Chapter 5
Through the Eyes of a SOLDIER
Lightning flashed down, reflected in shining emerald eyes.
A small Shin-ra truck plowed through the muck and mire, the driver hurling obscenities at every snag in the road. In the early day, the weather cooperated but as night neared, rains came down in slashing sheets to saturate the road to Nibelhiem. The driver dared not complain, however. As unhappy as he was about the climate, his superior, he of the emerald eyes, would not tolerate any objections.
Those mako green eyes shut, lurking beneath porcelain eyelids.
Inside the truck, two SOLDIERs and as many Shin-ra guards loitered about the cramped quarters. One Shin-ra guard sat dejectedly on a barrel while the other leaned over, looking sickly pale. Pacing energetically in the middle of the vehicle, a black-haired SOLDIER pumped his hands, holding a shining orb with a grin. No one spoke to the lone figure against the window and he preferred it as thus.
The beautiful eyes opened, accompanied by a sigh.
Sephiroth was tired. So dead tired. The type he had not experienced since his childhood horrors with Professor Hojo. That name crawled over the General and he immediately drowned it with usual military order. No time for the past. Then a smile broke his lips, devoid of warmth. The bastard had no idea where his precious 'experiment' had run off to. At last, out from under the watch of that scrawny, weasel-eyed scientist.
At last some down time, away from the torturous limelight. He didn't trust the media—they often twisted the truth to boost their TV ratings. The smile deepened. Oh, how the Shin-ra Executive Press would kick themselves if they knew that the Great General Sephiroth had rode to an insignificant town in a run-down truck past their head office in Midgar...
Like the heavens themselves beyond poured forth the weeping of the Lifestream, its gates burst open to flood the road again. The driver uttered another curse, turning the windshield wipers up to max. The rain splattered against the truck's window as if to force its way in. Sephiroth shook his head. This was all starting to irritate him: the presence of his subordinates, the second-rate truck, the dispirited rain.
Head of Shin-ra's finest military operation, SOLDIER, and I am reduced to this pathetic mode of transportation.
Glancing out of the corner of his emerald eye, Sephiroth monitored his First SOLDIER. With an impatient gesture he barked at the SOLDIER to settle down but Zack responded as a dog would—obeyed instantly and soon forgotten. Currently, Zack peered at the ill-looking Shin-ra Guard. Cloud, Sephiroth remembered. Cloud Strife. His thin lips twisted. Rarely did he recall a sentry's name. But he had been fascinated by the blossoming friendship between the two. Fascinated and a bit jealous.
Jealous? What do I have to be jealous about? They are but insects and I am nearly a god...It did disturb him all the same. And it drew curiosity. Sephiroth did not understand companionship very well, having experienced almost none of it as a child. Nor had he intended to be acquainted with either Zack or Cloud. This mission had been meant for his First Officer, Terence. It was the fickle hand of fate that which drew him to the little town of Nibelhiem today.
Sephiroth hadn't even known of the town's existence prior to this mission. President Russell Shin-ra had given Sephiroth a dispatch requesting he send someone to investigate a malfunctioning mako reactor at the Nibel Mountain Range. As usual the General delegated the task to his First Officer. Unexpectedly, Terence corresponded with excitement, explaining that his nephew, Zack, had been stationed at Nibelhiem. He suggested that he and Sephiroth go on an 'away mission' to spend some vacation time with his nephew.
That the General could not fathom--his enthusiasm for visiting relatives. Knowing nothing of his own, the General declined, citing an overload in administrative duties. Truthfully, he couldn't stand the thought of facing the ill ease of being asked: who are your siblings/parents/family?
"It sure is raining hard."
Emerging from his reverie, Sephiroth glanced at his subordinates. Zack had spoken, sapphire eyes bright with exhilaration. The General shook his head irritably. Children. He commanded an army of adolescents. With a cheerfulness that made Sephiroth's blood run cold, Zack chatted with the two Shin-ra Guards. Envy seethed from him. He could never be that joyous, having had the joy beaten out him as a child...So what if I am not the cheeriest person around? He had his military papers and endless missions to keep him occupied.
Seeing Zack perform some jumping jacks, Sephiroth snapped, "Hey. Settle down."
Despite the harsh tone of his superior, Zack's expression never wavered. "They gave me some new materia." He displayed a purple orb. "I can't wait to use it."
Sephiroth snorted. "Just like a kid."
That made Zack flush, though sheepishly without a hint of anger. "You going to brief us on this mission?"
Eager to die, are we? Don't worry, death finds us all eventually. He hesitated on what he should explain to a subordinate. "...This isn't a typical mission."
Oddly enough the First SOLDIER seemed delighted at the prospect. "Good!"
"Why do you say that?" Sephiroth inquired, crossing his arms.
Zack blinked in surprise at the question. "I joined SOLDIER so I could be like you." No shame tinted his cheeks in admitting that. "But by the time I reached First Class, the war was already over. My big hopes of becoming a hero like you ended with the war. That's why I always sing up when there's a mission. Kind of a way to prove myself."
To that, Sephiroth grunted and returned his gaze to the window. Praise had showered him as much as mako. After all the years of compliments, the native of Midgar could still not become accustomed to the attention. Perhaps a bit miffed at his failure to respond, his subordinate lowered a hand on Sephiroth's shoulder and asked, "Say, how do you feel, Mister Sephiroth?"
