Hello! Sorry for the lateness! Thank you to KMS for betaing once again, and thank YOU for reading!

Chapter ten: Minds and bodies

-

("You knew! You knew and you just left us!")

"He hates me. I'm sure of it..." Sephiroth muttered, leaning his forehead to his arm, which was pressed against a cold crystal wall. Jenova had found Hojo in Midgar, and the professor was managing staying alive by himself, so Sephiroth hadn't had to leave the Crater. Instead he had stayed in his own, small chamber, just staring at the walls, going over his memories of Nibelheim.

Zackery's hurt, pained words rang again and again in his mind. It didn't matter at all that the Soldier had hugged him, held him so tight and so long, and even joked with him. Only the hurt in the violet eyes and the anger in his words mattered. Zackery hated him, thought of him as a monster. Gods and monsters. Was there a difference? Not with a god like he would be. Jenova's goal was revenge upon the planet that had imprisoned her for so long, and on the people who lived on it. She would be a god to inspire only fear. And he would follow her. He'd be her hands and eyes where she could not go or see. He'd kill when she ordered him to.

Wouldn't it have been kinder and easier for them all if he had died in his mother's womb, in the woman who had never even held him, who had surrendered him to Hojo and Jenova? But if he had perished, wouldn't Hojo just have started the whole project again, creating someone else to dance to his tune?

Even so, he could have been free...

/Son? Come here. It is almost time to start our little dance of death./

Her voice was gentle towards him again. She was still mad about what had happened to Hojo, but she needed him for something. Everything else had to wait. Sephiroth sighed and left his solitude.

Zax scratched his neck and leaned his back against the doorframe. Both Aeris and her mother had come to see Cloud, and the small bedchamber was unusually crowded. The Soldier felt a bit uneasy, not only because he hadn't bothered to make the bed or make Cloud put any decent clothes on that morning, but because he felt that the women were invading the only place where he had felt even remotely safe for a long time. It didn't matter so much when Rei came by to stay with Cloud during the days; she had seen them at their worst when they had first come to Cosmo Canyon.

Both women were sitting on the bed, Ifalna facing the blond youth and Aeris on his other side, her green eyes moving from her mother to Cloud and to Zax. She smiled a bit at the Soldier as the Cetra tried to coax the blond awake from his stupor.

"Come now, Cloud, it's safe. She won't get you here..." Ifalna muttered gently, keeping all of Cloud's little attention on herself by touching his face every now and then. The blue eyes stared at her, but Zax didn't see any recognition or intelligence in them. It had been like this since the blond had talked about Vincent, back in the mansion. The Soldier suspected that remembering something the clone wasn't supposed to know, couldn't possibly have known, had blown out a circuit or two in its head. His head. He had thought about what Aeris had said that evening, and was trying to think of Cloud as a human, not a thing. It would be easier if the blond would do something besides just sitting there and blinking.

Ifalna kept on talking and touching the youth gently, trying to get him to react to something. She was feeling much better than when they had reached Cosmo Canyon. Whatever Hojo had done to her had either passed or then she was ignoring it, not wishing anyone to worry about her. But Aeris didn't seem too concerned about her, so Zax hoped that it meant that the professor hadn't done anything too bad. He liked both women but hoped that they would have left him and Cloud alone. He'd told them that the blond usually snapped out of these dazes on his own, but Ifalna had been determined to try after he'd told everyone that Cloud might be able to tell where Sephiroth was.

He could understand their need to find him, to put an end to what Jenova was doing to the Planet. He was ready to help Avalanche any way he could. But he hated the fact that the only way to help them seemed to be hurting his best friend, maybe killing him.

The wound had almost healed already. It still hurt, especially if he stood for too long. He would have been a fool to inject only the Soldiers and his specimens with Her cells. No one knew it, of course, but Professor Hojo had made sure he wouldn't be so easy to kill. Not when he could borrow Her healing powers.

