Happiness
Act 1
This sort of happiness was new to Sether, really.
He was used to being generally content while with his parents. Sure, they had their laughs and crazy moments, but.
This was so different.
Here his parents were so happy! They chatted with the Highwinds and cracked jokes. They drank and ate and told stories of their shared past and separated lives. Usually, if Nanaki would come to visit, Vincent and Lucrecia would talk and have a good time, but Sether would always feel left out. He wasn't even an idea when his Dad and the lion-thing became friends.
Now Katai was there too, and Sether frankly enjoyed being with someone around his own age. He didn't have any friends since Ryuto, and now his heart was aching for some friendship and companionship. Don't get him wrong, though, he was more than happy that he returned Katai to her parents and now could worry about other things. He would maybe miss her a bit here and there, but in a short while, it wouldn't matter anyway.
He had things to do now, and taking care of her wasn't one of them.
Ah, the relief!
The afternoon flew as they enjoyed a simple time with each other, and when the evening came, they had a great meal- curtsey of the combined skills of Shera and Lucrecia.
It was fun and good. Everybody was happy in some way or another, and even Sether managed to forget his heavy dark cloud.
"What coincidence that we shall all be gathered here tonight, don't you agree?" Vincent looked up from his plate after he had finished eating.
They all nodded. To have a great Holy Day meal like this was truly a blessing.
"Mom, dad," Katai looked at them as she asked, "What are you doing here? Why did you come?"
Cid laughed,
"Don't you remember? We always celebrate Holy Day here in the cave- it's them that weren't supposed to be here!"
Katai smiled. To think that the Valentines and the Highwinds missed each other every year for the last two decades or so!
"How did you react to meeting each other?" Sether asked meekly, not looking up from his plate.
Here it was Vincent's turn to laugh,
"I almost killed Cid, that's how! He came into the cavern, and I thought he was a burglur-"
"He almost blew my head straight off!" Vincent and Cid laughed heartedly, though most of the other people in the cave weren't as amused.
1
"How was your journey?" Vincent asked his son. They both were cleaning the kitchen after the meal.
Sether almost dropped the plate he was drying.
"Terrible," He stuttered. "Traveling alone is harder than I thought."
"But you were not alone, were you? You had Katai!"
Sether looked aside,
"I still call that alone."
Vincent then handed Sether the last plate to dry and said gravely,
"Sether, I was very worried when I woke up and Lucrecia told me that you had left to look for those people."
Sether now looked down to the floor.
"I would not want you to risk your life on my account, Sether, even if something worse should have happened to me."
Sether didn't say anything, just looked down to his feet, ashamed.
".But I-" He started, but Vincent placed his healthy hand on his son's shoulder and asked with great concern, "Is everything okay, Sether? You look a bit melancholy since the morning."
Sether narrowed his eyes, trying to suppress tears.
"I." He sniffed once, "I'm sorry I. Couldn't protect you." He sniffed again, and Vincent's expression turned sad and loving,
"Sether."
Sether then wrapped his hands around his father, and hugged him closely,
".I'm so happy you're okay, dad." He sniffed again.
Vincent smiled warmly and held his son.
"You should not blame yourself so easily, Sether. We both fought the best we could."
They drew back. Sether looked at his feet again, finding it hard to look at his father,
"I was afraid you would never wake up." He whispered.
Vincent placed his hands on his hips and imitated Cid's confident stance,
"Would I leave you and you mother so easily? Not a chance! It would take a lot more than a measly Mako poisoning to get to me." He smiled wider when Sether raised his head and met his eyes.
"You'll be okay no matter what, right, dad?" Sether asked with hopeful eyes.
"Of course!" Vincent threw his hands in the air with an extravagant expression, and Sether smiled wider.
".I also had some help. getting well again." Vincent said after a short moment of silence, and surprised Sether. "I did not, and probably could not, find the way back on my own." This was Vincent's turn to look away. ".Sephiroth. told me how to get well again."
Sether was shocked.
"I know it sounds crazy," Vincent seemed rather embarrassed, "But it is true. He guided me and told me how much I meant to you. To your mother."
Sether just had to smile and shake his head with disbelief.
"I bet he managed to get at least one 'the time is now' somewhere in there." He chuckled, and Vincent blinked with astonishment,
"How did you know?"
