Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Cloud advanced through the dark corridors, his armor echoing in the empty space. In that place, the ceiling above his head was so high and deep that it blended into the sky, a black abyss stretching as far as the eye could see.

“...Is that him?”, whispered one knight to another, in a low tone, but not low enough that Cloud didn't hear it.

“Yes. It's him. He's the one Odin-sama sent.”

“Odin-sama?”

“Mm.”

The two men immediately stood at attention as Cloud passed them.

“Cloud-sama!”, they greeted in unison. Cloud glanced at them quickly and continued walking.

“Cloud...? Wait! Isn't he—?!”

“Yes, it's him...”

Cloud ignored the conversation behind his back and just kept going, the soles of his boots clattering against the stone floor. He felt a tingling sensation on the side of his neck and was controlling himself not to rub it to try and relieve the discomfort.

Perhaps if he had his sword on his back, he could touch it to occupy his hands for a moment. But Clouf had not been allowed to bring it.

Where he was going, it was more dangerous to carry a weapon than to be unarmed.

Even so, Fenrir had howled and bared his teeth fiercely when he learned that Cloud was going there without even a sword to defend himself. But the rules had been set that way. Not even Odin, with all his pride and authority, had carried Gungnir with him when he had taken the same path Cloud was now taking.

Odin-sama, however, had not returned there after the first time.

No one had been impressed, Cloud least of all.

But now that he was there, he could understand better why. The tunnels were huge, wide and tall, lined with black stones as if they were a fortress. Even so, with all that size, the air was heavy and stagnant. The torches on the walls did not seem capable of dispelling the darkness or the feeling that the tunnels would close in on themselves at any moment and the ceiling would collapse.

Cloud managed to move forward, even with the discomfort in his neck and without his sword. He just had to convince himself that the walls weren't moving, closing in on him in a circle. It was all in his head, or a trick of the light, or both.

Cloud would not falter. It was Odin-sam himself who had assigned him this mission, from atop his black throne. Sleipnir was also in the room, his figure fleeing behind his Master. He was probably somewhere else and it was just an illusion. Perhaps he was in the same place Cloud was now, in the prison of the Gods, where even Odin's command had no place and earth and sky switched sides.

The edge of creation, the end of the world.

Underneath Yggdrasil, the Tree of life. A huge cave with no beginning and no end, a permanent void.

And maybe Cloud was really the only person who could be there, since he wasn't really a god. That place was too small and cramped to withstand the power and existence of the Gods. With its suffocating walls (moving, rolling) and the constant feeling that he was being watched.

Cloud straightened his back and continued walking, trying to push those thoughts away. He was there on a mission, out of duty, not to cower and run away crying like the others who had come before him.

...it was true, Cloud had not been the first. But he had been the first Knight, and with luck, he would be the first to carry out the orders of his God Odin.

“Cloud-sama.”, greeted another warrior, bowing deeply. Cloud nodded, somewhat uncomfortable with all the courtesy. It was better than when they talked behind his back, even though that warrior would probably do so too.

Perhaps Cloud didn't even deserve the title. He wasn't a god, nor even a noble. His bows were still somewhat tense and clumsy, and he couldn't get rid of his armor.

But “sama” was much better than what they usually called him. Cloud didn't know who started it, but even Odin-sama and the other gods referred to him that way.

The tingling in his neck returned, and this time Cloud had to touch it, under his clothes. His skin was burning, or perhaps it just felt warmer from the contact with the metal gloves. Either way, the cold sensation brought him some relief, and Cloud continued, grateful that the place was so empty that no one had seen him do that.

There weren't many guards inside. Outside, there was almost an entire battalion, Valkyries and lesser gods on permanent watch.

Cloud would have preferred that his sisters were the ones inside, but only a handful of chosen warriors had been given that privilege (or punishment). And perhaps it was better that none of them were among those who were there.

Cloud turned into a corridor. From there on, the air began to grow even heavier. There was a strange smell in the air and his nose twitched, trying to figure out what it was. Maybe blood, or something rotten, or...

His neck throbbed, Cloud gritted his teeth for a moment and clenched his fists to stop himself from touching it again. Was it the power of that place trying to subdue him, or had “he” already poisoned the tree of life, as he had tried to poison everything else?

No, that was impossible. He was locked in that place because it was the only one that could contain his power. Before him, only one person had been imprisoned under Yggdrasil, until they escaped (freed, actually, but the Gods would never admit that there was a traitor among them, someone capable of being seduced by the charms of what they called a monster).

Loki. God of Deception. The Calamity.

It was almost fitting that “he” was there now.

Jormungandr, the World’s Serpent. Imprisoned beneath Yggdrasil after rebelling against the Gods and attempting to destroy everything. The attempt had earned him the worst of punishments: eternity in the Void.

Jormungandr was known by many names, the serpent of Midgard, Midgardsormr.

Cloud had known him as Sephiroth, in what seemed like a lifetime ago.

Jormungandr was highly respected and almost feared by the other Gods. His power was proportional to his size, and his wrath was not to be aroused under any circumstances.

Even to the god’s standards, Sephiroth was ruthless and cruel.

His domain was forbidden and closed, but the serpent's isolation from the world did not mean that he did not know always what was going on or that he did not hear everything. His green eyes with terrible vertical irises were everywhere, in thousands of silver snakes slithering through the Nine Realms.

His betrayal was to be expected. Loki, or Jenova as they called her so as not to say her real name, just as Sephiroth was Sephiroth and his real name was rarely spoken, had poisoned her son's mind with lies and delusions of grandeur. And Sephiroth, as the good son, the eldest and most perfect, had followed the calamity and brought destruction. Or tried to.

He had been stopped by the Gods, in an effort by all the Nine Realms, fire elves, and even ice giants, all together to stop him.

It had been a terrible conflict. Cloud had lost count of the number of Valkyries slain and monsters and creatures destroyed.

To the gods, Jormungandr had only proven that all the hatred and resentment they felt for him was justified. The fear and terror he had spread, just by the mention of his name, by the sight of one of his silver scales... if Jenova was the Calamity, what to call her son who had almost brought about the end of creation and burned Yggdrasil?

