Warning: This chapter contains quite a lot of swearing. Be afraid! Don't own the charas or the voices in their heads.
Chapter nine: It takes a fool to remain sane.
Traveling alone and not needing rest, it had taken him less than a day to get to the reactor. With his unique strength Sephiroth had ran most of the way, stopping only to eat and drink every once in a while, and to kill any monster stupid enough to attack him. And now he was just outside the reactor.
He had thought about the situation a lot, what the voice in his head wanted him to believe, what Hojo wanted for him to think as the truth, and what Cloud tried to convince him of. They all had their reasons and ideas, but was one more reliable than the others? Only thing he was sure about was not to trust Hojo, that lesson he had learned years ago. He had to do what the deranged man said, participate in his twisted experiments, but he didn't have to believe a word coming from that mouth. That left Cloud and... her.
Cloud shared the General's hate and mistrust against the professor, but being Hojo's pet for so long, there was no knowing what ideas were the boy's own and which Hojo had planted. And what sort of influence had the Turk, Valentine, had on him? That led to the question if the Turk could be trusted, was he really who he claimed to be, or was it again something Hojo had made him believe? So he couldn't really trust the boy with his sanity, not when the blond wasn't playing with a full deck either.
So it was just her. The voice in his mind. Mother. Jenova. She who promised him the world. He'd never seriously wanted to rule the world, only as a scared child, in pain, alone in Hojo's clutches, forced to go through experiment after experiment, all the injections, and being soaked in Mako for hours and hours. Then he had dreamed of it, ruling the world, controlling everything. A world where he wouldn't have to be hurt, ever again, not by Hojo or his assistants, not by anyone who hated or loved him. He'd control everything, nothing could happen unless he wanted it to happen. Later on he'd realized the foolishness of such dreams, and forgotten them, even though he still strived to rule his own, secluded little world, the shadow of a life he'd managed to build for himself, away from the laboratory and Hojo, amongst the Soldiers and their training. It had kept him satisfied, enough that he didn't lose his mind. It had kept him sane, but left him craving for something. He wasn't sure what it was. Friendship, love or the likes, the weaknesses of humans? Why would he want to be weak? A history, knowledge of where he'd come from, besides Hojo's laboratory? The scientist had told him that his mother, Jenova, had died giving birth to him, and that had been his only clue to his past. Hojo had claimed once to be his father, but Sephiroth had never really believed it. What father would put his own child through so much suffering? Even just to make him so much better and stronger than the others?
She promised to tell him everything. And she was just inside this reactor, whispering to him, calling him to come and set her free. Calling. He didn't know whether he'd actually believe her, but he had to know what she had to say. When he'd talked with her he could decide what to believe in.
'If I don't go insane first...' the General thought and lifted his Mako-green eyes up to the door of the reactor.
"This is so fucking imbecilic..."
"...is that a word?"
"Asshole. I mean, what's the bleeding point? The town is destroyed, this shithole is full of monsters, he probably knows already we're after him... Ramuh's beard, he's not a complete moron, he's the friggin' General, he's not going to come here!" Reno swore some more under his breath and shivered as a chill ran down his spine. He wouldn't admit out loud that the place gave him the creeps, and blamed the chill on the cool wall he was leaning against. Rude's eloquent shrug annoyed him to no end.
"The professor wanted someone here. He's convinced Sephiroth will come-"
"Well let the bloody professor come here and freeze his balls off! I'm sick of this, Rude! There isn't even a proper BAR within a hundred miles! Fuck, probably more! How far is it to Rocket Town anyway?"
"...didn't you bring a bottle?" The taller man's voice was now slightly worried.
"...yeah, but I already drank it yesterday."
"Reno, you're so fucking imbecilic..."
"Asshole."
"I love you too."
They both fell silent and eyed their surroundings nervously as something growled. Reno turned his electric nightstick on with one hand as the other went to his gun. Rude adjusted his sunglasses and cocked his head as he heard something else. He was standing next to the door and barely avoided getting hit when it suddenly flew open and Sephiroth marched determinedly in, blocking Reno's nightstick with his seven-foot sword without even looking. The other hand smashed to Rude's temple, throwing the bald Turk on his back and knocking his lights out. Reno cursed and lifted his gun, but the Masamune turned quickly and just about cut his fingers off. Dropping the gun, the red-head howled in pain and fell to his knees.
Sephiroth stopped long enough to turn to him. "Stay out of my way, and you may live."
Reno nodded and watched as the black-clad man continued towards the inner parts of the reactor.
Once he was inside the reactor's core, Sephiroth marched straight up the stairs, ignoring the pods holding the monsters. He did notice that a few of them had opened since the last time he was here, only a few days ago, but the monsters were gone. Probably dead, or wandering somewhere in the mountains. He didn't care. The buzz, the whispers in his head were drowning out all the noises, making his head ache annoyingly. Mother called.
