Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns all of this. Please do not sue me. I own
nothing.
Author's Note: So, how was the last chapter? Hopefully good. Okay, I wasn't sure what color his eyes were, so I went with 'dark'. I'll make it dark blue. And, Zack will get more depressed. Remember, they're still only six years old. This chapter's all Sephiroth, so rejoice!! Yea…
Chapter 17:
I'll Always Care About You
It was late. The sky was already dark, and the air was the kind of thick coolness it gets after the moon has risen. The street was dark and dreary, and the few people left wandering about looked lonely and afraid. It was an awful night to be out alone.
Then again, Sephiroth had no choice. Where could he go? What could he do, now that his mother was… No, don't think about it. If you say it out loud, or even think it too hard, it will become real. Then, you can never again let yourself forget.
He turned down a random street and stood in front of a church. It looked worn, but still fairly new. It was small, compared to other places he had seen. Nonetheless, it was the only place for miles around where he would be welcomed.
They won't welcome you. They'll desert you, just like everyone else has…
Shut up.
He stepped close to the door and looked inside. His eyes widened at what he saw. Empty rows of pews filled the building; a small central walkway leading down towards a pulpit. The pulpit was surrounded by bright yellow flowers, and a Bible lay open on the stand. A woman was kneeling next to it, silently praying, asking for forgiveness form some unknown sin.
He watched the scene with a tinge of regret. He could never be like that woman. Down upon her knees, completely repentant for all of her sins. Her sorrow at what she had done was palpable, and he resisted the urge to reach out and grasp it.
It was wrong, somehow, witnessing this private moment. And yet he couldn't move. His eyes could not be drawn away from this woman and her desperate struggle to purge herself clean. He watched as tears fell from her eyes, watched as she sobbed and begged, watched as she lay flat on her face, begging for forgiveness. It was perhaps the only time in his life that he had ever wanted to comfort someone, to tell that stranger that everything would be fine. A comforting lie was what she needed, not this abstract notion of justice.
Justice? The very idea made him laugh. The woman gasped at the sharp sound and quickly turned around, eyes scanning the darkness surrounding her. Sephiroth took one last look and hurried away.
Justice… how could she ask some invisible force for justice? For forgiveness? There was no comfort to be had in this cold, unyielding night. The only thing tonight offered was death. The death of everything he had ever held dear.
How could it have come to be? How could it all end so quickly? He remembered waking up that morning, getting ready for school, and kissing his mother good-bye. He remembered her smile as she watched him run off, and the way her dark hair moved in the small wind.
Now she was gone. There would be no more mornings. There would be no more loving gestures, soothing words, comforting touches. He would always be alone.
That's right. She'd gone. There's nothing you can do about it.
…
It's all over now. Give yourself to me.
…
I can make you great. I can help you to conquer all those who would go against you.
…
I can help you seek revenge…
I…
Don't think about her. She never loved you.
…
All she wanted was to hurt you, just like your father.
No, she was kind!
Was she? Or was it all an elaborate act?
…
Think about it.
…
You don't really know anything about her, do you? Her life before you?
She was a scientist.
True. But she worked for Hojo, didn't she?
…
And what did Hojo try to do to you?
He…
Yes?
…
You see? She was never really your mother. A mother loves her children.
…
I love you.
No, you don't.
I don't?
You just want to use me.
That's a lie. I do love you. That's why I've stayed here for so long.
…
Don't you see? I care about what happens to you.
No, you don't.
I'll be your mother.
You can't.
I am your mother.
You're not.
I do love you.
You don't.
…
…
Remember when you came home today?
I-
Remember how she looked? Lying there in a pool of blood?
Don't-
You took a different way home today, to avoid Zack. And you found her, on your way home.
No, I-
You looked at her, stared. All that blood, surrounding her. But how could you have avoided it? There was no way. You were meant to find her.
I could have-
You could have what? Hm? What? What could you have possibly done to save her?
I should have tried something. Anything.
There was nothing. She was dead. She is dead. Accept it.
I-
She never loved you. She left you, just like everyone else has.
She loved me! She told me she did!
Yet she left you alone.
…
Now, who will you talk to? Who will come up to you after school and hug you? Who will care about you?
