Hello there, my wonderful readers. Let me start off by saying how sorry I am. Normally I do throw some pretty crazy cliffhangers, but I honestly didn't intend to throw a triple play like that. I hadn't realized it until after I posted it publically. That's partially why this update came as fast as it did. I realized I couldn't do that to you guys.

Hopefully this update will help clear a few things and also anything that comes out of left field in this chapter will be explained in future ones. The next chapter may take me a bit to get out because my work schedule has me working longer hours, but I'll do what I can. I really want to thank everyone whose been leaving reviews. They really help fuel my urge to get chapters out faster and make them better. I also love how clever you all are. I was afraid a few times that I'd be confusing you, but nope. you all follow perfectly along.

Also, I recently got back into listening to music from Five Finger Death Punch and holy crap, why do so many of their songs relate to Sephiroth? o.O? I think there may be a few 5FDP inspired chapters for Sephy in the future. It doesn't affect the plot, only makes it more awesome. Especially when it comes time for the silver general to fight.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy and even if things look bad now, I hope you like what I have in store.

Reno had been running through the woods for what felt like an eternity. He was a very level-headed person when it counted, and it wasn't panic that had gotten him hopelessly lost. He only started to panic when he came across the same boulder five times in the last hour. He couldn't understand why he kept getting lost; then again it had been Cloud who had guided him through the woods. Reno was a city kid. He knew next to nothing about the wilderness.

After coming across the boulder for the sixth time he cursed it with every colorful word he knew before striking out into the trees not following a path, hoping his luck would turn and he'd find civilization. Cloud needed help and with every wrong turn Reno knew he was losing precious time. With that in mind he started to run, hoping to find some sign that he was getting close.

In his own frantic dash, he couldn't hear the crunching snow that sounded ahead of him as a shadowed figure jumped out from behind a tree and Reno crashed right into it.

"Whoa, take it easy! What's chasing you?"

Reno went to pull out his weapon at first, but realization caught up to him and he looked up to see none other than the curious eyes of Zack Fair looking back.

"What the hell are you doing here," was his reaction response.

"My mission," Zack simply replied. "The one you decided to take over and drag Cloud along on. Where is he anyway, and why is your leg bleeding?"

"My leg?" Reno looked down, remembering his injury.

Zack sighed with exasperation as he pulled out his restore materia and began healing the wound. "I was almost to the reactor when I saw the blood trail and the snow tracks. It was pretty hard to follow with all the crisscrossing paths. Were you hit with a confuse spell or something?"

Reno pulled away before Zack could finish healing his wound. "Stop worrying about me and let's get back to the reactor!"

"What's going on Reno," Zack asked with a serious and slightly annoyed tone.

"We don't have time to chat! Cloud's in trouble!" With that Reno turned and started running back the way he came, leaving a shocked Zack in his wake.

He was at Reno's side in an instant though as they ran. "Where is he?"

"At the reactor, trapped behind a mountain of rubble," Reno replied.

Zack grabbed the ex-Turk by the sleeve and pulled him to the right, headed back into the thick of the tree line. "The reactor's this way!"

Reno felt really stupid that he had become so frantic that he had completely gotten lost. His Turk training should have kept him level-headed, but the events leading up to the collapse was having a severe effect on him. He had done what everyone else had. Well, he hadn't babied Cloud, but he severely misjudged him and never even considered what the guy was really dealing with.

He swore to himself that if Cloud survived this that he'd make it up to him somehow.

When they got there Zack saw the entrance the two had made and started to head towards it when Reno stopped him. "Bad idea, there's nothing but a mako pit below and I don't think the gangplank can handle another hard landing."

Zack nodded, "Then how'd you get out?"

"This way," Reno led him around towards the other side. Suddenly Zack perked up and pulled Reno to the side.

"What's the big idea," Reno hissed.

"Shhh," was Zack's reply as he drew his sword and stuck it out slightly and angled it so he could see around the corner through the sword's reflection. He was suddenly very glad he had polished it before setting out from Cosmo Canyon. What he saw though was no cause for joy.

