[Feb. 29th] [Final Fantasy VII] Twilight and Dawn - Give Me My Soul (random scene)

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Title: Twilight and Dawn - Give Me My Soul (random scene)
Author: Lucky_Ladybug
Day/Theme: February 29th - Come give me my soul again
Series: Final Fantasy VII
Character/Pairing: Sephiroth, Zack Fair
Rating: T/PG-13

This is the first draft of a scene I'm writing for chapter seven of this story: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3372448/1/Twilight_and_Dawn But it should be fairly easy to understand as a stand-alone. Basically, Sephiroth is alive again, post-Dirge of Cerberus, and he is fighting his mad self in his mind.


Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, bringing up his weapon to meet the opponent standing before him. It should not really be a surprise that they were standing in the remains of a decimated village. What more appropriate location for this battle then where the other had received life? And now this was where his reign would end at last.

The other him, the mad him, smirked as he raised his own sword. "How does it feel?" he taunted. "How does it feel to be back at the village I destroyed through you? You are a murderer. Your heart is black, like mine. After all, I am you."

Sephiroth gritted his teeth. "I know I'm a murderer," he said. "And I know you're a part of me. But it's because I accept that, that you will lose tonight."

"Well," replied his doppelganger, "then let's see, shall we?"

He lunged. Sephiroth brought up his sword, meeting him head-on. They strained against each other, each fighting for supremacy. At last Sephiroth forced him back, his eyes hard and determined. This would end here. He would accept what he had been, and what he was. Before he had been too afraid, too sickened that this monster could ever be a part of himself. He had rejected Zack's words, and Zack himself, for Zack had been the final puzzle piece that would bring the truth to light. But their bond of friendship had been stronger than his fear, or his amnesia. He had remembered Zack, and then everything else had come together.

"What are you without me?" his mad self sneered now. "A old war hero whom nobody cares about any more. You're nothing. With me you had the potential to become a god." He charged forward again, crashing his blade against Sephiroth's.

Sephiroth looked the other him in the eyes. "No," he said, his voice firm. "I never had that potential with you. I became a devil."

"And can you ever change?" his dark persona smiled. "Your hands are stained with the blood we shed. You're forever tainted."

Once more Sephiroth forced him back. "That doesn't mean I have to wallow in the darkness." He lunged now, sending his opponent on the defensive. He did not want to fight anymore, but this was one battle that had to take place. This was a fight for his sanity, and he was going to come out the victor.

He could not see Zack, but he knew Zack was watching and fully supporting him. "I won't be able to help you in this fight, Seph," he had said, his voice filled with regret, "but I'll be right here the whole time."

But just knowing Zack was there was the best help he could offer. Sephiroth would not let his best friend down. And he would not let himself down, either. He would never allow himself to be consumed by such crazed and insane darkness again. That was no longer who he was.

He was not a hero, either. He never had appreciated the term, and especially not the way he had been so envied for his position. He was just a man.

"You'll always dwell in the darkness," his insane self said now. "You always will because that's where you belong!"

Their swords were moving faster now, crashing, separating, and crashing again. To an observer, it was just a blur of silver. Then the insane one feinted, moving at the last minute to impale Sephiroth. But that was his undoing. Sephiroth was all too familiar with the move, whether he wanted to be or not. And he was ready. He dived out of the way, slashing with the Masamune. His mad self fell back with a low growl, his left arm wounded. But as blood spurted from the new injury, a pain stabbed into Sephiroth's arm as well. He looked down at the emerging crimson substance.

"You can wound me, but you'll receive the same," his dark side smiled. "How can you expect anything different? This is a pointless battle."

Sephiroth glowered. It made sense that they would both be hurt, but wasn't this location somewhere in his mind? Couldn't he control what happened here? To defeat his other self should not mean that he would be fatally injured too.

"You never told the truth before," he said. "I won't expect it of you now."

Again he charged, catching the other off-guard as he slashed at the chest. His mad self gasped in pain, gripping his sword all the more tight. Sephiroth gritted his teeth against the rush of agony attacking him as well.

Both decided to ignore it at the same time. They flew at each other, their swords bared, their eyes aflame. The weapons crashed once, then again, and then the cruel doppelganger lunged at Sephiroth's side. He grunted as the blade cut into his flesh. The same wound appeared on the attacker.

Without waiting to recover, Sephiroth moved to attack once more. As their swords crashed again and again, Sephiroth aimed just to the side. The long blade plunged into his double's chest.

A grunt of pain came into his mad self's throat, echoed by Sephiroth's. Then a cruel smirk twisted the defeated's features, even as the sword was pushed deeper.

"Trying to eliminate me will only result in your utter destruction," he said.

"I can't eliminate you," Sephiroth retorted. "You are part of me, as you have said yourself. But I won't let you out any more."

A sneer. "When you're so much as angry, I'm there," was the answer. His dark side dissolved into countless specks of mist, twirling around Sephiroth's heart. At the same moment they entered, the anguish reached its zenith. The Masamune clattered to the ground as Sephiroth gripped at the wound in his chest, sinking to his knees as his hands trembled.

Was his body feeling this outside of his mind? It seemed impossible to imagine that he was not actually wounded. But . . . he was not, was he? He could not be. Still, the dizziness was clouding his vision. He fell forward, descending into oblivion.

But he was stopped. He froze, consciousness beginning to prick his senses again. Someone had caught him. Now he was being held close, protectively. It was a warm, comforting embrace.

"Seph! You did it, Seph! I knew you would. You're gonna be just fine now."

He forced his eyes open, staring up at Zack. The brunet was grinning at him, tears of relief in his eyes.

Sephiroth was too weary to even begin to move. But it felt as though his wounds were being mended. "How?" he asked at last. "How can you be here . . . like this?"

Zack's smile turned a bit sad. "I can't hug you in the real world anymore, pal, but this place . . . this is where spirits can meet."

The village had faded now. Everything was white, save the field of flowers they were kneeling in. And Sephiroth slowly brought his arms around Zack, hugging him close. It had been so long since anyone had shown him such unconditional love. He had never been worthy of it, and especially not now, after everything he had done while out of his mind. But he had missed Zack's random embraces so much during the long years.

This was the last one they would share until Sephiroth was dead as well.

He shut his eyes tightly, clutching at his best friend. Zack had always given him everything. Now he had received his soul again.