Here's that random oneshot I've been promising for about a month now! I'm such a slow writer, I'm sorry =P

Dedicated to Tobi-Uchiha! Happy Birthday =D ! And thanks a bunch for helping me out with Cloud's fantasies.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Final Fantasy.

WARNING: SephxCloud.

Enjoy!

It was official.

Cloud Strife was hopelessly lost.

He should have made it to the checkpoint days ago. Everyone on the training mission had probably gotten there already.

Well, everyone except him.

Sighing in frustration, Cloud came to a halt in the middle of a small clearing. Hadn't he passed that tree before? And that bush looked awfully familiar. And he swore that was the same buzzard he had seen circling overhead earlier, probably waiting to feast on his lifeless remains. He shuddered. Hopefully that wouldn't happen anytime soon.

He worked his fingers into his pocket and dug out his little ShinRa phone. The screen had a decent sized crack down the middle, a result of why Cloud and rocky pathways did not mix. If he tripped and dropped the phone once more, then it might never turn on again. Not that there was much hope for it now.

Shoot. The very icon he had been dreading to see began to flash on the damaged screen. No signal.

Cloud jammed the phone back into his pocket and continued on what he hoped was the right path. Why, oh why had he refused the map Zack had given him? Well, first of all, it was against the rules to have any sort of maps or navigational equipment on him. Zack had tried to convince him that it was healthy to cheat every once in a while, but Cloud had been too afraid to get caught. When it came to getting away with things, he didn't have much luck. But the main reason he hadn't taken it was because the makeshift map had been scribbled in Zack's chicken scratch on a used napkin covered in what had looked like mustard. Cloud had politely refused.

Suddenly, Cloud groaned and slapped a hand on his wrist. Those damn bugs! He was sure that most of his skin was now covered in annoying little bug bites. At least, that's what it felt like. They had swarmed him last night while he was sleeping, and when he woke in the morning he had felt like he couldn't move. If only he had remembered to pack bug repellent…

A sudden thought occurred to him as he continued to trek along the path. The search team was probably looking for him already. And the last time someone had gotten lost on a training mission, General Sephiroth had led the search team.

So could that mean… that the General could be looking for him right now?

Despite his current situation, Cloud shuddered in excitement and let his imagination take over. The General! Coming to rescue him! It was almost too good to be true. As he began to shove his way through the thick bushes, a fantasy unfolded in his head.

The Sephiroth of his dream world was clad in a khaki safari hat, a determined look on his gorgeous face as he hacked his way through the bushes, machete in hand. He had been making his way through the dangerous woods for a while now, and it showed. Cloud didn't mind the sweat dripping down his temples or how the man's shirt stuck to his toned, perfect body in the slightest. He made his way over to Cloud, maintaining irresistible eye contact the entire time.

"It's all right now," he told the trembling Cloud as he scooped him up into his arms. "You're safe with me."

Oh, Sephiroth! Cloud giggled to himself, completely lost in his thoughts. Thank god no one was around to see him like this.

Suddenly he found himself falling forward, tripped up by yet another rock. His hands flew out in front of himself to block the fall, but it didn't do much good. He hit the ground, hard.

He lay sprawled out on the trail for a few painful moments, too weary to move. Slowly he reached into his pocket, only to find that his last method of communication had been smashed into pieces. With a sigh he pushed himself to his feet, and felt a sharp pain in his ankle. Collapsing to his knees, Cloud's hand instinctively flew down to his ankle. He winced in pain as he pressed on it, and realized it was most likely sprained. This training mission just couldn't get any worse, could it?

Slowly he struggled to get to his feet again, attempting to keep most of his weight on his left leg. He found that he could sort of hobble along the trail as long as he blocked out the pain from his mind. If only he could get his ankle bandaged up…

Another fantasy of his beloved popped into his head. If it could distract him from the pain, then he sure as heck was going to let it.

This time Cloud was sitting with his back against a tree trunk, groaning in pain. From out of nowhere, Sephiroth appeared in front of him and kneeled down next to him, looking deeply concerned.

