Chapter 7
Cloud Strife nervously paced the length of his apartment. Nibelheim! Of all the places on the Planet, why did they have to go there? Cloud had practically hyperventilated when Sephiroth had named Nibelheim as their destination, but knew better than to turn down what would most likely be his only opportunity to work with famous General. But now he had suckered himself into returning to his hometown. He'd have to face his mother, and even worse, Tifa. Impressing her had been an important part of why Cloud joined Soldier. He'd written her letters boasting of his accomplishments and his rank, promising her that his name would appear in the newspaper "any day now". Of course, none of it was true. Cloud knew that if Tifa found out that he never made it past the lowest foot soldier rank, she'd probably never speak to him again. He had, however, been honest with his mother. But she had also seen some of the letters he sent Tifa and never knew quite what to believe. Maybe he could pretend to be an officer of some sort? No, that wouldn't work. There's no way that Sephiroth would tolerate that. Cloud jumped onto his bed and buried his face in a pillow as he frantically thought his way out of his dilemma.
* * *
The next morning, Cloud scrambled up the last flight of stairs to the roof of the Shinra building, where Sephiroth and Zack were waiting for him. He couldn't have been more that three minutes late, but Sephiroth looked very peeved about it. Zack opened the door and climbed inside the helicopter. Cloud jumped in after him. Sephiroth said something to the pilot, seemingly oblivious to the way his hair flew about in the wind created by the blades.
"Cloud, why are you wearing your helmet now? I don't think the chopper's going to crash," asked Zack. Cloud was wearing his blue combat helmet with the blast shield part way down, flopping over his eyes.
"Uh, I uh forgot about it until after I packed my stuff and I didn't have any more room for it in my bag," lied Cloud. The helmet was all part of Cloud's plan. It was bulky and created shadows over his face. With the blast shield part way down, no one would recognize him. Zack shrugged and hastily sat at attention as Sephiroth entered and the helicopter lifted off.
They endured the helicopter ride in silence. Cloud sat hunched forward taking deep breaths, trying to overcome a sudden case of motion sickness. Zack had his chin in his hand, staring out the window. Sephiroth rearranged the last few pieces of hair that had been disrupted earlier. Zack glanced over at Cloud.
"Are you okay? You look pretty green," he remarked.
"Yeah *urp* I'll be fine... thanks," came the weak reply.
"Hang in there just a little longer, we should be landing any minute now," reassured Zack.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the helicopter began its descent. They were landing on a flat brown plain dotted with mesas. As they grew closer to the ground, a dark blue off-road truck came into view. The moment the helicopter touched down Sephiroth leapt out and looked impatiently at Zack and Cloud, who were a bit more cautious.
The truck was nothing fancy, designed to haul cargo, not people. Zack and Sephiroth seated themselves on empty crates while Cloud curled up in a corner, fighting down more nausea.
"We started about 10 miles north of Cosmo Canyon...we should arrive at Nibelheim exactly on time," Sephiroth said to himself. The truck rumbled forward as dark storm clouds gathered in the sky ahead of them.
* * *
As Laeryn walked through the gates of Nibelheim, she looked up at the sky. Black clouds had filled it, and she was glad to have shelter. The residents of the town headed for their homes as the first drops of rain began to fall. Laeryn stood still, looking for the inn.
"Excuse me, miss!" someone called in Laeryn's direction. She turned and saw a girl a couple of years younger than her waving. "You'd best get inside quickly. You can come to my house if you need a place to stay."
Laeryn nodded and followed the girl home. They sat down on the living room couch.
"So where are you from?" asked the girl.
"I was originally from North Corel, but I moved to Midgar when I was very young," Laeryn answered, observing the girl across from her. The girl had the awkward proportions of a young teenager, but Laeryn could tell from her muscled arms and rough looking hands that she was a fighter of some sort. Her hair was a coffee shade, similar to Zack's, but her eyes were a very distinctive brown, laden with tints of red.
"Didn't North Corel just burn down in a construction accident? I'm really sorry. My name is Tifa, by the way. Tifa Lockhart," answered the girl.
Laeryn felt her chest tighten at the mention of her hometown. The images of the charred corpses of her parents flashed in her mind. The memories were followed by boiling rage at Shinra. They were the ones responsible for the destruction. And now they had lied to the entire world! Everyone knew about it, and everyone thought it was a construction accident.
"Are you okay?" asked Tifa, her mahogany eyes full of curiosity and concern.
"Yes, thanks. My name is Laeryn Chase, by the way. Thank you very much for offering shelter."
"No problem. My dad's not home now; he's over at a neighbor's house. He was going to come home this afternoon, but he'll probably be late because of the storm. Sorry, I'm wandering. What do you do for a living? Something with weapons I'd guess, judging from the ones you're carrying," said Tifa.
Laeryn smiled but wondered what to give Tifa for an answer. "I just carry these for self-defense. The local wildlife is none too friendly. I'm actually just passing through here on an errand," she finally replied.
"Oh really? I thought you might be in Soldier or something. I know a guy who's in Soldier; he's really good too. I'm into some fighting myself. I do martial arts, I'm one of Zangan's students. I hate to brag, but I won the World Championship last week! I'm only fifteen, so that makes me the youngest person ever to do it," Tifa said proudly.
Laeryn smiled again, genuinely this time. "Congratulations! You have every right to be proud," she said. Laeryn liked Tifa right away. She was friendly and very talkative, but intelligent and thoughtful at the same time. The fact that she was a world champion martial artist at the age of fifteen only made her more respectable. Laeryn was glad to know that there was someone out there who would treat her as normal person instead of a fugitive.
"Do you have a job of any kind?" Laeryn continued.
"I'm a guide, actually. I take expeditions into the Nibel Mountains. Mostly Shinra people looking for the reactor. I don't get many clients, but they always pay well. I'm quite excited about my next client, though. He's from Shinra too, but he's way more famous than most. I'd tell you who, but he asked me to keep his name confidential," Tifa went on.
Shinra people...someone famous. Laeryn began to wonder.
* * *
Rain clattered noisily off the outside of the truck as it approached Nibelheim. Cloud was still curled in his corner, and Sephiroth continued to sit calmly on an empty crate. Zack was getting antsy from sitting down for so long. He stood up and began to pace around the truck.
"Sure is raining hard," he commented to one in particular. He walked over to Cloud. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm all right...." came the weak reply.
"I'm sorry. You must be miserable. I've never really had motion sickness, so I can't relate," Zack said, trying to sound as sympathetic as possible.
Zack continued pacing until he heard Sephiroth's soft voice. "Hey. Settle down."
Zack stopped pacing, but kept talking, more to himself than to Sephiroth.
"I finally got some new materia. I hope I get a chance to test it out on this mission," he exclaimed. Sephiroth rolled his eyes.
Zack blushed as he realized how much he sounded like Cloud. Awkwardly, he tried to change the subject. "So, um, are you going to tell us any more about the mission?"
"This isn't a typical mission," came Sephiroth's cryptic reply.
"Oh good," Cloud croaked from the corner.
Sephiroth raised a silver eyebrow at him. "Why do you say that?"
"Well...I joined Soldier to be like you...and this kind of gives me an opportunity to prove myself," Cloud explained.
Sephiroth saw the irony in the situation, a boy who desperately wanted to be a hero but could barely survive a couple hours in a truck. His soft, breathy laughter reached Cloud's ears. The boy blushed, embarrassed and indignant at the same time.
"Well then how do you feel, Sephiroth?" Cloud lamely shot back.
