Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Us And Them ❯ Chapter 4: April, 2171 ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 4: April, 2171

“Seph!” bellowed a loud voice, “Get yer silver ass over here and take care o' that cart!”

Fifteen-year-old Sephiroth looked up from his map and hurried over to where his supervisor, 20-year-old Barrett Wallace was waiting.

“Damn…” Barrett whistled as he watched the silver-haired youth effortlessly push the cart filled with coal out of the mine. Five years working with that kid, and yet the boy's strength never ceased to amaze him.

Gast had settled the family in a house located in downtown Corel. He had taken a job as a doctor, while Ifalna stayed home taking care of Aeris and Sephiroth.

Sephiroth had been put in school, but quickly tested into tenth grade. Gast hired a tutor for the boy. By the time he was ten, he'd passed his high school equivalency test and had taken a job part-time in the coal mines.

“Aren't there child labor laws here?” Ifalna had asked.

“Sephiroth doesn't need those laws,” Gast had chuckled, “Something tells me he'll do a better job than the full-time workers,”

It was true. Not only did he excel at his job for only being ten years old, but Barrett, who was also working part-time, had taken him under his wing. Barrett was loud and often quite rough, but Sephiroth knew it was just a macho front and put up with it.

In the meantime, he'd kept up his swordplay, even taking kendo classes. Now he was a junior instructor at the local dojo, and he owned a real metal sword, albeit with a dulled edge. Eventually, he came to be known as the town's resident “boy wonder”, though he was still pretty much a loner for the most part.

Aeris was able to grow up normally, attending the local public school. Though her intelligence didn't compare to Sephiroth's genius, she still excelled in all her classes, particularly reading.

“She has her father's brains, after all,” Gast had said proudly.

She was a sweet child, who was the spitting image of her mother, in looks and in her special abilities. By the age of four, Aeris was already tending to her own houseplants, and listening to the Planet. Ifalna had educated her daughter on her abilities, and also had warned her not to reveal them to anybody.

“Hey, Seph!”

Sephiroth turned around and looked at his older friend.

“It's two-thirty,” Barrett grinned, “Get the hell outta here,”

Sephiroth smirked slightly and nodded at the buff man. “Later,” he waved.

Dozens of children came running out of Corel's elementary school. Among them was seven-year-old Aeris Gast, though her family hadn't used that last name since arriving at Corel all those years ago, instead, adopting the name Lanier.

Happy to be done with school for the week, Aeris looked around the sea of parents there until she saw a familiar face waiting for her.

“Hi, Sephy!” Aeris broke into a big grin and ran over to her “big brother”.

Sephiroth smiled and held his hand out to her, which she promptly took. Together, they left the schoolyard and walked down the road leading home.

“How was school?”

“Boring. All we do on Fridays is review what we learned the rest of the week,”

“Mmm,”

“Hey, big brother?”

“Hmm?”

“Can we go to the park later today?”

“I don't see why not. We'll leave a note for Mom as soon as we get back home,”

Ifalna had taken a part-time job at the pharmacy once Aeris had started Kindergarten. Usually, she got off in time to pick Aeris up from school, but she usually stayed later on Fridays, since Sephiroth would work an earlier shift and would fetch Aeris in her place.

Aeris smiled brightly. The park was her favorite place to play. She could amuse herself for hours there when given the chance. Not only could she run endlessly through the fields, and play on the small playground with the other children, but it was the best place to hear the Planet's voice. She could lie on the grass for up to a half-hour sometimes. Though the other residents of Corel found that behavior to be slightly odd, they merely dismissed it as a childish idiosyncrasy.

“Hurry up, Sephy!” Aeris was growing impatient with their leisurely pace and had begun to tug on the older boy's arm.

“Fine, fine,” Sephiroth scooped the little girl up off her feet and into his arms. With a squeal of surprise, she managed to scramble onto his back until she was riding him piggy-back. Sephiroth began to jog the rest of the way home, with Aeris laughing gleefully the whole time.

_____________________________________________________________

Vincent stood on the outskirts of town watching the sun setting behind it. He'd heard about the Lanier family from a reliable source. Having his suspicions, he'd followed the rumors to Corel.

Seven years he'd searched. Less than a year after he left Sephiroth with Gast, he'd felt compelled to return to Icicle Inn. Despite all the rationalizing about Sephiroth being better off without him, he'd found himself wanting to know the results of the DNA test he was sure Gast had conducted. If he was Sephiroth's father, well…he wasn't sure what he could possibly do for the boy now, considering his mission to destroy Shinra.

