Ch 3
Neither had anything to say after KiyoYume's story. The angel stretched out and fell asleep on the bed. Sephiroth stayed at the window a while longer, brooding silently. After a moment he pulled away from the window and looked back at the sleeping angel.
This was becoming much more complicated than he had expected, and he was certain it was only going to get worse. 'Why should I keep her and pursue the matter? What reason is there?' There wasn't one other than personal interest, and it was more curiosity than anything.
Sephiroth shook his head. Poor, pathetic Hojo. Having a 'precious specimine' stolen certain wasn't going to sit well. But curiosity was reason enough for Sephiroth; so he decided to stick with it for a while longer and see what came of things.
Sephiroth moved around the room putting the candles out. Then settleing down into the arm chair, he closed his eyes and drifted into a light sleep.
Sephiroth woke, but he did not open his eyes. He did not move, did not flinch, did not change the rythm of his breathing. Someone was looking at him and he felt it. Slowly, he raised his right eyelid just enough to allow him to survey the room.
KiyoYume was sitting on the bed, legs tucked up under her, dressed in another of her tunics, watching him. Their eyes met, Sephiroth's cold penetrating Mako green against her ever lamentful cerulean. The two calmly adressed each other.
'I'm ready.'
Are you now? Slight amusement on his part.
'Yes. I assumed you would want to leave right away,' came her matter-of-fact response.
After a moment Sephiroth nodded. He rose and lead the way out of the room. KiyoYume followed. Her strength seemed to be coming back and she now walked with a gentle smoothness to her movements. Sephiroth walked straight out to the truck. The sky was a pale gray and the air was still damp. KiyoYume would have liked to stay and watch the sunrise, but such was not Sephiroth's way. They were back in the truck, rumbling along before the sun graced the sky.
It was around noon that they reached Costa Del Sol. A lively little city on the coast. There was a Shinra military passenger transport ship scheduled to leave at 12:00. Sephiroth planned to catch a ride over to the main continent. On the coast there was a small military outpost, there he would aquire transportaion and ride on to Midgar.
The air was incredibly hot, and heavy with moisture. A cool breeze blowing in off the ocean made it tolerable. Sephiroth draped one of the robes over KiyoYume's shoulders. It was very large and very loose on her and with her wings pressed to her back he could hardly tell they were there.
Sephiroth started toward the docks, KiyoYume trailing behind.
'Remember,' he felt her think, 'I will not be looked for, so I will not be seen.'
He gave a slight nod to let her know he understood.
The officer standing on gaurd at the boarding platform saluted to Sephiroth.
"Lieutenant."
"Master Sephiroth, sir."
The man paused and looked past Sephiroth. KiyoYume stepped closer to Sephiroth making sure to stand directly behind him, just in case.
"Wasn't there another with you, sir?"
"Things went awry and there was an accident. " Sephiroth said without emotion.
"Sir! I had no idea, begging your pardon, I didn't mean to pry, sir! I'm sorry, sir, forgive me!" fumbled the leutenant. Sephiroth hid his amusement and nodded to the man as he borded the ship.
You lied! She seemed more bewildered than accusing.
I didn't lie.
Brushing the rest of her thoughts away, he led her into the ship and to the area where the large quarters that were used by the higher ranking soldiers and officers were located. He opened a door and led showing the angel into one of them. There was a small room with a table and kitchen as he first walked in.
From here he could go to a study, a small, cramped room with a desk and file cabinets; or the bedroom equippted with a bed, a nightstand, a dresser and a bathroom the size of a closet.
"To get from Costa Del Sol to the west coast of the main continent will take four and a half, maybe five hours. On the coast there is a small military outpost at which we will pick up transportation and make the three hour ride to Midgar. We'll be in Midgar after nightfall most likely, but not by much. Sephiorth informed her as he set down his duffle bag on the table. "Make yourself comfortable but do not leave the room."
Sephiroth opened up his duffle bag and after retrieving some clean clothes headed to the shower. KiyoYume went sat down in the middle of the bed, cross legged, hands limp in her lap, and began to meditate. She had showered this morning. The angel closed her eyes and felt herself slip into unconscious awareness, into the fullfulling state of mental nothingness. She was open and aware of all things around her, physical, spiritual, and subconcious. Now completely relaxed and at ease, she let her mind drift...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ flashback ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
KiyoYume prayed. She could not take another day of this hell. For weeks she had been here, locked in the prison, a tiny, little cell, cut off from everything. The sky, the grass, the trees, the sun... She wanted to leave, she needed to leave. The planet needed her.
Keys jingled and bars clanged as the door slid open. Hojo stood before her, silhoutted by the light behind him. KiyoYume pushed herself to the farthest side of the cell, trying to hide in the corner like a child.
"No," She pleaded, "Not again."
Hojo stepped toward her. She cast a shield, even though she knew it would do no good. Hojo hit dead air. He frowned.
"Please don't do this," he said irritably, "You're only making it harder on yourself." Hojo put his hand to the air and spoke. The wall shattered. "I may be fallen, but I'm still a god." He reached down and gently pulled her to her feet.
She pulled and jerked but he wouldn't let go. He led her through the hall of cells, which held a myriad of monsters and grotesque experiments, and into his lab. One of the lab assistants came forward with a seringe. He flicked it twice with his middle finger and then drove the needle into KiyoYume's neck.
She wimped and tryed to jerk away again, but Hojo held her fast.
