Chapter 1: Jenova's Reunion
The night wind blew through the treetops, rustling their many leaves. Fearless, heartless creatures roamed the earth under them, silently hunting for their next meal, whether it be a small harmless herbivore or some unlucky person that made the mistake to stay out in the wilderness this late. But predator or prey, none of the nocturnal creatures awake that night noticed the black puddle of sludgy mass slide silently across the forest floor at a never slackening pace. Several similar puddles of this black mass were also traveling at this hour, though in different parts of the world. All shared the same destination and all would reach it, though some before others. And if you took a trip to what was called the Northern Crater in this world, you would see that this strange reunion had already begun to take place. "When I am complete, I will have my revenge." The strange substance thought as it collected itself in the cave nearby. A smaller mass just like this one came into view and merged with the first, making it a bit bigger than before. "Only a few more to arrive and I will be able to take on a form, instead of existing as this useless blob of loose cells. I just hope that there is that much in existence... It thought. It should take no more than a week now."
A week passed and the last of the being's living cells arrived in the cave. To its delight, there were just enough cells for it to take on a shape, but not a strong one. It took less than a minute for this mass of cells to mold itself into the form of a tall woman with long silvery hair and glowing, impossibly green eyes. She (for it was female) wore a simple flowing dress that was white at the top but faded through gray into a bottom black as black can be. "How can I expect to do anything in a form no stronger than this? How disappointing, it seems I will have to spend years hidden in this cave while I recover." "No matter, time means nothing to me." She added aloud to her thoughts. The mass of black slime that was now a woman of beauty walked outside the cave to look around. The battle fought here over a month ago left the place looking spooky and desolate. Well, even before the battle it was that, but now it was even more so. A good number of cliffs and platforms that existed before had collapsed and left numerous caves and small hiding places as well. It was in one of these rock-laden caves that the being took refuge. The women walked slowly over the rocky ground that a month before had been quite different, a bit surprised at what she saw. She had not lived to the end of the battle and knew not how it ended. She knew only that she had lost; her plan had failed. But even though she had been defeated, her servant was still living at the time she was destroyed. She walked on. The time was near dawn and soon the first rays of the sun would be visible. The next step she took landed on something that felt different-not like the hard rocks all around her. She stopped, looked down at what she stepped on, and was shocked to see a familiar hand with the number one tattooed on the back. "Well, well, well," she commented and knelt down to remove the rock and debris that were piled in front of her. She worked fast and had soon uncovered a muscular arm, chest, and face of a man stained with dry blood. The skin that wasn't either cut open or covered with blood was deathly pale. His long hair lay everywhere in tangles. Now mostly a deep red, only a few spots could be seen it's natural color, which most would say was unnatural to begin with. His eyes were gently shut and his mouth slightly open. There were cuts and deep gashes all over his chest and the rest of him that was still covered by rock and debris didn't look much better. "Oh, my. It seems Cloud was stronger than I thought." She said, looking down on the sickening scene that lay before her. If it had been any other person to see the bloodied corpse, they would have vomited at the sight of it, or maybe have screamed. Some might have had nightmares from the experience. But this women, or rather creature, just stared at it through cold, curious eyes without once flinching at the sight of the dead, let alone feeling a thought of empathy. "What a waste," She thought. "All that strength, the power he possessed. Such a waste." She turned and started to walk away only to stop and turn back again after a few feet. "Of coarse!" she exclaimed. "I can restore his strength and power and bring him back to life." But as she said this and looked at the corpse she realized this could not be done so easily. "No." She thought. "This body is too damaged and my power too weak to do any restore work. I shall have to use a healthy body for a base." Pushing away the remaining rocks, she half dragged half carried the dead body of the man who