Disclaimer - I do not own any of the final fantasy characters.

Ok - takes place just as Sephiroth has found out about himself - Phoenix, is from our reality.

Chapter 1 - Meetings

Work…eat…sleep. Work…eat…sleep. Same thing day in and day out. Life was predictable and boring as always. Phoenix Watson, Worker by day, nothing by Night. Unless you count book worm couch potato with no ambition…something. But at least it was a safe life, she kept on top of bills, had enough to spend a little on what she wanted and save some in the bank to build up interest. She was a non drinker non socialite, in fact when the words night out came up she usually just tried to hide and wimp out. She had her friends and family she talked to now and again but that was it. Cruddy really but its sooooo much trouble to try and do anything, but that's fine, for now anyway no ambitions yet. Maybe in a couple of years or so. It was just another quiet night, nowt on the TV, browse the internet looking for nothing in particular for a while before heading to bed. Ah…bed, one of those simple delights…a nice soft bed to go to sleep in when she was tired, nice and cosy and warm and big enough to sprawl out on. She locked the door and turned off all the lights she had forgotten to turn off beforehand. She turned off her laptop waiting just long enough for it to say shutting down before closing it and headed up the stairs. After a few steps she very suddenly began to feel dizzy, and having enough sense she sat down, she did not want to fall down the stairs. She felt sick and her head was spinning, something was wrong. Phoenix wasn't the kind of person to have strange fits of illness or headaches or anything strange, she was generally quite healthy and so she started to panic, why was she suddenly so dizzy. She generally had plenty of common sense but right now that wasn't helping much and her head was getting worse. It was dark but she began to see light that seemed to fade in and out getting slowly brighter, great now I'm seeing things she thought. She lived on her own and right now with her feeling like she could pass out the only bit of common sense was to get to the phone and ring someone, but before she could get very far she passed out in an ever increasing, blinding light.

Sephiroth was pacing back and forth, he was in the basement of the old Shinra Mansion, and he was in a foul mood. He was one of Shinra's experiments, he was a son of Jenova, he deserved to rule this planet not work as a petty soldier for some third rate business man. He could hear her, Jenova, cooing in his mind, calling for him, willing for him to find her, it was almost overwhelming him and as his anger spiked it only continued to let his mind slip. He knew that he needed to go up to the reactor, but Zack was outside, waiting for him to come out. All those people were out there not knowing a thing about there pathetic, worthless lives. Jenova stirred again within him, filling him with hatred against Shinra, hatred against Zack and hatred against all those petty humans who didn't have a right to waste the air they breathed. Sephiroth let out a cry, hitting a wall full vials and books and of part experiments. Notes, beakers, vials flew everywhere as the whole shelving unit came crashing down. A vile smell from the mix of chemicals contaminated the air as the dust settled down, Sephiroth had no more desire to stay, he picked up his sword and turned to leave the room.

As he did so, amid the ruin something caught his eye, reflecting the dim light on the floor in a now broken glass case was a glowing materia, he wasn't sure what kind of materia it was but he picked it up. Probably an experimental materia of some sort he thought. Whatever it was he could sense the power in it and so he decided to hold onto it. He left the mansion, he was going for Jenova.

Flames engulfed Nibelhiem, feeding Sephiroth's anger and he found a certain joy in watching the flames destroy and ravage the town. Jenova quietly urged Sephiroth on, filling him with a hated and rage not of his own. He had set fire to the town in his blind rage and blood soaked his Masamune from those who had tried to stop him, he turned away from the ruined town and headed for the reactor.

A way up the mountain he came across an old man who stood in his way, Sephiroth recognised him as the father of the girl whom had been their guide a few days ago when they had walked up the mountain initially to fix the broken reactor. Jenova's wrath fuelled him as this lowly man stood in their way, and Sephiroth killed him swiftly with his Masamune. He was being followed. He could feel them. Sephiroth turned and looked, he could see the town still ablaze but averted his eyes to the base of the mountain and in the distance he could see the girl, she was making her way up the mountain, and further on with his superbly keen eyes he saw leaving the village Cloud and Zack. Blood trickled down onto gloved hand from his bloodied sword and he tossed it aside then walked on, Jenova always urging him.

