Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Jedi Council was having a debate, as the Naboo Crisis was over, but, they lost a Jedi Master, as he died at the hands of a Sith Lord, but some suspected that was the apprentice, which would be true, if not for the said apprentice killing a Jedi Master.

Also, the Jedi Council had another concern, a Force-Sensitive child that Qui-Gon Jinn found on Tatooine. A nine year old boy named Anakin Skywalker, who had a high Midi-Chlorian count, even higher than Grandmaster Yoda's.

Qui-Gon was willing to defy the Council to train the boy, but he died. Now, the fate was being decided. Obi-Wan was out of the question. Thus, someone else had to train Skywalker, or he would be sent back to Tatooine. But, they heard terrible news. Queen Padme Amidala sent her Handmaiden named Sabe, and the woman discovered that Shmi Skywalker was murdered shortly after Anakin and the Jedi left Tatooine. The suspicion was the retaliation from Sebulba, who lost to Anakin in that Pod Race.

Now, they had quite a dilemma on their hands.

"What about Knight Valentine?" Windu asked.

The Council paused. A Jedi in question hailed from the planet called Gaia, and he was discovered as an infant, when a Jedi went there for a meditation break and exploration, only for her to return with a youngling, as Vincent Valentine asked for help in keeping Sephiroth away from people who birthed him.

Sephiroth was revealed to be a Force-Sensitive, and thus, a Jedi that was on Gaia took him to the Temple. Sephiroth grew up to have a long white hair, even as a Padawan. And some of his classmates even whispered that he had one white wing.

The Gaia Jedi was one of the strongest members, and he was looking to pick a Padawan.

Sephiroth did come back to Gaia to face his past, and came out of it as a victor, as he helped defeat Shinra and destroy the darkness that was the result of him having Jenova cells in him. The Jedi Council had to drink two kettles of calming tea, when Sephiroth recounted his origins to them.

It turned out that he was a part of the experiment done by his birth parents, Professor Hojo and Lucrecia Crescent. As a result, Sephiroth wanted nothing to do with them and saw his former Master, the very Jedi Knight that found him and took him as her Padawan as his mother. He did not see Jenova as his mother as well, despite his dark half formerly whispering about it.

As for Sephiroth's former Master? She was shocked and disgusted at Hojo and Lucrecia for having a child that was literally a test subject for the vile gains. She did not blame Sephiroth for rejecting them.

"Assigned to Master Valentine, young Skywalker will be," Yoda said.

"I wonder what has him stay on Gaia," Windu responded.

Sephiroth  returned from his secret visit to his family that he had with Aerith, as he had heard about Naboo Crisis and wondered how the Chancellor would resolve the situation with two Jedi involved.

He had some objections with Jedi Order being involved in politics, as it meant that worlds that were not part of the Republic were ignored. Somehow, Gaia was not ignored, twice. He entered the chamber and was told about the situation and the outcome.

"I do not believe that Knight Kenobi being Anakin Skywalker's Master would be a wise decision in the long run. I respect the tradition, he must let someone else who is experienced to fulfill the promise," Sephiroth spoke.

"And given how you dealt with your dark counterpart, you are capable of training the Chosen One," Windu said.

"I do accept this position of training Skywalker, but..." Sephiroth paused, as he walked to the window and looked at the horizon. "Not on Coruscant, but Gaia," he responded.

"Why your homeworld?" one Jedi inquired.

Sephiroth was silent for a minute or so, as he felt that something was lurking in the shadows of Coruscant. "I sense a Dark Side user here on Coruscant, who is interested in Skywalker, in unhealthy manner."

"Do you think a Sith Lord is here?" another Jedi asked.

"I suspect it to be the case, but, the Sith Lord is cunning. Their apprentice was slain by Knight Kenobi, so, they have to find another one. And given Anakin Skywalker's power, they will do everything to lure him to the Dark Side."

