The Seraph's Asylum
Neon blue and Elbereth Silimaur
Neon's notes: This fanfic is dedicated to our favorite author Solain Rhyo and her inspiring works. Although this hardly compares to hers, we would like to show her our appreciation and fandom. Without her inspiration and support, this fic would hardly be possible. If you haven't read her stories I demand you to do so now!! LoL Keep writing Sol, we love you!!!
Chapter 4: Understanding
Leaving Midgar proved to be a difficult task in itself for Sephiroth. The flower girl slung over his shoulder was quickly becoming intolerable. She flailed her arms desperately, kicking, biting, and doing whatever she could to escape his grasp. But to no avail, the struggle only made him more irritable and attracted much unwanted attention to the pair as he carried her through the dark streets of Midgar.
"Put me down!"
Aeris yelled, her cry might as well been a siren in the almost silent night. He ducked into a dark alleyway and, enraged, he tossed her onto the ground. She let out a small 'ump' of surprise as she rolled onto the ground in front of him. He glared down at her while she tried regaining her composure.
"You bastard!" she hissed raising herself and standing unsteadily, "Have you no respect for anyone?"
"Tsk, tsk" he chuckled in a playful manner, "Such crude words from an innocent flower girl."
She stared spitefully at his mocking expression. She longed to strike that flawless face but thought better of it, something like that could easily result in a severe punishment for her or worse...
He looked down at her "Aren't you afraid of me?" he said. His jade colored eyes brightened with a sudden interest of the girls rebellious behavior.
"Afraid that I'll kill you like the rest?"
She swallowed, "Y-You would have done it by now." She whispered timidly as if now unsure of what he was capable of. "Or do you just plan to prolong my suffering by carting me off to some unknown place and then killing me."
He blinked but offered no other response. She dropped her gaze trying to think of a way that she could escape or maybe use her wit to get her out of this dilemma. Though deep inside she knew there was no point, whatever Sephiroth intended to do with her she would have to go along with, at least until she could discover some way out of the mess that she had found herself in.
"It matters not what you do to me." She said, pleased to hear her tone was resolute.
"Stupid girl, when we are done with you you'll wish you were dead." he retorted harshly, his eyes narrowing to mere slits.
"You monster!" she cried trying to control herself from quivering uncontrollably.
"I've had enough from you" he said coldly wrapping his hands tightly around her tender neck. Her eyes widened in fear 'he's really going to kill me' she thought before passing out from lack of oxygen, her head lolling limply to the side. He released his hold and lifted her into his arms noting on how light she was in his grasp. He had no intention of killing her just yet he had only meant to put her out of consciousness for a few hours to gain a considerable lead to the ShinRa affiliates that would undoubtedly be sent out to capture him as well as the Cetra. Setting a brisk pace out of the allyway, he continued on to the outskirts of Midgar.
Shades of swirling green filled her vision, the planet she realized. The feeling she was experiencing all around her were the feelings of Gaea, the life-force of the planet that connected everything and everyone. She watched as the color in her vision suddenly turned a sickly purplish back haze it swirled in spiraling vortexes. Cries, all around her warning of some unseen danger. The air around her was filled with sorrow and an unsettling fear.
Beware child,
The calamity of the skies is upon you,
Escape!
You are our only hope, do not lose faith child.
Do not fail us Aeris...
Aeris awoke in a cold sweat. She found herself cradled securely in the arms of her abductor. Sephiroth was running at a remarkable pace, his silver hair trailing behind him while piercing green eyes stayed fixated on the path ahead of him. The scenery around them was just a blur, the terrain blending into each other. His expressionless face told her that he had not yet noticed her stirring.
She sighed tying to calm the rapid pace at which her heart beat, driven by the fear. The planet had tried to warn her of a threat, she almost laughed; it seemed danger followed her wherever she went. Trying to escape at this point, she knew, was pointless; she would wait until the right opportunity presented itself before she would make any move to flee.