2 Act 2
It was already late at night when they turned in. Sether was forced to sleep on the couch in the main hall, since there were only three rooms, and Katai had to sleep somewhere.
Sether protested, but nobody really took him seriously. It didn't bother him, really, he just didn't want her messing his books.
He thought perhaps he should write a will or something. Nah; who would want his stuff anyway? His soul possessions were his books, and a great majority of them were in Wutain. His parents would figure out what to do with them.
He took the blankets and sheets his mother had left him and started to tidy the couch.
Katai should stay in his room, he figured. After all, she didn't have her own anymore.
He couldn't think what would he do if all his room was destroyed! It was a horrible thought.
He wondered if he would ever see his room again.
He didn't want to die, damnit!
Damnit.
Damnit.
He wanted. To live so badly.
He sighed heavily.
Now where was that damn pillow?
He looked around a few moments before spotting it behind him on the table. He picked it up angrily.
His gaze froze on the world map.
He looked at it.
He looked at it some more.
Katai's explanations ran through his mind for some reason and he could not stop looking at the map.
".coming from the sea near Gongaga. Cosmo Canyon. near Nibelheim."
".Rocket City! For those of you who just tuned in, we are standing beside what remains of the Captain's house!."
Sether eyes widened with mild hysteria.
That. That's not possible!!
It can't.
Sether's shoulders sagged as he shook his head and brought a hand to his face.
In the darkness of the cave around him, he broke down and began to sob into the pillow, muffling himself in its soft depths.
It just wasn't fair.
3
4 Act 3
Katai burst into the main hall with enthusiasm. It was an hour or so before dawn, and she just couldn't stay in bed after she figured something out.
"Seth!" She exclaimed, looking for him in the bed and surprised to see him up.
"Seth!" She repeated, prancing happily to his side, "You wouldn't believe what I found! If you stay here in the cavern for a while- since it's a holy place- you won't die! You can be okay!" She kept her voice low as to not wake the parents.
Sether twitched slightly with her words and then gave her a cold look.
"Do not say that to me now." His tone was icy.
Only then did it sink in what Sether was doing.
He was packing.
"Where. Where are you planning to go?" Katai gave him a strange look, "You can be okay if you just stay here! After a while your Jenova cells would just fall back to their 'sleep' state! Sether, Didn't you hear what I just said?"
He kept packing his stuff.
"I heard what you said, I am just ignoring it."
She stared at him, and he pointed at the map,
"It is after me."
"What? Who is?"
"Weapon."
Katai started laughing and gagged herself quickly,
"Are you insane?!" She was very inclined to believe so right now.
"Look," He grabbed the tablecloth and held it in front of her face, irritation plane on his, "It followed the exact same path I took when I looked for someone to join me, see?" He pointed the path as Katai had done yesterday, "It is following my trail! As well as stomping on your house." He then threw it back on the table and returned to his packing.
"What are you planning to do then, baka?" Katai placed her hands on her hips, "Go meet it? What for? There's no way you can kill it alone! And it might not even be after you! The scientists said-"
"I have to check. And if it is really after me, I have to stop it from reaching Corel; hundreds might die."
Katai rolled her eyes,
"Really! You're totally paranoid! And let's say, if, and this is a huge 'if', it's really after you and it's heading to Corel; they would evacua." She trailed off, and Sether gave her a look, noticing she had reached the realization,
".They wouldn't evacuate because of the mountains.!" She finished instead.
Indeed, the reporter said they are going to leave Weapon alone since it went to the mountains, and the newsgroup wasn't equipped to go there.
She stared nothing a long moment, doing all the math.
"^&@#$." She mumbled and started towards Sether's room, "I gotta go get my stuff!"
At that remark, Sether swirled around just in time to grab her arm,
"What for?" His voice suggested he knew the answer, but somehow hoped she would surprise him.
"What do you think, baka?! I'm coming with you!" Sether yanked her toward him violently, alarming her with the anger on his face,
"No. You. Are. Not."
She met his murderous glare with defiance,
"I am, and you can't do a thing about it."
He rattled her a little, the anger contorting his face. He wasn't going to get into this again!
"I am going alone, and that is final!"
He let go of her arm and she stuck her tongue at him before leaving for the room again, this time in a normal pace.
