Pandora's Paradox

Prologue: A Formal Introduction

A/N: This used to be Daughter of Sephiroth, if you followed my stories a good few years back you might recognize it to an extent. This is the re-re-re-rewrite from the original. As a warning, if you don't like Mary-Sues or OC-based fan fictions, click the back button very, very quickly. I am confident in my writing abilities, and will be immensely irritated if you flame me simply because this is OC based, considering I'm giving you the open warning.

And I guess the nightmare's over. It feels kind of awkward, now, like every other time it felt so real… I don't think I ever could have been prepared for something like this, but after so many times of questioning reality, worrying that this bad dream might be the one I can't wake up from, it feel almost pointless now to admit that the real deal all seemed so… fake. It was hazy, and blurry, and all I could think to myself; I kept thinking "This can't be for real. This is so stupid." And now I guess I kind of get it. It always ticked me off before, back then when I was some overdramatic little twat I guess I got my panties all up in a bunch over everything. And to think, this was it? God, I was so immature.

So now, here I am. The only thing really affecting me is the pure enigma of human nature. This kind of paradox, where anything and everything else should be happening but this, but here I am, in the least likely of places. It's fascinating, actually, once all the pieces fall in place. It's kind of like a puzzle, maybe, that once you put the final piece in place, the picture you worked so hard to get is just retarded. I mean, it's like, the biggest downer of all time. But it doesn't really surprise you much after you reflect on it, and you begin to realize that you're not nearly as bummed out as all the little people with their stupid, pointless problems that they just can't deal with. But I used to be one of them, so I'm in no position to judge.

…Oh, my God, I'm starting to sound just like my mom.

I guess it's peaceful here. I mean, I'm not complaining about winding up here again. It's a little lonely and melancholy, but it's safe and welcoming. I've always enjoyed these kind of little ironies. It's a love/hate relationship.

The floorboard are old and well worn, back from days long ago when people frequented the chapel, and there's a large spot in the center of the sanctuary where the floor is rotted out altogether, and fragrant marigolds bloom so magnificently in such abundance that they practically glow when the sunlight hits them. There's a hole in the roof, too, where a young man fell through years ago after an incident with a bombing mission on a Mako reactor. Even though the flowers in the church had no problem blooming where there was no sun, the soft rays of light beaming down gently on their forms has had the typical effect that sunlight does on plants, and they have absolutely flourished. The flowers are like a symbol of defiance among the ugly, and the decrepit, and the useless filth of Midgar. Aeris was like that. Just a direct contradiction to everything that is. You know, real "see the world for what it should be, not for what it is" type stuff. I guess her sunlight was Cloud. She never really needed a hero in order to want to help humanity, but his determinations touched her and made her seek the greatest form of altruism. I'd like to say I were the flowers of the church, but it'd be an outright lie.

Sephiroth was an enigma, too. I can't say that I'll ever understand his mind completely, but what I do understand fails to make rational sense when I try to form a logical sentence around it, so it's best something to be learned than to be explained about. That used to be a touchy subject, by the way. The mere mention of my father's name would send me into a temper tantrum--even if only inside my head. I was hyper-sensitive about being related to Sephiroth. Not that I harbor ill feelings towards him, or ever did, it's just that the unintelligent and judging class of society tend to be ignorant in their views of how Sephiroth and his offspring should be handled, even more so blind to the fact that his daughter might not want to hear their opinions of her.

There has also been much debate, over the years, over whether or not Sephiroth is evil, or if he ever did have a heart. That question is for the educated to assume the answer to. It's all opinion, to me, until you show the proof and repeat the experiment. And as for me? I'm an adolescent D-cupped female spitting image of him. Does it mean I have his lust for destruction? Is it an evil desire? Once again, these are all questions left for the educated. And not to say there even is an answer. I don't discourage trying to figure my father out, and I'd even applaud the soul that had the patience and cunning to pull it off, but it'd be a huge disappointment once unscrambled. The point of the game isn't to know everything, but to learn a great deal in the process of coming to accept that some things are better left unknown.

That having been said, I should return to the important part of the story. Who am I, intimately explained, what has happened to change my life, when did the puzzle pieces come together, where will I go from here, why am I here now, and how does it pertain to your interests?

I'll repeat myself. This, my friend, is where it all began.