Disclaimer: This fiction is used without permission for the purpose of
entertainment only and is not meant for sale or profit. All original characters
are the creation of the author.
Warning: YAOI, Sephiroth/Cloud eventually. If you can't stand these stuffs or don't know what it means, get the hell out.... Finally, I do not come from a native English speaking country, so grammar and everything wise may not be the good here.
ALTER QUIES
Chapter 04: the truths trauma...
Once they were in the living room, Cloud chose to be in the shadows, slightly away from the group. Funny, in his memories, it would be Sephiroth who would be standing in the shadows.
But who else he could be with?
Even though RedXIII had positively shown some trust for him, when he should be right beside the rest of the group yelling at him, but he could still see there was something in between that made him reluctant to approach the red beast.
Cloud then turned his attention to Bugenhagen as he began.
"I wish I could tell you more... but my knowledge is pretty limited."
Zack blinked, "You don't know?"
A sigh. "Aeris, have the Planet been talking to you passed few months?"
"The planet?" the flower girl inquired. "Of course...." she stopped. Then she thought about it, her eyes narrowed and frowned. After a few moments, her expression relaxed, sadly replied, "No."
"Indeed."
"What does it mean?"
He said grimly, "I am not sure exactly the cause, but it could be also someone is preventing her from communicating to us."
Aeris gasped, "You don't mean...!"
Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, "Jenova."
The elderly nodded, "I don't know how much stronger she is, but from what I have noticed, she is evidently stronger than before."
Aeris shook her head sadly.
Zack flinched and stole a quick glance at Cloud before returning to Bugenhagen. "So, if Jenova is blocking the Planet, both Aeris and you will not get anything from the Planet." The elderly nodded. "Then, tell us what you know about."
"Hohohoo. How about starting from the beginning... like how our enemy came alive again?" No objections. "I believe you all did defeat Jenova herself, and yes. But that was only her substitute form, one of her many incarnations. Her real form, I believe, resides much more deeper in the crater, where the Lifestream is the richest of all."
"But," Sephiroth frowned slightly. "How come I do not sense her, not until last month?"
"She was hiding, my friend. She was." Bugenhagen eyed at the silver-haired man, "From you." Then he giggled slightly which prompted the other man's eyebrow to raise. "However, not the Planet."
"The Planet knew?" asked Aeris, awed. "You mean the Planet knew Jenova is alive this whole time? But why didn't she...?"
"That I do not know. It seems she decided not to tell anyone, not even to your ancestors." He said, "But I knew she was planning something."
"Planning?"
"Yes. Something told me she was preparing some things for this day."
Yuffie jumped in and asked, "Could it be the WEAPONs?"
"There is a possibility, however, if you ask of me, I do not think so. Although WEAPON is the Planet's own weapon, it is not something she wanted to create. Needless to say, a weapon that do not care about her survival. It is her instinct to protect herself that created the WEAPONs, it is not within her limit to do so. So, I do have a strong belief that it is not the WEAPONs."
RedXIII asked, "You mentioned 'was', does it means the Planet's preparation is over?"
"Yes. And at the same time, to whatever she had planning or preparing, it is activating."
"Do you know what she was preparing...?"
"No, I don't, yet." Bugenhagen paused and said thoughtfully, "I need time and events to figure it out."
"...What about the WEAPONs then?" Cid asked absent-mindedly.
The elderly blinked. "WEAPONs? Why?"
"According to Rufus, the modified WEAPONs are the fusion of the four WEAPONs we defeated. It's still not confirm yet."
"So it is. Rufus speaks the truth," Bugenhagen agreed. "Once the WEAPONs were destroyed the first time, and if threats ever arise again, it will modify itself more powerful."
Cid said, "So you're saying that when a WEAPON's destroyed, the Planet automatically creates a stronger one in an attempt to deal with the threat?"
"Yes. What, however, I do not know is why instead of modifying, it is fusing together. Still, it may not be a conscious process as we know it, but rather an instinctive reaction."
