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Chapter Text

And here we go. Part 2 of my series “Prisonic Fairytale” that is based on Lyra_Sanzennine’s “Shevirat ha-Kelim”.

Before I say anything else, I want to mention this, because it is really important, so open your eyes and read at least this, before you continue on to the first chapter. The relationship portrayed in this isn’t a healthy one, nor is it a normal one. All of this, is meant to stay exclusively in the fantasy realm. Stay safe people.

With that out of the way, I’d like to thank Lyra for letting me write this. I’ve said it once before, and I’ll say it again, letting someone else go ham on the world you have spent so long crafting wouldn’t be easy for me to do, so I have great respect for those who do it. So, thank you Lyra.

I’d also like to thank anyone who read “A Flower and a Child”. That was my first venture into writing something that is longer than a page, as well as something that other people will read.

For anyone reading this, that hasn’t read either the original work this whole this is based on, or the prequel to this, it is not necessary to do so, but it is strongly encouraged to read at least the original up to chapter 23. “A Flower and a Child” sets up some things that this work will call back to, but I would say that you can probably feel your way through if you haven’t read it. That said, those who want to have the best experience should have read through everything that leads to this.

Unlike last time around, this time there will be smut. Warning, this is my first time writing sex and... well I don’t think it came out too bad, but you know... exercise caution. There will be a note before it starts and another one when it ends, so you will be able to easily skip it if you so choose.

Last time, I tried to focus on setting up the world and the characters the way I wanted to. This time, the story will focus a lot more on the consequences of everything that has happened, and that thing that Sephiroth mentioned at the end of the prequel to this. It will also be about Sephiroth and Aeris’ relationship, of course, but it will lean a bit more towards trying to take a peek inside Sephiroth’s head.

What I’m trying to convey is that, alongside the smut, there will be a lot of plot. And I really mean a lot.

I think that this goes without saying, but this isn’t a work that you should read if you want to brighten your day. It is not meant for that, which should be obvious by the tags, but I will mention it anyways. There are plenty of nasty things in this, so be careful when you read this.

It is also not easy to read, nor is it meant to be. For me, any sort of art, is something to be picked apart. Something to interact with. Just like its prequel, this is not meant to be easy to read and understand in one go.

This work contains lots of references to music, films, and historical figures. I do not claim ownership of any of the original works. They belong to their respective owners.

Something that I feel is worth mentioning, is that English isn’t my first language, and even though I consider myself pretty good at it, expect to find mistakes. I would appreciate any notes in the comments. No matter if they are grammatical or just notes on the story or characters themselves. I welcome all.

Something that I feel is worth mentioning, is that the new chapters won't be posted very often, as the case usually is with fanfics.

I know that this whole series doesn’t exactly align with the message of the original, nor is it mean to. If you want that, go read it. This is different, that is the whole point.

Power and submission - Yes.

Meteor and Holy – Not really.

Atonement and forgiveness – Highly questionable.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and now, on with the story.

Chapter Text

Beep… beep… beep

• Uhhh…

That was all I could mutter. My entire body ached. I felt really disoriented and almost weightless. After I slowly opened my eyes, it took some time for them to adjust, but when I could see clearly again, I looked around.

It was a plain white room. With plenty of white lights and monitors that displayed god knows what. It looked like I was on a space station, very futuristic. The walls were made of some sort of material that mimicked metal and the tiles that covered the floor, were suitably shiny. There were also all sorts of equipment. I wasn’t sure, but it looked medical.

I had no idea where I was or what time it was. I remembered being kidnapped by the cultists and drugged, but I wasn’t in their custody, not anymore. I was sure of that. There was no way for me to forget seeing the man I had killed come to my rescue. Why, was a question I didn’t know the answer to.

I kept looking around and saw that there were no windows. What was there, however, was the Shinra logo on one of the walls. That could have meant only one thing. The nightmare that I had lived through was real. I didn’t imagine it, like I had hoped. Killing Sephiroth, surviving, meeting Zack, being kidnapped, him coming back. It was all real and most importantly, somehow, he was alive and real.

And Zack… I had a feeling that something bad might happen, as a result of him being part of the organization he told me about, but I didn’t think that it would have happened so soon. One of the things that made me want to throw up was ‘what if Zack was in on it’? At that point, anything was possible. The nightmares I went through, turned my judgement of what was real or not, upside down. Sephiroth, the man I thought I had turned to ash, was the one to come to my rescue from the cultists. My last nightmare, made me question if Tiqi, my daughter, was real…

My head throbbed, the last time I remembered it being that bad was when I was still pregnant with… Tiqi. I closed my eyes again, and tears made their way down my face. I couldn’t even bring myself to think about where she was and what must have happened to her. Ever since I had been kidnapped from Nibelheim, I hadn’t seen her. It was easy for my mind to jump to conclusions. I seriously doubted that a group such as them, had any use for a child like her. Thinking back on how they treated me, I could only imagine what their twisted believes got them to do to her.

Through tears, I opened my eyes again and looked around the room. I could hear beeping to my left. I turned my head and there was some more medical equipment. A tube, with an IV at the end was connected to my arm. There were also a couple of electrodes placed on my body, probably monitoring my heart rate and other vitals. I was also dressed in a hospital gown. The bed I lay on, wasn’t a normal bed, but it wasn’t an operating table either. It wasn’t big or wide, just big enough to fit me, with some space from someone to sit on the sides. My head lay on a giant pillow. It was all very similar to when I gave birth to Tiqi, except for the Sci-Fi medical facility bit.

I tried to move, however my body had other ideas. I wanted to move, but my limbs just didn’t react. My only choice was to sit there and wait for someone to come.

***

I heard the door open and I turned my head towards the source of the sound. I couldn’t see the door directly, as there was a short corridor, through which anyone who wanted to enter, had to pass.

One, two, three. I heard three heavy footsteps, by the sound, I could guess that whoever was coming, was wearing boots of some sort. I was well acquainted with the sound and it was only amplified by the material of the snow-white tiles. For the two years that we had spent together, it was the only footwear I remember seeing on his feet.

The monster of my dreams. I could only stare at those inhuman eyes as he emerged from the shadowy walkway and held my gaze in his. Then, he started walking towards me. His tread, slow and confident, as always. I stared at him wide eyed. From his perspective, I probably looked like a deer in front of a car’s headlights, which wasn’t far from the truth. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I was still yet to decide, he was flesh and blood!

• Relax dear, you look like you have seen a ghost. I promise you; I am flesh and blood. I know you must be overcome with happiness, especially after that impressive spell you cast. – he said in an almost mocking tone
• You… you really are alive... – I muttered
• I am. – he replied as he stopped next to the bed
• So, everything that happened wasn’t just a horrible dream. – I said as I looked down
• Tell me doll, how are you feeling? - he asked as he sat beside me
• What? – I asked confused. He is asking me if I was ok? What was wrong with him?
• Was my inquiry unclear? – he asked as he raised an eyebrow and stretched out his left hand to stroke my cheek
• No, it is just weird. Since when do you care about me? Why did you even save me? – I asked, still flabbergasted by his sudden surge of kindness
• Weird? Tell me my dear Aeris, why would a master caring for his pet be considered weird? – as a subtle smirk formed on his lips as he leaned towards me a little more
• Why? Why did you save me? – I asked again.
• I am still not quite sure. I guess it had to do with seeing you, broken, defeated. There was something different about you, something special. It was then, that the true me, realized that I didn’t want a mindless slave. I wanted someone which I could play a game And I realized that you, my dear, were exactly that. Someone who, under the right circumstances, could still be my obedient pet, without losing herself. In conclusion, I saved you, because you belong to me. - he spoke, leaning in, just a little bit closer with every expertly pronounced syllable
• Is that why you saved me? Because I am to be your pet, your slave, your property, again? Or is it because you actually love me? – I asked, afraid of the answer
• As is usually the case with questions such as the one you just asked, the answer is both. You are mine, and I won’t allow anyone else to have you. And there still is a part of me that loves you, despite your betrayal. – he leaned in even closer
• You are not my master. I don’t belong to you. – I said in an attempt to sound defiant, but judging by the ever-growing smirk on his face, it probably only served to amuse him
• You do not? Tell me Aeris, what happened the last time you ran away from me? – he asked as he leaned in, his face, dangerously close to mine
• I…
• Shh, don’t strain yourself. I know full well what happened. Good thing I was one step ahead. And, if you must know, I am not referencing my theatrical death. That was supposed to happen and is one of the things I must thank you for. – he spoke in a low tone
• Theatrical? Meaning that the whole thing was part of some twisted plan? Was it your fault I was captured? Do you know what they did to me? What they did to Tiqi? She is most certainly dead! – I attempted to say with an angry tone, but it was nothing more than a whisper. I simply didn’t have the energy for it.
• I do. That wasn’t part intended. – he said
• Wasn’t intended? Meaning that the rest really was? – I asked, shocked
• You killing me and then wondering around for a few days in the forest? Yes. I told you Aeris. You are a part of something much bigger… – he trailed off as the hand he used to stroke my cheek, moved down to my chin. He gently tilted my head up slightly and kissed me on the lips.

The kiss took my breath away. I guessed that he was leaning in for a reason, but I didn’t expect him to kiss me. I also didn’t expect him to be as gentle as he was. I wouldn’t have admitted it, but it felt nice. It had been so long since I had received affection of that or any kind. I had already admitted to my inner self that, in truth, I wanted him, back in that dark corridor. I did admit it, but would I be able to accept that consciously? It was all so confusing. And he didn’t help matters. As if he was still Sephiroth, but with a different flavor. There was still cruelty in those alien eyes of his, but something had changed. He was giving me exactly what I had desperately needed and wanted for so long.

• Where is Tiqi? – I asked. It was the main thing on my mind. I would survive a life at Sephiroth’s mercy, but a life without my child…
• I must say Aeris, that I am rather disappointed that you haven’t figured it out, yet. Did really no one notice that what you were cradling in your arms, wasn’t a child? – he said as he leaned back

And that is when I realized that another piece of my reality, wasn’t as it thought it was.

• So, she wasn’t real? She wasn’t there? – muttered, as quiet as a mouse
• Can you imagine if Tiqi truly got hurt? Can you imagine what I would have done? Our sweetheart wasn’t with you on your journey, or should I say our journey. – he trailed off
• What do you mean, our journey? She left Midgar with us, I held her in my arms as we left. – I spoke franticly, as I sat up in the bed, trying to make sense of it all
• Are you sure? – he spoke as he raised an eyebrow. And he was right. I wasn’t sure. How could I be, after everything that had happened.
• She never left Midgar in the first place. She was there, in complete safety and in the care of your mother. After my unfortunate demise at your hands, I took over caring for her, naturally, with some needed aid from your mother. I must say, I was quite saddened, when I received a report of your condition. That is when I decided that you have had enough and to come and retrieve you. – he explained – Good thing I am actually capable of protecting her, even from myself.
• You are saying that you knew that you were going to harm her, and intentionally faked her existence? How did you even do that? – I asked, confused and shocked
• The band on your leg, the one that is missing, didn’t contain only powerful magic spells for you to use. – he said as he smirked
• So, you somehow used the band to make me see something that wasn’t there? – I asked for confirmation
• Correct.
• When can I see her? – I asked
• Tiqi? When I decide that you have earned said right. – he said in a cold tone
• Don’t you dare keep her away from me! – I snarled and tried to hit him. Before I even had the chance however, his hand wrapped around my throat and squeezed. Not hard enough to choke me, but enough to show me that, if he wanted to, he could take away my life in an instant. He pushed me into the pillow, as his face hovered above mine. His alien eyes dug deep holes into my soul.
• It seems like, these past two weeks, you have forgotten who I am and who you are. What your place is. Our little vacation turned your world on its head, didn’t it? Don’t worry, I have prepared a comprehensive course for you in order to refresh your memory. You will be on your best behavior very soon, my pet, I guarantee it! As for Tiqi, all I will say, is that she is alive, healthy, and very much happy. Most importantly, however, she is safe. I don’t know how, a couple of nobodies managed to capture you, considering how much power I gave you. – he said in a growly and low tone. The look on his face, will haunt my dreams for the rest of my life! After he was done, he let go of me. Naturally, I let out a couple of coughs.
• Ahh, here. – he said as he, surprisingly, considering what had just happened, handed me the glass of water, that was on the bedside table.
• You can barely move right now, courtesy of the people who kidnapped you. Tiqi is on the northern part of the continent, keeping her in Midgar, didn’t seem like the best idea. For now, you can think of not seeing her, as part of your punishment. I told you already, but I have things planned for you, especially after discovering that, despite the small army you had on your leg, you failed to protect it. – he said in a venomous tone
• Protect what? – I asked with shaking eyes
• You don’t even know what I am referring to. – he said, as he took in a deep breath, no doubt trying to contain his anger.
• I…

As I muttered that, he stood up and threw, the blanket that covered me, aside. When I looked down, I noticed that my belly was way too small for someone four and a half months into pregnancy.

• Wha..? – I gasped
• Whatever these sub-humans injected you with, caused our second child to wither and die. You were on the emergency operating table for two days. That is why you are here. We had to dispose of it, or you would have died too. – he said through clenched teeth. What I couldn’t understand was, why was he so angry? He never cared about me, or anyone around him. And then I realized that, maybe just maybe, he had always cared. But what he just did…

Thinking logically, however, was the last thing I was capable of doing at that moment. The tears in my eyes gave way to the inevitable wave of despair. What good would it to our lost child that I was crying now. I just stared off into space. That’s it. I had lost it all.

All that was left for me was to lose myself. I had so many scars that couldn’t be seen. So many things had happened. And yes, if you were trace the thread, it all leads back to him. The creature that was next to me. However, I couldn’t help but find truth in his words. The way he spoke, was the way someone would speak when they were angry about losing someone close to them. Could there be a human soul hidden in the monster’s carcass? And he was right. I did have a small army on my leg. Why didn’t I use it? I could, right? My mind was going a mile a minute… until.

• Aeris! – he spoke loudly, breaking me out of the trance I had fallen into. He didn’t quite shout, put he put some force into it.
• I… I am here. – I managed to reply

He firmly squeezed my hand.

• I realize that I also have fault for this. You getting kidnapped wasn’t meant to happen, but it was a possibility. As your master, I will never let that happen again. - he spoke - Tell me, if the situation were reversed, would you have just forgiven me? – he asked
• No… I guess not. – I replied sheepishly
• I know you wouldn’t have. I saw it when we were back in the cave. You still haven’t forgiven me for what I did to you and you never will. You matter to me, more then you realize and more than I show, but I will have you on your knees. Remember that. Just as you had me, in a way. – he said as he stood up
• When was that? – I asked, but as he turned, I realized the I had asked the wrong question
• I wasn’t speaking literally, dear. If this whole fiasco wasn’t a part of my plan, and I was actually there, in that cave, in the state I was in, then I would have been.
• Why do you care all of a sudden? The you I remember, would have killed me, without blinking, considering that I killed you and ruined your plans. So, who are you? – I asked, threatening to tear up again
• I am the real me. I have a lot to explain to you Aeris. And if you truly had ruined my plans, I would have killed you. I told you that you are a part of something bigger, did I not? – he spoke as he turned to the door again
• Why now and not earlier? Is that something truly that important? – I asked
• Indeed, it is. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that it is one of the main reasons I find life worth living. And you were instrumental in achieving said thing. – he spoke, as he went to the door
• And what is that thing? – I asked, just as he was about to close the door behind him
• Claiming the planet. For me, and no one else.

Chapter Text

Aeris spent the next three days in the medical bay. There wasn’t much for her to do really. After Sephiroth’s initial visit, she just stared at the ceiling. She had so much on her mind, it was almost indescribable. So much of what she considered real, wasn’t. What she considered nightmarish, although perfectly plausible from a neutral point of view, string of events, turned out to be Sephiroth’s plan.

She thought that she had won. That killing him, would be the first step to happiness. As fate would have it, however, she played right into his hands. Or at least that is what he had told her earlier. She was a part of his “plan”. What that meant scared her. Considering what his plans had been earlier, the prospect of his “defeat” working to his advantage, was horrifying.

Of course, there was also the matter of his death, or rather the fact that he was there in front of her, flesh, and blood. How? She was sure that the spell literally turned him into ash. It would have been difficult for him at full power to survive such a powerful spell, although she had her doubts about that, however there was no way for someone in the condition that he had been in, to survive it. To say that her head had been fuzzy when he had come over to see her, and almost choke her to death, would have been an understatement, but he seemed different. She sensed something that felt like energy or presence, she wasn’t quite sure how to describe it, but it felt powerful.

But all of that, was nothing compared to the actual loss she felt. The loss of her, or was it their, second child. The hollow feeling inside, both literally and figuratively. The fact that, he had been right. She HAD failed to protect it. Yes, it was his fault that they were in that forest to begin with, but that didn’t change the fact that, despite being able to “kill” Sephiroth, she had been bested by, as he put it, “a couple of nobodies”. It wasn’t just his fault, that much, she was sure of. She knew that there was no point in thinking about it. That was it. It was gone, and nothing, perhaps not even Sephiroth, could bring it back. Still, it would haunt her for a long while.

It was the third day, and she felt pretty much as good as new. She really didn’t know what medication they had given her, but it had done wonders. The door to her room opened and a familiar face appeared.

• Good morning, Aeris. – he greeted
• Tseng! I haven’t seen you in so long. How are you? – Aeris asked
• Hm, I am fine Aeris. Do you know why I am here? – he asked
• To take me away to somewhere. That is what you usually do, isn’t it? – she replied
• Lord Sephiroth has ordered me to escort you to your temporary quarters. There is no need to take any personal possessions, whatever we found on you, will be brought up in due time. – he explained
• Lord Sephiroth? – she asked, confused. Since when was he a lord? President, sure, but lord?
• I was explicitly told that he would fill you in, so I won’t say anything.

Two nurses came to the room and helped Aeris out of the bed. Removing anything that was attached to her body. She went to the bathroom to get dressed out of the hospital gown and into more normal clothes that Tseng had brought. Aeris came out of the bathroom and Tseng lead the way. They made their way across a couple of corridors and then got into an elevator.

• Do you know where we are? – he asked
• No, I was never told. – Aeris replied honestly – Did Sephiroth allow you to tell me?
• He did. We are in a new, state of the art medical facility, located where the Mt. Corel reactor used to be. – he said
• So, we are near Corel town. What happened to this place? I remember hearing rumors that it was a mining town awhile back. – she asked, curious. After all, it was better if they talked about something. Silence is always awkward.
• Yes, it still is, however, since my Lord came into power, the local residents were evicted and now the town is reserved for use only by Shinra. – he explained
• Evicted, what do you mean? – she asked
• You know what I mean Aeris. – he replied without looking at her
• .. see.

Fortunately for her, she didn’t have to endure any awkward silence. They heard the ding sound, that indicated that the elevator had reached its destination and the doors opened. What they were greeted by, was what looked like a large living area. The outside wall was a single giant window. She walked out of the elevator, crossed the living space, and went next to the window. From it, she could see the surrounding area. Where she was now, was at the top of a tower of sorts. The whole facility was surrounded by mountains and there was no life in sight. She could see the remnants of a tree or two but that was about it. It looked very desolate. She could also see that the tower was surrounded by what looked like a giant hole, which was the rest of the facility, most of it below ground level. The tower wasn’t as tall as the Shinra HQ, back in Midgar, but that was to be expected.

• Leave us.

A deep voice behind her said in an authoritative tone. When she turned around, Tseng gave her a nod, after which the elevator doors closed, and he was gone. Now, she was alone with the Beast.

She could finally see him clearly. See what he had become, while she thought him dead. The first thing she noticed, was that he was most certainly taller. Not by an insane amount, but it was more than noticeable. Before, the top of her forehead would have aligned with his shoulder, now it was about a hand span bellow it. It certainly wasn’t going to help her confidence that he now dwarfed her even more than he already used to. And it wasn’t like she had height issues, at least compared to normal people. She was about 5.6 ft from what she remembered.

Aside from his new, even more neck bending height, there was nothing else about his physique that was different, or at least it seemed as such. His hair was a tad shorter, perhaps a finger or two, than it used to be, but still as magnificent and perfect as ever.

And his eyes. They were just as she remembered them. Just as she imagined them, while she was in the forest. Not the dull, lifeless, and weak brown blobs that had somehow made their way into his eye sockets during their time in the cave. There is a saying that the eyes are a window into a person’s soul. And it seemed to hold true enough Sephiroth, too. His eyes back at the cave, had been quite representative of who he had been for a moment. She shivered at the thought of what they meant now.

The two glowing orbs, as the eyes of those bathed in mako usually are, had a blue-green appearance to them. In most SOLDIERs’ irises, there would be a small ring of the original eye color around the pupils, after which, going outwards, mako blue. But, of course, the words “Sephiroth” and “usually” don’t mix. The first stark difference were the pupils. Mainly the fact that they weren’t round, but rather elliptical, like those of a serpent. Because of that, the green ring around them, spread much more vertically.

Even though, size wise, the pupils were probably the same size as a normal human’s, they appeared bigger and as a result, the green area around them, did so too, resulting in, perceivably at least, more green in the eyes. And it wasn’t just that, the green seemed to spill into the blue. It was almost, as if two waves had collided and his eyes were what was left. When he laid his eyes upon anyone, that person was sure to remember him for the rest of their days. The pupils penetrated the soul, and the colors around them mesmerized the mind.

All of that, however, was “normal” for Sephiroth. That was the image that was imprinted onto Aeris’ brain. What he wore, however, surprised her. She had seen him in a couple of outfits, but unless he a reason to get dressed, he would wear his iconic uniform. Not this time. Despite being in a secret medical facility, a place which very much didn’t necessitate fancy suits, he was quite dressed up, and the suit itself wasn’t just fancy, it was old, and yet stylish in its own way.

She remembered seeing something similar in a history book when she was younger. It was an old Turk suit with some modifications. Over his upper body, he wore a velvet frock coat with a waistcoat and a brocade decorated lapel and epaulettes in a Victorian uniform style.

He also wore full length leather trousers. They weren’t overly tight or shinty, however. They looked… unusually good and blended quite nicely with the rest of his outfit. Overall, the mixture of old and new was working surprisingly well. He also wore a white cravat around his neck.

For shoes, he wore slightly cut down thigh boots that resembled the military ones, he usually wore, but their styling made them look more like a fashion statement rather than military gear. And lastly, she spied leather gloves on his hands.

It caught her off guard for sure! He looked so, eccentric? Yeah, that was the word. She never thought that she would have to use it to describe him. During their time together, she had seen him in clothes that weren’t his uniform, and every time she did, he looked uncomfortable and like he wanted to rip them to shreds. And it did show. Sure, he looked good, more than good in fact, but also, a bit like a caged animal. Now, he not only looked like it fit him, but he also looked comfortable in it and quite charming, also slipped into her mind. Not that she intended it, right? He looked at her. He finally had her, right where he wanted her.

• Cat got you tongue? – he said, in that overly smooth and rich voice of his, as he looked almost amused at the expression that Aeris wore on her face. Her lips partly opened.
• No, I am just… Surprised is all. I am not used to seeing you like this, especially lately. I… think you look good in it. It suits you. – she muttered under her breath as she looked down. She felt, embarrassed… Did she just compliment him? No longer than a couple heartbeats later, he was right in front of her, looking down.
• Why, thank you. I am glad you approve of my habiliment, but praise won’t prevent your punishment, merely delay it, at best. – he spoke, ever so calmy as he gripped her chin and forced her to look up at him. Her neck would have to get used to that… and her soul too if it were to survive his alien eyes.

After a few seconds, he let go of her chin, turned around, and sat on the couch that was near the window, leaving some space to his right, presumably for her.

She stood there like she was frozen in time, not sure what to do yet. She looked at him, as he sat down. His coat wasn’t long enough to reach the floor when he stood tall, but when he sat down, it was long enough to go over the edge of the couch. Initially he extended and crossed his legs, the right one over the left, and folded his arms, as he tilted his head back slightly and looked at the celling for a couple of moments. After which, he uncrossed his legs and pulled them back, then he spread them. He unfolded his arms, and spread them around him on the couch, palms up. He then turned his head and looked straight at her. Fire in his eyes.

She knew what was coming, but she wasn’t going to go over to him if he didn’t call her. Which, of course, he did. He raised his right hand and, made a "come here" gesture with his long index finger. It was the second time, that she realized, just how long his fingers were. The first was when he had grabbed her by the throat, just four days ago.

• Don’t make me say it, dear. - he spoke, his voice low. Dangerously low. After she started walking towards him, he stopped moving his finger and opened his palm. He wanted her to take his hand, which albeit reluctantly, she did.

She expected him to pull her harshly and do whatever sinful things he wanted to do to her, but she was wrong. That was for later. For now, he didn’t pull her, as much as he guided her towards him. She was like a cat on a leash and you don’t force a cat, you guide it, and it was exactly what he did. Once she was close enough, he leaned forward and pressed the top of her hand to his lips, giving her a gentle kiss. His eyes shot up from the top of her hand to her eyes, before slowly leaning back on the couch, his head slightly tilted to the right, all the while never taking his eyes of her. It was the first rule of hunting, never take your eyes of your pray. He looked over her entire body, from top to bottom, taking her in, drinking her in, before looking into her eyes again.

----

The kiss spread like a shockwave throughout her entire being. It threw her mind into an even deeper haze than it already was. Never did she expect something so gentle from a man, or more accurately devil, such as him. A beautiful devil, a deceitful devil.

