Luzcian

Kain hadn’t been raised by the most affectionate family, but at least he wasn’t hated. He barely held faint memories of his mother, who passed away when he was small—sweet, smiling, and willing to give everything for him—and his father was not a particularly sentimental person.

Kain hated his father for being so demanding. The boy wanted to be the best Dragoon of all, yes, but sometimes his father made him train until he fainted and didn't give him enough time to recover the next day. It was a cycle of torture that tormented him physically and psychologically. He never told anyone, not even Cecil or Rosa, because he feared they would see him as a crybaby or a weakling.

However, one afternoon, after vomiting the little he had eaten for lunch following a heavy kick his father had dealt him, he snapped:

"I hate you! Do you hear me? I hate you!! I wish you had died instead of Mom!"

Kain ran away shortly after. It was already dark by then. The boy never had a place within Baron he could call a "refuge"; yes, Rosa and Cecil's hugs were the closest thing he had to one, but he only turned to that when he was caught by both children in a moment of weakness and they left him no other choice. This time was not the case.

When he wasn't caught, he sought refuge in a cave near Baron. There lived Valkyria, his father's dragon. Due to her size and appearance, many were frightened, which is why she couldn't live in Baron. Valkyria was an older dragon, covered in scars, and yet, her blue scales and sharp golden eyes were as bright as the day she was born. She was fierce and aggressive toward people—which is why he hadn't introduced her to Cecil or Rosa yet—but she loved young Kain. Every time Kain went to rest, as he did that night, she would let him lie on her belly and lick his head a little as if she were a dog. Kain would always laugh and hug her until he fell asleep.

Kain went to visit her for several days in a row after that, hunting something to feed her or reading her books. He always calmed her. He hadn't seen his father after what he shouted at him, but he didn't care.

On the fifth day, Kain had to face some monsters that blocked his path. Nothing out of the ordinary; his skill with the lance was impeccable for someone as young as him, and the monsters were like small pebbles in the road. However, that day there were more than usual, all gathered and surrounding him, closing off any escape route. Even so, Kain fought.

At first, it was easy thanks to how weak they were, but when he killed one, two more appeared. His stamina began to fail, and the enemy's attacks began to reach him. He tried to escape by jumping, but received a heavy blow to the back that slammed him against the ground. Kain recovered his lance and tried to stand his ground, but he was already exhausted.

Just when he thought all was lost, his father appeared from among the trees and finished off every one of them with a single thrust. It all happened in a second, and Kain was speechless. Ricard opened a bottle—a potion—and sprinkled his son with the liquid, healing his wounds in an instant.

Kain didn't lift his head, ashamed and waiting for a scolding from his father, but Ricard just carried him like a sack and followed the path that would lead them to Valkyria.

"Let me go! I can walk! Put me down, you old bastard!" Kain kicked and screamed, but his father ignored him. "Don't get the wrong idea, I could have done it alone. I don't need you!"

"I'm sorry, Kain."

The boy’s skin froze. He had never heard his father apologize. Kain stopped kicking, and Ricard kept walking without looking at him.

"Since your mother died, things haven't been the same. I feel like... death is following me. Kain, I want you to become a strong man who doesn't depend on anyone, so you can move forward without the help of your mother or me."

Kain's heart sank.

"I will die at any moment. I don't have much time left. I want you to become the man who surpasses me so you can live a full life without worries. I've watched you fight these last few days, and I can say you are on the right path."

"You've been following me? Why?" the boy asked, distraught, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Because a father worries about his son, Kain."

Neither said anything more after that. They visited Valkyria as Kain had planned and returned home.

A week later, Ricard Highwind had passed away. He predicted his own death. Kain didn't want to believe it. This wasn't how he really wanted things to go. His father had died thinking he hated him with all his heart.

Kain sought refuge with Valkyria again, but this time he didn't return to Baron. He stayed with her for at least four days, completely shattered, lacking the capacity to reason correctly.

It's his fault. Everything is his fault. He was the worst person in Baron, if not on earth. He was weak and selfish. He was weak. Weak.

"Kain."

The young man no longer had the energy to react. He didn't move from his spot, preferring to curl up further against Valkyria. Cecil sat beside him, without touching the dragon, and took some things out of his backpack.

"I didn't come to take you home, if that's what you're thinking. I brought you potions, antidotes, clothes, and food. Rosa and I prepared everything. We think it's enough for you to stay for a week."

