Sether, Part 1: Sephiroth

Sephiroth:

Act I

Tifa, now in her mid thirties, blinked in confusion. Sether smiled at her reaction and shrugged, as if saying 'That's the truth'.

"…Come to the fire." She said, leading him to the living room, where she could inquire more.

"Cloud, dear?" She went to one of the sofas. The only thing Sether could see from the entrance to the room were pointy edges of blond hair.

The man called Cloud turned around and actually yelped as he saw Sether.

Sether noticed how Mr. Strife's eyes glowed with mako energy even after all the years that passed.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he started, taking one step into the room. He saw two girls siting on the rug before the fire, one seemed to be around sixteen, and the other about eight.

"I am Sether Valentine. I am the son of a man you once knew, Vincent Valentine."

The girls continued with their playing while their parents looked at the tall stranger with astonishment all over their faces.

Sether smiled again, this was the first time he ever met the famous Tifa and Cloud Strife that his father told him about, it was no surprise to him that they did not recognize him. His smile was cold as his composer, yet was not fake or deceiving.

"Vincent has a son?" Tifa asked with disbelief.

"I am his only living son." Sether replied, and took off his slim sunglasses. Cloud burst out with laughter,

"You're Vinnie's son, all right."

Tifa looked more puzzled by the minute, she turned from her husband and met Sether's eyes, then she too smiled.

His eyes were just like his father's, intelligent, morose, cold, and above all- Red.

"Come, come! Sit by the fire, you look cold." Cloud invited. Sether came and sat in a sofa near the fire by Cloud.

"Would you like something warm to drink?" Tifa asked. Sether thought a moment and nodded once,

"Coffee, please." He said.

Tifa left to the kitchen.

Sether was glad to be out of that storm, he extended his hands to warm them.

Cloud's two kids were staring at him suspiciously, and the older one was bluntly looking at his exposed chest.

He smiled a crocked smile.

"If I may be so blunt to ask you, Sether-" Cloud said, not without some uneasiness,

"Just call me Seth, please."

"-Seth- Who is your mother?"

Tifa came back and gave him his coffee, he took it, thanked her and then leaned forward in his chair, bringing the cup close to his face and swirling it. He stared deep into the fire.

"My mother's name is Lucrecia."

"She's… She's alive?" Tifa asked,

"Well, obviously…" He replied.

"How old are you, if I may ask?"

Sether sipped from the smoldering coffee,

"I was born nine months and a day after the destruction of Meteor." He drank again.

Cloud and Tifa exchanged glances.

"How come?"

"My parents met a day after Meteor was destroyed," He elaborated, then added with his crocked smile, "Nine months after that day, I was born."

Cloud and Tifa smiled and looked at their children,

"These are our children," Tifa mentioned the two girls, "this is Alantra," she mentioned the older one, "she's called after Cloud's mother- Alantra, don't be rude, say hello…"

Alantra didn't even turn to look, just waved a vague wave with her hand saying, "Yo."

"That's Sioyra" now she mentioned the younger, "It is an Ancient's name. Our youngest son is called Ryo, but I believe he's sleeping right now…" she smiled at Sether, "We decided not to call any of our children any… familiar names. We wanted no reminder of what had happened. Though…" Here she looked at Cloud for confirmation, "…We're considering calling out next daughter Aeris." Tifa absently placed her hands on her stomach.

Cloud looked into the fire with a slight frown.

Sether, honestly, couldn't care less.

A long silence.

Like his Dad, Sether would usually speak only if spoken to, and usually his replies, like his father's, were evasive and unsatisfying- unless he needed to share information.

"But- by the looks of you," Tifa looked at him with concern in her honey eyes, "That means you… Your…"

"I am Sephiroth's brother." He said much more icily than usual. "I am his much, much younger brother."

"Wow…" Cloud and Tifa said in unison.

"I can assure you, though, that I lack certain things that he had." He tried to smile to ease the atmosphere, "I am quite sure that I lack that certain spark of insanity my brother was so famed for."

Silence. Siting in the same room with the brother of the greatest enemy of the planet ever was a bit hard for the couple, no matter how much of the river of time washed by.

