Note: Reminder that the breaks with "..." denotes a period of of less than 24h and "./." denotes a time-period greater than 24 h separate the scenes
Chapter 20: Power or Control
Dear Sephiroth
Of course I will tell you about the conference. It has become big new. Shinra announced that they are repurposing the Department of world exploration and will be renamed the Department of space exploration.
This is a huge opportunity for many people because it offers a stable job for the next 10-years in many different fields. The competition will be fierce, however, especially for the old employee who have to prove that their skills are still useful and not obsolete.
My goodness! Space exploration! I can barely recognise what the world has become! This is a huge project of course and it will take up to a decade to finish researching, testing and finish constructing the first Rocket to space. It is going to require people from multiple fields to come together and work on this! Of course the space department can't purely focus on developing a rocket because, well, who knows if it's going to result in any financial returns. So there will be sub departments which will focus on developing and building aerial transport! Their's talk about building an airship. This is a massive construct capable of carrying an entire squad of soldiers, not to mention cargo! Imagine. They will also work on several other possible ideas like boards that can hover in the air or contraptions strapped to the back to let you fly! Though similar feats have been achieved before it has always been accomplished by ingenious combinations of rare Materia, like the ball the old scientist I met in Cosmo Canyon was using. However these are difficult to make and produce in large numbers because they rely so heavily on Materia. What Shinra is proposing I a means for transport that relies soy on Mako energy which can be mass produced. This is leagues ahead of what is currently possible with today's technology!
As far as I can tell, the conference went peacefuly. It was my first time seeing a SOLDIER. Their eyes reminded me of your's, a bit. The only disruption during the event, really, where the crowds who either rushed over to the SOLDIERs with curiosity or hung back gawking at them from a distance. They even had to remove a number of the SOLDIERs from the 13th unit because the disruption from their fans was too great. Perhaps when you are older this will also be something that you encounter. It was a bit of a strange mixture of people unsettled by and those fascinated and worshipful of SOLDIER. It is because you are different, though human you are also something more now. Throughout the ages people have never really known how to behave around those who are different. But do not let this put you off, though people can act unpleasant when they are unsure, it merely stems from the fear of the unknown. Once education is improved and access to information becomes easier, people become more openminded. In fact Shinra's education has already shown results during this conference. In my childhood, people mould not have been as trusting towards SOLDIER.
As for the next part it is both good and bad news I have to offer. My partner now bears our child! I shall marry her soon! I should have known sooner, but love can make fools of us all I suppose.
As for the bad news, I am sorry Sephiorth, It looks like I won't be in touch with you for a while. My companion an I will make haste to the northern continent before the roads become impassible. We will not have time to stop, nor will I be able to send you any letters for a while. I'm Sorry I wasn't able to come to see you in Midgard this time, Sephiroth.
Your's Truly
Gast Faremis
Receiving the letter from Veld, Sephiroth goes to find a quiet spot to read it as usual.
He's been looking forward to this.
No one has told him anything about either the result of the conference in Junon or his fate after his confrontation with Heidegger and the Turks. He had, however, over heard some Turks sighing in relief about his training being handed over to SOLDIER after the 'Heidegger incident', which Sephiroth was going to use as an excuse in his letter to Gast for his knowledge on the matter.
Unfolding the letter green eyes alight expectantly on the familiar handwriting. The space exploration program is familiar to Sephiroth's soul, but it did not lend much interest to the topic, though space itself held a quiet longing.
They'ed cover space in class already. Aside from noxious collections of gasses and barren bodies of matter there only seemed to be one thing in great abundance. Space.
What was lost out there in all of that empty space which could awaken a quiet longing in his soul?
Seeing the mention of old employees who are going to need to struggle to retain their position and image of Palmer enters Sephiroth's mind. He'd been absent at the meeting regarding his fate. Though both space exploration and world exploration doesn't seem to have much connection.
The usual disdain and indifference makes itself known from his soul. Sephiroth knows that Palmer will survive this ordeal, but he had never considered the man would need to struggle to retain it.
