The Angel's Redemption

Sephiroth walked out as soon as he woke up, grinning as he sees the still sleeping form of Yuna, and looks up at the sky as he stood at the cliif's edge, "Such a beautiful world...I will destroy anyhting that would dare threaten this beauty.." he sighs and turns back to the village, walking towards the shop.

Yuna awoke to find her patient, and guardian, missing from his bed. His sword still leaned against the wall, close to his bed, which clued her that he was still in the village. she yawned, and slipped on her kimino and sandals.

She left her room in the temple and exited to the rest of the village. Where on earth was he? She asked around. The answers were vague and unknowing. 'Somewhere near the shop' was as specific as it got.

Yuna walked over to said item shop and found out that Sephiroth had purchased a large amount of Hi potions and Phoneix Downs. The shopkeeper politely informed Yuna that he'd gone to the textile hut. On the other side of the village. With a bow Yuna mentally sighed and left for Jassu's fathers.

There, the apprentice summoner was informed he had jsut been there, making a few, one of them being his overcoat, fully repaired form hsi crash landing.

"Oh yes, he had quite a lot of gil on him." The old man sighed in awe.

"I'm just leaving," Yuna smiled before turning to him. "Oh! sir, do you think you could possibly make me a travel skirt and shirt?"

"Of course, just come by in an hour and it will be done, I promise." she nodded and walked out

Yuna stood outside the temple now, waiting for her new guardian to come home. After the cloth makers shop, she'd gone back to see if he'd returned. He had, of course, come back during her absence, taking his sword. Darn him.

"Maybe I should look for him?" she wondered silently to herself.

The blitzers walked through the village gates then, Sephiroth in front. All of them were laughing of course about something one of them had done. She assumed it was something Sephiroth had done, because when he spoke again, they laughed again. She was happy he was making friends with Wakka, especially after yesterday.

"I don't think I was ever so speechless in my life," Sephiroth laughed. "Oh, hello Yuna."

Yuna glared.

He grins, "Did you sleep well?"

Wakka was laughing again this time. "You're in for it now brudda," he laughed putting a hand on the silver-haired man's shoulder. "Aurochs! To my place for drinks ya?"

As the jocks left for the safety of Wakka's hut, Sephiroth walked up to the teen. She was in a half worried, half upset mood entirely directed at him. He noticed then, that her once floor length kimono had been replaced with a violet skirt slit up both side to just above her knees. She was also wearing a white tanktop.

"I like your skirt," he said honestly, "It seems to fit your personality more."

Yuna blushed a bit on the heavy side, her anger now all but gone. She'd received compliments from the village boys before, but none could compared to the way Sephiroth said his. They weren't complex or breathtaking. They were simple, sincere, warmer than his normal speech, and for some reason made her blush like crazy. She motioned for him to come back into the temple.

"Oh!" Sephiroth started when they entered the room. "I got you something. Nothing big."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, for the journey. Those don't look very comfortable, and what with the snow of this mountain you spoke of. I mean you'll be cold and frostbite is really dangerous, so you know...I thought to get you these" Sephiroth trailed off. Folding his arms and looks at her as she opens the box he had behind his back.

Yuna lifted the lid to the box. A pair boots similar to Sephiroth's, with black slim, but very strong string to lace them up. The leather was tough, black, and well worn on the outside and feather soft on the inside.

"Thank you very much. Tomorrow, we go into the temple where I'm going to pray to the fayth. I'd like it if you came with me." she looked down at the legend, smiling.

Sephiroth looked up at the girl. She was trying to figure out how to lace her new boots. With a small lawarmer chuckle he walked over and helped her pull out the tongue and lace them.

"I feel like a little girl," she laughed a bit, as he tied the right boot into a bow. "No ones tied my shoes for me since my father did."

"Your father? What was he like?"

"High Summoner Braska. He went on the same journey I'm about to go on. And he succeeded."

His hands moved mechanically lacing the boot up as he spoke to her again. "So...you're following you fathers footsteps..." she nods, speaking of some places she had seen.

All night the two spoke of their worlds, Sephiroth of Midgar and lands all over his world, and Yuna spoke little of Spira, telling him tidbits and other things, stopping only when the sky began to lighten. Yuna had, blushingly asked Sephiroth to untie her boots due to her lack of knowledge about them

"There are so many lace holes," Yuna laughed. "I might have to have to have you tie them up all the time."