She felt her body go numb and lock up. Hojo carefully laid her on a table stomach down. She cried as he stretched out her wings. To touch an angel's wings... to break all personal laws and rules. It was torture to let him run his hands over her wings, to let him stroke the soft feathers while searching for a place to inject more Jenova cells. But she was powerless, completely paralyzed by both medicine and magic.
KiyoYume winced as six inches of steel needle was forced under the skin. The instant the Jenova left the seringe it was fire. A nasuiating, corrosive pain that ate at her from the inside out. It raced along her viens and tore at her inside, trying to corrupt and change whatever it encountered. 'Gods, spare me, help me, save me, let the pain end!' She prayed silently over and over. She could feel the Mako and the Jenova confronting each other, attacking each other inside her, and it was agony. She bit down on her lips to keep from screaming untill she tasted blood, clenched her hands into fists untill they wet and slick with the same, and still the torment did not end.
Hojo turned her over, injecting still more Jenova into her arms, neck, sides, legs; all the while talking soothingly. His voice was full of comfort and concern. "Hush my little lab rat, the pain will pass. Embrace the change." But his eyes... his eyes were alight with the pleasure of this nefarious event. As if somewhere deep within his fractured core, he recieved enjoyment from her pain, pleasure from seeing her writhe in agony before him, and satisfaction that this misery was dispensed by his hands.
After this he finished, Hojo carried her back to her cell and set her on the concrete flor. She would have crawled away had she been able too.
He sat down inside the open cell with her, leaning back against the wall.
"You know, my little specimine, I hear you at praying at night. Perhaps I'm the only god who hears you."
The angel began to shake and convulse, her body reacting violently against the Jenova.
"I know you would object if you could." Hojo reached out a hand and stroked her hair, smiling to himself.
"I desire nothing more than to create a superior race. I do not want the Cetra, your very ancestors, to vanish. All I wanted was to help them compete in an evolving world. Is it so wrong?"
KiyoYume curled inward, shaking uncontrollably. The Mako forces at full fledged war with the newly injected Jenova.
"Jenova is full of life." Hojo continued, mindless of what she was enduring, "It holds all kinds of helpful abilities; extended life, stronger physical and mental abilties, it sharpens your mind, quickens your reactions-"
"You... lose your... mind." KiyoYume muttered through clenched teeth.
"Ah, but my sweet little lab rat, I'm working on this. There's nothing wrong with evoloution."
"You're... you're forcing it!"
"It would happen anyway." Hojo shrugged off.
"Not without Jenova." She managed to get out.
Hojo paused for only a second, "That may be, but without Jenova none of this creation would have happened. What a loss!"
KiyoYume twisted back and rolled over, vomitting. Her body rejecting the Jenova again. Hojo shook his head.
"Maybe I'll put you aside for a while, you're far to precious a specimine to waste when I havn't perfected my technique. When I've finished, not even your body will be able to reject Jenova cells."
She was taken to Mount Nible a few days later. Hojo had made a special chamber just for her. A special pod, and had special equipment set up, Mako purified. He'd been planning this for a while.
The angel stood inside the pod, naked and exposed, Mako slowly filtering in, swirlling around her ankles. Hojo clicked the lock shut with resounding finality. She put her hands to the glass and looked out; the tremendous sorrow on her face doing nothing to phase the god.
'How long?' She wondered, 'How long will I be in here?'. Hojo smiled. "I'll come for you when I'm finished with my reserch, sleep well." He turned and walked out of the room, sealing the door behind him.
She sat down, and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. The Mako had risen to her mid calfs and tingled pleasently aginst her skin. She closed her eyes, the Mako rising to her chin. She held her breath as it continued to rise, submerging her. When the pod was completely filled, she opened her eyes and exhaled. It filled her with peace to be close to the planet's blood again. She breathed it in, drawing strength from it, and calm. Slowly she driffted off into a dark heavy sleep.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Angel. Angel?
KiyoYume's eyes flew open, and seeing him in front of her panic seized her. She scrambled backwards, falling, slipping and sheilding her face with her arms, reciting prayers in Wutaian. He threw his weight ontop of her to hold her still, his hand clamped down over her mouth to keep her silent. His face hovered inches over hers. She looked up into piercing aqua eyes.
Be still angel!
She went limp. It was Sephiroth, not Hojo. Instinctivly she kept murmmring in Wutaian over and over, her body shaking uncontrollably. Sephiroth slowly began to untense. Black feathers drifted through the air, landing on the bed around him. His muscles loosened and his weight settled. He hid her face in his shirt near his collar bone to stifle the noise of her prayers.
He had to hide the noise, he had to hide her. If he were to be discovered here and now things would get very messy. He had no desire to fight with Shinra. True, Shinra and his forces were too weak to do any real damage, but they would still be a great annoyance he would rather not deal with. And if their discovery was due to the angel's petty little episode, he knew he would kill her with his bare hands. But he didn't feel much like doing that either, he still had questions she had yet to answer.
Calm down.
She drew several deep breaths, each more calm and composed than the last. When Sephiroth was satisfied with her state of mind he drew himself to his knees and her with her. Releasing her from his hold he took a hand and brushed her hair out of her face, so he could look her in the eyes, so that what he would say would have the most impact. He was dead serious, and he wanted to be sure she knew it.
Not a sound.
She nodded, paused and studied his face, realization dawning on the angel as she did.
'You're Hojo's son aren't you?'
She was met with harsh silence. There was a slight tense in Sephiroth's jaw.
What do you know? He asked coldly; not hating or angry even, just devoid of emotion.
KiyoYume winced visibly, almost as if he had struck her.
