The ouroboros is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tale. The earliest known depiction could be found in Cetran ruins and was later adapted by various local religions and traditions around the world.
Over time, the ouroboros symbol has acquired numerous meanings, including infinity, rebirth, and a unity of opposites. Since the serpent consumes itself, it reflects the complete cycle of birth, life, death, renewal, and the balance of opposing forces. In some cultures, the symbol is also seen as one of completion and the soul's transcendence from the physical to the divine.
In Ancient tradition, the ouroboros is believed to represent their calendar and its relationship to the Ancients' beliefs about the lifestream.
On the eastern continent pre-Midgar reform, the ouroboros is thought to represent samsara, the concept of cyclic change in life and existence.
On the western continent, the ouroboros is prominent in Nibel mythology, where it takes the form of the great world serpent Jörmungandr, who encircles the world. Tradition holds that breaking the circle precipitates the beginning of Ragnarok.
When Shinra expanded its operations and moved from the West to the East, it named its new glimmering city the New World—Midgard. In the process, it renamed another famed regional monster, the great Swamp Serpent. The other name for Jörmungandr is Midgardsormr.
Over time, this name was corrupted, and some in the region began to call it by another name: Midgar Zolom.
Excerpt, G. Bugenhagen, Deciphering Ancient Symbols, [ μ ] – εγλ 1985
XXV. Descension
Zack was interested in visiting Cloud's hometown, though his enthusiasm dampened after Cloud admitted he had no family left there. Autumn came hard and fast in the mountains, which meant the town that greeted them looked more bleak than Zack expected. The trees were bare, and towering above the mountainside village, the peak of Mount Nibel was white with fresh snow.
Both Sephiroth and Cloud's moods also turned darker the closer they got. No matter what Zack did, they didn't lighten up. Where Sephiroth seemed distant, growing more taciturn, Cloud became anxious, twitchy.
To Zack's surprise, Cloud crammed a helmet on his head as they disembarked the truck. In his trooper uniform with Zack's shoulder guards, Cloud blended with neither the Soldiers nor the troopers. He had the bearing of a man entering battle. Like he hadn't left Wutai.
"Hey," Zack asked as they climbed the stairs up to the rusted village gate, "Got any friends here? People you miss? Childhood sweetheart or rival…someone you're hiding from?"
Cloud just shook his head.
When they arrived at the gate, Sephiroth turned to them. Rather, he turned to Cloud.
"How does it feel?" he asked, "It's your first time back in a long time."
Cloud's visor moved as he scanned the town square, sparse with people. The ones who were out had rifles strapped to them and watched the Shinra contingent with flinty eyes.
"...Less than I thought," Cloud finally answered. Sephiroth also looked around. The sky was overcast, turning an already colorless town grey.
"Not surprisingly, the mako smell is stronger here." Sephiroth mused, "Must be stirring up the monsters."
Zack could concur. The reactor must be leaking badly. No wonder sending troopers wasn't enough anymore. Monsters must be mad with the stuff.
"Consider yourselves off duty til sundown," Sephiroth said, raising his voice so that their trooper squad also heard him before greeting someone who looked like the leader of the town watch.
"Hey, Cloud-" Zack said as he turned only to see Cloud already walking away. Zack sped up to catch up. "Hey, where are you going, man?"
"My mom is this way," Cloud explained.
Zack looked toward where Cloud was heading to see an ornate gate at the top of the hill. A circular symbol, too distant to make out, was on the gate. The entire area appeared older than the town.
"Oh, uh," Zack wondered if he was putting his foot in his mouth again, "Need some company?" Cloud shook his head again but leaned closer to place a gloved hand on Zack's arm.
"Thank you, Zack. Really. But…maybe not right now." Zack nodded, and when Cloud tried to draw back, Zack hugged him, squishing Cloud's face against his chest. Cloud left out a soft "oof" but didn't protest.
"If you aren't at the hotel by sundown, I'm coming to find you," Zack said in a tone that tried to mimic Genesis. Cloud grinned wryly and tapped his nose before starting back down the path.
When Zack returned to the town square, more townsfolk were milling about. Trying to catch a glimpse of the famed General, no doubt. The word looked like it spread quickly. Among them, there was a young woman who looked to be around Zack's age. She hung out at the crowd's periphery, trying to see Sephiroth, and when she caught sight of Zack, she walked straight for him.
