CHAPTER ONE – LIFE
My brain felt like it had suddenly sparked to life and triggered a reflex to breathe. My lungs pushed and opened to inhale the dusty air. It was so sudden it felt like it was my first ever breath, as if I'd only just been created and allowed to live. I questioned who I was, where I was, how I got here. No idea. I opened my eyes and couldn't see. Slowly focus returned and my eyes permitted me to view the room I had awoken in.
Through fresh eyes I glanced up, and pushed the long grey hair aside that partly covered my face. There was nothing to see. When I tried to move, my muscles didn't respond. I tried forcing my body up under the belief I had control over my arms and legs yet nothing worked, that is, if there is something to move.
I let my head fall to the side. From what I could see, I noticed I had a sense of familiarity about the place. It was somewhere I knew, or should know. This place was important to me somehow but I couldn't understand why. I lay there, staring blankly at a bookcase unable to focus my thoughts.
The bookcases crept up the walls almost reaching the ceiling, towering way above me boasting wide selections of novels and texts. Diaries and journals littered open spaces on the shelves. Some were open, some were stacked on top of others, but all were leather bound and looking fairly untreated.
I looked around further but failed to make out much more. A solitary candle sat beside the large bookshelf providing a dim glow to the room. The candle started to flicker and dance making the shadows twist and play on the stone walls. With my fixation on the candle I hadn't noticed I was now sitting upright and watching the candle burn.
I looked down to see what I was sat upon. It was a stone slab which lay on a stone fixture. The stone fixture was in the centre of a small study. The large bookshelf stood proud in front of me, and smaller bookshelves rested elsewhere in the room. The air was chill. The stone slab was frosty and inhospitable. The room was uninviting, and I had a strange eerie sense that I wasn't alone in here.
Suddenly I was stood. My legs were pathetically supporting my body but held through. I didn't seem to notice my impaired ability to stand and had actually begun making my way across the room. I examined the bookshelf. It was made of a fine wood. The candle that stood beside it was fairly large but had barely melted. It must have been lit recently by someone. A sharp, but distrusted sense of security filled me that at least I wasn't alone. Maybe I wanted to be alone; at least then I wouldn't be in danger.
My foot knocked something metal. The cold steel on my bare feet did not stimulate me greatly, apart from my interest to what the object was. It was a blade. It was an extremely long, thin and sharp katana. Curious, I lifted the blade by its handle and examined it. I knew immediately it was mine. I only wished I knew why.
"Who am I?" I asked aloud, assuming the blade would be able to tell me. I was lost in its reflection of the candlelight. There was something enticing about the sword. The way it felt in my hand was hypnotic. Thoughts began to flood my brain. Memories became my own again. I remembered who I was, where I was, and more. Then the pain kicked in. Sharp and blinding, I automatically dropped the sword in an impulsive move to stop the aching.
Vulnerability pumped through my blood. Without the sword I was no one again, as if the sword had surged power into my veins the moment I picked it up. It was too much for me too fast. I sat back on the slab and clutched my face, my long grey hair swaying freely in front of me. It was all a blur again. The room retained that sense of familiarity, but I had reverted to having no knowledge of whom or what I was.
I stood up again. I was wearing a long dirty grey cloak that covered me to the ground. A few clothes lay in the corner. They were warriors' clothes, with large black boots and metal shoulder plates. Underneath those lay a full-sized black leather coat. I glanced beside the clothes to find a large wooden door.
Hasty to leave the room I was in, I opened the large door and pulled the wooden mass open and aside. The doorway led to a long corridor. The walls were glowing a dark, faint but almost magical purple tint. Eager to learn more, I quickly spotted a door to my left which was left ajar, allowing a little light to seep out into the corridor. Pushing the next door aside, I realised I was in another library.
This one was greater than the last. The walls were bookcases stacked high with books. The room stretched round leading to yet another area overwhelmed with literature. I turned to the door assuming that the room was empty and I would find no answers here, but before I stepped through the doorframe again my eyes followed along a desk to a book which lay open – a book that grabbed my attention without even shedding a fragment of dust from the smooth sheet that covered it.
I was compelled to read it. As I picked it up the dust scattered and filled the air around me. Pushing the dust aside with my arm, I began to read its text.
"Day Thirty-Two. And so my research continues. The materia is definitely reacting. Its structure has undoubtedly changed in a noticeable way, both visibly and at a molecular level. It's exciting. The materia really is becoming something new. I will start the new part of the experiment tomorrow, providing I get enough spare time."
The rest of the text on that page was faded with the dust. Interested, I flipped pages over to see what else remained intact of the text. A few pages in, a small piece of the journal still remained intact. I read on.
"The thirty-first day since the experimenting began and my son came in contact with the materia. He doesn't seem to be affected by its touch, except for the initial burn he received. I treated it like a normal burn, and it seems to be healing well. I have been down in this mansion all day studying it since it happened, partly for my son's welfare, and partly because I'm intrigued to find out more. However, I now realise how much I must keep this a secret and protected from anyone else it may endanger."
"Three days after my son touched the materia his breathing began to wane. It doesn't seem fatal, and is somewhat coincidental but I can't help but link it to the day he came to find me. I've sent him to the best medical help I can get. I've also decided I will lock myself inside the base of the mansion while my dearest son and wife are away. Unfortunately I dread I will never see them again, but I must go on."
"Today is day thirty-nine and I still haven't received word of my son's health. The materia's structure has now completely changed. It glows a deeper hue and its new molecular alignment is practically impossible. Unfortunately I came into contact with the materia today and my hand is very sore. As the day went on the itching became more and more uncontrollable. Is my son like this? I hope to dear god he is ok. I have also decided that even though the results are exciting, the experimenting has become too hazardous and I must stop. No one shall ever find out about this materia, and I will lock the mansion and ensure it. I too will forget about this and all I have discovered here."
I turned the pages but the following were completely blank and never used. I never fully understood materia. A small glowing piece of rock that possessed magic that people skilled enough can channel through themselves seemed unlikely, but ever since its discovery the world had changed.
I placed the book back on the desk where I got it from and left the library. As I trailed along the long lonely corridor I began to think more about materia. Materia was power to humans. Materia allowed us to manipulate elements in a way we would have never dreamed possible. Materia was strong, and with enough of it, you would be almost godlike.
I stopped thinking immediately. My thoughts were beginning to scare me. The dark clouds that shadowed my mind tainted what I thought and influenced me to find out more. I carried on down the corridor shaken by my thoughts. At the end, there was a spiral staircase, and up those stairs lay a grand, beautiful house with large portraits and scenic paintings leaning from the walls. A staircase towards the centre of the mansion displayed grandiose and ornate wood carvings in its banisters.
The dust gently laid a thin sheet over the room of the main entrance. From atop the staircase I viewed the whole room unable to remember whether this elaborate home was mine or not. The windows had thick wooden boards prohibiting any light from getting in.
In the distance I heard a chime. Bells rang from nearby and echoed throughout the large hall. I stepped down the staircase and mindlessly dragged my cloak through the dust to the door. Placing all my weight on the heavy wooden door, I edged it slightly open until it slung open fully and crashed into the side of the building.
Stepping outside, I held my arm up to my face to shield my eyes from the blinding midday sun.
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CHAPTER TWO – GENERATIONS
The tall figure gracefully stepped into the golden shine of the midday sun with his arm raised to his face. The sunlight was new warmth to his cold pale skin. The smell of the blooming flora excited his senses. The birds circled high above him dancing on the sky blue background singing a chorus of melodies. The entire surroundings he'd stepped into were a rush of chemicals in his brain. Everything was so new and fresh to him, yet he possessed the awareness he had been here before.
Slowly he laid his arm back beside himself. Closing his eyes he took in the sounds and smells of the world he had walked into. Looking around he noticed a small brass sign hung beside the door to the mansion. Blocking the sunlight from its glint on the plaque, he tried to read it. Rust coated the plate obscuring the words carved in it.
The sun continually beat down on his neck. He used the arm of his cloak to scratch away some of the rust. From what he could make out, the plaque read: "Laboratory of Professor Hojo, Formerly ShinRa Mansion"
"Hojo", he thought to himself. The name struck a nerve deep inside the core of his memories. The wind blew hard across his face and the sunlight seemed to be getting brighter. Feeling dizzy, he laid his body against the side of the mansion. Quicker than he could realise what had happened, he had slumped on the floor unconscious and faint.
****
"Hello, how are you feeling?" a voice emitted from an unknown source. It was a male voice, slightly gruff but with an air of authority about it. "Open your eyes if you can."
He obeyed. After allowing his eyes to adjust to the intense sunlight, he began to study the man whose voice had just spoken. He was a fairly aged man, with barely any height or character, balding with what remained of his hair greyed and turning white. He wore a long white cloak, and stared straight at the slumped figure with unmoving eyes.
"Look at me," the elderly man said peering into his eyes. "You look well. It is a pleasure to see you about and conscious. My name is Professor Hojo."
The name from the plaque was stood in front of him now. The instant idea that this man would know who he was or how he got there was this man who had first told him to open his eyes. The name said aloud struck a memory in his head that reminded him of a parental figure. Possibly the professor was his father.
"Father?" he could not help but ask aloud.
"Father?" he echoed, with a slight casual snigger. "No, no. Don't worry, everything's confusing at first, but it will all come back to you with time."
"I need to know who I am."
"You," the professor responded, "are a young boy named Sephiroth. You are quite the combatant, and somewhat a legend."
The professor stretched out his arm in an offer to aid Sephiroth to stand up. Once on his feet, Sephiroth began to fall, until the professor placed his arm round his waist to support him upright. Once he was on his feet, and able to see better in the sunlight than before, Sephiroth took in a view of the town.
It was destroyed. Buildings lay as rubble on the petrified earth, and bare structures remained as tribute to the constructions they once were. The only remaining distinguishable building was an inn, and it was evident that even this had fallen victim to its fair share of defeat.
Professor Hojo led Sephiroth over to the inn. Inside it was deserted and in disarray, reflecting the state of the rest of the ghost town. The tables lay sideways and upturned, chairs lay in splintered pieces and broken glass lay littered across the debris-cluttered floor.
Hojo upturned an intact chair that lay on its side, and placed it on a patch of floor which remained unused. He then sat Sephiroth on this new seat, and employed a chair which had been undoubtedly salvaged previously. He turned to look at Sephiroth who sat barely aware of his surroundings.
"What…" Sephiroth began. "What happened here?"
Hojo reacted to his question with a pause. Finding the words to say he breathed deeply, and began his reply. "A long time ago this city was a well-working quiet town. After the president of a large worldwide energy production corporation called ShinRa Inc. had invaded and changed this town into an earth-drying wretched hive of scum and greed, a resistance group revolted.
"After the death of the president, the company was disbanded, and all records and properties owned by the company were destroyed. This included this town – Nibelheim, as it was once known. The mansion atop of the hill was sealed and locked. All the levels that could be accessed were removed of ShinRa evidence. The company simply ceased to continue existing from that point on. What remained after the blaze eventually got old and collapsed. What is left of this inn is the only part that remains.
This was a long time ago. A lot has been written into the history books from before I was born, including you."
"I thought you were my father," Sephiroth muttered.
"No, but in a way we are connected by our generational ties. It was my great-grandfather who studied you as a superhuman experiment. His son went on to give birth to my father. My mother looked after me until she was old, but always used to tell me about my father who would spend all day and night downstairs in the mansion on his work, until it became his life. He remained here in this town while my mother and I moved away.
I grew up interested in science and the origins of this planet, just had my father had and my father before him. Eager to discover what intrigued my father so much about his studies, I found a way into the mansion and discovered his files. His records supported my recent discoveries of a new form of materia which was much different from those we have used throughout time. However, I never knew what happened to my father himself."
"It was the materia," Sephiroth interjected.
"Excuse me?"
"It was the materia that killed him. In his journal he wrote about the new materia and how it had begun to affect his health, just like it had begun to affect his son's – yours. It became too much for him, and he had to end his research from that basement."
"Oh my," the professor sighed. Sephiroth glanced over to see that the professor was tending to an unusual scar that stood out on the palm of his right hand.
"What is this materia?"
"You'll never believe it," replied the professor in a sudden burst of excitement and enthusiasm. "I'd have to show you its power. The world has changed so much over the past century, Sephiroth. You have so much to learn."
"Century?" Sephiroth responded, with what the professor was saying originally about his great-grandfather finally sinking in. He had been asleep for over a hundred years and no one had brought him out of his deep slumber until now. Hojo did not hear Sephiroth's query, as he had already stood and exited the inn. Following Hojo out of the inn, Sephiroth rose to his now-stable legs and stepped through the door frame.
Sephiroth found Hojo kneeling on the ground holding a small piece of wood which must have held some significance to the town before it was destroyed, but now resembled no more than the debris that was scattered all over the land.
"It must have been quite a time back then; the great uprising against the ShinRa power. Where you alive back then?"
"If I was, I do not remember." Sephiroth responded.
"Oh, well. ShinRa Inc. was a voracious and intolerable organisation that had one day found an incredible and seemingly limitless source of energy beneath the ground deep within the earth. This power was named Mako power, but its extraction was killing plant life and reducing the fertility of the land around it. ShinRa was simply sucking the life out of the planet and transforming it into cheap and effective energy for homes and a bright, new mechanical future for us all.
After the revolt, the company was forgotten. Rufus was dead and no one was alive to inherit the presidential status."
"Rufus," Sephiroth spoke with a calming deep voice, his eyes lost in his returning memories. "I know that name. That bastard." A sharp pain ran to his head causing him to squint and put his hand to his forehead.
"You don't look so good. Maybe we don't have as much time as I had previously thought. We must make haste. I have to take you through the mountain range to get to where we must go to help your health."
Hojo stood and brushed the dust from his clothes. He glanced at Sephiroth and headed past the mansion towards the mountain range. Sephiroth began to follow leaving the derelict town behind him.
As he followed Hojo's path, Sephiroth glanced up at the mansion that stood tall on his left hand side. A flash of a deep memory surfaced in his mind. There he had once stood in front of that mansion beside a young girl wearing a cowboy hat, and a tall brawny young man with a large thick blade strapped to his back. Sephiroth had stood in between them both, his back to the mansion, the long thin blade he had found on the floor before held tight in his grip.
The thought flashed for only a second but was so vivid it remained etched onto the back of Sephiroth's mind. Suddenly he dropped to his knees, and then again to the floor. Again, he was unconscious.
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CHAPTER THREE – MEMORIES
"Father, I'll be fine!"
Sephiroth opened his eyes to find himself stood where he just was, except the town had been fully restored and existed as if no such destruction had ever occurred. The town was parochial, but homely. Eerily, this was not a friendliness that settled well with Sephiroth.
"Now Sephiroth," a small-town man began, barely pronouncing his name correctly. "You'll take good care of my little girl, won't cha."
Sephiroth's senses were beginning to adapt to more new surroundings. The air was different. It was spoiled, and slightly humid. No doubt he was reliving a memory, yet it was so vibrant and clear that Sephiroth could actually feel like he was literally experiencing it for a second time.
The two that stood next to him in the flashback stood casually here now. Two uniformed soldiers hung back behind the bumpkin man who was questioning Sephiroth's ability to act as a guardian. He had a lot of materia linked to his armour. He could feel the power emanating from the orbs. It was extreme and fairly pleasant for Sephiroth.
"We don't have time," he replied in a cold, unnerving voice. "Let's get going."
"A quick photograph of you three before you leave? It would be a great honour," the man suggested with a sense of enthusiasm that suggested he was going to take it regardless of Sephiroth's response.
Sephiroth sighed and stood in-between the large built soldier, and the young spunky girl. The girl's father grinned blissfully and proceeded to take the photograph with a camera he had retrieved from the bag he carried. 'At least I've made someone happy', Sephiroth thought.
Sephiroth couldn't move when he wanted to. It seemed that he didn't have control over his body or his speech in these memories, and he could only view as a spectator. It was still only a dream, and he hadn't really travelled back in time.
"Are we going or what?" the girl struck up with unwelcome eagerness.
With this, Sephiroth led the way, and the small group of people began the walk through the mountains. The young girl eventually took over as the guide of the group, leading the way through the mountain range.
Sephiroth was bored. The monsters that inhabited the mountains were vile and ferocious but still no match for the power that exuded Sephiroth. He studied the non-uniformed soldier that accompanied him. His unkempt spiky dark hair only matched his choice in clothing.
He spoke. "Excuse me miss," the young soldier addressed the girl. "Could you please tell me when we're here?"
"Please, call me Tifa," the young girl replied. She was only about 15 or 16, and of much too young an age to be traversing a mountain range like Nibel without fighting experience. "And sure, I'll tell you when we're here."
She stopped leading the way when the group reached a taught rope bridge that spanned over a large canyon and turned to face the group.
****
"We're here."
Sephiroth snapped awake to find himself back in the present and with Hojo stood in front pondering a way to get across the canyon, where in the flashback a rope bridge once was. Sephiroth was now fully clothed in the attire he'd found in the mansion earlier. In his hand he had a grip of the same thin katana that he touched before, and wielded in his memories.
"How did we get here?"
Hojo turned around and threw Sephiroth a confused look as if the question he'd just asked was stupid. Hojo walked over and placed the back of his hand on Sephiroth's forehead.
"You're boiling up. We don't have much time. We have to get to my laboratory and quickly. Otherwise you'll keep blacking out and get lost in your memories. It looks like you're about to pass out again…"
****
Sephiroth stood facing a large thick metal door at the top of a metal staircase. On the door was a large circular wheel which was its handle. With all his might, he turned the handle counter-clockwise until the door shifted open. He then stepped inside the chamber.
"Sephiroth! How could you!"
"Tifa! No!"
He could hear them behind him, but did not respond and continued further into the chamber. Tifa ran up the steps carrying Sephiroth's long sword with both hands, foolishly threatening to take Sephiroth on in battle. With a swift use of a dispelling magic, Tifa was thrown into the air and left to land on the steps. Her body in shock, she slid down the steps and slumped at the bottom. Unfazed, Sephiroth continued.
"Foolish, foolish little girl." Sephiroth said aloud. Deep within his mind, the onlooker from the present couldn't understand how such malevolent thoughts were conjured in his head. Was he once like this?
"Mother, it is me. I am here. Those foolish people are stealing the planet – from us. We must fight together."
Sephiroth ripped and lifted the mechanical head off the encasement and tossed it aside to reveal the monster it enclosed inside. The machine was labelled 'Jenova', and in response Sephiroth's presence, the creature inside reacted and moved to look straight into Sephiroth's eyes.
It was horrific. The creature glowed a natural and eerie bright neon blue and purple light which emanated from its skin. The being looked as if something so unspeakable could only be created, not born. It was not human, nor was it beast.
'It's alive?' the Sephiroth from within thought to himself.
Sephiroth laughed.
****
"Ok, good. Looks like you're going to be ok. I doubt I'll be able to stop you from passing out in future though."
"Who is Jenova?" Sephiroth interrupted. Hojo was momentarily caught off guard, but smiled at his question.
"That is why I brought you here. Follow me."
Sephiroth stood up from where he had sat to realise he was in the same room he'd stood in when he'd thrown Tifa down the stairs. The room was full of ruined pods and capsules which in his flashback had been glowing and occupied by something. In reality, all were empty and mostly ruined beyond any possible use.
Hojo began to ascend the stairs towards the chamber at the top. Sephiroth followed, the familiarity remaining from the flashback he'd just experienced. When Sephiroth had reached the chamber this time however, the mechanical structure lay there empty.
"It was you Sephiroth who released Jenova from her prison here almost a century ago. It was from her you were created. She is your mother. You are not human; you are a scientific creation – and a success at that."
Sephiroth stood back in disgust. "Bullshit."
"Sephiroth, listen to me. I have to tell you this. You were murdered a hundred years ago, and so was Jenova. Your spirit returned like any other to the resting place of the lifestream, and it was from there I revived your body and returned you to life."
"Impossible. You cannot revive a soul after it has returned to the lifestream."
"Sephiroth, I know why my father died. He'd discovered that new form of materia. This materia is different from the ones before. It's stronger, and its glow burns brighter than before. It is an evolved state of materia, beyond what we believed to be usually capable for a materia to do before multiplying. No one knew about it until a recent discovery, a few years after my father died.
"People don't use Mako anymore. That was a phase that was ended by the destruction of ShinRa and all of its Mako reactors. After struggling and supporting ourselves on basic and primate resources purely in the respect for preserving the earth, this new source of power was found. It's practically infinite. All the power you want and it never seems to end.
"The world now exists on this new energy. Unfortunately, with all this new power, it has brought new chance for destruction. Sometimes I wonder if my involvement in such a discovery was such a good thing in the end."
"Some people choose to ruin the world and some people choose to make it better," Sephiroth argued. "It is up to each individual to be responsible for their actions; you cannot be for allowing them to make the decision in the first place."
"I guess so." Hojo said reaching into a satchel he had brought with him. "Here," Hojo handed Sephiroth a piece of materia. In Sephiroth's hands the orb glowed brightly until it was a pure white.
"I call it materia+. It is a stronger and more brilliant form of nature, encasing the most intense power you will ever find on the planet. It is a new form of materia."
"It's incredible."
"Yes, it is something. What you are holding is Time materia+. Its predecessor only granted its bearer the ability to speed up, slow or stop time. But with this new stage in the evolution of the materia, travelling backwards through time is possible to an extent. I predict that with further evolution the ability to time travel forwards will be accessible too. It is very exciting."
The orb continued to glow brighter in Sephiroth's hand even when it seemed it wouldn't be possible for the light to increase anymore. Sephiroth's hand started to shake and the materia+ appeared to be having an effect on Sephiroth. Suddenly Sephiroth was fixated on the anger he'd summoned from when Hojo had told him he was merely a creation, and not even a human being.
"No." Sephiroth said under his breath.
Hojo stepped back from him. "Sephiroth, what are you trying to do?"
"Hojo. You created me."
"No, Sephiroth, that was my great-grandfather."
"I'm not human."
"Sephiroth, please, put the materia+ down."
"No!" Sephiroth bellowed in a voice which wasn't his own. It echoed throughout the chamber, and jilted Hojo. "I will not let people think of me as a creation! I will not let people think of me that way!"
Sephiroth swiftly turned and flew down the steps of the laboratory and through the door with his long black coat free-flowing in the breeze.
"No, Sephiroth!" Hojo shouted after him to no avail. "You still need me to help you Sephiroth! Don't do this!"
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CHAPTER FOUR – CHANGE
Sephiroth opened his eyes again, expecting to find himself in another unexpected flashback of his past. When he examined the scene, all he saw was darkness. On closer inspection he realised again that it wasn't darkness but in fact nothingness. He was the only thing existing in whatever place he was in. Immediately he felt completely alone.
Sephiroth knew he was dreaming. Even with nothing there the impression remained that he was just unconscious again. After Sephiroth had begun to accept the fact there was nothing to do in this abyss, he felt a presence drawing near.
Before Sephiroth could address him, the manifestation began to speak. The voice was faint and the person's face hidden by the darkness.
"I pity you Sephiroth," it began. "You are confused and lost, and in this new world like the old, you are alone. You do not ever know why you do what you do, nor do you know where you must go next."
The figure stepped forward closer to Sephiroth, and even though there was no light, his appearance had become more visible. He was an exact mirror image of Sephiroth himself.
"What are you?"
"I am you, Sephiroth," replied the mirror image. "So technically, the question instead should be what you are."
"Then what am I?"
"You are alone. You hide your feelings but cannot deny the fact they exist. You live and breathe like any other, and it is not what you are but who you are. You are nothing anyone else is, and never will be.
"Your existence in this world has purpose, just like any other human. This is your origins. You were born human, and no matter what strange genetic mutations have occurred and will occur inside you, you will always retain the sense of humanity. However, on a level beyond this you possess something that signifies you as different from any other. Your strength and intelligence surpasses any other abilities on this planet. You are no longer human, but you will always be Sephiroth."
The words hit something deep within Sephiroth's mind. He was starting to believe that he really is the same as everyone else, except his outstanding powers set him beyond and above everyone else. His place in this world is therefore more important and significant than ay other.
"There. What you are now thinking is the basis of human greed mixing with the power of the genetics you inherited from Jenova. Your need for power exists rooted in your humanity, but the cells in Jenova shows you that you can obtain more, and gives you the ability to. This is who you are Sephiroth, you are powerful."
"But I am merely a creation," Sephiroth responded to his replica.
"In a sense everyone and everything that exists is a creation. You, however, are practically a deity."
"You talk to me as if this is something I should have known all along. If I was once human, what gives me the right to be a god?"
"Destiny."
"I don't have one."
"Ergo," his twin image retorted. "This is why you must make your own."
Sephiroth did not reply. His place in the world did indeed have a purpose but his purpose was not yet justified. Turning his back on his mirror image, he walked on through the nothing away from his mirror image.
He wasn't sure what the purpose of the conversation was. The consciousness he was just talking to, seemed to be a reflection of who Sephiroth was, and although he was eager to find out who he is in himself, he did not want to hear any more the being had to say. After the figure had faded away in the distance, Sephiroth jolted back into reality and opened his eyes.
When he viewed his surroundings he realised he was sat in a cavern high in the mountain range of Nibel. It was night time now and high up in the mountains made Sephiroth feel closer to the stars. The night sky was clear and the stars lay speckled on the black canvas.
Sephiroth picked himself up from the ground and mindlessly started to trek his way back to Nibelheim. A dim light shone through from the inn. Inside, Sephiroth noticed an oil burning candle stood on a desk. An open journal lay on the desk. Interested, Sephiroth went over and skimmed the pages. It was Hojo's journal, and the last few lines were still fresh with wet ink.
"You seem to have a fondness for making journals your business, Sephiroth," Hojo said from the doorway to the inn. Sephiroth silently raised the book closer and carried on reading.
The text made everything clear. What once seemed a charitable attempt to help Sephiroth return to life was described as yet another experiment within his journal. It was explicitly detailed how Sephiroth had been resurrected using materia+, and how a variety of chemicals and scientific experimenting returned Sephiroth's somewhat fragmented conscious. Even when he was allowed his last fragment of humanity to return to the lifestream, he was still considered an experiment to be tested on.
"You scientists are all the same," Sephiroth said, dropping the journal onto the desk from his grip. He turned to face Hojo, and his face displayed the appearance of someone who had been betrayed. "How dare you treat me like an experiment?"
"I brought you back to life Sephiroth. It is the scientist in me that drove me to write about it, but it was my person who realised you could be revived and I could help you."
"You could have left me lie in the lifestream."
"True. Maybe we are alike after all. My greed overcomes my humanity, just like yours."