Zack grimaced and muttered, "If the WEAPONs have gotten more powerful, it also means that the tactics we used before probably won't work."
"Most possible, unfortunately." Sephiroth said dryly.
"Indeed." Bugenhagen then smiled, "But things are not that hopeless, they are currently inactivate."
"Even they aren't actually attacking, they're moving around. That doesn't sound good." Aeris said.
Bugenhagen mockingly serious tone, "Then you guys better clear them before they do any damages!"
Barret growled silently, "I don't found it funny...."
"Aww... come on, Barret." Aeris smiled and tried to brighten the room slightly, "At least we now know what's our destination."
Cid said, "Yeah. Like last time, we'll kick that alien bitchy's ass and this time round, we'll make sure it stays dead!"
"Then, I guess we are heading the Northern Crater again." Yuffie shrugged and tossed her Conformer to her other hand. "Alright. Then what are we waiting for?"
"No, what about...."
"Wait a minute...."
Both Cloud and Sephiroth interrupted sharply coincidentally. This made everyone startled, including themselves, and stared at them. They completely had forgotten about Cloud, who he had remained unnoticed (apparently not to a certain person) so well that they nearly missed him. They had also nearly forgot, beside Jenova, there was another threat just right in front of them. Then again, they had also forgotten about Vincent too.... Some cursed themselves for letting themselves to overlook such important things.
Sephiroth and Cloud looked at each other, slightly disbelief, before it turned into glare and looked away.
Bugenhagen blinked amusingly then said excitedly. "Yes, yes! How can I forget about our guest!"
Barret blinked and snorted angrily. "More like enemy I say."
"Grandpa, what do you think of him?" asked RedXIII.
"Oh?" inquired his grandfather, then observed Cloud and smiled back to the red beast. "Nanaki, do not doubt your instincts."
RedXIII smiled and said aloud, as if excited, "I thought so!"
"What?" Yuffie asked. "Can anybody explain to me this animals' language?"
"Hohohoo, that means you can be at ease when our guest is around."
Zack said, "Oh. The another-person-yet-the-same-person thing."
This earned several grumbles.
Bugenhagen laughed, "I understand everyone cannot believe us easily, especially after what he had done to everyone of us, and believe me, I also do not know what I can do to make you believe." He walked towards Cloud and said in a curious voice, "That's why I would like to hear from you."
"His words alone? He will lies." Barret waved his hand vaguely.
"And do you?" to Cloud, the elderly asked.
".... I try not." Was his answer after being so quiet for so long.
Barret hissed "See!"
"Barret, leave your prejudgment aside for a while and hear what he says." He said, "Besides, I believe he has not say anything until now, right?"
RedXIII nodded, "It won't hurt you a bit."
"Arghh! Go the hell ahead!" grumbled Barret and went back to sit down beside the blond pilot. Cid gave a slight shrug and looked at Bugenhagen, then to Cloud.
Bugenhagen began, "So... Cloud Strife...."
"'Cloud' is enough." His low voice demanded in reply.
The other person raised an eyebrow but said nothing about it, "Alright then, Cloud. Do you remember or know what have happened so far?"
"...."
"So?"
"...I don't remember." Came a hesitate answer, "But I suspected."
( He lied. ) Sephiroth thought and narrowed his eyes. From their earlier encounter, he could see Cloud knew much, not in details perhaps, but more than general. At this moment, he then realized why he had brought Cloud to the ship instead of killing him... probably because he did not had the same insaneness in his eyes.
"I see... then what do you suspect?"
"...That I must have done something terrible," Cloud answered silently.
( Clever answer. )
"And do you know what is that so terrible?"
"I held my suspicious, but other than that, I can't answer that confidently."
"Why are you afraid?"
Cloud raised his eyebrows, "Afraid?"
"That's it!" snarled Barret. "It's pointless!! Can't you see he's lying his ass off?! Let's just kill him and get over it. We've enough problem to handle!"
Bugenhagen heaved a sigh, "All right, all right. Since our man is getting so impatient and our guest has insisted not recalling of anything...."
