Chapter Text
Somewhere in the Lifestream:
"Aerith?" The apparition asked.
Yes?
Her voice always came in his head, she couldn't come into an apparitionary form as Cloud did.
"I was wondering. If maybe we could start again."
Reincarnation... would be difficult to achieve if you weren't okay with some sacrifices.
"What kind of sacrifices?" He still felt her presence as one would a fresh spring breeze: light, ephemeral, and unconcentrated.
You wouldn't remember anything.
He paused to consider this. "That's fine."
The purpose behind this, I presume, is so you can meet with Sephiroth again? He might not want the same thing, you know.
"Well, I would know if you'd let me talk to him." Cloud scowled. It had always annoyed him that he couldn't see Sephiroth even after both of their deaths.
He wandered quite a long time as an immortal being across the Earth, looking for a way to save you. And besides that, you know the rules of the lifestream: no one talks to anyone else.
"What about you? You talk to me."
Thats....different. And you know it. I am the Lifestream in essence, I can control it enough to talk to you. No one but a pure ancient could do that. And he, nor anyone else in AVALANCHE is as such. It's not as if it's my fault.
"I know. I'm sorry. But would you tell him I'm reincarnating so he can join please?" She didn't sound annoyed even as she spoke the tirade. Come to think of it, she never had been truly angry at anyone in the time Cloud had known her.
I'll do my best.
And she was gone, drifting away again as she did.
It didn't matter if he lost his memory, he was confident he would find Sephiroth again. They were bound to each other with the thread of destiny. There was no way their souls, as magnets, wouldn't come together and push apart in that never ending cycle.
No way.
Somewhere in the City of Edge:
"Don't be home too late!" Claudia Strife called after his retreating back.
"I won't!" He yelled over his shoulder, rolling his eyes.
Even in the short walk to the abandoned church Zack had decided was the perfect place to hang out, there were dangers. Who knew what might happen as you were running through the streets in New Edge? He knew realistically that there was a strong possibility of getting kidnapped or something of the sort, and still thought his mother worried too much anyways.
The streets were mostly empty and as he ran he encountered no trouble, entering the church to find Zack up in the rafters. "Zack!"
He remembered the day he had met Zack vividly, it was one of his better memories. He'd been new to town and, with no neighbors who had boys his age, had taken to loneliness and long hours spent in his own company, his mother at work after school, in which he kept to himself of shyness. People had started to avoid him as an eccentric recluse, and it was Zack who'd broken that mold long ago as Cloud circled a tree with a stick in hand, one of those days when his boredom got the better of him enough to go outside.
Zack, being a reasonably cheerful and friendly person, had plenty of friends. And yet he'd ditched all of those friends to hang out with Cloud. For the first month of their friendship Cloud had apologized for this so much that Zack said it annoyed him and to stop. Since that day they'd been friends. So glad was his mother over their friendship she let up on her no walking about town or straying too far from the house rules.
"Cloud, Cloud, guess what?? There's a bird's nest up here!" Zack slid down and landed on the ground with the slightest puff of dust rising from the floorboards.
"What kind of bird?"
"Dunno, maybe a barn owl?" He said quizzically.
"Wow. I haven't seen one of those in a while." Cloud mumbled, trying to remember the last time he had and coming up empty.
"We should find a new place until it leaves then...Barn owls are mean." As if to back this up, Zack showed him several scratches on his forearm and face.
"Yikes...You're right. My mom would have a freaking panic attack if I came home like that."
"Luckily I think I found a new spot. Come on, I'll show you."
"Should we even be doing this? What if we get kidnapped or something?" Cloud personally didn't think he'd get kidnapped, but his mother had drilled into his head that going anywhere was dangerous and had the hidden possibility of being kidnapped.
"Psh, don't worry, it's plenty safe." With that, his slightly more energetic friend was racing out of the church.
"Wait up!" Cloud raced after his friend.