The problem for the gods began there. Because of the enormous amount of losses. Sephiroth hadn't killed them, he had swallowed them. He had absorbed their powers and lives as if they were worms (perhaps Sephiroth saw them that way) and not supreme and powerful gods.

Cloud had been on the battlefield. He had fought and bled. He had seen the death and destruction that a single god was capable of causing.

In the end, Fenrir and Hela, Jormungandr's two siblings, joined forces and were able to stop him. Although the damage had already been done. Sephiroth may not have been able to poison the Tree, but his fangs had pierced the flesh of all the gods, and the marks left on them would never disappear. And if they did, they would leave the ugly, crooked scars of an unclean cut.

Gods lost children, wives and husbands, friends and families.

Cloud had never seen Ti—Freya-sama so devastated as when her father simply disappeared, another addition to the World Serpent's collection. The Goddess of love and war had been inconsolable. And without that sadness, and her blessing and her hatred for Jormungandr, they probably wouldn't have won. Cloud almost preferred defeat if Tifa didn't have to suffer so much.

That wasn't an option.

The problems only continued after that. Even though Sephiroth had been imprisoned beneath Yggdrasil, in a prison from which he could never escape, his presence remained (like poison in Cloud's veins).

Not only were there now completely empty domains, with no gods to take them over and protect them, but almost all of them were now associated with Sephiroth in some way.

Tifa's father was an example of this.

By swallowing Njörd, the father of the goddess Freya and the god of the seas and winds, sailing had become an almost impossible task. The waves of the sea became treacherous, like the bodies of snakes writhing and crushing boats in search of prey. The wind carried Jormungandr's presence like a cold chill, and in its hissing could be heard the whisper of a serpent.

After Surtr, the fire demon, was absorbed, working in the forges became impossible. The fire hissed, the flames moving like uncontrollable snakes. The dwarves fled from the fire and claimed they saw the metal turn into snakes and try to suffocate them. Cloud hadn't seen this happen, but it was almost impossible to stop dwarves from forging; it wouldn't be just anything that scared them.

There were dozens of accidents like those. Cloud was called upon repeatedly, for all kinds of situations, to try to correct the damage Sephiroth had caused. Some were impossible, others were just people who wanted Cloud to get rid of snakes that had invaded their gardens.

But they all said the same thing, that they felt better in Cloud's presence, the— And of course Cloud felt good about that, about that approval, about the praise and adoration.

Even though his neck burned like fire, and he himself also had...

And in fact, that was what had motivated the Gods and Odin-sama to choose him.

Cloud had not been the first to be selected, since the Gods had discussed and forged that plan. A pantheon of positive votes against two negative ones.

Fenrir couldn't... couldn't agree with that.

Sephiroth was too dangerous, but the solution to restoring balance lay with him. It lay within him.

Cloud suddenly pushed those thoughts aside when he reached a door. It was huge, almost seeming to touch the sky of that black abyss. It was made of bars, giant black bars that Cloud could easily pass through. Were it not for the black magic of Odin-sama and Hela forming a powerful barrier.

From under his clothes, Cloud took out an amulet he was wearing around his neck. It was made of a black material, cold to the touch. Odin's symbol was engraved on the surface, the horse's head (another son of Loki) with rubies for eyes.

Cloud raised it toward the door. The gems glowed bright and bloody red for a moment, and then the door swung open with a groan.

Cloud swallowed hard but kept his head up. He was about to put the pendant back in his clothes but hesitated.

Whose domain was he entering beyond that gate? Odin-sama's or Jormungandr's?

Sephiroth had always been overly territorial. Taking another god's possessions into his domain would be an insult. It was the same reason the weapons were left outside, so that he would not take their presence as an offense, which would ruin any chance Cloud had of doing what he had to do.

In fact, Sephiroth had always been... somewhat particular in the way he did things, and above all, in what he demanded of others. Some of the other gods (those who were brave or stupid enough) said it was woman's habits. Eccentricities that clearly stated he was a son of Loki.

Cloud thought that Sephiroth had been alone and isolated for long enough to be... simply the way he was.

In his head, Cloud mentally reviewed the order he had been given. And then the details. He had brought no weapons, the pieces of armor he wore had all been cleaned and polished, the clothes he was wearing had been made anew and washed.

He wasn't wearing anything that had been given to him by any god or anyone else.

His clothes were clean, he had even taken the time to clean his boots before entering. Sephiroth had always been adamant about keeping the filth of the outside world out of his domain, and especially out of his nest.

(But not with Cloud. Sephiroth would let him lie down on his bed even in the clothes he had brought from the battlefield, dirty with dust and blood and rust, often still wearing the muddy boots from outside, which he didn't remember to take off. The serpent did not stop him or protest, letting Cloud lie down, even if he brought dirt, fatigue, pain, and sometimes sadness into his nest).

Cloud confirmed one last time in his mind that he was fulfilling all the formalities. He closed his eyes for a moment, reminding himself why he was there. To fulfill the mission Odin-sam had given him, but above all, for Freya-sama, for Aerith, and for the other Gods, his friends.

He moved forward and entered the World Serpent's Prison. The gate suddenly closed with a bang that made Cloud instinctively turn around at the sound. Then he turned back and looked around.

Darkness. As far as the eye could see. Dense and heavy. It was different from Odin's, Cloud did not recognize the presence of the Sovereign of the Gods' magic there.

No one...? Was the prison empty? Was Cloud there alone, staring into nothingness, or—...

...

No, he wasn't alone.

If he narrowed his eyes and concentrated... he could almost see... something... something moving in the dark.

“!”

Something had wrapped itself around his leg without him noticing, then suddenly tightened and pulled him.

Cloud’s eyes widened, his lips parting in surprise at being plunged into water that shouldn't have been there.

Beneath his feet, and now enveloping him completely, was greenish water that seemed to shine.

Cloud pressed his lips together and held his breath. He was sinking deeper and deeper, still being pulled . He wanted to move his head and see what had grabbed him, or struggle to free himself.

But he couldn't move. It was as if the water had paralyzed him.

The surface was getting further and further away, and Cloud could no longer even make it out.

