VI

Confrontation: The Truth Unveiled

They walked down the long path towards Loki's so called house. The sky looked gray and thundered above them, making Tifa look up with worry.

"How far off are we exactly?"

"Oh…bout a half hour or so I suppose."

"A half hour! It's gonna friggin RAIN on us….my hair…" Reno whimpered back into silence and rubbed his arms hard, "Stupid wind…stupid…fuck wind."

"Shut up goddamit!" Cid yelled, his eyes bugging out of his head. A vein in his forehead was throbbing due to stress and the cold weather and Reno looked a bit sickened by it. The skies cracked again, and Yuffie spoke up.

"Say uh…we should all sing."

"What now?" Cloud asked, pulling his denim jacket tighter over himself.

"Sing! You know, be happy and such!"

"Uh…you go ahead Yuffie…" Tifa said, gripping onto the rock wall with one gloved hand. She didn't trust the ledge. Cid laughed, "Yeah Yuffie, Vinnie will sing with ya."

"I will, wait, what?" Vincent said from the back of the line.

"Yeah, c'mon Vinnie, I've heard you before in the shower."

"…You have no proof Cid."

"Do I? Maybe a certain someone has a certain tape in a certain bathroom in a certain house."

"Why…would you have a tape recorder in the bathroom? Wait, I don't want to know." Cid snickered, "I have ways of making you talk Vinnie!" he pointed dramatically at Vincent, who looked unimpressed. Yuffie, who had lost all interest in singing after hearing about the certain tape, laughed.

"Cid, I wanna see it! Let me see it!"

"It'll cost ya."

"How much?"

"26.50." Cid lit up a cigarette, and puffed on it thoughtfully.

"Hell no! I'll just take it."

"Make one move and you go off the cliff."

"I vote for that." Reno said, from in front of Cloud.

"I'll take you with me!" Yuffie yelled up at him.

"From all the way down there? Na uh, I don't think so." he said in a sing song voice. "That's it Turk! C'mere!" she ran her way past Cid, knocked Tifa into the side and pushed past Cloud, sending him almost over the side.

"Cloud!" Tifa lunged for him, and sent Yuffie over the rocky edge.

"AIEEEEEEE!" Yuffie screamed, then stopped because she was floating, "What the- I CAN FLY?"

Cloud looked over at Loki. She hand her hand out in Yuffie's direction, and her yellow eye was glowing. Her lips moved silently, then it dawned on him. "You're making her float!" he gaped as she sat Yuffie the ground. Vincent looked at her with interest, he had wondered when she was going to show this.

"Yes…" Loki lowered her hand, and rubbed her head.

"What materia is that?" Tifa asked, while Yuffie jabbered on behind her about how she flew.

"It isn't, it-" she would have said more, when the sky split in two. Rain poured down on them like a flood, and they began to run up the now muddy mountain.

"Loki!" Cloud yelled over the pounding water, "Make us float to the top!"

"Are you insane! If I drop us we all die!"

"We're going to slide off the mountain!" Vincent yelled, his long hair plastered to the sides of his face. He wiped it back, "We need to get moving!" They kept running, slipping but regaining balance, until the reached the top of the mountain. By then it was raining faster, the drops now felt like freezing needles. Everyone was shivering and wished they were inside a warm house.

"W-where to f-from here?" Cloud asked, his teeth chattering.

"J-just a little further." Loki wiped the silvery hair out of her face, and walked on. Soon, in the distance, they saw a little shack.

"That's it? THAT'S what were going to! Shit man…" Reno spat into the mud and trudged forward.

"Loki…really, is that you're house?" Vincent asked softly, coming up next to her. She smiled at him, "It's beneath it." he nodded, almost feeling bad for her. To do all this and still be so nice to everybody.

Entering the house, the roof provided no protection whatsoever. Loki leaned down and opened the hidden door.

"Bikuri? You down there?"

"Lokilos? You're back!" He rushed up the stairs to see all of them standing in the rain.

"Oh! Come in hurry, before you all catch cold!" he hurried back down, and Cid smirked.

"Who's this fruit?"

Loki smacked him, "He's my friend! And he's saving your ass from freezing." Reno laughed as well, and Tifa punched him.

"Be grateful!"

"Yes ma'am…"

Inside the house, there was a fire crackling in the hearth, and everyone shed their wet outer clothing. Bikuri took all of there things and laid them out in front of the fire.

"Loki can I use your shower?"

"Loki do you have anything to eat?"

"Will this place really fit all of us?"

"Loki can I use your bed?

"Please, please, do what you wish." Loki blushed and felt overwhelmed. Sitting down the couch, Bikuri handed her a cup of hot tea.

"So, how did it go?"

