Chapter 1

Chapter 1

10 Years Later

Wutai

            Laeryn's eyes snapped open. The sky was just beginning to glow with traces of dawn. She stretched, and rolled out of her cot onto the dirt floor of her tent.  It was not a large tent, but it seemed spacious because she was the only one in it. Ah, the privileges of being an officer, thought Laeryn, I no longer have to share a tent with at least five other people. She turned and admired her black admiral's uniform. She'd been an admiral for two years now. And just last year she'd been given the highest honor any Soldier could aspire to. She had been promoted to the rank of Grand Admiral, the General's second-in-command. Her father was right. She was successful.

            Laeryn pulled her coat on over the red tube top she wore for sleeping and training, the dark brilliant colors of her clothing standing out against her ivory skin. Laeryn had never been described as a pretty girl. Most people described her appearance as striking and a bit intimidating. Her face and body formed angles instead of curves. Her ink black hair contrasted starkly with her white skin, giving her the look of an alabaster statue with pale blue gemstones for eyes. Years of training with weapons had left her hands rough with calluses. Even so, her angular features, piercing eyes, and slender, muscular build made Laeryn impossible to miss.  

Since Laeryn was very tall, her black pants were too baggy, and just a bit too short, revealing some of the laces on her steel-toed combat boots. As she fastened the last of the silver buttons on the high-collared coat, she reached for her comb. She'd had the comb as long as she could remember. It made Laeryn smile as she remembered how her mother always nagged her about combing her hair. Even six months ago, when she last visited her family in North Corel, her mother remarked about her hair. Mother, Laeryn had said, I'm eighteen years old now. I can take of my own hair. Laeryn smiled and shook her head. Her hair was the same jet black color it had been when she was younger, but she wore it in a different style now. It was wavy and coarse and hung just past her shoulders though it was usually held back in a ponytail.

Laeryn's weapons were her most prized possessions. She had dreamed of having weapons of her own ever since she was little, and she took meticulous care of them. She pulled her long sword out of the sheath, and examined it carefully. Her cold blue eyes squinted as she searched for any speck of dust on the slender silver blade. Finally, she attached it to the longest of the belts, which wrapped around her torso. She examined her other two weapons, a short sword and a handgun, with the same scrutiny before belting them to her hips. Each of her swords had four green, marble-sized stones set into the hilt. The stones were materia. One of the privileges of being a high ranking officer was the ability to use materia. Materia was concentrated Mako energy which infused its user with magical power. Materia was dangerous and difficult to use, which is why it was only given to high ranking Soldiers who had passed numerous tests showing they could control it.

After sliding on her black gloves, she grabbed her wrap-around sunglasses and placed them on her forehead and strode outside.

            The sun was just beginning to rise over Da-Chao Peak, but it didn't bring any warmth with it. It was a damp, chilly morning, and Laeryn's heavy boots made squelching noises as she walked through the carpet of soggy pine needles. The side of the peak the Soldiers were camped on was sloped gently and covered with a thin forest made of tall, scrawny pines. The other side of the peak was almost sheer, with only a few narrow paths going up its face. That side was also covered with spectacular, giant-sized carvings of the water god, Da-Chao, and his servant gods, Omni, Magic, Power and Speed. In the shadow of the peak stood the town of Wutai, which was currently engaged in a war with Shinra over the building of a Mako reactor on Da-Chao Peak. Wutai was actually the capital of a region that spanned almost an entire continent, and as a result it was able to raise quite a sizeable army.

            Laeryn stepped out of her tent into the huge clearing that served as the Soldier campsite. She shaded her eyes with her hand and saw her commander drilling the troops. The Shinra army was divided into five sections, and an admiral oversaw each one. Each section also had a commander, who answered only to the admirals. And there was the General, who oversaw the entire operation.

She picked out the ranks in her section by the colors of their uniforms- privates wore blue, sergeants green, colonels purple, lieutenants yellow, captains orange, and the commander wore red. There was also a white General's uniform, but the current General never wore it.

 Laeryn headed out onto the field to join them, but was intercepted by a messenger girl who looked very shaken up. She managed a sloppy salute before gasping out, "Grand Admiral Chase, ma'am! A message from General Sephiroth. He wishes to see you at once."

