Chapter 9
Time to Train...
Time passed at first rather slowly for Sephiroth, images flashing in his mind even as he slept, his entire childhood such as it had been reminding himself that even he had once been prey to failure for however short. Above all though, the voice of the one who had helped him whenever he felt that it was too much to handle... Her voice telling him things would be fine, that all would work out as it was supposed to. That it was only for a little while longer and then he could take his revenge. Her presence when she took over his small body while the professors worked at researching what made him the way he was. As he listened, he felt somehow that the female's voice was still there... the memories began to fade away but she remained... Slowly he opened his eyes, emerald green flickering uncertainly, flinching slightly at the pure brightness that surrounded him, his voice soft even to him, unused to being used anymore.
"W... what... happened?"
Laughter invaded his mind, the same voice he had heard as a child, a new memory flashing in his mind, Nibelheim burning down, the sounds of screams invading his senses, and then... Her.. Her voice calling to him, his plans, and the boy... the blonde-haired boy who had dared to defy him.
"I will kill him!"
This he uttered aloud, his tone filled with an anger that could never have been described.
"I will destroy him for what he has done."
Another voice speaking to him, so gentle, such a tender tone, the voice belying the very words that were spoken.
"Wait a while... you are not ready yet my son... and he must not yet be killed... you will find him useful soon enough."
Emerald green flickered into full life then, fury radiated in his expression.
"Who are you that calls me son?"
He spun round trying to locate place the voice had come from, but all was green, the colour of his eyes reflected back at him.
"Show yourself!"
Laughter once more invaded him as the response came.
"I am here Sephiroth... Within you... The time for revenge... no... the time to make all your dreams and desires... is now. First however you must begin to practice, your body is weak from misuse over these past years."
He could almost sense the smile as she continued,
"You have been very lazy my son, but we will fix that now... are you ready to train?"
He shook his head slowly, trying to understand what was happening, she was... his mother... Jenova... but Jenova was dead was she not? He had not found her in that casing which stated it held her. Yet, if she was dead, how could she be now talking to him? Slowly he stood up, agony shooting through every muscle in his body, unsteadily he unsheathed Masamune, strangely the blade felt no heavier than usual, perhaps because he had been trained to use it for so long... or perhaps the healing cells in his body had already begun their usual work. He nodded carefully, already he could feel new strength at work within him, but Jenova was right, if he was to win the final battle he would need to be stronger... so much stronger.
It was almost a year before his Mother deemed him ready to go back out into the world. More powerful than even before he floated upwards, out of the lifestream, had anyone still been there they might have noticed his form rising triumphantly onto the bridge where his last acts had been performed, but no one was...
Strangely perhaps, the town itself was not deserted, in fact it was as though the town had never been destroyed in the first place. There were people claiming to have lived here for years, yet none knew the name of Sephiroth, nor even seemed to recognise him, yet... had they lived here then... surely they would never have forgotten? Sephiroth began to feel rather strange surrounded by these people who seemed to have forgotten his very existence. Had it all been a dream? Perhaps he had amnesia? No... Her voice in his head relieved him of that fear, it HAD all happened, these were not the same villagers who had lived here those few years ago... merely people hired from Shin-ra to make it look less suspicious. The very thought of that name was enough to cause Sephiroth to feel the desire for revenge. Swiftly now, he began to head out of the by now forgotten town, his first task... was to get to the Shin-ra Headquarters... that, Jenova informed him, was where she was being kept prisoner against her will... he was to use any means necessary to free her.
Slowly... Sephiroth smiled. It would be a pleasure.
Time to Train...
Time passed at first rather slowly for Sephiroth, images flashing in his mind even as he slept, his entire childhood such as it had been reminding himself that even he had once been prey to failure for however short. Above all though, the voice of the one who had helped him whenever he felt that it was too much to handle... Her voice telling him things would be fine, that all would work out as it was supposed to. That it was only for a little while longer and then he could take his revenge. Her presence when she took over his small body while the professors worked at researching what made him the way he was. As he listened, he felt somehow that the female's voice was still there... the memories began to fade away but she remained... Slowly he opened his eyes, emerald green flickering uncertainly, flinching slightly at the pure brightness that surrounded him, his voice soft even to him, unused to being used anymore.
"W... what... happened?"
Laughter invaded his mind, the same voice he had heard as a child, a new memory flashing in his mind, Nibelheim burning down, the sounds of screams invading his senses, and then... Her.. Her voice calling to him, his plans, and the boy... the blonde-haired boy who had dared to defy him.
"I will kill him!"
This he uttered aloud, his tone filled with an anger that could never have been described.
"I will destroy him for what he has done."
Another voice speaking to him, so gentle, such a tender tone, the voice belying the very words that were spoken.
"Wait a while... you are not ready yet my son... and he must not yet be killed... you will find him useful soon enough."
Emerald green flickered into full life then, fury radiated in his expression.
"Who are you that calls me son?"
He spun round trying to locate place the voice had come from, but all was green, the colour of his eyes reflected back at him.
"Show yourself!"
Laughter once more invaded him as the response came.
"I am here Sephiroth... Within you... The time for revenge... no... the time to make all your dreams and desires... is now. First however you must begin to practice, your body is weak from misuse over these past years."
He could almost sense the smile as she continued,
"You have been very lazy my son, but we will fix that now... are you ready to train?"
He shook his head slowly, trying to understand what was happening, she was... his mother... Jenova... but Jenova was dead was she not? He had not found her in that casing which stated it held her. Yet, if she was dead, how could she be now talking to him? Slowly he stood up, agony shooting through every muscle in his body, unsteadily he unsheathed Masamune, strangely the blade felt no heavier than usual, perhaps because he had been trained to use it for so long... or perhaps the healing cells in his body had already begun their usual work. He nodded carefully, already he could feel new strength at work within him, but Jenova was right, if he was to win the final battle he would need to be stronger... so much stronger.
It was almost a year before his Mother deemed him ready to go back out into the world. More powerful than even before he floated upwards, out of the lifestream, had anyone still been there they might have noticed his form rising triumphantly onto the bridge where his last acts had been performed, but no one was...
Strangely perhaps, the town itself was not deserted, in fact it was as though the town had never been destroyed in the first place. There were people claiming to have lived here for years, yet none knew the name of Sephiroth, nor even seemed to recognise him, yet... had they lived here then... surely they would never have forgotten? Sephiroth began to feel rather strange surrounded by these people who seemed to have forgotten his very existence. Had it all been a dream? Perhaps he had amnesia? No... Her voice in his head relieved him of that fear, it HAD all happened, these were not the same villagers who had lived here those few years ago... merely people hired from Shin-ra to make it look less suspicious. The very thought of that name was enough to cause Sephiroth to feel the desire for revenge. Swiftly now, he began to head out of the by now forgotten town, his first task... was to get to the Shin-ra Headquarters... that, Jenova informed him, was where she was being kept prisoner against her will... he was to use any means necessary to free her.
Slowly... Sephiroth smiled. It would be a pleasure.
