Shining Future

by WavesBlade

Summary:

Thousands of years after Sephiroth beat Cloud in Advent Children and rode the planet's corpse through space he finds a new world, and upon its soil, he will create a shinning new future for himself. But what future will it be? Even with thousands of years to reflect on his life, will history still repeat itself? Or will a certain General of Alexandria help him find a new future?

Chapter 1: Through the Darkness of the Cosmos

"What I want Cloud is to sail the darkness of the cosmos with this planet as my vessel, just as my mother did long ago, then one day we will find a new planet, and on its soil we create a shinning future."

Sephiroth stood silently ontop of a meteor, hurtling through space, and for the trillionth time, what he had said to Cloud on the day he had triumphed and killed his rival came back to haunt him. He had won, he had killed Cloud, merged with his other Remnants and all of Mother's remaining cells to fully re-create his body. He had went on to kill all of Cloud's friends, Vincent Valantine with Chaos being the only challenge out of the lot. He had fought the planet itself, finally riding himself of the Ancient, destroying Aerith Gainsborough's spirit before facing Minerva herself at the depths of the Northern Crater, at the heart of the world. After killing the Goddess, and thus the planet itself, he destroyed it. He had his vessel, and he had been sailing the cosmos ever since.

The only problem was, that 'ever since' had been at least several thousand years at this point, if not more. To be frank, Sephiroth had lost track of time. It might even have been hundreds of thousands of years, he really didn't know. It didn't honestly matter. What DID matter was that his shinning future was still out of sight. He had been waiting so long... so very long...

He had found planets, to be sure. Many of them in fact. The problem was, most were uninhabited rocks or gaseous worlds. Almost none had any life on them whatsoever. The very few that did... well... the life on those worlds had been below his standards, or just budding, from what he could sense at a distance. He had contemplated simply molding a planet in his image, to his choosing, but, that would involve just as much waiting as it would take to find a planet already teeming with life. While he had some control over cellular life, it wasn't nearly as good as his mother's had been, nor did he truly have the knowledge of how properly to do so. If Mother were still around, she could have guided him, but, Mother's voice had faded away after he had destroyed the planet and it's tainted lifestream. Without her, he couldn't cause evolution of life to take place that much faster than normal, or even truly in his image. He had little patience for waiting millions of years for sentient life to come about. He didn't want to be alone with nothing and no one anymore...

Without Mother's voice, the only thing he had were his memories... and even those were slowly fading. Cloud, his rival, his nemesis... all Sephiroth could remember of him was pointy blonde hair, defiant glowing blue eyes, and a buster style sword that could split into parts. Everything else had faded. Cloud's allies shared even less of his memories. He could faintly remember Aerith and associate her with the color pink. Otherwise, none of the man's allies, aside from the force of nature that was Vincent with Chaos, had left any remaining impression. But, He could... faintly... remember others, before Mother had awoken him, chosen him...

Old friends...

Genesis... a rival...

Angeal... a honorable warrior...

Zackery... a loving, if but annoying, and loyal puppy...

What he wouldn't give for their company right now. This bitter loneliness, this empty void he sailed through, it made him recognize how empty his victory had been. There was nothing quite like thousands of years of quiet reflection to take any sense of accomplishment from him. He had won, but to what end? He was tired of waiting. It made him doubtful if destroying his homeworld had been the right move to make. While it had been a life of endless conflict, pain, and suffering, at least it was a life. At least it was better than standing on this godforsaken lump of rock by himself with nothing to do and no one to talk to. He'd throw away godhood and molding life in his image just for ANY kind of future at this point.

Sephiroth sighed and shook his head, flicking Masamune out of its sheath and beginning his kata, practicing his swordsmanship quietly. It took him a few minutes of swordplay to notice something strange... there was a tingling sensation at the back of his mind. It had been so long since he had last felt it...

Life.

He sheathed his sword and strode to the front of the meteor, temporarily enhancing his vision to look through the darkness of the cosmos. It was a tiny blue speck in the far distance. A planet. Yet, to have tingled his senses at this distance...? Could it be...?

He'd throw away godhood and molding life in his image just for ANY kind of future at this point.

He remembered what he had thought only moments ago, wondering if the heavens themselves had been waiting such an admittance from him before delivering him from this hell. He waited patiently as the distance closed. He could feel it. The planet was TEEMING with life! At last! At long last! His shinning future awaited him! Once the meteor hit and...

Oh...

The meteor.

If his vessel hit the planet head on as it was, there would go a large chunk of the life on it.

Sephiroth scowled and drew his blade before slicing down. He began to carve chunks of meteor out of his vessel before shoving them away. What he wouldn't give for materia right now. The ones he had stopped working the moment the lifestream died, and he had cast them away long ago. It would have been much easier to just blast the meteor apart. He continued slashing pieces off, eyeing his target as the distance closed. By the time he hit the atmosphere, the meteor was the size of a few large boulders.

Sephiroth crossed his arms and channeled his energy, bracing himself as the heat of entering the planet's atmosphere engulfed him. He hissed in pain. It was a sensation he hadn't felt in so long. It was like an old friend, reminding him that he was alive and that this was real. The meteor began to spin and spiral out of control, causing Sephiroth to lose his footing.

As he and the meteor descended through the sky, he caught a glimpse of a castle built at the foot of a lake high on a plateau of plains. He saw, strangely enough, a giant sword sticking out of it high into the sky. He had only a moment to find the castle bizarre before he and the meteor barrelled into a forest far below the plateau, causing an explosion that set the forest aflame and rendered Sephiroth unconscious...

---

Chapter 2: Alexandria

Summary:

Sephiroth goes for a stroll through a city and ends up sparring with a certain rat lady...

Sephiroth slowly shook his head and came too, rising to a knee and glancing around. He was in some kind of... petrified forest? How strange. There was mist everywhere, limiting his vision. He stood up, wincing. His entire body felt sore. All things considered, riding a meteor into the ground wasn't the best way to make planet-fall. He should have thrown himself clear and flown away. Ah well, he was rusty after thousands of years of riding that damn thing through the cosmos. What else was to be expected?

