Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters of Final Fantasy (Well, I truly wished to own Sephiroth or Vincent… or both… but that’s not possible anyway. Too bad). Ania is of my invention, but I inspired on my own mother ^^. I tried to offer a different vision of our favorite silver-haired, leather-clad baddie.

This fanfict has been inspired by the song of Yann Tierson, “Comptine d’un Autre Été”. For those who haven’t watched the film Amélie, it’s in the OST, and it’s a wonderful song.

Enjoy!

xxxxXX-0-XXxxxx

CHAPTER 1.

Come away oh human child

To the waters and the wild

With a faery hand in hand

For the world's more full of weeping

Than he can understand.

Loreena McKennitt – “Stolen Child”.

XXXXXX-X-XXXXXX

The city of Midgar was busy as always, even at night. The only source of illumination was the neon lights of the many shops and restaurants where people lingered until late night. Nobody noticed the little child who wandered in the street. He was not older than five. His clothes were still intact, but dirty from his day of wandering. His little face was wet with tears and his huge green eyes looked everywhere and everyone, trying to find a familiar face with no success.

He sat down on the pavement at the entrance of an alley, exhausted, afraid and hungry, and began to weep, his little hands rubbing his eyes.

xxxxXX-0-XXxxxx

Ania had had a tiring day. The item shop where she worked at had been crowded the entire day and her boss had to go to the hospital, for her wife had a baby, so all the work was on her today. It was a lucky thing that she wasn’t working the next two weeks, for her turn ended that day.

She sighed as she walked down the street on her way home, remembering when she gave birth to little Mark, twenty years ago. He was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen, so much like Andy, her husband. Two months later little Mark died, and the doctors could not tell what disease took her baby. One year latter, Andy died on a terrible car accident, returning home. So Ania was left alone, and never wished to have another family.

Her back was aching and she was exhausted. She needed some aspirin and a good night’s rest.

A sound startled her: a child was crying very near. She thought it was a trick of the mind. Some nights she heard that in dreams, probably she dreamed about her own son. But this time it was different; it was too real.

She followed the sound and what she saw make her gasp: there was a little child, no more than five, sitting on the pavement and weeping. He surely was lost and Ania took pity on the little thing. She was astonished how nobody had taken care of him. Besides, it was getting too late, and it was dangerous to wander in the streets alone.

The woman approached the child and kneeled in front of him. It was strange, for his hair was almost white, not normal in a little boy like him.

“Hi, sweetie!” she said with a cheerful tone. “Have you lost your mum? You want me to take you home?”

The child raised his face, and Ania saw two huge green catlike eyes looking at her with a mixture of faint fear and hope.

“My name is Ania,” said her with the same tone, trying to ignore how much his eyes disturbed her. Soon pity overcame that feeling; how could someone have left a child so little and so beautiful all by his own? “What is your name?”

But the child did not talk. Maybe he was too afraid to say anything. Ania had no choice.

“Do you want to come with me?” she said, offering her hand. The child said nothing, but he took that hand obediently and got up. Ania took him in her arms and carried him instead of make him walk. Her back ached, but she was an adult, she could bear it.

Ania had a nice small house on Sector 4. She and Andy bought it when they married, and she didn’t feel able to move to another place. When they arrived, the child was fast asleep, cradled in her arms.

“Poor thing,” thought Ania. She put the child in bed instead of waking him to give him something to eat. “He is more sleepy than hungry,” she thought.

She took the aspirin her back demanded and went to bed.

xxxxXX-0-XXxxxx

Next morning, Ania went to awake the mysterious child, and found him sitting on the bed, looking at everything with his huge green eyes.

“Morning, little one!” she beamed, and saw how he recognized her, for he smiled and repeated with a little voice: “Good morning”.

“I see you can talk,” said her sitting on the bed. “Tell me, what’s your name?”

The child did not answer immediately, as he was trying to remember. Then, with his little voice he said only one word: “Sephiroth”.

“That’s a beautiful name, Sephiroth,” said Ania. “Say, are you hungry?”

The child nodded and leaped from the bed. She was astonished how much energy he had. But, after all, he was a child of five.

“But first of all we must go to the bathroom,” said Ania.

“I can go alone, Ania.” said the kid with a smile. That almost melted her on the spot.

“All right then. Now go while I make breakfast.”

xxxxXX-0-XXxxxx

Little Sephiroth was strangely calm for a child of five. He was curious, of course, but he could be quiet when asked. Ania felt sorry for to have to return him to his home, but she thought his mother must be very worried about him.

When she asked him about his mother, Sephiroth said: “Mum died when I was born, but they say she’s watching over me all the time.”

“And, where is your dad?”

