Zach fidgeted as he grasped the small photo to squat down so his left hand was careful to palm the image of Tifa. Zach fidgeted as he grasped the small photo to
squat down so his left hand was careful to palm the image of Tifa, noting that the folds were creased as the picture was a precious relic to be gazed on in private, no
other eyes were mean tto see this. With this realization, Zach glimpsed back at the General who moaned softly with sharp inhalations of some deep torment soley his.
Zach's right hand flipped over his cell phone as he heard it vibrate, noting that Aeris had called him. He sighed as he shook his head vigorously, debating if he should
reveal what new debacle he found in Soldier to Lazard or Angeal. Tifa's face was lovelier with motherhood as she gazed into view cradling the infant. Zach's heart
sank believing that Sephiroth had done the unthinkable for a small town girl that had no experience with any man, not even Cloud beyond innocent hugs and kisses
.He knows better! Zach thought angrily thinking that the same man who commanded respect and prestige from tens of thousands reduced himself to any common
infantryman who seduced the naive country girl with promises of marriage and security while he traveled the continents as he raised support for the cause of Shinra's
armed forces and delivered rousing speeches to the throngs of young men that yearned to sight the impossibly charismatic General that spoke gravely of duty and
the fallen elevated to legends for their beliefs. Zach then raised his head to the Silver Soldier to eye him with some trepidation as he gauged the depth of his sleep.
NOT NOW Zach typed as he read the incoming text from Aeris. Zach was already disturbed when he saw the Turks sometimes follow him at a distance when he
traveled the various sectors when Aeris ventured outside Shinra's comfort zone. Zach then pressed the camera app as he used the function to view the photo to take
in details. Sephiroth began to to rouse from his sleep as his arm thrashed about, his fingers clenching as his Masamune formed with a bluish light aura only to vanish
from sight. Zach watched Sephiroth groan into gutteral growls as he rolled away from the window to the wall, and Zach flicked his eyes as he noted that the cameras
were strangely shut off.
"Damn" thought Zach. He then carefully tucked the photo back into the fold of Sephiroth's signed medical leave.
" Zach?"
" Huh? Oh hey Ronnie!"
" Hey! Wow you made first class! How's Aeris? How's Cloud?"
" Well yeah. I guess Sephiroth put in a good for me to Lazard. Aeris is back in her home in Sector 7. Cloud..well he's
getting by. "
" You made it into his inner circle. That is some mean feat."
" Well it wasn't so easy. Aeris writes and I got to see her last season at Sephiroth's memorial. Crazy how he turns up huh?
" Aeris has more business since her flowers were used that asked me about Tifa since I passed into Sector Ronnie lowered his head as he stood by the doorway where
Zach stood. Ronnie flicked out his cell phone as heshowed Zach his Soldier credentials and his infant girl. He then clicked a shot of Sephiroth glaring down balefully at
Tifa with a glossy raven wing, wrapped around her and a small pink bunkle at Tifa's swollen bosom. Zach's eyes widened in disbelief as he shot a glance at the deeply
slumbering Sephiroth as did Ronnie.
" Dude..I don't see no black wing now..."
" Yeah that threw me off too. I loaded him into the gurney after that last Ultima appeared. Ice cold, no wing at all."
" Maybe it was that Weapon's venom..? Tifa wasn't seen for months before then. I dealt with a Genesis Copy in Sector Sephiroth made a copy of her? "
" Why would he?! They got along in Nibelheim..She was our guide. I never saw anything unpleasant happen.."
" I saw a cursed ring in his possession, you know the kind with the big skull? Think he used that on her? "
Ronnie's voice trailed off quietly, as his face blanched as considered the gruesome implications. He looked hard into Zach's face as he studied each expression as if he
were about to interrogate a stranger. Zach returned the look with his expression of a shared fact. They both knew the one being who could shed light on this was
Aeris. Yet if Sephiroth had done some hidden atrocity, they both pondered on why he would commit a cruelty to such a kind girl and would he be so fickle to harm
Aeris?
