Disclaimer: I do not own the Final Fantasy franchise.
A/N: A few people requested that I do a Sephiroth X Terra story, so...here ya go. Maybe I'll do something with Kefka next, I dunno.
The plot for this story was provided by narutofan1091. I feel kind of bad for having to rely on other people to come up with stuff for me, since I should be the one doing that and I don't want to bother people, but I've really been empty on ideas and I hate it...I'm trying my best, though, I really am. So, I apologize for updates so far in and between over the entire period of my writing "career".
Sephiroth had known Ultimecia was coming long before she even spoke out to him.
"...Sephiroth, I need you to do something for me,"
The silver-haired swordsman held back a disgruntled sigh. Despite the fact that they were both fighting on the side of Chaos, Sephiroth would have liked it much better if his interactions with the other villains were kept at a minimum. He didn't have much say in the matter himself, unfortunately. For a moment he wondered just how much the witch would bleed if he sliced her head off right then and there. He could certainly swing his sword fast enough to accomplish the deed. In the end, though, he decided against it.
"What do you want?" Sephiroth finally spoke in a cold, flat tone. His back remained facing in Ultimecia's direction, as he didn't see her important enough to even waste his time turning around. He really didn't consider anyone, sans Cloud, worth turning around for if he didn't have to.
"I..." Ultimecia faltered for a moment, greatly unnerved by the negative aura that surrounded Sephiroth's being, "I need your help in convincing a certain soldier of Cosmos to rejoin our side...we need her back under our control."
"You mean Terra, don't you?" An image of the green-haired beauty flashed through Sephiroth's mind; he remembered her quite well, which was odd as he had never bothered remembering any of the other Cosmos soldiers aside from Cloud. However, he did not feel the need for any concern over this anomaly, since she was probably just a bit easier to recall due to being the only female member of Cosmos' army. That explained everything.
"Yes...I do," Ultimecia nodded her head slowly.
"Isn't that Kefka's job?" Sephiroth despised even mentioning that idiot clown's name.
Ultimecia sighed. "He is busy with other matters at the moment, so convincing Terra to come back is now your responsibility for some time..."
"Hmph. This is all just a big waste of time, I hope you know."
"How so?"
Sephiroth could not believe just how idiotic Ultimecia truly was. "She has devoted herself fully and utterly to serving Cosmos; she would rather die than ever serve under Chaos. Her convinctions are truly powerful,"
Ultimecia crossed her thin arms over her bosom, and smiled deviously. "I still believe," she snickered to herself, "That if anything, there is no harm in putting one of our foes into a mentally unstable position...correct?"
"...I suppose," Sephiroth murmured; the witch had turned the tables on him already.
"That is why, compared to Kefka, you are probably just as, if not more so, suited for this mission as you are incredibly skilled in torturing the enemy through non-physical means, and destroying both sanity and spirit with your sharp tongue and clever wordings!"
"I wish I could take that as a compliment..."
"Until Kefka returns, you must go and attempt to recruit Terra...understand?"
"...Yes...I understand..." Sephiroth sighed, as he saw no other way out of this ridiculous job he had been appointed with. He just hoped that Terra would either simply give in or run away, so he could go home.
'I once swore to myself I would only fuck with Cloud's mind and no one else's...does that mean I'm going to have to break that promise?' the man thought disappointingly.
Sephiroth kept his elongated blade clasped close to his hip as he walked past Ultimecia and out the door...
Despite being incredibly mature for a girl her age, Terra could not help but feel terribly uneasy as she wandered through the woods all alone. A tiny voice far in the back of her mind kept warning her that any moment she could be attacked by mountain lions, grizzly bears, homicidal rapists or something possibly even worse. Her pale, clear skin was riddled with goosebumps, and even the slightest sound made her nearly jump out of her stockings.
'No...this isn't right...I shouldn't be afraid...I'm not a little child; I have faced terrors far worse than a simple forest...so, then...why won't my heart stop beating so fast? I need to calm down...I need to just stop for a moment, close my eyes, and take a few big, deep breaths...there is nothing out here...there is no-one out here...I am not going to be attacked...everything is perfectly fine...'
Terra placed both hands over her heart, and began muttering the same words she had just thought in her head aloud. For a moment, all of her fear and anxiety had left her, and she felt completely at peace with her surroundings.
It was then that a hand placed itself upon her shoulder.
Unleashing a ear-splitting screech, Terra leaped forward and spun around to face her assailant, unsheathing her blade in the process. She was surprised to see that it was none other than Sephiroth.
"S...Sephiroth?!" Terra gasped for air, as her earlier scream had emptied her lungs as well.
Sephiroth currently had both hands covering his ears. "...Yes." He was afraid he had gone deaf, but fortunately that was not the case.
Sighing in relief, Terra dropped her sword and fell to her knees, almost as if she were about to kiss the ground itself. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow in bewilderment at the girl's strange actions.
"Oh...oh thank Cosmos...thank Cosmos and all she stands for that it's just you, Sephiroth..." it didn't take long before Terra realized that Sephiroth was probably even worse than a mountain lion, a grizzly bear, or a homicidal rapist...well, he was worse than the first two anyway. At least, unless those rumors about Cloud's reasons for hating Sephiroth were true, of course...