Stopping before the door at the end of the stairs, the General stopped and lifted a hand to his hips. The door was closed, and there was no visible lock or handle. With a frown he once again read the letters above it, forming her name. Jenova.
"Mother, I am here to see you. Please, open this door."
"Can't you make this tin can fly any faster?" Zax screamed as loud as he could to be heard over the howling wind and the roar of the engines. The blond man sitting in front of him flipped him the bird and muttered a few chosen words. The Soldier groaned and looked out at the mountains beneath them.
Pink. Seriously. What kind of a person would paint a plane pink?
The Nibel mountains passed underneath them quite fast, actually, he just wanted to be at the reactor NOW. He knew how fast Sephiroth could run, and was sure that the General was already there. He had no way of knowing what exactly was going on in there, but Zax could guess that it was nothing good.
/Son, let's take this planet back together./
"Are we there yet?"
"Fuck it ya Shin-Ra shit! I'm taking you there from the goodness of my bleedin' heart, but I swear, ask that damned question one more effin' time and I'll fuc-"
"I'll take that as a NO!" Zax covered his face with his hands and prayed to any god willing to listen that nothing would go really, really wrong before he got to his friend.
/I've thought of a great idea. Let's go to the Promised Land./
"Look! There's the damned reactor! I'll find a place to land!"
Zax just about hopped from the small plane named Tiny Bronco when the reactor and its bright red Shin-Ra sign came into view from behind a mountain peak. His attention was drawn from the scenery when the engines started to cough and the pilot swore loudly.
"Oh come on baby, don't fail me now sweetness! Hold onto your drawers and don't piss in 'em!"
/With my superior power, knowledge and magic, I should have become the ruler of this planet. Now it's your turn, son./
Reno had popped the Cure-materia from Rude's wristband and healed himself and the bald Turk as soon as the General was out of sight. Now they were both standing at the door again, and Reno was trying to phone Tseng, but wasn't having any luck.
"You Wutaian dipshit bastard, PICK IT UP!"
Rude opened the door just a crack, peeked out and closed it again. "Reno."
"What is the friggin' PHS good for if you don't answer it?"
"Reno!"
"What?"
"There is a pink, smoking airplane outside, with two people."
"...shit."
/You have the power, the knowledge and the magic. You will become a GOD to these puny humans./
"Have to admit, Highwind, that was one helluva landing! Is she ok?" Zax wanted to run to the reactor already, but the pilot was so worried about the small plane that he didn't have the heart to just leave without asking how she was doing.
'Oh great, now I'm doing it too...' the Soldier thought as the pilot glared at him and shook his head.
"She's a tough girl... gimme a few minutes, she'll be fine. Go get your buddy and we can get the hell out of here." The blond pilot said, searching the pockets of his blue jacket and green trousers for matches to light his cigarette with. Zax nodded and turned towards the building.
"Yes sir!"
/You are the chosen one. You have been chosen to be the leader of this planet./
Zax raced up the stairs to the door and threw it open, running straight in, not even caring about the monsters the place was crawling with. If they didn't get in his way, he didn't care.
"Stop!"
The Soldier stopped, surprised, and was even more surprised when he turned and saw Reno. Rude was staring at the red-head as well.
"Shoot first, ask questions later, remember?" The taller Turk growled quietly as the Soldier rubbed his neck and walked to them.
"Dude and Rude? What the hell?"
"That joke was old the first time you came up with it, asshole." Reno growled and put his gun away, much to Rude's dismay.
"Why are you here? Have you seen Seph around?"
The Turks looked at each other and Reno turned even his nightstick off. "We were ordered here to take the General to Midgar." Rude glared at the red-head from behind his glasses. "You've cooked up a hell of a mess."
"Us?" Zax pointed at his chest and shook his head. "Naw, we're just the victims here. Now, it would be really nice to chat with you, but I have to get going."
"No." Rude said and raised his fists.
Reno sighed and turned the nightstick back on. "You and the General will come to Midgar with us."
Zax shrugged and let the most wicked smile crawl on his face. "Oh I don't think so, not if you ever want to see old Tsengie again..."
The Turks looked at each other and Reno redialed his boss' number again. Zax's grin grew some more when the PHS in his pocket started to ring. The Turks looked on as he pulled the small device out and waved it in front of them before answering it.
"So. I'm going to go and see Seph now. Then we are going to leave on the plane outside. The two of you are going to stay here, and after we're gone, do what you want. Okay?" The Soldier said into the PHS. Reno closed his, and swore under his breath. Zax returned the device into his pocket.
"Where is he?" The red-head asked, nightstick off again as the two thought about the situation. Zax just shook his head.
"I'll let ya know." Then he turned and walked deeper into the reactor.
