Chapter 1; The watchful stars
Sephiroth couldn't help but to admire the stars. They looked so magical and divine. The stars gave him a warm feeling as if they were standing in the sky watching and protecting him from harm.
He was only a little boy, grieving at the lost of his beloved father. His father had been a great warrior, a true hero that had died in a battle against some evil giants. He had to be there, because he was the commander of the guards. The sergeant had told his mother, that his father had been the first soldier to advance into the battlefield, yelling his god's name as an effort to inspire the hearts of his men.
Sephiroth sighed. It would seem that Tempus had betrayed his father's trust and let him fall. He died a brave man… but he had still died.
His mother was crying. He could hear her and it pained him… it was as if his heart was being pierced by an arrow. She had been crying inside her room for what seemed like years, and not just hours. She still couldn't believe that her beloved husband was dead, that she would never kiss him again.
A tear crossed Sephiroth´s face. The stars would protect him from harm. He knew that his father must be amongst them. He deserved it.
His mother had finally stopped crying. She opened the door of her room and she started walking towards her son. Her eyes were still moist, but her stare was icy cold.
"Sephiroth, stop crying." – she ordered.
Sephiroth looked confused.
"I said stop crying!"
His mother slapped him. Sephiroth seemed to hesitate for a moment and then cleaned his tears.
"Strong men don't cry. And you are strong, Sephiroth. You are your father's son. You can't disappoint him."
Sephiroth nodded and then he rubbed his aching cheek. His mother looked through out the window that he had been watching.
"You must promise me something." – she said, while she looked at the stars.
"Yes, mother?" – asked Sephiroth.
"You must promise me that you will the strongest man of all the realms."
Sephiroth looked uncertain.
"Mother?"
She slapped him again, this time harder.
"You can't be weak. You won't be weak. You have to be strong, so that you won't die had your father."
Sephiroth looked at his mother's icy cold eyes and nodded. He didn't rub his cheek this time.
"Promise me that. Now!" – she ordered.
Sephiroth looked at his mother. She was the most beautiful women he knew, and he didn't doubt it that she was the most beautiful woman of the realms. He didn't want to disappoint her. He would never disappoint her.
"I promise." – said Sephiroth.
…
Sephiroth opened his eyes. Something was wrong. He could hear some voices inside the house. It wasn't his mother speaking… they were men. Why were they here?
Sephiroth got out of his bed and started walking towards the door. Who could it be?
He leaned close at the door and tried to listen to the voices.
Someone said: "We shouldn't be doing this. That man was our commander!"
One of the other men said: "He was a damn bastard! We lost many of our friends in that battlefield. For what? In order to defend a damn village that isn't even our own?"
Someone else seemed to agree and laughed. Three men? Maybe more? Why were they here?
Sephiroth´s heart seemed to beat faster by the second.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Sephiroth covered his mouth in order not to scream. It was his mother. She was confronting the three men.
One of the men said: "Jenova. So nice to see you again."
He knew his mother's name. How did he know his mother's name? What was going on?
"Arthur? Why are you here?"
Sephiroth relaxed. His mother knew one of the men. Maybe they were just friends.
The man named Arthur said: "We lost many of our lads in that damn battle, Jenova."
"I lost a husband, Arthur. And my son lost his father."
The men laughed.
Arthur said: "Yeah? And do you know what? I couldn't be happier."
"What?"
"I would have cut your damn husband's throat myself, wench!"
Sephiroth´s face was full of cold sweat. This man hated his father. What were they going to do his mother?
"You sorry excuse for a man. Leave now. At once. Or I shall call the…"
More laughter.
"Call who, Jenova? The Watch? Old Jim here is a watchman. Aren't you, Jim?"
Someone said: "Yes."
"Saves you trouble, doesn't it? I brought a watchman with me. You can call him, if you want."
There were some noises as if some sort of brawl was occurring. He could hear his mother screaming. What were they doing with her?
Arthur said: "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, wench."
"Go to hell!" – screamed Jenova.
Sephiroth was trembling with fear. They were hurting his mother.
"The hard way, then."
There were more screaming and loud noises. Sephiroth covered his ears and prayed to the stars for help.
His mother was screaming and begging for the men to stop. Sephiroth wanted to move, to save his mother, but his body would respond to his will.
Finally, the noises stopped. Sephiroth uncovered his ears and gave a little cry.
"Kill the kid." – said Arthur.
Silence.
Jim said: "But Arthur… he is just a kid."
"He must have hear us, idiot. When the townspeople find her, they will ask him questions. I don't want him to give them. Understood?"
Silence.
Sephiroth started running towards the window, but it was too late. Two men opened the door and grabbed him before he escaped.
Sephiroth looked at the two men and recognized one of them. He was a member of the Watch.
"Please don't kill me!" – begged Sephiroth.
The two men exchanged glances and then threw him against the wall.
"Sorry, kid. Nothing personal." – said Jim.
The other man picked up his dagger and approached Sephiroth. He was going to die. But worse… he wouldn't be able to save his mother.
"You can't be weak. You won't be weak. You have to be strong, so that you won't die like your father."
