FF7: The Sequel, Duben

by Shinjikun

A mysterious man enters Cloud's dreams. Is he a freind or foe?

FINAL FANTASY VII: Part 2 Daben
By: Shinjikun82
Sanjurom@hotmail.com


Chapter 1- 'The Dream'

It was about 2 AM in the morning in Costa del Sol, a popular tourist resort. The town was empty, and seldom of tourists. It's limestone bricks on the floor were cold due to the lack of sun, and a man with spiky hair was tossing in turning in his small bedroom. The lack of light made him shrivel as he grinded his teeth and growled in pain. The man kept on tossing and turning until the sweat began to pour down like a storm. Strife's mind was in a stage of the subconscious. Through his eyes a vision of a man with a trench coat was in front of him in a black room. He looked around the small room. His footsteps tapped as the sound echoed around the room. The man's name was Cloud Strife who was the man who killed Sephiroth, and prevented the demise of the planet. Strife was wearing his blue SOLDIER suit with a metal shoulder pad, and soiled leather gloves.

"What is this place?" Cloud asked.

Strife looked around the black room. It was a set of doors which were unlabeled, and were of a bluish tint. He walked closer and closer to the center door, and opened it slowly. He walked into the door which was wide open, and a scene of a huge canopy of palm trees covered the sky. Cloud walked closer to a table, and a large blue tent with a FM Radio, cans of rations, and a bottle of whiskey. The young man walked to the table, and picked up the book. He opened it up slowly, and it said.

" 1/14
This is our last day of the exhibition. It seems that this magnifiegant fossil we found in a geological scrantrum. We've took some samples off of the fossil, and have sent it to the labs, but the results say this isn't an animal of this planet. It has a similar skin structure of an octopus, but the size of larger than a human. One of the biologists, Gast has studied the body structure, and has comfirmed it's alive. He has now researched more at his lab in Icicle inn. A section of one large body. Alive? A fossil. That is a ridicilous idea. The other teams of the Shin-Ra science divison are studying a crater in the most norht part of this planet, and have studied the soil material. Their result was the same as this 'fossil'. A Cetra legened said that an evil monster had killed their spieces with a diesease. Could this legend be true or an old myth? "


Cloud turned the page of the small book, and looked at a small photo. A portrait of woman with blonde hair, and a pony tail.In the back of her was a window that showed a small brick well which looked liked it was supported by a wooden platform.

"A well. This is Nibelheim?" Cloud thought as a man came out with a black coat, and short silver hair.

The man walked closer to Cloud, and his eys glimmred green just like Cloud's. He had a smile on his face. He was taller then Strife, about 5 feet tall, and a dark helmet shaped like a bird's beak covering his face.

"Nibelheim, home town. That is your mother." the man said in a deep voice.
"Mom?! How do you know my mom?!" Cloud asked in a loud voice.
"I know about your past. Your true self." he said.
"Who are you then?" Cloud asked.
"Call me, Yuggen." the man replied as he looked at Cloud.
"Is this just a dream?" Cloud asked.
"This is all fact. I know more of your past then you know of yourself." Yuggen said as he walked closer to Cloud.


Yuggen lifted his right arm, and opened his hand which was a sign of acceptance to Strife who had his mouth opened. Sweat poured down from his forehead as he looked at Yuggen's visable part of his face, and smiled.

"I can tell you everything you need to know. You just have to go to the land that is never seen through your mortal eyes." Yuggen said.
"-And were's that." Cloud asked.
"You will have to find out for yourself.


Cloud lifted his left arm up, and firmly shook Yuggen's ahnd as he smiled. Strife thought to himself: "I want to know my father." Strife turned back as Yuggen walked away into the black void, and said: "If you come to me. You'll find out about your famliy. United with them."

Then a greenflash of light surged out as Cloud opened his eyes, and looked at the digital alarm clock which read: '8:00 AM'. He rose up out of his bed slowly, and opened hte blinds of his window. The blinds opeend slwoly revealing the rays of the morning sun that warmed up his black undershirt, and white boxers. Then Cloud turned back, and heard a knokcing on the door to his room. Cloud walked on therough rug with his socks as the door kept on knocking.

"Hey, c'mon! Wake up!" Tifa yelled.

Strife opeend the door slowly, and looked at Tifa in front of him. Her brown eyes looked at Cloud who was drenched in sweat. She looked at him and bit her lips.

"Nightmare?" Tifa asked.
"No. My father. I am eating first, and then I am going." Cloud said.
"What? Why?" Tifa asked.
"I can't explain." Cloud said.


Strife walked outside his small bed room slowly; inching towards the kitchen that had a small mahagony table, and a plate of waffles. Also, a cup of coefee. Tifa looked at Cloud who looked down at the waffles drenched in syrup.


"Father. I am going to meet you." Cloud said.

Lockhart walked closer to Strife who had his eyes closed. She patted her sandals on the floor, and asked: "What's wrong?"

"................" Cloud replied.
"Huh? I've never seen you like this before. Now, tell me." Tifa said.
"I am going to find my father, and find everything. " Cloud said.
"Yuggen said so." Cloud said.

Tifa sat with Cloud on the table as the clock on the right wall ticked and tocked. Strife picked up the fork next to the waffles, and ate a piece of the warm waffles slowly.
She frowned at him, and said: "Is it about Aerith?"

He bit into antother piece of the waffle and slowly swallowed it , and then sipped the coefee in a few seconds, and then burped.

"(Ignore her. Don't tell anything.)" an anomynous voice said.
"(Go continue. Get ready." the voice continued.
"Yuggen, yes I will." Cloud said.


Strife stood up, and walked hastly back to his bed room as Tifa picked up the plates, and cups. She turend the faucet slowly, and cleaned the sink slowly. She turned back and yelled: "Hey, somehtings wrong! Tell me. I thought we were freinds?"

".....No." Cloud replied.
"What's this Yuggen?" Tifa asked.
"Someone." Cloud said in a montone voice.
"(You never acted like such an ass before.)" she thought as Cloud opened the door to his room, and opened his closet which contianed his Buster Sword, and a small satchel filled with his matreia. He put on his old SOLDIER unifrom which he hasn't worn in six months since the demsie of Sephiroth. Tifa walked into Strife's room as he was packing up his leather back pack with the materiea, and a small bag of potions, and ethers.


"Why are you doing this? Tell me." Tifa said in a concerned voice.

She closed her eyes and walked down to Cloud who was crouching picked up the potion, satchel, and ethers into the opened backpack. Tifa looked at Cloud put laid her hand on Strife's shoulder.

"Why are you doing this. Is something wrong?" Tifa asked.
"Nothing's wrong." Strife said in a montone voice.
"(Now Run)" Yuggen said.

Cloud seathed his Buster sword on the strap of his backpack which he has put on his back, and ran down the hallway on the right, and outside the door. Lockhart pursued Cloud as he ran out of the small townhouse, but Tifa was too late, and tears ebgan ocming out of her eyes.

"Cloud!!! Come back!" Tifa yelled.
"COME BACK!!!" she yelled as Strife ran into the harbor.


Tifa turned back, and closed the door slwoly as she sat on the green couch and put her head down on the arm of the couch. She put her hand up, and tried to wipe the tears off of her face as she reached for her PHS which was on the table that was on the far side of the couch. She held it in her hands and said: "Cloud,You suddenly left. I don't what's happening. Who is this Yuggen? Why are you ignoring me? Does this do with our fight with Sephiroth?" Tifa asked as she continued crying; face down on the green couch.


Sephiroth is killed.....
Shin-Ra is destroyed...
But Cloud is now in unrest guided by an unknown apperition...
Is it good or evil?


Chapter 2- 'The road to somewere'

It was a day after Cloud left Costa del Sol, and was aboard a small cargo boat named the 'S.S. Epona'. Strife was on the deck of the boat with both of his hands gripping the rusted metal railings while the background sailors were looking at their map. Other passengers were merely hitchikers traveling from place to place having nowere to go, but Cloud was looking at the huge ocean waves rattling the side of the boat. Strife turned back, and looked at drunkard pased out on the deck, and his beard was covered in the smell of day old scotch. Then Strife looked up, and saw a man in a black mask walking, and looking at Strife with a smile.

"Come......" Yuggen said as Cloud walked to the right, and inside the cabin door.

Cloud entered the crowded cabin full of cargo. He looked down as Yuggen was sitting on a crate which was in the center of the room. He said to Cloud: "We finally meet in the flesh. It's been a long time." Strife opened his mouth and his eybrows raised, and said: "Long time?"

"Yes, I know your family, well." Yuggen said.

Yuggen stood up, and sheethed his sword which the handle was laced in platinum, and swung it left and right in a graceful and non-combantant manor. He looked directly into Cloud's eye and lifted his hand up. Yuggen's palm glowed a blue grow, and Strife stood still, and opened his mouth in amazement. Strife was in a state of suspension as he stood straight like a statue.

".......What- are- youuuu- doin- to me?" Cloud grumbled.
"Showing more over you past. I- am your- guide." Yuggen said as sweat drops dropped from the raven like helmet.


Cloud jolted and shook as blue rays of light flashed through his eyes, and treated to the vison of the Strife household. He looked around, and smiled. The house had the small stair case. The oven was on, and some steak was baking inside it seeming hot. Cloud's mother walked in with a tall man who had black hair, and a pair of glasses which had a blue frame. Strife's mother was pregnent with her stomach holding new life. The two smiled as the looked at each other.

"I can't believe you came!" Cloud mother said cheerfuly.
"-I am on vacation for only a week." Strife's father said.
"So what do you do in your job, Daniel?" she asked.
".......I can't say anything about it." Daniel said.
"Why?" she asked.
"I can't. It's a Shin-Ra secret. I can't even tell you." Daniel said.
"......Well. That's alright. At least we paid the whole morgage on this house." Cloud's mom said.
"Our son. He needs more space then this." Dan said.
"-We should" Dan continued but Mary covered his mouth.
"No, Midgar?! That God foresaken place! It's full of crime, prostitutes, and what not!?
It's not a good place to raise a child!" Mary exclaimed.

Dan scratched his head, and smiled. He walked to the green bed, and sat down. He said: "Perhaps, your right."

He tapped his finger on the bed slightly, and looked at Mary who was taking out the tray, and the steak was medium rare just how Cloud's father wanted it. Strife looked up at his wife, who took out some plates out of the cover, and smiled.


"God damn, I miss this place." Dan said.
"Hmm... Guess so. Are your supervisors giving you more breaks?" Mary asked.
"Probably ..not. This is the only time for this year.' Dan said as he stood up from the couch, and combed his hair back with this hand. Dan pulled out his blue portfolio out of his backpack which was on the bed, and read:

"Breifing on project JENOVA: 'This is to congragulate all of the reasearchers of Shin-Ra science divison 8-B who have succeded in their goal to excavate an unknown specimen. Reasearch by Professor Gast, and his team including: Professor Hojo, Dr. Diaz, and Dr. Strife. The reasearch is now in progress and is 15 % complete. We expect the team to join next week in the Reasearch facility in Midgar.


Sincerly,
President Marcus Shin-Ra,
President of Shin-Ra Arms, and
BioTek, corp.'

"So why would we have to excavate such a monstrosity? A Cetra being. We don't even know if it's hostile at all." said Dan out loud.

Mary was lifting the steak with a tong, and turned back. Her eye brows raise up in a state of baffle. She dropped the tong down, and looked and Daniel. Dan meanwhile whispered: "Damn. Why did I"

"Cetra?" Mary asked.
"Ok, I'll tell you, but don't tell anyone else, ok?" Dane asked.
"We found a creature in a geological strantrum that is about 2,000 years old." Dan said.
"We don't know what spiece it is, so we have classified it as a Cetra" Dan continued.
"It seems to be dorment since we found it." Dan whisspered.
"-Ok." Mary said, but then a flash of light blocked the scene of of Cloud's house, nad Strife was hurled back into the preset with Yuggen who put his hand down, and said: "I hope that clear things up a bit." Yuggen said happily.

Strife opened his eyes slwoly, and peered at Yuggen who sat on top the crate in the center of the room. Cloud looked and said: "Why? Why did make me go with you? Why are you telling me this?"

"I cannot say." Yuggen said.
"WHY?!" Cloud said in a louder voice that echoed through the cargo hold.
"I cannot say!" Yuggen yelled as he stood up, and looked down at his sword.
"Well, are you hungry, Cloud?" Yuggen said.
"What?! You drag me here, and then asking me if I am hungry?!" Cloud yelled and his eyes were peele on Yuggen who was tapping his finger on the wooden cover of the crate labeled 'MEDIC SUPPLIES'
"I am your freind that's why....." Yuggen said in a gentle tone.
"Freind? I don't even know you son of a-" Cloud stopped as Yuggen raised his hand, and a blue ray swirled around Yuggen's hand making him sleeping, and snoaring on the cold metal grateing on the floor.
"Sorry, I have to do this. We were both in Nibel when the flames burned." Yuggen said.

