Archive of Our Own ^beta

As far as Shinra knew, Sephiroth never had a summon.

But there was a red orb kept by his bedside table, in a box that he polished lovingly. He would take it out on particularly lonely nights, when the Shinra tower slept, just to watch the power swirl within the shining ball. 

Sometimes, he would take it out, gently coaxing the summon to materialize. There would be a gentle burst of wind, a small sigh, and then Sephiroth would find himself face-to-face with him.

“Again?”

Sephiroth turned, his eyes bright as he stared at the summon. Golden hair, strong arms, a gigantic sword on his back, mako-blue eyes… He looked the same as the first time Sephiroth had summoned him.

Cloud ran a hand through his spiky blond hair, eyeing the orb in Sephiroth’s hand. 

“I just want someone to talk to,” Sephiroth muttered softly. “Is that so wrong?”

“Summons aren’t supposed to be used for talking, they’re generally used in battle,” Cloud commented, sliding a hand behind his head to the handle of his sword. He pulled it off his back, perching it against the wall and slowly moving to sink down onto the bed next to Sephiroth. A moment passed, but then Sephiroth leaned his head towards Cloud’s shoulder, pressing his cheek against the black shoulder pauldron. Cloud didn’t fight the movement, so Sephiroth watched the silver wolf shine in the moonlight.

“I met some people like me today,” Sephiroth admitted, looking into the wolf’s silver eye. He could feel Cloud’s gaze on his head, but it was easier to talk to the wolf than to meet Cloud’s gaze.

Cloud didn’t respond right away. “Did you?”

Sephiroth looked down at his gloves. “They’re like me. Active models of the SOLDIER program.”

“What did you think?” Cloud asked quietly. 

“I don’t know.”

Logically, Sephiroth had known that there were others. The Shinra Research and Development would have never stopped with one active SOLDIER model. Especially since Sephiroth had been a resounding success. But…

“They seem nice,” Sephiroth added. “Genesis and Angeal were their names.”

“Think you can be friends?” Cloud questioned. Sephiroth gave a wry smile.

“Maybe.”

It was a curious feeling. To know that there were people in the world, just like him. Maybe he should have felt some kind of connection to the two, but it just felt hollow. Just the thought that there were others like him–created to be a killing machine–made his stomach churn uncomfortably.

“They aren’t like you,” Sephiroth concluded. “They don’t understand.”

Cloud slowly turned towards the window. “I’m a summon.”

“So? You still understand.”

It was a familiar enough banter. Sephiroth relaxed against the firm arm, the summon orb rolling between his fingers. 

Sighing, Cloud turned to him. “Make friends your own age, Sephiroth.”

Sephiroth pressed his face against Cloud’s sleeve. “Cloud…”

“They may understand more than you know,” Cloud responded gently. “Give them a chance.”

Sephiroth’s free hand gripped the loose sleeve of Cloud’s outfit. “I’ll try.”

“Die Shinra scum!”

“Run, Sephiroth! We’ll hold them off!”

“There’s no way! There are too many!”

Sephiroth scrambled to his feet, diving out of the way of one of the giant’s axes. It gave an inhumane roar, rumbling the earth as his teammates ran forward to hold them off.

“GO, kid!”

He couldn’t just leave them, but he couldn’t stay either. As it was, exhausted from previous battles and unable to summon enough strength to swing his sword, Sephiroth was a burden. It was incredibly ironic that they had taunted him before for being inhuman, when right now, he was feeling his human limits far more clearly than anyone.

The tactical choice would be to retreat. For them to back off and regroup, collecting their forces and aiming for a counterattack when they had the energy and forces. Sephiroth could carve out the path to victory for his team…

Raising his blade, Sephiroth grunted as he defended against one of the giants, the swing making him recoil.

“GO!”

Sephiroth met the eyes of one of his teammates. It was foolish to stay, but…

But…

It was desperation. Sephiroth grabbed the materia in his pocket, a mere shard of power that they had collected along the way, and held it up.