( So, the old man knows Cloud Strife is lying.... )
"...I could show you the documents of what really happened, " finished Bugenhagen. "Everything that have triggered the Judgement Day."
"...What?"
Everyone's jaws dropped and stared at the elderly checking to see he was insane or not. Cid was the first to recover. "Bugenhagen, are you sure you know what you're talkin' about?! This is Cloud Strife, the one that had triggered that Judgement Day!"
Yuffie muttered, "Yeah, and what if he can't handle the truth and goes the blend like he did the last time?! I mean, assuming he really don't remembered."
"Then it's better to find out sooner than later, is not it?"
There was a pause, before Aeris said thoughtfully, "Bugenhagen is quite right. Ever if he already can't remembered, some time in the future, he will start to recall some of them."
"If you are still unsure, we can have Sephiroth to come along." The elderly suggested. "And one more of you too. My machine could hold up three persons, you know."
While the black-capped man had said nothing about the suggestion, he was in fact keener to know what reaction would this Cloud Strife have. He saw everyone shrugged at the idea and nodded reluctantly.
"But I'm not going." Zack shook his head, "I suddenly have something in mind to check it out, and I could use this time to do that."
Aeris shrugged, "I'm slightly wore off from the fight...."
Cid rubbed the back of his head. "I guess everyone is... but I still have to check up my ship for the trip."
"I will." Vincent finally volunteered quietly. It surprised everyone a bit, but they said nothing. While Barret was not going to be anywhere around with Cloud, Yuffie had no confident defeating Cloud, and as for RedXIII, he had no wish to fight against this Cloud Strife, unless it was really necessary.
Bugenhagen chuckled, "Well then, its settled! The rest of you can have a rest in the inn or have a stroll around the area. Believe me, it will take pretty long to tell the full-story."
** ***** **
Cloud woke up.
The little girl was sitting near the entrance of the town, Nibelheim. Leaning against the fence, as if waiting for someone. Suddenly he felt the girl shouldn't be here, solitude was not right for her, and he wanted to accompany her.
However, before he could make a move, the little girl stirred and looked up. Then did he notice the new comers that had entered the town. They weren't much of visitors or anything, but after she searched through the group, she shook her head in denies and ran back to her house with the head dropping in disappointment. Obviously the person she was looking wasn't in the group.
But, that was not true. That person WAS within the group... just hiding.
( This is the past... eight years ago. )
"So how does it feel?" The Great Sephiroth continued, "It's your first time back to your hometown in a long time, right? So how does it feels?"
'Everything started three years ago, in the town called Nibelheim.'
( ...Huh? )
Cloud looked at his younger self adjusting his helmet and shrugging at his words.
"I wouldn't know because I don't have a hometown..."
"Ummm... how 'bout your parents?" Young Cloud asked, as if uncertain.
"My mother is Jenova. She died right after she gave birth to me. My father...." Then, Sephiroth laughed, "What does it matter...? All right, let's go."
With a wave of his hand, the team was dismissed and was free to do anything in the town until the next order, which was to report by next dawn. As Cloud had remembered, he had expected his younger self heading for his house immediately. It should be.
But it didn't. He was confused when the images revealed that young Cloud ignored his own house and headed straight to the inn with Sephiroth and Zack.
( What's going on...? Am I not supposed to return back to my home at this time? )
After a while, young Cloud was out of the inn and headed for the mansion, alone. And he did not come out for a long time.
( No... I did not head for the mansion... I was going home, on the bed, and mother was talking to me.... I remember that! )
Suddenly the moving images skewed wildly and day was night. He blinked when two dark figures emerged from the mansion. The latter was desperately trying to chase up the first one.
"Cloud! Please wait... please listen to me!"
( Mother?! Wait a minute... she isn't supposed to be there.... )
But young Cloud ignored her and hastily walked towards the inn. He looked so unfeeling towards her, he was not slowing down, and his face was scowling as he slammed the door at her face.
His mother continued to stand outside the door, crying out for him. After a few moments, his mother gave up and went back to her house sobbing.