"So…" Cloud spoke first, "How is the old spook?"

Sether smiled again,

"Frankly, Mr. Strife, my Dad is not good."

Cloud gave him a surprised look, so did Tifa,

Taking a deep breath, Sether said, "My father and I were exploring an old Mako reactor when we were attacked. We tried to fight back, but were out numbered greatly. We fell into the Mako pit, and when I we got out, my Father suffered from Mako poisoning, and is unconscious even now. My Sensei told me to find a companion from one of my father's old friends if I wanted to seek out the people who attacked us and a cure."

His voice was so emotionless the whole tale, he almost sounded bored with it.

"That's horrible!" Tifa exclaimed, Cloud looked shocked as well. "I fear that we can't help you though… We're busy with the children, and none of them are old enough to travel…"

"I understand." Sether said, "I would not dream of stealing any of your children on some dangerous journey, I am simply following the orders of my Sensei."

"Who might that be?"

"Master Yuffie Kisaragi of the Kisaragi school of martial arts." He said, and was curious why did the Strifes smile so widely. He said nothing.

He got up.

"What, are you leaving so soon?" Cloud inquired, getting up as well.

Sether nodded, "I thank you for your hospitality, as brief as it may was, but I hurry to Mr. Highwind's house so I might get there before dark, and I am eager to find a companion so I could start my campaign and kick those basterd's ass."

Cloud smiled and extended his hand, Sether took it with a gloved hand.

"I wish you good luck, and you're invited to our home whenever you're around."

Sether thanked them and left.

The storm was gone, leaving everything wet and fresh. The sun sparkled upon the tiny drops of water on the plants and warmed the chilly air. Sether trekked the hills towards Nibelheim Mountains. He will have to cross them to reach Rocket City.

He stuck his hands in his trench coat pockets and looked at the grass that went under his feet.

Catching a Chocobo was useless; the good ones that could run over hills were too expensive, and the regular ones couldn't take him across the mountains, so he didn't need them.

He wondered if his father woke up already, but knew he didn't. Mom told him she would call his PHS the second he did. He remembered the incident that brought his Dad's coma;

He had just returned from his Martial Art school on a short leave and Dad wanted to show him Mako- The magical substance that glowed with the same might as it did almost twenty years earlier.

After Dad was declared comatosed by the old Doctor from Medeel, Sether decided to go and find those bastards. It wouldn't help Dad, but it will perhaps heal the need for revenge that Sether felt so strongly.

After that he went to his Sensei to ask her to leave the school for a while, she smiled sadly.

Some said she had soothsayer's abilities.

She asked him if he was sure that's what he wanted to do. He said yes. She then reminded him that he did not finish his training. He said he didn't care, he will return after it is finished and complete his training. She told him to find a companion from one of his father's old friends. Excluding herself, for she must stay and teach.

She gave him her consent and told him to be ever wary. She did not want him to accidentally finish like his brother…

His brother.

Sephiroth.

Everywhere he went, Sephiroth, Sephiroth…

You look so much like Sephiroth… Don't be like Sephiroth… Sephiroth was evil… I'm Sephiroth's younger brother…Sephiroth The Great… Sephiroth The General… War hero… Insane… Sephiroth.

The name haunted him whenever he went.

His sharp ears caught the faintest of sound behind him, and without a word or change of expression, his moves like lightning, he reached to his staff and turned swiftly around to meet three wolves that tried to sneak upon him.

Sether could almost see the disappointment on their faces as they attacked him together.

One got the staff's end in the head just as the other, who came from the other side, got the other end under it's chin. The third locked it's teeth in the middle of the staff. Sether got him off with one fast swoop of the staff.

One was down, two left.

They growled at him and started circling around him. He shifted as well, keeping his staff between him and the beasts.

Both wolves jumped him, but he was ready. He leapt and did an astonishing flip in the air, landing behind them- before they had time to react, they were both unconscious.

He scanned them with his cool gaze. One was dead, his skull rammed.

Sether slightly frowned. Wolves had such frail skulls, he scowled himself, then left before they will awaken.

