The punishments of trying to be normal. There were no two ways about it, Sephiroth was in disgrace, sullen green eyes stared out through the glass, his expression like that of any other young boy being punished, sulky, his forehead creased by lines that went as deep as an old man about to breath his last. His crime? To be caught playing... yes Sephiroth had been playing outside, in the dirt. The professor had been furious, he was not supposed to go outside unless he was training, and rolling around on the hill laughing was definitely not training!

Black-gloved hands hit his prison in vain, he hated being confined, pointless to call out, it was soundproof, unbreakable, especially to someone of his strength. This would supposedly teach him that to go against rules and regulations was not to be allowed, no matter what.

Green eyes shimmered with unshed tears, stupid to cry when no one took any notice anyway, made you look weak, pitiful, and Sephiroth knew that if he were to survive he must be neither. He shivered slightly, not from cold but from a fear of what was to come, glancing up at the ceiling of his cell, aware of what could come from those air holes up there. He sat down, cross- legged and waited, it was all he was able to do at the moment.

Sure enough a slow soft hissing started after what felt like hours, was probably only minutes but even this was long enough for the small child who hated to be trapped like this. He coughed slightly and looked up, no sign of anything but that meant nothing, something invaded his lungs, invaded his eyes, he cried out in alarm, he could not see! It was impossible to hear anything save for the soft persistent hiss coming from the ceiling! He shook his head in terror now.

"No!"

His voice sounded so small to his ears, he blinked his eyes rapidly, anything to take away the stinging, the blurred vision, everything seeming suddenly either larger or smaller than it should. Again he banged against the glass wall, harder this time, desperate to escape this new torture that had been thought up for him. Still the hiss continued, it felt as though his very skin was being torn off him piece by piece, millimetre by millimetre. His eyes closed tightly, still stinging, a sensation of dissolving in his mind.

"please... stop!"

He choked out, knowing already he would not be heard, and even if he were... it would not be acknowledged. Coughing and breathing out sharply, trying to expel whatever it was that was slowly but surely taking over his entire system. He doubled over, clutching his stomach with both hands, his expression no longer sulky, but one of a very real pain, true agony, he would have done anything to make this stop. Anything! Even if it had meant going down on hands and knees in front of the professor and begging his forgiveness for everything. Unable to escape he slowly began to edge towards the wall, unaware that he was even doing so, pressings against the glass, his lungs were so small now, not big enough to take even the tiniest of breaths. He gagged, once, twice, three times, trying not to let the final humiliation come to be, but even for him this was impossible, his body was fighting to survive, his eyes were bright against his eyelids, mako trying to recover everything that was hurting, everything that was wrong. He gagged again then threw up, sitting in the pool, sobbing piteously, it was all that was left to him, again he gagged, no longer knowing or caring who could see, or what would happen next, anything to make this stop! The hissing came to an end, although he had stopped hearing it a long time ago, the clear gas allowed out of the room via the air holes it had come in. The door to his prison opened, although he did not move, still curled up in the small pool, unable to move. He felt arms lift him out of the glass, a voice in the far off distance speaking coldly,

"Clean it up... then put it in its room for the night, I do not think it will disobey again."

He collapsed in the arms that held him, vaguely aware that when he came to properly he would be in his room, alone again, but at least he would not be trapped.