Chapter 1: Project 0
Chapter Text
[ μ ] - εγλ 1988
The ground trembled, knocking the feet out from under the feet of the Shinra troopers on the ground as the wrathful Behemoth slammed its forelegs into the arid dirt. The captain, his red uniform sullied with dirt and dried monster blood, screamed for the men and women on the ground to open fire. Though it was a fool’s errand, the infantry obeyed, pummeling the thick hide of the Behemoth with a slew of bullets. All the gunfire appeared to do was further enrage the beast, and it swiped a massive claw, destroying the makeshift barrier and sending a platoon flying.
“Go! Get back!” One trooper shoved his comrade out of harm’s way moments before talons sundered the earth where they had been standing. Matt Winsord hurried to the other trooper’s side, shielding the man’s body as he sprayed the clawed paw with rapid gunfire. The monster turned its attention to him, lunging with intense ferocity. Matt had no choice; he lunged out of the way, praying his fellow trooper would follow suit, as he narrowly avoided the beast’s snapping jaws. Matt raised his weapon, aiming the reticule squarely between the behemoth’s eyes. He pulled the trigger.
His gun clicked, the magazine empty. The failing gun cost Matt precious seconds, but the Behemoth mercifully took a few moments to taunt its prey, rearing back, its tail whipping from side to side as it let out a ferocious huff. Matt spotted the trooper he’d tried to protect—he was face-down in the dirt, his helmet so thoroughly cracked and broken Matt shuddered to think what remained inside. The trooper’s fingers were still curled around the trigger of a rocket launcher; with only seconds to lose, Matt yanked the rocket launcher into his hand, fighting against the trooper’s rigor mortis to aim the weapon to the sky.
There was only one round remaining. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34… Matt took a deep breath, pointed the launcher into the Behemoth’s gaping maw, and fired.
From the air, the devastation wrought by the Behemoth was unfathomable. Wounded soldiers staggered and crawled out of range of the Behemoth’s frenzied swings, ducking beneath its spiked tail as it whipped back and forth. A black helicopter hovered just above the ground, its pilot hesitant to draw closer lest the beast turn its claws to the propeller blades.
Glenn Lodbrok grasped the bloody hand of a wounded trooper and pulled him into the craft. The man’s arm was bleeding profusely; the Behemoth’s teeth had pierced clear to bone. Glenn quickly ushered the man to the medical team, who immediately set to work disinfecting and bandaging the wound, then turned back to the chaos on the field.
Glenn’s gut twisted, a primal instinct screaming at him to pay attention. He lifted a hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes from the sun as he squinted at the raging Behemoth—just as its jaw exploded.
The rocket’s source was a lone trooper crouched over a dead comrade. The man tossed aside the rocket launcher and attempted to flee, having spent the last round. The Behemoth, thoroughly enraged by the blow, swiped a massive claw at the trooper. The force of the blow launched the man backwards, knocking his helmet off and exposing his dark face. His head hit the ground, and the trooper’s body went limp.
Glenn leapt from the helicopter without a moment’s hesitation. He dove into a roll, clutching the man in his arms and pulling the unconscious trooper out of range of the Behemoth’s lashing tail as the beast turned to a platoon attacking from its rear. The man was still alive—he groaned weakly as Glenn supported him, dragging him back to the helicopter while covering their retreat with gunfire.
With a crash, a second behemoth leapt from the smoking rubble, tearing apart the helicopter, its claws tearing at its sides as if it were made of foil. Glenn gaped in horror as the helicopter burst into flames—then dove out of the way as the first behemoth swiped at the two men. Glenn barely dodged each furious blow as he shielded the trooper beneath him from the Behemoth’s rage.
An explosive round hit the behemoth in the neck, and it shuddered, crouching defensively. Glenn looked up to see another helicopter rapidly approaching. A young woman with short black hair was aiming down the scope of a massive rifle, still smoking at its tip. They don’t call her the Marksqueen for nothing, Glenn grinned as he threw the unconscious trooper over his shoulders and raced to reach Lucia Lin’s outstretched hand. She pulled the two men into the helicopter, peering out worriedly at the desert landscape.
The ground was littered with bodies; even if anyone on the field was still alive, with two beasts prowling and raging across the field, it would be a suicide mission to retrieve whoever was left. Orders to return to base crackled over the intercom, and the helicopter lifted the soldiers away to safety.
[ μ ] - εγλ 1989
SOLDIER Project: Project 0.
4th Testing Group candidate authorized.
Launching virtual combat training program.
Prepare for drop into training field.
Ren Makiri took a deep breath, then leapt from the helicopter. He held his arms and legs wide, squinting through the rushing air as he scanned the ground for an ideal spot to land.
There!
He tilted forward, squeezing his arms against his side as he shot through the sky. Just before hitting the ground, he ducked into a tight spin, landing on three points like he’d trained. The impact sent a shiver of energy up his arm and legs.
“Welcome to the fray,” a voice crackled through his comms. “I’m Lucia, your commanding officer for Project 0’s 4th testing group. Now that you’ve touched down, let’s get started.”
Glowing blue lines stretched into shape before Ren, materializing into pixels that solidified into a gray metal chest. He eagerly popped it open and gathered its contents: a submachine gun with some ammo, two potions, and a Fire materia.
Lucia dutifully instructed Ren on the basics of combat, but Ren ignored her, loading his gun and exploring the map. He’d read the manual hundreds of times; and besides, this virtual arena wasn’t much different than the battle royale games Ren had grown up playing. In the distance, a wall of glowing green descended from the sky, surrounding the undercity of Midgar.
“The training zone’s about to shrink.” Lucia explained. “So either move in or start sucking mako gas—and I think we both know how that ends.”
“Roger that.” Ren readied his weapon and hurried to the center of the sector—the eye of the storm.
He spotted the training dummy, the target of this tutorial mission: though it looked identical to a real soldier, it clearly had the brain of a computer; it stood unnervingly still out in the open, running stiffly in a random direction when it spotted Ren. The SOLDIER didn’t even break a sweat as he slashed thrice at his foe, which dissolved into a cloud of pixels.
“Bravo, rook!” Lucia congratulated him as the simulation dissolved, the earthen tones of Sector 7 morphing into the cold steel of the SOLDIER training room. “You’re the last candidate standing,” Lucia recited from the mission log from the other side of the glass. “Lookin’ forward to seein’ what you do on the front lines.”
Two soldiers fired on Ren as he dashed through the Sector 5 slums. He leapt into a spinning slash, striking at his foes and felling them with a three-swing combo. He finished with a powerful dive, blasting two more soldiers hiding in the alley with a burst of energy.
Just like the hero.
He brushed his dyed silver hair out of his eyes, smirking triumphantly. A glimmer of light caught his eye, and he turned to see another soldier standing boldly atop the tin roof of a nearby building, his hand thrust to the sky. Ren realized too late that the man was summoning; he crouched cautiously, his heart pounding as he waited to see which summon would appear.
Crap.
The dragon Bahamut materialized, gathering a ball of energy before its powerful jaws. Ren cursed under his breath, then dashed away. It was too late; Bahamut unleashed its powerful beam of energy, which exploded as it hit the earth. The shockwave sundered the earth, dissolving the very environment as it tore the buildings and gates and dirt into flickering pixels. The wave overtook Ren, bathing him in blinding white light.
“4 of 75. Not bad.”
Ren couldn’t help himself; he cussed under his breath. I was so goddamn close! He brushed back his bangs and turned to the trooper beside him. “How’d you rank?”
“11th.” The trooper shook his head, running his hand through his dreadlocks. “Some bastard sniped me when I was taking cover.”
“Damn.” Ren slumped over, disappointed. “I’d hoped we’d make it together.”
“Chin up, Ren. We can still make SOLDIER.”
“I dunno, Sion. Word is they’re planning to sunset the P0 program. By the time we make SOLDIER-”
As if on cue, Ren’s phone beeped, notifying him of new mail.
Based on the recommendation of commanding officer Lucia Lin, you are hereby promoted to the rank of SOLDIER. You are additionally hereby assigned to the top-secret mission “FIRST SOLDIER Operation,” alongside SOLDIERs Glenn Lodbrok, Matt Winsord, and Lucia Lin.
Ren let out a euphoric laugh. “I can’t believe it! I made it!?” He pulled Sion into a tight bear hug.
“Congrats, man.” Sion forced a smile, clearly trying to hide his envy. “So, what’s this ‘First SOLDIER’ mission?”
“Dunno. Looks like it involves getting a license to pilot a helicopter, so that’s pretty sweet.”
“Do you think he’s going to be assigned to this mission?”
Ren hadn’t even considered that possibility. His heart pounded in his chest. “Maybe! In the meantime, I’m not gonna settle for Number 4. I’m going to train hard, and by the time I leave for this mission… maybe I’ll be the hero.”
Chapter 2: Rhadore Archipelago Survey
Summary:
Glenn Lodbrok, Matt Winsord, and Lucia Lin begin their first inaugural mission to the island of Rhadore. But their plan is quickly derailed when the remnants of the Rhadoran army attack their transport. The three must traverse the unfamiliar land, avoiding monster and enemy alike.
Chapter Text
[ μ ] - εγλ 1992
“You’re asking for it!”
Glenn clenched his fist, shaking it angrily in front of his face to show he meant business.
“Hm.” Matt smirked, clearly not threatened by the gesture. “And you’re gonna give it?”
Lucia leaned forward in her seat, smirking at Glenn. “If you don’t actually clock him one of these days, you’ll never hear the end of it.”
“Probably,” Glenn shrugged. “But it’s my first time as leader. I’m still finding my stride. So take it easy, will ya?”
Matt sighed and shook his head. “You look ready to hit me, though. Whether you mean it or not, that’ll earn you a bad rap in no time.”
“A bad rap is better than none,” Glenn mumbled. He turned away from his comrades and glared at the clouds out of the window. A storm was brewing over the ocean below; the blanket of clouds was a deep navy, occasionally flickering with lightning. Glenn’s gut twinged at the sight; he couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding.
The intercom crackled to life. “Target location confirmed. Survey unit, prepare for landing!”
“All right!” Glenn leapt to his feet. “Time for Team Glenn’s first inaugural mission!” He reached over to grab the mako detection kit and the rest of the team’s gear.
The helicopter shuddered violently, rocking back and forth and nearly knocking Glenn off his feet. Matt rushed to the window and gasped. “There’s a chopper! Hostiles!”
“Engaging!” The pilot announced from the cockpit. “Survey unit, cut the chatter!”
The helicopter banked sharply to avoid incoming missiles. Glenn stumbled, instinctively grasping for a handhold on the wall beside him. His fingers caught the edge of a poster of Shinra mascot Stamp, tearing the image of the beagle down the middle. The helicopter began to drift, tilting forward at a sharp enough angle to pin Matt and Lucia to the wall beside Glenn. They caught sight of the enemy helicopter—the hunk of scrap metal looked like it was barely staying together, and smoke billowed from a gaping hole in the right side of the fuselage.
The enemy chopper turned and flew off, but Glenn’s gut told him they weren’t retreating in defeat. “This isn’t good, is it?”
The pressure building in Glenn’s eardrums confirmed his suspicions—they were descending… fast. Glenn staggered to the door to the cockpit, dug his fingers into the seam of the door, and slid it open.
A blue sky greeted him on the other side. “Where’s the rest of the plane!?”
He glanced down, and his heart plummeted. The helicopter was far too low for them to safely parachute out. There was only one hope of survival; Glenn steeled his nerves, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited for the opportune moment. Matt and Lucia readied themselves beside him.
“On three! One… two… THREE!”
The trio leapt from the helicopter.
Grandma…
Glenn awoke to the sweet smell of flowers. He blinked groggily, the world spinning and swaying as he shakily rose to his feet. Crumpled chunks of metal littered the grass around him, and as the wind shifted, the stench of smoke overpowered the smell of the flowers. Glenn checked himself for injuries; besides the pounding of his head and the ache of his back, he was unharmed. “I’m alive…”
He followed the smell of burning fuel to the crash site. The fuselage was a crumpled husk, smoke billowing from the end as the fuel reserves burned. The propeller and tail lay in shattered pieces alongside-
“Lucia…”
He rushed to the soldier’s side. She was laying face-up in the grass, but to Glenn’s relief, she had no visible injuries, and her breathing was steady. “Lucia…” Glenn gently shook her by the shoulders. “Lucia! Stay with me! You’re our advisory officer! The Marksqueen!”
Lucia groaned and shuffled slightly, not quite waking. Glenn took a deep breath. If this doesn’t wake her, nothing will. “Hey,” he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “we’re being attacked…”
Lucia bolted to her feet, readying her rifle with fire in her eyes. “To your battle stations!”
“Ohh, she lives!” Glenn laughed. “Don’t scare me like that.”
“How many times do I have to tell you not to wake me up like that?” Lucia exasperatedly plopped back to the ground, holding her head in her hands.
“Hm? You look dazed,” Glenn teased. “Hold on, lemme take off my socks. They’ll work wonders.”
“No need to waste them on me,” Lucia grimaced. “I insist.”
“But I’d do anything for a squadmate.” He bent down and began to slip off his boots.
Lucia leapt to her feet, shaking her head vehemently. Glenn laughed and laced his boot again.
“Hey, where’s Matt?” Lucia peered around the grove, then leaned over to peek inside the smoldering fuselage. “I don’t see the rest of the crew either.”
“The cockpit was long gone before we crashed. They’re probably in the ocean,” Glenn grimaced, “but we made it out okay, so Matt probably did too.” Glenn took a deep breath and tilted his head to the sky. “MATT! MATT WINSORD!”
He heard the embers of the fuselage crack and pop, heard distant birds warbling in the trees. He didn’t hear anything from Matt. He shook his head and turned to Lucia. “We’re helpless without the Professor. Let’s start looking.”
Glenn turned to head into the woods ahead, but Lucia thrust her arm out to stop him. She nodded silently at a patch of tall grass; its blades swayed erratically, crunching as something massive crushed them underfoot. Glenn took a wary step back, curling his fingers around the hilt of his sword.
The grass parted, revealing a lumbering, reptilian beast with a broad, bulky torso and thick stubby legs. Its jaw, lined with rows of sharp teeth, curled into a cruel sort of grin, and its clubbed tail swayed back and forth as it trundled into the clearing. “Matt!?”Glenn leaned back in mock shock. “What happened to you?”
“This isn’t the time!” Lucia spat. She loaded her rifle and took aim at the beast.
“You gotta be able to laugh when you’re in trouble.” Glenn readied his weapon as well. “Isn’t that right, ma’am?”
Lucia fired a barrage of bullets at the beast, and it flinched, growling in annoyance. It retaliated with a spume of water from its mouth, soaking Glenn and Lucia practically to the bone. Glenn shook out his hair, spluttering for breath. “I’ve never seen anything like them before,” he muttered. “Man, if only Matt were here. He’d know what they were.”
“Who cares? Just focus on the battle!”
While the creature’s back was armored, its underbelly was soft and vulnerable. Glenn rushed forward, diving beneath the beast and thrusting his axe upward, slicing into its flesh. The creature shrieked in pain, then slumped over, dead.
“Of course there’s monsters,” Glenn panted as he crawled out from underneath the carcass of another frog-like beast. “There’s always monsters.”
According to Matt, areas rich in mako support an abundance of monsters and their variants. So, Lucia surmised, the appearance of this many vicious beasts must mean that Shinra had the right idea sending them to survey Rhadore for suitable sites to build mako reactors. The main island was said to contain the richest mako, but Lucia had no idea which island they were on now.
“You know what?” Glenn snapped his fingers. “We should sell their info to the bestiary guys!”
“Less talking, more walking,” Lucia scolded. “We made it out alive, but look at us…”
The two of them had found the backup suits in the wreckage of the helicopter, along with the mako detection kit that was integral to their mission. Glenn’s bright red parka and Lucia’s purple jacket were certainly stylish, but unlike the neutral tones of their SOLDIER uniforms, the bright colors of the backup suits made them easy targets.
And Glenn certainly wasn’t helping them blend in. “Matt! I still owe you money, remember!?”
“What’s the total up to now?” Lucia smirked.
“With lunch and drinks… about 3,000 gil,” Glenn pondered. “No, actually 4,000.” He scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I’ll look like a total jerk if he dies before I can pay him back. I’m not the kind of person who could consider himself lucky and move on.”
Lucia sighed deeply. “We’re SOLDIER: P0 Class. Born from Project Zero, passive-model Class P Zero. Zero loss when we die. And zero debt owed or to claim.” She folded her arms in front of her, as if giving herself a hug. “The dead don’t care.”
“Whoa, that’s dark!” Glenn let out a nervous laugh. “The dead may not care, but the living do. And I know he’s alive.” He clenched his fist defiantly. “And I’m more than zero. I’ll prove it!”
“You’re actually less than zero with your current debt,” Lucia smirked.
“I can change that, and I will!” Glenn folded his arms. “I’m not letting anyone else die today.”
Matt’s trajectory had been off when he leapt from the helicopter. He’d aimed for an open clearing far from the estimated crash site, but he’d misjudged the speed of their descent; judging by the position of the sun in the sky, he’d been unconscious for several hours. And knowing Glenn, he was unlikely to have stayed in one place. And if this was the main island, Glenn and Lucia could be kilometers away—likely wandering right into an enemy trap.
But Matt saw no sign of Rhadore remnants. In fact, he barely saw any evidence of human life. In its stead, however, he ran into plenty of monsters. The reptilian beasts had tough hides, making them difficult foes to face alone, but Matt bolstered his defenses with shielding materia, applying regenerative magic to keep his health high.
“Whoa! Do you think it ate him?”
“Stop it, will you? Let’s just get this over with!”
Matt stifled a laugh at the sound of the familiar voices. He crept through the underbrush, peering at Glenn and Lucia as they struck down another of the lumbering monsters.
“What is this place?” Glenn muttered. “Some sort of monster haven?”
“If only they’d eat the guys who attacked our chopper and put us in this situation,” Lucia fumed.
“What makes you think that frog doesn’t belong to them?”
Matt grinned coyly, crouching in a patch of tall grass. He pressed a hand to his mouth to mimic the face coverings worn by the Rhadore. “Stop right there!”
The look on Glenn’s face was priceless, but Lucia took the threat seriously, aiming her rifle directly between Matt’s eyes. He stood, his hands raised in surrender. “...is what the enemy would say if they saw you. So keep your voices down.”
Glenn burst out laughing. “Professor!” He playfully punched Matt’s bicep.
“Don’t call me that.” Matt rubbed his arm gingerly. “How many times do I have to ask?”
“Professor, professor, professor!” Glenn teased. “I’ll say it as many times as I want!”
“So,” Lucia interrupted with a fierce glare, “the chopper that attacked us must belong to the remnants of the Rhadoran army, right?”
“Well,” Glenn shrugged, “we were approaching the main island, and the Rhadore don’t exactly care for Shinra.”
“True. Shinra nearly wiped them out, which is why they sent SOLDIERs for this mission.” Lucia nodded at the forest surrounding them. “This is hostile territory.”
Lucia made a solid point. “Given the circumstances, it may be best for us to send out a distress signal,” Matt suggested.
“No way!” Glenn protested. “I’m gonna finish this mission and get paid. I need the cash.”
Lucia shrugged apathetically. “I don’t care either way.”
Matt considered their options. There had been no sign of the Rhadore—or any other human, for that matter—in the hours the trio had spent wandering the island. Though the wildlife was fierce, it was nothing the three of them couldn’t handle. If the enemy was aware of their survival, surely in the hours since the crash they would have found and eliminated their targets while the SOLDIERs were weak, lost, and separated.
“Fine,” Matt sighed and nodded at Glenn. “We’ll follow the leader’s orders.”
“Then we’re all in agreement! First things first: recon.” Glenn turned and pointed ahead. “Who knows? We could already be in the right place.”
Glenn lead his team confidently across the rugged terrain, using his axe to clear a path through the brush and down to the shore of a flowing creek. The water was crystal clear and refreshingly cool as it surged around his ankles, the roar of its waterfall providing soothing white noise and a gentle spray that bent the afternoon sunlight into a curving rainbow. He leapt onto a flat, smooth stone in the middle of the creek and took a moment to take in his surroundings. The island was utterly beautiful, brimming with wild, untamed life bursting forth in an abundance of bright colors. Pink flowers bloomed along the sandy shore, and lush green trees stretched skyward, their canopies filtering the sunlight into thin yellow rays that dappled the grassy floor.
He spotted a familiar rock formation past a gnarled old oak—the team had made a full circle of the island, and the sun had just barely begun to set. “This island’s not as big as I thought.”
“Judging from the coastline and the elevation, I doubt we’re on the main island,” Matt noted.
There were no anti-aircraft weapons, let alone people. No military facilities, no debris in the water, no trash, nothing. As Lucia pointed out, the monsters the trio repeatedly encountered wouldn’t be allowed to run rampant if there were any people around—even if the Rhadoran army utilized monsters in their military like Wutai, these beasts were clearly untamed.
“They’re not dogs,” Lucia pointed out. “You can’t tame them.”
“I bet you’d have no problems taming either.” Matt nudged Lucia playfully. “Isn’t that right, Glenn?”
Glenn didn’t respond. He stared at the ground, his gut churning with trepidation.
“Glenn?”
“Hm? Yeah?”
“Pull yourself together, leader.” Matt scolded, then softened his tone. “What’s wrong? You seem distracted.”
“Sorry, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” There’s no sign of military forces… But I feel like we’re missing something…
It was abundantly clear the trio was not on the main island. The only notable creatures they encountered were the thick, scaly monsters, which were none too happy about the SOLDIERs invading their territory.
“Is this ever gonna end?” Lucia fired a round of bullets into a monster’s throat, and it let out a guttural wail, its sonorous cry echoing across the cliffs.
“Just a hunch, but it’s probably calling its friends,” Glenn warned.
“Let’s clear out,” Matt nodded.
But it was too late; what Glenn had assumed were stones along the sandy beach began to stir at the cry of its friend, quickly surrounding the SOLDIERs.
“I hate it when the garbage parties up,” Lucia scowled. “Reminds me too much of us.”
“Then we’re probably in for a good fight.” Glenn readied his blade. “Don’t let your guard down.”
The monsters offered no respite from their watery onslaught. One beast by itself was challenge enough; to take on so many, one right after another, felt like an exercise in futility.
“Glenn,” Matt panted, “we won’t last at this rate. We’ll expend our recovery measures before long.”
“It’s not like we’re fighting behemoths!” Glenn flipped one beast over, plunging his blade into its belly. “These guys are nothing!”
“Glenn, seriously,” Lucia gasped, bracing herself against another watery attack. “This is no good.”
“Quit acting like a mindless worm,” Matt grumbled, swiping blindly at another beast. “Use your brain a little.”
Ruff!
Glenn turned at the sound to see a gray-and-white dog boldly snarling at the monsters from a cliff face. “A dog!? That’s no monster, right?” He lifted his arms, waving wildly to get the dog’s attention. “Hey! C’mere, boy! Stamp! You’re on our side!”
“That’s not Stamp,” Lucia muttered.
“Lucia, gimme your gun!” Glenn started to reach for Lucia’s rifle. “We’ll take it down and use it as a distraction.”
