Fic: Nibelheim Burning-Breaking (FFVII, Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud, Female Turk, PG-13)

[icedark_elf]

Title: Breaking
Author: GW Katrina aka icedark_elf
Beta: forgottenlover
Series: Nibelheim Burning
Wordcount: 4,894
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Crazy Zack? Though if you have read the others, you should know this.

Added warning: Remember, I said this was a not happy series.

For previous fics, go here.

Summary: Nibelheim burns.


Breaking

The sky burned orange.

Head aching, he looked around. Things were wrong, he knew that. Very, very wrong. This was not part of the plan.

comechildofminecometome

Brow furrowing, Sephiroth pressed the heel of his hand between his eyes, willing the headache away. No, this was right. This was what he was supposed to do. Rid the world of the scum that were destroying it. The pathetic humans who were taking what they had no right to. What they had given up so long ago.

A flash of violet eyes.

No, this....

The voice rose up again, and he wanted to scream. Nothing made sense. None of this. But he couldn’t scream. All around him were screams, and he would not let his voice rise up with them. Hojo had taught him that. Taught him that pain was not allowed, at least not expression of it. Nothing was allowed. No laughter, no pain, nothing besides cool intellect and the calm certainty that he was right.

But, that was wrong, wasn’t it?

He had learned that was very wrong.

Sephirothmychildmysonmine,cometomeandallwillcomeclear.comeanddiscoverwhatitmeanstobebetter.

She was calling him. His mother.

Calmly killing a town person who had gotten too close, Sephiroth took a few steps towards the voice, the voice that whispered in his head and promised to explain everything.

This was wrong. He knew it was wrong. Things weren’t supposed to go this bad, right? Wrong? He didn’t know anymore, and that was more distressing than anything else that could have happened.

Couldn’t show the distress, the upset. The tickling of fear that rose, bitter and sharp, in the back of his throat.

Movement, and he lashed out, only to freeze.

Blonde hair. Blue eyes.

Mother?

Cloud’s mother.

She had fed him at her table, and had helped...with something. He couldn’t remember right now. But she had smiled at him before, had put seconds on his plate and said he needed feeding. Had asked what kind of books he liked. Had not been afraid.

She looked afraid now, and that hurt.

He had promised.

“Go,” he growled, not wanting her fear, not wanting the upset that he could see in blue eyes. Cloud’s mother.

Where was Cloud? Where was Zack?

This was Zack’s plan. Where was he?

Had he left? Betrayed him?

No, Zack wouldn’t do that.

Then where was he? Sephiroth couldn’t understand how things had gotten this bad, how the sky had turn the color of fire and why flames ate everything, even the blood that was running in the streets. The blood he had shed.

Cometomeandlearn.Comeandbeatpeace.

Peace? He didn’t know what that was. He knew lies and betrayal and death. Everything always led to those. Even the people who had paid for his creation. Creation. He was no normal person. Nothing so real. A monster. A created thing, made for the right price, for the petty humans who tore life from the planet.

Cometomemychildmyson

Jenova called.

Mother.

His mother.

He followed.

///

Coughing on smoke, Cloud could feel his eyes tearing up as more of the black foulness blew back into town on mountain winds. He gagged on it, and then just dumped his helmet. It didn’t matter right now, and he ran to his house, chest tight. This wasn’t right. Not at all. The plan hadn’t called for anything of that level.

Did it have something to do with Sephiroth’s reluctance to leave the Shinra mansion? He knew that it had been worrying Zack, and that had worried Cloud, but there was nothing either of them had done. Cloud didn’t go back after being tossed out by Sephiroth, earning himself a sore shoulder, and Zack had hesitated after Seph had left a dark mark on his arm where the older man had grabbed him to force him out. At least, that was what Cloud was guessing.

He had spent his own time poking around the basement of Shinra before everything had gone odd, and he was -sure- that he had found the Turk his dad had died trying to get out. But, then Sephiroth had started acting strange, and he had never gotten a chance. Sephiroth had banned them all from the mansion and after the violent way of ejecting them, neither Zack nor Cloud had gone back. Not that it kept Zack from lurking around the place like a ghost, but he carefully stayed outside, making sure to leave food and drink, but never going in when Cloud could see him.