            Laeryn smiled and shook her head as the messenger girl sped away. The General did tend to have that effect on people. Laeryn opened the envelope and looked at the message inside. It was written in cursive so meticulous that it looked as if the General had spent hours writing it, perfecting every line and curl. It read:

            Good morning, Grand Admiral Laeryn.

            You may give your troops some time off today. I want them well-rested for the attack tomorrow. Also, I would like you to join me for breakfast this morning in about fifteen minutes. I have a strategy in mind that I believe will bring us easy victory, and I want to discuss it with you. At five o'clock this afternoon, we will meet with the other admirals to tell them of our plans.

            ~ General Sephiroth ~

Laeryn slipped the note into one of her pockets and stood there feeling rather stupid. She'd been his second-in-command and military confidante for nearly a year now, there was nothing to be excited about. She suddenly felt self-conscious, she felt the need to wipe the dew off her pants, make sure her hair was exactly in place. She could feel her heart racing, even though she was standing still. Before she could stop herself, Laeryn drew her sword. It was so polished she could see her reflection in it. Using her sword as a mirror, she adjusted a few pieces of her hair. She pushed her sunglasses back onto her forehead and looked at her face. She still had dark patches under her eyes from sleep. Laeryn frowned at her sudden fastidiousness and replaced her sword in its sheath on her back. Her heart was still pounding, and she was suddenly paranoid that other people would hear and ask her, why is your heart beating so hard? And even though she knew, she'd never be able to tell them. She'd snap at them for speaking to an officer out of turn, and continue toward Sephiroth's cabin, red-faced.

Laeryn took a deep breath. She glanced at her watch, and cursed under her breath. She had five minutes to get to Sephiroth's cabin, which was about a fifteen minute walk away. She composed herself quickly and walked across the clearing, watching the other sections go through their drills, trying to focus on something other than Sephiroth.

Instead of a tent, Sephiroth stayed in hastily built cabin made from trees the Soldiers had cut down to form the encampment. It was raised off the ground, had a smooth stone floor and three rooms. Only one small window, though, Laeryn noticed as she approached it. She stood in front of the door, and without even thinking about it, wiped bits of mud off her pants and straightened the collar of her uniform. Only then did she notice the two guards standing on either side of the door. Laeryn was slightly embarrassed, and snapped at one of the guards, "Tell General Sephiroth I am here."

            "Yes, ma'am!" replied the guard, who disappeared into the cabin. He emerged a moment later and said, "You may enter, Grand Admiral."

            Laeryn stepped inside, and closed the door behind her. The sun hadn't fully risen yet, and the light inside was fairly dim. Sephiroth was seated at a table, eating his breakfast. His unsettling Mako-green eyes seemed to be providing most of the illumination in the room. He looked up at Laeryn, and she felt as if his eyes were shining spotlights on her. She immediately performed her fanciest salute, and then wondered why she hadn't chosen a simpler one that would have been more appropriate for the casual situation she was in. Sephiroth stopped eating and neatly wiped his mouth with a napkin. A barely perceptible smile pulled at the corners of his lips.
            "At ease, Laeryn. Sit down", he said. His voice was, as usual, soft and smooth. Like his hair, maybe, or his skin, Laeryn wondered before she could catch herself.

            "Yes sir", she replied and seated herself, feeling awful that she had been late and embarrassed by her own thoughts.

                        Sephiroth chuckled gently, and gave her a slight look, almost as if he had known what she was thinking. Laeryn forced down the sudden panic at the thought that he could somehow read her mind. "Please help yourself to some food. I cannot eat all this, since I had the cooks made enough for two people" He picked up his silverware again. Laeryn watched his hands for a moment, watched the elegant way he held his silverware. His etiquette and table manners were impeccable.

