Temple of Gutter

Fic: Dain af Niohoggr 2/30

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:16:34 GMT

Title: Dain af Niohoggr
Author: GW Katrina
Beta: Skeren
Fandom: FFVII: Mercverse
Claim: mercverse for story_arc
Themeset/Prompt: Thirty Set 01: Spar
Wordcount: 2044
Ratings: PG-13
Link to Archive Post: Here

Dain af Niohoggr

Right now, all Cloud wanted to do was enjoy his nice, warm bed.

The warm part was being provided by Sephiroth, who was also trying to sleep. The day before had been a long, and these two in particular of the pack liked to linger together. Not to mention that they had been enjoying some alone time last night after the research had been done. This had lead to both of them having a late night, and Cloud really wanted to enjoy his sleep. From the grumbles by him, Sephiroth did as well.

However, it was a little hard to sleep when he could hear the others playing in the other room. At least Zack and Chaos.

It sounded as if they were trying to be quiet, but when two full grown men were wrestling around, especially people like Zack and Chaos, it got a little loud. There was the occasional murmur from Vincent, sounding like he was trying to get the pair to calm down.

Cloud wished the man would succeed, but he highly doubted it. He had known Zack since the boy was six. Calm was not really a state of being for him. Add him with Chaos, who was the more energetic of the twins, and it was just a recipe for noise and probable destruction. Or sex. Possibly all three. In any case, it was havoc on anyone’s attempt to sleep.

Pushing himself out of bed, and rolling his eyes at Sephiroth as he just pulled Cloud’s pillow over his head, the blond went to give the noisemakers a few choice comments. Just because Zack could and regularly did run on four or five hours of sleep, didn’t mean Cloud wanted to.

Grabbing a robe, pulling it on even as he walked out the door, he followed the sounds of the horseplay, muttering. It wasn’t as if they were far, or else he wouldn’t have been able to hear Vincent.

They were two rooms over, Vincent settled quite comfortably on a chair as he held a book in his hands. The man wasn’t even looking at Zack or Chaos, his red eyes focused on the pages. He did glance up when Cloud came to a stop in the doorway. “I told you that the pair of you were too loud.” He sighed, looking at the other two.

Looking up as best he could, head currently caught in a headlock, Zack gave Cloud an innocent smile. “What has you up so early? It’s not even light out.”

“Really?” A frown. “I can’t even imagine why I would be up before the crack of dawn. Maybe it was the sound of idiots being loud.” His frown deepened. “You know Seph and I were up late last night doing that research so that -you- might not end up being poisoned. Again.”

That got a rather contrite look from Zack, who fidgeted in Chaos’s hold. “I didn’t mean to get bitten by that thing. Did you guys figure out what it was?”

“And you smell like you and Seph got up to a few other things last night besides research.” That was totally Chaos’s “I’m laughing at you” tone of voice. Cloud just scowled more.

“Maybe, but a majority of the night was spent.....”

What he was about to say was gone as something, magically white-hot and powerful slammed through him. From the howls that the half demons gave, even as Cloud felt himself falling, he wasn’t the only one affected.

He didn’t have any idea what this was, but it wasn’t good.

Everything went black.

///

Heartbeat throbbing behind his eyes, Zack grimaced, catching himself with one hand, the other pressed tight between his eyes. He held still, even though he could hear the others drop around him. Couldn’t move. If he did, he was sure he would throw up.

There was a sound of distress from the other room as well, and it took all of Zack’s willpower to not go looking for whatever was hurting his family like this. But first he had to wait for it to end, then he could go check on them.

Finally, the sensation faded, leaving behind a headache which brought tears to his eyes. Still, he had fought through worse, and Zack forced himself up to his feet. First to be checked on was Chaos, who was slumped next to him. The half-demon blinked at him, awake. That made something relax, but his pupils were pinpoints, and Zack touched the man’s cheek. Colder than expected. Shock? “I’ll be right back,” he said, nodding absently. “Let me check the others.”

By the time he got to him, Vincent was already starting to move, tucking his head down, looking pasty and as ready to throw up as Zack felt. “Stay,” Zack said after a moment, pulling an blanket off the back of the chair, and draping in on Vincent. A second blanket went on Chaos, then Zack went to check on Cloud. The immortal was out cold, which just made him curse. Checking his pulse, it was good, though Cloud felt like he was probably shocky as well.

Not sure what was going on, Zack looked at Vincent, who was moving to sit next to Chaos. Feeling better the more he moved, Zack collected Cloud, and then set him down to the others. “Gotta go check Seph. Be right back.”

“All right.” It was a low mumble, but it was talking, and it was from Chaos, which made Zack relax a little. They were already starting to get their color back. Seemed like whatever happened, they were starting to recover. Good.

Using a hand on the wall, just in case his balance tried to go odd again, Zack made his way to Cloud’s bedroom. Seph would be in there, and he hadn’t called out to let them know that he was all right. Which wasn’t a good sign.

Though the sound of vomiting was easy enough to hear as Zack got closer. As did the sound of cursing. When Zack opened the door, he found himself the focus of narrowed cat eyes.

“What happened?” snarled Seph quietly, holding himself like he hurt all over.

“Don’t know,” Zack said, moving to sit on the bed beside where Seph was slumped on the floor. “Others are in the other room. Chaos and Vincent are awake, if shocky. Cloud is out.”

“It was magic. What kind, I don’t know. Never felt anything like it.” He shook his head faintly, looking as if he immediately regretted it.

Zack offered a hand. “Let’s get you to the bathroom so you can wash out your mouth, and then join the others. We can hash out some ideas after I look at Cloud again.”

Taking the hand, Sephiroth levered himself up, leaning against the dark haired man. Hugging him, Zack sighed.

It was going to be a long day.

///

After everyone was awake again, though there had been a bit of a wait for Cloud, the five of them settled down, Zack bustling around a bit to make sure that the others all had something to drink and blankets. Seemed having everyone else drop had triggered off that paranoid protective streak of his. It was the one remnant of having lost one family already that none of the pack had ever been able to work out of his system. He was a protective brat, but Sephiroth and the others couldn’t find it in their hearts to deny him.

So once everyone had settled, Zack included, Sephiroth absently fiddled with the drink the man had forced onto him.

“I don’t recall anything like that,” was the first, slow, hesitant words from Cloud. Which could mean a lot of things.

“No offense, Spike, but your memory is notoriously foggy at times.” Of course it would be Zack who pointed it out, but he did have a point, and it was something that Cloud was nodding to as well.

“That is very true. Still, that is something that is rather obvious. It.... Whatever it was, it was powerful.”

Vincent shifted, hand resting on the back of Chaos’s neck. “It felt similar to when Father undid the final seals holding Mother to this plane when we were old enough. But it was nothing near that strong.” He paused, focus distant. “I don’t know of -anything- that strong.”

That was the problem. Aeris had already called once, frantic and near hysterical as she had babbled at Zack, her words unclear and more than a little slurred. Worried, Zack had made Vincent call Tifa, and sent the woman to check on his girlfriend. Tifa had reported back that Aeris was sleeping now, but that the half-Cetra wasn’t the only one who had felt something outside of them. It was all over. Even people who didn’t have any magic in their blood had felt it.

So far, they didn’t know much. The pre-dawn time had made it so news was going slow, but already the television was reporting accidents and deaths as people had momentarily been blinded, or worse, while driving, working, or just walking in the wrong spot when they collapsed. And that was just the first reports. Who knew what was going to happen when people started moving and calling for help?

“We need more information,” Chaos said, growling faintly. He was the much more active twin, and having to wait for information went against his grain. Still, he wasn’t dumb, even if people took him for it, and he knew that in this case, action had to wait. They needed details. Especially since -nobody- knew what this was.

