Subject: [FFML][FF7] Conflicts of Interest - Part 7 - draft (4/4)
From: MadamHydra@aol.com
Date: 1/26/1999, 11:06 PM
To: ffml@fanfic.com

------------------------------------------------------
PART 7-16:  REDISCOVERY  
------------------------------------------------------

    The images had come and gone so quickly that Sephiroth could barely
grasp their meaning.  But he understood enough.  He now had a vague idea
why everyone hated and feared him so much.  He had been involved in some
insane scheme to destroy the world... and he had come perilously close
to succeeding.

    Sephiroth's first emotion was not regret or guilt for the people he
had killed or the havoc he had caused, but rather disgust as he wondered
what on earth had induced him to try such a monumentally crazy thing
like trying to blow up the world.

    Then he remembered the dark, alien presence that seemed to loom in
the background of all those fragmented memories....  It was the very
same presence that was now whispering to him, telling him to let go and
believe some crazed patchwork of lies just like he did before.

    ....like hell he would.

    He had foolishly listened to those whispers once before.  He had
allowed this alien voice -- this entity called Jenova -- to lure him
into some mad, illusionary world.  And even though his memories of the
resulting events were still unclear, Sephiroth somehow knew that his
mistake had cost him the one thing he had ever really cared about.

    Never again.

    As he resolutely shoved the alien voice away, Sephiroth began to
recall his strange, rambling conversation with the young woman called
Aeris.  She had offered him a second chance... a chance to find what he
had lost... an opportunity to make things right.  But unlike Jenova,
Aeris had made no promises.  She had even warned him that his path would
be anything but easy.

    The memory of Aeris seemed to trigger an awakening in another part
of his mind.  Sephiroth found that his awareness of Zack's mental
presence -- previously faint and almost imperceptible -- had suddenly
become stronger and much sharper. 

    And with his improved perceptions, Aeris' obscure hints and
everything else now fell into place for Sephiroth.  He knew exactly
where Zack was at this very moment... at least in mind, if not in body.

    Sephiroth looked up and stared blankly at the blond, muscular young
man standing only a few yards away.  Because as preposterous as it might
sound, he KNEW that buried somewhere inside Cloud Strife was the mind
and the soul of his best friend.

    For a brief instant, Sephiroth wondered if this was all wishful
thinking on his part, but the longer he watched Cloud, the more
convinced Sephiroth was that his instincts were right.  The body might
look different, but the truth was in the details.  The way Cloud stood,
with one hand on his hip and one foot forward... the casual shrug... the
tilt of his head... the wry grin and easy confidence... even his way of
speaking.

    Sephiroth took a deep, shuddering breath.

    While he could only recall fragments of the last several years, he
remembered enough.  When Aeris had warned him that his quest would be
difficult, she had massively understated the situation.  

    ....because of all the people on this Planet, Cloud Strife probably
had the most reason to utterly despise him.

    And at that moment, Cloud abruptly turned around and gave Sephiroth
a cold, suspicious stare.

---------------------------

    Yuffie muttered, "Whoa.  Check out the look on the guy's face."
    
    Cloud jerked around to see Sephiroth looking at him with an intense,
yet distant expression on his face. 

    Barret shifted nervously. "I think the dude's flaked out again."

    "Jenova must have taken him over," muttered Tifa, clenching her
fists.

    Red twitched his tail thoughtfully.  "Hmmm.  I don't think so."  He
muttered to himself, (I'd say he looks like a person who's just received
the shock of his life.)

    Cloud's first impulse was to stalk over to Sephiroth and... do what?
 Ask the man what was wrong?  Offer to help?  He couldn't believe that
he was actually thinking about doing any of those things....  It wasn't
because he felt sorry for the man -- there was something about Sephiroth
that refused to be pitied -- but Cloud was unable to deny that he felt
worried, not about Sephiroth turning on him or his friends, but about
the man himself.   

