All That's Evil
By Semdai
Chapter One
Midgar, during the time of Diamond Weapon's final appearance...
* * * Rufus threw himself under his desk as Diamond Weapon's blasts came at his office. He covered his head with his hands as debris buried him beneath his desk. Then came the heat and the pain that was to follow it. The fire had badly burned him, but Rufus was strong and would not be taken down. Rufus cried out when a piece of flying debris caught him in the back of the head, sending him sprawling foreword into the side of the desk. Rufus felt the hot blood seep from his forehead a second before the pain seared into the front of his brain. He felt as if his skull had split in two. Blindly, Rufus fled from the flames, running with his last remaining strength down the stairs and escaping into the alleys, where he collapsed, his blood spreading over the pavement, unable to run any longer...
* * * Two years after the rebels of Avalanche defeated Sephiroth, stopping Meteor, and six years after Shivra escaped from Hojo and into the mountains of Nibelheim, bringing with her the last surviving victims of Jenova's mark...
* * * All was quiet in the City of the Ancients. The air stirred only by the presence of an occasional breath of wind. And by a lake of crystal clear water, illuminated by the light of the rising sun, two figures rested. One was a man with long, spiky, black hair and dark, cerulean eyes. He was clad in the outfit of one belonging to the organization called Soldier. The other was a woman in a long, flowing cloak of the deepest red, matching the streaks in her waist length, raven-colored hair. She wore a faded, black sweater and tight, black, denim pants. Her sea green eyes were focused on the bottom of the lake, the resting place of Aeris Gainsborough.
" That's her," the man said to the woman as he rose to his feet. He appeared to be around twenty years of age. The woman didn't respond. She had never met Aeris in person, all she knew about her was that she was a Cetra. And that she was her brother's girlfriend.
" We should get moving," the woman said flatly. She turned and started toward the shell shaped building on the edge of the lake. The man stole one last glance back at Aeris, then turned and followed his sister to the building. She was already far ahead of him.
" Wait up, Shivra," he called to her. Shivra stopped at the entrance to the building and waited but didn't say anything. Once her brother had caught up to her, Shivra continued down a flight of stairs into a room full of water with several raised areas.
" Come on, Zack," she said jumping onto one of the platforms, her cloak swirling around her as she landed in a cat-like stance. Shivra reached out and touched the ground in front of her. She narrowed her eyes and examined a faint footprint in the dust. Then, without warning, she charged forward, leaping from platform to platform until she reached the end of the path.
Zack followed though he was much more careful than Shivra about his going. By the time Zack reached his companion, she was already leaning far over the edge of the platform combing the water as if she was looking for something.
" Can you see it," he asked, leaning over her shoulder. Shivra continued to scope.
" The water's too deep," she replied, not looking up, " I'll have to go down there." She stood up and discarded her cloak. Under the cloak, her lean body seemed surprisingly muscular. A series of intricately linked earrings hung from her left ear and the visible portions of her body were covered in strange, black writing. From a leather satchel at her side, she produced a red materia orb.
" Which summon materia is that," Zack questioned. Shivra didn't answer. She put the materia to her forehead and closed her eyes. As she concentrated, the orb began to glow a deep, scarlet red.
" Tidal wave," she said quietly. A giant leviathan shot from the orb and coiled itself in the air in front of Shivra. The sea beast's pupil-less, aquamarine eyes stared at her expectantly. " Take me to the bottom of this room," she commanded. Leviathan allowed Shivra to climb onto his back.
" Be careful, Shivra," Zack warned as she and Leviathan disappeared beneath the water. Leviathan carried Shivra deep into the waters to the very bottom of the room. Shivra held onto one of Leviathan's flippers as she dug in her materia bag searching for a specific orb. She produced a small, purple sphere and pressed it to her forehead. The underwater materia glowed a beautiful violet as its powers worked over Shivra. She let go of Leviathan and used her grappling fingers to drag along the floor of the room.
A faint glow several meters away attracted Shivra's attention. She swam toward it, Leviathan followed close behind her. The glow came from a tiny materia orb. It was unlike any materia she had ever seen before, creamy white with swirls of lifesream green. She closed her long fingers around it and turned back to Leviathan.
" Take us to the surface," she mouthed, taking hold of the summons's flipper. Leviathan brought Shivra back to the surface of the water and deposited her on the platform next to Zack. She retrieved the red materia. " Thank you, Leviathan," she said softly. The sea beast shrank to the size of a common snake and disappeared back into the orb from whence it had come.
" I got the white materia. Inform Lucius of our whereabouts," she commanded as she shook herself as a crude means of drying out her clothes, not that she was any bit bothered by it. The extreme training she had undergone over the last six years had molded her into a rival of the Soldiers in all senses of pain and harsh conditions. The training had left its mark, but she had emerged victorious and was ready to reclaim her place in the cosmos.
Zack pulled out his PHS and dialed a number into it. After a few moments, a voice from the other end answered.
" Is that you, Lucius," Zack asked, speaking into the PHS.
" Go ahead, Uncle Zack, it's me," Lucius's voice replied.
" Your mom's got the white materia," Zack continued, " she says come to the City of the Ancients."
* * * Lucius put the PHS in his pocket and turned Masaaki's reins. The chocobo warked in protest, but Lucius spurred him foreword. The snow of the high mountains whipped around him as he raced past Icicle Inn toward the sleeping forest. Flecks of snow clung to the inky black feathers of his chocobo, greatly contrasting the two colors. Once they were clear of the snowlands, Lucius turned Masaaki east. The chocobo warked again, but continued without resistance. The creatures of the sleeping forest watched the chocobo race through, but paid it no further heed. After entering the city, Lucius slowed to a walk. Not that he couldn't have galloped through the streets of the abandoned city, he just felt that he had pushed Masaaki hard enough and let the chocobo pick the pace he wanted.
They reached the lake a few minutes later. Lucius dismounted and led his chocobo to the water were he could drink and rest. He knelt down by the lake and peered into the water. The last time he had been here there had been the still body of a young woman at the bottom of the lake. Lucius had never met that woman. All he knew was that his uncle had known her. She was missing from her resting place.
Lucius stood up, his long black cloak billowing behind him, and started down the path to the room of waters, were his mother was waiting.
* * * Shivra embraced her son as he entered the room. He snuggled closer to her, not caring that her clothes were a bit damp. Shivra buried her face in her son's dark, orange hair. Zack watched quietly. Lucius had grown considerably since he had seen him last. He was really beginning to look like his father. Between his fire-like orange hair and dark, azure eyes it was a wonder no one had guessed who his father was.
For as long as he could remember, Lucius's only family had been his mother and uncle. He had never met his father, but his mother constantly told him that he looked so much like him. Lucius did look like his father and, though he didn't know it, he acted very much like him as well. He was ambitious, devoted, strong willed, and very determined to prove himself. With little respect for those outside his family, it also made him somewhat cold to the world. After all that society had offered him, he had learned a long time ago that only precious few people would ever look after you, the rest you had to do yourself to stay alive. Always relying on others only got you killed you in the long run.
Zack had once told him why he had never met his father. Lucius had been enraged by the story, both of his excelled growth and of his mother's endless sadness. Zack had told him that his grandfather and a man named Hojo had captured his mother and done terrible things to her in an attempt to turn him into one of the Sephiroth clones. The experiments had nearly killed Shivra, but his father had helped her escape shortly before he was born, at great spiritual cost to himself.
In a near six year period that had followed, Lucius had achieved the maturity level of a twenty year old, bred and trained Masaaki, his black chocobo, and raised his dragon, Gavial.
" How'd you get here so fast," Zack asked.
" I was training with Masaaki out in the snowfields," Lucius replied, letting go of his mother, " the monsters there are behaving very strangely. It's like they knew I was coming."
" The sense the mako energy gathering," Shivra explained. Like her son and husband, she was often cold and blunt about such maters. Being raised on the streets only added to that sense of knowing but not caring.
" How do you know that," Zack interrogated.
" All three of us have been infused with Jenova cells," Shivra explained, " I just use my altered senses differently than you two." It made sense, but didn't quite satisfy Zack's curiosity. But, it would be futile to try to get Shivra to tell more. She was so stubborn, you couldn't get anything out of her that she didn't want to share. And though Zack wasn't satisfied with Shivra's blunt answer, Lucius saw no reason to pursue the matter further.
" We should get down to business," Shivra said, changing the subject, " you want this friend of yours tended to, don't you?" Zack nodded.
" Do you mean that woman at the bottom of the lake," Lucius asked. Zack gave him a puzzled look. " She wasn't there when I came through," he explained.
" How could that be possible," Zack demanded, " she hasn't moved in over two years."
" Someone moved her while I was retrieving the white materia," Shivra concluded, " I sense the presence of another who carries Jenova's mark. Not to mention the footprints in the dust on the platforms back there." Zack and Lucius looked about fearfully. Shivra stepped into the center of the platform. " I sense you, Sephiroth," she shouted, " though I have never seen you, I sense your presence. I ask you to come and speak with me."
" You are bold to ask such a request of one such as myself," a nameless, male voice answered.
