Chapter 9
Awareness slowly crept into Laeryn's mind the next morning. It was ushered in by something heavy draped over her side and something warm off to her side. She peeled her eyes open to see Sephiroth lying next to her, still asleep. His face was partially obscured by his long silver bangs but his lips were visible, slightly parted, and his chest rose and fell slowly. Laeryn sat up as cautiously as she could, not wanting to disturb him. Dim morning twilight was beginning to creep through the windows. Probably about an hour until they had to meet Cloud and Zack. Laeryn shifted her weight as she leaned forward to gather her clothing off the floor. Sephiroth stirred, rolling onto his back. His hair pooled behind his head like a silver halo. He looks so innocent, like an angel, she thought. She considered seeing the mission through herself and letting him sleep but figured he'd be unhappy when he found out she left without him. She leaned back over him and began to trace the muscles of his chest. "Sephiroth," she murmured against his ear. He ground loudly and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. When he finally opened them the room became considerably brighter. Sephiroth glanced around, looking a bit confused until he saw Laeryn. He clumsily hugged and kissed her, but missed her lips. He stumbled out of bed, deftly tripping over his pants before making his way to the bathroom, oblivious to the fact that he hadn't a stitch on. Laeryn got the distinct impression that he wasn't a morning person.
Sephiroth emerged from the bathroom a short while later, dripping wet and blushing furiously, clutching a small white towel around his waist. "My clothes..." he muttered as he grabbed them off the floor. Laeryn couldn't help but laugh. She threw on her on clothes and picked a few tangles out of her hair before waiting by the door for him.
Some minutes later Sephiroth was ready, dressed in his usual attire complete with white shoulder armor and straps crossed over his chest.
"Took you long enough," she griped.
He glared at her. "Would you rather me be a complete slob like Zack or Cloud?"
Laeryn laughed. "No no. Meticulousness isn't always a bad thing. In the case of your appearance it certainly pays off."
The compliment went completely over Sephiroth's head. He just looked at her for a few moments before strolling downstairs to the lobby.
"General!" Zack called from behind them.
"Where's Cloud?" Sephiroth asked. Patience had never been Sephiroth's strong point and if Cloud wasn't ready on time they were leaving without him.
"Uh, I think he's coming in a few minutes. He said he was," answered Zack. He started as he noticed Laeryn for the first time.
"Grand Admiral...errr no...Laeryn...Miss Chase...good morning," he said awkwardly. Zack knew he'd best be very polite to Laeryn or he'd catch hell from Sephiroth. And though he was dying to know exactly what was going on between them, he knew much better than to ask either of them about it.
"We're leaving. If Cloud ever gets out of bed, maybe he'll have a chance of catching up with us before we leave town," answered Sephiroth, "Let's go."
It was a Sunday morning and no one else in Nibelheim was awake yet. They walked through the eerie silence towards the gate at the north end of town.
"What's that building over there? It's much larger than all the others," Zack asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. The building in question was huge, situated at the top of a slight hill. It looked like it had been resplendent at some point, but now it was completely abandoned and dilapidated. A twisted black iron gate barred any entrance.
"That is the Shinra mansion. Many years ago, shortly after the Shinra family became wealthy, they bought that house. They abandoned it almost twenty-five years ago, saying something about how they grew tired of the scenery," answered Sephiroth. He shivered suddenly, even though it wasn't particularly cold. A wave the unpleasant feeling he experienced earlier passed over him, and he couldn't help but feel that the sudden abandonment of the Shinra mansion had something to do with what was in those mountains. He did not want to go into the mountains. Something was wrong.
"General Sephiroth!"
Sephiroth jumped at the voice and turned to see and older man waving towards him. Running ahead of the man was a young girl. She was wearing knee-length khaki shorts, a white tank top and a baseball cap. She also wore heavy boots with metal studs across the top. Her gloves sported a row of metal across the knuckles. The girl walked right up to Sephiroth without any trace of apprehension or fear and bowed formally.
"General, sir. I'm Tifa Lockhart, your guide into the mountains today. I am at your service," she said.
The older man, Tifa's father, caught up with her. "General. Please don't let anything happen to her," he pleaded. Despite Tifa's familiarity with the mountains and her skill at fighting, her father never ceased to worry about her.
Tifa rolled her red-brown eyes. "Dad, please. Not only am I the best martial artist in the world, I have all these people from Soldier with me. Nothing will happen."
Sephiroth nodded once in response. "Tifa?" said Laeryn.
"Laeryn! Hi! I didn't expect to see you again so soon. You're going with the Soldiers?" she asked.
Cloud's voice interrupted any further conversation. "I'm here!" They all turned to see him come barreling up, helmet firmly planted over his face. He saw Tifa chatting with Laeryn and sorely regretted lying to her. He wished he could take his helmet off and talk to her. He hadn't seen her in so long, but she was just as he remembered her. Reddish, mahogany colored eyes, brown hair pulled back in a low, loose pony-tail. Her irrepressible energy and courage.
"Good. We're leaving. Miss Lockhart, go ahead," said Sephiroth.
"Call me Tifa," she replied, turning bright red.
Another man came running after them as they were about to step through the gate.
"Wait a moment!" he called.
Sephiroth turned, his patience wearing thin due to Cloud's tardiness.
"C-can I...take your picture?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Sephiroth looked as if he were about to give the man a close-up of Masamune, but was distracted when Tifa happily complied. She stood next to him and smiled. Laeryn stood on his other side, and Zack next to her.