What had happened?

Cloud froze when he saw his house, heart in his throat.

It was burning.

Like everything else, it was burning, and he gave a cry, a wordless scream, and bolted for it. His mom!? Was she okay? Was she in there?

The air burned his lungs, and he almost ran into the burning house. Would have if a hard hand hadn’t grabbed his arm, and he found himself jerked around to see himself staring into the unhappy eyes of Tifa’s teacher. Zangan looked hard at him, and then seem to recognize him. “Your mother’s safe. She’s helping those who can get out of town. Why is this happening?”

He knew, but he didn’t, and he just shook his head helplessly.

Sephiroth was supposed to go mad. At least...he was supposed to look like it.

But this...this was far more extreme than anything than any of them had talked about. Cloud didn’t like these people, no, but this was dangerous. It was the dry time of year, and a fire here could set all the woods ablaze. And while some people were supposed to die, this whole scale carnage wasn’t part of the plan.

Looking at Zangan, Cloud swallowed hard, fighting not to cough. “My mom, she’s okay?”

The man nodded. “The other, Zack? He’s gone after Sephiroth. And Tifa.”

“Where?”

“Reactor.”

The reactor. Everything seemed to start going odd there.

“Take care of my mom.”

With that, Cloud tugged himself free, and was running, lungs burning, and tears running down his face from the smoke.

This wasn’t the plan, but as long as his mom was safe, they could still make it work.

As long as they could get Sephiroth to calm down. Any means necessary.

///

Partway up the mountain, Zack paused, and looked down at the town. He could still easily smell the smoke, and felt it on his skin. The grit of the smoke itched, and he almost wanted to find a stream to wash it off.

Now wasn’t the time.

Plans had gone horribly wrong, and he had to fix them. They could still work, though he was sure Spike might end up a little upset. His mom was okay, though. Zack had seen Nidara helping someone with survivors. That was good.

He was unhappy, though Zack knew it was because he was scared. Scared for Seph more than scared of him. He didn’t know what was going through the idiot’s head, but this was not part of the plan. At least...not so extreme.

What had happened in the basement? Seph had been going through records and started acting odd.

He’d have to ask later. Right now, he had to go smack some sense into that thick skull of Seph’s and make the man see reason, and get them the fuck out.

Maybe Seph hadn’t gotten his part of the plan, or maybe the feel of release had just gotten him carried away. Zack knew there was a Turk out there. He had seen her now and then, and hoped like hell she was part of Seph’s backup. Gods knew he couldn’t get the man to share anything.

This next part was an important one, and he grimaced. He really did hate pain, and this was going to hurt. A lot. Now that they had a lunatic Sephiroth, he needed to make some type of attempt to stop him.

Seph was so going to kick his ass. They had already agreed to treat it something like a spar, but it was going to be the hardest spar they had ever done, and the closest thing to a real fight. Seph was going to have to put him down, and put him down hard. Hard enough that they would have to believe that Spike was the one who had taken him down, because Zack hadn’t been able to.

Yeah, it was going to hurt. Which meant doctors, and he grimaced at the idea. Cloud had his pre-emptive, and that was what he would need to pull this off. Zack had even made sure to give it to him, as well as his bolt. Presents, just to remember him by till they were all back together.

Taking a deep breath, Zack nodded. Cloud would be coming soon, and that was that.

Time to get on with his part of this.

///

This was her. This was his mother. As Nidara Strife was Cloud’s mother.

She was alive. He had promised Cloud, and kept it. Just as that girl was alive down below. He had been very careful that the slash had not been too deep, and something she would survive. He had kept his promises. Now, he could get his mother, and then he could find them. Mother wouldn’t mind, and then he could have a family, just like they did. Like Aeris, Zack, and Cloud. They had mothers. He had never met Zack’s, but he knew the man had a mother. Everyone did.