Sether sighed again and tried to quell his anger. He was on an edge, and should really control himself better.
He inhaled and exhaled deeply several times.
That worked fine.
At least until Katai came out of the room with her travel gear.
"Didn't you hear what I said?!" He growled at her, all his anger returning.
"I heard what you said, I'm just ignoring it." She gave him a vicious smile and a sinister tone, "Besides, I don't think you really want to leave me here. I have to be sure you get back here in time to get better! Not to mention."
He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, suddenly suspicious. Katai looked at the ceiling with feign innocence,
"Weeeell, if I stayed here. You have such nice parents, and I'd hate to keep secrets from them."
He narrowed his eyes,
"What are you getting at, Kat?"
She then met his look with determination and slight annoyance,
"I'll tell them everything that's happened, and about your illness."
Sether took a step back from pure shock,
"You wouldn't do that to them!"
"No," She corrected him, "I'd do that to you."
He took a step towards her, holding a finger to her face,
"You heartless little-"
"Ahh-ahh." Katai wiggled her finger in a mean kind of way, shaking her head, "You don't want to insult the woman with the sensitive information.!"
Sether withdrew back. He glared at her, and she glared at him.
He could never imagine Katai to have so much evilness in her. She would make a shroud businesswoman. In fact, she's already a shroud businesswoman; after all, she was getting her way.
"Fine." He spat out, turning to pick up his trenchcoat and Store Materia, "But I'm not responsible for you."
She cheered up instantly, then looked at something behind Sether and froze. Sether turned around, expecting to find Sephiroth, and finding only his groggy mother.
"M. Mom!" He looked around frantically, trying to find what to do. He could not hide, even if he wanted, the fact that he was packing to leave.
He could never lie to his mother. Never.
"Sethy! Where are you going?" Her eyes were barely even open. She must have woken up from the noise they were making.
"Miss Valentine!" Katai grabbed Sether's arm and yanked him towards the exit, "I remembered I forgot something at Corel, and Sether insisted on coming with me! We'll be back by the evening! Heheheheheheh. Bye!"
And they bolted to the exit. Lucrecia just mumbled,
"You can take Bobo if you want.!" and went back to sleep.
Act 1
This sort of happiness was new to Sether, really.
He was used to being generally content while with his parents. Sure, they had their laughs and crazy moments, but.
This was so different.
Here his parents were so happy! They chatted with the Highwinds and cracked jokes. They drank and ate and told stories of their shared past and separated lives. Usually, if Nanaki would come to visit, Vincent and Lucrecia would talk and have a good time, but Sether would always feel left out. He wasn't even an idea when his Dad and the lion-thing became friends.
Now Katai was there too, and Sether frankly enjoyed being with someone around his own age. He didn't have any friends since Ryuto, and now his heart was aching for some friendship and companionship. Don't get him wrong, though, he was more than happy that he returned Katai to her parents and now could worry about other things. He would maybe miss her a bit here and there, but in a short while, it wouldn't matter anyway.
He had things to do now, and taking care of her wasn't one of them.
Ah, the relief!
The afternoon flew as they enjoyed a simple time with each other, and when the evening came, they had a great meal- curtsey of the combined skills of Shera and Lucrecia.
It was fun and good. Everybody was happy in some way or another, and even Sether managed to forget his heavy dark cloud.
"What coincidence that we shall all be gathered here tonight, don't you agree?" Vincent looked up from his plate after he had finished eating.
They all nodded. To have a great Holy Day meal like this was truly a blessing.
"Mom, dad," Katai looked at them as she asked, "What are you doing here? Why did you come?"
Cid laughed,
"Don't you remember? We always celebrate Holy Day here in the cave- it's them that weren't supposed to be here!"
Katai smiled. To think that the Valentines and the Highwinds missed each other every year for the last two decades or so!
"How did you react to meeting each other?" Sether asked meekly, not looking up from his plate.
Here it was Vincent's turn to laugh,
"I almost killed Cid, that's how! He came into the cavern, and I thought he was a burglur-"
"He almost blew my head straight off!" Vincent and Cid laughed heartedly, though most of the other people in the cave weren't as amused.
1
"How was your journey?" Vincent asked his son. They both were cleaning the kitchen after the meal.
Sether almost dropped the plate he was drying.
