Number VII

Northern Crater. The place where Sephiroth was buried... and Jenova, too. Celes looked down the edge to the depths of the Cavern, with horrified and amused look on her face. "Here lies the truth", she whispered. She closed her eyes, grabbing her summon Materia more tightly. "It has been years since I have summoned thee, Bahamut", she said, raising her hand where the red Materia shone its own inner light. "Be free again." She opened her palm and the Materia fell...

---

"Can't we go any faster?" Cloud asked anxiously from Rufus. The two blonds were sitting opposite of each other in the Shinra helicopter; Tseng and Elena accompanying them while Reno and Rude were doing the important job of flying the chopper.

Rufus snorted. "Of course not", he said calmly, but inside he felt anxious as well, even worried. Finally!

Cloud looked really uncomfortable in his seat, and Rufus could sympathize with his feelings. Finally they would find out what Celes was really after. Was she going to revenge on the Planet, just like Sephiroth had tried? Or just for the members of Shinra?

"We are there soon", Tseng informed them. "Please remain calm, sir." Elena nodded, remembering her somewhat embarrassing try out for personal revenge that had taken place at the Icicle Inn. Her cheeks were pink with shame, and it didn't help a bit that the man he had loved for years was sitting close to her. Tseng realized her embarrassment, but politely remained quiet. He still wasn't sure how to answer for her feelings, and now was not really the time to think things like that.

The two young men said nothing. Cloud was following the sea beneath them, and Rufus followed the other man with his eyes. "Are you going to fight her?" he suddenly asked.

Cloud shuddered. "If I have to", he said moodily.

---

Just two hours after they reached the Northern Cavern, and Reno and Rude flew the chopper carefully inside the big wound on the Planet's face. Memories returned to all of them, and they were all silent as the chopper went deeper into the Cavern. Finally, they reached the bottom.

Cloud immediately climbed down from the vehicle, and Tseng and Elena followed him soon after, Rufus right behind them. The Turks grabbed their weapons, looking around for Celes or other possible enemies. Reno and Rude got out as well, both with their weapons in their hands. Cloud looked around quickly. Big and small stones were all over the place, all of them glowing in a strange, green-blue light. Mako and Holy mixed up together, he thought. There was some ice as well, on the ground and the stones. But where is she? Celes was nowhere nearby, but as Cloud turned around and looked around the place, he realized there was only way where Celes could have gone. He pointed straight forward, and behind him Tseng nodded to Reno and Rude, who immediately went towards the tunnel entrance. Cloud followed them, Rufus, Tseng and Elena covering their backs.

The natural light of the green-blue- coloured stones showed them where to place their feet, and so they were able to hurry forward quite fast. Their walking was noisy, but Cloud didn't care: Celes was already aware of the fact she was being followed - why else she would have left that message to Tifa?

The tunnel seemed never-ending, but at last they came to an opening. All of them stood there, amazed by the big cave they had come to. Everything was brightly white, like pure snow, and for a while they were all blinded by the brightness.

"Welcome", a familiar voice spoke. Cloud blinked twice and when he was finally able to see normally, he saw Celes smiling at them. She was wearing her old uniform, and her swords were on her back. Her white hair almost disappeared in the whiteness of the cave, and her green eyes were shining with Mako energy brighter than ever before.

"General", Cloud said.

Celes waved her gloved hand. "Please, Cloud. Do not call me like that anymore", she said softly. "That title hasn't belonged to me for 10 years now... A fact I already told your wife."

Cloud shivered, but kept staring at his old superior. "What are you going to do?" he asked, and the Turks next to him grabbed their weapons even more tightly.

Celes' eyes flashed as she grinned. "I am going to tell you the truth", she answered.

"The truth?" Rufus repeated, raising his left eyebrow. "Are you going to kill us?"

Celes laughed. "Straight and sharp as ever", she said, a crazy Mako glow in her eyes. "Are you still so blinded you cannot see what is behind me?" She pointed somewhere behind her.

Everyone gasped as Celes moved, showing what was behind her. "Jenova's body", Tseng finally managed to spoke. His throat felt dry.

"Why?" Cloud asked. "Why are you doing this?" His eyes were starting to glow with Mako as well.

"Why?" Celes stepped forward, her eyes half-closed. "To finish something that should have been finished long, long time ago... A mission that was aborted by the misdeeds of the ancestors of... Aeris the last Ancient."

"What?" Reno squeaked. "The hell are you talking about?"

Cloud looked like he hadn't really understood what Celes had just said, but Rufus soon caught up with her thinking, and so did Tseng and Rude.

"Yes." Celes nodded. "That is why I came here. To stop the spiral of destruction that was cast upon this Planet the moment the researchers of Shinra came here and found the alien matter the Ancients had hidden deep within the ice... Jenova's body."

"You are trying to..."

"Save the world, just like you have done twice." Celes smiled.

Rufus thought he wouldn't be able to breath properly. Celes looked at him, and her smile got sad. "At first I was yearning for revenge", she spoke quietly, and Rufus looked into her eyes. The softness in them almost broke him. "But not for myself. For everyone Shinra had ever hurt. For the SOLDIER candidates that failed their first test... and were turned into monsters. For the human experiments Shinra had done. For the wrongs Shinra had done to this Planet. But then... I found out about this." She tilted her head towards Jenova. "I did a lot of research the best I could in my disguise. It was difficult... but worth it." She grinned.

