Disclaimer - Don't own them, never will.

Author's Note - One more chapter left after this one . . . the prologue, to be exact. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter . . . and be warned. There is blood, gore, and swearing in this one.



Chapter 9 - Cursed


Cold winds blew across the winter wasteland the arrival of Jenova had created so long ago, stirring up snow in a blinding haze. Platinum hair snapped in the harsh wind, emerald eyes burning with intensity as they stared down into what could very well have been the pit of hell.

"Jenova . . ." he growled, his voice unheard in the howling winds that caressed him absently, his black trench snapping and fanning out behind him. The time was nearly come . . . the end of his cursed existence, and that of the creature that lay before him . . . the progenitor of all the lies and pain. His eyes narrowed as he thought of Tifa . . . Cloud . . . Vincent . . . Barrett, Cid, Nanaki . . . they would be here soon, and he could not allow them to get in the way. He was sure they had given up looking for him by now . . . they would be coming to try for Jenova themselves, and he could not allow that to happen. Jenova was his . . . his to kill, his to end. After he took care of Zack. He shoved aside the flash of pain that thought caused.

Zack was not Zack anymore . . . he was a creature the Hojo had altered . . . a puppet of Jenova. It was not Zack any longer . . . he needed to keep reminding himself of that fact. Standing slowly, he made his way to the path that spiraled downwards. It was time.


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"Do you really think he's already there, Vincent?" Cloud asked quietly, standing near his silent friend on the balcony of the Highwind. The others were on the bridge, discussing tactics . . . but Cloud had felt the need to be out here, with Vincent.

The man had withdrawn back into the demonic persona he had when they had all first met him . . . the dark, brooding silence that enveloped him like a cloak. Cloud knew what was going on in that head . . . he was worrying over Sephiroth. They all were, in a way. They had lost valuable time searching for him after he disappeared in the Ancient City. It had been Vincent who had finally called it off, suddenly realizing exactly what his son had done.

Sephiroth had left them . . . but this time, he hadn't been trying to protect them as his first priority. This time, he was trying to prevent them getting in his way . . . getting in the way of doing what he thought needed to be done. He had slipped back behind the mask of his demon self, leaving them facing a familiar monster once again on the steps to the ancient city . . . but this time, that monster was directed at their enemy and himself.

Vincent only hoped that the Highwind arrived in time . . . in time to at least help his son, if they couldn't stop him from stepping over the brink into oblivion once again.

"He's there, Cloud. It is the only thing he has left to do . . . Jenova is his only thought now."

"I still don't understand it . . . why would he leave help behind?" Cloud said, shaking his head in confusion. "He does know that we're trying to help him, right?"

"No," Vincent replied shortly. "He's thinking with his coldly analytical mind again, not the heart that he was bestowed this time. That mind, shaped to be the general and the god, does not see us as help . . . it sees us as complications. We've caused him to feel . . . to react impulsively . . . and the warrior in him sees that as illogical and dangerous. You remember your SOLDIER training, Cloud . . . they teach you to set aside your personal feelings to be better able to analyze the situation at hand, to better carry out the mission. Those ideals have been bred into him and hammered through him his whole life . . . and Jenova was trying to use us against him. Therefore, he discarded us . . . went alone in the hopes of having a clearer chance at her." Vincent sighed, his human hand running through his hair haphazardly as he looked at Cloud for a moment. "No one has taught him that emotions can be used as well . . . he doesn't understand it, and I suspect all of these new feelings have him confused and off-balance. So, he's distanced himself from the cause of these 'problems'." Cloud nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah . . . I see what you mean. Well, we should be there soon . . ." he murmured, before moving away. 'And I only hope we're in time for you to see him one last time . . .'


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He was nearing her . . . he could feel that part of him that was her thrumming at the nearness of her essence. It disgusted him, to be reminded that he was a part of her . . . a rogue part, but a part nonetheless. Green eyes narrowed as he spied a figure waiting for him below, and he grinned suddenly, a feral smirk that spoke of bloodlust and betrayal.

"Zack . . ." he growled, summoning the Masamune as he strode towards the waiting man, his blood heating to it's boiling point as the familiar face became clearer.

"Hello . . . murderer," the figure replied, it's own sword held at ready as it watched the advancing general.

"For once, you are exactly right . . . that is exactly what I am," he snarled, before launching himself into a blinding flurry of attacks. His blows were blocked easily, but the thing that had once been his friend got no chance to get in attacks of it's own. Sephiroth stepped back suddenly, pausing in his attacks to study his opponent.

"What's wrong, mighty general?" Zack sneered. "Finding it hard to kill me again?" Sephiroth merely smirked, his eyes cold as he looked at the figure.

