See, here's one of the longer chapters! I hope your eyes can stand the long read!

Five Years Ago:

There was a figure above her surrounded in bright white light. Had Tifa died or was this the angel of death who had come to take her away? At first she didn't notice the spikiness of the figure's hair, everything seemed a blur to her. She heard the silhouetted person call her name.

"Tifa! Tifa!" She blinked her eyes and further opened her eyes, allowing her eyes to take in more of what they saw. She groaned. It was the SOLDIER who was with Sephiroth.

"Zack…?" she questioned meekly. He hadn't gone crazy too, had he? The look on his face spoke of worry. His mouth was opened slightly and his storm- blue eyes were wide. He shook her shoulder gently, her form still twisted in an awkward way. She tried moving, but to no avail.

"Sephiroth did this to you, right Tifa?" although he had asked the question, Tifa was sure he already knew the answer. Hadn't he seen the massacre displayed for all to see in the village of Nibelheim below?

"Yes…" she answered. "You guys… came to this village… just for an investigation, right?" She paused, thinking back to a few days ago when their group picture was taken before they ventured off to the reactor. The picture was of her, Zack, and Sephiroth… "That's why I brought you guys here… It was just for that…" hot tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

Her mind refused to let her tears fall, but it seemed that her will meant nothing to her heart. It ached so much that it seemed unimaginable that her body could feel so much heartache. She continued, hot salty tears leaking from her eyes. "But why did it turn out like…" her body didn't care whether or not she cried in front of the raven- haired man.

Zack didn't know what to say except her name. He tried to consol her, but no words other than one escaped his lips. "Tifa…"

She continued. "I hate… Shin- Ra, SOLDIER... and you too. I hate you all." Zack looked away. Though her reasons were perfectly understandable, he felt hurt by her harsh words. He stood up and began walking up the steps to the central junction.

"I'm sorry," he replied sadly. "I won't ask you to forgive me…" He kept walking to the core, where Sephiroth was surely located. "But, let me put an end to this and allow me to atone for my sins." Automatically, his right hand reached for the sword at his back. With a downward slice and a furious look on his face, Zack burst through the door that led to the center of the Mako Reactor.

It seemed like a minor explosion when the smoke cleared away to reveal the First Class SOLDIER standing on the edge of the ledge. His sword was ready and he was ready as well to atone for his sins. His eyebrows were furrowed and knitted together in rage as he looked upwards to see the silver- haired general standing on a precipice.

"Mother…" he heard Sephiroth say. "Let's take this planet back together." The general smiled, "I came up with a good plan." He stood in front a tall mechanical imitation of Jenova's image. Sephiroth stared at the replica of the foreign creature gazing longingly into the mask like face. "Let's go to the Promised Land… Mother."

Was Zack hearing everything all right? Sephiroth had most defiantly lost his mind, killing an entire village of innocents was enough evidence to prove he was, but Zack had enough. This was no longer the hero that everyone had thought him to be; this man was no longer his friend whatsoever.

"Sephiroth!" he shouted. His fists were balled into clenched fists and his face was contorted with fury. "Why did you kill the villagers? Why did you hurt Tifa?" He felt so angry: angry with Sephiroth and angry with himself for not being able to do anything. But that would all change, he was going to take this man out even if it was the last thing he ever did… "Answer me, Sephiroth!" Zack did get an answer, but it was one he did not like. There was laughter coming from the general, he truly was insane.

"Mother," he said. He hadn't even bothered to look at his old comrade during his speech. "Those fools are here again." He sighed, mako- infused green eyes stared intently on the metallic replica of Jenova. "Mother was supposed to become the ruler of this planet with her superior power and knowledge. But those fools…" he paused smirking as he talked to Jenova behind the metal replica. "Those worthless fools snatched this planet from you, right Mother?" The elite SOLDIER raised his arms and spoke in a soft voice. "But please don't be sad anymore. Come with me." He extended his raised arms towards the replica and grasped it tightly with his strong hands.

His smile seemed so sincere and almost child- like, that it was unnatural. He tore the detailed metallic replication from the wall in which it stood only to reveal a secret chamber beyond the sparks and mist frothing from the imitation. Oil gushed forth from the tubes and inner workings if the doll, which he tossed aside without requiring any further use from it.