In fact Palmer comes off as someone who seldom needs to, Sephiroth rarely sensed any stress from the man. Contrarilly Hojo is constantly on the move, unkempt and stressed. The only thing Palmer seems to struggle with is climbing the stairs. The boy had heard him often enough in the stairwell on his way to his next class or examination. Palmer was in fact one of the few who actually used the stairs to get from floor to floor.
When Gast describes the peoples uncertainty towards SOLDIER. A faint shiver of annoyance and frustration permeates his soul just as a familiar pulsing alienation awakens This alienation he has felt before; the whispers of freak; the strange looks some of the employees give him; the uncertainty and dissonance in the the scents that awaken at his sight.
Sephiroth has always known he is different from others, this understanding only grows over time. Able to perceive things beyond the senses of the humans around him. To perform feats humans are not supposed to perform, use of magic without Materia being the least of them.
Perhaps SOLDIER will indeed be different in some of the ways he is. Perhaps he will find something familiar, a feeling of 'same' among SOLDIERs. But the silver-haired boy knows that even in SOLDIER he will be different. Because, even as he indulges in the hope of belonging and companionship from his soul, there is still the ever present sense of alienation - of 'other'.
But Sephiroth doesn't care, he has his own purpose this time. To find Cloud. To find the purpose for his obsession.
Tensely, Sephiroth reads the next paragraph. Anger wells up. His soul has now Gast would never see him again, but every time Gast mentioned that he might come by hope awakened within him only to inevitably wither.
Further more, his old friend is now rushing off to the norther continent in winter to be with this strange woman where he would be inaccessible for probably the next few months.
Eyes glow menacingly, but the hands on the letter stayed relaxed. Holding the pages gently pithing his grasp.
Reading the letter again, there was something strange about the writing. Not unusual, sephiroth always has a sense of dissonance when reading the letters. Only this time the strangeness is a little different. It seems rushed somehow. The first part is fine but the last parts are written as if in haste.
Had something happened that forced Gast to leave abrupptly?
Reading the letter a few more times, Gast seems indeed much more cryptic concerning his future plans than he had been in previous letters. Privacy flashed through the boy's mind. Sephiroth knows his letters are being read by Shinra, perhaps something Gast had written to Sephiorth in his previous letters had lead to Shinra's reprimand. It could explain why he was being more cautious with the information he revealed in this letter.
In an isolated corner in the old Shinra building a five year old child stands alone. Gazing blankly down at a friends letter in his hand.
Listening to the noises echoing faintly through the buildings old vents Sephiroth notices it is not as lively as it used to be. They are gradually moving their operations to the Shinra tower as more and more of the giant complex is further completed.
Folding the letter and tucking it in a pocket, the child begins striding towards the stairwell. With his keen awareness for time, Sephiroth knows it is time for class.
...
Down a poorly lit corridor in the old Shinra building, a child is leaning by a door with private sign on it.
The sounds of wheels and rattling instruments come down the adjoining corridor.
The child perks up and shuffles down the corridor to peer after the sound. A door opens and Sephiroth sees the familiar thin-fluffy, pale hair of the Janitor as he pushes his trolly into a broom closet.
Sephiroth doesn't know why he came here to wait for this stranger. In spite of the moments they have shared there is still a distance between them. A distance that the Janitor maintains and that Sephiroth had chosen to breach on broom closet door closes after the old man exits, palming a light switch in a habitual motion. The lights flicker off and the man trudges down the corridor in the dark. Only faint greenish reflected light filters through the twisting corridors.
Sephiroth knows the moment the man sees him because he comes to a faltering stop. Even within the darkness Sephiorth can make out the man's face clearly, his faded blue yes fixed on the small figure ahead of him. The man probably sees the glow of his eyes, thinks Sephiroth. He'd already long understood that most people could not see well in the dark.
Faded blue eyes flicker to a corner along the ceiling. Sephiroth glances up in that direction. There is a videocamera, a read light signalling it's recording.
For the first time, Sephiroth takes notice of the fact that the corridor down to the Janitor's room is in the blindspot of the surveillance.
There really was not point to servile it since it lead to a dead end. But Sephiroth has become more aware of the importance of such blindspots after hearing how much of his actions had been recorded. It wasn't that Sephiroth had never noticed the cameras in the building before. He had merely not noted their significance and thus disregarded them.
