Chapter Text
Getting chased out of Midgar really fucking sucked.
This was an addition to Avalanche's streak of failed and aborted missions, frustrating for Cloud and his cell.
It was supposed to be simple: break into Shinra's headquarters, rummage through and steal powerful materia and weapons, assassinate the president, and get back to the slums. Turns out, their last mission all the way over in Wutai brought Shinra's unwanted attention to them. Trying to gain supplies during the war between those two was a good idea in theory, but it all crumbled as soon as Jessie and Wedge were assigned to steal from nearby tents. Neither Wutai nor Shinra enjoyed the presence of third parties in their war.
Shinra had been at war against Wutai for as long as Cloud remembered. Hearing from citizens in the slums, Shinra accused Wutai of kidnapping the lead scientist's son, Sephiroth, just months after the child had been born. A shame if it were true, but this rumor has been going on for 25 years and counting, longer than Cloud's even been alive!
He doubted Sephiroth was a real person. How could someone who's allegedly so valuable to Shinra be gone for such an extended period of time? It didn't make sense to Cloud, surely with how much influence Shinra possessed, they could've gotten their precious kid back in merely a few months.
Now wasn't the time to be thinking about some rumor, Avalanche had work to do and newly recruiting Barret and Tifa should make this next mission a lot easier to pull off.
And it would've been, until Barret got a little trigger happy and killed President Shinra a lot earlier than expected. It put a massive dent in gathering materia and weapons, and the most they could escape with was a Steal materia and an intricate multi-bladed weapon that Cloud could learn to use. He chose to call it the Fusion Sword.
With their only method of transportation being their feet and Shinra guards hot on their trail, Cloud and the others split up through the slums to meet outside at a small, cozy town called Kalm. Their meeting wasn't able to last very long, as Shinra's forces continued their pursuit, so the group left for the chocobo farm to find more suitable transportation.
It wasn't the kindest thing to do but the group was desperate, so they ambushed the farm and stole any chocobo they could get their hands on. Cloud managed to grab himself a black chocobo, while the others were able to get variations of blue, green, and yellow ones.
The new destination was Cosmo Canyon and the group split once again. Cloud was lucky, he was the only one who snagged a chocobo that could cross both shallow water and high mountains, so he'd have to make sure he gets to Cosmo Canyon first.
Cloud's thoughts wandered back to Sephiroth. He wondered, if the man was real, what kind of person he was. What did he even look like? Has being abducted at an insanely young age affected him or has he grown up blissfully unaware of what happened to him?
Cloud became lost in thought and didn't notice the big group of monsters approaching him. At the last second, he roughly jerked his chocobo away from them, which caused it to try and buck him off. When that didn't work, it made a beeline towards one of the taller, more rocky mountains in the area. Climbing all the way up, the chocobo successfully tossed Cloud off its back and started sprinting its way back towards the farm.
Stranded, Cloud began his walk through the thick and grassy terrain, hoping he could find anything that'd show him how far he was from Cosmo Canyon. The air was clear so high up, which Cloud appreciated, although during his walk he was being bothered by more and more flies and frogs that seemed to live here. It was a blessing that these were normal frogs and not Touch Mes.
It took roughly an hour of walking before Cloud spotted what looked like a forest. This would be a much needed break from everything that happened today, and Cloud could get some rest so he'd be able to move when night fell.
The forest was really, really strange. The flies and frogs that inhabit it felt strangely sentient. They would guide Cloud to certain plants and flowers, encouraging him to use his surroundings to get through. The bizarre nature of it all made Cloud forget about the numerous flies he killed to progress.
When he was deep enough to see an entrance to a cave, Cloud decided to stop and rest near the outside. He abruptly woke up only half an hour later, placed right back at the entrance of the forest, as if none of what he saw and did actually happened. Determined, Cloud made his way back through a second time, the pattern exactly the same as when he first went.
Reaching the back cave and not falling asleep this time, Cloud went inside. The cave itself didn't have much to offer aside from another broadsword for Cloud, and since he already has his new sword, he's not planning on swapping out anytime soon.
Just as Cloud was about to leave through the back of the cave, he heard a faint voice call out.
"I will see you in a bit, my precious flower! Three days out and then I'll be back!"
Cloud froze. Shit. Shit. How is he meant to explain to locals living in a mountain forest that he just oh so happened to stumble across this place after being chased out by Shinra troops? Like they'll believe that.
Cloud scoffed to himself for thinking about that before proceeding to tuck himself in an inner part of the cave, hoping whoever would walk by won't notice his presence. He heard an exaggerated "I love you" and then began to hold his breath and wait out for this mystery person.
5 minutes pass. Cloud hears soft footsteps on grass and dirt. They're just outside.
10 minutes pass. Shoes click on the cave floor. They're moving past.
15 minutes pass. Surely they're gone by now if the lack of any movement past the second round of grass and dirt says anything. Cloud waits an extra 5 minutes. It's just to be safe, he tells himself.
