I don't own any of the characters, it's just my own twisted ideas. I tried keeping this story as true to the games, and movie as possible, but there were some things I just had to change. If you read it, you'll see. ;) This is my first attempt at a FanFic, so please review, and tell me what you think! Thanks, and enjoy!

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Cloud woke up to the sunlight streaming across his eyes. Blinking them, he sat up, and a sharp pain went though his heart. A slender hand reached up, to place the palm over his heart. Tears filled the brilliant blue eyes, and one name floated across his thoughts. Sephiroth. He had killed him for the third time in his life. The only person on this planet that he had ever, truly loved, and he struck him down. Shaking the blonde spikes, Cloud rose to his feet, a small smile curling his lips as he heard the sounds of children's laughter. 'I guess more people have come to visit the church,' he thought. Shedding his clothing, he walked to the shower, his glowing blue eyes troubled. 'How did I ever let myself fall so hard, and so fast?' Turning the water on, he let it get as hot as possible, before stepping in. Ducking his head under, he remembered…

Cloud was standing under the hot spray of the shower, listening as the last boy left the room. He let out a long sigh, body trembling with exhaustion. Zach had been particularly hard this evening, making sure he had all the forms right for the SOLDIER test in a couple weeks. He reached for the soap, quickly washing and rinsing his body, before soaping his hair. So intent he was on making sure the sweat and grime was out of his blonde locks, he did not hear the door quietly open and close. Rinsing his head off, he smiled at the feeling of being clean. He felt a faint brush of fingertips against his back, and snapped around, only to meet a pair of glowing jade eyes.

"General," Cloud whispered. A sardonic smile graced Sephiroth's lips, as he gazed into the blue eyes of the youth in front of him. He had watched him with Zach tonight, from the observatory above the training yard. Watching the pale-skinned youth had sent a surprising shiver up his spine. Who was this boy that could turn him on so easily? He watched the muscle play in the blonds' arms, the sweat that slowly made its way down his face. He had to resist the urge to go down there, and seduce the boy where he stood. The Generals hands curled into fists, and his glowing jade eyes brightened even more with heat, even though his face remained stoic. He watched as they put down their practice swords, and Zach walked over to the youth and hugged him around his shoulders, a beaming smile on his face. Sephiroth nodded to himself. Zach should be proud. The boy showed great promise, and there was no doubt in his mind that he would pass the SOLDIER exams with flying colors, probably making it into 1st Class. The boy took off, presumably to take a shower and call it a night. As he passed through the doors, Sephiroth vaulted over the railing, and landed lightly on his feet by Zach. The dark haired man jumped and leveled his sword at him, swearing under his breath when he realized who it was.

"Damnit Seph, you scared the hell out of me," Zach said angrily. Sephiroth smirked, and nodded his head a little in apology.

"Who was that boy?" he asked. Zach raised his eyebrow, and suddenly grinned.

"So Spike finally got your attention, huh?" Zach laughed as Sephiroth blushed slightly. "His name is Cloud Strife. He came from a small town, don't know where. He's 16, going to take the exam in a couple weeks, and since he's so small, I've been helping him out." Zach watched his friends eyes fill with interest and he gloated on the inside. If this silver haired man ever knew the depth Cloud's love was for him…things could get interesting. "All of the other recruits pick on him horribly."

"Why? Is he the one you've been telling me about?" Zach nodded, and walked over to the racks to put the practice sword away.

"He is small, pretty rather then handsome, and is not a very outgoing person. Remind you of someone?" Zach turned to Sephiroth with a smirk on his face. Sephiroth winced inwardly as the unwanted images that rose up in his mind. At one time, he was picked on, and ruthlessly treated. He only had four friends total, Zach being one of them, even though he could hardly count Angeal and Genesis as friends anymore. He nodded to Zach, and walked out the door, intending to find the boy, and see if he wanted some extra lessons in swordplay. Every good intention left his mind as he walked into the shower room to see Cloud standing under the steaming water. He barely remembered taking off his clothing, even his boots, his jade eyes glued to the water running down the pale, enticing skin of the boy in front of him.

