i am one, yet many

by velirvy

Summary:

For a moment, he could feel his heart rate begin to rise, eyes stuck on the blade that ever so slowly inched closer and closer towards him as he felt that once unfamiliar pounding in his chest.

Many have wanted him dead.

Never had they gotten so close.

Sephiroth didn’t know what to make of his would-be killer.

Notes:

Fight scenes are hard 😞

Sephiroth had never truly thought about his own mortality how other people would. From the very moment he gained consciousness, it was never much of a concern to him. Perhaps before, far, far back there was once a time when he feared death. Now, however, it was abundantly clear that such a thing could never happen.

Nothing on this planet could kill him. Though worded in arrogance, to him, it was nothing but the truth. Not even his companions, Genesis and Angeal, who’d been with him for so long could come close when he was at his best. To most, it would seem like a point of pride, but to Sephiroth, it was much the opposite.

Countless hours were wasted wondering if this would be his life. Forever fighting with no end in sight, until age finally caught up to him and he would be of use no longer. Carrying out each task given to him with either bitter acceptance or blank indifference.

It wasn’t as if he wanted to die necessarily. Not at all. Life was something to be treasured, yes, but that was for normal people. And Sephiroth was far from normal, and—depending on his mood that day—far from human as well.

So while normal people might protect their lives fiercely and with fervor, there were times he could quietly admit to himself that his life wasn’t of any special importance to him.

Sephiroth blinked slowly, the sight before him coming back into view. In the midst of his musings, he’d almost averted his gaze from the man in the interrogation room.

Those who were untouchable could never covet their lives as preciously as those who had felt the brush of death against their skin.

Sephiroth had now discovered that truth.

The man—though he looked more like a boy—was curled up in a hard chair, shivering from what was sure to be terror. All he could see was blond, spiky hair as he clenched his eyes shut, away from the world around him.

Only a few moments ago, they’d been darting around in panic, perhaps looking for an escape route until finally, it hit him that there would be no escape. From there, he weakly wrapped his arms tighter around himself, lowering his head as if trying to see if he could at least run away in his mind.

In that way, there was a sort of innocence to his terror. Sephiroth could remember Zack's carefree stories of him getting in trouble for misbehaving in his youth and wanting nothing more than to hide away from his parent’s ire. The boy looked as if that was exactly what he was trying to do. Hide from the anger of his parents. Only instead of that, it was Tseng looking blankly at him.

For lack of a better word, the boy looked quite pathetic, trembling like prey awaiting its inevitable demise. Like a child attempting to run from responsibility.

So unlike the fearsome warrior who had the sheer audacity to break into his apartment to take his life. If Sephiroth hadn’t seen it personally, he would’ve thought they were two entirely different people.

It made him wonder just who this man was to have not only the confidence, but the skill to almost effortlessly kill him. He wasn’t even the only target of his crazed rampage.

He’d actually succeeded in his assassinations for those.

A shame that. If it were just Sephiroth who’d been attacked, he would’ve happily let him go without retaliation. Perhaps he’d try and search for him again, the boy who’d nearly given him the gift of death, but he wouldn’t capture him.

Yes, a shame that of all the people he chose to kill, it was the now former director of Research and Development and president of Shinra.

Sephiroth would be lying if he said he didn’t know what it was that led him to visit Cloud in his cell. The answer was curiosity. A small, dangerous curiosity that ate away at his very being until he decided enough was enough. He needed to meet him again. He needed to talk to him once more.

As he approached the cell—without supervision, because who could possibly think they could defend him better than himself—he noticed there was not a single sniffle. From how Cloud presented himself before, Sephiroth had expected him to still be inside crying himself sick.

When he finally reached his cell though, what awaited him wasn’t what he expected. Instead of sitting somewhere in a corner trembling as he suspected, Cloud was sitting on the hard bed, leaning back, and staring at the ceiling. Somehow, he seemed older than before despite having the same facial features. Once again, Sephiroth had felt uneasy at the sight of him.

He tilted his head, blonde hair swaying gently as he looked directly at him. Though the cell was well-lit, somehow his eyes seemed to have an almost unnatural glow to them. Like that of mako. It made him straighten up in anticipation. Just like before, they shimmered. Not with nearly as intense of a shine however.

“Oh, it’s just you,” he drawled.

It was said so plainly that Sephiroth couldn’t do anything but blink. Cloud quirked the corner of his lip up in a wry smile, a quiet huff leaving him.