Three more encounters on his way made him ponder about the increasing number of monsters lately. He gave it no other thought, though, for he just reached Rocket City- The biggest city since Midgar. It's proximity to the picturesque Nibel mountains and to the sea made it very attractive, and the living legend that resided there was another consideration for the scores of people that lived there.

He stayed a long moment on the high ledge he was on, looking down at the large place. It was sunset, and the city was beginning to come alive with a verity of flashy neon lights and the strange constellations that the streetlights formed.

It was nicknamed 'the big materia', even though no materia was seen in these regions since the times when the thing was common merchandise.

Sether entered the loudest, biggest city in the world not without some hesitation. Living in seclusion all his life, masses made him nervous. He couldn't perceive danger or threat with all the people, cars and general racket.

He walked down the main street. He didn't have to make his way, people moved by themselves to make way for him.

He walked in a strange slalom, trying to avoid the cars and rushing people that ran by without any obvious purpose. He marveled at the bigness of everything, so big and flashy, it made him dizzy.

He stopped and stared at the giant monument of a tilted rocket that was erected to place the old one.

A car screeched to a halt and honked, so Sether moved out of the middle of the street.

After it was long past dark, he arrived to the tenth house that people have misled him to think it was 'The Captain's' house. He knocked and prepared himself to encounter another person that wasn't who he was looking for.

A pretty woman opened the door for him, she had brown hair interlaced with a few strands of grey and she wore glasses. She looked at him inquiringly.

"Hello." He said, trying to smile through his exhaustion, "Is this the Captain's house?"

She nodded, "The Captain isn't home right now, can I leave a message?"

Obvious to Sether, a lot of strange people must of wanted to meet the legendary hero, and few people could actually do so.

"My name is Sether, Miss Highwind, Sether Valentine."

She blinked at him a moment, but then her face softened to a smile. She invited him in.

Confused by the quick and confident recognition, he walked in.

"Cid!" She called, "Vince's son's here!"

"&^*@#!" He heard a voice shout, and smiled.

Just who his father told him.

"Come to the kitchen." She smiled and gestured towards a door. He followed her in.

"Hello!" Said Cid Highwind, his cigarette in his mouth and his blue eyes sparkling. His hair was hardly blond anymore, though.

"Hello." Sether said, still standing in the doorway. "I am-"

"I didn't know the old spook had a son…" Said the old pilot in a somewhat insulted tone.

"My father told me he sent you letters from our new home at Wutai, but never received any reply."

Cid smiled a sad smile, "I should of known… We moved as well. The old house was a bachelors apartment…" He winked at his wife. "This is Shera, my wife."

Sether nodded his greetings.

"Sit down! Don't tell me you're a stiff like your old man!" Cid slammed his hand on the table, indicating to Sether where he should sit.

Sether sat down obediently.

He received a warm cup of tea without being even asked and he drank it. He felt incredibly tired, he had walked all the way from Gongaga to Cosmo Canyon to Nibelheim to here, and now, in this warm house with these people, his muscles were demanding a break.

He repeated the story for the fourth time this day and was replayed with the worst swears he had ever heard in his life.

"Cid! Calm yourself!!" Shera called out in alarm as the old pilot steamed out more horrible curses. "Your blood pressure!" She reminded him, rushing to him and massaging his shoulders so he'll calm down.

Sether sat with an almost comical stunned expression. His ears almost hurt.

Cid left to his room to get his pills.

Shera sat beside Sether and looked at him with sorrow in her eyes.

"I am sorry…" Sether stuttered, "I did not know it would affect him like this."

"He'll be okey."

"He and my father were close, huh?"

She nodded sadly,

"They were the best friends I ever saw. But I'm afraid that he won't be able to help to on your quest." She sighed, "He's… Even if he refuses to admit it, he's getting older. He's not as athletic anymore as he was twenty years ago." She sighed again and passed her hand in her hair, "Neither am I…" suddenly a sly grin crossed her face. "But maybe…"

She scanned Sether head to toe, but then seemed to notice something,

"You look tired- and you're wounded!"

Surprised, Sether examined himself and found that he had a cut on his left arm. He smiled tiredly at her,

"It is nothing." He assured her.