Sephiroth was curious as to why Reeve had summoned him to a meeting room. It was clear that the man's office was perfectly safe to talk freely, especially after the information that was disclosed the previous day. The general didn't think the man would betray him or his 'yet to meet future friends', but then again the Reeve from the future had admitted at first he had done some things he wasn't proud of, so Sephiroth chose to remain on his guard about this. If things went south he knew what he needed to do, even if it set his plans back a couple hundred paces.

He entered the room and was immediately on high alert. Sitting calmly in the chairs were Reeve, Rude, Tseng and Rufus Shinra.

Suddenly the idea of betrayal didn't seem so farfetched, but the general remained the very definition of calm as he glanced at each one of them. Rude and Tseng were sitting calmly, though the head Turk was giving him a very sly and possibly smug look in return while Rude's eyes were impossible to read through his glasses, though his posture radiated professionalism. Rufus seemed casually relaxed and carried an air of smugness about him. Reeve was the only nervous one in the room, as if unsure how this meeting would go. It was Rufus who spoke first.

"General, you look surprised to see us here, is something wrong?"

"I was not expecting your inclusion in this meeting, sir," was the calm and calculated reply.

Rufus only tilted his head, as if confused, but Sephiroth could feel the true intention of the man. Like a cat cornering a mouse. If this meeting went badly then Rufus would find out the hard way that Sephiroth was no mouse.

"Oh," the company's heir replied, "do you not think the future head of the company deserves to know of such events like plans to change the company from the inside, or perhaps the avoidance of a crumbling world?"

Sephiroth turned his head and his murderous glare honed in on Reeve who visibly paled. "It's not what you think General."

Everyone could feel the ticking time bomb reaching single digits when Tseng stood from his chair.

"Sephiroth, allow me to explain…"

The gaze grew even colder as it shifted to focus on Tseng. Only his Turk training prevented the man from flinching. "You may very well not believe what I'm about to say and with good reason, but do remember that as Turks we are very good at keeping secrets and have our own hidden agendas."

"Such as…"

The deadly tone was making everyone nervous if the subtle action of Rude adjusting his glasses was any indication.

Tseng glanced towards Rufus requesting silent permission before the vice president nodded to go ahead.

"Ever since the mission you commanded in Nibelheim resulted in the reactor's destruction the president and head scientist, Professor Hojo had been acting more and more unpredictable. From your perspective it might have seemed like I served the president, but that is not the case. In truth, I only answer to the vice president."

Sephiroth's glare remained, though the emotion behind it changed from betrayal to suspicion. "Then why…"

"We weren't sure how stable you were," Rufus interrupted. "You had been in a downward spiral ever since the other two Firsts defected and when one was killed we weren't sure if you'd become just as unhinged as the others. That is why we kept such a close eyes on you since your return and why Tseng made it difficult for you to take on any students, as Genesis had taken so many men when he defected."

"Then why were you so interested in taking him as one of your own," the general asked Tseng.

"Aside from keeping him out of your reach, we were also genuinely impressed with his skills during a minor mission in the slums," Tseng replied. "He also showed great skill in the training rooms before you interfered."

"You mean when you kept shooting even after he fell," that time there was obvious anger in Sephiroth's voice, but he stopped when he heard a faint whisper in the back of his mind. This caught the attention of the occupants in the room as the general's expression shifted from contempt and disapproval to blank surprise.

"Sephiroth," Rufus called out.

The general blinked and refocused, realizing he must have given his reaction away. He decided to shove his anger aside and move forward. "What has Reeve told you and what will you do now?"

"He told us of your plan to overthrow my father and that you plan to rebuild this company for the good of the people. A commendable effort, and one I agree with, but you're going about it the wrong way."

Sephiroth gave a sly smirk. "I figure it was still better than how I could have done it," judging by what they had revealed he was confident that Reeve hadn't told them about the future, proving that there was still some hope with trusting the man…somewhat.

