Chapter Two: Reunion
In the harsh and rocky landscape of the northern part of the East Continent lay two sprawling cities only four hours walk apart. To the southwest lay the older one, a city on a plate, suspended by colossal pillars above the slums. Midgar was now only a skeleton of its former glory, filled with ruined buildings and piles of rubble, and home only to a few old hermits and the gangs of the slums, warring back and forth over meaningless patches of cement. But to the northeast lay its stunning counterpart, Neo-Midgar. It had grown up rapidly around the old mining town of Kalm and was now even larger than Midgar itself. Winter had descended early upon the world, and the twin cities were among the first to feel it. Snow was gently falling on the streets and buildings, as if compensating for the blazing heat seven years before. As people all over the city began to prepare themselves for the day, Tifa Lockheart stood in her house in the heart of the city and reflected on her life for the past seven years.
After Sephiroth's demise, the team had returned to the town of Kalm, where Vincent completely disappeared. Barret stayed for several months but eventually left to rebuild North Corel, accompanied by Marlene and Elmyra. Yuffie hung around a little longer, until Cid finished the repairs of the Tiny Bronco, after which she vanished with it and most of the team's materia. Cid had fumed about it for weeks, but eventually set himself to building a new plane. Nanaki stayed for about a year after the destruction of the meteor, and then returned to Cosmo Canyon. Cid stayed the longest, helping Reeve and Cloud with the resurrection of Shinra, but eventually he too returned home, two years after the Day of Judgment, leaving Tifa and Cloud alone in the rapidly expanding town of Kalm with Reeve, who was wrapped up in his work and rarely saw them.
And now it was the seventh anniversary of the Day of Judgment, and the first on which the day would actually be commemorated. At midnight, Reeve would be opening a monument in observation of the holiday, and before then, both Tifa and Cloud had been invited to meet the members of Reeve's newly appointed administration and, hopefully, to see their old friends again. Tifa wondered how much the years had changed them, for a lot had happened to herself and Cloud during the time. She now ran the Lifestream Restaurant, which she had recently opened, and Cloud had been appointed head of Shinra's defense department, although in the current state of the world, defense was almost entirely unneeded.
And yet, although the world was at peace and worrying was unnecessary, Tifa worried about Cloud. He had seemed somehow…empty after the battle with Sephiroth, as if he could not believe that it was finally over. She had thought that it was a temporary condition, but Cloud had seemed more withdrawn with each passing day, and that morning, he had even been awake and gone when Tifa woke up, although he usually slept much longer and deeper than she. I'm probably imagining it, Tifa tried to reassure herself. But she knew it was a lie. She knew that Cloud had never been entirely at peace, even after seven years, still refusing to admit that it was over.
And she did not want to have to worry, not ever again. She wanted a quiet life in Neo-Midgar with Cloud, with nothing to trouble her. She wanted to hide, even if the world collapsed around her, to hide and stay with him in their last days of life. Tifa had helped save the world from Sephiroth, and she felt that it ought to help her out as well. She did not want to have to worry about Shinra or Sephiroth or Jenova or anything else. But deep inside, Tifa knew that it could never happen. Another evil would arise, and both she and Cloud would go out to fight it, but this time, things would not return to how they had been before. All she could do was hope it did not happen soon.
Evening came quickly to Neo-Midgar, and before Cloud knew it, the time for the reception had arrived. Returning to his house to change, Cloud found Tifa waiting for him, frowning.
"Where have you been all day? I was getting worried!" she said anxiously. Cloud turned away, not able, despite his best efforts, to lie to her face.
"Nowhere. Just wanted to walk around a bit," he replied, and looked up at her again. She was already dressed for the occasion, resplendent in a dress of midnight blue silk. She made no further comment on the matter, but Cloud could see that she did not believe him, and instantly felt ashamed for lying to her. But he could not tell her. Not anyone. Cloud dressed in silence and nodded to Tifa, who was immersed in thought. Even as she followed him out of the house and into the chilly air, she seemed troubled, preoccupied with her thoughts. The taxi that Reeve had sent was waiting for them outside, and, with their entry, it glided silently to the north.
The Shinra building in Neo-Midgar was modeled after its predecessor, which now loomed like a broken monolith over the urban wasteland below. At seventy stories, it stood much higher than any of the surrounding office buildings. Cloud surveyed it solemnly as the taxi climbed the steep ramp to the vehicle entrance in the back of the building. Cloud felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized that the last time he had been to the top of the Shinra building, he had found the president murdered and Sephiroth still alive, which had turned his life upside down.
Ever since Sephiroth's death seven years ago, Cloud had felt empty, as if some part of him was missing, but not gone. He had felt it first several weeks ago, to the north, calling to him, and since his dream, it had grown stronger. It should have been over at Sephiroth's death, but he still felt that something was unfinished, a thread hanging loose. And how he longed to have it all be over, to have an ordinary life for once. But he knew it could not happen.
Cloud snapped back to reality as the taxi shuddered to a halt, right next to the elevator. He stepped out of the cab and thanked the driver, then walked into the elevator with Tifa at his side. Tifa looked anxiously at Cloud, who said nothing and looked out through the great glass window as the elevator rose rapidly upwards. At last they reached their destination, and stepped into the hallway to find a familiar face awaiting them.
