Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Claudia Strife knelt in her garden, her rounded stomach as full of life as the spring that rollicked around her, planting cornflower seeds in the hopes that the blooms would match her child's birth.

"I ask a blessing from the mountain, should any dieties be listening." She hummed. "I know that my little one will face much, being a Strife, but I want them to have the best chance possible. I would appreciate a sign but I understand that you may not show it right-Oh!"

The Nibel Wolf that padded to the very edge of her garden was well-fed, the sterling silver fur gleaming in the spring sun.

Only one god used wolves; Fenrir had heard her plea before any other Summon.

~THE PUP YOU CARRY HAS MUCH TO SHAPE, MUCH TO DO; HE IS A WOLF UNTO HIMSELF, CHANGING THE RIVERS AND THE FOREST AND THE LEAVES WITH THE HELP OF A PACK, THOUGH YET UNSEEN. A BLESSING YOU SHALL HAVE, SHE OF CLAN STRIFE, CHOSEN OF THE KNIGHT'S ROUND.~

The night Cloud Strife was born, the sky was clear, the moon shone bright and a pack of Nibel Wolves sang joyfully in welcome. The following morning, Claudia's cornflowers bloomed a little later than usual, having stayed in the ground past the time for them. They matched Cloud's eyes and those of a single wolf that lingered after the rest had gone on.

Under ShinRa Regulation #229, all members of ShinRa are allowed to commune with their Summon at least once a month. It had to be staggered but the general consensus was that it meant one day out of the month, you were reliably unable to come in.

The origin of #229 was said to have begun with the Silver General himself.

Whatever the reason, Cloud appreciated it more than anyone of his fellow troopers could guess. He stayed at ShinRa, the red band on his arm signaling his status for the day as he collected his gear and maintained his routine walk that wound around ShinRa until he stopped before an abandoned room.

This was as high as a trooper could get without going into SOLDIER territory and though he could've gone farther, given the band on his arm permitted access, Cloud liked the room he was in.

He typed in the code, closed the door and sighed at the lingering presence of his Summon.

Cloud happily stripped out of his uniform, sure that there were no cameras and donned the wolf pelt and the pants made of the same, his calloused bare feet telling the story if one cared to look. The sheathes were belted on over the pants, deep rich crimson over sterling silver and the only thing that Cloud had bought rather than made himself.

He dipped his fingers into the special pot, something Fenrir had approved of years ago. Cloud painted the same crimson along his arms, stopping short of the pelt, doing the same to his legs and his cheeks, pulling the hood up to cover most of his face.

He unsheathed the swords, struck them twice and then—

~GOOD AFTERNOON, PUP.~ Fenrir materialized from a deep violet, so dark it was almost black.

"Fenrir!" The wolf blew a breath of nearly icy wind his way, drying the paint in order not to get smeared by it as Cloud buried his face in the lush fur. "Why am I still a pup?"

~YOU ARE STILL A PUP BY HUMAN STANDARDS. HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR PACK YET?~ Fenrir asked as he sat down, practically encasing Cloud in fluff.

"... No. Nearly everyone shares the same Summon or a different one that's compatible with their own." Cloud sighed as he parted Fenrir's fur out of habit.

~ALL EAST WITH YOU THE LONE WEST. I SEE. YOU HAVE TIME YET.~ came the confident reassurance. ~TWO COME FROM THE WEST, TWO FROM THE EAST. YOU WILL KNOW THEM BUT YOU MUST ALSO MAKE AN EFFORT.~

"In the Infantry?" Cloud resigned himself to attempting to get the attention of someone in already established friendships. He never was any good at it but, for Fenrir, he'd certainly try.

The soft rumble that served as Fenrir's laugh nearly vibrated Cloud from where his face was pressed into Fenrir's sternum. ~SEEK TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH COMPANY A LITTLE HIGHER, PUP. I PROMISE YOU ARE WORTHY OF IT.~

"SOLDIER? I don't..." He paused mid-leg stretch in order to look at his Summon with a fair amount of concern.

~KEEP YOUR HELMET ON, STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION OR OFFER AN OBSERVATION YOU THINK SHOULD BE VOICED. THAT OR DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE WORTH TALKING ABOUT.~ Fenrir offered as he nuzzled at Cloud. ~NOW, SHOW ME AGAIN. THAT MOVE WAS A LITTLE OFF WHEN LAST WE MET.~

Cloud dug around for the ancient (somewhat stolen) text that displayed the moves of Nibel Dance. They tried again, together, because Fenrir was the only one to have seen it performed in living memory. As Cloud couldn't sing, Fenrir's prefered method of communication, dance was the next best thing.

Cloud could move like the wind and the grace involved in the dance often translated into ShinRa Combatives. He was the last to fall when it came to marches, the endurance only part of Fenrir's blessing. Cloud was the last to eat, making sure everyone else had their first bite before he sat down for his own at the edge of the camp.

But here, freed of the constraint of duty, Cloud flew.

He jumped, spun, somersaulted in order to avoid imagined foes, his body weaving a story of it's own. His swords clashed against one another to frighten away bad spirits and to protect those who couldn't hold a blade.

Cloud became lost in the dance, the movements flowing like fresh snowmelt from one move to the next before he tripped on the more steady motions of the wind-down.

"Gods-dammit-all! I almost had it... Fenrir, what'd I do wrong?"

~YOU SHOULD'VE CANTED YOUR KNEE ABOUT TWO INCHES HIGHER.~

"I'm not that tall!" He countered with a pout even as he tried again.

He stretched out and wound down further with the stabilizing soft movements that normally ended the dance.

"Ugh! Again!" Shoving back the hood allowed him to take a breather, just a small one. "What is it about that leg curve?!"

~YOU'VE GROWN. THAT'S WHAT'S TRIPPING YOU UP; THAT AND YOU DON'T STAY STILL TOO OFTEN. I THINK NEXT TIME WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE WIND-DOWN BUT YOU'VE ALMOST GOT IT.~

Cloud perked up at that, glancing over at Fenrir with a smile and a, "Wait, really?"

~YES, PUP, REALLY.~

He griped as he took care of the blades, having them well away from any fur in sight, "I wish it'd hurry up 'n settle so that I don't constantly get thrown off balance."

Sephiroth paused at the window of the discontinued Observation Room, having heard the clash of steel from two floors above and had gone to investigate. After all, who would bother the Silver General when he looked to be on a mission?

What he did not expect to see was the middle of someone's 229, the fluid dance mesmerizing even as the person faltered and spun to talk to Sephiroth's own Summon, Fenrir, hands on their hips. They started up again, the fault now missing but another part floundered.

Sephiroth knew, logically, that Fenrir had more chosen but to see it in person was staggering.

Fenrir rumbled his response, though it was too far away to hear, and the person tossed back the hood of the wolf fur to reveal blond hair and a gaze that was cornflower blue as he glanced up briefly at the dusted over window. Sephiroth admitted to himself that he might be projecting an old friend upon this other Chosen, a friend he'd searched for until he could bear it no more. He wound down, the soft movements almost reminiscent of some of the slower Mideelese dances.

Sephiroth nearly gave himself away when Fenrir's glowing blue gaze caught him watching. He left, sure that Fenrir would give him a Hel of a dressing down when they met again during the next waning moon.

Chapter Text

Sgt. Gosser pulled him off to the side, eyeing the red band like it might bite him. Quite a few people got snippy about thier 229 days. "Strife? Kilo Troop's got a mission from higher up with Whiskey Troop for monster extermination. You've got the option to decline and stay behind or come with us. Commander Hewley put forth that he understood if you chose the former."

Cloud ran it over in his mind, thought about the weight requirements and nodded to himself. "I'll go, Sgt., but all I ask is that you not penalize me for the paint I'll have and that we'll need to stop for the night."

"Paint, Corporal?"

"It's part of our thing, Sgt." Cloud admitted easily enough.

"Ah. Doesn't match the uniform, I'm guessing, and it doesn't come off easy either. Alright, sounds fair. I'll let the Commander know you're coming with."

It turned out there was a sub-clause of 229 that allowed for it to happen in the field within reason. The sub-clause also barred commanding officers and immediate leaders from penalizing anything that went against the uniform code because it was Summon-related.

No one wanted to piss off a Summon after Pheonix had wrecked a good chunk of ShinRa when his chosen, General Rhapsodos, had been denied his 229 a few years back.

It was also the reason the band was red, serving as a reminder that Summons were temperamental forces of the Planet's nature even with their desire to help.

Cloud's squadmates actually did a double-take when he scooped up a supply chest.

"Are you supposed to be here?" Jones asked as he hefted another chest.

"My Summon won't mind. He's pretty chill most of the time so a change in location won't bother him too much." Cloud hummed as he set down the chest in the supply truck and went for another one.

"That's the first time I think I've even heard about your Summon." the quiet remark from Pvt. Haise almost slipped past Cloud but he heard it.

"Well, he's," here Cloud grunted as he lifted one of the last chests, "not exactly a Summon you talk about casually. He's region-locked and blood-related."

"Wait, seriously?" Jones set down the last chest and closed the back of the truck, everyone's curiosity now piqued.

"Yeah. He's tied to my hometown and to those born in it. I thought...everyone already knew that." He murmured as he scrubbed at his nose. "Is that not a thing in the East?"

"Well, to be fair, the better known ones from the West also choose in the East and vice versa." Commander Hewley offered as Kilo practically jumped. "At ease; I'm not going to bite. Mine is of the West, though I was born in the East. I'm assuming that you'd be the Corporal that chose to come along?"

"Yes Sir." Cloud answered promptly as he checked the water tin to make sure of the level.

"Anything you need aside from what you told Sgt. Gosser before we started?" Commander Hewley asked gently, after most of the troop was packed into the transport.

"I'm good, Sir, but thank you for asking." He replied.

"Hey, Corporal Strife, we're a bit tight back here. You mind sitting with the Commander up front so we've got a little more room?" Staff Sgt. Leonid from Whiskey Troop requested.

"Ah, Sarge, that's not the best idea?" Haise cringed but piped up. "Strife has motion sickness."

"Not if I drive, Sir, and not if I'm distracted by conversation." The driver, a Sgt. Fossa, bailed at that and went for the supply truck. "If that's alright with you, Sir?"

"Of course, Corporal Strife."

Jones muttered, "Thank fucking Shiva. Fossa drives like the tires are going through tar." when Cloud got into the transport's cab.

Cloud followed Commander Hewley's directions to get out of Midgar and onto the highway that lead out of the city.

"Ah, do you like... plants, Corporal Strife?"

"I've got enough to bother my squadmates when they enter my room, Sir. You can't grow much in the mountains but I like that I can grow as much as I like so long as they don't interfere with anything in the barracks. Succulent, ivy, food plant... You name it, I've probably got it, Sir." Cloud enthused easily.

"Something we agree on, Strife. I was thinking about starting my favorites in a bed when I get back but I'm afraid they'll break the box..." Commander Hewley grinned as he started talking about his plans for a roof-top garden, mentioned that he was irritated by the arrival of the helicopter pad under construction and how, occassionally, he'd had to kick Sephiroth out of his apartment because he loved plants just as much.

Usually the reason was that they were almost late to some meeting or other.

Both of them complained about the acidic quality of Midgar's topsoil and having to buy the decent stuff from Kalm and smaller farms. Cloud knew everyone was hanging onto every word in their conversation, considering how quiet it got in the back.

Cloud offered suggestions about decent box construction even as Commander Hewley traded for tips and tricks with the more finicky plants. Cloud refused to give up on them just because they'd wilted. "It sounds like some of them are getting over-watered, instead of under."

"Wait, wait that's a thing? Sir?" He added belatedly but Commander Hewley didn't seem to mind.

"Mmm, it doesn't happen in Mideel or where you're from but Zack, my mentee, he's from Gongaga. He curtailed my watering on a few of the more delicate plants I own." came the Commander's rueful reply, the soft huff of laughter feeling like a victory. "He said something to the effect about how pissy Typhoon was getting, once."

"Western water god, Sir, so I suspect he could feel it." Cloud answered the unspoken question that lingered.

"Ah. That would explain a lot about Zack, come to think of it..."

They camped in the forest, the mission another day or so away by foot, where the trucks couldn't go.

The clearing was perfect for smokeless fires and a decent meal before the march the next day.

He mentally marked the slightly smaller clearing up and to the right of it, deeming that grove good enough for Fenrir.

Cloud made sure everyone in Kilo Troop was eating and then casually checked with Whiskey to ensure the same standard. He scarfed down his own portion, rinsed his dish and left the armband tied to a stick, the small red tube flapping in the wind Fenrir always brought with him.

He painted and dressed, humming Nibel eddas as he retied the red strap of his half-cape.

When he struck the swords, Fenrir materialized in a much lighter shade of violet with his fur gleaming in the light of the gibbous moon.

~HMM, I LIKE THIS MUCH BETTER. I SEE YOU'VE FOUND A PACK MEMBER FINALLY.~ Fenrir murmured. ~THE ONE YOU WERE TALKING WITH IN THE VEHICLE.~

"No way!? He's literally my commanding officer. I'm barely a smudge on his... No." Cloud vehemently denied.

