No Choice Left

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I haven’t bought Sephiroth or Aeris since the last chapter was posted and I don’t own any other Squaresoft characters that may appear here.

Author’s Notes: I’m more than happy to know somebody cares about this story. Many thanks for your reviews! Well, I guess my English’s not that horrible if you managed to reach the end of the first chapter… I’m still not used to writing in this language, though. So expect more dialogues than action here, since it’s the easiest thing to write… Oh, c’mon! Everybody loves dialogue, for it’s also the easiest thing to read, right!?

A few words about the pairing: I can’t tell you the story’s ending already, now can I? Just keep in mind that the fact Aeris appears in this fic means something… OK…? So no matter what happens in the meanwhile, stay with me to the very end. Ah, and did I say something about things clearing up…? (sigh) Maybe it’s going to be a very, very long story… Anyway, don’t worry, since everything is planned in detail (and it’s not that simple as it will sound in this part). You just have to be a little patient. Please, read this entire long chapter…

I changed the rating because there are two nasty words here – sorry, people, I really had to use them for building some tension/atmosphere. Finally, the last thing: (....) – those brackets are of course for characters’ thoughts but I’m sure everybody has figured it out already. Just in case you were confused: the second ones <…> are also for thoughts, however, I use them only when I want to stress something or indicate characters' inner doubt.

Have fun reading this!

* * *

They expected a furious madman, chained and bounded, being forcibly dragged into the room by at least six fully armed guards. All they saw was a calm, composed human that entered the chamber only in Amyl’s company. He was tall and slim; dressed in a snow-white shirt and black pants. Silver hair framed his pale face and his eyes seemed to be perfectly blue, with normal human pupils, but there was just something unnatural about them. He looked far too young for a thirty-year-old man and far too innocent for a mass-murderer, which slightly surprised almost all of the Council members. However, there was an unmistakable coldness in his expression, suggesting he was something more than just a pretty looking boy.

Totally aware of the fact that he was being watched from head to foot…

…and not liking the feeling it gave him, Sephiroth raised one gloved hand to his chin, staring back at them. And only then did the members of the Council finally realized Sephiroth’s hands were free. Movitriss gasped. Kyro reached for his sword, but Valagar was faster.

“I let him free.” he spoke before somebody could react “He’s not a prisoner anymore.”

“Are you…” Illyssan started, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes, I’m sure.” Valagar cut her short.

Sephiroth sensed the tension in the room and of course it didn’t make him feel any better, when he already felt nervous, uncertain and awkward… like an outcast.

<Well, isn’t that familiar?>

He wondered whether he was on their mercy now, noticing some of them were armed. It gave him a sense of humiliation, yet he had chosen to remain calm, deciding to wait and see, to forget about his pride for a moment. Of course he was able to control his expression very well. The Cetra could only see his complete indifference.

“Sephiroth, my name is Valagar.” the head of the Council said “This is Illyssan and that’s Movitriss. You’ve already met Amyl. The man over there is Gustav and next to him stands Kyro. And that’s Xavier.”

Some of the mentioned nodded politely. Some of them didn’t. Sephiroth remained silent, he only watched them carefully, trying to figure out if they were a treat or not.

Two men, Xavier and Gustav, were already in their early fifties, most likely. Kyro was younger, much younger, probably still about twenty. Movitriss seemed to be in her late twenties and Illyssan looked as if she was nearing forty, judging from the small wrinkles that surrounded her eyes. They all wore fancy, expensive clothes, according to their position and high social status.

Sephiroth risked a quick look around the chamber, too. It was huge and spacious, devoid of any furniture, though brightly illuminated by the light that was falling inside through stained glass in many windows, leaving colorful images on a marble floor. He finally lifted his eyes and met Valagar’s gaze.

Valagar looked quite different from the rest of the Council members. Firstly, he appeared to be much older than any of them, even compared with Gustav. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he’s more than hundred years old, Sephiroth thought, looking straight into the man’s dark, intelligent eyes. Secondly, he was dressed in a brown, simple, barely decorated robe that made him resemble a priest of some sort. He looked dignified, wise, reasonable and exceptionally clever. After observing him for a few seconds, Sephiroth decided one had to be careful around this man.

