Bright Seraphim
Two
Some time later, Jaz pulled into the nearly empty parking lot of a twenty-four hour Wal-Mart. The only reason that the snow here was several inches rather than a foot deep was because the lot had been repeatedly plowed for the first few hours of the snowfall. The plows had long since given up.
Jaz had decided what to do with Sephiroth when they reached Pittsburgh. At the hotel where the convention was being held, she'd gotten one of the best suites for herself - her idea of a luxurious vacation. She'd just share it with him. It wasn't like she could do anything else with him in this storm anyway...
She had no idea of what to do once the storm ended. Maybe by then they'd be able to communicate, and he'd know what to do. Or maybe Katie wouldn't mind a third house mate, at least for a while... maybe...
A self-preservation instinct derailed that train of thought as Jaz parked. She turned the headlights off but let the car idle so that it would stay warm. Sephiroth peered at her questioningly.
She reached behind her into a bag in the back seat, rummaging around until she triumphantly produced a tape measure. "I figured that some warmer clothing would be good," she said, unrolling the cloth tape. "Don't worry, I do costumes. I've gotten pretty good at figuring sizes..."
Jaz managed to remain very professional about most of the measuring, but at certain points she had trouble keeping her mind from wandering. Only the fact that he was watching her kept her from a few bouts of insane giggling.
With the necessary data in hand, Jaz opened her door and hopped out. "I'll be right back," she told him.
Sephiroth waited, wrapping the blanket tighter around his shoulders. After a few minutes he began to drift off to sleep... He felt a presence near him. He couldn't place its location, but he knew that it was there.
"~~ Hello, my dear. ~~"
His head jerked up. Memories of everything that had happened - everything - flooded into his head. It was too much at once.
"~~ You failed me, child. I'm very disappointed in you. ~~"
He remembered a thousand terrible things that he'd done. Some of them he'd had no control over. Worse yet, some of them he had.
He remembered finding out that his poor excuse for a life was more of a lie than he'd thought. Remembered deciding not to care (had he ever?). Remembered the joy of finding his mother alive, of freeing her.
"~~ I... I thought you were dead, ~~" he said in a hoarse whisper, his throat tight. "~~ The boy. Cloud. He killed you. ~~"
He remembered how he'd fallen the first time, dying, into the lifestream - his mother had saved him, sent him to a safe place to heal at her own expense. He remembered how she took his shape for her own. He'd invited her at first, when he'd been too weak to send out his mind as she could. She had been beautiful to him, had wanted freedom, a body of her own. She'd wanted revenge against those who had imprisoned her - an easy thing for a warrior such as himself to understand.
"~~ Now, now. Only my body, my dear -- ~~"
Sephiroth gritted his teeth. It was mine!
"~~ - As he did yours. I tried to defeat his mind, but he was too strong, with me in such a weakened state... It was interesting, though, that his mind chose your form for me. Perhaps he had grown used to it. I don't think he likes you very much. ~~" She seemed to be amused by the thought.
He remembered how their minds had traveled together, both cloaked in his shape. It had been good, until he began to watch her more closely. Until Cloud - whom she had claimed was weak and under her control - had proved that he had a mind of his own. Until he had realized that she was lying to him.
"~~ ...But he is not here now. We are here. ~~"
Sephiroth's head was swimming. He saw his reflection in the vehicle's windows; it smiled back at him.
He wasn't smiling.
"~~ Where, ~~" he managed. "~~ Where is... here? ~~"
"~~ Unknown, ~~" the entity on the other side of the reflection sighed. "~~ This is a different world altogether. It has an entirely new flavor... But we are alive. The lifestream rebuilt your body to house us both and cast us out. ~~" The voice was pleased now. "~~ In that, at least, I thank you... My son. A better guard could not have been chosen for me, I believe. ~~"
"Jenova." Sephiroth clenched his fists. "~~ I. Am. Not. Your. Son. ~~" The smile in the reflection faded, giving him the strength to continue. "~~ I want no part of you. You no longer rule me. ~~"
His right arm suddenly felt as though it had been ripped apart; he gasped and cradled it against his chest. There was nothing visibly wrong with it.
"~~ Then you are not my son. ~~" Jenova was cold, dispassionate, watching his pain with satisfaction. "~~ But I own you, and you will obey me. Else I will punish you...~~"
Sephiroth did the only thing he could to stop her.
He blacked out.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII, its story, and characters (particularly Sephiroth) are the property, copyright and trademark of Square Electronic Arts L.L.C., and no ownership or claim on said property, copyright or trademark is made or implied by their use in the work(s) of fan fiction presented here. This fan fiction constitutes a personal comment on the aforesaid properties pursuant to doctrines of fair use and fair comment. This fan fiction is non-commercial, not for sale or profit, and may not be sold or reproduced for commercial purposes. The same goes for Clock Tower, Tekken 2, Soul Blade, Star Trek, Dark Shadows, Lost in Space, Pepsi, and any other games, television shows, movies, etc. mentioned in this fanfic: all belong to their respective owners. Clock Tower, its story, and characters (particularly Scissorman) are the property, copyright, and trademark of Ascii Entertainment.
