Chapter Fifteen

Claire popped out of the hole back inside the temple. "Sorry it took so long," she said while dusting herself off and wishing for her old pink hot pants back. As nice as the Jasmine outfit was, it seemed to absorb clouds of dirt. When no one answered, she looked around and saw no one.

"Sir?" she called out tentatively. "Leon?"

No response. She expanded her search, eyes scanning the ground. Maybe they were frogs again. But there were no frogs on the ancient stone. And no signs of a struggle. And no footprints leading off in either direction. She swore under her breath, drawing the Griffin.

Rufus had come from the left side of the tunnel. So maybe they were backtracking and trying to leave her out of the fight. Hopefully that was the case. Because Tseng would have her ass in a sling if she let anything happen to the President.

She started down the passage at a quick clip.

It didn't take her long to discover how messed up the temple was. There were stone corridors winding to dead ends. There were trapdoors threatening to plunge the unwary into pits of spikes or alligators. There were staircases leading to brick walls and staircases that were upside down, leading to upside down doors. There were vines growing along walls, leading to black framed doorways, with the ink of black smoke spilling from their depths.

There was no sign of Rufus or Leon.

Instead there were Touch Me's galore. Dragons – yes, real, fire-belching dragons, with beady eyes and leathery wings. And then there were wolves, and skeletons built into moving walls, that sliced at her with Tyrant sharp claws. Then there were Lickers – so she knew that Umbrella was around somewhere.

She climbed her eighth set of vines, and sat down, tired. From where she was, she had a good view of the main maze, and she supposed if she waited long enough, Leon and Rufus would emerge from one of the narrower, darker, winding passages. Besides, when lost it was best to sit still.

Five minutes later, her patience was starting to wear thin. She pulled Rufus's phone out, checking for a signal and not getting one. She checked some of the menus though, looking for something that might help her. Instead, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark figure with flowing silver hair dart into a passage while green light swirled around it.

Claire reacted instantly. She snapped the phone closed, shoving it into her bra for safekeeping. She swung over the edge, letting herself freefall for an adrenaline-filled moment, and then grabbing the vines to slow her decent. Once she was on the narrow ledge, she leapt off – hoping to land on a nearby ledge rather than plunge to her death – or at the least a few broken bones. She hit the other side, ran up a staircase, and darted through a door she hadn't been in before. Inside was a deep chasm with a stone path cutting a swath of grey through the dark. She could just make out the figure, leaning over a pool of green water. As she watched, it fell forward. For a second the surface of the water was calm. Then a hand emerged, struggling to resurface.

Claire broke into a fast run. She'd always prided herself on her running ability. In high school she'd been on the track team and held the record for both long- and short-distance times. She reached the water, and without hesitation, seized the arm and pulled.

A child came out. Green eyes horribly wide, long silver hang hanging in a disheveled mess. Then his expression deadened. "Release me, woman," he snarled, eyes turning into chips of green ice.

Claire ignored him, choosing instead to pull him out of the small pool. She set him down on the ground, and then stepped back. "You okay?"

"I am dead, woman. Do I look okay?"

Claire felt a stab of sadness. Was this poor boy a victim of Umbrella? Chris had told her about some of Umbrella's experiments in Russia. The version of the virus had ripped the souls from the body, leaving confused ghosts with a very earthly feel. Chris called them Shades. They could hurt the living – even kill them, but they were usually tied to a certain place. The place they died.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, and seized him into a furious hug. "I won't let anyone hurt you again."

He was stiff in her arms, but Claire ignored that. She stroked his soft, silver hair, whispering softly that she would take care of him, make sure that everything turned out all right for him.

And after a few minutes, he relaxed into her arms. "Strange," he said. "I've never felt this before."

"Felt what?"

"Loved and important."

Claire's hug tightened. "That's horrible."

"I was respected, then feared and loathed. But never loved." He awkwardly hugged her back. "You are a good woman, Claire Redfield." He pulled away, gently, and Claire let him.

"You know my name?"

"I've been watching you," he said. "Hoping to see you die."

"You can't help it," Claire said, forgiving him for the desire. Umbrella ruined many people. When Steve had been infected, he had wanted her dead too, but had been able to resist it. This boy seemed more than capable of resisting the impulse too. And even if he attacked her, she wouldn't blame him.

He responded by raising one gloved hand. A sword materialized. A long, long narrow sword that was twice the length of his child's body. He swooped it down, angling the blade toward her throat. Claire placed two fingers against the metal, keeping it from touching her.

"What can I do for you?" she asked. "Is there anything I can do to make this better?"

"Make this better?" he asked, child's voice cracking. "As in be my mother? My mother was a cold woman who hated the fact that she gave birth to me. She constantly cried and eventually she went to a waterfall cave and encased herself in ice so that she would not have to bear the shame of giving birth to me."

