Chapter 4: Calamity From the skies.
Pain... thats all she felt as her body went through the bitterly aggravating process of being reborn. How long she lay there writhing in pain was lost to her, it could have been 1 minute, it could have been 4 hours, or it could have been six weeks. It didn't matter anyway, the immense pain that shot through her very being was unlike anything that she had ever experienced. One of her standing, of her salience, should not have to suffer in such a manner. She grit her teeth through the onslaught to her senses and decided that it couldn't possibly go on any longer. Well thats what she hoped. She felt the slightest twinge of relief when the pain subsided just the least bit. She willed herself to endure it, it couldn't last any more than what she had been through.
It couldn't.
It was a while before she could release the pent up breath that was in her lungs. She blinked her eyes to remove the tears that had gathered there, she blinked again to remove the blurriness of not using her eyes. When the pain finally subsided she was still left with a dull throbbing that meant if she moved too hard she would reignite the flames of pain that seemed to be waiting for her to make the wrong move. She waits a moment for the blurriness to fade and then for the first time tried to focus in on her surroundings. The first thing she sees is white and the first thing she feels is cold. An unbearably cold substance seemed to try and seize her and engulf her whole body trying to freeze her to a point of no return. With what little strength she had left she pushes her self up and realizes she is only a couple of feet away from the entrance of Icicle Inn. That explained the snow and why she felt cold. But there was still something wrong. She was freezing.
' Why do I feel so cold' Jenova thought to herself.
A quick glance down the length of her body gave her the answer that she sought. She realized that she was completely naked. Being the vile creature that she was and having no moral value Jenova had no shame is her current state of awareness. She felt more aggravated at the fact that she was freezing instead of shame at being exposed. With the same dull ache in her joints and muscles she decided that she should get up and do something before the chance to destroy the world again be lost due to her dying in the snow. She attempts to get up and go into the town but realizes that she is too weak and needs to gain her strength back and she needed to get it fast.
'I need to feed' she thought to her self with a smirk.
As if on cue a townsman had just left the village in search of a wild rabbit or two that he and his newlywed wife can eat. Jenova sees his approach and decides that it would have to be now or never. This was her opportunity. She braced herself as she lay back in the snow and waited. She didn't know if she had enough energy to complete the next phase of her plan but she had to try. With what little power she had left she caused her skin to turn a sickening shade of blue. She now looked as if she had been laying there for an eternity and was freezing to death. Once She estimated that he was within hearing range she begins to moan softly but loud enough to get his attention. As naive minded as this man was he stopped and examines the person laying in the snow. His eyes widen as he realizes that it is a woman who is naked and freezing. He takes off his jacket and runs back into town with Jenova wrapped up tightly. Jenova smiles to her self as she sets her plans into motion.
"Honey!!" The man yells as he entered the house he shared with his wife.
"I'm here" she calls back and stops dead in her tracks as she sees the bundle he is carrying.
" I found her outside freezing in the snow" he states as he lays Jenova on the floor and begins loosing the jacket around her.
Jenova moans softly again.
"The poor thing" his wife states as she comes closer to see the shade of blue that was the pigment of Jenova's skin.
"Um...honey I think that you should handle this, she ummm...doesn't have any clothes on"
With a nod of understanding from his wife he retreats to the kitchen. His wife tenderly unwraps the thick jacket to get a better look at Jenova. She does a quick analyzation of their unexpected guest and rushes upstairs to find something that would fit.
When she returned she was carrying a pink sweat suit that would fit and keep her warm while she recovered. She maneuvered Jenova and positioned her in front of the fire place so that she would warm up. After she was satisfied with her work she went to the kitchen to discuss the next step with her husband.
Mariah was a warm woman with a heart that went out for anything or anyone who need her help. She was about 5'6 and 130 lbs. She had violet eyes long black hair to about the middle of her back and the same skin tone as Yuffie being that they both were Wutaineese. Her husband was about 6'2 and close to 220 lbs. He had gray eyes with blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. He was built to be in the army and he was. He was born in Mideel but moved to Midgar at the age of 5. That's where he grew up and joined the army and fought in the Midgar- Wutai war, that is where a forbidden love sprouted between two enemies. Three weeks after the war, Wutai had called for a peace treaty with Midgar and that is when Michael Garner met Mariah Talon and they became one. Each of them were great warriors and even after the war the training never stopped. As of now they were on break. Mariah wielded a cross between a whip and a sword that was specially designed for her by her deceased father and Michael's specialty was the gun.
"So what are we going to do with her" Mariah asked concern clear in her voice.
"We will help her recover as much as we can and then ensure she can function on her own. Give her a couple of gill and a hot meal. That IS all we can really do".
Mariah nodded her head in agreement before closing the gap between the two and locking her lips with his.
