Part Six

His head hung low in thought, his hands folded behind his back. The sun didn't bother him as much anymore, the bright hallways reflecting off his glazed, mako-blue eyes. He wondered once more how he became this way, to be not so hateful of the sun as he had been and of everything else. His less-than-caring self had now turned into a new appreciative being, strangely as it was. Questioning what had happened to Ray, for it had been quiet a few days since she had been seen, he decided since he was better that we would wander the halls a bit and see what would turn up. Stopping, he began to hear voice, not of the echoing, around the corner sort either. Instead it came from his side, almost in a whisper, and in twisting his head to see he saw nothing, only the shadow of himself etched on the wall.

'Please help,' the raspy voice said, Sephiroth raising an eyebrow to what he noticed. His lips were not moving, but the shadow's were. Thinking he wasn't going to get any crazier, he answered.

"What is it you ask?" he inquired.

'Our friend...our daughter...She is in need...'

"Why?"

'Her life is threatened for she is weak beyond repair. We cannot bring her back because she refuses us. We need one to bring her here.'

He thought for a moment and said, 'Why does she refuse you?"

'Just please help us...'

With that the shadow faded to where it would be its normal color of gray, the voices never to be heard from even if he repeated his question. Instead he began to hear two other voices, these of real people, and Sephiroth beginning to walk faster while turning another corner to see.

Two guards stood there and laughed, their backs turned to him, where a third person sat in the middle. Dressed in the same tattered clothing as always, cuts scarring the sides of her face and blood stained on her shirt, Ray sat there hunched over, her blindfold torn to pieces beside her with her eyes shut. One of the guards kicked her, seeing if she would react and she only slumped over to her side like a rag doll.

"Heh, the girl must've gotten mauled by the Heartless and her heart stolen. Such a stupid fool."

"Well, at least it's a good thing. Now maybe her idiocy won't catch on to the other maids."

Laughing, Sephiroth frowned, seeing only two fools here, Ray not one of them. The reason for being idiots--for ever laughing at such a thing and having him standing there. He went up behind one of them, grabbing the guard's shoulder and putting pressure on it to make him fall on his knees, shouting in pain. The other backed away like a coward, shaking nervously and finally running off.

"You shouldn't say such things, for what if it were you who were in her place?" He grinned menacingly. "In fact, that sounds like a great idea."

"P-please, master Sephiroth, have mercy!" the man pleaded.

Sephiroth scoffed, tossing him to the side. "You're not worth my time," he stated, and the guard quickly squirmed off, stumbling in ache with his brand new broken shoulder. Sephiroth stared down at her, not seeing her move even though the guards were gone and only he remained. Kneeing, he put a hand on her neck, feeling her pulse. He felt one...and nothing more until the next first beat of, what it was suppose to be, a set. There was only one beat where there was suppose to be two. Under the slowly coming open eyes was her consciousness, a voice escaping her chapped, dry mouth.

"Leave me here. I am not worth the trouble, as I have told my family before you," she said, but Sephiroth ignoring her.

"Where do I take you?" he asked.

"No where, just go."

Sephiroth grabbed her arm, Ray feeling like her would just drag her along to find a medic. Even if he had done that, the medic wouldn't be able to heal her. Surprisingly, though, he slung her arm around his shoulder, helping her walk with her barely scuffing feet.

'This way,' the raspy voice from before spoke, coming form his side.

"What? Where must I go?" he questioned.

'The wall. Through the wall...'

He gazed for a moment, wondering how that could be possible. Looking to Ray, he saw she was almost unconscious, and since this was her 'family', he thought he could trust them. Slowly coming up to it, he held out a hand, reaching out to where it was suppose to hit. Instead, it went through it, Sephiroth finding he could step through and doing so. When he was past, he sound himself standing in a dark, small room with the Heartless standing there, staring at him. They turned their gaze over to a section cleared off in the middle, presumably where he was to place her. Standing back after he had set Ray there, the Heartless did not bother with him, but only swarmed slowly around her. From the dimly lit torchlight to the side, a brighter light came from the center, dissipating within a moment later.

