And here we are with the next chapter. This chapter is basically a filler to explain what happens in the next chapter, so yes. This is a three parter. Enough with all of us this bold lettering though. Let's get on with it!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Final Fantasy franchise or Square Enix (Squaresoft).

Chapter 2: Sephiroth's Insanity

"When did we get here?" Cloud asked Zack.

"A couple minutes ago," Zack replied. "You wouldn't have missed it if you hadn't gotten knocked out!"

"Hmf," Cloud grumbled.

Zack chuckled slightly. But then his face went back to seriousness.

"So Sephiroth," Zack started. "Who's the tour guide that Shin-Ra hired for us?"

Sephiroth looked through the papers that he had received for the mission.

"Says here that a young girl about the age of 16 will be our guide," he read.

Cloud's heart skipped a beat. Could it be who he thought it was...

"She's a good martial artist," Sephiroth continued. "Her name is Tifa Lockhart."

"I wonder when she started fighting," Cloud said to himself.

"Where did it say to meet her?" Zack asked.

"By the old Shin-Ra mansion," Sephiroth stated.

Cloud took this as a chance to prove his usefulness.

"I can show where that is!" Cloud proclaimed, hopping off Zack's shoulder. "Just follow me!"

He rushed off in the direction of the mansion while Sephiroth and Zack just shook their heads.

"It's always the new ones with the most enthusiasm," Sephiroth sighed.

They followed after him soon after. They made it to the mansion in almost no time at all. The mansion was like most other one's that existed, with the only noticeable difference being the Shin-Ra logo on the black gate.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" a feminine voice called out from behind the trio.

Cloud recognized that voice anywhere.

"Thats our tour guide," Cloud whispered.

"So that's Tifa," Sephiroth said.

"She's kind of cute," Zack told them.

"Lay off man," Cloud said back.

"Ok, man," Zack said. "Just calm down."

Tifa stopped in front of them, extending her hand in a gesture of friendship.

"Hi! My name is Tifa Lockhart!" she said.

"I am Sephiroth," Sephiroth said, shaking her hand.

"I'm Zack Fair," Zack said. "And I'm totally available."

Cloud elbowed him the ribs. Hard. Zack gave him the evil eye, both Cloud only shrugged it off.

"And who are you?" Tifa asked Cloud.

"Uh, my name's...uh," Cloud stuttered. He had forgotten that his SOLDIER helmet was still on, so she probably didn't know who he was. "It's...um..."

"Not really important right now," Sephiroth stated, saving Cloud. "We need you to direct us to the old Mako Reactor here."

"Sure, just follow me, and don't get left behind," Tifa smiled.

She led the way up to mountain path and through the caves. While doing this, Zack slow down so that he walking beside Cloud.

"You could have told me about her," Zack said.

"Told you what?" Cloud asked. "What else is there to know?"

"About how good looking she was. And about her bust."

BANG!

Zack didn't know what hit him. His face hit the ground faster than a tornado. Cloud was blushing furiously, but at least he had a mask on to cover it. Sephiroth chuckled nervously at the scene while Tifa had busted out laughing.

"I didn't think that the infantrymen were so strong," she said. She tried to stop laughing, but was failing horribly.

"Enough back there!" Sephiroth commanded. "We need to get going!"

"Yes sir," Cloud replied.

"Whatever," Zack said, still on the ground and in a daze.

They made it up to the reactor after a while. Zack and Cloud took it as a chance to take a quick rest after all of the walking that they did. Sephiroth continued to stand. Tifa did the same.

"Why are you two so tired?" Tifa questioned. "I'm the one that had to get you here! Even Sephiroth isn't sitting down!"

"It doesn't matter though," Sephiroth told her. "The only thing that I ask of you now is that you stay here."

Tifa put her hands on her hips. "But why?"

"There's secret Shin-Ra stuff in these that cannot be seen by anybody else," Zack stated, walking up behind Sephiroth.

"Who's going to make me stay here?" Tifa asked.

"I am," Cloud said.

"Fine," Tifa said. "But only because I want to."

Zack grinned. "Well come on Sephiroth. We've got work to do."

And with that, Zack and Sephiroth proceeded to enter the abandoned reactor.

"Why is it so dark here?" Zack asked.

"It's abandoned for a reason," Sephiroth answered.

The two explored some before Zack came up with a conclusion.

"What we're looking for must be in one of these glowing tanks!" Zack said.

"You could be right," Sephiroth stated. "But there's only one way to know."

Sephiroth and walked up to one and looked inside the little window on the tank, only to discover...