"Cheeeese!" Tifa and Zack smiled. Sephiroth glared. Laeryn blinked. By the time Cloud realized what was going on, the photo session was over and done with.
"That's it. No more interruptions. We are leaving now," Sephiroth growled and stormed out the gate.
"Hey! Wait for me! I'm the guide! I have to go ahead of you because I know where we're going," called Tifa as she ran to catch up with him. Laeryn caught up and walked with Tifa. Zack and Cloud brought up the rear.
Tifa glanced over her shoulder to make sure Sephiroth was out of earshot.
"Woo! Sephiroth is hot! And he's so polite too! What a doll," Tifa raved as quietly as possible.
"Yes he is. A complete angel," agreed Laeryn.
Tifa looked wide-eyed at her friend. "Are you...with him?"
"I guess you could say that," Laeryn replied nonchalantly.
"Mmman! Are you lucky! I guess he's a little old for me anyways. He's what, twenty-five? Yeah, that makes him ten years older than me. But what about that Zack guy? He's not much older than me and he's pretty fine too," Tifa continued.
"Zack? Are you serious?" laughed Laeryn, "Sorry, I've just spent waaay too much time around that kid."
They stopped at the edge of a deep chasm, filled with mist making it impossible to see the bottom. A crumbling wooden slat bridge was the only way of crossing. Ahead the gray pointed peaks of the Nibel mountains rose even higher. Tendrils of thick white fog threaded their way through the points, obscuring visibility. The entire scene seemed very unfriendly.
"Okay! That first part of the climb was pretty easy but it gets a lot tougher from here out. And watch your footing on this bridge, it can be tricky," Tifa announced as she cautiously made her way onto the slats. She pulled a bit ahead of the others since she was more familiar with bridge. Laeryn caught up to her, and moved one slat ahead. Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud stood just behind Tifa. She stopped quite suddenly and Cloud nearly plowed into her. Laeryn glanced over her shoulder at her. An off-key creaking sound reached their ears.
"Shit! The bridge!" Tifa yelled as the frayed ropes finally gave way.
"Grab the rope!" yelled Sephiroth as the bridge broke in half. He and Zack held on with both hands as the bridge continued to swing over the chasm. Tifa was holding on with one hand; Cloud was hanging from her other.
The bridge broke directly behind Laeryn, separating her from her companions. She could only dangle from the rope and watch helplessly as Sephiroth and the others swung away in the opposite direction. Because of the fog she quickly lost sight of them. Laeryn watched as the cliff face in front of her grew larger and larger until she finally smashed into it. The impact wrenched the rope from her grasp and she tumbled downwards, blacking out.
* * *
"Reach up and grab the rope! My hand's getting tired," Tifa snapped at Cloud.
He did so, and they carefully climbed down the rope to a wide ledge.
Sephiroth glared at Tifa. "I'd appreciate it if you would warn us about things like that, Miss Lockhart."
"I'm very sorry, Sephiroth. The added weight must have caused it to collapse. However, I still know where we are. All the caves in these mountains are interconnected, so we will still be able to reach the reactor. Let's move out," she said matter-of-factly, not dwelling on what she should have or could have done.
"Wait," Sephiroth froze suddenly, "Where's Laeryn?"
Zack, Cloud and Tifa looked at each other uncertainly.
"Where is she?!" demanded Sephiroth, his eyes widening with fear.
He approached the edge of the ledge. "Laeryn!" he screamed, "Laeryn!"
He sank to his knees as the only reply he received was his echo. He covered his face with his hands and forced his composure to stay with him. This was not a good time to get upset. Not in front of all these people. But how could he help it? Laeryn was lost somewhere. She could be dead for all he knew.
Zack, Cloud and Tifa shuffled around nervously. Tifa was the first to speak up.
"Sephiroth sir? Will you be all right?" she asked timidly.
Sephiroth ignored her question and rose, bowing his head so that his hair covered his face and hid his tears. Silently he walked toward the cave. He had to go on. He couldn't let Mother down like that. She was waiting. This thought no longer alarmed Sephiroth. He felt nothing toward it, or anything else for that matter, now that Laeryn disappeared. But he knew he couldn't bear to be left alone again, not after falling in love like this. But Mother was there to comfort him. She would love and protect him, even when Laeryn could not. Sephiroth immediately felt ashamed of his last thought. He held Laeryn's promise in higher regard than that. How could he push it aside so easily? What was happening to him?
The others walked a few paces behind him, unsure of how to act. Once they reached the cave, Tifa attempted to lighten to mood.
"I love these caves; they have such pretty colors. I wonder what makes them like that?" she said, a false cheeriness in her voice. Tifa didn't believe Laeryn was dead. She couldn't be dead. She had survived for weeks on her own in the wilderness. Of course she would be able to survive. Tifa felt the worst for Sephiroth. It was obvious that he really cared about Laeryn.
She was very surprised when Sephiroth answered her question. "The Mako energy in the rocks makes it that color. These mountains are abundant in it, which is why a reactor was built here."
"Interesting," replied Tifa. Sephiroth made no further response.
* * *
Laeryn rose shakily to her feet, leaning heavily on a bolder for support. The splitting throb in her head was nearly unbearable but she forced herself to remain standing. She looked up and winced as the movement made her head hurt even more. The fog made it impossible for her to see where she had fallen. All she remembered was the rope snapping and the cliff face looming in front of her. A quick glance around revealed that she was alone. Her companions had fallen in the opposite direction. She wondered if Sephiroth had survived the fall. "Sephiroth!" she yelled, knowing her efforts were futile, "Sephiroth!"