"We will never be alike. You are still only merely mortal." Sephiroth walked closer to Hojo, and almost instantly raised his masamune blade and jabbed it forward piercing Hojo. Hojo's mouth fell open with the shock, but the pain was too much for him to even form a sound. The blade had cut through his flesh and bone so gently and eloquently, it was no struggle for Hojo to be killed.
Hojo took one last look straight into Sephiroth's eyes before his head fell to rest on his chest. The only thing that kept Hojo upright was the sharp steel that hung through his abdomen. When Sephiroth retracted the sword, Hojo's lifeless body fell to the ground, inanimate and inert.
Sephiroth burned. His blood was warming up at a steady rate, and his heart increased. The sword was tingling and warming in his hands. The electricity that shot through his body when he first picked up the sword rushed through him again, yet this time it was less uncomfortable and instead made Sephiroth feel alive.
He turned and with one prompt move overturned the desk with his journal on. The cast desk trembled the entire structure of the rundown inn, and threatened its collapse. The burning oil lamp smashed open, and immediately started to spread its fire across the debris.
Sephiroth left the inn, and a few steps away felt what was left of the building crumble behind him. Under the dust and mass of wood, a blaze was breaking out rapidly. Sephiroth watched as the fire crackled and danced along the wreckage.
The fire was spreading fast and thick. From outside the town's perimeters, Sephiroth watched the remains of what was once a peaceful town, being completely destroyed. The flashback to the past brought the image of Nibelheim being burnt once before in a fire started by Sephiroth. Beyond the flames, Sephiroth felt exactly the same way as he had done then.
"Good riddance," he whispered, and with this he turned his back on the burning destruction and walked across the plains towards the shore. His next goal was Midgar, the place where ShinRa originated, in the hope someone or something will uncover knowledge about the whereabouts of Jenova.
At the shoreline a small unused harbour settlement was abandoned. With only a few structures, it couldn't have been a very significant place of community, except it provided a few boats for Sephiroth to choose from to continue his journey at sea. The town was silent, with the only sounds of the night and the waves lapping up the shoreline to listen to.
"Sephiroth," a stern, husky voice from behind him added through the tranquillity. "I take it you were the one responsible for setting the remains of Nibelheim on fire."
Sephiroth turned to face the voice. It was a lion-like being whose tail swished and danced in the night, its tail burning a naked flame lighting the surroundings in which he moved his tail. This was a familiar enemy from Sephiroth's past. He too was an experiment of ShinRa Inc, but his allegiance lied against Sephiroth. He was Red XIII and he existed as the last surviving member of resistance group Avalanche.
"You're alive," observed Sephiroth.
"My kind live a long time, but as for you, Avalanche killed you many years ago," Red's face remained focus on Sephiroth, his stance ready for attack, but slightly casual just in case.
"Apparently," Sephiroth said, unwilling to indulge Red with much information. Ignoring Red's presence from then on, he turned and returned to preparing a small sea-craft for sailing.
"This isn't the world you used to exist in anymore Sephiroth; the world's a different place to live in. Midgar was completely destroyed by Avalanche many years ago, and any trace of ShinRa is long gone."
Sephiroth stopped tending to the craft but did not turn around. This reaction was enough for Red to notice Sephiroth had responded to what Red had told him.
"The City of Ancients remains, Sephiroth."
"Then that is where I Will head," he replied and climbed aboard the craft which swayed freely and gently on the waves.
"I hope this isn't wasted on you, but good luck on your journey."
Sephiroth glanced at Red with one last look with a slight underlying respect for the creature.
Using the single oar that was left aboard the craft, Sephiroth pushed himself away from the dock. The craft slowly flowed on the waves, gathering momentum and moving away from shore before Sephiroth began to use the oar in aiding its drift.
'Head for the City of Ancients,' Sephiroth thought to himself. 'Once there I will decide what to do next.'
His boat swayed and rocked on the calm sea all night. The hypnotic moves of the boat sent Sephiroth into a deep sleep as he rested hid head on the seat of the craft. His sword lay beside him; he softly slumbered adrift on the waves.
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CHAPTER FIVE – TIME
Sephiroth awoke that next morning to a melody of birds who were cheerily chirping away their morning song. Sephiroth opened his eyes slowly and gazed up at the picture-perfect bright blue coloured backdrop the sky held that morning. The sun was shining brightly just over the horizon while it was climbing the skies.
A small bird was perched on the side of Sephiroth's boat. Its eyes were looking straight at him, watching him as he arose from his slumber. Sephiroth tilted his head towards the bird and stared back. Reacting to its recent detection, the bird took flight and flew off over the side of the boat. Sephiroth sat up to watch it fly into the distance.
Once he'd sat up he noticed that at some point during the night, the boat had pushed so hard into a shoreline it had docked itself. The island which the boat now rested on was mainly plains, which turned into a flourishing, dense forest. Peering above the canopy protruded a large metal piece. On closer observation, Sephiroth realised it was the wing of a plane wreckage that must have landed into the forest.
'That must be Bone Village,' Sephiroth thought to himself. He was unsure, but if he remembered correctly, the City of the Ancients lay on this continent just beyond Bone Village. Sephiroth rose up in his boat and jumped out onto the soft sandy shoreline.
He looked up at the mountains. The crest of the mountain range was dusted lightly with snow. Sephiroth smiled. He knew that the further north you get the more intense and arctic the weather became. On the farthest northern continent, the City of the Ancients lay hidden by tall cliff lines.
Sephiroth picked up his sword from the small boat and started to walk in the direction of Bone Village. The small village was a deep open section of the dense forest where the soil was unturned, but plant life was slowly creeping back in to relinquish its ground. A century ago, this place would have been buzzing with archaeologists desperate to find the latest discoveries. Now, it was just fragile skeleton remains of what the world used to be.
Sephiroth navigated his way through the forests and made his way to the City of the Ancients. As he drew nearer, the high rocky faces became a more serene shade of green-blue. The floor was softer, and the air was cool and humid. Unusual plant life began to get more and more diverse, growing tall and swaying even though there was no wind to force it.
The whole area adopted a more underwater like feel as he walked on. The rocks were becoming porous, and the plant life mimicked that which lay beneath the sea. The City of the Ancients was fabled to resemble a water world of sorts, and this certainly was true.
The actual city complex lay in the distance, standing high and proud with the tall peaks as its background. The sight of the sanctuary was very familiar, and Sephiroth was now aware he had regained a lot of his memory.
The City of the Ancients – this was the city he had once sought after all his life. Once believing he was part of the prehistoric people who possessed all the knowledge of their predecessors about the planet, and where they came from, Sephiroth explored the lands for this legendary city.
This was also the resting place of the last remaining ancient, Aeris, whom Sephiroth brutally killed. Although Sephiroth was confused about who he was, he had always felt that he and Aeris held a connection of some sort.
The walls were pulsating with knowledge. The power of the ancients was held within this structure, which is why it was never conceived to destroy this place. It would have been futile to even try. Sephiroth could feel the knowledge surging through, and then he began to feel Aeris.
He felt her presence throughout the city. Sephiroth needed help, and Aeris would be able to help him. Her body lay at the bottom of the calm waters underneath the city, and if Hojo could do it, Sephiroth could bring her back to life.
He headed through the city, and to the depths below where Aeris was killed, and laid to rest. Everything glistened and shone so sweetly to Sephiroth. The ancients he'd felt within the walls were now watching him.
He sat down beside the water's edge and crossed his legs. There he sat for a minute, calm and tranquil, watching the slowly melting reflections of the city around him on the water. His reflection was there too, but it was dressed differently to how Sephiroth was currently dressed, so Sephiroth knew it was another apparition.
"This place is so beautiful," said Sephiroth.
"You are becoming weaker, Sephiroth," the reflection replied.
"I died. I returned to the lifestream and was dragged back to life against my will. I think this place always was my true resting place anyway, even if it was to a lifetime of torment by the ancient ones."
"Don't you remember who you were?"
"Were," Sephiroth replied. "It's a different story now I have died." Sephiroth stood and walked away from his reflection. He stepped up onto the altar where he had killed Aeris mid-prayer. It was here where he sat, and rested his back against the wall surrounding the altar.
"Really, Sephiroth, you are going to deny your existence and your being that you once held so strong to yourself?" the voice came from thin air. Sephiroth looked up to see the manifestation of the original Professor Hojo who had moulded Sephiroth to the extreme fighter he now is. The professor looked unemotional straight at him. Sephiroth hung his head and laid his sword on the floor beside him.
"No, I do not deny myself."
"No, you just deny any purpose you have here. Whether you need to die, or need help to sort yourself out, you need to revive Aeris. You know this."
Sephiroth stood up and walked to the other side of the altar to look across the waters of the sanctuary under the city.
Sephiroth plunged his hand into his pockets. There is was where he had found a transformed piece of materia that glowed similar to 'Life' materia. The materia spoke to him in his mind, telling him that he held Revive+. This was the same materia used to bring him back, and could be used to bring Aeris back.
He held the materia in front of him. Without words, the materia started to hover above his hand. The glow increased to a bright white, which slowly swept through the room so brightly that nothing could be seen.
The light dimmed to reveal Aeris kneeling in prayer, just as she had a century ago, at the exact point Sephiroth killed her. She raised her head and looked straight at Sephiroth with sorrowful eyes.
"Sephiroth," she said softly.
"Aeris," began with a hint of desperation in his voice. "Can you help me?"
"Sephiroth, you shouldn't have woken me. You should be resting yourself; this is why your body can't survive."
"No…"
"Let me go, Sephiroth." Aeris pleaded.
Sephiroth drew his sword. Aeris reacted by standing to face Sephiroth.
"Sephiroth, please, I don't belong here, and neither do you."
Sephiroth paused. His heart began skipping beats and the thunder stirred in his mind. He didn't belong. Not now, not in the past. Both Hojo and Aeris had denied him of purpose. This was not something he was going to allow.
"You know how to help me."
Aeris looked back at Sephiroth's face. She was scared now as she'd realised Sephiroth had other things on his mind than to let her return to the planet. It was an unwelcome act to drag an ancient from their resting place, and the earth was starting to vigorously react to Sephiroth's action. Both of them felt the entire city vibrating gently.
"No, Sephiroth," Aeris said and turned away from him and walked casually down the steps. She shook all over with fear.
Sephiroth dropped his sword and grabbed her from behind. He turned her around and held her by her shoulders in a grip so tight it felt like he was crushing her. It hurt.
"You will help me."
"Not in this lifetime," Aeris replied trying to shake off Sephiroth's grasp.
Sephiroth placed his hands on Aeris' cheeks. She looked directly into his eyes already aware of what he was going to do. With one swift move, Sephiroth twisted his hands and inhumanly broke Aeris' neck in his hands. She fell to the ground in an undignified death.
The ground trembled violently now. Various pieces of debris fell from the ceiling. Then, the falling pieces became bigger, most falling into the pool causing disruptions to the still water. The sound of gentle trickling water which played around the room was now replaced with loud reverberating crashes and rumblings from the structure.
Sephiroth navigated his way over the debris holding Aeris' body in his arms. The altar they just stood upon had collapsed completely now. Sephiroth laid Aeris' body on the ground and reached into his pocket.
"Not in this lifetime?" Sephiroth said aloud, to himself, and to any ancients listening in. "I guess it's time for me to return to my lifetime. If she won't help me now, I'll make her pay a century ago."
He drew his hand to stretch out a piece of evolved materia in front of him. The pillars and supports for the city were about to give way to the stress of the ceiling of the city above. The materia responded to Sephiroth's wishes and glowed brightly – the light once again filling the room. As this happened, a large chunk of the wall of the city was freed and fell to the ground breaking into pieces. The entire wall came with it, eventually reducing the entire city to rubble.
This didn't affect Sephiroth. Almost instantly after the glow filled everything in sight, the sound dimmed to nothing and he was reduced to seeing and hearing a black nothingness. Soon after that, he realised he was alive again, with his eyes closed, but breathing air as normal, with sounds heard in the distance.
Sephiroth was a little uneasy about opening his eyes to see where he was, but when he did he realised that he was high up near the ceiling of the City of Ancients before its recent destruction. Aeris knelt in deep prayer, and Sephiroth had been granting his wish of the opportunity to go back to the exact point he took her life.
Sephiroth watched as a spiked haired, blonde soldier climbed the steps of the altar nearing Aeris. Sephiroth reached for his masamune blade. He stood leaning over the ceremony taking place below. It was happening exactly how he had remembered. The thoughts that ran through his mind back then were hidden away at the back of his mind. He watched them below, with a new thought in his mind. He was determined to change the past and make it better for himself.
Sephiroth walked forward and started to descend onto the scene. His cape was catching in the wind, and he brought the masamune blade in front of his body, and prepared to land on the ground. He landed, his sword directly in front of him arched away from his body, his feet barely reacting to the impact of the ground. His long grey hair fell behind him, and his cape was settling around his legs.
Aeris looked up in shock. She shook with the disbelief of what had happened. She was facing where Sephiroth stood, his masamune piercing the spiky-haired soldier who had come to find her, changing destiny and fate by killing Cloud instead of her. Cloud slumped over the masamune, and Sephiroth retracted his sword, without any blood spilled.
He laughed, filling the room with a resonating malevolent evil snigger.
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CHAPTER SIX – CONSEQUENCE
Sephiroth lay in a damp and dark cavern somewhere north beyond the mountain range that surrounded the City of the Ancients. As he rested, he relieved the events of the day repeatedly. He wasn't feeling remorse; it was just an image being played over in his mind.
An insignificant part of him was dejected. It was the side of him deep in what humanity he possessed which had realised what malevolent acts Sephiroth had made recently.
He instinctively grabbed for a cover to pull over his shoulder as a bit of comfort to sleep under, yet nothing was there. He lay on a cold piece of stone, which was unwelcoming. He turned about, in an effort to find a comfortable position, and started to think about when he was just a young lad, sleeping on an inhospitable laboratory bed every night.
The cold echoes that ran down the corridors of the laboratories in ShinRa tower, Midgar, rang in Sephiroth's ear. Drifting off to sleep, he took himself back to when he was barely a child, being awoken late at night to be dragged from his cell and to a room where machinery overtook any space in the room.
There he was prodded and examined. His wrist held a plastic tag which did not carry his name, but instead "Experiment 001". Books and folders adorned the shelves each labelled with what kinds of tests that have been performed on him.
Sephiroth sat there swinging his legs under the metal examination table, eight or nine years old – he didn't know. He was used to this by now. The only contact he'd have with humans is when Hojo would come and examine his successful subject to science, or when someone had brought him some food.
Sephiroth loved to draw when he was younger, and would often sketch what was going through his mind for the expert team of professors to study and 'Hmm' at. He would go without days without speaking to a soul.
The experimenting on his health and strength continued, yet Hojo was now interested in turning him into the ultimate warrior. Sephiroth would often be taken to a training ground to learn about fighting techniques. With this new hobby, he developed a passion for power. He became addicted to the strength that built in his body every time he was allowed to release it in battle.
Sephiroth thought nothing of the life he led; he knew of no other. One day a scientist simply going about her business paused to look into Sephiroth's eyes. It was only for a brief second but she had allowed herself to break her professionalism and show a bit of concern for Sephiroth. As soon as Sephiroth looked back, she looked away, hurried about her business and made leave.
That scientist played on Sephiroth's mind for days. He was starting to realise that that woman would be someone he could get to know – a friend. He had always heard noises beyond his walls, but it wasn't until now he had wondered what they actually were. Were they people?
One day, Sephiroth woke up to the thought that he wasn't the one with the power after all. If he really did have power, he would have choice about what he did that day, or even know what was going on. It had now seemed that it was the professors that open and close the door to his cell had control over Sephiroth, choosing for him what he eats, when he sleeps, and when he gets to train.
Sephiroth threw himself at the door of the cell. The room shook, but he did not succeed at opening the door. Beyond the walls he heard a commotion stirring. Throwing himself at the door again, the professors were gathering outside his door mumbling their concerns.
Sephiroth pressed his ear to the door to hear mentions of disabling him from moving. Security was alerted, and soldiers were notified just in case. Hojo was summoned from the other side of the tower immediately.
Sephiroth threw himself at the door again with a blow forceful enough to push the metal off its hinges. He swiftly moved down the corridors unaffected by any attempts to stop him. The professors, however, pressed them against the walls in no effort to sustain him. He realised what an impact he had placed on these people. They feared him because he had power over them now.
He had to admit he liked it. Alarms now blared, and red lights that trailed down the corridors had added a gentle tint of alarm to each hallway. Sephiroth stopped after turning a corner. He had no idea where he was as this was somewhere he had never been taken before. Instinct kicked in, and he rushed down random corridors until he was able to burst through a window and to climb down ShinRa tower.
He had escaped the binds that tied him to his vulnerability. He fled Midgar and made his way away from the city never planning to ever return. A better life lay somewhere in the distance and all he had to do was find it. He was skilled at playing the evasive game, and was able to remain unseen by anyone for a long time.
ShinRa would not forget. Daily searches of some of the most elite forces in the world were sent to find Sephiroth. Every corner of the world was searched, and one day Sephiroth was spotted and restrained. President Shinra himself arrived almost instantly on the scene to reprimand Sephiroth. He ordered Sephiroth's restriction, and took him back to Midgar.
Professor Hojo was overcome with delight upon the news that Shinra had found his elite experiment, but was soon discontented with the news that Sephiroth will no longer be tested upon, but would instead be aloud to expand his abilities in the field of Soldier – the best army the world had to offer.
Sephiroth had his own room, and a lot more opportunities to have freedom of movement. He would train with others just like himself, until he exceeded their abilities, and would often train them up on a few skills.
He was feared by everyone except the president himself, who naturally demanded respect from everyone, and had even gained Sephiroth's. He had now forgotten about his life as an experiment and had shed the materials that showed he was nothing more than a scientific study.
Sephiroth exceeded all that he could, and became well known within the high ranks of Soldier. His powers were unmatched and unbeatable. Fear trailed in Sephiroth's shadow.
One day the president dropped off a present for Sephiroth in the form of a sword. Its long, thin steel blade made its actual strength misleading, yet power resonated from the handle of the sword. The first ever time Sephiroth picked up his masamune blade, he knew it was his. Destiny had laid that sword to be his, and finally it was with its true owner.
He took it wherever he went. He would never leave on a mission without it. After a few years, Sephiroth grew a fair bit older and stronger, and on a mission to Mount Nibel, he discovered the truth about his past, his beginnings and about Jenova. He found out why he had been tested on all of his life, and why he had been deprived of his freedom.
The young spiky haired soldier that accompanied him to the reactor was expected to become as strong and powerful enough to be worthy of being classed in a league similar to Sephiroth's. Sephiroth soon found that his DNA had been injected into this soldier, and another called Cloud.
Cloud's body reacted violently to the foreign DNA and his mind melted due to the stress. Zack escaped the facility and broke Cloud free also. Cloud began to adopt Zack's personality in confusion, and having no memories of his own, began to assume Zack's stories of his life as his own. When Zack was murdered, Cloud was able to carry on this illusion of his own.
Cloud – the same soldier Sephiroth had just taken the life of in the City of Ancients.
Sephiroth woke up from his memories, rose from his resting place, and left the cave. He looked up towards the night sky and enjoyed the patterns the stars made on the night sky.
The night was clear, and he watched the landscape enjoying the scenery in the moonlight. The last time he had seen a night like this was once when he was sat on the cliff line beside Cosmo Canyon, staring at the night sky, contemplating his purpose in life. Surely he had a purpose in life. Sephiroth wrapped his long coat around him to block out the sharp chill of night. He sat on a large stone, never letting his eyes fall from the designs of stars.
He had just killed Cloud. He let idea that he had any consideration for his actions dissipate. He had killed many before, and one more would not change who he was or what he thought. One person meant nothing to him. He was more important than any of them. He was soon to be their god.
Sephiroth stood back up and sighed. His warm breath condensed before him on the frosty night. He turned and went back in the cave to sit on what he was using as a makeshift resting place.
'Who is Avalanche?' Sephiroth thought to himself. 'They hate me and try to destroy me yet I don't even know who they are.'
He knew Aeris, though. He had always felt a connection with her, and something within him made him remember of a time where they once knew of each other. He cared a bit about her, but she had to be removed for his plan for ultimate power to succeed. More killing had to occur, more death had to lie at Sephiroth's hands, more destruction had to happen before Sephiroth fulfilled his destiny in life.
He laid his head on the hard stone trying to block out the thoughts in his mind. They taunted him, making him pay for his actions. A sleepless night lay ahead for he who didn't deserve one.
'When I die, will I rest?' he thought on. 'Will I be forced to suffer eternally for my actions?'
It was too late for Sephiroth. All he had now was to face his consequences. You kill, you fight, you murder and you die where you suffer and are tormented for eternity. Never getting peace, never having rest in his mind or heart or soul. He was half-human so he deserved a soul, tormented for eternity or not.
Sephiroth could not change the way he has been. His entire life has been spent in solitude without any parents, family or consideration. He grew as a confined creature until he was allowed to be moulded into a fighter. It was who he was, and it ran through his blood. Jenova was a part of him, but his humanity remained. Surely this means he is deserving of some sort of forgiveness?
He did feel like any other. His heart did not exist purely void of any compassion or mercy. His thoughts plagued his being always reminding him that he was different, and that he was evil. The realisation of his behaviour did hurt him like a sword through the stomach.
A tear flowed down the side of Sephiroth's face. The little child that never had a chance to grow up still remained inside his mind. He curled up and closed his eyes. He was becoming so evil; it was as if he was turning less human. Could anyone help him now? Would they help him now if they had the chance? Why would they?
Sephiroth drifted to sleep, sending a dream into the universe.
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CHAPTER SEVEN – UNTRUTH
The PHS communications device buzzed and crackled with poor reception. Through the static, a deep voice spoke. "You mean Sephiroth was at the City of Ancients?"
"Barret," Aeris replied. "We need to meet somewhere. Try to get yourself and the others to Cosmo Canyon for sunrise tomorrow. I have some news to tell you that I'd rather not say over PHS."
"Oh," Barret had a strong concern in his voice. "Goodnight for now then guys."
Aeris flipped the cover of the PHS shut, and turned away from the shoreline to head back to those who had accompanied Cloud to the City originally. They were Tifa and Red XIII, and along with Barret, Vincent, Yuffie, Cait Sith and Cid, they made up the rebellion group Avalanche.
Tifa was holding her head in her arms, resting her chin on her knees. Red looked up to give a lion-like glance of bravery. Deep inside he wanted to cry or explode with anger, he wasn't sure what, but he was stronger with his emotions than that. Aeris neared them and suggested that they head back to the Tiny Bronco.
The Tiny Bronco was Cid's aeroplane that was recently shot out of the sky, and it's only use now was to sail a small group on shallow waters. Cid is a proud pilot and this seriously mocked his talents as a skilled lord of the skies. Tifa and Red headed over to the immobilised airship, and climbed aboard.
Aeris turned around to face nothing. "I know you're there," she said aloud. No reply came, until Sephiroth came out from behind a small niche in the cliff side. Sephiroth had seemed to have lost that sense of self-appreciation and justification, and was reduced to a shaking, nervous sad excuse for a warrior. His thoughts had reduced him to the wreck Aeris saw in front of her, but she gave no sympathy.
"So, what will you do now? Will you go on being the killer you have become?" Sephiroth did not respond. His head remained low as he simply walked straight past Aeris dragging his sword behind him, making a trail in the soil.
"You have feelings, I know. I can feel what you're thinking. You have a mother too. You're not inhuman, Sephiroth, you were born like every other. Your blood is human and full of life. You have your place in the Promised Land if you choose the right paths in your life, but you haven't so far. Why did you do it, Sephiroth? You changed both everyone's destinies."
Sephiroth stopped but did not turn to look at Aeris. Aeris was talking as an ancient and no longer as herself when she had said those words. This registered within Sephiroth's brain for a second, and then he carried on walking away into the distance.
Sephiroth was insulted that Aeris would refer to him as something as pathetic as 'human'. He was beyond that, but he was now interested in finding out about his origins. He knew the answers were resting in the basement in the mansion in Nibelheim, where he had found them once before, on the mission to Nibelheim with Zack. This was his next destination.
Hours passed, and after a long journey, Sephiroth reached Nibelheim. The entire town was intact and undamaged. The mansion stood proud before him, and he entered and took the familiar path down to the basement of the house. It was here he first re-discovered his experimental life, and more recently, where he awoke after a century's worth of slumber.
There the dairies lay. All of Professor Hojo's observations and discovered were inked onto parchments. Skimming over the texts, he reminded himself of everything he had once read before, the same texts about Jenova, his life, and the plans Hojo held for his number one study.
Except this time, Sephiroth discovered the thing he had missed reading the texts before. He had stumbled across pages detailing about his birth, and more importantly, his birth mother's name – Lucrecia. He was not a production by Professor Gast, nor was he simply a study created for scientific study, but he was a true born human like anyone else; just like Aeris had told him.
He read on. It was during Lucrecia's pregnancy that she was injected with Jenova's cells in a sadistic attempt of Hojo's to relinquish his son to the discovery of the truth about some Reunion theory. Lucrecia was affected by the cells just like Sephiroth had been, yet the affects upon her were fatal. Sephiroth was immediately taken by Gast and Hojo and given life support. This was the future of the soldier force – creating warriors strong enough to rival the power of the ancients.
Although he was disgusted over the discovery he was son of Professor Hojo, the thought of having a birth mother was a great comfort to Sephiroth. He was in fact human, which is why he wasn't the true monster that he believed himself to be. However, he was aware that any chance of having any normal life was beyond achieving now. He was too inhuman to ever become pure again.
Jenova pumped through his blood, and he allowed it. Jenova is what gave him the thirst for power, and in turn, this thirst allowed the Jenova cells to increase his abilities beyond anything he could ever imagine. Death stimulated the Jenova inside him. The destruction of life on this planet was what Jenova was trying to achieve.
When Sephiroth had killed Aeris originally, she returned to the lifestream in an eternal rest that she had earned her entire life. Her body was mourned, and the planet grieved for her loss. When Sephiroth had died, his body merely returned to the flow of souls, and he was given no forgiveness by death. No one mourned, because he had no one to care for him in the living world. 'Why didn't I have anyone?'
It was his punishment. For all the evil and torment he had brought upon the world, it was his destiny to be lonely in death as he was in life. The thought that nothing waited for him at the end of it all, made Sephiroth want to keep his life and find some sort of achievement in it, and he was now willing to fight for his life.
Avalanche and ShinRa was all that stood in his way. He dropped the books uncaring where or how they fell, and swiftly made his way out of the mansion. As he left the mansion he saw Yuffie and Vincent leaving the inn organising their materia. Sephiroth held out his hand, and heat built up around his palm, releasing a bolt of fire straight at the couple.
