Then why do you tremble ever so slightly upon seeing my face. Do the memories haunt you each time? Do they caress your mind? Slowly creeping up from the darkest depths? A reminder of everything you've lost.
Except there's one loss you've forgotten, isn't there?
Something very important to you. Something you owe your life to.
[ his head hurts so damn bad, struggling to remember... something. someone. as much as he wants to think sephiroth is lying, there's no denying the effect it's having on him. ]
[ he feels so close to remembering, but his head... it's like it's about to split apart.
he drops his phone, clutching his head as memories try to force their way into his head. it's too much. i'm your... living... legacy... words echo in his head and then everything goes black. ]
[As soon as Cloud goes silent, Sephiroth has a good idea he knows what happened ... And also having a connection to said individual's mind helps in forming that conclusion.
When he arrives, though he does not visibly sigh, he does look down at Cloud's crumpled form with a very much 'I told you so' expression. Sure Sephiroth may have brought it up first, but Cloud kept on insisting.
Sephiroth leans down picking him up before carrying him to the bed. There's a brief thought over the horror Cloud's friends might experience if he were to suddenly disappear, and while amusing it'd be ultimately unproductive. So he'll just set Cloud down on the bed then lean against the nearest wall where he'll just wait it out.
He could attempt to jar him back into consciousness but his mind is already in a fragile place so ...
[ Memories are swirling through Cloud's head. They're fragmented, vague, but they're there. A dark-haired SOLDIER smiling at him. Green filling his vision. He's trapped somewhere, his lungs filling with fluids. Same dark-haired SOLDIER talks to him, but he can't respond. Then he's laying on the ground, bleeding as the rain comes down over them. ]
Za...Zack...
[ Cloud wakes slowly. His head still hurts, but not as badly as before. It's more of a dull ache. His eyes open and that is when he sees the figure leaned against the wall, and his heart feels like it jumps into his throat. Why is he here? Is he still dreaming?
He feels weak, shaky, wishing he had the sword (not your sword, his mind whispers at him), but he doesn't want to make any sudden moves with Sephiroth in the room with him. Besides, he's not even sure he could right now, with how weak he feels. ]
What... why are you here? [ He croaks out, glaring at the man. ]
[Sephiroth's head tilts up at the name. One that at one point was important to him as well. But those times are long past. Another time. Another life.
And not something to think about right now.
He watches Cloud with the same kind interest a cat might give a wounded bird. Watching. Waiting. For a moment to strike? Thankfully Sephiroth does not move from his spot. He remains against the wall almost nonchalant.]
If you were to die, I think I'd like to be in the room to witness it.
[That actually might be one of the rare occurrences where Sephiroth makes a joke. It's a rather dark and sarcastic one, but it wasn't spoken with any malice in his tone. Mild amusement perhaps.
If he wanted Cloud dead, he'd have taken the opportunity to finish him then and there.]
[ Cloud's eyes narrow as he stares at Sephiroth. Was that... a joke? He hadn't even known the former General was capable of that.
He slowly sits up, body trembling a little as he eyes the Buster sword on the wall, but then Sephiroth reminds him. A sharp pang of pain goes through his head again, but it's more manageable than it's been in the past. What does he remember... more than he thought he would. A different pain hits him. It feels like his heart is seizing up. Tears sting in his eyes. How did he forget in the first place? He'd promised he wouldn't... ]
Zack... [ His voice is low, pained, grief-stricken. The memories are still blurry, but it's enough. ]
[Occasionally they happen. Not so much anymore, but there's something of a sense of humor buried under all that hate. Keeping his eyes on Cloud in case he falls into another coma or something, Sephiroth shifts slightly this time. As though he's thinking.]
[ It hurts. Squeezing his heart, making it hard to breathe. He doesn't even care how vulnerable he is in front of his arch enemy. Not when his head is filled with fragments of memories of someone who was so important to him, someone who sacrificed his own life for him.