            Feeling self-conscious again, Laeryn reached over and speared a couple of pancakes. As she did so, she scolded herself for acting so foolish. I didn't get to where I am now by acting like a silly little schoolgirl, Laeryn thought firmly to herself, I am a Grand Admiral in the best army on the Planet, and I will conduct myself in a way that is appropriate to my high ranking position. I have been Sephiroth's second-in-command for about a year, and I should not…  Laeryn's thought trailed off as she stole a glance at Sephiroth. He ran one of his long, slender hands through his silver hair, which fell gracefully through his fingers and flowed down his back. As his hair moved, it caught the light from the newly risen sun and glittered as if it were actually made of metal. Laeryn tried her hardest to focus on her food, and not stare, but was having a difficult time. She was relieved when he began to speak again, so she would have a reason to look at him.

            "Forgive me, Laeryn, my mind is wandering. I summoned you here to plan strategies, and I've said nothing useful thus far. Let me tell you what I have in mind", he said.

            Laeryn sat, her food forgotten, as she watched him speak, watched his lips form the words. Like everything else about him, his lips were elegant and precise, exactly the way they were supposed to be. 

            "Our campsite is at a location that is strategically advantageous", Sephiroth continued, "The other side of this peak is almost sheer. At the top, just above where we are camped, there is a wide plateau that is as heavily forested as this area. The top of the peak overlooks the city of Wutai It will not be difficult for us to launch an effective offensive strike from this vantage point. There need not be any melee combat, and our losses will be kept to a minimum. Knowing that we were on our way, the vast majority of the Wutai army is now gathered in the city below, awaiting our next move. We will position our troops on the plateau. They will be armed solely with long range weapons- rocket launchers, vulcans, and other types of light artillery. Armed in such a way, we will be able to annihilate Wutai's army by firing down on the city. Due to the sheer cliff face, it will be difficult for them to counterattack. This plan is still rough, but I believe it has potential. What do you think?"

            "We should attack when they are least expecting it. Not right before dawn, but rather shortly after they settle down at night. I think it's a good idea, though. They won't be able to mobilize in time to go around the mountain and attack us from the rear, so that shouldn't be an issue", Laeryn added, the logical, military side of her mind taking over, "Even if they did try something like that, we'd easily be able to see it."

            Sephiroth nodded, the movement making his silver hair ripple. "That's a good point. They will probably be expecting an attack right around dawn."

            "I'll have to think about it some more. The other admirals will probably have additional ideas", said Laeryn.

            Sephiroth was silent for a moment before responding, "That will be all, Laeryn. Thank you for joining me. I expect to see you here this afternoon, when we will plan our strategy in further detail. You may go."

            Laeryn rose from her chair and saluted. "Yes sir." She turned to walk toward the door, but her feet barely cooperated with her. Laeryn forced her mind to clear and purposefully strode out the door, ignoring the guards.

            Why did it always have to be like this? Laeryn wondered as she made her way back to her tent. As his second-in-command, she had worked closely with him for the past year and gotten to know him better than anyone else had. A year! That was more than enough time to get used to him, to find his faults. So why hadn't that happened?

            "Grand Admiral Chase!"

            She turned her head and saw the other four admirals standing at attention. She addressed the one who had spoken, a boy two years younger than her. His dark hair was sticking out in every direction imaginable, and Laeryn couldn't help but wonder when he had last bathed.

            "What is it, Zack", Laeryn mumbled, not pleased that he had interrupted her thoughts.

            "I was…uh…we were…uh…wondering what the General has in mind for the battle," Zack stammered, looking at his feet.

            "Be at his cabin at five o'clock tonight", Laeryn said absently and continued walking.

            "I was…uh…we were…uh…wondering what the General has in mind for the battle," Zack stammered, looking at his feet.

            "Be at his cabin at five o'clock tonight", Laeryn said absently and continued walking. The other Admirals, Martino Valdez, Cody Salo, and Galen Rance saluted as she passed.

As she walked away, Laeryn shook her head and chuckled softly. Poor Zack, she thought, feeling a bit of pity for him. He tried so hard to catch her eye, and she only had eyes for Sephiroth.

As she walked away, Laeryn shook her head and chuckled softly. Poor Zack, she thought, feeling a bit of pity for him. He tried so hard to catch her eye, and she only had eyes for Sephiroth.

            Sephiroth.