It missed them, almost hitting Vincent instead, but impacted on the inn and suddenly flames engulfed the door frame. Vincent and Yuffie both jumped away from the flames then looked around to find out where it came from. Sephiroth turned away and headed towards the Nibel mountains.
Behind him, a vicious creature was growling and snarling in Sephiroth's shadow. He turned to see a large, human-sized, purple creature was ready in stance behind him. Its teeth protruded from its mouth, and the way it opened its mouth then clasping his jaws slammed shut displayed its bloodlust.
The creature was one of Vincent's transformations. Vincent was a scientific experiment too, and in states of heightened emotion he would mutate into another being, with no control of the monsters within.
Vincent's transformation leaped through the air at Sephiroth. Its forelegs were stretched out before it, its jaws crashing together viciously, and the bloodlust flooding through its eyes. It neared Sephiroth but was only greeted by the sharp blade of the masamune sword that Sephiroth held before him.
The beast whimpered and fell to the ground. Instantly, Vincent was his normal self again, lay on the floor in a great deal of pain. The sword had punctured through the creature's abdomen deep through to the Vincent that existed within. Vincent relaxed, and felt death wash over him.
Yuffie lay on the ground helpless, the inn awash with flames behind and around her, unable to act to help Vincent. She couldn't move from the height of the blaze, and struggled to breathe with the smoke.
"Yuffie!" Barret screamed from the entrance to the village. He rushed over, and braved the heat of the flames to pick Yuffie up and rush through to the other side. Cid followed him, but chased after Sephiroth who was setting off towards the mountains again.
"Where the hell do you think you are going, Sephiroth?" Cid shouted. He looked to the ground and examined Vincent's lifeless body. "How many people are you going to kill?"
Sephiroth stopped, turned, and casually paced back towards the village.
"Cid, get back here!" shouted Red who had just galloped into the village to join the others.
"Who do you think you are?" continued Cid, ignoring Red's concern. "You have no right to take lives from people. Don't you have a conscience? I hope Shinra find you and burn your ass alive."
Sephiroth continued to near Cid, bringing his masamune in front of him.
"You want to fight me now?" Cid laughed. He grabbed his staff from its attachment on his back, and twirled it in his hand in front of him. "I'm ready."
Sephiroth pushed his left arm forward sending an invisible magic force into Cid, pushing his body helplessly back and pressing him against the well in the middle of the town. Cid couldn't move with every part of his body pushed against the well. His hand softly released grip of his staff, and it bounced on the ground.
Cid's eyes didn't leave Sephiroth. Barret had hold of an unconscious Yuffie, and was shouting at Cid with futile commands. Red started to gallop towards Cid's numb body, in a hope to reach him before Sephiroth had, but instead it was too late.
Within seconds, Sephiroth sliced his masamune through the air, catching Cid in its curve. Cid moaned with pain, and then dropped to the ground lifeless, his face lying in the mud. Sephiroth's cape flapped with his turn, as he walked back towards the Nibelheim mountains.
Red reached Cid's body and sniffed his side. Cid's blood was being mopped up by the grassy earth beneath him. Red let out a howl and turned to move towards Sephiroth, until Barret stood in his path shaking his head, Yuffie lying cold in his grasp.
Sephiroth walked on, his mind focused on finding Jenova. Another life was taken by Sephiroth.
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CHAPTER EIGHT – TRAITOR
The group of Avalanche sat in silence outside the town of Nibelheim. The entire town was engulfed with the blaze. Red had left the group and was trying to contact Aeris to bring the buggy to Nibelheim immediately – Yuffie needed a hospital.
Yuffie's breathing was laboured. She was sat on Barret's lap on the ground, in his arms, her head buried into her chest. She was conscious, but barely enough to be aware of where she was.
"You don' worry," Barret whispered into her ear. "Everythin's gonna be jus' fine."
"I'm sorry, Barret," Yuffie muttered. Barret looked down at her. Her eyes were open now, but her breathing hadn't calmed. She still had her head buried in her chest. "I couldn't do anything to help, and then I just fell to the ground." Tears softly ran down her cheeks, and onto her clothes.
"No, no, don' you worry yer little head."
"Barret, where are the others?"
"Red's gone to get help from Aeris and Tifa." Barret replied, knowing soon she will ask about Vincent.
"Oh," Yuffie said. "Where's Cid?"
"Cid was killed tryin' to save Vincent," Barret said softly. "I'm sorry, Yuffie."
She didn't respond. She kept her head pressed against Barret and shut her eyes, trying to stop the flow of tears.
"Cloud will come and help us all," Yuffie whispered to herself. "Cloud will come and we'll all be okay again." Barret overheard her, and stroked her hair carefully avoiding her burn marks.
Red galloped over. "The buggy's here!" he shouted to the two of them before he'd even reached them. Barret got to his feet carrying Yuffie, while Red started circling him. Barret walked towards the buggy, but before following, Red stood watching Nibelheim in flames.
"Just like Cloud described to us," Red said to himself. The roof of one of the houses had just given way to the pressure of the heat and folded in on itself. Red turned and slowly walked away.
As Barret neared the buggy, the back doors flung open. Aeris sat inside, and quickly helped Barret carry Yuffie on board. "We're heading to Cosmo Canyon," she said to Barret waiting for Red to catch up. "It's the closest place that will be able to help her."
"Agreed," he said trying to make Yuffie as comfortable as possible. Red jumped and flew through the air into the buggy. Aeris slammed the doors shut, and signalled to Tifa to start the buggy. Tifa started the buggy and headed towards Cosmo. The whole journey was across rough terrain, so Barret was constantly trying to stop Yuffie from hitting herself on the walls of the buggy.
Suddenly, the van stopped and swerved. "Sorry guys," Tifa shouted from the front. "It's Rufus."
The whole group climbed out of the vehicle and went round to watch a ShinRa helicopter choosing to land a stretch in front of them. As the propellers started to slow, a well-dressed red-headed man climbed from the helicopter followed by two well-armed soldiers.
"Rufus," Red snarled.
"Well, well. We're a small group aren't we? Where's that full team of law-fighting low-lifers I've laughed at for so long?" Rufus mocked. No one said anything, but Barret raised his gun-arm, and you could hear the internal clicking of bullets loading into position. "Oh, I wouldn't do something I would learn to regret if I were you."
Tifa slowly moved over to grab Barret's arm. She looked in his eyes as if to suggest he shouldn't do this. Barret acknowledged Tifa, but didn't lower his arm. Rufus watched Barret ignore Tifa's look and smiled. A dark haired man had just stepped out of the helicopter behind him too. He was very smartly dressed.
"I'd like you to meet a staff member and friend of mine – oh! But of course, he's your friend too. I call him Reeve, but you know him as 'Cait Sith'?" Rufus smirked.
Reeve lowered his head. Avalanche had known that the mechanical toy that bounced around was a spy, but he had decided to be an insider for Avalanche instead, and Cloud had believed his change in loyalties.
"He was my little spy in on your group," Rufus continued. "And then I find out recently that he's accessing files that don't concern him. Suspicious, I monitor his actions, and find he's now working for you. Well, we don't take well to traitors."
One of Rufus' bodyguards loaded and raised his gun at Reeve, only to be met by Barret moving his gun-arm towards him, and firing a few rounds only just missing the soldier's body. Barret turned his focus once again to Rufus. The two guards re-aimed at Barret.
"Please, you haven't even heard the news yet." Rufus displayed a rather smug face.
"He's taken Jenova." Everyone looked up to a small drop in land that was near them, and stood on top of it was Sephiroth. He jumped from the fault in land, and walked casually towards them.
"Sephiroth!" Rufus said excitedly.
"Where is she?" Sephiroth injected, uninterested in whatever Rufus was going to say.
"Please, Sephiroth, I was just about to tell my fantastic news."
"I'm more interested in what your insides look like spread across the ground," Sephiroth said simply. He stopped a few paces away from the group. Avalanche, Rufus, and Sephiroth all stood a distance apart facing in at each other.
"Fine, I've ordered the disposition of Jenova, and it should happen in about half an hour, as a matter of fact." Rufus said, as if he was sharing a joke with the soldiers accompanying him.
Without time to realise what had happened, Sephiroth had his sword in front of him, the tip under Rufus' chin. The soldier's haphazardly rushed to load their guns and aim at Sephiroth. Reeve sneaked behind the scene, and climbed into the helicopter to safety.
"That unused rocket will come in handy after all," Rufus was looking down at the blade held at his neck; the tip almost piercing his skin.
"You're going to send her into space."
"Not only that, but Junon Cannon is armed and ready to fire upon the rocket, as it clears our atmosphere." The soldiers started to fire upon Sephiroth, missing with every shot. Sephiroth moved out of the way, providing Rufus and the soldiers with the opportunity to climb into the helicopter. The blades started to whirl, and the helicopter ascended.
Barret considered making use of his gun-arm, but Reeve was a member of Avalanche, and he wasn't going to risk blowing the helicopter up. Sephiroth was starting to run into the distance towards Rocket Town.
"You'll never make it in time, Sephiroth!" Rufus shouted from the helicopter over the sound of the blades. Barret lowered his gun-arm, and noticing this, the soldiers opened fire on Avalanche. The group scrambled for cover inside the buggy, but before reaching safety, Barret was shot in the shoulder.
He fell to the ground in surprise. Red pulled him towards the buggy and helped him get up. They both climbed on board the buggy, and Aeris kicked the vehicle into gear. The buggy jerked violently into life and started forward.
"He's gone," Tifa said looking up at the skies through a window in the buggy.
"Ok, here's the plan," Barret said, holding his shoulder lightly, clearly in a great deal of pain. Tifa was looking after Yuffie making sure she was ok, as Barret was tending to himself. "I'm gonna go with Red—"
"You're not going anywhere," Aeris interrupted from the front of the van. Tifa nodded in agreement. "I'll go with Red to Rocket Town to check out what's going on, and Tifa and you can take Yuffie to Cosmo Canyon for help."
Yuffie began to stir. "Tifa?" she whispered.
"Everything's going to be fine," she replied, lying Yuffie on the floor of the buggy. Aeris signalled to Red, and he jumped out of the buggy through the front door after Aeris. Tifa jumped into the driver's seat, and Aeris waved her good luck, watching the buggy drive slowly towards Cosmo Canyon.
"That was Reeve?" Red asked Aeris.
"We need to help him, but we can't do much now. We have to go to Rocket Town, there's something suspicious going on."
"Agreed, let's go." Red said bouncing ahead leading the way.
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CHAPTER NINE – DECISIONS
Aeris and Red reached Rocket Town to find its population in a panic. People pushed past them carrying luggage and bags carrying all their personal items. Aeris and Red stood looking around in confusion at the townspeople. Aeris noticed a young girl crying into her arms amongst the disorder. She moved towards the girl was almost knocked to her feet by a young man.
"Oh god, I'm sorry," he said paying no attention to who he'd actually pushed, and carried on moving forward until Aeris stopped him.
"Please, what's the rush?" the man looked at her now.
"ShinRa's started the engine to rocket number twenty-six, but they have no plans to launch it!" the man explained hastily. Puzzled, Aeris looked up at the rocket, and when she looked back the man was rushing into the distance trying to carry as many possessions as possible.
Looking again towards the rocket, she saw beyond the crowds of people, Sephiroth was at the base of the rocket challenging ShinRa soldiers. Aeris started to push through the mess of people, trying to retain her politeness, with Red following in her path.
Aeris kept her head as far above the people as she could, trying to keep a track on Sephiroth. He was being stalled by floods of ShinRa soldiers trying to restrain him. Amongst the rush, someone stood on one of Red's paws, making him howl and lash out at the person in raw pain. The woman he had bared his teeth too stood frozen, a young girl in her hands which was equally in shock. Red had to carry on; he had no time to apologise.
While pushing through the crowd, Aeris found a young boy sat on the floor almost being stood on. Aeris pushed over, Red following, and knelt beside the kid helping him to his feet. She tried to stand up, but was constantly knocked down by the push of people.
"MOVE AWAY, PLEASE." She screamed at the people around her, but few took notice. In the end, she picked the young lad up in her arms, threw her force into the people around her, and began to push through the crowds with no consideration of who was knocked to the ground, or who was hurt in the process. Red copied by putting on a fierce look at the crowds, scaring them back.
Once they neared the rocket, there were less people. Aeris placed the lad on the ground and told him to go find his mother or someone who could help him get out of the town. Red bounced ahead towards the rocket, and Aeris drew her staff and ran following her companion. They were stopped by a small group of soldiers at the base of the rocket.
"I'm sorry miss—" one said to Aeris. She looked at them with disgust and held her staff in front of her in the suggestion that she will be willing to fight them if she'd need to. "We will not fight you, miss. Now if you could please take your pet and evacuate the town—"
Red jumped at the soldier and pushed him to the ground, his stunned body landing in the mud. Aeris rushed past, and Red pounced off the soldier's body and on towards the rocket. The other soldiers were in pursuit, messaging on their radios that two unauthorised citizens were heading towards the rocket.
Aeris and Red reached the base of the ladder upon the side of the rocket to find Sephiroth halfway up. "Sephiroth!" she shouted to him. He didn't respond, and continued his ascent. She placed her foot on the bottom rung of the ladder and turned to Red. "Are you coming?"
"I can't, it's too tall. There's no way I'd make it. Good luck, Aeris." He said looking up at the height of the rocket.
"Sephiroth, you can't do anything, Rufus will be here any minute." She shouted up at Sephiroth, climbing the ladder behind him.
The speakers came to life when a ShinRa official spoke across the airwaves. "This is the countdown to launch - two minutes and counting."
"You won't do it, Sephiroth," Aeris shouted up to him. He had reached the platform and was moving towards the rocket. Aeris reached the top of the ladder, and climbed onto the platform. She started to move towards Sephiroth, who was ripping off panels from the side of the rocket.
"One minute and thirty seconds and counting - all ShinRa must evacuate the rocket area."
Sephiroth started pushing buttons in vain to open the panel door on the side of the rocket. Aeris was still nearing closer to him, cautiously, shouting words of advice that it is now too late and that he has no chance.
Aeris gave up, and realised that herself and Red did not have much time to evacuate themselves now, and started walking towards the ladder again. The rocket kicked into life, shaking the whole structure, making the platform uneasy to walk on. The platform broke in half and the ladder moved away from the rest of the platform, and crashed to the ground barely missing Aeris.
Red was shouting with concern from the ground. The shaking made Aeris lose her footing, and she fell to the floor of the platform, barely hanging on by holding onto the railing that ran along the platform.
Another vibration moved through the rocket trembling the remains of the platform, knocking Sephiroth into the rail, and Aeris off the side of the platform. Her legs now dangled below the platform, her arms wrapped around the railing for support.
Sephiroth sliced through the wires of the side of the rocket with his masamune. When he heard the screams of panic from Aeris, he turned towards her. He knew he was running out on time fast, and now his mind was struggling with the decision of saving Aeris or of saving Jenova from destruction.
The rocket gave another jolt, knocking one of Aeris' arms loose. She shouted out with fear, and Red circled below her growling with nothing he could do. Sephiroth carefully staggered along the unstable platform towards Aeris, and when he could, he dived to grab her arm that remained wrapped around the rail.
He stretched out his other arm so Aeris could reached it, but when she tried, she failed, and another jolt made both of them lose grip, and Aeris fell. Sephiroth swayed his arm at Aeris trying to grab her, but it was too late. Aeris gently fell through the air, and hit the ground.
Sephiroth stood, raised his masamune and jammed it into the side of the rocket. Electricity buzzed as wires and machinery was cut, and a small fire caught at the side of the door. He retracted his sword, and then jumped off the shaking platform to beside the lifeless body of Aeris. Red arched his back howling.
Sephiroth picked Aeris up into her arms and turned to Red. "The rocket's going to explode."
Red looked up at him in confusion, and Sephiroth started to sprint as fast as he could away from the rocket. Red dashed on after him, and flew through the air over a small rift in the ground, hiding behind the sudden drop in land using it as protection. Sephiroth dropped beside him, Aeris in his arms. He laid her lifeless body on the ground and kneeled down shielding him and her body with his coat.
The rocket exploded, the blast engulfing the wooded town of Rocket Town creating a huge blaze that set alight everything in its path. The smoke from the explosion spread through too, covering the skies with a black dust. Anyone who wasn't able to escape from the town would have surely perished.
From high above the action, President Shinra's helicopter circled Rocket Town area. He leaned over to view the landscape out of his window. He began to laugh, mumbling the words, "pitiful fools."
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CHAPTER TEN – FAMILY
Sephiroth stepped into the mouth of a large cave. He was now being tracked by Rufus and his flunkies, and apparently they were not too interested what state his body was found in. Sephiroth had fought them off, often killing soldiers in the effort to escape, and his evasion has led him to where he stood now.
From deep within the cave, an eerie bright blue and purple glow resonated. He followed the twisting passageways until they led him to the centre of the cavern where the natural blue walls pulsed with life. The walls had streaks of colour though them where they had absorbed parts of the flow of the lifestream from the earth.
By the far side of the room, a small pool of clear water lay. In front of it, a woman stood looking at her reflection that echoed on the water's surface. Sephiroth walked slowly towards her, and moved to beside her, joining in looking at the reflection on the surface. Sephiroth watched her emotionless face in the ripples of the water.
"You're not surprised that I'm here," he said softly to her. She didn't move, but after a few moments she looked up and turned her head to Sephiroth.
"No," she said. Her voice croaked as she spoke, but her eyes were deep and did not display the age that the rest of her body did. "What is your name?"
Sephiroth felt connected to the woman. Usually he would not have answered truthfully nor at all to someone's question asking him for his name, yet this time he hadn't even thought about it before the word came out of his mouth. "Sephiroth," he replied.
She gave a slight smile then lowered her head back to looking at the deep pool of water. "How did you find me?"
"I came here to hide from ShinRa,"
She smiled again. "They won't find you here," she said merrily. "I've been hiding from ShinRa for some time myself."
"On your own?" Sephiroth asked.
She nodded, the smile still fixed on her face. Her smile seemed to be hiding a world of emotions that lay within her, but she still looked back at Sephiroth's face with that same grin on her face. "I have no family," she said simply, before lowering her head again with a sigh.
Sephiroth was dying to know more. He had many questions to ask the woman, about who she was, or why she was here, or even where her family where, but Sephiroth didn't know why she was so important to know.
He closed his eyes and threw his hand to his face to block out a headache. The pain grew, almost knocking him to his knees, until the woman grabbed Sephiroth's shoulders. She looked directly at him now, and when he had opened his eyes, they were shimmering a bright Mako blue.
She stood back, shaking her head. "No," she said fearful of Sephiroth's new eyes.
He looked at her innocently. "It's not what you think," he said shielding his face from her. "I'm not here to come for you. I just have Mako poisoning from experiments by ShinRa."
"You're my son," she said, bluntly.
He looked up. His eyes had returned to normal, but were big and awake to the comment the woman had just thrown at him.
"You are – Lucrecia?"
She nodded. Sephiroth's birth mother stood before him. Her skin was battered by age, and her eyes told tales that Sephiroth could now read like an open book. Suddenly it was as if all the questions he held for both her and himself had been filled in with answers.
"I thought you were dead," she began. "Hojo was a monster, and used us both. For years I tried to find you, but I heard that ShinRa held you and you were being trained as an elite soldier with lies about your origins. I knew there was no place for me anymore, but I just hoped you retained your humanity and you weren't becoming Jenova.
"I gave up my search and found exile in these mountains. The last news I heard about you was of your death."
She moved towards him expecting embrace, but Sephiroth only moved back away from her open arms. She grabbed his arm and pushed up his sleeve far enough to reveal a strange symbol on his arm. She traced the tattoo with her fingers, and then let go of his arm.
"It really is you."
Sephiroth had no words for her. He just stood looking into her arms. The mark that was on his arm was just something Hojo had once given him to brand him, but he noticed that Lucrecia had a similar scarring on her bare arm.
"Your eyes glow so brightly. You still have beautiful eyes."
"Am I… human?" he said, with no movement of his head.
She gave a short laugh in confusion, thinking Sephiroth couldn't possibly be asking this question. She knew it was a fair question, but it was too hard for her to answer. The memories of the days of her pregnancy came back to her.
"Of course you are," she said in disbelief. "Hojo injected me with Jenova cells while I was pregnant with you, purely so while you grew within my womb, you adopted the new alien DNA. Yet like any other human, you were born upon the world and not created. I am as much of an experiment as you are," Sephiroth stroked her cheek catching a tear.
"Don't ever listen to Hojo's ramblings of you being his creation. He is just fixated on the fact he has given you strength. But I don't care if you're stronger or more powerful, Sephiroth. You were still my baby, and they will never take that from me."
She paused and pushed the hair from her eyes. "They came in, and stole you away from me. I had tried to take what life we had back, but they came and stole you from my arms. Hojo was supporting them too, explaining to me the benefits to science that you be donated to a laboratory, but I had given up science after all I had suffered.
"You've grown so much."
"Jenova," Sephiroth muttered. "Jenova is my mother." He looked at himself as if the words that left his mouth weren't even his. He walked past Lucrecia and continued towards the entrance.
"Sephiroth," she said to his back. He stopped, but swallowed what he was about to say, and continued to walk away from her.
"Sephiroth, I've suffered for so long not knowing what you looked like, or who you are, or if you were even really dead. How can you walk out continuing to allow me to suffer? Is this how you treat people? Do you make everyone suffer?"
Sephiroth walked on, and out of the cave.
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CHAPTER ELEVEN – AVALANCHE
Tifa stared into the dancing flame of the Cosmo Candle. The fire sparked and embers shot from the flame and sizzled out on the cold ground. Tifa stared straight into the heart of the flame, unfocused on anything in particular, but instead allowing her mind to wander aimlessly leaving her body in a state of hypnotism sat looking into the fire.
Her concern for the other members of Avalanche was constantly on her mind. She also often found herself thinking of how she felt about Sephiroth. She was upset and annoyed, but she still retained a sense of pity for him. No one could understand Sephiroth's way of thinking, but Tifa believed that deep inside the cold soldier, a part of him didn't understand either.
Sephiroth had an air of mystery about him. He never had any friends; he was never loved, never cared for, and now he holds his true self shielded away under a distant detached exterior. He walked and a deathly chill flowed in his shadow. People knew of his name and his nature, but no one ever knew what this legend looked like.
'Poor soul,' she thought, glaring at the flame. She saw Sephiroth's image in the flame. He turned his back to her, and walked through the fire in reminiscence of that day, five years ago, when Sephiroth reduced Nibelheim to ashes.
Sephiroth was evil. He maybe a human, but evil flowed through his blood, mind and soul. He fought to protect a creature that only existed to purge the land of the humanity that walks upon it. He is tied to two allegiances, which could be why his mind is so cluttered with chaos.
Barret stepped up onto the raised ground where the Cosmo Candle burned. He sat silently beside Tifa, and looked into the flame. Tifa never looked at him, but acknowledged that he was there. They sat in silence for a few moments simply watching the fire dance.
"How's your shoulder?" Tifa enquired.
"Ahh y'know, it'll heal. Any news?"
Tifa sighed. "No, they haven't come back yet," she turned her head to Barret in concern. "I'm worried about what Rufus plans to do next."
Barret moved closer to Tifa and placed his arm around her shoulder. "Whatever they do," he said in his ever confident and assertive attitude. "We'll do it. We're Avalanche! We'll fight Shinra to th' end any day."
Tifa threw her arms around Barret and squeezed him as hard as she could. She cared for Barret so much, as he'd been through all the hard times and so had she to him. He made an effort to hug her back the best he could with his injury, until Tifa realised the agony she was in. "Oh, Barret," she said moving away from his tender shoulder.
"It's jus' a bit sore, that's all," Barret replied gently, assuring Tifa it was okay. They both looked back into the flame. So much thought had gone on around the candle, it almost seemed as if the undying flame absorbed the feelings. Watching the flame was so tranquil, and the flame felt like it possessed the knowledge of the Ancients, just like the lifestream.
"We should set off soon – something tells me they're not comin'."
"No way, you're not leaving here with your shoulder in that state."
"You ain't goin on yer own, you'll get yerself killed!" Barret demanded.
"Yeah, and so might you!" Tifa said standing. Barret was taken aback by Tifa's outburst, but without any explanation, she just left with a huff and moved away from Barret. She walked away from the flame, and down the steps out of the small peaceful town of Cosmo Canyon.
She regretted shouting at Barret but she was scared, tired and upset. She didn't mean to shout at Barret, and hoped he'd understand that. She sat herself down on a small ridge in the landscape that faced towards the sea.
The waves lapped up on the shores and the surf soaked into the sands on the rough beach near Cosmo. The air was fresh, and the cool breeze was blowing into her face throwing her hair behind her head. The whole midnight sky reflected on the still, calm water littering the landscape with stars.
Tifa rocked her legs in front of her. She was so relaxed here at Cosmo, but anyone would feel that way there, whatever the state of themselves or the world.
She glanced down to the ocean to see a large object washing up onto the beaches, slowly drifting in the leisurely current that night. The object was a carcass of an animal, and the animal was now pushed onto the shore lodged into the sand.
"Poor soul," Tifa said, the thoughtful girl said as she kind-heartedly jumped down onto the sands and walked towards the remains of the animal. She moved towards the sea kicking the sand around her feet, walking slowly in the sand, inspecting the animal from what she could see by the light of the moon. As she neared it, it began to look more and more familiar to her.
"Oh god," she cried into her hands. Suddenly, she picked up her pace and began to sprint towards the animal, before throwing her knees beside it in the sand. "Red? Red talk to me!"
He didn't respond. His fur was matted drenched from the sea; the sand gritted into his coat. Blood was dried into the fur on his head covering a possibly deep slash to his forehead.
Tears fell tenderly down Tifa's cheek and on to Red. She threw her arms around Red and felt a very faint heart beat. She closed her eyes in the security that whatever state he was in, he was still alive.
Tifa pushed her arms under Red into the sand and tried to lift his weighty body. Tifa was a very skilled fighter, with a great deal of strength, but Red's physique meant he weighed a fair amount. In compromise, she held him awkwardly in her arms and half-dragged, half-carried him towards Cosmo.
On her eagerness to get back to the town, her foot snagged a rock embedded in the sand and she fell forward dropping Red. Her face landed in the sand, and Red slid down a small slope away from her. She pushed her hands into the sand around her and dragged her head upwards. She climbed to her feet again, and clasped Red once again determined to get him to help.
She pulled hard at Red, but she was losing strength quickly. She was tugging, but her attempts were futile, as Red would only slip out of her arms and slump into the sand. She fell backwards and sat there in the sand, tears streaming down her face, unable to help Red. She moved towards Red and lay beside him.
The next thing she knew she was asleep beneath the stars. She had to give up her attempt of dragging Red off the shore, but she was so far from Cosmo it was clear she would never make it. The emotions she had endured became too much for her to bear any longer, and her body forced her to rest.