“Welcome to Muar-Svyen-a-Tor, Sephiroth.” Valagar spoke “I am glad that we met.” Sephiroth didn’t answer. The whole idea of talking to the real Cetra was at least embarrassing. “Well, are you not going to say anything?” the old man finally asked.

To the hell with politeness, Sephiroth thought. (We’re not here to exchange courtesies.)

“What am I expected to say?” he answered coldly “That I’m equally glad? Well, that’d be a lie and I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to make it sound believable.” it felt good, speaking this way to someone so important. Through his entire life Sephiroth would never dare to talk like that to President ShinRa. Now, however, the situation was different. He had completely nothing to loose. (My life, probably? I don’t give a damn about it.)

Kyro suppressed an appalled gasp. Xavier and Gustav exchanged amused glances. Valagar, however, remained neutral and polite, completely unprovoked.

“I understand your surprise and distrust.” he patiently answered “…And I will try to explain our situation as quickly as possible.” Sephiroth frowned. (OUR situation?) “Here, at the Council…” Valagar continued “…we are responsible for the future of the Promised Land. It is actually a very small planet, belonging only to the Cetra, which denies the law of gravity, moving across the universe. However, the world we have discovered consists of many planets, inhabited by various creatures. As you already know, probably even too well, the Cetra or the Humans are not the only intelligent races… Anyway, there is a planet called Sandalya a few light-years away from here; an average-sized human kingdom is situated there. Six weeks ago our artificial satellite spotted an unknown alien ship heading in Sandalya’s direction. We established it belongs to Räelans which means the planet might be in a danger of invasion.”

Sephiroth’s dispassionate, faint shrug was at least annoying to some of the Council members. “So you wish to stop them.” he spoke “May I ask, how? And why does it concern me?”

Valagar nodded. “Actually, we believe we can resolve the possible conflict without resorting to violence. We do not want Humans and Räelans to fight each other, since it may lead to a war than would eventually threaten the Promised Land. I decided to go there and try to prevent the outburst of hostility… or side with the Humans, when absolutely necessary. I am taking three other Cetra with me. Furthermore, I wish you would come with us.” Valagar fell silent. He was wise enough to omit many inconvenient aspects of the situation in his short speech. For example, he ‘accidentally’ forgot to mention that Jenova had also been one of the Räelans… or that Aeris was one of the five people who were going to travel to Sandalya. He knew that Sephiroth would agree anyway but he wanted him to agree of his own free will.

The only sign of Sephiroth’s surprise were his slightly raised eyebrows. In his thoughts, however, he was more than amazed to hear Valagar’s suggestion. He lowered his head. (Gods… Why…? Why me!? I don’t want to take part in this! I care nothing about the Promised Land, let alone about some place I’ve never heard of!)

“Think about it, Sephiroth.” Valagar’s face was expressionless but convincing at the same time “It is your chance to accept the truth about your past and start an entirely new life.”

Still looking at the floor, Sephiroth winced, at the same time trying to hide his anger. (You expect me to forget everything and sacrifice myself for something I don’t give a damn about? To hell with all of you…) The silence prolonged. The Cetra waited more or less patiently for Sephiroth’s answer, the answer they knew was simply inevitable. Finally Sephiroth raised his head.

“…No.”

“I beg your pardon…?” Xavier seemed to be authentically surprised.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“You dare to refuse us!?” Kyro nearly shouted, narrowing his eyes. The hostility in his expression was obvious.

“We’re the Council.” Gustav explained solemnly, much more composed and reasonable than his younger companion “You can’t ignore our wishes.”

Sephiroth only stared at him. He didn’t really care about anybody’s reaction. “You’ve already heard my answer.” he repeated in a slightly annoyed tone of voice. He wanted to leave and slam the door, but he decided it wouldn’t be a very wise thing to do, due to the fact he was facing completely unknown people.

“Why not?” Movitriss asked firmly.

“I don’t like the general idea of being used as a pawn in some kind of your diplomatic game.”

Leave me alone, he thought angrily. (Can’t you see I’m tired with everything… War, politics, diplomacy… I’ve had enough.)

