Chapter Text 正文
They finally had Elmyra’s permission to go after Aerith and take her back to where she belonged, but they found themselves facing a new problem—which was namely how to get topside. 重试 错误原因
Though they had prevented the plate drop, there had still been enough chaos and destruction for Shinra to use as a base for exaggeration, blowing up the numbers of deaths and damages sustained to sow enough terror into the citizens’ hearts to justify a complete lockdown of all the roads and public transits. Cloud said as much when Barret suggested they walk along the tracks, since the trains weren’t running. 重试 错误原因
The news went on and on about Avalanche, this highly dangerous group of criminals and terrorists being on the run. It reported nothing about General Sephiroth’s mysterious return, neither to denounce him nor even to take credit for his actions by pretending he was still working for them. Shinra was probably only being careful, and seemed more interested in getting its prodigal son back besides, but the entire thing smelled foul to Cloud. 重试 错误原因
When Barret asked them if they had any better ideas, Tifa said—“No. But I know someone who might.” 重试 错误原因
“You mean Corneo.” Cloud frowned. “I doubt he’d be willing to help us, considering how we parted ways the last time...” 重试 错误原因
He could still see that flash of silver, quick as a snake, Corneo clutching his bleeding face as he threw curses down at them. 重试 错误原因
There was a deep chuckle beside him. “We don’t have to ask him nicely.” 重试 错误原因
Cloud shivered, still remembering how Sephiroth had stuffed that camera release into Corneo’s mouth and called him a good boy. 重试 错误原因
Cloud shook himself out of it, forcing his mind back on track. He didn’t like it, but Tifa was right: Corneo was their best bet at the moment. Meaning they had to go to Wall Market. 重试 错误原因
They had barely entered the more densely populated areas of the Sector Five slums when a loud voice caught their attention. 重试 错误原因
It was a young woman standing on an improvised pedestal made of wooden boards and tires. A crowd was gathered in front of her, listening to her as she relayed the news from topside of how Avalanche targeted Mako Reactor Seven after blowing up the Mako Reactors One and Five, calling them amateurs who didn’t care for collateral damage. She even went so far as to claim that the one standing behind Avalanche was Wutai. 重试 错误原因
That seemed to be the last straw for Barret as he stomped forward, saying that he could take any insult or accusation save for the one that suggested they were pawns of a foreign country. Tifa was trying to hold him back when Sephiroth spoke up:
这似乎成了巴雷特的最后一根稻草。他跺着脚走上前，说他可以忍受任何侮辱或指责，除了暗示他们是外国走狗的说法。蒂法正试图拉住他，这时萨菲罗斯开口道：
“The original Avalanche was funded by Wutai. But I can understand why it wouldn’t finance your actions. Your group is too volatile and unstable. Then again, Avalanche always has been.” 重试 错误原因
Barret turned on him angrily, finding a new target for his rage. “What did you say, you bastard?” 重试 错误原因
“Honestly, what are you expecting?” Sephiroth coolly continued. “That they would sing praises and celebrate you, if they knew the truth? You are ripping the world as they know it apart at the seams. They won’t thank you for that.” 重试 错误原因
Barret bared his teeth, taking a step forward. “The planet—” 重试 错误原因
“They won’t care for that, if saving the planet means losing their jobs or the comfortable life they have grown used to. Changing the world the way you envision requires death and destruction on a far larger scale than what your group has been willing to engage in so far. But don’t expect to be called a hero for that.” 重试 错误原因
His head tilted slightly, shifting the shadows cast by the veil over his face.
他的头颅微微偏斜，面纱投射在脸上的阴影随之晃动。
“And... I would worry more about Wutai than your own fragile ego. A second war would devastate the country.”
“而且...与其担心你那脆弱的自尊心，不如多关心关心五台。第二次战争会让整个国家分崩离析。”
“What? Is the Demon of Wutai actually showing sympathy for the country he crippled?” Barret sneered.
“哈？屠灭五台的恶鬼居然在同情被自己亲手肢解的国家？”巴雷特嗤笑道。
But Sephiroth just smiled at him noncommittally in that detached way of his that meant he had already lost interest in their conversation. That only made Barret grind his teeth harder.
萨菲罗斯只是用那种标志性的疏离态度朝他笑了笑——这种笑容往往意味着他已经对谈话失去了兴趣。这反而让巴雷特咬得后槽牙咯咯作响。
“... And I don’t think I ever said anything about wanting to be a hero,” he muttered under his breath.
“......况且我可不记得说过要当英雄这种话。”他垂下头低声嘟囔着。
Sephiroth only looked at him with coldly amused eyes. “Hmph, didn’t sound like that when you were talking to Marlene about protecting the slums and the planet, fighting the bad people who were threatening it…” 重试 错误原因
Barret growled low in his throat, eyes flashing. “You don’t pull Marlene into this!” 重试 错误原因
“Then you shouldn’t tell her lies.” Sephiroth’s smile was icy. 重试 错误原因
“Guys,” Tifa said, stepping between them before things could escalate any further, her hands held up to stop them, if it became necessary. Barret was absolutely livid and looked on the verge of opening fire in the middle of a crowded street. 重试 错误原因
Cloud supported his childhood friend by giving Sephiroth a stern look. The corner of that beautiful mouth quirked up and the man turned away, watching the way people scattered after listening to the information the young woman on the pedestal had to share. They left without paying a single gil. Cloud snorted. Served her right. 重试 错误原因
The slums seemed to be in as much need of helping hands as ever, especially after Shinra’s recent attempt to drop the plate. Though the worst-case scenario had been averted, there had still been collateral damage. Plenty of people recognized Cloud from yesterday when he’d been with Aerith, and Tifa and Barret seemed more than willing to assist in whichever ways they could.
贫民窟依旧急需援助之手，尤其是在神罗近期试图坠毁圆盘之后。虽然最糟糕的结局得以避免，但余波造成的附带损害仍未消散。许多人都认出了昨日与爱丽丝同行的克劳德，而蒂法和巴雷特也仿佛随时准备着为重建工作倾尽全力。
Sephiroth ended up watching Cloud doing his usual mercenary work. They met Miss Folia from the Leaf House and collected her missing children for her, fighting a couple of Ghosts to get them back. Not long after, they ran into the stablehand who worked for Chocobo Sam. They took the Gysahl greens and promised to help him find the three chocobos that had been scared away by the burning helicopters that everyone in Wall Market could see from afar, lighting up the night sky in streaks like comets.
