A Lost Soul part I
Returned of the One Winged Angel
In a vast pool of emptiness swirls of sparkling light shimmered across its endless void. The light was sea green, and moved side to side like the never-ending waves along the coast of a beach. Falling into the void was a tall man. His battle-torn black cloak flowed in the opposite direction of his descent. The glittering light of the void brushed across his soft, long, gray hair. He slowly continued to descend. Deeper and deeper into the void he fell.
'Sephiroth.' A distant voice called.
The voice was soft and whispered across the vastness surrounding his body. His eyes slowly opened, but the void’s intensity forced them shut again.
'Sephiroth. Awaken!'
Sephiroth's eyes adjusted to the light, and he slowly opened them.
"Where am I?"
Sephiroth tried to reposition himself, but failed. He continued to try, and try. He wriggled violently, but to no avail, his body was numb - no feeling what so ever.
'Sephiroth!' The voice called again.
The voice was very soft, and somewhat comforting to Sephiroth. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he could almost swear he's heard this voice before. Spehiroth's body gradually began to cease its descent. It finally stopped, but seemed to float where it laid to rest.
"M-mother?" Sephiroth muttered under his breath; unaware of where he was and what had happened.
'What's wrong my son?'
"I can't move." He answered regaining some consciousness.
'Relax. If you struggle, the Lifestream will only tighten its grip on your body.'
"Lifestream?" He thought to himself looking to his left and right only to see the bright blue-green coloration of the stream.
"How did I get here?" His asked struggling to sit himself up.
'You fell. '
"Where is Jenova? Cloud!?" Sephiroth exclaimed realizing what had happened.
A vicious one on one battle had ensued between Cloud and himself in spirit; one final battle to prove the fate of the Planet.
"Cloud! Where is he!?" Sephiroth fell to his knees with a groan.
'My son, relax! The Lifestream grips harder the more you struggle against it.'
"You. Who are you?" He looked up waiting for an answer.
After a period of silence the voice finally answered.
'I am Lucrecia. Mother of Sephiroth.'
"Impossible!" Sephiroth said with a sneer.
"Jenova is my mother!!" Again the Lifestream took its toll and placed a painless pressure on Sephiroth's body causing him to fall to his knee.
"W-who are you?" he asked struggling to his feet.
'Your mother. Jenova... she is not,'
"Silence!" he commanded struggling to stay his feet.
"Jenova is my mother."
'No Sephiroth, Hojo lied to you.'
Sephiroth looked up, "How do you know Hojo?" His expression suddenly changed to fear.
'Hojo was your father...and I your mother.'
"No, no,no!!" Sephiroth fell to his knees covering his ears.
"It is not true! It...can't be..."
'It is true. Hojo just used us. He used us for his...'
"No!" Sephiroth yelled with anger.
"It is a lie! You speak nothing but lies!!"
Sephiroth couldn’t bear to hear what he has tried to erase from his memory. Ever since he read those books in the basement laboratory, he refused to believe the truth, and in an unconscious effort…no in an effort to hide the truth- he created his own theory of his being. He was unable to handle all the horrible things one man could do, although now he does.
Afraid to hear what she had to say he started to run. He ran deep into the Lifestream's void, neither coming nor going. Just running.
'Sephiroth wait!' Lucrecia called.
As Sephiroth ran he felt somewhat of a breeze flow by. As he slowed down he looked ahead of him. He watched a corner of the void. He watched as a ghostly figure began to materialize before him. The figure was of a young woman. She wore a flowing white dress with a pink sash wrapped around her waist. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail and two familiar looking bangs ran down the sides of her cheek.
"Aerith?" Sephiroth gasped, but with a second look he realized it wasn't.
"No. Not Aerith. Who are you? Identify yourself." He commanded.
'I am Lucrecia.' She answered with a warm smile running across her face.
"Explain yourself. Why do you claim to be my mother?"
'Because I am.'
"But how?"
'Long ago: when I was young- I fell in love with a brilliant man. His name was Hojo.'
"But that's impossible. I have Jenova's blood flowing with in me. I am a Cetra."
‘No, it may be true you have Jenova’s blood running in your veins, but you also Mako and my blood flowing within you. Jenova was not a true Cetra. She was a parasite to the Planet, but I am a Cetra, One of the Ancients born from the Planet, to protect the Planet. '
"But how can Hojo do something like that knowing that I was his son?"
'Hojo only cared about his experiments. I found out his true intensions, but it was to late. My body had grown weak after all the Mako/Jenova treatments, and I...'
"But how could you let him something like that to your body!? Knowing that he didn’t love you!?!" Sephiroth shouted and fell to his knees.
Lucrecia walked to her son's side.
'Hojo had me convinced that he was doing it for the better of the Planet and that he loved me, but they were all lies! All lies!'
Lucrecia placed her face on Sephiroth's shoulder and began to cry. For the first time in all his life...Sephiroth felt remorse for what he has done. Raised as a SOLDIER all he knew was suffering. Trained to resist all emotion, all feelings. Feelings are unnecessary in a killing machine, and that’s all SOLDIERs did- kill… He placed his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry...mother." He gently stroked her hair as she cried.
'The Planet is planning to destroy you. You must find a way to find forgiveness.'
Sephiroth looked away. He remembered what he had done...to Aerith, Cloud, and the Planet. He burned Nibelheim to the ground, a town of innocent people. He sought revenge against the humans, for what they took from the Cetra. He took it into his own hands and released the most powerful planet destroying force…the Weapons. He even took the life of an innocent Ancient woman. He was doing what he was created to do…He became what he was created from: a parasite.
"I cannot be forgiven." Lucrecia looks up and wipes her tears.