Kain approached Cecil listlessly and accepted the food, murmuring soft words of thanks. Cecil turned his back, knowing Kain would want space.

"I'll be back next week with more things. Take your time, Kain. We'll be here for you when you return."

The older boy didn't respond, so Cecil stood up to leave, but Kain stopped him with a question:

"He hated me in his final moments, didn't he?"

Cecil sat back down behind him, close enough to feel back-to-back but far enough not to touch.

"I didn't know him very well, but I don't think so. The King always told me that you were the most precious thing in his life. I also noticed how he took special care of you in most situations. I think he just didn't know how to express how he felt, just like you."

"His last words were that he worried about me."

"Sir Ricard was not a lying man."

Kain sighed and hunched his back as he took another bite of the food. It was then that he realized something. He nearly choked.

"What are you doing here? It's dangerous!" Kain stood up and grabbed his friend by the shoulders. "Valkyria doesn't like strangers!"

"I know, I came prepared to run in the worst-case scenario. But she let me in. She accepted me." Both saw how the dragon continued to watch them peacefully, beginning to close her eyes to sleep a little. Cecil smiled. "I think she knows I'm here to help you."

Kain relaxed and returned to his spot, still a bit surprised by the creature's attitude. His father always told him that dragons were more intelligent than humans.

"Thank you, Cecil. Thank Rosa for me too. I still don't think I can go back."

"It's a pleasure. And don't pressure yourself, Kain. I'll come as many times as necessary." A comfortable silence filled the air until Cecil spoke again. "You know? The other day I fell off one of the Red Wings. I think I still have water in my ears and I can't hear very well."

Kain understood perfectly what Cecil meant.

"This is a bad idea."

"Don't be so negative. Besides, we're doing this for Cecil."

"It’s still a bad idea."

"It was your idea in the first place!"

"It was a joke. And even if I were serious, you could get hurt."

"Is Kain Highwind actually scared?"

The Hunting Day was being celebrated in Baron—a holiday where men got drunk, children played, and royalty did "important" things in front of their people.

'Stupid things', Kain corrected. They were just standing around waving like idiots and saying stupid things. All royals were the same. Kain Highwind, the reckless youth, respected many people, including King Odin. He was an honest man, firm yet kind and fair. The perfect King for a vast and powerful nation like Baron.

The only other royal he respected—to an extent—was Cecil. He was much like the King, but he lacked character. Cecil had begun his training as a Dark Knight, and it wasn’t going particularly well. As a warrior, he was excellent; he just needed to polish the dark techniques. But as a person, he was falling apart. Cecil tried to hide it from everyone, especially Rosa and Kain, but they knew him almost perfectly. The curve of his lips when he smiled had faded, the sky-blue glow of his eyes was now grayish, and his skin was paler than snow.

Whenever there was a major festival, the King and his loyal followers went out among the people because it was "diplomatic" and all that. Kain never saw the point anyway. Among those people, of course, the King’s son had to be present. Actually, Kain should have been there too, as the King's other "son" and Commander of the Dragoons, but he had returned from a mission just late enough to avoid getting ready to join them, and just early enough not to miss the main event. And then, Rosa kidnapped him.

They hid in the woods, and Rosa handed him a bag while telling him her plan—the very idea Kain had mentioned before leaving on his mission. Kain narrowed his eyes at Rosa’s question.

"Fine. But if anything happens, scream my name. The forest is full of monsters."

"I'll be careful, Kain." Rosa smiled to calm him while staining her ribbon red with the help of a strawberry. "Besides, you’re the one doing almost everything. Are you sure you can do it?"

"Who do you think you’re talking to?" Kain gave a daring smirk.

The sound of shots fired into the air alerted them. They looked at each other and nodded, setting their plan in motion.

Kain, dressed in leather boots, dark clothes, and a purple cloak and hood that hid most of his face, leaped from tree to tree searching for his prey. Being the King's son, it was obvious Cecil would be participating in the hunt. It was only a matter of time before he found him.

Finally, he spotted him, and fortunately, he was alone. Perfect; it wouldn't be good to draw more attention.

Kain intentionally snapped a branch to alert Cecil and then lunged at him as if to pierce him with his lance, knowing Cecil would dodge it easily.

"That was close, Prince."