Laeryn wasn't surprised to hear her own voice bouncing back at her as a response. She fought down waves of anxiety and terror of the fact that Sephiroth might be lying dead somewhere and forced herself to think clearly. They had traveled north from Nibelheim into the mountains. Laeryn dug around in her pocket until her hand closed over her compass. The glass covering its face was cracked but she could still read it. Laeryn had no idea where the others might be or where they were headed, so she decided that the most logical thing to do was return to town and wait for them there. Right now she was facing almost due west. She turned south and began the strenuous hike back to Nibelheim.
* * *
Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud and Tifa exited the cave and came to a small open space. The space was illuminated by a series of small glowing crystals surrounded by undulating mist of some sort. The mist was nearly the same color as Sephiroth's eyes.
"Whoa! What is that?" exclaimed Tifa, once again unable to contain her curiosity.
Sephiroth's flat soft voice crept up from behind her. "It's Mako fountain. They are extremely rare."
"It's so beautiful!" Tifa said excitedly. She nimbly leapt through a maze of dead tree roots to get a closer look. Sephiroth followed close after her and Zack and Cloud scrabbled behind. Sephiroth leaned in close to the glowing form.
"Those crystals in the center are materia. Materia is hardly ever seen its natural state like this," he explained, still in monotone. Zack thought it was very odd for Sephiroth to be so openly talkative, and realized he was probably talking to keep his mind focused on something other than Laeryn.
To keep Sephiroth talking, Zack chimed in with another question. "Why is that materia allows you to use magic?" he asked.
"You're a Grand Admiral and you don't even know that?" Sephiroth responded, genuinely surprised, "Mako energy comes from the Lifestream, where souls wander over the Planet. Materia is condensed Mako energy. Therefore, when you use materia, you are using the knowledge of the Cetra, via the Lifestream. That knowledge interacts between ourselves and the Planet, calling up magic. Or so they say."
"Magic...a mysterious power," said Cloud, trying to add dramatic effect to the conversation. Sephiroth laughed a bitter, cynical laugh.
"What's so funny?" snapped Cloud, arms akimbo.
"A man once told me never to use a term as unscientific as magic. He said it shouldn't be called that at all. I still remember how angry he was..." Sephiroth said bitterly.
"Who was that?" asked Cloud.
"Hojo, Shinra's Director of Science. A walking mass of complexes," snarled the General.
"Alrighty then, if everyone's ready shall we move on?" prompted Tifa. Her fascination with the Mako fountain had worn off and she was ready to get moving again.
Sephiroth nodded and moved toward the next cave ahead.
"We're going to have to be extra careful from now on. The closer we get to the reactor, the higher the likelihood that we'll run into some animals. We've been really lucky so far," she explained, defiantly trotting ahead of Sephiroth.
* * *
The going was much tougher than Laeryn had anticipated. On their way up they had been walking on a path, albeit a rough, difficult one. Now there was nothing but steep bolder fields, jagged rock points and nearly sheer ravines to climb over. Laeryn heeded Tifa's earlier words and kept a sharp eye and ear out for any predatory creatures nearby. Time had passed quickly and the afternoon was wearing on. Laeryn really didn't want to be in the mountains after dark, so she tried to move as quickly as possible. Even if she ended up a bit west or east of Nibelheim, at least she would be safer on the plains than in these mountains. Thinking of the dangers of the mountains only made her worry more about Sephiroth. What if he was injured and unable to defend himself from the animals? Laeryn wrenched at the thought; she was no doubt far away from him now and she would be unable to protect him, unable to keep her promise. Well I'll cause him even more grief if I die in these mountains, she thought resolutely and picked up her pace.
* * *
The reactor rose up out of the jagged ground, reclining against the face of a cliff. The numerous pipelines and pillars plunging into the rock made it look at bit like a spider clinging to a wall.
"Here we are at the reactor. We sure took the long way, but we made it!" said Tifa, leaning against a rock to catch her breath. Sephiroth had set a very strenuous pace and the other had to jog to keep up with him. Cloud approached Tifa, quite nervous despite the fact that his helmet completely hid his face from view.
"Miss Lockhart, you're going to have to wait outside," he said to her, making his voice sound a little deeper.
"No way, kid! I'm going in too. I want to see the inside," she replied confidently as she pushed past Cloud.
Sephiroth promptly ended the debate. "These reactors contain Shinra's industrial secrets. Only authorized personnel are allowed in."
"But...!" she started to protest.
Sephiroth looked at Cloud. "Take care of the lady."
Tifa was flattered that Sephiroth had referred to her as lady and dropped the argument.
As soon as Sephiroth and Zack went inside, however, she immediately tried to run up the stairs after them. Cloud jumped ahead of her and resolutely blocked her path.
"Mmman!" she exclaimed, stomping her foot, "You better take real good care of me!"
Sephiroth shuddered as he stepped inside. This was the source of the wrong. It was here. It felt horrible, like there were ants crawling around on his brain. He glanced back outside, toward the light. He almost turned back. No no, keep going my son. Mother's gentle hiss echoed in his mind. She must be close. In here, maybe? Now he could hear her words, understand what she wanted. Suddenly Sephiroth found himself climbing down a series of chains. He hadn't remembered moving away from door, but now he was suddenly far enough in that he could no longer see light. What's happening to me...he wondered, slightly afraid. Zack was still behind him, dutifully following. He desperately wished it were Laeryn. Somehow her presence palliated the feeling of wrong, the dark echoes in his mind, and Mother's voice. But how could he possibly ignore the wishes of his own Mother?
