Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, Crisis Core, Before Crisis, or any other part of FFVII.
AN: Yeah…I ended up making this much longer than I intended to. I've also taken a few liberties here and there, adding and changing a few things, and combining several of the different versions of Nibelheim (Before Crisis, Last Order, Crisis Core, FFVII) into one. So this will actually take up two chapters. Sorry for the delay, and I hope you find it worth the wait.
On a side note, I finally saw some of Advent Children Complete, and it was freaking AWESOME! It gives a little more background on Geostigma, has simply beautiful graphics, features added and extended scenes, and apparently they're going to be releasing more of the "On the Way to a Smile" novellas (Case of Yuffie, Case of Nanaki, Case of Shinra, and Case of Lifestream)
"Talking"
Thoughts
"It all happened five years ago, in a town called Nibelheim. After the war with Wutai was over, it was SOLDIER's job to deal with any resistance factions that popped up, like the old 'Avalanche' group. I was sixteen…"
Sephiroth watched on in amusement as the younger First Class paced about the truck in anxiety. Not that it was any surprise. Zack had always been rather excitable, so sitting still in the rather confined space for hours on end must have been grating on his nerves.
"It's sure raining hard out there." The dark-haired man glanced over at Cloud, hunching over in the corner.
"Hey man, you alright?" The blond looked up and shook his head, before leaning back down.
"Y-yeah, I'm good."
"Motion sickness, eh? Sorry man, but I can't really relate. Never been a problem for me." He voiced the question to other soldier in the back, getting a similar answer, and turned to their silver-haired leader.
"Hey Mister Sephiroth, how 'bout you? You doin' okay over there?"
"Settle down, Zack."
"Sorry man, but I'm so psyched!" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow as the dark-haired man began doing squats in what he assumed was supposed to be some kind of warm-up exercise. "See, I got this new materia the other day and I'm dyin' to try it out! It's gonna be sweet!"
Hmph. Still…"…Just like a kid." The younger boy pouted for a second, before assuming what Sephiroth had silently dubbed his "serious face."
"So, you going to brief us on this mission, Miiister Sephiroth?"
"…This isn't going to be a typical mission."
"Yes!"
"Excited, are we?"
"Well, yeah, I mean..."
"Hm?"
"It's just that, y'know, I joined SOLDIER because I wanted to be a big hero. Helping people out an' all that. But the war ended before I could really do all that much. I mean, there was Fort Tamblin, but since I didn't get to First Class until later I never really got any big solo jobs." None that were on record, anyway. "So what about you, Sephiroth?"
"…Didn't you say you wanted a briefing?"
"Oh, yeah. Let's do that."
"Hm. Our mission is to investigate an old Mako Reactor. We've been receiving reports that it's been malfunctioning, and producing monsters of some kind. Our first objective is to dispose of these monsters and ensure the safety of the town. Then we're to locate the source of this problem, and neutralize it."
"Monsters, huh? What kind of monsters?" They both knew what he was thinking. Genesis. Neither of them had ever been truly certain that the former SOLDIER was dead. After all, most First Class members had survived worse wounds than what Zack had given the man, and Genesis had never been the type to just lie down and die.
"Unknown. We don't really have any troops stationed in Nibelheim, and the civilians living there shouldn't be expected to risk themselves to confirm it for us."
"Nibelheim…" They both glanced over at Cloud's voice, curious.
"Yes," Sephiroth gave a small nod "The Mako Reactor at Nibelheim."
"Nibelheim…That's where I'm from."
"Hey, cool! So this is pretty exciting for ya, right?"
"Hmm. A hometown, eh?" The truck lurched to a stop, Zack losing his balance and falling over a box, Cloud looking as though he was about to be sick, and Sephiroth…Well, Sephiroth honestly didn't seem any different than he had moments before. So naturally, he was unsurprised when the driver's panicked voice called back to them.
"S-sir! Something just bumped into the truck! I think it's-"
"Our monster. How far are we from Nibelheim?" Sephiroth walked to the back of the truck, preparing to jump out.
"Not long sir! J-just about a mile!"
"Very well. Keep driving. You two," He pointed to Zack and the other soldier, Forra. "Stay with the truck, make sure nothing is attacking Nibelheim. We'll catch up soon. Strife, you're with me."