The old man continues down the corridor, a lone figure in the empty halls. It strikes Sephiroth that he has never seen this man with another. Most Shinra workers can be caught gossiping with other employees.
Much like Sephiroth. This man is always alone.
Reaching the junction, the man passes Sephiroth without acknowledging the boy.
Not discouraged, the boy stares intently as the man walks by. Delicate nostrils flaring. There is the ever present scent around the man that Sephiroth has come to identify as sadness.
What is it like, the child wonders as he begins to shadow the man's steps down the pitch black corridor, to be perpetually sad.
Opening the door to his tiny home and pulling the string for the sole dangling lightbulb in the man turns to look unspeaking down at the silver-haired child, who's eyes have turned slitted from the sudden light. The man's face remains inscrutable, as does his scent.
Suddenly, Sephiroth feels flustered. He doesn't really know himself why he came here. He'd been acutely aware of the emptiness within after Gast left. He yearns for something. Something familiar…
"I want some tea." The child says without thinking.
The words end up surprising Sephiroth more than the janitor.
The smell of Fennel tea greets to boys nostrils. Familiarity is kindled. Familiarity from Sephiroth's own memories and not from his soul.
Back on the cot in the tiny room, paper cup of fennel tea warming his hands and the emptiness within assuaged, Sephiroth listens to the slow heartbeat besides him. Perhaps they'll be a better indicator than the mans scent.
"I'm afraid I will never see my friend again." He sighs softly. The heart beat increases an inkling, but not more so than initiating any other social interaction would.
He sent me a letter when he was in Junon. He didn't say mush except that he wants to marry someone and live in the Northern continent. Because of the weather there he wont be sending me any letters for a while. I don't even know where to send my reply."
The Janitor doesn't say anything. Just stares at the wall in front of him, tea I hand. His scent doesn't betray anything. His heart is still beating at a normal rate but at the same rhythm as when he first started speaking." In site of his blank exterior, perhaps he is turning thoughts over in his mind.
Sephiroth turns his attention back to his tea and takes a sip, the distinctive taste of fennel flooding his senses. Closing his eyes the boy lets it fill the growing abyss inside of him.
Sephiroth has almost finished his tea when the old man speaks in his strange sing song accent.
"If it's the Northern continent, send it to Icicle inn."
Glowing green eyes settle on the janitor beside him.
"Why Icicle Inn? Have you been there before?" Asks the silver-haired boy, a strange feeling coming across him but he can't put finger on it. Sephiroth tastes the air. He thinks there is a slight change, but can't decide on it's significance.
Why is this man so much harder to read than the rest? Frustration is about to ignite in Sephiroth but then the janitors shoulders lift slightly then fall back down as if shrugging tiredly. The frustration abates.
He doesn't mind this man's oddity nor does he mind his company. Perhaps he could tell this man some of the things he wouldn't be able to tell Gast.
"I'm beginning to see and hear things I probably shouldn't." Starts Sephiroth, as he scoots further onto the cot and leans against the wall, staring sideway at the back of the Janitors head.
"What will happen if I don't pretend I didn't see or hear them?" He asks, keen eyes on the man.
Another half shrug.
"What would happen to you, I you saw something and didn't look the other way, or heard something and didn't pretend you didn't hear?"
Finally the man slowly turns away from the wall faded blue eyes look at the lounging boy on his cot.
"Disapear, probably." The old man answered back in his sing song voice. His heart rate doesn't change, nor does his scent.
Rufus had also said he was afraid Sephiroth would disappear.
A sudden thought strikes Sephiroth.
"Is that what my friend is doing now? Disappearing?" He asks with concern.
The Janitor doesn't reply, but neither does he shrug.
./.
It was a rainy day when Veld brought him to the old Shinra building's car park. Small squads of Shinra troopers marched to vehicles or rolled in on trucks. Veld and the silver-haired five-year-old seemed quite eye catching to the troopers since they would turn their heads and stare, some even breaking step with the others. Their three lensed helmets a familiar sight to Sephiroth soul.
