Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII and I don't make money with this writing.

A/N¹: Thanks for Rocquell, not only for the amazing betaing, but especially because it was her fiction that inspired this story. The fiction is " Divide and Conquer" and you could read it at .net/u/1678212/ or at her Lj journal .com/scribblearchive/

After Divide

Part 1 - Hate

He was aware about what could happen when that door was opened.

He saw huge and frightened eyes stared at him. After the previous shock of fear, the rage. Sephiroth had had many battles and many deaths on his back to know what was fear, what was boldness and what was pure and adamantly hate.

Cloud Strife had those three emotions inside his blue eyes, once confident and cheerful in life.

He, the powerful general had stole their brightness. He had corrupted not only the boy's body but some hidden place in his soul. He was his hero, he became his friend and now he was nothing but an executioner.

Sephiroth felt miserable. A brand new ache for a man like him. Miserable. Useless. Regretful.

Not even with Zack, he had felt so much guilt because of his behavior. For the first time he understood the word sinner, spoken by those poets and priest who had faith in something. However, Sephiroth had no faith. He had no poetry inside his mind. No mercy inside his soul.

But for the first time in his life he had regret in his heart. He was not human, but unfortunately Zack had taught him to be one. Unfortunately.

The door was slammed in front of his and Zack's face. He heard fast steps running across the room and the sound of a trigger being pulled and also the treble noise of a sharp razor. Cloud was arming himself as if he was going to battle. Indeed he was in a battle, Sephiroth sadly thought. He sought for comfort in his lover's eyes, but he found an equally nervous look in Zack's violet orbs.

" Cloud, we are here to…we brought you something that you will like to have!"

" Cloud…"

The words died inside Sephiroth's throat. The manila envelope with the ShinRa stamp, carried inside it the dream of the boy that he helped to kill a little because of his stupid revenge. He let Zack finish the words and perhaps, perhaps Cloud would answer him. Sephiroth turned his back to the closed door, glanced at Zack, who held the envelope with shaking hands and went to the hall's exit. He shouldn't be there and he knew that.

" You didn't come to training this morning and you didn't pick my calls up. You made it! You're a SOLDIER. It's not a favor Cloud, you conquered that and I…I'll leave it at the door. These are your admission papers and you have to choose the place that you want to join. You can choose from Wutai to Costa Del Sol. Wherever we have a base. I would like if you rather chose to be here… But it's all with you buddy. Please give me a chance…Cloud…"

Zack whispered the last phrase; his forehead leaned against the wooden door.

In the dark, with his sword gripped tightly in one hand and an automatic gun in the other, Cloud was hidden inside his room, planning a strategy to kill the general, his once hero, his molester, his…nightmare, if he dared to come inside. He didn't care if Zack was with Sephiroth or not. He didn't care for the previous and many apologies from both men. They wanted him to pretend and forget that nothing had happened. Cloud would never. Even though Zack had explained it was all Hojo's doing, the man had never done anything to him; they had.

" Zack, don't oblige me to talk with you only because you're my superior. Please go away."

" And if I don't Cloud? If I don't go away because I care about what you're doing with yourself and I need to…see if you are ok?"

" Get out Zack! I never want to see you again! I'll quit!"

" Cloud…please let me in! Don't you do this, You passed! You're a SOLDIER now dammit!"

After some time, Cloud heard heavy steps leave the corridor until the sounds had faded away. Cautiously, he looked at the small corridor of his entrance and saw the door closed. Nobody was in there. He sighed in relief but he remained with his gun and sword in both hands and very slowly, his breath came out at a regular pace, also his heart beats. Cloud slid down the wall he was leaning against and when he reached the floor, heavy tears was rolling down his cheeks.

Tbc