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Shattered Dreams	By : Crya2Evans Category: Final Fantasy VII > General Views: 991 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 60
- 61
- 62
A/N: Thanks to everyone
who read and reviewed! I put the review responses on the bottom!

(Voice in mind)
�Internal thought�
Warning: Disturbing
imagery, blood, gore, and graphic violence

Chapter 60: Departure

The cavern was once
familiar, covered floor to spiky ceiling with the numerous bodies of ill-formed
monsters and their allies. Their raucous cries of blood and destruction were a
swell of degradation, shaking Gaia from within. The stench of unwashed carnivores
and sulfurous breath permeated every neck and cranny.

But now, it was silent, a deathly quiet that was eerie even to one such as
Alice Hojo. She had grown quite attached to all the intriguing blood-thirsty
beasts. They made such good test subjects. Yet, as she walked the hollowed out
hallways, the crisp click of her heels echoing around her, she was even more
pleased that their true plans were coming to fruition.

The knights were completely
submissive, her biochips an astounding success, though she couldn�t even begin
to fathom the long term effects on their sanity. They would probably end up
stark raving mad, not that it bothered her in the slightest. The knights had
been a worthy challenge but could not stand in the face of absolute science.

And the device had been
completed as well, much to her enjoyment. Her life�s work was compiled into
this one scientific masterpiece that would alter the fate of Gaia and
everything that lived upon it. She couldn�t help but chortle in glee to
herself. With her device, Balaam had nicknamed it Apocalypto, the world would
be changed. She couldn�t be more proud.

The sound of hissing voices
filtered her direction, and Alice smirked in response. It was Balaam and his
closest in command no doubt. With a brief adjustment of her chunky glasses, the
scientist altered her original course and followed the sound. Rounding a
corner, she ducked under an arch and found herself in one of the smaller
alcoves that had been designated as a living space. This particular one belonged
to the already defeated Azamat, hence the reason why it was small. The fallen
demi-deity had been the weakest of the host�s four, and Alice was glad that
weak link had been snapped.

The three remaining deities
hardly looked up as she entered, ignoring her altogether. She snorted in
annoyance before plopping down gracelessly into a chair, completely uninvited.

�Why does Hojo�s whore make
her presence known?� Daunte hissed, none too approvingly. The masked demi-god
was perhaps the creepiest of them all with his dead, soulless eyes and rasping
voice.

Yet, Alice returned his
stare without fear, giving him her own withering glance. �Most everyone has
dispersed per Lord Balaam�s orders. What is the next step?�

Balaam laughed, dry and
raspy sound coming from his yet uncompleted form. But soon, very soon he would
be whole, and the entire pantheon of deities above him would rue the day they
ever crossed him, including those traitors. His eyes glowed from deep within
his shadowed face, crimson coals of malicious intent.

�The fools head straight for
my trap, just as I knew they would.� He chuckled loudly as a clawed hand
clenched. �Those imbeciles are leading their lambs to the slaughter. It is
almost too easy.�

�And Apocalypto?� Alice questioned,
pushing up her glasses with one finger.

�In three days, this world
can begin under a new chaos,� Balaam cackled, his minions at his side joining
in the raucous laughter.

Serpentine yellow eyes fell
on Alice. �And what of Hojo�s wife,� the third demon rasped, one who�s name she
hadn�t bothered to learn. �What will she do?�

�I told you before,� she
replied icily, indignation rearing its ugly head. �Hojo is dead. As for me. I�m
no fighter. I�m going to remain here. I have interest in the General
Sephiroth.� Her eyes took on a maniac gleam. �I have several theories that I am
most intrigued to test.�

Balaam laughed at her words,
the sound harsh and grating, lacking in sanity. He stood, stretching out his
great wings and emanating his slowly returning power, feeling better than he
had in decades. The mortals and their foolish faithful were unaware of his
plans; they had no idea of what was truly in store for them.

He was determined. This time
he would not fail; he would find his freedom or die trying. He refused to be
sealed away again or locked away to be forgotten. He would fight to end with
his dying breath.

�The time has come,� he
rumbled to the approval of those in his company. �Let us give the mortals a
taste of true fear and ultimate defeat.� Dark eyes burned with the force of his
fury, and all those around him had to fight the urge to shiver.

Balaam merely smirked at
that. �Let them come.�

-�� -�� -

He ignored the knocking on
the door, finding he would rather pretend he wasn�t home than listen to the
ranting of his father. Why the old man bothered when he had clearly moved out
was beyond his comprehending. Besides, with that freaky, muscle-bound oaf
Seraph gone, his house was fair game. Eben was living the life of luxury now.
There were no rules, no worries.

