Murphy's Law Become Reality (or The Incarnation of the Potter's Luck)

by dragonqueen909

Translation fic La Loi de Murphy Devenue Réalité (Ou L'incarnation de la Chance Potter) Soulmates are considered a legend. Yet even across different worlds, they can find each other, and sometimes, especially when the Goddesses agree, meet. Some are so broken that only the link can allow them to hold on... especially when dreams are the only way to communicate.WARNING RAPE/SEX

2. Fragments of ice part 1

Chapter 1: Fragments of Ice - Part 1

Sephiroth woke with a sigh. Now... he no longer dreamed only of the flower. In his dreams... he was with a teenager, much younger than him, even if he didn't know exactly what she looked like. The other dreams... were now... strange to say the least.

Two nights ago he was with the teenager. The night before... he had seen the flower again. Except that this time, it was bushes, which grew in the courtyard of an old type castle. And what was with that goat? He had outright summoned Masamune in his dream, threatening the goat that seemed to want to graze or crush fragile flowers in poor health. He had managed to push it away, determined to protect the bushes. On the other hand, he had been surprised to see that he had literally invoked his sword also in reality, when he had woken up.

Last night... the dream had been different. It had been... like remembering something. A memory so much more real than reality... that he didn't realize the difference until he woke up.

In his dream/memory... he had walked in the courtyard of the castle, his arms struggling under the weight of a stack of books. Still, he could see they were not that thick, but it was as if he was weak. A girl was with him, and by Gaia, what was that hair?! Even the puppy didn't have his hair so bushy! Not in this style anyway!

The discussion made little sense to him, except that the "Defense" they were talking about didn't really sound like what he knew. As in his dream with the girl... the names were scrambled, to his frustration. However, he could see that his interlocutor was clearly very intelligent... and was scolding the person he was watching the memory of, about their homework wrongly (not?) done. The answer was a bit tired, and in the lines of "the classes are finished, leave me in peace please", or something of the same kind. His attention was diverted from the discussion, however, when they met an old man on their way.

His robes (what the fuck was this) gave him a headache, the riot of colors almost causing him to cry (who put yellow and fluorescent green on a background of psychedelic blue?), and his snow-white beard was going down to his belt, easily. The hat was in the same colors as the robe... and was it him, or did the embroidery move?! But what caught his attention the most was the old man's eyes. Bright blue, they twinkled brightly, and Sephiroth could see the slight smile on the ancient's lips as he watched them pass. He felt his body (the teenager's body?) stiffen, and he noticed that he/she was looking away to avoid crossing his eyes. The fine hair on his neck stood on end, and Sephiroth knew, without a doubt, that this old man was a threat. He may have been socially disabled... but he always had great instincts. And this old man... made them scream that he was dangerous. The shining of his eyes was not normal at all, and he felt that this guy was not what he seemed. He felt... wrong. As if wearing a mask of paternal benevolence. But the warrior saw clearly in his game. The mask had too many cracks for him.

And why did he make him think of the goat? Okay, they had the same bright blue eyes, but still!

Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair. Going to the kitchen, he poured the first of a long series of cups of coffee. His days started so early... and ended so late... tha he was forced to sleep very little. And at times... he wanted to kill everything. Especially seeing human stupidity in all its splendor with Palmer.

His mind was already in "General" mode, but his position having more or less forced him to master multitasking, a small part still thought about his dreams. He had not told anyone about it, not even his two friends (the tension still hadn't settled on the fact that Angeal decided to take an apprentice, Genesis obviously had a hard time accepting it), let alone to the crazy head of the scientific department. His mind... was the only place that had not been dissected in any way, and he meant to keep it that way. His dreams... had always been his personal secret, a meager source of comfort during the horrific experiences he was forced to undergo.

Now... he could communicate with someone in his dreams. He didn't know her name, but... she treated him like a normal human. Not like a hero or a monster, which were the two ways he was usually treated. Only Angeal and Genesis behaved the same way as her... and Genesis seemed jealous of him. He struggled to understand why, though. He didn't see how there was anything to be jealous of his life. Between Hojo and his experiments and the monstrous job he had to suffer with... honestly, he would rather be anonymous.

Speaking of the pyroman... we can see the flames, he thought as he watched Genesis enter the kitchen, while he was re-serving himself another cup of coffee. He accepted the pancakes Angeal held out, the latter rolling his eyes before the childishness of his childhood friend, who was still sulking. Obviously, despite the fact that it has been several days since he announced his decision, the redhead was still struggling to digest it.

With a sigh, he hit him lightly in the back of the head, surprising him.

"Stop sulking, Genesis. You look like a child making a tantrum."

"And how do you want me to take it?" Asked the redhead, becoming irritated.

"As an opportunity," suggested Sephiroth, a little weary. "Beside, the Puppy could prove to be good at Materia too, right? Not just with swords. After all, we don't really know where he's more gifted, right?"

Genesis blinked, obviously surprised, and Sephiroth rolled his eyes. Obviously he was so deep in his jealousy he hadn't even thought of that. Shaking his head, the silverette resumed his breakfast. He noticed absently that the pancakes were red-fruited this morning. He preferred the chocolate one, personally, but it was a change.

A glance at the pile of paper beside his plate caused an eye twitch, and he suddenly decided that, failing to send everything flying as he had sometimes furiously wanted to do, he would accompany Angeal to look for the Puppy. Genesis seemed more thoughtful than anything else now, and Sephiroth hoped his words would have an effect on him. He didn't want to lose one of his only friends.

Angeal stood up, catching his attention, and he looked at him, interested.

"Well, it's time for me to adopt the Puppy," joked the big man, a slight smile on his lips, making his friends snort. "Gen, do you want to come?"

Seeing the enthusiastic glow in the eye of the redhead, the silverette grabbed him by the collar.

"No, Genesis, I'm still waiting for your report about our last mission. I know you still have time to do it before it's considered late, but the sooner you do it, the sooner you're released."

Genesis blinked, quite surprised, having never seen things from this angle. Nodding, he rose reluctantly and walked to his office to do his report. He hated all paperwork that wasn't related to the theater or Loveless. His reports were always made in time, however, even though he was nearing the deadline with this one.

Meanwhile, Sephiroth decided to take a look at the Puppy in question, quite intrigued. Angeal wasn't one to waste time with someone who was hopeless, which meant that the kid had to have a lot of potential for catching his eye, even if it was still early. He had just entered the program after all. He took a mental note to ask Angeal why the boy had caught his attention, because it intrigued him to be honest.

A brief passage through his office saw him leave for the training grounds. Fortunately, this morning was apparently devoted to sword training, which meant he could hide behind an unstained window and not draw attention to himself, which was the goal. He wanted to avoid drawing attention to himself too soon, which would be counterproductive to his goal.

He had no trouble finding the kid once he arrived at his destination, his hyperactive side clearly distinguishing him from others. He tilted his head slightly to the side, intrigued. The boy, despite his over-excited side, seemed to be helping one of the other cadets, who seemed to be struggling with something. Mmmh, maybe a future leader, despite his apparent lack of attention. The others seemed in any case to respect and listen to him, more than the loudmouth approaching them.

The latter began by making fun of the Puppy, mocking his lack of attention among other things. The concerned ignored him completely, clearly focused on his companion. Finally, the boy who made fun of him grew tired, and changed his focus, focusing on the puppy's mate. Calling him by his name or first name (Kunzel, if he had heard correctly), he asked him if he didn't want to come with him, he clearly had too much potential to hang out with such an idiot.

Kunzel only replied that he was not interested, making him flush with anger. Zack then turned, his expression still so happy, but... Sephiroth could see the warning light in his eyes. He realized immediately that eternally happy (or almost), didn't mean stupid, quite the opposite. He put an arm around Kunzel's shoulders, totally relaxed, looking at him with a calm air, as if his opinion did not matter.

"Excuse me Davies, don't you see that you're bothering my friend? I'm not sure you need a bigger head, you must already have trouble to pass the doors, I don't want to add more."

Zack said all of this in one go, and still with his big, happy smile, and yet, perfectly serious. He could almost ask this as if it were the next break, and Sephiroth couldn't help snorting with amusement. His amusement was quickly gone, however, when "Davies", red with anger, threw his fist in the direction of Zack, clearly intending to hit him, without being really provoked. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, surprised at seeing the Puppy's reaction.

The latter, rather than take the hit, leaned back, dodging the blow easily. Releasing his friend, he turned, causing Davies to fall from a well-placed sweep, before throwing him to the ground, holding him with an arm behind his back effortlessly. He then kept him flat on the ground, even as the instructors headed towards them, shouting at them to stop fighting immediately. Sephiroth, however, was impressed by the Puppy's restraint. Instead of escalating the situation, unlike Davies, who had clearly intended to hit Zack, and perhaps even to pose as a victim, the Puppy had tried humor. And, when he had been attacked, had only immobilized his attacker.

Nodding, the silverette decided to intervene. Entering the room, his presence quickly attracted the attention of the instructors, who quickly turned to attention, suddenly very pale. Even the cadets turned pale, stepping out of his way, suddenly stiff. The only ones who seemed not to have noticed his presence were Davies, Zack, and the instructor now reprimanding them for fighting. Of course, Sephiroth was right, and Davies was trying to pretend to be the victim in the story, ignoring the discrete signs of Kunzel, who had spotted him. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow in his direction, and the younger Wutian featured boy stopped, swallowing nervously. The silverette wasn't mad at him, though. The younger man made him think a little about Zack, more calm and focused, but with a good heart, if the respect he had seen from others was any indication.

