_M a r i o n e t t e_
Kadaj looked but failed to see the scene playing out in front of him. He saw himself--his body, rather--dueling with his traitor of a big brother, Cloud.
It was Sephiroth in his body. Sephiroth…Kadaj had waited forever to finally see him. Now, the mere mention of his name put a foul taste in Kadaj's mouth.
He had been so close to death so many times for his Mother, and she had thrown him away like a piece of garbage. Jenova only had eyes for him. Her perfect son…Sephiroth…
Kadaj looked down again, but didn't see his own body. It was Sephiroth, in the flesh, taunting him. Cloud was having difficulty keeping the upper hand. Kadaj forced himself to look away.
Even if Cloud did die, it wouldn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore…Mother had lied to him…She said she needed him! He had to be there for Reunion! It killed Kadaj to realize that this was Reunion…
Jenova only wanted Sephiroth. He and his brothers were merely pawns in her game…
There was a flash of light and Kadaj felt unyielding pain. He was standing back down on the Shin-Ra machinery with Cloud. In anger and rage he made a feeble attempt to charge at Cloud. He wound up tripping and falling into Cloud's arms.
Looking up into the Mako-stained sky, he saw the image of Sephiroth.
So did you enjoy your little Reunion? Sephiroth taunted in his head. Face it. You're just a puppet. Mother never wanted you. She only loves me. She wanted to save me, so she left you to die. Such a shame to live-- Here he laughed a heartless laugh. Die, rather, for such a lost cause… Did you honestly believe you could do anything? Poor little puppet…
Kadaj felt the rain begin to pour down on him, mixing with his tears. He had been so stupid. Why didn't he see that it was all a lie?
He deserved the death he was about to die. He would die finally knowing what he really was.
"Kadaj?" a soft, sweet voice called.
"M-Mother?" he choked. Even after all Sephiroth had said, he still had hope that Jenova had changed her mind. Maybe Sephiroth had been the one lying…
He took the hand that reached out to him. Kadaj smiled, eyes closing in death, still believing that his Mother had finally accepted him in a gesture of love.
Aerith sighed, taking his body into her arms, and finally cut the strings off the worn marionette…