Cloud was nodding. “I’m going to start calling in for favors. We need as many details as we can get. Because this shouldn’t be possible.” He ran his hands through his hair, making it spike up even more. It didn’t take much for it to look like he had been mauled by a groom-happy chocobo. “I can’t ever recall of magic so strong that non-magic users felt it. Not on the sort of level we’re seeing it reported already.”

“Aeris was panicked,” Zack added slowly, expression a bit blank as he focused on his thoughts. “I’ve never heard her like that. Not even when the Turks tried to snag her that time. She was going on about something being loose and how bad it was.” He shook his head, focusing on them again. “When I tried to find out what she meant, she didn’t know. Said it was something about her dreams.” He absently mimicked Cloud’s gesture, hand pushing hair out of his face. “She just kept going on about how ‘they’ were frantic.” A grimace. “I’m going to go talk to her later, once she’s had a chance to get some more rest. She took it as bad as you did, Cloud. At least, that’s how it seems.”

“I have a few contacts I can try asking as well.” Sephiroth looked to Vincent and Chaos. “Maybe you should contact your family. Even if they don’t know, they study a completely different form of magic than I do. And we know that Cloud can’t be trusted with magic at all.” He caught the throw pillow that was living up to its name as Cloud tossed it at him. “And Zack here barely uses magic at all. If he focuses on Aeris, and we go the different magic routes, we might be able to get a few more ideas.”

It was easy for Sephiroth to see that the others were just as uneasy as he was. Which was something else to worry about. Whatever had caused this flash of power, it was strong. Massively strong.

-Wartime- strong.

There had been no great magic wars since the Great Demon herself had been sealed and her children slain. The devastation left behind from that had been too great for anyone to chance it again. Minor magics during combat was something different from magics that could turn entire countries to dust.

Sephiroth didn’t know if this was that strong, but it was stronger than any single spell he had ever felt.

Something bad was coming, and he wished that he knew what it was.

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:41:11 GMT

Ah, November, when a writer's fancy turns to massive wordcount.

ffvii_100 drabbles. This week's prompt was Angeal. How was I to resist?

Five drabbles here

Fic: Dain af Niohoggr(FFVII Mercverse) 1/30

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:06:55 GMT

Title: Dain af Niohoggr
Author: GW Katrina
Beta: Skeren
Fandom: FFVII: Mercverse
Claim: mercverse for story_arc
Themeset/Prompt: Thirty Set 01: Spell
Wordcount: 1605
Ratings: PG-13
Link to Archive Post: Here

First off, for those of you who have never read the Mercverse AU of Final Fantasy VII, here’s a few details.

Cloud is immortal. Zack isn’t fully human. Vincent and Chaos are half-demon twins. Sephiroth is a mage adept.

That is the basis of Mercverse. Below are more details, which are useful, but not absolutely required to know.

It’s a feudal system, with kings and princes, and noble families. Thousands of years before this story, there was a great war, where the demons, lead by Jenova and her three sons, battled with the Cetra and humans. Jenova was sealed away, and her sons were slowly hunted down and killed. Sometime after all of this, the Cetra vanished, magic hiding the path they took, though a few were still scattered around, or have reappeared throughout the ages.

Cloud Strife was born during that time frame. His father is unknown, and his mother would never speak of the man.

He’s been alive ever since. Death never did seem to take, and he has lived through the centuries, watching as part of his family line went on to become the Shinras, the royal family of the country.

Currently, he has a pack of people that he enjoys spending time with.

Zack Strife-Cloud’s heir, someone who has just enough demon blood in his system to pull off some impressive actions. He was a street kid until found by Cloud, and was adopted as a ward before being made his heir. Given Cloud is rather immortal, Zack just uses Court time to annoy the other nobles and have fun. He and Cloud were the first two of the current mercenary group that Cloud runs.

Vincent and Chaos Valentine: A set of half-demon twins. Something of a rarity, even with all the humans and demons in this world. While both can shapeshift, Vincent prefers to stay in his human form, while Chaos is more likely to follow his demon side.

Sephiroth: A mage who Cloud has known for a few years now, and the last to join the group. He mostly did it to make Zack stop pestering him, but has enjoyed his time here.

Outside of the people who are the core of his group, there are others, such as Tifa, Aeris, and Yuffie. He has a variety of connections, given how long he has been alive, and the jobs he has taken up doing over the years.

Mercverse focuses primarily around this group of people, and more can be found on Livejournal and Insanejournal under the community/asylum name of mercverse. There, various people have written in the universe, adding their own touches and playing with the ideas. Feel free to join in, though I no longer visit the LJ version.

Dain af Niohoggr

Under the light of the blood red moon, the group of people who really had no right to be there continued to chant and move, each gesture and word particularly placed to have the most effect. While not the most regular of magical rituals, the creator of this one had been very precise on what he had wanted. Each detail had to be perfect in order to make this spell work.

So much work had gone into the ritual these people were working their way through, clothed in the pale, almost sterile robes as they moved over the dust.

No plants grew here, and they had to move carefully, or else someone would choke on the stirred up earth, and that would be something bad. It would have been easier if the earth was covered in plants, or pavement. But nothing was here, all the life forever killed in this area, going to feed a truly massive spell that had been going for millennia. So it would take a lot of focus to keep the magic of this ritual from fading into that steady, unending pull to feed the older spell.

Not that this ritual was going to do what they thought it would, Hojo thought as he watched them from a distance. Oh, no.

The fools thought they were doing a magical ritual that would gain them power over all demons. Power to make them do as the group wished.

Such pitiful beings, to think so small. In a way, Hojo wished that he wasn’t the only one to think in such a grand way. Or that he had been born of a species with a longer life span. To have such great thoughts and to be limited to a single human lifetime.... Sometimes, the world was even less just than normal. If there was any true justice, he would live for many long years, bringing forth greater and greater achievements.

Watching, Hojo found his head bobbing in time with the chanting and forced himself to stop. For such a powerful force, magic was so messy sometimes. It required the most obscure things in order to work properly. But it was a power that he had focused on since he was young. Messy, but he had found ways to make it cleaner, more exact.

Building up to this moment. This ritual. One he had been working on for years now. His son had been a mere step along this path, and now, after years of work and manipulating that fool of a king, Hojo was almost there.

It had been difficult to find the details of the ritual. There had been a great deal of digging, of pouring through rotting, filthy books, of putting the puzzle pieces together in order to get the whole of it.

Once he had done that, it had taken years more of planning and preparation, always ready for when the right moment came.

How did one find a blood red moon, for instance? Or ring it with ice?

Hojo found he enjoyed riddles, puzzles. They were simple far too often, but the challenging ones, oh, those were well worth the hunt to find them.

And there was no greater puzzle than this spell.

When the volcano to the west had erupted, he had watched. Watched as the ash filled the sky, and the moon slowly darkened, and turned red. It came in time with a cold front, with ice high in the sky. And so the moonlight made a ring of ice around the moon itself.

Science had brought him the answer. It solved so many of the other mysteries as well.

Like the skull of the man drowned on air. Someone who suffocated on foul air could fill that one.

Or the eyes of frogs that flew. Really. That one was just too easy. The ancients who set this spell must have had very low opinions of the ones who came after.

The most puzzling of the riddles was how to do the spell itself. The one casting -must- know what they were casting.

Still smug over that, Hojo watched as the movements became more frantic, words becoming unintelligible.

That was fine. They had done the part they needed.

Raising his own hands, he cast, and the people began to scream as words burned onto their skin. They really should have checked their robes better.

As suddenly as the people began to scream, they stopped, and for a moment, he wondered if the spell had failed.