• Straddle me. – he spoke. Although he didn’t shout, it had the same effect as one. The words snapped her from her trance.
• What…? – she asked. She had heard him; she just didn’t want to accept that it was happening again. This whole scene remined her way too much, of the life she thought she had left behind. Even though she had spent quite some time in the medical bay, it was only now dawning on her, that she was right back where she had started. He had her, again. If she wished to see her daughter, she would have to do whatever he wanted. There was simply no other way. The weapon on her leg was gone, and even if it weren’t, would it matter? Last time she had fought him, he had killed her.
• Don’t make me repeat myself, my pet. You know that I hold all the cards. And I know for a fact, that there is one card in particular, that you really care about. I care about her too. The difference is that I can see her whenever I so desire. You, on the other hand, need my blessing, my permission. Isn’t that right, slave? – he asked as she started, slowly but with a great deal of hesitation, to execute his command.
• Yes. – she spoke, as she leaned over him. Placing her hands on his broad shoulders for support. Unlike with his usual attire, which had armor plates on his shoulders, she could feel the muscle underneath the fabric. It had been such a long time since she had been in such a situation with him, or anyone for that matter. After his “death”, she hoped, that perhaps, the next time she would do something, like what she was doing now, was going to be on a beach somewhere, with someone like Zack. Instead, she was with him again. And it was just like before. She remembered vividly, the time she had spent in the white room. More specifically, the first time he had punished her. For a split heartbeat, she thought about praying to some god, because the planet, judging by recent events, wasn’t on her side, but she then realized, that if a god-like entity existed, he was below her, and she knew that praying to him wouldn’t do her much good.
• Good girl. – he growled low, as she leaned over him, putting her weight on him. – Wake up, my dear. I need you continuous for this. Don’t think so much. Just do, no point in reminiscing about past events.

As he said that, his right hand grabbed her by the back of her head and forced her into a hungry and demanding kiss. At first, she resisted, not wanting to let him in. It was pure instinct, but then, his words resonated with her. There really was no point in resisting, she had already been through this. If he wanted something, he would get it. That much he had proven. So, she did what herself from a week before would have killed her for. She let him in. She was slipping again, but so what? What was the point of resisting? What would she achieve if she did? At worst, she would never get to see her daughter again, and god knows what else he would force on her. At best, she would be “free”, while barely making ends meet, while living with her mother and daughter. Forget the plate, there was no way that she would have enough money to live there again, or even in one of the better and safer sectors in the slums. And she was pretty sure, that Sephiroth wouldn’t let them stay in the house he had bought for them.

If she didn’t resist, at best, she would fall under his spell again and maybe even fall in love with him. He would, hopefully, treat her better at that point, she would live a lavish life with him and their daughter. And Zack, well for all she knew, he was dead.

And at worst? Well, it wouldn’t get worse than it already was, right? So, again, there was no point. If not now, it would have happened later. It would be the second time that she would have to live through this. She knew that the quickest way to happiness, was also the only one. To let go.

And so, she returned he kiss. And slowly but surely, she started to enjoy it. He may have been the devil, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t attractive or that he didn’t know how to kiss. On the contrary, he was perhaps too attractive and too good at what he was doing. And not in the traditional sense. It wasn’t like she was looking at someone who could be a character in a cliché romance show with a high school setting. You know the look, the bad boy teenager stereotype. Rather, he had that ethereal and refined appearance to him. And it had been working its magic on her, subconsciously, ever since he entered the room. She didn’t realize it earlier, and now, it was too late.

He pulled her back by the hair to break the kiss. She cringed at the feeling and looked at him. He smirked.

• Good girl. Shall we begin? – he asked, his face close to hers
• Yes. – she replied
• Yes, what? – he asked, as he raised a silver eyebrow and pulled her by the hair a little rougher
• Yes, Sir? – she replied, hoping that it was what he wanted to her
• Almost, my dear. – he said as he gave her a peck on the lips – Henceforth, you shall call me Master. I will let it slip this time, since you didn’t know, not to mention that you already have a lot to be punished for. – he said with a more relaxed expression on his face.
• Thank you. – she spoke as he freed his grip on her hair, and started stroking it gently
• I see that it will take some time for you to learn. Irrelevant, you will break in due time. Now, let us start.

And, as he said that, he turned her 90 ° clockwise, so that she lay across his lap, face down, over his spread legs, her bottom in the middle, nice and accessible. Her hands were braced against the floor, blood rushing discomfortingly to her head. She remembered, how the last time she was in a similar position, it had taken him some time to make her obedient enough, so that she didn’t resist. How long, a week, two weeks? No matter, it had taken some time, now it took less than five minutes. Had previous events, truly made that much of a difference? Had his “plan” already broken her? The answer was yes. All the time that he had spent last time to “prepare” her, was now unnecessary and they both knew it. She knew how he and his games worked. She knew what was at stake. Her daughter, most likely her mother, and of course, her own future. Or the lack thereof, if she didn’t please him.

• Do you know what is coming, pet? – he asked, his voice deceptively soft, almost purring.
• I do. – she spoke
• And do you know what is expected of you? – he asked again, in that magical voice
• Yes… - she trailed
• What? – he asked

That, she didn’t expect. What was she to say now? She kind of guessed what he wanted to be called last time, but lightning doesn’t strike twice. And the vulnerable position he had her in now, didn’t help matters.

• Aeris, do you remember what I told you, right before last time I punished you this way? – he asked in a sterner tone
• That I am not to lie to you? – he asked, hoping she remembered correctly
• So, don’t. Unless you would like me to make you punishment, even more bittersweet. – he spoke, as after what seemed like an eternity, he roughly exposed her to him.

Although she should have been used to this, shame came knocking on the door, yet again. Perhaps it was because of the illusion of freedom that he had given her? Perhaps it was because he had tricked her into healing her consciousness, only for it to be broken again? She didn’t know.

• Imagine Tiqi, a few years from now, seeing you like this. What do you think that she’d think? – he whispered in her ear. He ran his leathered hand, slowly and gently across her bottom.

She wasn’t stupid, she knew exactly what he was planning on doing. After the last time he did it, she mentally prayed every day, that she wouldn’t be in the same position ever again. And yet, it was happening, again.

• Now, since apparently you don’t know, which you can’t, because I haven’t instructed you, yet… - he stopped for a brief second, giving her a light pat on one of her butt cheeks, a taste of what was to come. – What you are going to do, is say out loud everything that you should be punished for. For every one of them, I am going to slap you three times. When you think that you have confessed everything, you shall inform me. For each reason you miss, I shall redden your bottom ten times. Is that clear? – he asked, as he continued to rub his leathered hand over her soft ass.
• Yes, it is. – she replied
• Between each slap, you shall have forty seconds, to think of the next one. During that time, I will play with your lovely cunt, which… - he trailed off as he moved her panties aside, giving him access to what he wanted - …is already wet, just as I expected of you. Good girl. If you don’t say anything, after the forty seconds are over, I shall give you a slap and another forty seconds. Am I clear? – he spoke. With each word, his voice becoming, more and more sinful.
• Yes. – she replied, again
• Oh, I almost forgot. If you come, without my permission, I shall have to give you an even harsher punishment. If memory serves, but please do correct me if I am wrong, I have never whipped you, have I? – he said with a terrifying smile on his face. She didn’t see it, of course, but she could practically feel the dark aura, emanating of him.
• No, you haven’t. Please, I beg of you, don’t. – she pleaded, her voice, announcing the tears, making their way to her eyes. She remembered how much his hand had hurt when he had spanked her last time. She could only imagine what a whip would feel like. Her blood ran cold at the mere mention of it. She knew full well, that he wouldn’t hesitate to act on his promise.
• That is up to you, pet. I do remember, however, that the last time you came, was quite a while ago, wasn’t it? – he said in a sinister tone, as she let out a sound, that only a terrified and caged animal could

He knew, again. She didn’t know how, but he always knew, even about something that did, or didn’t transpire while he was dead. And he was right, the last time, she had cum was when they did it last. Before the meteor.

• Judging by that lovely sound you just made, it seems that this will be rather difficult for you, pet. Oh, and if you do end up enjoying the punishment, we could do this again. Who knows, maybe then, I will let you cum at the end. Better get ready and best of luck.

As he said that, he slowly moved his hand down to her clit and gently started moving his index finger over it. She moaned in response, at which he let out a small chuckle, before he said…

• Well, what is the first sin you would like to confess, my dear. I should warn you that five seconds have already passed. Judging by how wet you already are, I don’t think that subjecting yourself to my fingers, for any longer than necessary, is a good idea. Need I remind you what I have prepared for you in case you don’t manage to resist? – he spoke in a dark tone. He was enjoying the situation way too much.
• I… I am sorry for betraying and killing you. I had no right to even harbor such thoughts. I beg of you, forgive me. – she spoke as she panted. His fingers were as skillful as they were dangerous. The speed at which he rubbed her clit and the pressure he put on it, never changed. There was zero variation, from rub to rub and it quickly drove her mad. And the more her mind turned into mush, the harder it would be for her to get out of this situation.
• Good. – he spoke calmly.

He then removed his hand from her wet clit and raised it. As soon as he did, she whimpered in need, as his devilish fingers stopped stimulating her, but not even a second later, she let out a much different, sharper and louder sound, as the first blow landed. After it did, he left his hand where he had hit her, and slowly rubbed.

• Nostalgic, isn’t it. I had forgotten, how good it felt, having you completely at my mercy. Whimpering and screaming as I play your body like an instrument.

Before she said anything, not that she could, after the shock that the first blow had been, the second one came. Just as harsh, if not more so than the first. This one, unlike the first, landed on her right cheek, making it red. She let out a second scream, but unlike the first, it hadn’t been completely in pain. There was a slight whimper mixed in there and he heard it.

• Oh, are you perhaps starting to enjoy this, my pet? How shocking. – he said sarcastically as he delivered the third blow. This time, the whimper that escaped her lips, was much more evident. A low laugh escaped his throat.
• Yes, dear. Let me hear that sweet voice of yours. – he spoke before he moved his hand down to her cunt yet again. He continued his sweet torture, but this time, he added another finger, to make it even sweeter. – Does that feel good, slave?
• Ahhhh… Please… – she said in between pants
• Oh, are you already feeling it? What a shame. Here, I will take some pity on you. – he said as he stopped rubbing but kept applying firm pressure.
• Tthhankkk you… – she spoke, as she tried to focus and think of something to say
• Is that so? Well then, how shall you repay me, pet? – he asked, as he moved his fingers a centimeter. Just enough to remind her, that if he wanted to, he could continue.
• I… I am sorry for not protecting our second child. Please, forgive me, I beg of you. – she said in a desperate tone

She expected him to give her three more, harsh slaps on the ass, instead the first one was gentle, compared to the previous batch, but was against her pussy. The sensation almost pushed her over the edge, but, of course, it wasn’t quite enough. She let out a tortured whimper of desperation, as the thing she desired so much, was taken away from her. So close, and yet so far away.

He laughed, but not like a maniac who had gone crazy, but rather a predator, who had caged his pray and was having too much fun, toying with it. The following two blows, mercifully, were on her ass, but not any less harsh, then the ones before.

• Now, that was refreshing, wasn’t it little one? – he asked after the third blow. In response, he only heard panting and muffled noises.
• Alright pet, what would you like to confess next? – he asked, his voice becoming more growly, as the sentence went on. He pressed his fingers against her clit again and slowly rubbed. Slower than before. He very much knew that she was super sensitive and that it would take very little to push her over the edge. And, it just so happened, that he wanted to toy with her, a tad longer.
• I…

She tried to think, tried to remember, what else she could have done, to upset him, to make him angry. Unfortunately for her, nothing came to mind and the seconds ticked by. She knew, that if she didn’t answer in time, she would have to survive his fingers for another forty seconds, and even though, he had slowed down to a crawl, she knew, that his generosity could run out any second and if he were to speed up again, she wouldn’t last. She was sure of it. So, she decided that she was done. There must be nothing else.

• That is all. There is nothing else for me to confess. – she spoke, hoping that she had “confessed” everything. The chuckle he let out, however, told her otherwise.
• Oh, my dear Aeris. You can’t perceive how happy and angry you have just made me. Happy, because I get to continue playing with you. Angry, because you still lie to yourself. – he growled, before the first of the ten blows landed. Stronger than any of the ones before. It served as a reminder to her, just how much pain and something else he could give her.
• I am so sorry, Sephiroth. I can’t remember… - she sobbed in-between the third and fourth blow.
• Hmm, and here I thought that you were more preceptive than that. I said it to you, right before you killed me, and when I rescued you, I said it again, and despite my efforts, you still didn’t pick up on it? I must say, I am really disappointed, pet. Alas, it seems that my expectations were unrealistic. – he said, as he slowly rubbed her bottom, preparing it for the rest of the assault.

The next six blows were just as merciless as the first four had been, if not more. She screamed at each one, in both pain, and pleasure. What scared her most, during those moments, was that after each blow, she felt the latter feeling take over the first. After each blow, the sound she let out, was more of a whimper of pleasure, than scream of pain. By the end, she felt even more aroused, as she fell completely at his feet, metaphorically speaking. When he was done, he moved his hand, back to where her folds were.

• Would you look at that! It seems that, despite all the screaming, you enjoyed your punishment. Unfortunately for you, your punishment won’t end in blissful pleasure. That is for later. For now, I will let your bean become nice and blue, before I relieve you tonight. Get up and go to bedroom, it is after the door behind me. Get refreshed, I will come to collect you in twenty minutes.

----

As he spoke those words, she heard something that sounded like the cap of a bottle, being removed. A second later, she felt something cool, yet soothing, being spread on her bottom. She wondered what it was at first, she was still “waking up” from what she had just experienced, but very soon she realized that it was soothing cream.

Now that, really surprised her. She just expected him to remove her from his lap and leave. Instead, he was taking care of her? Now, if that were the only thing that she had noticed, it wouldn’t have mattered much.

But that wasn’t just it. He had saved her, for one. Second, he left her alone in the medical bay. He had given her space, as unbelievable as it sounds, even though he could have easily done what he had just done. He had sent her books that weren’t about biology, pregnancy, or sex. She didn’t see him for the time she was hospitalized, after their initial encounter.

Then, there was his behavior and personality. He was much more, emotional. His facial expressions, he way he handled himself. Don’t let the formal language fool you, there was a difference. After all, formality is still something that can be considered a personality trait, unlike the cold and robotic behavior he used to exhibit, before Meteorfall. Not to mention his choice of clothes. There definitely was something different.

After he finished applying the soothing cream, he sat her on the couch next to him.

• Was I clear, little dove? – he asked as he raised his right eyebrow
• Yes. – she replied as she looked up at him
• I hope you are hungry; I had the cook prepare something special for us. And I know that you haven’t had proper food in a long time. – he said as he stood up.
• Food? – she asked
• Yes, food. It is just past noon, about time for lunch, wouldn’t you agree? – he replied as he turned on his heel, in order to look at her.
• Yes, Sephiroth. Thank you. – she replied, sincerely grateful

He turned around again and entered the elevator.

Chapter Text

She just stood there, looking at the elevator doors, still trying to process what had just happened. Trying to take him in. The frustrated state he had left her in however, didn’t help matters. She had admitted to herself, awhile back at the mountain, that she did want him back, and there he was, back in the flesh. Careful what you wish for, eh?

Well, she knew that she didn’t have long to think, as the chances of him returning, grew with each passing second, and she was sure that she didn’t want him to find her unprepared.

She was really glad that he didn’t just lock her in a room, like he had when he abducted her for the first time, and not due to the usual reasons that one might not want that to happen. She was glad because she would have a chance to talk to him.

She finally stood up and looked around. Behind the couch that she had just stood up from, just as he had said, there was a big sliding double door make of dark oak.

She slowly walked around the leather couch, careful not to trip, after all her legs were still jelly from what had just transpired. There were no separate carpets on the floor, rather it was covered in something that was like a single huge one, beage in color, that covered the entire floor aside from the small corridor, one had to walk down, in order to enter the living area. It even went under the doors extending to the other rooms! After she was done admiring the floor, she found herself before the sliding double doors.

Slowly, she pushed them apart, uncertainty in her actions. What if he had somehow teleported into the other room and was now just waiting to grab her by the throat again? What if, while she had been in the mountains, he had a lover, and just beyond these two doors, waiting for her, was a corpse tied to the bed, bathed in blood?

The thing was that she didn’t know what do think or do anymore. In a way, she didn’t want to submit to him, but what if there really was nothing she could do? What if that was the best option? “You mustn’t lose hope”, or “don’t give up”, some would say. The problem is that usually in stories, after the heroine frees herself from her captor, things turn in her favor and a happy ending is just around the corner. And that was starting to happen to her. She had managed to “free” herself. And while it would have certainly come at a price, herself and her daughter would have been free.

Now, however, she knew that all she had done, was fall into his hands yet again. Someone had switched up the signs on the crossroads of fate and lured her into walking down the one that led back to him. Of course, she knew who had done that, and she still wondered how, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that she wasn’t sure, if escape was the right thing to do. What if that, leads to him furthering his goals, yet again and her suffering even more?

If she knew, what would have happened in their search for ancient power, she would have never suggested it. Yeah, she would rather have spent the rest of her life with him, in the relationship they were in, knowing that at least, Tiqi and any other potential offspring would be safe. Her safety, at least at the time, was a bit more of a gray area, but it was at least better than spending almost a month away from civilization, getting captured, and almost killed, by insane cultists and if that weren’t enough, losing her second child was the prefect cherry on top.

After coming back to reality, from the rabbit hole her mind had ran down, she finally opened the door and closed it behind her. Fortunately for her, there was no corpse, tied to the bed.

The bed itself was ginormous. Back in Midgar, her bed was most likely a double bed. She really couldn’t have cared less how big it had been, but if memory served, that was about right. This one, on the other hand, was at least a king sized one. On it, she noticed a beautiful satin white dress. There was also a second piece of clothing that caught her eye, but she was sure that it wasn’t for her.

The bed’s dark aesthetic, defined nicely by the dark brown frame, contrasted the room’s otherwise light color palette. Mainly beige and its derivatives. On the two sides of the bed, there were wooden nightstands. On one of them, the one closer to the giant window that extended from the other room, was what looked like a wireless phone charger, a book, a fancy looking glass bottle, and a beautiful golden mechanical wristwatch with a dark brown leather strap. In contrast, the other nightstand was empty. As if it was waiting for someone.

The bed itself was covered in what was a moderately tick duvet, dressed up in a black statin sheet, with wutaian looking shapes on it. It wasn’t exactly warm in Coral town and they were quite high up. Of course, she could feel the floor heating beneath her feet, in addition to the fluffy carpet.

On the bed, there was also one giant pillow, covered in the same black satin material as the sheet that covered the bed. What was it with Sephiroth and satin, she wondered? The size of the pillow worried her. It was true, Sephiroth was a giant, and the size of the bed, its longer than standard length in particular, confirmed that he was aware of it. However, even he didn’t need a pillow, whose width was 80% of the bed’s. All of that, lead her to think that he would probably make her sleep on the same bed as him. And by sleep, she wondered if Sephiroth wished to actually sleep with her. After whatever “fun” he had planned for the upcoming night, of course.

When the thought crossed her mind, worry stirred inside her. It was bad enough, back in Midgar, when she would have dinner with him in the evenings. She felt so intimidated, so vulnerable in his presence. She had no idea how to feel. And the nights when he would do whatever he wanted to her, after which he would leave her alone, she didn’t know if she loved or hated them. The fact that, in a way, he would discard her every time, after he was done with her, made her heart shrink every time. Now, she would have to actually sleep in his presence. What kind of an experience that would be, remained to be seen.

She looked around the room once more and the bed was to her ten o’clock. Right in front of her was what looked like a door to the bathroom. While making her way to it, to her right, she noticed another door.

“What could that lead to”, she wondered, but didn’t go back to check. God only knew what kind of skeletons resided there.

When she entered the bathroom, she got to cleaning herself up. The lotion that he had applied to her bottom had already soaken in by that point.

She looked around the different shelves and found everything she could ever need to make herself presentable. That was something that she couldn’t deny was nice, during the time she had spent, and will spend, with him. Anything she had asked for; he had given her in spades. Aside from freedom, of course.

She decided to take a quick shower, although, she had to admit to herself, the tub carved out of a single piece of marble looked very appealing. However, she knew better than to keep him waiting.

After drying herself, it was standard procedure. Hair, face and so on. Done with that, she got out of the bathroom, not ten minutes after she got in. That meant she had about seven minutes to get dressed. Should be enough. About five minutes later, she was done, shoes and everything. She looked herself in the mirror, which was also the door to the mysterious room. In the reflection, there was a good-looking girl, one that was quite pleasantly surprised by Sephiroth’s selection.

She expected something that barely covered her womanly parts, but instead was pleasantly surprised. She had a hint that it would be like that when she first saw it on the bed. It wasn’t completely vanilla, but it wasn’t ridiculous either. Simple, but elegant and quite frankly, she really liked it. It matched the white shoes, which had heels, but weren’t so tall as to be uncomfortable to walk around in. His boots, she remembered, were also a bit elevated at the heel, but of course, looked totally different compared to what she was wearing.

Just before she opened the door, that lead to the main living area of the apartment, she noticed that under the TV, which was quite large and mounted on the wall in front of the bed, was a shelf with quite a few of what looked like VHS tapes, DVDs, Blu-rays, vinyl records and books. Especially, books. On top of the shelf, was a record player for said vinyl.

Was there a chance that Sephiroth, the Demon of Wutai, could be interested in something so human, such as entertainment? She hoped that the answer was yes. Of course, she did! Yes, she hated him, but said hate was slowly but surely fading away. Why, you ask? Well, simple. Continuing to hate him, wouldn’t do her any good. In fact, it would probably do the opposite. If she wanted to be happy while living with him, which she knew would be the rest of her life, forgiving him would be essential. An impossible task at first glance, but she had to. If not for her, she would do it for Tiqi. And secretly, she held hope for him. Mainly because, if he started caring, started taking care of her, instead of just tormenting her, she would fall in love with him.

It was true! She had already developed some feelings for him, while he was treading her like a slave. Imagine what would happen to he cared for her. Also, who would be more capable and resourceful than him, the ruler of Midgar and President of the Shinra Electric Power Company, to ensure her and her daughter’s futures? Not to mention her mother, Elmyra.

After she was done with yet another internal monologue, she has been having a lot of those lately, she opened the door and stepped out. She turned around to close the door and just as she did, she heard the elevator make its signature “ding” sound.

She slowly turned back around, and just as she finished turning, she saw him, stride in.

• Punctual, I see. Good. Shall we? – she spoke as he extended his gloved left hand for her to take. Somewhat reluctantly, she did.

While they were in the elevator, which wasn’t every long, they spoke.

• You should be hungry. – he spoke as the doors closed and the elevator head down. He put his hand on her shoulder. – It will be a good opportunity for you to ask questions.
• …
• Are you anxious? – he asked, as if he didn’t know the answer.
• Intim… - she muttered
• What was that dear? – he asked as he leaned down, so that his mouth was right next to her ear. – I didn’t catch that.

At that, she sharply turned her face left, to meet his. She didn’t exactly intend it. After all, looking into his eyes, was quite costly for her soul. He tilted his head, a tad to the left.

• I didn’t catch that. – he repeated.
• I… Yes. I am anxious. And… - she stopped with her lips parted
• And? – he spoke as he closed her mouth, gently with his left hand, which woke her back up
• Intimidated, is what I meant to say. – she finally said. He stood back up.
• The first feeling is quite natural. And for an ordinary person, the second one even more so. But for you, that shouldn’t be the case. Why is it?

She turned around to look at him and tiled her head up, by now knowing that looking at the floor wasn’t the right thing to do.

• You turned my only successful attempt at defying you, into the greatest failure of my life. Nothing even comes close. You, my greatest nightmare, came back from the dead. And not only did you do that, but you also planned it all in advance. How am I supposed to not be intimidated, or even scared?

“Ding”

• Hold you thought. Let us sit, get comfortable. There is a lot for both me and you to say. Not to mention, you are starving. – he spoke as he walked out of the elevator.

She followed, right behind him. Imagine her surprise when he pulled the chair, where she was to sit, presumably, and motioned to it.

• Sit. – was the only word the spoke, in a firm tone

She did as she was told and as she sat down, he pushed the char, into its intended position. He stalked around her and strode over to the other end of the rectangular table. It was about 3 meters long and he still felt very close, as he sat down.

• Do you like what is on the table? – he asked as he rested his head on his right fist.

This was the first time she actually noticed the food. It was almost unbelievable, just how much of her soul he had managed to consume, in such a short period of time.

Different types of fish and sea creatures were all spread on the table. All prepared in the fanciest of ways. But even amongst them, there was one that stood out. A red lobster presented right in front of her. She observed it, almost in awe. She had been offered no such food, while she was in Midgar. He never took her anywhere fancy. Partly because, she never asked. It wasn’t like the food he had given her, or had her cook, was bad. In fact, when she had to cook, she was always given the best of ingredients. But she never took him for the type of creature that would take the one he “loved” out on a date and treat her to a fancy dinner. Or at least, that is what her experience told her.

The dish was surrounded with silverware. Actual silverware made of silver. Yes, that put any doubts that he had lost his obscene wealth, to rest. What held her attention longer, than the fancy fork and knife she was supposed to use, was the glass of white wine, next to the dish. Her eyes dared from the glass, to his eyes, as if asking for permission. At that, he only nodded.