"Who are you?!" Cecil brandished his sword. Kain observed his stance and was glad to see that Cecil was no longer the scared, trembling boy he used to be. He was maturing.

"If you want to see Rosa alive, you must defeat me." Kain showed him Rosa’s stained ribbon so he would fall for the lie.

Cecil’s heart skipped a beat, and his body trembled. Poor boy—even Kain felt a pang of pity. Usually, he was the one who took the fall for every prank they pulled, but this time, he would put all the blame on Rosa.

Kain launched one last aerial attack and leaped in the opposite direction, ensuring Cecil followed. What Kain didn't expect was having to dodge dangerous blasts of darkness that Cecil fired to strike him down. Cecil was a dangerous boy.

They reached their destination successfully, and Kain jumped one last time, as high as he could, to keep his head from being severed from his body by Cecil's final strike.

"Cecil, stop!" Rosa, who had seen everything, ran toward Cecil and hugged him. "Everything is fine."

"Rosa, you're okay!" Cecil did a quick check of her body, relieved to see her safe and sound. "Let's get out of here. It’s dangerous-"

"That’s Kain, Cecil. It was his idea. We wanted to get you away from all the fuss."

"What?"

"I said we should make him think you had fallen in the woods," Kain landed between the two of them—definitely not to separate them because they had been hugging for too long— "not that you had been kidnapped and hurt."

"But it worked."

"What is going on?" Cecil asked, lifting part of his Dark Knight armor.

"You looked so unwell and overwhelmed by the training and the celebration, so we did this to bring you here and force you to relax if necessary." Rosa spoke as if they hadn't just nearly scared the boy to death.

"We knew that if we simply asked, you wouldn't agree." Kain added.

"I... could you not make it... so realistic next time?"

"Sure. Next time I'll make the plan. I'm worried you'll actually kill someone with your crazy ideas." Kain looked at Rosa with a hint of fear. She simply huffed, having no excuse to defend herself.

"Still, I’m glad you’re okay, Rosa." Cecil pulled her close and hugged her tightly, calming his racing heart. "Did I hurt you, Kain?"

"No, your aim is pathetic." Cecil laughed at the comment.

"I'm glad it is, if it means you're okay." Kain let out a low growl, embarrassed by the sweet remark.

"Now that we’re all fine and nobody has had a heart attack, let’s eat something at the picnic I prepared. Time is ticking. You'll have to come up with an excuse to tell the King about Cecil’s disappearance, Kain."

"Me?"

"Didn't you say you’d handle it next time before I kill someone with my crazy ideas?"

From a very young age, his life’s primary goal was to make a name for himself and be as great a soldier as his father had been—even better. It was for this very reason that he began his training as a Dragoon at the age of five, hoping to achieve the perfection he dreamed of.

He skipped gatherings, chats with other children, and even classes just to keep training. All of that was a waste of time, especially when he already knew what he had to do. Most of the time, he was much more intelligent than those other children.

When he wasn’t jumping or wielding his spear, he was graced by Rosa’s presence. They used to talk through every class, almost always after the girl’s White Magic lessons. Being with Rosa and being the center of her attention was the best feeling he had ever experienced—even better than jumping and feeling the air rush against his face. It was his favorite moment of every day, and he longed for it to be eternal.

In reality, many of those conversations consisted of Rosa being an unstoppable chatterbox, so Kain almost always took the role of the listener. She was so lovely. She would tell him about her day, the things she had learned, the people she had spent time with, what she had for breakfast—good heavens! Even which foot she had used to get out of bed—and it wasn't something Kain complained about. He also received advice that he liked to ignore.

"Kain, you should do something else. All you do is train! Aren't you tired?"

"Not really. I’m happy here."

"Kain, I’ve never seen you play with other children. You don’t play much with me either..."

"Then let’s go play something, if that’s what you want." The idea of playing with Rosa revived something within his inner child, but when he saw the girl didn’t brighten up, he was puzzled. "What’s wrong, Rosa?"

"I’m worried about you, Kain. All you do is stay here, alone. The big kids say you’re losing your childhood while acting like an adult..."

Kain was forced to mature faster when the pressure his father and others exerted on him began to grow sharply, creating high expectations and authoritarian behavior. Kain hated it; that was no secret. Later, his father died in combat, and Kain wondered if it was due to the intense hatred growing inside him. Now, with people expecting so much from him and without a father figure—even if he wasn't the best one—Kain forced himself to learn how to fend for himself in life, leading him to change his way of thinking. The games other children enjoyed felt meaningless, cheerful conversations felt strange, and affectionate contact gave him the shivers.

