Chapter 20

Two years went by with silence. There were no threats, the war ended, and Shinra was nowhere to be seen. Cloud no longer worried, though he knew he should be.

"Nathan, open your mouth." Nathan shook his head with a smile, Cloud sighing softly as he looked to Vincent who held the bowl of food. Vincent stayed silent, offering Cloud the bowl. Cloud placed it in front of Nathan, placing the spoon in the bowl.

Nathan looked at it for a long second, not seeming to like his vegetables. He ate his meat and rice, but his vegetables remained untouched.

"No," Nathan told him, pushing his bowl away. Cloud sighed, looking to Eric who ate everything but his rice. The two looked exactly alike, but were complete opposites. What Nathan liked, Eric hated. Nathan screamed at anybody he didn't know, and Eric just walked away from them. Cloud got so confused sometimes, but he was quickly learning how to deal with their differences.

"No," they both said, Cloud rubbing his eyes. He took them both out of their miniature chairs, Vincent instantly attacked by them. He didn't say anything or move, just stood as they attacked his legs.

Cloud couldn't help but smile at that, picking up Nathan. Eric tried to run, but Vincent caught him. Eric slapped Vincent's shoulder, Cloud laughing when he started yelling at him in his baby language. Cloud took him, Eric trying to yell at him too. Cloud narrowed his eyes, Eric wrapping his arms around Cloud's neck instead. He knew mama was not afraid to discipline him.

Nathan yawned, Eric yawning as well. Cloud grew tired with them, holding back his yawn. He turned to walk to his room, Vincent in toe. Sephiroth, since he wasn't home due to other duties, had Vincent watch over Cloud and his children. Sometimes Zack would visit, but Vincent was Cloud's main source of security.

And Cloud would need it.

Sephiroth wanted more children, and Cloud was very open and willing to the idea. They would wait though, till their crowning ceremony. It had taken some time, but tomorrow Sephiroth would be crowned King, and Cloud his Queen. Cloud was not entirely looking forward to the day, but he already knew what he wanted to say.

Sephiroth did as well, making everything seemingly go smoother.

"How are my two favorite grandsons?" Cloud stopped in the hallway by his door, looking to his mother who had just exited from her own. Nathan and Eric were practically already asleep in his arms, his mother following him into his room.

Nathan's and Eric's room was located next to their parents, only a door with no lock separating them. Vincent monitored both rooms with a few other trusted guards, keeping an eye on all of them as well.

"They are doing extraordinarily well. They have yet to change though, Nathan still won't eat his vegetables. And Eric won't touch his rice." His mother chuckled softly, running a hand through Nathans blonde hair. They had straight hair like Sephiroth, Cloud's telltale spikes not passed down.

As their vision started to improve, their pupils became more like Sephiroth's. Sephiroth wasn't too happy with it, but he loved his sons either way. Cloud thought it just made them that much cuter, Cloud running a hand over Eric's back when he shifted in his sleep. He was sure they would attract a lot of attention from the ladies with their looks.

"Are you ready?" His mother whispered, Cloud looking to her with contemplating eyes. He looked back to his sons, sighing softly. He didn't think anybody could ever be ready to rule over a country.

"Yes, though I sometimes get scared of the thought." His mother smiled brightly, walking over to him and hugging him tightly. Cloud sank into her embrace, wallowing in her warmth like a child. He pulled away slowly, looking into his mother's eyes. She tucked a strand of his longer hair behind his ear, her eyes full of love.

"You remind me of myself," she told him softly, her eyes welling up with tears. Cloud didn't want to see his mother cry, his lips pulling into a smile that pulled at her own.

"Then like you, I will be strong." She smiled wider, hugging him again. Cloud held onto her, closing his eyes as he took in her scent and warmth. He pulled away when he heard the door open, Sephiroth stopping in his advancement into the room. Cloud's mother pulled away completely from Cloud, walking over to Sephiroth.

She grabbed his hands, looking into his eyes.

"Take care of my son. Even when I am no longer here to do so."

Sephiroth didn't need to speak for her to know his answer.

He always would.

:::+:::

Cloud woke up that night from a feeling. It was an uneasy feeling, like somebody was watching him. He turned onto his side, Sephiroth's solid body lying down next to him. Cloud sat up when he heard a whimper from the twin's room, getting out of bed to put whoever awoke back to sleep.

He opened the door quietly as to not wake Sephiroth, looking into the room. The twins were unharmed, but Nathan was awake, standing on his bed. Cloud smiled softly, closing the door behind him. He walked up to Nathan, picking him up. Nathan whimpered again, his eyes turning to the door that led to the hallway where Vincent monitored.

Cloud wondered if maybe Nathan wanted Vincent to sleep with him, something Nathan did at night on occasion. Vincent was like a teddy bear to Nathan, giving him comfort where Cloud could not sometimes. Cloud walked over to the door, Nathan whimpering again, though louder.

Cloud opened the door and frowned in confusion. There was nobody monitoring the door. Cloud instantly thought to get Sephiroth, closing the door and turning around. His breath stopped in his throat. Shinra and two men stood in the room, Eric held in Shinra's arms.

Eric was still fast asleep, his face peaceful even though he rested in the hands of a murder. Cloud parted his lips to speak, but Shinra shushed him softly. He ran a finger over Eric's throat, Shinra looking up to Cloud with a smirk.

