My priesthood and I continued on from Corel, after a brief rest at the inn. Once again boarding, we continued onward. I had decided the town of Gongaga would be converted. Zack wanted to go there, but I didn't know why.
Our airship was very quick in comparison to most airships I had seen. I was sitting in the Operations room alone. On the wall was a large world map. Vincent had held a meeting over our tactic against Strife. All converted cities were circled in red, and various blue lined dictated how we would move. Valentine was a Turk. A Turk who knew how to get things done.
The door flew open. As I was sitting in a wheeled office chair, I spun around. It was the Dyne man. I had never met him, but he had met Strife. He seemed very able for his job though.
"Sephiroth," he said as I put my feet on the table. "When you attacked them in Midgar, did you find Barret?"
"Yes. He was heading a unit deployed against us. Vincent put a bullet in his skull. Marlene is eighteen now, and lives by herself. She wasn't caring too much about Barret."
"Thank you." He replied.
Dyne pulled a little picture out of his pocket. He quietly slid it back into his pocket and left. His normally six foot five figure was hunched down, sulking. He made his way out of the room.
Without even a second to turn back around Vincent shot in.
"Milord, your involvement with Ms. Gainsborough cannot happen. You create unrest with your followers in this way. While you spread the word you must stay concentrated! You cannot allow a love life to govern you! I let one do so unto me and I paid for it with my humanity! Lord, you cannot do this!"
"Father Valentine, Aeris is the chief priestess of the religion! It is only fitting for her to be my mate. You are not aware of what transpired in the life stream between us."
"Lord, I am the Grim Reaper so to speak! I can see everything in that realm, even now. Rude is efficiently governing, yet in the future I see rebellion. You have enemies Milord. Each man you kill is adding to their ranks!"
"Father Valentine, how long until they rebel?"
"Three months. Unless stopped, they will seize the realm. Many things in the future are clouded, and I cannot see who will be the new God. Lord, he will match you in power!"
"Then Vincent, we must stop them. I can descend and fight. I will fight. But I must convert the world first."
"Very well Lord."
Suddenly, the door flew open. A young woman with braided brown hair and Mako green eyes stepped forth. She had long tanned legs that radiated beauty. She wore the priest's robe that she herself made.
"Hello Vincent. Sephiroth, what were you two talking about?" spoke Aeris.
"Oh, hello Aeris. We were just discussing matters of the Faith." replied Vincent. "I will be on my way Milord. Heed my words."
Vincent stepped out the room in haste.
"I came to let you know that were landing soon." said Aeris as she walked closer.
"Thank you my lady. I will go onto the deck."
"Of course." spoke Aeris as Sephiroth exited.
Sephiroth made haste toward the deck. His knee-high boots clanked against the metal of the ship's floor. His Masamune hung in it sheath, ready to be drawn as its master willed. He walked quickly forth.
"Landing at outer Gongaga beginning now." Spoke the intercom.
The vessel began to shoot down to make landing. Sephiroth grabbed onto a pole for the rough descent. Other passengers did as such, or at least the unseated ones. The plane quickly hit the ground in descent just outside of Gongaga. Since they were on a passenger ship, they would have to wait to let all of the passengers go into town.
The ship opened its exit and people poured out.,
"Priesthood, stand here. Wait until everyone is in the town. I don't like crowds."
"As you wish." replied Zack.
Zack had a look of anticipation on his face. He seemed to be awaiting something eagerly. Sephiroth knew that the town meant something to he wasn't sure what. The passengers were clamoring through the city.
"Alright priests, let's go."
The area was clear for the most part. Sephiroth walked in front with Aeris while Dyne and Zack stood behind him. Vincent was at the back, eyes wandering, waiting for somebody to fight.
As they advanced through the woods before Gongaga, they saw in the distance a checkpoint. Cloud's Soldiers manned it, armed to the teeth and waiting for a kill. They wore the old Shinra soldier uniforms, strange as how Strife hated them.
"Hey, its Sephiroth! Lord Strife is giving a reward. Let's get him."
"Pitiful Mortals." whispered Sephiroth.
He ran forth and decapitated one in the blink of an eye. Dyne and Vincent were giving gun support, making it so they could not concentrate fire on Sephiroth. Zack ran forth and held the right flank while Sephiroth took the center.
Taking a short glance upward, Sephiroth saw five soldiers hanging back with a prisoner. They were beating him with night stick, and he was bruised and scarred to hell. He had fire-red hair that was soaked with blood and was wearing a lather jacket over a black t-shirt. He wore jeans that were torn with the knee caps and white tennis shoes satined red from blood falling from his mouth.
"Zack, cover me!" Sephiroth shouted.
Sephiroth ran forth to the prisoner. He executed a Fire3 burning two of the men to the point of death. He cut another in half.. The other two dropped back and opened fire. Bullets don't harm gods they came to realize. Sephiroth ran at them in fury at sliced them to death.
The prisoner passed out. His wounds were quite bad, and any more blood loss could be fatal. The rest of Sephiroth's group had already taken care of the Soldiers. They ran forth into the city.
Gongaga was a quiet town after its Mako Reactor's detonation. Many died, and the town never really grew back. Elderly people roamed the streets and no sound was audibly eard except for bells ringing at a local steeple.
Carrying the man in his arms, Sephiroth shouted, "Get this man medical attention now! MOVE!"