"We finally meet, Mother." Jenova was held in a mako- filled tank with her hands and arms behind her back. She was leaning forward and had silver grey hair much like Sephiroth's. An eerie red glow came from her left eye. It gleamed in the darkness of the chamber with such fierceness that it would have scared any normal man.

A metallic ring was heard echoing throughout the chambers of the reactor as Zack angled his blade at the general's neck. During the man's speech he had cautiously walked until he was a few feet behind Sephiroth and waited until the time was right to make his move. There was a grin of satisfaction on Sephiroth's lips as he was still filled with wonderment and awe at the sight of the alien creature.

"Sephiroth!" shouted Zack with a growl. "What the hell happened to you?" Again Sephiroth responded with insane laughter and the grip on Zack's blade was relaxed, shocked at how crazy his friend had become.

"You traitor!" at breakneck speed Sephiroth grabbed his sword and swung at Zack. He blocked just in time, but faltered at his companion's swiftness. Zack jumped back a few feet to compose himself before leaping to attack Sephiroth. The general jumped and Zack missed his original target, slicing nothing but the platform. Sephiroth vaulted high into the air while below him Zack yanked his sword from the dais and followed in hot pursuit.

They seemed evenly matched at first. One swung while the other blocked in mid-air with practiced ease and timing. They swayed to and fro, twirling to gain momentum in their attacks. They played a daring game and danced a tango of death as sparks flew from the contact met by their swords.

"Sephiroth!" Zack shouted during their aerial shifts. "I trusted you!" he yelled angrily. High on the ceiling of the Mako Reactor Sephiroth stood, his feet planted firmly on the ceiling. Zack swung with full force but the general blocked, sparks flying and cast in every direction. "No! You're not the Sephiroth I once knew!" Zack confirmed at last. Sephiroth just chuckled, pushing back against his former ally, using gravity to his advantage.

Zack landed roughly on one of the reactors pipes with a cry. The moment Zack glanced up to look for Sephiroth's whereabouts, the man was upon him, his long blade looking for flesh in which it could slice through. Instead the sword was met with the metal tube instead slicing it in two, but it still caught Zack off- guard. The First Class SOLDIER fell off one pipe, only to land upon another.

Calmly Sephiroth addressed Zack and it was his calmness that made him so furious and fueled him with strength to keep going. "I was the chosen one." Sephiroth said at last, attacking Zack with raw power that came from unheard of depths. It was all Zack could do to block as he trailed backwards on the pipe. "I am the chosen existence that is to become this planet's ruler." Zack attempted a blade beam attack but it was easily deflected with one swipe of the Masamune.

Zack heaved and panted, his wasted efforts taking a toll on him. He wanted to clutch his bleeding arm, but was afraid to risk his life for a short moments reprieve with Sephiroth as his opponent.

"This planet… I will take back the planet from you fools and return it to the hands of the Cetra. That is why I was born." With that, Sephiroth leapt above Zack enjoying the look of fear on his face slashing at Zack anew. The black- haired man landed against Jenova's tank with a loud thud. He lay prostrate and bleeding from another wound to the head. "I'm doing all this for Mother."

At the mention of that vile creature, Zack spun around to face it, only to be greeted with the tip of Sephiroth's blade. The elite general performed a blade beam in mock of Zack's own, thrusting the man from the reactors core and into the room with all the egg- like pods, one of which Zack was flung into with such force that he dented the metal pod. His blade remained in the central junction fixed in the ground like a grave marked with a tombstone…

Sephiroth then turned to face Jenova again and pressed his face close to the glass with a smile on his lips. "It's okay now, Mother." He leaned closer towards the tank when suddenly it cracked, leaving a jagged pattern up the center. Confused he looked down, noticing a wave of pain washing over him. There was Zack's sword impaling him through his torso, covered in his sticky red blood. But how could it be? Had the mighty general rendered Zack broken and useless? "Who is this?" he choked.

