Notes: Thanks to Kaze and Lisa for the plot help! I hope the Kisaragis came out alright. I've never written for Godo, and I haven't written for Yuffie as a child.
Chapter Four
Yuffie knew that she was not supposed to be out in the middle of the night. She should be in bed, asleep. But she was bored. She had been bored out of her mind all day, kept at the palace when she wanted to go to the town and explore. Of course they had gotten word that two SOLDIERs would be coming to inspect the restoration attempts, and she was curious! People around her always said that the SOLDIERs were monsters, demons sent from the wicked Shinra organization. She wanted to know if they looked like ordinary men. But her father had forbidden her to go chasing after them, and he had made certain that her usual escape attempts were thwarted.
She had been going to try sneaking out now and finding the inn where they were staying, but getting drenched in all this rain did not sound fun. It was the heaviest storm Wutai had gotten in a while. Some of the people in the court were saying it was because the SOLDIERs were in the country. That sounded silly to Yuffie. Not that she thought them being there was a good thing, but to think that they were the reason for the rain? That was just weird.
She was still debating braving the weather when she heard heavy breathing. She froze, reaching into her sleeve for a small shuriken. Someone was coming up the stairs. At least, that was the direction where the sound was, but there was not any silhouette of a person. What was the explanation for that? Frowning, she moved closer to the staircase, keeping to the shadows.
Her eyes widened in shock at the ragged figure. Whoever he was, he was trying to drag himself up the stairs. His clothes were in tatters. Even his gloves were all but there. Once-strong hands now were cracked and bleeding. The long, silvery hair was matted with blood and dirt and various pieces of what looked like wood splinters and plaster. Not to mention some of it was singed. As some of the extensive locks fell away from his back, the raw and sore flesh was revealed through the torn fabric of his coat. Whatever he had come through, it looked horrible.
He could not even answer when she demanded to know what had happened. His green eyes stared at her slippers, filled with indescribable pain and torment. And he was going limp. Was he dying?
Her heart was racing. What should she do? Should she call for help? She could not do anything for him when he was still half on the steps. And she would not know what to do, anyway. She had never even seen someone hurt this bad.
Hearing her father's adviser demanding to know what was going on was a relief, for once. She called back to him, then knelt down beside the battered man and held a hand in front of his face. He was still breathing, at least. Maybe she would be able to find out who he was and why he was at the palace. Had he been coming there on purpose? Or maybe he had just been looking for anyone who would help him.
He was wearing some kind of armor, too. Was he a soldier? He could not be part of SOLDIER, could he? How would a SOLDIER get himself this badly hurt and then end up at the palace?
The emperor was soon coming out of the palace, followed closely by his youngest adviser Koseki. What madness was Yuffie getting into now? She had said something about someone laying out there . . . and there she was, kneeling right beside the man. That could be dangerous, if it was not that the newcomer looked to be at death's door.
Yuffie frowned, hearing him approach, then stop. Turning to look up at him, she was stunned to see that he had froze. He was staring down at the motionless form, his expression far away, as if he remembered the man from some other time.
His lips moved, but she had to strain to hear what he was saying.
"General . . ."
Her eyes widened. "'General'?" she repeated with incredulity. He was not from Wutai. But that would mean that he really was . . .
She stood up, placing her hands on her hips. "Who is this guy?!" she demanded.
Emperor Kisaragi bent down, touching his fingers to the cool neck with care. "Koseki," he said, ignoring his daughter's request, "send for the healers. This man does not deserve death."
Koseki bowed, turning to hasten back inside. Yuffie frowned, watching him go. Her father was acting so strange. If this man was a general, and he had to be from SOLDIER, wouldn't that mean he was the one who had been sent to handle the Wutai rebellion? The country was in a mess because of that war. The emperor was a fair man, but why would he think that General Sephiroth deserved to live?
"Dad! Isn't he our enemy?" she asked, turning back to the scene.
Emperor Kisaragi was silent for an extended moment as he examined the various wounds. His eyes narrowed at the seriousness of many of the injuries. Word had reached the palace not long ago about the deliberate burning of the orphanage and General Sephiroth's apparent death in the flames. It had seemed almost unfathomable, that Sephiroth would meet his end by those means, and yet many died in ways that were surprising. But now here he was, still alive, if only barely.
The general consensus among the people was that it was a good thing for him to be dead. Had he dragged himself to the palace, all the way from where the orphanage had been? There were many homes along that path. And none of those people had been willing to do anything for the man? With attitudes such as those, maybe they had deserved to lose the war.
"Dad!" Yuffie exclaimed again.
