Ascension

She just stared, blinking in question. Seeing her hesitation, he picked his coat back up, folding his wing up and putting it back on. She stood, walking over to him with dried tears on her face. She shook her head slowly, not believing what she saw.

"This has to be a dream...There was no one, no one like me. And now, you appear all of the sudden...It can't be real!" Her knees got weak, about to fall, when suddenly he caught her, smiling.

"It's real. The only question is...are you? I never knew there was another out there, and I don't think mom or dad did either. I hid it my whole life, wearing that coat or anything I could find. I thought for the longest time that I was a freak of nature, that it was just a mutated gene my father possessed. But now that I found you, I don't see that anymore. Somehow I feel...normal, like you."

He stood her back on her own two feet, coughing slightly in embarrassment that he had just said that. He turned, pointing to the door and saying quietly that he should probably be going. She just stood there stunned as her mother came in, staring off after him and then turning to Nevaeh, walking over.

"So? What did he say?" she asked.

"Nothing..." she said, shaking her head. She smiled, looking to her. "But he has a wing!"

"What?!" she questioned as Nevaeh ran to her window, opening it and breaking the ivy strands that covered bits of it.

She searched the area until he came into view, shouting out, "Hey Lance!"

He quickly looked back, responding, "Yeah?"

"Never leave that school! You're the only defense I have against those 'unusual' people!"

He grinned, nodding his head. "Sure thing! I'm not going anywhere!" With that, he ran into the surrounding darkness.

Nevaeh closed her window, sitting on her bed and smiling as her mother stood there, wringing her hands. She could see her nervousness and stopped smiling, her face turning to question. She stood up, walking over when her mother began to speak again.

"Oh this is not good..." she said.

"What isn't?" Nevaeh asked.

"Well see...we know..." She hesitated, letting her hands go and smiling once more. "No worries. It's all right. So long as you don't tell your father."

Nevaeh raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind, Nevaeh. Just, whatever you do, don't tell him that your friend has a wing?"

"Why not?! Isn't that a good thing?" she asked.

"Yes...and no...But like I said, don't worry about it! I'll break it to him, less stress for you!"

They both heard the door creak open from downstairs, knowing it could only be Sephiroth. Kerah reminded her once more before turning to walk down, Nevaeh following. As they came walking down the steps, Kerah suddenly stopped, seeing the light reflect from the fireplace and onto Sephiroth. Nevaeh looked over her mother's shoulder, seeing what he was holding in his hand, and covered her mouth, feeling like she was going to be sick.

For it wasn't everyday he had a bloodied saber in his hand.

Tears weld in her eyes again, running as fast as she could back up the steps and into her room. Sephiroth just stared, Kerah's eyes narrowing in anger as he shrugged.

"What's the matter with her?" he asked, confused by it. Kerah just walked up to him, grabbing his hand and holding it up.

"What is this? I thought you said you weren't going to do this anymore!" she yelled, shaking her head.

"So? The deed was needed to be done," he replied, carrying it back to the bathroom to wash it off.

"Who was it, Sephiroth?" she questioned, following him.

"Hmm...Well, after looking it up in that school's database I found the four top players and when they happened to be wandering home..."

"I thought we agreed just to teach them a lesson, not kill them!" she shouted.

"Who said I killed them?" he said, Kerah calming down.

"You mean you didn't?"

"Of course not! I gave that up a long time ago, Kerah. Now, losing a limb..."

"Sephiroth..." she began to scold, Sephiroth laughing.

"Kidding! I just gave them a cut on their faces and told them to leave Nevaeh alone from now on. And believe me, they'll do it if they know what's good for them."

Kerah sighed in relief, Sephiroth raising an eyebrow in question. He looked up, wiping the sword clean with a towel, and stared. She shrugged, knowing she was thinking something different.

"Nevaeh...thought you killed one of her friends."

He shook his head, walking past. "Why would she think that?"

She hesitated, walking as he went to the closet under the stair, putting the sword there. He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall and waiting for an answer. She sighed again, tilting her head. "Her friend, Lance...he...has a wing."

The house shook as he shouted in anger, knowing only one other person who had such a thing. His worst enemy, the one who had mocked him the last time they had met in the City of the Ancients, and the one, the only one, he had searched to kill. And now, to hear he had a son, and his very daughter was friends with him...His blood boiled, floating quickly into the air and to the top floor, slamming her door open. She looked to the door in shock, Sephiroth coming forward.