She slowly picked up the glass and took a sip. It wasn’t overly strong or bitter. Quite pleasant. She was a huge fan of wine, but if there was more of that waiting for her, she could certainly come around.

• Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, 1986. Is it to your taste? – he spoke when the glass left her lips
• I like it. But you know that I don’t know much about wine. – she spoke as she left the glass, back on the table
• My mistake. The people I usually dine with, pay a lot of attention to details like that. One could say that it has become a habit of mine to ask. And this… - he said as he gestured to the bottle - … is my ace in the hole. I am quite pleased to know, that you enjoy it. - he spoke as he raised his head from his fist and sat up.
• Oh, about the food. I assumed that you would like the lobster best, so that is why it is right in front of you, but if something else on the table strikes your fancy better, you may have that. Or I could order something for you. I do have a world class chef at my beck and call, after all. – he said as took off his leather gloves
• I will have the lobster, thank you. – she said

On the table next to him, was what looked like a small towel of some sort. He picked it up and used it to clean his hands.

• There is one on your right as well. It is a warm towel, nothing to be afraid of. Use it to clean your hands, before you eat. – he said as he left the towel, back where he initially took it from.

She did as he advised. Meanwhile, he picked up his cutlery, and precisely started cutting the fish in front of him, into edible pieces.

• Now then. Finish your thought form a few moments back. Oh, and unless we are getting intimate with each other, you can lighten up on the honorifics. – he said as he put the first piece of fish into him mouth.
• Is what happened to Tiqi true? Is she really safe?– she asked as she started picking away at her food. If she weren’t as hungry as she was, she probably wouldn’t have had the appetite to eat anything.
• Hm, one could say that you were, a bit out of it when I told you of our daughter’s fate. What do you remember? – he asked as he took a sip of his own wine glass
• You mentioned something about her never being with us? How is that possible. Is it even true? She was with us, I… I remember holding her. I remember taking care of her while I made my way through the forest. – she asked while trying to keep her composure while eating
• You made your way through that forest with a log in your arms Aeris. A piece of wood. Nothing more. She was never with you, never with us. Not in the cave, not during the events that lead us to that cave. In fact, the last time you held her in your arms, was the night before we left Midgar. Ever since, Tiqi has been a product of your imagination. A personality construct, of sorts. – he spoke as he continued to eat.

He looked so calm as he delivered her the news. She, on the other hand, almost dropped her fork. Yes, she had heard it once before, but she didn’t want to believe. She almost didn’t. But, considering where he had her, there really was no reason for him to deceive her. And even if he was trying to, what of it? At that point, there it was no use trying to foresee his actions. How was it possible for her to confuse a piece of wood, for her own daughter? Zack’s initial reaction when he saw he had seen her for the first time, made sense. She couldn’t fathom it all.

• How? How is that possible? Did you cause it? Why? – she asked, afraid of the answer
• I did. As to how, you can thank your mother for that. – he spoke
• My mother? – Aeris replied shocked
• Not Elmyra. Your real mother, or rather what was left of her. – he spoke ever so calmy as he put another piece of fish in his mouth.
• What do you mean by that? She died a long time ago, what she could possibly have to do with this? – she asked as she looked at him, eyes wide
• As I am sure you know, after your mother passed away, Hojo got his greasy hands on her remains. Naturally, there wasn’t much he could do with them, so eventually he had the brilliant idea to liquidize them. The resulting fluid, in a concentrated form, with a ratio of 100:1, turned out to be a highly potent drug, of all things. A drug that, when injected, stimulated the injectee’s brain to generate images of the things it loved the most, while the subject was still awake. The side effect was that there was a chance, that in a stressful situation, it could also cause horrible nightmares. The ratio of pleasant to horrible events, in such a situation, is roughly 2:1.
• So, you injected me with it. – she asked, as she felt this part of his explanation, coming to an end.
• I did.
• When?
• It was programmed to be injected right after you killed me. - he replied, the wine glass to his lips
• How?
• You can thank the Minerva Band on your leg for that. The liquid had been in there, ready to be injected since the day I put it on your leg.
• So, that is the real reason you gave it to me. – she spoke, starting to calm down a bit, trying to process the flood of information
• I was going to do it anyway, even if you didn’t get kidnapped. And, just in case you suspect me, no I didn’t organize that. But I must admit, it did give me a really good reason to give the band to you, without suspicion.
• I assume that you are not done explaining. Is there more? Like, how could you be sure that my mind would create Tiqi? – she asked, the wine giving her some confidence, she definitely needed.
• What else would it make, my dear? It was more than obvious that our daughter is the thing you love most in this world. And with good reason. On another note, the nightmares you had, while we were on our little expedition, tell me that, later, when you were alone and dreamt of me, I wasn’t the nightmare. Am I correct? – he asked as he slightly raised his chin.
• You are right, but you are a monster all the same, a devil, THE devil. You drugged me with the last remaining bits of my mother, to make me hallucinate about my daughter, while on the brink of survival. You truly know no bounds. – Aeris spoke in the most venomous voice she could find. She wanted to get up and run and yet, she knew that there was nowhere to run to. Nowhere to escape to. She was stuck here, until the rest of her days, with this beautiful devil.
• I prefer the title of “Heathen”, but devil will also do. I am no saint and I know that. Those who eat, make breadcrumbs. It is an old saying I love. I am sure that you can figure out what it implies? – he asked
• That you did all of this for a reason? A reason that justifies everything? – she asked, regaining most of her composure
• Smart doll. Do you want to know said reason? – he asked
• I do. – she replied, bracing herself
• I have already told you. I wanted to destroy the planet and give it back to someone. – he replied in a more serious, rather than deceitful or mocking tone
• You said that you wanted to give it to your mother Jenova. That… creature in the bacta tank back in Midgar. Was that a lie too? – she asked
• The truth my dear Aeris is a lot more complicated than it is appropriate to say now, but the short version is that I want to rule the world. All of it. Not destroy it. – he spoke, his tone darker
• But you already do. You are the President of the Shinra corporation. You practically DO rule the world. – she spoke, confused
• In a way, you are right, my dear. But that isn’t the type of power I seek. I am talking about absolute power. Unquestionable power and control over the entire planet. Believe it or not, the Shinra Electric Power company, doesn’t actually hold dominion over the world. It is close, but not quite. And even if it did, the position of President has its limitations. I have already told you this, my job is essentially to convince people. Both ordinary and those who make good assets. Reforming the world, the way I want it, would take way too long. This is no power, it’s a useless game of play pretend, and the planet doesn’t have that long. Do you get what I mean? – he spoke as he continued eating
• Are you taking about the alternative energy source? – she asked, hoping to have guessed
• Good Aeris. You are catching on. Yes, it is about that. Of course, it is also not just about that, but it is one of the primary reasons I want to change my title from President to Emperor.
• Emperor of the world? – she asked
• Yes.
• So, you plan on leading another war against Wutai.
• I do. Very soon. And you, my dear, were integral to getting public support. – he said as he ate the last piece of his fish
• I still fail to see how I did that. I get that I was a part of your plan, but I don’t know how. – she replied, asking for more information. He had been right, this truly was, a lot bigger and more complicated than she had imagined
• I will tell you about that later. It is still a bit too early for me to reveal everything, don’t you think? – he said, a smirk on his face
• I am sure that there is something else that you would like to ask me. – he added
• Hm… - she thought. Yes, there was something else she wanted to ask. – How did you survive that night. The night I killed you.

He leaned back into his chair and pushed his dish slightly forward, as he had already finished his meal. Before he did so, however, he grabbed the wine bottle and refiled his glass. Seeing as she still had a fair bit to go through, he didn’t ask if she wanted any.

• Why didn’t you kill me earlier? – he asked, glass in hand
• You are answering my question with another question? – she asked
• Yes.
• No matter what you had done, I am not like you. I wasn’t going to leave someone, on the brink of death, to just die. No matter who it is, not even you. Not to mention that I needed you to help us escape the forest. – she replied, continuing to slowly pick away at her food
• And here I thought that the fiasco you went through would have taught you not to lie to yourself. Yet, you still do. Helping you escape, wasn’t why you kept me alive. Partly, it was because I am Tiqi’s father, but there was a bigger reason. You knew that you could leave me there and find your way back to civilization. The fact that I found you, where I did, proves that. You had been to Nibelheim just before, correct? So, will you say what that reason is, or must I? I know that you already admitted it to yourself in your dream. Now, you just have to say it out loud. – he spoke as he looked her directly in the eyes
• How do you know about these dreams? – she asked, a little scared. If he could see in her head, read her mind, that would just be another nail in the coffin. There was no final, just another.
• Aeris, I think by now, you should have learnt to expect the unexpected. I am not the being I was. If you thought me unstoppable back then, then now I am truly beyond what you can comprehend. I suggest that you do not question what is in front of your eyes. Just accept it as the truth, it will be easier this way. Now, why did you keep me alive?
• I will say it. I believed that after I had spoiled your plans, eventually you would change. Initially, I was really hesitant to stay, to help you survive. But during the first day, I noticed something. I saw a glimpse of a version of you that I could love without hating myself for it. Because yes, despite the way you treated me, I developed feelings for you, even if I didn’t want that. That had its psychological, as well as emotional, effect on me. Love is perhaps a strong word, but I had, I still have, feelings for you. – as she said that, he could see the water droplets form in her eyes. Her voice, going ragged. Finally. She had said the horrible truth out loud.
• Good Aeris. You finally let it out. I am proud of you.
• Now tell me. Please. I need to know.
• Very well. The truth Aeris, is that when I came to save you, however long ago that was, was the first time you saw the real me. It was also when the real me saw you for the first time. – he stopped to take a sip
• What do you mean “the real you”? – she asked, really afraid of where he was going.
• To deceive Jenova. That is what this whole ordeal was about. Alongside making Wutai seem like the enemy, but more on that, some other time. Ever since I was little, she was inside my head. Feeding me lies. Telling me that she was my mother. Telling me to destroy the human race and retake the planet for her. Of course, that was in addition to Hojo. I am sure that I do not need to go into detail about him, and my relationship with him. Do I? – he asked. She only nodded in response as she wiped the tears that had pooled up in her eyes.
• After I was let out of the labs, I was thirteen I believe, I joined the military. I started to discover the world. Mainly through entertainment. Books, movies, TV and games. They taught me that you are who you choose to be. Not who someone else, wants you to be. And it was then when I started to break free. Every day, I chipped away at the hold she had on my mind as I climbed the ranks in the military. When I impaled Shinra on the Masamune, I broke the first shackle. It was then, that the plan to break the second one took center stage. By that point, I could break free of her control, without her noticing, for about twenty minutes a day. Twenty minutes, during which I could be me. During which I could plot against her. At one point, about a month after the coup, I realized that I couldn’t be President by myself, it was too much, mentally. That was a ploy, of course. A lie that I managed to keep in a part of my brain, where she believed there was nothing of importance. In a sense, I lied and plotted against my conscious self. With her knowledge I created two clones of myself, to do my and her bidding around the planet and then I froze my real body, deep in the caves below the Northern Crater. This effectively rendered my real self, frozen. The three bodies shared a hivemind, with the real one, acting as a control point. It was the perfect place to hide my unconsciousness. Right under her nose. While she paid attention to the active part of the hivemind, the clones, my unconsciousness, my truth, was now free to roam around my real body. Because it was the control point, everything passed through it, and the real me could read, and in some instances, manipulate the thoughts and intentions of the hivemind just enough to cause something to happen, but not enough for her to notice. I used the frozen body as a vessel for the real me and carefully manipulated the hivemind into doing my bidding. All the time you had ever spent with me Aeris, was with a near perfect replica of me. I say near perfect, because they came out a little shorter than I actually am as well as considerably weaker. Although still more powerful than anything on this planet. Personality wise, what you experienced was me with a flavor of Jenova.
• If she didn’t have control over you. If you weren’t playing a four-dimensional game of chess with her. If it were actually you, would you have done what you did to me? – she asked, hopeful he would say no.
• I would have. Not in the way “I” did, mind you. I will be the first to admit, that the approach that my Jenova-infected conscious self, decided to take, was, how should I put it, rougher, than necessary. For one, I would have never kept you imprisoned in that room. Overall, I tend to lean towards the more manipulative way of doing things, versus the more forceful. The moments we shared together, would have happened, no matter who was in charge up here. The difference would have been that you would have willingly thrown yourself into my arms, without me having to utter a word. Those feelings you spoke of, would have been much stronger. If that was a bit too much to understand, the short version is that I would have claimed your mind first, and your body second. Not the other way around. – he elaborated
• I… I see. – she wasn’t sure if what she had just heard made everything better or worse, but she leaned towards better. – All in all, I killed a clone, is that right?
• You killing it, was needed to send you on your journey, as well as to make you realize what you had. That, however, wasn’t the crucial moment, or rather moments. There were two of them. The first one, was you killing Jenova in Midgar. The second, was you killing her presence inside the hivemind.
• With the spell I cast? – she asked
• If you are wondering what it did, essentially it caused the Jenova cells in the bodies present in the hivemind to reset, allowing me to take control over them and purge her, once and for all. It did have the side effect of stripping “me” of my powers, but that wasn’t a problem. It wasn’t me after all. Oh, and it won’t work again, so don’t even think about it. Did the explanation I just gave you, satisfy your curiosity? – he asked with a slight smirk on his lips
• It does. It will take some time for me to truly comprehend it, but I think I understand. Essentially, the time from when we left Midgar until you saved me from the cultists, was entirely orchestrated by you and I didn’t kill you. I killed a clone. Am I correct, Heathen? – she spoke. That last bit made him chuckle and gods was his laugh indescribable.
• Yes, my dear, you are. Grossly oversimplified, but ultimately correct. Aside from your kidnapping, of course. I have already said it, but I feel like repeating it, would not go to waste. The raid on Nibelheim, and consequently your kidnapping, wasn’t planed or orchestrated by me. The only good thing that came out of that attack was the destruction of the Shinra manor there. – he said as he took one final sip from his wine glass and decided that it was enough for one day
• I didn’t realize that there was so much going on. Not just in general, but with you too. You must tell me of your past sometime. Some actual events. – she spoke with wide eyes, hungry for information
• My past isn’t very interesting. Quite the opposite, it is depressing. But that is a topic for another time.

Chapter Text

And now, directly from Midgar, our reporter Susan.

• Hey Susan, how’s it looking out there?
• Thank you, Jeff. Unfortunately for all the residents of the city of dreams, the situation is still quite dire. The unknown shockwave that stuck the city two weeks back is far from forgotten. For those who have missed our earlier reports, a destructive shockwave struck Midgar two weeks ago at 8:13 AM. According to Shinra scientists, there was something special about the wave, that caused a reaction with the mako inside the six reactors that powered the city. As a result, the reactors in question exploded with devastating strength. Sectors 1 and 2 in particular, were most affected. As they were built on the first two plates, they couldn’t handle the explosions and collapsed. Currently Midgar runs on power from external sources. Mainly, the industrial grade high-capacity reactor, usually reserved for military purposes, located just outside the city. Because it is a newer model, or so we were told by representatives of the Shinra corporation, it was unaffected by the mysterious shockwave. Still, it can only provide power for the most essential facilities. As you can image, most of the city is in total darkness. We are still to receive an official statement from both the Mayor of Midgar as well as President Sephiroth on what the future holds. Despite their silence, according to the people, the conglomerate responsible for the initial construction of the reactors, has provided much more assistance and support to the people, compared to the actual government, in this dire time of need. Reportedly, that was quite surprising to most people, who viewed the corporation in somewhat of a negative light and didn’t expect them to quote “lift a finger”.
• Well, that certainly is surprising. I must say, I too didn’t expect the Shinra power company to run a charity.
• No one did, but that is what seems to be happening. Back to you Jeff.
• Thank you, Susan. In other news….

She turned off the TV. It was now evening and after the eventful lunch Aeris had with Sephiroth, she was glad that he had left her alone in the afternoon. What she had just seen on the TV, satisfied her curiosity as to what he may be up to. He may have been evil, but she couldn’t deny his intellect and ability to handle situations which could break a normal person. That is, if one could call him human, but that was a topic for another time.

He hadn’t mentioned if she would spend the night alone. He just had Tseng escort her back to “the penthouse” and told her to slip into something more comfortable. She knew that he hadn’t given her permission for what she had in mind explicitly, but he had told her to find something more comfortable to wear.

It was the beautiful black Kimono, that was on the other side of the bed where her dress was earlier. She could only assume that it was Sephiroth’s because it was about twice her size. While she sat on the couch with it on, she could hide in it, if she wanted. Otherwise, it served very nicely as a blanket that could be worn. She wondered how he would react if her saw her like that. Even though it was his, something inside her made her want to wear it.

Now she was in what would be classified as the living room, sitting on the very same couch where he had punished her just before lunch and until a couple of moments ago, was watching TV. I say “watching” however she wasn’t paying much attention to it. Instead, she was inside her head, her new favorite place. She wondered if perhaps it would do her good to go to bed.

Her head was a mess. A complete and utter mess. It was as if her mind was being ripped apart. The rational part of it was telling her to let go. To forget any grudges, as unfair as that may sound and focus on her and her daughter’s survival and future. And if that meant loving him, so be it.

The other part of her mind however, disagreed. It wanted to rebel. To kill him, make him suffer! For everything. He wasn’t a man, a human. He was a fiend, a Heathen, as he put it.  He didn’t deserve forgiveness, pity or anything even resembling those two!

Yes, she had managed to strip him of his powers and later kill him, back at the cave, but what good had that done? The only thing it had achieved was to give him more power and at the same time. He hadn’t been lying earlier when he told her that he had become more powerful, considerably more powerful. Ever since he had visited her in the hospital, she could feel some sort of darkness, power, evil energy, doesn’t matter what you call it, emanate of him.

Another thing she realized, was that the only reason she had been able to even lay a finger on him, ever, was because he had allowed it and it served to further his goals. For Gaia’s sake it wasn’t even him. All that time, he was a clone of himself. He had pulled such a wool over her eyes, that she was questioning what was or wasn’t. What should or shouldn’t. But scariest of all, what was and wasn’t him.

He didn’t have to give her a happy life. As things were, he seemed perfectly satisfied with everybody’s position. He would have her by his side, no matter what. The question was, which Aeris would he want? A timid meat bag that didn’t have a soul, whose sole purpose was to pleasure him and take care of Tiqi. Or a happy woman who had a soul, who he could truly love, who could give Tiqi a happy childhood, who could be a true mother. Of course, that was Sephiroth she was thinking of, a being whose true intentions were as mysterious and as deadly as the Black Materia that he had been after. He could very well want the first Aeris.

However, in her mind at least, he had changed. In the little time she had spent with the real him, he seemed more human, than he ever did before. Something to note was that human, didn’t mean that he had buried his evil self and become a saint. Far from it. It was more about showing signs of human behavior. It was about emotions.

While she was draped across his lap earlier, the way she felt and the way he felt, was unlike anything before. To an outsider, it seemed like a repeat of what he had done to punish her, once upon a time, while she was in that white room of her nightmares. That, however, wasn’t the case. The main, only, and relevant difference was that she could feel the emotion, the lust, that emanated of him. There was some of it, during the last days of their previous relationship, but it felt limited. In the beginning, there wasn’t even that.

That was the brightest beam of hope in her eyes. The emotions that now seemed to reside within him. She could see a noticeable change in his behavior. Mainly, he was much more talkative. The old him, was very to the point. The new him, evidently, liked to take his time when talking, to the point of becoming overwhelming. He also seemed to be more gentlemanly, if you could call the air of aristocracy around him that, although it remained to be seen. After all, that was the first, and for now only, time he had treated her to a fancy meal. It was, effectively, their first date. As messed up as that was.

More indirectly, the Shinra power company was helping those in need during the Midgar crisis. Of course, it was his fault in the first place, that the Meteor fell out of the sky and it was to her credit that the city had survived at all, but the old Sephiroth, as per people’s expectations, wouldn’t have lifted a finger. Instead, the opposite was happening. According to the news at least, the Power Company was helping anyone in need, in whatever way they needed most.

Of course, the chances were that was an ulterior motive behind the sudden act of kindness, but that didn’t change what was being done.

Thoughts of similar nature occupied her mind for the next fifteen minutes or so. About what was, is and will be. It was then that she heard the elevator announce someone’s arrival. She turned her head left to see him come in. He still wore the eccentric outfit he did earlier during the day.

• You look absolutely delicious in that. – he spoke

He stalked around the couch and sat on her right, crossing his legs. Meanwhile she just stood there, wondering what to say.

• Now, dear. Tell me, why do you tempt me so? – he asked as he leaned closer and grabbed her chin with two fingers, tilting her head, ever so slightly up.
• You… think I look good in this? – she asked. If she were frank to herself, she was expecting him to be displeased. After all, he hadn’t given her permission, but he had told her to find something more comfortable.
• I do. Very much. But even more so, I find it really interesting, that you chose to cover your body with something that is, in essence, an extension of mine. Is it comfortable? – he asked, leaning in even closer.
• It... is. – she could barely function with how close his face was. She knew what was happening.
• I am glad. – he spoke, after that he kissed her

It wasn’t difficult for him to take control of the kiss and leave her breathless yet again. Very soon, she would be willingly sitting on his lap, her face in his chest.

After he pulled away, he smirked at her and she swore that she saw his eyes light up, ever so slightly. A second later, she realized what he had grinned for. Whether it was because she was feeling lightheaded or because he had lifted her in his arms with such frightening ease, she didn’t know, but she didn’t feel it happen. What she did know, was that what was coming, wasn’t going to be like anything else that had come before.

• I promised you something earlier today, pet. Do you remember what it was? – he asked as he held her. He didn’t walk, just stood up from the couch with her in his arms, bridal style.
• That you would reward me? – she spoke shyly, as if she didn’t want him to hear.
• It seems you have gained some confidence, haven’t you little dove? Very well. – he said as he started walking towards the bedroom
• You know, I was planning on discussing something with you before we got to this, but the outfit you have chosen made me change my mind. – he spoke in a low tone
• I… - she attempted to say something, but nothing came out.
• Tell me, should I have a smaller yukata made out of the same material to fit you? I think that it is a rather good idea. Don’t you think so, pet? – he spoke, his voice laced with expertly controlled lust. He purposefully walked slowly in order to drag out the moment. From the second he picked her up, he discovered that he loved carrying her like this. Completely under his control.

He walked in the bedroom, the door to which Aeris hadn’t closed after changing into his kimono and laid her on the bed. After, he slowly stalked backwards, turned around and walked into the room whose door she still hadn’t opened.

For a while, she just stared at the ceiling and prepared herself for what was to come. She knew to expect something different compared to what it used to be. She didn’t know what however, which made it scary, but at the same time, she had been anticipating it for some time. It was hard for her to admit, but she had been waiting for it since he had promised to her that there would be a continuation of what happened before lunch.

After five minutes or so, she heard the door to her left close. She turned her head towards the now gone sound and saw him. He was naked from the waist up, having taken off everything except his leather pants. The image triggered vivid memories of what was. What she thought she had escaped from.

During the time in the cave, after she thought she had rid him of his powers, she had tried to convince herself that even though he looked like Eros, he wasn’t appealing to her, she didn’t love him. Despite the time she had spent with him and despite having seen a slightly softer side of him. Of course, it was only a day after his death, that she had admitted to herself the opposite. But was that because she thought that he would never come back, or was it genuine? Was it wrong or unhealthy? Well, it had been, but would it be in the future? Probably, was the answer that came to mind.

• Someone certainly is enjoying what they are seeing, isn’t that right, pet? – he asked, which made her snap out of her trance. He had leaned on the doorframe of the mysterious room.
• I… - she supposed that saying something would be good but ended up just looking down. A small blush had crept on her face. He just chuckled.
• Do not worry, dear.

He said as he stalked towards the light switch and flicked it off. As he did that, she managed to look up at him. She hadn’t exactly forgotten that he was as handsome as he was evil, but, right now, with the moonlight bouncing of his white as snow skin, it was really hard for her not to look. The state he had left her in before lunch, certainly had its effect on her. What made her heart quicken its pace, more than it already had, was what he held in his right hand. She couldn’t see it clearly because it was in shadow, but what little she could make out, made not just a hidden form of arousal, but also worry build in her heart.

• What is that? – she asked, her tone betraying the worry in her heart. Just because she was needy and he was hot, didn’t mean that she had completely forgotten who he was.
• Oh, this? – he said as he held up his right hand. – Just a little something to keep you where I want. – he smirked

It took some time for her to fully make out what he held. When she did however, she jolted up and ran for the door. Unfortunately for her, he grabbed her with his right hand, when she was close enough. In her defense, “close enough” meant a different thing when talking about Sephiroth. Because of his height, it was quite natural for him to have long limbs as well. The moment he caught her, he pulled her with ease, as if she were as light as a feather, into his embrace. Her back against his bare chest.

• And here I thought that you would behave tonight. Don’t you want your reward for enduring your punishment earlier? – he half whispered as he leaned down, so that his mouth was right next to her left ear.
• Please… - she sobbed.
• Be not afraid, dear. This will feel good. – he said as he drowned her in darkness by putting a soft fabric over her eyes.

When he did so, the last hope of escape left her heart. He had even denied her sight. Her submissive side reared its head yet again. Slowly and surprisingly gently, he guided her back to the bed. Afterwards, he helped her slip off the kimono and lay on the bed.

