Chapter Two-Sephiroth's Narrative
"Well, everyone seems alright. Oh, and Sephiroth, it seems as though someone is missing." Her statement played over and over in my mind. That gentle, innocent voice of hers; hearing it felt like wearing a soft, silk shirt. I remembered the exact words that she said, and thought about what to say to her. I had seen the man down below, when I pulled Tifa up. He had been lying at the bottom; his body twisted into an inconceivable position. I knew there was no way he could be alive. Judging from Tifa's innocence, I could tell that she had never seen a dead body before, and decided not to tell her that the man was dead.
"I know this may sound cold, but we've got no time to look for him. We must keep going." I said. Tifa looked at me with wide eyes. For a moment, I thought she would protest, but she didn't. She simply stared at me with those beautiful, wine-colored eyes.
"A-alright Sir. This way." Her voice was filled with shock, and something that sounded like sympathy for the man who was dead. I liked the fact that Tifa was the guide. I had a very good reason to stare at her. Her long chocolate-colored hair blew in the wind and formed a cape around her small, muscular body. I found myself wondering what it would feel like if I ran my hands through her hair. But I knew she wouldn't allow me to do that. But it was so tempting to touch her long, dark tresses. I found myself reaching out for her hair, and I quickly pulled my hand away, forcing my arm to rest at my side. I silently cursed myself for almost touching her. She would have been angry, to say the least. She lead us into a cave which twisted into several different paths. The walls held a green glow to them. Our footsteps echoed in the once silent cave. Bats flew away at the intrusion and I heard Tifa gasp. She ducked her head and didn't look up until they had flown away. She then walked up a small path in which the stalagmites had overrun. We followed her, and stepped into a room which held a mako fountain.
"Wow. It's so beautiful." Tifa said.
*Not as beautiful as you.* I thought to myself. I didn't dare say that out loud. The rock which shot up from the floor formed a small pool at the top, instead of a sharp point. A strange light surrounded the pool and it was easy to see a rather unsymmetrical, clear form in the center.
"A mako fountain. It's a miracle of nature." I said softly.
"If the mako reactor continues to suck up the energy, this fountain will dry up too..." Tifa's voice trailed off as she stared, almost spell-bound to the mako fountain.
"Materia. When you condense mako energy, materia is produced. It's very rare to see materia in it's natural state." I said. I hadn't noticed that the little grunt in the shinra army and the soldier, Zach, were now standing beside us. I had been so hypnotized by Tifa's voice, that I hadn't noticed that the others were there.
"By the way...why is it that when you use materia, you can use magic also?" Zach asked. I almost laughed at him for asking such a stupid question. I would have expected Tifa to ask that. She probably has no idea how to use materia, yet Zach, who is, in First Class, didn't know that.
"You were in SOLDIER and you didn't even know that?" I asked. Zach blushed and shrugged uncomfortably. Tifa simply chuckled softly.
"The knowledge and wisdom of the ancients is held in the materia. Anyone with this knowledge can freely use the powers of the land and the planet. That knowledge interacts between ourselves and the planet, calling up magic. Or so they say." Tifa looked amazed. Zach looked embarrassed. Tifa's eyes were wide as she stared at me. I suppose she did find that rather amazing, but I didn't. Then again, I had known this most of my life. No doubt that this is the first time that Tifa has heard that.
"Magic...a mysterious power." Zach murmured as he stared at the fountain. His eyes were almost as wide as Tifa's. I thought that if I didn't keep my composure, I would die of laughter at the looks on their faces. But I couldn't help it, so I allowed myself to laugh.
"Did I say somethin' funny?" He asked. I saw him narrow his eyes slightly.
"A man once told me to never use an unscientific term such as "mysterious power". It shouldn't even be called magic. I still remember how angry he was." I said, my laughter subsiding. I did remember how angry Hojo was. That man was so strange; so unlike Professor Ghast.
"Who was that?" Zach and Tifa both looked at me, waiting for an answer.
"Hojo of Shinra Inc...," I explained.