Speaking, he watched the instructor and Davies freeze, before staring at him in surprise, and in the case of the younger, anxiety.

"Sergeant, I saw the confrontation. Cadet Fair here today showed no sign of hostility or aggression, unlike Davies."

The sergeant nodded, a little pale. Davies was equally pale, and seemed to realize he was in trouble up to his neck, especially when Sephiroth spoke again.

"Cadet Fair was also selected by Commander Hewley to be his apprentice, which is why I came to watch him. I can see that, unlike Davies, he has the potential to be First Class. He is also obviously a born leader, and knows how to take the time to help his companions if they need it. I observed that his classmates respected him, and wouldn't hesitate to follow him. In addition, he was able to show restraint when Cadet Davies attacked him without provocation. On the opposite, Cadet Davies presents the symptoms of someone arrogant, who prefers to be feared by his subordinates than appreciated, and who prefers to give orders while staying behind the lines. In addition, he is showing signs of an aspiring bully, and I think the cadets are aware of my opinion on those?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in their direction.

The other cadets nodded, pale and looking slightly relieved to see he wasn't after them. Of course, everyone was aware of this rumor, which was even one of the first things they learned outside of class. General Sephiroth hated harassment more than anything else, and anyone he caught in the act was to pack his bags, for they ended up being dismissed from the army with dishonor, and could no longer hope to enter it again. The few cadets still standing near Davies moved away from him as if he had a contagious disease, clearly understanding that his time in the company was running out. Trying to protest did nothing to help your case either, and Davies was at least smart enough to realize it, because he stays silent, clenching his jaws. He couldn't help glaring at Zack, however, visibly jealous that Commander Hewley had chosen him as an apprentice, and that General Sephiroth had decided to come and watch him... and even say his praise, something never seen before. It was well known that Sephiroth was sparing with his compliments in his Materia classes, giving very little.

The latter blinked in surprise, however, as he glanced at Zack. For a second or two, he could have sworn he saw dog ears on his head... and a tail that was furiously wagging behind him. They were transparent, and disappeared after a few seconds, so he decided it must have been due to his dreams. Shaking his head mentally, he turned when hearing Angeal enter. He raised an eyebrow at what was happening, and looked at Sephiroth, visibly perplexed.

"What happened ?"

Sephiroth was happy to summarize the altercation, watching Davies become more and more pale. Angeal shook his head with grief, looking at the Cadet.

"Cadet Davies... you know that the SOLDIER is the showcase of Shinra, is not it? As a result, candidates must be irreproachable. The fact that you show signs of a potential bully makes it only a matter of time before this happens. There is no honor in picking on weaker ones," he remarked.

"Fair is not weak," Davies grumbled softly, forgetting that their hearing was sharp enough to hear him.

"Him no," Angeal conceded. "But what would have happened if it had been someone else? And I guess you're not aware of what happened last year, not long after Zack Fair joined the program, right?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Davies shook his head, obviously confused and puzzled, while Zack looked extremely embarrassed. Sephiroth, in his case, was very interested. He had not really known what had happened, and hadn't taken the time to look. Angeal spoke calmly, summarizing what had happened.

"Fair managed to wield one of the heaviest swords in the armory, and, for over an hour, destroyed several training dummies until they were irreparable. At the same time, in spite of his apparent anger, he didn't go after his classmates. Would you have been able to do the same, Davies?"

The latter shook his head, visibly shocked and skeptical at the same time. He spoke again, his tone showing all his skepticism:

"Fair? Angry? He always has that moronic smile on his face!"

Angeal shook his head in response.

"Don't we say to be wary of the sleeping water? Plus, Fair is clearly not stupid. His notes are excellent for someone who is struggling to concentrate. Of course, it is clear that a classical instruction is not adapted to him. An apprenticeship, on the other hand, will suit him much better. Sephiroth, your opinion?"

The latter nodded.

"I agree. He has potential for the sword, moreover, and perhaps also with the Materia, from what I have seen. Above all, he has a sense of fairness, which is necessary to become a good commander. He is just, and honorable enough. You, on the other hand... you would have ended up expelled from the army anyway. So don't make your case worse."

Zack clearly wanted to jump on the spot, and was holding back with a Herculean effort. His eyes were visibly glowing with enthusiasm, and Sephiroth was already feeling the weariness of just looking at him. Sniffing with irony, he looked at his friend.

"I have already spent enough time here. If I linger too much, I'll swim in the paperwork. Good luck with your Puppy," he joked, patting the giant's shoulder. "You will need it."

The latter let out a long and heavy sigh as Zack lost the battle against himself, and began to hop on the spot. Yes, he was going to have work. Amused, Sephiroth left, already reorganizing Angeal's schedule to allow him to take care of the Puppy. Of course, he would have something to say, but it would save him some work. The kid gave the impression that he was going to have to take care of him a lot. But the potential was there. He also seemed good enough with Materias, although he hadn't had many lessons on the subject yet. He certainly wouldn't be as amazing as Genesis on the subject, but he would probably be better than Angeal, that wasn't in doubt. And most importantly, if he worked with Genesis, he might be less prone to jealousy than if he took all Angeal's time. At least he could always hope.

He finally arrived at his office, and let out a groan seeing the piles of papers on the desk. He barely exaggerated when saying that he risked swimming in paperwork if he was absent too long. Genesis tended to say that they were breeding... and sometimes he almost agreed with him. Better deal with it before there is too much.

The days continued to flow, his nights composed of dreams where he spoke with Fleur, or landscapes of her home... or the castle.

oOo

Sephiroth welcomed the dream with a certain pleasure. He enjoyed being able to talk to Flower (as she suggested he call her) from time to time. It wasn't every night, though, but about one night out of four. The rest of the time, he dreamed of the castle and the bushes of flowers (and he was beginning to have enough of this goat trying to attack the flowers), or else, he saw clips of memories. Some made him confused, but he could see that Flower's life was not better than his.

Speaking of the person concerned, he felt her sigh.

"Bad year in prospect?" He asked gently, remembering what she had told him last time.

"That's the least we can say," she mumbled. "I did my research, so I should avoid being treated as a pariah, but I didn't ask for all that bullshit."

"An idea of why?"

"A crazy tournament that had been canceled because of too many deaths," grumbled Flower. "The last time it was held, the headmasters of the respective schools were injured, two of the hostages were seriously harmed by a beast that had escaped control, and one of the participants died. It was the last held, despite some attempts to revive it."

"How long was it?"

"About two centuries for the last really held."

He frowned, puzzled.

"And why is it held, if it's so dangerous?"

Flower snorted sarcastically.

"Oh, several reasons in my opinion. One is that the monster who's after my skin wants to recover a body, and he needs my blood for that, to get around the protection left by my mother. The other is that the old goat directing my school probably wants to get rid of me, because I'm supposed to die to defeat the nutcase who doesn't want to die. Besides, he's after my money, from what I could learn."

Sephiroth blinked, surprised.

"You are so rich?" He asked, puzzled.

They had finally agreed, the last time they had seen each other, to be informal with each other, since it would seem that their bond wasn't ready to stop. And none of them wanted it. Flower snorted with some bitterness.

"Filthy rich, according to my bankers. I must be in the top 5 of the richest people in the country, magic or not. I cannot access most of the money at the moment, but just what I can access is huge."

Sephiroth clicked his tongue, disgusted.

"Money seems to be the motive for many crimes, it seems."

He felt Flower shrugs her shoulders.

"That and sex are the oldest reasons for crimes in the history of humanity. The tournament brings a nice sum of money to the winner... but I could lose that same sum of money without even realizing it, I'm that rich. And I don't want the so-called eternal glory, I'm already famous enough. Also, I'm sure no one remembers the last winner of the tournament, or even which school he belonged to."

"And you think that you will probably be drag in it," noticed the silverette.

He felt her sigh again.

"No probably, it's a certainty. I intend to expose a few flaws in the old goat plan, if I can. Even by just pointing out that a simple Age Limit will not be enough to prevent someone ill-intentioned to put my name in the Cup to make me participate against my will."

"And if that fails?"

"Threaten to change schools. Oh, he will not let me do it, but it should make him panic enough to slack in his efforts."

"Hmm. I understand. And concerning the protection of your friends and yourself?" He asked with concern.

Flower let out a sigh.

"Normally... we are protected. And the reaction of my friend on hearing that there were compulsions to alter his judgment... let's say that his explosive temper wasn't only due to that, but also to the temper of his family. It just made things worse. At least, without that to stoke his jealousy... he is much more bearable."

"And your other friend? The genius?"

"She's just as furious," Flower admitted. "Because what he did to her... isolated her from the rest of our peers. She has always struggled to fit in, but last year, it was even worse, and she was on the verge of a burnout."

"And that servant you wanted to hire?"

He felt her sigh again, leaning against him, as if to draw strength from his presence.

"I told you she might take it wrong, didn't I? I had to ask one of our friend's brothers to explain why his race needed to bond with people. She still doesn't appreciate it, but at least I've been able to convince her to focus on improving their treatment rather than releasing them. It would be a massacre otherwise."

Sephiroth nodded.

"She still has a good heart," he said softly. "You're lucky to have her as a friend."