A gesture of good will and faith, perhaps, but one that still irked Shin-ra's High Commander. No one had prompted him on his health in any manner. It was a common enough question, he knew. Why had no one asked him that before? Had no one cared to ask?
His work was always safe harbor from the awkwardness called conversation, so Sephiroth took refuge in it now. "...I thought you wanted a briefing...?" Zack brightened up so Midgar's head SOLDIER continued, running a hand up the impeccable length of Masamune. "Our mission is to investigate an old mako reactor. There have been reports of it malfunctioning and producing brutal creatures. First, we will dispose of the creatures and then we will locate the problem and neutralize it."
At the mention of monsters, Zack shuddered. "Brutal creatures...Where?"
Sephiroth thought that was a given (considering their destination) but answered anyway. "The mako reactor at Nibelhiem."
The name of the town stirred life into the crouched form of Cloud. The Shin-ra guard muttered weakly, "Nibelhiem. That's where I'm from."
Breathing thinly, Sephiroth gazed at Cloud in bewilderment. "Hmm...Hometown..." Hometown. Something even the lowest sentry of SOLDIER could lay claim to and yet not he, the highest-ranking military officer in all of Shin-ra.
Why didn't he have a place to call home, parents to call mother and father, a legacy he could look up to?
JENOVA...Hard as crushed diamonds, the lightning burned within his emerald depths as the voice spoke to him once more. All throughout the journey the frequency of the encounters increased and with it, Sephiroth became dangerously detached from reality. Damn the inevitable looks his subordinates would give—he would answer anyway. The General's lips parted...
And slammed shut an instant later. The shock of the truck spinning jarred his senses. Cloud and the other guard looked at each other in mounting horror. Zack turned to Sephiroth with a worried expression (the first he'd had all evening) and a need for reassurance. The driver swore viciously and craned his head to yell, "Sir, something just crashed into our truck!"
With a sardonic smile at the man's vague term, Sephiroth straightened casually. His eyes gleamed cool with the impending bloodlust. Unleashing Eskallanilna, he let the white bolts ripple dramatically down the blade.
"That would be our Monster..."
'Monster' was a forty-foot green dragon, equipped with fire-breath, sharp claws and a nasty disposition. He did not wait until Sephiroth could mount some materia onto his blade. His attack came fast and furious, knocking the General to the muddy ground. The rain continued to pour in from above making the ground hazardously slick. His footing rarely sure, still Sephiroth maintained the fight, ducking a swift claw that would have crushed him.
Fire coned from the dragon's maw, oddly unaffected by the rain. Sephiroth deflected the magical assault with Eskallanilna, sustaining no damage. The same could not be said of his lone ally. Only Zack volunteered to engage in combat, and for the majority of the melee he could not contribute adequately. The burst of flames immediately incapacitated him early on.
With a disgusted sigh, Sephiroth summoned a resurrection spell to restore his fallen comrade. Swirling a hand over his head, amid keeping the dragon away with a menacing Masemune, he called down celestial light to pool Zack. The pure iridescence burned bright momentarily then shattered into a thousand sparkles to float over his body. After climbing to his feet, the Shin-ra guard fell into a defensive stance.
Needless to say, Zack remained inactive for the remainder of the fight.
Lighting arched overhead as the blood spurted from the dragon. Sephiroth retaliated for his ally, scoring successive hits along its flank and prompting a screech of rage and pain from his opponent. With a swipe of its paw, the dragon countered but failed to hit home for Sephiroth had skillfully ducked underneath and rolled out of the way. Like the crack of a whip he came up to slash the offending appendage. More life-fluid to spew upon the carnage. It dissolved into a sickly pinkish liquid that vanished in the torrent of the rain.
Still, the dragon struggled. He dove at his hated adversary, attempting to make a meal of Sephiroth. His teeth came down to impale the ground. Again, the General evaded his enemy and capitalized on the error. Sephiroth performed a kata with dancing grace to slash the dragon's eyes. It fell back with a roar that made a mockery of the thunder.
Now blinded, the dragon fought with abandon, swiping with his claws at shadows. A single nail hit, but it struck against the steel of Eskallanilna and rebounded, leaving no mark upon the intended victim. Like a blade of midnight and moonlight, the hero of the Wutain War rushed his opponent and ripped open a leg, rendering it immobile.
Zack watched on, stunned, as if watching a god serve justice.
At this point, the dragon appeared ready to flee but Sephiroth cut off his escape route. Someone of a softer heart—and a stupider mind—might have let it go, but the General knew that should this beast live to see another day some citizen of Nibelhiem might not. The screams were outrageously loud, causing Zack to cover his ears and even Sephiroth winced.
He could not delay in sympathy, however. Its pain could have melted rocks but Sephiroth's spine and heart were made of steel. With the wave of a shining blade and he inflicted a magnificent blow to its head. The dragon's attacks came defensive now, whipping out a tail to ward off Zack when he might have interfered. This battle reminded Sephiroth of the encounter with Guardian. Only then he'd been an inexperienced third class SOLDIER. Now, in the full glory of his status and stature, Sephiroth decimated his foe with ease, as theatre that was a true pleasure to witness.