"Are you one of the Soldiers who came to investigate the monster attacks," she asked in lieu of a greeting. Zack backed away a little at her intensity.
"Uh, yeah. I'm Zack, and I'm with Soldier," he answered.
"Huh." Okay then. Zack thought that was the end of it. Then she asked, "Are there a lot of Soldiers?" Zack shook his head.
"Not that many compared to troopers," he said, "We're a small, elite group." The young woman looked skeptical.
"And they only sent two?" Zack thought about Sephiroth, whose strength easily rivaled an army. And Cloud, who wasn't a Soldier but could sling spells almost as fast as Genesis. Even one should have been enough.
"Yep," he responded instead, "Just us." The girl's shoulders slumped.
"Oh," she said, then nodded to Zack before walking away. What a strange girl.
When the crowd finally cleared, Sephiroth was wrapping up his conversation with the mayor. He turned to Zack as he approached.
"We leave for Mount Nibel at dawn," he explained, "A lot of monster activity. Make sure you get to sleep early."
Though he was still on leave, Veld had access to Turk information, enough to know about the sewer passage they found. Years of experience told Veld there was more to the story. It was time he stopped turning a blind eye to Rufus's antics. He owed Rod that.
Based on terse text exchanges with Tseng, Rufus was apoplectic. Corneo's assets were stripped, and multiple squads were sent into the sewers to clear them out.
But something felt off.
What was Avalanche doing in the sewers? What was Corneo's involvement? Others may be satisfied with the official report, but Veld knew better.
Shinra's surveillance had many blind spots. The biggest was right here at home. Perhaps there was an element of willful ignorance that the Shinra company's glittering jewel could hide so much tarnish underneath its setting.
No. Avalanche was after something else.
Something deep underground.
There were no coincidences, and that brought Veld into the sewers.
It was the first time he donned his suit in months. In his pocket, he had his combat gloves, materia already slotted. In a holster under his arm, he stowed a gun. Standing at a former crime scene, he felt like himself for the first time in a long time.
What once held enough weapons to make Heidegger green was now an empty room. The only signs of activity were scruff marks left from moving crates and a telling dark spot where someone had died.
With nothing left, Shinra's investigative team cleared out, focusing on rooting out Avalanche elsewhere in the slums. The only signs of what occurred were grimy yellow barrier tape fluttering under stale-smelling air. But that itself was a clue. Veld observed the fluttering until he located the source of the wind. In the wall was a metal grate, large enough to squeeze a grown man.
Veld knelt and felt around the frame. The grating came loose in front of Veld with minimal resistance. Its rusty surface belied new, well-greased screws on the four corners. Veld lit a lighter in front of the gaping dark hole. The flame flickered as the wind blew past. Safe so far.
Veld put away the lighter and pulled out a flashlight. Sticking it between his teeth took a moment before he crouched down.
Time to see what Avalanche came for.
Despite being in the sewers, the passage was clean and dry. It turned a few times before opening up into an access shaft. Above, a large fan turned lazily, letting a mako-powered lamp light in. The same glow that polluted the entire slum. The light fluttered rhythmically with the turning fan. Veld turned off the flashlight and let his eyes adjust to the dimness. Street sound echoed down from above. Drunken yells, glass breaking. It was bustling even this late into the night. He was right under the streets of Sector Six.
A thick pipeline ran parallel to the shaft. Veld put a hand on the side. It was warm to the touch and vibrated under his palm.
Still active.
A stairwell twisted around the pipe. Veld looked down at his feet and through the metal grating. The tunnel extended so far that he could not see the bottom. Veld pulled on his gloves and began to descend.
Still pensive, Cloud returned to the hotel as the sun disappeared. He was startled to find Sephiroth standing outside their room on the second floor, looking out the window over the town. At Cloud's footsteps, Sephiroth looked over at Cloud and nodded.
"We have an early start tomorrow." Cloud waited for Sephiroth to say something more. He had also grown up here. But the man already turned back to watch the town outside.
When Cloud entered the room, he found that Zack claimed one bed. At the sight of him, Zack brightened and waved him over.
"They're short on beds," Zack explained, "We're gonna have to squeeze." Then he winked. "It'll be like a sleepover!" Cloud sputtered.
"W-wait. Are you serious?" Cloud couldn't remember how they solved this the first time. Did he and Zack share? Did he sneak out to sleep at home? Zack burst into laughter.