"Give me back my mother… Tifa… and the whole village!" The anonymous figure's voice trembled and he spoke with great difficulty. "I… respected you and… admired you, but…"

Sephiroth raked his hands down the tank when the young man pulled the sword from him. He collapsed on the ground, his limp body leaning against the tank. "You bastard…" he muttered, his voice hoarse and weak sounding. The young soldier began panting heavily, his shoulders shaking from the rush of adrenaline and nervousness. Thinking the general was dead; he hurried out of the central junction, Zack's sword in hand. Now that that was over he could tend to Tifa.

He called her name while he discarded his helmet to reveal short spiky blonde hair and blue eyes tinged with mako. "Tifa!" he raced down the steps passing the injured Zack heading straight for the brunette. Gently he picked her up off the ground, cradling her in his arms, and placed her in front one of the pods and into a more comfortable position. With a gloved hand he brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her eyes opened slightly, her brown orbs half lidded with exhaustion.

"Cloud," she whispered. She adjusted her head so she could see his face. "You're finally here." Cloud smiled with a small amount of pride. "You kept your promise,' she continued. "You came for me when I was in danger." Cloud lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I'm a little bit late." Tifa just shook her head and gave him a warm smile.

"Don't worry Cloud." Suddenly, without warning, there came a crash from the reactors core. Sephiroth had destroyed the tank that held Jenova. As the liquid poured out, he sliced something from with the tank. Cloud stood up from his position next to Tifa, trying to decide as to what the noise was. Staggering from the central junction was Sephiroth armed with his Masamune and Jenova's head in his hands. He was too weak to take Jenova's entire body in his present condition, so he would make do with her head for now. Cloud took a step back, unsure of what to do.

"A bastard like you…" Sephiroth clutched his wound as it bled profusely. A hoarse whisper came from Zack several steps up:

"Cloud, finish him off." With shaking hands Cloud reached for Zack's sword and raised it to attack. What should he do? He could never defeat Sephiroth, that last blow was just a stroke of luck because his back was turned. But he had to do something; he was really the only one left that could fight…

"The likes of you…" the general sneered and taunted. He wouldn't be caught off guard again. That was it, then last straw and last shred of Cloud's sanity. He charged at Sephiroth with his sword aimed at his former idol. The blonde didn't care whether or not he was at a disadvantage because he had to climb the steps to reach his target. He didn't care about the ache in his lungs from his battle cry.

"Sephiroth!" he shrieked. His legs were on fire; his eyes were burning with utmost sadness. He continued to charge full speed up the stairs while Sephiroth just stood there and waited for the right moment to make his move. Just before Cloud made contact, Sephiroth raked his sword along Cloud's using the Masamune's length to his advantage. The long sword impaled Cloud through torso and the blonde let out a cry of agony.

"Don't think it's that easy, kid!" Sephiroth smirked. Lifting the Masamune, he swung toward central junction. Through this action, Cloud slid off the long sword and fell on the ground with a dull thud. The blonde's eyes widened as he fell lax against the cold metal floor. With one hand he grasped his bleeding middle, his face was twisted in pain. "Did you think that a mere human could defeat me?" Raising his sword, Sephiroth impaled Cloud yet again, his body hanging over the edge of the precipice like a rag doll. His SOLDIERs uniform was stained with blood, marred with two holes where he had been pierced. His chest was sticky with his lifeblood; he looked down in sick fascination as the crimson liquid fell to the floor with several tiny droplets. "Know your weakness." Cloud heard Sephiroth say.

Cloud's arms hung flat against his sides at first until they began twitching… "My family, my homeland. How dare you…" His body convulsed slightly when he gripped the sword firmly with both hands, though he still trembled from the shock and the loss of blood. "I can never forgive you." With all the strength he could muster, Cloud pulled himself along the sword, his feet swinging back and forth until at last his toes touched the precipice. The general's eyes widened as he watched the body slide painfully along the sword until his feet no longer dangled above the Lifestream. When Cloud's feet touched the ground he swung the sword still impaling him with such ferocity, that Sephiroth was pushed back and knocked down to the ground. Cloud slumped on the floor on his hands and knees with the sword still impaling him.

