Chapter 4

A wind blew from the east, chilling the faces of the two travelers as they made their way to Kalm. Both wore cloaks as black as night, warming them and protecting them from the winter cold. Alpha followed his friend a pace behind, a look of curiosity in his single, visible silver eye as the wind caressed his short teal hair. Occasionally Sephiroth glanced over his shoulder to be sure the android was still following him, his aquamarine eyes clouded in thought as he led Alpha on.

"I'm cold..." Alpha whispered, shivering a bit as they trudged on over the open plain.

Saying nothing, Sephiroth slowed his pace and stood on Alpha's left side. Unfurling his black wing, the man wrapped it around the android like a feathery shield that warmed the teen's body. When Alpha looked up at Sephiroth questionly, the man only smiled in return; the two speaking an entire conversation without saying a word. They had been traveling for hours, the wind letting up and the clouds fading to let the sun light their way and warm their faces.

"Where are we going?" asked the android as Sephiroth folded his wing back into his back.

"If the rumors I heard are true, a few friends of mine have a tavern and inn up in Kalm," explained the dark angel. "I need their help with something..."

Alpha paused, as if suddenly thinking of something. "You're lying...My lie-detector is going off."

Sephiroth looked at him curiously. "Lie-detector?"

The android nodded his head. "Yep...Hojo equipped me with a lie-detector for just in case. Are they really your friends?"

Sighing, Sephiroth shook his head. "Not really...They'll probably attack me as soon as I walk in the door."

Not replying, Alpha only meekly followed Sephiroth still, the two nearing the city of Kalm. The old weapon shop had been remodeled into a two-floor tavern and inn that didn't seem too busy for the time of day. Neither said a word as Sephiroth led the teen towards the new 7th Heaven Tavern and Inn, though Alpha sensed a slight unease in his companion. It was as if the dark angel didn't want the help of those he was going to. But a nagging sense tugged at them both, warning them of danger that followed them like shadows.

As Sephiroth opened the door, a rush of warm air and the scent of a hot meal greeted them when they entered. The main room was calm and almost empty, save for a few workers doing their best to keep the room nice and tidy. Tifa stood behind a bar counter, Yuffie beside her. Cloud grumbled darkly as he swept the floor. The first to look up at the newcomers was Tifa, who let out a gasp as she stared at the silver-haired man with fear in her large brown eyes.

Cloud heard the gasp and also turned to the face the door, though his initial reaction was far different than hers. "Sephiroth!" he shouted in a mixture of rage and fear, throwing aside his broom and unsheathing Ultimate Weapon. "We had an agreement! Show your face here again and you die! Now prepare to die!" At the last word, Cloud began running towards Sephiroth to attack.

Alpha's cry of surprise rang through the air as Sephiroth merely opened his arms to protect the teen behind him. "Hold Cloud!" the dark angel shouted, his eyes showing no fear for the blade that once defeated him. "I didn't come to fight!"

The blonde stopped in mid-stride as all eyes turned to Sephiroth, a look of curiosity and shock in them all. Every person in the tavern had heard the shout of the teen behind Sephiroth and remained silent as if unsure. The silver-haired man took the opportunity to speak again. "I came to ask for the help of my once-enemies."

Lowering his sword, Cloud nodded his head. "Go on...What could be so important that you ask for our help?"

"Listen, if it's you guy's job to keep Shinra from doing anything suspicious, you sure are failing to do your jobs!" Sephiroth stabbed. "Right under everyone's noses, Shinra created a few androids that are almost impossible to tell apart from the rest of the population on this miserable planet. I want to know what Shinra is planning to do."

"What proof do you have?" Yuffie asked. "I mean, how do we know you aren't making this up to lower our guard so you can kill us easier?"

"You want proof?" The man stepped aside and let Alpha enter. "Here's my proof."

"HE'S SO CUTE!!" Tifa leapt over the bar counter and raced towards Alpha, embracing him like one would to a stuffed animal. Letting go of him, she led the two in and shut the door. "Where did you find such a cute child?" she asked Sephiroth, the fear of him gone.

"Wait a minute...I know that face anywhere..." Cloud thought out loud. He turned to Sephiroth. "I'd know that face anywhere! That's the son of you and Aeris!"

"What?!" shrieked Sephiroth, blushing a deep crimson.

"You bad person..." whimpered Cloud, tears in his eyes. "My sweet Aeris...You deflowered my sweet Aeris and killed her..."

"THAT'S A LIE!" argued Sephiroth. "He's NOT my son!"