"Everything's going to be okay," Sephiroth assured him as his pale fingers trailed over Cloud's ankle, making sure not to put the Cadet in any more pain than he already was. Cloud shuddered at the whispery touch, surprised that the Silver General could be so...careful with him. Suddenly, Sephiroth whipped out a first aid kit from thin air, and wasted no time in bandaging up Cloud's injured ankle.

The man's fingers, far more slender than he originally would have thought, were skilled as he took care of the smaller male. Not once did Sephiroth blunder and jostle Cloud; the General was being careful and considerate. Most probably thought he was incapable of being so, not that Cloud really blamed them. In the public eye, Sephiroth was a cold and unfeeling killing machine. To Cloud, Sephiroth was an understanding, doting man—who was freakishly skilled at bandaging ankles, too.

Once he finished, he hoisted the blushing Cadet to his feet, wrapping an arm around his waist and draping Cloud's arm over his own shoulders. Sephiroth turned his head to face Cloud, his cat-slitted eyes staring directly into his. "Does it hurt to walk, Cloud?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

"A-A little," Cloud admitted, staggering a little.

Cloud smiled in satisfaction at the ending. His fantasies had upgraded; now the General knew his name. He couldn't wait to see what his imagination would have in store for him next.

Cloud stopped and wondered for a moment. Was it creepy to have fantasies like that about his General? Probably. Was it unhealthy? Most likely. But right now, Cloud was trapped in the wilderness, miles from civilization and without a single soul to keep him company - save for his imagination, so he was going to make the best of his time. And besides, most of the people who the General worked with probably had their fair share of fantasies about him too.

Suddenly, Cloud froze. From not too far away, he could hear a low hissing noise coming from the bushes that surrounded the trail. Hadn't Zack warned him about him about poisonous snakes? His eyes darted left and right, searching for the source of the hissing. He began to worry as the noise grew louder. What if he was bitten by some crazy, demented snake-monster? Would the search team get to him in time to save him? He was afraid to move, lest he accidentally step on the already unfriendly creature.

Another fantasy began to play in his head, blocking out all his other thoughts.

Cloud was sprawled out on the ground, immobilized by a snake bite to his upper thigh. His thoughts passed sluggishly; whatever venom that snake had, it was brutal. His body ached, and his eyes were beginning to cross, his vision darkening around the edges. Just when he thought all hope was lost, Sephiroth appeared next to him, tenderly patting him on the head, fingers lingering in the soft spikes. "Hold on, Cloud," he murmured, gazing down at his spread-out body.

In one skillfull move, Masamune swept out and cut off his pant leg, exposing pale, smooth—though now slightly swollen—skin. Green eyes surveyed Cloud appreciatively for a moment, and he took Cloud's leg in his hands, gently straightening it out.

Unbelievably, Sephiroth lowered his head and began to suck out the venom.

Cloud gasped and raised his head off the rocky trail to watch the General. His silver hair brushed lightly against his skin, and he shivered at the tickly feeling. The General's hand rested high up on Cloud's flesh, fingers almost too close to…private areas. His thumb gently stroked soft skin, and Cloud was smitten. Another hand cupped the underside of his thigh, delicately giving it a gentle squeeze every once in a while. His lips were pressed firmly around Cloud's wound as he continued to suck out the poison.

After what seemed like an eternity, the General tilted his head to the side and spat out a mouthful of venom and blood into the dirt. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he hovered over Cloud on all fours, his eyes staring directly into the Cadet's. "There. You'll be fine now, Cloud," he told him, relief evident in his voice. He spoke gently, not the way he usually did when he was talking with the other Cadets, or, rather, other people in general.

"Thank you, Sephiroth," Cloud breathed, giving the man a weak smile as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Then Sephiroth smirked, and before Cloud knew what was going on, the General was nearly on top of him, his powerful arms creating a cage (though not one he really wanted to escape from) around Cloud's head. He lowered his body even more, but was careful not to put any weight on Cloud's injured leg. His face was dangerously close to the Cadet's, and he could feel the General's breath tickle his neck.

Slowly, Cloud reached up and gripped Sephiroth's shoulders, staring up at him with wide, desperate eyes. The other man returned his gaze for a moment before pressing his lips firmly to Cloud's.

