Chapter 4: Task Force WIND

"Mar, we've been riding for a while. Maybe we should let the chocobos rest." Caden looked down at Swift, who appeared ready to fall flat on his face.

"Not a bad idea; I could use a chance to stretch my legs. Look over there." Marlene was pointing towards a small creek. "We could rest by that stream." Marlene dismounted Aura, and walked the chocobo to the running water. The land around them was flat but rich. Off to the north they could see the dark rocky mountains from which the stream flowed. Around the water itself was some small brush and other plants. Marlene let Aura drink from the cool water while inspecting the local flora. "So how much farther do we have to go?"

Caden dismounted from Swift. "The Valentine Ranch shouldn't be more then a few kilometers away. Nanaki said there is someone living on his ranch that I have to meet, but we've known Vincent for years. He would have mentioned someone."

Marlene looked at a flowering plant. "So who do ya think it is?"

Caden breathed in the fresh mountain air. "Dunno, probably someone that had some part in the Jenova Project."

Marlene turned away from the plant she was investigating. "Like a researcher or a scientist?"

"Or another Jenovan." Caden began to walk towards the stream, but turned around when he heard a noise coming from one of the bushes. "What was that?"

"What?" Marlene looked around, but did not see anything unusual. "I didn't hear anything."

"A rustling sound coming from that bush." Caden's eyes began to burn brilliantly. He knew someone was preparing to ambush them. "Marlene! Get out of there!" Caden drew his sword and ran between one of the bushes and Marlene, just as a man jumped out of the brush wielding a two-meter long sword. Their swords struck with the loud sound of crashing steel. The man's eyes also burned with a fierce green fire. His face and general appearance seemed to mimic that of Caden.

Marlene slowly walked back while reaching for her bow. "Caden, it's-it's another clone?!?!"

"No, it's Sephiroth, the real Sephiroth!"

"So the it speaks." The man backed off and prepared to strike again. Caden did the same. "What is your number, clone?" Both Sephiroth and Caden traded blows with blazing speed. The two swords seemed to almost disappeared. The sounds of striking metal could no longer be heard as one clash followed by the next, but as one continual resonating ring. The power and force that both combatants embodied into their swords began to make them glow red.

"My name is Caden Strife!" Caden shouted as he continued his volley of strikes and blocks. The mood was very tense at that time. Neither swordsman wavered for even a moment, and strain could not be seen.

"Marlene? Nanaki told us you were coming. I take it that is Caden fighting with Sephiroth." Marlene turned around to see a man and a woman standing behind her.

"Vincent! Lucrecia! What the hell's going on here?" Marlene asked while nocking an arrow.

"Hold on, Marlene." Vincent looked out at the battle before him. Caden and Sephiroth still had their blades striking at incredible speeds. "Sephiroth is too controlled to do anything but restrain. As for Caden, well... the same."

Lucrecia looked worriedly at Vincent. "Aren't you going to do something?"

Vincent crossed his arms and relaxed despite the pending battle. "No, they'll eventually get tired"

Lucrecia stared deeply into Vincent, as if piercing through to he soul. "Think about who we're talking about. Both of them are have incredible stamina. They could fight there until Hell freezes over, and Heaven crashes to the earth. All without breaking a sweat."

"Point taken." Vincent lifted the rifle he had on his back into position, and aimed it between the battling swordsmen.

"Wait! Vincent, are insane!" Marlene yelled, but Vincent fired anyway. His single shot passed between Caden's and Sephiroth's blades. Both swordsmen turned their heads, but did not let down their swords.

"Alright, swords down on the ground, both of you!" Vincent was still aiming his gun. Both Caden and Sephiroth laid their weapons on the ground. "Now, that's better"

"Unbelievable. So Jenova is still out there." Vincent couldn't believe it. Sephiroth just stood silently contemplating Caden's story. They were all in a small house as Caden explains the story, but something still made it feel as if they were in the open.

"So what's your story, Sephiroth?" Caden said with a sharp tone. He still felt a strong resentment towards the man before him.

"My story doesn't matter." Sephiroth, sensing Caden's resentment, began to turn away.

Lucrecia tried to stop her beleaguered son. "Sephiroth, they need to know."

Sephiroth stopped but did not make eye contact with anyone. "Twenty-five years ago, I was sent to inspect a Mako reactor on Mount Nibel. I took three enlisted members of SOLDIER, SOLDIER 1st class Zack Carradine, SOLDIER Garb Private Alexi Stiener, and SOLDIER Garb Sergeant 1st class Cloud Strife. Zack and I went into the reactor and found a number of pods filled with Mako. All of the pods had a monster in it that was once human. That is all but one…"

"Mine…" Caden sank back in his seat as he realized this.