They made their way through a small door into the heart of the reactor. Sephiroth took in a strangled gasp at the site before him. The word 'Jenovah' was inscribed all across the walls and on the pipes above. A single flight of stairs cut the room in half, and at the top another dark door was visible. On each side of stairs were several rows of metal capsules, each with a small glass circle on the front.
Sephiroth had stopped so suddenly that Zack almost ran into him.
"Uh, something wrong, sir?" he asked, noticing his leader's sudden tension.
Sephiroth ignored him and began examining the room. On the left wall several of the coolant valves were open, releasing steam into the room.
"This is the reason for the malfunction. The water coolant has been leaking, causing the reactor to overheat and shut down. Zack, close the valve," he said blankly.
Zack did as he was told and the hiss of steam stopped, leaving the room in eerie silence.
"I wonder why it broke..." Sephiroth thought out loud. He walked over to one of the capsules and peered inside through the small glass circle. His eyes widened at the terrible site. A monster was inside the capsule. No, no not a monster. A regular animal that had been horribly mutated by overexposure to Mako energy. In fact, the animal appeared to be surrounded by pure Mako inside its capsule.
Sephiroth cursed under his breath. "Hojo, you insane bastard..."
Zack looked questioningly at Sephiroth. Very rarely did he swear.
"This system condenses and freezes Mako energy in order to produce materia. That is, when it's working correctly. However, Hojo of Shinra has put living creatures into these capsules. Look for yourself," Sephiroth said with disgust.
Zack stood on tiptoe to look through the window. He immediately reeled back in horror. "Wh-what is that?!?"
"All normal people are exposed to some degree of Mako energy in their daily lives. These small doses have no effect on their bodies. However, these animals and humans have been exposed to a far higher degree of Mako energy.
"A-are they...monsters?" Zack asked, still shocked from what he had seen.
"Yes. And Hojo is the one who put them here," growled Sephiroth, "They are regular animals, and ordinary people, who have been grossly mutated by overexposure to Mako. That's what these monsters are. Animals...and people."
"Earlier when you were talking you said 'normal people'. Does that mean that you're different somehow?" asked Zack innocently.
Sephiroth turned from Zack and took a shaky breath. No. It couldn't be... Had Hojo created him this way too? Was he nothing more than a monster, a mutated freak? He frantically tried to recall what Laeryn had said to him the night of the celebration...how comforting her words had been. Know the truth, whispered Mother. Suddenly he couldn't remember what Laeryn said. Sephiroth was terrified. He was so used to being in control of situations and now confusion was the only thing he could see.
"H-hey Sephiroth..." Zack said carefully.
"N-no..." whispered Sephiroth, his voice breaking, "Was I...?
Zack hastily leapt backwards as Sephiroth began to slice at the capsules with Masamune, each clanging impact leaving a deep score mark.
"Was I created this way too?" he screamed, dropping Masamune, "Am I no different from these monsters?!?"
"Sephiroth..." Zack said, a bit frightened. He took a cautious step toward his leader.
Sephiroth whirled on him suddenly. "You saw it, Zack. Some of these monsters used to be human..." His voice broke again, and tears threatened his eyes once again.
Zack watched in bewilderment as Sephiroth slowly bent to pick up his sword. As he did so he began to speak slowly.
"Ever since I was small, I felt...that I was different from the others. Special in some way. But not like this..."
His speech was interrupted be an earsplitting screech. Both men turned in alarm. One of the capsules broke open and a creature tumbled out, writhing on the floor as if trying to cling to some vestige of its lost humanity. It seemed to give up after a few moments and lay still.
The sight was too much for Sephiroth. "That's it. We're leaving!" He turned and dashed toward the door. Stay with me, my son! Please don't leave me! I love you!, Mother cried. Adrenaline made Sephiroth's feet move. God, it was wrong. Everything he had seen was wrong. So was his own existence... Sephiroth forced himself to ignore the wishes of his Mother. The more he tried, the more his head hurt. The pain was agonizing like needles, of which he was deathly afraid. Needles sliding into his skull. He screamed in agony, clutching his head, ran out the door and nearly fell down the stairs. He was hyperventilating, gasping for breath.
"We're...leaving now...let's go...hurry," he gasped before taking off down the mountain side.
"What was in there? He looks terrified," Tifa whispered to Zack.
Zack merely shook his head. "I...I can't explain...I don't think I understand..."
"Well did you at least get everything fixed?" asked Cloud.
"Yes, we did. The blackouts shouldn't be a problem anymore," answered Zack, still sounding a bit shaken up.
"And what about the monsters?"
"The monsters... They are animals mutated by overexposure to Mako energy. We'll leave it at that."
Cloud wasn't sure what Zack meant by that last part, but nodded a reply anyways.
"Shouldn't we go after Sephiroth?" Tifa interrupted.
"Yeah, I bet you'd like to 'go after' Sephiroth," snickered Zack.
Tifa belted him over the head. "Oh, shut up! You're just jealous! I'm going back to town and leaving you two dumbasses here!"
"Owww! Hey that hurt! I'm coming with you!" Zack exclaimed and ran after her.
"I didn't even say anything!" called Cloud, trying to catch up.
Sephiroth continued his mad dash down the mountain toward the Shinra mansion, determined to find the truth.