Finally he entered the main reactor, and ultimately beheld Jenova. There he paused, and as he did, the girl, Tifa, caught up. She was in a rage of her own, an emotional one, she tried to kill him with his own sword. He swatted her without even having to try, and she tumbled down the stairs that had been at the entrance of the reactor. She was unconscious. Knowing that Zack and Cloud followed he walked over to the reactor, and round to where Jenova resided.

"At last my Son, now release me and together you and I…" Jenova spoke in his mind, but Zack shouted out from the entrance to the chamber.

"SEPHIROTH," Zack called out, "What have you done?" Zack could not understand what had drove his friend to commit such heinous crimes. What had happened? Why was he doing this? Jenova's rage once again filled Sephiroth,

"Kill him, " she whispered, and Sephiroth obeyed. He reached for his Masamune only to realise that it was not with him, it was laying upon the ground where he had removed it from Tifa's grasp. Zack came at him. Sephiroth could easily kill him and used only his inhuman brute strength to send him flying across the chamber and smashing into the wall with bone breaking force. Zack fell to the ground, his body broken, as Cloud entered the fray. Another one. Another petty human interfering in what he couldn't possibly understand. Jenova was meant to rule this planet but had failed to do so and now it was up to Sephiroth to bring about the dawn of a new age of destruction.

Hatred filled Cloud's heart as he watched his friend and mentor attacked so brutally before him. He ran over to where Zack had fallen, hoping, just hoping that he was still alive, he was, but just barely,

"It's up to you…Cloud…to stop him," Zach murmured before loosing consciousness. The strength that Sephiroth must have used left no doubt in Clouds mind that he had meant to kill him and that enraged him. Zack had looked up to Sephiroth more than anyone and considered him a friend, and that very same person had just tried to kill him without reason. It was up to him now to kill the monster before him, but he would have to be careful Sephiroth was a serious opponent. Cloud slowly and quietly made his way round to be near Sephiroth, sword in hand ready to defend himself.

"Kill him, Kill them all," Jenova's wrath fuelled him, he had no sword but he did have a powerful materia though his sword was not to far. He moved swiftly over some metal supports and reclaimed his sword but Cloud quickly followed coming at Sephiroth. Sephiroth had his sword but it was the materia that he decided to use, thought he did not know its power, his clear mind was no longer with him, he drew it out of his coat and poured his magic into it. Cloud readied to defend himself, but at first nothing happened, an eerie silence threatened to suffocate anyone. But as Sephiroth poured in his energy to the now intensely glowing orb flames began to almost ooze out of the Materia. hmmm guess it just a mastered fire materia after all Sephiroth thought, and so he aimed his power at Cloud as Cloud himself decided to wait no longer racing in for the kill. Then everything went awry. The materia went crazy, glowing so blindingly that even Sephiroth himself had to look away. Cloud stopped in his tracks lest he come too close to Sephiroth and die whilst he was sightless. Heat, a furious heat erupted from the materia, Sephiroth let go worrying that perhaps it might explode, which is precisely what happened, though for Sephiroth it was like waking into a strange dream.

What has happened? Why am I here? Jenova no longer clouded his mind. He could remember but it was as if he had been in a fog that had now lifted. He was no longer in the reactor, he was in a place of light and there was nothing else. Everything was silent, not a sound, sight, smell…nothingness, only light. But he could sense someone, someone close, familiar, though only as a distant memory, familiar none the less. Where was he? Dead? Unconscious? No not dead, he thought, he felt alive somehow. He felt for the presence and instantly connected, feeling it with his mind. A person,? he thought. His body began to feel heavy, like gravity was pulling on it and the light began to fade until blackness filled all.