It still hurt, though, and he suspected it would hurt for a few more days. But he had healed very well, considering that the bullet had gone straight through his lower chest. It had missed most of the more important organs, but he had lost a lot of blood before he had managed to teleport himself back to Midgar to heal. Another one of Her little gifts. He was too important to Jenova to be lost so easily.

Hojo was just buttoning up his lab coat, ready to face another day working for Her goals, when the door to the dressing room was thrown open and the red-headed Turk slithered in, followed by the young president.

"Hojo! I need to talk with you!" Rufus informed the professor and sat down on the nearest chair. Hojo frowned, glanced at the Turk and sat down as well. Might as well get it over with; the sooner these two idiots left, the sooner he'd get to work.

"How can I help you, then?"

"Tell me about Sephiroth! He's alive, why hasn't he returned to work for Shin-Ra?" The blond president certainly didn't beat around the bush, he went straight to business. That made Hojo instantly suspicious. Anything that had to do with Sephiroth always made him suspicious.

"Why would you like to know?"

"I spoke with him in Nibelheim, through our spy. I invited him to join me, to rule the world as my second in command. He refused. Why? What is he after?"

...So the new president wasn't as stupid as the rumours suggested. There was a glint of intelligence in those blue eyes, a suspicion that Sephiroth might yet prove a nuisance to the young man. Rufus might even turn his attention to the ex-General. To Her. And to Hojo himself. Meddle with their plans. That wouldn't do. Almost unconsciously Hojo started to think how to get rid of the man.

But the Turks were always close by. He could maybe handle one of them, but no more than that. And lately that blonde one had been hanging around the president even after her shift was over. Damn it all. They'd have to be taken care of. Make them go away. Make someone else take care of them...

"You needn't worry about Sephiroth, Mr. President... he has his own concerns. I'm sure he isn't interested in taking over your empire."

"What is he after?" Rufus repeated. Behind him, Reno shivered at the look on the professor's face. He had asked Rude to accompany the boss here, but the bald man had only muttered something about Reno owing for the time he'd spent training Elena. No one volunteered to go to Hojo.

Hojo's face itself was almost expressionless, but the look in his dark eyes promised months in a glass tank to the President if they didn't get out of here now. His tone was civil and kind, of course, but the eyes spoke the truth.

"He searches for justice for what has been done to his kind by us humans, Mr. President. But I doubt he'll bother you in any way. You should not worry yourself about him. You have so much more to think about."

Rufus stared at the professor for a long moment, until it was obvious that the man wouldn't say anything else. Then he nodded, stood up and left the room, Reno in tow. Once they were outside and far from the dressing room the blond let himself shiver a little and let out a long sigh.

"The man is mad. Make sure someone keeps an eye on him, 24 hours a day."

"Yes sir..." Reno muttered and followed the President back towards safer floors, far from the laboratory. More work, just what he needed.

"Oh, and Reno..." Rufus stopped and turned slightly to face the redhead, looking thoughtful. "Back in Nibelheim... the man with Avalanche, wasn't that Sephiroth's old friend? What was his name... Lindeman?"

"...yes, sir," Reno answered, none too thrilled about where this might go.

"That's what I thought... so he has joined forces with Avalanche... make sure someone keeps an eye on them, and him, as well. I don't trust Reeve completely, he's become too friendly with our prisoners. We might have to check where his loyalty lies..." Rufus started walking again, and Reno followed him after swearing under his breath. Oh joy. MORE work. Days like these, he missed Tseng, and understood why his old boss had sometimes wished he'd retired early.

"Captain Highwind! Up already?"

Cid pulled his head out of the small plane's engine and grinned at the weaponsmith. They had arrived only late last night, and the sun was barely up now, but he and the mechanic from Cosmo Canyon were already working hard with the Tiny Bronco. With the spare parts they had brought, the two men were sure they could fix the plane in a few days. At least most of the damage, enough to make the plane fly again.

