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Here, I want to thank everyone who review so far!Your words has been the best encouragement for me to continue! huggles all. I don't remember if I thanked you guys before but oh well....it's no harm doing it again >;3
mighty RuLe - Ohohoho....we'll see....>;3
Uke-Kadogami - LOL! Eheheh...yeah...each chapter is 20 pages ;;;
Etherpendant - Yesh, there's been too many of those... Since they're so...'compatible' with one another, I made them as siblings....>:3
Ramaon - Wow....I won't even ask how you found me on DA... XD Thanks a lot!
WhisperingSorrows - LOL! You guys in DA are lucky to see the preview pics for each chapter I post >XP
littlematchgirl - Thank you so much! Because of your review, I decided to make my chapters slower to put in more details BUT still make it long....XD
Dark Feruil - Mwahahaha...so you're here too? Thanks a lot for reviewing!!! Wait...did you leave DA? TT
Arbil - LOL! Could've fooled me with your different nick! XD Thanks, Mizuko-chan!!! huggles
Dark-Sephiroth - Aww...thank you! Hmm...your pen name reminds me or someone I know in DeviantArt. ;;;
Sarius - Thank you I hope the upcoming chapters will keep you entertained! >;3
Ardwynna Morrigu -I'm honoured to have your review Your stories had always been an inspiration tome. Thank you so much!
Noacat - Another one of my fav writer! XD LOL! Errmmm....maybe.....>>;;; ;;; Aerith's too nosy....>XD
Ghost140 - LOL! I'm surprised you're still around XD Thanks a lot!
Cendrillo - Yah...flashbacks....I became mushy when I do flashbacks though....TT
LoVeSickPuppY - LOL! Indeed...there're too many of them...so I made them adoptive sibling....as close as they can get >XD
richie - Aww....thanks a lot! I stay late to read too....XD I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
Sephy's lil kitty- Myuu...stop apologizing, nyao! XD Don't worry about it! I'm just relieved to know you're still around. I missed you! XD
SwT-LiL-AnGeL -LOL! Despite the longness, you read it all....XD Thanks! Basically the chapters are around 20 pages each >;3
dogcollar - Woah...you don't have DA account but you have I guess it's okay >;3 Thanks a lot for the comments of most chapters! Glad you enjoyed them!
Sea-EnigmaDare - Thanks a lot for reading! LOL!I'll try to put more...errmm...Cloud/Aerith for you! XD
And all the others that reviewed or have read but didn't review ( I know, I'm like that sometimes too) Domo arigato!
All Final Fantasy VII characters; Sephiroth, Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Vincent, Yuffie, Cid, Red XIII, Cait Sith, Barret, Lucrecia, Reeve, Jenova, Hojo, Turks and the others (you know them) are the properties of Square. Characters other than those mentioned earlier are the properties of ME so kindly take note of that.
And yes, there are many Sephiroth and Aerith resurrection fanfics all around but I assure you I have no intention to perform any act of copying a.k.a plagiarism of sorts. However, if I have accidentally used some of other authors existing ideas, please forgive me. TT
/……/ - Mind talk. You guys know…like telepathic or some sort…yawns
(……) - Thoughts…you know, private conversation between you and your brain? XD
Italics - …I can’t elaborate…I think it’s a kind of feeling…yeah…that’s it….and flashbacks too…maybe…
CHOOSE YOUR PATH
CHAPTER XIII: The Past
It had been chilly the night before- thick mist and dew still on the grass remained as proof in the early morning light. Sunrays peeked through the windowsill, penetrating into the glum room, supplying just enough light for the eyes. Chirps of birds could be heard in the morning, merry to the attentive ears.
He first woke up feeling lightheaded, his body felt even heavier than lead. The first few specks of light welcomed his bleary vision. Blinking weary eyes, Sephiroth waited for the grogginess to disappear as he slowly recognized his surroundings. It was dim, blissfully merciful to his vulnerable eyes after such a long period trapped in the empty darkness. The first thing he saw was the dark ceiling. A blurry shape of an old fan hung there, unmoving. His sharp vision slowly returned as he slowly willed his eyes downwards, recognizing the same room he was in before he fell unconscious, though he could vaguely pinpoint why he did in the first place.
The air was cool and slightly breezy, he could hear the wind blew through the windows, the light curtains flapping lazily in the soft breeze. It was quiet and peaceful, and he couldn’t deny the comfort of the bed which threatened to lull him back into a deep slumber.
Sephiroth was tired, and his body felt dead. His hands refused to move and he could barely feel his legs. He gradually realized his numbness was from not moving for a long time. He stopped his attempts, and his thoughts began to process the information.
(How long?)
He had a feeling he wouldn’t like the answer. Time was vital, he had already wasted too much of it, yet his goal was still out of reach. Sephiroth curtly stopped himself from thinking about Hojo, not really in the mood for feeling disgusted so early after his recently acquired consciousness. The warrior tried to move his hands again. His left fingers twitched weakly- progress.
Sephiroth tried again, hoping to move the entire arm but he could only manage to lift his wrist. In response, a tingling sensation surged throughout his limbs, forcing him to bite back a subtle groan. It felt as if blood had just started to circulate within him again. His head felt like it was suddenly bombarded with so much blood that he felt a little nauseous. Swallowing, the silver-haired warrior was suddenly assaulted by a repulsive taste on his tongue. His stomach churned painfully at the nauseating flavor, not remembering having anything so acrid in his mouth before. He needed to wash this taste out quickly. Unwillingly, he swallowed to dry his mouth.
Briefly ignoring the many questions for later speculation, Sephiroth once again tried to move his body, displeased that his limbs, being dormant for so long, denied his command. He tried again, trembling in his weary effort until somehow he felt his torso did connect to a pair of arms and legs.
Surges of funny, tickling sensations traveled up his stony limbs, forcing the silver-haired man to bite back a soft groan. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the sensation to dissipate, clenching and unclenching his knuckles to activate the blood circulation. He remembered his right knuckle was damaged pretty badly, and was relieved to find that it had already healed to perfection. Sephiroth didn’t remember his other hand receiving any injury, yet he couldn’t fully dismiss the slight twinge on his left wrist.
He barely managed to lift his right arm, palm flat on the soft mattress, ready to push himself up. He tried to work his other arm, a little annoyed seeing the limb lay unmoving after he ordered it to respond. A few uncomfortable twitches and his left arm was back alive. Good.
Sephiroth lifted his hands after he had fully regained control over both limbs, feeling he had wasted enough time by just lying passively for…what? Days? Weeks? Better not be longer than that.
He didn’t care how his hands trembled at the sudden awakening, the muscles were still feeble and drained. Instead, he placed both palms flat on the mattress, slowly sliding them upwards until his elbows were at the same level as his shoulders. Inhaling deeply as if he was about to commence a very hard task, Sephiroth moved his elbows to slowly push himself up. It took him longer than he thought but the former general kept his balance and finally his torso was fully supported by his elbows.
