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Calamity's Child	By : Divanora Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1304 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of it's characters. I may no money off this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
A/N � The maps on British Airways always remind me of the FFVII map. I look at it and think 'hey, I could be on a gold chocobo'.
On a less random note, this was a difficult chapter to write because it's the Advent Children chapter. I am not going to write out all of the scenes from AC:C. If you've seen it, you know what happens. It is based on the Complete version, though, so if you haven't seen that one...why are you sitting here? Go watch the pretty! So this chap will be the...in between scenes, I suppose. It's also very short because it's kind of a filler/turning point chapter. Other than the presence of Rune, everything else stays canon. (Well, except for one thing that will be revealed next chapter. Yes, I am aware I'm evil. I will try not to take so much time to update again for fear of death threats.) I kind of hate it, but I just want to get this little hump in the road over with and on to more exciting stuff. I will probably edit it at some point, but for now, enjoy?
Cloud sighed as he tucked his PHS away. Just a few short days ago, he would have been grinning stupidly at the message Tifa had helped Rune leave for him. Now he just wanted to rage at the unfairness of it. He had not forgiven himself for Zack and Aerith's deaths, even if the two of them had, and it appeared that the Planet hadn't either. The blond had tried to reason it away as oil from Fenrir, then, after showering, a bruise that the Mako didn't bother to heal, but three days later and with the bruise getting larger instead of smaller Cloud was forced to acknowledge the truth.
He has Geostigma.
In a short time � all his calls to Reeve and Barrett had only shown that the life expectancy differed from person to person, but it was always, always fatal � he would be gone, leaving Rune alone. While he wasn't worried about what would happen to his son in the near future because Tifa would simply continue to take care of him as she had been with Denzel and Marlene, there were other things to worry about. Reeve knew the truth of Rune's heritage, but it didn't change the fact that the boy would be unavoidably different. There was already Mako and Jenova cells in his blood, he was growing faster than normal, and though it was slow enough to not be noticeable now, there was always a chance that would change, and it could be expected that his strength would continue to grow as well. With both Sephiroth's and his genes, there was no telling how strong he would get, or if their Mako enhanced abilities would even pass on. There was also the chance of other random surprises � Cloud had read all of Hojo's notes, but that didn't mean he knew everything that had been done to the two of them. But at least Cloud could have explained the boy's parentage and tried to help him cope. Once he was gone the only one who could even begin to help the boy understand his own body would be Vincent, and no one had seen the gunman since Meteor. The best option he could think of was to leave a note with Reeve to give to him if he hadn't managed to find Vincent before he died, but it didn't sit well with him. It left too much to chance. He really didn't mind the idea of dying all that much � he could be with Zack and Aerith � but abandoning his son was a completely different story.
Denzel too; true to Tifa's words they had taken the boy in. Even though the brunette was the one who took care of him the most, the boy clearly looked up to him. It was a bit unnerving, especially once they had seen the dark spot on Denzel's forehead. Tifa had known exactly what it was, even though Cloud hadn't seen a case so close up before. The two had had a debate over whether the boy should be allowed to remain near Marlene and Rune; Cloud hadn't wanted to kick the boy out, and he certainly wouldn't have ended up on the streets, but he couldn't help worrying about his son's safety first.
It had been Barrett, surprisingly enough, that ended the argument � he had been fine with the kid being around Marlene, and if the older man, with as protective as he was over his adopted daughter, was fine with it, Cloud had to believe there was no danger to his son. It was a good thing as well, since Marlene had taken to him immediately. He quickly became part of their rather dysfunctional family.
That was when he had first gone to Reeve to ask about cures, or even something to slow the deadly disease down. But there was nothing � the WRO had scientists working on it around the clock, but they had come up with nothing. More and more people were getting it, and the casualties were piling up. The worst hit seemed to be Edge, but the reason could have been the proximity to the Lifestream as it stopped Meteor, the Mako reactions (which was what most people believed) or just the fact that it had a higher population, so of course there would be more people who had gotten it. There were reports of it across the world, even in Wutai where there had never been a Mako reactor, so Cloud was more inclined to believe the latter.
But as Denzel had gotten worse, Cloud had started going on longer deliveries, leaving Rune with Tifa most of the time. Yuffie had gone back to Wutai to help with the outbreak there, so she was stuck in the bar most of the time watching over Denzel. The last few weeks had seen him too ill to even get out of bed. He felt bad leaving Tifa alone so much, but it bothered him to be there. The blond hated the fact that there was nothing he could do to help, and being near Denzel only threw his latest failure in his face.
With a sigh, he turned and headed in the direction of Edge. He wouldn't � couldn't � stay at Seventh Heaven. Not with Denzel, who looked up to him like a father, who he couldn't save, and his own son who he would abandon far too young. But he could at least be in the area in case they needed him; Aerith wouldn't mind him staying at the church.
