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Sephiroth liked the snow.
There was something comforting about the silence while the sky hazed over in gray. There was always the subtle threat that a peaceful snowfall would melt into a frigid blizzard, but that would just give him the perfect cover to run away.
He had always wondered what he would do, should the chance appear. If he had the opportunity to escape, Sephiroth assumed that he would take it in a heartbeat. Grasping his freedom with both hands and never letting go.
The portal materia shone brightly in his hands as he stared out the window. It was a chance he would never get again, but here he was. Hesitating. Hojo had always said that the outer world wasn’t much better than life in the labs. There were cruel people out there. There were people out there who would hate him, just because he looked different. Just because he was stronger. Just because he was Sephiroth.
It wasn’t that he blindly trusted Hojo’s words to be true, but even he realized that other scientists and Shinra employees saw him differently. Disdainfully. Perhaps even fearfully.
Portal was considered to be a failed materia, but only because it was unpredictable. There was nothing Shinra disliked more than something that couldn’t be controlled. But the unpredictability would be beneficial for Sephiroth. It was likely that they’d never find him.
Sephiroth was strong. He could take care of himself. Even as a teen, he was leagues above even the strongest adults and simulations that Hojo had pit him against. The SOLDIER program was just so new that no one else was able to match him. He’d be fine.
Before he could doubt himself again, he poured magic in the materia in his palm, the light shining between his fingertips.
Cloud swung his sword back over his shoulder, letting a breath of air out as the Zolom fell. The lingering effects of the blizzard had left quite a bit of snow on the battlefield, but there was already snow on the ground so it wasn’t much of a concern.
Before he could turn back to Edge, a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He leapt back, brandishing his weapon in one swift movement, readying himself for another fight.
For a fraction of a second, he wondered if Kadaj had somehow re-manifested. The short silver hair and the green eyes were eerily familiar, although this teen was built just slightly shorter than Kadaj.
“Oh, it disappeared. How unusual for materia,” the teen commented. Cloud felt every hair on the back of his neck stand up in concern. “Ah…”
Cloud stared at the teen and the teen stared back. “Who the hell are you?”
Something cold dropped in the pit of his stomach as Cloud assessed him, but even before he spoke, he already knew the answer.
“My name is Sephiroth,” Sephiroth commented, his eyes trailing from Cloud’s face to his sword. “Are you planning on stabbing me?”
Sephiroth appeared unarmed, but Cloud had enough run-ins with the silver haired adult to know that it wouldn’t take more than half a second for him to become a threat.
If he was an adult, that is…
Slowly, Cloud lowered his weapon when it appeared that Sephiroth wasn’t interested in fighting. Instead, the teen was looking around, completely immersed in the sights and smells, his eyes trailing over the Zolom that Cloud had just slain. Instantly, the teen’s eyes lit up and he looked at Cloud excitedly.
“Did you do that?!” he asked, a wide smile on his face. “Wow! That’s amazing! I’ve never known anyone who could take down a monster that big except for me!”
Cloud stared as Sephiroth continued to ramble, seemingly excited at the prospect of meeting someone that was able to take down a Zolom. Slowly, he withdrew his weapon and swung it onto his back, side-eyeing the teen as he put his hands into his pockets.
The number of people who could take down a Zolom alone was pretty sparse, but for Sephiroth to state that there was no one else who could was wildly inaccurate. Most SOLDIERs could take down a Zolom. That meant that the Sephiroth that was standing before him right now wasn’t the same as the adult Sephiroth he knew. He wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved or nervous.
“What’s your name?”
Cloud’s head snapped up. “Cloud,” he answered reflexively, unsure about this whole situation.
“Cloud,” Sephiroth repeated. “Well, then. It’s nice to meet you, Cloud.”
There was no way Cloud could leave the teen by himself, so he sighed and gestured to his motorbike.
The difference between the teen and the adult was staggering.
Sephiroth was far more expressive as a teen. He didn’t have the same mocking, sneering look. He didn’t look down on other children or the adults. He was cautious, but polite.
Cloud couldn’t remember what he had been like as a teenager, but he doubted he was as polite as Sephiroth was. A part of him was just as curious about the teen as the teen was about him, but the other part of him didn’t want Sephiroth anywhere close. It was still Sephiroth, after all.
The streets of Edge were lined with lanterns and goodies to celebrate the coming of a new year. Lights and chatter illuminated the village, despite the snow still on the ground. The sound of children playing and the adults wishing each other well echoed through the streets.
Sephiroth seemed enthralled by it all.
Although the teen didn’t ask for it, it was obvious that he was interested in the little games and food that the village had to offer. His eyes would linger on the skewers of meat, the wrapped dumplings, the candied tomatoes, and the powdery mochi. The bright flashing lights, designed to attract children, seemed to be attracting Sephiroth just the same, and Cloud found himself looking at the child as he parked his bike.
