Forum Thread

Forgotten capital scene 2

The group halted, just inside the hallway.
“Aeris” Tifa mumbled as she saw the flower girl kneeling in prayer on a raised dais.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I remember how the hair on my neck rose, how I knew there was something wrong here but it all looked so peaceful, so tranquil.

“Something’s wrong” I mumbled but it was as if no-one heard.

Cloud went forward jumping the steps to reach her, then it all started happening.

Cloud trying to kill her, Tifa stopping her.
And then the shadow that came from above.

I vaguely remember jumping off the stairs and onto one of the steps and then jumping forward my movements no longer controlled with an iron will to hide my gender, but every muscle moving, straining.

Then the impact, the “oof!” Aeris let out as I pushed her out of the way, simultaneously twisting and bringing my Chakram out arming myself against the unknown blur.

The soft chinging as the materia fell out of her hair and into the water below.

The pain as Enumasam entered just above my breasts and exited in the small of my back.

The shocked yells of the group as I was literally staked upon the 10 foot sword.

The flicker of his familiar green and then the way how it disappeared again to go back to the stony black of the Jenova-cells. “Ling!” Yuffie cried as they sped forward intent on helping me.

Then Jenova, I refuse to call this abomity Sephiroth, leered at me and muttered “what a waste of Varuna genes. hmmph” before he disappeared and Jenova-birth appeared.

Enumasam still held me locked in that position it’s blade firmly lodged in the ground the hilt only inches away from me.

The way Aeris was pulling with all her might on the sword in a vain attempt to get it out.

That is my current predicament how did it come to this? Staked on my own sword.


“Aeris, leave it… you’re not strong enough, go… help Cloud.” Ling gasped out while blood trailed down her chin.

“no! I won’t!” she almost shouted before continuing.
Then Barret and Vincent appeared at her sides and lent their strength into pulling it out.

It worked with a nasty resounding creak it lifted free of the marble floor, then while Vincent grasped her around the shoulders, Barret pulled it out.

Ling couldn’t stifle the scream that tore free from her throat and then blood poured out from her mouth.

Vincent quickly turned her on her side to allow the blood to leak out from her mouth.

Barret grunted in approval when the silvery white glow could be seen just inside the wound in her back.

The nerves and organs would soon be healed leaving only the flesh wound to deal with.

Not even a minute later Ling sat up straight and grabbed Enumasam from where Barret had dropped it.

“You’ve got to admit he has a sense of humour, killing with the sword of heaven.” Ling said dryly before hacking Jenova birth’s arm off as it went to impale Aeris.

“Ling you all right?” Cloud yelled.

“I’ll live as usual!” she retorted before getting fed up with the fight.

“world’s catastrophe!” she yelled before unleashing the powerful limit. She floated up into the air before two wings sprouted from her back, then two balls crackling with energy appeared by her hands. Enumasam went back into it’s sheath strapped upon her back.

“say bye bye” Ling cheerfully said before releasing them at Jenova Birth.

On impact Jenova exploded, the resulting shockwave throwing Ling against one of the pillars, and tossing Avalanche on their backs.
When the shockwave relented the group stood up only to watch as Ling forcefully pushed herself from the pillar, her form being indented into it. She placed her hand on the edge of the hole and pulled her torso out before she pulled her legs free and fell down onto the platform on her hands and knees, shaking and sweating from the limit and the exertion.

“I am going to take a nap, a long one.” She mumbled before falling unconscious.

When she woke up again, she was alone inside one of the houses and her hair was a mess. She looked around for her pack and spotting it at the foot of her bed grabbed it before rummaging for her brush, when she found she pulled out her hair tie that kept her braid pulled up, then she pulled the one at the bottom off , before unravelling it. As she started brushing it she started to hum softly to herself.
Abruptly she stopped when she could hear voices below her window.

“I don’t know, the way he moved when he sprung forward, I don’t know it was just too….” Cid trailed off.

“I know, he seemed to glow silver too as he did so it was as if his muscles were springs that had been too tightly coiled, he was so fast.” Tifa added her two cents.

“I think it was cool!” Yuffie piped up.

“and I wouldn’t describe the glow as silver, it was more the colour of Ice.” Vincent spoke up, startling the group. Ling had to stifle a laugh, he always did that.

“still…” Cid said obviously something was nagging him.

Nanaki and Cloud wisely kept silent and Barret was just grumbling at that he didn’t get what they were arguing about.

And Aeris, well she was silently laughing to herself.

Ling silently crept down the stairs before slipping out the door and behind Vincent.

