Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

Storm Cloud Smiles	By : Hnoss Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 852 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core. I'm also not making any money here either. This is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Storm Cloud Smiles
Flora_Winters
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Crisis Core and I’m not making any money here either. I do believe Final Fantasy VII is one of the best video games ever to me made and anyone who has the balls to disagree with the AWESOME that is ME will be all smitey-smoted by my lovely Knights of the Round.
Summary: Sometimes the dead simply do not stay where he thought he didn’t bury them. A ghost story which haunts windswept halls and beyond time. MM, Strong Language, Violence, Cloud-Zack, Cloud-Genesis, Cloud-Sephiroth, Cloud-Vincent, Genesis-Sephiroth
Chapter Four: Let’s Start Over With a Smile
The dawn soon came and Cloud woke, finding he was all alone on the bed in his little cabin. He blinked his eyes several times and rolled over onto his back, stretching and yawning as loud as he could. There had been no bad dreams, and to his astonishment, he felt totally refreshed for the first time in a long time.
He turned his head to the side, wondering what time Rhys had left him. He hadn’t even heard him exit the room. He put his naked hand where the man had been on the bed and smiled to himself. The spot was still warm, so he couldn’t have been gone long.
He got up, dressed, slipped his boots on and opened up his door. He could hear a few gruff voices and walked out on deck where the world was bright and blue.
“Good morning, Mr. Strife!” A few sailors called out to him and he waved back in polite greeting. He could actually see the Northern Continent in the near distance.
It wouldn’t be long now.
The storm had blown itself out and the sky above his blond head was so blue, it mirrored his eyes. He walked over to the metal railing and gazed down at the singing waves. It was like there had never been a storm at all. The sea looked calm and happy.
“How was your night, Mr. Strife?” A voice asked from behind him.
He turned away from the wailing, seeing that he was being greeted by the captain of the vessel.
“It was good,” Cloud told him honestly and with a genuine smile on his pale face. “I played cards with one of your crew members and he sucked.”
The captain chuckled, playing with his beard. “And who might that be?”
“Rhys,” Cloud answered him, shaking his head. “He was really bad.”
The captain blinked. “What was that?”
“Rhys,” Cloud repeated, thinking the man might be a little hard of hearing. “Tall, tan, shaggy white hair, amber reddish eyes…”
The captain slightly paled just a little and took off his sunglasses.
“He brought me some tea in this light blue mug,” Cloud said, noticing the captain had the same colored eyes as Rhys. “He told me it was his mother’s recipe. We played cards for a long time.”
The captain looked as though he were slightly trembling a bit.
“Rhys…Rhys died one year ago, Mr. Strife,” the captain told him in a hushed voice. “The Goddess took him during a terrible storm.”
Cloud took a step back, bumping into the railing behind him. “You lie…”
The captain sadly shook his head. “He was washed overboard when a massive wave struck the ship.”
“Perhaps this is a different Rhys,” Cloud argued, only to freeze when the captain pulled out his worn leather wallet. The bearded man handed him a small photo.
Cloud’s eyes widened.
It was Rhys.
“He was my only son,” the captain whispered, tears sparkling in his eyes. “He loved the sea.”
Cloud could suddenly see and hear the man in red.
“…So many ghosts surround you…”
“How?” Cloud whispered, looking at the young sailor’s photo. “Why?”
Rhys was smiling. He looked goofy and carefree.
Pain stabbed him in the chest. The smile reminded him of…Zack.
The captain then smiled a little warmly at him. “Some say the dead never truly leave us. They watch over us. Protect us.”
Cloud’s heart ached a little.
It was kind of hard for him to breathe.
He put his hand over his charm, feeling its comforting hum against his flesh.
“His voice,” Cloud said, handing the photo back to him. “He had a wonderful voice.”
“He had a voice that would make any siren seasick green with envy,” the captain chuckled. “I guess that is why the Goddess wanted him so badly.”
Cloud tried to smile.
“You keep this,” The captain told him, pushing the little photo back at him. “I have others.”
Cloud bit his bottom lip, nodding.
The captain squeezed his shoulders and walked away from him.
He held the photo to his chest, closing his eyes.
Rhys had been so real. He had felt his comforting warmth and smelled his scent.
He could still taste the tea on his tongue.
He opened his eyes and a single tear dripped from a sky blue orb. It slid down his cheek, dripping from his hairless chin.
Quickly, he wiped it away.
He slid the tiny photo into his shirt pocket and rested against the railing as the ship bobbed up and down across the water. He looked out at the sea and smiled.
“Thanks for the tea, Rhys,” he said, watching fluffy white clouds dance across the blue, “and for holding me through the night.”
A warm wind ruffled his spiky blond hair. He could hear that familiar melodious chuckle.
He turned, but no one was there.