( She doesn't cry! She doesn't... at least not for me.... )
----------------------- -----
The screen then skewed again, but to his greatest shock, he saw himself summoning Ifrit and ruthlessly burnt down his own town. He could feel his eyes widened as he saw a very different of himself grinning in madness in amidst of the raging fires and had evidently enjoying seeing everything being destroyed to none.
Ifrit roared loudly again and screams eventually filled the starless night. The whole town once again burnt in total chaos, just like the memories Cloud had as fresh as yesterday. So familiar, yet so different.
'We have a suspicious that you'd discovered something in the mansion that caused you this insanity... but it's still unclear. You killed everyone and burnt the village down.'
With a mocking wave of his hand, the demented Cloud left the distorted town unfeelingly for Mount Nibel. For
Jenova.
** ***** **
Cloud staggered at his seat as the past came alive, unlashing cruel realities to his questions and slapped across his face so painful that he couldn't evade the rest of the truth.
The images was now moving more and more fast, his already widened eyes forced to see it all like it was a demonic video clip chanting a curse at him.
** ***** **
'The SOLIDERs tried to stop you, but strangely, they couldn't. All of a sudden, you seemed so powerful... even the first class SOLIDER, Zack, nearly died from your hands.'
He cut Zack down so effortlessly and laughed how pathetic Humans were. Tifa dropped to her knees and cried for his reasons but her words did not complete when he hacked into her body.
But....
He was not satisfied....
...And he needed more.
It was a sickening sense of pleasure and hunger when he brought Zack's sword down, and down again, and down again. The blood spattered, colored the wall, and flooded the floor. Eventually, once been a human being, miscellaneous bits of raw, abused flesh of the body were scattered around the room like grotesque confetti.
The sword slipped from his fingers and hit the floor with a heavy metal sound chime. An insane smile slowly appeared, he then held out his bloody hand and licked her blood deliciously.
'You tried to take Jenova.'
Cloud Strife was dead. This was not him... THIS was Jenova.
----------------------- -----
Sephiroth ignored the pain on his body as he took this only one chance opportunity and swiftly plunged his Masamune into Cloud's heart.
"... Can't be!"
Cloud widened his eyes unbelievingly at the outcome and stared into the icy green eyes... before he was thrown into the pits of the Mako reactor....
'But it took a sheer yet strong will to defeat you.'
'The Great Sephiroth killed you.'
----------------------- -----
Sephiroth and Zack ran up the building, following the blood trails on the walls, on the floor, distorted corpses laid everywhere and finally the death of the ShinRa president.
'Two years later, Sephiroth and Zack left ShinRa and joined the terrorist group, AVALANCHE, to overthrown the current leader of Midgar. While they were carrying out their mission, they were caught up by a series of strange happenings.'
'Staffs were mysteriously killed in the ShinRa building....
...And the President was murdered by you.'
Arms and legs were tore off and thrown on the floor carelessly. The head was separated from the body yet both were pinned on the wall....
...and blood couldn't just stop flowing down the walls....
That was his death.
'Cloud Strife is back.'
----------------------- -----
The group chased after the murderer with only the rumors by the name of 'blond spiky-haired guy'... and on the way, the group was growing, under different reason yet same purpose.
'They traveled from Midgar to Junon Base, Junon Base to Nibelheim, Nibelheim to Rocket Town... nearly the whole world. Only, in order to chase you. To stop you.'
Each on the quest had a tale of his or hers to tell. Their past, their present, their future.
'New members were introduced... Nanaki, Yuffie, Vincent, Cid....'
----------------------- -----
His laughter was insane, madness, when he got the Black Materia. It was said that this only materia was the strongest of all, surpassing every materias in the world. So strong that it could single-handedly destroy the entire planet.
'Then they knew about the Black Materia... you were after the Black Materia... to the Ancient Temple. There, they know much about the Cetras and the Crisis from the Sky.'
He held it tightly in his palm, then turned to the unconscious man... and smirked before disappearing.