Cloud's mind was no longer functioning, whether it was from the aftereffects of the venom or Sephiroth's heady presence. He pulled the General closer to him, deepening the kiss. Slowly he ran his hands down Sephiroth's arms, taking his time to feel the sculpted muscles that were hidden under the man's leather jacket. Cloud brought his hands up to Sephiroth's chest and began to undo the leather straps that criss-crossed against his skin, even though he rather liked them. Sephiroth groaned quietly and slipped a hand under Cloud's shirt in response.

Cloud's fingers trembled in excitement as they brushed against the General's skin. He tugged the jacket down to the man's elbows, exposing his muscular chest…

Cloud's fantasy came to an unsatisfying end as he suddenly realized he was falling. He quickly snapped out of his daydream and found that he had been wandering dangerously close to the edge of a cliff, and the ground had given way and crumbled beneath his feet.

His training now coming back to him, he reached back towards the ground that was intact and grabbed the side as tightly as he could, and then swung his body around and back onto solid ground. He lay there for a minute, gasping and rolling over to his side. Based on what had just happened, it seemed that his fantasies were trying to kill him.

After a few more moments, he pushed himself up to his knees and cautiously crawled over to the edge of the cliff. Once he was sure the ground would not collapse again under his weight, he craned his neck and peered over the edge of the cliff. What would have awaited him if he had fallen would have been a pleasant 100-foot drop, followed by a refreshing plunge into the sea below, which was inhabited by all kinds of deadly aquatic monsters that would either eat him alive or sting him to death. What a charming way to go.

Cloud stared down at his would-have-been death for another moment before slowly rising to his feet, using a nearby tree trunk for support. Pain surged through his ankle again, and he winced. Continuing on the trail was definitely not going to be easy.

Suddenly, Cloud fell into a violent fit of coughing. He doubled over from the force, clutching at his throat. It took him a minute to realize that he was parched. He had used up the last of his water a couple of days ago, and it hadn't rained at all since. And because he didn't have any sort of container big enough to hold a large amount of water, boiling the sea water wasn't an option. It was then that Cloud realized the true seriousness of his situation.

Would the search team really be able to find him before…bad things happened?

The woods went on for at least another 30 miles or so. His ankle was sprained, and he was beginning to show signs of dehydration. He had no working phone, no flares, no water, and no food. The only items left in his bag were a knife, an empty canteen and a sleeping bag. How the hell was he supposed to stay alive with that?

Cloud shook his head, trying to knock loose all the negative thoughts in his head. Of course they would find him; the search team was led by none other than General Sephiroth, after all.

Cloud gulped. Hopefully.

Nausea suddenly overcame him, stopping him right in his tracks. A few moments later, he bent over and hurled the contents of his stomach into the dirt. He gasped for breath afterward, and felt himself sway a little. He was definitely dehydrated. When he picked himself up again, he realized that everything was starting to look fuzzy. He blinked a few times, hoping to dispel his blurry vision, but it only seemed to make the matter worse. And on top of that, he also had the stomachache of a lifetime.

Now, Cloud was at a loss of what to do next. And to add to his misery, he now had a searing headache. Should he stay where he was now? It would probably be easier for the search team to find him if he stayed in one place. But what if he ran into the search team while he was walk- er, stumbling around? It was worth a shot. And besides, he couldn't stay in the clearing much longer; the sun was going to fry him to death in a matter of minutes if he didn't find shade soon.

Cloud took a deep breath and continued on his way. Just when he had thought that it honestly couldn't get worse from here, he came to a steep incline in the trail. And if that wasn't bad enough, the hill was covered in…more rocks. Cloud groaned. He never wanted to see another freaking rock as long as he lived.

A sudden chill ran down his spine. If he lived.

Cloud brushed the chills off and slowly began to make his way up the hill. He moved at a snail's pace, making sure he had his footing on the rocks so that he would not tumble backwards.

The hill seemed endless. Several trees lined the trail, which at least gave him something to hold onto while he climbed, so that part was good. But the rocks proved difficult to balance on, and quite a few times he found himself flailing his arms around blindly before grabbing hold of a low tree branch to steady himself. Needless to say, trekking up the hill was extremely unpleasant.

