This story was actually never intended to be multi-chaptered. But here we are! I got a lighting bolt of inspiration lately and somehow I found myself adding to this plot! Sure, I solved the problem of Sephiroth overcoming Jenova... but what about the aftermath? In order for Nibelheim to have a true happy ending, we gotta clean up! The rest of this fic will explore just that.
Bear with me a bit as the first two chapters already tackle a whole introduction, conflict and resolution, so things may be a little messy at the start as I try and write around that!
Thank you all so much! Every single reader, I'm talking to you! *hugs* I hope you enjoy, my friends! :3
"I... I didn't want to..."
"I know. I know you didn't, bud..."
Zack's words slurred as he sank into the arms of oblivion. The brunet slumped against Sephiroth's shoulder, eyes closing as he fell limp.
"Zack..." Sephiroth tried to call, but hiown speech was failing.
He wiped some blood off his neck. The entire glove doused in the substance as he drew it before his blurry vision. By now, over a quart must have been lost. And he was sure Zack's condition was far worse.
Because of him.
"Get away from him!"
Suddenly, the warrior found a barrel to his chest. Two men -- officers he presumed -- had charged through the Reactor's entrance. The taller of the duo seized Sephiroth by the neck, thrusting him aside. His partner firmly kept the weapon pressed to his cheek.
Sephiroth didn't resist, with consciousness slipping further and further away. In spite of it, he was still perfectly aware of the scene.
"Just... help him…"
This earned him a kick to the ribs.
"Quiet!"
To Sephiroth's relief, the other officer had begun lifting Zack. He wrapped his arms around the wounded Soldier, letting him drape like a rag doll.
"I'm gonna get him to the hospital," he assessed. "They can close the worst of these and hopefully stop the bleeding... if not too late already."
Fear clasped Sephiroth's heart. No... he had not killed Zack. That had not been the last time they had spoken. He would see his eyes open again…
He hissed as his hands were wrenched behind his back. Sephiroth winced, watching with a feeble eye as Zack was dragged away.
The officer lowered to his ear, just enough to cause discomfort. His hot breath needled against his skin.
"I hope you burn in Hell."
When something cracked over his head, he could watch no more.
xxxxxxx
Ugh... that beeping... so annoying…
The figure stirred atop the mattress. His fingers twitched, opening and closing as they took in the warm, welcoming texture. Something heavy weighed against his body... not to restrain him, but as if it was a gentle embrace…
The aqua eyes slid open. He blinked, adjusting to the speckles of light that intruded.
Now he understood: it was a bed.
Upon further inspection, Zack found his right arm entirely casted, as was his temple. Tubes were hooked to his wounds, snaking around to pouches filled with blood. As he lifted the sheet, he noticed the gauze that laced around his sewn stomach and back. His left leg was plastered as well, fixed in a position to realign the bone.
Next to come was his memory.
Fire... the Reactor... Jenova... Seph…
His eyes widened. What did they do with him? Was he tended to as well? He had to get up and find him.
He had already promised to never leave his side again. And he wasn't about to break it.
As Zack began to rise, the door swung open.
"You're awake," a young nurse smiled, stepping in.
"Zack!"
Cloud rushed past her, dashing to the bedside with a relieved smile.
"Hey, buddy!" Zack's face brightened, reaching out to ruffle his friend's hair. "Long time no see."
"No kidding," Cloud agreed. "You've been out for days. Didn't even know if you were gonna pull through."
Zack only caught the first part.
"Days?!" he repeated.
"Days," Cloud confirmed. "Thankfully, we got some good docs here, and that the place wasn't too messed up from..." His words trailed off as his countenance grew dark.
"Where's Sephiroth?" Zack asked, almost demanding.
Cloud glowered as if the name was poison. Even the nurse, setting down a tray of medicine, recoiled.
"Locked up, of course. Right in Nibelheim's cells, if that'll even hold the devil. Gonna get what he deserves..." the blonde looked away, disgusted. "Can't believe I ever..."
The aqua eyes flashed with horror. "What do you mean, 'get what he deserves?'"
Cloud's visage dripped with blatant yet directed fury. It was clear that he was doing all he could to control himself. "Mayor said he was gonna be put to death tomorrow, right in the square so the whole town can see."