The flash of light nearly blinded him and Sephiroth was thrown back by the power. It didn’t feel like any of the previous materia shards he had used. Sephiroth gasped in surprise, even as a figure stepped in front of him.

He was about to call out to them. To warn them about the giants that had been created to counter SOLDIERs and to order the other to retreat, but then the figure drew their sword.

Sephiroth only got a glance of the giant blade before the figure moved into battle. 

A fist crashed into the earth as the figure held up their sword. Sephiroth watched as the figure knocked the giant away, the sword cleaving through the stone like paper. The giants creaked as they fell, crashing into the soil and making the ground shake from the impact.

“Holy shit.”

The figure didn’t hesitate in downing a second giant, but there were dozens more. Sephiroth took the opportunity with both hands, reaching forward to grab his teammate’s shoulders and pulling them back, away from the line of fire as the figure ripped through the enemy’s defenses.

“Retreat!” Sephiroth demanded, glancing at the figure that bought them just a few moments of time. “RETREAT!”

Boots thudded onto soil as his teammates scrambled back. Sephiroth’s heart pounded in his chest as he looked at the fallen ones, making a quick decision. They wouldn’t survive the trip back to camp, much less have enough time to treat them. They had to leave them behind.

He didn’t look back as he fled with his team, praying that the figure would follow.

The figure didn’t follow.

Sephiroth had returned to the scene once he had taken an elixir, concerned for the one who had fought on their behalf. In their position, it had been the only way to keep most of his teammates alive, but it hadn’t been ideal. 

The battlefield was littered in giants.

Stone, steel, and wood were scattered around the scene, his teammate’s bodies buried under the rubble. There was no way he could–

“So you survived.”

Sephiroth whirled around and came face to face with a sword. He stared down the length of the blade, trailing up to the hilt and handle, to the gloved hand.

The blond was taller than him. Strong muscles peeked through the black fabric, wrapped around the owner’s body with belts. His left arm was free of fabric, though Sephiroth couldn’t imagine why the blond had chosen to cover only one arm instead of both. 

Blue eyes stared at him as Sephiroth assessed him right back. There was a strength in those eyes that Sephiroth found himself responding to.

“On behalf of Shinra, I’d like to thank you for your assistance,” Sephiroth said formally, meeting the stranger’s gaze without flinching. 

“You summoned me.”

Sephiroth blinked, looking at the stranger curiously. None of the summons he had ever used before spoke to him. The shard of materia that he had used wasn’t even fully developed, but a summon?!

“You saved us,” Sephiroth commented softly. 

It echoed between them and the figure slowly lowered his blade. “You looked like you were in a pinch.”

Smiling a little, Sephiroth watched the summon swing the blade back onto his back. “Can I call you again?”

Blue eyes turned to him and Sephiroth was struck at how clear the gaze was. There was another moment of silence before the figure turned away from him, the final words trailing through the wind as the summon vanished into an orb of power.

“Do what you want.”

“We snuck into the training room to play!” Sephiroth recounted, gazing at Cloud. “Don’t worry. All the Seconds already left for the day so it was just us! We stayed pretty late and missed dinner, but it was a lot of fun.”

Cloud watched him as he moved around the room, preparing dinner for himself. As always, Sephiroth set an empty plate in front of him, a fork and a knife set beside it. 

The summon never ate, but it felt wrong for Sephiroth to be preparing food for himself without even offering anything to him. So Sephiroth had set the table for two, despite the fact that Cloud didn’t touch the food. 

Perhaps, one day…

“They seem nice,” Cloud said gently, his blue eyes somewhat softened. “I’m glad you found them.”

Something about the whole thing made Sephiroth bristle. He stared at Cloud for a minute before turning back to the pot on the stove, stirring the soup.

“It’s not the same as having you around, Cloud,” he muttered. Cloud raised an eyebrow at him.