She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, "You're like your Dad, never admitted to anyone when he needed any help."

His smile widened.

"Take your shirt off. I'll mend it for you and tend to your wound. You will sleep here during the night." The last part of the sentence wasn't an offer, it was an order.

Sether obediently took off his shirt and handed it over to her.

"You work out, I see." She said, regarding his very muscular chest without too much excitement. She took her sawing items from above the refrigerator.

He nodded,

"I try." Was all he said.

"Our daughter will be here in the morning. I'll set up the couch so you could go to sleep- you look positively exhausted!"

Sether again nodded. He liked the Highwinds, he understood now why they were his father's best friends.

It was early morning as the door opened and a young lady walked in.

She walked straight to the kitchen where she found Shera making breakfast.

"Hi mother! I'm hom- What?"

Her mother shushed her and pointed towards the living room,

"You'll wake him." She whispered.

The young lady raised one blond brow and peeked to the living room.

She saw a man sleeping there with his back to her. He had broad shoulders and a flow of silver hair that spilled over the edge of the sofa like a waterfall. One lock of his hair was pure ebony.

He reminded her of stories she heard about Sephiroth.

She frowned.

"Who's that, mom?" She whispered to her mother as she sat by the table and lifted her legs to it, discarding her books near her feet. "Another vagabond? You and dad seem to collect them."

Shera scoffed and shoved her legs from the table,

"Don't put your legs on the table!" She demanded quietly.

"Dad does it all the time." The woman protested.

Shera placed a hot cup of tea in front of her,

"If your Dad isn't smart doesn't mean you gotta be as well."

The woman took her legs off while she chuckled.

"So who is it this time? Someone from the freak show?"

Shera looked at her with the closest thing that her daughter ever saw to rage. She understood that she was very close to getting slapped across the face.

"S…Sorry…" she mumbled.

Shera looked away and said calmly,

"His name's Sether. He is the son of Vincent Valentine."

Here her daughter got up in surprise,

"Valentine? As in 'The' Valentine?"

Shera nodded.

"You never told me that Mr. Valentine had a son." She sat back again and glanced towards the living room.

"We didn't know ourselves. He will go with you on your trip."

The young woman got up in surprise again,

"Really??" She then hushed herself and asked again "Really?"

Shera nodded,

"He is strong and I know he won't try anything."

Shera's daughter rubbed her chin thoughtfully,

"Maybe he could take me to Mr. Valentine so I could continue my studies…"

Shera told her what happened to Mr. Valentine.

"That's dreadful!" She exclaimed, though she seemed more disappointed than sympathetic.

Shera nodded her head, she missed Vincent and so did Cid.

"I want to interview him so much! He's the perfect person for my project!"

"Don't look at him as some specimen…" Shera scolded her. To her the word specimen had a very significant meaning when referring to Vincent.

"If it weren't for your father," Shera said with a nostalgic smile, "I'm quite sure I would have fallen in love with Vincent."

"Is that so?"

Shera and her daughter turned in surprise to see Sether standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

Shera blushed,

"I see you're awake."

He nodded. The young lady stared up at him from her seat. He seemed very smug. It's like he was saying, 'I'm good looking, and I know it.'; the way he crossed his arms and leaned in the doorway.

She frowned.

"I thank you for your hospitality, I have slept well."

Shera smiled,

"That was your father's bed many times."

Sether smiled a wider smile, amused by the thought of his father as an adventurer with no home but this.

"He used to plop down that sofa sometimes after dragging himself and Cid in- both totally drunk."

"I can imagine." He replied with a chuckle and a nod.

"Come! Eat some pancakes!" Shera gestured to a vacant seat beside her daughter, then she remembered something. She placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder,

"Meet our daughter, Katai. Katai, meet Sether Valentine."

For the first time, Sether looked down and saw her.

She was about his age, perhaps a bit younger, with blond hair that reached her waist, she had blue eyes rimmed by gentle gold glasses.

Currently she was wearing a white trenchcoat.

She was also eyeing him suspiciously, a thing Sether was quite used too because of his 'unique' appearance.

"Hello." He greeted her.