“Leave him alone!” Lucia shoved Glenn away. “And don’t touch the Queen!”
The dog leapt from the cliff, landing in front of the three SOLDIERs. It barked loudly at the monsters, which backed away, clearing a path.
“Follow the dog!” A voice shouted from the clifftop. “Just run!”
With no other choice, the three ran after the dog, the remaining monsters hot on their tail. The dog ducked through the underbrush, leading the trio up a twisting path to shake their pursuers. Once they were out of sight of the last beast, the dog stopped, wagging its tail cheerfully. While the three SOLDIERs caught their breath, a young boy walked up to the dog, giving it a good scratch behind the ears.
“Hey,” Glenn gasped. “You really saved us!”
“You’re not safe yet.” The kid shook his head. “The whole coast is baloir territory. It’s dangerous near the ocean.”
“Baloir?”
“You fought a bunch of them already. Those guys.” The boy pointed back at a trio of the gray monsters in the distance. He gestured for them to follow, then ran ahead. “This way!”
Matt tugged lightly at Glenn’s sleeve, pulling him close to whisper in his ear. “He’s Rhadoran,” he muttered. “This could be a trap.”
“We might be running straight into a pit full of spears or acid…” Lucia squinted suspiciously at the boy, who was waving at them in the distance.
“There are worse things,” Glenn shrugged. “I’ll accept the risk.”
Glenn, Matt, and Lucia followed the young boy and his dog as they led the trio away from the rocky shore. He stepped expertly, slipping between bushes and barely leaving so much as a footprint. Glenn felt almost as clumsy and destructive as a baloir compared to the child. The boy ducked into a dense thicket of trees, gesturing for the trio to follow.
The sweet, heady aroma was almost intoxicating. Pink petals drifted down from the blossoms in the trees, carpeting the ground. The boy stopped in the middle of the clearing, and his dog eagerly ran up to Lucia with a playful woof, its tail wagging cheerfully as Lucia crouched down to pet its head. Matt reached into his pack and handed each SOLDIER a potion, bandages, and disinfectant.
“It looks like you had a rough time,” the boy remarked as the team tended to their wounds.
“That damn frog really seemed to like us.” Glenn popped open the potion and downed its contents in one large gulp.
“You’re safe here. Most monsters on the island can’t stand the smell of this fruit.”
“I’ve never seen these before.” Matt picked up a bruised fruit resting atop the bed of flower petals. “Are they the product of a mutation?”
“I don’t know, but they only grow around these parts.”
Glenn plucked one of the fruit from a nearby branch. Something rustled in the trees ahead, and Glenn nearly dropped the fruit in shock as a rangda trundled through the orchard, hissing and snarling, its tail whipping around angrily.
“Hey, you lied to us!” Glenn drew his weapon.
“No,” the boy calmly replied. “I said most monsters, not all. That’s the one monster that can stand the smell. It lives here to avoid predators.” The boy nodded at their drawn weapons. “It might think you three are a threat.”
“Huh, okay.” Glenn scratched his head, holstering his weapon.
The boy reached down and picked up the fruit Glenn had dropped. He wiped it clean on his shirt, then held it out to Glenn. “Here, have some fruit. It’ll at least keep some monsters at bay.”
Glenn bit into the fruit, realizing as his teeth pierced its skin that he should’ve been more wary. But the fruit was so tangy and sweet that he let out an involuntary moan, the taste so heavenly he momentarily forgot all his troubles. He devoured the fruit, leaving only the core, which he tossed into the bed of pink petals. It rolled to a stop beside Matt, who was leaning against a tree and watching Lucia play with the dog. The boy hurried over to join her, and the two tussled with the puppy playfully.
Glenn strode to Matt’s side, folding his arms and leaning close to mutter under his breath. “We came this far only to find one kid?”
“We should be wary,” Matt warned. “His people may be hiding nearby.”
“It doesn’t even seem like he can fight.”
“He could be a decoy or an intelligence agent.”
“Hmm…” Glenn glanced over at the boy. “I don’t think he’s a bad kid.”
“That what your gut tells you?”
“Yeah… my entire being, honestly.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll trust in it,” Matt nodded. “Your hunches have saved us in the past. That said, regardless of who he is, I hope you remember how to act and what to say so we can carry out our mission, Your Leadership.”
Glenn rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I hear you. ‘Don’t do anything rash.’ Just back up my story, okay?” He walked up to the boy and patted his belly dramatically. “That hit the spot! Thanks. I was parched!”
“I’m glad,” the boy smiled. “Have as much as you like.”
“We’re lucky it keeps away the baloir,” Matt remarked.
“Yes,” the boy agreed, “they’re dangerous and breed quickly. This orchard might be what maintains the balance of all living things on the island.”
Lucia finally tore herself away from playing with the dog. “Your dog is adorable! What’s its name?”
“This is Refu. And I’m…” A loud boom echoed through the orchard, and the color drained from the boy’s face. “Something’s coming. I’ve never come across any monster that’s this loud.”
Boom! Boom! Boom! The monster’s footsteps shook the leaves on the trees, creating a ripple that intensified as the creature drew closer.
“Loud is an understatement.” Glenn and his team readied their weapons. “I thought monsters were supposed to keep their distance from this place.”
“‘The world is made of exceptions.’ Old Rhadoran saying.”
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
The thunderous footsteps picked up pace, and an absolutely massive baloir thundered through the orchard, roaring as it crashed through the brush. The Baloir King was larger than its brethren, but Glenn rushed at it undeterred, his heart pounding as he let out a fierce battle cry. It was easier to target its underbelly due to its larger size, but the Baloir King had thicker skin than its smaller counterparts. The more the trio wounded the beast, the fiercer its attacks became. It swiped its tail at Lucia, launching her into the air. She landed roughly on the ground, and while Matt rushed to her aid, Glenn took the opportunity to deal the killing blow.
“Whew,” Glenn sighed when the Baloir King finally collapsed.
The boy peeked out from behind a nearby tree. Upon seeing the defeated baloir, he sighed and emerged back into the open. “Thank you. You saved our lives.” His voice shook as he spoke; he was clearly rattled from the experience. “This never happened before… It must be the flow of mana…”
“We should be thanking you,” Glenn grinned. “If you and your doggo hadn’t shown up, we’d still be on the coast… or all over it!” He shivered.
The boy’s eyes flitted to the logo on the trio’s uniforms. “You’re all from Shinra, aren’t you?”
“That’s right. We’re emissaries sent by the company to make sure any embers of war that might still be smoldering get put out.”
“Peacefully, of course,” Matt added.
“That’s wonderful.” Rosen nodded absently, crouching down to pet Refu. “And a total lie, right?”
Chapter 3: Rosen's Duty
Summary:
Glenn, Matt, and Lucia learn about the boy who rescued them from the baloirs.
Chapter Text
“My name is Rosen. And as you know, this is Refu.”
“I’m Glenn. Glenn Lodbrok. That’s Matt Winsord and Lucia Lin. We’re a survey unit working for Shinra,” Glenn admitted. “Well, an advance unit to be precise. We’re looking for candidate sites to set up mako reactors.”
“Our chopper was shot down over this island,” Lucia added.
“I see,” Rosen nodded. “I’m sorry.” Rosen took a bite out of the pink fruit in his hand. “I’d like to clarify one thing first. This is Sijad, one of the islands of Rhadore, but I doubt very much this is your destination. The island is small and the ground is weak. It would be difficult to build a house, much less a mako reactor.”
“We’re here to study the main island,” Matt explained. “Can you point us in the right direction?”
“That would be to the south. The trip will take anywhere from a few hours to three days by boat, depending on the ocean.” He finished eating the fruit and wiped the juice from his lips. “I came from the main island by boat, and I still have it. It’s yours, if you like.”
“Cool, thanks!”
Lucia wasn’t as convinced as Glenn. “Doesn’t this feel a little too easy?”
“My wish is for you to leave this island as soon as possible, and for that, I will do all I can.” Rosen turned to leave and gestured for the trio to follow him. “The boat is moored in a cove to the east. Follow me.”
Rosen guided the three SOLDIERs out of the orchard, away from the fragrant sanctuary and back into the dense wild forest. The boy led them to a dirt path packed densely underfoot, giving the group sure footing and a clear direction. The path wound up a grassy hill, and as they crested the top, Glenn could see all the way to the southern shore, the vast ocean stretching beyond. Instead of a lighthouse, a tall brick chimney towered over the valley, emitting a cloud of white smoke.
“What’s that!?”
A half-dozen baloir had gathered at the base of the chimney, growling and tussling restlessly. Their clubbed tails banged against the chimney, battering the metal doors and scattering ash. Two baloir stumbled and crawled over a pile of chopped wood, scattering it and splintering the pieces.
“Oh, no! The chimney!” Rosen clasped his hands, pleading. “Please, you have to get rid of them! That chimney is more important than my life!”
“Really? A chimney?” Lucia squinted suspiciously.
“Please!” Rosen tugged at Lucia’s uniform, practically dropping to his knees in desperation.
“Okay.” Glenn pumped his fist and readied his axe. “Let’s do this!”
Glenn, Matt, and Lucia sprinted down the hill. Glenn raised his axe, using his momentum to barrel blade-first into the horde, blasting the monsters away from the chimney. Lucia followed up with a quick barrage of gunfire, and Matt and Glenn swung their swords in tandem. They caught the gaggle of beasts by surprise, and with so much practice on the rest of the island, defeating this group was practically a cakewalk.
“Whew… All clear!”
“Thank you,” Rosen sighed in relief. He bowed his head as he reached Glenn’s side, clutching a fist to his heart somberly. “The monsters are behaving this way because you disrupted the flow of mana when you crashed on the island.”
“Mana?”
Rosen walked to the door of the house beside the chimney. It was slightly dented, and Rosen had to shove his shoulder against the door to force it open. “Come in. I’ll make some tea.”
Rosen carefully placed four mugs of piping hot tea on a small wooden table in the corner of the cabin. The three SOLDIERs shared a glance with each other, then stared nervously at the mugs.
“I didn’t poison the tea,” Rosen laughed.
Glenn took a sip. When he didn’t drop dead, Matt followed suit, then Lucia. Glenn took another sip of his tea, peering curiously around the cabin. “You live here alone?”
“This may be difficult for outsiders to understand, so I’ll start at the beginning.”
Rosen explained that the mako energy that powered Shinra’s reactors is a processed form of the spiritual energy the Rhadore refer to as ‘mana’. The waters surrounding the islands are rich in mana, resulting in many forms of life like the baloir. The Rhadore both respect and fear mana; sometimes, the flow of mana changes dramatically, and the Rhadore had oft been caught in its torrent and brought to the brink of destruction.
“A mana torrent is like a tsunami or a flood,” Rosen explained. “Can you picture it? People and homes, swept away in an instant?”
Rosen’s purpose in his cabin overlooking the eastern waters was to watch and listen for the signs of a coming torrent. “It’s said that the ground rumbles, and the water’s surface begins to shimmer. There are many other signs too. When I’m awake, I search the island. When I’m asleep, I listen for sounds.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call that sleeping,” Glenn muttered.
“My training and natural talents allow me to do both. With hard work and dedication, I earned my place.” Rosen fought to hide a yawn. Glenn burst out laughing, and despite himself, Rosen smiled.
“How long have you been here?” Lucia asked.
“It’s been about a year since Refu and I arrived.”
“How long will you stay?”
“Until death.”
Glenn’s face dropped, his eyes glistening with pity.
“Please don’t look at me like that.” Rosen pressed his hand to his heart, smiling contentedly. “It is an honor to be the Eye of Rhadore. When my duty is complete, I’ll return to the planet.” He peered up at the SOLDIERs. “You three don’t fear death. You wouldn’t have come here alone if you did. We’re no different.”
The trio had finished their tea, so Rosen gathered their empty mugs and placed them gently by the sink and led the SOLDIERs outside. He pointed them towards the cove on the northern shore where he had moored the boat, then turned to the chimney and threw a few logs on the fire.
“So why is this chimney so damn big?”
“We use smoke to warn those on the main island about anything out of the ordinary.” Rosen pointed to the tip of the chimney, where white smoke billowed out of the top. “Yellow means there are signs, so precautions must be taken. Red means evacuate immediately.”
“What’s white?”
“White means I’m still alive.”
The waning sun cast long shadows across the tranquil cove. Glenn was in no hurry to reach the boat; his gut told him that he would regret hurrying off this island, that he had to treasure every moment with Rosen, no matter how mundane. Rosen clearly appreciated the help—and the company.
As the sun hit the tip of Rhadore’s tallest mountain, Refu suddenly began barking incessantly. Glenn and Matt excused themselves and hurried to the cove. There, Rosen’s boat awaited them—and inside the wooden motorboat was a confused and very angry baloir, thrashing and stomping about, nearly capsizing the boat as it struggled clumsily to climb out. Matt ducked around the squirming beast, trying to find a good angle to thrust his sword. He pierced the monster’s side, and it screeched in pain, giving Glenn the perfect opportunity to deal the killing blow. The baloir dissolved into glowing green mako— mana, Glenn reminded himself. When it had disappeared, he and Matt peered inside the boat.
“Well, this sucks,” Glenn groaned. “There’s a hole in the bottom.”
“So long as the engine works, we’re fine,” Matt assured him. “It’s old, but it’s Shinra-manufactured. A relic of the former alliance.”
“Can you fix it?”
“The hole can easily be mended, but I’ll need a battery to find out whether or not the engine works.”
“The battery’s at the bottom of the ocean.” Rosen hopped down into the cove from atop a nearby rock. “It wouldn’t be of much use even if you found it.”
“Time to use the distress signal,” Matt muttered.
“No, anything but that!” Glenn protested. “If we send out that signal, we can kiss our reward goodbye!”
“Fine, then let’s head back to the crash site. Should be a battery there we can use.”
“If you head north along the coast,” Rosen suggested, “it’ll be faster than going back the way you came.”
“North?” Glenn repeated. “All right, let’s move out.”
Rosen gently tugged on Glenn’s sleeve, and Glenn paused for a moment.
“A search party would greatly disrupt the flow of mana and be disastrous.” Rosen bowed his head. “Please come back safely.”
The three SOLDIERs began their trek north along the shore. Matt began a diatribe about why the Rhadorans named the coast “La’paina,” but Glenn wasn’t really listening. He gazed out at the waves. “There’s wave after wave after wave! Where does it all come from?”
Matt crossed his arms thoughtfully. “If you really want to know I can explain it to you, but it was a rhetorical question, wasn’t it?”
Glenn spotted something glistening in the water. Though Lucia immediately presumed it was a sign of a periscope or an escape pod—signs of enemy presence—Matt explained that mako that hadn’t dissolved in sea water remains in the ocean.
“The water’s surface begins to shimmer…” Glenn shivered. “You can fight monsters and people, but nature…”
“Does it scare you?” Matt asked.
“I mean, you can’t beat nature.” Glenn shrugged. “It’s less scary and more boring.” He tore his gaze from the sea, instead scanning the sand. “Huh… What are these?”
“Bones,” Matt answered, crouching down beside the pile. “From a monster or a wild animal…”
“They’re huge,” Lucia remarked.
“With the warm climate and abundant mako, it’s not unusual for creatures to grow bigger.”
“Then I should’ve brought a bigger gun,” Lucia grimaced.
“Come on, you’re the Marksqueen!” Glenn encouraged. “Use that Queen of yours.”
“I plan to.”
“Then why the gun?” Matt smirked.
“Because there’s nothing more satisfying than using a giant gun to take down a giant target.”
“This one was partially eaten,” Matt remarked as he observed the skeleton. “What could prey on something this size?”
“Could’ve been anything, who knows?” Glenn shrugged. “Doubt everything here has a logical explanation. We need to be extra careful.”
“Never thought I’d hear you talk about logic,” Lucia quipped.
“With so much mako in these waters, there must be significant diversity in the monsters here.” Glenn took a long look at the skeleton. Then he crouched down and began to start digging.
“What are you doing!?” Matt started in shock.
“The people publishing the bestiary pay a lot for this kind of stuff. Wait, what if we made our own? The Bestiary: Rhadore Edition.”
Matt pondered for a second. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“If we do, Glenn shouldn’t be a part of it,” Lucia added. “He’ll just ruin our reputation and bring down sales.”
Glenn laughed. “Yeah, you’re probably right!”
The path ahead was dotted with glistening pools, the largest of which was filled by a rushing waterfall. Shiny gold coins shimmered at the bottom of one pool, and Glenn eagerly thrust his hand into the crystal clear water, holding it aloft. “Hey, it’s raining gil! Must be a reward for my good deeds.”
“Gil?” Lucia peered at the coin in Glenn’s hand. “The Rhadorans don’t use that currency.”
“It must’ve been dropped by our troopers during the previous war,” Matt theorized.
“Then we should return it to its rightful owner!”
“You’re gonna keep it for yourself, aren’t you?” Lucia raised an eyebrow. “There’s no way to track down who it belongs to.”
“It doesn’t matter who the owner is.” Matt shook his head. “As long as they’re willing to pay Glenn a reward.”
“Just when I thought he couldn’t get more exasperating…” Lucia muttered.
“You guys need to loosen up,” Glenn laughed. “Don’t you know relaxation is good for the soul? Take a moment to enjoy this.” He walked up to the waterfall, glanced down, and glanced back up again. He bent down and slipped off his boots and socks, dipping his toes in the water.
“Some people play it a little too fast and loose,” Lucia muttered.
“Maybe so,” Matt shrugged, “but you still have to admit, he’s a damn good SOLDIER.”
“True enough.”
A rainbow shimmered through the curtain of falling water. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen a rainbow,” Matt murmured, taking a step closer to the water.
“Because we’re always busy fighting,” Lucia remarked softly. “We don’t have time to take in the scenery.”
“A lot of monsters hunt after a rainfall, so we’re too caught up in the work to notice.” Glenn grinned cheekily at his squadmates. “Aren’t you glad you came? You should thank me for inviting you.”
“Should I also thank you for getting us stranded?” Lucia shot back.
“Hm…” Glenn ignored Lucia, instead reaching for a round, blue fruit bobbing atop the water. “Maybe I can eat this.”
“It’s a very… vivid color,” Lucia warned as Glenn plucked the fruit from the water. “You should test it for poison first.”
Glenn looked Lucia in the eye, then took a big bite of the fruit. But no sooner had his teeth pierced its skin than he coughed and spluttered, jerking violently, his feet kicking erratically and splashing water everywhere.
“Hey! Glenn!” Lucia looped her arms under Glenn’s armpits and yanked him from the water, laying him on his side as he spluttered and moaned. “Spit it out! Spit it out now!”
Glenn’s spluttering morphed into a fit of laughter. Lucia fought the urge to kick him.
“It’s a pretty common fruit found along this latitude.” Matt bent down and picked up another of the blue fruits off of the ground. “Rich in nutrients.”
“There’s nothing more scary than ignorance, huh?” Glenn tugged his socks back onto his feet. “You made it too easy.”
“Thanks for your sage wisdom,” Lucia spat. “But I will never forget this. Even if I’m starving and on the brink of death, I will never eat this fruit. Ever. Never. Ever!”
The sandy shore narrowed, overtaken by steep, rocky cliffs. Matt pointed out a part of the cliff where the trees were splintered and cracked, indicating the direction of the helicopter’s crash. Glenn started scanning the cliffs, looking for a good place to climb up to the wreckage of the helicopter.
Lucia nudged Glenn, then pointed to an indentation in the sand. “That’s a footprint. A really big one.”
Matt crouched down to take a closer look. “And it’s fresh. Whatever made it might be nearby.”
“I really hope not,” Glenn muttered.
“Why’s that?” Matt looked at Glenn, concerned. “Is everything okay?”
Glenn held out his axe, pouting dramatically. “The ornament on my sword broke.”
Matt rolled his eyes. “And now you’ve lost the will to fight.”
“You’re such a pain,” Lucia snapped. “Fix it.”
“I can’t fix me being a pain, but the ornament on the other hand…” Glenn peered around the beach. “Is there anything I can replace it with?”
Glenn’s search was interrupted by the arrival of three baloirs. “You guys again,” Glenn groaned. “I am so sick of this…”
But as the trio raised their weapons, a massive amphibious creature thrice the size of the baloirs leapt from the ocean. The baloirs squealed and tried to waddle away; the new beast snatched the smallest of the monsters in its jaws, tearing chunks of flesh from its side. As the Gallonbaloir bent down to take another bite, its beady eyes flitted over to the SOLDIERs watching dumbfoundedly. It growled, abandoning its meal as it turned and crept towards the trio.
“Why are you looking at us? Look,” Glenn pointed at the fleeing baloirs, “your snack’s getting away.”
“I guess it’s not a picky eater,” Matt remarked.
“I’d rather not be devoured by a monster today, thanks.” Lucia readied her rifle.
The Gallonbaloir was larger, tougher, and angrier than its baloir prey. Its thicker hide made for a tedious fight, with Matt and Lucia buffing the team’s defense while Glenn chipped at the monster’s health.
Though victory over the fearsome beast was reward enough, Glenn still hurried forward and snapped off one of the bony spikes on the creature’s back before its carcass dissolved into mana. “Huh, this is kinda cool. Might make for a good ornament.”
“I can’t wait to get off his island,” Lucia groaned as she sullenly sipped a potion.
“I think I see a way to climb up.” Matt pointed at a rocky path up the cliff.
Matt would have been lying if he had said he had high hopes of finding an intact battery at the crash site. While Lucia crawled inside the mangled fuselage, he and Glenn scoured the ground nearby. While Matt found a handful of batteries, most were dented, leaking, or corroded.
He was about to give up hope when he heard Glenn laugh loudly.
“Hey, I found it!” Glenn triumphantly held up a battery.
Hardly believing his eyes, Matt inspected the battery. It was completely intact, save for a chipped label. “Yeah, this should work.”
“It’s like Grandma always said, ‘Good fortune is a string of lucky breaks.’”
Either the trio had cleared the northern part of the island of baloirs, or the Gallonbaloir had scared away the remainder of its prey; the trek back to Rosen’s cabin took barely an hour. While Matt fixed the boat, Glenn helped Rosen fuel the fire beneath the chimney.
“That should do it.” Rosen threw one last chunk of wood into the fire, then brushed off his hands. “Once the boat’s fixed, I guess it’s goodbye.”
“You know why we’re going to the main island, right?” Glenn folded his arms. “And you’re okay with that?”
Rosen stared up silently for a long moment before responding. “I’m not strong enough to kill all of you. I’d just be throwing my life away. Besides… Even if you do make it to the island, there’s no guarantee you’ll complete your mission. The strongest warriors of Rhadore are there, waiting.”
“What if we took you as our hostage?” Lucia suggested, her hand inching towards her rifle.
“It wouldn’t matter.” Rosen shook his head. “We Rhadorans aren’t afraid to choose death when the lives of others are at stake.”
“But someone’s bound to be sad if you died,” Glenn protested.
“Hmm… I wonder.”
“What about your family?” Lucia asked.
“If you mean blood relatives, I have none. I have no siblings, and my parents returned to the planet after an accident at sea.”