Even a monster like him.

He heard the door explode in behind him, and he wondered what Zack would think. Would he be happy for him? Zack always seemed to want the best for him, so the man should be happy that Sephiroth had found his mother.

Right?

She curled around him, he could feel her in his mind, feel her happiness at being found, at being with him finally. She had never gotten to see him, and so this was a good moment for them. As soon as he removed the case, she would finally get to see him, and he her.

He wondered if they looked alike, though he knew she was even less human than himself. Still, she was his mother, so he was sure she’d be beautiful, even if just to him.

Then he could get Zack and....

Donotbringhimmychildmydarlingone.Hehatesfearsdespisesyou.Tricksyouwantstohurtyou.-Lies-toyoutricksyou.Betrayerbetrayeronewhowantstoslaymychild.

He heard Zack’s steps stumble behind him and realized the other could hear her as well. Did that mean that Zack had known she was here the whole time? Heard her whispering and done nothing?

Did he hate her?

Did he hate him?

betrayerwouldharmyouwouldkillyou.humanpetturningonhisbetters.

No. Zack would never betray him, and it was that simple.

Right?

Wrong, screamed his mother’s voice into his ears, and he struggled to ignore how certain she sounded. She was his mother, a Cetra. The supreme ruler of this world, once he dealt with some of the humans. She couldn’t be wrong. She just didn’t know Zack.

IdoIdoIdoknowthischildthishalflingattempttorecreateyou.Hehatesfearsdistrustsyou.

And then images flooded his mind. Times when he thought Zack had been laughing with him, or sought him out for his company, simply to spend time with him. When he thought Zack was -defending- him.

Lies. All of them. He saw the fear, the distrust, the trickery Zack had planned. The desire to make Sephiroth trust him, to make himself indispensable to the man. All of it, leading to this point, when he would be able to betray Sephiroth, and destroy him. To wreck everything Sephiroth had thought true about himself, and prove to him what a monster he was.

Suddenly, he realized he wasn’t the monster.

At least he had never lied about what he was. Not intentionally. Never intentionally, and never to Zack.

Not as Zack had.

“Traitor.”

///

Zack didn’t understand what was going on. At all.

Seph wasn’t sparring.

The man was honestly trying to kill him, and he didn’t understand what was going on at all. His friend was going on about his mother and how they were going to rule everything and it made no sense. Zack could feel himself bleeding, and he hadn’t even put a single scratch on Seph. He knew that he’d never be able to beat his friend, but this....

He never expected Seph to ever look at him with such cold eyes. It had been forever since the man had. Since Wutai.

And now Seph was trying to kill him.

Zack’s head had started to ache as he had gotten close to the reactor. He vaguely remembered a few aches the first time, but had dismissed it as simply being too close to too much mako. Never been in the reactor before, so it was a new experience for him, and he had never thought twice about it. Now he wondered. This time, the pain had started as he had gotten closer, and he had heard something whispering.

If he was going to lose it, this was not the time for it. Hojo had fucked with his brain enough, and if he was going to go insane, it should have been then. But he hadn’t, and he wasn’t going to now. Not when Seph needed him. Even if the man was trying to kill him.

He could feel the blood running down his arm, and things grating that probably shouldn’t be. That wasn’t a good feel, and he wanted to cough badly. Pain in his chest, even when he suppressed the urge, and he wondered if he had busted ribs. Given the rates he was going through pipes, he wouldn’t be surprised. Those were heavily reinforced pipes, designed for carrying mako, which was rather hard on equipment. Then fact that he had gone through them without slowing was a sign of how hard Seph was hitting him.

Then Seph moved, and he realized how slowly the man had been going before. One moment, he was down the pipe, casually knocking aside Zack’s limit break, and the next he was right there, and Zack found himself flying through the air again.

Slamming against the tank with Sephiroth’s “mother”, he managed to get one foot under him before Seph was there again, and this time the hit was harder than any of the others. He saw his sword slam into the steel of the initial opening into the core of the reactor, wedging deep into the metal, even as he flew past it. He knew he hit the floor a few times, but that all went out of his head as he slammed hard into one of the tanks. It gave under him, crumpling as easily as if it was paper.

