Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 and all its associated characters, locations, etc… are property of Square Enix.
Author's Note: Thanks again, Maux, for your feedback. I guess it comes as no surprise that my narrative isn't as good as it could be; seeing as how this is my first time writing and I lack the necessary experience. A rewrite sounds good, but first I need to discover exactly how I'm going to make this better. Starts off a bit too slow, I guess… need to change that…
Regardless, here are some answers to questions I've created. Enjoy!
Peace's End
By tfa1
Chapter 14: An Identity Revealed
It was easily apparent that, no matter how strange the method, the Emperor was the undisputed master of torture. Sid and Bart were alone in the dungeons, finding their new accommodations less than inviting (it was dungeon after all), but soon they were faced with a fate that would have driven them insane.
It was kids' music; no, not even that. It was music for babies.
At first it was quaint and extremely ridiculous, but when a single babies' song repeats over and over and over, there are few that will not contemplate suicide. Hours they listened to it, unable to stop the melody and, worse, it would repeat in their minds even if they covered their ears. Rockslide could have sworn his ears were bleeding.
In short, the Emperor was trying to inflict them with a shell shock of a different kind. Even as night took hold, the melody continued, burning itself into their brains; branding them with its tune. The pair couldn't sleep, and eventually they found themselves both wishing for Rockslide's loud snores.
Their one saving grace was that there were no guards around. In fact, they didn't think there were guards anywhere nearby. Any grown adult would have been unable to tolerate the endless tune.
That's why they praised the powers that be when the music stopped. They didn't know what caused it, but they were ecstatic nonetheless. The rebel leader began to dance around in a joyous frenzy, eventually collapsing against the cell door.
Much to his amazement, the door opened beneath the force of his fall and he hit his head on the ground. Highflier gaped in awe, but that was probably due to inebriation.
Feeling lucky, Rockslide picked his friend off the floor and cautiously exited the dungeon cell. He followed the only path presented to him, grateful because he didn't know his way around. Sid's head bobbed up and down, but as they approached a fork in the road he managed to articulate a single word (if you could even call it that) which sounded like 'left.'
He took the left path, finding a left turn at the end in addition to a small guard outpost situated in the wall. A door was set in the wall, and to its left was a window looking into the post. Rockslide could make out the lights of a computer, but he couldn't see a guard. Amazed to find this door unlocked as well, he walked into the small room, raising his gun-arm despite the pain that tormented his shoulder.
A guard lay on the floor, presumably dead, with his tongue hanging out. His swivel chair had its back facing them, but they soon discovered there was someone sitting in it. They couldn't see his face, but they instantly knew who it was. "Well, then… if I'm going to show you a door it's best that I have the key, if you catch my drift. We don't need no stinking ID cards!"
The chair turned, slowly, to reveal a rather pleased black cat.
- - -
Nimbus glared at the Emperor as he paced around the throne room. He'd done that for most of the day, ignoring both of his prisoners. Finally, after a few hours (Nimbus didn't know how many), he stopped to speak with them. "You've been awfully quiet," he said.
"I don't understand how you're still alive," replied Nimbus.
The eyes of Cloud began to twitch as he recalled his past. "Jenova cells are viral in nature. When infecting a host body, the virus reproduces within the host's cells, eventually destroying them. Over time, my entire body has been replaced with alien matter… I… I've become the very monster I sought to destroy…"
Nimbus continued to glare at the Emperor. "I thought... I thought the Jenova cells were destroyed along with Geostigma. How… how can they still be there? What of the other Geostigma sufferers?"
A frown engulfed the face of Cloud Strife. "Aeris's Great Gospel… it could never purge the body of Jenova cells. Sephiroth and I alone were able to resist the influence of Jenova, and because of that we never fell at her hands during a Reunion. Sephiroth is dead… the lucky worm… but I have grown so powerful that even I cannot kill myself."
He approached Taefis, who was still chained to the side of his desk.