            When Laeryn entered her tent and sat down on the cot, she immediately lapsed deep into thought again. She absently began to comb her hair and stared intently at the dark green canvas wall of her tent. Sephiroth's aquamarine eyes glittered in her mind's eye, and his hair flowed like a river of quicksilver. She flashed back to the first time she saw him, four years ago, when the previous General had retired. Laeryn was fourteen at the time, and a lieutenant. She was standing at attention, bored out of her mind listening to the old General's retirement speech. At the very end of the speech, he announced that his replacement would be Sephiroth, a twenty-one-year-old military genius, widely hailed as the best swordsman in history. Laeryn suddenly paid attention. Sephiroth. What an unusual name, she had thought, but so pleasant sounding. She'd never heard of anyone else named Sephiroth, and was very curious about what type of person would go with such a name.

            Sephiroth appeared on the stage a moment later and slowly walked toward the podium, his posture straight and rigid. Laeryn watched him closely, noticing every detail. His hands were clenched into loose fists. His long silver hair and black floor-length coat flowed behind him as he moved, and made it seem as if he were floating instead of walking.  When he reached the podium, Laeryn saw his face, and suddenly everything else was dull and colorless. When he tossed his hair back from his face and began to speak, everything else was still and began to fade away. Laeryn was so mesmerized by his presence that she almost forgot to applaud at the end of his speech.

            Nothing had changed since then, even though Sephiroth had shown himself to be an extremely strict and authoritarian general. When most people spoke to him he was incredibly cold, and seemed to have an air of perpetual boredom around him, as if he were wondering why inferior mortals felt the need to waste his time.  He was rather short-tempered, and had not a grain of patience. Things were to be done when he said so, exactly the way he said so. No one dared do otherwise. The troops lived in mortal terror of Sephiroth's temper.

            Like everyone else, Laeryn had been subject to Sephiroth's harsh discipline and flaring rage on several occasions. She had hung her head in shame, and it was one of the few times she felt like crying. The punishments themselves were nothing to her- the extra work, menial labor and harsh words had no effect on her. The fact that she had upset Sephiroth, disappointed him, failed him, brought tears to her eyes.

            Somehow, not even Sephiroth's cold demeanor and short temper could deter Laeryn's fascination with him. She wondered if he were just putting up an unfriendly façade for some reason. Surely no one could be that distant all the time. She tried to imagine what he was really like, maybe how he acted with his family and close friends.

            Laeryn had managed to impress Sephiroth, though. Her natural talent for the use of both swords and guns caught his attention quickly. On one occasion she had been practicing with her swords, slashing at imaginary opponents, and had turned to see Sephiroth standing a short distance away, watching her intently. Her cheeks flushed at the memory, as she recalled how she had suddenly lost focus on her swords. She had ended up dropping one of them and slicing her hand open.

            But from that day on, Sephiroth seemed slightly less cold, almost friendly, to Laeryn, and he never missed an opportunity to promote her. As she advanced through the ranks, she became less intimidated by him. Once she gathered up her courage and spoke to him, promptly backing away, not knowing what his reaction would be. She had been quite relieved, not to mention thrilled, when he actually engaged her in conversation.

            Laeryn spoke with Sephiroth more frequently, even though she usually ended up doing most of the talking. The following year he had promoted her to Grand Admiral, his personal second-in-command. Laeryn spent a lot of her time with him, and she gradually began to consider him her friend. Just my friend, Laeryn repeated in her mind, just my friend, just my friend. Laeryn worked very hard to convince herself that friendship and respect were the extent of her feelings for him. After a moment, she sighed, and gave up.

            Laeryn shook her head and steered her train of thought elsewhere. She stood up, took a deep breath, and went outside to practice with her weapons.

* * *

North Corel

            "Kile, think about the future. Think about your daughter! You want her to have a hometown to come back to, don't you?" pleaded Dyne, one of North Corel's town leaders. Dyne had always been a very political man. He was always the one calling town meetings and starting debates over various issues. Normally, the town meetings were fairly insignificant and the debates were over very minor issues. The argument over the construction of a Mako reactor on Mt. Corel was very serious, and Dyne was having the time of his life with it.