Finally, Cloud makes the decision to leave his hiding spot and steps out of the cave to be greeted by a tall and thin stone tower. With curiosity getting the best of him, Cloud decided he wanted to climb up the tower. There were no stairs, no ladder, and no anything really, so he got the idea to use the thinnest parts of his new blade to scale it instead. It took some work, but eventually, Cloud made it through the window and shut it.
Just as he was about to take in the interior of the tower, he heard a metallic thwack, followed by intense pain in his head. The last thing Cloud saw before passing out was the gray of the stone, and a pile of silver on the ground.
Cloud woke up an indeterminate amount of time later to his limbs bound to a wooden chair by silver...hair? There was so much of it, Cloud couldn't tell where it started or even where it could've ended. Struggling didn't help get him out, he was locked down by this stuff.
Cloud looked up and saw a pair of bright, green, cat-like eyes staring back at him, watching his every move. Whoever knocked him out was sitting on one of the tower's support beams, silver hair shining in the faint light that reached up there. The figure swallowed, then spoke.
"Who are you, and how did you find Mother and I?"
"Since you knocked me out for no reason, I think I should be the one who can ask questions first. Who are you?"
"You barged into my home. Answer me."
"You knocked me out. You should answer me first."
The two went back and forth for a little bit until the figure hopped down from the beam and onto the ground, sunlight illuminating his features and the slightly rusted frying pan in his grip.
"My name is Sephiroth," he said, and Cloud's entire inner world nearly collapsed in on itself, if not for the help of the pan pointed in the direction of his face. "Now tell me yours."
"It's Cloud Strife."
Somehow Cloud managed to keep himself composed enough to say his own name, but soon after, his thoughts began to race again.
The rumors had to have been true. This is Shinra's Sephiroth. No average person with such a name and such ties to Shinra could live out here all on their own without being found...unless…
Thinking about it made Cloud's stomach churn. He was inside a prisoner's tower whose captor just left not even more than an hour ago. He was so lost in thought that he completely missed what Sephiroth said to him next.
"Cloud Strife, I asked you a question."
"Uh━sorry, zoned out."
"Oh, and what was going through your mind while you were 'zoned out?' Going through all the different ways you wish to mutilate me?"
"Huh?"
Sephiroth began to pace around Cloud's chair, his hair wrapping around his legs as he walked. "Do you wish to cut it all off? Maybe gut me and sell me on your markets?" Sephiroth brought the handle of the pan to Cloud's chin and tilted his head up. "Or are you here to pillage our calm, peaceful home and take what's 'rightfully' yours?"
"Seems like a lot of assumptions for someone you just met." Cloud bit it out with as much venom as he could, though it didn't come out as strong as he wanted it to.
"They're not assumptions. Mother has told me about your kind many times. Lazy, stupid, selfish creatures who care for nothing but themselves." Sephiroth yanked a part of his hair away from the chair, causing Cloud to nearly fall face down onto the stone flooring. He caught one of the rails. "Your people are obstacles in Mother's way to reach the Promised Land and thus must be eliminated."
Cloud scoffed. "Well you're doing a shit job at it. I've been tied up in this chair for how long? And the most you've been able to do was knock me out one time and spout bullshit about your mother?"
This angered Sephiroth greatly, though only for a moment. He seemed to have a lot of control over his emotions. For some reason that he didn't know, it made Cloud's chest ache just a bit.
Sephiroth spoke. "As much as I wish to kill you and get this over with so Mother won't have to worry about my well-being, I must say, you are the first human I've ever had the chance to lay eyes on in person."
"You don't go outside?" Cloud blurted out. How has he really never seen another human before?
"Only once, but Mother forbids it. It has been her most important rule since I was born, and Mother doesn't take disobedience lightly. I never tried leaving this tower anymore since my first attempt."
"But you're a grown man! You don't have to stay with her, you can leave and live out your life!"
"That's not possible. Mother needs me to fulfill her goal of reaching the Promised Land. She gives me the necessities needed for me to survive here. I'm grateful for her and will repay her as necessary, even with my own life."
Cloud was speechless. It made him feel sick hearing words like that come out of Sephiroth's mouth so casually. He had so many questions.
"So...what is the Promised Land, exactly?"
"I wouldn't know, Mother has never told me much about it, only that it is very important we acquire it. I will follow her to the end as her son."
Cloud was about to ask another question until Sephiroth turned his back to him and started speaking again. "I always felt like, ever since I was a child, I was special in some way, shape, or form. When Mother told me about her goal for me to reach the Promised Land for her, I finally found the answer. She informed me that we are of special descent, not that I know what. But I will always be by her side, no matter what."
It was a lot of information for Cloud to take in. Some of it didn't sound like it made sense. Maybe if he was cooped up in isolation for his whole life he'd understand, but he didn't want to understand that kind of life.