The men and Elena stood in front of her in silence. Celes continued: "I searched for all the information available about the history of Jenova, and risked everything to receive files about Jenova project." She gasped, focusing on what to say next. "I found out that we SOLDIERs were made to be Sephiroth's avatars: that once he died he would be able to return, take over someone's body and change that someone's body into his own. Just like happened with Kadaj 3 years ago."

"We know all about this", Rufus stated coldly.

Celes raised her finger on her lip. "Shh, Mister, listen carefully. For there is something you were not aware of, Shinra. What I just said was only possible with male SOLDIERs. So, why were we women accepted to the military? Hmm?"

Cloud's eyes went large as he realized. "To be avatars of Jenova."

"Precisely." She nodded again. "To be avatars of the calamity that landed on this Planet hundreds and hundreds of years ago..." She shook her head and stared at Cloud. "Cloud. When you were fighting against Sephiroth... Did you ever find it difficult?"

Cloud's face showed nothing but surprise. "Once", he admitted. His mind raced as he tried to realize what his old superior was after.

But Rufus was faster. "The so-called Sephiroth's daughter is going to fight against her Grandmother, Jenova", he said, finally understanding everything.

Celes just smiled. "Yes", she said softly, fondling the handle of her katana. "But there is just one problem... Cloud, do you remember your meeting with Lucrecia, the real mother of Sephiroth?"

"..Yes."

"Can you remember how she said that Jenova prevented her from killing herself, no matter how hard she tried? How Jenova stopped her as she tried to remove the cells Hojo had planted inside her?"

"So you predict that your fight against Jenova is not going to be easy", Rude spoke.

Celes gasped shortly. "Exactly. And that is why you are here." Her fingers held the handle more tightly. "To make sure Jenova shall be destroyed... for once and for all. The Ancients tried to... but they failed, since their code was to not to hurt any living creature, no matter how evil that creature could be. So they buried Jenova here, hoping no one would ever find her."

"But we did so", Rufus said.

"Yes. But. Even after all that has happened... I do not blame you. I just wish..." Her arm muscles were shaking as she grabbed her weapon. Her hair was covering her face. "I just wish you are willing to help me with this task of mine." As she raised her face again, Cloud realized there were tears in her eyes.

He didn't hesitate with his answer. "Of course."

Celes sighed with relief, smiling. "Thank you", she whispered before turning around to face Jenova's body. She released her sword, getting ready for the fight. "Please stay back", she said. "I'll fight... hopefully till I can finish her off."

Cloud nodded. "We'll wait outside", he said, and Rufus moved his hand for the Turks. "Be careful, Celes", Cloud added before leaving the white cave. Rufus remained still, staring at the woman's back.

"Still here?" Celes asked somewhat amused.

"Hmh." Rufus snorted. "What do you think you can achieve with this?" he snapped. "When Jenova dies, there is a high possibility that all remaining SOLDIER members are to die. Because the Jenova cells are most likely to... wither when the original source is gone, and that should cause a lot of damage to the bodies of the carriers-"

"I know", Celes said loudly. "I know..." She turned her face, and Rufus felt his heart sink as he saw her teary cheek. "Please take care of Cloud, Mister." She turned back, and finally Rufus left her alone.

"Let us settle this nonsense... Jenova", she added sarcastically.

The violet-blue body moved, and the head with silver hair rose up. Jenova's left eye shone as whitely as the walls around them. "So you have finally come, my child", the creature whispered with a dry, husky voice.

"Yes, to destroy you."

Jenova laughed so her bare chest was shaking. "To destroy me!" she shrieked. "My child is to destroy me!" Her laughter was mad, and her ugly-coloured but well-shaped shook. Jenova raised up with her powers, and Celes felt how that power pressed her, how it pressed inside her veins. She whimpered a little, but bit her teeth together with determination. "You cannot destroy me, bitch!" Jenova shrieked, mocking Celes. Celes fell on her knees, gasping for air desperately. Her hands were shaking and she almost dropped her katana. Her head felt like as if it was going to be exploding, and her eyes were large and shining with Mako.

"Celes!" Cloud shouted, and his voice sounded very distant to the woman. Cloud moved forwards, planning to help his ex-superior, but Rufus stopped him. "Let her fight", he said. Cloud swallowed and followed the scene with worry. Celes...

Celes gasped, her chest rising up and down heavily, and focusing all of her strength, she managed to stand up. Her whole body was shaking as she kept the katana in her hand, and she looked straight into Jenova's eyes. "Let's go", she said, and moved quickly towards the creature. Elena screamed and hid her face with her hands. The men watched how Celes raised her sword, all of them forgetting to breathe. Celes roared, her anger rising to the surface of her mind, and her eyes were burning. As she approached Jenova she felt how her limbs were getting heavier to move... how every part in her body was aching... how her veins and brains felt as if they were about to explode...

There was a cutting noise from a sword. Then, there was a silence. Celes inhaled and let the breath out of her lungs. She swallowed and looked down. Then she looked back at Jenova, who was holding her sword and smiling, the only eye of the creature shining brightly with the knowledge of victory.