wet them down, rang them out as best he could, and hurried back into the living room.
            He resumed his place beside Genesis and handed him one of the towels. “I’ll help,” was all he said, but it was enough. Genesis flashed him a grateful smile before turning back to Sephiroth, and Cloud went to work on his chest.
            As he listened to Genesis talk to the unconscious man, he realized two things. The first was that Genesis really did love Sephiroth. The second was that he wasn’t nearly as big an asshole as everyone thought he was. The man might be moody and dramatic, but there was a real person underneath all of his arrogant superiority. Maybe, Sephiroth’s desire to save him wasn’t so difficult to understand, after all.
            Sephiroth stirred, groaning faintly as his eyes opened, and Genesis immediately began to soothe him. “It’s all right, Seph. I’m here. You’re safe. You’re going to be fine. Cloud healed all of your wounds, and Angeal’s bringing Dr. Hollander to help you.”
            Those mako-green eyes moved to him, and Cloud felt a chill run down his spine. Sephiroth’s eyes weren’t their normal shade of vibrant green. They were a faded, lighter green, the pupils barely responding to the light in the room, their mako glow all but gone. That’s when Cloud realized that healing Sephiroth’s wounds had only delayed the inevitable.
            Sephiroth was still dying.
            He shot a quick glance at Genesis, who had removed his gloves and was running his hands over Sephiroth’s cheeks, oblivious, and flinched. He looked back at Sephiroth, whose resigned expression said that he knew, and shook his head in denial. “What did he give you?” he asked in a low, angry voice.
            Genesis glanced at him in surprise before turning back to his lover. “Seph, what’s he talking about?” he asked with dread.
            Sephiroth managed a small smile as his black-gloved hand slowly came up to clasp Genesis’. “I don’t know,” he gasped at length, his deep voice nearly inaudible. “Doesn’t matter. Hojo is dead. You are safe now, Genesis.”
            “What?!” Genesis loomed over him, his azure eyes widening as he finally saw what lied right before him. “No!” he protested in a agonized whisper. “You can’t do this to me, Sephiroth. You can’t die on me! Godsdamnit, I won’t let you die! Do you hear me?!”
            “I hear you, kitten.” Sephiroth raised a hand which trembled, touching the vulnerable skin beside Genesis’ eye. “So blue,” he murmured with wonder, his hand falling away as his strength failed him.
            Genesis caught his hand and lifted it back to his face. “You can’t leave me, Seph,” he whimpered, his breath catching on a sob. “Please, moonbeam, you can’t.”
            “I am sorry, koneko. I should have listened to you.” Sephiroth’s voice faded as he spoke, until it was only a mere breath of sound. “I love you, Genesis. Find our boys. Take care of them for me.”
            Sephiroth’s eyes closed, and Cloud watched uncomfortably as Genesis began to break down. He threw his arms around Sephiroth, begging him not to leave him, sobbing into the other man’s chest. Sephiroth didn’t open his eyes again, but he did manage to raise his left hand and cradle Genesis’ head to him. The other First only cried louder at the contact, completely lost in his grief as it overwhelmed him.
            It was with a profound sense of relief that Cloud heard the front door open. Angeal Hewley stepped through, Zack and Dr. Hollander only a step or two behind. Sapphire eyes took in the situation with a single glance, and then he was striding to Genesis, grasping his shoulders and pulling him away from their fallen friend.
            “No!” Genesis began to struggle, to fight against the hands holding him. “I won’t leave him! Let me go, Angeal. Now!”
            “Sshhh, Gen. It’ll be all right.” Angeal pulled his best friend against his chest, trapping his flailing arms against his body. He smoothed his hand over Genesis hair, as he had so often seen Sephiroth do, and Genesis simply collapsed against him. “Dr. Hollander’s here, Gen. He’ll take care of Seph, now. You don’t have to do anything more.”
            Genesis shuddered against him, the tremor visible as it worked its way through his slender frame. “He’s dying, Angeal. We managed to heal him, but Hojo drugged him, and he’s still fucking dying.”
            Zack crept around the two men to join Cloud as he watched Hollander work. “What the hell happened?” he asked in a whisper. “Did Hojo really try to kill Sephiroth?”
            “It looks that way,” Cloud returned in kind. He watched Hollander examine Sephiroth, frowning darkly all the while, and knew that the prognosis wouldn’t be good.
