Destiny Revisited

Part 4:All Along

The group of travelers slowly made their way to Gongaga. The wind blew cold and dry as the afternoon crawled in. Suddenly their was a huge explosion coming from up ahead. The travelers ran in to investigate. 'What was it? Who was it? What was going on?' Cloud thought as his mind went crazy. Tifa followed closely behind him, a confused look etched upon her face. They stopped abruptly once they realized what it was.

"So....we meet again." came a harsh, raspy voice. "Jenova." was all Cloud could say as he stared at the creature, which had taken yet a different form. It had large, white wings coming out of it's back and a purple snakelike body, complete with a human head. "Uh oh, we in deep shit now." voiced Barret from the back as his frown grew. "No kidding." commented Cid. "So it is finally here. Jenova. It's obviously allot stronger if we didn't kill it the first time." spoke Yuffie nervously. Cloud looked back at her and nodded. "This things more powerful then anything we have ever faced. Ruby and Emerald WEAPON look like mere toys compared to the awesome strength of Jenova. I....I don't think we stand a chance." his voice shook, for the despair in the situation was too much to bear. They would have to try and run away from it now. Then they would train and fight it again. But now all they had too do was concentrate on survival.

"Okay everyone...." breathed Cloud. "On the count of three...go for it." he nodded at Tifa and slowly began to count. "What's this, human? You plan to escape? Muahahahahahaha!!! I'd like to see you try!" Jenova laughed insanely. Just as she was laughing, her eyes closed and her attention distracted, they ran for it. Just in case Cloud cast an extremely strong Ultima spell that would keep Jenova out of commission if she tried anything. They heard a wild scream of pain behind them, but they kept on running. They didn't look back. Not until they reached Gongaga.

***

"What is it you want to tell me? I have come here and I am waiting for an answer." Sephiroth snarled impatiently at his parents for not telling him what was going on. "Listen, it's about Jenov-" Lucrecia started before she was interrupted by Sephiroth. "What do you have to say about my mother, human? Spit it out!" he yelled, obviously enraged at the use of his mother's name by this inferior creature. "Jenova is not your mother." said Vincent plainly. "Jenova is just an evil creature form God knows where." Sephiroth looked around. "LIES! ALL LIES!" he countered. "And coming from Mr. Invisible, no wonder. A guy that doesn't even have a body claims he knows of my mother! HAHAHA!" Sephiroth held his side as he laughed bitterly. Then there was silence. "I know who your mother was because I am your father." Sephiroth stared at the ground. "I told you I had no father. I have no parent other then Jenova." Lucrecia waited. "What if I had proof, Sephiroth, that I Lucrecia and this man Vincent are your parents?' Sephiroth looked up, his eyes glowing with rage. "If you 'prove' this to me, and I 'believe' you, what will happen? And if I don't?" Then he paused. "I want to see this 'proof' of yours too, since I do find it strange how I remember my childhood yet they said I was created. I remember my childhood, yes. It was not a pleasant one at all." Sephiroth closed his eyes. 'Maybe...just maybe my destiny would have differed if my life wasn't so...' his thoughts crowded his head as he remembered things he never wished to even imagine again.

~*Flashback*~

A small boy sat in the large, cold laboratory. His arms were full of needle marks. His eyes were cold and averted. He kicked his legs back and forth wile absently staring at the tattooed number '1' on his hand. 'Who are my parents?' he wondered. 'And why am I here? I was always treated like this, but why? What have I done to deserve this?' he was on the verge of tears, but that's when he remembered crying was not allowed. Crying meant a severe beating and no food for a few days. Not to mention more testing. This was because crying was weak, and as the maniacal Hojo had explained to him once-"You, Sephiroth, will someday rule the world. You have no time to be emotional." Little Sephiroth had no idea what he was talking about. And he still didn't. True, he was very intelligent and strong for a boy of four but he certainly didn't rule the world. Sephiroth contemplated these thoughts for a few moments. Then his heart froze when he heard the door open.

It was Hojo. How he hated that man. Hojo was evil and did all types of experiments on him. He never showed him any kindness when he was administering his exams. He would always jab the needles into his arms extra hard and would over expose him to the mako. He would also make sure he got extra beatings to 'toughen him up.' Hojo would make him train extra hours in the gym as well, saying he would become General of SOLDIER.

Hojo walked over to a small table with many needles. He mixed some fluids together and filled the empty syringes. Then he walked over to Sephiroth and wiped an alcohol swab on his little arm, then jabbed the needle in. Sephiroth did not whimper, or even wince in pain. For he was used to these. He had been getting them all his life. Then he hooked him up to several monitors. He took out a pad and began to jot down notes. "Breathe." he said stiffly. Sephiroth did as he told him, taking several series of deep breaths. Time went by for about 30 or so minutes of Sephiroth breathing heavily. A normal adult person would have collapsed after 8 or so minutes, but Sephiroth was still going strong. He kept it up until 45 or so minutes before he nearly fainted. He coughed a little and began to wheeze. "Run. Now." said Hojo again, after filling out a long note on his paperwork. He pointed over to the treadmill. Several assistants came in and turned it up to max, and made Sephiroth run. He started off quickly, regaining his strength almost immediately He began to pace himself at a constant rate after about 2 hours. After about 3 or 4 hours he was finished. He actually fell down while the thing was still moving. Hojo looked down, disappointed. "I though he'd make it to 6 this time. Well I guess that's enough, Bring him to his cell and let him rest a while, then it's time for the mako treatments, combat skills, and finally schooling." The assistant nodded and picked up the little boy.