Then when Strife was on the floor with his arms over his chest, and his some of his hair dangleing in the gratinng's holes, Yuggen stood up, and took off his cape, and laid on the crate that he sat on. He then used the cape, and slept along with Strife.

"-Ugh..... Ahh." Yuggen said as he covered his ears, and a ring came from his ears as he fell over.
"Why did you drag us here?!"
"You will find out, freind." said a emotionless voice into Cloud's ear.
"-Freind?"
"I must be tired." Yuggen replied.
They both fell asleep within a few hours, and they once entered the state of rest were they first met. Now, it was about was midnight, and the boat's lights were dimmed except for the captain's helm. The boat headed south were most of the small and unexplored islands wich were covered purely in jungle trees and plants; untouched beauty that the Shin-Ra couldn't get their hands on back in the day.

Meanwhile back at Costa del Sol

Tifa paced back and forth in her living room; wondering what happened to Cloud. Her mind was totally in a state of panic. She couldn't concentrate on anything else, and not even eat. In the back of her were Barett Wallace, Cid Highwind, and Nanaki. Barett was a tall juggernaut; a dark skinned man who had a gatling gun grafted to his right arm, in the middle was Cid Highwind, a man with a passion for flying, but his rough exterior may displease some his interior was a bit caring, and last was Nanaki a red haired creature who was the last of his race. Lockhart stopped walking back and forth, and blinked. Some tears slowly ran down both of her cheecks.

"Were's Cloud? It's been two days." Tifa said.
"Why would he f*cking walk away from you. Your freinds right." Barett said.
"Sis, stop worrying. It's not good for someone young as you." Cid said as he chewed some gum in his mouth.
"Yeah, worrying won't do anything. We have to find out were he is." Tifa said.
"That's logical, but when humans are in a desperate sitatuation they don't tend to focus on what's happening, but what has happened like your doing." Nanaki said as he wagged his firey red tail.

Tifa put her hand in her left pocket, and reached out for her small black PHS. She slowly turned on the phone, and dialed the numbers on the panel. She turned back
and stare outside. The scene of tourists walking back and forth, and the sun made the whole town humid. Lockhart hear nothing but the static, and the hiss of crosstalk. She turned off the PHS, and said: "We can't get in reach with him."

" Damn it! How we gonna find him." Barett said.

Tifa didn't rpely oraly, but with the nod of dispair as she looked at a dried up rose in the bowl on the coefee table. She looked at it not because it wasn't alive, but it was important to her. It was the rose the Cloud gave her after AVALNCHE had destroyed the mako reacoor in Sector 1 of Midgar. The memorys make tears jerked from her eyes.

"-Cloud." Tifa said slowly.

Barett stood up, and looked at her slwoly, and said: "Don't worry." Wallace sat back down, and scratched his right arm, and dusted off his gun arm.

"Meebe he's in Nibelheim." Barett said.
"-Yeah. He said he was going to meet his father. Could it be his grave?" Tifa asked.
"His pops died when he was very young, and I don't blame hi-" Barett was interuppted him.
"-But when he said it. He said it like a robot with no emotion. Could it be?" Tifa stopped and looked down.
"Another reuinion?! That's not right. We killed that headless spook a long time ago." Barett said with a reassuring voice.
"Well, tomorrow we're all going to Nibel." Tifa said sadly.
"That's the spirit sis! Will find Cloud."
"Yeah." Barrett said.
"Yes." Nanaki said.


Chapter 3 A hint of truth

It was about 6:00 AM as a red buggie drove over green brass that swung with the slow breeze. Tifa was in the steering wheel nervously sterring the wheel, and trmbleing in anxiety. Her heart was pounding and was breathing as if she were drowning in the ocean.
Barett was tappiong his foot on the floor of the car, and was brushing his nose taking out the snot becasue of his cold, Cid was looing at the empty box of Lucky Strikes, and said: "Why the hell did I promise not to smoke. I hate it!" Nanaki looked up at the sun in concentration.

"Man, there ain't no time to talk about cigs, Cid. We gotta find Cloud. He might be here." Barett said.
"I hope so." Tifa said solently.

Barett looked at Tifa as her hands hands on the sterring wheel and grinding her teeth. Her hair was flying in the wind, and was biting her lip. The look and body language of her was a dead on case of urgency.

"..Please, Cloud." she thought.

The red buggie drove clsoer to the small 'town' of Nibelheim. The black name plate roseon thop of the enterance of the town. The buggie came closer, and stopped at the enterance. Then, the crew walked out and walked on the cobble stones of Nibel which were grey as it's past. Tifa and Cloud knew this wasn't their hometown, but merly was a clever imitation made by Shin-Ra to cover up the Sephiroth incident that had fueled Cloud's motive. His frend, Zach and himself were held captive in Shin-Ra manchion were Professor Hojo had injected JENOVA cells into their body which had destroyed most of Cloud's mind, and his self delusion of being in SOLDIER.


Back to the present, Tifa walked around, and looked at the empty town except for the others who were looking around. Tifa turned back slowly, and asked: "Were should we start?" Cid was scrtching his shouldor and shrugged his blue bomber jacket with an H/W patch on the sleeves. He looked up at the sun which was pulsaitng brightly blinding him.

"Your call, Tifa. I hope he's not dead." Cid said.
"He's not. Cloud said it himself he said he was going to meet his father." she said.

The was dorment and soundless as the crew walked to the Shin-Ra manchion which was ransacked. It windows were broken, and rust cluttered up the main gate of it. Tifa continued to walk slowly, and her boots made a clopping sound on the old cobblestone, The crew walked down to manchion and the door was locked as it was when they first me the man named Vincent Valentine. He was a cold man, and keeps hismelf in asylum after the crisis. Tifa slowly oepened the gate as it skeerched , and crashed into the brick wall that boardered the manner from the rest of the town. She said: "Vincent wouldn't like this."

"He hasn't changed at all." Nanaki said.

She walked down the garden which is now just a pile of crab grass that surrounded the garden except for the concrete walkway which was cracked and chipped due to years of no use. Her boots paddeled as a screeching said: "Ahh.... Ugh." Tifa turned back to the group who was waiting at enterance. Barett heard her saying: "Someone's here!" Wallace looked up. From behind, Cid and 'Red XIII' followed him as Tifa peered into the empty lobby of the manner. She looked up at the stair case which was empty. The faded green floor was cracked, and the chip of pain flew out of a broekn window. The voice became louder. Slow footsteps clopped slowly out of the right hallway on the second floor.

"It's coming closer." said Tifa.

The others were behind as a metallic golden cover hand creeped out of the hallway slowly as the voice contnued to yell in pain. "...Ugh..." The footsteps began to thud louder and louder on the wooden floor. Barett was raising gatling gun, and was squinting because of he was trying to line up the crosshairs on the back of his gun. Cid raised up his spear up, and aimed it at the shaodw. Red XIII was closing his eyes, and was meditating. The shaodw became closer and revealed a man with a red cloak, and a golden robotic hand. That man's name was Vincent Valentine, a former assasin, after that he joined AVALANCHE, but his past was dark. His love Lucrecia gave birth to the bastard named Sephiroth, and Valentine has seeked solitude since the crisis.

"....What are you doing here?" Vicnent said in his deep voice.
"We are looking for Cloud. Was he here?" Tifa asked.
"................" Vincent replied.

The group put their weapons down and Nanaki opened his eyes. Tifa walked up the stairs while Vincent was covering his head with his human hand. He kneeled down on hte floor, and sweat dropped from his face.

"..No. It's that demon....." Vincent said slowly as he fell on the floor.
"Your the monster who killed her!"
"What are you saying?" Tifa asked.

Vincent's eyes turned red, and the sweat dropped from his face at a rapid pace. Vince's hands covered his ears as a large hum went through his ear. The violent pain and trembeling was in his body, and in his mind he was fighting the cells and chemeicals injected into him. Valentine's eyes turned to a very bright red as he continuly bashed his head on the floor trying to stop the pain. Tifa kneeled down and held Vice, and blood flowed from his forehead, and Vincent said slowly: "Jenova.....Huminoid? You never go away from me. Haunting me.....Hojo.....Then you." Vince said.

Tifa shurgged Vincent back and forth, but Vincent's head fell on the floor as the cells in him were joining together. The blood on his head drenched down to the red cloth covering his mouth, and faidng in with his cloak. Barett ran up the staircase, and looked at Vincent: and said: "The hell's wrong with him?!"
"It's the same thing that happened to Cloud then. Jenvoa is manipulaitng him.

"So it's alive?! That headless shit face is alive!" Wallace yelled as he pounded his hand on the wooden rials of the stair case, and chipping the wood. The dust swirrled out to the window. Meanwhile, downstairs Cid and Red XIII looked up at Vincent unconsious on the floor in Tifas' hands. Highwind scratched his head, and said: "Damn man. What the hell happened?"

"His sprit is fighting the deamon within him." Nanaki said.
"-Ok?! Whatever you say." Cid said as the joined the group upstairs.
"So what we gonna do, Tifa?" Barett asked.

Tifa turned back, and stared at Barett. Her lips her closed, and eyes were shut for a few seconds. Then she opened them up, and said: "Maybe Vincent knows something, but knowing him he couldn't even budge." Barett picked up Vincent with is arm, and said: "We should try and wake him up. I bet he won't even say thanks, but he mebbe he can tells us something."

A few days later Tifa and Barett were in Elmyra's house in Kalm. The town was crowded with people in the window. The mako generator was just rusting and not glwoing green. It was inactive and not used since Shin-Ra, Incorprated 's fall. Tifa looked out of the window, and looked back at Vincent who was twitching on the small bed. Barett asked: "Did that elixr work?"

".......It's working slowly. The wounds should go away in about ten minutes." she said.

Lockhart held a towel in her right hand. She truned right, and dipped the towel in hot water. Then she laid it on Vicne's forehead with his red headband remove. The scar was down from his scalp to the tip of his nose. His eyes were closed, and was mumbleing: "Mmmw...... Ahhhh..."

Vincent was jerking left and right on the bed, and Tifa backed when he stood up. He looked around at Tifa, Barett, and the entire room. His eyes opened, and his red pupils gleamed because of the sun. He tried to open his mouth forming the words, but the words couldn't be pulled out because of his weak state. Lockhart shurgged the assasin back and forth and said: "Wake up."

"Were did you bring me! I want to be alone." Valentine said in a weak low pitch voice.
"No, I just want to ask you something." Tifa said.

Vincent didn't reply, and his eyes closed and said: "Why did you all have to be there."

"....The demon is back." he said grimly.
"What- What are ya talkin' 'bout, man!" Barett asked.
" That monstrosity and Hojo killed-
....my love." Valentine said.

Tifa walked towards Vincent, and kneeled down: "-I -I" she stopped. Lockhart paused in mid sentence. She shurgged her blue jacket, and tapped her foot.

"-Was Cloud in Nibelheim? A few days ago?"
"No." Vincent replied.
"What waz that shit bangin' your head!"
"......I think it's-" Vince stopped as he laid on the bed, and closed his eyes.

The head wound was slowly being covered in skin due to the elixr's effect. He sighed slowly, and said: "I must go back to solitude now." Vincent stood up, and said: "I am leaving now. Tifa walked in front of Vincent who was walking towards the staircase.


"Listen! We need to know what was happening to you. Why were you freaking out." Tifa said.

Vincent wrapped the red bandanna overh is forehead covering the blood that dried a few hours ago, and said: "I'll make it breif. The Jenova cell is a simbiote. It's cell combines with the clones' cells, and they merge as one."

"What? The cells made Cloud walk out on me." asked Tifa.
"He was part of Hojo's experiments." Barett said.
"Like me, but the liquids that were splattered over me were JENOVA cells. Gast and Hojo worked on the project, and one day. -I was human. ......Then, when I visited her. I overheard Hojo taling about a missing piece of JENOVA. ....A main piece." Vincent said.
"Main piece?" Tifa asked.
"That is all I am gonna say. Now, I must go." Vincent said as he slowly walked down the stairs.
"Farewell......." he said as he walked out of the house.

Tifa sat down on the queen sized bed, and looked at Barett who was tapping his boots on the wooden floor, and shrugging his head.

