AN: Ok so this idea has been swimming around inside my head for awhile now. I've always been interested in Sephiroths character and I think I can go somewhere great with this story. This takes place about a year after AC and will tell the story of my OC in a series of flashbacks. I really hope you give this a chance because I have so many ideas for this. It's going to be dark but really that's just a given with Sephiroth. The song my Immortal by Evanescence just fits this story so well that I named it after it. Please tell me your thoughts and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC Alysia!
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
[Chorus:]
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me
You used to captivate me by your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face—it haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice—it chased away all the sanity in me
My Immortal by Evanescence
Chapter 1: Haunted
"I can endure almost anything but I wouldn't be able to survive the loss of you. You are the only person who truly knows me, you are the closest thing to home I will ever have. I've never said the words aloud, maybe it's my pride, or maybe I'm just frightened of your response but if I don't say it now I think I'll go mad…I love you Alysia."
How many times have those word replayed in my mind? Eight years and I'm still haunted by every word he ever spoke, every smile, every look, every touch. Time does not heal all wounds. When you love someone with so much intensity that it steals your breath away and then they're abruptly and savagely torn from your grasp, not by death, or someone else's actions, but from their own madness, there is no way to move past that. I'm plagued by nightmares and memories that will never vanish. I guess I too lost my mind that fateful day eight years ago. Sephiroth, it's me that can't survive the loss of you. I am so sorry that I couldn't save you.
"Aly! Quit spacing out!" Hearing my name makes me focus on what's going on around me. I smile apologetically at my energetic friend.
"Sorry Yuffie."
I still get lost in my thoughts too often to be normal. I wonder if everyone wonders why I am the way I am? I know there are times when I'm too quiet, when sadness clearly emanates out of me. Somehow I think they all know that my story is something too painful to ever ask about. Instead I'm welcomed with open arms into this band of misfits. They don't ask why I'm so willing to devote my time and energy to their cause. I mean who wouldn't want to help to rebuild our world? Cloud and Tifa know that there's more to me than just an ex Shinra scientist. They were both there that last day, the day that changed everything. I know they remember me but they've never brought it up, they've never asked why I was in the reactor.
"Are you ok?" This time it's Tifa that speaks. Her hand rests on my shoulder, she smiles warmly, always concerned for others.
"I'm fine. I'm just not used to having this much down time. I hope Reeve finds another job for me soon." I'm a member of the WRO, it usually keeps me pretty busy. The past few days there hasn't been much work for me though.
"You deserve the break, you work so hard all the time. Besides, I'm enjoying having you at the bar with me." I've been helping Tifa out at 7th Heaven. I hate having any time left alone with my thoughts. I honestly enjoy the company of all the former AVALANCHE members.
I know that I only ever got involved with the WRO because of him. Some part of me feels like I should try to atone for his sins, though they are far too many to ever make up for. And I know that there's some twisted part of me that got involved with these people because of their ties to him. He has affected all of their lives in such a profound way that they'll never truly heal. Just like me. I wonder what they would think if they knew my story, his story. But what would be the point? They hated him, and for good reason. All they knew of him was the person he became at the end. . No one wants to know the villains backstory. Why try to humanize a monster?
"Well thank you for having me Tifa. Do you need any help tonight?" She lets out a sigh.
"You're not going to relax even for a minute are you? You can bartend tonight if you'd like." I smile at her in thanks.
"Do you ever have fun? I swear all you do is work." Yuffie cocks an eyebrow at me. I really can't remember the last time I had fun.
"I like working, I like keeping busy." The ninja shrugs her shoulders in defeat.
"Whatever ya say Aly!"
I actually don't mind bartending. And surprisingly I do like interacting with people. I've always been a social person, I used to be very outgoing. Now I'm more withdrawn and in my own head. But I can break out of my shell when put in situations like this.
"Hey babe, mind grabbin me another beer?" I glare at the redhead in front of me. I do as he asks and set the beer in front of him.
"How many times do I have to ask you to not call me babe Reno?" He smirks and tilts his beer at me before taking a swig.
"Think you'd be used to it by now babe. How long have we known each other now?" I've known Reno since his first days with Shinra.
"Thirteen years, a veeeerry long thirteen years." He hasn't changed much actually. We've always gotten a long pretty well though.