As the Heartless backed away, Ray sat up, her hands over her face with tars beginning to weal up in her eyes. Sephiroth did not approach, knowing somehow it was the wrong thing to do at the time, and only listened as she began to speak.

"Who was it this time? Who had to die for my life?" she asked quietly, no Heartless willing to come forth and speak. Most had Heartless symbols on them, other did not, but out of both groups they just stood there, gazing on blankly to her sadness.

"What do you mean by this?" Sephiroth inquired, Ray not bothering to look up.

"...I used my heart...to replace the further evil in yours. I had to place it within me so it would not escape back to its original owner, and the only way to heal it..." She shook her head, her dark hazel eye covered with tears now as she stared up at him. "They took the heart of someone else, hoping it would save me. It did, but in return gave a deadly price for that person. Like I said, you should've just left me there! So much suffering could have been solved if I just would've died then..."

Sephiroth chuckled slightly, shrugging. "You think you have it bad, try living with the past of a twisted psychopath, to put it lightly!"

"And you find this...funny?"

"More so ironic, really," he answered, stepping over to her. "In fact, I don't even know what made me sane again. I was all willing to be ruler of a planet, destroying anything that got in my way and then...then...I don't know..."

"Sephiroth, you don't need to tell me. I...I already know..."

Sephiroth gaped at her, his eyes struck with wonder. How could she know anything? Unless there was something that gave the Heartless powers to see into others, there was no possible way. And then, as if automatically, the voice came again, ringing through his head like it had just been said.

'One who knows nothing can understand nothing...'

"Maybe," her voice said, snapping him out of his state of ice, "I should finally explain this."

"Yes, that may be a wise idea," he replied, continuing to stand there as she continued.

"Well, I'll start with us, my family. A long time ago, we lived in a peaceful land, secluded from the rest of our unknown world. We had a wise and wonderful ruler, which we all called a sage because of his great scientifically knowledge. One day, some weird substance fell from the sky, and to follow came outsiders, ones that informed our leader of an invasion of these dark creatures named Heartless. To find how to defeat these things as they came into our world, he asked for volunteers to see how the heart would react to darkness and why these creatures had originated. Of course my family, being the helpers they were, signed up right away. They were first to go before me, and like all the others lost their hearts and were branded with the sign of the artificially made Heartless. When it came my time he had began to lose interest in his 'civilian specimens', never finishing the test to cultivate my heart with darkness. So I remain the way I was, half dead, half alive. If you were ever wondering why I look dead and yet alive, there's your reason.

"After he was done with us he locked all those he had created in the basement of his castle, never to see light again. He was going to take up other experiments, one of a recently discovered man from the other side where the catastrophe took place."

"Catastrophe?" Sephiroth questioned, Ray nodding.

"Yes. Something terrible happened, something about a meteor crashing into a main city, which is, I believe, where what we called the rising falls is located...Well, after that occurred, very few survivors were left, our own side collecting them. Our sage, as we used to call him, sold some as slaves, but one in particular he kept. The man's heart was twisted, vile, and polluted with darkness. But he was still living, so how could he be the way he was and yet be so evil? He did experiments on the man, disfiguring him and putting him back together to find his core, to learn how he ticked...and how to become like him. To add an even stronger sense, to give him the capability of flight, he attached a wing to his muscle structure, giving an even more menacing look. However, since the man was unconscious and in a strict coma during this, he was put into the care of someone else as the former sage went off to find supreme darkness, to rule over all. Of course, it failed miserably as I've heard, but the man was sold to this place, where he remained with the darkness still in his heart."

Sephiroth nodded slowly, seeing the picture. "And, let me guess. I'm that man."

"Yes, Sephiroth, you are that man. I would have hoped, that since you were living, you would still have something left to save."