After what seemed like hours, Cloud wearily pulled himself up to the top of the hill. What awaited him was another cliff, with not even a single tree to spare him from the blazing sun that beat down overhead. He didn't have the strength to drag himself back down the hill, mostly because of his dwindling energy and partly because of his fear of tripping on the way down and then sliding down the rocky hill on his face.

Cloud had now resorted to crawling on the ground, his ankle causing him far too much pain to walk anymore. As he crawled further across the cliff, a huge rock near the edge came into focus. Ugh. Just what he wanted to see; another stupid rock. But it cast a shadow large enough for him to take refuge under, so maybe it wasn't such a stupid rock after all.

Several minutes later, Cloud dragged himself over to the rock and leaned against it, taking relief from the shade that it provided. Out of curiosity he peered over the edge, and realized that he was directly over the cliff he had previously been on before, where the ground had collapsed under his feet. Cloud wasn't really afraid of heights, but he grew dizzier than before looking down at the sea that surrounded the land. He couldn't imagine falling from such a drop – and surviving. He shuffled away from the ledge and collapsed in the shade.

Of all the times to do so, his mind started up yet another fantasy.

An extremely tired Cloud had just toppled off the edge of the cliff, and plunged into the depths of the sea below. He struggled to make his way back up to the surface, but the force from his fall caused him to sink deeper into the chilly water. The sunlight became less visible as he sank towards the bottom. The weight against his chest was almost unbearable; it was as if an icy hand was mercilessly squeezing the life out of him.

Just when he was about to give up, he felt an arm slide itself around his waist. Then the water began to grow brighter and brighter, and Cloud realized that he was being pulled up to the surface.

His head finally broke above the waves, and his ears were filled with the sound of his own ragged breaths as he gasped for air. Next he felt a tug on his waist, and realized he was being towed into shore. He craned his neck to see who his rescuer was, and found that it was none other than General Sephiroth. He couldn't see the man's face, only his silver hair, which trailed behind him in the water as he swam towards the beach.

Once the water became shallower, the General lifted Cloud into his arms and carried him out of the water. Once they reached dry land, Sephiroth carefully laid Cloud out in the sand, being careful to give the coughing Cadet enough breathing room.

Cloud stretched his neck back to get a good look at the General. Even though he was upside – down to Cloud, Sephiroth was still the sexiest man he had ever seen. And right now, he was seeing a lot of the General – the man was only wearing a pair of deep blue swimming trunks. Cloud almost started drooling; If he hadn't become a military general, Sephiroth definitely could have snagged a part in Baywatch.

"Cloud, are you all right?" Sephiroth asked, a concerned expression on his face. "You took quite a fall from that cliff."

Cloud gave a weary smile to the worried General. "I'm fine. You saved my life, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth reached a hand towards the Cadet and tenderly stroked his cheek. "You had me worried, you know."

Cloud slowly began to sit himself up, staring at the other man with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry, Sephiroth."

The General surprised him with a kiss. It last for only a few seconds, but it was enough to make Cloud's head spin.

"It's alright, Cloud," Sephiroth sighed, then leaned in for another kiss. Cloud would have preferred it to have lasted longer, but the kiss was broken when a violent shudder surged through his body.

Sephiroth pulled back, and surveyed the shivering Cadet for a few moments.

"Your clothes are soaked," He stated, tugging at one of Cloud's sleeves. "No wonder you're cold. You need to change out of these immediately." Then he smirked and leaned in closer. "I can help, if you'd like." He rested both of his hands on Cloud's shoulders.

"S-Seph," Cloud breathed, his bright blue eyes staring directly into the General's. Sephiroth took this as a go-ahead and then proceeded to tug Cloud's shirt over his head. Once he removed it from the Cadet's shivering body, he gently tossed it off to the side.

The next thing Cloud knew, the General pressed his body up against his own and the kissing began again. Cloud was slowly laid back down in the sand, and he felt a gentle pulling at this waist.

