Should I Build The Wall
Zack, Cloud and Tifa paused a moment to catch their breath. Their helter-skelter, downhill pursuit of Sephiroth left them panting for air.
"Jesus...Sephiroth... is fast..." panted Zack.
"Yeah...no kidding...let's just... find him when...we get back," replied Cloud, equally winded.
"You two shut up a sec!" snapped Tifa. Her head was cocked as she picked up on a barely audible clicking sound. Her eyes narrowed as she crouched into a fighting stance.
"Don't move. There's a creature near. Twin Brain, I think, judging from that sound it was making," she whispered.
Zack and Cloud had no idea what a Twin Brain was but it sounded sufficiently intimidating to urge them to comply with Tifa's directions. Their eyes widened as several dark purple tendrils snaked around from behind a pile of rocks. The tendrils withdrew a moment later and two creatures emerged. They were about the same height as Zack, with mottled dark purple skin. Two rows of four slanted yellow eyes covered the front of its elongated body. Eight long purple feelers sprouted from each side and a round toothy mouth was positioned below the eyes.
The blood drained from Cloud's face. He had never seen anything like this in his training simulations. How was he supposed to attack this thing? He had been trained to fight people, not monsters. Similar thoughts worked their way through Zack's mind. The dark-haired boy held his breath, forcing down a sudden urge to sneeze. Zack cursed himself inwardly. He was not going to be the one to get them killed by these monsters. Tifa stood perfectly still, every muscle in her body coiled in anticipation.
Zack sneezed. The Twin Brain lashed out with a tentacle. Zack ducked frantically as it narrowly missed his head.
"Hit the eyes!" yelled Tifa as she charged at the second creature.
She leapt through the air. Her long muscled legs uncoiled and planted a pair of devastating kicks to its face. The series of meaty thwacks was followed by an outpouring of dark blood as the spikes on Tifa's boots ripped into its eyes. With several of the eyes now useless, the Twin Brain faltered, trying to regain its bearings. Tifa ducked low to avoid the involuntary snaps of its tentacles. She leaned toward its blind side to further disorient it. As it turned to face her with its good eyes, Tifa unloaded a punch to the narrow region between the rows of eyes. Another punch quickly followed and the Twin Brain collapsed, its face torn apart by Tifa's fists.
Zack and Cloud had managed to sever half of the other Twin Brain's tentacles.
"Keep cutting at the tentacles, Cloud! I'll try to hit the face!" yelled Zack as leapt into the air to avoid a swipe at his legs. He immediately slipped off to the side and waited until the creature's attention was fully focused on Cloud.
Cloud's eyes were still wide with fear but he slashed doggedly at the tendrils whenever the opportunity presented itself. Cloud spent most of the time parrying the remaining tentacles as he put his limited swordsmanship skills to the test.
"Dammit Cloud, just a little longer..." Zack muttered, "Yes, that's it...move a little more to the left...perfect!"
Zack leapt forward and plunged his broadsword into the Twin Brain's side. He quickly pulled his sword out and leapt back as the tentacles flailed weakly at him. The creature finally fell in a pool of its own blood.
Tifa walked over to them, her breathing slightly faster than normal. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion and the red of her eyes overpowered the brown. Cloud stared blatantly at her, very thankful for his helmet.
"Damn! Of course the monsters don't come after us until we're in a hurry," Tifa said with a roll of her eyes.
"Yeah no kidding. Sephiroth's waaaay ahead of us now. He's probably already back in town somewhere," agreed Zack.
"Well then let's not waste anymore time talking. Off we go!"
* * *
Sephiroth was back in Nibelheim already, at the hotel. He numbly pushed open the door to his room. It seemed so unreal, like he was acting all this out on a stage, with himself as the audience as well. He sat down on the bed and stared at the tangled sheets. The pillow, which still had a vague indent in the shape of her head. The whiteness of the pillow was marred by a tiny line of black, a piece of her hair. Sephiroth picked it up and examined it. She was gone. The awful truth loomed before Sephiroth; that he was a mutated freak of nature, that he was a monster, and that he wasn't human. Hojo had made him. Probably in one of those capsules with the other mindless beasts that now roamed the mountains. Now that she wasn't here to tell him otherwise, it was all true. As if her words had been the only things that had kept these thoughts from becoming real. Now that she was gone, it seemed as if his nightmares were spilling over into reality. But it's true. Don't deny your birthright, my son, Jenovah whispered.
Sephiroth drew back in horror as a shimmery apparition appeared before him. It assumed the shape of a kindly old woman, gray hair neatly tucked into a bun, small round spectacles perched on her small nose. Her eyes were surrounded with creases brought on by smiles and laughter. The eyes themselves radiated peace and calm. A shawl was draped over her tiny frame, and she leaned heavily on a cane.
