Prolog: A second chance
Note: Do not own any characters in the story, all character belongs to Square Enix.
Always love Sephiroth and Terra, because they have the similar back ground. Both were taken away from the parents, both of parents were killed. Both were both up by an empire who what to rule the world. (roll eyes). But then their fate opposite: Sephiroth turned into a monster and want to destroy the world and it leads to his death. Terra become a heroin and safe the world with her friends and live happy with the children.
So, I was thinking what will their journey be like in Eorzea. A world with different races and culture. They could be normal and have loads and loads of adventure together and made many new friends.
This is my first story and I hope you all enjoy. (Please don't be too hash on the review!)
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The blind light from the crystal that the Mog gave him earlier engulfed him. He can feel the power tearing him apart, he could feel his body burned and an unhuman woman's voice screaming inside his head. Then as if a projector being instore into his brain, image after image came sliding across his mind. To his shock, it was his life. A time as General to a Goddess, the day he was born, his life in his luxury cell, his endless examinations, needles and others unimaginable experiment. Then his trainings and battles. his two friends and so on. Until his head was in so much pain that he screamed and pass out.
Hear…
Who's speaking? Eyes batted as he regains conscious. How long had he passed out? He could feel himself floating. He tried to open his eyes but as if someone put glue on it, it stays shut. He let himself drifted a little more and try again later.
Hear… Feel…
Who's speaking? Not her! He plea silently. Not that monster! He forced his eyes to open and found himself in a vast sea of space. He looked down and he guide himself down until his two feet touched onto a solid surface. He looked around and saw a brilliant light up ahead. He should be cautious about it, but the way it shines and the warmth as if he was under the sun made him walked towards it, like a moth being attracted to lights. But as he took a few steps towards the sources of light, a portal of darkness explored out in front of him and a dark rope man step out. He frowned as he didn't like the look of the man. Dress in black and with a black mask on his face, and the energy that surrounded the man spell wrongness to him.
Hear… Feel… think…
He looked up and saw the light floated towards him. As it gets closer, a warm radian light surge through him. And as the light fade away, he was once again dressed in armors and his sword was in his hand. The dark robe man didn't give him a chance to adjust his new looks. He saw dark energy surrounded the dark robe man and the black mask turn blood red. He pulled his sword into an attack position and ready to strike as the dark robe man charge at him. Suddenly once again he was engulfed into a blinding light.
He was conscious again but seems to be in a confine place. He held his arms out, his finger touched something solid but a sound of glass breaking and he fell forward. He opens his eye to find himself on the ground with tiny shatter crystals around him.
"Never had I experience a soul without a body will come to life again before it embarks the journey to another life." An amusing voice was sound, making him looked up. And the sight shock him once more.
In front of him was a woman clan in gold armor over her ivory dress. Long blond hair reaching her over her shoulder and a gold circlet with a blue gem over her forehead. Blue eyes, ivory skin with a staff on her right hand and a large shield on her left. Her presence had an ever-bright aura of grace and power. He knew her.
"Minerva!?" he said. And he was earned with a warm smile. And as if a key to a door, his memories came back to him.
"Welcome, General." Minerva said.
Sephiroth shake his head in shame, "I am not your General anymore, but a monster and an enemy."
"It seems that you had found out the truth." Mineral stated. She took a step forward towards the man who tried to destroyed her planet. Her face was calm, there were no anger but sympathy.
Sephiroth nodded as he bowed his head in shame. "I was once your General to fight the Calamity, but instead of fighting against her, I was her pawns. Not only to rage war on you, but also let her to take hold of your other two General, and nearly destroy Gaia."
Minerva kneel down in front of him and fixed her eyes on his and lock into them. "It wasn't entirely your fault. I should have known how strong the Calamity is. The last war, we barely survive. With so many of us died just to trap the Calamity in a corner, we had no strength to destroy it, but can only watch in dismay as it once again took to the sky and seek shelter on Gaia. Even when the three of you with the help of the Cetra clan, we just can only seal its body away. When you told me that the being was dig out by the humans and ask my permission to go down to Gaia to destroy the being. I should have come with you, and not let you three embark the journey alone. It's my fault to have you fallen into the Calamity's hand. But thanks for the Cetra and her friends. They able to destroy the Calamity not once but twice and now you were also free from the clutches of the Calamity.
"The crystal" Sephiroth said in surprise. And looked at Mineral, connecting the two together. "It was you who asked Mog to give me the crystal." He stated.
Minerva nodded and smile. "As the last Cetra destroy the essence of the remaining Calamity in the lifestream. She seeks me out and create a crystal that can destroy the rest of the Calamity linger in your body. Mog is our messenger and he willing to help."
"But why would the Cetra help me as I am the one who killed her." Sephiroth asked. He remembered the Cetra girl with brown braid hair with a white material on tied on her head.