"You don't want to wake him, do you?" Nathan was shaking in Cloud's arms, the two men standing with Shinra two guards Vincent had trusted to watch over them. Cloud wanted Sephiroth to come to his aid, to help him and his sons before it was too late. Shinra had thought ahead though.

"Sephiroth won't be coming to your rescue, Cloud. I drugged him, so he won't be waking up till I am long gone." Shinra pulled out a knife, Cloud's heart beating erratically in his chest. Shinra touched it to Eric's cheek, running the blade down his smooth skin, close to breaking it.

"Your mother, the lovely woman she was refused to marry me. Instead, she married your bastard father." Cloud didn't relax even though Shinra put Eric back into his bed, Shinra's eyes darting back to him.

"She had to be disposed of." Cloud held Nathan closer to himself, the little boy shaking like a leaf in the wind. He wouldn't scream like he usually would towards strangers, his eyes wide with fright.

"Now you have followed in her footsteps." Cloud moved back against the door when Shinra walked towards him, wishing he had brought his knife with him. It laid under his pillow, right next to Sephiroth. Shinra grabbed Nathan, Cloud not letting him go. Shinra frowned, Nathan opening his mouth to scream.

Shinra slapped Nathan to shut him up, Cloud's instincts kicking in. He punched Shinra in the face, the bigger man stumbling back. Nathan started to cry, Shinra hissing to the guards to shut him up. Cloud held onto him tightly, his eyes narrowed with anger and motherly wrath.

"You should have been mine!" Shinra growled as the guards tried to take Nathan from Cloud, Cloud fighting them off the best he could. Nathan bit a guard, kicking till he fell to the ground. He ran to Eric, dodging the guards who tried to grab him. Nathan screamed as loud as he could while Cloud fought off the guards. He was screaming for help.

Cloud fell to the ground when he was punched in the stomach, pain unlike any other running through him.

Had he been pregnant?

Cloud watched with anger as the guards forced Nathan to shut up, Eric having woken up and forced to the ground. Their mouths were covered, their screams muffled. Cloud was pushed onto his back by Shinra, Cloud trying to fight him as he attempted to strip him.

"Be a good whore and bear me a child!" Shinra ordered, Cloud's arms pinned down. Cloud screamed and fought with everything he had in him, alarm rushing through his mind. This couldn't happen.

Sephiroth!

Shinra grunted when he was kicked, Cloud quickly moving away from him as he used what was left of his clothing to shield himself. He was shocked when Nathan and Eric came to his aid, both of them crying for him. Cloud grabbed them protectively, looking to who had saved them.

Sephiroth.

Cloud didn't know how it was possible, but Sephiroth stood in front of him. The other guards had been knocked out, blood pouring from one. Shinra had been slammed against the door, Sephiroth holding a bloody sword in his hand. Cloud felt tears fall down his cheeks, his bottom lip shaking in relief. Shinra yelled in anger.

"You bastard! Cloud is mine! Mine!"

Sephiroth growled like a dog, walking up to Shinra. Shinra spat out blood when Sephiroth stabbed him in the chest, Cloud covering Nathan's and Eric's eyes from the brutality. Sephiroth twisted the blade, Shinra gasping sharply. Sephiroth replied in a dark voice.

"He chose me."

Sephiroth pulled his sword out of Shinra's chest, Shinra's eyes void of life. After making sure no one was hurt, Sephiroth looked around the castle. Most of the guards had been drugged, and Cloud's mother had been murdered. Cloud cried next to her bedside, Nathan and Eric taken away by Vincent who Sephiroth managed to wake.

It was a time for sadness.

As Cloud looked over all of the people of his country that morning, he tried his hardest not to cry. He was their Queen now, and as their Queen he couldn't show weakness. Sephiroth sat on the Throne next to Cloud, his eyes stoic. Nathan and Eric sat in their own individual seats, their bodies not big enough to fit into them just yet.

Cloud looked to Sephiroth, his husband's eyes stoic. Nobody had expected what had been done. No one knew how low Shinra would have stooped just to gain a title to the throne. As for the pain in Cloud's stomach, his midwife confirmed he had not been pregnant, only starting on his next menstrual cycle. Cloud wanted to blame his sadness on it, but his cycle had nothing to do with this sadness.

His mother was gone, and Cloud couldn't get her back. He wanted to beat himself up for it, but Sephiroth wouldn't let him. He told him with confidence that he couldn't beat himself up. He couldn't because he was not the only one who had lost a mother. Cloud cried at his words, but now, as he looked to his people he understood.

They had all lost a mother.

Sephiroth stood from his throne when he was crowned, everybody bowing. Cloud stood as well, grabbing Sephiroth's hand tightly. Sephiroth squeezed back softly, his features stoic. When Sephiroth spoke, everybody listened. He was now King, and as King he could have passed any rule he wanted too.

If he told them all to dance, they would have. If he told them to sing, they would have. But he didn't ask that of them. Instead, he spoke the words Cloud had waited all of his life to hear, the words he had hoped for.

"As of today, I, King Sephiroth of the Three Continent's, abolish slavery."

Silence ringed in the air.

The End!

Author's note: Thank you all for reading this story, though I felt it wasn't my best. But I finished it, even though I thought to abandon it three times. Thank you all for your support.

-Pikajow