The howl of creatures nearby jerked at his awareness.

Sephiroth looked around again, barely sighting Masamune embedded into the ground a ways away through the mist. He walked over and drew his blade out. He held it before him, bursting into a furious kata. He had practiced on the meteor, countless times, but, this was different. Everything on this planet was... heavier?

He tested the thought, picking up a pebble and throwing it into the air, watching as it hit the ground faster than he anticipated. Perhaps the gravity of the planet was different? He threw a hand to the side, his wing exploding out of his back. A wave of pleasure rolled through his body at the sensation. It had been hidden and held back for so long. Stretching that particular muscle felt better than he'd readily admit. He tested his wing, slowly pushing himself up into the air.

It didn't take that much more effort to keep himself airborne. The gravity was different than what he remembered his home-world to be, but it was similar enough. He'd adapt within days, if not hours. Such was his power. He flew high, high into the sky, recollecting that he had seen a castle on his way down. True enough, after sailing over the petrified forest, above the mist, and up a huge ridge, he found his destination. A castle with a gigantic sword sticking out above it on a lake. What a peculiar sight. Save for the sword, it was similar to olden day architecture he had read existed back in Gaia's youth. He honed his eyes, sighting a city built around the castle.

A wave of apprehension hit him. A city. A city meant people, sentient beings. What would they look like he wondered. Would they resemble humans? Would they be completely bizarre in appearance? Would they attack him on sight? Would they be peaceful? Would they understand him? Would he understand them? How long would it take to learn to communicate with them?

He smirked. "Eeee guaaaasss wwwweeee shaaaaaaarrlll seeeee."

Sephiroth paused, his eyes going wide, mortified by the screeches coming out of his mouth. He scowled, it had been thousands of years since he had last spoken a single word, since he last used his vocal cords. How annoying. He spent the next hour simply testing out his voice and re-awakening it. He flew down to the lake and cupped water into his hands, bringing it up to drink, soothing his throat.

"Hmph, better," he said aloud, ears alert for any oddity in his voice.

Satisfied, he took to the air, flying high in the sky hopefully out of sight of any being. He slowly flew towards the city before spotting what looked to be a wagon heading to its gates. He flew a bit lower, if anyone looked above, they'd merely think he was a bird. It was close enough for him though, his enhanced eyesight let him look upon the wagon, on its driver...

Sephiroth's jaw dropped. The driver was a HUMAN!? Human's existed on this world?! What's more, the wagon was being driven by a Chocobo. So, humans and Chocobos on this world, what in the world was the chances? He flew lower still, straining his ears...

"Pah, tavern's gonna throw a fit orrer me bein late, goddammit you slow bird brain!" hollered the driver at the Chocobo.

Sephiroth frowned and took back high into the sky. This didn't add up. Not only did his home-world and this one share some of the same species, but they also spoke the same language? There was no statistical chance of that being a coincidence. He rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. Perhaps... all planets shared the same building blocks of life? Or maybe a select few? Or was there some divine decree that all things were made to be a certain way? He wasn't a religious man, but the shear impossibility of the similarities between worlds made him question that for a moment.

His lips quivered in a slight smile. While it was a puzzling thing, he was glad it was this way. It saved him a lot of time and effort crossing a language or species barrier. Humans he could deal with. While they were at time annoying creatures, without Mother screaming in his head he had no particular desire to be rid of them. After all, these humans weren't Shinra. These humans had never defied Mother's will, his will, had never struck out against him. They were simply... neutral to him. An empty slate to build with as he saw fit. A new start, a new beginning, a new shining future.

It was time to claim it.

Sephiroth could not help himself from truly smiling for the first time since before Nibelheim. He flew away, landed, out of sight-range of the cities gates, retracted his wing, and started walking. Anticipation filled him as he drew near. His eyes honed in on the guards...

He was rather surprised to see that they were female, both of them, and what looked like a squad of them patrolling ontop of the gates as well. How strange, while he had fought female warriors before, it almost looked like, on first pass, the military of this city seemed to be entirely female. Helmets on their heads almost blocking their eyes, breastplate over their chest, cloth down to their thighs. A shield attached to a gauntlet on one hand, a sword in a scabbard at the side. Their legs were bare. He thought their uniform a bit 'skimpy' looking to him. Had they been under his command they would be wearing far more armor, and full clothing to protect against the elements. Regardless, they weren't his to command, and his was the stranger here. Whatever customs the soldiers had here was their own.

Sephiroth strode to the gate, giving a curt nod to one of the guard's as he approach.

The guard sized him up, pausing at his eyes and then his hair, a hint of wariness and confusion on her face. "Can't say I've ever met someone like you before, what business do you have in Alexandria, stranger?"

Alexandria was it? A fair enough name.

"I am a wanderer, seeking simple shelter for the time being," he answered curtly.

She frowned, once again studying his eyes. "Can't say I've ever seen someone's eyes glowing like that before, well, unless you count the Black Mages."

Black Mages? Hmm... that title implied magic. Yet, the specificity also implied they might be the sole users of it. How curious.

On the other hand. If they had never seen a Mako glow before, then the chances of their being enhanced warriors on this planet were slim to none. There went any chance of hoping to find a worthy rival.

"Ah just let em' pass," said the other guard.

The first shrugged, giving him one last curious look before waving him pass. Sephiroth strode through the gates and down a street of olden looking buildings. Glancing through one door briefly he saw what looked to be a loom. People passed on the street, wagons were pulled, there looked to be a market up ahead. From what he could see... this city did not seem technologically advanced at all. He spotted a set of push in doors that someone was walking out of. He caught sight of a bar with several tables with music emanating from it. A tavern it would seem. An apt place to go to collect information about his surroundings.

Sephiroth strode through the doors, passing his gaze around. Five tables, two were full, several stools at the bar, only one was occupied. He paused briefly at the sight of its occupant. First and foremost, the creature had a tail stretching behind it. It was dressed in a red coat, with a red hat on that had wings stretching high above it. The creature had a spear strapped across its back. It had grey hair. It's... hands and feet were strange, claw looking. It did not seem human, yet, no one seemed alarmed or showed concern. Perhaps humans were not the only sentient lifeforms on this planet, interesting.

