Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is owned by Square Enix, this fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.


Chapter 2 – The Fallen

Aerith wakes up every day, same routine. She prepares breakfast, whatever is available. Then she takes a bath, dress up, prepares her flowers and arrange them carefully inside the basket. She always leaves with her cloak on, sells flowers on the streets of Edge, far from her friends' sector.

It's been five days since she haven't seen Sephiroth around. Deep inside her, she was hoping he'll show up today, good thing she hasn't encountered some goons around every time she go home. Though she feels safer when she knows he's observing her from the shadows.

Before heading outside, she glances at her black hooded cloak which she neatly hangs on the clothes rack. It was Sephiroth who gave her the cloak then.

"For me?" she asks bewildered, as she examines the cloak in her hand.

"I thought you might need some form of disguise, especially when you don't want to be seen by your friends." Sephiroth explained, his arms crossed over his chest.

Aerith gave a small smile and gazes up at him.

Sephiroth smirks and said, "The fabric is warm, good enough for the Autumn winds. That'll keep you comfortable while you sell your flowers."

"Thank you… Sephiroth. This will work."

She sighed then smiled as she pulls it from the rack and wears it. "There… that wasn't so bad." She said to herself out loud, she then picks up her flower basket and went on her way. It's another beautiful day and she gets to sell quite a lot of her flowers today too, but something seems amiss.

Sephiroth is still not on his usual spot in the alley. It's always like that every day, he always stays where he is engulfed in the shadows, silently observing her as she sells her flowers. He says it's his way of protecting her from some forms of danger, if there's any, even if she's walking home. There was this one time when she thought she's all alone and were approached by goons. Then out of nowhere, Sephiroth appeared and give them all a beating. From then on, she knows that Sephiroth just lurks somewhere, and she can always feel it since. However, It's now the sixth day, and yet he's still not… anywhere.

In a surge of worry as he's the only companion she has for the past days since they've returned, she tried to ask around. Sephiroth may be lurking in the shadows, but there's no way for others not to see him occasionally. She approached a nearby vegetable vendor who sells some potatoes on a mat near an alley.

"Hello, would ya like to buy some potatoes? They're fresh and came from our own garden."

"Oh, I'm sorry, perhaps later. I just came here to… uhmmm… ask a question if I may."

"Sure, ask away young lady!"

"Have you seen a man, about this tall and has beautiful long silver hair. He always wears black and his face… has some scars on it." Aerith paused as she remembers how scars marred the once beautiful face of the lone SOLDIER.

The vendor tries to think and simply shrugs his shoulders, "I 'aven't seen the guy ya talkin' about. I'm pretty sure if I 'ave seen 'im, I'll remember 'im. Given your description, he's definitely not anything normal lookin'."

"You're right. Well thank you, I'll be on my way then to ask some more people."

"Good luck!"

Aerith thanked the vendor as she waved him goodbye. She tried asking some random bystanders, passersby, the waiter in a nearby diner, the fruit vendor.

"Hmm… judging by the looks of the person you're looking for, I can say he's not pretty common. Why don't you try asking around the bar down 7th street? A lot of people stay there you know, perhaps some patriots of that bar or the sexy bartender know something. All kinds of people go there anyway."

He's talking about Seventh Heaven! No way I'm going in there…

"I'll keep that in mind sir, thank you." Aerith waved him goodbye as she tries to scan the central square, growing more and more worried for her silver haired companion.

Sephiroth… where are you?

As she contemplates on where to start asking or looking for Sephiroth, she feels a light tap on her shoulder. She nervously glances and saw a young woman with red hair and in pigtails.

"Hi, I've heard you're looking for a man with long silver hair." The red headed young woman said with a smile.

"Y-yes… I am." Aerith uttered with a nod. "Do you perhaps know where he is?"

The young woman shakes her head lightly and replied, "I don't know where he is or where he stays. Are you his girlfriend?"

Aerith shakes her head lightly and said, "No, we're just…" she paused as she remembers the time he impales her with his Masamune."…friends."

"I see… does he have a girlfriend?"