As always, Glenn’s gut had steered him right. He wished he could stay longer; he opened his mouth to request they stay the night and head out in the morning instead.
“It works. We’re good to go.” Matt brushed off his gloved hands as he strode back to the cabin.
“It’s been a while since I’ve talked to anyone,” Rosen smiled. “I enjoyed it very much.”
“You really want us outta here, don’t you?” Glenn grinned, half-hoping Rosen would change his mind, beg them to stay.
“That obvious, huh?” Rosen giggled into his hand.
Glenn reached over and ruffled Rosen’s hair, but Rosen frowned and stepped away. Glenn scratched his head awkwardly. “Well, we’re off,” he sighed.
Rosen followed the team down to the shore. The engine shuddered and spluttered as Matt yanked the cord.
“Forget this place,” Rosen begged. “Please.”
On the third tug, the boat’s engine settled into a steady, roaring rhythm. Matt gestured for the others to climb aboard, and when they were seated, he began to coast the boat away from shore.
“The main island is south!” Rosen shouted over the sound of the engine. “You need to head south!”
“Do we have enough fuel?” Matt shouted back.
“I’ve barely used any. You should be fine.” Rosen gave them a thumbs-up. “Have a safe trip!”
Chapter 4: An Unfamiliar, Hostile Land
Summary:
Glenn, Matt, and Lucia explore the main island, searching for a candidate site for the mako reactor.
Chapter Text
Glenn kept his gaze fixed on the white smoke rising from the chimney on Sijad, even as Rosen became nothing more than a speck on the horizon. “A kid who lost his parents, living on a deserted island for the sake of his people. It breaks my heart.”
“We just have different upbringings and views on life, that’s all.” Matt adjusted the direction of the boat, counteracting the waves.
“I know, but still…”
“Glenn, what’s gotten into you? Your paternal instincts kicking in?” Lucia teased.
Glenn ignored Lucia. White smoke means he’s alive… Good luck, kid.
“We’re about to reach the northern tip of the island. Lucky for us, that’s our designated survey area.” Lucia patted Glenn on the back, then peered anxiously into the water. “Hey, isn’t that the monster from before?” Lucia gulped. “I wonder if it’s been chasing us.”
Two horns peeked out of the water as the Gallonbaloir attempted to camouflage its presence by staying hidden in the boat’s wake. Glenn shook his fist at the beast. “You gonna follow me everywhere I go? Who do you think you are, Stamp?” He laughed. “That’s it! That’s what I’m gonna call you! Stamp!”
“Shut up!” It was too late—“Stamp” dove deep under the waves, then burst out of the water, its massive form blocking the sunlight as it hovered for a brief moment over the fragile boat. “Glenn, I hope you’re sorry!”
The trio dove out of the boat moments before the Gallonbaloir landed atop it, obliterating the boat and creating a massive wave. Glenn was barely able to gasp for breath before the wave hit him full force, sending him tumbling with such ferocity he couldn’t discern up from down. His lungs burned, screaming at him to breathe, his vision darkening at the edges…
When he opened his eyes, Matt and Lucia were staring down at him, the sun creating a halo of light around their heads. He grinned, pushing himself upright. He opened his mouth to offer a witty comment—instead he rolled over and vomited salty sea water. “Owww…” Glenn coughed, the salty bile burning his throat. “Fighting on a boat really puts you at a disadvantage, huh? Wasn’t expecting that.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to sleep for over an hour.” Matt folded his arms sternly.
Glenn laughed nervously. “Just shows I can keep my cool whatever the situation.” He squeezed some salt water from his parka. “This should be the main island, right?”
“Looking at the terrain, yes. Our survey area, the Logues Ruins, should be somewhere inland,” Matt nodded at a sheer cliff face ahead.
“That looks steep,” Glenn admitted. “But I think I got this.” He rolled his shoulders as he readied himself for the climb.
“Then you’re on your own.” Matt stepped away from Glenn. “We’ll look for another route. See you at the top.”
“Make sure to secure the area.” Lucia waved at Glenn, then took a step closer to Matt.
“Aww, come on.” Glenn sighed. Climbing would have been faster, but Glenn had to admit they had a point; their backup suits were sopping wet, and with the sun setting, there would be no good way to dry them for a few hours at least. “Fine, I guess we’re sticking together.”
Mt. Sunsin loomed over the SOLDIERs as they circled the west side. Like Sijad, the main island was also crawling with baloirs—but this time they couldn’t fight with reckless abandon; there was no telling where the Rhadore remnants may be hiding.
“The path is rough and steep as hell,” Glenn gasped. “And it’s infested with monster frogs. How do the Rhadorans live here?”
“Yeah, this island is too dangerous for people,” Matt agreed. “There are monsters everywhere you look.”
As if on cue, a large black baloir trundled across their path. “Speak of the devil,” Glenn groaned. “Why don’t they just chill out by the coast?”
“Because they’re territorial, and we’re on their turf. But this works out.”
“It does? How do you figure?”
“I’d like to gather as much intel as I can on the baloirs.” Matt grinned. “My goal is to finish as much of the bestiary as possible before officially starting our mission. I was hoping to get data outside of combat as well.”
“Alright,” Glenn laughed. “If that’s what you want, I can help out.” He thrust his blade into the Baloir’s side, and it growled and toppled over.
Matt quickly pulled out a small notebook and scrawled a sketch of the baloir before it dissolved into mana. “Thanks, you two. Their section is almost complete.”
“Look at you, Professor. So happy.”
“Of course,” Matt smiled. “This is an important part of the job. Something I take very seriously.”
“Right, right! It’s just that I haven’t seen you grin like that, so I thought maybe there was more to it.” Glenn smirked. “Like a cash bonus.”
“I don’t know,” Matt shrugged, “there might be.”
“Huh? Really!?” Glenn jerked back in shock.
“Is that all you care about?” Lucia scoffed. “You’re so greedy. Come on, let’s hurry. The sun’s about to set.”
“H-hey, wait!” Glenn hurried after Matt and Lucia. “So is there a bonus or not!? Hey!”
“Whoa! Look at that view!”
The team had made it just over halfway up the mountain by the time the sun dipped below the western horizon, and Glenn marveled at the brilliant red rays cast over the shimmering ocean. White smoke rose in the distance, but even from this height, Glenn could no longer see Sijad.
“We should be able to head inland from here.” Matt’s eyes flitted up the path, tracing it down the other side of the mountain.
“Let’s shoot for the Logues Ruins.” Lucia pointed at a stone structure peeking over the trees in the distance. “Survey the area once we arrive…”
“How about we take a break first?” Glenn panted. “We should rest up in case we run into any more monsters.”
“Good idea.” Matt wiped his brow. “Let’s secure the area.”
The monsters in the brush were small and easily defeated. Glenn laughed as he spotted a Cripshay, and he held its wriggling form by its mandible to show the others. “Hey, remember these creepy things?”
“Ew,” Lucia shuddered. “It’s that creature we had to fight as part of our final qualification.” Lucia shuddered. “Hard to believe it was a virtual setting.”
“But we worked together and won, which is why we passed as a team, right?” He flicked the Cripshay back into the grass, where it fled.
“Oh, so that’s the reason we’re currently in this predicament,” Matt teased, patting down the dirt and laying down a blanket.
“No, it’s because of my kindness when we were grunts,” Lucia rolled her neck, stretching out the tension. “If I hadn’t gotten you two out of trouble, we would’ve never become friends.”
Glenn pulled out one of the blue fruits from La’paina coast. He tossed a fruit to Matt and another to Lucia, then took a big bite of his own. “Mmm, juicy. Don’t worry,” he smirked at Lucia, “no tingling, no weird stuff.”
Lucia glanced down at the fruit, then at Matt, who was happily digging into his own fruit, then back down at the fruit in Glenn’s hand. She groaned exasperatedly and took the fruit, angrily biting down.
“Wow, that’s really good,” Lucia murmured in surprise. Despite her earlier insistence that she would never eat the fruit, she took another juicy bite. “I can feel the tension leaving my body.”
“Why are you so tense?”
“Why aren’t you?” Lucia shot back. “We’re on an isolated island within enemy territory surrounded by monsters.”
“This might not make you feel better, but,” Matt shrugged, “we still have the option to send a distress signal.”
“You say that, Matt, but aren’t you enjoying our adventure? I can see it in your eyes.” Glenn leaned in closer to Matt. “By the time we complete this mission, your professorness is gonna be through the roof! I know I’ve said this before, but I need that reward money. Gran’s in the hospital.”
“It gets really hard to complain when you bring that up,” Lucia complained. “It’s not fair.”
“Lucia, don’t listen to him.” Matt rolled his eyes. “It’s his own fault he’s broke. He’s a gambler.”
Glenn laughed heartily. “Life’s full of hardship, isn’t it?”
The morning sun flickered through the lush canopy. Glenn stretched, letting out a loud, satisfying groan. He heard Lucia and Matt stir beside him, and he hopped energetically to his feet.
“Alright, good and rested? Let’s head out.”
“I shouldn’t have to tell you,” Matt muttered, carefully folding his blanket and stowing it in his bag, “but moving forward we need to be extremely careful.”
“We’re venturing deep into enemy territory.” Lucia gathered the remainder of her things.
“Glenn. Are you listening?”
Glenn tore his eyes from the ocean, blinking mindlessly. “Oh, uh… no,” he admitted. “I was just wondering how he’s doing.”
“You mean Rosen?”
Matt walked over beside Glenn and stared out at the ocean with him. The blue sky was dotted with white clouds, denser at the horizon line, where they almost seemed to form an arrow pointing down to the edge of the Planet.
“White smoke. Guess he’s alright.”
“You can’t even see the chimney from here,” Lucia murmured. “I wonder if he gets lonely being so far from everyone else.”
“Doubt you know how that feels, being constantly surrounded by the cadets you train.”
Lucia stared down at her feet. “It’s more isolating than you might think. I can’t speak my mind and be myself with people I don’t know that well.” She shrugged. “Though Rosen doesn’t even have that much. There’s no one he can even try to share his feelings with.”
“When we complete our mission, let’s go see him,” Glenn smiled. “Hear what’s on his mind.”
“Sounds good,” Matt grinned. “We can bring him back a souvenir.”
“Refu, too,” Lucia added.
The three SOLDIERs trekked through the forest. As they made their way inland, the gentle curves of natural tree trunks were instead replaced with perfectly vertical columns, so overgrown with moss that it was difficult to tell the difference. Glenn reached out and brushed a patch of moss away, revealing tan stone. “This is it! The Logues Ruins!”
“Yeah, there’s no mistake.” Matt glanced down at his datapad, then up at the stone ruin before them. “Matches the coordinates.”
“That wasn’t so bad. We didn’t even run into any Rhadore remnants.”
“Monsters, on the other hand…” Glenn glanced around at the trees, trying to make out any lurking forms. “So, should we start surveying the area?”
Matt took a few cautious steps forward, peering into the stone structure. “First, let’s set up a base.” He pointed to a nearby flock of black winged creatures. “See those bats over there? There’s probably a cave nearby.”
“A cave full of bats,” Lucia shuddered. “I’d rather not.”
“Free grub,” Glenn teased. “Score!”
“Gross.”
“Always expect the worst.” Glenn raised a finger to the sky, folding his other arm behind his back like a lecturing teacher. “Isn’t that military survival 101?” As if on cue, two winged drakes swooped down from the treetops. “Anyway, how do you think they’d taste?” Glenn snickered.
“Like agony.” Matt fired a shot at one of the drake’s wings. “We don’t have the means to treat food poisoning.”
Once they’d cleared the area of bats and Domahdora, Matt led the way into the cave. The air inside was cool and moderately humid—an ideal place to shield them from the elements and from potential enemy patrols. “I wonder if monsters have made this place their home,” Lucia shuddered.
“Not the entire place,” Matt reminded her. “Let’s find a spot to set up.”
“Yeah, and quick.” Glenn clutched his stomach. “I’m starving.”
Matt found a section of cave free from bats, with a hole in the stone wall that provided the perfect vantage point to overlook the entire candidate site. Glenn got to work chopping down a few trees outside the cave and chopping the trunk into carryable pieces. Matt carefully tended to the fire, nurturing it into a flickering red flame.
“Camping with Team Glenn,” Glenn laughed. “Not so bad, is it, Professor?”
“I told you to stop calling me that, Glenn,” Matt spat. “You call me that, and I’m calling you the scum of the slums.”
Glenn’s smile faltered for a moment. “Fine by me. You’re not wrong,” he muttered.
“Scum.”
“Yes, Mr. Professor?” Glenn narrowed his eyes.
“Hey, Professor, scum,” Lucia interrupted. She opened her pack and tossed the two men some emergency rations. “Isn’t it about time we got moving?”
Glenn tore open the package and took a bite out of the food bar. It was dry, with the consistency of chalk, but it stopped the grumbling in his stomach. He tossed the wrapper on the fire, the plastic crackling and popping as the colorful packaging blackened and curled. Matt quickly snuffed out the fire, and the two men followed Lucia out of the cave.
“Step one of our mission: establish a base.” Glenn strolled through the stone gate to the ruins. “Now that that’s done, time for-”
“Step two,” Lucia interrupted. “Use the mako detection kit to find a suitable site for an exploratory dig.”
“Step three: transmit the site coordinates,” Matt continued. “Step four: secure the site’s surrounding area. Step five: provide security for the engineers and equipment.”
“Alright, step two.” Glenn hopped up the decaying stone steps and entered the courtyard. “Use the kit to find a site. This is as good a spot as any.”
He crouched down and pulled out the kit, switching it on. “1, 2, 3…” He switched it off and read the results. “63. We’re looking for anything over a hundred. Not even close.”
He turned and picked a random direction. “Keep an eye out for Rhadorans and traps. Oh, and monsters. Let’s move!” He strode confidently forward. “By the way, Professor.” Glenn nodded towards the notebook in Matt’s pocket. “Any enemy info you wanna share? Like how many remnants we should expect to run into?”
Matt pursed his lips and didn’t respond. Glenn rolled his eyes. “Oh, sorry! Matt. Better?”
“It’s been a decade since we conducted the operation against the Rhadorans.” Matt folded his arms and stared up at the sky. “Survivors were estimated to number between 500 and 1,000.”
“I’m not sure the three of us could take on 1,000 of them,” Lucia scratched her head nervously.
“Or 500, for that matter,” Matt agreed. “But don’t worry. Our brave commander is unconstrained by the bounds of logic.” He shot a cold look at Glenn, who grinned cheekily in return. “If what Rosen said is true—that they don’t fear death—then they won’t be easy to take down. Let’s be careful.”
The trio entered another section of the ruins. Stone walls forced them down narrow paths, where they found a circular stone dias embedded in the ground.
“What’s this? Some sort of booby trap?” Glenn peered at the stone walls, but he could tell just by looking that climbing over wouldn’t be an option. “Only one way to find out!” He hopped onto the dias. The grooves etched into the stone began to glow bright red, and the dias sank into the ground. At the same time, a section of stone wall shuddered and descended into the ground, opening a path.
“The door stays open so long as someone’s standing on the switch,” Matt noted.
Which means I’m stuck here for a while. Glenn laughed nervously. “Well, go on then.”
This place was designed to be an inescapable labyrinth. Matt made note of the layout of the maze, jotting down a crude map in his notebook as he and Lucia continued forward. The path Glenn had opened was a dead end, but time hadn’t been kind to the fortress, and rope-like vines dangled over the stone walls, giving him and Lucia a different path.
They spotted another dias. “Another one?” Lucia crouched down to investigate. “Is it the same type of contraption?”
“I think so.” The dias glowed red, the six-pointed star etched on its surface identical to the one Glenn was standing on. “It doesn’t look dangerous. I’ll give it a try.” Matt cautiously stepped on the stone. The light changed from red to blue, and the stone wall ahead of Matt descended.
Glenn ran through the gap, throwing his hands in the air triumphantly. “It worked! There’s the man of the hour!”
“That’s a bit of an overstatement. All I did was step on this.”
“Not true. You helped us find a path forward.” Glenn patted Matt firmly on the back. Glenn turned to proceed, but Lucia whipped past him, firing a barrage of shots at a patch of moss in the distance. A green drake screeched and collapsed to the ground.
“Way to go, Marksqueen! Thanks, Lucia.” Glenn raised his hand for a high-five.
“I’ve told you multiple times,” Matt scolded. “You need to be more alert.”
“It’s like he’s still a cadet.” Lucia ignored Glenn’s raised hand and holstered her rifle. “This island is crawling with unfamiliar monsters. I can’t overstate how careful we need to be.”
“I know, I know.” Glenn’s face fell. “It’s just not what I’m good at,” he muttered. “And that’s why I wanted you guys here with me. You’re great at the things I suck at.”
“Hmph. Sweet talker.” The corner of Matt’s lip twitched into a slight smile. Glenn burst out laughing.
“I heard a rumor.” Lucia shuffled awkwardly. “For this mission, they prioritized interpersonal relationships over skill when creating teams.”
“That makes sense. Explains why I was able to get you two without a fight,” Glenn smiled.
“It’s do or die out here.” Matt averted his gaze from Glenn’s. “Camaraderie is a powerful thing, especially when the going gets rough.”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
“My only issue is that now the higher-ups think I’m a willing member of Team Glenn,” Lucia groaned.
“Then you better hang on tight, because you’re blazing down the path to success.” Glenn confidently put his hands on his hips.
Matt and Lucia burst out laughing. Lucia turned and headed ahead, while Glenn hung back, motioning for Matt to move closer, out of earshot of Lucia. “I wonder if she’s okay.”
“Lucia?”
“If she blows her top, the island’s… uh, what do you call it… ecosystem? It’ll be wiped out.”
“Hahaha! It does seem like she’s got a lot pent up. Maybe she’ll explode one day.”
“You’re one to talk,” Glenn grinned. “Always doing things exactly by the book, but that’s just holding you back.”
“Is that why you chose us?”
“Damn right. We’re on an island far away from everything and everyone. You’re free to cut loose and go with the flow! You can thank me later.”
“Meticulous Matt and the Gut-Trusting Glenn. What a pair,” Lucia shrugged.
“Wait a minute. What about you? With Lukewarm Lucia, we’re the best trio out there! Ain’t that right?”
“78,” Lucia sighed dejectedly as she read the number over Glenn’s shoulder. “This is hopeless.”
“Don’t give up. Come on, let’s keep going.” Glenn’s gut feeling told him to head into the open courtyard ahead. He took ten paces forward, then pulled out the mako detection kit and took another reading. “97! Now we’re talking!” He continued north a few more paces, his heart pounding with excitement. He took another reading. “No way…”
“What is it?” Matt peered over Glenn’s shoulder at the reading.
“138!” Glenn held up the kit for the other two to see. “We did it! We found a candidate site!”
“Step two, complete,” Lucia cheered.
“Let’s check over there to be thorough.” Matt pointed through a stone archway nearby. “It’d be prudent to have several options.”
“Matt, you greedy bastard,” Glenn laughed. “I like this side of you.”
Matt rolled his eyes. “If this doesn’t work out, that last site is our best bet.”
“Agreed.” Lucia nodded.
Glenn’s heart pounded as he took a reading. A part of him hoped that this place would be even better than the last, but his hopes were dashed as he looked at the result. “No good, 22. Alright, let’s get out of here.”
As Glenn turned back to the courtyard, he spotted a snaking trail of white clouds rising from the western horizon. He smiled at the sight. Look at that smoke. Guess he’s doing okay. A low humming noise caught his attention. “You hear that? Sounds like a chopper.”
“Yeah. I doubt it’s friendly.” Matt scanned the sky nervously. “Glenn, since we found a site, let’s hurry and transmit the coordinates.”
“Good idea! Alright, let’s head back.” He took a single step forward—bullets whizzed past Glenn’s ear, ripping through the hood of his parka. “Haul ass! Run!”
Lucia ducked under cover, dashing from tree to tree to shield herself from the gunfire raining down from above. “If we die before we complete our mission, we’re gonna regret it 200% more than if we had died under normal circumstances.”
“We won’t have any regrets,” Matt snapped. “We’ll be dead.”
“He’s right!” Glenn made a break for the clearing, using the blade of his axe as a shield. “If we die, we’ll be no better than all the other disposable P0 SOLDIERs!”
The three rushed back to the stone courtyard, half expecting to find a Rhadoran chopper awaiting them. Instead, a rusty floating drone spluttered and jerked in front of them, like a spooky balloon. Despite its decaying appearance, it was clearly still functional, and it erected a barrier around it as it sprayed gunfire at the trio. Matt pulled out a glowing orb of materia, and the barrier disintegrated, leaving the mech vulnerable to Glenn’s killing blow. The robot had barely hit the ground before Glenn rushed to the candidate site, yanking his phone from his pocket. “Alright, transmitting coordinates.”
Another hail of gunfire, this time from the skies, sent Matt and Lucia fleeing for cover beneath the stone arch. “Run!” Stray gunfire knocked the phone out of his hand, and it tumbled across the grass, ripped to shreds by bullets. “Head to the camp!” He dove behind the wreckage of the Spooky Balloon, which sparked and fizzed from the impact. “Fan out! Meet back at the camp!”
“Roger that!”
Matt darted left, Lucia dove to the right, and Glenn sprinted straight ahead. He tore through the trees, weaving a zigzagging path that the helicopter struggled to follow. He spotted another entrance to the cave system and ducked inside, allowing himself a brief moment of respite before hurrying through the labyrinthian caves to the team’s campsite.
His parka was a tattered mess, speckled with blood from the shallow scrapes and cuts from both bullets and wayward branches. Glenn tended to his wounds, then paced restlessly around the fire, tapping his finger against his bicep impatiently.
He sighed in relief as Matt stumbled into camp, his vest and pants torn. “Welcome back. How goes the hunt?”
“This is not the time for jokes,” Matt scolded.
“This is the best time for jokes!” Glenn’s voice cracked slightly as he shouted. He gulped and peered out of the mouth of the cave, scanning the sky. “Where’d the chopper go? I don’t hear it anymore.”
“Probably ran low on ammo or fuel. That thing was a relic.” Matt scanned the skies alongside Glenn. “I’m surprised they managed to get it off the ground.”
Lucia coughed, clutching her side as she staggered to a seat by the fire. “Welcome back,” Glenn grinned. “How goes the hunt?”
Lucia ignored Glenn, wincing as she applied disinfectant to her wounds. “Do you think our transmission went through?”
“We only had a split second to send it, but I have faith the techs received it.”
“Then onto step four. We need to secure the area around the site.”
“Let’s change into our uniforms for that.” Glenn indicated to his sleeves, which were torn to ribbons. “It’ll make things go smoother.”
Their SOLDIER uniforms were still stiff from salty seawater, but they were intact. Lucia zipped up her jacket. “Okay, locked and loaded.”
“Glenn, regarding the next step…” A massive boom interrupted Matt, and the three dove for cover as falling dust and debris smothered their fire.
“Step three-and-a-half,” Glenn coughed, “secure our own safety! I’m not gonna die here today!”
Chapter 5: Attack of the Rhadoran
Summary:
Team Glenn find a candidate site for the mako reactor, but are ambushed by Rhadoran troops. When all seems lost, they are saved by an unlikely hero.
