Chapter 3: Cissnei Doesn't Like Strangers

Cloud and Sephiroth had no occasion to talk for about two weeks from that night, both overwhelmed by duties and with no Zack around to make them 'incidentally' bump into each other. So no one truly expected the Silver General to show up one day in the training room during the session of Cloud's group.

But he did show up and wiped out the floor with terrified cadets.

Cloud was as surprised as the rest of them, but still managed to block one strike of Masamune. It did not save him from being thrown to the wall like a rag doll - the power of the blow was simply too great to withstand, even after his first Mako injections.

This short but spectacular show ended with Sephiroth surrounded by groaning bodies on the floor. He sighed, dematerializing his sword.

"On the battlefield you must expect the unexpected. Do not ever let the enemy surprise or intimidate you, or you'll end like this…" - Sephiroth looked around, at the battered cadets, not even able to get up yet - "…or worse. Being unprepared means death. Fear means death. Hesitation? Death. And I don't like my subordinates dying. You WILL learn."

Even Cloud found himself captivated by Sephiroth's speech. He was so… irresistible right now, standing proudly before them, with gleaming green eyes, so charismatic that they would go to hell and back on his command.

"Do not get the wrong idea. Any idiot can swing a sword but it doesn't make him a warrior. Everything – your abilities, your will to fight, even victory itself – is here." Sephiroth meaningfully poked at his own forehead. "Your brain must be trained first, or you'll never survive on the battlefield." He paused for a moment, his gaze switching between four youngsters, Cloud included. "The result of your first test is not promising, I must admit. Only three of you reacted correctly, one would probably survive the real fight." Sephiroth stared at Cloud, who could swear that those green eyes were smiling to him. "End of the lesson. Dismiss."

"Yessir!" The choir of agitated voices echoed through the room; the cadets were all so moved by the speech, that they almost gave his commander a standing ovation.

"Not you, Strife. You're coming with me."

"Wh… Sir, yes sir!"

Cloud quickly recovered from first shock and followed Sephiroth to the corridor. Curious but hesitant, he did not dare ask his superior in public where they were going.

"Nothing broken, I hope?" Sephiroth was first to speak up again.

"No, I'm fine, only a few bruises."

"Good. I thought I might be out of practice."

"Don't tell me such… accidents... happened before?" Cloud sounded mildly offended for being used as a punching bag.

"Rarely," Sephiroth replied honestly. "And only some broken bones, nothing more."

"That's comforting."

"Indeed." Sephiroth smirked, reached into his pocket and gave Cloud a piece of paper. A list? "I have a... proposition for you, but it's something that needs to be talked over in more friendly environment. I guess you haven't had dinner yet?"

"No." Cloud glanced at the list, full of Wutaian products, not common but relatively easy to obtain.

"Good. I don't ask my subordinates for help in private matters, so it's a request, not an order. Would you mind to do some quick shopping for me? I still have work to do, but if we join forces, everything should go smoothly."

"No problem." Cloud couldn't hide a smile. It seems that Sephiroth prepared detailed plans even for simple tasks, not only for battles. "I'll be happy to help."

"I'm glad to hear it. Please bring them to the cafeteria. I should be free within two hours, so I'll wait there for you."

"But the cafeteria is already closed at this hour, isn't it?"

"And that's the reason why I'm inviting you there."

"Oh… ok." Cloud hid the list in his pocket and threw a curious look at the three Turks coming out of the elevator: a woman with curly hair and two young men, probably her new trainees, judging from their behavior.

"Hi, Cissnei," Sephiroth said quietly, when they approached.

"Good morning, General."

Cloud blinked, then looked down at the floor, pretending to not notice Sephiroth's reaction. The silver-haired man tried to hide it, but seemed hurt by Cissnei's answer.

"That was rather… cold," Cloud tried after a while, mostly out of curiosity, but also to let his superior get it off his chest, if he needed it.

"Cissnei doesn't like strangers," Sephiroth replied, like if it could explain anything.

"Strangers? How long have you been 'strangers' like that?"

"Ten years, eight months and twenty one days."