"Very long is right. Sometimes I miss the good ol days at Shinra." Something about his statement instantly makes my mood darken.
"Those weren't good days, not really. We were a bunch of naïve, blind, fools. Everything is shot to shit because of that company." He looks at me with a raised eyebrow.
"You think the world is as fucked as it is just because of Shinra?" I can feel the eyes of other people on us now. Cloud and Yuffie sit a few stools away from Reno, I know they're now focused on our conversation as well as Tifa who stands beside me behind the bar.
"I don't just think that, I know it." He chuckles humorlessly.
"You forget about a certain psychopath whose actions led to the destruction of this city?" My blood runs cold. Please don't go there.
"Reno…" I try to cut him off, to stop him from saying anything more on the matter.
"Shinra fucked things up bad, I'm not denyin that. But the world was almost decimated because of Sephiroth." I'm shaking now, too many emotions are swirling around inside of me. Anger is the most prominent. I slam my hand down hard on the bar in front of Reno. He jumps in surprise. The bars gone quiet.
"Shinra ruined everything, they ruined him." I can feel the questioning gazes of everyone on me, I can hear the whispers.
I come back to myself slowly. The anger drains away leaving nothing but the ever constant pain, tears threaten to pour down my cheeks.
I turn away from Reno. Tifa looks concerned, she reaches out to lay a hand on my shoulder but I push past her. I can't breathe, my feet somehow carry me past all the nosy bar patrons and the front door.
I can hear someone calling my name but I just keep walking until I reach my car. Edge is bright at night, the lights from the skyscrapers and downtown businesses make it almost impossible to see the sky. All I want to do is see the stars. I spent years of my life unable to look up at the sky above. My head is pounding, all I want to do is scream. Everything makes me think of him, every little thing.
Twenty three years ago
"I'm sorry Alysia but I just can't live without your father." Mom has a gun in her hand, she's crying. A man came to the door earlier to tell us daddy was killed by a monster at work, he was just a construction worker, but sometimes monsters come into the slums and nobody does anything about it.
Mom tells me to go outside and play. I don't want to, she looks so sad, I'm sad too. She locks the door when I walk out the door. I hear a gunshot. I knock on the door even though deep down I know no one will answer. I'm all alone.
It's already getting dark out and I don't know what to do. I can't stop crying. No one cares about others here in the slums, not even a crying eight year old. People walk by without giving me a second glance. I wrap my arms around my knees and hide my face.
"Are you alright?" I jump at the sudden voice.
A boy is standing in front of me. He has shoulder length silver hair and strange green eyes. He looks a couple years older than me, he's tall.
"No. I'm alone." He tilts his head to the side in thought.
"Where are your parents?" Tears prick my eyes again.
"Me and mom found out my dad died this morning. She locked me out of the house and then I heard a gunshot. She's dead, I know she's dead." He looks genuinely sad for me. I don't even know his name.
"I'm an orphan too." His voice is barely above a whisper. He holds his hand out to me, I don't know why I take it, but somehow I know I can trust him. He pulls me to my feet.
"You can come with me…so you're not alone." He holds my hand and leads me all the way to the train station. He doesn't let go of my hand even on the train
"Where are we going?" I don't like the weird people on the bus.
"I live in an orphanage owned by Shinra, It's actually right by their headquarters." My heart starts beating fast.
"I've never been out of the slums." He looks sad for me again but then he smiles a little.
"We'll stay out and look at the stars for a little while then, you'll like it." I'd only ever seen pictures of the sky.
"The people at the orphanage just let you leave?" He laughs and shakes his head.
"I kind of ran away. There's this weird guy in a lab coat that comes sometimes to give me check ups, he was supposed to come today and I didn't want to see him. He gives me the creeps and he always makes me train a lot harder than usual." A doctor?
"Train for what?"
"I'm learning how to fight. Everyone says I'm really good at it, I even have a sword. Shinra wants me to join their army when I'm old enough." He seems way too young to be fighting, he cant be much older than me.
"How old are you?"
"I'm ten." I knew he wasn't that much older.
The train stops and I follow the boy out of the doors.
My mouth hangs open at the sights around me. It's so clean up here, people are dressed nicely. The boy tugs me along behind him. After a few minutes he leads me into a building. We jog up a few flights of stairs before he holds a door open for me. I gasp loudly as I step onto the roof of the building.