In the end, Sephiroth was just another human with feelings.
'They succeeded.'
And that caused him the failure.
'And failed.'
----------------------- -----
The city was truly a sight to see. Crystal buildings glowed in such a color that a sudden calmness would wash all wearies and troubles away.
Yes it would be... if blood were to spill on it.
His evil smile slowly wore on his face as he found the heart of a certain brown-haired young woman in the heart of an ancient city. He let himself fell forward and as he flew like a stone dropping down, he concentrated his magic at the palm of his hand....
'You had the Black Materia...'
'...but everything will be fine... if they have Holy.'
So weak. So pathetic.
Everything would belong to 'her' when the Cetra was dead. She could finally stimulate her revenge, after waiting so long.
----------------------- -----
Apparently, there was still some resistance.
'You tried to stop her from praying the ultimate White Magic, Holy. You tried to kill her like you'd killed the President, but Sephiroth and the gang came in time.'
He coldly regarded the group standing in the way, with Zack and Yuffie busied curing Aeris's deep wound and Sephiroth, Masamune on his hand, ready to kill him. He stared at Sephiroth before closing his eyes briefly, and made himself suspended in the air before revealing another form of Jenova.
The Holy was shinning...
'Aeris's prayer is shining.'
...Then he better hurry up.
----------------------- -----
He looked as he was exactly that two years ago. He looked so... to be seal inside the huge mako ice block... to be alive....
"...Everyone... I am so sorry...."
Once the Black Materia was handed over to his real body, the whole crater shook with an overwhelming wave of vibrations....
...And before they knew, a huge pillar of blue energy shot up into the heavens.
----------------------- -----
The sudden surge of energy was too great, immediately everyone was mercilessly separated and had landed over the world.
And, the WEAPONs had awakened.
----------------------- -----
So, the Planet had decided to take part in this war. Her WEAPONs scattered and had created pretty much chaos over the lands. The whole world was in a restless and heavy silence, simply because the God of Death was knocking at their doors.
Because they feared Death itself.
'You had succeeded. The Black Materia was summoned.'
He savored the sight in front of him, for it brought happiness to him, yet fear and despair to the world.
The hellish red light and a huge glowing rock filling the sky. The meteor.
'It was thought to be the end.'
Soon... it's time.
----------------------- -----
The ground suddenly gave way and shook violently. They all spun to stare in horrified disbelief as the crisis from the sky slowly rose into view. She was grinning, and how similar the grin was to Cloud's.
'They went to Northern Crater, for the final confrontation.'
'They named this day as the "Judgement Day". The day that determined the rise or the fall of the Planet.'
As Sephiroth held his blade ready and warily glared the towering form of Jenova with a fierce look of determination on his face.
[ FLASH ]
Jenova's lifeless stare sent him shivering slightly, but he was not afraid. Not when it compared to Aeris's sacrifice. Sephiroth was just slightly beyond, so close! Her prayer was shining, he could see!
Cloud glared at Jenova with a fierce determination as the Ultima Sword rocked steadily with the vibrations began to cease.
[ FLASH ]
----------------------- -----
The Holy was shining, but... there was also Cloud Strife. He was not looking the least impressive. A soft growl emitted from his mouth as he bent lower as if in pain.
"Insignificant fools!"
And then, he transformed. Huge purple veins started appeared on the sides of his face as though designing that smooth skin. His blond hair no longer spiky as they grew into messy and long to his thighs, his newly grown hair was suspended and spreading everywhere in the air like wings. His human hands were no longer humans; they almost looked exactly like Jenova's. His three long and fleshy tissue-like tails, replacing his legs, whipped the air with a deadly slash and aim.
Everyone startled slightly as their final enemy slowly looked up. His flaming red eyes seemed to be raging with immeasurable lunacy. His slightly blue colored lips parted.
"I shall show you, what it means to defy God!"
[ FLASH ]
One Winged Angel.
It was all he could think of.
[ FLASH ]
----------------------- -----
In a barren, featureless place... Sephiroth found himself alone facing Cloud Strife. He did not look like the monster he was facing earlier on... he was... Cloud Strife.