“I wondered how long it’d take for you to show up. Just can’t stay away, can you?” He said.

And to anyone else perhaps, it’d be baffling. The way that his demeanor had shifted so drastically. Gone was the timid boy who’d been trembling in his seat—no, not even that. It’s as if he never existed in the first place. All that remained was a Cloud full of enough self-assured confidence it could’ve been mistaken for arrogance.

He couldn’t stand the confusion anymore. The irritating feeling of it eating away as him. Sephiroth looked into Cloud’s eyes, frowning in thought. Without a hint of his curiosity showing, he asked him a simple question.

“Who are you?”

Cloud raised a brow, his posture never tensing from its casual form. “Thought I answered that already.”

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, his frown deepening. Slowly, he began to speak. As he did, he used it to connect each line of thought he’d had ever since they “met”.

“We both know what I am referring to. The person who attacked me, the one who was interrogated, and now the one who sits in front of me…none of you can be the same person.” He held his chin, adopting a “thinking” stance. “You’re all drastically different personality-wise. The way you respond to conflict, how you hold yourself…”

And the more he spoke, laying it all out neatly in his head, the more it made sense. Though whether from actual reliability or pure delusion, he wasn’t sure. Nor did he care.

Cloud blinked slowly, a blank expression crossing his face.

“Ever heard of acting?” Sephiroth resisted the urge to scoff. He didn’t quite appreciate being talked to like he was an idiot. “Of course, I had considered the possibility, but no matter how much I try to convince myself, you’re simply too different for even acting to compensate.”

Yes, and not only that, but…

”There is also the matter of your eyes. If it were just acting, can you explain to me how you were able to adjust the glow in them so seamlessly?” Silence was his only reply, and that only emboldened Sephiroth further.

“Not even contacts can hide the mako in a SOLDIER’s eyes, so how come yours were completely clear of any in the interrogation room?”

The cell was cold, but Cloud’s stare was even colder. Despite that, he found that he infinitely preferred it to the smile he’d shown when they first met. “Say what you want, but you’re not gettin’ shit from me,” he finally said with a huff, “and why are you here anyway? Last time I checked, no one was allowed here besides the Turks.”

He remained silent for a moment, trying to come up with a response for his question. Why indeed? “I suppose you’re right. I can’t ‘stay away’. Not when I haven’t yet figured out the reason for why you made an attempt on my life,” he said honestly.

Cloud hummed, though it was clear he wasn’t quite listening. That was fine. He didn’t need his compliance. Sephiroth would get the answers he sought with or without.

“Oh. Yeah. That happened.” Then the oddest thing occurred. Cloud’s face scrunched into a grimace ever so slightly. It was something you’d miss if you weren’t looking, but Sephiroth was. Because of that, he could see the small twist of his lips, the wince in his eyes.

How…interesting.

Sephiroth stepped closer to the cell. “You were a lot more passive then,” he noted, “all you did was smile, and once you had failed, claimed that the next time we met it’d be with a blade in my neck.”

Cloud grimaced again. This time, it was plain to see. “I…said that?” He asked him. His voice was distant as his scowl faded into something more uncertain. Cloud turned his head, keeping Sephiroth from digging any deeper.

An odd feeling took hold of his heart when he saw that. It compelled him to push more and more. “Among other things. Like saying that ‘if I knew’, I’d be more than willing to die for the planet.” His shoulders jumped in an aborted flinch, and Sephiroth pounced on the opening immediately. “Do you not remember? I never had the chance to ask what you’d meant by that, so it’d be a shame if you didn’t.”

Cloud curled in on himself even further. If anything, his reaction gave more evidence to his theory. For one, the Cloud from before would’ve surely burst into tears long before he could get to this point, and the Cloud even further back would've likely said something cryptic again. This one by comparison was far more brooding than the other two.

“It…I…” He faltered, searching for an answer Sephiroth knew he could not give. But, in an instant, he turned back to face him, his lips set in a rigid line. Even his resolve is quick to strengthen. “I can’t tell you. This…it has nothing to do with you.”

“It doesn’t?” Sephiroth asked, finally allowing his lip to curl up. No longer could he hide his mild irritation. “Then why bother breaking into my apartment in the first place?” Cloud opened his mouth to respond when he paused and glanced off to the side. Sephiroth didn’t have to look to hear faint footsteps approaching. It seemed time was up then.

