I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. IT BELONGS TO SQUARE!
The night sky glistened with city lights. It was amazing what 5 years and a new leader did for Midgar. A lone figure of 18 walked along the crowded city streets, flower basket in hand, hoping to sell at least one. She tried her darnedest to get their attention, but it was to no avail. She was a small polished stone in a vast ocean of restlessness. The current of people forced her to travel up street, near the 68th story building that now belonged to the Great General Sephiroth. It was huge, placed in the dead center of the city, towering over all structures. There were hundreds of 'important' people entering and exiting as she stared upwards as far as her neck would allow. A gentle nudge on her shoulder tore her thoughts away from the building and she quickly turned to see what it was.
A gentleman, in an expensive blue business suit was staring her up and down. She gave him a curious glance as he burned her with his eyes. At first she did not recognize him, but not a moment later, his softly slanted eyes gave him away. Those eyes were a rare black and only once had she seen a man with a delicate birth mark between his brows. He looked so familiar…he reminded her of a man she had known when she was a child. His voice was casually soft and quite soothing. "It's big, isn't it? Guess you never had the opportunity to see it up close before…formerly living in the slums, that is." She immediately knew who it was. It was Tseng, the leader of that damned killing organization called the Turks. Who were they working for now? The President was dead… His voice was too casual. He talked as if there was no one else around.
"You know Cetra, I could get rich if I were to hand you in. But I like a challenge…taking you right now would be too easy." Adrenaline kicked in, literally making her heart beat out of her chest. It was crazy; it was as if her feet were glued to the ground as her eyes widened at the man before her. Her mouth unconsciously fell open as she trembled. Somewhere in her shock, in the way back of her mind, she was mentally kicking herself for being such an easy target. Why the heck wasn't she running from him…why was she standing around like some prey waiting to be devoured?
She surprised him when she did not make an attempt to flee. He stepped closer. She flinched, but did not move one single step. "Well since you're just standing here waiting around, I guess I'll have no choice but to make you run." With a cruel grin, he grabbed her by her shoulders, holding her upper arms to her body, and lowered his mouth to hers. He watched as her eyes became glassy before pulling her closer to him. She trembled violently when his mouth came crushing down on her own with a slimy, wet kiss. His tongue defiantly explored the skin around her mouth, leading a hot trail on her lips, soaking each crevice with saliva.
When she felt his tongue slipping into her mouth, something finally kicked in and she decided to take action. Biting down firmly, she received a howl of pain, and when he withdrew, raising a hand as if to slap her, she quickly kneed him between the legs. While he bent down in pain, she ran from him as fast as possible, somehow finding a way to elude all the people in the crowded streets…
"I absolutely refuse. I will not allow some foolish girl to work here. She'll probably just try to find a way to distract the men here from their work into her bed. It is out of the question." Sephiroth stormed across the reflection-casting floor of his new office like a troubled fool. As always, something was on his mind
Zack sighed in defeat. No matter how hard he tried, he could not convince him. Sephiroth was that stick in the mud that the strongest of forces could not move. He stopped listening after the 'I absolutely refuse' part. Aeris was not some kind of foolish prostitute. Instead, he listened to the sound of pacing feet going back and forth. After a pause in Sephiroth's rambling, it was the right time to continue. He was not giving up.
"But Seph, ever since you changed the place, she hasn't been able to make a living—and trust me; she's great for any job you can give her. I even heard she was a Cetra." This caught the pacing man's attention. Zack took notice of his sudden interest and decided to dwell on the spark. "From what you told me, those Cetra people know all about magic and the life stream and such. Learning and managing natural power sources should come quite natural to her."
Sephiroth stopped his pacing and turned towards the incessant whiner. "I hardly believe that. What would a Cetra be doing living in such a confined place like Midgar? Are you sure that isn't just a rumor that idiot Turk told you? It is documented the last Cetra escaped Shinra's labs nearly 20 years ago and was killed shortly after. That would make them an extinct race." He crossed his arms while glaring at the man before him. He would not have been surprised if all those documents kept in Hojo's former lab were false, but what else had he to go by?