He pulled her hands over her head. That is when she felt something soft wrap itself around her wrists. Experimentally, she tried to move her right arm, but couldn’t. The same was true for her other arm. He had tied them to the bedpost with something that definitely felt durable but wasn’t as course as rope. Next, he spread her legs apart and then wrapped that same soft, yet sturdy, material around each of them. She couldn’t close them back.

• Now you aren’t going anywhere. There is but one piece remaining. Open your mouth.

She obeyed her master’s command and did as he asked. Then, she felt something shaped like a sphere enter her mouth. After that, he secured it firmly behind her head. At that moment, she let out a whimper he couldn’t help but chuckle at darkly.

• Now that little mouth won’t disrupt anything, but that is just the first benefit of this little thing. – he said as he put a bit of pressure on the gag with his index finger. – Did you know, dear Aeris, that when a humanoid loses one or more of its senses, the others are sharpened in an attempt to compensate?

At that she let out another whimper.

• I am going to make you scream tonight. Or the closest thing to screaming that you can do with that thing in your mouth.

He loomed over her, green and bright serpent-like eyes stared at her naked and defenses form. His left leg was extended to the floor, while the right one was folded and was on its knee in the space between her legs. He leaned over her, using his left hand to support himself. She could feel his long hair touch her body.

He ran the long index finger, present on his right hand, from the tip of the gag down to her throat. Slowly and deliberately. With her vision taken away, his finger felt like an ice-cold scalpel, slicing into her body.

When he reached her throat, he decided to linger there for a little while. He ran that same index finger, slowly as ever, over the surface of the throat. With each passing millisecond adding just enough pressure for it not to be noticeable during the moment, but enough for it to be felt over the course of a second. Finally, he stopped, with his finger sitting over the tip of her Adam’s apple.

• How… - he spoke as he pressed a little harder. Not hard enough to cause damage, but hard enough to make it harder for her to breathe.
• …does this feel, pet? Exciting? – what followed was his signature chuckle.
• Hmmm – she mumbled something that was something like a plead.
• I will take that as a yes. – he said that as he eased off the pressure.

Afterwards, he continued down her body. First to her right collar bone. His finger never moved in a straight line; it always followed a curve. After, he changed direction, going the other way with the same curving motion. A couple seconds later he reached her left nipple.

• Would you look at that? And here I thought that you were terrified, but it seems like you are quite turned on by all of this. I wonder if you’d be making more sounds if you could. – she couldn’t believe that she was reacting to, what he was saying and doing, but she was. After he finished his sentence, she attempted to moan, but you can imagine how it came out.
• Judging by that lovely, albeit muffled sound, you would. I am most tempted to take the gag out, but that will have to wait.

As he said that he removed his finger from her body. For about seven seconds, she heard nothing and felt nothing. It was as if he had disappeared into thin air. After the seven seconds were over, she felt that same cold scalpel on her left nipple. This time however, something was different. It was wet and slightly slippery.

It didn’t take long for her to realize that it was his saliva she was feeling. He asked her if it felt good, she couldn’t answer that, of course, but he still enjoyed seeing her squirm. After, he used his index finger in combination with his thumb to pinch her nipple. At that, she tried to scream, but that wasn’t allowed. After he let go, he spoke.

• I remember our conversation right before you killed me. Oh, how good it must have felt to see me weak and defenseless. I am sure that you loved it, despite telling your mind otherwise. I can see the truth Aeris, nothing and no one can hide from me. A small part of you, wanted me to beg back then. To beg for my life and for forgiveness. It must have been, at least partially infuriating that I didn’t, wasn’t it?

After he finished his monologue, he continued down her body, with that same index finger. With a snake-like motion, he headed down. Soon, his finger made its way to her folds.

• But enough with the sentimentalities. I wonder what is hiding down here. You are soaking, Aeris. This can only mean that my previous assumption that you enjoy this, was correct. Isn’t that right? – he spoke as he slowly inserted his middle digit into the flower girl.
• Let go. You know it will get easier with time. You did it once, now do it again.

He spoke as his finger found that magic spot within her. Slowly, he started moving his finger over it, in all sorts of different patterns. Each one, pulling a different muffled tone from her gaged mouth.

A realization that came to Aeris was that the blindfold was more effective than she initially thought. Yes, at first, it did its job to put her in a submissive mood, or at least that was the initial reason she believed. After he started touching her, however, it came to her that when he had said about senses, was truer than she wanted to believe. She was a lot more sensitive than usual.

Slowly, while dragging out each motion, he built her up to the edge. She felt like she would lose her mind if he edged her any further. And he did. Just as she was about to cum for the first time in quite a while, he pulled his finger out. With every fiber of her being, she wanted to scream, to beg, to do anything to make him give her the promised reward that had been so painfully close.

• You taste delightful, my dear. – he said after he sucked on the middle finger that was inside her.
• I wonder how many times I will be able to do that before you can come from just a touch.

She squirmed at his words. She knew that she could do nothing. She couldn’t see, speak or scream. She could only feel what he did to her. She could only listen to his sinful voice. That was her reality now and was unable to escape from it.

For the next two hours, which to her, felt like two centuries, he continued his torture. He had done something like that before, while they were in Midgar, but she couldn’t remember him ever dragging it out that long. Yes, he would tease and deny her, but it wouldn’t have lasted for longer than fifteen to maybe twenty-five minutes. Probably because he would get bored afterwards.

As far as she could hear however, this time around, he was actually enjoying it and his tone, as time went on, revealed that to her. She could feel that he was doing a lot more than just going through the motions. She could feel that he was doing this, not just to hurt or manipulate her.

He would tease her, caress her, give her little touches and kisses all over her body, except exactly where he knew it would send her over the edge. Only the middle finger of his right hand found itself there, moving slowly, giving her just enough to keep her where he wanted. At the same time, he would speak unspeakable things. Reminding her of the past, defining the present, and dictating the future.

The only time that she could tell that he was doing more than just going through the motions was right before she convinced him to resume his search for an alternative energy source to mako, when she decided to take that initiative. That blasted moment. Why did she have to wake up from her submissive slumber? If she hadn’t, none of the horrible events of the past two weeks would have happened.

• Mhhhmm

Another attempted scream fell on wicked ears and it was exactly what he wanted to hear after the sixth, or was it sixteenth, time he did his magic trick. He was keeping her right on the edge, scrambling her mind in the process.

• I believe you have reached your limit dear. Would you like a reward now? – he asked as he caressed her left cheek. In response, she started wiggling, as if trying to make him understand, just how much she wanted to say “yes”.
• Very well.

As he said that, he moved his mouth, from where it was near her ear, down to her folds. Then, he slowly and deliberately gave her a lick with his long and textured tongue that spanned from the very bottom edge, up to the very top.

And that, was the end for her. She couldn’t remember having cum harder in her life. That time he tricked her into thinking that he had given her aphrodisiac, might have been close, but nothing like this. Nothing could fuel her like feeling the lust that was present around him.

• Now then, let us remove this from your mouth, I want to hear your pretty little moans while I fuck you senseless.

He growled as undid the strap that held the gag in place but left the blindfold on. When he removed it, she could finally breath properly again. Something which she definitely needed after her moment of extasy.

• Now that you are satisfied, it is my turn, don’t you think? – he spoke in a “fact of the matter” tone.

After a couple of seconds later, when she didn’t respond, he spoke again.

• I removed that gag from your mouth, not only so that you can moan, but also to allow you to answer when I ask you a question. So, answer.
• Yes… – she mumbled
• Yes, what? What do you want me to do? – he spoke, as he raised an eyebrow, while still hovering over her, his lips, close to hers.
• Please Master, fuck me! – she replied to the best of her abilities, without thinking. Her mind was too far gone by that point. Thinking straight wasn’t a possibility.
• Good girl. You finally said it and I am proud of you. – he replied, afterwards, he gave her a peck on the lips and stood up from the bed.

She had no idea why his words made her feel warm on the inside. Probably because it felt like a sign that she had taken a step towards best possible life she could reach at that point. A life where, he genuinely loves her back. Not like the superficial relationship they had in Midgar. A life where, she either fools herself, or genuinely falls in love with the silver-haired devil.

Once upon a time, as insane as it sounds, he had been her first fantasy. A time where she didn’t know the name Zack. Ah… Zackary Fair. Were she not so out of her mind, that name would have probably crossed meant something.

She could hear a belt being undone. She knew what would come next. It wasn’t long before he was inside her. She could feel him fill her up on the inside. He started off slow and surprisingly gently. It wasn’t as if she needed to be ‘warmed up’, so to speak. She was plenty wet for him to do as he pleased. Unless that was what he wanted?

• You know... – he said in-between the slow thrusts
• ...I’ve come to the realization that savoring moments, taking your time with certain things... – he continued
• ...can really pay off. – he said as he continued to fuck her slowly

Loud moans from her and low grunts from him filled the room as he slowly picked up the pace. While he did, he continued to pleasure the rest of her body with his mouth. From a lick to a gentle kiss to a nibble to a bite that would leave a mark, he continued making her body, his to own. From time to time, he would move his mouth to her ear and would whisper something that made her moan, despite the fact that it was coming from his mouth.

Of course, he didn’t let the fun end in one go. Every fifteen thrusts or so, he would pull out of her, give her a hungry kiss and caress her face. However, after forty minutes of sensual pleasure, he decided that it was time to end it.

• I believe that I’ve teased you for long enough, my darling. Come for me like a good girl. – he spoke in a hoarse voice

With the permission of her Master, she finally came again. The walls of her pussy clamped down hard on his cock and he came deep inside her with a low grunt. After about a minute of panting, he slowly pulled out of her and got out of the bed.

She had no idea how much time had passed. All she did, was lay there. She couldn’t feel, think, speak, or do anything for that matter. From time to time, a random thought would cross her mind, but it would quickly fade away afterwards. It was as if she were in a dream like state, except for the fact that none of it was a dream.

Aeris heard a door open and after a couple of seconds, she could hear running water. She fully expected him to come back, untie her and either leave her there or order her to go somewhere. Hell, she wasn’t even sure if he would untie her. He could easily leave her tied up.

The running water stopped, and she tensed up in anticipation. She could hear his footsteps getting louder as he came back to the bed.

He undid the restraints around her limbs and afterwards, slowly, removed the blindfold. After having nearly spent two hours with it around her eyes, even the full moon outside, could be uncomfortable.

After her eyes adjusted to the moonlight that was coming in from the giant window on her right, she could see his face, looming over hers. The facial features and the snow-white skin, alongside his hair, were beautiful on their own, but it was his eyes that mesmerized her, yet again. It was almost like the had some sort of a subconscious effect on her.

Without saying anything, he took her in his arms again, bridal style. It was like an out-of-body experience. While he carried her, she felt like she was floating. She couldn’t really comprehend everything that was going on around her, because haze clouded her mind still. It was surreal.

Suddenly, she felt wet, then blinked a few times and looked around. They were in the bathroom, or more specifically, in the huge marble tub.

• Is it comfortable? – he asked as he lowered her in the tub
• Warm. – she said after realizing what he was asking her. She didn’t quite know how to feel about bathing with him, which, by the by, was another first for them.

It remined her of a romance novel that he had, as a one off, allowed her to read back in Midgar. In it, the main couple would often take showers together. Later on, in the novel, when they were able to afford a bigger apartment with a bathtub, they would sometimes soak in it for an hour or two. Sometimes, they would talk about their day, future plans, small talk and so on. Other times, however, they would just sit in each other’s arms and exist.

While she read the novel, she fantasized about being like that with Zack. About being free of her prison and going back the man she loved. That, however, was at the beginning. The further she got into the novel, the more often she would see Sephiroth’s face, where she expected to be Zack’s. Tiqi’s birth was the last nail in that coffin. During the last few chapters of the novel, Zack was Sephiroth, and she hated that it was that part of the book that absorbed her the most. It was as if she were Eve and was being tempted by the forbidden apple.

She didn’t know for how long she just lay there. He had gone out of the bathroom and after that, she lost track of time. Again, random disordered thoughts swam around in her head. It was almost as if she were experiencing a different reality altogether. One, where nothing really made sense. It just existed, and it was up to the individual to accept it.

That wasn’t her first experience with otherworldly dreams as such, but that felt different to the L-shaped corridor of the nightmares that haunted her while she was in the mountains. What she was experiencing now, was different. She knew that she was awake. She knew where she was, but just stared at a point, mindlessly. At the same time, she felt like she was experiencing the universe. It was both all and naught. Her thoughts, just like before, swung from simple, mundane things, to existential questions to which nobody had the answer to. But she never lingered on any singular question for more than what she felt was five seconds at most. In addition, she would feel something touch her, despite Sephiroth not being in the room. Sounds too. A bird chirping, waves crashing, a seagull mewing. In addition, there was also a breeze on her face. Alas, none of these things were around her.

All of a sudden, he appeared in the bathroom. She didn’t hear him come in. Carefully, he stepped into the tub. After, he sat in it while positioning her so that she effectively sat in his lap, her back against his chest. Then, they just lay there. The water was moderately hot, but not so that it was uncomfortable. In fact, she enjoyed the warmer-then-usual-for-her water, more than she expected. It was relaxing and the mint smell that her nose registered, no doubt helped the water along. She would be a liar if she said that she didn’t enjoy what was happening.

While she was with Sephiroth in Midgar, after every time he would use her, he would leave her and go to sleep in his room. The aftermath of everything that had happened during a given night, she was left alone to deal with. She assumed, at the time, that it all made sense and was accepting it, without much additional thought. After all, she was little more than his prisoner.

As time had gone on, however, she was starting to secretly wish that, just for one night, he would stay. After saving her from AVALANCHE, that wish, only amplified.

After snapping out of her thoughts, she looked at her body, and saw that he had applied shower gel to her skin and now, using handfuls of water, he was slowly washing it off.

• Why didn’t you do this earlier? Why didn’t you stay with me after you used me?
• I couldn’t.
• Why? – at that question, he let out a sigh

He explained as he continued to wash her body of the substance.

• I told you about the hivemind of clones, correct? – he asked
• You and two clones of yourself, all shared a continence that Jenova had a heavy influence on, right? You could manipulate it from time to time, right? – Aeris replied lazily
• One of the times I could do that, was after one of the clones, experiences a strong emotion.
• So, you had to be alone? – she asked
• Yes.
• Meaning if you could, you would have stayed?
• Most likely.
• And I am to believe that?
• I know you cannot. I also know that I cannot convince you of the opposite, but do not worry. The future will do that. Now, let us get out of here. We can continue this, before we fall asleep.
• So, we will sleep together? – she asked, surprised. She didn’t believe that he would actually want to do that
• Yes, we will.

He said as he helped her get up and washed her thoroughly. Afterwards, he wrapped a towel around her hair and lead her to the bed.

• I will be back in a bit. – he said as he walked back in the bedroom

Chapter Text

In about thirty minutes or so, he had come back out of the bathroom and gotten them both ready for bed. That included telling her to wash her teeth, as he had. While she did, he dressed himself up in his usual sleeping attire, which was the kimono Aeris had stumbled upon earlier, and gotten out an identical one for her. He made a mental note to get her a yukata in a similar style, that fitted her. After doing so, he got in bed, positioned himself on the side that was closer to the window and propped his head on his left hand, lying on his left side, while he waited for her to come out, knowing it wasn’t going to take more than two to three minutes.

Meanwhile, Aeris was brushing her teeth as instructed. Even though it was more of a suggestion, rather than an order from him, she still did it, as it was something that she was used to doing, before going to bed. It may seem simple, and even a bit silly, but doing it every night, enforced a belief in the mind, that everything was alright and that everyone around her was safe. It went as far as to symbolize order and stability, because it meant that another day had passed and that another one, just like it, would come. It truly was something that she had missed while in the mountains.

The same was also true, for taking a bath before bed. And even though, this time around, it was Sephiroth who had bathed her, rather than her taking a bath by herself, it still had the same calming effect, that it usually did. Maybe even more so but was it because Sephiroth had finally given her, at least a piece, of something that she had wanted from him, attention, or was it because she could finally breathe after the heated session, not more than twenty minutes ago? Either way, she realized that he was bringing back a sense of predictability and stability to her life. Two things which she very much missed. Were they worth the price that she would have to pay? Well, that depended on whether or not, Tiqi was truly alive and happy as he had promised. He didn’t have to tell her the truth, but she really hoped that he hadn’t been lying earlier when he said so.

After flossing, she turned off the tap, dried her hands using the incredibly soft towels that were in the bathroom and came out. When she turned right and saw something that she knew, she would have to get used to. It was both beautiful and deadly. And it wasn’t just the prospect of having to sleep with said creature, that filled her heart with contradicting emotions.

Pure evil is easy to avoid. You can see it coming from a mile away. And she had surrendered to it, for about two years, before finally managing to escape. It had taken some time, and what she considered a mistake on his part, for it to happen, but she had finally managed to break free.

What is truly scary, is when you can’t see evil. Or, more explicitly, when evil is under the control of a human being. Then it gains some incredibly powerful abilities. Abilities such as the one to disguise itself. You cannot hide from what you can’t see. It also gains the ability to revive itself, if you will, after being defeated. Evil, in and of itself, cannot be forgiven, but humans who carry it, can, and regularly are.

• Are you just going to stand there? – he murmured, his eyes still slightly dim
• I... no, I am coming... – she trailed off and moved to the bed.
• Put this on. I will order a smaller yukata to be sown for you tomorrow. – he said as he glanced at the kimono on the bed
• Ok.

She did as she was told. She turned around as to avoid his gaze, but nevertheless, felt it on her back, like a spot that had been shined on by the sun. She removed the towel that he had wrapped around her body, having already left the one that was around her head in the bathroom, and put on the yukata.  Then, she turned around and looked at him, as if expecting a command.

• Join me. – he spoke as he extended his right arm.

When she started walking towards the bed, he used that arm to unroll the duvet for her. Then, she sat on the bed and lay on her back, next to him. He reached out again, and gently moved his arm, just below her jaw, but not down enough for it to be over her neck, and turned her head right, so that instead of looking at the ceiling, she was looking at him.

• There is nothing interesting up there darling. Look at me.

And she did. For a couple seconds, she marveled at the insanity of the situation, which included the fact that she was even there, alongside him. She marveled, until he spoke.

• Why did you ask me if I would have stayed with you? – he asked

That was a bit unexpected for her. What she expected, was another speech from him. There was no doubt in her mind, that there was one coming, but she had never really thought about what she would say, if she were asked a question like that. After all, from her perspective, she was the same as always, but he... well, he had become more interesting, to say the least. Before she answered, she turned her entire body towards him, not just her face.

• Ever since I killed you, I’ve been having doubts about whether or not I actually hated you. There was a period, where you had taken my mind. After I was kidnapped by AVALANCHE, and you rescued me, I felt myself awake. I felt that when you gave me the Minerva band, it was my opportunity to escape. I just had to convince you, to go looking for the ancient power source, so that I could use it against you. From then on, until I took care of you, in the cave, the only thing on my mind was how to escape from your grasp. There was nothing I wanted more in the world, aside from Tiqi’s safety. But in the days after I killed you, the days where I expected to finally find peace, I found everything but. I realized that, maybe being with you, wasn’t as bad as it got. Maybe, despite the insane relationship we had, maybe, just maybe it was all for the better. Then, you came back from the dead, and told me that everything was part of a plan. While I was in the hospital, I realized that fighting you is a worthless endeavor. If even killing you, couldn’t separate us, then nothing can.
• And...? – he asked. I had a feeling that he already knew what I was getting at, he could read me like a book after all, but he asked, nonetheless.
• I am constantly asking myself; how could I do that? I feel some sort of love for you, but I can’t fully accept it, just feel it. Under the surface, in my heart. But my head is telling me otherwise. I asked you earlier if you would have stayed, so that I could give my head, one more reason, to forget the past.
• I see. – he replied plainly. There was a serious look on his face, as if he were thinking through countless scenarios, trying to figure out, which one, will serve his purpose best.
• Remember, nothing ever worth fighting for was ever won without sacrifice. One day you will understand. Everything that I do, I do for our shining future. All the sins of this world, even the ones that I commit for that goal, will be made right. This I promise you, Aeris.

She remembered when he said that last, back in Midgar. But it felt different when he said it this time. She didn’t know if it was because of the change in circumstances, or was it because of something else, but unlike last time she didn’t shiver. It still sounded like something someone mad might say, but it was perhaps the delivery that made it less scary. Or was it the fact that she knew it wasn’t just a promise anymore? Last time, he hadn’t really done anything that would have world affecting consequences, but this time, she knew something big was up. She didn’t know what, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know, but she knew that she was a part of it, in one way or another.

• Come here. – he said as he snaked his left arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. Her face, against his chest. Even while they lay down, the top of her head, aligned with where his neck was. She hid her face there and closed her eyes.

A feeling, not unlike confusion, filled her. For the first few moments he held her, without saying anything, time stopped. Despite all the reasons she had given herself, she still didn’t completely understand, why she was allowing all of this to happen. Yes, it was true that there wasn’t much she could do, but she could do something, anything, but she didn’t.

During the first couple seconds, her muscles tensed up, as if preparing for him to break her spine, but after that, she somehow managed to relax. She felt, each and every part of her body, from her neck to her arms to her chest to her legs, all the way down to the tips of her toes, relax. She could hear his heartbeat, slowly and monotonously, beat below his chest, but something was off. She moved her left arm and used her palm find exactly where his heart was. She slowly tilted her head, to look up at him, when she found it, on the right side of his chest.

• It’s here... – she slowly said and used her arm to apply little pressure to the area.
• It is. – he replied as he tilted his head down, to look her in the eyes
• Why? – she asked. She had never heard of someone whose heart was on the right, Cetra or not.
• Situs Inversus. It means that my internal organs are mirrored, compared to the ones of a normal humanoid. The clones weren’t like that. – he replied as he slowly lifted his right arm and started running to through her hair.
• Were you... born like this? – she asked as she tilted her head back down, to look at her hand over his heart.
• Usually, one suffering from it, would be born like that, but I wasn’t. After taking care of Hojo, I looked through everything he had on me. The earliest X-Ray scans of my body were from when I was two. I was “normal”, so to speak. The scans from then onwards, tell a tale of how my internals, slowly moved from their intended positions to how they are now.
• And you are still alive? – she asked
• As you can see, I am. Only me. I, Aeris, am the only known humanoid that has been able to live with this condition. The ones who are born like that, usually die within two years of their birth.
• Does it hurt? – she asked
• Not anymore.
• You need to tell me about how you grew up. I can guess that you didn’t have a happy childhood, but if we are to live together, and love one another, you must tell me. – she replied as she looked back up
• I know. But it doesn’t make for a good bedtime story, trust me on that.
• Then tell me something else. – she said, as she moved the hand that was on his chest, up to his cheek and left it there
• How do I accept loving you? – she asked, her eyes, looking up at him, resembled those of a child, asking how the universe worked
• “Amor fati”. Do you know what it means? – he asked
• I have heard of it, but that is pretty much it. – she replied, as she repositioned his head, over the biceps of his left arm, which was effectively her pillow
• It is a phrase that comes from the ancient Cetra. It can be roughly translated into modern tongue as “love of fate”. Personally, I see it as a formula for greatness and it is what I have used, to push me forward, during my darkest hours. Want nothing to be different. Idealism is a lie in the face of what is necessary.
• So, you have suffered, and see it as something good? – she asked, trying to follow his train of thought
• I wouldn’t call it “good”, but at the very least, necessary. – he replied in a confident tone
• Necessary for what? You, ruling over the world? – she asked
• Necessary for me saving the planet from itself. But also... yes. – he said with a smirk on his face

He then turned on his back and used his hand to sit up in bed. She did the same as she looked at him with a confused face. He turned his torso right and pulled a notepad and a pencil from the drawer underneath his nightstand.

• Here. – he said as he handed her both items
• What do you want me to do? – she asked as he picked them up
• Draw me a clock. – he said simply
• I... – she didn’t know what the point of that was, but she did so regardless

• Thank you. – he said as she handed him back the drawing and the pencil

• I understand what you said earlier, but I... I don’t know. – as they lay back down and she let her chin rest on his chest.
• Don’t worry about it now. – he said as he started “petting” her head.
• Sleep, tomorrow, we have somewhere to be. – after that, he closed his eyes

She looked at his face for a couple of seconds. Never seen had she seen it in such a relaxed and peaceful state.  It used to be so stoic, so robotic. And now, he looked so unlike him, so angelic. It was the first time, that she had seen with her own eyes, that hidden beauty. She turned her head on its side and looked out the window. There was a full moon outside. Quickly, she saw the parallels between him and the object that orbited the planet. That alien beauty mixed with something mysterious and frightening.

Her eyelids were starting to get heavy, but just before she completely gave way to sleep, she heard him say something. It was as quiet as a whisper, but she heard it.

• The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?

A of couple moments later, he felt her relax completely. Finally, it was over. He was her only beacon of light in the storm that clouded her mind. Now, he only had to gently guide her towards the rocks.

***

Sun rays hit her retinas as soon as she opened her eyelids. She opened her eyes and saw that she was alone on the bed. She sat up, rubbed her eyes and looked around the spacious room for him but didn’t see him.

After getting up from the bed and stretching, she made her way to the living room. There, on the coffee table, she found a tray on which was a plate of scrambled eggs, a glass of orange juice to the side and a note.