" I don't doubt that your power exceeds mine," Shivra replied in a respectful manner, " You were born to the Mako as my son was, I have only carried it for a sparse six years." The voice was silent for a few minutes. " You tire of this conversation," Shivra inquired.
" No," the voice answered, " I will speak with you." A man dressed all in black slowly floated down from the ceiling. " Sephiroth," Zack realized. Lucius studied Sephiroth. After all, Hojo had attempted to turn him into this man.
" This boy with you," Sephiroth wanted to know, " he has carried Jenova's mark from birth?"
" Indeed, he has," Shivra replied.
" So, you are the great Sephiroth," Lucius concluded, " I suppose I should bear great hatred for you, yet I do not see the reason to."
" You speak as one beyond your years," Sephiroth observed. Lucius shrugged.
" This Mako presence has spurred my maturity level," he explained bluntly.
" And you have not been driven mad by the knowledge of such things," Sephiroth questioned. He seemed amazed that a mere boy could cope with the knowledge that he would never have a place in the world to call his own. Lucius merely shrugged in reply.
" Never had a reason to," he guessed. Sephiroth seemed impressed. Shivra gazed hard at him as if she could see within his soul. Her mako green eyes narrowing and her brow creasing as if she was deep in concentration.
" Why do you stare at me so," Sephiroth asked, turning his attention to Shivra.
" I see that you are not the mere mindless villain Hojo led us to believe you had become," she replied, circling Sephiroth like a vulture, constantly absorbing the details of his stature, " you are confused, afraid even, for you still don't know enough about Jenova to satisfy your curiosity." Sephiroth took a step backwards in fear.
" You see into my soul as if I am an open book," he said, a hint of defeat in his voice.
" What have you done with Aeris," Zack demanded, finally gathering his courage to speak. Sephiroth smirked.
" You presume so much yet know so little," he grinned. Lucius leaned casually against the walls of the shrine that stood on the last pillar. He fancied he could see a blood stain on the ground.
" Are we not unlike yourself," he countered. The mako in Sephiroth's eyes flared angrily as he drew his sword from its sheath. Shivra tensed, ready to defend her son if she needed to.
" You would fight me," Sephiroth challenged. Lucius unsheathed one of his swords and twirled it idly in his hand.
" If it needs to be," he accepted. Lucius and Sephiroth stared hard at each other. Shivra's eyes narrowed in anger at the threat to her son. " Back off," she demanded slowly, stepping between them and flexing her body as if for a battle. Sephiroth glared at her.
" Make me," he countered. Shivra lifted her hand and sent an ultima attack in Sephiroth's direction. Sephiroth recoiled from the blast, but regained his senses quickly. Shivra was ready to strike again, but waited to see if it was necessary to do so. Despite her great fondness of violence, Shivra wasn't really in the mood for a fight at the moment.
" Fight me and I will kill you," she warned, " I have no patience for agitation."
Sephiroth's pride had been severely wounded by this woman who challenged him without fear. She was very intimidating in his eyes. The way he saw it, she was just trying to piss him off. And, though he would never admit to it, she was doing a good job of it. This wasn't part of Shivra's plan for this battle. She credited herself at being able to judge her opponents fairly well. It amused her to provoke her enemies to attack hastily, which made it easier to slip beneath their defenses. With Sephiroth, she would be like any large predator, show off her strength and force the enemy into submission.
" I will not stand down," Sephiroth defied. His mako green eyes glowed with determination.
" Have it your way, then," Shivra sighed. She lifted her arms, revealing more of the strange writing. Sephiroth stood transfixed by the foreign words.
" In the name of the Air that sighs with the wind, In the name of the Fire that burns within, In the name of the Water that mirrors the sky, In the name of the Earth that gives us life, " Shivra chanted.
" What's she doing," Zack whispered to Lucius.
" Summoning," Lucius replied curtly. He watched his mother intently, learning the words required for the summons. ' One day,' he told himself, ' I will call these monsters alongside my mother.'
" I call on the powers of the Air and the Water," Shivra screamed, " Vipera!" A howling wail filled the room the likes of which Lucious had never heard before. It was like the scream of a true dragon as it rose from its lair to hunt once again. It sent shivers down the spines of everyone, Shivra being an exception. The waters below them churned as if a great beast were rising from the depths of the planet. Suddenly, the water parted and a strange creature rose from beneath it.
The demon resembled a dragon in all sense and yet could never have passed for one. It had a long, elegantly slender throat with a prolonged, dragonic head. The eyes of the beast were a sickly, dark orange. Its legs were lean and tipped with viciously long talons. At the base of its neck where the arms should have been, two, greatly extended appendages had sprouted, serving as wings. The pinions consisted of oily, black feathers. The rest of the creature's body was covered in thick, midnight black scales.
" What is that," Sephiroth demanded shrilly, stepping back in fear. Shivra merely pointed at Sephiroth, her sea green eyes glowing furiously.
" Destroy him, Vipera," she ordered. Vipera turned its gaze on Sephiroth, who took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. He didn't know why he was afraid of this creature, but nevertheless, the mere presence of it filled his soul with dread.
Vipera roared and charged. Sephiroth held the masamune in front of himself as if it could protect him from monster's assault. Vipera's talons easily knocked the sword from Sephiroth's hands and caught him in the shoulder. Sephiroth gripped his wound in pain. Vipera elevated into the air and turned, preparing for another strike. Sephiroth threw himself to the side, barely missing the monster's claws. His fingers closed around the hilt of his sword. He tried to swipe at Vipera, but the beast was to agile in the air to be hit by so feeble an attempt. It recoiled, slamming its whip-like tail into Sephiroth's chest, sending him rolling backwards. Sephiroth jumped to his feet.
" You haven't seen the last of me," he warned, just before vanishing seemingly into thin air. Vipera halted its charge and hovered above the platforms.
" Indeed we have not, Sephiroth," Shivra retorted, " Well done, Vipera." The summon bowed its head and slowly became transparent, eventually disappearing completely into shards of shimmering spiritual energy. The shards themselves repeated the process over and over until there was nothing left of Vipera.
" What was that, Shivra," Zack was stunned by the appearance of Vipera. Lucius was too shocked to say anything.
" One of the lost thirteen summons," Shivra explained, " ancient fiends born long ago when the planet was young to serve the those who could call them down from their eternal resting places."
" It was beautiful," Lucius stated, " such a magnificent creature."
" They all are," Shivra assured, " they are as magnificent as they are powerful. Legend tells of one more powerful than all of them combined, said to have been born at the same time as the planet and bound by sacred law to protect it. The ancient writings of the Cetra call it Semdai, the Master Summon. It comes only to a summoner of the purest heart and the bravest soul. But, enough of this. Sephiroth has fled, but he will return. We have the white materia and there is little time to tend to Aeris."
" But she's missing," Zack protested. Shivra chuckled in amusement.
" Her physical body is not required," she explained. Zack felt a bit embarrassed, but didn't show it. Shivra smiled and retrieved the white materia from her pouch. She smirked in triumph and pocketed it once again as she led the way out of the building. Masaaki warked a greeting to Lucius when the reached the lake.
" Hey, boy," Lucius greeted his chocobo with a pat on its head. Shivra and Zack's chocobos were housed further down the road out of the city. Shivra's chocobo, Osiris, was also a black like Masaaki. Osiris was older than Masaaki, though, and had darker colored feathers. Zack's chocobo, Anubis, wasn't really black, but it did look like it from a distance. The chocobo's feathers were actually more like the color of ashes. They rode their chocobos out of the Sleeping Forest and across the narrow crags of rock that formed a bridge between the western continent and the northern continent.
" Where are we going," Lucius asked.
" Cosmo Canyon," Shivra replied, spurring Osiris foreword. The chocobo galloped faster, soon pulling ahead of Zack and Lucius. They reached the red walls of the canyon about three hours later. Shivra called for a halt at the gates of the city. The watchman spotted them.
" What business have you in Cosmo Canyon," he demanded. Shivra stood up in the saddle.
" We wish to speak with Nanaki," she called.
" Very well," the watchman replied after a pause, " you may enter the canyon."
" Thank you," Shivra acknowledged. They dismounted their chocobos and left them at the gate.
" I will inform Nanaki of your presence," the watchman notified, then he strode off to find the canyon's protector.
* * * A large tiger-like animal with glossy, scarlet fur dotted with occasional scars and other such marks sat on his haunches on a floor carpeted by piles upon piles of books, many in foreign languages or ancient script. Most of them old, dusty volumes with their titles faded from the covers. He turned the page of the book he was currently reading with his nose and tilted his head so that he could better see the text through his good eye, the other marred by a thick, black scar and veiled by a streak of loose hair from his mane. He had just finished the page when the guard knocked on the door to his study.
" Enter," he permitted.
" Great Nanaki, A group of people has just arrived," the lookout notified, " they have asked to speak with you." Nanaki pondered this for a moment.
" I will receive them at the candle," he replied, pushing his books aside for the time being. Nanaki stood up and followed the lookout out of the observatory and down to the candle.
