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Sephiroth was standing on a cliff not far from Costa Del Sol when the Highwind passed. He watched it land and his trenchcoat flapped in the wind coming from the huge airship. He was dressed in the old Shinra uniform again. He moved towards Costa Del Sol. He happened upon some fireballs feeding on the corpse of a traveler they had just decimated. They would meet a similar fate of the traveler if they messed with him. The fireballs looked up at him and almost charged to fight, but he lifted his sword and it glinted in the dying rays of sunlight. He continued on his way after the fireballs turned from him. He sheathed his sword and walked slowly down the mountain, not really wanting to see everyone again. He knew the red creature could smell him from this far, but he didn't care anymore. Kill him if they wish or not, he had definitely changed. He no longer killed people, but tried to help them. The people hesitantly began to trust him, but it was the hardest thing to see them try to run. He never chased them, for he knew their fears. The fears of that their mothers told them when they were kids. Fears of Sephiroth coming to snatch them away if they weren't good. People soon stopped fleeing, but were still wary. They gave him what he wanted, which was only the information they could supply of Mecha Valentine. Most didn't know, but some did and they warily parted with that. He made his way across the field to Costa Del Sol in deep thought and regiment. He had been pained by Mecha's disappearance more than the rest, because they would doubt him. They wouldn't believe the story he told them no matter how much he had changed. He stepped into the coastal town as Marlene walked up the stairs to her home. He looked to the others and nodded to Jared who walked over to speak.
"Seth- I mean Sephiroth.. have you seen Mecha?" Jared was really worried.
"I haven't. She ran from Cosmo Canyon and disappeared... I hear Jenova telling her things, but I cannot hear Mecha.." the others had wandered over after Jared and blinked at Sephiroth. Nanaki and Cid weren't going to trust him, but were going to give him a fair chance at redeeming himself.
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Mecha stood on the stairs to the beach watching them. She had changed her appearance to a buxom blonde of about 42 for the time being. She had found a way to change her eye color to a deep violet color. She had hidden her cloak and cloth and placed a headband of pink into her hair. She was wearing a pink dress and she thought of getting near Sephiroth to see what was going on. It wouldn't have been easy to do so unless she revealed herself, but she could walk by. She was posing as Barret's newest girlfriend. The man really had a problem with being alone now a days. She moved her left foot to begin to walk. She looked at the pink shoes on her feet.
'Well here goes...' she said to herself.
She began to walk when she heard the exasperated Sephiroth yell, "I don't care what she will look like! I want to see Mecha again!" that caused her to stop and blink. She shook her head slightly and changed her plan. She wandered to Sephiroth and gently tapped him. When he spun around and glared at her she glared back.
"Dun stare at me like that," she said.
"What do you want?" he glared at her.
"You may see this... Mecha if you have patience and stop screaming at everything dearie."
"Like I care what you say..." she decided to cut the act now. Her voice became low and controlled and thick with hostility.
"You would if you only knew..." Sephiroth stared down at her. "This is why Mecha has disappeared and she will stay gone..."
"How do you know!" Cid yelled. She stared at Cid
"Dearie... I know everything..." with that she stalked out of Costa Del Sol. She walked around the building and shifted her appearance around a little.
A little red headed girl in a yellow dress ran into town and past the group onto the docks squealing with joy. Jared decided to have a little fun like the little red head. He chased the little girl to the docks and caught her before she could jump onto the ship.
"Hewwo!" the little girl cheerfully greeted Jared. "I Karie!" Jared grinned.
"I'm Jared." Sephiroth wandered up to Jared and smiled at the little girl.
"I'm Sephiroth..." Karie squealed and held her hands towards Sephiroth, who blinked in surprise.
"C'mon mistew Sefiwof! Hold Karie!" Jared put the little girl into his hands. Sephiroth stared at the child in his hands, who stared back. They stared at each other for some time, before a familiar grin crossed the little girls face.