The council was astounded. The Chosen One was already a prey to the Sith Lord, who was on Coruscant. And that was a bad news.

"Decided, it is. Trained by Master Valentine on Gaia, young Skywalker will be. Seen the world, I have. Recovering from Shinra, it is," Yoda said.

"Then Skywalker will be in the safe place from the Sith.

"I may introduce him to Materia, but it will be up to him. I will apologize to Knight Kenobi, but, what I am doing..." Sephiroth began walking towards the door. He stopped to look at the Jedi Council. "For his sake, and the sake of the Galaxy."

He then left the chamber to find Obi-Wan and Anakin. The Council hoped they did not make a mistake with this decision.

Sephiroth found Anakin, who was sobbing. The boy feared that they would send him back to Tatooine, but he was surprised to see a Jedi. Sephiroth reassured the boy that he was not rejected and that he was going to be a Jedi. But instead of being trained at Temple, Anakin would be trained on Gaia.

Anakin was overjoyed, and thus, he left with Sephiroth to Gaia to be trained.

And Sephiroth just threw a wrench into the Sith Lord's plans to Turn Anakin to the Dark Side.

Chapter Text

The ship travelled to Gaia. Anakin was resting in the seat, while Sephiroth piloted the ship. He remembered talking to Obi-Wan.

"Padawan Kenobi," Sephiroth said, as he arrived into the room, where the Stewjonian Padawan with Anakin.

"Knight Valentine?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin left the room, as he decided to wait.

Sephiroth paused. "I am so sorry to hear about his death. He was a great Master, the one that my former Master respected."

"I thank you. Why are you here?"

"It's about Anakin Skywalker. He is my Padawan. It's the Council's decision, and I sense the danger to Anakin here. As such, I am taking him to my home world, where the Sith will not find him."

"But... The promise that I made to my late Master..."

"You are not ready for a Padawan, who has additional needs. He grew up with a mother, and I had a vision of the Code failing Anakin, or worse to the Dark Side that he won't be able to contain. And given his power..."

"The future is always in motion. You know that."

"It is. But..."  Sephiroth paused. "The Jedi have lost their way. I often avoid the mention of the Living Force that I practice. And... Instead of avoiding the Darkness in me due to my origins, I contained it, and I am studying how to be better to fight the Dark Side.

"And as such, I can help Anakin, where the Jedi cannot. I will fulfill the promise for you," Sephiroth answered.

Obi-Wan was silent.

"You are studying the Darkness in you? Won't you fall to the Dark Side?" he asked in barely suppressed fear.

"I won't fall to the Dark Side, as the Darkness in me has been contained in the crucial way. The Living Force guided me to the study through meditation, after I battled the Dark Half of mine. As for the Prophecy, I don't think that even the Council understands it."

That... That could not be denied at that time, and Sephiroth could tell that he would find the answers to the Chosen One prophecy in time.

"I am taking Anakin as my pupil, and to my home world for the safety measure. I sense danger to him, that you are beginning to be blind to," Sephiroth said, as he then left the room.

He did tell Anakin about him being trained, and where.

The two then went to Qui-Gon's funeral on Naboo, and through out the ceremony, Sephiroth felt the Force whispering to him that the Sith was nearby. Anakin was by Sephiroth's side.

Once the funeral service was over, Sephiroth and Anakin quickly left Naboo.

Soon enough, Anakin awoke from his sleep upon hearing the ship land. He saw the planet different from Naboo, Coruscant and Tatooine. They landed in the dock of a city that was like Coruscant.

"It's.... Amazing!" Anakin said with the excitement.

"I knew that you would say that. I came here because of a call almost a decade ago. We'll first go to Midgar's Seventh Section. That's where my friends live," Sephiroth said, as they exited their ship.

Walking in the crowd, Anakin stuck close to his new mentor. There were people, who were living their lives, free. Midgar, the major city, was flourishing after Shinra's Fall. 