"I don't know about being a mother," Claire said. "My own mother didn't care for having me around. She had no use for children." She smiled. "But I do know about being a sister."

"Sister?"

"Yeah," she said. "A little sister, most of the time. My big brother, Chris, he's the best brother a girl could hope for. Bad taste in women, but I protected him from that. And whenever I'm in trouble, I know he's doing everything he can to help me."

"Where is he now?" The boy shifted the sword abruptly, so that it was resting in the hollow of her throat. "Because you are in trouble."

Claire closed her eyes. "I know he's looking for me. But I don't think he can reach me." She stepped back and to the side and forward, so the sword was resting on her shoulder. "It's enough to know that he's out there, worried about me. It's enough to know that I will always, always, have someone on my side."

He cocked his head to the side. "What's your point?"

"My point is that I can't be your mother because I don't know how. But I can be your big sister. Your protector. The one person who will look out for you. Argue with you. Love you. Hate you. All at the same time. But always, always, be on your side."

"Even if I'm trying to destroy the Planet?" he asked.

"Are you trying to destroy the Planet?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll be right by your side," Claire said. "Stopping you every step of the way."

"Ha!" he said, triumphantly. "So you're a liar, dear sister. You claim that you'll be by my side always and then you mince words and would stand with my enemies."

Claire laughed. "You've never had a sister like me before," she said, eyes sparkling. "Chris could tell you all about me. I used to foil his grand schemes too. Although, truth be told, they weren't as grand as destroying the planet. He was more interested in slutty girls. And I stopped those relationships because sometimes a super-interested little sister knows best. And in the case of you destroying the world, I know best."

The boy choked. "You do, do you?" His sword disappeared, and he crossed his arms. "And how is it that you possess this information?"

"Sisterly instinct," Claire said. She walked up to him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I've never had a little brother before, but if you want you can be mine."

He laughed again. A nice, awkward, pleased laugh. Then there was a swirl of green around him, and he was suddenly taller and older than she was. "You can be my little sister, Claire."

He touched his forehead to hers. "And I will not destroy the world if you can tell me why I shouldn't destroy the world."

Claire met his eyes unblinkingly. "Because as my big brother your job is to protect me and keep me happy. And I wouldn't be happy if you destroyed the Planet."

"Very well," he said. He pulled away, then kissed her forehead. "I will be your guardian, Claire."

By now Claire recognized him as the man from the swirling green mist in the Temple of the Ancients hole. "So, do I just call you brother or are you going to tell me your name?"

"Sephiroth," he said, watching her carefully.

"Sephiroth?" Claire repeated. The name seemed somewhat familiar. "Well, welcome to the family, Sephiroth. Hopefully I get to introduce you to Chris sometime."

"Is he my brother too?"

"My brother is you brother," Claire said.

"Then my brothers are your brothers," Sephiroth said. "And when you meet them, you must tell them this. And explain to them that they must protect you."

"Okay," Claire said, smiling.

"There names are Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo."

"Got a picture?"

Sephiroth waved a hand and a picture of the three appeared.

"I can see the family resemblance," Claire said. She took the photo, and carefully pulled out a tattered photo of Chris. "This is Chris."

"He doesn't look much like you," Sephiroth noted. "But I can see the resemblance around the eyes and mouth." He touched the photo. "May I?"

"Yeah," Claire said. It was her only picture of Chris, but she had memories of him to bolster her spirits. All Sephiroth had was her say-so that Chris was wicked cool. "Keep it."

"Thank you," Sephiroth said, voice oddly choked.

For a few minutes the two now-adopted siblings stared at their new family members. Then Sephiroth coughed. "I do have one other brother, but he's something of a black sheep and probably won't like you as a sister very much."

"His loss," Claire said.

"Yes, but I get the feeling that you will be a good sister to him as well, but I don't want you to adopt my father."

"Hey," Claire said, spreading her arms to the side. "I didn't offer you my mother or father because they aren't worth sharing."

"Hojo is my father," Sephiroth said.

"Eww . . ." Claire said. "And ohh . . ."

"Eww and ohh?"

"Yeah, he's nasty. And . . . I'm going to kill him."

Sephiroth nodded. "Yes, I gathered that much. But you can't do it alone."

"Sure I can."

"It's not safe."

"It's a risk I have to take."

Sephiroth shook his head. "I can't risk you getting hurt."

"And I can't risk him spreading zombies over the Planet. Innocent people are counting on me."

"Oh Claire," Sephiroth said. "Must you be like him?"

Claire gave him a quick hug. "I have to stay true to myself." She pulled back, and before her eyes, Sephiroth started to vanish. "Wait –"

His voice slipped from the darkness. "I cannot remain any longer. The Lifestream pulls always. Tell your brothers who you are."

Then he was gone.