Sephiroth's soul redemption

Enak and Erik’s story.

We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment,
We are choosing to be here right now, hold on, stay inside.
This holy reality, this holy experience
Choosing to be here in..
Parabola, Tool


“Wake up, Zach!” Jeh-ri said, getting him up in the middle of the night, and sneaking out of the dorm, knowing that no one would be using the great round bathtub in one of the officers sauna that late at night.

Jeh-ri lit several candles he had brought up, and lit a stick of incense, driving away the smell of cleaning chemicals. Now the harsh overhead lights were turned off, they were alone in the warm water, the walls closing in making the cold hard room become quite intimate.

“This is cosy, children,” Sephiroth said as he had unexpectedly shown up, probably for the same reason they had, just to relax and be quiet.

“Children? May I remind you that I am still about nine years older than you, General.”

“Truly? Then why don’t you ever act your age, Graduate?” he said pointedly.

“Tell you what, you tell me how some one my age should behave, and I’ll do it.”

Sephiroth mused briefly. “I think I’ll send you a memo on that subject.”

“I can hardly wait” Jeh-ri said, fluttering his eye lashed at him.

“Do behave, will you.” He said, and sank in with them.

The utter sod must have overheard them that afternoon, Jeh-ri mused, and saw this as an opportunity to find out more about their interactions when they were alone. He decided that he and Zach could use a little diversion. Knowing he and Enak had been feeling eachother out gave him an idea and he sent out a telepathic pulse, calling for Enak to come and join them.

“What is the big deal with the Stone twins, anyway?” Zach asked, drifting around in slow circles.

“That is a long tragic story.” He said, taking Zach's hands, letting him drift through the water,

"I’m all ears.” Zach said smiling softly, as he sank beneath the water, leaving only his head above the surface.

“Well, their mother was called Winter Tree, and she was of the Boulder tribe. They live in rocks on the steppes of yellow earth. She wanted a more modern life for herself and enrolled into the Project ark academy, as a liaison officer between her people and Project Ark. She had a sim partner in the tribe, but he didn’t want to leave his people, and he didn’t feel much for the life she had chosen for herself. They would see eachother whenever she was on leave, but they just started drifting apart, I guess.”
Zach nodded at that, having gone through a similar thing with Aeris.

“They broke up eventually but she found out she was pregnant with Enak at the time she entered the academy. Knowing she didn’t want to have her baby without the father present in its life she decided to store the embryo away in her body until she could find a solution, but her and her partner never saw each other again.”

“How is that done?” Sephiroth asked.

“I am not really sure, but it has to do with controlling the rate of cell division. In some cases if conception is noticed early enough, the mother can store the genes given to her by the father in her tissues, then when the time is right, infusing the genetic material with an ova, then cell division continues.”

“It is because of the sim that you are able to do so?” He asked, pulling a handful of sodden silver coloured strands over one shoulder. Jeh-ri nodded in confirmation, than continued with the story.

“She graduated and left the academy. Then became an officer at the Cara Maximes, and there she met the Admiral who was still single then. They fell in love; got married, and then Erik was conceived. But for some reason she started to become more and more melancholy, she just seemed to loose her willpower to live for some reason. I think she just couldn’t cope being separated from her people and her sim-partner, the tribes people have a habit of wasting away if they are removed from their native soil.
She allowed both babies to grow to full term at the same time, and gave birth in the citadel, where Nathan delivered them. That’s how he came to be their godfather.”

“I didn’t know Nathan is a G.P.” Zach asked.

“He’s not, but all men help their women give birth there. Having a sim enables you to see into your partner’s body, knowing by instinct what to do. They have created that life together, and they deliver it together.” Jeh-ri said.

“Wow, that is really beautiful,” Zach said softly, and Jeh-ri was pleased to see he was genuinely touched.

“Well, it is kind of logical, he put it in there, he’d better take it out too.” The red haired man said, trying to lighten the mood a little. Zach grinned at that. Jeh-ri shot a quick glance at the other man across from them, but he seemed to have engrossed himself in his own inner thoughts.

“Knowing they would be well taken care of, she passed away not soon after, and they have been raised at the academy and on the Cara Maximes. We grew up with them, they are our family.

“That explains the big difference between the two, having two different fathers.” Sephiroth concluded.

“Indeed, but as Winter Tree was pregnant their energies and karmas mixed somehow.
Enak has the dedication and fierce loyalty you see in the entire Charrander clan, but Erik has inherited the wildness and incapacity for coping with authority Enak’s father had.
Once you have convinced Enak you are worthy of his loyalty, he will happily sacrifice his life to save you, but Erik is wild and untamed. He would rather die than be tied down, or broken.”

“Hence the problem with authority.” Sephiroth said.

“That is why they seem so out of sorts sometimes, each carrying part of each other’s heritage, like two sets of mismatched clothing. And they can’t do without each other as they each possess part of the other.” Jeh-ri concluded.

“Such terrible resentment, and such terrible love.” Sephiroth added, quietly.

“Seph, how terribly profound of you!” Zach jibed. Sephiroth just smiled lighly, then rested his head against the edge of the pool, closing his eyes. “Some of the officers are interested in Erik.” He said, raising one inquisitive eyebrow.

Jeh-ri had been waiting for something like that to eventuate. Erik had noticed some of the officers and lower ranking SOLDIERs eye him up from time to time, and had met their interest with disgust.

“Barking up the wrong tree, aren’t they?” the General said, “Another startling contrast to his brother, though. I bet it causes friction between them.”

“That is putting it mildly. Homosexuality is actually quite common for both genders on Althea when they are young, Erik never went with it, and Enak wanted to, but just never got his dealt with, until I pointed out to him that his brother hasn’t got any say in his private life.”