They went to Seventh Heaven, a bar in Midgar. The slums were cleaned up and people no longer were suffering, but it would take years alongside protecting the planet.

Sephiroth opened the door, as Anakin entered the bar. It was a different looking bar than any other in the Galaxy. He hadn't seen a bar before, even on Tatooine.

"Sephiroth! Back so soon from the Temple?" a woman with long black hair asked. She stood behind the counter. 

"I am. There has been a change in circumstances," Sephiroth answered, as he and Anakin sat down at the bar stools.

"I'll get him water," Tifa Strife said. Sephiroth also asked for a glass of water. The two ordered a meal.

"So, what's with the kid?" Cloud Strife asked. He was married to Tifa Strife, who was the owner of the Seventh Heaven.

"He's... Like me, a Force-Sensitive," Sephiroth answered, as he didn't want to mention in front of Anakin about some concerns.

The bar was a lively place with people gathering and eating.

Once the two were finished, Sephiroth paid for the meal, and left. 

They travelled to Sector 5, where a house with a garden was located. There was a limited sunlight, which allowed the flowers and food to be grown. 

"It's.. Nice," Anakin noted.

"That's where I and Aerith live," Sephiroth said, as he knocked onto the door.

"Sephiroth, I didn't expect you to come back this soon!" his wife, Aerith Valentine exclaimed, as she embraced him.

"There has been... A change. I have someone, who I took on as my student," Sephiroth responded, as let go of his wife's embrace.

"A pupil? You've been talking about choosing the student for some while. Showing them this world apart from the teachings on the Force, apart from teaching her further," Aerith said.

Sephiroth showed Anakin a spare room where he could stay while living here.

"So, he is this 'Chosen One'?" Aerith asked, once Sephiroth elaborated on what Anakin was.

"Qui-Gon Jinn said it, and presented Anakin to the Council. Qui-Gon was to train him, but he was killed by a Sith," Sephiroth answered.

He stopped.

"A Sith Apprentice, and a strong one for that matter."

Aerith paused. "So, the Sith are not gone?"

"If the apprentice appeared, the Master is still at large. Them not being gone proves the suspicion that my former Master had, before her disappearance. With the Living Force, I picked up on their presence on Coruscant. If Anakin and I were to stay there, he would be in grave danger," Sephiroth answered.

"So, you came here to train Anakin and protect him given the magnitude of his powers?"

"The Council agreed on that. And given how I defeated the Darkness within me," Sephiroth answered.

"I am surprised that they agreed on something, given their bickering, as you told me on their behavior."

Aerith didn't exactly like the fact that the monks like the Jedi were stuck in politics and debates that were literally useless. It didn't help that like Qui-Gon Jinn, Sephiroth's former Master also was against the Jedi being mired in politics.

"Anakin will be safe here, before we return to defeat the Sith. I am training him on the ways of the Force, and Living Force as well," Sephiroth said.

"And if he wishes, we'll teach him about Materia and Magic to fight back against the Sith. He'll need all the help to defeat the enemy," Aerith agreed.

Sephiroth nodded, as Anakin finished unpacking his small backpack in his room. "Done!" he exclaimed.

"I'll get the meal done," Aerith said, as she went to the kitchen to cook the meal for the four people, as she and Sephiroth actually had a daughter named Rubyaver, or Ruby for short. It was the name of Sephiroth's late Master, his true mother, as he saw her as such.

Rubyaver Valentine was a girl that was the mix of her parents, and she had the Force. Sephiroth hid her from the Order. As for her age, she was four years old. She already was being trained to understand the Living Force, as she was two when her Force Powers were revealed.

Aerith had a meal done, and called everyone to it. Anakin went to the table, and had a meal for the first time as a free child.

That night, he fell asleep in a new home, and a new family, while being free. He would be a Jedi, but not being held by the Jedi Council or the Code. Nor he would be in danger from the Sith preying on him.