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Written for Christmas...posted extremely late ^.^;;
This takes place in the timeline of my sequel to Those Who Have Been Broken…as such, while I have several ideas for the main characters set in stone, I am nevertheless still wrestling with other characters and details. All you absolutely need to know of the TWHBB timeline to understand this story is that:
1) Sephiroth has regained his sanity;
2) I've resurrected a lot of characters;
3) All the characters now reside in Radiant Garden;
4) The 'goddess of the Lifestream', Minerva, is revealed to be the oldest Ancient, the original Ancient, and is in a relationship with Genesis.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Square-Enix's Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII or its Compilation,Final Fantasy XV or its Universe, Kingdom Hearts, The Learning Company's Carmen Sandiego, or any characters in any of the aforementioned series. I am merely a fan who hasn't had her fill of any of them.
Sephiroth vs. the Holiday Nog
Sephiroth had never cared much about the holidays…he'd had no family growing up (that he'd known of), no friends until he was twelve…and then the army had seen him away for all of the important dates. He hadn't even known when his own birthday was until Lucrecia had been rescued from that prison she'd entrapped herself in, and helped rescue him, in turn.
Christmas, however…that had been different.
His first real Christmas had been at the ripe old age of sixteen, when Genesis and Angeal had insisted he join their families for the holiday. It had been a somewhat surreal experience for him: he who had no living family to speak of, merely a name and nothing else.
(That, too, had been another of Hojo's lies, it turned out.)
Thus Christmas had become one of the few holidays he found reason to celebrate, and these past years he had had more to celebrate than ever before: a fresh new world that had welcomed their people from the one Jenova had ravaged…and mass resurrection, his sins and the sins of others undone.
He would have said he did not believe in miracles…except that he'd already had one. That Genesis, Lucrecia, and the others had been able to break through his haze of insanity to allow him to find himself again…that too had been a miracle.
Despite his overall appreciation for the season, however, he could not say he thought much of today.
"C'mon, Seph!" Zack shouted from the dance floor, twirling his beloved around. Ignis and Prompto were also swinging around with their wives.
…He really didn't like crowds.
"You're hanging back, too?" Cloud asked, sauntering up to stand next to his commander by the wall. Sephiroth smirked.
"Well, at least that makes two of us," he said.
"Humph." To their right, King Noctis of New Insomnia was also slinking up. He nodded at them, their own reluctant expressions mirrored by the noble. "Make that three of us," he added.
"This was Lady Luna's idea, I take it?" Sephiroth commented, and Noctis nodded, turning a fond smile towards his wife, who was talking to Genesis and Rinoa in her graceful way.
"How could I say no?" Noctis commented, casting his friends a side-look. The king and the queen of New Insomnia were a rarity among nobles, at least in Sephiroth's mind: Lady Lunafreya was four years her husband's senior, and he had been betrothed to her since they were children. Yet they were truly fond of each other's company.
"Besides," Noctis added then, "what better way to celebrate our victory over that witch?"
They were kind, too. When Jenova had first reared her ugly head, not long after Eos' entire population (and then some) had been brought to Radiant Garden, not only had Caelum offered military assistance, but the king and his companions had helped fight back the threats themselves.
Sephiroth had heard of times when nobles had lead the charge, but he'd never seen it personally.
Certainly not nobles so willing to aid people of a neighboring country.
"We know what it is to come face-to-face with evil, and sacrifice everything to eradicate it," Luna said. "We will not stand idly by while others fight the darkness."
""We've been at odds with other nations before," Noctis added. "And for what? Better to make strong allies of your neighbors, right?"
"That's right—between all of us, we can take that creepy witch down!" Prompto added.
The photographer in question was now swinging with his wife across the dance floor, their lithe forms swaying in time to the songs that the live musicians were playing. Lady Lunafreya had spared no expense, and it showed. A lavish buffet was off to the other side of the room where the dancing was taking place.
Sephiroth chuckled as Zack let go of his lady and headed back to the buffet. If he wasn't on the dance floor, he was eating.
"Ignis' recipes?" Cloud asked, nodding toward the food.
"Most of them," Noctis said, smiling fondly at where his advisor was chatting with Yuffie and Leon. "But we hired chefs for this crowd. Iggy mainly supervised."
"That's still a big job," Sephiroth commented.
"Nah, Iggy enjoys it," Noctis chuckled. "All that food we had for the ambassadors' dinner two months ago? All him."