However, all he found was an empty house and dozens of wild rumors about the eccentric man with the glasses and his family. He'd spent those seven years chasing after every rumor he'd encountered. Finally, his efforts had led him to Corel.

Taking a deep breath, Vincent slowly began making his way into town.

_____________________________________________________________

Sephiroth sat on a bench watching Aeris playing with a few of her schoolmates. He'd been there for over an hour-and-a-half. He would have preferred to get home early to catch up on his swordplay, but he'd always had a soft spot for his adoptive sister, and could never say no to her.

“Eight…nine…ten…ready or not, here I come!!”

Sephiroth watched Aeris scouting around the playground in search of her playmates. He'd seen where each of the three other children had hid. Not very original hiding spots. He figured that once she found them, it would be time to go home.

He closed his eyes for a second as he listened to the sounds around him. The birds, the insects, the children…even the pickup softball game going on in the field. He'd heard those sounds so many times, but he could never get enough of it. Had Professor Gast not found that riddle Hojo left in the Shinra mansion, he would've never freed Vincent, who in turn, would have never freed Sephiroth from the Shinra labs.

The only good thing he's ever done for me…

Sephiroth was ripped from his reflections when he heard Aeris' terrified scream coming from behind him. Quickly, he bolted to his feet and blindly followed the sound. Suddenly, he felt someone small slamming into him. He looked down to see Aeris clinging to him, her eyes wide in terror.

“What's wrong?” he asked sharply.

“There's a scary man!!” Aeris pointed at a shadowy figure about fifteen feet behind her. Sephiroth recognized a familiar red cloak.

“Let's get out of here now,” Sephiroth grabbed her hand and led her away.

“Who is he?” Aeris asked worriedly.

“No one worth talking to,” Sephiroth replied angrily, “Let's go before he can bother us anymore,”

_____________________________________________________________

Vincent watched Sephiroth and the little girl leave, wondering at Sephiroth's hostile reaction to seeing him. He was sure the boy had recognized him.

Were those tests positive? Does he now resent me for leaving him? I suppose he should…

The girl bore a resemblance to Gast's wife. Perhaps they'd had children. It would explain why she had been with Sephiroth. No matter, though. It was going to take a lot more to shake him off. He'd spent a long time trying to locate the Gast family, and no angry teenager was going to shoo him away just yet.

_____________________________________________________________

“You both seem quiet this evening,” Ifalna observed as the family sat in the living room watching TV.

Sephiroth shrugged. He'd always been taciturn. That was nothing new.

“Not that I wouldn't expect that from Sephiroth,” she continued, “But…” she turned to look at Aeris, who looked away.

“I'm just…thinking about…chocobos!” the little girl lied. Sephiroth had asked her not to tell their parents about the strange man in the park.

Sephiroth closed his eyes. His kid sister had always been a terrible liar.

“Chocobos?” Ifalna obviously wasn't buying it. “And what about chocobos?”

“Um…well, I was thinking that…” Aeris fumbled for a good story, “When I grow up…I want to get a…blue chocobo,”

“And that's been on your mind all evening since you came home?”

“Blue chocobos…require a lot of thought!” Aeris covered, trying to sound as grown-up as she could.

Her father snickered.

“All right,” Ifalna wasn't having it anymore, “What happened? Sephiroth? Don't think I can't see that look in your eyes either- you're both hiding something. Spill it,”

The doorbell rang.

“I'll get it,” Sephiroth sprang to his feet and headed toward the door.

“I'll help!” Aeris dashed after him.

“This isn't over!” Ifalna called after them, “Honestly!” She shook her head at her husband, “Chocobos?”

Suddenly, Aeris screamed. Both parents ran to the front door where they saw Aeris shoving Sephiroth's sheathed sword into his hands.

“Don't come any closer! My big brother'll cut you into little pieces!” Aeris warned the red-cloaked man in the doorway. She promptly hid behind Sephiroth.

“What the hell do you want?” Sephiroth spat at him, “Haven't you scared her enough for one day?”

“Vincent?” the professor scowled, “Is that you?”

“May I come in?” Vincent asked.

“What for?” Sephiroth sneered.

“Sephiroth, let him in,” Ifalna said wearily.

“But-!”

“Let him in,” the professor echoed.