On it, with somewhat messy handwriting, was written:

“I have things to attend to. Eat. Afterwards, dress up in something comfortable for travel (the room with the mirror is a walk-in closet). I will be back by 10.” - S

She looked at a clock that was on the wall and saw that it was now 9:00. She had an hour. Next to the tray of food, there was a newspaper. While she ate, she skimmed through it. Most of it, was about the current state that Midgar was in. One article that caught her attention was about how the shockwave that threw the city into darkness, wasn’t caused by a meteor, but something man-made. She made a note to ask Sephiroth about it.

After she finished eating, she made her way back to the bedroom and turned right, to what allegedly was the closet. Looking back the day before today, she wondered why she had been so paranoid of the room. Upon opening the door, that doubled as a mirror, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Of course, the closet was as big as the average living room in Midgar, but, fortunately, there were no skeletons.

She looked through the various clothes present. Spoilt for choice, she was. Different colors, shapes, and fabrics. Finally, she picked out an outfit for herself. It was nothing out of the ordinary. While she had been going through the clothes in the closet, she also found a bunch of clothes that obviously belonged to him, judging by their sheer size. And they were all like the outfit she had already seen him in.

Now, that wasn’t definitive proof for her, but clothes reflect personality. They are a, albeit rough, indication of personality and character. By the time she was fully dressed, she was wondering, what else could he be hiding? What else was behind the curtain.

She came out of the closet and was going to go to the living room, but instead, she decided to check out what was under the TV. She had noticed that there was everything from books to music and other thigs, but she never actually saw what was there.

She knelt down and started looking. What she found, didn’t necessarily surprise her, considering what they talked about the night before, but it was still interesting that even he needed something to unwind with. Although, looking at the titles, they weren’t what you would call, “relaxing” books.

• “1984”, “Animal Farm”, “A Clockwork Orange” and “Moby Dick”... interesting.

She muttered to herself. They were definitely interesting reads. She had read Moby Dick and heard of the other ones. She then looked under the main shelf to see what was underneath it. There, was another series of books.

• “At the Mountains of Madness”, “The Whisperer in Darkness”, “The Shadow over Innsmouth” and, of course he has “Necronomicon”. – she said as she rolled her eyes
• Will you repeat that? – someone spoke in a low tone.

Aeris’ eyes widened and she slowly turned her head left towards the sound of the voice. She saw exactly who she expected.

He was dressed in black and gray from head to toe. Over his upper body, he wore a shirt with baggy sleeves and cuffs made of something more elastic. Around his chest, over the shirt, was what looked like a ruffled old-fashioned scarf, but in truth, it was part of the shirt itself. It spread from his broad shoulders, all the way down to the top of his stomach. Among the dark color scheme, a blue-ish crystal, that was just below his neck and was “cradled” by the scarf, stood out. Further down, he wore black trousers made of wool, held up by a black leather belt. Even further down, he wore the same tall boots that he had the day prior.

• Sephiroth... I was just...- she tried to say something in her defense. She wasn’t sure if he was pleased or not. The smirk that was present on his face, could have meant many things regarding what would happen to her next
• Has something caught your eye? – he asked as he strode closer and crouched next to her.
• No... I was just looking. – she replied sheepishly. Thank Gaia, he wasn’t angry.
• Soon, you will see my full library. This here is but an excerpt. – he spoke as he stood up
• Are we going back to Midgar? – she asked, as she stood up after him, and looked ever further up, to meet his eyes
• Further north than that. I will tell you more on the plane, but it will take some time to get there, so I suggest that you grab one of the books you were just looking at. I have read them all. – he spoke as Aeris, as per recommendation, crouched down again and looked them over again. She saw that there was media, other than books, but if she were frank, that was what interested her the most.
• Ok, this one. – she spoke as she pulled one of the books, from its place on the shelf
• “The Whisperer in Darkness”, very well. And, now that you have brought it up, it has been a while since I’ve had some time to read myself, so I will pick a book as well. In fact, I know exactly which one. – he said as he leaned down and pulled out another book. At that, Aeris let out a small laugh.
• What? – he asked with a raised eyebrow.
• I just expected you to take the “Necronomicon”. – she replied. At that, Sephiroth let out a low chuckle.
• The one present here, my pet, is a fake. Not to mention, that I know everything written in the real one by heart. It wouldn’t make for a very interesting read. – he said as he turned around
• This one on the other hand, “At the Mountains of Madness”, is my favorite one. I’ve read it twice. Such a shame that I haven’t had the time for a third read, until now.
• Fitting. – she said as she followed him
• I know.

He spoke as he put on his overcoat, which he had left on the couch in the living room. It was quite the big piece of clothing. It spanned all the way down, to just a couple of centimeters above his ankle. From the front, however, it stopped just above his waist. Not that it mattered much, since he wore it open anyway. After that, he led her towards the plane.

***

After making their way thought countless corridors and elevators, they finally reached something akin to an airstrip. I say “akin” because only planes that supported vertical takeoff could use it. Quite normal, considering the mountainous landscape that surrounded the ex-mako reactor.

• I thought that we would travel via the airship. – Aeris said, while she remembered back to when they had flown to the Icicle inn from Midgar
• This is a lot faster, not to mention that there is no way the airship could land here. – he spoke as they approached the plane

It was a lot smaller than the airship was, but, knowing Sephiroth, she seriously doubted that it would be uncomfortable.

What got her attention, was its shape. It wasn’t like any plane, be it private or commercial, that she had ever seen. If anything, it looked more like an upscaled jet fighter. On what was known as the “tail wing”, it said “Concorde”.

• Concorde? – she read out loud, as they approached the machine
• She is beautiful, isn’t she. The only one of her kind. A passenger jet, that can fly at supersonic speeds. - he said as they got to the ladder

Then, the plane’s door opened, and a familiar face appeared.

• Welcome on board, my Lord. And, oh Lady Aeris, I am so relieved to see you alive and well. – Sara exclaimed as she clasped her hands in front of her
• Are we ready for takeoff? – Sephiroth asked in a smooth tone
• Yes, my Lord. Whenever you give the word. - She spoke as she looked up at him. Aeris could really relate with her at that moment. Under his gaze, wasn’t an easy place to be.
• Very well, let us make haste. – he spoke as he entered the plane, with Aeris following suit. When she passed by Sara, they gave each other a sheepish nod, as if say to each other “I know”

One thing that was somewhat amusing to Aeris, was that she finally saw a disadvantage to Sephiroth’s perfect height and posture. It was kind of silly, to see him having to almost crouch, in order to fit through the door. And even while he was inside the plane, he couldn’t stand up straight, like he usually could.

They sat down on their seats, which faced each other and were next to one of the windows, with a small table in between them. It may have been faster, but the airship was certainly more spacious. Not that she was complaining. Compared to a normal plane, it was still like she was on cloud nine. There was still some space to walk around, but she suspected that he won’t take advantage of that. There was also a couch and TV behind her and a small bar to her left (his right).

• Sit down and put on your seat belt. After we take off, you can move around freely. – he spoke as he himself sat down. At that, she only nodded.
• Was this custom made for you? – she asked, as she got comfortable
• I resurrected it, actually. The first one of these, had its first flight fifty-two years ago. In total twenty were made, but because of economic reasons, eventually they were all left to rust. Four years ago, I was notified that the blueprints for it had been found in an archive and I approved a modernized version to be built. To be honest, I do not plan on making it available to airlines. It would simply be struck by the same fate it once was. – he explained as he leaned back in his chair
• How much faster is it, compared to the airship? – she asked
• Roughly three times. It is supersonic, after all. – he spoke
• Why do you know so much about this? – Aeris asked, genuinely curious. He wouldn’t have responded to such questions before the cave
• A general must know what equipment he has at his disposal and what its capabilities are, at all times.
• My lord, my lady. The flight will take approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes. – Sara came out of the front of the plane and bowed to each of them.
• Would you like something?
• Just coffee. Thank you, Sara. – Aeris replied first
• Milk and sugar? – Sara asked
• Both.
• And for you my Lord? – Sara asked as she glanced towards Sephiroth
• You know how I take my coffee Sara. – he simply spoke as he pulled out his book and placed it on the small table
• Double espresso, black. Ok. Shall I bring you the documents for the “Undercity project”? – she asked, just as she was about to turn around
• Have them ready on my desk, once we reach base Hoth – he spoke, as he dismissed her with a gesture
• I will be back shortly. – she replied and ran off to get their drinks in order
• Base Hoth? – she said in an asking tone
• A facility located in the Northern Crater. You will see when we get there. – he said

And at that, he picked up his book from the table, and slowly began reading.

Chapter Text

His head was dizzy, and he didn’t know where he was. One second and she was with him, another and she was gone. She really didn’t look good, in fact, she looked like she had been through hell, but how did he meet her. He had taken her and then...

The events of the last couple of months, started coming back to him, but not in full. Leaving Midgar, meeting the Loyalists, doing work for them, being sent to Nibelheim meeting Aeris the attack on the town and then... darkness.

He couldn’t open his eyes. There was something cold against this back as well as against his wrists and ankles. He felt cold and... weirdly exposed, as if he were naked.

He tried to open his eyes but couldn’t. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t control any of his muscles. The only two, that were active, as far as he could tell were the ones that were essential to his survival, such as his heart.

He tried to relax and focus on his surroundings. He didn’t know if he had been captured by the Loyalists, or a third party. His memories just cut out, like a film strip that someone had just decided to trim. One second there, gone the next.

So, he did what he had been taught in SOLDIER. Focus on the environment and listen. And that is what he did. SOLDERs have much better hearing, compared to normal people, and he hoped, that it would allow him to learn something about the situation he had found himself in. He listened, and listened, and listened... alas he heard nothing.

Time passed; he wasn’t sure how much, just that he had lost consciousness for a bit. He tried to focus again, and this time, he heard something. Two voices, both familiar. One of them was older, the other one, less so.

• What happened, wasn’t a part of the deal. – the younger one said, in a calm and collected tone
• Still, he didn’t have to do what he did! – the other one replied, in a desperate tone
• Can I see him? – he first one replied back
• Yes, he is just past this door.

He then heard a metal door open and the sound of two sets of footsteps.

• Here he is. – the older voice said
• Will he fit the mission requirements? – the younger voice asked
• Well, as you can see sir, he is quite... fit. – the older voice replied with a chuckle
• I am not asking if he can do the mission, rather I am asking if you can still control him and make him do exactly what is required and only that. – the younger man replied with some mild annoyance in his voice
• We can sir. Please, tell your employer that all will go according to plan. – the older voice said in a sheepish tone.
• It better. We cannot allow more mistakes. You and your whole group are on thin ice. Be very careful Grigori. Did you figure out what happened last time? – the younger voice said collected tone
• Yes sir. Apparently, the serum didn’t erase the girl from his memory. – the cult leader replied
• And the new one will? – the younger tone asked
• Yes sir. At least, from the memory that is important. – Grigori replied
• It better. Proceed as instructed. Do not deviate this time. – the mysterious voice said and they both walked out

Zack knew that one of the voices belonged to the cult leader, Grigori, but he still couldn’t place the other one, despite him sounding familiar. He tried to move again, but his muscles were unresponsive. He tried to focus on them, to do something, but ultimately couldn’t.

Not long after, he heard the door open again. A group entered the room.

• Power on. – the voice he recognized as Grigori said

And then, he opened his eyes, but couldn’t do anything else. He couldn’t even move his own eyes in his eye sockets. Few things were scary to the former SOLDER, but this... this was one of those few things.

• Zackary Fair. I know you can hear me. I must say... that I am disappointed that it had to come to this. You know, we do not use the second soul technology on everyone, but you proved to us that you do, in fact, deserve a second soul. One that we control. Now, I know that you cannot say anything back, but I must apologize. I was told that you are a resilient one and I should have prepared a stronger serum for you, but I didn’t. It must be a horrifying feeling, even for a SOLDIER, to be trapped in his own body, but here we are.

A second soul? What was going on? He had a feeling at the back of this mind when he was first introduced to the Loyalists, that something seemed off about them, but that feeling went away after he... drank... the... serum. Damm them.

He looked around, as much as he could. He was in a room, seemingly made of metal, while the wall behind the cultists, who were his current “audience”, was made of glass. Behind the glass, he could see a giant beam of yellow... something. He didn’t know what it was, but it illuminated the entire room. Even though, he could see only a portion of it, it must have been at least as tall as the Shinra HQ in Midgar and as wide as the HQ’s upper diameter. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

He was attached to an operating table, that hung from the ceiling. Subsequently, he hung as well, held in place by something metal around his wrists, ankles, which he had already felt, but also some other metal contraption, that wrapped like a harness, around this chest.

• Unlock memories. – Grigori spoke

And he remembered everything. In detail. Aeris...

• I failed to protect her. – he spoke in his mind, since he could move even his mouth

The feeling he felt, it was as if his heart were being ripped away from his carcass, and he could do nothing about it. He wanted to cry. He wanted, with every fiber of his being, to cry. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t even blink. It was a form of torture, he didn’t even know was possible for a human to come up with. Much less do, to another one.

• Lock memories. – Grigori spoke

And just like that, only vague fragments of memories were left in his brain, but the sadness and empty feeling remained. He still wanted to cry, the heavy weight on his heart was still there, he just didn’t know why, which made it even worse. He was like a bottle of soda, that had been shaken and wanted to explode, but couldn’t.

• He is ready. Bring him down. – Grigori spoke

The machine which held him in place, moved from its position rotated him, so that he now lay on top of it. Afterwards, it moved down, so that the cultists could reach him. Then, the restraints made of iron, released him. It didn’t matter, of course. He still had zero control over his body.

• Begin the procedure. The crystal needs to be inserted, before the serum’s effect wears out. – he spoke
• The insect is ready. – said one of the cultists

He lifted a container he had been carrying, grabbed the top handle and rotated it 90 degrees counterclockwise. Then, he pulled back. Inside was a small, jar-like container, full of an orangey viscous substance. On one of the ends of the smaller container, was something akin to a funnel, but it was smaller and made of rubber.

• Here, Father. – the cultist holding the container said as he gave it to Grigori
• Better save your energy Zackary. After this, this will be your permanent state. You will feel and hear all but have control over naught.

He was afraid of what would happen, afraid of what he would do. Afraid that he would have to experience never before conceived guilt. All without knowing why.

It snapped him out of his trance. He felt something made of a material akin to rubber, enter his nose. And then, pain. It was almost as if he were swimming in the sea and had sucked in some water through his nose by accident. But that awful feeling, as the water goes through the nose canal, never went away. It was stuck there, and it definitely wasn’t water. It was sticky, it smelled awful, but worst of all, it stopped his breathing. Normally, when one can’t breathe through their nose, they would do so using their mouth, but he couldn’t open it. Even under such circumstances, he couldn’t.

Then, he felt something move. He first thought that he had imagined it, but then, it moved again. It was like a slug was stuck inside his nose, and it was slowly making its way up. It hurt and he really wanted to sneeze, but he couldn’t. It wasn’t allowed.

• It probably feels uncomfortable. I am sorry, but it really is the only way. – Grigori said as he smiled

He wanted to squirm. He could almost feel his brain telling his muscles to start shaking, but they didn’t. The pain was slowly getting worse, before it got a lot worse, as he felt it start to eat through the barrier that sat between his nose and brain. He had been captured before. Been tortured before. He had been shot at, cut, hit, but nothing even approached the pain he felt. He wanted to die. He really did. He had his ups and downs throughout life, and only once before had he considered the idea, of death as an option. Apparently, there was a second time, for everything. Finally, it broke through. But the pain didn’t end. He felt it... slide itself over his brain. The feeling was quite literally indescribable and the pain...

And then, all of a sudden, it all stopped. The pain, the discomfort, everything, was gone and he felt relaxed.

• Package him. – Grigori said

The cultists gathered around the table and lifted him up. He felt their hands on his body and then felt himself being lifted up. They moved him no more than six meters and slowly let him down into some sort of casket made of stone. A minute later, he saw the upper part of the coffin being slid over the base. Finally, it was closed. Inside, it was completely dark. He still couldn’t move anything. The only thing he could do, was stare at the symbol that was on the underside of the casket cover, that glowed in a hue, that was a mix of blue and green and resembled an inverted star.

***

• You look quite absorbed in reverie, pet. Do you like it? – Sephiroth spoke

They had been flying for about an hour, and despite what he had told himself earlier, about him enjoying his book, he couldn’t stop thinking about all the work he had. There was a lot to do, and not enough time. At the end, he gave in, and had Sara to bring him the documents for the “Undercity project”.

• You look quite absorbed yourself. – Aeris replied back, as she looked at him, over her book
• Well, I have work to do. – he said as he glanced back down toward the papers on the table.
• As always. You know, I really don’t understand you. You are evil and seek to rule the world, and yet, you are one of the hardest working people I’ve seen. Evil dictators aren’t usually like that. Back in Midgar, you would either be at work, or fucking me. And as much as we did of the latter, most of the time, I was alone. When we traveled for Icicle inn, you spent most of your time buried in documents. The same was true for when we were there. What are you even working on? – she asked
• Right now? – he asked, without stopping what he was doing
• Yes. – she replied as she put the book down. He seemed to be willing to talk, she shouldn’t lose the opportunity,
• Well, I am reviewing blueprints, proposals, agreements, contracts, everything concerting “the undercity project”. – he said
• What is that about? You want to drop another plate? – she said in a somewhat bitter tone. It only took a quick glance from him for her to apologize
• No, I am not dropping another plate. The undercity project is an effort lead by the Shinra Electric Power Company, whose name will soon change, to bring up the living standards of those who live under the plates. Basic things such as being a part of the actual city. Did you know that, technically, everyone living underneath the plate, isn’t a Midgarian citizen? – he spoke, looking at her for a bit, until she replied
• I do. – she said. She did remember the time she used to live there and how hard it had been for her and Zack to move above plate.
• Well, soon they will be. It should liven things up down there. – he spoke calmy as the signed, yet another document.
• I thought that you wanted complete dominance over the world? – she asked confused.
• I do. – he replied briefly
• So, why do this? – she asked
• And how do you suppose I will gain said dominance, given my and the company’s public perception? – he asked her as he looked at her, and left the document he had been holding, on the table, alongside his pen
• By force? – she tried to guess
• When it comes to Wutai and some other areas outside Midgar, sure. But, for how long do you suppose I will rule for, if my own nation despises me. It is simply counterproductive. A good leader knows when to attack, and when to manipulate. – he said as he resumed his work
• I... see – she said, slightly embarrassed. That answer made a lot more sense, than she was expecting it to. Of course, he would want to make himself look like the good guy. But...
• But you are not powerless. You aren’t starting from zero. You are the head of the biggest company on Gaia. You already rule Midgar, and a lot more than that. Not to mention your wealth. – she added to her earlier statement
• So, what? – he replied in a bored tone
• That is your answer? You are the most powerful man on this planet. You can do what you want. – she spoke, not wanting to believe that he had nothing. It simply wasn’t true.
• Do you really think that those in power, are actually in power, Aeris? If so, you are a lot naiver that I initially thought. – he said, in that ever-bored tone of his
• Well, then who is? – she spoke in a slightly annoyed tone. She just wanted an answer, not an elaborate riddle to solve
• Everyone and no-one. It is a stupid game, democracy. And it is no different in the corporate world. A lot of people in suits, all working towards progress and yet, for all the words they say, nothing actually changes, or it takes so long for it to, that the change becomes irrelevant. Despite me being the president, I can’t just order something done. I spend seventy percent of my time, talking to people. Convincing them to take my side, and trying to spin the deal, such that it benefits them. So much time wasted in talking, that could instead be used for action. – he spoke as he continued to work
• But ultimately, someone of your stature, can make a difference, right? You can help people if you put your mind to it. – she said in a defiant tone
• Yes, sure. Let us do that. And in the blink of an eye, my time will have come and gone, and I will have passed a couple of bills in the government and gotten the company to help a random village somewhere on Gaia. I will have made as much of a difference to the world, as a cat walking down a street. Tell me, pet, if it takes five years, to approve a building to be built, how long do you think it will take to rid the world of mako energy and actually save the planet? – he spoke as he looked at her again
• I... – she tried to come up with something, but ultimately came up short
• You can’t tell me. Of course, you can’t, and the reason is, because everyone in their right mind knows that it is simply impossible, with the way the table is set. – he spoke, before she could say something
• So, you plan to turn the table around. – she declared
• And for that, I need the people of Midgar with me. After I have established a firm rule over Midgar, which won’t take long, I will move on to the rest of Gaia. – he said, as he continued working
• And after? How will you solve the mako problem, since that is what you seem so obsessed over? – she asked again
• You will see when we land. – he said in a smug tone
• I truly cannot comprehend you. – she declared, as she resumed to read from her book
• Be warned in time, Aeris, and remain, as I do, incomprehensible: to be great is to be misunderstood – he said simply as he put an end to the conversation

***

After another hour of flying, Sara arrived again.

• My Lord, my Lady, we are on approach. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing. – she said, before disappearing again

A minute later, and they were both ready for landing.

• You should probably look out the window. – Sephiroth suggested

At that, she turned her head right. For a minute, there were only clouds, and even though they painted a mesmerizing cloudscape, nothing could prepare her for what was below.

She had read of the Northern crater because she saw it as the only thing she could do, as a cetra. She had been told of her duties by her mother, but, according to her anyway, she simply wasn’t up to the task of being the planet’s protector. So, she decided to live a simple life, at least until the creature that sat in front of her, decided to rope her into his grasp.

However, that simple life that she desired, didn’t mean that she had completely ignored what she was supposed to be and do. She figured, that learning about the planet and her own race, was the least she could do. Whenever she had some time to spare, which wasn’t often, there would be an encyclopedia, a book, or some other resource in her hands, and she would learn about her origins.

Amongst these writings, were plenty of descriptions of the Northern crater, as it was called. It was composed of two “rings” of sorts. An outer and inner one. The latter one, had the radius of one of Midgar’s sectors, while the former one, was as wide as Midgar itself. The outer one, which resembled a mountain, more than a mere ring made of stone, was the one that was visible on the pictures she had found on the Arpanet. The inner ring, on the other hand, was something that few people believed in. I say “believed” because there was no actual proof of its existence. It was a bit of a legend that lived on obscure BBS boards.

When the plane broke through the thick layer of clouds, she gasped. The crater was there, but not just that. It was massive. A colossal structure made of metal, that was like a spider, over the crater.

It was primarily held up by eight towers, each of which, was positioned onto a different part of the outer ring. They didn’t seem very tall, but she assumed that a good amount of their height, was buried in the ring itself since there was no other way for them to serve their purpose otherwise. Bridge like structures, connected every tower, to its two neighbors. In addition to that, there was a third bridge, from each tower to a central structure.

That structure resembled a giant pyramid of sorts, with a cut off top. A colossal made of a metal-like material. It hung over the entirety of the inner crater ring, supported by the aforementioned towers, alongside additional supports, that were directly attached to the bottom of the pyramid.

Still, it was an engineering marvel that it was able to stay still in the air like that. In many ways, it was much more impressive then the Midgar plate. Mainly, because its weight was much more concentrated, unlike the plate. In addition, there were much less support pillars and they were further away. The smaller supports that were directly underneath the pyramid, did help, but were mainly designed for absorbing vibrations generated by wind currents, which was a big problem, when you consider that the pyramid was at a higher altitude, than the Midgar plate.

Finally, the main reason why the plate had been so stable for so many years, was because the bulk of its weight was on the Shinra HQ, at the very center. It acted like a ginormous support pilar. There was no such thing here.

The only thing she could do was stare at it with wide eyes. Midgar had taken two decades to build and Sephiroth had been in power for at most six, so how? Sephiroth just enjoyed her reaction, a small curve on his lips.

• Do you see this Aeris? This is a testament to what happens when you put efficiency before bureaucracy.

For the duration of the landing, she kept looking out of the window. She imagined that they would land somewhere on the pyramid, but instead, the plane landed on top of one of the towers. That was when the scale of the whole thing, really sunk in for her.

When the plane had finally landed, Aeris said goodbye to Sarah, and they got out of the plane. Outside, they met Tsang who led then through the tower. While walking, him and Sephiroth talked about something that was related to this whole thing. She, meanwhile, stayed silent. There really wasn’t anything for her to say.

When they were on the inside of the tower, she got a taste of what the inside of the pyramid would be like. All sorts of machinery that served different purposes. It was like she was in a research lab, but it wasn’t like the medical facility she had been in. It felt industrial. The metal, the fact that it was fairly cold, the various mechanical devices, the fact that she didn’t see another soul. There were also these glass-like tubes in the walls, in which she could see some sort of red energy running through. She felt like she was inside a giant metal body and was looking at its veins.

Finally, they reached the train. It was less of a full-fledged train with a locomotive and so on and more like a single card with a fully glass cabin, that could glide along the bridge. After they got on it and were sat down, she asked.

• I can’t believe where we are. – she said, still looking at everything as if she were a newborn
• You still haven’t seen the Terrordome. – he said as he leaned back into his chair

On the inside, it was luxurious as expected. The cart they were in, seemed like it was for made for VIPs. There was only a table in the center, with two beige leather chairs on each end.