He was hearing his mother. She was talking to him.
The man grabbed Sephiroth by the throat and then laughed. This should be amusing.
"Promise me that. Now!"
Sephiroth glared at the man.
"I promise." – said Sephiroth.
The man looked uncertain and then laughed a bit more.
"Promise what, kid?" – asked the man.
Sephiroth´s fist broke the man's nose. The man let go of his grip and then grabbed his bleeding nose.
"Damn kid!" – yelled the man.
But Sephiroth wasn't listening to the man. He was completely focused on his mission: to save his mother. He grabbed the man's dagger and stabbed him in the belly.
Sephiroth´s face was full of blood, but he didn't care. He continued to stab the man's belly.
The man fell on the floor dead. Sephiroth glared at the body and then at the watchman. They were going to suffer. All of them.
"What the…" – said Jim.
Jim couldn't believe in his own eyes. The kid had killed Hector, one of the toughest men he knew. Better not take any chances. The watchman picked up his sword and pointed it towards Sephiroth.
But Sephiroth wasn't there anymore. Where the hell was that damn kid?
He felt a sting in his back, as dagger pierce his flesh. He screamed in pain and fell on the ground.
"Damn bastard!" – said Jim.
The watchman looked at the kid and then at the bloodied dagger.
"What are you going to do now, kid? Murder me?" – mocked Jim.
Sephiroth looked at the man. It was a cold stare, without any trace of emotions.
"Yes." – said Sephiroth.
Sephiroth cut the man's throat, and Jim grabbed the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. He was suffocating, spitting blood all over the floor. Finally, he stopped moving.
Sephiroth looked at the two dead bodies. He couldn't help but admire his work. He was only a ten years old child, yet he had killed these two warriors. He was truly his father's son.
His mother will be so proud of him.
Mother…
Sephiroth started running towards the door.
Mother…
"You can't be weak."
Sephiroth opened the door.
"You won't be weak."
The boy's jaw dropped open. He was living a nightmare.
"Mother!" – screamed Sephiroth.
His mother was still alive, but she looked really hurt. The bad men had beaten her really hard. Her beautiful face was now a bloodied shadow.
"Sephiroth…" – said Jenova.
The last man looked at Sephiroth and then at his mother.
"What happened to the lads?" – growled Arthur.
Sephiroth looked at Arthur. His glare was full of hatred. A tear started crossing his face.
"Sephiroth, stop crying."
Sephiroth looked at his mother and then nodded. She had spoken to him in his mind. He wouldn't disappoint her. He cleaned the tear with his sleeve.
"They are all dead." – said Sephiroth.
Arthur showed Sephiroth an evil grin. The thug grabbed Jenova by her hair and pointed his sword towards her back.
"Put the dagger down, lad. Or else…" – said Arthur.
Sephiroth looked at the man and then at his mother. She was in pain and he was afraid to lose her. He let go of the dagger. He loved his mother… he didn't know what else to do.
Arthur laughed.
"Smart, kid!" – mocked the man.
"Let her go!" – demanded Sephiroth.
The man nodded.
"Why not? You did as I told you. And I am a man of my word."
Sephiroth looked a little relived. Mother…
The sword pierced through Jenova´s chest and Sephiroth screamed.
"Mother!" – screamed Sephiroth.
Arthur laughed. He was enjoying this moment. Gods knew that he wanted to this for a long, long time. How he hated the bloody commander. How he hated the man that he had once called friend. Too many good people had died against the giants.
"Die, wench." – murmured Arthur.
Jenova looked at her son and said: "Sephiroth…"
The man took the sword and showed the bloody weapon to the boy.
"You are next, lad." – said Arthur.
Sephiroth wanted to cry and to hug his dieing mother.
"I said stop crying!"
The man let his mother fall on the floor and stepped on her. Sephiroth looked behind him and saw the watchman's sword. He had to pick up that sword and kill that murderer.
He started running towards the sword and grabbed the hilt. Arthur laughed at the pitiful attempt of the kid.
"You are too weak, lad… too weak."
Sephiroth tried with all his strength to pick up the sword.
"You can't be weak."
He couldn't pick the sword up. It was too heavy.
"You won't be weak."
He was trying, but the sword was too heavy.
"You have to be strong, so that you won't die like your father."
He made a promise. He had to pick up the sword and avenge his mother.
But he couldn't… the sword was too heavy. Arthur kicked Sephiroth, and the boy fell on the floor.
"Nice try, kid." – mocked Arthur.
The thug's sword pierced Sephiroth´s belly and the child screamed in pain.
The pain was burning his flesh. He was dieing. He had failed his mother… he had broken his promise.
"Mother…" – mumbled Sephiroth.
He looked at the man that had murdered his mother and then closed his eyes. He was dieing… he had failed his mother.
Death was approaching, ready to take his life.
Darkness came.
But suddenly a small bright light appeared and pushed the darkness away.
He was still alive. He opened his eyes and saw the face of a young woman. He recognised her. She was a Cleric of Ilmater. Her name was…
"Sephiroth! It's me… Aeris." – said the young woman.
He was still alive. Yet the darkness had remained in his soul.