He turned back to Cloud, who was raising a brow at him. “I will get the answer I seek, Cloud,” he warned.

A wry chuckle rang throughout the cell.

“Yeah, sure you will.”

There wasn’t a single sound to indicate that someone entered his room. Even though Sephiroth had always considered himself a light sleeper, his eyes only snapped open once he felt a weight settling on his lap.

The first thing he saw in the dark was bright eyes staring back at him. He could’ve sworn they were truly glowing with how vibrant they appeared. Far brighter than his surely, and it didn’t take long for them to adjust and for Sephiroth to process that the figure was straddling his hips. Blonde hair, small stature, and nothing but emptiness in his gaze.

Many people have tried to kill him, all with some amount of hatred deep. That was alright, it was understandable. After all, there were far too many reasons to wish for his death. Yet, the person above him seemed to feel nothing. Even as he had begun to slowly raise a crimson-stained blade above his head, not a single spark was present in those eyes.

For a moment, he could feel his heart rate begin to rise, eyes stuck on the blade that ever so slowly inched closer and closer towards him as he felt that once unfamiliar pounding in his chest.

Many have wanted him dead.

Never had they gotten so close.

Instinct finally snapped him into action as he grabbed his wrists and lunged at him. There was barely any resistance as he pinned the man to the bed, his arms locked behind him. The struggle was silent, with only his own slightly labored breaths.

Death was familiar to him, but for the first time, he had nearly been on the receiving end of it.

In his shock, he had almost missed his words. “How disappointing,” he lamented, “why must you resist so much? Surely, if you knew, you would be far more willing to die for the planet.” His words, much like his eyes, were void of any emotion. There was no fear, no rage, only an eerie peacefulness.

He scoffed at him. “An operative of Avalanche?” They were getting disturbingly good if so. How one of their agents managed to catch him off guard, he wasn’t sure, but he was more than willing to find out with—

A laugh broke his train of thought. The man had turned his head to the side, smiling up at him. Sephiroth refused to acknowledge the chills that ran down his spine. Everything about him felt wrong. No one could wear an expression of pure serenity without any other emotions. It was unnatural. It…wasn’t right.

“No, I’m just another concerned citizen.” He smiled a little wider. “You needn’t worry about it…Sephiroth. Rest assured, I’ll be sure to rectify my mistakes when the time is right again. Until then…” his voice tapered off as he scrunched his face up in pain. The man let out another laugh, soft and carefree.

“Time’s up for me. A shame, I wanted to stay a little longer.” He smiled at him, turning his head back to the mattress. “Goodnight, Sephiroth. The next time we meet, hopefully, it will be with my blade in your throat.” With those words that were said so sweetly despite the venom in it, his body went limp in his grasp.

No matter what Sephiroth did, nothing could wake him. It was just when he resolved himself to let the man go did he receive a call from Tseng later about what else he’d done in the night.

The next time he saw him, it was in a place he both had and never expected him to be.

“What? Not going to try and stab me again?” He asked the moment he entered his apartment. The door had been opened, so naturally, someone had opened it. And there was only one person he could think of who would have the motive to do so at the moment.

Cloud was sat down on his couch, his head turned to the wall windows, watching the night sky above them. He didn’t say anything, and for a brief moment, Sephiroth was unsure of how to proceed. Who would it be this time who he’d meet? He locked the door behind him, coming closer. “They didn’t notice you leave?” He asked, attempting to adopt a conversational tone.

He snorted, finally glancing over at him. His eyes were the same blue as before, not bright and glazed over.

“No.”

And he turned back around once more. Sephiroth furrowed his brows, examining the man in front of him. “If you were able to slip past them so easily, then why not run away? Why come here of all places?” He slowly stepped closer, as if approaching a wild cat. When he didn’t flee even once he came within arm's length, he took the chance to sit beside him.

Sephiroth made sure they were at a respectable distance. Enough for Cloud to hopefully not feel too trapped. “If you aren’t planning to kill me…then what other reason could you have for coming here?”

Cloud shook his head slowly. “No reason,” he said. An obvious lie, but one he would not press on. Instead, Sephiroth nodded and cautiously looked away. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but he knew that none of them would ever be answered.

There was some shifting, and Cloud stood up rigidly. Sephiroth raised his brow. “Going already?” He didn’t look at him as he stepped toward the door.

