Author's Note:Thank you again for your patience as I adapt to less free time due to working full time. But really - no reviews last chapter?! Suppose it's deserved for making you wait so long... Anywho, here is Chapter Six. Things are starting to get testy...enjoy! Don't forget to review if you read :)

Chapter Six

"Did I fall asleep? Is this all a dream?"

The town was quiet and dark. It wasn't horribly late, but it seemed that this town rolled up the streets at sunset. But then, that was probably better for him. He needed to pass through quickly, without being seen. He tucked an armful of supplies inside the black cloak, securing it snugly around him before pulling the hood tight around his face. The town was almost out of sight when he heard a voice behind him.

"Where do you think you're going, huh?" He didn't stop. He was quiet a moment before he spoke.

"Just…passing through," he said carefully, but the man wasn't dismissed so easily.

"I saw what you stole," the man said. "I saw you break in to the store." He pulled the black cloak close, and continued walking. "Give back what you stole," the man finally said, his tone threatening. He stopped, but didn't turn to face the man.

"Or…what?" he said, trying to make himself sound as dangerous as possible. He heard the sound of a gun clicking as it was loaded, and looked over his shoulder at the man, who was now pointing a small, silver pistol at him.

"Just drop the things you stole, and go, okay? Don't make this more difficult than it has to be," he tried to persuade. His first instinct was to flee, and in an instant he took off. He could hear the pistol firing, could see the bullets whizzing by, barely missing him. Suddenly, pain tore through his right bicep, and he dropped the load, clutching the searing wound as he yelped in pain.

"Are you wounded?"

"Sephiroth?!" he said, stopping dead in his tracks and turning, searching for the voice he had heard.

"Don't give up so easily."

"Wh…what do you mean?" he replied, eyes still scanning the area for the source of the voice.

"Kill…or be killed."

The man was stooped over, picking up the load of supplies the black-clad figure had dropped moments before. The man didn't even see him approaching before he was just feet away. The hood had fallen away, and the man looked up at the green cat-like eyes looking down at him, piercing through his flesh. Shocked, the man raised the pistol. A blade flashed from nowhere; the man screamed in pain and doubled over. The pistol landed a few feet away, still clutched by a severed hand. Blood spurted from the stump; the man writhed in pain. He could feel a smirk turning his lips as he seized the injured man by the throat, hauling him off his feet with one hand.

"W-what the hell are you?" the man choked, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. His face was covered in blood.

"What ShinRa made me to be."
"What ShinRa made me to be," he said quietly, watching the man's face fill with horror. The blade slashed through him, tearing deep across his torso and nearly slicing the man in two. He watched as the eyes before him that filled with terror barely seconds ago became suddenly empty; the man slumped to the ground as he withdrew the blade and returned it to its sheath. He admired his work for a moment, then blinked, confused. Suddenly, a part of him felt horrified; he looked from the man to his own blood-soaked hands, then turned and fled without recovering the stolen supplies. Fear and confusion gnawed at his mind; tears burned the corners of his eyes.

"It's alright…don't be afraid…"

"Sephiroth?!" he yelled into the blurred darkness. "Where are you!?"

"Right here…Wake up!"

*~*~*0*~*~*

Sephiroth rose from the moth-eaten mattress. The room around him was still mostly dark, with the exception of a soft light coming from the window. 'Another dream…' Sephiroth stood and crossed the room. Outside, Nibelheim was still mostly dark; only a thin line of twilight could be seen over the mountains. The town hadn't woken up yet. Like the others, this dream didn't feel like an illusion. It felt real…as if he had been standing beside the hooded man. And yet…he had killed that man – not the clone. The clone had been afraid – he had tried to run. It was Sephiroth that had taken control and given the man what he had deserved. 'Is it possible…?'

Lost in thought, Sephiroth walked through the brick passageway and down the wooden spiral staircase thatled to the basement of the ShinRa Manor. The musty air filled his senses as he passed through the tunnel leading to the record room. Soundlessly, he entered.

The room was coated in a thick layer of dust. Across the room were a couple of specimen tanks along with a desk or table. Not much was left on the dull surface – just a few papers and a messy file folder. He stared into the glass of one of the tanks trying to imagine what it must've been like…being gawked at through the glass. But then…he knew what it was like. He read the labels on the tanks:

"Specimen (A): codeZ." The other: "Specimen (B) codeC." He turned from the tanks when something on the glass caught his eye. He knelt to get a closer look. It was letters—words—scratched into the glass:

"…we have to get out…"

"'Feeding Time'…that's our chance!"

Sephiroth thought for a moment about the conversation written on the glass. 'I wonder if they got away….' He stood from the tanks and turned to face the room behind him. Quiet footsteps crossed the room and creaked down the hallway. Books still stood in stacks on the floor beside the shelves, and a few lay open across the floor. Sephiroth walked to the other end of the hallway. Books scattered the floor and desk, and he glanced over lines of the pages that still lay open. A finger traced across the aged wood, leaving a line of brightness against the dulled color of the dusty wood. He crossed the room to a book that was on the left, a couple more scattered to the other side and left open from someone's reading. He skimmed the books from the left to the right, catching a few of the words that coated the pages…

"Escapee Report no. 1: X Month X Day.
The two escapees were located..."

"Escapee Report no. 2: Description of time of capture.
A: Former member of SOLDIER/Number ( )
No effect could be detected..."
B: Regular/Number ( )
Reaction to Jenova..."