"Jenova. It is still alive." Barett said.
"That means not all of the segments migrated to the Northern Cave." Tifa said.
"-Cloud. We better find out were it is before it's too late!" Tifa yelled.

Barett waved his hand down, and said: "I know you care about him, and all, but we can't search this whole damn planet."
"I guess your right." Tifa replied.
"We just have to wait."
"Maybe...."





Chapter 4- The island

The ship was slowly going towards a small wooden dock which has only a small house lit. It was a house shaped building with a small exhaust vent in it. It was slowly skidding on the ocean splashing the water on it's hull. She slowly stopped, and docked at the bay, and a mechanical staircase came down from the large door on it's rightside. Cloud and Yuggen have reached their destination, a small island which was mostly unknown to human eyes. The green vegitation covered miles and miles of it, and it used to be a camp site for reasearchers. Strife and Yuggen continued to walk down the staircase, and walked into the dark jungle. Birds chirpped, and the wind tossed leave around hte ground. Yuggen walked slowly, but Strife was pacing fast as if someone was chasing him.

"Were are we going?" Cloud asked.
"It is were your father was killed." Yuggen said.


They continued north into the jungle canopy. The jungle leaves blocked Cloud's path, and he pulled out his buster sword. Strife cut down the leaves in a sloppy fashion so it would at least give the two space to go further into the wilderness. Cloud was looking down into the horizon. It was old wooden bridge only supported by old ropes which were tattered, and beatened. His eyebrows raised and his eyes opened up.

"We can't walk on that. It's probably going to fall." Cloud said nervously.
"Just don't look at the bridge, but concentrate foward. We can make it." Yuggen said as he held the rope rail that suspended the old bridge. The two walked on the bridge, but Cloud felt on his boots the inbalance of inertia in the bridges wooden pieces. His boots were forcing the bridges wooden panels to sag down, and Strife hastly grasped the rope.
Yuggen turned back, and his mouth opened.

"Ah! Help!" Cloud yelled.
"Damn it, Private!" Yuggen exclaimed.
".....Private?!

Yuggen ran foward and unseathed his sword which was glimmering in the moon light. Cloud grasped the long sword with both of his hands as the bridge's panel started to collapse slowly. It's wooden panels shifted right and fell into the river before makin it splash, and crack inbetween the sharp rocks before. Yuggen and Cloud were at the right edge of the gap, and Strife crouched down on the floor. He was resting on the dirt, and grasping a bit of air from the sky.

"Why the hell did you look down the bridge, man." Yuggen said.
"Hey, I felt my feet had that sinking feeling, alright!" Strife said.
"............." Yuggen replied.



Yuggen closed his ears and fell on the floor. Strife also fell a few seconds later, as they heared the hum. They were struggling on the dir, and rolling on the floor becuase the pain in their brains was too hard to bear.

"Head north. You will both find what your looking for." the ominous voice said.
"Yes." Cloud and Yuggen said in a emotionless tone.

They were then walking north of the road, and the jungle became darker and darker form there. Faint rays of the moonlight went through the small wholes. Their shoes shugged the leaves on the floor and went foward into the abyss of the jungle. The voices in their minds said to stop walking. Cloud and Yuggen were now in front of a old tattered green tent. It was about 6 feet tall, and had the capacity to fit four people. Strife walked into opened the cover of the tent, and said: "Yes. This is the place." Strife walked inside tent which had fungui going all over the tent. A broken FM Radio was standing still. Cloud looked at it, and Yuggen was outside saying: "This is were your father was killed." Yuggen's mouth grinned, and smiled at Strife.

"I hope this is what the master wanted." Yuggen said.
"Master?" Cloud asked.
"We'll meet him, but just explore this tent if you want." Yuggen rpelied as he walked into the darkness, and sat on a broken log outside the small camp site.

Meanwhile, inside the tent. The man who saved the world touched the dusty desk were the radio was sitting on. It felt dusty, and rough because of years of misue. His hand glided on the desk until a piece of wood stabbed index finger. He looked at it, as a few drips of blood dropped on the desk. Dropping little by little ounce by ounce.


"Outch. What's this?" Cloud asked himself as he saw a small wooden book with it's boarder covred and blood. 9 millimeter bullets were around the journal. He lookedat the cover which read in messy cursive writting: "Property of Daniel Strife, Reasearcher of Shin-Ra Bio Divison formaly Biotek, Inc. of Midgar." The young spiky haired man decided to open it slowly, and delicately. His fingers were itching becuase of the old paper of the book. Most of the pases were rip except for the last page.

"The meeting it Midgar was all a lie. It was just a move to kill all the reasearchers. I Fortunately, I'd avoided them for a few months. At least I made it to the new year. I am the last of them. My wife had the child born last week. His name is Cloud, because when I the baaby's face was alwas gloomy like an overcast day. I can't let them kill me. I hope the-" the journal page was nearly ripped up as Cloud said: "No, Shin-Ra killed my father."

Yuggen walked towards Strife, and said: "Yeah." then he paused as he put his hands on his helmet, and was in a deep state of thought.

"Let me show you." Yuggen said as Strife kneeled down and hism uscles were stiff as we entered another trance. Strife shook, and enterned the realm of the past once more. The dream was in the exact same place except for tent was new no tatters ot tears. Daniel Strife sat with a yellow pencil writting in his leather back journal as usaul, but the speed of his writitng fast as if he had no time to write it. The wruffleing of leaves were heard from behind, and the click of rifles were heard. It was two shin-ra shock troops both dressed in blue with the leather elbow pads, and walked closer towards Daniel. Cloud's father turned back on his chair and looked at the barrel in front of his face, and said: "No, why the hell are you here?"


"We have orders to eliminate you by Professor Hojo, and destroy all who worked on the excavation." one of the soldiers said in professinal tone with no sign of mercy.

"Why?" Dan asked.
"-Because your are a nuisance to Professor Hojo's work."
"Also, there is one part of that creature still here we need cover it up. The public won't even know!"
"What?!" Dan yelled as the otther trooper hit him with hisrifle in the hip.

Dane fell over really fast, and crashed into the table. He was flat on the table, and was breathing as if we he was drowning. The expression on his face was fear, eyes shut, and mouth wide open.

"Kill him now!" the trooper said.
"......I have a child just born........ Don't!!!"
"NOW!!!" yelled the trooper.

The troop who hit him aimed his rifle at Daniel's heard; he shaked jerk as the about hundread bullets fired into his body. Blood gushed over the desk as he grabbed his journal ripping it. The Shin-Ra troopp released the trigger, and took out hte magazine clip, and smiled.

"Shall we bury the body, sir?"
"Yes."

The trooper took out his small radio, and put it to his ear as the other soldier lifted Daniel's fear strickern corpse. His eyes were closed, but the mouth was wide upoon becasue of the bullets shreading his innards. The troop with the radio said: "He's done for. Is that all?. Yes thank you, Mr Hojo."

Then Yuggen puth is hand down, and Strife was back to the realm of the present. He stood and said: "Dad...."


"Now I know how he looks like." Strife said.
"How he sounds like."
"How'd he die."
"Yes, unforunatly he was killed, but we have business to turn to."
"Yes, we'll have to find 'master'"

Yuggen paused as he kneeled on the floor slowly, and heard the pireceing sound louder. His eyes were closed as he was in pain, and was communicating with him.

"We all will become one. Heard north." the omnious voice said.

Cloud looked at him as he also fell on the floor with him. He had his heands over his ear too, and fell on the dirt floor of the jungle.

"Ahh...... You, why did you come back?!"

Strife was fighting the pierceing sound that almost made his ears bleed. Fighting whatever led him because he knew in his heart Yuggen wasn't the one, but the one that was Sephiroth's so-called mother. An alien being that long ago was servered by the Cetra, and was killed in the inside of the plaet.


He looked Yuggen, and yelled: "No! Snap out of it. Damn it!"

Yuggen didn't rpely, and stood and continued walking foward in a slow paced almost zombie like.

"Yes master." Yuggen said slowly.

Strife followed as he walked further into the jungle. They all both walked north continue further in the jungle. Strife was shaking Yuggen trying to make him snap out of his trance, but he continued walking toards a large hall in black cave which didn't look like it was made of rock. It had scale like texture to it like a lizard as it glowed green inside. Cloud continued walking as he was still following Yuggen. Strife punched Yuggen down to try to stop him. His helmet fell off as he saw his face, and his short silver hair swung through the night wind. Strife opened his mouth as the black helmet fell upside down on the loor making a pack of dust fall as they were close to the door.

"What you're?" Strife said loudly.

Yuggen was on the floor with his cape, and his black coat was dirty. His eyes were closed, as he was face up directly in front of Cloud as Strife was in front of Yuggen. It was his old freind. A young soldier who died.

"I thought you died on the cliff, but-" said Strife as he kneeled down on the floor.

Yuggen was suddenly redirecred from the voice's order, and was returned to his normal form.

Yuggen eyes opened slowly as he said slowly: "-Cloud. It's you.......Private."

"-Were are we?" Yuggen asked in light tone unlike the deep vocie he had with his mask on.
"You looked familiar to me. You can't be him?!" Cloud asked.
"......It is me."
"-But you were dead!"
".....I was revived by Dr. Lazurus."
"Lazurus? Revived?
"After you thought I was dead. A man picked up my corpse. Something in me made me have some strength to breath for awhile, but I soon lost it. Then all was black. I wound up in a lab. He gave me this black suit, and masked."
"What did Lazrus work for?" Cloued asked.

Yuggen shook his head, and looked directly at Cloud with is green mako eyes.

"-I don't know." Yuggen"said as he looked at the enterance of the black cave which was glwoing green inside.





Cloud pulled out his PHS phone, and looked Yuggen looked down , and took off his cape, and picked up his helmet. Strife tapped his foot on the dirt floor ruffleing leaves.
He dialed Tifa's number, and heard only static.

"Damn it's out of range!" Cloud yealled as he put PHS into his backpack.


"No, she is probably really worried about me. Tifa, she really cares for me. Probably searching for me." Cloud said sadly.

"Tifa? Wasn't he the guide." Yuggen said.
"That girl Sephiroth stabbed in that reactor?"
"........Yeah."
"Did I tell you to kill Sephiroth?"
"Yeah....."
"Why are you asking me all these questions?" asked Cloud.
"-I don't remember, but I kinda remember. It's very vauge to me, and can't think of it." Yuggeen said sadly.
"The JENOVA and mako in our bodies probably made us have some brain damage. Maybe."
"JENOVA? What's that?"
"The mosnter that Sephiroth took out of the Nibel reactor."
"Is Aeris ok?"
"Aeris......She'd dead." Cloud said sadly, and put head down.
"Dead? -No." Yuggen said is disbelief.
" She's dead. How can she...... No, I'd thought couldn't happen....."
"Aeris, had to do her duty as a Cetra. Praying for Holy had set us free from Shin-Ra; from the tyranny in a mask. Fooling it's people." Strife said.
"Ok.... Let's go camp out."

Cloud and Yuggen looked at the cave, and turned back. Strife looked at the bruise on his head as helped him up, as they walked south.

"We gotta destroy this. We were lured be JENOVA, but I thought we defeated it. I was wrong." Cloud said.
"That cave. It doesn't look like one." he said.



The continued to walk south. The two men have found who lured them here, and Cloud has found Zach. A man who thought was kid on thar riany day in Midgar. It was becoming ay time as the continued to walk. The sun went up as the planet went into the new day.



Meanwhile in Kalm.....

It was barely night in Kalm as Tifa was sobing on the bed. Crying for his freind, Cloud Strife who disappered. Her hair was on the ground, and kneeled on the wooden floor.

"....Were the hell are you?" Tifa asked.
"Why did you leave? Why?" Tifa asked

She stood up slwoly. Feeling the pain and guilt for her. Tifa thought she was responsible for all this. She thought she couldn't stop him, but then opened her eyes. The woman looked at the door as it opened. The man's hand was metallic hand, and he said: "The deamon. He's approching out of his realm." the man said in a cryptic voice. He walked with in with black hair and red eyes. He looked at Tifa, and theo nly way to tell his expression is with his eyebrows, and the closed lip that depressed on the red cloth of the scarf. Tifa looked directly at him, and said: "Valentine, what are you doing here? Coming back is unusal of you." she said.

"Well, that's your opinion of 'unsual'. I'll answer your question in detail. That JENOVA is summoning Cloud and that Yuggen man. Including me. The pain has started since last week. We have to find a boat because I think I know were the island is." Vincent said as he pulled out an old map he got out of the lab were he was transformed. The map ripped up, and had old writting in marker saying: "Excavation Point. Cordinates N30 S20 W1" Vincent pointed at with his claw. A small piece of land which was at the southern hemisphere of the planet.