He felt Flower nod.

"Yes. Now that I know they are protected from outside influences, I am relieved. I don't want the redhead to give me a fit of jealousy because I was entered in the tournament against my will. I don't have any illusions, however. Being forced to participate... is a certainty."

"And if one ever try to rob you of the talisman?"

He heard her chuckle softly, visibly amused.

"If we don't remove them of our own free will, by undoing the clasp… let's say that the person trying to steal them will have a big surprise... not to mention that it won't be discreet at all."

An amused and vengeful smile appeared on his lips. She had a slightly vengeful and sadistic side that didn't displease him, because it was directed against those who were at fault. The others, she left them alone unless they deserved her anger. But considering her life... many deserved her scorn.

They continued to make plans to try to allow her to survive her year without much damage, but Flower had explained that she wanted to keep a low profile as much as possible. To show that she knew too much... was a sure way of seeing her memory erased.

Sephiroth had noticed that her magic seemed quite different, but impossible to know much more. She could talk about it in broad outline, but not give details. In any case... it seemed at the same time more limited by certain aspects... and at the same time more versatile. Something told him that Genesis would love where she lived. But unlikely to access it, since, according to her, magic users were paranoid and did everything to hide. He would have liked to join her... if only to protect her from those who would wish her harm.

Unfortunately, it was impossible, and he had to resolve to speak to her only in his dreams. It was always that, although he would have liked to be able to do more. She was one of the few people he considered friends... and he was fiercely protective of his few friends. If you wanted to hurt them... you'd have to pass over his dead body first.

He finally sighed, realizing that it was time for him to wake up. The alarm would be ringing soon. Determining the time in the dream was possible, though delicate, and it wasn't an exact science. Especially since he didn't really want to wake up. He enjoyed talking with Flower, especially when he had a bad day in the labs.

He had never heard her speak of any family, however, only people with whom she was living against her will and theirs. Moreover, they apparently didn't treat her very well, even though, since her godfather had escaped from prison, they had calmed down. And at least now that she was at her friend's house, she was safe from them... but not from her friend's mother, who seemed determined to pair them together, despite the fact that neither of them agree.

Reluctantly, he wished her good luck for his day, and concentrated on waking up.

oOo

Sephiroth opened his eyes just in time to stop his alarm clock. I'm getting better at this, he thought as he ran his hand through his hair. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with Flower, especially knowing the rotten life she was leading. Her's might not be as rotten as his, though, he thought, frowning, mentally organizing his day. The Puppy didn't fit in too badly, and his grades had made rather impressive progress now that Angel was taking care of him. The instructors were almost biting their fingers for dropping Zack so quickly, as Kunzel had said to the latter. Sephiroth resolved to keep an eye on the younger Wutainese. Partly because with the war against Wutai, the risks of bullying were magnified, and partly because he was started to shape as a seemingly reliable source of information. Sephiroth didn't really want to know how he got his information, all he needed was that it was correct. And besides, he had potential. According to the instructors, who had conducted the preliminary tests for tolerance to the Mako, he could probably not climb higher than Second Class, but he could make a good commander for the Second and Third Classes.

Sephiroth regretted that the human body sometimes cannot tolerate more than a certain level of Mako in it. Kunzel was an example of those who had the potential to climb to the top of the ladder... but were physically unable to do so. Zack, on the other hand... the tests indicated that he could largely support the Mako levels needed to become 1st Class. Maybe even the levels of Angeal or Genesis. His own was just too far off the scale for another person to survive.

With a sigh, he prepared for the day. Genesis... seemed to have moderated his jealousy, he didn't quite know why or how, but he wasn't going to refuse a gift from heaven. Genesis... was amply bearable now that he seemed to have put a stop to his jealousy. At least a minimum, because he sometimes had uncontrollable bout of it, but it was already much better than before. He also sometimes seemed particularly pensive on certain days, and he remembered that Angel had asked him what was on his mind, one day when he seemed even more lost in thought than usual. The redhead had jumped, obviously drawn from his thoughts, and he had answered hesitantly:

"Is it wrong to want to be a hero?"

He had really seemed lost, and Sephiroth had been quite puzzled by the question. It reminded him vaguely of what Flower was talking about. When Angeal asked him why he was talking about this, Genesis hesitated, before replying that he had a penpal with whom he was talking about it. She didn't seem to have a great opinion of the hero status, like Flower, Sephiroth had noticed. He didn't seek details, however, respecting his friend's private life.

He himself didn't want to talk about talking to someone in his dreams. It was a sure way to end in Hojo's hands... and he didn't want that to anyone, not even his worst enemy.

Sephiroth closed his eyes with an exasperated sigh at some queries that landed on his desk. There were always some who asked him to reconsider his decision to dismiss their child/ brother/ cousin (non exhaustive list) of the army. His answers were always courteous (Genesis and Angeal had helped him a lot), but could be summed up in two words, "NO WAY". But every day he found at least one on his desk. Fortunately, they rarely insisted, and those who did it, generally high in the company, very rarely insisted more than once, because he came to pay them a personal visit. In general, he doesn't hear about it after that... but maybe it was also because after the third time he thrust Masamune in their running computer without them having saved their work, they had understood the message and pass it on to others.

His patience had limits, and everyone in the company was more or less aware of them. Only the President and Hojo seemed to take pleasure in ignoring them, but they also knew that Sephiroth was the one who could veto the decision to keep a soldier or not, and allow him to climb the ladder. Sephiroth generally hated his position as General… but sometimes, there were good sides to it. Refusing a position of power to harassers was part of it. Few were able to stay hidden long enough to climb the ladder, because when Sephiroth caught them abusing their power, he sent them away immediately.

He shook his head at some requests. People seemed to think that it was enough to wait a few months for him to forget their actions, but Sephiroth kept a notebook in his office, on which he wrote down the names of all those whom he caught harassing, as well as what they had done to deserve such a dismissal. It was enough for him to flip through to find out what they had done, so they never had what they wanted. He would never have accepted it.

His mind thought briefly about Flower. From what she had told him, after what she had been through, she also hated the bullying with passion. She had vaguely told him about her obese cousin, who was bullying her with the blessing of his parents apparently. He and his gang had plagued her life until she entered her school, from the little she had agreed to tell him. She didn't like talking about her past, he had noticed, just like himself. When he had remarked that to her in passing, she replied that she didn't want pity from people. Sephiroth had told her she would never be entitled to it from him, but he respected her desire not to talk about it. He understood.

A slight smile spread across his lips as he thought of the nickname Flower had given him. Koori, which meant Ice apparently. It had honestly amused him, knowing that he had a preference for the ice element precisely.

Sephiroth plunged into the paperwork, trying to get it over before going to bed. Some days... he could almost do everything before going to sleep. But in the morning, it almost seemed that the papers... had breed. He wondered briefly if he should talk to Flower about it. It would probably make her laugh, imagine that paperwork was breeding. He didn't like knowing her bitter like that. From his point of view... it really didn't suit her.

The silverette entered the apartment he shared with Genesis and Angeal (and also Zack now), silently closing the door behind him, tired. He hated his work at times, but no one else wanted it. Angeal was doing his best to help him when he could... but he had his own responsibilities too, and now he had to deal with Zack too. And let's not talk about Genesis. The latter hated paperwork just as much as he did, whereas he had much less than Sephiroth.

He went to the kitchen, and lifted the bell that covered the snacks that Angeal always left for him when he finished. Sephiroth found Angeal's mother Chocoboing sometimes a little annoying... but in those moments... he was grateful to him. Chocobo's breast with caramelized Banora White smelled delicious, and he knew it would be even better hot... but he was too tired to warm it up.

He ate quickly, washing his plate before putting it in the drip tray, letting it dry on its own. Genesis had summarized it best, according to him: "Minerva invented evaporation, I don't see why I would bother to dry the dishes!". Sephiroth snorted with amusement as he remembered that. His friend might have been raised by rich people, with servants who cared for him... but he didn't hesitate to do certain things. He was banned from the kitchen, of course, being an inveterate pyroman, unable to cook anything without setting the kitchen on fire, but he was perfectly capable of doing the dishes or cleaning. Sephiroth briefly wondered if Flower knew how to cook. Perhaps. In any case, she couldn't do worse than Genesis.

Shaking his head, he went to his room, stifling a yawn. It was almost midnight, and he was getting up in just six hours. At times... he dreamed of being able to sleep longer than that, especially when he was talking with Flower. The little she had told him about her life... worried him, to be honest. She never spoke of good things that happened to her, besides, and that made him angry for her. The best thing that had happened to her was apparently talking with him in their dreams.

Sephiroth sighed. He would like so much to be able to do something for her. Her life... had too many parallels with his own for him to be happy to leave things as they are. Especially what was waiting for her this year, obviously. A deadly tournament, to be treated as an outcast... and yet it seemed like the norm for her. But he didn't like seeing her being so... jaded about questions of life and death. If he ever met the old goat who served as her headmaster... the latter would get to know Masamune from very, very closely. Especially if his answers didn't please him, and he felt furiously that it was going to be the case.

Unfortunately, he felt that this night would be one of those he wouldn't dream of Flower, but either from her past, or landscapes from her home (possibly). He sighed, slipping into bed. While letting sleep win, Sephiroth wondered again what Flower might look like... and if he could meet her one day.

oOo

Sephiroth tilted his head, honestly puzzled. What was this creature?