He was more than glad Seraph
had disappeared. The oddly quiet man had beat Eben up far too many times, and
as if in remembrance, the cocky teen scrubbed a hand over his shoulder. Seraph
had unusual strength, which made him somewhat frightening.

Not that Eben was scared.
Nope. He didn�t fear anything.

It was a bit disappointing,
however, to search Seraph�s abandoned home and find nothing of importance or
interest. He would think that the man would have had lots of secrets, but there
was nothing, not even a left behind sock. The knocking disappeared at his door,
and Eben relished the silence, feeling utterly content as he grabbed the remote
and clicked on the television, picking a channel at complete random.

A smirk on his face, Eben
leaned back into his chair and stared at the screen, not even paying attention
to the action flick on rerun, just relaxing in the lap of luxury. That was
until a sudden low and fierce rumble shook the entire room, causing several
gaudy knickknacks to tumble to the ground with a loud crash. He bolted upright,
wondering if, for the first time in his life, he was experiencing an
earthquake. What was he supposed to do in such situations again?

Another violent tremble
rocked the building, and this time, Eben tumbled from his chair and scrambled
to his feet, narrowly missing knocking himself in the head on the edge of the
coffee table. The echoing boom of some loud explosion quickly informed him that
this was no mere earthquake. His gaze flickered to the window, catching a dim,
orange glow beyond the sheer fabric. His mouth dropping open in surprise, Eben
raced to the front door, fumbling fingers unlocking the bolts on the third try.

He threw it open and stepped
outside, skidding to an abrupt stop when his heart leapt up into his throat.
His gaze first fell on the body of his father, mangled and torn in the snow
several yards in front of him. Blood stained the ground, and he could feel the
bile rising up in his mouth. Despite his anger and annoyance, that was still
his father.

But before he could even
begin to mourn, his eyes rose to the sky and the cause of his father�s death.
Demons were swarming into his sleepy, peaceful little town by the hundreds.
Dragons, goblins, gargoyles, and creatures he had never seen before dropped
down like deadly rain. Many spouted flame as they fell, catching rooftops on
fire. Water streamed as snow abruptly melted, joining with the blood of the
fallen and creating scarlet-streaked rivers.

Numb with surprise, his
heart aching, Eben dumbly stepped out onto the walkway, his eyes widened with
terror.

Why? So much destruction�

The acrid smell of ash and
burning filtered his direction, and another fierce rumble rocked the town.
Those monsters were destroying his hometown; when had they banded together to
do such a thing? And why Icicle?

The echo of growling and
scratching sounded from behind him. Fear gripped his heart as Eben slowly
turned around, raising his eyes to the rooftop of the structure. Malevolent
eyes gleamed down at him, offset by already blood-stained claws and a feral
grin, and the fur around the creature�s maw foamed and dripped with some
nameless substance.

He didn�t even have time to
scream before the beast attacked, leaping directly on top of him, claws digging
into his flesh. He grunted and growled, fighting back, blunt fingernails doing
no damage against the heavier and stronger monster. Cold snow slipped down his
back as he was brought to the ground, and he had only one thought before the
jaws enclosed his head.

Why?

-�� -�� -

The wind stirred from the
hovering Highwind made it seem much colder on the roof of the Neo-ShinRa
building than it actually was. Cloud couldn�t help the slight shudder that
wracked his body, despite the mako that continuously warmed his blood. Or maybe
the chill was more from circumstance, the fear that came before any major
battle. It didn�t matter that he wasn�t himself participating; he feared for
the lives of his friends. They might have been the strongest on Gaia, but they
fought against immortals, extremely powerful demi-beings.

He was right to be
concerned.

Chewing his lip in
apprehension, Cloud�s gaze roamed over those few gathered on the rooftop, most
there to say goodbye to those getting ready to leave for. He could make out
several couples. Cid and Vincent were already on aboard the Highwind, the
Captain no doubt barking out orders, while Vincent gave him bemused stares.
Archer was currently climbing the dropped ladder, having already said his brief
farewells. Unlike the others, he wasn�t leaving anyone behind, and at that
point, Cloud couldn�t really say whether or not that was a blessing.

Mako eyes shifted to the
married couple, Reeve and Reno, a match he would have never suspected on his
own. Reeve looked pained, his face drawn tight with worry, and Cloud knew
without asking that he was still wishing that he could go along with the
others. There was nothing worse than being forced to stay behind while your
loved one fought without you, especially considering their foes.

He couldn�t see what they
were saying, but when Reno turned to head towards the Highwind, Cloud caught
the flash of naked fear on the President�s face moments before he grabbed his
redheaded lover from behind. Reeve wrapped his arms tightly around Reno, and
the blond turned away, immediately feeling as if he was intruding on a private
moment. In that moment, he felt incredibly selfish, knowing that he was staying
behind with his own precious love. In many ways, it wasn�t fair.