However, his work was still unfinished. Positioning his palms firmly on the bed while keeping his balance, he straightened his arms, feeling the tickling jolts of electricity dancing within his strained muscles. His arms were shaking badly, and before he could regain his balance, his left elbow gave out under the pressure and he dropped on the mattress, defeated and panting. He still didn’t have the ample strength to push himself up from that position so he opted for another method.
Sucking a deep breath again for his second attempt on a very crucial mission, Sephiroth moved his right arm so the palm was pressed against the mattress beside him. Then, he quickly mustered all his current strength to push against the soft mattress, rolling his body so he was lying on his stomach.
Fortunately, the pillow muffled his groans as the familiar sting of awkward sensations tickled up his spine. His back shuddered at the cold, being suddenly exposed to the cool air within the room. Tendrils of long silver hair shrouded his vision as he closed his eyes peacefully, heaving a gentle sigh of relief at his success, pleased that he had done a simple task which surprisingly turned to be quite a challenge.
It was time to move to the next stage.
Sephiroth lifted his head slowly, his face still obscured beneath a tangled mass of silver hair yet he made no move to push it away from his vision. Lying on his stomach seemed to be a great advantage for him to commence his next move. Placing both palms flat on the bed, he easily pushed himself up and propped himself in that position until his legs complied and dragged them to bend beneath him. Sephiroth could have smiled if it wasn’t for the disgusting taste still in his mouth, reminding him that he needed to move on and find something to purify his mouth.
Already sitting on the bed, the former general massaged his legs to get the blood coursing again before he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, feeling the warm, thick carpet under his naked feet. His toes were grateful for the warmth instead of cold tiles that used to meet his bare feet.
Sephiroth had been overly confident to immediately rise, supporting his weight with unsteady feet, but his body alerted him of the wrong move. His trembling feet gave out under him and his body instinctively lurched backwards in the attempt to save himself from falling on his face.
He did fall then, non-too-gracefully on his butt, his back connecting solidly with the hard edge of the bed rather than the soft mattress itself. Sephiroth squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth from spitting a curse as pain flared from his abused spine. His gripped the edge of the bed, forcing himself to straighten up and sit on the bed again. He felt the sore spot on his back and cringed, there would probably be a nasty bruise forming there, not that they usually stayed visible and aching for too long.
Sephiroth stood up again, more careful this time when setting his feet on the floor. He pushed his tousled hair behind him, deciding that he should clean up as soon as possible, unable to stand being so disheveled. The silver-haired man mused on when he had been so unclean, other than the time in Wutai. Even then he didn’t stay dirty for too long, with the source of fresh water nearby their camp.
(Then is then, now is now. Now I need to wash, fast. I’m beginning to feel sick from this horrible taste)
Trusting his legs finally obeyed his commands, he swung them in long, careful strides towards the only door in the room. Any thoughts of the rest of the group didn’t come up in Sephiroth’s mind until he stood by the door, in everyone’s plain view from the living room.
The members of Avalanche were gathered around the cramped living room, apparently in a middle of a heated discussion before he came. Suddenly Sephiroth felt that remaining inside the room wasn’t such a bad idea until the door clicked behind him, erasing the option swiftly. He swallowed hard, currently forgetting about the flavour in his mouth as the little sound alerted everyone of his existence. Sephiroth sensed an oddity from the way everyone stared at him- all activities halted at his abrupt presence. Everyone was staring at him with unconcealed shock and, as strange as it may sound, the silver-haired swordsman had an urgent need to cower and hide from the scrutinizing eyes.
Sephiroth was sure he looked ridiculous, standing in front of the closed door, unmoving, with horribly tangled hair and wearing a set of bright white clothes instead of his usually dark ensemble. The scene lasted for a full three minutes. It was truly uncomfortable.
Yuffie was the first to lift her jaw from the floor, lunging towards him with frightening speed. The silver-haired man unconsciously took a step back- although he didn’t sense danger from her, he wasn’t sure he would enjoy it either.
“Sephiroth! You’re alive!!!”
The former general winced visibly at her volume but that easily slipped when the petite shinobi launched herself at him, her hands expertly locking behind his neck while she happily clung to him. Lucky he was able to balance himself, staggering slightly at the added weight around his neck. His back thumped against the door behind him and Sephiroth squeezed his eyes shut when the recent bruise throbbed at the repeated hit.
"Hey, brat! Quit clingin' he ain’t got any materias on him!"
Yuffie stuck his tongue at the Cid, causing the pilot to snicker in response.
“Is it…a bad thing?” he honestly inquired, opening his eyes warily and swallowing the pain while trying to pull himself from her loose hug. The intimate contact was making him uneasy but it didn’t bug him as much as the twinge on his back.
The shinobi laughed merrily, Sephiroth could sense the sincerity of emotions behind the simple act of glee even though he couldn’t understand it. She released her hold on him only to punch his shoulder playfully.
“Silly, of course not! Glad to have you back!”
(Glad to have me back? Since when-?) He didn’t get to finish that thought when another pair of slender arms encased his torso in a warm embrace. “Welcome back, Sephiroth.” He saw a pair of emerald eyes looking up at him, the gentle emotions in them made him felt at ease…somehow.
“…Aerith…,” he nodded absentmindedly, dazed from watching how familiar those eyes were in his dreams. (Mother…)
Sephiroth’s head jerked up when Barret snorted, “’Bout time ya woke up! Everythin’s damn borin’ ‘round ‘ere.” “Hah, that’s cause you don’t know anythin’ better to do with your friggin’ time! Shut up and leave the kid alone, will ya?” His eyes snapped at Cid as the pilot defended him. Defended him?
(This is…getting stranger…)
“You look well.” His head snapped towards the source of the voice, Cloud was smiling at him, everyone was smiling at him, even Red had something akin to a grin on his face, with the exception of Vincent who had half of his face obscured beneath his cloak.
Sephiroth backed away, an expression of mild horror flashed on his face. “…Who…are you…?”
Tifa arched an eyebrow at his question. “Who are we?” She glanced around the room at her comrades. Alpha pushed herself forward, “You don’t remember us?!” Gasps of shock could be heard from the other girls. “Did you…bang your head or something?” asked Aerith worriedly.
The silver-haired warrior blinked in confusion, “…No, I’m fine. I do remember all of you…at least in the way I used to.”
“What do you mean?” Red asked, stepping forward warily.
Sephiroth had the urge to shrug the question off, not really caring to answer like his usual insensitive nature. “…You’re all behaving differently. Different as in…friendly.” He narrowed his eyes at the choice of word. Yes, it described their behaviour perfectly yet he was still unwilling to believe it himself. They were being friendly towards him?
“Hey, that’s mean!” Yuffie huffed in annoyance, her forest green eyes narrowed playfully as she poked a finger to his chest, “We’ve always been friendly!”
Sephiroth finally shrugged, at least the shinobi was acting familiarly. “So I’ve heard. Did anything happen while I was out?” Everyone fell silent all of a sudden. Cat-like eyes watched with growing suspicion as they glanced amongst themselves, obviously all party to some kind of secret between them. (What are they hiding now?)
