FINAL FANTASY VII

REVELATIONS

AN:Hey everyone, this is just a little spur of the moment fic that popped into my mind. I literally wrote this all in one night. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

Zack slowly let out a relaxed sigh as he lay on his back in the middle of a field of flowers, stretching endlessely in all directions. Not far from where he lay was Aerith, tending to her flowers with a diligence and devotion you would not expect

from a dead person who literally had all eternity to do whatever she wanted. Zack for one was in no particular hurry to do anything, he was content to just dink around this meadow for a few centuries, or when Cloud showed up, whichever came first.

"Hey Zack! Wanna help?" Aerith asked as she looked up from her work.

Zack opened one eye and said "Sure, why not?" He got to his feet and stretched lazily, letting out a loud yawn as he stretched. "Dang!" He exclaimed as his back popped loudly, though how he had any bones to pop when he was only a

spirit in the Lifestream was beyond him. "How long was I laying there?" He asked as he meandered over to Aerith.

Aerith looked thoughtful for a moment before saying "I think, three days? I was starting to get lonely,"

Zack scratched the back of his head as he said "Sorry, I guess time flies when your dead," Aerith smiled in agreement. You wouldn't think two people could talk about being dead in good humour, but then being dead does tend to change

your perspective on life.

"So what do you need me to do?" The former SOLDIER asked pleasantly.

Aerith handed Zack a watering can and said "Water these flowers here,"

"Ok," He said with a nod, accepting the water can. It was odd, but all you needed was an idea and a concept in your mind of what you wanted, and the Lifestream would give it to you. For a time they simply enjoyed eah others company,

working on the flowers without caring how boring or repetitive it was, it gave them both a sense of satisfaction, and they were more than content in each other presence.

"Ah, its days like today that make you appreciate being dead," Zack said cheerfully.

"Hm, I've never heard it phrased quite like that before, but yeah," Aerith said. Suddenly a tremor shot through the ground ausing Zack to stumble while Aerith fell to her hands and knees.

"What was that!?" Zack said, and suddenly became aware of a new presence within their corner of the Lifestream.

Aerith's eyes widened in terror as she cried "Its him!! I can feel it!" Zack eyes widened in alarm, and a moment later swirling tentacles of Negative Lifestream energy formerd not far away, sprouting out of the ground even as the meadow around

them seemed to distort. Images flashed all around them, a burning villiage, the cries of the innocent as they were slaughtered, a pair of mako blue eyes filled with rage.

"Sephiroth," Zack said quietly, as a quiet dread seeped into him. Sure enough the Negative Lifestream began to form into a humanoid shape. A black leather trenchcoat spread out, and long silver hair blew in a slight breeze as two green catlike

eyes opened.

"Its been awhile, Zack Fair," The evil man said as he finished forming. It was awful, being in this mans presence. Power seemed to radiate from him, and be pulled towards him. Zack could feel a tugging, and knew it was from the Jenova

cells inside of him. Even in death, those with Jenova's cells would always be haunted by Sephiroth's will.

Finally, pushing the fear from his mind, Zack shouted "What do you want!?"

Sephiroth seemed amused by the question as he said slowly paced, his eyes locked on Zack as he responded "I am here for the ancient. I ended her life, thinking to eliminate the threat she posed to my plans. But even in death she has foiled

me. Clearly killing her was not enough," Zack's eyes widened as Sephiroth smirked, and Aerith shrank away from the evil man.

"You don't mean!? You can't!!" Zack said in outrage as he realized what Sephiroth meant. Even as he did he noticed the area continuing to change, the enviroment Aerith had formed was fading away, revealing the Lifestream as it flowed, with

several rocks floating within it. The Lifestream in its pure state, was not physical at all, but a surging mass of spiritual energy, which was why the dead could survive within it. They died, but their residual spirit energy survived in the Lifestream. Now a larger rock was forming under Zack's feet as the flowers faded away.

"Oh but I can, Zack," Sephiroth tuanted, clearly amused by the rage coming over his former friends face.

