CHAPTER 8

Zack impatiently paced back and forth in the darkened, dilapidated main bedroom of the Shinra mansion. Missing bits of wall paper created a strange pattern for one's eye to follow, or so Zack thought as he tried to spot all of the omitted pieces. He had to do so to keep himself from going insane of boredom. Sephiroth had confined himself to the basement, and the townsfolk refused to let either Zack or his companion to leave the ominous structure.

The young SOLDIER finally resigned himself to sitting by the window. He saw that it was night now, and the people of Nibelheim had gone so far as to place a campfire near the main gate as several townsfolk Zack did not recognize guarded it. Suddenly, movement caught Zack's glowing dark blue eyes. Something was lurking in the shadows at the base of the house, prompting Zack to pick up his gigantic Buster Sword and investigate.

Zack slowly crept outside, doing his best not to alarm the townsfolk. He looked off to the right, where he had seen the shadow before.

"What is it with you SOLDIERs and large swords, anyway? What is it, a compensation thing?"

Zack spun around towards the source of the voice, but did not raise his weapon, as he recognized the voice as belonging to...

"Tifa!" Zack whispered in pleasant surprise. Tifa was dressed in black leggings and a dark green tee shirt, and had her hair tied back. The moonlight reflected off her skin nicely, almost giving her a divine glow. She also held a bag in one of her hands.

"What's in there?" Zack asked, observing the bag.

"Well, I felt bad for you and your friend," Tifa started, rummaging through the cloth container, "So I whipped you up some food. It's not much, but I didn't want my Dad to notice."

Zack gave Tifa one of his trademark glowing smiles, and nodded in approval as he was given two bowls of pasta covered up in plastic wrap. Zack's mouth almost began to water at just the mere thought of food, but he decided it would not be the best show of class to drool excessively in front of a girl, for any reason.

"Gosh, this is really nice of you!" Zack said tritely. "I'm sure me and C... uh, C.., Conner will enjoy this a lot!"

Tifa gave Zack a suspicious stare in response. Why didn't he want to tell her the MP's real name?

"So, Conner, that's his name?" the buxom girl asked slyly.

"Uh, yeah!" Zack replied hesitantly. "Uh, so yeah, thanks! But, uh, you should get outta here, it probably wouldn't be too good if you were caught, y'know?"

Tifa raised an eyebrow as Zack scratched his head. She looked at him for a long moment, but decided the older boy was right. She took a step over to Zack, got on her toes and placed her hand on Zack's strong, shapely shoulder for balance and kissed him on the cheek.

"Be careful," she whispered.

Zack smiled and nodded. Tifa took a few steps back, eyeing Zack the whole time. She slowly turned around and walked away, taking a look back every few moments until she reached the wall of the fence. She hopped up and looked to see if anyone was paying attention to her general vicinity. Satisfied that she was safe, she took one last look at Zack, who was still just standing where she had left him, still smiling. Tifa gave the young man a wink and disappeared behind the stone wall.

Zack narrowed his eyes a bit as his grin broadened even further. He strutted all the way back into the mansion, up the stairs and into the room where the MP was keeping watch. His head perked up when the SOLDIER entered the room.

"What's that?" the MP asked, seeing the plastic bowls behind Zack's back, which the SOLDIER was trying to hide.

"Y'know, I was gonna surprise ya," Zack pretended to whine, "but ya had t' go ruin my fun! Anyway, here, we got us some food!" he concluded, handing the MP a bowl.

The Generic-Henchman slowly unwrapped the plastic foil with suspicion. "Where'd you get this?" he asked, just to make sure.

"Tifa made it for us," Zack replied matter-of-factly, having already begun eating. Tifa even had the mind to include a plastic fork in each bowl, for which the two young military men were thankful.

"Tifa..." The MP whispered to himself in timidity. He looked down at the bowl of pasta in his hands, and almost decided that eating it would be an act of sacrilege.

"Dude, just eat, would ya?" Zack said between bites. It was normal spaghetti with some kind of chopped-up, bacon-like meat mixed in with the sauce. Zack noticed his companion had let go of his hesitation and began eating as well.

"Mm, this's good," the MP mumbled in astonishment while having a mouth full of food impairing his speech.

Soon, the two were finished, and Zack took the MP's bowl.

"What're ya gonna do, wash it?" The younger troop asked somewhat sarcastically.