~YOUR BLOOD SINGS EVEN IF YOU DO NOT; YOU'VE FOUND ONE.~

"How can I tell? I don't have your senses, how am I supposed to tell the right ones?" He countered, arguing with his Summon.

~WAS IT EASY TO SPEAK WITH HIM?~

"I... Yeah, actually. I mean, we started off a little awkward but we talked about plants and wood and how cleaning is basically free therapy and—Oh." The realization almost smacked him in the face. "You mean I'm supposed to be friends first?"

~THE BEST RELATIONS ARE BUILT UPON A SOLID FOUNDATION, REGARDLESS OF HOW THEIR PRESENCE STARTS OUT IN YOUR LIFE.~ Fenrir murmured as he nuzzled at Cloud's chest. ~TIME TO WORK ON YOUR SLOWER MOVEMENTS BUT A QUICK RUN-THROUGH OF THE FIRST HALF WOULDN'T HURT.~

Cloud ruffled Fenrir's cheek fur and pressed a soft kiss to Fenrir's forehead. "Sure thing."

He backed up, bowed to Fenrir and kicked it off with a spin he'd been working on from the book.

~WONDERFUL! YOU'RE TAKING INITIATIVE FROM THE BOOK NOW.~ Fenrir praised even as Cloud let go of his fear.

He embraced the cool air, the way the leaves rustled and something in him sang at the freedom this mission granted them both.

Cloud's body moved to a song only he could hear, the visceral feeling of finally, finally connecting to the dance a euphoric one. Fenrir joined this one, his voice rising and falling as Cloud wove around him and the clearing.

When he skidded on the fallen leaves, he landed on his back with an -OOF!- and a wheezing laugh after he caught his breath again.

"What was that, Fen?" He asked as he brushed wet leaves out of his hair, still running off the high of the dance as he smiled.

~YOUR PACKMATES HELP YOU FOCUS AND BECOME ONE WITH THE MUSIC THAT'S AROUND US IN NATURE. YOU TAPPED INTO IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE.~ his Summon answered.

"When, hah, was the first time?"

~A FEW YEARS BACK, WHEN YOU WERE STILL A PUP. ANOTHER PACKMATE, THOUGH THEY FELT SHAME FOR SEEING YOU INSTEAD OF AWE LIKE THIS ONE DOES.~

"Oh. Wait, you mean-?"

~THEY WERE WATCHING, YES.~

"Oh Gods, how am I going to face him in the morning?"

~THE SAME WAY YOU ALWAYS DO, BY EATING BREAKFAST.~

"Fen, you're not helping."

~I KNOW.~ the teasing lilt had Cloud dragging his hands down his face with a long-suffering groan.

"You're impossible."

Angeal hadn't meant to impose on Strife's 229, really, he'd just been patrolling the edges of the camp when he'd spotted the red tube tied to a stick.

With a hand wrapped around the Buster's handle, he moved to investigate and his jaw dropped at the sight of Sephiroth's Summon being kissed on the forehead by Strife.

Angeal watched him dance under the moonlight, Fenrir's howls somehow interweaving with the incredible movements. It was so different from Sephiroth and Fenrir's sessions that Angeal found himself rooted in place from sheer awe.

He also wondered, briefly, if Strife had applied for SOLDIER because of the speed of some of the moves he was pulling off.

When Strife slipped on some of the leaves, the laughter that left him after his breath recovered made Angeal flush. It was bright and happy and—Oh dear.

This felt like when he'd met Genesis, Sephiroth and Zack, years ago.

Strife plucked leaves out of his blond hair and his incredible blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he talked with Fenrir, the deeper rumbles impossible to hear due to them not sharing Fenrir as a Summon.

Angeal left the way he'd come, footsteps silent amongst the leaves.

Alexander creaked from his space in Angeal's head and said quietly, :YOU'VE FOUND THAT LAST PIECE OF ARMOR, HAVEN'T YOU?:

"He's what?!" Angeal hissed as he settled back into his Tent.

:THE HELM. YOU'VE FOUND THEM.:

"I... He's my subordinate. I can't possibly-"

:YOU HUMANS AND YOUR DISTINCTIONS NEVER CEASE TO AMUSE ME. HE IS YOUR ARMOR. THERE ARE ONLY FOUR SUCH PIECES AND YOU WOULD DO WELL TO KEEP THEM ALL WITHIN ARMS REACH.: Alexander huffed as Angeal shuffled in his sleeping bag.

"I'll try, Alex, but it's going to be hard. He's Infantry, I'm SOLDIER."

:USE YOUR POWER THEN OR THAT PIECE OF PAPER ABOUT US.:

"The 229?"

:PRECISELY.:

Chapter Text

Cloud managed to keep the conversation with Commander Hewley over breakfast light and soon enough, the embarassment of knowing his packmate watched him slowly faded.

The mission went down without a hitch, Cloud, Jones, Leonid, Gosser and Commander Hewley all working together to keep injuries and casualties to a minimum.

Everyone glanced at the stark crimson paint Cloud sported for the remainder of the mission but got bored of it by the second day on the way back to Midgar.

It didn't help that it was waterproof and people couldn't smear it with a single swipe.

The troops almost turned it into a game except for the massive, fuck-off shadow of Fenrir that appeared in front of Cloud with a snarl.

He loved Fen, really, and the affection was happily returned by his Summon.

It was when they got back that Commander Hewley pulled him off to the side.

"My apologies, Strife, for watching your 229. I'm sure Fenrir told you already but I felt the need to apologize in person first."

"It's fine, Sir. Umm-"

"Ah-"

Both of them stopped, Cloud cursing his fair skin as the tips of his ears turned red but was surprised to find General Hewley in the same state.

"You first Sir."

"My Summon, Alexander, told me you were important. I was wondering if, maybe, we could schedule our 229s together? We don't have much time left but I'd like to talk more about it." the response had Cloud surprised.

Had their Summons talked to one another? Or was it something else altogether?

"Mine is on the 24th, barring any upcoming missions, Sir. You?"

"It was the 27th but I'll change it to match. I hope you don't mind leaving Midgar but Alexander doesn't exactly fit in a standard ShinRa room." Commander Hewley rubbed at the back of his neck at that.

The Commander was putting it politely; Alexander's height and weight would break the fragile city of Midgar if he rested on top of the Plate.

"Fenrir shrinks, actually, so I think we'll be happy to be out of Midgar, Sir. Where should...?" Cloud offered with a tiny smile.

"Near Loading Dock 20, around 1900. ShinRa paperwork mutilples like Mus if you take your eyes off of it for a second so I'll likely be busy until then." came the quiet order, barely said in order for them not to be overheard.

"Will do, Sir."

"Angeal, if you don't mind. I-"

"Commander Hewley, you need to sign off on the trucks so we can start downloading!"

"I'll be there in a moment!" Angeal turned back to face him, Cloud getting the feeling that this was a moment they needed to take.

"It's Cloud, for future reference." he offered in the spirit of exchange.

"Right... Cloud. I think I need to hug you." Angeal blurted, his bootip scraping against the grill on the floor of the motor pool as he tried not to be rude.

"Gods, I thought it was just me." Cloud replied with relief.

"Rest assured, it's not just you."

Angeal and Cloud wrapped around each other, Cloud's face pressed against his Commander's sternum as both of them relaxed.

"Commander-Nevermind."

When Cloud cracked an eye open, the purple and sand colored Summon Barrier made perfect sense.

Angeal made no comment on the crimson smear just above his SOLDIER belt and Cloud refused to talk about the smudged paint on the left side of his face.

Predictably, the rumor mill of ShinRa exploded.

With his inventory in hand, Cloud slipped down to Loading Dock 20 with his red armband firmly in place.

Angeal was there, tucked into the far corner and gesturing emphatically at a person Cloud had never seen up close—

General Genesis Rhapsodos.

"... Gen, what do you mean Pheonix woke you out of a dead sleep screeching about... oh. I know he's my Armor but—" The red band on Angeal's arm encircled his bicep, the cloth impossibly snug against smooth muscle, strained as Angeal hugged General Rhapsodos.

Cloud hung back, knowing that the Loading Dock was empty except for the three of them.

There was a reason Angeal had chosen it as their meeting place; Dock 20 was rarely used and dusty from disuse.

"Phoenix insisted and gave... gave your Armor the same label he gave..."

"Ember Keeper? Really?" Angeal softened and leaned forward to...

Cloud squeaked as he pressed against the large tire of the old transport.

The soft -snik!- that he heard made him blush something awful.

~CLOUD, KISSING PACKMATES ARE NOT TO BE FEARED.~ came the amused rumble from Fenrir in the den that he'd made in Cloud's mind.

Cloud gestured quietly but with feeling at the sounds of kissing.

~YOU THINK YOURSELF TOO YOUNG?~

He rolled his eyes and motioned again, which Fenrir finally caught.

~AH. YOU WISH TO RESPECT THEIR PRIVACY. FAIR ENOUGH. I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THEY'RE DONE.~ Fenrir hummed with approval.

Though it seemed to last fifteen minutes, it was closer to five than Cloud cared to admit.

"Ah, Sir?" He asked quietly, which was greeted with virulent but equally quiet Mideelian cursing that turned to Common.

"Come on out," General Rhapsodos drawled. "I don't doubt that you caught most of that."

"I tried not to look, Sir. That's between you and, umm..."

"Still Angeal or Ang if you're feeling bold."

"Thanks, Angeal. That's between the two of you." Cloud chewed on his lower lip before he inquired. "Did Pheonix really wake you up? I know Fen has in the past but I didn't think other Summons would do that to their Chosen, Sir."

General Rhapsodos slapped a gloved hand over his mouth as he let out a laugh but his shoulders shook with mirth before he managed, "Oh, you crack me up. 'Nix is an asshole. He lives for stuff like this; it's part of the reason we get along so well."

"Oh."

"How much did you hear, Cloud?" Angeal asked as he started pushing the motorcycle out of Dock 20.

"... Probably a lot more than I should've? Something about an Ember Keeper and Armor."

"Damn. Umm, could you not..." Rhapsodos hesitated.

"Actually, Fen told me you two were, ahh, Packmates. If those names mean what I think they do, I'll keep them to myself." Cloud admitted.

Angeal stopped mid-stride, Rhapsodos inhaling in sharp surprise before he pinned Cloud with glowing blue eyes, "When you're saying Fen, do you mean Fenrir?"

"It's just that someone-a friend-we know is his Chosen too." Angeal clarified with a brief smile.

"Yes, I mean Fenrir. He's not a Summon most folks appeal to an' is kind of rare as a result. Sir." Cloud tacked on hastily, knowing General Rhapsodos's reputation for literally scorching disrespectful ShinRa Corps members. "I'm well aware he has another Chosen within the ranks of SOLDIER, Sir."

Right when Cloud thought he was going to be sent to his Ma as a teeny-tiny pile of ashes, Rhapsodos relaxed. "Like I'd actually get to touch a hair on your head before Fenrir would tear me to pieces. Yes, you said that out loud." Cloud did blush at that, closing his mouth with a click of his teeth. "I'm coming with."

"Gen..."

"I'm over-due as it is, Ang. I'll retro-file after we're done. Yes, I have everything and if we pick the one with the side car we have enough room." came the reply.

"I get motion-sick," He blurted.

"but not if you can control your own motions." Angeal finished. "I guess that means either two motorcycles or Gen gets the side car."

"I'll take the little Harley, if you don't mind, and I'll follow you out of Midgar at a distance." Cloud offered.

Angeal glanced between him and General Rhapsodos before agreeing. "Alright, but only until we get out of Midgar."

Cloud wove the motorcycle through traffic like he was born to it, stopping only at the ShinRa Gate to leave the city entirely.

"What authority do you have to be leaving the city?" Troop Juliet, Kilo's unspoken rival. He didn't hate them but prefered Whiskey by far.

"My 229." The light hit the red band and nearly recoiled.

"Whatever. Don't get eaten, I guess."

He gave a half-assed salute that they half-assed returned and he was off again.

Angeal was waiting at the edge of the highway, General Rhapsodos fiddling with his PHS as he pillowed his cheek against Angeal's broad shoulder.

He pulled up, flicked the clear visor up and smiled. "Fancy running into you, Generals."

"Did they hold you up at the checkpoint?"

"Only long enough for them to see this," Cloud tugged on the red band, "and to tell me not to get eaten. Just wish it hadn't been Juliet Troop."

"Why?" General Rhapsodos inquired as he tucked his PHS away.

"Kilo's got a... thing with them, Sir. One of theirs tossed one of ours under the bus when it came time to be promoted. Never apologized and it's been years." Cloud admitted frankly. "There's more to it, Sir, but that's the long 'n short of it."

"I like you already, little trooper."

"It's Cloud, if Ember Keeper means what I think it means." He mentioned, feeling bolstered by Angeal's reassuring presence.

