The other thing is, this has shonen-ai in it and at least the implication of yaoi. If you don't like or can't tolerate that then don't read.
Oh, and if Sephiroth seems to much OOC, just remember that he is Cloud, and that Cloud is Cloud. ^_^ hehehe! You can work it out. The other thing is, Sephiroth's Cloud would have initially been older than Cloud, otherwise the timeline doesn't work, no matter how hard you twist it. This is set after the end of the game.
:: :: Conversation happening in someone's head.
~ * ~
The Other World
By Jade Tatsu
Chapter 3 - Enemy
No! It wasn't possible. They couldn't possibly be that stupid, to bring Cloud Strife back, after everything he had done, after what it had cost to stop him. They couldn't. But as Sephiroth looked further he could see that it really was Cloud and that they really did intend to bring him back.
No! Any sense of peace Sephiroth had deserted him. After what I did, after what I sacrificed, after what it cost me to strike him down, even if they don't know the price, they couldn't seriously want him back.
Sephiroth took a few deep breaths. He could still do that in the liquid and slowly tried to push his thoughts into some sort of order. Reeve and ShinRa, they didn't know, no one knew that Cloud was anything more than a General to him, a rival. They didn't know that Cloud was his life, his soul and that he'd rather have died himself. Hojo had known but he'd only learnt that when Sephiroth's sword was through his guts and Jenova had thought that it would be a fine joke to let him know the truth before he died. Jenova.
They can't know, Sephiroth thought with new clarity. And they're not bringing back Cloud. They're bringing back Jenova. Cloud was never more than a convenient shell for them, no matter how much he meant to me. I wonder if Cloud can fight Jenova this time or whether it will be the same as last time. Tiredly Sephiroth closed his eyes. He felt a thousand years older even though seconds had passed.
"Alright, we've got full Alpha consciousness. Prepare to drain the tank." That voice came through loud and clear before klaxons sounded.
Sephiroth's eyes flew open. Full Alpha consciousness... Drain the tank... It wasn't his, he knew that. They had him trapped and they wouldn't release him quite yet. Besides he'd never been able to raise anything more than half Alpha consciousness and that had left him tired and hurting, nauseous for the rest of the week. They had to mean Cloud. Sephiroth looked over at him and had to forcibly remind himself that this wasn't Cloud. Alpha consciousness was Jenova. All they meant was Jenova was awake in Cloud's body... The body. That's all there is of Cloud. Nothing that really mattered. Nothing he should care about.
He forced himself to watch as bubbles began to appear in the liquid as it slowly drained away. Cloud's body slumped to the floor of the tank but as the liquid drained away entirely it was racked by a series of sudden violent spasms, choking, hacking coughing as his lungs expelled the liquid, replacing it with air. Slowly, after a little while but still spitting the occasional trace of the liquid Cloud sat up and looked out at the world which awaited him.
Cloud's blue eyes opened, the mako glow making them shine and for an instant Sephiroth's heart contracted with love. Could it be possible? Could they be wrong? Could they have only brought Cloud back, with enough of Jenova to fool their sensors and make his eyes glow? It still hurt, the love, the hope, the knowledge of what he'd done but it was only an instant before those eyes focused and Sephiroth felt the familiar dread enter his heart. Those blue eyes he remembered as soft and as caring as the sky, sparkling with laughter and as gentle, as loving... gods, so gentle, so loving, not the eyes of the General but the eyes of his love, they were gone, replaced by the eyes he had killed. Eyes cold and distant and glittering with a malevolent power that would stop at nothing to achieve its goals. Eyes that shone, insanely powerful and completely uncaring. Exactly as I was meant to be.
No! Sephiroth almost screamed when he saw one of the scientists move forward to open the tank. There were troops at the ready but they couldn't possibly stand against him and although Cloud was slumped against the tank wall that was deceit. Sephiroth could see that Cloud, no Jenova - I can't think of him as Cloud, not anymore. He is only Jenova. - was coiled and ready to attack. She was just biding her time, waiting to be let out.
Looks like I'll die here. The thought was strangely comforting. As soon as Jenova saw him it was unlikely she'd let him live much longer. Ah... I can be with Cloud again... Or maybe I can be with that Cloud. He looked happy and even if he won't accept me, I'd be happy knowing he was there.
"Arrgghh!..." The scream brought him back to the present.
