�There�s no one left to hurt but me, and it�s because of me� � Seether
To come so far, the only option was to win. It seemed impossible, but they had decided, for the sake of everything dear to them, that Sephiroth could not go unchallenged. They followed him as far as the crater, when the unthinkable happened. They lost.
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/It�s all my fault�/
Nearly a year had passed since Sephiroth had brought the defeated Avalanche to Nibelheim mansion as his prisoners. Most of them he only kept to keep them from interfering. They were kept well fed, clothed, clean, forced to endure the punishment of the one they failed to stop. Cloud he kept separate from the others. He was special, different from his team. That�s why he gained the most attention from the world�s new ruler.
/It�s my fault� All my fault�/
�I�m back.�
/�my fault�/
Cloud remained sprawled out on the bed in the room he shared with the elder man, staring at the closed window. It wasn�t anything new. His master would be away during the day organizing his empire with his followers. From the looks of things, his government wasn�t going to be any better than Shinra�s. He didn�t answer, another part of what he thought was an established routine between the two of them.
Sephiroth plodded to one side of the bed. He leaned forward, closer to his puppet�s face. His silver hair formed a curtain around them, brushing against his property�s exposed skin, uncovered by his clothes, making him shiver uncontrollably in front of his master. �How was your day?� He continued, not receiving an answer, �I burned Kalm today. Aren�t you proud of me?�
/Kalm� Marlene� Elmyra�/
�No�� He shook, again struck with even more deaths that he had been unable to prevent. A year ago, he would have been angered, but he had been trained well. Beaten whenever he chose to misbehave a command.
His master cupped his face with his hand and brushed away tears with his thumb. �I promised you I would.� He drew closer to whisper into the blond�s ear. �You have kept me waiting far too long, and I�ve been very patient.� Sephiroth paused, waiting for some kind of reaction from the blond other than shuddering. After some hesitation, he realized he was going to get none. �You. Are. Mine,� he said, dragging his teeth against Cloud�s earlobe.
Cloud never wanted this. He wanted to settle this before, cast his tattered past aside, but fate seemed to be against peace. True, when he was younger he lusted for the man, but with the way he was now the days that would have been dreams come true were never ending nightmares.
�I want us to be happy, darling, but you have to cooperate with me.� Sephiroth traced Cloud�s lower lip with his finger. �When I talk, I want you to talk with me. When I touch you, I want you to touch me back. When I come home, I want you to greet me. Is that so much to ask?�
The blond shook his head, knowing an affirmative would get him punished. As he learned quite quickly, Sephiroth didn�t use favoritism when disciplining anyone. If anyone under his command made a mistake, they�d be injured or killed depending on the seriousness of the blunder. Everyone was as careful as possible around their lord.
�You�re not lying to me, are you?� This time his voice held a cold firmness to it that indicated his rising temper. �Answer me. Now.�
Meekly, in as small a voice as he could manage, Cloud answered, �Yes.�
�What are you supposed to say now?�
�Please,� Cloud whispered, �punish me.� He was shaking violently from his silent sobs as tears rolled down his face a second time. Cloud sat up and turned on the bed to face Sephiroth, waiting. His legs swayed, toes brushing against the soft carpeting. That was what he tried concentrating on to dull the pain as Sephiroth delivered a swift, hard slap to his face.
The silver-haired man sat next to the quivering blond, cradling him in his arms. �I wish you�d stop making me do this. Really, I don�t want to. I don�t enjoy hurting you, dearest.� Cloud whimpered into Sephiroth shoulder, already knowing what came next. �Where�s my reward for your punishment?�
Hesitantly, Cloud craned his neck upwards and pressed his lips against his master�s. Sephiroth deepened the kiss as he pushed Cloud back onto the bed. Cloud attempted to pull away, not daring to think about where this might be leading.
�My reward for burning Kalm,� Sephiroth explained, pushing Cloud�s light robe apart. Cloud made a single sob in protest. There was no stopping now.
/Stop� I don�t want this� not again� this can�t happen again�/
�That�s enough crying.� Sephiroth ordered without even looking at Cloud�s face. Instead, he started on licking a trail to his puppet�s nipple and began sucking.
�You- you killed my friends!� Sephiroth silenced Cloud with a forceful kiss. When the silver-haired man pulled away he was glaring furiously at the blond. �You will do as I say.�
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Tifa kicked the chamber�s single door for what seemed like the millionth time since they arrived. Just as all the times before, the door didn�t budge, and the brunette huffed, taking a seat on a coffin near the door. �It�s not fair.�
�Nothin� in life�s fair,� Cid said, exhaling a cloud of smoke after a drag from his cigarette.