Sephiroth chuckle at this and looked up, "You wouldn't do that would you?" It was easy to be around Yuna. He could actually act human, not some psycho ready to destroy the world. He could act...normal.

"No...but it sounds like fun doesn't it?" she laughed and smiled at him, who gladly returned the smile. They walked back to the hut they slept in.

Sephiroth shook his head and laid down on his bed, his overcoat hanging on the handle of his blade, and turned so his back faced Yuna. She turned once she was sure his back was turned to her, saving him and herself embarassment.

Then she proceeded to change into her nightgown, Sephiroth blushed at the thought of Yuna naked, but shook his head, closing his eyes and falling asleep. His blush deepened from the little dream he was having.

It was well past noon when the two of them woke up, Sephiroth first and a good hour or two before Yuna. How she could sleep so long was beyond him, but no one was like him, being able to wake up so early, if he taught her how, she could do it too. Eventually Lulu came in to wake the girl, which of course took a good fifteen minutes.

Sephiroth waited patiently outside. Leaning against the hut.

Being in the room while she changed and bathed made him blush, it made him feel weird and unsure, which was rare for him, he refused to bath until she was finished. She emerged soon after he began twirling a fireball in his hand.

She came out barefoot, holding the boots he'd bought her and smiling a bit.

"You shouldn't have let me sleep in so long," She scolded him lightly.

"You were tired from last night." He said, noting Lulu's questioning glare. "Besides, I woke up a couple hours before you did." he held Masamune effortlessly handle in his hand, the blade pointing backwards, "So what do you feel like doing Yuna?"

"We go into the cloister of trials once Kimahri gets here," she spoke in her soft voice. A voice he'd only heard in front of others, he couldn't figure out why she used that voice. "After that I go pray and hopefully I'll become a summoner."

Kimahri was still sore about the previous day and a bit over protective of Yuna once Lulu asked about their night together. That had made the black mage smirk and sputtering from both Sephrioth and Yuna. Lulu did of course laugh and dismissed it, taking Sephiroth aside after Kimahri led Yuna into the Cloister.

"If the time really does come..." she started, "I want you to do it with her...she deserves to experience is at least once."

It made Sephiroth blush deeply, clears his throat, and nods as he walks into the Cloister.

*Even if she doesn't...there is no way in hell she is dieing on my watch...* he wondered to himself as to why he cared. He dismissed it and continued foward.

The cloister was actually pretty simple and filled with materia shaped objects called spheres. The walls of stone were dusty and ancient. *Reminds me of the Temple of the Ancients.* he shuddered at how he acted back then, picturing himself as a changed man.

The antechamber of the temple was surprisingly vibrant in color and incredibly elaborate despite the dreary atmosphere. Statues littered the walls and ceiling, leaving Sephiroth in a real inspired awe. Yuna began to climb the steps while Lulu and Kimahri waited at the bottom. Sephiroth ran up halfway, grabbing ehr arm gently.

"Good luck, and be careful." he stated clearly, wanting to sound confident in her.

"Thank you." She walked through the elaborately decorated door. and Sephiroth was forced to rejoin Lulu and Kimahri down on the ground floor, sighing and folding his arms, leaning against the statue behidn him.

"You like her don't you?" Lulu asked.

Sephiroth remained silent, knowing no matter how he answered, she would turn it around on him, jsut like Reeve would do. He cursed at himself for remembering the fools of Shin-Ra.

"It's alright if you do," she smiled. "Just don't tell Wakka, he might try and kill you."

Sephrioth chuckled at this, but decided to not sound like an arrogant fool.

Hours passed. It seemed like an eternity for the Guardians in the room, and somewhere in his mind, Sephiroth was sure night had fallen. Lulu was now sitting on the bottom step, bangs hanging in her face to hide her closed eyes.

Her moogle doll moving on it's own, which left Sephiroth curious as to how she made it do that, was behind her, unbraiding and brushing her hair, signaling that she was asleep. Kimahri was also sitting, though he was in deep meditation, his lance balanced perfectly in front of him.

This left Sephiroth waiting at the bottom of the stairs that led to the antechamber room. A few more hours, his sword leaned against the wall next to him, his eyes closed.

He quickly looked at the door to the antechamber when it burst open revealing Wakka and a blonde teen he'd never seen before. And he'd met everyone in the village, he was sure he had, which made him frown a bit. *Hmph...looks like Cloud...* he glared at the kid for a second.