She opened her eyes to see she was back in Cosmo Canyon the following day. Once she knew where she was, her next instinct was to find out what had happened to Red, but that was quickly solved when Red moved into view, standing over her.
"Red," she said, reaching up and throwing her arms around Red's head.
"Thank you for saving me, Tifa," Red said in a voice which was no longer his. It seemed the recent events had had their effects on others as well as Tifa. Red started to stroke his head against Tifa's affectionately. "Barret found us on the sands when looking for you."
"Oh Red," Tifa said. She was unable to voice her feelings, so instead gave him another tight squeeze thankful that he was alright.
"Yuffie died in her coma shortly after Barret had found us on shore. I'm sorry, Tifa. He's burying her now." The way Red told Tifa was direct and very unlike Red's tactful explanations.
"Where's Aeris?"
Red paused. After just telling her the news of Yuffie, it became difficult to explain another death.
"She died trying to stop the explosion at Rocket Town." Red felt Tifa's hold of him weakening, and he nuzzled her back to the bed so she could rest.
"Explosion?"
"Yes. Sephiroth tried to prevent the rocket from taking off, but he had already discovered that it was Shinra's plan to destroy the rocket grounded. When Aeris found out, he only concern was to stop Sephiroth from remaining behind while Rocket Town was destroyed. She fell from the platform, after Sephiroth had almost helped her to safety.
"We fled Rocket Town in time to be safe from the explosion, and then Sephiroth and I buried Aeris' body. I found a way of getting by on water, but my craft was destroyed somehow. That's all I remember."
"Sephiroth tried to save Aeris?"
"I guess he did," Red replied. "I thought originally his only concern was the rocket, but he carried her away in the rush to escape Rocket Town. It was too late though."
"What about Jenova?"
"I guess he couldn't save her. He tried to stop the explosion, but the whole town was destroyed, and all those who were left behind along with it."
"Is Sephiroth alive?" Tifa asked trying to find out as much as she could. She didn't understand Sephiroth's motives anymore.
"I don't know."
"Yo!" Barret shouted from outside the room. "We're movin' out. Come on."
Tifa sat up. "No, Barret, you can't use your gun arm with your shoulder in bandages, and you're not healing any time soon. Plus, we'll do better knowing you'll be okay in Cosmo."
"She's right," Red said, to a slightly annoyed Barret who had just entered, displaying a look that showed he was clearly unimpressed.
"Shi', you guys better come back to me y'know. I can't lose any one else." Barret said, wishing he'd never mentioned it. But this was what was all on everyone's minds. None of them would be able to cope with another.
Tifa pushed herself off her bed with Red's help. They both wished Barret good look and accepted the fact that he was displeased with having to stay behind, but moved on and out of the town without him. Barret slumped into a chair, sulking at the fact he couldn't lend a hand.
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CHAPTER TWELVE – SHINRA
"Damn you, Shinra, screw your methods!" Reeve shouted, after throwing his body around and heading towards the stairs out of Rufus' office.
"Don't be irrational, Reeve. You will always work for me. I guarantee the day you stop will be the day you die," Rufus shouted back, kicking his big trendy leather chair tilting so his feet rested on his desk.
Reeve turned and faced him again. "You and your petty threats," he replied, pointing directly at the president. "You're nothing like your father. You're a sadistic power-hungry failure."
"You'll regret these words, just as you'll regret walking out of this room."
Reeve paused looking at Rufus. He growled and raised his arm at Rufus again. "People suffer because of you – shit, even the Planet is dying because of you. Damn you, this company and everyone who works for you. I hope this place goes to ruins and you all go to hell."
Reeve stormed out of the office and past Rufus' receptionist, careless to what he knocked over in his path. The door next to his receptionist slammed shut with a loud crash. Upstairs, Rufus merely grinned at Reeve's anger, rose out of his chair and walked to the display of windows that allowed him to gaze up on his father's creation of the ultimate city as the sun dashed the sky with colours of dusk.
"So this is the way it is, then." He said to himself. He walked back to his desk, and pushed one of the buttons on his desktop intercom.
"Yes sir?" a woman's voice buzzed through the intercom's speaker.
"Get me Tseng," Rufus replied. Barely minutes later, Rufus' private force of soldier – The Turks – walked into his office, having taken a short amount of time to reach his office, and came in full uniform. This was always a bad omen.
"'Sup?" Reno asked casually, making himself comfortable on one of the chairs facing Rufus' desk. Beside him stood Tseng, sharply dressed as ever, and stood to attention in a formal fashion. Behind him loitered the further two members of the Turks who stood untidily looking randomly around the room.
Rufus' looked up and addressed them. "I have orders for probably your last ever mission."
"Hey woah," chimed Elena. "I ain't goin' on no dangerous mission."
Rufus rolled his eyes and pushed his pen along the desk. "No, it's not a suicide mission; it just seems I may have to disband the Turks and Soldier."
Rude quickly smacked Reno in his stomach, knocking the air out of him to prevent him from expressing his instant dislike to that idea, and Reno silently choked to catch his breath back.
Disguising what had just happened with embarrassment, Tseng was quick to ask, "What do you need us to do, sir?"
Rufus pushed his pen some more then stopped. "I want you to kill Reeve."
"What? I ain't killin' Reeve. He's like a boss to us," Elena contributed with her always unwelcome opinion.
"Shut up!" Rufus said slamming his fist into his desk. Elena jumped in surprise at his outburst, and Reno almost fell out of his uncomfortable-but-cool position on the seat. "Just do it. Can I leave it to you to get it done?"
"Sir," Tseng began. Rufus simply looked at Tseng. Usually, it was only Tseng's opinion which mattered, yet Rufus did not want to hear what he particularly had to say on this matter. "Yes sir." Tseng agreed, and turned away from the desk towards the staircase leading out of his office.
Outside Rufus' office, Elena was restless. "We're not gonna do it, are we Tseng?"
"No. Rufus is out of his mind asking us to assassinate an employee. Anyway, I like Reeve."
"So what are we gonna do?" Elena asked innocently.
"Well I hear there's a nice pub in Wutai."
"Turtle's Paradise!" Reno chipped in.
"The drinks are on me," Tseng said leading the way out of Shinra Tower. On the way out, they threw their equipment and employee cards at the receptionist and told her of their decisions. The gang walked proudly through Sector 5 and outside of Midgar's walls forever.
"I guess this is something I'll have to handle myself," Rufus said in response to the news of the mutiny. When he was on his own, he used a key combination to unlock a safe under his desk. Amongst various items of value, there was a series of buttons.
Rufus pushed a button labelled 'Destruct'.
****
Tifa and Red reached Midgar just in time to meet the Turks heading out of the city.
"Sir, it's Avalanche," Elena said to Tseng, the rest of the posse following behind. Tseng stopped and grinned.
"We ain't with Shinra no more," Reno explained, with an accompanying nod from Rude. "Rufus has gone mad."
"Good luck," Tseng added, before smiling and walking towards a private vehicle that had been prepared for them. The Turks climbed into the van, and Rude drove the team away from Midgar.
Red looked up at Tifa in confusion. "What's going on?"
A man appeared from within the gates of Midgar. "I believe I can answer that," he said nearing the two of them. It was Reeve. "The Turk's have quit, and I've left in exile. Heidegger's been jailed for treason, Scarlet's been hiding somewhere for a few days, and no one's seen Hojo. The whole company is falling."
"And so the end begins, eh?" Red said taking in the latest events.
Reeve walked over. "Jenova wasn't aboard the rocket in Rocket Town, that was just simply part of Rufus' plan to get rid of Sephiroth, and the money-wasting town that surrounded the rocket. Jenova was aboard his latest airship, the Highwind.
"Jenova's held in a secure laboratory in Midgar, and I'm not sure what he plans to do, but I can guarantee if Sephiroth is still alive, he will have no doubt found out about Jenova by now. Rufus on the other hand is demented."
"Now, now, Reeve. Please," a voice came from atop of the thick perimeter wall of Midgar. It was Rufus, stood with his shotgun in hand.
"Let's not tell them all my secrets, Reeve. But there is one piece of information I'd like to share with you all here. I've set the detonation sequence on each reactor. In two hours, the entire city will be destroyed, and half the planet.
"Oh, sorry, that's just over an hour and a half now. That's the price Midgar will pay for being a town full of traitors. Welcome to the ending to our little company, Reeve, but don't worry, the grand finale is yet to come. The Turks were sent to get rid of you, but I guess I will have to do that myself now."
Rufus raised his shotgun and aimed down at Reeve. Before Reeve could even react, Rufus had fired, and Reeve was instantly blown backwards by the impact of the ammo piercing his chest. He slammed into the ground, and Rufus laughed. "I warned you not to be a fool, Reeve. I never liked you anyway."
Tifa rushed over to the body of Reeve. He wasn't moving at all, and even through they had never properly met before, Tifa had a lot of respect for the man who defied Shinra to save the world. She tried in vain to tend to Reeve's severe wound, until she was distracted by a loud crash to the ground next to her.
She looked over, past Red to see Rufus lying on the ground, his body slashed. Looking up to where he stood, Sephiroth towered over them, his masamune in hand.
"I never liked you," he snarled at Rufus from above him.
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CHAPTER 13 – DARKNESS
Tifa and Red gazed up at Sephiroth, startled by Rufus' death. He dropped from the tall walls of Midgar above them, to beside Rufus' body, and pushed his sword into the dry earth. With a shove, he heaved the weighty gates to Sector 5 open, and picked his sword back up. He held the gates open for Tifa and Red to enter, and then let it slam shut again behind him.
They stood looking at Midgar tower. Sephiroth picked his sword up into his grasp and with a parting good luck nod, he sprinted off into Midgar in a start in the race to save Jenova. For Avalanche, their race to save Midgar was just beginning too. Tifa lead the way to the Sector 5 reactor just to start somewhere.
She led Red through the security gates unlocking them with ease. Down deep within the reactor the temperature increased and the air became more humid. Red gazed around the core of the reactor. Gas filtered through vents below their feet, and over the side of the suspended bridge they had to cross, Red could see so far into the earth he could see the lifestream.
"Gosh," he exclaimed, resting his paws on the railing that ran alongside the bridge. Once he had finished looking over the side, he dropped to his feet, pushing his weight onto the bridge. The bridge shook, which in turn brought various sounds of metal on metal which echoed reaching through the maze of pipes. Tifa tried to steady herself on the bridge that was rocking and looked at Red.
"Sorry," Red said in shame.
"I just want to get this over with," Tifa walked towards the main machine panel for the reactor and tapped a few buttons. "Ok, this isn't as easy as I thought it would be."
Red neared Tifa coughing forcefully. When he stopped, Tifa explained to him the air was thick with the dregs of the refining process of the planet. As well as the fact the planet's life source is being stolen, air like what they were breathing just a little of was being pumped through releases in the reactor and into Midgar outside. Tifa slammed her fist into the panel out of frustration.
"Look here," Red called over, pointing out some design schematics that were under a control panel. "It seems the self-detonation bomb is inside the core of the reactor."
"If the bomb's in the core of this reactor, that means it's deep within it at the bottom of that pit that is below us. We can't disarm it without jumping into that stuff."
"Surely if Rufus began the detonation sequence in his office to start them all, there might be a way to disarm them all too."
Tifa nodded in agreement. "We only have just over an hour. Will we make it?"
"We don't have a choice," Red said, before turning towards the bridge again and heading out of the reactor galloping, Tifa running behind. They ran as fast as they could through the slums of Sector 5, warning as many people as possible along the way. They generally just shrugged off such suggestions, and said that their President would save them from any terrorist attack.
Tifa would reverently respond with rushed warnings of the President being dead, and that their precious Midgar will explode whether they believed her or not, but Red would try and nudge her away, constantly reminding her they could stop it if they focus. The people of Midgar would also often explain that they cannot leave all they possess in case she's lying.
Tifa would be pained by the people's wish to stay behind and throw their lives away. As they neared Midgar tower, Red explained they wouldn't be throwing their lives away, but instead would be forced to leave them behind. This is all they had in the world.
"Are you ready, Tifa?" Red asked, stood gazing up at the tower with a sense of insecurity himself.
"We have to do this, Red," Tifa reminded him in a voice that was still trying to remain composed over her sorrow. She ran towards the entrance of the building and pushed the doors open. Without Barret's gunfire shelling away to disturb ShinRa employees, Tifa was cautious to re-enter this tower. When they entered, no one was there. Tifa and Red stopped and looked around at the empty lobby.
"I don't understand," Red said.
Tifa shrugged. She ran up the stairs of the lower levels until she couldn't go any further and had to use the elevator. She prodded the call button and waited. In her impatience, she constantly pushed the call button and slammed her fist into the wall. Red looked up at her concerned, but Tifa just glanced him a look back to show her anxiousness.
They rushed into the elevator when the doors pulled open, and Tifa immediately pushed for the top floor. A small panel on the elevator wall displayed the floor numbers. Tifa watched the numbers change with growing intolerance for the speed of the elevator. In annoyance, she threw her fist into the metal doors.
The elevator grinded to a half wit the piercing noise of the metal brakes screeching against the walls. The light dimmed to nothing, and then was instantly replaced by a soft red light which would go brighter and dimmer.
"Tifa!" Red exclaimed, blaming Tifa for the elevator stopping.
"Warning! Sixty minutes until self-detonation of Midgar structure and reactors. Sixty minutes," a voice from the speakers blared at them. Tifa assumed that the elevators must have been cut off during the last hour's sequence of self-detonation. She punched the doors again, and they popped open where they are. They opened between floors, but with enough space for Tifa and Red to climb up and out onto one of the floors.
The room was filled with computer panels, and beyond this room there was a small laboratory. Tifa rushed over to one of the computers and started examining the controls. Red jumped putting his front paws on the panel so he could see.
"Do you know how to use it, Tifa?"
"It can't be that hard," she said confidently, pushing random buttons. After a combination of buttons pressed, feedback echoed through speakers on that level they were on.
"Hello?" Tifa spoke into the speaker, only to hear her voice be repeated throughout the floor. Red dropped to the floor and went over to another control panel to randomly press his paw onto the buttons.
"Try now," Red shouted over to Tifa. She spoke into the speaker, and her voice echoed throughout Midgar.
"Midgar, this is Avalanche. What you have heard about us is not true. Rufus is dead, and he has activated a self-destruction of Midgar. Midgar will be destroyed in less than an hour. Drop everything immediately, please! Midgar will explode and you need to get out immediately."
"It's working, Tifa," Red called over as he looked through the window. Tifa rushed over to watch people becoming distressed and rushing out into the streets. Tifa and Red hurried to the emergency exit of the building, and started to rush down the staircase.
Suddenly, the lights of Midgar cut out, and emergency red glow lights flicked on one by one flooding a dim light through the city, a sector at a time. It was a dark day for Midgar.
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN – ESCAPE
Tifa and Red stood looking through a window out at the city of Midgar.
"We've done all we can, let's go," Red said. They had reached as far down the tower they could, but the only way to escape was now through a window and down the outside of the structure. Red head butted the window unsuccessfully trying to push the glass through. Tifa struck the window with a chair and the window broke.
"What a day," she said to Red, smiling, and using the chair to make the hole in the window wider. She climbed out and the thick and smoggy air of Midgar hit her like it was solid. Red followed her onto the platform that ran around the front of the building, and choked on the pollution of Midgar.
"Well this explains why the sky is burnt over Midgar," Red said in disgust. "How do people live like this?"
Tifa dropped down to the platform below, and then onto the next, swinging her legs each time. Red was finding it very difficult, but he was a trained warrior and was apparently therefore quite skilled in escape.
The climbed and dropped their way down the outside of the building until they reached the bottom and were on safe ground. Tifa wiped down the mess from the soot the tower was thick of, and Red tried to shake it out of his fur. When they looked up, a dark shadow stood in front of them.
The man laughed, and then started to choke. He slumped forward, and in the dim glow of light, they could make it out that the man was Rufus, alive, with his trusted sidekick - Dark Nation the wolf stood at his side.
"You're dead," she said to him, not very surprised that someone like him was difficult to kill.
"Thanks to… Dark Nation here… I'm alive," he forced. He was finding it difficult to speak, but it didn't stop him.
"He revived you," Red pointed out. Rufus just laughed, but when he coughed this time, he spilled blood onto the floor. He dragged his head back up to look at them, blood running down his face.
"Sephiroth…" he muttered. "I have a surprise for him. As for you… Dark Nation…"
Dark Nation rushed towards Tifa his teeth now exposed and his face infuriated. Tifa jumped in fear, but before she was able to respond with magic, Red had jumped in front and threw his body at Dark Nation pushing it on its back.
"Go!" he growled back to Tifa before lunging his teeth into Dark Nation's shoulder. Dark Nation whimpered with pain, and reacted by slashing Red's back. Red arched above Dark Nation and roared in pain. Red threw himself at Dark Nation with his claws fully out and his face displaying his bloodlust.
Tifa left Red in battle scared at Red's transformation. She backed off, and rushed past the two in the direction that Rufus had headed in. She saw him limping about until he collapsed on the ground. She went over to look at him to see he was severely bruised, and he had coughed up blood that would have probably came from broken ribs. When she reached him however, he had no pulse.
Tifa ran. She didn't know what else to do so picked up on her feet and dashed as fast as she could through the streets of Midgar. She was worried about Red, but the fierce creature he had become when he went into a rage was something new to Tifa and it scared her. Maybe he could look after himself after all.
In her rush, she bumped into Sephiroth, but he grabbed a hold of her before she fell to the ground.
"Sephiroth," she whispered. He looked at her, and then glanced over her shoulder to something in the distance. It was Red, faltering towards them, his blood highlighted by the red glow of the lights. Sephiroth let go of Tifa after she'd caught her balance, then moved towards Red.
Red fell to the ground in exhaustion. Sephiroth touched his wounds making Red flinch with pain. He examined the slashes all over his body, and noticed that he had punctures where Dark Nation had bitten into him. Sephiroth channelled magic energy through his body, and healed Red as much as he could.
Tifa pushed her arms under Red and lifted him to his feet. Red staggered to find his footing, but was able to hold his body up on his own after a while. One of his eyes was inflamed forcing his eyelid shut. He couldn't let one of his paws rest on the ground due to the pain.
"We have to leave now," Tifa said to Sephiroth. He looked around, and then looked back to Tifa shaking his head.
"I'm sorry to cause so much suffering. I suffer myself. My life isn't easy, and I will be damned for the rest of my existence paying for who I am. All I want is to be with mother."
"They should be holding Jenova in the basement of ShinRa tower," Red managed to say, hoping what he'd found out would help Sephiroth in return for him healing him a bit.
"You'll have to take the subway tunnels to reach the basement. There's not much time, Sephiroth, but good luck." Tifa offered.
"Remember to save the ones you love. It's never too late to change your ending," Sephiroth said, his mind riddled with thoughts. He reached to pick his masamune up from the ground, twisted his body and walked into the distance with his coat flowing behind him. Suddenly he was lost in the darkness.
"Marlene, Tifa," Red coughed. She knew what he meant. They had to save Barret's adopted daughter for him. She glanced at her watch and worked out that they had thirteen minutes left. She helped Red find his footing and they moved towards the path leading down to the slums. They immediately found their way to Elmyra's house.
"Elmyra!" she screamed running into her house. Elmyra walked casually down the stairs.
"What's with all this shouting?" Elmyra said, as calm as she ever was, just like when Tifa had first met Aeris' adopted mother. "Oh Tifa, you look so healthy."
"I have bad news," Tifa said sorrowfully.
"I know dear," Elmyra said. "A good friend told me about Aeris. I'm proud of her every day I wake up, but her real place in this world is the Promised Land with her real mother."
'Just like Sephiroth?' Tifa thought to herself. "We have to leave, Elmyra."
Elmyra smiled affectionately and sat in one of the seats in her front room. "Oh no dear, I can't leave here."
"But you won't survive!" Tifa said concerned.
"It's all I have, Tifa. Don't worry about me dear. Marlene's safe in Kalm with a good friend of mine. Go there, and be safe. Live for me."
Tifa rushed over and threw her arms around Elmyra. She cried into her shoulder, and Elmyra held back the tears rubbing Tifa's back.
"Good luck, Tifa," Elmyra said, and Tifa gave one last look at her before rushing out of her house.
Tifa ran. She found where Red was laying waiting for her, and helped him back on his feet. They hurried through the slums towards the surrounding wall to the city.
"Tifa," Red croaked. Tifa stopped and turned around.
"No," she cried. "No, no, no Red. No. I'm not letting you give up."
"Tifa, I'm dying."
"No, Red. We're going to get the hell out of this nightmare and escape this hell forever. Me and you, Red, will make it together." Tifa hugged Red and gave him some confidence that he will make it.
They continued to run, until the speakers kicked in again, and the electronic voice picked up. "Sixty seconds until detonation."
Tifa pushed her body as fast as she could go, with Red trailing behind. She knew in her mind she wouldn't make it, but she had to at least try. Red suddenly picked up his feet too and overtook Tifa, stopping and waiting at a point in front of her.
"Climb onto my back, Tifa."
Tifa jumped onto Red's back and held her arms around his neck. He was tired from the strain of his wounds, but Tifa gave him hope. He started to race, picking up his speed with every second that he had. He pushed his body further, speeding his way through the slums, over debris and clutter and down short cuts towards the outer walls.
"Twenty seconds."
Tifa whispered to Red that he'd need to climb higher to be able to make the high walls of the city, so Red began to climb up the pieces of old rusting machinery that littered the scenery. He started to traverse the metal moving higher bit by bit.
His breathing was getting heavy, and his speed was dropping. 'I have faith in you, Red,' Tifa thought to herself closing her eyes.
A ten second countdown began from the voice over the speakers. Red jumped from rooftop to rooftop making his way towards the gate which was nearing in the distance.
"Hold on tight, Tifa" Red panted.
The explosion began. Each reactor started to blow up in sequence, and the blast from each would make the structure of each sector collapse and fall. The second reactor was releasing Mako throughout the surrounding sectors on a large scale. The flow of Mako caught fire, setting the other side of the city ablaze.
The fire caught on, and the main structure to Midgar began to collapse. The third reactor blew, and the fire made this explosion pretty spectacular with sparks of ignited Mako flying in all directions like a firework. The fourth reactor combusted and threw metal everywhere. Each reactor was structural support for the sectors that surround it, so with each reactor exploding, the entire sector it held would fall into itself crushing everything beneath.
The crashing of metal and the explosions from the reactors created a deafening blare. The main tower had fallen and crashed into the sectors below it. The whole city was now ablaze. The fifth reactor exploded; then the sixth, and then the seventh. The eighth reactor's blast forced most of the city to be uprooted and thrown into the air.
The slums were reduced to nothing. Metal fell into itself. The Mako produced from the reactors was spilling throughout the city. The explosions were unlike when Avalanche had destroyed the reactor when Cloud had joined them; they were literally destroying the city. It happened in mere seconds from the first reactor exploding to the city being entirely destructed
Red looked on the destruction from a distance. As the time of the explosion drew near, Red was able to throw his body through the air, clearing the main perimeter wall of Midgar, and landing on the outer wall surrounding the slums. He then jumped through the air and landed on the hard soil, throwing Tifa off his back and to the ground in the distance.
He panted over to her unconscious body, and dragged her as far away from the blazing city as far as he could. Fortunately, he was far enough to not be harmed by the extreme heat of the explosions. The fire was bright green in places from the intense reactions from the ignited Mako spill.
The whole city was covered by thick black smoke, which was illuminated by the intense fire. Not one piece of Midgar remained underneath the fire. The fire was so extreme in the centre that it was able to melt the metal and glass.
'What a day,' Red thought to himself. He dragged Tifa further away from the rumbling city and down to the shoreline. He stopped and allowed his legs to buckle underneath him. In the sand he instantly fell asleep next to Tifa. His breathing was heavy, and his scars were burning with pain.
The water softly combed the sand in the distance; the calm, relaxing sound of the night waters drowned by the spitting and crackling of the fire in the distance.
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN - DEATH
And so the story ended. Avalanche lived on in the three surviving members, and they even picked up a few people along the way who had once been citizens of Midgar. Avalanche still fought for the planet, and led its people to happiness and unity.
A new alternative was discovered, and the Lifestream was allowed to remain undisturbed. The land flourished again after a few years, with new species of plants thriving. Peace came to the world, and the elite force of Soldier disbanded with each member vowing to help the new cause of helping rid the world of ShinRa.
All materia was melted, and its molten state was buried in the ground. Summoning materia was saved, and was taken by the citizens of Wutai in the west, who considered the summoning monsters as a holy race.
Midgar was destroyed. All traces of the city were thrown into the sea, and the metal was salvaged and melted for use in providing new sources of energy. Reeve and the Turks were never seen again.
Barret became an honourable member of the race of the elders in Cosmo Canyon, and was presented with a token of appreciation by its citizens. The mayor of Midgar, who never allowed himself to be corrupted by ShinRa, was now mayor of the eastern continent. Barret could no longer use his gun arm, and got a proper arm grafted in replacement, and has never missed his old machine arm.
Barret continued to raise Marlene, and allowed her to join the new force of Avalanche who were organised to protect the life of the planet. She possessed great fighting talent and learned much from the elders of Cosmo Canyon. Red called it a talent, Barret said it was from her father, but Tifa said it was from all the teachings she gave her. Marlene believed her talents were stronger than any of that, and felt like a gift from the planet.
Tifa's fists became legendary. Her ultimate fighting skills were reputable as being unbeatable. She also mastered the technique of wielding a sword in memory of Cloud.
Red could no longer use his right eye, and he would always have to limp, which he just considered a reminder of the day ShinRa was destroyed. Avalanche and his days of being a warrior lived on in his heart, even long after Tifa and Barret passed on. Red was always there for Marlene, watching her marry and grow old studying the ways of the planet.
Red found happiness within Cosmo Canyon, and with all sorts of species flourishing on the surface of the planet, a race similar to his own was found on a continent near Wutai. Red found a mate and lived on as an elder of Cosmo Canyon.
The memory of Avalanche was retained and all its members were buried in a sacred part just outside Cosmo Canyon. Vincent, Yuffie, Aeris, Cid and Cloud were buried under a huge statue of the original group, with each of their names written beneath, and an inscription describing their courage and bravery.
Red and Marlene swore to keep the spirit of Avalanche alive, always fighting for the planet and its people. Red saw to it that when Barret and Tifa returned to the planet they would be buried along side their friends, and if Reeve would ever be found, he would join his companions.
The members of Avalanche were never forgotten many years on, and the world was able to return to life. With this new way of life, civilisation thrived along with its planet. The memory of Avalanche was passed on through each generation with loving stories recalled of the group of people who never gave up on the world.