            Kile shook his head, and responded from the other end of the splintery table, "Dyne, we don't need a Mako reactor here. There's still plenty of coal left in these mountains. A Mako reactor is completely unnecessary and would drive nearly everyone in this town out of employment. Besides, not everything today is Mako powered."

            Dyne sighed, and looked to Barret Wallace, one of the few other supporters of the construction of a Mako reactor. Barret was a huge man with a deep rumbling voice, and easily spoke over the side conversations that had sprung up.

            "Now ya'll listen up. I know how yer all feelin', thinkin' that a reator'll ruin our lives. But hear this. It's gonna do nothin' but good fer this town. Ain't nothin' that still runs on fossil fuels, 'cept maybe some backwoods railroad line or somethin'. But the truth is there just ain't no money in coal minin' no more. Dyne's right. You gotta think about the future. I don't want my little girl Marlene growin' up po' like I did, always wonderin' where her next meal's gonna come from, wonderin' what she's gonna do wit her life in this dead-end town. A reactor'll change all that. We won't be unemployed. We can get jobs wit Shinra, they pay good, and they always lookin' fo' new people, and they gonna need someone to take care o' the reactor. I'm only sayin' this fo' the sake of our children. They deserve better than what dis town has to offer right now."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Dyne and most of the others cheered Barret's speech.

            Kile leaned back in his chair, the legs creaking dangerously. Barret had made some good points. But he still had a bad feeling about this, something about it just didn't seem right. Both he and his wife wanted to stick with the more traditional ways of life, but he forced himself to think of his daughter first. She was a high-ranking officer in the army now, and the thought of her returning to North Corel and finding nothing but ruins gave him chills. She needed a home, needed a place to come back to.

            "Very well, Barret. For Laeryn's sake, I'll vote for the building of the reactor" Kile sighed.

            Barret's rough, dark face split into a grin. "Dat's da spirit, Kile. I'm sure Laeryn'll be excited when she hears about dis. Now, let's 'ave a vote. All in favor of a Mako reactor, 'ands up." Barret paused a moment and counted the hands. "Now all against the building of a reactor, 'ands up." Barret counted again and shook his head. "The majority is still against the building of a reactor. Alright den, We'll send da report to Shinra in da mo'nin'."

            As people filed out of the small, cramped meeting house, Dyne pulled Barret aside.

            "Shinra won't be happy with the result of this vote. This is the fourth meeting we've held, and the people are still against the building of a reactor", he said worriedly.

            "Yeah, I know. But we gotta go wit what tha people want, Dyne. Until dey vote for it, we can't do nothin'. We just gotta hope for da best, hope dey all come 'round sooner or later."

            "You're right, Barret. When we send that report to Shinra in the morning, there'll be nothing else we can do. We just gotta hope and pray that things'll turn out okay. Now let's go home, it's getting late."

* * *

            "Laeryn's not in here" griped Zack, stepping away from the tent, "She's probably out taking target practice or something."

            "Okay then, but I'm not gonna be the one that interrupts her, especially if she's got a gun in her hand!" yawned Cody, rolling his eyes.

            The two Admirals reached the target practice area, and looked around.

            "She's not here, either, Zack", stated Cody, "She's probably on her way to the General's cabin already."

            Zack shrugged and began walking the other way. He got about three steps when a bullet zinged past his head and destroyed a well-concealed target.

Both Admirals dropped to the ground.

"Whoever's there, watch where you're shooting! You almost just killed an officer, kiddo! You could be executed for mutiny!" screamed Zack.

Laeryn emerged from behind a tree several moments later.

"Shut up, Admiral Page. Stop groveling in the dirt and get your ass in gear. There's a meeting at the General's cabin in twenty minutes. And by the way, I don't need to watch where I'm shooting. You need to watch where you're walking", Laeryn hissed angrily. Despite her tone, her eyes shone with amusement. The Admirals could be rather entertaining at times.

Zack and Cody leapt up from the ground and hastily brushed themselves off, trying to hide their embarrassment.

"Apologies, Grand Admiral Chase! We'll be on our way then! Have a good evening, ma'am!" the boys answered smartly in unison and marched away. Laeryn restrained the urge to burst out laughing.