"What are you doing here?" Lulu immediately questioned Wakka, pinning him under her gaze. It reminded him of an interrogation he once saw in Shin-Ra, "Didn't think we'd be able to handle it?"

"No, it's uh...it's just..." He turned to the blonde beside him, "See, I told you she gets mad easy."

"Is the summoner all right?" He asked curiously and somewhat snobbish, sounding familiar. He smiled to himself, *Sounds like Reno...*

"Who the hell are you boy?" Sephiroth asked, making himself known. Wakka spun around, hand on his chest in shock, while the blonde kid stumbled foward from surprise. He chuckled at the sight of the two surprised men and shook his head, his hair swaying a bit.

"My name's Tidus, star player of the Zanarkand Abes!" He puffed his chest out arrogantly. Great, a foolish sportsman, who thought he was the toughest in the world.

*I should put this brat in his place...but I don't think it'll be required right now...*

"What importance does that hold here?" Sephiroth was acting his cold self again. He ignored the ingorant attitude from the boy and the gaping from Wakka, preferring instead to stand at the bottom of the stairs, facing the door Yuna had gone through. He was a bit nervous at the elongated time Yuna had spent in the chamber. Fearing something had happend to her.

The door opened then, ceasing Sephiroth's pateient waiting, and endless worry, revealing Yuna leaning heavily against the wall. She attempted to walk out on her own, but stumbled and began falling. He was thankful that the Mako treatments and experiments had given him extra speed when she fell in his arms. Kimahri was a mile behind him and he heard Tidus started to move as well. He was already up the steps and holding Yuna up, thanks to what Hojo had done to him.

"I've done it Sephiroth.." She smiled at him. "I have become a summoner!"

She passed out then from the lack of sustenance from her time in the room. But he was there to catch her. Sephiroth picked her up like he had in the jungle before and walked down the stairs and out the door. He could faintly hear Lulu quietly yelling at Wakka for bringing Tidus in, at least he assumed, as he went to the room he'd shared with Yuna before. He laid her on the bed and got a glass of water from the stand nearby, along with some food.
"Wow, that guys a really dedicated brother," Tidus said, watching his main opposition for the hot piece of tail that he craved.
"Brudda?" Wakka asked, laughing. "Please, Seph's not Yuna's brudda."
"You mean they're?" Tidus questioned Wakka, sounding almost disappointed.
Lulu stepped in to answer him, she knew this type and wouldn't let him get with HER sister.
"Ever since he arrived they've been sleeping together," she played. "She tended his wounds so faithfully, just like a wife."

Back inside the room, Yuna was starting to feel much better. Even if Sephiroth was practically force feeding her and making her drink gallons of water.
"Sephiroth!" Yuna laughed pulling away, "I'm going to drown if you make me drink anymore. And I'm so stuffed I don't think I can eat anymore!"
He apologized and leaned back, folding his arms, and closing his eyes. He'd been worried she realized, something that made her very happy. Wakka and Lulu worried, of course, but their worrying made her feel as if she'd done something wrong. He stood up to let everyone know she was okay and she complied easily enough.

Sephiroth escorted Yuna out of the temple, both noting that everyone had already left to notify the villagers. They were all standing round in a circle to see what their new summoner could do.
She was so much more graceful than anything Sephiroth had seen before, he had never used summon materia, but had seen them in action, simple and precise, he carried around summon materia, but never bothered to really use it.

But this...this was in a league all it's own. It was beautiful and intricate and something passed down through the generations. Glyphs shone on the ground around her as the sky itself became part of her elegant summoning dance.

The creature was something he'd never seen before, birdlike and rainbow colored, it looked liek a mixture between a bird and a dragon, he was quite impressed.

*I wonder...if there are more like this in Spira...I guess I'll find out...*

She performed a second motion after stroking it lightly and the bird flew off, dissipating into more of the glowing balls of light.

Yuna was trying hard not to stumble as she was congratulated, and Sephiroth walked up to hold her side and steady her. Yuna glanced at him thankfully before talking with the rest of the villagers. Faintly, he noticed Tidus glaring at him challengingly, and he glared back, and smirked, not paying attention, then Tidus looekd at Yuna, licking his lips and smooching the air.

*That little...* his eyes narrowed and shot a murderous glare at the boy, making him retreat back into the hut.