'So...' He thought,' She can see the resemblance. It would expain, at least, why she had panicked.'
KiyoYume sighed, her eyes uncontrollably wondering to his wing. Figureing it pointless, he let her stare. She would have liked to reach out and touch it, to prove to herself its existance. But that was taboo. Angel's wings were considered an intimate item. Never would she touch his wing unless invited.
Sephiroth stood and turned his back to her. KiyoYume rubbed her face with a hand, her mind racing. There was something she was missing, something she should have caught by now... There was a subtle jerk throughout the ship, and all movement ceased.
KiyoYume swung her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet touching the cold floor. Sephiroth picked up the duffle bags and his sword and headed out the door. KiyoYume closing it softly after him. They headed to the military outpost in which they were able to pick up transportation.
The angel watched as Sephiroth strapped the duffle bag onto the side of the motocycle. When he finished, he took his position as driver, and as soon as KiyoYume was sitting comfortably behind him with her arms locked around his middle, they were gone.
It was a quarter past seven when the arived in Midgar. Sephiroth turned the bike into the military garage and the two of them walked through the streets in silence.
The grey clouds covered the sky, bleak and dreary. A mild, but steady rain began to fall. They reached Sephiroth's apartment wet, but not drenched.
His apartment was large, but simple. The floors were a polished black stone with red viens, and the walls were a darker shade of grey. He had shelves of books in every room as well as display cases for his collection of swords. The furniture was practicle, usefull not decorative, but in good taste. Desks, tables, couches, chairs, and lamps were scattered throughout every room.
Sephiorth led KiyoYume to the bathing room and gave her a fresh tunic. He left her alone, going to change in his room. He entered the master bedroom; cleaned up, dried off, and changed from his uniform into something more casual.
He was just getting ready to sit down in the living room when the phone rang. Sephiroth picked up the reciever and listened.
"You're home."
"Yes."
"I need to speak with you."
"Tomarrow." Sephiroth moved to hang up.
"No. Now." Hojo demanded loud enough to be heard.
Sephiroth set the reciever back in its cradle and walked into the other room, picking up his Masamune and trench coat off the back of the couch.
"I have to go." he called to KiyoYume, "I'll be back soon, don't leave." He shut the door and left.
A while latter KiyoYume left the bathing room, slipping on the tunic Sephiroth had given her. She didn't like this. Something was wrong. She could feel it. She walked back and forth through the apartment, pacing; her anxiety unexplainable.
Sephiroth stepped off the train and headed toward the Shinra buidling. He made his way to one of the top floors. Hojo's lab. Beyond it was his office. Sephiroth made his way through the lab, the creatures in the cages cowering or clawing at him as he walked by.
Sephiroth opened the door and walked into Hojo's office.
"Ahh, Sephiroth!" Hojo stood to greet the general.
"This had better be important."
"I trust the mission went well?" Hojo asked, brushing aside Sephiroth's acrimony and sitting down as Sephiroth walked toward him and stopped before his desk.
"Well enough. I'll give you a report tomarrow." Sephiroth shifted his weight, feeling adgitated. "I'll give you a report tomarrow."
"Since you're here you may as well sit and tell me about it now."
"I would prefer to write it, I didn't intent to stay long in the first place."
"Sit already, if you tell me now you'll be saving yourself time in the long run."
"I'll stand."
"You know, if you really arn't feeling up to this, I could always call private... what was his name? You know, the one I assaigned to accompany you."
"Strife is dead." Sephiroth said listlessly.
"What? What happened?" the scientist demanded.
Sephiroth sighed, this could take some time.
The angel shivered. Something was deffinetly wrong. "Gods hear my prayer! Be with me, protect me, give me strength. May Leviathan the mighty sweep away my enemies with a wave of malice and justice!" She whispered in Wutaian.
There was the click and twist of a lock pick in the lock of the front door. KiyoYume started and ran for the next room, panic seasing her. She pressed her back to the wall and slid down to a sitting postion so as to hear who came in. The door swung open and three maybe four people walked into the apartment, closing the door behind them.
"Ok Tseng, what are we looking for? What could the big bad Sephiroth have stashed away that would make Hojo so edgy?"
"Anything unusual. Hojo said we'll know if we find what he suspects to be here."
"You know, I always wanted an excuse to get inside Seph's apartment and mess things up!"
If she moved now, she would give herself away, but if she stayed where she was, they would find her. The angel closed her eyes and silently prayed to Levithlan again and again, hoping she hadn't heard what she thought she had heard. 'Gods, don't let it really be Tseng...' She listened as the footsteps headed in diffrent directions, one pair coming her way. She felt a shadow fall over her.
"Well well, look what we have here. Hey Tseng!"
KiyoYume opened her eyes and looked up to see a man with messy red hair. He was sloppily clothed in a blue suit, the coat unbuttoned and the white shirt half tucked in. When he bent down to get a closer look at her, she could smell the heavy stench of alcohol on his breath, though he was perfectly sober.
The other Turks showed up one at a time. There were four of them all together, three men and a woman.
"Its Hojo's angel!" the blonde woman gapped, "How'd she get loose?"
"I am not Hojo's angel!" KiyoYume interjected.
"Hmph, keep thinking that." she snorted.
"Hey Tseng, can we have some fun?" asked the red head. All eyes turned the Wutaian standing back from the group. He ran a hand through his long black hair and sighed, closing his eyes to he sight before him.
"Do as you will."