Kain built a barrier to protect himself from the world at an early age. Despite all that, Rosa was the only one who tore down those walls with ease. The boy could only sigh and set his spear aside.

"Do you want to play? We can go with the other children, if you’d like."

If that meant seeing Rosa smile and feeling her hugs, he could play until his dying breath.

Within that group of children was Cecil, whom he initially loathed but now, thanks to a strange and abrupt turn of events, he had unconsciously adopted as a younger brother. Cecil was weak, yes, but his ability to adapt to every situation was impressive. Cecil would become a great knight, and that excited Kain—to have someone on his level to fight with and to celebrate the champion.

Both Kain and Cecil were terrible with a ball, so for several days, Rosa gave them lessons so they wouldn't look so foolish in front of the other children. Despite being a girl, Rosa was very good.

Kain didn’t remember laughing so much in his life. It was the first time he felt like a child. He wished he had enjoyed his childhood a little more.

Each of them began to enter their young adult stage, with new responsibilities and duties. Kain had officially become a Dragoon knight and could only puff out his chest with pride. Cecil... Well.

Cecil had begun his training as a Dark Knight and was not happy with the path he was taking. Cecil was always unusual in every sense, but highlighting his physical appearance at this time, he was very bright, as if he radiated moonlight through his skin. That was why it felt like a heavy blow to the heart to see how Cecil’s pale blue eyes grew dimmer every day. It was slow but constant. His smiles were increasingly awkward and forced, and Kain swore he was even getting thinner.

"Why did you accept being a Dark Knight if you don’t like it?" he dared to ask Cecil one quiet night after a hard training session. Both were on one of the castle rooftops, admiring the moonlight, wishing it were a medicine for the younger man.

"The King expects many things from me. I do this to thank him for everything he has done for me since the first day."

"Cecil, it is poisoning you. One day you’re going to..."

"I’m going to what? I won’t get upset with whatever you tell me."

"...Wither away. You look allergic to the darkness. Every day you look more like the living dead than a human."

"Worried about me, my friend? That’s something you don't see every day." Cecil smiled awkwardly to try and lighten the mood, but Kain’s narrowed eyes whispered a warning. "You know? That’s how you used to look. You only thought about being the best, and you were starting to deteriorate too. I was thinking that if I became as strong as you, I could finally rest."

'You are already stronger than me', but it was embarrassing to think it out loud.

"Rosa is worried."

"And so are you." But Kain didn’t answer. He didn't need to. Cecil already knew. The younger man smiled at him for a few seconds. "I’ll talk to her."

Cecil, Rosa, and he had been very close since they were small. However, Cecil and Rosa were close in another way, and although they hid it, it was no secret to Kain. Discreet glances, harmonious laughter, delicate touches. They were quite obvious.

And Kain wished he was in Cecil’s place.

Later that night, with a certain anguish and curiosity in his heart, Kain leaped down to the city until he reached Rosa’s house. He didn't find them there. He jumped toward the fountain, and there he found them, kissing under the moonlight reflecting off the water.

A small part of Kain was happy for them, for they were meant for each other. But on the other hand, why couldn't it be him? What had Cecil done that he couldn't replicate? Cecil and Rosa played a lot when they were children; they read many stories and walked through the city.

Was that it? Was it because he lost his childhood and grew up faster than he should have? Kain wished he could go back in time and enjoy that which he never had.

Posting this again because Tumblr was making fun of me.

"Have you ever regretted anything, sir?"

The question disconcerted him.

"What did you say, Ceodore?"

"I asked if you have ever regretted anything."

"Of course. We are human. We often regret many things."

"Yes, but..."

The man sighed and shook his head. Ceodore was a great boy with a bright future; he was kind-hearted and had the potential to be a great warrior. However, his insecurity held him back. Despite all the good things the boy had, it was noticeable that he was a solitary person with a lot of pressure on his shoulders. He knew his position, after all. Many people to impress, many people to satisfy, including his parents.

His parents were not bad people; from them, Ceodore inherited his gentleness and good heart. The man also knew that they loved their son and wanted the best for him. Still, Ceodore would have to become the king of a huge and powerful nation. It was a lot of responsibility for a boy.