~OOOO~
He was just a few miles from Bone Village and he thanked the captain for his services, noticing the man was drinking from the same blue mug Rhys had handed him last night. It caused him to take a deep breath as he told the elder man to take care of himself and his crew.
“You do the same, Mr. Strife,” the captain told him, giving his gloved hand a firm shaking. “And thank you.”
Cloud nodded and made his way down the wooden ramp to the little boat which would take him to shore. He climbed in and sat down. Apparently, he was the only one getting off here.
“Are you ready, Mr. Strife?” The redheaded sailor beside him asked, taking hold of the metal oars.
“Yes,” Cloud answered.
After a few moments, he looked back at the ship.
His eyes widened.
Rhys was sitting on the railing with his legs dangling over the water. He was waving to him and he had a big smile on his face. His shaggy white locks were blowing in the warm, salty breeze.
Cloud slowly raised his hand and waved back to the comforting spirit.
“Who are you waving to, Sir?” The redhead asked.
Cloud kept smiling. “A friend…”
The sailor cocked a brow but minded his own business.
“Goodbye,” Cloud whispered on the sunlit breeze. “Thank you.”
Rhys was gone.
~OOOOO~
Bone Village was just as Cloud remembered it. Digging crews all over the place and scientists running around like crazy chickens with their heads cut off. They were always discovering something new about the planet. Even the tiniest little rock found would send them all into an excited shark feeding frenzy.
He gazed up at the massive white skull of what had once been some kind of giant prehistoric beast. Looking at it now still gave him chills.
Some of the scientists had told him that it could have once been a weapon that had been destroyed long ago. He had faced five of those things and was glad this one was extinct.
He made his way through the buzzing as quickly as he could without tripping over an overexcited archaeologist. The last thing he wanted was to be caught up in the craze over a new rock being found that was a trillion years older than the last one. Of course, there would be tears of joy and wine would rain down from the sky.
He was going to have to make his way through the Sleeping Forest in order to get to the ancient Cetra City. Well, it was a good thing the Sleeping Forest was no longer in bed. They were going to have to come up with a new name for it.
The passageway was dark, but he didn’t really mind that. He wasn’t afraid of the dark, just the things that could be lurking within it. He had no light, but he did have his charm.
He pulled it out and the shadows ran screaming with their drawers pulled up around their twisted necks. It illuminated the passage all around him. There was nothing to be afraid of in here.
The Sleeping Forest was not silent anymore. He could hear the chirping of many birds and hear the whispers in the leaves above his head.
The sun was shining down in dazzling golden beams through the green.
His eyes misted.
He could see shimmering wisps of her frolicking from tree to tree.
She was smiling and laughing, face bright and happy with life.
“You can’t catch me, Cloud,” she laughed, vanishing in golden mist. Her gentle laughter echoed all around him.
“I’ll give you this flower,” she whispered on the fragrant air. “All you have to do is kiss my cheek.”
Her flowers had been so beautiful. He could still see them.
They were so bright and yellow. They were like tiny little suns surrounded with shimmering petals.
“Come on, Cloud,” she called and he saw her running into the distance ahead of him, through the beams of brilliant sunlight. “Do try and keep up. We have a world to save after all.”
He reached out for her, only to watch her vanish like fading mists in the light.
“Aerith…”
“So many ghosts…”
He shook his head and walked along through the beautiful greenery. Everything was in full bloom and he could smell the flowers.
Zack had loved flowers, too. Whenever Cloud had opened up his locker, there would be a flower there to greet him.
Rage suddenly filled him.
He wanted to know why.
Why did this bastard have to be there of all places?
Why did the Life Stream spit him out there for?
It made his blood boil with wrath.
Sephiroth had no right to be in such a beautiful, spiritual place.
He made his way out of the forest and looked down at the ancient city and crossed his arms across his chest. Everything was suddenly so very quiet.
Not even the wind was blowing. All was still.
He began to follow the primordial trail which led down to the silent city.
Sephiroth was here.
Everything always gets silent when the prick is near.
He knew exactly where he was, too.
Cloud began to run.
He began to run as if all the demons of hell had been unleashed to overtake him.
He flew across the stone made bridge, which would lead him to the place he had laid Aerith to rest. He didn’t want to think about it. He forced the memory from his mind with a clear shout.
He ran up the path and there was the pool in front of the giant shell looking structure. Beams of sunlight filtered down through the timeless trees, dancing on the calm surface of the turquoise pool. The water was so still.
“She’s not down there,” he said to himself over and over as he slowly made his way up to the edge of the pool. “She’s one with the planet now…jut like…”
A splash caused him to yelp and jump away. He had his blade drawn, ready to swing into something.
It had only been a fish.
In his mind, he had seen nothing but a pool of bubbling blood and Sephiroth rising up from the froth to fillet him with those scary green eyes.