"How dare you make friends with the enemy! Daughter, do you have any idea what this could mean?! It jeopardizes this family, you included!"

"Sephiroth!" Kerah yelled. "She doesn't know! She doesn't know anything about it...She thinks...that he's just another kid like her."

Sephiroth stepped back, pausing in thought. He shook his head, putting a hand on his forehead. "No, I didn't kill him, Nevaeh. But does he really mean that much to you as a friend?"

She nodded without pause, beginning to smile in realizing that it wasn't him. But if it hadn't been, who was it? Then again, who cared? So long as it hadn't been Lance.

"Very well," he agreed, walking away. "I'll keep him alive...for now."

As he walked out, her held up and a-okay sign with her fingers, quietly shutting the door. Nevaeh jumped up in excitement, happy now. She had nothing to worry about, just until her father went psycho. She grinned at the thought, knowing that since her father was the most disciplined person she knew, he would never do such a thing. So, virtually, she had nothing to worry about for now.

And she had nothing to worry about for most of the rest of the school year. It was a few months until school was out, and over those past months, though they had both didn't see it, they became closer...and closer...and closer. Those jocks from before hadn't said a word to her, and every time she approached them, they'd slide away in fear. She actually found it funny, beginning to run after them after school and chase them to the bus stop, screaming in fear. She couldn't understand why, and neither could Lance, but both found it hilarious. They both continued to wear their coats, keeping their wings under wraps. Also, even though Lance lived a short distance from the school, every Friday he'd usually get sidetracked talking to her and walk her home. Life seemed to get better, all to the point of never letting it go. Then again, there was another year in front of them, so they had nothing to fright.

But if only everything would go as people hoped...

At the last dance of the year, Nevaeh always stayed home, feeling shallow in some point. She didn't expect Lance to ask, for she was sure some preppie girl had asked him out several months ago, and decided to just go straight home from there. The day got darker fast, the mists rolling in around her home earlier than usual, but she did not mind. She was used to it, after all.

When she did get home, as she always did, she went straight to her room, sighing as she got there. She sat back on her bed, imagining how it was there, how everyone must've been so happy. For the longest time she daydreamed, staring up at her ceiling with her pale green eyes. She thought she could hear her heartbeat, tapping in the silence of the still room. But it was off rhythm, turning more into a high-pitched sound and soon coming from her side. She sat up seeing another rock pound against the glass. Nevaeh opened it, looking out to the ground, and seeing the one person she had wanted to see stalling to throw another rock and drop it. He was surprisingly wearing his uniform, which he had never worn before.

"Hey, Nevaeh!" Lance said.

"Lance? What are you doing here?"

"I tried looking you up in the phone book but your number wasn't there."

She laughed. "That's because we don't have a phone!"

"Oh..." he said, shaking it off and continuing. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me!"

He life suddenly brightened, nodding her head. "Sure! I'll go!"

She was about to close the window again when he suddenly said, "Don't wear your coat!"

She stared at him with question for a moment, then shrugged, nodding. She shut the window, jumping from her bed and leaping for joy, quickly going over to her closet and opening the door, looking through for that one dress. She found it, without a doubt, and looked at it as it sparkled in the lamplight. How she now wanted to wear this dress, and she really didn't care what people thought. She'd wear it, end of story.

Downstairs, a knocking came on the entrance door, Sephiroth going to open it. He narrowed his eyes in calm anger as he saw it was Lance, nodding his head.

"Good evening, sir. Is your daughter home?" he asked.

Sephiroth just shook his head, stepping aside. "You can cut the cute act, kid. We already heard out daughter's excitement from upstairs, and you're probably going to take her somewhere right?"

Lance stepped in, continuing. "Yeah, with your permission, of course."

Sephiroth scowled under his breath, Kerah coming over when she heard his voice. "You have bravery coming out here, Lance. You have our permission, so long as she's back by ten. But where are you two going?"

"The school dance, and don't worry, she'll be back!"

Sephiroth looked for the wing on his back, seeing it and undoubtedly knowing he was the son of Cloud. He tried to stay away from the subject, knowing his wife would disagree on it.

"So, what kind of uniform is that? I don't remember such things when I was in school."

"This? New issue. They kind of forced everyone to buy these things for ceremonial occasions, guys at least, but any other time people ignore it."

"Why did they enforce it at all?" he questioned.