had once been the strongest member of Soldier and quite possibly the most powerful living being on the planet. She soon reentered the cave she was in earlier and laid the corpse down next to the cold stone wall. Then she once again left the cave and headed south towards the nearest village. It was well into the morning by the time she arrived at a small town. There she crouched in the shadows of an alley where she would be unseen as she observed the people passing by. "Too short . . . Too fat . . . Ahh, perfect." The man she thought to be perfect was standing a little ways away with his back turned. There were several other people around him that he seemed to be talking to, but she could not see them well from this angle. "That blonde hair will definitely need to be changed." She thought from the shadows, and as she watched she was able to hear their conversation. "You're sure you'll be alright?" a somewhat familiar lady's voice asked. "Yeah, don't worry about me. Bye guys! See ya around!" answered another female voice. Then one of them started walking away and the others all stared after her. When she got to the exit of the town she turned and waved, and the others waved back. "Bye!" she shouted. "Bye Yuffie!" Yuffie? Then the girl named Yuffie had disappeared from view and left the small town behind. The young man that had been chosen was now staring at the ground with a thoughtful and confused expression on his face while two of his companions entered the house behind them. The girl who had earlier spoken to Yuffie stayed by his side, but he took no notice of her. "Cloud?" she said, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. Our friend in the shadows gasped. "Cloud!?" she exclaimed in a hissed whisper. The blond spikey-haired young man jerked his head in the direction of the alley, his burning blue eyes scanning the shadows. "What is it Cloud?" the young lady asked again, concern evident in her voice. The woman in the shadows took care to stay extremely still, but it was easy for her to make sure he did not happen to look in the right spot just the right way. Cloud was always easy to control. Cloud looked down and shook his head, forgetting the dark thoughts that were entering his mind, then looked up to his childhood friend. They stared into each other's eyes for a minute, unable to look away. A small moment that seemed like an eternity for each of them. "Are you two coming inside? Or do you prefer to stay out for a while?" A voice interrupted their stance and caused them to look to the open door where a large, red beast sat with his fiery tail curled round and glowing as it did in light or dark. They had not noticed him come into the doorway where he waited patiently for them to enter, a smile growing on his cat-like features. "Of course we're coming!" said the girl suddenly. "Right Cloud?" "Yeah, uh. why wouldn't we?" answered Cloud. He looked back at the alley one last time before hastily entering the house and shutting the door behind him. "Cloud. That was Cloud! Grrrrrr. If only I had my full strength!" She thought, still not leaving the shadows. "He defeated Sephiroth. it will take me years to recover enough to face him!" These thoughts upset the women more than you could possibly imagine, unless you happen to be the evil type and in the same situation, but that is highly unlikely. "Heh, heh, heh." She thought, devilishly realizing her plan in depth. "Sephiroth will achieve that for me." She thought through her plan over and over as she again searched the streets for a perfect body, for she could not use Cloud's. For reasons unknown, she was a great deal pickier than she was the first time around and it wasn't till a good hour later when she found a man that would do most perfectly for her purpose. He was tall, somewhere around six feet. His light brown hair hung to his shoulders and was cut quite evenly, though his bangs were somewhat wild as they fell across his lean face and forehead. His eyes were unmistakably green but it was clear that he had never in his life been exposed to Mako. If he had, there would have been that glow that all people, man or woman, have when exposed to the strange substance. He looked young, but his age could have been anywhere from eighteen to thirty, and his expression was one of anticipation. The evil creature disguised as a women walked slowly out of the shadows toward the man of her choice. "Excuse me, but I am having some trouble with. with my chocobo. He's extremely stubborn and won't budge. Do you think you could help me?" She said in nothing less than a tender, sweet voice, causing the taller man to stop and look to her. "Sorry miss, but I really am in quite a hurry." he answered politely and started off again. "But I am in desperate need of assistance. It won't take long enough to make you