" Eh, well I got some time before I post duty. I'll do what I can. Zach and Ronnie heard Sephiroth make deep, primal noise akin to a dark dragon's mating call in the
Northern Cave. They both shuddered at how unnerving the similarity was in its fury. Ronnie whispered back that he would soon exit and give any noticeable details of
Sephiroth's condition prior to Zach's entry with a firm salute and Zach nodded to dismiss him from his post. Zach glanced at the inert form of Sephiroth, huddled in a
fetal position as he was breathing slower with his eyelids fluttering rapidly like swift bat wings. Zach studied the digital image of the newly born daughter of Sephiroth
with more scrutiny. Zach bore down on each detail closely. The baby had her eyes partially open, with light emerald eyes that shimmered in the camera light; their
pupils were round much like Tifa's, and her father's lush, thick lashes were fringed around the mint irises. Her brows were slightly arched and thin like the Silver
General. Zach read the small bracelet that graced the baby's wrist as " Ume Lockheart" in jade beads that seemed to compliment her eyes. Zach thought quietly, "
She has his same fierce grin of his bloodlust in combat." Even her eyes stared half drawn with the same contempt that Sephiroth had when he was silently angry with
his superiors and he would communicate in frustrated scoffs. Her dainty nose was Tifa's and her round adorable face. Sephiroth's thin lips which were framed in his
stoic expression as he surveyed his troops were on Ume's small puckered lips that dripped maternal milk. Ume's bangs trailed down to each cheek as Sephiroth's with
his bluish tints yet her hair color was not Tifa's at all being a more coppery brown. Zach puzzled over a large pink Wutaian diamond ring that graced Tifa's fourth ring
finger, and he blinked back aghast. For the same ring was contested as stolen by the Wutai emperor; which was negotiated in hot dispute by Director Reeve as never
having been received at all in their collections. Zach wondered if that particular ring which was said to be a few milion gil in value was still with Tifa. Zach compared
that to the picturRonnie sent to his cell with rising emotion. Tifa's expression was that of sheer fear as she rode into the air with Sephiroth with both hands folded
tightly to keep Ume in place with no band on her ring closed the cell lid somberly as dark thoughts raised doubt about the integrity of both Sephiroth and Tifa. Tifa
was with Cloud that troublesome night and Ronnie's digital snap confirmed that Tifa wore no wedding ring or any for that
concern. Zach blinked back his troubled thoughts that darkened his mood as he weighed each cause and possible effect that would determine his pursuit of truth.
" If she and Cloud are an item again, then Sephiroth would be beside himself having given her such a valuable ring? Did he act out of rage to snap her neck and
conceal her body? Would he just create a copy to raise his child? What did they talk about? Claudia never liked Tifa to start with after that mess..Gah, let's start with
the ring..how did it get to Tifa and why and where is it? If we find the ring, maybe we'll find Tifa.."
Zach quickly checked the time to see if he had enough to make a few quick calls and decided to ring Director Lazard.
" Hello Zach, how are things?"
" Well Director, I have a few questions over the Wutai ring from awhile back from the news? "
" Why yes? The Amor Diamond was said to have a materia unique to it..The Imperial Wutai family had it for generations and closely guarded it. It was believed to
keep Wutai in harmony with the family, people, and nature would defend the island
against invasion. Unique since it was shaped like a heart, and pressure placed on a secret spot would reveal the hidden materia. A Wutai legend it could change fate,
no matter how dire..Professor Hojo heard it was in the area and wanted to test the veracity of it. Do you think Sephiroth found it or knows its whereabouts? "
" I really am not sure..maybe he sought it out for his curiosity since he was so heavily involved with the Wutai War. I wonder too if maybe Tifa found it and it led to her disappearance? "
" That's possible too, I will seek out Reeve for more information in Nibelheim since it's diplomatic protocol. "
" Ok, gotcha! Thanks Director!"