The creatures shoulder's stiffened and it turned it's head towards him briefly. Impressive. The creature had acute battle senses to detect when someone of power was looking at it... at her? The creature's face held feminine qualities. It's nose was pointed and elongated. She... almost liked like a humanoid rat of all things. Bizarre.

The creature slowly turned her head back towards the drink in-front of her. But Sephiroth was not fooled. She obviously smelt danger from him, her muscles were tensed and ready to take action in a moments notice. From what Sephiroth could detect from her, she had a decent amount of spiritual energy compared to the humans he had passed. She was no ordinary being, perhaps she could have taken on 3nd class SOLDIERs back in the day, maybe even 2nd class and held her own, but to him, she was nothing. Sephiroth decided to simply move to the bar and sit a bit away from her.

The bartender walked up to him. "What can I get ya?"

It occurred to Sephiroth suddenly that he had absolutely no money whatsoever. "Nothing."

The bartender scowled. "Nothin?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "I merely wish to rest my feet after a long journey."

The bartender gave him a look. "I'd think a drink would go well with that rest."

Sephiroth slowly shook his head. "I have no currency to buy one."

The bartender raised an eyebrow. "Ya don't look like a bum."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes with hostility, half tempted to draw his blade. The decision was taken from him when the rat woman slapped a couple of coins on the bar and slid them down.

"A drink for our mystery guest," she offered.

The bartender took the coins, made a drink, and planted a frothing cup of what smelt like alcohol if his memory served right in front of him. Sephiroth raised it to his lips and sipped. Not bad. While he couldn't remember any particular beverage from his home, distant memories told him the drink in his hands was... average. Acceptable.

Sephiroth toyed with his drink for a moment longer before his curiosity got the better of him and he turned to the rat woman. "Forgive me, but, what are you?"

The rat woman looked in-dignified. "Pardon?"

"In my travels, I've never seen a creature like you before," said Sephiroth.

The rat woman huffed. "I am a Burmecian. If you haven't met one of my kind on your travels then you haven't gone far enough."

She returned to her drink, brooding. "Not that there are to many of us left after Burmecia and Cleyra fell."

Ah... the echoes and aftermath of war and conflict. Those were things that echoed within him. The Burmecian was definitely a warrior.

"What is your name?" asked the Burmecian.

Ah, now there was a question. What did he want to call himself on this new world? Should he adopt a new name? Or maintain his current identity? He resisted the urge to scoff. Why lie? Why deny who he was? They would come to know and respect his name for who he was. Sephiroth is who he was, and who he would always be. Now, the question was, what last name should he adopt? If at all? Hojo's was off limits, forget that. But, his human mother? Now there was an interesting thought. She had given him nothing of value save for being the vessel for his birth, perhaps she could now give him something of worth.

"Sephiroth Crescent," he stated.

The Burmecian raised an amused eyebrow. "Freya Crescent."

Ah. Coincidences were the favored amusement of universe.

"I trust were not related," mused Sephiroth dryly.

Freya snorted. "Obviously not. So, what brings you to Alexandria?"

"Looking for a place to start a new life, to find a shinning future," he answered honestly, knowing she would not understand how much those words meant.

Freya studied him curiously before nodding and returning to her drink. He noted a bit of the tension suddenly go out of her shoulders as she relaxed a little. Hmph, so she no longer expected the worst. Her initial reaction to him was annoying now that he thought on it. Had his mere presence truly given off the vibe that he'd suddenly go start killing everyone and burn the city to the ground?

Well... to be fair, Nibelheim had happened after all.

But enough of the past, it was time to start learning about this new world. "And yourself? What brings you here? Anything in particular happening in Alexandria?"

A sad look crossed her friend. "Nothing to special, just arriving a year late to offer condolences to an... old acquaintance."

"Oh?" he inquired.

Freya slowly shook her head and downed the rest of her drink in one go. "I was never friends with General Beatrix, no, not at all. We crossed weapons plenty of times, and even fought on opposite sides of a war. She bested me every time, but... even I wouldn't have wished such a loss on her."

A general? And by the sounds of it, one far more powerful than this warrior before him. Well, now Sephiroth was a bit more interested.

"Loss?" he asked.

Freya's eyes tightened. "She was to be engaged to an old friend, a comrade of mine, Adelbert Steiner. He... died about a year ago during the initial resurgence of the mist and mist-monsters."

Sephiroth's eyebrows furrowed. Mist? Mist monsters? He knew what a monster was, to be intimately sure, but the term 'mist' implied something. How curious. Yet, he was certain, by the way she referred to it, this was something that was common knowledge. Lacking such knowledge would be sure to draw questions he would rather avoid for the time being.

He knew he needed more information, thankfully, she had offered a route for him with the term 'resurgence'. "Does anyone know why the mist has come back?"

Freya tightened her grip on her empty glass. "No, and it makes no sense. The world of Terra was destroyed. Kuja is dead. We killed Soulcage. The Iifa Tree was rotting away! None of us understand what's going on."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. Iifa Tree? Soulcage? Kuja? Destroyed a world? Well, that has escalated rather quickly. It sounded like this world had been through quite the trial, had entered a peaceful reprieve, and now was entering into another conflict. What an apt time for his arrival. He hint of a smile splashed across his lips as he turned his attention to his drink. He would make his name and his mark on this world in this upcoming crisis.

To that end though, he wanted to better know where he stood in the power structure of this world. He was fairly certain he was practically at the top, but, he would not let arrogance or assumptions blind him. Not to mention, he had a stepping stone to test himself against. From what he could tell, Freya was strong, and might have been intimately involved with the prior crisis of the world.

Sephiroth not-so-subtly turned his head to stare at the spear strapped across her back. "Hmm."

Freya turned her head slightly. "What is it?"

"It has been... far to long since I last sparred and tested myself against another warrior. By chance, would you be interested?" he asked.

Freya blinked a few times, a hint of a frown on her face as she swerved her stool to fully face him, openly sizing him up now that he had issued a challenge. "On the plains outside the gate."

