The One They Call Beautiful
Chapter 13
The teenager that stands before me in the cold winter snow, is no longer the same innocent little boy that I had helped raise. There he is -Sephiroth at age 15. The same age I unfortunately stopped aging, I should've been 30-no 25-no…35 years old by now, right? I don't know anymore.
His skills at first were dull when I began his training, however when I gave him lessons on how to handle a sword, he was honestly…really bad. I had to help him with his stamina and strength. Don't get me wrong, he had it but the way he handled his enhancements was catastrophic; however the speed he possesses is overwhelming. I later learned that he was not right-handed, but left-handed instead.
Anyways, as it turns out-he improved greatly throughout the few years and Jenova is at fault for that. I'd say that he's a genius when it comes to battle plans and such. I should've known better though, I ignored the signs of insanity in his eyes. Those eyes, green with a spark of madness when he'd get angry. He was breed for this type of life, one full of madness, murder, and sins in this crazy but beautiful world. One of the few good things that happened is that the voiced in his head stopped, but at the cost of having violent outburst due to the Mako injections. I would get confused since he was the one who was born with it running through his veins, but it only causes him to black out. Crazy shit I have to deal with, but as long as he isn't going around killing anyone, then I'm happy.
I held my Nodachi at my right side and brought it up below my eyes in a downward angle. Sephiroth went into a similar stance to mine with a short katana sword, "Hmph, at this rate you're going to need a longer sword if you keep growing like that Sephiroth." He said nothing and could see he was concentrating on my body movements. "Go!"
We both appeared in the middle of the battlefield as the rapid clashing of steel began. What felt like minutes were actually hours of sweat, blood and maybe tears? Fear- that is what courses through my body as it tingles with every meeting of our swords. I tell him what his mistakes are and the next time he comes at me even harder. The training that took me many years to master- he's done it in less time than I to complete. His speed of grasping everything so quickly, it's remarkable but I must keep myself from being distracted. I can barely surpass him, but then again he is the student and whoever heard of the pupil not surpassing their teachers?
I knocked the sword out of his hand, spinning in the air and into the ravines dark water as I held the Nodachi to his neck. "Looks like I'm going to need a new one." His eyes held laughter as he looked into my red eyes and smirked. I sighed and nodded my head at his playfulness.
"You know maybe you shouldn't have 'accidentally' let me take out your sword until I get back from my mission. Now you have nothing to practice with while I'm gone." I finished my sentence and almost laughed at his twitching silver eyebrow.
"Mission?" He gritted his through his teeth. His annoyance was that of a little child when his toy is taken away.
"I thought I had already told you Sephiroth, or were you daydreaming again about the baby chocobo again?"
Sephiroth lightly blushed at Dawn's words – he had been caught earlier that week trying to sneak in a baby chocobo into the premises and I forced him to return it into its habitat. "No. I haven't the slightest idea of what you are talking about." Sephiroth didn't waver at all, man this boy can grow up to be some sort of con-artist. He's good at lying, and getting what he wants by manipulating the person but not me, I was the one who raised him.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night Sephiroth." I slightly smiled at his embarrassed expression. "Look I'll only be gone for a few days and you can keep yourself busy by taking care of the baby chocobo you thought you could sneak in without my knowing of it...again." I shook my head and turned to leave.
"Dawn," I paused and faced the extremely tall teenager, "why do I keep on getting older, but…you just stay young?" There was complete silence as the snow fell upon us. "Did Hojo do something to you before I was born?"
"…" I did not respond and only looked to my left to face the back of the mansion, the place where my cherished ones were supposed to love me and promise that nothing bad would happen to me. The place that the man lived to cause destruction-fuckin' Hojo. "I'll admit, what's happening to me isn't normal, but it's also something that I didn't have a choice in the matter. Understand that my hell can be compared to yours and unfortunately yours is bigger than mine. I'm not going to say 'Mine is worse than yours' or 'I've had a harder life than you' because I don't know what your future holds." Liar. "All I can tell you is that I am unable to age but I am not immortal, and who knows, maybe you are too." I went on my tip-toes and lightly patted his head. "I'll be in Wutai for the next three days and don't cause any trouble. I'm not going to bail you out while my mission is going on, got it?"
"Yes."
I nodded and left towards the mansion. The dread in my stomach increased as I walked away from Sephiroth. I had lied to the boy, I knew his future, and I knew the monster that will come out and the lives that will be lost in Nibelheim. I'm sorry Lucrecia, but I'm not sure if I can help him but I will try.
666
The water stream seems peaceful as my footsteps crunch the frozen grass and make my way to Wutai. My white cloak getting wet at the ends due to the snow, the chirping of birds are not known due to the winter and I see that there are a few frozen dead animals along the water. "Poor things couldn't make it back to their families." I hear feet crunching the snow behind me and turn around with my sword just in time to deflect a spear like weapon. It's a Wutai soldier, "I have come to speak to your leader, Godo Kisaragi and I mean no harm to-" I get cut off from my sentence as another warrior tried to cut me down the middle. I have time to jump back and away from both of them and I put my sword slowly on the ground and stay in a crouched position in case they attack me again. "I did not come here to fight," I say with more force in my voice, "I am not here to cause any trouble, only to seek an audience with your leader, nothing more and nothing less." A third warrior emerges from the bushes and whistles at the two that attacked me. Both put their weapons away as the controlling one comes forward slowly towards me. He lifts up my weapon and puts it on his back then whistles again. The two that went against me go to my side and grab me by each of my arms then tie my wrists together and lift me up the ground.