"Terrible," He stuttered. "Traveling alone is harder than I thought."
"But you were not alone, were you? You had Katai!"
Sether looked aside,
"I still call that alone."
Vincent then handed Sether the last plate to dry and said gravely,
"Sether, I was very worried when I woke up and Lucrecia told me that you had left to look for those people."
Sether now looked down to the floor.
"I would not want you to risk your life on my account, Sether, even if something worse should have happened to me."
Sether didn't say anything, just looked down to his feet, ashamed.
".But I-" He started, but Vincent placed his healthy hand on his son's shoulder and asked with great concern, "Is everything okay, Sether? You look a bit melancholy since the morning."
Sether narrowed his eyes, trying to suppress tears.
"I." He sniffed once, "I'm sorry I. Couldn't protect you." He sniffed again, and Vincent's expression turned sad and loving,
"Sether."
Sether then wrapped his hands around his father, and hugged him closely,
".I'm so happy you're okay, dad." He sniffed again.
Vincent smiled warmly and held his son.
"You should not blame yourself so easily, Sether. We both fought the best we could."
They drew back. Sether looked at his feet again, finding it hard to look at his father,
"I was afraid you would never wake up." He whispered.
Vincent placed his hands on his hips and imitated Cid's confident stance,
"Would I leave you and you mother so easily? Not a chance! It would take a lot more than a measly Mako poisoning to get to me." He smiled wider when Sether raised his head and met his eyes.
"You'll be okay no matter what, right, dad?" Sether asked with hopeful eyes.
"Of course!" Vincent threw his hands in the air with an extravagant expression, and Sether smiled wider.
".I also had some help. getting well again." Vincent said after a short moment of silence, and surprised Sether. "I did not, and probably could not, find the way back on my own." This was Vincent's turn to look away. ".Sephiroth. told me how to get well again."
Sether was shocked.
"I know it sounds crazy," Vincent seemed rather embarrassed, "But it is true. He guided me and told me how much I meant to you. To your mother."
Sether just had to smile and shake his head with disbelief.
"I bet he managed to get at least one 'the time is now' somewhere in there." He chuckled, and Vincent blinked with astonishment,
"How did you know?"
2 Act 2
It was already late at night when they turned in. Sether was forced to sleep on the couch in the main hall, since there were only three rooms, and Katai had to sleep somewhere.
Sether protested, but nobody really took him seriously. It didn't bother him, really, he just didn't want her messing his books.
He thought perhaps he should write a will or something. Nah; who would want his stuff anyway? His soul possessions were his books, and a great majority of them were in Wutain. His parents would figure out what to do with them.
He took the blankets and sheets his mother had left him and started to tidy the couch.
Katai should stay in his room, he figured. After all, she didn't have her own anymore.
He couldn't think what would he do if all his room was destroyed! It was a horrible thought.
He wondered if he would ever see his room again.
He didn't want to die, damnit!
Damnit.
Damnit.
He wanted. To live so badly.
He sighed heavily.
Now where was that damn pillow?
He looked around a few moments before spotting it behind him on the table. He picked it up angrily.
His gaze froze on the world map.
He looked at it.
He looked at it some more.
Katai's explanations ran through his mind for some reason and he could not stop looking at the map.
".coming from the sea near Gongaga. Cosmo Canyon. near Nibelheim."
".Rocket City! For those of you who just tuned in, we are standing beside what remains of the Captain's house!."
Sether eyes widened with mild hysteria.
That. That's not possible!!
It can't.
Sether's shoulders sagged as he shook his head and brought a hand to his face.
In the darkness of the cave around him, he broke down and began to sob into the pillow, muffling himself in its soft depths.
It just wasn't fair.
3
4 Act 3
Katai burst into the main hall with enthusiasm. It was an hour or so before dawn, and she just couldn't stay in bed after she figured something out.
"Seth!" She exclaimed, looking for him in the bed and surprised to see him up.
"Seth!" She repeated, prancing happily to his side, "You wouldn't believe what I found! If you stay here in the cavern for a while- since it's a holy place- you won't die! You can be okay!" She kept her voice low as to not wake the parents.
Sether twitched slightly with her words and then gave her a cold look.
"Do not say that to me now." His tone was icy.
Only then did it sink in what Sether was doing.
He was packing.
