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Act 1
He opened his eyes to see a cloudy sky. He was cold and in considerable pain. It was nothing new lately.
He looked around; Katai was laying with her back to him a few feet away, and he was just sprawled on the wet grass for no apparent reason. His whole body was hurting again.
Slowly, he began recalling his name and his language.
".Damnit." He said, gingerly bringing a hand to his face. Katai gave a start, sat up and turned around. She was holding a large stick and was pretty much ready to beat Sether with it. When he gave her a perplexed look, she noticed he was back to himself. He was looking at her from the grass as she was sitting near his head. She dropped the stick to the grass and looked at him with worry.
"Are you okay.?"
Sether smiled his own sad smile,
"No, but I'm more or less sane again. I hope I didn't do anything too horrible. this time."
Katai frowned at him,
"You probably pounded to death half of the Sephiroth clan with your bare hands, with the amount of blood you had on them."
He lifted his hands to discover both of them bandaged.
"I remember the dagger," he said, gingerly touching his left palm and twitching his fingers to see if they still worked, "What happened to my other hand?"
Katai managed to frown even deeper,
"Anyone will be in pain if they punch through people, doors and walls."
He sighed and let his hands drop.
There was a long moment of silence between them.
Katai said,
"Tell me one thing, Seth."
He looked up at her curiously.
"At what point things got from bad to worse?"
Sether thought about this a moment,
"I think. about the time I was born."
They both chuckled at this and then Sether got up. He turned to Katai and noticed her hair.
It was about chin length now, and curved onto her cheeks. It was pretty messy, with longer strands bouncing off in awkward directions. It also made her look incredibly cute, Sether had to admit. It made her lot a lot less stuck-up, and a lot... cuter.
Without thought, he reached out and placed a gentle hand on her cheek. Katai gave another start, but he didn't notice. His thumb played with some strands of her hair. She blinked at him with complete shock. His face expressed some gentle thoughtfulness Katai only rarely saw on it.
His hand was so warm and big, and the unexpected gesture made Katai blush furiously.
After a short while Sether noticed what he was doing and quickly withdrew his hand, blushing slightly and looking away. He coughed uncomfortably and mumbled,
".It. It suits you."
She was still blinking at him, and he looked further away. ".You don't look like a boy. I'm sorry."
She blinked at him a few more times before remembering his long forgotten remark that if she cut her hair short she'll look like a man. She laughed, and Sether looked at her, wondering how could the same person look so totally different with such a small change.
She suddenly became beautiful, and Sether wasn't prepared for that.
1 Act 2
"How the Meteor am I going to reach Corel quickly now?!" Sether placed one hand on his forehead, worried. Katai pointed east with a slightly annoyed look.
Corel was there, just an hour walk away.
"Oh." Sether said. Apparently he ran all the distance there as Desire.
He started towards the city.
"When we reach it," He said, "I want you to go and warn Barrett."
"Huh? Why me?" She walked beside him.
He gave her a look from the corner of his eyes, "Just do it, please."
She nodded and then asked,
"What will you do?"
"I'll go and try to stop Weapon."
Katai scoffed with irritation,
"You don't even know for sure that it's after you!"
He shook his head and hastened his step a little,
"I can feel it." He said darkly.
"You're paranoid, that's what you are."
He ignored her and said,
"Don't mention anything about the Sephiroth clan to Barrett. They're probably after us too."
She sighed heavily,
"You just can't have it easy, can you?"
He didn't reply, just asked,
"Is Bobo okay?"
She smiled at him,
"Yeah, it got away."
Here Sether frowned deeply,
"You shouldn't have come." He said. Katai only rolled her eyes,
"I'm here now."
"You could have gotten killed!"
"But I didn't!"
"The day is young.!" He spat angrily. Why was she insisting on making his life harder? What has he done wrong to deserve having her life in his hands? He said he wouldn't be responsible for her, but who was he kidding? He didn't want anything bad to happen to her.
He did want her with him, despite what he said. He just didn't want her with him here. Just as he wanted to live, but just not in this time and in these circumstances.
"Damnit." He said, and Katai gave him a strange look. He was cursing a lot more lately. The stress was probably getting to him. Or maybe Katai was rubbing off on him.
"Damnit."
Katai sighed heavily. She didn't want Sether to be mad at her, but what could she do?
They reached Corel's outskirts in the early afternoon. The city was still vividly decorated. Sether stopped before entering.
"Huh? Aren't you going in?" Katai looked back upon noticing that he halted. He gave the city a leveled look,
"No. I am heading to the mountains." He turned and started towards the pointed peaks that surrounded Corel, "Warn Barrett." He commanded coldly. Katai placed her hands on her hips. She sure didn't enjoy being told what to do, but something in Sether's voice made it clear that arguing is not advised.
"And how do you want me to persuade him? Magic?"
"You're smart; you'll come up with something."
And he left. Katai waved a fist after him and sent him a farewell curse.
While Katai rushed to the mayor's house in Corel, Sether slowly made his way up the mountain. There were no monsters around, they all probably fled.