            Hollander turned and looked up Genesis, who was still shaking in Angeal’s arms. “Do you know what Hojo gave him?”
            The red-clad First shook his head as he hunched his shoulders and burrowed into his best friend’s embrace. “Seph, he-he didn’t know,” he answered in a thick voice. “He was covered in blood when he got here. Slashes all over his face and chest. Cloud healed him, but. . .”
            His voice trailed off as he squeezed his eyes shut, and Hollander turned to Cloud. “You healed him?” he asked, his doubt obvious.
            Cloud only sighed soundlessly and bobbed his head in an affirmative. “I’m good with materia,” he said neutrally.
            Hollander turned back to his charge, hiding his alarm as he took note of Sephiroth’s rapidly failing vital signs. “We need to get him to the lab,” he said, pushing himself to his feet. “Angeal, I’ll need you to carry him. I don’t believe we have time to get a stretcher. If his wounds were as bad as you say, Genesis, he’ll probably need a transfusion. Unfortunately, he’s not compatible with any donor I’ve ever found, so we’ll have to tread carefully until--”
            “I can donate.” Everyone in the room turned to look at him, and Cloud had to fight a long-forgotten urge to step back and hide behind Zack. He kept his gaze on Hollander as he added, “I’m compatible, I promise you, Doctor.”
            The older man sighed heavily and said, “You don’t understand the intricacies of Hojo’s work, young man. Sephiroth’s body can’t accept just anyone’s blood.”
            “It will accept mine.” Cloud drew a deep breath and added, “Hojo tried to make me into another Sephiroth.”
            There was a long moment of stunned silence, broken only by Zack’s confused, “Spike?”
            “It’s a. . .long story, Zack.” He nodded towards Genesis, whose fine features showed a combination of sympathy and hope, and smiled tightly. “I can save him, Genesis. I’ve got all of his in-built immunities. You know that I do.”
            Genesis gazed at the slight, deceptively young-looking man and nodded once. He pulled himself away from Angeal and wiped the moisture from his cheeks. “Sephiroth said that Cloud was part of an experiment to clone him in Nibelheim. I believe him,” he said in a quiet voice, adding, “If anyone can save Seph, it’s him.”
            Hollander, who had blanched at the mention of Nibelheim, cleared his throat and stepped away from the couch. “Angeal, if you would?”
            Angeal’s deep blue eyes flicked over Cloud once before he moved to Sephiroth. He picked up the unconscious man, cradling him with obvious care, and strode from the room. Hollander followed, and Cloud was left alone with Genesis and Zack. The Scarlet General approached him, surprising him as he reached out and hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Cloud. You have no idea how much this means to me—to all of us.”
            Cloud patted his elbow awkwardly, relief filling him when the other man stepped away. He glanced at Zack, who was looking at him with confusion and not a small bit of hurt, and sighed again. “Come on,” he said as he headed towards the door. “I’ll tell you everything that I can.”
            The man who had once died to protect him nodded and followed slowly, atypically silent, and Cloud could only hope that he would be able to forgive him for his deception.      Zack’s opinion had once meant everything to him.
            It still did.
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            Aerith looked around the town of Nibelheim, her sage green eyes bright as they swept over the rustically pretty buildings of Cloud’s hometown. It looked much the same as it had the first time she and the rest of AVALANCHE had came here, but there were differences, if you knew what to look for. The town wasn’t nearly as clean as it had been after Shinra had rebuilt it. It actually looked as though real people lived here, instead of Sephiroth clones and Shinra employees. There was a bicycle propped up against the side of one house, while a bright red rubber ball sat on the walkway of another. There was a clothesline peeking out from behind the house she knew was Cloud’s, and she could only smile as she realized that his mother was alive here.
            “Isn’t it beautiful here?” she said, turning to look down at her feline companion.
            Nanaki’s golden gaze swept over the town. “It’s different from before, isn’t it?” he asked at length.
            Aerith nodded, her chestnut bangs bouncing with the movement. “It hasn’t been. . .tainted, yet. And with any luck, it won’t be,” she added brightly.
            He spied an older man at one of the windows, one who quickly jerked his curtains closed as he realized he had been caught watching them. “The people here aren’t very friendly,” he said in a low voice.
            “No, they’re not,” Aerith agreed with a sigh. “Poor Cloud. Can you imagine what it must have been like for him, growing up surrounded by all of these nosy, small-minded people?”