"W-what...is this..." Sephiroth stammered.
The old woman smiled at him. "Don't you recognize me, Sephiroth? It's me, Jenovah. I'm your Mother," she said with a disarming giggle.
"M-mother...?" he asked incredulously. Almost of its own accord, Sephiroth's hand reached out to touch her. Jenovah took his hand and the apparition distorted for a moment, like a cable program interrupted by a lightning storm. Behind it lurked a black creature, writhing and brimming with evil and cunning. Sephiroth jerked his hand back in terror.
"Laeryn!" he called out. But now the black thing was gone and Mother was there instead, sitting beside him on the bed. She rested her small frail hand on Sephiroth's shoulder. The first thing that Sephiroth noticed was how cold her hand was. It felt a chunk of ice was sitting on his shoulder. There was another curious feeling as well; that the hand was writhing around, even though he was looking at it and knew it was still.
"There there, my son. Don't worry. Did you see something that frightened you? I won't let it hurt you if you listen to your Mother. And I know you will, because you're a good boy," Jenovah said soothingly. It cursed inwardly that it had allowed the illusion to slip, causing Sephiroth to see its true form.
Sephiroth nodded dumbly.
"Good boy! Now Mother doesn't like it when you say her name, Sephiroth," Jenovah said a little more firmly. It knew all about Laeryn from its excursions into Sephiroth's mind. It knew what he felt for her. And it also knew that Laeryn was the only thing keeping Sephiroth in control of himself and from becoming its slave.
"But why, Mother? I love her. Aren't you happy for me?" Sephiroth asked, thoroughly confused.
Jenovah shook its knobbly finger at him.
"Mother doesn't approve. You don't want to go against the wishes of your Mother, do you?" it hissed.
Sephiroth stared at Jenovah. Was his own Mother telling him to turn on Laeryn? That was something he could never do. But he couldn't let Jenovah know that; he didn't want to feel the needles, the ones he had felt when he ran out of the reactor. He nodded.
"Good boy!" Jenovah exclaimed enthusiastically, patting him on the head, "Now, two more favors for your Mother. Go to the basement of the Shinra mansion and look at the books. You'll find some interesting reading materials there. Reading is good for boys' minds! And once you've finished there, do come visit me in the mountains. I grow awfully lonely up there and would love it if my boy would visit me!" It smiled and clasped its hands excitedly, looking as innocent as possible.
Sephiroth's confusion had worn off and was rapidly being replaced with annoyance. Why was his Mother treating him like a child, when she knew perfectly well he was twenty-five years old? And where did she get the authority to make decisions for him, where did she get the power to 'approve' or 'disapprove' of his feelings? He gasped suddenly and clutched at his head. It was the needles. It felt like the Hojo's needles, only these slid into his brain instead of his veins. He gritted his teeth and forced himself not to cry out. Needles were his worst fear.
"Don't question my judgement, Sephiroth. I'm your Mother, I know what's good for you. Now go off and do as your told," Jenovah said sternly. The illusion faltered again and this time Sephiroth could see two orange pinpricks oscillating in the midst of the black thing. He turned and ran out of the room.
* * *
"Is Sephiroth at the hotel?" asked Cloud, surveying the town. After the alarming encounter with the Twin Brains, the three had made it back safely.
"How the hell should I know?" snapped Zack. Even though he and Cloud were friends, Zack never missed the opportunity to make Cloud look stupid; especially in front of a girl like Tifa.
"Don't even start arguing," she warned, "Why don't you guys go look and see if he's there? I'll look over on the south end of town, by the front gates. And keep an eye out for Laeryn too, okay?" Her voice was laden with worry as she mentioned Laeryn. Zack and Cloud didn't say anything about her; they didn't think she had survived, but didn't want to upset Tifa either. The boys nodded and walked away.
Zack approached the front desk of the hotel.
"Excuse me, have you seen the General pass by here?" he inquired of the man behind the desk.
"Yes sir. He went upstairs, to his room presumably, and then came back down this way about fifteen minutes later. Looked like he was in quite a hurry, too," answered the man.
How odd, thought Zack, where would Sephiroth possibly be hurrying to?
"Well, let's go up there anyways. We might find some clue as to where he went," Zack said out loud.
"You realize he's probably running around in the mountains somewhere looking for Laeryn, right?" said Cloud.
"Hmmm, I don't know. He seemed pretty eager to get out of the mountains if you ask me. Even without Laeryn," answered Zack, "Let's look in town first. Besides, I'd just as soon not go back up there when it's dark."