"Not that I know of… I think he doesn't have."

"That's great!" the girl said with a relief. "I'm sorry for asking too many questions, anyway, you can try asking that bunch of ladies over there."

Aerith follows the direction with her gaze and saw three young ladies about her age, chitchatting in a nearby café.

"Them?" Aerith clarified.

"Yes, those girls always have eyes for him trying to get his attention. Perhaps their stalker tendencies will be able to help you."

Stalker huh…? Didn't know Sephiroth was able to catch some attention.

"Alright, I'll ask them. Thank you for your help." Aerith bows her head in gratitude as she started on her way to approach the three young women.

"Wait!" the lady called out to her. Aerith glances back warily.

"If…" the girl blushes before speaking up again. "If you ever find him… let me know okay? I'm kind of worried too, he's not on his usual spot."

"Sure… I'm just curious. You also know where he always stands?"

"Uh-huh… you know he's quite good looking despite the scars on his face. His eyes are so beautiful too… It's a kind of look which I find very unusual, he's a very beautiful man in my opinion."

Aerith smiled, "Do you have a crush on him?"

The girl blushed even more, "J-just let me know when you find him okay? Till then… see you around miss" she waved goodbye at Aerith and went back to her flower stand.

Wow… someone likes Sephiroth. I better tease him about it once I find him.

She started walking towards the three ladies, who looks quite well off. She takes a deep breath and excused herself. "Hello, may I ask a question?"

A pretty young lady with blonde hair and blue eyes looks at her with a smile and said, "Sure."

"Have you seen a man this tall with long silver hair, wears black and have scars on his face?"

"Oh!" This time it was the brunette bob who reacted. "Why are you asking, are you his girlfriend?"

Aerith shakes her head and said, "N-no. I'm just a friend."

"That's a relief. Well, before we answer your question, we'd like to know something first." This time it was the lady with long black locks who speaks up.

"Sure."

"Is he seeing anyone?"

"Not that I know of… I guess he doesn't have anyone yet."

The girls all squealed in delight much to Aerith's dismay.

"Okay, sorry about that. Well, as you can see, we like him so much, we're like his fans and we created an exclusive fans club just for him."

Aerith raised a questioning brow. "Fans… club…?"

"The Silver Phantom. That's what we call our group."

"Okaay…" Aerith mumbles clearly uninterested.

"Anyway, just like you… we don't know where he is. Though no one really escapes our stalking tendencies, this beautiful man is pretty elusive. Thus, the word phantom best describes him."

The girls were about to say more about their obsession when Aerith excused herself and walks away from them as the ladies continued their delusive topic about Sephiroth.

Wow… Sephiroth manage to earn some delusive fans.

She sighed exasperatingly. Well, I guess I just have to head home, I hope tomorrow he'll be back.

As she wears her hood, she felt a light tap on her elbow, she glances warily and saw an old woman in some shabby clothes who warmly smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"I heard you're looking for a man with silver hair." The old woman said timidly.

"Yes, I am. Do you happen to know where he is?" Aerith asked politely.

The old woman nods and said, "Yes, he's staying with me. Are you his friend?"

Aerith smiled and replied with a nod, "Yes I am."

"That's good… I really think he needs someone to take care of him. Come follow me."

Aerith notes the sympathy in the old woman's voice.

"What's your name my dear?" the old woman asked her, breaking her away from her deep thoughts.

"I'm Aerith, what about you?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Josephine, you can just call me Josie or whichever you prefer as long as it's me." The old woman answered with a chuckle. Aerith chuckled softly, she's beginning to like the kindhearted grandma.

They walk quite a long way and Aerith notes that they were headed to the dilapidated parts of MIdgar. The sun doesn't shine much brighter here, in fact some parts were shrouded in shadows of the debris of the pillars and the upper plate. These parts of Midgar were totally wrecked, she wonders which sector was this.

"Here we are!" Josephine exclaimed in delight, pulling Aerith out of her reverie. She noticed the spot where Josie is heading, she almost cried at the thought that the old woman fends for herself in this place. Some kind of indescribable pain tugs at her chest to know that this is where Sephiroth stays too, for how long, she doesn't know. Has he been staying here since the day they've returned?

