READ AUTHOR'S NOTE BEFORE CONTINUING!

A/N: Alright, for starters, this is CloudxSephiroth story with a touch of other pairings. It is also set post Dirge of Cerberus era. Why is it that I wanted to read this before hand? Well, because it is important that you know a couple other things. For one, this is not going to start out a very happy tale. Nothing overly graphic or morbid (yet) but perhaps disturbing. Also, this is exploring a malexmale relationship, so if that is not your cup of tea, this is not your kind of story. And finally, my last and perhaps most daunting of warnings is that this will possibly (more than likely) include male pregnancy. Why? 'Cause I have a strange liking for those kinds of stories and I decided to try writing one myself.

But, if it is any consolation, this is actually going to have a purpose, a journey and a plot focusing on other elements aside from said pregnancy. It was, to my disappointment, rather difficult to find a story whose focus was not entirely on that one element. So, I'm giving it a shot.

Feel free to ask any questions you might have (though this early on they might prove to spoil the surprise) and feedback is very much enjoyed.

An 'I like' or 'I dislike' is better than nothing. I thrive off of the commentary of my reviewers, and am open to suggestions and ideas.

Rating (Chapter): T

Words: 1,100 (I know, super short, but chapters should be longer from here on out)

Summary: Living forever is a blessing and a curse, one that strips away everything that once defined you. After 500 years and his share of tribulation, Cloud Strife stands as the immortal guardian of human kind. Will a prayer answered and a crisis' emergence, give rise to the only thing he ever desired? CloudxSephiroth. Alternate Universe. M-PREG. Dark.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; I am merely abusing them for my entertainment and for the entertainment of others.

Guardian

By Catsitta

Prologue

One could say it all began with the end.

The end of a life. The end of an era. The end of chaos, war and Jenova.

When the Planet's chosen champion fell to his knees amidst the frozen wastes of the Northern Crater.

Cloud Strife, the harried hero thrice over, lay witness to the great wound from which the Lifestream bled. The Planet's pain echoed in his ears and with a ragged breath, he begged for answers, prayed for resolution, cried out for everything to make sense again. Only the wind answered, whispering nonsense in his ears, the cold biting at exposed skin.

Ten years had passed since the WEAPONS' awakening and humankind was sent into a desperate struggle for survival. Cities were obliterated, reduced to nothing more than warped steel framework and broken glass. Nations were divided, their populations beyond repair. Governments crumbled. Humans fell back unto their roots, memories of their previous lives seeming all too distant of dreams.

Yet that was not why Cloud came here.

After everything he went through, fought for, and all the people he loved and lost—he found himself barely clinging to the threads of his humanity. It all began so subtly—his lack of aging, his slow retreat into isolation, his growing cold and indifferent towards the nightmares that once plagued him. Now, after ten years, he realized what was happening…what he was doing to himself, what he had let the Planet do to him.

"Why?" He pleaded, his voice hoarse,"Why did you do this to me?"

Again, there came no answer.

Blue eyes tainted with mako shine, the champion of Gaia grasped the pommel of First Tsurugi, a complicated fusion-blade of his own design—made from the very WEAPONS that Gaia used to ravage the human population—and let out a wordless cry. With a single, fluid motion, Cloud sent the sword flying through the air. The blade whistled as it spun, its carefully tended edge singing as it did in the midst of battle. He watched as his finest creation, the mark of his trials and triumphs, disappeared into the murky haze. Then, he listened. Sure enough, First Tsurugi landed in the exposed Lifestream with a 'splash'…And everything fell dead silent.

Let Gaia have the sword. Let Her have the stolen pieces from her WEAPONS' corpses. Let Her reclaim the last remnants of Her protectors. She could keep it. She could have anything She wanted from him, if She would just let him go. Let him age. Let him be human…Let him die.

Cloud swallowed a sob of anger. It was bad enough that Sephiroth took almost everything from him during his rampage. It was bad enough that Cloud lost his memories and spent a year living the life of a dead man. It was bad enough that his hometown burned…that he lost countless friends to a war that never should have been fought. It was bad enough that the woman he once loved and dreamed about at night, left him because he could not prevent himself from chasing her away. It was bad enough that his body was scarred with reminders of why he could never be normal…never have a family…never have a life to call his own.

But, now, the Planet was asking of him too much. She was turning him into one of Her eternal protectors…a WEAPON. Cloud could feel the pulse of the Lifestream beneath him...hear the heartbeat of the world within his mind. His blood was slowly converting into mako—with every drop lost in battle, his humanity slipped further away.

"Why?" Again, the question slipped from his lips and once again, the Planet offered no answer. Cloud threw back the hood that concealed his face and the dark cloak billow out behind him as a frosty gust whipped past. He was beyond caring about how the cold nipped his skin raw, or how tangled his blond hair would become. Cloud stood his full height and spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the chilling gale.

Beneath the protection of his cloak was a uniform, old and tattered, stained with blood and crimson memories. A sleeveless, cobalt turtleneck; long, dark pants; two wide belts and a single metal pauldron held in place by crisscrossing leather straps. Before he became the Planet's champion—Cloud was a SOLDIER…Or at least, that is what he believed himself to be. This uniform was all that remained of SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair, his best friend, mentor and for whom he kept on living—to become his legacy and a hero.

It was a dark day when Cloud learned that he was never anything more than a trooper. A nameless, faceless grunt…cannon fodder. The realization nearly broke his resolve, but after so many had made sacrifices to help him he knew that there was no turning back. But now, the cloth, leather and steel represented nothing more than his desperate struggle to maintain childish bonds. He was never a SOLDIER and with the old ShinRa gone, youthful dreams were all but smoke and ashes—replaced with pessimism older than the body that contained it.

He should let go, had to let go at some point, but this was his last stand and he needed all the strength (real or imagined) he could muster.

Cloud closed his eyes and began to walk forwards.

With the wind and fog wrapping him in a chilling shroud, it was difficult for him to feel anything aside from numbness. Despite the ache that old wounds always wrought within his bones and flesh, Cloud felt insubstantial…detached. He refused to be the Planet's plaything. While an ounce his humanity remained, he would fight for his resolution…his chance at an end…his chance at peace.

Turning up his face towards the clouded sky above, the blond swordsman continued his trek, slow and steady, through the snow and ice that gathered nearly knee-high. What could have seconds, minutes or even hours later, Cloud felt a wave of warmth caress his face, smelling of flowers and loam—radiating the promise of life as well as death.

Without opening his eyes, Cloud took one more steps forwards.

It came as no surprise when liquid met the bottom of his boot, giving way beneath his weight, pitching him forwards into its depths.

Cloud let out a scream of pure agony, once immersed in raw mako. The unrefined blood of the Planet stripped him of his flesh until all that remained were his memories. At last, he was at peace…At last, he had found his end.

At least, that is what he believed.

000TBC000

A/N: ( Did you all enjoy? And yes, I know it is short and perhaps a little abrupt at the end, but it is a prologue. Chapters should get longer from here on out, though, it simply depends. Most of my stories usually range between 3,000 to 5,000 in word count per chapter, but, I may be a little more relaxed with this and just post however much feels right.

So, please review and keep in mind that this is only the beginning. A little mystery and question is a good thing.

For readers of 'Fourth Time's the Charm': The next chapter will be out soon.)