"I can't believe I just made a fool of myself like that!" yelled Zack, smacking himself on the forehead.

"It's hard not to make a fool of yourself in front of Laeryn. Everyone knows she's the best Soldier there is. Well, other than the General, of course" shrugged Cody.

"That's true", replied Zack, "And she reminds me so much of the General it's scary. When he retires or gets killed or something, I bet you anything Laeryn's gonna take over."

After entering the cabin, Laeryn calmly seated herself beside Sephiroth. She folded her hands in her lap and stared at them. She had to maintain better composure than she had that morning. Nothing could jeopardize her authority or her reputation. Laeryn closed her eyes and attempted to erase whatever thoughts or feelings she had for Sephiroth from her mind. Her job demanded that she be cold, calculating and objective. She had to think of the success of Shinra and Soldier above all else, and could not allow feelings for a specific individual to block her path. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she heard Sephiroth rise and move to another part of the room. Cautiously, Laeryn looked up, only to see Sephiroth directly in front of her, opening the door for Zack, Cody, Martino, and Galen. A breeze from outside caught his long hair and sent it flying out behind him. Laeryn took a deep breath and focused her attention on the tabletop again. The Admirals sat down at the table, behaving much better than they usually did, not wanting to irritate the General. Sephiroth didn't even notice their exceptional behavior. He took his seat next to Laeryn, straightened a few strands of his hair and began speaking.                                                                   "There will be nothing left of Wutai's army or will to resist Shinra when we have finished with them. I want every long range weapon at our disposal to be utilized. From the top of the plateau, send all hell raining down on that city. If we keep the attack quiet they will not have time to organize a retaliation before we crush them. Martino, Cody, and Galen, you will be chiefly responsible for this effort. Your troops will provide the primary wave of firepower. Zack, Laeryn, and myself will be waiting with the rest of the army a short way down the slope, to relieve you when necessary. In the unlike event that Wutai will attempt to retaliate, we will move tanks into position as well".

Zack had never been so excited in his entire life. This would be his first real battle as an Admiral. Since he'd been promoted two months ago, he'd never done anything more than simulations and training courses. Now he finally had the chance to prove what he'd learned. The fact that he would get to stay with Laeryn only thrilled him further. As Sephiroth outlined the finer details of the plan, Zack began to daydream. He imagined that Wutai did fight back, and it was up to him, Laeryn, and Sephiroth to stop them. His mind's eye surveyed the scenario, and he saw himself saving Laeryn from the Wutai troops, winning the battle, winning medals, winning Laeryn's affection…

"Admiral Page! Are you paying attention?!" Laeryn's voice cracked like a whip, and Zack hastily snapped back to reality. He looked up to see Laeryn glaring at him, her eyes like frozen blue Mako.

"Y-yes, Grand Admiral Chase" he stammered, and continued to watch Laeryn. She sat up perfectly straight, her entire attention focuses on what Sephiroth was saying. Or was her attention focused on Sephiroth himself? Zack studied her face, and noticed her eyes. There was something different about them, something that seemed new and almost alien. When he saw the slightly less chilly look in her eyes, Zack knew he was seeing emotion. Not too many other people have seen her show emotion, thought Zack, his attention drifting again. The sudden triumph of seeing something about Laeryn that no one else had faded as soon as it came, however, when Zack realized what had caused such a reaction from her. It was Sephiroth, of course. Her eyes hadn't wandered from his face since Zack arrived. A bitter sigh escaped Zack's lips. He should have known better than to like someone such as Laeryn. Only a man as feared and powerful as Sephiroth could catch her attention. But then again, Sephiroth caught every girl's attention, so the look in Laeryn's eyes was nothing to worry about. Or was it? Sephiroth kept stealing glances at her, asked her opinion on just about every aspect of the plan…  Zack sighed. Of course Laeryn liked Sephiroth. Every girl did. Even Zack's own girlfriend had pictures of Sephiroth in her room. But the fact that Sephiroth seemed to ignore every advance girls made gave Zack some hope.