Cloud blinked. He didn't expect such detailed answer. Does he have a crush on this girl or something?

Well, none of my business. Asking such questions now was like treading on thin ice. I have shopping to do.

"Yo, little sister." Cissnei rolled her eyes, seeing a typical smirk on Reno's face, when he joined them on the corridor. "There's something wrong with my eyes or I just saw how you rejected the Silver General again?"

"Again?" One of the trainees did not withstand the pressure, to Cissnei's obvious irritation.

"Reno, don't…"

"Yeah, she keeps doing it all the time… yo!" Reno laughed, dodging a punch in the head. "Too slow, little sister! Anyway, our Cissnei here can be pretty heartless sometimes. You would never guess what she'd done a few years ago, when the Company celebrated the forming of the First Class in SOLDIER."

"Reno, don't!"

"What did she do?" Now both young Turks were begging for more details.

"I bet you already know that the First Class was formed for Sephiroth, right? So there was a big celebration, with press, fancy drinks and important guests, and he supposed to be the main star of the show."

"Supposed to?"

"Yup. He was about to receive new rank, privileges and such. He did not want to go there alone, so he invited Cissnei to accompany him. But our little sister turned him down, just like moments ago."

Both men blinked, clearly shocked.

"But why?"

"None of your business," Cissnei muttered angrily.

"I mean… this is the damn Sephiroth. Even I would go, if he invited me!"

Reno laughed at loud at this spontaneous declaration, making their youngest companion blush with embarrassment.

"We were as surprised as you now. Tseng almost fell off his chair, can you believe it? And you still don't know the best part…"

"Reno, that's enough." Cissnei frowned and tried to punch the guy again, but he somehow managed to dodge the strike.

"Aaaand… yo! Let me finish the story! Cissnei suggested that he should invite someone more appropriate. You won't believe what Sephiroth said: 'There's no one more appropriate, so I guess I won't go either'."

"And he didn't come?" The two could not believe it. "To his own party?"

"Yup. Official reason: Mako poisoning." Reno rubbed his crazy red hair, thinking. "Yeah, he was pretty sick as far as I know. I've never seen Hojo so angry before."

In the tense silence, that had fallen around them, two young Turks stared at Cissnei with strange expressions.

"What?" She frowned, sensing silent accusation in their gazes.

"I'm… not sure if I should respect you for having guts to reject General Sephiroth, or despise you for being such a cold bitch," said one of them and, before Cissnei could scold him for such insolence, he added: "But, really… why did you do that?"

"Because" - she almost growled through her teeth - "I don't want to be another prize in collection of 'Always-Perfect-And-Great-Silver-General-Sephiroth'."

Surprisingly, Reno laughed at loud at this so-called reason.

"Are we talking about the same Sephiroth, little sister? Because Sephiroth I know has ever talked willingly only with two women: you and the Flower Girl, Zack's girlfriend."

Shin-Ra building, ten years, eight months and twenty one days ago

Sephiroth ran through the corridor like a little silver hurricane, but wasn't careless enough to not notice Tseng coming out of the elevator. The always elegant Turk was not alone this time, but accompanied by a small person, dressed, just like him, in a black suit.

Sephiroth frowned, surprised. This little stranger was a girl, probably younger than him, with a curly red-brown hair.

"Good morning Mr. Tseng!" The boy slowed down, captivated by the view. Mom told him to not stare so shamelessly at people (because it's rude!), but he just couldn't resist. He had no many occasions to see a female about his age.

"Good morning, Sephiroth." Tseng smiled and the girl hid behind his back. "Are you in a hurry?"

"Not really. I was…" The boy glanced through his shoulder and laughed, seeing Puppy running to him, with its tail waving high in the air. "I was training my dog, but it seems he can't catch up with me yet."

"I see." Tseng chuckled, when Puppy jumped at Sephiroth, desperately trying to lick his face. "Have fun then, you two!"

"Thank you, Mr. Tseng." Sephiroth didn't move, though, still observing the girl. She stayed behind, shy and nervous, but her eyes smiled to the dog. "You can pet him, if you want."

