Chapter 10: Reunion, the Cycle of Life
(This section will focus on Loz as the speaker) I safely carried Sephiroth to Mother's church to help him heal in the black pond there. Black water had great healing properties for our kind and Queen SEPHIROVA ordered me to bring him there for that reason. The other reason I was to come here was due to a current lack of intel on Shinra whereabouts at the time, and we had hoped the enemy didn't discover this place yet. Rufus had already done a nasty blow to Sephiroth with that awful system of his, and we couldn't risk his company making the problem worse for Big Brother than it already was. When I arrived, I approached the black pond and gently lowered Sephiroth into it. The poor man was still trembling even though his weeping slowed quite a lot. He sat up, and I also went in to join him. I didn't know what to do here. He wouldn't talk at all the entire way here, and he wouldn't stop shaking either. I asked "Sephiroth, are you ok?" Sephiroth replied "I will be now... if not for your coming to rescue me, I would be in worse shape, Brother." I nodded and said "What has gotten into that man? It's like he lost all sanity or himself completely! I've never seen someone so sadistic!" Sephiroth added "I don't know anymore than you, Brother. But I can tell you he is not one of us anymore. His crimes, everything he has done up to now... all of it is unspeakably vain. There is no forgiving him now. We have to kill him and save the others from the same fate he gave me; there's no other choice." I asked "Right, but... why do you sound so weak and won't stop shaking like that, Big Brother?" Sephiroth replied "It must be those cables he put in me during that experiment... he disabled my JENOVA cells at the time as well. I do have them back now, but the experiment was brutal and left me in poor condition after he pulled them from me... I am no shape to fight. Not for some time, I'm afraid." I worried "Sephiroth... please don't die... please!" Sephiroth lifted his arm, and gently put his fingers on the side of my face. He smiled and said "Don't give me that look, Brother. Keep fighting, bring down Shinra with the others... and become JENOVA SOLDIER 1st Class as you promised Mother." I put my hand on his, and listened. Sephiroth continued "You must fight on, Brother... for Mother, and her legacy... you can't stop. I trust you with the fate of Mother's kingdom, and the future of her legacy..." Then he gagged on blood, and I felt his hand slip out of mine as he fell on his back, not moving at all. I panicked "No! Am I too late..?" I shifted towards where his body laid still, and took him into my arms, gently brushing his silver hair. His eyes were shut, and he wouldn't move. I cried "No..! Sephiroth, don't go!" I splashed the black water on him several times, saying "Not you! I'm not gonna lose you, Big Brother! I won't lose anyone else!" I kept splashing the water on him, but he wouldn't budge. Tears fell from my face, and I stopped splashing. I said "No... Sephiroth..." I looked up and cried "Mother, help us! Please!" A thin ray of black and green descended towards where I was, and entered Sephiroth's body. The single ray quickly became several streams that penetrated Sephiroth's body. I kept my stare on his body, hoping he would move or at least say something. The holes on either side of his body closed up, and Sephiroth coughed a few times before gently opening his eyes. He said "Brother... but why?" I answered "Because, Sephiroth... we're family, brethren... and I won't leave anyone behind no matter the stakes." Sephiroth said "Loz..." He brought his face to mine, wrapping his arms around me. I had never seen Big Brother warm up to anyone but Mother like this: he had kissed me! When he let go and stopped, he was smiling at me, and slipped out of my arms. He stood, and helped me up as well. I said "Well, we'd better go after Shinra before they make a big mess. We can't wait around for that--" Sephiroth interrupted me "Not yet, I want to stay here a bit longer. We'll get them by surprise unless we're given further orders beforehand." He turned around, seeming to stare off into space silently. I mumbled "Brother... what are you thinking..? I've never seen you act like this..." Of course, he didn't hear me. I saw a strong gleam of light from behind, and turned to look and see what it was. There was a white sphere of light that seemed to give shape of something slowly. I kept looking at it, and the light gave form of what looked like a person, slowly giving way to details. I ended up seeing a young child, with long silver hair, wearing a black leather jacket, and leather pants, along with black boots; he appeared to be only 9 years old. His eyes were closed, and he was laying still as though sleeping. His hair looked like it could drag on the ground when he walked. However, the front wasn't like Sephiroth's; it was more straight and smooth. Confused, I wondered "Um... what just happened? This doesn't make any sense..." Sephiroth grabbed my shoulder from behind, and said "Do you remember what Mother's doctrines say about the cycle of life?" I replied "Umm... something