Chapter Text
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34… “55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610…”
“What’s that, Professor?” Glenn peered at Matt with concern.
“The Fibonacci sequence,” Matt murmured. “It’s calming.”
“I thought you were counting my debt,” Glenn laughed. “Phew.”
“That’s all you have to say? ‘Phew’?” Lucia snapped. The ground trembled, and she snapped to her feet. “I’m leaving. I don’t wanna get trapped in a pile of rubble and die today.”
“No,” Glenn shook his head, “that’s not a good idea right now.”
“Why not?”
“My gut says so.”
“You should listen to him.” His heart still pounding, Matt rose to his feet. “He’s an expert in matters of certain death—a doom dodger.” He sensed the ground quiver beneath his feet, and he dropped to a defensive crouch.
BOOM!
When the dust cleared, instead of being buried under rubble, the explosion had instead destroyed a rock wall beside the trio, opening up a cavernous path. “I see what you mean,” Lucia coughed.
“Come on, we’re making it outta here alive.” Glenn grinned. “If we die, someone else is gonna take credit for our work. That bonus is mine!” With that, Glenn turned and ran down the path.
Their footsteps echoed across the rock walls, and Matt tried to match the rhythm of their feet with the sounds bouncing off the walls. He frowned. There are too many footsteps. He swung around to find a trio of Rhadoran soldiers.
“Here they come!” Glenn shouldered his weapon. “Team Glenn, in position!”
The warriors weren’t nearly as tough as the baloirs, but what they lacked in brute strength they made up for in agility and magic. Matt and Lucia took the lead, matching their foes’ agility and striking them down with pinpoint precision. “Man, those Rhadorans,” Glenn muttered, healing a magically-inflicted wound on his arm. “They’re relentless.”
Matt peered down the winding path. “It looks like it continues pretty far. Let’s hide out for now.”
Lucia shivered. “I bet there are bats in here.”
“Or something even more tasty,” Glenn laughed.
Matt rolled his eyes and continued forward, but Lucia held up her hand. “I hear something.”
“Where’s it coming from?” Glenn exuberantly began to whirl around, clearly not believing her. “Here? Over there?”
“Shut up,” Lucia snapped. “It could be our enemies.” She shrieked and pointed down the rocky path. “Glenn!”
“Huh? You find it?”
“Behind you!” Matt readied his weapon as well as a menagerie of glowing creatures slithered from around the corner.
“Man, you guys are monster magnets!”
Matt recognized the largest of the creatures—Baljahgon, a variant of Midgar’s local Grashtrike. He grimaced, striking immediately at the glands it used to produce its signature sticky webs. With its main mode of attack disabled, the trio made short work of the monster. “So to escape we ran into a cave,” Matt gasped, “only to discover it’s a monster nest. Far from the safest place to be.”
“Monsters in front of us. Rhadorans behind us. Maybe we really are monster magnets.” Lucia hung her head.
“When in doubt, keep moving!” Glenn turned sharply on his heel and pointed confidently ahead. “That’s my motto!”
“I suppose I’d rather take my chances with the monsters,” Matt admitted. He and Lucia rushed after Glenn.
“I feel a breeze.” Lucia closed her eyes, her hair fluttering slightly from the draft. “It’s coming from back there. That’s what that sound was.”
“You mean this leads outside?”
“Hopefully. The breeze is up ahead, but…”
“Even if there is a hole, it may not be big enough to pass through,” Matt speculated.
“What was my motto?” Glenn pushed past the two. “When in doubt, keep moving!”
The trio ran towards the source of the breeze. Matt had to yank at the back of Glenn’s uniform to stop him from slipping off the path into a deep pool of water. “There’s no way through.”
“Should we turn back?” Lucia turned to retreat, but found herself face-to-face with more Rhadoran troops. “Or not.”
“We need to make a decision. Fast.” Matt readied his gun.
“Guys, remember your training!” Glenn bounced his blade against his shoulder. “You got through situations like this easy! It’ll be fine!” With that, he rushed at the trio of Rhadorans, letting out a sonorous war cry as he spun around, swiping at the natives with his axe. Matt and Lucia provided cover fire as Glenn swept through the horde, smashing through another wave of soldiers until none remained. “Way to go, Team Glenn!” He flicked the blood off his blade. “I’m proud to be your team leader!”
“Hey, guys. The breeze…” Lucia’s hair fluttered in the draft, and she brushed it out of her eyes.
“I know,” Matt nodded. “The exit’s close.”
“Let’s go before they catch us!” Lucia hurried ahead, leading the team through the winding path until they reached a thick curtain of overgrown brambles. “It looks like a way out.” Lucia made note of the thorns along the vines. “What do you think?”
“We don’t have time to find another exit.”
“Get back!” Glenn heaved his axe, chopping through the vines and clearing the way. He plucked a few thorns from his sleeve and rushed out into the sunlight. The crumbled metal Spooky Balloon lay only feet away. “Look! We’re right on the front lines!”
We’re out in the open.
No sooner had the thought crossed Matt’s mind than a massive explosion erupted at the trio’s feet, knocking them to the ground.
“Matt! Lucia! You okay!?” Glenn had recovered first from the knockback, and he hurried over to help his friends to their feet. He suddenly gasped, his gut clearly alerting him to something across the courtyard. “Uh… Something’s coming.”
Several utility vehicles rumbled into the courtyard, each operated by a Rhadoran soldier. The vehicles’ tires screeched, kicking up dirt as they drove at incredible speed, quickly establishing a perimeter around the candidate site.
“I count at least three,” Matt muttered nervously.
“What do we do?” Lucia’s fingers twitched, eager to reach for her rifle.
Glenn turned to retreat back into the caves, but two more Rhadorans emerged from the cave behind them, completely surrounding the trio. “What did I say?” Glenn growled. “Magnets!”
A hum resonated in the sky above, and Matt gazed upwards. “It’s a chopper.”
The chopper hovering above did not appear to be the enemy’s: though it was too high up to discern the logo on the side, this helicopter was in impeccable condition, its sleek black surface glinting in the light of the sun.
“I hope luck’s on our side.” Lucia took a step back as the Rhadoran soldiers closed in.
With the way the Rhadoran soldiers had boxed them in, it would be impossible for the helicopter to engage the remnants with gunfire without risking hitting them as well. “This is gonna be rough! Don’t die on me, okay!?” Glenn roughly grabbed his squadmates and shielded them with his body as he dove behind a stack of bricks; the Rhadorans seized the advantage and opened fire. Lucia quickly aimed her rifle around the edge, firing off shots at random.
Glenn couldn’t make out who had fired the explosive round, but he was forced to pull Matt and Lucia in even closer as their makeshift barrier began to crumble from the impact of the blow. One more blast of that magnitude and the three SOLDIERs would be sitting ducks. Glenn nodded to Matt and Lucia, and the three dove from cover, rushing headlong into the blaze of gunfire.
Something white drifted into Glenn’s field of vision. A feather…?
The helicopter hovering above had lowered its altitude, spooking a flock of doves, which fluttered above the battlefield in a panic. The cabin door slid open, and Glenn’s heart soared as he made out the bright red logo of Shinra. Something dropped from the helicopter, a blur of black and silver that dropped nimbly to the ground in the center of the courtyard. Both Team Glenn and the Rhadorans hesitated, in awe of the figure before them.
The silver-haired SOLDIER was barely a teenager, a scrawny, skinny figure armed with an equally slender katana sheathed on his back. He was completely unperturbed by the chaos surrounding him, calmly pulling the sword from its sheath and bringing it to rest at his left side. Glenn noticed several of the Rhadore remnants exchange confused glances as the boy crouched low, fixing his mako-tinted eyes on the convoy.
Glenn blinked; the boy had disappeared, nothing but a cloud of dust in his wake. The Rhadorans snapped to attention, opening fire on the child; one fired a rocket launcher, but the round whizzed harmlessly past the boy’s ear, splitting in two and exploding behind Team Glenn.
By the time Glenn recovered from the shockwave from the explosion, all the enemy soldiers were dead, their trucks sliced apart, seven flaming gashes sundering the earth. Who is this kid…?
Reinforcements arrived; Glenn counted at least a half dozen trucks speeding up the path to the ruins, every gun aimed at the child. But the boy calmly lifted his right hand, summoning a ball of flame before thrusting his arm forward. Glenn had to brace himself against the massive fiery blast as the Firaga magic ripped through the trees, utterly consuming everything in its path. When the smoke cleared, trucks and soldiers alike were reduced to nothing more than piles of ash.
The silver-haired SOLDIER stood for a moment, staring into the flames, then turned and shot a knowing smile over his shoulder at the dumbfounded trio.
“I know him,” Lucia gasped.
“Yeah,” Matt murmured. “It’s the golden child himself.”
“But he’s just a kid.”
The child sauntered over to the trio, placing a hand to his chest. “I’m Sephiroth. One of Professor Hojo’s SOLDIERs.” He glanced from one SOLDIER to another, and Glenn noticed that the pupils of his glowing, mako-infused eyes were cat-like slits. Like the eyes of a snake. “Are you the ones who transmitted the coordinates?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m here to assist you.” Sephiroth turned to survey the carnage around him. “It looks like I made it just in time.” Two more Rhadoran soldiers crept into the courtyard. Sephiroth turned and raised his blade. “Please return to your base. I’ll take care of this.” With barely a flick of his wrist, the boy sliced through the enemies’ torsos, felling them each in a single blow. “More are coming. Hurry.”
“We’d like to, but…” Lucia stammered.
“We ran out here to escape what’s in the cave,” Matt finished. “It’s too dangerous to go back in there.”
Glenn shook his head. “He’s gonna take care of things out here, right? Then I think the three of us can handle what’s still inside.” Glenn ducked through the overgrown entrance to the cave, Matt and Lucia close behind, and was immediately greeted by a thunderous growl. “Monsters, huh?”
“The Rhadorans aren’t our only enemies.” Lucia reloaded her weapon. “This won’t be easy.”
“Monsters, Rhadorans, who cares? Bring it on! We can take it!”
“Don’t make things worse than they are,” Lucia scolded. “We barely made it out of here, and now we’re back, fighting for our lives…”
The explosions from the battle outside had completely changed the layout of the paths, opening up coves that had previously been hidden Baljahgon nests. Gooey, bulbous egg pods lined the cave walls, pulsating and glowing as they passed by. The mother Baljahgon were none too pleased to find humans so close to their babies, forcing the SOLDIERs to orphan the unborn monsters.
Matt bit back a scowl as he sliced through yet another Baljahgon. It was hard not to compare himself and his abilities to the young SOLDIER fighting just outside the cave—harder still not to feel brushed aside by the boy… to feel replaced. “I’m sure Sephiroth meant well,” he murmured, more to himself than to Glenn and Lucia. “Someone like him will have no trouble getting things under control.”
“So…” Glenn shouldered his axe as he eliminated a pesky drake. “What exactly are Professor Hojo’s SOLDIERs?”
“I don’t know the details, but I believe they’re active-model SOLDIERs. Unlike us passive or P models,” Matt explained, “their bodies have been modified. Supposedly they possess heightened physical abilities and improved affinity with materia.”
“Physical modifications? Just to become stronger?” Glenn scowled. “Then they’re basically weapons.”
“Regardless of how you may feel about it, active models are soon to become the standard.” Matt gulped. Sooner than I had thought, too.
“Aww, come on! They’re cheaters!” Glenn angrily shook his fist.
“What? Jealous?” Lucia smirked.
“No way!” Glenn shouted, a bit too loudly. “No! Way!” Unable to hide his disdain any longer, Glenn stormed off. “Where’d they go?” he snapped. “I thought they’d attack us as soon as we returned.”
“Do you think that maybe they’re wandering around, lost?” Lucia glanced around nervously.
Matt tightened his grip on his sword. “Or waiting to ambush us.”
“Well, we’ll find out soon enough. Can’t go back outside after all,” Glenn grumbled.
Matt took the lead; the trio climbed down a narrow tunnel, the handholds on the cliff slick from condensation. A pool of mako shimmered ahead, its green glow casting refractive patterns over the ceiling and walls.
Matt’s heart dropped to his stomach at the sight of several crumpled piles of earth-tone fabric. Pale, bloodied hands and feet jutted out from beneath the piles, at angles that suggested the deaths of the Rhadoran soldiers had been brutal. Their bodies hadn’t yet dissolved into mana, the corpses a physical indication that the souls within were not yet at rest.
“What the…” Glenn shuddered. “What happened here?”
“I don’t know. But it explains why we didn’t run into any earlier.” Matt pinched his nose and leaned down to take a closer look. “Look at these wounds…”
“Could it have been…?”
As if to affirm the answer to Lucia’s question, a Gallonbaloir burst from the pool of mako, crushing the Rhadoran bodies underfoot as it swiveled to face the SOLDIERs.
“Damn! We’ve got company!”
“Hey, it’s Stamp!” Glenn laughed as he recognized the monster. “Boy, you’re gonna wish you never saw me again!” He angrily summoned a plume of Fira magic, scalding the beast’s thick hide. It howled in pain and dove into the pool, and Glenn shouldered his axe, rearing to dive into the pool after it.
“Glenn!” Lucia yanked Glenn back by the neck of his uniform jacket. “Let it go.”
“Fine!” He snapped, fuming as he stormed off.
Sephiroth stood beside the smoldering remains of a campfire, gazing out across the ruins below. Glenn Lodbrok had certainly picked a strategically viable location for their base—and, Sephiroth had to admit, it also had a breathtaking view. He basked in the sunlight for a moment; the simulations paled in comparison to the actual feeling of the warm, tropical breeze ruffling his silver hair.
He heard motion behind him, and tore his gaze from the horizon to stare sullenly at the trio of SOLDIERs trudging into the cave. “You’re late.”
“What’s it to you!?” Glenn seethed.
“Allow me to introduce myself properly.” Sephiroth pressed a hand to his heart and bowed his head politely. “I’m Sephiroth. I was dispatched to act as your leader, and will be assuming command of the team immediately.” He turned and smiled at the previous team leader. “Glenn, you’ve done well. Thank you.”
“I’m Matt.”
“And I’m Lucia. Nice to meet you.”
While Matt and Lucia took Sephiroth’s words in stride, Glenn bristled angrily. He tried to storm forward, but Matt thrust out an arm to block him. Glenn pointed over Matt’s arm, furiously shouting at Sephiroth. “No way! You’re a cyborg. You’ll never be one of us! I refuse to fight alongside someone who didn’t go through the same brutal training that we did.”
A cyborg…? Sephiroth looked away, fighting to keep his expression neutral. “That doesn’t matter to me. The only thing that does is that you obey my orders.” He took a deep breath and frowned, nodding resolutely at the SOLDIER’s uniforms. “First things first. Let’s get you out of those clothes. Then we’ll move on to step four. You will assist me in eliminating the remaining Rhadorans.”
“Just you and us three?” Glenn folded his arms.
Sephiroth almost scoffed. He may never be one of them, but he would prove to Glenn that this “cyborg” was a valuable asset on the team. “You heard me.”
Chapter 6: A Hero's World
Summary:
Sephiroth takes command of Team Glenn, leading them deep into enemy territory to eliminate the last of the Rhadorans.
Chapter Text
Glenn awoke the next morning to a gray, overcast sky and a dense fog shrouding the ruins beneath the base. The mood was equally as grim as the sky; Matt gazed across the ruins, his arms folded, while Lucia idly cleaned her rifle beside the ashen remains of their campfire. There was no sign of Sephiroth—not even a pack of supplies. Glenn sighed in relief; perhaps the previous day had been nothing but a dream.
A shrill whistle echoed from the ruins, long and loud and clear. Matt sighed and shook his head, turning away from the horizon. “You all heard the whistle.”
“Right, let’s go.” Lucia shouldered her rifle and gathered her things.
Glenn scoffed. “So we’re his dogs now?”
Lucia shot a glare at him over his shoulder, a silent warning for Glenn to keep the peace and do as ordered. Glenn grumbled and grabbed his axe. “Whatever. Let’s take out some trash along the way. Might wake me up.”
The three SOLDIERs navigated the cave, Glenn angrily slashing at bats and drakes as he led the way. Every strike, every blow offered momentary respite from the fury bubbling inside him. He huffed angrily, wiping the sweat from his brow as he eliminated another wriggling insectoid monster. But no matter how many fiends he felled, it didn’t change the looming reality—that an arrogant kid was in charge of Team Glenn, a cyborg who was only qualified because he cheated the system.
Sephiroth ignored Glenn’s huffing and grumbling as the trio reached the entrance to the ruins. “To the south of these ruins are the Cawpine Caverns,” he briefed. “It’s a string of caves thought to be created by the ground shifting over time. These holes of various sizes are connected beneath the surface.”
Glenn harrumphed loudly, but the boy mistook the sound for one of acknowledgement. “I spotted Rhadoran soldiers when I flew over the area yesterday, so I believe they’ve established a base inside. They’ll likely keep a close watch on any entrance close to the ruins,” Sephiroth continued, oblivious to Glenn’s rage. “So if we go around and approach from the south instead, we can take them by surprise.”
Glenn took a step forward, opening his mouth to retort. Lucia held up her arm to stop him, but Glenn shook his head and pushed her arm gently aside. “You’re just a punk cyborg kid,” he glared at Sephiroth, “but I’ll accept that the higher-ups appointed you—the ‘great hero’—as our new leader.”
Sephiroth smiled, giving a slight nod, but Glenn wasn’t finished. “That said,” he growled, grabbing Sephiroth roughly by the collar of his uniform, “if you whistle to round us up again, I’ll kick your ass!”
This time Sephiroth fully understood; he dropped his gaze to his boots, limp in Glenn’s grasp. Glenn shoved the kid away. “So? Where’re we going?”
“That way.” Sephiroth pointed, still staring at the ground. Glenn shoved past him and led the way through the forest.
The path sloped downward as it curved around the base of the ruins, descending into a cove replete with glistening pools and densely packed sand. Thick green fumes wafted from the pools, and Lucia coughed as the four SOLDIERs entered the dense fog.
“The mako’s thick,” Glenn warned. “Try not to breathe it in.”
Sephiroth hovered at the rear of the group, torn between acquiescing to Glenn and asserting his command over his squad. A “punk cyborg kid…” He rubbed his collar gingerly where Glenn had grabbed him, then gulped nervously. “...Team.”
Glenn, Matt, and Lucia stopped and turned to face him. Sephiroth kept his gaze fixed on his boots. “I apologize for the whistling. I didn’t realize it was rude.”
“It’s fine,” Glenn huffed.
“I haven’t had many opportunities to interact with people,” Sephiroth explained. “In fact, this is my first field assignment, and there’s a lot I don’t know.”
“Your first what now?” Glenn folded his arms and tilted his head in confusion. “But you’re a hero.”
“No, I’m not.” Sephiroth shook his head, his voice cracking. “It’s all a lie. The company’s changing their recruitment policy and looking to hire people with adequate potential to become SOLDIERs. They’ve made me the face of the program and manufactured ‘achievements’ to sell me as this great hero that I’m not.”
“I don’t buy it—not with the way you fight.”
Sephiroth wasn’t quite sure if Glenn meant that as a compliment.
“But if what you say is true, now’s your chance to become a real hero.” To Sephiroth’s surprise, Glenn broke into a wide smile, pumping his fist encouragingly. “We’ll help you out!”
“But I don’t want to be a hero,” Sephiroth muttered before he could stop himself.
Glenn crouched down, his hands on his knees, so his face was level with Sephiroth. “Then what is it you want to be when you grow up? Come on, tell Uncle Glenn.”
“I just want to live a normal life,” he mumbled softly.
“Huh? What’d you say?”
Sephiroth lowered his gaze again, staring at his boots. “Nothing. It’s never going to happen anyway.”
“Don’t say that. You never know.”
Sephiroth shook his head. “Anyway, I apologize for the whistling. It won’t happen again.”
Glenn smiled and patted Sephiroth firmly on the shoulder, then turned and lead the group further up the path. The wind shifted, thinning the mako in the air and making it easier to breathe as they ducked into a grotto circled by shimmering waterfalls. Sunlight refracted off the cascading water in glistening rainbows, reflected light glinting off several crystals embedded in the rock walls.
“Look,” Matt pointed at a particularly large crystal. “Materia.”
“Whoa, all-natural?” Glenn leaned forward, reaching into the pool and plucking the crystal from the depths. “Don’t mind if I do.”
“Some believe they’re the crystallized essence of the river of life that courses throughout the planet—the lifestream,” Matt explained. “Therefore, they hold knowledge and memories of those who once lived.”
“That’s an interesting belief.” Sephiroth leaned forward, eager to hear more.
“Really?” Glenn grimaced, turning the crystal over in his hand. “I think it’s creepy knowing that our secrets could wind up in these things.”
“A lot of skeletons in your closet?” Lucia teased.
“Well, yeah, I’d be lying if I said there weren’t any. Especially from back when I was a kid…” Glenn suddenly stiffened to attention, facing the mako pools. “I’m truly sorry about everything!” He bent into a deep bow. “Please forgive me!”
It was an odd ritual; Sephiroth tilted his head. “What was that?”
“Things are complicated when you’re an adult.”
That wasn’t much of an answer, and Matt and Lucia seemed to agree, bursting into fits of giggles behind Glenn.
“Anyway, this place creeps me out. Let’s keep going, huh?”
Sephiroth spluttered, his resolve cracking. “Of course,” he giggled. He tried to hide his laughter behind a gloved hand, but Glenn noticed; the look on his face only made Sephiroth laugh harder.
Sephiroth’s heart was still light as the team reached the entrance to the Cawpine Caverns. He pressed his hand to his heart, against the pendant hidden under his uniform. He debated whether he should bring it up; though the trio seemed friendly, there was no way for Sephiroth to predict how they would react to his request. “Um…”
“Yeah? What now?” Glenn’s tone was impatient, but it was devoid of the simmering rage that tainted his mood before.
“There’s something I want to ask.” Sephiroth reached up and gently unclasped the chain to the necklace hidden under his uniform. He pulled it out from under his shirt, then flipped the pendant open to reveal the image inside. “Do you know this woman?”
Glenn, Matt, and Lucia leaned over the necklace, looking closely at the image inside. It was of a young brunette woman in a lab coat, with a striking resemblance to Sephiroth. Her brown almond eyes gazed warmly at whoever was taking the photograph, her lips pursed in a sly, knowing smile.
“Her name is Jenova.”
“She’s beautiful,” Lucia sighed.
“She’s my mother. You don’t remember seeing or even meeting her?”
“No, can’t say I do.” Glenn shook his head.
“Right…” Sephiroth snapped the necklace shut again. “Professor Hojo gave me this picture, but he wouldn’t tell me anything about her. I know going around asking about my mother isn’t cool…”
Glenn burst out laughing. “As long as you know!”
Sephiroth turned away, his cheeks burning. “That’s what everyone says,” he muttered. I knew it would be a bad idea to show it to them. “Anyway, we’re almost at their base. Everyone, keep your guard up.”
“Wait, did you show us that picture because you thought there was a chance we would die?” Glenn pointed accusingly at Sephiroth. “You wanted to get information out of us before it was too late, didn’t you?”