"What makes you think that? Oh, that is right . . . you are under the flawed assumption that I care. Guess what . . . I no longer have that flaw." In a move so fast it was barely seen, he speared the Masamune through the figure before him. Zack's eyes widened in shock as the blade sliced through him, his eyes meeting the glowing emerald of Sephiroth's own from inches away. "I am the only monster here . . . you, on the other hand, are dead," the former general hissed. He withdrew the blade slowly, his eyes remaining locked on the wide eyes of his former friend. "Goodbye . . . Zack." Spinning, the Masamune cut through flesh and vertebra in a smooth arc of singing steel. The air erupted in blood as Zack's head was severed from the rest of his body, showering down on his killer, drenching the platinum hair with red. Sighing, Sephiroth relaxed his stance, brushing the sticky strands of hair from his face absently.

"I am coming for you . . . mother," he whispered, kicking the head away from him with his boot. "It is time to pay for your crimes . . . and it is time for me to make the final payment for my own."


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They climbed down the ladder quickly, armed with their weapons and materia, prepared for anything. The silence was deafening . . . only the sounds of the cold wind howling over the plain. There was no sign of Sephiroth or Jenova.

"She must actually be down in the crater . . . okay, same plan as the last time we did this shit . . . stick close together, shoot anything that moves unless it's Sephiroth. If it is Seph, just stay out of his way . . . we don't know how he'll react to us being here yet, and I'd rather not take any chances," Cloud said, adjusting his sword across his back. The rest nodded, fanning out to scan the area before they began their descent into the crater. It was Barrett that discovered the fresh footprints, calling the other's to it with a loud yell. Vincent leaned down to examine them minutely before standing up and nodding at Cloud.

"He is here already, as I suspected," he murmured. Standing slowly, he strode towards the path, the other's following the silent figure cautiously, alert to any sudden attacks that might occur.


*---------*---------*---------*---------*


Sephiroth entered the chamber slowly, his eyes scanning the area cautiously for any sign of his target. He was drawn towards the vast pool of Mako that lay in the center of the room, approaching it slowly, his boots against the stone the only sound in the otherwise still room. He stared down into the still pool of mako, his face reflected back to him in all it's harsh lines. He started and stepped back in surprise when the face became that of Hojo.

He continued to back off as the form of his supposedly long-dead tormentor arose from the pool, the mako dripping green to the stone below as he stood staring at his creation. It took a long moment before Sephiroth realized what he was truly looking at . . . the form of Jenova's current host.

"Jenova . . ." he whispered. Of all the form's she could have taken, this was the one he had least expected, and had been the least prepared for.

"Greetings, my arrogant son. What is the matter? Do not like this form? I find it suits me perfectly . . . even in death, Hojo can serve my plans well."

"Yes . . . you are both sadistic," Sephiroth replied, dismissing the Masamune from his hand as he stared at the creature, his eyes glowing with animosity. Jenova/Hojo's head tilted curiously to one side at the action, the pink eyes regarding him thoughtfully.

"Dismissing your only weapon? How thoughtless of you . . . unless you have changed your mind. You are still my favorite son, Sephiroth . . . I still desire to have you at my side . . . with me once again." Sephiroth approached her/him slowly, his hands held lax at his sides. Jenova/Hojo met him halfway, her/his hands reaching out to gently touch his face. He closed his eyes, inwardly cringing at what he had to allow Jenova to do . . . but he needed her close to him . . . in order for this to work, he needed to be near her. He opened his eyes again, only to start in shock as he found himself looking down into the face of Aeris.

"Do not be startled, my beloved son . . . I only wish to make you happy . . . you admired the Cetra girl, did you not . . . I have merely cast an illusion . . . pretend it is her . . ." Jenova/Aeris whispered against his lips. He controlled the urge to gag, capturing the illusionary lips with his own, distracting her as he summoned the magic deep within the sphere he secretly held . . . the magic his Cetran blood had given him control over.


*---------*---------*---------*---------*


Cloud stumbled to a halt as they entered the final chamber, the scene before him catching him completely by surprise. Tifa gasped, Cid swore, Barrett moaned . . . only Vincent remained silent as they stared at Sephiroth kissing what looked like Aeris. Cloud noticed the clenched fist, knuckles white as bone, and realization dawned on him.

"He's summoning!" Cloud whispered, his voice hoarse. He caught a glimpse of the materia, and his breath left him in a whoosh of air.

"Yes, Cloud . . ." Vincent murmured, having seen it himself and correctly interpreting Cloud's sudden release of air. "He's using the black materia."

"But . . . it was lost!"

"Apparently, it found him." They all stepped back in horror as purple/black flames shot up around the entwined couple. Jenova/Aeris screamed, the illusion flickering out of sight as the burning began. Sephiroth stepped back, wiping his mouth in disgust, his other hand clamped firmly on her wrist, holding her in the flames. The black materia glittered in his hand, and she stared at it in horror.

"How . . .?" she gasped.

"I am the last Cetra, remember? I only had to look inside myself to summon the true power of the black materia . . . which I now use to destroy you."

"But . . . it will kill you . . . as well as me . . ."

