Author's Notes:
Screwy - Well, hello, friends! Welcome to story #2 of our Far From The Tree series! We hope you enjoy reading this as much as we have enjoyed writing it. We will try to post a new chapter every other week, but sometimes, we might post them sooner. For this week, we are posting the prologue and the first chapter.
Shade - Hey everyone, and welcome back to our Far from the Tree series, (FFTT for short) It's been a few months since we posted the last chapter for our first story and we've got an "Inter-grade" story of sorts for an event that happens between the end of last one and the start of this one. I call it: "Episode: Zerith" but the official title has yet to be decided. That being said, it's still in the process of being written, so it won't be ready yet for a bit. Hope you're all looking forward to it though.
Sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride!
FAR FROM THE TREE: FAMILY TIES
-PROLOGUE-
It had taken a few months to clean up Jenova's mess, and during that time, Sephiroth had retreated to the beach house and accepted a life of retirement. He wasn't really needed anymore, after all. He considered Cloud to be a very worthy successor, and he was content with leaving anything serious in the hero's hands. That being said, the ex-general would still take up his sword and swoop in to help if needed. You could take a warrior out of the fight, but you could never take the fight out of the warrior.
It had surprised him when it was not Cloud or Zack who paid him a visit, but his recently realized father. With Jenova gone, the ex-Turk had come to remind him of his promise. Lucrecia was now free of that virus's mental taint, yet her body was still imprisoned in crystallized mako.
There had been a lot of preparation on Reeve's part, making sure he had a room and proper staff to handle the rehabilitation of one who'd most likely need long-term care, but finally, everyone and everything was ready. Traveling down the tunnel leading to the crystallized mako cave, Sephiroth, accompanied by his father, Vincent, steeled himself for what was to come.
The ex-Turk seemed on edge, as well. For years, he had been coming to the cave to sit silently and stare up at the woman he would forever love. Now that it was time to free her, Vincent was uncertain of how to behave around her... and her son... their son.
Before his own untimely death, his proposal to Lucrecia had been rejected, even though he knew she loved him. How would things be now?
As they entered the place and saw her in the crystal, Vincent stood back, allowing her to speak to her son without interference. "Sephiroth... you have returned, my son."
Sephiroth was trying to keep his breathing calm and even; he refused to forget his training to hold composure no matter what the cost. That being said, he couldn't keep a stoic mask on, and a small smile appeared.
"As promised, Mother. I- we are here... to finally set you free."
With a grateful smile, he paused and then regarded her with the realization of what was about to happen. "He did it... the planet's champion has destroyed her for good. She will never torment anyone else ever again."
The crystal in which she was encased pulsed with a gentle glow as her voice rang out in the caves.
"Yes... I cannot hear her whispering to me any longer. Then there is but one thing you must do... take your sword and shatter my prison. And I will finally be with you."
Vincent remained silent, as always, staring at her with his red eyes. He had wanted this moment for so long; now that it had arrived, it seemed so... surreal.
Green and Black flames ignited in his hands as Masamune materialized.
"With pleasure." He then stopped and turned towards Vincent. "This honor does not belong to me alone. Help me free her… Father."
For the first time in a long time- perhaps ever- Vincent smirked as he drew his weapon, aiming for the top of that infernal crystal that had kept them apart for so long.
"Gladly," he said and fired. The shot hit its mark, sending a crack down the crystal that splintered into many.
Taking the powerful blade that had shattered so many lives, Sephiroth used Masamune to shatter the crystal prison that would bring three lives together for the first time. The shards shot outwards as a bright flash of mako blue and white temporarily blinded the room, and Lucrecia fell forward.
Sephiroth rushed to gently catch her, holding her in his arms. He looked down at her, and for the first time he fought against a powerful urge to shed tears. So much raw emotion was compressed into that urge, but he managed to keep his composure to just the trembling of his shoulders and the slight shaking of his hands.
"It's real this time..."
Vincent stepped forward, reaching out to place a hand on Sephiroth's shoulder, hesitating only for a moment. There he stood, watching her in his son's arms... still absorbing the reality himself. Lucrecia slowly opened her eyes but could barely keep them open. She tried to lift her hand, but it simply fell back down.
"Seph-iroth... Vin-cent..." she mumbled in the quietest of whispers before falling unconscious.
"We are here, Lucrecia," Vincent said.
Sephiroth held her as gently as he could. She was so frail and fragile; he felt like the slightest wrong movement might break her. Her limbs were stiff and lethargic, muscles atrophied from decades of imprisonment.
"Let's get her outside to Reeve's team," Sephiroth said to the gunman.