“What are they arguing about?” she whispered to him.

“Well Cid what are you trying to imply anyways?” Vincent remarked.

“Don’t tell me you $%#’s dun see how much Ling moves like Tifa during her limits!” he spat out.

Ling quietly slipped back to the doorway where she leaned against the post.

“So you’re saying either Tifa’s a guy or Ling’s a girl?” Vincent questioned with a mischievous smile on his face, one that was hidden by his collar.

“you #$%#$%# I am!” Cid replied angrily.

“Thank you so much for the vote of confidence in my gender Highwind.” Ling said from where she stood, instantly the entire group looked at her.

She stood with her back against the post her right leg raised so that her foot also rested against the post, her arms crossed in front of her chest and her head bowed with her eyes closed, her hair still billowing all around her, loose from it’s normal braid and bun.

“Oh and please remember that we have a minor with us, no need for that excessive cursing.”

She turned as if to move away.

“I won’t lie to you.” She said before she walked towards the main path.

“well are you?!” Cid yelled after her.

“am I what?” she answered never turning back, she did however stop walking.

“damn, stop your yapping are you or aren’t you a girl?”

“depends on what you qualify as a girl. My age claims I am neither a girl nor a boy. Yet I am also not a woman because a woman is capable of carrying a child, yet I am not a man because a man is capable of impregnating a woman and I can’t. so as you can see the answer that you desire isn’t easily given.” And with that she started walking again.

Cid stood with his mouth agape, his cigarette vacating his lip.

“Cid Highwind, you are by far the most irritating, irresponsible, egoistical JERK I’ve ever had the displeasure of knowing!” Aeris yelled at him before turning tail and going after Ling.

“Now what did I do wrong?” Cid asked no-one in particulair.

“you really are clue-less, aren’t you?” Cloud said before also disappearing.

“You really don’t get it do you?” Yuffie said before sighing.

“Think about it, Ling is Wutaian. Wutaian honour revolves around the fact that you do not allow your bloodline to die out, or to leave your husband without a child. So you just made him admit that he is a social outcast because he can’t impregnate anyone if he was a male and if he was a female that she can’t conceive. You just made him admit the biggest failure there is to a Wutaian. And that hurts a lot especially since it is a great dishonour to lie. So you effectively made him chose between losing his honour and losing his honour, and a Wutaian without honour is forced to do suicide, or in his case die in the service of the one he is bound to.” Yuffie said before walking off with Vincent and Nanaki.

They found Ling crying on Cloud’s shoulder while Aeris rubbed soothing circles on her back, Ling was sitting partly in the lake near the conch house.

Nanaki walked over and sat down on his hunches next to the three some.

“You shouldn’t let it bother you that Cid isn’t a rocket scientist in asking this.”

“That isn’t why she’s crying.” Cloud said softly.

“Then why is she?” Vincent spoke up.

“She got the one missing memory back. The one which explains where her engagement ring is, and why she has Sephiroth’s.” Aeris said equally soft.

Then a soft melody could be heard from inside the conch, luring the rest of Avalanche to the lake.

Ling pushed Aeris to Vincent and stood up, she began to glow with the light from the shiva materia and stepped forward onto the water the water beneath her feet instantly freezing.

She continued on walking slowly, mesmerized.

The music had by this time swelled to a very loud up sweeping rhytm, as if the music alone was beckoning them to fight.

(insert enae volare lyrics)

Ling slowly turned around in a circle as if she was looking at people surrounding her.
It was as if the people they could hear singing were surrounding her, beckoning her to join in the song.

Then one by one the groups summon stones activated and joined in on the song. The only stone that didn’t was the shiva one, that Yuffie held but that was a spawn of the one that was Ling’s heart.

Then the song was over but Ling remained standing there.

She slowly crouched a bit before quickly spinning on her heels bringing a fountain of water to rise around her as she moved her arms in a spin that ended above her head, then she dropped her arms and then there really were people behind her.

“The Cetra of old!” Aeris gasped “she gave them a temporary body!”

Then a sharp burst of red could be seen through Ling’s top and she groaned before falling to one knee. Élan then appeared before her in a swirl of snowflakes.

One of the Cetra walked forward and Helped Ling up.

“you wished to know what happened to him?” he asked while gesturing to the ring safely around her neck.

“do you know?” Ling almost pleaded.

“No but Mother Gaia does and she gave us permission to open a screen then she would show you. Chang Elina, Varuna princess, the last Varuna.” As he spoke the last words Ling’s clothes changed into her wutai style as did her hair.