So the search began. Cloud and Zack looked outside first, wandering every street and alleyway of their section of town. Tifa scoured her section just as thoroughly, and with an equal degree of failure. Soon they were knocking on the doors of random houses, asking the residents if they had seen General Sephiroth pass by, and asking the same question of random people on the street. Most had not, but a few awe-struck faces and pointed fingers gave them a general idea. The walked quickly to the north end of town, where people seemed to be pointing the most. They reached the rear gates and only one building remained unturned.
"The Shinra mansion. That place gives the creeps," shivered Cloud.
"Yeah well that's where Sephiroth must be. We've looked everywhere else and everyone was pointing this direction," shrugged Zack.
"I know but it still gives me the creeps," said Cloud with another shiver.
Nervously the boys approached the iron gates.
"After you," Zack said, gesturing extravagantly for Cloud to go first.
"No way. High ranks first," came Cloud's quick reply.
"Screw it. We'll go at the same time," Zack said resolutely.
"Okay let's go." The boys pushed on the iron. It was so rusted they had to lean their full weights on it to get it to move. It opened barely enough for them to slip through. Inside, what was once an elaborate garden was now overgrown with weeds and vines and thorns. They picked their way carefully through the untamed foliage, cautiously approaching the mildewed front doors.
Having approached the house without any type of earth-shattering disaster taking place, Zack quickly regained confidence. He took hold of one of the tarnished brass knockers and shoved the door open.
Inside, it was dank and smelled of mildew. Huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling but their beauty was obscured by tangles of spider web. Light filtered in through murky windows, highlighting dust motes that swirled about. All the furniture was covered with sheets, presumably to protect it from the damp. What a beautiful house it would be if someone took the time to clean it up and maintain it.
" 'Kay, we're inside. Now where to, Grand Admiral?" Cloud asked mockingly.
Zack glared at him. "How 'bout we start with the rooms on each side of us, eh? You take the left, I take the right."
Despite his bravado, Cloud was still feeling very uneasy about this old abandoned house. It was just like an old haunted house from the ghost stories he heard as a young kid. Even though there was no evidence of supernatural activity, it was still quite unsettling. Cloud pushed his fear aside by focusing on the task at hand. He searched the room far more thoroughly than necessary, looking in chests and under pieces of furniture. Yeah right, he laughed to himself, like Sephiroth would really be hiding under the sofa.
When he returned to the entry way, Zack was waiting for him.
"No luck. Let's go upstairs, shall we?" Zack said. Despite his cocky attitude there was as hint of nervousness in his voice.
Zack and Cloud ascended the elegantly carved staircase. Turning to the left, they found a library with a large safe positioned under the window. They both found it odd to have a safe in such a place and were curious about the nature of its contents. After a moment they concluded that is was probably empty; the formers owners would have taken their valuables with them. There was also a conservatory full of long-dead plants. The dead plants gave them both the creeps and they hastily looked elsewhere. The last room on the left side was a spacious bedroom with two large beds.
To the right of the stairs was a parlor of some sort, and a sitting room with another door to the right. Through the door was another bedroom, even larger than the first.
"Where the hell is he?" Zack exclaimed with frustration, "We've searched every room in this house and haven't found him."
"Uhh Zack? Turn around," Cloud whispered.
Zack turned. The brick of the back wall of the room had been smashed in. There was a gaping hole behind it. They peered through to see a shaky wooden landing and a narrow staircase spiraling downwards. Cloud gulped audibly.
"He went down here. Look at this damage to the wall. There's no dust or mildew or anything on it. This is new. He must be down here," Zack whispered, "Cloud, wait here. I... I'll go talk to him. I'm his second-in-command, I think I sort of know him." Cloud nodded. He hadn't been looking forward to the idea of a confrontation with Sephiroth anyways.
Zack was frightened now. What could possibly be down there that had led someone to brick off the passageway? He cautiously stepped onto the fragile wooden stairs. Some of the steps were already broken and falling through. Possibly from decay, possibly from Sephiroth's hasty descent.
"Christ, this is worse than that bridge in mountains," Zack cursed. Very slowly he made his way downwards. He was surprised to see dim light pulsing up from the bottom. Sephiroth must've lit torches down here. Ghosts aren't real, Zack told himself firmly
He breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped off the stairs. He was even more relieved to see that the light had indeed come from torches. After his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he took in his subterranean surroundings.
Zack was quite surprised and a bit horrified to find himself standing in a crypt of some sort. He could see pieces of partially decayed bodies protruding from the dirt walls, where they had been hastily buried. Most of them were human, but a few appeared to be animals. The ones that really creeped Zack out were those that seemed to be both human and animal. Zack quickly moved his attention away from the walls and stared straight ahead. A glint of metal to the left caught his attention, and he noticed a dark door in the wall. He approached slowly, not wanting to get too close to the various rotting limbs sticking out of the wall. He pulled on the handle. It was locked. Zack continued down the hall without a second thought. Chances are he didn't want to know what was in there anyway.