"Yuna," Sephiroth whispered, as they were getting ready for the nights celebration. "What are the glowing balls of light that come off of the fiends and aeons?"
"Pyreflies," Yuna said, looking through her chest for a pair of socks. She loved the boots, but they made her feet sweat and one part was giving her a blister.

"Um, I have something I have to show you after the party." He faltered for a moment when she nodded. "Tidus, I don't trust that arrogant fool."

Yuna nodded before the two of them headed out. The village circle, that Yuna ha summoned the impressive creature, was now playing host to a giant bonfire everyone was gathered around. Over on one side the Aurochs were messing around, tossing the ball back and forth. A few waved at him, while the others invited him over later. The side that Yuna was occupying (and Sephiroth so he could ward off the idiot Tidus) was covered in elders and children. Old people smell...but the kids were pretty cool.

The youngest boy of them all was climbing up his back, trying to take him down while an older boy was helping out, taking him by an arm. The girls were poking him with wooden swords. Was there some unwritten law that allowed children repeatedly attack adults? Or were they all enacting some ancient secret ritual of evil sacrifice to be made? And why was he having fun?! He didn't understand and mentally shook his head.
Sephiroth slowly stood up, pretending to roar like a monster and causing the kids to laugh delightedly, making them try even harder. He marched around a few feet, only faintly surprised when the girls jumped on him too. He marched around for quite a few minutes until the children's arms got tired of holding on. Mako was a good thing when dealing with children, he'd discovered this long ago, it gave him an extra energy boost and let him keep up and catch them easily.

"Let me introduce you to the team," he heard Wakka say to Tidus. He almost felt bad for the boy, from what he'd seen of the Aurochs, they were dirty boys. Wakka was talking about Tidus having a fuzzy memory and saying odd things. He was awkward introducing himself and the rest of the team seemed less than enthusiastic. Especially when he changed the team goal. Wakka seemed okay with it though, and made the team more at ease with he new plan until they were all but shouting "Victory".

"Victory! Victory! Victory!"

Sephiroth ignored it, deciding to play to the kids that he was tired. And they let him go, only long enough to sit down beside Yuna. They moment his rear touched the ground they were creating a dog pile. He looked up when he heard Yuna laughing at him.
He chuckled heartily, which was rare in any case, making Yuna laugh and was about to help him when the villagers began shouting some incredibly kind things to the newest guest. One of the kids even got up to yell at him.

"You heathen!" An old man wheezed out, shaking his cane angrily.

"Stay away from the summoner!" His wife agreed.

Sephiroth hid a grin of victory over the boy, even though he had been a psychopath bent on world destruction, he had better standings with the people then this blonde idiot.

"You're a bad man!" This came form the child who'd previously sat on his head. At least the kid was off him now, but Yuna was walking over to Tidus, assuring everyone that she would be fine near the stranger.

"I'm Yuna," She introduced herself, trying to ignore the looks he was giving Sephiroth behind her. "Thank you so much for your help earlier."

"I'm sorry about that." Tidus laughed, "Wasn't that... Wasn't I not supposed to... Guess I...kind of overreacted."

"Oh, no, Sephiroth was actually getting ready to get me out." she looked back at the silver-haired swordsman.

Tidus flinched at the name of the other man. He glanced over, seeing a little girl braiding Sephiroth's sleek silver hair. He wondered if his cold reaction was due to how Sephiroth acted.

"Um, I saw that aeon thing," Tidus started anew, hoping to get on the brunettes good side. "That was amazing!"

"Really?" Yuna asked. "Do you think I can become high summoner?"

"Lady Yuna," A kid ran up yelling. "Sephy needs to be prettier! Will you please come help us?!" Sephiroth's brow twitched at the nickname, "I wouldn't go that far as to call me Sephy." Both teens turned around to find that Sephiroth now had a stylish crown of flowers, as well as a necklace, of stones and petals. The boys had armed him with a wooden sword, exceptionally shorter than his usual sword and a crudely made spear, which sported a dulled tip, to avoid injuries and what not. The girls were mashing up berries for war paint, he looked like a tribal king of sorts.

"He's so kind to them," Tidus heard Yuna sigh happily. "So, tomorrow, then."

Tidus started. "Tomorrow?"

"We're going on the same boat, aren't we?"

"Oh, really?"

"We can talk more," Yuna commented. "You can tell me all about Zanarkand!"