"And yet, despite everything I've been through, this woman confounds me. I knew I had influenced the Planet but… I had no idea it would end like this. Two souls fused in one body; how can it be?" The Emperor shook his head. Addressing Taefis, he said, "It doesn't matter anymore… You can't save me. I know you tried… I know you tried… I have simply grown tired of fighting for something that can never exist."
A dirty look was Taefis's only response.
Emperor Strife sighed. "Your face brought some joy back into my life, but I can see now that you're not Tifa; nor are you Aeris. No one, not even you, can take their place. Despair has consumed you too; despair and pride… We will end your despair… soon…"
"Get away from her!" Nimbus screamed. The Emperor watched in amusement as the man broke out of his shackles, possessed with an inhuman and enraged strength. He charged at Cloud, but the latter was quick to turn his sword against the escapee. He had taken the sword, Agony, as his own.
The Emperor's eyes gleamed with mako, "Sephiroth never knew when to quit, too."
"Don't worry about me," Taefis yelled. "Save yourself!"
Nimbus nodded before turning to run, admitting that he didn't have enough power to defeat the man in front of him. Cloud did not pursue, but rather he jammed the sword into the ground. He had more important matters to attend to. "It's strange that you'd sacrifice your life for that of a villain…"
"The only villain here is you! You killed my parents."
Cloud turned towards her, placing his helmet back upon his head. "I may not be the Cloud I once was, but I can assure you that your parents did not die by my hands. I have not altered destiny quite that far."
"Then who did?"
"Didn't you study history? Sephiroth kills Tifa' parents; he destroys the village." He pointed at the doorway Nimbus had fled through. "The man you just saved is your parents' murderer."
- - -
"You backstabbin' traitor!" Rockslide yelled; Highflier now propped up against a wall.
A grin crossed Smith's face. "Traitor? I promised Nimbus I would locate his identity and here we are with complete access to the Imperial database. I betrayed you so that I could get inside and betray the Empire."
"You're even worse than I could've imagined!"
The cat turned his swivel chair to face the computer. "I've heard it all before. Call me what you want, I don't care about it anymore. I've accomplished what I set out to accomplish – I can die happy now. My family has been freed, but I'd like to see ya find your freedom without my help."
The large man snorted. "You're a real pain in the…"
"No profanity, please," the cat interrupted, "I'm trying to work." He typed for a few minutes as Rockslide waited impatiently. Finally he called out in victory, "Aha, I found him!
Name: Zephyr-Oh dear this is getting complicated."
Rockslide moved to see what Smith was talking about. He nearly fainted. "Holy Gaia! That's totally whacked! Anything else important?"
"Age: Old enough
Birth date: We don't owe him birthday presents if he doesn't know when it is.
Sex: Virgin
Profession: Super-soldier prototype
Ooh, says here that he was involved in an ability exam that got way out of hand."
Rockslide almost choked on his tongue. "Gongaga? So that means that the baldie… Oh merciful Planet…"
"We'd best keep this quiet…"
- - -
"Zephyr?"
"Yes," the Emperor replied to Taefis's question. "My researchers tested his abilities in your hometown, but he quickly lost control. You've probably noticed by now that he's not exactly 100 sane. Obsession with the sky; fear of plants – his mind isn't in tip-top shape. That's why he attacked and killed most of the citizens of your home. We tried to contain him… but he has the power of Sephiroth bubbling within him."
"Then," she asked, "Why has everyone tried to keep this a secret? Why's it so difficult to tell me that a serial killer murdered my parents?"
Cloud Strife laughed quietly, seemingly ignoring her. "A gang leader complained about you not too long ago saying you were the strongest and fastest woman he'd ever seen in his life. Your power and speed have become legendary among the people of New Corel. You fought with all the fury and pride of Sephiroth himself. One might think you were… oh, I don't know… related to him." Taefis closed her eyes and began to weep as the Emperor's revelation took hold. He bent close to Taefis; letting his breath condense on her face. "How does it feel to be the sister of a monster?"
(Author's Note: That last bit was kind of random, I know, but I needed a suitable reason for why it was such a dark secret. The 'I am your father' bit is rather cliché, so I went with this.)