The former general nearly stumbled on his feet when he whirled around, seeing a familiar black-haired man in a dark blue suit walk into the room, standing just opposite of him. The man regarded him with a curt nod. “How are you feeling today, Sephiroth?”
Sephiroth ignored the question aimed at him, schooling his face to a serious expression. “Tseng, what are you doing here?” His eyes quickly caught a movement from the other man’s side. Alpha. She looked clueless though. What did Tseng think when he saw the girl? Was he too fooled by Alpha’s mere appearance just because she looked like Rena, his long lost sister?
Tseng appeared not to be offended by the silver-haired man’s tone, proving that he was used to it. “I came here on the President’s request,” he nodded once at Cait Sith before continuing, a hand slipped into one of his pants pockets to pose a more casual stance, ”I’m here to provide information as well as to gather it. Also, as an extra favour, I brought you those.”
Sephiroth craned his neck slightly to see where the Head Turk pointed. There was a black box sitting near the door that looked more like a briefcase. Just as he wondered what could be in the case, the Head Turk explained.
“The company’s tailors made it specifically for you, knowing that you needed a new one after what we heard from your latest battle.” As he said this, he smiled thinly at Aerith who, in return, cast a grateful smile back at him. Tseng straightened then, regaining his professional pose like a well mannered corporate. “…And seeing how your spares were lost in the explosion. Don’t worry, it’s the same design, same material…and hopefully the right size.”
“…How…generously thoughtful...” The silver-haired swordsman still had cautiousness dancing within his green orbs. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the man, Tseng was one of the men he could trust more than his life, but he knew how the man despised him after his sister’s death. And he should, Sephiroth was the very reason Rena was murdered. “But I believe I’m not really in that dire need for a spare.”
Seeing the flicker in the other man’s eyes made Tseng sighed deeply, he knew Sephiroth would try to refuse his help. Ever since his sister died, they could never stand each other’s company. But not today. Today, he would try to breach the barrier that was never meant to exist. He would make up for his mistakes and hope Rena would forgive him.
Rena…
Alpha… That girl looked exactly like her. The first time he saw the girl, he almost fell to his knees in shock. Thankfully Aerith dragged him away and explained everything to him. He was still quite shaken though- he avoided contact with the girl until he was sure that he wouldn’t mistake Alpha for his sister. It was a miracle to find a look-alike, and Tseng was silently grateful that he could at least witness how Rena would look if she did reached Alpha’s age.
Seeing Alpha made him miss his sister even more than he usually did.
The Head Turk straightened, brushing away the thoughts to the back of his mind, his voice tuned to a professional quality. “I know what you’re thinking, Sephiroth, but I don’t think it’s wise to talk about it here, do you?”
That caused the former general to fasten his lips from objecting, jade eyes narrowing at the other man. He knew Tseng was right, his eyes momentarily glanced at a certain girl. It wasn’t the best time. Besides, he had other business to attend to first.
“Very well, we’ll talk later then.” Tseng nodded at his decision, letting the silver-haired warrior know that he had no objection to the promise. Watching as the former general went to the back of the house, he noticed Cait Sith nearing him. “President,” he greeted politely, his eyes continuing to look forward until Sephiroth was out of sight. The stuffed toy looked at him. “Do you think he’ll accept the gift?”
The Head Turk smiled slightly. “It’s not important whether he accepts it or not, sir. It’s enough that he’s willing to have a talk with me.”
“Are you sure this is the right time, Tseng? I mean…he just…“ Reeve’s serious voice that rang through Cait Sith was filled with concern. He watched as the Turk looked down to the end of his boots, obviously in thought about something.
“It’s now or never, Mr. President. I think we’ve been running away from it for far too long…” Tseng lifted his head to face Reeve’s disguise. “Moreover, it’s my responsibility; I was one of the reasons he became this bitter. I denied him the forgiveness my sister would willingly give without a second thought.” The Turk tucked a stray strand of long black hair behind his ear. “…I caused him…to be like that…”
Cait Sith shook his head solemnly, “Tseng, you’re not guilty in this, and neither is Sephiroth. Men make mistakes in the past and correct them in the future. I’m sure your sister never blamed any of you because both of you were important to her.”
“Yes…,” Tseng nodded sadly, “Rena would never …but I will. What I’m doing now is for her sake…I know Rena would wish the same too.”
“All she wishes is for you two to stop feeling guilty and find your own peace of mind.”
The Head Turk stared as his boss bounced away to join the others, mildly startled to hear how Reeve understood so well of their pain. Sighing, he shoved his hands into his pockets, wondering how would their talk go. (Rena…I’m sorry… I’ll do everything to make things better again, I promise.)
Aerith stood at the door, a cheery smile plastered on her face. “Hey, you forgot this,” she said, showing the black case in her hands. Sephiroth raised his eyebrows. “…Where’re my old clothes?”
“They’re being washed.”
“You told him to make this, didn’t you?” he asked.
The Cetra shook her head. “It was originally his idea. I just told him what happened. Why?”
Sephiroth sighed and shook his head. “Never mind. Thanks.” He took the case from the brunette’s hand and turned to set it at the sink.
“Hey.” He stopped to look at the Cetra over his shoulder. “…What happened to your back?”
At first he didn’t understand what the Cetra meant by that but when the brunette stepped in and poked at the sore spot, he cringed. Aerith frowned slightly, her eyes showing concern. Underneath the damp strands of silver, there was a big, purple spot on his spine and it looked horrible and painful.
“What happened?” The man flinched from her touch and tried to ignore her question by busying himself with the new ensemble. Aerith frowned in annoyance from being ignored, jabbing her finger on the black bruise. Sephiroth hissed in pain, gripping tightly on the new leather suit. “Stop that!” he growled, swatting her hand away. The pink-clad brunette persisted. “How did you get that bruise? It looks new…”
The man swallowed, feeling the throb slowly dissipated. “I fell.”
A brown eyebrow lifted in surprise. “Where? When?”
Sephiroth sighed. “In the bedroom. I fell off the bed.” He waited for the girl to laugh at his clumsiness but he heard nothing. He turned to look behind him and saw the girl smiling softly at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? It looks pretty painful…”
The silver-haired man shrugged, “I thought it’d go away after a while, it always did before.”
Aerith was silent. (He doesn’t know… How are we going to tell him?) “Well, let me Cure it then.” She carefully placed a palm over the bruise, noting how he flinched slightly from the contact. Aerith smiled softly at this and shook her head, knowing the man wouldn’t be able to see it. Soft, green hue glowed from her palm and in seconds, the bruise was gone. She ran her hand on his back to check if there was any other injury. Satisfied that she found none, the Cetra withdrew her hand. “Done.”
Sephiroth turned to take a look at his back in the mirror. “…Thanks, but you didn’t have to. It’d heal by itself eventually…though it’s taking longer this-” He stopped abruptly, slowly noticing something. He leaned closer towards the mirror as if he wanted to confirm what he just saw.