"No, I figure these are disposable..." Zack answered, looking down the hallway, "So we... DISPOSE OF THEM!" he yelled, chucking the two plastic containers down the hallway with as much force as he could muster. They bounced and ricocheted through the hall and down the stairs, and finally Zack's efforts were rewarded with a loud CRASH!

"What the hell was that?!" The MP wondered aloud. Zack looked back at him and smiled mischievously as he left the room.

The SOLDIER turned his head and looked down the steps, and indeed, his unseen, intended target had been destroyed. "That ugly vase at the base of the steps, is now an ugly pile of shards!" Zack proclaimed as he strut triumphantly back into the room.

"You mean the 10th dynasty Wutian vase worth probably at least 10,000 gil?"

"Yyyup!"

"Kewl."

"Yeah, I know," Zack replied, holding out his hand and inspecting his nails concededly. "Hey, listen, I'm gonna get me some shut-eye, okay?"

"Sure," the MP replied with mild disinterest, picking up a comic book.

As Zack strode off towards the other bedroom, the MP looked back over at the stone pillar. With a sigh of regret, he decided to check up on the General. He went over and pushed against the wall, opening the secret passage, and proceeded to carefully make his way down the broken and rotting wooden stairs.

The young troop walked quietly, carefully, as to not alarm anything which might have been in the cave-like basement. He knew that only Sephiroth was down there, but he got the uneasy feeling that something else was present, and watching him. The MP shook his head, believing himself to be merely paranoid. But this did not stop him from breaking out into a jog all the way into the laboratory/library room.

Sephiroth was leaning over the lab table, digesting the contents of several note books all at once. Yet however involved Sephiroth was in his reading, he was still not surprised when the MP spoke.

"Uhm, sir, you need anything...?"

"No," The General stated flatly, a hint of anger present in his voice. He paused, blinked and then recomposed himself. He stood up straight and looked at the MP. "I mean, 'No thank you'. I apologize for my behavior..." The legendary SOLDIER admitted humbly. "I just... I am not well," Sephiroth confided, shaking his head.

"It- it's okay, sir..." The MP replied hesitantly, not sure what to make of this.

After a few tense, silent moments, Sephiroth changed the subject. "What was that noise I heard before... It sounded like something broke?"

The MP was shocked that Sephiroth had been able to hear that. HE had barely heard it himself!

"Zack was vandalizing the place, sir."

"Ah, so I see," Sephiroth responded. He blinked slowly, and his features seemed to darken a bit. "Typical human behavior. Not giving a care for your environment nor the forces which shaped it," Sephiroth began to raise his voice, "No respect for the accomplishments of those long past, just selfishness and greed giving way to anarchy and chaos..."

Sephiroth had begun to trail off near the end of his rant, and regained control. He gave the MP a look with so many mixed and conflicting emotions that he didn't know what to think. The MP simply gave a weak salute and nervously trekked back out the door, keeping an eye on Sephiroth until he was -thankfully- out of sight.

Zack awoke sometime later. He hadn't slept long, and he knew it wasn't quite morning yet. With a yawn, he peeled himself off the soiled, torn mattress he called a bed and stretched his body out. Scratching himself, the young SOLDIER walked over to where the MP had stationed himself.

"Wussup?" Zack asked.

"I dunno. Sephiroth seems different..." The MP replied. Zack shrugged and went over to the secret door. "Be careful, Zack," The MP warned.

"Why's everyone always tellin' me to be careful?" Zack muttered, making his way down the spiral steps.

Zack too had the feeling of dread as he passed through the violet colored hallway, and he could have sworn again he heard some kind of growl... But he saw nothing. He proceeded into the lab, only to find mountains of books everywhere. He looked down the hallway into the library. Almost every book had been removed from the shelves, and some remained open at the bases of stacks. He saw Sephiroth sitting behind a desk in the middle of the library area, which was simply an octagon shaped room full of shelves for books. Many such books were strewn all about. Zack's heart inexplicably began to beat faster with each step he took, until he was right in front of the desk.

Sephiroth slowly looked up from a tome he was reading and closed it silently. When he spoke, his voice almost started to sound like gravel, and it had echoed through the chamber as he said, "Who is it?"

Zack was taken aback by the apparent force Sephiroth's voice possessed, not to mention that Sephiroth should have known who he was by now. But before he could answer...

"Hmph, traitor."

"Traitor?" Zack questioned.