Everything was that bright, toxic green. Cloud's lungs burned, struggling to breathe without oxygen.

Cloud couldn't breathe underwater. He tried to struggle again. Move his arms toward the surface. Swim, escape from something.

But he couldn't breathe!

His lips opened involuntarily, bubbles escaped from his mouth, and his vision began to narrow.

Only green, and green, a hell of green in which he was suffocating.

He was drowning, the pain compressing his rib cage, making his lungs burn. The surface had disappeared, there was only water and water and—

Why was everything intoxicatingly green?

Cloud felt panic taking hold of him, his heart pounding painfully in his chest, his throat twisting painfully. Underwater, he could barely hear anything, and even the sound of blood rushing in his ears and his own voice as he choked seemed muffled.

With the last of his strength, he managed to stretch one arm upward. Toward what would be the surface of the water. Where there would be oxygen and trying to breathe wasn't so difficult.

His eyelids began to close, his vision narrowing, increasingly darkness taking over Cloud's consciousness.

That's when he saw it. A shadow. The silhouette of a person reflected in the water, their figure wavering on the surface.

Cloud could barely see it, beyond his heavy eyelids, as he drowned in the green water.

Someone...

Someone...?

Suddenly, the surface of the water shook violently, as if a gust of wind had hit it. The silhouette disappeared within the confusion of the twisting water.

Cloud tried to stretch his arm further, to move his fingers that were immobile.

If someone was there... then—

“!”

Cloud forgot to suffocate for a moment. His lungs stopped hurting and his heart skipped a beat.

A giant snake, beyond the surface of the trembling water. Its serpentine eyes fixed on Cloud; its vertical irises reflected in his blue ones..

Cloud’s eyes closed for a single moment, and when he opened them again, the water was gone.

He wasn't drowning or suffocating. The room around him was the same black abyss, with no sign of the green or the snake. Even the panic he had felt and the pain had disappeared, his breathing was calm and controlled, his vision clear.

“Did Odin run out of options?”

Cloud suddenly turned around, toward the sound. Not the voice, which seemed to echo through the prison from all directions. But the sound of something sliding across the floor.

Of course... the prison wasn't empty. How had Cloud not noticed that before?

The giant body of the Serpent of the World coiled around the room, whose space must have been infinite. Miles and miles of scaly body moving slowly, taking up space and closing in around something.

At that moment, Cloud should have been that something.

“Have they had enough of sacrificing, Gods?”

The soft voice came from all sides. From above, below, left and right, front and back.

Cloud reached behind his back, searching for the sword that wasn't there. His fingers closed around nothing, but the sudden pain in his neck made him press his palm against the area that hurt. Cloud felt a tingling sensation on his skin, and it was as if his heart was beating under his fingers.

“Or did you offer yourself? To protect your companions?”

Cloud wanted to tell him to shut up. Jormungandr's voice was soft but laden with mockery. The Serpent of the World had been toying with him from the beginning. Confusing him with illusions (the empty room, the water) and messing with his head.

But provoking the Serpent would be a stupid thing to do if he needed Sephiroth's help to accomplish his mission.

Cloud could only grit his teeth and endure.

The movement of something behind him caught Cloud's attention, and he turned around immediately. It was Jormungandr's gigantic body, getting closer and closer, closing in around him like a siege. Even in the dark, its scales seemed to glisten, silvery and shiny.

Cloud knew that although they were cold, they were smooth to the touch,

(What the hell was he thinking?!) and perhaps at one time he had found them beautiful.

But that was before he had seen them stained with blood, and countless bodies crushed between the rings of its body.

“Or did you miss me?”

A shiver ran down Cloud’s spine. His neck was burning constantly now, a thin layer of sweat sliding down his skin.

From the darkness, the snake's head finally emerged. Massive, covered with the same silver scales. The serpent's eyes were green (the same color as the water and poison), its vertical pupils as thin as blades and malicious.

They hadn't always been like this, clouded by an insane glint, but it was difficult for Cloud to remember how they had been before.

He had the feeling that Sephiroth was smiling. But it could be another one of Jormungandr's tricks, trying to mess with his senses.

There it was. The World’s Serpent. Midgardsormr. The son of the Calamity.

It was strange. Being in his presence after so long. His power was overwhelming, and Cloud could feel it in the way his knees wanted to buckle.

That he should kneel in the presence of the great Serpent of the World.

By Asgard, Cloud had lived with Sephiroth long enough to ignore that feeling. Even if it had been before, and this was the first time they had seen each other since the war.

The Serpent's forked tongue left its mouth and flickered in the air, too close to Cloud's face to be comfortable.

His throat was suddenly dry, from the disconcerting proximity and intimidating presence of Jormungandr.

But he had to speak. To say something that would hold the Serpent's attention long enough to negotiate.

Huh, “negotiate”, as if everything didn't depend on Sephiroth's will and Cloud's ability to somehow manage to get it.

What was the worst that could happen? Being devoured, his body torn apart beneath Jormungandr's giant silver fangs, dissolved by green, toxic venom strong enough to melt his bones and skin before it even reached his teeth.

Or being swallowed whole, condemned to spend eternity in the darkness of the Serpent's stomach, yet another of the countless creatures feeding its power and disappearing into the Void.

But Cloud had a feeling... it wouldn't be that easy. That Sephiroth wouldn't let him die or disappear so easily.

Even with his throat dry, he managed to find the words to speak. To say anything that would take those predatory eyes away from him.

“We need to talk.”

Maybe it was just Cloud's imagination, but for a second, he could swear he saw the vertical irises dilate, even if only for an instant.

The Serpent's head recoiled, just enough so that its proximity was not so overwhelming.

Before Cloud's eyes, Jormungandr began to transform. Shrinking in size, curling up on himself. His head changed, taking on human features, its skull shrinking and molding itself into the face Cloud knew.

Looking into his green eyes, unchanged, which remained the same as those of the giant snake, Cloud had a terrible thought.

Sephiroth was still the most beautiful man he had ever seen in his life.

The serpent had given way to a perfect, strong face, his lips sealed in a small white smile (a damn smile) that hid his sharp fangs.