Before him was grazing a small herd of snow-white creatures, vaguely resembling the mount of the Odin summon, but with only four legs. That or that lightning summon... what was its name, already? He let out an annoyed sigh as the name continued to escape him. The ears of one of the animals straightened up, as if he had heard him, and he raised his head, his eyes coming in his gray eyes of the animal rested on him... or, in any case, in the general direction of the place where he was. Sephiroth thanked Heaven for not really be there, at least not physically, because he couldn't take his eyes off the long horn that was coming out of the animal's forehead. Straight and thin, it gave the impression of being able to disembowel a man easily.

The animal moved slowly in his direction, ears erect, looking curious. The silverette stared at him, at once suspicious and amazed by the grace of the creature. The golden hooves landed almost noiselessly on the ground as the animal circled him, its nostrils opening slowly as he seemed to smell the air. Sephiroth felt his muscles unwind, almost unconsciously. As if... his aura soothed him. Gently, he raised his hand hesitantly, holding it out towards the animal. The beast recoiled, emitting a shrill and anxious sound.

The silverette immediately withdrew his hand, a little sad despite not being able to touch it or approach it. The herd had raised their heads to the sound of a member of their group, and were now nervous, ready to flee. Sephiroth looked at them with a little sadness. He didn't want to see them go, and at the same time he knew it was inevitable. Eventually, the animals calmed down enough so that some returned to grazing, but the one who had approached him remained nervous and uncomfortable. He had returned to mix with the herd, as if seeking the protection of his companions. Sephiroth blinked in amazement as he saw a group coming out of the edge of the forest. It was clear that they were the baby and young with them, the smallest of a beautiful golden color. Some were larger, and silvered except for the hooves, but had no horns, unlike the adults. Some had a horn bud on the forehead, more or less long depending on the individuals.

Sephiroth spent the rest of the dream gazing at the herd, feeling more at peace than he had been in all his life.

oOo

Sephiroth growled when his alarm went off, opening a glassy eye and glaring at the device with a menacing air. He managed to stop it without breaking it this time... even if it wasn't the desire that hold him back.

Mumbling insults in his beard (nonexistent obviously), he got up, getting ready for the day. Some days... he wanted to destroy everything. And the cold showers… only worked for a while. He sighed, rubbing his face as the water ran down his skin, before throwing his hair back. Lowering his eyes, he fixed his eyes to his erection thoughtfully. The first time it happened... he had been particularly confused and a little worried. And to see that it wasn't piss coming out... To go to the labs to know what was happening to him was out of the question, he spent enough time there like that. Fortunately, he had other ways to find out.

A tour on the network later, he knew that it was nothing abnormal, and that it was even quite natural. The whole problem was to take care of it. He didn't take long to understand that the pornographic videos he found on the network were very far from reality (he wasn't stupid to this point, or that socially disabled), but finding videos only about masturbation hadn't been easy (and luckily he knew how to clear his history, he really didn't want anyone to see what sites he had been on). Fortunately, he could find what he was looking for, although he still wondered why they did certain things in these videos. The idea of being restrained during the act gave him shivers, he had given enough with Hojo (and he thanked Minerva that Hojo wasn't sexually attracted to him), and that didn't interest him at all.

With a slight sigh, he resolved to take care of his erection. Ignoring it or calming it with a cold shower would only make matters worse, he knew from experience. He began to caress himself softly, barely touching the sensitive skin of his dick at first. He lets out a slight grunt as he felt the pleasure begin to rise, and leaned against the wall with one hand.

Sephiroth rarely took the time to masturbate for long, his duties taking up most of the day, but sometimes he wanted to make things last, like today. Slowly, he grazed his dick, shivering feeling the edge of pleasure that passed. He continued like this for a minute or two before deciding he wanted more. Closing his hand more firmly on his length, he let out a groan at the sensation, the excitement rising. Wanking more firmly, he continued the movements back and forth on his dick, gently touching his testicles, shivering at the sensation, and feeling the skin contract under his fingers.

Sephiroth felt the pleasure begin to really rise now, and he accelerated his gestures, panting. His left hand caressing his cock and the right, playing with his testicles, he felt that it was only a matter of time before the orgasm arrived. He didn't really want to penetrate his ass with his fingers today, as it happened sometimes, and he preferred to keep it for next time.

Slowly, deliberately passed over his head, flicking its contours. It took only a few seconds of this stimulus to cum, and he closed his eyes, moaning in pleasure, feeling the orgasm through.

Finally, the pleasure fell, and he opened his eyes, panting. He let out a sigh, not really satisfied (he was never totally, alas), but enough for his erection to fall. Grabbing the showerhead, he quickly rinsed the wall and his lower abdomen. At least he had finished washing when he decided to masturbate.

Out of the shower, he grabbed a towel for his hair, before wrapping another around his body. His body under control again, he could now think of the day that was waiting for him... as loaded as usual, unfortunately.

Once in his office, he shook his head in despair seeing the piles of papers that invaded the surface. No, seriously, it was believable that the paperwork was breeding! Grumbling in frustration, he went to work, trying to handle as many documents as possible before the lunch break.

oOo

Sephiroth welcomed the break with gratitude, he felt that his brain would melt in front of human stupidity. Between absurd queries (who ordered lavender scented toilet paper for the infantry?) or just six months late (like this request to renew the uniforms, it had been done at least 5 months ago, easily).

Massaging his temples, he left his office. Decidedly... he didn't know who were the worst. The people of Gaia, or those whom Flower had to bear? He sighed. It must have been a constant, the administration was stupidly crass, no matter where. Walking quickly, he decided to eat as quickly as possible, wanting to return to take care of the paperwork before being overwhelmed.

Sephiroth was lost in thought, but he stopped when he entered the cafeteria, frowning. He could see a crowd in a corner, and, if he relied on his experience with the bullies, it meant that there was an aggression going on.

Somewhat annoyed, he strode along in that direction. He could see several cadets apparently trying to calm things down, if he trusted their attitude, but with no apparent effect. Some of them changed color as they saw him approaching, grabbing their companions who seemed to disagree with the bullies, pulling them out of his way. The others, visibly focused on their victim, didn't pay attention to their environment, for their greatest misfortune. Sephiroth frowned, however, seeing that the victim was none other than Kunzel. Apparently, his sexual orientation seemed to be a problem, in addition to his origins. Personally, Sephiroth didn't care. As long as he did his job properly, both of them were of little importance to him. Plus, he seemed to be a source of reliable information, and Sephiroth didn't want to lose that.

The deep snarl that escaped him made everyone else freeze, and he saw that Kunzel seemed to be divided between worry and relief at seeing someone had finally decided to intervene. The bullies looked at him with big eyes, suddenly nervous. Sephiroth pointed at them coldly.

"You three... in my office. Now!" He hissed, his eyes icy. "And stay there until I arrive. Understood?"

The three concerned swallowed nervously, frantically nodding their heads, and let go of Kunzel, literally fleeing the cafeteria in their haste to obey. Sephiroth looked at those who had tried to calm things down, slightly calmer.

"You, go get these idiots belongings. They will be out faster this way. Although take time to eat, if you haven't done so already," he ordered.

He wasn't going to sacrifice his lunch break for these idiots! Well, if one could call it that. Considering the quality of the "cooking" they served... Sephiroth preferred Angeal's cooking by far, but he went on a mission with Genesis that very morning. So his choices were limited to takeout food (or delivery), or the cafeteria. But the takeout also meant he would eat in his office. As well take the cafeteria. At least he was changing scenery.

After his lunch break, he reluctantly returned to his office. The idea of handling the paperwork repulsed him, but he had bullies to fire. Obviously, either they weren't aware of his disgust with these practices, or they had thought that they could get away with it. After all, his repugnance about crowds was well known within the company. Seeing him in the cafeteria was an exception that had to happen once or twice a month. And unfortunately for these idiots, they had chosen precisely the day that Sephiroth had decided that he needed a change of scenery to eat to attack Kunzel.

Returning to his office, he opened the door to find the three attackers standing in a corner, looking extremely nervous. He went to sit at his desk without a word, before looking at them with contempt.

"I had thought that my stance on harassment was clear. So can you explain to me why you thought it was a good idea to pick on Cadet Kunzel?" He asked coldly.

He listened to them babble excuses absolutely ridiculous (and yet he thought he has heard some nonsense from bullies before) a few moments, leaving them to sink even more, before cutting them sharply.

"Let me clarify things. Because Cadet Kunzel is of Wutan origin, and he is apparently homosexual, you thought he had nothing to do in SOLDIER, right?"

The leader swallowed, before nodding to confirm. Sephiroth shook his own, disgusted.

"As far as I can see, I am doing you a favor by sending you back from the program," he said, silencing them with a look when they seemed to want to protest. "As you have obviously not paid attention to the rumors and explanations, I will explain two or three things about SOLDIER. First, the program is open to all people in the country, regardless of whether their ancestors are from a country with which we are currently at war. Secondly... I guess you're not aware of the effects of the injections... or you didn't want to believe it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Seeing them move nervously, he realized that they had indeed had this explanation, but that they had chosen not to believe it. He snorted with contempt. Yes, he was doing them a great service by sending them away. Sephiroth spoke again, his tone still cold.

"The injections enhanced your strength significantly, from the very first. I lost count of the number of times we had to replace the door handles in the barracks of the Third Classes, despite the fact that they are specially reinforced. Can you imagine what would happen with an ordinary woman?" He asked, raising an eyebrow again.