"Where. Where are you planning to go?" Katai gave him a strange look, "You can be okay if you just stay here! After a while your Jenova cells would just fall back to their 'sleep' state! Sether, Didn't you hear what I just said?"
He kept packing his stuff.
"I heard what you said, I am just ignoring it."
She stared at him, and he pointed at the map,
"It is after me."
"What? Who is?"
"Weapon."
Katai started laughing and gagged herself quickly,
"Are you insane?!" She was very inclined to believe so right now.
"Look," He grabbed the tablecloth and held it in front of her face, irritation plane on his, "It followed the exact same path I took when I looked for someone to join me, see?" He pointed the path as Katai had done yesterday, "It is following my trail! As well as stomping on your house." He then threw it back on the table and returned to his packing.
"What are you planning to do then, baka?" Katai placed her hands on her hips, "Go meet it? What for? There's no way you can kill it alone! And it might not even be after you! The scientists said-"
"I have to check. And if it is really after me, I have to stop it from reaching Corel; hundreds might die."
Katai rolled her eyes,
"Really! You're totally paranoid! And let's say, if, and this is a huge 'if', it's really after you and it's heading to Corel; they would evacua." She trailed off, and Sether gave her a look, noticing she had reached the realization,
".They wouldn't evacuate because of the mountains.!" She finished instead.
Indeed, the reporter said they are going to leave Weapon alone since it went to the mountains, and the newsgroup wasn't equipped to go there.
She stared nothing a long moment, doing all the math.
"^&@#$." She mumbled and started towards Sether's room, "I gotta go get my stuff!"
At that remark, Sether swirled around just in time to grab her arm,
"What for?" His voice suggested he knew the answer, but somehow hoped she would surprise him.
"What do you think, baka?! I'm coming with you!" Sether yanked her toward him violently, alarming her with the anger on his face,
"No. You. Are. Not."
She met his murderous glare with defiance,
"I am, and you can't do a thing about it."
He rattled her a little, the anger contorting his face. He wasn't going to get into this again!
"I am going alone, and that is final!"
He let go of her arm and she stuck her tongue at him before leaving for the room again, this time in a normal pace.
Sether sighed again and tried to quell his anger. He was on an edge, and should really control himself better.
He inhaled and exhaled deeply several times.
That worked fine.
At least until Katai came out of the room with her travel gear.
"Didn't you hear what I said?!" He growled at her, all his anger returning.
"I heard what you said, I'm just ignoring it." She gave him a vicious smile and a sinister tone, "Besides, I don't think you really want to leave me here. I have to be sure you get back here in time to get better! Not to mention."
He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, suddenly suspicious. Katai looked at the ceiling with feign innocence,
"Weeeell, if I stayed here. You have such nice parents, and I'd hate to keep secrets from them."
He narrowed his eyes,
"What are you getting at, Kat?"
She then met his look with determination and slight annoyance,
"I'll tell them everything that's happened, and about your illness."
Sether took a step back from pure shock,
"You wouldn't do that to them!"
"No," She corrected him, "I'd do that to you."
He took a step towards her, holding a finger to her face,
"You heartless little-"
"Ahh-ahh." Katai wiggled her finger in a mean kind of way, shaking her head, "You don't want to insult the woman with the sensitive information.!"
Sether withdrew back. He glared at her, and she glared at him.
He could never imagine Katai to have so much evilness in her. She would make a shroud businesswoman. In fact, she's already a shroud businesswoman; after all, she was getting her way.
"Fine." He spat out, turning to pick up his trenchcoat and Store Materia, "But I'm not responsible for you."
She cheered up instantly, then looked at something behind Sether and froze. Sether turned around, expecting to find Sephiroth, and finding only his groggy mother.
"M. Mom!" He looked around frantically, trying to find what to do. He could not hide, even if he wanted, the fact that he was packing to leave.
He could never lie to his mother. Never.
"Sethy! Where are you going?" Her eyes were barely even open. She must have woken up from the noise they were making.
"Miss Valentine!" Katai grabbed Sether's arm and yanked him towards the exit, "I remembered I forgot something at Corel, and Sether insisted on coming with me! We'll be back by the evening! Heheheheheheh. Bye!"
And they bolted to the exit. Lucrecia just mumbled,
"You can take Bobo if you want.!" and went back to sleep.