His neck extended into a perfect body. Broad shoulders and strong arms, his abdominal muscles moving slowly as he breathed. That was where his human body ended and his snake body began. A long tail whose end disappeared into the darkness.

Sephiroth still seemed to shine brighter in all that darkness. With the silver scales of his tail covering his shoulders and back, blending in with his fair skin.

His hair was also silver, long, cascading down his back and shoulders, covering his scales. A few longer strands fell over his face, the only thing not perfect in his appearance.

Even wearing another form, he was still undeniably taller than Cloud. Sephiroth bent down, his tail curling further, until he was at a height where Cloud didn't have to stretch his neck so much to look at him.

And there he was, a God in all but origin, before the Knight of Odin. The Serpent of the World, Midgardsormr, Jormungandr, Sephiroth.

“Oh?”

His eyebrows rose slightly in an elegant expression that Cloud couldn't tell was feigned or genuine surprise.

“It's been a while, Cloud.”, he continued in a soft tone. “Why come to me now?”

“No one can enter without Odin-sama's permission.”, Cloud replied, as if that justified anything, as if to say, “I couldn't, or I wasn't able to.”

“Odin's opinion never stopped you from coming to me before.”, Jormungandr murmured, and there was something presumptuous, perhaps even a certain pride, permeating his tone.

“That was before.”, Cloud wanted them to stop talking about the past and get back to what he had to do.

(Before you lost your mind and tried to destroy everything.)

“What has changed?”, hissed the serpent.

Cloud had to control himself not to answer truthfully. That Odin had given him the order. That he had entrusted him with the duty that could restore balance among the gods.

“You know why.”, said Cloud instead. “You know why I'm here.”

Sephiroth smiled. He knew. Of course he knew...

“You're not the first.”, Sephiroth said, or repeated what he had already said. His eyes glowed with an evil glint, green and sharp.

“But the creatures your God sent before knew how to ask for my blessing.”, the Serpent stared at the Knight. “Shouldn't you do the same, Cloud? Ask? Beg?”

Cloud felt his neck throb, in that area that seemed to burn, as if his blood were on fire. He clenched his teeth for a moment and looked away from Sephiroth, as if the poison would simply stop flowing if he stopped looking at the vertical irises.

He should! Cloud should kneel! Cling to his tail and soft silver scales. Beg Jormungandr. For its blessing, for its seed. For mercy! For forgiveness!

What the hell was he doing? Trying to defy and confront a god (his? The darkness he felt was so much stronger than that of ?????) when he should simply succumb. Surrender and let the Serpent wrap itself around him and devour him (his neck would stop hurting and stinging and burning). Forever with Sephiroth. Sephiroth.

Sephiroth.

Cloud's irises trembled. Pulsing between blue and green. His vision suddenly became blurred, the only thing frighteningly clear were the green irises staring at him. His neck hurt so much that he had to touch it, press his hand against the flesh so that whatever was underneath wouldn't come out.

When he came to, Cloyd had to fight the nausea of his own body rebelling (it would be easier to just succumb and open his legs and—) and then the disgust Cloud felt for himself for having those thoughts.

“Stop... messing with my head...”, Cloud growled, shook his head, and stared at Sephiroth with renew fury. Pain turning into hatred.

“Fufu, I haven't done anything yet, Cloud.”, said Sephiroth. “You know what you have to do. Wouldn't it be easier to just give yourself up?”

Another smile. Beautiful and gentle. Perfect white fangs hidden beneath his lips.

“Don't mess with me.”, Cloud retorted, clenching his fist to ignore the tingling in his fingers caused by the urge to wield his sword. Or any other weapon. Any weapon that would wipe that damn smile off Jormungandr's face.

But again, that would go against his duty there. Should he just play the Serpent's game? Even if it was a path of no return?

“Would you rather I do to you what I did to your predecessors?”, Jormungandr asked. “Or do you think you can succeed where they failed?”

“They didn't fail.”, said Cloud, he still could hear Thor's screams crackling like thunder. “You killed them.”

“I never said I would cooperate with the Gods' plans.”

Cloud knew that. Everyone knew that. Jormungandr had made it very clear to Odin-sama. When the King of the gods had descended from his throne and gone to the heart of Yggdrasil. To speak with Jenova's son, who was not even a god.

And the greatest of the deities had done so (against the opinion of all the Gods, someone else had convinced him, and no God dared to disagree).

The conversation had come to nothing. The silver deity and the black God fought for the first time since the beginning of their immortal lives. One last effort, one last attempt.

Odin-sama had triumphed, but not before Jormungandr tore pieces from his helmet and revealed his black eye, hissing that the throne was rightfully his, and that he would not bow to false gods.

That was the end of the negotiations.

Sephiroth reached out his hand toward Cloud in an elegant gesture before speaking:

“You are just a puppet in his plans, Cloud. Why not join me and be my puppet instead?”

“I already was.”. thought Cloud, and perhaps it was the pain and hurt that made him think that way. “Never again.”

(Maybe he hadn't been. But Cloud couldn't help feeling used now, after the Serpent's betrayal of the Gods and the poison had begun to hurt in his veins).

“I refuse.”, Cloud said coldly.

“Hmph.”, Sephiroth continued to smile, but lowered his hand. His nails were perfectly human, but Cloud knew they could turn into sharp claws in a matter of seconds.

(But he had seemed so human. So docilely human. And his voice was so soft. And how many people had he shown his true face to? How many people had seen the man and not the serpent?)

“And yet... you came.”, Jormungandr's smile grew wider. “And you think you will succeed where others have failed.”

He tilted his head slightly to look at Cloud. His smile was replaced by a more serious expression, his eyes conveying a curiosity that seemed genuine.

“Why?”

The question echoed in his head.

Why was Cloud there, or why did he think he wouldn't end up like the others, swallowed or torn apart?

Cloud felt his head fill with static, his neck throbbing. The memory that crossed his mind was as old as the wound.

“Losing the bonds that bind us, Cloud...”, Sephiroth was close, and it was dark, but Cloud could see him, a silver blur hovering over him, his body on top of Cloud's.

