Disclaimer: the characters belong to the gods that are square soft. Any links I make between the characters are my own fabrications, not official.
Flowers Blooming in the Church
1. Just a child…
Tseng walked briskly down the long corridors of the 67th floor on the Shinra hq. He hated that place… the stench of science was everywhere. He turned more corners… Hojo had asked to see him, congratulate him on his work. He hated that man. So cold and twisted…
He didn't want his thanks. He just did his job. Heidegger ordered him to find the ancient, so he did. That was that. It worried him what that man might do to the poor young girl though… she was so helpless, only six, maybe seven.
He arrived at the lower level of the laboratory. No sign of Hojo. Tseng paused and looked around him… So many specimens… mostly clones of Sephiroth…
Sephiroth.
Tseng spun round and looked at the giant tank in front of him. Once it held Jenova…
The jenova project started as such an innocent plan… produce more ancients, that's all Gast wanted to do… but Hojo wanted more…
He thought of Lucrecia, the beautiful and talented young woman who assisted on the Jenova project almost… almost twenty years ago. She fell in love with the young Hojo. That was a mistake in itself. And then she agreed to be a surrogate mother to the first Jenova child, Sephiroth… Shina legend says that she died and Hojo went crazy when he heard, but Tseng knew that wasn't true. Hojo could never love anyone, anything. He had no soul, so he never cared about how many people he hurt over the years. He wasn't crazy. He was born like that.
Only one person ever truly loved Lucrecia… a Turk, like himself… something Valentine… the legend continued that in a jealous rage Hojo killed him… but Tseng reckoned the truth was far more sinister. Tseng walked over to the elevator and started to ascend to the upper level of Hojo's laboratory.
He shuddered as he thought of Hojo's plans for the girl. Maybe he wanted to "breed" her with Sephiroth… she was far too young. Maybe he wanted to steal cells from her and plant them in others… maybe it would be worse…
He entered the elevator. He could not believe it was only three years since he joined Shinra. He hated it so much already… He was a fresh-faced fifteen year old when he joined, ready to make a difference, ready to make his mark on the corporate world. Now what was he? A bitter young man, void of all visible emotion, no direction, no beliefs, no compassion…Damn Shinra. Damn the Turks. What did they do anyway? They were kidnappers, thieves, assassins… the dirty-men of the Shinra, nothing else.
The elevator shuddered to a halt as it reached upper level of the lab. Tseng stepped out slowly. "Dr Hojo?" he called out, wandering deeper into the room. "Dr Hojo, sir?"
No reply
He turned to leave when he noticed it… hardly audible, but it was unmistakable… a child crying.
The Ancient.
He rushed over to the tubular cell in the middle of the room. There, huddled to the side of the glass was the young girl. He reached out and stroked the glass… he wished he could comfort her…
The girl saw him and jumped slightly. "Mr Tseng? Is that you?" she whispered between sobs.
"Yes, it 's me"
"You promised me sweets if I came… I'm lonely…"
He ached as her sobs became louder. "Ssh, don't cry! You'll be fine, I know it"
Who could know with Hojo…
He spoke up again, trying to distract her. "Hey, you know what? You never told me your name…"
She stopped crying for a moment. "My… name is Aeris Gainsborough"
Aeris…
"Nice to meet you, Aeris. I'm Tseng Xu." he mimicked a handshake through the glass. She giggled as she did the same.
"TSENG!" boomed a voice from behind him. Aeris' green eyes widened with fear. "Don't let him near me, please, Mr Tseng!" she wailed, frantically clawing at the glass "He scares me"
He put his hand up next to hers. "Don't worry, Aeris, I'm sure everything will be okay…"
He wished he sounded more convincing.
He stood and walked slowly towards the great doctor. "Dr Hojo" he started, slipping effortlessly into his Shinra role. "I hope you are not dissatisfied with my work"
Hojo glanced at him over his glasses and grinned smugly. "Of course not, Mr Xu. You were the only Turk that recovered any trace of the Ancient… you shall be rewarded for your endeavours, don't you worry…"
With what? Stolen money? Girls from the honey bee inn? The same old nonsense…
"Now, as for this little specimen" he continued, crossing over to the terrified girl. "I am afraid she is far too young for what I-"
"Her name is Aeris" butted in Tseng, not caring for that moment of protocol or status.
"I beg your pardon?"
The Shinra mask fell back into place. "I merely informed you that her name is Aeris, Sir"
Hojo squared up to him. "Listen, Tseng, she may have a name in the outside world but it is of no importance to me. Here she is just a research specimen, and a useless one at that. You shall return her to where you found her."
"Sir?"
Hojo let out an exasperated sigh. "You heard me, Tseng! She is just far too young for my plans. Take her home. You will watch her carefully."
"As you wish sir."
The train ride through the slums always unnerved Tseng. At least the Turks could take the private Shinra carriage if they wished, away from the abyss of slum life. It was sad really; most people in the slums were young folk from the neighbouring villages come to seek their fortune… most would never see the upper world again.