“Sephiroth…”

“It’s not the same,” Sephiroth insisted, rounding on him.

And it wasn’t. Cloud was the constant presence he could rely on. He was the summon that Sephiroth had picked up one day, using him in battle over and over again until…

Until the war had come to an end.

Cloud was the reason Sephiroth had kept going, despite everything. Even though he was a summon, even though Cloud had, no doubt, been called upon by others, even though Cloud wasn’t human, none of it mattered. Cloud understood him in ways that Sephiroth hadn’t even begun to realize.

“Angeal and Genesis are nice,” Sephiroth breathed. “But they aren’t you. They don’t… They’ve never been in… They’ve never seen…”

Cloud had seen. Cloud had been there, right next to him, when Shinra’s forces tore Wutai apart. Cloud had even…

“I’m a summon,” Cloud reminded gently. “It would be better for you to think of me that way, rather than your friend or your close companion.”

The words hurt, but Sephiroth shook his head. It was true, but it was already far too late for that.

“I’d rather think of you as my first friend,” Sephiroth sighed. “Even if you are a summon.”

After all, no one said that people couldn’t be friends with summons.

Sephiroth was pleased to know that the summon was very selective on who he responded to.

The summon materia had been handled by everyone in their group, but only Sephiroth had been able to call him forth. Within an hour, it was abundantly clear that the summon had preferences regarding his summoner, and nothing anyone did would change that. 

Summons were usually activated as long as magic was poured into the materia, but this summon didn’t appear to care. When questioned, the figure had merely shrugged and vanished on the spot, retreating back to the materia.

Sephiroth kept it in his pocket.

With the summon, they had nothing to fear. It was foolish to depend on the summon as much as they did, but Sephiroth couldn’t help it. A weapon was meant to be used. Magic, materia, swords… they were all the same in Shinra’s eyes.

And it was the same in Sephiroth’s eyes too.

The summon, on the other hand, was far more whimsical than Sephiroth had expected. He clearly had opinions regarding the war and the individuals involved. His expression was blank when Sephiroth had ordered him to kill humans and, even when attacked, he did not raise his blades towards them.

As a result, Sephiroth had learned to only call upon the summon for non-human enemies. The summon appeared to be somewhat content with that.

“Does it bother you to kill people?” Sephiroth had asked one day, after the dust had settled and the bodies had been cleared up.

“Does it bother you?” the summon countered.

Sephiroth paused, considering this point. It took a moment for him to collect his thoughts before he could respond. “If I don’t kill them, then they’ll kill me.”

It was something that was taught to him from a young age. Enemies on the battlefield had to be dealt with immediately. Letting them go–showing mercy–would just cause them to come back later. Maybe stronger. Maybe with reinforcements. Maybe with new weapons. Sephiroth might survive, but his teammates…?

“So I’ll eliminate anyone who stands in my way,” Sephiroth said. “It doesn’t matter if they’re children or adults.”

“That’s not what I asked, is it?”

Sephiroth hesitated, somewhat confused. He looked into those blue eyes as the summon swung his sword back over his shoulder and considered the question. 

Certainly, if he had the choice… if these people simply surrendered then maybe Sephiroth would spare them. If there was some assurance that Sephiroth wouldn’t regret it later. If they wouldn’t come back to kill his team members, or his friends, or his…

“It doesn’t bother me,” Sephiroth lied, shaking his head.

He couldn’t let it bother him. Not as the leader of the team. They did what they had to do.

As if the summon knew, he turned away from Sephiroth. Gloves slid into his pockets and the summon vanished, the red orb burning with power in Sephiroth’s palm.

It wasn’t until the dead of night, after everyone had retreated back to their tents, did Sephiroth pull out the summon again. He didn’t activate it, didn’t reach for the presence within the orb of power, even though he could feel that the summon was within. 

“It bothers me,” he admitted into the orb, his lips pressed against the surface. 

Sephiroth didn’t need them.