"It's not a rumor. Many times in the past, Tseng came after her saying that she was property of Hojo. Ever since those creepy bastards have been missing, no one has been after her, so she's been living a normal—poor—life." He scratched his head. The tone of his voice lowered. "That and she told me herself…"
Sephiroth did not move from his previous stance. He was interested. "What do you mean Hojo wanted her? They were chasing this girl all along and still have yet to catch her?" Zack could hear him trashing talking under his breath. He snickered and shrugged.
"Well the president was only involved because Hojo told him that having her cells and the cells of a creature found long ago would create a super race if combined with humans. Other than that, I really don't think the President couldn't have cared less. Maybe because he doubted Hojo's abilities due to the fact he failed so many times before…Dunno. But yeah, I have helped her escape them many times in the past." His voice trailed off and he stared off into space as if he was in deep thought trying to remember something. Sephiroth rolled his eyes at the man thinking he had some kind of mental illness…or maybe he just had ADD. He shifted his weight to his left leg and tightened his arms across his chest.
"How do you know all of this?" He nearly demanded.
Zack gave another sheepish grin. " Heh. That's what going out and talking to people does for ya. You should try it more often. You might make more friends." When Zack zoned out again, Sephiroth thought about kicking him. Though it would have been entertaining, he just scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"You gossip more than an old woman. What kinds of abilities does she have?" He personally did not want to discuss Hojo at the moment…he also did not care to know what the Turks were up to—if they were still around that is. They were a whole different chapter of confusing thoughts. This girl Zack spoke of intrigued him, and he secretly wanted to know more—especially if she was, in fact, a Cetra.
At the sound of his voice, Zack immediately jumped back into reality. "Oh. Uhh…she told me not to tell anyone." He gave an apologetic grin and held is hands up in a 'beats me' kind of way.
This man annoyed Sephiroth immensely, and he sighed in vexation. "Well if you were so secretive, then why did you mention it in the first place? Now tell me. What abilities does this girl possess that label her Cetra?"
Zack dug his hole deeper and deeper. With Sephiroth, he never got back out. He couldn't lie to him for some reason. It was either fear or respect, or both. Either that or Sephiroth had this way of snaking the truth out of people. "Well she told me that she sometimes has conversations with the planet…and feels its pain and happiness. That sort of thing." Zack was struggling to explain it and not make her seem insane. If Sephiroth thought she was some lunatic, he'd never give her a job.
"Like it is alive" Sephiroth interrupted, tone obviously engrossed in the matter. "The Cetra were a race very close with the planet. It would make sense that she can listen to such. Can she speak with those deceased?"
'This guy never gives up. How the hell should I know?' Zack was becoming uncertain on whether he should have paid more attention to her when she was explaining it to him. He really didn't remember many of the details. He thought it was cool, but not that interesting. He was more interested in talking about what they were going to do when he took her home. "I don't know. Maybe YOU should ask her all these questions when you hire her."
Sephiroth shook his head. "She trusted you with her knowledge and you don't even have the decency to remember it? You are a pathetic boy, Zack. I would like to ask her further questions, however, that doesn't mean I'll hire her." He sat down in his office chair behind a desk cluttered with papers. Signaling to the door, he nodded to Zack. "Have a nice day."
It wasn't the first time Sephiroth abruptly kicked him out of his office. Zack understood he had loads of confidential work to do, and Zack wanted no part of it.
"Right. See ya." Heading to the door, he decided to put in his last two cents. "She really is a good person—in work as well as personality. I think she'd do the company good." Holding the door, he looked to his boots, then quickly lifted his head. "OH yeah, when would you like me to bring her here?" Seeing Sephiroth's confused glance he grinned. "Ya know, to talk to her…"
The general slowly lifted his head. "Who said anything about bringing her here? If I want to talk to her, then I will find her and talk to her." He cleared his throat and signaled to the door again. When Zack didn't leave, he grunted, "I need no further distractions." He looked back down at the papers before him like they were something spectacular. Still sensing the younger man's presence, he sighed again. "Have a nice day, Zack."
Sephiroth was always busy. What did he mean by that? Was he trying to tell him that he really didn't care after all? Zack shrugged it off and walked out.
Once he was sure of Zack's departure, he stood up and walked to the window of his office, viewing the reformed Midgar.