“That hadn’t occurred to me, no.” Sephiroth stroked his chin thoughtfully. “But now that you mention it…” He giggled in spite of himself.
“What’s so funny?”
Sephiroth put a hand against his heart. It was beating wildly. “Talking to the three of you,” he closed his eyes, basking in the strange feeling. “This must be what it’s like to ‘have fun.’ I think I’m enjoying it.”
Lucia smiled softly and ran a hand through Sephiroth’s hair, ruffling it as if he was a puppy. Glenn patted Sephiroth on the shoulder again, and Matt offered him a reassuring nod. Sephiroth nodded back, his heart soaring. He clasped the necklace around his neck, slipped the pendant back under his uniform, and led the trio into the caves. “Step four: secure the area,” he reminded them. “We eliminate monsters and all Rhadorans. Is that clear?”
“Wait.” Glenn hesitated, folding his arms. “Even the kids and old folks?”
“I’m a kid, and I’m here with all of you, aren’t I? And the ‘old folks’ may be veterans that’ve seen more combat than all of us combined.”
“Well, yeah, maybe, but…”
“This island belongs to Shinra. Let’s remind them of that.”
The caverns were clean, with strings of electric lights hanging along the walls. Sephiroth’s suspicions were confirmed when he and his team passed beneath a wooden gate to find a group of Rhadorans huddled around a table. At the sight of the SOLDIERs, half the group fled down the hall while two stood, weapons raised, in their path.
“We need to deal with them quickly.” Sephiroth raised his katana, cutting down his foes before the other three had readied their weapons. But as the last Rhadoran fell, Sephiroth spotted another ducking beneath the gate as it fell shut behind him.
Matt rushed to the control panel, immediately investigating it. “We can’t go any further unless we get this contraption up and running…” He fiddled and pulled and pushed at the contraption. “No use, it’s broken. We have to go around.”
Sephiroth nodded and led the group out of a different gate, following the string of lights down the tunnel.
“Interesting.” Matt paused to inspect the piles of food and supplies littering the floor. “It looks like they use this tunnel for storage.”
Sephiroth left Matt to his investigation and hurried ahead to a different room. He knew he was on the right track when a group of Rhadorans rushed around the corner to face him.
He heard Glenn, Matt, and Lucia catch up to him as he struck down the last soldier. “Let’s go.” He led the group forward into another gated room. The contraption to his right was completely destroyed, so he nodded for Matt to look at the contraption to his left. “If the contraption doesn’t work, let’s find a way to make it work.”
Matt continued to inspect the contraption while the other three scoured the room for tools.
“They live here?” Lucia rifled through a tall cabinet filled with dishes. “Seems a bit inconvenient…”
“What the—?” Glenn walked over to Matt, a strange-looking device in hand.
“I think this might be a missing piece.” Matt turned the device over in his hands. “It’s worth a shot.” He slotted the device into the top of the contraption. It fit perfectly, and the gate lifted open.
“Let’s hurry.” Sephiroth ran up the hall. He spotted a few Rhadorans turn the corner, and rushed after them.
Something thundered down the hall ahead of them, and Sephiroth readied his weapon. A huge, mechanical tank stomped into view, blocking their path.
“That’s likely the most powerful weapon in their arsenal.” He tilted his head, trying to make sense of the design. “It’s an old model, so much so that it’s not in my records. We’ll have to improvise.”
The Mole Crawler was heavily armored, and to his surprise, Sephiroth’s sword bounced uselessly off its surface. He glanced down at the base of the robot, noticing the complex design of its legs. He smirked, then cast Earth magic. Spikes of rock thrust into the mech’s underside, tipping it off balance and leaving it vulnerable. Sephiroth nodded at Lucia, who nodded back and loaded thunder-infused bullets into her rifle.
“Haha! Yes!” Glenn cheered as the Mole Crawler collapsed into a heap on the floor.
“I hope that’s the end of that.” Lucia twirled her rifle in a victory pose.
Matt shared a high-five with Glenn and Lucia, then glanced around. “Huh? Where’s Sephiroth?”
Glenn pointed down the end of the hall, and the trio rushed to catch up to their leader.
“I saw movement over there. Come on.” Sephiroth turned and ran ahead, and the three struggled to keep up. “There they are,” he growled. He led the three through another open gate. “You three follow them,” he ordered. “I’ll circle around from the left.”
“You’re going off on your own?”
“Call it my cyborg instinct.” Sephiroth narrowed his eyes.
“Still bitter about that, huh?” Glenn scratched his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it.”
Sephiroth simply shrugged and ran off.
“Well, there he goes.”
“Don’t worry about him.” Matt started to head to the right. “Come on, let’s just stick to the plan.”
Glenn followed after Matt. Three Rhadorans blocked their path, weapons drawn.
“You wanna do this, huh?” Glenn drew back his axe, but when he swung it, one of the Rhadorans shot at the wall, dropping the gate between Glenn and the soldiers. Glenn’s axe hit the gate, knocking Glenn off balance.
Two other Rhadorans swooped in from behind, and Glenn cursed under his breath. “Dammit! They tricked us!”
“Don’t think you’ve got the upper hand…” A thunderous boom interrupted Lucia. On the other side of the gate, a familiar beast began tearing into the Rhadoran soldiers.
“Stamp!?” Glenn’s relief quickly turned to horror as he witnessed the carnage the beast unleashed. “He’s gonna come for us next,” he realized. “We gotta head back.”
“They’ve got explosives,” Matt ignored Stamp, turning instead to the Rhadorans facing them.
“Nothing to worry about!” Lucia fired at one of the soldiers before he could load his weapon.
“Yeah,” Glenn swung his axe at another soldier, “good luck trying to stop us!”
“I hope Sephiroth’s alright,” Lucia muttered as they took down the last foe. An explosion rocked the base, and Stamp stormed off.
“That’s not good!”
“We gotta go!” Glenn agreed.
The trio found Sephiroth—just as he cut down a child standing before him. Bodies of young and old alike littered the ground around him. “They were trying to evacuate anyone who couldn’t fight.” Sephiroth stood with his back to the trio. “The shadows you were chasing were just a diversion.”
Glenn covered his mouth, biting back tears of grief and revulsion. “Hey, Sephiroth,” he gulped. “Was all this really necessary?”
“If we’d captured them, we may have been able to use them as bargaining chips.” Matt suggested.
“Our assignment is to eradicate the remaining Rhadorans, not to get their permission to build a reactor. Besides…” Sephiroth held out his arm. It was covered in deep gashes, bleeding profusely through the bandages haphazardly wrapped around the wounds.
“You’re hurt!” Matt rushed to Sephiroth’s side. “But how?”
“This was the work of the ‘kids,’ as you called them.” Sephiroth winced slightly as Matt replaced the bandages on his arm. “Their movements were deliberate and precise, which tells me they’ve received military instruction.” Sephiroth pulled his arm away once Matt had finished tending to the wounds. “You mistakenly assumed the children and elderly were weaker than you simply because of their age.” Sephiroth cradled his arm, staring determinedly into the middle distance. “People make assumptions about me too, and I strive to prove them wrong.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, his body tense. “In the course of my training, I’ve learned that to be a good SOLDIER, you need to be strong in body, mind, and heart. A well-trained body, a sharp mind, and a hardened heart,” his voice cracked, “one ruthless and unwavering and devoid of hesitation.” Sephiroth turned to face Glenn, his eyes glistening with tears. “A SOLDIER led by their emotions is second-rate—or rather, dated. They have no business being on the battlefield. Out here,” Sephiroth trembled, his voice wavering as he shouted, “the only way to survive is to kill them before they kill you!”
Glenn silently walked up to Sephiroth and wordlessly pulled him into a tight embrace. The boy’s arms slowly rose, weakly returning the hug. “You’re right,” Glenn whispered. “Out here, it’s life or death.”
He released the boy from his hug. “But, Sephiroth, you don’t have anything to prove. We all know how strong you are.” He smiled reassuringly. “So maybe you can show some compassion. Come on, I know you’ve got it in you.”
Sephiroth shook his head, then broke down, sobbing into his hand. “I’m not a cyborg.”
Glenn pulled the boy into another hug. “I know. I’m really sorry I said that.”
“...I never wanted to be.”
The last of the Rhadorans were eliminated; step four was complete. Sephiroth led his team out of the cavern and back to base. Sephiroth felt strangely light, as if he had lost something in the fight—or forgotten something. He stared out at the horizon, racking his brain to try and figure out what it was that he was missing. He spotted white smoke drifting lazily from the west. “What’s that island?”
Glenn matched Sephiroth’s gaze and smiled sadly. “It’s the home of someone kinda like you. A kid about your age who also has something to prove.”
“When all the Rhadorans on this island are gone, Rosen will be the last to remain.” Lucia spoke softly.
“I bet that’s something he never imagined,” Matt muttered.
Sephiroth lowered his gaze, then shook his head and continued forward. They reached their base without running into a single monster, so Sephiroth left Matt to tend to the campfire while he stepped aside and informed the head office of their status. He flipped his phone shut and returned to the team. “Step five: provide security for the engineers and equipment.”
For ten days, Glenn, Matt, Lucia, and Sephiroth patrolled the island, clearing any straggling monsters and awaiting the arrival of the engineering team.
One rainy morning, Sephiroth awoke the group early and stoically led them to the courtyard. Four Shinra helicopters had landed in the square, their rotors spraying raindrops in all directions. The cabin doors slid open, and men in denim overalls leapt from the chopper, quickly setting up tarps as men and women in lab coats furiously scribbled on their clipboards from within the cabin.
“Step five: complete!” Glenn shouted. “Mission complete!”
Sephiroth shook his head. “Not yet. These engineers are to perform an exploratory dig in the Logues Ruins in preparation for a small-scale mako reactor.” He turned, his eyes glowing in the rain. “We continue our patrols until the mako reactor is built.” He squinted at Glenn, then smirked knowingly. “No slacking.”
Chapter 7: BONUS: Pumpkin Fest
Summary:
Sephiroth and Glenn find a mysterious portal to Nibelheim, where they must fight the Dark Army to save the townspeople during Autumn Harvest.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The next morning, Glenn begrudgingly began his rounds patrolling the Logues Ruins. Matt followed, half-hoping they would find some stray drakes to help Glenn release his pent-up frustration. But the most threatening part of the trio’s patrols was the wild terrain; no monsters leapt from the brush, no Rhadoran soldiers crept in the shadows. “Yep, same as yesterday—nothing to report!” Glenn threw his hands into the air in frustration. “This feels like a waste of time. We know there’s no one else here.”
“We can’t know that for certain,” Matt noted.
“He’s right,” Lucia added. “And if the reactor doesn’t get built, we might not get our bonus.”
“Don’t even joke about that.” Glenn pouted angrily, but before he could continue, a swirling blue mass materialized in front of the three SOLDIERs. “Whoa! What the—?”
“Is that some sort of Rhadoran weapon…?” Lucia aimed her rifle at the strange swirling orb.
The three stood at the ready, waiting for the mass of energy to strike, or for a swarm of enemy troops to burst from within its depths. “Nothing’s happening,” Glenn remarked, lowering his weapon.
“Wait.” Matt lowered his bayonet as well. “I think I read about this in one of the Science Department’s reports. I think this is Portal magic.”
“‘Portal?’” Glenn shrugged. “Never heard of it.”
“Not much is known about it, except that it’s used for teleportation. Professor Hojo created prototype materia, but it ended up getting shelved.”
“That so…” Glenn stepped closer to the portal, hoping to get a closer look.
“Hey, wait!” Matt’s warning came too late—Glenn was sucked into the swirling blue energy and disappeared. “Why would he touch it when I just told him we didn’t know much about it?”
“Where’d he go?” Lucia glanced at Portal worriedly.
“Is everything alright?”
Matt and Lucia whirled around. “Good timing, Sephiroth!”
“We were on patrol when this suddenly appeared and—”
“Please, calm down.” Sephiroth walked over and observed the mass of energy. “Is this… Portal?” Sephiroth glanced over at Matt and Lucia. Noticing Glenn’s absence, he smirked. “I think I see what happened here. Glenn was being his usual self, wasn’t he?”
“Bingo,” Lucia laughed.
“I’m impressed,” Matt added.
“Portal is simply a spell that facilitates instant travel from one location to another. He should be fine.” Sephiroth thoughtfully put a finger to his lips, peering at the portal. “That said, I can’t say for certain that it’s completely safe.” He nodded at Matt and Lucia. “I’ll go and get him. You two stay here.”
Before Matt could protest, Sephiroth stepped into the portal and disappeared.
—
When Glenn stepped out of the portal, he found himself in a rural mountainous town. Twinkling lights were strung along the buildings, dangling over the town square, where they wrapped around an old wooden water tower. Pumpkins with simple faces carved into their surface were stacked throughout town. People wandered through the square, some in wide-brimmed, pointed hats, some wearing pumpkins over their heads like helmets, others wearing long colored robes. “Where am I? Is this some kind of festival?”
“I’ll have to write you up for abandoning your duties,” a familiar voice chided behind him. “I hope you realize it may affect your bonus.”
Glenn turned and smiled brightly at his team leader. “Sephiroth, you’re here too! But don’t worry about that right now. Check it out.” He gestured to the festival around them.
“We’re still on-duty. There are other things you need to be focused on.” Sephiroth folded his arms angrily. “We shouldn’t be wasting time here. Let’s go.”
Glenn peered behind Sephiroth as Portal shrank and disappeared. “Um, I hate to break it to you, but that’s not gonna happen. Turn around.”
Sephiroth turned around, then leapt back in shock. He ran forward, frantically looking around for Portal. He took a deep, shaky breath, shaking his head dejectedly as he regained his composure. “Hm. It’s gone.”
“Life is just full of surprises, isn’t it?” Glenn mused.
“You do realize you’re the reason we’re here, right?” Sephiroth huffed. “This is a serious problem.”
“Come on, relax. Complaining’s not gonna help. Let’s go look for a way home.” Glenn turned and ran up to the first person he found, a young man in a bright red robe. “Hey, ‘scuse me.”
The man didn’t respond, shuffling awkwardly.
“Get back!” Sephiroth rushed up beside Glenn as the man transformed into a floating, grinning monster.
“What the—? That’s no costume!” Glenn and Sephiroth quickly leapt into action, felling the Dorky Face. “So there are real monsters at an event where people are pretending to be monsters…” Glenn gasped in realization. “Wait, is this that festival where you dress up as a monster to trick real ones or something?”
“Yes, the Autumn Harvest, also known as the pumpkin festival,” Sephiroth nodded. “It’s an event to prepare for the arrival of the Dark Army—harbingers of the cold spell. The Army comes to take people’s lives, so people dress up as monsters in an effort to deceive them.”
“So you’re telling me it’s not just a legend? That that’s the reason monsters are wandering around? Then we need to evacuate everyone right now!”
“Wait.” Sephiroth held out his hand. “If we act rashly, people might get hurt.” He peered at the townspeople, who were casually strolling through the square. “Thankfully, the costumes seem to be working. In the meantime, let’s try to find out what we’re up against.”
“Alright, fine,” Glenn conceded. He scanned the square, looking for anything suspicious. He spotted a young boy hiding in the shadows. “Hey, Sephiroth. Check out that kid. He’s the only one not wearing a costume.”
“He looks scared. Without a disguise, he must think he’s an easy target.”
Glenn rushed to the kid’s side. “Hey, you okay? Where’s your costume? You don’t want to be taken by the Dark Army, do you?”
“Who… who are you?”
“Me? Well, I’m… uh…” Glenn racked his brain, then his eyes lit up. “I’m a superhero!”
“Then you can help me, right? You have to save the town from the Dark Army!” The kid trembled. “I-I saw them! A bunch of scary monsters came pouring out of a hole!”
“A hole…?” Glenn whispered.
“He must be talking about Portal,” Sephiroth whispered back.
“Monsters can use it too!?”
“It’s possible,” Sephiroth shrugged. “The prototype materia was rumored to have gotten out into the world. If so, anyone could have it now. The portal we went through might’ve been created with it too.”
If we find the leader of the Dark Army, we find the Portal materia! According to the frightened boy, the monsters that had emerged from the portal disappeared into the crowd, indistinguishable from costumed humans. In order to tell the difference, he explained, saying ‘tussle or treat’ would weed out the real monsters.
“Oh yeah, the festival’s watchword,” Glenn nodded. He grinned at Sephiroth. “So we’re allowed to join the fun?”
“Only to blend in. Remember, we have a job to do,” Sephiroth scolded. “Stay focused, and make sure the Dark Army doesn’t notice you.”
“I know, I know,” Glenn whined. “Geez, it’s like you don’t trust me.”
“And whose fault is that?”
Glenn shrugged, ignoring Sephiroth’s comment, and hurried into the crowd.
—
Sephiroth tried to be discreet in his search for the Dark Army leader, but he almost felt as if he spent half his time reining in Glenn; in the SOLDIER’s eagerness, he had almost attacked civilians, mistaking them for monsters. After hours of searching, the two of them were no closer to finding the Dark Army’s leader.
The frightened boy under their protection seemed to know quite a bit about the Dark Army; he explained that they eat people’s feelings—bad feelings like anger, hate, and fear—to grow stronger and grow in number. They sow fear in others so they can feed, Sephiroth pondered. “I wonder,” he pondered with Glenn, “does the leader go around scaring people? Or do they leave that to the others?”
“I bet they’re hanging back, letting their minions do all the work. That’s what higher-ups do, right? They sit around doing nothing wile everyone else works their asses off.”
Sephiroth bit back a laugh. “You do realize we’re talking about monsters here.”
There was nothing in the legend about a hideout where their leader may be lurking, but the boy suggested that the leader may seek revenge if enough of its minions were defeated. “Then we have a plan!” Glenn shouted. “Take down the leader! Find the portal! Save the town!”
“That was our plan from the start,” Sephiroth pointed out.
“Hmph…” Glenn rolled his eyes. “I was just repeating it in case you forgot!”
“Wait.” Sephiroth grabbed Glenn’s shoulder before he could rush off again. “We need to remain inconspicuous. If the people find out there are real monsters among them, it’ll cause a panic.”
“Wow,” Glenn grinned at Sephiroth. “When did you become so considerate?”
“I simply want to minimize casualties,” Sephiroth shrugged. “Also, if the enemy spots us, we’ll have to retreat and start over.”
“If only this guy were as considerate as you,” Glenn winked.
“Flattery won’t get you out of this.” Sephiroth shook his head. “We need to keep hunting them down, one by one, until we find our ultimate target. Need I remind you that you’re the reason we’re even in this situation?”
“I know, I know. Geez, you can be such a hard-ass.”
—
“Tussle or treat!”
“Treat, of course!” The townsperson twirled in front of Glenn. “Check out my costume. Pretty cool, huh?”
“Yeah, you fooled me,” Glenn laughed, scratching his head awkwardly. “Guess I should be happy you’re not one of them.”
“You’re not wearing a costume? Awfully brave.”
“That’s right, I am.” Glenn put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest confidently.
The man laughed heartily, then turned and walked over to a table of food, waving cheerfully back at Glenn over his shoulder. “I hope you enjoy the pumpkin festival!”
It was getting harder and harder to find members of the Dark Army, and as Glenn approached more and more townspeople, the fact he and Sephiroth weren’t in costume felt less like a bold decision to lure the monsters to them and more of a social faux pas. He returned to the rendezvous point. “Sephiroth, are you sure we haven’t killed them all?”
“Yes. I think they spotted us and are being more careful now.”
“Then what do we do?” Glenn groaned. “We need to get back to the island.”
“U-um…” the boy piped up. “Why don’t you dress up as monsters like everyone else? Then the real ones will think you’re one of them and they might let their guard down.”
“I see.” Sephiroth pondered. “That’s not a bad strategy.”
“Alright, sold!” Glenn pumped his fist.
“But where can we procure costumes?” Sephiroth wondered. “How did everyone get theirs?”
“Some people’s costumes were handed down over generations, others made their own…”
“I’m not doing that.” Glenn shook his head. “Sure there aren’t any lying around that we can borrow?”
“There’s a big mansion on the edge of town. No one lives there anymore, but I remember seeing some there.”
—
The mansion loomed behind a rusted iron gate. Sephiroth’s stomach twisted into knots at the sight of it; the mansion was dark and quiet, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. It seemed a little too convenient that the boy knew what lay inside the stone walls; his coy admission that he and his friends would sneak into the mansion for fun struck Sephiroth as a bit too contrived. Who would want to sneak into a place like this?
Glenn would, apparently. “Now this place looks promising.”
“You seem excited,” Sephiroth remarked.
“Of course! We get to explore someplace new! Aren’t you the least bit curious about what we’ll find?”
Sephiroth shook his head. “Curiosity gets in the way of me doing my job.” He didn’t want to admit to the strange churning in his gut at the sight of the manor.
The uneasy feeling only grew in intensity as the boy led Sephiroth and Glenn to the front door. It was unlocked; the boy directed them through the foyer and into a formal dining hall, its ornate table and decaying piano covered in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. Sephiroth could almost picture the musicians serenading their guests with classical songs.
“This way!” The boy waved Sephiroth over to an elevator, and Sephiroth tried unsuccessfully to center his focus as it descended to the basement. It was carved into the base of the mountain, a cavernous expanse where the moist air hung thick around them. Two doors were cut into the stone wall; Sephiroth tried the one to his left, but it was locked.
Glenn pushed open the door to the other room and peeked inside. “This room…” He waved Sephiroth over to look as well. “Doesn’t this remind you of the Shinra building?”
The resemblance was uncanny. Two glowing tubes of mako illuminated the workspace, one wooden desk littered with dusty, faded papers while another sat in front of a whiteboard. A short hall at the end of the room led to a spacious library. Sephiroth’s field of vision narrowed, and he suddenly felt faint. He steadied himself on a nearby bookshelf.
“What’s Shinra?” the boy asked. His voice sounded distant, as if a thick, invisible wall prevented the sound from reaching Sephiroth’s ears.
“You don’t know Shinra!?” Glenn balked. “You’re messing with me, right? The electric power company? The mako reactors?”
Sephiroth’s heart was racing. He trembled, gasping for breath. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to leave, to escape this place, but he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. He tried to scream, to cry out for help. All that came out was a pathetic groan.
“Sephiroth! You okay!?”
“Endure the pain, Sephiroth.” Hojo cackled. “You have yet to reach your threshold. The more you endure, the greater the power that will awaken within you.”
“Hey! Stay with me!”
Sephiroth squeezed his eyes shut, focusing only on his breathing. He took a deep breath in, forcing air deep into his lungs despite the incredible pressure squeezing his chest. He exhaled, his heart still pounding. “Sorry. I suddenly felt… uncomfortable,” he gasped. Though still a bit lightheaded, he forced a smile. “I’m fine now.”
“No, you’re not!” Glenn gently pressed a hand to Sephiroth’s back, guiding him to a nearby chair. “Take it easy, will ya? You don’t have to always push yourself just because you’re the leader. Learn to slack off once in a while.”
Sephiroth sat, swallowing the guilty feeling rising in his chest. He took another deep breath. “No one’s ever said that to me before. In fact, I’ve always been told the opposite.”
“The opposite? What do you mean?”
“Wah! M-monster!”