Then power flared up, painting the area in a blinding white light, so bright that Hojo had to cover his face. Even then, it was almost painful against his closed and shielded eyes, a palpable force against his skin. So much magical power that it was almost unimaginable.

Just as suddenly as it arrived, it vanished. No, not vanished. He could feel it pulling back, sliding over his skin, and he took a step forward before he was able to control himself.

Slowly, carefully, he opened his eyes and lowered his arm, ready to cover his eyes again if needed. He had too many important things to do to risk being blinded.

In the spot that the people had been holding their ritual, there were only scorch marks. Nothing of them remained, not even the altar that they had put together under Hojo’s careful observation.

It was a single white dot in the air at first. He almost didn’t notice it.

Then the black strands began to creep out from it, looking like cracks in the air itself. Bit by bit, the scene in front of him seemed to flake away, leaving a bright, blinding light behind it.

With a roar, the world exploded into white light again. Unable to hide from it quick enough, Hojo had to wait, blinking his eyes to clear them of the haze. When his vision cleared, the man’s eyes went wide.

Before him, the woman who stood where the altar had been watched him with red-violet eyes.

He had succeeded.

“Yes. You did.”

Hojo bowed, as he had never bowed to any other being, and truly meant it.

He had freed her.

It had begun.

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:52:18 GMT

*dances happy dance*

25 thousand words has been broken.

Only by 13 words, but it means I'm halfway there. *happy dances more*

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:16:52 GMT

Broke 10k~ I broke 10k~

Happy NaNo dance.

*did 10k in 5 days* And I plan on doing more for today. *happy dances more*

Oh Gracious Twist of Fate: Chapter Five: In the Inn

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:39:14 GMT

Slowly, slowly, I pick my way through this fic. Look, I'm still alive, everyone.

Chapter One: Escape
Interlude One
Chapter Two: Clean Up
Interlude Two
Chapter Three: On the Run
Interlude Three-Part One
Interlude Three-Part Two
Interlude Three-Part Three
Interlude Three-Part Four
Chapter Four: Plans Begin
Interlude Four-Part One
Interlude Four-Part One

Chapter Five: In The Inn

October/November 1994

It had been a positively busy day today.

Happily counting the gil he had made, the innkeeper was a bit surprised that there had been so many people renting rooms. Or maybe not. Shin-Ra had their tailfeathers all ruffled up, and had military people all over. And out here, more than a few people had things they wanted to keep to themselves, to not let the people in charge know all about it. It looked like a few more of those had been disrupted.

Okay, so maybe two rooms to three people wasn’t all that much to some, but out here, they were lucky if they saw two or three people in a month, let alone in one day.

One had been that set of brothers. Both of them slim and on the shorter side, though the blond was definitely taller than his younger brother. Poor kid. Both of them were as pretty as girls, though the younger, his brown hair all shaggy and in those wide green eyes, was definitely girl slim as well. Ah, he’d bulk up when he got older. Shy kids, both of them. But polite. Very polite, and he wondered why they were avoiding Shin-Ra. Probably something to do with their parents.

And then there had been that young man, older than the two who had come a few hours before him. He had messy black hair, all pulled back and knotted out of the way. Kid looked positively wild, but happy. It was that cheerful nature that finally let him agree to rent the kid a room. Bright violet eyes almost seem to glow as the boy had basically danced in place happily.

Sometimes, he wished he had that sort of energy. Other times, it made him tired to just think about it.

There were a few other rooms, but nobody else came to rent any. It was a good day. Dining room full of people, good food cooking on the fire. Some guests to help things go a bit smoother in the gil department.

He didn’t know about the two men who slipped in later, sliding in through a window left open, with just a bare flash of light off silver. Or that the energetic kid had waited until the place had quieted down, and people had gone to sleep, before moving to go knock lightly at the door of the first renters. He slipped in when the door opened.

The innkeeper was just happy to have guests, and was sleeping well that night. He didn’t know that his guests were the entire reason that Shin-Ra was searching. All he saw was some good kids, just three of them, all of them male. None of them were wearing anything to do with Shin-Ra, trooper or SOLDIER. And he hadn’t seen the war hero, Sephiroth, either.

Better for everyone, honestly.

///

Shifting some, Sephiroth watched as Aeris started digging through the bag she had been carrying. They had collected more things over the last week or so, just so they would blend in better. Just before coming to town here, he and Aeris had both made the sacrifice of cutting off their rather distinct hair. His more than hers. Not many people had silver hair. Which was another issue they were going to be dealing with here shortly.

He grimaced over that.

Another shift. It was odd, not wearing his leathers. It had taken a lot of work, but both he and Vincent were in more...regular clothing. Zack had “lost” his SOLDIER uniform along the way, selling part here, part there, and just throwing the belt into a river. Sephiroth had done the same with his. They didn’t need anything that marked them as out of place, and people with Shin-Ra marked gear would stand out. And with the army searching for them, they didn’t need to leave any more hints than they had anyway. Still, his leathers had been his for a long time, and it was hard to adjust to materials that were so very different than the well worn clothes he normally wore.

So, they were hiding. Which was why Aeris was hiding out as a boy. She and Cloud had played brothers to get this room, and Zack had gotten a second. It made good tactical sense. Spread them out some, so if there was an ambush, there was at least one group here to help out the other.

Watching the lone woman in their group empty out her bag, Sephiroth had to grimace again. Haircuts weren’t the only thing they were going to do. If they could afford to deal with the complications, he would almost suggest that they get contacts. But SOLDIER eyes and contacts did not work well at all.

So it was down to this.

Hair dyes.

Another grimace, just at the mere thought of it. He knew it had been coming, but as long as they hadn’t actually stopped like this, he could ignore it.

His hair. It was going to be pink. Of all things.

Aeris had tried to explain that they had to pick a pale color for him. Anything else would just look unnatural for him. So he was going to be some sort of blond. How a blond became -pink-, he didn’t know. And Cloud didn’t have an answer for him either.

Zack had tried to say it wasn’t pink, but Sephiroth knew pink when he saw it.

Though he didn’t know why he had to be the most ridiculous looking one of them all, he wasn’t the only one who was getting his hair color changed. Aeris was doing something to bleach her’s out some. Not to blond, but lighter brown. Cloud’s was being dyed a darker color. Pale brown, if Sephiroth recalled correctly. He and Aeris were going to keep up the sibling game as long as possible.

As for Zack and Vincent, their hair was just too dark to do any coloring with without going to extreme bleaching methods first. Vincent had started pulling his back in a low tail, and Zack’s was such a mess that nobody could tell was it was supposed to be. Aeris said she could so something, braid it so that it looked flat. He wasn’t sure about that, but it had been faintly amusing to see their reactions when they realized that his hair spiked rather well when it was short. Not as much as Cloud or Zack’s, but a surprising amount.

The smells of the dyes made his nose wrinkle, and from the looks the others were giving, he wasn’t the only one bothered by it. Though it didn’t seem Aeris was going to waste any time. She made Cloud and Sephiroth both join her, working on Cloud’s, then Sephiroth’s right after each other. As it was setting, she looked to Vincent.

“Come here,” she said. Watching the man, mostly to keep himself from scratching his scalp off, Sephiroth was amused by the vaguely alarmed look Vincent suddenly took on. He did move closer, warily, as if Aeris was some sort of wild animal.

Actually knowing her, Sephiroth knew she was like a sort of wild animal at times. It was best some days to just let her have her way and not even bother fighting. Given the look in her eyes, today was one of those days.

“Yes?” Vincent asked after a moment, eyeing Aeris, then the box she was holding.

“Well, we can’t really make your hair a very different color, but I want to try this red on it. It’s pretty dark itself, so it might stand out. Just enough to put people off a little.”

