Final Fantasy VII: Parallels
Plot synopsis: What if Sephiroth had retained some portion of his sanity after learning the truth of his birth? Genesis becomes the One-Winged Angel. A different take on FFVII.
Author's Note: So, what do you think? Thanks to Littlehouseinthewoods for the encouragement AND the betaing. MUCH appreciated, LH:)
Chapter Eleven
Sephiroth glanced at the wall which 'protected' the citizens of Midgar with barely leashed patience. They were standing outside of the Sector 7 gate, waiting for a friend of Zack's to bring them the key they needed to gain entry to the slums. Zack had sent a text message to a SOLDIER 2nd Class named Kunsel, who supposedly had access to the key they needed. Sephiroth only vaguely remembered the young man, and only because he had seen him with Zack once in the Shinra mess hall. He himself knew virtually nothing about the boy, and that alone was enough to set him on edge. He didn't like that they were relying on a complete stranger for help, but Zack trusted him, and he valued the boy's judgment.
Of course, Zack also saw the best in everyone, Sephiroth reminded himself as he watched the boy in question open his PHS. If this SOLDIER betrayed them, Zack would be hurt, and Angeal's puppy had been hurt enough. Not that Kunsel would live long enough to regret making such a decision. He would have no qualms about killing such a traitor, no matter how much Zack might like him. He could only hope that it would not come to that. They needed allies right now, not more adversaries.
"Yes!" Zack's excited exclamation was hushed as he snapped the phone closed. He raised shimmering violet-blue eyes to his own, those mako-powered bulbs glowing eerily in the darkness, and Sephiroth knew that his own eyes were much the same. "Kunsel's on his way. He's got the key and everything."
"Good." He managed a tight smile even as his hand tightened on the hilt of the Masamune. "You've done well, Zack."
The boy's smile was nearly blinding in the darkness. "Thanks, Seph."
He slanted a sidelong glance at Vincent, whose ruby eyes gleamed as they met his own. The gunner lowered his head slightly, the minute motion going unnoticed by the others, but it was enough. Vincent had correctly interpreted his silent message and would react accordingly, should the situation warrant it.
The former Turk was proving to be an excellent ally. He was remarkably intuitive. Their brief, silent communication was something he had only ever been able to accomplish with Genesis and Angeal. Not even Zack was perceptive enough to read him so completely, and they had known one another for years. As much as he loathed the thought of what Vincent must have gone through at Hojo's hands, he was infinitely grateful that the gunman was here with him now. It would make it that much easier to keep his promise to Zack.
Sephiroth glanced at Cloud, who was standing beside his friend, his expression curiously indifferent. He was doing an excellent job at hiding his emotions, but those astonishingly brilliant eyes betrayed him. Their vivid cerulean depths were filled with apprehension, and Sephiroth realized that for all of his earlier conviction, he was nervous about reentering Midgar. But he understood the risks of the mission far better than Zack believed, and he was as prepared as he could be for them.
Cloud's lack of confidence was glaringly apparent, but only to those who knew what to look for. The slight acceleration of his breathing was a sure sign, as was the slight tensing of his muscles from time to time, as though he were anticipating an attack. His right hand kept creeping to the hilt of the oversized broadsword strapped to his back, and to a man born and bred for the art of combat, that was the most telling gesture of all.
Unlike Zack, who projected a casual front as he fiddled with his phone, Cloud's attention was focused solely on the here and now. Zack might have the attention span of a puppy, as Angeal had claimed several times before giving the boy the nickname, but he was fully aware of his surroundings, only in a more peripheral way. Sephiroth knew that, should circumstances change, the older boy would react with stunning swiftness, going from bored teenager to 1st Class SOLDIER in a matter of seconds.
Cloud lacked that talent, the ability to put on one face while fully concealing another. Sephiroth thought that perhaps it was one of the qualities that had drawn Zack to the younger man in the first place. Zack had learned early on in his days as a SOLDIER cadet to hide his emotions behind his deceptively carefree smiles. Sephiroth himself was one of the few people who could truly read him. Cloud, on the other hand, wore his emotions on his sleeve, his every thought and feeling there in his eyes for the world to see. It was a refreshing change from the battle-hardened SOLDIERS and jaded Shinra executives they were accustomed to dealing with on a daily basis.
