Chapter XX

Strifer's Banquet and Prapat

"The robes look good on you, Strifer," Yuffeth smiled.

"They're so big," he griped. Strifer had gone through a chest of his ancestor's clothes and found a set of robes. The entire outfit was black with trimmings of silver. A large, silver lion head was shining on the back of the coat. Unfortunately, Strifer was the smallest member of his entire family tree and the robes were two sizes too large.

"Strifer, the banquet will start in just a few minutes," Bergljot reminded him. "You'll just have to get used to it."

"I guess. Anselm, are you sure you don't know any spells to shrink this?"

"I've told you five million times. No," Anselm shook his head. Strifer had asked that question every other time he opened his mouth.

"I guess I better go out there, huh?" Strifer grinned. He was nervous about addressing the city and didn't really know what to do.

"We'll go down together," Ken'ichi sighed, patting his friend on the back.

"Would you be offended if I stay here?" Sephiroth asked, his arms crossed over his chest. His teammates stared at him. Without turning from the window, he explained. "I don't feel well, nor belong down there. Especially not after killing her."

"Yes, you do," Gwandoya insisted. Strifer held up his hand to silence the group as they began to add to Gwandoya's statement.

"Silence, all of you. Sephiroth, please. You have every right to attend this dinner. You helped us take down the guards and put her to rest. She wanted that so badly. I'm not going to force you, but I would like you down there."

"Then I'll go, but I would appreciate if nobody speaks to me during the meal," Sephiroth whispered. He stalked out of the room and made his way to the grand hall for dinner. His onyx wing twitched as he disappeared down the hall.

"He's taking the loss really hard, isn't he?" Bergljot muttered when he was out of earshot.

"I never thought he was capable of loving anyone," Ken'ichi sighed. "You're not taking Gemini and Genesis to the dinner, are you?"

"Of course," Anselm shrugged as he picked up his daughter. "The whole town's there, so nobody can baby-sit. What do you want us to do, send them to the Farplane for safe keeping?"

"Oh, don't even joke about that," Bergljot shuddered as Gemini began crying. "You guys go on down. I'll be there as soon as I feed them."

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As Strifer entered the dining hall, the city silenced. Even though nobody knew who the new leader was, they seemed to get the idea from the elegance of his clothing. With a deep breath and loud gulp, Strifer approached the head of the grandest table and stood on the chair, as he was somewhat short.

"Citizens of Itziar…" he began. He sighed before continuing. "Angra Mainyu has been assassinated. We are no longer going to suffer by his family's hand. I have taken it upon myself to lead this world from now on."

"Why can't we choose the leader? And how do we know you're telling the truth about that jackass being dead?" somebody yelled from the crowd. Strifer leapt off of his chair and approached the speaker. He happened to be one of the town drunks.

"You want proof?" He asked. With a snap of his fingers, a sack was brought to him. "Here's your proof."

Several people screamed, including the drunken man, when Strifer reached into the bag, pulled out a bloody object, and proceeded to throw the severed head of the late lord at the drunk and his date. They both fainted promptly.

"As you can see, I can be ruthless. I guarantee, however, that I will only rule by force if necessary. I promise that within five years, the city will be grand and completely rebuilt. As I am the one that killed him, tradition requires that I take his place. From when people first began assassinating leaders, the killer has taken the place of the overthrown. If you disagree, I suggest building a Gummi Ship and leaving this world."

The town stared in silent agreement. Every citizen was a friend of his family, save the police, so they all knew that Strifer spoke the truth. Strifer stood back on his chair and continued.

"I have another announcement to make. All of us knew Leilani Gainsborough. I'm sure we all loved her and respected her. Citizens of Itziar," he paused, glancing to his left. Sephiroth bowed his head and shut his eyes tightly. "Leilani was killed in the fight with Angra Mainyu. Her body was burned after she died. She will be greatly missed. Please, keep her memory in your hearts. If no one forgets her, she will continue to live."

"Thank you," Sephiroth whispered just loud enough for Strifer to hear him. He had been afraid that Strifer would tell the people who really killed her.

