A/N: I hate writer's block. -_-
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.
Chapter Twenty-Four
For a moment, Kadaj wasn't sure what he was hearing. He blinked several times, swallowing against the lump in his throat. He looked directly into Genesis' eyes, looking for something suspicious, something that told of deception. There was nothing. As far as he could tell, the man before him was honest, if not a little insane. The look of glee in his eyes was unsettling.
"I don't understand," Kadaj said, pushing one of his arms aside so he could move out from his trap. Genesis withdrew, his eyes locked on him as the remnant put some space between them.
"I want to purge the planet of Jenova. I need you to do that," he said.
"How?" he asked, skeptical.
Genesis dropped his gaze. "I'll let you know...in due time."
"It's not possible. The planet would have cleansed itself a long time ago if there were a way."
"There is a way," Genesis said, nodding his head, "You are the way."
The remnant shook his head in denial, turning away from him. Unintentionally, his gaze went back to Weiss. He watched the man ebb up and down in the water's unseen current, unaware of what was happening around him.
"You were revived for a reason, Kadaj. You have to know this."
"My mother gave me life again so I could live, so I could know what life held beyond Jenova's grip."
"Your mother?" Genesis wondered, looking completely ignorant.
Kadaj was reluctant to answer, but did anyway. "Aeris."
He tilted his head. "Aeris?" For a moment he pondered the name, then announced, "The Goddess gave you life."
"I don't know who this goddess is," Kadaj replied, "My mother is Aeris, I serve her."
Genesis didn't seem to agree, but he didn't argue with him. He began pacing the lab again, drawing closer to Kadaj. "Whoever it was-the Goddess, or this Aeris-you were brought back for a reason, something much more important than simply living.
"You have the power to right every wrong Sephiroth ever committed in his life. You are different than him, but inside you are the same. Every power he had, you have. The ability to destroy the world, or to save it, is all in your hands."
"I'm not that powerful," the remnant replied, turning back to him, "The only power I ever had was when Sephiroth possessed my body. The power was his, not mine. If I try to use it, he will control me."
"No," Genesis replied, "He can't control you here. Haven't you noticed?"
Kadaj's brow furrowed in confusion. For a moment, he wondered what he was talking about him. Then it suddenly hit him. His mind was silent. All the time he had been held captive here, Sephiroth hadn't uttered one word to him. He hadn't realized it before; the distracting thoughts seemed so trivial compared to what he was facing. "How?" he asked, astonished.
A pleased smile crossed the ex-SOLDIER's features. "I also have power, Kadaj. Of course, nothing to compare with your own."
"But if Sephiroth is a part of me, how could you...?"
"I've only blocked him. I can't remove him from you."
Kadaj took a moment to let it all sink in, relieved that he no longer had the imposing consciousness in his mind. If only the rest of his life could be lived like this, with no reminder of who or what he was.
"Don't you see, Kadaj? I did not bring you here to hurt you, or to control you. I need your help. Right now, the world is at peace, but it will only be a matter of time before Jenova or Sephiroth emerges again. Then people will suffer once more, and many lives will be lost. And unlike you, they will not have the luxury of rising again."
Kadaj shook his head, the realization of everything overwhelming. "You don't realize what you're asking of me. You kidnap me and drug me, then come to me and say it was all for the good of the planet, and that you need me. You say you have no intention of hurting me, yet you already have. Why didn't you just come to us and tell us what you wanted, instead of going through all this? How can you really expect me to trust you?"
While he spoke, Genesis drew nearer, so that he was now standing directly before him. "I only need you, Kadaj. The others...they would just be a distraction."
"I can't trust you. How do I know this isn't one big lie? How can I believe that you care for the life of this planet at all?"
"I'll admit...there was one point in my life where I wanted nothing more than to see the planet in ruins. I was dying, and I wanted to take the world with me. But the Goddess changed me, showed me how I could regain my honor. She gave me a true path, one that has taken me many years to follow. And honestly, I care little for the people of this world. Whether they live or die is of little concern to me, however...I know they are important.
"And I pity Sephiroth. I helped him on his spiral to madness. I caused much of this chao. I live now to redeem myself, and Sephiroth. I have to make sure the world never suffers again because of us."
"Sephiroth is evil. How can you pity him?"
"Were you not evil?"
"I was, but I've changed. Sephiroth cannot be changed."
"Perhaps not, but once upon a time, he wasn't evil. He and I were friends, and though I envied him as much as I cared for him, the times we were together mean something to me."
Kadaj scoffed and turned away from him, "You won't get me to feel any sympathy for him."
"You don't need sympathy. You need your hatred and anger for this, Kadaj."
Their conversation paused, and in the silence, Kadaj took in all he told him. Genesis kept his gaze on him, watching him in all his turmoil.