There were shinra troopers patrolling the floors Sephiroth frequented, however, they were often old veterans who often had a slight limp or stiff shoulder and tended to be more relaxed with their uniforms. Seldom wearing their helmets. The rookie turks were also frequently posted as a guard detail to one of the scientists, though they were not allowed on site during any of the experiments unless they were to take part in it themselves. Such had been the case with Veld during Sephiroth's status-effect immunity experiments or his instructors during some of the measurements of his physical capacity.
Malkhazes presence during that time had been a bit of an anomaly though. Perhaps it had only been part of company politics, though…
In the end they stopped by a car which seemed outwardly like a common model for the present time Midgard streets. Veld first opened the boot, pulling out what looked like a smaller seat which he placed on the passenger seat. Stepping back he gestured for Sephiroth to climb in.
Curiously Sephiroth climbed in and found that the seat was more comfortable for his small stature allowing him to also peer more easily through the car windows. Veld bent in and fastened Sephiroth's seatbelt.
"This was never used before." Observes the child.
"An understandable oversight, but one none the less. And one I will not make." Is all that Veld says before slamming the carder closed.
In a moment veld is sitting on in the driver's seat next to Sephiroth, starting the car.
"The company has decided to afford you a little more trust. Your martial classes will be held by SOLDIER from now on. You will be permitted to leave the Shinra building to attend these classes with a Turk escort…" Relays Veld. He seems to pause as he rolls the car out of its parking space and down the bustling car park then up a ramp. Throwing a sever glance at the silver-haired child, he adds:
"I hope you will prove yourself worthy of this trust, Sephiroth." As the car exits from the carpark they are treated by a rare downpour of rain. The battering sound is oddly loud in the car. Sephiroth has seldom been outside, save for his journey to Midgar, to the Shinra Tower, and the few time Hojo brought him outside. But this sound of battering water agains a vehicle is familiar to his soul. In forgotten memories, countless rainy days on the move echos in chorus with the present.
"How may I prove myself worthy." Asks Sephiroth without batting an eye. He had been expecting this all along, after all. The scent of faint surprise exudes from the man.
"It means you must make the job of escorting you easy. Don't walk off on your own and don't try to provoke any of the Turks escorting you." He explains plainly. Severity in his voice, but a more complex tangle of emotion in his scent.
"Understood" answers Sephiroth, wondering if the Heidegger incident caused Veld to highlight the point on not antagonising the Turks or whether it was a consequence of that encounter with Cane, his staff instructor.
"Are we going to the Shinra Tower?" Asks the child after a quiet minute, seeing the skeleton tower loom closer.
"Not exactly. We're going to the SOLDIER base." Surprised green eyes land enquiringly on the Turk who is squinting between the windscreen wipers at the road. The rain pours the colours of the street lights. In the somber illumination the Turks tanned skin seems to darken, while creating a sickly highlight of the Childs paleness. Only the vaguest of echoes thrum through sephiroth's soul.
"The SOLDIER Base was built in anticipation of SOLDIER, to house and train them while the SOLDEIR floor and quarters are bing built in the tower."
Stopping at a red light The Turk glances at the silent child.
"It is also meant to be a prototype for the tower's future SOLDIER floors." The car begins moving again, the rain lightens, Veld leans back in his seat. Hands resting lightly on the wheel.
"We've never had any problems with you, but many SOLDIERS tend to forget their strength and end up damaging their surroundings. Even other employees." Veld's mind seems to drift away. Curiously Sephiroth tastes the air. Ignoring the scent of old blood, sweat and gunpowder within the car he focuses on the man who had become familiar to him but was not yet familiar to his soul.
"They hurt people accidentally?" Prompts Sephiroth. He is always gentle when he handled others. His soul had always warned him of the necessity of this. Otherwise he would not have been able to restrain Rufus without hurting or crippling him.
"A few civilians received minor injuries from the SOLDIERs placed in charge of the security during the Conference in Junon." Sephiroth's pupils narrow his thought's sharpening. This had not been mentioned in Gast's letter. Veld would know this since if he didn't read the letters himself he was at least informed of it.
This is a contradiction. Had Gast not known or had he not mentioned it? Why was Veld bringing this up now?