"You are dismissed. Begin preparing for tonight's attack" Sephiroth said succinctly. The Admirals filed out of the cabin.

"You're really not anticipating retaliation of any sort, are you?" Laeryn asked Sephiroth, concerned that they would be poorly prepared for such a fight.

"The entire army of Wutai is in the city down there. I've had a Gelnika spy plane flying over every hour to detect traces of movement, and there have been none. And in case they do somehow mobilize without us knowing, you and I and Zack will be further down the mountain. We are better trained, better armed, and better organized than they are. It's an easy victory" Sephiroth reassured her.

"So what will you do when this war is over?" asked Laeryn, wanting to talk to him about something other than the impending battle. Sephiroth's lack of response made her uneasy, so she answered her own question in an attempt to move the conversation along.  "I intend to visit my parents, back in North Corel. They'll be glad to see me alive and well after the war."

She glanced up at Sephiroth. He had a distant look in his eyes, like he was searching his memory for something. The distant look passed and was replaced by a look of anguish, tinged with curiosity. She raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright, Sephiroth?"

"….Yes, I'm fine", he replied, sounding as if his mind were elsewhere.

            He sighed, and seemed to return to the present. "I'll go back to doing what I've always done when this war is over. I'll go back to Midgar and…Shinra…and Hojo…" His voice sounded strained, and the look of anguish returned to his face.

            "Is…Hojo your father?" Laeryn asked cautiously. She had never asked him questions about his family before, and she hoped he wouldn't be angry.

            "God forbid!" said Sephiroth, gritting his teeth, "The man is the closest thing I've ever seen to true evil. He tortures innocent people, Laeryn. He tortures…." He trailed off, and turned away.

            Laeryn had never seen Sephiroth in such a state before. He was usually so stoic, and whatever thoughts he had about people he kept to himself. He had been friendlier to Laeryn than most others for some reason, but he was still very quiet and secretive. Laeryn shifted nervously, unsure of how to deal with Sephiroth's unexpected show of emotion. It was obvious that something was upsetting him, and Laeryn wished he were more inclined to discuss what he was thinking. Seeing him upset weighed heavily on her mind.

            "Sephiroth…" she whispered, cautiously reaching out and laying a hand on his shoulder. His entire body grew tense.

            "Are you all right?" Laeryn continued, still speaking softly.

            Sephiroth turned to face her. The look on his face made Laeryn want to cry. His brow was furrowed and his hypnotic eyes were widened and shining with tears, which gave him an almost innocent look.

            Laeryn gnawed on her lower lip. She desperately wanted to do something to make him feel better. Like hold him, stroke his hair, promise him I'll never let him be hurt… Laeryn quickly captured that stray thought and buried it. He'd freak out in an instant, she said in her mind, forcing herself to think more rationally, whatever's upsetting him that'd only make it worse. Besides, he'd probably never speak to me again.

            "Please…go now" he whispered, "I need to be alone…"

            Laeryn slowly turned and headed for the door, hating to leave him. Alone is the last thing you need to be, she thought, you need someone to talk to and comfort you. She closed the door behind her. "Even if it's not me, you need someone", she finished her thought out loud.

            Sephiroth sighed, and forced back the tears that had sprung to his eyes. He could feel the back of his right hand burning where he had been marked. He removed the glove and looked at his hand. His skin was smooth and free of calluses, since he always wore gloves. It was marred only by a large black number one tattooed on the back of his right hand. Sephiroth felt the tears he so bravely fought return to his eyes. Every time he looked at or felt that number one, he was reminded of how he was produced, not born. How he was not a man, but an experiment. How he had no parents, only caretakers who disliked him. Even though Sephiroth's eyes were shut tight, tears still leaked onto his cheeks. He covered his face with his hands, paranoid that someone would see him in his moment of weakness. As he cried, Sephiroth's memory began to run wild, bringing back images from his childhood that he wished he'd forgotten.

