7- Their Story Begins

Everything in Cid's world stood still in that moment. The gun pointed between his eyes, Grimoire accusing him of falling for his son, planning on taking him away and deflowering him and ruining the Valentine name. Well yeah, Cid was guilty on all accounts but was this guy really fucked up enough to shoot him? He did kill Sephiroth after all, Cid mused. If this guy could kill a SOLDIER he could kill some hicktown redneck. Levian was in the yard now brandishing a pistol of his own at Grimoire but the dark-haired man refused to budge. Cid felt cold all of a sudden, terrified as the telltale click sounded. Grimoire would show him no mercy... even if Levian did shoot Cid would be dead before it hit.

He pulled the trigger and a voice screamed from the window. "SEPHIROTH!"

Thunder sounded and the shot never came. Tattered black plumage appeared around Cid shuddering at the impact shaking loose a few stray feathers. The wings wrapped tighter around him, embracing for the next shot. The rich scent of blood and mako swirled around Cid and he looked up into clear demonic eyes of the silver haired SOLDIER haunting Vincent's dreams. Even in death Sephiroth would guard Vincent and those he loved. It wasn't his time to rest in peace just yet.

"CIDNEY!" The clatter of keys flew through the air landing at his side. Cid grabbed them and blinked.

"The Gelnika!?" A heavy thud sounded and another gunshot, Grimoire moaning in pain. Sephiroth's wings pulled away and Cid rose, looking into the eyes of his father. Levian had wrestled Grimoire to the ground and now held the gun between the man's eyes. He shook his head and gave a frown, none too pleased he was letting his son run away with another man but he loved his son too much to see him dead.

"She's alot more reliable. I know she'll get ya to where ya wanna go! Now get outta here!"

"Love you too Dad." Cid grinned and whistled for his companions to follow. Shera pulled Lucrecia and Vincent from the house, the four runaways packing into the ancient airship. Levian watched with bittersweet hope as the ancient clunker rose into the sky and clattered its way off. Towards the sea, over the mountains, into the realm of dreams and the mysteries that lay within.

*one year later*

Things had been quiet again, uneventful, around the Highwind household. Levian had heard very little of the group and he wondered how they were faring. Bitter as he was that his son didn't turn out to be the family man he'd always wanted, Levian knew he couldn't be too angry. Cid was exactly like his mother. Once that woman made up her mind there was no changing it. He knew she would be proud of their son and so he forced himself to swallow his own vices and accept his son's flaws.

Then a most peculiar sight came to the man when he went for the morning paper. Upon the fencepost perched a large, jet black raven sporting the coldest green eyes Levian had ever seen. He slowly approached the bird, surprised when it stuck out a leg for him to recieve a letter tied to his leg. He did as the bird instructed, amazed as the raven spread a lone tattered wing and ascended up into the sky to disappear into the heavens. Looking back down, Lev unfolded the letter. His old eyes welled with little tears and he gave a chuckle, folding the paper up in his pocket and giving a little salute to the clouds where his beloved son lay beyond..

"I'll always be proud of you, dumbass."

Hey Dad,

Don't worry if the bird disappeared, it was high time for Sephiroth to rest in peace. Anyway, I dunno if you'll even read this, since I know you're probably pissed at me for turning gay. But I hope you'll read it anyway and in case ya do I'm gonna write something here anyways. Might as well, right? As you may have suspected, Vincent and I are together and well, so are Shera and Lucrecia. Didn't see that coming, did ya? An' guess what else? Shera and I finally made it into the Space Program! Mr. Palmer says we're gonna be part of the first launch, the Shinra No.26. And guess where it's gonna be once the rocket development is finished? Home sweet home! Hope you'll look forward to seeing me, I'd like to see ya smile at me before I blast off.

Lucrecia's in the Science Department. The head of the joint creeps me the fuck out, this hunched-back old pervert guy. Says she shows alot of promise and she really seems to like it too. Vincent's trying out for the Turks. I don't like it too much but as long as he's happy I guess I don't mind too much. They say he's got alot of promise, looks like Sephiroth taught him alot. Keeps the four of us together anyway. We're living above this bar called 7th Heaven in the Sector 7 slums. The President tried to give us an apartment around where the rest of the employees live but I don't wanna rely on Shinra that much, ya know? Well, I suppose I'll let ya go now. Write back to us sometime, address is on the envelope.

I really hope you're proud of me, Dad. Thanks for everything.

Love, Cidney.