Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Sephiroth, Cloud Strife, Claudia Strife, Tifa Lockhart Additional Tags: Mother-Son Relationship, Found Family, Cooking Summary:

Blood spilled everywhere. Cloud’s hands were heavily coated along with the blade of his knife. Corpses of his former fallen comrades decorated the room in piles and heaps of flesh and organs mixed. His vision blurred as he dropped his knife as it clattered and echoed the floor.

He hadn’t realized he had fallen when a hand caught his back, gently cradling him. Sephiroth.

“Well done, angel.” The silver king of demons whispered, icy against Cloud’s ear as teeth nipped his ear. Cloud breathed, letting his... king do as he pleases.

He had to hope that Sora had made it to Riku safely and far away from here and heaven. All would be useless otherwise and it will not be just Cloud himself that will suffer the outcome.

“Perhaps a reward for all you’ve done hmmm? Appreciation for your hard work yes? Unlike God himself, I do make sure my pet is appreciated. In.Every. Single. Way.” Cloud gasped as a hand lowered as his king took pleasure to his neck, a special spot where the mark was ingrained. Resolve is disappearing.

The mark pulsed as Cloud shivered. Whimpering, he weakly gripped his king to brace himself, “S-Sephiroth...”. The lure of the demon king is difficult to escape….Cloud is already soiled of his own liquids.

“My little angel is already ready for me…” Sephiroth smirked, “ then I’ll grant you your reward”

Cloud whined as his king pushed in. A black wing erupted from his back, traces of white lingered but begining to shed, like all the others. He hasn’t been transformed entirely, though on the contrary, Cloud more or less has. With this final act however, he’d be complete.

A final scream as tears from pleasure and euphoria was all Cloud could muster before going slack against his maker. The white has completely faded from his wing now. Jet black and spikes replaced every soft feather now.

“Welcome to Inferno, Cloud”

————-

He jolted awake, pain in his screaming ribs. Cloud ignored it, adrenaline being the fuel. Rapid eyes darted around.

Where was he? Is Sephiroth close by? He looked down. A bed? His hands...are they smaller? A small glint was at the corner of his eyes...a mirror.

His reflection.

His form.

Realization kicked in.

Right. Cloud had landed on Earth. Magic is very depleted. His form is equivalent to a child’s doll. A man brought him in and patched him up, uh Leon was his name?….

Shit! The mark! Cloud launched his small doll form to the mirror. Crack. Cloud hissed as his forehead throbbed in pain with the rough fall...fuck, too damaged to fly too. Great.

Cloud slowly limped to the mirror, good thing it was relatively close enough for a few small steps to see.

He turned his head at an angle while tugging the collar of his battered turtleneck for a better look. A wing-like image came to view, green hue with a dark mist-like smoke flowed out. Not good. Definitely not good.

Cloud mustered a small spark of magic...good enough. It was applied to his neck. Pain engulfed him. He really shouldn’t do this...not in this weak state… definitely not when he’s too damaged to even muster a spark. But there’s no choice. Not when Sephiroth is clearly on his way.

The Exile breathed, tried to, as he continuously applied blockers to his marked neck while gripping his side. Sweat coated his forehead. A whimper dared to break as Cloud grinded his jaw.

“Cloud!” He hadn’t realized Leon had came in. Did the he hear him wake up? Cloud couldn’t look up, too much pain and over use of magic has taken over his senses. He barely felt the tips of Leon’s fingers on his forehand.

“Cloud! The fuck are you doing, you idiot!” The brunette tried to gently remove Cloud’s hand from his neck. Cloud gripped harder on his neck.

“I-I need to block him. Can’t risk him doing to you as he did me...please” Cloud was shaking now.

“Who? Your aggressor?” Leon only knew little of Cloud’s circumstance, injury wise. Cloud was brutally attacked by some guy who Cloud betrayed. Now this...demon, Leon guesses since little bat wing and all, is exiled from his realm on the run from said guy and landed in Leon’s front yard literally at death’s door.

Leon scowled followed by a ‘tch’ as he continued attempting to coax Cloud from basically killing himself, “Listen. Your former whatever will not find you instantly. You mentioned you threw off his tracks several realms before this one. That’s enough time for you to recover right? You’ve done what you can for now. Let yourself heal and figure things out”

Cloud weakly grunted, “Y-You...don’t know what he’s capable of...Leon. Th-throwing him off...is just...not enough. He-He’s just to good. I-I have to make sure…my presence is erased. Please”

“No. Not now. You need rest. Get stronger. You think you could defend against a guy who almost killed you, at the state you’re in?” Leon gestured to Cloud’s small and very battered form, “I understand your worries and fear but right now isn’t that time. Worry about yourself before others.” Steel blue and ocean blue met in stubborn battle, one-sided. Cloud couldn’t win, not when his ribs proved to Leon’s statement. How can he even hold his own against Sephiroth should they meet again. Leon was right, of course he was.