"C'mon," he coaxed, "The troopers take one bed since they'll be swapping shifts on watch in the middle of the night. So, it's this or with Sephiroth…Though, I don't think he'd mind if it's you." Cloud felt his whole face heat up. He threw his duffle at Zack with an irritated huff, who caught it with a grunt, still softly chuckling. Inside Cloud's bag, Zalinka's equipment clattered, reminding Cloud what they really came here to do.
"And where do you think you're going with that," Hojo's voice stopped Cait Sith in his tracks. Cait padded to the closest vent to see who the professor was addressing with so much malice. A female scientist stared back at him. She looked familiar to Cait, but he couldn't figure out where to place her.
"The biological research division doesn't have a monopoly on equipment, you know," she said haughtily. Hojo harrumphed.
"I'm the head of the science division. Do you think I won't notice critical equipment going missing?"
The woman was silent. Hojo laughed, but instead of being friendly, it was menacing.
"Run along now, Professor Rayleigh. Tell Zalinka that if he wants to borrow my toys, he needs to explain what they're for. Wouldn't want him…misappropriating company funds, hm?"
Rayleigh scoffed but said no more, turning her heels to leave. As the laboratory doors slid closed behind her, Hojo mused out loud as he walked back along the corridor. Cait tensed as the man stopped right below the vent.
"…What is Zalinka up to…?"
Oh. Cloud's old professor. Reeve pulled back from his monitor and took a deep breath. It was getting late into the night. Only a few overworked personnel still wandered the halls. Even Reeve, well used to burning the midnight oil, was getting tired.
Hitting a few keys, he brought up the surveillance cameras. Rayleigh returned to the materia lab while Hojo disappeared from the range of the security cameras. Zalinka couldn't be found either, likely sleeping. Reeve set Cait to auto and then sat back. He needed a cat nap himself if he was going to function. His eyelids shut as though weights dragged him down as he sank into his chair.
His eyes opened to a familiar voice murmuring. The timber was soft, but the words were chilling.
"X Year, X Month, X Day. Jenova Project approved. Mako Reactor One approved for use...My mother's name is Jenova... Jenova Project... Is this just a coincidence?"
Cloud dragged himself up from where he was slumped. The stone was cold and unyielding under him.
Where…?
The familiar Shinra basement sharpened into view. The accursed study that drove Sephiroth madhe and Vincent scoured, destroying every piece of Hojo's delusional musings. At the end of the hall, Sephiroth's familiar silhouette paced restlessly.
"Sephiroth…" Cloud called, but Sephiroth didn't respond in any way. Cloud's heartbeat was in his throat as he stepped toward the other man, then another. He reached a hand out as he swayed. Every step was like moving through molasses as he fought to get to the other end of the library. Another step, then another. Before Cloud could take one more, green eyes turned on him. They glittered coldly with mako.
"Zack. Out of my way."
An invisible force dragged Cloud backward. He flew a longer distance than the length of the hall and fell face-first into the dirt. Cloud tried to push himself up but froze. His house burned—his town. Smoke choked him. Screams echoed behind him. Wood cracked as fire scorched all. Sephiroth… His body began to move on its own.
"M…om…" A hand raised toward the burning house.
No. Mom is gone long before this. That's not my house anymore. Cloud began to breathe hard.
"That night, a hero fell," a voice said in his ear. It sounded like his own.
No.
"And Nibelheim burned."
"No!"
Cloud closed his eyes, trying to unsee the scene before him. He knew what would happen next. But it wouldn't because Claudia Strife was already dead.
The sound stopped. The smells dulled. The weight on his body lightened. When Cloud opened his eyes, he was upright again. Nibelheim still burned, but time had stopped. He looked down to see…himself. He was in a standard trooper outfit. Laid out on the ground, he was mid-crawl, hand still outstretched. Seeing it hurt somewhere deep inside.
"My family. My hometown. How could he do this to them?" A familiar voice said familiar words calmly. Cloud turned to see…himself. This one was younger. He was in a too-large white shirt. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his shorts. His hair was tied back. Cloud stared at the face of a dour teenager.
"You're me…?"
The teenager raised a brow. "I don't know. Am I?" He pointed his chin at the trooper frozen on the ground. "Is he?"
