Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

The Path to Redemption	By : Nakkinomiko Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1095 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. SquareEnix does. I make no money from this…I just like to play with them.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. SquareEnix does. I make no money from this…I just like to play with them.
A/N: No warnings on this one. Kamakiri, fear not, this story, as well as another side arc and couple of side-stories are already written. You will get the whole story. :D And if you think THIS pairing is crazy…wait for the one in the side arc…can’t say who because it would spoil surprises in this story. I’m happy you are enjoying this!
On with the story!
*****
Chapter 4
Tseng was tired of poking around puddles of Lifestream. They’d been at it for nearly two whole days now, and even though he knew it was a necessary evil, he was ready for a break. He adjusted his sunglasses and tried to focus on the surface below them. It was windy, and he could feel the controls on the chopper tug. This was the second to the last place they were going to check before they quit. The last stop was the Northern Crater, and Tseng was not looking forward to that at all.
“You cold?” Elena’s voice crackled over the headsets they wore.
Tseng looked sideways at his partner. Elena’s eyes were trained on the ground below them.
“Why?”
“You just shivered,” Elena returned.
“I was thinking of the Crater,” Tseng confessed.
Elena merely nodded. Tseng thought she might have shivered too.
“See anything?” Elena asked.
“No,” Tseng said. They were hovering over a particularly large lake that was known for its ties to the Lifestream.
“You think Rufus is being paranoid?” Elena asked. “I mean, it’s over, right? Jenova is really gone this time.”
“That’s the impression I’m starting to get,” Tseng said. “But it can’t hurt to be careful.” Tseng turned the chopper to make a pass over a new sector of the lake.
Elena sighed. “I guess. I’m tired, Tseng. Do you think we can take a break after this, before we go to the Crater?”
“Yeah,” Tseng said. “You okay other than that?”
“Yeah.” Elena flashed him a weak smile.
Tseng wondered if she were lying. Kadaj and his brothers had done serious damage to both of them when they’d taken the last of Jenova from them. If Vincent hadn’t helped them, Tseng and Elena would both be dead. Tseng knew he still had residual aches and pains from the whole ordeal--it was only logical that Elena was probably the same. She’d never admit it, though. Out of all the Turks, Elena was probably the most stubborn.
“Elena.” Tseng’s tone was full of reproach.
“I’ve got an ache or two,” Elena admitted. It was obvious that she was doing so with a lot of reluctance.
“Perhaps we should just quit for the day.” Tseng’s eyes never left the ground as he spoke to her. They were almost finished sweeping the lake. The Crater could wait until tomorrow.
“Tseng. Look down there.” Elena’s jaw was set and her expression was grim. “I don’t think we’re going to have to go to the Crater after all. And you know, just for once, I’d like it if the Boss was wrong about these things.”
“Yeah, me too,” Tseng replied. His eyes were trained on the shoreline below him and on the body that had washed ashore. He eased the chopper down and closer, to get a better look. His mouth went dry as he noted the tell-tale mass of sliver-gray hair spread out in the dark sand. “Fuck.”
“Yeah, fuck,” Elena agreed. She sounded shaky, and when Tseng glanced at her he found that her complexion was much paler than it had been a minute ago.
“I’m setting it down,” Tseng said. “Load the tranquilizer.”
“He’s not conscious--I can tell that from up here,” Elena said.
Tseng’s smile was dark. “Are you willing to risk that? Cloud’s on the other side of the Planet right now, Elena. There’s no one around to save our asses if we get into trouble.”
“Right.” Elena unbelted herself and moved into the cargo hold of the chopper.
Tseng landed the chopper about fifty yards from their target. He fished his cell phone from his suit jacket, flipped it open and dialed. The line rang once before it was answered.
“This is Rufus Shinra.”
“Sir, we’ve found that stray dog you had us looking for,” Tseng said.
“Is he alive?”
“Unknown. Elena’s about to pump a tranq into him, and then we’ll get close enough to find out.”
Behind him, Tseng heard the cargo hold open, and a moment later the sharp crack of the rifle. The body jerked from the force of the dart, but otherwise, stayed where it was.
“Let’s go,” Elena said.
Tseng unbelted himself and followed her out of the chopper, cell phone still held to his ear. Elena was ahead of him.
“Be careful,” Rufus warned in his ear.
“Yes, sir.”
Elena drew her pistol and kept it trained on the still body. Tseng did the same with his free hand.
“I’ve got you covered,” Tseng told her.
Elena nodded, and then crouched down and reached out to place her fingers against pale flesh to search for a pulse. Her eyes grew round.
“He’s alive.”
“Sir, he’s alive,” Tseng said. He stared down at the almost cold beauty of the face and the wealth of silver hair and felt his heart to pound with fear. Was the nightmare going to start all over again?