"Really?" Cloud asked. Ignis' cooking was amazing—on par with Tifa's, and that woman could cook. Noctis nodded.
"Sure was," he answered. "Well, let's not let the cooks' hard work go to waste, hmm? The eggnog and holiday nogs, Ignis made himself, though. Ramsay actually really likes it, too."
"That Tonberry you four picked up this summer in the woods?" Sephiroth asked.
"The same," Noctis said, taking a sip of said nog. "He seems to like anything with eggs. But he'll eat just about anything Iggy cooks, period."
"So won't we all," Cloud commented. "Can't say he doesn't have good taste…" Noctis chuckled.
"True," he said. "That cooking saved us and our campground."
"And he's not knocked any more people out?" Sephiroth asked, referring to an unfortunate incident with Selphie. To be fair, she could be a handful.
"If Iggy says 'no', he won't. He's actually pretty chill. I think Selphie just caught him off-guard; the maids're all used to him now and there haven't been any other incidents. Even lets the kids pet him." As if to prove the king's point, Denzel was petting a distinctly green nose sticking out from under a tablecloth.
"I have to admit I wouldn't mind hiding under a table myself," Cloud chuckled, and Noctis nodded.
"Agreed," he said. "But…Luna wanted to throw the ball for you guys. Something of a thank-you for all you did when we first arrived."
"Your people did just as much," Cloud said. "We just helped with heavy lifting." Noctis, for all his strength with magic and the incredible ability known as 'warp-striking', did not have the same raw strength as the former SOLDIERs. Zack could bench-press a Behemoth, and that was a rather underwhelming of a 1st Class' abilities (or any SOLDIER class, for that matter!).
"Yeah, but that heavy lifting goes a long way," Noctis said. "The people are really grateful for the help." The SOLDIERs had gotten the heavier objects where they needed to be with far less trouble than a crane would have.
"Really wasn't anything at all," Cloud insisted, and Noctis chuckled.
Out of nowhere, Lady Luna appeared, claiming her husband for a dance or two. With a grin at his friends, Noctis let his wife lead him through the crowd to the dance floor. He didn't much care for parties, or for dancing…but he liked them with her.
Not for the first time, Sephiroth felt grateful that his own lady cared as little for dancing as himself. Elfé stood conversing with Cor and Aranea, sampling some of the banquet Lady Luna had so meticulously, generously planned. Over on the other end, Marlene and Mog-Chan had joined Denzel and the Tonberry, who genuinely seemed to be enjoying the attention.
He smiled genially. Back on Gaia—in his sanity—he had daydreamed so many times of a family…both the one he'd been born into, and the one he desired to have. Decades later, it was far more wonderful than even his young self had ever imagined. Brothers in Zack and Angeal and Cloud…sisters in their wives, his own Elfé…his mother and Vincent, who had long since become the father he had so often wished for. And Vincent's own father Grimoire had readily accepted the not-so-young-anymore silver-haired man as his family, too. Sons in Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo.
And brothers of these, their neighboring Caelum.
Yes, he was happy.
"I told you I wouldn't have ordered such a disgusting drink!"
"How on Gaia did that wonderful lady get an invitation?" Cloud drawled, looking over to the commotion with annoyance. A brunette in a stylish red gown and an a-line haircut: Caryn Sandiego, sister of the infamous thief Carmen.
"I hear she bought her way in. Somehow," Zack answered. It did not surprise Sephiroth that she had desired to attend such a gala, only that she had actually contributed enough to do it. She had not lived in Radiant Garden long, but the demands she made of Ansem after she'd arrived showed the general exactly what kind of a person she was: arrogant, far too convinced of her own importance. At the very least, Caelum had benefited from her self-serving mindset. This time.
(His entire brass agreed they'd rather deal with the thief. And just how did one manage to steal Peter Pan's ability to fly? Tinkerbell's ability to fly?! He had some questions for that woman, whenever they found out where in the world she was!)
"Noct didn't vet her?" Cloud asked.
"It would be in poor taste." Ignis' voice said from behind. "We must treat all our citizens and guests with equal respect. This was meant to honor those who offered assistance. To deny her an invitation—despite her considerably unfavorable reputation—would be unfair.