He didn’t need Angeal and Genesis the same way he needed Cloud. Even though, over the years, they had grown close, they were still just friends. Weaker than him, at that. Sephiroth would guide them into battle, much to Genesis’s disgust, but at the end of the day, they’d be back to joking and laughing together.

It was bliss, but Sephiroth still didn’t need them.

He reached for the summon like he reached for a lifeline. Pouring as much magic into it as possible, Sephiroth prayed that Cloud would answer his call.

Not that Cloud had ever rejected his call before.

In a gentle breeze of magic, Cloud emerged. He appeared just as he had all those years ago. Dressed in black, adorned by the silver wolf, the summon was ready to fight.

“Genesis is missing,” Sephiroth whispered to him.

There was a loss in him that Sephiroth felt. Hollow and aching. He had no answers to the questions he wanted to ask, and Genesis wasn’t there to respond. Sephiroth couldn’t even begin to formulate the words. 

“Missing?”

A bitter smile crossed Sephiroth’s face. “He ran, it seems like. Took a good number of SOLDIERs with him.”

“How do you feel about it?” Cloud asked.

It was stupid, but Sephiroth couldn’t help but wonder why Genesis hadn’t taken him with him. On one hand, it was clear that Genesis had a closer relationship with Angeal and hadn’t even taken him along.

But being left behind like this… it hurt.

“I’d never leave you behind,” Sephiroth said, glancing at the summon materia in his hands. His gaze trailed up to meet Cloud’s firm look. “Even if it was a risk. Even if it meant that we were being targeted.”

He couldn’t comprehend why Genesis had ran, but it was clear that something had happened. Perhaps it had something to do with his injury…?

The materia was comforting in his palms. Sephiroth stared at Cloud as Cloud sighed, removing his sword from his back and perching it against the wall.

“There are probably many other summons that are stronger than me,” Cloud reasoned, sinking into Sephiroth’s couch. “Many other materia that you can keep with you. I may not be the best choice to carry around into battle, considering I won’t kill humans.”

It was true. Cloud didn’t target humans specifically. He had staunchly refused to kill them, even when they screamed and tried to kill him. He would turn away from them, vanishing back into the materia, leaving Sephiroth to do the deed himself.

Or, rather, giving the choice to Sephiroth to do the deed himself.

“Your value as a summon is more than just battle,” Sephiroth defended. “You–”

Except… it wasn’t. Summons were called upon for battle. Infrit, Shiva, Leviathan… all of the other summons were brought forth in order to do battle. They were weapons to be used. Cloud, on the other hand…

As if Cloud knew what he was thinking, he gave a small smile. “If you’re worried about your friend, perhaps you should go after him.”

Swallowing heavily, Sephiroth hesitated. “Would he even want to see me?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. But if he’s more than just a friend, then it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

Sephiroth didn’t need them. Not like he needed Cloud. But without them, it hurt. So perhaps he could reason with Genesis. Perhaps Genesis would listen to him.

“What’s your name?”

Sephiroth’s question had been proposed a few times before now, but the summon hadn’t answered directly. Instead, when brought up, the figure would vanish back into the summon materia as if he hadn’t heard Sephiroth at all, despite knowing that the summon heard his words.

It had taken a few tries before Sephiroth was able to corner the summon. Unlike other summons, this one was clearly not keen on being around too many people at once. Most of the other summons didn’t care for others, as long as their summoner was there to direct them.

“Why does it matter?” the summon asked.

It was a curious question. Summons didn’t exactly tell humans their names. Most of the others had historical texts and documents that gave the summon their names. Usually, summons didn’t care what their summoner called them and even the more humanoid ones went by a variety of names.

But it was different this time. This summon was clearly able and willing to communicate with him. So far, there was no sign of any kind of historical texts that described this summon. Perhaps they hadn’t found any yet, or perhaps the world had found the need to create this summon recently.

In either case, it was far quicker to just ask.