The weaponsmith had taken good care of the Bronco, even tinkered with it a bit himself, and now came to watch curiously as the engine was taken into parts and reassembled once every part was checked and the faulty ones replaced.

"No better time to start than now!" the surprisingly cheery captain said and disappeared into the plane's bowels again. The mechanic was checking and cleaning the parts Cid lovingly extracted.

"True. Anything I can get you two?" the weaponsmith asked.

"Tea would be appreciated!" Cid called out before starting to hum to himself again. Nothing could make him happier than working on his little baby. Well, maybe flying it. Or getting the Highwind back. FLYING the Highwind... ooh.

"Will do!" The man's cheery answer before he returned to his small cabin woke Cid from his daydreams just before he started to drool all over the engine. Fuelled on even more with the thought of tea to come, he returned to the task at hand, not even realizing that he hadn't had one cigarette the whole day.

/They will live in constant fear for the rest of their miserable lives, begging for mercy. That is just what they deserve, after what they did to us! They and their planet!/

Sephiroth fought back a yawn. He had heard all of this so many times, he could have given her speeches by himself if he wanted to. Right now he was feeling too sorry for himself to even be caught up in her anger that filled the whole large cavern around them.

All that remained of her body was her head, which was resting in a hidden alcove in one of the smaller chambers. But here she was strong enough that her spirit seemed to conjure up a body for her. After being so close to each other for so long, Sephiroth could almost see a short but powerful woman walk back and forth before him, waving her arms and building up her rage. His mother.

He wondered if this form, its skin a light hue of blue, was the way she had been when she had first arrived on the planet with the Cetras. The skin on her head was certainly bluish; maybe this was the image he had built of her because of that. Or then this was how she wanted him to see her, in his mind's eye. He had never really trusted her claims to be one of that race; he suspected she had been something else. Something that maybe traveled the worlds with the Cetras, but not one of their race. A being alien to this planet.

It didn't matter, anyhow, what she was. He was a part of her, her offspring. Whatever she was, he was. Alien. Not of this world. A stranger. A monster.

She carried on for a while, fuelled by her anger, until she focused all her attention to him. /It is time./

Sephiroth blinked a few times and stood up straighter, pushing all his doubts and dark thoughts to the back of his mind. "Time?"

/Time to get the Black Materia, son./

Eventually Aeris took Zax out of the room and the little house, to give her mother a little time alone with Cloud. The Soldier didn't mean harm in any way, but just standing there, worrying, was very distracting.

They sat down on the edge of the ledge, just outside the door, their feet dangling in the air. Zax wasn't happy about leaving the blond, but Aeris had been determined. He had taken his sword out and had started sharpening it, but now he just stared out over the Canyon, into the east.

"What are you seeing there?" she asked quietly, and Zax turned to look at her curiously.

"What?"

"Sorry, you just looked so focused I wondered if you were trying to see something."

"Oh, yeah... well, I'm from Gongaga... it's there, somewhere. I guess I was thinking about it."

"When's the last time you went home?"

"... it's embarrassing... it's been so long." Zax blushed a bit and scratched his neck before his hands returned to sharpening the sword. "I haven't been back since I left for Soldier, way before that shit in Nibelheim. You know... I was gonna go home then, after we'd freed Vincent. But then I never had the chance. Now I'm so close... I could have gone with Cid, they could have taken me there on their way. But... so much has happened. There, and to me. I heard about the reactor exploding... I have a feeling that my parents survived that, but I'm kinda afraid to go and make sure. And even if they are ok, I'm not sure if I am. If they'd even recognize me... damn, I sound so pathetic..." He laughed a little, a humourless noise, and shook his head. "You're too easy to talk to, you know."

Aeris laughed a little, too. "I get that a lot."

They sat in silence for a few moments, watching the horizon and the people walking around beneath their feet.

"We were never really close, not the way you and your parents are," Zax started quietly, staring into the east. "We didn't stay in touch after I left to become Soldier. A few letters, maybe. I don't know why... just... they never liked the idea of me becoming a Soldier much. And I was always with friends anyway when I still lived at home. I kinda regret it now, not knowing them at all. Heh, if I ever have kids, I better make more of an effort to get to know them."