“But first, show us your worth!” the last part was shouted and Elina summoned her shuriken blades to her hands.

A dragon swooped down from the heavens, revealing itself to be Bahamut.

“You will have to beat me to earn your answer.” It roared before attacking.

“Shouldn’t we help the lass?” Cid asked.

“No, this is her fight.” Cloud said.

“And besides that is the warrior Godo spoke about in Wutai, that’s Lin of the Chang family.” Yuffie excitedly said.

“She is? The one that not only survived the dragon attack 10 years ago, but also destroyed the dragons??” Tifa asked.

“The one and the same,” Cait spoke up, “she told me once that she was scared to death during that fight.”

Then a roar from Bahamut interrupted their conversation, they turned just in time to see Elina flip out of the way of a claw and jump up on it’s neck to plunge her sword into it’s neck and jump off before sliding back on the ice with her arms in front of her face.

She lowered her arms and stood up straight, then Enumasam was slipped back in it’s sheath and she walked calmly back towards the Cetra.

“I won now show me my answers!” she growled annoyance obvious in her stature.

The Cetra simply bowed and opened up a screen.

Sephiroth and the others from their friend group were sitting in his sitting room, twisting their hands nervously waiting for her to wake.

“do you think she’s going to be all right?” Reno asked.

“yeah from what I’ve seen from her training sessions she’s though.” Sephiroth replied.

“but she’s also in deep shit.” Zack said as he walked in. “her father just called asking if his daughter had singed in for the military and/or academy. The clerk said that there were no girls by the last name of Chang but that there was a boy. Now he’s coming here himself to look for his wayward daughter, if he exposes her she’s dead.”

“then let him come, my life is forfeit as it is, be it by one of you, or by Hojo or by my father’s hand, dead I’m still going to be.”

They looked over to see Elina standing in the doorway her entire torso wrapped in bandages.

“I thought I healed your cuts.” Sephiroth said with a frown.

“they came back they always do lately after a heal.” She said with a shrug before limping over.

Rude quickly stood up and offered her his chair.

She gratefully sunk into it.

The scene faded away before changing to another one.

Ling and Sephiroth were sparring while Cloud and Zack stood watching.

“you know, if you keep progressing like this Hojo might still take an interest in you.”

“Let him try, I’ll shove a world’s catastrophe up were the sun don’t shine.”

“feisty aren’t you.”

“and you love me for it!” Ling replied while sticking her tongue out before placing her shuriken blade at his neck.

“Point and match!” she happily declared.

“Welcome to 1st class.” Sephiroth said while straightening.

“Glad to have you with us.” Zack said before stepping forward.

“now we only have to get you upped and we’ll be complete.” Ling said while smiling at Cloud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun peeked through the curtains, and onto the bed and it’s sleeping occupants, Elina firmly wrapped up in Sephiroth’s arms, her lithe form dwarfed by his.

They were sleeping peacefully, smiles on their faces with Seph’s arm tightening around her once in a while as if making sure she was still there.

Then suddenly a spasm ran through her causing Sephiroth to sit up abruptly and watch her with concern. The spasm was followed by another and another until she went into a full blown fit.

“ZACK! Get in here now!” he roared while he pulled her shirt down and secured her arms.

Zack burst into the room and grabbed her ankles making sure she couldn’t hurt herself.

10 minutes later they could let her go and Seph pulled the blanket back up around her before nodding to Zack in thanks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were at the Shinra ball with Sephiroth in his usual black leathers and Elina in a black with blue sheen floorlength ball gown, the top of her dress was a low cut and her shoulders were bare. She wore a silver chain with an S entwined with an E around a chipped of piece of dark blue materia.

She was clinging to his side while he had his arm wrapped around her shoulders pulling her close as Hojo was standing nearby.

The president approached them and looked upon Elina with a small hint of pity he knew only too well how scary Hojo was to the girls and women.

“ah Sephiroth, finally I get to meet this girl of yours.”

“yes sir, this is her.”

“pleased to make your acquaintance Emma.” He said.

“pleased to meet you sir.” Elina mumbled from where she stood hidden.

“oh don’t worry sweet girl, Hojo isn’t staying much longer, he never stays past my speech. Which will be soon, Sephiroth will you and your date do me the honour of opening this ball afterwards?”

“if you so wish sir.” Sephiroth answered.

Shinra nodded before moving off to give his speech. Not long after that Hojo left and the attending could relax.

Sephiroth and Elina stepped out onto the dance floor and started off the waltz.