萨菲罗斯最终旁观了克劳德如常接取雇佣委托的全过程。他们遇见了绿叶之家的芙莉娅女士，替她寻回失踪的孩童，途中还击退了几只怨灵。不久后，他们又与陆行鸟山姆手下的马厩工人打了个照面。接过对方递来的基萨尔野菜后，他们承诺会帮忙找回三只因燃烧直升机受惊逃窜的陆行鸟——那几架直升机拖着彗尾般的火光划过夜空，远在围墙商店街的人们都看得一清二楚。
“You seem to have built quite a good reputation for yourself…” Sephiroth said at some point after seeing how many people recognized Cloud and turned to him for aid. “Maybe I need your help too, mercenary.”
「看来你为自己树立了相当不错的口碑......」目睹众人纷纷认出克劳德并向他求助的场景后，萨菲罗斯忽然开口，「或许连我，也该向你这位雇佣兵寻求协助。」
Cloud glanced at him suspiciously. “With what?”
克劳德狐疑地瞥了他一眼：「帮什么？」
“Oh, I could think of quite a few things…” As Sephiroth’s tone grew salacious, Cloud’s ears burned, his flush deepening when the other man laughed softly at his reaction. 重试 错误原因
Grumbling under his breath, he tried to leave the conversation and his embarrassment behind by lengthening his strides, with little success. He spent most of the mercenary work with a red face as Sephiroth dropped seemingly innocuous comments here and there that were in fact nothing more than poorly disguised innuendo, visibly enjoying how flustered he got each time. 重试 错误原因
At some point, he became aware of the absence of the man’s ever-present chuckle. It seemed like Sephiroth and Tifa had fallen behind. Not a good combination. Before panic could set in, his superior SOLDIER hearing picked up on their conversation. They were arguing. About him. 重试 错误原因
Looking over to them, he noticed how small Tifa looked next to Sephiroth. 重试 错误原因
She also looked as irate and aggressive as he’d ever seen her getting. He knew she only got this angry about few things; it appeared that Cloud was one of them, though he knew he didn’t deserve it. 重试 错误原因
It reminded him that she had joined a terrorist group and not left it despite her reservations about the bombings—all just to get revenge on Shinra; to avenge all the family and friends she had lost. To make it burn just like Nibelheim had. Sometimes it made him wonder if her thirst for revenge wasn’t greater than his own.
这让他想起她加入恐怖组织的缘由——即便对爆炸行动心存疑虑也未曾退出，仅仅是为了向神罗公司复仇；为她所有在火灾中消逝的亲友讨回公道。要让神罗总部像尼布尔海姆那样被烈焰吞噬。有时他甚至觉得，她眼底燃烧的复仇欲比自己的更为炽烈。
It was something he could have never imagined his childhood friend doing; gentle, sweet and kind Tifa who would never even so much as hurt a fly. She’d always been strong and protective of those she loved, but never quite like this, willing to stain her hands with the blood of innocents if it meant she would take down Shinra.
他无法将这种行为与童年玩伴的形象重叠——温柔、甜美、良善的蒂法，连一只蝴蝶都不忍惊扰的姑娘。她向来以强悍姿态守护所爱之人，却从未展露过这般面目，甘愿以染红无辜者鲜血为代价摧毁神罗。
She said that he had changed, but sometimes he thought that she had changed as well. Nibelheim had changed her, and she had lost more things to the fire than either of them was probably aware of.
她说他变了，可有时他觉得她也同样被改变。尼布尔海姆重塑了她的灵魂，那场焚尽故土的大火所吞噬的，或许远比两人所认知的更为深重。
Sometimes he caught the way she looked at Sephiroth, as though she had managed to ignore him and even forget his presence, but she was suddenly reminded again. He could hear the way her heart beat wildly in her ribcage, trying to breathe through the red haze of rage. He knew that she wanted nothing more than to kill the other man in those moments, the flames of Nibelheim reflected in her eyes, burning, burning. 重试 错误原因
Sephiroth tended to only return it with a lazy flick of his eyes, as clear a dismissal as any other. 重试 错误原因
Tifa, in turn, would press the knuckles of her fist to her sternum. Others may think to her heart, but Cloud knew she was touching the large scar spanning across her chest, murder brimming in her usually so gentle eyes as she almost seemed to bare her teeth. 重试 错误原因
“He needs to know. He can’t stay like this,” Sephiroth’s low baritone resounded, cutting through Cloud’s introspection about his childhood friend. 重试 错误原因
“You think I haven’t tried to tell him?” Tifa’s eyes flashed. “Whenever I did, he always seemed to get so much worse.” 重试 错误原因
Sephiroth shrugged elegantly. “Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. But if he stays like this, he’ll be vulnerable to others who could take advantage of his state. It would be terrifyingly easy to manipulate him, even without being a mind-controlling extraterrestrial telepathic form of existence like Mother. There’s Hojo too, and others at Shinra.” 重试 错误原因
Tifa narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “You mean someone like you?” 重试 错误原因
Sephiroth just smiled his usual mask-like smile, giving nothing away. Cloud decided to step in then, before the tension could ratchet up even higher. 重试 错误原因
“I can hear you very well. The both of you.” 重试 错误原因
Tifa looked stricken, but Sephiroth had no such reservations. “Cloud,” he purred, making Cloud shiver; he would never get used to the way the man said his name, “so good of you to join us.” 重试 错误原因
Cloud had a feeling that the other had meant for him to overhear, clearly aware of the enhanced senses that every SOLDIER possessed. Tifa seemed to have realized it too, angry at being tricked into a conversation she hadn’t yet been ready to have with Cloud, if only because she wanted to protect him. 重试 错误原因
Sephiroth sent her a taunting smile, but before it could descend into a fight Cloud spoke up: “So, what’s this about something I need to know?” 重试 错误原因
Sephiroth graciously began to explain before Tifa—who looked like she was still torn between whether to tell Cloud or not—could. She shot the man a glare, which he easily ignored. “Miss Lockhart and I were just discussing your memories.”
