Final Fantasy VII: Another Side

By:

Mystwalker

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII.

A/N: I've been so looking forward to writing this chapter, as well as the events of the file that follows it. Hope you guys enjoy, and please don't forget to review! Thanks for the support!

Irish-Brigid, well he's Sephiroth. He's not used to getting help from people. Although yes, he's obviously not fine and they really should keep him away from that room? Will they? Probably not.

JazzQueen, yep Sephiroth and Jenova don't mix too well. Hope you like how I handled the scene though!

Riku Uzumaki, oh yes~

XxXxX

File 009: Rescue

Sephiroth walked steadily ahead of Zack, placing his hand on the railing of the stairs to keep himself outright. His head was pounding, had been ever since had heard Hojo's voice. Hojo—pain, Nibelheim, monsters, basement, files, mako tanks—He sucked in a breath, nearly missing his next step. Sephiroth managed to make it look as though he was steady, turning around and watching as Zack, Cissnei, Cloud and the others made their way up the steps. He couldn't—he had to press on. They were close, so very close—

How could Hojo ever stand against him anyway? How could any of them stand against him? He was a god, chosen by the Planet—

"Sephiroth."

Zack's hand landed on his shoulder, ever insistent, and Sephiroth was suddenly torn between turning around and shoving away or letting out a mad laugh. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to think beyond the pain in his head as he looked up at Zack. Zack's expression was serious, as though he wouldn't take no for an answer—and who is he to make demands of me—

"Maybe you should sit this one out."

He shook his head, inhaling sharply and forcing himself to think straight. You were not chosen to be anything but a monster, he told himself firmly, his own voice cutting through the chaos in his mind. The world cleared, if only for a moment. He shook his head, stepping away from Zack.

"Sephiroth!" shouted Zack insistently.

"Zack!"

The voice came from Cissnei. Sephiroth turned his head slightly to see her standing slightly in front of Zack, her shoulder pressed against his chest as she attempted to stop the former SOLDIER from charging forward. Cloud stood behind them, a concerned frown on his face as Tifa and Barret let on. Cissnei looked up, her eyes meeting his. "...Sephiroth, maybe you should listen to him," she said. He met her eyes. She was worried.

He shook his head, gathering his frayed thoughts around him like his coat. "I will rest when we're done."

She looked up at him, her expression hesitant. At length, she sighed.

"Fine," she said, stepping away from Zack. He straightened up, giving her a confused look. "But I'll take the lead."

He frowned down at her as she walked over to him, before smoothly stepping aside. "All yours," he said, making his way towards the back of the group. Cloud shot him a worried glance as he passed. He suffered it, barely. He could feel another wave of irrational anger rush through him at the ex-infantryman's gaze. Had he fallen so far as to elicit pity from a mere underling, a—

No.

He thought the word firmly inwards, his eyes narrowing in determination as he and the rest of the group followed Cissnei down the hallway. The former Turk quickly ducked out of the hallway and behind a storage crate as they spotted Hojo ahead of them. Zack grabbed onto his arm, pulling him behind a tank as Cloud and the others quickly found their own hiding places.

Hojo stood in the distance, admiring something within a cylindrical glass tank. He didn't even seem to have noticed them. Sephiroth frowned, forcing himself to think despite the constant pounding in his head. There was something in the tank. Something...red...

Next to him, he felt Zack tense, and in a startling moment of lucidity, knew that the other man was probably having flashbacks to his own time spent in Hojo's lab. Sephiroth had spent a long enough time in and out of the library. He didn't need to remember it.

Another scientist walked up to Hojo. Thankfully, he didn't notice the six of them hiding in the shadows of the storage areas either.

The tank next to them was glowing as well. Something about that light was strangely fascinating. He felt drawn to it, like a moth to flame...

"Is this today's specimen?" he asked.

"Yes," said Hojo, glancing at him. "We're starting right away. Raise it to the upper level."

The scientist nodded, walking away. Hojo leaned forward, studying the creature in the tank for a moment more. "My precious specimen..." Sephiroth heard him say.

Specimen. Project S.

The word brought back a flood of memory, and suddenly he was a child again, sitting idly on a storage crate on the Science Department floor, kicking his legs back and forth. They didn't even reach the ground.

"Sephiroth, it's time for your tests..."

He clenched his fist, watching as Hojo walked past them and out of the library. It was all he could do to not rush out and strangle the man, but he had to follow his own advice. There would be another time.

Another time...