My brain felt like it had suddenly sparked to life and triggered a reflex to breathe. My lungs pushed and opened to inhale the dusty air. It was so sudden it felt like it was my first ever breath, as if I'd only just been created and allowed to live. I questioned who I was, where I was, how I got here. No idea. I opened my eyes and couldn't see. Slowly focus returned and my eyes permitted me to view the room I had awoken in.
Through fresh eyes I glanced up, and pushed the long grey hair aside that partly covered my face. There was nothing to see. When I tried to move, my muscles didn't respond. I tried forcing my body up under the belief I had control over my arms and legs yet nothing worked, that is, if there is something to move.
I let my head fall to the side. From what I could see, I noticed I had a sense of familiarity about the place. It was somewhere I knew, or should know. This place was important to me somehow but I couldn't understand why. I lay there, staring blankly at a bookcase unable to focus my thoughts.
The bookcases crept up the walls almost reaching the ceiling, towering way above me boasting wide selections of novels and texts. Diaries and journals littered open spaces on the shelves. Some were open, some were stacked on top of others, but all were leather bound and looking fairly untreated.
I looked around further but failed to make out much more. A solitary candle sat beside the large bookshelf providing a dim glow to the room. The candle started to flicker and dance making the shadows twist and play on the stone walls. With my fixation on the candle I hadn't noticed I was now sitting upright and watching the candle burn.
I looked down to see what I was sat upon. It was a stone slab which lay on a stone fixture. The stone fixture was in the centre of a small study. The large bookshelf stood proud in front of me, and smaller bookshelves rested elsewhere in the room. The air was chill. The stone slab was frosty and inhospitable. The room was uninviting, and I had a strange eerie sense that I wasn't alone in here.
Suddenly I was stood. My legs were pathetically supporting my body but held through. I didn't seem to notice my impaired ability to stand and had actually begun making my way across the room. I examined the bookshelf. It was made of a fine wood. The candle that stood beside it was fairly large but had barely melted. It must have been lit recently by someone. A sharp, but distrusted sense of security filled me that at least I wasn't alone. Maybe I wanted to be alone; at least then I wouldn't be in danger.
My foot knocked something metal. The cold steel on my bare feet did not stimulate me greatly, apart from my interest to what the object was. It was a blade. It was an extremely long, thin and sharp katana. Curious, I lifted the blade by its handle and examined it. I knew immediately it was mine. I only wished I knew why.
"Who am I?" I asked aloud, assuming the blade would be able to tell me. I was lost in its reflection of the candlelight. There was something enticing about the sword. The way it felt in my hand was hypnotic. Thoughts began to flood my brain. Memories became my own again. I remembered who I was, where I was, and more. Then the pain kicked in. Sharp and blinding, I automatically dropped the sword in an impulsive move to stop the aching.
Vulnerability pumped through my blood. Without the sword I was no one again, as if the sword had surged power into my veins the moment I picked it up. It was too much for me too fast. I sat back on the slab and clutched my face, my long grey hair swaying freely in front of me. It was all a blur again. The room retained that sense of familiarity, but I had reverted to having no knowledge of whom or what I was.
I stood up again. I was wearing a long dirty grey cloak that covered me to the ground. A few clothes lay in the corner. They were warriors' clothes, with large black boots and metal shoulder plates. Underneath those lay a full-sized black leather coat. I glanced beside the clothes to find a large wooden door.
Hasty to leave the room I was in, I opened the large door and pulled the wooden mass open and aside. The doorway led to a long corridor. The walls were glowing a dark, faint but almost magical purple tint. Eager to learn more, I quickly spotted a door to my left which was left ajar, allowing a little light to seep out into the corridor. Pushing the next door aside, I realised I was in another library.
This one was greater than the last. The walls were bookcases stacked high with books. The room stretched round leading to yet another area overwhelmed with literature. I turned to the door assuming that the room was empty and I would find no answers here, but before I stepped through the doorframe again my eyes followed along a desk to a book which lay open – a book that grabbed my attention without even shedding a fragment of dust from the smooth sheet that covered it.
I was compelled to read it. As I picked it up the dust scattered and filled the air around me. Pushing the dust aside with my arm, I began to read its text.
"Day Thirty-Two. And so my research continues. The materia is definitely reacting. Its structure has undoubtedly changed in a noticeable way, both visibly and at a molecular level. It's exciting. The materia really is becoming something new. I will start the new part of the experiment tomorrow, providing I get enough spare time."
The rest of the text on that page was faded with the dust. Interested, I flipped pages over to see what else remained intact of the text. A few pages in, a small piece of the journal still remained intact. I read on.
"The thirty-first day since the experimenting began and my son came in contact with the materia. He doesn't seem to be affected by its touch, except for the initial burn he received. I treated it like a normal burn, and it seems to be healing well. I have been down in this mansion all day studying it since it happened, partly for my son's welfare, and partly because I'm intrigued to find out more. However, I now realise how much I must keep this a secret and protected from anyone else it may endanger."
"Three days after my son touched the materia his breathing began to wane. It doesn't seem fatal, and is somewhat coincidental but I can't help but link it to the day he came to find me. I've sent him to the best medical help I can get. I've also decided I will lock myself inside the base of the mansion while my dearest son and wife are away. Unfortunately I dread I will never see them again, but I must go on."
"Today is day thirty-nine and I still haven't received word of my son's health. The materia's structure has now completely changed. It glows a deeper hue and its new molecular alignment is practically impossible. Unfortunately I came into contact with the materia today and my hand is very sore. As the day went on the itching became more and more uncontrollable. Is my son like this? I hope to dear god he is ok. I have also decided that even though the results are exciting, the experimenting has become too hazardous and I must stop. No one shall ever find out about this materia, and I will lock the mansion and ensure it. I too will forget about this and all I have discovered here."
I turned the pages but the following were completely blank and never used. I never fully understood materia. A small glowing piece of rock that possessed magic that people skilled enough can channel through themselves seemed unlikely, but ever since its discovery the world had changed.
I placed the book back on the desk where I got it from and left the library. As I trailed along the long lonely corridor I began to think more about materia. Materia was power to humans. Materia allowed us to manipulate elements in a way we would have never dreamed possible. Materia was strong, and with enough of it, you would be almost godlike.
I stopped thinking immediately. My thoughts were beginning to scare me. The dark clouds that shadowed my mind tainted what I thought and influenced me to find out more. I carried on down the corridor shaken by my thoughts. At the end, there was a spiral staircase, and up those stairs lay a grand, beautiful house with large portraits and scenic paintings leaning from the walls. A staircase towards the centre of the mansion displayed grandiose and ornate wood carvings in its banisters.
The dust gently laid a thin sheet over the room of the main entrance. From atop the staircase I viewed the whole room unable to remember whether this elaborate home was mine or not. The windows had thick wooden boards prohibiting any light from getting in.
In the distance I heard a chime. Bells rang from nearby and echoed throughout the large hall. I stepped down the staircase and mindlessly dragged my cloak through the dust to the door. Placing all my weight on the heavy wooden door, I edged it slightly open until it slung open fully and crashed into the side of the building.
Stepping outside, I held my arm up to my face to shield my eyes from the blinding midday sun.
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CHAPTER TWO – GENERATIONS
The tall figure gracefully stepped into the golden shine of the midday sun with his arm raised to his face. The sunlight was new warmth to his cold pale skin. The smell of the blooming flora excited his senses. The birds circled high above him dancing on the sky blue background singing a chorus of melodies. The entire surroundings he'd stepped into were a rush of chemicals in his brain. Everything was so new and fresh to him, yet he possessed the awareness he had been here before.
Slowly he laid his arm back beside himself. Closing his eyes he took in the sounds and smells of the world he had walked into. Looking around he noticed a small brass sign hung beside the door to the mansion. Blocking the sunlight from its glint on the plaque, he tried to read it. Rust coated the plate obscuring the words carved in it.
The sun continually beat down on his neck. He used the arm of his cloak to scratch away some of the rust. From what he could make out, the plaque read: "Laboratory of Professor Hojo, Formerly ShinRa Mansion"
"Hojo", he thought to himself. The name struck a nerve deep inside the core of his memories. The wind blew hard across his face and the sunlight seemed to be getting brighter. Feeling dizzy, he laid his body against the side of the mansion. Quicker than he could realise what had happened, he had slumped on the floor unconscious and faint.
****
"Hello, how are you feeling?" a voice emitted from an unknown source. It was a male voice, slightly gruff but with an air of authority about it. "Open your eyes if you can."
He obeyed. After allowing his eyes to adjust to the intense sunlight, he began to study the man whose voice had just spoken. He was a fairly aged man, with barely any height or character, balding with what remained of his hair greyed and turning white. He wore a long white cloak, and stared straight at the slumped figure with unmoving eyes.
"Look at me," the elderly man said peering into his eyes. "You look well. It is a pleasure to see you about and conscious. My name is Professor Hojo."
The name from the plaque was stood in front of him now. The instant idea that this man would know who he was or how he got there was this man who had first told him to open his eyes. The name said aloud struck a memory in his head that reminded him of a parental figure. Possibly the professor was his father.
"Father?" he could not help but ask aloud.
"Father?" he echoed, with a slight casual snigger. "No, no. Don't worry, everything's confusing at first, but it will all come back to you with time."
"I need to know who I am."
"You," the professor responded, "are a young boy named Sephiroth. You are quite the combatant, and somewhat a legend."
The professor stretched out his arm in an offer to aid Sephiroth to stand up. Once on his feet, Sephiroth began to fall, until the professor placed his arm round his waist to support him upright. Once he was on his feet, and able to see better in the sunlight than before, Sephiroth took in a view of the town.
It was destroyed. Buildings lay as rubble on the petrified earth, and bare structures remained as tribute to the constructions they once were. The only remaining distinguishable building was an inn, and it was evident that even this had fallen victim to its fair share of defeat.
Professor Hojo led Sephiroth over to the inn. Inside it was deserted and in disarray, reflecting the state of the rest of the ghost town. The tables lay sideways and upturned, chairs lay in splintered pieces and broken glass lay littered across the debris-cluttered floor.
Hojo upturned an intact chair that lay on its side, and placed it on a patch of floor which remained unused. He then sat Sephiroth on this new seat, and employed a chair which had been undoubtedly salvaged previously. He turned to look at Sephiroth who sat barely aware of his surroundings.
"What…" Sephiroth began. "What happened here?"
Hojo reacted to his question with a pause. Finding the words to say he breathed deeply, and began his reply. "A long time ago this city was a well-working quiet town. After the president of a large worldwide energy production corporation called ShinRa Inc. had invaded and changed this town into an earth-drying wretched hive of scum and greed, a resistance group revolted.
"After the death of the president, the company was disbanded, and all records and properties owned by the company were destroyed. This included this town – Nibelheim, as it was once known. The mansion atop of the hill was sealed and locked. All the levels that could be accessed were removed of ShinRa evidence. The company simply ceased to continue existing from that point on. What remained after the blaze eventually got old and collapsed. What is left of this inn is the only part that remains.
This was a long time ago. A lot has been written into the history books from before I was born, including you."
"I thought you were my father," Sephiroth muttered.
"No, but in a way we are connected by our generational ties. It was my great-grandfather who studied you as a superhuman experiment. His son went on to give birth to my father. My mother looked after me until she was old, but always used to tell me about my father who would spend all day and night downstairs in the mansion on his work, until it became his life. He remained here in this town while my mother and I moved away.
I grew up interested in science and the origins of this planet, just had my father had and my father before him. Eager to discover what intrigued my father so much about his studies, I found a way into the mansion and discovered his files. His records supported my recent discoveries of a new form of materia which was much different from those we have used throughout time. However, I never knew what happened to my father himself."
"It was the materia," Sephiroth interjected.
"Excuse me?"
"It was the materia that killed him. In his journal he wrote about the new materia and how it had begun to affect his health, just like it had begun to affect his son's – yours. It became too much for him, and he had to end his research from that basement."
"Oh my," the professor sighed. Sephiroth glanced over to see that the professor was tending to an unusual scar that stood out on the palm of his right hand.
"What is this materia?"
"You'll never believe it," replied the professor in a sudden burst of excitement and enthusiasm. "I'd have to show you its power. The world has changed so much over the past century, Sephiroth. You have so much to learn."
"Century?" Sephiroth responded, with what the professor was saying originally about his great-grandfather finally sinking in. He had been asleep for over a hundred years and no one had brought him out of his deep slumber until now. Hojo did not hear Sephiroth's query, as he had already stood and exited the inn. Following Hojo out of the inn, Sephiroth rose to his now-stable legs and stepped through the door frame.
Sephiroth found Hojo kneeling on the ground holding a small piece of wood which must have held some significance to the town before it was destroyed, but now resembled no more than the debris that was scattered all over the land.
"It must have been quite a time back then; the great uprising against the ShinRa power. Where you alive back then?"
"If I was, I do not remember." Sephiroth responded.
"Oh, well. ShinRa Inc. was a voracious and intolerable organisation that had one day found an incredible and seemingly limitless source of energy beneath the ground deep within the earth. This power was named Mako power, but its extraction was killing plant life and reducing the fertility of the land around it. ShinRa was simply sucking the life out of the planet and transforming it into cheap and effective energy for homes and a bright, new mechanical future for us all.
After the revolt, the company was forgotten. Rufus was dead and no one was alive to inherit the presidential status."
"Rufus," Sephiroth spoke with a calming deep voice, his eyes lost in his returning memories. "I know that name. That bastard." A sharp pain ran to his head causing him to squint and put his hand to his forehead.
"You don't look so good. Maybe we don't have as much time as I had previously thought. We must make haste. I have to take you through the mountain range to get to where we must go to help your health."
Hojo stood and brushed the dust from his clothes. He glanced at Sephiroth and headed past the mansion towards the mountain range. Sephiroth began to follow leaving the derelict town behind him.
As he followed Hojo's path, Sephiroth glanced up at the mansion that stood tall on his left hand side. A flash of a deep memory surfaced in his mind. There he had once stood in front of that mansion beside a young girl wearing a cowboy hat, and a tall brawny young man with a large thick blade strapped to his back. Sephiroth had stood in between them both, his back to the mansion, the long thin blade he had found on the floor before held tight in his grip.
The thought flashed for only a second but was so vivid it remained etched onto the back of Sephiroth's mind. Suddenly he dropped to his knees, and then again to the floor. Again, he was unconscious.
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CHAPTER THREE – MEMORIES
"Father, I'll be fine!"
Sephiroth opened his eyes to find himself stood where he just was, except the town had been fully restored and existed as if no such destruction had ever occurred. The town was parochial, but homely. Eerily, this was not a friendliness that settled well with Sephiroth.
"Now Sephiroth," a small-town man began, barely pronouncing his name correctly. "You'll take good care of my little girl, won't cha."
Sephiroth's senses were beginning to adapt to more new surroundings. The air was different. It was spoiled, and slightly humid. No doubt he was reliving a memory, yet it was so vibrant and clear that Sephiroth could actually feel like he was literally experiencing it for a second time.
The two that stood next to him in the flashback stood casually here now. Two uniformed soldiers hung back behind the bumpkin man who was questioning Sephiroth's ability to act as a guardian. He had a lot of materia linked to his armour. He could feel the power emanating from the orbs. It was extreme and fairly pleasant for Sephiroth.
"We don't have time," he replied in a cold, unnerving voice. "Let's get going."
"A quick photograph of you three before you leave? It would be a great honour," the man suggested with a sense of enthusiasm that suggested he was going to take it regardless of Sephiroth's response.
Sephiroth sighed and stood in-between the large built soldier, and the young spunky girl. The girl's father grinned blissfully and proceeded to take the photograph with a camera he had retrieved from the bag he carried. 'At least I've made someone happy', Sephiroth thought.
Sephiroth couldn't move when he wanted to. It seemed that he didn't have control over his body or his speech in these memories, and he could only view as a spectator. It was still only a dream, and he hadn't really travelled back in time.
"Are we going or what?" the girl struck up with unwelcome eagerness.
With this, Sephiroth led the way, and the small group of people began the walk through the mountains. The young girl eventually took over as the guide of the group, leading the way through the mountain range.
Sephiroth was bored. The monsters that inhabited the mountains were vile and ferocious but still no match for the power that exuded Sephiroth. He studied the non-uniformed soldier that accompanied him. His unkempt spiky dark hair only matched his choice in clothing.
He spoke. "Excuse me miss," the young soldier addressed the girl. "Could you please tell me when we're here?"
"Please, call me Tifa," the young girl replied. She was only about 15 or 16, and of much too young an age to be traversing a mountain range like Nibel without fighting experience. "And sure, I'll tell you when we're here."
She stopped leading the way when the group reached a taught rope bridge that spanned over a large canyon and turned to face the group.
****
"We're here."
Sephiroth snapped awake to find himself back in the present and with Hojo stood in front pondering a way to get across the canyon, where in the flashback a rope bridge once was. Sephiroth was now fully clothed in the attire he'd found in the mansion earlier. In his hand he had a grip of the same thin katana that he touched before, and wielded in his memories.
"How did we get here?"
Hojo turned around and threw Sephiroth a confused look as if the question he'd just asked was stupid. Hojo walked over and placed the back of his hand on Sephiroth's forehead.
"You're boiling up. We don't have much time. We have to get to my laboratory and quickly. Otherwise you'll keep blacking out and get lost in your memories. It looks like you're about to pass out again…"
****
Sephiroth stood facing a large thick metal door at the top of a metal staircase. On the door was a large circular wheel which was its handle. With all his might, he turned the handle counter-clockwise until the door shifted open. He then stepped inside the chamber.
"Sephiroth! How could you!"
"Tifa! No!"
He could hear them behind him, but did not respond and continued further into the chamber. Tifa ran up the steps carrying Sephiroth's long sword with both hands, foolishly threatening to take Sephiroth on in battle. With a swift use of a dispelling magic, Tifa was thrown into the air and left to land on the steps. Her body in shock, she slid down the steps and slumped at the bottom. Unfazed, Sephiroth continued.
"Foolish, foolish little girl." Sephiroth said aloud. Deep within his mind, the onlooker from the present couldn't understand how such malevolent thoughts were conjured in his head. Was he once like this?
"Mother, it is me. I am here. Those foolish people are stealing the planet – from us. We must fight together."
Sephiroth ripped and lifted the mechanical head off the encasement and tossed it aside to reveal the monster it enclosed inside. The machine was labelled 'Jenova', and in response Sephiroth's presence, the creature inside reacted and moved to look straight into Sephiroth's eyes.
It was horrific. The creature glowed a natural and eerie bright neon blue and purple light which emanated from its skin. The being looked as if something so unspeakable could only be created, not born. It was not human, nor was it beast.
'It's alive?' the Sephiroth from within thought to himself.
Sephiroth laughed.
****
"Ok, good. Looks like you're going to be ok. I doubt I'll be able to stop you from passing out in future though."
"Who is Jenova?" Sephiroth interrupted. Hojo was momentarily caught off guard, but smiled at his question.
"That is why I brought you here. Follow me."
Sephiroth stood up from where he had sat to realise he was in the same room he'd stood in when he'd thrown Tifa down the stairs. The room was full of ruined pods and capsules which in his flashback had been glowing and occupied by something. In reality, all were empty and mostly ruined beyond any possible use.
Hojo began to ascend the stairs towards the chamber at the top. Sephiroth followed, the familiarity remaining from the flashback he'd just experienced. When Sephiroth had reached the chamber this time however, the mechanical structure lay there empty.
"It was you Sephiroth who released Jenova from her prison here almost a century ago. It was from her you were created. She is your mother. You are not human; you are a scientific creation – and a success at that."
Sephiroth stood back in disgust. "Bullshit."
"Sephiroth, listen to me. I have to tell you this. You were murdered a hundred years ago, and so was Jenova. Your spirit returned like any other to the resting place of the lifestream, and it was from there I revived your body and returned you to life."
"Impossible. You cannot revive a soul after it has returned to the lifestream."
"Sephiroth, I know why my father died. He'd discovered that new form of materia. This materia is different from the ones before. It's stronger, and its glow burns brighter than before. It is an evolved state of materia, beyond what we believed to be usually capable for a materia to do before multiplying. No one knew about it until a recent discovery, a few years after my father died.
"People don't use Mako anymore. That was a phase that was ended by the destruction of ShinRa and all of its Mako reactors. After struggling and supporting ourselves on basic and primate resources purely in the respect for preserving the earth, this new source of power was found. It's practically infinite. All the power you want and it never seems to end.
"The world now exists on this new energy. Unfortunately, with all this new power, it has brought new chance for destruction. Sometimes I wonder if my involvement in such a discovery was such a good thing in the end."
"Some people choose to ruin the world and some people choose to make it better," Sephiroth argued. "It is up to each individual to be responsible for their actions; you cannot be for allowing them to make the decision in the first place."
"I guess so." Hojo said reaching into a satchel he had brought with him. "Here," Hojo handed Sephiroth a piece of materia. In Sephiroth's hands the orb glowed brightly until it was a pure white.
"I call it materia+. It is a stronger and more brilliant form of nature, encasing the most intense power you will ever find on the planet. It is a new form of materia."
"It's incredible."
"Yes, it is something. What you are holding is Time materia+. Its predecessor only granted its bearer the ability to speed up, slow or stop time. But with this new stage in the evolution of the materia, travelling backwards through time is possible to an extent. I predict that with further evolution the ability to time travel forwards will be accessible too. It is very exciting."
The orb continued to glow brighter in Sephiroth's hand even when it seemed it wouldn't be possible for the light to increase anymore. Sephiroth's hand started to shake and the materia+ appeared to be having an effect on Sephiroth. Suddenly Sephiroth was fixated on the anger he'd summoned from when Hojo had told him he was merely a creation, and not even a human being.
"No." Sephiroth said under his breath.
Hojo stepped back from him. "Sephiroth, what are you trying to do?"
"Hojo. You created me."
"No, Sephiroth, that was my great-grandfather."
"I'm not human."
"Sephiroth, please, put the materia+ down."
"No!" Sephiroth bellowed in a voice which wasn't his own. It echoed throughout the chamber, and jilted Hojo. "I will not let people think of me as a creation! I will not let people think of me that way!"
Sephiroth swiftly turned and flew down the steps of the laboratory and through the door with his long black coat free-flowing in the breeze.
"No, Sephiroth!" Hojo shouted after him to no avail. "You still need me to help you Sephiroth! Don't do this!"
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CHAPTER FOUR – CHANGE
Sephiroth opened his eyes again, expecting to find himself in another unexpected flashback of his past. When he examined the scene, all he saw was darkness. On closer inspection he realised again that it wasn't darkness but in fact nothingness. He was the only thing existing in whatever place he was in. Immediately he felt completely alone.
Sephiroth knew he was dreaming. Even with nothing there the impression remained that he was just unconscious again. After Sephiroth had begun to accept the fact there was nothing to do in this abyss, he felt a presence drawing near.
Before Sephiroth could address him, the manifestation began to speak. The voice was faint and the person's face hidden by the darkness.
"I pity you Sephiroth," it began. "You are confused and lost, and in this new world like the old, you are alone. You do not ever know why you do what you do, nor do you know where you must go next."
The figure stepped forward closer to Sephiroth, and even though there was no light, his appearance had become more visible. He was an exact mirror image of Sephiroth himself.
"What are you?"
"I am you, Sephiroth," replied the mirror image. "So technically, the question instead should be what you are."
"Then what am I?"
"You are alone. You hide your feelings but cannot deny the fact they exist. You live and breathe like any other, and it is not what you are but who you are. You are nothing anyone else is, and never will be.
"Your existence in this world has purpose, just like any other human. This is your origins. You were born human, and no matter what strange genetic mutations have occurred and will occur inside you, you will always retain the sense of humanity. However, on a level beyond this you possess something that signifies you as different from any other. Your strength and intelligence surpasses any other abilities on this planet. You are no longer human, but you will always be Sephiroth."
The words hit something deep within Sephiroth's mind. He was starting to believe that he really is the same as everyone else, except his outstanding powers set him beyond and above everyone else. His place in this world is therefore more important and significant than ay other.
"There. What you are now thinking is the basis of human greed mixing with the power of the genetics you inherited from Jenova. Your need for power exists rooted in your humanity, but the cells in Jenova shows you that you can obtain more, and gives you the ability to. This is who you are Sephiroth, you are powerful."
"But I am merely a creation," Sephiroth responded to his replica.
"In a sense everyone and everything that exists is a creation. You, however, are practically a deity."
"You talk to me as if this is something I should have known all along. If I was once human, what gives me the right to be a god?"
"Destiny."
"I don't have one."
"Ergo," his twin image retorted. "This is why you must make your own."
Sephiroth did not reply. His place in the world did indeed have a purpose but his purpose was not yet justified. Turning his back on his mirror image, he walked on through the nothing away from his mirror image.
He wasn't sure what the purpose of the conversation was. The consciousness he was just talking to, seemed to be a reflection of who Sephiroth was, and although he was eager to find out who he is in himself, he did not want to hear any more the being had to say. After the figure had faded away in the distance, Sephiroth jolted back into reality and opened his eyes.
When he viewed his surroundings he realised he was sat in a cavern high in the mountain range of Nibel. It was night time now and high up in the mountains made Sephiroth feel closer to the stars. The night sky was clear and the stars lay speckled on the black canvas.
Sephiroth picked himself up from the ground and mindlessly started to trek his way back to Nibelheim. A dim light shone through from the inn. Inside, Sephiroth noticed an oil burning candle stood on a desk. An open journal lay on the desk. Interested, Sephiroth went over and skimmed the pages. It was Hojo's journal, and the last few lines were still fresh with wet ink.
"You seem to have a fondness for making journals your business, Sephiroth," Hojo said from the doorway to the inn. Sephiroth silently raised the book closer and carried on reading.
The text made everything clear. What once seemed a charitable attempt to help Sephiroth return to life was described as yet another experiment within his journal. It was explicitly detailed how Sephiroth had been resurrected using materia+, and how a variety of chemicals and scientific experimenting returned Sephiroth's somewhat fragmented conscious. Even when he was allowed his last fragment of humanity to return to the lifestream, he was still considered an experiment to be tested on.
"You scientists are all the same," Sephiroth said, dropping the journal onto the desk from his grip. He turned to face Hojo, and his face displayed the appearance of someone who had been betrayed. "How dare you treat me like an experiment?"
"I brought you back to life Sephiroth. It is the scientist in me that drove me to write about it, but it was my person who realised you could be revived and I could help you."
"You could have left me lie in the lifestream."
"True. Maybe we are alike after all. My greed overcomes my humanity, just like yours."