Up and up he walked, a turmoil of feelings tearing his gut. Three thoughts especially bothered him; One, a terrible tug at the back of his mind from Weapon. He felt it nearing.
Two, a terrible feeling of dread. He felt like. It was his last day on earth. Like he was going to die. Like he was. Whatever it was, it wasn't fun.
Three, a terrible feeling that he might not ever see his parents again. Or Sephiroth, or. or. Katai.
Somewhere in the back of his mind he was screaming. Screaming for all this to stop, screaming for his parents, for mercy, screaming for his life. But he couldn't listen to that part, couldn't let himself be lured by the part of him that wanted to taste his mother's pancakes once more, that wanted to spar with his father again. The tug from Weapon grew stronger, and he knew that he had a destiny to face, whether he liked it or not.
He didn't like it, didn't like it one bit.
2 Act 3
"Damn you!" Sephiroth shouted in rage. He was in the place with no place in it, beating against a cell made out of will. Jenova smiled at him a sweet smile,
"I can't let you interfere with things to come, my son. I will not allow you help your 'otouto'."
Sephiroth threw his will at the barrier, but it only wavered slightly. Jenova held out a hand and caressed the almost invisible wall,
"I am still just a little more alive that you are, and that makes me stronger than you by just a little. That is what lets me win today."
Sephiroth tried again and again and again to break the wall with his will. He couldn't let this happen!
The barrier wavered. Still, he did not give in. This annoyed her, and she flicked her finger at him and brought him to his knees.
"Remember pain?" She asked, still smiling, "Remember what's it like? I'll let you feel this for eternity, my son. Once my plan is complete, your pain will be even greater."
"Don't. Don't you dare hurt Sether.!!" He managed to yell, holding himself and trying to resist the torture.
She laughed maniacally,
"Hurt him? Me? I'll never!" She passed her hand through her white, long hair, "I don't plan on killing him, I plan on making him my next body!"
Sephiroth stared at her,
".No."
"He will become what you failed to be- the body that will carry me to total domination of this planet! With his superior powers, I'll succeed where I failed with you."
"He'll kill you.! He'll defeat you, you overgrown mass of fungus!"
This seemed to anger her and she sent Sephiroth a new wave of power that made him cry out in pain and fall to the floor in a tight ball.
"He won't be able to kill me," She smiled evilly, "I have made arrangements."
She disappeared, leaving him to wallow in exquisite agony that might never end.
".Sether. I'm. Sorry."
Act 1
He opened his eyes to see a cloudy sky. He was cold and in considerable pain. It was nothing new lately.
He looked around; Katai was laying with her back to him a few feet away, and he was just sprawled on the wet grass for no apparent reason. His whole body was hurting again.
Slowly, he began recalling his name and his language.
".Damnit." He said, gingerly bringing a hand to his face. Katai gave a start, sat up and turned around. She was holding a large stick and was pretty much ready to beat Sether with it. When he gave her a perplexed look, she noticed he was back to himself. He was looking at her from the grass as she was sitting near his head. She dropped the stick to the grass and looked at him with worry.
"Are you okay.?"
Sether smiled his own sad smile,
"No, but I'm more or less sane again. I hope I didn't do anything too horrible. this time."
Katai frowned at him,
"You probably pounded to death half of the Sephiroth clan with your bare hands, with the amount of blood you had on them."
He lifted his hands to discover both of them bandaged.
"I remember the dagger," he said, gingerly touching his left palm and twitching his fingers to see if they still worked, "What happened to my other hand?"
Katai managed to frown even deeper,
"Anyone will be in pain if they punch through people, doors and walls."
He sighed and let his hands drop.
There was a long moment of silence between them.
Katai said,
"Tell me one thing, Seth."
He looked up at her curiously.
"At what point things got from bad to worse?"
Sether thought about this a moment,
"I think. about the time I was born."
They both chuckled at this and then Sether got up. He turned to Katai and noticed her hair.
It was about chin length now, and curved onto her cheeks. It was pretty messy, with longer strands bouncing off in awkward directions. It also made her look incredibly cute, Sether had to admit. It made her lot a lot less stuck-up, and a lot... cuter.
Without thought, he reached out and placed a gentle hand on her cheek. Katai gave another start, but he didn't notice. His thumb played with some strands of her hair. She blinked at him with complete shock. His face expressed some gentle thoughtfulness Katai only rarely saw on it.
His hand was so warm and big, and the unexpected gesture made Katai blush furiously.
After a short while Sether noticed what he was doing and quickly withdrew his hand, blushing slightly and looking away. He coughed uncomfortably and mumbled,
".It. It suits you."
She was still blinking at him, and he looked further away. ".You don't look like a boy. I'm sorry."
She blinked at him a few more times before remembering his long forgotten remark that if she cut her hair short she'll look like a man. She laughed, and Sether looked at her, wondering how could the same person look so totally different with such a small change.
She suddenly became beautiful, and Sether wasn't prepared for that.