Sephiroth became silent and sad and Ania felt guilty for speaking too much. Surely the father wasn’t a good man. He could not be, leaving this little angel all by his own.

“Do you want to stay here with me?” said Ania.

Sephiroth seemed not to understand at first, but his little face illuminated suddenly as he accepted and embraced her.

“Thanks, Ania!” said the kid. She felt her eyes watery and had to use her handkerchief before the kid noticed.

xxxxXX-0-XXxxxx

They spent many weeks together. In that time Ania cherished little Sephiroth like he was her own son. She thought he was a gift, so much she loved him.

“He’s a good child,” Ania used to say, “and he deserves to have someone who loves him and cares for him”.

Ania had a piano, and she used to play it every afternoon. The instrument was a present from her father when she married Andy, and her husband loved to hear her playing. And Sephiroth loved it too. The child sat beside her and watched in silence the progress of her fingers, almost caressing the keys. Then he would ask if she would teach him to play. She promised to do it when he grew up some more.

But, alas! One day they came men in blue to take little Sephiroth away.

When they appeared, it was more than clear that the child did not want to go. He ran in panic to his bedroom trying to hide from them.

“What are you going to do to him?” asked an angry Ania to the man who appeared to be the one in charge.

“It’s none of your concern, lady,” the Turk answered.

“Look, I don’t care if you are Turks or not,” said Ania folding her arms in that intimidating way that only women of certain age can achieve. “Why does Shinra want to take this child?”

“My lady,” said the Turk, more pacifically. “This child is the son of one of our most valuable men. He got lost when someone let the door of his house open.”

“Then, why doesn’t he come for his son? Why is he sending you? You have scared him, don’t you see? He’s terrified!”

“Look lady, we have to take him back to his father. It’s our duty. Please, collaborate and nobody will get hurt.”

Ania knew the Turks were the secret assassins of Shinra. Everybody knew. But this didn’t stop her from arguing. She loved Sephiroth, and she feared this day would come, but no so soon, and under this circumstances.

“I will try, but I don’t warrantee anything", she said at last.

She feared they could harm her and the child. Besides, she knew there could be a possibility of seeing him again. Ania went to Sephiroth’s room. The door was closed and she could hear him crying.

“Sephiroth honey, it’s me, Ania,” she called before opening the door. She found him sitting on a corner, and clutching his chocobo plush against his chest. He was crying and shaking. That was not a mere tantrum: it was pure terror. When he saw Ania, he ran to her, embracing her broad waist.

“Hush, my boy,” said Ania, trying not to cry too. She sat on the bed and lifted and cradled him in her arms, like the first day they met. Sephiroth was giving faints hiccups, but he seemed more serene. “Now tell me, why are you so afraid? Are they bad men?”

Sephiroth did not answer. He was rubbing his eyes with his little fists. Finally he mumbled something, and Ania was able to ear it: “He’s bad with me”.

“Who is he, honey?” said Ania.

“My dad. He harms me.”

“So it was. Poor child,” thought Ania. She didn’t dare to ask what kind of harm someone could do to an angel like him. She tucked him against her breast and stroked his silky silver hair. She did not want to give him away, but she did not want to be killed either, and she knew the Turks had made disappear many people.

“Sephiroth, my boy,” she said on the verge of tears. “You said you wanted to be very brave, didn’t you?”

“To protect you,” said the kid.

“Now is the time. You must be brave, honey. Those men want you to go with them. I know you must. I will try to visit you, I promise,” she said finally, seeing how the kid’s green eyes began to be watery again. But he managed to fight the tears back and nod in response. She kissed his forehead and combed his hair with her fingers, noticing that he hadn’t let go his favorite plush. She knew he slept with it. “Maybe your chocobo wants to go with you.”

He nodded in silence. Ania tried to hide the fact that she was on the verge of tears. She felt like she was taking him to some chamber of horrors, and she was unable to stop it.

She finally brought him to the Turks. Sephiroth backed away a little when he saw them, but he wanted to be brave. He gave one last glance to Ania when the lead Turk took his hand. She could not help herself and she kneeled and embraced him once more. When they were on the doorstep, Ania remembered something.

“Wait! Please, wait!” she shouted, running for them. She put some sort of pendant around Sephiroth’s neck. “This is a lucky charm. Someone very special gave it to me many years ago. And I give it to you now.”

Sephiroth touched the charm with a little finger and embraced her. “I love you, Ania”.

She hugged him back in silence, tears finally rolling down her cheeks.

xxxxXX-0-XXxxxx

Awwww! Didn’t you wish to take little Sephy to your home? (I bet you would, but when he’s much older than five, sayyy… twenty-five, perhaps? lol)

R&R please! (and be gentle ;)