With that he stepped out of the back, easily landing despite their speed, and Cloud rushed to follow, momentarily ignoring his motion sickness. His landing was somewhat less graceful than his superior's, though he could at least say that he'd managed to roll into a defensive position without looking too much like a rookie. A roar from behind him jolted him into action, turning just in time to see that the large green dragon had decided that they would be less frustrating prey than a speeding truck, and had sent a jet of fire flashing towards him.
A jet of fire that dispersed upon smashing into the green barrier of Sephiroth's Protect spell, as he blurred into view in between the blond soldier and the flames.
"Strife."
"Yes sir?"
"What kind of dragon would you say this was?" As the dragon looked as though it was preparing to charge, Cloud had to wonder if this was really the right time for trivia. Then again, it was Sephiroth…
"Well, I-I guess, it's…" His mind flashed back to their training, when they had to learn the basic strengths and weaknesses of larger, more dangerous monsters like dragons. Okay, okay. Native to the Western Continent, mountainous region, medium size, fire-breathing type…Sounds like it's the…"It's a, uh, Varuna? Sir?"
"Indeed." A green glow passed over the SOLDIER's hand, and the now-charging dragon let out a cry as the ground crumbled beneath it, trapping its legs beneath the earth. "Strife, grenade. Aim for the mouth."
"O-okay?" Cloud unclipped one of the Shinra-issued grenades on his belt, pulling the pin, and waiting for Sephiroth's command. As the dragon reared its head back, obviously intent on trying to burn them alive again, the silver-haired man gave him the signal. He reared back and threw the grenade as hard as he could. The explosive sailed towards the dragon, reaching its mouth just as it let loose the next jet of flame, and promptly exploded in its face, sending blood and bone spreading across the ground around it.
"Congratulations, Strife" Sephiroth turned to him. "You've just killed your first dragon. That should look impressive on any resume, no?"
The blonde looked at him in confusion for a moment, but a sheepish grin spread across his face as he registered what the man was saying.
"Thank you, Sir. Um, should we salvage something, or…?" Dragons were, after all, becoming less and less common, and their remains could be used for countless different things. Their hides were often fire-resistant or thick enough to use for armor, some had bones sturdy enough to shape into weapons, and if rumors were true, the President had become rather taken with Dragon Meat meals. Sephiroth nodded at the question, and Cloud gave a curious glance another glare of light, blue this time, flashed over Sephiroth's arm, the dragon's remains freezing over.
"We shouldn't be in Nibelheim for more than a few days. That was a high level ice spell, so as long as its target doesn't struggle it should last for a while. We'll retrieve the remains on the way back." Yet again, Sephiroth almost seemed to read Cloud's mind, answering his question before he could speak it. Maybe he was just too easy to read. "Come. We should get moving."
"Yes Sir!" He quickly rushed into step at Sephiroth's right, walking in silence at his side for several minutes.
"No need to be so nervous, Strife." Cloud jumped at the unexpected noise, stuttering out a response.
"O-Oh, I'm not, I mean, uh…"
"You don't need to worry about getting in trouble."
"I-I'm sorry, Sir. I'm really not used to meeting people who are so…Well, I mean, you're a SOLDIER legend, Sir. And all the guys talk about how strict you are, and-" He paused as the SOLDIER chuckled, confused at the action. "Sir?"
"Hmph. Talk is talk. I've worked with Zack several times over the years, and he's still here. I won't kill you for dropping protocol." Cloud had to admit, as much as he loved his friend, the man could be a bit hyperactive when he was excited. If he couldn't drive the famous SOLDIER up the wall, there probably weren't many people who could. Cloud scratched the back of his head in a manner that reminded Sephiroth of Zack, and he nearly smiled. He'd seem Zack mimic Angeal's mannerisms several times as well while acting as his student.
"Zack has mentioned you before. I hear you wanted to be in SOLDIER."
"Yeah…" Sephiroth didn't have to see the rookie's shoulders sag to realize that he was ashamed at the claim. Even had he not been so perceptive, he'd read reports over the boy that Zack seemed to have taken on as an unofficial student of sorts. He had potential, he was physically fit enough at least, but…
"You lack confidence."