She was already switching gloves, and Vincent gave a faintly wide eyed look around the room. Cloud, who was settled next to Sephiroth, just shrugged. “You might as well. She’ll make you do it anyway, and if you try fighting, it’ll just end up with that stuff streaked all over.”

Shirtless, Sephiroth shifted so his arm was brushing Cloud’s, taking comfort in the contact. It had been such a long time that he was still finding moments just to touch. He had not enjoyed that time period, and he was still working on forgetting it. “He’s right. Might as well get it over with.” His own tone was dry, and he gave the older man a bland look. If he had to put up with pink hair, everyone else had to suffer as well.

Seeming to realize that everything was against him, Vincent surrendered his shirt and allowed Aeris access to his hair. While the colors were still setting, and Vincent had joined the other two, she went to work on Zack’s hair. There was some hissing growls from the man as she managed to find knots he hadn’t gotten out with the brush, and if Sephiroth hadn’t been getting pink hair, he would have had a bit more sympathy over how tight Zack’s hair was getting pulled back.

But, amazingly, when Aeris was done, Zack’s head looked totally different. Everything was pulled down, caught in thin, tight braids that were clipped and folded under at the ends. If Sephiroth hadn’t known the man, he would never have known Zack’s hair was usually on end.

Then, finally, he was able to wash out his hair, getting the chemicals off his skin. Once Aeris gave him the okay, he was scratching as his scalp. Thankfully, this should be the only time he had to turn his hair pink. By the time this grew out, they would either be safe, or dead. Hopefully the former. He didn’t want to be held up as dead with pink hair.

“Seph?”

Still scratching lightly at his scalp, Sephiroth looked at Zack, who was looking back at him with a rather amused look on his face. “If you come over here, and promise to not bite in a bad way, I’ll help with the itch.”

That got a half moment of debate, and he moved to sit in front of Zack, who was as good as his word, fingers working on soothing the itch. Cloud, who didn’t seem to itch nearly as bad, just came over and rested his head on Sephiroth’s leg, eyes shutting. He had been sleeping so much that Sephiroth worried. But for right now, he just ran his fingers along the former blond’s shoulder and upper arm, encouraging him to rest.

In the bathroom, Aeris was working on her own hair, Vincent having been drafted to help her.

“We’ll be safe soon enough,” Zack said, as he worked on Sephiroth’s scalp. “This is darker than I expected. More of a red than blond.”

“It’s pink.”

Zack had the audacity to laugh at him, and if Sephiroth had been anyone else, he would have pouted. Maybe. Zack just leaned down and kissed his still wet hair. “It doesn’t look bad on you, Seph. Makes your eyes look a darker green.” It was a soft murmur, and the man knew his friend was trying to make him feel better.

Scowling some still, Sephiroth sighed. “It’s pink.”

But it would help them get away. So, maybe, he could live with it. Too late now, in any case.

Though he would make the others suffer for this indignity. And he hoped they realized it.

///

When everyone had finally been dealt with, Sephiroth and Zack had slipped back to the room Zack had rented, though it was obvious that Sephiroth would have prefered to have stayed there. But it really was safer if they kept a bit split up while sleeping. And so now Cloud was laying here, listening to Aeris and Vincent breathing. He wasn’t sure if Vincent was asleep or not, though Aeris was.

He should be able to hear them. That he expected.

The fact that he was positive he could hear Zack and Seph as well was a bit of a surprise.

Though maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised. How often since he had been in the labs had it been quiet? There were always voices murmuring in the back of his head anymore. Most of them were low, just a sound that he ignored. One was a bit more persistent. Singing about her children and how her good sons would come back to her. It didn’t happen all the time, that one, but it rose up often enough that it was an irritant.

Reaching out, touching lightly on the ones he cared for, Cloud tugged on them, just a tiny bit. Just enough to catch a thread of “them”, and pull it towards him. Shouldn’t do any damage. He didn’t think so, anyway. In a way, it was a connection that none of them would lose, and he would always have that thread to follow if he got lost in the voices again. Which was a scary, yet plausible idea. There was still so much that Cloud didn’t understand about these things. He had never had a chance to just sit down and focus on it.

Maybe, once they were settled a bit more, he could talk to Aeris about it. She made the voices sing, so she had to know something about it, right?

Taking the threads, he wove them into threads of his own, working on building something to help protect him from the voices. To keep a shield between him and the abyss. No need to tempt fate, and Cloud had spent enough time being lost.

He was here, with them, and he didn’t plan on going anywhere. Not if he could help it, no matter how seductive some of the voices sounded.

Now, once this was settled some, he would always have his family with him. With them, he would always be able to stay free. And, if it worked like he hoped, he’d always be able to keep them free from the voices as well.

It was an idea. Cloud had no idea on where it came from. But it was there. And he hoped it was correct.

His loved ones had come for him. He wasn’t going to abandon them now.

No matter what he had to do.

Snuggling into his blanket, he let the murmurs that said “family” to him wash over him. Much better than random voices he didn’t know.

Much better than -her-.

Shutting his eyes, Cloud finally slept.

///

Perched in the tree, Zack kept watch as the others rested. Cloud still needed rest breaks fairly often. Which Zack was just as happy to take as well. He was reminded a bit too much of Wutai.

Speaking of Wutai..... “We need to talk, you guys.”

The others quieted down, and he looked at them. “We need to figure out more details than “run to Wutai.” For instance, Seph is still pretty much wanted dead over there.” A pause, and he sipped at a water bottle. “For that matter, so am I. And I find I rather like being alive. So, what do we do when we get there?”

There was a bit of a frown on Sephiroth’s face. Apparently, he had been avoiding thinking of that. Or it really hadn’t occurred to him. Zack knew everyone saw Seph as this great, all knowing general, but the man did have a bad habit of focusing on the goal, and not on what to do -after- said goal was reached. Not until they got to that point. Not that Zack was much better some days, but this was fairly important stuff. This wasn’t just his life, or Seph’s. This was for Spike and Aeris as well. It was their lives that Zack and Seph were gambling if this went bad.

“You might try going to the capital. Lord Godo still lives there, yes?”

The question from Vincent threw Zack for a bit of a loop. He hadn’t expected much commentary from that direction. After a moment of thought, he nodded. “At least, he was still living there last time I was in Wutai.” Which had been a bit more recently than Seph. “Why?”

Vincent nodded. “My mother was from Wutai. As as the Lord of Wutai, the man can bring you in as one of his vassals. You’ll have to prove yourself worthy, but...” He paused, studying them. “They just fought a war. Fighters are most likely more scarce than you would think. To bring in not only fighters, but the ones who turned the tide for Shin-Ra....” A small lift of a shoulder. “The test, though, would not be easy. He would not trust you, I think.”

Now it was Sephiroth who nodded, a slow shift of his head as he thought about it. “I would be surprised if he did. However, if we could convince him, it would be in our best interest. Zack, you had a friend over there, did you not?”

Zack wrinkled his nose. “Not so much of a friend as a personal leech. She’s Godo’s kid, though she didn’t seem too impress with her dad. Don’t know if it would do us much good.” He went to run his hand through his hair, scowling as he hit the braids, then put his hand back down. “But I’ll see if I can’t get a hold of her. Have to find a phone, though.” He smiled down at them. Good. Had people thinking about future things.

“So. Now is the big question. How obvious do we want to make it that we went to Wutai?”

///

The answer to Zack’s question was apparently “Not very,” Aeris thought to herself was she rested against the railing that surrounded the deck. She, still disguised as a boy, would have to head down soon to help cook food for dinner. But right now, she was enjoying her moment of fresh air. Up above, Zack and Cloud where both helping tie things off, and scrambling along the ropes as if they had done this before.