Sephiroth thought about chasing after him but soon realized it wasn’t worth it. If he did, then Cloud might withdraw further into himself. Something he wanted to avoid after going through all the trouble of getting him to finally come out of his shell. Even if ever so slightly. With that in mind, he watched him open the door, an odd feeling brewing in his chest.

“I don’t wanna cause too much trouble yet.” He said with a huff.

“Too much trouble?” Sephiroth repeated incredulously, as if he hadn’t created the worst possible scenario for Shinra in one fell swoop. Cloud shrugged a shoulder, stepping outside the door. “They’ll manage. I’m sure Rufus was practically chomping at the bit to see his dad’s head on a pike.”

“…And Hojo?” He couldn’t help but ask.

Cloud snorted, “Tell me one person you can think of other than the president who’d give a shit?”

At his silence, he gave a lopsided smile. “That’s what I thought. They both deserved what was comin’ to them. I know you think the same.” With that, he slipped out the door, closing the door softly, and leaving Sephiroth to his thoughts.

Was he grateful to Cloud that he killed him? He should be, shouldn’t he? Instead, what he felt was an odd emptiness. Hojo was a presence in his life that Sephiroth assumed he would never escape. Now that he did though, there was only the small acknowledgment that yes, it was over.

Sephiroth stared where Cloud had almost certainly gone back to his cell and breathed out a sigh.

Reparations were going smoothly enough if you could account for the fact that no one truly knew where to go from here. From what he’s heard, Cloud still hasn’t given anything away that holds any substance to their investigation and still, they can’t make sense of his “erratic behavior”.

If he’s guessing right, Cloud never even gave the implication that there was more than one of him. Admittedly, it made Sephiroth almost childishly smug about the situation. That only he was able to figure Cloud’s secret out.

Which was what led him to where he was now. On another trip to the cells. It’s been a few days since Cloud’s initial arrest and already there were talks of what to do with him if they couldn’t get any information. Some were even implying he should be made an example to anyone else to wants to be bold enough to try and assassinate the next president. It concerned him, but Cloud was more than capable of taking care of himself.

Just like before, there he was, staring at the other end of the room. He looked over with a weary expression, before jolting.

“Sephiroth…” he mumbled, trepidation clear across his face. His arms tightened around himself, carefully watching every move he made. “You’re…”

Sephiroth frowned at the obvious fear in his voice. His heart ached at the sound. He didn’t him to be afraid of him. Surprisingly enough, he wanted him to feel at ease in his company. “Rest assured, I’m not here to interrogate you.” He said, trying his best to soften his voice. It appeared to have worked as Cloud slowly began to untense.

“Good. That’s…good…” He let out a sigh of relief. It made Sephiroth wonder just what they did to him in those interrogations. He knew very well that the Turks were a ruthless group, willing to do anything and everything to get a confession. Including torture.

His eyes narrowed, looking over his body carefully. There weren’t any bruises he could see visibly showing, nor were there any scars on his hands and whatnot. Still, if they had done just that, it was simply showcasing Cloud’s resilience. That he could withstand such a thing and still appear unaffected would be no small feat.

Though, this Cloud certainly would’ve broken. That he knew. It would have to have been one of the other Clouds to come out unscathed. So, in that case, maybe they hadn’t resorted to torture yet.

His train of thought was broken as Cloud looked at him with a frown. “Don’t you have more important things to be doing then visiting me?” He looked away, his frown deepening. “Seems like a waste of time.”

Sephiroth shook his head instantly. “Not to me. I quite like your company.” It was another moment in time where briefly, he had to question if those were his true thoughts.

Cloud scoffed, “Yeah, right. I tried to kill you y’know? People don’t usually hang out with people who want to hurt them.” That’s what everyone else would think, yes. But, for Sephiroth, who’d never been able to know what it was like to fear for your life, it was a novelty like no other.

“I would like to regardless,” he said.

He was given a look of disbelief before Cloud seemed to accept his situation and turned away from him. “Do what you want.” Was all he said, and it was the closest he’s ever sounded to the other Cloud.

“You’re not scared anymore.” He couldn’t help but note.

As unflappable as before, Cloud shrugged a shoulder. “Guess I’ve just gotten used to it.” He said, shifting so that he could get into a more comfortable position. “Can’t cower in fear forever.”

“An admirable trait,” he mused, looking at him curiously. It was a little off-putting how much he changed in only a few days. Already, he presented himself to be more mature. With the way he acted when they first met, Sephiroth was convinced he’d remain the same sniveling mess he was forever. It was nice to know that he adapted so quickly.