"Karie has to go on ship! Mommy waiting in Junon!" Sephiroth chuckled quietly.
"I'll take you," he said. Jared blinked. Cid and Nanaki wandered over and onto the ship. Jared followed after Sephiroth took Karie onto the ship. Sephiroth opted for a room alone after he put the girl down and she raced off. Karie became older and went up on deck to lean on the railing, letting the long yellow dress flap in the wind. Sephiroth had changed his clothes into the jeans he had worn when he saw Mecha last and began to search for the little girl. Jared looked at the redhead quietly as Sephiroth called for Karie the little girl. Karie smiled as Emerald Weapon popped out of the ocean. She laughed at the huge green creature as it roared and everyone scrambled below. She heard Jared yell at her to go below. She turned and grinned.
"Like hell I'm gonna miss this fight!" the red hair had a hint of something familiar and her right hand reached into the air as Sephiroth came on the deck to fight. She glanced at him still grinning "Nice to see you join us." Her hand clamped into a fist as a sword began to materialize into her hand. It glinted with a mythril glow as she spun to the huge creature.
"PLEASE!" Jared cried, "Please get below!"
"If you insist but first.." the sword finished materializing and she tried to lift it with the weaker arms of this form. "Damnit! Fine I'm going!" she dragged the sword off below deck. She grumbled and she knew what she had to do. She lost all other forms and became herself. She hefted her sword and threw it above towards Emerald. She leaped from below and slammed onto the deck poised low. The loud bang of her yellow shoed feet on the deck was masked by the roar of pain emerald let out as the sword embedded itself it the side of the creature.
"Damnit!" Sephiroth yelled spinning around to yell at the woman who they told to go below before, but saw someone new. Mecha, who was grinning. She bolted past Sephiroth and leapt onto Emerald to remove her weapon as Nanaki cut Emerald by leaping into it. Jared and Jordan then released part of their arsenal of grenades onto Emerald. It impacted as Mecha leapt away with her sword. She kicked a grenade at Emerald causing it to bury itself into the wound from her sword. She counted down as she fell. Her hand slapped around the rail as the grenade exploded ripping open Emerald's scaly hide. Jared and Jordan unleashed attacks on the planet's implement of destruction. Sephiroth unleashed a few attacks of his own as he reached over the rail and snatched Mecha's hand. She clamped onto his wrist with her left hand as Emerald slapped her with an attack of it's own. Sephiroth pulled up and she dug in her pocket and held up a summon materia.
"Knights of the Round! Attack the wound of Emerald Weapon!" she managed to stand long enough for the attack to commence, before she fell into a death-like sleep. The weapon roared with the powerful attacks the summon discharged upon the giant green beast. It retreated into the sea and the ship pitched to the left violently and Mecha began to slide from the ship. Cid, Jared and Jordan snatched a rail and Sephiroth braced himself, grabbing Mecha by the back of the skirt of the yellow dress, which Mecha hadn't had time to change. He lifted her up to lean on his shoulder until the ship would subside to normal. He looked at her face as he had her held against him to keep her from getting hurt beyond repair of a Phoenix Down. The ship soon stopped pitching and Sephiroth administered Mecha the Phoenix Down. She began to come around slowly. She sat up and her eyes focused on the 4 male faces standing over a female nearby. Jared kneeled down and pressed a hand to her head. He couldn't tell and he said something to Sephiroth, who kneeled down and placed his hand on her throat he shook his head. Jared asked him something and Sephiroth placed Jared's hand on the girl's neck and Jared paled as Sephiroth spoke.
Nanaki licked at the girls hand and Mecha tried to say, "I'm right here guys.." but no sound came as her lips formed the words. They moved from the girl they were over and Mecha gasped.
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Sephiroth stared down at the still form of Mecha.
"That Phoenix Down should have worked..." he said dejectedly.
"Well we'd best take her to Vincent..." Jordan said calmly.