Cloud started to shake his head. "I don't understand. I don't know-"
"If you don't, how would I?" the teenager asked. Behind him, a dark shadow moved to reveal the tall form of Sephiroth parting the flames. Cloud opened his mouth. He didn't know whether to shout, warn, or answer. A sword pierced Cloud's chest-
Cloud snapped awake at the sound of a loud snore in his ear.
Zack shifted in his sleep, and a heavy arm landed on Cloud's side. His movement prevented another snore. Cloud looked across to the other bed. He could make out another shape in the next bed in the dark. With a sigh, he closed his eyes again, praying for a dreamless night.
The following day, Cloud woke up poorly rested. All night, he was plagued by nightmares. Zack, thankfully, slept like a log. Each time Cloud startled awake, the warm presence beside him lulled him back asleep.
Sephiroth's bed was already empty when Cloud wiped sleep from his eyes. Cloud silently strapped his sword to his back (he hadn't settled on a good name for it yet), materia already slotted, and grimly strapped the sidearm from Gun to his side.
Sephiroth was already near the village gate. They left before the sun was out, narrowly avoiding a brush with the town photographer. He also refused the mayor's offer of a guide to Cloud's relief. Instead, Cloud would be the one in the lead. Sephiroth waved to the troopers as they passed, already halfway into their shift.
Then, it was only Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth.
Bullets ricocheted perilously close to Veld, and he bit off a curse.
He knew the underground complex housed some of R 's more volatile projects. Nothing prepared him to be dumped into a lab guarded by a force large enough to rival Soldier's numbers. There were rows of materia condensers followed by increasingly grotesque samples in mako capsules before Veld almost ran into the patrol. Veld barely evaded the first wave but could only get so far. The entire compound swarmed with guards. And they were tense.
Was this what Avalanche was after? The underground lab? A sample or some new weaponry? But Avalanche was armed to the teeth. What else could they possibly need?
Veld passed by hall after hall, avoiding guards as he weaved through the complex. The design resembled the offices above, but he had never seen these uniforms or weaponry used by any other units.
It was only a matter of time before Veld ran afoul of the guard patrol, and they stopped him for identification.
As it happened, Turks didn't count as approved personnel.
Veld ducked into another corridor, listening for his pursuer's footsteps.
"Sweep that side," one of the guards said. Their uniforms resembled Soldiers only in so far as the visor. That was where the resemblance ended. Threaded throughout their clothing were what looked like tubes of mako.
Just what abominations have Shinra created?
Veld rounded another corner before coming to a stop. He found himself staring down the barrel of a row of rifles.
"Hands where we can see them," the squad leader growled, flicking his gun at Veld menacingly. Slowly, Veld's hands came up.
"I believe there's been a misunderstanding," Veld said, "I'm a Shinra employee just like you."
"Save it for-"
Out of nowhere, a red shadow enveloped the not-Soldiers. Shots rang out from all directions. Veld took the opportunity to roll out of the way.
Now what? Another unfortunate experiment? One of Hojo's?
Veld didn't stick around to find out. He ran down the next hall as the sounds of fighting died behind him. Turning again within this maze, Veld slowed to a stop. The light above the elevator shone red. With a sigh, he tried the terminal next to it.
"Access denied," it intoned when Veld tried his keycard without much expectation.
Behind Veld, metal tapped on metal. Veld breathed deeply, then spun around, his pistol already pointed in front of him. His eyes met unsettling red irises on a familiar face. He almost dropped his gun in shock.
It was a face he never thought he would see again. Other than the hair, it was as if an old photograph had come to life. Official reports marked him as dead in the line of duty.
"...Vincent?" The man (a mirage?) shifted, revealing more of that face from behind the cowl.
Before more could be said, the lights suddenly turned red, and klaxons blared.
"Loss of containment on level B36. All security personnel are to report to B36. Noncombatants, please report to your muster location."
"That's not us, "the man who looked like Vincent said. This way." Instinct warred with curiosity. Finally, Veld just nodded and followed.
"Above you!"
Zack ducked just in time to narrowly avoid a Zu's talons brushing by where his head was only moments ago. Cloud's sword flashed, and a beam of wind sliced through the air, striking the Zu head-on. It screeched as it crashed into the mountain path. Zack dashed towards it, and with a final stab of his sword, the monster fell silent.
"Let's get a move on," Cloud said. "If there's one, there's a nest nearby. This way."