"Where are we?" she asked hoarsely, her throat still sore from where Sephiroth had choked her.
"Just outside of Kalm." he replied his gaze unmoving from the path ahead, seemingly unconcerned that she was awake.
"You can rest there while I replenish supplies. We have a lot of traveling to do." He said simply.
Dreading the thought of what was to come she acknowledged that there was nothing she could do to sway her fate at this point. She would have to worry about what would become of her when the time came. But for now she would sleep. Closing her eyes she rested her head against his chest listening to the steady beat of his heart. It gave her some comfort knowing that beneath his icy demeanor that Sephiroth was still only flesh and blood, as much a human as she was. With that thought to giving her some comfort, she found herself slowly drifting off to sleep.
Kalm appeared much as the name would lead you to believe; peaceful in every sense of the word. Residents strolled languidly through the cobblestone streets, pleasantly minding their own business. As the sun lifted up over the horizon alighting into a clear azure sky, shopkeepers busied themselves with opening their doors and greeting customers with a cheerful smile.
Sephiroth lowered Aeris helping her steady herself as they reached the gates of the town. Aeris gazed at the serene town with a cheerful smile. She felt comfortable here; this was a place where she could almost feel at ease under the circumstances. What she did not know was that this was the only comfort she would receive for quite some time.
He ushered her up into the town leading her to a small light-colored building with a fairly new sign hanging above the door stating the buildings obvious cause. 'Inn'. He pushed open the heavy oaken doors which chimed signaling his entrance. He immediately spotted the innkeeper at his desk looking up at him with a cheerful smile.
"Welcome", he greeted politely. "How long will you be staying?"
"One room. One night."
"Oh." Grinned the innkeeper leaning over the desk, "You two make such a great couple!" He winked at Sephiroth.
Aeris turned away in embarrassment, feeling her cheeks grow hot.
'Me and HIM.'
Sephiroth glared at the innkeeper silencing him from saying anything further.
The man paled slightly, "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to--"
"Forget it." He said coldy.
"Right..." the man said still shaken "Your room is on the second floor, down the hall and to the left. Your room number is 77. Enjoy your stay!" he said handing the keys over to Sephiroth while he paid the man.
"Come girl." He said turning on his heel; she followed him slowly up the stairway to 'their' room.
The room was small and cozy, with crème colored walls trimmed with a soft blue. Oak furniture was placed around the room including a small dresser that held a vase full of fresh flowers. Glancing around, Aeris noticed there was only one bed.
Blushing she thought 'Did he really think us as a couple?'
Sephiroth paid no mind to the bed and finished ushering her in. She settled herself upon the soft mattress feeling it depress slightly under her weight. Smoothing the creases in her dress to occupy her hands, she watched as he turned once more to the door.
"Stay here", he ordered, his gloved hand resting on the door handle, "I'm going to get us some necessary supplies." He said slipping out the door closing it firmly behind him. Aeris didn't look up until she heard the door lock behind him leaving her alone in the room.
"Prisoner again" she sighed.
Removing her jacket and boots she fell back against the mattress reveling in the comfort it offered. The put her arms over her head stretching her cramped muscles, then relaxed. Her mind was caught in a torrent of questions about her situation, though one remained above the rest.
'Why did Sephiroth need her?'
The question had been bothering her since their escape from the ShinRa building. Why was she so relevant to his situation that he would go out of his way to bring her with him? Something was amiss about this whole situation. Maybe she would confront him about it later, she might as well give it a shot...
Sitting up slowly, she stepped up to the window and placed her hand upon the smooth glass. Her breath misted over the clear surface as she watched a young couple stroll hand in hand through the streets below.
"I wish Cloud were here." She whispered to herself wondering where the spiky haired man was right now. In her short time in meeting with him, she had found herself thinking about Cloud a great deal. His easy-outgoing personality made her feel like she'd known him for all his life and the memory of his infectious smile made her giddy inside. Even thinking about him made her feel a little lightheaded. She sighed, he'd probably forgotten all about her by now...