Sephiroth finished off his drink and stood, making for the entrance, an almost eager upward tug on his lips. "Very well."

Far to long indeed. Masamune hungered to clash against another weapon again. He hungered to face another in combat again. His blood was practically boiling with anticipation. Even if she proved to be only a warm up, it was a warm up his body desperately needed to sooth it's apatite for battle.

Freya asked as they passed through the gate. "First to three hits wins?"

"As you wish," he answered smoothly.

One of the guards caught wind of their words an whistled before hollering. "Ohhh someone's taking on Lady Crescent again! Place your bets!"

Sephiroth turned and raised an eyebrow at Freya. "This happens often?"

Freya shrugged. "Whenever I show up in Alexandria. We were previously at war after all, and challenging the best Burmecia has to offer appears to be a favored pastime."

Sephiroth chuckled at that but did not comment. That was a far cry from what he could remember on his home-world. People scrambled to get out of his way, not openly challenge him. No one save for Cloud and... his old friends Genesis and Angeal... had ever really done that.

They walked a bit from the gate and separate, standing several paces away from one another. He half turned his head, sighting that people were actually watching and placing a betting pool on the spar. How amusing... wait, actually...

"I match whatever the wagered amount is," he called out, more than aware he needed this world's money.

There were a few curious looks and snickers shot his way followed by the rubbing together of greedy hands. Oh, this would be easy pickings.

Freya raised an eyebrow. "I seem to recall you saying you had no money, I hope you don't expect me to throw the fight."

Sephiroth smirked. "No. I simply know my own strength, and have an idea of yours."

"Hmph, shall we begin?" asked Freya, drawing and spinning her spear out infront of her before gripping it two handed and angling it towards the ground.

Sephiroth's response was to draw Masamune and surge forward at a moderate pace, for him anyway. He did a 'light' overhead attack, simply to gauge Freya's response time and strength. Freya's eyes went wide, surprised at his speed, and barely managed to bring her spear up in time to block. Masamune clanged against its shaft. The impact alone sent Freya staggering back.

As he thought, she was roughly 3rd class equivalent. Impressive for a none-enhanced being. He slightly held back a little bit more of his strength and speed, trying to not be obvious on how much he was holding back. Hopefully she would think he had just put a lot of effort into his first rush.

He swung Masamune in smooth arcs, forcing her to keep on the defensive as her spear lashed out and batted each attack aside. He was moderately impressed that her weapon hadn't shattered against his blade. He'd have to make a point to ask what it was made out of later if he remembered to.

Freya leaped back and then, to his surprise, she leaped rather high into the air before surging down, energy coating her spear. Sephiroth threw himself out of the way as she speared down, stabbing into the ground. He took advantage of the moment where she had to pull her spear out of the ground and swung, lightly raking Masamune across her right arm, leaving and thin red cut through her clothing and arm.

She hissed a bit and leaped back, nodding curtly after she landed, respect in her voice. "First blood to you."

Oh... how it made his body thrum. To finally fight, and to be acknowledged for his strength for the first time in thousands of years. He rushed at her again, slightly picking up speed. Freya struggled to keep pace, barely managing to get a counter-stab in between attacks in an attempt to take-over the offensive, but he would not have it. He grabbed the spear behind the spikes and pulled it forward. He was mildly impressed she held on and didn't let it be yanked out of her hands. However, it still let him throw her past him and score a second hit on her back. He smirked at the sight of her scrambling.

Freya staggered and flopped to the ground before springing up and turning to him, anger on her face. "Do not insult me!"

He raised an eyebrow. "I haven't said a thing since we started."

Freya clenched her fists tightly on her spear, indignation and rage overcoming her. "I see that smug look on your face. I am not so blind to see that you are holding back, treating me as if I were an insignificant pest!"

Purple bolts of lightning began to arc along her body, a blue glow enveloping her. "I will show you Burmecia's might!"

Blue light engulfed her, shooting up into the sky, coated with the purple lightning. It vanished seconds later, leaving Freya transformed. Her clothing was gone, replaced by complete glowing metallic colored plate mail. Her presence and spiritual energy that he could detect had just straight up doubled.

What the hell?

Freya burst at him twice as fast as before, forcing Sephiroth to tap a bit more into his strength to match her. He was confounded, what WAS this? It almost felt like a limit break, but it was continuous, not just one special move or a set of them. He could still manage her, easily, but, this was something else... it left him a bit stupefied. If he had not been vastly stronger and quicker than her, he knew his stunned idiocy would have cost him the fight. It still took her spear raking across his cheek, drawing his blood, to knock him out of his daze.

Sephiroth sprang back and rubbed a thumb against his cheek, drawing it in-front of him to see his own blood. He felt a tint of anger that so weak a foe had harmed him. Hmph, so she didn't want him to hold back? So be it. She had earned the right to see a portion of his true strength. She would see his power firsthand, and this way, she would not forget.

Is this the pain you felt before? Cloud? Let me remind you, this time, you wont forget.

Sephiroth blinked at the memory before banishing it as Freya rushed at him, spear twirling through the air as she made to stab at him. He was a blur, moving faster than she could follow. He smashed Masamune into her spear, sending her flying back. She barely regained her footing as she landed, still reeling and staggering back. He blitzed forward and slashed one more time, knocking her spear from her hand, slashing a bit into her stomach, and sending her flying again, smashing into the wall of Alexandria's gate. She hit it and crumpled to the ground, a blue light engulfing her. When it faded, she was back in her original clothes.

Freya shakily rose to her feet, disbelief and shock on her face. "Beaten easily, even in Trance, just... who are you?!"

Trance was it? So that was what that transformation was called? Was it perhaps this world's version of limit breaks? If so, he would gladly trade his limit breaks for the ability to enter Trance. He would take his ability doubling for an extended period of time over a special attack any-day. Ah well...

Sephiroth did not bother answering her question, he had already introduced himself. "You are an impressive warrior, Freya Crescent. I thank you for the spar, perhaps I'll buy you a drink next time we meet as thanks."

He walked to the gate, stopping by the group of guards and civilians who had been betting on the fight and were now gaping at him in astonishment. "Pay up."