"I have one more thing to say before we eat. I would like to introduce four people that played an important part in this fight. They are new to our world, but I now declare them citizens of Itziar and they will be welcomed with open arms anytime they return. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce Bergljot Skylar-Hammond, Anselm Hammond, Gwandoya Hammond, and Sephiroth Diggory as the newest citizens of our world," he signaled for them to rise as the crowd applauded. Sephiroth looked shocked at the name that followed his. Strifer leaned to him. "People would get too curious if I said only your first name, so I gave you a last."

"Whatever."

"I would ask any sculptors to please come to me tomorrow and we shall discuss statues for them. Now, if every one will be seated, we can begin to eat."

The hall had never seen such activity before. People were getting up and around to talk to others while waiters served the food to each table. The group was sitting at the only rectangular table and had their food sitting right there. Sephiroth was the only one that didn't join the celebrations. He merely sat and ate quietly. Bergljot finally tried engaging him in conversation.

"How have you liked being around new people?"

"Fine," he replied, not looking up. Sephiroth's bangs were hiding his bowed face.

"You really seem to like the twins. I think they like you," she smiled.

"That's nice."

"Sephiroth, come on. This is a party. You're supposed to be having fun. At least smile a little," Bergljot insisted. She laid a hand on his shoulder.

"It's only been two days. Why should I be having fun?" he muttered as he turned to her. A couple of tears trickled down his face. He stood as he closed his eyes tightly. "I can't eat anymore. I'm going upstairs."

"But…" Bergljot silenced. She knew that she would never change his mind. She knew he was lying about being full, too. Sephiroth had barely touched his food, and his stomach had released a loud growl as he rose. He disappeared in the crowd seconds later.

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Sephiroth sighed as he gazed out the window. He had sat up on the sill for an hour, listening to the wind and laughter from downstairs. The moon was partially blocked by clouds. Sephiroth finally tuned out the sounds, closed his eyes slightly, and meditated. He wished that he could remain like that forever, oblivious to the world surrounding him.

He was brought back by a loud uproar from the hall below. The people seemed to be extremely happy about something. Sephiroth sighed and stood. He climbed up the castle, back to the level where he had killed Leilani. He sat on the edge of the platform outside and gazed at the moon again. The noises from downstairs were carried away from him. Sephiroth stretched out on his back, began meditating again, and finally dozed off. A few hours later, Sephiroth awoke and realized that it was deathly quiet out there. A few stragglers were leaving the palace to return home. He sat up with a loud yawn. Sephiroth looked up at the stars and became teary eyed again.

"I'm so sorry, Aeris," he whispered, even though no one could hear. "I never wanted to kill you. I wish you were still here."

He finally began humming to himself, words forming in his mind. Footsteps behind him made Sephiroth turn around.

"You okay?" Bergljot asked as she sat by him.

"Yeah," he muttered. He brought his knees to his chest and curled into a ball. He nodded at a small package in her hand. "What's that?"

"I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you a little of everything."

"Thanks," he sighed as he took a bite of the bread. "I heard them cheering about something. What was it?"

"Strifer convinced me to sing for them. I think I'll get Black Phoenix back together after the light comes and give a concert for the people."

"Black Phoenix? Is that your group?"

"Yep. I heard you humming. Anything good?" Bergljot looked at him sideways.

"Not really. If I come up with a good idea, I'll let you know."

The two of them sat silently for several minutes, Sephiroth slowly chewing his food. Bergljot noticed something odd in his pocket.

"What's this?" she asked, pulling out the item. It was about the size of a summoning stone and black. There was a name printed in silver on it. "Me-"

"Don't touch that!" Sephiroth snapped in a panicked tone as he realized what she had. He snatched it away and pocketed it. "Never touch that again!"

"No wonder you knew what that thing was. You're the master of Meteor."

"Yeah. Promise me something."

"What?" Bergljot asked curiously.

"I hope it doesn't come to this, but if I ever have to summon it," he said, "please, get off the planet with no arguments."