He took another look at the cell that Cloud remained in. How bare it was, lifeless, and cold. A wave of nostalgia hit him just then. “I used to live in a cell much like this.” Sephiroth hadn’t even registered the words leave his mouth until Cloud responded.

“You…did..?”

He nodded, “For most of my childhood. It was always the same cold walls and hard bedding.”

Cloud rose from his position to give him a saddened look. “That’s awful.” He said, looking far too miserable for his liking.

“For others, maybe. It was all I knew though.” He’d long since come to terms with it. It didn’t bother him anymore. It annoyed him more when people attempted to pity him for something he’s lived with his entire life. He supposed it’d be hard to understand if you hadn’t lived in similar conditions.

“In fact,” he added, “when I first got my own bed, I refused to sleep on it. I could only sleep on the floor.”

Cloud raised a brow. “Why..?” He asked him.

“Too soft,” he replied plainly.

Even now, when he could obtain anything he wanted for his apartment, he still can’t help but make it seem like the cell he lived in before. The furniture was everything that came with it, the bedroom held nothing inside it but the essentials, and the bed itself was hard and stiff. Anything softer, would keep him tossing and turning at night.

The two of them fell into a silence. Neither of them knew just how to continue the conversation anymore as neither had anything else they could say. Sephiroth briefly wondered if he should be leaving, but found himself hesitant to do so.

Though there was nothing he could say, he still wanted to enjoy Cloud’s company for as long as he could. It didn’t matter if they were talking or not. His mere presence was enough for him. He wondered…just when he had grown to feel that way?

As he started to question himself even more, Cloud began to speak softly. “…My mom and I used to share the same bed.” It wasn’t something of any importance in the grand scheme of things. The Turks would surely hate for it to be the only thing Cloud said. For Sephiroth though, a part of him felt ecstatic at the fact that Cloud had shared such a small thing with him and him alone.

His excitement grew as he continued to speak. “There were only two rooms, and one of them was used for storage so…” he trailed off, lips forming unspoken words that Sephiroth could never hear.

“Though, sometimes I’d sneak out to sleep in the living room just so I didn’t have to wake her up,” he finished.

Sephiroth tilted his head and asked, “So you didn’t have to wake her up?”

At the question, Cloud went still. He looked away, as if doing so could make him disappear. A little too eager this time. Sephiroth tried to hide his disappointment as he nodded, even though Cloud wouldn’t be able to see.

“Ah, perhaps I’ve outstayed my welcome,” he said morosely, “very well. If you want I can—“

“No!” He was nearly startled at the outburst. Cloud looked at him with wide eyes, almost halfway standing. His eyes blinked rapidly before he blushed a deep red and slowly sat down again.

“It’s fine, I…I can talk about it.” He whispered, nodding to himself as if to convince himself that it was what he truly wanted. “I think I need to actually. I’ve just been holding it in for so long that I…”

He sighed heavily, curling into himself.

“I don’t know what to do,” he confessed.

Sephiroth was never one to reassure others, but he found himself nodding all the same and with a soft tone said, “That’s okay, you don’t have to rush.” To his surprise, those seemed to be the right words as Cloud slowly nodded and took a deep breath.

“Alright,” he said, “where to start?” He scratched the back of his head and began his long tale. “I guess…Ever since I was a kid, I’d always get these…weird visions. Just random things that never made any sense. A woman’s voice speaking to me, an older me in a black robe, and me fighting…”

“You,” he said, looking right at him.

“They happened so often before that I kinda got used to them, but something else started happening when I turned fifteen.” He shifted, a frown crossing his face. “I’d start blacking out…wake up in places I don’t remember being in, talking to people I don’t usually.”

“I thought I could ignore it, but the next thing I knew I was getting further out from Nibelhiem, and by the time I realized this wasn’t all some messed up dream, I was being arrested for killing the president.” He huffed out a bitter laugh for that last part, smiling wryly.

The moment he stopped speaking, it was like a lightbulb had lit up in Sephiroth’s head. Finally, that one, singular puzzle piece he’d been searching for had clicked into place. It would explain nearly everything, and he cursed himself for not coming up with it sooner.

“Cloud…” he started.

“Is it possible there’s more than one of you..?”

To anyone else, the question wouldn’t have made any sense. For Cloud, though, his only reaction was a hesitant look. “That…” he seemed to withdraw into his mind as if asking himself if that was the truth.