* * * Lucius and Zack were seated beside the roaring flames of the candle. Shivra, on the other hand, paced back and forth. She only ceased when she spotted a tiger-like beast moving towards them. Lucius was intimidated by Nanaki, thinking that he was an enemy. He immediately jumped foreword to defend his mother if it became necessary.
Nanaki hesitated at the sight of Lucius. It had been nearly two years since he had first seen Rufus, but the boy in front of him looked enough like the president of ShinRa to be a younger version of him. He continued foreword when the woman behind Lucius reassured the boy that the creature he saw was no threat to them.
" Welcome to Cosmo Canyon," Nanaki greeted, approaching his visitors and sitting in front of them, tipping his head in a greeting.
" Thank you for seeing us," the woman acknowledged, " I hope we aren't interrupting anything."
" Nothing of importance," Nanaki dismissed the matter with a wave of his paw. His eyes lingered for a moment on the marks covering the woman's skin, for a moment almost able to make sense of the foreign writing. " It isn't often we have visitors," he remarked, " My name is Nanaki, the son of Seto and protector of Cosmo Canyon."
" My name is Shivra," the woman introduced, " this is my brother, Zack." She gestured towards the black haired man behind her. " And my son, Lucius." She set a hand on the boy's shoulder. Nanaki acknowledged each one of them in turn, a faint memory of a story Cloud had once told him sparked to life.
" How can I be of any assistance," he asked.
" We are looking for someone, actually," Shivra explained, " we were wondering if you could help us find him." Nanaki nodded.
" I shall help as best I can," he relied, " who is it you seek?"
" A man by the name of Cloud Strife," Shivra answered. Nanaki thought for a moment. Nobody had asked him about Cloud in a while.
" I believe Cloud has settled in Kalm with Tifa," he answered after a short pause.
" Tifa Lockheart," Zack asked. Nanaki shook his head.
" They are married now," he explained.
" I see," Zack concluded.
" Thank you very much," Shivra smiled, " you have been most helpful." Nanaki had to admit that she was kind of pretty when she smiled, but not enough to mask the aura of a powerful killer he sensed from her. " We will leave you in peace," she concluded. With a respective bow to Nanaki and a friendly wave, Shivra led her family back to their chocobos and out of Cosmo Canyon.
Nanaki made his way back to the observatory, memorizing the one word he had been able to translate from the writing on Shivra's body. The word was Semdai.
* * * Shivra led her followers north once again, back to Nibelheim and the mountains that lay beyond it. Their home was nestled somewhere inside Mt. Nibel, hidden from anyone who might try to harm them. Their mountain sanctuary was what had protected them for several years. It wasn't a perfect refuge, but they were content and had found ways to survive.
They left their chocobos in the fields outside the town of Nibelheim, like they always did. They had built a small stable into one of the crags alongside the mountains to house their chocobos when they weren't riding them. In addition to the chocobos they were currently riding, Shivra and Lucius had bred a whole herd of multicolored chocobos, all of them very loyal and obedient.
Gavial sensed her master coming long before Lucius entered the immense cavern where his dragon lived. Gavial was a very rare species of true dragon. Her kind was very unlike the mako created dragons that had once been common in the mountains. With thanks to Lucius and Shivra, these mako dragons had long since been whipped out. Even so, Gavial's kind had never really gained any numbers in the Mt. Nibel caves, all of them migrating north into the Gaea Cliffs seeking refuge from the humans that had settled in the caverns.
Gavial's cave was easily the size of a massive tenement, much larger than Shivra's dwelling and Zack's combined. Its ceiling was outfitted with a giant hole to allow Gavial to leave her home whenever she wished. This hole also provided Gavial's cavern with light and fresh air. Even during storms, the cave was a perfect refuge for the dragon, despite the gaping opening in the roof. Storms, even, were welcomed by the dragon as the rain filled a pit she had dug under the opening and provided all of them with a source of water.
Lucius greeted Gavial with a scratch behind her long, feathery ears. At six years old, Gavial was bigger than any mako dragon Lucius had ever seen. Her thick, scaly, black hide could no longer be penetrated by simple means. Her wings were fully developed and quite able to support her in flight. But, most the impressive of all Gavial's traits were the horns that protruded from the crown of her skull. Twisted, curling antlers twice the length of her head and as thick as sapling trunks. One swipe with those lethal spines could easily gore any creature foolish enough to challenge her. Lucius admired his dragon, she was still young, as far as dragons go, but he was extremely proud of her. She was so well behaved around Shivra, mostly due to respect for the older female's power. Lucius was now on the verge of teaching her to bear riders in flight. He hadn't expected it to go so smoothly either. Gavial positioned her head against Lucius's chest, then, when he wasn't expecting it lifted him several feet of the ground.
" Does this mean you'll carry me in flight now," Lucius teased, rubbing the scales between Gavial's horns. " Down please, my beauty." Gavial obeyed and deposited Lucius on the ground. He patted her head and gazed for a moment at the soft, loving green of Gavial's eyes. She crooned softly as Lucious headed for his quarters.
Lucius lived in a much smaller establishment than anyone else's, mostly because he had very few possessions and wasn't home often. The few items that Lucius did own were scattered around the room. Most of them were weapons of various types, blades of varied sizes and shapes, a collection of materia orbs, and his bedding. Lucius stretched his weary body out over the pelts that served as his bed. The coarse fur scratched his skin, but he didn't care.
Lucius reached inside his shirt and massaged his aching ribs. He couldn't bring himself to tell his mother about the growing pain in his chest. He had been in pain before but never quite like this. He suspected it had something to do with the mako in his body, but he couldn't be sure. The ache was spreading to his back now, causing him to cringe in pain. He closed his eyes and concentrated on easing the discomfort. Slowly, the ache began to dissipate. It took longer than usual for the displeasure to disperse. This alarmed Lucius, just a little. Still, he dismissed it to being stiff and that all he needed was a good rest.
Shivra and Zack were under no such discomfort. Zack, in fact, had fallen asleep in his quarters not long after their arrival. Shivra had assured him that she would deal with Aeris. Shivra herself had a few hours to kill before she was needed again. She thought about resting, but was to anxious to sleep, finally deciding to visit Lucius.
Shivra's room was deeper in the mountain than her son's. The two dwellings were connected by a series of winding tunnels. Shivra navigated through them effortlessly, having memorized them years ago.
Lucius lifted his head slowly as Shivra entered his residence. She crossed the room gradually and sat on the edge of his bed. He hoped that she wouldn't probe him for the source of his discomfort like she sometimes did.
" How do you feel," she asked.
" Tired," Lucius replied, " a little stiff." Shivra reached out and started to caress the flesh between his shoulder blades. He tensed as her fingers touched him, but relaxed as her healing touch began to work over him.
" Here," she asked. Her fingers kneaded the skin gently. She could feel knots in the muscles of her son's back. Why they had formed there, she didn't know.
" Yeah," Lucius moaned in relief, " that's the spot." Shivra smiled as she continued to massage Lucius's back. After about an hour, Lucius let out a sigh of relief and fell into a relaxed slumber. Shivra listened intently to her son's soft, peaceful breathing, feeling his back rise and fell slightly with each breath. He seemed so worn out.
" Sleep, my angel," she crooned, " be at peace. Someday we won't have to hide anymore. Someday we will be free. Someday..."
" Mama..." Lucius groaned in his slumber. Shivra leaned foreword and kissed her son's cheek. She stroked his hair and departed. The hour had grown late and she was needed elsewhere.
. . . The sun was going down over the horizon as Shivra reached the highest cave in the mountain. She watched the light fade from sight. Thoughts began to crowd her mind, drifting back two years to the time when she had been sitting in this very same spot watching as meteor descended from the heavens upon the planet. Midgar had been destroyed. Rufus was supposedly dead, though she didn't believe it. She had gone into the town below the mountain when she heard the news to investigate. She had even bought a newspaper so she could read up on the event. Rufus was presumed dead, ShinRa tower had been completely destroyed, Midgar lay in ruins. One line had stayed locked in Shivra's mind ever since. President Rufus ShinRa presumed dead, body not recovered. For two years she had clung to those words, believing that somewhere, somehow, Rufus might still alive.
Twilight was rapidly approaching, reminding Shivra that there were matters at hand requiring her attention. She silently traced the markings on her hand. As her fingers passed each line the marks began to glow a deep, mystic blue resembling the dark cobalt of eyes poisoned by mako.
" Come to me, Aurora of the Air and the Earth," Shivra chanted, " bring to me the soul of Aeris Gainsborough." The light illuminating the marks on Shivra's hands shot from her palms and into the sky. The light took the shape of an enormous eagle-like bird bathed in opalescent fire. The feathered creature raced south and out of Shivra's sight, returning moments later carrying a formless mass of matter the same color as the lifestream. Shivra retrieved the white materia from her pocket and held it out. The shapeless substance in Aurora's talons was drawn into the materia orb.