"Your mother is doing you a disservice by not letting you out to explore," Cloud muttered under his breath.
Sephiroth turned around, his expression a mix of confusion and caution. "What are you talking about?"
"Do you ever think about how backwards it is for her to expect you to lead her somewhere you don't know if you don't even get the chance to go outside? Have you ever thought about how ridiculous it is to be kept in a tower well into your adult life when you could be out living? Seriously, Sephiroth, you've never thought any of this felt wrong?"
"Never have, never will. Say, Cloud," Sephiroth leaned down to Cloud's sitting height, "Exactly how did you manage to stumble upon this place? I would love to know."
He said it with such mock interest Cloud almost let himself get angry from it.
"Just passing through; had a disobedient chocobo that dropped me here before running off."
Not a complete lie if he tried calling him out on it. It's not like Cloud would be proud to tell Sephiroth he's a part of a group of thieves and criminals. It'd just further Sephiroth's distaste for humans, and Cloud wasn't about to leave this tower without him.
Sephiroth gave him a look that Cloud couldn't decipher but seemed content with it. At least he wouldn't have to explain chocobos to the man. Cloud spoke again.
"Would you ever want to go out again, just to see what's changed?"
Sephiroth tensed, but he never said anything to confirm he didn't.
"While it would be disobedient to Mother's wishes, there are some times where I daydream about leaving. About traveling through the world that I've only ever been allowed to look at through maps. It's only that, a dream."
"I could keep watch over you, make sure you don't wander into a monster den and get yourself killed." This is good, we can work something out, let me help you out of here.
"Two days."
"Huh?"
"I will travel with you for two days only, as Mother makes her weekly travels for three days at a time. After the second day, you will return me to my home and we will part ways as if nothing ever happened."
"Oh yeah? I don't think you'll want to come back once you see what the world has to offer."
Sephiroth sighed, "Even if that were true, I still have my duty to serve Mother's wishes. Leaving on its own is already grave misbehavior, Mother would be furious if she knew I left when I'm supposed to know better now."
"Yeah, right, but the day's not going any slower while we're still in here. So how about you get me out of your hair and out of this chair, and then we can get a move on."
"I'm putting my trust in you, Cloud Strife," Sephiroth said, as he began undoing the hair from Cloud's limbs and letting him walk freely.
"So, one last question before we go, Sephiroth." Cloud opened the window that showed the view outside of the tower. "What's with the hair? Like, why is it that long?"
"Mother likes it like this. She said it will all make sense once we find the Promised Land. It's one thing I've never understood. She has the same color as I do and she cuts it all the time, yet nothing happens to her."
Sephiroth walked over to the mini spiral staircase located on the other side of the tower and pulled out the Fusion Sword from inside a compartment underneath. "Before I forget, I believe this must be yours?"
"Oh, so you do have some good in you after all, huh?" Cloud laughed. "Do you want to go first, or should I?"
Cloud scaled down the tower the same way he climbed up. When he reached the bottom, he looked up and called out for Sephiroth. "You can come down now Sephiroth, I'm done!"
About a minute passes before Cloud begins to think that Sephiroth had changed his mind until a bit of silver hair wraps around a hook and Sephiroth jumps out of the tower, sliding down on his own hair. He makes an abrupt stop right before his feet touch the ground, as if he's unsure how to proceed.
Cloud reassured him, telling Sephiroth that it was just grass, a natural part of nature that wasn't going to hurt him. It was odd that Sephiroth was never given any shoes to wear, though his mother likely never expected him to leave after all this time.
Sephiroth took in his surroundings as his feet lowered onto the ground while his hair soon followed. The grass and the dirt was extremely soft, the small pond of water so crystal clear he could see his own reflection in it. It was overwhelming in the best way possible.
Cloud's voice interrupted his thoughts. "We're gonna be making our way through that cave and out of the forest that guards this place. Then, we'll be free to go wherever we want!" Cloud's smile fell, concern replacing his happiness. "Do you know the route your mother takes when running her errands? It'd definitely be best to avoid her."
"No, she's never told me where she goes. The best we could do is avoid any local areas that you may be aware of."
Shit. That's a no to hiding out at Cosmo Canyon with the rest of Avalanche. It wasn't a problem though, surely Cloud could find a way to bring Sephiroth to Midgar…
On foot...with no other methods of transportation to assist them in two days.
It didn't help that Cloud was likely still wanted in Midgar for what happened, so he and Sephiroth will have to tread lightly.
Sephiroth spoke up. "Well, shall we get a move on, Cloud Strife?" He smiled at him.
"Yeah," Cloud smiled back. "And for the record, you can just call me Cloud. Strife is my last name."
"Oh." Sephiroth looked deep in thought for a moment. "I don't have a last name, Mother never mentioned one."
Strange, though not something too important to comment on yet. Cloud gave Sephiroth a hum of acknowledgement.
"Now," Cloud said, facing the entrance of the cave, "Let's mosey!"