Eclair wakes up to stare at the ceiling of her room, trying to think of anything but about her past. Once the familiar chime of the bell informs her that the day is beginning, she sits up and prepares for her day as the gardener. As she mixes soils and pulling out weeds, she tries not think how empty her hand feels.

She tries not think how she ends up in the Infinite Realm.

~

There are days where she wants to die. However, the only way she can die is if she attack His Majesty. Which is just suicide with several extra steps. But dying by His Majesty hand will only end in disappointment for her. Where she is, she can never reach her beloved sister.

The path to that afterlife is forever beyond her reach.

~

The Voidlings are leading people to the safety bunkers again. That can only means that the battle between His Majesty and his children against the elder gods of the abyss are getting too close to their settlement. Eclair have seen the fight once. It is far, really as far as the sun to the furthest planet.

But she could have mistaken it to be close. The only reason people said that it was far was because they could almost see His Majesty's true figure in full. Yet, even that is enough t have the Voidlings shepherd people to safety. Whenever the strange black and white children with horn began to flood the street and tugging at people, then it is best to follow them.

The last time Eclair tried to run towards danger, they simply flooded her legs and carried her body. They even used a strange tranquilizer to knock her out. Eclair tried a few more times and each times ended with the same result.

She stopped soon after.

~

She don't know how long she have been there. Only that her pink hair seems to grow longer than she have ever kept them. So she bundles them up into a bun where they will be kept clean from her dirty gardening work. Like this, working with the flowers, it somewhat numbs her mind from thinking useless things.

However, today is different.

Today, in her garden patch, in the unconscious form of one of the many Princes of the Infinite Realm. Even more, she recognize him as the First Born; Sephiroth.

She dumps water from her watering can onto his face.

~

He didn't kill her.

Instead, he takes one look at her and says, "You are as cursed as I am,"

Then, the jerk disappears to the castle.

...

He didn't even say thank you.

~

Eclair's life ever since appearing in Infinite Realm is as mundane as mundane can get what with everyone being a ghost of something or other. Or that their army are mostly consisted of shadowy beings of numerous shapes and sizes and thousands of black and white children with creepy black eyes and white horns peeking from bone white hair.

Or that their King can turn into something that no one should look at.

At first, she just want to die. But everyone told her that dying in the Infinite Realm is impossible. Unless she commit a heinous crime against the Royal Family. Not that she can even get close. The Voidlings are everywhere, silent and watchful. Keeping the peace.

It is extremely different from the world she came from. The public safety is to uphold law. The King does not control what the people think and say about him or his government. Free thinking is encouraged but also tempered. Fighting are kept on the minimum. The Voidlings are all fighters despite their childish size. Even more, if they think that their Father should hear it, they will share their senses with each other all the way to their biggest sibling, the Hollow Knight who is always attending to His Majesty.

Not that there are much to complain about.

In fact, the Voidlings are the best way to inform His Majesty should something extremely important need his immediate attention. It is why Eclair found the order to visit the local psychiatrist when she wakes up the third time she tried to involve herself into life ending battle. It is a little jarring and she keeps looking over her shoulder to see if anyone is keeping an eye on her. There are no one but herself and the Voidlings everywhere.

Dr. Universe greets her with a winning smile, "Eclair! You're early today! That is good!" He looks over her document, "So...anything to share today?"

She tries to think beyond the pain of absolute separation, "...maybe..."

So she shares about the jerk Prince that crushes her flowers and didn't even apologize after calling her cursed. That is something...right?

~

"Your vice is that you think you should do everything alone and by yourself,"

She knows that. Her psychiatrist is very good at pointing the obvious. But somehow it feels different when someone said it aloud. She feels exposed now that he made her acknowledge that part of her.

A tug.

She looks down to see a Voidling. They, since she is never sure about their gender, continues to tug on her apron so she follows them. Her employer will understand. No one can say no when a Voidling calls. So after waving goodbye to her boss, she lets the Voidling carry her along with their little hand keeping a tight hold on her. She wonders where they are taking her.

When they finally stops, they skips ahead and she looks up to see Sephiroth leaning against a tree. He quirks a brow at the Voidling and lets them climb up his shoulder. Watching the distant and famously cold General like this, he appears just like any other big brother. He turns to see her before looking up, "Why did you bring her to me?" There are some odd chirps from the Voidling and Sephiroth rolls his eyes, "I am not lonely,"

He stands up and walks to her, studying her up and down before saying, "The cursed warrior from before. Are you hiding behind flowers now?"