" Well done, Aurora," Shivra praised. The bird shot itself into the darkening sky and vanished in the same manner as Vipera. Shivra gripped the white materia, holding it in front of the dark horizon. " I beseech thee, Materia of the Lifestream," she whispered, " I ask for the resurrection of the half-Cetra named Aeris Gainsborough." The white materia's green light flared for a few seconds then ascended into the air above Shivra's head. She watched as the light took shape, forming into the body of a young woman of twenty-two years. Shivra recognized the woman's long, chestnut brown hair and delicate features. Aeris slowly began to descend, her body seemed to move of its own accord. Shivra took Aeris into her arms and supported the unconscious woman. Aeris began to wake.
" Where am I," she puzzled.
" You are at the top of Mt. Nibel," Shivra explained, " don't be afraid. You are safe here. Now, can you stand?" Aeris tested her balance.
" I think so." " Good," Shivra approved, " follow me. There is someone I would like you to meet." Aeris hesitated, then followed Shivra into the bowels of the mountain.
" Who are you." she asked as she was led through the twisting tunnels.
" My name is Shivra. You may call me what you wish," Shivra replied, dropping into her chamber. " Welcome to my cave. It's not much, but I call it home." Aeris observed the dwelling critically. It was a little on the dark side, lit only by an oil lamp. Also a bit dirty and cluttered, but all in all not a bad place to live.
" Who is it you wanted me to meet," Aeris asked politely.
" I believe he is an old acquaintance off yours," Shivra explained. Aeris lifted an eyebrow. " if you would follow me," Shivra invited, turning and heading down a passageway. Aeris followed again. She couldn't help but think about how much this strange woman reminded her of Zack.
Shivra rapped her fingers on a board hanging by the entrance to yet another rocky chamber.
" Oh little brother, are you awake," she called sweetly.
" What do you want," a groggy, male voice answered from inside the cave.
" Now don't be so grumpy, brother dear, we have a visitor," Shivra countered in a tone that was meant for a bully teasing their victim. " I'm coming," the voice retorted. Aeris could hear movement from inside the cavern. Seconds later, a man in Soldier garb appeared in the doorway of the cave. Aeris recognized him immediately.
" Zack," she gasped. Zack was speechless for a moment,
" Aeris," he stammered. He reached for her and she leapt into his arms. " You're alive," Zack cheered. Aeris said nothing. Her eyes filed with tears of joy at the sight of him. Shivra smiled to herself as she started down yet another tunnel in the direction of Lucious's room.
" Shivra," Zack called. She stopped and turned her head just in time to see Zack come up behind her and embrace her tightly. " I can't thank you enough," he exclaimed.
" What's a big sister for," Shivra countered, " now go spend time with your friend." Zack released Shivra and hurried back over to Aeris. Shivra grinned again as she disappeared into the stone corridors.
* * * Kalm had grown considerably since the destruction of Midgar. It was still a relatively peaceful city, not as quiet as Nibelheim or as crowded and dangerous as Junon, but still not a bad place to live. Cloud and Tifa had moved there not long after Midgar had been devastated. Life in Kalm wasn't always easy, but when the marks were tallied Kalm was one of the better cities on the planet. Cloud and Tifa were married now and had settled together, opening a new business and settling near the center of the city.
Two hooded figures riding black chocobos aren't exactly a usual sight. For one part being that black chocobos are very rare and valuable for breeding and selling. And another part being that people wearing hoods on a clear day generates a feeling that something not entirely right is going on. Thus, Shivra and Lucious riding up to the city on their chocobos with their cloaks wrapped around themselves was bound to stir some suspicion. One glare from Shivra banished all confrontation from any who might have interfered with their business. Lucious veered off to the shops in the interior of the city to browse for any worthwhile weapons, as he always did when in Kalm. Shivra headed for the local tavern to listen for any useful information.
Upon entering the bar, Shivra received the usual gazes and cat-calls that are like a tradition in such places. She was immediately pleased when she looked toward the counter. The bartender was a tall, woman in her twenties. She had redwood brown eyes and long, dark brown hair that fell to her waist. Shivra approached the counter and took a seat on one of the stools.
" What'll it be," The woman asked.
" Moonshiner," Shivra ordered. The woman reached under the counter and pulled out the ingredients for the drink.
" Haven't seen you hear before," she commented as she fixed the drink and handed it to Shivra.
" I don't come to this part of the world very often," Shivra answered bluntly, sipping her drink, " I'm actually looking for someone."
" Who would that be," the woman asked.
" A very old friend of mine," Shivra replied, " but in order to find him, I need to speak with a man named Cloud Strife. If you could direct me to him, I'd be most grateful."
" Why would you need to speak with Cloud," the woman questioned. Shivra studied her for a second.
" Your name's Tifa, isn't it," she countered. Tifa stepped back in surprise.
" How do you know that," she demanded fearfully.
" I have my ways," Shivra skirted. Tifa wasn't satisfied in the least with Shivra's response.
" Why do you want to speak with Cloud," she repeated.
" Because," Shivra paused for a moment, " I know something that might be of interest to him."
" What is that," Tifa demanded. Shivra stared at Tifa with an annoyed look on her face, letting the mako glow in her eyes present itself.
" I know what really happened to Aeris Gainsborough," she revealed.
" Aeris died over two years ago," Tifa snorted.
" Then this ribbon makes no nevermind to you," Shivra asked, pulling a pink ribbon out of her pocket, " Aeris said to give it to Cloud and Tifa." Tifa paused, badly shaken by the information.
" Cloud will be here in an hour," she stammered. Shivra grinned to herself and went back to her drink.
* * * Lucius, as usual, had no luck in locating some new, good weapons. So he did what he always did, wander around the alleys looking for a fight. Suddenly, a figure jumped out of nowhere and wrapped an arm around Lucius's neck. He struggled, but his attacker was too strong for him.
" Let me go, Damnit," he gasped, prying at the arm enclosed around his throat.
" Quite squirming, you little runt," the figure commanded. Lucius tried to kick his captor, but the figure was too quick. " I'm not that stupid, you know," he mused.
" What do you want," Lucius demanded.
" I should think it obvious," the figure laughed, dragging a struggling Lucius behind him as he made his way down the ally.
* * * " Let me get this straight," Cloud interrupted. He and Tifa had been listening to Shivra's story for the past couple of hours. " You say, that you can raise the souls of the dead from their slumber and give them back their physical bodies?"
" That's correct," Shivra replied.
" And you've done this with Aeris," Tifa questioned.
" Correct again," Shivra droned.
" Why," Cloud demanded.
" Let's just say, I needed an offering for your help," Shivra skirted, " and my brother had his reasons as well."
" What do you want from us," Cloud demanded, jumping to his feet. Shivra barely shifted her gaze when Cloud seized her collar and dragged her toward him. " Tell us!"
" Let go of my coat," Shivra ordered coldly, yet in a rather casual voice. Cloud glared at her, but felt it wouldn't be wise to provoke a fight. Reluctantly, he released his grip on Shivra's collar. " Thank you," she responded.
" Why Aeris," Cloud repeated.
" I thought you might want to see an old friend again," Shivra explained, " in exchange for your help in locating my husband."
" What's your husband's name," Tifa asked. Shivra paused for a long moment before answering.
" Rufus ShinRa," she revealed, " I know the reports say that he's dead, but they never found his remains. Even if he really is dead, I want to know what happened to him. I owe Lucius that much."
" Who is Lucius," Cloud asked.
" My son," Shivra replied, " he has a right to know. And I want him to know the truth as well, what his father and I were put through to keep him safe. I would do anything for him. He's the only part of Rufus I have now. I'm sorry for dragging you both into this, but understand that I have suffered these past six years not knowing whether Rufus is all right or not. You cannot begin to fathom the agony it has been for me to watch my son grow to be the shadow of his father, to see the image of the one person I love growing up without the one other person who might mean something in his life."
" You really loved Rufus, didn't you," Tifa asked gently. By now, Shivra was bent over in her seat with her fingers entwined in her dark hair, a ring on her left hand caught the light and shimmered.
" I love him still," she said softly. The discussion had forced her to open her emotions. A feeling she had forgotten many years ago when she had been forever separated from the rest of the world, not really cast out, but forced away from all she had loved. The trials of her life had all but slaughtered her emotions, leaving behind a cold, dark remnant of a once beautiful and loving person. " I don't sleep very much anymore for fear that I will see him in my dreams and mistake it for reality." Shivra shut her eyes and tried to get a grip on her senses.
" We will help you find out what happened to Rufus," Cloud decided, " we helped to bring about the destruction of his company. And I'm the one to blame for the Weapon that supposedly killed him." Shivra felt this way too, but hadn't wanted to use it against Cloud. That was a bad way to do business. Nevertheless, she looked up, almost surprised by Cloud's willingness to help her. She needed his help. Her theory was that when the lifestream had covered Midgar, Rufus might have been drawn into its life-giving waters. Cloud knew what that was like, therefor she needed his aid.
" I will accompany you wherever you go and serve as your protector, the search may be dangerous," Shivra offered.
" Your offer is accepted," Cloud replied, holding out his hand to Shivra. She stared at him for a second, confused by his act of politeness, or was it a spark of compassion, then shook hands with him, sealing their deal and assuring her that when their business was over she and Lucius would have their answers.