He saw them exchange uncomfortable looks, seeming to begin to understand where he was coming from. But he was far from finished.

"In addition… the injections cause an increase in your libido in parallel with your strength. Basically, you will want and need sex regularly, and very regularly. Do you think you can master your new strength in less than a week?" He asked coldly, staring at them without blinking. "Let me teach you something... It takes at least six months for that. Believe me, the maximum that anyone could hold without sex is a month, and he was at the end of his rope at the end. How do you think he did?"

He watched them exchange looks, enjoying seeing them squirm, uncomfortable, before delivering the coup de grace.

"He ended up having sex with other members of his group. Not because he was homosexual, or even partially attracted to men, but just because he needed sex, and masturbation was no longer enough for him. In addition, even your endurance increases. Even when you are able to control your strength… a normal woman will just not have your stamina. If you really want to be satisfied, you will have to turn to other men, because from what I have seen, you will need at least 4 to 5 orgasms to feel satisfaction. And I said at least, because I speak only of Third Class. How much do you think it takes for those above?"

The three bullies had taken an interesting greenish hue on the edges, and none of them moved more than a hair, too terrified by his gaze, so similar to that of a great predator. Sephiroth, pleased to see that he had won his case, decided to stop their torment.

"The fact that you think that sex between men is unnatural is, frankly, an outdated view of sexuality from my point of view. It has been millennia since the merely reproductive nature of sex has lost its meaning. The pleasure has taken precedence, and we are no longer obliged to have sex only to conceive children. If you're stupid enough to keep thinking that, free to you, but you don't have your place here. Your belongings should arrive any moment now, so you will give me the pleasure of taking them out of the building. And take this with you," he said, handing them the papers saying they had been fired from the army for harassment. "Now, get out. And I don't want to see you in the army again."

The three bullies took their papers without a word, and came out of his office with their heads bowed, defeated. Sephiroth let out a sigh, letting himself go against his backseat, rubbing his eyes with a touch of weariness. He still preferred to kill the problem in the bud, because if they managed to pass Third Classes, it was impossible to dismiss them, President Shinra refusing to "waste" SOLDIERS. And rectifying their behavior at this stage was long and difficult. Moreover… they always kept a share of arrogance in them, but they avoided to let most of it showed, knowing that he was in charge of assigning the missions, and that if they did too much, he could send them on the most stupid or boring missions possible. Or below their capacity.

Shaking his head, he resumed his work, signing the papers that needed it or destroying certain documents (he was certainly not going to send Third Classes for a Behemoth, they shouldn't abuse it!), looking on his computer between some documents to search for the information he needed. Sephiroth worked for several hours, changing position on his chair from time to time, annoyed because he couldn't find a comfortable position.

After a while, annoyed, he finally got up to check that there was nothing on the seat. He wouldn't have been surprised if one of the Turks had put something on his chair as a joke, as it sometimes happens, but no. As he got up, however, he realized he had a new erection, and he sighed with annoyance. He had already taken care of it this morning! Apparently, today was one of those days when he had many in the day... and if he didn't deal with it quickly, he wasn't going to be able to concentrate, he thought with frustration, feeling his dick painfully restricted by his pants. Sephiroth rubbed his face with a growl of frustration. He really didn't want to leave his office, but taking the risk of masturbating there was out of the question. Especially with all the people who might enter, sometimes without warning.

Strongly annoyed, he came out of his office, controlling himself just enough to not make the door explode in its frame by closing it, as it had sometimes happened to him. Glaring at everyone in his way, he was able to return to the apartment he shared with his friends without hindrance. With a sigh, he headed straight for the bathroom, knowing that it was at least easier to clean afterwards. He had tried once in his bed... and the feeling afterward in the sheets had disgusted him enough to not restart there.

Removing his clothes, he sighed almost with relief at the disappearance of the sensation of constriction. It feels good, frankly. Entering the shower, he decided to run the water anyway. Sometimes he went without, especially in the evening, but he appreciated the feeling of water flowing over his manhood. And never mind if he still had wet hair. Sephiroth let the water run for a moment, almost shivering as it cascaded over his erect dick, sending shivers of pleasure down his back. It wasn't enough, however, and he felt the frustration return very quickly. It was nice, yes, but he needed more. With an almost predatory growl, he closed his hand on his almost bursting dick, almost sighing with pleasure, feeling the pleasure going up at every touch of his hand. With the other, he massaged his testicles, moaning with pleasure by touching them more or less firmly, in rhythm with his strokes on his member. After a while, he decided that he wanted a little change, and the fingers of his right hand traveled to his back, and more precisely to his ass. He realized distractedly that this was probably the reason why he decided to run the water so that it could be used as a lubricant.

Closing his eyes, he breathed slowly, trying to relax, before gently sliding a finger into his privacy. He shuddered at the sensation of a foreign body in his hole, but didn't stop. It was only uncomfortable for now, and he knew it wouldn't last. Gently waving his finger, he relaxed the muscles enough to add a second. Panting, he groped to find the point that gave him pleasure, and let out a moan louder than the others when he finally found it. The position wasn't really comfortable for his arm, but at that moment it didn't matter to him. All he wanted was to reach orgasm. Accelerating his caresses and insisting on his pleasure, he felt the waves of pleasure rise more and more, threatening to spill over.

Finally, after stroking his dick and simultaneously pressing on his prostate, he let out a strangled cry as he came on the wall of the shower. Sephiroth continued to caress and stimulate his pleasure for a few more moments, until the cum stopped gushing. With a gasping sigh, he pulled out his fingers, shivering slightly at the vague feeling of emptiness that was taking place. Taking his soap, he quickly cleaned his right hand, before rinsing the wall and stopping the water.

Decidedly... he would give everything to get to feel satisfied after masturbating, he thought as he came out of the shower to dry himself. Because even if he managed to take care of his erection... it always came back too quickly for his taste.

His body calmed, at least for the moment, he began to think about what he had to do. What was happening on Flower's side... worried him, to be honest. And he unfortunately shared her pessimism about the fact that she will be entered into the tournament against her will. Seriously, it was hard to believe that people were too cowardly (he agreed on this point) to want to defend themselves against their enemies. And what kind of school headmaster put his own students in danger?!

oOo

The weeks passed horribly slowly, until the judge (supposedly impartial) of the tournament had to select the representatives of the schools for the "competition".

Unsurprisingly, Flower was selected. He had spoken with her the night after the selection, and she had told him everything, especially how the old goat had tried to stop her when she swore she hadn't entered her name in this bloody competition. At least she was pretty sure the schools believed her, even though she had also sworn in front of the true champions.

Now the problem would be to survive the three Tasks that were waiting for her... and the one she apprehended most was the first, with dragons! But what stupid morons were sending children to face a fucking dragon! Even Hojo wasn't that crazy! And they only had their wands to cast spells! Flower had snickered at hearing him insult the idiots running the tournament before telling him that one of them had taken a few hits to the head in his sporting career. He must have some brain damage. Sephiroth couldn't help but retort, sarcastically "a little too much!" to that. Flower had nodded, before explaining that she had a plan... which, she hoped, would work. She added, however, embarrassed, that with her luck, the plan was likely to end up in the trash in the first five minutes of the task.

Sephiroth had agonized himself for the duration of the supposed task, especially knowing that dreams were conducted according to a specific pattern, and he didn't control when he spoke with Flower. His relief when he could finally talk to her again was certainly palpable by her, for she thanked him for having worried about her in the next dream.

She sounded completely slammed and stressed, and he couldn't help but worry about her. With a long and heavy sigh, she had explained to him that for some reason, the fireballs she had used against the dragon had turned an unusual color, a light green like the spell that had cost her her parents. Of course, some had decided that she was turning Dark, just because it was the color of the Necromancer Fire, an obscure and forbidden branch of magic. Appropriately, they preferred to ignore that one of their most famous wizards could use it, according to her genius friend. She had to swear again on her life and her magic that she had no idea what had happened. Because, really, she didn't understand. When she trained, her fireballs had a classic orange color, which sometimes turned blue, with so hot they were. Not this time. And the mother dragon took only three fireballs before submitting, whimpering in terror, to everyone's surprise. Not to mention that she had given her the golden egg she was supposed to get to win the task!

Flower hadn't complained, anyway. She had escaped without a scratch, and she had what she was supposed to get. She didn't give a fuck about the points given, however. She had other problems. The good news, she told him, was that the next one would be underwater. And normally, everything should be fine.

Normally. Neither Flower nor Sephiroth wanted to tempt fate by saying anything. The silverette let out a sigh as he thought about it. The next "test" she faced was a ball. Sephiroth hated balls with a passion, President Shinra was always using him as a Poster Boy, displaying him against his will in these events, happily ignoring the fact that Sephiroth was already overwhelmed with work in normal times, he was almost literally swimming in the paperwork after these events. Not to mention his sexual frustration which also was acting up, forcing him to masturbate several times after the company's balls until he calms down. He didn't realize it consciously, however, but his subconscious was yearning for the presence of his soul mate. Sephiroth would have probably scoffed with contempt if he had been told that. But he couldn't have denied the feeling that he was missing something. It was less important with his friends and Zack, but he felt that something was missing. Like a puzzle that would miss a central and vital piece.