late for where ever you're going, will it? And if it does, I will gladly give you a ride if you would accept it." She insisted, placing a hand on his shoulder and stopping him once more. The man was silent for a moment, then smiled before answering, "Alright . . . I would be glad to help. I'm afraid I was being a bit selfish..." "Oh, that's perfectly alright. Right this way Mr.?" "Denge, just Denge. And what would you like to be called?" "Jen. I mean. yes, Jen." The two walked back though the alley and out of the town without another word. The women, who had called herself Jen, was lost in her thoughts about her plan while the man, Denge, was engulfed in his anticipations. "So, where is it?" asked Denge after a minute. When they were clear of the town, Jen had kept walking like she was a zombie, and there was no sign of a chocobo. There was a frightfully evil glare in her eyes as she smiled a devilish smile and seemed to be staring at something only she could see. "I don't like this girl." He thought to himself. "What?" Jen asked as she snapped out of her trance. "The chocobo, where is it?" "Oh. Well, this is where I left him, he couldn't have gotten far." Answered Jen. The evil possessed expression she had on before was gone without a trace. "You mean you didn't tie him up? If that's the case he's long gone, you'll never get him back now. Gosh, you own a chocobo and you didn't even know to--" Bonk! Denge fell to the ground, unconscious. "Save your breath." Jen growled under her breath as she started dragging his body away back toward the crater. "Actually." She thought. "The idea of a chocobo isn't so bad." So after she effortlessly caught a chocobo, she started back to the Northern Crater. When Jen entered the cave she had declared home, the time had reached noon. She placed Denge next to the body of Sephiroth and leaned against the opposite wall; She needed some rest before going on with the next step. But before she knew it, Jen had drifted off to sleep. No sooner did Jen fall asleep than Denge regained consciousness. He woke with a strong aching in his head and soon remembered about Jen, and how he was going to help with her chocobo. He remembered getting hit very hard over the head, but after that he could recall nothing. "Where am I . .?" Denge whispered to himself as he rubbed his head. Glancing at his watch, he cursed at the time it revealed. He looked to the left and saw the opening of the cave, for that was apparently what he sat in. His gaze then fell slightly and he noticed what was lying beside him. With a startled gasp Denge scrambled to his feet, his eyes glued on the sight that lay before him. "Oh, gods..." he commented in nearly a whisper. He certainly did not expect to see a bloodied torn-up corpse beside him in this cold, damp cave. Especially not the corpse of-- "Sephiroth?! The General Sephiroth? What... How... Huh?" Wild thoughts were swirling through Denge's confused mind. He had no doubt that this body that lay dead before him belonged to General Sephiroth of SOLDIER, for his features were unmistakable. It made no difference that his silvery hair was now stained red with dry blood, or that the deep cuts and gashes greatly distorted his appearance. Denge had never in his life been involved in anything that had to do with Shinra, and certainly knew nothing more about the company than the common knowledge any normal person would know. But common knowledge was that Sephiroth, SOLDIER's best member, had died because of an unexpected accident when on a mission at the Nibblehiem reactor over five years ago, and everyone knew who Sephiroth was. There were rumors, strongly believed by some, that Sephiroth had come back to life somehow since then, and that he was responsible for the meteor that had almost destroyed the planet, but Denge didn't believe that nonsense. Soon he noticed the stench of the dead that filled the air. It was almost unbearable, for one cannot stop the dead from smelling. After a quick look at the rest of the cave around him, Denge noticed Jen sitting with her back against the opposite wall, fast asleep. It then occurred to him in full what she had done. "It was a trick... Just a trap. But what does she want with me? Why did she bring me here and place me next to that-" Denge stared long and hard at the sleeping Jen, then switched his gaze over to the body of Sephiroth. He did not know what was going on, but he got the notion that he did not want to stay in this cave any longer. He quietly but quickly headed for the cave opening, careful not to wake Jen. "Jen... She's some crazy scientist I'll bet. And I am not going to be any part of some experiment." Thought Denge. There have been many incidents involving scientists doing crazy things to people in this version of Earth lately, one can't blame him for coming up