Sephiroth continued laughing. "I thought you were interested in a briefing?"
Zack finally stood still and Cloud finally stopped talking.
"We're going to the Mako reactor in Nibelheim because it has been malfunctioning. The animals that live in that area have been acting strangely as well. We are to fix the reactor, and find out why the animals have suddenly become aggressive," Sephiroth said.
The information was no different than what Zack and Cloud had been told back in Midgar. Zack continued pacing. Cloud continued talking.
"I'm from Nibelheim," the blond boy remarked.
"Hmm...a hometown..." Sephiroth murmured under his breath, so softly that Cloud barely heard. He knew he wasn't supposed to hear so he pretended he didn't.
Any thoughts that Cloud had were interrupted by a forceful crash against the side of the truck that nearly knocked it over.
"S-sir, something just hit the truck!" came the driver's shrill voice.
"One of the animals, I suppose," Sephiroth said calmly. He picked up Masamune and stepped out of the truck. Zack accompanied him. Cloud moved to follow as well, but Sephiroth held up his hand and shook his head. Cloud slumped against a crate, disappointed.
A dragon stood over the truck with its teeth bared. It spotted Zack and Sephiroth and opened its mouth to launch a stream of fire at them. Zack threw himself out of the way. Sephiroth crouched low and ran straight toward the dragon, grimacing as the flames flew over his head and singed part of his hair. The dragon hadn't been expecting such a bold move, and looked quite surprised when Sephiroth buried Masamune to the hilt in its chest. The huge creature screamed in pain and collapsed onto its side. Sephiroth walked slowly through patches of steaming grass
"Is the truck still operational?" he asked the driver.
"It's pretty dented up, but it'll go," the driver replied.
"Good. Zack! We're leaving now," Sephiroth called.
Zack trotted back in to the truck, beating out smoldering patches on his clothes.
Cloud stared wide-eyed at his two superiors. Zack looked exhilarated. Sephiroth looked bored.
"Wh-what was that? Was that the monster?" asked Cloud.
"It was one of them, yes. It was a dragon. Normally, dragons live high in Nibel Mountains and shy away from people. People have tendency to hunt them for their hides and horns. It was strange to see one here in the foothills, especially one with such aggressive behavior," explained Sephiroth as he wrung rainwater out of his hair.
Cloud nodded before reverting to his curled position in the corner.
* * *
They reached Nibelheim within the hour. Cloud swallowed a fit of nervousness as he adjusted his oversized helmet.
"Can you even see in that thing?" asked Zack.
"Yeah kinda. I can sorta see if I look straight down at my feet," Cloud replied cheerily.
"I don't even know why you're wearing it. Well, whatever," Zack shrugged.
Sephiroth turned toward Cloud. "So how does it feel?" he asked the younger Soldier.
"What do you mean, sir?" Cloud said nervously.
"Well, this is your hometown, right? How does it feel to visit here?" inquired Sephiroth.
Cloud was caught completely off guard. Sephiroth was not known for asking people about their feelings. To Cloud it seemed almost out of character for him, wrong somehow.
"W-well, I'm excited I guess. Happy to see my family," he answered nervously.
"I wouldn't know because I don't have a hometown..." Sephiroth murmured.
Zack glanced over at Cloud. Apparently he had noticed Sephiroth's odd behavior as well.
Sephiroth stared at the pointed peaks of the Nibel Mountains, momentarily forgetting about Cloud, Zack and the mission. His entire attention was focused on those mountains. The rain had finally let up and rays of sunlight shone down on them, but there was something wrong about them. No, it wasn't the mountains themselves, it was something in the mountains. It revolted him and drew him at the same time. He could feel it crawling around inside his skull. He could practically hear it calling his name. An awful voice. But he had to listen because it was in his own mind. Sephiroth's better instincts warned him against stepping through the white gates of Nibelheim. But that voice or thought or feeling nibbling in his brain urged him forward. His need to complete the mission urged him forward. He stepped inside.
"Ummm.....how 'bout your parents?" Cloud's voice suddenly appeared in Sephiroth's ears. He jumped.
"My mother was Jenovah. And my father...." Sephiroth began. He stopped and shook his head. Mother. Jenovah. That's what he wanted. He had to find her. In the mountains. She would love him. Sephiroth shook his head, alarmed by a thought as random as that. Laeryn loved him. But so does Mother... "It doesn't matter who my parents were. Let's go," he said firmly, more to himself than to Cloud. The three continued their walk into Nibelheim.
* * *
"Is there anyplace here that sells ammunition?" Laeryn asked Tifa as she headed for the door.
"Yep. After you leave my house, go straight across the street, by the well. Then go right two blocks. It's impossible to miss; that store's got a big sign and they sell all sorts of weapons and things," answered Tifa.
"Thanks again, Tifa. I won't forget; you've been so kind to me. If you ever need help, just let me know," Laeryn said, truly grateful to Tifa for her friendship and hospitality.
"No problem. Since I'm a guide, helping people is part of my job," answered the younger girl, "Good luck on your journey! Maybe we'll see each other again sometime."
Laeryn smiled and nodded once. "Later."
Laeryn stepped off of Tifa's front porch, in better spirits than ever since she had run away. She crossed the street by the well. People had emerged from their homes once again and bustled through the streets on any number of errands. Then suddenly they all stopped. All their heads turned to look at the same place. Laeryn did likewise.
When she saw what they saw, Laeryn gasped so loudly that some of the attention was momentarily diverted toward her. Sephiroth was standing just inside the gates, flanked by Zack and another Soldier she didn't recognize. Her pulse raced and she stood frozen like an animal about to be mowed down by a truck. Sephiroth coolly returned the stares of the masses before focusing his attention toward the inn. He hadn't seen her. He turned and walked through the crowd, which parted for him like water. Whispers rippled across the mass. Laeryn wanted to call out to him, but decided against it because of the other two Soldiers with him. They would open fire as soon as they noticed her.
Sephiroth had nearly reached the door of the inn when the smaller boy suddenly turned his head in her direction. The blast shield on his helmet had fallen over his face so she couldn't see exactly where he was looking. It was made clear soon enough when he raised his rifle and yelled, "The traitor is here! There she is!"
Laeryn turned and lit off for the nearest alleyway. She dove around the corner with a spray of bullets snapping at her feet.
Sephiroth whirled on Cloud, furious.
"What were you thinking! Do NOT fire your gun into a crowd of people like that! It wastes ammunition. Choose your target and THEN shoot!" he snapped. Thoroughly cowed, Cloud nodded dumbly.
"Now what was that you said about Laeryn?" Sephiroth continued.
Cloud started briefly, surprised to hear Sephiroth call her by name. All the other Shinra bigwigs simply referred to as the "the traitor" or "the fugitive".
"Well I saw her over there and I'm positive it was her. Then she turned and ran into that alley across the street," Cloud explained, pointing.
"I'll deal with it. Stay here," commanded Sephiroth.
Sephiroth leapt through the throng of people which now lay sprawled across the ground, alarmed by the gunfire. Laeryn had survived. A burden had been lifted from him and as he ran across the street he felt like he was flying. The scratch that had appeared on his mind since his arrival faded away, the voice left; it didn't matter anymore. Laeryn was alive and nothing else mattered anymore.
Sephiroth stepped into the alley. Laeryn was in the back crouched in the shadows, gun in hand.
"Laeryn?" he called softly.
She edged forward into a patch of light. Sephiroth was indeed standing before her, Masamune in hand, head tilted slightly to one side. The blackness of his clothing melded with the shadows and his fair skin and hair and bright eyes stood out sharply. Beautiful.