As Hojo left, he and the others slowly filed out of their hiding places. Sephiroth stood in the back of the group behind Zack, watching as Tifa walked forward and approached the glass. She leaned in, studying the creature. It looked rather like a red panther, and it had its head down on its paws, as though it was asleep. "Precious specimen?" she asked. She looked back at the rest of them. "Is it going to be used for a biological experiment?"

"Probably," said Cissnei. "This is Hojo's lab after all. He..."

He didn't hear the rest of what Cissnei was saying. He was too distracted by Zack, moving forward towards the tank. He looked inside, his eyes widening as he jumped back. "This is—." he began.

Sephiroth made the mistake of looking as well.

His world dissolved into white noise, a high-pitched keening sound making his head feel like it was about to explode. He made a choked sound in the back of his throat, doubling over and clutching at his head.

"My son..."

He stepped forward, his face contorting as the pain and the pounding intensified. Images flashed through his mind again. Nibelheim. The reactor. Fire. The files. Jenova. He barely heard Zack and Cloud's alarmed shouts, barely heard the collection of voices calling his name. They sounded muted, quiet compared to all the other sounds, all the other memories.

"My son...come back to me, my son..."

He grit his teeth, trying to hold on to some semblance of sanity. Sephiroth turned his back towards the tank, trying to rid himself of the image inside of it, the image of Jenova's headless body, coupled with the image his mind was producing, the image of a woman's head, with long silver hair. Silver hair so like his own...

"...My son..."

"M...Mother...?"

"Sephiroth!"

Zack's voice nearly broke through that time, but it was too little, too late. Sephiroth stepped back, feeling a sudden wave of comfort envelop him, whispering, promising to soothe away the pain. Yes. Yes, why shouldn't he come back to her? He was her son—

"You're better than that, Sephiroth."

His eyes widened at the sound of the voice. He was suddenly standing in a field of white, and someone was speaking at his back. Someone...

"Where is your pride?" demanded the voice. "Where is your honor?"

He took in a shaky breath, raising his head and looking through the gaps in his fingers. He hadn't noticed that he had pressed his gloved hands to his face. A single white feather floated into his field of vision, hovering in the air for just a moment. Sephiroth took a step back, and for just that instant he could feel it, could feel the presence at his back, strong and steady as always. He opened his mouth, slowly speaking the name.

"An...geal...?"

He had to go back to his mother. He had to—

"Fight her, Sephiroth!" yelled the voice.

Fight her? Why would he want to fight his mother?

Because of his honor.

What honor? He was a monster.

His SOLDIER honor.

But his mother...

"Sephiroth!" shouted Angeal.

"SEPHIROTH!"

A blow struck him in the shoulder, breaking the illusion as it knocked him clean off his feet and onto the floor. Sephiroth stared up at the ceiling in shock for a moment, taking in the sound of his own heavy breathing as it all became deathly silent. He took in several deep breaths, then slowly sat up, shaking his head. He looked up, seeing Zack standing in front of him, breathing heavily and with his fist raised. He had a pained look on his face, telling him that he wasn't the only one that had been affected. Behind him, he saw Tifa helping Cloud to his feet.

Sephiroth's shoulder throbbed.

Had he really been that far gone...?

Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, stumbling on his first two steps as he made his way over to Zack. The pain was gone now, but the echoes still remained. They had drained him of energy. Zack looked in his eyes, a scowl on his face. Sephiroth looked back.

Then drew back his fist, driving it into Zack's gut.

Zack doubled over with a gasp, wrapping his arms around his middle. He looked up at Sephiroth, his eyes wide. Sephiroth turned away from him, making sure to keep his back to Jenova's tank. The others were staring at him too, he realized. All of them.

"What the heck was that for?" demanded Zack.

"Payback," he said. He paused for a moment, looking back over at Zack. "...But thanks." He turned towards Cissnei. "You can put that down. My mind is my own."

Cissnei hesitated, then relented, slowly releasing her hold on the syringe of sedatives she had grabbed from the tray behind her. He stared at her, and for a moment, he almost smiled. She would have...what? Charged at him while the madness took him and attacked him with a needle? She watched him, and the hint of an amused smile came to his face anyway. Him. A needle.

For all that, he had to admire her tenacity.

He looked her in the eye, recalling, briefly, fragments of memory. Himself, lying in the mako pool with her standing above him, waking up again in the back seat of a stolen car, again in the mountains of Modeoheim, again in a darkened chamber somewhere within the abandoned reactor, again on the cold floor halfway to the door. Each time, she stood above him, a concerned look on her face, and a question in her eyes. It had shamed him then, that he had fallen so far as to need help from a little slip of a girl. But at the same time, each time, he couldn't help but feel some slight relief.