蒂法仍陷在是否要告诉克劳德的矛盾中，萨菲罗斯却已先她一步优雅地解释起来。银发男人无视了女拳师投来的怒视，继续道："洛克哈特小姐正与我探讨你的记忆问题。"
“Yeah, I know,” Cloud said, arms crossed. “I have a lot of holes in my memory. Sometimes I get random flashbacks too. What about it?”
我知道，"克劳德抱臂而立，"记忆里有很多断层，偶尔还会闪过零碎片段。所以呢？
“Well...” Those dark, berry-red lips parted, a pink tongue flicking briefly over the bottom lip to wet it. “Some of your memories don’t match up with what I myself remember of you, but I know who you are: you are Cloud Strife, who grew up in Nibelheim with his mother and childhood friend Tifa Lockhart. You are the boy who fearlessly killed me, a god, in the Nibel reactor. Don’t ever forget that, no matter what anyone says.” He raised a long, slender, gloved hand to both illustrate and gesture at Cloud. “You are my prophet, only you and no one else.”
这个嘛......"暗红莓色的唇瓣轻启，粉舌掠过下唇留下一片水光，"虽然你的某些记忆与我对你的认知存在偏差，但我很清楚你是谁——你是尼布尔海姆长大的克劳德·斯特莱夫，与母亲和青梅竹马的蒂法·洛克哈特共同生活。你是在尼布尔魔晄炉无畏弑神的少年。无论他人如何质疑，"戴着黑皮手套的修长手指在空中划出优雅弧度指向金发青年，"记住，唯有你才是我的先知，独一无二的存在。
Cloud flinched at the mention of his mother, stiffening up. “You don’t know anything about me,” he pressed out, all gnashing teeth and hostility.
一提到母亲，克劳德浑身肌肉瞬间绷紧，牙关咬得咯咯作响："你根本不懂我。"每个字都浸着敌意。
Sephiroth just looked at him for a long moment, before saying, “Hmm, maybe.” He let his hand fall to his side. “You can ask Miss Lockhart to confirm this, if my word isn’t enough.”
萨菲罗斯只是长久地注视着他，最后说了句："哼，也许吧。"他将手垂回身侧。"若你不信我，大可找洛克哈特小姐求证。"
Cloud thought that would be it, but then he felt a hand on his shoulder, a head of silver bending down to his ear to murmur, “But remember, Cloud: I know more about you than you think. After all, am I not your god?”
克劳德以为对话就此结束，忽然感到肩头一沉。银发男人俯身贴近他耳畔低语："但记住，克劳德：我对你的了解远超你想象。毕竟，我难道不是你的神明吗？"
Even when Tifa did confirm the gist of what he said, Cloud was left staring after the man, wondering what that was all about.
即便蒂法确实证实了他所言非虚，云片仍站在原地，目送那人离去，心中充满困惑，不明白对方究竟意欲何为。
With those words still echoing in his ears, they walked into Damen, that second-rate journalist from the Daily Buzz. When he spotted Sephiroth and his rather suspicious get-up, his eyes sharpened vulture-like and he leaned forward to spy a look at Sephiroth’s face, upon which the man tried to turn his face away, ducking his head slightly to hide more of his features...
余音仍在耳畔萦绕时，他们撞见了《每日蜂鸣报》的二流记者达门。当发现萨菲罗斯那身可疑装束时，他顿时目露秃鹫般的精光，探身欲窥视对方面容。银发男人立刻偏头躲避，银色发丝随着低头的动作掩去更多轮廓......
That was until Cloud stepped in front of Sephiroth, arms crossed and with a dark look on his face as he said, without any inflection, “Hey.”
直到克劳德横跨一步挡在萨菲罗斯面前。少年双臂抱胸，面色阴沉地用毫无起伏的声线说了句："喂。"
Damen backed off immediately, hands raised high as he smiled nervously and apologized. Cloud didn’t buy it, especially when Damen asked about their mysterious companion’s identity next, a gleam in his eyes, no doubt trying to find his next scoop. Without uttering a word Cloud reached back for the hilt of his sword and only then did Damen relent with more nervous smiles. 重试 错误原因
From him they learned that Shinra had sent people from the Public Security Division after Corneo to seize his assets. That meant the Turks had been sent—probably to silence Corneo after not keeping his mouth shut about the plate drop; Cloud could read that much between the lines. Only it seemed that someone else had stolen the key to the Don’s secret stash first, and it was rumored to be the Angel of the Slums Damen was looking for, the famous bandit who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. 重试 错误原因
But Cloud didn’t care so much about that. His mind was racing. Corneo had gone into hiding, taking their chance to get topside with him. Nothing could ever be simple, could it? 重试 错误原因
And yet, if the key hadn’t been stolen, Corneo likely would have hightailed it out of Midgar a long time ago already. At least now, without the mountains of gil he had illegally amassed over the years as a crime lord, and with Shinra hot on his heels, he couldn’t have gotten far. Silver linings and all.
但换个角度想，若是钥匙未被盗走，科尼欧恐怕早就卷铺盖逃离米德加了吧。如今他既失去了多年犯罪头目生涯中非法聚敛的巨额钱财，又有神罗公司穷追不舍，想必也逃不远——这也算不幸中的万幸了。
But first they needed to get the key. Maybe they could find some clues on Corneo’s whereabouts and raid his stashes along the way.
但眼下当务之急是夺回钥匙。或许他们能在追踪科尼欧下落的过程中，顺藤摸瓜突袭他的藏身之所。
Following Cloud’s lead, they left the Center District for the big scrapyard in Steel Mountain where they ran into Mireille who sent them on a wild goose chase after a girl named Kyrie. Her description matched the young woman on the pedestal earlier and they chased her down into the church, getting rid of a few Hedgehog Pies along the way that bowled into their path with their little red, rotund bodies.
跟随克劳德的脚步，一行人离开中心城区，前往钢铁山的大型废料场。途中偶遇米蕾尔，却被她支使着去追捕一个名为凯莉儿的女孩。根据描述，这正是方才石台上惊鸿一瞥的年轻女子。众人一路追至教堂，途中还击退了几只圆滚滚、浑身赤红的刺猬派——这些不速之客总爱横冲直撞地挡在路中央。
Sephiroth didn’t seem interested in joining their battles today, preferring to hang back and watch them from a comfortable perch as they dealt with the monsters. Cloud tried not to let it on too much, but the other man’s refusal to help them out in any way was… deeply irritating. Especially since his ability to fly would have been very useful against the Rust Drake they encountered.