Alpha spoke up over the group. "I'm one of the androids that Hojo created...I'm Alpha 00-13, the youngest of the three of us."

"But..." muttered Tifa, "you felt so warm...Like a human would." She shook her head. "It doesn't make sense...Why would Shinra create such human-like robots?"

"That's why I came here..." answered Sephiroth. "I want you guys to look after Alpha for me while I go to Shinra HQ and get some answers. That and...I need some time to think..." He turned to leave.

"Sephiroth."

The voice came from the stairway leading to the second floor of the tavern and inn, its source being that of the ever-calm Vincent. The dark angel turned at hearing his name, his eyes meeting Vincent's. For a moment, silence hung over the group like a heavy fog that seemed to suffocate everything. The air between the two older men was cold, as if the two were exchanging thoughts. Alpha winced as Tifa's hand clutched the teen's shoulder in nervousness. Finally, Sephiroth nodded his head and Vincent went back upstairs.

"What was that all about?" Cloud asked the silver-haired man.

"Hm? Nothing..." he shook his head. He turned to Tifa. "I've changed my mind...I'm not leaving. Could you prepare a pair of rooms for Alpha and I?"

"Actually..." muttered the android. "If it would be okay...could I stay in the same room as Sephiroth?"

"Sure sweetie," smiled Tifa. "How about me and Yuffie give you a tour of the inn?"

"Okay!" Alpha smiled, following the two girls out of the dining room.

Only Cloud and Sephiroth remained. They sighed at the same time, and, in unison, took opposite seats at a nearby table. Even simple movements such as blinking and breathing were done in unison, as if they shared the same mind. The two said nothing to each other at first, and then Cloud finally spoke, "Why did you care? Why did you even help him in the first place?"

"I pitied him," Sephiroth replied flatly. "I know what its like to be born with Mako in your blood and power in your first breath. You were lucky...you lived before you were experimented on...but Alpha and I never really had the chance. We are the same almost...and I knew it the moment I met him." He turned away from Cloud's gaze. "And...I feel that our destinies are intertwined...that it was fate that you spared me and that I met Alpha."

"Destiny? Destiny?! What kind of destiny can a soul-less robot have?!" Cloud asked, nearly standing out of his seat.

"He's not a full robot!" replied Sephiroth, standing quickly. "You saw yourself! He's part human and as long as there is human in him, he has a human destiny and soul! You saw the traces of Aeris's DNA in him, as well as mine! He's human, Cloud. He has a human soul and a human heart...You are just too busy trying to live your perfect life to care!"

"Sephiroth!" Alpha shouted, standing at the top of the staircase with Tifa and Yuffie behind him. His eye brimmed with tears as he raced down the stairs and embraced Sephiroth, his head brushing the man's chin. "I heard everything..."

The man glared at Cloud, then nodded to the blonde. "Cloud, ladies. I take my leave of you." He turned to leave, drying Alpha's tears with a part of his cloak as he led the teen away. "Lets get out of here little one...I made a mistake trying to gain their aid..."

As they turned the door, the two stopped as the door opened and Reno and Rude entered the tavern. "Well, well, well..." Reno said, leaning his electro-rod on his left shoulder. "Looks like we just missed the party Rude."

"What do you want?!" Tifa shouted as she and Yuffie joined the group near the door.

"We're here to pick up something that belongs to Shinra," replied Reno. He pointed at Alpha. "Come on brat! Hojo is beginning to miss you."

"I'm not coming!" Alpha shouted back, standing in front of Sephiroth and the group as if protecting them.

An anger vein tweaked Reno's brow. "Get your ass over here brat before I get mad!" he threatened.

Alpha crossed his arms. "I'm not moving from this spot!"

"That's it!" Reno cursed, powering up his electro-rod. "You're going to regret saying that you little bastard!"

It was then Alpha's silver eye began blazing with white light as a black pentagram appeared under him. Holding his hands out in front of him as if casting a spell, he muttered darkly in a language only one in the room understood, and the words of the spell gave Sephiroth goosebumps. An orb of black energy appeared in Alpha's hands as the spell formed. "Sin Harvest!" Alpha cried suddenly, hurling the ball of dark energy at the Turks.

The two men barely had a chance to escape before the black orb nearly destroyed the entrance to the tavern. As the dust settled, Alpha's arms slid to his sides as his eye went back to normal. He let out a soft sound as he began to sway. Only Sephiroth's quickness kept the android from a hard fall as he passed out.