“Secure him and take him to the same hospital Kadaj was taken to. Have the same blood tests run on him, and then call me again. Keep him sedated until the results come in, Tseng. Don’t take any chances, do you hear me?”
“Yes, sir.” Tseng flipped the phone shut.
“What did he say?” Elena asked. She looked almost anxious.
“We take him to the same hospital Kadaj was in,” Tseng replied. He could not tear his eyes away from the form lying in the sand.
“Why won’t he stay dead?” Elena asked. She sounded like she was going to start crying.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Tseng said. “Maybe the Planet forgave him, too.”
*****
“Is something wrong?”
“No,” Rufus lied. He gave Kadaj a slight smile. “It’s just Turk business, nothing you need worry about.” At least not yet. He flipped the cell phone shut and set it on the coffee table.
“Top secret, huh?” Kadaj murmured. He was lying on the couch and staring into the fire again. He’d returned to that spot after Penelope had left them and outside of a few trips to the bathroom, he’d not moved much.
“Much of what I do is,” Rufus said. He leaned back and rested his head on the back of the couch. He wondered how long it would take for the blood tests to be completed, and he hoped to all the gods everything came back negative. Rufus didn’t want to be responsible for another death, but he would be, if Jenova’s cells were still alive and well. He was ready to order a lethal injection and the body burned to ashes if those tests were positive, because there was no way in Hell he would allow the nightmare to start again. So many had already died or had their lives ruined with Jenova’s taint. Rufus could not bear the thought of it happening again.
“Are you sure nothing is wrong?” Kadaj shifted and sat up. He resettled himself in a cross-legged position, facing Rufus.
“Absolutely,” Rufus replied. He forced himself to smile again. “As I said, nothing to worry about.”
Kadaj scrutinized him for a few moments before he snorted softly. “Right.” Kadaj unfolded himself from the couch and stalked over to the windows. He rested his forehead against the glass. “The view is nice,” Kadaj said after a few moments.
“Yes, very,” Rufus agreed readily. He was grateful for the change of topic. Kadaj hadn’t sounded convinced, but at least he was letting the matter drop. “It’s the nicest thing about this apartment.”
“I can pretend I’m not a prisoner,” Kadaj said. His tone was light, but Rufus heard the bitterness, none the less.
“You don’t have to pretend,” Rufus said. “Did you want to go somewhere? We could go out to dinner . . .”
“No,” Kadaj said. He shook his head slightly. “I don’t think I want to go out today.”
Rufus watched silver hair catch and reflect the sunlight and tried to ignore the guilt he felt for the attraction. Kadaj started to pace the hardwood floor again, and Rufus could only watch. The oversized jeans and shirt Kadaj wore did nothing to hide his panther-like grace as he paced back and forth in front of the glass wall.
“Are you sure?” Rufus asked. He’d go mad if he had to watch Kadaj pace like that for much longer.
“Yes,” Kadaj replied shortly. He abruptly stopped and turned to face Rufus. “But I am hungry,” he said.
“That can be remedied,” Rufus said. He was grateful for something to take his mind off the little problem currently being tested at Shinra General Hospital. “Any requests?”
A silver brow arched slightly. “Food, perhaps?”
Rufus couldn’t help smirk that chased across his lips. “Right. Food it is.”
*****
His cell phone rang halfway through dinner, and Rufus answered it before it could even ring twice. He was aware of Kadaj’s curious gaze as he spoke into the phone.
“Rufus Shinra.”
“Boss, good news. The tests all came back negative.” Tseng sounded as relieved as Rufus suddenly felt.
“Excellent,” Rufus said. Of course, there was now a whole new set of problems to be addressed, but they were problems that Rufus was much happier dealing with. “What is his condition?”
“Dr. Graham says he’s perfectly healthy and will probably just need some rest. He’s a little concerned about the mental end of things, though. He figures Sephiroth will probably have all of his memories when he wakes up.”
Rufus made a unhappy sound. That would not be good. Rufus had a sinking feeling that when Sephiroth awoke his mental state would be far worse than Kadaj’s. Sephiroth, pre-Jenova, had been a very honorable man. That man would not at all like the things he’d done under Jenova’s influence.
“Tseng, I want a suicide watch in place before they wake him,” Rufus said. “And restraints are in order, I think, at first.”
“Yes, sir,” Tseng replied. “I’m assuming that you’ll be telling your guest about this development?”
“Yes, but not before I talk with Penelope about it. Speaking of which, the minute you hang up with me, call her and tell her what’s going on, and then have her call me. This is going to seriously throw a curve into everything, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. And sir, isn’t there one other person we should notify?”
Rufus swore softly under his breath. Of course there was. “I’ll call Cloud myself,” Rufus said after a moment. He glanced across the table and found that Kadaj was watching him intently. “No one but the doctor or nurse are allowed in that room, do you understand me? It’s as much for his safety as anyone else’s.”