/Take back this planet from the humans, for the Cetra. Take it back for us, son./
"...we should have stopped him. He comes back with Sephiroth, we're screwed." Rude reasoned, as much to himself as to Reno.
"Shit. What do you think he's done to Tseng?"
"..."
"Me neither. What the fuck do we do?"
"..."
"Me neither."
"...shit."
/Come to me, son. Open your mind to me, Sephiroth. Together we will take this world back./
Zax ran towards the reactor's core, limping slightly with the cured knee but still fast. He stopped for a second when he got to the large room full of pods. The door at the end of the stairs was open. Sephiroth must have gone through.
"Oh crap..." he muttered, checked his sword and started the ascent. The Soldier hoped that he wasn't too late, that Sephiroth hadn't done anything irreversible, that the Turks were smart enough to stay out of this, that Highwind would get the plane working, that Cloud was alright back in Rocket Town, that Tseng hadn't managed to free himself, that the General was still sane, that "Stop it you idiot, hoping won't change anything..."
And then he was at the door.
His palms were sweating. He had fought in the Wutai war, he had been afraid, nervous, scared half out of his mind, but at least he had known then what was coming. He'd known that he'd have to fight soldiers, men, humans, and kill them. Kill in cold blood, gain land and power to his company. That was his job. But now he knew nothing of what he'd find beyond that door. Sephiroth would be there, but that was all he knew for sure. What the General would be like, that was another question.
Zax had seen Sephiroth fight numerous times, had sparred with him for fun, and seriously as well. But if he'd have to fight his General now, it would be for real. If the worst happened, he'd have to try to kill his best friend. And Zackery Lindeman was sure that that would be the end of the both of them. He was good, but the times when he'd actually won in their mock battles could be counted with the fingers of one hand.
"Yeah, so nothing to be nervous about, right?" He muttered and rubbed his neck, a nervous smile creeping on his lips. "Nope, nothing at all. No worries, no regrets. That's the way it goes."
'I should have kept in touch with mom and dad. I should have told Reno and Rude to get the hell out of here. I shouldn't have dragged Highwind into this. I should have done something the second Sephiroth started to act funny. I shouldn't have left him alone in the inn, let alone the mansion. I should have kissed Cloud when I had the chance. Heh. Yeah, no regrets at all, Zackery. Way to go, way to lead your life. And way to die.
'Well, hopefully not.'
Zax stepped into the room and looked up.
"Sephiroth."
A long, thick tube ran up to a small plateau with a huge tank, similar to the ones in Hojo's little laboratory. Inside this one was a headless torso of a woman. And in front of the tank sat Sephiroth, Masamune beside him, and a head in his hands. Zax swallowed, feeling almost nauseous, and stepped on the tube. "Seph, can you hear me?"
Another step, and the silvery head came up. The General stared down at him, cold eyes devoid of all emotion, face expressionless. The Soldier felt shivers run up and down his spine, and his mouth went dry.
"Oh. It's you." Sephiroth said quietly, but his voice echoed and carried over the quiet humming of machinery. "Traitor."
Zax's smile froze before it even reached his lips. He took another step and spread his arms. "Traitor? Seph, whad'ya mean? It's me, Zax."
"Hmm." Sephiroth lowered the severed head gently to the floor and got slowly up. Masamune was still down, but within reach. "What do you want?"
"...I want you to come with me, out of here. Shin-Ra has sent the Turks after us, Tseng almost killed Cloud and me, and Reno and Rude are outside. We have to figure out what to do." His voice was calm and reasoning. Zax wasn't used to being so serious, but he had to make Sephiroth listen. The General hardly took him seriously when he was fooling around.
Moving slowly, with cat-like grace, Sephiroth bent down to pick up his sword. Running a gloved hand over the sharp blade, his green eyes followed the black on silver. His movements were even slower when he sheathed the Masamune and picked up the severed head again.
"Do you believe him?"
"Huh? Who?" Zax was surprised by the sudden question. Sephiroth's movements had enchanted him for a second.
"That boy. Cloud."
"Uh, what do you mean, Seph? What should I believe?"
"That Valentine and… this Lucretia are my true parents."
Zax thought for a while before nodding. "Yeah, sure. I mean, even if we couldn't trust Cloud, you still look just like Vincent. Spittin' image of him. And... I believe him about that Lucretia, as well. Hojo's full of bull, you know that."
Sephiroth was calm. Sephiroth was very, very calm, and that worried him. He looked on as the General lifted the head up and looked at it straight in the eyes.
"Hmm."
/Don't listen to the traitor, son, he just wants to use and abuse you. He's one of THEM. The enemy. The ones who caused the Cetra's destruction./
"Seph? Come on, we better leave. Please?"
The General still stared at the head. Zax took a few steps closer and cleared his throat.
"Seph?"