Which, she found out as they had bartered for passage, they had. Both of them had to get across the ocean to the same continent as Midgar somehow. And it seemed as if both had bartered passage for work on the way to join up with the military. While they weren’t excellent at it, they knew enough to help out more than hinder, and the captain seemed pleased to have a few extra hands.

Poor Vincent and Sephiroth, on the other hand, had been stuck doing some of the nastier jobs that nobody wanted, but didn’t take a lot of skills to do. Vincent had done a good deal of slinking around to find them a ship with a captain who wouldn’t ask too many questions, and he had done a good job of it. But the passage over wasn’t paid that way, and while they had the gil, it also gave the boys something to do instead of getting bored.

The jobs weren’t too bad, though mostly they kept getting relegated to keep watch. It hadn’t escaped the captain’s notice when they had both spotted that monster long before the man in the crow’s nest had. So that got them out of the fact they had to clean, even if the two watches they stood were incredibly boring to do.

As for Aeris, all she had to do was help cook one meal, and they hadn’t even asked her to help do any of the other things. She smiled. It was nice to see people enjoy her food. Though it was still very odd learning to respond to “Boy” all the time. It didn’t do a thing to cheer her up that it was so easy to trick people into thinking she was male. But then Zack would give her that look that made her feel all right again. Or Seph would wrap an arm around her for a momentary hug. The man was still so stingy with contact that she enjoyed those moments.

They were almost there, though. The night before, the captain said it would probably be one more day.

From there, it was two days of travel to get from port to the main city, at least by bird.

Once they hit the city.... Well, they would see when they got there.

Pushing away from the rail, Aeris headed for the door down, easily moving along with the sway of the ship.

This had been an interesting trip to Wutai, she would admit that.

She had never seen a sky so blue as it was right now. One day, she hoped she could grow a flower that blue.

Right now, though, she had people to feed.

Remember, reviews make me write more. Cause I'm a whore for them.
Chapter Wordcount: 3,463
OGToF wordcount: 46,377

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:43:47 GMT

Wow, I've been gone a bit. Thought I think I might have got myself writing again.

For instance, I have the next part of Gracious almost done. Just need to finish up the last little bit and get it beta'd, and it'll be good to go. Also writing a Mercverse fic. Already 5200 words in on that. Plan on having it all done and beta'd before I start posting it, however.

Anyone remember either of those stories/AUs?

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:56:11 GMT

Posting to pimp out the multifandomkink comm. For people who like doing Kink Memes, here's one where you can suggest fandoms and set up as many kink memes in one place that we can. Can post with your journal or anonymous. Come check it out, and feel free to suggest fandoms and put in prompts.

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:59:34 GMT

als;dkjf;ldkjflk;dff;ldk!!!!!

They seem like they are actually -making- it! *glees so damn hard it's not funny*

"Easy boys. Daddy's working."

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:54:54 GMT

*glees so hard* A while back, someone asked to translate on of skeren and I's RP scenes between Seph and Zack into Russian. We said shiny and gave the okay.

She wrote back last night and said it had gone over really well, and asked to translate the rest of the series.

I glee so hard right now. *bouncesbouncesbounces*

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:02:57 GMT

Going to be hitting ~Gen-Con~ this weekend. We got four day passes, and we'll be up there all four days. If you are thinking of attending, let me know, and we'll try meeting up.

My number is 812-267-1384. If I don't answer, leave me a voice mail.

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:26:29 GMT

More ficcy. All for FFVII 100, though, so not very long ficcy.

On IJ:

No Woman

On DW:

Whole Cloth
and
Drown and Goddess

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:30:28 GMT

The first two of the Dreamwidth Areyougame prompts that I'm doing.

Honor

Prompt: Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Angeal/Zack: First training - He was a scrappy little puppy, I’ll give him that

War Hostages

Prompt: Final Fantasy VII, Yuffie/Zack: forced marriage - They demanded the princess, but the price was a husband for her

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:24:47 GMT

Looking for a ficlet.

It involved a drugged up Sephiroth, Rufus, and some non-con sex in a lab. I was telling someone about it, and she wants to read it, but I can't find it anywhere. Anyone know what I'm talking about and where I can find it to toss her a link?

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:16:18 GMT

Trying to get ffvii_auditions going again. Basically a crack FFVII game, free form, pretty much anything goes game. Got a FFVII muse of any sort? Feel free to bring them in. Empty city, well stocked, everyone is welcomed. Even other fandom muses that have ties with FFVII or OCs that fit in.

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:49:27 GMT

Just out of curiosity, does anyone have a copy of the Cloud Song mp3? It used to be out there, but the file expired, and now it's hard to get a hold of. If any of you do, I'd appreciate it. *smiles*

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:58:28 GMT

More porn battle stuff.

Final Fantasy VII, Zack/Sephiroth/Aeris/Cloud, strange body mutations they could deal with-Not as much porn as I would have liked, but fun to write none the less.

Pandora Hearts, Gil/Oz, age difference New fandom. Blame kemis.

Crossover: Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy VII Zack/Cloud dream sex, Cloud as Zack’s Nobody Cloud is so confusing in this one. First he says one thing, than another. Brat.

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:36:30 GMT

And from yohjideranged

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:07:16 GMT

Kingdom Hearts, Sephiroth/Riku/Cloud, is this a threesome, or a twosome with one partner in two bodies?

Hopefully, one day, I'll get more than one done in a day.

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:29:13 GMT

More PornBattle.

Final Fantasy VII, Any, materia as sex toys

Using Angeal and Sephiroth and genderswitch materia

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:17:40 GMT

More PornBattle prompts.

Final Fantasy VII, Aeris/Cloud - coming home at last

Porn Battle

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:36:01 GMT

Trying to do a few PB prompts this time around. Fear.

One so far. Now sleep.

Yuffie/Cloud

Fic: Song of the Wolf King(2/6)

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:31:13 GMT

Title: Song of the Wolf King
Author: GW Katrina aka icedark_elf
Fandom: FFVII
Claim: Egyptian AU
Prompt(s): 3-New Year, 8-Campfire, 38-Rain, 22-Flying, 42-Wind, 20-First Love, 37-Animal, 4-Solstice, 10-Country, 32-Hopeful for 50episodes
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 5,116
A/N: Incest is mentioned

//New Year//

Even as things changed, everything else stayed the same. Everyone in the Two Lands was buzzing around, setting things up.

The Floods were coming.

With them would come the soil that would keep the lands fertile and easy to grow in. That, along with the proper blessings, meant that food would be plentiful and that there would be no famine.

Which, of course, meant it was time for the festivals of the new year.

All around the city, people were moving, smiling and chatting happily with each other. Even the threat of the sickness could not keep away the joy of this time of year. The floods were coming, and with them came a time of calm, of peace. Water was everywhere, and while it was up, few things could be done. No farming, no work on the farms outside the minor repairs that most had done already.

Instead, it was the time of festivals and celebrations. Temples were visited, offerings made. Now was the time to remember the good things the gods had brought them, and to revel in the fact that they were alive to enjoy them.

Standing on the balcony of his rooms, Cloud smiled as he watched the stands being built. For a time, all of Nibelheim would be a festival. He was sure that Midgar would be the same, but that was the place of priests. He would leave them to their own celebrations. Here, he had the chance to remind people of all the good that could happen.

There were still rumors, of course, that his rule would end in death and destruction, and he was determined that it would not be so.

This was the first break he had had all day. Most of it had been spent with advisors and servants, making plans, distributing funds where needed, making sure that there would be plenty of food and drink for the crowds that would descend upon the city as the height of the festivals.

The priests had already sent out the announcements, of when the waters would rise, and when they would recede. People would start leaving about seven days before the waters would return to the river, to be home and ready to plant when they could.