Chapter One
Midgar, during the time of Diamond Weapon's final appearance...
* * * Rufus threw himself under his desk as Diamond Weapon's blasts came at his office. He covered his head with his hands as debris buried him beneath his desk. Then came the heat and the pain that was to follow it. The fire had badly burned him, but Rufus was strong and would not be taken down. Rufus cried out when a piece of flying debris caught him in the back of the head, sending him sprawling foreword into the side of the desk. Rufus felt the hot blood seep from his forehead a second before the pain seared into the front of his brain. He felt as if his skull had split in two. Blindly, Rufus fled from the flames, running with his last remaining strength down the stairs and escaping into the alleys, where he collapsed, his blood spreading over the pavement, unable to run any longer...
* * * Two years after the rebels of Avalanche defeated Sephiroth, stopping Meteor, and six years after Shivra escaped from Hojo and into the mountains of Nibelheim, bringing with her the last surviving victims of Jenova's mark...
* * * All was quiet in the City of the Ancients. The air stirred only by the presence of an occasional breath of wind. And by a lake of crystal clear water, illuminated by the light of the rising sun, two figures rested. One was a man with long, spiky, black hair and dark, cerulean eyes. He was clad in the outfit of one belonging to the organization called Soldier. The other was a woman in a long, flowing cloak of the deepest red, matching the streaks in her waist length, raven-colored hair. She wore a faded, black sweater and tight, black, denim pants. Her sea green eyes were focused on the bottom of the lake, the resting place of Aeris Gainsborough.
" That's her," the man said to the woman as he rose to his feet. He appeared to be around twenty years of age. The woman didn't respond. She had never met Aeris in person, all she knew about her was that she was a Cetra. And that she was her brother's girlfriend.
" We should get moving," the woman said flatly. She turned and started toward the shell shaped building on the edge of the lake. The man stole one last glance back at Aeris, then turned and followed his sister to the building. She was already far ahead of him.
" Wait up, Shivra," he called to her. Shivra stopped at the entrance to the building and waited but didn't say anything. Once her brother had caught up to her, Shivra continued down a flight of stairs into a room full of water with several raised areas.
" Come on, Zack," she said jumping onto one of the platforms, her cloak swirling around her as she landed in a cat-like stance. Shivra reached out and touched the ground in front of her. She narrowed her eyes and examined a faint footprint in the dust. Then, without warning, she charged forward, leaping from platform to platform until she reached the end of the path.
Zack followed though he was much more careful than Shivra about his going. By the time Zack reached his companion, she was already leaning far over the edge of the platform combing the water as if she was looking for something.
" Can you see it," he asked, leaning over her shoulder. Shivra continued to scope.
" The water's too deep," she replied, not looking up, " I'll have to go down there." She stood up and discarded her cloak. Under the cloak, her lean body seemed surprisingly muscular. A series of intricately linked earrings hung from her left ear and the visible portions of her body were covered in strange, black writing. From a leather satchel at her side, she produced a red materia orb.
" Which summon materia is that," Zack questioned. Shivra didn't answer. She put the materia to her forehead and closed her eyes. As she concentrated, the orb began to glow a deep, scarlet red.
" Tidal wave," she said quietly. A giant leviathan shot from the orb and coiled itself in the air in front of Shivra. The sea beast's pupil-less, aquamarine eyes stared at her expectantly. " Take me to the bottom of this room," she commanded. Leviathan allowed Shivra to climb onto his back.
" Be careful, Shivra," Zack warned as she and Leviathan disappeared beneath the water. Leviathan carried Shivra deep into the waters to the very bottom of the room. Shivra held onto one of Leviathan's flippers as she dug in her materia bag searching for a specific orb. She produced a small, purple sphere and pressed it to her forehead. The underwater materia glowed a beautiful violet as its powers worked over Shivra. She let go of Leviathan and used her grappling fingers to drag along the floor of the room.
A faint glow several meters away attracted Shivra's attention. She swam toward it, Leviathan followed close behind her. The glow came from a tiny materia orb. It was unlike any materia she had ever seen before, creamy white with swirls of lifesream green. She closed her long fingers around it and turned back to Leviathan.
" Take us to the surface," she mouthed, taking hold of the summons's flipper. Leviathan brought Shivra back to the surface of the water and deposited her on the platform next to Zack. She retrieved the red materia. " Thank you, Leviathan," she said softly. The sea beast shrank to the size of a common snake and disappeared back into the orb from whence it had come.
" I got the white materia. Inform Lucius of our whereabouts," she commanded as she shook herself as a crude means of drying out her clothes, not that she was any bit bothered by it. The extreme training she had undergone over the last six years had molded her into a rival of the Soldiers in all senses of pain and harsh conditions. The training had left its mark, but she had emerged victorious and was ready to reclaim her place in the cosmos.
Zack pulled out his PHS and dialed a number into it. After a few moments, a voice from the other end answered.
" Is that you, Lucius," Zack asked, speaking into the PHS.
" Go ahead, Uncle Zack, it's me," Lucius's voice replied.
" Your mom's got the white materia," Zack continued, " she says come to the City of the Ancients."
* * * Lucius put the PHS in his pocket and turned Masaaki's reins. The chocobo warked in protest, but Lucius spurred him foreword. The snow of the high mountains whipped around him as he raced past Icicle Inn toward the sleeping forest. Flecks of snow clung to the inky black feathers of his chocobo, greatly contrasting the two colors. Once they were clear of the snowlands, Lucius turned Masaaki east. The chocobo warked again, but continued without resistance. The creatures of the sleeping forest watched the chocobo race through, but paid it no further heed. After entering the city, Lucius slowed to a walk. Not that he couldn't have galloped through the streets of the abandoned city, he just felt that he had pushed Masaaki hard enough and let the chocobo pick the pace he wanted.
They reached the lake a few minutes later. Lucius dismounted and led his chocobo to the water were he could drink and rest. He knelt down by the lake and peered into the water. The last time he had been here there had been the still body of a young woman at the bottom of the lake. Lucius had never met that woman. All he knew was that his uncle had known her. She was missing from her resting place.
Lucius stood up, his long black cloak billowing behind him, and started down the path to the room of waters, were his mother was waiting.
* * * Shivra embraced her son as he entered the room. He snuggled closer to her, not caring that her clothes were a bit damp. Shivra buried her face in her son's dark, orange hair. Zack watched quietly. Lucius had grown considerably since he had seen him last. He was really beginning to look like his father. Between his fire-like orange hair and dark, azure eyes it was a wonder no one had guessed who his father was.
For as long as he could remember, Lucius's only family had been his mother and uncle. He had never met his father, but his mother constantly told him that he looked so much like him. Lucius did look like his father and, though he didn't know it, he acted very much like him as well. He was ambitious, devoted, strong willed, and very determined to prove himself. With little respect for those outside his family, it also made him somewhat cold to the world. After all that society had offered him, he had learned a long time ago that only precious few people would ever look after you, the rest you had to do yourself to stay alive. Always relying on others only got you killed you in the long run.
Zack had once told him why he had never met his father. Lucius had been enraged by the story, both of his excelled growth and of his mother's endless sadness. Zack had told him that his grandfather and a man named Hojo had captured his mother and done terrible things to her in an attempt to turn him into one of the Sephiroth clones. The experiments had nearly killed Shivra, but his father had helped her escape shortly before he was born, at great spiritual cost to himself.
In a near six year period that had followed, Lucius had achieved the maturity level of a twenty year old, bred and trained Masaaki, his black chocobo, and raised his dragon, Gavial.
" How'd you get here so fast," Zack asked.
" I was training with Masaaki out in the snowfields," Lucius replied, letting go of his mother, " the monsters there are behaving very strangely. It's like they knew I was coming."
" The sense the mako energy gathering," Shivra explained. Like her son and husband, she was often cold and blunt about such maters. Being raised on the streets only added to that sense of knowing but not caring.
" How do you know that," Zack interrogated.
" All three of us have been infused with Jenova cells," Shivra explained, " I just use my altered senses differently than you two." It made sense, but didn't quite satisfy Zack's curiosity. But, it would be futile to try to get Shivra to tell more. She was so stubborn, you couldn't get anything out of her that she didn't want to share. And though Zack wasn't satisfied with Shivra's blunt answer, Lucius saw no reason to pursue the matter further.
" We should get down to business," Shivra said, changing the subject, " you want this friend of yours tended to, don't you?" Zack nodded.
" Do you mean that woman at the bottom of the lake," Lucius asked. Zack gave him a puzzled look. " She wasn't there when I came through," he explained.
" How could that be possible," Zack demanded, " she hasn't moved in over two years."
" Someone moved her while I was retrieving the white materia," Shivra concluded, " I sense the presence of another who carries Jenova's mark. Not to mention the footprints in the dust on the platforms back there." Zack and Lucius looked about fearfully. Shivra stepped into the center of the platform. " I sense you, Sephiroth," she shouted, " though I have never seen you, I sense your presence. I ask you to come and speak with me."
" You are bold to ask such a request of one such as myself," a nameless, male voice answered.