While sleeping, Sephiroth had dark dreams. Dreams of Hojo's evil grin, his uncaring outlook to the child. He couldn't remember any day when Hojo had ever show affection to him. Then again, who ever had? There had to be something bad about him because nearly all of the Shinra people were afraid of him, although he was so young. They would only interact with him when Hojo ordered them too. They would stare and whisper at him when they didn't think he was watching. Why were people treating him this way? So cold, so cruel. He was just a little kid, not some kind of demon! The usual also passed through his dreams. He wanted a mother. Someone to care and love him. All the other children he has ever seen have someone who smiled at them, and held thier hands. Someone to look out for them if they were in trouble, to care for them if they were hurt or sick. Someone who hugged them and told them everything would be alright. Someone who loved them.

But Sephiroth didn't have that. He didn't have anyone. He wasn't worthy of love, for some reason. He was different and undeserving of it as he assumed. He was waking up now, his dreams turning to actual thoughts inside his head. He stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He uncurled form the ball he was in. Now was time for more tests and training. He sighed as the guards opened the door to his room.

"Come. There is still time for your mako treatment." Sephiroth closed his eyes before getting up out of bed and heading out of the door. The floor was cold against his feet and he shuddered. He looked outside of the only window in his room, a small one high above the ground. It was night already. The pale moon shone in the dark black blue sky. There were no stars outside tonight. The air was cold and crisp. He yearned to be outside in the fresh breeze. That was part of having fun, something he realized that, along with love, was something he could never acquire. He sighed and walked out the door.

~*End Flashback*~

"Let me ask you guys this..." Sephiroth spoke sternly as the reminiscence of his childhood slowly faded away. "If you were my parents, which I still don't believe, then why did you let that happen to me? Why?" There was a certain change in his voice...was it sadness? Sadness was an emotion. Sephiroth showed no emotion. He looked up, a new look in his eyes. Not one of madness and corruption. Instead it was the look of sadness that matched his voice. "Why...why was I never shown any love? Why was I treated this way?" his voice turned to anger. "WHY? I DIDN'T DESERVE IT! I DIDN'T!!! WHY ME, AM I CURSED?" Sephiroth, in a rage, began swinging masamune around, his black aura blazing and his wings spreading. Both Lucrecia and Vincent were troubled by this, seeing thier son is such horrible turmoil. "Sephiroth....calm down..." whispered Lucrecia. "Calm down...it's alright..." Sephiroth felt something new. It was something he didn't feel with Jenova, it truly felt caring, the way she whispered. She didn't sound demanding and she didn't sound threatening like Jenova did. She felt...warm. Her voice was soothing, not forceful. And she wasn't asking him to destroy the planet either. Sephiroth brushed it away. He would just have to listen to them a little longer and then he would kill them. His father's voice chipped in. "Son, I know how upset you must be. Both of us, if possible, would give our lives to prevent this from happening. Trust me, we would. If Hojo hadn't killed us sooner." Sephiroth stopped when he heard that name. "HOJO." he growled. His body went rigid and his aura flared. His eyes glowed. "I do not care for Hojo." he said madly. "Shhh....calm down, son. I'll show you what really happened." Sephiroth looked at Lucrecia now, his eyes widening. "But you are just a ghost. What is it that you'll show me?" She was quiet for a few seconds, then she answered. "You'll see my son, you'll see."

***

"We...made...it..." huffed RedXIII. who was gaining his breath back. "I...know...we...did...." added Yuffie who had just caught up. The group sat by a stream inside the forest part of Gongaga. They each took a sip of the refreshing water that was flowing and rested a few minutes. "Look, let's just rest today, gather supplies, and move on. Then we can train in case we see Jenova again. This time maybe we can defeat her." said Cloud tiredly. Tifa put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll pull through. I know we will." she said, smiling. "We can do this." She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Come on, we better go into the village. It's getting dark out." The two were the first to get up, followed by the rest.

