Chapter 3: Burning Deep Inside From Impetuous Wrath
Cloud:
His first impression was of location – as a child, he had rarely ventured into the mountains, and certainly never up to the imposing structure that lay on the side of the rocks. Well, there had been one time...
...no...it was still too raw in his mind, even after all these years...
"Zack, you come with me. You...What was your name...? Oh yes, Grey...you come along too."
Cloud looked over just in time to see Sephiroth disappear into the entrance of the Reactor, Zack immediately behind him. As they disappeared into the depths of steel, Tifa shouted after.
"But I wanna come too!!" she yelled, stamping her foot.
That stopped Sephiroth. Whirling, he paced back down the metal steps, rising up to her small frame. She cowered back a little from his imposing presence, but held her ground nonetheless.
"Uh..."she said, sorting to find words, "I mean...I, uh...I just wanted to see what it was like in there..."
Sephiroth gazed into her eyes, his face a stony wall. After a tense moment, he spoke, softly but firmly.
"You have to understand Miss...this Reactor is Shin-Ra property. It is full of Shin-Ra documentation – I cannot possibly allow you inside."
"But, but, but…" she stammered.
Sephiroth placed another glare upon her before turning again.
"Let's go."
As he walked up the ramp again with Zack and Grey in tow, Sephiroth pointed at Cloud.
"You...make sure she stays here."
That hurt, he thought, but nodded anyway.
"Yes, sir."
Stepping in front of the ramp, Cloud held himself up in front of...her. He didn't think he could do it – the feelings that ran through him were more intense than anything else.
He had been shunted aside by Sephiroth, his idol...like he didn't even exist. Instead, he had been assigned to guard the entrance to the Reactor.
Worse yet, he was to guard the entrance from the girl he had dreamed about every night for the last two years, and keep up the appearance of some Shin-Ra grunt...and not let slip the truth of his true identity...
Tifa stood her ground, looking furious. She stepped forward menacingly, appearing to attempt at forcing her way through.
A simple hand up, palm facing forward, brought that to a halt.
Tifa's tough exterior shattered – she realized that this grunt couldn't be budged by a pretty (and pretty furious) face. She stamped her foot again and held her arms crossed. Still holding an air of anger, she looked into the black orbs of the mask that lay over Cloud's eyes.
"Oh, alright!! But you'd better take good care of me!!"
It was all Cloud could do to keep from chuckling. As scared as he was of this situation, he smiled at her comment. It was so typical Tifa: always trying to get her way, no matter what.
Slightly struggling to hold himself high, he prayed that Sephiroth would hurry the devil up – he didn't know how much longer he could stand in Tifa's presence.
~{:*:}~
Sephiroth:
It was as he had remembered it, even though it had been many long years in his returning.
The capsules in front of him gleamed through their shined view ports. Sephiroth chuckled silently to himself – Shin-Ra's Mako experiments, always attempts to create its new weaponry, seemed a waste of time to him.
He looked over to his left and spotted something amiss. A pipe had broken loose; its supply of Mako was slowly being vented into a waste vent in the floor. Sephiroth assumed that, somehow, the Mako had seeped into water supplies, transforming gentle creatures into brutal monsters.
Pointing to the pipe, he turned to Zack.
"There's the problem – set it straight and turn the valve to the left. I'm going to have a look around."
Zack nodded and rushed to the pipe, working the valves to fix the flaw.
Sephiroth looked up through the red floodlights that slanted across the ceiling. At the top of the stairs, a giant door stood, beckoning. Sephiroth checked himself; he would see that later.
Curious, he walked up to one of the orbs and peered in.
(*SNAP!* *HISSSSSSSSSS!!!*)
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Sephiroth's calm exterior cracked as he backed away violently from the pill shaped container. Breathing heavy, he turned to Zack, his usual expression of indifference exchanged for a look of terror.
Zack:
Concerned, Zack moved
towards his leader. "What is it?"
Sephiroth's head nodded towards the pill.
"Look...in there."
Slightly worried, Zack moved up to the container...