“Understood. Tseng out.”
The line went dead, and Rufus shut the phone.
“What’s going on?” Kadaj’s voice was a low murmur. “You look upset.”
Rufus shook his head and pushed himself away from the table. “I cannot discuss it right now, Kadaj. But I will later. I promise.”
“Why do you need to talk with Penelope?” Kadaj asked. His green eyes were narrowed slightly. He knew Rufus was hiding something from him. “Whatever it is, does it involve me, too?”
“Yes,” Rufus answered. “But I will not discuss it any further right now, Kadaj. Please, trust me on this. I promise it will all become clear later.”
Kadaj frowned slightly, but nodded. “Fine,” he murmured. He picked up his fork and continued to eat the marinated chicken and vegetables Rufus had made.
Rufus could hear the hurt in his tone, but steeled himself against it. There was no way in Hell he would tell Kadaj that Sephiroth lived before he talked with Penelope. It would be asking for trouble, and that kind of trouble they just didn’t need.
“I have to make a call in my office,” he told Kadaj. “I’ll be back in a moment. Please, enjoy your dinner.” He didn’t wait for a reply. He strode from the kitchen and headed straight for his office to make a call that he most definitely wished he didn’t have to make.
*****
“Cloud? Who was that?”
“Rufus.”
Cloud looked away from the phone in his hand and met Tifa’s eyes across the room. She was worried. He could see it in the slight frown she wore, and in a moment she was going to ask him if everything was alright, and he didn’t like the answer he was going to have to give her. Part of him wondered if this were some sick joke that Reno had put Rufus up to, but Cloud knew better. Rufus would never, ever joke about something like Sephiroth.
“Is everything okay? Kadaj is okay, isn’t he?” Tifa moved into the room and reached out to take his free hand into her own.
“Kadaj is fine,” Cloud said. He felt her hand squeeze his ever so slightly.
“Cloud?”
There was no easy way to tell her. He thought about telling her that nothing was wrong, but one look into her brown eyes, and he knew he would never be able to lie to Tifa. They’d been through too much together for him to disrespect her so.
“Sephiroth is alive.”
Tifa gasped sharply and swayed on her feet.
“But . . .”
“I know,” Cloud said. He sighed softly and set the phone on the desk before pulling her into his arms. He held her so tight that he feared he might hurt her, but he couldn’t bring himself to loosen his hold. She was his lifeline, his warmth, and at that very moment he was so very cold inside.

“How?” she whispered into his shoulder. “How is it possible?”
“Rufus had a hunch and had Tseng and Elena search every area on the Planet that has a direct connection to the Lifestream. They found him on the shore of one of lakes.”
“What will they do?” Tifa whispered. She sounded as terrified and uncertain as he felt. “What if he wakes up and he’s still crazy? What if he tries to hurt you again?”
“Rufus doesn’t think he will,” Cloud said.
“How can they know that?” she snapped. She pulled away enough to look up into his eyes.
“They ran the blood tests, Tifa. They came back just like Kadaj’s--he’s completely free of Jenova’s DNA.”
Tifa’s mouth gaped in surprise, and then after a moment her expression became troubled again.
“But, that means he’ll be like he was before he went crazy when he wakes up.”
Cloud nodded. “That’s what Dr. Graham seems to think, yes.”
Tifa’s eyes filled with tears suddenly, and she hid her face against Cloud’s shoulder. He didn’t have to ask what was wrong. He knew. Sephiroth would wake and remember everything that he’d done under Jenova’s influence, and it would tear him apart. Tifa knew that. Cloud most certainly knew that. Rufus had mused that maybe the Planet had decided to forgive Sephiroth and give him another chance, but Cloud found himself thinking it would have been far more compassionate to leave the Shinra General dead.
“Oh, Cloud.” Tifa’s voice was a barely audible sob. “Whatever will we do?”
He felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth, and he hugged her a little closer. Tifa was already thinking of how to help Sephiroth, even though the man had killed her father. He wondered just exactly when she’d forgiven Sephiroth, but he knew that she had. They’d talked about it, in the past, and she’d as much as said so. He wasn’t himself, Tifa had said. Now that I know what happened to him, I can’t hate him. His life wasn’t his own. First Shinra’s pawn, and then Jenova’s--it wasn’t his fault, not really.
“Whatever we can,” Cloud finally answered. “I’m going to the hospital now. They’re going to wake him after I get there.”
“Do you want me to come along? Barrett can watch the kids.”
“Do you want to come along?”
She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up into his eyes. There was a hard determination there that he was all too familiar with. Tifa could move mountains when her eyes got like that.
“Yes.”
She smiled when Cloud nodded in agreement.
*****
TBC
- 3
- 4
- 5
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Path to Redemption