He shook his head.
Looking at the shell structure, he made his way around the pool to it.
Everything was so quiet. It was nerve wracking.
A voice whispered his name when he stepped inside.
It was Sephiroth.
Cloud walked around the corner, seeing the glowing stairs which would lead him down to where Aerith had prayed for Holy.
He froze on the first step.
There was no way he could go down there.
He would see it all play out before his eyes again.
“Come to me, Cloud,” the voice ghosted up to him from below. “Or I’ll make sure it does for a very long time to come.”
“Fuck you!” Cloud yelled.
Sephiroth chuckled. “I’ll consider it.”
Cloud sniffed.
Now he was pissed again.
He was going to stab that bastard though the heart and give his blade a good twist as he jerked it free from him.
“Vivid imagery,” Sephiroth laughed. “Are you trying to make me hard?”
“Shut up!” Cloud hissed, racing down the steps.
The city below was so bright and full of radiant splendor. Just the mere thought of that bastard being in such a beautiful place was blasphemous.
Coming to a swift halt at the base of the stairway, he saw the temple dome where Aerith had prayed and died. She had given her very life for the planet. Her loving spirit had called out and made Holy shine for the world to witness.
He made his way across the ivory bridge and slowly up the pearly steps, coming to a stop at the top.
It was Sephiroth.
The silver haired general was sprawled out on the marble floor in the very center of the temple under the round dome. He was half naked and caked in dry blood. Bright beams of white light caused his long hair to shimmer like strands of molten mercury.
Rage filled Cloud all the more.
The bastard was lying in the very place he had murdered Aerith. It was as though he were mocking it.
He hated him. Oh, how he hated him.
Cloud walked over, looming above the fallen god with sword drawn. He snarled when those emerald eyes fluttered open behind long lashes.
“Go ahead,” Sephiroth rasped. “Kill me again.”
Cloud wanted to. Oh, he wanted to.
He wanted to hack and slash until Sephiroth was nothing but a piece of unrecognizable meat. He wanted to stab and scream until all the pain fled away into redness.
He suddenly did scream, driving his blade down through the floor, right next to Sephiroth’s amazed face. Metal screamed right along with Cloud as he drove the blade deeper into the marble flooring.
The scream echoed all around into stunned silence.
“Why?” Sephiroth asked.
“I’m not you!” Cloud roared, backing away from him. “I’m nothing like you!”
Sephiroth smirked. “You got that right. Nobody in this miserable world is like me.”
“I’m better!” Cloud retorted with a cruel wink. “Stronger. I know pain. I know sorrow. I’ve felt hate and I know what love is.”
Sephiroth frowned.
“I’m here,” Cloud said, looking down at him with ire. “What do you want?”
“Get me out of here,” Sephiroth said, trying to sit up but couldn’t. “I can’t move and I really hate this place.”
Cloud narrowed his eyes and took a small step forward. “Can you really do what you say you can? Can you bring Zack back? Can you bring…”
Sephiroth cocked a brow. “You want her back, too?”
Cloud nodded.
He wanted his friend back, too.
“Sorry,” Sephiroth said, shaking his head. “I only have enough power to do one and I agreed to Zacky.”
Cloud loomed down at him with angry blue eyes. He should have slammed his sword down through his guts and twisted until the bastard pissed himself.
Sephiroth reached up. “Get me out of here and I’ll give him back to you.”
Cloud bit his bottom lip, shook his head and grasped the bigger hand. The instant he did so, he cried out in bone shattering agony.
“FOOL!” Sephiroth howled with laughter as dark light exploded from between their clasped hands.
He was sucking out Cloud’s life force.
Cloud fell to his knees as Sephiroth sat up beside him, sucking him dry. Cloud gazed into those molten emerald green eyes and lowered his head.
“Silly Cloud,” Sephiroth chuckled, rising to his naked feet. “Did you truly think I would have any part in making you happy?”
Cloud weakly tried to pull his hand free from the iron grip. His whole body was falling asleep on him. He was going limp all over.
Sephiroth released his hand and Cloud collapsed onto his face with a groan. He couldn’t move any part of his body.
He was helpless…just like when…
“You really fucked me over, Cloud,” Sephiroth said, standing over his fallen form, kicking him in the ribs with his foot.
Cloud tried to scream and couldn’t as he landed onto his back with a thud. He helplessly watched Sephiroth pull his sword free from the marble flooring.
“I am going to drive this through your chest and twist around a few times,” Sephiroth told him with a demonic giggle. “And I’ll make your terrors dance before your dying eyes as I do so, too.”
Cloud took a deep breath.
“Does that sound like a good time to you?” Sephiroth asked, raising the sword up high over his head, bringing it down with a loud shout.