He was given his cut and started walking away, slowly. He kept his ear cocked in their directions as Freya walked up to the group and one of the guards gave her what looked to be a potion. His enhanced hearing would let him overhear even when he appeared out of hearing range.

"Lady Crescent, no offense, but he trashed you. Who IS that guy?" asked one of the guards.

"He says his name is Sephiroth, but, I've never heard of him before. Someone with that kind of strength just doesn't appear overnight, he has to have come from somewhere," mused Freya, "Perhaps I'll have more to discuss with the Lady General than just offering condolences. Zidane and Garnet might want to know about him too..."

Sephiroth turned his head away, a smirk on his face. Excellent. His name would spread, and perhaps even draw the attention of a more worthy opponent. He stored the names 'Zidane' and 'Garnet' for later, figuring they probably held some importance. For now, he decided to simply explore the city of Alexandria.

He passed back through the gate, through the entrance square, down the street, passed the tavern, and into what looked to be a market area. On second pass, it wasn't so much an open market as it was a place with several shops and an inn. Further ahead passed a ticket booth of sorts was a closed gate under guard leading towards the castle. There were several back alleyways and side-streets to explore, down one, he heard the faint sound of swooshing water. He followed it to a makeshift dock and stared out across the lake. He pondered the view for once, it had been a long time since he had seen anything so... concrete and natural. The view of the cosmos hadn't been breathtaking since the first year of none-stop space-travel. A more earthly view was a refreshing and satisfying thing for once. He slowly turned and walked away, heading back in to continue exploring.

It wasn't, of course, just simple wanderlust. Already he was identifying escape routes and potential ambush points, refreshing his memory on such things in-case he needed to make use of them. There were so many nooks one could slip into and hide from with ease, and that wasn't even considering the rooftops. Some of them looked rather walk-able.

It was also refreshing, in a sense, that he didn't draw immediate attention. To be sure, his silver hair, mako catlike eyes, and the Masamune across his back drew in their fair shares of curious people. However, it wasn't the looks of awe, fear, hatred, or reverence he could recall back home. It was a simple, everyday curiosity. He pondered it as he walked. To simply be taken in as a person, rather than put on a pedestal for all to see... it was something he had never had back home. He almost rather liked it, well, save for the lack of respect in their gazes. He briefly pondered keeping such a status, but, it was a bit late for that. After all, word of his prowess was going to spread. It was for the best.

After finishing his exploration, save for the castle area, he returned to the tavern. It was a bit later in the day now, and far more busy. Sephiroth bought himself a drink to blend in, and plopped himself down in a corner. For the time being, he'd listen in and absorb as much information as he could.

Of course, as the hours passed, most of what he heard was drunken gossip and personal problems. He did however learn that the other two names he heard earlier, Zidane and Garnet, apparently belonged to the king and queen of Alexandria. Which meant based on how casually Freya had referred to them earlier, she was personally friends with royalty. Which was also a curious question about how that could possibly happen. Hadn't Freya mentioned that Alexandria and Burmecia had been at war? That her home had fallen? How then did she find herself befriending her former enemy's leadership? A curious situation that presented a...

Sephiroth broke off his thoughts as a rather powerful presence came into his sensing range. His head and eyes swerved, tracking it through the walls as it drew closer to the tavern. Was it a monster by chance? No, there were no screams in the air, nor fire he could smell. It had to be a person. But... to have that kind of strength? It was comparable to the top of 2nd Class SOLDIER, maybe even the low end of 1st Class. Mako eyes were unrecognized, so, it had to be an unenhanced being, nor did he feel a tug like Mother's pull, so it wasn't similar to him. He didn't think normal beings could become that strong.

Blood singing in anticipation, his eyes tracked the presence's movements as it neared before finally, the doors of the tavern were opened...

Notes:

Comparing 'power levels' between differing Final Fantasy's is a challenging thought. So, I decided to use SOLDIER as Sephiroth's base line. The SOLDIER he is referring to would be the one he knew, SOLDIER at its prime, before it all started going to shit after Genesis left. I gave Freya a decent ranking for a none-enhanced being, 3rd Class without Trance, roughly 2nd Class with. On that note, you can probably guess who's about to walk through that door...

Sephiroth is rather contemplative, having finally arrived on a new world, a new start, a new beginning. His power lust and insanity/madness faded a bit over the millenniums alone without his 'Mother's' voice in his head. Some things however will not change with him.

The time setting for this story is roughly 5~ years after the end of FF9. Stiener kicked the bucket after the mist came back in force (sorry Stiener fans). The status of other characters from FF9 will remain to be seen.

By the way...

Anyone got any good name for a Zidane/Garnet child? I'd think by now they'd have one ^_^.

Chapter 3: The General

Summary:

Sephiroth meets Beatrix.

It was love at first sword swing. (lol)

The presence was a human...

In fact, it was a woman. Curious. Sephiroth had encountered powerful woman before, Tifa Lockheart, Aerith Gainsborough, Mother if gender even mattered for what she was... he could distantly recall another powerful female, something to do with the original AVALANCHE, but, it wasn't that important. None of them had exerted the pure physical power the one standing at the entrance of the tavern did. None of them immediately commanded as much attention and respect by presence alone. None of them held themselves the way she did, held such an obvious martial prowess in form and figure alone.

She was tall, a little on the slender side, with slightly pale skin, and seemed to be around in her mid thirties or so. Above average muscle for what few female warriors he could recall. Brown hair, extending to around her collar bone. Her eyes, a strange mixture of red and purple. A silvery cloth over her right eye, wrapping into her hair. Her face was curvy, but held complete and utter control. Not a shroud of emotion escaped her perfect mask. She wore a white, sleeveless top that was tied together with cord between the two halves, the form of the clothes she wore wasn't entirely familiar to him. Perhaps a duster or a corset or something? Clothing wasn't his expertise, he was honestly surprised he even remembered some of the names of types of clothes. The top connected into a cape that hung down to her feet. The inner part of the cloak and the white top seemed to be a deep crimson. On her hands were a rather larger looking finger-less gauntlets that extended a little past her wrists. Good enough to protect her hands, not enough to get in the way of her gripping her sword. On her right arm only she had a steel brace like armor extending to a bit above her elbow. It suggested she was right handed, offering more protection to her right arm and more weight to be added into her blows. Connecting her top and bottom half's was a buckle that held a sword sheath angling a bit behind her. Her leggings were a tight red-brown. Her boots, steel, with a white red cloth mix at the top.