The mountain path was steep in places, made steeper when Cloud made the call to avoid the rope bridge over a deep ravine. Zack broke a sweat against the monsters that inhabited every nook and cranny. Even Sephiroth had to spring into action against a total of three dragons. What was worse, they all appeared mutated.
No wonder the town called for Soldiers. Troopers would have been sent to their deaths, and it was a wonder the watch could keep the monsters out of town.
This close to the reactor, the smell of mako became almost choking. The mountain path crumbled from disuse. The entire place became so dangerous the maintenance crew couldn't get through anymore. Cloud, though, was expertly leading them.
"I can't believe you hunted here as a kid," Zack huffed, trying to keep up with Cloud. Cloud, meanwhile, navigated like he was born to it. His eyes darted around, looking for more threats. He stopped under a natural rock outcrop before waiting for the two Soldiers.
"It wasn't this dangerous before. The reactor was much better guarded, and they culled the monsters near the path constantly," Cloud explained as Zack took a long gulp of water from his canteen, "In the winter, hunger sets in. Fresh food was expensive if you couldn't hunt it, and kyuvilduns returned when the cullings paused."
"Kyuvilduns, huh," Zack said after wiping his mouth with the back of his arm and stowing his water again, "We haven't seen those the entire way up."
"They're the bottom of the food chain around here," Cloud said. He reached out a hand to trace a marking on the wall.
Zack looked closer at it. A crude carving of a monster and some arrows stared back at him. The drawing seemed almost childish.
"Those were mine," Cloud said. Zack imagined a younger Cloud scrabbling over loose rock against steep cliffs. Rifle slung across his back. Sephiroth reached out and traced it thoughtfully. He pulled his hand back and looked at the path ahead.
"More reason to keep vigilant once we get into the cave," Sephiroth said. Cloud nodded.
"Not far now, this way."
They only had to climb a little longer when Cloud stopped them. Zack almost missed the narrow opening he pointed to. Sephiroth took point, squeezing himself through the narrow slit. Zack waved at Cloud to follow before guarding the rear.
The fissure wasn't deep. The narrow entrance widened into an impressive cave filled with materia crystal. Zack could almost picture Zalinka salivating over them. But that wasn't what they came for.
"It's…gone," Cloud said in disbelief, kneeling at the edge.
There was a deep depression where the pool used to be, surrounding a materia crystal of immense size. There was no mako left. Instead, only crusty residue lined the bottom. They arrived at the right time of day when the sun's rays leaked into the cave, illuminating the crystal in dappled gold.
"It's beautiful," Zack said with amazement.
"Naturally formed materia. And look at the size of it. Astounding," Sephiroth said. "For the mako energy to condense into something like this must have taken an eternity." Beside them, Cloud gently laid his bag on the ground and unzipped it to reveal Zalinka's contraption. To Zack, it looked like a complicated robot arm with a screen on it. Cloud worked it with ease, and soon the laser was taking a scan of the materia. The machine beeped when it was done. Then, Cloud handed the machine to Sephiroth and gingerly climbed down the depression.
"Hmm," he said, "This looks more shallow than I remember."
"Or you were just smaller," Sephiroth smirked while handing Zalinka's machine down to Cloud. Cloud huffed, then turned his attention to cutting a large chunk of materia off the large condensed crystal. He walked back and handed the machine to Sephiroth again before accepting Zack's hand. With a soft grunt, Zack lifted Cloud easily back up.
"We won't know much until Zalinka takes a look," Cloud said as he brushed off his trousers, "The analyzer took a power level reading and confirmed what we suspected. The spring dried. There's no lifestream left under here."
Sephiroth turned away.
"Then we have only one more thing left to do." Zack followed Sephiroth toward the exit only to realize Cloud wasn't following them.
"The mission is to clear the monsters and collect the sample, right," Cloud asked, suddenly hesitant, "Aren't we done?" Sephiroth turned to look at them.
"The mayor asked us to check the reactor. He was worried it might malfunction or that monsters would make a nest of it. Worse, leaking mako."
"I-"
"Zalinka's request is done," Sephiroth said suddenly, his head tilted. "We must check the reactor, but perhaps…you can guide Zack back to town first. Check on the troopers and the watch. I can take it from here."
Cloud began to shake his head vehemently.
"I'm the guide," Cloud insisted. "And we cleared out the mountain already. Why don't you go back first with the samples, and we can check on what the mayor asked?"