They walked for quite a bit, the trail deteriorating from a road to a path to a trail and finally to undergrowth until they came upon a clearing. In the center of the clearing was an odd stone that instantly drew Cloud's attention despite Zack's background chatter of excitement over the spot. Approaching it cautiously, he reached for it, finding that the texture beneath the vines and greenery and moss was not that of stone, but rather something colder and harder, and smoother.
It was almost against his will that he pulled at the vines and scratched off the moss to reveal the slight glint of corroded metal, and on the metal, the groove of letters. He pulled still more off until there was at last a whole plaque freed from the tangle of greenery.
The plaque read:
Buster, The Sword Which Chooses True Heroes
And Masamune, That Which Chooses Their Rivals
May their legacy live on
Zack, having noticed his best friend's inattentiveness, joined Cloud. "What's that supposed to mean? And swords? When was the last time anyone used swords?"
It was only then he noticed the slightest of tears sliding from Cloud's eyes.
Zack considered himself to be the person closest to the reclusive younger child he now considered to be a younger brother. He'd seen the best and worst of Cloud, from his earlier awkwardness, standoffishness, and shy moments to the times he'd be extra friendly or overly emotional about things. He even knew some of Cloud's eccentricities, such as his obsession with seemingly ordinary objects (he was fond of staring at them for long periods of time and without reason), or his hobby of fighting imaginary enemies and mumbling to himself when he was thinking hard.
Never had he ever seen Cloud cry. Faced now with the tear, he was unsure of what to do.
"What are you crying about?" He finally asked, figuring it would be the best course of action.
"I'm not..." the younger boy trailed off as he touched his cheek and found it wet. "I...I don't know?"
Still in unfamiliar territory, Zack remained silent until Cloud stood, then asked, "Wanna uncover the rest of it?" He asked, gesturing to the leaf covered memorial.
"Sure." It took some effort, but they began to pull vines down and away.
It was then that Cloud yelped and pulled back. "ow..." He mumbled, watching his fingers bleed with a dazed look in his eyes.
"Holy crap that's a lot of blood! M-medical, medical supplies! We should get you home ASAP." Zack, upon turning around, cried out in shock and horror.
"My mom will never let me leave the house again. I'll be trapped indoors for the rest of eternity..." Cloud said gloomily, still staring as the blood dripped and landed on the forest floor.
"That's what you're worried about? You could bleed to death!" Incredulous, Zack grabbed his uninjured hand and pulled.
The look on the younger's face stopped him. Wide eyed, Cloud asked, "You think I'm going to die?"
"Not if we hurry, you won't." Zack's voice held the graver certainty of a child as he pulled and finally Cloud relented, running. The two retraced their steps to the church and finally to Cloud's house.
"What's going on?" His mom called, seeing Zack's concerned face. "Oh my-Why is he bleeding? Never mind, Cloud come here."
Cloud was starting to feel dizzy, the world spinning a bit. Was he going to die? If he did it would leave his mom alone in this world, his father was gone and not coming back... he didn't want that to happen. She deserved to live happily in a world she'd never have to work another day in. With Zack's guiding hands and his mother's footsteps to pull him along, he managed to get into the house.
He hissed in pain as water ran over the cut. The pain vanished mercifully as there was a tightening pressure and a bit of stinging.
"Drink this." His mother shoved a glass of orange juice into his hand, which he was dimly surprised was suddenly bandaged. "Zack, explain."
"Wellll...See, we were viewing a baby bird up in the rafters of the old church and when Cloud slid down, he got a splinter or something awful from the wall and started bleeding. I rushed him here of course, cause I don't know medical stuff."
Claudia frowned. "The cut's a bit clean for a splinter." She said skeptically.
"Maybe it was a piece of metal, I'm not sure. I was too worried about the blood to check." Zack gave her what could only be described as puppy dog eyes, a tactic Cloud had seen him use with other grown ups quite successfully.
She sighed, but the tactic proved effective even on her. "Fine, but I don't want you two going to the old church anymore. Find somewhere else, anywhere else within reason to play. I don't want anyone getting tetinus."
His head had cleared significantly with the OJ and he set it down, clearing his throat and asking, "What's that?"