"We will never be alike. You are still only merely mortal." Sephiroth walked closer to Hojo, and almost instantly raised his masamune blade and jabbed it forward piercing Hojo. Hojo's mouth fell open with the shock, but the pain was too much for him to even form a sound. The blade had cut through his flesh and bone so gently and eloquently, it was no struggle for Hojo to be killed.
Hojo took one last look straight into Sephiroth's eyes before his head fell to rest on his chest. The only thing that kept Hojo upright was the sharp steel that hung through his abdomen. When Sephiroth retracted the sword, Hojo's lifeless body fell to the ground, inanimate and inert.
Sephiroth burned. His blood was warming up at a steady rate, and his heart increased. The sword was tingling and warming in his hands. The electricity that shot through his body when he first picked up the sword rushed through him again, yet this time it was less uncomfortable and instead made Sephiroth feel alive.
He turned and with one prompt move overturned the desk with his journal on. The cast desk trembled the entire structure of the rundown inn, and threatened its collapse. The burning oil lamp smashed open, and immediately started to spread its fire across the debris.
Sephiroth left the inn, and a few steps away felt what was left of the building crumble behind him. Under the dust and mass of wood, a blaze was breaking out rapidly. Sephiroth watched as the fire crackled and danced along the wreckage.
The fire was spreading fast and thick. From outside the town's perimeters, Sephiroth watched the remains of what was once a peaceful town, being completely destroyed. The flashback to the past brought the image of Nibelheim being burnt once before in a fire started by Sephiroth. Beyond the flames, Sephiroth felt exactly the same way as he had done then.
"Good riddance," he whispered, and with this he turned his back on the burning destruction and walked across the plains towards the shore. His next goal was Midgar, the place where ShinRa originated, in the hope someone or something will uncover knowledge about the whereabouts of Jenova.
At the shoreline a small unused harbour settlement was abandoned. With only a few structures, it couldn't have been a very significant place of community, except it provided a few boats for Sephiroth to choose from to continue his journey at sea. The town was silent, with the only sounds of the night and the waves lapping up the shoreline to listen to.
"Sephiroth," a stern, husky voice from behind him added through the tranquillity. "I take it you were the one responsible for setting the remains of Nibelheim on fire."
Sephiroth turned to face the voice. It was a lion-like being whose tail swished and danced in the night, its tail burning a naked flame lighting the surroundings in which he moved his tail. This was a familiar enemy from Sephiroth's past. He too was an experiment of ShinRa Inc, but his allegiance lied against Sephiroth. He was Red XIII and he existed as the last surviving member of resistance group Avalanche.
"You're alive," observed Sephiroth.
"My kind live a long time, but as for you, Avalanche killed you many years ago," Red's face remained focus on Sephiroth, his stance ready for attack, but slightly casual just in case.
"Apparently," Sephiroth said, unwilling to indulge Red with much information. Ignoring Red's presence from then on, he turned and returned to preparing a small sea-craft for sailing.
"This isn't the world you used to exist in anymore Sephiroth; the world's a different place to live in. Midgar was completely destroyed by Avalanche many years ago, and any trace of ShinRa is long gone."
Sephiroth stopped tending to the craft but did not turn around. This reaction was enough for Red to notice Sephiroth had responded to what Red had told him.
"The City of Ancients remains, Sephiroth."
"Then that is where I Will head," he replied and climbed aboard the craft which swayed freely and gently on the waves.
"I hope this isn't wasted on you, but good luck on your journey."
Sephiroth glanced at Red with one last look with a slight underlying respect for the creature.
Using the single oar that was left aboard the craft, Sephiroth pushed himself away from the dock. The craft slowly flowed on the waves, gathering momentum and moving away from shore before Sephiroth began to use the oar in aiding its drift.
'Head for the City of Ancients,' Sephiroth thought to himself. 'Once there I will decide what to do next.'
His boat swayed and rocked on the calm sea all night. The hypnotic moves of the boat sent Sephiroth into a deep sleep as he rested hid head on the seat of the craft. His sword lay beside him; he softly slumbered adrift on the waves.
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CHAPTER FIVE – TIME
Sephiroth awoke that next morning to a melody of birds who were cheerily chirping away their morning song. Sephiroth opened his eyes slowly and gazed up at the picture-perfect bright blue coloured backdrop the sky held that morning. The sun was shining brightly just over the horizon while it was climbing the skies.
A small bird was perched on the side of Sephiroth's boat. Its eyes were looking straight at him, watching him as he arose from his slumber. Sephiroth tilted his head towards the bird and stared back. Reacting to its recent detection, the bird took flight and flew off over the side of the boat. Sephiroth sat up to watch it fly into the distance.
Once he'd sat up he noticed that at some point during the night, the boat had pushed so hard into a shoreline it had docked itself. The island which the boat now rested on was mainly plains, which turned into a flourishing, dense forest. Peering above the canopy protruded a large metal piece. On closer observation, Sephiroth realised it was the wing of a plane wreckage that must have landed into the forest.
'That must be Bone Village,' Sephiroth thought to himself. He was unsure, but if he remembered correctly, the City of the Ancients lay on this continent just beyond Bone Village. Sephiroth rose up in his boat and jumped out onto the soft sandy shoreline.
He looked up at the mountains. The crest of the mountain range was dusted lightly with snow. Sephiroth smiled. He knew that the further north you get the more intense and arctic the weather became. On the farthest northern continent, the City of the Ancients lay hidden by tall cliff lines.
Sephiroth picked up his sword from the small boat and started to walk in the direction of Bone Village. The small village was a deep open section of the dense forest where the soil was unturned, but plant life was slowly creeping back in to relinquish its ground. A century ago, this place would have been buzzing with archaeologists desperate to find the latest discoveries. Now, it was just fragile skeleton remains of what the world used to be.
Sephiroth navigated his way through the forests and made his way to the City of the Ancients. As he drew nearer, the high rocky faces became a more serene shade of green-blue. The floor was softer, and the air was cool and humid. Unusual plant life began to get more and more diverse, growing tall and swaying even though there was no wind to force it.
The whole area adopted a more underwater like feel as he walked on. The rocks were becoming porous, and the plant life mimicked that which lay beneath the sea. The City of the Ancients was fabled to resemble a water world of sorts, and this certainly was true.
The actual city complex lay in the distance, standing high and proud with the tall peaks as its background. The sight of the sanctuary was very familiar, and Sephiroth was now aware he had regained a lot of his memory.
The City of the Ancients – this was the city he had once sought after all his life. Once believing he was part of the prehistoric people who possessed all the knowledge of their predecessors about the planet, and where they came from, Sephiroth explored the lands for this legendary city.
This was also the resting place of the last remaining ancient, Aeris, whom Sephiroth brutally killed. Although Sephiroth was confused about who he was, he had always felt that he and Aeris held a connection of some sort.
The walls were pulsating with knowledge. The power of the ancients was held within this structure, which is why it was never conceived to destroy this place. It would have been futile to even try. Sephiroth could feel the knowledge surging through, and then he began to feel Aeris.
He felt her presence throughout the city. Sephiroth needed help, and Aeris would be able to help him. Her body lay at the bottom of the calm waters underneath the city, and if Hojo could do it, Sephiroth could bring her back to life.
He headed through the city, and to the depths below where Aeris was killed, and laid to rest. Everything glistened and shone so sweetly to Sephiroth. The ancients he'd felt within the walls were now watching him.
He sat down beside the water's edge and crossed his legs. There he sat for a minute, calm and tranquil, watching the slowly melting reflections of the city around him on the water. His reflection was there too, but it was dressed differently to how Sephiroth was currently dressed, so Sephiroth knew it was another apparition.
"This place is so beautiful," said Sephiroth.
"You are becoming weaker, Sephiroth," the reflection replied.
"I died. I returned to the lifestream and was dragged back to life against my will. I think this place always was my true resting place anyway, even if it was to a lifetime of torment by the ancient ones."
"Don't you remember who you were?"
"Were," Sephiroth replied. "It's a different story now I have died." Sephiroth stood and walked away from his reflection. He stepped up onto the altar where he had killed Aeris mid-prayer. It was here where he sat, and rested his back against the wall surrounding the altar.
"Really, Sephiroth, you are going to deny your existence and your being that you once held so strong to yourself?" the voice came from thin air. Sephiroth looked up to see the manifestation of the original Professor Hojo who had moulded Sephiroth to the extreme fighter he now is. The professor looked unemotional straight at him. Sephiroth hung his head and laid his sword on the floor beside him.
"No, I do not deny myself."
"No, you just deny any purpose you have here. Whether you need to die, or need help to sort yourself out, you need to revive Aeris. You know this."
Sephiroth stood up and walked to the other side of the altar to look across the waters of the sanctuary under the city.
Sephiroth plunged his hand into his pockets. There is was where he had found a transformed piece of materia that glowed similar to 'Life' materia. The materia spoke to him in his mind, telling him that he held Revive+. This was the same materia used to bring him back, and could be used to bring Aeris back.
He held the materia in front of him. Without words, the materia started to hover above his hand. The glow increased to a bright white, which slowly swept through the room so brightly that nothing could be seen.
The light dimmed to reveal Aeris kneeling in prayer, just as she had a century ago, at the exact point Sephiroth killed her. She raised her head and looked straight at Sephiroth with sorrowful eyes.
"Sephiroth," she said softly.
"Aeris," began with a hint of desperation in his voice. "Can you help me?"
"Sephiroth, you shouldn't have woken me. You should be resting yourself; this is why your body can't survive."
"No…"
"Let me go, Sephiroth." Aeris pleaded.
Sephiroth drew his sword. Aeris reacted by standing to face Sephiroth.
"Sephiroth, please, I don't belong here, and neither do you."
Sephiroth paused. His heart began skipping beats and the thunder stirred in his mind. He didn't belong. Not now, not in the past. Both Hojo and Aeris had denied him of purpose. This was not something he was going to allow.
"You know how to help me."
Aeris looked back at Sephiroth's face. She was scared now as she'd realised Sephiroth had other things on his mind than to let her return to the planet. It was an unwelcome act to drag an ancient from their resting place, and the earth was starting to vigorously react to Sephiroth's action. Both of them felt the entire city vibrating gently.
"No, Sephiroth," Aeris said and turned away from him and walked casually down the steps. She shook all over with fear.
Sephiroth dropped his sword and grabbed her from behind. He turned her around and held her by her shoulders in a grip so tight it felt like he was crushing her. It hurt.
"You will help me."
"Not in this lifetime," Aeris replied trying to shake off Sephiroth's grasp.
Sephiroth placed his hands on Aeris' cheeks. She looked directly into his eyes already aware of what he was going to do. With one swift move, Sephiroth twisted his hands and inhumanly broke Aeris' neck in his hands. She fell to the ground in an undignified death.
The ground trembled violently now. Various pieces of debris fell from the ceiling. Then, the falling pieces became bigger, most falling into the pool causing disruptions to the still water. The sound of gentle trickling water which played around the room was now replaced with loud reverberating crashes and rumblings from the structure.
Sephiroth navigated his way over the debris holding Aeris' body in his arms. The altar they just stood upon had collapsed completely now. Sephiroth laid Aeris' body on the ground and reached into his pocket.
"Not in this lifetime?" Sephiroth said aloud, to himself, and to any ancients listening in. "I guess it's time for me to return to my lifetime. If she won't help me now, I'll make her pay a century ago."
He drew his hand to stretch out a piece of evolved materia in front of him. The pillars and supports for the city were about to give way to the stress of the ceiling of the city above. The materia responded to Sephiroth's wishes and glowed brightly – the light once again filling the room. As this happened, a large chunk of the wall of the city was freed and fell to the ground breaking into pieces. The entire wall came with it, eventually reducing the entire city to rubble.
This didn't affect Sephiroth. Almost instantly after the glow filled everything in sight, the sound dimmed to nothing and he was reduced to seeing and hearing a black nothingness. Soon after that, he realised he was alive again, with his eyes closed, but breathing air as normal, with sounds heard in the distance.
Sephiroth was a little uneasy about opening his eyes to see where he was, but when he did he realised that he was high up near the ceiling of the City of Ancients before its recent destruction. Aeris knelt in deep prayer, and Sephiroth had been granting his wish of the opportunity to go back to the exact point he took her life.
Sephiroth watched as a spiked haired, blonde soldier climbed the steps of the altar nearing Aeris. Sephiroth reached for his masamune blade. He stood leaning over the ceremony taking place below. It was happening exactly how he had remembered. The thoughts that ran through his mind back then were hidden away at the back of his mind. He watched them below, with a new thought in his mind. He was determined to change the past and make it better for himself.
Sephiroth walked forward and started to descend onto the scene. His cape was catching in the wind, and he brought the masamune blade in front of his body, and prepared to land on the ground. He landed, his sword directly in front of him arched away from his body, his feet barely reacting to the impact of the ground. His long grey hair fell behind him, and his cape was settling around his legs.
Aeris looked up in shock. She shook with the disbelief of what had happened. She was facing where Sephiroth stood, his masamune piercing the spiky-haired soldier who had come to find her, changing destiny and fate by killing Cloud instead of her. Cloud slumped over the masamune, and Sephiroth retracted his sword, without any blood spilled.
He laughed, filling the room with a resonating malevolent evil snigger.
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CHAPTER SIX – CONSEQUENCE
Sephiroth lay in a damp and dark cavern somewhere north beyond the mountain range that surrounded the City of the Ancients. As he rested, he relieved the events of the day repeatedly. He wasn't feeling remorse; it was just an image being played over in his mind.
An insignificant part of him was dejected. It was the side of him deep in what humanity he possessed which had realised what malevolent acts Sephiroth had made recently.
He instinctively grabbed for a cover to pull over his shoulder as a bit of comfort to sleep under, yet nothing was there. He lay on a cold piece of stone, which was unwelcoming. He turned about, in an effort to find a comfortable position, and started to think about when he was just a young lad, sleeping on an inhospitable laboratory bed every night.
The cold echoes that ran down the corridors of the laboratories in ShinRa tower, Midgar, rang in Sephiroth's ear. Drifting off to sleep, he took himself back to when he was barely a child, being awoken late at night to be dragged from his cell and to a room where machinery overtook any space in the room.
There he was prodded and examined. His wrist held a plastic tag which did not carry his name, but instead "Experiment 001". Books and folders adorned the shelves each labelled with what kinds of tests that have been performed on him.
Sephiroth sat there swinging his legs under the metal examination table, eight or nine years old – he didn't know. He was used to this by now. The only contact he'd have with humans is when Hojo would come and examine his successful subject to science, or when someone had brought him some food.
Sephiroth loved to draw when he was younger, and would often sketch what was going through his mind for the expert team of professors to study and 'Hmm' at. He would go without days without speaking to a soul.
The experimenting on his health and strength continued, yet Hojo was now interested in turning him into the ultimate warrior. Sephiroth would often be taken to a training ground to learn about fighting techniques. With this new hobby, he developed a passion for power. He became addicted to the strength that built in his body every time he was allowed to release it in battle.
Sephiroth thought nothing of the life he led; he knew of no other. One day a scientist simply going about her business paused to look into Sephiroth's eyes. It was only for a brief second but she had allowed herself to break her professionalism and show a bit of concern for Sephiroth. As soon as Sephiroth looked back, she looked away, hurried about her business and made leave.
That scientist played on Sephiroth's mind for days. He was starting to realise that that woman would be someone he could get to know – a friend. He had always heard noises beyond his walls, but it wasn't until now he had wondered what they actually were. Were they people?
One day, Sephiroth woke up to the thought that he wasn't the one with the power after all. If he really did have power, he would have choice about what he did that day, or even know what was going on. It had now seemed that it was the professors that open and close the door to his cell had control over Sephiroth, choosing for him what he eats, when he sleeps, and when he gets to train.
Sephiroth threw himself at the door of the cell. The room shook, but he did not succeed at opening the door. Beyond the walls he heard a commotion stirring. Throwing himself at the door again, the professors were gathering outside his door mumbling their concerns.
Sephiroth pressed his ear to the door to hear mentions of disabling him from moving. Security was alerted, and soldiers were notified just in case. Hojo was summoned from the other side of the tower immediately.
Sephiroth threw himself at the door again with a blow forceful enough to push the metal off its hinges. He swiftly moved down the corridors unaffected by any attempts to stop him. The professors, however, pressed them against the walls in no effort to sustain him. He realised what an impact he had placed on these people. They feared him because he had power over them now.
He had to admit he liked it. Alarms now blared, and red lights that trailed down the corridors had added a gentle tint of alarm to each hallway. Sephiroth stopped after turning a corner. He had no idea where he was as this was somewhere he had never been taken before. Instinct kicked in, and he rushed down random corridors until he was able to burst through a window and to climb down ShinRa tower.
He had escaped the binds that tied him to his vulnerability. He fled Midgar and made his way away from the city never planning to ever return. A better life lay somewhere in the distance and all he had to do was find it. He was skilled at playing the evasive game, and was able to remain unseen by anyone for a long time.
ShinRa would not forget. Daily searches of some of the most elite forces in the world were sent to find Sephiroth. Every corner of the world was searched, and one day Sephiroth was spotted and restrained. President Shinra himself arrived almost instantly on the scene to reprimand Sephiroth. He ordered Sephiroth's restriction, and took him back to Midgar.
Professor Hojo was overcome with delight upon the news that Shinra had found his elite experiment, but was soon discontented with the news that Sephiroth will no longer be tested upon, but would instead be aloud to expand his abilities in the field of Soldier – the best army the world had to offer.
Sephiroth had his own room, and a lot more opportunities to have freedom of movement. He would train with others just like himself, until he exceeded their abilities, and would often train them up on a few skills.
He was feared by everyone except the president himself, who naturally demanded respect from everyone, and had even gained Sephiroth's. He had now forgotten about his life as an experiment and had shed the materials that showed he was nothing more than a scientific study.
Sephiroth exceeded all that he could, and became well known within the high ranks of Soldier. His powers were unmatched and unbeatable. Fear trailed in Sephiroth's shadow.
One day the president dropped off a present for Sephiroth in the form of a sword. Its long, thin steel blade made its actual strength misleading, yet power resonated from the handle of the sword. The first ever time Sephiroth picked up his masamune blade, he knew it was his. Destiny had laid that sword to be his, and finally it was with its true owner.
He took it wherever he went. He would never leave on a mission without it. After a few years, Sephiroth grew a fair bit older and stronger, and on a mission to Mount Nibel, he discovered the truth about his past, his beginnings and about Jenova. He found out why he had been tested on all of his life, and why he had been deprived of his freedom.
The young spiky haired soldier that accompanied him to the reactor was expected to become as strong and powerful enough to be worthy of being classed in a league similar to Sephiroth's. Sephiroth soon found that his DNA had been injected into this soldier, and another called Cloud.
Cloud's body reacted violently to the foreign DNA and his mind melted due to the stress. Zack escaped the facility and broke Cloud free also. Cloud began to adopt Zack's personality in confusion, and having no memories of his own, began to assume Zack's stories of his life as his own. When Zack was murdered, Cloud was able to carry on this illusion of his own.
Cloud – the same soldier Sephiroth had just taken the life of in the City of Ancients.
Sephiroth woke up from his memories, rose from his resting place, and left the cave. He looked up towards the night sky and enjoyed the patterns the stars made on the night sky.
The night was clear, and he watched the landscape enjoying the scenery in the moonlight. The last time he had seen a night like this was once when he was sat on the cliff line beside Cosmo Canyon, staring at the night sky, contemplating his purpose in life. Surely he had a purpose in life. Sephiroth wrapped his long coat around him to block out the sharp chill of night. He sat on a large stone, never letting his eyes fall from the designs of stars.
He had just killed Cloud. He let idea that he had any consideration for his actions dissipate. He had killed many before, and one more would not change who he was or what he thought. One person meant nothing to him. He was more important than any of them. He was soon to be their god.
Sephiroth stood back up and sighed. His warm breath condensed before him on the frosty night. He turned and went back in the cave to sit on what he was using as a makeshift resting place.
'Who is Avalanche?' Sephiroth thought to himself. 'They hate me and try to destroy me yet I don't even know who they are.'
He knew Aeris, though. He had always felt a connection with her, and something within him made him remember of a time where they once knew of each other. He cared a bit about her, but she had to be removed for his plan for ultimate power to succeed. More killing had to occur, more death had to lie at Sephiroth's hands, more destruction had to happen before Sephiroth fulfilled his destiny in life.
He laid his head on the hard stone trying to block out the thoughts in his mind. They taunted him, making him pay for his actions. A sleepless night lay ahead for he who didn't deserve one.
'When I die, will I rest?' he thought on. 'Will I be forced to suffer eternally for my actions?'
It was too late for Sephiroth. All he had now was to face his consequences. You kill, you fight, you murder and you die where you suffer and are tormented for eternity. Never getting peace, never having rest in his mind or heart or soul. He was half-human so he deserved a soul, tormented for eternity or not.
Sephiroth could not change the way he has been. His entire life has been spent in solitude without any parents, family or consideration. He grew as a confined creature until he was allowed to be moulded into a fighter. It was who he was, and it ran through his blood. Jenova was a part of him, but his humanity remained. Surely this means he is deserving of some sort of forgiveness?
He did feel like any other. His heart did not exist purely void of any compassion or mercy. His thoughts plagued his being always reminding him that he was different, and that he was evil. The realisation of his behaviour did hurt him like a sword through the stomach.
A tear flowed down the side of Sephiroth's face. The little child that never had a chance to grow up still remained inside his mind. He curled up and closed his eyes. He was becoming so evil; it was as if he was turning less human. Could anyone help him now? Would they help him now if they had the chance? Why would they?
Sephiroth drifted to sleep, sending a dream into the universe.
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CHAPTER SEVEN – UNTRUTH
The PHS communications device buzzed and crackled with poor reception. Through the static, a deep voice spoke. "You mean Sephiroth was at the City of Ancients?"
"Barret," Aeris replied. "We need to meet somewhere. Try to get yourself and the others to Cosmo Canyon for sunrise tomorrow. I have some news to tell you that I'd rather not say over PHS."
"Oh," Barret had a strong concern in his voice. "Goodnight for now then guys."
Aeris flipped the cover of the PHS shut, and turned away from the shoreline to head back to those who had accompanied Cloud to the City originally. They were Tifa and Red XIII, and along with Barret, Vincent, Yuffie, Cait Sith and Cid, they made up the rebellion group Avalanche.
Tifa was holding her head in her arms, resting her chin on her knees. Red looked up to give a lion-like glance of bravery. Deep inside he wanted to cry or explode with anger, he wasn't sure what, but he was stronger with his emotions than that. Aeris neared them and suggested that they head back to the Tiny Bronco.
The Tiny Bronco was Cid's aeroplane that was recently shot out of the sky, and it's only use now was to sail a small group on shallow waters. Cid is a proud pilot and this seriously mocked his talents as a skilled lord of the skies. Tifa and Red headed over to the immobilised airship, and climbed aboard.
Aeris turned around to face nothing. "I know you're there," she said aloud. No reply came, until Sephiroth came out from behind a small niche in the cliff side. Sephiroth had seemed to have lost that sense of self-appreciation and justification, and was reduced to a shaking, nervous sad excuse for a warrior. His thoughts had reduced him to the wreck Aeris saw in front of her, but she gave no sympathy.
"So, what will you do now? Will you go on being the killer you have become?" Sephiroth did not respond. His head remained low as he simply walked straight past Aeris dragging his sword behind him, making a trail in the soil.
"You have feelings, I know. I can feel what you're thinking. You have a mother too. You're not inhuman, Sephiroth, you were born like every other. Your blood is human and full of life. You have your place in the Promised Land if you choose the right paths in your life, but you haven't so far. Why did you do it, Sephiroth? You changed both everyone's destinies."
Sephiroth stopped but did not turn to look at Aeris. Aeris was talking as an ancient and no longer as herself when she had said those words. This registered within Sephiroth's brain for a second, and then he carried on walking away into the distance.
Sephiroth was insulted that Aeris would refer to him as something as pathetic as 'human'. He was beyond that, but he was now interested in finding out about his origins. He knew the answers were resting in the basement in the mansion in Nibelheim, where he had found them once before, on the mission to Nibelheim with Zack. This was his next destination.
Hours passed, and after a long journey, Sephiroth reached Nibelheim. The entire town was intact and undamaged. The mansion stood proud before him, and he entered and took the familiar path down to the basement of the house. It was here he first re-discovered his experimental life, and more recently, where he awoke after a century's worth of slumber.
There the dairies lay. All of Professor Hojo's observations and discovered were inked onto parchments. Skimming over the texts, he reminded himself of everything he had once read before, the same texts about Jenova, his life, and the plans Hojo held for his number one study.
Except this time, Sephiroth discovered the thing he had missed reading the texts before. He had stumbled across pages detailing about his birth, and more importantly, his birth mother's name – Lucrecia. He was not a production by Professor Gast, nor was he simply a study created for scientific study, but he was a true born human like anyone else; just like Aeris had told him.
He read on. It was during Lucrecia's pregnancy that she was injected with Jenova's cells in a sadistic attempt of Hojo's to relinquish his son to the discovery of the truth about some Reunion theory. Lucrecia was affected by the cells just like Sephiroth had been, yet the affects upon her were fatal. Sephiroth was immediately taken by Gast and Hojo and given life support. This was the future of the soldier force – creating warriors strong enough to rival the power of the ancients.
Although he was disgusted over the discovery he was son of Professor Hojo, the thought of having a birth mother was a great comfort to Sephiroth. He was in fact human, which is why he wasn't the true monster that he believed himself to be. However, he was aware that any chance of having any normal life was beyond achieving now. He was too inhuman to ever become pure again.
Jenova pumped through his blood, and he allowed it. Jenova is what gave him the thirst for power, and in turn, this thirst allowed the Jenova cells to increase his abilities beyond anything he could ever imagine. Death stimulated the Jenova inside him. The destruction of life on this planet was what Jenova was trying to achieve.
When Sephiroth had killed Aeris originally, she returned to the lifestream in an eternal rest that she had earned her entire life. Her body was mourned, and the planet grieved for her loss. When Sephiroth had died, his body merely returned to the flow of souls, and he was given no forgiveness by death. No one mourned, because he had no one to care for him in the living world. 'Why didn't I have anyone?'
It was his punishment. For all the evil and torment he had brought upon the world, it was his destiny to be lonely in death as he was in life. The thought that nothing waited for him at the end of it all, made Sephiroth want to keep his life and find some sort of achievement in it, and he was now willing to fight for his life.
Avalanche and ShinRa was all that stood in his way. He dropped the books uncaring where or how they fell, and swiftly made his way out of the mansion. As he left the mansion he saw Yuffie and Vincent leaving the inn organising their materia. Sephiroth held out his hand, and heat built up around his palm, releasing a bolt of fire straight at the couple.