Sephiroth let out a sigh as he went to bed. Flower had explained to him that she had finally found a partner to go to the ball, or rather two. He snickered, thinking about that. Twins, the brothers of one of her friends, had offered to go with her to the ball, when learning that she was still looking for someone after the captain of their sports team declined. And she agreed, half to give the finger to the tournament (she was after all an involuntary participant), half because they were probably the only ones that wouldn't brag to have been with her at the ball, or pretend she had sex with them.

Sephiroth frowned as he remembered her reaction at that moment. There was... like a darkening of the flower field. As if the mention of sex had brought back bad memories. He hadn't insisted, however, feeling that it was something sensitive and painful for her. Flower had vaguely told him about the twins, explaining that they were inveterate pranksters, and he groaned at that. Reno split, hell on earth. She had laughed when she heard his reaction, despite the blocked name, before explaining to him that she had made an agreement with them: they behaved seriously and like gentlemen all evening, and she would give them money plus a whole collection of books about pranks and jokes they didn't have.

Sephiroth snorted with amusement, thinking back to that. At least she knew how to control them. Reno... the only one who managed to control him was Tseng. And, sometimes, Veld. Otherwise, Rude sometimes manage to prevent him from doing stupid things, but most of the time (especially if explosions were involved), he participated.

Chuckling softly, shaking his head, he extinguished the light, lying under the covers. Closing his eyes, Sephiroth slumped into sleep, wondering what he would see tonight, for he knew it wasn't one of the nights he would talk with Flower.

oOo

The silverette tilted his head to the side, astonished and puzzled.

The room he was in was huge, enough to accommodate a large part of SOLDIER and still have room. Numerous decorations were everywhere, especially garlands of mistletoe and ivy, and the walls were covered with silver frost. Sephiroth wondered how were they not melting, before mentally shrugging his shoulders. Magic, as Flower would have said. There were a hundred or so tables in the room, each with a dozen seats, from what he could see.

People were on either side of him, but he couldn't see who they were. However, he suspected that they must be the twins, as Flower had told him. Not controlling where he looked was a bit annoying for him, but as he was apparently seeing a memory, it didn't surprise him more than that. Flower looked all around her, visibly fascinated by the decorations, and he heard her say to her partners:

"It's a shame they don't do this every year," she said softly. "It's really pretty. I'd be fine not dancing, though," she added irritably.

The boy on his right sniffed with amusement.

"You forget that ********** tries to reduce expenses to a minimum, ****. I wonder what he's doing with the money he saves."

On the other side, his twin chuckled.

"Don't forget that there is a teacher who is a ghost. It's a whole salary that he doesn't have to pay."

Flower snorted sarcastically.

"Money he's probably putting in his ugly robes. Seriously, I would need a headache potion at a minimum every time I see him."

Her partners burst out laughing as they approached one of the round tables, to which a redhead was also sitting. The latter pulled a chair beside him, looking at Flower with a telling look, and Sephiroth felt her nod in response, understanding the unspoken message. Her partner on the right added, sounding more serious:

"By the way, ****, thank you for saving *****. You didn't have to give us that much money, though."

Flower snorted with some bitterness.

"Did you know that the old goat tried to proclaim the carcass for himself? I'm sure you would never have seen a knut of the sale. I killed that horror, I have the right to decide what I do with the carcass! Especially since it almost killed me," she grumbled. "By right of conquest, since I killed it, it's me who decides what to do with the body! Nobody else!"

"You're spiteful," noticed her left partner.

"I have the right to be," she replied darkly. "If I told you everything... you would understand why."

The conversation broke off as they reach the table, which mysteriously contained 14 seats instead of the twelve of the other tables, much to Sephiroth's perplexity. Flower sat next to the redhead, who cast a disapproving look towards her partners. The silverette then noticed that most people were doing the same, more or less openly even, like the old man who sat a little further or the one with a goatee next to a grumpy teenager, accompanied by a very pretty girl, at least as beautiful as the one with the long silvery blond hair, who was accompanied by a boy who seemed to have disconnected his brain, if he judged by the dumb expression he wore. Sephiroth could admit she was beautiful, nothing to say against that. But personally, she didn't attract him. The redhead spoke, drawing his attention again:

"****, ******, I hope you will stay well behaved during this evening. ****, why did you invite them both? One was not enough for you?"

Flower snorted sarcastically.

"First, *****, it is them who offered me to be my partners, not the opposite. Second, I had a choice between them and morons who wanted to take advantage of my "reputation". Honestly, if the Reaper himself had appeared to take me to the ball, I would have accepted. And they at least will not boast of having slept with me, as about 50% of the guys at school would have done. I am aware of the rumors, *****. 90% of what goes around me in school is false... and the remaining 10% is distorted. In addition, if they behave, they will be entitled to a collection of Muggle pranks and jokes... hu? What the…"

He felt something pass over him, like a comforting aura, before concentrating on his head, as if to form something, while Flower's body stiffened under the effect of surprise. He heard the surprised whispers of her partners as she raised her hand, running it through her hair and finding something hanging on her locks. She brought her hand before her eyes... holding a simple flower of delicate beauty. Sephiroth felt his breath freeze on seeing it... because it was the flower he had been dreaming of since childhood… except that this one was in perfect health. The petals were jet black, shining softly under the candlelights. The smooth stem was dressed in shiny silver, the likes that Sephiroth had never seen before, forming a delicate brooch in the shape of leaves. He could almost feel Flower's perplexity at the appearance of the flower, and he felt her partners leaned over her shoulder, obviously just as perplexed as her.

"****, where does this flower come from?"

"Good question, because I'm sure I didn't put anything in my hair before coming," she mumbled. "****, ****** ... I warn you right now, if this is one of your jokes... you can say goodbye to your collection of books."

"We would never do that!" Protested the left twin.

"We gave you our word that we would behave like gentlemen, we will!" Confirmed the second.

The boy seated at the table shook his head, his official air already beginning to grate on Sephiroth's nerves. He reminded him of some of the members of the company, those who boasted of being in the higher echelons.

"You should not encourage them, ****," he said as she put the flower back in her hair.

"And what are you doing here, brother dear?" Asked the twin, who sat next to Flower.

"I am now Mr ******'s personal assistant and he has asked me to represent him."

"Why didn't he come himself?" Flower asked, her tone bored.

Sephiroth could perfectly understand her. He hated those kind of people who gave themselves airs when they were barely competent or even incompetent. The latter let out a sigh, pulling Sephiroth's nerves raw with his official air.

"I'm sorry to have to say it, but since the World Cup, Mr ****** doesn't feel good, not at all. Which is not surprising - overwork. He is no longer so young - though still brilliant, that goes without saying. His spirit hasn't lost any of its depth, but the World Cup has been a fiasco for the entire ministry and…"

Sephiroth quickly turned a deaf ear to the boy's words, his speech sounding particularly uninteresting, and his quick assessment of the boy was right. He must have been only a few years older than Flower or his brothers (who themselves must have been a little older than her), but he already felt that he was ambitious and desperate to climb the hierarchy. Sephiroth knew his kind, and he couldn't stand them. To hear him, one would have thought that he had been elected supreme leader of the universe. Sephiroth would have been happy to bash his ideas if he had been there, but unfortunately he couldn't do anything.

In front of Flower was a golden plate, and Sephiroth wondered if the tournament organizers had brought them themselves, or if they belonged to the school. He doubted this second point, on the other hand, because he didn't remember having seen these plates in Flower's memories. He saw the old man with a long white beard seize a menu, and examine it carefully, before addressing his plate aloud:

"Pork chops!"

And, to Sephiroth's biggest surprise, a meat instantly appeared on his plate. Following his example, the other guests took their menus and began to order. Flower's gaze landed briefly on the other champions, and Sephiroth mentally blinked in amazement, realizing that the girl who accompanied the grumpy-faced boy was none other than Flower's friend, the one who was a genius. By the Goddess, she had changed a lot. Sephiroth knew that just like Flower, she wasn't interested at all in beauty products or clothes in normal times. Obviously, she had made an effort for the ball, but Sephiroth could understand that she wasn't doing so normally, it must have taken a lot of time and energy to smooth her mane. He wondered, however, what Flower would look like in her dress. Something told him... she must be very beautiful.

He quickly ignored what the other champions were saying (the foreign boy apparently touting the merits of his school), more interested in what Flower was going to order. He heard her whispering something about frog legs, and he couldn't hold back a disgusted grimace in his mind. Just the Touch me were disgusting enough like that, but he knew, from what Zack had said, that in small towns, people were not necessarily reluctant to eat the monsters if there was no other choice (even if Zack avoided the Touch me as much as possible, too many bad experiences). And he had to admit that after a while on the fields, soldiers were ready to eat monsters or anything that didn't come out of a bag of rations. And there was always at least one or two in the unit who knew how to prepare the monsters safely.

After a moment Flower decided for a dish whose name he couldn't understand. Even as the dish in question (a kind of soup) appeared, the plate itself changed shape to look like a soup bowl, surprising Sephiroth. On the other hand, why was the old goat talking about chamber pots at the table, damn it? It didn't have any place in this kind of discussion, anyway! Even he knew it! He felt Flower stifle a snicker into her bowl, especially when he saw the man with the goatee outraged face. The blonde, however, didn't stop complaining. And this on the decorations, and that on the ghosts. But will she shut up! Thought the silverette, exasperated. Her partner seemed totally out of touch with reality, too busy looking at her apparently, so much so that he couldn't seem to find his mouth with his fork. It half amused Sephiroth, while exasperating him. There were still limits to decency, even for him.