"Because from the knowledge she gathers in the Lifestream, she knew that was not you but the Calamity using your body." Mineral said. "She wants to save you as you were the boy who help her and her mother to escape Shinra."
Sephiroth's eye wide open as another lost memories resurface. A brown hair little girl of seven and an older woman who had the same color of her hair slightly reassemble of the girl came to his mind. "It was her!" Sephiroth exclaimed in shocked. "And… and I… Struck me down for I also the one to end her life!" Tears of regret escape his eyes and roll down his cheeks. "All those years, I thought I was dreaming. But now I know because of my body was taken over by the alien and my soul was trapped here. All the things that I had done… the people that I have killed…why am I still here! Why the avoid didn't swallowed me!" at the end he shouted angrily.
Minerva wrapped her arms around the silver hair man comforting him. "She had forgiven you my child." With a gentle pull, Mineral pulled Sephiroth onto his feet and gently wipe the tear away from his face and only then Sephiroth saw where he was.
In a big chamber, rolls and rolls of giant crystals fill the space. Some of them have a shadow in it, while other were empty. "Is this Valhalla?" Sephiroth asked. "I never remember seeing this chamber before."
"Because this is not a place for the living, even Gods." Minerva explained as she leads Sephiroth through the chamber. "In Gaia it's called the Lifestream, in other world or stars it's had different names: some called the Mist, other called it the Farplane. It is a place for the souls. As you already heard. All living things came form one sources and that the Lifestream, here. When a body die, the soul will return to the Lifestream and wait to be reborn again."
Sephiroth looked at the vast sea of giant crystals, each one was a tall as a normal human, some even bigger and the shadow within was huge and inhuman form. It might be some mammal that wait to be reborn. One of the crystals blinked and then a blind light explored and the shadow within was gone.
"Ah, a new life begins a new journey." Minerva said with a smiled.
"So, I was inside one of them." Sephiroth stated. Minerva nodded. "Then why am I here?" He asked. "I mean I am still walking and seem very much alive. Shouldn't I be inside the crystal waiting to be reborn?"
"This I don't have an answer." Minerva shake her head. "This is the first time I have encounter a soul awaken from his slumber. But I have my theory: You once was my General, that's mean you were a god once. But as you have volunteer to be born as a human to fight the Calamity, you give up your immortal life and gain a body just like any human. When your body was casted into the reactor, you die, your soul was sent back here but your body was being used by the Calamity. As you already know soul and body are connected to each other, you can't reborn when your body is still functioning that why it's trapped inside the crystal. Now that your body along with the Calamity's cells were destroy by the crystal that the Cetra made and you also regain all your memories. Maybe that's why you able to free yourself from the crystal"
"I heard a voice before waking up here. A woman's voice." Sephiroth suddenly said.
"Oh!"
"It was not the Calamity," Sephiroth quickly said, shaking his head. "This woman voice is warm and gentle. I heard: 'Hear… Feel… Think…' and then…" Suddenly, something got the attention from the corner of his eyes and he turned and saw a crystal far away from him. He frowned not knowing why he decided to walked into that direction.
Why did he notice of this particular crystal is because of the color? Most of the crystal in the room were white, but this one is pink, that is why it's captured his attention. As he walked closer to the crystal, it's start to get clearer and he was able to see the person inside. And that surprise him once again. It's her!
Inside the crystal was a woman with a blond wavy hair tied in a ponytail, a sleeveless red dress with a purple sash around her waist. Two long red gloves, red boots and a purple-pink cloak with the same flowered design as her tights. It was none other than Terra Branford, the magic girl who fight against him in the world of Gods. 'What is she doing here? How did she end up dead?'
"You know this young lady?" Minerva asked as she silently observe her general. She never knew his general would interest in woman before, but maybe time has change.
"Yes, she was a warrior of Cosmo and then Materia." Sephiroth said in a sad voice. "As I was summoned by Chaos and Spiritus to fight their war, so was she, I was her nemesis. The gods promise that they will be sent home, but why is she here?"
"She cannot go home," Minerva reveal the truth. "She is not supposed to be exit."
"What are you talking?" Sephiroth exclaimed in horror. "What do you mean she not supposed to be exit?"
"Do you know her story?" Minerva said as she looked up to the girl inside the crystal. Sephiroth can see the sympathy in her eyes and he turned back to the girl in the crystal. "She was a demigod: half Esper and half human. You know what an Esper is, do you?"
Sephiroth nodded: In Gaia, we called them summon. She is the same kind as Shiva and Ifrit?"
Minerva nodded but also shake her head as she explained more: In her world, Esper's co-exist with human until they went hiding because human was jealous of their power, they are very much alive than just a memory in a form of Materia. She is the last survive of her kind just like the Cetra. You know Kelfa?"