"But why would you care?" he finally questioned, Ray remaining silent. "Well? Was it because I was vile yet still had some light left in me? If that were so, you are part Heartless yourself. Surely you would understand that nothing mattered to me being selfish and violent nonetheless."

"It doesn't matter," she proclaimed, and that was all she said before she slid back to a wall where she crossed her arms and sighed. Sephiroth walked over and sat next to her, shrugging.

"I guess there's nothing much left to tell then. Found the Heartless, learned the truth...And yet, even after all the things I planned, to think the Heartless where such wrongful creatures, I just don't seem to want to fulfill it. I mean, not all Heartless are terrible...But were forced into it."

She smiled, once again halfheartedly. "You finally learn. Good." Sighing, she shook her head. "All I want is sleep...All I've wanted is sleep for a very long time."

"Then go ahead, I won't stop you," he said, yawning himself. "Sounds like a good idea, actually."

She continued to smile when she shut her eyes, leaning her against the wall and beginning to slouch, her face someone drifting into a peaceful state. Sephiroth dozed off as well, his eyes sagging and reopening in an attempt to stay awake. But it failed, and eventually he, too, glided off into unconsciousness...

'Such a strange creature he is...'

Sephiroth felt a twinge of pain in his back, finding himself lying on his stomach with his head turned to the side. He could not move, his eyes planted wide open with a feel of cold metal on them. Seeing a figure standing there, he tried looking up but his eyes refusing to do so. Instead he was eventually flipped onto his side, like a dead body, and the pain ceasing for a moment as he heard the figure speak.

'He can exist in darkness, and yet still be living...Oddly enough, he was found this way, like he had been born a living Heartless! I wonder how he achieved such greatness...'

'Umm, Master Ansem...' a nervous voice came from behind, emerging slightly into the light from above.

'What is it?' the man said annoyingly, sighing in frustration.

'My family...They're out a food...'

'Is that suppose to be my problem? You signed up for the experiment, thus you should deal with the consequences. Besides, you can steal hearts can't you? Find your own food.'

'Yes, I have managed to do that for some time. But haven't you found a way to create artificial hearts?'

'No, I have not. I have been much too busy for such foolish things.'

'Foolish, sir? But all those people...'

'Does it look like I care?' the man said hatefully, shaking his head and retuning to his work. The pain came back to Sephiroth's back, and though his face felt like cramping up and shout it did not, remaining still like it was dead. 'Poor young, unwise girl, haven't you learned anything after the years you have been stuck down there? No one cares anymore about what happens to you or your family, so you should care nothing back. I myself have only released you because you are the only other living Heartless.'

'I don't understand. If I am still human, shouldn't I be respected as one?'

The man laughed. 'Once a Heartless, only a Heartless. You understand so little, spending most of your life down there.' He shrugged. 'I suppose, that one who knows nothing can understand nothing...Yes, that's it.'

Something was jammed deep into Sephiroth shoulder blade, making him scream in his head but nothing come from the outside. He saw blood begin to run from underneath him and ooze slowly off the silver metal table, echoing drip by drip onto the dark floor. The man laughed, Sephiroth feeling his body begin lifted up to sit, his arm dangling to his sides.

'Ha! Look at him! There was a slave who could tell the history of this man, and wasn't too happy about it either. But still, it makes perfect sense! I couldn't have said it better myself! You understand nothing, so you are nothing. And since you are nothing, you are but a mere puppet...Aren't you, Sephiroth?'

Sephiroth slammed back down, his arm snapping beneath him. Neither of the figures seemed to notice, but at least the pain in his back stopped, feeling like it was being wrapped as the man came forward into his sight.

'Anyway, I have an important mission for you. Since this man is in a temporary coma, I will have to place him below with the Heartless, seeing how he posses a threat. I will be on leave for quite some time so I'm putting you in charge to take care of him, knowing that with the small bit of heart he has would be a prime target for the Heartless. You are pretty trustworthy with the Heartless so you can keep them away. Take care of him for now. I'm counting on you.'

'But what if he wakes up?'

