Summary: Based off a poem I wrote for class, this is the untold story of a woman from Wutai, the woman who captured the General's heart before he ever knew of Jenova... The woman who refuses to leave him, even after she was forced to move on...
Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, I don't own Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud, or any of the other canon characters mentioned herein. Jalei and any other original characters, as well as this whole damn idea, are wholly my own. No excuse for it.
Queen's Quornor: Yeah, I know. Yet another OC written by dantesdarkqueen. Really, I wasn't planning on making this one anything more than the original poem, and keeping that one to myself. However, one of my classmates made the comment that she'd like to see this as more than just a two-page poem, more specifically as a novel or short story. That idea just would not leave me alone, and while I tried my damndest to write the next chapters for some of my other fics, most notably "End of My Life as I Know It" and "Kindred Souls," my mind just kept wandering back to this. So scream at me if you will, or enjoy this. But I need to get this out of my head and down on paper...or cyberspace... Whatever. Just please leave me some reviews, ok? Or I'll sic Sephiroth on you! Also, bear with me concerning the timeline. I really have no idea how far before Meteorfall the Wutain War occured, despite my recent playthrough of the game. So I've taken some creative liscense. Forgive me! One more thing: the OC's name is pronounced "Sha-lay," with an inhalation on the 'Sh." Well, it sounded good to me... Can you tell I'm primarily a fantasy author?
Prologue: For Peace, I Give Myself into Hell
Prior to Nibelheim...
"So the cost of peace is for us to send our children into Shinra's clutches?" Ryozo demanded, holding tightly to his cane. "They will turn them into monsters!"
"I realize that the cost is high, Ryozo. However, what is a few losses to us, if it means peace for Wutai at last?" Godo rubbed the bridge of his nose, attempting to relieve his splitting headache. "You have seen what Shinra's SOLDIERS have done to our best warriors. For us to continue this war would mean the end of our home."
"But these are our children we are talking about, Godo!" The old man thumped his cane on the floor for emphasis. "Our future lies with our children. For us to allow Shinra to take them means we have no future!"
"Not all of the children will be going. And in fact, it will not be the children we will be sending. They desire our older offspring, the youngest, strongest adults and near-adults of our number."
"They want them to boost their own numbers!" There was a certain desperation in the elder's eyes, the terror of losing someone he cared about and the knowledge that, if he ever saw that person again, they would not be the same person he had known before. "They want to turn them into SOLDIERS!"
Godo sighed. "I know, Ryozo, I know. But what can we do about it? Shinra holds our existence in their hands; if we do not comply and send our sons and daughters to join their ranks, they will destroy us. They will understand, as they have been taught one simple truth: what is the suffering of a few, compared to the suffering of all?" He settled back on his cushion, casting a quick glance to the wall to his right. He had heard a soft shuffling noise from behind one of the panels. "Your daughter is one of the names on the list. She is regarded as...high priority by Shinra's representatives. You should be honored that she is so skilled to be of note to Shinra."
"How can I be honored when that same skill means that she is to be taken away from me?" Ryozo spat. "I would rather go myself than subject my daughter to their experimentation and machinations!"
Godo rose from his cushion and paced to the window, gazing upon the statues engraved upon the mountainside. "As would all of us who must see our children off to Midgar within the next forty-eight hours. My own daughter is far too young for Shinra's tastes, and so she has escaped their notice. For that, I am grateful. But I must extend my deepest sympathies to you, my old friend." He turned to face the elder, his eyes sad. "I fear that your daughter will no longer be your own once Shinra is finished with her."
Ryozo stood there a moment longer, trembling. Whether in rage or merely old age, the Lord of Wutai was unsure. After a moment, he turned and hobbled from the room, leaving the home of his lord and friend behind. Godo watched him go, feeling old and tired, as well as somehow responsible.
"You can come out now," he stated, not turning his gaze from the doorway.
Behind him, a secret panel in the wall slid open, revealing a young girl. She did not hesitate to approach the Wutain lord, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes fixed on the man's face. "Shinra wants to take my friends away?" she demanded.