Sephiroth sighed. "…Yes… yours. I did not take it very well at first, so I went to the Shinra Mansion to find out some of the details. Hojo used to keep a lab there and I figured that there would be something to shed some light on the situation. I found a secret basement in which the lab was kept, and records of all the experiments. The reports had more then I needed or wanted to know. Zack followed me down, but I told him to leave me alone. That was one mistake I wish I never made." Sephiroth leaned against the wall behind him. "Hojo found me reading the files on the Jenova Project. For someone that was only a laboratory experiment to him, he seemed glad I found his notes. Before I could say anything, he injected a near lethal dose of Mako into me. I fell unconscious.

"When I came to, I had no control over my body. Jenova had taken control; the creature that I was told was my mother. It used my body to murder the people of Nibelheim with no regard for their lives, to rescue it from the Shinra. It needed a puppet to free it, and because of my Jenova cells, I was that puppet.

"I could see its thoughts then; Jenova was feeding off the planet. It was a parasite banished from its planet for feeding on Mako, and wondered interstellar space for years. Why do you think it was housed in a reactor?"

"Jenova forced me to the Mako reactor, continuing it's murderous spree. I nearly killed our guide and my colleagues, but Cloud was able to defeat me. I fell into the Mako well bellow, but something in the Mako somehow encapsulated me. I was frozen in time for fifteen years."

Caden became angry. "So you're saying that you were not responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent people, an-and that you weren't the one who murdered Aeris Gainsborough twenty years ago!?" Caden stood up and drew his sword.

Sephiroth smashed a nearby vase in his own fit of rage. "Professor Gast and Iflana were like parents to me while I was in SOLDIER, and Aeris…she was like a sister." Caden could see a tear forming in Sephiroth's eye, and let down his sword. Sephiroth bowed his head. "I vowed to Professor Gast that I would protect his family. I failed! First Iflana, because I could not fight off those grunts, and then Aeris… just because I was not there. Only a puppet in my image."

Caden stared deep into Sephiroth's soul. His eyes burned like green fire in a blast furnace. "Then how did Masamune kill her!?"

Sephiroth took the Masamune and slashed it Caden. The blade cut cleanly through Caden's neck. Marlene gasped as the sword move through its course, but it did not so much as scratch him. Caden was confused, but Sephiroth remained stoic as he returned his sword to its scabbard. "Masamune was made by Ifalonoe. It cannot harm an ancient, especially Ifalanoe's descendents."

Caden rubbed his uncut neck. He was still unconvinced "How am I supposed know if it just doesn't harm Jenovans?" Sephiroth answered by running his hand along the blade of Masamune. He raised his hand revealing a line of blood swelling from a long gash. Sephiroth clenched his fist of the wound to stop the bleeding. Caden said nothing, but relaxed from his tense posture.

Sephiroth continued. "Iflana gave me Masamune to wield and protect. She probably thought that I was the hope for this planet. I tried to live up to her hopes, but I'm no savoir. I did my best to try and keep Aeris safe, but I could only do so from a distance. She grew up in a safe home, enough to eat, and whenever I could, I left a little money with Elmyra. Aeris never knew I was watching over her. If she only…"

Caden was moved by Sephiroth's story. "It's not too late to make amends. You're alive; you can do so much good for this world. If your even half the soldier I've heard about, then you can still keep your vows."

Sephiroth was confused by Caden's sudden change of heart. "What are you saying?"

"Stop playing the wounded soldier and join us. The planet's dying, and Jenova's behind it. You said so yourself. "

"…I'll need a minute to think about this."

Caden calmly stood up. "Alright, we'll be outside." Caden and Marlene left the house. Vincent and Lucrecia remained with Sephiroth.

Sephiroth slowly began to pace. "I think destiny has called me again." He turned to face Lucrecia and Vincent. "Mother, Vincent, thank you for everything, but I must leave. The boy was right; I may still have a purpose in this world. I am a soldier, I belong on the battlefield."

Lucrecia walked up to Sephiroth. "I hoped this day would never come. Ever since your father kidnapped you, I fell apart. My only child stolen from my arms, it was more then any one person can bare. I don't want to lose you again, Sephiroth."

"I will, Mother. Hojo can never again take me away from you."

"Caden, are you crazy!?!?" Marlene hit Caden in the back of the head, and continued to pace. "You invited a psychopath to come with us? The man that burned down Nibelheim, and held the world hostage for nearly a year!"

Caden stayed as calm as usual. "I could sense it in him. He was telling the truth."

Marlene glared at Caden. "Don't go all Cetra mystic on me! He can't be trusted!"

"I say he can. He has the soul of a warrior, an honorable warrior. Besides, Masamune wouldn't allow him to harm Aeris, and I remember Father telling me how Jenova had gotten into his mind"

Marlene was still very much upset with the whole idea. "That, man nearly destroyed everything anyone held dear!"