He had not forgotten her presence. "We fought on opposites sides of the conflict," he replied at last, "but he is an honorable warrior. The stories that circulate about him are largely untrue." He looked up at Yuffie, his expression sober. "This world needs honorable men, or it will fall."
Yuffie frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. She knew how important honor was to her father. But the thought of an honorable SOLDIER was not something she had heard very often, if at all.
Koseki was returning now, with some of the healers in tow. They were bearing a stretcher, which they set down as they arrived. Yuffie and her father stepped aside to allow them access to the senseless man. Their expressions were grim as they looked him over, temporarily binding his right arm before lifting him by his shoulders and legs. A weak groan passed from his lips, but consciousness was not restored.
"Will he live?" the emperor asked.
The senior healer paused, looking over as they laid the helpless general on the stretcher. "I don't know, Lord Godo," he answered. "He's in serious condition. I'm amazed to see he's lasted this long." He and his colleagues reached down, lifting the canvas by the wooden support beams. The action was jarring, despite how gentle they tried to be, but now the man did not react.
"Oh? You don't know why he has endured?" Godo nodded to himself as he observed. "That is because he is Sephiroth."
Zack ran his hands over his face, pushing the wet bangs away from his eyes as he pressed forward in the rain. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew several scraps of black cloth. There were flecks of red on some of them. Looking at them just made him even more nervous. He frowned, replacing the material in his pocket.
They had given him hope not long ago, when he had climbed to the bottom of the cliff and found them scattered near the rocks. It was further proof of his theory. Seph was alive, he knew Seph was alive! But then the question became, Where had he gone? Not seeing him anywhere in the vicinity was a huge worry. Zack had not thought that Seph would be able to go very far. Now that Seph was not there, he realized just how much he had believed that his friend would be there, laying unconscious just out of view.
He had just stood there for a moment, worrying over what to do next. Seph could have gone in any one of three directions! How would he know what to try first? Time was of the essence. But then Jono had said that he would drive Zack to the edge of town in his truck, that it was the most probable destination Seph would have had in mind. And so Zack had scrambled back to the top.
In his mind, he could still feel the bumping of the vehicle as it had passed over the uneven road.
"You really shouldn't get your hopes up," Jono warned. "Even if General Sephiroth passed this way, he might not have found help. Many of the Wutaian people would be delighted to see the man who conquered their country in a badly wounded state."
Zack played with the seatbelt. With his anxious feelings, he could not keep his hands still. Seph had observed that about him on one of their missions. Zack had not consciously realized it before that, but now it was often crossing his mind when he found himself toying with cups and menus and what have you.
"I know how they were acting," he said. "They didn't want me to help with putting out the fire, and a couple of them were saying stuff like that Ryou shouldn't be upset about Seph dying." He looked to Jono, his eyes pleading. "But they're not all like that, are they? Aren't a lot of them like you and your family?"
Jono sighed. "Not that many, I'm afraid." He kept his eyes on the road. "We aren't very popular in the village."
Zack stared out at the approaching houses. He always tried to think the best of people, but what had been happening in Wutai was making it very hard for him. It was hard to comprehend the sheer magnitude of their loathing. Dismal had been bad, but surely people such as that were in the minority. Wutai was supposed to be a civilized country!
"I know they say awful things," he spoke again, "but if they met right up with Seph and he was so bad off, wouldn't their consciences prick them into helping him?"
Jono pulled on the brake as they arrived at the first home. He did not look hopeful. "The problem, Commander Fair, is that many of these people do not even have a conscience. Or rather, they've forgotten how to listen." Undoing his seatbelt, he reached to open the door. "I'll take the other side of the street."
Zack nodded, following suit. Jono's words were haunting. And they filled him with a horrible sense of panic and dread that he could not stand. As he climbed out and jumped onto the walkway, he forced back those feelings. There had to be some mistake. The villagers could not all be of the caliber who would turn an injured man out into the road. There were so many houses here, most of them lit. Somebody, out of all these, must have taken pity on Seph.
In spite of his concerns, he held such a growing hope as he ran up to the first door. Maybe Seph would be inside, warm and safe, with his injuries tended. Zack would thank the dweller profusely for saving his friend, and he and Jono would help Seph get out to the truck and back to the inn. Unless he needed to stay where he was for the night.
The door opened, revealing a gruff and suspicious man who looked ready for bed. He stared Zack up and down, his expression only darkening as he took in the shoulder armor. "What is it?" he barked, drawing a gun into view.
Zack stepped forward, not intimidated. "Have you seen General Sephiroth?" he asked. "He's really hurt and I need to find him!"
"Did I see him?" growled the other, as he fixed Zack with a look of sheer hatred. "Oh yes, I've seen him. He came right here, half dead, asking for my telephone."