(There’s nothing more left for me in this world… or in any other, for that matter.)

“Many people will lose their lives if we don’t stop the conflict.” Illyssan took a step forward. Sephiroth was truly amused now, the statement made him want to laugh bitterly. (She’s actually counting on my… compassion?)

“I’m not interested.” he repeated “What do I care about that them? Or about your politics?”

Illyssan frowned. “You know well it’s not only about Sandalya. We may all die.”

Sephiroth looked straight at the slightly older woman. There was absolutely no emotion visible in his eyes. And when he spoke, his voice was cold and indifferent. “So what?”

“You arrogant son of a bitch!!!”

It all happened too fast for anybody to react. Kyro rushed forward, instantly drawing his sword.

Sephiroth noticed the sudden movement even before the blade appeared in Kyro’s hand. He could have easily dodged the blow. Judging from the remarkable speed in which the sword was drawn, Kyro had to be an excellent warrior, yet Sephiroth still believed he had a fair chance againgt him.

He could almost feel the adrenaline rushing in his veins and his calm, blue eyes momentarily became mako-green. He nearly reached for his weapon, instantly realizing he had none…

Unconditioned reflex, he thought bitterly with an odd sense of humor.

…yet it still didn’t change anything. He could feel the power right at his fingertips, burning and itching, almost forcing him to defend himself, to trust his instincts and kill the attacker… (Who is this man to judge me!?) He raised his hand and suddenly hesitated…

(…fight him…? What for…? The only way to get free is to…)

…and the next second he found himself laying on his back with a silver blade pressed to his throat.

The impact of hitting the marble floor left him breathless for a few seconds. He felt a sharp pain and something warm trickled down the side of his neck; he momentarily realized it was his own blood. If Kyro intended to kill him, he was on a right way… but he didn’t. Not yet. The other Council members fell silent, most probably joining Kyro’s side or simply waiting for Valagar to act. Valagar was quiet, though.

“Now. What. Did. You. Say.” the young Cetra asked very slowly, emphasizing every single word.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, barely controlling his rage. (You think that being a Cetra gives you a right to treat me like that!?)

“You’ve heard me.” he hissed.

“You have no right to refuse, you bastard!” Sephiroth didn’t bother to answer. Kyro stood over him, still pressing the sword to his neck.

Furious as he was, Sephiroth suddenly wanted to laugh. Kyro reminded him of a certain young, blonde man, the last face he saw before waking up in the Promised Land… Well, not exactly. Kyro’s hair was blonde but not golden. And his eyes weren’t blue, only brown. But the way he held his sword, the way his eyes glowed with hate… Sephiroth knew Kyro had his reasons, he even understood some of them. Yes, most probably he had no right to refuse and the hostility was justified. However, it didn’t make him feel less angry now. And at the same time he knew all he had to do for the Masamune to appear in his hand was to snap his fingers. And then he could just…

<No!>

…rip his throat open and end this pain once and for all.

(Brilliant. And next what? Kill everybody else? That won’t end my problems, right?) He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. (Do I really want to live like this…? Always running? I’d never be accepted… so why even bother…)

(Am I afraid of death…? No, I’d rather welcome it gladly… because I know the only way to escape is to kill myself…)

He opened his eyes – now blue and tranquil – and looked straight in Kyro’s furious ones.

“What are you waiting for…?” he nearly whispered. “Do it.”

Kyro snarled in disbelief but he composed himself very quickly. “Fine!” he hissed, gripping the sword’s handle tighter. And suddenly a loud, long, female scream pierced the entire room.

“NO!!!”

Movitriss rushed forward, grabbing Kyro’s wrist a little too late. Crimson blood stained the marble floor. And all at once everybody started to shout one by one.

Damn, Sephiroth thought, loosing his consciousness, they always have to screw up something. (Why won’t they finally decide, whether they want to kill me or not…)

* * *

Aeris got up, brushing some dirt off her linen skirt. She gently touched a young tree's trunk, running her fingers over its smooth surface.

(Perhaps someday I’ll return to the Promised Land. This tree will be fully grown-up then…)

“Aeris!” she heard a male voice calling.