“Get back!” Sephiroth leapt to his feet, the sudden motion sending his head into a spin. He staggered slightly, and in the moment it took for him to regain his balance, Glenn cut down the Dorky Face with his axe.
“So this is where they’ve been hiding,” Glenn muttered.
“Or perhaps I led them here,” Sephiroth murmured quietly. The pain, the fear that this room elicited threatened to consume Sephiroth again. “They feed on negative emotions, don’t they?”
“If that’s why they’re here, then there’s a good chance they’re here for me too.”
Sephiroth’s heart dipped in despair as he realized how his panic attack must have looked from Glenn’s point of view: a small, pathetic child shaking and gasping for breath for no apparent reason. Sephiroth was supposed to be the leader; he let his feelings consume him. “I can imagine.” Glenn’s disappointment in him must have been immeasurable.
“Right?” Glenn grasped Sephiroth’s shoulder tightly, and Sephiroth realized—Glenn was not angry. He was afraid.
“Right.” Sephiroth didn’t know how to feel about Glenn’s fear for him, but now was not the time to think on it. “Now let’s go look for those costumes.”
Sephiroth affixed a mask to the lower half of his face, shifting the collar of the navy robe in a vain attempt to keep the feathers from brushing against his neck. Beside him, Glenn was clad in a formal red suit and tight white gloves, his head covered by a comically large pumpkin mask.
“Uh, I’m not sold on this one.” Glenn fidgeted uncomfortably. “Wanna trade?”
“Why are we still discussing this?” Sephiroth slid a headband into his silver hair; curled horns stuck out above his ears. “You tried mine on, and it didn’t fit. Besides, the pumpkin suits you fine.” He adjusted the collar, attempting to move the feathers away from his neck. “Anyway, as long as we blend in, it doesn’t matter what we look like.”
“Hey, over there! What the hell is that?”
Glenn pointed to a swirling mass of glowing pink energy in the middle of the square. It pulsated and throbbed like a balloon about to burst. As the pink orb pulsed and crackled, it drew the attention of curious townspeople, who mistook it as a show for the festival.
“Great,” Glenn muttered, “that thing’s about to explode and folks are crowding around it.”
“We need to evacuate everyone,” Sephiroth muttered. He noted the absence of the boy who’d led them to the mansion—who’d led Sephiroth straight to the location that had triggered his panic attack.
“What’s he doing?”
Sephiroth turned back to the glowing orb; the boy strolled calmly to stand beneath it. “Is he…”
“Hey!” Glenn shouted to the boy, waving his arms wildly. “Get back! It’s dangerous!”
“I’m not in danger,” the boy sneered. “But you are. Thank… you…” In a whorl of pink energy, the boy floated ominously into the sky, transforming into a massive grinning face atop curling ribbons.
Sephiroth drew his sword, his suspicions confirmed. “We have our leader,” he smirked. “You know what to do.”
“Man, that really was a great costume,” Glenn moaned, shaking his head.
“He knew a little too much. I had my suspicions.” Sephiroth adjusted his grip on his sword. “But he wanted us to defeat the Army. He was even helping us. I need to find out why.”
“You couldn’t see through this costume, could you, ‘superhero’?” The Leader of the Dark Army taunted Glenn. “Thanks to you, I didn’t have to lift a finger. And now I can feed in peace. We have a rule: the last one standing wins and gets to become the next leader. Usually, we all just try to kill each other, but this time I had a plan. And it worked.”
“You really are a monster,” Glenn growled. “You had us kill all your friends so you could be the next leader?”
“Friends?” The Dark Army leader laughed dismissively. “They were necessary sacrifices for me to win. To me, they’re no more than pumpkin seeds. You eat the pumpkin, but throw away the seeds. They’re not even used for jack-o’-lanterns. They’re worthless.”
“Tussle or—Never mind, you don’t get a choice!” Glenn unsheathed his weapon. “Time to slice and dice and rip those seeds right out of you!”
The remaining monsters seemed to accept their new leader, guarding the looming Dorky Face with their lives. Sephiroth and Glenn slashed wildly, using their materia to keep the monsters within range and away from the terrified civilians.
“Together, you’re stronger than I realized. I underestimated you,” the leader admitted. It cackled and opened a glowing blue portal behind it, summoning two more monsters to cover its retreat. “I hope you’ll play with me again…”
“Not if I end this now!” Sephiroth dove between the two lesser fiends and brought his sword down on the Dark Army Leader in a single, powerful slash.
The monster collapsed, glistening green as it began to dissolve into the Lifestream. “This will never end. So long as people exist, so too will their emotions.”
Sephiroth sheathed his sword and turned away from the dissolving monster. To his surprise, Glenn was waving cheerfully at the glimmering green energy. “Pumpkin kid!” Glenn smiled as the remaining wisps of Mako floated away. “Hope you make some friends!”
“You’re being kind to a monster?”
“I’m nice to everyone. Because as you know-”
“You’re a superhero,” Sephiroth rolled his eyes. “And you don’t let anyone forget it. Anyway,” he turned to the portal, “let’s go home.”
“Yeah, those two are probably worried sick.”
“I don’t know about that.” Sephiroth shook his head. “They know I’m with you, so they may be carrying out their usual assignments, just like any other day.”
“They know you’re with me, so this is their best chance to slack off.” Glenn laughed. “Haven’t you learned anything?”
“I don’t think that’s their nature. Are you sure they’re not just following your lead when you’re around?”
“Even if they are, they’re making the call. You know, why don’t you follow my lead for today? It’s not every day we get to go to a festival. Let’s have some fun.” Glenn pointed across the square. “I saw some tasty-looking pumpkin dishes on the way.”
“We don’t know how long the portal will stay open,” Sephiroth pointed out.
“The food’s not gonna be here for long either. At least that’s what my gut’s telling me. Besides, we don’t even know where it leads.”
“That’s true,” Sephiroth conceded. “It may not be a safe trip.”
“We could end up being sucked into another fiasco like this one… So let’s fill up! I could really go for some pumpkin or maybe some chicken!”
“Oh…” Sephiroth clutched at his stomach, suddenly realizing just how peckish he was. “I suppose… I could use a bite.”
“See? So come on!” Glenn began to stroll towards the table of food. “It’s time to feast!”
“Oh, don’t get to close,” Sephiroth warned, as Glenn stepped rather close to Portal. “It’s not safe.” But it was too late; Glenn was sucked into the portal. “I warned him…” Sephiroth glanced forlornly at the table of food. “Too bad I won’t get to try some of that pumpkin soup.”
He tore his gaze from the food and followed Glenn into the portal.
“I wonder if they’re okay,” Lucia fidgeted nervously. “Shouldn’t we go after them?”
“Sephiroth is with him. I’m sure they’re fine-”
Matt was interrupted by a humanoid monster emerging from the portal. It had a pumpkin for a head and wore a sharp brown dress coat and white gloves. “Wh-what the—!?”
“An ambush!?” Lucia readied her weapon, and Matt did the same beside her.
The monster turned and peered confusedly at the portal. “Oh… I thought I jumped into a portal, not out of one.” As Glenn spoke, Sephiroth emerged beside him, dressed in a long feathered robe, his face covered with a mask and two horns sticking out of his silver hair.
“There you are!” Matt cried in relief. “I’m so glad you’re back safely.”
“But what’s with the costumes?” Lucia glanced from Sephiroth to the pumpkin-headed Glenn. “You look like you’re dressed for some sort of pumpkin festival.”
Glenn and Sephiroth turned to look at each other, then themselves, then back at each other. “Huh…?”
“Whoa! What the hell are we wearing!?”
“You know as much as I do,” Sephiroth shrugged, scratching his head in bewilderment.
“We were wondering whether or not we should go after you,” Lucia explained, “and then you popped out.”
“Do you remember what happened?” Matt asked.
“Ummm… We jumped into the portal, and then jumped right back out.” Glenn clutched his stomach. “It does feel like we were gone a long time, though. I’m starving.”
“Same here,” Sephiroth agreed.
“Right? Aren’t you in the mood for some pumpkin?”
“No, not that. I meant I don’t remember much either.” Sephiroth peered curiously at the blue orb as it shrank out of sight. “It would seem the rumors are true: Portal doesn’t allow you to recall what happened on the other side.”
“No wonder Professor Hojo lost interest and scrapped his research.”
“Arg, this is so aggravating!” Glenn began to scratch and pull at the pumpkin over his head. “It’s like I have a pumpkin seed stuck up my nose or something!”
“If you’re lucky,” Matt smirked, “maybe it’ll grow into a pumpkin.”
“Ew, I wouldn’t eat that.” Lucia grimaced.
“What? People would pay big bucks for my organically grown pumpkins!” Glenn joked.
“Well, we didn’t achieve anything, but we went in and came back, so I’d say we’ve successfully completed our investigation of the portal.” Sephiroth pulled the mask off his face.
“You probably did achieve something,” Matt remarked. “Even if you don’t remember, it’s etched in your heart and your body. They say 97% of people’s actions are driven by their unconscious mind. So it had to have left some sort of mark. Though I bet it’s different for you, Glenn.” He grinned at his friend.
“Huh? Why’s that?”
“I’d say you’re closer to 99%.”
“Don’t you mean 100%?” Lucia chimed in.
“So I’m unconsciously a natural! I don’t see a problem with that!”
“That actually makes sense,” Lucia pondered.
“For Glenn,” Matt added.
Sephiroth shook his head. “If your unconscious mind is who you are, you could never take responsibility for anything since you wouldn’t be aware of your words or actions.” He clenched his fists. “I’m very conscious about every decision I make.”
“That sounds tough in this line of work,” Lucia commented.
“Maybe not for Sephiroth,” Matt noted.
“Hell yeah!” Glenn raised his arms. “Our leader’s capable of anything.”
Notes:
This story chapter was part of the 2023 Halloween event in Ever Crisis.
Though the characters have no memory of these events, it IS referenced in later, canon events. So I'll be tentatively considering it canon.
Chapter 8: Memories of the Planet
Summary:
Shinra begins their exploratory dig for the mako reactor. When the dig goes awry, Sephiroth must decide between his duty and his friends.
Chapter Text
As the Shinra engineers set up the site for the dig, the Logues Ruins quickly transformed from a hidden, untamed wilderness to a cordoned-off industrial site laden with equipment and bustling with men and women in blue jumpsuits. Now that the trees rustled and the ground quaked from the sound of machinery being powered on, Glenn realized how much he preferred the thrill of fighting baloirs to the drudgery of patrolling for small fiends.
Glenn awoke early one morning, his gut churning, warning him to stay alert. He tossed and turned, but finally admitted to himself that he wouldn’t be able to recover any of the sleep he’d lost before Sephiroth ordered them to begin their morning patrol. So instead he crept out of the cave, careful not to wake Matt and Lucia, and strolled to the edge of Mt. Sunsin. He could see Sijad clearly, and he sat for a long moment, staring sadly at the white smoke dutifully rising from the chimney.
“They’re about to start the dig.”
Glenn peered at Matt over his shoulder. “Already? That didn’t take long.”
“That’s Shinra for you,” Matt shrugged.
“Well, we did do an awesome job laying the groundwork.”
“Let’s be real,” Lucia laughed from beside Matt, “Sephiroth did most of the heavy lifting.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Glenn reluctantly admitted. He rose to his feet and dusted the dirt off the seat of his pants. He followed Matt to the entrance to the dig site; Sephiroth was nowhere to be seen. Glenn groaned inwardly, wondering if this meant Sephiroth was receiving new orders to give them. He peered around once more, ensuring Sephiroth wasn’t in sight, then turned to Matt and Lucia. “Hey, so how should we split that bonus money? Thankfully, our resident hero doesn’t seem interested in taking a cut.”
“Hey, you three!” A man called from the ruins before Matt or Lucia could respond. “Come here!”
Another time, then. Glenn trudged into the courtyard.
“Taking it easy, huh?” The chief engineer sniffed as the trio approached. “There’s been talk of monsters wandering near our quarters. Isn’t it your job to keep them away?”
“Sorry. We’ll start our rounds ASAP.” Glenn scowled. “Hey, have you seen Sephiroth?”
The engineer crinkled his nose in disgust. “Probably out scavenging corpses again. Can you get him to stop? It’s creeping us out.”
“He’s been doing what now?” The engineer ignored Glenn and walked over to a group of engineers, quietly directing them on a sequence of tasks.
Matt shook his head in disbelief. “I’d noticed him going off on his own, but…”
“Come on, let’s look for him while we deal with those monsters.” Lucia readied her rifle.
“Anyone up for a walk? Then follow me.” There was only one location where corpses remained; Glenn led the team down the lush path to the Cawpine Caverns. Matt stopped often, jotting down notes about the strange colorful flowers and flora lining Grastia Path.
Chunks of glistening clear stone embedded in the dirt sparkled in the morning sun. “This looks like a materia fragment.” Matt crouched down and pulled a particularly large piece from the ground, turning it over in his hand. “They take a long time to form and sometimes shatter in the process.”
“So we can’t use it. What a waste.” Lucia shook her head.
“Try chucking it at a monster,” Glenn joked. “Might be able to chase it off.”
“You can do the same with any old rock lying around,” Matt pointed out, tossing the fragment to the side of the road.
“True,” Glenn admitted.
The three SOLDIERs reached the entrance of the caverns. Glenn sighed dejectedly at the sight of several drakes and black bats hovering around the entrance. They hadn’t eliminated the monsters; the beasts had simply migrated here.
“Sephiroth should be back there.” Matt peered into the caverns, clearly reluctant to step back inside.
“So…” Lucia hugged her arms close to her body, “about the whole ‘scavenging corpses’ thing…”
“That had to be a joke, right?” Glenn shook his head. “He wouldn’t do something like that.”
“I can’t imagine why, at least.” Matt grimaced. “Come on, let’s go find him.”
Sephiroth grimaced as he curled his fingers under the rotting arm of the Rhadoran soldier, grateful for the gloves protecting his hands as he peeled it from the ground. There was nothing beneath it but a wet stain; Sephiroth was loathe to continue, wishing he could simply leave the decaying form where it lay, but he still hadn’t found it. He couldn’t stop yet.
“Whoa, you really are scavenging corpses?”
“What?” Sephiroth glanced up to see Glenn, Matt, and Lucia approaching, their faces crinkled in revulsion. “Ah,” Sephiroth’s cheeks burned. “I can see why you might get the wrong idea.” He quickly withdrew, the corpse rolling back onto its back, its arm smacking the ground with a revolting splat.
“Are you looking for something?” Lucia asked.
Sephiroth sighed in relief. “Yes, actually.” He clutched his hand to his collarbone, curling his fingers around empty air. “The necklace with my mother’s picture. I thought it might be under one of these bodies.” He glanced back at the body he’d just rolled over. “I suppose I really am scavenging corpses, then.”
“We’ll help you look,” Glenn nodded. “We need to clear this place out anyway.”
“I’d appreciate that.” Sephiroth bowed deeply, his heart swelling with gratitude. “Thank you.”
Under direction from Sephiroth, Matt and Lucia lifted each Rhadoran corpse from the ground while Glenn and Sephiroth scoured the floor beneath it, checking the body in case the chain had snagged. Then with a shake of Sephiroth’s head, the two SOLDIERs would drag the body to a side tunnel and add it to a pile. The pungent smell brought tears to Sephiroth’s eyes.
“Is it me, or are there fewer bodies now than there were ten days ago?” Matt gulped loudly as he crouched beside a body missing one arm, chunks of flesh torn from its side.
“That would be due to the monsters,” Sephiroth commented matter-of-factly. He kicked away the pile of entrails; there was nothing hidden underneath.
“Ugh!” Glenn bent double, his face a slight tint of green. “No way in hell I’m dying in here and getting eaten by one of ‘em!”
Sephiroth shook his head. “You’ve been letting your guard down lately,” he scolded. “All of you. But just because you think it’s safe doesn’t mean that it is.” He’d seen many a macabre scene such as this, often caused by the most unassuming beasts in Hojo’s care. “You can’t afford to be careless. Because you know-”
A drake swooped down from the ceiling behind the other SOLDIERs. In a flash, Sephiroth summoned a magical ball of flame and hurled it at the beast. He glared at the three SOLDIERs; they had been taken completely off-guard. “I can’t always be around to protect you.”
Glenn rolled his eyes. “Oh, so you’ve been graciously protecting us all this time?”
“That’s my job as leader.”
“So it’s a leader’s job to protect his team, huh?” Matt stared pointedly at Glenn. “I wish I could tell that to a certain someone—a certain someone who threatens his team with violence.”
“And forces them to smell his disgusting socks,” Lucia added.
“They sound awful,” Sephiroth agreed.
Glenn puffed out his chest, putting his hands on his hips. “Awfully memorable, others might say.”
“I see.” Sephiroth gulped, trying to figure out how to recover from insulting Glenn so blatantly. “Maybe they’re not awful. Maybe they just fear being forgotten.”
“Hadn’t thought of it that way,” Matt admitted.
“I guess we’ll never know.” Glenn winked at Sephiroth.
Team Glenn had finished their cleanup work. The bodies of the Rhadoran soldiers—the ones that hadn’t been completely devoured by monsters—were safely stacked in the back tunnel, away from the scavenging drakes. There was still no sign of Sephiroth’s necklace.
“There weren’t as many Rhadorans as I thought there’d be,” Glenn remarked. Even taking into account the corpses devoured by monsters over the past week, the dead barely numbered enough to fill a single unit of the Shinra army.
“Living here must’ve taken its toll on the population,” Matt postulated.
“Yeah, this doesn’t look like the most comfortable place to call home.” Glenn shook his head. “Shame they didn’t have a better relationship with Shinra. With all the mako here, they could’ve gotten a sweet deal. Honestly, I don’t get why they were so opposed to us building a reactor. I can’t imagine life without ‘em.”
“You know, the Rhadorans’ beliefs have a lot in common with planetology,” Matt pointed out.
“Planetology?” Lucia tilted her head curiously. “What’s that?”
“It’s a framework which posits that when one dies, their spiritual energy returns to the planet—to the lifestream—from which new life is eventually born. The Rhadorans refer to this energy as mana, like Rosen said. And as mana flows through the planet, it enriches the wildlife, the people, the entire world. We may think of it as a mere resource, but it’s no surprise they can’t fathom consuming something so priceless.”
“But it is just a resource,” Glenn pouted. “I still don’t get it.”
“Professor Hojo once told me: ‘No matter how logically you explain something, there will always be people who don’t understand because they have a different view of the world.’” Sephiroth pondered.
“But putting aside beliefs and legends, isn’t it better to live your life with convenience and comfort? I mean, the Rhadorans stuck to their ways and now the only one of them that’s left is Rosen.” Glenn sighed. “And even if the dig yields good results and Shinra decides to build a reactor here, who knows how long it’ll take to finish construction? By the time it’s up and running, no one will even remember the Rhadorans.”
“The planet will.” Sephiroth pressed a hand to his heart. “At least, that’s what they believe.”
Glenn gasped, the pieces finally clicking together. “Okay… I think I get it. Mana is composed of life, memories, and experiences… It contains proof of someone’s existence, their entire life. If that’s consumed as energy, then the planet will eventually forget the Rhadorans ever existed. And that’s why they were opposed to the reactors.” Glenn walked over to the pile of bodies and dropped to one knee. He clasped his hands and began to pray. Lucia, Matt, and Sephiroth did the same beside him, and the four spent a long moment in reverent silence.
Matt was the first to rise to his feet. He turned to Sephiroth. “Are you sure this is where you lost the necklace?”
“I had it before I entered the ruins, so this is the only place I can think of.”
“Then if we don’t find it here,” Lucia spoke softly, “we might not find it at all.”
Sephiroth took a deep breath. “That’s alright. If the four of us can’t find it, then I’m willing to accept that it’s gone.”
Glenn shuffled nervously, glancing back towards the tunnel. “You know, maybe we should bury them. It may not be how the Rhadorans do it, but I can’t think of any other way.”
“Any other way to do what?” Lucia asked.
“Apologize.”
Glenn felt a small hand rest on his shoulder blade. He glanced at Sephiroth, who was gazing up at him with wide, sad eyes. “Let me help.”
Glenn smiled gratefully at Sephiroth. “Thanks.”
Glenn pierced the dirt with his shovel, still pondering the Rhadoran beliefs regarding mana. He’d never stopped to ponder how the glistening green energy worked—why some monsters and foes dissolved immediately upon their defeat while others remained to provide sustenance as carrion. Perhaps, he shivered as he finished digging one grave and began digging the one beside it, some lingering emotion keeps the mana contained in a body even after death. He pictured the drakes ripping and tearing at the rotting flesh, forcing the dissolution of mana that the lingering soul stubbornly refused to embrace.
Burying the fallen soldiers felt right; entombing their remains six feet under was the closest Glenn could picture to ushering their souls back to the planet—it certainly felt more respectful than simply leaving them to be torn to shreds by monsters. He rested each warrior’s shield atop the mounds to serve as headstones. No one is left to remember their names.
A boom echoed through the trees, shaking the ground beneath Glenn’s feet. “Huh? What’s that sound?”
“They’re commencing the dig,” Sephiroth explained, wiping the dirt from his hands. “It should take about half an hour, during which time we’ll withdraw to an aerial position.”
“Why?”
“Well, they’ll begin by setting off explosives underground. There’s at least one past instance of this method triggering a chain reaction, energizing the mako and leading to a catastrophic event. Protocol has since been revised to require that everyone evacuate during the process.”
“What happened exactly?”
“The explosion caused the mako to erupt—a phenomenon the Rhadorans call a mana torrent.”
“A mana torrent is like a tsunami or a flood. Can you picture it? People and homes, swept away in an instant?”
Sephiroth quickly did a count of the graves the team had dug, then nodded as he confirmed there was one for each body within the cavern. He turned and ushered the team inside. “Come on, let’s hurry.”
Glenn wished they had more time to give each Rhadoran a proper burial. What he’d imagined as a somber funeral with a prayer over each body was instead a hurried process of dumping a half-eaten corpse into a hole and flinging dirt over the body to create uneven, densely-packed mounds. It took them roughly twenty minutes to bury them all; Sephiroth, ever focused on the mission ahead, called a hard stop with ten minutes remaining and led them back up the path to the dig site.
The tremors from the start of the dig had torn several trees from the ground, blocking the shortest path. “Man, if only we could cut through…” The tree was far too thick for even Glenn’s axe to chop fully. It would take almost as long to circle around as it would be to remove the obstacle.
“I think I know a way.”
Glenn raised an eyebrow as he glanced back at Sephiroth, who was holding a materia fragment aloft. “What good’s that gonna do? You gonna throw it at the pile, make it bigger?”
“Trust me.” Sephiroth clutched the materia in hand. “Stand back, please.”
Glenn stepped back, tapping his foot impatiently. He glanced over at Matt, who peered into the dense underbrush by the tree’s torn roots, clearly calculating whether taking an alternate path would get them to the site within seven minutes.
A flash of white-hot energy burst from the materia fragment in Sephiroth’s hand. It set the tree ablaze, almost instantly disintegrating the obstacle into ash.
“All that from a fragment…” Matt murmured in awe.