“Surely you have a name,” Sephiroth commented. “I can’t just keep calling you ‘the summon’ in my head. I’d like to put a name to your face.”

The summon frowned, but didn’t reply. Sephiroth pushed on.

“You know my name. Plus all the names of my teammates,” Sephiroth defended. “As part of the team, I’d like to know what your name is.”

“I’m just a summon.”

Sephiroth paused. “Do you… not have a name?”

Taking a deep breath, the summon slowly glanced at the fallen giants. “I do, I just don’t see how it matters.”

“...Please?”

He hadn’t expected it to work. The summon had evaded the topic enough where it was clear that he didn’t care whether Sephiroth knew his name or not. But Sephiroth cared and he wanted to know the name behind the summon that had saved them countless times on the battlefield.

“...It’s Cloud.”

Sephiroth perked up, squeezing the summon materia in his hand. He leaned forward, eager to know more about the summon that he had called upon.

“Cloud,” he repeated. “It’s nice to meet you, Cloud.”

Cloud didn’t seem impressed. “We’ve met,” he deadpanned.

But it still felt like the first time. Sephiroth gently leaned against a tree, pondering his next question. “Do you want to join the rest of the team for dinner next time?” he offered. “That way, I can introduce you.”

“Not interested.”

Sephiroth blinked as the summon vanished. He stared back into the red orb in his hands and considered the response.

Then perhaps Cloud was for him and him alone?

“Zack is interesting. He has a lot of energy,” Sephiroth commented, sipping his tea as he  sat across from Cloud. “I was concerned that he would be more devastated when Angeal left but I’m relieved to hear that he’s doing alright.”

Unlike Zack, Sephiroth didn’t have many friends. His two friends had mysteriously vanished without a trace. First Genesis, then Angeal. Sephiroth had combed through the Shinra archives and library to try to find some kind of reason why, but so far, there were just vague reports about Project G. Sephiroth barely understood them, but it was clear that Genesis had been affected by the contents. There was no doubt that Angeal had as well.

Sephiroth couldn’t really blame them, all considering. It was a logical step to try to cut themselves out of the company that had a hand in their upbringing. And leaving Shinra wasn’t easy.

“I’ve been asked to take a mission tomorrow,” Sephiroth added quietly. “No doubt they want me to hunt down Genesis and Angeal. And kill them.”

Cloud didn’t speak, but the question was clear in his eyes.

“Does it bother you?”

A wry smile crossed Sephiroth’s lips. It was a sign of how deeply Sephiroth had become attached to Cloud to be able to understand him without words.

“Yes. It does,” he replied. “It bothers me that Angeal didn’t say anything before he left. It bothers me that Project G was to create SOLDIERs… Weapons that were unbeatable. Maybe unfeeling. It bothers me that it was deemed a failure.”

Out of all words that Sephiroth could have described his friends, ‘failure’ wasn’t even close to anywhere on the list. The fact that Shinra saw their lives so cheaply bothered him. 

He didn’t want to kill them.

“They won’t listen to my words,” Sephiroth added. “Perhaps it is because I am still in Shinra. Maybe it’s because I’m also like them. Or… maybe they just don’t want to hear what I have to say.”

“Will you refuse the mission?” Cloud asked.

“I’ll have to,” Sephiroth sighed. “If Angeal won’t listen to my words, then maybe… Maybe Zack can talk to him. Maybe he’ll hear Zack’s words.”

Perhaps this was why Cloud had refused to kill humans. This feeling of closeness to humans, of knowing that Shinra was wrong about everything, might be why Cloud did not raise his blade towards those that raised their blades towards him. Cloud hadn’t bothered to explain, but it almost felt like Sephiroth understood him more now.

“And if he doesn’t hear Zack’s words?” Cloud asked.

Sephiroth looked at Cloud’s clear, blue eyes. “If he doesn’t, then would you do it?”

