Author note: Ah I was accused of using an AI to write this. My goodness, some people have way too much time on there hands. Anyway, happy late Easter! I was on a last-minute vacation to care for my dog, so I had some extra writing time. Hope you lovelies enjoy the early chapter. I'm also thinking of starting up some one shots for this fiction, of one-on-one adventures Sophie has with various characters, and scenes I write that don't end up in the main fiction.
Chapter start
Cloud was with Claudia. Which made sense since she was his mom. Tifa hesitated slightly, but I wasn't patient. I had goals, and they didn't leave time to sooth a young girl. With a probably evil smirk, my hand shoved the martial artist into the room. She caught her balance with a small squeak, face flushing pink and then a prominent red when Cloud and Claudia looked at her.
It was somewhat amusing, though I didn't let her suffer for long. Just another second or two. Boulder was the reason they took note of my presence, the hound coming over with a happy bark, lifting his paws to heavily descend against my body. I wasn't aware of how my features automatically smiled for the hound, eyes sparkling. My hand stroked and rubbed his ears and head easily.
Cloud seemed a little resigned as he eyed me up and down, still wary. Claudia face to face, in the light of day, was… far frailer than I'd originally thought. Her bone structure was very thin, dress just large enough to be considered ill fitting. Even her hair showed signs of her rough road, lines already spreading out with dark smudges under the admittedly beautiful blue eyes.
"It's you," she murmured with a small surprise in her tone. Her voice was soft and gentle, the kind people took advantage of.
"Me," I recited back. "You've been playing with Boulder."
Panic seemed to go through her body, causing a stiffening as she faltered. "I… hope it wasn't impertinent. He's a lovely boy."
Even I wasn't that cruel as to ignore her. I gentled my voice. "A lot of people are afraid of him. It made me happy, to see him getting some positive interaction. Thank you, really."
I shoved him a little to get him to drop to the ground. He settled his bulk down with a yawn, his body blasting warmth that permeated through my leggings. Cloud relaxed a tad in the fact I wasn't disparaging his mother.
"Of course. He's a bit big, but hardly scary." She waved the words away and, my Gods, I loved her already. I was definitely keeping her.
"Ah, also thanks for the breakfast. It was definitely pretty good. And I see where you've been already. I am grateful."
Claudia cleared her throat. "I'm happy you liked it. If you're still hungry…"
"Ah, no. Don't be angry but, Boulder got half of it. I'm not heavy on breakfast." I lifted a hand to giggle lightly, girlish and high, soothing her. Acting slightly embarrassed to calm the Strife family.
"Oh, no! Please don't worry." She smiled a little. "I'll keep it in mind for while you're here."
I'd already decided Nibelheim was going to become "mine" so to speak. It made sense in multiple ways. If I was always here, could Hojo risk moving Jenova here, or planting his stupid fake reports? And, less pragmatically for my overall goal, Claudia and Cloud deserved more.
"Actually, I had wanted to make something clear." Tseng had come in, distracting me a tad. He maintained his stoic expression though, perhaps a bit resigned. "I didn't hire you for just when one of us is here. This is a permanent job, should you be willing. You're obviously able."
The saying of an open mouth came to mind. Claudia and Cloud both seemed surprised by the declaration, while Tifa was casting glances to and from. Tseng sighed beside me, but he knew I wouldn't take it back. Not like he really cared, so long as it didn't create more work for him.
"Are you certain?" The woman asked it hesitantly.
I hummed. "Of course. It makes the most sense. So far, my brother likes to keep me on a short leash. This may be the only little refuge I have, until I'm old enough. I might not come back in the winter, but I'm certain I'll visit again. We wouldn't want the mansion to be in such a state should that happen."
"And here you were so invested in seeing snow." Tseng made the comment half chidingly and somewhat smugly.
I sent him a glare. "Yes, and I've seen it. It's cold, and I don't like it. And no, that doesn't mean we're packing up. You'll have to wait to run into my brother's arms for later."
I heard the choked sounds from behind me. Tseng himself merely gave me a look. Chills went down my back when he slowly, evilly, smirked.
He gave a small half bow. "As you say, Princess. Speaking of your brother. The VP is on the line. He was, of course, quite eager to ensure his sister arrived safely. I'm sure hearing your voice had placated him."
Oh, shit. There was a stupid PHS in his gloved hand, held aloft for my fingers to take. I swallowed the little saliva that pooled into my mouth, before taking the thing. How much could he have really heard anyway?
Still… "Hello, my favorite brother!"
"Nice try, Sophie. I'm the only brother you need worry about." His voice had a tone of disapproval to it.
"Of course, you are. Why would I ever forget that?"
"From my understanding you've shown some curiosity towards other "family" you may have. And also, if what I heard now was correct, my love life."
I gave a small laugh. "Not yours. Tseng's, obviously. He's just perfect to be my teacher, wouldn't you say?"
The man's face could only be called resigned. Though he was used to my behaviors, it didn't make my random flirting or behavior easy to ignore.