The hallway ended with another door a short distance later. Zack tried the handle. This one wasn't locked. Zack gulped loudly and stepped through it. He was quite startled to see Sephiroth standing inside what appeared to be a large library.
His head was lowered toward a book in his hand and his hair hid his face from view. He paced around the room, reading softly to himself.
"... an unusual organism was found in a geological stratum. According to carbon dating techniques, the organism was found to be about two thousand years old." That was the first bit that Zack was able to pick up on. Sephiroth trailed off for a while. A few minutes later Zack heard, "... Professor Hojo titled the organism 'Jenovah'"
More mumbling, then, "... many strongly believe that Jenovah is a Cetra."
Silence, then, "... the Jenovah project has been approved. The Nibelheim reactor will be used for storage."
Sephiroth turned and walked partway down a dark hallway that Zack hadn't noticed before. He crept after Sephiroth, curiosity killing him. Sephiroth lowered the book he was reading and looked up and the crusty ceiling. He sighed, and his entire body seemed to sag.
"The Jenovah Project... my mother's name is Jenovah... is that just a coincidence?" he inquired of the ceiling. He sighed again and Zack was surprised he remained standing.
Sephiroth lowered his head again. "Hojo... why didn't you tell me anything. You bastard!" he said through clenched teeth. Zack flinched. Curse words somehow sounded much worse coming from Sephiroth than they did from anyone else.
"Zack," Sephiroth said suddenly. Zack nearly jumped through the ceiling all the way back to the second floor. How long had Sephiroth known he was standing there?
"Y-yes sir?" he replied, still shaken up.
"Let me be alone."
Without another word Zack turned and left the room.
Sephiroth watched Zack go. Why had Zack even bothered to look for him? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. Laeryn was gone and with her the feelings that reminded him he was human. God, why did she have to be standing in front of Tifa on the bridge? If she'd been standing two steps back, he could have grabbed her arm and held onto her. And now he was alone again. He remembered how upset he'd been when she'd run away from Midgar. Having her simply leave and not come back. But somehow this seemed worse because he had seen her roll down the cliff. A very rough fall. If only she was here right now, he would back at the hotel, in bed with her, instead of pacing around in this accursed library. And tomorrow they would return to Midgar. He suddenly dropped the book he was holding and doubled over clutching his head.
"Don't get distracted, Sephiroth. Don't think about her. Ever. Keep reading to me. I like the sound of your voice discovering the truth," Jenovah commanded from a small splintery chair. Its illusionary fingers worked busily at knitting. Sephiroth picked up the book.
* * *
The sun was sinking and Laeryn was very happy to leave the mountains behind her. Nibelheim was very close now and she would reach it before the sun fully set. She was pleased to leave the wilderness, but anxious about what she would find out upon her return to Nibelheim. What if the villagers were in mourning for Tifa Raye Lockhart, a courageous guide who finally saw her last trip into the mountains? And two boys from Soldier, Zackariah Iain Page and Cloud Skyline Strife. Shinra would have to send letters to their families, no doubt with some lie about the cause of their death.. And the great General Sephiroth, admired the world over. It made Laeryn angry to think how many people would mourn him, and how few actually knew him. All they did was manipulate and use him, she thought bitterly. Tears shrouded her eyes as a sudden gruesome image of Sephiroth's immaculate body broken on jagged rocks popped into her mind. She quickly pushed it away and scolded herself for thinking such a horrible thought. Sephiroth had survived. And so had her friends. She would see them at the hotel when she returned to town. There was nothing to worry about. She fought down another wave of anxiety with a few deep breaths and continued resolutely toward Nibelheim.
* * *
"Ya find him?" Cloud asked eagerly.
"Yeah, he's down there in an old library, reading a bunch of books. He told me to leave him alone. So here I am," shrugged Zack, "It's hella creepy down there. A bunch of nasty stuff sticking out of the walls. But I'll go back down there later to make sure he's okay." Zack sighed and pursed his lips. "This has definitely got to be one of the weirder things that's ever happened to me.
"I hear ya. I mean... what's wrong with Sephiroth? He never acts like this. He's always totally in control of everything. And now he's like, losing it or something. We should stick around here. I've got a really bad feeling about this whole thing... I don't
"Me neither. Anyways, it's getting really late. I guess we could sleep on the beds in here; they're all covered with sheets so they shouldn't be too nasty," agreed Zack.
They entered the smaller of the two bedrooms. Cloud pulled back the white sheet covering one of the beds.
"Well, the beds seem fine. We shouldn't both sleep at the same time, though. One of us should stand watch in case Sephiroth comes back up here. I'll go stand in that room with the hole in wall. Set your watch alarm and come get me in a few hours," he explained.
"All right then. Just don't fall asleep," Zack said as he crawled under the covers.