Two
Some time later, Jaz pulled into the nearly empty parking lot of a twenty-four hour Wal-Mart. The only reason that the snow here was several inches rather than a foot deep was because the lot had been repeatedly plowed for the first few hours of the snowfall. The plows had long since given up.
Jaz had decided what to do with Sephiroth when they reached Pittsburgh. At the hotel where the convention was being held, she'd gotten one of the best suites for herself - her idea of a luxurious vacation. She'd just share it with him. It wasn't like she could do anything else with him in this storm anyway...
She had no idea of what to do once the storm ended. Maybe by then they'd be able to communicate, and he'd know what to do. Or maybe Katie wouldn't mind a third house mate, at least for a while... maybe...
A self-preservation instinct derailed that train of thought as Jaz parked. She turned the headlights off but let the car idle so that it would stay warm. Sephiroth peered at her questioningly.
She reached behind her into a bag in the back seat, rummaging around until she triumphantly produced a tape measure. "I figured that some warmer clothing would be good," she said, unrolling the cloth tape. "Don't worry, I do costumes. I've gotten pretty good at figuring sizes..."
Jaz managed to remain very professional about most of the measuring, but at certain points she had trouble keeping her mind from wandering. Only the fact that he was watching her kept her from a few bouts of insane giggling.
With the necessary data in hand, Jaz opened her door and hopped out. "I'll be right back," she told him.
Sephiroth waited, wrapping the blanket tighter around his shoulders. After a few minutes he began to drift off to sleep... He felt a presence near him. He couldn't place its location, but he knew that it was there.
"~~ Hello, my dear. ~~"
His head jerked up. Memories of everything that had happened - everything - flooded into his head. It was too much at once.
"~~ You failed me, child. I'm very disappointed in you. ~~"
He remembered a thousand terrible things that he'd done. Some of them he'd had no control over. Worse yet, some of them he had.
He remembered finding out that his poor excuse for a life was more of a lie than he'd thought. Remembered deciding not to care (had he ever?). Remembered the joy of finding his mother alive, of freeing her.
"~~ I... I thought you were dead, ~~" he said in a hoarse whisper, his throat tight. "~~ The boy. Cloud. He killed you. ~~"
He remembered how he'd fallen the first time, dying, into the lifestream - his mother had saved him, sent him to a safe place to heal at her own expense. He remembered how she took his shape for her own. He'd invited her at first, when he'd been too weak to send out his mind as she could. She had been beautiful to him, had wanted freedom, a body of her own. She'd wanted revenge against those who had imprisoned her - an easy thing for a warrior such as himself to understand.
"~~ Now, now. Only my body, my dear -- ~~"
Sephiroth gritted his teeth. It was mine!
"~~ - As he did yours. I tried to defeat his mind, but he was too strong, with me in such a weakened state... It was interesting, though, that his mind chose your form for me. Perhaps he had grown used to it. I don't think he likes you very much. ~~" She seemed to be amused by the thought.
He remembered how their minds had traveled together, both cloaked in his shape. It had been good, until he began to watch her more closely. Until Cloud - whom she had claimed was weak and under her control - had proved that he had a mind of his own. Until he had realized that she was lying to him.
"~~ ...But he is not here now. We are here. ~~"
Sephiroth's head was swimming. He saw his reflection in the vehicle's windows; it smiled back at him.
He wasn't smiling.
"~~ Where, ~~" he managed. "~~ Where is... here? ~~"
"~~ Unknown, ~~" the entity on the other side of the reflection sighed. "~~ This is a different world altogether. It has an entirely new flavor... But we are alive. The lifestream rebuilt your body to house us both and cast us out. ~~" The voice was pleased now. "~~ In that, at least, I thank you... My son. A better guard could not have been chosen for me, I believe. ~~"
"Jenova." Sephiroth clenched his fists. "~~ I. Am. Not. Your. Son. ~~" The smile in the reflection faded, giving him the strength to continue. "~~ I want no part of you. You no longer rule me. ~~"
His right arm suddenly felt as though it had been ripped apart; he gasped and cradled it against his chest. There was nothing visibly wrong with it.
"~~ Then you are not my son. ~~" Jenova was cold, dispassionate, watching his pain with satisfaction. "~~ But I own you, and you will obey me. Else I will punish you...~~"
Sephiroth did the only thing he could to stop her.
He blacked out.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII, its story, and characters (particularly Sephiroth) are the property, copyright and trademark of Square Electronic Arts L.L.C., and no ownership or claim on said property, copyright or trademark is made or implied by their use in the work(s) of fan fiction presented here. This fan fiction constitutes a personal comment on the aforesaid properties pursuant to doctrines of fair use and fair comment. This fan fiction is non-commercial, not for sale or profit, and may not be sold or reproduced for commercial purposes. The same goes for Clock Tower, Tekken 2, Soul Blade, Star Trek, Dark Shadows, Lost in Space, Pepsi, and any other games, television shows, movies, etc. mentioned in this fanfic: all belong to their respective owners. Clock Tower, its story, and characters (particularly Scissorman) are the property, copyright, and trademark of Ascii Entertainment.