Aeris smirked and tried to fight back a giggle but failed. Zax turned to look at her, raising one eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh I'm sorry... I just imagined you and Cloud having children together. I bet they'd be cute..."

Zax blinked a few times before starting to chuckle and then laugh out loud. Aeris joined him and they had to be careful not to fall from the cliff.

Wiping the tears from his face, Zax waved happily to the people below who were staring up at them curiously. "Thanks, I needed that."

"I'm glad you didn't mind... I've noticed how uncomfortable you sometimes seem around him, but how you still obviously care about him. I guess what you told us the day before yesterday explains it," Aeris said after getting herself under control again. Zax sobered and nodded.

"Yeah... he sometimes freaks me out, when I remember the times in Hojo's hands. Wonder what happened to the bastard? You'd think Cloud would have at least shot him in the head now that he got the chance... stomach wounds are tricky, you might die of them, or then not."

"Zax! You're horrible!" Aeris said laughing, making the Soldier smirk.

"I know. It's part of my charm."

Their laughter died soon, and they just sat side by side, staring ahead. Aeris noticed it from the corner of her eyes when Zax turned to stare at his hands, twisting the fingers. He seemed undecided on something, biting his lip and glancing over at her.

"What is it?" she eventually asked, turning to him. Zax shrugged.

"Uh. I just had this dream... the night before Nibelheim, in that inn, remember?" He continued when she nodded. "It was really weird, I woke up feeling sick. It's bothered me ever since."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Yeah. But I don't know if I can. I mean, I don't want to freak you out or anything..."

"It's all right. What happened in the dream?"

"Well..." Zax scratched his neck and closed his eyes, thinking back. "I don't remember the beginning of it, but... what I do remember is dancing. I'm dancing in a large ballroom. With Cloud. He's wearing only this thin shroud, and even that falls off eventually, as we dance. I'm wearing a suit, the whole works, you know. White shirt, straight trousers, long jacket. There's music, but I can't remember seeing anyone else anywhere.

"So we're just dancing around when I realize that Cloud is falling apart. I don't think he even notices it, but... his legs just drop off, like he's rotting. Bit by bit. And still we dance. Eventually there's a trail of him behind us, his legs are completely gone, as are most of his hips. Blood and stuff is falling on the polished dance floor. And still we dance. Around and around. It terrifies me but we can't stop. And then I woke up. It was still night, and... he was sleeping really close to me. He had his arm thrown over my waist. And I couldn't even touch him to remove it, in case he fell apart or something. I still get that feeling from time to time."

Aeris sat still for a moment, digesting the words. "Do you... do you still think of him as something that Hojo made? Something not real?"

"Umh, not really... I thought about what you said, and... I couldn't kill him anymore. Just... there's still so much you guys don't know. About him. And me. And what happened in those five years. And before."

"What happened, then?" Aeris asked, a bit confused. She'd figured that Zax hadn't told them everything that night, but it couldn't get much worse than that, could it?

"...I can't talk about it. Not yet, anyway. Maybe not ever. Some things are better left unsaid, y'know?" Zax said and grinned, ending that conversation.

Aeris shook her head and turned to look at the man as he concentrated on the horizon again. The words were out of her mouth before she had the chance to stop them.

"I'm sorry, Zax..."

"Why?" he asked, not turning to her. Aeris hesitated for a moment.

"... for Sephiroth. And Cloud. And you. You care for them both so much, don't you?"

"...of course. They're... my best friends. And more," Zax said quietly but with conviction. "I'd do anything for them. Even... even kill them, if it's the only thing I can do. With Seph, it just might be... if she controls him. I don't want to, but..."

She leaned closer to him and placed her smaller hand on his.

"You'll do the right thing... you'll know what it is..."