Sephiroth watched as Laeryn stared at him, her expression a mixture of shock and awe. She looked disheveled; her clothes were torn and dirty and it looked as it she hadn't eaten properly for days. Her hair looked different too; the shorter part had grown out, so it was all nearly the same length, hanging just past her shoulder blades. It had a waviness to it that he hadn't noticed before. Sephiroth immediately felt concerned for her; she needed to rest and she needed to eat. He approached her slowly, unsure of what to tell her.
Laeryn bowed her head and slid her gun back into her belt. "Sephiroth...I'm sorry," she said softly. Laeryn's conscience had been nipping at her for days for abandoning Sephiroth and now that he was here in person she felt particularly guilty.
Once he was about an arm's length from her, Sephiroth cautiously reached out to her. "I should be sorry...your family...." He explained in a whisper, "I knew what they were going to do...I didn't want to tell you because I...didn't want you to be upset."
Sephiroth awkwardly slid his arms around her waist, still holding Masamune. Laeryn eagerly returned the embrace, her head falling onto his shoulder. She fought down tears at the mention of her parents.
"I was worried about you..." he continued, still whispering, "I was afraid that the Turk might kill you."
"She did find me, but I killed her first," answered Laeryn.
"You're not injured are you?" Sephiroth demanded, speaking above a whisper for the first time.
"No no, I'm fine," she answered, ignoring the fact that her ribs were still sore from where Maxily had kicked her, "So what are you and
your lackeys doing in Nibelheim of all places?"
Sephiroth smiled down at her. "We're here to fix the reactor. And find out what's wrong with the animals."
"Really? They're sending you to fix a broken reactor? Don't they usually have maintenance people do that?"
"Yes, but I suppose that Shinra, being the idiot that he is, thought this was somehow more important than the numerous other malfunctioning reactor reports they've received over the years."
"Well at least it's nothing difficult."
"Yes. Anything to get away from Midgar and Shinra. And Hojo. I hate it all."
"Sephiroth...." Laeryn whispered through another wave of guilt. She tilted her head upward and kissed him. A moment later they both jumped as Masamune clattered to the ground. Sephiroth looked away, blushing. "Sorry," he muttered, feeling a bit stupid that he had dropped his sword. Then he watched in amazement as Laeryn easily picked up Masamune and leaned it against the side of a building. Sephiroth had never seen anyone else who was able to lift his sword, much less move it around so easily. She never ceased to impress him. Laeryn slowly turned to him, took his face in her hands and kissed him again. Much more relaxed, he passionately returned it.
Some minutes later they were interrupted by Zack's voice.
"Sir! Are you alright?" he called.
Sephiroth hadn't realized how much time had passed. He and Laeryn quickly jumped apart. Zack and Cloud walked into the alley.
"Yes Zack, I'm fine. I believe you already know Laeryn. She will be accompanying us on the mission tomorrow," Sephiroth said levelly.
"But sir, she's a traitor!" exclaimed Cloud. He suddenly found Masamune well inside his personal space bubble.
"Are you questioning my authority?" hissed Sephiroth.
"No sir!" squeaked Cloud as he hastily backed away from the huge blade.
Sephiroth lowered his sword. "We are leaving at 0600 hours tomorrow morning. Until then, you are free. If you have family or friends here, you may visit them," he said.
"Let's go to my place, I'll introduce you to my mom!" exclaimed Cloud. Zack shrugged a reply and the boys wandered off.
Sephiroth turned to Laeryn. "And you are going to clean up, rest, and eat," he stated. Laeryn didn't object. A hot shower and some real food sounded wonderful to her.
Sephiroth led her to the hotel and to the suite of rooms he had reserved.
"Nice accommodations," she said, taking in the lavishly furnished room.
"I didn't know you would be here, so I only reserved two rooms...." Sephiroth continued, blushing slightly again, "You can use my shower and anything of mine that you need."
"Thanks," she smiled, and practically ran into the bathroom.
* * *
"Mom?" called Cloud as he walked into his house.
A woman in her late forties appeared at the top of the stairs. She had the same light blond hair as her son, only hers was neatly kept and held in place with a headband. Her blue eyes lit up at the sight of Cloud.
"Cloud!" she exclaimed, "I didn't know you were coming!"
"Neither did I, actually. We're on a mission and ended up here by coincidence," he explained as he gave her a hug.
"Well I'm so glad you're home. Who's your friend here?"
"Mom, this is Zack Page. He's the Grand Admiral of Soldier and a friend of mine," Cloud said proudly.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Page," said Cloud's mom, shaking his hand, "Now you boys come on into the kitchen and I'll make supper for you. And Cloud, I want to hear all about what's going on. Tell me about the war with Wutai. I know you've been having some trouble doing well, so are things working out for you?"
"Well we won the war with Wutai pretty easily," Cloud answered, "And things aren't really going a whole lot better, to be honest with you. It's just lucky that I ended up on a mission with the two highest ranking Soldiers."
"So what exactly is your mission? Are you here to fix the reactor? The blackouts have become very annoying. Not to mention the animals! They used to pretty much stay away from here, but now there've been at least five people injured by them. Please be careful; I hear they attack without provocation."
Zack and Cloud went on to explain the mission to her and she continued to grille them with questions about every aspect of Soldier life.
* * *
A hot shower had never felt so good to Laeryn. She washed her face and hair numerous times, and even took the liberty of using Sephiroth's toothbrush. We've already swapped spit anyways, so what's the harm? She thought with a chuckle. When the hot water finally ran out she wrapped a towel around herself and pulled her hair into its customary half-ponytail. Her next challenge was to find something decent to wear. Her clothes lay in a pile on the floor, completely filthy. She wasn't thrilled with the thought of putting them on again. As she reached for her shirt she heard a knock on the door.
"Laeryn?" Sephiroth called.
"I'll be out in a minute, I just have to put my clothes on," she answered.
"Oh...well I bought you new ones if you'd rather wear those," he said.
Laeryn was amazed at what she just heard. Sephiroth bought her new clothes? She must have been in the shower longer that she thought. Adjusting her towel, she stepped into the room. Sephiroth had laid her new clothes out on one of the two double beds in the room. They looked very similar to her old clothes, but were of much nicer quality. The red tank top was made of some silky-feeling material instead of cheap cotton and the black pants were lighter and softer than the denim ones she had before. Even the socks and underwear looked nicer. Laeryn couldn't believe he'd bought her underwear.
"I hope it all fits. I had to guess on the sizes," Sephiroth said.
Laeryn ran over to him and hugged him. "Thanks so much! You...you're so...sweet!" she exclaimed, and then winced inwardly when she realized how lame she just sounded.
"I'm glad you like them. Now get dressed so we can go eat," he answered, kissing her cheek.
Laeryn grabbed the clothes and ran into the bathroom again. She put them on, trying not to think of how much Sephiroth must have paid for them. Though the pants and underwear fit well the top was a bit too small, but it was nothing she couldn't live with. After belting on her weapons she stepped out of the bathroom. Sephiroth looked appreciatively before heading for the door. Laeryn followed him out.
"So where are we going to eat?" she asked.
"Someplace nice," said Sephiroth
* * *
Zack and Cloud were certainly enjoying their meal. Cloud's mom had made a huge pot of spaghetti for them and they had eaten almost the entire thing.
"You boys sure packed it away. Don't they feed you at all in Soldier?" she chuckled.