“Aerith?” She looked up at his call, seeing how his green eyes were fixed on the image of himself in the mirror. “My eyes…they’re not…” Aerith swallowed slowly as the man whirled around to face her, his pale eyebrows drawn in confusion.
“Aerith…,” he whispered, “…what…happened? My eyes don’t look like they used to.” Something akin to fear and panic danced within his eyes. “What really happened back then, while I was unconscious? What’s happening to me?!”
Aerith could hear the frantic tone in his voice. “Sephiroth…please calm down. Let me explain. All that Shera did was to help. We did all we could to save you. You’re…” She couldn’t tell him, it was still painful to speak of it.
Suddenly the silver-haired man grabbed her shoulders and she yelped from the abruptness. “Aerith, tell me! I need to know! What happened while I was unconscious!?” The Cetra could see the panic and confusion swirling in the now humanly bright, jade eyes. The Cetra swallowed hard, preparing herself to unveil the truth to him. He deserved to know.
“You’re hurt badly from the poison, Sephiroth… Somehow…the poison was actually to purge Jenova’s cells from your body, not really meant to kill. But…your body was used to have them…removing them forcefully would endanger your health.” She dared to place a hand over where the wound should be on his chest, “You were dying…we did what we could…” Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, not believing what she said.
“Dying…?” He watched the brunette nod slowly. (She wouldn’t lie….she wouldn’t…) “What did you do?” He was suddenly curious about the other part she told. The young woman didn’t get the chance to answer as the memories from his sub-consciousness returned to him.
Aerith felt his grip on her shoulders disappear. The man stepped away from her, his expression blank. “Sephiroth?”
“That woman in white…the injection…all that blood…” he muttered in a daze before his eyes focused on the Cetra. “They’re not just dreams, are they? Mother…she didn’t……Mother never came…right?”
“…Sephiroth-“
“Don’t say a word, Aerith!!”
The brunette jumped from his harsh tone, feeling the blood drain from her face when the jade eyes were aimed at her. Human or not, they were still intimidating. “Don’t…say…a word…,” Sephiroth pressed on each word slowly as his expression darkened with anger. “You lied …” his voice accusing, “…to me.”
Aerith stammered, “I…I didn’t mean to! It was the only way…Sephiroth? Sephiroth, wait!”
The former general ignored her, breezing past her into the hall. He felt betrayed and hurt, yet not from the needle. He couldn’t believe she lied to him, disguised as his own mother at that. (In the end, they all lie…) His chest was burning with anger, so angry that he felt his eyes burnt. Why would he care if she lied anyways? Everyone lied. Sephiroth never trusted anyone, right?
No, he trusted her…and the trust was betrayed.
He heard the men talking in the living room so he decided to head in the opposite direction. “Hey, what’s the hurry?” Yuffie greeted him cheerily at the hall. Ignoring the petite shinobi, he stormed past her towards the back. Yuffie looked at his fleeing form in puzzlement. “Sephiroth?”
“Sephiroth, wait!” She spun around only to see the Cetra running towards her. “Whoa, slow down there, Aerith! Why’s everybody in a rush lately?” The brunette pant heavily, clutching her chest as panic swelled within.
“Sorry, Yuffie. No time to explain now, I need to talk to Sephiroth before he does something drastic.” The young ninja frowned, “’Drastic’? Why?”
Aerith nodded grimly. “He saw…in the mirror. He realized he’s not what he used to be.” Yuffie’s eyes widened.
“No way… I’ll get the others just in case things turn ugly.” The Cetra nodded before they ran into opposite directions.
“Guys, bad news!”
“Do you need anything?” Shera asked kindly, immediately drawing the man’s attention to her. The jade eyes widened slightly and Tifa could’ve sworn she saw fear in them for the slightest second.
Sephiroth recognized this woman, she was the one in the white coat. Though she wasn’t wearing it now, he could remember how she looked like in it. A scientist. Doctor. His nightmare. He should get out of this place.
“Sephiroth!”
Aerith’s desperate cry was ignored as he briskly walked out through the back door. He felt grass under his bare feet as he walked in the lawn. A small airplane was parked in the grassy space, emblazoned with Shin Ra’s logo, so he guessed this was the plane Tseng used to come here. Highwind was located nearby as it required more space than the small plane.
“Sephiroth, wait! Please!” He spun on his feet and saw Aerith running towards him. The others had followed her when they heard the commotion. The Cetra stopped just meters away from where he stood, regaining her breath. “Sephiroth, listen to me-“
“What more do you have to say, Aerith? Is there any more betrayal that I don’t know about?” His tone was venomous.
The pink clad brunette frowned, her eyes showing hurt and a slight tinge of anger. “I’ve never betrayed you! Sephiroth, what we did was for your sake. You would’ve been dead if we didn’t coax you to take the shot.”
Sephiroth noticed how the Cetra was different, she was no longer afraid of upsetting him. “My sake? Don’t tell me you lied for my sake, Aerith! I’d rather be dead than have you lie to me! You acted like my mother, now how am I supposed to feel about that!?”
“You wouldn’t listen! You didn’t even recognize me anymore…you were lying there, cold and unmoving. What choice did I have left?” Aerith sniffed, brushing her tears away with the back of her hand. “I had no choice, Sephiroth. If I wanted you to live, I needed you to cooperate. And you would only listen to Lucrecia…”
The silver-haired man scoffed bitterly. “Yes…you said it. You want me to live.” His voice grew chillier. “What if I don’t?”
Emerald eyes widened in disbelief. ”Sephi-“
“You’re being untruthful.” Both of them looked at the source of intrusion. Vincent stepped between them, eyeing the former general warily. “Is that what you truly desired? Then Aerith’s sacrifice was a waste.”
Sephiroth was dumbfounded, he looked at the Cetra for an explanation. “What sacrifice? …Aerith?” The brunette lowered her head, she was unable to answer him.
“Aerith sacrificed herself to save your life. Cetras have this one ability to heal people, but they won’t be able to reproduce after that,” explained Cloud firmly, walking to the brunette’s side. He hugged the brunette’s shoulders supportively, facing the silver-haired man with determined eyes. “All for you to stay breathing.”
The truth hit him like thunder, he felt the world was spinning before his eyes. Staggering backwards in horror, Sephiroth stared at Aerith in shock. He couldn’t believe what she had done for him. He, who once killed her and took many other innocent lives. Her kindness was almost unreal.
“What…?”
The brunette lifted her face to look at him, her eyes shining softly and a sad smile gracing her lips. “Sephiroth, I don’t regret it. It’s true that I want you to live…but I also want you to be happy.”
The silver-haired warrior couldn’t believe what she said. Her compassion was hurting him, adding a burden to his shoulders. He looked up to meet the emerald gaze, sorrow-filled tone escaping from his lips. “Aerith…why? Why did you do that? Why do you care so much? What do you want from me? I can’t be anything that you possibly want. Don’t…don’t put any hope on me…”
(I don’t want to disappoint anyone anymore…)
He didn’t realize the brunette was getting closer. “I don’t hope for anything in return. It’s okay if you don’t understand, Sephiroth. I did it because I care about you. We care about you. We love you.”