...and let out a gasp. What...what was that?!?! He looked closer. The huddled shape inside the Mako-filled orb...was...might have once been......human. But now...it was...horrible, like some...monster gone terribly wrong...
Oblivious to the surroundings, Zack fell back, crashing to the floor. His face reflected the horror he felt in his heart...in his very soul.
Looking to Sephiroth, he stammered out, "What...wh...what is...THAT?!?"
Sephiroth's curious face shrugged. Still panting, Sephiroth looked back in.
Suddenly, in an instant, Sephiroth's glare changed from suspicion to a look of pure anguish, terror, and madness.
Choking out through his supposed anger, Sephiroth growled, "No...no Hojo...no......you've gone...too...far...no..."
Zack looked up, surprised and concerned at the sudden shattering of his master's cool exterior.
"Sephiroth...?"
He did not move; if possible his face grew even angrier...and then...
...realization and surprise graced the high-boned features. His silver hair swung slightly as his body swayed...
"...Wh......Was...I...cre...created...like this...too? Is this...how...I was made?!?!"
Sephiroth:
Sephiroth could feel it in his veins – he had known it since he was a young boy. He was different than all the others – he could see things, hear things, feel things that no one else could. He had never known why, but now...it hit him hard...now, he could feel it...he was special because...he was created that way...
(*hiss*)
Yes...you can feel it now...you have the understanding...
...no...
... ... ... ... ...
You...(*hiss*) (*hiss*)...you cannot deny it...the truth is with you now... you cannot escape what it means...
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NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Zack:
In one fell swoop, Sephiroth pulled out his Masamune, the giant blade given to him so long ago. He struck the metal casing, again, and again, and again. Rage flew out of ever facet of his body – he screamed with anguish, a sound so piercing that it penetrated into the ground.
Suddenly, a giant hiss of escaping air could be heard. Sephiroth stopped his maniacal swings and looked at the source above, madness still clear in his face.
On of the orbs had opened...it contained...one of those...those...THINGS. It stood, screamed a scream that had never been heard by human ears. It wobbled slightly and fell out of its pod, careening into the depths below.
Sephiroth looked, rage still clear, but a desperate need for understanding radiated from him.
Silently, he picked himself up and headed down the ramp, towards the door leading outside.
Zack, scared of Sephiroth's outburst, tentatively asked, "Sephiroth...?"
No answer. He made his way out.
Terrified of the power that had been released from Sephiroth, Zack ran after him, hoping that he could reach him before that rage came again.
~{:*:}~
Cloud:
Sephiroth marched silently past Cloud and Tifa – he made his way down the mountain, never looking at any member of his party.
Bewildered, Cloud turned to Zack as he came to the edge of the cliff. He saw pure fear in Zack's eyes, something that he had never seen in his friend before.
Quietly, Zack whispered, "Let's go. We have to get back to the village."
... ... ...
It was a relatively short trek to the village – Zack and Grey left to find Sephiroth while Cloud escorted Tifa home.
"Get some rest Cloud, eh?" said Zack, as he walked towards the outskirts of the town.
Tifa walked silently into her house, mumbling her thanks to Cloud as she disappeared into her door. Cloud stood there for a moment, wanting to go after her, but knowing he couldn't.
He headed back for the Inn, wanting to take Zack's advice. But, exhausted as he was, he didn't know how he could sleep...
...Sephiroth...his idol, his hero...What had happened to him? Cloud had heard the scream of rage before seeing Sephiroth march out of the Reactor, but he still didn't understand.
(*hiss*)
He understands...soon, you will, too...you will understand your part...you will join him in his inevitability...destiny is rushing to meet you, and (*snap*)...and there is nothing you can do about it.
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... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
You cannot escape your fate...
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Author's Note: Interesting, eh? Stuff is heating up – hope this is good enough for everybody; I'm still not totally happy with it, but oh well, it's all an adventure :-) BTW, the title is the English translation of the Latin words sung in the last battle song with Sephiroth in the game. Cool, isn't it? Also, if you've played the game, I hope you know who is talking to Cloud and Sephiroth in their minds – if not, you will understand sooner or later :-) Enjoy!!
Cheers!!
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