Sephiroth sullenly obeyed, and stepped aside, allowing his biological father to come inside.

_____________________________________________________________

“So it's true then,” Vincent sighed as he sat at the kitchen table with the two adults, “And now my son hates me. But at least he's safe…he's happy…isn't he?”

“Vincent…” Ifalna looked sympathetic.

“It's not like I didn't expect it,” Vincent looked down at the table, “The longer it took for me to find him, the more resentment I knew he'd have toward me,”

“I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away from your own child,” said the professor, “How did you even find us? We had no way of letting you know where we were,”

“I searched for a long time,” Vincent admitted, “A lot has happened since we last saw each other…”

_____________________________________________________________

“I can't hear what they're saying,” Aeris complained.

She and Sephiroth were waiting outside while the adults talked.

“I have no interest in what that man has to say,” Sephiroth said coldly.

“But he's not a bad man,” Aeris cocked her head to one side and looked at Sephiroth, “Mama and Papa let him in and they're just talking. He's not even that scary once he takes off that cape and the thing on his arm. Who is he?”

“He…” the silver-haired youth hesitated, “He's my real father,”

“Really?” Aeris looked intrigued, then frightened, “Did he come to take you with him? Are you gonna leave us?”

“Of course not,” Sephiroth answered immediately, “This house is where my family is. Vincent Valentine abandoned me years ago. He did one good thing for me and then ditched me,”

“What did he do?”

“He got me out of the Shinra labs,”

“He got you away from the bad people?”

Sephiroth nodded.

“But he saved you,” Aeris pointed out, “He must love you if he saved you,”

“After wallowing in his own self-pity for seven years,” Sephiroth added, “If he really loved me, he'd have used those weird powers he had then to save me before they could put me through all the hell I went through as a little kid!”

Aeris immediately held out her hand. Sephiroth sighed and dug into his pocket, pulling out a gil coin and handing it over. It was a ritual they'd had for three years now.

“Don't swear,” Aeris scolded him as she pocketed the money, “You sound like Barrett,”

The teen sighed again.

_____________________________________________________________

“Avalanche?” Ifalna frowned, “What's that?”

“Let's just say that I'm not alone in my quest to destroy Shinra,” Vincent told her, “I've since met a few others who hate what they've done as much as I do,”

“So you've joined a terrorist organization then?” Professor Gast shook his head, “When did this happen?”

“About six months ago, while I was searching, one of the false leads led me to them,” Vincent explained, “They…helped me find you,”

“Terrorists know where we live…” Ifalna sighed, “Lovely,”

“Avalanche isn't like that,” Vincent insisted, “They could protect you. Hojo is still searching for you. If I managed to find you eventually, so could he- outside help or none,”

“We're aware of the fact that Hojo is still a threat,” Gast acknowledged, “Shinra is trying to take the world by force,”

“So you're aware of their invasion of Wutai,” said Vincent, “Yes, they've begun to stoop to even lower levels. Junon is slowly being taken over, along with Gongaga. Until Shinra has a political and economic hold on every country, I doubt that they'll stop their reign of terror,”

Ifalna sighed and looked worriedly at her husband.

“You always read historical texts about dictators who have enslaved countries like this,” Gast looked weary, “But how does one stop an entire corporation?”

“We realize it's not easy,” Vincent admitted, “But if no one tries to stop them, it'll only get worse,”

He stood up. “I should probably be on my way. I'll be staying at the inn for a few days. Goodnight, Professor…Ifalna. I hope you consider my offer,”

_____________________________________________________________

“Preparations for your flight to Corel tomorrow are complete, Professor,”

Hojo nodded absently at the trooper standing in front of him. The boy left the lab.

Finally…after seven years…I knew it would be a matter of time. All I had to do was follow that ex-Turk…soon the Promised Land will be within reach…

He smirked. Gast…I've already taken your job…but the look on your face when I take your entire family away from you…but that's what you get for standing in my way. Soon…the woman and those two children will be mine!

_____________________________________________________________

Sephiroth sighed as he walked down the road the next evening. His concentration had been off, and the head instructor had sent him home early to “get his head straight”.

He'd arrived home, only for Ifalna to send him out to buy groceries. Bored, Aeris had begged him to let her come with him, and he'd agreed.

“Sephy, slow down!” the little girl whined as she struggled to hold onto one of the bags and keep up with the older boy.

Sephiroth realized how fast he was walking, and slowed his pace, allowing the child to catch up.

