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Ceaseless Oblivion

By: LunaRainGlimmer
folder Final Fantasy VII › Yaoi - Male/Male › Cloud/Sephiroth
Rating: Adult
Chapters: 25
Views: 1,602
Reviews: 11
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Disclaimer: I own nothing based on the Cloud/Sephiroth fandom, the FFVII fandom, or any fandom, from now, until the end of time. I also make no profit from this story, or fandom, nor do I intend to.
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Despite The Phantoms

Slight gore in this chapter! Also, I think what goes on in this part is a real milestone for Sephiroth, and I would love it if we could all cheer for him. *fangirls cheer, and I lead them* If you squint, this can be the makings of romance in this chapter, though that will take quite some time.

I own nothing. I may acquire a Sephiroth plushy soon though for Christmas. :D


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A Rattlesnake, if cornered will become so angry it will bite itself. That is exactly what the harboring of hate and resentment against others is - a biting of oneself. We think we are harming others in holding these spites and hates, but the deeper harm is to ourselves. ~E. Stanley Jones

Never did he think he would do anything but hate. Sephiroth could recall feeling a burn in his chest, one that made his heart throb and his pulse race, all from thinking how he loathed all of human kind. They deserved one of two fates: groveling at his feet or being reduced to ash. He chose the latter for them, for even those that would have worshipped him were of no use to him.

And now, what seemed like a lifetime ago from what he had once felt, he realized that there was no point to hate. All it did was spread through his veins with every angry throb of his heart, a disillusioned heart, and poison himself. Why would someone be so intent on martyrdom to such an unworthy cause? No, that didn't mean that he had come to any realization greater than that. But for now, he realized that he had been wrong in one more category.

The list could go on for ages for what he had done wrong. He was wrong to kill people, to think they were unworthy of being in his vicinity, much less breathing the same air. He had been wrong to jump to conclusions. In his mind, he saw himself jumping from one side of the road to the next, thinking foolishly that on the other side he would find what he had longed for. Sephiroth had been so blind-sighted, focusing so intently on the act that he failed to see that the road was indeed a railroad track and a train was coming, not bothering to stop for the man jumping in front of it. His life was a wreck, in pieces with countless wounds from said act. Everything was derailed it seemed, and he had to start all over at square one.

Sephiroth thought about these things as he was beside the fire in the forest he and Cloud were in, taking his nightly vigil. Cloud slept on the other side of the flames, and he watched the man sleep, thinking it must have been…easier to live with himself than he was with his own soul. Cloud was not the one who had to deal with the knowledge of his past, one that had led to his own demise. Cloud was not the one who had to live with himself, and all of the ghouls and phantoms that still plagued his dreams. And above all, Cloud had not, so stupidly, thought an alien calamity was his mother, answering to her beck and call like a prostitute would.

"Being you must be…simple." He spoke those words aloud, and he allowed himself to watch Cloud for awhile, wondering what it would be like.

In his fancy, he placed himself in Strife's position. He knew almost nothing about the boy's upbringing, but he had read over his file once or twice when he had joined SOLDIER, the place Cloud had tried so desperately to get into. He was born and raised in Nibelheim to a mother, his own father passing in one of the many wars that had harmed Gaia. And aside from his height, weight, eye color and blood type, there was not much else he knew about the man. Everything was all fact on paper, but that was just that. Facts, and ceaseless information that was nothing personal about Cloud.

Sephiroth blinked a few times, and tried to imagine what it would be like to have SOLDIER turn him down. He felt rage, and indignation, for in theory, that was what Cloud had wanted since he was a little boy, more than likely thinking he would be a good example for his community, to make them proud of him. Cloud, who was now Sephiroth, longed to do good and above all, prove that even a simple villager from a small town could be a somebody. Somebody like the hero Sephiroth had once claimed to be.

The man shook his head. What the Hell was he thinking? Despite their truce, there was nothing more that they shared in common with the other. It was a fruitless act to try and place himself in Strife's shoes. For one thing, they would be too small. And lastly, he would find himself with a gall in his throat, and even more disgusted with himself.

He sighed aloud and had not noticed that Cloud was up, and had been stretching his arms up and over his head. Sephiroth looked up when he heard the man yawn hugely, the sign of one who had a refreshing sleep. Sleep was never refreshing as of late, just a means of closing ones eyes for a bit to escape.

