Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Squaresoft owns it all.
Author's Note: Okay, I just made a plan for the next seven chapters!! Woo- hoo!! I feel so special now… *sniff* … On with the story!!
Chapter 16:
A Very Possible Action
Lucrecia stood behind a low wall. She was in Sector 5, tracking down the Ancient's home. If she could find it, Hojo would leave Sephiroth and her alone. It was the best offer she had in years, and although somewhere she thought it would never happen, that Hojo would hunt them for the rest of their lives, she had to believe it was true. That finding this one young girl would end all of the problems she had been having. It was that easy. That's what Hojo had promised her.
The small part of her mind that was screaming at her to come to her sense was pushed aside. The more rational part of her brain took over, retracing steps and going over the clues she had. This girl was hard to track down. She did nothing wrong, she had no enemies. In fact, it seemed as if everyone she met loved her. It was easy on one level to get information about her. How she looked, what she acted like, what she liked. However, it was getting to be difficult finding out where she lived.
Everyone wanted her to be safe. Lucrecia herself didn't want the girl to come to harm, but apparently people thought that was the reason she was asking. Over and over again, she was told to go away, leave that poor girl alone, and what did she think she was doing, hassling a wonderful girl like that? It was becoming rather routine.
Fortunately, she happened to pass by someone who was going to meet said wonderful girl. This child looked almost the same age, and was very perky. Almost frighteningly so. The girl gave Lucrecia directions, but got vague around 'look for the pretty flowers'. So, as the girl skipped off to meet this Ancient, Lucrecia followed discreetly behind. But, it was soon apparent that the hyper girl was far too fast for her. Lucrecia lost her, and was stuck wandering around.
She walked a little more and scratched her head. Was she even in the right sector? Irritation plagued her, but the reminder of why she was doing this crossed her mind, and off she went.
Much, much later, when Lucrecia had finally found what she suspected was the Cetra's home, she stood in awe. Hundreds upon hundreds of flowers spanned a luxurious garden, filled to the brim with color and light. A beam of sunlight ran down onto a small clear section, making it look picturesque and divine. Lucrecia shielded her gaze from the bright sun, and stood, marveling at the sheer beauty of it.
Perhaps that was why, when minutes later a girl approached her, she didn't even notice.
"Umm, excuse me?"
The voice made her turn around, and she once again saw a very hyper young girl before her.
The girl's eyes widened with recognition. "Hey, aren't you that lady?"
Lucrecia nodded, amused. "Yes, I am 'that lady'."
At the affirmation, the girl turned and shouted towards the house. "Hey, Aeris! It's that lady from before I told you about, remember?!"
Moments later, the door opened. A small girl of only five or six years old stepped out. She was wearing a white t-shirt with pale pink shorts. Her auburn hair was in a long braid down her back. She smiled when she came out, and suddenly Lucrecia knew this was who she needed to find. This was who needed to be betrayed in order for her son to be free from Hojo. It was almost sad, knowing how close this girl was to a fate some would consider worse than death. But then, she knew nothing of this girl, and her son's happiness was much more valuable to her than this girl with the sunlight smile.
"Oh," the girl said, and stepped out into the light. "You should have told me she was coming today, Lily. I would have made something."
"I didn't-" Lily began, but Lucrecia interrupted her.
"No, no, it's my fault. I told her nothing of when I planned to come here."
"Oh," the girl, who Lucrecia supposed was named Aeris, replied.
"Well, guess I'll be going," Lily said. "My mom wants me home before it gets too late."
Aeris nodded. "Bye, Lily. See you in school tomorrow."
Lily hurried away, leaving Lucrecia and Aeris alone together. Lucrecia remained silent, unsure of what to do or say. She could not become attached to this girl. It would make what must happen that much harder. It would be best for her to leave right away.
"I'm sorry, I-"
"Why did you come here?"
"I'm sorry?" Lucrecia asked.
