"Leave me," Sephiroth muttered, hands folded neatly between his back as he peered out of the window at the risen moon. "I'm not dying." From what I can tell, I'm already dead.
"Incredible! You were frozen solid when you were brought in! How is it that you can even stand?" The doctor stood in the doorway, the clipboard in his hand long since forgotten as he stared at the man before him.
"Its quite simple, actually. There is a good chance that if I had been denied to stand and pushed back into that bed, the man whose hand refused to let me up would no longer have that hand." As the doctor stared at Sephiroth's hands, a knife flicked readily into view, and vanished in the blink of an eye. "And I'm quite sure, a man, especially a doctor, is not as useful to you or to anyone else when he has only a single hand with which to offer his services." Another moment of silence passed before Sephiroth turned, partially, just so that he met the doctor's eyes through the corner of one of his own.
A shiver crept down the doctor's spine as he thought of his fellow doctor having his hand ruthlessly severed by this strange but deadly man. "You-do you mean to leave, then?"
"That all depends. Where am I now? Somewhere on the Northern Continent..."
"Bone Village, Your Excellency."
Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. "Useless...what forms of transportation to, say, Midgar, does your city offer?"
"A-a ship takes the tourists to and from each continent. But all voyages are postponed this time of year. Business usually starts up again in late spring."
"And there is no other way? How does this town survive without transport?" Sephiroth's voice was growing all the more venomous and agile.
"A-a freight ship comes every month or so, but I'm afraid its just departed this morning, and won't return for at least another month."
"Of all the luck in the world," Sephiroth muttered as he turned and moved past the doctor.
"Y-your Excellency, might I just advise you to get a good night's rest at least? Then you can arrange your departure tomorrow..."
"I will sleep," he said icily, "But not here." He vanished out the doorway, where his footsteps resounded down the hallway, and out the back door, where he was gone into the night.
The only way out of here is through Coral Cave, he thought to himself. Coral Cave was across the Sleeping Forest and through the Ancient Capital. He was not particularly familiar with the Northern Continent, and so he decided it was best to depart when daylight illuminated his chosen path. And then, I'll go to Icicle Town. I know they have aircraft there.
He thought deeply as he walked toward the inn. The doctor had mentioned he had been "frozen", and "brought in" to the hospital. Sephiroth had an explanation, as he often did for most events, but it was a bit rough around the edges. He remembered falling into the Mako within the Mt. Nibel reactor, of course. But it occurred to him that he had fallen into the very core of the Planet, somehow, someway.
The Lifestream. He remembered a man named Dr. Gast telling him all about the force that bonded every living thing together. When a creature died, their life energy became apart of the wondrous Lifestream and, therefore, the cycle of life and death. It was said to truly exist in physical form, and was indeed the source of the Mako energy. But it was only a myth, and something that science and theorist spoofs called an obsession with the unknown.
However, it explained everything perfectly. In the reactor, he had fallen into the Mako-the Lifestream itself-and had flowed within it until he reached a point where it froze; hence, the Northern Limit, where he currently was. And the part about him being "brought in"? Chance had it that a mountain climber or something of the sort had found him. But he remembered being cold, very cold, and in a partial state of consciousness not too long ago. It had been when he had first woken up, because he remembered the pain in his head as his mind became functional again.
He had been frozen in the Northern Limit, and then miraculously thawed in the icy weather? And just in time for a man to rescue him before he ultimately froze to death?
He had reached the inn. "This is making absolutely no sense at all," he muttered." Before entering the door, he decided not to think about anything for awhile. He knew who he was, he knew where he came from, and he had a logical guess as to why he was here, right now, and alive, that only time could prove correct. But he decided the reason for everything could wait.
He felt bare without his sword. It was probably lost, forever. Not as fortunate as me.
Sephiroth, unaccustomed to booking his own room, approached the desk cautiously. "I would like a room," he spoke clearly.
Ilse Meyer gazed up from her book, and her eyes widened. "Oh my. Are you...the Great...Sephiroth?! What are you doing here?"
"Just passing through."
"I...see. Well, I...ummm....its f-free. Go on ahead."
What next? Ilse thought.
Sephiroth nodded and turned away, his confidence boosted by Ilse's squeamish behavior. He found his room easily. In the hallway, however, he noticed a girl pass him by and open the door to her room. He was rewarded with a good look as she turned toward him. When her eyes met his, she turned away, as if she were embarrassed. He thought nothing more of it and turned into his own room. The room was simple, plainly decorated, but warm and welcoming. He opened the curtains to the window, and sat on the bed, staring out at the night sky.