For a brief moment, Sephiroth questioned his decision to have the boy trained. While Cloud showed a great deal of promise, he was young, and not merely chronologically. The innocence that seemed to be such an integral part of the boy's personality wouldn't last long on the violent path he had chosen for himself. A part of Sephiroth wondered what gave him the right to strip that innocence away, even as he acknowledged that the boy had the right to live his life as he saw fit. If becoming a SOLDIER was what Cloud wanted, then no one--least of all him--had any right to stop him.
And so he wouldn't, Sephiroth thought as he pushed the atypical uncertainty aside. Cloud Strife had the makings of a warrior--of a SOLDIER 1st Class--and he deserved the chance to become one. Why Director Lazard had refused this boy's entry into the SOLDIER program was a mystery that he would never understand, but it was a mistake that he would correct. Cloud would become a 1st Class, with or without Shinra Inc.
Still, the boy from Nibelheim had a long way to go before he would be good enough to be considered 1st Class. He would watch over him, personally oversee his training, and he would make damn sure that the boy survived whatever Shinra threw at them. It was the very least he could do for the young man who had lost so much because of his actions.
Sephiroth sighed soundlessly as memories of Nibelheim rose up to mock him. He had been arrogant in his dealings with Genesis, much too sure of himself and his own unmatched abilities. He had been so certain that he could stop Genesis--and Jenova--that he had not taken the proper precautions. He had known what to expect; Jenova had shown him what would happen to Nibelheim. Stupidly, he had believed that preserving his own sanity would be enough to alter the course of events, at least enough to preserve the lives of Nibelheim's citizens.
He had been wrong. He hadn't expected Genesis to strike so quickly, nor to murder the innocent inhabitants of Nibelheim with such glee. He had honestly believed that he would be able to stop his former friend, which he now knew would have been impossible. Genesis had searched for his goddess for years, first through an unknown playwright, then through a being whose origins Sephiroth was quite certain would remain forever unknown. Something had been missing in Genesis, a flaw that had turned out to be fatal for those he claimed to care for--the ability to truly love anyone other than himself. While Sephiroth knew that he had cared for Angeal, that hadn't stopped him from revealing the truth behind both of their births, and tainting their friendship with his own need for vengeance.
He made a rough sound as his memories continued to haunt him, withdrawing further into himself. He had turned down several missions after Genesis' and Angeal's defections, unable to put himself in a position that would require that he end their lives. And in the end, Zack and Cloud had been forced to pay the price for his own cowardice. Zack had been forced into a battle with Angeal, one he'd had no choice but to win in order to save his own life. As for Cloud. . .
He winced as the inferno that Nibelheim had become flared brightly in his mind. No good could from reliving that--for any of them.
Movement from his right pulled him from his pain-filled reverie. He saw that Zack had shifted closer, lines of concern etched into his young features. He shook his head negatively, unable to produce even the smallest of smiles for his charge. This was neither the time nor the place for his futile thoughts, nor for discussing them. Genesis was dead, and his 'goddess' along with him. Sephiroth still didn't believe that Genesis' goddess truly existed, although the mere existence of Jenova was enough to make him question his own beliefs. If alien beings could and did exist on Gaia, then why not an obscure, ancient goddess which protected The Planet?
Zack continued to watch him, and he tensed as he waited for the inevitable inquiry over his welfare. The boy surprised him by smiling crookedly and bumping his shoulder with his own, much as he the night before. Sephiroth looked down at him, his expression unconsciously softening, grateful that the puppy was sensitive enough to both discern and respect his reluctance to speak. There was much to be done this night, and he was damned tired of reliving the past, no matter how relevant it might be to present circumstances.
Footfalls sounded in the distance, the sound nearly inaudible in the still night air. Only his enhanced hearing, compliments of years of mako treatments, allowed him to correctly interpret the sounds as footfalls. Not one set of feet but two, Sephiroth quickly discerned, both heading in their direction. He closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated, separating the two similar yet uniquely distinct sounds. Although both people were moving swiftly and inevitably closer, one set of feet hit the ground forcefully, while the second were lighter and slightly more rapidly paced, telling him that one man weighed less than his companion.
Sephiroth opened his eyes and slanted a glance at Zack, who nodded quickly and moved closer to the door. He had also heard the sounds of movement, and his delighted expression said that he recognized both footfalls, and was pleasantly surprised. Sephiroth sighed to himself, wondering who the second person could possibly be, and why Zack hadn't warned him of this possibility.