Shoving past Reno, Cloud stomped back to Fenrir. He couldn't believe that Rufus was still sticking his nose where it didn't belong. Looking for signs of Sephiroth in the Northern Crater � what sort of idiot was he? The redhead's parting comment didn't bear thinking about either. Thankfully, Cloud doubted that Rufus had the ability to rebuild the company � or, if he did, there would be a lot more checks on what he could do. The people may have turned a blind eye on the excesses the former regime committed, but everyone was quite a bit more wary now. Having a giant burning rock nearly obliterate the world tended to do that. Meteor may have been Sephiroth's fault, but Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE were more than okay with having Shinra take that blame. The former General was gone; Shinra could still do some harm. Besides, he couldn't see telling the public at large that the Silver General had come back from the dead after going insane, and had been working with an alien bent on world domination � it sounded too much like something out of one of Denzel's video games.
At least he found out the real reason behind Rufus' funding of the WRO and � more specifically � the research into finding a cure for the Geostigma. It was only self-preservation; not that he could blame him. Hell, he'd almost be willing to rejoin Shinra if they did find a cure, not that he thought that was likely. Of course, Rufus was quick to deny that Shinra held the blame for the disease, even if he was probably right. The man did have a good point about the cause of Geostigma, but the thought of Sephiroth still being around, in any form, did not sit well with him.
There was also the fact that it was clear the President was hiding something. He wanted Cloud's protection, and there were three Sephiroth lookalikes running around looking for 'Mother'. The Turks had been to the Crater, and despite Rufus' declaration that they found nothing, they had clearly found something. Blond jokes aside, Cloud could put two and two together; Rufus had Jenova, or at least part of Jenova. As much as he would rather punch the man than protect him, the fact that letting the mini-Sephiroths get their hands on any part of the Calamity would be disastrous meant he would have to suck it up and agree. But first, he was going home to make sure Tifa and the kids were alright. The comment of Sephiroth's legacy made his thoughts go directly to Rune, and he was worried that the boy's parentage had been found out, if not by Shinra, then by the Remnants who could possibly know what Sephiroth knew.
The kids had been gone when he returned, so he had gone to the church. Tifa had been knocked out, the church was in shambles � or more so � and the Turks of all people had been the ones to drag his and Tifa's unconscious bodies back to Seventh Heaven after he collapsed from yet another attack.
And it had been Reno and Rude who had found out where the kids had gone. Thankfully Tifa told him, once she woke up, that Reeve had agreed to watch Rune for the day, since Denzel had been feeling better and Tifa had wanted to get Marlene out for the day. A quick call had confirmed that Reeve was more than happy to continue to watch his godson until the danger had passed. The WRO headquarters were secure, at least as much as anyplace was, and Reeve understood the risks involved, since he knew Rune's connection to Sephiroth.
He had felt completely useless, and now he was on his way to fight the Remnants yet again, by himself, with Tifa's last dejected words to him echoing in his head. They were a family, at least to him, even if it was an unconventional family, and it wasn't in the same way as Tifa wanted. But what he had told her was the truth � he couldn't save anyone, and the part that had remained unspoken was that he couldn't even save himself. Tifa knew now � she had guessed, though since she had been in the church he was sure that she had seen the blackened bandages.
Still, he wasn't dead yet, and perhaps he could prove he wasn't a complete failure by rescuing Marlene and Denzel, and the rest of the children taken. After that � well, perhaps it would be better for Rune if he was gone. Tifa and Yuffie both adored him, and Reeve was a capable caretaker as well; it was like Rune would lack for caring adults to watch over him. Tifa wanted him to keep trying; he would have known that even if she hadn't said anything. But he wasn't sure he could anymore. It was frustrating that she seemed to think that just trying hard enough would cure them. Denzel was fighting it, but he just kept getting worse � it wouldn't be any different for him.
He would go, and fight; even if he really didn't like the place that the Remnants had chosen as a base. It made him wonder what � or who � else he would lose there.
The blond sat at the edge of the pool, trying not to think of how he had failed yet again. Seeing Denzel and the other children standing in the path with blank eyes, following the Remnant's orders blindly, had been a heavy blow. Kadaj's words had also confirmed that they knew about Rune � and that 'Mother' was mad at him for keeping her 'youngest son' away from her. Cloud had nearly lost it; he may have had no desire for Rune to call him mother, but he'd be damned before his son called that mutated creature 'Mother'. It had also caused Kadaj to win; if it hadn't been for the ex-Turk showing up, Kadaj could have killed him. At least he had found Vincent; or more accurately Vincent had found him, but now he wasn't sure where to start. The news the gunman had wasn't good either. He may not have been friends with the Turks, but they still didn't deserve torture. Even if Vincent was right in that they were mucking about where they didn't belong.
"So Jenova's cells are the cause." Cloud shook his head, thinking of all of the 'tinkering' Hojo had done, and just how much stuff was probably floating around in his body. It was surprising he hadn't sprouted extra appendages, considering. "I suppose it was inevitable I got it then. Vincent...there is something I need you to do for me. How much have you read of Hojo's notes?"
"I read everything on the experiments done on myself, and anything that might be related to the stigma. As far as I can see, there is no cure Cloud."