Sephiroth shrugged. “It shatters once it’s used, but if you learn how to wield it-”
“Yeah, that sounds impossible for anyone other than you,” Glenn interrupted. “But Sephiroth, that was amazing!”
Glenn’s eager support bolstered Sephiroth’s confidence. He led his team up the path, effortlessly slicing a tree with his katana to form a bridge over a deep ravine.
“Wow… Just wow…”
“Impressed by my cyborg powers?” Sephiroth grinned slyly.
“I wasn’t gonna say that.” Glenn’s smile vanished. “I wasn’t even thinking it.”
“Oh.” Sephiroth frowned. “Well, that’s a little disappointing.”
“It is?”
“Yes, but I don’t know why.” Sephiroth pressed a finger to his lips, thinking carefully. “I suppose… that I feel like we can say anything to each other, and I don’t want you to hold back. That’s all.”
Glenn laughed heartily. “Well, in that case, you’ve got nothing to worry about!” He smacked Sephiroth on the back, with enough force to cause Sephiroth to stumble slightly. “We’re counting on you, leader. Now let’s get moving!”
Their next obstacle was a rushing waterfall crashing into a rushing river, too deep to walk across and the current too strong to swim. Glenn ran over to a rock by the riverbank, tugging at a glimmering shard. “Sephiroth, can you use this to make things go ‘boom’?” He handed Sephiroth the materia fragment.
“Well, I don’t know about that, but I have an idea.” Sephiroth focused on drawing energy from the crystal, channeling it into frigid ice instead of crackling fire. The water slowed as its temperature dropped, tendrils of ice stretching across the surface and down to the riverbed. Sephiroth stepped forward and firmly rapped the surface with his knuckles. The sound echoed dully. “It looks like it’ll hold. Come on.”
The four SOLDIERs hurried across the frozen river. Sephiroth spotted a moss-covered stone pillar; with three minutes to spare, they had reached the entrance to the ruins. “Let’s hurry. We need to rendezvous with the chief engineer before they begin the dig.”
Glenn turned and cast a worried glance to the west. Lucia placed a hand on his arm. “Glenn, are you thinking of Rosen?”
“Yeah. What’s gonna happen to him…?”
They didn’t have the time to dawdle, but Sephiroth wasn’t about to leave his friends behind. He reluctantly followed Glenn as he strode to the edge of the clearing, gazing out at the horizon.
“Another day of white smoke…” Lucia murmured.
“Even though there’s no one left to see it,” Matt added solemnly.
“Is there any way we can make sure he’s safe?” Glenn stepped off the path, inching closer to the shore.
“This isn’t the time to be thinking about the safety of others,” Sephiroth huffed impatiently; they only had two minutes left.
“Hey, Sephiroth.” Glenn peered over his shoulder at Sephiroth.
“Yes?”
Glenn opened his mouth, then shut it and shook his head. “Nah, never mind. Let’s go. We don’t wanna be late.”
Glenn, Matt and Lucia hurried back to the path. Sephiroth paused for a moment, sparing one last glance at the distant chimney before following the others.
The dig site, which hours earlier was a bustle of human activity, was barren and empty. But despite the lack of people, the space was far from serene—one after another, black Shinra helicopters ascended into the sky, buffeting the canopy with the gusts from their spinning blades.
“Hey! You’re the last ones!” The chief engineer shouted, waving as he stood before the last helicopter hovering over the ground. “Hurry up and get in!”
“I have a favor,” Glenn shouted back. “Can you delay the dig? I just need fifteen, no, ten minutes.”
“Why?” Sephiroth could tell from the engineer’s tone that there was no way Glenn would convince him to delay.
“There’s someone on one of the smaller islands to the north. We need to warn him about this.” The ground shook beneath the SOLDIERs, as if emphasizing Glenn’s point.
“Sorry,” the engineer shrugged, clearly not sorry at all, “but it’s too late. We’ve already started. Now come on, get in.”
“No, you gotta wait! C’mon, I’m begging you!”
“I can’t!” The engineer snapped. “Do you know how much money the company’s invested in this operation?”
“But someone’s life is on the line!” Without warning, Glenn rushed forward and punched the engineer in the jaw.
Sephiroth gasped.
“L-look, buddy, if you don’t back off, I’m gonna tell HQ about this.” The engineer rubbed his jaw gingerly, staggering to his feet. “You can kiss your job goodbye.”
“Oh, boy,” Matt groaned, clearly just as shocked by the turn of events as Sephiroth was.
Glenn roughly pulled the engineer to his feet, shoving him towards a distant helicopter. “That’s your chopper. Go.”
“Lucia?” Matt nodded to Lucia’s rifle. “We’re in this together, you know.”
Sephiroth gaped at his friend as she pondered joining Glenn in this mutiny. Though a part of him wished she would come to her senses, her answer didn’t come as a surprise.
“Sorry, Sephiroth, but I have to.” She leapt into the cockpit, holding her rifle against the head of the pilot. The man raised his arms above his head, and Lucia forced him out of the helicopter.
A scream cut through the air, and Sephiroth whirled around to see a swirling cloud of mako gas billowing through the courtyard, nearly swallowing the chief engineer. The man scrambled to his feet, diving into the cabin of an ascending chopper as a massive claw swiped at it from within the cloud.
“Is that…” A towering mutant baloir stomped out of the cloud. “Stamp!?”
“He’s huge…!” Matt gaped in awe at the beast. “Is that because of the mako!?”
“Dammit, how many times do we have to fight this thing!?” Lucia loaded her rifle, aiming down the scope between the monster’s eyes. “Guys, let’s finish him for good!”
The deformed baloir beared almost no resemblance to the iconic mascot, but Sephiroth chuckled to himself and joined his comrades in battle. The four of them bombarded Stamp with a flurry of attacks; Matt buffed the party with his materia and Lucia shot disabling rounds at the beast, while Sephiroth and Glenn took turns slashing at its weak points. Sephiroth gathered his energy, slicing the baloir with one last powerful strike. It roared in pain, then thudded to the ground, dead.
“Talk about persistent…” Glenn panted as Stamp dissolved into the Lifestream.
“Well, you are flaunting its claw like it’s some sort of prize,” Lucia quipped.
Matt wiped his blade clean. “I’m guessing it also sensed our presence here wasn’t a good thing.”
“Sorry about messing up your home,” Glenn murmured. “And I promise I’ll take good care of the ornament.”
The ground trembled, and Matt pointed to their helicopter. “We should go while we still can.”
“Yeah, we need to get to Rosen and Refu.”
Sephiroth hesitated as the trio ran for the stolen helicopter. He frantically tried to remember if there was anything in his training that addressed insubordination like this.
“I’m throwing down the ladder!” Sephiroth looked up to see the chief engineer smiling down at him from a descending helicopter. He tossed a rope ladder from the cabin, and it dangled tantalizingly within reach. Sephiroth grabbed hold of the bottom rung, turning back to the trio.
“Think Sephiroth’s fired too?” Lucia turned to Matt.
Sephiroth balked. He hadn’t considered the fact that his position as team leader would leave the culpability of this fiasco at his feet.
“Probably not.” Matt shook his head. “The chief knows this was all our idea.”
The chief engineer nodded enthusiastically, beckoning for Sephiroth to climb. Sephiroth knew from the look on the engineer’s face that Matt was right; Shinra cared far more about Sephiroth’s status as a “hero” than his relationship to Team Glenn.
“Stay safe, Sephiroth!” Glenn waved from the helicopter as Lucia took the controls. “Take it easy!”
Sephiroth’s choice was crystal clear. He released the rope ladder and turned away from the dumbfounded chief engineer. He ran over to Glenn.
“Couldn’t stay away, huh?” Glenn reached out and pulled Sephiroth into the cabin as the helicopter rose into the sky. “You sure about this? They’re gonna fire you, you know.”
Sephiroth laughed. “I’d like to see them try.”
Chapter 9: The Boy and the Hero
Summary:
Glenn, Matt, Lucia, and Sephiroth fly to Sijad in an attempt to rescue Rosen from the mana torrent as it consumes the island.
Chapter Text
The skies had been clear when Team Glenn had lifted off in their stolen helicopter; halfway across the ocean from Sijad, clouds gathered above them, darkening the sky and whipping the helicopter around. The turbulence made Lucia queasy, so Matt took control of the chopper, his knuckles white as he fought to keep it steady.
“Bumpy ride,” he noted through gritted teeth.
“Let me tell you,” Lucia burped, then covered her mouth, “this is nothing like the simulator.”
In the cabin, Glenn paced the floor restlessly. Sephiroth leaned against the wall by the cockpit, his glowing eyes following Glenn. “We killed a bunch of people,” Glenn muttered, “and now we’re on our way to save just one person. I’m starting to wonder if any of this makes any sense.”
“Objectively, no,” Matt shouted from the cockpit.
“Makes me sick how much death we’ve seen,” Glenn grimaced, dropping into a seat beside Sephiroth.
The young leader slowly walked over to Glenn and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, staring deeply into his eyes. “Maybe you’re not cut out to be a SOLDIER.”
The comment stung slightly, but it was said with such sincerity that Glenn forced a smile and nodded. Sephiroth smiled back and placed a hand against his heart.
“Look!”
Sephiroth and Glenn rushed to the window at Lucia’s cry. Outside, tendrils of mako stretched across the overcast sky, and plumes of glowing green erupted from massive crevasses across the island. As the helicopter descended, the smoke rising from the chimney shifted from white to red. Glenn spotted Rosen far below, desperately tossing wood into the chimney as baloirs swarmed his cabin.
“I’m not seeing anywhere safe to land!” Lucia shouted as Glenn slid the bay door open.
“There! That hill!” Glenn pointed to a stable point a short distance away. A blast of wind buffeted the chopper, knocking Glenn off balance as the helicopter shakily descended to the ground. Glenn leapt out of the helicopter, with Matt and Lucia following as the rotors slowed to a stop.
“Sephiroth, wait here.”
Sephiroth leapt out of the helicopter. “If you didn’t want me going with you, you should’ve pushed me out of the chopper while you had a chance.”
Glenn opened his mouth to protest, but a group of angry baloirs, drawn by the sound of the helicopter, descended on their location. “Fine!” Glenn scoffed, wielding his axe.
“I’ll clear the path.” Sephiroth drew his katana and sliced down the baloirs.
“Thanks, boss!” Glenn laughed. The four SOLDIERs rushed across the shore up Hanaja Hill.
“Hear that rumbling?” Lucia staggered as the ground trembled. “We’re almost out of time.”
“I know we’re in a rush, but we need to be smart.” Matt regained his balance. “The monsters seem pretty agitated.”
“That’s why we need to hurry and get to Rosen!” Glenn shouted angrily. “Now! Come on!”
As the four ran, the ground crumbled behind them, collapsing into a glowing crevasse.
“That was way too close,” Matt gasped.
“I hope the chopper’s okay,” Lucia muttered nervously.
“We can think about that later,” Glenn protested impatiently. “For now, we need to keep moving!”
“The ground could collapse at any moment,” Matt shouted over the wind.
“And with the monsters all worked up,” Lucia added, “there’s a pretty good chance we’re not gonna get out of here alive.”
“Don’t worry,” Glenn grinned. “Remember, we’ve got our dear leader!”
Sephiroth shrugged. “Monsters I can handle, but the rest is beyond my control.”
Glenn thrust his thumb into his chest confidently. “Then leave all that to me!”
“I’m almost tempted to.”
“You should.” Matt nodded towards Glenn. “He’s gotten us through some rough situations in the past.”
“That’s right!” Glenn held his hand out to Sephiroth. “So come with me if you want to live!”
“Well, I don’t plan on dying so,” Sephiroth placed a hand to his heart, “alright.”
They found Rosen and Refu cornered by a massive silver baloir.
“Rosen!?”
“Wha—what are you doing here!?”
“Hold that thought.” Glenn readied his axe. “We gotta deal with this guy first!”
Glenn and Sephiroth quickly dealt with the baloir, and Sephiroth shoved the carcass into one of the crevasses as Glenn turned to Rosen.
“You okay?”
“Yes, thank you,” Rosen gasped. “I thought you all went to the main island. Why have you come back?”
“We came to get you! Come on, we’ve gotta leave now!”
“I can’t!” Rosen protested. “I need to stay and warn everyone! I was going to make a smoke signal with this firewood.” The ground rumbled beneath them. “But the monsters… Glenn, please take me to the cottage!”
Glenn stared at the ground, unsure how best to address the elephant in the room. “There’s no point.”
Rosen rushed forward, grabbing the collar of Glenn’s parka. “What do you mean!?”
Glenn took a deep breath. “There’s no one left on the main island to see the signal.” He stared deeply into Rosen’s eyes, which flitted back and forth between his. “We killed everyone.”
Rosen glanced over at Lucia, then Matt. Neither met Rosen’s gaze. Rosen slowly released Glenn’s coat and shakily stepped back.
“That’s a lie,” his voice wavered. “I’m still here. You didn’t kill me. And someone weak enough to let me live wouldn’t have it in them to kill all my people.”
“I’m sorry.” Glenn hung his head somberly, his tongue heavy in his mouth as he struggled to find the right words. “We thought… We thought we had to… We thought… We had no choice…”
Rosen clenched his fists angrily. “I don’t want to hear it! Just go away and leave me alone!”
“Wait! Rosen!”
But Rosen had run off, Refu close behind. Another section of earth crumbled behind them.
“Dammit…!”
“I hate to say it,” Matt muttered, “but the island’s starting to sink.”
“Yeah, we gotta grab him quick.”
“We’ll force him to come back with us if we have to.” Lucia clenched her fists determinedly.
“Sephiroth!” Glenn turned to the team leader. “We’re gonna get Rosen! Go back to the chopper and make sure it’s prepped for takeoff!”
Glenn turned to rush to Rosen’s cabin, Matt and Lucia close behind. But Sephiroth descended from the sky, landing nimbly before them, hands held wide to block their path.
“No.”
“What!?” Glenn angrily drew his weapon. “Fine! Then get outta my way!”
“I’ll go. It’ll be faster.”
“No, it’s too risky!” he protested. “There’s no telling how bad it’s gonna get!”
“Exactly!” Sephiroth raised his trembling hands before him. “And I’m—” The ground rumbled again. “We don’t have time for this. Look, he won’t listen to you, so let me try talking to him instead. I’m around his age. He might be willing to listen to me.”
“He has a point,” Lucia admitted.
“I agree,” Matt nodded. “Glenn?”
“Fine.” Glenn reluctantly held out his fist for a fist bump, and Sephiroth nodded and returned the gesture. The leader turned and leapt over the jagged cliffs.
“But we’re coming too!” Glenn insisted. He lead the team down the lower path, which was swarming with baloirs.
“Just leave us alone!” Lucia shouted as a group of them stomped into their path.
“Maybe it’s the mako. Like it’s reacting to foreign matter—trying to purge it,” Matt theorized.
The ground trembled. “Get back!” Glenn shouted, and Matt and Lucia leapt back as the ground sank into the ocean, dragging the baloirs down with it.
“Lucky break,” Matt panted. “Though I don’t feel very lucky being here in the first place.”
“That could’ve been us,” Lucia whispered.
“But it wasn’t. And that’s all that matters!” Glenn rushed ahead. “Come on! We gotta catch up to Sephiroth and Rosen!”
Lucia peered worriedly at a massive plume of mako erupting from a nearby crevasse. “So this is a mana torrent… It’s like the planet’s… angry.”
“And it’s our fault,” Glenn muttered. “Man, we really kicked the hornet’s nest this time.”
“The end of the world described in some myths would probably look a lot like this.” Matt scowled. “But this is just business as usual for Shinra, isn’t it? What they do and what they’ll keep doing.”
“Yeah, that’s true. But it doesn’t change the fact that we helped them do it.”
“Does that mean we’re gonna be responsible for more of this?” Lucia slowed to a stop, mesmerized and horrified by the rushing torrent.
“So long as we work for them,” Matt stopped beside Lucia.
Glenn reluctantly stopped running as well, joining his squadmates beside the torrent. “I joined Shinra because my grandma wanted me to be a good person and do good things. Man, if she could see me now…” Glenn shook his head angrily. “Ugh, to hell with it! No more excuses. From now on, I’m gonna decide what I do and take responsibility for my own actions!”
Lucia stood stoically beside Glenn. “Sounds good to me.”
“You sure? Things might get messy.”
“Like they aren’t already. Besides,” Matt grinned, “I knew what I was getting into with you.”
A mournful howl echoed from the path ahead.
“Is that Refu?” Lucia ran ahead. Refu stood alone, his fur rippling in the wind. “Refu! Where’s Rosen?” Refu ran up the path, then turned back to face her, barking wildly. “I think he wants us to follow him.”
“Rosen might be in trouble,” Matt agreed.
“Then haul ass!”
Rosen ran up the hill as fast as his legs would carry him. To his chagrin, a trio of baloirs surrounded the base of the chimney, slamming angrily into the bricks.
“You don’t scare me!” he screamed. “I am the proud Eye of Rhadore!”
One baloir growled, then leapt at Rosen. He braced himself for the end.
A blade flashed before Rosen’s eyes, and the baloir collapsed, sliced open by a blade. The young silver-haired boy accompanying Glenn stood between Rosen and the monsters, blade held aloft.
“You were with Glenn…”
“I’m Sephiroth.” Sephiroth turned and lowered his blade.
“You need to leave! It’s dangerous!” Rosen shoved past Sephiroth, racing for the chimney. He began frantically gathering the chunks of wood scattered by the baloirs.
“Smoke signals are meaningless if there’s no one alive to see them,” Sephiroth spoke from behind Rosen. “You must know that, right?”
Rosen paused. “I do.” He slowly rose to his feet, peering inside the chimney at the flickering flames within. “I know that, but…”
“What do you want to do?”
“I… I want…”
“We got this, Refu!” Glenn reached the top of the hill, giving Refu a grateful pat on the head. He peered down towards Rosen’s cabin, where he could see two figures at the base of the chimney. “Phew, they’re okay.” He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Be there in a sec!” A massive earthquake nearly toppled him over. “Sephiroth! Rosen! Hurry!”
“It’s no use!” Matt shouted over the howling wind. “They can’t hear you!”
“We gotta go get them!” Lucia started forward, but a massive red baloir blocked her path.
As Lucia fired on the baloir, a glint caught Glenn’s eye. He looked over to see Sephiroth facing Rosen, his sword drawn. “Sephiroth! What the hell!? What are you doing!?” He ran forward, desperate to reach his team leader. “Sephiroth, don’t do this…!”
But it was too late. Glenn watched in horror as Sephiroth swung his blade, and Rosen’s body slumped to the ground.
“Nooo!!!”
Glenn dropped to his knees, despair taking hold. The ground shook, splitting the earth between him and Sephiroth. The baloir cried out as it plummeted into the mako. In its place, two large, sinewy hands clutched the edge of the crevasse, pulling a massive bulbous form from the depths.
“What the—?” Lucia whirled around to aim her weapon at the beast.
“It must be a product of the island’s raging mako…” Matt equipped his sword with materia. “Or is it the will of the planet…?”
“Who cares!?” Glenn’s despair fueled his rage. “As long as it stays the hell out of our way!”
The creature was incredibly powerful, and its connection to the planet was abundantly clear as it summoned beams of devastating dark energy upon the trio. Its lithe hands guarded its bulging form, so Glenn and Matt focused their energy on slicing off its limbs while Lucia chipped away at what appeared to be its eye.
As soon as Glenn managed to hack off its left hand, the creature glowed bright green, tendrils of mana looping around the severed hand and regenerating it. Glenn gave up on the hand and instead focused on the creature’s gaping maw. With a primal scream, he leapt at the creature, splitting it in two with one final blow.
His heart pounding with rage, he leapt across the chasm, rushing angrily at Sephiroth.
He seized the boy by the shoulders, shaking him violently. “Goddammit! You weren’t gonna try to talk to him at all, were you!? Huh!?” Sephiroth didn’t respond, limply dropping his sword as Glenn shook him.
A burst of mana catapulted something small and shiny into the air, and it dropped to the ground nearby. Sephiroth stiffened slightly, his eyes wide as he recognized the object.
“Hey, that’s Sephiroth’s necklace,” Lucia murmured.
“Must’ve drifted here in the mako,” Matt surmised.
Sephiroth shook free of Glenn’s grip, walking over to retrieve his necklace. Glenn dug his fingers into Sephiroth’s shoulder, and when Sephiroth tried to pull free again, Glenn threw the boy to the ground. He glared down at Sephiroth, then turned, fuming, to the necklace. Blind with rage, he kicked it with all his might.
The necklace soared through the air before dropping into the chasm, bouncing off the rock walls as it fell into the mako below.
Sephiroth sniffled behind Glenn, the sound deflating Glenn’s fury. He’s just a kid, Glenn reminded himself. He ran a hand through his hair. A kid who just murdered the last Rhadoran.
“What the hell!”
Matt sighed as he gazed over at his friends. Glenn sat, white-knuckled, with his feet dangling out of the side of the chopper, while Lucia contacted the chief engineer over her comm.
“The main island and surrounding isles will soon be underwater,” the engineer explained. “The bedrock was weak and the explosions led to unanticipated instability. Rhadore has been deemed unsuitable for mako extraction. Head office has already been informed of this development… As well as your insubordination in the field.”
Lucia forlornly hung up. A pathetic whine caught Matt’s attention. He looked up to see Sephiroth carrying a squirming Refu in his arms.
“You’re late,” Matt scolded.
Sephiroth couldn’t meet his gaze.
“Come on, get in,” Glenn snapped.
Sephiroth hopped into the chopper, releasing the dog as soon as Glenn pulled the door shut. Refu immediately leapt for the door, growling as he scratched at its surface. When it didn’t open, he began to howl, and didn’t stop howling as the helicopter ascended.
Matt peered out the window, watching as the island of Sijad succumbed to the mako torrent, collapsing into the sea.
Chapter 10: The Hero Sephiroth
Summary:
Ten years later, Sephiroth and Glenn reunite. Glenn warns him of an attack on Fort Tamblin, and Sephiroth reminisces on what makes a hero.
Chapter Text
The forests of Wutai burned, the glow of the flames fighting for their existence against the torrential downpour. A blast of energy forced a sphere of raindrops to a standstill, and they floated, frozen in midair as if suspended in time before falling back to the earth, dripping on the long, deadly blade of a katana. The last of the Behemoths fell, the glittering mako seeping from the dissolving corpse swirling and mixing with the plumes of smoke rising from the burning rubble.
In the center of the carnage stood a man, his silver hair plastered to his face by the rain as he held a phone to his ear.
“Please… Pick up,” Sephiroth muttered. He pulled his phone from his face.
The data connection had full bars. His battery was at 99%. And the screen showed a green “Calling” icon beneath the name “Genesis Rhapsodos.” His phone was working. Genesis simply wasn’t answering. Sephiroth reluctantly ended the call and flipped his phone shut.
A dog barked in the distance, snapping Sephiroth to attention. The bushes rustled behind him as something rushed rapidly through the underbrush.
“Wide open!”
Sephiroth effortlessly stopped the hefty blade with his sword, Masamune. A hood obscured his attacker’s face, but Sephiroth spotted a cheeky, almost familiar grin. Sephiroth heaved, sparks glinting off his blade as he thrust the man away.