"Tseng!" KiyoYume lept to her feet and trying to reach him. The third man, who was tall and dark skinned with a shaved head, large muscles, and black sunglasses, reached out with one hand and shoved her back against the wall, pressing just hard enough to keep here there. The Wutaian crossed his arms, and let his eyes wonder in another direction.
"Tseng!" she wailed, "Tseng, how could you have fallen so far, how can you turn your back on one of your own?" The angel's panic began to rise. The red head began to laugh.
"Tseng! Tseng!" He mimicked her voice, throughing his into a high pitched squeel before bursting into laughter again. "Tseng ain't gona save you!"
"Hey Reno!" the blonde piped up looking at the red head, "Show her your scars! You too Rude, I'll hold her." The woman moved to take Rude's place as Reno took off his coat and unbuttoned his shirt. Rude followed, more slowly.
What was revealed were wings. They were black and featherless. The leathery skin between the bones torn, tattered, in shreds. KiyoYume cringed at the sight of them.
"Tseng, he's fallen just like us, he can't help you, although he wouldn't even if he could." Reno smirked. "So angel, tell us, how is you are still alive?"
"What? What do you mean?" she asked struggled against Elena's hold.
"Well seeing as no one wants you alive, I just figured you'd get a clue and you know... do something about it."
"The gods don't even want you!" Elena added as she let Rude take over. He held both her arms, gripping the upper portion of them and pulling them slightly back and up, drawing her to the balls of her feet, forcing her to depend on him to stand.
"They've forsaken you!"
"Th- Thats not true!" the angel stammered
"Isn't it? Why don't they answer your prayers?"
KiyoYume faltered. Reno and Elena shot each other sly looks and smiled inwardly.
"They don't hear you."
"They don't love you."
"They don't even want you!"
"Never did." They drew closer, their tone consistant mockery and seriousness.
"So go ahead, end it all!" Reno was close enough now to whisper. "You are a waste of spirit energy."
"I'm not!" she cried angryly.
Reno and Elena began to laugh.
"You're worthless!"
"You have no use, no purpose." Reno continued.
"There are a thousand other angels in the etheric, all of whom could do whatever you're hear to do far better than you. Hell, I could probably do it better than you."
"Get away from me! Go away! Leave this place!" KiyoYume yelled. She pulled, trying to get away from Rude, but slipped, hanging by her arms scrambling to get her feet back under her. It brought only more laughter. Even Rude, who had been listening silently, chuckled.
"You think that getting angry will help?" Elena taunted.
"You're pathetic and powerless." As if on cue Rude tightend his grip, slowly crushing KiyiYume's small arms. Reno walked forward and took hold of her chin with one hand.
"Worthless... and powerless." he leered. KiyoYume wouldn't meet his eyes. He bent his head and tilted it to get a better look at her face. Her blue eyes darted away from his. He straightened and jerked her chin up and forced her to look him in the face.
"I think it's time you learned just how powerless."
"-The monster attacked, and Stife was seriously injured. He backed up and fell into the Mako pit. I couldn't save him." Sephiroth paused. He felt something tug at his insides again. Probably just KiyoYume getting nervous, he brushed it aside. "Since there was nothing left to do, I came home." He concluded.
"I see..." Hojo muttered, his mind wandering back to the report Sephiroth had just given. "Thats all very interesting. And you're sure you didn't see anything out of place in the Mako reactor?"
There is was again... that odd pull. Through out the report it had become an increasing annoyance.
Hush! Be still.
"Something the matter Sephiroth?"
Sephiroth snapped back into the reality of the moment. "No. I just have something at home that needs my attention."
"Ahh... well, by all means, you're dismissed." Hojo said waving a hand towards the door. "It was not my intention to keep you so long."
Sephiroth kept his thoughts from his lips and nodded his assent before leaving. The train ride home was rather unsettling. Sephiroth felt her calling his name, again and again. There was a desperation that tainted the feeling, and it was continueally growing. As he was getting off the train it began to ease; to slowly just diminish into an ache.
Sephiroth entered the apartment, avoiding the elevator as it would be faster for him to take the stairs. When he reached the top floor he found the door to his apartment open. He entered and closed it behind him. The voices coming from the other room paused.
"What was that?"
"How the hell should I know?"
Sephiroth moved through the apartment and stood in the doorway leading to the next room. Reno backed away from a corner and Elena and Rude just stared.
Elena and Rude both said something in Wutaian and vanished. Reno laughed and wipped his mouth.
"Tseng, the master of the lair is home, perhaps we should head out. We've got all we came for anyway."
Sephiroth narrowed his eyes into an unforgiving stare. He brought the Masamune into view and jerked on the hilt, bringing about six inches of steel out of the sheath. Reno shot Sephiroth an amused but mocking look, and after a few quick words vanished. Tseng, who was leaning on a wall oposite the door opened his eyes and looked at Sephiroth, shook his head, and vanished.
Sephiroth slid the Masamune back into its sheath, walked further into the room and looked to the corner Reno had so hastily backed away from. Sephiroth could not keep the grim expression from his face.
KiyoYume lay on her side half curled, sobbing bitterly. Her arms were drawn up to her chest to cover the exposed skin where her tunic had been torn. Her wings were half spread behind her, rumpled laying askew; here and there feathers stuck out in odd directions. She was bleeding in several places and brusies could be seen forming on her arms and legs.
When she saw Sephiroth she shut her eyes and angled her face towards the floor. Sephiroth walked toward the angel, stopping within inches of her torn and broken body, and looked down at her. The angel could do nothing by lay at his feet and cry.