"And get killed by his fury?" Jordan paled even further.
"No," Nanaki began, "I have seen her do this before." Everyone stared at Nanaki.
"What are you talkin bout ya red dog!" Cid cried rudely.
"I am not a red dog," Nanaki stated in annoyance, "I'm talking about Mecha. She seems to be dead right?" Cid nodded.
"Yeh."
"But she may not be. All I'm saying is not to go to Vincent yet..." Sephiroth had listened to Nanaki and picked up Mecha.
"Then I'll watch her until she wakes up." Nanaki and Cid stared at him.
"Yer insane Sephiroth!" Cid clamored.
"Not insane... Just worried..." with that Sephiroth carried Mecha away as Cid stared at his back. Mecha's left arm hung over his right shoulder and her head lay on his left, her right arm hung at his side, and his arms supported her at her mid back and at her thighs so that she wouldn't fall from his shoulder to the deck of the ship. His long platinum hair swayed behind him as he walked. He mumbled something to himself as he went below deck. Cid and Nanaki stared at each other in utter bewilderment. Jared and Jordan decided to retreat to their rooms. Sephiroth reached his room as Jared began to come below, and shut the door softly so as not to bother anyone else. He lay Mecha down upon the lower bunk of his bed and climbed to the top bunk. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes for a nap.
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The spirit form of Mecha had stared only a moment after Sephiroth before bolting after him. She skidded to a stop at his door afraid of crashing into it and stared at it. She reached out and touched the wooden panels of the door and her hand fell through. She stared at her missing hand and pulled it closer to look at it. It was then that she realized that she could go through the door and she walked through it quickly. She watched him sleep for a minute before returning to herself. She sat up and rubbed her head for a moment quietly before getting up, changing her clothes, and slipping from the room. She found her sword on deck where she dropped it and picked it up. Sephiroth groaned in his sleep as Mecha sat on deck alone in the darkness of night and rain. He sat up and his Mako glowing eyes pierced into the darkness of the room. He got up and went up on deck. He saw Mecha standing near the railing with a hand on it as if there were nothing left in this world for her.
(Mecha)
Jenova's voice decided to interject on the peaceful moment just then.
(If that is what you seek far be it that you'll get it)
Mecha's head shook as if pain consumed every fiber of her being. She cast her sword aside to the deck with a clatter of metal and wood. She put her other hand on the rail and started to climb when Sephiroth bolted across the deck and grabbed her. He spun her around to face him, holding her by her cloak near his face. The wind was swirling around them blowing their hair all over the place in a mass of platinum and black.
"What's going on!" he shouted. Her eyes went wide at being stopped.
"Do you think I want her in my head anymore? Do you think I can ever be free like you and shut her out! The only way to cleanse my mind of her is to plunge into the water!" she shouted back. Sephiroth stared in total surprise at her reply. His hold on the cloak loosened and he stared at her, eyes locked on hers.
"What?" he uttered in confusion.
"You heard me correctly." She had calmed and was talking low, "put me down. There are others watching..." he began to let her down. Mecha looked to the side at Jared was standing at the front of the group and his face was blank. She blinked at him as her feet touched the wooden planks. He took a step forward. As soon as Sephiroth let her go she bolted and a splash was heard. Sephiroth let out a sigh and picked up Mecha's sword.
(Throw the sword into the sea!)
Sephiroth shook his head and climbed on the highest point on the deck. Everyone watched him sit down and let his hair whip all over the place. He looked at Mecha's sword with a look no one had ever seen on his face, well they still couldn't see it because of his whipping hair, a look of sadness. Everyone began to go below deck when a hand appeared on the deck on the portside of the ship. It was a few fingers of a pale white hand. No one saw the four fingers; nor the other four that appeared near it. The same pale white of the others. A slight coughing erupted as a pale white organism with black hair climbed aboard the ship. Sephiroth glanced at this creature sprawled across the deck. He got up and began to walk down to the pale creature, which turned out to be a girl in black clothes, a red cloak, and a red cloth about her head. His trenchcoat flapped in the wind as it saying something in a strange coat language. The cloak on the girl was flapping too, but not much, because it was immensely wet. Sephiroth picked the girl up and she groaned in protest. That told him who it could be immediately. The girl lifted her pale face to him. It was who he thought it was.