Sephiroth shook his head. Love? He wished he was worthy of the emotion. Maybe he could love, but never be loved. All who loved him never lasted long. Starting with Lucrecia…then Professor Gast…the two people he finally knew as friends, and more…like families, Rena…Zack…they’re all gone. He feared that the Cetra too, would suffer the same fate. (Will she? Will she disappear too? I won’t forgive myself if something happened to her because of me.)
Sephiroth looked up, his expression an unreadable mixture of emotions. His previously strong voice softened as if he was exhausted. “Don’t say anything anymore, Aerith. I’m tired of all this…I need some time to think…” (I can’t have you loving me.)
“Sephiroth…” Aerith tried to reach for him when the silver-haired man’s face suddenly twisted in pain. Sephiroth shook his head dizzily before clutching it with one hand. He could feel something raging in his mind and he suddenly felt dread swell in his chest. The sensation similar to what he felt when Jenova invaded his consciousness. (This can’t be happening again! It’s much more powerful this time!) “Aerith…s-stay back…I-aarrghh!!!” He fell to his knees, arms clutched his torso as he breathed heavily.
“Sephiroth, what’s wrong!?“
Vincent immediately pulled the Cetra from nearing the former general. Cloud pushed her behind him as he watched Sephiroth doubled over as if he was in intense pain. “What’s happening!?” shrieked Aerith, clawing at her boyfriend’s arm to get a better look at her adoptive brother.
“It’s showing…,” muttered Vincent knowingly, his eyes hardened at the all-too-familiar symptoms. “What’s showing!?” yelled Cid, watching the silver-haired man kneeling on the ground, seemingly in pain. The former Turk didn’t answer the pilot immediately, checking if he still had his gun with him. “The beast within him…the beast that’s awakened by my blood.” He tossed a glance at Cloud. “Let me handle this. If either of us are going too far, kill us,” he ordered sternly, tossing Death Penalty towards the blond. Cloud caught the gun easily with one hand, looking back at the owner. “I don’t think we need to.”
“…Let’s hope so.” Vincent marched to where Sephiroth was, his shoulders hunched as his body shook badly. His palms were pressed flat on the ground, sometimes his fingers curled as if he was trying to claw the ground.
“Sephiroth,” he eyed the top of the lowered silver head, “…you will feel like something is tearing you apart from the inside. It’s a monster, born from your anger, your hatred. Try to fight it. Clear your mind from any negative thought. Don’t let your anger cloud your judgment.”
The silver-haired man only groaned in response, his body lowering like he wanted to curl up from the intense pain. Vincent didn’t give up, he kneeled in front of the other man and placed his human hand on Sephiroth’s shoulder. “Fight it! Don’t give in to its dark desire.”
Suddenly he noticed Sephiroth’s nails were getting longer and sharper as the former general growled lowly, “Why shouldn’t I?” The man looked up and the former Turk could see the malicious smirk on his face. The usually green eyes had turned blood red, even darker than his own. Vincent didn’t get the chance to react when Sephiroth’s hand shot up and grabbed at his throat roughly, lifting the gunman slightly on his toes.
“I’ve never felt so good in my life before, why shouldn’t I enjoy it?”
Sephiroth smirked mockingly, showing his sharp fangs when he saw the other red eyes widened. The silver-haired man forcefully threw the gunman to the ground like a rag doll. Vincent twisted his body in the air to land on his feet, rubbing his sore neck where the other man had gripped. He could feel the bruises forming.
“Sephiroth, stop! I do not wish to fight you!”
“Pity…I had expected at least some fun from you,” replied the silver-haired man smugly. His personality had changed entirely. The gunman saw malice shining from the other man’s claret eyes and Sephiroth looked as if he truly enjoyed it. Out of the corner of his eye, Vincent saw Cloud, Red and Tseng trying to move in.
“Stay out of thi-!“ Vincent was forced to dodge when Sephiroth lunged at him, his words were left hanging. He heard the tearing sound of his cape when the man attacked. (He’s too fast. If I don’t stop him soon, he’ll get me eventually.)
“Lost in thought?”
Vincent froze, hearing the sneering voice from right behind him. “I do that sometimes, but never in battle. It would be…unwise.” A mocking chuckle accompanied the last word, and alarm filled the gunman’s mind. The former Turk swung his metal claw to attack but Sephiroth dove and swung a fist towards the older man’s face. Vincent staggered backwards slightly before Sephiroth roared, the sound coming from his throat entirely animalistic, and tackled the older man to the ground. His fist collided with Vincent’s face repeatedly before the former Turk managed to strike him with his claw. It didn’t throw the silver-haired man off him, but it stopped his attacks. Leering down, Sephiroth smirked, oblivious to the red mark on his cheek from the hit. “Is that the best you can do?”
Vincent spat blood from his mouth, and decided to give up trying to calm the swordsman. If it was a fight he wanted, then it was a fight he’d get. “Thought you’d never ask,” he said almost derisively.
He lifted a hand in front of the former general’s chest. “Ice3!” Sephiroth flew backwards from the direct impact, falling to a crouch on the ground like a jungle cat. The spell appeared to surprise him for a while, chips and flakes of frost clinging to his chest. Brushing the ice off, he hissed angrily when he saw the former Turk was once again up on his feet. He realized the older man was changing into his Chaos form and began to leap towards him.
Fully transformed, Chaos unfolded its broad, demonic wings, roared when it saw the attack and flew to meet the attacker. Claws met claws, monstrous growls and roars echoed when each attack landed. It seemed to be more of a fight between monsters when there seemed to be no humanity left in them. Vincent no longer behaved as he used to once he changed into the dark creature within him and neither did Sephiroth. The silver-haired man seemed to lose more of his sanity the longer the fight ensued. They exchanged blows for a while and none seemed to give up. Their strength and agility seemed to be equal but Chaos had an advantage that seemed vital right now.
The ability to be airborne.
Flapping its powerful wings, the demon-like creature flew high in the air before it dove, claws ready. Sephiroth studied his opponent carefully, baring his fangs in a wry smirk as the flying creature neared. He tried to counter the attack but Chaos managed to dodge, clawing at the silver-haired man’s chest before rising to a higher altitude.
Sephiroth stumbled on his feet from the impact and groaned as he clutched at the wound on his chest, snarling in disgust when he saw red on his fingertips. He managed to evade and roll out of the way when the demon-like creature swiped at him. Chaos swooped down again before the silver-haired man had the chance to recover and succeeded in scratching the silver-haired man’s left leg. The former general roared in pain as he fell to his knees, dark blood poured from his ragged wounds. His breath was coming in short pants. His eyes flickered to their original colour for a moment before he cringed and the dark red colour returned.
Tifa saw this and screamed at Chaos, “Vincent, he’s changing back! Just a little bit more!” Yuffie hopped and waved beside the martial artist to gain their friend’s attention.