with the conclusion that he did. And one certainly can't blame him for wanting to leave that cave far behind him. He didn't fancy the idea of being in the same room with a dead person all that much, especially a dead famous person that was supposed to be gone five years before. Denge wouldn't have to worry about all that though, because soon he would be- "Leaving? So soon?" The sudden sound of Jen's voice caused Denge to stop immediately in his tracks and turn to face her, eyes wide with shock. "Why, Denge. You led me to think you had more manners than to just walk away form a girl without even saying good-bye, and while she's sleeping too!" "What do you want with me?" Denge asked, or rather ordered, his voice growing cold. "Why did you bring me here?" "Oh! Pushy aren't we today, stay here with me and you shall find your answers." Jen answered coolly. "No thanks." "I'm sorry, Denge, but you have no choice." In spite of this threat, a sly grin of amusement appeared on Denge's face. "You want me, come get me." Denge dashed for the exit, but to his dismay, he did not get so far as to see the sky from beneath the overhanging ceiling of rock. Four mutated creatures had jumped in front of him, blocking the exit. It seemed Jen had more power than he thought. He stopped for a moment, surprised by the sudden visitors, then continued running; straight through the middle was his plan. It was dangerous, he knew, but he wanted out. As soon as Denge got into their range, the creatures pounced on him. He was knocked to the ground but rolled away just before the beasts landed on him. He quickly took on a fighting stance and was able to inflict some damage using his fists. At first he thought he would have no problem fighting these creatures off, after all he had encountered wild animals before and knew how to handle them. But as he was fighting, he realized that these were no ordinary animals. They were smarter, faster, and more cunning than any Denge had known before. "If only I had a weapon. a sword or something other than my fists alone." One from behind bit onto his leg, just above his ankle. He let out a short cry of pain before kicking the creature away with his other leg. Then one had his hand. He tried hitting it away and then kicked it. It didn't do much good. Then one jumped on his back, and before he knew it, he was back in the dirt. Now all four of them were on him. He tried desperately to defend himself but it was no use. Then he felt their poison kick in, and he was slowly fading away from consciousness. He heard Jen laughing. "Don't damage him too much, now. I will need his body," said Jen as she slipped again into evil laughter, and that cruel laughter was the last thing Denge heard.
The creatures dragged Denge's body back into the cave and placed it back next to Sephiroth's, on Jen's command. She didn't have to worry about him waking up on her again; he was in a sleep he would never wake up from. Not dead, mind you, but in an everlasting coma, still somewhat aware of his surroundings but not alive enough to make sense of it. He had become a prisoner in his own body. but he would still have his thoughts, for Jen needed his soul to be conscious for her spell to work. "Yes, perfect." Jen murmured, rubbing her hands together as she gazed anxiously at the two bodies lying side by side on the cave floor, while the monsters she had summoned looked anxiously at her. "Leave!" she ordered them. "I have no more use for you. You've served your purpose." She grinned wickedly as the beasts scattered and left the cave. Then she turned back to the still bodies of Denge and Sephiroth and walked slowly toward them. It was time to begin. In order to resurrect Sephiroth, Jen had to use a body that was fairly healthy to serve as Sephiroth's new body. She was too weak to resurrect Sephiroth without this step, and considering the way his body was when she found it. it was just impossible. The first step was to get rid of all Denge's controlling cells and to replace them with Sephiroth's, for every cell contains a person's genetic make-up. To do this, Jen literally cut a hole in each of the men's chests and used her unique magic to transfer the bulk of Sephiroth to Denge's body. Then she had to switch the brains, which she did in very much the same fashion. For the finishing touch, she gave up some of her cells to Denge's body, which by now had more of Sephiroth in it than Denge. They merged with Sephiroth's dead cells, giving them life. Then they spread throughout the body, multiplying and replacing Denge's cells with Sephiroth's. Jen watched in satisfaction as Denge slowly mutated into Sephiroth before her very eyes. By the next day, Denge was no longer Denge at all. If the original Sephiroth was healed as this new one was, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them.