"I-I-I-I-I'm c-c-cold..."
"Shh..." he whispered, "you'll be ok Mecha.." he had almost said 'my Mecha', but caught himself. He stroked her wet hair a little as Jared gasped.
"MECHA!" the poor boy was afraid for her safety. Sephiroth handed the shivering mass of Mecha to Jared. It was his turn to take care of her. He turned from them to leave, but he was stilled by the lightest touch of a hand. He looked at her.
"You need to be with your friends who love you Mecha.." this caused the girl to blink and she lowered her hand. Sephiroth lay a hand on her cheek for a second. "I'll come see how you are later. Jared. Take care of her alright?" with that he walked from them to fend off Jenova again.
Jared had placed Mecha by the fire to warm her, but now she was going to protest it. She rose and flung away the blanket. She then ran despite everyone's cries and up to the highest point of the ship. She looked at the storming sky and the rain pelted down slicking her hair back. The wind was howling and her hair was flying around her like millions of black shadows swarming to take her over. Her piercing gaze seemed to be battling with the storm, but that wasn't true. Was it? She soon came down after the storm had dissipated. She pressed past those who had followed and into a room. Then she flopped down on a bed shivering and numb. Jared and Sephiroth met up at the door and stared at each other. They stared each other up and down in challenge and then stalked away. Mecha stared at the wall until the ship reached Junon.
Sephiroth went to check on Mecha, but she was no where to be found. He quitted the ship and met up with the others.
"She's not there." Jenova screeched in joy at Sephiroth's words. The others nodded. Sephiroth closed his eyes and pushed Jenova away from his mind. Cid turned and noticed a hooded black robed figure watching the group. Nanaki sniffed the air, but all he smelled was Mako. The hooded figure walked off shaking its' black hooded head. Sephiroth walked back to the rest of them and they talked about what they would do next. They went through Junon and destroyed a monster called a Jeno. After that they decided to visit towns and rid them of monsters and the Jeno, the spawn of Jenova's scattered parts that were to join with the rebirth to recreate Jenova.
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She stared at the mythril caves with a bored gaze. She entered them as she heard Sephiroth shouting about another Jeno that barred their path to finding her. She found a vine leading down and climbed downward warily. She traipsed trough the caves shivering under the frail cloak of her fathers. It was old and not threadbare, but thin enough that it wouldn't keep her warm in the freezing cave weather. Her father had never seen the mythril caves, so he couldn't prepare her for this. Her mother didn't even remember and that was no help to Mecha at all. She looked up ahead to see the other entrance to the cave. She leapt up the rocks as easily as a 2-face could bounce in the sand of the Corel prison. She approached the entrance and felt the temperature drop. A Jeno was close. That she knew. The temperature always dropped several degrees to her when a Jeno was around. They were attracted to her like flies when this happened. It was time to fight it off. She wrapped her hand around the hilt of her buster sword and began to turn.
"Mura-buster. don't fail me now.." Murasame had been integrated into Cloud's old buster sword to make it both lighter and stronger. Well the lighter part didn't work, but with the help of special runes imbedded in her hands, it became easier to handle. She finished turning and poised the sword in front of herself. There were two of them this time. Male and female. Only the female Jeno came after her, and she dashed to the side and leapt up into the air. Her sword arced down and cut into a tentacle which snaked up her sword and lanced into her, making her lose concentration long enough for the Jeno to arise and take hold of her by the shirt.
"It is time Rebirth of our mother to join with a Jeno," the scratchy voice cut through the air and lancing into her ears, "the Jeno must help you prepare for the birth of mother..."