"No, that's impossible…" murmured Sephiroth in astonishment. He watched the young man pant, grasping the handle of the blade. "Who are you, anyway?" the general asked his eyes fixed on that of Cloud's; they burned with the life of mako. Sephiroth smiled and lifted Jenova's head.

"Mother. Come with me to the Promised Land." With that the silver- haired general leapt off the platform into the mako filled abyss.

"Sephiroth…" muttered Cloud as he watched the crazed man escape, the feeling of death looming over his soul. Leaning against the doorway was a long brown- haired woman in a black suit and tie. She had been a mercenary before she had joined the Turks, so following orders only came natural to her. To her ear she held a Shin- Ra cell phone as she contacted her superior to alert him on the situation. While she guarded the young blonde's body, Zangan carried Tifa on his back. Turning once more to look at the Mako Reactor he ushered a plea to whatever gods that may exist.

"I hope they survive…" he said heading down the mountain with his student in tow, leaving the two in the clutches of the Shin- Ra Company.

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Men in white lab coats examined the reactor, taking notes of all the damage done and what possibly happened that caused this mess. Two Turks, one who had long brown hair and had already been there, and another who had been a detective in Costa del Sol and had solved some rather complicated cases. His tendency to rely on his emotions eventually got him in trouble with his previous occupation, and seeing no alternative, took the job offered to him by the Turks, who had been trying to recruit him for some time. Both were skilled martial artists and had been sent to keep an eye on the samples just incase anything were to happen…

In the central junction were a group of scientists searching crevice in the room, but most of them had their attention on the tank that had once held all of Jenova and on the unconscious blonde lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. Two scientists lifted the blonde and placed him on a stretcher and carried him out to see if he met the head honcho's approval. Hojo happened to be that man, unfortunately for the possible specimens, and he too was researching the scene taking notes in his head on minor details that his fellow associates.

A First Class SOLDIER was being led out on a stretcher. He had ebony colored hair and many wounds including one on his shoulder and another somewhere on his head. Hojo tucked one of his greasy strands of black hair behind his ears and bent closer to examine the man.

"Take this guy to the basement of Shin- Ra mansion," he said. The assistants nodded and answered with a quiet "yes" as they continued to led the man out. Zack's breathing could barely be heard and his leg jerked for a brief moment. With one hand behind his back, Hojo looked calmly at the work that was being done. "Sephiroth," he muttered under his breath. "You've done it this time." Another Turk approached the vicinity to discuss the situation with Hojo. The scientist grinned. "It's you. Is Mr. Veld doing well?"

The Turk nodded his head slightly, but it was hard to see. Hojo adjusted his glasses. "Yes," came the man's reply. His black hair was shoulder length, but one wouldn't be able to tell unless they saw his hair from the back. It was flipped up and pinned down in the traditional style of his people. Hojo continued.

"I see." He paused and leaned closer towards the Turk. "How's the disposal of the village going?"

The Turk answered with a calm and level voice, he had no respect for this man, but orders were orders and as a Turk you are made to follow them. "We've already started working on it." Tseng paused. "But is there really a need to go that far?"

Hojo laughed. "Hah! You're still young. Your opinion and such don't matter at all." Tseng just kept a straight and professional look on his face. "Just hurry up with the disposal." Respectfully Tseng bowed, it was required of him no matter how much he hated the guy. As the second stretcher was being carried out Hojo turned to see the condition of the specimen. "Hmmm… Just wait a second…" Hojo walked over towards the last stretcher to catch a glimpse at the man whom they had hypothesized, grievously wounded Sephiroth. The young man had short blonde hair, his eyes were closed and he seemed to be unconscious. His hand rested over two wounds on his torso that were made by Sephiroth's sword.

Hojo adjusted his glasses again and leaned closer to the young man, hovering over him like a hawk does over their prey. He wanted to get a better look at his future specimen. Hojo turned to his subordinates. "This young man… finished him." Every one knew he had been referring to Sephiroth, not that they were sure that the elite SOLDIER was really dead, but they would have to wait and see. "Interesting, very interesting, we can use him as a new sample." Tseng looked away. He felt like he should do something, but it wasn't his place, and it wasn't any of his business anyway…

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