Guilt’s Cost XLIX

Amnesia

Cid and Tifa reached Mideel by late afternoon. He allowed the plane to circle over the town for a moment while looking for some place to set down. The life-stream fissure that had torn through the center of the town seven years ago still glowed beneath them. The town had been rebuilt after the earthquake and bridges crisscrossed the glowing river below them.

Cid finally spotted a relatively flat field just outside town and brought the plane to rest. He and Tifa disembarked from the plane and started toward the town’s gates.

Cid had both of their bags slung over his shoulder and soon had another cigarette lit up. "God Damn, this is nice."

Tifa smiled. "Yeah, it’s so beautiful here."

He laughed. "Hell no, not that. I was talking about being able to smoke whenever I damn well please."

"What do you mean?" She had a suspicion, but still asked.

"Oh, ever since fuckin’ Shera got pregnant, she won’t let me smoke in the house, and she’s always bitching at me to quit. Some damned fool gave her the idea that if I smoke around her the baby’s gonna come out with four arms or something." He said with some disdain.

"And you stopped smoking in the house for her?" Tifa was somewhat surprised.

"Well Hell, she’s already emotional enough being pregnant. I don’t want her comin’ after me with a kitchen knife or something." His voice got quieter. "I’ve even thought about quitting."

Tifa stopped walking and looked at him wide eyed. "Are you serious?"

Cid kept going, not needing to see the expression she wore. "Yeah, maybe. I don’t know."

"You really do love her! See, I knew it." Tifa ran to catch back up with him.

"Why do you feel the need to keep bringing that up? Jesus, I’m starting to think you have a one track mind." Cid flicked the remainder of his cigarette off to the side.

The town spread out before them, still obviously under some amount of construction. The light that emanated from the river of life stream reflected off the white washed buildings making them seem as though they were made of emerald.

Tifa took in the spectacle in awe. "Oh my, I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s beautiful!"

Cid brushed past her. "It’s creepy. Come on, let’s find the God Damned doctor’s house."

Tifa asked a local for directions and they soon found themselves on the porch the Brandon’s home. She knocked on the door.

The aged doctor opened the door and greeted his guests. "Oh, Ms. Lockheart and Mr. Highwind! I’m so happy you’ve arrived! Please, come in."

They entered his humble abode and Cid threw their packs onto a chair. Brandon went and fetched some cups from the kitchen and set them on the coffee table. He then went back to the kitchen and retrieved a teapot. As he filled the cups, he motioned for the two of his guests to sit on the couch.

Cid reached out and took his cup. "About time I got some damned tea."

The doctor smiled as he took up his own drink and sat in a chair opposite to them. "I’m glad that you approve."

Tifa couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. "So what is it we had to come here for?"

Brandon furrowed his brow as he took a sip of tea. "You cut to the chase, don’t you, Ms. Lockheart? But first, I want to extend my apologies to you on the loss of your husband Cloud. Janice told me about what happened to him. It is a shame. After all you went through with him here I know you must have cared for him very deeply."

Tifa dropped her gaze to the floor. "Thank you, doctor. It was a tragedy. I thank you for your concern."

Cid put his cup back onto the table realizing that Tifa was getting ready to cry again. He scooted closer to her and put his hand on her knee. "Tifa’s a strong girl. Aren’t you?"

Tifa smiled up at Cid, knowing in a way that he was begging her not to let the tears come. "I’m trying to be."

Brandon grinned to see that Cid was being so supportive of her. She was lucky to have such good friends. "Well, let’s change the subject, all right?"

Tifa nodded "Okay."

"Good." Brandon settled into his seat. "The reason you are here is to make certain that I have not made a mistake with someone’s identity. I know I haven’t, but your friends in ASRIO need confirmation."

"So what the Hell is it?" Cid was getting impatient.

Brandon smiled. "Let me start from the beginning. You know that Mideel has always been a spring for the life stream, and how those who fall into it sometimes wash up here."

"Like Cloud did." Tifa said weakly.

"Exactly." He nodded. "After the fissure was widened by the earthquake seven years ago, this has happened even more often. One day two weeks after Meteor was destroyed I was out for my morning walk. As I made my way along the fissure’s edge, I saw a body washed up against the bank. I pulled him out, realizing that this man was alive, but barely. I took him into our clinic and tried to help him. I knew right away who he was, but being a doctor I have a sworn duty to help anyone in need."

"Well who the Hell was it?" Cid asked, leaning forward.

"Do you two know what happened at the North Crater after Meteor?" Brandon asked.

Tifa brightened. "Yeah, life stream surged up within it, now it’s a Mako lake."

"Yes." The doctor smiled. "Apparently one of the consequences of that was that those who had been in the crater at the time were pulled into the life stream."

Cid got up from the couch, waving his hands before him. "Stop right there, doctor. This ain’t funny. You’re going to say you found Sephiroth, aren’t you?"

Brandon got up from his chair. "Let me show you something."

They watched in silence as Brandon pulled a small crate from the corner into the center of the room. He opened its lid and motioned for them to come over. "Look at this."

Tifa and Cid did as ordered.

She fell to her knees before the box and stared. The contents reeked of Mako despite all of their years of storage and there was just the faintest glow from within. Tifa reached in and pulled out one of two steel shoulder guards. It was all too familiar. Also in the box were a folded black overcoat, a pair of leather boots, and gloves. "Oh my God, he survived?"

Cid couldn’t believe his eyes as he looked down over Tifa’s shoulder at Sephiroth’s belongings. "Holy fucking shit."

"My sentiments exactly." Brandon sighed. "I don’t know if he survived outright or if his soul was somehow reunited with his body in the life stream, but either way, he washed up alive."

Tifa placed the piece of armor she had been holding back into the crate gently. Her mind raced with questions, but she found the words for none.

"He remained in the hospital comatose for six months. His level of poisoning was unbelievable, and I truly started to think that he was going to remain asleep forever. One day though, he seemed to come around. I tried to talk with him, but I soon came to find out that he had absolutely no memory of who he was. His Mako exposure had been long enough to erase his memory completely."

"The Jenova cells within him didn’t help him at all?" Cid asked.

"Apparently one of the side effects from his prolonged exposure to the life stream was that all of the Jenova cells within him died. He is completely human now. As normal as you or I." Brandon closed the lid to the crate and shoved it back into the corner. "He remained in the hospital for sometime after his recovery. Seeing his boredom with the situation, I got him a job working for my friend in his bookstore. My friend has since passed away, and now the once great Sephiroth runs the shop."

The thought of Sephiroth having a real job struck Cid as humorous. "No shit?"

"None whatsoever." Brandon grinned. "I never told him who he was. I have let him develop as his own person, and I have to say, the results have been… interesting."

"I can’t believe this." That was all Tifa could manage.

"Of course, he isn’t called Sephiroth these days. He had to come up with his own name."

Tifa looked up at him. "What is it?"

Brandon had to suppress a laugh. "He finally told me one day that his name was Jaras, last name Ross."

Cid fell back to the couch howling with laughter. "Oh fuck, are you serious? Jaras Ross? Fuck me, that’s great…"

Tifa too donned a grin to hear this. She never thought in a million year that Sephiroth would have done some thing funny. "Sephiroth, Jaras Ross? Oh man!"

They all had a good laugh over it for a while before settling down again.

Brandon shook his head. "I guess that name is proof that on some unconscious level he does remember something."

Tifa and Cid nodded.

Brandon went over and grabbed his jacket from the wall. "Come on, I think it’s time you met Mr. Ross."