He looks down, tears spilling over and running down his cheeks. ]
[It's odd to look at Cloud being so completely broken. Not that he wouldn't savor it in any normal circumstance, but Zack is another point where both of their lives cross. They both knew him, and if Zack hadn't saved Cloud they wouldn't be having this conversation.
Cloud would probably still be stuck in a lab subject to whatever tortures Hojo's twisted mind came up with. Someone who is only still alive because his work aides in the 'reunion' ..]
Shinra did not want more of their tools to escape and so hunted you down.
[ Cloud tries to wipe the tears away, somewhat more cognizant of the fact that he's crying in front of Sephiroth, but soon enough he gives up. The tears just keep coming anyway.
The memories are still fragmented, but the pain is almost overwhelming, and he feels sick. Everything he thought he knew... those lost years, all the missing memories. There is so much he never questioned, never wanted to think too hard about. How he got to Midgar. Why he was covered in blood that wasn't his own. Where he got his sword. He feels so fucking stupid now. ]
[Sephiroth was never that good at dealing with people to begin with. He's especially not fully prepared for his greatest 'enemy' to be having this kind of break down in front of him.]
You were subjected to Hojo's experiments. I imagine your body and mind were not fully recovered when it happened. To protect yourself and survive you locked away your grief.
[That is partly an assumption Sephiroth is making without going into Cloud's mind. He can't exactly say why he's not using this opportunity to his advantage or why he's answering Cloud's questions without malice, but apparently that's what's happening.]
[ Sephiroth's probably right about that. Hojo's experiments... he remembers fragments of that too. Mako filling his lungs, trapped in a tank... Panic, grief, horror. Zack on the examination table...
It's all so painful he hasn't even really registered the fact that Sephiroth, while not brimming with comfort or anything of the sort, is not being malicious or cruel as he explains what he believes happened. ]
So I... I really... I was never in SOLDIER?
[ He's looking up at Sephiroth when he asks, tears still streaming down his cheeks. He's definitely feeling some sort of identity crisis coming. He'd built up so much of himself around having been a SOLIDER First Class. Who is he without that? Did he even kill Sephiroth, or was that Zack? Is anything he'd believed to be true about himself actually that? ]
[He does feel a bit of smugness over Cloud coming to him for information. As though he's finally admitted to Sephiroth being some sort of authority.]
No. You were in infantry.
[Which is in itself a frustratingly annoying thing. To think that a mere infantry soldier was able to take him down. Unenhanced. Not a SOLDIER. Even other SOLDIERs weren't able to do what this person did.
The only person to ever successfully rise against him was essentially a nobody.]
[ Infantry... that's right. It's starting to come back to him now. He'd never made SOLDIER. Not for a lack of trying, but he just hadn't cut it. He'd been so embarrassed about it. When they'd been in Nibelheim... he hadn't taken his helmet off because he didn't want anyone to recognize him. Especially Tifa.
He feels a little sick. If he was just in the infantry, there is no way he could have killed Sephiroth, right? An unenhanced, regular cadet couldn't have taken down Shinra's greatest SOLDIER.
He can still remember it though. Thrusting the Buster sword into Sephiroth, nearly cutting him in half. The pain of Sephiroth's sword piercing his chest... He can't help but to pull his shirt up so he can make sure the scar is still there. It is. Large and ugly, close to his heart. At least he hadn't imagined that. ]
[Oh is he having another identity crisis? Sephiroth could use this opportunity to manipulate the timeline of events. Tell Cloud whatever he wants him to believe. In this state he really might.
But there's something about watching him suffer with the truth that holds so much more meaning.
Or maybe Sephiroth is just feeling generous at the moment.]
In a manner of speaking, but I would not call that a death. More of an opportunity towards rebirth.
[ The response surprises him, but it's also... a relief. His memories aren't completely messed up. But how, though? If he'd been unenhanced... The stab with the Buster sword, that had been one thing. He had taken Sephiroth by surprise while he'd been too caught up in his own madness to notice, but after that? Sephiroth had speared him through, had him in the air, and he'd just... somehow been able to turn the tables on him.