Cloud was half out of the tank, a superior condescending smirk on his face. There was blood splattered on his arms and chest and it came from the scientist who was still staggering, hands frantically, uselessly clutching at his throat. They were dead. The body just hadn't caught up.
With a small cry and a sudden surge of movement, Cloud leapt forward driving towards one of the few troops who had reacted, hands curled into claws, lips drawn back into a snarl. He impacted, resulting in a sickening crunch as bones shattered under Cloud's force before he jumped again, using the body as a backboard to increase his momentum.
Sephiroth felt a wave of confusion hit him. That was not Cloud. That was Jenova but why was she doing this? She was usually so much more subtle.
"No, Cloud! Stop!" Sephiroth screamed when he saw several soldiers cock their guns and take aim. Even if he was Jenova, Sephiroth couldn't let him die without being sure. He just couldn't let him die.
The sudden rational noise among the screams of the dying brought most of the rooms eyes to Sephiroth but he only cared about one set and as they looked at him Sephiroth felt all hope leave him. It was not Cloud. Not even a little and even after the merging there had been a little of Cloud. This time there was nothing.
Sephiroth shivered as recognition dawned in those eyes and the smirk turned into something pleased and infinitely more malicious. Cloud's body shifted slightly, turning to face him before him stood up straight, and uncoiling from the hunched position he had taken to attack the troops. He looked him full in the eye.
"Trapped Sephiroth?" Cloud - No! It's Jenova. It's Jenova. It's JENOVA! - asked quietly, almost whispering on a stage that held only the two of them. He twisted his hand slowly so that the palm faced upwards. Child fingers were graceful in the movement.
A look of surprise passed across those features and the gesture was repeated. When it failed again Jenova's eyes widened and she slowly bought her hand up to examine it.
"No?" Jenova said quietly but Sephiroth knew it wasn't in response to the blood covering the hand. "No! A child's body?" Jenova whirled suddenly, Sephiroth forgotten, to face the small group of scientist's who were huddled together near the far door. "You put me in a child's body?" she hissed, eyes blazing, hands curling into claws again.
"Of course we did Jenova," a voice sounded over the PA system. Reeve. "And this is the reason why. If you are not going to co operate with us then we will destroy you, now, before you develop your powers fully." Reeve seemed perfectly calm. Along the walls, panels slid back as he spoke, revealing a combination of mechanical and magical weapons, all targeted at Jenova. There was no way for her to escape but neither was there any way for the other occupants of the room to survive. Necessary sacrifice is what Reeve would probably say but at least he had some concept of how dangerous Jenova was.
Jenova's eyes darted around the walls and she obviously came to the same conclusions. "I like the way you think, Reeve," she said, licking her lips. "But you have always known I have my own goals..." She paused, shooting a glare at Sephiroth just loaded with malice. "I have no intention of repeating mistakes of the past so for now I will co-operate with ShinRa. It seems we want the same things."
"Good," Reeve said before the PA system was deactivated and a set of doors opened, revealing Reeve, Scarlet, Heidigger and the Turks.
Reeve walked forward, straight to Jenova, ignoring the blood and corpses around him. "I'm glad we have an agreement," he said as the wall panels closed and the tension began to seep from the room. His eyes clouded somewhat as he considered how far he could push Jenova now. "'Mistakes of the past,'" he quoted. "As far as I knew, you made no mistakes."
"Just one," The thing that wore Cloud's body said. "I made just one but it was enough." Jenova suddenly laughed at the confusion in Reeve's face, casting another malicious glare at Sephiroth's tank. "But you don't even know what it was do you?" There was a faint note of triumph in her tone.
"NO!" Sephiroth slammed up against the side of his tank. "You mustn't, you can't!" He ignored the startled looks he was getting from Reeve and the others. Jenova couldn't tell, she couldn't. She couldn't destroy his secret like this. Knowing it was impossible but having to try anyway, he pounded on the tank walls, trying anything to get out, to silence her.
"Oh but I can," Jenova turned, taking a few careful steps through the slicks of blood towards Sephiroth. "You never told them? No, of course you didn't. It wouldn't do for their perfect soldier to show weakness, sentiment! Well, I think they deserve to know everything... The reason why their General failed them and the reason why their back up, the child of my body failed as well and in failing killed their General. It makes such a nice story. But don't worry Sephiroth, my son, in return I'll tell you something they haven't told you." Jenova's grin became if anything more vindictive, more pleased at the pain she was causing with every passing word. "I'll tell you the real reason Cloud Strife was the only one who could merge with me." Jenova giggled at some joke only she understood. "I think you'll like that a lot.