It was selfish to ask, but Cloud didn’t seem surprised at the question. Cloud might be reluctant to kill humans, but it was clear that Project G’s creations were something more than just humans. The rumors of Angeal clones… Of Genesis copies… No human should be able to do something like that.

He would need to face his friends again, but as long as Cloud stood by his side, it didn’t seem as daunting. If he couldn’t trust his friends, at least he could trust Cloud.

The world was on fire.

Sephiroth panted as he spun around, slicing apart his enemies. Blood splattered across the dust, streaking into the night as Sephiroth tore apart the enemy forces.

Cloud was there.

It was bitterly clear that the forces didn’t stand a chance against them. Resistance was futile in the face of the gigantic sword that cleaved through the golems.

The only way they could have the advantage was through an ambush.

Furiously tearing apart the forces, Sephiroth refused to let his emotions show. It had been a simple accident. The lookout for the night had fallen asleep. The giants had surrounded them without much resistance. Wutai forces had sent the first signal and they were attacked on all sides.

Sephiroth hadn’t even hesitated to swing into battle, but the damage had been done. Half of his team had been obliterated by the giants, with the other half seriously injured.

When it became clear that there was nowhere to run, Sephiroth had called upon Cloud. They were going to lose, but if Sephiroth could get at least a few of his teammates out then maybe… maybe…?

It seemed that Wutai also harbored the same ideology as Shinra. They killed everyone, regardless of age or health. Sparing people was a weakness.

Cloud had manifested, just as Sephiroth’s last teammate fell to a giant. Sephiroth was so busy killing the soldiers that came to fight him, that he barely noticed the giant who had thrown his ax at him.

The sound of the ax smashing into the ground was welcome though. Sephiroth gasped, somewhat relieved, as he was finally able to breathe in the relentless battle. Blond hair and a giant silver sword had come to his rescue.

Cloud leapt into the fray without a moment of hesitation and Sephiroth watched the ripple of power echo through the forces as he turned back to his own battle. He could handle the humans as long as Cloud could handle the giants. They had done this enough times that Sephiroth was confident. Cloud would be fine, even if his teammates weren’t.

The roar of the giants shook the ground, as if mourning the fallen. Sephiroth killed.

They had been frustratingly prepared.

An overwhelming number of forces. Sephiroth did his best to cut down the humans, knowing that Cloud would take care of the giants. He was already relying too heavily on Cloud. There was no guarantee that they would survive the night, even with Cloud taking on the burden of the giants. 

Fire and thunder cracked through the night sky. Ash and smoke rained over the battlefield. Limbs were strewn across the ground like flowers on a grave.

There were too many.

Sephiroth buckled under the weight of his own sword, panting from exertion as he struggled to cast his magic over and over again. He couldn’t afford to faint now, when Cloud was here to support him. So he shook off the exhaustion, opening his eyes and spotting Cloud’s beautiful blade.

A splatter of blood hit his hair and Sephiroth was stunned to see Cloud downing his enemies.

Cloud didn’t speak as he did it. With sheer strength alone, he cut through the Wutai forces, batting away their magic and screams. Limbs were strewn everywhere. Blood showered over his clothes and hair, but Cloud didn’t even hesitate in his execution.

Because that’s what Sephiroth was seeing. It was an execution. There was no mercy, no fear, no hate, no anger… nothing. Those blue eyes were cold. 

The bodies piled up, blood oozing from Cloud’s blade as he ripped through the humans. If the stone giants were no match for him, there was no way any human stood a chance. Much less unenhanced humans that were desperately trying to fend off Shinra.

Cloud didn’t stop until the last screaming human had been swiftly beheaded. He slowly turned to look at him, his hair and skin dripping blood. Sephiroth extended out his hand to touch Cloud’s blood-soaked sleeve, but the summon vanished before his fingers reached him.

It was on the sixth night before Sephiroth brought out the orb.

He hadn’t meant to bring it with him to Nibelheim. Cloud was much safer back in his room, in the little polished box. It was an impulsive thing to carry him along, as if he was going to a battle rather than a standard Shinra reconnaissance mission. 