Seeming to sense the boy's intense stare Veld glanced at him, his scent highlighting concern at what he sees. A question arises silently.
"All injured were compensated and the news kept quiet, in order not to scare the people. Do not share this information with others." Veld reports briskly. A warning in his scent.
It seems the Turk is getting better at reading Sephiroth. Or perhaps he had simply anticipated this Veld had been tasked to talk about this with Sephiroth since there is still a slight timber of determination in his scent.
"It has been decided that SOLDIER should avoid physical contact with all people outside of SOLDIER. Mandatory classes are being set up to establish a routine around physical contact with non-hostile, unenhanced humans." Faint conflict arrises in Veld's scent.
"In theory, this includes you, Sephiroth." The words weigh between them. Sephiroth soul corroborate Velds words. The boy himself doesn't mind. He doesn't really touch anyone anyway, and those who initiate contact with him are mostly scientists. And Rufus. Which in hindsight might be somewhat alarming now that the board realise just how easy is for Sephiroth to hurt the boy.
"The only person you have ever been part of hurting severally was when you were very young, before your enhancements." Inner conflict is thick in the air. Sephiroth still somewhat remembers that assistant. He supposes that breaking his neck could be called 'hurting severally', though he doesn't think the man had been in much physical pain before Sephiroth had seen him off to the Lifestream.
"In recognition of your exceptional track record, we will not scrutinise your contact with others to the same extent a SOLDIERS since you have proven yourself trustworthy so far. Please keep it in mind, however." Veld finishes just as they approach the checkpoint of a walled off zone.
"Noted." Responds Sephiroth flatly. He has always been in control.
...
Corridor after corridor with SOLDEIRs donning strangely familiar uniforms, they pass. Strange because they were not quite the same as his soul seemed to recollect.
Glowing blue eyes follows the the silver haired child. Whispered conversation awake in their wake. This time, Sephiroth can not make out what they are saying since the SOLDIERs have adapted their voices for acute hearing.
They enter a hexagonal room. Sephiroth can tell right away that the floor beneath his feet is made from a resilient material. For every step he takes his soul thrums quietly with the information even though Sephiroth had never come across this kind of flooring before.
A maze of screens and platforms of various hight's and materials is arranged in the room. Leaning against one of them is an unarmed SOLDIER with softly curling brown hair staring pensively at the floor.
The man looks up as Sephiroth and Veld enter the room and a smile melts onto his lips, his posture relaxing as he pushes away from the screen and approaches.
"Heya little guy! I'm the Captain of the 13th devision, Nicolas Crane." His presents himself cheerily. Squatting before the child, his smile turns into a grin.
"You can call me Nick." The man finishes.
Sephiroth tastes the air. He smells nervous.
His soul doesn't recognise this man. He would probably die within the coming years, seeing as there is no way Sephiroth's soul wouldn't recognise this high ranking SOLDIER if he hadn't.
The silence between them stretches as Sephiroth stares disinterestedly at the man.
"I will be leaving the two of you for now." Coughs Veld and exits the room.
'Call me Nick' stands and smiles at the departing Turk before looking down at the boy, hand on hips.
"Well, uh… Sephiroth. Lets get started." He turns and waves for the boy to follow.
"We won't be doing any fighting today, I want to get a feel for how well you use your SOLDIER strength. See all of these platforms and walls." The man gestures widely. And hops onto a relatively low wooden platform. "They're made to simulate the real deal. See, even though we can run really fast or jump really high, if we want to. It's not going to do us any good if we accidentally kick through the floor while we're doing so."
"That's because…" Turning to the the silver-haired child he lifts a knee and makes to jump straight up. But before his foot even leaves the platform the Woden planks he stands on snap and give way.
Nick stumbles relatively gracefully off the platform. His scent is not surprised so he must have anticipated the result, perhaps most of his awkwardness is even just for show.
"Not only might you not get anywhere and fall on your face, broken floors or walls will be dangerous for any non-SOLDIERs that are passing by." Explains nick with a smile. Soldier eyes glowing softly.
Sephiroth squints at the SOLDEIR.