…
I will. I'll always care about you.
…
Author's Note: So, how was the last chapter? Hopefully good. Okay, I wasn't sure what color his eyes were, so I went with 'dark'. I'll make it dark blue. And, Zack will get more depressed. Remember, they're still only six years old. This chapter's all Sephiroth, so rejoice!! Yea…
Chapter 17:
I'll Always Care About You
It was late. The sky was already dark, and the air was the kind of thick coolness it gets after the moon has risen. The street was dark and dreary, and the few people left wandering about looked lonely and afraid. It was an awful night to be out alone.
Then again, Sephiroth had no choice. Where could he go? What could he do, now that his mother was… No, don't think about it. If you say it out loud, or even think it too hard, it will become real. Then, you can never again let yourself forget.
He turned down a random street and stood in front of a church. It looked worn, but still fairly new. It was small, compared to other places he had seen. Nonetheless, it was the only place for miles around where he would be welcomed.
They won't welcome you. They'll desert you, just like everyone else has…
Shut up.
He stepped close to the door and looked inside. His eyes widened at what he saw. Empty rows of pews filled the building; a small central walkway leading down towards a pulpit. The pulpit was surrounded by bright yellow flowers, and a Bible lay open on the stand. A woman was kneeling next to it, silently praying, asking for forgiveness form some unknown sin.
He watched the scene with a tinge of regret. He could never be like that woman. Down upon her knees, completely repentant for all of her sins. Her sorrow at what she had done was palpable, and he resisted the urge to reach out and grasp it.
It was wrong, somehow, witnessing this private moment. And yet he couldn't move. His eyes could not be drawn away from this woman and her desperate struggle to purge herself clean. He watched as tears fell from her eyes, watched as she sobbed and begged, watched as she lay flat on her face, begging for forgiveness. It was perhaps the only time in his life that he had ever wanted to comfort someone, to tell that stranger that everything would be fine. A comforting lie was what she needed, not this abstract notion of justice.
Justice? The very idea made him laugh. The woman gasped at the sharp sound and quickly turned around, eyes scanning the darkness surrounding her. Sephiroth took one last look and hurried away.
Justice… how could she ask some invisible force for justice? For forgiveness? There was no comfort to be had in this cold, unyielding night. The only thing tonight offered was death. The death of everything he had ever held dear.
How could it have come to be? How could it all end so quickly? He remembered waking up that morning, getting ready for school, and kissing his mother good-bye. He remembered her smile as she watched him run off, and the way her dark hair moved in the small wind.
Now she was gone. There would be no more mornings. There would be no more loving gestures, soothing words, comforting touches. He would always be alone.
That's right. She'd gone. There's nothing you can do about it.
…
It's all over now. Give yourself to me.
…
I can make you great. I can help you to conquer all those who would go against you.
…
I can help you seek revenge…
I…
Don't think about her. She never loved you.
…
All she wanted was to hurt you, just like your father.
No, she was kind!
Was she? Or was it all an elaborate act?
…
Think about it.
…
You don't really know anything about her, do you? Her life before you?
She was a scientist.
True. But she worked for Hojo, didn't she?
…
And what did Hojo try to do to you?
He…
Yes?
…
You see? She was never really your mother. A mother loves her children.
…
I love you.
No, you don't.
I don't?
You just want to use me.
That's a lie. I do love you. That's why I've stayed here for so long.
…
Don't you see? I care about what happens to you.
No, you don't.
I'll be your mother.
You can't.
I am your mother.
You're not.
I do love you.
You don't.
…
…
Remember when you came home today?
I-
Remember how she looked? Lying there in a pool of blood?
Don't-
You took a different way home today, to avoid Zack. And you found her, on your way home.
No, I-
You looked at her, stared. All that blood, surrounding her. But how could you have avoided it? There was no way. You were meant to find her.
I could have-
You could have what? Hm? What? What could you have possibly done to save her?
I should have tried something. Anything.
There was nothing. She was dead. She is dead. Accept it.
I-
She never loved you. She left you, just like everyone else has.
She loved me! She told me she did!
Yet she left you alone.
…
Now, who will you talk to? Who will come up to you after school and hug you? Who will care about you?
…
I will. I'll always care about you.
…