She turned around to see Zerkún standing at the veranda, waving at her. “Aeris, supper’s ready!”

She waved back. “I’m coming!” The man nodded and disappeared inside.

Aeris suppressed an angry sigh. Zerkún was her mother’s second husband and Aeris – despite having no memories of her real father – still couldn’t get used to this unfamiliar man. Zerkún was nice, sure, even quite handsome for that matter. He was an awesome storyteller and liked to joke a lot. Aeris understood her mother’s choice. She even liked the man herself, but…

The house she was now living in was supposed to be her own, yet she still felt like a stranger here. Like an unwanted guest. Sometimes she had an impression of disturbing Zerkún and Ifalna’s privacy. She didn’t even have that good contact with her own mother…

All right, so maybe it was Ifalna who gave birth to her, who taught her how to smile or speak, how to walk, how to understand the Planet’s voice. Yet it was still Elmyra who she had loved the most, apparently because they had spent so much time together. And Elmyra had been a wonderful mother: caring, understanding, compassionate. Almost never questioning the way Aeris acted, even if she had kept talking about the strange voices she had been hearing in her head.

I miss her so much, Aeris thought, entering the house, remembering to take off her shoes. (At least I know she’s save…)

It wasn’t just a simple emotional attachment. It was a deep love, something much deeper than what she felt for Ifalna right now. It was simply too late for that. Almost twenty years had passed and Ifalna has become almost a stranger. Aeris wondered how it was even possible. And she felt guilty about that. She loved Ifalna, of course, but there was no real understandment between the two of them, no real trust. Ifalna wasn’t her friend any more, despite acting like one.

Passing the living room, she stopped by the fireplace. There was her father’s photo standing on a shelf. A picture of Daniel Gast, her real father. She reached out her hand and touched the photo’s delicate frame. The middle-aged, friendly man inside was smiling at her, looking straight at the camera.

<Damn, I’m so sentimental>

(What am I doing…? I didn’t even know him, right? And besides, he was a complete bastard, working for ShinRa, probably never questioning his superiors’ motives, caring way too much about money, blindly devoted to science. He was the one that started the whole madness with Jenova… It’s his fault mama died. He didn’t stop the guards back then… He could have at least tried…) she frowned, suddenly feeling angry. The man in the picture only smiled in response.

No wonder mom decided to remarry, Aeris thought.

“Aeris!” Zerkún’s voice was louder now; it came from the kitchen.

“I’m coming!” she called impatiently, at the same time jerking her hand away from the frame, feeling slightly ashamed, as if she was betraying Zerkún or something. She didn’t know why, though. It was Ifalna who put this picture here, right?

(Zerkún tries to act so nice… he makes me feel like I should repay his kindness… Well, I’m not going to see him again any time soon.)

She walked into the large kitchen, filled with the golden light of the setting sun. If Aeris liked anything about this house at all, it had to be the light. Every single room here was bright and spacious, creating a nice feeling of warmth.

Zerkún looked up from a cup of tea, noticing the young woman’s expression. “Aren’t you going to eat with us? Your mother’s going to be here in a minute.”

“I think I’d rather eat upstairs.” Aeris murmured, taking the plate from the table and walking back toward the door.

“Why?” Zerkún asked, frowning.

(Because I’m still not comfortable in your presence…)

“I have to finish my packing as soon as possible” she shrugged “You know I’m leaving very early tomorrow.”

“I know.” he nodded, lowering his head “We’ll miss you.” he said, probably not even realizing how awkward it sounded. Aeris did, however, and she almost smiled.

“Right.” she agreed half-heartedly and hesitantly left the room.

* * *

She stood in front of an open wardrobe, impatiently tapping her fingers against her arm. There was a large bag laying on her bed and masses of different clothes scattered everywhere across the room. Aeris had never been very quick at packing. She sighed, growing more irritated every second. The whole activity seemed to surpass her. Right now she was standing in the middle of chaos. Ifalna had to choose exactly this moment to enter the room.

“How’s it going, darling?” the older woman asked, closing the door behind her and frowning at what she saw “Apparently not very well… Shall I help you?”