“...You should talk to someone else about it,” he finally spoke after a brief pause, “I don’t know all that much.”

“I see,” Sephiroth nodded, knowing just exactly who Cloud was talking about when he said “someone else”.

It was almost like a game to him. Where would Cloud escape to this time? First, it was his apartment, and now it was the rooftop. The amusing part was that it hadn’t been his intention to find Cloud at all. All he wanted was some peace and quiet. Yet, there he was, sitting on the railing, his legs dangling over, humming a tune he couldn’t identify.

The moment he stepped closer, he whipped his head around and scowled. “How the hell does this keep happening?” Suffice it to say, the Cloud who he was dealing with this time had once again changed since the last time he saw him.

“Cloud,” he greeted.

“Sephiroth,” he replied unsure.

He cut right to the chase. “I’ve been told that you have some answers for me.” Cloud raised a brow, huffing as he turned back around to look below the city. “From the kid, right?” Sephiroth didn’t reply, but he didn’t need to as Cloud let out another loud sigh and without looking back at him, held his hand up and curled his finger.

“Well? Come on then. We don’t have all night.” Sephiroth didn’t hesitate in approaching him and continued walking towards him until there was only a few feet of space between them. Cloud stood up, brushing the dust off his feet, and stood up, turning around.

Oddly enough, he didn’t lift his head, continuing to stare at the ground even as he approached him. Closer and closer he came until they were mere inches apart. Sephiroth could hear his breaths loud in his ears, calm and careful. Unwillingly, an odd twisting sensation began to stir in his gut as Cloud gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Cloud..?” he murmured. There was no reply, only the red-hot sensation of his touch slowly dragging downwards to grip his arm. “He said I’d tell you everything right?” Unable to open his mouth, Sephiroth nodded. Cloud hummed in thought, gripping his arm just a little tighter.

“Is that so..?”

Sephiroth felt the sting on his neck and immediately reeled back, pushing him away. There was a quiet laugh as he looked up to find Cloud finally staring back at him with a warm smile, a broadsword gripped tightly in his hand. He hadn’t even seen him summon it.

Bright, mako-tainted eyes.

“Aw,” he sighed, pouting, “I thought for sure I had it this time.”

For the second time, he nearly felt death’s kiss. All at the hands of the same person.

“It’s you,” he breathed out. Cloud nodded enthusiastically, grinning at him. “It’s me. I missed you, y’know. Had to go through a loooot of trouble to meet you again.” His grin dropped, a frown taking its place. “How disappointing though. I wasn’t able to make good on my promise to you.”

Then, his face cleared of all negative emotions, a bright smile taking its place. “Then again, there’s still time to make things right, isn’t there? So…if you could stand still for me for a moment.” He shifted his stance, getting ready to charge at him. “Don’t worry!” He said with a giggle, “I’ll make it as painless as possible! The planet oh so hates to see her inhabitants suffer.”

And just as before, his smile melted away, leaving behind a cold, empty gaze.

“Even those with the taint.”

It’s the last thing he heard before everything melted into a blur of colors.

Cloud wasn’t looking for a real fight. That much was certain. The moment their blades crossed, Sephiroth knew he wasn’t planning on playing around for even a moment. Even just that single strike was enough to nearly make his knees buckle. If he hadn’t already known him as the one man to almost kill him, he would have paused in his shock.

Which could’ve killed him as the moment he tried to get some space back, Cloud immediately pushed forward with an upward slash. He hissed, rearing his head back. It just barely missed him as he retaliated with a slash to his side.

It was dodged with an ease that was maddening. For the second time in his life, Sephiroth could feel the sickening dread of death approaching. Cloud fought like he knew him. No matter what he did, he was ready to meet him as if he knew every move of his. At this point, he wouldn’t past him to know them.

“I still don’t understand why—“ he grunted, pushing Cloud away as he steadied himself— “how come you’re so adamant on my death specifically? What have I done to wrong you?”

Cloud let out a giggle before ruthlessly batting away one of his strikes. “Technically nothing, I suppose. Not here. No, right now, I’m simply doing what’s best for all of us…for the entire planet,” he grunted, baring his teeth, a twisted expression taking over him. Finally, the facade had broken, and what remained was a man filled with nothing but bloodlust and righteous fury.