"But first," She turned back to Reeve. "You want to know the real reason your General Cloud went insane, broke free from me and wanted nothing more than the destruction of the world. It's easy really. I was the only way he could see to destroy me."
"You're lying Jenova," Sephiroth's voice was dark with emotion. If she was going to tell, he was going to make sure she at least told the truth. "I know. I was there, all through it. It was never Cloud, it was only you."
Jenova laughed deeply, the sound completely at odds with the body producing it. "Well, maybe I am, just a little... But it was the only way one of us could get rid of the other."
"You would have died!" Reeve was intelligent enough to grasp the implications.
Jenova just shoot a smug look at him. She was power beyond belief and the destruction of the Lifestream would have truly made her immortal. Humans had such a narrow definition of what they called life. "But what would have happened is not the point here. You, Reeve, you want to know why it happened, so you can prevent it happening again. No fear of that though. I won't allow it." Jenova laughed again in anticipation.
"No!"
"Again it's easy," she jerked Cloud's spikes towards Sephiroth.
"No!"
"Him."
"No!"
"He is the entire reason in the end Cloud Strife was not an acceptable match."
"NO!"
"Him and his devotion to his lover," Jenova's eyes glittered maliciously. She loved the confusion and Sephiroth's shouts for her to stop.
Reeve was silent only for an instant. "WHAT?" He barely knew who he should be questioning.
"It's quite true, Reeve," Jenova explained looking back at the now silent Sephiroth. "Cloud and Sephiroth were lovers, devoted to one another but since 'Jenova's Child' was an emotionless and perfect SOLDIER they hid it from ShinRa. They hid it from everyone until they thought they had a way to show the truth... Until me!
"Which brings me back to my promise, my son!" Jenova hissed the last words but apart from that she continued to speak as gaily as ever, ignoring the way Sephiroth was almost slumped in his tank. "The reason Cloud Strife was chosen above all others to become me." She laughed again at the knowledge only she knew. "It was because of you Sephiroth that he initially volunteered. He wanted to be strong enough to stand with you, not hide in your shadow"
"No! I never wanted him to... I never needed him to..."
"You may never needed it but he did. Imagine that, despite your so-called human love he still felt the need for something more. He still felt he wasn't good enough. So what did your love bring him?"
Sephiroth shoved his pain aside. "But it was still something you couldn't give him," he snarled, eyes burning with rage. "That's why it all came undone! When I gave him my love after you were there, he fought you, didn't he? Fought what he had become. And that's when he truly died," Sephiroth looked at Jenova, trying to ignore her achingly familiar countenance. Something made easier by the wrong posture, eyes, feeling, everything Jenova exuded. "He may have died then but he defeated you." There was a note of pride in his voice. "He left you so broken that the only way you could avoid death in his mortal body was to destroy the world, gather enough of the Lifestream together so that you could exist forever. Cloud's only gamble worked, that someone would be good enough to kill his body before you achieved your aims, and for that I will remember him. And I will love him."
Jenova cocked her head at him. "A likely story and probably what you believe is the truth, but even if it is true it does tell Reeve that I'm not going to try that again. Now that Cloud's not here I can make this body immortal and I will because I am eternity and I will be here when this world burns to ash, when the furthermost star flickers out and dies." Jenova turned back to Reeve. "It looks like it's your decision. What are you going to do with me and more importantly, what are you going to do with him?" She flexed her hands experimentally as she spoke. The decision could really only go one way without bloodshed.
Reeve looked over at one of the scientists. The man had managed to compose himself somewhat, enough that he looked professional and not like a rabbit cowering from a pack of dogs. He nodded at the President's glance indicating that something was possible. Reeve looked back at Jenova, giving her a long hard look, which she returned with equal frankness, before he spoke.
"Since yours and ShinRa's goals are combined at this time I will authorise continued growth on that body. I assume you have no qualms about being ShinRa's General again? The war with Wutai has started again. There should be plenty of blood for you." It seemed Reeve was aware of Jenova's destructive desires and was only too happy to entertain them.
"I do like the way you think!" Jenova said delightedly. "But just so it's easier for your troops I'll act a bit more like Cloud Strife. They do seem to react more to a 'human' face."