“Don’t worry, Aerith. Vincent’s gonna get ‘im back,” assured Barret, who had his arms crossed, standing by the door while observing the fight. Aerith was watching quietly from within Cloud’s secure hold, praying for Sephiroth to snap out of the madness quickly.
Chaos nodded minutely at Tifa’s info, preparing to attack again. It folded its wings and let itself fell in a rapid speed, tearing through the wind until it wasn’t even a meter from the ground before spreading its wings again. Sephiroth didn’t expect that move and Chaos succeeded in its surprise attack, colliding solidly against the silver-haired man’s body. Everyone could hear the bone-crunching sound from the impact and winched, tearing his or her eyes briefly from the sight.
Hearing no other sound came from the two, Yuffie was afraid to look. “Is it over?” “I…I guess,” replied Alpha who slowly opened her eyes to look at the damage.
Everyone turned to look at the scene and saw both men locked into what seemed like an embrace, neither of them moving. Vincent had already changed from his Chaos form, his cape flapping freely behind him. Sephiroth had his head bowed, silver tendrils falling like a silk curtain around him and obscuring his face from everyone’s view.
“…I told you I didn’t want to fight.”
Sephiroth lifted his face when the gunman spoke those words. Vincent saw that the swordsman’s eyes had reverted to their original colour, staring at him vacantly before they rolled to the back of his head and the lids fluttered closed. The former Turk quickly slid his arms around the unconscious silver-haired man before the swordsman slumped to the ground.
“Vincent!”
The former Turk looked up, squinting his left eye which had gained a bruise from the intense brawl. Aerith and Cloud ran towards the former Turk, helping him with the unconscious man. Tifa, Yuffie, Alpha, Red, Cid and Tseng came over to help too.
“How did it go?” Cloud asked, seeing several bruises decorating both men’s bodies.
Vincent waved his question away coolly, letting the blond and his girlfriend pulled the dead weight from him. Aerith laid Sephiroth’s head in her lap with Cloud’s help, brushing his tousled hair from his face to survey the damage. Cloud and Tseng knelt beside the Cetra, helping her to find any severe injury.
“He’ll be alright. I just hit him hard enough to send his lights out,” the former Turk explained plainly, his human hand moving to clutch his left ribs. The cracking sound earlier was actually from his ribs. “Let me cure you,” offered Tifa, noticing his discomfort. The caped man shook his head slowly, motioning towards the silver-haired swordsman. “Cure him first, he’s injured worse than me.” Aerith was already on the job, her Full-Cure worked its magic to heal all wounds on Sephiroth’s body. Cloud and Tseng each draped one of the former-general’s limp arms around their necks and began to drag him inside.
“Now it’s your turn, Vincy. You’re injured as bad as he was,” said Yuffie seriously. “If you feel uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to let us know,” said Red. Vincent nodded slowly, he was starting to feel a little lightheaded. He didn’t think their battle would come to that extent, and noted to be more careful when it came to an angry Sephiroth. His world was spinning and Vincent knew he wouldn’t be able to remain upright.
“…I need to…lie down…” As soon as he finished that, his body lurched backwards but luckily Cid and Alpha was behind him. Alpha was quick to react, her hands shot out to grab the man’s back.
“Watch out! He’s-!”
“Vince!” The pilot immediately helped the girl in supporting the ebony-haired gunman before he fell to the ground. “Vincy!” Yuffie cried frantically, grabbing the front of his cape to shake him awake. Vincent didn’t respond, his eyes were tightly shut.
Cid bit back a curse before he swung the former Turk’s arm around his neck, feeling the other man’s full weight as Vincent fully slumped against him. “Damn it! Cure him quick, Tifa. We need to get him inside!”
“Vincent? Can you hear me?”
He shifted a little before opening his eyes, blinking wearily at the blurry shadows hovering above him. Slowly he could make out Yuffie’s grinning face. “Hey, welcome back.” The former Turk stared at her blankly before he remembered what happened earlier. “How’s Sephiroth?” was the first thing he asked, trying to sit up. His body felt extremely sore as if his energy was drained completely. The gunman noticed his cloak was gone and a few of his shirt’s button were undone.
“Take it easy, you’re not fully recovered yet,” Tifa advised, pushing the man back down.
“He’s just over there, still unconscious though,” informed Cait Sith who sat the gunman’s bedside. The shinobi beside him tilted her head mutely towards another bed inside the room. Vincent craned his neck to look at the said direction, seeing Aerith and Red watching over the silver-haired man. Cloud and Tseng stood nearby, seemingly engaged in a serious discussion.
“…My fault,” he whispered solemnly, feeling guilty over what happened, “This would never happened if he didn’t have my blood.”
“Vincent, stop worrying. Sephiroth’s fine. If he didn’t have your blood, he’d be long dead,” Red piped in, swishing his fiery tail on the floor. Remembering what the former general had said earlier, the ebony-haired gunman sighed. “Maybe death is far more merciful than living life as a demon.”
“Vincy…”
Cait Sith let out a shuddery sigh, “Didn’t know he could be so…vicious…” He hoped his choice of word wasn’t wrong. “Vincent, you aren’t that ferocious when you change…”
The man was silent, turning his head to look at the gloomy wall. “…First time, I was…maybe even more violent Sephiroth was. I wasn’t able to regain my humanity until five days later… But then, I had killed too many…” He closed his eyes, the memory was a vivid scar in his mind, haunting him like a shadow. That was only a small part of his sin however, the ultimate sin was…being weak. He was unable to protect the woman he loved, unable to prevent the tragedy which eventually sprouted another tragedy one year ago.
He was too weak.
Tifa watched as the former Turk’s eyes dimmed with sorrow, she thought she was beginning to understand the pain the man felt. Vincent’s guilt wasn’t only over the tragedy that befell Lucrecia, but also over the crimes he committed against his will. There might be more reasons, but to her, whatever the gunman did in the past wasn’t entirely his fault.
They heard a small beeping sound in the room and looked around for the source. Tseng dug his pocket for his PHS. “Excuse me,” he murmured quietly before he left the room to answer the call. Shera stepped inside the room just as the man left, turning her head from the fleeing Turk to regard the occupants of the room. “Hi. I hope everyone’s hungry. Lunch’s ready.”
Tifa nodded at the older woman gratefully. “Thank you, Shera. Guys?” She scanned everyone’s face in the room. Cloud nodded quietly before he walked behind Aerith, bending to whisper something in her ear. The brunette nodded glumly at his suggestion and stood up. She cast a long look at the sleeping figure before she let the blond walk her out of the room. Red padded towards the door after the couple with Cait Sith on his tail.
Yuffie tore her eyes from her fleeing friends, looking at the gunman. “Are you hungry, Vincy? I can bring you something.”
“It’s…alright, Yuffie. I’m not hungry,” he declined politely. Seeing the Wutaian scrunch her face, he quickly assured her, “Don’t worry, I’ll eat later. Right now, I just want to rest.” Yuffie was skeptic at first. “Sure?” Vincent nodded quietly and the shinobi finally believed him. “Okay, you rest up and don’t forget to eat, okay?” Only after he vowed to eat did she leave the room after Tifa, closing the door behind her.