His gaze shifted to a
parting that was not quite so emotional, Yuffie and Nanaki, yet another
relationship that he had not expected. He wasn�t quite sure what was going on between
the two, but judging from the blush in the ninja�s cheeks and the way she kept
glancing at him from beneath her lashes, there was something. She laughed as
Nanaki teased her and punched him playfully on the arm. They were even being
loud enough that he could hear a bit of their conversation.

�If you die on me, I�ll take
you out of hell and kill you again!� Yuffie warned, a stern look on her face.

Nanaki snorted, shaking his
head at her. Cloud couldn�t hear his response as he was much quieter than his
Wutaiian friend, but he assumed the demi-human was assuring her. He tightened
his Dragon�s Claw as he spoke, tail waving about behind him, displaying the
nervousness his cool demeanor refused to show.

Cloud felt a hand on his arm
and half-turned to find his wife standing there beside him, a comforting smile
on her face. �It�s getting close to that time,� she said, rubbing her belly
with the other hand.

The former leader of
AVALANCHE hmm�ed thoughtfully, watching with great amusement out of the corner
of his eye as Nanaki glanced surreptitiously around him before kissing Yuffie
lightly on the cheek and darting towards the ladder. He quickly climbed aboard,
tail waving about significantly more jauntily than before. Yuffie, however, was
blushing profusely, gaping at her best friend.

He chuckled before turning
his attention back to Aeris. �If the emotions on this rooftop get any heavier,
I doubt the building will be able to stand up beneath the pressure,� he
commented.

�Can you blame them?� Aeris
questioned, her gaze shifting to Reeve as a sympathetic look crossed her face.
The President was trying his best to composed and unworried, but he was failing
miserably, watching as Reno climbed into the Highwind. �Back when we were
fighting Sephiroth, we were altogether.�

At the mention of the former
General�s name, Cloud couldn�t help but find the man, their leader now,
standing on the rooftop. Sephiroth seemed perfectly ready for battle: stoic,
calm, thoughtful, even when faced with the continuous jibes and jokes of his
best friend. That was understandable. Battle was what Sephiroth had been born
for, what he had been made into. He was in his element.

�And now we�re fighting
along the same side as him,� Cloud mumbled, shaking his head. �Strange how thin
the line between good and evil is.�

�If there�s even one at
all,� she murmured in response, squeezing his arm again to show her support.

The door to the rooftop suddenly squeaked open behind them, causing the married
couple to turn in surprise. All those leaving were already present and
accounted for. Therefore, it came as a surprise when Marlene and Denzel
emerged, followed closely by a slightly weary Rude. The little girl seemed
excited, her face flushed, but Denzel hung back, clearly troubled by something.

�Marlene!� exclaimed Aeris
in surprise. �What are you doing here?�

It had been Cloud�s decision
that the children not come to the rooftop. He thought it would upset them, but
he should have known better. These were children of war. They had survived
through worse.

Brown eyes twinkled up at
her. �I wanted to tell everyone good luck!� she chirped, refusing to relinquish
her hold on her friend�s hand. That was until her sharp gaze fell on her
favorite victim, who was giving last minute instructions to his subordinate.
The Wutaiian never knew what hit him.

�She�s very persistent,�
Rude intoned as he joined Cloud and Aeris, a quiet Denzel clinging to his side.

The blond shook his head, lightly
running a gloved hand over his face. �So I noticed,� he commented from between
parted fingers. His gaze traveled back to those still remaining on the rooftop,
finding Sephiroth immediately, and Zack�s loud voice drifted their direction.

�Balaam doesn�t stand a
chance, yo!� the spiky-haired man laughed, obviously mimicking Reno from the
planning meeting. He shifted where he stood, the Zanken sword on his back
rattling in its sheath, as if it, too, was anxious for battle.

Sephiroth groaned, shifting his sight away from his idiotic friend. �Zack, get
on the ship,� he ordered, turning back towards Cloud, intent on leaving a few
more parting words. His eyes fell on Tseng and Marlene, the Turk Commander
listening to the little fangirl babble on as Elena tried to restrain her
chuckles at their side.

�Ah, Seph!� Zack latched on
to his back, playfully nudging at his hair. The younger male was in full fool
around mode today, a way to hide his nervousness about their upcoming battle,
something Sephiroth recognized easily. �Don�t you love me anymore?�

Silver eyes met mossy grey,
and to his horror, the former General felt himself blush. He abruptly twisted
away from the Turk Commander, running a hand through his hair as he did so and
effectively dislodging the subordinate leech from his shoulder.