He glanced down to watch as the General's slender fingers began to unbutton his drenched pants. Then his zipper was slowly tugged down, and Cloud gasped. Sephiroth rested his hands on Cloud's hips, and was just about to remove the rest of the Cadet's clothing –

Stricken with another wave of nausea, Cloud lurched forward and vomited. He was surprised that there was anything even left in his stomach – he hadn't eaten or drank anything for days now. But whatever had remained in him was quickly emptied onto the ground. Then his muscles cramped up, and he began to dry-heave. And boy, was that fun. After several painful moments, Cloud fell backward and lay sprawled out next to the rock, fatigue overpowering him.

For the first time during his entire training accident mishap, Cloud felt hopeless. Things really weren't looking so good for him now; he barely had any strength left in him. His dehydration had really taken a toll on him, and the sun was beginning to cause dark spots in his vision. With the whole survival business, it seemed that Cloud had gotten the short end of the stick.

Would the search team really get to him in time? He needed medical attention fast. If they didn't find him soon, then he would probably…

…die?

On the verge of giving up, Cloud closed his eyes, wondering how much time he had left.

It was all over. The search team wasn't going to find him in time. If they ever did find him, all that would be left of him would be a skeleton in a Cadet uniform.

Cloud halted his muddled pessimistic thinking for a moment. He couldn't die now. What about his lifelong dream to become a SOLDIER? He wasn't just going to let that go. And he still hadn't confessed his feelings to the General. All of his dreams and hopes for the future would be unfulfilled if he croaked now. Was he really going to give up on life, when he still had so many more decades to go?

No.

He was going to fucking live.

Suddenly Cloud's eyes snapped open, burning with a crazed look, and he pushed himself up to his knees. Then he rummaged through his backpack until he found the item he was looking for – his survival knife.

He flung the backpack aside and turned to face the giant rock, knife gripped tightly in his hand. Then he plunged the knife into the rock's surface with all his might.

It took him several minutes to carve the letters into the stone, but it was well worth it. Once he was finished, he looked over his work in satisfaction.

"As a remembrance of our love!" Cloud shrieked, but it came out slurred and unintelligible. The last of his strength was now gone; the Cadet slumped forward and passed out on the ground, knife still clutched in his hand.

Forever etched into the rock's surface, for the whole wide world to see, was SEPHIROTH + CLOUD.

When Cloud finally came to, he was blinded by the brightest light he had ever seen. He couldn't move; his body felt as if it were made of lead.

Am I…?

"I'm dead," He wailed pitifully, a hot tear rolling down his cheek. He hadn't made it after all.

A sudden thought popped into his head. "Z-Zack's gonna kill me! I still owe him money!"

Wait…

"Cadet?"

A gray, fuzzy shape was beginning to come into focus. Cloud squinted through his tears and studied the figure for a few moments. Suddenly his mouth fell open, and his eyes bulged.

"S-Sephiroth!"

His beloved General was hovering over him, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Cadet?" He asked again, tilting his head slightly to the left. "Can you hear me?"

"It's…you!" Cloud mumbled, a grin spreading across his face. It seemed that fate was granting him one more delusion of Sephiroth before he moved on to the afterlife.

The corners of Sephiroth's mouth turned up. "I'm here to take you back, Cadet."

Cloud gave him a goofy, delirious grin. "Oh, Sephiroth!" He breathed, his words slurred together. "I knew you'd come!"

The corners of Sephiroth's mouth were pulled up into a tiny smile. "You'll be alright now, Cadet. The search team is on their way up now."

Cloud's smile faded. The search team was coming soon? That meant he and Sephiroth only had a limited amount of free time left before his fantasy would end.

Sephiroth cocked his head to the side again, confused by the smaller male's frown. "Do you need something, Cadet?"

Cloud smiled again and reached towards the General slowly, aiming to touch the silky-smooth skin of his face. Now the fantasy was getting started. "Don't you know?"

"Oh! Of course. How foolish of me," Sephiroth replied, reaching down to his jacket. From his pocket he pulled out a canteen of water and offered it to Cloud. "Here, Cadet. Drink this."