As a bolt of lightning, the General hurled Masamune directly at the dragon. It took the blade full in the neck. Claws flailed out in a last ditch effort to wound his attacker. But Sephiroth was not where the dragon guessed him to be, and the great green serpent collapsed, sending up a wave of blood and rainwater at the two SOLDIERs. It convulsed once and then lay silent.
Like a trail of crimson ribbons, Sephiroth stepped among the blood. Zack's. The dragon's. But none of it his. The rain slashed down, making his silver hair stick to his head like a steel helmet. With one hand he whipped the fluid off of Eskallanilna and the other dragged the weakened Zack back to the Shin-ra truck. After laying him on a barrel with the assistance of Cloud and the other guard, Sephiroth contacted his superior. As suspected, President Russell Shin-ra was unavailable, so he left a brief report with his assistant as to the status of Mission Nibelhiem. Shutting off the PHS, not really expecting a reply, he nodded for the driver to continue.
For the rest of the night they rode on without so much as a word.
Nibelhiem. A small town on the outskirts of the Nibel Mountain Range. A quiet, unremarkable settlement with little resources and even less importance. The only edifice worthy of note had been erected at the rear of the township, the 'haunted' Shin-ra Mansion. Two stories high with an inner basement and library. All and all, nothing warranting the attention of someone so sophisticated as the General of Shin-ra's army.
Sephiroth sheathed Masamune, now within reasonably safe grounds, and glanced about for the nearest lodging. Shin-ra would probably stick him in a sty. Tilting his head, Sephiroth thought back to Cloud's earlier comment: 'Nibelhiem. That's where I'm from.' Hometown. Do I have one? Or is one such as I not meant for a place called home?
"How does it feel? It's your first time back to your hometown in a long time, right?" The silver-haired materia warrior glanced over at his subordinate. A strange feeling tugged at his heart, always prompted by the words 'hometown', 'family' and 'love'.
What are these? What do they mean? They are but words; how can they hold such sway when armies themselves cannot? Seeing the companionship of Zack and Cloud, the bond of friendship, the General flinched, his face dark with...what? Annoyance? Anger? Envy?
Slamming his hand down hard on the lid of the mind, Sephiroth continued, "So how does it feel?" His attempts at 'chit-chat' always lead to a feeling of inadequacy. With determination, he fumbled about for the words, "I wouldn't know because I don't have a hometown." Even as he spoke, the General regretted commenting on his own situation. It was like pointing an arrow at the topics he especially did not want to discuss.
With an expression of shock and embarrassment, Cloud looked through his visor at his superior. "Umm...What about your parents?" Pity leaked through his tone.
Parents. Mother. Father. Those who give you life and raise you. None of this had any meaning for the knowledgeable and brilliant military officer. For one who knew so much about everything, he knew nothing about his own legacy. He had no parents to speak of; no home to call his own.
Sephiroth took care to sound indifferent, to mask the emptiness aching inside. "My mother is Jenova. She died right after she gave birth to me." The words came as if from a research paper, quoting facts not personal material. "My father..." He effected a laugh he did not feel. "Oh, what does it matter?...Let's go."
The stench of Mako flowed in from the Nibel Mountain, causing the General to wrinkle his nose in disgust. How could these people stand living here? In such a mundane existence? He shrugged off the curiosity—it was of no import. "The Mako smell is pretty bad here." With a fluid motion, he faced his subordinates. "We leave for the reactor at dawn. Make sure you get to sleep early." He pointed at the second Shin-ra guard Dale, to indicate he was first watch. "All that we need is one lookout, so you others get some rest."
Pivoting on his heel, he half-turned to gesture to the miserable little town. "Oh, that's right. You may visit your family and friends." With that hung in the air as an afterthought, Sephiroth swung open the door and swept inside the Nibelhiem Inn.
Like the rest of town, the drab inn could never be sufficient for his stature. Maybe a handful of rooms with a small lobby. A black-haired martial arts man named Zangan awoke the sleeping innkeeper for Sephiroth. He snapped his fingers and the owner straightened as if his spine were a sword. "Ah, yes, Sephiroth...General Sephiroth—lovely day, isn't it?"
It had rained all last night and midway into the following day. The mud still caked his cloak and silver hair. The sun hung dim in the clouded sky, threatening to release another torrent of rain. Lovely day it wasn't. "No, it's terrible." As if that statement matched his mood—which it did—the innkeeper blanched. "I need two rooms. One for myself and a second for my "
"Yes, sir! Right away, sir!"
Slowly sliding Eskallanilna out of his sheath, Sephiroth laid it on counter. If the man was looking ill before now might have just died of cardiac arrest. The sight of Masamune often turned a person's blood to ice. "While you're at it, take care not to alert the residents of Nibelhiem of my arrival, alright? I don't want to be disturbed."
When it appeared that the innkeeper might lose control over his body functions, the blade vanished to be sheathed at Sephiroth's hip. Whipping about his black trench cloak, the General headed upstairs. Passing the hallway, he halted at the center window. Outside, the scene of a young boy running around a group of larger boys came to eyes. He fully intended to move on but something about the boy's distressed look cemented him to the spot.
From the looks of it, the bigger boys had the young child's hat. Whenever the little boy reached the one holding his hat, that boy threw it to another. And so on. It didn't take long for the small boy to cry while the older boys looked on laughing. Sephiroth's heart swelled to anger, though he could hardly tell why. He didn't know why to a lot of things these days.