It missed them, almost hitting Vincent instead, but impacted on the inn and suddenly flames engulfed the door frame. Vincent and Yuffie both jumped away from the flames then looked around to find out where it came from. Sephiroth turned away and headed towards the Nibel mountains.
Behind him, a vicious creature was growling and snarling in Sephiroth's shadow. He turned to see a large, human-sized, purple creature was ready in stance behind him. Its teeth protruded from its mouth, and the way it opened its mouth then clasping his jaws slammed shut displayed its bloodlust.
The creature was one of Vincent's transformations. Vincent was a scientific experiment too, and in states of heightened emotion he would mutate into another being, with no control of the monsters within.
Vincent's transformation leaped through the air at Sephiroth. Its forelegs were stretched out before it, its jaws crashing together viciously, and the bloodlust flooding through its eyes. It neared Sephiroth but was only greeted by the sharp blade of the masamune sword that Sephiroth held before him.
The beast whimpered and fell to the ground. Instantly, Vincent was his normal self again, lay on the floor in a great deal of pain. The sword had punctured through the creature's abdomen deep through to the Vincent that existed within. Vincent relaxed, and felt death wash over him.
Yuffie lay on the ground helpless, the inn awash with flames behind and around her, unable to act to help Vincent. She couldn't move from the height of the blaze, and struggled to breathe with the smoke.
"Yuffie!" Barret screamed from the entrance to the village. He rushed over, and braved the heat of the flames to pick Yuffie up and rush through to the other side. Cid followed him, but chased after Sephiroth who was setting off towards the mountains again.
"Where the hell do you think you are going, Sephiroth?" Cid shouted. He looked to the ground and examined Vincent's lifeless body. "How many people are you going to kill?"
Sephiroth stopped, turned, and casually paced back towards the village.
"Cid, get back here!" shouted Red who had just galloped into the village to join the others.
"Who do you think you are?" continued Cid, ignoring Red's concern. "You have no right to take lives from people. Don't you have a conscience? I hope Shinra find you and burn your ass alive."
Sephiroth continued to near Cid, bringing his masamune in front of him.
"You want to fight me now?" Cid laughed. He grabbed his staff from its attachment on his back, and twirled it in his hand in front of him. "I'm ready."
Sephiroth pushed his left arm forward sending an invisible magic force into Cid, pushing his body helplessly back and pressing him against the well in the middle of the town. Cid couldn't move with every part of his body pushed against the well. His hand softly released grip of his staff, and it bounced on the ground.
Cid's eyes didn't leave Sephiroth. Barret had hold of an unconscious Yuffie, and was shouting at Cid with futile commands. Red started to gallop towards Cid's numb body, in a hope to reach him before Sephiroth had, but instead it was too late.
Within seconds, Sephiroth sliced his masamune through the air, catching Cid in its curve. Cid moaned with pain, and then dropped to the ground lifeless, his face lying in the mud. Sephiroth's cape flapped with his turn, as he walked back towards the Nibelheim mountains.
Red reached Cid's body and sniffed his side. Cid's blood was being mopped up by the grassy earth beneath him. Red let out a howl and turned to move towards Sephiroth, until Barret stood in his path shaking his head, Yuffie lying cold in his grasp.
Sephiroth walked on, his mind focused on finding Jenova. Another life was taken by Sephiroth.
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CHAPTER EIGHT – TRAITOR
The group of Avalanche sat in silence outside the town of Nibelheim. The entire town was engulfed with the blaze. Red had left the group and was trying to contact Aeris to bring the buggy to Nibelheim immediately – Yuffie needed a hospital.
Yuffie's breathing was laboured. She was sat on Barret's lap on the ground, in his arms, her head buried into her chest. She was conscious, but barely enough to be aware of where she was.
"You don' worry," Barret whispered into her ear. "Everythin's gonna be jus' fine."
"I'm sorry, Barret," Yuffie muttered. Barret looked down at her. Her eyes were open now, but her breathing hadn't calmed. She still had her head buried in her chest. "I couldn't do anything to help, and then I just fell to the ground." Tears softly ran down her cheeks, and onto her clothes.
"No, no, don' you worry yer little head."
"Barret, where are the others?"
"Red's gone to get help from Aeris and Tifa." Barret replied, knowing soon she will ask about Vincent.
"Oh," Yuffie said. "Where's Cid?"
"Cid was killed tryin' to save Vincent," Barret said softly. "I'm sorry, Yuffie."
She didn't respond. She kept her head pressed against Barret and shut her eyes, trying to stop the flow of tears.
"Cloud will come and help us all," Yuffie whispered to herself. "Cloud will come and we'll all be okay again." Barret overheard her, and stroked her hair carefully avoiding her burn marks.
Red galloped over. "The buggy's here!" he shouted to the two of them before he'd even reached them. Barret got to his feet carrying Yuffie, while Red started circling him. Barret walked towards the buggy, but before following, Red stood watching Nibelheim in flames.
"Just like Cloud described to us," Red said to himself. The roof of one of the houses had just given way to the pressure of the heat and folded in on itself. Red turned and slowly walked away.
As Barret neared the buggy, the back doors flung open. Aeris sat inside, and quickly helped Barret carry Yuffie on board. "We're heading to Cosmo Canyon," she said to Barret waiting for Red to catch up. "It's the closest place that will be able to help her."
"Agreed," he said trying to make Yuffie as comfortable as possible. Red jumped and flew through the air into the buggy. Aeris slammed the doors shut, and signalled to Tifa to start the buggy. Tifa started the buggy and headed towards Cosmo. The whole journey was across rough terrain, so Barret was constantly trying to stop Yuffie from hitting herself on the walls of the buggy.
Suddenly, the van stopped and swerved. "Sorry guys," Tifa shouted from the front. "It's Rufus."
The whole group climbed out of the vehicle and went round to watch a ShinRa helicopter choosing to land a stretch in front of them. As the propellers started to slow, a well-dressed red-headed man climbed from the helicopter followed by two well-armed soldiers.
"Rufus," Red snarled.
"Well, well. We're a small group aren't we? Where's that full team of law-fighting low-lifers I've laughed at for so long?" Rufus mocked. No one said anything, but Barret raised his gun-arm, and you could hear the internal clicking of bullets loading into position. "Oh, I wouldn't do something I would learn to regret if I were you."
Tifa slowly moved over to grab Barret's arm. She looked in his eyes as if to suggest he shouldn't do this. Barret acknowledged Tifa, but didn't lower his arm. Rufus watched Barret ignore Tifa's look and smiled. A dark haired man had just stepped out of the helicopter behind him too. He was very smartly dressed.
"I'd like you to meet a staff member and friend of mine – oh! But of course, he's your friend too. I call him Reeve, but you know him as 'Cait Sith'?" Rufus smirked.
Reeve lowered his head. Avalanche had known that the mechanical toy that bounced around was a spy, but he had decided to be an insider for Avalanche instead, and Cloud had believed his change in loyalties.
"He was my little spy in on your group," Rufus continued. "And then I find out recently that he's accessing files that don't concern him. Suspicious, I monitor his actions, and find he's now working for you. Well, we don't take well to traitors."
One of Rufus' bodyguards loaded and raised his gun at Reeve, only to be met by Barret moving his gun-arm towards him, and firing a few rounds only just missing the soldier's body. Barret turned his focus once again to Rufus. The two guards re-aimed at Barret.
"Please, you haven't even heard the news yet." Rufus displayed a rather smug face.
"He's taken Jenova." Everyone looked up to a small drop in land that was near them, and stood on top of it was Sephiroth. He jumped from the fault in land, and walked casually towards them.
"Sephiroth!" Rufus said excitedly.
"Where is she?" Sephiroth injected, uninterested in whatever Rufus was going to say.
"Please, Sephiroth, I was just about to tell my fantastic news."
"I'm more interested in what your insides look like spread across the ground," Sephiroth said simply. He stopped a few paces away from the group. Avalanche, Rufus, and Sephiroth all stood a distance apart facing in at each other.
"Fine, I've ordered the disposition of Jenova, and it should happen in about half an hour, as a matter of fact." Rufus said, as if he was sharing a joke with the soldiers accompanying him.
Without time to realise what had happened, Sephiroth had his sword in front of him, the tip under Rufus' chin. The soldier's haphazardly rushed to load their guns and aim at Sephiroth. Reeve sneaked behind the scene, and climbed into the helicopter to safety.
"That unused rocket will come in handy after all," Rufus was looking down at the blade held at his neck; the tip almost piercing his skin.
"You're going to send her into space."
"Not only that, but Junon Cannon is armed and ready to fire upon the rocket, as it clears our atmosphere." The soldiers started to fire upon Sephiroth, missing with every shot. Sephiroth moved out of the way, providing Rufus and the soldiers with the opportunity to climb into the helicopter. The blades started to whirl, and the helicopter ascended.
Barret considered making use of his gun-arm, but Reeve was a member of Avalanche, and he wasn't going to risk blowing the helicopter up. Sephiroth was starting to run into the distance towards Rocket Town.
"You'll never make it in time, Sephiroth!" Rufus shouted from the helicopter over the sound of the blades. Barret lowered his gun-arm, and noticing this, the soldiers opened fire on Avalanche. The group scrambled for cover inside the buggy, but before reaching safety, Barret was shot in the shoulder.
He fell to the ground in surprise. Red pulled him towards the buggy and helped him get up. They both climbed on board the buggy, and Aeris kicked the vehicle into gear. The buggy jerked violently into life and started forward.
"He's gone," Tifa said looking up at the skies through a window in the buggy.
"Ok, here's the plan," Barret said, holding his shoulder lightly, clearly in a great deal of pain. Tifa was looking after Yuffie making sure she was ok, as Barret was tending to himself. "I'm gonna go with Red—"
"You're not going anywhere," Aeris interrupted from the front of the van. Tifa nodded in agreement. "I'll go with Red to Rocket Town to check out what's going on, and Tifa and you can take Yuffie to Cosmo Canyon for help."
Yuffie began to stir. "Tifa?" she whispered.
"Everything's going to be fine," she replied, lying Yuffie on the floor of the buggy. Aeris signalled to Red, and he jumped out of the buggy through the front door after Aeris. Tifa jumped into the driver's seat, and Aeris waved her good luck, watching the buggy drive slowly towards Cosmo Canyon.
"That was Reeve?" Red asked Aeris.
"We need to help him, but we can't do much now. We have to go to Rocket Town, there's something suspicious going on."
"Agreed, let's go." Red said bouncing ahead leading the way.
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CHAPTER NINE – DECISIONS
Aeris and Red reached Rocket Town to find its population in a panic. People pushed past them carrying luggage and bags carrying all their personal items. Aeris and Red stood looking around in confusion at the townspeople. Aeris noticed a young girl crying into her arms amongst the disorder. She moved towards the girl was almost knocked to her feet by a young man.
"Oh god, I'm sorry," he said paying no attention to who he'd actually pushed, and carried on moving forward until Aeris stopped him.
"Please, what's the rush?" the man looked at her now.
"ShinRa's started the engine to rocket number twenty-six, but they have no plans to launch it!" the man explained hastily. Puzzled, Aeris looked up at the rocket, and when she looked back the man was rushing into the distance trying to carry as many possessions as possible.
Looking again towards the rocket, she saw beyond the crowds of people, Sephiroth was at the base of the rocket challenging ShinRa soldiers. Aeris started to push through the mess of people, trying to retain her politeness, with Red following in her path.
Aeris kept her head as far above the people as she could, trying to keep a track on Sephiroth. He was being stalled by floods of ShinRa soldiers trying to restrain him. Amongst the rush, someone stood on one of Red's paws, making him howl and lash out at the person in raw pain. The woman he had bared his teeth too stood frozen, a young girl in her hands which was equally in shock. Red had to carry on; he had no time to apologise.
While pushing through the crowd, Aeris found a young boy sat on the floor almost being stood on. Aeris pushed over, Red following, and knelt beside the kid helping him to his feet. She tried to stand up, but was constantly knocked down by the push of people.
"MOVE AWAY, PLEASE." She screamed at the people around her, but few took notice. In the end, she picked the young lad up in her arms, threw her force into the people around her, and began to push through the crowds with no consideration of who was knocked to the ground, or who was hurt in the process. Red copied by putting on a fierce look at the crowds, scaring them back.
Once they neared the rocket, there were less people. Aeris placed the lad on the ground and told him to go find his mother or someone who could help him get out of the town. Red bounced ahead towards the rocket, and Aeris drew her staff and ran following her companion. They were stopped by a small group of soldiers at the base of the rocket.
"I'm sorry miss—" one said to Aeris. She looked at them with disgust and held her staff in front of her in the suggestion that she will be willing to fight them if she'd need to. "We will not fight you, miss. Now if you could please take your pet and evacuate the town—"
Red jumped at the soldier and pushed him to the ground, his stunned body landing in the mud. Aeris rushed past, and Red pounced off the soldier's body and on towards the rocket. The other soldiers were in pursuit, messaging on their radios that two unauthorised citizens were heading towards the rocket.
Aeris and Red reached the base of the ladder upon the side of the rocket to find Sephiroth halfway up. "Sephiroth!" she shouted to him. He didn't respond, and continued his ascent. She placed her foot on the bottom rung of the ladder and turned to Red. "Are you coming?"
"I can't, it's too tall. There's no way I'd make it. Good luck, Aeris." He said looking up at the height of the rocket.
"Sephiroth, you can't do anything, Rufus will be here any minute." She shouted up at Sephiroth, climbing the ladder behind him.
The speakers came to life when a ShinRa official spoke across the airwaves. "This is the countdown to launch - two minutes and counting."
"You won't do it, Sephiroth," Aeris shouted up to him. He had reached the platform and was moving towards the rocket. Aeris reached the top of the ladder, and climbed onto the platform. She started to move towards Sephiroth, who was ripping off panels from the side of the rocket.
"One minute and thirty seconds and counting - all ShinRa must evacuate the rocket area."
Sephiroth started pushing buttons in vain to open the panel door on the side of the rocket. Aeris was still nearing closer to him, cautiously, shouting words of advice that it is now too late and that he has no chance.
Aeris gave up, and realised that herself and Red did not have much time to evacuate themselves now, and started walking towards the ladder again. The rocket kicked into life, shaking the whole structure, making the platform uneasy to walk on. The platform broke in half and the ladder moved away from the rest of the platform, and crashed to the ground barely missing Aeris.
Red was shouting with concern from the ground. The shaking made Aeris lose her footing, and she fell to the floor of the platform, barely hanging on by holding onto the railing that ran along the platform.
Another vibration moved through the rocket trembling the remains of the platform, knocking Sephiroth into the rail, and Aeris off the side of the platform. Her legs now dangled below the platform, her arms wrapped around the railing for support.
Sephiroth sliced through the wires of the side of the rocket with his masamune. When he heard the screams of panic from Aeris, he turned towards her. He knew he was running out on time fast, and now his mind was struggling with the decision of saving Aeris or of saving Jenova from destruction.
The rocket gave another jolt, knocking one of Aeris' arms loose. She shouted out with fear, and Red circled below her growling with nothing he could do. Sephiroth carefully staggered along the unstable platform towards Aeris, and when he could, he dived to grab her arm that remained wrapped around the rail.
He stretched out his other arm so Aeris could reached it, but when she tried, she failed, and another jolt made both of them lose grip, and Aeris fell. Sephiroth swayed his arm at Aeris trying to grab her, but it was too late. Aeris gently fell through the air, and hit the ground.
Sephiroth stood, raised his masamune and jammed it into the side of the rocket. Electricity buzzed as wires and machinery was cut, and a small fire caught at the side of the door. He retracted his sword, and then jumped off the shaking platform to beside the lifeless body of Aeris. Red arched his back howling.
Sephiroth picked Aeris up into her arms and turned to Red. "The rocket's going to explode."
Red looked up at him in confusion, and Sephiroth started to sprint as fast as he could away from the rocket. Red dashed on after him, and flew through the air over a small rift in the ground, hiding behind the sudden drop in land using it as protection. Sephiroth dropped beside him, Aeris in his arms. He laid her lifeless body on the ground and kneeled down shielding him and her body with his coat.
The rocket exploded, the blast engulfing the wooded town of Rocket Town creating a huge blaze that set alight everything in its path. The smoke from the explosion spread through too, covering the skies with a black dust. Anyone who wasn't able to escape from the town would have surely perished.
From high above the action, President Shinra's helicopter circled Rocket Town area. He leaned over to view the landscape out of his window. He began to laugh, mumbling the words, "pitiful fools."
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CHAPTER TEN – FAMILY
Sephiroth stepped into the mouth of a large cave. He was now being tracked by Rufus and his flunkies, and apparently they were not too interested what state his body was found in. Sephiroth had fought them off, often killing soldiers in the effort to escape, and his evasion has led him to where he stood now.
From deep within the cave, an eerie bright blue and purple glow resonated. He followed the twisting passageways until they led him to the centre of the cavern where the natural blue walls pulsed with life. The walls had streaks of colour though them where they had absorbed parts of the flow of the lifestream from the earth.
By the far side of the room, a small pool of clear water lay. In front of it, a woman stood looking at her reflection that echoed on the water's surface. Sephiroth walked slowly towards her, and moved to beside her, joining in looking at the reflection on the surface. Sephiroth watched her emotionless face in the ripples of the water.
"You're not surprised that I'm here," he said softly to her. She didn't move, but after a few moments she looked up and turned her head to Sephiroth.
"No," she said. Her voice croaked as she spoke, but her eyes were deep and did not display the age that the rest of her body did. "What is your name?"
Sephiroth felt connected to the woman. Usually he would not have answered truthfully nor at all to someone's question asking him for his name, yet this time he hadn't even thought about it before the word came out of his mouth. "Sephiroth," he replied.
She gave a slight smile then lowered her head back to looking at the deep pool of water. "How did you find me?"
"I came here to hide from ShinRa,"
She smiled again. "They won't find you here," she said merrily. "I've been hiding from ShinRa for some time myself."
"On your own?" Sephiroth asked.
She nodded, the smile still fixed on her face. Her smile seemed to be hiding a world of emotions that lay within her, but she still looked back at Sephiroth's face with that same grin on her face. "I have no family," she said simply, before lowering her head again with a sigh.
Sephiroth was dying to know more. He had many questions to ask the woman, about who she was, or why she was here, or even where her family where, but Sephiroth didn't know why she was so important to know.
He closed his eyes and threw his hand to his face to block out a headache. The pain grew, almost knocking him to his knees, until the woman grabbed Sephiroth's shoulders. She looked directly at him now, and when he had opened his eyes, they were shimmering a bright Mako blue.
She stood back, shaking her head. "No," she said fearful of Sephiroth's new eyes.
He looked at her innocently. "It's not what you think," he said shielding his face from her. "I'm not here to come for you. I just have Mako poisoning from experiments by ShinRa."
"You're my son," she said, bluntly.
He looked up. His eyes had returned to normal, but were big and awake to the comment the woman had just thrown at him.
"You are – Lucrecia?"
She nodded. Sephiroth's birth mother stood before him. Her skin was battered by age, and her eyes told tales that Sephiroth could now read like an open book. Suddenly it was as if all the questions he held for both her and himself had been filled in with answers.
"I thought you were dead," she began. "Hojo was a monster, and used us both. For years I tried to find you, but I heard that ShinRa held you and you were being trained as an elite soldier with lies about your origins. I knew there was no place for me anymore, but I just hoped you retained your humanity and you weren't becoming Jenova.
"I gave up my search and found exile in these mountains. The last news I heard about you was of your death."
She moved towards him expecting embrace, but Sephiroth only moved back away from her open arms. She grabbed his arm and pushed up his sleeve far enough to reveal a strange symbol on his arm. She traced the tattoo with her fingers, and then let go of his arm.
"It really is you."
Sephiroth had no words for her. He just stood looking into her arms. The mark that was on his arm was just something Hojo had once given him to brand him, but he noticed that Lucrecia had a similar scarring on her bare arm.
"Your eyes glow so brightly. You still have beautiful eyes."
"Am I… human?" he said, with no movement of his head.
She gave a short laugh in confusion, thinking Sephiroth couldn't possibly be asking this question. She knew it was a fair question, but it was too hard for her to answer. The memories of the days of her pregnancy came back to her.
"Of course you are," she said in disbelief. "Hojo injected me with Jenova cells while I was pregnant with you, purely so while you grew within my womb, you adopted the new alien DNA. Yet like any other human, you were born upon the world and not created. I am as much of an experiment as you are," Sephiroth stroked her cheek catching a tear.
"Don't ever listen to Hojo's ramblings of you being his creation. He is just fixated on the fact he has given you strength. But I don't care if you're stronger or more powerful, Sephiroth. You were still my baby, and they will never take that from me."
She paused and pushed the hair from her eyes. "They came in, and stole you away from me. I had tried to take what life we had back, but they came and stole you from my arms. Hojo was supporting them too, explaining to me the benefits to science that you be donated to a laboratory, but I had given up science after all I had suffered.
"You've grown so much."
"Jenova," Sephiroth muttered. "Jenova is my mother." He looked at himself as if the words that left his mouth weren't even his. He walked past Lucrecia and continued towards the entrance.
"Sephiroth," she said to his back. He stopped, but swallowed what he was about to say, and continued to walk away from her.
"Sephiroth, I've suffered for so long not knowing what you looked like, or who you are, or if you were even really dead. How can you walk out continuing to allow me to suffer? Is this how you treat people? Do you make everyone suffer?"
Sephiroth walked on, and out of the cave.
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CHAPTER ELEVEN – AVALANCHE
Tifa stared into the dancing flame of the Cosmo Candle. The fire sparked and embers shot from the flame and sizzled out on the cold ground. Tifa stared straight into the heart of the flame, unfocused on anything in particular, but instead allowing her mind to wander aimlessly leaving her body in a state of hypnotism sat looking into the fire.
Her concern for the other members of Avalanche was constantly on her mind. She also often found herself thinking of how she felt about Sephiroth. She was upset and annoyed, but she still retained a sense of pity for him. No one could understand Sephiroth's way of thinking, but Tifa believed that deep inside the cold soldier, a part of him didn't understand either.
Sephiroth had an air of mystery about him. He never had any friends; he was never loved, never cared for, and now he holds his true self shielded away under a distant detached exterior. He walked and a deathly chill flowed in his shadow. People knew of his name and his nature, but no one ever knew what this legend looked like.
'Poor soul,' she thought, glaring at the flame. She saw Sephiroth's image in the flame. He turned his back to her, and walked through the fire in reminiscence of that day, five years ago, when Sephiroth reduced Nibelheim to ashes.
Sephiroth was evil. He maybe a human, but evil flowed through his blood, mind and soul. He fought to protect a creature that only existed to purge the land of the humanity that walks upon it. He is tied to two allegiances, which could be why his mind is so cluttered with chaos.
Barret stepped up onto the raised ground where the Cosmo Candle burned. He sat silently beside Tifa, and looked into the flame. Tifa never looked at him, but acknowledged that he was there. They sat in silence for a few moments simply watching the fire dance.
"How's your shoulder?" Tifa enquired.
"Ahh y'know, it'll heal. Any news?"
Tifa sighed. "No, they haven't come back yet," she turned her head to Barret in concern. "I'm worried about what Rufus plans to do next."
Barret moved closer to Tifa and placed his arm around her shoulder. "Whatever they do," he said in his ever confident and assertive attitude. "We'll do it. We're Avalanche! We'll fight Shinra to th' end any day."
Tifa threw her arms around Barret and squeezed him as hard as she could. She cared for Barret so much, as he'd been through all the hard times and so had she to him. He made an effort to hug her back the best he could with his injury, until Tifa realised the agony she was in. "Oh, Barret," she said moving away from his tender shoulder.
"It's jus' a bit sore, that's all," Barret replied gently, assuring Tifa it was okay. They both looked back into the flame. So much thought had gone on around the candle, it almost seemed as if the undying flame absorbed the feelings. Watching the flame was so tranquil, and the flame felt like it possessed the knowledge of the Ancients, just like the lifestream.
"We should set off soon – something tells me they're not comin'."
"No way, you're not leaving here with your shoulder in that state."
"You ain't goin on yer own, you'll get yerself killed!" Barret demanded.
"Yeah, and so might you!" Tifa said standing. Barret was taken aback by Tifa's outburst, but without any explanation, she just left with a huff and moved away from Barret. She walked away from the flame, and down the steps out of the small peaceful town of Cosmo Canyon.
She regretted shouting at Barret but she was scared, tired and upset. She didn't mean to shout at Barret, and hoped he'd understand that. She sat herself down on a small ridge in the landscape that faced towards the sea.
The waves lapped up on the shores and the surf soaked into the sands on the rough beach near Cosmo. The air was fresh, and the cool breeze was blowing into her face throwing her hair behind her head. The whole midnight sky reflected on the still, calm water littering the landscape with stars.
Tifa rocked her legs in front of her. She was so relaxed here at Cosmo, but anyone would feel that way there, whatever the state of themselves or the world.
She glanced down to the ocean to see a large object washing up onto the beaches, slowly drifting in the leisurely current that night. The object was a carcass of an animal, and the animal was now pushed onto the shore lodged into the sand.
"Poor soul," Tifa said, the thoughtful girl said as she kind-heartedly jumped down onto the sands and walked towards the remains of the animal. She moved towards the sea kicking the sand around her feet, walking slowly in the sand, inspecting the animal from what she could see by the light of the moon. As she neared it, it began to look more and more familiar to her.
"Oh god," she cried into her hands. Suddenly, she picked up her pace and began to sprint towards the animal, before throwing her knees beside it in the sand. "Red? Red talk to me!"
He didn't respond. His fur was matted drenched from the sea; the sand gritted into his coat. Blood was dried into the fur on his head covering a possibly deep slash to his forehead.
Tears fell tenderly down Tifa's cheek and on to Red. She threw her arms around Red and felt a very faint heart beat. She closed her eyes in the security that whatever state he was in, he was still alive.
Tifa pushed her arms under Red into the sand and tried to lift his weighty body. Tifa was a very skilled fighter, with a great deal of strength, but Red's physique meant he weighed a fair amount. In compromise, she held him awkwardly in her arms and half-dragged, half-carried him towards Cosmo.
On her eagerness to get back to the town, her foot snagged a rock embedded in the sand and she fell forward dropping Red. Her face landed in the sand, and Red slid down a small slope away from her. She pushed her hands into the sand around her and dragged her head upwards. She climbed to her feet again, and clasped Red once again determined to get him to help.
She pulled hard at Red, but she was losing strength quickly. She was tugging, but her attempts were futile, as Red would only slip out of her arms and slump into the sand. She fell backwards and sat there in the sand, tears streaming down her face, unable to help Red. She moved towards Red and lay beside him.
The next thing she knew she was asleep beneath the stars. She had to give up her attempt of dragging Red off the shore, but she was so far from Cosmo it was clear she would never make it. The emotions she had endured became too much for her to bear any longer, and her body forced her to rest.