“Sure was a long list,” Aeris observed, “How long have we been out?”

“Almost two hours,” Sephiroth answered as he wrinkled his nose. Could swear I smell smoke…

“Hold it!”

Sephiroth and Aeris turned around to see three troopers pointing their guns at them.

“Sephy…?” Aeris dropped the bag of groceries and clung to her brother.

“Is there something wrong?” Sephiroth asked coolly.

“We have orders to take you in,” one of the troopers glared at the two kids, “Just come along quietly. We've already taken your parents into custody,”

“What?!” Aeris looked horrified.

“Technically, Hojo only needs the woman,” another trooper said, “So unless you want Professor Gast to die, I'd suggest you come with us now,”

“How do we know you're not lying?” Sephiroth glared at them.

“How do you know we are?” the lead trooper countered.

“You know that I could kill you with my bare hands,” Sephiroth narrowed his eyes.

“Bullshit!” the second trooper scoffed, “What the hell can a scrawny kid like you do?”

“…Don't tempt me,” Sephiroth hissed.

The second trooper made a move to grab Sephiroth, but the youth quickly caught the man's arm and promptly twisted it behind his back.

“I could snap that arm if I wanted to,” Sephiroth leered at the other two troopers as the second one cried out in pain.

The lead trooper seized the opportunity and grabbed Aeris.

“I'd let go of him if I were you,” he warned Sephiroth, “Don't think you want anything to happen to her now would you?”

“You're bluffing,” Sephiroth didn't budge, “Hojo would have your heads if you damaged his precious specimens,”

“Do you really want to take that chance…?”

Aeris looked desperately at Sephiroth, too scared to move or speak.

Suddenly, a gun went off nearby. The lead trooper screamed in agony and grabbed his leg, letting go of Aeris in the process.

With one quick jerk of his wrist, Sephiroth snapped the bone in the second trooper's forearm.

“Come!” Vincent appeared and grabbed Aeris, quickly leading her away with Sephiroth following. The third trooper began firing, but with one quick shot to his hand, Vincent disarmed him and kept running down the road toward the Lanier residence.

They stopped only when they heard the sound of a helicopter flying directly over them.

“I'm afraid it's too late, Vincent,” a familiar voice spoke over a loudspeaker, “Professor Gast and his wife are with me now. And I must thank you for having led me to them. Who knew I'd stumble across you two years ago? You've been lurking around Midgar this whole time. You've really let your guard down, haven't you?”

Sephiroth stared wordlessly at Vincent, his eyes full of rage.

Strange noises began coming from the loudspeaker, as if there was a scuffle going on.

“Run!!” Ifalna's frantic voice shouted, “Don't worry about us, just get out of there!!!”

The scuffle resumed momentarily, and Hojo's voice came back on.

“Just give up, you three,” said Hojo, “It's over!”

“They really have my parents…” Sephiroth whispered in horror.

“Mama…!!” Aeris screamed, and began to cry loudly.

Vincent grabbed Sephiroth's arm.

“We can't stay,” Vincent growled, “Sephiroth- I'm sure there's something you can do to get us all out of town. I know a safe place to hide out for a while,”

Sephiroth did not want to co-operate with that man, but he knew he had no choice.

He closed his eyes momentarily and summoned all of his strength. This was a move he'd been working on for the past year, only doing it late at night, outside the city limits, when he was certain that no one could see him. Even the professor and Ifalna hadn't know about this…

Sephiroth held his hands out for Aeris. Vincent handed the still hysterical child over to him. Reluctantly, Sephiroth grabbed Vincent's arm tightly, and began to concentrate. He leaped into the air, and found himself soaring over the buildings, with Aeris in his arm and Vincent in tow.

A flash of orange caught his eye, and he glanced down below to see the house, along with the ones next door, in flames. He then glanced at Aeris, who was clinging to him tightly, and had her head buried in Sephiroth's shoulder.

Thank the Planet she didn't see that…

_____________________________________________________________

“Where are we going?” Sephiroth demanded as he followed Vincent through the wilderness.

It had been ten minutes since the odd trio had landed about half a mile from the city limits. The trauma of the prior events had left Aeris mentally exhausted, and she was now asleep in Sephiroth's arms.

“It's quite a ways away,” Vincent answered, “It's just a place where no one goes. I often go there myself to be alone,”

“I didn't ask for a back story,” Sephiroth snapped.

