Kanzenna Part Three

He struggled, in vain. Those arms seemed to hold him in a grip of steel, yet it wasn't painful. Almost gentle, but strong. Cloud's stomach executed a backflip as he realized that only one person, alive or dead, would have the power to hold him in that way. He felt the heat of that body behind him, lying close on the hard floor of his tiny apartment. When the voice spoke, it sounded far away, like breath of the wind. "Why fight me, Cloud? You can't win. Not without the Ultima Weapon." Cloud tried to make his usual cocky retort, but the folds of the black glove covered his mouth. Taste of the fabric startling on his tongue. "Stand up." came the whisper from behind him, hot breath in his ear. Immediately, Cloud shook his head violently in response. /Whatever you want...I'm not going to make it easy for you Sephiroth, not this time, not now...after all that happened last summer/ A tiny sigh came in response, and Cloud's eyes widened in shock as hie felt himself being lifted bodily off the floor and set down again, feather-light, on his feet. Something soft brushed against the skin of his palm, making it tingle: /a cape?/ part of his mind wondered, as the soft sensation was followed by the rough, harsh one of rope being bound loosely around his wrists. Somewhere in the depths of his treachorous mind, a small voice piped up /Why don't you just let it happen?/ Inside, Cloud was in turmoil, a cauldron of fear, confusion, pleasure and hate. Emotions waged wars against each other, crying out everything Sephiroth had ever been to him in clarion voices. War buddy, enemy, partner, leader, hunted, killer, friend...and what else? Sephiroth's breath on the back of his neck, making his hair stand on end. /Why don't I _remember_?/ He felt the grip around his chest loosen, the gloved hand dropping and he wheeled to face his captor. "So it is you." The Cetra cracekd his old smile, the one tinged with more than a hint of mischeif. Cloud's gaze fell on the Ultima Weapon, and he lunged for it, trying to slip it into his immoblized fingers, but Sephiroth reached it before him, and tossed it casually over his shoulder, where it landed with a dull clang iin the corner of the room. Infuriated, Cloud ground out "What do you want from me, Sephiroth?" His old friend tossed back his silver hair in a gesture so obviously a parody of Rufus that Cloud almost smiled. "What I've always wanted. And now I've come to collect." Hardening his heart, Cloud narrowed his eyes in fury. "Power? More innocent people to kill? Aeris? I'm not going to tell you where she is, you know." he spat in anger. "You can't use me again." Sephiroth's smile faltered, then disappeared. "It appears we don't know each other as well as I thought. Still having memory problems?" he purred, stepping closer and letting his arm wind around Cloud's neck again. "I want back what once was mine, years ago." His other hand travelled up under Cloud's T-shirt, fingers mapping a route across the smooth, unblemished skin, causing Cloud to drew in his breath sharply. "Maybe those memory problems aren't as bad as all that." and Sephiroth laughed, soft and menacing in the shadows, aware of the power, both physical and mental, that he held over Cloud right now. /I....can feel it...as if it were...a memory/.

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