"But that's not fair!" Zack spat without warning
"Not fair?!" Cloud was now shouting. "Not fair? He set fire to this entire town! He tried to kill all of us, Zack. He tried to kill you!"
"No, please..." Zack begged. "You have to listen to me... It's not his fault! There was this-"
"-I know you were friends," Cloud cut in. "But you can't defend him, not after this." His eyes narrowed. "He doesn't deserve it."
In desperation, Zack snatched the other's wrist. "Cloud, please! Please listen to me! There was this... this thing. I have no idea how or why, but it was controlling Sephiroth. It made him do it..."
Cloud freed his arm, backing away. The fire in his eyes had been extinguished. But now the ashes left pain.
"You really would go this far to stand up for him...? Lie for a killer? What about Soldier's honor, Zack? What you've always told me."
"Cloud..."
Zack's eyes screamed in silence as they began to mist. There was nothing more he could say. He could only pray that his friend would listen.
Slowly, Cloud shook his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered, turning for the exit and leaving Zack alone in the dark.
xxxxxxx
It is a strange thing to have nothing but one's thoughts. So much time to wonder, reflect, even loathe. At least, that is what Sephiroth had been doing as the man sat curled in the shadows of his cell.
The usual fiery light of Mako green now shined dimly amidst the concrete. They were half-closed, staring down at a pair of gloves. His gloves. Forever tainted with invisible blood that can never be cleansed.
Every now and then, he would get flashes of memory as the fragments in his mind joined the puzzle. First was of him taking Masamune, lighting her tip as he dragged the sword along a wooden pillar. Soon, the entire village was ablaze.
What made him most sick, was the crystal-clear memory of him mutilating Zack's form. Everything from muscle to bone. And now he was comatose, if not dead already.
He clenched his fists until the skin underneath turned white. Zack had sacrificed so much for him in the past. He saw how much the man was hurting, determined to befriend him and heal those wounds. He never stopped pushing, now matter how many people told him it was a lost cause, and no matter how much Sephiroth resented it. For some reason beyond the warrior's understanding, Zack had seen something in him that he thought was worth letting Sephiroth see too.
And he had betrayed him. Zack and others had suffered, because he was weak.
Yet, a part of him was screaming inside, insisting that it wasn't his fault. Maybe that was just Zack's attempt to keep him sane.
He knew that he would never hurt Zack, because deep down, he knew he loved and cared about him more than anything on the planet. A part of him wanted to live so that he could prove it, if not for anybody but himself. The other part said that he wasn't worth it. Not that Sephiroth disagreed.
Strong knuckles drummed against the glass.
"Visitor, cur."
The warrior blinked in surprise. Who would want to see...
"Seph!"
In an instant, all his doubts melted away. Sephiroth collected himself, emerging from the dark and limping to the cell's transparent front.
Zack was standing there, alive and safe. He was patched in several places and his movements were noticeably pained, needing a crutch for support. But he was... okay.
"Zack…"
"Hey, pal..." Zack weakly smiled. "How ya feeling?"
Snapping out of his awe, Sephiroth indicated to some plaster on his neck. "I didn't sustain any serious injuries," he reported, although they both knew what Zack meant by the question.
The brunet nodded, but his smile soon faded. "Oh man, bud..." Zack fought away the haze. "It's my fault you're in here. If I never left you at the library..."
"There's no telling if it wouldn't have happened anyways," Sephiroth returned, looking away. "I could have still become a monster."
"Stop saying that!" Zack pounded against the glass. "That wasn't you, Seph! Please, you know that!"
The guard's hand fell to his gun, earning him a rare leer from Zack.
Sephiroth, without a word, began to retreat back to his corner.
"Seph...?"
"You shouldn't be here," he said darkly. "I'm not safe..."
Zack pressed his hands to the confinement, watching it fog. "Seph... no..." he pleaded. "You can't leave me alone like this..."
Sephiroth stopped. He simply stared ahead, letting his eyes pierce the shadows.
"They found a body, Zack."
Zack stiffened, sliding off the cell. "What..?"
She was a young child. Endured multiple stab wounds to the chest, then seemingly burned alive. The corpse was nearly unrecognizable."
The brunet moved his lips, but words refused to join. He allowed them to crack for what could have been five seconds or five minutes. Somehow, he managed to swallow the cotton and break through.
"You would never, Seph..."
"But I did."