"Hi yourself." She said with slightly more venom than she intended. She didn't like this man at all. Everything about him said 'warrior', and Katai didn't like warriors.

Sether sat down beside her, oblivious to her resent. He thanked Shera again for her hospitality and ate breakfast with them.

"Don't you have a healthy appetite!" Shera laughed as he was eating the last pancake. He stopped mid-chew and looked somewhat embarrassed. He swallowed hard.

"I… Apologize. You make wonderful pancakes, Miss Highwind." He looked at the last pancake in his plate. He had eaten at least half of all the pile.

"It's quite alright!" She laughed, "I'm glad you like them."

"But, mom!" Katai complained, "You said I'll take those pancakes with me on my trip!"

Shera glared at her,

"I can always make more, and he's a guest! Mind you manners!"

Katai grumbled and sent a resentful glare to the man seated beside her, calmly finishing his last pancake.

Katai herself was amazed by how fast he finished the pancakes, and yet managed not to be impolite.

She scoffed again, hoping he would notice and feel uncomfortable.

He finished the pancake with appetite.

Of course he noticed the glare from the corner of his eye, but decided to ignore it.

He wasn't too thrilled to travel with her of all people. He wondered perhaps Marlene was at the right age to travel with him…

"What do you do, Sether?" Shera asked, making some more pancakes.

"I am a warrior, studying under master Kisaragi."

"That's nice.." Shera said.

"Hmph," Katai scoffed yet again, "You like killing, huh?"

He nearly choked on the last of his pancake, a bit surprised.

Shera smiled apologetically,

"Forgive her, she's a sworn pacifistic."

Sether turned to Katai and Shera,

"That's quite alright. Everyone's entitled to their own views." Here he addressed Katai,

"No. I do not like killing, and I do not kill unless I am forced to."

She fluffed her hair in a stuck up manner,

"No one's ever forced to kill."

Sether's smile was one that did not lack some sadness,

"You would be surprised."

Here, surprisingly enough, she scoffed.

"I do not think it is possible to travel these days without a sturdy weapon and a skilled hand." He looked intently at his maple smeared plate and attempted to hint that he would like to see if someone else would like to go with him. After all, he was setting out on a trip of revenge. He certainly didn't mean to find out who attacked them and simply wag his finger at them in a disapproving manner. He wanted to wag his fighting staff between their heads.

Much to his dismay, Shera patted her daughter's shoulder and looked at Sether.

"That's okey. She's got all the brains she needs to get along without a weapon. Besides; you'd be there to protect her!"

Katai was willing to be protected by Sether just as much as he was willing to protect her.

They looked at each other with distrust.

Sether looked away and got up from the table.

"I thank you for your hospitality, I truly do, but I would not dream of taking your only child on a parlous journey like this." He extended his hand to Shera and tried to smile.

Shera smiled back at him. She took Katai's hand and placed it in his large palm,

"I'm sure she'll be okey if she's with you!" she exclaimed happily, closing his hand over Katai's. The later was beginning to turn red with anger.

Again they looked at each other. Then Katai tore her hand from his grip and turned her back to him with a scoff.

Sether turned to Shera to explain that he truly wasn't intending to take her with him, but couldn't say a word as she smiled so gladly at him. He understood that even if she understood that they didn't get along, she didn't care.

He sighed a heavy sigh.

Sether would never dream of disobeying his Sensei, but this was really too much to ask.

Shera showered them with supplies more than was needed. She also showered Sether with a million pleads for him to take good care of Katai.

He promised her that he will.

Again, he didn't really have a choice.

Just before they left, Cid called Sether aside while Shera called Katai to the other side.

"Listen, Sethy," Cid began, putting his arm around Sether's taller shoulders in a friendly manner,

"You're taking my daughter, so I just want to make it clear;" Here he forced Sether to stoop slightly so he would be the same head level as Cid. The pilot whispered, "You bother her in THAT way -and she doesn't like it- and I'll personally clobber you- Vincent's son or not!"

Sether gave him a slightly frightened, meek glance.

Cid laughed heartily and patted him on the back, almost knocking him over.

"If you see your Daddy, tell him I said that I still owe him those 10 Gil."