Sephiroth seemed unamused by Zack's response.

"You ignorant traitor, I'll tell you!" Sephiroth growled, standing up. "This Planet originally belonged to the Cetra. Cetra was an itinerant race. They would migrate in, settle the planet then move on... At the end of their hard, long journey, it was said they would find the Promised Land and supreme happiness," he explained. He walked closer to Zack and continued.

"But, those who disliked journeying appeared. They stopped their migrations, built shelters and elected to lead an easier life. They took that which the Cetra and the Planet had made without giving back one whit in return!" With that, he pointed an accusatory finger at Zack, "Those are YOUR ancestors."

"Sephiroth," Zack tried, but he was interrupted...

"Long ago, disaster struck the planet. Your ancestors escaped because they hid," The General explained, seeming to grow angrier by the moment, all while coming around the table, "The planet was saved by sacrificing the Cetra. After that, your ancestors continued to multiply. Now all that's left of the Cetra is in these reports!" He said, slamming his hand down on an old book, conjuring up a cloud of dust.

"What.. -cough- What does that have to do with you?" Zack asked, growing both impatient and scared.

Sephiroth glared at Zack for a moment before responding. "Don't you see? An ancient named Jenova was found in a 2000 year old geologic stratum."

Zack just looked at him blankly.

"The Jenova Project," Sephiroth offered as an explanation. Sephiroth then remembered that Zack was the least likely person to be able to read one's mind, so he clarified. "The Jenova Project wanted to produce people with the powers of the ancients, or, the Cetra. I am what was produced."

"Pr-produced?!" Zack practically yelled in disbelief.

"Yes," Sephiroth said with a nod. "Professor Gast, leader of the Jenova Project and genius scientist, produced me."

Zack stood in shock, unable to comprehend what he was being told. There had to be a hole in Sephiroth's logic somewhere.

"Wwaait, how did he.." but Zack was cut off.

"Out of my way!" Sephiroth demanded, shoving Zack to the ground. "I'm going to see my mother!" he proclaimed slowly -yet loudly- all at once. He strode out of the library, a blank look in his glowing emerald eyes. Zack tried to get up, but Sephiroth had done something... hit a pressure point or cast a spell, Zack couldn't tell. All Zack knew was that his inner fear was welting up inside of him, his heart beating faster by the moment...

And all he could do was sit there.

By the time Zack was able to move again, it was too late. He charged out of the mansion, yelling Sephiroth's name, but all he could see were the flames. Giant flames were everywhere, engulfing every single building in the once-proud town. Bodies lay strewn about, but no blood, as it was being evaporated by the intense heat. Suddenly, a voice called out to Zack...

"Hey you!" It was Zangan, pulling the general store manager to safety. His legs had been shattered, and a large piece of still-burning wood was imbedded in his upper chest, though oddly, he was still alive. Zangan removed the stick swiftly, then turned back to Zack.

"You're still sane, aren't you?!" Zangan called out. Zack nodded.

"The come over here and help me! I'll check this house, you check that one!" He commanded, charging into the burning Inn. Zack had no choice. He wanted to find Sephiroth, but saving lives came first. Zack charged into a small house, but as he did so, the roof collapsed, creating a large explosion. Zack thought he heard a woman's voice scream out, but it was cut short. Zack stepped out of what remained of the small abode and noticed the sign near the door...

"Strife"

Zack looked down and shook his head, knowing that to be the last name of his friend Cloud. Speaking of friends, he saw the MP on the ground, fighting for life a few meters away. Anger and sadness built up inside of Zack's increasingly heavy heart. But he was snapped out of his sadness by the sounds of battle.

Or rather, slaughter. A few men had cornered Sephiroth, not knowing that THEY were the ones trapped. The SOLDIER attacked with an upward slash on one, exposing all his vitals, killing him instantly. Before the other man could react, Sephiroth turned to him and brought his Masamune down onto the dead center of the man's skull. He convulsed before collapsing into a heap.

"SEPHIROTH!" Zack yelled out. The man simply looked up at the younger SOLDIER and walked away, right into a wall of flame which did him no harm whatsoever.

Zack fell to his knees as fire engulfed the town, embers flying up into and lighting up the dark summer sky. The sounds of buildings collapsing and people screaming in pain were nulled by the sounds of crushed dreams, destroyed hopes, and the cries of sadness from such a gruesome betrayal...