"A disease you can get from cuts filled with rusted metal or bacteria from dirt and such. Did you drink it all?" To his nod, she turned to Zack. "At any rate, it's getting awful late. Cloud will need rest to recover. Zack, you should run along home. Do you need me to walk you there? The streets are dangerous this time of day."
"Thanks, Mrs. Strife, but I can handle myself." Zack said with the confident certainty of a child. "Get better soon, bye!" Cloud waved as Zack darted out of the door and left.
"Honestly, how many times have I told you two that you'll get hurt in that old church? Broken down buildings could fall at any moment, you could fall from the rafters and break something! What would you have done if you'd broken a leg and couldn't walk?" His mom continued with her lecture for around seven minutes, relenting only when she noticed Cloud's eyes drooping shut despite his attempts to remain conscious.
"I love you very much...good night." Were the last words he was aware of before passing out.
Trigger warning: Child abuse, domestic abuse(mentioned) and some suicidal thought
He stumbled once more, his scraped knees screaming in agony with each step forth. He had to escape, his mind focused on nothing but this one singular goal. To somewhere safe... Was there such a place? A place he could avoid his father...and his father's punishments?
He had escaped, while his father had gone to get the belt. But...had he really? This momentary reprieve, on borrowed time came at great cost, he was sure of that. The punishment would be even more severe for him if he returned. But return he had to.
Instinctually, he'd fled from the pain. His father was in an especially terrible mood today, and he had wanted to get away at all costs. This was a selfish, evil thought. It made him nothing more than a dirty coward to run from the pain, he knew. The reason he should have stayed...It was one of the reasons he hadn't ended himself already, because if he was gone, then who was to stop his father from killing his mother? He took the beatings, had taken them for seven long years of his life because he loved his mother more than anyone else in the world. She was his reason for existing now.
There was no getting around it. He had to return. This beating hadn't been so bad, he thought to himself. He hadn't thrown up yet, at least.
But perhaps the beating had been worse than he'd thought. As always when his father beat on him, he'd disassociated, so it was hard to tell how bad or not his punishment had been this time. Apparently that was the case this time, as he found himself in a clearing in the woods with his knees sliding out from under him and vision slowly fading away. Gut wrenching misery filled him, what was to happen to his mother while he was gone? What if she died?
Anguish filled the pit of his stomach, just as cold as the rain that began the slow process of soaking his clothes. He cried for his inability to stand, to walk, to go back, for the sin of having left in the first place, for his mother's fate...but it was a weak whispery noise from a throat worn down from screaming...A ragged sob was all he could manage as his eyes slid shut.
"Morning!" Zack's face was hovering above Cloud's as he opened his eyes. "How's the hand?"
Cloud sat up, flexing his hand and finding that the pain had dulled, although he was ravenous. Glancing at his hand through eyes puffy with sleep, he saw that the bandage had almost bled through, a seeping of pink visible through the first layer of gauze. "It's better but not good still." He winced at the scratchiness of his voice and shooed Zack out to get dressed.
Breakfast was delicious, his mom changed over the bandage and was convinced, with a bit of those puppy dog eyes and a promise not to go near the old church, to let Cloud out of the house with Zack. Today was a weekend and she had no work, so she assured them she'd be here to make lunch and that she did in fact expect them back by then.
As soon as they were on the road to their new place, Zack asked in a hushed voice, "What do you really think got you?"
Thinking back to last night, Cloud shrugged. "I'm not sure. For now, we should be cautious about where we put our hands."
"Alright! So we're still doing it?"
"Yeah, you think I'd leave it there covered in moss? I can't explain it but I really want to find out what's under there."
"Damn." Zack whistled. The path changed to a trail as they entered the deeper part of the woods. "Think it's magic?"
"No way. That stuff died out a long time ago. But it'd be cool if it was." Cloud grinned, trying to ignore an odd feeling creeping up on him almost like nostalgia but mixed with a hint of foreboding.