"... Cloud, huh? Genesis or Gen, if you're feeling bold enough to offer your name without a Sir attached to it." The drawl was heavily Mideelian, done on purpose.

"Gen, come on." Angeal chided.

"Guess it'll hafta be Gen, 'specially since Genesis is a mouthful." If Gen wanted a challenge Cloud would give him one in the form of Nibel stubborness.

Cloud changed behind Genesis' coat, held up by Angeal. He adjusted all of his straps, briefly wondering if he'd had a growth spurt and what it meant for his gear.

Getting the materials for this hadn't been exactly easy the first time around.

"Thanks Angeal," he murmured, "I'm all set."

The light of the quarter moon was enough for him to find the paint tin and trace his markings through rote memory alone.

"How high is the heat index on that stuff anyway?" Genesis prodded.

"It starts melting at near a hundred 'n fifty. Why?"

"... Could I borrow some from you? I didn't bring my paint and 'Nix likes my designs." The reluctant answer and change in demeanor had Cloud handing it over.

Cloud stretched out all of his muscles and warmed them up slightly with a quick run through of ShinRa calisthenics.

He struck his swords and Fenrir burst into being with a burst of bright purple, brighter than it had ever been before. ~TWO PACKMATES? HAVE YOU FINALLY TAKEN MY ADVICE AND RAISED YOUR COMPANY?~

"I sorta had it raised for me, Fen. Pheonix woke Gen up and Alexander said something about me being..." Cloud said as he practically buried himself in his Summon's fur.

~AH. AS THEY ARE PACKMATES, SO TOO DO YOU FIT INTO THEIR SUMMON'S EQUIVALENT. ALEXANDER AND PHEONIX, YOU SAID?~

"Yes."

~HNN. IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE I SAW THEM LAST. I SHALL ENJOY TONIGHT NEARLY AS MUCH AS YOU WILL, OF THAT I HAVE NO DOUBT.~ Fenrir replied, giant tail wagging as Pheonix burst forth in a whoosh of white-gold flames, as Alexander broke from under the earth. ~DANCE WITH ME.~

The drumming that started matched the beat of his heart, the strike of the swords bringing with it sparks that lit into flames.

Cloud took a deep breath and reveled in the rhythm, the sway of his hips following something the book had never been able to teach. He spun, fought against invisible opponents and defended the innocent; his form spoke of a hero, of a man with something to cherish.

The story he wove this time ached in places Cloud didn't understand, a loss almost as great as that of Ma losing Papa.

A hero lost, a hero returned, a hero that didn't want to be a hero at all. One who believed himself a monster.

How he knew this or why filled him with a sorrow he could only express through moving his body drove him to dance it out.

The song sprang to mind again, Cloud lost in it once more.

It was the sunrise that snapped him out of it this time, Cloud heaving in deep breaths as the song faded.

Somehow, somewhere, he knew that his other Packmates had felt it too.

When Cloud began to dance, Genesis understood 'Nix's insistence with a clarity he rarely felt.

The way Cloud danced... He flew through Pheonix's flames and around Alexander's earth spires as if he'd been born to it. Angeal's drumming, always soothing, had picked up a new rhythm but it was one Genesis knew was tailored to Cloud.

Cloud's body wove a story of incredible heroism, of an unspeakable loss and somehow, Genesis felt it was right.

He'd seen it, heard it, read it and knew it so intimately that he didn't even fight the tears that sprang up.

Cloud understood this story on a fundamental level and told it through his actions.

{NOW YOU SEE, WHEN BEFORE YOU WERE SCEPTICAL. DID I NOT SAY HE WAS AN EMBER KEEPER?}

"Shut up, you old flame chicken. Let me enjoy this."

Genesis wondered if Cloud knew he was dancing out every act of LOVELESS.

Chapter Text

Cloud awoke surrounded by fur and two warm bodies.

«Fenrir, am I dreaming?» He croaked out in Nibel.

~NO, YOU PASSED OUT WHERE YOU STOPPED DANCING. YOUR PACKMATES WERE VERY GENTLE.~ came Fenrir's answer. ~HOW DO YOU FEEL?~

«I've had the best sleep in my entire life, hard ground nonwithstanding. I feel great, Fen.» Cloud hummed as he cracked open an eye to see how everyone was situated.

Angeal had tucked Cloud under his chin and Genesis had basically Blugued them; a tangle of limbs if there ever was one. Pheonix had his beak pillowed on Fenrir's flank and Alexander had hugged a familiar right foreleg.

The monsters that normally frequented the Plains were gone, vanished as if they never existed. Summons were monumentally powerful on their own but three?

Three made damn sure the party was never attacked.

~AGREED. YOU'RE READY TO APPLY FOR SOLDIER.~

«Wha-Now?! No. I'm not ready. I am so far from it—» Cloud argued, his tone approaching angry but concious of the super SOLDIERs still cuddling him.

~IT IS WHEN YOU FEEL THE LEAST PREPARED THAT YOU ARE, IN FACT, READY.~ Fenrir stated simply.

Cloud blinked at that, mulled it over and gave the faintest shrug. If Fenrir thought him ready then he wasn't going to argue. The god was wrong from time-to-time but never about the important things.

As for detangling, well, that was another matter entirely...

Cloud somehow managed to detangle himself without being hugged tightly. He didn't want to think about why but the rumor that the Generals and a Second were together flashed anyway.

Prepping his morning coffee took him a moment even as Pheonix shrank and accompanied him to the river, the flames not hurting in any way nor burning Cloud's half-cape.

"Am... Am I really an Ember Keeper?"

Pheonix gave a single solemn nod, the brilliant lapis eyes close to Genesis's color.

"I don't suppose I also belong elsewhere?"

Pheonix nodded again, this time with a very satisfied whistle.

"I guess I've got two more to meet."

At that, Pheonix nuzzled against his painted cheek.

"Thanks."

"He says you're welcome, by the way, and that you're one of the smarter Ember Keepers he's ever met." Genesis offered as he sniffed at Cloud's coffee. "What is that?"

"That, Gen, is a Nibel-godsdamned-secret. Despite coffee being a mostly tropical thing, there's a variety that survives in the Nibel mountains." Cloud snorted as he poured three cups from the Materia-chipped thermos he always brought with him. "It is the best fucking coffee you will ever drink."

"I call Dual Horn shit but I'll try-Oh Pheonix."

"Gen, you usually defend Mideelese coffee to the death. What-Oh Alexander."

Cloud sat back against Fenrir and smiled behind the rim of his cup. With domestic Dual Horn milk, it was damn near heaven in a cup.

~DO YOUR PACKMATES NOW SHARE YOUR COFFEE?~ Fenrir prodded.

«I love both kinds but I had to introduce them to Ma's version, Fen. If they're Packmates, it's just plain mean not to give them some at some point. Why not now?» He murmured in Nibel with mirth still coloring his tone.

~TRUE. WILL I BE PLAYING DELIVERY WOLF AT YOUR NEXT 229?~

"What's he saying?" Angeal asked as he pulled out soft bread rolls and handed one off to Cloud and then to Genesis.

"He asked if he was playing delivery wolf during my next 229. I suspect he knows the answer, don't ya Fen?" Cloud snorted after eating.

~RHETORICAL IT WAS INDEED, LITTLE WOLF. ASK, BEFORE I ASK IT FOR YOU.~

"So, ah, since you're my Packmates, I could use your opinion. Do you think I should try for SOLDIER again?" He requested quietly.

"Try... again? You've done it before?" Genesis questioned shrewdly.

"I currently hold the ShinRa record for attempts," Cloud confessed.

"Wait-an-Alexander-damned-minute. You're the..."

"The Nibel Blitz? Yeah. Forty-nine attempts and the physical is the only thing holding me back. I'm hoping a few years and a faithful routine of Nibel Dance has upped my chances. Fen says I'm finally ready."

"Yeah, I'd say you're ready. I don't know if you know, but having a 229 with us, either of us, is dangerous. Alexander's drumming produces earthen spikes and Pheonix calls up fire hot enough to scorch rock and you danced through it like you didn't even know it was there." Genesis placed emphasis on dancing through it and Cloud blushed. "If you're that good without Mako?"

"You'll be one of our best when you do have Mako." Angeal finished.

"Oh."

"Cloud... How many friends do you have?" Angeal inquired, a realization sparking in stormy blue eyes.

"You're looking at him." He said with a somewhat bitter laugh. "Fenrir's been it for most of my life. I can count one person as a friend; Tifa and her Summon, Shiva. I might have some in my troop but they're not... they're not exactly people I can count on outside of battle."

At that, Angeal stood and sat next to him, casually slinging an arm over his shoulder. "Well, you can add two more people to that list. Possibly three, considering my protégé will find out about this and will insist on being friends."

"What he said, Cloud." Genesis also pressed close and Cloud's lips pulled up into a genuine smile.

No one mentioned the scent of salty tears that dripped down his cheeks.

When they got back to ShinRa, Genesis and Angeal drew attention with Cloud in the center of them, matching red paint on Cloud and Genesis with Angeal sporting some bronze.

"Sir, may I ask why...?"

"Why Corporal Strife is with myself and General Rhapsodos? We so happened to have our 229s lined up and it's no fun alone, Staff Sgt. Mueller." Angeal was nonchalant about it. "Juliet Troop, wasn't it, Staff Sgt.?"

"Yes sir."

"Just the man I wanted to see in the ShinRa Corps." The way Angeal's hand landed on the silver pauldron spoke of trouble for Juliet's Sgt. "I feel like we have something to talk about. I hope you don't mind that we use my office."

"No sir." Mueller looked like he regretted whatever it was he'd done as Angeal released his pauldron.

"Strife, thanks for your paint. Would you mind parting from the recipe or is that specific to your Summon?" Genesis said in a normal tone.

"I think you can adjust it, sir, but no, it's not locked to my Summon."

"Mm, text it to me, would you? I've got to retro-file but I was so damned overdue I doubt the secretary pool will be too pissed at me." came the absent reply.

"How long, if you don't mind me asking? Sir?" Cloud was concerned about his Packmate.

Gen smiled to reassure him.

"Over a month and boy was 'Nix pissed at me for letting it stretch like that. See, look, he burned me, the brat." Genesis pulled up his sleeve to show Cloud a minor burn.

"He didn't burn me, Sir."

"He must like you then. I know of, what, four other people he won't burn." Genesis paused at the elevators and warned quietly, "Brace yourself, you're about to be very popular, Cloud."

"Thanks."

Cloud was popular; enough that it drove him to hide in spaces that most people couldn't get to without help from a Summon or if they were a SOLDIER.

"Heh, looks like I'm not the only one trying to escape the masses." Cloud turned to see a SOLDIER Second with a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. "No, no, don't get up and if you say sir, I might combust from the stuffiness. Name's Zack."

"Angeal's protégé?" He blurted before he could help himself.

"Oh. You gotta be Cloud!" The bright violet eyes crinkled as Zack shot him a blinding smile and sat down next to him, offering what smelled like hot chocolate. "Chocolate?"

"Yes, thank you." Cloud used his manners.

Fenrir perked up in his den in Cloud's head the longer they talked.

Zack kicked his boots back and forth and then asked abruptly, "Are you really The Nibel Blitz?"

"Yup."

"Coooool." Zack hummed before he turned to Cloud with a thoughtful expression. "Ang and Gen said you're, ah..."

"They're my Packmates as I'm their Armor and Ember Keeper." Cloud supplied wryly.

"Umm, have you ever heard of Typhoon?"

"He's a Western Water God."

"Yeah, you're... You're the Calm to my Storm."

"Oh. Then I guess you're a Packmate too."

~WELL SPOTTED, CLOUD. ONLY ONE REMAINS.~

"Well, Ang did say your Summon was Fenrir. It's about lunch. You wanna head under the Plate for it?" Zack asked.

"I've... never been."

"Never been...? Okay, well now you gotta come with me! They've got egg dumplings and Junon Spice Kick and a whole bunch of stuff that's better than what ShinRa feeds us. I mean, y'know, if you wanna come." Zack rattled off and then slowed sheepishly.

Cloud favored Zack with a soft smile and replied, "Sounds like an adventure."

"Whoop!"

Zack's energy was contagious, but in a good way, and Cloud hadn't had this much fun trying food in ages.

There was live music in the bar they'd settled at, Zack ordering several things and insisting on paying but talked about a variety of subjects, some of which Cloud knew extensively.

Zack also noticed that Cloud's foot was tapping along to the beat. "Do you sing?"

"No!" Cloud did laugh at that. "Dance, yes, sing, most certainly not. Fen and I tried, since it is his favored communication but... No, best not to hear me unless you want a headache."

"Guess we might've gotten the wrong Summon then," Zack snorted as he spoke after swallowing one of the best fries Cloud had ever eaten. "Ty loves dancing and I've got two left feet but—I've got a pretty decent voice so we worked something out."

"Yeah, sounds about right." Cloud chuckled as he heard the increased tempo of the band inside. "I know Ang does drumming but what does...?"