Where had all the time gone? Why did this child's pain matter? It had been years since anyone dared hurt him that way...He had grown strong, raised with a sword in his hand as soon as he could walk. Yet, the sight of the boy's suffering brought all the hurtful memories back, made the pain all that more real.
His hand clenched over the Masamune...A single few slashes wold end the disgraceful scene...
A hand clamped down on his shoulder. "What are you looking at?"
Zack. He had that annoying habit of human touch. Sephiroth shrugged him off. He felt no ill will toward Zack but the boy tried his patience. After losing a good commander in Terence, the General had hoped that the nephew would meet up to his uncle's shoes. Clearly that was not the case. His lips twisted. He missed his first officer, the nearest thing he had to a friend.
With a sharp intake of breath, he answered, eyes on the boys still. "This scenery...I feel like I know this place..." Jenova. Mother. Home. Sephiroth regained control quickly. "We have an early start tomorrow. You should get some sleep."
Zack pouted, "It's still early."
Turning on an angle, the silver-haired warrior set off for his quarters. "I'm not going to get you up tomorrow."
"Ah, yeah, let's get some sleep," Zack gulped.
"I've hired a guide to the Mako Reactor. I've heard she's young." Sephiroth shrugged delicately. "I hope we can rely on her."
Sephiroth, my son...
"Mother? Are you Mother?"
Yes, my beloved child.
"Where are you? Why did you die? Why did you leave me?"
It's them, Sephiroth. The humans.
"Them? Humans? Am I not human?"
You're so much more...Please, find me.
"How do I find you? Where did you go?"
Nibel Mountains, my son. Free me.
"I'm coming, Mother!"
You are the rightful heir to the planet! Destroy those who would oppose you!
Before him, the image of scientists scurrying about a beautiful female humanoid. Cruelly they jabbed needles into the pale blue flesh, seared her with sharp fluorescent light and tortured the lovely creature. With a howl of rage, Sephiroth bolted from bed, eyes flashing. With all his strength and anger he snatched up Eskallanilna and hurled the sword at the reprehensible scene.
Like glass, the image shattered...
In a panic Sephiroth awoke, consciousness crashing in him. He lay upon the floor, tangled in blankets, sweat dripping from his forehead. A dream. It had to be a dream. Not foreshadowing of any kind. Breathing heavily, the General looked up to the door.
The blood in his veins stopped when he saw Masamune imbedded to the hilt.
I threw it...The image...It had been so real...Maybe it was. A view into the past? A terrible omen of the future?
A knock upon on the door. Sephiroth dressed himself with military efficiency. "Who is it?"
Muffled laughter. "Zack . First SOLDIER. You said you wouldn't wake me, so I woke myself. It's so late, I'd thought it best to check up on you. Guess I'm not the one who needs a wake-up call, eh?"
With a delicious cruelty, the General quickly ripped out the blade. His subordinate must have leapt three feet in the air, to judge by the sound of his abrupt landing. "I've been awake for hours," he lied, savoring his little victory. Sephiroth didn't like the insolent tone or manner of Zack. "I've been speaking to the President of Shin-ra..." That should straighten his spine ... "And seeing as we have so little time left, we leave immediately for the Nibel Mountains."
That sent Zack scurrying off to gather his belongings.
By the time Sephiroth arrived at the gate to the Shin-ra Mansion, only Zack had yet to appear. Within seconds the First SOLDIER came scampering out of the inn. It was with a severe annoyance that the General noted the town's citizens and pathetic media had conglomerated, eager to catch a glimpse, word, or picture of the Legend of the Wutain War himself.
Holding his sword aloft, a visible warning to all around to keep their distance, he addressed his warriors. "Once the guide gets here, we're heading out." An audible groan of disappointment accompanied the declaration. Sephiroth ignored it. He hated the masses, as fickle and single-minded as they were.
That damn innkeeper! Doesn't he know the difference between no one and everyone?
Fortunately for Sephiroth, the guide materialized through the fog. A lovely young woman of no more than fifteen. She wore a plain white tank top with an excessively small brown skirt. Much to the General's irritation, she sported a cowboy hat over her rich brown hair that shadowed her coffee-colored eyes. Before the guide could introduce herself, her father stepped forward, his voice cold as he spoke, "Listen to me, Sephiroth. In case something happens..."
Sephiroth cut in, not wasting any time on the man's nonsense. "...Trust me." That didn't seem to satisfy him but his daughter added force with a few words of her own. Once he relented, she turned to the General and brightly said, "I'm Tifa. Nice to meet you."
For the last few minutes Zack had been fidgeting beside his superior. His ice-blue eyes gleamed at her name and he blurted out, "Tifa! You're our guide?"
Clearly the two knew each other, though to what extent, the General couldn't tell. Tifa responded in enthusiasm, nodding her head. "That's right. I just happen to be the number one guide in this town."
Sephiroth fully intended for that to be the end of the discourse but Zack wouldn't let it go. "It's too dangerous. I can't involve you in something like this."
I haven't time for this lover's quarrel. Having never actually seen a 'lover's quarrel' before, Sephiroth couldn't be certain that this qualified. He nipped the impending disaster in the bud. "Then there's no problem if you protect her. Let's go." In a dramatic swirl meant to be an exit, the General started off for the mountains.
