We aim above the mark to hit the mark.

A Step Above The Rest

Author's Note: This was one of the first FF7 stories I ever wrote, if *not* the first, I don't remember. Anyway, this is a Sephiroth story. Part I is about him as a child, and part II is about him as a teenager till the end of the game. Part II has some shouneni-ai/yaoi content.


The Log of the progress of the Jenova child Sephiroth. Day 2555:

Today marks the child's seventh birthday. I have enrolled him in a school, hoping to stimulate his social skills. He is a very quiet boy, but a very intelligent one. How long will it be before Jenova takes his strength to the next level? I am uncertain, but, as always, I will keep a close watch on his progress. It is not yet time for him to realize he is drastically different from the other children. I have very high hopes for this boy. However, I am beginning to think he does not like me. Perhaps he would think differently of me if he knew that I was his father.

"School?" Sephiroth questioned, glancing quizzically at Hojo. "Why?"

Hojo shrugged and declined to answer the posed question. "Would you rather stay here?"

Sephiroth glanced around the lab with a disgusted expression. He wished someone else had taken him in and not Hojo. He was a strange man, scary in some ways. If only his mother, Jenova, hadn't died and his father hadn't.....

"Is that a no, Sephiroth?" Hojo spoke, interrupting the child's depressing thoughts.

Sephiroth nodded. "It is."

"Good," Hojo replied, heading for a desk stacked with books. "You start tomorrow."

Sephiroth rolled down his sleeves. "Am I done now? No more protein studies today?"

"No. You may leave," Hojo answered, flipping through one of the books.

But Sephiroth stood still, just staring back at Hojo as though he were waiting for something.

Hojo grew annoyed at being studied in such a manner and looked up in annoyance. "What is it, Sephiroth?"

".....today is my birthday," the child said timidly. Sephiroth was extremely mature for his age, and did not often display behavior parallel to that of his age. The sudden childish timidness was a puzzlement.

"I am aware," Hojo answered, going back to his book.

Sephiroth asked in the same small voice. "Do I.....do I get a present?"

"A present?" Hojo looked up in confusion. It had not even crossed his mind for a moment. Had he given him a present last year? His memory of the event failed him. Had he written it down.....?? He fumbled through the books lying on the desk, but the correct volume wasn't there. With an annoyed sigh, Hojo pushed his glasses back up on his nose and looked at his son. "What do you want?"

"A kitty....." Sephiroth answered quietly.

"A kitty!" exclaimed the professor. "A cat?! You can't have a cat! Think of something more practical, then approach me about a birthday present."

Sephiroth hung his head sadly and trudged off, mumbling something offensive under his breath.

Hojo recorded his latest findings from Sephiroth's blood sample. The child had been told the research was on protein, another in the long string of lies Hojo told the child to cover up the truth. He could never discover he was a manufactured Ancient, created by the cells of Jenova. That was one of the several secrets Hojo swore to take to the gave, however far off it was.

Think of something more practical....Sephiroth thought bitterly as he returned to his room. Maybe he should find something more practical to conduct his failed experiments on. Every day Sephiroth came up with a new reason to despise the greasy old man. Today was no exception. After all, Hojo had shot down his one desire without so much as a reason why. It became increasingly frustrating. If only Hojo would die....the thought passed through the child's mind often. Then he could live somewhere else...then he would be gone from the experiments....

Sephiroth lay down on his head with a small yawn. Dreamy visions of school swan through his tired brain. What would the other children be like? Sephiroth had never seen someone his own age before. All his life he had been surrounded by adults. Were children much different? He wondered if the other children had parents or if they were orphans too. He hoped they weren't. That way maybe he could absorb some of their happiness....

"Sephiroth."

"...I want that kitty..."

"*Sephiroth*."

"...The white one..."

"Sephiroth!!"

The child jerked awake with a startled snort, silver hair falling over his piercing green eyes. "Yes?"

Hojo stood impatiently in the doorway. He glared at the child. "Dress yourself. School begins shortly." He abruptly slammed the door and was gone.

Sephiroth rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He had been having such a pleasant dream that he wasn't the least bit surprised Hojo had put an end to it.

School. He had nearly forgotten about the whole concept. Sephiroth dressed as he had been instructed to. What from here? He hesitantly opened his door and peered out right into Hojo's stained lab coat. He lurched backwards.

Hojo seemed annoyed. "Come, Sephiroth," he ordered, marching down the hallway.

Sephiroth meekly followed him. Well, no matter what school is like it separates me from Hojo. That's a gift all in itself.

The classroom was a wonder of color and movement. Sephiroth stood in the doorway, his senses absorbing everything in amazement. There were many other children playing, laughing and simply having fun. They looked so happy. Sephiroth was jealous. He wanted to be happy too.