Zack could only stare. The dark tones in the voice said it all. "And you didn't let him use it?!" he cried. The panic and dread began to return.
"Of course not! I told him he should have died, and that I'd do the job myself if it wasn't that I didn't want his blood on my property." He pointed the weapon at Zack. "And I don't want you here, either. You can go follow him into the planet's core." And he slammed the door in Zack's face.
He stared at the door, his heart racing. The emotions coming over him were indescribable. Seph was not dead. Now he had confirmation of it. But knowing that Seph was so badly hurt, and that he had been turned away as he had been struggling to find help, was horrible! Just worrying about it was nothing compared to seeing that it was reality. Still . . . this was only one house. One out of so many. His search was just starting.
He ran ahead, going up the walkway of the next home. Some of the people had to be different. How could all of them really be so cruel and heartless? He caught his breath as he gave a frantic knock at the door.
It was opened by a pretty and young woman in her early twenties. She stared at Zack, as if not knowing what to think.
There was no time for introductions. "Have you seen General Sephiroth?" Zack demanded, his voice urgent.
The dark eyes widened in alarm. Without giving any kind of a response, she shut the door. Behind it, she was affixing the latch.
It was more painful than a physical slap in the face. Zack stepped back, gaping at the small house and the light being extinguished in the window. That girl had seen Seph, alright. Something had flickered in her eyes that said so. But she had not helped him, either. Nor did she want to talk to Zack about it. Jono had said that many of these people were superstitious, believing that the SOLDIERs were bad omens and that to even talk with one would bring strife. She was probably one of them.
And so he trudged away, going to the next house. And the next. The treacherous scene continued to be repeated, all the way to the end of the street. One man even boasted that he had chased Seph away with a rake.
"Imagine, the so-called great SOLDIER General, unable to defend himself against a gardening tool!" he crowed, waving the object in Zack's face. "If he'd just been like that during the war, we wouldn't have lost!"
Zack's heart twisted so tightly it nearly burst. This was it. He could no longer take the inhumanity he was witnessing. "You make me sick!" he screamed. "How can you even call yourself civilized?! Don't you have any conscience at all?"
A laugh was his answer.
Now there was only one house left. Beyond it, the trees and woodland began to thicken. To the other side, a creek ran through the town. Beyond it were the rest of the houses, but the water could not be easily crossed except by a bridge further away. If Seph was not at this place, then what? Where could he have possibly gone in this storm? He would not have gone into the woods . . . would he?
Zack pushed the thoughts out of his mind. Seph had to be here. There was no other explanation.
Going up the walk, he banged on what felt like the hundredth door. And if he felt that way, how had Seph felt, forcing himself to go from house to house and being rejected at every one? He must have felt so alone, to say the least. He would not know what to do, or where to go, and he probably did not even know that Zack was safe. On top of everything else, Seph was likely worrying about him. And that would not help his illness any.
The door opened. An elderly woman was standing there, blinking into the night in confusion. She reminded Zack of his mother in some ways, with her kind eyes and the smell of good food in the kitchen. His heart took hope again.
"Have you seen General Sephiroth?" he pleaded.
A stricken look passed over her features. "Y-yes," she said at last, giving a slow nod. Whatever she knew was not good.
Zack swallowed hard. Had Seph died? "Is he here?" he asked. She had to say Yes. She had to.
She looked him up and down, seeing the genuine worry in his eyes. "No," she answered, her voice hardly above a whisper.
She could not have said that. There was no way. This was the last house, the last chance!
Somehow Zack forced himself back to the present. "Why?" he cried. "Where is he?"
And she broke down in tears, as if her own heart was shattering. "I turned him away," she sobbed. "I . . . I had to. I was afraid of my family being punished by the gods!" She looked up at him again, seeing the disbelief and shock on his features. "I wanted to help him! I did . . ."
Zack could no longer control himself. "Then why didn't you?!" he burst out. "You were his only hope! Where did you think he'd go if you turned him away? He was half-dead!" His voice cracked. In despondence he began to turn aside. "Oh God . . . he was half-dead. . . . Why didn't someone help him? Why didn't anyone . . ."
He felt dizzy now. This was even worse than if Seph had perished in the flames. To think of him suffering, reduced to begging for help as he was refused over and over, and growing more sick and hurt as he struggled to get to each different house. . . .
Somewhere in his mind he was aware of the woman wailing that she was sorry. But he did not acknowledge it. It did not matter. "Sorry" would not save his friend. It would not bring him back, if he was dead now.