'So there really is a Cetra living in Midgar. Those files had some truth all along. I know for a fact Hojo does not give up on his specimens… I am going to have to find him before he finds her…'
As Zack made it out of the 68 story building, he immediately remembered telling Aeris he'd meet her at their 'spot' just near her old church. "OH SHIT…AERIS!" He rushed to make it there promptly.
Just as he was running to meet her there, she was running from the opposite direction, flowers from her basket escaping as she quickened her pace. Before Zack could even reply, she threw her arms around him and wept. The impact of her body crushing against his nearly knocked him backwards. "A-Aeris?!" He asked alarmed, wondering why she was weeping so fiercely. For a few moments he just held her close to him and let her weep. He could feel the wetness of her tears as they absorbed through the fibers of his blue uniform. Gently rubbing her back, he whispered soothingly in her ear. When her shivers and sobs settled down, he finally asked her, "Aeris, what's wrong? Why are you crying?!" When she didn't reply immediately, he lifted her face by the bottom of her chin and leveled her face with his. The orbs of her eyes looked like a green ocean and the red surrounding them looked as if a brutal kill took place within. Either way, she was the most beautiful thing he ever seen, but no matter how beautiful she was when she cried like this, it did not compare to her tears of joy. "What's wrong Aer? Don't cry like this, it will make me cry!"
She gave him the best smile she could through the sobs and her fear. Finally composing herself, somewhat, she managed to get out only a few words: "T-they are after me again…"
After nearly 3 hours of comforting words and explaining the situation, they walked closely together arm in arm, shielding each other from the coldness of the late January evening. In the center of the city, not too far from where they walked, the big building now labeled No.1 glowed. From where they stood, she could see the lights on in every single room and the nearly faded Shinra logo. It looked extremely huge compared to what it did when the upper plates were connected to it. Aeris loved the new Midgar. It was a city upon land now; not a city lifted above the hell underneath. She didn't so much want to leave, but something inside was telling her that maybe it was best if she did. The only thing holding her up was the money shortage and Zack. At least he'd be there to protect her…Well—sometimes.
"…He's so stubborn Aeris, but I WILL get him to hire you! Then you can stay in the building by me and out of harms way." Zack didn't want to admit that all his efforts failed thus far, and most likely would never succeed. Something in her eyes told him that she knew this.
Aeris lifted her head in the direction of the top floor. That floor was now part of Sephiroth's headquarters. "Well I don't know if you talking to him will get me a job…he's quite stern from what I heard. Maybe I should just…look elsewhere…maybe somewhere less known." She looked down at her feet.
"And get a job working as a Merchant? Yeah right Aeris. That won't even get you a house. Why do you think most of them live in those nasty apartment buildings? You deserve better than that. ANNND, haven't you noticed when you mind your own business at least one of those crazy bastards find you?"
She grinned at him. Zack was just as stubborn as she was. If he did not think something was up to her standards, he forbade her to do it. He pushed her to be strong and to try as hard as possible to settle for the best. Aeris greatly admired him and loved him more than life. The problem was that she wasn't sure if he felt the same as she did. He did love women afterall.
"I guess there is no stopping you then. I'll tell you what. I will gladly take a job if you can convince him." She knew that she was probably not going to get the job, but anything to make Zack happy. If talking to that man made him happy, then she wouldn't stop him. "But if you can't, then I don't want you to pity me. I'll be alright regardless."
Zack looked doubtful. "judging by the way you were crying tonight, I wouldn't say that…"
Aeris nudged him with her shoulder. "How do you think I managed to get away from him Zack? I didn't have a SOLDIER like you escorting me, if you didn't forget…"
"W-what did you do to the guy?" Zack had a few ideas and didn't want to think of the pain that Tseng was probably in… He deserved it, so he wouldn't feel any pity for the guy.
Instead of answering his question, she continued on with something he didn't want to think about. "So when is Sephiroth sending you and the SOLDIERS to Nibelheim? What are you going there for anyways?"
Zack turned in the opposite direction and sighed. "I think we leave next week if I'm not mistaken. He won't tell us why we are going until we get there."
"So he's going with you guys?" Who was going to take Sephiroth's place while they were gone? She hoped and prayed Tseng of the Turks, or even Hojo would not take any chances.