People. The stupidest creatures alive. Too fickle. Too cheery...
"Umm...Mr. Sephiroth?"
Too annoying. "Yes?" he snapped, clipping impatience.
"Please let me take one picture for a memento..."
Rolling his eyes, Sephiroth thought: what's one picture? Then his beautiful green eyes spanned the dozens of would-be photographers. The entire citizenry of Nibelhiem waited in eager anticipation. They all wanted a turn to photograph him...
One? Hardly... "Oh...No..."
In the end, for time constraints (and Sephiroth's evaporating patience), the masses agreed to purchase copies of his portrait at a Shin-ra discounted price. The first man who'd asked would make a minor profit and the rest would go to the Weapons Department at Midgar. Zack proudly walked over for the picture, perhaps ecstatic about having his face on a portrait with his hero. Tifa hurriedly followed, cheeks flushed with the thrill of being between two prestigious SOLDIERs; one, her childhood friend and the other, Midgar's highest-ranking military officer.
Humor them, Sephiroth. If you appease them it'll make the 'pleasantries' go faster. He always cringed at the usual socialization that common folk engaged in. He was alone in a crowd; the greatest warrior on the face of the Planet who'd never frequented pubs or even dated. As sad as it was, Terence had been the closet thing he had to a...friend.
His death had been unexpected. His First Officer had been overseeing the submission of an uprising at North Corel at the time of an accident. One of the rebels activated a mako reactor in an attempt to disarm it. Terence had struggled with the man and both fell into a steaming pond of mako. The insurrectionist had perished instantly. Sephiroth's right hand man survived briefly, but within days contracted mako poisoning. As a last dying wish he asked Sephiroth to accompany Zack on Mission Nibelhiem.
And now here I am. What an utter waste of my time. But far be it from Sephiroth to deny a last request from the only 'friend' he'd ever had.
Sharp as daggers, the wind pierced the two Shin-ra Guards, the SOLDIERs and their guide. Before them, the bridge, a rickety assembly of decrepit boards and rotten rope, swayed about them in the wind. Snow fluttered up from the ground, whirling around as crystalline entities to impair their vision. Sephiroth had pushed the group hard so that, mid-day, the third of the journey was literally behind them. The cold could eat into the marrow of bones but he refrained from complaining. No productiveness could result from lamenting that which cannot be changed.
Nor was it a good example for his subordinates.
A feeling of intense De Ja Vu overcame Sephiroth as he stepped on the bridge. He hated bridges, the memory of the ambush at the Wutain bridge fresh in his mind though years old. Again, nothing could be done about it, so the Midgarian plunged on ahead. Tifa proceeded next, instructing Zack to follow her with the guards to take up the rear.
Three-fourth's of the way across the bridge shook violently. Tifa yelled, "Uh...The bridge!" In the middle the boards, having long been in disrepair, collapsed and the three stumbled as it shattered altogether. Sephiroth whipped about to try to activate a materia on his blade. His speed was not enough. As he fell, the General caught a glimpse of Dale unleashing the rope at the ends.
When Sephiroth came to, his eyes followed the length of a blade that had been leveled at his heart. The blade of Masamune.
"I wouldn't move if I were you."
Dale. His insignificant subordinate held him hostage. Him, the great General, hostage at sword point with his own blade! Had his life not been in imminent danger, the silver-haired warrior might have laughed.
"Fool! What do you hope to accomplish?" His sharp green eyes didn't waver from those of the Shin-ra guards'. Wait for an opening. He cannot hold Eskallanilna for long. The Mako inherent to the steel and hilt will burn his flesh.
"Retribution. I'm taking you hostage, Sephiroth."
Such a ridiculous notion did make Sephiroth laugh—though with a brief chuckle. His lips curled in disgust. "Hostage? You must be joking."
Dale smiled the grin of a wolf, poking his 'hostage' painfully in the ribs. Involuntarily, the General winced. "Never been so serious in my life." He fished about in his pocket for a moment, then removed a PHS which he promptly tossed in Sephiroth's lap. "Get on the line with your damn President. Tell him to order the withdrawal of troops from North Corel. As well, I want immediate financial aid for the village of Gongaga."
"You are joking! President Shin-ra would never agree to those terms." He barked laughter without mirth. "You might as well kill me now for I refuse to submit to be your prisoner, anyway."
His face darkening, Dale pressed the blade against the Senior SOLDIER's breastbone, piercing the clothes. Had Sephiroth not ceased breathing, a hole the size of Masemune's width would be in his chest. His former subordinate chuckled cruelly. "Noble until the end, eh? You make me sick, you dog of Shin-ra. Your commander killed my brother!"
My commander...Terence...He's talking about the man who fought against Terence.
"You're nothing more than a tool, a weapon without a soul. Like an assassin you kill without thought. You're inhuman!"
"Freak...Weirdo..."
"Monster...Murderer..."
"Not human...Not like the others...""...Inhuman..."
A scream of rage erupted from Sephiroth's lips. Like a demon consumed his soul and burned in his eyes, he rolled out of path of Eskallanilna. Normally it would have pierced flesh and bone—his flesh and bone—but it retracted as if with a mind of its own. Dale squealed as the sword wrenched from his grip of its own accord. Grabbing the man, Sephiroth slammed him against the rockface. His hands flew up to Dale's neck and the former subordinate gasped for air, pleaded for mercy but the General was quite beyond hearing, quite beyond mad.