Cloud looked to him, and a puzzled expression lit his face. His wings stirred of their own accord, as if those blessed and lovely appendages wished to know why Sephiroth looked so contemplative. Then there was hesitance on his face, as if he wished to ask, but didn't dare. Sephiroth snorted aloud. Of course he wouldn't ask him! Why would anyone's enemy care to listen to how he felt? That was as if two soldiers on opposing sides of the battlefield stopped their fighting just to ask how the other was doing. It was stupid, and a waste of time. Foes could never simply turn the other cheek.

"What's up?" Sephiroth started, and looked to the man. There was a slight reluctance in his eyes, something that even Cloud, the master of facades himself could not hide. But there was a determination in his voice, one that let him know that there would be no leaving, and Sephiroth was not getting to sleep until he let him know what was wrong. Sephiroth cleared his throat. It was none of Strife's business if he was in pain, and in the midst of self loathing.

"You're imagining things." He flipped on his back, placing his hands on his stomach the way that he would do if he were to fall asleep.

Even if he closed his eyes now, he wouldn't be able to fully rest. His nightmares were vivid, torturing him with images of him running down laboratory hallways, fighting all of his once friends and foes. And in the final one he had the previous night, he had slashed a woman to shreds with his bare hands until he saw that it had been Lucrecia, the mother whom he had never been allowed to know, much less meet. Envy filled him, for he knew Cloud had gotten a peaceful sleep. Cloud seemed to be the favored one here.

Cloud sighed and Sephiroth saw that he had walked to the stream. Good. Enemies were not supposed to unload their feelings onto one another. A few days previous, he had made the heinous mistake of sharing that he had never been able to taste. What sort of antic was this? He had never been one to share his feelings, any of his emotions. That had never come easily, for no one had really asked. Aside from Zack Fair, and the occasional time with Genesis and Angeal, no one had ever asked him what was the matter, or what was going on in his life. How fitting that someone he had not even liked had asked him the one thing that had never been spoken.

Quick footsteps alerted Sephiroth to Cloud's presence behind him. Sephiroth looked up and saw, upside down, that Cloud was standing at his head. He looked like he had a sudden change of mind, as if he was not going to let the matter alone.

"Just tell me. What was with the long face?" That sounded like something Zack would have said. For all Sephiroth knew, Zack was conversing with Cloud and himself, and not letting either of the pair be aware of it. That also sounded like something Zack would have done.

Sephiroth rose from the ground and had a fine mind to deny his companions inquiries. The words were on his tongue, in his mouth. But none of them came out. Instead, what did was "Your life. It seems…ideal compared to my own." Cloud looked to him, and Sephiroth swore he had never seen anything like the change that crossed the stoic mans face. His eyes opened a few centimeters, and then widened even more than that. His mouth opened, lips pursing and forming a circle. He began to shake his head, and he emitted a small laugh, a sound that was not from one who was enjoying themselves.

"My life is many things, but it was never ideal." He blinked once, and Cloud appeared as if didn't want to talk anymore. And why should he? He was face to face with his enemy, one who had wanted to kill off everything important to him just to screw with him. Sephiroth felt a tightness in his throat then, and he knew, to his utter chagrin, that it was the feeling of guilt.

"What the Hell made you think that?" Sephiroth looked up, and saw that Cloud had sat down on the ground, something he never would have done before. Sephiroth knew that if he had been the same man who had woken him up when they had first landed in this world, the man who threw him in the stream because he had been pissed, that he never would have given him the time of day, much less his ear. Sephiroth immediately bottled up, knowing that he shouldn't share anything with Cloud. Why would he listen? And furthermore…why would he care? He wouldn't do either of those things, thus he would not listen.

"Once more, you are imagining things. Goodnight Cloud." He positioned himself on his back again, and shut his eyes, trying to think of something other than haunts and shadows. He heard Cloud sit up and walk away, his footsteps fading. Once again, that was for the best. Enemies could not converse, nor should they ever.

It came as a pure surprise when Sephiroth felt cold water hit his face, soaking his hair and forehead. He sputtered and shot up, whirling his head around, wondering what had just happened. He saw Cloud over him, a spark of anger in his eyes, holding his hands outstretched, as if he had had just cupped water from the stream and dumped it on his head. Which, he had just done.

"What was that for?" Sephiroth wiped his arm over his face a few times, coughing a little. Cloud threw his hands out, as if he were preparing for a fight.