"Are you sure that's were he is?" Tifa asked.
".......Yes, it's were they excavated JENOVA. The stantrum which is about 3000 meters deep."

The Vincent turned to the back of it, and small paragraph of text was written: "This cave. It is not cave, but a whole living organism. A dorment one which were we found that creature. One of geologist said it was 3,000 feet deep. We found the creature was taking most of the volume of the hole. In the bottom they were egg like objects, but due to the lack of financial resources we cannot use equipement to go any deeper, and survey."
(In Cursive Writting) Profesor Gast"


Vincent stood up, and loaded his silver forty five with a magazine. He turned to Tifa and asked: "Are you coming or are you going to secluse yourself like me for the one your lost loved one?" he said as he holstered his pistol.

Tifa stood up, and opened up her duffle bag slowly. Taking out her metal knuckles and matereia. She inserted Cure, Fire, Heal and the Ultima matereia into the slots in the glove, and slipped the metalic knukles on. The she went back into her bag, and putting on a brown leather jacket which was one that Cloud gave her on Tifa's birthday, a month ago.


"Let's go." Tifa said.
"Eggs? So..... Let's see I think they're hatching at the moment."
"............" Vincent replied.


The two walked down stairs as Vincent and Tifa sneaked out of the house, and out of the small town called Kalm. Vincent walked sternly as always while Tifa was walking at a fast pace right behind her, but Vincent's coolness about it couldn't hide what was happening to him. The Cells in him were combining, as well as the remaining clones for he was one of the first people to be injected with JENOVA cells long before the destruction of Nibel.

The two walked on the blue brick floor of Kalm which was cold, and desolate except for some opened lights, and some drukards outside the bar. Vincent's eyes were gleaming red in the night as the two walked out to unravel the mystery of Cloud, and Yuggen.......


Chapter 5- The evil within, and such


The same boat, the S.S. Epona had the left from Costa del Sol to the southern isalnd were Cloud's father had reasearch. Tifa was kneeling on the outside railing. She was sitting down looking at the ocean, and the foam drifting away. Schools of fish were seen through the shallow water. The approched south as Vincent was standing up, and cleaning his gun. Meanwhile the boat was tossing and turning in the ocean bobbign back and forth because of the high tide.


"We should be there by ten in the morning." Vincent said coldly.
"Uh-Huh.." Tifa replied as she continued gazeing at the sea.
"I think I can do this on my own, Vincent." Tifa said.

She paused, and looked down at the wooden floor which was soaked in water. The water splashed on the deck as the some of the crew man were talking: "The Reunion....Jenova....Merge with...JENOVA."

Then Vincent stood up, and said: "It's starting......" VIncent was putting his right hand over his head, and felt something was impaling his head. It was like someone had stuck a thousand sword into his head at once. Valentine started jolting back and forth, and covultions in his body has gotten worse. Tifa stood up, and asked in a weary voice: "What is happening."

Vincent didn't reply as he began to feel the pains he had wehn he was in the Shin-Ra manner. Tifa was grabbing Vincent's cape as he was still, and pain and ignored her. He was still shaking, and walking towards the sailors on the deck.

"Not again! Snap out of it." Tifa said.
".....I am losing myself.....I can't fight the deamon.......It can do anything with me...The one had that has tormented your loved one.....is back...."
"Back?"
"I am going."

Tifa was trailing Vincent who walking with sailors as the sun was slowly going up, and the ship was slowly going towards the island were Strife has went into. Tifa tried to hold on to Vincent's cape as the one of the sailors opend his hand, and said: "Come with us...."
Valentine pushed her back, as she fell on the floor, and yelled: "Hey?! Come back here."
The assasin was walking like a zombie slwoly towards the captain dressed in a blue coat, and a red Shin-Ra, Inc. logo embroided on his shoulder pad. The captain's beard wriffled the wind as he smiled at Vincent as he stood still. Meanwhile, Tifa was slowly getting back up with both of her hands as the ship's crews turned right to the island and kneeled down. She walked the crew which were still as a pair of statues. Vincent had his eyes closed while the others kneeled down, and raised the arms. She looked at one of the sailors who had a ripped rain coat. Hey eyes bulged, and her heart pounded because things were getting too weird.

A dark tatoo barcode, and an Alpha symbol was on his arm as it was raised. She knew it had the same writitng style as the clones that were in the Northern Cave. Now, the truth has been revealed to her.



"Clones! They're going to the hatching! Cloud, Don't worry." Tifa said as she ran inside the cargo bay, and was ready for what is happening.



Chapter 6- The JENOVA hatching

The S.S. Epona had docked toward the bay. The sun was up, and the island was darkned, and a blue glow came from the center of the island. Vincent, and the navy crew walked north into the canopy, and headed west. Lockhart walked out, and peered at the Vincent, and the clones walking like zombies. She followed them as her heart beated, and the thought of Cloud in troule were clogging her mind.

"I gotta stop Vincent and Cloud." Tifa said as she ran hastly toward the line of people who walked, and seemed not to be aware of the girl's presence.

They continued going like a nomad. Treading on the dirt mashing on their shoes. Soiling their clothes, and none of them said anything. Tifa followed from the person in the back of the line which was Vincent Valentine changed from the cool, and silent man to nothing but a puppet on strings continued to walk, and moved his metallic figures slowly.

"...JENOVA." Vincent murmured as Tifa continued following them.
"They might lead me to Cloud and the Yuggen person." Tifa said as she continued walking through the warm forest as the birds flew away from the gree rays the surrounded the island. Lockhart's clothers were dirty as she continued trailing them to their destination. Her shorts were a little soiled as she was going through the palm tress and bushes that smuttred the forest, and lost track of them as the Vincent and the S.S. Epona's crew walked into a line of bushes and disappeared. She looked at the path they took, and took a peeked into the leaves. She looked closely into the dimmed space, but there was nothing was visable from there except for the ruffuling leaves and the large hiss. Tifa backed up, and picked up a patch of leaves on the floor laying them on the dirt ground to use it coushin herself on the floor.

"That noise. I think there's something wrong." Tifa said as she looked att he line of bushes ahead of her. The ruffuling of leaves continued, and a black s-shape siloutte glided along.

"A snake?" Tifa thought.

The hiss became closer as a cobra went into her nap sack, and took it off of her back. She opened it up as she frowned in failure.

"I am lost. I might as well eat." she said solently.

She put her hand into the nap sack looking for the small granola bar she packed in two nights before. Her hands felt something slimey on her hands. It had a smooth yet wrinkily texture.

"Omega? Hmm.... It's not a number, but could it be Hojo?" she thought as the small cobra wrapped around her wrist, and hissed at her glove.

"Something..... What the hell?" Tifa stopped as the Snake hissed loudly, and wiggiled it's tail as she raised her hand in fright.

Her hair stood up as the cobra's fangs extended with the venom squirting on her skin. A few seconds later the snake bit into her right arm, and a sharp pain went into her arm. She covered the wound. Tifa was grinding her teeth.

"-Aghhhh.........." Tifa stopped as her eyes clsosed and she was knocked unconsous fell on the floor, and made a large thump. Her eyes were closed, and she said faintly: "-Help........." The sound broke the silence of the forest as the poison went slowly into her bloodstream, and slowly pecking at her life. Her body laid still as the pain became stronger and stronger. Tears came out because of the cobra's bite as it moved away. The jungle was quiet, but this silence of this woman could mean death.


Meanwhile Cloud and Zach were at the camp eating some meat rations that Cloud had in his back pack. Strife was stuffing his face with the day old meat, and guzzled the water to try to ease his hunger and thirst. Yuggen has now know his trueself, and now had a name: Zach Thomas.

"You eat like a pig, Cloud." Zach said as he drank the canteen of water slowly.
"I miss her cooking." Cloud said as he chugged the spoon into his mouth.
"Tifa? Is she your girlfreind?" Zach asked as he opend antoehr can of rations.
"Girl- Freind? Were just uhm really close...."



Cloud turned red, and spilled the cup of water onto the canvas tent. His eyes clsoed as he smiled.

"Look at your face, man! I know-" Zach stopped as he heard a thump from the east as it echoed through the trees.
"What was that?" Zach asked as his eyes peeled to the east.
"-It could be JENOVA?"
"A long thud like that? I'd expect some alien gibberish."

Cloud stood up, and turned back to Zach: "I'll check...." Strife puts his hands up, and clsoed his yes, and a yellow orb glowed in from his leather gloves.

"Sense...." Cloud said.


Strife felt something that was weak, but it had a warm feeling to it. It was asking for help.

"I am gonna check." Cloud said as he pulled out his buster sword and ran into the canopy.
"I sensed warmth, and coldness at the same time. A yearning for help." Strife said as he ran into the forest and slashed through the jungle plants as the leavwe flew in the wind, and Cloud's heart bean to pound like a jackhammer breaking through a brick. He kept on runing and running until Strife was in small isolated area, and Tifa on the floor unconsious; almost lifeless. Her eyes were closed , as she said in a soft and weak tone: "-Help me. Sna-"
Cloud dropped his sword, and took her right hand which had small wound, and put her two fingers on her wrist. He felt a weak, and slow pulse which was slowly fading.

".....Tif, oh shit. No...." Cloud said sadly, and put his head onto her hair.

Cloud shurggd Tifa to try to waker her up, but she didn't reply with any speech or body language. Laying still, and having no emotion.


"I am sorry for dargging you into all this." Strife said slowly.
"I am going to help you." Cloud said and turned back.
"Zach! It's Tifa!" Cloud yelled.
"She looks like she has been poisoned by a plant or animal."


Zach ran with his black coat wich ruffled through the lush jungle as he ran and took out his golden kantana. He unsheated, and kneeled down. His green eyes opened up, and frowned.

"Your special somone? ...Sleeping beauty." Zach said as she examined her arm.

The ex-SOLDIER turned over her wrist, and looked at the two wunds that punchtured her skin. Zach looked at Cloud.

"Cloud, suck the venom out!"
"What?! Are you sure?" Cloud asked.
"JUST TRUST ME! I lived in Gongaga. Jungle. Poisonous Snakes, my dad taught me how to do this." Zach said as he lifted Tifa's almost lifeless body above the bed of leaves.
"Ahh... mmmmmm.......Ahhh" Tifa replied.
"JUST DO IT! She's your gal ain't she?" Zach said in annoie tone.

Cloud grabbed her wrist, and put his lips on the wound, and was trying to suck the poison out. He kept on sucking on the wound, but nothing happned.

"Ahhh.....Ermmm..." Tifa mumbbled.

Strife turned back to Zach as his green eyes bulged in fear. His heart pounded it's hardest and he breating very hard as if he was hyperventilating.

"I don't want you to die, Tifa!" Strife said as he took off her metal knukle and took the green heal materia and put into the palm of his hand.
"....I don't want to relive that hell." Cloud said as she hugged Tifa.

Then he stood up, and pointed his hand to Tifa. Cloud closed his eyes drawing his energy into the heal matereia. Cloud was sweating as some of his magical energy was drained into the the green stone. His arm was shaking until he said: "Esauna." A redish glow came from the heal matereia tranfered, and the energy wrapped around Tifa's body in Zach's hand. She was jolting left, and right. Her eyes opened up, and her head peered at Cloud. She smiled slowly, and was glad to see his face back after the two weeks she was wodnering were he has gone.

"..Cloud." Tifa said as Strife put down the green matereia.

Strife walked towards Tifa as Zach put her down on the floor. She looked her wrist which still had the small wound on it. Lockhart looked up at Cloud and smiled.

"You worried my ass off! ....But well thanks, man." Tifa said joyfully.


Cloud and Tifa opened their hands, and held each other. Cloud closed his eyes for a few second, and said softly: "...Sorry for all that." Meanwhile Tifa held Cloud closely becasue she missed him, and had saved her from the cluthches of death. Strife felt the warmness of her arms as he had some motherly feeling to it.


"...I am just so sorry. I couldn't fight it. It lured me here like a puppet." Cloud said softly as the slowly released from each other.

Zach scratched his back, and looked at the two who smiled at each other, and looked each other eye to eye.

"Something's up, though. It's about Vincent. We gotta find him." Tifa said.
"Vincent?" Cloud asked.
"-But why aren't you under control? And that other guy."
"Well, it's a long story, but I think this part of Jenova can't control me because I've killed it's other sections, and can sense that though my cells.
"I am Zach. Zach Thomas, the SOLDIER I used to be." Zach said, and paused for a while.
"Used to?" Tifa said.