"Gen do? Oh, he can't sing worth a damn either. He plays the lyre. Fen's other Chosen, on the other hand, lives up to his name; he's got the voice of an angel." Zack pointed out with expansive gestures.

"This is going to sound weird but does Ty have any other Chosen here?" He asked.

"Mm-mm. Ty's region-locked too."

"What about Alex or 'Nix?" Cloud pressed.

"Nope. Just you and Fen's other friend share a Summon from the West. Granted, it's unusual but not impossible." Zack shrugged.

"I'm sorry about all the questioning. We've just met and all."

"No worries. You think he's also a Packmate?" Zack responded lowly.

Cloud's gut told him yes. "Mm-hmm. I feel like I know him already but where we've met before escapes me."

When Cloud showed up at the SOLDIER sign-in desk bright and early the following morning, the SOLDIER Firsts on duty handed over a clipboard with the written test.

Major Kaburagi gave him a thumbs up and Major Brooks mouthed, 'Good luck.'

They'd been there since attempt fifteen and did the same thing every single time Cloud showed.

His pen flew across the page, the answers long memorized at this point even with the questions switched around.

Cloud was the first done and, instead of sitting back down, headed straight for the course. He stretched the same way he did before his dance with Fenrir, clapped his hands twice and smiled at the shadow of his Summon. They bowed and Cloud went through his wind-down routine to warm up his muscles.

When the physical instructor saw Cloud, he groaned. "Strife, please. I don't think my course could take you on it again."

"Attempt fifty might be my best and last, sir." Cloud countered as he continued through his wind-down.

"... That's new." Major Goodman murmured in surprise.

"Not the only thing, sir, but it might give me an edge."

As the candidates lined up by name, Cloud watched as they either failed or passed with flying colors. He was always last but it didn't bother him.

When he was told to go, he cracked his neck and launched into a High Jump, avoiding the swinging wall.

"What the-"

Cloud slid under the burning spikes and spun to avoid the elemental spikes, bowing as though he had Fenrir in front of him to dodge the final one.

The obstacle course suddenly opened before him.

Cloud grinned like the wolf he truly was, literally dancing his way through the course.

The backhand spring over the final wall had him with enough energy to complete a spinning flip before he set his boot over the finish line.

"PASS!" Goodman roared from the other end, the shock and surprise evident in his tone.

Cloud, chest still heaving, was practically glowing with joy as he joined those who passed.

"Holy Ifrit, Strife, where in the seven levels were you hiding that?" Goodman inquired as he led the four of them that had passed to Medical.

"My, hah, my 229," he answered. "Took me a while to master it, sir."

At that, Goodman grunted, "Huh. Thank your Summon for me, will you?"

"Gladly, sir."

"... Strife, care to tell me how you have Mako already in your system?" The medical provider prodded.

"Huh?"

"Mako. In. Your. System. How?" The man repeated as though Cloud was stupid. "Step into a glowing pool as a kid, touched too much Materia barehanded...?"

"Used to drink from the natural Materia and Mako cave pools with my Summon. If it was good enough for him, good enough for me, yeah? He'd never hurt me on purpose." Cloud growled out, resenting the implication that he'd cheated on his physical.

"Natural pools?"

"Nibelheim, Doc. They're everywhere. Hells, it's hard to find water without Materia chips or Mako in it. It feels nice and you bathe it in, you drink it, you cook with it up there. It's better than snow water and twice as helpful." He explained with a shrug. "I just... I figured you filtered it out here in th' East."

"Strife, not everywhere has what you had access to; we import water or pull it from underground. Mako or Materia-laced water is uncommon beyond where you grew up. I suppose that would explain your levels; there's not enough to enhance you but it is in your body. At least we can start at a decent level for your test shot."

"Test shot?"

"Of Mako, son, so we know if you react badly to a larger dose than what you already have."

"Oh."

Cloud tugged at the purple uniform in disbelief before he grinned and spun on his heel to tug on his brand-new 229 red band.

On his way to the old Harley that Supply had conveniently 'forgotten' in Dock 20, he bumped into Zack. "Hey, lookin' good, SOLDIER Third!"

"Thanks Zack. I honestly can't believe it."

"Heading out?"

"Mm-hmm. I'm almost overdue. Major Henderson kicked me out of my office and told me to, in so many words, 'inhale some air that's not ShinRa's stale ass.' What about you?" Cloud admitted ruefully as he pushed his bike to the end of Dock 20.

Zack, Cloud'd learned, gave a hell of a puppy-pout if he was allowed to complete it. He was also upbeat and chipper and incredibly sweet.

Heavens help you if you gave Zack an inch, however; he took it and ran a mile instead. "Hah, I guess our surperiors had the same idea, only Ang told me to get out before he punted me across the VR Room."

"He said that?"

"Ehhh, in so many words in Angeal speech."

Which meant that Angeal had reached the end of his long fuse and had sent Zack to harass someone else.

"Well, I mean, Fen and I would appreciate the company." The tangential invite was all Zack needed to hear.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Did you bring your stuff?" He kicked the stand for his bike, having some idea as to Zack's reactions.

"Uh-huh. Thanks Spikey!" Cloud accepted the back-cracking hug with a rare smile.

It was hard to stay mad at the living embodiment of sunshine, after all, even if his Summon was the storm that came before it.

"You're welcome, Zack." He hummed as he mounted his bike. The dangerous sag at the back meant that Zack was on the bike too. "I don't think this bike can hold two."

"Well, no, but what about that one?" Zack pointed at the covered motorcycle, the one Cloud had been working on since he'd become a Third.

"He's not ready yet." Cloud blurted and then flushed. "That's my project bike; Fenrir."

"Like your Summon?"

"Yeah."

"Well, does he run?" Zack prodded.

"Like a dream. I've been trying to find the right time to debut it but... No time like the present, right?" Cloud asked.

"Right!"

Fenrir roared down the roads, rumbling as they idled at the checkpoint.

"By what authority do you leave Midgar?" Sgt. Leonid inquired properly.

"My 229, Sgt, and that of Captain Fair's." he responded, knowing his eyes were glowing faintly.

"2nd Lt. Strife! Nice to see you again, Sir."

"Likewise, Sgt. Leonid. Finally got that motion sickness taken care of, y'know." Cloud replied easily.

Leonid looked Fenrir over with a low whistle of appreciation. "I'd say so, Sir. Stay safe and have a good one."

"Noted, Sgt." Cloud murmured before he revved Fenrir's engine and opened him up on the highway, Zack's carefree laughter trailing them both.

Both of them faced the other way as they changed, Cloud's cape straps beginning to creak from the muscle he'd gained thanks the Mako in his system.

He painted his marks out of habit now, not even needing a mirror to trace them out.

When he turned around so did Zack. Cloud barely kept his jaw from dropping because the gauzy grey silk and blue chiffon wasn't what he'd expected to see on his new friend.

Zack's top was sheer, showing off a lot more than it covered, the glowing blue marks similar to Cloud's except they flowed like water.

"They're meant for a dancer. Yours though," Zack whistled softly, "now that's something you don't see everyday."

"They're meant for a dancer and Fenrir insisted I make it all by hand aside from my sheathes. At the rate I'm growing, I'm gonna need a bigger cape." Cloud huffed ruefully. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Cloud crossed his swords, producing a spark that flared into Pheonix and Cloud turned to see Genesis and Angeal ready as well.

The story that spilled from him was one of hope, even as his feet barely touched the ground for the joy swimming in his veins.

Zack's voice rose and fell in the rhythm Cloud knew like breathing, Angeal's drums and Genesis's lyre following.

The energy he felt was encompassing even as he clashed his swords together to frighten off evil influences to the story he wove.

Despite enjoying the song his Packmates gave him, Cloud felt someone was missing this time, now moreso than ever and he conveyed it into his moves.

Zack's voice took on a softer tone, as if to reassure him and Angeal's drumming slowed to match Genesis' quieter lyre.

When he finished, panting at the center of all three, Cloud channeled Fenrir and let loose a single, mournful howl.

Zack had never doubted the effort it had taken to get Cloud into SOLDIER but this... This had nearly undone him.

Cloud in his element was a sight to behold, if for nothing other than the fact that his body told an exquisite story.

Zack tried to match it with his voice, picking up a song that was both familiar and foreign all at once. It felt like Typhoon, like the push and pull of the tides and the flow of a river.

The freedom of Cloud's movements was tempered and then turned mournful.

:HE KNOWS WE LACK CALM. THE SONG IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT YOUR SERAPH; BRING HIM NEXT TIME AND THE SONG... THE SONG WILL RESONATE LIKE NOTHING YOU'VE EVER KNOWN.: Typhoon burbled, the Summon's steady presence anchoring Zack.

Zack couldn't wait to hear that song in the future.

When Cloud howled, eyes burning glacial blue as Fenrir overtook his Chosen, it was heartbreaking for the fact that it called for Sephiroth, the only one out of physical reach.

Chapter Text

When it came time to scrub off his markings, the crimson remained with vigorous scrubbing on Cloud's part until he turned pink.

"Fenrir, what's going on?"

~YOU'LL FIND THE OTHERS IN A SIMILAR PREDICAMENT, I'M AFRAID. IT'S NOT MY DOING BUT YOU NEED YOUR OTHER PACKMATE TO REMOVE THE PAINT.~

"Let me guess, a Summon that's above you." He griped sourly as he tugged on his uniform and dried his dripping hair.

Fenrir barked out a laugh at that, ~NO SUMMON IS ABOVE THE OTHER, ONLY ASSIGNED DIFFERENT DUTIES. THIS WOULD BE THE WORK OF OUR CREATOR; BOTH OF OUR CREATORS.~

"... Is that even allowed?" Cloud hissed out in a strangled tone.

~APPARENTLY. JUST LET THOSE WHO HANDLE SUCH THINGS KNOW THAT IT'S A SUMMON-RELATED ISSUE.~ Fenrir offered with the mental equivalent of a shrug.

He ran into Zack halfway to reporting it to his commanding officers.

"I guess Ty wasn't kidding when he said it was all of us." Zack whistled as he saw how pink Cloud's skin was around his paint.

"Fen said it's none of our faults, it's—"

"Our creators." Gen finished as he fell into line with them, Angeal taking Zack's other side. "'Nix said it too, the smug bastard."

"I suppose we have to wait until the last of the SOLDIERs get back from their missions. There are currently 43 out on missions, only 25 on serious ones outside of the Eastern Continent." Angeal supplied as Cloud looked at his blocky bronze paint.

Genesis sported white designs this time instead of Cloud's crimson, each more intricate than the last.

"I think it's the SOLDIER who shares mine." Cloud murmured as he walked. "Your friend."

He cocked his head to the side as his commanders all tripped on what amounted to thin air. "Where, ah, when did that come up?" Gen asked.

"With Zack, I had a... a feeling that I'd met him before."

"Hmm. Do you remember where?" Angeal inquired as they continued down the hall to Henderson's office.

"If I knew, it wouldn't be a mystery." Cloud snorted. "Sir, can we talk for a moment?"

Henderson looked up, dropped his jaw and then closed it with a chagrined click at the sight of Gen, Ang and Zack in the same predicament. "This have anything to do with a fellow Commander not coming out of his tent this morning?"

"It does," Angeal sighed, "I don't suppose he could be shipped back?"

"He made the request an hour ago. We'll see if the Director says yes, Sir." Henderson replied ruefully.

Cloud listened to the conversation absently as he combed over the Commander's List in his head, weeding out Commanders with well-known Summons. Only one fit the criteria, only one who's Summon had never been seen. "Oh."

"Something wrong, Strife?"

"No, sir. May I be dismissed sir?" He choked out.

"You're dismissed but—Strife!"

Cloud left the room quickly, taking the stairs two at a time to reach Floor 54, the rooftop balcony overflowing with his plants. He sat with his head hanging between his knees, breathing to keep from passing out.

Sephiroth, the Silver General, was his final Packmate.

How in the hells had he gotten so lucky?

~LUCK HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, CLOUD.~ Fenrir commented dryly. ~IT CAME ABOUT THROUGH A WISH, MADE BY YOUR SOUL IN A TIME YET TO PASS. YOU'RE AN AGENT OF CHANGE, AS THE WOLF AND DRAGON ARE TO THE NIBEL ENVIRONMENT. I TOLD THIS TO YOUR MOTHER YEARS AGO AND I TELL IT TO YOU NOW.~

"What do you mean, a time yet to pass?"

~JUST AS THERE ARE MANY SUMMONS, SO TOO ARE THERE PATHS CHOSEN BY ACTIONS THAT ARE EITHER TAKEN OR NOT. THE POTENTIAL PATHS FOR ALL OF YOUR PACKMATES END IN TRAGEDY, MADNESS OR DEATH. IT IS UP TO ALL OF YOU TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT PATH. WE SUMMONS CAN ONLY GUIDE AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.~

"What path is he on now?"

~A BETTER ONE THAN HIS LAST.~ Fenrir responded solemnly.