The way the barfolk's eyes snapped to her let him know she was someone of importance, not that he couldn't practically feel it anyway. The way she held herself demanded respect and showed authority. Considering what he could recall hearing from Freya, and loosely in the bar talk, with such a powerful presence, she could only be General Beatrix of Alexandria.

He took a moment to briefly re-asses what he could feel of her power, high 2nd class or perhaps low 1st Class SOLDIER seemed accurate. Though, her presence seemed to feel... spiritual and magical as well as physical. Swordplay and physical power was not this woman's only weapon. While he doubted she could manage some of the more drastic physical abilities of a SOLDIER, he held little doubt that only the upper echelons would have been able to match her. All in all, this woman's first impression on him was... impressive... with great potential still left untapped if he had anything to say about it.

He changed from studying her, to watching her. Her gaze was slowly sweeping across the tavern, but he was not fooled. The very subtle way she was tensed towards his direction let him know she knew full well where he was. She was simply not acknowledging him yet out of a matter of principle, letting him know that he 'wasn't important' and would get to him when she got to him. How... amusing. He had done it himself, seen Genesis and Turks do it plenty of times, but, no one had ever done it to him like this before. Not that she had any clue who he truly was anyway. Finally, she put a hand to her hair to flick it back before striding towards the bar and it's bartender.

The bartender eyed her warily. "Evenin General, what can we do for you?"

"Lady Crescent was here earlier, was she not?" inquired Beatrix, her voice calm, collected, but sharp.

The bartender nodded. "Yes, what of it?"

"I seek the man she was talking to, is he here?" asked Beatrix.

Ah, so she was here for him. He took note of how to the point she was. It wasn't of the disrespectful sort, she simply had a goal and aimed towards it. It faintly reminded him of himself back when he was the top of 1st Class. Mincing words was for the common folk, or for Zackery he supposed if what he could remember about the man held true.

The bartender pointed straight towards Sephiroth. "Silver haired fellow over in the corner."

Beatrix briefly turned her head towards him, eyes passing over his, connecting, but not lingering, before she turned her head back to the bartender. "My thanks."

She turned and strode towards Sephiroth, stopping at the other end of the table he was at. "You are Sephiroth Crescent, are you not?"

He tilted his head curtly and decided to act unaware. "I am, to whom do I speak?"

Beatrix blinked once, her eyebrow slightly furrowing, the only hint of surprise she showed, it was more than obvious not knowing who she was was rather... unusual. "I am General Beatrix of Alexandria."

He nodded curtly once more. "Well met, General, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'll keep this short. With the resurgence of the mist, the safety of Alexandria and her lands is no longer secure. The King and Queen have heard of your prowess and wish to acquire your services," she answered with a directness he appreciated, she was not one to dance around a subject.

Sephiroth made a none-committal hum. "And what would be required of me?"

"First, you would be requires to join and to serve in the royal army of Alexandria and...," she began.

"Not interested," he interrupted.

He could still faintly recall memories of his 'service' to Shinra. "My Loyalty is to myself and my sword, never again will I swear fealty or loyalty to another."

Never again.

Beatrix showed a brief hint of a frown. "A mercenary then. What is your price?"

Sephiroth studied her for a moment and decided to test the waters, wanting to see how much Alexandria was like the Shinra of his memories. "I'm not sure my services are for sale. If I should refuse...?"

Beatrix seemed a mixture between irritated and confused. "Then you walk away and leave countless innocents to suffer the mist and it's monsters."

Sephiroth made a none-committal hum. So, they wouldn't try to force his hand into serving them. That already raised his opinion on Alexandria when comparing it to Shinra. He decided he'd indulge Beatrix, not that he truly cared for Alexandria or it's people, but, she was by far the most interesting person he had come across yet. He also doubted he'd find anyone else who would compare to her anytime soon.

"If I were to allow your kingdom to purchase my services, I will reserve the right to refuse any mission or command that I do not agree with," he offered.

Beatrix scoffed. "The Alexandria of old is a distant memory. Queen Garnet is not the same queen her mother was."

A curious response. "I see."

"I do not have all day, Crescent," stated Beatrix coldly, "Name your price or refuse giving Alexandria your service."

A hint of a smile played across Sephiroth's face; my, how impatient this one was. "I'll allow you to set a price, with one condition."

Beatrix crossed her arms over her chest, studying him with a frown. "Which is...?"

"I will not accept orders from those I do not respect, if you want my service, you will show me firsthand your strength," answered Sephiroth.

Beatrix uncrossed her arms and stared at him. "Are you challenging me, Beatrix of Alexandria?"

The entire tavern went quiet, all heads turning their way.

"More of a test then a challenge, but, yes," answered Sephiroth, "I'm curious to see how deserved your tittle of 'general' is."

Beatrix slowly shook her head. "If that is what you wish then so be it. I commend your courage in the face of an unknown opponent, but I will show you no mercy."

Sephiroth stood and made for the tavern door, Beatrix following. It was moderately amusing to see her try to walk swiftly to take the lead. A general indeed, but, two could play that game. He adjusted his speed, merely choosing to keep pace with her, not in front, not behind, allowing her a courtesy.

They walked outside the gates of Alexandria as dusk began to set in. He heard a trail of curious onlookers following to the gates, but paid no heed to those beneath his notice. The entirety of his mental focus was on the General. She felt entirely confident in her supposed superiority. However, as they separated and strode away to take their positions, he noted there was no haughty arrogance shown. There was a seriousness in her eyes as she put her hand on her sword. She was confident in herself, but not foolish enough to default him as not a threat.

His lips curled into a slow smile. He was looking forward to this.