"Sephiroth…make a damn effort. Why did you look so glum?" Sephiroth looked up at the man, one who now towered over him, as if he were an indefatigable monument, something every lonely soul looked to in their hour of need. Sephiroth knew, that for the moment, Cloud was the more powerful one. That would not do, for even though he was in mental turmoil, he would still hold his own, like he had not done when they first arrived here.

The silver haired man stood up, and with his six foot height, he towered over Cloud's five foot seven inches frame. "Cloud, quit being a pest. It's my time to sleep right now, and I let you sleep soundly into the night. Now why don't you do me a favor and allow me rest." He began walking away from Cloud when a translucent wing caught his shoulder and spun him around. Well now, Strife had control of his abilities.

Sephiroth pivoted on his heel and struck the man aside the head once, but that gave Cloud an opening. He tackled him and they went sprawling on the ground, tussling in leaves and dirt, snarling and griping with the other. Cloud gripped his hair in his hand, landed one solid punch to his face, and Sephiroth smacked the other mans soft spot with his forehead. The silver haired man managed to roll on top of him, placing his hand on the man's throat, squeezing his jugular. This was self defense, thus he was entirely in the right.

He had no knowledge just how strong Cloud had become in his absence. Cloud smirked and flipped Sephiroth in one move of his hips, and within the expanse of five seconds, he was on the ground, wondering what had just happened. Damn. He was not only the sufferer, he was the weakling here too!

Cloud panted and shook his head, his sapphire eyes flashing in anger. "Sephiroth…I just wanted an answer. I never wanted any of this. Just tell me…what you mean. Why is my life so ideal?" Sephiroth, for the moment, could not breathe. He felt an enormous weight on top of him, one that had absolutely nothing to do with Cloud on his chest. He felt as if something were pressing on his lungs, tightening and squeezing his organs as if his viscera and insides were musical instruments. Everything…was so wrong!

He couldn't say a word, and he knew that panic was prevalent in his eyes. He saw so many of the things he had once believed fall apart in front of his eyes, once more. Genesis pointed his sword at him, saying that he could take the role of the hero if he really wanted to. Angeal saying the words "All hail Sephiroth" as if he couldn't believe his friend had become so arrogant. The death of many were on his hands, blood staining his fingers. So much had happened, and his life was in shards, pieces right then. No truce could account for that factor.

So he did the only thing he could do: babble like a senseless cretin.

"Why? Why? Cloud, look at yourself! You have power, some internal glow within you. You have two wings, and right now, they are the perfect example of why your life is ideal. You…are dominant here. Thus, you are better. And myself? I…am nothing! Nothing!" He saw Cloud's eyes glaze over in confusion, as if he could not believe that this man was calling him dominant. Whereas he had once been the puppeteer, he was stripped from his post and now the puppets and mannequins rose to oppose their master. He was buried, and he had come undone.

"Cloud, we are in abyss. And I…have to follow you around for light, so that I don't stumble blindly in the dark and fall off some cliff to Hell, like we had done before this entire mess started. Also…you, Strife, have led the purer existence. That is obvious, for the Goddess favors you. You are no monster like the one you see before you. Thus, you are allowed to look…as you do." Cloud blinked twice, and punched him square in the face. Stars danced behind his eyes, and he closed them, thinking that just maybe, he would be able to get some rest from unconsciousness. That way, he would be able to rest without night terrors.

Then, he felt hands clench his shoulders and shake him, as if he were a toy that would not work anymore. He felt his teeth rattle, and his eyes opened. Cloud released him then, but did not get off of him. Sephiroth's hips were straddled by the other mans upper thigh, and he felt how tight and muscular they were. They were used to gripping nuisances and doing away with them.

"You need to shut-up. Sephiroth…tell me once more why my life is ideal. I'll answer why it is not, why it never was. And please, stop fucking wigging out." Cloud crossed his arms over his chest, and both men fumed internally, trying to make sense of this situation. Sephiroth felt himself sigh, defeated. Yes, that was it. He was entirely defeated.

What did he have to lose? After all…he had wanted to be good, hadn't he? He had not wanted to cause harm to someone else, to another living thing again. That was the promise he had made to Zack, and he knew that Minerva had been listening in on that conversation. Sephiroth knew that even right now that she was listening, always watching the beings who she watched over, and possibly, created. That was it…he wanted to be…good. Better. Not evil, ever again. And never would he be a pawn.

