CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Shinra

War would end if the dead could return.


Stanley Baldwin

He was there. He was real. A part of me had been afraid all this time that it was a dream, and seeing him was concrete reality; reminded me that everything was real… the good and the bad.

The part that hurt the most was his eyes; as he came to a standing position, I hardly noticed Reno and Rude, drawing their weapons and running ahead of me, yelling at him to back down. His eyes were so sad and staring straight at me, no one else. Almost like he'd be able to get some sort of message across if he could penetrate my eyes. Limbs limp, eyes sunken, black circles surrounding them, almost like he hadn't rested well in a while. Was there blood dried in his hair? One of his sleeves was torn. Where had he been all this time? Where were the others?

I screamed his name. "SEPHIROTH!" Reno was shocked, his mouth agape as I pushed by him; Rude was surprised by my actions, but still had his wits about him, and tried to grab me. I shoved him away, distraught and desperate, and ran up the hill. Sephiroth's eyes became wider and wider as I raced towards him and at the last minute he seemed to awaken and I fell into his arms. Jenova was purring in my mind, and I violently shoved her away too.

"Oh, Sephiroth, I can't believe it, it's really you" Clutching his shoulders, I fell to my knees, and dragged him to the snow with me. He was so warm. I felt his breath, I felt his heartbeat I could feel him again.

"Sephiroth?" I looked up to him. He still was silent, looking down at me in surprise and awe. Behind us, Reno and Rude were ready to fight; Rude had a gun pointed toward Sephiroth… "Step away from the girl!" Reno roared, his voice quivering in anger. I looked to them.

"Leave him alone!" Screaming more angrily than I knew I could, I snapped at the two both of whom were shocked at what was occurring. So was Sephiroth. Looking back up at him, I bit my lip.

"You … you ran away" Sephiroth's voice was weak, like he hadn't spoken in a while.

"I was scared" I whispered. "I made a terrible mistake"

"We both did" I relished in the feeling of Sephiroth's fingers rolling through my hair. He was looking me over, and I realized he hadn't really seen me in my new form. Embarrassed and self conscious, I looked down with red cheeks.

"Do… do you like it?"

I felt his fingers tuck under my chin, and I willingly looked back up at him. He was smiling, which to me was a blessing; from his demeanor, I was afraid he'd never be happy again. "I love it. I love you" There was an underlying tone in his voice. Like he knew he was saying this for the last time.

"Sephiroth?" I muttered. "What's wrong?"

Something was coming. Somehow I could feel it; the sound of vibrations ran through the air, breaking through the wind and ice.

Helicopters.

Sitting up, I glanced over to Reno and Rude, who looked like they were in the middle of an engrossingly sappy soap opera. Rude had wide eyes, but Reno was kind of stoic, looking me over. "Are those your people?" Reno and Rude shared a glance.

Then, quickly, Reno strode over to me. Sephiroth stood between us, arm raised but I stepped out from behind him. Reno took my wrist. "Get outta here – quick. With him, too"

"Reno" Rude muttered coming closer.

"Hey, it's all right man, I won't drag you down" Reno looked back to his partner with a smirk. "One smack on the back of the head, and you're in the clear"

Rude chuckled, a small smirk coming over his lips. "No thanks – I know how hard you hit" Grinning, Reno wrapped his arm around Rude's shoulder when the man stepped up.

"Looks like this are our last mission, man" Reno smirked. I was dumbstruck.

"Wait a minute – what?"

Reno and Rude seemed to remember the other two people in the Northern Crater. The helicopters were getting louder. "We're gonna get you guys outta here, and we'll tell the Shinra wrong directions – don't worry bout us! We've done it before!" Looking to Rude, he nudged the man's side. "Remember Wutai? That second time?"

Rude looked distressed. "All right, but this time, I get to punch you in the nose" Reno shrugged.

I was beginning to adore those two – absolutely enthralled, I snaked an arm around both their necks and cheered. "Thank you so much!"

Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. Spinning around, I saw Sephiroth looking down on me. He shook his head. Reno blinked. "What?"

"Take her" Looking up Sephiroth began ordering Reno and Rude like he was their commander. "Get her away from here."

"What about you?" I interrupted, but he wasn't paying attention to me. Reno was.

"Yeah, what the girl said. You just gonna leave her?"

Sephiroth's hand fell. He was silent, looking like he was thinking. Reno looked from Sephiroth to Rude, confused, but Rude seemed to read Sephiroth's actions. "You don't plan on fighting, do you?" He muttered. Shocked, mouth agape, I spun around to face Sephiroth. He wouldn't look at me.

"What in the world, Sephiroth? Why?"

I heard him sigh, and look down at me. "After Jenova left me, when you and I first met… the haze over my memories lifted. I always knew what it was I had done, but not in detail. Now… I remember what they looked like. As they pleaded for mercy. Horrified, praying for me to spare them, spare their friends, and spare their families. I thought … I can redeem myself, if only I can take care of you"

"And I hurt you so badly. When you left… I couldn't believe it. What had I done?"