But he couldn't be until Hojo was gone. The old professor remained at the child's side, surveying the busy classroom. He nodded his head, seemingly pleased. "When you return home you are to report everything, understood, Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth silently nodded, eager to be rid of the old man. he excitedly watched him disappear from sight and proceeded to run over to the children.

They watched him approach with interest. There were four of them in this particular group, and one of the children held something protectively in his hands.

"Who're you?" One of the kids asked.

"I am Sephiroth," he answered promptly. "Hello."

"I'm Alloy," said the child, gesturing to himself. He gestured to the other children as he continued the introduction. "That's Locke, Axel and Riker."

Sephiroth's eyes became fixed upon the glinting object in Locke's tiny hands. "What do you have there?"

"I ferget what it's called," Locke responded, holding it out for all to see, "But my daddy says you can cast spells with it. I brought it for show and tell."

"Materia," said Sephiroth.

Locke was confused. "Huh?"

"That's called Materia," Sephiroth replied, gesturing to the glowing green orb as he spoke. "Restore materia, to be specific.

"Spesefic?" Axel pronounced poorly. "What's that?"

Sephiroth was taken back. "Specific," he repeated, "it means.....exactly."

"Oh," Axel sighed.

Sephiroth suddenly felt strangely out of place. How could they not know a word that simple....??

"I need your report," Hojo said when the child returned.

Sephiroth shrugged and sat down. He said nothing.

"Sephiroth, you are to speak when you are spoken to," Hojo said sternly. "Tell me about your day."

"Why am I smarter?" Sephiroth asked.

Hojo could not help but jump at the direct words. "Excuse me?"

"I said why am I smarter," Sephiroth snapped, his eyes glaring like daggers into the old man's soul.

Hojo backed up a step. He's just a child, he's just a child, he's just a.... "Sephiroth, that question has an obvious answer." Hojo smiled to hide the fear. "It is because I have already taught you so much, and the other children have not had the same opportunity." A well spun lie, Hojo applauded himself. Sephiroth was a very smart child, but Hojo knew he was not smart enough to see through that.

"Why am I different than everyone else?" Sephiroth asked.

"You are not different," Hojo explained. "You're just like any other child."

The look on the boys face told Hojo that he obviously was not convinced.

"Is there anything else that should be brought to my attention?" Hojo questioned lightly.

Sephiroth darkly shook his head. Clearly he was in no mood to discuss today.

Before Hojo could be rid of the child for the day there was a knock at the lab door. Who was this? Hojo called, "yes?"

Vincent Valentine, head of the Turks Organization cautiously entered, his eyes looking over Sephiroth before resting upon Hojo. "Professor Hojo....there's a problem."

"Oh?" Hojo raised an eyebrow. "What's happened?"

Vincent again looked at Sephiroth. It was clear he didn't want the child to hear, but had no other alternative. "He's gone."

Hojo's log book fell to the floor with a dull thud. "WHAT?!"

Vincent stepped back. "Professor Gast is gone....he left....we don't know where."

Sephiroth listened intently. He knew Professor Gast well....he was Hojo's boss, in charge of the chemistry divison of Shinra. Gast was a brilliant man, his research far exceeding anything Hojo had ever done.

"He left!" exclaimed Hojo again, stepping quickly towards Vincent. "Don't tell me she is too."

Vincent replied evenly, not letting Hojo intimidate him in the least. "She is."

Hojo cursed several times, the disgust written clearly across his face. "That bastard. Betraying me and all we worked for."

Vincent again looked at Sephiroth, who's face had taken on a confused expression rather than an interested one. A smile crept upon the lips of the head Turk, but he said nothing.

Hojo looked at Vincent and set his jaw angrily. "Oh no," he snarled. Whirling around he yelled, "Sephiroth, leave."

"But--"

"Sephiroth, now!" snapped the professor.

Sephiroth slid off his seat and fled the room as quickly as he could.

Vincent frowned.

"Don't you dare think for a moment that I will let you or anyone else stand in the way of my experiment," seethed the scientist, waving a finger in the young Turks' face. "Gast may be gone, but the Jenova project lives as long as that child does. You don't hate human experimentation, Valentine," he snarled, "nor did Gast, until you convinced him too. You only took up that position because you're upset about Lucretia."

Vincent shuddered. "Stop it, Hojo. That's not true."

"You're a poor liar," Hojo spat. "To think you call yourself a Turk."

The younger man narrowed his eyes. "To think you call yourself a scientist."

Hojo swung to hit Vincent, but the young Turk evaded the attack and pointed his gun at the sputtering professor.

The older man was bent over, panting in anger. "Don't stand in my way, Valentine," Hojo hissed. "You'll regret it."

Vincent held his gun out for a moment more before he put it away. "If only I had stopped you...."

Hojo sneered with a sinister smile, "we all have regrets."