"Go on, Ceodore. I won't judge you." The man was not very good with words, never had been, but he did his best to motivate the boy whom he now had to protect with his life.

"... Sometimes I wonder if, had we not been born that day, the Red Wind would be alive. Or if I hadn't been present, at least Biggs would have survived. Or if I were as strong as father and as skillful as mother, I would have saved everyone." Nervously, Ceodore began to scratch his arm. "Perhaps, if I..."

Ceodore fell silent and tried to hide his face by lowering his head. The man didn't force him to keep talking, fearing he might start to break down if he continued. Then, he went on.

"'If I hadn't been born, everyone would be happier.' Is that what you wanted to say, isn't it?"

The boy abruptly raised his head, looking at him with astonishment. His eyes welled up after that. Oh no, he knew those eyes very well.

"Yes, I understand how you feel."

"Really?" Happy wasn't the word, but Ceodore felt more relieved that someone understood his melancholy. The man nodded.

"That is... the other reason why I am traveling." Ceodore stared at him, waiting for him to continue. The man almost let himself be swayed by his face.

He remembered his first friend. Her smile and charisma. Her strong will, refusing to yield like the other ladies. Talented yet affable, with no dark intentions in her heart. He remembered how deeply he fell in love with her, how she was the pillar of his life, the thief of his sighs, the first and last person who appeared at the beginning and end of every day.

He remembered his first friend. His shyness and clumsiness. The man found him pathetic when he first met him, but his friend grew, and with him, his strength and resilience. Every time he stumbled, he got up and tried again with more effort. The man admired him and accepted him as his younger brother. Even with his strength, he never abandoned his good heart or his sense of justice.

He loved them both so much, and yet he let the darkest part of himself take control of his body and mind.

He took his friend for himself alone, so that she would only look at him just as he only looked at her, so that he would be the center of her world just as she was to him. He kidnapped her, completely ignoring her pleas and her screams begging him to stop, he tasted her lips like a sinister man, abused her trust, and betrayed her.

He confronted his friend and was determined to kill him in cold blood, wishing him to suffer for as long as possible. He wanted to snatch his new friends and the crystals from him, to show him how his friend was happier with him than with the other, how he was still a pathetic and miserable person who could do nothing but watch.

When he regained his mind, he felt like he could fall into despair. How could he have done that to the people he loved the most? Did he really love them? Did they truly still love him after all that? During his journey across the moon, on more than one occasion, he looked at the void beneath his feet, wondering if the fall would be enough to kill him quickly, or if he would suffer due to the pain and drown in his own blood. Although he didn't like it, he certainly deserved the second option.

He didn't do it. He hesitated. He saw himself in the reflection of the moon's walls and realized something.

"Ceodore, if you survived, it is for a reason. You still have the chance to redeem yourself, to keep going. Don't let their sacrifices be in vain. It may be difficult, it may be like hell, but you still have time to change things and become the best version of yourself."

"How will I do that? How will I know that I am not making the situation worse?"

"I'm sorry, but that is something only you can know. Everyone walks a different path."

"I understand..."

The boy wasn't happy with the answer, and the man knew it, but he couldn't lie to him either. The man scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm not the best person to advise you, but..."

"But?" the boy asked when the man paused.

"If you allow me, I will be by your side until you find the answer." The man smiled softly, but honestly. The boy imitated the gesture, more animated.

"What about you? Because of me, you couldn't speak with the people you were looking for in Baron."

"My priority now is to teach you everything I know. You are still weak, but you are improving. Besides... I am not ready yet to apologize for all my sins."

"And do you know what path you will take, sir?"

"I don't know, but maybe..." He didn't dare to continue. It sounded a bit cheesy in his head.

"'Maybe, if we keep traveling the path together, we will find the end of the journey we are both looking for,' right?" Now it was Ceodore's turn to finish the sentence, and he laughed cheerfully, noticing he had stolen the words from the man's mind. He recognized that childish smile anywhere.

I really love the Sephiroth and Angeal (and Genesis') relationship.

Snowball.

Sephiroth looked at how a group of children outside were throwing snowballs to each other and some other children created weird figures with big snowballs and other objects like clothes. He didn't know how long he had been watching them behind the window of Icicle Inn, but now he couldn't stop looking for the reason of their acts. He couldn't suffer from the cold because his body was warmer than a normal one, but these kids weren't like him, even if they were used to the low temperature. They couldn't stop laughing. Why did they enjoy being exposed to the cold winter? What was so fun about throwing snowballs to each other? Why did they bother to make strange figures?