Zack, Cloud and Tifa paused a moment to catch their breath. Their helter-skelter, downhill pursuit of Sephiroth left them panting for air.
"Jesus...Sephiroth... is fast..." panted Zack.
"Yeah...no kidding...let's just... find him when...we get back," replied Cloud, equally winded.
"You two shut up a sec!" snapped Tifa. Her head was cocked as she picked up on a barely audible clicking sound. Her eyes narrowed as she crouched into a fighting stance.
"Don't move. There's a creature near. Twin Brain, I think, judging from that sound it was making," she whispered.
Zack and Cloud had no idea what a Twin Brain was but it sounded sufficiently intimidating to urge them to comply with Tifa's directions. Their eyes widened as several dark purple tendrils snaked around from behind a pile of rocks. The tendrils withdrew a moment later and two creatures emerged. They were about the same height as Zack, with mottled dark purple skin. Two rows of four slanted yellow eyes covered the front of its elongated body. Eight long purple feelers sprouted from each side and a round toothy mouth was positioned below the eyes.
The blood drained from Cloud's face. He had never seen anything like this in his training simulations. How was he supposed to attack this thing? He had been trained to fight people, not monsters. Similar thoughts worked their way through Zack's mind. The dark-haired boy held his breath, forcing down a sudden urge to sneeze. Zack cursed himself inwardly. He was not going to be the one to get them killed by these monsters. Tifa stood perfectly still, every muscle in her body coiled in anticipation.
Zack sneezed. The Twin Brain lashed out with a tentacle. Zack ducked frantically as it narrowly missed his head.
"Hit the eyes!" yelled Tifa as she charged at the second creature.
She leapt through the air. Her long muscled legs uncoiled and planted a pair of devastating kicks to its face. The series of meaty thwacks was followed by an outpouring of dark blood as the spikes on Tifa's boots ripped into its eyes. With several of the eyes now useless, the Twin Brain faltered, trying to regain its bearings. Tifa ducked low to avoid the involuntary snaps of its tentacles. She leaned toward its blind side to further disorient it. As it turned to face her with its good eyes, Tifa unloaded a punch to the narrow region between the rows of eyes. Another punch quickly followed and the Twin Brain collapsed, its face torn apart by Tifa's fists.
Zack and Cloud had managed to sever half of the other Twin Brain's tentacles.
"Keep cutting at the tentacles, Cloud! I'll try to hit the face!" yelled Zack as leapt into the air to avoid a swipe at his legs. He immediately slipped off to the side and waited until the creature's attention was fully focused on Cloud.
Cloud's eyes were still wide with fear but he slashed doggedly at the tendrils whenever the opportunity presented itself. Cloud spent most of the time parrying the remaining tentacles as he put his limited swordsmanship skills to the test.
"Dammit Cloud, just a little longer..." Zack muttered, "Yes, that's it...move a little more to the left...perfect!"
Zack leapt forward and plunged his broadsword into the Twin Brain's side. He quickly pulled his sword out and leapt back as the tentacles flailed weakly at him. The creature finally fell in a pool of its own blood.
Tifa walked over to them, her breathing slightly faster than normal. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion and the red of her eyes overpowered the brown. Cloud stared blatantly at her, very thankful for his helmet.
"Damn! Of course the monsters don't come after us until we're in a hurry," Tifa said with a roll of her eyes.
"Yeah no kidding. Sephiroth's waaaay ahead of us now. He's probably already back in town somewhere," agreed Zack.
"Well then let's not waste anymore time talking. Off we go!"
* * *
Sephiroth was back in Nibelheim already, at the hotel. He numbly pushed open the door to his room. It seemed so unreal, like he was acting all this out on a stage, with himself as the audience as well. He sat down on the bed and stared at the tangled sheets. The pillow, which still had a vague indent in the shape of her head. The whiteness of the pillow was marred by a tiny line of black, a piece of her hair. Sephiroth picked it up and examined it. She was gone. The awful truth loomed before Sephiroth; that he was a mutated freak of nature, that he was a monster, and that he wasn't human. Hojo had made him. Probably in one of those capsules with the other mindless beasts that now roamed the mountains. Now that she wasn't here to tell him otherwise, it was all true. As if her words had been the only things that had kept these thoughts from becoming real. Now that she was gone, it seemed as if his nightmares were spilling over into reality. But it's true. Don't deny your birthright, my son, Jenovah whispered.
Sephiroth drew back in horror as a shimmery apparition appeared before him. It assumed the shape of a kindly old woman, gray hair neatly tucked into a bun, small round spectacles perched on her small nose. Her eyes were surrounded with creases brought on by smiles and laughter. The eyes themselves radiated peace and calm. A shawl was draped over her tiny frame, and she leaned heavily on a cane.