"Did you want to see the flowers?" Aeris motioned towards the garden. "They are beautiful now. I often come out here, to sit and talk."
Lucrecia nodded, not fully understanding, but glad to have a topic. "Of course. They do look marvelous."
Aeris smiled, and ran up towards the clear area. She stood in the middle of it, letting the sunlight rain down around her. "I love it here."
Lucrecia felt a pang in her heart. This was going to be more difficult than she thought. The girl was making it impossible not to like her. She would have to beat a hasty retreat, and soon.
Just as Lucrecia began to speak, Aeris lied down on the ground and looked up at the sky. She lifted her hand to block out the sunlight, and glanced over towards Lucrecia. Lucrecia could make out a faint glimmer of green behind the shadow her hand created.
"The planet told me you were coming."
Lucrecia stared at her, with no clue how to respond to such a statement. The girl was still smiling, and she looked as if she expected no answer. So, Lucrecia didn't respond.
"But I was confused. It told me to tell you something really important, but I don't understand the message."
Lucrecia looked at her as if she was crazy. But the way she looked, lying there with the sunlight on her, it was impossible that she could be anything but completely sane. Or, at the very least, she believed that what she spoke of was true. And she was the last Cetra, which technically made speaking to the planet a very possible action.
Aeris sat up and hugged her knees. "It was bothering me that I didn't know when you'd come, but I'm glad it's so soon. I have a feeling the message won't matter much in a little while."
Lucrecia looked at her, puzzled. "I don't understand. What are you trying to tell me?"
Aeris got up and ran over to her. Her braid flew back behind her, the wind picking it up as she moved. When she reached Lucrecia, she held the older woman's hand sin her own and looked up at her. "Please be careful tonight. I think something bad will happen."
Lucrecia took one long look at the girl and tried very hard to think about Sephiroth. But he wasn't here, and she was, and she was wonderful. But Sephiroth was her son, and she was obligated to protect him, no matter how a girl might affect her.
"I'm sorry," Lucrecia whispered, and she pulled free of the girl and ran towards ShinaRa headquarters.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hojo sat in his office, twiddling his thumbs. He had come up with a plan. It was the only way he could make sure that the boy would be under his supervision, and still be able to lead a normal life.
He would have the boy come in once a week for testing. Injections, experiments, whatever needed to be done. Then, at least if there was a significant change, Hojo would be able to witness it as it happened. It was a better option than he had previously.
"Excuse me, sir."
Hojo stared at his intercom. "Yes, what?"
"There's a woman here to see you."
Hojo smiled. "Send her in."
Moments later, Lucrecia appeared t his door. She seemed different somehow, yet he was too focused on the reasons why she might come to see him to notice.
"Yes, Lucrecia? What is it? Did you find the girl?"
Hojo's questions seemed to fall on deaf ears. Lucrecia stood there, in the doorway, for what seemed like an eternity. Hojo could tell that her mind was going over something, but what? It was difficult to tell.
"No."
"No?" Hojo repeated.
Lucrecia closed her eyes and repeated herself. "No, I didn't find the girl."
Hojo stared at her in shock. "Well, surely there must be a reason you've come to see me?"
Lucrecia nodded absently. "I was wondering if there was another way."
Hojo shook his head. "We've already discussed this, Lucrecia. There is no other way." Lucrecia nodded and turned around. Hojo called out, "Come back when you've found her."
Lucrecia walked out the door, leaving Hojo to wonder about why she had come in the first place. Within minutes after her departure, another unexpected guest showed up.
He was tall, with long dark hair and tan skin. Everything about him looked immaculate, from his crisp black suit to the small dark circle on his forehead. He was well groomed and polite, and everyone spoke kindly of him. That is, everyone except his targets. For Tseng was a Turk, who was moving through the ranks quickly. And no target had ever spoken after he had completed his mission.
"Sir," Tseng said, with obvious distaste. If it was another employee, Hojo might have reacted differently. Then again, not every employee knew how to kill a man using one finger.