"Yeah, if you consider what they give us 'food'," answered Cloud with his mouth full. Zack didn't say anything; the higher your rank was, the better you ate.
"You'll have to come visit more often then," said Mrs. Strife.
"Hey Zack, I wonder what Laeryn and Sephiroth are up to," Cloud said.
Zack sucked in an especially long noodle and rolled his eyes. He had some ideas, but he wasn't about to vocalize them in front of Cloud's mother. "Who knows?"
"General Sephiroth is here too? Oh good, maybe Nibelheim'll finally get noticed a bit more. Shinra is really pushing this place to the side. We need some new industries to get things moving again," Mrs. Strife began, once steering the conversation in her own direction.
* * *
Laeryn's eyes widened at the site of restaurant Sephiroth had chosen. Having grown up in poverty, the site of such lush surroundings was very foreign to her and she felt out of place. She looked self-consciously at the clothes she was wearing. The other women were wearing elaborate evening gowns, some with corsets or bonnets, lots of lace and frills and intricate hairstyles. Even though Laeryn had seen the designer labels on her clothes, they were still below the caliber of what these ladies were wearing.
Sephiroth was completely unperturbed by the apparent necessary formality. He had swapped his long coat for a black silk shirt that looked almost translucent when the light hit it a certain way.
"Um, Sephiroth? Don't you think this place is a little...fancy?" Laeryn whispered.
"I find the excessive formality quite ridiculous, actually," he said in a audibly, "The food, however, is excellent."
Moments later a waiter approached them. He noticed their casual attire and his face took on a rather flustered looked. Sephiroth stared at him a moment, daring him to say anything about it. The waiter wisely chose to keep his mouth shut and silently led them to a table.
"We were probably supposed to have reservations," Laeryn whispered again.
Sephiroth smiled at her. "That didn't seem to be a problem."
Not surprisingly, people were beginning to whisper and point. Wherever Sephiroth went he seemed to be followed by a constant train of points and whispers. He ignored it but it made Laeryn a bit uncomfortable.
Laeryn picked up the menu and nearly choked when she saw the prices. How could people possibly have that much money to spend on a single meal?
"Get whatever you want. Shinra pays for everything," said Sephiroth.
Laeryn felt much better upon hearing that, and vowed to order several servings of the most expensive things on the menu.
Laeryn ordered a tremendous amount of food and ate ravenously. Having grown up in the army, her table etiquette wasn't entirely proper but Sephiroth didn't care. He spread his napkin in his lap, sipped his wine and cut his food into bite sized pieces. Laeryn attracted several stares of her own as she rested her elbows on the table, quaffed her wine and speared huge chunks of food with her fork and bit off smaller pieces.
Long after Sephiroth finished, Laeryn continued eating. He had never seen one person eat so much before.
"Did you eat anything over the past couple weeks?" he asked.
"I ate whatever I could find. Those wilderness survival skills they teach you in basic training are more useful than you might think," she said wryly. Sephiroth blanched at the thought of what she may have eaten.
Finally Laeryn stopped eating and deposited her silverware sloppily on her plate.
"Feeling better?" Sephiroth asked.
"You have no idea," she smiled.
"That's good. Now we need to collect Zack and Cloud and head back," said Sephiroth.
Zack and Cloud were already on their way back to their room. Having finished the spaghetti and thanked Mrs. Strife profusely, the boys said goodnight and headed for their room, knowing they had to get up early in the morning.
"I can't believe how fancy this place is!" Zack exclaimed as he dug excitedly through the little bottles of shampoo and lotion and mouthwash in the bathroom.
"I know! There were mints on the pillows when we got here," Cloud gushed, "Comfy beds too."
"Do you want to shower first, or shall I?" asked Zack.
"Go 'head," said Cloud, "I think I need to lounge on this bed a little longer."
"Good deal," replied the older boy as he snatched up the miniature shampoo bottles.
Sephiroth pounded on the door of Cloud and Zack's room.
"Yeah?" Cloud called.
"You guys better be going to sleep soon. We're leaving at 0600 hours tomorrow and I am not waking you up," he said sternly.
Laeryn smiled sadly, remembering how her dad said things like that to her when she was little.
After entering his room, Sephiroth sat down on his bed and sighed. He was still bothered by what he had experienced when they first arrived at Nibelheim. He had forgotten about it for most of the day, preoccupied as he had been with Laeryn. She was still here; the feeling hadn't returned, but it still unnerved him that he could experience something like that. The thing in the mountains...it was wrong. He didn't want to go into the mountains tomorrow. He wanted to take Laeryn and get as far away as possible. But he had to know what it was. That's what Mother would have wanted. There it was again. The random thought of Mother. Prior to his coming to Nibelheim, Sephiroth never thought about his parents. But now the unknown wishes of his long-dead Mother seemed of paramount importance.
Sephiroth felt Laeryn sit down beside him. Mother faded away.
"What's bothering you?" she asked as she rubbed his back.
"Something is wrong here..." he whispered.
"Where?"
"In the mountains...there's something there...and it's wrong. I wish I didn't have to go there..." He tightly held onto to Laeryn as if he were clinging to a rock to keep from drowning. "But at the same time I feel obligated to go there. Not just because of the mission, but because of Mother."
"Jenovah?" Laeryn said, recalling their conversation the night of the celebration.
Jenovah. The word was somehow terrible and beautiful at the same time. "Jenovah. I never knew her...but somehow...she knows me...I know her wishes..." Sephiroth tried to explain. Laeryn realized he was trembling.
"I know it's wrong, but she's my Mother...I feel obligated to her..." he murmured.
Laeryn was now very worried about Sephiroth. "Don't go, Sephiroth. I'll see the mission through. You will stay in the town tomorrow. It's safer for you," she said firmly.
Sephiroth shook his head. "I have to go. It is my duty."
Sephiroth was incredibly stubborn and Laeryn knew it was pointless to argue with him. Laeryn suddenly felt very afraid. Now that her family was dead, Sephiroth was the only person that mattered to her anymore. She wasn't sure what she would do if he were killed as well. Laeryn felt tears rising in her eyes at the thought of him dying.
"Then I'm going to protect you. Not just on this mission, but always. I promise," Laeryn whispered. The tears overflowed and spilled down her cheeks.
"Laeryn..." he whispered as he pulled her onto his lap and kissed the tears off her face. Sephiroth didn't know why she had suddenly become upset, "Now something's bothering you."
"...I don't want you to die, Sephiroth...I don't know what I would do if you died..." she stammered, slightly embarrassed by her emotional display but unable to control it.
"I'm not going to die. I'm not going to leave you," he replied resolutely, "I promise."
Sephiroth closed the small distance between their mouths and kissed her. Laeryn was pleasantly surprised by his sudden initiative and moved her lips down along his jaw-line and neck. Sephiroth didn't object. Quite the opposite as he lay back and pulled her down with him.
* * *
"Hey Cloud, funny how Sephiroth was yelling at us to go to sleep early? Jesus H. Christ!" Zack swore as he wrapped a pillow around his head.
***Sister Ray's Notes***
God I had NO idea I was such a sap! Look at that! I guess Sephiroth just brings out that side of me ^_^ Yes I'm really obsessed with Sephiroth in case you haven't noticed. I think Tifa's very cool, so I portrayed her as a cool person. I think this chapter nicely sets the stage for the next one. Warning: the next chapter is going to be a LOT less happy. If you've played the game, you can probably guess some of the things that are going to happen. And now that school's almost out, I'll have tons of time to write it; yay!