Godo nodded sadly, reaching down to stroke her soft cap of black hair. "Yes, Yuffie. They do."
"And you're letting them?" She scoffed. "Some ruler you are."
"I have no choice. The fate of Wutai is at stake here. In exchange for peace, they want your friends." He looked back at the window, catching a glimpse of the setting sun's rays bathing the mountain so it seemed covered with blood. An omen for the future of Wutai? He prayed it was not so. Godo took a deep breath, steering his daughter from the room and into her own room. "Don't worry, Yuffie. You'll see them again someday."
She looked up at him. "Really?"
The innocence of her gaze pierced Godo to his heart, but he steeled himself to lie through his teeth. "Of course. Now, why don't you go get your materia? I've already forgotten what kinds you have."
Yuffie, her indignation stolen away by the idea of educating her father about her beloved materia collection, immediately went to fetch the box in which she kept them, leaving her father alone with his guilt.
What have I done?
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Jalei watched her father come up the stairs to their home, already preparing a potion to steal away his pain. Ryozo suffered from severe arthritis in addition to old war-wounds that had never quite healed correctly, and every day she rubbed the healing ointment on his joints to aleiviate the pain. It took time away from her training with weapons, but she didn't mind. Her father needed her, and duty to her father was a belief her mother had deeply ingrained within her mind. "Welcome home, Father. Did your visit to Lord Godo go well?" she inquired when he had gotten inside and settled down on his pallet, laying his cane carefully to the side and readying him for the touch of the potion.
"It..." He shook his head, refusing to answer further. Instead, he gazed upon his daughter while she rubbed the potion into his joints and old scars, memorizing her features. She was the exact image of her dead mother, short and beautiful, but her eyes were a molten silver rather than deep brown. Her hair was as smooth and black as the night sky, spilling down her back in a glossy waterfall of blue highlights. Her skin was tanned to a gentle gold from being out in the sun so often, practicing and training with the other children her age. She adapted this gentle, quiet facade around her father, but in truth, she was more like a tiger than a flower.
All young people between the ages of seventeen to twenty-two, the order had said. And Jalei was eighteen.
"You still have to go to Midgar, my daughter. Shinra wants you and the other young people of Wutai to replace the SOLDIERs they lost fighting us, and for the good of Wutai, Lord Godo is willing to give you over to them."
"For peace." Jalei screwed the top back onto the potion, and went to place it back on the shelf while Ryozo struggled to his knees. She turned back to him with a demure expression, hands carefully folded before her. "I would rather remain here in Wutai, Father. I have long desired to see the world, but not if it means leaving you behind. You need me too much for me to depart in good conscience."
"I am just fine, Jalei. I can get around without you." He reached up and took one of her hands, gently rubbing the knuckles with his thumb. "Neither of us have a choice, regardless. I tried to talk Godo into negociating for something else with Shinra in exchange for peace, but he refuses. He is of the opinion that we have neither the strength nor the warriors to stand against them again, and so we must sacrifice you and the other young warriors in order to buy peace for the rest of us."
"I see." The young woman gazed at the floor for a long moment, then into her father's eyes. "I will go, so you and everyone else will be safe."
"Jalei..." She cut him off before he could continue.
"Father, I must. I have heard the list of people they want, and my name is on it. If I do not show up, I fear the consequences." Her eyes met his. "Especially for you. You are not as young as you used to be."
"I am still fully capable of defending myself." He sniffed proudly. "I taught you all that you know, after all."
"I know, and I am grateful." Jalei leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "That is why I am leaving for the trucks Shinra has sent for transportation in a few minutes."
"So soon? Daughter, at least share some tea with me. Holy only knows when we shall see each other again."
Jalei looked at him for a long moment, then went to the fire and used a cloth to pluck the kettle from the hook, carefully pouring the steaming liquid within into a pair of teacups she removed from the shelf beside the fire. She took one cup for herself, and gave the other to Ryozo. "Father, please. Do not keep me any longer than necessary. I wish to leave before I second-guess myself."
"All I want is to share one last cup of tea with you. It concerns me that you may not return to Wutai for several years."