He did not even remember walking out of her yard, or trudging across the street to where Jono was coming over to him. Where could he look now? Would Seph have really gone into the woods, or would he have tried to cross the creek? He would already be soaking wet from the rain, and the water in the creek would be ice cold. What if he was laying somewhere, dead because no one would help him? What if he would be alive and well if Zack had only thought to look over the cliff sooner?
What if this was Zack's fault?
"Commander Fair!"
He snapped back to the present. Jono was gripping his shoulders, staring at him with concerned eyes.
"You can't give up hope now!" he scolded. "We know General Sephiroth was alive at least an hour or more ago. And from what I know of him, he wouldn't give up either." Slowly Jono released him, seeing from his widening eyes that the words were getting through. "Why don't we try the inn?" he suggested. "He was no doubt worried about you, and maybe he would go there to see if you were safe."
Zack gave a shaky nod. That was true. It was not that his hope had been altogether destroyed, but that he now did not know where to go to find it. If Seph had enough presence of mind, he would try to get to the inn. That was their best bet. But . . . what if he had been so dazed and hurt by then that he had not known where he was going? What if he would have gone into the trees, without even half-knowing? He did not feel right about not checking there.
"What if he went that way?" he worried, pointing to the dark and mysterious foliage.
Jono followed his gaze, frowning more. "It's possible," he admitted. "But that path leads to the emperor's palace."
Zack swallowed hard. That sounded worse than ever, judging from how things had been going. Would Seph be going into the proverbial lions' den? What if he would be held prisoner and used to barter with Shinra? That had happened to Zack himself, in Dismal. Though he, at least, had not been hurt nigh to the point of death.
"If he went there . . . what would happen to him?" he asked.
Jono sighed. "Emperor Kisaragi is a just man," he said. "I want to tell you that he would help even an old enemy. But his advisors do not all feel the same. If they found the General, they might do away with him and not even tell the emperor about it."
Zack clenched a fist. "I need to check there," he said. "If Seph was so sick by the time he left this place, he might not have even been aware enough to go to the inn. He might've just wandered aimlessly into the woods and passed out somewhere."
Jono nodded. "I see your point," he agreed, his tone grim. "But you'll need a guide to go through the woods at night. Let's check the inn, and if he isn't there, I'll go with you down this path."
Zack looked at him in gratitude. "Thanks," he said with sincerity. "If I was all alone here, without anyone to help me, I probably would've lost my mind a while ago." And what about poor Seph? He really was all alone.
Jono laid a hand on Zack's shoulder as they walked back to the truck. "Maybe someday there won't be so much outlandish fear in Wutai," he said.
Zack gave a weak smile. "Maybe," he replied. "I dunno . . . I guess you have more hope for that than I do right now. If more people here were like you and your family, then I could see it."
"There's always the next generation," Jono mused. "My sister-in-law is raising some choice spirits."
Zack nodded. "They're great kids," he said.
It seemed a melancholy thing, though---if they would have to wait for the next generation to grow up before the hatred and fright began to fade.
The healers did not question their emperor's decision to assist the other army's general. Their assignment was to help sustain life, not to judge. They took their task very seriously, and everything possible that they would have done for one of their own in the same situation, they did for Sephiroth.
With care they removed his armor, and his torn and ragged clothing. The armor could be salvaged. The clothes could not. But that would be the least of the poor man's worries. They would dress him in the very best that they had to offer.
But first they bathed his burned and sore body, removing the soot and the grime that had collected during his dolorous experience. Then his form was lifted out of the tub and laid on two warm towels atop a soft futon as they kindly dried his skin.
Each wound was treated with the utmost consideration, from the wretched lacerations in his arm and on his forehead to the tiny cuts on his hands. Into each they poured a mixture of ointment and herbs, and the deep gashes in his arm were stitched and bound. His back was treated as well, the soothing balm being rubbed over the burns with gentleness before the comforting bandage was applied.
They spent time picking out all the debris that had settled in his hair, as well as trimming out any blackened portions. The rest was washed and wrapped in a towel for the moment. Emperor Kisaragi had given the unusual instruction to not cut off the man's hair, if it was possible to save it. After all, Sephiroth prided himself on it. He did not seem to believe that hair was only a woman's crowning glory.
His body was adorned in fresh underclothing before a plain and dark robe was brought. When he had been helped into it, the towel came away from his hair and the locks were dried and brushed. Then the comforter was pulled up around his shoulders.
Now they stood back, observing with thoughtfulness. They had done all that was possible. The rest was up to him.
The emperor sighed to himself as he walked down the hall. By now the healers should have almost finished with their ritual, and maybe they would have a better idea whether their patient would survive. Though he was not likely to regain consciousness any time tonight. Depending on the extent of the damage, he might remain in his current state for several days.