"Yes, Tseng, what is it?"
"You asked the Turks to follow Lucrecia when she was searching for the Cetra's home. The Turks followed her and found that she made contact with the young woman, but the Cetra's location is still unknown to us."
Hojo's face became hard. "You're telling me that she knows where this girl lives, but isn't telling me?"
"Correct."
"And, why do you not know, if a Turk was following her?"
"The Turk on duty was side-tracked due to reasons beyond his control."
"Meaning?"
Tseng remained silent, and Hojo knew that was all the answer he would get.
"Fine. You are dismissed."
Tseng turned around and walked out. Hojo watched him go with malice. He never had liked that man. More important issues were at hand, though.
How dare she. How dare she come in here, lie to his face, and walk out that door. Didn't she believe him when he said he would continue the experiments on the boy? Was his threat not good enough? Well, it was lucky for her that the boy was needed for other things, otherwise he would be back in here in minutes. But something must be done. She can't get away with this.
Hojo could only think of one solution. Surprisingly enough, he rejected it at first. It would be seen as overreacting. Then again, if he let this go, his employees might lose their respect of him. Some might fear him less. It was too big a risk.
If he went through with this plan, the boy would be affected. But then, it would help him in his experiments. It would have an interesting effect, possibly making him more vulnerable to Jenova's will. If that happened, then surely the boy would turn into the perfect specimen everyone thought he would be.
And if he did indeed turn out to be perfect, then he would have unimaginable power. He would be able to take anything he wanted, do whatever he wanted to, just because he made others tremble at the sight of him. It would be perfect.
And all that needed to happen was this. It was so simple.
Hojo pressed the button on his intercom, and a second later a voice came through. "Yes, sir?"
"I want Lucrecia killed."
A short silence, then, "Sir?"
"You heard me. Throw her remains in some cave somewhere, I don't care. Just kill her. Don't let the boy know."
He broke off the connection and began twiddling his thumbs again. He felt nothing at his pronouncement. Nothing at all. Just a vast emptiness.
Author's Note: Okay, I just made a plan for the next seven chapters!! Woo- hoo!! I feel so special now… *sniff* … On with the story!!
Chapter 16:
A Very Possible Action
Lucrecia stood behind a low wall. She was in Sector 5, tracking down the Ancient's home. If she could find it, Hojo would leave Sephiroth and her alone. It was the best offer she had in years, and although somewhere she thought it would never happen, that Hojo would hunt them for the rest of their lives, she had to believe it was true. That finding this one young girl would end all of the problems she had been having. It was that easy. That's what Hojo had promised her.
The small part of her mind that was screaming at her to come to her sense was pushed aside. The more rational part of her brain took over, retracing steps and going over the clues she had. This girl was hard to track down. She did nothing wrong, she had no enemies. In fact, it seemed as if everyone she met loved her. It was easy on one level to get information about her. How she looked, what she acted like, what she liked. However, it was getting to be difficult finding out where she lived.
Everyone wanted her to be safe. Lucrecia herself didn't want the girl to come to harm, but apparently people thought that was the reason she was asking. Over and over again, she was told to go away, leave that poor girl alone, and what did she think she was doing, hassling a wonderful girl like that? It was becoming rather routine.
Fortunately, she happened to pass by someone who was going to meet said wonderful girl. This child looked almost the same age, and was very perky. Almost frighteningly so. The girl gave Lucrecia directions, but got vague around 'look for the pretty flowers'. So, as the girl skipped off to meet this Ancient, Lucrecia followed discreetly behind. But, it was soon apparent that the hyper girl was far too fast for her. Lucrecia lost her, and was stuck wandering around.
She walked a little more and scratched her head. Was she even in the right sector? Irritation plagued her, but the reminder of why she was doing this crossed her mind, and off she went.