"Isn't there a way for you to summon it without actually being on the planet? Can't you say 'Meteor, obliterate Ogden' or something like that?"

"No," he shook his head angrily. "Summoning this is like an Aeon. I have to be nearby."

"So summon it on the planet and leave with us. I saw how slowly it travels through space," Bergljot pointed out.

"But when it's finally summoned, it travels to the planet at nearly the speed of a traditional summon."

"I refuse to leave you behind on any planet," Bergljot whispered. She wrapped an arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder. Sephiroth didn't push her away this time. "We love you. You know that, right?"

"I know," he said in a voice just barely above a whisper. Bergljot couldn't see the tears that formed in his eyes at those words. Nobody's told me that since Kalliope died.

"Let's go downstairs. We're going to leave tomorrow."

=============

"We're ready," Anselm called the next morning. The others were saying their final goodbyes.

"Congratulations, Strifer," Bergljot smiled as she hugged him. She turned to hug Yuffeth, but couldn't get her off afterwards. "Let me go. I'll be back, don't worry."

"Sephiroth," Ken'ichi muttered. He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I know we got off to a pretty bad start. I'm sorry. But I'm glad you killed her. She wanted to fight you for a long time. You don't know how happy you made her. Thanks."

"You're a lot like Cloud. I only hope we don't fight like he and I did."

"Keep them safe, or we'll have to," Ken'ichi smiled. He stuck out his hand. Sephiroth took it and they shook hard.

"Hey, guys," Gwandoya called from the ship. "We need to get going before the twins get riled up."

"Bye everyone!" Bergljot waved as she and Sephiroth disappeared into the ship. They were heading to the next world moments later.

=============

"Where are we going now?" Bergljot asked when they were in the map a short time later.

"I'm looking, give me a second," Anselm muttered as he searched the stars. Ace had set up the map so Anselm could access it after Gwandoya went blind. He finally found the light and put it in the sphere. "Bring lots of water."

The world was barren and seemingly hot. There were four large oceans that sent small rivers through the two continents. A single small settlement was in the middle of the larger continent.

"A desert world," Sephiroth concluded. "Should be easy."

"It's called Prapat and the queen is named Rhiannon."

"How long until we get there?" Gwandoya asked.

"About two days. Enjoy the trip," Anselm smiled as he replaced the world. He and Gwandoya returned to the cockpit while Bergljot and Sephiroth stayed behind to check on the babies.

"Did you tell them about the…" Sephiroth glanced at her nervously.

"No. I respect your privacy," Bergljot replied as she held her son. Sephiroth looked at him and smirked.

"They're actually kind of cute when you get used to them."

"You're right. What's that?" Bergljot asked suddenly, directing his attention to a notebook by the bed. A picture of Meteor adorned the cover.

"Nothing," he said hurriedly, but she was already handing the child to him and flipping through the pages. "What was all that you just said about respecting my privacy?"

"One thing you have to learn about me is that I don't give a crap when it comes to reading what others have written or admiring what others have drawn," she muttered. Sephiroth chuckled as he laid Gemini in the basinet. Bergljot looked at him as he sat by her. "Are these songs that you came up with?"

"Yeah," he whispered, blushing horribly.

"They're so depressing."

"You don't know anything about my past. If you did, you'd understand."

"Have you ever tried to set them to instruments?"

"No, they're just random thoughts," he shrugged.

"If you'd let me, I could give music to some. I'm used to figuring out tunes for random songs," Bergljot requested.

"Okay," Sephiroth nodded.

"This one's not too depressing," she said. She cocked her head and hummed a little.

"That one?" Sephiroth pointed. "That's the one I was humming last night. I was thinking more along the lines of this."

He began humming the same tune as the night before.

"I'll do my best to write some music. I'll need something to keep me busy the next couple of days, anyway."

"That song is the only one you have permission to work on right now."

"Fine. Let's go get something to eat. I'm starving," Bergljot moaned.

"Me, too," Sephiroth agreed. His stomach growled in unison.