He turned one annoyed eye on
his best friend. �Zack, get on the Highwind before I leave you behind.�

Zack made a face before
playfully saluting his commanding officer and turning on his heels. He blew a
kiss to Elena, which she caught with a wink, before sauntering towards the
waiting airship. Somehow, that action did not surprise either Sephiroth or
Tseng. Both men had already suspected much, probably due to Rude and Aeris�
discovery and subsequent rumors. Though not outright announcing their
relationship, it appeared the two were beginning with subtleties. Most likely,
it was Elena�s idea. Zack never was one for delicacy.

�Bye, Mr. Tseng!� Marlene
called out, waving happily to the Wutaiian as he followed Zack towards the
airship, leaving Sephiroth the only one on the rooftop. �When you come back,
we�ll have another tea party.�

The former General noted the
Turk�s grimace and had to stifle his own laughter. However, booted footsteps
alerted him to Cloud�s approach, and Sephiroth turned to greet the blond,
knowing some final things needed to be said. Cloud seemed distracted, worried,
more likely concerned for the fate of his companions, considering he was
leaving them in someone else�s hands.

�Take care of them,� the
blond said quietly. �They may be strong, but they�re still� human. Don�t forget
that.� The ex-soldier paused for a moment, a small grin curling at the corner
of his mouth. �Well, for the most part,� he amended, thinking of Nanaki.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.
�I was General of an army of imperfect soldiers, Cloud. I know their limits.�

�Perhaps,� his companion
said softly. �But sometimes, they don�t. I want to say bring them back alive,
but considering your opponent, I don�t know what to hope for.�

Mossy eyes darkened. �We
will win. There can be no other outcome.� Sephiroth paused as a sudden thought
occurred to him. �Remember, Balaam is the master of chaos. Don�t leave Midgar
for any reason.�

�You really think he will
attack?�

�I can�t say.� The former
General frowned as he shifted his stance, folding his arms over his chest. His
every instinct was raging at him to be wary, including the voice of Gilgamesh
inside his head. He didn�t know what Balaam was planning, but he was certain,
one straight jaunt to the Lost Grounds might not be the end of it.�

Cloud sighed. �Just come
back alive� all of you.�

Sephiroth nodded before
turning away from the ex-SOLDIER, fully prepared to climb aboard the Highwind. There
was nothing left to say, and now, only the battle stood before them. If he
believed in a god, he might have thought to pray for them. But as it was, he
was content to believe in their strength.

�Sephy!�

The former General turned in
surprise at the call, eyes widening moments before a small form barreled into
him, wrapping arms around his waist and burying a brunet head in his belly. He
immediately recognized Denzel as the child clung to him, small shoulders
shaking in silent sobs. Unsure what to do, he placed a gloved hand in the
child�s hair, trying to soothe him with a touch.

�Please don� die,� Denzel
whimpered, sniffling quite unattractively as he snuffled and wiped his nose on
Sephiroth�s shirt.

Sephiroth was speechless,
unsure what to say to the boy. He knew that Denzel was searching for
reassurance, but having very little experience with children, he didn�t know
what to say that wasn�t the truth. And he refused to lie. That had happened to
him far too much as a child. So he patted the boy�s back in silence, eyes
snapping up to look for someone vaguely Shera or Aeris-shaped to help him out.

The boy�s hands tightened on his shirt as watery eyes looked right up at him.
�Promise?� he questioned� no, demanded of the former general, lower lip trembling
in a pitiful fashion.

Sephiroth chewed on the
inside of his mouth in frustration before nodding, unsure of what else to say.
�I don�t die that easily, Denzel. I�m strong.�

�Da� was strong, too,� the
boy put in stubbornly, more tears trailing down his face. �You can�t promise,
can you? �Cause you�re gonna leave.�

Such honesty from a child.
Sephiroth knew it was wrong in some fashion that the war should have torn
innocence from him. And it reminded him all too well of his own sordid past,
making his heart clench. He gulped, glancing up helplessly for some sort of
aid.

He caught mako blue eyes,
and Cloud came to his rescue. The blond wrapped arms around the little boy and
worked to pull him away from Sephiroth, but Denzel refused to let go, afraid
that if he did, he would never see his surrogate father again. In such a short
time, he had already gotten irrevocably attached. Sephiroth was helpless in the
face of such loyalty.

Finally, Cloud was able to
pry Denzel away, but that did not stop the tears. �You�re gonna leave, too,�
the little boy mumbled unhappily, turning limp in Cloud�s arms. �I�ll be alone
again.�

It was more than Sephiroth
could take. �I�m not,� he said with a shake of his head, surprising himself
with the words that seem to come from nowhere. �You won�t, Denzel. I� I
promise.� Strange how easily they fell from his lips, as if he could truly
promise such a thing and expect it to come true just because he said so. He was
strong; he was powerful. He was the great General, but for all intents and
purposes, he was mortal. And Denzel knew that.