Silence filled the room but he knew he wasn’t alone. Vincent turned his head to look at the unconscious figure lying on the bed across from his. “…Sephiroth…,” he whispered, noting that the silver-haired swordsman didn’t even tic at his call. He really was still out cold then. The former Turk rolled to his side, fully facing the legendary warrior before pushing himself up to sit on the bed. His head pounded with dizziness but he tolerated the small discomfort.
After Vincent was sure he had regained his bearings, he slid out of the bed slowly, feeling his weight sank into the carpeted floor. A few ebony tresses fell into his view but he brushed them off casually, fingers moving to button his shirt up while crimson eyes scanned the room for his cape. He soon found the red cloth draped over a chair and went to get it. Holding the fabric in front of him with both hands, he saw a few ragged tears and cuts at the end of the deep red cloth. Shrugging, the gunman slipped the torn cape around him, contented enough that the belts were still intact and functional. Death Penalty sat on the same chair, its black metal body gleamed dully in the dim room.
Vincent snatched the gun, inspecting its condition briefly before holstering it on his belt. He whirled around to face the sleeping figure again, contemplating on what he should do. Sephiroth was still unconscious, he needed to be told about the side effects of the former Turk’s blood as soon as possible for fear of the earlier incident happening again.
He strode to stand at the other man’s bedside and what he saw brought back flashes of memories from his earlier, happier days. “Lucrecia…,” he whispered softly, “…he looks just like you. How could I’ve brought myself to kill your only son, I never knew…,” he paused, looking at the calm, slumbering face in front of him. Sephiroth remained unmoving on the white sheet, sleeping without interruption. The gunman could detect more and more resemblance of Lucrecia’s traits on her son and that reminded him of the nostalgic days when the woman was happy. When he was happy…
“…But…I think I understand now… We never want to be controlled by others…we all want to be free.” Vincent sighed hesitantly, lowering his gaze guiltily. He for one, could never be free.
“…However…when Sephiroth finally was…I obliterated his freedom… I cursed him with my fate…” Vincent felt his throat tightened, making it difficult for him to swallow. Remorse showered over him when he remembered what Sephiroth had said before, when he was filled with fury and hate.
“Lucrecia…please forgive me. Your son…I have no right to decide… I was selfish. It’s true…what he said earlier…though it would suit better if it was aimed at me, not Aerith. I also wanted him to live…and his life’s now cursed because of my blood. My sin will never be forgiven.”
Vincent saw a slight movement on the bed through the corner of his eyes. He quickly snapped his head up and stopped musing in his own guilt. Crimson eyes peeked through strands of ebony tresses, focusing on the body laid in front of him. The pale figure didn’t move after that, and the gunman started to believe he imagined it…
…Until Sephiroth shifted again, his head rolled to the left side of his pillow. A frown graced his previously serene face as a faint groan escaped his parted lips. His long fingers curled slightly to clutch on the thick blanket covering his body and with little effort, the former general pushed it down to his waist, exposing his bare torso to the air. The silver-haired man murmured something incoherent and tried to push the blanket further off him.
Vincent leaned over and grasped the abandoned blanket, trying to drape it back on the former general’s body. The chilly air wouldn’t be good for his unstable health.
Sephiroth opened his eyes abruptly when he felt cold metal brushed against his skin. Rapidly regaining his focus, he saw Vincent towering above him, holding a blanket in his hands. The gunman looked mildly shocked at his unexpected awakening, crimson eyes widening slightly as both men stilled. (Vincent!?) Honestly speaking, he didn’t expect the former Turk to be by his bedside. Not after what happened… Sephiroth scowled darkly when he remembered what happened.
He was controlled. Again. By something that wasn’t Jenova, but was equally powerful and dangerous. And Vincent was the cause of it all.
“You.”
“Yes?”
Vincent bit his lower lip at the mistake. That didn’t explain anything, that’s asking something. (Stupid! Idiot! Moronic-) He stopped his internal monologue abruptly before it got worse when he realized the other man’s glare didn’t falter. The former Turk braced himself at what Sephiroth might say, he was willing to accept the blame for what happened.
To his surprise, the former general made a move to sit up. He watched as Sephiroth tried to push himself up but given he was still weak, he didn’t succeed. The silver-haired man didn’t give up though, his brows puckered in concentration as he tried again and again, yet still to no avail. Vincent blinked, he was beginning to realize that he was witnessing one of Sephiroth’s moments of weakness. Nonetheless, regardless of how many times he failed, the younger man would keep on trying and never ask for any help.
“Don’t touch me.” Sephiroth lifted his face up to glare at the gunman when the man offered him a hand. Snarling when his attempts failed, he had no other option but to lie down on the mattress, however badly he hated the feeling of another man looking down at him. (As if I have any pride left to be scarred…) He rolled to his side to avoid looking at the former Turk, giving the older man the view of his back. He was angry, yes, but he was tired too. He started to digest what Aerith told him before and realized that the gunman wasn’t exactly to blame.
But he was pissed still.
Jenova was gone, he had thought he would finally have a chance to be free from its manipulation. He was wrong. Whatever they did, he was now bound with a new curse. There was something inside him, he could feel it, yet it didn’t feel that alien like Jenova had. It didn’t speak to him, for one, and hadn’t messed with his mind yet. The only thing that it did was magnify his anger and that cause him to lose control of his actions.
To put it more simply, he went berserk. Purely himself. That’s comforting. In a way.
Vincent opened his mouth, “The beast within you-“
“How did it happen?”
Vincent wasn’t willing to risk angering the man more than he already was. “You needed blood-“
Sephiroth scoffed bitterly over his shoulder, “And I supposed only yours was available?”
The former Turk tossed his look somewhere else instead of returning the other man’s glare.
“We didn’t have a choice. Your condition was critical. I did what I could to help, for us to share the same blood group was a miracle.” He paused, looking down at his metal claws thoughtfully. “Believe me, I refused at first, fearing that this would happen-“
“Well, your speculation was verified. It just did,” the silver-haired man shot sarcastically.
Vincent ignored the man’s sarcasm, lowering his claw to gaze at the back of the silver head. “You didn’t know how we felt when we thought we were going to lose you. Everyone was worried about you all the time. Tifa, Yuffie, Red, everyone…they were reluctant to leave your bedside, afraid that you’d leave us unnoticed. We thought, if you were to die, at least you wouldn’t be alone.” The former general didn’t reply to his statement and Vincent saw this as an acceptance.
“Yet the full credit should be given to Aerith, she was the main reason that you survived. She found the way to cure you and she did, the sacrifice she made was more than what I did to help.” He saw the silver-haired man shifted a little and he waited to hear anything that Sephiroth would say.
“…It was I who never had any choice at all.”
Vincent blinked when he heard the man’s voice softened to barely over a whisper. (It’s unlike him…) He quickly came to his senses when Sephiroth rolled to his back, the cat-like orbs fixed on him. They looked hollow somehow, unfeeling and cold.
