(Arianna's point of view)

I thought I could do alright without him. In fact, I almost expected it to be easy. I'm not saying that I wanted to forget him, or move on to someone other than him. I'm just saying that I wanted to survive by myself. And for the longest time, I thought I was living extremely well.

Oh, there's no doubt I tried to return home early on. I would try going out the way I came in, but since I had basically no idea exactly how that was, I usually ended up humiliated, soggy, and disappointed with myself.

Then, when Riku was born, I pretty much gave up on my previous hopes altogether. I realized that I'd have to raise that beautiful little boy all by myself, and I was actually okay with it. He needed me, and my new purpose in life was to make sure that I never let him down.

For fifteen years, Riku seemed like a happy child, even though I could tell that there was an anxiety behind his eyes. A restlessness, the very same one I felt myself.

I guess that I put myself in denial, ignoring Riku's growing ambitions. But when he left, as scared for him as I was, I couldn't really blame him for trying to chase a dream that I had long since given up on.

A year passed, me growing more and more despairing the longer I went without my son's company. Then Riku returned, and I thanked Holy above just for having my boy back in my arms.

Everything seemed to go back to normal. That's why, when Riku came to me that September day, the thought never crossed my mind that my son's distress could have anything to do with him.

"Riku?!" He looked as if he had seen the very face of Death. "What's wrong?!"

He looked into my eyes, his breath very quick, as if he had swum all the way back here from the children's island. "Mom, there's something I need you to see."

I wasn't quite sure what to think when my son paddled me out to the island in his little row boat. But I was instantly curious when I saw a little group of people huddled together on the sand.

There was Sora, Riku's adorable friend, his bouncy brown hair waggling as he enthusiastically told a story to his parents. His mother, my own best friend Kylene, seemed genuinely concerned at whatever Sora was saying to her. His father, Mika, was standing with his hands on his hips, a very skeptical look on his face.

Kairi was there, the bubbly girl that wound up here alone one night and had to be raised by the mayor. I knew the isolation she must have felt at first. Then she adjusted surprisingly well.

Selphie was there, and Tidus, and Wakka. I suppose I was the friendliest of all the mothers, aside from Kylene, because they gave me the nickname "Ari," which seemed to stick ever since they were old enough to speak.

Apart from Sora's parents, I was the only adult present, which I guess meant that the other adults had more important things to deal with than whatever was so urgent with the younger population today.

We got out of the boat, and stepped off of the dock, and hurried over to where everyone else was standing. All of their eyes were on us immediately, as if we were the life of such a little party.

"Kylene," I said, in total joking manner, once I got close enough to hear her speak, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

She looked a bit confused. "I'm not entirely sure."

"Sounds like a load of seagull droppings to me," Mika huffed.

"It's the truth!" Sora admonished. Then he turned to me. "Ari, Riku found a body on the beach!"

My eyes widened, and I looked at my son. "Riku!?"

He looked as confused as Kylene had, but strangely in pain as well. He took my hand. "Come on. I'll show you."

Then we all walked into the little rock tunnel by the waterfall, us ducking our heads and Mika still bumping his anyway. I didn't really want to see this "body," but Riku seemed extremely upset. Upset enough to take my hand for comfort, which was extremely unusual.

Then we came to the hollowed cave just inside, and I, at the lead with Riku, stopped dead where I was standing. My unoccupied hand darted to my mouth in a gesture of fear. Could that really be who I thought it was, lying lifeless in front of me?

No, it had to be impossible. It had to be. I had finally lost control of my mind, and now my vision was distorting the very images I saw before my eyes.

My brain shut down, and I spoke his name without thinking. "Sephiroth."

"Mom?" I heard Riku ask, and although he was standing next to me, my hand still in his, his voice felt light years away. I let go of his grasp, and ran straight forward, only focusing on what lie before me. I fell to my knees beside the body.

It really was Sephiroth, his beautiful face still dripping with life even though he was clearly unconscious. I reached out, with shaking hands, to touch that face, and tears burst from my eyes the moment I did. He still felt the way he had so long ago, not aging a bit in his features.