"Yeah. He may be in charge, but he's still the General. He won't let me take his place." Zack scratched his head, a habit Aeris grew accustomed to. "It's strange, though. Seph doesn't like being called important titles…He doesn't even like General. He about decapitated a man because they called him President…But to answer the question of who will be the leader, I think Reeve is going to temporarily take his place."
"Hmm…He is quite mysterious…" She trailed off sighing. She was thankful, however, that Sephiroth was going to leave someone else in charge. Who knew the kinds of things that could happen in his absence…
"HEY! I GOT AN IDEA!" Zack jumped back in front of her, briefly startling her. "You could come with us! I'll just tell him you are an experienced healer and we'll need you to come along just in case!" He grabbed her shoulders and held her still. She flinched when she thought of Tseng doing the same thing, but he didn't see to notice. "That way, you could be with me, and not by yourself…Not to mention you can prove to Sephiroth your usefulness!" He turned back around and clapped his hands. "Damn I'm good!"
Aeris liked the idea of not being left alone when Tseng and possibly his men were around; however, she had a gut feeling that she would be nothing but a burden. "I don't know Zack. That's a bit much…Sephiroth would probably never go for it, and besides, I don't want to be a burden. It's business you are attending to, not a vacation…"
He laughed at her foolishness. "Trust me Aer, you will NOT be a burden. If anything, the men will be glad to have you there, just make sure they don't try anything, Or I'LL handle em'."
"What about Sephiroth? He—" Zack cut her off
"Sephiroth only makes appearances when it comes to business. When we aren't busy, he goes and locks himself away in a room and does God knows what…"
"Surely he has reasons, Zack. Maybe he just doesn't like to be around people."
"Yeah well it seems I'm the only one he gives the time of day with. Guess I should feel special. He's a bit weird at times though. Sometimes I think he gets these sudden killing desires." Seeing Aeris' mild fear written on her face, he laughed. "Just beware of his eyes. When they start glowing, run like fucking hell."
Aeris did not like cursing but Zack was Zack. She giggled and rolled her eyes as he began to walk her home. "Thanks for the advice, Zack, but I doubt I'll give him much reason to kill… You may, however."
As weeks passed, Aeris became surprised by the fact that no unwanted 'vistors' came and tried to abduct her. Now was the day she was able to travel outside the city for the first time. Even though she knew what cleaner air smelt like, she wanted to see the beautiful landscapes and the stars that adorned the night sky. A part of her being was excited. The other part was scared. Over what, however, she wasn't sure of exactly…she didn't know why they were going to Nibelheim and she imagined it wasn't for play—especially if Sephiroth was going. As much as she knew she shouldn't, she trusted Zack's words. All was going to be fine…right? The voices in her head told her to go with extreme caution and protect herself. 'Protect myself from what? The actual danger? Or one of Sephiroth's killing frenzies?' I hope Sephiroth doesn't hate me too much…" If there would be tension, Aeris didn't know if she'd be able to handle it. Why did all this thinking lead to Sephiroth?
She never met the guy, but propaganda and Zack were enough for her to get a good idea of what he was like. An amazingly attractive, horrid killer with a short temper. That was the definition of General Sephiroth. Surely there was good in him…he did end all the suffering in Midgar didn't he? She hoped that pinch of good in him would show during her time with them.
Grabbing her bag, full of necessary items from hair ribbons low-level materia, she walked over to her bed to pull her shoes out from underneath. When she finally fit the huge, leather boots onto her feet, she glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 25 minutes after 4 in the morning. Zack said to meet her at the old train station by 5. Quickly tying her hair in a braid, she looked at herself in the mirror one last time before grabbing her bag and leaving the small house.
Sephiroth walked down the line of SOLDIERs observing them. Many of them brought suitcases and other traveling necessities. It almost made him laugh.
"I am sorry to inform you all that you will be standing guard while we are gone. You are not to let ANYONE in Midgar's borders. Is that clear?" Sephiroth's voice was strict and firm. He looked them over and caught sight of a SOLDIER who was grumbling under his breath. He obviously wasn't happy about the sudden change of travel plans. "Is there a problem?" He asked the soldier venomously.
Looking into those blazing eyes, he nearly wet his pants. "N-NO SIR!"