The man spoke to me, "We do not trust outsiders, much less one who has a weapon and wishes to speak to our leader," he grabbed my chin to make eye contact with him, "These are just precautions, but be warned, if there is any suspicious movement, if you ever slip off to anywhere you are not authorized, most of all if you harm anyone, you will pay dearly with your life. Understood?" He fears my red eyes, I can see it.
"Wouldn't have it any other way." He let me go but the two at my side did not as they put a dark black bag over my head. They began to lead me to their home, now all I had to do was make sure that I survive and don't lose my temper, which would be bad.
We arrived at the entrance of Wutai and when the doors opened I immediately heard the running of footsteps and felt something sharp poking my stomach. My body was patted down and was being searched for hidden weapons. After they removed my hidden blades from my stomach and upper arm, the bag was removed. My eyes squinted under the harsh brightness after being confined to the dark. I saw that I was no longer under the watch of the two men that were holding me but the man leading them still had me under his nose.
"Don't do anything, don't talk to anyone, don't attract attention and don't do anything stupid." He said as he began dragging me to their leaders' home. How do I know? Who else has a house this huge with a bunch of guards around it…Way to make it totally obvious. We stopped in front of a large door and left me outside with three other guards. It was really awkward and uncomfortable as they kept staring at me. My eye was slightly twitching in annoyance and looked the other way. A few minutes later the man came back out and ushered me inside the door, apparently Kisaragi was interested in what I had to say but not without guards nearby.
I approached the door and immediately led to the other side of the house and out into a small courtyard. I saw a man with long shoulder length black hair wearing a purple wardrobe with a white bottom. He looked young and very fierce and quick to bring down an opponent. "What is it that you want? Speak for I do not have much patience and time, outsider."
I can't believe that I'm doing this. I sighed mentally and bowed, "My name is Daisy Crescent." I came back up and felt bile rise in my throat, "The Shinra Electric Power Company has a proposition for you and your people."
The man's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "What is this proposition?"
"It's simple really, you have a Mako Reactor on your island and they wish to purchase this island. Shinra would reward you and your people with riches and other things. Of course they will pay you, a much more reasonable price."
"No, I don't accept." His back turned to face me. "This is my people's home; I would never take away their home for any amount of money. They have lived here for many years; just because a big shot company says to jump I'm not going to ask how high."
"Hm. I see, but what were to happen should this cause a chain reaction, what would you do in that situation? Let's say, a war?"
His head whipped the right to have a corner view of me. "What are you implying?"
"Shinra is not going to back down, you having a reactor and saying no will cause something. If they can't have it then nobody can, don't think that just because you said no, that they will respect your wishes. They have no honor Godo," I began head for the door, "just because you are on the good side, don't think that good will always prevail." I left the house and took back my weapons without the guards noticing me and took off the rope that held my wrists together. I still had another half day until I had to go and report to Hojo so he would contact Shinra. I began to wander around Wutai and noticed a small empty looking shop filled with weapons of such. I lifted the clothed door over to the right and entered, there in all its glory, spears and swords were staring at my face. I haven't seen anything like it since Vincent bought me a Nodachi from the Hewely man.
"Can I help you with something miss?" I whirled around and saw an old man with a smile on his face. "I don't get many customers around here due to my style of weapons but you're not from around here, are you stranger?"
"No, I am not."
"Anything in particular you like?" I looked at the large axes and moved my gaze back to the swords.
"Show me your best works."
"My best works." The man looked owlishly towards me, "Will you be able to afford them-" I cut the man off as I pulled out three large bags of gil.
"Who ever said money can't buy happiness?" I smirked at him as he spluttered nonsense.
The old man immediately went to the back of the shop to organize his works so I could come and inspect them myself.
"When I get back to the mansion, I think I'll give Vincent a visit. Even if he is sleeping, it's a good idea to have my conscious cleared-even if it's for a little while." The old man reappeared and told me that he was finished.
I stood in front of many swords, some small and others long. I inspected each sword individually and it was already around afternoon. "Is there something that you want in the sword specifically?" He asked me after I checked half of the shelves. Only one-hundred and sixty-six to go.
"I want it to have six Materia slots, and for the blade to be about 6 feet long." I replied instantly.
"…" The man was silent so I turned to him, he then responded with down casted eyes. "I believe that I have just the thing, but it is very difficult to use."
"Show me." He nodded and showed me a hidden basement under the shop. As we descended down the creaky wooden steps I noticed that there was a very long shape under a white cloth.
"This sword is the most difficult creation that I've made in my entire life, it is the best but none of my sons could wield it." He took off the sheet and revealed an approximately six to eight foot long sword. It was beautiful.
"I know someone who will be able to wield this bad boy." I picked it up with both hands as it was heavier than my Nodachi. "I'll take it." The man was ecstatic and went to go get the cover for it. "He'll definitely love it…The Masamune."
I need to make sure he stays on the path I've laid out for him- open for options and not a puppet for someone else to pull the strings. For he is Sephiroth, his own person, all I will be doing is making sure he doesn't stray from the plan I've created for him.
666
I know it's been two months and I apologize for the long wait. I know that Vincent is 'sleeping' but that doesn't mean we can't interact with him even though he won't show himself. There will be slight fluff between Vincent and Dawn in flashbacks in the next chapter. After all this is categorized under Romance. I don't know if I should do a Seph/OC pair…That's too awkward for me. Reviews are always welcomed! :D