Finally they reached the clearing....but they weren't alone. On the ground was a person, it was difficult to discern their gender from the long silver hair that was visible from behind and the baggy clothing. Silver was an odd color...They seemed to be lying on their side as if sleeping, but Cloud had an odd feeling that wasn't it.
"What the...It's like the memorial doesn't want to be discovered. We keep finding situations we can't avoid addressing, huh?" Zack mused, frowning.
"They're not dead are they?" Cloud mumbled, a cold feeling swooping through him.
Zack's eyebrows shot up. "No! They're breathing...at least, I think so? If one thing's for certain though, they're definitely injured."
Now that Cloud looked closer, it did seem that way. He approached with caution, carefully walking over and then gently pulling the shoulder of the form over. He was shocked to see a boy, about his age, with such delicate features they almost looked feminine. He was quite beat up, knees scraped, bruised something fierce, and bleeding from a couple of visible spots. Additionally, his cheeks were a bit hollow looking, as if they'd never seen enough food all their life.
"Should we take him to your mom's place?"
"Of course!" He shot Zack a shocked look. "The only question is how?" Cloud frowned, looking back to the kid.
"He looks so skinny I could carry him all by myself." Remarked Zack.
"Can you? Let's go then." Cloud nodded. "I can help if you need it."
"Yeah, I might if I get tired...just mind your hand. Your mom would absolutely kill me if she found out I made you more injured..."
"Zack Fair, you need to stop this new habit of bringing injured people to my house. Who even is this?" Claudia demanded upon their return.
"I don't know, but they're hurt. Can you help?" Cloud asked, pleading.
His mom took a long look, then sighed. "Yes, I suppose. Bring him in."
She laid him out on the dining table with a sigh, bandaged all visible cuts, put poultices on the bruises to help the recovery. With each injury the crease in her eyebrow grew deeper as Cloud and Zack watched with bated breath..
He seemed to be just a bit younger than the two of them, his skin extraordinarily pale, his cheekbones sharp and with no softness or flush to indicate health. This didn't escape Claudia's eyes, and neither did the fact that these injuries seemed to be inflicted by human hands. All the remaining blood drained from her face when she lifted his shirt to reveal more injuries, angling it so that the other children did not have to see.
Her concern reached a point that she sent the children to the store under the guise of buying something to refill her pain killing tea because she could see he was about to wake up and wasn't sure how he would react.
When his eyes did open, she noticed they were not a bright spring green but a vivid watery green, like diluted tropical oceans had been distilled and compressed. They were hazy with the guise of pain and it saddened her heart to see one so young reacting with immediate suspicion when his gaze met hers.
"Where am I?" Was predictably his immediate question. She had not expected his voice to sound as it did, however.
"Somewhere safe. My son found you passed out someplace and brought you here. Don't move too much, you need food and some rest for all those injuries to heal." She smiled as warmly as she could, handing him some of the bread she'd had baking in the oven as a side to the soup she'd planned for lunch.
He hesitated, but the gleam of hunger in his eye seemed impossible for him to avoid.
"Tell me, before my son gets back...who gave you those injuries?" She finally asked.
The child instantly stiffened, going rigid and tight in the span of a second.
"If you ever need a place to stay, somewhere to hide, our doors are open. Consider it, please." Claudia aimed for her voice to be soothing as best she could manage, speaking as one would to a scared animal.
"There's nowhere he wouldn't find me." The voice was haunted, and small. "And I don't want to leave." He whispered this, more fear in his eyes. There had to be more to this, she thought.
"He must treat you horribly. There's no reason to stay. Why do you?" The child did not say another word, only reaching with starvation in his eyes for another piece of the offered bread.
"Even if you just need food, we'll be here. I won't do anything, please just tell me." She persuaded.
Those unnerving eyes found her again and pinned her, the pupil going thin and catlike. She shivered involuntarily, because they were chilling in the cold way they regarded her as if she were a distant object and not a person trying to help.
Before Claudia could pry further, Cloud and Zack arrived back.
"What's your name?" This was a safe question, she thought as the two started down the hallway.
He met her eyes once more, his voice a mere whisper. "Sephiroth."