about when two family members form a bond of trust or something, the whatsit force becomes physical and gives life to another person?" Sephiroth laughed and said "I had a feeling you forgot the exact words. But worry not, I know Mother's doctrines by heart. The passage reads as follows: 'when two remnants or black-winged children form a bond of deep unity, the power of Reunion gives birth to a new life-form to expand and protect my legacy'." I said "Wait, then... that child is..?" Sephiroth finished "The end result of that process. It's our job to protect him and keep him from Shinra's rotten clutches. I won't allow them to do to anyone else what they did to me." I asked "So then, he's..." I began to panic "Whaaa?!! Are you mad, Brother?!! You... you feel like that..?!" Sephiroth replied "Stop rambling and start helping get him get to safety. There's nobody here but us which means only we can take him somewhere safe." Now I felt embarrassed; I didn't know what to think anymore. I groaned in exasperation, and followed him to where the child was sleeping. Sephiroth turned to me and said "I want you to carry him. I will fight off any enemy forces that come our way. There's no time to panic or argue, Brother. If Shinra knows I'm here, they'll come barreling here with haste to finish me off. I doubt they would let this innocent child live as well. How do you think Mother would feel about that? Having one of her children die before he gets to see the kingdom or live his life?" Despite my embarrassment, I carefully took the kid into my arms, and followed Sephiroth out of the area. I asked "Brother, you don't actually... you know..?" Sephiroth replied "Don't make rash assumptions, Loz. What happened in there is not what you're thinking it is; I simply trust you greatly with this fight. Calm down, Brother. Don't drive yourself crazy thinking like that." I sighed in relief and said "Phew... just tell me next time, ok? I almost went nuts over that!" Sephiroth laughed but didn't speak. I said "Well, at least we might have an extra hand in JENOVA SOLDIER here. I don't know what his potential might be, but he might be great help to the group if we train him." Sephiroth agreed "Naturally. Though he is still a bit young, we need all the support we can get with Shinra on the loose. That may also be why he was birthed, the obvious rules aside written in Mother's doctrines. Mother would never give Shinra any leniency, my Brother. Their crimes are unforgivable." I nodded in agreement. We walked in silence from there on to avoid being spotted by the enemy.
To be Continued...
(This section will focus on Loz as the speaker) I safely carried Sephiroth to Mother's church to help him heal in the black pond there. Black water had great healing properties for our kind and Queen SEPHIROVA ordered me to bring him there for that reason. The other reason I was to come here was due to a current lack of intel on Shinra whereabouts at the time, and we had hoped the enemy didn't discover this place yet. Rufus had already done a nasty blow to Sephiroth with that awful system of his, and we couldn't risk his company making the problem worse for Big Brother than it already was. When I arrived, I approached the black pond and gently lowered Sephiroth into it. The poor man was still trembling even though his weeping slowed quite a lot. He sat up, and I also went in to join him. I didn't know what to do here. He wouldn't talk at all the entire way here, and he wouldn't stop shaking either. I asked "Sephiroth, are you ok?" Sephiroth replied "I will be now... if not for your coming to rescue me, I would be in worse shape, Brother." I nodded and said "What has gotten into that man? It's like he lost all sanity or himself completely! I've never seen someone so sadistic!" Sephiroth added "I don't know anymore than you, Brother. But I can tell you he is not one of us anymore. His crimes, everything he has done up to now... all of it is unspeakably vain. There is no forgiving him now. We have to kill him and save the others from the same fate he gave me; there's no other choice." I asked "Right, but... why do you sound so weak and won't stop shaking like that, Big Brother?" Sephiroth replied "It must be those cables he put in me during that experiment... he disabled my JENOVA cells at the time as well. I do have them back now, but the experiment was brutal and left me in poor condition after he pulled them from me... I am no shape to fight. Not for some time, I'm afraid." I worried "Sephiroth... please don't die... please!" Sephiroth lifted his arm, and gently put his fingers on the side of my face. He smiled and said "Don't give me that look, Brother. Keep fighting, bring down Shinra with the others... and become JENOVA SOLDIER 1st Class as you promised Mother." I put my hand on his, and listened. Sephiroth continued "You must fight on, Brother... for Mother, and her legacy... you can't stop. I trust you with the fate of Mother's kingdom, and the future of her legacy..." Then he gagged on blood, and I felt his hand slip out of mine as he fell on his back, not moving at all. I panicked "No! Am I too late..?" I shifted