The brunet sniffled. �I don�
believe you.�

Sephiroth looked helplessly
towards Cloud, but the blond just frowned. �Denzel, it�s not that simple,� he
attempted to explain. But the child just cut him off with a violent shake to
his head, having seen too many horrors of the world to take even his newest
caretakers words at face value.

He acted completely on
impulse then, hands going to the military tags around his neck. Remnants of a past
he hated, something he had appeared out of the Lifestream with, that he
couldn�t seem to forget. To him, they meant nothing, but to a boy searching for
a promise, something to cling to, they would be reassuring. He frowned down at
the silver links for a moment, eyes tracing over his name on the flattened
metal before stepping forward, gloved hands placing them around Denzel�s neck.
Brown eyes widened in surprise.

�These are only on loan,�
Sephiroth explained, somewhat shocked at his own sensitivity. As quickly as
Denzel had become attached to him, he had become attached to the kid. It was
strange and something he would have never expected. Just the knowledge that
there was someone who believed in him so implicitly was enough to send his hope
for this mission rising far above the level of dismal.

�I�m coming back for
them.��

Denzel nodded, and that was
all Sephiroth needed to see. The hope shining in the boy�s eyes was plain on
his face.

��Kay.�

�I�ll take care of him,�
Cloud inserted easily, mako eyes watching his former mentor almost curiously.

Sephiroth nodded before
turning on his heels, the wind kicked up by the Highwind whipping about his
frame. There was nothing more that needed to be said.

As Cloud watched him go,
Aeris appeared at his side, a thoughtful frown on her face. Her gaze flickered
to Denzel for a moment before watching Sephiroth�s ascent into the airship.

�We have to evacuate
Midgar,� the ex-SOLDIER stated before she could even speak.

The flower-girl blinked.
�Why?�

Cloud shook his head. �I
don�t know, and I can�t explain it.�

She sighed, her grip
tightening on his arm as she watched the Highwind rumble and groan before
rising in the air. �I sense it, too,� she murmured. �I have a bad feeling about
this entire venture.� Her eyes followed Marlene as the little girl rushed past
them, waving up excitedly at the departing airship, clearly believing entirely
in the success of their group. �Somehow, I feel we�re being played the fools.�

�If there is a god, we had
better start praying,� Rude intoned from Cloud�s other side. He adjusted his
sunglasses with the tip of one finger, gaze locked on the Highwind that was
quickly becoming little more than a speck in the sky. Though his own wife was
safe with him, he still feared for his friends.

Suddenly, the door to the
roof burst open with all the subtlety of a train whistle. Everyone present
turned to find an unknown ShinRa soldier rushing towards them, waving about an
unidentified document. He seemed anxious, eyes wide with fear as he stumbled
towards them, gasping out an almost unintelligible phrase before depositing the
document in Reeve�s hands, the President moving to join all the others.

�What is it?� Elena asked,
jogging up towards them.

Amber eyes quickly scanned the
document before Reeve suddenly paled, wordlessly handing it over to Elena
before looking up at Cloud. �It�s Icicle,� he said succinctly. �Something has
attacked the town.� He shifted where he stood, hand restlessly tapping the
hidden daggers under his sleeve. �There�s the possibility that it�s Balaam.�

�What?� Yuffie exclaimed,
her gaze darting towards the Highwind. �But� what?�

Elena shook her head. �No,
the force described here is too small to be Balaam�s. Possibly just a scouting
group or maybe--�

�Maybe he�s trying to draw
us out like Sephiroth suspected,� Rude interrupted smoothly, jaw set tight with
anger. �It must be a trap.� He had to believe that it was anything but a
coincidence, not with the Highwind completely out of sight already.

�We can�t just abandon
Icicle though,� Reeve insisted. �They wouldn�t stand a chance against the power
of a demi-deity.�

Elena shook her head. �We
don�t even know if it is Balaam. The report only talks about a horde of winged
creatures.�

The ninja scoffed, one hand
stroking the edge of her shuriken. �I don�t want to sit around on my ass here
and wait. We�re heroes, not bad guys. What would it look like if we abandoned
them?�

Rude shook his head
negatively. �I�m not leaving my pregnant wife here, undefended,� he
stated stubbornly. There was a point in everyone�s life when they had to
choose, and Rude already knew where his loyalties laid. A sense of unease
settled in his belly as he realized Sephiroth had been right. Balaam knew they
were coming. It didn�t bode well for those attacking the Lost Grounds, if there
was even anything there for them to fight at all.