"That said…should she misbehave, her removal from the party would be imminent," he said, eyes flashing behind his glasses. Sephiroth responded with a smirk: it was, likely, only a matter of time before she did just that. And based upon the scene he just witnessed, a matter of very short time. "Lady Luna will sooner tolerate abuse of herself before the staff," Ignis added.
And we will not tolerate abuse of Lady Luna.
Sephiroth exchanged a look with Cloud, then both looked back to where the show was unfolding. They would not tolerate abuse of Lady Luna, either.
"Cloud?" His wife appeared, dress billowing behind her. With a grin at Sephiroth, he let the brunette lead him away to the dance floor. Sephiroth turned around, asking the barista to pour him some holiday nog.
…Hmm? Bleeeeeeech. Sephiroth set the drink down in disgust. Something tasted off.
"Are you alright?" the servant asked, genuinely worried.
"Sephiroth?" Ignis' voice added his concern.
"I think this batch may be bad…there's a flavor in there that I can't quite place, but it doesn't taste right…."
"Really?" Ignis exchanged a look with the bartender, pouring a small glass for himself. "That should not be; I used the freshest ingredients…." A sip, and he set the drink down. "No, that's how it's supposed to taste. Perhaps there was a pocket of spice that didn't get thoroughly mixed?" Though he was quite certain he'd mixed it enough….
Sephiroth's eyes slowly turned blank and clouded. Ignis blinked.
"Sephiroth, are you quite all right? You look—"
"Ignis!" Sephiroth clapped him on the shoulder. "Your eggnog is just delightful!"
"…Are you…quite all right…?"
"It must have been a bad swallow. As you said."
"Seph?"
"Zack!" the older man whirled around with a chirp, mouth widening in a friendly smile that was all-too-uncharacteristic on his face. Zack's eyes widened.
"What's wrong?!" he said. "What did you have?"
"Why, nothing's wrong except that boorish woman over there yelling at the waitstaff," he said, pointing.
"Well I have never—" Caryn said.
"Never been told 'no' a day in your life?" Sephiroth retorted. "Why yes, that's just what I was about to say! Wait…." Zack looked horrified.
"Iggy—what did he have?!"
"Only some of the eggnog," Ignis pointed. Two large punch bowls, side-by-side…almost identical. Zack looked at the bartender.
"What's in these?" he asked.
"Holiday Nog and Eggnog," the bartender pointed to each. "He asked for the Holiday Nog…we just tried it. Nothing wrong."
"What's the difference between them?" Zack asked. The bartender tilted his head.
"Well, Eggnog just has eggs, milk, sugar, and spices," he said. "Holiday Nog we add bourbon, cognac, and rum to it."
"Yes!" Sephiroth pointed at the Holiday Nog. "And it is delightful!"
"Bourbon and cognac and rum?!" Zack blanched, as did Ignis.
"Sephiroth can't have alcohol," Ignis said then.
"That's…that's what he ordered!" the bartender stammered.
"This is my fault," Ignis said, frowning at Zack. "I should have warned the staff—"
"It's not your fault," Zack stopped him. "The only bar Seph ever goes to is the Seventh Heaven, and he knows to order from the mocktails if he doesn't just have water. Water is usually what he has, period."
"Still, I—"
"Gentlemen?" the bartender queried. "Where did he go?"
"Oh, shoot," Zack said.
Delighted laughter from across the hall, and then Prompto's head rising above the crowd. Followed by Sephiroth, upon whose shoulders he was riding. In mid-air.
"Ta-daaaaaa!" Both men flung their arms out, and the crowd clapped.
"Well, that's one way to elevate the party," Zack quipped, and Ignis snorted. "At least he's not launching the kids into the air this time…."
"I beg your pardon?!" Now Ignis looked horrified.
"We were at the Gold Saucer and he was throwing Marlene into the air and catching her," Zack said. "He didn't seem to understand what would have happened if he missed. Not until he was sober, anyway."
"Oh, dear…."
"Zack? Ignis?" Elfé came to stand beside them. She pointed at her husband, still doing tricks mid-air with Prompto. "What's going on? What's happened?"
"He mistook Holiday Nog for regular eggnog," Zack said, and her eyes widened.
"Ohhhh…." She put a hand to the bridge of her nose. This…this would be a challenge….
"Awwww c'mon, Sephiroth—I wanna turn next!" Denzel tugged at the man's arm as he and Prompto slowly floated back down to the ground. Beside him, Marlene clapped her hands in delight.