The night wind blew through the treetops, rustling their many leaves. Fearless, heartless creatures roamed the earth under them, silently hunting for their next meal, whether it be a small harmless herbivore or some unlucky person that made the mistake to stay out in the wilderness this late. But predator or prey, none of the nocturnal creatures awake that night noticed the black puddle of sludgy mass slide silently across the forest floor at a never slackening pace. Several similar puddles of this black mass were also traveling at this hour, though in different parts of the world. All shared the same destination and all would reach it, though some before others. And if you took a trip to what was called the Northern Crater in this world, you would see that this strange reunion had already begun to take place. "When I am complete, I will have my revenge." The strange substance thought as it collected itself in the cave nearby. A smaller mass just like this one came into view and merged with the first, making it a bit bigger than before. "Only a few more to arrive and I will be able to take on a form, instead of existing as this useless blob of loose cells. I just hope that there is that much in existence... It thought. It should take no more than a week now."
A week passed and the last of the being's living cells arrived in the cave. To its delight, there were just enough cells for it to take on a shape, but not a strong one. It took less than a minute for this mass of cells to mold itself into the form of a tall woman with long silvery hair and glowing, impossibly green eyes. She (for it was female) wore a simple flowing dress that was white at the top but faded through gray into a bottom black as black can be. "How can I expect to do anything in a form no stronger than this? How disappointing, it seems I will have to spend years hidden in this cave while I recover." "No matter, time means nothing to me." She added aloud to her thoughts. The mass of black slime that was now a woman of beauty walked outside the cave to look around. The battle fought here over a month ago left the place looking spooky and desolate. Well, even before the battle it was that, but now it was even more so. A good number of cliffs and platforms that existed before had collapsed and left numerous caves and small hiding places as well. It was in one of these rock-laden caves that the being took refuge. The women walked slowly over the rocky ground that a month before had been quite different, a bit surprised at what she saw. She had not lived to the end of the battle and knew not how it ended. She knew only that she had lost; her plan had failed. But even though she had been defeated, her servant was still living at the time she was destroyed. She walked on. The time was near dawn and soon the first rays of the sun would be visible. The next step she took landed on something that felt different-not like the hard rocks all around her. She stopped, looked down at what she stepped on, and was shocked to see a familiar hand with the number one tattooed on the back. "Well, well, well," she commented and knelt down to remove the rock and debris that were piled in front of her. She worked fast and had soon uncovered a muscular arm, chest, and face of a man stained with dry blood. The skin that wasn't either cut open or covered with blood was deathly pale. His long hair lay everywhere in tangles. Now mostly a deep red, only a few spots could be seen it's natural color, which most would say was unnatural to begin with. His eyes were gently shut and his mouth slightly open. There were cuts and deep gashes all over his chest and the rest of him that was still covered by rock and debris didn't look much better. "Oh, my. It seems Cloud was stronger than I thought." She said, looking down on the sickening scene that lay before her. If it had been any other person to see the bloodied corpse, they would have vomited at the sight of it, or maybe have screamed. Some might have had nightmares from the experience. But this women, or rather creature, just stared at it through cold, curious eyes without once flinching at the sight of the dead, let alone feeling a thought of empathy. "What a waste," She thought. "All that strength, the power he possessed. Such a waste." She turned and started to walk away only to stop and turn back again after a few feet. "Of coarse!" she exclaimed. "I can restore his strength and power and bring him back to life." But as she said this and looked at the corpse she realized this could not be done so easily. "No." She thought. "This body is too damaged and my power too weak to do any restore work. I shall have to use a healthy body for a base." Pushing away the remaining rocks, she half dragged half carried the dead body of the man who had once been