Cloud Strife nervously paced the length of his apartment. Nibelheim! Of all the places on the Planet, why did they have to go there? Cloud had practically hyperventilated when Sephiroth had named Nibelheim as their destination, but knew better than to turn down what would most likely be his only opportunity to work with famous General. But now he had suckered himself into returning to his hometown. He'd have to face his mother, and even worse, Tifa. Impressing her had been an important part of why Cloud joined Soldier. He'd written her letters boasting of his accomplishments and his rank, promising her that his name would appear in the newspaper "any day now". Of course, none of it was true. Cloud knew that if Tifa found out that he never made it past the lowest foot soldier rank, she'd probably never speak to him again. He had, however, been honest with his mother. But she had also seen some of the letters he sent Tifa and never knew quite what to believe. Maybe he could pretend to be an officer of some sort? No, that wouldn't work. There's no way that Sephiroth would tolerate that. Cloud jumped onto his bed and buried his face in a pillow as he frantically thought his way out of his dilemma.
* * *
The next morning, Cloud scrambled up the last flight of stairs to the roof of the Shinra building, where Sephiroth and Zack were waiting for him. He couldn't have been more that three minutes late, but Sephiroth looked very peeved about it. Zack opened the door and climbed inside the helicopter. Cloud jumped in after him. Sephiroth said something to the pilot, seemingly oblivious to the way his hair flew about in the wind created by the blades.
"Cloud, why are you wearing your helmet now? I don't think the chopper's going to crash," asked Zack. Cloud was wearing his blue combat helmet with the blast shield part way down, flopping over his eyes.
"Uh, I uh forgot about it until after I packed my stuff and I didn't have any more room for it in my bag," lied Cloud. The helmet was all part of Cloud's plan. It was bulky and created shadows over his face. With the blast shield part way down, no one would recognize him. Zack shrugged and hastily sat at attention as Sephiroth entered and the helicopter lifted off.
They endured the helicopter ride in silence. Cloud sat hunched forward taking deep breaths, trying to overcome a sudden case of motion sickness. Zack had his chin in his hand, staring out the window. Sephiroth rearranged the last few pieces of hair that had been disrupted earlier. Zack glanced over at Cloud.
"Are you okay? You look pretty green," he remarked.
"Yeah *urp* I'll be fine... thanks," came the weak reply.
"Hang in there just a little longer, we should be landing any minute now," reassured Zack.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the helicopter began its descent. They were landing on a flat brown plain dotted with mesas. As they grew closer to the ground, a dark blue off-road truck came into view. The moment the helicopter touched down Sephiroth leapt out and looked impatiently at Zack and Cloud, who were a bit more cautious.
The truck was nothing fancy, designed to haul cargo, not people. Zack and Sephiroth seated themselves on empty crates while Cloud curled up in a corner, fighting down more nausea.
"We started about 10 miles north of Cosmo Canyon...we should arrive at Nibelheim exactly on time," Sephiroth said to himself. The truck rumbled forward as dark storm clouds gathered in the sky ahead of them.
* * *
As Laeryn walked through the gates of Nibelheim, she looked up at the sky. Black clouds had filled it, and she was glad to have shelter. The residents of the town headed for their homes as the first drops of rain began to fall. Laeryn stood still, looking for the inn.
"Excuse me, miss!" someone called in Laeryn's direction. She turned and saw a girl a couple of years younger than her waving. "You'd best get inside quickly. You can come to my house if you need a place to stay."
Laeryn nodded and followed the girl home. They sat down on the living room couch.
"So where are you from?" asked the girl.
"I was originally from North Corel, but I moved to Midgar when I was very young," Laeryn answered, observing the girl across from her. The girl had the awkward proportions of a young teenager, but Laeryn could tell from her muscled arms and rough looking hands that she was a fighter of some sort. Her hair was a coffee shade, similar to Zack's, but her eyes were a very distinctive brown, laden with tints of red.
"Didn't North Corel just burn down in a construction accident? I'm really sorry. My name is Tifa, by the way. Tifa Lockhart," answered the girl.
Laeryn felt her chest tighten at the mention of her hometown. The images of the charred corpses of her parents flashed in her mind. The memories were followed by boiling rage at Shinra. They were the ones responsible for the destruction. And now they had lied to the entire world! Everyone knew about it, and everyone thought it was a construction accident.
"Are you okay?" asked Tifa, her mahogany eyes full of curiosity and concern.
"Yes, thanks. My name is Laeryn Chase, by the way. Thank you very much for offering shelter."
"No problem. My dad's not home now; he's over at a neighbor's house. He was going to come home this afternoon, but he'll probably be late because of the storm. Sorry, I'm wandering. What do you do for a living? Something with weapons I'd guess, judging from the ones you're carrying," said Tifa.
Laeryn smiled but wondered what to give Tifa for an answer. "I just carry these for self-defense. The local wildlife is none too friendly. I'm actually just passing through here on an errand," she finally replied.
"Oh really? I thought you might be in Soldier or something. I know a guy who's in Soldier; he's really good too. I'm into some fighting myself. I do martial arts, I'm one of Zangan's students. I hate to brag, but I won the World Championship last week! I'm only fifteen, so that makes me the youngest person ever to do it," Tifa said proudly.
Laeryn smiled again, genuinely this time. "Congratulations! You have every right to be proud," she said. Laeryn liked Tifa right away. She was friendly and very talkative, but intelligent and thoughtful at the same time. The fact that she was a world champion martial artist at the age of fifteen only made her more respectable. Laeryn was glad to know that there was someone out there who would treat her as normal person instead of a fugitive.
"Do you have a job of any kind?" Laeryn continued.
"I'm a guide, actually. I take expeditions into the Nibel Mountains. Mostly Shinra people looking for the reactor. I don't get many clients, but they always pay well. I'm quite excited about my next client, though. He's from Shinra too, but he's way more famous than most. I'd tell you who, but he asked me to keep his name confidential," Tifa went on.
Shinra people...someone famous. Laeryn began to wonder.
* * *
Rain clattered noisily off the outside of the truck as it approached Nibelheim. Cloud was still curled in his corner, and Sephiroth continued to sit calmly on an empty crate. Zack was getting antsy from sitting down for so long. He stood up and began to pace around the truck.
"Sure is raining hard," he commented to one in particular. He walked over to Cloud. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm all right...." came the weak reply.
"I'm sorry. You must be miserable. I've never really had motion sickness, so I can't relate," Zack said, trying to sound as sympathetic as possible.
Zack continued pacing until he heard Sephiroth's soft voice. "Hey. Settle down."
Zack stopped pacing, but kept talking, more to himself than to Sephiroth.
"I finally got some new materia. I hope I get a chance to test it out on this mission," he exclaimed. Sephiroth rolled his eyes.
Zack blushed as he realized how much he sounded like Cloud. Awkwardly, he tried to change the subject. "So, um, are you going to tell us any more about the mission?"
"This isn't a typical mission," came Sephiroth's cryptic reply.
"Oh good," Cloud croaked from the corner.
Sephiroth raised a silver eyebrow at him. "Why do you say that?"
"Well...I joined Soldier to be like you...and this kind of gives me an opportunity to prove myself," Cloud explained.
Sephiroth saw the irony in the situation, a boy who desperately wanted to be a hero but could barely survive a couple hours in a truck. His soft, breathy laughter reached Cloud's ears. The boy blushed, embarrassed and indignant at the same time.
"Well then how do you feel, Sephiroth?" Cloud lamely shot back.