"We got as many as we could…" she looked down sadly, afraid to ask the next question, "How is he?"

"Well…he's been asking for you. I'm afraid the fever is getting worse, but the coughing has subsided for now." Bikuri's violet eyes, that usually sparkled with life now looked sad. His white blond hair looked limp, and he sighed.

"We need to talk realistically here Loki…he doesn't have much time left."

"How long do you think?" Bikuri looked down, "A month, tops. If were lucky, two. Worst case scenario…3 weeks." Loki gulped down her tea and shook. Bikuri put an arm around her, "You'll find it, don't worry! Please don't cry…" Cid walked back into the room, after making some of his infamous tea. He was holding a bottle of brandy, Loki grabbed it from him.

"Hey that's- whoa…" she began to chug it and he grinned, "Damn, lady can drink like a dude! What am I sayin, that's my best stuff!" He grabbed it back and she glared at him, "I wasn't DONE." Cid rolled his eyes, and yelled, "Oh LOVER boy, Vinnie!"

"Vinnie was one thing, but lover boy? Please Cid, I didn't know you-" Vincent came out of the kitchen, and Cid yanked his thumb at Loki, who sat on the couch crying.

"Do your stuff Vinnie."

"What stuff would that be?" Cid winked and sauntered away, laughing. Vincent walked over to the couch, and looked helplessly at Bikuri, who was trying to comfort her.

"Just…I don't know…" the violet eyed boy said softly. Vincent sat next to her, and rubbed her head with his human hand, "It's okay…" In a flash of fury, she brushed both of them off and ran into her brothers room.

"Did…I do something wrong?"

"No…we should just leave her alone."

"God Vinnie, if you're bad at foreplay, you must suck in bed…"

"Foreplay! That's your idea of FOREPLAY!" Vincent ran after him, as Cid waved a tape in the air.

In the dark room that was Sephiroth's, he woke to find his sister sobbing into him. Silently, he sat up and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her arm gently, until she fell asleep. Slowly the door opened and Tifa looked in. She gasped, "Sephiroth!"

He looks so different…

His skin was pale, too pale to be healthy and a red blush was on his cheeks from the persistant fever. His eyes looked tired, all the malice that was there before was not there now.

"Hello Tifa…come in if you want to…" She did, on edge, "So it is true…everything Loki said."

"Yes…" she noticed that his breathing was rather labored, and she found herself feeling bad for him.

"So…um…h-how are you?"

"If there is something to ask me, just say it." He gave small smile.

"Okay then. Why? Why did you do it?" Sephiroth sighed, "Before I tell you, have everyone come in here, so I don't have to explain this again."

When everyone was settled, he looked around the room and began. "Like you're heard before I'm sure, I was being controlled by the Jenova virus. I was in control about 10 percent of the time." Cloud couldn't stand it.

"Bullshit! You did all this in cold blood on your own accord!"

"If that was true, then why am I not attacking you now?"

"You know you'd lose." Cloud grinned, and his eyes sparkled.

"That never stopped me before. Why is this time different?" Cloud couldn't find any words to say and deflated.

"What virus? There was no virus." Reno said flatly.

"How would you know? Tell me Turk, have you ever had pure Jenova cells injected into your bloodstream? Have you ever had voices demand that you do things?" Sephiroth's patience was wearing thin.

"I heard voices but I didn't BURN DOWN INNOCENT HOMES!" Cloud shouted and Loki jerked out of her sleep.

"What's going on brother?" Sephiroth smiled at her, "Just a debate, go back to sleep." She shook her head, "Cloud…please stop yelling. It'll get us no where."

"You act like he's done nothing wrong! He's done everything wrong!" Tears sparkled in his green eyes, "He killed Areis…"

"You think I liked it? You think I like having NO CONTROL OVER MY OWN BODY! I watched as my own hands became staind with blood! If I could've done anything I would have! I-" he broke off into a series of harsh coughs and Loki glared at Cloud.

"You STILL take his side?"

"You don't know what you speak of!" Loki jumped off the bed and stared at him defiantly.

"We'll see who doesn't know what, on the battle field!"

"Fine by me." Cloud walked out, followed by Loki.

"Should I stop them?" Tifa looked around the room for an answer.

"I'll stop them…from killing each other." Vincent ran out of the room. Cid left as well, muttering about getting more tea.

"Tifa…I just wanted to say, that I'm sorry for everything that has happened." Sephiroth said, his head hanging low.

"I understand…maybe one day, I'll forgive you. But…don't die on us, alright?"

"You actually care?"

"If you died, you wouldn't have a chance to make things right now would you?"

"I guess not. Thanks…Tifa." She left the room, and closed the door. Reno grabbed her by the arm, "You don't think he's contagious do you?"