            “Terrible, I’m sure.” Nanaki’s flame-tipped tail whipped back and forth as they passed the water tower that Cloud and Tifa had both spoken of so fondly. “Still, they didn’t deserve what happened to them. No one deserves to die that way.”
            “And they’re not going to, because we’re here to change things for them.”
            “What about Tifa?” he asked quietly. “She’s probably here, now.”
            “She won’t remember. As good a friend as she was, I couldn’t put Cloud through that, again.” Aerith’s pretty features hardened slightly as they neared the edge of town. “We’re almost there, Nanaki. Vincent’s almost within reach. Can you feel him?”
            Nanaki closed his eyes, lowering his muzzle as he reached out with his senses. A flash of gold danced beyond his eyelids, and he gave a feline grimace in response. “I feel Chaos,” he said on a growl, his hackles rising in response. He had never liked the more aggressive of Vincent’s demons, and the feeling had always been mutual. “Vincent isn’t going to pleased when he realizes that he carries Chaos inside of him once again.”
            Aerith sighed at that. “I know, Nanaki, but it was the only way I could save him.”
            The young Gi brushed against her as they walked in silent apology. “I’m sure he will understand that, given time. He missed you just as much as the others did, even if he didn’t show it.”
            “I missed him, too.” She raised her eyes to the sky for just a moment, marveling that she had ever been afraid of such a magnificent sight. “It was good to see he and Cloud reach out to one another, but I was afraid that they would look no further, and miss out on the love that awaited them.”
            “Sometimes, I wonder if it wouldn’t have been better if they hadn’t.”
            Aerith glanced down at the lion-like creature with surprise. “Why do you say that?” she asked.
            Nanaki gave a huffing sigh as he explained, “They were both so damaged already, Aerith. The last thing either of them needed was to fall in love again, and with such. . .inappropriate partners. Vincent hardly needed another sin to repent. And Cloud. . .”
            His voice trailed off as he sought the right words. “Cloud had already lost so much. Unlike Vincent, he was never given a choice about any of it. He couldn’t hide from what had been done to him. Hunting Sephiroth might have given him purpose, but it also robbed him of the one who meant the most to him.”
            “That’s why I sent Kadaj to him,” Aerith murmured with a sigh of her own. “He needed to come to terms with my death, with what Sephiroth had taken from him. What better way to do that than to send him someone he could love, a beautiful young man who wore his tormentor’s face. I’m sure he was confused, at first, but he learned to look past the resemblance quickly enough. Loving Kadaj was a healing experience for him. I only regret that Cloud allowed his stubbornness to come between them as he did.”
            Nanaki shot her a sharp glance. “The boy was trying to trigger Reunion, Aerith. If Cloud hadn’t left him, he would have ended up helping them destroy Gaia.”
            “No, Nanaki, you’re wrong.” She came to a halt just outside the gate to Shinra Manor, her deep green eyes darkening with the wisdom of her forebearers. “All Kadaj wanted was to be accepted, to be loved. If Cloud had taken the time and patience to convince him that he would be, he would have given up his attempts to please Jenova. There would have been no Reunion, no Sephiroth, and I would have found another way to cure the Geostigma epidemic. Sacrificing both of their futures could have been avoided, if only Cloud hadn’t let fear rule his actions.”
            “I think you were asking a little too much of our wounded friend, Aerith.” Nanaki nudged the gate with his nose, impatient to find Vincent and go home. The gate opened with a squeak, and he padded into the yard. “Let’s go. I suddenly have the feeling that we’re running out of time.”
            Aerith merely smiled down at him, serenity shaping her pretty features. “Have faith, Nanaki. All will be made right.”
            “I wish I had your confidence,” he said as he padded forward. “As for faith...well, my faith rests with Gaia, as it always has.”
            Which was why Aerith was sending him home as soon as possible. What the teenage Gi didn’t seem to understand was that The Planet was against them in this. Gaia wanted Sephiroth dead, and Genesis Rhapsodos for herself. She also wanted to eliminate Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo, who were only innocents pawns in Jenova’s dark machinations. She had no sympathy for their plight, no empathy for the horrors they had been put through in their short lives. She saw them only as an extension of Sephiroth, who was in return viewed as an extension of Jenova--albeit a powerful one. She didn’t--or couldn’t--see the lives that they could have lived, had she given any of them the chance.