Sephiroth jaws tightened as he remembered the mad jester. It didn't seem to bother him much in the world of Gods but of course at that time Jenova told over his body and he was dreaming in the crystal. Now he hopes that he would not encounter the mad clown again. "All I know is, he came from the same world as she. And was her nemesis."
Minerva nodded. "In their word he wants nothing more than power and destruction. With treachery he and the Gestahl Emperor trick the girl and her friends to open the gate of Espers. The result is all the Espers were capture and the main sources of the magic were discovered. Kelfa unbalance the stone of Gods absorb their power and turned himself the God of Magic. As a result, the girl and her friends combine their strength together and banished Kelfa once and for all. But as the God of magic was gone, so was the all magic, include the Espers, but as part of human parentage, the girl able to exit in her world and is still living happy there."
"But how do you know all these?" Sephiroth asked. He remembered he saw Terra standing beside Kelfa. At that time, she was merely a doll that didn't speak nor have her own will, how did she get out of Kelfa clutches, he remember Kuja was the one who interfere Kelfa's scheme.
"We gods know each other business, but we choose not to interfered. But if one asked for help, we usually do lend a helping hand, but as you have known Gods are always so stubborn." Minerva smiled and she turned back to the girl in the crystal. "She was summoned by Chaos himself with the memories from Kelfa." Minerva answer Sephiroth question. "Chaos breath life into her but she was merely a puppet of Kelfa."
"She was a puppet then, that I know. And it seems Kuja has somehow help Terra to regain her control of herself." Sephiroth said.
"I think the connection of her human side also affect her too and help regain her freedom. Do not underestimate the power of man. They always define logic and do great things." Minerva added.
"This I know." Sephiroth agree. He looked at the girl in the crystal and a new feeling stir in his heart. He didn't like the lifeless body of her in the crystal. She should be staring at him telling him that she would never be defeated just like the time he or should say Jenova-sephiroth team up with the Emperor and stalked the monkey and her to made them give the summons to them. He remembered him taunted the girl, and want to play with her some more just to see her beg for her life. The way she looked at him is full of determination. Her eyes told him that she will not bow down to him even death. No! No! She shouldn't be inside the crystal. If she had a choice she would surely be out of there and choose her own way to live.
As if to answer his thought. The crystal in front of him blink once, blink twice and then suddenly the crystal exploded into thousands of tiny pieces. The girl's body suspended in mid-air for a moment before it fell forward. Sephiroth quickly step up and catch her before her body hit the ground.
"Oh my, another one!" Minerva exclaimed in amused.
Sephiroth didn't know what to said but to exam the girl in his arm, he could feel the warmth coming from her and the raise and fall of her chest indicated she is much alive. Then he heard her moaning and her eyes battered for a moment before she slowly opens her eyes. They were the most beautiful eyes he ever seen. Purple color with a hint of blue. She blinks them a few times as to adjust her sight, until her eyes slapped open widely as she stares at him and then with a back flip, she jumped away from him and land a few feet away, crouching down on the ground while a fire ball appeared on her hands.
He raised his hand in surrender position and took a step back away from her: "I am not hear to fight." He said.
"Why should I believe you." Terra said, frowning. "The last time we meet, you and the Emperor were toying with us. You even said 'Good. You have some life in you!' remember!"
The way she imitating his voice was funny and he couldn't help but chuckled and couldn't help teasing her more. "I think you are wrong, the last time we meet is fighting the planesgorgers – manifestations of Shinryu."
"I mean the time when you and Emperor seeks the summons for yourself" Terra counter back, and throw the fire ball at Sephiroth which he dodged easily and chuckled.
"Sephiroth, that is not nice!" Minerva scolded. "You sense of humor always use in a wrong time."
"Habits are hard to change, my lady." Sephiroth shrugged his shoulder.
Minerva shake her head as she tuned to Terra who looked at her curiously. "Forgive my general. He should not provoke you like that. As he already said, he has no intention of harming you."
"Who are you?" Terra asked as she still keeping an eye on Sephiroth, not trusting him a bit. "You have the radian of a Goddess. But why are you associated with a warrior of Chaos."
"I am Minerva, I am the Goddess of the star Gaia." Minerva said and she began to tell Terra about the past of Sephiroth and his two friends. Terra listen with great interest and when it come to the death of him and his friends, Terra couldn't help but feel shattered.
As the story finished, Terra wiped away her tears and looked at Sephiroth. "I am sorry that I throw a fire ball at you. Never have I imagine that you have a similar past as me. I was also raised by the empire that killed my parents. If it wasn't my friends and then Kuja, I will always be control by Kelfa."
Sephiroth shake his head. "You do not own me any apology." He said, feeling comfort of how kind the magic girl towards him after what he had done to her. "You just react as it should be, you have every right not to trust me."