The whisper of boot tread on the concrete had Cloud's head snapping up, glowing blue meeting slit green and, oh, of course they'd met before.

Cloud sniffled as Fenrir licked at his scrapes from being pushed by the other kids in Nibelhiem.

"Fen, am I always gonna be alone?"

Fenrir huffed softly, blue eyes the same as Cloud's own. ~WHAT DOES THAT MAKE ME THEN? CHOPPED LIVER?~

"No! No, I love you. I mean... people? Tifa's nice but it's because we're the only two in town without the same Summon. Shiva's nice and she makes cool swords out of ice but..."

~YOU WANT COMPANY THAT WILL NOT MAKE FUN OF YOU FOR WANTING A PACK OF YOUR OWN. I... MIGHT HAVE SOMEONE THAT CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT.~ Fenrir murmured. ~YOU'LL HAVE TO GIVE ME A MOMENT BUT IF YOU MEET ME HERE THREE DAYS FROM NOW, I THINK I CAN HELP WITH YOUR NEED FOR HUMAN COMPANY.~

"Really?" Fenrir nodded and Cloud hugged him close. "Thank you, Fen."

~YOU'RE WELCOME, PUP.~

Cloud sat on the boulder, picking at the stick he'd brought with him, the bark giving slowly under his fingernails.

~CLOUD, MAY I INTRODUCE YOU TO SOMEONE?~ Fenrir murmured as he appeared in his smaller form, his shoulder nearly equal to Cloud's own.

"Yeah."

~THIS IS SEPHIROTH. HE DOESN'T GET OUT MUCH BUT I... CONVINCED HIS... CARETAKERS TO LET HIM OUT FOR THE WEEK.~ Fenrir huffed, the distain in his voice telling a story that Cloud understood. Sephiroth's parents weren't like his Ma, weren't like any of the other parents in Nibelhiem; they were mean to Sephiroth.

"Hi, I'm Cloud." He held out his hand to the silver-haired older boy, grinning when Sephiroth shook it. "Wanna go run?"

"I don't understand." Slit green eyes looked down at their hands and the grip shifted so that they were holding each other's hand. "... Is this okay?"

"Oh, right. Fen and I, we like to run with the Nibel wolf packs. Yeah, I don't mind if you don't." Cloud hummed, leaning against Fenrir. His Summon leaned against him before nudging Sephiroth too.

They ran with the packs, Cloud pouncing on a Nibel Mu and shaking it like the wolf pups did. He looked at Sephiroth to see if it was too weird but found the older boy doing the same. They drank from the funny glowing streams like Fenrir and the wolves did, knowing that it was safe to drink. He held onto his Mu, pushing the pups away with an absent hand as he dug for the red chips.

"What are you doing?" Sephiroth asked.

"Hmm? Oh, uh, the red stuff's Materia. If you let Fen rip open pieces, you can cook the Mus inside." Cloud chirruped, happy to tell someone other than Tifa.

"Oh. What are the blue ones?"

"Ice but Fen calls them something else. Green's for cuts 'n stuff that hurts. Purple we leave alone but only so they can match with each other. Yellow hurts if you hold it too long, but there's two kinds of yellow and you never know which is which 'til you touch it." He hummed as he stuffed the red into the cuts Fenrir had made.

"They have names, when they get big enough." Sephiroth offered as he tucked his own chips into his Mu.

"Really?" Cloud blurted, quiet but surprised because the pups were napping.

"I can... I can tell you the names, if you like?" Sephiroth offered.

"Would you?" He perked up and smiled.

Sephiroth smiled right back, starting off with, "Well, the red is Fira..."

Ma tucked both of them in at night after a long day of chase and hunt and play. She brushed Sephiroth's hair with a sad smile and braided it. They slept together, Cloud snuggled under Sephiroth's chin.

The week seemed both too long and too short all at once.

The day Seph had to go back, Cloud cried and Sephiroth, who rarely smiled and was very serious for a twelve-year-old, hugged him.

"Where-hic!-are you going?" Cloud mumbled against Sephiroth's chest.

"Midgar. I'm supposed to be the first SOLDIER."

"I'm gonna grow up and be one too, so we can see each other every day!" He decided with a firm nod and a swipe of his nose.

"It... It might hurt. Really, really hurt."

"So long as I'm with you and Fen, I should be okay." Cloud replied. "And there's always a Cure, right?"

Seph gave a quiet laugh and said, "I guess so."

Cloud couldn't help the wry smile that pulled at his lips as he said, "I'm okay."

Sephiroth's eyes widened and he mumured in reply, "I guess so." Cloud held out his hand and laughed as Sephiroth pulled him into a hug. "I thought I told you it would hurt."

"Well, there's always a Cure for that." He offered, mirth still in his voice as he inhaled familiar Nibel pine, cardamom and wolf fur.

"Uhhhh, guys, mind filling in the rest of us?" Zack prodded as three sets of boots paused at the top of the stairs.

"Seph?" Cloud asked, making sure his oldest friend was alright with sharing their time together.

"I'm alright. Cloud and I knew each other for a week, during the last time I was allowed out of the Mansion. He's the friend I told the two of you about and Zack later on." Seph stated even as he slid his gloved fingers against Cloud's scalp. He leaned into it with the same absent attention he had when Sephiroth had found the spot years ago.

"The boy who taught you about Materia chips?" Angeal asked.

"The one who knew their effects before their names?" Zack cocked his head to the side and then stuffed himself under Sephiroth's arm. Cloud only chuckled, taking Zack's hand and petting it.

"Ohhhh. Wolf boy. I thought you looked familiar but couldn't place where I'd seen you. It turns out I heard about you." Genesis murmured.

"Wolf boy?" Cloud huffed, reaching out from the cuddle pile and pulling Gen into it. "Rude, so rude to your Ember Keeper."

"My Packmate, only teasing." Genesis said as he tugged Angeal into the pile.

The paint finally washed off with all five of them together; blue, red, white, bronze and black, the last color the newest.

Cloud had duties to get to and did them to the best of his ability, knowing that at the end of the day his Packmates would meet with him.

When the ShinRa clock struck 1900, Cloud packed up neatly and smiled at the sight that awaited him at the door.

Sephiroth was leaning on the doorway, causing the SOLDIERs nearest to him to salute. He waved them off with a more casual salute, his gaze solely focused on Cloud. "Strife."

"Sir."

Both of them relaxed at the same time, Seph's tiny smile genuine as he offered his hand. "How was your day, Cloud?"

"Busy, but that's nothing new at ShinRa." Cloud accepted it with his own smile, welcoming Sephiroth's attention. He snorted as a Third startled his squad when he fainted. "Scare any Cadets?"

"Hardly. I finished my mission in half the required time in order to retrieve you from your office." Which meant that Sephiroth had probably fought his mission at full strength in order to come home faster.

"In a hurry to come home?" He teased, feeling warmth in his chest from the words.

"Can home be people?" Sephiroth asked as they got into the elevator, stil holding hands.

"It can be." Cloud mused, "I've always thought of my Packmates that way, even when I didn't know who they were."

"... Then you four are my home, my Pack. Fenrir swore to me once in my darkest times that I was not alone, that I would have a Pack to be truly proud of in the future. That I..." Here Seph paused, the elevator opening up on their shared floor. He led Cloud to his apartment, closing the soundproofed door and tapped on the doorframe before he finished. "That I would be happier than I was then."

"Well, I suppose we'll have to catch up. I haven't seen you in years, Seph. Tell me what you can?" Cloud requested as he kicked off his boots and wandered into Sephiroth's living room.

"Would you like dinner?" Sephiroth inquired, his body language unsure.

"... Only if I can help cook." Cloud quipped back, gliding into the kitchen to brush shoulders with his oldest friend.

So Seph wove a tale of sorrow, of the little joy he'd snatched in bits and pieces, of meeting Ang and Gen and Zack, of knowing that he had someone to come home to when missions went bad; he spoke until his voice went hoarse, until he curled around Cloud and whispered that he was glad he had Cloud in his arms again.

"You missed me that much?" Cloud whispered back.

"It was the week I was simply allowed to be and not only did you not judge me, you embraced me as I was, no questions, no lies... I held onto that week when everything went to hell, Cloud. I looked for you in every recruit we had until I could bear it no more." Seph murmured.

"I'm here now," Cloud sighed, "and I'll do my best to be there for you."

"Then it is enough."

"'Enough?'" Cloud prodded.

Sephiroth flushed at that, the pink that spread across his cheeks sweet in it's own way. "The rest of us... We're intimate."

"Oh." Cloud blinked at that, ran over the interactions of his other three Packmates and then went, "Huh. I've dated but it never went anywhere, mostly because our Summons weren't compatible. Fenrir wanted to be equals, not to submit because he was... Well, you know."

"Because they wanted you to submit, to be lesser than you were. You deserve to be yourself." Seph finished. "Would you mind a kiss?"

"A trial run, hmm?" Cloud questioned even as he reached his hands up to cup Seph's face.

"Yes."

Cloud met Sephiroth halfway, gasping as fire seemed to scorch through his body where Sephiroth touched, "Seph, gods, kiss me again?"

"Gladly."

"You owe me 200 Gil, Gen," Cloud heard as he was jostled against his pillow, which had a heartbeat. He groaned softly, lifting his head enough to see Sephiroth also half-groggy and holding onto him.

"Hold on, the bet was for full sleeping together, not napping like this." Gen scoffed.

"That was doing our beloved and our new Armor a dishonorable service." Angeal chided as he closed the door. "I doubt they got past kissing."

"Didn't," Cloud mumbled, snuggling back down. "Long day caught up."

"Ahh. You two down for some Wutainese take-out then?" Zack prodded as he petted Cloud's spikes. They were getting longer than he liked, really, and he was thinking about cutting them. "Nooo, please don't."

"Did I say that out loud?" He asked, more awake now and shuffling so that he was straddling Seph.

"Yup, but you do you, Cloud and if you want to cut it, then cut it." Zack shrugged as Cloud rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes.

"Well, my Ma loved my longer hair but it made me an easier target for the bullies. I... guess I could grow it out again. And yeah, definitely down for some Wutainese."

Seph grumbled, held him tighter and then snuffled. "Mmm, Wutainese sounds nice."

They sat together, Seph on one side, Zack on the other, Ang and Gen across from him and tangling their feet with Cloud's. Though the most noise was chewing, Cloud had never felt more at home.

The blue of the SOLDIER Second outfit contrasted with the red band of the 229, blond hair pulled into a casual bun as Captain Strife made his way to his motorcycle.

He readjusted his inventory bag on his leg as he waited for his Packmates to get out of their offices. Cloud pulled off the dust sheet for Fenrir in the mean-time, checking his bike over out of habit.

He was mostly done changing the oil when he heard a cleared throat, oil on one hand as the other lifted the bike.

A laughing green gaze met sheepish blue while he finished pouring the oil, the gallon whisked away by clever fingers, the oil cap screwed back on by another set of hands as the last set cleaned off his suddenly free hand.

"Looks like you can hide the bike from the mechanic but the mechanic finds it anyway, less than ten minutes before we're supposed to leave." Gen said as he shook his head with a fond look.

"Caught me. Now what are you gonna do?" Cloud teased even as he set Fenrir down carefully.

"Hmm. Have we caught a kissing Cloud?" Zack asked, sweeping Cloud off of his feet the second Fenrir's kickstand was on the ground.

"Why don't you find out?" he hummed before pressing his forehead against Zack's, long strands brushing against Zack's face. Zack moved his lips into a kiss but waited for Cloud to meet him, grinning into their kiss like he always did. "Are you always going to ask?"

"Mmhmm. Consent's important, even for stuff that doesn't seem like it. You ready for our 229?" Zack replied sweetly.

"I like the sound of that; our 229." Cloud agreed.

Cloud dressed with care, his half-cape adjusted and bigger than it had been. He painted on his crimson designs out of habit, surprised to find Sephiroth's outfit mirrored his own. The only difference was that Sephiroth had a sheer black shirt that matched Zack's in design and that his wolf fur was nearly gunmetal grey.

"No swords?"

"Fen said I didn't need them. I can dance without them, however-" Seph started when Cloud had a moment of realization.

"It isn't meant for one dancer. Nibel Dance, it's... It's for partners." He muttered, looking at the swords and then back at Seph. "Two or more."

Sephiroth frowned at that, as though running the moves through his own mind and slowly nodding in agreement.

The song that started this time was different but filled Cloud with joy nonetheless.

He clanged his swords to summon Fenrir, delighted when Pheonix arrived from the sparks that lit and Alexander thundered from the ground at Angeal's first drum beat.

Typhoon erupted as soon as Zack started singing, Sephiroth joining both Cloud and Zack.

Sephiroth's voice blended with Zack's, the words echoing across the plains as Angeal drummed and Genesis used his lute to full effect. Cloud wove around and against Sephiroth, both of them locked in a dance that sang of lost love, of betrayal and banishment. They spun and jumped, with moves that looked like they were locked in a bitter battle that ended in death, Sephiroth jumping high and falling into Cloud's arms.