He slowly drew Masamune from his back, watching as she did the same for her sword. It's grip was red, with a black bottom and connector to the handle itself. The handle itself was a golden hand guard, shaped almost like a wing. The blade itself was long and elegant, with a red diamond like pattern down it's length. Her sword seemed sturdy enough, it was time to see if it could stand up to Masamune's bite.

Thinking of the spar Freya had given him, he inquired, "How do you wish to determine the winner of our 'spar'?"

Beatrix flexed her grip on her sword. "Either the loser is disarmed and held blade-point, surrenders, or knocked out."

"As you wish," he answered.

He was upon her the moment the last syllable left his mouth, Masamune arching for her arm. Beatrix did not seem surprised at his speed and instantly pivoted, swinging her sword up to bat his aside before counter-thrusting at him. He stepped back and parried, before being forced back as she drew closer for tight swings of her sword. Hmph, so she realized the space required to swing Masamune was far more than her own blade.

With inhuman strength, he leapt high over her, swinging down as he did with the point of Masamune. Beatrix didn't bat an eyelash in surprise. She knelt as he leaped, bringing her blade up to deflect his blow as he passed over. She pivoted and surged at him as she rose to her feet, her blade starting to glow with light. Each swipe of their blades unleashed sparks of light and ripples of energy through the air. Had he been a lesser opponent, such constant tremors in the air might have made him unbalanced, or loosened his grip, or distracted him. But he wasn't, his grip was titanic, and his footwork sturdy beyond the most rigged mountain. Of course, he also figured her light enchanted blade would hurt far more now if she actually landed a blow.

She drove forward relentlessly, each swing of her blade and foot placed forward forced him to step back to gain enough space to swing. A relentless attacker, he could tell almost instantly she usually dominated her battles. Such ferocity even a 2nd class SOLDIER would have been hard pressed to handle. Now, it was time to see how she did on the defensive. He leaped back as she swung down, embedding her sword into the ground. He surged forward, Masamune humming through the air. Beatrix withdrew her sword from the dirt and parried, spinning and trying to swing at his shoulder instead of falling back, immediately returning to the offensive.

He found it amusing as he barreled into her and they toppled to the ground that he didn't realize she was not one to be driven on the defensive at all. They rolled away from one another and sprung up. Blades ready.

"Enough," said Beatrix, her blade shinning with immense light.

Sephiroth's eyebrows furrowed. What was she...?

"Shock!" roared Beatrix.

Light erupted at Sephiroth's position, burning and blasting into him with enough power and force that he was actually a bit singed. He gave a grunt of pain and was sent flying on impact. He hit the ground and rolled, springing up to his feet. Sephiroth growled under his breath before raising a hand to dust off his leather, a bit annoyed to see it slightly chard. There was a slight furrowing of Beatrix's eyes as she studied him. If he had to guess, she wasn't pleased with how he took that hit head on and sprang back up without pause. There was a tightening to her grip, a tenseness to her stance, the light around her sword softly spreading to give a hum to the rest of her body. If she hadn't been taking him serious before, she was now. He could feel her drawing out her full strength.

At last.

A decent challenge.

Sephiroth stopped holding back, pushing himself to a level he'd use against Genesis and Angeal if he recalled their power correctly. It was an acknowledgement of his opponent's prowess and strength, but still not his own true might. They burst at eachother, weapons letting out ripples of energy with each class. They weren't standing still and trading blows, no, they were a blur of motion, circling one another, jabbing, swiping, deflecting, and parrying blow after blow as if in a dance. She leaped back and then at him, swinging in a downward stroke, her blade cackling with electricity. He made to counterattack, but was taken offguard when thunder ripped from the sky as her blade sank into the ground, letting loose a burst of power that sent him staggering.

She took immediate advantage, stepped forward and swiping at his chest. He knew he'd have to take the hit, but managed to at least make the cut shallow by falling backwards, her blade slicing through his leather and drawing a thin line of blood. He fell onto the ground and rolled as she stabbed downward, a bit of a lethal move, but he assumed she predicted he'd move. Sephiroth pushed himself up off the ground and swung at her with a heavy strike. She gripped her blade tightly and blocked, their blades screeching against one another. Neither pulled back, and instead attempted to overpower the other, their blades grinding as they stepped towards one another.

Beatrix narrowed her eyes as they drew close, their blades positioned so precariously that one slip could lop the other's head off. "Fool. Do you take me for an idiot?"

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, but did not respond. He wondered where she was going with this.

"I can tell you are holding back, you should not have done so," she warned ominously.

Sephiroth was momentarily taken off-guard that she had seen through him. She used that to her advantage and sprung back before leaping forward, her blade glowing so intensely with light it was almost blinding.

"Stock Break!" cried out Beatrix.

Sephiroth raised his blade and blocked. The moment their blades connected an explosion of light erupted around them. Sephiroth could not help but roar in agony as the light bit into him, ripping at and sapping his strength. He staggered back and fell to a knee, stabbing Masamune into the ground with one hand, cradling his chest with the other. Damn... damn... not quite like taking on the Puppet's Omni-slash or Genesis's Apocalypse head on undefended, but getting close to that mark. Regardless... that was not enough, not nearly enough to stop him.

Beatrix paused as he rose to his feet. "Impressive."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, a cold and deadly gleam to them as an orange glow of a limit break surrounded him. She did not want him to hold back?

So be it.

"Cut," he snarled out as the sky darkened and energy burst around him.

He burst forward and unleashed Octaslash, his blade screaming through the air in eight deadly swings. To her credit, Beatrix blocked each one, but each attack still sent her staggering.

"Vanish!" he roared.

He finished his attack with a heavy swing that slammed into her blade, knocked it out of the way, and cut into her right shoulder. She was sent flying by the blow, skidding along the ground before rolling and eventually coming to a stop. Beatrix laid there for a moment, taking in a few ragged breath's before she rose to her feet, one hand gripping her blade, the other gripping her shoulder, pain coating her face.

There was a loud chorus of gasps and exclamations from those watching the battle at a distance, but Sephiroth paid them no heed. He watched Beatrix carefully, gauging what she would do. He knew without a doubt she was rarely if ever put in such a situation, so what would she do with such a wound...