Cid sat back and admired his Tiny Bronco, sitting there on the grass on this fine, sunny noon. There were oil stains everywhere, dirty hand- and fingerprints all over her faded rose sides. She wasn't pink, damn it! Her engine was all over the ground, parts of it already polished and shining, others still oily or rusty. But she was beautiful. How he had managed these years without her, he couldn't understand.

"Here's your tea, Captain!" The weaponsmith came out of his small house that doubled as a smithy and lowered the tray with three teacups and sandwiches to the ground. "Fourth today..."

Cid ignored the muttered words and grabbed one mug, not bothering to wipe his hands clean before snatching up a sandwich as well. "Thanks! Appreciate it!"

The mechanic also took a break long enough to gulp down his tea and two slices of bread before returning to work.

The weaponsmith lay down on his back and threw an arm over his eyes, basking in the sun's warmth. Cid took his time with the sandwich and especially the tea, wondering idly what was going on in the Canyon, and where Shera was. Cait, the bloody traitor, had assured them that she and Marlene were taken good care of. Yeah. As if someone working for Shin-Ra could be trusted.

Shera would be happy to see the Bronco fly again...

"...damn it..." Cid muttered and swallowed the bread that had almost stuck to his throat. He didn't love her, but... she had been there for him, even if he hadn't asked her to. He treated her like trash but she had stayed, when just about anyone else would have walked out a long time ago. He'd get her out of Midgar, and somewhere safe.

"Did you say something?"

Cid turned to see the weaponsmith peering at him from underneath an arm.

"Eh, nothing... hey, we're not keeping you from your work by being here?"

"No, it's all right. I'm not so busy at the moment. And anyway, I don't get so many visitors here."

"Yeah? Isn't Gongaga pretty close by?" Cid shoved the last of his sandwich into his mouth and wiped his hands, not wanting to get crumbs all over the Bronco.

"It is, but after the reactor blew up a few years back, the Gongagans have kept pretty much to themselves. The last person to visit me here, besides you and your friends the last time, was the manager of Gold Saucer." The man reached out for a sandwich himself and chewed on it thoughtfully.

"What did he want, something to beat people with if they spit out of the gondola?"

"Ha! No, he bought this thing I'd bought from some wanderer years ago. This rock called the Keystone."

"Keystone? What the hell is that?"

"It's supposed to open some old temple somewhere. You're not going to believe your ears, but I heard that it was the Temple of the Ancients!" The man laughed and shook his head, but Cid felt something tugging at the edge of his mind. Temple of the Ancients? Had it something to do with the Cetras?

"What's that? The Temple?"

"Don't take it too seriously, Captain, it's only a legend. The manager, Dio, said he wanted it for his collection or something. It's just a pretty rock with a legend attached to it."

"Yeah, guess you're right. Well I'm getting back to work. Thanks for the tea."

"Sorry, but I don't think it's any use. He usually comes out of it by himself, when he gets hungry enough..." Zax muttered from the door. Ifalna and Aeris had tried for the better part of two hours to wake Cloud, but had only managed to make the clone smile when tickling him accidentally.

"But if we can find a way to help him, we can use it to help Vincent, and vice versa," Aeris muttered, stroking the blond hairs gently. She laughed quietly when they jumped back up after her hand had passed over them. "Even tickling him will get us farther than doing nothing at all."

Zax chuckled and came to stand beside the bed, kneeling so that he was face to face with Cloud. "Maybe we should try tickling him awake, then," he said and reached out a hand behind the blond's ear. Cloud blinked a few times and smiled again, his eyes almost closing. The Soldier was just about to pull a gil from his ear when the clone opened his mouth.

"...materia."

"What?" Zax asked, and the coin he'd hidden in his hand fell to the rumpled blankets. Both Aeris and Ifalna leaned closer.

"Cloud, what did you say?" Ifalna asked, taking a hold of the blond's hand.

"...temple... Sephiroth?"

"Seph?" Zax grabbed the thin shoulders and shook the clone gently. "Cloud? is Seph talking to you?"