Neither had anything to say after KiyoYume's story. The angel stretched out and fell asleep on the bed. Sephiroth stayed at the window a while longer, brooding silently. After a moment he pulled away from the window and looked back at the sleeping angel.
This was becoming much more complicated than he had expected, and he was certain it was only going to get worse. 'Why should I keep her and pursue the matter? What reason is there?' There wasn't one other than personal interest, and it was more curiosity than anything.
Sephiroth shook his head. Poor, pathetic Hojo. Having a 'precious specimine' stolen certain wasn't going to sit well. But curiosity was reason enough for Sephiroth; so he decided to stick with it for a while longer and see what came of things.
Sephiroth moved around the room putting the candles out. Then settleing down into the arm chair, he closed his eyes and drifted into a light sleep.
Sephiroth woke, but he did not open his eyes. He did not move, did not flinch, did not change the rythm of his breathing. Someone was looking at him and he felt it. Slowly, he raised his right eyelid just enough to allow him to survey the room.
KiyoYume was sitting on the bed, legs tucked up under her, dressed in another of her tunics, watching him. Their eyes met, Sephiroth's cold penetrating Mako green against her ever lamentful cerulean. The two calmly adressed each other.
'I'm ready.'
Are you now? Slight amusement on his part.
'Yes. I assumed you would want to leave right away,' came her matter-of-fact response.
After a moment Sephiroth nodded. He rose and lead the way out of the room. KiyoYume followed. Her strength seemed to be coming back and she now walked with a gentle smoothness to her movements. Sephiroth walked straight out to the truck. The sky was a pale gray and the air was still damp. KiyoYume would have liked to stay and watch the sunrise, but such was not Sephiroth's way. They were back in the truck, rumbling along before the sun graced the sky.
It was around noon that they reached Costa Del Sol. A lively little city on the coast. There was a Shinra military passenger transport ship scheduled to leave at 12:00. Sephiroth planned to catch a ride over to the main continent. On the coast there was a small military outpost, there he would aquire transportaion and ride on to Midgar.
The air was incredibly hot, and heavy with moisture. A cool breeze blowing in off the ocean made it tolerable. Sephiroth draped one of the robes over KiyoYume's shoulders. It was very large and very loose on her and with her wings pressed to her back he could hardly tell they were there.
Sephiroth started toward the docks, KiyoYume trailing behind.
'Remember,' he felt her think, 'I will not be looked for, so I will not be seen.'
He gave a slight nod to let her know he understood.
The officer standing on gaurd at the boarding platform saluted to Sephiroth.
"Lieutenant."
"Master Sephiroth, sir."
The man paused and looked past Sephiroth. KiyoYume stepped closer to Sephiroth making sure to stand directly behind him, just in case.
"Wasn't there another with you, sir?"
"Things went awry and there was an accident. " Sephiroth said without emotion.
"Sir! I had no idea, begging your pardon, I didn't mean to pry, sir! I'm sorry, sir, forgive me!" fumbled the leutenant. Sephiroth hid his amusement and nodded to the man as he borded the ship.
You lied! She seemed more bewildered than accusing.
I didn't lie.
Brushing the rest of her thoughts away, he led her into the ship and to the area where the large quarters that were used by the higher ranking soldiers and officers were located. He opened a door and led showing the angel into one of them. There was a small room with a table and kitchen as he first walked in.
From here he could go to a study, a small, cramped room with a desk and file cabinets; or the bedroom equippted with a bed, a nightstand, a dresser and a bathroom the size of a closet.
"To get from Costa Del Sol to the west coast of the main continent will take four and a half, maybe five hours. On the coast there is a small military outpost at which we will pick up transportation and make the three hour ride to Midgar. We'll be in Midgar after nightfall most likely, but not by much. Sephiorth informed her as he set down his duffle bag on the table. "Make yourself comfortable but do not leave the room."
Sephiroth opened up his duffle bag and after retrieving some clean clothes headed to the shower. KiyoYume went sat down in the middle of the bed, cross legged, hands limp in her lap, and began to meditate. She had showered this morning. The angel closed her eyes and felt herself slip into unconscious awareness, into the fullfulling state of mental nothingness. She was open and aware of all things around her, physical, spiritual, and subconcious. Now completely relaxed and at ease, she let her mind drift...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ flashback ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
KiyoYume prayed. She could not take another day of this hell. For weeks she had been here, locked in the prison, a tiny, little cell, cut off from everything. The sky, the grass, the trees, the sun... She wanted to leave, she needed to leave. The planet needed her.
Keys jingled and bars clanged as the door slid open. Hojo stood before her, silhoutted by the light behind him. KiyoYume pushed herself to the farthest side of the cell, trying to hide in the corner like a child.
"No," She pleaded, "Not again."
Hojo stepped toward her. She cast a shield, even though she knew it would do no good. Hojo hit dead air. He frowned.
"Please don't do this," he said irritably, "You're only making it harder on yourself." Hojo put his hand to the air and spoke. The wall shattered. "I may be fallen, but I'm still a god." He reached down and gently pulled her to her feet.
She pulled and jerked but he wouldn't let go. He led her through the hall of cells, which held a myriad of monsters and grotesque experiments, and into his lab. One of the lab assistants came forward with a seringe. He flicked it twice with his middle finger and then drove the needle into KiyoYume's neck.
She wimped and tryed to jerk away again, but Hojo held her fast.
