Child of the Mako Flames
Chapter I - 'I am Sephiroth'
He stared at the fireball flying through the sky. Even in the middle of the day the sky was tinted scarlet through the flames. It's reflection in the ocean made a red glow dancing on the tips of the waves. He knew that this day would come. And he knew it would have been his fault.
The green glow of the energy filled his eyes. As it seeped into his body, he felt new somehow. He was more alive than he had ever been before. He was being born again, only more so. Behind the glass of the chamber, scientists nodded to each other. The man controlling the flow of energy smiled to himself.
"Get the Professor", he shouted across the lab. The Professor came. In his arms he carried a bundle of black fabric.
"What's wrong?" he said staring at the chamber. The man at the console pressed a few buttons and turned to the Professor.
"He is ready. He is the one we searched for."
"Maybe"
"Look at these readings. He's taken in so much Mako. Any other man would either be dead or a vegetable."
"He is strong. I would not have chose him otherwise. Yet..." Professor Gast trailed off into silence.
"Sir?"
"Get him out. We shall see."
The man at the console stopped the energy flow and opened the door of the chamber. The figure stepped out and stood before the scientists. Professor Gast walked up to him.
"How are you?"
The figure opened his eyes glowing bright with Mako energy. He looked around at the others. Their fear was evident.
"How are you? How do you feel?" Gast looked at his creation. The green fires in the young figure's eyes ignited a flame of triumph deep within Gast's soul. The emerald-eyed man spoke in a voice that seemed to echo from the innermost depths of the Planet.
"I am alive. I am powerful. I am Sephiroth."
"So Professor Gast, report." Gast stood at the base of the table opposite the speaker. As he shuffled his papers, four people looked up at him expectantly. The man who had spoke was President Shinra. He was a cold-hearted man who saw himself as the ultimate authority. He knew what he wanted from life. He had little time for caring or even thinking of the people or Planet he has so easily exploited. At his right hand side sat Heidegger, head of Public Safety Maintenance, a posh phrase that simply meant he was in charge of keeping rebels 'quiet'. His temper was legendary among the men he commanded but his company equals had little time for him. To Gast and the others, he was just a man who did his job.
At the President's left hand side was Scarlet. She was a ruthless woman who used her looks to get her where she wanted to be. Of course as she got older the looks faded but at this time she was still an attractive young woman. The youngest of all in fact. She was head of Weapon Development.
Next to Professor Gast sat Hojo. Hojo was a talented young scientist who was being trained by Gast to take over the Science Department when Gast retired.
"Right", said Gast, getting his papers in order, "The experiment was a success. We have created…" He hesitated before using the word but use it he must. Nothing less would please President Shinra.
"We have created a superhuman."
Smiles of triumph creeped onto the faces of the four listeners. Scarlet was the first one to speak.
"Then it is settled. He will be our Ultimate Weapon. My department are fully capable of training him. Leave him in our hands."
"That's absurd!", Heidegger banged his fists on the table, "The army shall train him. Train him to be a man!!"
"You would have him killed in no time. He's not just another soilder for you to toy around with. He needs,"she smiled "…cultivating. President, give the experiment to me. I will take care of him."
President Shinra stood.
"This will take a great deal of consideration. For now the specimen will stay with Professor Gast. I want a daily report on his progress starting today at 1700 hours. Dismissed." Everyone stood and bowed their heads in acknowledgement as the President left the Conference Room before leaving themselves. Gast sat back down with Hojo.
"What is wrong, Sir? If I were you, I would be proud of this creation."
"His name is Sephiroth."
"Sephiroth?"
"He chose it. He said he needed a name that made him sound different from the others. It seems to have a deep meaning with him. Besides I didn't want to argue over it. To be honest Hojo, I fear him."
Hojo nodded in agreement.
"Then we must train him immediately. He needs to understand his role. Scarlet and Heidegger have no right to him."
"I will try to talk with him. He may be some kind of superhuman but he is human nonetheless." The two men stood and left.
Sephiroth stood in front of his mirror looking at himself. He was dressed in the clothes Professor Gast had given him. The black material covered his body giving him the look of a patch of the night sky that had left its celestial world and formed itself around his masculine frame.
Leather trousers fell smartly down his legs over his strong boots. On his top he wore a thin black jacket. His favourite item was a long PVC coat that came all the way to his ankles. It made him seem important, powerful.
After the Mako shower, Sephiroth had noticed his hair, which had before been a sandy-brown colour, now glowed silver with energy. He stepped closer to the mirror. He peered into it and almost instantaneously fell back with shock. Now he knew why all the men had been afraid. In the very centre of his pupils he could see a fluorescent green glow. On closer inspection he saw the glow as a flame burning deep within his mind. He shook his head and blinked.
"There is no need to fear. I am Sephiroth." he whispered to his reflection.
A tapping came at the door.
"Sephiroth, let me in." Professor Gast's voice though firm was shaking very slightly. "Please"
Sephiroth strode to the door and opened it.