Much, much later, when Lucrecia had finally found what she suspected was the Cetra's home, she stood in awe. Hundreds upon hundreds of flowers spanned a luxurious garden, filled to the brim with color and light. A beam of sunlight ran down onto a small clear section, making it look picturesque and divine. Lucrecia shielded her gaze from the bright sun, and stood, marveling at the sheer beauty of it.
Perhaps that was why, when minutes later a girl approached her, she didn't even notice.
"Umm, excuse me?"
The voice made her turn around, and she once again saw a very hyper young girl before her.
The girl's eyes widened with recognition. "Hey, aren't you that lady?"
Lucrecia nodded, amused. "Yes, I am 'that lady'."
At the affirmation, the girl turned and shouted towards the house. "Hey, Aeris! It's that lady from before I told you about, remember?!"
Moments later, the door opened. A small girl of only five or six years old stepped out. She was wearing a white t-shirt with pale pink shorts. Her auburn hair was in a long braid down her back. She smiled when she came out, and suddenly Lucrecia knew this was who she needed to find. This was who needed to be betrayed in order for her son to be free from Hojo. It was almost sad, knowing how close this girl was to a fate some would consider worse than death. But then, she knew nothing of this girl, and her son's happiness was much more valuable to her than this girl with the sunlight smile.
"Oh," the girl said, and stepped out into the light. "You should have told me she was coming today, Lily. I would have made something."
"I didn't-" Lily began, but Lucrecia interrupted her.
"No, no, it's my fault. I told her nothing of when I planned to come here."
"Oh," the girl, who Lucrecia supposed was named Aeris, replied.
"Well, guess I'll be going," Lily said. "My mom wants me home before it gets too late."
Aeris nodded. "Bye, Lily. See you in school tomorrow."
Lily hurried away, leaving Lucrecia and Aeris alone together. Lucrecia remained silent, unsure of what to do or say. She could not become attached to this girl. It would make what must happen that much harder. It would be best for her to leave right away.
"I'm sorry, I-"
"Why did you come here?"
"I'm sorry?" Lucrecia asked.
"Did you want to see the flowers?" Aeris motioned towards the garden. "They are beautiful now. I often come out here, to sit and talk."
Lucrecia nodded, not fully understanding, but glad to have a topic. "Of course. They do look marvelous."
Aeris smiled, and ran up towards the clear area. She stood in the middle of it, letting the sunlight rain down around her. "I love it here."
Lucrecia felt a pang in her heart. This was going to be more difficult than she thought. The girl was making it impossible not to like her. She would have to beat a hasty retreat, and soon.
Just as Lucrecia began to speak, Aeris lied down on the ground and looked up at the sky. She lifted her hand to block out the sunlight, and glanced over towards Lucrecia. Lucrecia could make out a faint glimmer of green behind the shadow her hand created.
"The planet told me you were coming."
Lucrecia stared at her, with no clue how to respond to such a statement. The girl was still smiling, and she looked as if she expected no answer. So, Lucrecia didn't respond.
"But I was confused. It told me to tell you something really important, but I don't understand the message."
Lucrecia looked at her as if she was crazy. But the way she looked, lying there with the sunlight on her, it was impossible that she could be anything but completely sane. Or, at the very least, she believed that what she spoke of was true. And she was the last Cetra, which technically made speaking to the planet a very possible action.
Aeris sat up and hugged her knees. "It was bothering me that I didn't know when you'd come, but I'm glad it's so soon. I have a feeling the message won't matter much in a little while."
Lucrecia looked at her, puzzled. "I don't understand. What are you trying to tell me?"
Aeris got up and ran over to her. Her braid flew back behind her, the wind picking it up as she moved. When she reached Lucrecia, she held the older woman's hand sin her own and looked up at her. "Please be careful tonight. I think something bad will happen."
Lucrecia took one long look at the girl and tried very hard to think about Sephiroth. But he wasn't here, and she was, and she was wonderful. But Sephiroth was her son, and she was obligated to protect him, no matter how a girl might affect her.