“If the Champion is too weak to, then let me do it in his stead!” He let out a yell, pushing himself up into the air, swinging around to cleave him in half. Sephiroth flung Masamune up to catch it. “Let me be the one to wield the blade! To sink it deep into your foul heart!”

Back and forth they went. Given and taking space with only the sound of their blades clashing against each other and ringing throughout the rooftop. While Sephiroth could slowly feel his stamina draining, Cloud only seemed to grow swifter, becoming more frantic as a result. His swings soon stopped aiming for any lethal parts and began to try and hit at anything he could get.

He was willing to butcher him at this point.

That realization made a burst of energy flow through his veins as he pulled back and readied his sword to rest at his shoulder. With a glare, he unleashed his limit break without hesitation. Cloud blocked a majority of his slashes with a scowl, but all he needed was just one blow.

And thankfully that was exactly what he’d gotten.

Masamune flung his broadsword into the air, leaving it to fall with a loud thud on the ground. He tried to calm his breath, opening his mouth to try and convince him to stop.

“Cloud, please. I only want to understand. Why you do have to—“

“Shut up!” He yelled, his hands flying to his head. “I won’t let you escape this time..! I won’t!” Sephiroth held back a wince at the way his nails dug into his scalp as he said so. Perhaps it was him and his bleeding heart, but he found he couldn’t take it anymore, and began to walk towards him.

It spoke much about the state he was in right now that Cloud hadn’t even reacted until he was right in front of him. He continued to writhe around, mumbling incoherently to himself until Sephiroth’s hands slowly raised to take his and lower them.

“I just want to talk,” he whispered.

“Talk,” Cloud mocked, barking out a laugh. “Sure. Fine. We can talk.” He almost made him want to smile at how similar he was to the other Cloud once the veneer of calm had been shredded.

He fell silent, and Sephiroth found himself at a loss. He was able to get him in a somewhat agreeable mood, nothing came to mind. As he attempted to think of a question, he hadn’t realized one had slipped out of him already.

“You…who are you..?”

Cloud blinked slowly at him. “Hm? Me..?” At his lack of an answer, he chuckled, looking off to the side. “I’m not quite sure myself…”

“I am Cloud, but I am not. She whispers in my ear, and I am to listen.” He took on a thoughtful expression, watching the stars wistfully. His face was cast in a blue glow from the lights, leaving him appearing almost inhuman. “Perhaps…I was Cloud. Once. But, I have a more important role now.”

Once again, the words came to him before he could think. “As who? The planet’s puppet?” Something shifted in his gaze, his eyes snapping to him almost instantly. It looked as if he wanted to say something to that. In the end, however, he remained silent. His almost offended glare melting into a peaceful expression.

“Her executioner,” he corrected.

As he smiled, his eyes became glossy. Slowly, a tear began to make its way down his cheek.

“I can’t disappoint her.”

Sephiroth frowned deeply, reaching to wipe it away from his cheek.“Is there no other way?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, “it has to be like this. She won’t allow for any other recourse.”

Cloud looked up at him, narrowing his eyes. “Sephiroth…you—“

Then, he yelled, doubling over and clutching his head again. “Cloud?! What happened?” He asked, reached out to help him, but unsure of what to do.

“Ah…it seems my time is up.” His smile turned bitter as he lowered his head. “Typical, that he shows up when he’s least wanted.” It’s said with venom, and yet Sephiroth could sense some amount of tenderness within it.

He shook his head, wincing as he straightened up. “I suppose this is farewell again, Sephiroth,” Cloud said casually, tilting his head to the side with a smile. He narrowed his eyes, spotting the malice still hidden beneath them.

“You’re still not going to give up,” he observed.

His laugh rang out like bells. “I told you, silly. It’s what I was made for.” The moment he said so, he let out a groan, dropping his head into his hands again. His body swayed for a moment, but he didn’t fall as they each fell into a tense silence. Cloud’s breathing went from rough and shaky to slow and careful until finally he slowly looked back up and sighed in frustration.

“Shit, should’ve known that’d happen,” he grumbled, tugging on his hair before addressing Sephiroth properly, “sorry ‘bout that. Didn’t think he’d go this far to get rid of you.”

Feeling his patience beginning to thin, Sephiroth huffed. “I believe an explanation is long overdue.” Cloud’s expression was one of guilt as he rubbed his neck.

“Right…right, he did promise that,” he took a deep breath, “alright then. Just wait until I’m finished for questions, okay?” As his nod of acceptance, he frowned looking to the side.