Flower glanced around her, just as uninterested by others' speeches, and her eyes fell on another table a little further away... where was the tallest man he had ever seen, at least as tall as the woman sitting at their table, Sephiroth suddenly realized when Flower's gaze was returning to her as she answered the sign of the hand he had made. They were even bigger than Angeal! And yet, he was already approaching two meters! They... had to be more than three meters! On the other side, Flower's friend seemed to be teaching how to say something to her partner (maybe her name?), And the latter seemed to be doing his best, but not getting it right, if he trusted the "Not bad" she pronounced in Flower's direction, with a small smile.

Finally, the meal was over, and the old man with the white beard (he decided to call him Old Goat in his head), stood up and asked the students to do the same. What he did next surprised the silverette, because with a simple wave of his hand he had the tables on the side of the room. Another gesture brought up a platform with musical instruments, and a group of people (probably the group playing the music) rushed onto the stage, seizing the instruments and starting to play. Sephiroth quickly noticed that the lanterns around had gone out, and that the other champions had risen, accompanied by their partners. He felt Flower sigh wearily, visibly unenthusiastic at the thought of dancing, but reluctantly rising up all the same. He could understand her.

Shaking his head mentally, he looked at Flowe's partners. As she had said, they were identical twins, but he could still see small differences in their faces, helping to differentiate them. Both of them were now rather serious, and obviously with very good manners, bowing before Flower to greet her. One of them then took her to the dance floor, obviously guiding her steps. The music was actually quite slow and melancholy, but not unpleasant, Sephiroth found. The group was quite good, although not really in his tastes. He still noticed that Flower seemed to avoid looking around as much as possible, preferring instead to contemplate the ceiling... or the absence of a ceiling? Thought the silverette, perplexed and thoughtful, seeing the cloudy sky instead of a stone vault. He finally remembered that she had told him that the ceiling of the Great Hall, where students and teachers took meals, was enchanted to mimic the sky outside.

He felt Flower's body gradually relaxed as her partner slowly turned her, respectful of her space despite the position needed to waltz, changing with his twin at one time, surprising her slightly if he trusted the startled shiver of her body. His brother, however, remained just as respectful of her, making sure he didn't make her more uncomfortable than she already was. She continued to look at the ceiling until the improvised dance floor was filled by the other students, and she could relax completely. Sephiroth took advantage of every opportunity she looked around to memorize the faces, even though he knew it was of little use. He saw a redhead girl looking like the twins at one point, grimacing regularly while dancing with her partner, a slightly chubby boy (maybe because he was crushing her feet). A little later, he saw the old goat dancing with the huge woman, and how much Sephiroth wanted to snickers at seeing them, he was so small compared to her that the tip of his hat just reached her chin!

On the other hand, the man who passed near Flower made Sephiroth's hackles raise. For because both of the wooden leg and the bright blue eye that was spinning in the man's orbit of his scarred face, as if a Behemoth had chewed on him before spitting him out. But something in his attitude set him on edge. What, he didn't know, but he felt Flower stiffen too, despite the fact that she kindly replied to his comment on her socks. She answered the anxious question of her partner of the moment (the first twin) by something sounding very much like a platitude (the fact that his eye makes her uncomfortable), even for Sephiroth.

Finally, the piece of music ended, and the twin with whom she was with gently led her to the chairs, on which she sat down with a sigh of relief. His brother arrived a few moments later, a drink in hand, and she accepted it with gratitude. Shortly after, two girls arrived, and after exchanging a few friendly words with Flower, took the twins with them to go dancing.

Sephiroth realized that just like him, Flower was quite happy to stay watching the dancers. In addition, the different origins of the students added diversity to the student population, which fascinated Sephiroth. He would have been willing to watch them all night, but the dream came to an end.

oOo

Sephiroth opened a glassy eye, and grunted as he realized he had to get up. He hated balls with passion... but yet... he would have liked to participate in this one, if only to accompany Flower. Nevertheless, the twins had been very correct with her, he thought with some appreciation as he got up, following his usual routine. They had treated her with respect and politeness, respecting her desire to not do more than one dance. Flower... didn't deserve to suffer all this, he thought angrily. Her life... made him think a lot about his. They were used and exhibited as objects, without consideration for their well-being, and thrown on the battlefield much too young.

He sighed, preparing his first cup of coffee. Why did unscrupulous bastards send children to battle? He wondered as he rolled his hot cup between his hands, thoughtfully. He had talked a bit with Flower about it, and she had told him about child soldiers, and the emotional and psychological consequences it had on them. And he had to admit... that it corresponded to a certain number of his character traits. Sephiroth shook his head slowly, his long hair gently waving in his back as it moved. Being aware of it didn't necessarily mean being able to get rid of it overnight, he told himself, refilling the cup, before heading to his secondary office. With the work he had, he was regularly obliged to bring files back to the apartment, and work on it early in the morning when getting up.

Flower might not have as much work as he did, he thought in a corner of his mind between two files, with still being in school, but from what she said, the "adventures" she had at school more than made up for it. Her first year was a good example, he remembered, pursing his lips. He still remembered the dream he had made, showing the end of the year, about which she had vaguely spoken.

It had been so real, to live it through her eyes... and it had horribly reminded him of his own experiences. He was only a little older when he had killed for the first time... and again he had not received any help. No more than she. Yet she would have needed it too.

oOo

The giant three-headed dog had nearly gave him a heart attack, before leaving him open-mouthed (mentally of course) when it fell asleep at the first notes of a flute (horribly badly played, but apparently it didn't matter), the three children taking advantage of that to open the hatch and jump into the hole, landing on something soft, which had turned out to be a plant. But the fact that it had nearly strangled Flower and her friends had not reassured him (one would have almost said it was the Malboro's cousin, he had thought when waking up, shaken), and what happened next didn't arrange things. The flying keys with the broom had almost amused him... until they went crazy when Flower had apparently grabbed the right one... on the back of a flying broom.

He had shaken his head at that. It was so cliché that it was ridiculous... but, obviously, it was effective. The next room had a giant chessboard. The redhead had touched one of the pieces, causing its activation, and, after asking him whether they had to play to cross, had placed himself, Flower and their friend in place of three of the pieces, before starting to play. Sephiroth had admired the game with interest. The redhead was really, really good. Oh, he would have been able to play some moves differently, and he was pretty sure he could have found another way than to sacrifice himself to allow Flower to checkmate, but he had done well.

The next room, on the other hand... the smell made him want to throw up so horribly, and even when he woke up he was still nauseated. The thing lying on the floor was hideous, but fortunately the creature was completely unconscious, a bloody bump adorning its head. Flower and her friend had pulled up their robes to try to smother the smell, and Sephiroth was glad he hadn't been there, he probably would have fainted because of the stench. Even Flower was nauseated, he could feel it.

The next room... seemed almost banal compared to the previous ones... until colored flames appeared in front and behind, blocking the exits. In front of them was a black fire, and behind, the flames were purple. In the room was a table, on which were placed seven bottles of different shapes and a roll of parchment. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at the poem, quite impressed by the logic. And snickered at Genius words. Wizards, lacking logic? He had to admit that she was right. Besides, now that he was thinking back to what Flower had told him... that was exactly it. He remembered shaking his head, impressed by the intelligence of Flower's friend, who had found the solution to the poem at the same time as him.

Unfortunately for Flower, only one of them could go forward, the amount of potion remaining in the bottle just enough for one person. After encouraging Flower, her friend took the potion allowing her to go back, and Flower the one to move forward. Despite the fact that he felt her tremble from stress, she stepped forward without hesitation. Her surprise at seeing the man in front of her told him that she was obviously expecting to find someone else. The man snapped his fingers quickly, tying her up without a word, obviously taking advantage of the fact that she was distracted by their discussion.

Sephiroth frowned as he heard him talk about what he had done. He couldn't understand the name of the creature in the other room, but he would have brought one into a school full of defenseless kids?! What was this guy's problem? The concerned turned around at that moment, studying the mirror eagerly. The object was huge, at least as big as Angeal, and sported symbols (a writing?) at the top. And what stone did he speak off? Sephiroth could hear the capital letter in the name, as if it were a particularly important object, even if he didn't understand why. It wasn't like it was a Materia!

Flower tried to distract him, doing her best, without effect. The silverette was particularly frustrated, because he had only a small part of the context, and therefore lacked most of the elements needed to effectively analyze the conversation. And the blocked names didn't help at all. Flower finally fell to the ground with a grunt, having visibly tried to move (to look in the mirror, but why?), completely ignored by the man in the turban. Finally, the man exclaimed with frustration:

"How does this mirror work? What's its secret? Help me, master!"

Sephiroth, horrified, heard a voice respond to him and the voice seemed to come from the man himself. But what the...

"Use the girl... Use the girl…"

The man turned to Flower.

"Right. ******, come here."

He clapped his hands and the ropes tying Flower fell immediately to the ground, the little girl getting up slowly.

"Come here," he repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see there."

Flower approached him. Sephiroth could feel her shaking with fear and stress, but she was bravely moving forward. Finally, she found herself next to him, and if he had been in his own body, the silverette would have stiffened. The smell that emanated from the man looked atrociously like a rotting body. But his movements were too fluid for him to suffer from gangrene… not to mention that he looked physically healthy. Flower took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, struggling against a nauseated reflex, before taking a step forward and opening her eyelids.