This is the end. The final of the finale.
In a barren, featureless place... Cloud found himself alone facing Sephiroth. He was human, half-naked, but definitely not harmless. He was... the Great Sephiroth.
This is it. Let's end it.
Their swords held out... Cloud Strife had this uncommonly motionless expression.
Their swords held out... Sephiroth still had his arrogant smirk on his face.
They stared at each other across their swords, and then he could concentrate on nothing except launching the most lethal and relentless series of blows he was capable of. He couldn't afford to hold anything back... especially not with an opponent of Cloud Strife's skills.
He refused to think... might have the slightest impulse to hold back.
They stared at each other across their swords, and then he could concentrate on nothing except launching the most lethal and relentless series of blows he was capable of. He couldn't afford to hold anything back... especially not with an opponent of Sephiroth's skills.
He tried not to even think... might have the slightest impulse to miss a step.
Sephiroth leapt into the air for the final, deadly slash....
Cloud leapt into the air for the final, deadly slash....
[ FLASH ]
Everything exploded in a brilliant flare of light.
[ FLASH ]
** ***** **
Outside the video, the three figures observed.
Sephiroth glanced at Cloud as he suddenly twitched, then started to whimper little noises of distress. For the first two hours since Bugenhangen had placed the equipment on his head, Cloud was lying there unmoved and if he had not known better, he would have thought the blond was sleeping. However, the next constant four hours, he had been stirring restlessly.
From the controls, he could hear Bugenhagen saying the clip was almost coming to an end, so he knew Cloud was close to learning all the truth.
His thoughts were interrupted abruptly when Cloud cried out and immediately pulled off the equipment. His breathing came in short series and he could see his body was still shaking of the truth. If Barret had seen the look of their enemy's face, he would say....
"I'd say he looks like a person who's just received the shock of his life... if you were thinking he was taken over by Jenova." Sephiroth startled when Vincent spoke for the first time in six hours. Vincent then resumed to stare at the disoriented Cloud, and Bugenhagen was still adjusting the controls. He frowned inwardly and wondered what he should do now.
"I don't understand...." Came a soft voice, and if one was to listen carefully, it was trembling. "I don't understand. I...."
Sephiroth looked up at Cloud, but Bugenhagen beat him by a second. "What you do not understand?"
"Everything! Me and everything!" Cloud shouted. "You said you have all the answers, but you did not answer mine! Why me? Why wasn't Sephiroth? Where was I all these time? What was I doing?!"
"In the Northern Crater and trying to destroy the...." Sephiroth murmured but immediately stopped when Bugenhagen shot a nervous glare at him.
But Cloud heard it. "I know what I have just saw and I do not mean that! Why do I remember the fires and my sorrow? Why do I remember the tortures in that five years? Why do I remember her death? Why do I remember the burning Mako on my skin? Why do I remember the feeling that cut through...?" Cloud trailed off and shook his head. "No, THAT'S not mine."
"Cloud, you have to relax. You are not making any sense," Bugenhagen said.
"I am not making any sense?! What senses will I have after this?!" Cloud buried his head into his hands and murmured something that was so inaudible for even SOLIDERs to hear.
When Sephiroth was going to walk to Cloud, he saw the elderly shaking his head and gestured him to remain where he was. Then he did to Vincent too. Bugenhagen inhaled a deep breath and walked.
"Cloud, listen to me." He held out his hand. "If you keep this up, you will destroy yourself... like you did before."
He saw no reaction, so he dared himself to move the next step and placed his hand very gently. However, apparently, his touch triggered another reaction and it was not a very good one.
Cloud smacked the hand away aggressively and his glowing eyes were narrowed ominously as he glared at everyone. "DON'T TOUCH ME."
Immediately Bugenhagen stepped back and the other two men were already starting to move in front of the elderly as Cloud slowly stood up. No, he was not going insane like before, it was a sort of different insanity.
The appearance of Sephiroth seemed to provoke another emotion, and Cloud flashed a flare of anger.