Zach turned back, and walked back to the tent slowly. Strife held Tifa's hand, and follwoed Zach back to camp. The two reached the camp as the silver haired him man looked down at his helmet. He felt a sudden change in his mind like he jumped from another soul to the next. It was a state of transiton of different personlties or 'persons' in one body. The black helmet had a raved shaped , and reflected the pierceing green eyes he had. Lockhart, and Strife kneeled down to comfort him.

"Who am I?" Zach asked.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Am I actually your freind?" he asked Cloud.

Zach was confused about himself, and his past. The experiments that were conducted on him have ruined, and filtered his mind even more then Cloud's mind during the crisis. Tifa looked at Zach, and bended down and touched her knees.

"Poor guy. It remind of you when we were there. That place your soul lost. The place were Sephiroth used you to activate meteor." Tifa said.
"Zach, it's me Cloud." Strife said as he shrugged Zach's shoulder.
"?" Zach replied.

Zach put his head down, and replied in silence. The silence of jungle was broken by a huge crackling sound about 10 meters away. It rumbbled the island as Strife and Tifa fell obver onto the dirt. Strife's face was filled with dirt. Soiled and darkned his skin a bit while Tifa's shorts were very dirty, and looked at Cloud.

"What was that?!" Strife asked.

"JENOVA, we better go to the cave, and get Vicncent."
"-But what about Zach?"
"I'll bring him." Tifa aid as he lifted Zach up with her two arms.


Cloud, Tifa, and Zach ran north towards the small black cave which was glowing blue. The ground shook, and cracked as they ran towards the enterance. Cloud pulled out his buster sword, and ran inside cave. Tifa looked as Strfie ran at a rapid pace into the cave, and the blue lights pulsated. She held Zach who was jolting in her arms, and was putting his hand over his head.

"It's too dangerous to bring him in there in the state that he's in." Tifa thought.

She looked down at her watch and it read: '3:00 PM', and kneeled down to laid Zach down as he was jolting on the floor. The man decked in black clothes that were ripping and was swining his fist, and was yelling: "I am Yuggen?! No I am Zach?!" Tifa turned back, and lifted Zach.

"....Maybe not." Tifa said as she lifted Zach, and enteted the 'cave'.

The strantrum was deep and the walls were moving. The hylorgliphics on the walls were moving left, and voices saying: "Mergeing with JENOVA. " Tifa held on to Zach, and looked down at a silver rusty ladder which was left for the reasearch. She looked down at Cloud who slowly and she looked at him and had his mouth wide open, and his eye brows were up. The urgency was up because Vincent was down below with the crew jneeling down, and raising their hands at something that looked human t o Cloud's eye. The grey humanlike shape putted his hand on the captain of the S.S. Epona as he fell over , slowly and died.

"Jesus... He's killing them! To suck their energy." Strife said as he went down the ladder.

Strife jumped down, and was down at the pit of eggs wich were hatching. The grey eggs jolted, and tentecles were sllwoly rising up from the shells. He looked at the humanoid like figure. It had a grey body, a face with no mouth, but two small black pupils, and three fingered hands. It approched Strife, and opened up his hand.

Cloud unsheated his Buster Sword, and moved backed slowly.His boots were shaking in fear, and the sweat slowly ran down his face.

"You killed me, now you will be punished..." the alien said in a deep and echoed ton.


Meanwhile Tifa was climbing down the ladder, and looked down at Strife, and JENOVA walking closer opening his hand at Strife. She jumped down, as the alien was on Cloud who fell on black slimy floor. Strife was struggling to get his sword wihc had unchtred the floor, and was wrapped in a red tentacles. Lockhart closed her fist, and one of her eyebrows raised. The eggs were slowly hatching beginning a new apocolypse, but are Cloud and Tifa able to stop it.

"Leave him alone!" Tifa yelled.

"Bolt 2!" Tifa yelled as the lighting matereia glowed, and blue blue bolts of lightning flashed out of her hands, and shocked JENOVA a little bit as it was putting his fingers on Strife's face. It turned back, and looked at Tifa and smiled. The monster stood up and walked towards her as she was readying her next move. She was breathing hard as she pur her fingers together. Meanwhile Cloud looked left at Vincnet who was still in JENOVA's trance, and was muttering: "Mergeing with JENOVA." Then he turned his head to the right. right as Tifa was opened her mouth in fear of the alien who had it's fingers opened up, and the tips of the fingers opened to gather up energy.


"My childrein are hungry. More energy is needed. More souls." JENOVA said as it came closer to Tifa.


Cloud looked and closed his eyes for a moment and opend them up again. Strife ran and took his his sword out of the slimy surface of santrum, and yelled: "Braver!" A red aura glowed over Cloud as he jumped in the air with his buster sword ready to strike at JENOVA. He dashed through te air at a very fast speed, and the sword poke into the humonoid shaped alien while Tifa summoned Ultima which glowed green, and flash of green energy towards JENOVA while Strife's sword pierced into her as it shook left and right, and squriled in pain. The green energy hit JENOVA as iit burned into a black crisp. Green flames went around it as it was struggling for life, and was slwoly becoming cripple. Zach was still 'in transition'. He was almost mindless as the crew and Vincent were slowly geting out of the trance.

"JENO- The deamon...." Vincent said as he stood up, and put his hand over his head.
"The pain is gone. It is dead." he said in an emotionless tone.

He didn't put any joy into his voice, but Valentine was releived s the crew stood up, and JENOVA's chared reamain were on the floor lifeless. It couldn't do any harm anyomre to the sailors and everyone else. Lockhart was carrying Zach who was still having amneisia or that's what they both thought. Cloud, Vincent, and the S.S. Epona's crew looked up as the eggs next to there feet shrivled, and the floor shook. The black skin began to fall apart, and the room was suddenly swriveling and dying because of JENOVA-humonoids death. All the sectons of the monstrosity is dead now and the black stratrum felt tremendous pain because of it's death.

"Let's get out of here!" Cloud yelled to everyone.
"Agreed, this bit of hell is dying by it'self."
"Tifa, go first." Cloud said.
"-But...." Tifa said, but was interuppted.
"It's ok. Go up!" Strife yelled.


Tifa carried Thomas up on her back , and Tifa climbed up the ladder as fast as she can. Zach was nodding his head and covering his face as the Tifa and Zach ran out of the black gap. The Tifa looked up at the sky as it began to darknen slwoly. Then the crew, Cloud, and Vincent climbed up at the smae time. The navigator , Vincent, and Cloud werei n the fornt, and the sailors were in the back. The ceiling began to cave in and was falling apart revealing the darkned clouds above it. Belwo the cliff the ladder was supported by was cracking slowly, and the ladder broken in half, and three of the Epona's crew fell, and died in the abyss. Cloud looked back, and yelled: "Damn it!" Cloud, Vincent, and the navigator jumped out into the suface as the black cave crumbled, and dusty wen up into the iar.


Cloud, looked at Tifa who said: "It's over isn't it?"

"It's not. Zach, is acting strange like he has amneisea or something."



Valentine meanwhile turned back, and looked at the black cave which was crummbled into pieces, and the slime went all voer the dirt of the jungle surrounding. His red eye clsoed as he touched the black rubble with his metallic hand.

"Cloud, I think I know why that monster was controlling Yuggen. Showing your past, I think your father was injected with the cells. How could have he known about your past without peering into him?" Vincent said he looked at Cloud.
"..No, you mean that. My father?" Cloud said.
"I've seen the records of all who were injected with the dreaded JENOVA cells. He was the first few, and that bastard Hojo choose your father as a cantidate for his work. He choose him after their excavation." Vincent said as he took some dirt off of his pistol.
"My fahter.......Zach.......They were all part of Jenova project." Strife said as he kneeled down.


Cloud looked at Zach who was crying on dirtm and pounding his fist into the floor. Lockhart looked at Strife: "I am sorry."

"Don't be. That's why my mom didn't say anything about him. It would put my famliy's life in jeapordy." Strife said as he looked up into the sky.
"I am a fool beliveing those dreams falling into JENOVA's clutches once again, but now we've conqured it."
"Aren't you taking Zach to the doctor in Junon?" Tifa asked.
"Seems like it, but the JENOVA project doesn't explain why did he wear that mask, and 'Yuggen'." Strife said.
"-And the crew being contolled by JENOVA? That doesn't make any sense."

Cloud was carrying Zach, and helping hum up to reach the shore. Tifa put her back pack up, and dusted off of her jacket, while Vincent turned back, and looked at the rubble of the strantrum which was slowly crumbling into smaller pieces. The chunk of biomechanical matereia wiggled until they hardened and were solid as rock, and they glimmered like obsidian.

"My love. Your death hasn't been in vein. Cloud has avenged you. I give him deep thanks." Vincent thought as the group headed to shore, and headed back to Junon.



A Day Later..........

Zach was laying on a hosptial bed. He was shrugging the blue blanket, and shivered while a Doctor with a white coat looked at Zach head to toe. He was shaking violently as the doctor wrote in his notebook in his hand. The SOLDIER didn't know who he was still after JENOVA's death on the southern island. Zach was lost inside him, but not it felt like a void in himself.

"Am I Zach!" he yelled at the Doctor.
"Yes, your legal papers say your Zach Thomas, and borned in Gongaga village." the doctor replied as he put on his bifogals.
"Am I zach!" he yelled as he shook his fist at him.


The Doctor's head nodded, and his eyes were red with veins because of Zach's constantly asking the same question. The Doctor looked at his notepad, and wrote scribbles on it, and the doctor opend the door, and wlaked out of his room. All was silent in the medical room as Zach slowly turned his head, and looked at his name tag on his wrist. His eyes opened up: "Am I Yuggen or Zach?"


The doctor was now at the waiting room were Cloud, Vincent, and Tifa were sitting in on blue leather seats. Strife was wiping the sweat drops that were slowly going down his forehead, and looked at the watch. Tifa was looking at the clock that read: 12:00 AM
She looked at Cloud and heard his breath. It was like he was drowning, but not in water. Tifa asked: "Nervous? Don't be." Vincent looked at Cloud: ".......I don't know. I am not a doctor."

"Zach, What the hell happned to you? " Cloud asked as he stared at the wall.


The doctor entered the waiting room slowly, and Cloud stood up. The lamps on the ceiling gleamed on his glasses, and the reflections of Cloud's eyes were up. His mind began to become to be soaked in anxiety, and anxiousness. Hie took off of his jacket, and weared his tattered white shirt.

"What's wrong with him?" Cloud asked in melachony tone.
"He's suffering from amnesia." the doctor said.
"I know that!" Cloud yelled.
"Well, he's asking himself is he Zach or Yuggen. Probably suffering from bi-personalty syndrome."
"........He is two people. Yuggen, I don't know much about him, but Zach was my freind. He was in SOLDIER."
"The amneisia starteed because of head trauma."
"....It was me." Cloud thought.
"How did you, but it seems that his alter ego was forced into his mind."
"Forced into his mind?"
"We've CAT scanned him, and his brain waves are normal. They seem to be functioning properly."
"How can that be? Wouldn't the amnesiea have an effect on the brain?"
"This is odd."
"Beyond odd." Cloud thought.



The doctor walked to the cooler on the right, and drank some water from his cup. Cloud, meanwhile was rubbing his hair, and asked: "Why the hell did I- But it was for the good." Tifa stood up and tapped him soflty on the shoulder. Then he turned to face her. Her lips were closed, and her hair was all over the place because of the island a day before.

"Aren't we going home? I understand that Zach is your freind, but-
All these things that are happening. I think we deserve some rest."

Strife yawned loudly and stretched his arms. He walked own to the chair were his jacket laid, and put it on.

"I guess your right." said Strife in a weak tired tone.
"And about you Vincent?"

Vincent sat on the blue leather chair, and stood up. His eyes looked at Cloud, and from the impresson on the mask it looked like a smile. Strife was astonished because he was usaully a cold man. His thoughts of weird just risen to an all time high. His eyes brows were up and his mouth was opened widely.

"Strange for you." Cloud said.
"Can't a man express his feelings? Even if he's cursed not to be a 'man'." Vincent said as he turned back, and walked out of the waiting room.



He walked slowly towards the elevator as his cape drageed on the floor, and chains ringed. He looked at Cloud and Tifa who were outside the blue waiting room door. Inside him he felt great thanks for his freinds. The emotion of being grateful for others hasn't been in him since Lucrecia's death and his horrid transformation.

"Farewell." Vincent said, and walked into the elevator.


Tifa looked at Cloud, and smiled. She was still thankful for his rescue from death of the southern island. She then hugged him tightly. Cloud alsp did that and leaned his head on her head.