"Sophie…" Rufus delivered his warning by his tone alone. He let the silence stretch, and I felt it build in my bones, uncomfortable and needing to be filled. So mean. "Are you doing alright?"
There was the concerned older brother. "Doing great! I already found new people to play with."
"Don't play too roughly. They aren't all first-class SOLDIERS, or Turks."
"I know, I know. I'll be gentle." I glanced over to the others. Then I turned away, desperately wanting, or maybe needing to know something. "Is he still terribly angry with me?"
"Of course. You refused to let him go with you. I admire the man for wanting to protect you so much." I tsked at his words. He continued as though he didn't hear my grumbling. "He isn't angry, per se. Just concerned. As we all are."
We spoke for a while longer, before I handed it back to Tseng. Claudia had gone about her business cleaning, already moving to another room. Cloud had plopped onto the floor, Boulder all too eager to deposit his head into the boy's lap. Tifa had settled on the couch, the leather crackling under her as she shifted. Tseng was still talking to Rufus, leaving the room with a final warning glance at me.
"Um…" Tifa had been trying to engage Cloud in conversation, but it didn't seem to have gone well. The boy was giving one worded answers, so very guarded. "I think I'm going to go. Dad will wonder where I am."
"Oh, all right. Come by again. We'll do lunch. Chocobo will be there, too."
"Choco… bo?" She glanced to Cloud, who had stiffened.
"I am not a chocobo!"
I pretended surprise. "Ah, the chocobo talks! Cool."
"Listen here!" He choked on his words, biting his tongue. Irritation flickered across his face before he turned away. His fingers clasped tighter into the fur he stroked. Boulder shifted and I studied his body language. He wasn't tensing, so I let it be.
"You're being so cautious," I murmured. "Come now, surely you have a vocabulary? Or is the chocobo a quiet sort?"
"Cloud it's okay," Tifa stated gently. He glanced at her and then away. I felt pity stir.
"You can talk, you know. Your mother's job is hinging on her being a good fit. And so far, she's very admirable. She won't be in trouble for your attitude."
Tifa departed after a hasty goodbye. Cloud relaxed a tad without her presence. It didn't totally relax though. He was nervous, which considering the first thing I'd done was make fun of his hair, none could blame him. I cataloged things in my head.
A strange girl had appeared, with her guards, in the middle of the night. The strange girl turned out to be Shinra, the company that held your town in a vice grip due to the reactor they'd planted in the mountain. And she'd randomly plucked your only family member from a crowd, and offered hope. It was probably heady, and terrifying.
Well, they'd learn. I was slightly possessive of the people I claimed under my name. Claudia could be subpar, and Cloud could be a menace. That would be their choice, in the end. But they were mine now, therefore I didn't want them to suffer. It was, for now, in my abilities to stop it. So, I would do so, and hope for the best.
Fear churned around in my stomach as I drifted over the storyline. Every change I made, was it worsening or helping things? The question came randomly at times, and sometimes with such insistence it stole the breath from my lungs. Sephiroth was so precious, and I cared far too much for a future mass murderer. Though really, I wasn't some moral purist.
After all, I enjoyed Barret. And he, along with Avalanche, had killed how many innocent people with their bombings? Every single member of the main group dynamic was a killer, even Aerith. I understood that it had been necessary for their survival. Still, it didn't change the fact they'd killed plenty if infantrymen who, yeah worked for Shinra. But not everyone who worked for Shinra was evil incarnate.
Sephiroth wouldn't become a killer for survival by any means, yet I wanted to forgive him. He was so mentally grail, despite the strength of his body. Jenova had made confetti out of him, to the point even if he had overtaken her in the end, he'd been lost. Could I prevent that?
I wasn't sure. After all, the opponent was a two thousand plus year old alien calamity. There was never a time in any of my lives where I'd known what it was like to have my own will stripped away layer by layer. And while my goal was to stop the whole damned thing from happening, what if I failed in the end?
Sophie Shinra didn't exist in the game, after all. For all I knew, I'd die before the events of Crisis Core, and maybe that would revert Sephiroth back to his lonely path. Maybe by sparing Cloud some pain now, he'd be unable to find his inner fire to stop the silver haired general. Maybe Aerith wouldn't fight him, remembering the friendships of yesterday.
I shook myself. Worry wouldn't help. I'd started this path the moment I'd pitied Sephiroth, and gone down it too much to turn back. I sent a glance to Cloud.
"Let's explore this place. Or do you want to sit around and be Boulders cushion? Either works, really."
He stood up without hesitation and I decided to be a bit nicer. I totally was using him though. After all, if a hidden basement was discovered while two teenagers innocently explored an old, large mansion? Who could possibly blame them for being curious?
Cloud ended up being quiet as expected, but nice all the same. It was painfully obvious he didn't talk to people his age often, and I remembered he'd gotten into fights often. There were even theories Cloud, before the mind fuckery, had been arrogant but too shy to let that trait shine through. That hadn't resonated for me.