            And that was why she was here, she reminded herself firmly. Her friends had all paid a heavy price for saving Gaia, none more so than Cloud and Vincent. Gaia had allowed them to be tortured by a madman, to be changed, and had then used them to further her own selfish needs. While The Planet’s continued existence was important, there were others who could have fulfilled the roles of savior. Instead, it had been Vincent and Cloud, called to defend The Planet time and again, as their souls slowly withered away to nothing.
            No, she had little faith left in Gaia. While she loved The Planet which had bore her, she was very angry with it. Luckily, her connection to the Lifestream as a Cetra enabled her to, well, bypass Gaia when she needed to. And boy, did she need to, sometimes.
            As they approached the door to Shinra Manor, she pulled the Princess Guard off her back. She turned the knob, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. She winced as the cries and screams of those who had suffered here came to her ears. She concentrated on blocking them out, knowing that Nanaki would cover her if they were attacked. Once her head finally cleared, she opened her eyes and took a look around her.
            Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, and she let out a relieved breath. Hojo hadn’t yet sent anyone in to clean the house, which meant that he hadn’t yet made his plans to send Sephiroth to Nibelheim. If she had her way, he would never get the opportunity. “Come on,” she said in a soft voice. “Let’s go get Vincent.”
            Nanaki followed her as she quickly made her way to the grand staircase, which curved upwards from the right side of the main room. He kept his guard up, remembering all of the foul creatures they had encountered here. He was surprised when the made it to the landing unmolested, and he thought Aerith was too. They made their way to the bedroom with the hidden staircase, which Aerith immediately headed for. Nanaki was shocked when she suddenly cried out and dropped to the floor, the Princess Guard slipping from her suddenly slack hands.
            “Aerith!” He rushed to her side, only to find her unconscious. He didn’t know what was wrong, but he could only hope that it wasn’t Sephiroth, somehow reaching out to harm her as he had once before.
            He glanced at the bed which rested along the far wall and sighed to himself. Humans were heavy, even when they were as slight as Aerith. He grasped the collar of her jacket and began to drag her across the room, releasing her several times to sneeze as their passage kicked up small clouds of dust. He finally got her to the bed and realized that it was going to be even more difficult to get her on it than it had been to get her to it.
            For once, he envied Cid his ability to curse with no remorse whatsoever. He was sure it would adequately convey the frustration he was feeling at the moment. However, his grandfather had taught him better than that. With another heavy sigh, he jumped onto the bed, settling near the edge as he stretched his neck down to the unconscious girl.
            A noise to his right brought his head up, and he was stunned to find himself face-to-face with Cerberus. “Vincent!” he cried, rising onto his feet as his tail wagged happily. “It’s so good to see you, my friend.”
            Vincent Valentine gazed at him with cold, emotionless ruby eyes, the gun in hand never wavering. “I don’t know you,” was all he said, but the menace in his voice was enough to convince Nanaki that discretion just might be the better part of valor in this situation.
            He backed away slowly, making no sudden moves as he climbed to the floor. He laid down beside Aerith and curled around her, protecting her with his body as best he could. “What about her?” he asked, embarrassed to realize his voice was shaking with fear. “Do you recognize the girl?”
            The slender man hesitated, his scarlet gaze moving over Aerith’s face, his eyes showing just a hint of confusion. “Yes,” he said at last, sounding bewildered as he added, “I know her.”
            “Thank Gaia!” Nanaki explained, relaxing a little as Cerberus was oh-so-slowly lowered. “Do you think you could help me get her on to the bed? I was having quite the time with it when you arrived.”
            “Is that what you attempting to do?” Vincent knelt beside him as he spoke, his eyes never leaving Aerith. “I thought you were going to attack her.”
            Nanaki blinked at that. “You really don’t remember me, do you?”
            “No.” Vincent gazed at the beautiful young woman he felt he should know but didn’t and carefully gathered her into his arms. He set her on the small bed, tracking Nanaki with those unnerving eyes as he jumped up to settle beside her. “I have dreamt of her, but not of you.”
            “That’s not surprising, Vincent. I didn’t mean nearly as much to you as she did. And she came here for you, after all. I’m just an escort.”
            The dark gunman fell silent for a long moment. “How much is she supposed to have meant to me?” he asked very, very carefully.
            Nanaki laughed as he explained, “She was your friend, Vincent, nothing more, I can assure you.”