" I don't doubt that your power exceeds mine," Shivra replied in a respectful manner, " You were born to the Mako as my son was, I have only carried it for a sparse six years." The voice was silent for a few minutes. " You tire of this conversation," Shivra inquired.
" No," the voice answered, " I will speak with you." A man dressed all in black slowly floated down from the ceiling. " Sephiroth," Zack realized. Lucius studied Sephiroth. After all, Hojo had attempted to turn him into this man.
" This boy with you," Sephiroth wanted to know, " he has carried Jenova's mark from birth?"
" Indeed, he has," Shivra replied.
" So, you are the great Sephiroth," Lucius concluded, " I suppose I should bear great hatred for you, yet I do not see the reason to."
" You speak as one beyond your years," Sephiroth observed. Lucius shrugged.
" This Mako presence has spurred my maturity level," he explained bluntly.
" And you have not been driven mad by the knowledge of such things," Sephiroth questioned. He seemed amazed that a mere boy could cope with the knowledge that he would never have a place in the world to call his own. Lucius merely shrugged in reply.
" Never had a reason to," he guessed. Sephiroth seemed impressed. Shivra gazed hard at him as if she could see within his soul. Her mako green eyes narrowing and her brow creasing as if she was deep in concentration.
" Why do you stare at me so," Sephiroth asked, turning his attention to Shivra.
" I see that you are not the mere mindless villain Hojo led us to believe you had become," she replied, circling Sephiroth like a vulture, constantly absorbing the details of his stature, " you are confused, afraid even, for you still don't know enough about Jenova to satisfy your curiosity." Sephiroth took a step backwards in fear.
" You see into my soul as if I am an open book," he said, a hint of defeat in his voice.
" What have you done with Aeris," Zack demanded, finally gathering his courage to speak. Sephiroth smirked.
" You presume so much yet know so little," he grinned. Lucius leaned casually against the walls of the shrine that stood on the last pillar. He fancied he could see a blood stain on the ground.
" Are we not unlike yourself," he countered. The mako in Sephiroth's eyes flared angrily as he drew his sword from its sheath. Shivra tensed, ready to defend her son if she needed to.
" You would fight me," Sephiroth challenged. Lucius unsheathed one of his swords and twirled it idly in his hand.
" If it needs to be," he accepted. Lucius and Sephiroth stared hard at each other. Shivra's eyes narrowed in anger at the threat to her son. " Back off," she demanded slowly, stepping between them and flexing her body as if for a battle. Sephiroth glared at her.
" Make me," he countered. Shivra lifted her hand and sent an ultima attack in Sephiroth's direction. Sephiroth recoiled from the blast, but regained his senses quickly. Shivra was ready to strike again, but waited to see if it was necessary to do so. Despite her great fondness of violence, Shivra wasn't really in the mood for a fight at the moment.
" Fight me and I will kill you," she warned, " I have no patience for agitation."
Sephiroth's pride had been severely wounded by this woman who challenged him without fear. She was very intimidating in his eyes. The way he saw it, she was just trying to piss him off. And, though he would never admit to it, she was doing a good job of it. This wasn't part of Shivra's plan for this battle. She credited herself at being able to judge her opponents fairly well. It amused her to provoke her enemies to attack hastily, which made it easier to slip beneath their defenses. With Sephiroth, she would be like any large predator, show off her strength and force the enemy into submission.
" I will not stand down," Sephiroth defied. His mako green eyes glowed with determination.
" Have it your way, then," Shivra sighed. She lifted her arms, revealing more of the strange writing. Sephiroth stood transfixed by the foreign words.
" In the name of the Air that sighs with the wind, In the name of the Fire that burns within, In the name of the Water that mirrors the sky, In the name of the Earth that gives us life, " Shivra chanted.
" What's she doing," Zack whispered to Lucius.
" Summoning," Lucius replied curtly. He watched his mother intently, learning the words required for the summons. ' One day,' he told himself, ' I will call these monsters alongside my mother.'
" I call on the powers of the Air and the Water," Shivra screamed, " Vipera!" A howling wail filled the room the likes of which Lucious had never heard before. It was like the scream of a true dragon as it rose from its lair to hunt once again. It sent shivers down the spines of everyone, Shivra being an exception. The waters below them churned as if a great beast were rising from the depths of the planet. Suddenly, the water parted and a strange creature rose from beneath it.
The demon resembled a dragon in all sense and yet could never have passed for one. It had a long, elegantly slender throat with a prolonged, dragonic head. The eyes of the beast were a sickly, dark orange. Its legs were lean and tipped with viciously long talons. At the base of its neck where the arms should have been, two, greatly extended appendages had sprouted, serving as wings. The pinions consisted of oily, black feathers. The rest of the creature's body was covered in thick, midnight black scales.
" What is that," Sephiroth demanded shrilly, stepping back in fear. Shivra merely pointed at Sephiroth, her sea green eyes glowing furiously.
" Destroy him, Vipera," she ordered. Vipera turned its gaze on Sephiroth, who took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. He didn't know why he was afraid of this creature, but nevertheless, the mere presence of it filled his soul with dread.
Vipera roared and charged. Sephiroth held the masamune in front of himself as if it could protect him from monster's assault. Vipera's talons easily knocked the sword from Sephiroth's hands and caught him in the shoulder. Sephiroth gripped his wound in pain. Vipera elevated into the air and turned, preparing for another strike. Sephiroth threw himself to the side, barely missing the monster's claws. His fingers closed around the hilt of his sword. He tried to swipe at Vipera, but the beast was to agile in the air to be hit by so feeble an attempt. It recoiled, slamming its whip-like tail into Sephiroth's chest, sending him rolling backwards. Sephiroth jumped to his feet.
" You haven't seen the last of me," he warned, just before vanishing seemingly into thin air. Vipera halted its charge and hovered above the platforms.
" Indeed we have not, Sephiroth," Shivra retorted, " Well done, Vipera." The summon bowed its head and slowly became transparent, eventually disappearing completely into shards of shimmering spiritual energy. The shards themselves repeated the process over and over until there was nothing left of Vipera.
" What was that, Shivra," Zack was stunned by the appearance of Vipera. Lucius was too shocked to say anything.
" One of the lost thirteen summons," Shivra explained, " ancient fiends born long ago when the planet was young to serve the those who could call them down from their eternal resting places."
" It was beautiful," Lucius stated, " such a magnificent creature."
" They all are," Shivra assured, " they are as magnificent as they are powerful. Legend tells of one more powerful than all of them combined, said to have been born at the same time as the planet and bound by sacred law to protect it. The ancient writings of the Cetra call it Semdai, the Master Summon. It comes only to a summoner of the purest heart and the bravest soul. But, enough of this. Sephiroth has fled, but he will return. We have the white materia and there is little time to tend to Aeris."
" But she's missing," Zack protested. Shivra chuckled in amusement.
" Her physical body is not required," she explained. Zack felt a bit embarrassed, but didn't show it. Shivra smiled and retrieved the white materia from her pouch. She smirked in triumph and pocketed it once again as she led the way out of the building. Masaaki warked a greeting to Lucius when the reached the lake.
" Hey, boy," Lucius greeted his chocobo with a pat on its head. Shivra and Zack's chocobos were housed further down the road out of the city. Shivra's chocobo, Osiris, was also a black like Masaaki. Osiris was older than Masaaki, though, and had darker colored feathers. Zack's chocobo, Anubis, wasn't really black, but it did look like it from a distance. The chocobo's feathers were actually more like the color of ashes. They rode their chocobos out of the Sleeping Forest and across the narrow crags of rock that formed a bridge between the western continent and the northern continent.
" Where are we going," Lucius asked.
" Cosmo Canyon," Shivra replied, spurring Osiris foreword. The chocobo galloped faster, soon pulling ahead of Zack and Lucius. They reached the red walls of the canyon about three hours later. Shivra called for a halt at the gates of the city. The watchman spotted them.
" What business have you in Cosmo Canyon," he demanded. Shivra stood up in the saddle.
" We wish to speak with Nanaki," she called.
" Very well," the watchman replied after a pause, " you may enter the canyon."
" Thank you," Shivra acknowledged. They dismounted their chocobos and left them at the gate.
" I will inform Nanaki of your presence," the watchman notified, then he strode off to find the canyon's protector.
* * * A large tiger-like animal with glossy, scarlet fur dotted with occasional scars and other such marks sat on his haunches on a floor carpeted by piles upon piles of books, many in foreign languages or ancient script. Most of them old, dusty volumes with their titles faded from the covers. He turned the page of the book he was currently reading with his nose and tilted his head so that he could better see the text through his good eye, the other marred by a thick, black scar and veiled by a streak of loose hair from his mane. He had just finished the page when the guard knocked on the door to his study.
" Enter," he permitted.
" Great Nanaki, A group of people has just arrived," the lookout notified, " they have asked to speak with you." Nanaki pondered this for a moment.
" I will receive them at the candle," he replied, pushing his books aside for the time being. Nanaki stood up and followed the lookout out of the observatory and down to the candle.