Sephiroth continued laughing. "I thought you were interested in a briefing?"
Zack finally stood still and Cloud finally stopped talking.
"We're going to the Mako reactor in Nibelheim because it has been malfunctioning. The animals that live in that area have been acting strangely as well. We are to fix the reactor, and find out why the animals have suddenly become aggressive," Sephiroth said.
The information was no different than what Zack and Cloud had been told back in Midgar. Zack continued pacing. Cloud continued talking.
"I'm from Nibelheim," the blond boy remarked.
"Hmm...a hometown..." Sephiroth murmured under his breath, so softly that Cloud barely heard. He knew he wasn't supposed to hear so he pretended he didn't.
Any thoughts that Cloud had were interrupted by a forceful crash against the side of the truck that nearly knocked it over.
"S-sir, something just hit the truck!" came the driver's shrill voice.
"One of the animals, I suppose," Sephiroth said calmly. He picked up Masamune and stepped out of the truck. Zack accompanied him. Cloud moved to follow as well, but Sephiroth held up his hand and shook his head. Cloud slumped against a crate, disappointed.
A dragon stood over the truck with its teeth bared. It spotted Zack and Sephiroth and opened its mouth to launch a stream of fire at them. Zack threw himself out of the way. Sephiroth crouched low and ran straight toward the dragon, grimacing as the flames flew over his head and singed part of his hair. The dragon hadn't been expecting such a bold move, and looked quite surprised when Sephiroth buried Masamune to the hilt in its chest. The huge creature screamed in pain and collapsed onto its side. Sephiroth walked slowly through patches of steaming grass
"Is the truck still operational?" he asked the driver.
"It's pretty dented up, but it'll go," the driver replied.
"Good. Zack! We're leaving now," Sephiroth called.
Zack trotted back in to the truck, beating out smoldering patches on his clothes.
Cloud stared wide-eyed at his two superiors. Zack looked exhilarated. Sephiroth looked bored.
"Wh-what was that? Was that the monster?" asked Cloud.
"It was one of them, yes. It was a dragon. Normally, dragons live high in Nibel Mountains and shy away from people. People have tendency to hunt them for their hides and horns. It was strange to see one here in the foothills, especially one with such aggressive behavior," explained Sephiroth as he wrung rainwater out of his hair.
Cloud nodded before reverting to his curled position in the corner.
* * *
They reached Nibelheim within the hour. Cloud swallowed a fit of nervousness as he adjusted his oversized helmet.
"Can you even see in that thing?" asked Zack.
"Yeah kinda. I can sorta see if I look straight down at my feet," Cloud replied cheerily.
"I don't even know why you're wearing it. Well, whatever," Zack shrugged.
Sephiroth turned toward Cloud. "So how does it feel?" he asked the younger Soldier.
"What do you mean, sir?" Cloud said nervously.
"Well, this is your hometown, right? How does it feel to visit here?" inquired Sephiroth.
Cloud was caught completely off guard. Sephiroth was not known for asking people about their feelings. To Cloud it seemed almost out of character for him, wrong somehow.
"W-well, I'm excited I guess. Happy to see my family," he answered nervously.
"I wouldn't know because I don't have a hometown..." Sephiroth murmured.
Zack glanced over at Cloud. Apparently he had noticed Sephiroth's odd behavior as well.
Sephiroth stared at the pointed peaks of the Nibel Mountains, momentarily forgetting about Cloud, Zack and the mission. His entire attention was focused on those mountains. The rain had finally let up and rays of sunlight shone down on them, but there was something wrong about them. No, it wasn't the mountains themselves, it was something in the mountains. It revolted him and drew him at the same time. He could feel it crawling around inside his skull. He could practically hear it calling his name. An awful voice. But he had to listen because it was in his own mind. Sephiroth's better instincts warned him against stepping through the white gates of Nibelheim. But that voice or thought or feeling nibbling in his brain urged him forward. His need to complete the mission urged him forward. He stepped inside.
"Ummm.....how 'bout your parents?" Cloud's voice suddenly appeared in Sephiroth's ears. He jumped.
"My mother was Jenovah. And my father...." Sephiroth began. He stopped and shook his head. Mother. Jenovah. That's what he wanted. He had to find her. In the mountains. She would love him. Sephiroth shook his head, alarmed by a thought as random as that. Laeryn loved him. But so does Mother... "It doesn't matter who my parents were. Let's go," he said firmly, more to himself than to Cloud. The three continued their walk into Nibelheim.
* * *
"Is there anyplace here that sells ammunition?" Laeryn asked Tifa as she headed for the door.
"Yep. After you leave my house, go straight across the street, by the well. Then go right two blocks. It's impossible to miss; that store's got a big sign and they sell all sorts of weapons and things," answered Tifa.
"Thanks again, Tifa. I won't forget; you've been so kind to me. If you ever need help, just let me know," Laeryn said, truly grateful to Tifa for her friendship and hospitality.
"No problem. Since I'm a guide, helping people is part of my job," answered the younger girl, "Good luck on your journey! Maybe we'll see each other again sometime."
Laeryn smiled and nodded once. "Later."
Laeryn stepped off of Tifa's front porch, in better spirits than ever since she had run away. She crossed the street by the well. People had emerged from their homes once again and bustled through the streets on any number of errands. Then suddenly they all stopped. All their heads turned to look at the same place. Laeryn did likewise.
When she saw what they saw, Laeryn gasped so loudly that some of the attention was momentarily diverted toward her. Sephiroth was standing just inside the gates, flanked by Zack and another Soldier she didn't recognize. Her pulse raced and she stood frozen like an animal about to be mowed down by a truck. Sephiroth coolly returned the stares of the masses before focusing his attention toward the inn. He hadn't seen her. He turned and walked through the crowd, which parted for him like water. Whispers rippled across the mass. Laeryn wanted to call out to him, but decided against it because of the other two Soldiers with him. They would open fire as soon as they noticed her.
Sephiroth had nearly reached the door of the inn when the smaller boy suddenly turned his head in her direction. The blast shield on his helmet had fallen over his face so she couldn't see exactly where he was looking. It was made clear soon enough when he raised his rifle and yelled, "The traitor is here! There she is!"
Laeryn turned and lit off for the nearest alleyway. She dove around the corner with a spray of bullets snapping at her feet.
Sephiroth whirled on Cloud, furious.
"What were you thinking! Do NOT fire your gun into a crowd of people like that! It wastes ammunition. Choose your target and THEN shoot!" he snapped. Thoroughly cowed, Cloud nodded dumbly.
"Now what was that you said about Laeryn?" Sephiroth continued.
Cloud started briefly, surprised to hear Sephiroth call her by name. All the other Shinra bigwigs simply referred to as the "the traitor" or "the fugitive".
"Well I saw her over there and I'm positive it was her. Then she turned and ran into that alley across the street," Cloud explained, pointing.
"I'll deal with it. Stay here," commanded Sephiroth.
Sephiroth leapt through the throng of people which now lay sprawled across the ground, alarmed by the gunfire. Laeryn had survived. A burden had been lifted from him and as he ran across the street he felt like he was flying. The scratch that had appeared on his mind since his arrival faded away, the voice left; it didn't matter anymore. Laeryn was alive and nothing else mattered anymore.
Sephiroth stepped into the alley. Laeryn was in the back crouched in the shadows, gun in hand.
"Laeryn?" he called softly.
She edged forward into a patch of light. Sephiroth was indeed standing before her, Masamune in hand, head tilted slightly to one side. The blackness of his clothing melded with the shadows and his fair skin and hair and bright eyes stood out sharply. Beautiful.