Until then, though, there would be a great celebration.

Already, Cloud had talked to the man who represented all the brewers in the local towns, along with the ones from up and downriver. Most of the people would be gone from their homes, and so Cloud would have to make sure that they had plenty of stores in the city for them. He would not allow a riot to break out, as it had done occasionally in the past. There would be plenty of beer for people to drink, so they did not have to resort to the murky waters that would cover everything.

There were plenty of boat owners who would survive half a year on what they made in the next few weeks, and Cloud had already spoken to them as well. No overcharging, no taking advantage of those who had drank too much.

It had been like that all day, the last few days. Talking to a variety of people. Entertainers, food providers, everyone that he needed to make sure that everything would be perfect.

And it would be.

Watching as the waters were already starting to rise, Cloud smiled.

He had learned everything he could watching his father, and he would prove he was just as good a king as the older had been.

His kingdom would need it. They needed a king they could trust for the issues that would come.

Cold creeping up his spine, Cloud tightened his fingers on the railing of his balcony.

Danger was coming to his lands. It had been coming a long time. Soon, he would have to find a way to confront it.

And then he would need all the support he could get.

First, though, he had to focus on the new year. The first under a new king.

He would make it something people remembered with joy.

//Campfire//

Sitting on the hill, Aeris smiled as she looked down over the fields below. This wasn’t her first watch, but it was the first time she was here on her own. Her mother and Elmyra had each gone to different places. Here, though, they had left for Aeris.

Another sign of her growing power.

These were the main fields that fed the city. That fed the Royal Courts and all those who lived here. In the past, it had been her mother who watched these, who had walked the fields and let her blood splatter first on the flames before the fire was taken by torches to other bundles of wood.

This time, it was Aeris.

The knife had been sharp, so sharp she had barely felt it as it had gashed across her palm. Her voice hadn’t even stalled as she had chanted the ceremonial words, blessing the fields with the fertility of The Great Lady and Mother.

Tomorrow, the floods were due in force, and with them would come the dark soils that would cover the earth and provide food for the Two Lands.

She had done the ceremony, watched as her blood had splattered dark on the wood. Closing her fingers, she focused, and when her hand opened again, the cut was gone, healed over.

From there, she had not been needed, really. The fire had been lit, and then people had lit torches from it, taking them to light the other fires that scattered the area. They would provide protection and blessings to the fields, promise a good growth and plentiful harvest.

Now, she sat and watched. This was the part she always enjoyed the most. The earth reflected the sky, with a hundred little fires spreading out from where she stood echoing the stars above them. Under her, the world seemed to stir. It thirsted for the waters that would come, and was ready to provide for those who cared for it again.

This year was even better, and she shifted some to lean against Zack, who had an arm looped around her waist and held her. He was warm, and she loved to watch his eyes in the dark.

“They all lit,” he said with a hum, cheek resting on her hair. “You looked perfect out there. Everyone was watching.”

“Of course they were watching,” she said with a smile. “I was only doing a major blessing. “

He chuckled and kissed her ear, sending shivers down her spine. “So, know who you are going to do the rest of the ritual with?”

The words were a purr in her ear, and Aeris laughed softly before twisting and pouncing on him. Tease her, would he. Well, she’d tease right back, and the pleased sound he made as she kissed him told her that he was just as happy with her answer as she had hoped.

Later, they could talk about what was going on. Right now was for blessings and being together.

//Rain//

Standing on the opening to the balcony, Reno could see the rains as they came. A grey mist just seemed to spring up as the sky opened up and water began to pour down.

They had returned to Midgar ahead of the flood, which was good, as Reno hated having to travel when the waters were up. Everything got mucky, which made things more dangerous. The crocodiles came with the river, and Rufus, training to take over the temple of the Distant One, was always a target for assassins.

Idiots. Like his Mesu Heru would let anyone lay a hand on him. Tseng was just as proud as the falcon brother he represented, as if he’d let anyone get away with something like that.

Still they were now home, safe and sound, and he knew that Rufus was talking with Veld. The older man’s own Mesu Heru was in the room with the pair, so they were safe enough in there, and it was his job, along with the others, to keep watch around the room itself.

In a way, the rains were a relief. Everything had been sitting still and hot, especially once the water had risen. The floods always came before the rain, so the water was just as welcomed for cooling things down as it was for filling up tubs and water reserves.

And with the cool came calm. People weren’t so agitated, so willing to fight.

Not that Reno minded a good fight. But he did have to be stealthy sometimes, and having to punch in someone’s nose was hardly good for that.

In other ways, he scowled at the rain. It meant he was going to get wet. They still had to go out and make sure that any possible threats to the priests, and Rufus in particular, was under control.

Especially now. As the sickness kept hitting people, everyone was getting more and more paranoid. And they had all been told stories about Gast and his death.

He wasn’t going to let anything like that happen to Rufus. And he knew none of the others would let anything happened to the man, either. They were his Mesu Heru, and with them, he was unstoppable.

He didn’t like the fact that Rufus was a target, but…it wasn’t a bad life.

So Reno stood there, ears open to the sound of people moving, and watched the rain come down.

//Flying//

For all that they were great predators, the hawks and falcons that Cid used in his travels made some of the most amusing chirps. Soft little sounds, not the scream of the hunt most of them were known for.

Cid knew every detail of his birds, though. Their strength and weaknesses, and which was best for the job.

Some days, he wished he could do as they did. To float effortlessly on spread wings and ride the wind.

It wasn’t to be, however. He was born human, and was in his King’s service.

Tying the message to the hawk’s leg, he gave the bird a treat, then threw his arm into the air.

“Home,” he called, watching as the bird circled, making another of the chirp sounds, then flew towards the great city of Nibelheim. It would take a day or two for the animal to reach, and then be sent back this way. Cid would have to collect her from the nearby city, but that was fine. She was his Highwind, and was the smartest of his animals.

The report, though, would not be good news. He’d been traveling, moving with the caravans, getting a feel of what the situation was in the Two Lands.

And that situation was bad.

The sickness was everywhere, spreading faster and faster as more people fell ill. Already it was killing faster. Where before it might take years from the first marks appearing to the painful oozing death, now it was taking only months. The longest he heard of of someone who had newly come down was a flood cycle.

That, however, wasn’t the worst of it.

It had spread to the animals.

Oxen and chocobo both had seen infections, and it was slowly spreading to the other animals. He feared when it spread to the farms, to the plants.

Cid sent his message on, and turned towards the nearest town. He’d have to be there when his Highwind returned, and then they’d start traveling more.

//Wind//

It was the wind.

Whenever he paused, lost, he would just have to wait until the wind blew up fresh. Every time, it carried her scent, and as he traveled, it grew stronger.

Flexing gold-laced fingers, he watched as the water flowed past as the boat he traveled on floated. The owner had stopped to pick up more travelers, and so they sat, waiting. As they did, he watched the water, and felt the wind on his face.

She was there, bitter, stagnant, sick. In his mind, the one he followed curled, snarling silently at the taint she spread everywhere.

What was going on that she was able to contaminate this land so well? Where were the gods of this country? They had two sets, surely one could do something.

Or perhaps she had used trickery to get where she was. It was one of her favorite tactics, and he knew that her avatar had married well.

Did the man even realize what he had bound himself to? Possibly, he had not heard pleasant things of the man.

Huddled in his cloak, he fought off the urge to sneak as a particularly strong whiff of the darkness.

Her stench was everywhere.

He would find the source, however, and She of Seven Names would be dealt with. Even other demons did not deal with her, and he would make sure that her stigma would die here.

No more people would die of the black marks. Not after this country.