Mecha stared the Jeno in the face and said, "not today.. it will never happen!" she arced up her sword, but the Jeno gathered itself and slammed into her, knocking her to the floor and spinning her sword out of reach. Mecha cried out in pain as the creature forced it's way into her and became part of her. The other Jeno watched this and left when Mecha passed out.
Mecha sat up a little later hearing the voices of her comrades entering the caves. She looked at herself in a Mako pool that lay beside her and saw that she looked like a Jeno now. It was only a look, but enough to trick her friends into thinking she was a Jeno. A tentacle waved behind her. The first of many to come.
"Mecha!" she heard Sephiroth call. A gasp escaped her as she jumped up and grabbed her sword. Then she ran out of the caves. Tears slid down her face as she heard Jared call her.
She gathered the courage to call back, "stay away please!" that call made them press on to get to her and she heard a pair of boots running across the caves. She fled past the swamp with the Midgar Zolom after her.
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Sephiroth poked his head from the cave, but the girl was gone. He felt anger build inside of himself, and the penalty was Jenova's voice lamented into his brain.
(She is coming closer to her destiny! You can do nothing to stop it AHAHAHAHAHA!)
'You can't do this! I won't let you!' Sephiroth cried in his head at the profligate beast. This caused Jenova to retaliate and make him double over in pain.
(Never defy me again Sephiroth! Mecha will lose the next upcoming battles and become easier to control! AHAHAHAHAHA!)
Sephiroth forced himself to stand despite the pain lancing through himself. The others were coming, but he could not show weakness now. Jared stepped out to see Sephiroth rise. His ancient garb began to flutter gently in the wind. His long black hair followed suit, as he watched the platinum haired man stand. Sephiroth looked at Jared.
"I'm going to find her..." the flash in Sephiroth's Mako-green eyes was unmistakable. It was the fire of determination.
"I have to come too..." Jared replied quietly. Sephiroth shook his head.
"I'd rather you not see what she is becoming yet..." Jared blinked and crossed his arms. "Besides your friends need you with them. I need no help. I have proven that many times..." with that he walked away from Jared, leaving the boy stunned.
He heard cries coming from the chocobo farm and he raced towards them.
"Are you-? oh Cetra!" there was a yellow chocobo slashed with its' innards on the ground. "What happened to that chocobo?" he looked to the girl standing over the chocobo.
"I found it like this and the new chocobo is missing!" the girl now looked at him. "A creature took my black chocobo away!"
He calmed the girl and asked what direction the creature took it.
"Towards Midgar!" Sephiroth thanked the girl and went towards Midgar. He found the chocobo wandering in the grass just outside of Midgar and a hole not far from it. He looked into the hole and a tentacle snaked out and around his leg. It flipped him upside down and a voice rang out.
"Leave me to die in peace."
"No!"
"Why must everyone torment me!" he recognized the voice in the utterance.
"Mecha?"
"No." the voice was anguished. Sephiroth reached to the tentacle and patted it.
"Be calm..."
"What do you want Sephiroth?"
"I want to find Mecha. Everyone is worried about her."
"They worry too much..."
"Jared is hurting bad."
"Jared needs to remain calm... just as you do..."
"I am not always calm young one..."
"I know you think I am Mecha..."
"You are.. I know your voice even with the sick undertones Jenova's spawn have put into it." a pair of eyes peered out at him. One red the other blue.
"What does it matter?"
"You are still you. So come out and I'll take the black chocobo back." The tentacle lowered him down.
"Take the bird back... I won't be here much longer."
"Come with me and I will explain something to you."
"Explain it later... take the woman her bird with my sincerest apologies." Sephiroth crossed his arms in defiant refusal.
"Mecha..."
"Go!" she shouted. The undertones snarled within her voice.
"I'm coming to look for you."
"Don't bother Sephiroth." Sephiroth took the bird back to its' master.