Sephiroth watched as Laeryn stared at him, her expression a mixture of shock and awe. She looked disheveled; her clothes were torn and dirty and it looked as it she hadn't eaten properly for days. Her hair looked different too; the shorter part had grown out, so it was all nearly the same length, hanging just past her shoulder blades. It had a waviness to it that he hadn't noticed before. Sephiroth immediately felt concerned for her; she needed to rest and she needed to eat. He approached her slowly, unsure of what to tell her.
Laeryn bowed her head and slid her gun back into her belt. "Sephiroth...I'm sorry," she said softly. Laeryn's conscience had been nipping at her for days for abandoning Sephiroth and now that he was here in person she felt particularly guilty.
Once he was about an arm's length from her, Sephiroth cautiously reached out to her. "I should be sorry...your family...." He explained in a whisper, "I knew what they were going to do...I didn't want to tell you because I...didn't want you to be upset."
Sephiroth awkwardly slid his arms around her waist, still holding Masamune. Laeryn eagerly returned the embrace, her head falling onto his shoulder. She fought down tears at the mention of her parents.
"I was worried about you..." he continued, still whispering, "I was afraid that the Turk might kill you."
"She did find me, but I killed her first," answered Laeryn.
"You're not injured are you?" Sephiroth demanded, speaking above a whisper for the first time.
"No no, I'm fine," she answered, ignoring the fact that her ribs were still sore from where Maxily had kicked her, "So what are you and
your lackeys doing in Nibelheim of all places?"
Sephiroth smiled down at her. "We're here to fix the reactor. And find out what's wrong with the animals."
"Really? They're sending you to fix a broken reactor? Don't they usually have maintenance people do that?"
"Yes, but I suppose that Shinra, being the idiot that he is, thought this was somehow more important than the numerous other malfunctioning reactor reports they've received over the years."
"Well at least it's nothing difficult."
"Yes. Anything to get away from Midgar and Shinra. And Hojo. I hate it all."
"Sephiroth...." Laeryn whispered through another wave of guilt. She tilted her head upward and kissed him. A moment later they both jumped as Masamune clattered to the ground. Sephiroth looked away, blushing. "Sorry," he muttered, feeling a bit stupid that he had dropped his sword. Then he watched in amazement as Laeryn easily picked up Masamune and leaned it against the side of a building. Sephiroth had never seen anyone else who was able to lift his sword, much less move it around so easily. She never ceased to impress him. Laeryn slowly turned to him, took his face in her hands and kissed him again. Much more relaxed, he passionately returned it.
Some minutes later they were interrupted by Zack's voice.
"Sir! Are you alright?" he called.
Sephiroth hadn't realized how much time had passed. He and Laeryn quickly jumped apart. Zack and Cloud walked into the alley.
"Yes Zack, I'm fine. I believe you already know Laeryn. She will be accompanying us on the mission tomorrow," Sephiroth said levelly.
"But sir, she's a traitor!" exclaimed Cloud. He suddenly found Masamune well inside his personal space bubble.
"Are you questioning my authority?" hissed Sephiroth.
"No sir!" squeaked Cloud as he hastily backed away from the huge blade.
Sephiroth lowered his sword. "We are leaving at 0600 hours tomorrow morning. Until then, you are free. If you have family or friends here, you may visit them," he said.
"Let's go to my place, I'll introduce you to my mom!" exclaimed Cloud. Zack shrugged a reply and the boys wandered off.
Sephiroth turned to Laeryn. "And you are going to clean up, rest, and eat," he stated. Laeryn didn't object. A hot shower and some real food sounded wonderful to her.
Sephiroth led her to the hotel and to the suite of rooms he had reserved.
"Nice accommodations," she said, taking in the lavishly furnished room.
"I didn't know you would be here, so I only reserved two rooms...." Sephiroth continued, blushing slightly again, "You can use my shower and anything of mine that you need."
"Thanks," she smiled, and practically ran into the bathroom.
* * *
"Mom?" called Cloud as he walked into his house.
A woman in her late forties appeared at the top of the stairs. She had the same light blond hair as her son, only hers was neatly kept and held in place with a headband. Her blue eyes lit up at the sight of Cloud.
"Cloud!" she exclaimed, "I didn't know you were coming!"
"Neither did I, actually. We're on a mission and ended up here by coincidence," he explained as he gave her a hug.
"Well I'm so glad you're home. Who's your friend here?"
"Mom, this is Zack Page. He's the Grand Admiral of Soldier and a friend of mine," Cloud said proudly.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Page," said Cloud's mom, shaking his hand, "Now you boys come on into the kitchen and I'll make supper for you. And Cloud, I want to hear all about what's going on. Tell me about the war with Wutai. I know you've been having some trouble doing well, so are things working out for you?"
"Well we won the war with Wutai pretty easily," Cloud answered, "And things aren't really going a whole lot better, to be honest with you. It's just lucky that I ended up on a mission with the two highest ranking Soldiers."
"So what exactly is your mission? Are you here to fix the reactor? The blackouts have become very annoying. Not to mention the animals! They used to pretty much stay away from here, but now there've been at least five people injured by them. Please be careful; I hear they attack without provocation."
Zack and Cloud went on to explain the mission to her and she continued to grille them with questions about every aspect of Soldier life.
* * *
A hot shower had never felt so good to Laeryn. She washed her face and hair numerous times, and even took the liberty of using Sephiroth's toothbrush. We've already swapped spit anyways, so what's the harm? She thought with a chuckle. When the hot water finally ran out she wrapped a towel around herself and pulled her hair into its customary half-ponytail. Her next challenge was to find something decent to wear. Her clothes lay in a pile on the floor, completely filthy. She wasn't thrilled with the thought of putting them on again. As she reached for her shirt she heard a knock on the door.
"Laeryn?" Sephiroth called.
"I'll be out in a minute, I just have to put my clothes on," she answered.
"Oh...well I bought you new ones if you'd rather wear those," he said.
Laeryn was amazed at what she just heard. Sephiroth bought her new clothes? She must have been in the shower longer that she thought. Adjusting her towel, she stepped into the room. Sephiroth had laid her new clothes out on one of the two double beds in the room. They looked very similar to her old clothes, but were of much nicer quality. The red tank top was made of some silky-feeling material instead of cheap cotton and the black pants were lighter and softer than the denim ones she had before. Even the socks and underwear looked nicer. Laeryn couldn't believe he'd bought her underwear.
"I hope it all fits. I had to guess on the sizes," Sephiroth said.
Laeryn ran over to him and hugged him. "Thanks so much! You...you're so...sweet!" she exclaimed, and then winced inwardly when she realized how lame she just sounded.
"I'm glad you like them. Now get dressed so we can go eat," he answered, kissing her cheek.
Laeryn grabbed the clothes and ran into the bathroom again. She put them on, trying not to think of how much Sephiroth must have paid for them. Though the pants and underwear fit well the top was a bit too small, but it was nothing she couldn't live with. After belting on her weapons she stepped out of the bathroom. Sephiroth looked appreciatively before heading for the door. Laeryn followed him out.
"So where are we going to eat?" she asked.
"Someplace nice," said Sephiroth
* * *
Zack and Cloud were certainly enjoying their meal. Cloud's mom had made a huge pot of spaghetti for them and they had eaten almost the entire thing.
"You boys sure packed it away. Don't they feed you at all in Soldier?" she chuckled.