'Pawns argue amongst themselves. Knights take action.' That was it also: he would take action right now. So Cloud was his enemy, once an opposing knight on the other side of the chess board. Right now, they were in the same game, and they had to join forces to get out of this world. Which meant, they had to stick with that truce at all costs.

"Cloud…get off me. I'll…be good." What was he saying? It was truth, that's what it was. Cloud looked to him, and scrutinized his face for a long minute. With a huff, he got off of Sephiroth's body, and Sephiroth sat up, breathing deeply for a moment. He was going to need a lot of oxygen to get this out.

"I…am…I apologize. For my behavior. I'm not the most stable of men right now. You know that Strife." Cloud looked to him, a suspicious light in his eyes. That was fine, for Sephiroth would be worried if he didn't look as such.

"Also…I promise right now, on something other than my word, for it is questionable, that I will not do that again. Strike you, or harm you. Those days…are behind me. We need to keep this truce if we are to get anywhere." Cloud nodded, but shock was apparent in his eyes. Sephiroth couldn't believe what he was saying either. This is the most he had talked in a long while, and already he was beginning to close up, to build up his walls once more. But if one was to get anything done, walls would have to be torn down to allow better things to come in, something that would make what was inside the façade sturdier.

"You wish to know why I thought that? So be it. Strife…your life has been so pure. You longed for an honest living. You remind me of Zack Fair, a man who wanted to be a hero, to have people praising his name for his kindness and strength." The man's eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe he reminded him of Zack.

"I'm nothing like him." Cloud looked to the ground, blinking rapidly. He toyed with the bandage on his finger, the one he himself had given him, only to have it thrown away, and then picked up at the last minute. How interesting that he was playing with a part of himself right then. Sephiroth shook his head, and forced Cloud's face up very gently. He released it instantly, but he saw Cloud squirm, as if he still didn't like the feel of his touch.

"Yes, you are. You tried, and your effort was unadulterated. And myself?" He gave a dark chuckle, but he felt more clear headed then, as if the phantoms and darkness that had once threatened to suffocate him were off his chest now. He was allowed to speak freely now. "You know by now we are opposites, two sides of a coin. We don't touch. I longed to be in control, to have ultimate power in my hands. And the delusion of Jenova allowed me that chance." Sephiroth saw that Cloud was actually listening, his eyes showing emotion to his words. This was a first.

"Also, I have no power here. I cannot control your mind, or anyone else who has Jenova in their veins. I have no wing, for I am stripped of such glory. I have nothing. You and I…we are nothing alike. But my point Cloud…is that you are the greater of the two, the one who is light." He chuckled again, for he understood now. Minerva really was right to make Cloud the light. Cloud began to stare at him, almost as if he were gawking. For someone who had once been so stoic, he sure did express a lot of emotion when he was shocked.

Sephiroth breathed a sigh of relief. He felt…lighter. Perhaps the truth did set one free after all. Cloud cleared his throat, and began to speak.

"Sephiroth…you know how much I hated you. You remember what you did. I wanted you gone forever. You haunted me, and the Planet itself, being its very nightmare." He looked to him, and laughed. "And now…I find that in question. I saw your history, and you told me you could never taste. I placed myself in your position, and I knew that I would be the same as you were, if not worse. I would have wanted revenge as well, if I found out humans took Gaia away from me and my mother." Sephiroth could not believe his ears. Cloud was…placing his own mind into his position?

"Also…you and I are alike." Sephiroth began shaking his head, for there was no way that he was related to Cloud in any form or fashion. He was entirely his opposite. "You and I…want purpose here. You just said yourself that you are nothing. I feel…that way too. Even the most evil of monsters are nothing in the dark." What a profound thing to say.

That was entirely true. He had been a monster before, longing for nothing other than the death of every single human on Gaia. They would be eradicated by his own hands, with the blade of his masamune. Only a creature from the dark would wish for something so evil. And right now, he was trying his best to deny himself of being that, though there was no changing his past. However, this time was his right now, and that was what was not denied from him. Sephiroth wanted to do good, so that he would be allowed more peace, and given a definite sense of purpose in his life. There was no point in killing anything anymore. All that was left to do, was live.

Sephiroth decided to interrupt here. "You have a point. Still…you are the light here. That tells you that there is no denying that you are the ideal one, chosen by the Goddess. And I was placed here for a reason." He stuck out his hand, as if he wished to shake the other mans hand. "Once again…truce?" Cloud looked to him, as if he could not figure out who this other man was trying to fool. There was still suspicion in his eyes, a paranoia that would not be scrubbed clean tonight. However, in due time, maybe they would be able to trust the other. As long as the effort was made, neither were in the wrong.