"Isn't this obvious?" He asks hesitantly.
Nick stares blankly before making a noise that sounds like a cross between a cough and a chuckle. His scent; incredulous.
"You really did grow up with these enhancements." He shakes his head with a smile but uncertainty lingers in his scent.
Sephiroth doesn't offer anything further so after a pause Nick continues.
"Well, practice can't hurt. Bet you don't have that much opportunity to explore your SOLDIER strength anyway. Let's see what you can do." The SOLDIER continues easily. Jumping lightly onto the wooden platform again, he gesture for Sephiroth to follow.
Curious in spite of himself, Sephiroth hops up onto the platform as well, making sure to avoid the hole the man had made before. The man is right. Sephiorth indeed doesn't have a lot of opportunity to explore his abilities.
What we're going to do is jump from one platform to the next. There are various ways of landing but to start with try to land from above with both of your feet. Afterward we'll try landing at an angle using in various positions. Then you'll have to thin about how slippery the ground is as well as how much force it can sustain without breaking.
The man jumps without further ado and Sephiroth follows. Faster and faster
"If you kick off with both feet you'll be able to jump farther without damaging the surface." Nick would sometimes call out advice to sephiroth in mid jump.
"Now use the walls!" He shouts and they begin jumping from platform to wall then back again. As time flows by Sephiroth begins relying less and less on the queues given by his soul but rather his own senses. Judging the material by sight, fine-tuning his strength from the feedback reverberating though his legs on first contact. Then using the accumulated knowledge for the next jump.
When pushing off the wall to seek hight the walls will be able to handle a greater force!" Nick throws out another tip.
Green mako yes glowed brightly and pupils slitted Sephiroth let his body twist through the air. aiming for a brick wall. On fist contact, he knows that something is wrong with it. He spread his landing stance and and uses both his hands to try to disperse the momentum. But the wall is really to flimsy. He felt the bricks shift beneath him. Following the instincts of his soul the child wills his body to stop.
And so it does. Knowing Nick is watching, his thoughts darted past in a split second. Jumping off the wall to another platform isn't feasible. The wall would probably collapse if someone happened to lean on it. There is only one thing he can do. He drops to the ground.
"Well done! You're a natural." Calls Nick sounding impressed, while jumping over and landing on the floor. Some surfaces are tricky. They aren't as solid as they look."
"Next exercise" Nick goes to retrieve something behind the flimsy wall. "Is this." He says and tosses what looks like ball at Sephiroth. Sephiroth catches it carefully. It is indeed a ball which looks like it is made of a foam like material. It is very light.
"Perfect catch." Observes Nick admiringly. The scent around him no longer uncertain. He smells happy.
"This is to help you control the force you use when you grip something. If you press your fingers in you'll see that it'll leave a mark." Just like Nick said it did, though it returned gradually to it's original spherical shape.
"Throw the ball to me." Nick instructs and Sephiroth does unspeaking. "Great, you controlled your grip even when throwing it." Offers nick taking some distance before throwing the ball back at Sephiroth.
"Treat this thing as if it were fragile." Sephiroth doesn't really need to be told. It is not a difficult task for Sephiroth. He is always in control, always gentle.
"Now begin jumping from the platforms. And try to catch the ball." Nick calls after a few back and forths.
Without hesitation, the child is back in movement, twisting through the air and skipping off of platforms and walls. Nick tosses him the ball while the child is in mid air. Catching it careful the silver-haired child lands on one of the more interesting platforms, a huge granite rock. Jumping off immediately he tosses it back to Nick who is still on the ground.
Nick begins tossing the ball towards trickier locations. Urging Sephiroth to use the trickier surfaces he'd been avoiding. Like one made out of compressed wood chips, and another which was essentially a broken plaster wall showing the insulating foam within. Although the foam dampened the force of his landing somewhat it served more to dull his awareness of how much force the wooden planks behind it could bare. Once one of his feet snapped the board on the other side though fortunately he didn't misgauge his strength enough to go right through it.
All of a sudden Nick was airborne and also jumping off the surfaces.
"We're working in a team now. Think about throwing the ball where I will be able to catch it."