He seemed undeterred by Sephiroth’s strength, slamming his weapon casually into the mud. “Yo,” he called out. “Long time no see. Been busy, huh?” He shouldered his weapon, then brought his fingers against his cheek, mimicking a phone call. “Looking for a friend?”
Sephiroth’s eyes widened in surprise. “How do you know that?”
“Cause I’m a hero,” the hooded man responded.
“Well, then,” Sephiroth muttered, gathering a plume of Fire magic in his hand, “that makes you an enemy.”
“Whoa! You’re asking for it!”
But as Sephiroth was about to unleash his attack, a gray-and-white dog barged into his path. Sephiroth leapt back, aiming Masamune at the creature.
“Is that your dog?” he smirked. “Not trained very well, is—” Wait. Is that…?
The man stepped closer, and Sephiroth recognized the face beneath the hood.
“That’s Refu,” Glenn nodded to the dog.
“I didn’t know he had a name.”
“Of course he has a name.”
Sephiroth tore his gaze from the dog and instead faced Glenn. “How are Lucia and Matt?”
“They’re good.” Glenn’s smile disappeared as he strode closer to Sephiroth. “We don’t have much time, so listen. There’s an air raid planned to take out the SOLDIERs that defected. Guessing you weren’t informed, but Heidegger received the order direct from the president himself.”
Sephiroth crossed his arms, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. “How do you know this?”
“I have friends in high places.” Glenn turned and pointed towards the fort. “The base is gonna take a beating, but the south side of Fort Tamblin should be relatively safe. Spread the word.”
“Why me?”
“Because I can’t.” Refu prodded Glenn with his nose, and Glenn bent down and pet the dog. “I’m counting on you, alright?” He turned to leave, but stopped, staring at the ground for a long moment before turning to Sephiroth.
“I’m sorry about your necklace.”
Sephiroth rushed towards the fort, his eyes peeled for any sign of Shinra troops.
“There you are.”
Sephiroth whirled around, but instead of Shinra troops, he found himself facing a small group of Wutaian warriors. “Been tracking me, huh.”
“You… you came into our home and…” one Wutaian fighter stammered.
Sephiroth shook his head, aiming Masamune at the warriors. “Stand down.”
“No! I will avenge the deaths of my fallen brothers!”
Sephiroth sighed, then took an offensive stance. “So be it.”
Hate breeds hate. Sephiroth cut down the last of the Wutaian foes. It’s a cycle that can’t be broken…
He tilted his head to the sky. “...But it can.” He placed a hand against his heart. “Right, Glenn?”
“You don’t have anything to prove. We all know how strong you are. So maybe you can show some compassion. I know you’ve got it in you.”
“All it takes is a little compassion.”
It feels like so long ago… I’m surprised he even remembered the necklace, Sephiroth chuckled. As much as I’m surprised that I’m following his lead.
Sephiroth spotted a Shinra truck, with a handful of troopers lounging beside it. He rushed up to the men.
“When we’re done here, I plan on proposing to my girl back home!” The man balked at the sight of Sephiroth. “Hey,” he stammered as he and his fellow trooper snapped into a salute.
“There’s going to be an attack on the base. Everyone needs to evacuate to the south.”
The men exchanged a nervous glance before popping into another salute. “I’m sorry, sir, but only our commanding officer has the authority to issue and evacuation order.”
“You’ll die if you stay here.”
The trooper gulped, saluting yet again. “We’ll talk to the captain.”
As the troopers ran off, Sephiroth folded his arms. The bureaucracy of the Shinra army never failed to infuriate him.
“There’s been a landside down south!” The trooper’s shout broke Sephiroth out of his musings. “The path is completely blocked!” A trooper ran up to Sephiroth. “I took a unit to go clear it, but there were monsters everywhere!” He clasped his hands, pleading. “We’ve taken heavy casualties! We need your help out there! Please!”
“Lead the way.”
If there’s anyone I can save, I will.
“It’s gonna be okay, guys! SOLDIER’s here!”
“Hey, it’s the hero!”
“Show us what you got!”
Sephiroth drew his sword, eliminating the monsters in a single, powerful slash. More monsters took their place, and Sephiroth cut them down as well.
“How many more are there!? Can he handle them all?”
Sephiroth took down another wave of monsters. Then another… and another… At this point, the Shinra troopers had stopped fighting, simply watching in awe as Sephiroth took out wave after wave of monsters.
By the end of it, Sephiroth was exhausted. He dropped to one knee, panting heavily.
“Are you alright!?”
The single voice of concern was quickly drowned out by heaps of praise.
“You really did it!”
“That was impressive work!”
The ground shook as something stomped through the forest ahead. Sephiroth glanced up to see a Behemoth lurking overhead, ready to pounce. It tilted its head back and roared, then leapt into the clearing before Sephiroth and the troopers.
“What the—!?”
“Oh, no…”
“They just keep coming!”
Stay strong. You can save everyone. Sephiroth took a deep breath, fighting against the burning exhaustion in his limbs as he rose to his feet, once again drawing his sword.
“I’ll fight with you!”
“Me too!”
“Yeah, me too!”
“Ditto!”
“Let’s do this!”
Sephiroth was grateful for the support. His exhaustion left him disoriented, his attacks not hitting nearly as hard as they normally would have. He had to be more cautious, as he nearly fell to the behemoth’s more powerful attacks. But even at his weakest, a burning feeling inside kept him on his feet—an overwhelming urge to keep fighting, to not give up on those he was protecting.
You can become a real hero.
Sephiroth struck the killing blow, and the behemoth collapsed, dissolving into the Lifestream. His heart pounding, Sephiroth turned to face his fellow soldiers—
A rapid series of bright flashes nearly blinded him.
“You really are our hero,” a press officer beamed, before raising the camera to his face and snapping another barrage of photographs. “I gotta tell everyone about this.”
Sephiroth sighed, the surge of hope deflating like a pierced balloon. He spotted Glenn and Refu, smiling down at him from a nearby clifftop.
But the crowds—the cheering—the thunderous applause—Sephiroth clutched his head, his vision blurring from a mixture of exhaustion and overwhelm…
“What do you want to do?”
“I… I want…” Rosen turned away from Sephiroth, staring into the flames. “If I’m really the only one left, I want you to kill me so I can be with the others.”
“Come with us,” Sephiroth pleaded.
Rosen shook his head. “There’s no place for me in your world.”
“Then we’ll find one, like I did.” Sephiroth’s voice cracked. “I’ll help you.”
“I… don’t have it in me.”
“Rosen, please,” Sephiroth pleaded. “If not for you, then for them. They’re too kind for their own good. It’s going to get them killed one day.”
Rosen turned slowly, steely determination in his eyes. “Just do it. Otherwise, everyone’s going to die.” He narrowed his eyes. “And I’m not the one you want to save, am I?”
Sephiroth didn’t know how to respond.
“Whose lives are important to you? You have to choose.”
Sephiroth took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and reached for his katana. Fighting to keep his breathing steady, he drew his sword, aiming it at Rosen’s neck.
“What are you doing!? Sephiroth, don’t do this…!”
Sephiroth took one last deep breath, steeled his gaze, and struck.
At the Edge of Creation, Sephiroth lifted his eyes to the sky, beholding the endless majesty of the Lifestream before him. Within was a world of endless possibilities.
A world he would one day make whole.
Chapter 11: Interim
Summary:
Events that occur between Episode I and Episode II: Sephiroth arriving home from his mission, the introduction of Ultimate Weapons, and Angeal's briefing on his next mission.
Chapter Text
“Congratulations on your mission, Sephiroth.”
Sephiroth bit his tongue to stop himself from scoffing at the 2nd Class SOLDIER saluting him. His stomach turned at the thought of having to report how the mission had truly gone.
“Please report to the president’s office at once,” the SOLDIER directed. “You’re to receive a commendation and a promotion for your performance.”
“But why?” Sephiroth furrowed his brow in confusion. “The island sank, and the candidate site was lost. The mission was a failure.”
“I’m not privy to the details,” the SOLDIER admitted, “but the president has determined that the mission was a success thanks to your efforts.”
Sephiroth hung his head. His quip about Shinra not holding him responsible for disobeying orders was meant to be hyperbole—he didn’t expect Shinra to brush it under the rug this brazenly.
“Your three subordinates will stand by at the barracks. Further orders concerning them will follow.”
“That’s the way it goes,” Glenn muttered.
“It would’ve ended much worse without them,” Sephiroth protested. “I shouldn’t be the only one commended.”
“Well…” The SOLDIER scratched his head nervously.
“Just go, Sephiroth.”
“Don’t make it hard on him,” Matt scolded gently.
“But you deserve something, too…” As the words left his mouth, Sephiroth realized just how childish it sounded.
“Don’t sweat it,” Glenn laughed. He patted Sephiroth on the shoulder. “We’ll be getting things ready for the party! We’re gonna drink deep to your promotion!”
Before Team Glenn could celebrate Sephiroth’s promotion, the president informed the SOLDIER of the completion of a secret new project. Sephiroth summoned his team to the briefing room to inform them of the news.
“To think even Glenn made it,” Sephiroth quipped. “And on time, no less. Let’s hope we won’t see a rain of chocobos later.”
“I mean, come on, why wouldn’t I be here!?” Glenn pumped his fists. “But enough about me—let’s see the goods! These top secret weapons that’ve been juiced up with mako!”
“I presume we’ll be asked to test their functionality in the field?” Matt asked.
“I don’t know,” Lucia shrugged, “seems more like Sephiroth’s job, wouldn’t you say?”
“Regardless, I was hoping for any opportunity to work with you all again.” Sephiroth smiled at his comrades. “However, be advised that these weapons have been designated with the highest security classification. I must ask that you not speak of what you see here to anyone. Understood?”
Glenn waved his arms impatiently. “Yeah, yeah! You know we’re good for all that, so show us what you got!”
“The product of Advanced Weaponry and the Science Department’s joint project,” Sephiroth held out his hand and summoned a glowing katana, “I give you our new mako-infused ultimate weapons.”
Lucia gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth, while Matt’s eyebrows shot up his forehead at the sight of the weapon. “Whoa!” Glenn’s wide eyes sparkled with glee. “Check out the shine on that baby! It’s hypnotic.”
“That effect is due to mako?” Lucia tilted her head, peering closer at the weapon’s glow.
“No doubt that striking luminescence inspired the researchers to deem them ‘ultimate’,” Matt nodded.
“Yes,” Sephiroth nodded. “It sets these weapons apart from our current arsenal and signifies their enhanced properties. I’m also told that if you’re armed with an ultimate weapon, you’ll be able to execute unique abilities.”
“I can’t wait to see what those are!” Glenn exclaimed eagerly.
Sephiroth dismissed the sword and turned to the others. “Go on, everyone—take a weapon for yourself.” He watched as the others summoned weapons of their own.
“My very own ultimate weapon…” Matt turned the blade over in his hand. “I’ll need to first take some time to study its specifications.”
“Suit yourself, but I want to test this baby out right now!” Lucia clutched the glowing rifle eagerly. “Can’t wait to fire off some rounds.”
“There’s no need to rush,” Sephiroth laughed.
The four SOLDIERs gleefully wielded their Ultimate Weapons as they strolled to Glenn’s quarters. He held the door open graciously, inviting his guests inside. He had set up a makeshift table with several storage crates, and a large, steaming hot pizza rested atop its surface. Glenn had poured three steins of beer for the adult SOLDIERs, along with a piping mug of tea for Sephiroth.
“Thanks for coming!” Glenn hurried into his quarters and raised his stein of beer with such force the foam at the top spilled over the side. “Let’s raise a glass to our fearless leader’s promotion!”
“Cheers!” Matt and Lucia shouted enthusiastically, raising their steins in kind.
Sephiroth blushed, burying his face in his cup of tea. “Stop it. I don’t feel like there’s anything to celebrate.”
“Are you still going on about that?” Lucia laughed. “Now that you’ve been promoted, you’re on an even longer leash. Don’t let the pressure get to you.”
“You have your pick of missions and teams now,” Matt added. “Just do whatever floats your boat.”
“That just sounds like a pain,” Sephiroth muttered.
Glenn winked. “If you see anything easy and lucrative, give us a call!”
“That would be a waste,” Sephiroth shook his head. “I’ll call you when I need you—for the tough missions.”
Glenn slumped forward, groaning exasperatedly. Matt and Lucia burst out laughing. Sephiroth’s heart lifted slightly at the sight, his lips curling into a reluctant smile.
“You know,” Matt wiped a tear from his eye as he recovered from his bout of laughter at Glenn’s expense, “there’s actually a place I’ve been wanting to visit.” He pulled a folded, glossy postcard from his pocket. “If you’re already thinking about our next mission, why don’t we investigate this place?”
The postcard showed an aged wooden bridge, lit by flickering torchlight and adorned with rows of tiny bells. It overlooked a colorful meadow, leaves and petals swirling in the wind, catching the rays of the setting sun. Two Wutai pagodas stretched into the sky at the horizon.
“Now, this place has an aura,” Lucia sighed as she peered at the image over Matt’s shoulder.
“Is some kind of amazing treasure hidden here?” Glenn rubbed his hands together eagerly.
“It looks like something you’d see in Wutai,” Sephiroth noted. “But different…” A strange sense of familiarity tugged at Sephiroth’s mind. “It might be worth looking into. Where is this place?”
“I knew you’d like it,” Matt smiled. “Here is-”
The door to the room slid open, interrupting Matt. A captain strode inside, followed by a trooper carrying an intimidatingly large rifle. Refu growled and started barking incessantly at the captain.
The captain ignored Refu and turned to the SOLDIERs. “Glenn Lodbrok. Matt Winsord. Lucia Lin. You’re all here,” he nodded resolutely, “good. Come with me.”
“You think you can just barge into someone’s room like that?” Glenn protested.
“You are all to face judgement by tribunal. Until we decide what to do with you, you’ll be detained.”
Glenn sighed. “You guys work faster than I thought.” He cast a forlorn gaze at the remaining pizza. “Guess our little party is over.”
“Is this about what happened at Rhadore?” Sephiroth stepped forward. “If so, I’m also res-”
“You don’t have anything to worry about,” the captain interrupted. “We have a testimony from the chief engineer.”
“Then he lied!”
Glenn held up a hand and shook his head. “Sorry we couldn’t celebrate in style, Sephiroth.”
“We’ll be back in no time,” Lucia reassured him.
“Yeah,” Matt agreed. “Don’t worry about us.”
“Take care of Refu for me, will you?” With one last confident wave, Glenn turned and followed the captain out of the room, Matt close behind. Lucia patted Refu’s head, and the dog let out a mournful whine. Lucia spared one last glance at Sephiroth before following her comrades out of the room.
As soon as the door slid shut, Refu leapt at the metal surface, barking and pawing at it. The dog turned back to Sephiroth, as if hoping the SOLDIER would let him out—then Refu tilted his head, his ears drooping. He dropped back to all fours and plodded over to Sephiroth, nuzzling his hand with his nose.
Sephiroth gently patted Refu’s head, fighting back tears. “I’ll see you soon.”
“And that concludes the briefing for your mission to the Igara Forbidden Zone. Any questions?”
“Tell me about Sephiroth.” Angeal Hewley put his hands on his hips. “We’re supposed to be partners on this mission, right? Why didn’t he come to the briefing?”
“Well,” the 2nd Class SOLDIER sighed, folding his arms, “that’s because he’s Sephiroth.”
That didn’t explain much. “Can you tell me anything about him?”
“I don’t know any more than you do,” the SOLDIER shrugged, “he’s some kind of hero, and a SOLDIER unlike any other. It doesn’t matter how dangerous the mission is, he gets it done.”
“Sounds like a good partner to have,” Angeal smiled.
Chapter 12: The First Whispers of Igara
Summary:
Angeal Hewley and Sephiroth are cocooned by dreams of family—Angeal, the family he left behind, Sephiroth, the family he always longed for.
Chapter Text
“Time to get moving, Angeal.”
Who…? Dad…?
“Better not keep your mom waiting.”
Right… Today’s her birthday. Angeal opened his eyes, blinking in the bright sun of his hometown, Banora. He leaned back in his chair and grinned at his father, who was balancing several tray of food on his arms. “Just calm down, Dad. You’re gonna spill the food.”
“You made more?” Gillian laughed heartily at the sight of her husband carrying trays filled with crackers, cheeses, fruits, and dips. “I don’t know if we can eat it all…”
“We can try.” Angeal’s father set his tray of food on the table. “Come on, it’s your special day.”
“All made with love and gratitude, from Dad and I.”
“Well, I’ll do my best. Thank you.”
Angeal allowed his mother to eat first, then ate his fill of hearty snacks. He barely registered the taste, but he knew that it was the best thing he’d ever eaten. Perhaps it was simply the joy of spending the time with his family beneath the summer sun that made the taste so divine.
“It’s so good.” Angeal’s mother patted her belly in satisfaction.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Angeal smiled. “Especially since I learned all this from you. I want to show off more of the repertoire you taught me, though… So I’ll cover the cooking for the next few days.”
“I don’t deserve all this,” Gillian laughed awkwardly. “It makes me feel guilty.”
“You think something bad is bound to happen to balance the scales after this wonderful day?” Angeal’s father smirked and shook his head.
“A little,” Gillian admitted. “But you two will be fine. You both do so much to help out others, after all.”
“I don’t do anything out of the ordinary,” Angeal’s father laughed. “Especially not compared to Angeal.”
“I’m just helping out where I can,” Angeal shrugged. “We’re still finding ways to process apples into products we can sell, so I’ll donate some money to that next.”
“Even after donating all that agricultural machinery?” Angeal’s father chuckled. “The village loves you enough already. Not as much as we do, though.”
Angeal boldly rose to his feet. “I’m gonna be a SOLDIER starting in spring. I’ll be earning more than I can spend. So if I can use my wages to make our lives better, I will.” He placed a hand to his heart. “After all, I owe everything I am to my family and my village.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Gillian wrung her hands. “It’s dangerous work, isn’t it? You won’t reconsider?”
“I just want things to be easier for you. After all the hardships you’ve been through, you deserve to finally relax.” Angeal smiled warmly. “Nothing would make me happier. If joining SOLDIER will let me fight for the greater good in the meantime, I can’t think of a job I’d rather have.”
Gillian took a deep breath. “If you’ve decided, then I’ll do everything I can to support you.”
“Then let’s raise a glass.” Angeal’s father lifted his mug cheerfully. “To my lovely wife and my extraordinary son!”
I’ve wanted to help my parents for so long, but I always felt powerless to do anything meaningful. But becoming a SOLDIER will change all that! I’ll give my family the lives they deserve!
The townspeople cheered the day Angeal left to join SOLDIER, urging him to make his parents proud, to not let them down. They called him the “pride of Banora” and offered to send apples as long as he promised to come back and visit. Angeal was touched by how much his community was rooting for him.
“That’s our SOLDIER! Go get ‘em!”
“You’ll do great! Knock their socks off!”
“We won’t forget you!”
Gillian adjusted the hem of Angeal’s shirt, patting it down tenderly. “Did you say goodbye to everyone?”
“Yeah. They’ve all been so supportive.” Angeal smiled. “And they all said they’d take care of you and Dad.” With Angeal’s help, the harvest the previous year had been plentiful; several farmers promised to send some of their crops to his parents every week.
“That’s so good to hear.”
“I can’t believe the whole village came out to see you off,” Angeal’s father laughed. “Just goes to show how much they appreciate everything you do.”
“I only do what I do because I’ve had great examples to follow.”
“You both raised such an amazing son!” One of their neighbors shouted. “Forget Sephiroth—Angeal will always be our number one SOLDIER!”
“I’m speechless,” Angeal grinned. “I promise I won’t let you down.”
“Here, I made you this.” Gillian handed Angeal a gift. “A SOLDIER needs a uniform that makes them look sharp, right?”
“You made this!?” Angeal tore open the box, holding the gift up to admire his mother’s work. “So this is why you’ve been staying up late every night.”
“I wanted to get every detail right. I ordered the best materials straight from Midgar.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll wear it proudly. Even though I’m afraid of getting it dirty…”
“Don’t you worry about that,” Angeal’s mom laughed. “I’ll just make you another.”
Angeal’s father stepped forward, holding out a massive gift. “This is from me. Be a warrior that others look up to.”
It was a sword—a gorgeous, polished steel blade that was as wide as Angeal and nearly as tall. “Really…?” Angeal grasped the handle as if it was made of glass.
“Embrace your dreams, son. And hold on to your hope.”
Angeal held the Buster Sword in front of his face and closed his eyes. “I swear on this sword I will.”
The crowd cheered. “We have to take a picture to remember this by!” one townsperson shouted.
“That’s a great idea.” Angeal’s parents stood on either side of their son, their hands on his shoulders as the villager took their picture.
“Put it somewhere you’ll always be able to see it,” Gillain told Angeal. “That way it’ll be like we’re always with you.”
“...roth.”
“...phiroth.”
Hmm?
“...phiroth, Sephi…”
Who…?
“Sephiroth.”
Mother…?
“Welcome back, Sephiroth. How did your mission go?”
Sephiroth looked up to see a familiar face smiling down at him. “Mother…? What are you doing here?”
“Don’t be silly. Why wouldn’t I be here?”
“No, it can’t be…” Sephiroth bit back tears as he rose to his feet. “I’ve been looking for you for so long.”
Sephiroth’s mother brushed a strand of brown hair out of her face. “I’m sure you’re just tired from working so hard. You must be hungry—I made your favorite.” She left the room and returned with a bowl. She handed it to Sephiroth.
“Pumpkin soup… I’ve… I’ve been dreaming about eating this again.”
“What’s gotten into you? I make you pumpkin soup every day,” Sephiroth’s mother giggled, “or do you just like it that much?”
“If only that were true… I’d be so happy.”
Sephiroth’s mother peered at Sephiroth, her brown eyes sparkling. “But it is true. I’m here now, just like I always have been. And always will be.”
“...Yes.” Though Sephiroth’s mind protested, his heart accepted his mother’s words. “Yes, of course. You’re here…” He placed the pumpkin soup on the table, setting aside his doubts as he did so. He turned back to his mother and bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Mother. I was just confused.”
“It’s okay, Sephiroth. But you have to promise you won’t forget how happy it makes me to cook for you.” She stretched out her hand. “I made something else for you, too. It’s a good luck braid—I hope it makes your work just a little bit easier.”
“It’s beautiful…” Sephiroth couldn’t see the braid, but he knew his words to be true. The gift his mother had made him was beautiful.
“Put it on your sword—that way I’ll always be with you. Even when I’m not there.”
“That sounds nice…” Sephiroth held the braid against his heart. “I’ll do that.”
“You’ve always been my sweet little boy. Come let me have a look at you.” She stepped forward and pulled Sephiroth into a tight hug.
“Mother…” Sephiroth returned the hug, squeezing his eyes shut, focusing on the warmth of her embrace. “Thank you… this is all so…”
So much like a dream…
Phoenixcatch7 on Chapter 1 Fri 01 Nov 2024 11:17PM UTC
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EllaEpoche on Chapter 1 Fri 08 Nov 2024 01:16AM UTC
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