"Good." He turned in Zack's direction. "Gather 2 others to travel with us. Do not pick someone with motion sickness, because there is no room in the truck for them to regurgitate." Just as Sephiroth was walking away, Zack started behind him. "Uhh…Sephiroth?"
Sephiroth turned to ask the shorter man what he wanted, but when he did, there was someone beside him. His mouth was open as if to speak, but it froze when she smiled. He quickly looked her over. She was quite short with long, golden-brown hair and had radiant green eyes. Her lips were the perfect pink of a rose with a shine to them like a rose bathed in water. Before anyone had a chance to notice, he quickly put his face back to 'indifference' mode and glared at Zack. "Why is she here?" he asked.
Aeris immediately saw the venom in his eyes and looked down, smile on her face doing the same. She thought Zack already talked to Sephiroth about this…obviously not judging by the way Sephiroth was looking at her.
"Umm…Remember how I told you about a girl who was a Cetra?" Zack mentally scolded himself. She wasn't supposed to know he already told Sephiroth of her race…
Aeris slightly opened her mouth and glared at Zack just as Sephiroth did earlier. She didn't know he told Sephiroth that she was a Cetra! Deciding not to interrupt Zack, she once again held her head low, avoiding the glances she was receiving. When she'd lift her eyes to look on occasion, she noticed how he quickly took his eyes off of her and glared at Zack. His hints of shyness almost made her giggle.
When Sephiroth slowly nodded his head, Zack gulped. "Well, this is her. Sephiroth, meet Aeris. Aeris, meet Sephiroth."
Not even caring to say a quick 'hello' , Sephiroth glared at her, then to him again. "And why is it she is here? We are about to leave for a mission. Now is not the time for useless acquaintances. Gather the men Zack. Get in the truck when you are done or I am leaving without you."
He turned away from Zack, black leather coat flapping behind him. Zack quickly glanced at Aeris, then yelled to Sephiroth. "Sephiroth!! She is coming with us!" Sephiroth froze and turned his head.
"And what use is a woman when they have no fighting skill and do nothing but attract danger and whine? Taking her would be your own suicide Zack. And I'm not saving you." He saw the offended look on the girl's face and smirked. Her eyes started to narrow, but they quickly dropped back down to stare at the pavement.
"Oh Seph you think too much. She has excellent healing power. Aeris would be more help than trouble, trust me. She can heal us while we are attacking. We'll be invincible!" Just when Zack thought he had a better end of the argument, his hope was crushed again when Sephiroth narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't need some woman to heal me."
Just as Zack was about to tell Aeris sorry, that she would not be able to go, Sephiroth added, "If she goes, she is your responsibility. If for some reason she disables you from doing your job, you are not coming back. And another thing. If anything should happen to you and not her, she is completely on her own with no aid from any of us."
Upon hearing this, Zack smiled largely at Aeris, whose head was still hung low. "Guess I'll just have to be overly cautious! Come on Aeris! Let's go!"
She didn't know why she had a bad feeling about following him, but she did anyway. She tried to look to the more positive side, ignoring the evil tension she felt in Sephiroth's presence.
Zack led her to a fairly large truck made for travel. The back had sufficient space for 2 people; however, three would have to fit back there. In the front, two seats were occupied by two unnamed SOLDIERS. Aeris figured their roles weren't as important judging by the lighter blue uniform they were wearing. Although she never traveled before, she had a feeling it wasn't going to be the most pleasant trip due to the thought of having a 5 day travel bunched up in the back of a truck with two men. Sephiroth was the first to step in, immediately taking a seat by the window to the right. Next, Zack ushered her in, grabbing her hand while she stepped up. Aeris took a place by the window on the left, while Zack just stood in the middle doing squats. She grinned at him, then at Sephiroth, who was shaking his head. To her surprise, Sephiroth didn't yell at him to sit down.
Another thing that caught her attention was the lack of baggage they carried. She figured they were going to be gone for weeks, but did not bring hardly anything. At least she brought food. They'd probably starve to death if she didn't. Either that or they ate things she didn't want to think of.
When they made it out of the city, she was awed by the sight she saw. The sun was just now rising over the horizon and it looked so unreal. The lights of the city were on at all times, so she never saw a sunrise until now. She lifted her weight to get a better view. She'd watch it until those vivid oranges and purples disappeared.