“Are you familiar with the Ancient Forest?” Vincent cut to the chase.

“That's all the way near Gongaga!” Sephiroth exclaimed.

“Do you have a better suggestion?”

“I don't need your help, you know,”

“Maybe not,” Vincent replied evenly, “I don't doubt that you can take care of yourself. But a seven-year-old girl's safety is at stake. What could you possibly do for Aeris by yourself? Both you and she are Hojo's prime targets. Do you want to see her go through what you went through when you were her age?”

Sephiroth clenched his fists and looked away. Damn him for going there! “I'll kill anyone who tries to do that to her,”

“They will try,” Vincent told him, “Besides- Aeris just lost both of her parents. The last thing she needs is to constantly be on the run. Give her time to sort it out,”

“…Fine,” Sephiroth relented, “For Aeris' safety,”

_____________________________________________________________

Vincent lay on the ground some distance away from where Sephiroth and Aeris slept. They had settled some miles away from the Corel Desert. There were still a few hours left before daybreak. The trio would have to make do sleeping on the ground for the next couple of nights, knowing that Sephiroth couldn't fly all three of them express to Gongaga.

So Gast finally gets his way, Vincent thought as he stared off into space, I'm now responsible for the safety and general well-being of my son…not that he wants it anymore.

Vincent hadn't expected Sephiroth to run to him with open arms, but he still hadn't been prepared for the verbal assault his son had given him. He knew that their future wasn't looking so great.

Wouldn't it be a riot if this were all an elaborate scheme cooked up by Gast to force me to finally be in Sephiroth's life on a permanent basis? Ironic since that was the reason I was searching for him…

But as Aeris' sobs reached his ears, bringing him back to reality, he knew that Gast would never be that cruel to his little girl, nor to the youth he'd considered to be his son for the past eight years.

“What happened to Papa and Mama??” Aeris wailed as she clung to Sephiroth, who had just woken up, “Where are they?”

“I don't know,” Sephiroth admitted sleepily, “Maybe Midgar, but I can't be sure,”

Aeris climbed into the older boy's lap. “What's going to happen to them?”

Sephiroth took a deep breath. “Aeris…do you remember when your friend Reisa's cat died? How you felt its spirit returning to the Planet?”

Aeris nodded.

“Do you feel either of their spirits returning there as well?”

“No!!!” Aeris shrieked as she leaped off of his lap, “Why do you say bad things like that?!”

“I just wanted to make sure…that they're still alive,” Sephiroth reassured the little girl, “As long as you don't feel their spirits the way you felt it when that cat died…then there's hope,”

“I want Mama…!” Aeris began to cry again.

“I know,” Sephiroth clenched his fists despite himself, “And we'll try to find them. But in the meantime…I'm still here. Big brother isn't going anywhere,”

“Don't leave me!” Aeris jumped back into his lap and threw her small arms around his neck.

“I just told you I wouldn't,” Sephiroth chuckled lightly as he patted the little girl on the back.

Finally, Vincent cleared his throat.

“What?” Sephiroth cast an irritated glance at his estranged father.

“I'll find them,” Vincent said coolly, “You just stay here and take care of Aeris,”

“The hell I will,” Sephiroth growled, “I've got business with Hojo as well,”

“Don't swear, Sephy!” Aeris sniffled.

“Sorry,” Sephiroth amended, before returning his gaze to Vincent.

“I just listened to you promise Aeris that you weren't going anywhere,” Vincent reminded his son, “And now you want to storm Shinra headquarters?”

“As if you alone would do any better?” Sephiroth countered, “Eventually, I will go after Hojo,”

“They're probably expecting you to show up,” Vincent went on, “And if anyplace is well-equipped to capture you, it would be the Shinra building. Then they'll find out where Aeris is, and take her too,”

Aeris' grip tightened around Sephiroth.

“Are you trying to scare her??” the silver-haired youth snapped at Vincent.

“Are you trying to break your promise?” Vincent retorted.

Sephiroth fumed. Vincent had hit him where it hurt.

“We'll figure out a plan,” Vincent told him, “I know I'm not exactly your favorite person, but you'll have to trust me for now. I may not have been there for you, but have I ever lied to you?”

Sephiroth sighed. It's true…the back of his mind reminded him, he's never actually deceived you. He then looked at Aeris, still clinging to him, and sighed once more.

“All right,” he whispered, “For Aeris,”