An elderly man pointed them to the doctor's office. Sephiroth sprinted in and left the man there.
"Some high powered Cure material can fix him up. Don't let him die." Spoke Sephiroth as he left the man in the arms of a doctor.
"Sephiroth, the township has gathered at the plaza. They say they have embraced your ways. Priests from other towns are spreading your word. Many are touched by what you say and do. The relationship with Aeris was a positive move for the faith." Zack reported.
"Very good. We shall spend the night in an inn. I wish to speak to the prisoner. Then we shall depart."
"Yes Milord. I shall gather the others."
Zack rushed over to the others to report. In turn they walked over toward Sephiroth. As a group they walked toward the inn. Entering in it, they found a young girl at the counter.
"Hello, you rooms have already been paid for. Go down that hall."
"Thank you." replied Vincent.
The priests walked down the hall as directed by the girl. Sephiroth and Aeris took a room, next door was Vincent, across from Sephiroth, Zack, and next to Zack, Dyne. The room was fair sized and had a plasma screen TV in the center of the room. In front of it was a king sized bed, with a chair next to it. A desk was in a corner of a room. A nightstand was in the opposite corner. Inside was a phone directory
Sephiroth took off his trench coat, leaving him with just the leather pants he fought strife in and his knee-high boots. Cracking his neck both ways he sat down on the chair. Aeris tossed of her red jacket and began to unbutton her dress.
"No, not tonight Aeris."
"What's wrong? Something on your mind?"
"It's just, that man who was being beaten. I think I know him. I'm not sure how, but his face looked familiar…"
"That's all? Don't punish yourself over that. C'mon the night is young. Enjoy yourself." said Aeris coercing Sephiroth with a back rub.
"Aeris, it's more than that. Look, I'm not in the mood tonight. Please, leave me be."
Aeris turned away angrily at Sephiroth's rejection. How dare he push her away to think of some man being beaten? She was his mate! His chief priestess! And hopefully, his future wife. She threw off her shoes a lied down on the bed. Untying the ribbon holding her hair up, she threw back her hair.
Her hair went straight down now, unbraided. She layed flay on the ebd on her back, awaiting Sephiroth. Instead, she found him writing in a notebook. His Mako green eyes burned intensly as Aeris lusted for him to come to the bed and leave his troubles behind. He was concentrating on his notebook. Whatever he was writing was surely important. For some reason, right now Aeris was feeling more intense for him than ever. Even in Corel she hadn't felt this way.
His pen moved very quickly across the notebook. Aeris was very intrigued. She walked over and began to rub his back again.
"What are you writing?" Aeris asked as she looked at the clock.
It read nine twelve.
"Vincent has told me things that will transpire in the life stream. I am recording them. I need to heed his words he said. Vincent is a mysterious man. I think I know what he wants me to heed."
"Recordings?"
"Vincent can see what I cannot. My power is drawn from the Lifestream, yet I cannot see in it unless I am there. Vincent is key to our campaign to convert, and save, this Planet."
"Seph, you're done. Just come onto the bed and relax. Its after nine, and there's plenty of time for us to enjoy ourselves."
"Aeris, I'm sorry but no. I'm going to get a drink. I'll be back." announced Sephiroth as he got up.
He threw on a plain white undershirt and walked out the door. Sephiroth hastily left. He was not in the mood to be pleasured by Aeris. Not tonight. He had too much to think about. Exiting from the inn, he made his way down the street. Many people were roaming about at this time of night. It was happy hour at the local bar. Sephiroth saw the neon sign reading 'the Reactor'. Obviously it was a bar. Sephiroth made his entrance into the noisy place.
Without the trenchcoat, it was not easy for him to be recognized. Having no Masamune and no coat almost made him look typical. Taking a seat on a bar stool he threw his arms down on the table.
"Bottle of tequila." he told the bartender.
The bartender grabbed a bottle labeled 'Kalm's finest' and slid it down to Sephiroth. Popping the bottle open, Sephiroth took a long drink from it. Looking to his right, he saw a man sit down next to him.
"Vodka with a whiskey stinger." The man shouted out.
Sephiroth recognized him. It was the man he saved earlier.
"How do I know you?" Sephiroth asked without adue.
"My name is Reno, the last Turk. Thanks for saving me by the way. Strife's men have been searching for me for years."
"Reno, what the fuck happened?"
"Afetr you died and Strife took control, he killed Shinra. He started with just the executives, Scarlet, Heidegger, and even Reeve. The he went to the Turks and officers. We tried fleeing Midgar, Rude, Elena and I. Elena was the first shot. She fell, but we couldn't go back. Men kept coming an-an- Rude got mutilated by a rocket. I barely made it out alive." Reno replied in length.
Reno drained his drink after the long speech.
Continuing, he said, "Sephiroth, I want to come with you."
"I have no objection."
'I need help. Most days I can't afford anything. Sometimes I go days without food. I'll work for you. Just let me come and start over."
"Of course." said Sephiroth as he finished his bottle.
The conversation stopped for a moment.
"Sephiroth, how's Rude doing?" asked Reno after a stall.
"Rude was my third-in-command. He's was happy that you were still alive." Sephiroth replied. "Now c'mon, let's go back to the hotel."
The two men got up and walked out of the bar. More towns were to come. Reno would be helpful. And all he wanted was food and acceptance.
Finish of Chapter Three
A/N: Long chapter there. Chap 4 coming up in another week or two.