Vincent's crimson colored eyes glided over the door Sephiroth had exited through only a minute before. "Yes....we all do...." He was gone then, without looking at Hojo.

The Log of the progress of the Jenova child Sephiroth. Day 2572:

Despite the absence of Professor Gast, the experiment is continuing as I had always hoped. Gast will be sorry later. I will hunt him down like the traitor that he is and throw in his face what he gave up. But that is a separate matter entirely.
As for Sephiroth, he grows apart from me by the day and I can do nothing to stop it. He has grown distant, so to speak. He is beginning to see that he is different, and there is no more I can do to cover it up. So far it has not seemed to disrupt the class at all, but it disturbs him. It is something he will have to learn to live with. Sephiroth will always be different from the other children. It will all boil down to how much he realizes it.

Hojo glanced up at the child and set down his pen. "And what is wrong today, Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth glared. "You still have not given me a birthday present."

"Your birthday was a long time ago," Hojo pointed out. "Forget about it."

"I want a kitten," he insisted.

"Sephiroth, no."

The child's green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why?"

"How many times must to tell you that there is no where to put a cat!" Hojo yelled, frustrated with the entire situation. "What is it you want from me?"

Sephiroth rose to his feet, eyes remaining focused on the target. "To be normal."

"You are, no one sees the difference but you, " Hojo offered weakly.

"I hate you," spat the child, stamping his foot on the floor in a burst of outrage. "I want my cat!" He fled the room.

The scientist stared calmly after the child, not affected at all by the blatant display of emotion. He picked up his pen and wrote,

Perhaps school was a mistake......?? Trial and error....trial and error.....

His feelings had not subsided, and he went to school the next day with a sour expression and the anger knocking on his chest, begging for release. It waited. Sephiroth was in a foul mood.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Axel.

"Leave me," Sephiroth said simply.

"Why?" asked Riker.

"Why must you annoy me?" Sephiroth shot back, narrowing his eyes, "I said to leave me alone."

"Is it that doctor guy?" Alloy questioned.

His electric green eyes narrowed further. "That is none of your business."

"Come on, Sephiroth," Locke insisted, "we're your friends! We wanna know what's wrong."

"I told ya he's weird," Axel said in disgust, stepping away from Sephiroth. "He don't want any friends. He doesn't need any. He's so much smarter than us. You see how the teacher's always callin' him a genius..." he snorted and looked down at the silver haired child. "He ain't like us."

Sephiroth balled his fists and looked straight down at the floor. "I am not...." There was a tightening feeling ins chest.

"Yes you are."

"Am not," he insisted, his knuckles changing to a deadly shade of white.

"You are," Axel insisted. "We all noticed."

He wasn't the only one who saw it...he had been lied to....Hojo...somehow it was not a surprise....

Axel was not finished. "He ain't normal. That's why he doesn't do normal things."

Sephiroth erupted. "NO!" With inhuman speed he hit Axel with three punches, sending him to the ground in an unconscious state.

The other three boys simply stared at their fallen friend for a moment before looking at Sephiroth in true fear.

"Is he dead....??" breathed Riker.

Alloy stared at Sephiroth in shock and breathed, "like a monster..."

The teacher came rushing to the side of the fallen child. "What happened?!"

Sephiroth realized to his horror that he was shaking. What had happened....?? He had lost control, and now....Axel....would he be okay??

The teacher was in a tizzy. "How could he knock him unconcious....a seven year old boy??"

Hojo's such a liar....he's a terrible liar.....a terrible, awful man. Sephiroth was scared. Scared of his own strength, and scared of what was wrong with him....why couldn't he be normal?

He ran from the room as fast as he could, tears building in his eyes. There was no where to run to, no where to turn....no where to hide.

Desperate and frantic he nearly ran straight into his enemy.

"Sephiroth, is something wrong?" Hojo's voice was completely unheeding.

"I hit that kid!" Sephiroth exclaimed, the tears running down his face. So suddenly he reverted back to being his age again. "I hit him, and I knocked him unconscious!"

Hojo was eeirely calm. "How many times did you hit him?"

"Three," Sephiroth reported, "that shouldn't have knocked him out!"

The professor nodded once, a satisfied smile creeping over his lips. "You're right, Sephiroth. It shouldn't have. You're very strong."

Sephiroth's tears ceased and the streams of water dried against his skin. He looked up at the old man in confusion. Why was he taking this all in stride? "Why aren't I normal! Everyone knows I'm not! Why can't you see it? They called me a monster!"

The head of the Shinra divison of chemistry patted his son gently on the head. "You're not a monster, Sephiroth. You're a step above the rest."

Sephiroth wrinkled his brow in confusion. Better? Him? ....That thought had never crossed his mind. Somehow he trusted Hojo a little more. Suddenly exhausted, all he wanted to do was lie down with a god damn cat and go to sleep. That sounded normal.

END of PART ONE