"I am...glad I found you, Terra," Sephiroth stated in an overly friendly manner, which had the opposite effect of making him sound even less friendly and actually rather demented.
"Why were you looking for me?" Terra asked after finally having regained her melancholic, yet dignified composure.
"Because I wish to speak to you regarding your past alliance with Chaos-"
"I...I was never on the side of Chaos!!" Terra interjected as soon as possible, suddenly breaking out into a nervous sweat. Her heart was pounding furiously against her chest, as if it was trying to burst out. She knew the truth of it all deep down inside, but there was no way she could easily accept it. The most she could do was just deny it ever happened in the first place. Sephiroth sighed heavily.
"Yes...you were."
"No...I wasn't."
"I saw you by Kefka's side many a time in the past, when you were serving for Chaos."
"It's...it's a lie!!"
"It's not a lie."
"IT IS!"
"It's not."
"IT IS, YOU BASTARD!!!"
Sephiroth felt slight satisfaction in hearing Terra call him a 'bastard'. "But...it is, isn't it? You even killed for us-"
"S...S...SHUT UP!!! PLEASE...JUST...JUST STOP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE!" Terra couldn't dare listen any further. She raised her blade, ready to strike, but a moment later she dropped her weapon off to the side and fell to her knees, sobbing loudly. She just couldn't stand listening any further; it was breaking her already-fragile heart. It made her want to just dig deep into the ground and stay there, never to come out again. She couldn't stand thinking that she had once been in support of the destruction of all life, whether she had been mind-controlled or not.
"You can't simply claim that the past never happened..." Sephiroth reminded the girl.
"I...I know..."
"Then why can you not accept it?"
"Because...because I don't want to lose my friends..."
In a way, Sephiroth had expected this. "...Your friends? What does that mean?" he asked in an attempt to feign interest.
"I..." Terra coughed, choking on her tears, "I am happy...as I am now. I am surrounded by people who care about my well-being...who care about ME...and I care the same way for them. They are my friends, and I would do anything to keep from losing them..."
"You would even put your life on the line for them?"
"...Yes..." Terra nodded her head swiftly. She raised her head to match eyes with Sephiroth, and even the silver-haired swordsman could see the determination in her eyes, "And...if you try to take me back there...to Chaos...I will use all of my power to defy you, and if I cannot stop you here, then I will kill myself before you have a chance to control me again..."
From the very start Sephiroth had known that any attempt to bring back Terra to Chaos would have ended in failure; she was dedicated to both Cosmos and the friends that fought alongside her. She wasn't a puppet any longer, but a true warrior who would willingly fight to the end to bring about even a tiny sliver of hope to this fallen world. He was thoroughly impressed with the princess, and her inner strength. It reminded Sephiroth very much of an old ally of his back when he had been a member of SOLDIER.
"You are positive on this choice you have made, correct?" Sephiroth did not even see the need to ask such a question, but he did it regardless.
As expected, Terra nodded her head again.
"Then I suppose that my work here is done..."
For a short moment, Terra actually seemed disappointed when she heard this. "W-What?"
"Even if I was to use physical force upon you, you would still remain adamant towards the idea of returning to the side of Chaos. If that is the case, then there is no possible way I could fulfill this mission, thus making it obsolete to even attempt further. I will report these findings back to Ultimecia, and we will have no choice but to cease our actions against your person...if I am to understand all of this," Sephiroth explained with a smirk.
"You...you'd do that...for me?" Terra gasped, her cheeks shining brilliantly due to both her blush and the tear stains.
"I never wanted to do this in the first place, to be perfectly honest," Sephiroth solemnly admitted.
"Oh..."
"Also, I have begun to take a bit of a liking to you as well..."
"Oh!" Terra's blush spread across her entire face. It was as if steam would start pouring out of her ears any moment now.
It only became even worse when Sephiroth leaned down and brought his face only inches away from hers. They were just close enough to share a kiss on the lips,, but instead Sephiroth's brow just furrowed.
"By the way...if you ever see Cloud, tell him for me that I'm willing to fight him any time...and also make sure he takes good care of you too..."
"S-Sephiroth...you...maybe...you could..."
Sephiroth shook his head, his long silver locks smacking against his face. "I cannot join the side of Cosmos...and I never will; I am fully devoted to my goals as well, just like you are...and Chocobo-Head wouldn't be happy about it at all, either."
There was a long pause before Terra replied, "...I understand...thank you, Sephiroth...thank you..."
"I did nothing, so please...do not thank me. I won't waste my time with you any further."
With those words spoken, a black hole opened up underneath the one-winged angel's feet, and he vanished from Terra's sight. The forest was quiet once more.
Sighing, Terra listened silently to her heart-beat; it was still pounding hard against her chest, just as it did when Sephiroth drew close. She did not know why, but for some reason, she really hoped she had a chance to see him again...so she could properly thank him for what he did for her just now.
'Thank you, Sephiroth...'