Sephiroth sang the last part, his voice nearly cracking with the emotions in it.

"Fen said that we had a hard path ahead of us." Cloud whispered, as he cradled Sephiroth close.

~THE WOLF CHANGES THE RIVER'S COURSE MERELY BY BEING THERE.~ Fenrir reassured as he curled around Seph and Cloud. ~A FULL PACK WILL BE ENOUGH TO CHANGE FATE.~

Sephiroth felt the music course through him and grip his heart, the meaning suddenly changed with Cloud joining them.

Then he danced with his newest Packmate and everything slotted into place. He raised his voice in song to match Cloud, to show his new beloved that he was worth it. Oh how quickly it had turned into an echo of something he'd done or had yet to do and it frightened him.

Fenrir had warned him that bottling up his emotions hadn't turned out well in the future yet to come so he broke his unspoken rule.

Surrounded by his Packmates, Sephiroth clung to their strength and shared his fear of the voice that had begun speaking to him.

The one that wasn't Fenrir, a voice claiming to be his Mother.

Chapter Text

When Genesis started getting quiet and moodier than usual, Cloud knew the future that was to come and the present were crashing into one another full force.

He reached for Fenrir, for Phoenix and grabbed Gen's arm when his most tempestuous Packmate was about to go AWOL.

"Stay, please," he half-asked, half-ordered. Something told him that Gen leaving was the single thread that unraveled everything. "I know someone in the slums that might be able to help."

"With this?" Gen snarled, flashing the wound, the black crackling the most alarming part of it.

"Even that," Cloud promised, keeping his grip light but firm. "Ang, don't even think about getting up from that chair."

"Let go, Cloud." Genesis pushed at his grip but it was half-hearted at best. It was the relief in his eyes that spoke louder than his actions.

"No." He drew himself up to his full height, nowhere near that of his lovers, and stood his ground. "We're Packmates. We figure this out together, not alone. If that means Strife stubborness has to fight stupid Rhapsodos temper and Hewley honor then so be it."

Gen stopped fighting, swaying in Cloud's grip before he leaned on Cloud with a defeated sigh. "My temper's no match for Nibel stubborness."

"If you really want to leave, we will, but not before we fix that." Cloud told him with a shrug.

"You're leaving, Gen?" Zack's kicked puppy expression had Gen wilting even further into his hold. "Without us?"

"I... I suppose that I didn't think I could lean on my Embers. That I had to suffer quietly and alone." Genesis replied quietly. "'Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess.'"

"It was our fight that caused that wound, wasn't it?" Sephiroth questioned, his worry clear with the spike in cardamom. "I'm sorry, Gen." Seph lifted Genesis up and carried him to the couch, doing the same for Angeal. "Cloud, you said you knew someone?"

"Either we're going to have to sneak her up or sneak them down, both of which are dangerous." Cloud mentioned, "The only time we're not monitored is..."

"The 229." Angeal muttered, the sharper angle of his cheeks a warning of their own; SOLDIERs never got sick or lost weight.

"I... I think I might be able to help with that? I know Cessnei has been looking for a new 'Honeybee'," here Zack used airquotes with an eyeroll, "in order to 'entertain' us as the Elite Command group. Would that person be comfortable with being... Well, y'know."

Cloud snorted in amusement. "Seeing as she's friends with a lot of Honeybees, I don't think she'll mind the deception. But the trouble lies in seeing all of us down there or her up here."

"We'll break it up." Angeal murmured even as he leaned on Gen. "Seph and I in casuals, Zack and Gen and then you. That way we get support and it doesn't look odd. Bringing her up here is worse because of Hojo and Hollander like to 'check' the girls over after they leave us. I take it that because she can help us with our problem, she wouldn't benefit from one of those."

"Definitely not," he said wryly. "Down to the slums it is."

Angeal and Seph went first, the red bands the only sign that they were ShinRa affiliated. After a nerve-wracking thirty minutes, Aerith let him know via Fenrir that she had them.

~SHE HAS RECIEVED YOUR PACKMATES IN HER ROOMS. LET YOUR OTHER PACKMATES KNOW THAT THEY MAY COME DOWN.~

"Thanks Fen." He pressed a kiss to Fenrir's nose, glad for the red band on his own arm.

~YOU CREATED ANOTHER PATH. WE SHALL YET SEE IF IT IS THE CORRECT ONE.~

"Round Two is ago." He murmured and they set off for the slums.

After waiting for a full hour and a half, Cloud slipped down to the edge of the Plate, spiral jumped and landed in the Train Graveyard with a somersault and a back-hand spring that took the energy of the fall. He waited with bated breath for the Infantry to notice his landing in order to sneak past them.

Cloud pulled a burnt cloth off of the ground and covered his frame with it, wrapped in strategic places in order to blend in. He meandered slowly towards the Honeybee Inn and then made his way up into Aerith's 'room' with a calculated High Jump that hid him from ShinRa survelliance.

When he tumbled into the room, he was greeted with a slender blade close to his face. "Oh for Fenrir's sake, it's me, Gen."

"Better safe than dead and some Turks can climb if given enough motivation." Gen grumbled. "We're all here, Ms. Gainsborough."

"Oh good!" Aerith clapped her hands together and Cloud felt a Silence and a Barrier slide into place. "Cloud, you called this, ah, meeting?"

"Genesis and Angeal are sick. I was hoping you could see what was wrong?" He supplied simply. "I don't expect you to do anything you're uncomfortable with, Aer."

"I know what's wrong but it's not an easy fix," Aerith confessed, her tone reassuring. "Obviously Angeal and Genesis are showing signs earlier but you're all sick." Cloud, Sephiroth and Zack all rocked back on their heels at that. All of them? "If it helps any, every SOLDIER has it and it is curable."

"So how...?" Cloud started, looking at his Packmates with worry, squeezing Seph and Zack's hands when they reached for him.

"I can show you but not here. How fast can you run?" Aerith asked.

The Turk standing in front of the broken down church had dark hair. Zack and Cloud shared a look and stopped first, motioning that the other three jump up high to hide.

Aerith wandered into sight and cheerfully greeted the Turk with, "Hello Tseng. You're out later than normal."

"Unfortunately, we've missing SOLDIERs."

"Missing? That's a first, Spike, especially on our 229s." Zack drawled as he leaned on one side of the doorway. Cloud leaned on the other side, their red bands clearly visible. "Where'd you hear a silly thing like that, Tseng?"

Their paint glowed in the low light, Cloud's crimson and Zack's sapphire reflecting off of Tseng's pressed lips and unamused expression. "You know who I mean."

"The Generals? They're at our usual place." Well, Cloud wasn't lying necessarily.

Fenrir, Pheonix and Alexander had changed the shape of an avatar to that of their Chosen, so yes, technically the Generals were in their usual place.

"We were listening to our Summons, as one does during a 229, and they lead us here. You're not interfering, are you?" Zack said with a tone so saccharine that even Tseng winced. Interfering lead to destruction and Typhoon more so than most as a Western water god.

"No. Good night, Commander Fair, Captain Strife... Ms. Gainsborough." Tseng gave a slight bow and melted into the shadows. Cloud made sure he left and didn't bring a tail along but it seemed that the threat of Typhoon's power unleashed in Sector Five was threat enough.

"Please, come inside."

All five of them stepped into the church.

Cloud couldn't help the smile as Angeal dropped to his knees before the flowers, his fingertips hovering a hairsbreadth from the petal of a white lily. "How do you grow them here? There's... There's barely any sunlight."

"It's the reason I can help but first I need to tell you a story. Will you hear it?" Aerith questioned, her face serious as she sat in front of the flowers as well.

"Of course." Angeal replied.

"If it helps get this closed, I'm all ears for a good tale." Gen huffed as he eased himself down next to Ang with a wheeze and Sephiroth's help.

"Fire away, flower girl." Zack chirruped.

Sephiroth nodded wordlessly, allowing Gen to lean on him for support as Zack did the same for Ang.

Cloud smiled as he pillowed his hand on his chin, ready to hear her.

"As humans breathe on the Planet, so too does the Planet breathe. She created Summons first, each a master of the element they came from..."

It took every ounce of Cloud's self-control not to vomit when he realized what Hojo had put in him and especially in Sephiroth.

Aerith had said it was Curable, he reminded himself, and his trust in her had yet to prove him wrong.

Thier Summons appeared, each of them taking on their smaller avatars and snuggling close. Fenrir laid between Cloud and Sephiroth, eyes half-closed at the attention they were paying him.

~WHAT NOW SPEAKER OF THE PLANET?~ Fenrir asked, racing his head from the broken floorboards to look Aerith in the eyes. ~THERE ARE MANY PATHS YET, NONE CLEAR ENOUGH TO MAKE A CHOICE.~

"It's Cloud's choice, as it always is, Wolf of the Mountain." She replied serenely.

Cloud chewed on his lip, leaning against Fenrir as he mulled over the choices. Stay with ShinRa and die, leave and be well enough to take on JENOVA or a path that wasn't readily available.

"You said that you had... friends." He started hopefully.

"Well, they're not friends, not yet. Two are here and the rest scattered. It will put you into direct conflict with ShinRa Sr. should you join them." She admitted with a shrug.

"Just Sr.?" Zack had a pensive expression and Aerith smiled fondly even with the sadness that lingered in her eyes. "AVALANCHE?! You want us to join AVALANCHE?"

"Just two of them and technically just Cloud. We need you four to keep up a ruse and yes, unfortunately, get a bit sicker before I can heal you. Take as many SOLDIERs as you can when you do go, please?" Aerith asked. "You can get a PHS down here that can tap into ShinRa lines without being ShinRa traceable."

"Cloud has to go AWOL to save us?" Angeal's frown was kissed away by Zack pecking his temple but the sentiment remained.

"Mmhmm."

"Apparently a bit ecoterroristy too but I'll take that over dying any day." Gen scoffed.

"I'll do it." He said, his hand clenched in Fenrir's ruff. "To save my Packmates and the Planet, I'll do it."

~THE PATH HAS CLEARED. IT WILL NOT BE EASY, CLOUD, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE BETTER ONES.~

Cloud went AWOL the day before his next 229, the red band slashed down the center of the ShinRa logo and left where it could be seen.

He hid at the Gainsborough's for a few weeks before putting it out there that he was an ex-SOLDIER mercenary in need of work. Predictably, three offers were Don Corneo under different hats, two discreet ones from companies competing with ShinRa that he did take and the one he was looking for told him to meet at the Seventh Heaven Bar in Sector Seven.

Cloud set one foot over the threshold when he heard a familiar gasp.

Blue met wine and then, in sync—

"You?!"

"How'd you know this merc?" The man with the gun-arm hissed quietly at Tifa, some distance from Cloud like he couldn't hear every word. "I hired him yesterday!"

"We grew up in the same small town, Barret. We were the only two kids with Summons different from the rest." Tifa fired back, her boot tapping against the floor of the bar. Oh boy. "How could I not know?"

Barret looked over at Cloud, looked at Tifa and sighed heavily. "Well shit."

«We need to talk.» Cloud said after they made their way back to his little corner of the bar. «Is there a private place?»

Tifa started at the Nibel and then took his hand, leading him upstairs and to the left. «I haven't heard that in a long while. Papa... He... Something's not right with Nibelheim. I left with Master Zangan a year ago.»

«Ma's letters have been getting cryptic, that's for sure. I think my thing is intertwined with your thing. Do you know about the flowers in Sector Five?» he prodded.

«Oh. I've heard about them and there's a girl who sells them for a Gil a piece. Why did you say...?» Tifa hesitated, sensing there was more to his question than he let on.

«Look, I made it into SOLDIER but there's something rotten in what they use to make them. Like I said, I think your thing and mine are part of the same problem.»

«ShinRa.» she sneered, realization lighting up familiar wine eyes.

«Knew I could count on you. I've got inside intel on ShinRa Reactors if you need it and I'll do what you need but I've got hard limits.» Cloud grinned at her quick catch.

Tifa looked at him and murmured, «What're your limits?»

«I'm not killing ShinRa personnel. I'll knock them out, I'll status them to hell and back but I'm not permanently incapacitating them if I can help it. I'm coaxing as many SOLDIERs as I can away from ShinRa. I'm definitely not hurting my lovers, either—» he started listing off.

«Lovers?! I... I didn't know...»

«The Generals and a Commander and no, you can't share that information. They're my Packmates; equivalent to your Spring Thaw.» Cloud admitted.

«I'd never harm your Packmates. It's our secret, hmm, like old times?»

«Yeah.»

Cloud did as he promised Tifa; he never killed a single ShinRa employee. It was his only condition upon hire and his will in regards to it's enforcement was iron-clad.

He used the flat of Tsuguri's blades, the non-sharp edges and status Materia.

It got to the point that the ShinRa employees just surrendered when they saw him at the head of the distraction AVALANCHE parties.

"Seriously, Strife, hate seeing you on the other side." Sgt. Haise grumbled as Cloud tied him up.