萨菲罗斯今天似乎对参与他们的战斗毫无兴趣，宁愿找个舒适的制高点旁观他们与魔物厮杀。克劳德尽量不表露得太明显，但对方拒绝在任何方面施以援手的姿态……着实令人极其恼火。尤其是在遭遇锈迹巨龙时，他本可以凭借飞行能力发挥巨大作用。
Not that they actually needed his assistance. They had dealt with the small dragon very well on their own, even without his help. But Cloud had thought they were a team now, fighting together on the same side against Shinra, and then there was also what happened last night… He thought it had changed things. Yet in the end, he felt like he was still no closer to understanding the other man.
倒不是说他们真需要他的协助。即便没有他的援手，他们自己也将那头小型飞龙料理得相当漂亮。但克劳德原以为他们如今已是并肩对抗神罗的队友，再加上昨夜发生的种种……他以为某些事情已然改变。然而最终，他依然感到自己始终未能真正触碰到那个男人的内心。
They entered the church, the roof of which Cloud had fallen through just the other day after blowing up the Mako Reactor Five with the others. It had taken him a long while to wake up. He’d heard Aerith’s voice, but before that…
众人踏入教堂——就在几天前，克劳德刚与同伴们炸毁五号魔晄炉后，曾从这穹顶坠落。他花了漫长的时间才苏醒。他听见了爱丽丝的声音，但在那之前……
He’d been in that warm white space, talking to the disparate pieces of himself. Then darkness, as he opened his eyes and realized there was an intruder. Someone who shouldn’t be there and most definitely didn’t belong. 重试 错误原因
He could still feel the way that hand had curled around his shoulder, warm, large, threatening. A head of silver rising out of the darkness behind his back, revealing the face that haunted his nightmares, while a sinister whisper left dark lips to caress his ears. I am… your everything. 重试 错误原因
Right before he opened his eyes to the real world and to Aerith’s inquisitive face—to her deep green eyes that did not seem bright with some kind of inner mako-glow, with pupils that were round instead of slitted—that dark voice like shadows and smoke had told him that there was still so much to be done. 重试 错误原因
He wondered if Sephiroth remembered it too and looked over to him, only to see a hint of that glowing green glittering through the black fabric, already staring straight at him, making Cloud’s heart stutter for a moment. 重试 错误原因
Even then, Sephiroth had already been in his mind, sending visions to him and preparing him for what was to come. For Reunion. 重试 错误原因
Cloud still wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. Angry, yes, about this severe breach of privacy. Scared too. He hadn’t lied to Tifa when he said he didn’t think Sephiroth was controlling him, but there was no telling how deep this strange bond between their minds truly went. At least the man seemed to keep true to his word, refraining from peeking at Cloud’s thoughts for the most part, and there also hadn’t been more weird dreams or hallucinations. Then again, why would he have to resort to those when he was already there in the flesh, Cloud’s own personal nightmare made corporeal, ready to torment him whenever he liked? 重试 错误原因
That nightmare held his gaze for another moment before seeming to laugh quietly, softly; so soft that it chilled Cloud’s insides. 重试 错误原因
Then that dark figure turned away to trawl through the abandoned church, keeping to the cool shadows as his fingers lightly danced along the few pews still left, his head rising slightly as he took in the broken nave roof. Cloud followed his gaze and thought that the beams looked like the broken spine of a beast. It made him think of his own scar, the permanent ache there that pulsed just underneath the silvered skin, as if he was missing something. Phantom pain, the doctors at Shinra often used to say. It was a common hazard of the SOLDIER life, of wounds and bones being forced to mend over and over again with materia.
接着那道黑影转身在废弃教堂里游荡，手指轻抚过所剩无几的长椅，始终蛰伏于阴翳之中。他微微仰头凝望中殿坍塌的穹顶时，克劳德循着他的目光望去，觉得那些横梁如同巨兽断裂的脊骨。这让他想起自己身上那道伤疤，想起银色皮肤下经久不愈的隐痛，仿佛灵魂被剜去了一角。幻痛——神罗的医师们总爱这么说。那是士兵生涯挥之不去的职业病，是血肉与骨骼被魔晄反复撕扯愈合的烙印。
Cloud knew that the Masamune had only pierced clean through him; it had never carved anything out of him. And yet he could not help but feel like something had been irreversibly stolen from him.
正宗明明只是将他捅了个对穿，克劳德再清楚不过——利刃不曾剜去他任何血肉。可他就是遏制不住这种念头：有什么东西被不可逆转地夺走了，再也回不来了。
In a way, it was true. 重试 错误原因
He looked at Sephiroth for a moment, the man who had taken so much from him. Despite whatever may yet happen between them, nothing about that fact would change. And while the other may not have been fully in control of his actions, it had still been his body and his hands. His Masamune that had speared Cloud through the ribs, barely missing his heart. He had still allowed an alien entity to bend his mind against his will, and the man Cloud had once admired, the man who had been his childhood hero, a general who had won a war and commanded an entire army of SOLDIERs, should have been stronger than that. 重试 错误原因
Besides, Cloud had believed in the man’s culpability for too long to just stop. He’d spent too many years clinging to his hate to simply let go of it and forgive him, and he doubted he ever would. 重试 错误原因
It changed nothing about what happened: Nibelheim had still burned, taking Cloud’s mother with it. 重试 错误原因
And yet, despite knowing all of that, he had still made that choice in Aerith’s garden. 重试 错误原因
Tifa, though well-meaning, had been wrong. He was not some puppet whose strings were pulled by someone else, and neither could he use that as an excuse for what he was doing now. He was still fully in control of his actions, and he had chosen to act on his want. 重试 错误原因
That was the weight he had to bear. 重试 错误原因
Cloud would continue to hate him, fear him, but now he was also his. His to do with whatever he liked. Whether it be to hate him, want him, fear him, touch him, hurt him, kill him, or kiss him. 重试 错误原因
It was the weight he had to bear, but it was his and his alone. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. 重试 错误原因
Cloud left Sephiroth to his exploration, and they walked over rotting floorboards towards the altar where their target was standing with their back turned to them, apparently admiring the patch of flowers that were a rarity in the slums. 重试 错误原因
She immediately jumped at their approach, hands held up and nervously beginning to babble about definitely not being whoever they were looking for without turning around. Cloud cut straight through her bullshit, and she soon spilled that Shinra was now after her because she was the one who had stolen the key.