"I'm sorry," Lucrecia whispered, and she pulled free of the girl and ran towards ShinaRa headquarters.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hojo sat in his office, twiddling his thumbs. He had come up with a plan. It was the only way he could make sure that the boy would be under his supervision, and still be able to lead a normal life.
He would have the boy come in once a week for testing. Injections, experiments, whatever needed to be done. Then, at least if there was a significant change, Hojo would be able to witness it as it happened. It was a better option than he had previously.
"Excuse me, sir."
Hojo stared at his intercom. "Yes, what?"
"There's a woman here to see you."
Hojo smiled. "Send her in."
Moments later, Lucrecia appeared t his door. She seemed different somehow, yet he was too focused on the reasons why she might come to see him to notice.
"Yes, Lucrecia? What is it? Did you find the girl?"
Hojo's questions seemed to fall on deaf ears. Lucrecia stood there, in the doorway, for what seemed like an eternity. Hojo could tell that her mind was going over something, but what? It was difficult to tell.
"No."
"No?" Hojo repeated.
Lucrecia closed her eyes and repeated herself. "No, I didn't find the girl."
Hojo stared at her in shock. "Well, surely there must be a reason you've come to see me?"
Lucrecia nodded absently. "I was wondering if there was another way."
Hojo shook his head. "We've already discussed this, Lucrecia. There is no other way." Lucrecia nodded and turned around. Hojo called out, "Come back when you've found her."
Lucrecia walked out the door, leaving Hojo to wonder about why she had come in the first place. Within minutes after her departure, another unexpected guest showed up.
He was tall, with long dark hair and tan skin. Everything about him looked immaculate, from his crisp black suit to the small dark circle on his forehead. He was well groomed and polite, and everyone spoke kindly of him. That is, everyone except his targets. For Tseng was a Turk, who was moving through the ranks quickly. And no target had ever spoken after he had completed his mission.
"Sir," Tseng said, with obvious distaste. If it was another employee, Hojo might have reacted differently. Then again, not every employee knew how to kill a man using one finger.
"Yes, Tseng, what is it?"
"You asked the Turks to follow Lucrecia when she was searching for the Cetra's home. The Turks followed her and found that she made contact with the young woman, but the Cetra's location is still unknown to us."
Hojo's face became hard. "You're telling me that she knows where this girl lives, but isn't telling me?"
"Correct."
"And, why do you not know, if a Turk was following her?"
"The Turk on duty was side-tracked due to reasons beyond his control."
"Meaning?"
Tseng remained silent, and Hojo knew that was all the answer he would get.
"Fine. You are dismissed."
Tseng turned around and walked out. Hojo watched him go with malice. He never had liked that man. More important issues were at hand, though.
How dare she. How dare she come in here, lie to his face, and walk out that door. Didn't she believe him when he said he would continue the experiments on the boy? Was his threat not good enough? Well, it was lucky for her that the boy was needed for other things, otherwise he would be back in here in minutes. But something must be done. She can't get away with this.
Hojo could only think of one solution. Surprisingly enough, he rejected it at first. It would be seen as overreacting. Then again, if he let this go, his employees might lose their respect of him. Some might fear him less. It was too big a risk.
If he went through with this plan, the boy would be affected. But then, it would help him in his experiments. It would have an interesting effect, possibly making him more vulnerable to Jenova's will. If that happened, then surely the boy would turn into the perfect specimen everyone thought he would be.
And if he did indeed turn out to be perfect, then he would have unimaginable power. He would be able to take anything he wanted, do whatever he wanted to, just because he made others tremble at the sight of him. It would be perfect.
And all that needed to happen was this. It was so simple.
Hojo pressed the button on his intercom, and a second later a voice came through. "Yes, sir?"
"I want Lucrecia killed."
A short silence, then, "Sir?"
"You heard me. Throw her remains in some cave somewhere, I don't care. Just kill her. Don't let the boy know."
He broke off the connection and began twiddling his thumbs again. He felt nothing at his pronouncement. Nothing at all. Just a vast emptiness.