Aeris appreciated the offer but sometimes she didn’t like being treated like a small girl. “No, I’ll be fine.” she answered firmly, in spite of feeling more than a little bit helpless. She carefully looked around the room, finally giving up “Can you see my yellow dress anywhere?”

“It’s here.” Ifalna answered, bending down and pulling the dress from a colorful heap of clothes. Holding it with one hand, she couldn’t suppress a giggle: everything in the room looked slightly ridiculous. Still frustrated, Aeris only stared at her oddly but next second she burst out laughing, too.

“I’m never gonna finish this!” she exclaimed, collapsing on the bed. Ifalna laid the dress on top of the opened bag and sat beside her daughter.

“You’re no longer the little girl I used to hold in my arms such a long time ago…” she finally spoke, acting sentimental not for the first time “You’ve changed… became stronger and more mature. I guess I’ll always miss my silly, innocent little girl but I want you to know I’m so proud of you, my dear.”

“Mom.” Aeris decided to be sincere with her mother “I don’t want to go.”

Ifalna smiled; it was a half-reassuring and a half-sorrowful smile “…But you’re still leaving. That was a very brave decision. You’ll be alright, honey.”

Aeris sighed. (Well, Valagar didn’t give me a choice… He put everything in such words… Refusing would make me feel so ashamed, that I simply had to say ‘yes’.)

“I wish I didn’t have to…” her voice trailed off. (…Why me?)

“So do I. I’m sorry you can’t stay here with us. But remember, Aeris, that duty always has to come above pleasure.”

She doesn’t understand me, Aeris realized. “Mother, I’m scared.”

“I know, honey. How about using a different point of view, then? It’s a difficult journey but it could also turn out to be a wonderful adventure…”

(Why won’t you listen, mother?)

“Mother, I’m afraid of HIM!” she nearly shouted “You know he’s coming with us! And I’m scarred to death!”

“Don’t be.” Ifalna answered, frowning. “I’m sure Sephiroth’s a trustworthy person now, different from what you remember.”

“And what if he’s not? I think I was very stupid of the Council to save his life, let alone bring him here!”

Ifalna looked at her seriously. “Stop it, Aeris!” she nearly ordered. Aeris instantly fell silent, looking at her mother in surprise. There was a strange tone in her voice, which sounded almost like… anger? Aeris would had never thought her mother could actually act that way… with such roughness. (Why? All right, so perhaps I shouldn’t have said that about the Council… Does she respect their decisions so much?)

“I don’t want you to talk about him like that. Never.”

(…Him?)

Aeris blinked, surprised with her mother’s words. “…Why?” she only managed to say.

“Sephiroth’s not a bad person, besides, even if he were, you’re not allowed to judge him. Maybe he had no choice but to act that way. Things that happened weren’t entirely his fault.”

<WHAT!? He murdered me in the first place, don’t you remember!?>

“Whose fault, then!?” Aeris almost snapped at her mother. “Mom! He killed me!”

(Why!? So even you can’t understand me!? I hate him! He tried to injure the Planet, hurt so much people… And you tell me he’s not a bad person!?)

Hearing her daughter’s angry remark, Ifalna suddenly turned her face away. “Well, I’m afraid it’s many people’s fault, not only Jenova’s… Even… mine.”

“Mom!” Aeris cried out, finally loosing her self-control “What are you saying…?”

“Aeris, I could’ve saved him from doing all those horrible things; he could’ve been raised differently, not by Hojo, perhaps becoming a different person as well. Instead, I’ve chosen to flee with your father, without even saying goodbye to him. Do you realize how it makes me feel now? Still, after twenty four years?” Ifalna shook her head “I could’ve taken him with us but I was too scared. Afraid, that they would find us in a matter of a few hours if I had stolen their precious experiment… So I simply left him. I was so selfish…”

“Mother, stop it!” Aeris took Ifalna’s hand and squeezed it tightly “You did what you thought was right. You chose to protect your family! There’s nothing wrong with that…”

“I thought you were raised to be less egocentric.”

“Mother!” pain flashed in Aeris’ eyes.

“I’m sorry, Aeris…” Ifalna lowered her voice “…but you have to understand. Besides… even if he eventually killed you…”

<she speaks so casually about that!> Aeris clenched her teeth.