towards where his body laid still, and took him into my arms, gently brushing his silver hair. His eyes were shut, and he wouldn't move. I cried "No..! Sephiroth, don't go!" I splashed the black water on him several times, saying "Not you! I'm not gonna lose you, Big Brother! I won't lose anyone else!" I kept splashing the water on him, but he wouldn't budge. Tears fell from my face, and I stopped splashing. I said "No... Sephiroth..." I looked up and cried "Mother, help us! Please!" A thin ray of black and green descended towards where I was, and entered Sephiroth's body. The single ray quickly became several streams that penetrated Sephiroth's body. I kept my stare on his body, hoping he would move or at least say something. The holes on either side of his body closed up, and Sephiroth coughed a few times before gently opening his eyes. He said "Brother... but why?" I answered "Because, Sephiroth... we're family, brethren... and I won't leave anyone behind no matter the stakes." Sephiroth said "Loz..." He brought his face to mine, wrapping his arms around me. I had never seen Big Brother warm up to anyone but Mother like this: he had kissed me! When he let go and stopped, he was smiling at me, and slipped out of my arms. He stood, and helped me up as well. I said "Well, we'd better go after Shinra before they make a big mess. We can't wait around for that--" Sephiroth interrupted me "Not yet, I want to stay here a bit longer. We'll get them by surprise unless we're given further orders beforehand." He turned around, seeming to stare off into space silently. I mumbled "Brother... what are you thinking..? I've never seen you act like this..." Of course, he didn't hear me. I saw a strong gleam of light from behind, and turned to look and see what it was. There was a white sphere of light that seemed to give shape of something slowly. I kept looking at it, and the light gave form of what looked like a person, slowly giving way to details. I ended up seeing a young child, with long silver hair, wearing a black leather jacket, and leather pants, along with black boots; he appeared to be only 9 years old. His eyes were closed, and he was laying still as though sleeping. His hair looked like it could drag on the ground when he walked. However, the front wasn't like Sephiroth's; it was more straight and smooth. Confused, I wondered "Um... what just happened? This doesn't make any sense..." Sephiroth grabbed my shoulder from behind, and said "Do you remember what Mother's doctrines say about the cycle of life?" I replied "Umm... something about when two family members form a bond of trust or something, the whatsit force becomes physical and gives life to another person?" Sephiroth laughed and said "I had a feeling you forgot the exact words. But worry not, I know Mother's doctrines by heart. The passage reads as follows: 'when two remnants or black-winged children form a bond of deep unity, the power of Reunion gives birth to a new life-form to expand and protect my legacy'." I said "Wait, then... that child is..?" Sephiroth finished "The end result of that process. It's our job to protect him and keep him from Shinra's rotten clutches. I won't allow them to do to anyone else what they did to me." I asked "So then, he's..." I began to panic "Whaaa?!! Are you mad, Brother?!! You... you feel like that..?!" Sephiroth replied "Stop rambling and start helping get him get to safety. There's nobody here but us which means only we can take him somewhere safe." Now I felt embarrassed; I didn't know what to think anymore. I groaned in exasperation, and followed him to where the child was sleeping. Sephiroth turned to me and said "I want you to carry him. I will fight off any enemy forces that come our way. There's no time to panic or argue, Brother. If Shinra knows I'm here, they'll come barreling here with haste to finish me off. I doubt they would let this innocent child live as well. How do you think Mother would feel about that? Having one of her children die before he gets to see the kingdom or live his life?" Despite my embarrassment, I carefully took the kid into my arms, and followed Sephiroth out of the area. I asked "Brother, you don't actually... you know..?" Sephiroth replied "Don't make rash assumptions, Loz. What happened in there is not what you're thinking it is; I simply trust you greatly with this fight. Calm down, Brother. Don't drive yourself crazy thinking like that." I sighed in relief and said "Phew... just tell me next time, ok? I almost went nuts over that!" Sephiroth laughed but didn't speak. I said "Well, at least we might have an extra hand in JENOVA SOLDIER here. I don't know what his potential might be, but he might be great help to the group if we train him." Sephiroth agreed "Naturally. Though he is still a bit young, we need all the support we can get with Shinra on the loose. That may also be why he was birthed, the obvious rules aside written in Mother's doctrines. Mother would never give Shinra any leniency, my Brother. Their crimes are unforgivable." I nodded in agreement. We walked in silence from there on to avoid being spotted by the enemy.
To be Continued...