"Me, too! Me, too!" she said. Ramsay looked on, tilting his head. Eventually, he cooed in approval. If the kids were happy, he was happy.
"If your parents say it's okay, I'm okay with it!" Sephiroth said, flinging his arms out again.
"Uh-oh, he's even more hammered than last time…." Zack said, and Iggy turned to him with wide eyes.
"What the devil is going on?!" Caryn's shrill voice.
"We are having fun," Sephiroth said, crossing his arms. "What did you think was going on?"
"This is a formal party, not a circus!" Caryn exploded. Elfé balked, but Zack put a hand on her shoulder. He winked. She'd never seen Sephiroth drunk before, but he and Cloud had.
"I didn't know you were Lady Luna's party planner," Sephiroth said bluntly.
"I—"
"It's kinda weird, yanno?" Prompto said, voice innocent. The younger man crossed his arms atop Sephiroth's head, still riding the SOLDIER's shoulders. He propped his chin up on his elbow. "Because Lady Luna told us that she'd planned the party herself. And she'd never take credit for something she didn't do…."
"Oh I see!" Sephiroth nodded. "You aren't the party planner!" He gave a wide-armed shrug. "I don't see Lady Luna complaining. So what is your problem?"
"How disrespectful to the Queen to be behaving like a lunatic at her soirée!" Caryn shouted. Sephiroth looked up at Prompto, tears in his eyes and a pout on his face.
"…Am I behaving like a lunatic?"
"What? No! The only lunatic I see around here is her!" Prompto replied. "You're a little tipsy, but she's crazy!"
"Ha! You lose!" Sephiroth pointed at her, mouth widened in triumphant smugness that he rarely if ever displayed whilst sober, and during his insanity would never have shown. (Subtle smugness, of course, was the only kind befitting a deity.)
"You are an embarrassment to your friends!" Caryn said.
"Well, that makes one of us," Sephiroth said. "At least I have friends. You're just an embarrassment."
"A big one," Denzel whispered to Marlene. But Caryn heard him.
"You little brat!" Caryn screamed. "How dare you—"
Tifa and Barret stepped forward. Ramsay hissed, stepping in front of the kids with a massive thump of his tail, brandishing his Chef's Knife. The Tonberry chirred in warning, keeping himself between Denzel, Marlene, and the horrid woman that stood before them.
"Ramsay, no," Ignis said. He looked at Caryn. "All the same…it would be best if you stood down."
"Have her removed." Luna calmly turned her head to Lightning and Iris, who grinned at each other, then smirked at Caryn.
"You heard Her Highness," Iris said, moving forward. Though their attire was 'black-tie', it was functional as well: they had chosen short skirts specifically, in case they had to do damage-control.
"I will not!"
"You say that like you have a choice," Lightning replied, she and Iris threading their arms through the arrogant woman's and lifting. "Play stupid games…win stupid prizes."
"FAFO!" Iris crowed, doing the same. Though she lacked her brother's huge frame, she was still an Amicitia and thus very well-trained for the physical demands of her family's 'trade'. She easily matched Lightning, and together they pulled Caryn from the room, cheers erupting behind them.
"And stay out!"
"Niiiiice," Zack nodded approvingly, grinning at Ignis. "Hey, wait…where's Sephiroth?"
"Oh dear."
"He let me off his shoulders and went that way…." Prompto pointed. "Why?"
Splash. Splash.
"The foyer!" They ran through the door, Elfé on their heels. There, swimming in Lady Luna's pristine fountain, was Sephiroth (though 'swimming' was a rather loose term for it, given the water was so shallow and he was so tall).
"Sephiroth, what are you doing in there?!"
"Swimming."
"Why?"
"Too hot."
"He certainly is…." a lady in the crowd said, causing fits of laughter from the women and groans and grunts from the men.
"Sephiroth, let's go back to our room, now…." Elfé said, slipping off her shoes and stepping into the water. She reached down and gripped his arm, urging him to get up….
…And slipped. Right on top of him.
Splash!
"Are you all right?" Luna gasped.
"My dear wife has joined me for a swim!" Sephiroth crowed, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her on the forehead. Zack was sure he heard Reno snort behind him, and the brunet exchanged a snort with Cloud. Elfé blushed furiously, though she could not help the warm smile that appeared on her face.