/Well? Did he understand what he has to do?/

Sephiroth opened his eyes with an irritated sigh. Jenova didn't like Cloud, and Cloud didn't like Jenova, so he had to relay her orders to the clone. Easier said than done, considering that the clone was made by Hojo, after all, and was lacking in so many ways.

"I think you may have fried his brain, mother. He's even thicker than before."

/He disobeyed my command not to shoot Hojo. I had to punish him./

Sephiroth shuddered and concentrated again on the clone. Closing his eyes, he left behind the crystal and stone walls of the Crater and entered the hazy mess that was Cloud's mind. He didn't like coming here when the clone was like this. It was like he was separated from the rest of the world and from reality by a thick gauze, making everything look blurry and sound muffled. There was too much occupying the mind, too many memories, too many outsiders demanding the little attention there was to give. Hmph. She said she didn't like coming in here, but she was in everything Sephiroth saw. Hojo had left a piece of himself here as well, as had that shadow creature from the mansion, but its presence was very small now.

The memories were all over the shadowy place, drifting and searching for their place, trying to sort themselves out. He caught images of them if he happened to touch one, and didn't know whether to curse or praise Hojo when he saw things that had been transferred from Zackery's mind to this mess. She had helped the professor in that, without a doubt.

He pushed through a lump of memories running all over themselves and forced his way over to where he could see better. Ah. There it was. Covered by high but shaky walls. Sephiroth pushed himself off from what could be called ground, if ground was light blue and in shreds like a torn sheet, with struggling images underneath it. Flying here was no easier than walking, but it was faster, if only by little. He hated being here. Hated the thought that it wouldn't take much effort to reduce his or Zackery's mind to this. Hated that with his powers, he could do something to clear this mess. It wouldn't take much to drive Hojo and the remains of the shadow out, wouldn't take much to strengthen those walls a bit, or to block out the memories that were clearly unnecessary to the clone. For with all that Cloud needed to know of his past and Sephiroth that had been sucked from Zackery, Hojo had also transferred almost all of the Soldier's other memories. The mess was unbelievable, considering that the cells the clone had been grown from had indeed kept some of the memories of the real Cloud Strife.

He could do all that, but she probably wouldn't like it.

He landed beside the walls that protected the shaking being which tried its best to stay sane in all this, and pushed through the walls. Not breaking them, that would destroy everything. He just moved through them and, with more gentleness than even Zackery had received from him, bent down and picked up the center of Cloud's being. It looked vaguely like the blond, and had its eyes squeezed shut tightly. He cradled the thing for a moment, but soon felt the pressure from outside the walls. If he remained here too long, he might endanger his own mind.

Pulling his lungs full of air (what a strange thing to do... he was in someone's mind, there was no air here. Nor voice or substance, for that matter... mustn't go there, just give the order and get out!), Sephiroth held all of Cloud's scattered being tight against his chest and burned his words into it, making them commands as profound as 'breathe'.

/"Go. To. The. Temple. Of. Ancients. Get. Black. Materia. For. Me."/

She had told him that the Black Materia, which would help them in their cause, was at the Temple of the Ancients. They weren't sure where exactly it was, or what it was like, but it was surely somehow guarded against them and anyone who'd use the Materia against the Planet. Hojo had made the clone especially for this: To go to the Temple and get the Materia.

Letting go, Sephiroth stepped outside the walls and felt the haziness around him start to swirl around, faster and faster like a tornado, until the thoughts and memories burned red and screamed, clawing at him, begging and screeching and tugging and pulling him in--

"NO!"

Sephiroth opened his eyes and fell back, catching himself just before collapsing to the ground. Gasping for breath, be barely had time to realize where and who he was before she demanded his attention.

/Did he understand what he has to do?!/

"...yes. I'm sure he got the message this time, mother."