“Now my life is no longer mine, I owe it to you.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“That is exactly what I mean.”
Vincent frowned, “Sephiroth, we require nothing from you in return.”
The silver-haired swordsman shook his head slowly. “Everything has a purpose. Everything has a price.”
“Not virtue. And you know that,” the former Turk argued.
Sephiroth sighed, sounding tired somehow. “Not for me.”
Vincent let out a frustrated groan. “Is it so hard for you to accept that others care about you? We don’t really need a reason for everything we do, Sephiroth. Sometimes we’re better off doing things without any reason at all.” He raked his fingers through his long hair with a sigh, searching for the right words.
“I know you’ve been through a lot, and people haven’t been that kind to you nearly all your life. But please try to believe me just this once when I say that we really care for you and you only. If you really want to repay us, just believe in that,” he said sternly, staring straight into the unruffled, jade orbs. Sephiroth watched him speak unblinkingly, his words didn’t seem to provoke any emotion from the former general. Vincent clenched his fists, anxious of what reaction he should expect from the silver-haired man.
“……” Sephiroth tore his eyes from the gunman, staring straight at the murky ceiling silently. His eyes closed slowly, obviously in thought and he didn’t want the former Turk to try reading him. A soft sigh escaped his lips before he opened them again, returned to regard the older man. “Is there really no reason for caring?”
Vincent didn’t answer, and Sephiroth assumed that he either couldn’t or didn’t want to. “……” Not really expecting any reply further from the ebony-haired gunman, the former general rolled to his side again, hoping the man would take the hint and leave. He wanted nothing more than some time alone to sort out his jumbled thoughts. Everything that happened till now left him feeling restless and guilty. (First, I need to apologize to Aerith…and Tseng wanted a chat… What else?)
“I do have a reason…I owe it to Lucrecia…”
Sephiroth nearly twisted his neck to look at the former Turk, his eyes widened in surprise at what the man just said. “…What?” (Did he just say…!?)
He saw Vincent shake his head slowly, the man looked as if he regretted that statement. “…Never mind…” The silent gunman turned to leave but Sephiroth quickly grabbed his human wrist, stopping the caped man from fleeing the room. Vincent halted abruptly, his crimson eyes flashed with surprise at the sudden contact.
“You…how do you know my mother?” Vincent stared at him blankly as if he didn’t understand what the silver-haired man just said. Sephiroth felt the gunman tried to pull free and he tightened his grip, “Don’t act as if you don’t understand me, Vincent! I heard you said her name. And before this I heard you talk like you knew my mother.”
“…I just…knew her…long ago,” Vincent told him plainly, trying in vain to free his wrist from the swordsman’s unwavering grip. He saw those jade eyes shine doubtfully as they narrowed at him in disbelief. Sephiroth wasn’t anything near stupid, he knew such a simple explanation wasn’t enough to satisfy the former general’s curiousity. The grasp around his wrist grew tighter and he could even feel it choke the blood circulation to his fingers.
Sephiroth stared at him with determined eyes, the intensity of his jade orbs was unnerving for some people. He maintained his hold on the older man’s wrist, unwilling to let go until he had his answers. “Tell me,” he demanded, adding the pressure on Vincent’s wrist as well.
The former Turk glanced at where the silver-haired man gripped his wrist, aware of the other man’s strength, before directing his gaze back towards the piercing, jade, catlike eyes. (This must be my chance…it’s now or never…)
“Lucrecia…,” he began, relaxing his muscles so he wouldn’t feel the swordsman’s tight grip around his wrist, “…was special. Beautiful, charismatic, intelligent, virtuous and very strong-willed…she was one of those women that you find hard to miss even in a crowd.”
Vincent could feel Sephiroth’s eyes never left his face as he spoke. He had a hunch this ‘talk’ would take a long time and it’d be best if he obtained a more comfortable position. Crimson eyes immediately darted towards the chair right beside him where Aerith previously sat on. He turned to grab it with his clawed hand, feeling the silver-haired man’s grip tightened slightly from his sudden movement but relaxed when all Vincent did was repositioning the chair behind him so he could sit by the bedside. The former Turk sat down slowly, making himself comfortable and readjusting his cape on his lap before turning his head to his right, meeting with a pair of anxious, jade eyes.
“I used to be one of the Turks… That one day I was on a mission. I was careless and I paid the price.” Vincent moved his claws to touch the reminder of a pale scar on his chest from the operation long ago.
“I could’ve died…”
(I should’ve been dead…)
“…but your mother saved me. She was the only one eligible to donate blood, so she did. I was in debt to her until now.”
“That’s why you saved me then?” The ebony-haired man looked up to meet the intensity of Sephiroth’s gaze. “To repay the kindness? To return the favour?”
“Partially, yes,” Vincent nodded at the other man’s suggestions, not even caring to deny their accuracy. “Yet also because I couldn’t simply watch you die.”
Sephiroth frowned, his eyebrows drawn curiously as he tilted his head on the pillow, studying the older man’s detached look. “What my mother did has nothing to do with me. You can’t just say you’re doing this because of her when I’m my own responsibility.”
Vincent shrugged minutely, his lips curled into a bitter smile under the thick cape. “Maybe it’s just a wishful thinking of mine to think I’m able to repent my sin by helping Lucrecia’s only child,” he exclaimed solemnly before whispering, “…but that’s all I can ever do…now that she’s gone…” He looked up, staring straight at the former general boldly, his tone strengthening. “I can see her in you. You have her looks, you act very much like her.”
The silver-haired man closed his eyes and nodded slowly. “I met her. She’s…beautiful.” Opening his eyes, Sephiroth turned his head to face the gunman. “I want to know. Tell me more…about her.”
Vincent sat back and did as he was asked to. He recounted the happy memories he once had with Lucrecia and found that he was quite contented to do so. Often he caught himself smiling underneath his cloak at the light-hearted memories and he could even detect a hint of smile on the other man’s face. Vincent gladly avoided the subject about Hojo’s experiments and he noticed that Sephiroth didn’t ask about his father. Maybe the former general already knew or maybe he just didn’t want to. Either way, Vincent was glad the silver-haired man was able to calm down and the grip around his wrist slowly relaxed.
Sephiroth had his eyes trained on the former Turk as he spoke, not wanting to miss any detail of the emotions in the man’s face. Listening to the man’s description about Lucrecia seemed to bring himself closer to his long lost mother. He fought with heavy eyelids that slowly lowered from fatigue but his struggle was futile as they soon were completely shut and his body gradually slackened.
Only when Vincent felt the grip around his wrist loosened he stopped talking, seeing the silver-haired man had fallen asleep sometime during his reminiscence. The swordsman looked peaceful in his slumber, the frown was gone and a ghost of a tiny smile was on his lips as if he had finally found what he was looking for.
Maybe now, Sephiroth finally felt at ease.
As for Vincent, he felt as if a great burden was lifted from his shoulders, silently watching Lucrecia’s son slept in his much-deserved peace.
Crap.
>>;;;
- Divine Star -
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