听到脚步声靠近时，她立刻触电般跳了起来，双手高举过头顶，背对着人群开始紧张地絮叨自己绝对不是他们要找的人。克劳德直接打断她的胡言乱语，很快她便招认神罗正在追捕自己，因为正是她偷走了钥匙。
While they negotiated with her, Cloud tracked Sephiroth from the corner of his eye, with all his senses, hearing the rustle of fabric, the faint whisper of heavy boots over the floor that had no reason to be so quiet and soft on the old and creaky wood as they walked through patterns of light created by stained glass.
在众人与她交涉时，克劳德用余光追随着萨菲罗斯的身影。他调动全部感官去捕捉对方的存在——衣料窸窣的摩擦声，厚重军靴踏过地板的轻微响动。那些脚步声本不该如此轻悄，仿佛穿过彩玻璃投下的光影时，连年久失修的吱呀木地板都变得温柔起来。
Finally, they agreed on a deal: Kyrie would give them the key once they had taken care of Shinra for her, a task that would apparently lead them to the colosseum where a special match had been arranged. Cloud could only shake his head and turned around. Tifa lingered a little, looking at the patch of flowers illuminated by sunlight, before walking outside after him, careful to avoid stepping on the yellow petals that had been scattered by the wind.
最终双方达成协议：只要他们替凯莉安解决神罗的追兵，她就会交出钥匙。而这项任务显然会将众人引向竞技场——那里安排了一场特殊比赛。克劳德只能摇摇头转身离开。蒂法多停留了片刻，望着阳光浸染的花丛，随后也跟了出去，小心避让着被风吹散的黄色花瓣。
As they left, it struck Cloud how similar Sephiroth looked to those pale, black-robed people, especially now in his new disguise, and even more so when wrapped in shadows. Not just the people from that vision where they were standing in that cold, barren wasteland, but also Cloud’s neighbor Marco, and that other guy who had grabbed Cloud’s wrist. Their common thread seemed to be a mako addiction, and Sephiroth had used both to reach out to Cloud with what had apparently been his messages. 重试 错误原因
There was some kind of connection, and Cloud would have to ask Sephiroth about it later.
克劳德感觉这其中存在着某种联系，他之后必须找萨菲罗斯问清楚。
But for now they had to focus on the match.
但现在他们必须集中精力应对眼前的比赛。
*
The colosseum was as full as ever, most of the spectators standing and pressing themselves against the red, wooden railing as they savagely called out for more blood and violence.
竞技场依旧座无虚席，多数观众都站立着将身子紧压在暗红色的木制围栏上，疯狂叫嚣着要更多的血腥与暴力。
As Cloud entered the arena, shaped octagonally as seemed to be Corneo’s trademark, the body of the previous fight’s loser was dragged away, leaving a red smear on the ground and the big Wutaian letter painted on it. In fact, the whole colosseum was in Corneo’s preferred Wutaian style, from the statues outside the building to the reception and the arena itself where lanterns and statues decorated each corner of the octagon. The reds were the dominant shade, even without counting in the blood that had permanently soaked into the floor.
当克劳德踏入这座具有科尼欧标志性八边形结构的竞技场时，上一场败者的尸体正被拖离场地，在地面留下一道猩红拖痕，与镌刻在场内的巨型五台文字交相辉映。事实上整个竞技场都采用了科尼欧钟爱的五台风格——从建筑外部的雕像到接待大厅，乃至每个八角角落都装饰着灯笼与神像的格斗场本身。即使不算那些永久浸染地面的血渍，赤红色调也始终是这座场馆的主旋律。
But Cloud could smell more than just that: sweat wafted off bodies that were pressed tightly together, from excitement and sometimes even arousal. There were subtle differences in the chemical makeup, although fear accompanied by the electric fumes of adrenaline were most dominant in the center of the arena. Then there was also the sharp stench of urine, of bowels that had been split open, all kinds of human and bestial odors coming together and mingling with the lighter notes of gunpowder and machine oil to create an olfactory tapestry of death for the mere purpose of human entertainment. 重试 错误原因
When the crowd saw Cloud, it absolutely went wild, just as the gatekeeper had predicted. Their shouts and roars tripled in volume, surrounding him in a wall of noise that made his ears ring. Over the din, he heard the gatekeeper’s voice introducing him as the returning champion, inciting the crowd even more. Cloud’s eyes wandered from face to face, each hungrier than the last, and felt his lip curl in disgust. 重试 错误原因
How tasteless. 真没品味。
Barret seemed to share this sentiment, muttering about “a bunch of bloodthirsty and sick fuckers”. Tifa didn’t seem to like it either, taking it all in with dark eyes, muscles tense as though she expected a fight even before it had started. As the whole arena chanted for the unbeaten champion of the colosseum and the hero of Wall Market, Cloud felt a familiar gaze on him. He turned his head slightly to see that Sephiroth was observing him with curious eyes, barely visible through the veil. 重试 错误原因
“I wasn’t aware you were interested in such a… sport,” he said, putting it rather delicately. 重试 错误原因
Cloud snorted. Bloodsport, more like. 重试 错误原因
“I’m not,” he said, not bothering to explain himself further. Then his tone grew sharp. “Don’t forget what I told you earlier.” 重试 错误原因
Sephiroth stared at him for another moment with unfathomable eyes, before smoothly responding, “Of course.” 重试 错误原因
Earlier, just before the large red steel gates to the arena had opened in front of them, Cloud had told Sephiroth not to use the Masamune or better yet, not to summon it at all. It was far too conspicuous, and used to be promoted in many posters in which the famous general could be seen striking various poses with it.
早些时候，就在竞技场巨大的红色钢制大门在他们面前开启前，克劳德特意叮嘱萨菲罗斯不要使用正宗刀——或者更干脆些，连刀都别具现化。那柄长刀辨识度实在太高，在神罗昔日诸多宣传海报上都能看到银发将军手持武器摆出各种英姿的造型。
But maybe Cloud shouldn’t have bothered to warn Sephiroth since he once again seemed more content to hang back and watch them fight. This suited Cloud just fine, and he prepared himself for another match with the Turks, but quite unexpectedly the Beastmaster he had already defeated the last time stepped out of the gate, a Hellhound by his side. From the way he frowned and inquired about Kyrie, it was clear that Shinra had hired him to do their dirty work.