"Exactly as I wish it to. No one of your blood line is left now, Jenova. It is left to you and me . . . and we are going down together." He watched as Jenova struggled futilely to get away from him, to leave the ring of black/purple flame that was closing in on them steadily. "You have weakened Jenova . . . losing your original body has left you scrounging for what scraps of power you can reclaim. That is why you were so desperate to get me back . . . and that is why I will so desperately die rather than join you. You have failed Jenova . . . and this time I WILL find my peace in death."

"Sephiroth . . . NO!" Tifa shouted, racing forward, only to be blocked as a second wall of flame forced her to stop short.

"Tifa . . . I did not want you here . . . any of you," Sephiroth said, turning to her, his eyes shifting to blue as they met hers through the flames. "I am sorry . . . I hope your life will be easier from now on." He turned from her, but not before she saw the shine of tears.

"No . . ." she moaned, dropping to her knees as the realization of exactly what he was doing hit her. Cloud came forward, picking her up gently and handing her to Barrett, his own blue eyes staring through the flames to the tall figure, blinking his own tears away. A year ago, he would have said that Sephiroth was incapable of this . . . but that was the Sephiroth who had been a god, an icon, a man who had not been a man at all. This Sephiroth, against all odds and obstacles, had become a beloved friend, a member of their group . . . family. Once he had been a murderer . . . a heartless monster. But that Sephiroth was long gone . . . and now, this one would be as well.

Vincent stood silent, crimson eyes focused on the man who was his son. Inside, he raged at the fate's that were once again denying him a chance at happiness. But he understood . . . he understood why Sephiroth was doing this. This was his final act of redemption . . . but the price was high. Sephiroth turned suddenly, meeting Vincent's eyes with his own. They begged him to understand . . . and to forgive. He nodded once, letting his son know he understood . . . and accepted. Sephiroth smiled slightly, a sad, nearly wistful expression on his fey features, just before Vincent felt the surge of magic as he called on the full power of the black materia. The purple/black flames roared up, obscuring their view of the platinum haired general . . . but they could hear Jenova's scream intensify. It was then, as the sound reached a pitch that threatened to shatter their ear drums, that Jenova's reinforcements arrived. The group shook out of their stunned immobility, moving to intercept the creatures in unison.

Rimmed in the flickering flames, Sephiroth watched as Jenova struggled in his grip, desperate to break free of him. He pulled her closer, holding her to him as she was licked by the purple flames of the dark magic only he controlled.

"Fare thee well, creature," he murmured, his eyes closing as he felt the black materia sapping his strength . . . his life. "Burn in hell . . . I will join you shortly, I am sure. It is done." There was one last scream of agony and defeat, one last wail from the damned creature he held in his grasp . . . and then she hit his mind.

I . . . WILL . . . NOT . . . BE . . . DEFEATED!

He gasped, staggering as she ripped through his shields, violently taking control of his mind. But she could not stop what he had set in motion . . . the black materia continued to draw on his life force. She raged inside his head, helpless to stop his life from slipping through her grasp.

"Go . . . to hell," he whispered. He felt her die inside his mind, her last effort wasted as the flame that sustained her guttered and fled, drained by the materia he held firmly in his grasp. He dropped to his knees, retching as blood flooded his mouth, the crimson liquid spilling silently from his lips as the purple/flames guttered and died with his fading life.

'It is over . . .' he thought, before he collapsed, the black materia falling from his numb fingers.

Vincent made it to the fallen figure first, his crimson cloak rippling behind him as he fell to his knees beside his son. Crimson liquid still trickled from his lips, the platinum hair stained with blood forming a wave of crimson light across the stone floor.

"Forgive me . . . father . . . for I have . . . sinned . . ." Sephiroth whispered, staring up into Vincent's face. Tears fell silently from Vincent's eyes as he stared down at the former general, his human hand reaching out to brush back the platinum bangs one last time.

"Sephiroth . . ." Vincent whispered brokenly as his son grasped his hand with one of his own.

"Do not . . . mourn for me . . . I will be . . . at peace . . . finally," Sephiroth murmured, his breath becoming harder to catch. "I was not . . .meant for . . . life." The blue eyes focused over his shoulder for a moment before turning back to him. "Do not . . . withdraw from life . . . again. Let them . . . help you . . . as they helped me." Blue eyes turned to the ceiling, one last breath catching in his throat as their light dimmed . . . and finally died.

"Good night, sweet prince . . . may flights of angel's wing thee to thy rest," Nanaki murmured. A final silence spread out, surrounding them in it's comfort as they mourned for the man who had never lived . . . the boy who had never been a child . . . the god who had never achieved his godhood.

"It is done," Cloud whispered finally, unconsciously echoing Sephiroth's words of earlier. "May the Planet have mercy on his tortured soul."



Author's Notes Continued - Sephiroth's final words to Vincent are thanks to the Catholic/Christian religion. I felt they were very appropriate there, especially coming from Sephiroth. Nanaki's final words are thanks to William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' . . . a literary masterpiece that influenced me a lot, and that line I also felt was perfect there, especially coming from Nanaki. One more chapter left . . . please review ; )