Hours passed and Aeris found herself thinking that she would be left to rot in that hotel room. A part of her longed to be back at the laboratory along with the crazy professor with hopes that Cloud would fulfill his duties as her body guard and come rescue her. She knew, however, that no one could touch her much less save her as long as she was held captive by him.
She ran her fingers through her hair and decided to take a hot shower to clear her thoughts and relive some of the stress that now lay heavily upon her. Closing the bathroom door securely behind her she unbuttoned her soft pink dress sliding it off her shoulders until it lay pooled around her ankles. The warm water soothed her sore muscles and bruises that formed from where Sephiroth had treated her roughly. She scrubbed at some of the dirt that clung to her cleaning herself thoroughly until she felt satisfied.
She exited the shower and dried herself off with one of the fragranced hotel towels before ringing out excess water from her hair. She slipped her dress on and buttoned all but the top two buttons which she let hang loose around her form.
Upon exiting the bathroom, she was unexpectedly met by Sephiroth who was sitting on the bed equipping materia to a long metal staff. An unexpected smile graced her features for it was good to see another familiar face after being alone all day, even his. Disgusted in herself for having such thoughts, she quickly discontinued it hoping that he hadn't caught sight of her.
"I bought you this", he stated sliding the last glowing orb into the empty slot located near the handle. "It's not much, but it will aid you in defending yourself if the situation requires it."
She said nothing as she walked over to the window catching the last glimpse of the sun before it disappeared under the horizon. Her eyes taking in the last rays of light that ran in pink and orange ribbons across the sky. Sephiroth eyed her with interest.
"Distressed at your hopeless situation, girl?" he chuckled, "You should be."
She turned facing him, "Do you always have to be so cruel about everything?"
He threw his head back and laughed. A cold, empty laugh that was exceedingly unpleasant. She cringed at the sound, it terrified her. Rising abruptly, he followed her up to the window using both hands placed against the glass on either side of her to keep her from running. He leaned his head down placing his lips inches from her ear. His hot breath felt against her the side of her face and the back of her neck made her unconsciously shiver and she hated herself for it.
"You'll thank me one day", he said his sultry voice echoed in her ear.
A wicked smile flashed across his face as a devious thought entered his mind.
She was here. Alone, with him. An attractive girl he had to admit, so why not use it to his advantage?
His hands wrapped securely around her waist pulling him to her in a sudden movement. Alarmed at the sudden physical contact, she turned violently to face him their noses almost touching. She turned her face the other way avoiding his gaze.
"Get you hands off me," she hissed
He grinned "Who's going to stop me?"
Despite her self control she let out a small whimper in fear. Her heart beat a little faster than she would have like to admit and she swallowed nervously. She realized then how very vulnerable she was right now. He could easily take advantage of her, though she prayed to the Gods that they would have mercy on her. Mustering her courage and strength she managed to forcefully push Sephiroth away from her. Caught off guard at her sudden rebellion, he was forced back a few steps.
His lips turned up into feral grin, "What's wrong?" he teased, "Don't you find me attractive?"
"I have morals, not to mention enough decency not to try and use someone in like that" She said eyeing him.
He lifted his hands in sign of surrender "I respect that" he laughed. Then took a step toward her tracing one finger down the side of her cheek,
"Although it would have been fun." he teased.
Aeris's blood began to boil as she glared angrily at the man standing before her now. Cocky bastard, why did he continue to mock her so? He made her feel worthless, as if she was only there for his amusement. She would not let herself be used merely as a pawn for the games he was playing. He was an inhuman monster and she despised him.
He removed his hand from her face, "Go to sleep now princess, you'll need it." he said, a familiar smirk on his face.
Aeris looked around the small room, specifically the single bed. Did she expect them to be sleeping together? Not if she could help it.
"You take the bed," he answered the question as if he felt the unease of the question on her expression.
"Where will you sleep?" she asked questioningly.
He leaned back against the wall, "I'll rest here by the door." He said simply.