* * * Lucius and Zack were seated beside the roaring flames of the candle. Shivra, on the other hand, paced back and forth. She only ceased when she spotted a tiger-like beast moving towards them. Lucius was intimidated by Nanaki, thinking that he was an enemy. He immediately jumped foreword to defend his mother if it became necessary.
Nanaki hesitated at the sight of Lucius. It had been nearly two years since he had first seen Rufus, but the boy in front of him looked enough like the president of ShinRa to be a younger version of him. He continued foreword when the woman behind Lucius reassured the boy that the creature he saw was no threat to them.
" Welcome to Cosmo Canyon," Nanaki greeted, approaching his visitors and sitting in front of them, tipping his head in a greeting.
" Thank you for seeing us," the woman acknowledged, " I hope we aren't interrupting anything."
" Nothing of importance," Nanaki dismissed the matter with a wave of his paw. His eyes lingered for a moment on the marks covering the woman's skin, for a moment almost able to make sense of the foreign writing. " It isn't often we have visitors," he remarked, " My name is Nanaki, the son of Seto and protector of Cosmo Canyon."
" My name is Shivra," the woman introduced, " this is my brother, Zack." She gestured towards the black haired man behind her. " And my son, Lucius." She set a hand on the boy's shoulder. Nanaki acknowledged each one of them in turn, a faint memory of a story Cloud had once told him sparked to life.
" How can I be of any assistance," he asked.
" We are looking for someone, actually," Shivra explained, " we were wondering if you could help us find him." Nanaki nodded.
" I shall help as best I can," he relied, " who is it you seek?"
" A man by the name of Cloud Strife," Shivra answered. Nanaki thought for a moment. Nobody had asked him about Cloud in a while.
" I believe Cloud has settled in Kalm with Tifa," he answered after a short pause.
" Tifa Lockheart," Zack asked. Nanaki shook his head.
" They are married now," he explained.
" I see," Zack concluded.
" Thank you very much," Shivra smiled, " you have been most helpful." Nanaki had to admit that she was kind of pretty when she smiled, but not enough to mask the aura of a powerful killer he sensed from her. " We will leave you in peace," she concluded. With a respective bow to Nanaki and a friendly wave, Shivra led her family back to their chocobos and out of Cosmo Canyon.
Nanaki made his way back to the observatory, memorizing the one word he had been able to translate from the writing on Shivra's body. The word was Semdai.
* * * Shivra led her followers north once again, back to Nibelheim and the mountains that lay beyond it. Their home was nestled somewhere inside Mt. Nibel, hidden from anyone who might try to harm them. Their mountain sanctuary was what had protected them for several years. It wasn't a perfect refuge, but they were content and had found ways to survive.
They left their chocobos in the fields outside the town of Nibelheim, like they always did. They had built a small stable into one of the crags alongside the mountains to house their chocobos when they weren't riding them. In addition to the chocobos they were currently riding, Shivra and Lucius had bred a whole herd of multicolored chocobos, all of them very loyal and obedient.
Gavial sensed her master coming long before Lucius entered the immense cavern where his dragon lived. Gavial was a very rare species of true dragon. Her kind was very unlike the mako created dragons that had once been common in the mountains. With thanks to Lucius and Shivra, these mako dragons had long since been whipped out. Even so, Gavial's kind had never really gained any numbers in the Mt. Nibel caves, all of them migrating north into the Gaea Cliffs seeking refuge from the humans that had settled in the caverns.
Gavial's cave was easily the size of a massive tenement, much larger than Shivra's dwelling and Zack's combined. Its ceiling was outfitted with a giant hole to allow Gavial to leave her home whenever she wished. This hole also provided Gavial's cavern with light and fresh air. Even during storms, the cave was a perfect refuge for the dragon, despite the gaping opening in the roof. Storms, even, were welcomed by the dragon as the rain filled a pit she had dug under the opening and provided all of them with a source of water.
Lucius greeted Gavial with a scratch behind her long, feathery ears. At six years old, Gavial was bigger than any mako dragon Lucius had ever seen. Her thick, scaly, black hide could no longer be penetrated by simple means. Her wings were fully developed and quite able to support her in flight. But, most the impressive of all Gavial's traits were the horns that protruded from the crown of her skull. Twisted, curling antlers twice the length of her head and as thick as sapling trunks. One swipe with those lethal spines could easily gore any creature foolish enough to challenge her. Lucius admired his dragon, she was still young, as far as dragons go, but he was extremely proud of her. She was so well behaved around Shivra, mostly due to respect for the older female's power. Lucius was now on the verge of teaching her to bear riders in flight. He hadn't expected it to go so smoothly either. Gavial positioned her head against Lucius's chest, then, when he wasn't expecting it lifted him several feet of the ground.
" Does this mean you'll carry me in flight now," Lucius teased, rubbing the scales between Gavial's horns. " Down please, my beauty." Gavial obeyed and deposited Lucius on the ground. He patted her head and gazed for a moment at the soft, loving green of Gavial's eyes. She crooned softly as Lucious headed for his quarters.
Lucius lived in a much smaller establishment than anyone else's, mostly because he had very few possessions and wasn't home often. The few items that Lucius did own were scattered around the room. Most of them were weapons of various types, blades of varied sizes and shapes, a collection of materia orbs, and his bedding. Lucius stretched his weary body out over the pelts that served as his bed. The coarse fur scratched his skin, but he didn't care.
Lucius reached inside his shirt and massaged his aching ribs. He couldn't bring himself to tell his mother about the growing pain in his chest. He had been in pain before but never quite like this. He suspected it had something to do with the mako in his body, but he couldn't be sure. The ache was spreading to his back now, causing him to cringe in pain. He closed his eyes and concentrated on easing the discomfort. Slowly, the ache began to dissipate. It took longer than usual for the displeasure to disperse. This alarmed Lucius, just a little. Still, he dismissed it to being stiff and that all he needed was a good rest.
Shivra and Zack were under no such discomfort. Zack, in fact, had fallen asleep in his quarters not long after their arrival. Shivra had assured him that she would deal with Aeris. Shivra herself had a few hours to kill before she was needed again. She thought about resting, but was to anxious to sleep, finally deciding to visit Lucius.
Shivra's room was deeper in the mountain than her son's. The two dwellings were connected by a series of winding tunnels. Shivra navigated through them effortlessly, having memorized them years ago.
Lucius lifted his head slowly as Shivra entered his residence. She crossed the room gradually and sat on the edge of his bed. He hoped that she wouldn't probe him for the source of his discomfort like she sometimes did.
" How do you feel," she asked.
" Tired," Lucius replied, " a little stiff." Shivra reached out and started to caress the flesh between his shoulder blades. He tensed as her fingers touched him, but relaxed as her healing touch began to work over him.
" Here," she asked. Her fingers kneaded the skin gently. She could feel knots in the muscles of her son's back. Why they had formed there, she didn't know.
" Yeah," Lucius moaned in relief, " that's the spot." Shivra smiled as she continued to massage Lucius's back. After about an hour, Lucius let out a sigh of relief and fell into a relaxed slumber. Shivra listened intently to her son's soft, peaceful breathing, feeling his back rise and fell slightly with each breath. He seemed so worn out.
" Sleep, my angel," she crooned, " be at peace. Someday we won't have to hide anymore. Someday we will be free. Someday..."
" Mama..." Lucius groaned in his slumber. Shivra leaned foreword and kissed her son's cheek. She stroked his hair and departed. The hour had grown late and she was needed elsewhere.
. . . The sun was going down over the horizon as Shivra reached the highest cave in the mountain. She watched the light fade from sight. Thoughts began to crowd her mind, drifting back two years to the time when she had been sitting in this very same spot watching as meteor descended from the heavens upon the planet. Midgar had been destroyed. Rufus was supposedly dead, though she didn't believe it. She had gone into the town below the mountain when she heard the news to investigate. She had even bought a newspaper so she could read up on the event. Rufus was presumed dead, ShinRa tower had been completely destroyed, Midgar lay in ruins. One line had stayed locked in Shivra's mind ever since. President Rufus ShinRa presumed dead, body not recovered. For two years she had clung to those words, believing that somewhere, somehow, Rufus might still alive.
Twilight was rapidly approaching, reminding Shivra that there were matters at hand requiring her attention. She silently traced the markings on her hand. As her fingers passed each line the marks began to glow a deep, mystic blue resembling the dark cobalt of eyes poisoned by mako.
" Come to me, Aurora of the Air and the Earth," Shivra chanted, " bring to me the soul of Aeris Gainsborough." The light illuminating the marks on Shivra's hands shot from her palms and into the sky. The light took the shape of an enormous eagle-like bird bathed in opalescent fire. The feathered creature raced south and out of Shivra's sight, returning moments later carrying a formless mass of matter the same color as the lifestream. Shivra retrieved the white materia from her pocket and held it out. The shapeless substance in Aurora's talons was drawn into the materia orb.