"AAAAAAHHHH!" Sephiroth screamed in horror.

"What is it Sephiroth?" Zack asked.

When Sephiroth didn't answer, Zack took it upon himself to figure out what was in the tank. What he found was not pleasant. It was a grey humanlike being floating in the pool of Mako. But it did not look like any human that Zack had seen before. It had sharp teeth that hung out of it's mouth. It also had two small distinctive horns on its forehead.

"What is that thing?" Zack inquired.

"Its a Makonoid," Sephiroth answered. "It's what happens when people are overdosed with Mako and are subjects to Mako poisoning."

"How could Shin-Ra do something like this?" Zack wondered, horrified.

"Created using Jenova cells..." Sephiroth read aloud.

"What are you reading Sephiroth?" Zack asked.

"My mother's name was Jenova..." Sephiroth trailed off. "How do I know this is what I really am."

Before Zack had the chanced to answer, Sephiroth had drawn his Masamune and had begun striking the tank. The strikes were fierce and deadly. Zack could clearly see the anger in Sephiroth's eyes as he continued attacking the tank.

"Hya! Hya! Hya!" he continued screaming in seething fury. "AGGGGGHHHH!"

With Cloud and Tifa...

Cloud and Tifa were just relaxing on the steps of the reactor.

"So who are you really under the mask?" Tifa asked.

"It's not important," Cloud said.

"Of course it is," Tifa insisted. "Names are one of the things that keep us different from everybody else."

"You wouldn't understand," Cloud said. "You're not just a regular foot soldier."

"I probably wouldn't understand," Tifa said. "But at least let me see what you look like under the mask."

She reached for it when Sephiroth's scream was heard from the reactor. They both immediately stood up to get ready for a possible oncoming danger.

"What's going on in there?" Tifa asked.

"I don't know, and I'm sure I don't want to find out!" Cloud said.

All of sudden, the horrible screams stopped. Moments later, Zack and Sephiroth walked out of the doors calmly, as if nothing had happened. Cloud ran up to them and Tifa followed suit.

"What happened in there?" Cloud asked.

Zack shrugged.

"Let me be alone," Sephiroth said dully.

"But-"

"I said leave me alone!" Sephiroth commanded.

Tifa hung her head low. "Ok."

They made their way back to the town slowly and in silence. They made it up to mansion and began to part ties for the night.

"I'm going up to the old Shin-Ra mansion," Sephiroth told them. "There are some things that I must know."

Sephiroth then walked in the direction of the doors and entered.

"I'll go find an inn to sleep," Zack said, heading off his own way.

Finally, all that was left was Tifa and Cloud.

"I guess that I'll see you tomorrow," Tifa said, beginning to depart.

"Wait!" he called.

Tifa turned around. "What is it?"

"I don't really have a place to stay," Cloud said, embarrassed.

"I don't know," Tifa said. "My dad is mostly like going to say no if anyone else tries to stay over."

"Please!" Cloud pleaded. "Staying out on the streets is going to make Shin-Ra look bad. I really need a place to stay!"

Tifa sighed in defeat. "Okay. I'll try to work something out with him."

"Thanks," Cloud said.

He followed her back to her house, which wasn't very far away. When they made it to the house, there was a note attached to the door.

"Went out drinking, be back later. Signed-Dad," Tifa read. "Guess that means that we'll have the house all to ourselves."

She unlocked the door to her house and showed Cloud where he would stay.

"And if you try anything while I sleep, you're going to wish that you had never been born!" she threatened.

"Okay," Cloud responded.

He found some sheets to keep him warm and he quickly dozed off, thinking about Tifa. He woke up about two hours later to a kind of burning smell. He was quickly awake. He dashed out of the house, forgetting to check on Tifa.

"What's going on?" Cloud asked aloud.

He looked around for clues to see who could have caused it. He turned up to the mansion to see some villagers attacking something. They were quickly cut down by a long sword. The sword looked similar to a sword that was owned by someone that Cloud knew well. He studied the scene more to find that the figure was none other than...

"Sephiroth!"

And another semi-decent ending from me. I really try to keep everyone in suspense, but if you already played the game, it doesn't really help. Also, I know that some parts were cut out and some were added, but this was due to time constraints. If I wasn't trying to do this on a schedule, then I would have added them. It's bad enough that I'm behind by a day. If I wasn't lazy, you guys would have had the ending today or tomorrow, not Saturday or Sunday or even later. Anyways, I'd really appreciate you guys leaving a review and continuing to read the story and check out my other ones. Until then, peace.