Then, the Gate to Sector Seven began to slide open, and it ceased to matter. He drew the Masamune and held it out before him, wanting its intimidating seven-foot length to be the first thing that greeted their new 'friends'. Zack looked at the up the length of the long-sword that had suddenly appeared beside him, blinking as he met his hero's menacing gaze. He took a hasty step back, then another, just to be safe. If Sephiroth wanted to fuck with his friends, he could. He sure as hell wasn't going to stop him!
A beautiful young woman with burnished brandy eyes stood beside a tall man in a 2nd Class inform, one corner of her rosebud lips curled into a sardonic half-smile, as she completely ignored the legendary long-sword aimed at her throat. Zack could only stare with greedy eyes as she reached up with one deceptively delicate hand and brushed a lock of wavy auburn hair out of those eyes. "You look surprised to see me, Zack," she said in lieu of greeting. "Any particular reason?"
Damn, he'd forgotten how hot Cissnei was, even in that ugly blue suit. Bad Zack, he admonished himself sharply. You've already got a girlfriend, dumbass. Remember Aerith? Flowers, the church, that pink ribbon. That long-ass list you never read. Zack winced at the reminder of the note that sat nestled in his pocket, still folded and unread, and cleared his throat loudly.
"Hey, Cissnei," he returned, unable to stop the slow smile that always crept across his lips at the sight of a beautiful girl. "What are you doing here?"
Cissnei tilted her head to one side, those whiskey-colored eyes crinkling just a little as her own smile widened. "Just came to see what my favorite SOLDIER was up to," she said lightly.
Zack laughed a little, embarrassed, as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, you see, it's like this. . ."
The sound of a gun being cocked echoed through the silence. He whirled around, one hand flying to the hilt of the Buster Sword, only to find Vincent training that oversized goth-gun on Cissnei. "Whoa, what the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded angrily.
"She's a Turk," Vincent said in a dark, velvety voice that promised death.
Zack glanced at Sephiroth, who had yet to take his eyes off of either new arrival, and quickly placed himself in front of Cissnei. "Turk or not, she's a friend of mine, Vincent. Back off," he added in an uncharacteristic snarl.
Sephiroth merely sighed and lowered Masamune, though he didn't put it away. "Stand down, Vincent," he ordered in a quiet voice. "We will determine soon enough whether the girl is a threat or not."
Vincent holstered the gun in swift motion. "As you wish, Sephiroth."
Cid cackled as he lit yet another cigarette. "Overreact much, Vamp?"
Although his expression never changed, Vincent's ruby eyes narrowed ever so slightly on the pilot. He refrained from speaking, wishing that the other man would follow his example, and do the same. Cid merely laughed again and continued to smoke, acting though he hadn't a care in the world. Vincent turned away from him, focusing his attention on Lucrecia's son, where it belonged.
The 2nd Class SOLDIER, who had remained silent throughout all of this, reached up with slow motions and removed his helmet. He tucked it under one arm, holding his body rigidly as he saluted. "SOLDIER 2nd Class Kunsel, reporting for duty as ordered, General."
Sephiroth lifted one silver brow at that. "At ease, Kunsel." He shifted to one side, the Masamune catching and reflecting the moon's light as it moved with him. "Now, tell me why you brought a Turk to this meeting."
It was a demand, not a question, and Kunsel swallowed hard in instinctive response. "I didn't have much of a choice, sir. Cissnei was with me when I got Zack's--Lieutenant General Fair's--message."
"You and Cissnei?" Zack blinked, his surprise obvious. "Damn man, you're braver than I am."
Kunsel merely shook his dark head. "It wasn't like that, Zack. Cissnei's been helping me keep an eye on your girl and--"
"Aerith!" Zack broke in, his violet-blue eyes widening in alarm. "Has something happened? Is she all right?"
"She's fine, Zack." Cissnei crossed her arms over her chest as she explained, "The President ordered the Turks to watch over the Ancient, in case you tried to contact her. Tseng gave the job to me. Kunsel's been watching over her, too, so I thought I'd make myself known. We've been. . . cooperating ever since."
"The girl is a Cetra?" Sephiroth questioned sharply.
The Turk nodded slowly as she met his cold green gaze. "Aerith Gainsborough is the last Ancient left on The Planet." Those whiskey-bright eyes shifted to Zack. "Didn't you know?"
Zack hesitated, his mind replaying every conversation he'd had with Aerith over the last two years. "She's mentioned that The Planet speaks to her, but I never really understood what that meant. I guess, I'm not really surprised. Aerith has always been," different, "special."