“…you own him your life in the first place.”

<WHAT!?>

Aeris stirred nervously. “…What do you mean…?” (Now that's ridiculous…)

Ifalna was serious as never and her green eyes shone with sorrow “You could’ve ended just like him, Aeris. Remember that before judging him next time. Look.” she said, frowning “You know what happened right after your birth, don’t you?”

Aeris nodded. “Father was killed and we were both taken to Midgar, isn’t that right, mom?”

“Yes. We were taken to ShinRa’s laboratory…” is was obvious that speaking about it was very, very hard for Ifalna “Four years later, however, I managed to escape with you.”

“I… I don’t remember anything.” Aeris admitted. (Which is perfectly fine… I’m so sorry for my mom…) “I remember only that station, fog and trains’ whistles. And… Elmyra. She promised she would take care of me. You made her promise that.”

(I was so scared…)

(My mother was dying and all I could do was watch. I remember feeling so helpless, so terrified…) the memory made Aeris’ eyes water, suddenly she wanted to bury her face in Ifalna’s chest and cry, to get rid of all the pain and sorrow of that day. Her mother’s voice pulled her out of her train of thought.

“We wouldn’t have escaped if it was not for him.”

Aeris blinked once more. (Him? Who is she talking about?) And suddenly she realized.

“…No.”

“Yes. Sephiroth helped me back then, he helped me save you. He told me it didn’t matter I had run away with Daniel. And of course he lied, I could clearly read it from his eyes, yet he still helped us, saying we were worth it…” Aeris was silent. “I want you to realize, Aeris, that he was twelve back then, still a child, no matter how mature he appeared. And if you ask me, what he did was extremely brave and magnanimous. I’m sure he had to pay for that later, as well…” Ifalna put a hand on Aeris’ knee “It’s a real mercy you don’t remember anything of the time you spent there. Think of how your life could have looked like if you had stayed there. Just think about it.”

“…So please, honey, promise me you’ll never judge him too fast.”

Aeris hesitated. So her mother cares about somebody like HIM and doesn’t even give a damn about her own daughter’s fears? “All right, mom.” she finally spoke “You know I love you.”

“Thank you, sweetie.” Ifalna whispered, embracing the younger woman “I think I own him so much…”

And you want ME to repay YOUR debt, Aeris thought angrily. (But wait…) She suddenly hesitated. (Didn’t Sephiroth save my life as well…?)

(…But that was such a long time ago! He probably doesn’t remember it now, either, or simply doesn’t care. Damn!) she wanted to scream in frustration (So now I’m stuck with feeling like I owe him my life!)

“I’m sorry if I sounded a little too harsh, my dear.” Ifalna moved back a little “I guess I had to tell you that before you left.” she stood up “I can’t possibly force you to forgive him or to like him but I want you to respect him at least.” she sighed “I guess I’ll go now, I have to calm down a little. I’ll come back later to help you pack your bag.”

Aeris nodded wordlessly, not even looking at her mother. Ifalna walked out, leaving Aeris confused, angered, uneasy… and still scarred of what awaited her in the future.

End of Chapter 2

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Author’s Notes: Now, Ifalna’s story wasn’t original but what’s wrong with using some really good ideas, even if they were done before? (Yes, I know I’m pathetic. At least I didn’t write my own lame retrospection, which would only imitate other, much better stories…) Anyway! Poor Ifalna… I’ve always imagined her to have a mayor guilt complex about Sephy, just like Vincent did about Lucrecia. Yeah, whatever. Forget about Ifalna now.

So what happens next? Aeris says she doesn’t care about Sephiroth’s past actions and her mother’s guilt but we all know she’s just way too sensitive to ignore anything, right? Moreover, what about the endangered Sandalya and the Promised Land? Wasn’t Sephiroth supposed to be a hero in this story? Saving people or something? Oh well, and he still doesn’t give a damn… Don’t worry. I guess I have a little surprise waiting for him…

PLEASE, review! REVIEW!!! And if you’re interested in the continuation of this story (Sephiroth and Aeris will eventually have to meet each other… he, he, he… maybe), please let me know.

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