Heroes' Redemption

By: Harmony Dickerson

Prologue

One year ago…Vincent Valentine saved the world from Deepground; the shadow of the former Shinra Electric Power Company.

Now…the WRO, under the leadership of Reeve Tuetsi, is working slowly but surely to keep the Planet and its inhabitants safe. It seems as though peace has finally come to the Planet.

Or has it?

Deep within the Bone Mountains of the Icicle Continent…a new evil festers within the jagged peaks. The harsh climate and desolation has helped it grow. It's there; watching and waiting for the moment to come. It would not come suddenly, but slowly like a poison coursing throughout the Planet.

No one knew, save one…and that was the Goddess.

She had knowledge of this evil and knew that it would plunge the world into chaos, but who would stop it? Cloud Strife had certainly been heroic in the past, but she could see that he would not be able to stand up to this new threat. Vincent had been marvelous last year, but he would refuse any part in it.

She finally turned to the Lifestream to give her a hero of its choosing, but to her surprise, it offered someone she never expected:

Sephiroth.

She deemed that he could return, however, hoping that after seeing the consequences of his actions he would repent and change his ways. She decided to revive Zack and Angeal from the Lifestream for her own reasons, and called Genesis to meet them.

She resurrected Sephiroth, but her hopes vanished as she observed what he did.

After his resurrection; he remembered his past atrocities, but it only redoubled his hatred for humans. It also seemed to intensify his madness as well. He didn't try to take over the Planet, however. He learned one thing from his past; he knew that if he tried to take over the Planet he would be stopped.

He resolved to distance himself from people and hate them in solitude. So he traveled throughout the land until he came to an abandoned chateau near a village called Fiamel. It was perfect, for though the chateau was only thirty miles or so from the village it was deep within the forest and sat upon a precipice hidden by tree-covered cliffs. Sephiroth proceeded to dwell within its walls and to never emerge.

Meanwhile, Zack and Angeal are resurrected near the ruins of Midgar. They have no memory of their time in the Lifestream, but retained their memories from four years previously.

Guided by a strange compulsion, they head towards the ruins of Sector 8, where they reunite with Genesis.

Genesis reveals to them that Sephiroth is alive and insists that they must find him.

"Are you sure though?" Zack asked.

"What do you mean?" Angeal inquired.

"Well, Sephiroth has been…messed up and he's done terrible things to so many people. Are you sure we can find him and he won't try to kill us?"

"I thought about that Zack, but I can't help but feel as though we have to look for him." Genesis said, "I know this sounds crazy, but I have a feeling. I know he won't hurt us."

"How are we going to do that?" Angeal wondered.

"Perhaps the Planet will show us the way, like it did when you found me." Genesis suggested.

With that advice, the three started to travel southwest; guided by the same compulsion. They enter Fiamel, where the townspeople tell them of a haunted chateau where none dared go. They realize that is where Sephiroth is hiding, and set off towards the chateau.

It was nightfall when they finally reached it and call for Sephiroth after he refused to answer to their persistent banging.

After what seemed like ages, they finally heard footsteps in the entrance hall. It wasn't long after that they saw the door open and Sephiroth appear.

"Who are you?" he asked, his deep voice filled with suspicion.

"Sephiroth, it's us." Angeal answered.

"What do you mean 'us'" he asked coldly.

"Sephiroth, it's us. Don't you remember? Genesis, Angeal, and Zack?" Genesis answered.

"Zack, I remember well. You two though…I do remember, but you are too far in the past and not so clear. However, since you are all old friends I'll give you the pleasure of staying here with me. Come.", and with that; he allowed them entrance.

They began to live with Sephiroth in the luxurious chateau, but though they could live comfortably they were not happy. Sephiroth treated them no better than servant; giving them orders and constantly pouring out his hatred upon them. They didn't dare complain or disobey, for fear of what he would do to them. To leave was completely out of the question.

There was also a more mysterious reason they put up with it. They knew…for some reason that something would change, but when and how they didn't know; only that change would come.

Sephiroth didn't seem likely to change. He became more selfish, cruel and unkind as the days passed. The reason was that he himself was not happy, even in his hatred.

So he lived, bitter, hateful, and unhappy, until one night changed everything.