Hero to Villain to Free
Prologue
The former General stared into the mirror, as he did every day, for what felt like a very long time, ever since he'd been returned to the surface of Gaia for what felt like the twentieth time, lacking one psychotic alien mind-mate. In a way, he supposed, the reason behind this little ritual could be considered some twisted form of vanity, but that seemed like a lie, even if he was the only one to know it. It couldn't really be vanity, because that would imply that he enjoyed seeing the image his reflection presented him.
Sighing softly to himself, he turned away from the image and went about getting ready for another day of wondering just what it was he was doing here. He had no right to walk on the Planet's soil, not after what he'd tried to do to it. Admittedly, he hadn't been in his right mind at the time, but that seemed a poor excuse. He had, after all, been the one to allow the Calamity into his mind in the first place.
He had just been so horribly desperate. It was appalling how pathetic he'd been. The Great General Sephiroth, willing to sell his very soul to the first being to tell him they could make it right. The idea that he could feel comfortable in his own skin had been one that had rarely crossed his mind; it had just seemed so utterly hopeless. As soon as he caught even a glimpse of something like a possibility, he had thrown everything away at the drop of a hat, hardly considering any consequences his actions might have. What a fool he was.
Turning away from his reflection, Sephiroth reached back over his head and began to braid his hair. He'd learned that it was far easier to manage this way, though he'd never had any trouble with that before. It was just a convenient excuse to make the luminescent strands wavier, less flawlessly—freakishly—straight when he let it down. It may seem selfish, but it made him feel more human, less like the offspring of the Calamity.
More-or-less satisfied with his work, the tall ex-General turned on a slightly-raised brown leather heel (he'd decided to try his hand at a somewhat different wardrobe this time around) and made his way down the stairs to the main floor of the inn he was staying at. It had been many years since his attempt to bring about what would have been the end of the world, and the people no longer knew him on sight. It had been so long, his name had very nearly been forgotten, but his actions had not.
Children learned about his battles against Cloud and the others in classes, the Cetra girl was heralded as a goddess in her own right. The local legend was that she appeared here on occasion, in an ancient church that had been rebuilt long ago. That was where he was going, where he'd gone every day since he'd woken up there, stark naked, hundreds of years since he'd last entered the Lifestream to be purged of the Calamity.
As many people did, Sephiroth came and prayed to the woman he knew to be named Aerith, (though for some reason, everyone here called her Aeris) always asking what his purpose was here, why he'd been sent back to the Planet he'd betrayed.
Of course she'd choose today, of all days, to actually appear before him. Exactly one month after he came here, he finally gets proof that all that he remembered, all that he'd done, hadn't been something he'd dreamt up. His life had been real. So of course, the brunet was already laughing softly when she appeared, lightly curled fingers reaching up to partially hide the gentle smile, though nothing could hide the way emerald eyes danced in humour.
"It's nice to see you, Sephiroth," she greeted pleasantly. When the silver haired man frowned in response, about to ask just why it would be 'nice' to see him, she spoke again, "I just thought I'd come and try to help you out a little. You've been pretty confused, right? The fact of the matter is, the Planet's decided to give you another chance, with no threat from the Calamity to keep you from living the life you choose."
That… gave him pause. The only thing he could think of to say was, "She's finally been destroyed, then…?" For some reason, the brunet laughed softly again and nodded once. "You're sure?" He had to be certain. Though he felt horrible for it, a small part of him mourned at the loss of his one, tiny glimmer of hope at comfort in his body. The Calamity had been terrible, yes, and she'd done horrible things to the Planet, but while under her control, Sephiroth had not felt the need to tear off his skin and gouge out his eyeballs from an overwhelming sense of wrongness that now controlled his life, as mercilessly as she herself had.
"Yes, Jenova is no more." Sephiroth only nodded once. So that was that, then. "But..." Or… not…? "While the Calamity couldn't help with your body issues, I might know someone who can…"
Breath hitching slightly in his throat, the former General stared at the smiling young woman with widened eyes. There truly was a way for him to feel right? To not feel like his skin was an ill-fitting suit he couldn't remove? After all this time… He could be…
"Please… Tell me…"