Cloud looked up at him in disapproval, but he took the canteen anyway and chugged it down. He hadn't realized how thirsty he'd been until the water had ran down his throat.

Cloud then stared up at Sephiroth, puzzled. What was going on? Sephiroth seemed completely different in this fantasy. Where were the kisses? Or the infatuating eye contact? They didn't have much more alone time left before the search team would get there. He had to do something, quick.

But before Cloud could open his mouth, the walkie-talkie clipped onto the General's belt began to crackle loudly. "General Sephiroth?" He heard a husky voice call over the static. "We're less than half a mile from your position. Is the Cadet awake yet?"

"The Cadet has regained consciousness," Sephiroth informed him. "But his ankle appears to be injured, and he's extremely dehydrated; it's beginning to affect his mind. He seems quite delusional. I believe he's under the impression that he's dreaming."

"Understood. The helicopter is on its way over and should be arriving shortly," the search team member responded.

Cloud listened to the entire conversation quietly, now more confused than ever. What kind of fantasy was this? Puzzled, he stared up at the General as he clipped the walkie-talkie back onto his belt. Then a sudden thought occurred to him.

What if…it wasn't a fantasy?

The reality of what was happening finally dawned on him. Everything made sense now. Why Sephiroth was acting the way he was, and why his fantasy wasn't going how he thought it would.

He was in reality now.

And very, very embarrassed.

Cloud was too mortified by his previous behavior to say anything to the General, who now had his back to the Cadet. And to add to Cloud's horror, it seemed that he was staring at what Cloud had carved into the rock earlier.

He was so, so dead.

Sephiroth turned back around to face Cloud, an unreadable expression on his face.

"S-sir, I-I-" Cloud stammered, truly horrified.

The General didn't say anything, but instead took Cloud's knife from his hand and knelt down next to the rock. Cloud could hear the blade scrape against the stone, but was unable to see what Sephiroth was up to.

Several agonizing moments later, the General finally turned around, a surprising smile on his face. "There," he breathed, in the same smooth voice that Cloud remembered from his previous fantasies. "That's much better, don't you think?"

Cloud looked over and the rock and gasped.

What now surrounded Cloud's writing on the rock was an enormous, jagged heart.

"S-sir?" Was all Cloud managed to squeak out before he was drowned out by several voices coming from behind them.

"There they are!" One man shouted, toting a ridiculously large first-aid kit. He hurried towards Cloud, studying him carefully. "Bring the stretcher over here. We're going to need it."

"Cloud?" Zack suddenly appeared, running ahead of the rest of the search team. "Cloud! There you are!" He knelt down next to his friend, looking relieved. "Oh man, Cloud. You had me so worried. Are you alright?"

Cloud gave him a weary smile. "I'm okay, Zack."

The stretcher was set up and wheeled over to Cloud. Zack and another search team member hoisted him onto it, being careful of his injured ankle.

A low humming came from overhead, and Cloud looked up to watch as the emergency helicopter landed on the cliff. Two medics rushed out and hurried over to him.

What a production, Cloud thought miserably. But it was better to be fussed over than to be still stranded out in the woods.

After giving the rest of the search team their orders, General Sephiroth made his way over to Cloud.

"Cadet, I'll be accompanying you in the helicopter on the way to the hospital," he stated. "Zackary, the search team is going to wait here for their helicopter to arrive but you may come along with us if you wish."

"Of course!" Zack responded, gripping the side of the stretcher so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I wanna make sure he'll be okay."

The two medics approached Cloud and wheeled him off to the helicopter, with Zack and Sephiroth following behind. Once Cloud was secured and everyone was inside, the helicopter took off.

Cloud watched as the helicopter pulled up from the ground, and breathed a sigh of relief as the cliff slowly went out of view. He would never have to step foot on that godforsaken island in the middle of nowhere ever again.

He suddenly flet a hand wrap around his own, and looked up to find the General gazing down at him.

"Are you sure you're alright, Cadet?" He asked, giving Cloud's hand a gentle, affectionate squeeze.

"I'm fine," Cloud replied, giving his beloved General a smile.

And he was.

Thanks so much for reading ^^ Hope you liked it! Please review and tell me what you think!