"An inexperienced man assigned to take over the work of a great scientist. He was a walking mass of complexes." I said with bitterness. I hated Hojo. After everything he put me through when I was a child. Using me as though I was some sort of guinea pig. Experimenting on me, abusing me... How could I not hate him?
"A mako fountain. So this is where the knowledge of the ancients is." Tifa's voice was filled with awe. I thought she would have a hard time pulling her eyes away from that fountain to take us to the mako reactor. With luck though, she began to walk away and into another cave. We all followed her quietly. Her long, chocolate-colored hair didn't billow around her like a cape anymore. Instead, it flowed down her back, like a river. It bounced with every step she took. And I didn't mind watching. I was glad she was leading us. At least then, I could look at her without anyone saying anything.
We walked through more caves, but they were all very dark. It was hard to see Tifa. Every minute or so, I could see Tifa look over her shoulder to make sure we were still following her. After about an hour of silent hiking, we stepped out into the blinding sunlight. It was warmer out here, but not much more than the caves.
"We finally made it! We sure took the long way though." Tifa said, panting slightly, trying to catch her breath.
"You should wait her." Zach advised. Tifa stared at Zach, her chin almost hitting the ground.
"I'm going inside too!! I wanna see!" She said, her voice laced with the excitement of a small child. Then again, she was only fifteen.
"Only authorized personnel are allowed in. This place is full of Shinra's industrial secrets." I said, hoping to coax her into waiting patiently outside. She almost protested, though her small mouth was still slightly opened. I was tempted to close that mouth with my own, but I couldn't since Tifa and I were not alone. I looked over at the man in the blue shinra uniform.
"Take care of the lady." I said. He merely nodded his head and gave me a salute. I walked up into the reactor with Zach following me.
"Mmmph!!! Man!! Better take real good care of me then!" She said angrily. That was the last thing I heard her say as I disappeared into the reactor.
Author's Notes: Okay, a lot of the dialogue is straight from the game. I did that intentionally. There is a little more romance, but there should be more in the third or fourth chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little piece. Please read and review!!
"Well, everyone seems alright. Oh, and Sephiroth, it seems as though someone is missing." Her statement played over and over in my mind. That gentle, innocent voice of hers; hearing it felt like wearing a soft, silk shirt. I remembered the exact words that she said, and thought about what to say to her. I had seen the man down below, when I pulled Tifa up. He had been lying at the bottom; his body twisted into an inconceivable position. I knew there was no way he could be alive. Judging from Tifa's innocence, I could tell that she had never seen a dead body before, and decided not to tell her that the man was dead.
"I know this may sound cold, but we've got no time to look for him. We must keep going." I said. Tifa looked at me with wide eyes. For a moment, I thought she would protest, but she didn't. She simply stared at me with those beautiful, wine-colored eyes.
"A-alright Sir. This way." Her voice was filled with shock, and something that sounded like sympathy for the man who was dead. I liked the fact that Tifa was the guide. I had a very good reason to stare at her. Her long chocolate-colored hair blew in the wind and formed a cape around her small, muscular body. I found myself wondering what it would feel like if I ran my hands through her hair. But I knew she wouldn't allow me to do that. But it was so tempting to touch her long, dark tresses. I found myself reaching out for her hair, and I quickly pulled my hand away, forcing my arm to rest at my side. I silently cursed myself for almost touching her. She would have been angry, to say the least. She lead us into a cave which twisted into several different paths. The walls held a green glow to them. Our footsteps echoed in the once silent cave. Bats flew away at the intrusion and I heard Tifa gasp. She ducked her head and didn't look up until they had flown away. She then walked up a small path in which the stalagmites had overrun. We followed her, and stepped into a room which held a mako fountain.
"Wow. It's so beautiful." Tifa said.
*Not as beautiful as you.* I thought to myself. I didn't dare say that out loud. The rock which shot up from the floor formed a small pool at the top, instead of a sharp point. A strange light surrounded the pool and it was easy to see a rather unsymmetrical, clear form in the center.