"I realized then that, with or without Jenova, I would always be a monster. I couldn't be redeemed. I hurt you of all people… there was no chance for redemption. At least now, those who've been hurt because of me shall feel peace."

"What?" I was trying to make sense of everything – I faced Reno angrily. "What does he mean?"

"Shinra is going to execute Sephiroth" Rude began slowly. The helicopters were so close. "In Edge, as a final testament and the end to all the suffering Gaia has been through. Thousands of people are going. To watch him die"

I couldn't believe it I was in total shock. He was back, finally… and now Shinra is trying to kill him? Not only that… he doesn't care. He wants to die.

Spinning around to him, my eyes flashed angrily. Suppressing the need to punch him, I began a tirade of screaming.

"Now you listen to me! I understand you did a lot of terrible things! And I know that Jenova wasn't in total control! But when you did that to me, Jenova was there! She's in me now, and she still wants you, that's why you've got to stay with me and fight her off, for good!"

"I know a lot of people are dead because of you. You dying won't fix a thing! You owe the people you've killed that much! For every life taken, you are taking onto yourself the promise that you'll live their lives out for them – that's the oath! You can't – you can't just die here!"

I was breathing hard, staring at him – I think he was surprised by my actions. I watched his green eyes fall into thought, far away – I remembered a time when I was unable to look him in the eye. Glancing back up at me, Sephiroth opened his mouth to respond to me.

Before he could, I heard a huge sound, something came flying our way. Sephiroth acted faster than anyone, shoving me away into Reno, and leaping back himself. Rude pulled the two of us away as a huge, spiraling blast of wind shattered the very precipice we'd been standing on. In midair, Sephiroth's hand flew to Masamune and drew it quickly, as he landed with perfection on a nearby pillar.

"Sephiroth!" Shouting I tried to pull away from Reno – I knew my new powers would allow me to scale that height to him, but Reno and Rude just wouldn't let go. I didn't want to hurt them, but I was about to if they didn't let me go.

Then something happened. The helicopters sped through the area, one whizzing behind the three of us, another coming by Sephiroth's side. A blonde man leapt from the large helicopter, and in midair, he swung his arm in an arch and a gigantic blast of black fire came from his arm, creating a huge blaze between Sephiroth and me, burning even in the wind and snow.

"Sephiroth!" I screamed, waiting for him to leap over the flames, to come back. As the flames flickered, I saw him standing there on the other side. He looked so lost, broken, so terribly sad. It reminded me of the scene from the movie when Sephiroth rose from the flames – but then, he'd been broken, and deranged, angry at the world. Now he was just broken.

And I was the one who broke him.

The helicopter landed next to him, and a dozen heavily armed soldiers rushed out to him. He did not move or make a sound. He was going to go with them – I couldn't believe it –

"Sephiroth!"

He looked at me from the corner of his eyes as the soldiers bound him, hit him, and made him fall to the floor.

Kicking and screaming, I reached out to him. "I remember! I remember all of it! When we first met! Before, when Meteor fell!"

That caught his attention – he stood, and the soldiers were shocked at how easily he stood when they'd been holding him down effortlessly before.

"We've both done terrible things! But in the end, we have to move on! I won't rest until I get you back! It's all I've thought about since I ran away. I'll find you! I swear it!"

They were taking him away – roaring, I pulled away from Reno and Rude, and sped across the snow with speed I didn't know I had. From the black flames, the blonde man soared, a terrible grin on his face.

He screeched something at me as he grabbed my shoulder to stop me – I felt my hand fly up to his arm, twist it and I watched as he slammed into the ground behind me. Then I went to run – he took hold of my ankle, and as I fell I attempted to flip, yet he wouldn't let go of me. I hit the ground – hard.

Headache – really bad – neck hurts – fell asleep.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Tomorrow, at twelve noon…

A day to remember…

It will all finally be over…

I'm going, he killed my family, and I'm going to watch him with a smile on my face…

I didn't want to hear those words. I didn't want to know … tomorrow…

His life would end tomorrow.

Unless I did something.

Because of Reno and Rude's influence in the company, I was treated with a smudge of dignity, and instead of being thrown into a cell I was taken to see the big shot himself. The building was a bit old, and messed up, thanks to Cloud and his efforts, I thought with a bit of pride. Rufus' office was on the left side of the large building; the side were most of the repairs were being made.

When the cadets threw me into his room, Rufus was looking out the window to the city. Growling, I made to get off my knees and fly at him, but Reno and Rude came in at that moment, holding me away from him.

"What do you want from me?" The ice cold man still hadn't turned to look at me. At least look at me when you destroy my reason for living, at least acknowledge the fact you've taken everything away from me.

As I fell to my knees, he did turn, looking down on me. Jenova wanted to rip him apart. For once, I wasn't sure I disagreed. "Do you want me to save him? Tell the people he's a changed man and all is well? Do you live in a delusion, girl?"