"Zack, make him leave," Aerith said, weak with fear.

Sephiroth chuckled evily as he said "Foolish girl, he cannot help you,"

Zack brought his hand over his head, and in a blaze of green fire he summoned the Buster Sword to his grasp before swinging it down at his side, his legs spreading into a fighting stance as he said "Care to put that to the test!?"

"Have you already forgotten what happened last time?" Sephiroth asked, a contemptious sneer crossing his face. "An inferior being like you can never defeat me," The evil man declared.

Zack held his sword in both hands as he said "Why don't you come and find out!"

Sephiroth's eyes glinted with an almost maniacal glee as he said "Very well, I shall show you true darkness," As he said this the masamune formed in his hands, and he assumed his famous fighting stance, the masamune angled towards

Zack.

"Aerith, get out of here," Zack said.

"I can't, the Negative Lifestream is surrounding us," Aerith pointed out.

A quick glance around confirmed her claims. "Shit!" Zack said, as he realized they were both trapped with this lunatic. Sephiroth charged forward, and Zack rushed forward to meet his blade in a furious clash, as sparks scattered across the

ground as Sephiroth immediately spun his blade in a slash for Zack's head, a blow which the former SOLDIER barely ducked before lunging at Sephiroth's abdomen, only for the masamune to come around in a sweeping stroke which turned the attack aside before the silver haired man stepped forward with a two-handed slash which forced Zack to retreat. Soon the swords were meeting so frequently that they sounded like a hail storm on a tin roof.

As the two men continued their duel Aerith noticed something, a shimerring light pressing against the Negative Lifestream. "What is that?" She wondered aloud.

Sephiroth quickly deflected a slash at his face, then sent three quick thrusts at Zack's neck, all of them were blocked before Zack swung at his former companions feet forcing him into a backwards flip before he stepped forward with a sweeping

slash which Zack batted aside with the whidth of his blade before stabbing at Sephiroth's chest, a blow which he easily sidestepped, before springing away from another slash. Sephiroth scowled, Zack seemed to be much stronger than he had been at Nibelheim.

With a scowl, Sephiroth raised his hand and flicked his fingers at Zack, who was quickly surrounded by a Shadow Flare. Zack sprang free of the attack just in time, and right into an oncoming slash. It was more through luck than skill that Zack

was able to block the hit and drive Sephiroth back with another slash. Frustration showed on Sephiroth's face at his inability to kill the former SOLDIER, and a scowl crossed his face as spiritual energy coated his blade.

"Enough!" He declared, coming forward with several lightning fast swings of his blade which sent Zack skittering to the edge of the rock before he sprang up into the air and landed on another one. Sephiroth sprang after him to resume the

onslaught.

Meanwhile, Aerith had approached the edges of the battlefield, and watched as the odd light fought to break through the Negative Lifestream.

"Let me in!!" It said, speaking directly into the Cetra's mind.

"Who are you!?" Aerith asked in suprise.

"It doesn't matter! I can help you!" It replied.

Aerith nodded as she said "Alright, but it could take awhile to break through, we have to work together," The light seemed to bob in agreement, and the two quickly set to work.

In the meantime, the battle had moved from one rock to another. Now Zack flew backwards, throwing his arms out for balance while his feet dug into the ground to halt his momentum before he flew off of the platform. As he saw Sephiroth racing

towards him, and he felt his desperation and rage turn into a tangible force, and he directed it into his sword activating his Limit Break. Blue flames flowed along the blade as he rushed forward with an overhead chop, mirrroring his opponen'ts move.

Their blades shoved against each other as Sephiroth struggled to hold back the power of Zack's Limit Break, while Zack desperately tried to break his foes guard so he could utilize the powerful attack. Slowly, Sephiroth started to lose the

contest, and a look of disbelief crossed his face.

"Still think I can't beat you?" Zack asked as the masamune bent back towards its wielder, and Sephiroth could feel the spiritual flames on the Buster Sword inches away from him, burning at his very existence. Sephiroth grit his teeth, then

with a small grunt a large black feathered wing exploded from his right shoulder and stretched out, driving Sephiroth into Zack who struggled to hold the One-Winged-Angel at bay, while feathers floated through the air all around them.