Cloud sighed, pinching his
nose with one hand as he listened to them argue around him. Part of him raged
to run immediately off to Icicle and start swinging his blade, but another part
of him wanted to believe Sephiroth�s order to remain in Midgar. But then, could
his conscience take the abandonment of those innocent people?

He was left feeling like he
was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and everyone looked to him for
answers.

�I�m going,� Reeve announced
before Cloud even had a chance to think things through. �I can�t sit by idly.�

�Me, too!� volunteered
Yuffie, all too excited to be finally joining the battle.

Cloud should have suspected that. Both were unhappy about being left behind. He
felt a migraine beginning to develop as Aeris shifted beside him, frowning
concernedly.

�But what if Sephiroth is
right, and Balaam is just trying to divide us?� he inserted.

�We�re already divided,� the
President insisted, amber eyes flashing. �And can you honestly look me in the
eye and tell me that you can abandon them without a second thought? Because I
can�t.� He couldn�t help but wonder if Reeve was just desperate to find
something to occupy himself other than worrying for his husband.

Yet, Cloud couldn�t justify
leaving Icicle to its fate. The hero part of himself, the one he could never
deny that always seemed to rule his life wouldn�t allow it. He was in charge of
Midgar, and it was up to him.

He nodded. �All right. Take
a helicopter and check out Icicle.�

�I�m coming, too,� Elena
added in quickly, eyes darting between Reeve and Yuffie. �I promised Reno I�d
not let Reeve do anything stupid.�

Rude snorted as he moved to
take Denzel from Cloud�s arms and grabbed Marlene�s hand. He turned on his
heels as he shook his head and moved to the door, intent on taking the children
with him.

�I think this qualifies as
stupid,� he muttered under his breath as he left.

Cloud followed his exit with
a thoughtful gaze.

�Garret, find Sion and tell
him to evacuate the rest of Neo-ShinRa and Midgar at once,� Reeve ordered,
speaking to the man who had brought him the missive. �I want all upper
employees to convene at Fort Condor, all citizens to Kalm.� He paused, thinking
another moment. �Find Reis, my sister, as well. Tell her to not leave Shera�s
side.�

The man, Garret, nodded
quickly. He saluted the President with a quick snap of his wrist before turning
on his heels and heading back into the Neo-ShinRa building, movements quick and
efficient. Cloud only hoped that they weren�t making a mistake.

-�� -�� -

On the bridge of the
Highwind, it was relatively quiet, most of their passengers choosing to gather
elsewhere. Cid had also dismissed everyone but the barest of his crew,
explaining that it �wasn�t no fucking game� and �go home to your @&*!#$
families.� They had argued, but the pilot had been firm. Now, most were gone,
and Vincent couldn�t help but smile slightly as he watched his lover puttering
around the bridge, fixing dials and adjusting switches.

At the present moment, the
blond had his back to him and was muttering curses over some setting that
wasn�t fixed to his own definition of perfection. Tired of leaning against the
wall and knowing that Cid was only fiddling for the sake of having something to
do, Vincent strode across the bridge, surreptitiously glancing around him.

Yep, completely deserted.

He wrapped his arms around
the pilot from behind, resting his chin on Cid�s shoulder. �If you curse at it
enough, will it fix itself?� he inquired, very bemused as he whispered in the
pilot�s ear. He curled his tongue out, wrapping it around the shell and
absorbing the small shudder that wracked his lover�s body.

Sky blue eyes rolled. �Ain�t
you the least bit concerned?� Cid replied shortly, turning his head to kiss
Vincent. It was slow and sweet, a culmination of the strange and sorrowful
events of the recent past. Their love had been tried and tested several times
over, and proved to be strong and true, at least, by the end of this battle.

�What�s the point?� returned
the gunman mildly once their kiss had ended. �After all, you already promised
you were jumping in after me.� Grey eyes sparkled with a rarely seen before
contentment.

Cid reddened at the
reminder. �I would prefer to not have to,� he responded gruffly, one calloused
finger tweaking at an already tweaked switch as he returned his attention to the
panel in front of him, ignoring the ex-Turk�s soft chuckles behind him.

The intercom beeped just
then, and the pilot reached for the button. �Yeah?�

Sephiroth�s voice filtered
in from the cargo bay, vaguely disrupted from the static. �Everyone�s aboard,
Captain. Let�s get her in the air.�

Resisting the urge to roll
his eyes, Cid simply responded, �Got it.� The intercom clicked off as he
sighed, scrubbing a hand over his stubbled face. It was so strange to heed
orders coming from someone other than Cloud. He half expected to hear a �Let�s
mosey� and was slightly disappointed at the clipped, clearly confident,
organized missive from Sephiroth.�

�Time to save the world,
chief,� Vincent mumbled, undraping himself from Cid�s back.