"Sheep like to believe they are following their own," Reeve murmured. "As for Sephiroth," he began again, turning towards the tank. "We haven't made any definite decisions. I've got a couple of questions for him but after that..." Reeve shrugged. "We don't want to be hasty."
Reeve walked towards the tank. Sephiroth just glared back at him but apart from that he did nothing, betrayed no emotion. "This has been an interesting day," Reeve said, looking up at him. "I would never have believed you would have had a relationship with anyone, much less someone who wasn't Mako enhanced." Reeve smiled coldly trying to decide on a suitable punishment. After a few moments he shrugged again, he couldn't change the past and now he had the opportunity to fix it and this time he would be holding the reins of power.
"I'm not going to dwell on the past, I'm more interested in the present so first I must thank you for returning Cloud's sword to us." Reeve waved his hand and the Turks exited briefly before returning with the Masamune. They placed it on one of the benches before they returned to guarding positions. Just like them, be inconspicuous and hope you don't get killed.
"I'll be needing that," Cloud's voice said, almost completely without any trace of Jenova. She was making good on her word.
"Now to the questions. You don't have to answer Sephiroth but we'll get the answer one way or another. That summon materia," he pointed. "What is it and where did you get it?"
"I had that Summon Materia?" Sephiroth questioned. "Why would I hold a materia that doesn't work?"
"Why indeed?" Reeve questioned. "But it was found on you after you were defeated. So where did you get it?"
Sephiroth looked over at the red crystal. Found on him? Blue eyes, incredible spiky hair...His vision turning red... not enough air in his lungs, an incredible electric burning... and a name he could not utter. "Cloud," Sephiroth whispered and then looked down it Reeve with narrowed eyes, fighting the urge to laugh. He failed and burst out with a delighted peel.
Both Reeve and Jenova looked at him curiously, wondering if he had finally snapped.
Aeris... smiling as the Masamune slid through her. Cloud's eyes glowing with Jenova's joy... Aeris' last whispered message "I promise you... you will not be alone... You will never be alone..." "I thought she meant Tifa," Sephiroth murmured but he had never felt anything more than a brotherly affection for the woman. "She could have meant herself but there are limits to what a Cetera can do... But she didn't mean that at all..." Sephiroth laughed again before fixing Reeve with his emerald gaze.
"That Summon Materia?" He didn't bother hide the joy in his voice. "It feels like 'Knights of the Round' doesn't it?" he questioned. "But it isn't. That materia is dead as well. It doesn't actually have a name but I guess I would call it 'Lost Knight'. It is the means to defeat both of you and the best part is, no matter how powerful you become neither of you will ever be able to use it."
Rude sniggered but was silenced by Reeve's glare. The man looked back at the Materia. "And you are saying that you or your friends can activate it? I wouldn't get my hopes up, Sephiroth. That idiot Yuffie is too busy to bother with you. ShinRa collected Tifa and Nanaki this morning. They are, even now being transported here. Barret accepted our invitation."
"Invitation?" Sephiroth snarled. "What the hell did you threaten to do?"
Reeve shrugged. "Nothing. I merely indicated that it would be better for Marlene if the former Leader of Avalanche came to us before we had him arrested."
"You bastard!"
"One does what one has to to ensure peace and he is responsible for the destruction of Midgar Reactor #1 and all the lives that terrorist incident claimed. ShinRa does not allow terrorists to remain unpunished."
"So what's your punishment for the Plate?"
Reeve ignored the question. "And the Highwind is about to return to its rightful owners," he continued before turning and walking away. "No one is going to rescue you Sephiroth and you are not going to escape. If we can't do it then no one is going to activate 'the means to defeat us' and it will be just another worthless materia that does nothing." He reached the door before looking back. "Rest well Sephiroth, you are going to be there for a very long time. The list of tests I had to authorise this morning was quite extensive." With that he was gone.
The Turks paused only to mockingly wave goodbye before they followed. As soon as they vanished the scientists and troops burst into action, cleaning up the dead and a few of them politely and hesitantly asked Jenova to co-operate with them. For the moment Sephiroth was ignored, a prisoner who could wait until later, who could do nothing to stop them.
Sephiroth looked back at the movement around him, keeping his face blank. Cloud, help me. He spared a glance for Jenova where she stood wearing Cloud's body, talking with his voice, moving with his gestures. That's not Cloud! he berated himself. Cloud, help me. Let me see you when I sleep.
To be Continued...
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