Cloud looked up at the man before him, and only then did he take in the fact that he was wearing nothing but his black leather pants. Even his shoes were gone. He felt a blush rise into his cheeks as he looked down at the floor, trying his hardest not to react to the presence of the man before him. He heard the man in front of him chuckle softly, and as the sound shivered down his spine, he felt his groin twitch in response. A hand moved to grasp his chin, and raise it up, making him meet the Generals eyes.

"You have beautiful eyes," Sephiroth whispered, finding himself lost in those sapphire depths. He watched Clouds eyes dilate, and grow darker with desire as his lips parted in a silent invitation. Seph took it, and pressed their lips together. Cloud groaned softly as the Generals lips met his, and his hand came up of its own accord to rest lightly on his bare chest. Sephiroth growled softly at the feel of the boys hand on his chest, even with every part of his brain telling him to run, to get away, he couldn't seem to pull his lips away. He moved in closer, the hand that was on Clouds chin moving to the back of his head. He only had a moment to marvel at the soft feeling of the seemingly hard spikes, before Cloud rose onto his tiptoes, pressing their bodies together. The sound of the door coming open made him jump back, a blush rising furiously to his cheeks as he glared at Zach, who was grinning widely.

"I'll just leave you two alone then," he said, and laughed as both Cloud and Sephiroth glared murder at him. "I was just making sure Spiky hadn't drowned. Have fun!" He whistled gaily as he went back through the door. Sephiroth looked at Cloud, and could not help but smile slightly at the suppressed mirth in those blue eyes.

"What's so funny, youngling?" he asked, but could not keep the smile from his voice. Cloud finally couldn't stand it, and broke down laughing, having to brace himself against the wall.

"Your face, sir," he said in a breathy voice. The affronted look on Sephiroth's face only made him laugh harder, until even the General had to chuckle.

"I suppose it was comical, at least a little," he admitted. Those impossibly bright eyes took in the naked, wet form in front of him, and was instantly hard again. However, he knew that it would never be, at least until the boy passed his SOLDIER exams. He reached over, and turned off the water, before handing Cloud a towel. As Cloud wrapped it around himself, the General found himself offering something he hadn't to anyone.

"The original reason I came in here," he started, and then smirked as Clouds blush went from almost non-existent to fully red in a heartbeat. "Anyway, I was going to offer you lessons. You have promise, and it would be a shame for it to go to waste." Cloud gaped at him, and Sephiroth could see his mind working furiously. Crossing his arms, he waited.

"Me?" it came out as a squeak. "But, sir, I'm the smallest and the weakest out of our group!" Sephiroth nodded.

"That's exactly the reason why I would like to give you extra lessons. I can also give you exercises to help build muscle."

"I would be very much honored, General Sir, if you would give me lessons," Cloud said, bowing slightly. A sly comment went through his mind, and he has been around Zach to long to let it go unsaid.

"You never know, sir," he said with a grin, looking up at those beautiful jade eyes. "Maybe I might get good enough to beat you one day." Sephiroth chuckled, and putting an arm around his shoulders, led them both out of the shower room. Neither even knew how prophetic those words would turn out to be.

Cloud turned off the water, stepping out and wrapping a towel around his lean hips. He raised a hand and traced the slightly red scar on his shoulder, where Sephiroth's blade went in yesterday. He sighed, pushing the thoughts from his head for the time being, and walked into his room. Forgoing his usual clothing; they needed to be washed anyway, he quickly donned a black tank top, and black jeans. He attached the sheath for his sword, left off the heavy shoulder guard, and slipped Zach's belt on. He quickly and quietly went out the door, and climbed on his motorcycle. Starting it up, he raced though the city on his way to the Tower, ignoring the startled face of Tifa through the bar's front window.

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Reaching the base of the ShinRa Tower, he gazed up at the ruined building. Sliding the main sword into its sheath, he left the rest in the bike, and strode up to the ruined building. Jumping nimbly from place to place, he reached the top as it started to rain. Standing there, looking around at what was his love's last and final place to die, the pain came back into his heart. Before Cloud could even reach his hand up to rub the spot, a glimmer of metal caught his eye. Walking over to it, he realized it was Sephiroth's sword. Gazing at it more closely, he smiled. It was the same length as the Masamune, but double bladed like Kadaj's was. 'This would have been perfect for him,' he thought. Suddenly, he was thrown into a field of flowers, the smell of them, as always, making him smile and breath deep.