"Seeing how everyone would try to pull something funny, I guess. I don't really know."

The steps creaked and they twisted around, seeing her walking down the steps. She smiled, seeing him standing there, a look of almost shock on his face. She continued to walk, standing in front of them all and continuing to smile.

"He tell you?"

"That you're going to a dance? Why yes! It's about time you got out of this rickety old house for once!" her mother said, scooting her along. Lance opened the door, Nevaeh walking out and waving goodbye, when her mother quickly said, "Have a good time! And be back by ten or I'll send your father after you!"

"Alright, mother! Bye!" With that, the door shut behind, Lance and Nevaeh off to the dance.

They got there by running. Nevaeh couldn't wait, so she offered a race to him, and he accepted. It wasn't really a competition, but either way they got there quickly, coming up to the school doors. It was the entrance to the cafeteria, where this dance was taking place. Nevaeh became nervous, not really wanting to go in. But Lance suddenly took her hand, putting her arm around his, and shrugged, opening the door to step in.

As they did, it was surprising to see someone was late, and everyone stopped when they saw whom it was. Also what they looked like. Nevaeh they weren't too surprised, but now to see Lance with a wing...it was utterly shocking. But he shrugged, leading her out onto the dance floor as others cleared out. As with the traditional way, they danced to a slow beat song, Nevaeh beginning to laugh.

"You know everyone's staring at us, don't you?" she said in the corner of her mouth.

"Let them stare," he whispered, twirling her around. Things began to mellow out, others beginning to carry on as well, until everyone did. A few more songs were liable to come on, and when the very last they would hear did, he continued. "But you know why they stared?"

"Because I look like a monster?" she joked.

He smiled, dipping her one last time. "Because of how beautiful you are." She stared, stunned by what he said, when he brought her back up. He leaned forward, Nevaeh shutting her eyes when she was about to get her first kiss. But as he came a breath away, she stood back, feeling a force on her heart. "Nevaeh, what is it?"

"I don't know," she shook her head. "Probably nothing." But there it was again, like a gripping on her heart.

She swallowed, stumbling back. He said something else, but she could not hear for the buzzing sound soon coming to her. She fell to her knees, gasping for air as she saw others around stop, gazing to her. With it, she heard an earsplitting screech, gargled out into nothing as the room suddenly broke into panic. Lance quickly reached down, trying to get her to her feet, but he jolted back, holding his left hand in pain. She even saw it as it began to turn black, morphing into something else...something worse. His fingers grew bronze colored claws, turning a pitch-black. He just stared in horror for a moment, looking back to Nevaeh as he saw what had caused this.

Something creped up underneath her, a black portal forming. A dark essence came up, wrapping around her. Though she tried to get away, she could not move. Something was locked on her heart, as if frozen in time itself. Only when the portal began to pull her under did she react, reaching out her hand. Lance tried to grab it, but he was pushed away, something clawing the side of his face and moving into her sight. It was a dark, vile creature with burning yellow eyes, something she had never heard of in her life, but it scared her half-to-death. This portal, which she had no clue was leading her too, scared her even more. But as the chaos went around, she sank deeper and deeper, until finally her hand faded into nothingness, the portal disappearing from this world...

***

She could not see, but she could feel it was cold, standing up but not doing it on her own. She was like an unanimated figure, but able to hear the people who were here, able to sense them. And these things, whatever they were, were anything but good.

"Hmm...Strength, good. Mental capacity, good. Memory," the voice suddenly became enraged as it finished, "perfect! I can't STAND it!"

"No need to get angry," an old woman's voice spoke.

"Why not?! This ruins everything!" it retorted.

"Yes, but the memory can be tampered with. We can make her forget, yes?" another old woman said.

"You can? Tell me, how do you do this?"

"Simple. If there is anything you want gone, you shall have it gone."

"Fine! Then do it! Make her forget everything but her name, speech, and her fighting techniques. I don't want anything of her past to be remembered!"

"Be warned. There are consequences with such things," one said.

"Yes, deep consequences," another spoke.

"For even though the past can be forgotten, it can be dug up in the return of one," the last stated.

"Then it won't happen, will it?" the voice inquired in an orderly manner, the three women replying in a simple 'yes'. "Good. Now, do what you need to do. Oh and can she hear this?"

"Yes, Hades."

"Then erase that too. Don't want any questioning when we're taking control of the universe, now do we?"