Though he wasn’t sure who he could talk to. First, he would find her. Then he would find allies. This was their home, they knew it better than he.

With a buzz, a locust landed on his shoulder, and he raised a finger up to brush along it’s back. Hmm. Storms were coming. They would drive the boat faster.

His demon-lord wanted this done. Not unexpected, given the hatred between the two demons. But the Wind-King Demon and She of Seven Names had never gone fang to fang as they had recently. She of Seven Names had slain the unborn child of Wind-King Demon, and stolen his consort for her avatar.

Settling, he waited.

Things were coming to a head. Soon, everything would be done.

He just had to be patient.

//First Love//

Ever since she was small, Tifa had been fascinated with Cloud. He was the quiet one of the twin sons, and as the eldest daughter of the former King, she always knew that she was most likely going to end up married to whoever was the next king. The line of the king was passed through the female side, even if the eldest sons inherited the throne.

Though, for the most part, she had been kept with her mother, one of the lesser wives, and only saw her half siblings from a distance. Not that it bothered her. She had spent a lot of time learning all sorts of things. For instance, when one of the fighters from the temple of She Who is Powerful had decided she had talent. While not inclined to join the temple herself, Tifa had enjoyed the hand to hand fighting skills that Zangan had taught her. He really did believe in her ability to fight, which was nice, even if she was the daughter of the King.

If she wasn’t selected to be on of Cloud’s wives, she had a vague idea of talking to him about being a bodyguard.

Though given that Cloud was sitting in front of her now, Bugenhagen to the side. She liked the older man, who was in charge of several things, including the sacred lions of the palace. He was also one of the few advisors Cloud trusted enough to have in the private quarters of the family.

Settled on a large pillow, Tifa waited to see what Cloud had called her for, though she was pretty sure she knew what was going to happen.

“Tifa....” The boy fidgeted more, then sighed. “Will you consent to being my wife?”

Even though she had thought plenty about this, and she had had a crush on Cloud since they were both tiny, Tifa had to pause.

They were both very affectionate for each other. However, she knew what her duty would be.

Have an heir. And have one quickly.

If she said no, she could very well be asked to marry later on, only this time to someone outside the country, who she didn’t know. She was still the daughter of the former King, and as such, her hand would be useful in securing alliances from other countries. Or even within it, through the various temples and families there.

It was also a mark of how much Cloud trusted -her-. If he thought she was under the thumb of any of the people who tried to manipulate Court around Cloud, he would never had asked.

“Please?”

There was more than a little plead in that single word, and Tifa could feel her insides melt a little bit at the large blue eyes looking at her.

It was for her country, and for the first boy she had ever loved.

“Yes.”

//Animal//

Tail flipping lazily behind him, Nanaki stretched, then resettled himself. As he did, the ambassadors from the small, aggressive country to the south of the Two Lands fell silent.

Not because they realized that they had been ignoring Nanaki. No, it was all due to the fact they were reminded of the fact they had a very large cat stretched out nearby.

Nanaki was the most sacred of the sacred lions, his flame tipped tail a mark of his status as the chosen creature of the Ladies of Flame.

However, to most people, he was only a dumb beast, blood red and marked by flame. Only a very select few, such as the King, and Barrett, knew of the fact Nanaki could speak, and was far more intelligent than most of the humans in Court.

Once he stopped moving, pretending to sleep again, the ambassador began speaking again. Listening in easily, Nanaki laid there, eyes shut as he translated mentally what they said. The nation of Serpents was very determined to make the far wealthier nation of the Two lands theirs, and every few generations attempted to invade and conquer. Not that it worked, but it was something that they liked to be prepared for when it happened.

They were due another in attempt in the next few years, if the past was any indication. Absently, Nanaki wondered if this time would finally bring the might of the armies down upon the Serpents, and they would join the Two Lands as a new territory.

The former King, may he enjoy the Summerlands, had planned to expand the Two Lands in just such a way.

Nanaki made a note to see if Cloud had his father’s inclinations.

Though it sounded as if the Serpents had decided to put on hold any plans. As his listened, still curious how human mouths made those strange hissing sounds that made up the language of the Serpents, he heard them debate. The Two Lands was as weak as it would ever be, with a somewhat unstable King and the sickness that raged through the lands.

However, it seemed that the stigma was the main reason that they were hesitant to invade. Which made sense. Why invade a plague land? You’d only be exposing your own people to the sickness.

As the men rose and walked off, Nanaki just waited.

This little niche was one of the few where a person could have a private conversation. Eventually, someone else would come. And they would ignore Nanaki.

Which was just fine by him.

//Solstice//

Feeling the bird shifting under him, Zack reached down and petted down the bird’s neck, eyes focused on the thin line of light that was glowing along the hills. The sun was rising, and he just had to wait for the first edge of the circle to show. Then the ceremony would start.

Honestly, this was one of his favorite holidays. Zack loved riding the chocobos, and the racing of the sun that marked the beginning of the solstice was one.

This was the first year he was riding one of the blacks. Last year, it had been Angeal and Genesis who had rode the dark birds, while Zack had been on a pale blue. But this year....

Kunsel was on the other black, taking the place of Genesis as well. The other leader of She of Papyrus-Perfumed Protector had also developed the sickness that was killing so many. Zack wondered if all the high priests were being targeted. Angeal’s stigma had spread, forming a wing like mark on his back, one that was echoed by Genesis’s illness. So the other leader had taken to training Kunsel, which was good. Zack liked the guy, and knew they could work well together for the more complex rituals.

All this ran through his mind, then the first sliver of the sun rose over the horizon, and Zack set the bird running. He clung close to the black’s back, whooping as the light caught the red highlights in the chocobo’s feathers, making them look like they were on fire. The blacks were chosen just for this.

On either side, he heard the pounding feet of the other birds, the laughter of the riders. Yuffie was joining this year, and he could hear her voice clear over the others.

The race was a good way to start the day, and he urged his bird on more. Racing the sun was one of the most entertaining things of the day, but the tone of the festivities would be set by how far they could race by the time the sun rose fully.

Turned out, it was a good distance. Not the best, but not the worst, and he and Kunsel were laughing as they clasped hands.

“We did good,” Zack said with a grin.

Kunsel nodded. “And next year we’ll do better.”

After that, everyone who participated went to the sacred pools and cleaned up. Washing up in the pale green water, Zack felt it tingle through his skin, and knew the glow in his eyes would be brighter after this. Kunsel’s eyes were just as bright, then they were out and joining the others.

Still tingly, Zack went to check on his father. Angeal moved carefully now, not wanting to irritate the stigma, and Zack tried hard to not fuss over the man. Still, he couldn’t help but worry. It was his -dad-.

“You okay?”

Angeal just shook his head, but smiled at Zack. “I’m fine, Zack. You and Kunsel did well.”

A shrug. “We’ll do better next year. Wait till you see it. We’re gonna beat all the records.”

Even as he said it, Zack didn’t believe it, and Angeal didn’t either. People were dying faster from the sickness, and as far as Angeal had gone, he wouldn’t even last to the next flood, let alone the next Sun Solstice. Still, he didn’t like the idea of his father not being there.

“I’m sure you will. Never were content with being average.”

Zack grinned at Angeal’s exasperated tone, then ran a hand through his hair. “Time to go start the ritual blessing.” He wrinkled his nose. She of Papyrus-Perfumed Protector was called that for a reason. She had a thing for scents, and this was the time of year they made the most powerful of the projective amulets, as well as setting up the spells that would see the Two Lands through for the next year. It was their part of setting up what made the Two Lands such a rich land in the middle of the desert. All the temples had rituals and such this time of year, just as they did during the Moon Solstice, and the two Equinoxes. All the wards and spells would work together and bring good luck with harvests, growing seasons, the birth of healthy beasts and babies.