Act 2

Katai waved one last time before turning and catching up with Sether. She was so happy to be setting out on her trip, that she forgot she hated Sether.

"What do you think about my parents?" She asked with a happy skip to her walk once they were far into the due filled fields towards the mountain paths.

Even he smiled,

"They're very nice. I understand my father's stories better now."

Silence fell between them as they trudged through due covered grass. Katai constantly had to skip to catch up every time she fell behind. His strides were long and resolute.

"Though," He began with his lopsided grin, "I must wonder how two nice people such as Mr. And Mrs. Highwind could possibly bring up a brat such as yourself."

Katai's nose wrinkled with disdain,

"Well, it strikes me as odd that the respected Mr. Valentine would have such an idiot as a son. You must be a shame on the Valentine name…" she retorted, trying to control her rising anger.

He did not reply.

Silence again fell between them.

"H- Hey!" She objected after a while, when she had began to pant and tire, "Slow d-down!"

"Walk faster." He ordered her, not even bothering to look behind.

"Where are we going, anyway?" she panted.

"South Corel."

Here she stopped in her tracks,

"South Corel?! But I don't need to go there!"

He stopped as well after a few paces and turned to her, his expression highly amused,

"What does it matter where 'you need' to go?"

Katai grew angry with this,

"Of course it matters, you baka! You're my bodyguard on this trip! Since you're just tagging along, I decide where we're going!"

Sether was both surprised and angry at this new revelation, he took a step forward,

"I am not your bodyguard! You are the one that's tagging along here- I am here to avenge my father!"

Katai contorted her face with anger and also took a step forward,

"What are you saying? My mom told me you're going to be my &#!% bodyguard since I don't wield a weapon!"

He loomed over her and held his finger in front of her flushed face,

"Look here, missy, I don't really need this! I am doing this for my Father and Sensei- you can go home for all I care!"

She stood on her tip toes and held her slightly smaller finger in front of his face as well,

"I think I might! Going along with a smug moron isn't my idea of a research project!"

"Fine! May a monster eat you on your way!"

"Fine! And may you get killed while 'avenging'!"

She then turned around and started back towards her house, her head held high and her eyes closed in annoyance.

"Good riddance…" He huffed after her back was far enough from him.

Now, he would head towards South Corel. He turned and started walking towards the mountains to the southeast. Being alone meant he could take the more dangerous shortcut through the very heart of the mountains. Where it took less time, but the monsters were tougher and the road steeper.

And he really would have taken that road if it weren't for a high pitched shriek from behind him.

He cringed and froze a moment before recognizing its source.

She walked with her held high. She just couldn't wait to talk to her mother about tricking her like that!

Looking up as she did, she didn't seem to notice a rocky surface under her feet and slipped on it, falling on her behind.

She cursed with the fine language she had learned from her father and was about to get up, when suddenly the rock under her started shaking.

She scrambled to her feet and away from the steadily rising gray mass to see that it was a monster.

A large one, at that.

She heard herself shriek out in terror as her feet went numb and her knees weak with fear.

The mighty monster roared with anger and charged her.

Again she shrieked.

Katai simply stood there, her whole body frozen and her eyes wide.

Something very fast suddenly crashed against the monster's face from the side causing it's attack to be directed elsewhere.

Obviously, it was Sether.

He had used his fighting staff to jump and thrust both legs at the monster's head.

"Get out of here!" He yelled, stabilizing himself after his attack and preparing for it's counter.

She was still standing there, her mouth opened wide.

He internally cursed and reverted his attention to the menace before him.

It was a Rokadilo, a monster of stone element that usually slept through the winter. Being autumn as it was, it probably just went to sleep.

When awakened before summer, this monster could be very dangerous in it's wrath. The Rokadilo was quite similar to it's harmless relative, the Armadillo, only that the earlier was bigger, and equipped with sets of claws and sharp fangs. This was a carnivore.

The Rokadilo roared again, bearing it's deadly fangs. It slashed one of it's clawed feet at Sether- he dogged. Sether countered with a stab of his fighting staff in the monster's armpit. Silly as it may sound, it's a relatively unprotected spot.