The fang sharp tip of the blade touched the surface of Cloud’s vest and the blade instantly shattered into a thousand glittering fragments in the sunlight. Sephiroth staggered backwards several steps in shock, looking at the ruined blade.
“What power is this?”
A brilliant red glow shimmered from under Cloud’s vest and heavenly voices filled the air with song. The top of the temple was blown off and the moon looked as though it were descending from the sky. A pink, moonflower scented mist rolled over the two of them like ocean waves.
Sephiroth snarled and hissed as he and Cloud were lifted up into the air. A gong echoed like thunder over a radiant sea.
A powerful voice was singing. Words were being spoken in a language never heard by human ears and yet Cloud could understand.
“That which was taken shall once more be returned.”
Cloud opened his eyes, seeing the beautiful man from the festival in Wutai. The mythological beauty was floating within radiant ruby red splendor as he descended a mountain of rolling pink clouds. He was marvelous, regal and truly terrifying to behold.
Sephiroth reached to strangle Cloud, but the blond was washed away in icy pink mist. He was nowhere to be found.
The general instantly found that he was restrained and suspended spread-eagled in the air by flowing black hair that shimmered with onyx fire.
Amethyst gemstone eyes burned into him like roaring twin stars.
He wanted to scream.
This being’s countenance was burning him, blinding him.
“You cannot fight me, Lord Sephiroth,” the man cooed with such serenity. “You can fight all the powers in this world, but I am that which you can never defeat.”
Sephiroth growled and roared, fighting with the whispering dark locks which held him prisoner. He called upon all his powers, but it was suppressed by an even greater force than his own.
“Who the hell are you?”
“I am Empathy,” the man smiled with teeth brighter than moonlight. “I am Forgiveness. I am Peace.”
Sephiroth gasped when radiant white arms embraced him with such calming warmth. Divine voices filled the moonflower scented air around him. The two of them floated in a pink heaven.
“I am Love,” the man whispered like snow white doves, kissing Sephiroth’s cheeks as blazing stars danced and spun around them. “Give me all your pain, Lord Sephiroth. Give me all your hate and all your sorrow.”
“No!” Sephiroth cried in horror, fighting with all his powers to get free from him. “Let me go.”
“Give it to me.”
“Release me!” Sephiroth screamed.
“Never,” the entity spoke, hugging him with such tenderness as the fires and ice raged all around them. “Let it out. Let it all out.”
“Stop it!” Sephiroth wailed, screaming lightning into that beautiful face. “You can’t make me!”
“I will never let you go,” the man smiled even brighter, holding him in light and warmth. “I will never abandon you.”
“I hate you!” Sephiroth screamed, tears of molten fire streaming from his burning and blind green orbs. “I HATE YOU ALL!”
Empathy, Forgiveness, Peace and Love smiled.
He took Sephiroth’s lips with his own, filling him with light, drowning all his pain, hatred, wrath and sorrow with a balm of calm and tranquility. Sephiroth struggled and fought, but all the darkness was being expelled from every pore.
“Everything will be all right,” he cooed, holding the fallen god ever so close. “All is forgiven.”
Empathy, Forgiveness, Peace and Love looked up at the heavens and grinned from pointy ear to pointy ear.
The portal was opening.
It was time for a new story to be written.
“I’ve done as you have asked of me, Sister. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
~OOOOO~
Cloud felt himself floating in a blissful sea of warm, heavenly scent. All of his physical pain was gone and his mind was calm and balmy.
“Open your eyes, my heavenly Cloud,” a voice spoke to him from a high place above. “And go to the one your heart sings for.”
Song filled his ears and he opened his blue eyes to the light. He could see a familiar hand reaching down for him to take.
He knew that hand.
Large white wings stirred the warm air.
“Zack?” He whispered.
His voice echoed for an eternity as he reached up to take hold of the bigger, stronger hand.
Zack was smiling down at him and Cloud smiled back with pure happiness.
“I’ve been waiting, Cloudy. What took you so long?”
Their hands met, clasped and a brilliant red light flashed, pulsing like a healed heartbeat all around. A gong echoed and a beam of light parted the veil between space and time.
Full, green lips smiled from the Void.
“Well?” The slightly taller male beside her asked.
The female in green giggled. “He will be in pain, but My will be done, Brother.”
“I did keep my promise,” the male spoke. “I did say he would have a happy smile on his face.”
“It is a good thing you didn’t say for how long then, huh?”
The male rolled his eyes. “Fancy a drink or something?”
The female beamed. “Have you ever thought about cutting your hair?”
“I will if you will.”
“You go first.”
“No.”
~To Be Continued…
Please review and tell me what you think. This is not the end. Not by a long shot. If you thought Sephiroth is crazy…you’ve not seen just how crazy Cloud can be. He will be crazier than a shithouse rat.
~Flora
- 4
- 5
- 6
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

Storm Cloud Smiles