"....Thanks." she said softly.
"Promise me you won't run away on me, okay? Just tell me what's on your mind. That's all I want."
"Ok." Cloud said as they both released, nd walked to the elevator.

Strife pushed the down put rapidly, and was irritated because it took so long for the elevator to go on their floor. Tifa looked at the window, and looked outside at Junon. The ocean waves flapped on the copper supports that held the huge town. She looked at the right at the small road, and saw the tattered red Rufus logos that were hung during the heir of Shin-Ra's ceremony. Then turned back to the present at Cloud who tapping his boot on the floor.

"Do you think anyone in Shin-Ra did this to him?" Tifa said.

Cloud looked back at her, and swallowed his throat.

"No." Cloud said as he nodded at the up/down buttons on the elevator.
"I'll go to the Archieves tomorrow. Zach said someone named Dr. Lazurus helped him."
" Yeah, that's a good idea." Tifa replied.




The elevator opened up slowly, and the two walked inside as the elevator went down to the docking bay in Junon, and went back to Costa del Sol to rest. After all that happened to them yesterday were nothing but memories now, but now they can get a rest that they rightfully deserved.






Chapter 7- The Shadow Corp.

A man in a dark blue suit was sitting on a mahogny office desk, and in a leather chair. His face had crater holes all over, and his hair was slowly falling because of age. The man bit his lip, and his fist was shaking as Dr. Lazarus came in. He was an old who has always been loyal to his boss, and easy to pursuadable man, a PHd in Biogenetics, and Neurology. His glasses were gleaming, and his body was suddenly shaking.


"What happened to the clones?" his boss asked.
"Mr. Mishimmmma? They're all dead. Their nanomachines injected into them are gone, but-" Dr Lazurus said nervously.
"But what, Mr. Mishima? I need about a 500,142 gil." said Mr. Mishima in a sarcastic voice imitating Lazurus.
"..No, our computers said that one of them is still alive, and his name is Zach Thomas. The SOLDIER used for the JENOVA-Alpha project. His lips shaked as Mr. Mishima stood up, and turned back out at the window view of the sun which was setting in the ocean. The waves were calm, but the sun gleame, and it's rays bounced on Mishima's new suit.

"AVALANCHE, the scum that killed Shin-Ra. I plan what my former bosses' mind couldn't have done. Kill Cloud Strife with Yuggen, our little experiment."
"Yeah, but his brainwashing has worn off. We need to 'reprogram' him."


Mr. Mishima turend and looked Dr. Lazurus who lifted up a silver magnum, and pointed it at Lazurus' head. He was shaking even more, and detures were dropping out of his mouth. His pants were darkening because he just pissed in his pants.

"If you don't. I will do this." said Mishima as he was pulling the trigger.

Mishima pulled the trigger, and the muzzle shook, and the .57 recoiled. The bullet wasn't a bullet at all, but it was a small pow flag. Lazurus shook and was breathing really hard, and put hish and over his cheat feeling his heart pound.

"Jesus, Sir! You scared me!" said Lazurus.

Mishima put the magnum in his desk, and laughed loudly. The laugh was a loud and obnoxious one. A large hollar that would make babies cry, car alarms go on, and make hell freeze over. His little prank made Dr. Lazurus' pulse go up, and almost gave his old heart a heart attack.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Can't take a joke?" asked Mishima
"Who can we get to retrieve him?" Lazurus asked.
" Hmm...." Mishima replied.

The 40 year old Mishima was a deep thinker, a good stratigiest, but a stupid sense of humour. Mr. Mishima was one of the exectuves who survived the destruction of Midgar, and the WEAPONS attack. He personally thought Rufus was a dope, but his methods inspired him when Shin-Ra still ruled over the world. He continued stomping his foot on the hard wood floor.

"My personal body guards. " Mishima said.

His finger pressed a button on his desk, and a reciptionist said: "What do you want, Mr. Mishima."

"I want Sharpe, and Steiner to do this." Mishima said as he released the button off of the intercom. (Author's note: One NFL Player ^_^)
"My plans will commence tomorrow?" Mishima asked.
".....Yes, I'll ready the machines for him, sir."
"Good."

Shinji tapped his fingers on the desk, and his face was filled the joy. His lips opened as he smiled slowly opening the large drawer of of his wooden desk, and taking out a blue can of cigars.

"I will surpass Rufus with his own technology." Mishima said as he out his cigar in his mouth, and grinned. Then, he pulled ut a golden lighter, and it had the Shin-Ra logo engraved with it. The dreaded diamond logo that flew over every major city on the planet.

".....Rufus, that imbecile was stupid as a person, but had a good stratagey. I admie and loathe him." Mishima mummbled as he inhaled a puff from the cigar.
"He died. Got killed by an oversized animal. HA-HA-HA BOOM!!" Mishimna stopped.
"He went Boom-Boom! HA-HA-HA" Mishima continued to laugh.




Chapter 7- Archieves.....


The Shin-Ra branch offices were empty, and dust covered the room. The winows'view of the ocean was still there, but the computers that once were used to kill the Emerald WEAPON were shut down, and tattered Shin-Ra logos were on the left and right side of the wall. Cloud Strife was typing on a small grey computer on a small wooden desk. Strife was typing on the key board hastely, and his fingers tapped on the board looking through what was left of the Shin-Ra, Incorparated's archieves. He put his hands on the mouse click on the items on the list. His blue eyes were red because of looking through a monitor for a few hours.


"Doctor Lazurus searching............. 10 %" The Computer displayed.
"Hurry up!" Cloud yelled.
"Doctor Lazurus searching.............20 %"
"Ok. We have a guy with amneisa here. Stop saying this bull!" Cloud became more furious at the computer.
"ERROR: Name does not excist in the arhchieves. Please Try Another Name....."
"DAMN IT!!" Cloud yelled as he pounded on the keyboard.


The keyoboard crashed into the floor, and the keyes scattered on the red rug. Strife looked up, and wiped his face with his palms. He shook his fist at the monitor.

"Were is this Doctor Lazurus?!" Cloud asked.

Strife unplugged the keyboard out of the computer terminal, and replaced with another one from the desk. He cracked his fingers, and put his fingers on the keyes nervously. Strife thought this was going nowere, but it was worth it because of what happened to Zach, and JENOVA's lair. He began to type splling just Lazrus name, and tapped the enter button.

"SEARCHING FOR LAZURUS......."
"1 File Found (2.25 MB used)"
"Press Enter to Continue....."


Cloud smiled, and rubbed his spiky hair. He was happy to find something about Lazurus.

"Not bad for a first timer." Cloud said in loose voice.

Cloud gleefully put his gloved hand on the enter button, and slowly tapped it. He looked at the monitor, and his eyes were red , and his palms began to sweat on the keyboard dapening the keyes.

" Title:
Lazurus, Herbert
DOB: 6/6
Credeintals: PHd in Biochemeistry
PHd in neurology

Projects Worked for-CLASSIFIED
Worked at: Classified"

Strife looked at the monitor slowly, and yawned because of the hours and hours of file searhing through the Junon Database. Cloud swiviled his chair to the back, and the door opened. Tifa was there to check on him as usaul. She was wearing a white swaeather, and black pants. She held her PHS hand, and held it tightly. Her expression her face wasn't happy. Cloud replied by putting his hands on the lap and sighed slwoly.


"Is it something bad?" Strife asked.
"Zach is still in the same conditon." Tifa said.
"He's still has amnesiea, but he hasn't been next to a high exposure of mako." Strife said.
"Like me. I suffered the same thing, but how can we?"
"The doctor said he can't do anything." Tifa said as she put the PHS in back in her pocket.


Tifa walked towards Strife who swilviled back to the computer. He face the monitor at her who was at the right of him, and looked at it: "So he did work for Shin-Ra, but is he allive?" Strife kept on typing on keyboard in a fast yet accurate manner. He looked at Tifa, and thought: "Don't worry, Tif. I am doing this myself. The monitor displayed: "Accessing Classified Files....................

Lazurus, Herbert

Sites worked at: Midgar, as an assistant to Professor Sidney Hojo, and was terminated because of stealing files for the JENOVA, and the cloning projects that were occuring during meteor's decent on the planet. He has disappeared since then."

Cloud then stood up, and taken out a disk, and handed it to Tifa. Strife handed to her like he usauly does. Not with a pound, but something that tapped into her palm. He walked away, and said: "I am going to check on Zach. Just give that to Reeve. Maybe he knows something about it."

"....That's a probablity." Tifa said.


He waved his hand back at Tifa, and she smiled: "Let's hope for the best." Cloud walked out of the Shin-Ra office, and walked away to the hospital which was about three blocks away. It was nearing night, and the sea breeze flowed all over the town. The citizens werw wlaking back and forth as usaul. Kids were playing soccer on the street, but Strife wasn't worried about them because he had his own assests to atoned too. Cloud looked ahead and saw two men in black suits. One was a dark skinned man with a golden moular, and another one a thinly built bald man who looked like he was in his late 20's. Strife wasn't paying attention dozing into his mind.

".....Zach, what-" Cloud thought until he walked into the two black suited men. The tall one's sunglasses fell, and were scrathced on the floor. Cloud, was on the floor, and his lips were straight on the concrete. Cloud got up, and dusted his white shirt, and picked up his sunglasses, and said: "Sorry for that." He said as kneeld down and picked up the tall man's glasses on the floor and handed it to him.


"Thanks." he said as the two men walked away, and were heading towards the hospital.
"Strange guys. I have a bad feeling about this." Cloud said as he stealthly walked into the brick alley as one of the men pulled out a cell phone, and said: "Zach should be here? Are you this is the place, Doc?" the man asked. Strife peered aroudn the conor while the men stopped at a crosswalk, and a blue car went in his way.

"Doc?" Cloud thought.
"Sounds fishy."

The two men continued walking towards the hospital enterance which had two automatic glasses doors, and the words 'Junon Naval Base Medical Center'. Cloud continued to hightail them, and walked into the lobby normally. The two black suited men walked slowly towards a young recipcionists with green eyes, and looked at them. The lobby was full of people. A man with crouches, a person rubbing his stomach, and was opening his mouth constantly trying to vomit into a bag, and a old man in a walker.


"Need Help?" she asked as she continued typing on her keyboard.


The tall suited man looked at the reciponists, and rubbed his bald head. Then, he laid his hands on the beige table, and began to open his mouth.

"Yes, were looking for a Zach Thomas."


Cloud meanwhile was behind them, and putting 'The Junon Setinel' to cover his face, and heard the words. He shook, and put the newspaper down on the center desk were the ill, and injured waited. Strife, continued to sit in the chair to not look suspicious to them. He tapped his sneakers on the floor as the men walked up to the two elevators, and pushed the 'up' button on it. The display read: "10th Floor, Please wait, and thank you for your paitience'.


"Thank You for your paitience?! My ass it is." said the dark skinned man.
"Yeah.." he said as the waited infront of the elevator door.


Meanwhile, Cloud stood up from the chair, and looked at the two who were waiting at the elevator. One of put his hand in his black blazer, and small click sounded softly.

"A gun? No, they wouldn't kill him." Cloud thought.
"I'd better take the stairs." Cloud said as he swiftly turned right to the clear glass door nearby the elevator. He thought that click was some type of gun so he ran up the stairs to try to beat both of them. The metal floor clanked as he ran around the huge sprial starircase. Cloud continued running, and the usaul sounds of the hospital echoed around the large metal structure. The newborns crying, and the constant phone rings went into his ears, but he was barely on the 7th floor. He still ran until he opened the door to the tenth floor. Strife looked left, and saw nothing but a janitor wiping the floor, and then he looked to the right as the elevator opened, and the black suited men walked out of it.


They walked in a slow, and cool manner as they entred Zach's room. The 'dead' SOLDIER was in his bed still comtemplating his identity. His eyes were clsoed as he rolled right, and looked at the two black suited men. The short bald man slowly took out a black tranqulizer gun as Strife opened the slowly, and puth is fists up.


"Who the hell are you?" Cloud asked aggressivly.

Strife was putting his fists up, and ready to start a brawl in a hospital. His mouth opened as the dark skinned man walked in front of Strife. Cloud looked up at his head as he smiled. The golden tooth he had was just strange for Cloud to see.


"I am Steven Sharpe of Mishima Corparation, and this is my assistant Rik Steiner." he said as he closed his fist and punched Strife in the stomach.