Cid seemed much older and somehow more worn than when Cloud had seen him last, and he had a weary air about him. He carried his spear with him too, which suggested that he would be ready for… Cloud shook his head. There will be no more fighting, Cloud thought, trying to convince himself. And if there is, it will be just me this time. No need to get the others involved, just so they can all die like Aeris. Cid's rough voice startled Cloud, a voice he had not heard in five years.
"Good to see you again, Cloud. Glad you made it intact." Signaling towards the large open door behind him, Cid continued. "But we can talk later. They're waiting for us." Cloud nodded, and he and Tifa followed Cid and Shera into the Conference Room, where Reeve and four others were waiting.
Reeve too had changed. Cloud had rarely seen him in person, yet he looked disdainful and distant. It must be my mind, or some trick of the light, Cloud thought. That dream must have made me paranoid.
"We might as well begin," Reeve said flatly. "The others are not coming. They are…busy. Introductions must be made. Mr. Strife, Mrs. Lockheart, Mr. and Mrs. Highwind, allow me to introduce you to Ms. Judy Adams, director of Urban Development here in Neo-Midgar." The formally dressed young woman sitting to Reeve's left rose from her seat, smiling, and shook hands with all four of them. "Mr. James Warrington, representative from the city of Junon," Reeve continued, indicating a man sitting to the left of Ms. Adams, who managed to look casual and relaxed despite his carefully trimmed beard and formal black suit. His inquisitive blue eyes took in all four of them, after which he simply nodded calmly. "Dr. Anton von Schwartzberg, head scientist in Neo-Midgar." An aging, straggly-haired man wearing large glasses two seats to Reeve's right beamed enthusiastically. "And finally, this is Mr. Alexander Preston, my personal assistant," Reeve concluded, indicating the ruddy-faced man to his right, who grinned uncertainly at Cloud.
"Now that introductions have been made, we should get straight to business," Reeve said, still in that flat, emotionless voice. "Though this is a commemoration of a great event, it is also a time in which much work must be done. Mr. Highwind and Dr. von Schwartzberg will be overseeing the construction of the second Shinra rocket. The rest of you all have other tasks for the next two weeks. Mr. Strife, you be will designing a system of training and stimulation for the Soldier program which does not involve extensive use of Mako energy. Ms. Adams, you will be working on a plan to extend the city while conserving maximum rural area and without resorting to Midgar's double layer system. I will be overseeing these activities, which will begin tomorrow, with Mr. Preston. Are there any questions?"
Cloud was astonished. In two weeks, he was supposed to design an environmentally safe alternate method to Shinra's highly successful Soldier program? Reeve must be out of his mind, he thought.Yet he did not speak up, for Reeve was continuing.
The conference lasted for two more hours, during which time Reeve introduced several other members of the company's staff and detailed Shinra's agenda for the years to come. At last, the conference was over and the participants were given the chance to talk to each other. Cloud greeted each of the other members of Reeve's staff fully, and talked for hours with Cid about their lives for the past five years. At eleven o'clock each person was to retire to his or her room before the midnight ceremony, and as Cloud searched for his, he found Tifa deep in conversation with Warrington. He did not like the way the man was looking at Tifa, like a wolf at a lamb, lazily, but ready to strike in an instant. Warrington politely wished both Cloud and Tifa a pleasant evening, but Cloud saw traces of amusement and condescension in his eyes. And he knew that he and Warrington would not be the best of friends.
Cid stepped back into his room, his mind filled with thoughts. He was astonished by the fact that none of the others had come. Not that he had expected them all to. Vincent and Yuffie had always seemed to be loners, in a way, and he would have been surprised if either of them had showed up. But he had definitely expected Nanaki, and had thought that Barret's desire to see his friends again would overcome his hatred of Shinra. But that was not what Cid worried about.
What did worry Cid was the change that had come over Reeve. Five years ago he had been perfectly normal, and more than energetic about the renewal of Shinra. But now he had an air of hardness about him and spoke in an emotionless voice. Reeve had issued obviously impossible orders, given the deadlines provided, to him, Cloud, and Ms. Adams. The man was clearly insane! But what Cid wanted to know was why. Reeve had successfully restarted Shinra, when many others thought the company was doomed, and had founded a city even larger than Midgar itself. He was rich, influential, and had practically everything a man could want in life. So what had changed Reeve? Whatever it was, it could not be allowed to remain. Reeve was the leader of the biggest company in the world, the world's only superpower. He could not keep up this uncaring, unreasonable behavior or the whole continent, all of which was controlled by Shinra, would suffer.
And what worried Cid even more was the fact that he had the same feeling of instability that he had felt before boarding the plane in Rocket Town. Something was about to happen, and it would not be a good something. The feeling was stronger now, and Cid knew it would be happening soon, maybe even that night. He did not know how he was going to stop it, but he intended to try.