"I have caused much pain and deserved to be punished. I have done what Hojo has created me for, and I must pay the ultimate price.â€
'You can't mean that!'
"Yes!" He pulled away from her grasp and began walking away.
As he walked he could hear Lucrecia's voice fade further and further away as she called for him. He walked the endless void of the Lifestream, and unconscious to him, a small and insignificant tear ran down his cheek.
"I deserve my fate." He thought to himself as he walked.
"Why should it matter to her what I do? I was born of Jenova, and nothing can change my mind."
"Oh really?" A voice came from out of nowhere.
"Who said that!?" Sephiroth spun around ready to unsheathe his sword.
Reaching to his side he realizes his sword is gone.
"The Masamune! Where is it!?"
"Ah, ah, ah. There are no weapons in the Lifestream."
"Who's there!? Show yourself!!" He demanded.
A silhouette of a woman appeared behind him. He quickly turned, readying for an attack. The silhouette became clearer and clearer.
"Aerith?" He said glaring at the woman.
"Hiya!" Aerith stood there; smiling wearing her long pink dress and her red vest, which complemented her attire.
"What!?†He stared at her for a moment. Even after what he did to her she stood there…smiling.
“Stop acting so..."
"Chipper? Happy? Easy going?"
"Okay, I get it." Sephiroth scoffed and turned his back to her.
"Aww. What's wrong Sephy?" Aerith said as she neared him. He turned around and pointed at her in anger.
"Stay away from me!!! And it is Sephiroth to you!!"
"What are you king?" Sephiroth stayed quiet a moment.
"If I would of had my way...yes."
"Come on! Don't be a wet blanket. All that matters is that you’re down here with me and we can talk things out."
The way Aerith said the last three words could even make a Behemoth lose its color. Sephiroth looked off a minute; thinking.
"Umm, no. Wait didn't I...Aren’t you…" Sephiroth was interrupted by Aerith's giggle.
He looks around. Nothing to laugh at except an empty void.
"What is so funny?" He asked scratching his shoulder.
An expression ran across her face, as if she had just thought of something truly cruel to do to Sephiroth for killing her. He took a step back; afraid of what she can do to him in the Lifestream. As he did he felt a strange bulge under his cloak, and the itch began to run down his back. He frantically scratched at it, but the itch, and bulge, just got bigger and bigger. He pulled off his cloak and with his surprise a large black Angel wing had sprouted on his back.
"What is this!?"
"It's your prize." Aerith said laughing.
"Prize for what?" Sephiroth said becoming frustrated.
"Well, you killed me, and you got that wing."
"How can I make it go away?" He asked as he struggled to pull it off.
"You can't."
"Ow!" He shouted in pain.
"Why!?"
"It is your punishment from the Planet, and from me; one wing…for the Angel of Death. I hope you’re pleased with yourself, trying to destroy what gave life to you, and destroying what the Planet gave life to."
Aerith turned away. A rush of guilt, something he had never felt, streamed through him.
"W-wait!" Sephiroth called to her. She stopped and slightly turned an ear toward him.
"I-I..."
Thoughts raced across his mind as he tried to think of what to say. There was one thought, though, that continuously kept popping up.
"I apologize." Aerith completely turned around, and in total shock.
"I was unclear of my birth, life, and purpose, and it is because of this I acted out the way I did: with fear, and hate. I acted on what I was created for, rather than what I wanted to do- than what I thought right."
Sephiroth began to understand what his life was all about- what he should of done with it. As he spoke those words to Aerith he understood what Cloud and his friends tried to explain to him. Never had his heart felt so free, nor his mind so clear. Aerith slowly walked toward him. She wrapped her arms around him. At first Sephiroth wanted to pull away from this unknown form of affection, but as he felt the warmth of the Lifestream flowing within her, he relaxed and let go of any other thoughts.
"Sephy..." Aerith whispered. Sephiroth tried to ignore the fact she was still calling him 'Sephy', and answered.
"Yes."
"The Planet has promised to return you." He gently pulled himself away from her.
"But why? Why doesn’t the Planet just send you back? You are more deserving than I."
"That isn't true. Everyone deserves a second chance. And as for me…my time to return will be soon, but not now. Do me a favor though. Tell Cloud and the other's I'll be returning soon."
"But..."
"Tell him." Sephiroth nodded.
Aerith placed her hands on Sephiroth's cheeks.
"From this day on: you are no longer a lost soul. You know your purpose, and you must fulfill it."
Sephiroth smiled...for the first time in his lonely life he felt a smile run across his face. Not a cruel smile- a happy one, and he knew exactly where he belonged.
"I promise to fulfill my life."
A flash of white light blinds Sephiroth, and in a reflexive response he placed his arms in his face to protect his eyes. He slowly moved his arms from his eyes, and found himself in a field of grass. The Masamune was back at his side, and his flowing black cloak in one piece. The black Angel wing sat on his back on the outside of his cloak. He looked up to the blue sky. The white clouds slowly moved in the direction of the wind.
"You must walk the land with your symbol of darkness.†He heard Aerith say to him from deep with in his soul.
“ You will be shun by many- maybe even attacked. Even so...you must prevail. Prove to the Planet you are who you were born as, not created to be."
"I will Aerith. I will walk the Planet. Testing the Hearts and Spirits of others...for the Planet, not against it. I am the One Winged Angel, I will pursue my destiny with the up most vigor."
With a mission to fulfill Sephiroth walked across the fields of the Nibel...
<p>"I am the beautiful warrior goddess, look at me the wrong way, and I just might miss my target..."
-Freya Vanir
</p>Edited by: [url=http://pub30.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=ladyfreyavanir>Lady] at: 3/8/03 9:06:18 pm