Then there was the matter of that other man who had came to Wutai with Sephiroth. He needed to be located and told what had happened, but Emperor Kisaragi was hesitant to see to that until he knew that Sephiroth would live. He did not want the SOLDIER to get his hopes up and come, only to discover that his commander was dying or dead. Especially when the reports were that the one who had come was Sephiroth's second-in-command and dear friend.
As he approached the door, he stopped and gave a slight frown. Yuffie was parked outside, her ear pressed against the wood. She was curious as usual, her eyes not displaying the least hint of drowsiness.
"It's late," he chided. "You should be in bed." But though she should have been in bed hours earlier, he found that he could not scold her for that. After all, she had been the one to find the General's body. No one else likely would have gone out in the rain at that hour. And even Sephiroth no doubt would have been dead by morning.
Yuffie pouted. "But I wanna know what's going on in there!" she protested.
"You know that the healers work in silence, unless there is a reason for them to speak," he said. "When they are done, they will open the door and come out. But you mustn't bother the poor man. He needs his rest."
With an exaggerated sigh, Yuffie straightened up and stretched her arms above her head. Then she looked to her father. "Are you really going to let him stay here until he's better, Dad?" she asked. She sounded incredulous, but there was also a trace of something else. Worry, perhaps, or at least concern?
"Or until he is well enough to be moved somewhere else," he replied. "His friend may wish to take him away from Wutai to recover."
Yuffie frowned again. "I don't think your advisers will like him being here," she said.
He gave her a stern look. "Have you heard something?"
She shrugged. "Koseki was mumbling something about Ryuuzaki saying it could make a lot of people get mad at us."
"It could," he agreed in a matter-of-fact tone. "In fact, I don't doubt it in the least."
She stared at him. "And you're not worried?!" she exclaimed. "What if some weirdo even tries to take over himself?"
He had to be a bit amused, but of course he would not show it. Though she had only just turned eight, she was very precocious. Often she would say something that let him know she was paying attention to what happened in the palace, even when she appeared to be bored. Now if she could learn to put her knowledge to better use than discovering new ways to escape. . . .
Now he came back to her question. "Doing the right thing doesn't always come without risks," he told her. "Yes, there is the potential for many things to go wrong by helping General Sephiroth. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't help him."
Yuffie watched him, shifting her weight. "Some people think it'll make the gods mad," she said. She did not believe it, but she was curious to know her father's opinion on the matter.
"To not help someone would make them angrier. Don't you think?"
She shrugged again. "I guess. Those people always say that the SOLDIERS aren't even human, that they're demons."
"But you don't believe that nonsense, do you?"
She crossed her arms on her head, tilting it to the side. "I don't know," she said in perfect seriousness. "I've never met a demon before." She smirked.
He gave her a Look.
"Just kidding!" she put in.
"It isn't a matter for jest," he scolded.
Both came to attention as the door was pushed open and the healers came out. Their expressions and body language displayed their weariness, but it was not clear whether they felt that they had been successful.
The emperor watched with narrowed eyes. "Well?" he asked.
The one in the lead bowed and spoke. "His condition is still serious, Lord Godo," he said, "but he is stable. We will have to wait and see if he will survive."
Godo nodded. "Then we will wait."
Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Yuffie peering into the room through the half-closed door. Sighing to himself, he walked over as well, placing a hand on the doorknob as he glanced inside. Sephiroth was laying silent on the futon, his chest slowly rising and falling as he breathed. The strip of bandage around his forehead was tinted with red, but none of his other injuries were visible. To the side, one healer remained on a mat, where he would watch over the patient for the next hours.
Emperor Kisaragi nodded in approval. The General looked more like himself now. He had been well-tended to.
"Get to bed," he said to Yuffie.
She frowned, moving away from the door. "I'm not tired."
"You have already stayed up far past the time you should." He began to pull the door shut, leaving no room for arguments.
Yuffie sighed, turning to go back up the hall. Then, thinking of something else, she stopped. "What about when he wakes up?" she said. "Can I talk to him then?"
"He won't feel like dealing with your many questions." Closing the door the rest of the way, he stepped back.
"I wouldn't ask that many!" she protested.
He shook his head. "No."
Yuffie frowned, moving to walk off.
This time Godo stopped her. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Good night," she mumbled.
He nodded. "Good night."
She walked toward her room, a mischievous smile beginning to play on her features. She had just been told that she could not ask questions. Her father had said nothing about casually watching the General. So when he was awake, she would pay him a little visit. She would not even have to say anything. She just wanted to see if he really was human.