This was a part that Jenova had not calculated before time. She could not just get up and walk around like nothing happened. She had been lying there for almost 6 hours and her patience was quickly depleting. She cursed under her breath, this was all Sephiroth's fault she fumed. How could she let him get away in the northern crater. The very thought of him made her want to kill her whole "act" and simply do what she needed to do. While she lay there waiting for the time to pass, even though it was grating her nerves she had to admit that for the most part she felt better than she felt laying out in the cold. She took a calming breath and turned her mind to more important matters. She thought about what she wanted to do to Sephiroth once she got her hands on him. Well once she got her mind in his. She laughed. Oh how she would make him pay for his insolence. He would know what real pain was and she would ensure that his begging would go unheard. When she was done with him he would beg for death but it wouldn't come. There were a few things she had planned for him, she just needed time, and laying there on the carpet was depleting what little of it she had.
When she had had enough she got up and shook herself out of the jacket and looked around the little living room to see a pair of sweats and an ridiculously ugly pink top to match.
'I guess these are for me 'she thought to herself as she donned the clothing.
"OH! Your finally up, you were out for a long time. We were worried" she heard a female voice say in surprise.
Jenova quickly changed her skin pigment into that of a normal human and turned around to see a woman standing in the walkway.
'So the human male has a mate' Jenova thought to her self.
"Yes I just got up" Jenova stated with her voice cracking from the lack of use, she flinched in surprise at the sound of her. She wasn't expecting that. Her anger flared.
"Well you must be hungry, so I'll go get dinner".
Jenova gave a smile and thought to her self:
'Tonight will be the night.'
"Thanks, you are too kind" she said at the woman's back.
After dinner was served, eaten, and the dishes washed Jenova sat on the couch with this couple and talked with them about their life. She learned that each had fought in war and had gotten married soon after. She also learned that the female was with child for the male.
"So whats your name and why were you out there today?" Michael asked.
Jenova's evil mind went wild as she came up with an evil lie.
She Jenova forced herself to cry and she stated in a low voice:
"My name is Jenova and this morning my husband and I got into an argument and before I knew it he was lashing at me with his fists and kicking me. Before I lost conscious I heard him say that he will leave me to freeze and die on the icy slopes near icicle inn."
With that she remained silent as false sobs shook her frame.
Tears brimmed in Mariah eyes as she moved closer to her husband. Michael's face was solemn as he held his wife tighter.
" I'm so sorry to hear that Ms. Jenova, that is horrible and I don't care what you guys might have been arguing about, it's not you worth losing your life over. But you must be extremely tired and need rest" he replied.
Jenova nods her head and they both lead her up stairs to the guest room.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality, I will try to get my bearings and release u from this burden by the morning" she lied
"Nonsense! You will stay here as long as you need to and until your fully recovered, you are forbidden to leave this house" Mariah said. I'll hear no complaints, now you have a good night" and with that she closed the door.
Mariah sighed and tears made their way down her face. She gripped her husband's hand and turned to their bedroom. While walking, Michael whispered to her.
" I would never. I love you" he says.
I love you too" she replies before locking lips with him and going to the bedroom.
Close to Midnight a figure creeps out of the guest bedroom and strides to her host's bedroom. She opens the door without hesitation and turns the light on revealing her naked body. Michael and Mariah startle and when their eyes focus they see Jenova standing in their doorway in the very same state they met her in. Naked.
" Whats the problem ?" Michael asks as he reddens at the site of this naked woman in his bedroom and his wife laying next to him".
" I need to feed" Jenova says simply.
By this time they both had risen off the bed and were standing next to each other. Their backs facing the wall. Mariah had a dangerous look in her eyes, and Michael was still embarrassed.
Jenova noted the look Mariah was giving her and settled her eyes on the woman.
"Take it easy bitch" Jenova spat.
And before anyone knew what was happening Jenova had took Mariah and flung her against the wall, holding her with an impenetrable force field. Deciding that things were moving far too slow for her liking she decided to set the the steps into motion. Using her dark magic, Jenova easily takes control of Michael's mind. His jaw went slack and his whole demeanor changed, he looked like a willing servant ready to do his master's bidding. Thats just what he was.
"I heard the promise that he made you dear" Jenova said, once again turning to Mariah on the wall
"Let me go!" she yelled and fought viciously against her restraints.
Jenova just laughed.
"Michael" she called, and he immediately turned to her. "Break your promise"
With lighting fast speed Michael was in front of his wife. He placed his hands against the wall and moved his hands all around her. It seemed as if he was looking for a way to get her down.
"Please Michael..baby, you have got to help me down. We have to get out of here".