"Ever think I'm here for a reason?" He murmured back as he guarded them. "Ever wonder why I don't just kill your squad outright when I have the ability? Why you're still alive?"

Haise blinked at his pointed questions and replied, "Well, why are you there?"

"I've found something rotten at the center of ShinRa." Cloud responded, shaking his head and feeling the strands of his high ponytail brush his pauldron as a Private tried to toe a sharp piece of metal. "I wouldn't do that Pvt."

He unsheathed Tsurugi with a meaningful look.

"Yeztal, son, just don't. You'd really rather be that other squad?"

The other squad being far more injured and bleeding, guarded by a member of AVALANCHE who didn't bother hiding their disgust.

"No, Sgt."

"Might have promotion potential, Sgt. Ballsy enough to be a Corporal for sure." He recommended.

"Noted, sir."

It all came to a head three months later, Genesis taking nearly all the Seconds and Angeal all the Thirds.

Sephiroth stabbed ShinRa Sr., the splatter of blood in the office high-velocity enough that Cloud knew his lover had lunged with his full strength.

Considering the man had essentially commissioned Sephiroth from Hojo, well, dying was the least of the man's problems.

Zack managed to coax all but two of the Firsts, each of them sprouting black wings and killing each other before Zack could separate them.

They all met in Cosmo Canyon, Cloud buried in a pile of his Packmates and laughing as they basically tackled him.

"So, uh, Generals? Why are we falling in with Strife?" Kunsel asked when they'd gathered together. "Thought he was AWOL and persona non grata at ShinRa."

"I left for a reason," Cloud replied easily.

"SOLDIER is sick, physically. What makes us SOLDIERs will..." Gen started, listing until Zack caught him.

"It'll turn us mad and we'll kill a lot more than each other if it gets much further." Zack reluctantly completed, more serious than he'd ever been. "Frost and Jackal killed each other in ShinRa after I asked them to leave with me. Anyone sprouting feathers?"

A good third of the Firsts raised their hands and a handful of Seconds as well. Gen, 'Geal and Sephiroth also sported them, though theirs were much further along.

"Those with half or full wings are sicker than the rest." Sephiroth murmured, mantling his singular wing so that it rested against his right side.

"The good news is that it can be Cured. Bad news is, our Cure currently sits in Sector Five and is heavily guarded by the best Turks. We need a distraction team, a defense team and a rotation schedule so that everyone gets Cured over the next few months." Cloud offered, even as he leaned against Seph.

""What happens after we're Cured?"" Sevard, a Third, questioned, his voice small but still asking.

"You can do what you'd like, so long as you don't lose your SOLDIER honor." Angeal, with two massive white wings, replied. "Or you can stay with us and fight what made us sick in the first place."

""And what's that?""

"ShinRa." Genesis snorted, fluffing up his two black wings.

"You have a week to decide. Cosmo Canyon cannot hold us for more than that without drawing undo attention to themselves." Sephiroth ordered. "That is my final order as your General, because if you fight with us, it will be as friends and equals."

It was Cloud who ended up being the whole of the distraction squad.

Nibel Dance, according to those who were not part of his Pack, was incredibly difficult to look away from and the music that came with lulled them into a sense of peace.

The wings that grew in were a surprise, considering Cloud had much less of JENOVA in his system. When he asked Aerith at the end of a long day of healing SOLDIERS, she sighed and leaned against his newest wing, the third in nearly as many months.

"Well, you and Sephiroth are always connected. No matter the path, you two always gravitate towards one another. It's your relationship, good or bad, that decides the Fate of the Planet." Aerith replied, snuggling under his other wing.

"You're telling me it's because I'm sleeping in the same bed as my lovers." Cloud snorted.

"That and you have a... history with JENOVA." She picked at the dirt under her fingernails. "I can't say anymore than that."

One by one, squad by squad, the SOLDIERs were Cured by Aerith's Greater Gospel Limit Break.

Cloud wondered how heavily it weighed on her at times, being burdened with knowledge she couldn't share.

AVALANCHE didn't know what to do with the influx of SOLDIERs willing to help their cause for reasons unknown.

So, between the squad leaders and Cloud's Pack, they sent them out to do the same jobs they always did; monster exterminations and helping people get along the increasingly dangerous roads.

Three more wings grew in, paired and large enough to allow him to fly.

Genesis grew two more, all of them stabilizing with either four or six wing sets.

ShinRa made more SOLDIERs but none of them lasted against the healed ones, all of theirs marked by their old 229 bands ripped apart and trailing against their biceps or wrapped around their wrists.

All of the former SOLDIERs took up Cloud's policy of not harming ShinRa personnel aside from those of the science department.

That was a personal vendetta, after all, and one Cloud often joined.

"You're destabilizing, aren't you?" One of them spat at Cloud, whose wings lazily flapped to keep him in the air.

Cloud spiraled down and laughed in his face, "Put too much of something in a body and it migrates to less crowded areas. I'm as stable as I'm going to get, thanks to my Generals and my Commander."

"You—GURGHK!"

"By all means, finish that sentence. Let's see how far you spray that blood." Genesis purred, Rapier's tip turning a deeper red as a single drop of blood spilled down its edge.

"I thought it was all the Mako-tainted water we were drinking." Zack hummed as he joined Cloud, oilslick colored wings tangling briefly with Cloud's white.

The others swore up and down that they were pearlescent but Cloud couldn't see it.

"Or the fact that JENOVA likes to share." Angeal drawled from the shadow of his pitch black wings.

"In none of those situations do you make it out alive to report to Hojo or Hollander." Sephiroth murmured silkily as he descended, landing so lightly that the only thing that made a sound were his wings. "So, which sword will you choose?"

"Make a choice or one will be made for you," Cloud murmured as he unsheathed the Hollow Blade to examine it in the low light.

"None, you-" the man's eyes had been tracking the Hollow Blade, fear revealing the whites of his eyes.

"Tsk, tsk, little minion. Choice made then." Genesis purred as he cleaned Rapier to sheathe it and Angeal's hand left the Buster.

"Wait, wait, WAIT—"

The quicksilver of Cloud's Omni-slash left nothing but cracked glasses and blood dripping down the corrugated metal walls.

The last to be Cured, his Pack chose to do Nibel Dance in front of the Church.

Cloud and Sephiroth bowed to Fenrir, hands clasped as the music filtered in through the wind, eyes closed as it began.

Two matching ripped 229 ribbons wrapped around their wrists.

This time, Cloud and Seph danced as equals—six white wings brushing against black, black paint smearing against dripping crimson.

Cloud tossed a sword to Sephiroth and they fought invisible opponents, thier swords clashing to produce sparks that drew in Genesis and then Angeal as the drums thrummed. Zack's voice twining with Seph's caused goosebumps to form as it began to rain, the glowing green storm not Typhoon's doing.

They wove around their Packmates, the dance changing, becoming playful as they shed blackened feathers.

Feathers that turned green, vanished within the LifeStream; JENOVA's influence gone as though it had never been.

Aerith stepped out, her green dress matched by the pale pink petals of paint dripping down her arms.

She fit as though she'd been born for the part, Gen's lyre joined by a wooden flute Aerith placed against her lips.

Cloud tugged Sephiroth up and they flew through the hole at the top of the Church, spinning together in the glow of Midgar before landing at the edge of the flowers.

"Aerith?"

"None of you are sick anymore. The wings are unfortunately permanent; I gave all I could to remove Her from you. Only the five of you have those. I managed to get to everyone else before the wings became anchored." She said with a faint shrug.

Cloud looked at his Pack, looked at their wings, the four and six sets a sight he'd grown used to and gave his own shrug. "Better than the future that once awaited."

Chapter Text

Wutai—having been at a loss with ShinRa and its missing SOLDIERs—had been granted a permanent peace by Cloud's Pack with their SOLDIERs. ShinRa gave the island nation a waiver that said so long as they didn't interfere with ShinRa battles, peace was theirs.

Wutai could start rebuilding, repairing forts and villages across the island.

... If it so happened that Cloud's SOLDIERs and their businesses gave to Wutai then that was their own perogative.

If AVALANCHE found Wutainese supply boats abandoned near frequent spots, well, how terrible the storms between Wutai and the Eastern Continent.

ShinRa had no clue that they were fighting a war with multiple fronts and without their Generals, the company was slowly spelling out its own doom.

Tracking JENOVA became a terrible game of Cuahl and Mu, ShinRa one hasty hop ahead of them by barely a hair.

Since none of them had a physical connection anymore they had to rely on Sephiroth's intuition and Aerith's infrequent calls.

The SOLDIER squads broke off and settled into cities, most of them on the Eastern Continent with a few heading home in the West.

Cloud's PHS went off and he answered groggily, piled as he was between his loves. "'Llo?"

""She's in your hometown and she hasn't moved in a week. I think they're tired of moving her."" Aerith chirruped into his PHS.

"Do you know where?" He was suddenly wide awake and his lovers all shuffled as he put her on speaker.

""No but I know the ground around her will be unhealthy and that she'll effect those she's around.""

"... Like Tifa's Dad. Can Fen lead us to Her?" Cloud questioned abruptly, the epiphany that snapped to the front needing clarification.

""I guess there's a reason you were a SOLDIER Second,"" she teased over the phone, ""Good luck!""

When the tone started, Cloud closed his PHS.

"Who's Tifa?" Zack yawned, scrubbing at his face to get the eye crusties.

"My other childhood friend; she and I were the only ones with a different Summon amongst the kids. She had Shiva, I had Fen, everyone else had Odin or Ifrit." He explained as he flicked a wing forward to groom it.

"If I may, why are you so comfortable with Aerith?" Angeal asked as he groomed his own wings.

"Something tells me that I loved her once, the same way I love you now. Tifa too, before you ask, but now it's more like they're the sisters I never had. Fenrir said this path was different but that echoes of the first one would... appear, for lack of a better word." Cloud spun a loosened feather between his fingers, the white of it in the mountain sunlight almost making it shine.

"Hmm. I think our wings are echoes, at least for Ang, myself and Seph." Genesis replied as he mantled his wings and made for the tent entrance after giving each of them an absent peck.

"He's right." Sephiroth was staring at his own right wing, the one that was slightly larger than the rest. "I remember you both with wings but not quite so many. Both of you-"

"You died." Zack said softly, staring at his hands in a particularly solemn mood. "All of us but Cloud, I think."

Cloud shook his head firmly, snapping his wings out and surprising his lovers. "We're on a better path now. The future that was and the present are merely that; events. It's up to us to take it in a better light."

"Yeah! Besides, those guys made bad choices and we didn't thanks to our Storm Cloud~" Zack chirruped, an echo of Aerith's tone but Cloud ignored it.

"I told you that in confidence Zack!" Cloud tackled his lover into the mattress, wings hiked even as he was laughing.

"Ahhh, death by Storm Cloud is best-Ack! Ehehehe, Cloooooud no!" Zack yelped before he broke into helpless giggles.

Cloud led them up the mountains, their fights with the Dragons and the Mako-maddened wolves taking their own sort of toll.

They arrived just after the sun set over the mountains, all of them dirty, dusty and sore as hell.

His hand signal had his Pack hiding as Cloud went forward.

What little activity was in front of the Inn was quickly abandoned as a figure Cloud knew intimately approached him with a lance in her hand.

"That's as far you get, stranger." Her voice in Common was harsh, unyielding and Cloud smiled at the sight of his Ma. "What've you got to be smiling about?"

«Is that my welcome home, Ma?» he asked in Nibel, stepping into the light of the Inn.

«Cloud!» Ma dropped the lance and hugged Cloud to her. In what might be called a minor miracle, her hands somehow missed his mid-wing sets. «What are you doing home?»

«It's a mission, Ma.» he told her but his tapping against her lower back told another story.

CAN'T TALK HERE.

«It's my boy, back for a mission from ShinRa! Go on, shoo.» Ma barked and his old tormentors looked at the gleam of Tsurugi's blades.

Cloud bared his teeth in a grin that was decidedly unfriendly; yes, he remembered and no, he wasn't about to forgive them. The hand-signal he gave his lovers meant that they should follow him at a distance. Nibel locals weren't known for being friendly and especially so for returned locals who'd seen the world outside.

Strangers would send them into a fit; strangers with wings would ignite an absolutely apocalyptic reaction.

Ma led the way, knowing that Cloud could see her in the light of the quarter moon.

Fenrir loped along beside him, Lancelot of the Knights greeting Cloud with a welcome hug and kneeling to give Fenrir the same treatment. Lancelot's fingers caught in Cloud's longer hair, a question coming from the Summon he'd grown up with as the Summon detangled himself.

{WHEN DID YOU GROW IT BACK OUT?}

«Recently. SOLDIER hair grows faster. It's been about a year, roughly.» Cloud hummed as he repeated his hand signal into the darkness.

{YOU HAVE FRIENDS THAT NIBELHEIM WOULD NOT WELCOME,} Lancelot guessed shrewdly as Cloud tucked his hand into his pocket.