“Do you want some?” he asked.
Sephiroth turned to him with sparkles in his eyes.
Cloud turned to the nearest vendor, grabbing two skewers and putting a few coins on the table as payment. He handed one to the teen and Sephiroth looked at it eagerly, his green eyes shining in wonder.
“Is it really okay?” Sephiroth asked.
“You’re not going to make me waste it, are you?” Cloud asked bluntly. “Just eat it. We can take a walk around.”
It would be easier to keep an eye on the teen if he was nearby, but Sephiroth didn’t seem like he was eager to run away or escape. Slowly, almost hesitantly, Sephiroth reached for the skewer, his slim hands wrapping around the stick.
“It looks so good,” Sephiroth said softly, admiring the meat.
Cloud wasn’t sure what kind of upbringing Sephiroth had, but it was probably his first time experiencing the new year in a village. Celebrations were much different in Shinra, after all. It wouldn’t have surprised him if Sephiroth had more experiences with formal dinners over festivals like this.
“It’s not for looking. It’s for eating,” Cloud huffed, taking a bite of the savory meat. It was still hot. “Come on. I’ll show you around.”
“Thank you, Cloud,” Sephiroth said, following right behind him, copying him and taking a bite of the meat as well.
It was an explosion of flavor.
Logically, Sephiroth knew that it wasn’t as nutritious or healthy as the food he had eaten in Shinra. It probably wasn’t even high quality meat. But the moment he took a bite the flavor of oil and the salty, savory marinade that enveloped his senses, and Sephiroth knew he was a goner. It was delicious.
Everywhere he turned, there was something new to explore. Cloud guided him through the streets, showing him the stalls and food the village had to offer. There were trinkets and treats, some handmade, some mass-produced, but all of it was new to him.
When Sephiroth finished the skewer, Cloud had bought a meat bun for him. The fluffy texture and the juicy meat was irresistible and Sephiroth found himself finishing that in no time. Then came the dumplings, with a wide variety of fillings and flavors. Some were sweet and others were savory. Egg tarts, made from flaky pie crust and sweet egg filling. Mochi with sesame paste.
The games were interesting too.
Some were based on skill and others were based on luck. Cloud passed him a few rings to throw, gesturing for him to aim for the bottles along the wall. It took a few tries for Sephiroth to understand the game and the physics of it, but he wasn’t terribly interested in the prizes either.
Cloud walked him through the stalls until they had made two laps around the village. Somewhere along the line of brightly lit stalls, Cloud had gotten a gigantic plush chocobo, bright gold in color, which had somehow then ended up in Sephiroth’s hands.
“And that’s about it for Edge,” Cloud commented. “It’s not usually this lively, but with the New Year and all…”
“I think it’s amazing,” Sephiroth replied, pressing his face into the plush chocobo. It was so large that Sephiroth had to carry it with both hands in order to ensure it wasn’t going to trail on the floor. “Thank you, Cloud.”
Cloud paused and Sephiroth wondered if this was where they were going to part. It would be sad and Cloud had done so much for him, even in the few hours that he had known him, but perhaps Cloud had a partner or a child to care for. Spending these few blissful hours with Sephiroth was asking a lot, and Sephiroth knew it.
It was like a dream, but all dreams ended.
“So, uh… If you don’t have anywhere to stay, do you want to stay with me?”
Something exploded in Sephiroth’s chest.
“Go with you?” Sephiroth asked faintly.
“I mean, you kinda came out of nowhere,” Cloud defended. “And if you don’t have any money, it’d be hard for you to find somewhere to go. If you don’t want to, I can contact Shinra and–”
“No!”
The word blurted out before Sephiroth could stop himself, but he immediately regretted his instinctive response. The whole point of using the portal materia was to escape Shinra. He had no intention of going back, but he also couldn’t intrude on Cloud’s kindness any longer. Not for free, anyway.
“I’d rather stay with you,” Sephiroth said softly. “If there’s anything I can do to help you with your work…”
There was a moment where Cloud considered this, and Sephiroth wasn’t sure how to feel. But then Cloud sighed and nodded. “Right,” he answered. “I’m sure there’s something. You’re pretty good at fighting, yeah?”
Sephiroth’s ears perked up and he eagerly moved to Cloud’s side. There was no way to tell when the dream would end, but perhaps it could last just a little longer. “Yes. Of course,” he agreed. “If you’re confident in your abilities, we can spar later so you can get a good estimation of my strength.”
A prosperous beginning, perhaps? All he had to do was stay by Cloud’s side. It seemed that he was going to have good fortune this year.