• What is the pyramid-like structure for? – she asked as she turned to see look at it
• It is key to my new nation. – he replied. At that she turned around
• You found an alternative to mako? – she asked
• I have always known what it was. It was just a matter of harnessing it. And the “pyramid”, as you call it, is essential. – he explained as he leaned back
• So, what does it do? What is it? – she asked, eager to know
• Aside from being the most advanced research facility the world has ever seen; it is also contains the transmitter of the only wireless energy transmission system on Gaia. Can you guess where the receiver is? – he asked in a smug tone
• Wait, you actually found a way to get it working? Wasn’t energy transmission over the air, just a myth? I remember a scientist publishing his findings about it a long time ago, but nothing ever materialized. – she asked
• Except it did. The scientist you are referring to, was one of the most renowned of his time and the only reason his greatest invention never saw the light of day, was because Shinra didn’t like it. Despite his countless contributions to science, they didn’t fund it. Perhaps because they didn’t need it. Such a shame, but I guess that is a side effect of becoming complacent, because of mako.
• So, it works. – she spoke
• It does.
• Where does it get power from? – she asked
• The power source, you are very familiar with. I will show it to you when it is time.

The trip lasted about fifteen minutes, as the train couldn’t go quickly, due to the wind currents present at their altitude. She learned from Sephiroth, that the bridge itself was just two solid pipes, that served as leads for pure energy. That was why it looked like the center part of it had been made of glass. That was also the magic trick that the facility relied on to stay together.

Finally, they arrived in front of the entrance to the Terrordome, as Sephiroth had named it. It was like something out of a sci-fi novel. A giant metal door, parts of which rotated in intricate ways before it finally opened. After it did, the train smoothly guided in and it came to a stop at what looked like a small train station.

As Sephiroth lead her to wherever, she looked around. It all looked like a miniaturized version of a futuristic city, even more so than Midgar. Except, instead of giant living complexes, and neon-soaked city streets, it all felt like one giant laboratory. People, from security guards to engineers and scientists, all working together towards one goal. And one could tell that it really was one thing that was being developed. Sure, there were different teams, working on different components, but looking at who talked to who, how there were people running all over the place, it was clear that it was all a single collaborative project. And yet, she never managed to figure out, where all the different parts were going. Where was the transmitter? It all felt like a decentralized web. And then, a realization struck her.

• This whole thing. It itself is the transmitter, isn’t it? Everyone here, is working on getting the entire building itself operational, are they not? – she asked him, while they were still making their way somewhere.
• They are, and I will show you the core tomorrow. Now, we are going to where you and I will spend the next couple of days. – he replied while they walked
• Will we ever settle down somewhere? – she asked, not really sure where the question had come from
• I have given it some thought, but it was never a priority for me. The only reason we spent so much time in Midgar, was because I needed to be in the city. After my empire is built however, I guess the castle could be anywhere. This is our quarters. – he spoke as they finally stopped in front of a bigger door.

He snapped his fingers and the door opened, as it split in two pieces, each of which slid out in opposite directions. They walked in and Aeris started to explore the space. It was quite spacious, as expected. And in addition to it being luxurious, it was also futuristic in a somewhat weird way.

For example, the floor. She could see the raw metal. But, when she took of her shoes off and walked around, it felt like nothing of the sort. It was soft, warm, and inviting. It was truly unexplainable, how comfortable the metal was to walk on.

However, there was something that took her aback. There was nothing in there. Only two walls, which split the “studio” space in three parts. Left, center, right.

She looked up and to the right, towards him with a confused look on her face. He smirked down at the, raised his right hand. Blue energy, like a spell, formed on his palm and he snapped his fingers.

After that, she felt like she was in a dream. At certain places in the space, the metal deformed and started to, for a lack of a better word, grow. Like vines. In a couple seconds said vines had formed all the furniture that one would expect. From a bed to couch to a desk and so on and so forth. Like a god, he had defined reality as he wished.

At a first glance, the living room looked like a high-end, but relatively normal, living room. A big glass surface on one of the walls, which she assumed was some kind of a new type of TV, a dining table in the middle of the room with six chairs around it and around the back wall the was a couch around it, whose color matched that of the metal the floor was made of. I say around because the back wall was curved.

When Aeris went to look through it, as it was made of glass, she realized that they must be in the middle of the building. Looking down through the window, there was an endless hole, and looking up, she could see the sky. That told her that they must be at the very top of the pyramid and that there must be a reason for the endless well below them and the hole in the sky, above them.

She had no idea what it was for, but she assumed that Sephiroth would eventually tell her, but it looked like a tunnel of some sort. Like it was made to channel something, and they had a first-row seat to the spectacle.

On the left of the living room, was a bedroom. It had a giant bed, just like the one in the Mt. Corel facility, but this one, looked less like a normal bed. Instead, it looked like something that had grown out of the floor in the shape of a bedframe, and there was a mattress on it. The nightstands were a similar situation. The back wall was shared with the living room, as the curved window continued. There was also a bathroom, to which there was a door from the bedroom. Inside the bathroom itself, there were two sinks and a spa bathtub, big enough to fit him. Just like in the bedroom, and now that she thought about it, the living room as well, everything seemed to have been grown from the floor. Everything seemed as it were made of one giant piece of this metal-like material.

And yet, just like with the floor, it all felt soft, comfortable, warm and normal. To the touch, it didn’t feel like she was touching a separate and alien object. The touch sensation felt familiar, as if she had interacted with the surfaces in the quarters a million times. Now, quarters was a bit of a misleading word, since the space was much larger than what one might associate with the word “quarters”. It was more like a penthouse.

On the other end of the space, was what looked like an office, with the “usual” design patterns of everything being one. There was a desk, but weirdly enough, no computer. There was a pen holder, and a really fancy looking pen, alongside a pile of documents, but nothing digital. It really did get her wondering, why in such a bleeding-edge facility, his way of working was so analogue.

• It is more secure. – he simply said when she asked him
• Only one copy of everything exists, so if you destroy something, it is gone for good. If such sensitive information, as what is contained in said documents, were to be digitized, there would be no guarantee that it could ever be erased

He did have a point. But, before she had the chance to ask him any more questions, she heard the door open, and Sephiroth told her to follow him. By the time they got to the living room, from the office, their guests had already made their way inside.

• Mommy! – a little girl exclaimed

Chapter Text

Time seemed to slow down, and she fell to her knees. Almost as if she were a child again, and she had decided to go out during the afternoon on a hot summer day. After blinking a couple of times, she came to her senses and saw her daughter running towards her. And, as a loving mother would, she spread her arms as wide as she could and gave her the biggest hug physically possible. She was so overwhelmed by the emotion of seeing her daughter safe and sound, especially after everything that had happened, that it took her a second to realize that Tiqi was able to walk on her own. Such as bittersweet moment. In so little time, she had missed so much.

Through tears, she looked over Tiqi’s shoulder and looked at the other person who had entered the room. It was a person she owed so much to, and a person she cared so much about. Elmyra, her mother.

When they both pulled out of the hug, Aeris grabbed Tiqi’s face in her arms and spoke with tears in her eyes.

• Does anything hurt? Are you cold? Warm? Have you eaten well? – she was trying to think of more questions to ask, when she realized that she had already asked enough
• I am ok, mommy. Daddy has been taking care of me. – she said as she turned around and ran to him

Sephiroth just chuckled. When she got to his leg, he picked her up and let her cling to his shoulder, while using his left arm to support her. Aeris slowly turned her head right and up, almost not being able to believe the scene unfolding before her eyes. Did Tiqi not remember, the time in the fores... oh, of course she didn’t. She wasn’t there. She slowly stood up and looked at her mother, who slowly walked to her and then gave her a hug.

• Are you ok dear? – she spoke, in that same tender tone she always used
• .. I guess. – Aeris lied. She knew her mother would know she did, but she also knew that she probably didn’t want to talk about what had happened in front of her daughter, or Sephiroth
• Are you ok, mother? – Aeris asked back
• I am doing fine. I’ve been helping you husband take care of Tiqi while you were away. – Elmyra replied calmly
• Has he done anything to her? – Aeris spoke more quietly, in an attempt not to be heard by Sephiroth who at that point, seemed to be distracted by Tiqi
• .. not that I am aware of and I’ve been with them both, almost twenty-four-seven. – Elmyra replied just as quietly

They both had a feeling that Sephiroth could hear every word, but it was better than nothing.

• What makes you say that Aeris? Did something happen? – Elmyra asked in a concerned tone
• It’s just... it doesn’t feel right. You told me that you would put a knife in his heart if he did something to me, but now you seem to trust him more? – Aeris asked, worried he might have done something to her mother
• We will speak later Aeris, for now, spend time with Tiqi. Me and Sephiroth have done our best to keep her company, but she has been asking after you, ever since it happened. Spend some time with her.

And at that, Elmyra walked out of the room. What happened in the next few hours, was eerily normal. Ever since her initial kidnapping, however long ago, did she expect to be able to forget about Sephiroth and spend time with her daughter. Elmyra had brought with her some paper and pencils, that Tiqi had drawn on, alongside some toys that she liked to play with. And played they did, just like a mother and daughter would. And it was another reminder of just how quickly, little children can grow and develop.

Not only had she learnt to walk, but her speech and motors skills had also developed quite nicely. Granted, she still had ways to go, but for her age, it was still quite impressive. And it was clear, that she had been happy and that Sephiroth hadn’t kept her in a cage somewhere, like Aeris feared. It was also clear, although less so, that he hadn’t left her to Elmyra to take care of completely. From time to time, she would run to her father, to show him or ask him something. And he would glance down at her and spare her a couple of seconds of his time, after which, she would run back to her mother.

They were all in the living room, with Tiqi playing on the floor and Aeris looking after her, while Sephiroth had brought over a pile of documents from this desk, over to the table that was in the room. He sat on the couch, couple of papers in hand and in addition to the times Tiqi would ask for his attention, he would look over the papers at them.

• What did he promise you Tiqi? – Aeris asked, after Tiqi had finished her latest drawing and had told her that Sephiroth had promised to show her one in real life
• Daddy? – Tiqi said as she ran to him, after dropping her pencils on the ground
• What is it, precious? – he replied without taking his eyes of what he was doing.
• Will you take me to see it? – she asked as she managed to climb up on the couch next to him
• Are you done playing? – he asked
• I am! – Tiqi exclaimed
• Alright then. Let’s go. – he said as he led her by her hand
• Where are you going? – Aeris asked a bit sheepishly, not liking the idea of Tiqi going somewhere with Sephiroth
• Do not worry. It isn’t anything dangerous. You can stay here. – he spoke as he took Tiqi’s hand and walked her to the door

Aeris, albeit hesitantly, stayed where she was. She only said...

• Will you be ok, Tiqi? – Aeris asked
• Of course! I am with daddy. Nothing will happen to me!

Tiqi exclaimed as they walked out of the door. Aeris slowly got up from the floor, where she had been playing with her daughter and sat on the couch. Why couldn’t he always be like that? Why wasn’t he that way with her? It was a facade, she was sure of it, but at least if he didn’t let it slip, she would have lived in a happy lie. It would have been a lie, true, but at least she would have been happy and wouldn’t be going through this emotional roller coaster she currently was.

At the very least, Tiqi seemed to be living in such a lie. She had no idea what her father was truly like. And, Aeris suspected, that no-one did. Elmyra didn’t seem distressed when she had met her earlier. In fact, she looked like she just hadn’t seen her in a while. Did Sephiroth not tell her where she had been? No, of course, he hadn’t. Nor would she have wanted him to have told her the truth. But, given who he was, and her mother’s suspicions towards him, Aeris expected Elmyra to be more relieved to see her alive and not hurt.

And all of that, was on top of what seemed like this fabricated reality. Everyone but her, seemed to be happy and smiling. Sephiroth’s behavior, she could attribute to acting, but Elmyra, Tiqi and even Tsang when she had briefly met him back in the Mt. Corel facility, and more recently when they had seen each other upon landing, were the happiest she had ever seen them. And that is in addition to the other people she had seen, while Sephiroth walked her to their place. Everyone was happy and excited about what they were doing, despite her being sure that the work was far from easy.

Then, the door opened, and she saw her mother, walk in.

• Hi, Aeris – she said as she sat down next to her.
• Hi, mom. – Aeris replied back
• How are you? We can talk more in depth now. I simply didn’t want anyone to overhear anything that is just between us. Tell me, what is weighing on your soul? – of course she knew, she was her mother
• Mom, what happened while I was gone? Did Sephiroth do anything to you or Tiqi? – Aeris asked, somewhat franticly
• Why do you ask? Has he done something to you? – her mother replied with a confused look in her face. As if Sephiroth doing something malicious was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard
• Has he done something to me... – Aeris said with a look of madness on her face
• ...he did everything to me! Abused me in ways, a human being couldn’t even imagine! Tiqi lives, because he wanted an offspring, not because I wanted a child from him...

And she went on and on. Let it all out. Finally told her mother, all that she had wanted to tell her since the first time Sephiroth had let Aeris speak with her. And, as the story went on... the more she felt like she would fall apart. Her voice was getting more and more coarse as her throat dried up. She put her hands on the sides of her head. Her speech became more and more frantic, as she tried to let all the emotions that she had held imprisoned inside her soul. Finally, she turned to her mother. Elmyra’s face portrayed shock and sadness. Something was definitely not right. She was seeing her daughter fall apart in front of her eyes.

• Gods, he had warned me that the helicopter crash, on your way to the ancient temple, had damaged your mind, but I never suspected it was as bad as this... – Elmyra spoke and Aeris look at her, with a terrified expression on her face
• What are you saying mom? – Aeris said as she almost threw herself in her mother’s arms
• Didn’t you hear me? It is all because of him! Help me, please! Save me from him! – Aeris screamed as much as she could, and started sobbing into her mother’s embrace
• Do not worry my child. I know that the miscarriage was very heavy on you, too. But you will get better. Sephiroth will take care of you. Did Tiqi tell you? How, he was the one who took care of her. I was there, mostly as a consultant of sorts, and to take over for when he simply couldn’t exist in two places at the same time. And despite his schedule, he took care of her most of the time. He fed her, taught her so many things... he is the reason she can walk at such a young age... – Elmyra spoke, but despite the soft and comforting tone, Aeris couldn’t stop crying. She couldn’t comprehend that what was happening, was real.
• How can you believe his venomous lies... – Aeris sobbed, breaking her mother’s heart
• He hasn’t told me anything false dear. I saw the recording. It was all over the news, too. I was so happy, when he told me that you had survived, albeit barely.

They stayed like that for a while. Aeris, in her mother’s embrace. Eventually, she calmed down. When she got out of the hug, she knew that she had lost her mother. No, she wasn’t dead and their relationship, probably won’t change, but she knew that Sephiroth had won her over. How, she dared not think. When he had told her, that she couldn’t comprehend him, he wasn’t lying.

Then the door opened and there he was. Spiky black hair, rested on his head. He wore a black combat robe that covered his body, from head to toe. There was also a hood over his head. After the door closed back up behind him, he slowly took off said hood and looked at Aeris.

She got a feeling that something was up, but, at that moment, her emotions overwhelmed her. It was his eyes that gave her this feeling of uneasiness. His eyes’ pupils had been dilated to an extreme and covered his irises.

Run. Please, run...

• Zack?! – she spoke as she stood up
• Hi, Aeris. How have you been? – he said in a mocking tone. An evil smirk on his face
• You are alive? – she asked and moved closer to him, despite sensing that something wasn’t right
• Oh, not only am I alive, but I am so much more than I used to be. They have given me a taste of freedom. Now, I just need to earn it, and for that, I need to burry my past.

Run!

He said as he took the buster sword off his back.

• Starting with you...

He said as he wound up with the sword, and just as he was about to drop it on Aeris and her mother, he flinched and got it to land on their right. Then, he froze.

Please, no more. I don’t want to hurt them! I don’t remember who they are, but I know that they are important! Her face, it feels familiar! I know that she is a part of my missing past!

He did his best to resist. To take back control of his body. Alas, the best he could do, was to stop it from moving. The literal internal conflict was tearing him apart. Two minds and one body. And if he didn’t do something soon, they wouldn’t survive.

Aeris and her mother stood frozen. Horrified. Zack had attacked her. He had almost split her in half. The last sliver of hope, that had almost no chance of happening, her going back to Zack and living a happy life with him, was now completely gone. Why didn’t he move after that, she didn’t know.

• Please, let them live!
• Will you stop resisting? We need FULL CONTROL for the final mission. – the radio voice spoke in his head
• Yes.
• Very well.

He stood up, straightened his shoulder, put the buster sword back on his sword, turned around and ran out of the room.

***

Tiqi was sound asleep in her bed, next to her parents’ bed. But they weren’t. They spoke, quietly. Ever since the incident with Zack earlier that week, Aeris found herself clinging to Sephiroth, more and more. Not because of anything that she willingly felt towards him, but rather that he was the only constant in her life. The only thing that hadn’t been turned on its head. Although, that too was debatable.

His “change” in demeanor, although a façade, was one that she was starting to enjoy. It was nice not being cold, not worrying about your daughter 24/7, not worrying, what they would both would eat the next day.

Over the past week, he had largely left her alone. And kiss and subtle bite, here and there, amongst other, more explicit acts, but he mostly minded his own business, of which he had a lot of. She did have to sleep with him, however. And, over the course of the week, she got more and more used to being in his arms. She knew that he was manipulating her. Giving her, just what she felt she wanted. But, that didn’t help.

One thing that became a common topic for them, before they fell asleep, was their past. More importantly, Sephiroth’s. He told her about the time in the lab. How he came to be. About Lucrecia, Ghast and... Hojo...

• What did you do with Hojo? I assume it wasn’t pleasant. – she muttered one night, as she lay in bed with him, her back to his chest.
• Let us just say, that in his last moments, he begged that I end his life. – he spoke as he nuzzled her neck
• Painful? – she asked, not really sure why. Probably because that man had tainted her life as well.
• Small but continuous mako injections. A tenth of the dose he used to inject me with, but when you consider how weak body was, it must have hurt even more than it did me. Of course, my torture lasted for years, he barely lasted two weeks. – he growled in a low tone

What got to her the most, however, was the fact that Tiqi was at ease and felt safe in his presence. She may not have known who really was, underneath the mask he wore, but that didn’t change the fact that, at least from Tiqi’s perspective, she had a father. That was something that neither Aeris, nor Sephiroth, could say that they really had. And it was the Heathen who had given that to Tiqi. Something that Aeris didn’t want to take away from her daughter, even if she could.

And, as she spent time around Tiqi, she also got a taste of the Sephiroth she wanted him to be. True, the air of malice, that she could feel around him, never went away, and she did know that he did everything he did, just so that he could keep her and Tiqi, under his spell, but that didn’t change the effectiveness of his actions.

All in all, she fell back into her previous slumber and got used to him. With the difference, that this time, she wasn’t dreading every second. Mainly, because she didn’t spend every waking moment, alone in a room, and then almost every night, being used.

Instead, she spent time with Tiqi. She played, laughed, taught, and all in all, was a happy mother. Meanwhile, Sephiroth, took care of her, in his own, twisted way. The big difference was that he seemed to be much more attentive. It wasn’t just about sex anymore. And while she was pretty sure, that it was more because his tastes had changed, and less about her actually being more comfortable. However, it still felt really good, especially when contrasted with how things were in Midgar, to just lay in his arms. Arms that could, and have hurt her, were now the only constant in her life. And she learned, that just as said arms could take away everything, they could also give her the one thing she though that she had truly lost, happiness. For it was by his will, that she now had her daughter, and to a certain extent, her life back. Did all of that, make his wrongs, right? Far from it. But it could make the future right. And the events of the past week, seeking a future, different to the one he was giving her, seemed not only impossible, like it had for some time, but also unappealing.

And there they lay together, lit by the serious moonlight, on a Sunday night. She faced the window, as she lay in his arms. She could feel his breath, on her shoulder, start to level off, as he was starting to slowly fall asleep.

• What must I do to keep this? – Aeris muttered quietly
• This? – he responded in a lazy, half-asleep manner
• Tiqi’s and my happiness. Your less evil demeanor. This. My happy life for the past week and a place to belong. – she replied as she turned around to face him

He slowly opened his eyes and reached around behind him, opened his nightstand’s drawer with his long arms, pulled out a glass sphere and turned around to face her. When he did, the pupils in his eyes had become even more serpent-like.

With his thumb, index, middle and ring fingers, he held up the ball in front of her eyes.

• This is a magic sphere. I will give it to you, and you will always keep it on you. It is like a keepsake, and a symbol of my blessing. But...

He said and then the ball dissolved into a million particles that hung in the air.

• ...I can always take it away.
• Will you give me freedom to grow as a human, beyond my duties as a mother and your bride? – she asked
• Oh, dear... – he said as he chuckled and hooked her chin with the arm, he used to hold the ball in
• ...I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave. – he spoke in a low and seductive tone

She just stared at him, wide eyed, as if she were staring into a being that was of alien nature. Not that he wasn’t.

• Will you take it? – he said as the particles that hung in the air, formed back into the crystal ball, after he unhooked her chin.

Slowly, she reached out and took the crystal ball. As she held it, in it, she saw exactly the future she wanted. Her with a happy family.

Then, the ball dimly lit up and before she could ask what was happening, she felt this tingle throughout her body. She just looked at him and he simply nodded. The glass sphere returned to normal brightness and left it on her nightstand. She lay back down, into the devil’s arms, and fell asleep to the low hum of his voice.

Chapter Text

He had kept his promise and was now taking her to see the core of the facility. Why she was interested, she had no idea. Perhaps, it was a part of her that wanted to know, how he would “save” the planet. And, more importantly, if he really could.

Going by what she could on the news, and by what Sephiroth had told her, when she had asked, Midgar was slowly but surely recovering from the meteor disaster and the Shinra Electric Power company, was on center stage, with the unexpected announcement that the company would cover all expenses and damages, regarding the incident.

Even the ever so vocal environmental groups, such as AVALANCHE, had stopped their activities, considering the recent developments.

Sephiroth and Aeris were in an elevator, contained within one of the giant structure’s support pillars. The walls of the elevator were actually LCD screens, which, in conjunction with cameras, placed on the outside of the pillar, created the illusion that the elevator was made of glass. Thankfully, the floor wasn’t a screen, as enormous heights, weren’t Aeris strong suit, but the rest provided a breathtaking view of what was on the outside.

The “awe factor”, however, didn’t hold Aeris for long, as a voice, snapped her out of her thoughts.

• You have wanted to ask me something since early this morning, what is it? – he asked as he put his left hand on her shoulder.
• The meteor incident, you are responsible for it, right? – she said calmly as she looked up at him
• Of course. It wasn’t very hard to figure it out, when you know what you do, was it? – he spoke with a raised silver eyebrow
• No, it wasn’t. If you do something nice, it is because you have something to gain from it. I assume that this has something to do with your master plan? – she asked
• The Shinra Electric Power company didn’t have the best public image. And because of the way it was structured, I couldn’t do much about it through conventional means.
• So, you resorted to “unconventional” means? – Aeris guessed
• Clever girl. And now, I am viewed as everyone’s ray of light, in these times of darkness.
• But was it worth it? When I “rid you of your powers”, the white materia was lost to time, so I can only assume that the same happened to the black materia, when you summoned the meteor.

Only a faint snicker, could be heard, escaping Sephiroth’s lips. And the moment it did, the elevator stopped, and they were in a dark circular room. When they walked in, the lights automatically turned on, and Aeris could see the entire room.

It was much bigger than she initially expected. Looking up, it was at least 50 meters tall, while its radius, was fairly limited. It reminded her of a missile silo, despite it not being that.

But that wasn’t what was important. Instead, the thing that captured her attention, was the black, non-transparent container, that hung in the middle of the room, held up by giant black cables. She could feel something ominous from the object and its human-like dimensions, didn’t help ease that feeling.

After walking, just a couple of steps, Sephiroth stretched out his right hand, towards the object and as if he used some sort of an invisible force, he made it come down to their level. What was interesting, was that it didn’t look like he was pulling it towards them. Instead, it looked like he was leading it, and commanding it to come down.

After it got to their level, Sephiroth snapped his fingers and what she now knew to be metal covers, withdrew, and revealed the object, to actually be a glass tank, containing a water-like fluid in which there was a being, long supposed to be dead.

Aeris only gasped. Sephiroth smirked at her reaction, knowing full well that he had managed to surprise her, yet again.

Tentacles sprawled out from the creature’s back. Three bulging, malformed eyeballs were on its torso.  A thick rubber hose was embedded in its abdomen. It led to a sealed valve at the back of the device that surrounded the creature. And just like last time, on its head was a metal helmet, but unlike last time, it was elongated vertically. And above the text that spelled “J E N O V A”, was a materia slot. And in said slot, was a white sphere.

• It that... the white materia? – Aeris gasped, still not being able to believe what she was seeing
• It is. – Sephiroth replied, as if he had been asked the most common question on Gaia.
• THIS is your idea of saving the planet? – she asked as she turned right and looked up at him.

She had no idea how he had managed to save JENOVA from the lightning bolt that she had struck her with, when you consider how Aeris had found her, but what she knew, was that she wasn’t looking at a corpse.