Awareness slowly crept into Laeryn's mind the next morning. It was ushered in by something heavy draped over her side and something warm off to her side. She peeled her eyes open to see Sephiroth lying next to her, still asleep. His face was partially obscured by his long silver bangs but his lips were visible, slightly parted, and his chest rose and fell slowly. Laeryn sat up as cautiously as she could, not wanting to disturb him. Dim morning twilight was beginning to creep through the windows. Probably about an hour until they had to meet Cloud and Zack. Laeryn shifted her weight as she leaned forward to gather her clothing off the floor. Sephiroth stirred, rolling onto his back. His hair pooled behind his head like a silver halo. He looks so innocent, like an angel, she thought. She considered seeing the mission through herself and letting him sleep but figured he'd be unhappy when he found out she left without him. She leaned back over him and began to trace the muscles of his chest. "Sephiroth," she murmured against his ear. He ground loudly and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. When he finally opened them the room became considerably brighter. Sephiroth glanced around, looking a bit confused until he saw Laeryn. He clumsily hugged and kissed her, but missed her lips. He stumbled out of bed, deftly tripping over his pants before making his way to the bathroom, oblivious to the fact that he hadn't a stitch on. Laeryn got the distinct impression that he wasn't a morning person.
Sephiroth emerged from the bathroom a short while later, dripping wet and blushing furiously, clutching a small white towel around his waist. "My clothes..." he muttered as he grabbed them off the floor. Laeryn couldn't help but laugh. She threw on her on clothes and picked a few tangles out of her hair before waiting by the door for him.
Some minutes later Sephiroth was ready, dressed in his usual attire complete with white shoulder armor and straps crossed over his chest.
"Took you long enough," she griped.
He glared at her. "Would you rather me be a complete slob like Zack or Cloud?"
Laeryn laughed. "No no. Meticulousness isn't always a bad thing. In the case of your appearance it certainly pays off."
The compliment went completely over Sephiroth's head. He just looked at her for a few moments before strolling downstairs to the lobby.
"General!" Zack called from behind them.
"Where's Cloud?" Sephiroth asked. Patience had never been Sephiroth's strong point and if Cloud wasn't ready on time they were leaving without him.
"Uh, I think he's coming in a few minutes. He said he was," answered Zack. He started as he noticed Laeryn for the first time.
"Grand Admiral...errr no...Laeryn...Miss Chase...good morning," he said awkwardly. Zack knew he'd best be very polite to Laeryn or he'd catch hell from Sephiroth. And though he was dying to know exactly what was going on between them, he knew much better than to ask either of them about it.
"We're leaving. If Cloud ever gets out of bed, maybe he'll have a chance of catching up with us before we leave town," answered Sephiroth, "Let's go."
It was a Sunday morning and no one else in Nibelheim was awake yet. They walked through the eerie silence towards the gate at the north end of town.
"What's that building over there? It's much larger than all the others," Zack asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. The building in question was huge, situated at the top of a slight hill. It looked like it had been resplendent at some point, but now it was completely abandoned and dilapidated. A twisted black iron gate barred any entrance.
"That is the Shinra mansion. Many years ago, shortly after the Shinra family became wealthy, they bought that house. They abandoned it almost twenty-five years ago, saying something about how they grew tired of the scenery," answered Sephiroth. He shivered suddenly, even though it wasn't particularly cold. A wave the unpleasant feeling he experienced earlier passed over him, and he couldn't help but feel that the sudden abandonment of the Shinra mansion had something to do with what was in those mountains. He did not want to go into the mountains. Something was wrong.
"General Sephiroth!"
Sephiroth jumped at the voice and turned to see and older man waving towards him. Running ahead of the man was a young girl. She was wearing knee-length khaki shorts, a white tank top and a baseball cap. She also wore heavy boots with metal studs across the top. Her gloves sported a row of metal across the knuckles. The girl walked right up to Sephiroth without any trace of apprehension or fear and bowed formally.
"General, sir. I'm Tifa Lockhart, your guide into the mountains today. I am at your service," she said.
The older man, Tifa's father, caught up with her. "General. Please don't let anything happen to her," he pleaded. Despite Tifa's familiarity with the mountains and her skill at fighting, her father never ceased to worry about her.
Tifa rolled her red-brown eyes. "Dad, please. Not only am I the best martial artist in the world, I have all these people from Soldier with me. Nothing will happen."
Sephiroth nodded once in response. "Tifa?" said Laeryn.
"Laeryn! Hi! I didn't expect to see you again so soon. You're going with the Soldiers?" she asked.
Cloud's voice interrupted any further conversation. "I'm here!" They all turned to see him come barreling up, helmet firmly planted over his face. He saw Tifa chatting with Laeryn and sorely regretted lying to her. He wished he could take his helmet off and talk to her. He hadn't seen her in so long, but she was just as he remembered her. Reddish, mahogany colored eyes, brown hair pulled back in a low, loose pony-tail. Her irrepressible energy and courage.
"Good. We're leaving. Miss Lockhart, go ahead," said Sephiroth.
"Call me Tifa," she replied, turning bright red.
Another man came running after them as they were about to step through the gate.
"Wait a moment!" he called.
Sephiroth turned, his patience wearing thin due to Cloud's tardiness.
"C-can I...take your picture?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Sephiroth looked as if he were about to give the man a close-up of Masamune, but was distracted when Tifa happily complied. She stood next to him and smiled. Laeryn stood on his other side, and Zack next to her.
