A/N: This chapter has been modified due to complaints from anonymous readers.
FYI: Please be a little more patient with me, I'm a big picture person. I'm used to focusing on the big picture or the finished product and not the details that get me there.
As Cloud and the others climbed the Crater they were forced to battle with countless amounts of Jenova's flunkies. Eventually through battles along with many other trials, such as the decrease in available oxygen at high altitudes, the group managed to reach the inside. "It's warm, I wasn't expecting that…" Cloud told the others. Red shook the snow from his fur. Cait Sith let down the zipper and a gallon of antifreeze poured out before he zipped himself back up. The others took off their snow gear and put it in their packs. Cloud turned his attention to proceeding. His PHS rang loudly. "Yes?" he answered. "Be careful, Strife… Jenova surrounds herself with some of the most powerful forces she can control…" Sephiroth began. "Cloud, the windspeeds on those stormwalls are exceeding 500 mph, we won't be able to get through if we don't use our heads…" Vincent explained. At this time Cloud checked the PHS and Sephiroth had already hung up.
As they passed through the first stormwall Cloud thought he heard a voice. "What was that?" he asked. "I don't know, we should proceed with caution…" Vincent advised. "I agree with Vincent…" Red admitted. "Com'n dumba&&es, or we'll leave you're a&&es behind!" Cid shouted. After the second stormwall Cloud could've sworn he had heard someone, a woman. "Hey Aeris, did you say something?" he asked. "It wasn't me, are you feeling alright?" "Yeah, sorry… Hey Yuffie, did you…?" Cloud started. "Did I what?" Yuffie asked. "No, nevermind. Let's keep going!" Cloud said shaking his head. The last stormwall Cloud knew he heard a feint voice, but he couldn't make out what it was saying. He decided not even to stop. Not until he heard the sound of Vincent screaming in pain and RedXIII howling. The group turned to see them stopped. Vincent holding his head shaking it in his hands and RedXIII howling, when the two stopped their eyes weren't the same as they usually were. Cloud noticed the same evil look in Vincent and RedXIII's eyes as he had seen in Sephiroth's.
"It's Jenova, she's taken control of them!" Cloud told the others. "Well then me and Mr. Fata&& will distract 'em keep goin'!" Cid shouted. Cloud, Aeris, Cait Sith, and Yuffie turned to leave but as they did a shot was fired. The shot barely missed Cloud's head. They all turned to look at Vincent with his gun drawn. "No, don't pay attention to me… Keep going!" Vincent struggled to say. "I'm sorry, man!" Barret told Vincent as he finished loading his gatling gun and started firing at Vincent. He began to dodge and return fire. Barret ducked behind a rock. "Wadda' foo's starin' at get goin' and get 'dat Jenova!" Barret yelled to Cloud. RedXIII bore his fangs at Cid, growling he leapt onto Cid knocking him to the ground. If not for Cid's spear, Red would be using him as a chew toy. "Stop yer' starin' and get outta' here, numbskulls!" Cid shouted at them. "Com'n, our only hope of saving them is to defeat Jenova!" Cloud ordered.
As they progressed Cloud began to hear the voice more often, but he could barely make out what it was saying. After a while he decided not even to try. "It's Jenova trying to control me!" he told himself. The voice kept getting more persistent, but he only continued to ignore it. Finally the twisted form of Jenova stood before them. "This one is different from the Jenova BIRTH that we fought on the barge…" Aeris pointed out. "Jenova LIFE…" Cloud told them, "Watch yourselves this one is stronger than BIRTH!" Even through his headaches Cloud managed to defeat Jenova LIFE, but Jenova's voice did not vanish. "She's still here!" Cloud told them. A new pathway had opened up where they defeated Jenova LIFE.
"Let's move out!" Cloud ordered as the other three followed. They came to another dead-end. Suddenly the image of their surroundings changed to that of Nibelhiem, but the town was on fire. "You can't confuse me with your illusions of the past Jenova! Stop cowering and come out to face me!" Cloud called. With that the illusion disappeared and another Jenova appeared much like the last one. "Jenova DEATH…" Cloud huffed. This one was defeated much the same way, but still Jenova's voice remained. "I still hear Jenova…" Cloud told them. "Don't listen, Cloud!" Aeris told him. "I can't understand what she's saying even if I was listening, I know now to never listen to what Jenova says…" Cloud replied softly.