"Yes, we're aware that if you had lost your sanity you could have returned and left a trail of blood," the vice president replied. "We're thankful that wasn't the case, but something happened to you on that mission which helped you recover. What was it? You realize we cannot trust each other until we are on the same page but in order for that to happen, I need to back track a few chapters."

At this Sephiroth nodded, knowing he couldn't tell them the truth just yet…if ever, but did reveal the half truth of it. "Professor Hojo was keeping something in that reactor; something that was deeply connected to me, though I did not know it at the time. While examining the compound I was overcome with great mental pain and fell into a vat of mako. I was willing to accept my death as the only people I had called friends were either dead or on the run and had betrayed my trust. My faith in others was restored however when I was rescued by Zackary and the infantryman, Cloud Strife. It was the young trooper who spotted me in time. I am only here because of them. That's why I offered Strife a second chance at SOLDIER and had plans to promote Fair to Commander upon our return. Due to Turk interference, however, that didn't happen. I also believe Hojo was hoping something would happen to me as he summoned me for a checkup as soon as I returned and even before that, he met up with me in Nibelheim and seemed disappointed."

Rufus listened carefully to the story the general had to tell. "That would explain a lot, but I feel there is more to this story; however I'm a man who likes to believe in fair trades." He nodded to Tseng to continue.

"After Hojo returned before your arrival he ordered some Turks to search the wreckage for anything related to project Jenova that might have survived. We found some remains including the head of the project, damaged, but fully intact and reported our findings to him. He was eerily pleased and wasted no time in setting up another base to store the remains."

Sephiroth was surprised to feel a twinge of fear crawl up his spine but quickly grabbed a hold of it and shoved it down into the depths of his subconsciousness. The general hadn't known fear since his early childhood, but a harsh life of training, battle and bloodshed had purge that out of him and he was not about to let it back in.

"And where-" suddenly his PHS began to ring. Sephiroth went to ignore it when he glanced at the name. It was Zack.

Sephiroth knew the occupants in the room weren't going anywhere so he answered it. "Report."

"Seph, this is bad."

The general could tell the others were listening in and no doubt Tseng and Rude could make out Zack's words so he gave up trying to keep it private and hit speaker. "What's going on, I ordered you to head out to Nibelheim after you rested from your search."

"It's Hojo."

"What," Sephiroth growled.

"The dude's not actually here, but his goons are all over the place."

"Is that Reno," Asked Tseng.

"Shit! Why does he have us on Speaker," Reno hissed.

"My circumstances later, tell me what's happening," Sephiroth demanded.

"Keep your shirt on, you're lucky I'm even speaking to you after you nearly barbequed me."

"Turk…" Sephiroth's tone was the definition of murderous and Tseng was convinced the general's phone would combust if he kept glaring at it.

"Reno, answer the question," Tseng ordered.

"Uhh…sure boss," the ex-Turk replied with confusion. "Me'n Zack came back to the reactor but we can't get inside because these science goons are all over the place, plus it looks like he's hired rejects from 1-800-rent-a-cop as guards. I think one of the scientists is on the phone with Hojo."

"What makes you think that," asked Rufus.

"The way the guy keeps pulling the phone away from his ear is a good guess."

"Gaia, no…"

At Zack's reply the room fell silent.

"Zack, don't," Reno said.

"Zack," Sephiroth replied calmly. "What do you see?"

While Reno carried on with the conversation, Zack focused on what was going on with Hojo's men. His heart sank as he saw two guards exit the compound carrying a stretcher with a scientist walking beside it. The man on the phone approached and Zack could faintly pick up what he was saying.

"Subject looks alive, though he has some serious injuries."

It was impossible to hear what was being said on the other end, but Zack knew it wasn't good. Any hope of remaining concealed seemed impossible to Zack now as he prepared to charge in and save his friend.

"Zack, don't," Reno pleaded as he tried to pull the warrior back.

"Zack…what do you see," asked the general.