“It would be worse for me personally than death.”

Sephiroth was a god. Sephiroth couldn't—

His green eyes glowed in the dark (still clear and unclouded by insanity), his face above the Knight's. Close and yet too far away.

Cloud's lips parted, his neck aching, bleeding onto the white sheets of the bed.

Sephiroth was serious. It was a promise and a threat.

Death would not separate them.

And there were no tears between them, but Sephiroth's silver hair spilling over his face was as if—

“Killing me would be worthless to you.”, was the Knight's reply.

“Oh?”

With a sigh, Cloud reached for his shoulder and unfastened the iron buckle on the shoulder plate of his armor. Then the one on the other side.

He felt the Snake's eyes fixed on him, but that didn't stop Cloud from continuing. Unfastening buckle after buckle, removing the complex set of leather belts he wore over his clothes, belt after belt being discarded on the floor.

Jormungandr's serpent eyes never left him, craved on Cloud's body like fangs. Watching him as he took off his gloves and pulled off his cape, letting it fall to the floor with everything else.

The Knight did not look in the Serpent's direction as he removed his armor. Sephiroth was watching, Cloud felt his eyes on the back of his neck, his neck hurt again, but not as much as it had before.

When he was done, he was only wearing the blue shirt and pants of the same color. Only fabric, no metal or leather (not that it made any difference, Jormungandr's teeth could pierce steel and his venom melt iron). He felt exposed, vulnerable. Just wearing clothes, no armor or protection or his sword.

Then he turned toward Sephiroth. The Serpent’s expression remained the same, predatory, his pupils slightly dilated and radiating a sadistic curiosity, his lips slightly curved in a smile.

“I came to offer myself.”, Cloud said in a strong, determined tone. “You can do whatever you want with me. With... my body...”

Gods, Sephiroth's gaze was so intense and predatory, he didn't even blink.

“Huh, if you wanted my seed, Cloud, you only had to ask.”, Sephiroth said, and he almost seemed amused.

“I'm just following orders.”, Cloud retorted. He knew that wouldn't please Sephiroth, but he couldn't just let him keep that arrogant expression!

“You say you're not a pawn...”, Sephiroth began, and Cloud sensed the almost imperceptible change in his tone. “But Odin commands you to offer yourself to me and that's what you do.”

Cloud gritted his teeth.

“It's the only way to fix what you did.”, he spat. “It's not just because of the order. It's for my comrades. For the Gods.”

“The Gods will never be satisfied, Cloud.”

“Neither will you.”, Cloud said coldly, then turned his face away with another sigh. “You accepted. Let's just—"

“Why would I give you my offspring, Cloud?”

“!”

Blue eyes met green eyes.

There. There it was. The question, the real question. The origin of everything. What the Gods wanted.

Cloud swallowed hard.

The balance had been jeopardized with so many Gods missing, with so many domains with no one to control or protect them.

And even if new gods were born, the problem would not be solved. The domains now belonged to Sephiroth, who had absorbed those Gods before.

There was only one solution... for Sephiroth to breed... for his children to be born and inherit fragments of their sire's powers.

The children of the World Serpent were the only solution to restore balance.

And with that in mind, the Gods sent him the most fertile creatures. Beautiful giants and nymphs. Serpents. Even other goddesses. Sif, Thor's wife, had offered to carry the Serpent's heirs.

Devoured.

Idun, Goddess of youth and spring?

Swallowed.

And countless others. Goddesses and gods began to fear they would be next. Freya was an option (Cloud would have done anything to prevent this), as was Frigg, even Odin's wife knew she was not free from that fate.

Cloud no longer knew who had been the first person to propose his name.

“Why not the boy Srife?”

“He's the *****. Maybe he's an option.”

“Yes. Cloud... maybe it will work with him.”

“He helped defeat the World’s Serpent.”

“Sephiroth has always shown a weakness for the Knight.”

And Fenrir... Zack had lost his mind.

All the Gods were gathered in Council, their chairs positioned around a huge oval table.

Odin sat on his black throne at the head of the table, his helmet of darkness resting on a marble table beside him.

Zack was late, coming from a conflict on the other side of Asgard. He entered the sacred room at a hurried pace. He could still taste blood on his teeth and feel the wind in his fur as he ran faster and faster toward the Palace of Asgard.

That was why his black hair was completely disheveled and his clothes were probably not in the best condition.

Totally unworthy of being in the presence of the gods, right? But Aerith would surely laugh and try to comb his hair to make him look less wild, and then laugh more because it was impossible.

Oh... but Aerith... Aerith wasn't there anymore. She had... gone somewhere else.

Some gods glanced at Zack as he took his seat. The council must have already begun, especially since a goddess was standing and must have been speaking until Zack entered and interrupted everything.

She gave him an angry look. Then another, stranger one. She was a young goddess, very young. Of course, she didn't expect Fenrir to sit there among the other gods.

But Zack knew her and knew she wasn't that bad. Maybe just a little annoying. Definitely not too bad if she didn't speak.

“As I was saying.”, she continued. Yuffie? Mm... that was probably her name. “I agree with Freya-sama on this matter.”

Freya smiled at her and nodded. The young goddess sat down, and Zack noticed how she seemed to relax now that she was no longer the center of attention of the gods.

“I agree.”, said Thor, his voice thunderous. Zack felt some pity for the god, Cid as they called him.

His wife had offered to carry out the gods' plan.

And Sephiroth had devoured her. In one go. Without any mercy. Not even a bone or a strand of hair was left for Thor to keep. Sif was gone forever.

And even though Zack knew this was going to happen, it was still horrible. The heavens wept, and the crackling of thunder was so loud and sad that hunting was impossible.

Fenrir and the other wolves howled in sympathy that night, for yet another victim of the World Serpent.

And the losses would not stop as long as the Gods continued to insist on that murderous idea.

“So, if no one else has anything to add.”, Frigg began and waited for someone to interrupt her, which did not happen. "Perhaps we should begin the voting?

“What are we voting on?”, Zack interrupted, and now the looks of contempt were more noticeable. Not only had he arrived late, but he didn't know what the hell they were talking about.