Professor Gast pushed his glasses up to his forehead and rubbed his eyes. The good news was that the demon that had controlled Valentine hadn't come back. Yet. Bad news was, they hadn't really made any progress with the man either. The ex-Turk just lay strapped to the bed, unconscious and unresponsive to anything that they tried. Bugenhagen believed that they had found a way to at least control the demon even if they couldn't remove it completely. But what would be the use if they couldn't get the man to wake up?

There wasn't much they could do without knowing exactly what had been done to Valentine, and he couldn't tell them if he felt any different with their help.

"Ho ho? What's this?"

"Grandfather?"

Gast lifted his eyes to where Elder Bugenhagen and Nanaki stood beside Vincent's bed. He stood up quickly and came to stand next to them to see that the man seemed to be in pain.

"Is the demon causing this? Is it awakening?"

If anyone was going to give him any kind of answer, it was drowned out when the unconscious man started to scream.

Professor Hojo winced when the scar pulled at his skin uncomfortably. Damned clone. He hadn't believed for a moment that it would have the guts to shoot him. It probably wouldn't have, if that voice hadn't ordered it to. The voice that had sounded suspiciously like Sephiroth. The General hadn't given him much respect anymore in the past years, but he had thought that the man would obey Her. She wouldn't have let Sephiroth hurt him like that, unless She was mad at him. Had he done something to anger Her? No, he couldn't think of anything. He had obeyed Her every word, and was working for Her even now, even though beads of sweat stung his eyes so that he could barely see, even though his guts still hurt from the bullet. He'd always obey Her, She knew that!

Muttering to himself, Hojo wiped his brow and concentrated on the task at hand. She had informed him that the plan was going into action, that he'd better be ready soon. He intended to be prepared; after all, his reward would be to be with her when the time came.

The wave of pain hit him from nowhere and dropped him to his knees. He could hear his assistants shout and run to him, but it was all unimportant. Only the blinding pain was real, paralyzing him. Damn the clone.

After a moment he realized that the pain wasn't of his body, it wasn't his injury reopened and bleeding. The pain was solely in his mind, tearing thought his mental walls like they were paper. But being around Her for so long would have taught anyone to shield their minds, and Hojo was quite good at it. He managed to separate himself from the feeling, and realized that the pain wasn't even his own.

Looking at it from the outside he tried to figure out where the pain came from. It left a burning white trail, and following it, Hojo knew he could find the source of it. He was sure he could identify whoever it was who was sending this pain to him, whoever wanted him to hurt like this. It might be consciously or unconsciously sent, but he'd find out the culprit, and send the pain back, doubled. But if it was Her... he couldn't raise a hand against Her, She knew it. Was She punishing him?

There it was. He couldn't actually see the one, but could get a sense of him or her. And it wasn't Her. No. It was the clone. In considerable pain, reflecting it all around.

Professor Hojo regained consciousness laughing.

Zax was thrown back against a wall half a second before Cloud started to scream. He managed to stay conscious, even though the pain that ran through his head was enough to make him see stars. The scream made his ears hurt like they were bleeding, and he was eternally grateful to Aeris who threw her arms around the clone and sent waves of healing through him. Still, it took a while before Cloud stopped screaming.

"What was that? Mother?" Aeris asked, shaking but still hugging the blond tightly. Ifalna shook her head and winced, lifting a hand to her left temple.

"I... I don't know."

"Did you feel it too?" Zax asked, pointing at his head while he gathered his wits and stood up, leaning against a wall.

"I felt something," Ifalna muttered, frowning and watching Cloud's face carefully. The thin lips were moving slightly but made no noise. Eyes were squeezed shut so tightly it looked like they'd never open again. The clone's skin was deathly pale and he was shaking in Aeris' arms.

When Zax felt like he could trust his legs again he hurried back to the bed and kneeled in front of Cloud, taking his hand. "Cloud? What happened? Tell me, please?"

"...Za-aaa..." Cloud moaned. Aeris let him go and the blond slumped into the Soldier's arms, slowly wrapping his own around Zax's neck.