"Cheeeese!" Tifa and Zack smiled. Sephiroth glared. Laeryn blinked. By the time Cloud realized what was going on, the photo session was over and done with.
"That's it. No more interruptions. We are leaving now," Sephiroth growled and stormed out the gate.
"Hey! Wait for me! I'm the guide! I have to go ahead of you because I know where we're going," called Tifa as she ran to catch up with him. Laeryn caught up and walked with Tifa. Zack and Cloud brought up the rear.
Tifa glanced over her shoulder to make sure Sephiroth was out of earshot.
"Woo! Sephiroth is hot! And he's so polite too! What a doll," Tifa raved as quietly as possible.
"Yes he is. A complete angel," agreed Laeryn.
Tifa looked wide-eyed at her friend. "Are you...with him?"
"I guess you could say that," Laeryn replied nonchalantly.
"Mmman! Are you lucky! I guess he's a little old for me anyways. He's what, twenty-five? Yeah, that makes him ten years older than me. But what about that Zack guy? He's not much older than me and he's pretty fine too," Tifa continued.
"Zack? Are you serious?" laughed Laeryn, "Sorry, I've just spent waaay too much time around that kid."
They stopped at the edge of a deep chasm, filled with mist making it impossible to see the bottom. A crumbling wooden slat bridge was the only way of crossing. Ahead the gray pointed peaks of the Nibel mountains rose even higher. Tendrils of thick white fog threaded their way through the points, obscuring visibility. The entire scene seemed very unfriendly.
"Okay! That first part of the climb was pretty easy but it gets a lot tougher from here out. And watch your footing on this bridge, it can be tricky," Tifa announced as she cautiously made her way onto the slats. She pulled a bit ahead of the others since she was more familiar with bridge. Laeryn caught up to her, and moved one slat ahead. Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud stood just behind Tifa. She stopped quite suddenly and Cloud nearly plowed into her. Laeryn glanced over her shoulder at her. An off-key creaking sound reached their ears.
"Shit! The bridge!" Tifa yelled as the frayed ropes finally gave way.
"Grab the rope!" yelled Sephiroth as the bridge broke in half. He and Zack held on with both hands as the bridge continued to swing over the chasm. Tifa was holding on with one hand; Cloud was hanging from her other.
The bridge broke directly behind Laeryn, separating her from her companions. She could only dangle from the rope and watch helplessly as Sephiroth and the others swung away in the opposite direction. Because of the fog she quickly lost sight of them. Laeryn watched as the cliff face in front of her grew larger and larger until she finally smashed into it. The impact wrenched the rope from her grasp and she tumbled downwards, blacking out.
* * *
"Reach up and grab the rope! My hand's getting tired," Tifa snapped at Cloud.
He did so, and they carefully climbed down the rope to a wide ledge.
Sephiroth glared at Tifa. "I'd appreciate it if you would warn us about things like that, Miss Lockhart."
"I'm very sorry, Sephiroth. The added weight must have caused it to collapse. However, I still know where we are. All the caves in these mountains are interconnected, so we will still be able to reach the reactor. Let's move out," she said matter-of-factly, not dwelling on what she should have or could have done.
"Wait," Sephiroth froze suddenly, "Where's Laeryn?"
Zack, Cloud and Tifa looked at each other uncertainly.
"Where is she?!" demanded Sephiroth, his eyes widening with fear.
He approached the edge of the ledge. "Laeryn!" he screamed, "Laeryn!"
He sank to his knees as the only reply he received was his echo. He covered his face with his hands and forced his composure to stay with him. This was not a good time to get upset. Not in front of all these people. But how could he help it? Laeryn was lost somewhere. She could be dead for all he knew.
Zack, Cloud and Tifa shuffled around nervously. Tifa was the first to speak up.
"Sephiroth sir? Will you be all right?" she asked timidly.
Sephiroth ignored her question and rose, bowing his head so that his hair covered his face and hid his tears. Silently he walked toward the cave. He had to go on. He couldn't let Mother down like that. She was waiting. This thought no longer alarmed Sephiroth. He felt nothing toward it, or anything else for that matter, now that Laeryn disappeared. But he knew he couldn't bear to be left alone again, not after falling in love like this. But Mother was there to comfort him. She would love and protect him, even when Laeryn could not. Sephiroth immediately felt ashamed of his last thought. He held Laeryn's promise in higher regard than that. How could he push it aside so easily? What was happening to him?
The others walked a few paces behind him, unsure of how to act. Once they reached the cave, Tifa attempted to lighten to mood.
"I love these caves; they have such pretty colors. I wonder what makes them like that?" she said, a false cheeriness in her voice. Tifa didn't believe Laeryn was dead. She couldn't be dead. She had survived for weeks on her own in the wilderness. Of course she would be able to survive. Tifa felt the worst for Sephiroth. It was obvious that he really cared about Laeryn.
She was very surprised when Sephiroth answered her question. "The Mako energy in the rocks makes it that color. These mountains are abundant in it, which is why a reactor was built here."
"Interesting," replied Tifa. Sephiroth made no further response.
* * *
Laeryn rose shakily to her feet, leaning heavily on a bolder for support. The splitting throb in her head was nearly unbearable but she forced herself to remain standing. She looked up and winced as the movement made her head hurt even more. The fog made it impossible for her to see where she had fallen. All she remembered was the rope snapping and the cliff face looming in front of her. A quick glance around revealed that she was alone. Her companions had fallen in the opposite direction. She wondered if Sephiroth had survived the fall. "Sephiroth!" she yelled, knowing her efforts were futile, "Sephiroth!"