She felt her body go numb and lock up. Hojo carefully laid her on a table stomach down. She cried as he stretched out her wings. To touch an angel's wings... to break all personal laws and rules. It was torture to let him run his hands over her wings, to let him stroke the soft feathers while searching for a place to inject more Jenova cells. But she was powerless, completely paralyzed by both medicine and magic.
KiyoYume winced as six inches of steel needle was forced under the skin. The instant the Jenova left the seringe it was fire. A nasuiating, corrosive pain that ate at her from the inside out. It raced along her viens and tore at her inside, trying to corrupt and change whatever it encountered. 'Gods, spare me, help me, save me, let the pain end!' She prayed silently over and over. She could feel the Mako and the Jenova confronting each other, attacking each other inside her, and it was agony. She bit down on her lips to keep from screaming untill she tasted blood, clenched her hands into fists untill they wet and slick with the same, and still the torment did not end.
Hojo turned her over, injecting still more Jenova into her arms, neck, sides, legs; all the while talking soothingly. His voice was full of comfort and concern. "Hush my little lab rat, the pain will pass. Embrace the change." But his eyes... his eyes were alight with the pleasure of this nefarious event. As if somewhere deep within his fractured core, he recieved enjoyment from her pain, pleasure from seeing her writhe in agony before him, and satisfaction that this misery was dispensed by his hands.
After this he finished, Hojo carried her back to her cell and set her on the concrete flor. She would have crawled away had she been able too.
He sat down inside the open cell with her, leaning back against the wall.
"You know, my little specimine, I hear you at praying at night. Perhaps I'm the only god who hears you."
The angel began to shake and convulse, her body reacting violently against the Jenova.
"I know you would object if you could." Hojo reached out a hand and stroked her hair, smiling to himself.
"I desire nothing more than to create a superior race. I do not want the Cetra, your very ancestors, to vanish. All I wanted was to help them compete in an evolving world. Is it so wrong?"
KiyoYume curled inward, shaking uncontrollably. The Mako forces at full fledged war with the newly injected Jenova.
"Jenova is full of life." Hojo continued, mindless of what she was enduring, "It holds all kinds of helpful abilities; extended life, stronger physical and mental abilties, it sharpens your mind, quickens your reactions-"
"You... lose your... mind." KiyoYume muttered through clenched teeth.
"Ah, but my sweet little lab rat, I'm working on this. There's nothing wrong with evoloution."
"You're... you're forcing it!"
"It would happen anyway." Hojo shrugged off.
"Not without Jenova." She managed to get out.
Hojo paused for only a second, "That may be, but without Jenova none of this creation would have happened. What a loss!"
KiyoYume twisted back and rolled over, vomitting. Her body rejecting the Jenova again. Hojo shook his head.
"Maybe I'll put you aside for a while, you're far to precious a specimine to waste when I havn't perfected my technique. When I've finished, not even your body will be able to reject Jenova cells."
She was taken to Mount Nible a few days later. Hojo had made a special chamber just for her. A special pod, and had special equipment set up, Mako purified. He'd been planning this for a while.
The angel stood inside the pod, naked and exposed, Mako slowly filtering in, swirlling around her ankles. Hojo clicked the lock shut with resounding finality. She put her hands to the glass and looked out; the tremendous sorrow on her face doing nothing to phase the god.
'How long?' She wondered, 'How long will I be in here?'. Hojo smiled. "I'll come for you when I'm finished with my reserch, sleep well." He turned and walked out of the room, sealing the door behind him.
She sat down, and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. The Mako had risen to her mid calfs and tingled pleasently aginst her skin. She closed her eyes, the Mako rising to her chin. She held her breath as it continued to rise, submerging her. When the pod was completely filled, she opened her eyes and exhaled. It filled her with peace to be close to the planet's blood again. She breathed it in, drawing strength from it, and calm. Slowly she driffted off into a dark heavy sleep.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Angel. Angel?
KiyoYume's eyes flew open, and seeing him in front of her panic seized her. She scrambled backwards, falling, slipping and sheilding her face with her arms, reciting prayers in Wutaian. He threw his weight ontop of her to hold her still, his hand clamped down over her mouth to keep her silent. His face hovered inches over hers. She looked up into piercing aqua eyes.
Be still angel!
She went limp. It was Sephiroth, not Hojo. Instinctivly she kept murmmring in Wutaian over and over, her body shaking uncontrollably. Sephiroth slowly began to untense. Black feathers drifted through the air, landing on the bed around him. His muscles loosened and his weight settled. He hid her face in his shirt near his collar bone to stifle the noise of her prayers.
He had to hide the noise, he had to hide her. If he were to be discovered here and now things would get very messy. He had no desire to fight with Shinra. True, Shinra and his forces were too weak to do any real damage, but they would still be a great annoyance he would rather not deal with. And if their discovery was due to the angel's petty little episode, he knew he would kill her with his bare hands. But he didn't feel much like doing that either, he still had questions she had yet to answer.
Calm down.
She drew several deep breaths, each more calm and composed than the last. When Sephiroth was satisfied with her state of mind he drew himself to his knees and her with her. Releasing her from his hold he took a hand and brushed her hair out of her face, so he could look her in the eyes, so that what he would say would have the most impact. He was dead serious, and he wanted to be sure she knew it.
Not a sound.
She nodded, paused and studied his face, realization dawning on the angel as she did.
'You're Hojo's son aren't you?'
She was met with harsh silence. There was a slight tense in Sephiroth's jaw.
What do you know? He asked coldly; not hating or angry even, just devoid of emotion.
KiyoYume winced visibly, almost as if he had struck her.