the strongest member of Soldier and quite possibly the most powerful living being on the planet. She soon reentered the cave she was in earlier and laid the corpse down next to the cold stone wall. Then she once again left the cave and headed south towards the nearest village. It was well into the morning by the time she arrived at a small town. There she crouched in the shadows of an alley where she would be unseen as she observed the people passing by. "Too short . . . Too fat . . . Ahh, perfect." The man she thought to be perfect was standing a little ways away with his back turned. There were several other people around him that he seemed to be talking to, but she could not see them well from this angle. "That blonde hair will definitely need to be changed." She thought from the shadows, and as she watched she was able to hear their conversation. "You're sure you'll be alright?" a somewhat familiar lady's voice asked. "Yeah, don't worry about me. Bye guys! See ya around!" answered another female voice. Then one of them started walking away and the others all stared after her. When she got to the exit of the town she turned and waved, and the others waved back. "Bye!" she shouted. "Bye Yuffie!" Yuffie? Then the girl named Yuffie had disappeared from view and left the small town behind. The young man that had been chosen was now staring at the ground with a thoughtful and confused expression on his face while two of his companions entered the house behind them. The girl who had earlier spoken to Yuffie stayed by his side, but he took no notice of her. "Cloud?" she said, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. Our friend in the shadows gasped. "Cloud!?" she exclaimed in a hissed whisper. The blond spikey-haired young man jerked his head in the direction of the alley, his burning blue eyes scanning the shadows. "What is it Cloud?" the young lady asked again, concern evident in her voice. The woman in the shadows took care to stay extremely still, but it was easy for her to make sure he did not happen to look in the right spot just the right way. Cloud was always easy to control. Cloud looked down and shook his head, forgetting the dark thoughts that were entering his mind, then looked up to his childhood friend. They stared into each other's eyes for a minute, unable to look away. A small moment that seemed like an eternity for each of them. "Are you two coming inside? Or do you prefer to stay out for a while?" A voice interrupted their stance and caused them to look to the open door where a large, red beast sat with his fiery tail curled round and glowing as it did in light or dark. They had not noticed him come into the doorway where he waited patiently for them to enter, a smile growing on his cat-like features. "Of course we're coming!" said the girl suddenly. "Right Cloud?" "Yeah, uh. why wouldn't we?" answered Cloud. He looked back at the alley one last time before hastily entering the house and shutting the door behind him. "Cloud. That was Cloud! Grrrrrr. If only I had my full strength!" She thought, still not leaving the shadows. "He defeated Sephiroth. it will take me years to recover enough to face him!" These thoughts upset the women more than you could possibly imagine, unless you happen to be the evil type and in the same situation, but that is highly unlikely. "Heh, heh, heh." She thought, devilishly realizing her plan in depth. "Sephiroth will achieve that for me." She thought through her plan over and over as she again searched the streets for a perfect body, for she could not use Cloud's. For reasons unknown, she was a great deal pickier than she was the first time around and it wasn't till a good hour later when she found a man that would do most perfectly for her purpose. He was tall, somewhere around six feet. His light brown hair hung to his shoulders and was cut quite evenly, though his bangs were somewhat wild as they fell across his lean face and forehead. His eyes were unmistakably green but it was clear that he had never in his life been exposed to Mako. If he had, there would have been that glow that all people, man or woman, have when exposed to the strange substance. He looked young, but his age could have been anywhere from eighteen to thirty, and his expression was one of anticipation. The evil creature disguised as a women walked slowly out of the shadows toward the man of her choice. "Excuse me, but I am having some trouble with. with my chocobo. He's extremely stubborn and won't budge. Do you think you could help me?" She said in nothing less than a tender, sweet voice, causing the taller man to stop and look to her. "Sorry miss, but I really am in quite a hurry." he answered politely and started off again. "But I am in desperate need of assistance. It won't take long enough to make you late for where