Because seeing her meant that he was awake. Her face...her eyes had been a constant staccato beat of images, punctuating his fever dreams.

He nodded once in answer to her unspoken question, then smoothly turned away, squaring his shoulders and stepping forward.

"That abomination..." he said. "...should be destroyed."

He walked forward, heading toward the door on the far end as the others watched him. Sephiroth didn't turn back towards them. Turning back towards them would mean looking at the tank, and he didn't want to do that.

"Come on," he said, walking forward.

He hadn't forgotten why he was here. He would help Zack get Aerith back. He owed Zack that much. And then if there was a chance, he also had something he intended to do. For that, he wanted to be entirely sane.

XxXxX

The six of them burst onto Floor 68 as the elevator door opened, coming to a stop in front of the railing. Below them, in a small depression on the floor, was a large glass tank, bearing a familiar brown-haired figure. She lay on her side, obviously unconscious, her back towards them. She wasn't moving. Zack's eyes widened in alarm, and he ran forward, placing his hands on the railing.

"Aerith!" he shouted.

Sephiroth placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back before he could jump over the side of the railing. Zack glared at him, moving to shake him off, when his eyes landed on the scientist that was standing next to the tank. Hojo looked up from where he stood on the bridge, an expression of mild interest on his face. His eyes lit up when he saw Sephiroth, and Sephiroth stepped away from Zack, clenching his fist tightly as he faced Hojo as well.

Hojo smirked, looking away from Sephiroth for now and turning back towards Zack. "Aerith?" he asked. "Oh, is that her name? What do you want?"

Zack moved quickly, taking several steps forward and glaring at Hojo. "We're taking Aerith back!" he said.

"Unfortunately, I'm not done running tests on her," said Hojo, smirking as he looked back at Aerith. Zack scowled, reaching up and grabbing the hilt of his Buster Sword.

Sephiroth stepped forward before he could draw the blade, surprising him. He drew himself up to his full height, standing beside Zack and glaring at Hojo. This close, Zack could feel the anger coming from the other man. When he spoke, his voice was like ice. "You're done now," he said.

"Sephiroth," said Hojo cordially. "I'm glad you've returned. If you'll wait your turn, I'll deal with you in a minute. I have plans for you."

Sephiroth took another step forward, reaching behind him and drawing Masamune in one quick motion. He held the hilt in his left hand, the tip of the blade pointed at Hojo. "You'll deal with me now," he said.

Hojo gave an exaggerated sigh, seeming unfazed by Sephiroth's anger. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, folding his arms and shaking his head. "Such a pity," he said. "You always were the most promising out of all of my experiments. Much better than Hollander's legacy. Or Gast's," he added, with a smirk at Aerith.

Sephiroth's grip on Masamune tightened. "What does Professor Gast have to do with anything?" he asked.

Instead of answering, Hojo shook his head, turning back towards the tank. "There's so many frivolous things in the world..." he said. People immediately reached for weapons as he took a step forward, Zack included. He held the Buster Sword lightly in both hands, listening as the others scattered, taking up places around the room and getting into defensive stances. Only Sephiroth hadn't moved.

"Are you going to kill me?" asked Hojo, sounding amused. "I don't think you should. The equipment here is extremely delicate. Without me, who could operate it? Hmm?"

Zack faltered for a moment, watching as Hojo placed one hand on the panel in front of him. The implication was clear. If he died without opening the tank, who knew what would happen.

Sephiroth stepped forward again, still brandishing Masamune. Hojo glanced at him, shaking his head. "Defiance isn't like you, Sephiroth. Where did this come from?"

"I learned what you did," said Sephiroth, glaring. "What you made of me."

"I made you strong," said Hojo, his grin widening. "Jenova Project S. My best work."

"You made me into a monster," said Sephiroth. "You had no right!"

"I had every right," said Hojo, turning away. "After all...don't fathers have the right to decide what's best for their children?"

Sephiroth's eyes widened, his grip on his sword faltering as he took in a sharp breath.

Zack stared, looking between the two of them. Sephiroth...and Hojo...

"You're lying!" said Sephiroth angrily. His face twisted in rage, and he took another step.

Hojo shrugged. "Believe what you want," he said, turning away. "It was never that important to me." He looked over his shoulder, towards the windows that lined the testing chamber. "Now, bring in the Specimen!"

Zack tore his eyes away from the bridge, looking back at the tank as the lift rose. Aerith stirred, looking up in surprise as she jumped back. The creature from downstairs had been lifted into the cell, and it lifted its head, turning toward Aerith. Zack glanced at Hojo and Sephiroth one more time before jumping over the railing, following Cloud, Tifa and Barret as they moved to surround the tank.