***

"This son, is what happened." said Lucrecia as she made the cave dark somehow. Sephiroth sighed in annoyance. Whatever it is better be quick. The sun coming from outside seemed to disappear and near where she stood began to glow. A bright light filled the area around her and she stepped back. Soon an image began to form. Sephiroth stared in awe. An image of...Nibelheim? Yes, Nibelheim. The original Nibelheim, not the fake one. It was still alive and good, the people outside talking. It was a sunny day but a few dark clouds loomed over. Suddenly there was a close-up at the gate. There seemed to be three people there...Lucrecia, Vincent (dressed as a Turk?) and...Hojo. Vincent was watching as Lucrecia kissed Hojo! What was this? Then Vincent walked away. Now there was another image of Lucrecia walking in the Nibelheim Inn. She sat and patted her stomach. She was pregnant. Then the image faded to the Shinra mansion library, which was being used as a lab by Hojo. Lucrecia stood behind Hojo, her head down. Vincent seemed to be angry at something. He was yelling at Hojo about how the 'experiments' were wrong. What experiments? What was happening to this pregnant woman? Then the scene faded again and there she was again. This time, she collapsed.

"That is when...I died..." Lucrecia said sadly. "It's all Hojo's fault." growled Vincent. Then the view changed. Now it was Vincent talking to Hojo. Vincent was screaming at Hojo in a rage. Then Hojo took out a gun, and before Vincent could react, fired it. Vincent's eyes widened in shock and horror and he fell to the ground in a heap. Then there was darkness. The light reappeared in time to show Vincent laying on a table with Hojo prodding over him. But something was different about Vincent. He looked allot...less alive...then he did before. Then Vincent got up and changed into a monster. Sephiroth had always wondered how he had gotten that ability. Now he knew.

"So that is what happened. Let me guess, the baby that was born was me, correct?" Sephiroth commented. "Hahaha! Yeah right. Sure. You mortals believe what you want." Lucrecia and Vincent were silent. "Trust me, son." said Vincent a little more harshly then he had intended. "That is the truth. We do not wish to lie to you, or corrupt you in any manner. We only wish to let you know the truth, a truth that has been kept from you all your life." Sephiroth looked down at the ground. "The truth. What do you know about the truth." Sephiroth said under his breath.

"But Sephiroth that is what happened." came a voice outside the waterfall. "You are my son in a sense, but not as how you've believed. Now that my task has been accomplished You, as a puppet, are unwanted and unneeded now. I shall dispose of you." It was Jenova, now in yet a different from....her human form.

Sephiroth looked stunned. "What? What are you saying? Dispose of me? I am a God, don't you see?" Jenova put her head back and laughed insanely. "Ha...Ha...Ha...you fool don't you realize that you have not become a God?" Jenova mocked. Suddenly his wings and aura disappeared. His eyes ceased to glow as much as they did before. "It indeed did make you stronger, but you have become no God. I simply added those physical features to trick you. In fact, the whole reason you summoned meteor was to grant my immortality. I just lied to you so you would do as I say." Sephiroth stared in shock, not sure what to believe. "I am an alien from another planet, and I needed a certain kind of mineral that was found inside of meteor to complete the cells in my body that make me live forever. And to activate those cells I required the aid of lifestream. So I figured, hey that's a good idea!" she began to laugh again. "You, of course, just helped me. See I could not use the black materia on my own because I needed a life energy that you, Sephiroth, possessed. Of course now you are no good to me. Therefore I will have to kill you. After I am done with you I will have to kill Cloud and Co." Jenova smiled. "How do you like that?"

A wave of new thoughts crashed into Sephiroth's mind. 'Jenova is not my mother. She has lied to me. But what about our planet? I can't believe it! Is this even true? Why did this happen? That means the Vincent and Lucrecia must be my parents. But...does that mean I'm human? This is all too confusing!"

The revelation was too much to bear. Sephiroth held his head in pain. He closed his eyes and tried to block everything out "I still can't believe this. Not yet, anyway." He was still for a few minutes, unmoving, unthinking. Then he got up, he knew what he had to do. 'It must be true, so they are my parents and not Jenova. I am a human, but more advanced then most. That's why I am so strong. But am I evil? I obeyed Jenova and even acted evil on my own account. If so then what has made me evil? Oh well that is not important now.' So what if he was? He didn't care about that. Or his parents at the moment. He only had one thing on his mind-to destroy Jenova. No one treats the Great Sephiroth like this.

Sephiroth closed his eyes. "I have been fooled by you. You...liar." Sephiroth stared at her with a new hatred. "You really aren't my mother. All those people I killed were just for nothing. This whole quest wasn't to gain back our planet because it had never been yours in the first place!" Sephiroth brushed a strand of his silver hair back. "Now I see, Jenova. I see that I have been a fool. A fool to trust you" Jenova leered at him. "If you feel so strongly then just try and fight me! I can guarantee you won't last any more 5 minutes." she said arrogantly, placing her hands on her hips. "We'll see about that." replied Sephiroth, smirking.

***

Tifa was cold. She had been waiting for Cloud to come but he never did. He went off to train by himself but didn't come back yet. She got up out of her bed and slowly mad her way out in to the hallway. She slipped on a jacket and her boots and got out of the inn without any trouble. "I only hope he's all right..." she said as she hurried outside of town.

~AUTHOR'S NOTES~

Hehehe sorry again for being late but I've been on vacation and all. Well anyway I hope ya liked it and will continue to read my fic. Soon Part 5-Final Bout will be out, so keep reading!