"A mako fountain. It's a miracle of nature." I said softly.
"If the mako reactor continues to suck up the energy, this fountain will dry up too..." Tifa's voice trailed off as she stared, almost spell-bound to the mako fountain.
"Materia. When you condense mako energy, materia is produced. It's very rare to see materia in it's natural state." I said. I hadn't noticed that the little grunt in the shinra army and the soldier, Zach, were now standing beside us. I had been so hypnotized by Tifa's voice, that I hadn't noticed that the others were there.
"By the way...why is it that when you use materia, you can use magic also?" Zach asked. I almost laughed at him for asking such a stupid question. I would have expected Tifa to ask that. She probably has no idea how to use materia, yet Zach, who is, in First Class, didn't know that.
"You were in SOLDIER and you didn't even know that?" I asked. Zach blushed and shrugged uncomfortably. Tifa simply chuckled softly.
"The knowledge and wisdom of the ancients is held in the materia. Anyone with this knowledge can freely use the powers of the land and the planet. That knowledge interacts between ourselves and the planet, calling up magic. Or so they say." Tifa looked amazed. Zach looked embarrassed. Tifa's eyes were wide as she stared at me. I suppose she did find that rather amazing, but I didn't. Then again, I had known this most of my life. No doubt that this is the first time that Tifa has heard that.
"Magic...a mysterious power." Zach murmured as he stared at the fountain. His eyes were almost as wide as Tifa's. I thought that if I didn't keep my composure, I would die of laughter at the looks on their faces. But I couldn't help it, so I allowed myself to laugh.
"Did I say somethin' funny?" He asked. I saw him narrow his eyes slightly.
"A man once told me to never use an unscientific term such as "mysterious power". It shouldn't even be called magic. I still remember how angry he was." I said, my laughter subsiding. I did remember how angry Hojo was. That man was so strange; so unlike Professor Ghast.
"Who was that?" Zach and Tifa both looked at me, waiting for an answer.
"Hojo of Shinra Inc...," I explained.
"An inexperienced man assigned to take over the work of a great scientist. He was a walking mass of complexes." I said with bitterness. I hated Hojo. After everything he put me through when I was a child. Using me as though I was some sort of guinea pig. Experimenting on me, abusing me... How could I not hate him?
"A mako fountain. So this is where the knowledge of the ancients is." Tifa's voice was filled with awe. I thought she would have a hard time pulling her eyes away from that fountain to take us to the mako reactor. With luck though, she began to walk away and into another cave. We all followed her quietly. Her long, chocolate-colored hair didn't billow around her like a cape anymore. Instead, it flowed down her back, like a river. It bounced with every step she took. And I didn't mind watching. I was glad she was leading us. At least then, I could look at her without anyone saying anything.
We walked through more caves, but they were all very dark. It was hard to see Tifa. Every minute or so, I could see Tifa look over her shoulder to make sure we were still following her. After about an hour of silent hiking, we stepped out into the blinding sunlight. It was warmer out here, but not much more than the caves.
"We finally made it! We sure took the long way though." Tifa said, panting slightly, trying to catch her breath.
"You should wait her." Zach advised. Tifa stared at Zach, her chin almost hitting the ground.
"I'm going inside too!! I wanna see!" She said, her voice laced with the excitement of a small child. Then again, she was only fifteen.
"Only authorized personnel are allowed in. This place is full of Shinra's industrial secrets." I said, hoping to coax her into waiting patiently outside. She almost protested, though her small mouth was still slightly opened. I was tempted to close that mouth with my own, but I couldn't since Tifa and I were not alone. I looked over at the man in the blue shinra uniform.
"Take care of the lady." I said. He merely nodded his head and gave me a salute. I walked up into the reactor with Zach following me.
"Mmmph!!! Man!! Better take real good care of me then!" She said angrily. That was the last thing I heard her say as I disappeared into the reactor.
Author's Notes: Okay, a lot of the dialogue is straight from the game. I did that intentionally. There is a little more romance, but there should be more in the third or fourth chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little piece. Please read and review!!