"Cloud," the soft female voice sounded troubled. Cloud frowned, and turned, barely keeping his feet as Aeris threw herself into his arms.

"Aeris, what's wrong?" he said, holding her tightly. She started crying, and looked up at him with her beautiful green eyes.

"I…I need you to do something for me," she said quietly. "You also need to bring that sword and Zach's as well." At that, he raised his eyebrow, and held her at arms length, staring at her.

"Why?" the question was full of suspicion, and she flinched just hearing it. Aeris gave him a small smile, and hoped he would just do as she asked.

"I need you to go Nibelheim, to the mansion," she said quickly, and disappeared, leaving him once again standing in the rain. He frowned, and shook his head. Even though he didn't want to go back, he knew he would, for her. He found a way to slide the long sword through one of the sheaths on his back, and with a heavy sigh, went to retrieve the other one.

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He pushed open the rusted gates, and stopped, staring at the place that was the beginning of the end of his life. The mansion still stood, tall and proud against anything anyone could throw against it. Standing on the edge of a natural cliff, surrounded by a primal forest, it still had the power to make him stop and stare. He shook off the memories that were threatening, and began walking up the path, Zach's sword, and Sephiroth's, clenched in his fists. His own, every sword in its place, was hanging at his back. Slowly he made his way up, until Aeris's voice in his mind made him glance to the right, and see the path that veered off around the mansion, disappearing into the forest. Stepping onto it, he felt a brush of rightness in his mind. Shrugging it off, he kept going, his heart slowly speeding up, afraid, and slightly eager to see what was at the end.

It took two hours, but he reached the end, where it leveled off to become a plateau, with nothing but trees and empty air all around. Even this deep in the forest, the glow reached his eyes before anything else, and he knew what he would find before he reached the top of the path. A pond of pulsing, green light emerged as he took a couple steps into the trees. 'The Lifestream,' he thought. Setting the two blades down, his eyes narrowed as Aeris took shape in the glowing light, and smiled at him.

"I'm happy you actually came," she said.

"What is this place?" Cloud asked, walking nearer to the edge.

"It is a natural connecting point for the Lifestream. This is where Hojo got the mako he used in the mansion."

"So what am I doing here?" Aeris motioned him closer, and even though he was beginning to be a little worried, he took those couple steps forward, and noticed what seemed to be two submerged logs. Aeris reached down, and grabbing them, she pulled them to the surface. Cloud felt frozen, his heart beating wildly as fear, elation, and a multitude of other emotions ran through him. 'No…no no no, not this,' he thought frantically to himself. He staggered back a couple steps as a pair of jade cat eyes, and eyes the deep, swimming violet of the ocean opened simultaneously. He sat down hard, staring at the two of them.

"No no no…" he whispered. "Aeris, what did you do?" It was the silver haired angel who answered, walking out of the pond with his eyes glowing, a small smile on his face.

"We came back for you, Cloud." Sephiroth held out his hand, his body pale, beautiful, and naked. The blond held up a hand, but not to take the other, to rest his head in it. His vision was going blurry, and being this close to the Lifestream wasn't helping. He staggered to his feet, just as Zach walked to stand at Sephiroth's side, his usual carefree grin in place.

"No," Cloud whispered, his voice full of anguish. "This is a dream, your not real, you can't be! You're both dead! Dead!" With that final word screamed in their faces, he turned and ran, even though he heard their voices calling for him to stop. He ran until he reached the mansion, bursting through the doors. Not knowing any other place to go, he raced down the steps to the basement, not stopping until he was at the final ascent that would take him up to the place where Jenova was held. He dragged himself up the stairs, until he finally collapsed on the edge of the pit, where he could see the Lifestream pulsing below. Tears ran freely from his eyes, and he was whispering 'Why?' repeatedly, like a prayer. Curling himself into a ball, he let the tears run freely until his mind shut down, and his body followed.