"They have Cloud," Zack replied through clenched teeth. "But I'm gonna get him out of there."

"How many are there," Asked Tseng.

"At least two dozen that I can see," Reno replied. "That's not counting any that might still be inside."

"Stand down," Tseng ordered. "There's too big a risk that one could report to Hojo and let on that someone is onto him, considering there's a good chance he is on the other end of the scientist's phone."

"I'm not letting Spiky fall into the hands of that madman," Zack growled.

"Zack," Sephiroth replied, "...do not engage."

"What?!" Zack grabbed the PHS from Reno, despite the fact that he could hear clearly from where he stood. "Have you lost it?! I refuse to give up on him and feed him to the wolves!"

"Zack…this pains me as much as it does you, but we cannot engage now. What if Strife is killed in the rescue attempt? If they haven't killed him yet then Hojo plans to take him alive."

"No Seph. I won't let him turn Cloud into a monster. I won't fail him like I did Angeal!"

"You didn't fail Angeal…I did."

Zack stopped at those words. "What?"

"I failed to help him, failed to be there for him, I failed our friendship. If I hadn't assumed it was pure betrayal and controlled my anger he may still be alive to this day. Right now you're about to make a similar mistake by letting your anger get the better of you. That anger is what turned Angeal into a monster during your final fight. But it was you who allowed him to die as a man. You gave him his dignity and honor back and in turn you carry it forward with his sword. Do not dishonor it now by making the same mistakes he did."

Reno watched Zack's struggle with anxiety of his own as he also kept an eye on the stretcher as it was being loaded into the waiting chopper.

If Zack was going to do anything it was going to happen in the next few seconds.

The chopper blades started to spin and within moments the flying vehicle was soaring upward and Zack watched it with worry and barely controlled rage. Surprisingly he didn't charge ahead or vent his anger. "I swear Spiky, I'll come for you. Just hang on until I get there. Fight back with every ounce of strength you have."

He put the PHS back to his ear and looked ahead with numb focus. "What do you wants us to do now general?"

"Head back to Cosmo Canyon. I'll contact you with further orders soon. And do not disclose this event to anyone there. Goddess knows that group would mount a rescue mission of their own, but we need to plan it carefully."

Zack stared straight ahead as he replied with a "yes sir," before hanging up.

With that turn of events finished, Sephiroth focused once again on the conference room. Tseng and Rufus were both studying the general carefully, no doubt thinking over his show of emotion regarding the regret of Angeal and the revelation that both Reno and Cloud were alive.

"It seems there is much Reeve hasn't told us," Rude stated.

"I have never met those two before except by random passing if that," he defended himself.

"Their survival was kept secret for reasons like this, so Hojo wouldn't repeat crimes he has yet to commit."

The cat was this far out of the bag, might as well go all the way.

At least, he was about to when his PHS rang again. This time it was Kunsel. Remembering the Second's mission he answered. "Report."

"Well sir, I didn't find his current lab, but there is evidence to prove that it was Hojo who helped escalate the war with Wutai aside from the president's ambitions regarding the rumors of missing villagers. They've been proven true."

"I see. I assume you have evidence?"

"Plenty, as well as a stowaway."

"Stowaway," repeated the general.

"Yes, the princess of Wutai dropped in on me as I concluded my mission. I attempted to lose her in the forest, but she ended up aboard the ship and followed me. I have her restrained in my room for the moment."

"Get it right Shinra scum! I'm the Great Ninja Princess Yuffie!"

Rufus smirked at that response.

Sephiroth was surprised to discover how it seemed fate wasn't ready to turn against him just yet.

"What are your orders, sir?"

"Take her and head for Cosmo Canyon. Find Vincent and deliver the princess to him, he'll know how to handle her. As for you, meet up with Zack there and then I want you both to return here. I'll head out on a mission of my own. When you arrive you are to deliver your findings to Reeve."

"Yes sir," came the reply.

With that Sephiroth hung up then turned to the other occupants in the room. "With or without your help I am going to keep my promise."