When Dale fell limp and Sephiroth's hands tired, the Head of SOLDIER dropped the body. Aquamarine eyes flashing, he slumped against the hard stone of the cliff. His gaze focused inward. His hand lowered to Masamune, heat emanating from the steel and reassuring him. He clasped it gratefully, like a mother, or a sister or a lover—neither of which he actually had.
Suddenly he felt cold. Terribly cold as if the life had fled not just Dale but him as well. I killed him...I killed—to protect myself...To protect Shin-ra...
To protect your mother...To complete your mission...
"Yes..."
"Ah, General?"
His head snapped up. From beneath the shadow of the mountain stood Cloud, his expression anxious. His gaze kept straying to the body of Dale, twisted like a discarded toy. Awareness awoke in Sephiroth. The body...Cloud would tell...He must kill Cloud He—No, he could lie. It was a long fall. Dale died from that. Not him.
"He...fell."
Cloud's nod made Sephiroth breath easier. "Ah, Tifa and Zack are on the other side of mountain. Shouldn't we go..."
"Yes!" He spoke entirely too loud and too quickly, but the guard didn't seem to notice. Cloud bounded up the boulder in their path and started off. With nary a glance back, the General followed in his wake. He blocked the emotion of having killed Dale. Elation? Sorrow? Anger? Who could tell—certainly not he...
Zack and Tifa awoke to the sound of boots crunching the hard-packed snow. The former helped the latter to her feet. Tifa blushing, thanking him. Before anything unwanted happened, the General stepped forward and announced, "Everyone seems to be alright. Can we get back to where we were?" After the horrid experience with Dale he wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Dusting off her skirt, the guide supplied, "These caves are intertwined, just like an ant farm. Oh and there seems to be one person missing..."
Sephiroth frowned, hoping no one would bring up that subject though he supposed there was no helping it. "It may seem cold, but we've got no time to search for him." Cloud looked curiously at his superior during the word 'search'. The General hurried on. "We can't go back now, so we must go on." With a gloved hand, Sephiroth gestured for Tifa to lead the way. From now on, he would not trust her judgement on bridges.
They proceeded for some time into the mid-day. Sephiroth continued to make short work of the opposing monsters. Zack joined in the various battles but merely for show. His participation did not really alter the outcome of the many melees. His materia, purple preemptive, helped the General detect approaching creatures. Still, unarmed and half-asleep, the silver-haired warrior could destroy his opponents without breaking a sweat.
Enormous chunks of ice crushed four monsters that emulated giant grasshoppers. Flames burst into the chests of three violet breasts with tentacles. Still other creatures too, felt his wrath, burned to blackness by searing bolts of white-blue lightning. Whole groups of creatures fell to Sephiroth's power. At that rate, it didn't take long for the remaining four to reach the Mako Reactor directly in their path.
"We finally made it. We took the long way though."
Sephiroth's thoughts exactly. His slanted green eyes trailed over to the guide. The chill of Mont. Nibel settled into his bones until it seemed to take residence in their marrow. Zack hopped from foot to foot to stave off the cold and Tifa breathed into her hands. Cloud just stood, ice-white, not moving an inch. His gaze returned to the structure before them.
Certainly he'd laid eyes on more elite edifices. The Nibel Mako Reactor stood about thirty feet high, with a copper-colored steel walkway. The logo of Shin-ra Incorporated had been attached to the dome, the lettering peeling from the crimson sign. Several steel pipes extended from the center to drive into the frozen ground like the legs of a spider.
Sephiroth breathed. This entire mission had not been 'down time' as he'd hoped. The General would compose a brief report about the details of the operation, leaving it strictly to facts. In it, he would note the date the mission had been completed, the gil required, the solution necessary for the Mako malfunction. Nothing about his attempted assassination, Dale's subsequent death or his raging emotions of doubt, fatigue and frustration.
At least it would be over soon. He could forget about Nibelhiem.
"Tifa, wait here," Zack was saying, though the General barely registered the words. He flung back his long black cloak that rippled as melted midnight. He reached halfway up the steps when the guide protested.
"I'm going inside, too!" She tapped her foot childishly. "I wanna see!"
Sephiroth shook his head. I should have known better than to trust someone so young. Most people of that age are not mature. Imagine what she'll feel when she finds out the world is a terrible place out there. The Wielder of Masamune had to admit he'd never been that naïve. Ever since Hojo had first struck him—and that was too long ago to remember—Sephiroth knew the complexities and cruelties of life.
Ignorance is bliss, young lady. Better to know nothing than to know everything of Shin-ra. "Only authorized personnel are allowed in. This place is full of Shin-ra's industrial secrets." He kept the tone polite but non-negotiable.
Tifa planted her feet forward as if the only ignorance she had was of not knowing when to quit. "But--!"
With a sigh of impatience, Sephiroth glanced over to Cloud. "Take care of the lady." He left it at that, proceeding up the copper-colored ramp into the mako reactor. Zack was hot on his heels.