不过或许克劳德本不必多此一举提醒萨菲罗斯，因为对方似乎又一次满足于置身事外旁观他们战斗。这正合克劳德心意，他握紧破坏剑准备迎接与塔克斯的新一轮对决。但出人意料的是，闸门后走出的竟是上次被他击败过的驯兽师，身侧还跟着一头地狱犬。那人皱眉质问凯莉安下落的模样，明晃晃昭示着他是被神罗雇佣来干脏活的。
Then the fight was on, the roar of the crowd deafening in Cloud’s ears as he raised his Buster Sword and charged. Between the three of them, they dealt with the Beastmaster rather quickly.
看台爆发出震耳欲聋的欢呼，战斗一触即发。克劳德高举巨剑冲上前，三人合力之下很快解决了驯兽师。
The Hellhound was a little tougher, two-headed with vicious fangs and claws. Its dark, spined body was covered in purple and red flames that burned like a bitch when you were hit with them, and Cloud rolled out of the way of another stream of fire, feeling it singe the tips of his hair. But under the steady pressure of Tifa’s lightning-fast, deadly strikes that seemed to come from everywhere at once, Barret’s bullets and powerful energy shots, and the swings of Cloud’s sword coupled with the ice spells coming from all of them, the beast was eventually driven into a corner, teeth fletched with its four ears flattened against its two heads.
那头地狱犬更为难缠，双头獠牙森然。它通体漆黑布满尖刺，紫红火焰如附骨之疽，一旦沾身便灼痛难忍。克劳德翻身躲过又一道火流，发梢仍被燎得焦卷。但在蒂法快如闪电、从四面八方袭来的致命拳脚，巴雷特倾泻的子弹与高能光束，以及克劳德挥剑劈砍配合众人释放的冰系魔法层层压制下，这头凶兽终被逼至角落。四只耳朵紧贴两颗头颅，利齿间发出威胁的嘶鸣。
Cloud only saw the way powerful muscles bunched a split-second before a dark and bright shape was rushing towards him. He raised his blade to block the attack, but the beast seemed to have miscalculated as it shot right over his head with its two flaming tails streaking past him.
克劳德只来得及瞥见虬结肌肉猛然绷紧的瞬间，那道裹挟着光焰的暗影已迎面扑来。他横剑格挡，但魔兽似乎预判失误，竟从他头顶疾掠而过，两条燃火的尾鞭堪堪擦身。
A sharp inhale when Cloud realized where it was headed. He whirled around to see it descending on Sephiroth in a lunge, baring its maw full of deadly fangs as the light glinted off the sharp edges.
克劳德倒抽一口冷气，骤然明悟它的意图。他旋身望去，正见魔兽张开血盆大口，利齿寒光凛凛，朝着静立原地的萨菲罗斯俯冲撕咬。
It must have thought that Sephiroth would be an easy target since he hadn’t participated in the fight until now. It was sorely, painfully mistaken. 重试 错误原因
Cloud was tense for a moment as he wondered if Sephiroth would just ignore his warning and pull the Masamune out of thin air, but no such thing happened. 重试 错误原因
Frost crackled along the whole arena and even up the wall, scaring the spectators away from the railings with shouts of surprise or pain when they weren’t fast enough, the temperature seeming to drop several degrees. Cloud felt the chill even on his skin, sharp like frostbite. His breath came out in little misty clouds. 重试 错误原因
It was as though time had slowed down. The Hellhound hung suspended in the air mid-lunge, its entire body encased in ice so cold and so brittle that it cracked and exploded. It sounded like thunder, a glacier breaking and sinking into the black depths below. The former beast shattered completely, pulverizing into millions of tiny crystals. The dust was so fine that it glittered in the air as it floated to the ground, catching on Sephiroth’s hair and lashes. 重试 错误原因
For a moment, all Cloud could do was stand there, faintly trembling as he stared in shock. He had never seen any ice materia do anything like that.
克劳德一时只能呆立原地，因震惊而微微发抖。他从未见过任何冰魔石有过这样的效果。
The ever-present roar of the colosseum had fallen absolutely, deathly silent, and they all watched as Sephiroth made his way over to the spot where his shawl had fallen to pick it up; the explosion had blown it from his head. 重试 错误原因
He walked with such quiet elegance they may as well have been back in the church, Cloud tracking the silhouette of his shadow on the floorboards that were dappled with colored patterns; watching him in the way someone might if they did not dare to look directly into the sun. 重试 错误原因
Sephiroth calmly, almost languidly, wrapped the shawl back around his head again. 重试 错误原因
So much for not pulling any attention to himself and staying incognito, Cloud thought faintly, his mouth too dry to even swallow. 重试 错误原因
With the fabric back in place, only the lower half of Sephiroth’s face with his obscene lips was revealed, though occasionally a glimpse of the silver of his hair or his green reptilian eyes glinted through, all the more striking for the shadows they were surrounded by. 重试 错误原因
And their full attention was on Cloud now. 重试 错误原因
Fuck, Cloud thought. Unwittingly, his gaze dropped down to those dark and luscious lips, parted just the slightest bit and faintly curved up at the corners. 重试 错误原因
He found himself overwhelmed by the sudden urge to walk over and capture that beautiful mouth with his own, longing to feel how the other would tense up only for a moment before giving in with a soft exhale, melting underneath his touch like the blooms of frost that were starting to thaw where they had climbed all over the surface of the arena. 重试 错误原因
Sephiroth noticed, of course, and drew closer, leaning down until they were only inches apart, lips almost touching. His hand was on Cloud’s quivering lower abdomen, making the muscles jump; in the slowly fading cold around them it was almost burning hot. 重试 错误原因
With the other man so close that his smell drowned out everything else, stirring something hungry inside him, Cloud said, “This... wasn’t what I meant when I said you shouldn’t use the Masamune.” His voice came out far lower and rougher than intended. 重试 错误原因
Those pale lashes brushed his skin as striking green eyes looked at him intensely, contemplatively. 重试 错误原因
“Maybe I should have waited for you to save me then.” Their lips almost touched with every word that left Sephiroth’s mouth. “You’ll have to be faster the next time though, hero.” 重试 错误原因
“Don’t—” call me that, died on Cloud’s lips as Sephiroth brushed past him, making him turn his head to follow him. 重试 错误原因