"Escapee Report no. 3: Concerning their disposal…"

He paused a moment on the harsh word and went back to the first. 'Surely it's not about humans…'

"Escapee Report no. 1: X Month X Day.
The two escapees were located near Midgar."

"Escapee Report no. 2: Description of time of capture.
A: Former member of SOLDIER/Number ( )
No effect could be detected from either Mako Radiation Therapy or Jenova on him.
B: Regular/Number ( )
Reaction to Jenova detected."

"Escapee Report no. 3: Concerning their disposal."

He paused again, then continued on.

"A: Shot for resisting.
B: Escaped during A's resistance."

"Escapee Report no. 4: Other
B's whereabouts is currently unknown. But, we submit there is no need to pursue him, due to his diminishing consciousness. Awaiting further instructions."

He thought to himself a moment before turning from the books. He paced slowly to the hallway once more, letting his fingers slide across the spines of several books that still remained on the shelf. Finally, his hand came to rest on one that lay open on the shelf. Eyes skimmed the faded pages:

"Professor Gast named that organism, Jenova."

"X Year, X Month, X Day. Jenova confirmed…"

"…X Month, X Day. Jenova Project approved."

His eyes stared at the name…Jenova…his…mother? Yes, his mother. But she'd died…right after he was born…

'But Gast lied…' he thought. Jenova hadn't died. She was being held prisoner at ShinRa—forced to sleep for many years. Or perhaps that'd been Hojo's doings…he had always lied to get what he wanted. He sighed, walking back to the desk and sitting in the musty chair. Fingers flipped through the pages and skimmed the lines for answers for hours, finding only meaningless words. He opened one of the drawers on the desk and thumbed through the files; it took him a couple of hours, there were so many. There was no order to them, but then that was expected of Hojo…he had always hated order. He read a few of the names: …Yasuo, Naomi… Valentine, Vincent… Kesa, Drek…Fair, Zack…Strife, Cloud…

His eyes stuck on the two names for a moment as he realized… Had Hojo?

'Are all of these…Hojo's experiments…?'

Yes, they are. They were his attempts of making another Sephiroth…another you.

"But why…?" he said softly, eyes settling on Cloud's name. "Why would he want to make another monster like me?"

Monster? You're not the monster, Sephiroth, they are. You are what you were created to be: a weapon…a puppet.

"…Puppet…?" he whispered. "I'm a…"

That's what he created you to be…nothing more.

'I'll kill them…' he thought. "I'll kill them all! They don't deserve to live the way I've had to…I'll make sure…I'll make sure they make it to the Promised Land…"

But it doesn't matter what they want. Only what you want…to destroy everything that destroyed you. To find the Black Materia and summon Meteor…so that we can go to the Promised Land together.

He thought a moment. Was that really what he wanted…?

"Of course, Mother…I'll destroy everything so that we can go together…" He stood from the worn chair and slowly walked across the room to the end of the hallway. 'This place…' he thought, looking back to the shelves.

"Sephiroth!" he heard from the other end of the hallway. He looked in the direction of the voice. Sephiroth smiled to himself; he knew that voice.

"Being here brings back memories," he said. "Are you going to participate in the Reunion?" The blond looked away.

"I don't even know what a Reunion is!"

"Jenova will be at the Reunion," he said. "Jenova will join the Reunion, becoming a calamity from the skies." Cloud tilted his head, a puzzling expression coating his face. Sephiroth used to adore that face…

"Jenova," he said, "a calamity from the skies? You mean…she wasn't an Ancient?!"

…I see. I don't think he has the right to participate.
"…I see. I don't think you have the right to participate," he said. Smirking, he continued. "I will go North, past Mt. Nibel. If you wish to find out…then follow…" Cloud looked away again, puzzled.

"…Reunion?" he spoke aloud, trying to make sense of it all. "Calamity from the skies?" Sephiroth felt a heat rise within him. Some unknown longing climbed to his chest; he wanted to caress a hand across velvety skin…

I'll not allow it! Sephiroth's Materia flew from his armguard and knocked the wind out of the blond for just long enough… She raised their body from the floor, flying over the blond's head as he watched in disbelief. He rose through the floor of the Manor and headed for Mt. Nibel.

It was an area he was somewhat familiar with: the dead trees, the barren earth…the stench of Mako… He passed the reactor without another glance. Mother insisted they make haste away from the area—they couldn't be too far behind him. Without stopping, Sephiroth left the Nibel area. Beyond the mountains, a small town settled in the distance, shadowed by a rusty rocket. He didn't plan to stay long, but his supply stock was getting rather low. 'It won't take long,' he thought.

The town was still quiet despite the time. Only a couple of people roamed from house-to-house, and none seemed to notice the hooded figure entering the city. Quietly in the shadows, he crept between the buildings and trees until he reached the store. Silently he entered. Only sunlight lit the dark store and no clerk sat behind the counter. Sephiroth cautiously began pocketing what he needed. Despite his expectations, nothing interrupted him, and soon he slipped out the back door.

Suddenly, Sephiroth stopped. Blood stained the grass behind the store. A few feet away rested a severed hand still clutching a pistol and beyond it… a man lay dead and drenched in blood. He had been slashed through the chest, a slender wound branding the man. Sephiroth's breath caught as realization sunk over him.

This was the man he had killed in his dream.

"Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare."'

*~*~*0*~*~*

Explanation #5:

When Cloud and his party interrupt, Jenova senses Sephiroth's 'feelings' for Cloud. Part of her fears that his feelings towards Cloud might overshadow his feelings for her. Sensing the threat of the situation, Jenova forces Sephiroth leave. She improvised and threw his Destruct Materia at him.