He opened his eyes, it was night. He could see the stars and the moon, Where was he? He had been in the reactor. So then where was he now? He sat up and looked around, he was in a forest though in a open area, If memory serves there's a forest near Nibelhiem, but how did I get here? he was thinking. Then he thought of the materia, some sort of transportation? It was then that he noticed a woman laid nearby. She looked as though she was out cold, by the contorted way she was laid, almost like she was laid as she fell. There was something disturbingly familiar about her. Though at present he could not remember having met her. She had the same presence as the person he had felt in the 'Light' place. I must have been subconsciously aware of her he thought. Sephiroth cursed himself. He had let Jenova get the better of him. He had run riot. He had not intended to let it get so far out of hand. He didn't really care of the villagers, nor the girl or her father, nor really what had happened to Cloud, though he did have regrets over Zack. He had considered him a friend and would not have chosen to try to kill him. Sephiroth stood up, he would go back to Shinra and find out the answers to all his questions about himself from Hojo himself, after checking the reactor. He would report that Cloud and Zack had defected and 'play nice' for a little while. Shinra would give him the opportunity to find the answers he sought then he would have his revenge against Shinra and humanity. He could see faint light in one direction with his keen eyesight and assumed that that must be Nibelhiem, he would head in that direction then sweep round the town and on up to the reactor.

Sephiroth made to walk away when he once again noticed the woman. She was still unconscious. Something irked him, why should he care about some strange unknown woman? She was just another pathetic weak human, he stood there pondering, walk away or drop her off at the outskirts of town? He walked over to her and bent down. Why was she so familiar? the curiosity was eating away at him, if he had ever met her he should remember but he still couldn't remember having met her before. He shook her shoulder. He did not want to be carrying some woman to town if he didn't have to. She didn't move. He shook her more vigorously finally rousing her. Good, Sephiroth thought, now she can walk herself.

Phoenix opened her eyes, she were so groggy but she didn't feel dizzy or light-headed anymore at least. It felt like someone had stuffed a pillow in her head and left it there, and why is the bed so lumpy she found yourself thinking. And why is it so cold? she found herself thinking looking around, and why…am I…in-a-forest-with-a-strange-long-grey-haired-old-man-with-glowing-green-eyes-looking-at-me?… … ug I must be hallucinating, she thought. Phoenix closed her eyes took a deep breath and looked again but I don't see why…I must be dreaming. She closed her eyes once more and looked again, but the same image greeted her. She pinched herself…hard.

"Owwww," she said, ok not dreaming

"What are you doing?" Sephiroth said, she started to panic. The last thing she remembered was going upstairs to bed after the usual boring night. Then she had gotten dizzy and…passed out. Good lord what's happened? She looked up at Sephiroth, and panic renewed in full force, ideas coming into her head, kidnapping? Oh yea right kidnapped buy a long haired old man…giant…thing but as she looked in the moonlight she could see that he wasn't old at all, he was actually young and well built, only his hair was gray,another thought came to mind, had she been drugged, she had passed out. But how? Why? What was he going to do? Who was he and why was he here? Why was she here?

"Are you alright?" Sephiroth stated, her face was stricken. This man must have somehow gotten into her house kidnapped her, brought her to a forest for who knows what reason, and so she said the first stupid thing that came to mind,

"Nobody's-going-to-pay-anything-for-me" she said in a blur

"What?" Sephiroth said, "I don't want any money," oh no she thought, if he didn't want money then what did he want?

"Well I don't have any!" she said a little hysterically, she tried to keep her voice level. Sephiroth sighed,

"I don't want any money," he repeated, well if he doesn't want money…she thought again, then what?

"Are you going to kill me?" she had noticed his sword, somehow it had still been with him when he had awoken. Sephiroth followed her eyes then looked back to her,

"No," he stated.

"No?" she repeated

"No," he said again. Sephiroth found himself thinking that he should leave, she was obviously paranoid and yet he found he couldn't just leave her here, something continued to nag at him. He knew her somehow, the more he looked at her the more he knew it. But she didn't seem to have a clue.