"'Like I did before'? That was not me... you are lying. Everyone is lying."
To the others, it seemed the history was going to repeat, but to Sephiroth... he saw great fear and confusion.
"Let me down, Bugenhagen."
They blinked. "What?"
"I say, LET ME DOWN. I want to get out of this place," Cloud snarled.
"But...."
"Bugenhagen," Sephiroth said firmly, "Do as he says."
The elderly glanced at the silver-haired man and nodded slowly. He went over to the controls and pushed a few buttons, before the elevator appeared with a soft sound that indicated the door opening.
"Don't follow me if you don't want to get hurt." With that, Cloud ran for the lift and closed the door before Vincent should chase up on him.
Vincent's expressionless face turned to Sephiroth and asked quietly, "What are you thinking?"
Sephiroth sighed and wondered was he doing the right thing. He couldn't believe that he was actually doing any of those things.... It wasn't because he felt sorry for the man -- there was something between him and Cloud that refused to be pitied -- but Sephiroth was unable to deny that he felt worried, not about Cloud hurting him or his friends, but worried about the man himself.
The mere thought was faintly nauseating. For an angry instant, Sephiroth wondered if banging his head on a nearby wall would knock some sense back into himself.
"He won't hurt anyone."
"Won't?" Vincent raised an eyebrow, "You are very abnormally confident about that."
Sephiroth sighed again, "I believe I have... Bugenhagen, please shut down that noise. It's annoying me."
"Noise? Is that nois.... Oh. OH DEAR!" Nanaki's grandfather suddenly cried and went pressing frantically to the manual input device. The more he pressed, the more flashes of light all over the room and the more worry he looked.
Sephiroth and Vincent shrugged at the sight and went to his side. "Bugenhagen, what's wrong?"
"Dear me... how could I be so absorbed with Cloud Strife's welfare to overlook such comings!"
"Bugenhagen, please tell us what's wrong!"
"What worse can it be? My machine is getting strange signal... a high concentrated energy is moving towards to us!"
"What?!"
Sephiroth widened his eyes as his senses begun to clear and could instantly identify this foulness in the air, but he knew that what he sensed was no simple odor. It was actually a psychic stench caused by the unholy mental energy that was now penetrating the entire area. He knew it like he knew the back of his palm... it bored into his very flesh and bone.
Even into his soul.
"Damn it!" he cursed to himself. "She is near!"
Much timing.
** ***** **
"THIS is a VERY fascinating work of arts!"
Cid groaned and vaguely replied, "Yes, yes. It is a very fascinating. I got your point, so you don't have to say that bloody sentence twenty-eight times, Zack!"
"But it is!" cried Zack, lifting up Cloud's sword so that the blond pilot was able to see. "Look at it! The workmanship's great, unique in it's own style and rare in it's own capability!"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Think of it. It probably the most powerful weapon I have ever seen... no, it could have been the most powerful in the world!"
"Oh yeah. It could have been Jenova's very own weapon."
Zack blinked, then looked at Cid, and to the sword again. He remained silent before speaking again, "You can be right... it might explain why the sword feel so weird."
"You and your sword maniacs!" Cid threw his hands up in frustration. "That sword can't even kill a cat, Zack!"
"No! You're wrong. You've seen Cloud's using this to kill hundreds of monsters in Bone Village. This sword can kill, but only by the hands of Cloud Strife."
"Oh great then. ONLY Cloud Strife is able to wield this MOST powerful sword in the whole wide world. How lovely."
Zack grinned, "And you want to know what I just know about this sword?"
"No, I don't want to hear anymore of your bloody discoveries."
"This sword is pretty much alive, Cid."
"Alive?! You mean this sword can breath?!"
Zack shook his head. "No, what I mean is this sword had enigmatically made so complex that it is almost alive! Like your ship, you built it so advanced and sophisticated and alive that it operates no man can imagined. Just like this sword."
"Okay... so what's its features if it is THAT great?"
"It can recognize its own owner," Zack said plainly.