"Aerith!" he shouted, standing next to Cloud.

Aerith ran up to the both of them. She placed her hands on the glass and leaned forward, pounding on the tank wall with one fist.

"Zack!" she shouted. "Help!"

"Hold on, I'll get you out!" said Zack, turning back towards Hojo. Cloud turned as well, an angry scowl on his face.

"What do you think you're doing?" Cloud demanded.

"Lending a helping hand to an endangered species," said Hojo. "Both of them are on the brink of extinction. If I don't help, all these animals will disappear."

"...Animal?" asked Tifa, turning away from the tank as well. "That's terrible! Aerith is a human being!"

"You gonna pay!" he heard Barret shout from the other side of the tent. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cissnei crouch down, reaching for Rekka.

"Zack, the control panel!" she shouted.

"Mm!" He nodded, running towards it. "Stand back!" he shouted in Aerith's direction, raising the Buster Sword over his head. He leaped into the air, slicing downward rapidly. The Buster Sword cut straight into the glass door, lightning crackling around it as it sliced through the wires and controls before coming to a stop halfway down the side of the door. Zack grit his teeth as electricity crackled up his arms and into his body, forcing himself to endure it as bright light flooded the tank.

"Stop!" shouted Hojo in alarm.

Zack let out a shout, summoning up all of his strength and throwing his body weight against the sword. It moved, finishing the cut.

A blast of electricity blew him back, throwing him against the railing. Zack let out a grunt as he struck the wall, staring at the tank. Hojo ran forward immediately, ignoring Sephiroth as he placed both his hands on the door. "Wh-What are you doing?" he asked. "Oh, my precious specimens..."

The door of the tank slid open with a hiss. As Zack watched, the red creature let out an angry snarl, leaping forward off powerful hind legs and tackling Hojo to the ground. The blow knocked him off his feet, propelling him back towards the bridge. Cloud looked up sharply, turning towards him.

"Now's our chance, Zack!" he said.

Zack nodded, shaking his head and taking in a slow breath as he placed one hand on the ground next to him, trying to sit up.

"Zack!"

Before he could get to his feet, Aerith ran out of the tank, wrapping her arms around his neck and all but stumbling into him. Zack lifted the hand that wasn't holding the Buster Sword, wrapping it around her waist and pulling her close. "You're alright," she said. "I'm so relieved..."

"Hey, I should be saying that to you," said Zack with a small smile as he looked at her. Aerith withdrew from him, and she smiled as well as she stretched out a hand. He took it, getting to his feet.

Zack paused, looking over Aerith's shoulder. Cloud was standing in the tank, his back towards them. He was tense, looking around nervously as he took another step back. "Cloud, what's up?" he asked,

"...The elevator is moving..." said Cloud nervously.

"Crap," said Zack. He looked back at Sephiroth. "Sephiroth!"

Sephiroth nodded, reluctantly taking a step back and lowering his sword to his side. He ran over to them as Cissnei moved forward as well.

"He's rather strong," said an unfamiliar voice from behind them. Zack turned, his eyes widening as he saw where it was coming from. The creature was talking. "I'll help you all out."

"It...talked?" asked Tifa.

"I'll talk as much as you want later, Miss," said the creature. "For now..."

Zack nodded, looking back at the group. He grabbed onto Aerith's arm, making a split second decision. "Cloud, take care of her!" he said, pushing Aerith lightly in Cloud's direction.

"Zack!" Aerith protested.

"Leave this to me," said Sephiroth smoothly, coming to stand next to Zack. He held his sword at the ready."The rest of you, escape."

"No way," said Zack, grinning as he lifted his sword as well. "What kind of rescuer would I be if I let you take all the glory?"

"Hm," said Sephiroth, glancing over at Zack. A hint of an amused smile appeared on his face, but it quickly disappeared. "Very well."

"Out!" said Zack, looking over at the others. He jerked his head towards the entrance. "We'll take care of this!"

"R-Right!" said Cloud, nodding once. "Come on!"

Zack smiled, watching as Cloud led Aerith out of the room. He glanced back at the craeture behind him, who was still standing there. "Hey, what's your name?" he asked.

"Hojo has named me Red XIII. A name with no meaning whatsoever to me. Call me whatever you wish."

"Red it is," said Zack. He watched as the creature rose up from the elevator, raising his sword in his hand. Behind the two of them, Red XIII leaned forward, his tail swishing in the air behind them. Sephiroth glanced at Zack.

"Don't fall behind."

"I should be saying that to you."

The creature surfaced, and the two of them charged.

END FILE