Laeryn wasn't surprised to hear her own voice bouncing back at her as a response. She fought down waves of anxiety and terror of the fact that Sephiroth might be lying dead somewhere and forced herself to think clearly. They had traveled north from Nibelheim into the mountains. Laeryn dug around in her pocket until her hand closed over her compass. The glass covering its face was cracked but she could still read it. Laeryn had no idea where the others might be or where they were headed, so she decided that the most logical thing to do was return to town and wait for them there. Right now she was facing almost due west. She turned south and began the strenuous hike back to Nibelheim.
* * *
Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud and Tifa exited the cave and came to a small open space. The space was illuminated by a series of small glowing crystals surrounded by undulating mist of some sort. The mist was nearly the same color as Sephiroth's eyes.
"Whoa! What is that?" exclaimed Tifa, once again unable to contain her curiosity.
Sephiroth's flat soft voice crept up from behind her. "It's Mako fountain. They are extremely rare."
"It's so beautiful!" Tifa said excitedly. She nimbly leapt through a maze of dead tree roots to get a closer look. Sephiroth followed close after her and Zack and Cloud scrabbled behind. Sephiroth leaned in close to the glowing form.
"Those crystals in the center are materia. Materia is hardly ever seen its natural state like this," he explained, still in monotone. Zack thought it was very odd for Sephiroth to be so openly talkative, and realized he was probably talking to keep his mind focused on something other than Laeryn.
To keep Sephiroth talking, Zack chimed in with another question. "Why is that materia allows you to use magic?" he asked.
"You're a Grand Admiral and you don't even know that?" Sephiroth responded, genuinely surprised, "Mako energy comes from the Lifestream, where souls wander over the Planet. Materia is condensed Mako energy. Therefore, when you use materia, you are using the knowledge of the Cetra, via the Lifestream. That knowledge interacts between ourselves and the Planet, calling up magic. Or so they say."
"Magic...a mysterious power," said Cloud, trying to add dramatic effect to the conversation. Sephiroth laughed a bitter, cynical laugh.
"What's so funny?" snapped Cloud, arms akimbo.
"A man once told me never to use a term as unscientific as magic. He said it shouldn't be called that at all. I still remember how angry he was..." Sephiroth said bitterly.
"Who was that?" asked Cloud.
"Hojo, Shinra's Director of Science. A walking mass of complexes," snarled the General.
"Alrighty then, if everyone's ready shall we move on?" prompted Tifa. Her fascination with the Mako fountain had worn off and she was ready to get moving again.
Sephiroth nodded and moved toward the next cave ahead.
"We're going to have to be extra careful from now on. The closer we get to the reactor, the higher the likelihood that we'll run into some animals. We've been really lucky so far," she explained, defiantly trotting ahead of Sephiroth.
* * *
The going was much tougher than Laeryn had anticipated. On their way up they had been walking on a path, albeit a rough, difficult one. Now there was nothing but steep bolder fields, jagged rock points and nearly sheer ravines to climb over. Laeryn heeded Tifa's earlier words and kept a sharp eye and ear out for any predatory creatures nearby. Time had passed quickly and the afternoon was wearing on. Laeryn really didn't want to be in the mountains after dark, so she tried to move as quickly as possible. Even if she ended up a bit west or east of Nibelheim, at least she would be safer on the plains than in these mountains. Thinking of the dangers of the mountains only made her worry more about Sephiroth. What if he was injured and unable to defend himself from the animals? Laeryn wrenched at the thought; she was no doubt far away from him now and she would be unable to protect him, unable to keep her promise. Well I'll cause him even more grief if I die in these mountains, she thought resolutely and picked up her pace.
* * *
The reactor rose up out of the jagged ground, reclining against the face of a cliff. The numerous pipelines and pillars plunging into the rock made it look at bit like a spider clinging to a wall.
"Here we are at the reactor. We sure took the long way, but we made it!" said Tifa, leaning against a rock to catch her breath. Sephiroth had set a very strenuous pace and the other had to jog to keep up with him. Cloud approached Tifa, quite nervous despite the fact that his helmet completely hid his face from view.
"Miss Lockhart, you're going to have to wait outside," he said to her, making his voice sound a little deeper.
"No way, kid! I'm going in too. I want to see the inside," she replied confidently as she pushed past Cloud.
Sephiroth promptly ended the debate. "These reactors contain Shinra's industrial secrets. Only authorized personnel are allowed in."
"But...!" she started to protest.
Sephiroth looked at Cloud. "Take care of the lady."
Tifa was flattered that Sephiroth had referred to her as lady and dropped the argument.
As soon as Sephiroth and Zack went inside, however, she immediately tried to run up the stairs after them. Cloud jumped ahead of her and resolutely blocked her path.
"Mmman!" she exclaimed, stomping her foot, "You better take real good care of me!"
Sephiroth shuddered as he stepped inside. This was the source of the wrong. It was here. It felt horrible, like there were ants crawling around on his brain. He glanced back outside, toward the light. He almost turned back. No no, keep going my son. Mother's gentle hiss echoed in his mind. She must be close. In here, maybe? Now he could hear her words, understand what she wanted. Suddenly Sephiroth found himself climbing down a series of chains. He hadn't remembered moving away from door, but now he was suddenly far enough in that he could no longer see light. What's happening to me...he wondered, slightly afraid. Zack was still behind him, dutifully following. He desperately wished it were Laeryn. Somehow her presence palliated the feeling of wrong, the dark echoes in his mind, and Mother's voice. But how could he possibly ignore the wishes of his own Mother?