Katai reclaimed the ability to act and used it wisely: She shrieked again, covering her cheeks with her hands.

This monster was more than twice bigger than Sether was, and after he'll die, it'll go right after her!

Sether swung his staff and hit the monster's eyes. It roared with anger and started slashing about blindly with it's claws. Sether did his best to dodge.

All Katai saw was Sether's form jolt once. Then she screamed again as she noticed the blood on the end of the Rokadilo's claws. She looked with horror at the monster as it blindly rushed towards her.

The Rokadilo wasn't really seeing what it was doing. It was advancing, roaring and slashing everything in its path.

Still haven't regained the ability to run like hell, Katai was yet again stranded before the angry monster.

And yet again, she wished Sether would get off his lazy butt and do something!

An inch before the monster's claws pierced through Katai's frail frame, Sether leapt from the side and knocked her to the ground. This time she screamed because he was bleeding on her from five large cuts in his chest.

He ignored her. His attention on the monster. It was slashing around another few moments, then it seemed to understand that there wasn't anything before it anymore and started looking for them with it's ears and nose.

Shaking with panic, Katai shrieked again in spite herself. Sether, still on top of her protectively, efficiently placed one large palm on her mouth.

Katai wasn't only afraid of the Rokadilo, but of blood as well. Sether was cut, and she felt her stomach twist.

She stayed still a long while, though she was still visibly shaking. Her ragged breaths attracted Sether's attention. He glanced at her once, and her frightened state seemed to amuse him. He returned to glancing back towards the searching monster.

Katai, in the meanwhile, studied his face. Anything but looking at his blood, dripping on to her jacket.

It occurred to her that his features were very pleasant to look at. The lines of his face were angular, perhaps too angular; his nose was almost pointy at it's end, his jaw line firm and straight, his eyes slightly slanted, and were oddly captivating in their unusual color. His hair was held in a tight ponytail. The black lock in it seemed to intensify the pure silver of the rest. Two large bangs constantly dangled in front of his relatively pale face.

With her back to the grass and the strong hand on her mouth, she could not see what the Rokadilo was doing.

She could hear it, though.

After but a few moments, she couldn't hear it anymore.

Katai felt Sether's muscles relax and his gaze shift from the predatory, alert one, to something more normal.

"Aahh! Get OFF me!!" He grunted as she violently shoved and kicked him from her. He rolled on the grass beside her.

She bolted to a sitting position and saw that the coast was clear.

She also noticed that her jacket was damp and red with blood.

Poor Katai started screaming and tried to tear the jacket off her. She closed her now tearful eyes tightly and fought in vain to take the jacket off without unbuttoning it first.

In her hysteria, she felt something unbutton the jacket.

She took it off and dropped it, jumping away from it like it was a rat. Her face, by now, was stricken with hysterical tears, and her breathing was uneven.

Sether stood in front of her with compassion in his eyes.

Something of a smile crept to his lips,

"So that's why you don't fight. You're afraid of blood."

She took a shaky breath,

"O…Only when outside it's designated place…" She sniffed her nose and looked at her discarded jacket on the ground. "You probably find it amusing." She turned her back to him angrily, not wanting him to see her red eyes and tears.

"Not really." He said absently, bending to take her jacket, "I've seen it before. It's one hard phobia to get over."

She did not reply.

"So, you don't have anything against enemies?" He asked doubtfully, coming closer and trying to peek at her face. She turned around each time.

"I see myself as more of a healer than a warrior." She held her head high and closer her eyes, "I rather grant life than take it."

Sether chuckled,

"I can tell you're a really lousy healer."

Her nostrils flared with anger, yet she did not open her eyes to look at this silver haired warrior,

"And why do you say that?" She asked with venom,

"Because I'm bleeding to death here and you are not doing one bloody thing!" He pointed at his chest accusingly.

She opened her eyes in surprise and looked at him. The monster had slashed him pretty good.

But it wasn't bleeding anymore.

She blinked in surprise,

"You're not bleeding anymore." She noted.

"Huh?" He looked down to his chest to see that, indeed, the cuts stopped bleeding. They were partially healed, as well.