The blond waited for a minute before responding. He hadn't had to actually explain this before. "So you didn't read anything of what was done to me."
Vincent shook his head. "I would not pry into the evils done to someone else."
Cloud sighed. He had really hoped that Vincent's Turk sensibilities would have taken precedence to his 'must-atone' mentality. "You know that after Sephiroth fell into the Lifestream at Nibelheim, Zack and I were taken by Hojo. From what I was able to read, his two goals were reunion and to create a 'new' Sephiroth. He decided to see if he could use Zack or me to accomplish either one. That failed, obviously."
The gunman nodded; but these were all things that he already knew. The next part would be the hardest.
"When that didn't work, he decided to try using Zack and I to try a second generation. That seemed to fail as well. But right before we defeated him, while I had Mako poisoning again...I found out it had worked. I have a son named Rune. His other father, as far as I can tell, is Sephiroth."
Vincent was silent for several long minutes, and Cloud wished he could see the man's face better. He had no way of knowing what Vincent was thinking. "Is he free of Jenova's influence?"
Cloud stared at the gunman, fear for his son's sanity racing through him. But there had been no signs of anything, and Reeve certainly would have said something if there had been in the last couple of days. If something like that was going to happen, now seemed the most likely time. Tifa wouldn't know the reason behind it, but he was sure she would notice if something was that off with Rune. "Yes, as far as I can tell, and Tifa watches over him when I can't; she would know the signs as well. But that is part of why I needed to tell you. If I won't be here � you are the only one left with an enhanced body, and the one most able to explain anything...odd...that might happen to him. The others don't know he's mine, except for Reeve, and he's not enhanced so he can only help so much if Rune has any questions about anything. I would also..." the blond paused, having a hard time even thinking about what he had to say. But with Vincent's question now, and Rufus' comment the other day, he couldn't take any chances. "I would also want you to be the one to stop Jenova from using him. However you need to."
Vincent was silent for several long minutes, before he finally nodded. Cloud couldn't blame him; he had just laid a lot of responsibility on someone who simply wished to just be left alone. He wouldn't have asked if he felt there was a better option. "I will tell him what he needs to know, but Cloud, you must realize, with his heritage, the chances of your son getting Geostigma are quite high."
Cloud grimaced, the images of Rune's small body covered in the dark bruise-like marks of the fatal disease all too easy to see. He hoped that if the worst did happen he would at least already be gone. Denzel was hard enough � the boy wasn't even his, but watching the disease ravage his small body was horrible. The thought of him having to watch his son suffer through it was unbearable.
A rustling caught both men's attention, though not before Cloud caught Vincent's gaze. The gunman gave a slight nod; enough confirmation for the blond that Rune would learn what he needed should the fight go badly, or if the Geostigma claimed him.
Cloud watched the images of his friends leave the church. He couldn't honestly deny that part of him had wanted to stay with them � to not have to worry about anything anymore. But as tempting as that peace was, the small boy squirming in Tifa's arms stopped him. His Geostigma was cured, and he had responsibilities to his son. Zack had given his life to save Cloud's, and Aerith had given her life to save the world. He knew they were still watching over him, and that they were happy, which would have to be enough. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to see them anymore, though he hoped so. Their meaning was clear; he had his life to live, and he couldn't let their sacrifices be in vain.
When he had realized his PHS was gone after Marlene had asked for it, and that he had no way of warning Reeve that the Remnants knew about Rune, he had raced back to Edge, almost glad to see them attacking the town rather than going after his son. It was a horrible thought, but probably something any parent would feel, so he pushed the guilt aside. Most likely, it was simply more important for them to find Jenova than his son; though he didn't doubt Jenova (or Sephiroth) would have gone after Rune had they succeeded in defeating him.
Sephiroth...seeing him again had been strange, and oddly cathartic. With his memories restored � and those of Zack's still floating around � he mourned the loss of who Sephiroth used to be, the General that he and Zack and both looked up to. That betrayal still cut deep, but after four years in Hojo's labs, and having read part of the files on what had been done to him as a child, he could somewhat understand what had led to the catastrophic breakdown. It would have still been nice if it could have happened somewhere other than his hometown though; not that he had particularly cared for anyone other than his mother and Tifa, but it had still been his home.
No, he had known, to a point, that the man he had chased around the planet wasn't the same man that had been Zack's friend and his childhood hero. But now, with his head clear, it had been obvious. Even in Nibelheim, Sephiroth had been insane, enraged, and far more powerful than any other First (except possibly Genesis or Angeal, though he only had Zack's memories and stories to go by) but he was still, in the end, human. Extremely enhanced, but no more than what Cloud now was. What Sephiroth had become was the monster that Genesis had claimed him to be.
It made him nervous, knowing that his genes ran through Rune; but at the same time, both Zack and Aerith had accepted the boy without any problem; surely they would have warned him if there was a chance that Jenova would be able to influence his son. And now she was gone, completely, washed clean by Aerith's rain. As long as she was gone, Rune was safe � at least from his own mind. Cloud could handle the rest.
- 6
- 7
- 8
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Calamity's Child