"Sephiroth…let's get you out of here," she said. "Lady Luna doesn't really want us swimming in her fountain."
"Oh yes. Of course. Of course…." He sat up, offering a hand to his wife, and Elfé stood, unbothered by the water or her soaking dress.
"Let's get to—Sephiroth!"
The SOLDIER pitched backward…but before he could crack the fountain open with his head, both Noctis and Prompto had warped into the water, catching the SOLDIER as he fell. Zack, Cloud, and Vincent hurried forward also, helping to lift the general onto Gladio's back.
"Put him in one of the south rooms," Lady Luna said gently.
"Your Majesties, my sincerest apologies for—" Elfé began, but Gladio, and then Noctis busted up.
"You're kidding, right? This is the most entertaining thing we've seen in forever," the king said.
"A drunk Sephiroth putting that woman in her place?" Ignis added. "It may have been the best Christmas present he could have given us."
"You all will stay here the night," Luna added graciously, hiding a giggle. "From what you have told me, he'll sleep it off by morning. And we will not be so cruel as to separate you from your brother, son, and father."
"Thank you."
.:H:.:H:.:H:.
Sephiroth awoke to faint sunlight on his face…the room dim, but enough for his eyes to see.
…And 'see' they did. This was not his room.
A weight on his chest. Elfé, her head pillowing on him. What had happened? For something had: both preferred to express their devotion with action rather than physically. They slept back-to-back, a side-effect of seeing so much war.
Unless one or the other were injured or afflicted in some way. His last brush with Jenova had caused some damage, and he'd awoken much like this: Elfé's head resting squarely on his chest, reassuring herself that he yet lived.
But…what had happened? He could tell he sported no current injuries, yet…his stomach churned and his body did ache…the last thing he remembered was….
"…Husband?"
"…Where…are we?" he replied, taking in the airy feel of the room. The scent of the sea…
…New Insomnia?
"Wife…what…happened exactly?" Sephiroth said. "Why are we not…in our quarters?"
Was that a…chuckle that escaped her mouth?! Followed by another!
Rude. But…he supposed that had to be a good sign?
"Husband…I'm relieved you're all right, but…" Another giggle. "You…accidentally had some of the alcoholic holiday nog as opposed to the regular eggnog."
He blanched.
"Then Caryn Sandiego got in your face…and you talked her down with logic that only a drunken man can display. Then you passed out in Noctis' grand hall. Gladio and Genesis caught you before you could hurt the floor—"
"Oh…dear…."
"Ramsay attacked Caryn, as she was too close to the children—and you—for his liking. And they carried you in here. I believe the others are staying, as well. Zack's quite worried, as you'd expect."
"Ohhhhh…." He massaged the bridge of his nose with his other hand. What would Ansem and Lady Minerva say?!
"Noctis and his family thought it hilarious," Elfé said. "Your standing isn't any less for it. Actually, I think they like you more."
"That's some relief, I suppose…." Sephiroth laid his head back on the pillow, massaging the bridge of his nose with his fingers.
He would not live this down for a very long time.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
So I don't know how it is everywhere else, but where I live (in the Pacific Northwest), there is regular, child-friendly eggnog, and then the alcoholic version, advertised as "holiday nog" XD
While I personally prefer the Zerith/Cloti ships, I've deliberately left certain pairings "ambiguous" so that Clerith/Cloti shippers can imagine as they please. As for the FFXV bunch, with the exception of Noctis and Luna, who canonically marry, I've left who the Chocobros' significant others are up to the reader.
•Sephiroth is canonically 6'7". The original 6'1" height given was only in the English translation; before Remake, he did not have any canon height, save "tall".
•The 'famous chef' Ramsay is named for is indeed Gordon Ramsay XD If Tonberries make noises in-game besides the infamous 'doink' of their Chef's Knife attack, I am unaware. So in my mind Ramsay sounds a bit like the Pokémon Sandshrew XD
•Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo were born from Sephiroth's will, that makes him their sole parent. (Yes, Jenova's cells were a factor. But by that point, he was controlling them directly. So she's arguably their grandparent, since they had to pass through Sephiroth first.) A grandmother they wished they wouldn't have :P
•Caryn Sandiego is my own invention and is in no way canon to the Carmen universe XD I just needed a good love-to-hate character that I can shove into any fandom XD
Thank you all for reading!
Keep on Rockin' in 2026!
~MoonlightTyger