"Duties in Shinra will keep me in Midgar at least until my training is complete. Following that, I am unsure." She took a sip of her tea. "But I know I will return home as soon as I possibly can. And I have arranged for Sakura to come and care for you in my stead. She was not one of the people Shinra asked for."
"You show great wisdom, my daughter. Sakura will take care of this old man, and her cooking is better than your own." There was a playful twinkle in his eye as he said this.
"Father!" she laughed.
"Or perhaps her tea will be better than this slop."
"You enjoy my tea and you like it. You know that." She was not angry or even annoyed. This was a ritual they went through with every meal: Ryozo would tease her about her cooking, and Jalei would laugh about it. It was just one more thing they would both miss while she was gone.
Once the tea was finished, Jalei got up and helped her father to his feet. Together they went to the door, where the woman picked up the bag she had packed. She turned back to her father, who was leaning against the door, toying with his cane. There was no sadness in her silver eyes, only quiet acceptance. "Farewell, Father."
"Farewell, daughter."
Jalei turned and went down the stairs, never turning back. Ryozo watched his daughter go, knew she would soon reach Shinra's encampment and join the other Wutains who had already left.
He could not shake the feeling that this was the last time he would ever see his beloved daughter in this lifetime.
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"State your name."
"Jalei Nerugasi, daughter of Elder Ryozo Nerugasi."
"She's on the list, Jack. Let her in."
The first officer looked at her suspiciously, still holding his checklist and pen. "What do they want her for? She's just a little thing. Pretty, though."
The other officer, this one a bit more decorated than the first one, sighed and pointed to the whip and sword hanging at her hips. "The General knows what he's doing, Jack. If he wants her in SOLDIER, then he had a good reason for choosing her. Do you really want to inform him or Captain Sephiroth that you turned away one of the high priority acquisitions?"
Jack shivered, then crossed something off on his list and motioned for Jalei to get in the truck. She settled herself next to Sarn Tsukaya, a friend of hers and fellow warrior-in-training. He, as well as the other three Wutains seated in the back of the covered truck, offered her an encouraging smile as she placed her bag on the floor between her feet.
"How many trucks have left already?" she queried.
"Our's is supposed to be one of the last trucks leaving today. Most of us have gone already, but a few stragglers are expected to arrive before Shinra packs up and heads back for Midgar," Sarn replied.
"But they're sending us on ahead?"
"Along with people to guard us."
"You mean to make certain we don't cause any trouble." That comment came from Kei Mataka, who was sullenly curled up against the cab. He glared at Jalei through angry gold eyes, clearly unhappy with her presence on the truck. "I thought your father would keep you here in Wutai, Jalei."
"I have my duty to my home, as much as you do, Kei. My gender shouldn't make a bit of difference to that." She rubbed her bare arms, suddenly wishing she had brought some kind of coat or cloak or something. "Just because I beat you at wrestling today..."
Kei started to snarl out a reply, but was abruptly cut off as someone else stepped into the truck, tall enough to obscure the slit of light visible between the flaps of cloth. The newcomer stood there for a long moment, his green eyes glowing softly in the darkness due to the mako flowing through his veins, then spoke up.
"That's enough."
Jalei supressed a shiver as the soft, deep tones of his voice reached her. She hadn't even seen what this soldier looked like, and already she was admiring him for his voice, of all things!
He watched them a moment longer, then climbed inside the rest of the way and took a seat across from Jalei, allowing her the opportunity to take a good look at him. And what a view it was. To her eyes, he was physically perfect, almost beautiful, if a man could be called that. In addition to the citrine eyes, he possessed waist-length hair of an extrordinary silver hue, and was garbed mainly in black leather pants and coat, which buttoned up the front to his neck. A striking male specimen, to say the least.
It was of great embarrassment, then, when she realized that he was watching her as she was him. She felt a blush rising to her cheeks, and quickly looked away. But not before she caught sight of the smirk twisting his lips.
"So who the hell are you?" Kei demanded suddenly, as the truck began to move.