• How could you nourish such a creature? But never mind that, how is the white materia, still intact and why is it there... – she was going to continue, but that was when she realized that if JENOVA had any control over Sephiroth, what she was saying...
• You need not bite your tongue. This lowly creature, which you see before you, is nothing more than a means to an end and a vessel of sorts. You see, my dear Aeris, the white and black materia hold limitless energy within. I just needed to activate them. That was your role in my plan. To lead me to them both. In addition, someone with as dark a soul as mine, would have had no problem activating the black materia, but for the white materia, I needed you.
• So, that is why you summoned the meteor. To force me to use the white materia to stop it... – Aeris spoke, as she started putting the pieces together
• Close, but not quite. You didn’t stop the meteor Aeris, as no matter what you did, it would have exploded into a million pieces. – Sephiroth spoke smugly
• What? How is that possible? – Aeris asked, shocked
• It is possible because it wasn’t a meteor at all. It never was. Tell me Aeris, what do you think would happen, if the Shinra Company, were to announce that near the crash site, pieces of Wutaian weaponry had been discovered and that it wasn’t a meteor that had crashed, but rather an important to Midgar, space station.
• What? – Aeris spoke, surprised yet again
• Of course, Wutai had nothing to do with this, but I am sure that you could have figured that out by yourself.
• So... now you have an excuse to lead a war against them... – Aeris spoke
• Correct.
• But what is JENOVA’s role in this? – Aeris asked
• JENOVA, or what is left of her, is quite literally a vessel for the white materia. A vase, if you will. In order for energy to be continuously extracted from it, there needs to be a balance, so to speak. The white materia’s energy is, normally, too pure, too clean. But, in combination with this creature’s “darkness”, the final output is able to be balanced and used. – Sephiroth explained
• And you are sure that JENOVA won’t try come back to life again? – Aeris asked
• Oh, she won’t. The state she is currently in, she is barely alive. No conscious brain activity exists within this tin can. At best, she can feel. And, as punishment for trying to toy with me, for the rest of time, she will only feel pain.

And, as he spoke with a calm voice, he slowly moved closer to the class chamber and... slowly... sang

You lie, silent there before me

Your tears, they mean nothing to me

The wind howling at the window

The love you never gave

I give to you

Really don't deserve it

But now, there's nothing you can do

So sleep, in your only memory

Of me, my dearest mother

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes

Goodbye

It was always you that I despised

I don't feel enough for you to cry, oh well

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes

Goodbye

Goodbye

Goodbye

Goodbye

So insignificant, sleeping dormant deep inside of me

Are you hiding away, lost, under the sewers?

Maybe flying high, in the clouds?

Perhaps you're happy without me

So many seeds have been sown in the field

And who could have sprout up so blessedly

If I had died, I would have never felt sad at all

You will not hear me say 'I'm sorry'

Where is the light, wonder if it's weeping somewhere?

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes

Goodbye

It was always you that I despised

I don't feel enough for you to cry, oh well

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes

Goodbye

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes

Goodbye

It was always you that I despised

I don't feel enough for you to cry, oh well

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes

Goodbye

Goodbye

Goodbye

Goodbye

Near the ending of the song, he removed his hand from the chamber and rose it back up, to its original position. And when he finished and turned around to look at Aeris, it took her a bit to close her mouth.

• And, what happened to the black materia? – Aeris asked
• It is fused with me. All its power is now mine to command. I am sure that you have felt it. – Sephiroth spoke as he walked past her, back towards the elevator
• Come on. – called for her, after a couple of steps

***

And now, for the special address that every citizen of Midgar has been waiting for, ever since Meteorfall! Sephiroth Crescent was once the great general that led the Midgarian army, against Wutai in the first world war, in recent history. Six years ago, he led a coup d'etat, resulting in a restructure of power within the Shinra Electric Power company. Ever since then, he has held a position of power and influence over Midgar, so great, that he has made the government irrelevant, despite their claims, which suggest otherwise.

The screen, switched from showing the presenter of Midgar Central News, over to showing a video feed of Sephiroth, in his military uniform, in front of a blue wall and behind a matching lectern. On the front side of the lectern, the Shinra Power Company’s logo was placed and on Sephiroth’s left and right, were placed four of Midgar’s flags. With a serious expression on his face, Sephiroth spoke.

Citizens of Midgar. You no doubt know who I am, so I will spare everyone the introduction. There are a couple of points that I will talk about, starting with yesterday’s announcement, that I, effective immediately, will take over the leadership of Midgar as head of state. The primary reason for this, was the state’s reliance on the Shinra Electric Power company. Nearly all state roles, were handled by my corporation. With the onlook to improve the efficiency of all processes in Midgar, no matter their nature, me and the Mayor have come to an agreement, that this is the best course of action.

With my newly found power, I hope to be able to make Midgar, the place that I have always wanted to. There are a couple of core issues I see and resolving them I find essential.

The first one is socioeconomic.

Judging by the statistics, the last 40 years can be referred to as successful or even super successful for the global economy. This is definitely a positive indicator. Globalization and domestic growth have lifted over a half a billion people out of poverty.

Still, the main question, the answer to which can, in many respects, provide a clue to today’s problems, is what the nature of this global growth was and who benefitted from it most. This integration into the global economy has resulted in more than just new jobs or greater export earnings. It also had its social costs, including a significant gap in individual incomes.

But then again, in terms of corporate profits, who got hold of the revenue? The answer is clear: one percent of the population. And what has happened in the lives of other people? In the past 30 years, in both Midgar and Wutai, the real incomes of over half of the citizens have been stagnating, not growing. Meanwhile, the cost of education and healthcare services has gone up. Do you know by how much? Three times.

In other words, millions of people have stopped hoping for an increase of their incomes. In the meantime, they are faced with the problem of how to keep themselves and their parents healthy and how to provide their children with a decent education.

According to the International Labor Organization, 21 percent of young people in the world did not study or work anywhere. Even among those who had jobs, and these are interesting figures, 30 percent had an income below 4 gil per day.

These imbalances in global socioeconomic development are a direct result of the policy pursued by Shinra and the previous government, which was often vulgar or dogmatic. This policy rested on the so-called Midgar Consensus with its unwritten rules, when the priority was given to the economic growth based on a private debt in conditions of deregulation and low taxes on the wealthy and the corporations. During the past 10 years we have created a foundation for the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution based on the wide use of AI, automation, and robotics.

However, this process is leading to new structural changes. I am thinking in particular of the labor market. This means that very many people could lose their jobs unless the state takes effective measures to prevent this. Most of these people are from the so-called middle class, which is the basis of any modern society.

In this context, I would like to mention the second fundamental challenge of the forthcoming decade – the socio-political one. The rise of economic problems and inequality is splitting society, triggering social, racial, and ethnic intolerance. Indicatively, these tensions are bursting out even in the countries with seemingly civil and democratic institutions that are designed to alleviate and stop such phenomena and excesses.

In this case, society will still be divided politically and socially. This is bound to happen because people are dissatisfied not by some abstract issues but by real problems that concern everyone regardless of the political views that people have or think they have. Meanwhile, real problems evoke discontent.

I would like to emphasize one more important point. Modern technological giants, especially digital companies, have started playing an increasing role in the life of society. They are not just some economic giants. In some areas, they are de facto competing with states. Their audiences consist of billions of users that pass a considerable part of their lives in these eco systems.

In the opinion of these companies, their monopoly is optimal for organizing technological and business processes. Maybe so but society is wondering whether such monopolism meets public interests.

Where is the border between successful global business, in-demand services and big data consolidation and the attempts to manage society at one’s own discretion and in a tough manner, replace legal democratic institutions and essentially usurp or restrict the natural right of people to decide for themselves how to live, what to choose and what position to express freely? I am confident that the overwhelming majority of people share this position.

Once again, I want to emphasize my thesis that accumulated socioeconomic problems are the fundamental reason for unstable global growth.

Calls for inclusive growth and for creating decent standards of living for everyone are regularly made at various international forums.

It is clear that the world cannot continue creating an economy that will only benefit a million people, or even the golden billion. This is a destructive precept. This model is unbalanced by default.

We must now proceed from stating facts to action, investing our efforts and resources into reducing social inequality in individual countries and into gradually balancing the economic development standards of different countries and regions in the world.

The essence and focus of actions aimed at ensuring sustainable and harmonious development are clear. They imply the creation of new opportunities for everyone, conditions under which everyone will be able to develop and realize their potential regardless of where they were born and are living.

I would like to point out four key priorities, as I see them.

First, everyone must have comfortable living conditions, including housing and affordable transport, energy, and public utility infrastructure. Plus, environmental welfare, something that must not be overlooked.

Second, everyone must be sure that they will have a job that can ensure sustainable growth of income and, hence, decent standards of living. Everyone must have access to an effective system of lifelong education, which is absolutely indispensable now and which will allow people to develop, make a career and receive a decent pension and social benefits upon retirement.

Third, people must be confident that they will receive high-quality and effective medical care whenever necessary, and that the national healthcare system will guarantee access to modern medical services.

Fourth, regardless of the family income, children must be able to receive a decent education and realize their potential. Every child has potential.

This is the only way to guarantee the cost-effective development of the modern economy, in which people are perceived as the end, rather than the means. Only those countries capable of attaining progress in at least these four areas will facilitate their own sustainable and all-inclusive development. These areas are not exhaustive, and I have just mentioned the main aspects.

He then stopped for a couple of moments, before continuing...

And now, I have an announcement to make that I hoped that I wouldn’t have to.

An investigation, concluded mere hours ago, confirmed a hypothesis of mine. Today, with great sorrow, I inform everyone that the meteor that has been a source of great loss for everyone in Midgar, is indeed the communications satellite known as “Lost Number”. And, just as I believed, at the site of the crash, were left small, but undoubtedly, pieces of a Wutaian ground-space missile. People of Midgar, there is simply no other way to interpret it.

The Wutaian Government launched an attack against our communication satellite. Last night, I received reports, that Wutaian forces have been cited near Gold Saucer and North Corel. A couple additional reports, detail suspicions of high-level officers, that there may be spies in the vicinity of Junon.

Wutai has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the western part of the continent. The facts of Meteorfall, and more recent sightings, speak for themselves. Going by social media activity, the people of the Midgar have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation.

As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense, no matter what they may be.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the Midgarian people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. We will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph so help us Gaia.

I declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Wutai, a state of war has existed between the Midgar and the Wutaian Empire.

Aeris just stared at the TV, mouth wide open. It had been two weeks since she received Sephiroth’s “blessing” and a week since she had seen the core. Aside from taking care of Tiqi, which occupied most of her time, she also spent a ton of time, thinking about Sephiroth.

And it was less about what he had done, that was pretty clear cut, but more about what he would do. And not necessarily to her. That wouldn’t be very hard to predict. He had already managed to condition her, not to hate him, and at least to some extent, to be glad to be with him. Whatever that meant in the context of their relationship if one could call it that. Her fate was sealed.

No. What she was actually thinking about, was what would the world come to. She knew, perhaps better than anyone, that what Sephiroth had just said on national TV, was nothing more than lies. Even worse, when she looked at her phone, and went through her social media feeds, somewhat expectedly, as well as disgustingly, the public was eating it up.

And it didn’t take much imagination, to predict what the next day’s newspaper headlines would be. Everyone, except an excruciatingly small minority, were practically worshipping Sephiroth after the speech. And it wasn’t just people who posted the big sites, that were reacting as such. Even on the small, underground forums, one or two of which, Aeris frequented, the reaction was the same.

She had seen the broadcast on her tablet, so that her daughter, who was now laying lazily against her, could continue to watch her new favorite cartoon. It was about a wolf who wanted to catch a hare, but always failed in spectacular ways. It was an extremely old show that Elmyra had played to Aeris as a kid. She had also told her stories, of her watching it, when she was a kid. One could say that it was a tradition, in her bloodline, for the mother to show it to her child. The episodes were short, about ten minutes a piece. Each one, told a self-contained story, but they all shared the theme of the wolf wanting to catch the hare.

Tiqi would watch a couple of them at a time on the giant OLED TV, which the creators of the show, would probably think was black magic. It was a really funny show, Tiqi couldn’t stop laughing while watching it. And despite the burden she carried, it was a fun distraction for Aeris as well.

When she looked at her daughter, she was practically sleeping, so she decided to put her to bed. Slowly, she took her in her arms, walked to her bed, and set her to sleep. Tiqi had a separate bed, different from the one that Aeris and Sephiroth slept on, in the same room. She turned off the lights, so the only thing that illuminated the room, was the diffuse blue moonlight. As Aeris walked back to and looked over her daughter, she saw a shadow, loom over herself and Tiqi. She knew the vampire it belonged to. A couple of moments later, she felt his breath over her ear, and heard his smooth and sinful voice.

• I see that you have put our daughter to bed. How thoughtful of you, my sweet. It is almost as if you know what is on my mind. – he purred as he gently nibbled on her earlobe

She didn’t say anything back. There was simply nothing to say. She could smell him, a combination of vanilla and leather. He was probably still in his military uniform.

• I will go easy on you tonight.

He spoke after which, he swept her off her feet and carried her bridal style to the giant bed. As he was doing so, she stared up at him. Despite all the evil he had done, there was no denying, that there were things to admire about him, Aeris thought. There was, something special about him. It mainly stemmed, she guessed, from the way he did everything. He was cunning, decisive, capable... all traits that everyone would like to possess and, in the general sense, traits that are considered positive by people... And yet, depending on the context, they can be seen as extremely negative.

Perspective and how one presents himself, seemed to be a reoccurring theme. To the world, he was its savior, to her, he was the devil, to Tiqi, he was her father. But that, was just how the world looked from her eyes. She wondered, how it looked from his eyes. What did people look like, viewed through his eyes? Those, eerily green, Quetzalcoatl-like eyes, who were looking down at her, as he walked. It was haunting, despite him having done it countless times. There truly was something special about those eyes of his. No matter the situation, or how expensive the suit he wore was, it was always his eyes that captivated and enslaved. And the faint glow that they possessed, at that very moment, was the final piece needed, to bring her mind to its knees. All she could do, was stare back, and obey.

He let her stand, next to the bed.

• Stay.

He spoke. A simple command, and one that she complied with.

Slowly, he started to peel of her clothes. Skilled as a magician, he unwrapped her with ease, as if she were a mere doll. When she was fully naked, he hooked her chin with the long index finger on his right hand and made her look up towards him. Then, he leaned down, and stole her breath away with a kiss.

With dilated pupils, she continued looking at him, as he pulled away. As he did, leather musk hung in the air from his uniform. He gently grabber her hand, and led her to the bed, where he helped her lay down.

He took a couple of steps back and observed her for a couple of seconds. He was like a lion observing a piece of meat, before devouring it. Then, after a smirk tugged on lips, he took off his uniform’s coat. Underneath it, he was pretty much naked, aside from the straps, that cross over one another at the center of his chest, that helped hold his belt. Seconds later, however, and with practiced ease, he had taken those off as well.

Whilst she lay on the bed, all she could do, was watch. It was as if she were hypnotized by the perfect devil in front of her. Some, depict hell’s ruler as an ugly, half-goat half-human hybrid. The truth, however, was much scarier. The truth was, that he looked like an angel. Pure white skin, covered up highly developed musculature and tall bone structure. Long silver strands, flowed from the crown of his head, down past his shoulders, all the way to his waist. His eyes, face, and lips were perfect compliments, to his godlike frame. One’s only hint, that he didn’t descend from the heavens, were those eyes.

Before he walked to her, he sat on the edge of the bed, to take off his military boots, before standing back up and leaning over her.

He hovered over her small frame, his face over hers. His long silver hair created a corridor of sorts.  A corridor where only she and he existed. And before she had time to comprehend it all, his lips were on her, yet again.

The kiss was slow and passionate. He wasn’t ravaging her, but rather, tasting her. Taking his time. At first, she hesitated to comply with his evident wishes, but it wasn’t long, before she decided to let go. It would only get worse if she didn’t. He seemed gentler that night, so she thought, that there is a chance she might actually enjoy it.

After he was done, he slowly pulled away and left her to pant quietly. They looked into each other’s eyes, before she whispered, while keeping her voice down.

• What you said on TV, despite how blatant it is, everyone will eat it up... isn’t that right?
• Of course. Why would they not listen to the one who has been keeping the city from turning into an inferno?

He responded, after which, he broke eye contact, and focused on her neck. From the upper parts, that were near her jaw, down to her collar bone. He kissed with his perfect lips, licked with his long and agile tongue and left love bites with his sharp teeth.

After marking her, yet again, he lifted his head up and looked into her eyes, yet again. Her eyes hid another question. At that, he spoke...

• Ask.
• They will believe, despite the Shinra Corporation dropping the plate and doing nothing for Gaia-knows how long?
• Most definitely. – he purred - People tend to remember a helping hand the most when they are at their most desperate. In fact, even a simple action, at the right moment, can heal, or at least mask, even deep wounds.
• But you orchestrated it so that action would be impactful. It wasn’t genuine, wasn’t natural...
• Your point being? – he spoke with a smirk on his face

She thought about it for a second and horrifyingly realized that... he was right. Nobody cared. And why would they? From their point of view, they were faced with a new problem and Sephiroth was there to help. Of course, if they knew that it was him who had caused it in the first place, they probably wouldn’t be so thankful, but that’s just the thing, they didn’t.

• I see that you have realized what I was alluding to.

He spoke in a low tone, before moving down her body. He continued to shower her with pleasure, using the very same tools he had used on her neck. All over her chest, from her collar bone, all the way down to her legs.

• Would you look at that. You body is betraying you, yet again...

Despite her, trying to focus her mind on other things, it was extraordinarily hard to do, given what he was doing. She knew that she was soaking wet, but what could she do at that point? Ever since she had felt his presence, ten or so minutes ago, she knew what was about to happen.

He raised his lips from her body and using his long and skilled fingers, he started toying with her most intimate parts. Her, being already aroused, made it all the easier for him, to bring her close to the edge.

And then, he stopped. Low whimpers escaped her lips, which were like music to his ears. With pleading eyes, she just stared down at him, as if begging him to allow her to release.

• Very well, my dear. I believe you deserve it. You have been a very good girl lately.

After he spoke, he gave her, one long and slow lick, over her nether regions. And that was the end. The next minute or so, was complete haze for her. After him, not doing anything drastic with her for a while, the drawn-out orgasm he had just granted her, felt heavenly.

She didn’t know if he had left the room for a bit, but when she was able to focus on her environment again, he was still above her, looking down.

• There are still questions in your eyes, ask. – he spoke in a calm tone
• Will you really go to war with Wutai? Or is the declaration of war, just another ultimatum of yours?
• There will be no mercy this time. I told you before, I am calming the planet, for me and no one else. And I mean, the WHOLE planet. I will crush Wutai, and then, the world will be mine. Mine to rule over, shape in my vision and protect.
• You aren’t that special Sephiroth. Each and every person on this planet, can make it a better place. You don’t need to rule it all, to do that. Anybody can make history.
• Anybody can make history. But only a great man can write it.

After saying that, he stood back up and unzipped, but kept on, his leather pants. And there was something arousing about that, to Aeris. How he was still semi-clothed, but she was completely naked and exposed.

There was plenty of slick, to make his entrance mostly painless for Aeris. She also felt pleasure, much more quickly than she usually did. She was sure that, part of the reason for that, was because she had already cum once, but there was another thing she noticed, or rather felt.

Unlike usual, when he would ravage her like a wild beast, this time around, it felt like he was taking his time. The best comparison she could come up with, was a cat toying with its food, a mouse. And she did feel like a small mouse, under his gaze. But right at that moment, fear was at the back part of her mind.

He kept her on the edge of her second orgasm, for close to an hour. How he kept himself from coming, was something that Aeris didn’t really cross Aeris’ mind. At that point, she had far lost herself in pleasure. From his voice in her ear, to his teeth on her skin, to his cock in her pussy, he didn’t give her any chances, to wake up from her trance. Only his low grunts and her quiet moans, could be heard in the room.

Finally, when he had decided, that enough was enough, he growled in her ear.

• Come for your master.

And she did. If she were thinking at that moment, she might have been disappointed with herself, for succumbing to pleasure again.

After he was done, he slowly pulled out, and lay on the bed, next to her on his back. After he had caught his breath, which really didn’t take long, he wrapped his right hand around her waist, and pulled her close to him.

Weather it was because she was still in subspace, or something else, she instinctively clung to him and rested her head in the crook of his neck, using his broad shoulder for support.

• You are the devil. – she spoke in between breaths.

At that he chuckled for a couple of moments. She wondered what was so funny about what she had just said.

• Would you want to hear something interesting about the devil? – Sephiroth asked, as he reputedly ran his fingers through her hair, in a soothing manner.
• Ok. – she replied, still felling small
• Some say that he was from south Wutai, other clam that his place of birth, was in the eastern part of the planet. Even back in the day, when people were more religious than they are now, nobody believed he was real. No one knew of anyone who had seen him, or who had been punished by him. Only myths and rumors existed, but they were enough to turn him into someone who was on people’s minds. That was his power. A man can't change what he is. He can convince anyone he's someone else, but never himself. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.

Chapter Text

Grigori was in an underground bunker, at an undisclosed location, when the phone on his “desk” rang. It was less a desk and more a wooden table.

• Sir, Mr. Suwabe is here. He says that he wants to see you and that he was information to relay to you. - a cult member, spoke
• Fine... let him in. – Grigori replied in an annoyed tone.

He didn’t like it when he was forced to do something. Especially, when said orders, came from a man in a black suit. He didn’t particularly like what he was doing too, but working with said man, was the only way to get closer to Sephiroth. And as much as he didn’t like to admit it, everything was going to shit, before Suwabe started helping him. He would appear at just the right time, to give him a critical piece of information.

Of course, said information, didn’t come cheap. The agreement he had come to, with the mysterious man, was that if he ever needed the organization to do something, they would. Grigori, being who he was, tried to ignore the first “request” that Suwabe had given him. To say that it had been a mistake, would have been an understatement. It was one of the few times that Grigori, had felt fear in his adult life. From then on, he knew that the deal he had made, was a mistake, and that Mr. Suwabe was much more, than a man in a fancy suit.

He heard a click and looked up at the door. A well-dressed man walked in and greeted him.

• Good evening, Grigori. Was the initiation successful? – he asked
• Suwabe, good evening. Please, sit. Make yourself comfortable. – Grigori stood up and invited the man
• No need. I won’t say long, and I see that you are busy. Now, answer my question. – the man spoke in a calm tone
• Yes, Sir. Zackary reacted to the situation as expected. – Grigori answered nervously
• Did he meet Sephiroth? – the man asked
• No, just the girl and her mother were in the room. – Grigori replied
• So, I am to take it that any remaining obstacles, that prevented you from completely controlling his mind are gone? – the man replied, with a risen eyebrow
• His normal consciousness, still exists, but it is nothing more than a ghost in a shell. A shell that we control. – Grigori replied with a forced smile
• That better be the case. The second part of the plan is starting soon. Tell him to get ready. And keep in mind that he is a gift from me to you. When I lured him to your organization, and you failed to manipulate him properly, I was seriously disappointed. I hope that you make good use of the other gift I gave you, the one that should currently be resting on his brain.

Grigori gulped, knowing full well that if he were to fail again, he would be the one under control. Suwabe then pulled out an old paper folder, came closer to Grigori and handed it to him.

• These are your instructions. Do not fail me, Grigori. – he spoke in a threatening manner, turned on his heel, and walked out of the room.

Only when he had finally done so, did Grigori figure it was safe to take a breath. In theory, he could directly enter Zackary mind, and give him orders that way, but it was quite demanding for both himself, as well as Zack and he wanted his agents to perform at their best. It was in his interest, after all.

***

He pulled back the curtain on his window, ever so slightly, in order to get a peek outside. He was in a small hotel room at the only hotel in Rocket Town. The room was bland, a bed and a small wardrobe. A bathroom that consisted of a sink, toilet and a shower. Nothing special or luxurious. A small, budget conscious hotel room. Not that it bothered him. Not in the slightest.

If one were to examine his metal state, at that moment, one would have said that he didn’t really have one. He was like a machine. Doing only that which was required, with maximum efficiently.

Each day was like a different dream for him. A separate experience.  Do you know that feeling when you zone out and then snap back to reality? Well, that is what he experienced every morning, when he woke up. The last day, slipped away from his memory, as if it had been a dream. Except that, this time, the truth really was stranger than fiction. What was really going on, was that to ensure that he will obey his masters, they rid him of his memories, on a daily basis. After all, with the direct control they had established over him, they weren’t needed for him to carry out what they needed him to.

There was, of course, some residue left, but to him, it was like random bits and pieces from dreams he has had. Her eyes and her smile were such pieces, but every time he imagined them, and tried to think about what they were, his head hurt unbearably, making it impossible to focus.

As he looked out the window, at the desolate town, his phone rang. Without hesitation, he pulled it out of his pocked, and answered. He knew who was on the other end.

• Zackary? – he old man on the other end, said in an ever so slightly slurred way
• Sir? – he replied coldly
• Your next destination is the summer dragon boat festival held in Wutai’s capital city, which starts in a week. You will be expected at a house. When you knock on the door, say, “a hollow heart will crack like ice”.
• What is my objective?
• Kill Sephiroth.

***

They were in the dining room, that was reserved for their use only, where they had been eating, since arriving there. It was quite like the one at the Mt. Corel facility in terms of layout. The colors and style, on the other hand, were more like their penthouse/apartment/living space.

Aeris had fed Tiqi, and after that, she wanted to play with her grandmother, so after a glance towards Sephiroth, and a nod from him, she called Elmyra up.

Ever since the incident at the cave, Aeris was quite literally paranoid when her daughter wasn’t right next to her. Which was quite understandable, given what had happened. That was the case, even when Tiqi was with Sephiroth, who she knew was powerful enough to snap any threat out of existence, in the blink of an eye. But, as one might imagine, her worries would come from a different place in such a scenario.