They made their way through a small door into the heart of the reactor. Sephiroth took in a strangled gasp at the site before him. The word 'Jenovah' was inscribed all across the walls and on the pipes above. A single flight of stairs cut the room in half, and at the top another dark door was visible. On each side of stairs were several rows of metal capsules, each with a small glass circle on the front.
Sephiroth had stopped so suddenly that Zack almost ran into him.
"Uh, something wrong, sir?" he asked, noticing his leader's sudden tension.
Sephiroth ignored him and began examining the room. On the left wall several of the coolant valves were open, releasing steam into the room.
"This is the reason for the malfunction. The water coolant has been leaking, causing the reactor to overheat and shut down. Zack, close the valve," he said blankly.
Zack did as he was told and the hiss of steam stopped, leaving the room in eerie silence.
"I wonder why it broke..." Sephiroth thought out loud. He walked over to one of the capsules and peered inside through the small glass circle. His eyes widened at the terrible site. A monster was inside the capsule. No, no not a monster. A regular animal that had been horribly mutated by overexposure to Mako energy. In fact, the animal appeared to be surrounded by pure Mako inside its capsule.
Sephiroth cursed under his breath. "Hojo, you insane bastard..."
Zack looked questioningly at Sephiroth. Very rarely did he swear.
"This system condenses and freezes Mako energy in order to produce materia. That is, when it's working correctly. However, Hojo of Shinra has put living creatures into these capsules. Look for yourself," Sephiroth said with disgust.
Zack stood on tiptoe to look through the window. He immediately reeled back in horror. "Wh-what is that?!?"
"All normal people are exposed to some degree of Mako energy in their daily lives. These small doses have no effect on their bodies. However, these animals and humans have been exposed to a far higher degree of Mako energy.
"A-are they...monsters?" Zack asked, still shocked from what he had seen.
"Yes. And Hojo is the one who put them here," growled Sephiroth, "They are regular animals, and ordinary people, who have been grossly mutated by overexposure to Mako. That's what these monsters are. Animals...and people."
"Earlier when you were talking you said 'normal people'. Does that mean that you're different somehow?" asked Zack innocently.
Sephiroth turned from Zack and took a shaky breath. No. It couldn't be... Had Hojo created him this way too? Was he nothing more than a monster, a mutated freak? He frantically tried to recall what Laeryn had said to him the night of the celebration...how comforting her words had been. Know the truth, whispered Mother. Suddenly he couldn't remember what Laeryn said. Sephiroth was terrified. He was so used to being in control of situations and now confusion was the only thing he could see.
"H-hey Sephiroth..." Zack said carefully.
"N-no..." whispered Sephiroth, his voice breaking, "Was I...?
Zack hastily leapt backwards as Sephiroth began to slice at the capsules with Masamune, each clanging impact leaving a deep score mark.
"Was I created this way too?" he screamed, dropping Masamune, "Am I no different from these monsters?!?"
"Sephiroth..." Zack said, a bit frightened. He took a cautious step toward his leader.
Sephiroth whirled on him suddenly. "You saw it, Zack. Some of these monsters used to be human..." His voice broke again, and tears threatened his eyes once again.
Zack watched in bewilderment as Sephiroth slowly bent to pick up his sword. As he did so he began to speak slowly.
"Ever since I was small, I felt...that I was different from the others. Special in some way. But not like this..."
His speech was interrupted be an earsplitting screech. Both men turned in alarm. One of the capsules broke open and a creature tumbled out, writhing on the floor as if trying to cling to some vestige of its lost humanity. It seemed to give up after a few moments and lay still.
The sight was too much for Sephiroth. "That's it. We're leaving!" He turned and dashed toward the door. Stay with me, my son! Please don't leave me! I love you!, Mother cried. Adrenaline made Sephiroth's feet move. God, it was wrong. Everything he had seen was wrong. So was his own existence... Sephiroth forced himself to ignore the wishes of his Mother. The more he tried, the more his head hurt. The pain was agonizing like needles, of which he was deathly afraid. Needles sliding into his skull. He screamed in agony, clutching his head, ran out the door and nearly fell down the stairs. He was hyperventilating, gasping for breath.
"We're...leaving now...let's go...hurry," he gasped before taking off down the mountain side.
"What was in there? He looks terrified," Tifa whispered to Zack.
Zack merely shook his head. "I...I can't explain...I don't think I understand..."
"Well did you at least get everything fixed?" asked Cloud.
"Yes, we did. The blackouts shouldn't be a problem anymore," answered Zack, still sounding a bit shaken up.
"And what about the monsters?"
"The monsters... They are animals mutated by overexposure to Mako energy. We'll leave it at that."
Cloud wasn't sure what Zack meant by that last part, but nodded a reply anyways.
"Shouldn't we go after Sephiroth?" Tifa interrupted.
"Yeah, I bet you'd like to 'go after' Sephiroth," snickered Zack.
Tifa belted him over the head. "Oh, shut up! You're just jealous! I'm going back to town and leaving you two dumbasses here!"
"Owww! Hey that hurt! I'm coming with you!" Zack exclaimed and ran after her.
"I didn't even say anything!" called Cloud, trying to catch up.
Sephiroth continued his mad dash down the mountain toward the Shinra mansion, determined to find the truth.