“Who will be sent to Jormungandr.”, Freya's husband murmured. Ba... something? Zack didn't know. Honestly, he was still trying to learn their names.

Zack didn't sigh because it would have been disrespectful and pointless. The gods were totally focused on that ridiculous and absurd plan.

As he stared at the marble table while drumming his fingers on the top, not really paying attention to what was being said, Zack wondered, if he turned into a giant wolf, jumped on the table, and howled loudly enough before starting to growl all the reasons why that plan was a terrible idea, if they would hear him this time.

Unlikely. It was more likely that they would attack and chain him up before he could even bare his teeth.

Before Zack could continue to ignore the council, he felt a pair of eyes on him and his senses immediately made him look in the direction of the observer.

Eyes as red as blood, hair blacker than his own.

Zack knew that one's name perfectly well. Heimdall.

Vincent.

Why was he looking at—

“The candidate under discussion is Cloud Stife.” murmured the god in a hoarse voice.

“!”

Zack jumped to his feet.

“What!?”, he howled, slamming both hands on the table, his claws scraping the marble and causing it to chip. “Cloud? What? That...”

“Control yourself, Wolf!”, Barret snapped.

“Cloud has done more than enough!”, Fenrir continued. “He defeated Sephiroth! He—”

“Then who do you suggest?!”, Thor exclaimed, his voice reverberating throughout the room.

“No one!”, Zack shouted. “This plan won't work. Sephiroth is a monster! He'll kill Cloud like he killed everyone else!”

By Asgard, how could they not understand?! Sephiroth was already too deep into his own madness. And now they wanted to sacrifice Cloud too?

...how much more did the Gods want to take from him...?

“Silence, son of Loki.”, Frigg spoke up. “Don't forget your place.”

Zack gritted his teeth.

Of course... of course it that.

That wasn't his place. It never had been and maybe never would be.

But Zack deserved it. After so many sacrifices, and struggles, and blood on his fur, and tears on his snout, Zack had earned a place among the Gods.

It wasn't his goal, but the Gods would never have won without Fenrir and Hela. And even less so without Cloud, whom they were now literally sending into the mouth of the beast.

The Gods had always despised Loki's children: they tried to isolate them, to keep them away from everything. Zack had never let that break his spirit. He had fought and helped everyone around him and became a hero. Aerith had done the same, with her flowers and her smile and her hope.

Sephiroth... Sephiroth hadn't been so lucky. Maybe because he was the most perfect son, but the abyss that had swallowed him was too deep for him to escape.

And Zack knew that well. He had tried so hard to save him... and he still had all the scars to prove it.

And even so... the Gods continued to despise him. Just a son of Loki, nothing more.

Sephiroth had only been right about that.

“They'll never respect us, Zack.”, Fenrir's older brother murmured, sitting with his back turned, in a black chair. His silver hair fell past his shoulders and seemed to shine amid so much black, fabric, clothing, and wood.

“Not if we don't show them we're better than her.”, Zack argued, standing a few steps behind the chair. A fireplace crackled in the background, the flames illuminating the room with an orange light.

“They will never accept us.”, Jormungandr continued, the certainty in his voice palpable. “No matter what we do. And at the first slip... at the first opportunity, they will strike us down and imprison us.”

“Not all gods are like that.”, Zack argued. “Come on, Sephiroth. You don't—”

The serpent looked back over his shoulder at Zack. His green eyes seemed to glow with something... that glow wasn't there the last time Fenrir had seen him.

“Soon, you'll understand. Zack...”

It had been one of the last conversations they had had. Before Sephiroth lost his mind and started a war against the Gods.

Jormungandr had invited him and Aerith to join his side. That the three children of Loki together could trigger Ragnarok and end the reign of the Gods. They would never again be despised, or hated, or isolated.

Zack had refused and tried to convince his brother to give up on that idea. Aerith had begged him to do the same.

In the end, it didn't work, and Zack was forced to fight his brother. At first, he felt a deep sadness and some regret at having to face Sephiroth. But after seeing the brutality and cruelty of the World’s Serpent... and after Sephiroth murdered Aerith... the sadness turned to rage.

He already lost Sephiroth and Aerith... and now Cloud too?

“Cloud is our only option.”, said Freya, in a low, soft tone. “He may be the only one... who can do it.”

“He's not even a god!”, Zack tried to argue.

“He won't be affected by Yggdrasil's prison.”, said Freya's husband.

“Exactly!”, said Yuffie. “And we're talking about Cloud! If he doesn't survive... well...”

Fenrir dug his nails deeper into the marble.

“So... we're just going to sacrifice him?”, he growled. “Handing him over to Jormungandr is hoping that he—”

Fenrir stopped mid-sentence. What if Sephiroth accepted? He had always behaved so strangely and unpredictably when it came to Cloud. What if this time was no different? What if Sephiroth accepted? What if Cloud was forced to procreate with the Serpent and bear his children? Just to fulfill the will of the Gods? What about his own will? What about what Cloud wanted?

“Zack...”

“!”

The voice almost made Zack's heart skip a beat. He immediately straightened up, the marks of his claws carved into the table. His ears twitched and Fenrir looked in the direction of the person.

...how had he not noticed before that Cloud was in the room...?

Kneeling beside Odin-sama's throne, wearing the armor of the Knights. He must have had his face down until then, but he had raised it to look in Fenrir's direction.

Zack's lips parted in surprise. How had he not noticed Cloud's presence? How had he not sensed him? He knew Cloud's scent better than his own, so why...?

Odin... it had to be because of Odin. Only he would have the ability to hide something from Fenrir's senses.

It was almost frightening that the darkness of the Ruler of the Gods was so deep and thick that it could hide Cloud's presence.

What else could be hidden in that darkness?

Of course, Odin's motives were obvious to Fenrir. What he really wanted to hide in Cloud.

But Zack had already taken care of that. Long ago (because he cared in a way the other gods did not). Cloud moaned and writhed on the bed of thick skins. Zack could still taste his blood if he focused hard enough.

For a moment, they stared at each other, Zack still in shock that Cloud was there, listening to those things being said about him.