Cloud gripped his hand, and shook it, nodding his head. "Truce. Now get to sleep." The words, if they were looked at on paper, or read aloud, would have sounded rough to the ears, as if the person who spoke them were reprimanding the other. However, Sephiroth heard that in the man's voice, there was a sincerity in them, as if he were telling a child to get to bed, for it was late. He could not remember the last time someone had spoken so nicely to him.

"And…I'm sorry for over reacting. I do that a lot. And neither of us are very good at speaking, or conversations." Sephiroth had to admit, he preferred silence, as did Cloud. Both were silent by nature, men of few words. However, he wanted nothing more than change, than… to do good. He wanted to go forth despite his own demons, and the phantoms that haunted his soul, made him act out in bouts of mania. That was his purpose from then on.

Sephiroth lay on his back, and breathed deeply. "Yes, you do. I however, am a great conversationalist." He heard Cloud grumble, and Sephiroth opened one eye. "That was a joke, Strife." Silence enveloped the pair, and it shattered when Cloud gave an abrupt snort. Then he laughed once, twice, and three times.

"I don't get you, Sephiroth. But that was funny." Sephiroth opened his eyes and saw that Cloud's face was at ease then, something that he had never seen on the mans countenance. It was as if he were a content little boy at a dinner table, having eaten all of his favorites previously, the promise of a good nights sleep after wards. He looked…content. Fulfilled. If laughter was what it took to make one look so peaceful, then he was going to have to learn to be amused by something other than his dark musings.

Sephiroth snorted. "I've been called many things, but funny is not one of them. Goodnight, Strife." He closed his eyes, the abyss behind his eyes calling him into its embrace. Sephiroth was willing to listen to it, this once. For this night, there would be no phantoms poisoning his slumber.


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Sephiroth awoke in a field of white lilies, and he was instantly on his guard. Had he been wrong? Was this another nightmare that he would be forced to endure for however long it held him? He felt his shoulders slump, for he was so sick of fighting his mind, of waking up in a cold sweat from the images he had seen.

A figure approached him in the distance, in the white firmament of a sky. He saw that it bobbed, as if the person who was walking had a tune in their head, one that they were creating with their footsteps. Still, Sephiroth prepared for anything. There was no helping what dark things his mind came up with.

He relaxed when he saw it was Zack Fair, waving to him with two fingers. He jogged the rest of the way to Sephiroth and lowered his hands in the air, as if he were trying to calm an excited canine.

"I'm no ghost, or nightmare. I just came to say, that I'm impressed with you two." Sephiroth didn't let his face convey how relieved he was that it was Zack and not some other being that would haunt his sleep. This night would be one of rest after all it seemed.

The words registered, and Sephiroth felt his brow raise. "What do you mean?" Zack shook his head, as if he were exasperated. His eyes were bright and blue, as if he had just come from somewhere that left a lasting impression in his heart, conveying his peace of mind in his oculars. His hair bobbed up and down, those gravity defying spikes showing part of the mans persona: something that would not stay defeated, something filled with endless energy.

"Don't you see? You and Cloud made a truce. That's great! It's a good first step, for it is going to take awhile before you truly trust the other. But at least you don't wish to rip each other's throats out." Sephiroth had to agree with that statement. Yes, he and Cloud had tussled out of frustration, for he didn't wish to open up. But if there was one thing he knew now, it was that, as of a few minutes ago, he would be able to tell Strife almost anything and they would be able to talk. That sounded ridiculous, for it sounded as if he and Cloud had become…almost friends. Could such a thing be possible?

"Yes…we decided it was the best route to take. We still don't understand each other. But we are not trying to kill one another any longer. That's our promise." Zack nodded, crossing his arms.

"I know, I'm glad. You know Sephiroth, you should do that more often." Sephiroth felt his brow raise. He felt as if that would be happening a lot as of late.

"What exactly?" Zack laughed, and Sephiroth wondered if he had been a walking joke.

"Talk more often. Communicate. Open up. You would be surprised what it can lead to. It's the key to understanding someone after all. Think of it this way: two strangers can never get to know the other if they stay silent. Friendship can be gained through talking, and communication." Yes, he was suggesting lunacy: that he and Cloud could be friends, despite everything that they had meant to the other on Gaia. It was like asking for oil to combine with water, though it was scientifically impossible. Opposites could not come together and have good consequences.