Something gave in his back, and Zack felt everything fade out for a second, then sharpen. Couldn’t feel his legs, and he had a moment of realization of what that might mean before his attention was caught by Sephiroth, who was looking down at him. For a long, long moment, their eyes met, and Zack swore he saw a flicker of confusion in those green eyes, saw it even with the distance between them.

Then he gagged on the blood in his throat, eyes shutting as he tried to not cough and jar the ribs he could feel and hear grinding in his chest. Feeling the mako burning his skin where it was leaking from the pod, he opened his eyes again, and found that Seph had turned away.

Hurt in a way he had never expected, Zack felt his fingers curl, and willed his body to get up. It refused, and he found the fact he could see blood staining his pants, but not feel the injuries that were bleeding, extremely disturbing.

A tiny attempt to push himself up, and everything went black.

///

Cloud panted as he burst into the reactor. It had been a long run from the town, and even in as good a shape as he was in, it was hard. Thankfully, he was used to the thin mountain air, and hadn’t been slowed much by it.

Pausing a second to catch his breath, he caught the echoes of blades, and pushed himself forward. The loud crash and the suddenly silence made him wonder what was going on.

The first one he saw was Tifa, and he crouched next to her. She had a large gash on her chest, and he was relieved to see that it was partially healed already. The faint glimmer implied it was a phoenix down, and he almost pulled out his own feather and gave it to her. But the fact she had been given one said Zack had most likely been here, and used his own feather on Tifa. Shin-Ra was thrifty, but it did do well with its medical supplies. Too bad it didn’t give them any more than one each, though even the regulars got them, not just SOLDIERs.

If Zack had used his on Tifa, that meant he didn’t have one anymore. And given the fact he didn’t hear anymore fighting, that meant someone was most likely bleeding. Given the plan, it was probably Zack. After making sure Tifa was okay, he turn and started up the stairs and froze.

For a second, he wasn’t sure Zack was still alive.

Then, bolting up the stairs, fingers fumbling to pull out the down, he slammed it against Zack’s arm, and let out a sigh of relief as it vanished. Good. It wouldn’t work on someone who was dead, so if it worked, Zack wasn’t dead. The man stirred after a second and opened dazed eyes, and Cloud bit his lip. Zack looked bad. Really bad, and he wasn’t sure how long Zack would be okay, even with the down. He was still bleeding an awful lot.

“Seph,” rasped the man. “Pre-empt and hit him. Plan.”

Fingers dripping blood, his own blood, Zack gripped Cloud’s arm. “Know you can.”

It didn’t surprise Cloud at all. None of it. Not Zack’s concern for Sephiroth, or his belief in Cloud. Still, it hurt to see Zack like this, and Cloud, looked around. He didn’t have his rifle, besides, even with a pre-emptive, Sephiroth would simply dodge it.

Then, looking up, he saw the handle of Zack’s sword.

It was huge, and he knew that he would only have one real shot, but he also knew that Sephiroth didn’t consider him a threat. So that, plus the materia, should be enough....

Now, to do this right. He hoped the man forgave him, and didn’t understand any of this overkill factor that Sephiroth was putting into the plan. Still, Cloud trusted Zack, and so he would go with it. Tifa was going to be fine, and his mom was okay. That was good.

He just hoped Zack would be.

Moving, he collected the sword, which took a bit of work in and of itself. Taking a deep breath, he nodded to himself.

Time to do this.

///

He hadn’t expected to be stabbed. He had forgotten that part of the plan.

And it hurt, and he growled, looking down at the blade that was shoved through his belly. Zack had done this. He had done it on purpose. Done it just to hurt Sephiroth, just to make him bleed, and make him ache. Did it just to be cruel.

“Sir.” The voice was light, and he almost didn’t recognize Cloud’s voice. The boy had not called him Sir in forever, not when it was just the two of them, or if it was just Zack or Aeris around. Had Cloud decide to betray him as well?