Right now, he was grateful for it. Slowly, he reached within the orb to summon Cloud, just as he had done many times before.

And, as always, Cloud appeared before him.

Sephiroth opened his eyes and stared into the blue eyes of the summon. Powerful and unyielding, with a reluctance to kill humans. 

“There’s no need for you to hesitate, Cloud,” he said quietly. “Humans are the ones who stole the planet away from me. From us.”

Cloud merely watched him. Sephiroth brought the materia to his cheek, feeling the warmth within.

“You were created by the planet,” Sephiroth murmured. “As a summon, you understand, don’t you? That is why you only respond to me. You recognize me as a Cetra.”  

It was the only explanation he could think of. Cloud had never responded to anyone else’s summon. He hadn’t even tried. And yet, every time, without fail, he came when Sephiroth called.

“You’re not a Cetra, Sephiroth,” Cloud replied softly. “I responded to you because you needed my help.” 

Sephiroth slowly turned to look at him. “Not…?”

“Summons are tools to be used for you, aren’t they?” Cloud added. “I responded to your call because I wanted to assist you.”

“Then help me take my planet back!”

It wasn’t flat out rejection, but something in Cloud’s expression felt like rejection. The summon slowly crossed his arms and looked down at the texts. 

“You act like… the planet isn’t already yours to take.”

Sephiroth blinked, somewhat confused. There were plenty of humans still alive on the planet. With them here, Sephiroth couldn’t… 

Couldn’t…

What did he want to do again?

“The possibilities of your life are infinite,” Cloud said. “What do you really want, Sephiroth?”

“If I kill all humans…”

“Anything you want to do with the planet can be done with humans on it, Sephiroth. Get rid of Shinra Electric Company if you want. But leave human lives alone.”

Sephiroth paused. He stared at Cloud before slowly placing a hand on his head, trying to remember the last time he had slept. 

“Humans will get in the way,” Sephiroth muttered, sinking into the chair.

“I would too, if you decide to do what you’re planning.”

Strangely, Sephiroth found the thought amusing. Cloud was his summon. For a summon to go against his summoner was unheard of. Sephiroth had no intention of finding out whether he could or not. 

“Cloud…”

“You should go get some rest, Sephiroth.”

Sephiroth slowly reached for his sleeve. Cloud didn’t react as his fingers closed around the fabric, his eyes impossibly heavy as he leaned back into the chair.

There was a sensation of Cloud’s arms wrapping around his shoulders and under his knees, and Sephiroth leaned against the black shoulder pauldron, the wolf’s eyes gleaming through the haze of exhaustion.

Sephiroth didn’t reach for the materia the next time.

Having lost his entire team, he had been called back to Shinra. The mission was a success, though with heavy losses. Cloud had done what Sephiroth could not.

But Sephiroth wasn’t happy about it.

The sight of Cloud standing in the moonlight, drenched in blood, haunted him. It haunted him more than the limbs that were strewn across the battlefield. More than his teammates horrified faces as they were stuck down by iron and stone. Out of all the lives he had taken, out of all the deaths he had inflicted, this was somehow worse.

Shinra didn’t care.

It was the first time Sephiroth had thought that this was wrong. The lives that were lost meant something. The idea that Shinra callously brushed off the deaths of their own people, of their own soldiers, made Sephiroth bristle. 

Because Sephiroth, their prized experiment, was alive.

He told no one about Cloud. Shinra praised him as the hero. The sole survivor. The legend. He became the face of the SOLDIER program and resented every minute of it.

There was no one he could speak to about what he witnessed. No one he could turn to. The blank coldness of Cloud’s expression was inhuman in a way Sephiroth had never seen. 

It didn’t make sense. Cloud was a summon. Sephiroth shouldn’t have expected anything else. As a summon, if he had been ordered to kill humans, then he should have followed those orders. Without hesitation or reservation.