"But where am I then." Terra asked. "Should I not be sent home like the other after I touched the crystal…" Then she paused as she seems to remember something, and then her eyes went wide and gasped in horror. "The crystal! It's shows me the truth!" Her body trembles and burst into tears.
"Terra!" Sephiroth exclaimed as he took a few steps towards her hoping to comfort her but he stopped in the last minutes when he remembers they are not entirely friend at all.
"I was not meant to exit." Terra sobbed. "It was all because of Kelfa's wished… sniffsniff and Chaos granted him the power. The crystal… sniff show me that my human self was still in my world living and I cannot… sniff cannot go back to my world. If I go back, the other will think that I am…sniff I am an imposter… sniff I don't want to cause trouble…sniff to my friends. …sniffNow what am I going to do…"
Sephiroth didn't know what to do. It's pain for him to see the brave magic girl that he encounters in the past is so lost. He also didn't know what to do, he has no place to go and he didn't even know if he belongs here with the Goddess Mineral as he once did.
Hear… Feel… Think…
As if to answer his question, the voice he heard come to him again, he looked around and also saw Terra looking around as well.
"That voice! Did you hear that!" She said, forgot her tears as she turned to looked at Sephiroth and Minerva.
"You heard it too?" Sephiroth asked, glad that he was not the only one who heard the voice.
"So, you both heard the voice." Minerva smiled but instead of looking at them she looked to a space far away.
"You know who she is do you, Minerva." Sephiroth asked suspiciously and he earn a nodded from the Goddess. "And let me guest you are not going to tell us who she is, do you." he stated.
Minerva's smiled deepen: For there is no hate but joy." She quoted. "For you are beloved by the goddess. Hero of the dawn," she looked at Sephiroth. "Healer of the worlds." She then looked at Terra."
But Sephiroth only shake his head: The fates are cruel." He quoted back. "There are no dreams, no honor remains."
"A destiny is waiting for the two of you in another star." Minerva said. "Are you going to hide in Valhalla even knowing another star needed help. Where is the General that I use to know, who jump at every chance to help any world that is needed?"
"I…" Sephiroth lost his word. He once was a proud general both in Valhalla and in Gaia. But his ignorance and pride getting the better of him and what did it lead him to? Can he do this again? Can he take up arms and fight again for the justice and peace? What if he fell again?
"You are not alone, Sephiroth." A hand place on his upper arm and he turned to see Terra smiling at him. "I might not be as skill as you are in fighting, but if you let me, I think I be able to help with my magic. You do not need to face this one alone.
"You… you willing to come along with me?" He asked in surprise. "after what I have done to you?"
Terra smiled as she looked up to him: "As you have said earlier, you are not here to harm me and I already know the truth. If you really want to hurt me, you already done so." And she swings herself one hundred-eighty degree and look up to the sky, hand lace up behind her back. "I can't go back home, so there is only one choice…" she pointed her finger up to the sky. "That is to move forward."
She swings herself back facing him: "I am scare, that I can tell you. Not knowing what I will find in this new world. Scare of if the people there will accept who I am. Scare if I be able to help. But…" she told a deep breath. "But being scare is not an excuse, I want to help! I want to see a new world just like my friends that I encounter. To learn new things and to meet new people. Please, Sephiroth if you permitted me to accompany you."
Sephiroth once again saw the determination in Terra's eyes. The same one he saw in World B though Jenova-Sephiroth. The same one that he admired. He nodded.
Terra at first just stare at him and then she squeals with joy and clasped her hand together. Sephiroth couldn't help but smiled back.
"Then you are willing to help?" Minerva asked one more time.
Sephiroth nodded. "I am willing to take up arms again, my lady." And Terra nodded as well.
Minerva nodded, smiling at the two warriors. "I am glad to hear that, but this time I cannot give you any detail of what you are going to face. You need to find out yourself." Both Sephiroth and Terra nodded. "Sephiroth. Your body has been destroyed but you will reborn for a new one. But remember your new body will not be like your old one that has Mako in it. You be as normal as any other human in that world. So be careful when you fight. You will get hurt and even killed if you are not careful."
Then she turned to Terra: "As for you, young lady. You also will get a new body, but as your power is deep in your soul you have to be careful not to recklessly show you power. Your power not just unique in your world but it also will be in any other world. You promise me you will be careful."
Seeing both Sephiroth and Terra nodded. Minerva stepped up to them, placing each of her hand on their face and smiled: "Then I will not hold you any longer," She plant a kiss on Sephiroth's face and also on Terra's forehead. "Remember to hold your honor, walked with pride and embrace your dreams!"
And with that they once more a blinding light surrounded them and they disappear into the unknown.
"May the crystal guide you two." Minerva whispered.