She opened her eyes to see she was back in Cosmo Canyon the following day. Once she knew where she was, her next instinct was to find out what had happened to Red, but that was quickly solved when Red moved into view, standing over her.
"Red," she said, reaching up and throwing her arms around Red's head.
"Thank you for saving me, Tifa," Red said in a voice which was no longer his. It seemed the recent events had had their effects on others as well as Tifa. Red started to stroke his head against Tifa's affectionately. "Barret found us on the sands when looking for you."
"Oh Red," Tifa said. She was unable to voice her feelings, so instead gave him another tight squeeze thankful that he was alright.
"Yuffie died in her coma shortly after Barret had found us on shore. I'm sorry, Tifa. He's burying her now." The way Red told Tifa was direct and very unlike Red's tactful explanations.
"Where's Aeris?"
Red paused. After just telling her the news of Yuffie, it became difficult to explain another death.
"She died trying to stop the explosion at Rocket Town." Red felt Tifa's hold of him weakening, and he nuzzled her back to the bed so she could rest.
"Explosion?"
"Yes. Sephiroth tried to prevent the rocket from taking off, but he had already discovered that it was Shinra's plan to destroy the rocket grounded. When Aeris found out, he only concern was to stop Sephiroth from remaining behind while Rocket Town was destroyed. She fell from the platform, after Sephiroth had almost helped her to safety.
"We fled Rocket Town in time to be safe from the explosion, and then Sephiroth and I buried Aeris' body. I found a way of getting by on water, but my craft was destroyed somehow. That's all I remember."
"Sephiroth tried to save Aeris?"
"I guess he did," Red replied. "I thought originally his only concern was the rocket, but he carried her away in the rush to escape Rocket Town. It was too late though."
"What about Jenova?"
"I guess he couldn't save her. He tried to stop the explosion, but the whole town was destroyed, and all those who were left behind along with it."
"Is Sephiroth alive?" Tifa asked trying to find out as much as she could. She didn't understand Sephiroth's motives anymore.
"I don't know."
"Yo!" Barret shouted from outside the room. "We're movin' out. Come on."
Tifa sat up. "No, Barret, you can't use your gun arm with your shoulder in bandages, and you're not healing any time soon. Plus, we'll do better knowing you'll be okay in Cosmo."
"She's right," Red said, to a slightly annoyed Barret who had just entered, displaying a look that showed he was clearly unimpressed.
"Shi', you guys better come back to me y'know. I can't lose any one else." Barret said, wishing he'd never mentioned it. But this was what was all on everyone's minds. None of them would be able to cope with another.
Tifa pushed herself off her bed with Red's help. They both wished Barret good look and accepted the fact that he was displeased with having to stay behind, but moved on and out of the town without him. Barret slumped into a chair, sulking at the fact he couldn't lend a hand.
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CHAPTER TWELVE – SHINRA
"Damn you, Shinra, screw your methods!" Reeve shouted, after throwing his body around and heading towards the stairs out of Rufus' office.
"Don't be irrational, Reeve. You will always work for me. I guarantee the day you stop will be the day you die," Rufus shouted back, kicking his big trendy leather chair tilting so his feet rested on his desk.
Reeve turned and faced him again. "You and your petty threats," he replied, pointing directly at the president. "You're nothing like your father. You're a sadistic power-hungry failure."
"You'll regret these words, just as you'll regret walking out of this room."
Reeve paused looking at Rufus. He growled and raised his arm at Rufus again. "People suffer because of you – shit, even the Planet is dying because of you. Damn you, this company and everyone who works for you. I hope this place goes to ruins and you all go to hell."
Reeve stormed out of the office and past Rufus' receptionist, careless to what he knocked over in his path. The door next to his receptionist slammed shut with a loud crash. Upstairs, Rufus merely grinned at Reeve's anger, rose out of his chair and walked to the display of windows that allowed him to gaze up on his father's creation of the ultimate city as the sun dashed the sky with colours of dusk.
"So this is the way it is, then." He said to himself. He walked back to his desk, and pushed one of the buttons on his desktop intercom.
"Yes sir?" a woman's voice buzzed through the intercom's speaker.
"Get me Tseng," Rufus replied. Barely minutes later, Rufus' private force of soldier – The Turks – walked into his office, having taken a short amount of time to reach his office, and came in full uniform. This was always a bad omen.
"'Sup?" Reno asked casually, making himself comfortable on one of the chairs facing Rufus' desk. Beside him stood Tseng, sharply dressed as ever, and stood to attention in a formal fashion. Behind him loitered the further two members of the Turks who stood untidily looking randomly around the room.
Rufus' looked up and addressed them. "I have orders for probably your last ever mission."
"Hey woah," chimed Elena. "I ain't goin' on no dangerous mission."
Rufus rolled his eyes and pushed his pen along the desk. "No, it's not a suicide mission; it just seems I may have to disband the Turks and Soldier."
Rude quickly smacked Reno in his stomach, knocking the air out of him to prevent him from expressing his instant dislike to that idea, and Reno silently choked to catch his breath back.
Disguising what had just happened with embarrassment, Tseng was quick to ask, "What do you need us to do, sir?"
Rufus pushed his pen some more then stopped. "I want you to kill Reeve."
"What? I ain't killin' Reeve. He's like a boss to us," Elena contributed with her always unwelcome opinion.
"Shut up!" Rufus said slamming his fist into his desk. Elena jumped in surprise at his outburst, and Reno almost fell out of his uncomfortable-but-cool position on the seat. "Just do it. Can I leave it to you to get it done?"
"Sir," Tseng began. Rufus simply looked at Tseng. Usually, it was only Tseng's opinion which mattered, yet Rufus did not want to hear what he particularly had to say on this matter. "Yes sir." Tseng agreed, and turned away from the desk towards the staircase leading out of his office.
Outside Rufus' office, Elena was restless. "We're not gonna do it, are we Tseng?"
"No. Rufus is out of his mind asking us to assassinate an employee. Anyway, I like Reeve."
"So what are we gonna do?" Elena asked innocently.
"Well I hear there's a nice pub in Wutai."
"Turtle's Paradise!" Reno chipped in.
"The drinks are on me," Tseng said leading the way out of Shinra Tower. On the way out, they threw their equipment and employee cards at the receptionist and told her of their decisions. The gang walked proudly through Sector 5 and outside of Midgar's walls forever.
"I guess this is something I'll have to handle myself," Rufus said in response to the news of the mutiny. When he was on his own, he used a key combination to unlock a safe under his desk. Amongst various items of value, there was a series of buttons.
Rufus pushed a button labelled 'Destruct'.
****
Tifa and Red reached Midgar just in time to meet the Turks heading out of the city.
"Sir, it's Avalanche," Elena said to Tseng, the rest of the posse following behind. Tseng stopped and grinned.
"We ain't with Shinra no more," Reno explained, with an accompanying nod from Rude. "Rufus has gone mad."
"Good luck," Tseng added, before smiling and walking towards a private vehicle that had been prepared for them. The Turks climbed into the van, and Rude drove the team away from Midgar.
Red looked up at Tifa in confusion. "What's going on?"
A man appeared from within the gates of Midgar. "I believe I can answer that," he said nearing the two of them. It was Reeve. "The Turk's have quit, and I've left in exile. Heidegger's been jailed for treason, Scarlet's been hiding somewhere for a few days, and no one's seen Hojo. The whole company is falling."
"And so the end begins, eh?" Red said taking in the latest events.
Reeve walked over. "Jenova wasn't aboard the rocket in Rocket Town, that was just simply part of Rufus' plan to get rid of Sephiroth, and the money-wasting town that surrounded the rocket. Jenova was aboard his latest airship, the Highwind.
"Jenova's held in a secure laboratory in Midgar, and I'm not sure what he plans to do, but I can guarantee if Sephiroth is still alive, he will have no doubt found out about Jenova by now. Rufus on the other hand is demented."
"Now, now, Reeve. Please," a voice came from atop of the thick perimeter wall of Midgar. It was Rufus, stood with his shotgun in hand.
"Let's not tell them all my secrets, Reeve. But there is one piece of information I'd like to share with you all here. I've set the detonation sequence on each reactor. In two hours, the entire city will be destroyed, and half the planet.
"Oh, sorry, that's just over an hour and a half now. That's the price Midgar will pay for being a town full of traitors. Welcome to the ending to our little company, Reeve, but don't worry, the grand finale is yet to come. The Turks were sent to get rid of you, but I guess I will have to do that myself now."
Rufus raised his shotgun and aimed down at Reeve. Before Reeve could even react, Rufus had fired, and Reeve was instantly blown backwards by the impact of the ammo piercing his chest. He slammed into the ground, and Rufus laughed. "I warned you not to be a fool, Reeve. I never liked you anyway."
Tifa rushed over to the body of Reeve. He wasn't moving at all, and even through they had never properly met before, Tifa had a lot of respect for the man who defied Shinra to save the world. She tried in vain to tend to Reeve's severe wound, until she was distracted by a loud crash to the ground next to her.
She looked over, past Red to see Rufus lying on the ground, his body slashed. Looking up to where he stood, Sephiroth towered over them, his masamune in hand.
"I never liked you," he snarled at Rufus from above him.
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CHAPTER 13 – DARKNESS
Tifa and Red gazed up at Sephiroth, startled by Rufus' death. He dropped from the tall walls of Midgar above them, to beside Rufus' body, and pushed his sword into the dry earth. With a shove, he heaved the weighty gates to Sector 5 open, and picked his sword back up. He held the gates open for Tifa and Red to enter, and then let it slam shut again behind him.
They stood looking at Midgar tower. Sephiroth picked his sword up into his grasp and with a parting good luck nod, he sprinted off into Midgar in a start in the race to save Jenova. For Avalanche, their race to save Midgar was just beginning too. Tifa lead the way to the Sector 5 reactor just to start somewhere.
She led Red through the security gates unlocking them with ease. Down deep within the reactor the temperature increased and the air became more humid. Red gazed around the core of the reactor. Gas filtered through vents below their feet, and over the side of the suspended bridge they had to cross, Red could see so far into the earth he could see the lifestream.
"Gosh," he exclaimed, resting his paws on the railing that ran alongside the bridge. Once he had finished looking over the side, he dropped to his feet, pushing his weight onto the bridge. The bridge shook, which in turn brought various sounds of metal on metal which echoed reaching through the maze of pipes. Tifa tried to steady herself on the bridge that was rocking and looked at Red.
"Sorry," Red said in shame.
"I just want to get this over with," Tifa walked towards the main machine panel for the reactor and tapped a few buttons. "Ok, this isn't as easy as I thought it would be."
Red neared Tifa coughing forcefully. When he stopped, Tifa explained to him the air was thick with the dregs of the refining process of the planet. As well as the fact the planet's life source is being stolen, air like what they were breathing just a little of was being pumped through releases in the reactor and into Midgar outside. Tifa slammed her fist into the panel out of frustration.
"Look here," Red called over, pointing out some design schematics that were under a control panel. "It seems the self-detonation bomb is inside the core of the reactor."
"If the bomb's in the core of this reactor, that means it's deep within it at the bottom of that pit that is below us. We can't disarm it without jumping into that stuff."
"Surely if Rufus began the detonation sequence in his office to start them all, there might be a way to disarm them all too."
Tifa nodded in agreement. "We only have just over an hour. Will we make it?"
"We don't have a choice," Red said, before turning towards the bridge again and heading out of the reactor galloping, Tifa running behind. They ran as fast as they could through the slums of Sector 5, warning as many people as possible along the way. They generally just shrugged off such suggestions, and said that their President would save them from any terrorist attack.
Tifa would reverently respond with rushed warnings of the President being dead, and that their precious Midgar will explode whether they believed her or not, but Red would try and nudge her away, constantly reminding her they could stop it if they focus. The people of Midgar would also often explain that they cannot leave all they possess in case she's lying.
Tifa would be pained by the people's wish to stay behind and throw their lives away. As they neared Midgar tower, Red explained they wouldn't be throwing their lives away, but instead would be forced to leave them behind. This is all they had in the world.
"Are you ready, Tifa?" Red asked, stood gazing up at the tower with a sense of insecurity himself.
"We have to do this, Red," Tifa reminded him in a voice that was still trying to remain composed over her sorrow. She ran towards the entrance of the building and pushed the doors open. Without Barret's gunfire shelling away to disturb ShinRa employees, Tifa was cautious to re-enter this tower. When they entered, no one was there. Tifa and Red stopped and looked around at the empty lobby.
"I don't understand," Red said.
Tifa shrugged. She ran up the stairs of the lower levels until she couldn't go any further and had to use the elevator. She prodded the call button and waited. In her impatience, she constantly pushed the call button and slammed her fist into the wall. Red looked up at her concerned, but Tifa just glanced him a look back to show her anxiousness.
They rushed into the elevator when the doors pulled open, and Tifa immediately pushed for the top floor. A small panel on the elevator wall displayed the floor numbers. Tifa watched the numbers change with growing intolerance for the speed of the elevator. In annoyance, she threw her fist into the metal doors.
The elevator grinded to a half wit the piercing noise of the metal brakes screeching against the walls. The light dimmed to nothing, and then was instantly replaced by a soft red light which would go brighter and dimmer.
"Tifa!" Red exclaimed, blaming Tifa for the elevator stopping.
"Warning! Sixty minutes until self-detonation of Midgar structure and reactors. Sixty minutes," a voice from the speakers blared at them. Tifa assumed that the elevators must have been cut off during the last hour's sequence of self-detonation. She punched the doors again, and they popped open where they are. They opened between floors, but with enough space for Tifa and Red to climb up and out onto one of the floors.
The room was filled with computer panels, and beyond this room there was a small laboratory. Tifa rushed over to one of the computers and started examining the controls. Red jumped putting his front paws on the panel so he could see.
"Do you know how to use it, Tifa?"
"It can't be that hard," she said confidently, pushing random buttons. After a combination of buttons pressed, feedback echoed through speakers on that level they were on.
"Hello?" Tifa spoke into the speaker, only to hear her voice be repeated throughout the floor. Red dropped to the floor and went over to another control panel to randomly press his paw onto the buttons.
"Try now," Red shouted over to Tifa. She spoke into the speaker, and her voice echoed throughout Midgar.
"Midgar, this is Avalanche. What you have heard about us is not true. Rufus is dead, and he has activated a self-destruction of Midgar. Midgar will be destroyed in less than an hour. Drop everything immediately, please! Midgar will explode and you need to get out immediately."
"It's working, Tifa," Red called over as he looked through the window. Tifa rushed over to watch people becoming distressed and rushing out into the streets. Tifa and Red hurried to the emergency exit of the building, and started to rush down the staircase.
Suddenly, the lights of Midgar cut out, and emergency red glow lights flicked on one by one flooding a dim light through the city, a sector at a time. It was a dark day for Midgar.
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN – ESCAPE
Tifa and Red stood looking through a window out at the city of Midgar.
"We've done all we can, let's go," Red said. They had reached as far down the tower they could, but the only way to escape was now through a window and down the outside of the structure. Red head butted the window unsuccessfully trying to push the glass through. Tifa struck the window with a chair and the window broke.
"What a day," she said to Red, smiling, and using the chair to make the hole in the window wider. She climbed out and the thick and smoggy air of Midgar hit her like it was solid. Red followed her onto the platform that ran around the front of the building, and choked on the pollution of Midgar.
"Well this explains why the sky is burnt over Midgar," Red said in disgust. "How do people live like this?"
Tifa dropped down to the platform below, and then onto the next, swinging her legs each time. Red was finding it very difficult, but he was a trained warrior and was apparently therefore quite skilled in escape.
The climbed and dropped their way down the outside of the building until they reached the bottom and were on safe ground. Tifa wiped down the mess from the soot the tower was thick of, and Red tried to shake it out of his fur. When they looked up, a dark shadow stood in front of them.
The man laughed, and then started to choke. He slumped forward, and in the dim glow of light, they could make it out that the man was Rufus, alive, with his trusted sidekick - Dark Nation the wolf stood at his side.
"You're dead," she said to him, not very surprised that someone like him was difficult to kill.
"Thanks to… Dark Nation here… I'm alive," he forced. He was finding it difficult to speak, but it didn't stop him.
"He revived you," Red pointed out. Rufus just laughed, but when he coughed this time, he spilled blood onto the floor. He dragged his head back up to look at them, blood running down his face.
"Sephiroth…" he muttered. "I have a surprise for him. As for you… Dark Nation…"
Dark Nation rushed towards Tifa his teeth now exposed and his face infuriated. Tifa jumped in fear, but before she was able to respond with magic, Red had jumped in front and threw his body at Dark Nation pushing it on its back.
"Go!" he growled back to Tifa before lunging his teeth into Dark Nation's shoulder. Dark Nation whimpered with pain, and reacted by slashing Red's back. Red arched above Dark Nation and roared in pain. Red threw himself at Dark Nation with his claws fully out and his face displaying his bloodlust.
Tifa left Red in battle scared at Red's transformation. She backed off, and rushed past the two in the direction that Rufus had headed in. She saw him limping about until he collapsed on the ground. She went over to look at him to see he was severely bruised, and he had coughed up blood that would have probably came from broken ribs. When she reached him however, he had no pulse.
Tifa ran. She didn't know what else to do so picked up on her feet and dashed as fast as she could through the streets of Midgar. She was worried about Red, but the fierce creature he had become when he went into a rage was something new to Tifa and it scared her. Maybe he could look after himself after all.
In her rush, she bumped into Sephiroth, but he grabbed a hold of her before she fell to the ground.
"Sephiroth," she whispered. He looked at her, and then glanced over her shoulder to something in the distance. It was Red, faltering towards them, his blood highlighted by the red glow of the lights. Sephiroth let go of Tifa after she'd caught her balance, then moved towards Red.
Red fell to the ground in exhaustion. Sephiroth touched his wounds making Red flinch with pain. He examined the slashes all over his body, and noticed that he had punctures where Dark Nation had bitten into him. Sephiroth channelled magic energy through his body, and healed Red as much as he could.
Tifa pushed her arms under Red and lifted him to his feet. Red staggered to find his footing, but was able to hold his body up on his own after a while. One of his eyes was inflamed forcing his eyelid shut. He couldn't let one of his paws rest on the ground due to the pain.
"We have to leave now," Tifa said to Sephiroth. He looked around, and then looked back to Tifa shaking his head.
"I'm sorry to cause so much suffering. I suffer myself. My life isn't easy, and I will be damned for the rest of my existence paying for who I am. All I want is to be with mother."
"They should be holding Jenova in the basement of ShinRa tower," Red managed to say, hoping what he'd found out would help Sephiroth in return for him healing him a bit.
"You'll have to take the subway tunnels to reach the basement. There's not much time, Sephiroth, but good luck." Tifa offered.
"Remember to save the ones you love. It's never too late to change your ending," Sephiroth said, his mind riddled with thoughts. He reached to pick his masamune up from the ground, twisted his body and walked into the distance with his coat flowing behind him. Suddenly he was lost in the darkness.
"Marlene, Tifa," Red coughed. She knew what he meant. They had to save Barret's adopted daughter for him. She glanced at her watch and worked out that they had thirteen minutes left. She helped Red find his footing and they moved towards the path leading down to the slums. They immediately found their way to Elmyra's house.
"Elmyra!" she screamed running into her house. Elmyra walked casually down the stairs.
"What's with all this shouting?" Elmyra said, as calm as she ever was, just like when Tifa had first met Aeris' adopted mother. "Oh Tifa, you look so healthy."
"I have bad news," Tifa said sorrowfully.
"I know dear," Elmyra said. "A good friend told me about Aeris. I'm proud of her every day I wake up, but her real place in this world is the Promised Land with her real mother."
'Just like Sephiroth?' Tifa thought to herself. "We have to leave, Elmyra."
Elmyra smiled affectionately and sat in one of the seats in her front room. "Oh no dear, I can't leave here."
"But you won't survive!" Tifa said concerned.
"It's all I have, Tifa. Don't worry about me dear. Marlene's safe in Kalm with a good friend of mine. Go there, and be safe. Live for me."
Tifa rushed over and threw her arms around Elmyra. She cried into her shoulder, and Elmyra held back the tears rubbing Tifa's back.
"Good luck, Tifa," Elmyra said, and Tifa gave one last look at her before rushing out of her house.
Tifa ran. She found where Red was laying waiting for her, and helped him back on his feet. They hurried through the slums towards the surrounding wall to the city.
"Tifa," Red croaked. Tifa stopped and turned around.
"No," she cried. "No, no, no Red. No. I'm not letting you give up."
"Tifa, I'm dying."
"No, Red. We're going to get the hell out of this nightmare and escape this hell forever. Me and you, Red, will make it together." Tifa hugged Red and gave him some confidence that he will make it.
They continued to run, until the speakers kicked in again, and the electronic voice picked up. "Sixty seconds until detonation."
Tifa pushed her body as fast as she could go, with Red trailing behind. She knew in her mind she wouldn't make it, but she had to at least try. Red suddenly picked up his feet too and overtook Tifa, stopping and waiting at a point in front of her.
"Climb onto my back, Tifa."
Tifa jumped onto Red's back and held her arms around his neck. He was tired from the strain of his wounds, but Tifa gave him hope. He started to race, picking up his speed with every second that he had. He pushed his body further, speeding his way through the slums, over debris and clutter and down short cuts towards the outer walls.
"Twenty seconds."
Tifa whispered to Red that he'd need to climb higher to be able to make the high walls of the city, so Red began to climb up the pieces of old rusting machinery that littered the scenery. He started to traverse the metal moving higher bit by bit.
His breathing was getting heavy, and his speed was dropping. 'I have faith in you, Red,' Tifa thought to herself closing her eyes.
A ten second countdown began from the voice over the speakers. Red jumped from rooftop to rooftop making his way towards the gate which was nearing in the distance.
"Hold on tight, Tifa" Red panted.
The explosion began. Each reactor started to blow up in sequence, and the blast from each would make the structure of each sector collapse and fall. The second reactor was releasing Mako throughout the surrounding sectors on a large scale. The flow of Mako caught fire, setting the other side of the city ablaze.
The fire caught on, and the main structure to Midgar began to collapse. The third reactor blew, and the fire made this explosion pretty spectacular with sparks of ignited Mako flying in all directions like a firework. The fourth reactor combusted and threw metal everywhere. Each reactor was structural support for the sectors that surround it, so with each reactor exploding, the entire sector it held would fall into itself crushing everything beneath.
The crashing of metal and the explosions from the reactors created a deafening blare. The main tower had fallen and crashed into the sectors below it. The whole city was now ablaze. The fifth reactor exploded; then the sixth, and then the seventh. The eighth reactor's blast forced most of the city to be uprooted and thrown into the air.
The slums were reduced to nothing. Metal fell into itself. The Mako produced from the reactors was spilling throughout the city. The explosions were unlike when Avalanche had destroyed the reactor when Cloud had joined them; they were literally destroying the city. It happened in mere seconds from the first reactor exploding to the city being entirely destructed
Red looked on the destruction from a distance. As the time of the explosion drew near, Red was able to throw his body through the air, clearing the main perimeter wall of Midgar, and landing on the outer wall surrounding the slums. He then jumped through the air and landed on the hard soil, throwing Tifa off his back and to the ground in the distance.
He panted over to her unconscious body, and dragged her as far away from the blazing city as far as he could. Fortunately, he was far enough to not be harmed by the extreme heat of the explosions. The fire was bright green in places from the intense reactions from the ignited Mako spill.
The whole city was covered by thick black smoke, which was illuminated by the intense fire. Not one piece of Midgar remained underneath the fire. The fire was so extreme in the centre that it was able to melt the metal and glass.
'What a day,' Red thought to himself. He dragged Tifa further away from the rumbling city and down to the shoreline. He stopped and allowed his legs to buckle underneath him. In the sand he instantly fell asleep next to Tifa. His breathing was heavy, and his scars were burning with pain.
The water softly combed the sand in the distance; the calm, relaxing sound of the night waters drowned by the spitting and crackling of the fire in the distance.
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN - DEATH
And so the story ended. Avalanche lived on in the three surviving members, and they even picked up a few people along the way who had once been citizens of Midgar. Avalanche still fought for the planet, and led its people to happiness and unity.
A new alternative was discovered, and the Lifestream was allowed to remain undisturbed. The land flourished again after a few years, with new species of plants thriving. Peace came to the world, and the elite force of Soldier disbanded with each member vowing to help the new cause of helping rid the world of ShinRa.
All materia was melted, and its molten state was buried in the ground. Summoning materia was saved, and was taken by the citizens of Wutai in the west, who considered the summoning monsters as a holy race.
Midgar was destroyed. All traces of the city were thrown into the sea, and the metal was salvaged and melted for use in providing new sources of energy. Reeve and the Turks were never seen again.
Barret became an honourable member of the race of the elders in Cosmo Canyon, and was presented with a token of appreciation by its citizens. The mayor of Midgar, who never allowed himself to be corrupted by ShinRa, was now mayor of the eastern continent. Barret could no longer use his gun arm, and got a proper arm grafted in replacement, and has never missed his old machine arm.
Barret continued to raise Marlene, and allowed her to join the new force of Avalanche who were organised to protect the life of the planet. She possessed great fighting talent and learned much from the elders of Cosmo Canyon. Red called it a talent, Barret said it was from her father, but Tifa said it was from all the teachings she gave her. Marlene believed her talents were stronger than any of that, and felt like a gift from the planet.
Tifa's fists became legendary. Her ultimate fighting skills were reputable as being unbeatable. She also mastered the technique of wielding a sword in memory of Cloud.
Red could no longer use his right eye, and he would always have to limp, which he just considered a reminder of the day ShinRa was destroyed. Avalanche and his days of being a warrior lived on in his heart, even long after Tifa and Barret passed on. Red was always there for Marlene, watching her marry and grow old studying the ways of the planet.
Red found happiness within Cosmo Canyon, and with all sorts of species flourishing on the surface of the planet, a race similar to his own was found on a continent near Wutai. Red found a mate and lived on as an elder of Cosmo Canyon.
The memory of Avalanche was retained and all its members were buried in a sacred part just outside Cosmo Canyon. Vincent, Yuffie, Aeris, Cid and Cloud were buried under a huge statue of the original group, with each of their names written beneath, and an inscription describing their courage and bravery.
Red and Marlene swore to keep the spirit of Avalanche alive, always fighting for the planet and its people. Red saw to it that when Barret and Tifa returned to the planet they would be buried along side their friends, and if Reeve would ever be found, he would join his companions.
The members of Avalanche were never forgotten many years on, and the world was able to return to life. With this new way of life, civilisation thrived along with its planet. The memory of Avalanche was passed on through each generation with loving stories recalled of the group of people who never gave up on the world.