"The chopper will arrive tomorrow." Angeal appeared in the room while he was finishing the radio call. "They fear that the snowstorm gets worst."

"Mmm." That was the only answer the Sephiroth gave. He wasn't excited to return to Midgar.

Angeal took off some scarves now that the room was warmer than the hall. Even with the Mako flowing into his blood, he hated the cold weather. Banora was a very warm place with hot rains, and Midgar with the heat and the contaminated smoke from the reactors.

Angeal glanced at Sephiroth. The boy showed improvement; he never thought about sharing a room with the young hero in harmony. The younger boy remained seated in the window's chair, staring carefully with his narrowed eyes, and he swore he saw Sephiroth's nose a little red.

Angeal took two bed sheets and put them on Sephiroth's head. He knew Sephiroth didn't need them —the boy didn't even have to cover himself when they were outside—, but he didn't feel OK looking at his friend with any protection against the annoying cold.

Angeal looked at the children playing with the snow and immediately looked interrogatively at Sephiroth.

"Why don't you go and play with them?"

"Are they... Are they playing?" Sephiroth frowned his eyes, a little confused. "How throwing snow to themselves could be a game?"

Angeal wasn't surprised for that answer.

"That might sound foolish, but it's very funny." Angeal sat down by his side and smiled when he saw the children smiling. Finally, Sephiroth looked away, now staring at Angeal with curiosity. "You run after someone with a snowball and try to dodge other's snowballs. It's simple but it works."

"Like bullets." Angeal froze for the comparative.

"But nobody gets hurt and it's supposed you enjoy."

"I thought it didn't snow in Banora."

"You don't have to use a snowball necessarily. Genesis and I played with balls. Genesis was so small and agile that I never could hit him, and I was the one that taught him how to play." The older one chuckled when he remembered how the red-haired laughed at him for being a easy target.

But Sephiroth only murmured, showing little interest. Angeal managed to see through their eyes and noticed the characteristic Sephiroth's sadness growing inside him. Of course, Sephiroth didn't understand the meaning of having a normal childhood, and less play games.

The good thing was that Angeal had a plan.

Angeal used the sheets bed to cover both of them, leaning the head on Sephiroth's shoulder. The boy squirmed at the touch, but he didn't stop Angeal's actions.

"Sephiroth, would you mind bringimg me the scarves that I left on the bed? I thought I could resist the weather but my nose is getting freezing." For the plan's sake, he looked directly at his eyes, making that face which he knows is Sephiroth's weakness. Angeal didn't know what was the reason of that, but he only knew he'd use it for his convenience.

"Bring them yourself." That was his only answer. When Angeal noticed Sephiroth was hiding his face and his ears were turning red, he knew he was winning. Sephiroth only need a little push.

"But I'll freeze if I move. This place is a little warm, you know?"

Sephiroth growled but got up anyway. Angeal should thank to Genesis for teaching him how to play with Sephiroth's mind.

When the albino turned his back on him and walked away, the older one carried out his plan. He froze when he felt an impact on his back.

"Wh-?" His question interrupted when another snowball hit his face.

He let the snow fell and stared at his friend. The window was open and Angeal was holding a snowball in his hand with a smirk that said:

"'Catch me if you can.'"

Angeal threw his last snowball and escaped through the window to save his life. Sephiroth dodged the snowball easily and ran in the same path to take his revenge. They were chasing each other —or rather Sephiroth chasing Angeal— while Angeal was trying to hit Sephiroth with snowballs. Sephiroth dodged all what he could, but even someone almost perfect like him tripped in the snow and fell with the face on the ground. Angeal burst out laughing.

Full of shame, the roles changed. Now Sephiroth was the one trying to hit Angeal with snowballs. The speed that Sephiroth was using was dangerous and Angeal knew that, but he was more concentrated to run away and save his own life than to stop the boy.

Their war ended when Sephiroth used the walls of the houses to reaching the roof and there he threw his last snowball into Angeal's face. Sephiroth sighed in victory signal and, when he heard Angeal laughing, he couldn't do anything else than do the same.

It was that way until Sephiroth realized that Angeal was bleeding from the nose.