The challenge is upped again. Having to judge strategic manoeuvring to catch the ball gently while paying attention to the moments of the other, deeming where they would or could go next.
Faster and faster they went, the thrill within Sephiroth grew greater as he began to ignore his soul entirely and make split moment decisions for himself.
All of a sudden, Nick misjudged his landing on a deceptively brittle wall just as he was throwing the ball. The shot went wide as the wall shattered.
Slit puipils are glued to the ball. The child bolts backwards onto a reinforced concreat platform, then shoot off of it in a steep angle. The next wall he is heading towards is the flimsy brick wall but Sephiroth will not land on it directly. Ricocheting off if it by a fraction if a degree to reach a deceptively resilient glass wall. Managing to change his angle he shot toward a rickety scaffolding platform twisting in the air to snatch the ball which had bounced off another wall and was falling to the ground. He barely clears the platform. Letting his shoulders greet the metal plate, he flexes them to give himself a little more lift as he bounces off. The child continued to dart off walls and platforms trying to reduce his momentum. An incongruously happy Childs laugh echoes in his wake. Catching sight of Nick who is standing on the ground grinning, Sephiroth passes the ball to him.
"Alright Sephiroth, exercise is over!
The child is quick to comply angling himself to shoot towards the granite rock. Killing most of the momentum against its side and letting the rest of it back him up to the top.
Nick walked over still grinning though it faltered somewhat as he got a better look at Sepiorth's eyes. Sephiroth's soul takes notice of it immediately, but Sephiroth himself doesn't let it dampen his mood.
Nick's smile quickly recovers. His mako eyes glow warmly at Sephiroth.
"You enjoy a challenge don't you?" The man laughs softly. Amazement and a little incredulity colouring his scent.
"It was… fun." Sephiroth realises letting the smile stay on his face as he basked in the thrill of the exercise.
"Well, I think you've proven that you have this exercise firmly under your bed. But, we can do it again some time." The man says warmly. But Sephiroth doesn't understand.
"Why would we do it again since you say there is no point?" Asks the silver-haired child confusedly.
Nicks smile stiffens.
"For fun of course." He says easily. But there is hesitance and doubt in his scent.
"I could even get some other SOLDIERS to join in that, they need the practice more than you anyway. And I think they might learn one or two things from watching you do it." He continues a determination solidifying in his scent.
"Aright… sounds fun." Answers Sephiorth. The words sounding foreign in his mouth.
Author's note:
Reviews & comments:
Thank you goes as always to al of my Reviewers tocasia for your great thoughtful reviews that have inspired me time and again to writing. The reviewers who have encouraged me in the past, the ones who come back to leave their thoughts every new update and the new ones who share their appreciation for the first time. Special thanks goes to Lailenareth, Zeiguwa, Runni, Lunanimes, Bleedingagel95, Morganna Saphire Raven, FlameSparks7, Tatty and guest who all left a comment on the last chapter!
Surprise, It's been a while since I updated so quickly. Since I'm on the move and I haven't been able to listen through this chapter like I usually do to catch any mistakes my dyslexia misses, I apologise for any weird mistakes you may have had ti endure.
I haven't planned do go as thoughowly into detail with Sephiroth's other training sessions, but let me know If you have any fun Ideas and I may well inspire me to write a bit more about it. I've also been considering to add in the year when various scenes are happening since some reader have rightly claimed their confused about the timeline. But haven't gotten around to it yet.
This is GAst's finally before his death. I remember thinking I'd arrived to that part by chapter 5 snd were on 20 now. I've always had difficulty to write short stories, even though I admire those who are capable of it. I've just finished structuring and putting order to my draft for the whole story, and have. Come up with 55 different scenes. Bear in mind that I haven't really got a lot of detail on the later events of this story, though the ending has been decided. Knowing me, this is going to be like 100 chapter. Sigh, here I was in denial that this was an an epic because I have other stories I want to write too… Better get a move on, meanwhile I've got some chapter long drafts written, that I can't wait to show you guys!
Next chpater: Sephiroth comes across PA in the Shinra Offices. And Gast's death. MAybe I'll stick in another training lesson between those two, We'll have to see...