            Sephiroth thought of the place where he had lived his entire life. It was a towering skyscraper, but the only parts of it he ever saw were the tiny, barren room in which he slept and the laboratory where they experimented on him. Who were "they"? Sephiroth knew them only as the people who stood around him holding clipboards, watching passively as Hojo sedated him and strapped him to a metal operating table. He also remembered the looks of total apathy on their faces as the needles pierced his skin and he screamed in agony. Hojo's face wasn't apathetic at all. He was grinning a mad twisted grin, a look that Sephiroth often had nightmares about.

Sometimes the other children who lived in the building with him were visited by their families. Sephiroth waited eagerly, knowing that someone must come for him, too. Sure enough, a man in a white coat came and gestured for Sephiroth to follow him. Sephiroth did what he had seen the other children do. He ran over to the man and hugged him. A moment later he cried out in pain as the man's foot slammed into his ribcage. As the man grabbed Sephiroth by the arm and hauled him away, he yelled at how he mustn't touch anyone again because it could be dangerous to their well-being. Sephiroth didn't understand what he meant by that.          

Sephiroth had blocked out almost all the physical pain of his childhood, but somehow that kick in the ribs and the following scold were still fresh in his mind. As he slumped to the ground and hugged his knees, he could still feel the pain in his chest. And now he was the great General Sephiroth, having entered the army against his will when he was seven years old. Hojo had enlisted him, and Sephiroth objected, saying he didn't want to be in the army because he didn't want to kill people. Hojo slapped him then, and informed him that he had been created to be the perfect Soldier, that killing was all he would ever be good for, and that there was no way he was going to let Sephiroth's feelings get in the way of his "grand project". Despite his initial objections, Sephiroth grew to enjoy it, as he found fighting and martial arts to be the only outlets for his pain.

            That was the only existence Sephiroth had ever known. He was punished for any display of emotions, and the worst punishments would always come for expressing affection towards anyone. Even though he was twenty-five years old, Sephiroth still wondered why no one had ever come to visit him. While other children had parents that loved them, he had none. He had always figured that there must have been something terribly wrong with himself, and that his parents hated him and gave him to Hojo. Once Sephiroth had grown up, he had overheard Hojo talking about him, saying that he was perfect, that the experiment was a success. Sephiroth knew he wasn't perfect. He must have been far from it, since everyone always seemed so displeased with him. As he grew older, he came to resent people's feelings for each other with an almost envious attitude. He chastised others for allowing their emotions to make them weak, but at the same time he longed to have what they had. They all had mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives. Sephiroth was revolted at the bonds between them, yet he couldn't help but feel a sting of jealousy.

            Sephiroth tried to remember a time when someone had loved him, or even done so much as react favorably to his existence. His childhood was devoid of such memories. During his adolescent years, everyone else his age was terrified of him, and never came near him.

            Then he remembered the day he had been promoted to General. As he stood at the podium and recited his bland and completely contrived acceptance speech, he saw a single pair of eyes watching him intently; all the others were downcast out of respect or fear, he never knew which. Sephiroth never would have remembered that day if it hadn't been for those chilly blue eyes, which looked at him without fear or hatred. In fact, they held something that seemed to be quite the opposite.

                                 Those eyes belonged to Laeryn, of course. The only person alive who

did not appear to either despise him or be terrified of him, which puzzled Sephiroth to no

end. He had treated her no differently than any other Soldier, and she had been subject to his

anger on several occasions. Somehow, not even seeing him at his worst could frighten her. It

seemed that nothing could frighten her. Sephiroth had always been intrigued by her

fearlessness, and he grudgingly admitted that the intrigue had grown to respect. That

fearlessness moved Laeryn into a class of her, because she was the only one who had such a

quality. But at the same time it bothered him not knowing why she was so unafraid. He

knew it wasn't because she was stupid. In fact, she possessed a military genius that rivaled

his own. So what was it? He couldn't answer that question. And then the question itself had

become more complicated when Laeryn had done something for him that no one else ever

had. She showed concern for him. Sephiroth recalled a bit more vividly than he cared to the

sound of genuine worry in her voice as she asked if he was all right, and the way her icy eyes

thawed a bit to reveal something he didn't understand. And then she touched him. Not to

hurt him, but to… Why had she touched him? Her touch was so light and cautious that he

barely felt it through the thick fabric of his trench coat, but he felt it nonetheless.