"W-what...is this..." Sephiroth stammered.
The old woman smiled at him. "Don't you recognize me, Sephiroth? It's me, Jenovah. I'm your Mother," she said with a disarming giggle.
"M-mother...?" he asked incredulously. Almost of its own accord, Sephiroth's hand reached out to touch her. Jenovah took his hand and the apparition distorted for a moment, like a cable program interrupted by a lightning storm. Behind it lurked a black creature, writhing and brimming with evil and cunning. Sephiroth jerked his hand back in terror.
"Laeryn!" he called out. But now the black thing was gone and Mother was there instead, sitting beside him on the bed. She rested her small frail hand on Sephiroth's shoulder. The first thing that Sephiroth noticed was how cold her hand was. It felt a chunk of ice was sitting on his shoulder. There was another curious feeling as well; that the hand was writhing around, even though he was looking at it and knew it was still.
"There there, my son. Don't worry. Did you see something that frightened you? I won't let it hurt you if you listen to your Mother. And I know you will, because you're a good boy," Jenovah said soothingly. It cursed inwardly that it had allowed the illusion to slip, causing Sephiroth to see its true form.
Sephiroth nodded dumbly.
"Good boy! Now Mother doesn't like it when you say her name, Sephiroth," Jenovah said a little more firmly. It knew all about Laeryn from its excursions into Sephiroth's mind. It knew what he felt for her. And it also knew that Laeryn was the only thing keeping Sephiroth in control of himself and from becoming its slave.
"But why, Mother? I love her. Aren't you happy for me?" Sephiroth asked, thoroughly confused.
Jenovah shook its knobbly finger at him.
"Mother doesn't approve. You don't want to go against the wishes of your Mother, do you?" it hissed.
Sephiroth stared at Jenovah. Was his own Mother telling him to turn on Laeryn? That was something he could never do. But he couldn't let Jenovah know that; he didn't want to feel the needles, the ones he had felt when he ran out of the reactor. He nodded.
"Good boy!" Jenovah exclaimed enthusiastically, patting him on the head, "Now, two more favors for your Mother. Go to the basement of the Shinra mansion and look at the books. You'll find some interesting reading materials there. Reading is good for boys' minds! And once you've finished there, do come visit me in the mountains. I grow awfully lonely up there and would love it if my boy would visit me!" It smiled and clasped its hands excitedly, looking as innocent as possible.
Sephiroth's confusion had worn off and was rapidly being replaced with annoyance. Why was his Mother treating him like a child, when she knew perfectly well he was twenty-five years old? And where did she get the authority to make decisions for him, where did she get the power to 'approve' or 'disapprove' of his feelings? He gasped suddenly and clutched at his head. It was the needles. It felt like the Hojo's needles, only these slid into his brain instead of his veins. He gritted his teeth and forced himself not to cry out. Needles were his worst fear.
"Don't question my judgement, Sephiroth. I'm your Mother, I know what's good for you. Now go off and do as your told," Jenovah said sternly. The illusion faltered again and this time Sephiroth could see two orange pinpricks oscillating in the midst of the black thing. He turned and ran out of the room.
* * *
"Is Sephiroth at the hotel?" asked Cloud, surveying the town. After the alarming encounter with the Twin Brains, the three had made it back safely.
"How the hell should I know?" snapped Zack. Even though he and Cloud were friends, Zack never missed the opportunity to make Cloud look stupid; especially in front of a girl like Tifa.
"Don't even start arguing," she warned, "Why don't you guys go look and see if he's there? I'll look over on the south end of town, by the front gates. And keep an eye out for Laeryn too, okay?" Her voice was laden with worry as she mentioned Laeryn. Zack and Cloud didn't say anything about her; they didn't think she had survived, but didn't want to upset Tifa either. The boys nodded and walked away.
Zack approached the front desk of the hotel.
"Excuse me, have you seen the General pass by here?" he inquired of the man behind the desk.
"Yes sir. He went upstairs, to his room presumably, and then came back down this way about fifteen minutes later. Looked like he was in quite a hurry, too," answered the man.
How odd, thought Zack, where would Sephiroth possibly be hurrying to?
"Well, let's go up there anyways. We might find some clue as to where he went," Zack said out loud.
"You realize he's probably running around in the mountains somewhere looking for Laeryn, right?" said Cloud.
"Hmmm, I don't know. He seemed pretty eager to get out of the mountains if you ask me. Even without Laeryn," answered Zack, "Let's look in town first. Besides, I'd just as soon not go back up there when it's dark."
So the search began. Cloud and Zack looked outside first, wandering every street and alleyway of their section of town. Tifa scoured her section just as thoroughly, and with an equal degree of failure. Soon they were knocking on the doors of random houses, asking the residents if they had seen General Sephiroth pass by, and asking the same question of random people on the street. Most had not, but a few awe-struck faces and pointed fingers gave them a general idea. The walked quickly to the north end of town, where people seemed to be pointing the most. They reached the rear gates and only one building remained unturned.