The girl tensed, looking like if she was about to sink into the wall behind Tseng's back, but gave up eventually. The temptation to caress dog's warm fur was irresistible.

Sephiroth looked proud of this small achievement in social interactions. Everything he had learned so far about little talks and gestures he did not really understood, seemed to work in the end. The time he spent with other people did not have to be awkward and stressing. It felt… nice to talk to others and be talked back.

"You'll be joining SOLDIER too?" – he tried again, but the girl ignored him. Actually, she tensed again. It was not a reaction Sephiroth expected. Maybe he did something wrong and offended her somehow?

"Cissnei doesn't' like strangers," Tseng explained softly. "She's one of the Turks. Maybe you'll be working together someday."

"Oh." The boy seemed disappointed. So he won't be having a companion his age in SOLDIER. Well, it couldn't be helped... "Ummm, Mr. Tseng… can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" That was unusual. Tseng noticed that Sephiroth looked extraordinarily embarrassed.

"What should I do to not be a stranger to someone?"

Tseng blinked, utterly surprised. The boy tried to befriend Cissnei? Of his own will?

Well, it was the worst possible choice. This girl was probably even more socially awkward than him. But maybe it could work exactly because of that, somehow, someday?

"It depends on the person, Sephiroth. Usually you need to know each other's names and meet several times to not be strangers anymore."

"Hmm. So I must wait to the next time we meet? I'll wait." He looked so serious while saying this, that Tseng had to try hard to hide a smile. "Nice to meet you, Cissnei!"

He whistled to Puppy and the two ran their way to the end of the corridor.

"You have nothing to say, Cissnei?"

The girl shrugged. Tseng gently touched her arm, giving her a sign to proceed to the meeting room. He pretended not to notice, when Cissnei whispered to herself after a long while:

"He has pretty eyes."

Shin-Ra laboratories, 8 years ago

"What?! How?!" The scientists in Lucrecia's lab froze in shock. They did not expect Doctor Crescent, usually so calm and collected, to scream through the phone like that. "What does it mean that 'you lost him'?! How?!"

Tseng gave her a short answer that explained nothing. He sounded strangely tired, or maybe even frustrated. That was unusual and did not bode well.

"And you decided to hide it from me for two weeks?!"

"We were too busy searching for him, Doctor Crescent. There was no time to lose."

"So you do know where he is now?"

"We're still investigating."

A diplomatic answer, indeed. Tseng probably tried to sound reassuring and confident, but Lucrecia only swallowed painfully.

"Do you think he's…?" Dead. The word could not slip through her tightened throat.

"We have no reason to suspect that Sephiroth is dead," Tseng said in his calm, professional tone. "He was rather weakened by the poison, then taken away."

Taken away… Her little boy, sent to the end of the world, forced to fight, then poisoned and kidnapped. She hated Shin-Ra with all her heart!

But was Shin-Ra really to blame?

It's my fault, mine alone. I shouldn't have agreed... I should have… WE should…

Her mind was about to explode, too many thoughts and emotions at once made her nauseous and dizzy.

"Are you still there, Doctor Crescent?"

Lucrecia exhaled slowly, grateful that Tseng stopped her mental breakdown before it was too late. She was still living in the past. Hojo, on the other hand, focused too much on the future.

But Sephiroth lived in the present time and he needed her.

"Yes." Now she sounded like a frightened mother. "Tseng, please… No, I beg you. Bring my child back."

"I will."

Wutai, 8 years ago

"I'm sorry it took so long. You're a patient one, Sephiroth."

Izayoi reached out her hand to the boy to help him get up from the floor. Sephiroth accepted it, as always, although he didn't need help. He shrugged, still hiding his expression under curtains of hair.

"It's nothing, really." Waiting was a huge part of his life, some medical procedures were extremely long and he could do nothing but sit obediently to not ruin the experiment. That's why he loved books so much. "Where are we going?"

"You've never been in the main hall of the Temple before, right?" The priestess smiled, leading the way. "It's closed for pilgrims today, so we can talk freely inside. There's something I want to show you."

"Are you sure it's ok for me to be here?"