Sephiroth's arrogant grin returned as he said "Where did all of your confidence go!?" Then he shoved with all his might, and Zack was thrown into the air, the spiritual flames leaving his blade while he went through a backwards flip landing on another rock.

"Damn! So close!" Zack growled in between heavy breaths. Sephiroth flew at Zack who barely deflected the slash before leaping into the air with Sephiroth in hot pursuit.

They crossed swords in mid-air as Sephiroth tuantingly said "You always were weak, never able to live up to your own expectations, always failing those around you. Genesis, Angeal, Cloud, you failed them all!"

"Shut up!" Zack said as he pulled his sword back and swung harshly, but Sephiroth parried the attack and sent Zack flying away from him with another quick slash, then as the former SOLDIER struggled to right himself in the air, Sephiroth pulled

his sword back and used his Draw Slash attack, and the energy crashed into Zack sending him crashing back down onto the rock where the duel started.

"And now you've failed her," Sephiroth said harshly, then descended upon Zack, raising his sword for the finishing blow which would destroy Zack's spirit, removing him from existence itself.

"Stop!!" A new voice called out desperately. Sephiroth halted his descent and turned cold eyes upon the speaker. A woman with brown hair and a lab coat stood about thirty feet away with an odd mixture of fear and sadness on her face.

"Whats going on?" Zack asked himself as he also looked to the new arrival, frankly astonished he was still alive, or dead, or whatever.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" Sephiroth demanded as he lowered onto the rock, not far from Zack, who quickly scrambled away from Sephiroth while rising to his feet.

"My name is Lucrecia Crescent," The woman said, then when Sephiroth failed to look interested she added "I was summoned here by your presence. I am your mother,"

Sephiroth let out a long heartfelt laugh which sounded very odd coming from him of all people, Zack decided. Finally as the evil man settled down he said "What noesense is this? Jenova is my mother, not some pathetic human like you,"

Lucrecia shook her head as she said "No, you were injected with Jenova's cells while in the whomb, but I was the one who gave birth to you!"

"Enough lies! Now prepare yourself," Sephiroth said as he lifted his sword.

Lucrecia struggled to hold back tears as she said "I can proove it,"

Sephiroth looked as though he might ignore her, but finally he lowered his weapon with a snarl as he said "Fine, proove it,"

Lucrecia nodded, and closed her eyes as the Lifestream itself gathered around her. As the area around them seemed to fade away Zack asked "What is she doing!?"

"She's using the Lifestream to show us her memories," Aerith explained as a place familiar to all of them formed, the basement of the Nibelheim Mansion.

Lucrecia was pacing, and another man Sephiroth recognized as Proffesor Gast was watching her as he said "It won't be much longer, a few weeks at the most. How do you feel?"

The memory Lucrecia replied with "My back hurts,"

Gast stood up and said "Here, why don't you sit down," Lucrecia thanked him, and sat in the offered chair. "So have you decided on a name yet?" The scientist asked.

Lucrecia nodded as she said "Yeah, if its a girl I'll name her Sephina, and if its a boy I'll call him Sephiroth,"

A flash of light encompassed the group, and they found themselves looking down on the same room, only now Lucrecia was laying on a medical table, while Gast and Hojo were operating.

"Push! Push!" Gast encouraged.

"I AM PUSHING!!!" Lucrecia shrieked in agony.

"Here it comes!" Hojo said, and a moment later Gast withdrew a baby boy with a small tuft of silver hair. "Ah look at him, he'll make a fine test subject!" Hojo declared stepping in close.

"Back off Hojo, this boy is more than just an experiment!" Gast said, then ordered "Check on Lucrecia," Hojo scowled, but did as he was told.

"Is the baby ok?" The woman asked in exhaustion.

"It is a boy," Hojo said simply.