Eclair frowns, "I don't know what you are talking about,"

He tilts his head, shifting his weight, before snorting, "Your God discarded you too, didn't they? You won't have been here, otherwise. You are cursed to forever be separated by those you cherished," He takes in the minute expression on her face that she uselessly tried to control, "No matter. You will find your purpose here. Otherwise..."

She frowns as he leaves the open space of towering trees, ground carpeted by flowers, and the glittering stars making the water of the realm. What did he meant by otherwise?

She grumbles, "What a confusing man,"

Worse of all, she can't exactly pretend he doesn't exist. The girls working with her are all smitten by the single men of the Royal Family. The First Born Sephiroth being the most talked about.

"How annoying,"

~

The Voidlings continue to steal her away from work and she continues being taken to the strange Prince. The General isn't even annoyed by the Voidlings antics. If anything, he is always amused. The only time they did not steal her is when he is busy. Those days feels a little strange because of the new routine of being kidnapped.

They don't even talk to each other. Sephiroth seems content to just watch random scenery, leaving the space between them a chasm of nothing. She don't understand why the Voidlings continue to bring her to him.

One day, they bring her when he is with someone. This person is the Second Born; Malediction. An ominous name. She have heard that he is usually referred affectionately by 'Mal'. Especially by his family members. Mal is seldom around. Being more an ambassador for the spirits than belonging to the Royal Family completely.

Mal looks at her, "You didn't tell me you are courting someone secretly,"

What?

Sephiroth looks at her, "No. I am not courting anyone. The Voidlings are relentless in matching us, though,"

Eclair frowns, "You could have inform me so I don't have to waste my time following them here,"

Mal blinks, "...spicy," He looks at Sephiroth, "You're just having fun watching her confused, don't you?"

Sephiroth's smile tells everything she needs to know. So, angry that her time is wasted like this, she turns and leave the jerk behind.

~

He's back on her garden patch.

She feels no remorse throwing compost all over him. He sits up like a spring due to that. After sputtering in disgust for a moment, he glares at her. Unfortunately for him, she doesn't care about continuing her existence so she simply waits for him to cut her down for the lèse-majesté.

He towers over her as glowers down. She meets his glare with her own.

He suddenly pulls back, "Interesting,"

Then he's gone.

Damn him.

~

The Voidlings stop stealing her after that. Eclair should be happy. She don't know why she isn't happy. Well perhaps it is because she have never been happy since coming here. She finished the last bundle of bouquet to display and sell just in time for the lunch bell to chime.

After putting away her apron and cleaning her hand, she makes her way through the street to her usual vendor. However, there are oddly many more people that day on the street. Annoyed, she jumps onto the roof to get to her destination.

"Temper, temper,"

She almost slip from the roof when a familiar voice all but whispered into her ear. She quickly leaps away, twisting her body so that she is facing her sudden visitor. He stands there, across from her. Smug.

She wants to wipe that smug look on his face.

Sephiroth raises a brow and hands her a simple blade, "Why do we go for a healthy spar? You look like you could use some steaming off,"

She should have said no.

However...

She grabs the sword, "Fine,"

~

The clash is brutal. She keeps on going, using all the abilities that she had suppressed when she wakes up on this messed up realm. He takes it all, calmly and annoyingly composed. His defense is immaculate, not even a hair is out of place from any of her attacks.

She grow wilder.

His smug mask starts to crack.

She continues her attack until the blades. But she is seeing red. She sees him, Bhunivelze, laughing at her as he cursed her to forever be separated from her sister and her friends forever. As she continues to try and cut down the mad god, she suddenly gasps from the pain of being punched on her midriff.

Sanity slowly returns to her as she looks at Sephiroth. Pity. She hates that expression. So she climbs back on her feet, screaming and crying as she attacks him. But as her attacks slowly weakens, she crumbles against him. Oddly enough, he simply hold her there as she cries the injustice against him.

Sephiroth sighs, "You are truly a Hero,"

She shakes her head, "I'm not a Hero. I killed and destroyed more than I ever saved anything or anyone," She sobs, "Please...just end me..."

He frowns, "Don't you have a promise to keep?"

She freeze, "How did you know?"

He chuckles, "Because Heroes like you always have a promise to keep. Sometimes, that promise is the only reason you are even here,"

She don't know how he seems to know her well, "Who are you?"