"Hmm?" Sephiroth looked up and nodded. "Yes, Zackery, we'll be leaving right away."
Zax stared with disbelief and relief as the silver-haired man took out a green Materia from his armor and called out its power, but didn't release the spell. The General placed it gently on the ground, next to the tank, and stood up.
"Zackery?"
"Yeah?"
"Run."
"The point isn't that it wouldn't carry your sorry asses, the point is that I do not want Shin-Ra shit on MY plane! And I'm the fuckin' pilot, so you can wave your little stick as much as you want, poppy-head, you ain't getting on! And same to you, marbles!"
Reno and Rude glanced at each other and were just about to attack the foul-mouthed, cocky pilot when the reactor's door flew open and Zax ran down the stairs like a headless chocobo, Sephiroth following more gracefully, but still very fast.
"Highwind! Start the engine already!" Zax screamed and the blond pilot jumped into the plane. The Soldier dived in the next second, and the General was right behind him. The Turks didn't want to hang around to find out what had made the two most powerful men in Shin-Ra's army run like that, but jumped on a wing each and held on for dear life.
"Come on, baby, don't fail me now!" The Captain muttered lovingly when the engine wouldn't start, and ignored the urge to relieve Zax from his teeth as the Soldier kept telling him to fly already.
"What the FUCK is THAT?" Reno screamed when he saw the severed head on Sephiroth's lap. The General just glared at him icily and held on when the engine finally started and the whole plane started to shake.
"FLY!" Zax screamed, staring at the reactor. Any second now...
"Shut the FUCK UP!" Highwind screamed back as the Tiny Bronco picked up speed and turned towards the end of the cliff. The Turks followed Zax's frozen gaze and could just make out the first explosion inside the reactor, just as the plane dropped off the cliff. The explosion was followed by another one, and another, and soon they lost count as the whole building turned into a large fireball.
"...shit..." Zax muttered and turned his attention to the fact that they were going down instead of up.
Highwind was cursing and pleading with the plane as if his words would be enough to get the engines to work properly. Reno was screaming his head off, holding on to the wing so tight that they'd have to pry him off with a crowbar. IF they survived. Rude had lost his sunglasses to the wind, and his dark brown eyes stared at the approaching ground, but he never made a sound. Sephiroth sighed and muttered a few words, and soon the wind-spell caught the plane and lifted it up, over the mountain tops, onto a strong, natural wind. The shaking stopped and their captain hooted as the engines started to whirr like new.
"Yeah! That's my baby!"
"...I think I'll have a heart-attack now, if no one minds..." Zax muttered and turned to look at Sephiroth. "Wow. A wind spell? I'd never have thought of that..."
The General turned green eyes on him and smirked. "That is why I'M the General."
"Show-off. Reno, SHUT UP!"
In Zax's opinion, it didn't take nearly as long to get back to Rocket Town as it had taken to get to the reactor. The flight had been uneventful and quiet after Reno had stopped screaming and concentrated just on holding on. And if he ignored the severed head that stared at him every time he turned to look at the General, he could pretend that Sephiroth seemed just like his normal self.
Rude hopped off his wing the second the Tiny Bronco stopped on the outskirts of the town. Reno was a bit slower on letting go, and was shaking visibly when he finally slid to the ground. His knees gave out and the thin Turk sat down gracelessly, wrapping his arms around himself.
"...fuck..." he muttered through clattering teeth and blue lips, frozen by the cold winds.
Zax hopped out next, followed more slowly by Sephiroth and their beaming captain. The blond man patted the plane lovingly before pulling his long spear out of the cockpit.
"All right, you turds... oh, sorry, Turks..." with one swift movement he knocked Reno on the head with the blunt end of the weapon and butted Rude in the stomach. The red-head hit the ground just as the older Turk got the same anesthetic.
"What did you do that for?" Zax asked, hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword. Sephiroth just watched with a raised eyebrow.
"Watch it, Soldier-boy, or your ass is next." The pilot growled and pulled a cigarette from the pack he carried in his cockles. "Don't want them running around the place. Besides, haven't you ever heard of collecting a whole set?"
Zax had to laugh as the older man pulled some rope from the plane and tied the Turks. When he was done, he flung Reno's thin frame over his shoulder and motioned for the Soldier to carry Rude. Zax did as he was told and they started towards the town, the General following, still carrying the severed head gently, deep in thought.
A.N: Most of Jenova's lines are borrowed straight from the game. The title is from a song, by the same name, by a band called The Ark.
'kiss Cloud' ? Oh, Zax... well, they ARE my favourite couple... X3
No updates for a coupla weeks, methinks. I haven't written the story much farther than this yet, and I doubt I'll get a chance to do much to it while on holiday. I'm just gonna sleep. Sleep is good. And see the Two Towers. Again. Ents! Mwah. Happy holidays, people!