"Yeah," Kunsel said with smile, "after seeing those flowers she grows, I kinda understood what you meant when you first told me that."
Zack nodded enthusiastically, his gravity-defying spikes waving frantically with the motion. "Yeah, she's something else," he said, his affection apparent.
Kunsel glanced past him, his pale blue eyes touching on Vincent and Cid before landing on Cloud, who was doing his best to remain invisible--as usual. "Hey, Cloud," he called out, lifting his hand in a friendly wave.
Cloud's bright blue gaze darted from the other boy's to Zack's. His friend only smiled and waved him forward. He suppressed a sigh as he forced his unwilling feet to move. He didn't know Kunsel all that well, but he'd always seemed pretty nice. He didn't know Cissnei at all, but he'd seen her talking to Zack a few times, so he knew they were friends. She was pretty enough, but she was also a Turk, and probably couldn't be trusted. He hoped Zack knew what he was doing here.
He shuffled to a stop beside Zack and managed a smile, knowing that it was what his friend expected. "Hi, Kunsel," he said in a low, nearly inaudible voice.
"Good to see you again, kid," the older man said, gesturing with one gloved hand to the girl beside him. "This is Cissnei, Turk extraordinaire. Cissnei, Cadet Cloud Strife."
"Hell no, man. Cloud's no cadet anymore." Zack grinned widely as he announced, "Chocobo Boy is being trained as a 1st Class by yours truly."
"Really?" Kunsel grinned at that. "Too cool, Fair. Congrats, kid."
Cloud's cerulean eyes narrowed at the epithet. "Yeah, thanks," he muttered disgruntledly. He didn't know which he hated more, being called a kid, or being compared to a damned Chocobo! He glanced at Cissnei and said, "Nice to meet you."
"The puppy has a student?" Cissnei questioned with mock horror. "What's this world coming to?"
Zack heard Sephiroth's quiet chuckle behind him and scowled darkly. Gawd, but he hated that nickname! "I'm not a dog," he mumbled. "I don't know why Angeal had to choose that of all things to compare me to."
Kunsel raised one eyebrow as he ran a hand through his short black hair. "I'm sure I have no idea," he said facetiously, causing Cloud to giggle.
"Ahem." Sephiroth cleared his throat politely. "Zack, we are here for a reason, are we not?"
"Wha--oh, right. You got that key, man?"
"Yeah, here it is." The 2nd Class pulled the key out of his supply pack and handed it over. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Zack? I know you miss her, but--"
"It's cool," Zack cut in. "We're prepared."
"I hope so," Kunsel returned quietly."She's waiting for you but. . . you're wanted now, you know?"
Zack shrugged once. "Yeah, I know." He drew a deep breath and pasted a smile on his face. "So, what's the word?"
Kunsel glanced at General Sephiroth, who was staring at he and Cissnei so hard that he kept expecting them both to burst into flames any minute now. "Well," he began, hiding a shudder as he turned back to Zack, "word is that you and the General have ties to AVALANCHE, and that you destroyed the Nibelheim reactor for them. The entire army has been put on red alert. You're to be taken alive, though," he added hastily.
Zack snorted, casting an amused look at his hero. "So, now we're terrorists, huh?"
"So it would appear," Sephiroth murmured, adding, "It must have been your influence, Zack. I can think of no other reason for such a dramatic shift in my allegiance."
"Oh, so now it's my fault?" he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest in mock insult. "Come on, Cloud, tell him he's wrong or I'll never forgive you."
Cloud risked a glance at Sephiroth, only to find the silver-haired man's gaze already on him. Pale emerald gleamed in the darkness, silently asking him to play along. Probably to take Zack's mind off his worry for his girlfriend, he thought with a mental shrug. That, he would gladly do. After all, Zack was the best--and only--friend he'd ever had.
He turned back to his friend with a small, evil smirk. "It's always your fault, Zack" he said with a chuckle. "You should know that by now."
Zack glanced back and forth between them before huffing a second time. "Oh, you two just plain suck."
Sephiroth grunted his opinion of that, while Cloud rolled his eyes at the dramatic statement. Zack only grinned again, pleased to see his two closest friends getting along, even if they had just banded together against him. He'd known that, if he could just get them to talk to each other, they would become friends. They were too much alike not to.