But the other man was already walking towards the gate, his gait feline and reminding Cloud of the wild cats of Nibelheim that might be small, but were very successful predators that could even kill their much larger Nibel wolf rivals. Sephiroth had dragged his hand along Cloud’s abdomen as he left, leaving a burning trail. 重试 错误原因
The gatekeeper finally found his voice again, laughing nervously and speculating about this mysterious new fighter taking the stage, but Cloud didn’t listen to him, eyes fixed on the figure disappearing into the hallway the large, wooden gate led to with singular focus. He followed his target, ignoring the cheers and calls for more. It was always more, more, more with them, but he didn’t care for their hunger. 重试 错误原因
Not when he had his own to feed. 重试 错误原因
*
Of course it didn’t get that far. When Cloud caught up with Sephiroth in the hallway, he was abruptly reminded that Barret and Tifa were also there with them. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten about their presence, or even the mission they were on. 重试 错误原因
He blamed it all on the tunnel vision he got whenever Sephiroth was involved. Cloud had to visibly pull himself together, those bright green eyes glittering with heavy amusement all the while, and then that infuriating man also had the gall to leave first, as though he’d done nothing to wind Cloud up and bring him into such a state. As though he hadn’t been the least bit affected by their little interaction, coolly superior as always and of course above such mortal weaknesses. 重试 错误原因
Cloud gritted his teeth and swallowed his pride as he followed the other man out. 重试 错误原因
Soon they were back at the church where Kyrie tried to wriggle out of their deal. Mireille showed up then, revealing herself to be the girl’s grandmother as well as the famed Angel of the Slums. Cloud had had his suspicions about the thief’s identity, so it didn’t surprise him too much. 重试 错误原因
She also knew that they were Avalanche. “Not all of us,” Sephiroth spoke up softly then, drawing her eyes to him.
她也知道他们是雪崩的人。"并非所有人都是。"这时萨菲罗斯轻声开口，将她的目光引向自己。
“No,” she agreed. “You are something else, aren’t you?”
确实，"她赞同道，"你是与众不同的存在，不是吗？
Mireille forced Kyrie to give them back Johnny’s wallet, winking at Sephiroth as she handed them the key. “Angels have to stick together, eh?”
米蕾尔逼着琪莉尔归还强尼的钱包，将钥匙递给他们时朝萨菲罗斯眨了眨眼。"天使总要互相照应嘛，嗯？"
Cloud sighed. After the way she had recognized them as Avalanche, it had probably been too much to expect that she wouldn’t notice Sephiroth being the ‘angel’ that had been sighted protecting the Sector Seven slums. She had probably known it from the first moment despite his (admittedly rather poor) disguise.
克劳德叹了口气。既然她已认出他们是雪崩的人，再指望她看不出萨菲罗斯就是传闻中守护第七区贫民窟的"天使"未免太过天真。尽管他做了伪装（不得不承认相当拙劣），恐怕她从第一眼就认出来了。
As a parting gift, she shared a rumor with them about Corneo having secret rooms hidden in the sewers. Cloud’s eyes sharpened. It was the best clue they’d found so far and they left immediately after thanking her.
临别时，她透露了关于科尼欧在下水道藏有密室的传闻。克劳德眼神锐利起来——这是迄今为止最有价值的线索。他们道谢后立即动身离开。
They decided to raid Corneo’s secret stashes first. They were rather easy to spot, metal gates that were always marked with glowing red lanterns and that diamond symbol with twin golden dragons on it. Then again, usually no one dared to mess with the Don. 重试 错误原因
After they found the last of the missing chocobos, Cloud found Tifa staring off into the distance, her whole body a too-tense line, and he approached, lightly touching her shoulder to get her attention. “It will be fine,” he said, staring into her startled eyes. “She will be fine.” 重试 错误原因
Tifa smiled at him a little self-deprecatingly. “I’m that obvious, huh?” 重试 错误原因
Cloud’s lip twitched fractionally. “Kinda.” 重试 错误原因
Barret wasn’t too far away, but he pretended not to hear, giving them some semblance of privacy. 重试 错误原因
A ghost of a smile touched Tifa’s lips. “The flower you gave me the other night had been from Aerith, right? I knew it the moment I laid eyes on her… I did everything I could to preserve it, to keep it blooming and from dying, but...” 重试 错误原因
Her head drooped, dark strands falling forward and obscuring her expression. 重试 错误原因
“I should have fought harder for Aerith. I told myself that it would be better for her if we left things be like Elmyra said, but that was just an excuse. The truth is that Aerith… scares me. The way we grew so close, so quickly, it was just—too fast and too much. I was afraid of letting anyone in again, after…” Nibelheim, she left unsaid, but they both knew what she was talking about: that specter of the past, of home, that would forever hover between them, and haunt them. Her mouth twisted. “I still am.” 重试 错误原因
“Tifa…” 重试 错误原因
She laughed, a comfortless sound. “I was scared of growing close to anyone because I was scared of losing it all again, but now I might really lose Aerith because I was such a coward.” 重试 错误原因
Her fingernails were starting to dig into her upper arms where she was holding them. “I don’t know what I'll do if they take everything from us. Again.” 重试 错误原因
It was barely above a whisper, her voice cracking on the last word, and Cloud took her hands before she could hurt herself, drawing her into his arms and tucking her head underneath his chin where she fit perfectly. Wetness soaked into his shirt where her face was pressed against his shoulder, hands clawing into his back with desperate force. She still smelled like home. 重试 错误原因
“But they didn’t,” he said, gently. “That flower is still there, waiting for you to come back and tend to it. The bar… our home,” he finally allowed himself to say it, to admit it, for the first time, swallowing, “everything else… is still standing.” 重试 错误原因
