(Author's Note: Okay…this chapter will sound a bit like the last one but I've changed some of it…from this chapter I will go to a real ending…not like the chapter before this…so just wanted to tell you that this chapter will sound a bit like the last one but not end like it…I tried to make it as close to the game as I can remember though…)
Disclaimer: Don't own FF7 or Squaresoft. I own Cassandra.
Chapter 18
Next morning…
Cassandra sat on the foot of the bed waiting for Sephiroth. It was only a few minutes before he came out of the bathroom. "What's up?" she asked seeing the look on his face.
"…maybe you should stay here," he said with a frown.
"What do you mean? I can take care of myself," she said.
"I know that but…I just have a bad feeling about going into the mountains," he said.
She stood and walked over to him putting her arms around his waist. "Everything's going to be fine," she said.
"I wish it would be as you say. I just have this bad feeling," he said and put his hand on the side of her face.
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine," she said.
"I guess you're right. I shouldn't worry," he said and kissed her cheek. He crossed the room to the door and picked up masamune. She followed. They walked down the stairs and outside of the inn. Zack and Cloud were waiting for them already.
"Cassandra! I didn't know you were here," Zack said.
"Yep…though I hadn't thought that I would run into any of you," she said.
"Mr. Sephiroth!" a man said running up to him.
"Yes?" Sephiroth asked.
"Please take care of my daughter," the man said as a young girl ran up to them.
"You're Tifa Lockheart?" Sephiroth asked.
"Yep! I'm supposed to be your guide through the mountains," Tifa said.
"Don't worry Mr. Lockheart. I will make sure your daughter is returned back here safely," Sephiroth said.
"Oh thank you!" the man said.
"Hey!" another man called.
"Yeah?" Zack asked.
"Can I get a picture of you before you leave?"
Sephiroth rolled his eyes impatiently. "Make it fast," he snapped. Zack stood next to him. Tifa stood between both of them. Cassandra hugged Sephiroth's arm and winked. Cloud didn't realize what was happening till the picture was over.
"Now can we please get going?" Sephiroth asked.
"Yes sir! This way!" Tifa said and lead them to a trail. They followed the path for about an hour when they reached an old wooden bridge.
"Are you sure this thing is safe?" Zack asked.
"Oh yes! I've walked across it lots of times!" Tifa said and started across. Cloud was behind her followed by Zack then Sephiroth then Cassandra. They were halfway across when there was a cracking sound. They all froze.
-Spilt second later-
"I thought you said this thing was safe!" Zack snapped.
"It was but there must have been too much weight on it and that caused it to break!" Tifa said grabbing Cloud's hand to keep him from falling. Zack cursed and tightened his grip on the wood plank. Sephiroth tightened his grip and managed to brace his feet on another one. Cassandra grabbed at a board but missed. Sephiroth grabbed her hand.
"Hold on!" he said.
"You're too heavy! You'll have to climb up!" Tifa said as she felt herself slip a little. The ropes that held the bridge were starting to snap as Cloud moved to try and grab a hold of something to pull himself up. He had just grabbed a plank when the ropes completely snapped…
****
Sephiroth pushed himself to his knees sometime later. He put a hand to his head hoping to soothe the headache he had. There was a groan from nearby. It was Zack. Tifa and Cloud were a few feet from him.
"Is everyone all right? Where's Cassandra?" Sephiroth asked as they started to stir.
"I think I'm in one piece," Zack said with a shrug.
"I'm all right," Tifa said.
Cloud simply nodded.
I'm right here," Cassandra said as she sat up.
"Is there another way to get to our destination?" Sephiroth asked looking relieved that she was all right.
"Oh yeah! We'll have to go through some caves but I know how to get to the reactor either way!" Tifa said.
"Very well," he said and pushed himself to his feet. He walked over to Cassandra and helped her up. After a few minutes they were on their way again. They walked through a series of caves until they came to the path. They followed the path to the reactor. "Ms. Lockheart you will need to stay here," Sephiroth said as he climbed the stairs with Zack and Cassandra behind him.
"But I want to see what's in there!" Tifa said.
"No. SOLDIER you stay out here with Cassandra and keep Ms. Lockheart out here," Sephiroth said and entered the reactor.
"Oh fine. Not fair that you get all the fun," Cassandra muttered as she went back down the stairs.
"I'm going in," Tifa said.
"Afraid not," Cassandra said sitting down on a step. Cloud shook his head and blocked Tifa's path.
****
"Whoa…so this is what's like to be in one of these," Zack said turning in a full circle to see everything. Sephiroth didn't comment. "Hey…What's in these pods?" Zack asked trying to see into one. He yelled and jumped back when he finally saw. "What is that…that…THING!?"