Zack didn't bother talking to Aeris because her face was glued to the window. He smiled when he saw the way she was entranced by it. He glanced over at Sephiroth who was glaring out the window as well. Judging by the look of indifference on his face, Zack was sure Sephiroth didn't see the landscape at all…
Sephiroth decided they would take the mountains around the Midgar swamp until they reached junon. From there they'd set out on one of the ships and go straight through Costa del Sol. Zack knew Sephiroth was not one to enjoy stops or sight seeing, so he knew he wouldn't have time to show Aeris Costa del Sol's tropical beaches. From there, Zack wasn't sure where the route was going. He'd just rely on Sephiroth. The weird thing was that Sephiroth did not say one word to him. Usually when they went on these types of missions, they would talk about it to some extent. Hmm… maybe he didn't like the extra attention. Out of sheer boredom, Zack plopped down and took a nap.
When he saw the porcupine was sleeping, he directed his attention from the window onto the girl. She was sitting on her knees, back to him, still looking out the window. She must have loved nature because she had not looked away from it at all. He wanted to ask her about her heritage; however he couldn't bring the words out. It was easier just to sit in silence. He sighed and shifted his weight. He was facing her direction, but to not look at her back…or her rear…, he lifted his hands and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.
The moving sound of leather caught her attention. Did the statue move?! She turned around from the window and looked over the two men. They both appeared to be asleep, but only one was snoring.
Attempting to take the strain off her knees, she carefully tried to stretch her legs outward. She couldn't sit cross legged, that was for sure. In order to get enough space without hitting anyone, she took her boots off and attempted to guide her feet to stretch in front of her. It did not work though, because then she'd touch Sephiroth's. Since she couldn't do it that way, she figured if she were to sit at an angle, it would. Slowly lifting her legs over Sephiroths, she attempted to move her feet beside his and turn to an angle. Bad mistake.
Just when she was about in place, the truck ran over a huge bump, sending her foot slamming into his leg, only centimeters from his inner thigh. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed and she was thankful Zack didn't wake. 'How convenient' She thought, deeply embarrassed. Sephiroth, however acted on instinct and grabbed her ankle.
A rush of fear was sent through her whole body when his grip momentarily tightened and he glared at her with those blazing, pale-green eyes. For a short moment, his eyes were filled with more surprise than venom.
"Just what were you trying to do girl?" He asked, deep voice startling her. At first she did not speak, but she managed to choke something out.
"O-oh. I-I was trying to sit." She croaked through a coarse breath. When he tilted his head and gave her a curious look, she quickly spoke with a fearful laugh. "N-not on you of course. T-the truck just kind of caused me to lose my balance and my foot just kind of stumbled forward. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to disturb you."
He saw the blush on her face and he smirked at her rambling. He knew it was an accident, but he took thrill in not believing her and making her seem like she did it on purpose. "Next time you want to touch me, make sure I am awake so I won't kill you."
When he finally let go of her ankle, it was whitened by his fingerprints. She quickly fixed herself back up on her pained knees. She was too uncomfortable to try anything brave again. But a few things angered her.
Did he not hear her apology? She was at loss for words. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words didn't come. By the time she could muster something to say, he was already back to his sleeping position. She looked down at her hands and started fidgeting. Was he really asleep to begin with? There was only one thing she knew. The pain her poor knees were putting up with really sucked…
A/N: Hi ya'll, I decided to start this story mainly because I got some new ideas. After trying and trying ( I must have had 10 different versions of chapter four) I got
fed up with my other one. 'Beyond Corruption' hasn't been updated in forever, and I'm sorry for that. I lost interest with it when I came across this other story with a similar plot. I know lots of stories are similar, but I want to try my best to make mine as different as possible. I find it hard to be dedicated to something when someone else has already done it 10 times better, ya know? Anyways, I'm sorry for making this AN so long, but I figure you guys deserve an explanation. And to be all truthful, this story is most likely not going to be abandoned. There is so much I want to put into it!
Reviews are always welcome. If anything sounds funny, or just plain out of place, tell me and I'll fix it when I get time. Thank you for taking the time to read.