Cloud fell on the floor, and reached for his stomach trying to ease the pain. Meanwhile the bald cronie injected the tranqulizer fluid into Zach, and lifted him up. Cloud looked up as Steiner carried him up, and dragged his sleeping body. Sharpe looked at Steiner as Steven was taking out a object with a handle, and trigger. He smiled as his goldent teeth refelcted the lights of the hallway.

"Shall we kill him?" Steven asked as he pointed the gun at him.
"That would start an incident. We must leave a message to the other members of AVALANCHE." Steiner said.
"Can't I just-"
"No, we can't."



Cloud was rolling on the floor still in pain because of the quick blow in the stomach. He felt dazed, and his blurred vison which made everything like a blue and white light. Sharpe looked down at him.


"Why are you taking Zach? For Lazurus??" Cloud said stuttering.
"You can say that, but were merely taking property that belongs to the Mishima Corp." Sharpe said as he smiled at Cloud's suffering.
"A person property? Your -bad as Shin-Ra......" Cloud replied.
"C'ya, chump!" yelled Shapre.


Sharpe and Steiner walked out of the small room with a certain jive in their movements. They turned right, and took the staircase as Cloud slowly took out his PHS out of his pocket, and was jerking his hand on the number pad, and then the small Cell Phone fell on the floor as he slowly move towards the cell phone which was under Zach's bed. The very high level of pain made most of his body feel worn down, and sprained, but he was still trying to reach the PHS. He kept stretching his arm until he scrape the phone out with his hands, and dialed Tifa's number.

"-I gotta tell, Tif." Cloud said as he continued to dial the number on the floor.
"Huh? What is it?" Tifa said into the PHS.
"Hospital- Go to hospital- They took Zach-" Cloud uttered slowly.




Chapter 8- Revelations


It was about three hours after the Mishima Corparation abducted Zach. Cloud was sitting inside the living room in Costa del Sol. Tifa meanwhile was pouring tea for Strife, and he was still clutching his stomach like if someone stabbed him in the stomach numerous times. His lips oopened slowly as he gulped a few drops of tea into his mouth. The heat made him feel better, but Strife still felt bitter of not prevenitng what happened. Reeve was there, his cold blue suit made him look like a stern businessman, but his hear was toward to everyone in Midgar.

"So someone took Zach?" Tifa asked as she sat nest to Cloud on the green couch.
"Yes. Those two men said something about Mishima, Corp." Strife said.


Cloud scratched his back, and sipped another drip of tea. He looked down, and pounded his shoe on the floor. Tapping the waxed floor. The he looked up at Tifa.

"I've never heard of them." Cloud said.
"Me nether? Reeve? Do you know anything about this?" Tifa asked.

The man named Reeve turned back, and looked at the two in the couch. He bit his lip, and opened up his breifcase. The breifcase had two manila folder. One was labeled: 'Mishima Revolt' , and the second one 'Sephiroth-Omega'. He looked at Strife, and opened the folder up.

"Well, yeah...... The Mishima corp. was once a part of Shin-Ra, Incorparated. It was one of the bio-technology firms that worked on the JENOVA Project along with Biotek, Inc. which now is the in house bio science divsion. Mishima decided to cut off of the conglomerate, and thus taking the new project which they were working on. The scientists who worked for Mishima stole the plans of the Sephiroth-Omega project." Reeve said nervously.

"Sephiroth?!" Cloud yelled.

Strife was stunned of the fact that the word 'Sephiroth' was in Reeve's vocabulary. The man who destroyed his hometown, and nearly killed his freind.

"Yes. They decided to use a dead SOLDIER that was in Cryo Genic status. " Reeve said.
"Cryogenic?" Tifa asked.
"It means they frooze him, and he was a popsicle for three years."
"It saved his life." Reeve said.
"Dr. Lazurus was head of the project, and when the meteor neared to collide into earth. He stole the plans and his body. Then about a month later they unfronze him, and injected JENOVA cells into him. They were extracted from a humonoid shaped JENOVA. The one you just killed from southern islands by Lazurus himself. Found about Cloud's pop's work. A new incarnation of Sephiroth, but was more controllable by human hands . Mishima made a new monster." Reeve said.

Cloud was shoked even more, and opened his mouth. His heart beated through his chest as he looked at Reeve.

"A monster?!"
"There was brainwashing involved. A chemical was injected to him so they the nanomachines injected into him, and can control him."
"No, I can't fight him." Cloud thought.


Tifa looked at Cloud, and she frowned a bit. She put her hands together and laid back on the green couch.

"-But what if he attacks you?" Tifa said.
"Then I have no choice, but to fight him back or we'll have to try to find a way to-" Cloud said as Reeve closed his breifcase, and looked at Strife.
"Find a way. I don't know how to. These are just files of record. None of the schematics of what they are using is here at all. I can't do anything about it, Cloud." Reeve said.
"Were is the Mishima Corp headquartered?" Tifa asked.
"It was in Midgar for a few years, but it soon moved on a mako drilling platform west from here."
"I've never seen it in a map." Cloud replied.
"That's what they want us to thank. That company keeps it's lip tight as much as Rufus and company did."
"How could they make any money if there location isn't known? They need supplies from the mainland don't they?" Cloud asked.
"We've had theives steal excess supplies from the Junon docks. "
"Hmm.......Sounds like we can?"
Reeve didn't reply, and the tension Cloud began to flare up.
"............"
"Damn, how are we?" Cloud thought.


Cloud walked to the bedroom slowly, and went to sleep. Meanwhile, Tifa was washing the dishes, and Reeve lifted up his breif case and walked out of their home.
Strife was in the room looking at the window outside were the scarred surface of the moon greeted him. It shone white, and bright not even the lamps in the town square can obscure it He slowly looked at it, and his eyes were peeled at the moon. A celestial object battered as what has has happened to him.

"How are we gonna find him? He'll probably find us, bust his... intent to go here could be anything. A peceful.....No it's" Cloud stopped in the middle of his thought, and thought back at the time he first him.
"It's no use thinking about it." Cloud thought as he laid down on his bed, and yawned. His eyes closed slowly, and he tucked his blanket. To the right to him, Cloud's door was opened. It was Tifa, and she was looking Strife snoaring loudly, and the his drool coming out of his lip.

"Don't worry about Zach. We need to-" Tifa stopped, and yawned.
"We don't know anything so we can't do anything." Tifa said and closed the door slowly so Cloud won't wake up. The light turned off from the hallway, and the home became silent. Now, Cloud had no choice to fight his old freind if he comes to them. A hard decison for him. There is no decison, but cold hard fate.


Chapter 9- Conditioning


The lab was filled with mainframes, and small workstations. The metallic catwalk floor covered the darkness with the green liquid mako. It was the only source of light in the room except for the computer monitors which were flipped on. A figure was fidgeting. Shaking bacn and forth, and grunting. A man a white lab coat was typing on the keyboard, and looking at the monitor which was flickering blue text.


"The system is on. We will start the condtioning progress." said Dr. Lazurus.
"Who are you?" the man in restraints asked.
"Are you bad?" he asked.

Lazurus turned at the solidly built man, and put his goggles on. He walked to him, and put a large metallic bowl which was laced in wires, and batteries.

"Good or Bad? There's is no good. There's no bad. It depends on your point of view. You can say I am bad because this is probably frying your brain cells or that I am good I am giving you an identity, Mr. Thomas?" Herbert asked sacastcly.
"Identity? So I am not Zach?" Zach asked.
"Zach is your body's name, and sadly your soul going to be different once I switched this on."
"What is this gibberish your talking about?" asked Zach asked.
"I am sorry for doing this to a fellow human being. But! President Mishima ordered this." he said as he went back to the terminal, and pressed the keyes on the keyboard.
"I found you on that cliff one day. ....I felt sorry for your cruel death. Shin-Ra was ruthless so I decided to freeze you."
"Freeze?" Zach asked.


Lazurus pressed enter on his keyboard, and walked to a switch nearby Zach's constraint chair. The SOLDIER was still fidgeting, and the look of confusion was on his face. His pupils looked dark, and distoreted room. To him it was a strange place that felt familiar. The feeling of pain went into his mind. He looked to his right, and saw Lazurus kneeling down, and putting the switch to the on postion. A generator in the back hummed, and the computer screens turned red.


"Cerebral formatting. Initating Charging Generator." said a computer voice.


The doctor stepped back as electrcity from the back of chaired flowed. The reactors was humming faster and faster. He looked Zach who had his pupils looking at the rim of the bowl obscruring his field of vison, and making the room look like nothing but the green mako that glimmered on the floor. The elcectric generator was at full blast, and the current flowed through the wires leading to Zach's brain. The cerebrel formatitng has started. The sharp pain went into Zach's head like if somebody impaled his skull into a broadsword, but rapidily stabbing at a 6 second cycle. His mind couldn't understand him, but could understand the anguish of it. He shook rapidly, and screamed loudly.

"Aghhhh!!!" Zach yelled.
"I am sorry, Commander Zach Thomas. You have to bare with the bosses orders." said Lazurus as the blue light gleamed over his goggles.

Zach was trembeling, and shaking still. The pain that went into his head went from a sharp stab to rumbuling of head like an earthquake. His eyes twiteched, and his eyes became red. Thomas' mouth his opened, and his tounge wagging out.


"Agh! Ugh! Your evilllllll..........." Zach said faintly as the 'formatting' was continuing.
"........"
"This is merely scien-. It's.....more like torture in my opinion." Herbert said as he looked at the monitor which read:" Cerebral Formatting: 10% complete" as the current was going straight into Zach's brain. Lazurus mind paused as his eyes peered at the completion gauge on the monitor. It slowly increased, and Zach's tormented body was feeling it. In his mind memorys were wiping away slowly. Through his green eyes were the visions of his childhood self dressed in denim overalls, and a dirty pair of black sneakers. The vision of Zach as child began to vibrate rapidly, and the rumbuling headache went down from a rumble to a soft buzz.

"Uhh.... Ahh...........ermmmmm......Was I born?" Zach asked as his tounge wagged out.


Lazurus didn't listening was looking at the monitor typing on the keyboard. Herbert turned back his fraile body, and walked towards Zach. His body was vibrating, and his teeth grining. Thomas' education of language was slowly fadin away now, and his words were now mashed into complete jibberish.

"Daaazzzzz Abbbbbbbbb" Zach said slowly.


The doctor turned back to his work, and looked at the monitor slowly. A soft blue glow reflected on his goggles as the generator was slowly losing power, and was slowly fading away. Time clicked away for a few hours as the brainwashing was complete. Zach was now laying still on the chair not resisting the hand cuffs and the leg cuffs. The large metallic melmet was removed from his head as his head was bogged down. Eyes closed, lips closed, but the only sign of him living was his sternum going in and out. Herbert merely took off his goggles, and turned off the electricity from the dreaded machine. His wrinkled poker smiled as the computer said: "Process Complete. New Commands Inputed."

"It's done, now." Lazurus said as he smiled at Zach who was in a trance.


Inside Zach's subconscious all he knew was suppressed into a different part of the brain were it can't be easily reached. The words: 'Kill', 'Destroy', 'Obey Mishima', and 'For the honor of the corparation' were the only phrases of english was in his mind. A small fain voice saying: "You bad. Your not me." was heard silently in Zach's mind, and white flash of light went thorough his eyes and woke up. His vision was blurry, and his eyes began to focus revealing Lazurus who unscrewed the handcuffs and other restraints that once held him to the long, and tortureious process.

"How are you feeling, Zach? Oh, I mean Yuggen. Model Omega." Lazurus said as he stood up, and Zach looked at him. His pupils tightned as if he had no soul, no feelings. Zach Thomas was not Zach Thomas, but merely a robot. President Mishima walked in, and looked at Doctor Lazurus, and smiled.

"Is it complete?" Mishima asked.
"An it? Not an it, but a he. He WAS human, but now he is an 'it' again." Lazurus said as Yuggen came closer to Mishima, and smiled.
"Master, I am here to serve you." Yuggen said in a deep, and souless voice. He bowed down to him as Mishima held his black raven head shaped helmet. He slowly put it on his head as Yuggen smiled showing no teeth in a deciptive way.
"Yes, Yuggen. said Mishima as the tortured man walked outside the lab.

Lazurus was cleaning his glasses, and was at his small computer workstation adjacent to the machine, and looking at the keyboard.

"Science isn't science anymore. These days science is used as a weapon to make the lamen suffer, and the tyrannical king to rise up. They use this man's body to make the perfect weapon." Lazurus said as Mishima slowly closed the door.

The door was slammed, and Mishima's abnoxious laugh echoed through the hallway of the small ocean base which was in the middle of the Junon Ocean. Lazurus was alone like a toy neglected by a little kid. "Using me. Using him. Your greedy, but I- I am loy.... No, that's stupid I must stop them."