Sephiroth laughed. "Perhaps. I just...want to not be myself anymore. I'm sick of living my past through my dreams." Zack's eyes brimmed with empathy, and for the moment, Sephiroth felt as if one person out of the millions of people in the world cared for him. That was all it took after all, one brave soul to get next to, care for, and feel for a seeming monster to not make that monster so evil.

"That will end. Give it time. All things happen with time, and with patience. You will find your way out of abyss. Just follow the light." Sephiroth felt as if he were listening to a terrible prophecy, one found in one of those cliché fantasy novels. But, it was only cliché sounding because it was so simple. Was it possible that if he simply followed Cloud, that he would become…better for it? If the shadow was led into the light, there was no shadow if there was no object. Sephiroth was the shadow, and it would dissolve into the light, the sapphire hue that Cloud's body emanated in theory.

Sephiroth nodded, and bowed his head. A question struck him, and he figured he might as well take Zack's advice now, and ask it. That was communication, and talking. One only got better at something if they practiced after all.

"How are Genesis and Angeal?" Zack grinned from ear to ear, and Sephiroth wondered if he would be blinded by looking at him for too long.

"They're just perfect. I must admit, I was surprised at first that they were…together, intimately. But now it is normal for me to see them together, speaking in low tones to the other. They know you're on your own quest, and they wish you luck. Genesis said that "You are beloved by the goddess, Hero of the dawn, Healer of the worlds." Sephiroth snorted, thinking it would be just like Genesis to quote the second act of LOVELESS to him. "Also, Angeal said not to doubt your humanity." That was interesting, considering Angeal's struggle with his own, thinking that his wing was the symbol of him being a monster. Humanity…was a hard thing to define, something he had not yet understood about himself yet.

"Tell them…thank you. And that I'll see them soon." Zack smiled and jumped up and down twice, looking very much like his enthusiastic old self. For a moment, Sephiroth thought that they were still in SOLDIER, oblivious to all of the wrongs they were fighting for, ShinRa controlling them like naïve little pawns. Then he blinked, and saw reality in the face of a white sky, colorless lilies, and the smiling face of an old friend.

"I'm so glad to hear that! But Sephiroth…you need to do much, much more to leave oblivion." He stopped talking, and tilted his head back to the wind, and Sephiroth wondered what he was listening to.

"What are you listening to?" Zack smiled, and looked at him mischievously, as if he knew something Sephiroth was destined to never know.

"Just my love, calling me back home. A father's work is never done." He laughed jovially, and Sephiroth felt as if his jaw had fallen off of his face. Before he could ask what he meant, Zack grabbed him in a hug, one that filled Sephiroth with a lightweight feeling, as if he were in the presence of something supernatural that killed off his demons.

"Goodbye, my friend. I'll see you soon!" And with that, he let Sephiroth go, and vanished into white abyss.

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Sephiroth blinked his eyes open just in time to see two gilded wings cross the black sky. He shot up and watched in wide eyed wonder as gold and crystal lights danced across that inky firmament, the one that was barren of star, planet, and everything. It was a sight to behold, translucent feathers spreading and bringing about the dawn, though the land remained unchanged.

They came from one part of the sky to the next, and he found himself spellbound. When a man had not been out of the dark in what seemed like eternity, he found that there was nothing better than seeing something different. Light was often taken for granted.

It ended within a few moments, and all that was left was the sapphire glow of Cloud's skin, radiating from the man's flesh. His eyes locked onto Cloud's, and for a moment, he forgot that he had wanted to speak with him. The man was by the dead fire, staring at the sky with his own fascination. Then their eyes caught, and the miracle might as well have been forgotten.

A feeling seized him unlike anything he had felt in this world before. A wave of heat rose to his hands and arms, and he felt his pulse throb in his neck. What was this? He must have been suffering from side effects of going somewhere else while he slept, as well as getting head rushes. That was the last time he got up so quick.

"I'm up. Let's get going." Cloud nodded, and both men splashed their faces with water before beginning on their trek. As Sephiroth walked, he found that all of his earlier haunts, the phantoms that seemed to love to play with his mind and dreams were gone, barely ebbing at his consciousness. He walked with purpose now, and there was a drive in his veins. The point now, was to leave this void, this endless place.

There was no need for hatred, for it was not fuel. Despite all of his phantoms, he would find a way out. That was his volition now.


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Once more, I appreciate every single review! :D

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