"Huh?" Well that's really encouraging, Sir.
"You're strong, but you lack confidence. If you want to be in SOLDIER, you can't doubt yourself. The only way to truly succeed, you have to believe that you will succeed. You'll never defeat an opponent who you aren't willing to believe you can defeat. Our pride, our honor, is all we have as SOLDIER. When we no longer have that, we become nothing more than monsters. A wise friend once showed me that."
"I just don't-"
"You could make SOLDIER, Strife." Sephiroth cut him off. "You just have to realize it first."
"I-" He knelt his head and paused, a small smile crossing his face as he considered the older man's words. "Thank you, Sir."
In comparison to killing a dragon and being praised by a living legend, Cloud had to admit that their walk to Nibelheim was dreadfully boring. Aside from a few more tips from Sephiroth about how to handle some of the creatures that he may encounter on the future, neither of them were honestly that talkative, and it seemed almost as though any smaller monsters that may have considered attacking them instinctively knew that Sephiroth wasn't a prey that they wanted to target.
And so, within less than an hour, they found themselves standing in front of Nibelheim, where Zack and the remaining soldiers were "practicing their victory poses" for later use as they waited for their comrades. Zack was overjoyed. The two who were practicing with him, on the other hand, didn't look quite as enthusiastic. Sephiroth nodded to the trio in greeting, and stepped to the head of the group before turning back to glance at Cloud.
"It's been a while since you've been back to your hometown, right? How does it feel?"
"I…I'm not really sure. It's hard to explain." He paused for a second as he considered asking how Sephiroth would feel, and had to force himself not to stumble over his words when he realized that he hadn't addressed his superior officer appropriately, and added a nervous "Sir!" to his response.
He let out a breath of relief when Sephiroth didn't seem to notice the slip, too busy gazing off into the distance. Not that he thought the older man would likely punish him for such a minor mistake, especially not when he'd been so helpful before, but he certainly didn't want to embarrass himself in front of his hero. Moments later, Sephiroth looked back at the group, and answered the question Cloud had been thinking.
"I ask because I…don't have a hometown of my own. I wouldn't know."
"Eh?" Zack tilted his head in confusion. "What about your parents?"
"My mother's name was Jenova. I never knew her. She died shortly after giving birth to me. As for my father," He broke off into silence before letting out an unnervingly humorless chuckle, holding up a hand as if brushing the matter aside. "It's irrelevant. Come on, let's go."
Though Cloud and the others didn't seem to recognize the name, Zack was even more confused than before. His mother's name is…Jenova? The same one Genesis was talking about? So…what was so important about her cells?
They'd barely entered the town when a young, and admittedly rather well-endowed brunette ran up to them, clearly anxious to see the new arrivals.
"Hey! Are you the SOLDIERs sent here for the investigation?"
"Yeah, that's us. My name's Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class. Nice to meet ya." He gestured to himself with his thumbs, flashing a cheeky grin.
"Hmm…"
"Huh?" Aw, come on! Why don't I ever run into anybody that's impressed with that?
"Are there a lot of First Classes?"
"Not really. We're a pretty small group. There's only a few of us out there."
"Are there only two of you here?"
Only two? How often do you hear someone say "only two" SOLDIER First Class are here? "Yeah, it's just the two of us. Me and Sephiroth."
"Oh. Well…okay." And with that, she was off again, seemingly uninterested in whatever else they might have had to say.
Huh? Well, that's odd. Even if they didn't get excited over the rest of us in SOLDIER, most people would go nuts if they heard that Seph was in town. What an odd kid. Cute though…
"Listen up." They turned to the silver-haired man as he spoke. "We'll begin our investigation of the Nibelheim Reactor tomorrow morning. You should all get to sleep early." He turned to enter the building, but stopped at the door, tilting his head back towards Cloud.
"Oh, and there's no problem if you want to go visit your family and friends. Just be sure not to take too much time. We may have a long day ahead tomorrow."
Zack took a glance around the small town as Sephiroth entered the inn, and gave it an appreciative grin. It reminded him a lot of Gongaga, aside from the slightly chilly temperature. And the somewhat subdued atmosphere was different from his hometown, but he figured that'd probably change once he and Sephiroth had dealt with the monsters that had been harassing the town.