Cloud walked off down another path that had just revealed itself. The others followed without being told to. Finally they came to a huge wall of ice or crystal, inside the wall was an enormous beast-like eye. "Jenova?" Cloud wondered, "No this is…" "WEAPON…" Aeris muttered, "This thing is WEAPON, the Planet's defense mechanism… The Planet created WEAPON to destroy Jenova, but by the time it was done making WEAPON, Jenova had already been defeated and sealed away…" "Wait, if this thing is freed it'll destroy Jenova, right?" Cait Sith asked. "Yes…" Aeris replied. "Why don't we release it and let it deal with Jenova?" Yuffie asked. "No! If we release it, thousands will die! It's specific purpose is to seek and destroy anything that poses a threat to the Planet itself!" she explained. "Midgar…" the other three gasped. Cloud bolted around to see the final for of Jenova. "Jenova SYTHESYS!" Cloud said in a challenging low voice.
SYTHESYS emitted a high-pitched sound that resembled a scream. It turned away from them to face an unknown enemy. The sound of a shotgun was heard followed closely by bolts of electricity. "Now Cloud! Finish this thing off!" Aeris alerted him. Cloud charged full speed towards the creature and with an earth shattering roar of a battle cry stuck his sword into the demon-beast and jumped into the air, performing a perfect uninterrupted Climbhazard. As SYTHESYS vanished Yuffie and Cait took one look at WEAPON. It's eye no longer blinked. Over the deceased and burning wreckage that used to be Jenova the group expected to see their other friends but they saw Rufus, Hiedegger, Scarlet and Hojo instead. Walking just behind Shin-ra management was Hiedegger's personal flunky squad the Turks with the other members of AVALANCHE walking in cuffs. "Perfect, the Cetra. President we can still take the Promised Land…" Hojo exclaimed laughing menaicly. "No! I'm not interested in the Promised Land…" Rufus replied. "But President…!" Hojo persisted before Rufus put his hand out to silence the sadistic scientist. "Cloud, I would like one chance to fight you!" Rufus requested. "And if I refuse?" Cloud asked. "Cloud, I should name the terms of this fight… If you win, we'll release Aeris no questions asked no strings attached… If I win, your entire team will suffer an excrutiating execution…" Rufus replied. "What's the difference between them?" Cloud asked. "If you lose, Aeris dies with you…" Rufus explained. "There are worst things than death!" Aeris spat, "Like being Hojo's lab-rat! I'd rather be dead than be his lab-rat!" "I know you won't play by your own rules…" Cloud accused. "Have it your way…" Rufus trailed off as he snapped his fingers.
The sickening sound of a gun being caulked was heard and it was pointed at Yuffie's head. "I don't miss often!" Scarlet bragged. "You dirty little whore!" Cid cursed. The gun was turned in Cid's direction. "Go ahead shoot me, little cowardly b&&&&!" Cid cussed. "Cid, not a bright idea…" Red advised. Barret flinched before falling down he was unconscious. Eventually all of the team fell except Cloud. "Heidegger, Scarlet go back to the ship!" Rufus ordered, "I have no interest in Hojo's work, as far as I'm concerned he's a sadistic maniac that I, myself, will destroy in time, if I have to… You want to know the funny thing? I've been rooting for you this whole time Strife… Reno, listen up! You are in no way to interfere with this fight, do you hear me!" Reo saluted, "Yes, president…" Without any further discussion Cloud and Rufus began to fist fight each other.
At first glance it looked as if they were evenly matched. Cloud got wise, though, he began to dodge and counterattack. Rufus threw a punch Cloud ducked under it and hit him in the gut. Rufus kicked at him and even though it hit him it didn't seem to do much damage. Rufus got Cloud in a headlock, but Cloud was smart and knew just how to get out of it. He literally kicked Rufus's butt. As soon as the president released him he got reckless and attempted to kick Rufus upside his head, Rufus caught him and threw him against the wall that WEAPON was still sealed in. Cloud took a look at the once again blinking WEAPON before passing out.