"We may not agree on many things," Genesis said, breaking the silence, "but we have the same goals. That, at least, you can trust."
"I can't trust anything," he said in the end, his voice soft, nothing more than a whisper. He sighed heavily, the weight of everything too much. This had just started out as search for his brother. They were supposed to go home. Sure it was monotonous. Sure it was boring. But they were alive and together. That was all that mattered. Now he was here, even further from his objective than before. And with everything Genesis had just told him, how could his life continue on as before?
He turned back to Genesis just as the ex-SOLDIER took his hands. He watched in surprise as he undid the cuffs that bound his wrists. "I want you to ponder what I've told you. In the end, I know you'll see the truth in my words."
He stepped back from him, and with the way he was speaking, Kadaj got the distinct feeling that he was about to leave.
The door to the lab was thrown open in an instant. Kadaj stared in utter shock as Yazoo came flying into the room, his body rotating mid air as he struck at his captor. Genesis fell to the floor from the sudden blow to his head.
Loz was in the room a second later, his fists balled and ready for a fight. Both remnants looked to Kadaj as their companions entered after them, weapons in hand. Kadaj only marveled that he hadn't sensed them. They were in the very cavern with him and he hadn't known they were there till he saw them. What had Genesis done to him?
His captor was up from the floor before he could even finish his thoughts. Without hesitation, he lunged forward. Yazoo and Loz both ran to meet him, the long-haired brother firing once with his gun, kicking at him again. Genesis effortlessly avoided the bullet, then dove around Yazoo, and Loz's attacking fists. He then flipped over Shelke, Reno, and Yuffie, landing behind them and darting out of the room.
Yazoo and Loz followed him immediately, pushing past their companions. Genesis quickly made his way to a table in the far corner of the room, grabbing the sword laid upon it. He brandished his crimson blade, looking at his opponents with a cool smile on his face.
Yazoo fired again, but the bullets ricocheted off the blade. He ran for Genesis, avoiding the swipe taken for his head by ducking low. He swerved around him, taking a strike for his head, only to have it blocked by the ex-SOLDIER's arm. Loz attacked him from the other side, kicking and punching.
Genesis slammed his foot into Loz's stomach, knocking by back while he simultaneously hooked his blade under Yazoo's firearm. With a quick yank, it was pulled from the remnant's grasp, completely out of reach. Genesis wove around him, grabbing his shirt from behind. With a suddenly heave, he was thrown from the floor, directly into his companions.
Shelke leapt into the air to avoid his falling body, landing directly before Genesis. Her sabers and her eyes glowed in unison, as she struck him fiercely. Her weapons caught on his blade, the color shining vibrantly under the glow from her weapons. Their opponent smiled with glee, a strange spark in his eyes. "You..." he hissed. He cast her weapons aside suddenly, taking the opportunity to grab hold of her.
He jumped out of the way of Loz's attack, pulling her with him, before sending her flying across the room. He ducked low as Yuffie's shuriken went circling over his head. He swiped through the air and his sword caught on the ninja's weapon, knocking it off course. He lifted his arm to block Reno's advance, just as the Turk struck him.
Kadaj slowly walked out of the lab, watching the chaos ensuing.
Genesis' crimson blade sliced the Turk across the stomach. Reno cried out shortly, before he was kicked aside. Yuffie ran for her shuriken to attack again.
Kadaj watched as Genesis ran his hand over his blade, the metal suddenly glowing as runes appeared across its length. He was suddenly on the offensive. With a loud cry, he bore down on Yuffie. His blade clashed with her shuriken, the force of the blow, enhanced by the power in his sword, threw her backward. She crashed heavily to the floor, incapacitated. He next turned his attention to Shelke.
Yazoo pulled himself to his feet and ran to intercept Genesis. The ex-SOLDIER turned to him suddenly, his hand outstretched. Without warning, a burst of fire erupted from his palm. The force of the blast threw Yazoo back.
Kadaj screamed his name in fear, running out of the lab. He stood before Genesis, facing him in anger and uncertainty. The ex-SOLDIER smiled, extending his hand once again.
Kadaj lifted his arms to block the fire he expected to come rushing for him. But it never hit. The only thing that came from Genesis' hand was the faint glow of a materia. The next thing Kadaj knew, he was suddenly very tired.
With heavily limbs, he crashed to the floor, his fatigue over-whelming, his desire to ignore it useless. He wanted to cry out in rage, but his muscles couldn't even move that far. He watched with hazy eyes as the rest of the fighters charged Genesis again. It was the last thing he saw, before the materia's sleep claimed him.
A/N: Genesis, you nut!
Anyway...this story is finally creeping toward the ending. And I'm glad I finally have an ending planned! :D
So yeah...*laughs nervously*
Please review. Reviews make me smile. ^_^