" Well done, Aurora," Shivra praised. The bird shot itself into the darkening sky and vanished in the same manner as Vipera. Shivra gripped the white materia, holding it in front of the dark horizon. " I beseech thee, Materia of the Lifestream," she whispered, " I ask for the resurrection of the half-Cetra named Aeris Gainsborough." The white materia's green light flared for a few seconds then ascended into the air above Shivra's head. She watched as the light took shape, forming into the body of a young woman of twenty-two years. Shivra recognized the woman's long, chestnut brown hair and delicate features. Aeris slowly began to descend, her body seemed to move of its own accord. Shivra took Aeris into her arms and supported the unconscious woman. Aeris began to wake.
" Where am I," she puzzled.
" You are at the top of Mt. Nibel," Shivra explained, " don't be afraid. You are safe here. Now, can you stand?" Aeris tested her balance.
" I think so." " Good," Shivra approved, " follow me. There is someone I would like you to meet." Aeris hesitated, then followed Shivra into the bowels of the mountain.
" Who are you." she asked as she was led through the twisting tunnels.
" My name is Shivra. You may call me what you wish," Shivra replied, dropping into her chamber. " Welcome to my cave. It's not much, but I call it home." Aeris observed the dwelling critically. It was a little on the dark side, lit only by an oil lamp. Also a bit dirty and cluttered, but all in all not a bad place to live.
" Who is it you wanted me to meet," Aeris asked politely.
" I believe he is an old acquaintance off yours," Shivra explained. Aeris lifted an eyebrow. " if you would follow me," Shivra invited, turning and heading down a passageway. Aeris followed again. She couldn't help but think about how much this strange woman reminded her of Zack.
Shivra rapped her fingers on a board hanging by the entrance to yet another rocky chamber.
" Oh little brother, are you awake," she called sweetly.
" What do you want," a groggy, male voice answered from inside the cave.
" Now don't be so grumpy, brother dear, we have a visitor," Shivra countered in a tone that was meant for a bully teasing their victim. " I'm coming," the voice retorted. Aeris could hear movement from inside the cavern. Seconds later, a man in Soldier garb appeared in the doorway of the cave. Aeris recognized him immediately.
" Zack," she gasped. Zack was speechless for a moment,
" Aeris," he stammered. He reached for her and she leapt into his arms. " You're alive," Zack cheered. Aeris said nothing. Her eyes filed with tears of joy at the sight of him. Shivra smiled to herself as she started down yet another tunnel in the direction of Lucious's room.
" Shivra," Zack called. She stopped and turned her head just in time to see Zack come up behind her and embrace her tightly. " I can't thank you enough," he exclaimed.
" What's a big sister for," Shivra countered, " now go spend time with your friend." Zack released Shivra and hurried back over to Aeris. Shivra grinned again as she disappeared into the stone corridors.
* * * Kalm had grown considerably since the destruction of Midgar. It was still a relatively peaceful city, not as quiet as Nibelheim or as crowded and dangerous as Junon, but still not a bad place to live. Cloud and Tifa had moved there not long after Midgar had been devastated. Life in Kalm wasn't always easy, but when the marks were tallied Kalm was one of the better cities on the planet. Cloud and Tifa were married now and had settled together, opening a new business and settling near the center of the city.
Two hooded figures riding black chocobos aren't exactly a usual sight. For one part being that black chocobos are very rare and valuable for breeding and selling. And another part being that people wearing hoods on a clear day generates a feeling that something not entirely right is going on. Thus, Shivra and Lucious riding up to the city on their chocobos with their cloaks wrapped around themselves was bound to stir some suspicion. One glare from Shivra banished all confrontation from any who might have interfered with their business. Lucious veered off to the shops in the interior of the city to browse for any worthwhile weapons, as he always did when in Kalm. Shivra headed for the local tavern to listen for any useful information.
Upon entering the bar, Shivra received the usual gazes and cat-calls that are like a tradition in such places. She was immediately pleased when she looked toward the counter. The bartender was a tall, woman in her twenties. She had redwood brown eyes and long, dark brown hair that fell to her waist. Shivra approached the counter and took a seat on one of the stools.
" What'll it be," The woman asked.
" Moonshiner," Shivra ordered. The woman reached under the counter and pulled out the ingredients for the drink.
" Haven't seen you hear before," she commented as she fixed the drink and handed it to Shivra.
" I don't come to this part of the world very often," Shivra answered bluntly, sipping her drink, " I'm actually looking for someone."
" Who would that be," the woman asked.
" A very old friend of mine," Shivra replied, " but in order to find him, I need to speak with a man named Cloud Strife. If you could direct me to him, I'd be most grateful."
" Why would you need to speak with Cloud," the woman questioned. Shivra studied her for a second.
" Your name's Tifa, isn't it," she countered. Tifa stepped back in surprise.
" How do you know that," she demanded fearfully.
" I have my ways," Shivra skirted. Tifa wasn't satisfied in the least with Shivra's response.
" Why do you want to speak with Cloud," she repeated.
" Because," Shivra paused for a moment, " I know something that might be of interest to him."
" What is that," Tifa demanded. Shivra stared at Tifa with an annoyed look on her face, letting the mako glow in her eyes present itself.
" I know what really happened to Aeris Gainsborough," she revealed.
" Aeris died over two years ago," Tifa snorted.
" Then this ribbon makes no nevermind to you," Shivra asked, pulling a pink ribbon out of her pocket, " Aeris said to give it to Cloud and Tifa." Tifa paused, badly shaken by the information.
" Cloud will be here in an hour," she stammered. Shivra grinned to herself and went back to her drink.
* * * Lucius, as usual, had no luck in locating some new, good weapons. So he did what he always did, wander around the alleys looking for a fight. Suddenly, a figure jumped out of nowhere and wrapped an arm around Lucius's neck. He struggled, but his attacker was too strong for him.
" Let me go, Damnit," he gasped, prying at the arm enclosed around his throat.
" Quite squirming, you little runt," the figure commanded. Lucius tried to kick his captor, but the figure was too quick. " I'm not that stupid, you know," he mused.
" What do you want," Lucius demanded.
" I should think it obvious," the figure laughed, dragging a struggling Lucius behind him as he made his way down the ally.
* * * " Let me get this straight," Cloud interrupted. He and Tifa had been listening to Shivra's story for the past couple of hours. " You say, that you can raise the souls of the dead from their slumber and give them back their physical bodies?"
" That's correct," Shivra replied.
" And you've done this with Aeris," Tifa questioned.
" Correct again," Shivra droned.
" Why," Cloud demanded.
" Let's just say, I needed an offering for your help," Shivra skirted, " and my brother had his reasons as well."
" What do you want from us," Cloud demanded, jumping to his feet. Shivra barely shifted her gaze when Cloud seized her collar and dragged her toward him. " Tell us!"
" Let go of my coat," Shivra ordered coldly, yet in a rather casual voice. Cloud glared at her, but felt it wouldn't be wise to provoke a fight. Reluctantly, he released his grip on Shivra's collar. " Thank you," she responded.
" Why Aeris," Cloud repeated.
" I thought you might want to see an old friend again," Shivra explained, " in exchange for your help in locating my husband."
" What's your husband's name," Tifa asked. Shivra paused for a long moment before answering.
" Rufus ShinRa," she revealed, " I know the reports say that he's dead, but they never found his remains. Even if he really is dead, I want to know what happened to him. I owe Lucius that much."
" Who is Lucius," Cloud asked.
" My son," Shivra replied, " he has a right to know. And I want him to know the truth as well, what his father and I were put through to keep him safe. I would do anything for him. He's the only part of Rufus I have now. I'm sorry for dragging you both into this, but understand that I have suffered these past six years not knowing whether Rufus is all right or not. You cannot begin to fathom the agony it has been for me to watch my son grow to be the shadow of his father, to see the image of the one person I love growing up without the one other person who might mean something in his life."
" You really loved Rufus, didn't you," Tifa asked gently. By now, Shivra was bent over in her seat with her fingers entwined in her dark hair, a ring on her left hand caught the light and shimmered.
" I love him still," she said softly. The discussion had forced her to open her emotions. A feeling she had forgotten many years ago when she had been forever separated from the rest of the world, not really cast out, but forced away from all she had loved. The trials of her life had all but slaughtered her emotions, leaving behind a cold, dark remnant of a once beautiful and loving person. " I don't sleep very much anymore for fear that I will see him in my dreams and mistake it for reality." Shivra shut her eyes and tried to get a grip on her senses.
" We will help you find out what happened to Rufus," Cloud decided, " we helped to bring about the destruction of his company. And I'm the one to blame for the Weapon that supposedly killed him." Shivra felt this way too, but hadn't wanted to use it against Cloud. That was a bad way to do business. Nevertheless, she looked up, almost surprised by Cloud's willingness to help her. She needed his help. Her theory was that when the lifestream had covered Midgar, Rufus might have been drawn into its life-giving waters. Cloud knew what that was like, therefor she needed his aid.
" I will accompany you wherever you go and serve as your protector, the search may be dangerous," Shivra offered.
" Your offer is accepted," Cloud replied, holding out his hand to Shivra. She stared at him for a second, confused by his act of politeness, or was it a spark of compassion, then shook hands with him, sealing their deal and assuring her that when their business was over she and Lucius would have their answers.