Snarling, I tried reaching for him again. It was then I noticed my finger nails had somehow grown much longer.

"Do you know how many people he has killed?"

I calmed. So many people… "But it was her!" I screeched. "Her, kill her! She made him do it!"

"Jenova?" The presence of the blonde man who'd knocked me unconscious became apparent, as he was standing in the back of the room with a clipboard. "Where do you suppose we find her? And besides… killing her means admitting we started this whole mess in the first place"

"I think everyone knows that, swine" I spat. Rufus gave the blonde a spine chilling sneer.

"How would you propose we kill her anyway? How would that make up for all those people who died?" Rufus looked back down to me, and I felt Reno and Rude try to help me stand. My legs wouldn't do it. I just – why couldn't I –

"Then kill me, too" With a whisper tone of voice, I bit my lip and looked him in the eye. "I helped him. He killed a lot of people thanks to me!"

Reno was holding my arm tighter, in shock, and I could tell he wanted me to shut up. We'd only just met. How could he evaluate me and think I truly didn't deserve to die? And Rude… he had his head down, cringing.

"And besides, Jenova is in me now!" Every person in the room looked up, wide eyed, surprised. Reno almost jumped, and dropped me, but Rude took the rest of my weight and kept me from falling. "You can kill her, just kill me!"

"Jenova will not die by the death of her host" The blonde snob was sniggering. "Your death will mean nothing"

Don't tell me that, I was grimacing with teeth bared, feeling strangely long fangs over my lips. At least let me think I can die for a reason

"I won't kill you" Rufus, with a heavy sigh, fell into his desk chair and looked to the work on it. How could he dismiss me so? Again, I flailed, and this time, without Reno's help, Rude couldn't hold me back. Reno managed to grab me, but I slammed my foot into Rufus' desk.

"Don't you dismiss me" I screamed, my voice growing hoarse and weary.

"Kill me with him! Is that too much to ask for even you, you high assed business tycoon!" It took him a minute to look back up at me, and his eyes were surprisingly heavy and weary.

"It was his last wish" He muttered.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Sephiroth's last wish" Rude answered finally letting me to stand on my own. "He asked us not to kill you"

"What?" I looked up in horror to Rude. He wouldn't look at me. Eyes scanning the room, I looked anywhere, everywhere for hope; Reno bit his lip and sighed, Rufus was intently staring down at his desk, and the blonde scum was smiling, almost like he was enjoying this. Snarling, I raced over to him and swung my hand back, ready to pound his face.

He caught my fist. "Not this time, young lady" Smiling, he just pushed me away. Like I didn't matter. Startled, I watched him saunter from the room, never once did he look back at me. But before he let the door close, he spoke, without looking at me.

"You are the kind of person who simply does not matter. You are born into mediocrity, and you never think beyond what it is you have. In life you are a peasant of its glories, a simpleton, who will never amount to anything. You are a fool, and ironically, you will watch the only person who ever thought you mattered die"

As the door shut, and he walked away, I scarce heard his last words. They left me in shock. All of everything that had happened over the last few weeks, all I had learned and everything that had been revealed.

It was then I noticed I was shivering, but I wasn't cold. And I heard I was sobbing a little too. Hearing footsteps I noticed Rufus had stood, and was walking towards him. Weakly, I whispered, "Stay away" but he came to me, even as I backed off. All he did was hand me a file. My trembling hand reached for it and I took it, confused as I was.

We all were a little confused, but for the impassive Rufus. I looked back to Reno and Rude. Reno went to say something; "Be silent" Rufus cut him off. I glared at the man. Who knew when I was to see Reno again? I wanted to talk to Reno and Rude.

I broke the silence. "So… what are you doing with me?"

Rufus shoved me to the floor and leapt back when shards of glass flew at us. I heard Reno yelp and leap away; and gunshots echoed down the hallway. Soldiers were running down the hall after whoever had just leapt into the room. Terrified, weak, and complaint, I no longer cared what happened to me. Sitting up, I glanced to see what was causing commotion.

All I could see was an outline of a long cape streaming out, and bright red eyes glaring down at me. In an instant, as the being dodge bullets, he leapt to me, landing just over me, his body and cloak shielding me from eyes and gunshots.

Without a word he extended his golden gloved hand to me, and I took it, falling against his chest. In moments, I was clutching his shoulders, his arms were around my waist, and we were flying through the sky.

0-0-0-0-0-0

The gunshots faded, and Rufus stood, a small smirk on his face. Reno leapt to his feet.

"What the hell was that?" He jumped, looking about in a frenzied state. Shaking his head, Rufus pushed Reno aside, and beckoned both Turks to follow him.

As they walked the hallway, they passed the blonde man, leaning against the wall. They exchanged no words or glances.

The blonde man looked out the broken window, past all the panicking body guards.

"The fun has just begun" He smiled.

Older men declare war.

But it is the youth that must fight and die.

Herbert Hoover