'So...' He thought,' She can see the resemblance. It would expain, at least, why she had panicked.'
KiyoYume sighed, her eyes uncontrollably wondering to his wing. Figureing it pointless, he let her stare. She would have liked to reach out and touch it, to prove to herself its existance. But that was taboo. Angel's wings were considered an intimate item. Never would she touch his wing unless invited.
Sephiroth stood and turned his back to her. KiyoYume rubbed her face with a hand, her mind racing. There was something she was missing, something she should have caught by now... There was a subtle jerk throughout the ship, and all movement ceased.
KiyoYume swung her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet touching the cold floor. Sephiroth picked up the duffle bags and his sword and headed out the door. KiyoYume closing it softly after him. They headed to the military outpost in which they were able to pick up transportation.
The angel watched as Sephiroth strapped the duffle bag onto the side of the motocycle. When he finished, he took his position as driver, and as soon as KiyoYume was sitting comfortably behind him with her arms locked around his middle, they were gone.
It was a quarter past seven when the arived in Midgar. Sephiroth turned the bike into the military garage and the two of them walked through the streets in silence.
The grey clouds covered the sky, bleak and dreary. A mild, but steady rain began to fall. They reached Sephiroth's apartment wet, but not drenched.
His apartment was large, but simple. The floors were a polished black stone with red viens, and the walls were a darker shade of grey. He had shelves of books in every room as well as display cases for his collection of swords. The furniture was practicle, usefull not decorative, but in good taste. Desks, tables, couches, chairs, and lamps were scattered throughout every room.
Sephiorth led KiyoYume to the bathing room and gave her a fresh tunic. He left her alone, going to change in his room. He entered the master bedroom; cleaned up, dried off, and changed from his uniform into something more casual.
He was just getting ready to sit down in the living room when the phone rang. Sephiroth picked up the reciever and listened.
"You're home."
"Yes."
"I need to speak with you."
"Tomarrow." Sephiroth moved to hang up.
"No. Now." Hojo demanded loud enough to be heard.
Sephiroth set the reciever back in its cradle and walked into the other room, picking up his Masamune and trench coat off the back of the couch.
"I have to go." he called to KiyoYume, "I'll be back soon, don't leave." He shut the door and left.
A while latter KiyoYume left the bathing room, slipping on the tunic Sephiroth had given her. She didn't like this. Something was wrong. She could feel it. She walked back and forth through the apartment, pacing; her anxiety unexplainable.
Sephiroth stepped off the train and headed toward the Shinra buidling. He made his way to one of the top floors. Hojo's lab. Beyond it was his office. Sephiroth made his way through the lab, the creatures in the cages cowering or clawing at him as he walked by.
Sephiroth opened the door and walked into Hojo's office.
"Ahh, Sephiroth!" Hojo stood to greet the general.
"This had better be important."
"I trust the mission went well?" Hojo asked, brushing aside Sephiroth's acrimony and sitting down as Sephiroth walked toward him and stopped before his desk.
"Well enough. I'll give you a report tomarrow." Sephiroth shifted his weight, feeling adgitated. "I'll give you a report tomarrow."
"Since you're here you may as well sit and tell me about it now."
"I would prefer to write it, I didn't intent to stay long in the first place."
"Sit already, if you tell me now you'll be saving yourself time in the long run."
"I'll stand."
"You know, if you really arn't feeling up to this, I could always call private... what was his name? You know, the one I assaigned to accompany you."
"Strife is dead." Sephiroth said listlessly.
"What? What happened?" the scientist demanded.
Sephiroth sighed, this could take some time.
The angel shivered. Something was deffinetly wrong. "Gods hear my prayer! Be with me, protect me, give me strength. May Leviathan the mighty sweep away my enemies with a wave of malice and justice!" She whispered in Wutaian.
There was the click and twist of a lock pick in the lock of the front door. KiyoYume started and ran for the next room, panic seasing her. She pressed her back to the wall and slid down to a sitting postion so as to hear who came in. The door swung open and three maybe four people walked into the apartment, closing the door behind them.
"Ok Tseng, what are we looking for? What could the big bad Sephiroth have stashed away that would make Hojo so edgy?"
"Anything unusual. Hojo said we'll know if we find what he suspects to be here."
"You know, I always wanted an excuse to get inside Seph's apartment and mess things up!"
If she moved now, she would give herself away, but if she stayed where she was, they would find her. The angel closed her eyes and silently prayed to Levithlan again and again, hoping she hadn't heard what she thought she had heard. 'Gods, don't let it really be Tseng...' She listened as the footsteps headed in diffrent directions, one pair coming her way. She felt a shadow fall over her.
"Well well, look what we have here. Hey Tseng!"
KiyoYume opened her eyes and looked up to see a man with messy red hair. He was sloppily clothed in a blue suit, the coat unbuttoned and the white shirt half tucked in. When he bent down to get a closer look at her, she could smell the heavy stench of alcohol on his breath, though he was perfectly sober.
The other Turks showed up one at a time. There were four of them all together, three men and a woman.
"Its Hojo's angel!" the blonde woman gapped, "How'd she get loose?"
"I am not Hojo's angel!" KiyoYume interjected.
"Hmph, keep thinking that." she snorted.
"Hey Tseng, can we have some fun?" asked the red head. All eyes turned the Wutaian standing back from the group. He ran a hand through his long black hair and sighed, closing his eyes to he sight before him.
"Do as you will."