ever you're going, will it? And if it does, I will gladly give you a ride if you would accept it." She insisted, placing a hand on his shoulder and stopping him once more. The man was silent for a moment, then smiled before answering, "Alright . . . I would be glad to help. I'm afraid I was being a bit selfish..." "Oh, that's perfectly alright. Right this way Mr.?" "Denge, just Denge. And what would you like to be called?" "Jen. I mean. yes, Jen." The two walked back though the alley and out of the town without another word. The women, who had called herself Jen, was lost in her thoughts about her plan while the man, Denge, was engulfed in his anticipations. "So, where is it?" asked Denge after a minute. When they were clear of the town, Jen had kept walking like she was a zombie, and there was no sign of a chocobo. There was a frightfully evil glare in her eyes as she smiled a devilish smile and seemed to be staring at something only she could see. "I don't like this girl." He thought to himself. "What?" Jen asked as she snapped out of her trance. "The chocobo, where is it?" "Oh. Well, this is where I left him, he couldn't have gotten far." Answered Jen. The evil possessed expression she had on before was gone without a trace. "You mean you didn't tie him up? If that's the case he's long gone, you'll never get him back now. Gosh, you own a chocobo and you didn't even know to--" Bonk! Denge fell to the ground, unconscious. "Save your breath." Jen growled under her breath as she started dragging his body away back toward the crater. "Actually." She thought. "The idea of a chocobo isn't so bad." So after she effortlessly caught a chocobo, she started back to the Northern Crater. When Jen entered the cave she had declared home, the time had reached noon. She placed Denge next to the body of Sephiroth and leaned against the opposite wall; She needed some rest before going on with the next step. But before she knew it, Jen had drifted off to sleep. No sooner did Jen fall asleep than Denge regained consciousness. He woke with a strong aching in his head and soon remembered about Jen, and how he was going to help with her chocobo. He remembered getting hit very hard over the head, but after that he could recall nothing. "Where am I . .?" Denge whispered to himself as he rubbed his head. Glancing at his watch, he cursed at the time it revealed. He looked to the left and saw the opening of the cave, for that was apparently what he sat in. His gaze then fell slightly and he noticed what was lying beside him. With a startled gasp Denge scrambled to his feet, his eyes glued on the sight that lay before him. "Oh, gods..." he commented in nearly a whisper. He certainly did not expect to see a bloodied torn-up corpse beside him in this cold, damp cave. Especially not the corpse of-- "Sephiroth?! The General Sephiroth? What... How... Huh?" Wild thoughts were swirling through Denge's confused mind. He had no doubt that this body that lay dead before him belonged to General Sephiroth of SOLDIER, for his features were unmistakable. It made no difference that his silvery hair was now stained red with dry blood, or that the deep cuts and gashes greatly distorted his appearance. Denge had never in his life been involved in anything that had to do with Shinra, and certainly knew nothing more about the company than the common knowledge any normal person would know. But common knowledge was that Sephiroth, SOLDIER's best member, had died because of an unexpected accident when on a mission at the Nibblehiem reactor over five years ago, and everyone knew who Sephiroth was. There were rumors, strongly believed by some, that Sephiroth had come back to life somehow since then, and that he was responsible for the meteor that had almost destroyed the planet, but Denge didn't believe that nonsense. Soon he noticed the stench of the dead that filled the air. It was almost unbearable, for one cannot stop the dead from smelling. After a quick look at the rest of the cave around him, Denge noticed Jen sitting with her back against the opposite wall, fast asleep. It then occurred to him in full what she had done. "It was a trick... Just a trap. But what does she want with me? Why did she bring me here and place me next to that-" Denge stared long and hard at the sleeping Jen, then switched his gaze over to the body of Sephiroth. He did not know what was going on, but he got the notion that he did not want to stay in this cave any longer. He quietly but quickly headed for the cave opening, careful not to wake Jen. "Jen... She's some crazy scientist I'll bet. And I am not going to be any part of some experiment." Thought Denge. There have been many incidents involving scientists doing crazy things to people in this version of Earth lately, one can't blame him for coming up with the