He stroked her trembling back. “We will save Aerith. You won’t lose her—we won’t lose anything to Shinra again. Besides, you and Aerith had plans to go shopping topside, with me as your pack chocobo. Don’t think I didn’t hear you,” he added sternly, with a low growl that made her giggle. 重试 错误原因
“That’s right. You’d make a very adorable pack chocobo,” she teased him, before wiping her tears and shaking her head. “It’s stupid. I know that crying’s a waste of time.” 重试 错误原因
“That’s not true,” was Cloud’s knee-jerk response. “You are so much stronger than you know.” 重试 错误原因
Looking at him in surprise for a moment, Tifa’s eyes gentled like dawn breaking and she said, “Thank you.” 重试 错误原因
No matter how much she changed, she was still his Tifa. She hadn’t lost that to the fire of Nibelheim; Shinra wasn’t able to take that from her. And right now, in this moment, he knew it never would. 重试 错误原因
Tifa seemed more relaxed and focused after that. Though still tense, she didn’t seem like she would sprain a muscle from how tightly she held herself anymore. 重试 错误原因
While her mood seemed a little lighter, Sephiroth seemed to grow more thoughtful in turn. Cloud hung back a little as they headed back to Sam to see if all the lost chocobos had safely made it back. He waited for it, and eventually Sephiroth spoke up about what was on his mind. 重试 错误原因
“Why save her?” he asked. “Do you love her?” 重试 错误原因
It took a moment for Cloud’s brain to catch up to the fact that he was talking about Aerith. And then it took another moment for him to actually understand the meaning of his words. It could have been a jealous question, if not for how genuinely curious Sephiroth sounded. 重试 错误原因
“No,” Cloud said, unable to wrap his mind around the utter bizarreness of it all. Now where had that come from? 重试 错误原因
Sephiroth glanced at him from underneath the veil. “Is it because she’s an Ancient?” There was a slightly bitter edge this time. 重试 错误原因
“No,” Cloud repeated, exasperated now. They weren’t like Hojo or any of those other scientist creeps. “Aerith is our friend. It’s only the right thing to do.” 重试 错误原因
The strangest thing of all was how utterly baffled Sephiroth looked. 重试 错误原因
“You would dare to go against Shinra and storm the headquarters themselves where most of the forces are stationed just for that?” Those bright green eyes shone with deep suspicion. 重试 错误原因
“Of course,” Cloud said, feeling almost offended. “We’re not afraid of Shinra.” 重试 错误原因
There was soft confusion in those eyes. “You could die.”
那双眸子里浮动着温和的困惑。"你会死的。"
“So what?” Cloud said, eyes steely. “We should just sit on our asses, and wait for the next time Shinra tries to drop a plate on our heads or kidnaps another friend to turn them into an experiment? Yeah, I’m not gonna do that.”
那又怎样？"克劳德目光如钢铁般冷硬，"难道要我们坐以待毙，等神罗下次往我们头上砸钢板？还是等他们再抓走哪个朋友改造成实验体？抱歉，我做不到。
Sephiroth just stared at him before shaking his head and chuckling. “You make it sound so simple…” His eyes grew dark and there was a thoughtful look on his face. “Most people wouldn’t be ready to go that far just to rescue someone. Especially someone they only met a short time ago.”
萨菲罗斯只是凝视着他，许久才摇了摇头，喉间溢出轻笑。"你说得倒轻巧..."他的瞳色骤然加深，脸上浮现出若有所思的神情，"绝大多数人不会为拯救谁做到这种程度，尤其当对方不过萍水相逢。"
Cloud huffed. “Well, we aren’t like most people.”
克劳德嗤了一声："我们本来就不是什么'绝大多数人'。"
That seemed to pull Sephiroth out of whatever dark reverie he had fallen into. “Hmm, I’m starting to notice that.”
这句话仿佛将萨菲罗斯从某种阴郁的沉思中拽了出来。"嗯，我开始意识到这一点了。"
There was a speculative glint in his eyes as they almost consideringly roved over Cloud’s body, as though seeing him in a new light. It made Cloud feel strangely bare. He resisted the urge to fidget underneath that heavy gaze and was about to tell the other man to cut it out when Sephiroth suddenly smiled, a soft, almost inaudible huff of amusement escaping him. Then he started lengthening his steps to walk ahead, effectively leaving both Cloud and their strange conversation behind. 重试 错误原因
Cloud stared at the other man’s back for a moment, before shaking his head. He resigned himself to the fact that Sephiroth would probably never make any kind of sense, and thought nothing more of it. 重试 错误原因
Still, from what Sephiroth had said, it sounded like he had known someone who might have needed rescuing from Shinra, leaving Cloud with the question of... 重试 错误原因
Who? 谁？
Had it been a lover or a friend?
是爱人还是朋友？
As far as he knew, Sephiroth’s only friends had been Angeal and Genesis, but he somehow doubted the other man had been talking about them…
据他所知，萨菲罗斯的朋友只有安吉尔和杰内西斯，但他莫名觉得对方所指的并非这两人……
Family then? Did Sephiroth even have family? Cloud remembered a conversation from a lifetime ago, Sephiroth asking him what it felt like to be back in his hometown since he himself lacked such a place to return to, informing him that his mother had died in childbirth before breaking into sudden peals of laughter that were as soft as they were chilling when it came to the topic of his father. Even before setting foot in the reactor, he had already been unhinged. Sephiroth never did end up saying who his father was. And then the one he called ‘Mother’ afterwards had been Jenova… Cloud shuddered violently. That was a whole other can of worms, one that he did not care to contemplate more deeply.
那么是家人？萨菲罗斯真的有家人吗？克劳德忆起多年前的对话，那时银发人说自己没有可归之乡，询问重返故乡是何感受，坦言母亲死于难产，又在谈及父亲时突然迸发出阵阵笑声——那笑声轻柔得令人战栗。早在踏入魔晄炉前，他就已经不太正常了。萨菲罗斯最终也没说出父亲是谁。而后来被他称作「母亲」的存在，竟是杰诺瓦......克劳德剧烈颤抖起来。那是全然不同的禁忌领域，是他不愿深究的潘多拉魔盒。
It didn’t matter anyway. Whoever they had been, they had obviously not managed to escape Shinra’s clutches, and they were probably dead now.
反正这已经不重要了。不管他们是谁，显然都没能逃出神罗的魔爪，现在很可能已经死了。
But he was probably just overthinking and overanalyzing things again, as he seemed to often do when Sephiroth was involved. Cloud reminded himself of their mission, what they were doing all this for. 重试 错误原因
The one they had to rescue now was Aerith, and no one else. 重试 错误原因