The sky is so huge, its dark blue, thousands of stars twinkle above us. Tears stream down my face.
"Hey, what's wrong?" The boy has his hands on my shoulders, he's worried again.
"I've never seen anything so pretty, thank you." He smiles at me in a way that no one ever has before, he looks like he really cares.
"My names Sephiroth, what's yours?" I like his name even though its kind of weird.
"Alysia." He grabs my hand again and gives it a squeeze.
"I'll make sure the orphanage takes you in. I promise I'll show you all kinds of pretty things Alysia. Neither of us will ever be alone again."
Present day
I finally stop driving when the road comes to an abrupt end. I get out of my car and stare down into what used to be the slums. The ruins of Midgar are downright eerie at night. It's a huge pile of twisted metal and rubble. Shinra's former headquarters still towers over the rest of the area, even though its not even half the building it used to be. Sometimes I wish the remnants of this city didn't exist. So much happened here.
A steep footpath has been built into the walls leading down to the slums, it was made when everyone realized the cure for Geostigma existed in the sector five church. I don't know why I'm headed there now. Coming here is painful for me but sometimes when I need some perspective I find some peace at the old church. I myself only met the Cetra girl Aeris once, from that one meeting though I know she was a kind soul, she didn't deserve what happened to her. Again my thoughts have been dragged somewhere that I don't want to be. Eevrything leads back to him.
I know monsters still flock to the ruins but I'm not scared of much anymore, perhaps it's because I'm not afraid of death. Besides, I can take care of myself. I grew up around SOLDIERS and Turks, I learned to handle weapons at a very young age. All I have on me now is a handgun but I'm really not expecting any trouble.
I've never come here at night and I'm suddenly second guessing my choice to be here as I stand outside the holy structure. Even though one tower is destroyed and the roof has holes in it, it's still undeniably beautiful. I'm completely stricken by the odd pull I'm feeling to enter the church. Why am I here?
Before I can think too much on it I push open one of the large doors. The inside is still in disarray from a battle fought here. No one bothers to clean up even though the church is frequented by people still in need of a cure for their Geostigma.
A sudden chill makes me wrap my arms around myself. I take a few steps forward before I'm hit with an intense feeling of paranoia, I feel like I'm being watched. The light of the moon shines through the broken rafters above me giving the pool at the front of the church an ethereal glow. Unconsciously I take a few steps closer to the healing waters, it's then that I notice a slight movement out of the corner of my eyes. My whole body tenses as I take in the dark shadow of a figure kneeling just out of the light near the pool. I don't dare breathe as the figure stands to it's full height.
All air rushes out of my lungs as the being slowly walks forward, their silhouette is tall and sturdy. Something about it strikes me as disturbingly familiar. My heart is hammering in my chest so hard I can hear it. Something isn't right. I should be reaching for my gun right now but I'm frozen in place.
The figure finally steps into the moonlight, I think my heart must stop. I choke on a gasp trying to leave my throat. This isn't happening, I'm hallucinating, I have to be.
The unmistakable silver hair shines in the light, it's longer than I remember. Black leather is torn and tattered, pale skin is caked in blood and dirt.
I want to scream, my ears are ringing, my vision is blurry. I'm scared to even blink. Still he advances on me, so very slowly. He's shrouded in darkness again, but Gaia do those Mako eyes glow menacingly.
Sephiroth stands not two feet away from me, towering over me like he always has. His left hand twitches and I know the end has finally come, masamune will pierce my heart. Death picked the perfect way to end me. At least I was able to see him one last time.
I look up into the eyes of my former love. I expect rage, madness, maybe even his usual impassive expression. What I see now is none of those things. His eyes are searching, boring into mine with an intensity I can't bear. This is too much. He looks grief stricken and awestruck all at the same time. I watch his sword leave his hand and crash to the floor in what seems to be slow motion. One step forward and he's a breath away from me.
"Alysia?" That familiar deep voice that's haunted me for eight years breaks me.
Tears stream down my cheeks, a choked sob leaves me. He falls to his knees in front of me. Strong arms wrap around my middle, his face pressed into my chest. He's holding me like I'm his lifeline. I know as I tangle my hands into his soft hair that this wrong, but I can't find the strength to care. I'm clinging to him just as he's clinging to me. For one perfect thoughtless moment my shattered heart is mended, I can breathe again.