I more placed it down to the fact he'd been so bullied. When he was younger, I doubted highly he'd understood why the kids treated him so badly, and for comfort told himself it was because he was different in a good way. Not the bad way they'd spouted. You couldn't blame a kid for reacting that way.
"This place is such a mess," I sighed. I'd finally led us to what I'd thought was the room with the hidden basement. All I had been able to recall was that it was a front room, but reality had the mansion being a lot bigger than the game had expressed.
"It really is," he agreed quietly. His hands ran over a bookshelf, grimacing at the titles. "Your family has some interesting reading material."
Curiosity piqued; I came to stand by him. I had to stifle a laugh as he pulled one free and showed me the cover. The book was titled "Love on the open plains", a rather... muscled man on its cover astride a beautiful golden chocobo. The woman was, of course, basically fainting into his arms from her position in front of him.
"Well, you know. Nothing wrong with a little erotica for the mind."
He blushed and I couldn't not take the opportunity. I pressed in closer, guiding his body to the wall. Smirking while he sputtered in protest and confusion. His breath fanned over my face. This close I could count the well hidden freckles on his features, noted the fact his eyelashes were longer than mine even. He wasn't as handsome as he would be, but the signs of his future gorgeousness were all there.
"W-what are you doing?"
"Exploring," I whispered. My fingers pressed along the wall behind him.
The wall was cool beneath my fingertips, the brick overlay letting me know we were where we needed to be. It was from the first game, a random cylinder of brick pressing from the wall in an obvious way. Of course, since no one had found it yet, I supposed this weird thing was common for mansions. Or perhaps they were just used to Shinra being eccentric with the decoration.
The indentation was there, a firm round button. I hummed happily when I found it, pressing. Cloud yelped in some surprise as the door swished open, his leaning causing him to fall backwards. I grabbed his forearm to stop his tumble, wondering mildly if he'd have rolled all the way down.
"A hidden… room?" He murmured, after thanking me.
"Hm. Guess this is the basement." I kept my voice neutral, only letting mild curiosity bleed through. "We were looking for something interesting."
"Right… still, maybe we should grab some flashlights or something."
"Scared of the dark?" I teased lightly.
"More scared of stepping on a rat. Or tripping." He peeked into the passageway. "It doesn't look like there's any railing around the stairs."
"Design flaws spotted. Guess safety was the last concern for the hidden dungeon."
"What is going on in here?"
We poked our heads from inside the passage to see Tseng and Reno in the room.
"Huh, a hidden room? Nifty." Reno came up beside us.
"It's the basement," Tseng murmured. I wondered if he knew what was down there. He had been with the Turks longer, so it was probable.
Did he know about what Hojo had planned, what had been done to the three SOLDIER firsts? I wanted to say no, but there wasn't any ounce of me that believed he didn't probably know at least a little bit.
He turned his stoic look to me. "What were you two doing?"
"What do you think?" I employed a small sultriness to my tone, grasping Cloud around the arm. "We were going to go explore somewhere a little more private."
Tseng sighed, whilst Cloud burst into a tomato faced teen. Reno reacted with enthusiasm, whistling and laughing. "Heh, alright little chocobo!"
At the words Tseng reacted. "Reno!"
The redhead stiffened, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Er, I mean… eh, bad princess. That's not allowed, yo."
"You all can't stop me forever. One day, you'll have to let my leash go." I said it half jokingly, half serous.
"If that day comes, it won't be today. Not under our watch." Tseng stepped forward now, his eyes searing into Clouds very soul. The blond swallowed but rallied.
"We weren't doing that."
Something flickered in the Turks eyes, curiosity. "I'm aware. Our Princess has a playful personality. Now the truth, Sophie."
"I already told you. We were going to explore somewhere private and hidden." With my words I disentangle from Cloud, heading into the basement.
I felt Cloud try to stop me, while Tseng groaned and Reno chuckled. Poor Tseng. He was going to get wrinkles before his time at this rate. Then again, some signs of age would do him good anyway. Damned Wutai genes. Man hadn't changed at all since I met him years ago, or had barely changed.
I took a few steps before I paused, knowing the others weren't far behind. I glanced over to Tseng, pouting. The stones were cold beneath my feet, as was the very air around us. The furnace apparently didn't reach down here.
"Perhaps you should go and get your shoes at the least, Princess." Tseng knew immediately what the matter was. Such a clever man.
"You may be right. And a coat. Damn, why wouldn't they have extended the heating system for down here?" I whined a little.
"Heat rises. They perhaps didn't want to waste the gil."
"Hmm. Cloud!" He glanced at me. "We found it together, so we're going to explore it together. I'll be right back. You boys bond over your taste in weapons or something."
I carefully maneuvered around the two Turks on the stairs, both of them grasping parts of my body to help stabilize me. I practically ran up the stairs, deciding some teenage excitement was expected. Another step and then another, getting closer to another phase of the plan.
This was either going to crash, or be very fruitful indeed.