“I’m…not from this world. I guess you could say I’m from the future..?” He shook his head with a frown. “Sounds weird, I know, but it’s the best way I can describe it.”

“Long story short, the planet got fucked up after a series of events mostly caused by Shinra and—well, you.” He shrugged a shoulder, pursing his lips.

“The planet sent me back in time to stop it because she thought the person who killed you would be better than literally anyone else there. So, I left everything behind to try and stop the planet from dying again. As you can see though…things didn’t really go to plan.”

He let out a sigh. “I was supposed to replace this planet’s Cloud completely—body and mind—but instead I just ended up a voice in his head. I could use his body by force, but not for long. Not only that, but as the years went on I…started second-guessing myself.”

Sephiroth felt something stir in his chest as Cloud faced him directly. “It’s a funny thing. All it took was seeing a photo of you as a teen in the newspaper, and suddenly I started hoping.”

He made a complicated expression. One of sorrow and hope and anger. “I don’t want to fight anymore, Sephiroth. For once, I just want to live without worrying about any of this, so I thought that maybe if I could meet you before…it happened—if I could just convince you…”

“…of course, the planet didn’t exactly like that.” He tugged a strand of his hair. “She ended up making a whole ‘nother person just to finish the job for me.”

“So he was sent by the planet,” Sephiroth mused.

Cloud shot him a look, but nodded slowly. “Yeah, he was. A nauseating mix of me, the planet’s influence, and…” he swallowed loudly, a brief moment of grief crossing his face.

“An old friend.”

He shook his head, closing off his heart once more. “That’s about all of it. I’m sure you can figure the rest out yourself.” Sephiroth gave himself a moment to fully process everything he had just said, then nodded very slowly.

“I see.” Cloud scoffed, looking at him incredulously. “What? That’s all you have to say?” He shrugged a shoulder, his face never straying from its blank expression. “I still have questions, yes, but a majority of what I wished to know had been answered.” For anyone else perhaps, it would've been hard to believe. But, something in Sephiroth knew he was telling the truth.

At the very least, it was a truth he believed in, and with everything he witnessed so far, it was hard to doubt him.

Still… “There is one I have, however, that I’d like answered.” To his credit, Cloud nodded obligingly. “Alright, lay it on me.” It was a simple question, one that’s been plaguing him ever since he saw him in the interrogation room.

“What do you intend to do now?” He asked.

Cloud snorted, “What else? I’m saving the planet. I still have a few things I need to do.” He put a hand on his hip, cocking it, and raised a brow at him. “And you?”

“What’ll you do?” He rephrased, seeing Sephuroths confused expression. “Nothing’s holding you back here anymore, right? You’re Sephiroth—you can go wherever the hell you want now?” And that was true, wasn’t it? If he really wanted to, he could just…leave.

No one could stop him. Not anymore. But, even so, where would he go? There was no other place for him. No matter where he went, Sephiroth knew peace wasn’t something for him. In that case, might as well just stay here, right?

He tried to mull over it for a bit, but Cloud spoke over his thoughts. “Y’know…” he started, albeit a little hesitant, “it’d be nice to have a little help. I’m not a one-man army.” Sephiroth couldn’t contain his snort because sure, the man who almost killed him twice over was not a “one-man army”.

Sephiroth opened his mouth to voice that retort when the door to the president’s office slammed open. They both snapped their heads around to see Tseng and a few others pouring into it. Cloud laughed at them with a wry, “Took them long enough.”

He locked eyes with Tseng, but quickly found his attention drawn to the man beside him as he grasped his arm lightly. “Well?” He raised a brow. “Time’s ticking, Sephiroth. What’s the answer?”

And maybe there wasn’t any place for him, but oddly enough, he was starting to think there may be one with Cloud. Cloud, who is both gentle, earnest, gruff, and tortured all at the same time. Who gave him the option to leave together when those he loved before didn’t.

Well…he always knew he was weak to such gestures of affection. So, he didn’t let himself think further as he nodded at him.

“Let’s go,” he said.

Cloud’s eyes widened, looking at him with his mouth agape. It soon smoothed over into a grin though as his eyes went alight with mischief. “Yeah? Trust me,” he said even as the Turks began to head towards their direction, “you’ll love what’s coming next.”

There’s not much he trusted nowadays, but in the face of Cloud’s sheer glee, he thought to himself that perhaps he could trust this.

“Naturally,” he said, and for the first time knew what freedom was.