"I can't. That Strife boy might be the only way. Zach, I just wanted to help you, but I was coercsed, and embraced my bosses power. Taking his sect blindfolded, and doing whatever he pleases like a puppet just like you."


"Were the same. The last three JENOVA experiments. Vincent, Cloud, and Zach, they will soon fight this 'Yuggen' No, everyone is merely a puppet in the grand scheme of the creator. " Lazurus said as he turned off the computer systems in the dark secluded lab. The monitors turned off, and buzz of static was heared. Herbet was alone in the dark, and the green mako gleamed off of his black loafers.

"He thinks he can take over the world. Mishima might even destroy AVALANCHE after all they worked for. Sad isn't it? These damn people living in this world don't change at all." he looked up at the ceiling of the cave.
"Humanity is half-witted, and ignorant creature. Pointless fighting. When an evil is destroyed another evil arises. The good are murdered in cold blood, and it repeats; repeats. It's so annoying!" Herbet exclaimed.


Meanwhile in Mishima's office. Shinji was sitting on his desk looking at the sunset of the ocean. The blueish orange tone of the sky was warm, and the ocean was clear blue. He said: "The sunset! Happy day! Avalanche is gonna die, and that brat of a son Rufus couldn't even do that! Huh, my boy!" Mishima said joyfully.
"Hmmph..... Those rebels. Your command will be fufilled." Yuggen replied.
"Your right. We will send you to Cloud Strife's home. He was the leader of AVALANCHE. The man who made Shin-Ra fall. His best freind. My son would like her, though. Hell, if I weren't this old I would-"

Yuggen meanwhile stood there, and the black masked glemaed the rays of light that went into the large office. He held his sword up, and put his head up.

"Yes, for Mishima's cause." he turned back, and walked out of the office. Inside him a small, and childlike voice said: "No! Don't, it's bad!" He continued walking, and ignored his Zach's childhood persona, and continued to walk to the docking bay in the basement were he will meet Strife, and murder him.

"It's bad!" the voice cried out.
"Hmmph... I don't need you anymore." Yuggen said.
"It's bad! Die, bad!" ithe voice yelled as the black suited man climbed down the ladder hasteful and into the black speedboat buoyant in the water. He put one foot into the cockpit, and entered it in a accaurete, and efficent matter.

"Hmm.....Death." Yuggen said as the boat started up, and the blades on the botton engine started to spin.
"My objective is to destroy Cloud Strife." he continued on as the canopy of the boat closed and the boat sped along to Costa de Sol.





Chapter 10- The duel of the afflicted.....


Cloud was outside the small summer house that once been owned by President Shin-Ra. His eyes peered at the ocean were the white light of the moon reflected on the chooppy tide. It went back and forth slowly, and the smashing of waves were heard in his right ear. Strife's hands were gripped as he stared seriously at the ocean. He held his Buster Sword, and his blonde spiky hair flew eastward becasue of the slow winds. The ocean tide became stronger, and the waves soaked the sand making it's beige color turn into a dark; soggy color. Then he turned back and looked through the kitchen window were Tifa was sleeping on the couch with her left arm on the floor, and her right arm on the green couch. Strife smiled quickly, but Cloud was still focus on the ocean.

"It's quiet, too quiet." Cloud said slowly.
"Zach, show yourself. I know you will come."

Then a black shadow walked slowly on the shore toward Cloud. His black coat waved in the wind, and his black beak-like mask made his appearnce fearful. It was Yuggen in his true form. A man with no mind, and no soul. A person with the only inetention is death. He held his kantana in his had as it gleamed from the street lamps which were slowly buzzing.

"Zach?" Yuggen asked as he tread clsoer to Cloud dropped his knees, and raised his large buster sword up in the air.
"Hmmph...." Yuggen said as he raised up his sword and charged towards Cloud.

Yuggen ran towards Strife at a high speed, and a blur came screeching foward Cloud. A few seconds later Strife felt a sharp apin going through his left arm. Blood splattered on the floor as he yelled in pain.

"Zach! Listen!" Cloud yelled.

Meanwhile in the house Tifa opned her eyes, and looked up. She ran to the door as Cloud was on the floor bleeding slowly. His Buster Sword was on the floor, and the black coated looked at him from afar.

"You will soon perish. It is Mishima, Corp's order." Yuggen said in an emotionless tone.

She looked at Cloud as the lights from the hotel lit up, and people went outside the watch wah happened. Most of the people were shaking in their pants, and looked at Yuggen who was holding his sword horizontaly in the air. Tifa looked at Cloud, and looked Cloud who was grining in pain.

"Is it Zach?" Tifa asked.
"Yes." Cloud said slowly.
"Your hurt! I am gonna help you."
"No, go back inside!" Cloud yelled.
"I have to knock some sense into him. One way or the other. Death or no death. It matters to me." Cloud said as he stood up, and slowly picked up his sword. Tifa was in the back of Cloud, and turned away back inside the house. Her eyes closed as Yuggen was readying for his next attack. A smile was on Yuggen's face as that was the only expression on his face becuase of his mask that covered his true self internaly and externaly. He dashed foward with his elbow, and Cloud looked directly at him.Strife's eyebrows were bent while the black blur of Yuggen was going towards him.

"Aghh!" Cloud yelled as he slashed his Sword through the blue, and knokcing Yuggen down on the floor slashing his black coat, and a slow crack trickled down his black helmet. His teeth grined as Yuggen tightned his grip off his slender katana and smiled.

"Zach is not me." Yuggen said.

Yuggen was on the floor, and Strife was ready for the next strike from his Buster Sword. Yuggen was on the floor, both of his hands were on the cobblestone floor scraping the leather threads as he was twitching on the floor. The child's voice began to echo in his as he raised his katana. The echos were surrounding his brain, and the one part that remained in a small section of his brain were lost memories are found.

"Kill him." a deep voice said.
"It's bad!" the child yelled.


Zach was still fighting the deamon in him as he swayed back and forth like a pendulum. Leaning to Zach, and leaning towards Yuggen. He began to tremble in fear, and grinded his teeth.

"Stop those voices!" he yelled.
"Ahh Nwahhhh-!"

He stood up on the ground, and stood up with his sword, and stood up. Strife now had to fight him because Yuggen has supressed Zach in his body. He smiled at him, and yelled: "Hmmph....." The black caped man tightned the grip on his sword as they charged at each other simultaniously. The clanging of the swords made sparks fly on the floor as Strife lean foward on Yuggen as they fought for postion. Cloud's eyes peered at Yuggen's green eyes. Cloud's eyes weren't bulging, but low; those sypathetic eyes didn't stop Yuggen as he put more pressure into his sword. The power Yuggen suprassed Cloud as he fell over with his back on the ground. The hero was on the floor with his sword out of his hand. and felt the sharp tip of the blade touching his chin.



"Do you wanna die?" Yuggen asked.
"No, Zach. This isn't you." Cloud replied.
"Zach?" Yuggen replied as he pointed his katana on his forehead.


Cloud heart pounded as he was on the ground, and Yuggen smiled slowly. His caped flew in the hand in the background. Strife had thoughts of his buddy Zach in the Shin-Ra muilitary. How they escaped from that lab, and the cliff. The cliff were Zach died on as Yuggen laughed insanly, and loudly. The citizens were nodding their heads in gasping as the black suited 'machine' had Cloud on the floor awaiting the final blow.


"Your acting like a machine! Stop it, damn it!!" Cloud said loudly.
"Machine? I am merely taking orders."
"Which means."
"No mercy for the enemy."
(Authors Note: Dramatic music!)

"No......Mercy.....Your inhuman. They made you a war machine. Your Zach!" Cloud yelled as he hooked his leg to Yuggen's heel, and tripped him down the on the cobble stone floor slamming him down. Cloud looked at his mouth as it opened up, and his teeth grinding in pain. Zach was still in the back of Yuggen's mind as his voice became a bit more louder like a whisper. "Bad.....I am bad...." the voice said, but Yuggen still ignored as a red aura glowed through Yuggens body. It emitted brighter and brighter as he gathered his inner enrgy into his sword.


"Flame bore!!!" Yuggen yelled as his sword slowly swunged in the air about to strike Cloud in the head, but a bulletshot was heard in the background. A soft shot as Vincent was on the rooftop with both of his hands on his pistol. The bullt traveled at a breakneck speed as it went through Yuggen's leg.

"Ugh......" Yuggen said as he dropped his sword, and clanged on the ground, and kneeled down.
"What the?" Cloud asked himself as he stood up looking at the black suited man in pain.

Vincent jumped down from the rooftop, and looked at Strife as he stood up on the floor next to Yuggen who was trembeling on the floor. His eyes looked directly at Cloud.

"Why did you help me?" Cloud asked.
"I owe you a debt. Destroying the deamon that has revolved around out lives." Valentine said.



Meanwhile 'Zach' was on the floor with his knnecap busted. The wound bled slowly as he bobbed his head down in agony. Cloud looked at him with his eyes open as 'Zach' snarled like a rabid doberman.

"......You!! YOU!!!" Yuggen started to yelled as he lifted up his sword, and walked slowly towards Strife. Blood trialrs poured out as he went step by step towards Cloud. His eyes were waterey, and took off his helmet. The blood continued to spatter, and a small silver object fell on the floor, but Cloud hardly noticed it.

"What? Your......" Zach said slowly and fell on the floor. His mind became warpy and jumpy as an ocean wave. Bits of his past came through his mind. The child looked at him through Zach's green eyes. The kid was rubbing his arm, and smiled: "I am good. I am going to be in SOLDIER just like my brother......" His eeys became more waterey, and the first drop of tears went through his eyes. "I don't have motion sickness." said Zach when he was in SOLDIER. "I am gonna be a mercenery, and that's that." his conscience said to Zach's soul. He came closer then released the grip of his kantana and fell on the floor.

"Ugh.......It's been a long time, Cloud." Zach mumbled.

His tone of voice was low as a small piece of metal and silicon dropped into the puddles of blood, and yelling loudly. The citizens and tourisits gasped as his hands cluthced on the floor, and his silver hair was soiled by his own blood.

"Who did this?" Zach asked.
"Why?"
"I thought....."
"Hang on. Tifa will help you." Cloud said in a calming voice.
"Her...."


Cloud ran into the house as Zach looked straight at the sky. The cold temperature of the limestone blocks made him cough rapidly as she shrugged around. His eyes were looking all around, and it was a strange place to him. A clean unfamilar sky, and the ocean waves now lapping at high tide.

"Unfalmilar. Ocean. I don't know were this is. I know Cloud, and Tifa. .....Vincent."

Zach's scraped knee was hurting like somone jagged a piece of glass. His nerves were emitting a large pain into his brain.

"This is pain. This is night." Zach said .
"Mishima....." he thought as he closed his eyes.



"Who is this?" Shinji Mishima asked.
"It's our experiment."
"Them. They used me, but-" Zach said as he laid his hands on the floor, and woozily got up from the trail of blood that followed him. Strife and Lockhart ran out. Tifa had a green 'Cure' matreia in her hand, and looked irght at him.

"Who shot him?" Tifa asked.
"..Never mind about that! We gotta get him some rest."
"...Sleep..... That's were I was. My mind was vaccant basicly" Zach thought as Tifa kneeled in front of him.

She held the green orb inf front of Zach who now had the look of four year old child at a circus. The awe and fear was rushing into his brain as the green glow from the matreia slowly closed the wound in the hole of his torn baggy pants.

"There. Your alright?" Tifa asked.
"Yeah....."
"What happned?"
"I don't know."

Cloud kneled along with Tifa and helped Zach to stand on both of his legs. Thomas left leg was wobbling, and the inbalance was going to him. He then feel face down on the floor, and said: "Maybe not, but your helping me aren't you?"

"Mishima, he did this to me. Forced me to try to kill you. Used my body. He won't give up on killing all of you probably. I guess there is no choice." Zach said.
"So Mishima is trying to fight Avalanche?" Cloud asked.
"Miight or might not, but you don't know what the next day will bring......." Zach said.


The three survivors of the Nibelheim fire were laying in the cold dead night with their heads looking at the moon, and the stars in the sky. The cold wind began toflow throughg the coast of the town. Cloud wondered if this thing was to a start of something large, Tifa as usaul thought about Strife his best freind, and if he'll get hurt, and Zach was thinking of how it was to finally be 'Zach'. Nothing or no one to control or use him, but they all had one thing straight. The Mishima Corparation takes their acts of vein seriousnesly. You never know what the next day will bring as Zach said.


The End?