The hut was a small, lowly lit area, with just a small mat for the man in black to sleep on. He seemed almost comatose with the exception that his chest was rising and falling deeply, his silver hair draped about the mat like a huge spidery web.
"Did Cloud really hate him that much?" Delita asked, "Like I hated Algus?"
"He'll be awake really soon, so be careful Delita."
Slowly, but surely the delicate seeming eyes opened to reveal an intensely looking man. He rose to a sitting position and brushed the hair from his face. He seemed at first to be in shock at his surroundings, yet he dared not make any sudden moves since he noticed his blade was missing.
"Don't be alarmed, we won't harm you, you've been summoned to fight in a holy war...that's why you're here."
"...last time I was awake...I was defending Midgar from Wutai Ninjas...and now I'm here?...," Sephiroth grasped his forehead, it had a hot throbbing pain. "Unnnnhhh...."
He lay back down with his hand to his forehead, when Reis arrived with a prepared warm washcloth and set it on his forehead.
"He has a fever....we should stay here and let him rest for a few days."
"Okay...but we're going to have to find the next time gate soon, we don't want any of those stones to fall into the wrong hands." Ramza warned.
The night seemed to come and go quickly, as dawn approached, Sephiroth woke up, still with a slight tingle and lightness in his forehead.
Reis entered and had a prepared soup ready in case he was hungry.
"Thank you......Reis?" he tried to remember. She nodded quietly. He then saw Beowulf seemingly watch Reis over his shoulder as he guarded the tent.
Reis looked a little wide-eyed, but responded, "Yes, he does..."
"I....never had anyone like me....really....except maybe Dr. Gast...and.....mother."
"Who...?" she asked.
".............Nevermind...." he looked at her, surprising her with his intense blue eyes, "They....told me I was taken from my era....that I was chosen?"
"Yes, you were discovered to be one of thirteen Zodiac Braves, your symbol was Aries...."
"I've....heard of the legend, but it never came true....even here."
"Maybe not now....but soon the war will begin...."
Outside the hut, Zidane was begging Garnet to go into the Gi Cave with him to spy out the treasure he found. After a few tugs on her arm, she gave in. Ramza and Delita were next to the meeting fire, discussing what to do with the two new Zodiac members.
"It seems Aeris is up and about and is going for a walk with Cloud. As far as Sephiroth is concerned, he's making a swift recovery...but that may not be such a good thing. Cloud has such a grudge upon him, and he hasn't stepped one foot near the hut, or even acknowledged Sephiroth's presence."
"We're going to have to deal with it somehow...he's a Brave and she's a Brave, we've told both of them, but I sincerely doubt Cloud wants to believe Sephiroth is a Brave, at least this Sephiroth...." Delita said.
Nanaki walked up to the two and spoke, "It has been given to me the knowledge that the two who have recently arrived are not the same people Cloud has known for whom they are...Sephiroth is not the man Cloud thinks him to be...He is what he was before he knew the truth....And Aeris was taken just after she first met Cloud..."
"So the evil man Cloud thinks is Sephiroth is not who we have here..."
"No...Not yet...he doesn't know who he really is yet....he thinks in his mind he is supposed to fight a war that in this era has ended over 30 years ago..."
"Well, at least he's prepared to fight a war, I just hope he'll help us fight ours..." said Ramza.