Josephine headed towards a makeshift shelter made of rubbles, blankets, tires, metal pipes, pieces of worn out wood and whatever is available around. An old thin blanket acts as a curtain to the single entrance. Just right outside the shelter is a makeshift kitchen made of worn down hollow blocks arranged in a way to make it a stove, a pot is on it. There were burnt coals underneath the pot, and on the side is like a makeshift countertop made of flat wood, probably where she prepares her meals.

Sephiroth could've done all this, there's no way Josie could've arranged everything in this shelter. Aerith thought to herself.

"Dearie, I'm home, it's too dark in here, you closed the lamp again. You really like living in the darkness don't you?" Josie called out to someone inside the shelter, leaving her shoes outside, she lit the gas lamp and beckons for Aerith to come inside. Aerith left her shoes and basket of flowers outside as well, she noticed that the floor of the shelter were made of flat wood pieced together and covered with either old newspapers or torn cloth. It was dark inside, no windows at all, without the gas lamp you won't see anything inside. It's pretty small as well, they have to crouch and bend to move around.

"There you are my dear…" Josie said as she tries to point the lamp in the figure on the makeshift bed, curled up in the corner, back turned against them. Aerith hitches a breath as she tries to suppress a sob. The once powerful man of Shinra, is all curled up like a helpless boy inside this dark and small shelter. She can't explain how she feels as she stays silent behind Josie.

"My dear, I brought someone with me today. I saw her asking everyone about you, she was so worried so I thought I'll let her come with me so she can see you. I'll just prepare some dinner, go talk to her will you? It's nice to have people care and worry about you." Josie placed the gas lamp on a corner as she smiled at Aerith and excused herself. She went outside to prepare some meals as Aerith was left speechless, still trying not to cry, just observing Sephiroth's curled up form.

After what felt like hours, Sephiroth sighed, removes the blanket from him and sat up, his back still facing Aerith.

"Hey… It's good to know you let her take care of you. I'm glad someone's out there looking after you." She said softly.

"She insisted, so I let her. She told me she misses her grandson who died in the ruins of Midgar. She has no idea that her grandson died… because of me. I tried to tell her, but she won't listen, she says how we're all victims of Meteor. If only she knows who I am, what a monster I am perhaps… she won't be as forgiving. She won't even bother taking care of me." Sephiroth said with remorse, palpable sorrow and guilt hinted from his tone of voice. Aerith moved closer and puts a hand on his shoulder.

"You know that's not true Sephiroth… you're not a monster."

"Stop turning a blind eye Aerith… or have you totally forgotten what I did to you?" he replied without looking.

Aerith remembered her death and said, "I've hated you, yes… but it didn't have to end there. I learned to try and take the first step towards forgiveness… You should do too, learn to forgive yourself Sephiroth."

"I am not you…"

"Jenova… lets you do all these."

"She didn't… for me she was just a tool I used to extract my vengeance. Jenova never overpowered me, I controlled her. I am responsible and accountable for everything. This is the punishment I deserve, to live each day in the face of my fallible judgment, and drown in my own self-condemnation for eternity."

"Please… stop condemning yourself! I believe that everyone deserves a chance no matter how grave their mistakes are. You are not an exception so please… please don't be too hard on yourself." Aerith protests as tears started to pour down her cheeks.

"You did not live the life I did Cetra. You were not fed lies, you were free and I was not. You can never fathom my reasons. My life was not mine from the beginning… everything was planned out for me, Cloud was never the puppet… it was I."

Aerith scoots closer to him and embraced him from behind, "Life may not always turn out the way we wanted it, but you have to always think… everything's going to be alright. I am here for you okay? I want you to know that, I will help you find your mother."

Sephiroth touched her hand and looked back on the day when he first believed in her, the time he helped Aerith and her mother escaped from the hellish grasps of the Shinra Laboratory, nineteen years ago.


A/N: Thank you Nomie433 for the fave and follow. Hope you all enjoy this chapter, please R&R!