"...And?"
"That's all I know. H-hey, wait a minute! I can't do much when it is not activated! Cid, put that spear down!"
"I am to destroy this door down and get the hell out of here."
"Wait! You can't leave now, I still have a lot of things to say!"
Cid began to walk to the door. "Sorry then, I'm a very busy man, spike."
"Awww, come on! Just one more time, after all, that's what you are for!" pleaded the dark-haired SOLIDER.
"That's because you locked us inside this room and no one's in the ship to unlock this damned door!" shouted Cid. "For six idiot hours! Where the hell those idiots gone?!"
"Hehehee...."
Cid scowled, "And what's that 'hehehee' for?!"
"Well, I told them you needed some quiet and peace hours, so I gave them, ALL of them, permission of six hours break."
"YOU DID WHAT?!"
"They should be back in any minutes, don't worry." Zack smiled and patted the pilot's shoulders. However, his hand was painfully smacked away.
"In the name of my ship... I'll be damned if I do not see to your death! YOU ARE DEAD, ZACK!!" raved Cid.
"Arghh...! W-wait, wait! I can explain!!" fled to the another side of the room. Just when he really thought Zack was going to die when an insane Cid was ready to pounce on him, the door suddenly went open and swiftness like a cat, he had already sprinted out of way.
But unfortunately for Cid, he had not expected the door to open, needless to say Zack to escape, so he landed on the floor with a heavy bump.
"Sir?!"
"Nice talkin' to you, Cid. Later!" laughed Zack and disappeared in the next turn.
"Sir! Are you alright?!" his crew went to his side.
"Urghh!! Why don't you guys return next year?!" and a long string of vulgarity words followed.
"Sir? But, Sir! We have a big problem."
"WHAT PROBLEM?!"
The crewman swallowed nervously and said, "Well... right after we r-returned, the ship censor immediately detected strange signals heading towards Canyon Cosmo."
Cid groaned loudly. He stood up as he began to run to his bridge, and murmured. "Today is not my lucky day...."
When he entered the bridge, the room was in chaos of flying shouting. Cid frowned immediately when he spotted Zack was already there. But, the look of the current seriousness already in the ship, the captain of the Highwind decided to dismiss his revenge... for the moment.
"Cid! Come over here, and have a look at this." Called Zack aloud.
( Just you wait, Zack! )
As he went to Zack, he looked over to the screen he pointed. A bright red dot was moving toward them, somewhat fast and a warning sign kept flashing on the top right corner of the monitor.
Zack murmured, "And look at the measurements...." He waited for the staff to type some keys and another screen of information popped up. "The size is just 4'ft height and 1'ft width... but the detected energy is...."
"278 percent?! For such a small sized thing?!" Cid widened his eyes in shock. "What the hell is this enemy?!"
Zack narrowed his glowing eyes and from one corner of his eyes, he could see from a pop up window, Sephiroth and the team gathered and running out of the village.
"I don't know... but I know it is not going to be pleasant!"
** ***** **
When Sephiroth saw Zack and Cid coming out of the ship, he knew they were pretty much alert.
Without anything, he said aloud, "It's Jenova. I believe you know the direction, Cid."
The pilot nodded and pointed exactly where Cloud had disappeared. ( Damn ) was the only thing that came first in mind. They ran directly into the Ancient Forest. The sickening sensation was getting stronger and stronger, so he knew they were in the right track and were getting closer.
After a few minutes, when they finally caught sight of a certain spiky blond-haired enemy and they couldn't help but to curse at it. He would wonder how many times he had cursed in this day if he had the time.
At the end of their destination, they saw Jenova wavered unsteadily on her feet as she had stretched her abnormally long left hand to a few inches before Cloud's face.
As if welcoming him.
"Oh shit...."
END.Chapter04
To Be Continued_
A/N: Ugh. My least favorite chapter so far. It feels so weird... so empty. Anyway, try to enjoy the chapter; I'm still working on the fifth chapter. And guess what, Trauma the Truths. The tension is already there.