"We should move on." Vincent stirred behind them, a dark silhouette relieved only by the gleam of beyond-pale skin. "It is not wise to remain in one place for too long while being hunted."
Cid snorted behind him, releasing another cloud of smoke as he did so. "Thank you, Captain Obvious."
Zack snickered a little at the frown that pulled the gunman's brows together. It was faint, but it was there. The expression became more severe as Vincent looked his way, and Zack merely grinned in response. Yep, definitely a frown. "Don't worry, Vince," he quipped lightly, "we're going. Right, Seph?"
Sephiroth didn't deign to give a verbal response. He merely slanted a veiled look at his inherited protégée, his exasperation showing only in the depths of his cat-like eyes. Zack merely upped the wattage on his grin until it threatened to blind them all, and Sephiroth stifled a sigh. He knew that upbraiding the boy would be useless. Angeal's puppy had ever been one to speak his mind, whether one wished it or not.
He focused on the 2nd Class SOLDIER, both humbled and surprised by the loyalty this young man had shown to both SOLDIER and himself. "Kunsel, I thank you for your assistance, but we must be on our way. Zack, you may say your goodbyes."
A dismissal if he'd ever heard one, Kunsel thought with a wince. "With all due respect, General," he said bravely, "I request permission to stay."
One silver-blond brow crept upwards, the only outward sign of Sephiroth's surprise. "As you are obviously aware, we are fugitives," he pointed out evenly. "Remaining with us would be. . . foolish, at best, suicidal, at worst."
"Maybe," Kunsel acknowledged with a half-shrug, "but you're still my commanding officer." He paused before adding, "General Sephiroth, you are SOLDIER, and I want to stay."
"And you?" Sephiroth's gaze zeroed in on the young female Turk. "Do you feel the same?"
Cissnei raised one auburn brow at the cool question. "I'm no SOLDIER," she said with a shrug, "but Zack is a. . .friend. I'd like to stay, if for no other reason than to make sure he survives being yours."
Amusement lurked in those pale green depths as they flicked to his second-in-command. "Zack? Do you have any objections?"
Zack shook his head so quickly that his sable spikes nearly couldn't keep up. "No objections," he said, unable to contain a smile, ridiculously pleased that his hero--no, his friend--had asked for his opinion in front of so many people. It showed that Sephiroth not only respected him, but that he trusted him. And people were stupid enough to think that The General was cold!
Sephiroth's lips twitched as he fought a smile. Zack looked inordinately pleased with himself, and he it was all he could do not to laugh outright. He found himself grateful that Zack had never let him push him away, as so many others had. He had looked at Angeal's puppy as an obligation, a burden to be borne as stoically as he bore every other responsibility in his life. But Zack had had other ideas. He had been dogged in his pursuit of Sephiroth's friendship, so much so that he had found himself feeling overwhelmed. And yet, through it all, he had come to see the same qualities that had made him so important to Angeal, and they had made Zack Fair important to him, as well.
He slanted a glance at Cloud, who was watching his friend with a bemused smile that somehow complimented the concern in his vivid blue eyes. Much like himself, the boy didn't trust Cissnei, the Turk misplaced in the midst of SOLDIER. Those twin blue oceans met his, and a silent understanding passed between them. Cloud would watch the girl, and report anything suspicious to him. Without words, he was proving his own loyalty to his General, as well as offering his friendship.
Sephiroth accepted with solemn inclination of his head. He wondered if Zack realized just how lucky he was to have such a friend, then realized that Zack was far from stupid. He had probably seen the truth of Cloud from the very beginning. It was very likely the reason he had gone out of his way to gain the younger man's friendship.
"Zack, Cloud, Cissnei, you're with me," he announced imperiously. "Kunsel, you will take your place with Vincent and Cid at our backs. Let's move on."
Zack threw a wink a Cissnei as he motioned for Cloud to take his spot beside Sephiroth. Ignoring the blond man's startled, wide-eyed look, he settled himself happily between Cloud and Cissnei. He would keep an eye on Cissnei, because she was a Turk and Sephiroth would distrust her because of it, and Sephiroth would keep watch over Cloud, just as he had promised.
He shot a quick grin over his shoulder at Kunsel, who had won Sephiroth's loyalty by pledging his own, suppressing a laugh as the other SOLDIER gave him a thumbs-up in return. Soon, he would be with Aerith, and he'd have plenty of time to figure out just what it was he intended to do. Yep, Zack thought happily, things were definitely beginning to look up.