Sephiroth was lifted again, placed on the floor where he would sink into it. He heard a laugh before he was engulfed in it, the man shrugging. 'That's your problem, not mine.'

Within a moment, Sephiroth saw himself laying in a large, open corridor, dark and very cold. He heard whispers coming from the walls, crawling and slinking through the floor. They came up next to him, making their way with their hunger to feed on whatever heart he had. He couldn't move, even if he wanted too, and at this moment it seemed like the end of his ropes. That was until another dark figure came running up, beating them off and hissing at them to go away. They eventually did, the figure kneeling down by his head, lifting him up and putting his head on their shoulder. His eyes were still wide and lifeless, unable to move in any way, but he could still hear and see. Hearing the heartbeat of the person who wrapped their arms around his shoulders, he noticed there was only one of two for each turn. He could see part of the arm around him in the corner of his eye, seeing the pale, stiff skin with the dark lines for veins. As his head turned when the person went to lean again a wall with him still safely in their arms, he managed to look up, seeing, for what was to be the first time, those dazzling hazel eyes and that same halfhearted smile. Ray laughed, thinking it was stupid that he would be able to hear her, but began to talk anyway.

'Sure, I'll take care of you. Maybe you can change for the better...Give you a few hearts and, hey, who knows! But right now isn't the time for speculation, is it?' She reached up a hand and put it over his eyelids, popping off a piece of strange metal that had been keeping his eyes open. Putting two fingers on them, she shut his eyelids for him where they would stay shut. 'Good night, Sephiroth. Hopefully you'll wake up to different circumstances...Unlike the rest of us...'

With this his consciousness faded again, finding himself waking up in the real world. He looked over the empty room, seeing no Heartless in sight. But remembering the person he was sitting next to him, he turned his head, seeing her still sitting there, sleeping soundly. He almost felt a smile spread across his face, finally feeling like he knew why now. The reason why she had put up with him was because of the promise she had made so long ago. She had said she would take care of him, and in doing so would try to make him see things for the better. The good news was this metamorphosis happened, though he still wasn't quiet sure why. Then again, did it really matter anymore? The past was gone, and everything seemed it would all unravel to the point where it would no longer exist. Sephiroth shut his eyes, settled and finally feeling that he would rest easy for once.

But the one thing he forgot--Old habits die hard.

"Heh, imagine. I never thought I'd see the day when Sephiroth went soft," an assert came from out of the shadows where two beings watched all of this occur.

"Don't let that discourage you. He's the same cold-blooded killer he always been," the other menacing voice spoke, a blue flame to be seen in the background.

"So how do I hurt him? Surely he has to be stronger than what he was."

"Yeah, but who says we're going to lay a finger on him?"

"What do you mean? How else would we hurt him?"

"Oh, there are ways." A sharp-teeth grin fell into the light of the visioning globe, a long blue face being revealed. "He needs the supply of hearts to keep him alive until his heart is completely healed, and the only way to get that..."

"So, what you're saying is..."

"Precisely," Hades nodded, putting a hand on the cloaked shoulder.

The other human man looked up at him, shaking his head. "But I don't need to harm her! All I want is Sephiroth dead! For what he had done to Aeris..."

"Her name's Aerith, remember? She changed it so she wouldn't be found out by him."

"Yes, I remember," he said harshly, turning back to the globe. "So what good will it do if I capture her?"

"Well, she is a Heartless you know. And I surely hope you remember what they Heartless did to you."

"That too I know," he said, flexing the leathery wing on his back slightly in remembrance. "So, if she's Heartless..."

"She's just another obstacle in the way," Hades finished for him, snapping a hands and opening a portal to the other world. "Now, all you have to for your freedom is change Sephiroth back to his heartless self and you can go back to wherever you were living."

"Very well," he said, grabbing the Buster Sword from behind his back and walking forward, into the dark halls of the coliseum.

Hades continued to grin, beginning to laugh when the portal sealed again. "Oh and one more thing, I'm not liable if you die! So long as we have that clear..."