«Packmates, actually. Please don't tell Ma.»

{WILL YOUR PACK BE WANTING DINNER?}

«I... Yeah, actually.»

{IF YOU DO THE DISTRACTING, I'LL MAKE ENOUGH DINNER.} Lancelot murmured, giving Cloud a companionable nudge.

«Thanks, Lance.»

{DON'T THANK ME JUST YET, YOUNG STORM.} Lancelot warned as they reached the cottage door.

Cloud caught up with his Ma and then she zeroed in on his wings, tightly furled against his back.

«What's that?» she asked. It was the same tone she'd used when he'd brought her raw Mu as a kid.

«Ah... Wings?» Cloud relaxed, his half-open wings spreading nearly the length of the living room. The tips brushed against the ceiling and Ma gasped. «I... Aww Hels Ma, I'm not here on a mission. I'm here for what's makin' Nibelheim weird.»

Ma reached for one, Cloud extending his upper right wing for her to feel.

She gently carded through the feathers and then removed her fingers. «You'll find it at the Mayor's house, then, Storm Cloud. The man's been makin' demands no Mayor has the right to make. His own daughter's left an' poor Nessa's a frightened Chickabo next to him. If you can fix this, I'm with you.»

«Thanks Ma.» Cloud relaxed into the quilted blanket on the ratty couch.

«... Now what's this I hear about friends of yours?»

«Lance, you liar!» He yelled into the kitchen, hearing the Summon laugh.

{I NEVER PROMISED NOT TO TELL HER, REMEMBER?}

«Betrayal from my second parent. I see how it is...» he grumbled as he crossed his arms.

«Well, if they want baths, they'll need to get the water. I won't intrude but would you bring them in after I've gone to bed?»

Ma invented the flimsiest excuse known to man or Summon before she kissed Cloud on the forehead, stroked his cheek and then meandered off to bed with a meaningful look at the back door.

He opened the back door, let loose a tiny whistle and nearly broke cover as he was surrounded by his Packmates.

"Cloud, I love you t-to death but t-the difference between your cold a-and our cold is incredibly different-t-t!" Genesis hissed, stuttering as he snuggled.

Cloud ushered them all inside, closed the door and poked his face into the kitchen, relieved to see Nibelheim's hearty stew still burbling on the stove.

He'd have to thank Lancelot later.

Cloud shut the blinds and motioned that they strip down to bare chests. Genesis hissed again, even quieter while Angeal and Zack nodded in agreement. Sephiroth stripped out of his coat and it made a horrible crackle as the ice sloughed off in front of the fireplace.

"M-my apologies, Cloud."

He shook his head and started gently chuffing their extremities. Angeal picked up the idea and did the same for Genesis, softly cooing to him to soothe Genesis's rather short temper.

Gen hated the cold and his Summon only shared his views.

Zack snuggled close to Cloud and Cloud worked between his lovers before leaving them to get warm by the fireplace. He worked on Angeal, much to Gen's chagrin, and then ushered all of them into the bathroom.

"Ma said you had to collect your own water but who does that when they've got Materia?" Cloud had the bath water lukewarm at first, scrubbing off mountain dust and splashing his lovers with water.

He heated it up and left them to soak while he built what amounted to a blanket fort complete with pillow beds.

When he went to get the food, Genesis joined him in ferrying bowls of warm stew and thick bread to their Packmates with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry but—"

"'I'm not built for the cold.'" All four of them answered in perfect synchronization. Gen scowled and Cloud nudged his Packmate.

"It's a fact we're well aware of by now, Gen," he added softly. "Eat your stew and warm up some more, we've got to come up with a plan of attack."

"You know where JENOVA is?" Seph blurted, his voice thankfully low.

"In the Mayor's house, according to my Ma. He's been acting weird an' his wife's more frightened than a Mu in a Wolf's jaws." Cloud hummed, blinking as Zack made a noise of delight. "What?"

"You almost lost that Nibel accent when you became a SOLDIER. It's nice to hear it back again."

"I say the plan is to get some rest and then tackle... Her." Angeal suggested as his jaw cracked thanks to a massive yawn.

"Sounds good. Any object...ions." Cloud huffed out a faint laugh as Lancelot padded into the room and worked with Fenrir and Alexander's smaller forms in covering all of them in blankets. "Thank you."

Alexander gave a half-bow, Lancelot ruffled his spikes and Fenrir padded over to be Cloud's pillow after he braided Seph's hair as well as his own.

Sunlight fell over his closed eyes, the warmth of it making him roll over with a grunt of protest.

"Five more minutes..."

His pillow chuckled at that, "Only five, hmm?"

Sephiroth and he sounded more amused than he should when they were about to face JENOVA.

"Delaying the inevitable," Cloud sighed as he wrapped his arms around Sephiroth's waist, burying his hands in the lush feathers there. "Shhh."

~JENOVA HASN'T MOVED, EVEN WITH YOU BACK IN TOWN, CLOUD. EITHER THIS IS A TRAP OR THEY'RE TIRED OF MOVING HER.~ Fenrir supplied as he yawned, about the height of a tamed Wolf rather than a majestic Summon. ~WHAT BOTHERS ME MORE IS THAT THEY GAVE WAY TO ME. I DON'T MIND REVERENCE BUT THIS WAS... WRONG. I'VE NEVER BEEN ONE FOR FEARFUL WORSHIP~

{THEY FEAR THE STRONG AND ATTACK THE WEAK. CLOUD HAS RISEN IN THEIR ESTIMATION AND YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FIERCELY PROTECTIVE OF YOUR CHARGE. THE MAYOR HAS YET TO BOTHER CLAUDIA, SUCH IS HER REPUTATION. A SMALL VILLAGE SOMETIMES EQUALS SMALL THINKNG.} Lancelot replied as he leaned in the doorway, the blue eyes glowing through the helm he wore. {WHEN ARTHUR ACCOMPANIES HER TO TOWN, THEY PART AS THOUGH SHE'S A SUMMON HERSELF.}

"Will that make it easier for us to deal with JENOVA?" Cloud asked. "Can we get people to evacuate?"

"I might be able to help with that," Ma drawled. Cloud nearly yelped, Sephiroth's protective grip earning him an approving look from Ma. "You'll introduce them after but this seems a bit more pressing at the moment. Breakfast's on the table."

"Thank you, Mrs. Strife." Angeal murmured.

"You. I like you," Ma chuckled as she left, gently patting Angeal's bicep.

Angeal's tiny smile and the way he straightened made Cloud chuckle softly; Ma just had that sort of effect on people.

"Hey, uh, it's gonna get cold guys. Dunno about you but I've had enough cold to last me a lifetime." Zack poked his head around the doorframe. "C'mon..."

Breakfast was a little more somber than their usual but all of his Packmates kept playing footsie under the table.

Cloud rolled his eyes and ran his socked foot over each of theirs before his feet were buried in a familiar pile.

He took bites from their forks and offered his own, Ma raising an eyebrow that Cloud stubbornly ignored. If he ignored it long enough, she might not say anything.

Strife stubbornness was good against most things but his Ma had been a Lance, once upon a time, and that family was known for their perseverance.

A knock on the door had all five of them reaching for weapons that were propped against walls or the table (in Gen's case). Ma signaled that they relax, getting the door with a raised brow, «Can I help you.»

It wasn't a question but the person in front of Ma sighed, «The Mayor wants to see you and your son, Mrs. Strife.» Mr. Ull, the general store owner. While he hadn't exactly been nice to Cloud, he'd let Cloud hide from his bullies in the store and chase them out.

«My son has traveled all the way to Nibelheim in gods know what conditions, Vidar. I'll go with you but Cloud stays.»

«He's asking for you both. Claudia, please.» Mr. Ull sounded desperate.

«We'll come. Give me a moment.» Ma marched into her bedroom and came out in her leather armor, adjusting the last of it on her way out. She grabbed her lance and slung it across her back in a familiar dance; Ma was headed off for her version of War. Cloud kissed each of his Packmates, got into his own gear and scuffed into his boots last, Tsurugi sheathed but present.

Fenrir and Lancelot marched out of the door with them after Cloud gave a ShinRa hand-sign to follow from the air.

Mr. Ull flinched back at their matching expressions.

Fenrir unfurled to his full size, the soft blue gaze hardening to steel. Lancelot followed with intricate battle armor that manifested as the Summon chose to intimidate rather than keep the peace. When Ma picked up her wood axe and sheathed that too, the messenger of the Mayor swallowed audibly.

They followed Mr. Ull down the path and into Nibelheim proper, both sets of their no-nonsense boots echoing on the stone of the town square. The townsfolk skulked between buildings and in doorways, their gazes lingering on him and Ma.

«Mayor Lockhart.» Ma's tone could've stripped the paint off of the building with how cold it was.

«Mrs. Strife, Mr.-»

«Captain Strife,» Cloud dismissively corrected. «and I'm here about the town's request to eliminate monsters.»

Mayor Lockhart's stiffened shoulders brough attention to Mrs. Lockhart trembling by his side. She gave a brief, if somewhat shakey, Nibel hand sign.

'Monster in house.'

«I think I'll start with your residence, if you don't mind.» he continued as a waft of fear rushed through the town.

Lockhart's predictable snarl and charge made Cloud snort as he turned out of the way. He watched as Ma swung her foot out at just the right moment, Lancelot's weapon pointed at his throat before the other man could breathe.

Mrs. Lockhart gave a shuddering sigh of relief and whispered, «Thank you.»

«Hey, what sort of friend would I be to Tifa if I let her Ma stay in danger?» Cloud asked softly as he guided her to sit on the bench before the general store, kneeling in front of her. «She's in your home, isn't she?»

«Yes.»

«Rest assured, I'll get rid of Her with the help of my friends.» Cloud patted her knee and then stood, placing his fingers in his mouth and letting out a piercing whistle.

All four of his Packmates landed with their weapons drawn, wings spread wide and defensively.

Cloud made his way over, his own wings spread in greeting as they all checked him over with a wing brush. "I'm fine. JENOVA's in the Mayor's house."

~I WILL DRAW HER TO US; BE READY.~ Fenrir told them, sitting in front of the house and drawing a deep breath. He howled, the sound reverberating around the valley. It was the sort of demand that had sent humans to their knees once—a demand that would send JENOVA out in a fury of her own.

An agonized screech answered Fenrir's howl, the crunch of roofing tiles signaling her exit out of the mayor's house.

JENOVA made for a terrifying sight, limbs warped and paler than the snow dusting Mt. Nibel.

All five of them fell into their Nibel dance stances out of sheer habit, their weapons at the ready.

Cloud launched first, springing off of the Buster Sword.

He struck like lightning, springing away in half-a-breath with his swords coated in black blood.

Sephiroth spun like the Dance asked, the music that wove through them roaring to life as he lashed out with Masamune.

Genesis descended with Rapier, tearing off one of the wings before springing out of her reach.

Angeal's block with the Buster Sword gave Zack the opportunity he needed to cut off another wing.

Cloud took the next block, eyes blazing as he turned it into strike, parry, strike, dodge—

The terrible clash of Masamune against her claws pulled Cloud out of his death-match with Her.

Battle turned to brawl, houses used as springboards and getting destroyed by her tentacles or terrible attacks.

He could distantly hear his Ma directing the townsfolk, getting them out of the way.

Genesis blocked a tentacle from skewering Cloud's wings and cut it off in the next breath. Zack protected Angeal and Sephiroth with a dive bomb kick.

They tore through two more houses as they whittled down her strength.

She lumbered for the townsfolk.

Cloud's lips peeled back as he snarled, slamming her into the fountain with a sweep of Tsurugi.

The mountain marble shattered, JENOVA heading for Ma with a terrifying intensity.

Ma drew her lance, Lancelot towering as he took a protective pose. JENOVA shrieked as Ma fought her, Lancelot taking the heavier blows but returning them in equal measure.

When JENOVA turned away, Ma snarled as she tossed her broken lance to the side.

She drew her wood axe, hefted it up high and roared, «Not my sons, you bitch!»

Lancelot's blue lance was coated in black as Ma's wood axe broke the headband carrying JENOVA's name.

Arthur manifested with a clanking footstep and a questioning rumble at Ma, motioning to the rest of the Knights.

The look on JENOVA's face was priceless to Cloud.

Ma and the Knights of the Round finished JENOVA's fight for them, twelve separate weapons pincushioning her. The Knights stepped back and surrounded Ma in a defensive wall after they'd retrieved their weapons.

JENOVA fought still, limbs attempting to rise time and again as black pooled beneath her quivering frame.

Fenrir lunged, his massive jaws locked around JENOVA's white throat, a terrible wheeze signaling her last breath.

His Summon released the body and turned to all five of them.

~THE WOLF HAS CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE RIVER, SLOW AND INEXORABLE, BUT CHANGED IT HAS; NOW ALL IS WELL.~

The wind shushed through the flowers, a single patch of cornflowers brighter and a little later than the rest, grown under the watchful gaze of a Pack and the woman who'd asked, in a way, to change just enough of fate.