The pilot snorted. �Again,�
he commented before reaching forward and flipping on the intercom for the
entire ship. �Hold on to sumthin�. We�re taking off,� he gruffly announced
before clicking off, shifting towards the wheel.

Vincent chuckled as he
folded his arms across his chest, leaning back against the wall once more.

(Are you ready?) Erebus
questioned, suddenly making an appearance within the gunman�s mind. Vincent
frowned, adjusting his balance as the Highwind began to lift into the air.

�I�m not sure what you
mean by that,� he responded internally. �I�m prepared to fight. I�m prepared to
face Balaam.�

Erebus sighed. (Yes, there
is that.) He paused, however, and Vincent could plainly hear the hesitation,
which confused him even further. What was his anima trying to tell him? (Have
you ever stopped to consider what is going to happen afterwards?)

The dark-haired man
furrowed his brow. �Afterwards? Is there something you�ve been keeping from
me?�

The demi-deity was quiet
for a moment as he considered his words. (You still haven�t managed to summon
your other. You will need his help against Balaam; I guarantee it. Balaam has
some power that we know nothing about.)

�You�ve said so before.
But I have a sense that�s not what you were intending to tell me before.�

There was a swirl of
darkness and cloaks, a pulse of shadows before suddenly Erebus appeared beside
him. �You�re right,� he commented in response. �What do you think will happen
to Balaam when you defeat him? Do you think a mortal can kill a demi-god?�

�I�m guessing not,�
Vincent replied. He eyed his anima critically. �What are you trying to say?�

Erebus sighed, tapping his
scythe once against the ground. �We are not lawless beings. We live by
guidelines, which are regulated by the Conclave. It is they who decided to lock
up Balaam after the first betrayal and exiled him to the Lost Grounds. And
after this battle, it is their decision which we have to follow through on.�

�Decision,� the gunman
repeated. His eyes became narrow grey slits. �Quit circuiting around the issue.
Just spit it out, Erebus.�

The Underworld deity
nodded before taking a breath, eyes flickering only once to the seemingly
oblivious pilot. �Kami laid down strict rules when he gave us our powers. When
Balaam is defeated, we had only two choices because we cannot just destroy him.
That is impossible, against the rules. Thus, the reason he was sealed before,
but we can�t risk that again.�

�Choices? What kind of
choices, Erebus?�

If the older male could
show his discomfort, Vincent was sure the deity would have been fidgeting. �We
could either give up our powers as a whole� or subject the Host once more to
the sealing.�

�The Host�� Vincent
murmured, quiet for a moment before his eyes widened. �You�re talking about me.
What exactly do you mean by sealing?�

(He means that you will
have to take the four into your body again. It�s the only way to keep them
under control,) the other voice in his head answered. He knew it was Diablos
but hadn�t yet discovered that deity�s other name. (The others refuse to give
up their power to save one mortal. Not for the sake of Gaia.)

�You want me, now that I�m
finally free, to have those voices again?� the former Turk hissed, eyes
flashing angrily. �To suffer those nightmares? And that horror? When I hadn�t
even asked for it in the first place?�

Erebus flinched. �If it
was up to me, I wouldn�t. But it is not. It is still your choice.�

�Except that it isn�t,�
the gunman intoned lowly, pushing himself up off the wall violently as his
hands clenched at his side. �Because if I don�t, then what are your options?�

(Hojo has already
conditioned your body to accept the demons,) Diablos answered. (Which means, in
order to find another, we would have to have them suffer much the same. Mako
treatments, Jenova applications--)

�In other words, torture!�
Vincent growled. He heaved a deep sigh, anger beginning to burn within him.

�Torture? What the hell
are ya talkin� bout, Vince?� Cid questioned, blue eyes darkening in concern.
His gaze flickered to Erebus, narrowing slightly.

The gunman shook his head
as he crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the floor. He wasn�t sure how
to put it into words, to tell his lover that everything they thought they had escaped
from was about to return to haunt them again: the nightmares, the power, the
bestial transformations� the immortality. Cid would die long before he did, and
then, he would be alone again, forever trapped in a cursed body. And Vincent
knew that as much as he hated what had been done to him, he couldn�t allow it
to happen to anyone else. He wouldn�t be able to survive the guilt. He knew
that this Conclave was aware of that, too, the bedamned selfish deities.

�Vince?� the pilot
pressed. He stepped forward, putting a hand on Vincent�s shoulder. He winced
when he felt the stiffness in his lover�s body and the slight tremble.

�Ask Erebus how they mean
to win this war,� Vincent replied lowly, not removing his gaze from the floor.
The blue gaze automatically shot towards the demi-deity.