Making his way through the myriad maze of bulkheads, cords and various gears, Sephiroth stared straight ahead. He wanted this mission over. Now. But it would be, soon. His beautiful hair, as pure as starlight, poured in tune to his quick steps. Overhead, his subordinate leapt from the boards to climb down a massive steel support beam. The General didn't wait for him, instead continuing onto the antechamber beyond.
The chamber gave him immediate pause. It was small—no more than a dozen feet across and high. Crimson lights shone down from above as if the room was awash with blood. A two-tiered staircase bisected the room. On both sides, blue pods had been mounted on elevated platforms into three rows, huge cords drawing green liquid from a connected chamber. And on that steel door the nameplate froze his heart.
J. E. N. O. V. A.
"My mother...?" In war, chaos reigned. Yet Sephiroth maintained his cool. His experience with learning to adapt would be much tested. He told himself it couldn't be anything relevant—just a bizarre coincidence. Retreating to the first level, the General watched Zack arrive, his usual cheery self. When he spotted the nameplate, the SOLDIER examined the door. Tugging fruitlessly at the handle, he said, "This is...Jenova, right? It won't open..."
Jenova. Just exactly what he so longed to forget...Sephiroth decidedly ignored the comment. Instead the General quickly swept his emerald eyes over the lower pods. He spotted a broken valve and gestured to the pod. "This is the reason for the malfunction. This part is broken. Zack, close the valve."
In a hurry Zack labored over the part, reconnecting the strained tubes. As he worked, Sephiroth's mind worked, too—in exhaustion over the swirling questions and horrid premonitions. What was in those pods? Why was 'it' in there? "...Why did it break...?" he asked no one in particular.
Again his heart iced over, as his eyes befell a creature floating in the pod's green liquid like a mantis in amber. It had harsh fangs and blue scales with a crown of thorns upon its head. Without any reason to assume, Sephiroth knew the creature had been human. He felt a strange kinship to it. And small wonder—he, himself had been prisoner once.
I must be tired. I am in no way related to that hideous beast. Still, Sephiroth could not dispel the unsettling feeling. His mind drifted off...
"You're insane, to experiment on innocent children like that," snapped a teenaged Sephiroth, who stared at four sickly pods. "You won't ever do that to me! You won't!"
Hojo laughed a wicked sound like a witch. "You would never understand me, boy. The sheer brilliance of science to create and alter life. Ah, but you will come to understand all too well..."
"I think not. I want no part of what you're doing. I'll stay human, thank you."
Now the laughter had the professor bent over. He straightened a smug hate in his eyes. "You're not really different from them. But that is for another along, there's training to be done."
Sephiroth shook his head, disgusted. That man was twisted, a soulless beast with no concern for human life. "Now I see, Hojo..." His eyes returned to the pods in Nibelhiem, a more advanced form than that which he'd ever seen. "But even this will never put you on the same level as Gast." At that moment, he dearly missed Gast. A professor who achieved greatness without resorting to such barbaric means.
From beside him, Zack lifted his black eyebrows in question. Sephiroth ordered his mind enough to rattle on. "This is a system that condenses and freezes Mako energy...Now," Straightening, the General addressed his subordinate fully. "What does mako do when it's further condensed?"
Zack did not expect the quiz and his face flushed. "Uh, umm...Oh, yeah. It become materia."
Well, Terence's little nephew isn't entirely clueless after all. At least he can spew out words that have been drilled into his brain. A smile slipped into his lips. Now Sephiroth, be fair. No one is quite like you. "Right. Normally," he said with a nod. "But Hojo put something else in there...Take a look."
A few minutes later his SOLDIER had stumbled to the floor on his bottom, face filled with horror. "What...What is this?"
Sephiroth nodded, affirming his own suspicions. Something peculiar was happening here and while he suspected Hojo was behind it, the General could formulate no clue as to what the sick little man had designed. A hand cupped his head thoughtfully. "Normal members of SOLDIER are humans showered with Mako." His green-as-lifestream eyes flittered over to the rising Zack. "You're different from the others but still human." Even when he said that he did not know what he meant...as if Zack was separate from himself; as if, he, too, was a member of those creatures...It had been a natural conclusion to make...but ridiculous...simply not possible...right?
"They've been exposed to a high degree of mako far more than anyone else. But what are they?" he asked, interested in Zack's view on the uncanny situation.
Zack responded with a question of his own. "...Is this some kind of a monster?"
"Exactly. And it's Hojo of Shin-ra that produced these monsters." The memory of his childhood watching the torture of a young brown-haired mother constricted his chest. Monsters. Shin-ra was producing monsters...But why? "Mutated living organisms produced by Mako energy. That's what these monsters really are."
Suddenly his First SOLDIER started. He did a double take, as if rethinking something his superior had mentioned. "Normal members of SOLDIER? You mean you're different?"
"You're not really different from them."
"You...are not of this world...who are you?"
"You're inhuman!"
"You will come to understand all too well."
"You're different from the others, but still human."
Different. Jenova. Not human. His mother—not human. Him—not human...Not human? I'm...not human? Who am I? What am I? "No...No..." he whispered, stricken. He staggered backwards against the pod. As if to deny the horrible revelation, the General trembled violently to hurl the awful thoughts right out of his head. But they refused to leave, firmly implanted like it was a very logical conclusion to draw.
At least the pieces of his life were coming together...Or were they falling apart?