"Tseng!" KiyoYume lept to her feet and trying to reach him. The third man, who was tall and dark skinned with a shaved head, large muscles, and black sunglasses, reached out with one hand and shoved her back against the wall, pressing just hard enough to keep here there. The Wutaian crossed his arms, and let his eyes wonder in another direction.
"Tseng!" she wailed, "Tseng, how could you have fallen so far, how can you turn your back on one of your own?" The angel's panic began to rise. The red head began to laugh.
"Tseng! Tseng!" He mimicked her voice, throughing his into a high pitched squeel before bursting into laughter again. "Tseng ain't gona save you!"
"Hey Reno!" the blonde piped up looking at the red head, "Show her your scars! You too Rude, I'll hold her." The woman moved to take Rude's place as Reno took off his coat and unbuttoned his shirt. Rude followed, more slowly.
What was revealed were wings. They were black and featherless. The leathery skin between the bones torn, tattered, in shreds. KiyoYume cringed at the sight of them.
"Tseng, he's fallen just like us, he can't help you, although he wouldn't even if he could." Reno smirked. "So angel, tell us, how is you are still alive?"
"What? What do you mean?" she asked struggled against Elena's hold.
"Well seeing as no one wants you alive, I just figured you'd get a clue and you know... do something about it."
"The gods don't even want you!" Elena added as she let Rude take over. He held both her arms, gripping the upper portion of them and pulling them slightly back and up, drawing her to the balls of her feet, forcing her to depend on him to stand.
"They've forsaken you!"
"Th- Thats not true!" the angel stammered
"Isn't it? Why don't they answer your prayers?"
KiyoYume faltered. Reno and Elena shot each other sly looks and smiled inwardly.
"They don't hear you."
"They don't love you."
"They don't even want you!"
"Never did." They drew closer, their tone consistant mockery and seriousness.
"So go ahead, end it all!" Reno was close enough now to whisper. "You are a waste of spirit energy."
"I'm not!" she cried angryly.
Reno and Elena began to laugh.
"You're worthless!"
"You have no use, no purpose." Reno continued.
"There are a thousand other angels in the etheric, all of whom could do whatever you're hear to do far better than you. Hell, I could probably do it better than you."
"Get away from me! Go away! Leave this place!" KiyoYume yelled. She pulled, trying to get away from Rude, but slipped, hanging by her arms scrambling to get her feet back under her. It brought only more laughter. Even Rude, who had been listening silently, chuckled.
"You think that getting angry will help?" Elena taunted.
"You're pathetic and powerless." As if on cue Rude tightend his grip, slowly crushing KiyiYume's small arms. Reno walked forward and took hold of her chin with one hand.
"Worthless... and powerless." he leered. KiyoYume wouldn't meet his eyes. He bent his head and tilted it to get a better look at her face. Her blue eyes darted away from his. He straightened and jerked her chin up and forced her to look him in the face.
"I think it's time you learned just how powerless."
"-The monster attacked, and Stife was seriously injured. He backed up and fell into the Mako pit. I couldn't save him." Sephiroth paused. He felt something tug at his insides again. Probably just KiyoYume getting nervous, he brushed it aside. "Since there was nothing left to do, I came home." He concluded.
"I see..." Hojo muttered, his mind wandering back to the report Sephiroth had just given. "Thats all very interesting. And you're sure you didn't see anything out of place in the Mako reactor?"
There is was again... that odd pull. Through out the report it had become an increasing annoyance.
Hush! Be still.
"Something the matter Sephiroth?"
Sephiroth snapped back into the reality of the moment. "No. I just have something at home that needs my attention."
"Ahh... well, by all means, you're dismissed." Hojo said waving a hand towards the door. "It was not my intention to keep you so long."
Sephiroth kept his thoughts from his lips and nodded his assent before leaving. The train ride home was rather unsettling. Sephiroth felt her calling his name, again and again. There was a desperation that tainted the feeling, and it was continueally growing. As he was getting off the train it began to ease; to slowly just diminish into an ache.
Sephiroth entered the apartment, avoiding the elevator as it would be faster for him to take the stairs. When he reached the top floor he found the door to his apartment open. He entered and closed it behind him. The voices coming from the other room paused.
"What was that?"
"How the hell should I know?"
Sephiroth moved through the apartment and stood in the doorway leading to the next room. Reno backed away from a corner and Elena and Rude just stared.
Elena and Rude both said something in Wutaian and vanished. Reno laughed and wipped his mouth.
"Tseng, the master of the lair is home, perhaps we should head out. We've got all we came for anyway."
Sephiroth narrowed his eyes into an unforgiving stare. He brought the Masamune into view and jerked on the hilt, bringing about six inches of steel out of the sheath. Reno shot Sephiroth an amused but mocking look, and after a few quick words vanished. Tseng, who was leaning on a wall oposite the door opened his eyes and looked at Sephiroth, shook his head, and vanished.
Sephiroth slid the Masamune back into its sheath, walked further into the room and looked to the corner Reno had so hastily backed away from. Sephiroth could not keep the grim expression from his face.
KiyoYume lay on her side half curled, sobbing bitterly. Her arms were drawn up to her chest to cover the exposed skin where her tunic had been torn. Her wings were half spread behind her, rumpled laying askew; here and there feathers stuck out in odd directions. She was bleeding in several places and brusies could be seen forming on her arms and legs.
When she saw Sephiroth she shut her eyes and angled her face towards the floor. Sephiroth walked toward the angel, stopping within inches of her torn and broken body, and looked down at her. The angel could do nothing by lay at his feet and cry.