But seeing it from Cloud… it was all wrong.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could see those blue eyes. Every time he held his breath, he could smell the tang of copper. 

He polished the materia as if that would wipe away the blood on Cloud’s skin. He held it close to him, carrying it in a small box as he protected it against the world, hoping that, someday, Cloud might forgive him for everything. 

Sephiroth’s next mission was more successful. He had shown no mercy in his blade, cursing the entire Wutai nation for forcing Cloud’s hand in battle. He had slain hundreds, thousands, in Cloud’s name. 

Cloud didn’t want to kill humans, but he had. And, as it turned out, Sephiroth didn’t want Cloud to kill humans either.

Months turned into years, the summon becoming more of a token rather than a tool to be used. He gripped the summon every night, desperate to summon Cloud, but frightened of what he may see. 

Two years had passed from that fateful day before Sephiroth had the courage to call for him.

It was the dead of night. Sephiroth had shut the curtains, not wanting to see the eyes that had haunted him for years. Not until Cloud confirmed that he was alright.

The summon was warm in his palms and Sephiroth slowly poured magic into it. He closed his eyes against the flash of light, letting the magic settle in his bedroom as he felt the summon land on the carpet, the soft displacement of air ruffling his hair. 

Neither of them spoke. Sephiroth wasn’t even sure what to say after so long. Was an apology enough or did Cloud hate him for his weakness?

It was Cloud who broke the silence first. 

“So it’s over.”

Sephiroth gave a bitter smile, sitting on the bed as he watched the outline of golden hair. “So it would seem.”

The wolf on Cloud’s shoulder pauldron remained the same. Sephiroth could vaguely make it out in the darkness, along with the outline of the sword on his back.

“Cloud, I…”

Cloud turned. Sephiroth couldn’t see his eyes in the darkness, but maybe they were still cold. Did Cloud wash off the blood somehow, or did the dried blood cling to him like a cloak?

Swallowing heavily, Sephiroth reached for him. His hands closed around Cloud’s arm, feeling the softness of the fabric before taking a deep breath to try to calm himself. The smell of blood was missing and Cloud didn’t pull away from him.

“It bothers me,” Cloud murmured quietly. “I don’t want to kill humans.”

An answer to a long forgotten question. Sephiroth felt something stir within his heart as he held his breath, waiting for Cloud to continue.

“I’ve done it enough times before,” Cloud whispered, his voice unbearably quiet in the night. “I don’t want to do it anymore. I’m tired, Sephiroth.”

It was an admission that Sephiroth did not expect, but one that he understood. 

Just like Cloud, he was also tired of fighting.

Sephiroth sighed as Vincent slowly placed a cup of coffee on the table. 

“You can call for him,” Vincent reminded. “Since he’s responded to you before, it is very likely he will again.”

Waking up to see the black haired man standing over him had been a shock, but Cloud’s hand on his chest had made Sephiroth hesitate. Soft words had been spoken between the two and then Cloud had vanished before Vincent introduced himself.

With Zack, they had fled Nibelheim.

“I didn’t know you had a summon,” Zack said cheerfully, a wide grin on his face. “This is great! We can all work as mercenaries!”

“I think… I think Cloud wants to rest,” Sephiroth commented gently, looking at the summon materia and sliding it into a box. Shining brightly and polished, the power practically radiated off the surface. “I still carry him around, but I don’t really use him for battle. Not anymore.”

“Even though he’s strong?” Zack questioned, peering at the orb closely.

Sephiroth clasped the orb in his palms. “Even if.”

Sephiroth set the box on the table before closing the lid. Zack stared at it for a minute before turning towards the door.

“First job as a mercenary. Think we can handle it ourselves, or should we bring your friend?” Zack asked.

Sephiroth considered this point before looking at the box. Having an ex-turk and two ex-SOLDIERs was more than enough to handle any kind of job as a mercenary. They didn’t need Cloud’s help.

He took the box anyway.