"Shh, it's all right..." Zax muttered and sat up on the bed. "What happened?"

"Seeephh'rot... materia..." Cloud whispered and sobbed, still squeezing his eyes shut. Zax's eyes flashed with anger and pain. If his friends hurt each other, whose side would he take? Whose side could he take?

"Seph hurt you?"

"...h've t' go..."

"Go where?" Ifalna asked gently, but the blond didn't answer anymore.

"I think he passed out. Shit," Zax muttered and carefully lowered Cloud on the bed. "I don't know what the heck happened... but I felt it too. At least some of it."

"Let him rest for now. We'll try again later," Ifalna said and got up.

They left Cloud in the bedchamber and moved to the larger room of the small apartment. Zax put the teakettle on as they were all shaky and needed to calm down a bit before being able to even start thinking clearly again. The water was just boiling when there was a sudden and hasty knock on the door. Before Zax could even move to open it, a young boy burst in.

"'scuse me, but I was told to tell you all to come to the observatory right now!"

"Is something wrong?" Ifalna asked, alarmed, already half out of her chair. But the boy shook his head.

"No ma'am! But somethin' happened! You better come quick!"

"All of us?" Zax checked, not knowing why he would be needed there.

"Yeah, Zax! You and Cloud and Miss Aeris and Lady Cetra!" The boy almost jumped in anxiety. "Elder 'hagen said to hurry!"

"Well then, I suppose we must hurry!" Ifalna said, smiling at the boy. "You go on ahead, we'll be right there."

Zax was about to ask what exactly had happened, but the kid slammed the door shut before he could open his mouth.

"Maybe it's about Vincent..." Aeris guessed and turned the stove off while the Soldier went to get Cloud.

The backlash left Sephiroth's ears ringing and he blinked furiously until the walls stopped spinning around him. His connection to the clone was so strong that he could feel much of the pain his command had caused, even though he knew how to separate it from himself, to feel the pain but know that it wasn't him hurting.

/He should be taught to shield himself better! Everyone who's been in contact with him must have felt that!/ Jenova said, surprisingly weakly. She must have gotten her share of it as well.

"His brain is mush, mother. We're lucky that he doesn't drool all of the time..." Sephiroth muttered, too annoyed to care whether she heard him or not. Her mental slap let him know that she'd heard him.

/He is your responsibility, son. We need him soon. Make sure he doesn't fail. If he breaks, fix him./

"...yes, mother..." Sephiroth growled between clenched teeth.

/And this time, make sure that he does what I want him to do!/

As he had expected, she ignored him after that. He leaned his back against a wall and slid down to sit on the floor. He was a slave, not a god...

...She had all but ordered him to fix Cloud's mind. Sephiroth closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. It would make the clone operate better. That was why she wanted him to do it. It would also be a way to make some amends to Zackery... reason enough for him not to disobey.

Zax's mind hit a wall. He had no idea what to say or do. This was all happening so fast.

They had hurried up to Bugenhagen's observatory right after the boy had left. Zax had carefully carried Cloud there, almost losing his grip on the ladder a few times. Nothing would have stopped their fall, but luckily he had managed to hang on. Now the blond was resting, still out of it, in a large armchair just outside the room they were gathered in.

Ifalna stood next to her husband who was talking to her quietly. Bugenhagen floated around, looking pleased while Nanaki sat next to the bed, clearly mistrusting the man upon it. Zax and Aeris stood side by side, staring at Vincent, who stared back, his blood red eyes large and confused.

A.N: Shielding, mental stuff... blame reading Robin Hobb and Yami no Matsuei all year... hope it wasn't too bad...

The scene with Hojo and Rufus took about three weeks to write. The rest was done in two evenings.

Happy holiday-things to all, and if you want to be really nice you could give me a review for my birthday...

A.N. 2008:

Aeris: "...I just imagined you and Cloud having children together. I bet they'd be cute..."

Sora and Roxas from Kingdom Hearts. Totally.