In turn, the Knight gave Fenrir a small smile. Something in his eyes said “trust me”, and he was clearly trying to comfort him with that smile.

But Zack didn't feel any calmer!

He was about to open his mouth to protest, but a new voice stopped him.

“These are Odin-sama's orders. No one should question them.”

All eyes turned to the figure standing next to the King's throne. Odin had the same expression as before. His lips were pressed into a thin line, his black eyes scanning the room.

It was Sleipnir, at his side, who had spoken. The elegant figure looked even whiter next to the God. His tone was monotonous, but his (chilling) proximity to the King made all the Gods listen to him.

“You of all people shouldn't get involved in this.”, Barret spat suddenly.

Freya at his side immediately looked at her husband in surprise, her eyes widening. Some Gods looked at Barret, shocked. Yuffie shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Cid's expression became heavy.

Odin's black eyes turned to Barret. Zack clenched his teeth again.

No god would dare speak against Odin's Mount. Except, apparently, Freya's husband, who seemed to be the only one brave enough to openly dislike Sleipnir.

It was, however, the first time he had said so so clearly. It wasn't that Zack actually spent time with the god, but Cloud sometimes told him things he had heard from Freya. Most of the other gods didn't even think of offending Sleipnir, fearing to awaken Odin's wrath. Others were not so discreet.

“He should just go suck a cock and leave us alone. Or sit on my Father's and be done with it.”, a very drunk Thor had said to an equally drunk Barret in a tavern one night.

“As if Sleipnir wasn't also a son of Loki.”, thought Zack.

Frigg shuddered in her seat, sitting up straighter.

“A-anyway.”, murmured Freya, trying to change the terrible direction of the conversation. “Shall we vote?”

Zack noticed how Tifa looked at Cloud. There was sympathy in her eyes, an implicit apology.

Of course! Cloud was doing this for Tifa. So she wouldn't be next. So no other god or creature would be sacrificed!

“All in favor?”

Countless hands were raised in the air, adorned with bracelets and rings of gold and precious stones. Yuffie even stood up so that her arm could reach the height of the others.

Zack looked around. At all the raised arms, at the unanimous decision being made in front of him.

Cloud had lowered his head again, and Zack couldn't find the comfort in his expression now.

It was as if a wolf was trapped inside Fenrir’s rib cage, struggling and throwing itself against all his bones in an attempt to escape. Zack wanted to transform into a giant wolf and growl at them, and howl until the moon fell from the sky and that served as enough warning to the gods of the mistake they were making.

Freya sighed.

“So, if no one is against it—”

“I am.”

“!”

All the gods turned toward Heimdall. Even Cloud turned his face to look at Vincent.

The Guardian of the Gods and son of Odin remained seated, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Why?”, exclaimed Yuffie, and stood up again, but Cid put his hand in front of her to stop her.

“Yes, but why?”, asked Freya, looking genuinely surprised.

Vincent pressed his arms tighter against his chest.

“Se... Jormungandr is dangerous. The more Gods are sent, the more his power grows. This plan was doomed from the start.”

The contempt between Vincent and Jenova was known to all, and the hatred came from both sides. No one had been as vocal as Vincent about Sephiroth's strange behavior when he began to gain ground and ignore the orders of the Gods.

Perhaps if the Council had listened to him... many deaths could have been avoided.

“So the idea is to do nothing?”, asked Barret. “Tss... and let him have it all?”

“So we don't lose any more, yes.”, said Vincent, Freya's husband snorted and looked in Cid's direction.

But Cid said nothing. Even if his anger and Tifa's sadness were the main reasons for that plan.

Fenrir felt some relief that Vincent had spoken up. At least one god was on his side.

“The justification is unfounded.”, murmured Frigg. “We can consider that there is unanimity.”

“What?!”, exclaimed Zack.

There was no unanimity! Vincent, a god, a son of Odin, the guardian of the Rainbow Bridge, had said he did not accept it! Zack had burned his chances because of whose son he was and because it all seemed like a disaster to him, but Heimdall? His opinion had to count.

...unless...

Zack had heard a rumor, one of those rumors that sometimes circulated among wolves and nymphs.

Apparently, Thor, in his grief, had gotten involved with the other god. At least that's what they said.

...but that that enough to discredit Vicent so much...

Zack had to do something!

“What about Hela?”, murmured Vincent, who didn't seem the least bit bothered by the injustice being done to him, or perhaps he was just very good at hiding it. “We haven't heard her opinion yet.”

Of course! How could Zack not have thought of that! Aerith must have a good reason why this was a terrible idea. She was going to convince the Gods! For sure!

Odin reached out his hand, a sphere of darkness left his palm and projected itself into the room, hovering over the table as it expanded.

The projected image was dark. The setting itself was dark, desolate.

And yet, when Zack saw Aerith's image, he couldn't help but smile.

The Goddess was kneeling, both hands clasped in prayer, her eyes closed and her head slightly bowed forward.

Zack would never forgive Sephiroth for that. For murdering her. For condemning Aerith forever to Hela, to protect the realm of the dead and the cycle of life.

Aerith deserved better.

Cloud had also raised his face. Zack knew he felt the same way. Cloud couldn't willingly accept Sephiroth after what he had done to them. After what he had taken from them.

Aerith opened her eyes and raised her face to look directly at her audience, a small smile shaping her lips and her green eyes shining.

“Odin-sama.”, was her first greeting. “And hello to all the Gods.”

Then she turned her head toward the Knight.

“And hello, Cloud.”

“Aerith...”

“Sleipnir informed me of the situation.”, she continued, looking around the table. “Has the voting begun?”

“Only yours is missing, Aerith.”, murmured Tifa, her voice sounding smaller and more fragile as she spoke to her friend.

Cloud's fate was in Aerith's hands, and Zack felt extremely relieved that this was the case.

If anyone could help Cloud, it was—

“My vote is in favor.”, she murmured, and Fenrir's jaw dropped completely.

“I'm sorry, Cloud.”, she murmured, but her eyes strayed for a moment to her former companion, knowing Zack's true feelings. “But I believe that the only person capable of ending my brother's madness is you. I'm sure he won't kill you, and that your children can restore balance.”