He pats her back, putting her down as she fights the mental and emotional fatigue that have been accumulating for ages inside her, "Someone who knows it feels like to be used and discarded. Except unlike you, I didn't remain a Hero. I chose the path of the greatest Villain that Midgar have ever known,"

She stares at him and realize that the pity she thought she saw in his green gaze is actually understanding. She shivers and he gathers her up. He ignores her weak attempts to make him put her down, "You need warm food and warmer company to remind you; there is always a reason why you remain when all else moved on,"

~

Eclair wakes up to a starkly different ceiling. Sitting up, she looks down on herself and found that someone have changed her while unconscious. Cold fury bristling inside, she quickly washes her face and change out of the sleep wear they put her in for something else that they prepared for her. She then notice the blade included.

After a moment of hesitation, she carries it with her.

Maybe she could carve some manner into that jerk Prince.

Except...right now, she is lost. It doesn't take her long to realize that she is inside the castle that she have only ever seen in the center of the Infinite Realm. It floats over the rest of the circles that made up the realm. Waterfalls of star water adds to the surreal sight as the castle is completely black. But rather than looking like the typical bad guy's lair, the walls are like the night sky and the lamps are soft but bright. Strange moths fluttering inside their glass cage.

She quietly and warily makes her way through the winding corridors. The giant windows showing the beauty of castle's grown. The pale green curtains billowing like clouds from the gentle breeze coming from an unknown direction. The castle, instead of having the typical flowers, grows odd but beautiful white flowers with dark stems and leaves that makes them resemble like the ground is carpeted by stars.

Such an oddly somber and whimsical place.

And she is still lost.

~

A Voidling found her and takes her to the kitchen. She recognize the silver haired man inside as one of the Princes. Other than the first three, the rest are not numbered. She only know him as Prince Archer, the Royal Family's personal smith as well as, seems like, their personal chef. He takes one look at her and frowns, "What are you doing back here? Aren't you Seph's guest? Go find him,"

So now she is back on the winding corridor, lost once more, to find the man that annoys the life out of her. That is how she almost run into His Majesty. Eclair have faced Bahamuth and other giant monsters but something about the Ghost King scares her. He turns his eyes on her and she can feel how her mouth runs dry at his attention. Her fight or flight response picks up and before she can react, a familiar voice calls out to her, "Where did you go? I was about to introduce you to Father,"

She turns to see Sephiroth watching her, amusement in his green eyes.

The King looks at him, "When did you start dating?"

Who do everyone assumes that they are dating?

Sephiroth glares at the Third Born Loki before sighing, "Someone is playing matchmaker,"

Loki shakes his head, "It isn't me this time,"

Ignoring the man, Sephiroth nods at her, "This is Lightning. She came from the same World Tree as I did...except her branch is gone. There is new bud there though, so her precious people might one day be born in that new budding world. She and I...we are alike,"

The King looks at her before smiling, the simple action easing her anxiety, "Welcome, then. I am sorry for your lost. Now, breakfast should be ready soon. Why don't you join us?"

~

"Why did you introduce me to him?"

Sephiroth looks at the girl he had rescued ages ago, because really time have no measure here, and shrugs, "Because you are going to work for me. I have been looking for an assistant for a while now and you just fit the bill. Not to mention..."

Not to mention the complex emotions he carries for her. Every time he looks at her, his mind will wonder on 'what ifs' instead of the now. He only found her because she was screaming her very soul out upon finding herself discarded from her world by one of the deities in charge of the World Tree. There is always a hefty fine to pay when one slays something as powerful and important as the deity.

He keeps an eye on her and when one of Father's pest almost crush her, he found his body moving to save her from a fate worse than death. She can't exactly die in the Infinite Realm. Getting crushed will only take her down the road of painful reformation. So he took her to the Capital and placed her under the care of one of Father's 'friend'.

He asked the Voidlings to keep an eye on her, just to make sure that she won't do anything stupid. Well, she attempted a few times and each times, they meddled.

Why they decided to match him with her is beyond him.

Lightning stares at him for a moment and found nothing. He have ages over her to perfect his mask. She reminds him so much of a certain Chocobo haired blond, it both amuses and terrifies him.

He says, "It will just be management work. Far better than rolling around in dirt and compost,"

She gives him that familiar suspicious stink eyed look before sighing and relenting, "Fine,"

If it isn't because he knows that she isn't Cloud Strife, he would have thought the Chocobo brat have reincarnated into her. Never the less, he only smiles.

This should be fun.