Caden stood still as he tried to plead with Marlene. "It wasn't him. Mar, I need you to trust me on this."

Marlene finally stopped pacing, but she was still very much displeased. "You I trust; it's your predecessor I don't."

"I'll take that as an 'I'll trust you Caden.'" Caden tried to do what he thought was his best Marlene impersonation. Marlene couldn't help but smile. They stood their for a moment before Sephiroth left the house. Caden turned to face him. "So have decided to join us?"

Sephiroth adjusted the hooded cloak he wore. "I have some questions I need answers too, so I will go with you so long as the journey leads to the knowledge I seek."

"Then welcome aboard, Sephiroth." Caden turned to his chocobo, and thought about Swift's fascination with hair. "Oh, one more thing, watch out for Swift here. He might think you're me, and pull at your hair."

"What, him? He does not look like a vicious chocobo." Sephiroth scratched Swift's head, and the chocobo happily responded.

"What am I doing so wrong?" Caden reached for Swift too, but the young chocobo latched onto his hair. "Ow! Swift! Let go of my hair! Why does he only do that to me?"

"Ehh, you're just not good with birds." Marlene said as she innocently smiled.

"Ha ha… Ow! Swift!" Caden swatted his ponytail away from Swift's beak. After he regained control of his hair, Caden climbed onto Swift. "It's a long ride to Gongaga, so we better get going."

The ride was quiet for a time. However, they were no more then an hour away from the Valentine Ranch when Caden had a question. It was one that has been bothering him since they had left. "Sephiroth... How did Vincent and Lucrecia find you?"

Sephiroth was bothered by the question. It was an issue he wished he could avoid, but he managed to answer anyway. "...After Hojo kidnapped me, Mother became reclusive. After I disappeared, she withdrew from society all together. Ten years later, Vincent found and convinced her to leave her hiding place. They married, and were happy until one day about five ten years ago.

"Mother heard about an expedition to the North Cave, and decided to join it. Still being a recognized scientific mind, the expeditionary organization granted her permission to join them. She believed she would find my remains, and have closure. However, what she found was me, encased in Materia after fifteen years. I don't know how, but her presence shattered the Materia, reviving me.

"Vincent objected to my miraculous return, but it was short lived. I finally had my mother, my true mother. I was told how my 'father' stole me from Mother, I've grown to resent him more because of it. Too bad he is already dead; I would have like to taken him out myself. I guess I will have to settle with carving out the still beating heart of Jenova."

Marlene rode up next to Caden to ask him a question. "What I want to know is, if Jenova was the true threat twenty years ago, then why and how was Sephiroth's image used? Also, why is Sephiroth the only one that can use Masamune?"

Sephiroth answered the questions. "Jenova has the ability to take the form of anyone it sees. Even the puppet had this ability to some extent, although Jenova itself would have to tell the puppet to. As to why, what better way to strike fear than the return of a dead mad man. Hardcore soldiers would me, but a phantom with an agenda wound petrify them. Finally Masamune, it was made from a piece of stone from Jenova's tomb. The residual cells make it difficult for anyone but a Jenovans to use."

Marlene was a little upset that it was Sephiroth, and not Caden, who answered her. "Well, at least that answers my question." Marlene continued, intending Caden only to respond. "So, we're off to get Bowden?"

"Yeah. Hopefully he's home." Caden began to think out loud. "Maybe if we used a nibel wolf instead of a chocobo the second time… I knew someone who had one on campus."

Marlene looked at Caden like a scolding teacher. "Oh no you don't, Caden! You are not plotting another greased animal prank… WAIT A MINUTE! Who had the wolf?"

Caden tried to keep from laughing. "Someone in advanced strategies."

Sephiroth closed his eyes as he contemplated Caden's. "Is that all? You are supposed to be the highest ranking student in your class, but act more like a child with nothing better to do." Caden said nothing as he sank into the saddle.

Marlene laughed under her breath. "At least you didn't have to live through it. Every other week they had some hair-brained scheme, and they usually worked."

Caden cheered up. "See, he won't disappoint us." Caden gripped the reigns tighter. "Let's ride on!"

As they approached Gongaga, Caden remembered that Sephiroth was not going to be a welcome site. "Uh… Sephiroth, we may have a problem. You kinda… stand out. People still blame you for Meteor, so we need to disguise you... Any ideas?"

Marlene thought for a moment. "How about if Sephiroth tied his hair back like yours. It worked for you, Caden. We could... say you're twins."

Sephiroth turned his head. "I'm almost 60 as it is, not 25."

"But you still look in your late twenties," Marlene pleaded. "Besides, we don't have any thing else to work with."

Caden smirked. "Come on, I always wanted an older brother."