“I don’t know what is going on, Sir, but you hurt Zack, bad. I hope your backup plan works, because I think Zack might be dying,.”

Zack might be dying?

Good. “Good.”

A startled sound behind him. “What?” So like a little puppy, the blond. Always following those stronger than him, begging for a treat.

Hedeservedit. “He deserved it.”

Hewasatraitor. “He was a traitor.”

This time, the noise wasn’t startled. It was a growl. “Sir, if you believe that, then you deserve what Shin-Ra does to you. Because you just turned your back on the one person who will care for you no matter what. Even now.”

The boy.... Sephiroth couldn’t believe it. The boy was shamelessly grabbing his medical pack, which he barely even remembered carrying, and yanked the sword free. “When you are ready to go, Sir.” Icy cold voice, and he slumped to the floor, staring absently after the blond, who had just showed an amazing amount of strength.

Theyarenothingtraitorsallofthem.Theyhurtyoubetrayyouharmyoumakeyoubleed.Horriblethings.Shoulddestroyallofthem.

“Yes, Mother,” he whispered, pushing himself up. “Time for us to go.”

He couldn’t take all of her with him, not now. Even as his body was repairing itself, he took his blade and shattered the glass. Another swing removed his mother’s head from her body. She was not human, no matter how close she looked, and he was relieved to still hear her voice and soothing presence.

Collecting the head, he started to stagger out, stomach hurting badly. How dare that...child, that -human- do this to him? It was all because of Zack. Zack had caused this. It was his plan that had left Sephiroth hurt, bleeding, and alone for everyone except his mother.

Standing in the doorway, he saw Cloud crouched next to Zack, who was only barely conscious. Sephiroth was suddenly seized by the urge to run the dark haired man through, ending any of his interference once and for all. But something else rebelled at that, and he shook off both of them, glaring coldly at the pair. How could they betray him like this?

He didn’t catch all that Zack had said, but he thought he heard mention of “head” and saw Cloud press something into Zack’s hand. Then the blond was coming at him, and he saw the blue eyes flicker down towards his mother’s head, and he realized that the boy meant to take it.

Thatcannotbeallowed. That couldn’t be allowed. He wouldn’t let him.

Still, it was something of a shock to see himself plunge the Masamune into Cloud’s chest. And by the look of startled eyes, it was a shock for both Cloud and Zack as well. Still, now he could at least get a little bit of revenge for the pain Cloud had caused him, and he turned, flinging the boy back into the room that had held his mother. Stalking after the boy, he almost felt as if he was watching things, not really directing them, as he moved and stabbed the boy again.

Cloud had wanted to be in SOLDIER so bad. Well, mako made the SOLDIER, and there was plenty right there.

Hebelongsthere. He belonged there anyway. Born here, should die here. Die in the power he had wanted so much.

The sound of lightening startled him, and he almost instinctively flinched. But he froze, hearing his mother howl suddenly.

He wasn’t the target.

She was.

Looking up, he saw where the powerful bolts had torn at her container, damaging it even more than he had. He looked just in time to catch the flash of a second Bolt 3, and hissed himself. That had -hurt-!

Turning, he glared as he saw Zack had dragged himself forward, stretched out flat on the ground, blood streaking the ground behind him. The hand the man had up was trembling badly, and he had the waxy, drawn thin look of someone who was pushing things far past their limits. Between the blood loss and the damage, Sephiroth doubted the man would survive another cast, any more than the tattered remains of his mother would.

Opening his mouth to object, he saw Zack cast again, and the sound of his mother’s scream deafened him even more than the crack of thunder, caught again in far to closed in a space. With the noise of both echoing in his ears, he wasn’t sure if the shout was his or Cloud’s as Zack gave his normal, far too pleased with himself look, and then closed his eyes, slumping towards the floor.

Then the blade he still held in his hand tugged, and he turned in time to see Cloud yank himself forward. The boy’s eyes were glowing, and Sephiroth couldn’t understand why. It wasn’t the reflection of the mako, but something like a SOLDIER glow.