He looked at the sleeping child next to him. Was her story the same? No… this girl wasn't even human…
She started to stir next to him. "Mr Tseng?" she asked slowly as her eyes adjusted to the light. "Mr Tseng? Where are we?"
He smiled softly at her. "We're on the train, Aeris. You're going home"
"Really? Oh, Mr Tseng! Mommy will be glad-"
He watched her as her face filled with joy. It was so rare, the joy of a young child…
"Mr Tseng, will you stay for tea?"
He jumped at the odd request. Tea? He remembered afternoon tea back at his old house… in the old land…
"Will you, Mr Tseng?"
He looked into her bright eyes… Mako green
He smiled. "Of course. If your mother doesn't mind that is."
She grinned at him and snuggled into his arm. Tseng looked down on her sleeping form, bewildered… the trust and innocence of young children never ceased to amaze him. He could not remember being so trusting.
******************
"Tseng! Tseng!"
"Coming mother"
He loved her voice. So sweet and gentle, just like cherry-blossoms… her name… Sakura… He left his toy soldiers and went to find her.
"Mother?" he called as he wandered around the mansion. "Mother? I'm here, mother!"
He ceased to smile when he saw the tall foreboding figure of his father staring sternly down at him.
"Sir!" he called out, dropping to his knee as was tradition. His father turned away from him and told him bluntly. "Our country is at war, son." he stated, walking around the young boy. "We are at war with a great and powerful nation, and I do not believe we shall win." He stoped and looked straight into his son's eyes. "All of the children are being sent away. You must go too"
"No, Sir!!!" wailed Tseng, tears streaming down his face. "Don't send me away from Wutai!! I can fight along side you. I am almost eight, after all!"
Godo smiled at his son. "You have the Kisaragi courage, my son. However, my mind is made up. You are to go and live with your mothers sister, Mai Xu, and her son."
Tseng was drenched in tears. "A-as you w-w-wish, Sir"
Godo's smile vanished once more. "Do not show your weakness, son. Someone someday is bound to try and use it against you."
********************
Hojo walked around the Shinra mansion. It held so much information on the Jenova project… but only Hojo knew the truth about Jenova…
He was plased immensely with the discovery of the ancient… his young cousin had done well. He had also noticed Tsengs attachment to the young girl. It may prove useful in the future…
All of Gast's findings were carefully catalogued here… fool that he was. Hojo would never do something like that. His research was… unorthodox. Yes, terribly unorthodox. Only the Gods knew his full crimes. And they could never judge a man above them.
He looked over to the Ancients tank… empty now, since he had sent her away…He would have to wait before he could continue his plans…
Tseng led Aeris to the door of her small house. He looked around as the tiny girl opened it… so many flowers. Must've been her influence.
"Mom! I'm home!" she hollered, running in to the small downstairs. He followed her in as her mother called out to her. "Goodness child! I've been worried sick! Where have you been?"
"I've been on an adventure with Mr Tseng!"
Elmyra looked up coldly at the man… He was the one she had seen that afternoon, following them around sector six…
"Thank goodness you found her" she remarked harshly. "Would you like some tea, Mr…?"
"Xu. Tseng Xu. And yes, I'll have it plain and strong, thank you" he replied. That name had been forced on him for so long, it almost felt like his own…
Elmyra looked at him. He had no idea… all of the suffering he had put her through, all of the tears… She slipped a slice of lemon in the tea and stirred vigorously. At least he had brought her back…
Tseng took the tea, noting the slice of lemon floating in it. She had seen him. Maybe he should leave…
"Mr Tseng saved me from the big bad man, Didn't you, Mr Tseng?"
He looked down at the child's beautiful eyes. She was so trusting… She believed in all honesty that he had saved her from Hojo rather than obeyed his orders as always… would he have even had the courage to face him? He doubted it sincerely.
He simply smiled at her as she looked at him. Elmyra noticed the interaction and sharply told her 'child' "Aeris, can you go upstairs for a minute."
"Please ma! Can I stay?"
She pursed her lips. "Very well. What is it you have to say?"
He took a deep breath. "This may not be applicable now, but…We want you to return Aeris to us. We've been searching for her for a long time" He could see the heartache in the child's face. "No! Never!" she cried, unwilling to face the betrayal. He looked deep into her eyes, desperate to try and make right his wrongs.
"Aeris, you're a very special child. You are of special blood. Your real mother was an 'Ancient.'" He turned back to Elmyra and tried to explain. "The Ancients will lead us to a land of supreme happiness. Aeris will be able to bring happiness to all those in the slums.That is why Shinra would like Aeris's cooperation..."
The child's eyes were now brimming with tears. "He's wrong! I'm not an Ancient! I'm not!"
Tseng tried not to become emotional at the site of the distressed child. "But Aeris, surely you hear voices sometimes when you're all alone?"
"No, I don't!" and with that the small child ran crying up the stairs, leaving the two adults alone.
Elmyra turned on him. "I think you should leave, Mr Xu. Now"
"Of course" He bowed deeply then respectfully left the house. Almost ass soon as he left, his mind altered to Shinra mode. Maybe for his reward he could go visit his baby sister…