Zach then quickly ran his eyes over the screen to see Aeris had called or left another disgruntled text. Shaking his head at the dismay of his time with Aeris, and how
this new discovery could arguably be in future harm to her. Zach sniffed as he smelt the air of stale mako. The nurses were whisking around with wires, patches, and
other medical aids that were attached to Sephiroth. They changed his wires and reinserted tubes into those that were sticking out in cotrast to his gray color. Zach
gulped down as he goggled in the sheer magnitude of what the nurses had overlooked. A stream of black feathers floated down gently around Sephiroth, yet there
was no wing on either the display monitors or the medical computer then dialed Aeris anxiously as he chewed on his exposed hand, his glove peeled off to stash a few
drifting feathers.
" Uh hi..? "
" Hellooo, yes I got those pics you sent of the Wutai ring. That ring has nothing to do with Tifa being gone at all..I feel something is very off lately Zach..For one, I can't commune like before and guide the past whispers over to their next traveltheLifestream. It has everything to do with Sephiroth.. I can't see the past ghosts and it's worse when I
can't comfort those who are in need of me. I tried to see if she is a copy or dead via the Lifestream.."
"And?! "
" I saw a very black reverse stream that was infected with more of an Oblivion stream that can absorb and extract from the planet's Lifestream rather than infect and
send forth Geostigma from Jenova. It's like the Oblivion stream absorbed the Jenova cells to be useless..When? This happened when they said Sephiroth had died in
battle over some monster over Nibelheim. When I stared at Tifa's baby, her lifestream was hidden by Sephiroth's..he was trying to conceal hers from everyone aside
from Tifa. Even I can't tell you if Tifa is alive or is that a copy because the baby's lifestream is meshed with hers, and hers reeks of Sephiroth's. Oh,he is definitely the
father. I really doubt he could replace his lifestream with Cloud's. But then again, Sephiroth has a way of being able to work solutions to his favor. Well you know
Zach, Hojo introduced me to him once and he looked at us as if we were a pair of mated just bowed, starting using his cell to check his mail from Soldier. It was so
rude! It's like if he was bred for war, rather just Soldier is his 24/7. I really am worried about Cloud.. He is so glum and did you hear about what happened when he
came home to tell his mom he was planning to take over your old apartment? He didn't have the heart to say he was still in the Security and I don't think ..well he
had quit Soldier. So naturally, they repossessed Fenrir since it's part of his contract with Soldier. Well you know, I have to tell Mom about our trip. I am sure I can
work it out with her. Yes, it's very puzzling..Sephiroth did change when he came out of the Shinra Manor around last year. Now that you mention it, he'd train with Tifa
for hours in the Manor alone. Cloud called me a few times about his heartache. He felt so deeply over Tifa since her coma. Well Cloud said there was a rumor going
that Sephiroth had done something monstrous to prove to Tifa's dad he was serious about , Sephiroth's salary is pretty up there Zach. A man like that could easily
afford Shinra Manor and what is it? Amor Diamond. I used to be able to connect so easily to anything in the Lifestream, and what's strange? I heard this old Cetra
lullaby that my mom used to sing in its original dialect and then Sephiroth crooned it to his baby girl. How did he match word by word and then his daughter basically
understands the context being she is a newborn. I hear him singing it to his baby girl like she was part Cetra and Sephiroth is no Cetra. I know since my mom said
she was last pure blooded to my ,well the Turks can give me a ride there since they are still doing recon on the Manor's files. You on duty? I have to see Tifa in
person, Zach. Ok I will call you when I can. "
Aeris shook her head as she lowered her gaze from her monitor as she glanced over the photo that Zach sent. Aeris sighed since on one level, business had boomed
when her florals were used for the memorial which was broadcast in certain of the larger cities such as Junon. It was a brief affair, with muted somber elegance with a
brief speech from Director Lazard and a few posthumous awards on his behalf. Shinra stated they would name a new base in his honor for his victory in the Wuatai
War. No mention of the Lockhearts or his daughter. A scholarship foundation was established in his memory for the less fortunate slum kids or rural kids that wanted
to advance in a career in Shinra Science or Soldier, with no less than a few thousand gil per semester. Aeris shook her head as she raised her eyes to the now visible
Ilfana.
" Yes mother, he stole Cloud's fate, murdered him in his own twisted way. No amount of bought flowers or scholarships can right this wrong."