It doesn't seem like the kind of thing Sephiroth would lie about though. Not something to be proud of. Being taken down by a mere infantryman, a... nobody. Maybe that plays a part in why Sephiroth's so obsessed with him. ]
How... [ He mutters, more to himself than to Sephiroth. ]
[Because there are many 'hows' here. How did Cloud manage to kill him? How did he come back? The list can go on. And if he has any questions he should ask while Sephiroth is still feeling generous and not completely seething in his own hate.
Which is his usual state of being anymore.
Also Cloud is right that is a major part of why Sephiroth is so very obsessed with him. Because a small nobody managed to take down the great hero. Something no one else ever came close to doing.]
[ He can vaguely remember the adrenaline that had been pumping through him. The rage. Zack's words to finish him off. And Sephiroth had been injured, slowed down. Still, it doesn't seem like enough to explain it. ]
[Which is what made it so enraging. Cloud somehow managed through pure ... willpower (?) to overtake him. Even those who were enhanced never quite got to that level.]
I imagine you simply caught me while I was distracted.
[ Well, he can't argue with that. Could willpower, anger and adrenaline really have been enough to take Sephiroth down? Maybe. At least... he doesn't think Sephiroth is lying. Which is kind of strange in itself. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Except there's one loss you've forgotten, isn't there?
Something very important to you. Something you owe your life to.
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Just tell me!
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This person is so deeply important to you that you're practically an extension. Who is it, Cloud? Dig deep. Find the truth buried inside.
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he drops his phone, clutching his head as memories try to force their way into his head. it's too much. i'm your... living... legacy... words echo in his head and then everything goes black. ]
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When he arrives, though he does not visibly sigh, he does look down at Cloud's crumpled form with a very much 'I told you so' expression. Sure Sephiroth may have brought it up first, but Cloud kept on insisting.
Sephiroth leans down picking him up before carrying him to the bed. There's a brief thought over the horror Cloud's friends might experience if he were to suddenly disappear, and while amusing it'd be ultimately unproductive. So he'll just set Cloud down on the bed then lean against the nearest wall where he'll just wait it out.
He could attempt to jar him back into consciousness but his mind is already in a fragile place so ...
Waiting it is.]
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Za...Zack...
[ Cloud wakes slowly. His head still hurts, but not as badly as before. It's more of a dull ache. His eyes open and that is when he sees the figure leaned against the wall, and his heart feels like it jumps into his throat. Why is he here? Is he still dreaming?
He feels weak, shaky, wishing he had the sword (not your sword, his mind whispers at him), but he doesn't want to make any sudden moves with Sephiroth in the room with him. Besides, he's not even sure he could right now, with how weak he feels. ]
What... why are you here? [ He croaks out, glaring at the man. ]
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And not something to think about right now.
He watches Cloud with the same kind interest a cat might give a wounded bird. Watching. Waiting. For a moment to strike? Thankfully Sephiroth does not move from his spot. He remains against the wall almost nonchalant.]
If you were to die, I think I'd like to be in the room to witness it.
[That actually might be one of the rare occurrences where Sephiroth makes a joke. It's a rather dark and sarcastic one, but it wasn't spoken with any malice in his tone. Mild amusement perhaps.
If he wanted Cloud dead, he'd have taken the opportunity to finish him then and there.]
So how much do you remember?
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He slowly sits up, body trembling a little as he eyes the Buster sword on the wall, but then Sephiroth reminds him. A sharp pang of pain goes through his head again, but it's more manageable than it's been in the past. What does he remember... more than he thought he would. A different pain hits him. It feels like his heart is seizing up. Tears sting in his eyes. How did he forget in the first place? He'd promised he wouldn't... ]
Zack... [ His voice is low, pained, grief-stricken. The memories are still blurry, but it's enough. ]
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And what do you remember about Zack?
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[ It hurts. Squeezing his heart, making it hard to breathe. He doesn't even care how vulnerable he is in front of his arch enemy. Not when his head is filled with fragments of memories of someone who was so important to him, someone who sacrificed his own life for him.