Phoenix just looked at him, so if its not money or murder then…her eyes widened as he looked at her. She made to get up and run but he grabbed her swiftly and pinned her to the ground by her shoulder. It was like a statue had just pinned her down. She tried to pull away but he effortlessly held her in place, then he looked her in the eyes searching for some kind of answer. It was dark and his face was in shadow, so she couldn't really see but since his eyes glowed from the mako when he looked at her, she noticed. It was like being stricken down, a deer in the headlights. She looked away as his eyes burned into her, and despite her drive to get away her fight wavered, he turned her face forcefully to look at her. Where? Where do I know you from, he thought. Phoenix could hear his thoughts in her mind, but she wasn't convinced she had heard anything as she had heard more of a whisper. They had come almost as an echo, and as she could hear his mental words he could feel her panic, as though their minds were linked somehow. Phoenix began to struggle again but he pinned her down firmly. He was leaning ever closer looking at her, his eyes drilling into her driving her almost insane as he tried to figure her out, his body leaning ever closer. Panic…Panic…Panic

"I've got H I V!" she shouted, he paused,

"What?"

"H I V, so if I was you I wouldn't," Sephiroth just looked at her,

"Wouldn't what?" he asked, what? she thought,

"Well, well…I said I've…I've got H I V and…so…so if you don't want to catch it…do you…so you really don't wanna…rape me do you, you don't believe me do you?" she said, H I V ? Well that was stupid, or genius, depends what he does, she thought, Sephiroth looked at her and sighed. Irritated that anyone would think him of something so degrading. Though he could somehow tell she was lying about H I V, whatever that was. Sephiroth stood up pulling the woman up with him.

"I am NOT going to rape you," he almost growled, sending shivers down her spine, then what? she wondered, she opened her mouth to speak but he answered first, strange that I can hear this woman's thoughts so easily, and guarding his own thoughts he said,

"I woke up here, I'm not sure how I got to this place nor how you came to be here. I think a unstable transportation materia brought me here, possibly you as well…"

"Sorry," she interrupted, he glared at her for doing so, "A transportation what? No I wasn't on a bus or car or anything I was walking upstairs to bed, then suddenly I had a dizzy spell, there was a bright light and then a weird old man in a forest," his glare darkened, old man?

"AS I said, I'm certain a broken materia brought us here." he replied, his voice sounded so cold yet haunting, she wasn't sure but something about him was familiar but then she figured she must have hit her head so since she were sure she would remember meeting someone like him but still there was something familiar…I don't think he liked the old man comment, she thought, and don't antagonise the…bad guy?

"Emmmm, what's transportation material?" she asked, he looked at her blankly and said

"Materia…that transports people!" he sounded a little irritated and like he was talking to a child, sort of, like dur. And that irritated her, who was he anyway?

"O…Kay, but I still have never heard of a ma-te-ri-a is it a sort of car?" Sephiroth was giving her a sort of is she for real? sort of look.

"I'm sorry gees I don't know about cars, it's really not that big a…"

"It's not a car!" he interrupted. He sounded irritated. Phoenix fell momentarily silent. The thought of maybe gagging her and dropping her off in the town became slightly more appealing,

"Well bike then, or scooter…" though she couldn't imagine that kind of guy on a scooter. She has no idea what a materia is, he thought. "or bus…"

"It's a magic orb," Sephiroth stated. Now she was the one giving an is he for real? look. You know he is dressed real odd maybe he's in dress up? she wondered. And Sephiroth could hear her thoughts, unbeknownst to her.

"Riiiiiiiight, Okay and you're an elf right, and a bright light is going to whisk you away to never never land," she said. She's mocking me, Sephiroth thought, he was thoroughly irritated yet amused at this woman,

"What's your name?" he asked and after a moment he said "…I'm Sephiroth," He expected her to recognise his name, since he was the famous general of Shinra, but nada. He saw no spark, no recognition, no nothing.

"Well since you ask it's Phoenix. Under normal circumstances I'll say nice to meet you but well, it's not normal," she answered. "Emmm do you know which way to town and what town it is, are we near Bishop Auckland?" It was official in Sephiroth's eyes, she was delusional and to make matters worse he knew that she thought he was the crazy one.

"I've never heard of that place," he answered, "Nibelhiem is in that direction,"

"Ni-bel-hiem? Ni-bel-hiem? Never heard of it, it sounds foreign, we are in England right?" she asked, she was worried. The man seemed okay…ish, but she couldn't be sure really, and he was delusional, he believed in magic. That was wacky. He was probably just having her on.