"Why do I get the bed?"
"Are you complaining about it?"
"No, no it's just, well.... forget it."
Sephiroth glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his lips turned upward in amusement. Almost a real smile.
"You told me in the ShinRa building that I did not know how to treat a lady, remember?"
"Yes..." She glanced at him suspiciously.
"Do you still think the same of me now?"
"....."
She didn't reply. The thought of him offering her anything remotely close to common courtesy was unlike him. Or so she thought, though she barely knew him she could tell that he did not offer this kind of generosity on a regular basis. She decided it was best just not to say anything.
Turning off the lights Aeris removed her boots and crawled into bed, content to lie languidly in the soft bed sheets. Although her body was heavy with exhaustion, sleep did not come like she would have hoped. Too many unanswered questions were running through her mind for her to be drifting off. She tossed and turned in the midst of her thoughts unable to find the comforts of oblivion. It proved to be a futile effort in clearing her conscience. Her uneasiness was beginning to gnaw away at her.
"You really should sleep." Sephiroth said interrupting her thoughts.
Aeris sat up on the bed the blanket gathering around her waist, "Why aren't you asleep?"
"Unlike you I can go days without rest. I don't sleep much anymore." He replied solemnly. He opened his eyes to look at her, moonlight reflecting off his glowing irises. His eyes searching her face for something written in her expression.
"Something seems to be troubling you." He continued.
She hesitated, pondering whether or not she should answer him. She desperately wanted to know why she was being taken and for what purpose, but she did not wish to provoke his anger with meaningless questions.
"I was thinking back to the lab, I—you have no idea how awful it is there." She lied trying to change the subject.
His expression hardened, and his eyes grew cold. "You would be surprised at how much I do know. You do not yet understand true pain."
Her eyes widened. Did that mean Sephiroth had at one time held captive by the ShinRa? For what purpose she could not even imagine. Maybe she and him were not so different as she had originally thought.
"You were also an experiment?" she asked hesitantly.
He gazed at her sharply, his eyes burning with an intensity that startled her. "My past is of no concern to you." he spat.
She slid from the comfort of the warm sheets into the cool night air. Her feet landing lightly on the chill hardwood floorboards. Without a sound she cautiously approached him, one foot after another.
"Sephiroth..." the girl whispered, but he did not reply. She stopped when she stood mere inches away from him."I really think that deep down you realize that you are as much a human as I am. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pried." she said lowering her eyes to the floor.
Sephiroth gazed at her "Stupid girl, I'm beyond human, perfected. The ShinRa made certain of that." He added venomously.
'I am not restrained by petty human emotions; feeling will only make you weak.' He thought to himself closing his eyes.
Something in his tone made her pity for the man standing before her. The fact that he had given up on his humanity. He was willing to sacrifice his emotions to make him into the ultimate killing machine. It moved her, and with a hopeful look in her eye she reached out a trembling hand to caress his face.
As soon as he felt her touch his eyes shot open and he reached out snatching her wrist.
"Don't ever touch me!" he said tightening his grip on her arm.
"You're hurting me.", she whined eyes becoming glassy with unshed tears. She winced at the increase in pressure.
His eyes narrowed, his gaze penetrating. Closing his eyes once again, he released his hold. She stumbled back rubbing her wrist trying to ease the pain. She looked over at him. He seemed unaffected by the distress he had caused her, still leaning comfortably against the wall.
"Leave me." He said quietly
She did not wait to comply, walking over to the bed she pulled back the blankets and covered herself once again. Turning away from him she closed her eyes, a single tear escaping down her cheek. Not out of fear, but out of understanding. Needless to say she had little trouble falling asleep and did not stir again until morning.
Elbereth's notes: Sorry for making you wait so long. I got to write most of this chapter so that might've been the problem. Not my fault I'm not as talented as Neon throws neon envious glance. Anyway this looks like one of our longest chapters yet. Hope you enjoyed it!
Love you all!
Amber-chan