A hand came up to grip his forehead and his beautiful eyes squinted as if pained. Not normal. Never been normal...No. He...He wasn't like those horrific creatures...was he?
"Hey...Sephiroth?"
Zack might as well have not spoken, for his superior did not hear him. All background noise faded; leaving only a trail of lies, secrecy and deception before the General. Vicious tremors seized Sephiroth. Of course! That's why he'd been so alienated—because he was an alien!
His eyes opened, like the empty depths of a mako river, to pan the antechamber. Jenova. His mother. The revelation was singularly horrifying. His voice came as if from another realm, a place of despair, "....Was I...?" Rage surged through him like flames. Masamune begged to be released and he answered, unleashing the six-foot blade. Whipping it around with hate composed of fear, the Midgarian slashed at the pod he'd formerly viewed. It resisted quite nicely. Again. And again he attacked, anger pent from decades long abuse coming to surface at last.
Seeing his leader's fit of fury (and not desiring said fury's path) Zack leapt backwards to land on the lower tier. He witnessed the utter breakdown of the great materia warrior, the legend of the Wutian War.
Anger burst in Sephiroth's head so much it could drive normal people insane. But normal he was not. Clutching Eskallanilna tightly between his gloved hands, the General hacked at the pods on the left. That same pod had been the reason he'd come here in the first place. It yielded, much to Sephiroth's displeasure. That did not deter him, however, for he proceeded to strike the metal with steel. "...Was I created this way, too...?" He halted for a breath and a moment to glare at the hideous beast inside. "Am I the same as all these monsters?" The assault continued as if Sephiroth hoped to erase all evidence of the unbearable truth.
"Sephiroth..."
His own name hauled Sephiroth out of the madness he'd sunk into. Sword still in hand, though lowered, the General stepped aside to gaze at his subordinate. Zack's scared sapphire eyes met Sephiroth's own, a pair of blazing sockets filled with empty life. "You saw them!" he cried, a note below a scream. "All of them..." Now his voice faded, ragged, broken. "...were human..."
The SOLDIER braced, his words shaking with disbelief. "Human! No way!"
Human. No way. Not human. Never been human. Bitterness of his own naivete stung his throat, shined as tears in two emerald eyes. How foolish he'd been...How stupid! Hojo had tormented him. Kids shunned him. His caretakers couldn't care if he'd lived or died. Sephiroth mind floated back to his first day of 'school'. He'd hated it. The boys had been so cruel. They'd made it quite clear he'd never belong. An outcast. A misfit.
As a shield to the pain, a young Sephiroth pretended that he was outcast because he was special. In great adversity would come his ultimate triumph and that peace would finally come to his soul. A great purpose would show him his place in the world. And now, all those precious notions about himself shattered around Sephiroth.
"I'd always felt since I was small...that I was different from the others...Special, in some way...But not like this..."
In despair, Sephiroth shook his head and lowered it. He heaved a defeated sigh that seemed to last eternity. Here he was the most feared and revered man on the Planet and the Great General was reduced to these horrid creatures as 'siblings'. It made him sick to think about it. Who am I? Am I really one of those nasty beasts? Am I not human?
In such a state of breakdown Sephiroth was shocked back into reality again by the sound of a pod erupting. Blue metal flew everywhere. His whole body jerked halfways to see a scaled monster crawl out. Its screech seemed born of hell. Without thinking, Sephiroth touched a green materia and cast a fire spell. Gusts of flames incinerated the creature.
"Sephiroth...Uh, what do we do now?"
His voice as deceivingly placid as before, the General sheathed Eskallanilna and answered, "Fix the pod. We return to Nibelhiem immediately." As Zack hurried to the task, Sephiroth continued in the monotone. "It was told that Nibelhiem has a library at the Shin-ra Mansion and that there they housed scientific documents of Hojo and Gast...Is that true?"
Scratching his head, Zack confirmed, "Yeah. But what are you looking for?"
Sephiroth spoke while leaving the reactor. "Something long denied me: the truth."
Vincent's cold laughter rang throughout the chamber. It sounded louder than it naturally should. Bats fluttered in the cramped corners. "The Truth. The words that carry so much weight...so much power that they can dictate the fate of nations. The words that can lift a man to salvation—or drag him down to his damnation."
"Damnation, indeed!" Luke's finger poked into the air as he bounced up and down. "I suspect the tale is about to get very interesting. How do you suppose he collected all the clues together enough to draw the conclusion that something was withheld from him in the Shin-ra Mansion?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
"Oh, I doubt that. Come on, come on, Mr. Valentine. I'm sure there's some explanation creeping around in that dusty old mind of yours!"
Realizing exactly what he'd said, Luke bit down on his tongue. The former-Turk was an enigma, almost as much as Sephiroth himself. The scientist dare not offend Vincent, for fear not only that the man would clam up but also that his life would be forfeit.
Fortunately, Vincent didn't seem anything more than annoyed. "There is by no means a way to be certain how that fortune—or misfortune—shone on Sephiroth that the clues would add up. If I were forced to venture a guess—" a frown to that, "I'd say that Jenova aided him in that respect. The sooner Sephiroth learned of her, the sooner her plan might see fruition."
"And, thus, the 'truth' came out. Or her conveniently altered version of It, anyway."
"Precisely."