Tidus watched her walking back over to the broody, yet child friendly man. They did look good together, but he was older than she was, much older he judged. Not to mention he wasn't a superstar! His musing's had been cut short by Wakka's arm around his neck.

"She's cute, ya?" The dark man commented, waggling his eyebrows.

"Yeah," Tidus said nodding.

"Don't get no ideas."

"No promises there, big guy," Tidus laughed. "Hey, but what if she, like, comes on to me?"

Wakka scoffed at the very thought. "That's not going to happen. Those two were made for each other ya? They just don't know it yet. Hey, if you get tired, let me know. I had a bed made for you."

Back by Sephiroth and Yuna, the whole village was taking part in decorating the Legendary SOLDIER. He was a surprisingly good sport about all of it, the elders would whisper behind their hands. "He's being so kind to her", the elders would whisper. "He's falling in love with her", the elders would whisper.

"Yuna, you aost one et?" Sephiroth asked, trying not to move his mouth too much. She'd been painting on and around it for the last ten minutes and he had to yawn, badly.

"Hang on alittle bit more." Yuna said, her own mouth open as she painted him. She couldn't explain how, but she could understand him perfectly, whether he was mumbling, muttering to himself, or talking as she painted him up. She even understood the words he spoke in his sleep. Such sad and anguished words, even now she hadn't asked him about it.
"All done!" Yuna said happily. She watched the man's mouth stretch impossibly wide as he yawned.

"Good," Sephiroth said, "Come on, I wanted to show you something." he stood and helped Yuna up and began walking to the village gates. He made sure to unsheathe his sword in front of Tidus as a warning however, shooting a almsot murderous glare at the young blonde.

"That guy is scary when he wants to be..." Tidus said a bit shakily.

"He just bein protective." Wakka retorted.

Tidus scoffed and walked into Wakka's hut.

Sephiroth led her to the monument for a safe trip after only a few battles. He made sure Yuna fought in said battles so she would be more experienced, and gain more power, so he wouldn't have to constantly take hits for her, not that he minded of course, ready of course to step in any minute. Thankfully, he and the Masamune weren't needed.

"So?" Yuna asked. "What is it?"

"Materia," Sephiron said pulling an orb out of his ring was rainbow colored."A pwoerful way of using magic, if used properly." holds up for her to see "Master summon materia. It summons the same way you can summon that..."

"Valefor," Yuna filled in. "Are you saying you want to fight them?"

"No, I want to teach you to use materia," Sephiroth said. "Master Summon Materia, a very rare type of materia, allows full access to all of the summons from my old home."

Sephiroth placed the materia back into his Touph Ring with a nod, then he went back to explaining the basics of materia usage. How to focus your energy and reach into the depths of the little sphere, pulling out its hidden power.

"I only have mastered materia with me, so you'll have to be careful," He said, pulling out a master magic materia and handed it to her. "Now, equip it by pushing it into your ring. It'll fit." He waited until she did so, however hesitantly. "Alright, I'm going to tell you a spell to focus on alright? Lets start with something you know..."

"Cure?" Yuna asked.

"No, you might end up using the kind you're used to...perfect," Sephiroth said quietly, spotting a fiend. "Now, I want you to imagine that fiend turning very, very tiny, alright?"

Yuna nodded, focusing on both the unsuspecting flan and the materia. Tiny flan, tiny flan, tiny flan. The materia in her ring was reacting sluggishly and reluctantly, she heard Sephiroth whispering for her to keep steady. Be insistent, yet undemanding. The magical sphere flushed then and exited through the Summoner's fingertips, right at the now miniscule flan.

"I did it!" Yuna was amazed at the sphere on her ring, it remaining the dull yet majestic glow it once held now. "It was so strange...I'd never cast any spell like that before."

"That's materia. Honestly I'd never seen spells cast without it until I came here." He walked over to the pint-sized Lupine and picked it up, the little wolf-like fiend started thrashing. "Think Lulu would let us keep it?"

"Defiantly not," Yuna shook her head. "She's actually kind of scared of them."

"Are you serious?"

"Dead serious." Sephiroth chuckled and cut down the mini wolf, making it disappear in a burst of pyreflies.

They both sigh as they finish up the little lesson, and walk back down, the sun beginning to rise over the horizon, Sephiroth carrying the new summoner in his arms, her asleep, he remains silent, so as not to disturb her, he places her down in her bed when they get into the village, staying up to make sure Tidus didn't try anything.