"Hey, mister, you're the SOLDIER right?" Zack grinned at the young boy that ran up to him, striking a "heroic" pose.
"Heck yeah, that's me alright. SOLDIER First Class, Zack Fair."
"Cool! Wanna help me solve the mysteries of Nibelheim?"
Well, Sephiroth did say that we had some free time. And I wouldn't be providing a very good example to brush the kid off. Not to mention that he might have finally met a fan. "Mysteries? Sounds like a fun time. So what's the deal?"
While Zack was busy solving the "great mysteries of Nibelheim," Cloud was getting reacquainted with his town, albeit without revealing his identity to anyone besides his mother. Ah, his mother. Nothing out of the usual, but still an embarrassing conversation. The last thing he wanted to talk about with his mother was his current love life, or lack thereof.
When that uncomfortable conversation was finished, and after a quick meal, he'd checked out a few of the small shops that people ran from their homes. It was only afterwards that he'd realized how lucky it was that none of them found it suspicious that he knew where all of the un-advertised shops were, and how much they'd generally charge for everything. There was really only one other place that he'd wanted to vist…He gave a light knock on the door to Tifa's home, and stepped in.
"Wait a minute…"
"Wait a minute," Tifa threw him a confused glance. "You visited my house?"
"Yeah. I guess I just thought you might have gone home."
"So, did you go in?"
"Well…"
He walked around for a few minutes, before deciding that if she was there, she definitely wasn't on the first floor. He walked upstairs, and knocked on the door a few times. When there was no response, he peeked inside, and glanced around the empty room.
Guess she's not here…
He walked over to the piano, playing a few notes before deciding that he was really out of practice. How he'd managed to butcher such a simple song was probably beyond even Hojo's comprehension. Noticing a small letter on the desk by her bed, he flipped it over a few times, and decided to leave it alone. Probably nothing important anyway.
Cloud was about to leave the room when he passed the dresser near the door. He glanced around nervously, then nudged the drawer open and began sifting around through its contents. Lifting a pink and frilly pair of panties, he gave them an appraising look before slipping them into his pocket.
"Cloud!"
"Cloud!"
As Yuffie guffawed from her seat on the bed and Barret cautiously backed away from the now-blushing brunette, he had to wonder whether the look was from embarrassment or anger, he wasn't sure. As she shot him a glare, he figured it was probably both.
"Kidding, kidding."
"You better be!"
"Sorry Tifa. Anyway…"
After a few less-than-eventful hours had passed, and with no more attempted panty-thefts, Cloud was lounging on one of the beds when the entire inn heard Zack trampling up the stairs and rambling excitedly to their leader, who was staring out the window overlooking the town.
"Hey Miiiiiister Sephiroth, check it out! I got this really cool looking new materia! It's kinda strange. Me an' this kid who lives here found it in the water tower, 'cause we were trying to figure out what was making the water all red and bloody-looking, and, uh…Sephiroth, you okay there?" Zack paused as he finally noticed that the normally-alert SOLDIER, standing prone at the window, more unaware of his surroundings than Zack had ever seen.
"Uh, boss, are you-"
"This place…It seems familiar." But it couldn't be. He wasn't arrogant enough to say that he remembered any and every second of his life, but he was probably the closest to being capable of it on the planet. The only real holes in his memory were of the first one or two years after his birth, and even then he had flashes of Shinra's laboratories. He couldn't have been in a town like Nibelheim during his childhood, and he knew that he'd never been as an adult.
Yet somehow, he knew that he'd been here before.
"You've never been out here?" Sephiroth remained silent for a few moments, and Zack was almost certain that the man hadn't heard him when he finally shook his head and spoke again.
"It's nothing. You should get some sleep. We're leaving early in the morning."
"…Alright, Sephiroth." Maybe he'll feel better tomorrow. Kill a few monsters to clear his head. Yeah, tomorrow…
AN: As you've probably noticed, I've used a combination of various depictions of the event, as well as a bit of my own. And it seemed a bit choppy at the end, but the cuts between the retelling and reactions kind of required it. For now, hope you enjoyed, and the next update should be really soon, considering that I basically just split this chapter in two.