Cloud let Leon remove his hand from his neck. The mark now visible and leaking black wisps around it, not entirely since there's also a greenish glow, blockers he figured.

Leon gently lifted the little demon, cradling him and placed into the make-shift box bed of cotton, a dish towel, and other soft materials; before checking his ribs for blood. A puddle of it has leaked through. Leon reached for the first aid by the corner and started to change the bandages.

Leon glanced towards Cloud’s neck. The mark seemed to be settled now it seems. The wisps were not leaking now. Seems Cloud was successful in sealing it, but that isn’t enough. The black wisp are still present after all, contained from that weak clot of magic that the small demon barely mustered. Chances are that the clot will weaken and break again. Leon chewed his tongue as a thought came.

“Are there other ways to block your presence besides magic?”

Cloud blinked as he turned slowly to Leon, surprise lit his face but quickly replaced with a frown. He glanced down biting his lip in thought.

“I-uh. Not sure?” Cloud chewed a lose skin from his lip as he kept pondering, it’s almost cute. Almost. Leon watched him from the corner of his eye as his hands nimbly wrapped the new bandage around Cloud’s waist.

“Blood…” Cloud finally said after a moment. Silence stretched, Leon pushed the first aid away before crossing his arms. A sign to continue.

“I need blood of someone that is not of my kind nor related to creatures from my realm.”

“From Earth” it’s an answer, the only one right now. Cloud nodded before pausing. There wasn’t the need to say more, the implication was obvious enough. Leon pulled a small knife from his pocket, flicking the sheath off.

He stretched out his finger just above Cloud’s neck. A small nick was made, enough for the blood to drip. Two seemed to be enough as the mark flickered blue. Cloud whispers a small chant completing the process. The mark was stopped glowing leaving a dark ink-like residue. Like a tattoo.

Leon cleaned his finger of the small dribble of blood, bandaging it before helping Cloud down on the pillow, cotton covered rag, cradling the little body.

“Need anything else,” he was pretty sure that all Cloud needs is sleep after the night’s events but Leon asked anyway. He was right to ask.

Cloud was already drifting, exhausted from using so much of what magic was left. Though he couldn’t sleep just yet…

He blinked to focus. “ ‘M sorry…” Cloud mumbled fighting to stay awake. The pillow is already him as tried to blink away the sleep, “I…”

“That’s enough. Just sleep. We’ll talk again soon” A hint of softness flashes in the man’s eyes, “I’ll stay”

Chapter 2: Nature

send me a pairing and one of these and i’ll write a mini fic

31. Things you said right before goodbye

Now that everything was calmed down, Cloud finally found time to panic.

The whole world froze when the Rocket Town hospital called him. He remembered every moment since then in almost vivid detail. He remembered how the frantic packing had felt so slow. He remembered how his CO first scoffed, then quickly approved his leave after the doctor's message came through.

He remembered every word of his phone call to Sephiroth.

"I-I have to go," Cloud said, "She needs me and I just have to go. I'm sorry. I wanted to be here when you got back. I...I really needed you, but I have to go now."

Sephiroth had been quiet.

"I'll see you soon, Cloud," was all he said.

And Cloud said goodbye.

But now he was in Rocket Town. His mom's appendix had been removed successfully with little incident. Her care team said she did great and should recover well. Just a day for observation in case of infection and Cloud could take her home.

And now he panicked about what Sephiroth meant. Was he trying to tell Cloud to wait? Was he planning something else? Cloud couldn't figure it out.

"Mr. Strife?" one of the nurses had popped her head in, "there's a gentleman downstairs who says he'd like to visit." Cloud shook his head. It must be Mr. Lockhart. Mr. Lockhart had gotten her to Rocket Town in the first place. He looked at Mom, still sleeping. It couldn't hurt.

"Yes," Cloud said, "I'll see him." He stepped outside.

He felt his blood drain when Sephiroth stepped into the hall.

"Seph..." Cloud trailed off, "What...What're you doing here?"

"I said I'd see you soon," Sephiroth said, "Is your mother okay?"

"She's fine. She's good," Cloud babbled, "surgery went well. But...why did you come here?"

"You said you needed me," Sephiroth said.

"I...I did," Cloud admitted. He realized Sephiroth had a small bouquet of Sunflowers, his Mom's favorites.

"You...you really just came here because I said that," Cloud said.

"Of course," Sephiroth said, "Was that wrong?"

"No," Cloud said, "I just...didn't think there was someone who would do that for me before." A new panic dropped in.

Ma knew about Sephrioth. That they were dating in a way. She hadn't met him though.

Oh gods.

But Sephiroth just reached down and took his hand. He didn't let go through Mom waking up, and the awkward small talk and then Mom declaring she did approve of Sephiroth since he did get her flowers, and her favorites no less.