He looks down, tears spilling over and running down his cheeks. ]
We were friends... he saved me.
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Cloud would probably still be stuck in a lab subject to whatever tortures Hojo's twisted mind came up with. Someone who is only still alive because his work aides in the 'reunion' ..]
Shinra did not want more of their tools to escape and so hunted you down.
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The memories are still fragmented, but the pain is almost overwhelming, and he feels sick. Everything he thought he knew... those lost years, all the missing memories. There is so much he never questioned, never wanted to think too hard about. How he got to Midgar. Why he was covered in blood that wasn't his own. Where he got his sword. He feels so fucking stupid now. ]
How did I... why did I... forget?
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You were subjected to Hojo's experiments. I imagine your body and mind were not fully recovered when it happened. To protect yourself and survive you locked away your grief.
[That is partly an assumption Sephiroth is making without going into Cloud's mind. He can't exactly say why he's not using this opportunity to his advantage or why he's answering Cloud's questions without malice, but apparently that's what's happening.]
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It's all so painful he hasn't even really registered the fact that Sephiroth, while not brimming with comfort or anything of the sort, is not being malicious or cruel as he explains what he believes happened. ]
So I... I really... I was never in SOLDIER?
[ He's looking up at Sephiroth when he asks, tears still streaming down his cheeks. He's definitely feeling some sort of identity crisis coming. He'd built up so much of himself around having been a SOLIDER First Class. Who is he without that? Did he even kill Sephiroth, or was that Zack? Is anything he'd believed to be true about himself actually that? ]
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No. You were in infantry.
[Which is in itself a frustratingly annoying thing. To think that a mere infantry soldier was able to take him down. Unenhanced. Not a SOLDIER. Even other SOLDIERs weren't able to do what this person did.
The only person to ever successfully rise against him was essentially a nobody.]
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He feels a little sick. If he was just in the infantry, there is no way he could have killed Sephiroth, right? An unenhanced, regular cadet couldn't have taken down Shinra's greatest SOLDIER.
He can still remember it though. Thrusting the Buster sword into Sephiroth, nearly cutting him in half. The pain of Sephiroth's sword piercing his chest... He can't help but to pull his shirt up so he can make sure the scar is still there. It is. Large and ugly, close to his heart. At least he hadn't imagined that. ]
Did I... kill you?
[ Only one way to find out, right? ]
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But there's something about watching him suffer with the truth that holds so much more meaning.
Or maybe Sephiroth is just feeling generous at the moment.]
In a manner of speaking, but I would not call that a death. More of an opportunity towards rebirth.
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It doesn't seem like the kind of thing Sephiroth would lie about though. Not something to be proud of. Being taken down by a mere infantryman, a... nobody. Maybe that plays a part in why Sephiroth's so obsessed with him. ]
How... [ He mutters, more to himself than to Sephiroth. ]
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[Because there are many 'hows' here. How did Cloud manage to kill him? How did he come back? The list can go on. And if he has any questions he should ask while Sephiroth is still feeling generous and not completely seething in his own hate.
Which is his usual state of being anymore.
Also Cloud is right that is a major part of why Sephiroth is so very obsessed with him. Because a small nobody managed to take down the great hero. Something no one else ever came close to doing.]
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[ He can vaguely remember the adrenaline that had been pumping through him. The rage. Zack's words to finish him off. And Sephiroth had been injured, slowed down. Still, it doesn't seem like enough to explain it. ]
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[Which is what made it so enraging. Cloud somehow managed through pure ... willpower (?) to overtake him. Even those who were enhanced never quite got to that level.]
I imagine you simply caught me while I was distracted.
[Yeah he'll just go with that.]
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[ He pulls his shirt up again, showing the scar once more. He still remembers the pain. ]
I shouldn't have been able to do anything.
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You have a great abundance of willpower, Cloud.
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Why are you telling me all of this anyway?
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[That's really the only reason. Cloud asked for answers and Sephiroth provided. If he wishes to manipulate him, he'll do so in other ways.]
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