Koluno1986: Jenova's basically like Mystique from X-Men except she has pale yellow hair instead of red and she falls to bits most of the time (laughs) Thanks for reviewing!
Divine Star: I hope you're genki again! I rewrote a particular piece in one chapter for you because I think you'll like it. I also hope you like this chapter – I put some real thought into it. Also read you're third "Just Us" - very very nice indeed!
Jenova: (has pencil in eye) i...tai... that hurts....
Thanks for reviewing!
Hollowed Shame: Hm – you can email me you're thoughts on what you think will happen if you like – I'm curious. If its what I'm thinking, you might be wrong... (tries to be all mysterious and dark, but fails miserably as Kadaj turns the light on)
Thanks for reviewing!
lionheart614: (falls over laughing) I wish that were so! Thanks for reviewing!
Kadaj: Hee – I'm glad you like this. Thanks for reviewing!
Vindina: (rubs hands in glee) Ooooh I love teh power of the keyboard! (laughs insanely only for a lamp to fall on my head) owwie...
Kadaj: The lamp FELL on her head, I SWEAR!
Thanks for reviewing!
Kitsuni –Demon: Hee – yeah... 'tis a bit sad, but it won't be all bad. Thanks for reviewing!
moogle( ): It won't be all bad – don't worry. I'm not out to kill everyone. (Sephiroth coughs) ahahahaha...
Thanks for reviewing!
Note: Well, just finished watching the whole series of CLAMP's X (1999). Man, but it was incredible stuff. Inspired me a little too. And from listening to the OST a good friend made for me, I'm really motivated to write! (Cracks knuckles and types furiously)
Currently listening to: "The Future's always alone"
Oh, and "Aniki" Elder/big brother.
Bold Italics have changed to flashbacks in this chapter.
Italics are thoughts.
The Advent Child
I remember a time when...
We used to be all together... Like a family.
Sure... we had no mother or father – but...
We had each other.
Isn't that what mattered most?
And for a while... I thought I was the only one.
The only one that... looked like this – had these filthy... genes inside of me that were nowhere close to being human. They made me inhuman.
Which was why this world was not where we belonged.
I thought...
As I watched the three of you grow up so fast –
That I could change the world
For the four of us.
Thanks to mother.
But...
It goes to show...
I really didn't know anything, Kadaj...
"Anikiiii!!! Aniki!!"
It didn't take them very long to adjust to the outside world. In fact, Sephiroth almost believed that they had been waiting for him all along – how they accepted him as their brother without question, evenif their origin was unknown tohim.
Perhaps... it was because when their eyes could see – that his were like theirs – that they suddenly weren't the only ones in the world.
The Planet was never my enemy in the first place..."Aniki?"
I wish things... could go back to the way they were.
Back then... I was happy...
As... I could ever be...
"Kadaj?"
"Aniki! Look look! I found something weird in the shed!"
The six year-old took Sephiroth's hand and tugged on it, the young lieutenant of SOLDIER allowing the child to drag him towards the mentioned shed.
Two other children and a man were there, squatted beside one another and watching something hidden in a tight corner of the shed with intent.
Sometimes – it felt like I had to take care of four children instead of three! "Seph! Kadaj found this moomba here! I think its hurt though..." a raven haired man looked up at the towering lieutenant with a grin and large blue eyes. You... were the only one who knew – Zack...The fire-coloured creature was no more then a cub, its orange-flared fur stuck up like lightening – its yellow eyes wide in fear. It hissed viciously when Sephiroth brought his hand near – biting him sharply the second time. The cub's teeth had barely made a scratch.
Rubbing his hand, Sephiroth nodded, "Zack's right – its injured. I'll get some food and don't –any -"he glanced at Zack, "-including you, touch it, alright?"
After a while, with three pairs of eyes watching like hawks, the cub limped out slowly, sniffing the piece of meat in Sephiroth's hand. Along its side was a large wound, dried blood sticking to its fur.
Sephiroth put the meat down in front of it, giving it space. Yazoo had a hold on Kadaj, whom looked eager to touch it. With a look from Sephiroth, Loz grinned and held onto Zack's arm, since he had the same expression as Kadaj's.
Kadaj sat there for over an hour, watching the tiny creature sleep in the box with fascination in his eyes.
"Kadaj – time for bed." Sephiroth stood over the two, "Let it be for tonight. You can see it tomorrow."
Kadaj leapt to his feet, tugging Sephiroth's coat, "Can we keep it? Can we keep it? Please please please??"