"Of course." She gently touched Sephiroth's arm, encouraging him to follow. "The Goddess herself wants you to be here. Don't listen to Kisaragi-san's complaints, he's to rule the material world. He has no right to judge someone's soul."

Sephiroth replied with a quiet 'Hmmm', not really convinced, but he came with her obediently.

The scent of incense, wood and stones near the entrance was intoxicating. The room turned out to be large enough for a life-size sculpture of Leviathan.

"Whoa…"

The priestess chuckled. She wouldn't have expected such reaction from this collected boy, yet she liked it. It was another proof that, despite being already a war prisoner, he remained a pretty normal child.

"Spotted something you like?"

"That sword up there." Sephiroth's eyes were literally shinning. "I've never seen such blade before. So beautiful and long!"

"Ah, yes." Izayoi looked up at the large altar. The stone Leviathan held two swords in its widely spread wings, but Sephiroth kept staring at the longer one, like the other did not even exist. "This one is called Masamune, after its creator. The other one – Muramasa – is its complete opposite."

"I guess there's a story about them?"

"You really like stories, don't you?" She chuckled again, when the boy nodded vigorously. "Here we go then… Once upon a time lived two famous blacksmiths, Masamune and Muramasa. Their blades were truly magnificent, so perfect that no one could tell, which one was them was the best craftsman. To resolve their conflict once and for all, they tested their best swords by placing them in a stream with the cutting edge facing up stream. Muramasa's blade cut everything that passed – leaves, fishes, everything that touched the blade was cut in half. Masamune's blade let fishes and leaves pass untouched, it barely disturbed the water around it. Do you know why?"

Sephiroth frowned, thinking.

"They seem equally sharp to me. It must have some deeper meaning."

Izayoi nodded, thinking that it was one of the reasons people feared the boy – his intellect was as terrifying as his physical strength. But she could only admire him, pitiful and glorious, born to suffer because he was beloved by the Goddess.

"One of the priestesses, my ancestor, was observing the test. She explained that Masamune's sword respects life and won't ever kill needlessly. It's a gentle blade that protects and spares the innocent. A blade that likes to fight, but doesn't like killing."

Sephiroth shivered involuntarily at her last words. Wasn't it the same thing he had said before?

"I doubt that an average human could kill anything with such a long sword," he said, mostly to break the awkward silence.

"You're right. Masamune's greatest creation has been made not for humans but for the Goddess. He trusted she would know what to do with such gift."

Sephiroth kept staring at the silver blade. Izayoi couldn't hide a smile – his expression was honest and full of pure passion. His cheeks were burning with red, when he asked:

"Who's the Goddess anyway? Is she the one from 'Loveless'?"

"That, my dear Sephiroth, is the greatest mystery of this world. And a long story for another occasion." When the boy threw at her an utterly disappointed frown, she added quickly: "If the Goddess begins to speak to you, you will know. I'm sure."

"I can't hear the voice of the Planet, Mom has already checked it."

"I'm not an Ancient, Sephiroth, but I can hear the voice of the Goddess, loud and clear."

"I don't understand."

"There's nothing to understand. All you need to do is believe."

Sephiroth helplessly shook his head. He had no experiences with religion before, as a son of a scientist he did not understand the idea of prayer, had no need to worship anything. But he was curious enough to learn Wutaian's ways of life, and had to admit that at least some things made sense, maybe even seemed appealing to him.

"But how?"

"It's a matter of trust, Sephiroth. Try to trust her as much as you trust your mother."

"Why… so much?" Wasn't it dangerous? Mom told Sephiroth to be careful, ESPECIALLY when he hears voices inside his head.

"Because the Goddess is Mother of Everything That Lives. It's only natural to trust her."

Sephiroth still felt confused and tried to rationalize the newly acquired knowledge. Maybe the Goddess was the personification of Gaia, a link, that will let him communicate with the Planet? It supposed to be his role, the purpose behind all the experiments he'd so bravely endured. Mom will be proud of him, if he succeeds at last, right?

Let's just pretend it's another test, he decided after a while. To better know the enemy, of course.

But, deep inside, Sephiroth knew it was only a pathetic excuse.