He was so surprised by the fact that Cloud was pulling himself closer onto the blade that he wasn’t able to react in time with gloved hands reached out and snatched Jenova’s head from his hands and flung her.

Towards the mako.

He took a step forward, shoving the blade and Cloud to the side, instinctively going after her when Cloud hit him as hard as he could. That startled Sephiroth again, and he felt himself crumpling as his mother screamed, a wordless shriek that seemed to cut through his brain and set his nerves on fire.

Then, she was gone, and he gasped for air, feeling as if he couldn’t breath.

Sephiroth wasn’t sure how long he would have stayed there, but there was a small, almost soundless whisper. His name, and he looked up, just in time to see Cloud’s eyes roll up as the boy collapsed.

Feeling sluggish, he moved, catching the boy, who was limp in his arms. Not that Sephiroth blamed him. He had never known anyone to pull themselves onto a blade like that. Hands working automatically, he pulled the blade loose, and reached for his supplies, only to remember that Cloud had already taken them. That was bad, as he could so easily hear the bubbling of Cloud’s breathing, and hear the heartbeat slowing. Slowing far too fast.

And he couldn’t hear another heartbeat in the room at all outside his own.

“Cloud, you aren’t allowed to die,” he ordered, patting the other down, hoping for no real reason that he might have something to help save his life.

Then there was another hand, gloved and stocked with materia, slapping the sparkling feather of phoenix down on Cloud, and Sephiroth would have started and lashed out, but he was looking at the down. It sat on the skin, glowing softly, taunting him.

Phoenix down couldn’t bring back the dead.

Then, as if it was just doing it to give him false hope, it slowly dissolved. Listening closely, Sephiroth felt something in his chest loosen as the injuries started to heal. Not much. But enough that, hopefully, Cloud would survive.

He still could only hear three heartbeats, and he didn’t want to think what that meant. His own, the Turk's, and Cloud's thready beat. But....

“You need to get out of here.”

The voice startled him, and he looked at the Turk who had just used down on Cloud. She was looking at them, frowning. “You need to go, now. Tseng and the others are already on their way. Reports of the situation had been called in, and I was just called by Tseng to give you warning. Hojo is coming.”

The plan.

He didn’t understand what had gone wrong, but Sephiroth nodded.

He didn’t deserve to be free now.

“They’ll kill him, you know,” she said, eyes meeting his. “Strife here. I’m a Turk. My loyalty is already assured. For seeing you go mad, they’ll kill him. And the townspeople.”

“I need to get Zack, and then we can....”

She shook her head. “You can’t do anything for him. Not now.”

Sephiroth went cold. She couldn’t mean what he thought she meant.

“Go. If you are going to save the kid, go finish whatever plan this was you came up with. I liked Zack. He was a good guy. Don’t waste his sacrifice by getting caught.”

Numb, Sephiroth collected Cloud up. Shedding his coat, he wrapped the blond in it. Cloud was shaking. Or maybe it was him. He wasn’t sure. Either way, he knew there was a secondary route out of the reactor, though he would have to go down to reach it.

“Make sure....” He paused, unable to force the words out as he balanced on the edge of, looking down into the mako. “Make sure he’s put somewhere nice. And....” He had to call Aeris. That had been Cloud’s job, but....

He needed Aeris. She was the best healer he knew. He -needed- her.

He couldn’t lose Cloud, too.

Holding the blond tight, Sephiroth leapt.

///

The sounds outside told her that they were coming.

She had waited. Been waiting, since they had gotten the last of the survivors out, since she had realized Cloud wasn’t among them.

Sephiroth paused when he saw her, and she paused when she saw what he held.

“Bring him in,” Nidara ordered, moving so that he could actually get into the shelter she had helped set up for him and Cloud. Her son was quiet and still in Sephiroth’s arms, so very pale wrapped in black leather. “Your friend?”

The man’s face took on a stricken look, and she didn’t need to ask more.

“We will heal my son, and then....Then you will explain. Everything.”