Zack watched the two of them like it was some kind of ball game and finally threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. Why are they being so strange right now? Is this what Kunsel meant?
"We're a team, guys. We all go together," he said. "Aren't we safer together? I think the watch can handle the town for a little longer after doing it for years." Sephiroth stilled and then silently nodded. Zack turned to Cloud.
"C'mon," he coaxed." If the reactor is infested, Seph and I will make quick work of it, and we'll be back to Midgar with the samples in no time." Cloud's shoulders slumped.
"Yeah, in no time," he said woodenly, pointing further into the cave. "There's another path that will take us up from here."
Cloud felt a deep dread as he climbed up the last steps in front of the reactor. He had seen what came next. Not today, perhaps, but Sephiroth's descent into madness came swiftly and unexpectedly. Would Cloud be able to stop it?
The basement under Shinra Manor mainly stood empty. Vincent destroyed most of the remaining equipment during one of his….arguments with Chaos.
There wouldn't be a library to find, not with the same books anyway. There wouldn't be a lab to be trapped in for-
Was it enough?
Their small party stopped before the reactor doors, and Cloud's heart pounded in his ear. Before them, the gate was left ajar, pitch black beyond. At the sight, both Soldiers tensed.
"They haven't been here in at least a year," Sephiroth reminded them as he strode in, Masamune in his hand, tip pointed down but ready to strike.
As one of Shinra's earlier models, the Nibel reactor barely resembled the monstrosities that encircled Midgar. It was smaller on the inside, with the top floor primarily used as a cargo hold and staging area with lifts and a crane shaft connecting below. Their footsteps turned from solid thuds to metallic echoes. The sharp scent of mako lingered, stinging Cloud's nose.
Signs of monster activity greeted them immediately as they entered the reactor. Old nests dotted the reactor's metal skeleton, and droppings added to the stink of mako. Silk cocoons from insect monsters stuck to the corners. Miraculously, the auxiliary power was still working. Sephiroth punched a few buttons on the terminal and swiped an ID badge when prompted. Before long, the elevator was humming back into life. He silently gestured, and they moved as one, circling the top level. Fragments of eggs, droppings, signs of smaller critters, but nothing threatening. Winter was coming, but on the mountain, the monsters hadn't nested down yet for the season.
There was a loud thud as the elevator came to a top at the top level.
After one complete turn around the reactor, they returned to the front. While Sephiroth managed to turn on the lights, Zack turned to the door. With a grunt, Zack forced the ajar door shut and turned to Cloud with a grin.
"See? Easy work." Cloud tried to return Zack's grin, but the expression fell flat on his face.
Sephiroth turned to Cloud as well. Under the dim light, his eyes stood out starkly on his grim face.
"Check the perimeter and clear out any other nests you find. Zack, you're with me."
"Wait-" Cloud opened his mouth to protest but quelled at the stern look Sephiroth gave him.
"If the mako is bad up here, what will it be like below?" In contrast to the words, Sephiroth's tone was almost harsh. It was jarring. Was it Jenova?
Cloud thought he'd be able to sense something wrong this close to the reactor, but things were quiet. Eerily so. And Sephiroth seemed more irate than even the worst days in Wutai.
"Stay here," Sephiroth said. No, he ordered. Without waiting for Cloud to acquiesce, he turned to the elevator controls. Zack looked shocked at Sephiroth's behavior and mouthed "stay safe" to Cloud before hurrying to join Sephiroth, who swept into the lift, his dark mood still hanging over him. The elevator door slid closed with a metallic bang, and then they disappeared below.
Cloud could feel cold sweat dripping down his back as he approached the console controlling the elevator.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon," he muttered as fingers quickly tapped the keys. It showed the elevator made it to the bottom floor, but no attempts to call it made it respond. He had been locked out.
Cloud contemplated taking the console apart to see what he could bypass, but a screech interrupted his work before he could. They hadn't been thorough enough in their initial sweep, and with the lights on, they disturbed something roosting. Cloud turned to the sound of claws ringing around metal and brought his sword up in time to fend off an enraged twin brain. Veins of glowing purple ran down its length.
"An escapee," Cloud muttered and swung his sword. Taking down a single twin brain didn't take long. The commotion drew more attention. The new enemies were weak kyuvilduns, and though some showed signs of mako mutations, they weren't a match for Cloud. When Cloud could hear no more monsters, he ran for the terminal.