He leaned in to put his face real close to hers, the way he always did when he expected her to kiss him. Mariah highly doubted this was the time to be romantic but she leaned in for the kiss anyway. Before she knew what was happening her head was slammed back into the wall and she felt a spray of blood explode from her lip as it was shredded by her teeth. Her head spun and her vision swam from the magnificent pain, she couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Michael pulled his hand back and let another blow fly. This one struck her in the eye and just from the sound of the hit and the pain she felt, she knew that her eye would swell, she could no longer see out of it and she had no way of telling if it was tears or blood that she felt running down her face. The third blow came and it was so hard she couldn't catch her breath. A sickening feeling bubbled in her stomach as the realization of what was happening dawn on her. After the fourth and fifth blow she could stand no more. A broken scream ripped from her throat only to be cut short as another blow broke her jaw and removed 3 of her teeth. All the while she heard Jenova cackling in the background. She decided she had to do something before she died.
"MICHAEL!!" she screamed...he hit her again. "MICHAEL STOP!!" he hit her two more times.
Her voice was failing and she was loosing a lot of blood.
Her next words took most of her energy to utter and it was nothing more than a whisper that was lost with the next thud" that announced another blow to her head. She blacked out.
As raw as her throat and voice were the next pain riddled shriek that tore through the house was enough to rip the skin off flesh.
Michael aimed his huge fists at her abdomen. And let another blow fly. She screamed again, her now bruised eyes unable to do anything but tear up and bleed opened wide enough for her to see Michael hit her again. Between her thighs of a sudden felt wet, she leaned her aching neck far enough to see a pool of blood forming under her. This wasn't happening, she started hyperventilating. Why was this happening to her, she hadn't done anything wrong. She just wanted to live a normal life with her and her family. This wasn't right, it wasn't right. She couldn't even cry. She couldn't even think. She now took little notice of the attacks being loosed against her, against her stomach, against her baby. Her baby was dead, no doubt after the first blow, murdered by its own father. She wished he would break her neck and end it. Put her out of her misery. She had nothing left. In a matter of minutes her whole life had been stripped and ruined. She passed out from the sheer misery of what had become of her. Not before he slapped her so hard she thought that he would have broken her neck for sure.
How long she was out she didn't know, but the first thing she heard was moaning. She wearily brought her head up and what she saw slammed her head into the wall on her own accord. Directly ahead of her she saw Michael and on top of him was Jenova. Their perfect bodies shining in the moonlight....as one.
Her moans of ecstasy rose in volume as did he. After a while he grabbed her by the throat and pushed her onto her back. They were now facing Mariah. As he relentlessly pushed himself into her they both looked at her. Their four eyes bore bullet holes into her already broken heart. He winked at her and Jenova dramatized her actions by wrapping her legs around his waist and fondling herself. He looked down and let a blow fly across her face. Jenova only smiled and continued to push so that he would go as deep into her as possible. He roughly pulled out and positioned her so that he was getting access from the back. Again they were both facing her. Mariah couldn't even cry.
"Give it to me Michael" Michael went faster.
The sounds of his body slapping against her was sickening. He held her hair in a tight grip and mercilessly pounded her. She didn't even look to be enjoying it. She seemed to do it so that she would add insult to injury. When Michael seemed to have spent all his energy and was about to climax. She turned around and backhanded him so hard he flew against the wall and landed on the floor.
"I'm tired of playing" Jenova says as she stands up in front of Mariah "lets say we give him his mind back, after all he was able to see what he was doing."
Michael was at a lost for words, he watched himself beat his wife mercilessly and he watched himself have sex with their guest but he was unable to stop himself. He fought, God how he fought but he couldn't stop. The most that he was able to do was slap her during the sex. Tears fell as he watched his wife held up against the wall her eyes black her mouth bleeding her own blood dripping to the white carpet below her. Their unborn baby killed by its own father. Jenova laughs and Michael's anger grew to the point of explosion. He charged toward her but with quick reflexes her 12 inch claws extend and she rips his throat from his neck before he even reaches her. Michael falls dead to the ground and Mariah loses consciousness as she slides to the ground. Jenova looks around and goes to the closet and puts on Mariah's clothes. She didn't bother to finish Mariah off, she would die of her own accord, or end up killing herself. She had nothing to live for.
She left the house, the first step of the demise of the world already complete.
Mariah woke again and pain shook her body, she stayed still for fear of Jenova still being around and wanting to finish her. When she realized the house was empty she crawled for the phone sitting on the floor. Each step of the way increasingly agonizing and her strength fading.
She dialed the police.
"Emergency Center, how may I help you" came a female voice.
"Help...me...my...my...husband...is dead...we were...attacked...by...a woman...Jenova...the...Garner...res...idence..." she managed
With that she clicked off and with her last amount of energy she crawled to Michael and laid her lips on his, his head barely connected to his body. But she didn't notice. She whispered to him as the approaching blackness seemed to soothe her pain and make the world look brighter. How ironic. But Michael would never hear the oath that his wife swore to him. His good heart had repaid him with the death of his child and the price of his life.
"I forgive you...I love you...I'll avenge you...rest in peace my ...love..."
She surrendered to the wings of darkness.