Sephiroth could not help but laugh at Caden's wisecrack. Caden and Marlene were shocked. From the stories they heard, Sephiroth was always serious. They quickly recovered from their disbelief, however. Sephiroth stopped and tied his hair back with a piece of string. " Alright, but my eyes will give it away."

"Don't worry about it, here's the solution." Caden pulled out a small case. "These lenses will dull the glow from your eyes. Just don't get agitated, or they won't work. Our eyes glow stronger as we become upset or angry."

"Light dampening lenses; interesting. This may work." Sephiroth took the case from Caden, and removed the lenses. He placed one in either eye. "They fit well."

Caden pointed to his eyes. "They should. I've been using them for a few years. Now if every one is ready, let's go." The three get off their chocobos, and walk into the city. Caden, in his usual "punctual" fashion realized Sephiroth's age. "Wait a minute! You're 60?!?!"

Sephiroth looked at Caden. "Yes. Jenovans don't age past the age of 30. Eternally frozen in the prime of life, but it does make me nothing more then a potential slave to Jenova. Such is the price for eternal youth."

Caden walked a little faster. "Always the cynic." Caden looked over his shoulder at Sephiroth. "Now, Sephiroth, we actually have to act like brothers, or this whole thing will fall apart."

Marlene stopped. "Uh… we can't exactly call Sephiroth by his name in public. Might panic some people. So how about if we called Sephy instead."

Sephiroth was silent for a moment. "…Never call me Sephy." There was a kind of sadness in the way he spoke; as if someone died.

"…Alright, sorry... I didn't know." Marlene understood why he reacted in that way. She knew Sephiroth lost someone close.

They walked into the small city confidently yet cautious. The town was so minute, that while entering it, they were able to see the other side of it. A tightly knit community that barely registered as a city, but it did come a long way. Twenty years before, it was practically dead, but now it was a small population center. The three walked halfway through the town, when they reached a small house.

Caden walked up to the door. "Well, we're here." A large brown-furred dog like animal came from the side of the house, a nibel wolf. "Hey! Lobo!" Caden cheerfully exclaimed as the beast approached him.

Marlene walked up to Caden. "That explains the smell in the dorms."

"No, that was the Sons of the Chocobo Order. They were trying to hide four or five chocobos last semester." Caden looked down at the animal before him as it began to growl. "Hey boy, what's wrong?" The wolf snapped at Caden's hand. Caden barley fast enough to pull his hand away.

"Lobo, stop it right now!" Lobo followed the command and ran behind the house. Everyone turned their heads towards the door, and in it was a young man. "Caden, didn't expect to see you in a backwater town like this."

Caden shrugged his shoulders. "Just in the neighborhood. How ya been, Bow?" He tried to stay as casual as possible considering the circumstances of the visit.

Bowden was skeptical of his friend's behavior. "Come on! You don't call half way across a continent in 'the neighborhood.' Anyway, I can't complain."

"So, what's with Lobo?" Caden asked as he looked over in the direction the wolf ran off in. Lobo was standing just around the corner, peeking his head out from the shadow of the house. However, he still stayed mostly in the shadows, like a scared puppy.

"Dunno. Been like this all morning." Bowden walked out of the doorway. "Gees, I'm be'in rude. Come on in." Everyone started to move. Caden and Marlene went in, but when Sephiroth walked up, Bowden stopped them. "Uh… Caden, what's going on here?"

Caden walked up to Bowden. "Bowden, old friend, you might need to sit down."

"And I hope that's the last time I hafta give that story." Caden finished his story and looked over at his entranced friend. "Hey, Bow, you ok." Bowden's eyes were glazed over, and he sat like a statue in December. "Ooookkkkk, that's never happened before. Damn it, Barret was about ready to lead the charge. Hey, Bow, I need some sign of life here."

Bowden remained in is trance, but tried to utter some kind of response. "Uhhhh…"

Caden shrugged. "At least it's a start."

Bowden began to break from his gaze. "Y-y-you think you… know a guy, then he breaks it on you that he's a... science experiment."

Caden looked down at the floor while he scratched the back of his head. "Yes… uh… um… I prefer planned existence."

"...Right..." Bowden said as he had no other response. "So why me?"

"We need a explosives specialist, an expert in Mako Reactors, and someone I can trust," Caden said before taking in a deep breath. "Eight beat up old Midgar Mako reactors are up and running again. All this even after two were blown up, and all later knocked out by some big ass gun. We need someone to put them back to sleep, permanently. Who better then the idiot who stopped an adamantaimai with some well placed dynamite?"

"Hey, it kept it from ripping up the West Campus Fields didn't it!?" Bowden said, quick to defend his action. "Well I guess I'm in. When do we start?"

"Now. We have two days to get back to Cosmo Canyon for a briefing on the mission with Chairman Carrol…" Caden had a sudden epiphany. "Annnnd we only have two chocobos… so we gotta move fast."