Cid peered around the room. It was a modern, luxurious suite that Reeve had provided him, and it took him some time to find the clock, which was located on the ceiling, of all places. It was time. Grabbing his spear, he set out towards the door, only to meet Shera on the way. Her room was adjacent to his, and she had apparently come in to inform him that it was time to go. She wore a pure white gown as she entered his room, and was about to speak, when she saw Cid holding the spear.
"I can feel it coming, Shera," he said in response to her look. "Something's about to happen, and it's gonna happen tonight. It's not gonna be good. I've got to stop it somehow."
"Why, Cid?" Shera asked quietly "You saved the planet once before. Don't you think that's enough? If there's another crisis, they can handle it without you."
"But there are no others this time," Cid replied. "I'm the only one who can stop it, and it has to be stopped." Then he saw how she felt. He had already left abruptly once before, and he was sure something similar was about to happen. Shera would have no way of knowing where he was, or even whether he was still alive. Cid hung his head and took her hand, which was cold as snow. "I'm sorry, Shera. I have to do this. I'll come back safe. I promise."
Without another word, he stepped out of the door and headed for the downstairs lobby, leaving Shera to hurry after him.
Sephiroth had felt only a mixture of surprise and mirth, not pain, when Cloud's blade slid into his chest. He had left sanity far behind by then.
It had started when he killed the girl, not out of any personal hatred, but because she was a Cetra, the only one who could stand in the way of Mother's plans. But he had not expected what had happened next. As the Masamune softly pierced her flesh, she had fallen quietly, not with an expression of grief or anguish, but with a half-smile, and at that moment, Sephiroth had felt what he had never felt before: Tranquility. Why did it have to be her? Why not one of the others? The girl's emerald eyes closed, and her hair waved in a gentle breeze. But he did not question Mother's motives. What was done could not be undone. If the girl was to die for Mother, so be it.
It was only later that he had understood why the girl had smiled. Her counterstroke, not Cloud's sword, had destroyed him. Ever since that day, her voice was in his head, and all her memories. Memories of the innocent childhood he never had, driving him over the edge into madness. Her voice, challenging every decision he made, laughing. He could feel her at all times; they were one and the same, and he could not bear it. He had fled to the crater, seeking solitude, but could not escape, so he waited, waited for the meteor to take them all, the humans, himself, and Aeris.
By the time Cloud and the others had come, he was completely insane, and laughed as he died, free at last from the voice in his head. Or so he had thought. But when he fell into the Lifestream, he did not disintegrate and rejoin the planet as most humans would. The mako in his blood would keep him alive briefly, he realized. But he never returned to the planet. He could not feel his body, and knew that it was dead, but the Lifestream would not accept his tainted soul. Sephiroth did not know how long he drifted through the Lifestream, his lifeless body preserved in its timeless currents, before he finally felt one of the two vastly powerful presences in the corner of his mind stir. He knew them, and had felt them ever since he had killed the girl. They were the last two Weapons, the most powerful ones, and one was waking from its slumber. While the other five had been created to protect the planet, these two would awaken only to protect the final haven of the Cetra spirits– the Promised Land. Sephiroth knew that they would serve him, for he was the last of the Cetra.
CETRA, a voice boomed in his head. I AM THE GAIA WEAPON. At that moment, an image flashed in his mind. A gargantuan scaled beast, with the head and antlers of a stag. I FELT YOUR PRESCENCE ONCE BEFORE, IN THE TEMPLE, BUT NOW YOU ARE CLOSER TO ME, CLOSER TO THE SOURCE. I WAS CREATED TO SERVE THE CETRA. YOU ARE THE LAST OF THE CETRA. WHAT IS YOUR COMMAND?
Sephiroth smiled to himself. Already one served him. I AM SEPHIROTH, he replied. LAST OF THE CETRA. AND I WILL CALL FOR YOU WHEN I NEED YOUR AID.
But he got no further, for at that moment, rough hands grabbed his cold, lifeless body and dragged him out of the Lifestream. Sephiroth heard muted voices through ears that had not functioned in seven years.
"Jesus, he's got some bad wounds–"
"–Don't know how the hell he survived."
Yet one familiar voice cut through all the others, even though it was barely more than a whisper.
"At last. I have found him at last." Sephiroth's green eyes slowly opened to lay eyes on a familiar face. A hated face. Though distorted by mutation and the stress of many years, the face was undoubtedly that of–
Sephiroth slid out of the memory and into consciousness. The same scene had played in his head over and over, countless times, since he first was transferred to the cryogenic chamber that kept his ruined body in a constant state of stasis. But his mind could function normally when he was not reliving the same tortured memories. A thick glass pane allowed him a faint vision into the laboratory, all he could see of the world around him. These humans had the nerve to use him, the last of the Cetra, for experimentation! They would soon learn. Sephiroth tested his connection with the remaining clones and the cells of Jenova, his mother. Still solid. He had reached out to them several hours ago; whether it was during the day or during the night, Sephiroth could not tell. There was no day or night to him, no movement or sense other than a dim, blurry vision. Only his mind. But with it Sephiroth would make his mark on the world for the second time, and he would not be stopped. Great events are about to take place, Sephiroth thought, and though they don't know it, these scientists are playing right into my hands. All I have to do is wait.