She of Papyrus-Perfumed Protector was one who helped bind those spells together as one of the Ladies of Flame.

Angeal was chuckling at the expression of Zack’s face, and then gave him a push. “Go on. Time for you to deal with our Lady’s love of smell.”

Snorting, Zack turned, and headed for the main temple. He and Kunsel would be in the inner part of the temple, which Angeal and Genesis leading the ritual outside.

Here was where being the high priests came into true use.

He would channel the power for the spells, something that would burn out most of the lower level priests. It was a major part of if the amulet accepted him or not when Angeal had passed it down.

Given his heritage.....

Zack was just good at it, and he did put it to good use. Already he had helped out several other temples with their rituals, playing funnel for the spellwork being put together.

And here he would do it on a large scale, helping set up the frame work for the protective spells that would be laced all around the Two Lands.

For a finicky goddess, She of Papyrus-Perfumed Protector was a protecting goddess, and she did her part. And so did her priests.

Passing through the inner doors behind Kunsel, Zack took a deep breath.

Time to take another step into truly being the high priest.

//Country//

Angeal loved this area. It always called to him, and he remembered the first time he had traveled to Gongaga.

Now they were on the way back to Nibelheim, and he was ready for the stop for the night. It had been a long day, and he was ready to rest.

Zack stuck his head in, and smiled, and Angeal couldn’t help by smile back. His son looked just like his mother when she was fully human, and it made Angeal’s heart tighten. He wasn’t ready to leave the kid behind. There was so much going on, he just wanted to lock Zack away and keep him safe.

But he couldn’t. Something was happening, something the gods had been preparing for a long time, if the range of their children was any indication.

“Just wanted to make sure everything got set up here.”

So Zack hadn’t missed the fact that Angeal was sore and stiff. A year ago, it wouldn’t have been the case, but the stigma hurt. Like nothing Angeal had ever felt before. And it made traveling like this painful.

Still, he summoned up a smile for Zack. “I’m fine. The younger ones are full of enough energy to help me set up as well. How did you like your first taste of this sort of ritual?”

Zack shrugged. “It’s like a bigger version of what I’ve done before. Not too hard, but the concentration is draining.”

A chuckle from Angeal. “You always did have issues with your focusing.”

With a flush, Zack ducked his head. “I got better.”

“I blame you mother. Go rest, Zack. It’s going to be busy when we return to Nibelheim.”

Zack nodded, and after a pause, moved to give Angeal a hug. Angeal hugged back, and, for the first time in a long time, pulled Zack down to kiss the top of his head.

“You’re a good kid, and I know you’ll do just fine as the high priest. Got that?”

A slightly confused look in those bright eyes, then Zack just smiled at him. “Love you, Dad.”

“Love you too. Go, sleep.”

After another hug, Zack left the tent.

Outside, the noises of camp began to fade, and Angeal settled back.

“Blame him on me, hmm?”

Glancing sideways, Angeal nodded. “My Lady.”

It was always was a bit odd to see her smile while in her current form, a strange curl baring her fangs, ears perked forward. Sleek fur was pale, and the goddess moved to sit on the side of Angeal’s bed. “You knew it would be tonight, didn’t you?”

He tilted his head. “It had the feeling. Like the first time I met you.”

“Does he realize how he’s different from the others?”

Angeal nodded. “And I don’t think he’s shared that. In any case, what happens now?”

She reached out, tracing a finger along his cheek. “Now....you come with me. You are my favorite.”

“Our son will mourn.”

“That is the fate of all mortals, though. To gain, to lose, to mourn, and to live on. He will survive your loss, and he will go on to live his own life.”

“I know.” He reached up and scratched lightly around her ear, and the goddess purred, her green eyes shutting. “Still, as his father, I worry. Whatever is attacking the Two Lands is taking out the high ranking priests. I worry for him, that now he’ll be a target. He’s still easily distracted.”

She of Papyrus-Perfumed Protector chuckled. “He inherited that from me, I will admit. But he has your strength. They will be fine.”

“Genesis will be angry at me.”

“Genesis is a brat. He’ll join us far too soon, and we’ll hear it all then. Well, you will. I’m sure I’ll start hearing him rant over it tomorrow.”

“He is a very passionate man.”

“He’s one of my chosen, but the man has far too much love of poetry.” She smirked. “Though I do not mind it now and then.”

“You just love the praise.”

She nodded. “I am a cat. Of course I love praise. But we should go now. He knows you love him, and he knows it was coming.”

“Doesn’t make it easier. But he has his friends. And that pretty little priestess of The Great Mother and Lady.” Angeal nodded. “All right. Where to from here?”

His goddess offered up her hand, and Angeal took it.

They found his body the next day, but Angeal wasn’t there any more.

//Hopeful//

The tone of the country had taken on a more hopeful cast. The Wolf-King was taking his first wife, and everyone hoped that there would soon been talk of an heir.

The King was young, but he still had no future. An heir with a proper forecasting would fix that.

Everyone had started preparing for the celebrations. The marriage of a king to his first wife was something to celebrate, and festivals, unorganized, were already starting to spring up. The temples were working hard for the blessings and the rituals they’d need to go through to bring all the luck that could be brought to the couple. If they worked hard, they’d have all of the work done.

Even now, Tifa was in with her ladies, the henna of the ceremony, while Cloud was with his friends from the temples and Court, all starting the celebration. Tomorrow, there would be the ceremony, done in the privacy of the family rooms of the royal family, then....

Then there would be a massive festival. A week of food and celebration, of contests and a general lifting of the mood.

The people of the Two Lands needed this, a reason to be hopeful.

And they would latch onto it.

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:48:34 GMT

Snagged from pegunicent

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.

2) Italicize those you intend to read.

3) Underline the books you LOVE.

4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;-)

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6. The Bible

7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman: Read the first one, need to finish the series

10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14. Complete Works of Shakespeare: One day, I'll make it through the rest.

15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

18. Catcher in the Rye - JD

19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens

24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34. Emma - Jane Austen

35. Persuasion - Jane Austen

36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis

37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne

41. Animal Farm - George Orwell

42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50. Atonement - Ian McEwan

52. Dune - Frank Herbert

53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding

69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72. Dracula - Bram Stoker

73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75. Ulysses - James Joyce

76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78. Germinal - Emile Zola

79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80. Possession - AS Byatt

81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87. Charlotte's Web - EB White

88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94. Watership Down - Richard Adams

95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

A few of these, I've read the sequels to as well. Such as the book that comes after Alice in Wonderland, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

There are a lot more on this list where I've read parts of the books, but either never finished, or I can't remember if I did finish or not. And I'm sure there are some on here I want to read that I just forgot the title of. Oops.

icedark_elf@yahoo.com — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:02:13 GMT

Tell my brain no. Really.

*scales tree to escape bunny idea*

This is what I get for listening to Mordred's Lullaby.

After feeling Sephiroth die for a second time, Lucretia rips herself out of her mostly dead state using the Jenova in her system, and hunts down Cloud. Cloud, who, occasionally, sleeps with strangers just to have some sort of human contact without the strings being with Tifa would cause. Lucrecia makes sure she's one of those strangers.

Fifteen years later..... Silver haired boy with bright blue eyes appears. And I'm not sure what happens from there, but the kid is all "Hello, Father." And Tifa is all "lasdjf;adsjf;lajd" at Cloud, and Vincent is studying the boy, trying to figure out why he looks so familiar, and Cloud is very much "....." And then the boy, who was raised by his mother to kill Cloud, does his very level best to destroy Cloud's life. Being all sneaky and shit as he does.

I need fire. Now. Need fire to kill it dead.