"No we're in the Nibel Area of the West Continent!" Sephiroth answered, to Sephiroth it was beginning to get tedious. This is stupid he thought. He was ready to leave,

"Nibel? Where on Earth is that? West Continent? Do you mean America?" she said confused and doubtful, how could you have gotten to America?

"Alright listen carefully," Sephiroth began looking very serious, "Nibelheim is in that direction and is in the Nibel area, obviously you are very confused possibly because of the effects of the materia, however you should walk to town and sort yourself out…"

"Yes, yes, yes but what area of 'England' or even 'Europe' are we on," she spoke slowly wondering if he was slow,

"Neither, we are near Nibelhiem…" he stopped, he was not going to bother explaining, it was beneath him, he had pointed her in the right direction and now he was going to leave, but as he stopped she started,

"Oh come on, you can't expect me to honestly believe that I have magically been transported from my stairs at home in County Durham, England to some foreign Ni-bel-hiem place by a…flash of blinding liiiiiiiiight…" Sephiroth had decided to leave, she would obviously fall to wraiths if he were to leave her, unless attacking a dunce was beneath even them - though he didn't want to bet on that - so he had promptly and unceremoniously grabbed her by the arm and levitated to just above the trees to head for the edge of Nibelhiem. And much to his satisfaction, she was screaming, quietly and rather pitifully but screaming none the less.

Somehow they were flying, though the air, not falling or gliding, flying. Without a plane, glider, jet pack or anything else…that was impossible. She had reduced herself, shamefully, to screaming, but now she was under control after realizing, though it was impossible, that she were not going to fall and die. Unless he dropped her, which she were hoping he wouldn't. Phoenix held onto his arm for dear life, just hanging. It was official this can't be real, she thought, but non the less they were flying through the air. But then he stopped, mid-air, floating and up righting himself. Holding her arm so that she was dangling by his side, fighting every instinct she had not to grab hold of his legs which was even now more than she could bear to demean herself to. Sephiroth hovered there, something was off. He had set Nibelhiem ablaze, but there was not any trace of the flames that had spread not too long ago. The town looked dilapidated yet rebuilt, there were traces of a fire that took place a long time ago - old buildings that had scorch marks on the outskirts - but nothing recent. There were a few people about busying along with late night business, buildings that had been refurbished, the Shinra mansion looked in more disrepair than what he remembered. It was as if several years had passed in what must only have been a few hours a least. He can't possibly have been unconscious much longer than that. But the town? It's renewed, it should be in pieces. Sephiroth thought. He could not understand it. He looked down at Phoenix. Who was struggling to keep hold of his arm, looking horrified. And who is she? He wondered. Sephiroth made a decision, he knew that he recognised her somehow and he could not remember, that annoyed him thoroughly, so he decided he would check the reactor, then return to Shinra, there they could check her history and find out something. She was obviously confused and might even need a doctor.

Sephiroth began to fly forward heading for the reactor, but as he did so the woman grabbed his leg, 'unceremoniously'.

"Put me down," she shouted. Phoenix was ashamed of herself, she held onto a mans leg for dear life. It was shameful. "As in on the ground," she felt the need to explain, "Please?" Sephiroth looked at her. He looked irritated.

"You'll be coming with me," he stated,

"What?" she said, "Coming with you? Where? I just want to go home," she wined, "My nice warm home, in not Nibelhiem,"

"I'm taking you back to Shinra," Sephiroth told her, She should at least know Shinra, he thought. But no, of course not,

"Shinra?" she said, "Where's Shinra? America?" What was with this woman, had she lived her life under a rock?

"Shinra's the company I work for, I'm checking the reactor then I'll take you there, they will be able to tell you where…Bishop Auckland…is." Sephiroth told her. Her mind was buzzing, ok so, she thought, bullet points, 1. I'm dreaming or crazy 2. I'm no where on earth I've ever heard of with a stranger WHO CAN FLY, which is impossible, 3. He's taking me to a reactor, what's that ? I nuclear reactor? And 4 Shinra can tell me where I am…maybe possibly 5... ? well I could go on forever. What choice did she really have at the moment but to do as he said he had hold of her floating in the air so what exactly were she going to do? She had to trust him…sort of. Phoenix screamed again as he pulled her off his leg and flew off again.