I collapsed in an embrace of his body, not caring that I got wet and smelly. I just knelt there, holding him, sobbing with no control over my actions. It was him. It was really him.

But then I came to, just a little, and saw all of my friends and family standing before me, each one a little more astonished than the last.

Sora was the first to speak. "Ari, you know this guy?"

I laughed hysterically. "All too well, Sora."

Kylene gasped. "So, this is..."

"Yeah, Kylene," I answered, "he sure is."

"Mom," Riku said, stepping forward, looking extremely upset. "What's going on? Who is this?"

I sighed. There was no withholding the information from him any longer. He had already seen the extreme resemblance. I'm sure he had already guessed. "This... this is your father, Riku."

(Riku's point of view)

The string of gasps that went through the little group standing behind me only exemplified to me that my worst and greatest assumption had been confirmed.

When Sora told me what he knew about this "Sephiroth," I found it extremely appalling to think that the man could be of any relation to me. But there was no mistaking that I had never come into contact with someone so physically akin to myself.

I had to go to my mother for the truth, and sure enough, the truth smacked me in the face the minute she let go of my hand. I didn't like that at all. Especially since it seemed that the man my mother was still extremely in love with was such a bad seed.

"But, Arianna," Sora began before I could shut him up, "how do you know this guy? He's never lived on this world, and from what I've seen of him, he's not the nicest of men."

My mother looked at him so strangely then. "What are you talking about, Sora? He's the greatest man I've ever met. And... I guess... I have some explaining to do about my life, before Destiny Islands..."

But then something happened that none of us expected. Sephiroth groaned, clearly coming out of unconsciousness. In a panic, Sora's father and I drug my mother backwards from him, struggling all the way, in case he woke potentially dangerous. I had already hidden the sword in a place only I knew, so that was not much of a worry.

"What's the matter with you two!?" she shouted. Mika placed his hand over her mouth, gently.

(Sephiroth's point of view)

When I was aware enough of my own body to realize the extreme pain that was racking every one of my bones, it occurred to me that I had absolutely no idea of my whereabouts. Also, I only remembered slightly what I had been doing before I fell unconscious. It filled me with a sense of chagrin that I quite detested before I opened my eyes. But, once I did, my curiosity and confusion overtook any other emotions I had previously.

I seemed to be sitting on a very uncomfortable, damp stone floor, and there was a small group of people standing in front of me. Naturally, I reached for my sword holster, but, when I felt that the Masumune was missing, my eyes flew open the rest of the way, my conscience perfectly awake now.

I considered everyone in front of me targets already, because they must have been the ones to steal away my sword, trying to catch me defenseless. Well, they would be surprised. That's when I noticed a boy in the posse.

His features were so similar to mine that my mind automatically played him off as one of Hojo's clones, but staring at him for awhile longer made me think that his genetics were almost too pure for him to be another experiment. He flinched just a bit at my gaze, not enough for anyone else to see but me, then tried gallantly to return it.

Then I saw that familiar brunette boy, Cloud's little Keyblade-wielding friend. He looked as perky as ever, and still as naive. "You," I mumbled to him, not bothering to hide the small bit of apathetic disgust I thought was needed.

He puffed out his chest in an aggressively defiant response. "What are you doing here, Sephiroth?"

A very good question. One I didn't believe I could answer. But I would not let them know that.

"Sephiroth!"

I turned my attention to the source of the voice, a woman coming to stand to the front of the group. She had a very pretty face, tender and aging well, and her eyes were of the most beautiful chocolate shade. But beauty didn't phase me, and it unsettled me a bit the way she was staring at me as if I was expected to understand something.

It wasn't half as surprising that she knew my name so well. Many knew my name.

"Sephiroth," she began again, taking a step closer. The strange mirror-image boy grabbed her arm in a warning. She ignored him. "I can't believe it's you. Where have you been all this time?"

I didn't like the fact that she was talking to me as if I was a long lost friend. She didn't seem familiar to me at all. So I voiced my opinion. "Who are you?"