conclusion that he did. And one certainly can't blame him for wanting to leave that cave far behind him. He didn't fancy the idea of being in the same room with a dead person all that much, especially a dead famous person that was supposed to be gone five years before. Denge wouldn't have to worry about all that though, because soon he would be- "Leaving? So soon?" The sudden sound of Jen's voice caused Denge to stop immediately in his tracks and turn to face her, eyes wide with shock. "Why, Denge. You led me to think you had more manners than to just walk away form a girl without even saying good-bye, and while she's sleeping too!" "What do you want with me?" Denge asked, or rather ordered, his voice growing cold. "Why did you bring me here?" "Oh! Pushy aren't we today, stay here with me and you shall find your answers." Jen answered coolly. "No thanks." "I'm sorry, Denge, but you have no choice." In spite of this threat, a sly grin of amusement appeared on Denge's face. "You want me, come get me." Denge dashed for the exit, but to his dismay, he did not get so far as to see the sky from beneath the overhanging ceiling of rock. Four mutated creatures had jumped in front of him, blocking the exit. It seemed Jen had more power than he thought. He stopped for a moment, surprised by the sudden visitors, then continued running; straight through the middle was his plan. It was dangerous, he knew, but he wanted out. As soon as Denge got into their range, the creatures pounced on him. He was knocked to the ground but rolled away just before the beasts landed on him. He quickly took on a fighting stance and was able to inflict some damage using his fists. At first he thought he would have no problem fighting these creatures off, after all he had encountered wild animals before and knew how to handle them. But as he was fighting, he realized that these were no ordinary animals. They were smarter, faster, and more cunning than any Denge had known before. "If only I had a weapon. a sword or something other than my fists alone." One from behind bit onto his leg, just above his ankle. He let out a short cry of pain before kicking the creature away with his other leg. Then one had his hand. He tried hitting it away and then kicked it. It didn't do much good. Then one jumped on his back, and before he knew it, he was back in the dirt. Now all four of them were on him. He tried desperately to defend himself but it was no use. Then he felt their poison kick in, and he was slowly fading away from consciousness. He heard Jen laughing. "Don't damage him too much, now. I will need his body," said Jen as she slipped again into evil laughter, and that cruel laughter was the last thing Denge heard.
The creatures dragged Denge's body back into the cave and placed it back next to Sephiroth's, on Jen's command. She didn't have to worry about him waking up on her again; he was in a sleep he would never wake up from. Not dead, mind you, but in an everlasting coma, still somewhat aware of his surroundings but not alive enough to make sense of it. He had become a prisoner in his own body. but he would still have his thoughts, for Jen needed his soul to be conscious for her spell to work. "Yes, perfect." Jen murmured, rubbing her hands together as she gazed anxiously at the two bodies lying side by side on the cave floor, while the monsters she had summoned looked anxiously at her. "Leave!" she ordered them. "I have no more use for you. You've served your purpose." She grinned wickedly as the beasts scattered and left the cave. Then she turned back to the still bodies of Denge and Sephiroth and walked slowly toward them. It was time to begin. In order to resurrect Sephiroth, Jen had to use a body that was fairly healthy to serve as Sephiroth's new body. She was too weak to resurrect Sephiroth without this step, and considering the way his body was when she found it. it was just impossible. The first step was to get rid of all Denge's controlling cells and to replace them with Sephiroth's, for every cell contains a person's genetic make-up. To do this, Jen literally cut a hole in each of the men's chests and used her unique magic to transfer the bulk of Sephiroth to Denge's body. Then she had to switch the brains, which she did in very much the same fashion. For the finishing touch, she gave up some of her cells to Denge's body, which by now had more of Sephiroth in it than Denge. They merged with Sephiroth's dead cells, giving them life. Then they spread throughout the body, multiplying and replacing Denge's cells with Sephiroth's. Jen watched in satisfaction as Denge slowly mutated into Sephiroth before her very eyes. By the next day, Denge was no longer Denge at all. If the original Sephiroth was healed as this new one was, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them.