            The former Turk looked relieved as he bent down to retrieve the girl’s staff, and he couldn’t refrain from adding, “As for Cloud, let’s just say that the two of you were the closest of friends, and leave it at that.”
            Vincent froze in the act of straightening, an image of soft blond spikes, tear-drenched blue eyes, and a large silver sword coming to him. “Cloud,” he murmured, rubbing his fingertips over the Princess Guard’s shaft. “I know that name. He was. . .important to me.”
            “He was your best friend,” Nanaki confirmed softly. “Without you, he might not have survived. . .everything.”
            “Everything,” Vincent repeated, visions of battles and other, more intimate things flashing through his disjointed memories. A streak of silver, green, and black danced behind his eyes, alabaster skin gleaming with sweat as it arched above his own, and his wakened body hardened in a way that it hadn’t since he’d last held Lucrecia. His velvet voice dropped to an unconsciously seductive murmur as he asked, “And what of the pretty one? The one with hair like ice and eyes like emeralds. Why is he not here?”
            “Yazoo.”
            The strange feline creature spat out the name with obvious disapproval, and Vincent turned towards him with a frown. “Yes,” he murmured as the name fixed itself into his mind. “Why is Yazoo not here, if you have come for me as you claim? He was important to me, as well. Did he not travel with you?”
            Nanaki could barely suppress he growl that rumbled in his throat. “He has not yet been freed,” he forced out from between sharp, gritted teeth. “Cloud and Sephiroth haven’t discovered his exact location yet, though they are trying.”
            “Sephiroth?” Crimson eyes widened slightly, the only sign of his shock, even as Vincent told himself that it simply could not be. “Lucrecia was going to name her son Sephiroth.”
            “And so she did,” Nanaki said with sympathy, adding, “She named your son Sephiroth.”
            Vincent drew a deep, steadying breath. “You must speak true if you know of Lucrecia.” He sat on the edge of the bed and very gently sat the staff next to its owner. “Why do you say that Sephiroth is my son? Lucrecia had a husband, Hojo, and--”
            “Hojo did not father Sephiroth, Vincent. You did.”
            The gunman lowered his head, hiding his confusion behind the cowl of his crimson cloak. “Why?” he muttered to himself. “Why did she never tell me? Why did she let me believe. . .”
            His voice trailed off, but Nanaki had no answer for him. “I don’t know why she did what she did, Vincent. I’m sorry,” he added softly.
            Vincent only nodded and looked back at the unconscious girl. “What is wrong with her?”
            “I don’t know.” Nanaki nuzzled Aerith’s hair as he spoke. “She collapsed without warning. One minute she was smiling, and the next she was unconscious.” He didn’t add his fears about Sephiroth. There was time enough for him to learn that his only son was a maddened mass-murderer. For now, he concentrated on Aerith. “What brought you upstairs, Vincent? I thought we would have to pry you out of that coffin of yours, and yet you came of your own free will. Why?”
            “I had a dream. It was different from the others.” Vincent sighed soundlessly as he remembered it. “I could see him there—Yazoo—and he was holding a silver-haired man who looked very much like him. A brother, perhaps. There were two more with him, and they were trying to convince the wounded one to stay with them. I believe he was dying,” he added with a shrug. “When I heard you upstairs, I thought that you might be him.”
            Nanaki swallowed hard at the news that Sephiroth—who else could it be?—might be dying, even as he marveled that Yazoo meant enough to his damaged friend to force from the prison he had always felt he deserved. He looked down at Aerith, wondering if Sephiroth’s condition had been what had afflicted her, and why it would have. “We have to get her out of here,” he stated urgently. “There’s a PHS in her jacket pocket. Get it and call Cloud. He’ll know what to do.”
            Vincent gazed at him without expression, but Nanaki knew him well enough to read the wariness that lurked in the depths of his unusual crimson eyes. After a few agonizing moments, Vincent finally did as he asked. He very carefully lifted the lapels of Aerith’s denim jacket and searched until he found the phone. He pulled it out, flipped it open, and raised his gaze to Nanaki’s.
            “Speed dial ‘1’.” At the man’s uncomprehending look, Nanaki explained the procedure and waited impatiently for him to complete it. He could hear the ringing on the other end—his Gi senses were enough to rival any SOLDIER’s—and he waited in an agony of anticipation for Cloud to answer. The ringing finally stopped, and Nanaki forgot to breathe as he waited for the moment that would change all of their fates forever.
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Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody