Fight
Act 1
He reached the top of the mountain and was both surprised and disappointed at the view that was revealed.
From atop the mountain peak plateau, he saw Weapon marching straight towards him. Sether sighed and tried to calculate how much time he had.
About. Two hours; the pointy, dense mountain range prevented Weapon from moving with all its speed.
So, Sether thought, it really was after him.
.After him?
Something was wrong.
He could feel the gigantic brain; he could feel its slow processes, its simple motivation.
A. Danger to the planet.
Weapon was created by the Planet to destroy whatever the Planet found dangerous for itself.
So. It was after.
.Jenova?!
Sether swirled around. He blinked with astonishment several times.
"So. You're actually Jenova, Saki?" He tried to say in a social, light tone. The dark robed woman called Saki was standing some feet behind him.
It made sense, really. The Sephiroth Clan were chasing him from the Mako Reactor, so that would mean that Jenova was probably with them from some point, so that would mean that Weapon would follow them, and they were following him.
He wasn't so off in his assumptions.
He didn't like it any better now, though.
The woman with the black robes seemed to be disappointed with being spotted. Still, she closed the distance between her and Sether, standing a few feet from him.
"Join me, my son." She said with a voice dripping honey and seduction.
"I have one mother already, and I am not looking for her replacement at the moment, thanks." He placed his hands on his hips, "So you found yourself a victim after all, eh? Someone who will carry you around?"
She chuckled from the depths of the hood,
"Yes. Yes. But I really would rather it being you." Her voice was softer than silk, and played on Sether's nerves. With that voice, she could have passed as a shy child or the sort of girl that hangs around in the corners of streets, it had both qualities. Sether just wanted her away from him.
"I made it clear before that I will not be taking part in any world domination plan, be it yours or anyone else's."
She took a step towards him.
Saki was about Katai's height, but when she extended her hand with a sort of a begging gesture, her hand was much more delicate than Katai's, if possible.
"But, my son, together we can make this world so perfect.!"
Sether pretended to examine his fingernails with interest,
"Aha." He hummed, then he looked up with keen eyes. He knew not to let his guard down, "Are you finished?"
Jenova sighed, though it seemed she was expecting this,
"I guess I'll have to fight you then, to show you how weak you are!"
Sether immediately changed his pose to martial arts, but it would seem that Saki wanted to talk some more. Sether took off his trenchcoat and tossed it aside. Her last statement struck him,
"Weak?"
"Yes." She said with a nod, "You do not even graze your true potential." The hood turned away, and Sether dropped his battle pose, though not his guard.
"What are you talking about? Potential.?"
The black robes rustled as she moved a few steps away. Her face turned to Sether,
"I was dormant for many years. When you fell into the Mako pit I awoke. I awoke to see the man who was born to carry me."
Sether snorted, but she continued, vexed, "You do not know the powers you posses!" She shouted at him, "You don't use a tenth of your full powers! I can teach you how to be so powerful, that the sun and moon themselves will obey our command! With my guidance and your power-!"
"Shut up!" This was Sether's turn to shout, "Shut up, you overgrown mass of fungus! I don't care a bloody bit about what 'power' you think I have! I'm not interested in becoming a monster!"
"Not a monster, a god!" She briefly frowned at this insult. Was it genetic?
Sether resumed his battle pose; "I guess it's back to the fight idea for you. What do I have to gain with becoming a god?!" He yelled at her, annoyed. She smiled and took a few steps back in his direction. He tensed.
"No more pain." She whispered wistfully, "No more guilt, torment."
Those words! The same he felt that night in the inn.
"I'll never join you."
Why? Because he loved his parents too much for them to loose another son to this monster, because he was afraid for he knew what she said about his powers was true, because he just wanted to be left alone, to live quietly with the one he loved.
"Never!" He shouted.
"Sether!" Katai came running up the hill, Barrett and Marlene a step behind.
She had just heard him yell 'Never!', and was shocked to see Saki from the Sephiroth Clan standing in front of him. He seemed ready to fight, and she didn't seem to find this amusing.
"Katai! Stay back! She's actually Jenova-Ah!" His head exploded again, and he collapsed to one knee.
So she was the one doing it!
"You cannot win against me, my son." Her voice gave the impression she was smiling.
".You're. Wrong!" He got painfully back on to both feet and faced her with an angry expression. He didn't care if it was hard to breath or think, all he needed were his reflexes.
"Jenova.?" Katai gasped. Barrett and his daughter looked at the horizon with worry, seeing Emerald.
They didn't move. The scene smelled of battle, and they were more or less frozen to their place.
"Sether!" Katai saw the pain clear on his face and wanted to rush to his side, but he stopped her with a rising of his hand.
"Don't come. Go back to the city." He said with an icy tone.
Jenova made a chuckling sound,
"You cannot win against me." She repeated. Sether gave her an especially evil version of his lopsided grin. But before he could do anything, she raised her finger and waved it in a 'no' sign,
"No limit breaks, or my wrath will go on the girl and your pretty little head."
Sether twitched,
"Okay." He said carefully, "Then no headaches, or I'll transform into your worst nightmare."
She nodded.
The battleground was ready. The plateau on the peak of the mountain was pretty large, and there was no danger of falling anywhere. It was a simple rocky ground, but without too many large rocks one might trip on. It was gray and brown and dead.
Weapon was making its slow advance towards them.
Barrett, Marlene and Katai could do nothing but watch as the two opponents just stood one in front of the other, daring the other to make the first move.
Saki, or rather, Jenova, was standing simply with arms hanging by her side.
Sether was in a martial arts stance, with arms in front of him and his palms open. Both his hands were still bandaged, and a big red stain decorated his left-hand bandage.
His brows were frowning deeply as sweat beads formed on his brow: He had no idea what kind of attacks Jenova has. She was standing there, giving Sether the faint impression that she was smiling condescendingly at him.
They stood this way a few more moments before Sether broke off towards her with amazing speed.
He was in front of her in a blink, and he punched. Saki moved aside nonchalantly. The movement caused her hood to waver, and Sether's eyes widened.
No!!
In that moment of confusion on his part, she punched him square under the jaw. Sether's head snapped up and he stumbled a few steps back. When he looked at her again, there was a thin trail of blood down his chin from biting his tongue a little, but that wasn't the reason Sether was staring at her with so much disbelief.
"N. No." He took a few more steps back by his own will.
Saki chuckled again,
"Oh, so you saw me? I wanted to keep it as a surprise for later."
She took off her hood.
Katai gasped aloud.
Those red curls, she could recognize them anywhere.
She fell to her knees.
".Sakura-chan."
1 Act 2
Ryuto's little sister.
"How?! .Why?!" Sether stared at her.
"Why?" Jenova asked, then her face twitched slightly and her voice turned into Sakura's, "Because you killed my brother!" Jenova smiled at Sether's reaction.
"Sakura's heart was filled with sadness after her brother's 'demise'. I slipped her a few sweet dreams of revenge, and fuelled the anger that came afterwards. Her giving herself to me was inevitable."
"No!" Sether shook his head, taking a few more steps back, ".No."
Jenova chose that opportunity to attack the torn Sether.
"Seth!" Katai screamed. He snapped out of it and managed to dodge the kick to his head.
"Sakura-chan!" He retreated back. He couldn't attack her. Never. He could never bring himself to raise a fist at her.
A flurry of small, raging fists started, and Sether received them all silently. He wasn't even thinking about the fight, just about his opponent. Sakura-chan.
Because of him.
It's his fault.
Because Ryuto. Because he.
Sakura-chan was now trying to kill him. She hated him. Jenova was using her. Because-
He doubled slightly over as one punch was especially strong.
"Pay attention!" Jenova screamed at him, punching the side of his face powerfully and sending him stumbling back a few more steps.
All he was doing was receiving the blows.
"Attack me, if you want to win." She said with Sakura's voice, making it clear she knew that Sether could not attack.
Sether shook his head weakly, still unable to release his mind from the shock, confusion and disbelief.
He continued to receive her fists silently.
They both had a problem, though. Sakura, even while powered up by Jenova, was not strong enough to cause serious damage, even if her hits connected. Sether, on the other hand, could not bring himself to fight back.
He believed that he deserved all this.
He didn't care for the pain.
.Because of him.
Another of the stronger punches hit him square in the chest, and he stumbled back.
There was nothing to be done. He deserved this punishment.
Then the world disappeared for Sether.
His body screamed, but his soul was screaming harder.
It lasted less than a second before he was back in the real world again.
Katai had rushed into him head first to knock him over, breaking the contact.
What happened was that Jenova, while Sether was preoccupied with his emotional distress, placed her palm on his forehead.
He screamed, and Katai knew that Jenova was trying to take over him.
Sether was panting hard, but his mind finally became clear again. Confused, but clear. .If that's possible.
He had seen, in that split second of contact, the infinite depths of hatred and death that's the fate of those who give in to Jenova. He had seen the worst place to be in, and he could prevent it. Maybe.
He also saw a shred of Sakura-chan. The real Sakura-chan. The one he remembered. She was screaming too. She was in pain inside Jenova, but she was somewhere in there. The person before him wasn't Sakura-chan; it was Jenova.
He had to win.
Somehow.
"Sether!" Katai was shaking his shoulders violently, "You have to fight!" The look on his face spoke volumes. Although he knew it wasn't exactly Sakura-chan he was against, fighting her meant hitting Sakura-chan's body, and possibly killing it, and Sakura-chan with it.
"Is there a way to save her?" Sether got up, helping Katai up as well and noticing that Jenova was watching Katai with venom.
Katai took a few steps back, retreating from the battlefield.
"I'll think of something.!" She said.
While Sether was watching Katai, Janova chose that instant to attack. She wasn't attacking him- her attack was aimed at Katai's head.
Something changed in Sakura's body, and Sether threw himself forward with a surprised shout.
There was a splash of blood.
Sether jumped directly into Janova's path, and received the blow that was intended for Katai.
Jenova growled with anger and withdrew her hand.
It wasn't really a hand anymore. The black cloth of her right sleeve was now torn, and from the elbow down what was once a delicate hand was now a blade. A blade made out of organic matter, but still sharp enough to skew Sether's left shoulder from the back, exactly where his wound was.
The blade had a sort of purple-ish color, and looked like a vicious disease of some sort. It had erratic edges and an uncouth surface, but it was still mighty painful to be hit by.
He dropped to one knee again, holding a hand to his severely bleeding shoulder.
"Why Katai.?" He asked from between clenched teeth.
"She is a traitor." Sakura's voice said, pointing the hand-blade at the scared Katai, "She's with the man who killed my brother. She should want your demise as well."
Katai took a step forward, "You're wrong!" She shouted, waving her hands as she spoke, "Violence isn't the answer! Even if Sether killing Ryuto weren't an accident, which it were, I still wouldn't have wanted him dead. Violence solves nothing! It only brings more pain, more sadness!"
Janova barked an evil laugh.
"Pathetic!"
"No! Sakura! I know you're in there! Please fight this! This isn't how things should be!" Katai took another step forward, "It was an accident!"
"It won't help." Sether said in a cold voice, getting back up, "Sakura's fighting spirit isn't strong enough. She's not a warrior. Jenova's grip is too strong even for a warrior."
.Sephiroth.
Katai stared at Sether. His voice was dead, cold and determined.
"How can it be that someone without Jenova cells can carry her?" He asked, locking stares with the once gentle eyes of Sakura-chan.
"Sh. She can't, really." Katai said, feeling the tension rise and taking a step back, "Her body can't hold on for a long time- it's slowly killing Sakura."
What was it with slow deaths these past few days? Sether hated the amounts of death and blood he had seen lately. More than enough, he decided.
.He'll end it. He didn't want anyone else dying. Not anymore. He was sick of it! Sick, sick, sick! He wanted to be left alone! He still had that glimmer of a chance to survive if he stayed in the cavern. Of course, if Jenova was to be killed, he would be okay again, right?
He just needed to kill Jenova, and then all this will disappear. Weapon will leave, his body will heal. And Sephiroth? He'll have a lifetime to figure out that one.!
He wanted to live!
"Find a solution, Katai." He said, not looking at her, "I'll fight."
He released his battle aura, and Katai was physically blown away a few feet. She landed on her behind near Barrett and Marlene, all this time staring with amazement. The aura sent the smaller rocks flying away, and Jenova had to brace herself when it rushed against her.
She smiled,
"So weak!"
But Katai didn't have time to dawdle! She started racking her mind for a solution.
There had to be something!
2 Act 3
There're few styles of hand-to-hand martial arts that include fighting against a person with a sword when you have none. And if there were styles that were good at it, Sether didn't know them.
He knew how to grab a blade swung at him without loosing a limb. That was about it.
The showdown of stares continued.
"Do you understand that you cannot win? Will you yield and let us become one?"
Sether remained silent.
Does that mean he'll have to.?
"The moment you let your guard down, or you are too weak to fight, I'll take you. You cannot kill me because of this body I posses, and you will eventually tire."
He was surprised that Jenova had stuck to her word and didn't throw any headaches at him. Was she that afraid of his Limit Breaks? Meteor, he was afraid of them.
"Unless you kill me, you cannot destroy me. But you cannot kill me, so the only thing you can do is surrender."
"Wrong." He said, "I have faith in Katai. She is smarter than you are, and she will give me the key to your destruction."
Katai wanted to curse.
"Thanks for not putting any pressure on me, Seth!" She yelled angrily.
"Not if I kill her." Jenova smiled, taking a sideways step to have a better look at her next victim. Sether reached out his right hand and held it in front of him, open,
"Indeed," he said, and surprisingly enough, smiled, "But I won't let you."
He closed his hand on the air; only it wasn't air anymore when his long fingers closed on a black bar with red leather strapped on it.
The bar grew longer, turning into a hilt.
From nothingness, a blade painted itself onto reality from the hilt. The blade grew longer and longer.
It curved viciously.
Sether had summoned the Masamune for the first time since the Ryuto incident.
He gave it a few practice swings, and Jenova stared at him with surprise mixed with fear,
"I don't believe you'd have the guts to fight me with the sword that killed my brother." She growled accusingly.
Sether changed his stance; he was standing straight up, shoulders slightly drawn backwards. This proud stance was intensified as he held the Masamune with both hands horizontally near his head.
There was only one fighting style for the Masamune, as there was only one Masamune.
This was Sether's true weapon, and Jenova knew it.
He was willing to use it again, but this time to protect Katai as best as he could. He wielded no blade better than he did this one sword. His form was near perfection, back then, but he threw the sword away in fear and disgust. Now he needed it's unparalleled powers, and the sword seemed to hold no bad feelings for it's previous treatment. In fact, it seemed to meld with Sether, it seemed an extension of his being, of his battle aura and of his essence. They looked. Right together, like it being the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle, and now Sether's was complete.
By the time Jenova could react or do anything, either to Katai or to Sether, he lunged at her, sword first.
Katai wanted to watch the fight, wanted to make sure Sether was doing okay, but she had a duty. He trusted her still! She had to come up with something!
And fast, because Sether was only occupying her attention, he had no intention of striking a blow.
Jenova, on the other hand, did.
What do you think? The ending of the story is pretty soon: only four/five more chapters. You might expect them around the beginning/middle of January. I hope to manage it soon!
(Remember: nothing is more inspiring than a kind word in the right place. ^_^; )
Act 1
He reached the top of the mountain and was both surprised and disappointed at the view that was revealed.
From atop the mountain peak plateau, he saw Weapon marching straight towards him. Sether sighed and tried to calculate how much time he had.
About. Two hours; the pointy, dense mountain range prevented Weapon from moving with all its speed.
So, Sether thought, it really was after him.
.After him?
Something was wrong.
He could feel the gigantic brain; he could feel its slow processes, its simple motivation.
A. Danger to the planet.
Weapon was created by the Planet to destroy whatever the Planet found dangerous for itself.
So. It was after.
.Jenova?!
Sether swirled around. He blinked with astonishment several times.
"So. You're actually Jenova, Saki?" He tried to say in a social, light tone. The dark robed woman called Saki was standing some feet behind him.
It made sense, really. The Sephiroth Clan were chasing him from the Mako Reactor, so that would mean that Jenova was probably with them from some point, so that would mean that Weapon would follow them, and they were following him.
He wasn't so off in his assumptions.
He didn't like it any better now, though.
The woman with the black robes seemed to be disappointed with being spotted. Still, she closed the distance between her and Sether, standing a few feet from him.
"Join me, my son." She said with a voice dripping honey and seduction.
"I have one mother already, and I am not looking for her replacement at the moment, thanks." He placed his hands on his hips, "So you found yourself a victim after all, eh? Someone who will carry you around?"
She chuckled from the depths of the hood,
"Yes. Yes. But I really would rather it being you." Her voice was softer than silk, and played on Sether's nerves. With that voice, she could have passed as a shy child or the sort of girl that hangs around in the corners of streets, it had both qualities. Sether just wanted her away from him.
"I made it clear before that I will not be taking part in any world domination plan, be it yours or anyone else's."
She took a step towards him.
Saki was about Katai's height, but when she extended her hand with a sort of a begging gesture, her hand was much more delicate than Katai's, if possible.
"But, my son, together we can make this world so perfect.!"
Sether pretended to examine his fingernails with interest,
"Aha." He hummed, then he looked up with keen eyes. He knew not to let his guard down, "Are you finished?"
Jenova sighed, though it seemed she was expecting this,
"I guess I'll have to fight you then, to show you how weak you are!"
Sether immediately changed his pose to martial arts, but it would seem that Saki wanted to talk some more. Sether took off his trenchcoat and tossed it aside. Her last statement struck him,
"Weak?"
"Yes." She said with a nod, "You do not even graze your true potential." The hood turned away, and Sether dropped his battle pose, though not his guard.
"What are you talking about? Potential.?"
The black robes rustled as she moved a few steps away. Her face turned to Sether,
"I was dormant for many years. When you fell into the Mako pit I awoke. I awoke to see the man who was born to carry me."
Sether snorted, but she continued, vexed, "You do not know the powers you posses!" She shouted at him, "You don't use a tenth of your full powers! I can teach you how to be so powerful, that the sun and moon themselves will obey our command! With my guidance and your power-!"
"Shut up!" This was Sether's turn to shout, "Shut up, you overgrown mass of fungus! I don't care a bloody bit about what 'power' you think I have! I'm not interested in becoming a monster!"
"Not a monster, a god!" She briefly frowned at this insult. Was it genetic?
Sether resumed his battle pose; "I guess it's back to the fight idea for you. What do I have to gain with becoming a god?!" He yelled at her, annoyed. She smiled and took a few steps back in his direction. He tensed.
"No more pain." She whispered wistfully, "No more guilt, torment."
Those words! The same he felt that night in the inn.
"I'll never join you."
Why? Because he loved his parents too much for them to loose another son to this monster, because he was afraid for he knew what she said about his powers was true, because he just wanted to be left alone, to live quietly with the one he loved.
"Never!" He shouted.
"Sether!" Katai came running up the hill, Barrett and Marlene a step behind.
She had just heard him yell 'Never!', and was shocked to see Saki from the Sephiroth Clan standing in front of him. He seemed ready to fight, and she didn't seem to find this amusing.
"Katai! Stay back! She's actually Jenova-Ah!" His head exploded again, and he collapsed to one knee.
So she was the one doing it!
"You cannot win against me, my son." Her voice gave the impression she was smiling.
".You're. Wrong!" He got painfully back on to both feet and faced her with an angry expression. He didn't care if it was hard to breath or think, all he needed were his reflexes.
"Jenova.?" Katai gasped. Barrett and his daughter looked at the horizon with worry, seeing Emerald.
They didn't move. The scene smelled of battle, and they were more or less frozen to their place.
"Sether!" Katai saw the pain clear on his face and wanted to rush to his side, but he stopped her with a rising of his hand.
"Don't come. Go back to the city." He said with an icy tone.
Jenova made a chuckling sound,
"You cannot win against me." She repeated. Sether gave her an especially evil version of his lopsided grin. But before he could do anything, she raised her finger and waved it in a 'no' sign,
"No limit breaks, or my wrath will go on the girl and your pretty little head."
Sether twitched,
"Okay." He said carefully, "Then no headaches, or I'll transform into your worst nightmare."
She nodded.
The battleground was ready. The plateau on the peak of the mountain was pretty large, and there was no danger of falling anywhere. It was a simple rocky ground, but without too many large rocks one might trip on. It was gray and brown and dead.
Weapon was making its slow advance towards them.
Barrett, Marlene and Katai could do nothing but watch as the two opponents just stood one in front of the other, daring the other to make the first move.
Saki, or rather, Jenova, was standing simply with arms hanging by her side.
Sether was in a martial arts stance, with arms in front of him and his palms open. Both his hands were still bandaged, and a big red stain decorated his left-hand bandage.
His brows were frowning deeply as sweat beads formed on his brow: He had no idea what kind of attacks Jenova has. She was standing there, giving Sether the faint impression that she was smiling condescendingly at him.
They stood this way a few more moments before Sether broke off towards her with amazing speed.
He was in front of her in a blink, and he punched. Saki moved aside nonchalantly. The movement caused her hood to waver, and Sether's eyes widened.
No!!
In that moment of confusion on his part, she punched him square under the jaw. Sether's head snapped up and he stumbled a few steps back. When he looked at her again, there was a thin trail of blood down his chin from biting his tongue a little, but that wasn't the reason Sether was staring at her with so much disbelief.
"N. No." He took a few more steps back by his own will.
Saki chuckled again,
"Oh, so you saw me? I wanted to keep it as a surprise for later."
She took off her hood.
Katai gasped aloud.
Those red curls, she could recognize them anywhere.
She fell to her knees.
".Sakura-chan."
1 Act 2
Ryuto's little sister.
"How?! .Why?!" Sether stared at her.
"Why?" Jenova asked, then her face twitched slightly and her voice turned into Sakura's, "Because you killed my brother!" Jenova smiled at Sether's reaction.
"Sakura's heart was filled with sadness after her brother's 'demise'. I slipped her a few sweet dreams of revenge, and fuelled the anger that came afterwards. Her giving herself to me was inevitable."
"No!" Sether shook his head, taking a few more steps back, ".No."
Jenova chose that opportunity to attack the torn Sether.
"Seth!" Katai screamed. He snapped out of it and managed to dodge the kick to his head.
"Sakura-chan!" He retreated back. He couldn't attack her. Never. He could never bring himself to raise a fist at her.
A flurry of small, raging fists started, and Sether received them all silently. He wasn't even thinking about the fight, just about his opponent. Sakura-chan.
Because of him.
It's his fault.
Because Ryuto. Because he.
Sakura-chan was now trying to kill him. She hated him. Jenova was using her. Because-
He doubled slightly over as one punch was especially strong.
"Pay attention!" Jenova screamed at him, punching the side of his face powerfully and sending him stumbling back a few more steps.
All he was doing was receiving the blows.
"Attack me, if you want to win." She said with Sakura's voice, making it clear she knew that Sether could not attack.
Sether shook his head weakly, still unable to release his mind from the shock, confusion and disbelief.
He continued to receive her fists silently.
They both had a problem, though. Sakura, even while powered up by Jenova, was not strong enough to cause serious damage, even if her hits connected. Sether, on the other hand, could not bring himself to fight back.
He believed that he deserved all this.
He didn't care for the pain.
.Because of him.
Another of the stronger punches hit him square in the chest, and he stumbled back.
There was nothing to be done. He deserved this punishment.
Then the world disappeared for Sether.
His body screamed, but his soul was screaming harder.
It lasted less than a second before he was back in the real world again.
Katai had rushed into him head first to knock him over, breaking the contact.
What happened was that Jenova, while Sether was preoccupied with his emotional distress, placed her palm on his forehead.
He screamed, and Katai knew that Jenova was trying to take over him.
Sether was panting hard, but his mind finally became clear again. Confused, but clear. .If that's possible.
He had seen, in that split second of contact, the infinite depths of hatred and death that's the fate of those who give in to Jenova. He had seen the worst place to be in, and he could prevent it. Maybe.
He also saw a shred of Sakura-chan. The real Sakura-chan. The one he remembered. She was screaming too. She was in pain inside Jenova, but she was somewhere in there. The person before him wasn't Sakura-chan; it was Jenova.
He had to win.
Somehow.
"Sether!" Katai was shaking his shoulders violently, "You have to fight!" The look on his face spoke volumes. Although he knew it wasn't exactly Sakura-chan he was against, fighting her meant hitting Sakura-chan's body, and possibly killing it, and Sakura-chan with it.
"Is there a way to save her?" Sether got up, helping Katai up as well and noticing that Jenova was watching Katai with venom.
Katai took a few steps back, retreating from the battlefield.
"I'll think of something.!" She said.
While Sether was watching Katai, Janova chose that instant to attack. She wasn't attacking him- her attack was aimed at Katai's head.
Something changed in Sakura's body, and Sether threw himself forward with a surprised shout.
There was a splash of blood.
Sether jumped directly into Janova's path, and received the blow that was intended for Katai.
Jenova growled with anger and withdrew her hand.
It wasn't really a hand anymore. The black cloth of her right sleeve was now torn, and from the elbow down what was once a delicate hand was now a blade. A blade made out of organic matter, but still sharp enough to skew Sether's left shoulder from the back, exactly where his wound was.
The blade had a sort of purple-ish color, and looked like a vicious disease of some sort. It had erratic edges and an uncouth surface, but it was still mighty painful to be hit by.
He dropped to one knee again, holding a hand to his severely bleeding shoulder.
"Why Katai.?" He asked from between clenched teeth.
"She is a traitor." Sakura's voice said, pointing the hand-blade at the scared Katai, "She's with the man who killed my brother. She should want your demise as well."
Katai took a step forward, "You're wrong!" She shouted, waving her hands as she spoke, "Violence isn't the answer! Even if Sether killing Ryuto weren't an accident, which it were, I still wouldn't have wanted him dead. Violence solves nothing! It only brings more pain, more sadness!"
Janova barked an evil laugh.
"Pathetic!"
"No! Sakura! I know you're in there! Please fight this! This isn't how things should be!" Katai took another step forward, "It was an accident!"
"It won't help." Sether said in a cold voice, getting back up, "Sakura's fighting spirit isn't strong enough. She's not a warrior. Jenova's grip is too strong even for a warrior."
.Sephiroth.
Katai stared at Sether. His voice was dead, cold and determined.
"How can it be that someone without Jenova cells can carry her?" He asked, locking stares with the once gentle eyes of Sakura-chan.
"Sh. She can't, really." Katai said, feeling the tension rise and taking a step back, "Her body can't hold on for a long time- it's slowly killing Sakura."
What was it with slow deaths these past few days? Sether hated the amounts of death and blood he had seen lately. More than enough, he decided.
.He'll end it. He didn't want anyone else dying. Not anymore. He was sick of it! Sick, sick, sick! He wanted to be left alone! He still had that glimmer of a chance to survive if he stayed in the cavern. Of course, if Jenova was to be killed, he would be okay again, right?
He just needed to kill Jenova, and then all this will disappear. Weapon will leave, his body will heal. And Sephiroth? He'll have a lifetime to figure out that one.!
He wanted to live!
"Find a solution, Katai." He said, not looking at her, "I'll fight."
He released his battle aura, and Katai was physically blown away a few feet. She landed on her behind near Barrett and Marlene, all this time staring with amazement. The aura sent the smaller rocks flying away, and Jenova had to brace herself when it rushed against her.
She smiled,
"So weak!"
But Katai didn't have time to dawdle! She started racking her mind for a solution.
There had to be something!
2 Act 3
There're few styles of hand-to-hand martial arts that include fighting against a person with a sword when you have none. And if there were styles that were good at it, Sether didn't know them.
He knew how to grab a blade swung at him without loosing a limb. That was about it.
The showdown of stares continued.
"Do you understand that you cannot win? Will you yield and let us become one?"
Sether remained silent.
Does that mean he'll have to.?
"The moment you let your guard down, or you are too weak to fight, I'll take you. You cannot kill me because of this body I posses, and you will eventually tire."
He was surprised that Jenova had stuck to her word and didn't throw any headaches at him. Was she that afraid of his Limit Breaks? Meteor, he was afraid of them.
"Unless you kill me, you cannot destroy me. But you cannot kill me, so the only thing you can do is surrender."
"Wrong." He said, "I have faith in Katai. She is smarter than you are, and she will give me the key to your destruction."
Katai wanted to curse.
"Thanks for not putting any pressure on me, Seth!" She yelled angrily.
"Not if I kill her." Jenova smiled, taking a sideways step to have a better look at her next victim. Sether reached out his right hand and held it in front of him, open,
"Indeed," he said, and surprisingly enough, smiled, "But I won't let you."
He closed his hand on the air; only it wasn't air anymore when his long fingers closed on a black bar with red leather strapped on it.
The bar grew longer, turning into a hilt.
From nothingness, a blade painted itself onto reality from the hilt. The blade grew longer and longer.
It curved viciously.
Sether had summoned the Masamune for the first time since the Ryuto incident.
He gave it a few practice swings, and Jenova stared at him with surprise mixed with fear,
"I don't believe you'd have the guts to fight me with the sword that killed my brother." She growled accusingly.
Sether changed his stance; he was standing straight up, shoulders slightly drawn backwards. This proud stance was intensified as he held the Masamune with both hands horizontally near his head.
There was only one fighting style for the Masamune, as there was only one Masamune.
This was Sether's true weapon, and Jenova knew it.
He was willing to use it again, but this time to protect Katai as best as he could. He wielded no blade better than he did this one sword. His form was near perfection, back then, but he threw the sword away in fear and disgust. Now he needed it's unparalleled powers, and the sword seemed to hold no bad feelings for it's previous treatment. In fact, it seemed to meld with Sether, it seemed an extension of his being, of his battle aura and of his essence. They looked. Right together, like it being the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle, and now Sether's was complete.
By the time Jenova could react or do anything, either to Katai or to Sether, he lunged at her, sword first.
Katai wanted to watch the fight, wanted to make sure Sether was doing okay, but she had a duty. He trusted her still! She had to come up with something!
And fast, because Sether was only occupying her attention, he had no intention of striking a blow.
Jenova, on the other hand, did.
What do you think? The ending of the story is pretty soon: only four/five more chapters. You might expect them around the beginning/middle of January. I hope to manage it soon!
(Remember: nothing is more inspiring than a kind word in the right place. ^_^; )