Something clicked into place for Sephiroth at that remark. So it was Jeh-ri who had encouraged Enak to seek him out.

Then Enak entered, Zach and Jeh-ri exchanging knowing smiles, casting a sidelong at Sephiroth, whose eyes had briefly but violently flashed with surprise, pleased at this development.
“Good evening.” Enak said quietly, and gently slid beneath the surface, barely disturbing it. He came over to Jeh-ri first, kissing him in the nape of his neck. “Thank you.” He whispered. “You’re welcome,” He said.

Enak moved off to sit beside the General, but kept his distance a bit, as he didn’t know how the man would respond to his presence.

“This is a lot like the pools at the temple.” Enak said.

Jeh-ri nodded, “Only there we are outside, and you can look at the stars.”

“Really? Cool! When’s our next fieldtrip to Althea, Seph!?” Zach asked, but the General had other things on his mind.

“That is quite a tattoo you have, Enak.” Zach commented as he pointed at the two swirling patterns that wrapped themselves around his shoulders and upper arms. “Do they have a meaning to them?”

Jeh-ri gestured For Enak to come to him in the centre of the pool, and turn him so he could point out all the different parts that intertwined, but told different stories.

“This part tells of Enak’s chosen father and mother, this part is the oath we all swear becoming Unit members, it says; Earth is Mother, Sky is father, we brothers and sisters serve in protection, in unity for the common good, until the moment supreme.”

“Moment Supreme?” Sephiroth asked.

“Death. Immortality by rejoining the life stream. It is when you become one with all the knowledge of the universe. You have peace.”

Enak turned so his other shoulder could be read. “This is a chant we all use regularly, it says;
‘From delusion lead me to enlightenment
From darkness lead me to light
From death lead me to immortality.’ And these parts signify the unit he belongs to, the one of the Wapet Bear.”

“Jehr, would you sing for me?” Enak asked all of a sudden becoming melancholy. Dropping his head, nesting it against the redheads shoulder.
He looked over at the General for approval, who nodded, his eyes soft.
So he sang:

Can’t stop, stop the hurting,
Can’t stop, stop the breathing
Can’t stop, stop these tears for you, my dear.

Don’t know why it’s so sad
This life being so bad
I’m glad I finally found you here

You’re the voice of a dream I had
You’re the voice and I’m so glad
You’re the weight of a dream of a life come true
There is no denying

I sometimes run and chase the moon,
I just can
I some times run and chase the view
But i'm just dreaming

It was quite dim in the bathroom and the candles started to sputter as moisture tried to settle on the wicks, but got driven away.

He looked at Enak, drops of moisture clinging to his long feathery eyelashes, and he could see a tear run down his cheek, but it was hidden in the droplets of water on his skin. At seeing him break, Zach wanted to move away, feeling slightly awkward, but Jeh-ri stopped him as he pulled his arms around them both.

..It is ok, Zach, he trusts you too otherwise he wouldn’t have shown this now.. Like it or not, you have been adopted into our circle.. feel welcome..

Zach buried his face against Jeh-ri’s shoulder, breathing against his back.

…what is the matter, Enak?.. why so sad..

… I want it all to stop.. I want to go home, Jehrica..

… I miss Althea too..

… I want to get back to myself.. to go find my partner.. be at peace..

… your union with Sephiroth.. did it heal you?..

… Almost..


Under the water, Sephiroth's leg had drifted toward Enak, seeking contact, but feeling unwanted as if he was afraid to disturb the moment, not knowing how to cope with the emotions that had arisen so quickly.

Jeh-ri reached out to him, and prayed he would accept, just for Enak’s sake. He took his hand, and Jeh-ri’s heart leapt for them both.

Please Great Creator, if he is capable of tenderness, let him show it now.. they both need it.

Jeh-ri gently pulled him closer, knowing it was all right, as he had seen Enak’s hand drift toward Sephiroth’s knee, and placed the General’s hand on the tattooed shoulder. Then Enak lifted his head and allowed himself to be pulled to the other end of the pool, into Sephiroth’s arms who slid one hand along his neck, pulling away the wet strands of hair.

They were eachother’s opposites, Enak with his black hair and reddish brown skin, large brown eyes and full mouth, Sephiroth hovering over his shoulder, his hair silver white, his skin so pale, but slightly flushed by the warmth of the water and building excitement, his eyes cold icy green, cat pupils widely dilated to catch as much light as possible. Then Enak turned, rising up, looking at the other, and kissed him.

Zach rested his head against Jeh-ri’s shoulder as the watched his friend run his hand appreciatively over the dark, tattooed body. He wandered at the P.A.A. people. They were so diverse in their appearance, but all had their own individual beauty. Ian being of the same build as himself, Enak being more slender, and elegant, like a panther, and Erik, being more coarse and stocky. Jeh-ri actually being the smallest of the lot, being even slightly shorter then the lithe and nimble Leisa, but a strong and skilled fighter non the less.

He had, what he had referred to when going over the files of cadets that in his opinion wouldn’t make the cut, natural aggression. When others faltered and walked away from fighting, even sparring, he revelled at it, finding ever more inventive ways of letting it out, goading and enticing Zach as they trained together more and more often. What energy he couldn’t shed during their practice bouts, he burned off in bed with him.

Even now, with the General arching over backwards as Enak had disappeared under the surface, he could see lust fuelled in the redhead’s dark green eyes. But no matter how turned on he was to begin with, it always abated, surrendering control just as he did now as Zach turned them both around, pushing his lover against the edge of the pool, and they engrossed themselves in each other once again.