=============

"I'm getting tired of being a mother," Bergljot complained. She had been woken up four times the previous night. She stifled a yawn as Gwandoya walked into the cockpit. He laughed when heard her unsuccessful attempt.

"Another good reason you never should have done it," he smiled. He stretched and began talking to his brother quietly.

"How much longer?" Sephiroth asked as he walked in.

"We should have been there yesterday," Bergljot shrugged. She turned to Anselm. "Are you sure we're not off course?"

"Pretty sure," he said slowly. As he did, a planet loomed in front of them. "Told you so."

"I'll get the twins so we can land," Bergljot announced. She came back seconds later. Anselm directed the ship towards the planet and landed carefully.

"My god," Bergljot gasped as she walked into the hot sun. "I think we may want to change."

She took a moment to look at the group. They all wore black in some way; Gwandoya and Sephiroth's cloaks, Anselm's pants, Bergljot's entire outfit, and her heavy cape didn't help. They went back into the ship and remerged in what could have passed as bathing suits. The guys were wearing shorts and vests and Bergljot wore a halter-top that covered less than half her stomach and shorts that barely came halfway down her thighs. Nobody was willing to wear shoes. The twins were safely curled up in a pouch on Bergljot's back.

"This is why I wish we had brought Ace or Alpha. They could have taken care of Gemini and Genesis while we're out on the world. Do we all have water?" she asked. They all held up sloshing pouches and began walking north. They were walking for four hours before anything happened.

"Stop," Bergljot panted, falling to her knees. "I need to rest."

"We have to find a town. There's got to be one here somewhere or the Heartless wouldn't be interested. We've got to keep moving," Anselm insisted, pulling her to her feet.

They continued for three more hours, but their bodies screamed for rest. Their skin was shining with sweat, and they eventually began leaving slight trails of it behind them. They used up the water quickly, trying to keep themselves, Gemini and Genesis hydrated. It took five minutes for Bergljot, Anselm and Gwandoya to realize that Sephiroth was no longer with them.

"Sephiroth?" Bergljot called when she realized that he was gone. She gazed behind them and saw a patch of black and silver on the ground a short distance away.

"Sephiroth!" Anselm yelled as they ran over to him. Gwandoya shook him, but Sephiroth didn't move. He laid face-first in the ground and sweat was pouring off of his body in buckets.

"He's fainted. Great," Gwandoya sighed. He sat in the sand and panted. "I don't blame him, though."

"Roll him onto his back," Bergljot said. "I still have some water left."

"That's the last of it, though," Anselm pointed out, his mouth drying at the mere thought of no water.

"If it'll keep one of us alive, I'm willing to use it up," she said finally. She brought Sephiroth's head onto her lap, pried his mouth open, and poured the last of their water into it.

"Hmm…" he moaned as he swallowed. Sephiroth coughed a little and sat up. "What happened?"

"You passed out. It's this damn heat," Gwandoya snarled. "I hope we get to town or at least a river soon, or else we're going to die of heat exhaustion and dehydration."

"What?"

"Bergljot gave you the last of our water," Anselm explained. Sephiroth looked at her in disbelief. She was standing on a dune and gazing around at the expanse of sand. She squinted and looked at the group.

"I think I see a river. Let's go," Bergljot said. Sephiroth grabbed her arm as they started off.

"Thank you, but you should have left the water for them," he nodded at the babies.

"We're near a river. We can get more there," she replied. She turned and followed her husband and Gwandoya, leaving Sephiroth dumbfounded that he was actually put before another.

"Sephiroth, come on!" Gwandoya called. He ran to catch up.

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Wow, a chapter that needs no disclaimers or anything at the end. Oh yeah… I don't own Meteor or the black materia. If anyone wants to give them to me, I'll gladly accept either… anyone? Oh, pooh. How about a Sephiroth plushie? No? Aw… For those of you who are not reading my FF7 fic (meanies!), I'll be gone from the 24 of July to the 7 of August, so you'll have two weeks free of my wrath. I'll try to update each story once before I leave and I'll try to work on them while I'm gone so I can update ASAP after I return.

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