All he wanted to do was get back to Midgar. Only the people there, perhaps only President Shinra himself, could have an explanation for everything. In Midgar, the people knew him. They respected him, feared him. And they would give him answers. What the incident in the Mt. Nibel reactor had been all about. Who was Jenova, and why was she locked away in the reactor like she had been? Why had he gone insane? And, most importantly, how long had he been frozen-if that was the case, as he feared it to be-in the Northern Limit?
Well after midnight, he turned in, knowing his internal instincts would probably awaken him around four in the morning.
He dreamed.
He was in a forest. An enchanted forest, filled with silence. The Sleeping Forest, he thought,. Gateway to the Ancient Capital.
A girl poked her head out from behind the trees. "Cloud, can you hear me?" Her voice echoed throughout the silence of the forest. She looked oddly familiar to him. As if he had seen her before...just recently...in the inn...
...Cloud? I'm not Cloud...
"Yeah, I hear you. Sorry for what happened." Another voice. There was no form that appeared to claim it, but it was deep. A man's voice.
The girl weaved in and out of the trees, appearing in one area, and then another. "Don't worry about it," came her reply.
"...I can't help it..."
"Oh..." the girl dropped from the trees above and tipped her head sideways in thought. "Then why don't you REALLY worry about it? And let me handle Sephiroth."
Handle me? What do you mean? Who are you?
The girl went on talking, as if she could not hear him. "And Cloud, you take care of yourself. So you don't have a breakdown, okay?" Her face had concern and sadness, as if she could do nothing to help.
"What is this place?" A form appeared in the scene, as Sephiroth viewed it from somewhere above. He had spiky blonde air, and glowing blue eyes infused with Mako. The man looked around twenty years old, and was adorned in a SOLDIER uniform. He looked tough, and weather worn, and like an old tree that has seen many seasons, probably had a story to tell.
He looks familiar...
"This forest leads to the City of the Ancients...and is called the Sleeping Forest," she said softly, gesturing all around her. The lightness in her voice faded, however, as she bowed her head and sighed. "It's only a matter of time before Sephiroth uses Meteor."
Use Meteor?
"That's why I'm going to protect it. Only a survivor of the Cetra, like me, can do it."
A Cetra...? The Ancients...You're an Ancient?
"The secret is just up here," she said, turning. "At least it should be. ...I feel it. It feels like I'm being led by something." Her gaze became lost in the distance. She hesitated, forlorn and afraid as she stared back at the man named Cloud.
"Then, I'll be going now." Her fear suddenly fled, like shadows in the sunlight. She straightened, as if she had accepted her fate. "I'll come back when it's all over." Her voice, however, had not discarded her fear. She turned and began to run toward the light that peered through the distance of the edge of the forest.
"Aeris?" Cloud questioned, as if he did not believe what he was seeing. His voice was weak and regretful. He began to follow her, running, but his legs seemed to carry him nowhere. The forest was endless to those who did not know the way.
Then, to Sephiroth's surprise and confusion, he himself dropped from the trees. But it was not him, because he was watching from above. He was clothed in Sephiroth's clothes, the only attire he had ever thought to wear and taken a liking to, and in his hand was...
My sword!
He watched himself turn toward Cloud and speak to him. "Hmm...She's thinking of interfering? She will be a difficult one, don't you think?"
Interfering? Interfere with what? What have you done?
"We must stop that girl soon," he said, an eerie sort of finality in his voice as he turned to pursue the girl.
No...you're not...no more death...
"Ah!"
He leapt up, fully awake with eyes wide. That girl. She was here, now, in this very inn. It was strange he had dreamed of her, but Sephiroth knew he had no time to wonder at the situation. The dream was real, a vision. He knew. He just knew. And he had to act. He rose, immediately. It was early, still, and the sun had not yet risen. The girl would lead the way through the forest, as she undoubtedly had in his dream, and he realized he must follow her. If he did, he was sure to find answers. And prevent the most unwanted creation of any more questions. He had a feeling she would wait until daylight, and in that case, so would he. He would follow her, silently, just as the surreal version of himself had shown intentions of doing.
He kept very still and silent, waiting for the click of an opening door to bring him into action.
Meteor? Handle me?
He waited with fear spreading throughout his mind.
What in the hell happened while I was gone?