"Curaga!" yelled Beatrix, raising her blade into the air.

Sephiroth scowled as restorative energy washed over Beatrix. Of course, he had felt that she had strength in power, spirit, and magic after all. So she could heal herself. That was irritating, especially since he had no Materia himself. Though... he could not sense any on her either. Whatever magic she was using came from herself, not from little orbs of the planet's power.

How curious.

Magic on this planet worked quite differently.

Sephiroth paused his thoughts as a red and white flame ran down Beatrix's blade. He could feel her power peak and ripple intensely. Whatever she was about to do, she was not holding back in the slightest. This could be dangerous...

Good.

His blood sung in anticipation and...

"That's enough!" called out a woman's voice.

Beatrix immediately paused, banished the flame, lowered her sword, and turned her head. Sephiroth was irritated by the interruption, but dismissed the feeling and studied Beatrix briefly. That simple action she took told Sephiroth all he needed to know about whoever had just spoken. That the General of Alexandria instantly acted and obeyed showed him immense loyalty. He turned his head and followed her gaze, resting on a young woman striding out onto the field. She had short cut black hair, brown eyes, and fair skin. She wore a white bell-sleeved blouse under a skin-tight sleeveless orange jumpsuit with corset lacing. He noted white buckles on the thighs of her jumpsuit. She had a pair of red leather globes and ankle boots, along with a necklace that had a crystal on it.

Beatrix saluted as the woman paused a bit away from their duel, her arm hitting slightly below her collar bone. "Queen Garnet."

Garnet tilted her head in acknowledgement before amusement sung in her voice. "I don't recall asking for our honored guest to be killed. Climhazzard is a bit much for a spar, don't you think?"

"For the by-standards who draw to close against better judgement perhaps," answered Beatrix before turning to gaze at Sephiroth, "Our 'honored guest' would have survived."

She tilted her head. "Most likely."

Sephiroth's lips curled into an amused smile, since when had he become the 'honored guest'? "I am not one to boast, but I would give myself the benefit of the doubt."

Sephiroth sheathed his sword. The duel was done. There was no winner concluded, but he was relatively satisfied. He couldn't spoil himself too much on the first day. He'd savor her full strength for another battle. Oh how he anticipated it, and perhaps... if Beatrix entered 'trance' like Freya did, he might actually be able to cut loose against an opponent for once.

To think he had found a worthy opponent and perhaps a rival on the first day in the world.

There were not words for how pleased he was.

He was going to enjoy this planet.

Beatrix turned to level her gaze on Sephiroth. "Well Crescent?

His choice was already made, but he wouldn't let them know that just yet. "Hmm... I suppose you are one of the more impressive warrior's I have come across in my lifetime."

Beatrix did not scoff, nor feign offense or disbelief, instead, her gaze gained a sharp interest. "Oh?"

Ah of course, she is a General of a Kingdom, she'd take keen interest in identifying additional threats or resources. "I'd say in all or nothing fight, few of my old acquaintances could have beaten you, only my closest friends along with my old enemy would have held clear victory."

Oh yes, Strife would have destroyed her with that unorthodox blade of his, the General wouldn't have been prepared to face an enemy like the puppet. On a second or third fight she would have done far better, but Strife wouldn't have allowed a dangerous threat to survive the first encounter. Though, on second thought, perhaps Aerith might have matched her, but, that was purely in spiritual power. Minerva, being a goddess, did not count. He doubted Beatrix would fare well against Chaos either, but, that beast was an WEAPON of the planet itself...

"I suppose Zack, Genesis, and Angeal would have enjoyed sparring with you had they lived," mused Sephiroth.

It was a shame now that he thought about it. He would have been... well... happy, to have had any of his old friends come enjoy this shinning future with him. Shame they never lived through the crisis.

Beatrix frowned. "This 'enemy' of yours..."

"Was a battle won a long time ago," said Sephiroth with a shake of his head.

He grew silent. He waited patiently, he would not be the one to re-initiate. By the look of it and the slight narrowing of Beatrix's eyes, she knew what game he was playing, and she didn't seem amused.

The Queen clasped her hands together. "Mr. Crescent? I assume the Lady General inquired about your services?"

Sephiroth turned his head to study the Queen for a moment, not physically, but contemplatively. He had few national leaders to compare her to. President Shinra, and the leader of Wutai... oh what was his name? Pah, he supposed it didn't remember, he had a general idea of the man. This woman had shown no fear in stepping onto a battlefield mid spar. Either she was arrogant as hell, or fearless. Then again... unlike President Shinra, she was not some fat pompous man. While not muscular, her arms did seem toned. He also noticed a staff strapped across her back. She was no stranger to battle. Interesting, a Queen willing to get her hands dirty and fight. He stretched out his senses...

And was momentarily flabbergasted by the spiritual strength of the woman. He did not remember enough about Aerith's spiritual strength to decide whom amongst the two would have been stronger in that regard. This woman had an inner fire in her that so very few had.

He could admit, he was starting to grow somewhat impressed with Alexandria as a whole. Unlike Shinra, the weak did not rule as corporate bureaucrats. No, the strong had proven themselves worthy of their positions.

"Very well," said Sephiroth, "Your General has proven her strength to me and is worthy of my respect. From what I detect, you are worthy as well, though I will not be so presumptuous as to ask for a duel to prove it. I feel your strength is in the matters of the spirit and not physical might and skill with a blade."

The Queen arched an eyebrow. "Is that so? I see we have a flatterer."

Sephiroth scoffed. "Hardly. I am merely not one to mince words. So I will simply say you have my services as a mercenary."

That briefly caused the Queen to pause and turn her eyes towards Beatrix who slightly shook her head. A mercenary was obviously not what the Queen had wanted, but judging by the receptive nod she gave her General it was acceptable.

"Very well, Mr. Crescent, if you will follow us, we can get you set up with lodging, and discuss a rough draft of a contract," said the Queen.

"Lead the way," said Sephiroth.

And with that, he followed them back into the city, and into the castle, ever more towards his shinning future.

Notes:

Don't lynch me on the power scale! :P