Zack replaced his hand against the glass, praying some spirit would let it shatter. All he wanted was to hug Seph close and never let go. But for now, there were barriers to be climbed.
Before Zack could continue, a guard entered the corridor. He appeared to be holding a metal bowl of some sort, filled with a serving of… pellets?
"Eat up, mutt." The man jiggled out a pair of keys, using his free hand to unlock a window in the cell.
"Is that… dog food?" Zack asked in disgust.
"Round here, animals eat like animals," the server grunted. He slid the bowl through and watched its contents scatter. As he went to refasten the latch, he seemed apprehensive — hesitant to move as if Seph was an untamed panther, ready to snap. And by the look in his eyes, Sephiroth held the same concerns.
"You can't feed him that!" Zack exclaimed. "That's cruel and unusual!"
The man looked unmoved as he scoffed. "Eat it or starve." Shooting one last glare to his captive, the guard vanished down the hall.
Sephiroth studied his 'meal.' It was the first bite of food he had been offered, and his fatigue was crying louder and louder to be heard. But he wasn't about to let his pride break — not when it was all he had left. So, against his stomach's protest, Sephiroth scraped the dish aside.
"The scientists fed me likewise." he reminisced with a wry smirk. "Never imagined I would be presented with such a treat again."
Zack regarded the sorry excuse for dinner, feeling sick. "Don't you dare go nutty on me, Seph. Even if the scien-"
Realization struck then.
"Hojo…" Zack whispered.
"Hojo?" Sephiroth's voice was bitter, as if the name itself left a foul taste. "He's the scientist who raised me."
"I know that!" Zack turned away, buried in his thoughts. He began muttering to himself until only the termites could hear. "He knows you better than anyone… he has to have some dirt on why that thing… " The brunet's heart swelled as he returned to the other. "And if I could get that dirt, I can prove your innocence!"
The emeralds glazed with distant horror. Hearing that devil's name opened wound that had never been fully mended. He was capable of cutting down the most notorious of beasts and terrors, yet enrooted scars lingered in his soul. The kind that brought about realistic nightmares of syringes, scalpels, vomit… Perhaps because they weren't nightmares as much as they were memories.
And Zack's intentions only fueled the fire.
"NO!" Sephiroth lunged forward, taking the others aback. Instinctively, the guard drew out his gun, but soon relaxed after realizing the cell's existence.
And Zack could hardly stand the knife in his voice. Especially directed at him.
"You can't go near him," Sephiroth panted, leveling his speech. "If there is something — anything — confidential that is discovered, he will ensure that the information never escapes. And he will stop at nothing to do so. I have seen..."
Now his tone adopted a rare plea, his eyes wounded I and vulnerable "Please… you can't go. I have to keep you safe…"
"Yeah…" Zack met his friend's eyes, smiling wanly. "And I gotta keep you safe too."
xxxxxxx
Sunlight was a nice gift. It normally reminded him of a fresh new day, waiting to be explored. Now, however, its greeting scorched Zack's eyes as he exited the dark and dreary umbras of the chamber.
He paced down the village's square, observing all the townsfolk returning to their everyday lives. The faint smell of smoke still lingered, as did the charred remains of some unfortunate homes. But otherwise, who could tell the difference?
Another problem was his injuries. It was only afternoon and he had completely neglected his legs. Thankfully, an intact bench was just ahead.
Temporarily relieved, he set aside his crutch and plopped down with a sigh.
It was all such a mess.
These unsuspecting people who had been hurt, the poor hearts that had been scarred. Seph was being blamed for it all. And even worse, the blame was justified.
As much as he couldn't stand the way his best friend was being treated, he couldn't bring himself to feel any poison towards the villagers either. Why would they think anything of it? If Gongaga had been razed, he sure heck would want to see the attacker punished, as much as he wouldn't like to admit it. He would probably think it'd fill some empty void in his heart, forcing them to feel the pain he had.
Yet he knew it would never revive the people that have been lost. Someone else's suffering could never.
So… he really oughta just keep it to himself.
But Zack knew the truth. He knew the person who set fire to this town, and that person wasn't Seph. It was somebody who looked like him, talked like him and fought like him, but wasn't him. It was a stranger who didn't know Zack, and Zack didn't know either.
The Soldier buried his head in his gloves, balling them into fists. He was going to get his friend back. Even if he was the only person on the planet who would help.