This time, however, she was somewhat relieved that Tiqi wanted to be with her grandma. Why? Because she was about to negotiate with Sephiroth. He had promised her something, it was time to see if he would go back on his word.

• When you offered me your blessing, you promised me that you would give me the freedom to grow as a human... – Aeris spoke somewhat abruptly, while both of them were busy with their meals
• ...yes? – Sephiroth spoke as he stopped eating and looked up at her
• ...I was wondering... if I could... do something. You know... for a living? – Aeris treaded carefully, over the last little while, she had managed to gain his trust, so to speak, and she didn’t want to lose the opportunity she had gotten, to exercise some of her theoretical power
• You want to get a job? – Sephiroth asked with a raised eyebrow
• Well, not a job per se, but at least to learn how to do something. While I was younger, I didn’t have the opportunity to get any type of higher education, but I have always wanted to. – Aeris replied
• Aside from Elmyra not having the funds for it, was there anything else that stopped you? – Sephiroth asked, genuinely curious
• Well, I guess that despite wanting to get a degree, other things got in the way. As you said, there was no way my mother could afford to send me to collage on her own, but I figured that if could make enough money for a year or two, working a minimum wage job, I could pay the tuition fee. And because we lived in Midgar, despite being in the slums, the university was no more than 45 minutes away, meaning I didn’t have to worry about rent and other expenses. – Aeris explained
• So, what got in the way of this plan of yours? – Sephiroth asked as he sipped on the white wine in his glass
• Well, one thing led to another, and I found myself making somewhat decent money, working as a waitress in a restaurant. It wasn’t a glamorous job, by any stretch of the imagination, but it paid the bills and I’m somewhat embarrassed about this, but I got used to it. I got complacent, because me and my mother, were living better lives than ever. – Aeris continued
• And then? – Sephiroth enquired
• Then I... – she didn’t want to say it, because she knew it would bring back painful memories, ones that she had somewhat managed to forget over the last little while.
• You met Zackary. – Sephiroth spoke
• And with his help, I was able to move with him to the plate, and open up a flower shop, something that I had always wanted to do. At that point, it was impossible to pursue a degree since I was constantly busy with the shop. And then... – Aeris wanted to continue, but...
• I appeared.
• Yes...
• So, have you decided what you would like to study? – he asked

That made Aeris’ eyes light up. Was he actually going to allow her to study?

• Well, while flowers are still a passion of mine, lately I’ve been thinking of becoming an OBGYN.

She didn’t really know what reaction to expect from him. He was beyond intelligent; he knew very well what she meant by “lately”. He also knew “why”. All that time she had spent in his penthouse in Midgar “studying”, had left a mark.

• Do you remember Dr. Okeke? – Sephiroth asked
• Of course, she was the one who oversaw Tiqi’s birth. – Aeris replied back as quickly as she could. She really didn’t want to miss out on Sephiroth’s good mood.
• I will arrange for you to meet her, as soon as possible. – Sephiroth replied
• So, we are flying back to Midgar? – Aeris naively assumed
• Oh no, dear. You aren’t going anywhere. At least, not yet. Dr. Okeke will be flown here. You may not know that, but before she began her practice as an OBGYN, she was a professor at Midgar University. She was one of, if not the best at what she did. – Sephiroth replied

Aeris kind of hoped that she would be allowed to go back to Midgar. She really wasn’t sure why, but she missed the sense of familiarity the city gave her. But there was no arguing with Sephiroth. By now, she knew better then to try to. Plus, it quite quickly dawned on her, that aside from this place being their home, at least for now, it was also the most advanced research facility in all of Gaia. There wasn’t a better place than that to study anything science related.

• And you? From your tone, it is as if you are planning on going somewhere? – Aeris asked out of habit
• Indeed I am. I will be going away to Wutai to negotiations. Make sure to watch the news.
• Ok. – Aeris replied

***

He knocked twice the wooden door of a small hotel, in Wutai’s capital city. At that, a voice could be heard from the inside.

• Who are you? – the voice asked
• A hollow heart will crack like ice. – Zack spoke calmy

When he did, the door opened and revealed a man, much like himself. Zack looked at said man, and it was as if a memory or two, wanted to reveal themselves in his mind but couldn’t. It was probably the way the man looked, that caused that.

He wore a SOLDIER uniform, much like his old one. In the room, he could spot a near perfect replica of the Buster sword he carried on his back. The man, meanwhile, had that ever so familiar mako glow in his eyes. Height wise, he was about as tall as Zack was. He also had a very similar haircut; it was just that his hair was blonde instead of black.

• My name is Duolc. – the man spoke in a monotonic tone, and moved away from
• Zackary Fair. – Zack replied as he entered the house

On the inside, it was less like a house, and more like a hideout from a movie. Which didn’t really bother Zack. He was more than used to less than comfortable environments.

Sitting on a couch, he saw a woman. She had long black hair and, when she looked up at him, she looked up at him, he also saw that she had crimson red eyes. She managed to pull a more recent memory from his mind. He wasn’t sure if it had been a dream or not, but he could have sworn that he had seen her somewhere before. She was a touch shorter than him, but nonetheless looked physically fit. And by the combat gloves on her hands, he deducted that she could fight as well. Not that he doubted the team he would be put on by his master, but it was nice to see that they at least looked the part. Another ex-SOLDIER and a fighter.

• My name is Afit. - she said simply, little emotion in her voice
• Zackary. – he replied in the same fashion
• We are done scouting, as instructed. – Duolc said as he sat on one of the plastic chairs that surrounded the table in the middle of the room
• Here are the blueprints. – Afit said as she also took a seat
• Good work. – Zack commended as he also sat on a chair

It would be simple enough. Enter the building, find the security room, disable the cameras, find where Sephiroth is meeting with the Wutaian emperor, enter, kill, get out.

And, it went just as planned.

• Zackary, are you in position? – A voice asked in his mind
• Yes, I have visual.

He replied as he looked at a display, showing a security feed from a camera.

Him, Duolc, and Afit were in the security room of the main government building in Wutai. Sephiroth was in a private room, negotiation with his enemies. For Zack, that was somewhat worrying, since from what he remembered, Sephiroth wasn’t one to negotiate, but what he was doing, wasn’t relevant to Zack. He had a simple objective.

• Strike!

At that moment, him, and his team, threw smoke and flash grenades into the room, blinding everyone.

The attack had been completely unexpected. Despite the rigorous security checks, by both Shinra Military and the Wutaian army, no-one had noticed Zack’s team get inside. The meeting’s location, inside the building, had also been a closely guarded secret. But, apparently, even such secrets, weren’t off limits for Suwabe, who had given them the location, last minute.

Rushing in, with gas masks and infra-red goggles, Zack quickly located where his former employer was. There was only one thing left to do.

He raised the buster sword from his back and rushed towards this archenemy. The man who had taken everything away from him. The monster who had taken away Aeris!

While he was still somewhat confused, Zack stabbed him, straight through the chest. The massive sword, pierced thought Sephiroth’s lungs, heart, and spine, all at the same time, making them crack like ice.

• This is for Aeris! Begone! – he growled angerly, before pulling out his sword, out of Sephiroth’s body, swinging it around, and cutting his head clean off.

He knew that it wasn’t just. Sephiroth had done so much, to hurt him, and those who he loved, that he knew that killing him, was far too merciful on his part. But he also knew better, than to try and take his time killing him. He didn’t truly know, how powerful he was, so it was better that way, than to take chances.

A surge of emotions was going through him. Everything that he had been keeping inside of himself, ever since he left Midgar, he let out. The rest of his team had secured the hostages. They were only ordered to kill Sephiroth.

• Zackary... – he heard Grigori’s voice in his head - ...is it done?
• It... is... – Zack replied, still somewhat shocked that not only was it possible to kill the Devil, but that he had been the one to do it.
• You did realllyyy goooddd. – he heard the voice whisper in his head. As it progressed, he felt it slow down, before he found himself, lying on the ground.

***

It had been about a week since Sephiroth had left for Wutai, and she hadn’t heard from him since. She would have been lying if she said that she wasn’t feeling more relaxed, what with him not being over her shoulder. But, at the same time, with the way things had gone, he was the only one who could feel this mysterious void inside of her. Perhaps that feeling, of wanting him, was a byproduct of his blessing, but whether or not that was the case, was quite irrelevant.

One thing that she didn’t get used to, was Tiqi asking where her father was. Aeris might have accepted being his, but it was still surreal to think that someone would want to be next to that monster. And it was downright scary, when that someone, was her own daughter. Someone, who should have been aware of what her father was really like.

What had her excited on that day, was Dr. Okeke’s arrival. And, it was in the early afternoon, when that happened.

• Aeris! How have you been? - Okeke asked excitedly

She recognized Aeris, the moment she saw her. She tried to make the customary small talk, but Aeris awkwardly sidestepped most of her well-intentioned questions. Especially the ones that danced around what had happened to Sephiroth. She knew, full well, that if Okeke were to learn, more than he was willing to allow, it would be the innocent doctor, whose head would be on the chopping block. Aeris also introduced the good OBGYN to Tiqi, who she hadn’t seen since her birth, and instantly fell in love with her.

• Listen, Okeke, I know that it is a big ask, but I would like to become an OBGYN. I know that it won’t be easy, but I am ready to put in the work. – Aeris said, once Tiqi had lost herself in drawing
• So, that is why Sephiroth flew me over here. – Okeke replied, in thought
• He didn’t tell you? – Aeris replied, surprised
• No, he told me that you wanted to ask something big of me, but that was it! – Okeke replied, genuinely surprised
• Do you think... that I can do it? – Aeris aske, and after she looked down
• Have you gone to university? – the doctor asked
• I wanted to, but one thing led to another, and it never happened. – Aeris replied, somewhat embarrassed
• Well, then it will be hard, just as you said. But don’t worry, I will be next to you, and will teach you everything I know. – Okeke replied reassuringly
• Thank you! – Aeris replied as she hugged her

Chapter Text

His head hurt. He didn’t know where he was. It was cold and humid. Faintly, his nose picked up on the smell of mold. In the distance, he could hear water droplets, falling and making sounds as they fall onto the ground. Said sounds, echoed across the environment as the sound waves generated by them, ricocheted off the walls. It was quite clear to him, that he was somewhere underground.

He tried to move his body but couldn’t. His hands were tied behind his back and his feet were tied together, too. It was at that moment, that he realized, that despite being unable to move, he could try. It wasn’t like before when he couldn’t even choose to struggle. He couldn’t move, because he was tied up, not because there was a parasite in his head, not allowing him to.

Unfortunately, as he came to that realization, other memories flooded his mind. Memories such as how he almost killed Aeris and her mother. How he did horrible things for the Loyalists, on his way to Wutai. Things that he couldn’t forgive himself for, despite knowing full well that he wasn’t at fault.

Speaking of Wutai, for him, that was the one good thing that had come of that whole mess. Sephiroth was dead. He vividly remembered stabbing the silver haired devil, straight through the chest, with the Buster sword’s wide blade. Just as vividly, he also remembered how after that, he pulled out said sword, and cut the devil’s head, clean off. Leaving only a headless corpse to fall to the ground.

And then... darkness. Until he found himself wherever he was now. He opened his eyes but couldn’t see anything as there was a blindfold over them. What he could gather, however, was that wherever he was, the was also an artificial light source, present in the same space as him, as the light generated by such a device, was unmistakable.

It was around that time, that he also realized that he wasn’t in a sitting position. He had been left on the cold, hard, ground by whoever had kidnapped him.

So, he lay there. Of course, he could have tried to break out of his bonds, in fact, it most likely would have been easy for him to do so, he had superhuman strength after all. Whenever he had been captured in the past, it had taken a little more than a tug, and whatever had been restricting his movements, would have fallen to the ground. Armed with his experience however, he decided to show restraint and hold off. Whomever had captured him, wasn’t a nobody and he needed to know who it was, and why, before he broke out.

So, he lay there. It was getting colder as the seconds passed, but that wasn’t a problem for him. He had been in worse situations as a SOLDIER. After three or so hours, he heard a heavy metal door open. The sound startled him as the hours of silence were pierced by the sound.

After the sound stopped, he heard two sets of footsteps. They sounded like they were stepping in shallow mud, which told him that the stone-like surface he currently lay on, didn’t cover the entire ground. By that metric, he was quite lucky.

• Is that him?

The voice was familiar to him. He remembered hearing it, right before that blasted parasite was intended into his skull.

• Is this how you store your most valuable asset?

He spoke again, and Zack almost gasped. He hadn’t been able to recognize him before, but he did now. That voice could belong to no other than Tsang.

• Well, he served his purpose, didn’t he Mr. Suwabe? – an older voice, that Zack immediately recognized as Grigori, spoke

It was at that point, that Zack cursed himself. He knew that he shouldn’t have trusted Tsang, when he had offered him his help. He knew that if a turk did something, it was because either they had something to gain from it or were ordered to do it. Zack just hoped that it was the prior, rather than the latter. While he had been a SOLDIER, he had learned a great deal, but one thing that had stood out, were the lengths to which the secret organization, that answered directly to the president of the power company, would go to achieve their objectives. No matter how morally wrong, or straight up evil they might be.

• I don’t not remember saying that Grigori. – Tsang said in a serious tone
• And I don’t remember needing to listen to you anymore. The deal is done. I did my part. I repaid you. – Grigori spoke as he raised his voice, as much as someone his age could
• Our Lord doesn’t agree with that. In fact, that is the reason I am here. The death was supposed to be public and performed in front of an audience. What good does it do if there were no witnesses? Do you know how much additional trouble you have made me, and my team go through? – Tsang asked

What were they taking about? – was the only question that Zack could ask himself. What did it matter, where and how Sephiroth was killed? He was dead. Was there a plot that Tsang was involved in, that sought to use his death for some sort of political gain? If he could, he would have held out for longer, but that last bit, made him say to himself that enough was enough.

With a tug on his restraints, the cuffs that held his hands together broke and the rope around his legs, were no longer an issue. The moments his hands were free, he took off the blindfold that was over his eyes and looked at where the sound of the two figures speaking, was coming from.

Just as he had suspected earlier, he was in a cave of some sort. Or at least a room in a cave. A heavy-duty metal door prevented anyone who didn’t have the key, to get in or out.

And, as expected, before him stood Grigori and Tsang. The prior had a surprised expression on his face. Whether it was because he didn’t expect Zack to be able to control his own body, or because he had expected him to be unconscious for longer, didn’t matter. Tsang on the other hand, looked suspiciously calm and collected. As if he had been expecting that. Before Zack could react, and cast a spell to kill the two people, who had caused him so much pain, he found himself unable to move.

A circle of dark energy, formed below him and from it, strings of magic extended to his knees, wrists, and neck. No matter how much strength he used, to try and break out of the spell, he couldn’t and seconds after, he was forced to his knees, into a submissive pose with his hands behind his back, his knees spread from one another and his head looking up at a 45° angle.

• What is happening... to me...? – Zack asked through clenched teeth

He knew that Tsang was incapable of such magic. It required years of training and even then, it was a spell that even him, an ex-SOLDIER who was quite proficient at magic, couldn’t cast.

Silence overtook the room. Grigori’s mouth was wide open, indicating that he was just as surprised as Zack, at the way everything was unfolding. Tsang, on the other hand, just turned to his left, towards the heavy metal door and kneeled on one knee.

• Grigori, you will obey, for as long as I desire. Your entire existence belongs to me, and as such, I declare your life forfeit.

A very distinct voice spoke. A voice that made Zack freeze. There was and always will be, a singular being, that could channel such power and such evil in his voice. His name need not be mentioned.

• Both life and death serve a purpose. My death, served as a message to everyone in Midgar, that Wutai is not to be trusted. And that their entire empire is a threat. As such, I will have everyone’s support to lead a war against them. Unfortunately for you, Grigori, your death will serve no purpose.

As soon as these words left the devil’s lips, the entire room lit up and agonizing screams, could be heard from Grigori. His entire body was set on fire. He screamed and screamed, while the flames completely consumed him, both inside and out, until he screamed no more, and the ex-leader of the Loyalists was nothing more than a scorched skeleton on the ground.

• Leave us. – the voice, whose owner still hadn’t entered the room ordered.

Tsang stood up and exited the room. And then, he entered. Tall, immaculate, and powerful. As he always was, with a silver mane following behind him.

Zack could only stare in disbelief. The man who he clearly remembered killing, was not just alive, but was also taunting him. From the moment Zack heard Sephiroth’s voice, outside the room, he knew that he was the author of his nightmares.

It all made sense. Him meeting Tsang was not a coincidence. From the moment when he found out that his friend Gail, whom he had never actually seen, was Tsang, he should have realized that it was all a scheme. Too bad that at the time, he was more than desperate. And from what had just transpired before him, it was quite clear that the Loyalists were dancing to Sephiroth’s tune as well, albeit not directly.

• How are you still alive? – Zack asked. To say that he was surprised, would have been an understatement
• It would take longer than it is appropriate to explain, but let us just say, that it was the last of my replacements that you struck down. – Sephiroth replied smugly
• Then... it was you! – Zack asked in a tone that was both desperate and angry at the same time
• Of course, Zackary. It was always me. I ordered Tsang to replace your dear friend, who tried to help you when you needed it the most. I was the one who was behind the creation of the Loyalists and giving Grigori a second chance. One that he wasted, as matter of fact. – Sephiroth replied as he stood in front of Zack and looked down at him
• That means... that it was you who ordered the attack on Nibelheim. You are the one who had Aeris kidnapped and had the whole town burned to the ground! – Zack replied, with as much anger as he could muster, given his weakened state
• A necessary action, albeit one that was a bit distasteful to me. She had to forget you, Zackary. If my plan were to work.
• Aeris... Why... Why her? Why do all of this? What do you gain from Aeris’ suffering? I don’t care about me and what you made me do, but why her? Why did she do to you? Why are you destroying her mind? I can’t even begin to comprehend you.

Tears were pooling up in Zack’s eyes. Her life had been hell, ever since Sephiroth kidnapped her, however long ago that was. He himself had just gotten to the point where the happy memories he had shared with Aeris were starting to fade.

• If my nature had been made to suit your comprehension rather than my own requirements, I am afraid I would have made a very poor figure in the world. The reason Zackary is because I need her. Originally, it was just because of her connection to the white materia. I needed to keep her next to me, so that the white materia can serve its purpose. But, as I spent time with her, I realized that I also need her. To this day, I still haven’t figured out the reason, why I like to see her on her knees before me, more than any other woman.

Throughout the entire monologue, Zack could only stare in disbelief. Sephiroth was truly out of his mind. Or perhaps, and that was the scarier option, he was completely in his mind. Either way, what he was currently witnessing, was the real Sephiroth. Not the impostor that had been his friend, however long ago that was. And now, he would rule the entire world. Zack knew full well, that Wutai had no chance against Sephiroth. It wasn’t going to be a war, but a bloodbath. And for those who would be left alive, would most likely be either tortured to death, or be turned into slaves. Two equally horrible deaths.

Meanwhile, Midgar would grow rich, and its entire population would rave about having Sephiroth as their Emperor. And Aeris? Aeris would most likely be an Empress with no power. Or, at the very least, no power, for her to do as she saw fit with. And that would be that. He had won.

• And what would you do with all that power? – Zack asked, knowing full well that the words that had just left his mouth, may very well be his last
• Save us. Save humanity. Yes, sacrifices were and will be necessary, but without the true power of materia, there will be no future for Gaia and no future for us. There is no other like our planet. And whenever the tragic day comes, when we have to leave her for the stars, with sadness in our hearts, we will leave in order to survive. But if I do not do what is necessary now, said future will never exist, and the entire planet, will fall into a pit of sloth. – Sephiroth spoke in a voice, cold as ice
• And, why you? Why this way? – Zack asked
• Oh, do not ask me that. You know why Zackary. Because everyone else is busy arguing, debating, and fighting each other. There is only one true way to unite everyone, and that is under a single leader. Look at the past, look how much we achieved during the time of kings, tsars, and emperors. Look around nowadays. Governments can barely function. Meanwhile, private organizations, propel the world forward. Do you know why that is? It is because they have a clear focus, and do not waste time in senseless debates.

In a split second, Zack felt pain, like he never had before, and after blinking he saw the Masamune, materialized in Sephiroth’s hand.

• Good and evil do not exist. Only intents and actions, coming from different perspectives. What is evil for some, is holy for others. I have committed atrocities, I know, believe me I do. People speak sometimes about the "bestial" cruelty of man, but that is terribly unjust and offensive to beasts, no animal could ever be so cruel as a man, so artfully, so artistically cruel. And I know I am. But some things must be done, no matter the cost.

The magic around Zack disappeared and Sephiroth lifted him in the air, using the Masamune, that was going through his chest. Then, Sephiroth recited:

We see the Planet through a viewport now.

The way a daughter would miss her mother, we miss the planet - there is no other.

And the stars are getting closer but remain as cold. Just like in the time of eclipse, we seek the light and dream of the Planet’s dreams.

And dream we not of a thunderous spaceport, not of the icy azure. We're dreaming of the grass outside our homes, the green, green grass.

And we fly orbits, through untouched paths, embroidering the space with meteors. The risk and bravery are justified.

In dim smoke, Gaia is the light. Sunset mingled with sunrise. The daughter is missing her mother, the mother is waiting for her daughter, and so is Gaia.

Chapter Text

And... it is done. Finally! This journey, from when I emailed Lyra asking for permission to write a spin-off, to the day of posting this final chapter, lasted one year and five days. It still boggles my mind that I actually finished it. Did it come out as well as I hoped? No. Did I manage to write in everything that I wanted? No. Did I have fun writing it? Hell yea, even if by the end, I was more than ready to move onto something else. All in all, it was quite the experience, and I learnt a lot.

Something that I’m sad to announce, is that there most likely won’t be a part 3, like I originally intended.

And now, I will do a bit of a self-critique, since pointing out what went right, isn’t as useful, as what went wrong.

1. It’s a circle. The entire idea behind the Prisonic Fairytale series, was to explore the idea of “what if the ShK had a bad ending”. And unfortunately, I realized quite late, that a bad ending, the way I wanted it, would mean essentially undoing the “jungle arc” (as I like to call it) of the original. And that doesn’t make for something compelling by default since there is nothing new. There was plenty of Sephiroth breaking Aeris’ mind in the original. What I hoped would make it fresher, was the way I phrase things, but in hindsight, it wasn’t enough.
2. The release schedule. That was quite a big one, since even though nobody pushed me to release anything, I felt like I had to and that lead to some creative challenges and lower quality.
3. Even though, I like my current writing style, because it gives me a lot of flexibility, it doesn’t really scale with bigger stories. For something, say until 10,000 words, it is probably fine, but for anything bigger, it starts to fall apart, and as a result, quality suffers. For anyone who is interested, the way I write is to create a document, where I have ideas about what I want to happen in the story, and then just write as I go. The problem with that, is that I have a vague idea about what will happen in the story. I know the general direction, but I have found that in most cases, it isn’t enough.

So, what about the future? Well, in about two months, there will be a big change to the way I live my life, so I will be busy with adjusting to a new life, if you will. It isn’t as dramatic as I make it out to be, but what I am trying to say, is that I will not have a lot of time to write. Also, my next “big project” will not be released as I write it. Instead, I will go back to what I did with “A Flower and a Child” and write the whole thing before I start releasing chapters. This is something that my new workflow will necessitate, but even if it didn’t, I would have still done this.

This is somewhat unexpected for me, but I’m actually quite exited to try out a new workflow. Mick Gordon, who made the soundtrack for the new Wolfenstein and Doom games, said something, that I believe is very true. “Change the process, change the outcome”. So, I will do just that, and hope that something good will come of it.

All in all, expect the next “thing” to release sometime next year. Depending on how life turns out, it may come earlier or later than that, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. If you want to be notified when it does come out, you can follow me, I guess.

As for what it will be about, to put it simply, I am still not sure. It will be about FF7, and it will probably be a ship. I am thinking Mafia AU with fantasy elements and cyberpunk sprinkled in there for good measure.

Because I am aware that I will not always be in the mood to work on a singular idea, I will probably try to write two or more stories at a time, while switching between them. Those additional stories will most likely be much smaller in scope and one of them, may release in late August this year, if all is well. It will be smut, so do not expect anything groundbreaking in terms of storytelling. The ship will also be one that I haven’t seen on the site (it is possible that I am blind and have missed it), so I plan on seizing the opportunity. Sephiroth x Sae Nijima from Persona 5. And yes, it will be kinky, with Seph as the Dom and Sae as the sub. It is OOC for her, but I don’t really care.

I was planning on compiling a list of all the references that I have made in this fic, but ultimately, I think that it would be more interesting, if I let the reader find them on their own. So, happy hunting.

I am sure that the way I ended this story, won’t be to everyone’s liking, but this is how envisioned the end, when I started work on this, last year, and I am sticking to it.

Finally, before I sign off, I would like to give one last thank you to Lyra_Sanzennine for letting me play in her universe. None of this, would exist, had she not written Shevirat ha-Kelim. Before I started work on this series, I had plans to write fan fiction, but I never envisioned myself writing 73k words. Writing this, has given me the courage (there is a difference between courage and confidence) to go much further than I expected to be able to. So, again, thank you Lyra.

This is goodbye from me, for now. I will be back at some point. When? I don’t know, time will tell.

I wish, to anyone reading this, good luck in all aspects of life.

- Davith Einsof