"Yeah, if you consider what they give us 'food'," answered Cloud with his mouth full. Zack didn't say anything; the higher your rank was, the better you ate.
"You'll have to come visit more often then," said Mrs. Strife.
"Hey Zack, I wonder what Laeryn and Sephiroth are up to," Cloud said.
Zack sucked in an especially long noodle and rolled his eyes. He had some ideas, but he wasn't about to vocalize them in front of Cloud's mother. "Who knows?"
"General Sephiroth is here too? Oh good, maybe Nibelheim'll finally get noticed a bit more. Shinra is really pushing this place to the side. We need some new industries to get things moving again," Mrs. Strife began, once steering the conversation in her own direction.
* * *
Laeryn's eyes widened at the site of restaurant Sephiroth had chosen. Having grown up in poverty, the site of such lush surroundings was very foreign to her and she felt out of place. She looked self-consciously at the clothes she was wearing. The other women were wearing elaborate evening gowns, some with corsets or bonnets, lots of lace and frills and intricate hairstyles. Even though Laeryn had seen the designer labels on her clothes, they were still below the caliber of what these ladies were wearing.
Sephiroth was completely unperturbed by the apparent necessary formality. He had swapped his long coat for a black silk shirt that looked almost translucent when the light hit it a certain way.
"Um, Sephiroth? Don't you think this place is a little...fancy?" Laeryn whispered.
"I find the excessive formality quite ridiculous, actually," he said in a audibly, "The food, however, is excellent."
Moments later a waiter approached them. He noticed their casual attire and his face took on a rather flustered looked. Sephiroth stared at him a moment, daring him to say anything about it. The waiter wisely chose to keep his mouth shut and silently led them to a table.
"We were probably supposed to have reservations," Laeryn whispered again.
Sephiroth smiled at her. "That didn't seem to be a problem."
Not surprisingly, people were beginning to whisper and point. Wherever Sephiroth went he seemed to be followed by a constant train of points and whispers. He ignored it but it made Laeryn a bit uncomfortable.
Laeryn picked up the menu and nearly choked when she saw the prices. How could people possibly have that much money to spend on a single meal?
"Get whatever you want. Shinra pays for everything," said Sephiroth.
Laeryn felt much better upon hearing that, and vowed to order several servings of the most expensive things on the menu.
Laeryn ordered a tremendous amount of food and ate ravenously. Having grown up in the army, her table etiquette wasn't entirely proper but Sephiroth didn't care. He spread his napkin in his lap, sipped his wine and cut his food into bite sized pieces. Laeryn attracted several stares of her own as she rested her elbows on the table, quaffed her wine and speared huge chunks of food with her fork and bit off smaller pieces.
Long after Sephiroth finished, Laeryn continued eating. He had never seen one person eat so much before.
"Did you eat anything over the past couple weeks?" he asked.
"I ate whatever I could find. Those wilderness survival skills they teach you in basic training are more useful than you might think," she said wryly. Sephiroth blanched at the thought of what she may have eaten.
Finally Laeryn stopped eating and deposited her silverware sloppily on her plate.
"Feeling better?" Sephiroth asked.
"You have no idea," she smiled.
"That's good. Now we need to collect Zack and Cloud and head back," said Sephiroth.
Zack and Cloud were already on their way back to their room. Having finished the spaghetti and thanked Mrs. Strife profusely, the boys said goodnight and headed for their room, knowing they had to get up early in the morning.
"I can't believe how fancy this place is!" Zack exclaimed as he dug excitedly through the little bottles of shampoo and lotion and mouthwash in the bathroom.
"I know! There were mints on the pillows when we got here," Cloud gushed, "Comfy beds too."
"Do you want to shower first, or shall I?" asked Zack.
"Go 'head," said Cloud, "I think I need to lounge on this bed a little longer."
"Good deal," replied the older boy as he snatched up the miniature shampoo bottles.
Sephiroth pounded on the door of Cloud and Zack's room.
"Yeah?" Cloud called.
"You guys better be going to sleep soon. We're leaving at 0600 hours tomorrow and I am not waking you up," he said sternly.
Laeryn smiled sadly, remembering how her dad said things like that to her when she was little.
After entering his room, Sephiroth sat down on his bed and sighed. He was still bothered by what he had experienced when they first arrived at Nibelheim. He had forgotten about it for most of the day, preoccupied as he had been with Laeryn. She was still here; the feeling hadn't returned, but it still unnerved him that he could experience something like that. The thing in the mountains...it was wrong. He didn't want to go into the mountains tomorrow. He wanted to take Laeryn and get as far away as possible. But he had to know what it was. That's what Mother would have wanted. There it was again. The random thought of Mother. Prior to his coming to Nibelheim, Sephiroth never thought about his parents. But now the unknown wishes of his long-dead Mother seemed of paramount importance.
Sephiroth felt Laeryn sit down beside him. Mother faded away.
"What's bothering you?" she asked as she rubbed his back.
"Something is wrong here..." he whispered.
"Where?"
"In the mountains...there's something there...and it's wrong. I wish I didn't have to go there..." He tightly held onto to Laeryn as if he were clinging to a rock to keep from drowning. "But at the same time I feel obligated to go there. Not just because of the mission, but because of Mother."
"Jenovah?" Laeryn said, recalling their conversation the night of the celebration.
Jenovah. The word was somehow terrible and beautiful at the same time. "Jenovah. I never knew her...but somehow...she knows me...I know her wishes..." Sephiroth tried to explain. Laeryn realized he was trembling.
"I know it's wrong, but she's my Mother...I feel obligated to her..." he murmured.
Laeryn was now very worried about Sephiroth. "Don't go, Sephiroth. I'll see the mission through. You will stay in the town tomorrow. It's safer for you," she said firmly.
Sephiroth shook his head. "I have to go. It is my duty."
Sephiroth was incredibly stubborn and Laeryn knew it was pointless to argue with him. Laeryn suddenly felt very afraid. Now that her family was dead, Sephiroth was the only person that mattered to her anymore. She wasn't sure what she would do if he were killed as well. Laeryn felt tears rising in her eyes at the thought of him dying.
"Then I'm going to protect you. Not just on this mission, but always. I promise," Laeryn whispered. The tears overflowed and spilled down her cheeks.
"Laeryn..." he whispered as he pulled her onto his lap and kissed the tears off her face. Sephiroth didn't know why she had suddenly become upset, "Now something's bothering you."
"...I don't want you to die, Sephiroth...I don't know what I would do if you died..." she stammered, slightly embarrassed by her emotional display but unable to control it.
"I'm not going to die. I'm not going to leave you," he replied resolutely, "I promise."
Sephiroth closed the small distance between their mouths and kissed her. Laeryn was pleasantly surprised by his sudden initiative and moved her lips down along his jaw-line and neck. Sephiroth didn't object. Quite the opposite as he lay back and pulled her down with him.
* * *
"Hey Cloud, funny how Sephiroth was yelling at us to go to sleep early? Jesus H. Christ!" Zack swore as he wrapped a pillow around his head.
***Sister Ray's Notes***
God I had NO idea I was such a sap! Look at that! I guess Sephiroth just brings out that side of me ^_^ Yes I'm really obsessed with Sephiroth in case you haven't noticed. I think Tifa's very cool, so I portrayed her as a cool person. I think this chapter nicely sets the stage for the next one. Warning: the next chapter is going to be a LOT less happy. If you've played the game, you can probably guess some of the things that are going to happen. And now that school's almost out, I'll have tons of time to write it; yay!