"Angeal!!" He jumped from the roof and ran towards him.

But Angeal, used his size and strength, caught him in his arms and threw him to the ground, using a mound of snow and hit Sephiroth on the face.

"Looks like I win."

His concern changed into happiness when he checked Angeal was fine and smiling, letting himself be carried away by his warm hug.

"I knocked you down with one shot." The albino tried to defend himself.

"And still here you are, trapped in my arms with no intention of escaping." Sephiroth blushed deeply and hit Angeal. That sounded something like Genesis could say. "Did you have fun, Sephiroth?"

"Yes. My favorite part was when you fell of like a baby."

"I'm glad my efforts have worked. Sephiroth, I want we play all kind of games together, even if you think they are stupid or meaningless. We can invite Genesis if you want."

Sephiroth heart was pounding against his chest. He couldn't stop staring at Angeal's eyes.

"Thank you, Angeal."

"There's nothing to thanks, my friend... Now, this is shameful, but can you help me to get in the inn? I can't feel my legs and my lungs are frozen."

When Kain learned that he was no longer in his own world, he didn’t really care all that much. His memories were failing, and he described other companions who were experiencing the same. It seemed some remembered more than others; Kain was one of the few who remembered the most from the start.

He had done enough horrible things to see one of his friends; he had planned to escape just after the whole mess with Golbez and Zemus was settled. Perhaps this new world would help him find redemption. He couldn't see the faces or remember the names of those he traveled with in his world—in truth, he remembered no one—but his actions were carved deeply into his brain.

Upon arriving in this world, he met powerful warriors from other worlds, just like him. He recognized none of them. They ranged from mischievous children with a strong sense of justice to reserved or jovial adults. There were certainly many personalities.

For some reason, he ended up mingling with a group of warriors, even though he wanted to remain a loner. It all started with a simple comment from one of them, whom he later learned was named Vaan:

"Hey, you can jump really high and reach the heavens, right? Could you help us? Laguna was looking at the map upside down and we got lost again."

"We aren't lost." The man named Laguna tried to defend himself. "I just like to explore every corner."

"Sure you do."

Kain was not the type to trust people immediately. He observed them from a distance, cautiously, like an animal—a dragon, in this case—studying its prey—a pair of fools. In the end, they turned out to be good people, stronger than they appeared.

Later, during a fierce battle against several Manikins, Kain was about to take a serious blow to the chest until the attack was stopped. Never in his life as a warrior did he expect to be saved by a woman, let alone two.

"Are you okay?!" another girl appeared and knelt beside him, checking for any mortal wounds. The girl who saved him continued to deal powerful blows in front of them, acting as a sort of human shield.

"Yes." was his only reply, curt as always. However, he didn't have much time to react.

"You’ll pay for that with your life!" the first woman leapt toward the mysterious creature with a powerful kick.

Kain was a reserved man but respectful toward those who earned it. He had fragments of memories floating through his mind, and the one that shone the brightest was that of a sweet but firm blonde woman from his world, though he remembered neither her face nor her name.

These women, who introduced themselves as Yuna and Tifa, taught him why he should never underestimate a person by their appearance, especially a woman. Both were extremely kind, sweet, and attentive, but their battle experience and their strategies for finding the best shortcuts were terrifying. Without a doubt, he had much to learn from them.

That thought was only strengthened upon meeting the final woman.

She was terrifying, with the eyes of a hunter and hands accustomed to wielding a weapon. She moved between heaven and earth with grace, as if performing an electric dance, yet no enemy remained standing for more than five minutes.

That was why it came as a surprise to find the sadness trapped within her eyes. The woman carried a heavy shackle pulling at her foot, its weight increasing, reminding her that she would always have to carry it. Even so, she pressed on, her head held high.

Wow. Kain was jealous. He wished he were as strong as she was.

"What do you want?" One day, the woman finally noticed him watching.

"I would like to invite you to a friendly match."

Lightning, as the woman was called, was undoubtedly an imposing figure, but she also harbored a soft side that reminded him she was human. Lightning reminded him of himself, and because of that, something inside him told him he should look out for her.

There was a void inside Kain that he recognized as loneliness, and he thought the only way to fill it was by protecting Cecil—the only person from his world he was beginning to remember—and by trying to recover his memories. He hadn't noticed that the people by his side had begun to light a small flame within his heart. They were a pillar in his new life.