1 Act 2
"How the Meteor am I going to reach Corel quickly now?!" Sether placed one hand on his forehead, worried. Katai pointed east with a slightly annoyed look.
Corel was there, just an hour walk away.
"Oh." Sether said. Apparently he ran all the distance there as Desire.
He started towards the city.
"When we reach it," He said, "I want you to go and warn Barrett."
"Huh? Why me?" She walked beside him.
He gave her a look from the corner of his eyes, "Just do it, please."
She nodded and then asked,
"What will you do?"
"I'll go and try to stop Weapon."
Katai scoffed with irritation,
"You don't even know for sure that it's after you!"
He shook his head and hastened his step a little,
"I can feel it." He said darkly.
"You're paranoid, that's what you are."
He ignored her and said,
"Don't mention anything about the Sephiroth clan to Barrett. They're probably after us too."
She sighed heavily,
"You just can't have it easy, can you?"
He didn't reply, just asked,
"Is Bobo okay?"
She smiled at him,
"Yeah, it got away."
Here Sether frowned deeply,
"You shouldn't have come." He said. Katai only rolled her eyes,
"I'm here now."
"You could have gotten killed!"
"But I didn't!"
"The day is young.!" He spat angrily. Why was she insisting on making his life harder? What has he done wrong to deserve having her life in his hands? He said he wouldn't be responsible for her, but who was he kidding? He didn't want anything bad to happen to her.
He did want her with him, despite what he said. He just didn't want her with him here. Just as he wanted to live, but just not in this time and in these circumstances.
"Damnit." He said, and Katai gave him a strange look. He was cursing a lot more lately. The stress was probably getting to him. Or maybe Katai was rubbing off on him.
"Damnit."
Katai sighed heavily. She didn't want Sether to be mad at her, but what could she do?
They reached Corel's outskirts in the early afternoon. The city was still vividly decorated. Sether stopped before entering.
"Huh? Aren't you going in?" Katai looked back upon noticing that he halted. He gave the city a leveled look,
"No. I am heading to the mountains." He turned and started towards the pointed peaks that surrounded Corel, "Warn Barrett." He commanded coldly. Katai placed her hands on her hips. She sure didn't enjoy being told what to do, but something in Sether's voice made it clear that arguing is not advised.
"And how do you want me to persuade him? Magic?"
"You're smart; you'll come up with something."
And he left. Katai waved a fist after him and sent him a farewell curse.
While Katai rushed to the mayor's house in Corel, Sether slowly made his way up the mountain. There were no monsters around, they all probably fled.
Up and up he walked, a turmoil of feelings tearing his gut. Three thoughts especially bothered him; One, a terrible tug at the back of his mind from Weapon. He felt it nearing.
Two, a terrible feeling of dread. He felt like. It was his last day on earth. Like he was going to die. Like he was. Whatever it was, it wasn't fun.
Three, a terrible feeling that he might not ever see his parents again. Or Sephiroth, or. or. Katai.
Somewhere in the back of his mind he was screaming. Screaming for all this to stop, screaming for his parents, for mercy, screaming for his life. But he couldn't listen to that part, couldn't let himself be lured by the part of him that wanted to taste his mother's pancakes once more, that wanted to spar with his father again. The tug from Weapon grew stronger, and he knew that he had a destiny to face, whether he liked it or not.
He didn't like it, didn't like it one bit.
2 Act 3
"Damn you!" Sephiroth shouted in rage. He was in the place with no place in it, beating against a cell made out of will. Jenova smiled at him a sweet smile,
"I can't let you interfere with things to come, my son. I will not allow you help your 'otouto'."
Sephiroth threw his will at the barrier, but it only wavered slightly. Jenova held out a hand and caressed the almost invisible wall,
"I am still just a little more alive that you are, and that makes me stronger than you by just a little. That is what lets me win today."
Sephiroth tried again and again and again to break the wall with his will. He couldn't let this happen!
The barrier wavered. Still, he did not give in. This annoyed her, and she flicked her finger at him and brought him to his knees.
"Remember pain?" She asked, still smiling, "Remember what's it like? I'll let you feel this for eternity, my son. Once my plan is complete, your pain will be even greater."
"Don't. Don't you dare hurt Sether.!!" He managed to yell, holding himself and trying to resist the torture.
She laughed maniacally,
"Hurt him? Me? I'll never!" She passed her hand through her white, long hair, "I don't plan on killing him, I plan on making him my next body!"
Sephiroth stared at her,
".No."
"He will become what you failed to be- the body that will carry me to total domination of this planet! With his superior powers, I'll succeed where I failed with you."
"He'll kill you.! He'll defeat you, you overgrown mass of fungus!"
This seemed to anger her and she sent Sephiroth a new wave of power that made him cry out in pain and fall to the floor in a tight ball.
"He won't be able to kill me," She smiled evilly, "I have made arrangements."
She disappeared, leaving him to wallow in exquisite agony that might never end.
".Sether. I'm. Sorry."