Shinra was delighted, he always wished the best for his soldiers and Sephiroth had given him some grief, always alone, always cranky, that is until he met this Emma, but then she had gotten beaten up and was almost comatose for two months.
He could still remember how Sephiroth had almost begged him to let him take her with him to his condo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the waltz had ended Sephiroth went down on one knee in front of her and pulled out something from his coat pocket.

The entire assembly held their breath, waiting in anticipation what the great general was going to do.

Elina was a few years older than at the last ball and now wore a pearly white low cut dress and a light blue fur lined cloak to go with her expertly curled hair.

“my dear Emma, would you do me the great honour of becoming my wife?”

Elina gave a squeal and jumped around his neck before choking out around her tears “yes!”

~~~~~~~~

It was now after the ball, Elina still in her pearly white dress, and Zack was together with Cloud smuggling her back to her apartment.

Once they were in the elevator above the third floor they heaved a sigh of relief.

“damn it’s getting harder to dodge the patrols.” Elina sighed.

“that’s because Hojo keeps trying to kill your male persona to study your heart.”

“don’t remind me!” she snapped, then the door to the apartment opened and she was pulled back against a strong muscular chest.

“remind you of what?” Sephiroth asked while nuzzling her neck.

“mmm” she turned around the dress and cape swirling against him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“If you’re trying to make me lovesick with loss.” Ling snarled “don’t bother I miss that Sephiroth enough on my own!”

“patience… will be shown…” an unearthly voice sounded from all around.

Ling ducked her head abashed.

“sorry” she mumbled.

The scenes came faster each and every one showing the love between the two or the friendship between the shinra rebels as they were fondly called by Shinra himself.

Then the scenes started becoming darker, each one showing the fear and terror in the duo’s eyes each time Hojo decided Sephiroth wasn’t strong enough. The fact that he could break a multiple tonne vehicle by simply tapping his finger against it not enough.

Then the last one came:

“love don’t go! We leave for Nibelheim tomorrow, he knows this! It takes longer and longer each time for you to adjust!” Elina pleaded blocking the doorway from a sick looking Sephiroth, his eyes dull, skin grey.

“If I don’t go he’ll come for you, please Kira let me do this.” He pleaded.

She sighed but moved aside knowing full well what he’d do for her.
He kissed her softly before slipping out headed to another appointment of doom.

She only kept herself composed long enough for her to hear the elevator descend before sobbing and falling to her knees.

“I remember that day, he came back later that day even sicker than when he left, but he was different, he wasn’t my Sephiroth, this one was… dangerous, instable…cold he wasn’t mine.” Elina said more to herself than those around her.

Then she felt ghostly arms around her waist a strong chest against her back and the cries of Avalanche, “It wasn’t you was it?” she questioned the spirit behind her knowing full well this was the lifestreams gift to them, a chance to get some answers so they could kill the right party and help the planet in the process.

The being shook his head, silver hair swishing around them.

“No it wasn’t, never would I hurt you so, My beautiful Kira.” His voice echoed around them.

“then who, he was identical.” She questioned before amending, “except the eyes.”

“Hojo succeeded with project eve” was the whispered answered.

“and thusly the clones, but I thought mine died within two days?” she whispered.

“it did, but not before he could extract the needed cells.”

She swore colourfully and made to turn but his arms tightened, “don’t” he whispered.

“where are you?” she asked him.

“a lab somewhere though probably Junon’s I can smell sea or lake when they let me out.”

“so underwater, I’ll find you love.” She said before he started to fade.

“wait!” she cried before turning around and snapping her arms around him, keeping his spirit near, she closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest.

“don’t leave me again.” She pleaded brokenly.

“I must” he whispered before he stepped out of her reach.

“Cloud, Avalanche” he said turning to the watching group “stop Hojo, protect the planet, this abomination that’s running around with my face is nothing more or less than Jenova forced into my shape by Hojo.” Then he turned one last time to Ling and said a simple sentence that meant so much more to the two of them.

“negate subversorem!” (deny the usurper)

Then he faded leaving behind a single red materia.

“concordiam optamus nunc” she finished the quote in her singing voice while holding her hand out for the materia to settle into.

“I will destroy him” was all she said before stepping off the block off ice that had been steadily growing underneath her feet.

“are you coming with me Cloud? I know that wherever Seph is Zack will be.”

“Lets mosey, that black haired demon has some explaining to do.” Cloud said.

“He still didn’t explain what he and Reno were doing in that closet did he?”

Shaking his head Cloud followed her back to the house they’d been using, leaving a bewildered group behind.