The silver-haired lieutenant chuckled lightly, "I don't see why not. What'll you call it?"
Index finger against his lip, Kadaj thought for a moment, then looked up, "I want you to name it! It not just mine – its yours, Loz's, Yazoo's and Zack's!"
Sephiroth smiled, picking up the child, "I'll think of a good name tomorrow for it – and we'll all decide then."
"Right!"
It didn't last the night.
Sephiroth awoke to the sound of a familiar voice – only it was high-pitched and wailing. He climbed out of bed and hurried to the washroom where he had left the cub.
Kadaj was sitting on the floor, bawling loudly. Sephiroth knelt by him, hands on the child's shoulders. He looked into the box and saw that the cub wasn't breathing anymore. The bandage Sephiroth had used to dress its wound was stained with blood. He guessed that it probably wasn't going to live no matter what he did – but...
Sephiroth felt disappointed.
In a way...
In a way – I actually thought there might've been hope for it to live too. That little hope I had allowed to grow overtime with Zack and my three brothers.
Before...
I had nothing to hope for.
It was well into the evening – long after they had buried it.
Kadaj still hadn't stopped crying, but it wasn't as loud as earlier.
The boy sat alone outside, his short arms wrapped around his knees. His chin rested on top of them. His eyes were on the small fresh mound of earth a few meters from him.
Quietly, Sephiroth walked towards him, slipping off his long coat.
He draped it over Kadaj's shoulders gently and sat down next to him.
"It's getting cold. Will you come inside?"
Kadaj shook his head, his silver hair glinting off the pale moonlight. Sephiroth reached over and laid a hand on his head. His hair was soft – fine to the touch, much like Sephiroth's.
"I'll come back out in a while so, alright?"
He stood up, only for a small, but strong hand to clutch the black fabric of Sephiroth's pants leg.
"Aniki - ?"
Kadaj's throat choked with more tears, and Sephiroth sat back down.
"Will I stay?"
Kadaj, with his forehead on his knees, nodded and sniffled.
Sephiroth watched the sky slowly turn navy, the stars winking brightly at him, leaning back on his hands.
"Kadaj?"
The boy peeked up from his knees, eyes red with salt water. He made a curious sound to acknowledge that he heard him.
"I was going to call it Fire – what do you think?"
"Fire? But... aniki..."
"It looked like it was asleep, didn't it? A very peaceful sleep." He continued, his voice soft.
Kadaj blinked at him, "But... it wasn't moving..."
Sephiroth smiled, "That doesn't mean it wasn't at peace. When you found it, it was frightened and hurt. But – look what we did for it. We couldn't save Fire, but it had you watching it – making sure it wasn't alone."
"Bu- But... If I had watched it for - "
Sephiroth laid a hand on his shoulder, "What matters, is that we gave it a warm place to sleep quietly. Out here it would've died all alone. I once heard a story... that if a soul dies alone, it continues to stay alone, even after it had passed away."
That story... I remember I heard from Zack... back in the battlefield where I had seen so many deaths – and what was the most painful was that I had caused some of them for the sake of something I hated...
"You stayed with Fire, so it knew it wasn't alone. Its soul isn't alone now – thanks to you. Isn't that something you'd want for it?"
Kadaj's mouth had fallen open a little in wonder, unbeknownst that he had stopped crying. The small six-year old laid his hands on Sephiroth's knee, then rested his cheek on it. He held a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Aniki?"
"Hm?"
"Where will it go now?"
Sephiroth laid a hand on Kadaj's back, drawing the black coat over the small body.
"It'll follow the Lifestream. It's where all souls go. It's a place of happiness."
"So – Fire is happy now?" Kadaj looked up expectantly.
"I'm pretty sure."Sephiroth nodded, smiling.
It wasn't before long when he came inside, a sleeping Kadaj in his arms, wrapped in his coat.
Memories like those...
I wish I could've lived in them forevermore.
Of course...
Jenova...
You let me live in those fake dreams of my memories – until I no longer realized what I was doing anymore...
I let you take control... because I wanted to reshape the world for my brothers and I – when I realized what we were made of...
But...
"S...Sephiroth....?"
I'm sorry Kadaj...
"Sephiroth? Sephiroth?!"
I hoped... that you wouldn't turn out like me – that... it's wasn't too late...
"SEPHIROTH!!!!"
I was wrong again...
Ohhhhh man... listening to the X OST really puts the mood right – I'm happy how this turned out.
Anyone want tissues?
Daenis.