Erebus sighed again,
instantly feeling like he had been shoved back onto the chopping block. �We
need Vincent to take the four back into his body once we defeat him.�

�No,� Vincent sneered.
�You don�t want to give up your power, so you�ll put it on someone else that�s
not part of your precious pantheon.�

�You�re not fuckin�
serious,� Cid argued. �There�s no way in hell. He�s been through enough!� The
pilot looked towards his lover, hand tightening on his shoulder. �Vince?�

The gunman sighed, voice
low and somewhat dull. �You know I can�t say no, Cid. I won�t let anyone else
go through what I had to.�

�It will make you
immortal,� Erebus explained, turning on his back, unable to watch the emotions
flickering through their faces. He couldn�t help the guilt that flowed through
him from his inability to change the council�s mind.

�@#$%# ridiculous!� cursed
the pilot, glaring fully at the Underworld�s deity back. �Gods in heaven or
whatever you fuckin� call that up there, and you can�t come up with no better
option? What the hell good are you?�

�There are rules, all
right?� Erebus snapped. �Decrees passed by Kami that we have to obey. If I
could, I would change things, but I cannot. I tried to get them to find another
way, but I�m one of the youngest. They are stuck in the old ways. It is the
same reason we are fighting Balaam now.�

Cid scowled. �That�s
bullshit! You�re--�

�Enough!� roared Vincent,
interrupting both of them. Two pairs of eyes turned towards the gunman and his
uncharacteristic outburst. �Stop arguing, there�s no need for it! Cid, you know
that I can�t say no.�

Blue eyes darkened before
the pilot grabbed Vincent by the shoulders, spinning the gunman around to face
him and pushing him against the wall. �I know you don�t want that,� the pilot
claimed, his voice low as he tried to lock eyes with his lover. �I don�t want
you to have to suffer again, Vince.�

�I couldn�t live with
myself if I forced someone else to endure it. At least, I know what to expect,
and I know, for a time, I won�t have to go through it alone.�

�Dammit.� Cid sighed, as
he leaned forward, his forehead lying on his lover�s chest. �It wasn�t �sposed
to be like this. It isn�t fair.�

The gunman swallowed thickly,
not even having the words to comfort Cid, not when he couldn�t even reassure
himself. It certainly brought a new level to their upcoming battle against
Balaam.

Erebus shook his head, and
for the first time in his life, he wondered if maybe his birth father had been
right in some ways. If the rules that Kami had laid down were to bring about
this, perhaps they weren�t so right after all.

-�� -�� -

Thanks for reading. I hope
you enjoyed. Leave a review before you go!

And here�s a glimpse of
the next chapter... just to keep you going!

Chapter 61: The Lost
Grounds

... The pilot sliced a hand through the air. �You know
it. I know it. Even he knows it,� Cid spat, jabbing a finger accusingly towards
Erebus. �They are cowards, all too willing to sacrifice someone else so long as
they don�t have to break the rules.� He was sneering viciously now and
Sephiroth raised a brow, gaze flickering between the three.

�Ah, I see now,�
Gilgamesh commented in sudden understanding from beside Sephiroth. He leveled
his gaze on the younger deity, causing Erebus to squirm slightly under the
stare. �You told them then.�...

-�� -�� -

SorceressFujin: Glad you
enjoyed! Here�s to Elena�s plan working. Thanks!!

Sneaky One: I can�t help
it; I love to write. That, and I have no life outside of school and my many
different stories. But that is a benefit for all of you, lol. I�m hoping
Shattered Dreams will end around 80 chapters. Neither of the sequels should be
that long. I�m guessing 15 chapters for Shattered Traditions and probably 30
for Shattered Children, if not less. I was glad to hear you loved it! Thanks
for the review!!

Samma: I�m happy to hear
you read bits of it aloud because to me, that is a great compliment. I often do
that with my roommate when I read other people�s fanfictions and that�s how I
know myself that they are good. You are probably the first person to tell me
that you like my pacing of the Sephiroth and Tseng relationship. I know some
are rather impatient for the smut to begin but I don�t want to rush it because
I strive for realism, and you pointed out the pace was realistic! So thanks for
that. But don�t worry, once I get them in bed, I don�t know how often I�ll be
able to get them out of it! LOL. There�s just something about Sephiroth that
makes him universally attractive! Thanks for the great review!!

Ri: Yep, poor Tseng. All
he wants is a little alcohol, the stingy people. You jump for joy? Ah, such
excitement makes me really happy! Thanks for the review!!

Reno: I feel much the same
way! And it only gets worse before it gets better. Don�t worry! I have big
plans for them in the future. Thanks for the review!!
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Shattered Dreams

Chapter 60: Departure