"The Shinra mansion. That place gives the creeps," shivered Cloud.
"Yeah well that's where Sephiroth must be. We've looked everywhere else and everyone was pointing this direction," shrugged Zack.
"I know but it still gives me the creeps," said Cloud with another shiver.
Nervously the boys approached the iron gates.
"After you," Zack said, gesturing extravagantly for Cloud to go first.
"No way. High ranks first," came Cloud's quick reply.
"Screw it. We'll go at the same time," Zack said resolutely.
"Okay let's go." The boys pushed on the iron. It was so rusted they had to lean their full weights on it to get it to move. It opened barely enough for them to slip through. Inside, what was once an elaborate garden was now overgrown with weeds and vines and thorns. They picked their way carefully through the untamed foliage, cautiously approaching the mildewed front doors.
Having approached the house without any type of earth-shattering disaster taking place, Zack quickly regained confidence. He took hold of one of the tarnished brass knockers and shoved the door open.
Inside, it was dank and smelled of mildew. Huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling but their beauty was obscured by tangles of spider web. Light filtered in through murky windows, highlighting dust motes that swirled about. All the furniture was covered with sheets, presumably to protect it from the damp. What a beautiful house it would be if someone took the time to clean it up and maintain it.
" 'Kay, we're inside. Now where to, Grand Admiral?" Cloud asked mockingly.
Zack glared at him. "How 'bout we start with the rooms on each side of us, eh? You take the left, I take the right."
Despite his bravado, Cloud was still feeling very uneasy about this old abandoned house. It was just like an old haunted house from the ghost stories he heard as a young kid. Even though there was no evidence of supernatural activity, it was still quite unsettling. Cloud pushed his fear aside by focusing on the task at hand. He searched the room far more thoroughly than necessary, looking in chests and under pieces of furniture. Yeah right, he laughed to himself, like Sephiroth would really be hiding under the sofa.
When he returned to the entry way, Zack was waiting for him.
"No luck. Let's go upstairs, shall we?" Zack said. Despite his cocky attitude there was as hint of nervousness in his voice.
Zack and Cloud ascended the elegantly carved staircase. Turning to the left, they found a library with a large safe positioned under the window. They both found it odd to have a safe in such a place and were curious about the nature of its contents. After a moment they concluded that is was probably empty; the formers owners would have taken their valuables with them. There was also a conservatory full of long-dead plants. The dead plants gave them both the creeps and they hastily looked elsewhere. The last room on the left side was a spacious bedroom with two large beds.
To the right of the stairs was a parlor of some sort, and a sitting room with another door to the right. Through the door was another bedroom, even larger than the first.
"Where the hell is he?" Zack exclaimed with frustration, "We've searched every room in this house and haven't found him."
"Uhh Zack? Turn around," Cloud whispered.
Zack turned. The brick of the back wall of the room had been smashed in. There was a gaping hole behind it. They peered through to see a shaky wooden landing and a narrow staircase spiraling downwards. Cloud gulped audibly.
"He went down here. Look at this damage to the wall. There's no dust or mildew or anything on it. This is new. He must be down here," Zack whispered, "Cloud, wait here. I... I'll go talk to him. I'm his second-in-command, I think I sort of know him." Cloud nodded. He hadn't been looking forward to the idea of a confrontation with Sephiroth anyways.
Zack was frightened now. What could possibly be down there that had led someone to brick off the passageway? He cautiously stepped onto the fragile wooden stairs. Some of the steps were already broken and falling through. Possibly from decay, possibly from Sephiroth's hasty descent.
"Christ, this is worse than that bridge in mountains," Zack cursed. Very slowly he made his way downwards. He was surprised to see dim light pulsing up from the bottom. Sephiroth must've lit torches down here. Ghosts aren't real, Zack told himself firmly
He breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped off the stairs. He was even more relieved to see that the light had indeed come from torches. After his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he took in his subterranean surroundings.
Zack was quite surprised and a bit horrified to find himself standing in a crypt of some sort. He could see pieces of partially decayed bodies protruding from the dirt walls, where they had been hastily buried. Most of them were human, but a few appeared to be animals. The ones that really creeped Zack out were those that seemed to be both human and animal. Zack quickly moved his attention away from the walls and stared straight ahead. A glint of metal to the left caught his attention, and he noticed a dark door in the wall. He approached slowly, not wanting to get too close to the various rotting limbs sticking out of the wall. He pulled on the handle. It was locked. Zack continued down the hall without a second thought. Chances are he didn't want to know what was in there anyway.