Sephiroth felt frustration rising as he realized he still couldn't see what she looked like... although she had certainly changed a lot since then. The reflection of the mirror... gave him the impression of looking through a pan of frosted glass. He could distinguish the general shape of Flower's body, as well as the colors, but not the details. Or, at least, not all. A mane of hair going in every direction making him think of Fair's, and bright green eyes were the only things he could roughly distinguish. He frowned, seeing that Flower's reflection seemed... to smile at herself? Before putting her hand in her pocket, pulling out an object of medium size, bright red. Her reflection gave a wink, before putting her hand back in her pocket. Sephiroth was stunned as he felt something heavy appear in Flower's pocket, as if, somehow, the object had come out of the mirror and had become real!

"So?" The man said impatiently. "What do you see?"

Flower gave Sephiroth the impression of gathering all her courage.

"I see myself shaking hands with **********," she said. "I... I won the cup for **********."

The man cursed again.

"Move," he says.

As she moved away from the mirror, Sephiroth felt the stone bang against Flower's leg. Was she going to try to escape? But Flower had hardly taken a few steps that a shrill voice spoke while the man hadn't opened his mouth.

"She's lying... She's lying..." the voice said.

"******, come back here," he shouted. "And tell me the truth! What did you see?"

The high voice rose again.

"Let me talk to her face to face."

"Master, you don't have enough strength," said the turban wearing professor.

"I have enough for that…"

Sephiroth wanted to take Flower away from him at that moment. She was clearly petrified with terror, and if he didn't understood what was happening... he felt something bad coming. After all... she had said that her parents' murderer had possessed one of her teachers in her first year. Was it... was it him? In any case, he felt that she could no longer stir a single muscle. Petrified, she watched the professor raises his arms and start undoing his turban. Soon the turban fell and the man's head suddenly looked strangely small. Then he turned on his heels.

And there, Sephiroth would have liked to be able to scream his disgust. Behind the man's head, instead of his skull, there was a face, the most disgusting face that Sephiroth had ever seen. It was chalky white with flaming red eyes and slits like nostrils, like the head of a snake.

"**** ******…" murmured the face.

Sephiroth felt Flower try to take a step back, but her legs refused to obey her.

"Do you see what I've become?" Said the face. "Shadow and vapor... I take shape only by sharing the body of someone else... Fortunately, there are still some who are ready to welcome me in their hearts and their heads... The blood of ****** gave me strength, these last weeks... In the forest, you saw my faithful ******** drink for me... And when I have the elixir of life, I will be able to recreate a body that will be good for me... Now... Give me this stone that is in your pocket."

So he knew. Sephiroth suddenly felt Flower's legs come back to life. She took a step back.

"Don't be stupid," said the face angrily. "You better save your life and join me... Or, you will know the same fate as your parents... They died begging me to give them mercy…"

"LIAR!" cried Flower.

The silverette could feel that Flower had tears in her eyes, of sorrow, anger or terror, he would have been unable to say. Maybe all three at once, he wouldn't have been surprised. The man backup towards her so that the face didn't lose sight of her. The evil face was smiling now.

"How moving…" he hissed. "I always appreciate courage... Yes, my girl, your parents were courageous... I first killed your father and he resisted me with great bravery... As for your mother, I hadn't planned for her to die... but she was trying to protect you... So, give me the Stone. Otherwise, she will be dead in vain."

"NEVER!"

Flower leapt to the inflamed door, trying to flee. Sephiroth was nauseated in front of the scene. Which psycho could rejoice in killing parents in front of their child? A child so young that she was unable to defend herself?

"Catch her!" shouted the face.

With a gesture, the man grasped Flower's wrist. She immediately felt a sharp pain in her scar. The poor girl had no doubt felt that her head was going to split in two, and Sephiroth was feeling the pain as if it were his own. The girl screamed, struggling with all her strength, and, to the surprise of Sephiroth, her assailant let go. Suddenly her head hurt less, but the man, on the other hand, was bent in half by pain, his eyes fixed on his fingers, which were covered with visible blisters, as if burned by a flame.

"Catch her! CATCH HER!" Repeated the shrill voice of the parasite.

Again, the possessed man dived on Flower. He made her fall to the ground and immobilized her by crushing her under him, both hands clasped around her neck. The scar became so painful that Sephiroth could see that Flower was almost blinded. She managed, however, to distinguish the face of the man who screamed. He seemed to be suffering a terrible pain. If he had been there... Sephiroth would have gutted him without hesitation. What kind of bastard was attacking a child? He almost felt a vengeful pleasure to see him suffer every time he tried to touch Flower.

The fight was so unbalanced despite everything that it made him sick for Flower. An 11-year-old, with barely a year of training behind her, against an adult wizard? The only thing that seemed to save her was the fact that her assailant couldn't touch her without suffering excruciating burns. Sephiroth could see it when he dropped her, keeping her on the floor only with his knees. He had looked at his hands in disbelief, they were burned at least to the third degree, the flesh raw. The parasite then ordered him to kill Flower with his shrill voice, and this one, as if by reflex, put her hands on the man's face, tearing him a howl of pain and making him fall to the ground, rolling himself to the ground in pain.

Flower seemed to have also realized that he couldn't touch her without suffering tremendous pain, for she jumped up and grabbed his arm without hesitation, making him yell in pain again. Sephiroth now had trouble distinguishing what was happening, so much was the pain, blinding. All he could perceive was the pain, the cries of the man and the parasite, and a voice that seemed to call Flower.

He suddenly felt that Flower was letting go, or that the arm to which she clung was torn from her, and fell into unconsciousness.

oOo

Sephiroth let out a curse when he accidentally broke his cup. He was so angry because of the memory that he had forgotten to control his strength. Sighing in annoyance, he got up and went to clean up the pieces. At least he had finished his coffee before breaking the mug. After throwing the pieces in the trash and refilling a cup of coffee, he returned to his papers, part of his mind continuing to think about the dream/memory.

Flower... was apparently unconscious for three days after that event. And when she woke up... the Old Goat hadn't offered her any answers. He had just explained to her that her mother's protection prevented the terrorist who had murdered her parents from touching her. On the other hand... to tell her why he wanted her... nothing at all. And yet, she had asked. But he had refused to tell her, pretending she was too young to know. My ass! Sephiroth thought angrily. When someone wanted your hide at such a young age, you had the right to know! The rest of the conversation had given him some answers, even though the blocked names had prevented him from fully grasping the situation.

With a sigh, he ran his hand through his hair, annoyed, especially when he saw the time. He would soon have to go to his office, and he had already lost his breakfast time. Sephiroth resolved to take Angeal's pancakes to the office if he wanted to finish his breakfast... because of the quantities they had to eat, he couldn't finish on time.

He stood up, his mind still thinking of what had happened to Flower. The poor girl… she didn't even have anyone to talk to about the fact that she had apparently been forced to kill a man. No, instead, she had been sent back to the people she was living with. And he remembered that she had almost begged to not be sent back there, without effect.

Why did he insist that she live there anyway? He wondered, frowning as he sat down at the table, nodding to the others. The Puppy's welcome was as enthusiastic as usual, snatching him an almost invisible smile. The cheerful and friendly character of the boy often cheered him up, especially when he was thinking of such things. Sephiroth sighed very softly.

If only he could do something for Flower...

oOo

The silverette ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He had become accustomed to eating more regularly in the cafeteria to kill bullying situations in the bud, at least there. The whole problem was that the food was awful, and with the quantities needed for his metabolism... let's say that even the food served at Flower's school seemed appetizing to him, and yet he found it too fat for his taste, from what he saw.

Sephiroth leaned against the windowsill with a tired sigh. His gaze was lost on Midgar... or, at least, the little he could see with the fog of pollution. Flower... had at least been able to solve the enigma of the golden egg, from what she had told him. The tournament organizers would take someone precious, and she would have an hour to get them back. Fortunately, she told him, she knew how to reach them, and also, from what she knew, they were in no danger... in any case, three of them at least. From what Flower knew... one of the participants wasn't completely human, and the problem was that if this non-human blood had given her some advantage in the first task facing the dragons, protecting her from fire, this same advantage was turned into a handicap once under water. And that wasn't counting the fact that the sister of this same participant would be used as a hostage. The problem was that the girl would be in serious danger of death because of the freezing temperature of the water, plus the fact that it was winter.

Sephiroth was getting more and more angry with the organizers of this "tournament". Not content with forcing a minor to participate, they put the life of a little girl in danger! Even though they knew that because of her ancestors, the icy water posed a threat to her! Shaking his head angrily, he walked away from the window. Really, if he could find a way to meet Flower one day... he would have two words to say to the organizers of this thing.

Striding away, he was unaware that his words had made icy chill rise in the backs of some people, including Dumbledore and Barty Crouch Jr, who posed as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. As if someone had walked on their grave.

To be continued…

First chapter finished o/ However, it became so long that I preferred to cut it in two XD It had reached 70 pages and was far from finished. Hence the "Part 1".

As for the scenes in the shower... thank you for being lenient, this is the first time I do that.(was also my first time translating smut - Dragonqueen909)

The next chapter? The second and third tasks of course! As well as some insight on Seph side