Sephiroth calmly walked to another one and looked inside. "Apparently they used to be human or something and have been exposed to too much mako," he said.
"Yuck," Zack said and shivered.
"Hmm…is this…how I was created?" Sephiroth mused.
"What?" Zack asked.
"Nevermind. Let's just fix this problem and get out of here," Sephiroth said looking around.
He noticed a door at the top of the staircase. There was a label above it…Jenova.
'My son…help me…' He shook his head and looked back at the creature in the pod.
'They only want to enslave you and cause you even more pain and suffering…'
'Was I created the same way as these?'
'Help me and you may get your revenge…'
'Was I…the same way…' Sephiroth suddenly spun around.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Zack called after him. Sephiroth didn't answer as he ran from the reactor.
"Hey! Sephiroth wait!" Cassandra said as he ran past her back the way they had come.
"I don't know what's gotten into him," Zack said as he joined them.
"Let's just fix the reactor and go back. Maybe he'll be back at the inn and I can talk to him," Cassandra said and went inside the reactor with Zack. Cloud still wouldn't let Tifa get past him.
****
"Look! There's a light on inside the old mansion," Tifa said.
"Maybe you all should stay out here," Zack said and walked up to the door.
"I don't like this," Cassandra said as he disappeared inside.
He looked around the ground floor until he found a set of footprints in the dust on the floor. He followed them upstairs and into a room then to the wall where they disappeared. Zack pushed a barely concealed button. The wall lifted and revealed a staircase that spiraled down. He followed it.
He entered a basement. He walked down the hall passing a door that was locked and then entered a lab like room. There was another hall leaving this room and a light at the other end. He cautiously walked to the light. In this room he found Sephiroth pacing back and forth as he muttered to himself and read from a book.
"…Sephiroth?"
Sephiroth looked up at him and stopped his pacing. "Traitors…"
"What?" Zack asked taken aback.
"Traitors…all of you! You enslave me! A creta! And my mother!" Sephiroth said.
"I don't understand you," Zack said.
"Out of my way! I'm going to see my mother," Sephiroth said and breezed past Zack.
****
"Zack! Where's Sephiroth?" Cassandra asked when he came out of the mansion.
"He was inside but then he left. Didn't you see him?" he asked.
Cassandra shook her head. "I'm going to check the inn. Maybe he just got past us when we weren't looking and went there," she said and walked away.
"Let's go check the reactor again…" Tifa trailed off as a few houses burst into flames.
"Cassandra!" Zack yelled. They ran to where she was buried in a pile of rubble that was starting to catch fire. They began to move the rubble but stopped when evil laughter was heard over the sound of screams and flames. Sephiroth was the one laughing as he walked up the path that led to the reactor.
"There's too much rubble here! You 2 keep trying to free her! I'm gonna get Sephiroth and tell him to help us!" Zack said and ran after him. Cloud and Tifa returned their attention to Cassandra. "Sephiroth!" Zack yelled as he chased him to the reactor.
He found Sephiroth climbing the stairs that led to the door label Jenova. He ran up the stairs after him. Sephiroth spun and the next thing Zack knew was that he was flying through the air. He landed hard on his back on top of something metal. A numbing sensation spread through him and things started to spin.
Sephiroth turned back to the door. "Mother…I'm here…open this door," he said. The door opened.
****
"She'll be all right. She was just knocked out," Tifa said looking up at Cloud from where she knelt next to the unconscious Cassandra. Cloud didn't seem to hear her. "Cloud?" Tifa asked.
Cloud shook his head slowly then ran to where his house was burning. Tifa gasped and put a hand over her mouth. Movement caught her eye. Turning to see it she saw her dad running up the mountain path. Making sure Cassandra was a good distance from the fires she then followed him.
****
Cassandra slowly came to. She sat up and looked around. Buildings everywhere were on fire and collapsing.
She got to her feet. She barely saw movement on the mountain path. And like the others she followed it.
****
"Give it back! You took my mother! My hometown away from me! Give it back!" Cloud yelled as he grabbed the blade of Sephiroth's sword.
Sephiroth just laughed softly…menacingly…
Cloud dug in and with a mighty push forced Sephiroth to back up and lifted him off his feet by his sword. Sephiroth looked at him in a surprised way.
*****
Cassandra burst through the door way of the reactor. "NO!" she yelled…but it was too late. She ran to the railing as Cloud collapsed and could only watch as Sephiroth fell to the mako below. She sank to her knees breathing ragged. She reached over and felt for Cloud's pulse. Nothing. Slightly shaking and in a dazed state she stood and went further into the reactor.
****
By the time Shinra troops and Hojo arrived at the scene Cassandra had found Tifa's wounded and unconscious form and gotten out of the town.
****