After a brief hesitation, he kicked his boot against the side. The access panel sheared off its rusty hinges, revealing the wiring within. To his relief, the circuitry was as old as Vincent. The ex-Turk's lessons still applied. Cloud reached in, gritting his teeth when he pinched it against something sharp. Cloud worked hastily. After an audible beed, the machine shut down.
For a moment, Cloud could only hear the sound of his breath. Then, the computer whirred and lit up again. The interface was older this time and showed the traditional weapons manufacturer's logo.
"High mako levels detected. Manual mode activated. Please provide override credentials or submit biometric information," the computerized voice said dully. The quality was tinny, but when Cloud stood up, he saw that the console configuration had changed.
A panel next to the keypad Cloud previously thought was empty space pulled away to reveal a strange apparatus.
Biometric data…
Cloud doubted the system would recognize him, but then again, Shinra had performed upgrades as recently as last year, and he was registered with the Mako Science department, which holds jurisdiction over the Nibel Reactor to this day.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Cloud held his finger to the device, pressed a confirmation on the screen, and listened as it hummed to life. Something pinched his finger, and the screen began to show a progress bar. It moved too slowly for Cloud's taste. Below him, Cloud still could not hear anything.
"Sample accepted. Override engaged." The computer intoned again. For once, something was going his way. Not thinking about it twice, he tapped on a command again. This time, the motors sounded, and the lift began to move. Cloud ran to it, and when the doors slid open, he boarded and pressed the button repeatedly to go down. As the doors slid close behind Cloud, he took a deep breath, trying to get his heartbeat under control.
Things are fine. They're going to laugh at me when I get there. Even if Sephiroth saw Jenova's plaque and the monster capsules, he kept it together until we returned to Nibelheim. Until he went digging in Shinra Manor.
There is still time.
Everything was silent when the elevator doors slid open to the reactor's bowels. The door to the inner chamber was open, and through them, Cloud could see Sephiroth, sword raised and surrounded by capsules. Zack was nowhere to be found.
No no no no nononono
Cloud raced down the narrow walkway into the inner chamber.
"Sephiroth! Stop!"
The man on top of the stairs turned slowly. In Sephiroth's hand, Masamune was brandished.
The eerie glow of the mako pods cast green shadows on his silver hair and dark coat. Most of them already bore marks from a furious attack. They matched the Masamune. A mixture of mako and blood leaked out, running onto the metal floor and dripping from Sephiroth's sword. Standing under the plaque that spelled out JENOVA, Sephiroth looked like a fallen angel about to cast judgment.
At his feet littered dozens of monster corpses. They had been cut down mere moments before Cloud arrived.
No. This was everything Cloud thought he could prevent. Every nightmare that haunted him since his mind touched the other Cloud's. He failed. Sephiroth was falling to Jenova's control again.
"Cloud." Sephiroth looked surprised to see him. But surprise turned grim as Cloud raised his sword (Buster Blade. Never again the Buster Blade) before him in a blatant challenge.
Masamune flickered, splashing dark viscera in lines across sterile white capsules. It raised to point at Cloud.
Cloud snarled, half in anger and half in grief. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Sephiroth, but Masamune met his blade head-on. A metal cry rang out. With a swipe of his arm, Sephiroth pushed him off.
"Out of my way," He said. Cloud blinked as static fogged his vision. "I am going to see" M̷͚̬̬̱͚͇̱̰̲̮͔͔͔͘͜ͅơ̸̢̢̼̦̓̂̚͝ť̸̨̪̩̗̰͖͎̫̹̌̓h̸̛̳̦͇̗̱̱̺̤͕͐̅̌̎́̅͒͘͘͜͠ȩ̷̧̬͙͎̼̽̒͒̋̀̃̂̓̃͘͠r̵͔͆̎͛̚̕
End of Disc 2
AN: Nibelheim reactor under the science department's control is either canon or confirmed in Rebirth opening sequence.
This might admittedly be an evil place to end Arc 2, but hey, Arc 3 is coming soon. I hope this arch answered some things and provided enough to piece some other things together!
Thank you so much for sticking with this story and me for so long, and I hope to see you in two weeks! For those who celebrate, happy Halloween!
FFN note- still getting formatting wiped but it is minor this time.