"I am Captain Sephiroth, appointed guardian of you five for the extent of this journey." His eyes rose to meet Jalei's. "And your names?"
The others introduced themselves in quick succession. After a moment, Jalei realized that he was awaiting her response to the question.
"Jalei Nerugasi, daughter of Elder Ryozo Nerugasi."
Sephiroth nodded slowly. "I have heard of you, recruit. All five of you are considered high priority acquisitions, but you are the only woman on that list."
Jalei cast a glance to Sarn, but he could only offer a shrug. "I... Thank you."
The captain looked out the partially-opened flap. "You are welcome."
She followed his gaze, and realized that he was looking at the mountain. The sun was setting, and the statues that jutted from the ancient rock were bathed in crimson light. It almost looked as if the sculptures had been splashed with paint.
Or blood.
This time, she was unable to supress her shudder. Is it an omen? For whom does it apply?
"Are you cold, recruit?" Sephiroth's voice intruded upon her thoughts, and she tore her gaze away from the mountain to look at him. His face was expressionless, but she could have sworn that she heard some kind of concern in his beautiful voice.
"A little, Captain. But I'll be fine."
"Admirable fortitude. And it is good to see that you are stubborn. That will serve you well in the field. However..." He shrugged off his overcoat, revealing that he wore a black sweater beneath it, and offered the garment to her. "Do not confuse stubbornness with stupidity and pride. I do not want any of you to become ill before we reach Midgar."
Jalei took it and draped it over her shoulders, snuggling contentedly into the residual warmth lingering within the felt lining. The heat and soft fabric felt heavenly against her naked arms. "Thank you, Captain."
Again, he failed to meet her eyes as he replied "You are welcome."
"How long are we supposed to be in SOLDIER?" Sarn asked, breaking the awkward silence which had sprung up.
"You mean, how long is it until you can go home." Sephiroth looked straight at her as he replied. "Ten years."
Ten years...
"That is, if you are not promoted to First Class or accepted into the Turks or anything like that. And of course, if you were to fail your entrance exams, you would be sent home in disgrace." He leaned back against one of the supports that held the tarp above their heads. "But ten years will be the average. Somehow, I fail to believe that any of you will make First Class. You do not seem tough enough to meet the demands of that level of promotion."
Jalei bit her lip. She had never been able to turn down a challenge before, and that was a challenge if she had ever heard one. So I'm not tough enough to make SOLDIER First Class, eh?
Just watch me.
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Queen: The main story will begin soon, several years later. Hey, does anybody know when the Wutain War took place, how long before FFVII it was?
Sephiroth: Shouldn't you keep your facts straight before using them in a story?
Queen (rolling eyes): Would you get off my back about that, Seph? You were one of the ones demanding that I stop mulling this over in my head and just get it down on paper, after all.
Zack: He's never happy, Queen. You should know this by now.
Sephiroth: Of course I'm happy.
Queen: Only when you're slicing things into itty, bitty, teensy, weensy little pieces. I swear, Zack. How the hell did you ever put up with him?
Zack (grinning smugly): As if I'd tell you.
Queen: Have it your way, then. Remember: Kadaj and Yazoo are still hanging around the house. They would not object to tormenting you for a few hours. And I know Reno would not be unhappy if I told him to steal your cds again...
Zack: Fine, fine, fine! I'll tell you later; just don't let him near my cds again. He used them like Frisbees last time!
Sephiroth: To those of you still reading this nonsense, I would implore you to leave a review in the appropriate placement. Reviews shall keep Reno entertained, my Remnants busy, Queen happy, Zack occupied, and prevent me from hunting down the entirety of you and allowing Masamune to do as it will. Do I truly need to elaborate further?
Queen: I believe they have recieved the message, Seph. OK, readers! You heard the man! Review please! Cookies shall be given to those who leave me one! Now if you don't mind, I have to hunt down Reno and ask him a favor...
Zack: You wouldn't dare...
Queen: Watch me. (darts from room laughing maniacally, one black-haired SOLDIER in hot pursuit)
Sephiroth: I am surrounded by idiots... But at least they are entertaining...
(transmission ended)