Zack clenched his fists tightly, feeling his claws pierce his own flesh.

No... it couldn't be! Cloud couldn't...

Zack looked at the Knight again. His eyes were wide open, begging Cloud to reconsider.

Please... I can't lose you too...

“I have to go now.”, said the Goddess and smiled. “Good luck, Cloud.”

Then she smiled at Zack and her image disappeared into darkness, the bubble began to dissipate until it vanished.

A heavy silence fell over the room. Zack didn't know whether to accept defeat or transform once and for all. Maybe if he grabbed Cloud and ran away, Cloud wouldn't feel obligated to do that for the good of everyone. Gods, at that point Fenrir would personally fuck Jormungandr if it meant saving Cloud.

But Odin spoke before Zack could act.

“Cloud Stife.”

“Hai.”, the Knight bowed his head even lower.

“Your mission is to breed with Jormungandr and bear his heirs.”

“Don'tacceptdon'tacceptdon'taccept.”, Fenrir pleaded in his head.

“Hai.”, said Cloud. “I will carry out your orders, Odin-sama.”

And so, before Fenrir's wide eyes, Cloud sealed his fate.

As terrible as it was, Zack thought he should have bitten Cloud harder and given him his pups first...

…

“Why would I give you my offspring, Cloud?”

The question echoed in his head. Cloud swallowed hard, his tongue feeling uncomfortable in his mouth. He had definitely blanked out for a moment, lost in thought.

Why? Sephiroth asks.

“Why not?”, Cloud managed to say back, but Sephiroth didn't react to his stupid attempt at an answer. His irises didn't even flinch, still looking at Cloud with curiosity. Waiting.

Why? Perhaps Cloud hadn't thought that far ahead. It was just a mission, a duty given to him by Odin and the other Gods. To breed with Sephiroth, to convince him to give him his “blessing.” So that their children could become the Gods who would fill the voids in the balance that Jormungandr had created.

No, Cloud definitely hadn't thought it through. It wasn't just about having sex with Sephiroth (by the Gods, at that moment that seemed to be the easiest part), it was about getting pregnant, having the baby (or more than one, Cloud had no idea) and taking care of it.

And then what? What was he supposed to do? Cloud's mission didn't cover more than that one night.

Should he hand the babies over to the Gods? To Odin? Should he raise them alone?

Was that child a person or just another pawn in the Gods' plans? And was Cloud even capable of raising the child of a God? Was he still human after all?

And should Sephiroth's child never know him? Just as he himself had always lived isolated from Jenova?

Cloud physically felt his certainty wavering. If he had his sword in his hands, his grip would be weakening.

Did Sephiroth care about what happened to his offspring? Did Cloud care? Even if they were the child of someone who had taken so much from him (and who had poisoned and scarred and hurt him), they would still be just an innocent baby.

What about Zack? What about Aerith? What about Tifa? What about Odin-sama?

What... should he do...?

Cloud swallowed hard again. Under Sephiroth's piercing eyes (they had been so human, so gently human), the Knight felt that the Serpent was seeing beyond his inner conflict. Naked and totally covered by the uncomfortable weight of his doubts.

Cloud looked away. One last second of hesitation, before facing the Serpent of the World in his vertical irises.

“Because I will protect them...”, Cloud finally murmured. “I will protect them from the Gods. They will not be a pawn in their plans. Nor in yours.”

And with that, Sephiroth smiled. The first genuine smile he had shown, his fangs appearing slightly from underneath and his pupils dilating.

When his hand cupped Cloud's face, the Knight felt his heart skip a beat.

“That's right, Cloud.”, he whispered in a soft voice. “I knew you wouldn't disappoint me. You're the only one who can do this.”

Sephiroth was so close. His face was inches from Cloud's, his handsome, almost perfect face, with green eyes that seemed to glow, even in the dark.

Cloud couldn't help but let his eyes wander to the Serpent's lips. And he could tell himself it was just to avoid his eyes, but that would be a lie.

He must be... messing with my head again...

One last memory. Before the war. The last time he had been with Sephiroth before it all ended. The next time, and the next, and the next, they would only meet on the battlefield.

“Join me, Cloud.”, Sephiroth extended his hand, covered by a black glove. He was dressed entirely in dark leather, which contrasted with his silver hair.

Cloud had gone there thinking it was a lie. That everything the Gods had told him about the Serpent was a hoax. Fenrir had gone before Cloud and tried to stop the Knight from doing so, his eyes moist and his gaze distant.

But Sephiroth's words completely shattered any hope Cloud still had that it was a lie.

“Asgard should be mine, just like the other Realms. Rule them with me, Cloud. Together we can remake creation.”

Cloud wasn't stupid. He knew the hatred inside his lover. And the sadness, and the loneliness.

But this? This was madness. His eyes glowed with the taint of madness, and his words only confirmed it.

“No.”, It was the only thing Cloud could say, between the shock and the growing sense of despair. He couldn't see the man beyond the Serpent. “That... I'm not going to help you kill everyone. Or destroy everything.”

And Sephiroth had stopped smiling. For a moment, he had almost looked sad. His face had closed and his shoulders seemed to slump for an instant.

They were in the bedroom. Behind Sephiroth was the bed, their bed, made with white sheets (whose marks of blood and saliva and tears and semen and years and memories and two intertwined lives would never disappear).

The sadness disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a mask of coldness.

“Is that your final answer, Cloud?”

“I can't let you.. I can’t…”

Cloud had reached for his sword, his true final answer, but he hadn’t had time to wield it.

His neck had exploded in pain. So much pain that it blinded him, in cruel, merciless, sad agony.

His eyes filled with tears. His vision became blurred and unfocused.

The last thing he saw was the giant serpent emerging. White scales filled the room with the size of the World Serpent.

“Don’t forget me…”

And Cloud lost consciousness, his world reduced to a cold void.

But now and there, Jormungandr smiled triumphantly. Victory shaped his lips, which hid poisonous fangs beneath.

And yet, Cloud could only close his eyes when Sephiroth kissed him.

And the two points exactly like the Serpent's fangs on his neck finally stopped hurting.