The hallway ended with another door a short distance later. Zack tried the handle. This one wasn't locked. Zack gulped loudly and stepped through it. He was quite startled to see Sephiroth standing inside what appeared to be a large library.
His head was lowered toward a book in his hand and his hair hid his face from view. He paced around the room, reading softly to himself.
"... an unusual organism was found in a geological stratum. According to carbon dating techniques, the organism was found to be about two thousand years old." That was the first bit that Zack was able to pick up on. Sephiroth trailed off for a while. A few minutes later Zack heard, "... Professor Hojo titled the organism 'Jenovah'"
More mumbling, then, "... many strongly believe that Jenovah is a Cetra."
Silence, then, "... the Jenovah project has been approved. The Nibelheim reactor will be used for storage."
Sephiroth turned and walked partway down a dark hallway that Zack hadn't noticed before. He crept after Sephiroth, curiosity killing him. Sephiroth lowered the book he was reading and looked up and the crusty ceiling. He sighed, and his entire body seemed to sag.
"The Jenovah Project... my mother's name is Jenovah... is that just a coincidence?" he inquired of the ceiling. He sighed again and Zack was surprised he remained standing.
Sephiroth lowered his head again. "Hojo... why didn't you tell me anything. You bastard!" he said through clenched teeth. Zack flinched. Curse words somehow sounded much worse coming from Sephiroth than they did from anyone else.
"Zack," Sephiroth said suddenly. Zack nearly jumped through the ceiling all the way back to the second floor. How long had Sephiroth known he was standing there?
"Y-yes sir?" he replied, still shaken up.
"Let me be alone."
Without another word Zack turned and left the room.
Sephiroth watched Zack go. Why had Zack even bothered to look for him? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. Laeryn was gone and with her the feelings that reminded him he was human. God, why did she have to be standing in front of Tifa on the bridge? If she'd been standing two steps back, he could have grabbed her arm and held onto her. And now he was alone again. He remembered how upset he'd been when she'd run away from Midgar. Having her simply leave and not come back. But somehow this seemed worse because he had seen her roll down the cliff. A very rough fall. If only she was here right now, he would back at the hotel, in bed with her, instead of pacing around in this accursed library. And tomorrow they would return to Midgar. He suddenly dropped the book he was holding and doubled over clutching his head.
"Don't get distracted, Sephiroth. Don't think about her. Ever. Keep reading to me. I like the sound of your voice discovering the truth," Jenovah commanded from a small splintery chair. Its illusionary fingers worked busily at knitting. Sephiroth picked up the book.
* * *
The sun was sinking and Laeryn was very happy to leave the mountains behind her. Nibelheim was very close now and she would reach it before the sun fully set. She was pleased to leave the wilderness, but anxious about what she would find out upon her return to Nibelheim. What if the villagers were in mourning for Tifa Raye Lockhart, a courageous guide who finally saw her last trip into the mountains? And two boys from Soldier, Zackariah Iain Page and Cloud Skyline Strife. Shinra would have to send letters to their families, no doubt with some lie about the cause of their death.. And the great General Sephiroth, admired the world over. It made Laeryn angry to think how many people would mourn him, and how few actually knew him. All they did was manipulate and use him, she thought bitterly. Tears shrouded her eyes as a sudden gruesome image of Sephiroth's immaculate body broken on jagged rocks popped into her mind. She quickly pushed it away and scolded herself for thinking such a horrible thought. Sephiroth had survived. And so had her friends. She would see them at the hotel when she returned to town. There was nothing to worry about. She fought down another wave of anxiety with a few deep breaths and continued resolutely toward Nibelheim.
* * *
"Ya find him?" Cloud asked eagerly.
"Yeah, he's down there in an old library, reading a bunch of books. He told me to leave him alone. So here I am," shrugged Zack, "It's hella creepy down there. A bunch of nasty stuff sticking out of the walls. But I'll go back down there later to make sure he's okay." Zack sighed and pursed his lips. "This has definitely got to be one of the weirder things that's ever happened to me.
"I hear ya. I mean... what's wrong with Sephiroth? He never acts like this. He's always totally in control of everything. And now he's like, losing it or something. We should stick around here. I've got a really bad feeling about this whole thing... I don't
"Me neither. Anyways, it's getting really late. I guess we could sleep on the beds in here; they're all covered with sheets so they shouldn't be too nasty," agreed Zack.
They entered the smaller of the two bedrooms. Cloud pulled back the white sheet covering one of the beds.
"Well, the beds seem fine. We shouldn't both sleep at the same time, though. One of us should stand watch in case Sephiroth comes back up here. I'll go stand in that room with the hole in wall. Set your watch alarm and come get me in a few hours," he explained.
"All right then. Just don't fall asleep," Zack said as he crawled under the covers.