Katai, forgetting her fears in a sea of curiosity at this fast recovery, came very close to Sether and examined the cuts.

She also noticed that he was very well built.

She blushed as she caught herself admiring him.

Looking up, she saw him smirking that smug smile of his. She slapped him and sat down on the grass.

Sether chuckled and placed a hand on his cheek, amused by her blushed face.

Katai produced her Store materia where she kept her equipment and took out a large roll of bandages and a large bottle of 100% alcohol.

"Come here, you baka, we'll have to disinfect it and bandage it."

Sether started to take his tattered shirt off.

"Damn… My best shirt…"

Katai did not respond. She pored some alcohol onto a clean cotton as he sat beside her, and she started cleaning his wound.

All in all, he was quite pleased with himself.

"You're one lousy fighter." He told her, his voice strained due to the fact the he felt like his chest was on fire.

"Well, so are you- getting cut so easily like that! Pathetic!" she pressed the cotton against his chest, causing him to flinch.

"Without this 'pathetic' warrior, you would have been Rokadilo food now!" he poked her forehead with his index finger.

"Without this pathetic warrior," Here she deliberately pored more alcohol on the cotton just to make him hiss with pain, "I wouldn't have been in this mess. Mind you, I would have probably find me some handsome warrior to escort me!"

This seemed to be one of Sether's weak spots, he frowned and pouted,

"Good luck finding anyone who'll agree going with a spoiled brat like your-Youch!"

She burst out with laughter as he brought both hands to his chest where she had sprayed some alcohol directly on his cuts, now almost closed.

"That was mean!"

She laughed some more as he understood that that wasn't the most sophisticated answer. He broke into a small grin as well.

"Your cuts are almost healed!" She exclaimed in surprise.

"It would seem so…" he said. His voice changing from the taunting tone to uncertainty.

"How… how is that possible? Those were nasty cuts!"

Sether shrugged his expression concerned. He looked at the horizon, this was starting to disturb him… It wasn't the first odd thing to happen to him lately.

Act 3

Katai was still in a rather shaken state, so Sether decided it would be best if they stayed where they were for the rest of the day.

By then Sether had already placed a new shirt over himself.

When it was dusk, Sether pointed towards some trees in the near distance,

"I'm going there to practice my katas. The camp fire will deter any enemies."

By now, his wounds were just scratches. They still hurt a lot, but Sether would not show it.

Once deep enough in the grove, Sether plopped down on a dead tree truck and sighed.

With one finger pulling the collar, he looked down his shirt. The cuts seemed as if a cat caused them, not a 10 feet, man-eating monster.

He sighed and looked up through the trees. A few stars twinkled back at him.

He got up and drew his staff with another sigh.

Practicing always took his mind off things. He needed to think of things other than the few oddities he was discovering in himself lately.

The staff was relatively clumsy in his hands compared to his other weapon, the one he discarded after the 'Ryuto' incident…

It was an accident.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and started over.

He practiced alone between the shadows. His motions were clean and precise, his face etched with concentration. At first he did some elementary moves to warm up, then changed to more intense, quicker attack combinations.

He swung the staff with amazing speed at the air in front of him, when it instantly was stopped.

Sether blinked with surprise at this.

He tugged at the staff, now firmly lodged into thin air. The staff waved slightly, but was still hanging horizontally above ground, as if an invisible hand was holding it's other end.

Confused, Sether removed his hands from the staff.

The weapon stayed still for a moment and then one of its ends was lowered to the ground.

A hand materialized on the staff. It was pale.

An arm started appearing as a natural extension of hands.

Slowly, a whole body was becoming clear in front of his eyes.

Sether's breath was caught in his throat and he started backing up, until his leg hit the log he was sitting on earlier and he fell backwards.

His eyes were wide and his mouth whispered the word in disbelief;

"…Sephiroth…"

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Well- the first chapter of the 'Sether' Saga. What do you think? I tried to put some new character to work here, as you probably noticed. Tell me what you think about these characters, please! My purpose here is to make a story where the characters 'evolve'- because, as you see, neither Katai nor Sether are the nicest people...
I'll be glad to here what you want to see happening, so please, do tell!