"Very well. Your fear is unnecessary." Sephiroth held his arms out wide, "As you see, I am unarmed." He smiled revealing the youth in his face.
"I have brought a weapon for you." Gast held out a sword. It was long; so long he could barely hold it up. He held it lengthways by the blade. It's metal had a strange colour. It was silver but the silver had currents in that flowed slowly up and down the sword. The movements were so faint; Sephiroth's altered senses could barely detect it. Sephiroth tested the blade with his thumb.
"Interesting."
"What is?"
"It is an excellent blade but why a sword? Surely the most advanced weapon would suit a warrior such as me."
Professor Gast thought for a second.
"Even the best artillery would never test your strength and power. I want you to use your power not just be aware of it."
Sephiroth looked skeptical. Gast shook his head.
"You are still young. You may be stronger than you have ever been before but you are still relatively weak from the changes that have happened to you. For now you have to trust me. Besides", he added, "this is no ordinary sword. I had it forged just for you."
"And I'm supposed to be grateful?" Gast ignored him and went on.
"This sword is made from metal only found deep within the Northern Cave where the Mako still bonds freely with the rocks. Its name is Masamune. The handle is the special part. Hold it and see." Gast held out Masamune to Sephiroth. He took it reluctantly by the handle. The first thing he noticed about the sword was its tremendous weight. It wasn't uncomfortable but it was noticeable. Sephiroth studied it for a second, swung it around and then handed it back to the Professor.
"Here I don't want it. I am beyond this."
"I think you'll find you have no choice."
"Oh yeah?" Sephiroth laid the sword on the floor and stepped back from it. At once Masamune raised itself vertical and stood on its point. Sephiroth felt his anger rising.
"What the hell is this?"
Gast smirked to himself.
"I think it likes you."
"What, is it alive or something?"
"Something like that. The metal from which Masamune was forged contained souls from the Mako stream. They are concentrated at the handle. When you touched it they bonded with you. Masamune is part of you now. You can't discard it anymore than you can discard your own heart."
Sephiroth, enraged, grabbed the sword and began to smash the room to pieces.
"You tricked me. You tricked me! I will not conform to you!"
Professor Gast turned and fled.
President Shinra scanned Gast's report on his desk for the umpteenth time. Certain words he had highlighted in red.
"Exceptionally strong…powerful…intelligent…a great fighter"
He smiled triumphantly. At long last his plan was coming together. And yet…
He read the last part of the report.
"He is a very dangerous man. I suggest we train him immediately before we have no control over him at all." President Shinra then picked up the photograph of the room Sephiroth had so mercilessly destroyed. He pressed the intercom button on his desk.
"Professor Gast, Scarlet, Heidegger. To my office."
Within minutes they assembled at the President's office. He motioned for them to sit. President Shinra tapped the report on his desk.
"Frankly," he said, "I am very disappointed. What went wrong Gast?"
"We underestimated him sir. After all he is still a boy. My suggestion is that we try to curb this violent behavior into more worthwhile pursuits. I'm afraid my department cannot handle him anymore."
"Then it is decided. He will come to my department. I am the most capable at training him." Scarlet declared.
"Nonsense!" Heidegger stood, "What do you need with him? He is a SOLIDER, he should be with the army."
"He's not just some SOLIDER you picked up off the street. This one is special. Don't worry Gast." she smiled at him, "I'll take care of him."
"Very well" said the President, "I have decided that Weapons Development are in charge of his training but he is still a member of SOLIDER so Heidegger can call on his services whenever required. Agreed?"
Everyone nodded, stood and left, considering what each was to do with the black-caped man.
Professor Gast walked to his office on the 67th Floor only to see Sephiroth sitting on the floor in the hall, Masamune at his feet.
"What is it, Sephiroth? It's getting late." Gast removed a key from his pocket and opened the door. Sephiroth followed him inside.
"You are sad, disappointed. With me."
Gast looked up at Sephiroth.
"Not with you child, at the world."
"I am not a child!" Sephiroth's voice boomed out across the Shinra building. Gast shook his head. He was right to relive himself of Sephiroth; the man was uncontrollable. Still, Gast had a responsibility to the young soldier.
"I know Sephiroth. It's OK."
Sephiroth shut his eyes in order to purge the anger from his mind. When he opened them again, Gast was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands. Sephiroth was unsure how to react so he just waited for Gast to speak.
"You are leaving me tomorrow Sephiroth. Scarlet has laid her claim to you."
Sephiroth nodded.
"I thought as much. What's she like?"
"She's…" Gast paused thinking of the best way to describe her, "she's very persuasive. You're a young man. She'll like you. Beware of her motives."
"What do you mean?" Sephiroth voice sounded confused. Gast laughed.
"You may be one of the strongest men alive but you know very little about women. You'll understand soon enough my boy."
Sephiroth smiled. He was twenty years old of course he understood. He raised his hand to Gast.
"Thank you sir, for everything."
Gast shook the young mans hand.
"You're welcome. Take care Sephiroth, it has only just begun."