"Then I shall name him, Sephiroth," Lucrecia declared. The image froze, as the group stood in the middle of the memory. Lurecia also stood there now as she said "Hojo never once let me hold you, he insisted on hording you as his own

perssonal experiment,"

"How ridiculous, if that were true then why would Gast let him?" Sephiroth said with a sneer.

Lucrecia looked pained, and seemed to have trouble speaking. Aerith walked over to her, while Zack closely watched Sephiroth. "Come on, just let it out," Aerith said kindly, encouraginly.

The woman nodded, then looked Sephiroth in the eye and said "Because Hojo is your father," Sephiroth's eyes widened and his knees buckled. He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of that statement, but somehow he knew it was true.

"N-no, thats not possible," Sephiroth said weakly, desperately denying her words, even as she nodded solemnly. "NO!!" Sephiroth snapped standing at his full height.

Suddenly a cold laugh filled the room, and after a flicker of light, Hojo started moving. "What an interesting response," Hojo said in between insane giggles.

"Hojo!!" Zack said, hatred lining his voice as he raised his sword.

"N-no! How did you get here, your just supposed to be a memory!" Lucrecia said as she stepped back.

"Is it so wrong for me to be here when my son learns his identity?" Hojo asked with a shrug.

"Jenova....isn't my mother?" Sephiroth asked as he slumped to his knees.

"She is more your mother than this whench! Her cells make up a part of your genetic structure and I must say, the results are greater than even I expected!" Hojo said with a maniacal laugh.

"Don't listen to him, I'm your mother Sephiroth! I love you," Lucrecia cried franticly.

Sephiroth slowly stood as he looked at Hojo, his face completely void of any emotion. "You lied to me, you told me that Jenova was my mother. I've killed thousands in her name, how could you? How could I?"

"Because you are perfect, you have no remorse, and power far superior to the Ancients. You are destined to rule this world! And its all thanks to me!!" Hojo declared, a look of twisted pride entering his eye.

"No! Your wrong, nobody has the right to rule the planet! Aerith shouted at Hojo.

"You bastard! You'll pay for everything!" Zack growled as he took a menacing step towards the demented scientist.

"You fool, you are no match for Sephiroth!" Hojo said gleefully, then turned to Sephiroth and pointed at the others as he cried "Kill them, show them your perfection!"

"I refuse," Sephiroth said coldly as he rose to his feet.

"What? I command you to destroy them!" Hojo shouted angrily.

"I am not a puppet!" Sephiroth roared, then lifted his hand into the air as an ivisible force blew his trench coat about, while tendrills of Dark Lifestream wrapped around Hojo who cried out in alarm as he was compressed into a very small space,

then this orb floated into Sephiroth's hand.

He lowered the squirming object to eye level, then scowled and crushed it within his fist, thus ending the existence of Hojo. Slowly the dream faded until they were all standing on the rock hovering in the Lifestream once again.

"Sephiroth?" Lucrecia asked after a moment, taking a cautious step towards her son.

"Stay away from me!" Sephiroth snapped as he turned angry eyes on her, and to the suprise of all, he was crying. He turned and walked into the Lifestream.

"Wait!!" Lucrecia cried as tears streaked down her face as well, then followed Sephiroth out of sight.

For a long time Zack and Aerith just stood there, while the flower field reformed all around them, as far as the eye can see.

"What do you think will happen next?" Aerith asked.

Zack shook his head, then noticing he still had his sword in hand, he dismissed the weapon and it diffused into Lifestream energy. "I don't know, for the second time in his life, Sephiroth has discovered that everything he knew was a lie. Who

knows what sort of effect that may have on him?"

"What a harsh fate," Aerith commented, feeling pity for Sephiroth.

Zack grunted as he lay down among the flowers and said "He deserves it," Aerith looked at him suprised. "I don't care what happens, Sephiroth betrayed my trust and tried to kill me, and he did kill you. I cannot forgive him," Zack said

harshly.

Aerith sighed sadly as she said "I hope one day, he gives you a reason to change your mind," Zack said nothing, but she knew he was hopin the same thing.