    Hell, he wasn't developing sympathy for Sephiroth, was he?  Sympathy
was very different from pity and a much more dangerous sort of emotion. 
The mere thought was faintly nauseating.  For an angry instant, Cloud
wondered if banging his head on a nearby countertop would knock some
sense back into himself.  However, he ruefully realized that the only
thing that would probably accomplish would be to make his already
throbbing head hurt even more, not to mention upsetting his friends.

    Unlike Tifa, Cloud really didn't care about revenge for his mother's
death or even Aeris' death anymore.  All he wanted was to be his own
person, to be free of Sephiroth once and for all.  He thought he had
succeeded after that final confrontation in the Northern Crater a year
ago... but now Sephiroth was back. 

    He couldn't help brooding about Hojo's description of his Sephiroth
Clone project.  The process he used on Cloud and the other Sephiroth
Clones had apparently been designed to make them as close to Sephiroth
as possible, not just in body, but also in mind and soul.  And if that
was true....  Cloud dragged his thoughts away from that depressing line
of thought and concentrated on another topic.

    Reeve said that Sephiroth and Zack had been friends.  Was that
really true?  Or had Sephiroth, simply by his icy brilliance and dark
charisma, dazzled and overwhelmed Zack just as the general had dazzled
and overwhelmed so many naive boys, teenagers, and even adults... like a
teenager named Cloud Strife?

    // Not bloody likely! //

    As he struggled to get a hold on his confused feelings, Cloud's
voice ended up sounding much colder and harsher than he intended.

    "Sephiroth."  
    
    In response to the sharp demand, Sephiroth stiffened.  His ice green
eyes seem to bore into Cloud, searching for things hidden deep within
the young man.  To most people, Sephiroth's expression might have
appeared unreadable, but Cloud could swear that he saw shock, mixed with
disbelief, on the ex-general's face.... 

    ....and perhaps even a little pain....

    He frowned and raked his hand through his spiky blond hair in
exasperation as he struggled to figure out what was going on with his
old enemy.  Enemy... Cloud was finding it surprisingly hard to keep
thinking of Sephiroth as his hated nemesis... the monster he had loathed
for so long.  

    Where had all the hatred and rage gone?

---------------------------

    The familiar hair-raking gesture made Sephiroth grit his teeth.  He
berated himself for not realizing what was going on sooner.  The clues
had been right there under his nose all this time.  The young man
standing in front of him certainly looked like an older Cloud Strife,
but he acted so very much like Zack.  And it went far deeper than that. 
Most importantly of all, Cloud FELT like Zack to Sephiroth's reawakened
inner senses.

    Unfortunately, finding Zack was the easy part because Sephiroth's
discovery left him with far more questions than answers.  

    What exactly had happened?  
    How much of Zack was there in Cloud?  
    Just where did Cloud end and Zack begin?  
    Did Cloud and/or Zack have any idea of what was going on?  

    Then more painful questions began to present themselves to
Sephiroth.  He knew that he had hurt Zack terribly -- the image and the
sensation of Masamune sliding effortlessly into his friend's body was
all too fresh in his mind.  However, the physical injuries were only the
tip of the iceberg.  Other bits of memory told Sephiroth that Zack's
stabbing had been only the first of many deliberate cruelties suffered.

    (Aeris said that there were so many things between me and Zack...
trusts broken... friendship betrayed... unforgivable acts....)

    Was there any possible way to make things right for Zack?  He didn't
know, but he knew he had to try.  As for forgiveness....  

    Sephiroth shoved that thought aside.  He wasn't looking for
forgiveness or redemption.  He didn't expect miracles... not any more. 
The reasons for his actions weren't really important.  He wasn't trying
to find excuses for what he had done.  Responsibility had to be
acknowledged and accepted.  

    The past was exactly that... the past.  It couldn't be undone or
ignored.  But now he had a chance to make restitution for the wrongs he
had committed against his friend.
 
    But where to start?  Sephiroth knew that he had to first remember
and understand what had happened in the six years that had supposedly
passed between the Nibelheim mission and his awakening on this day.  And
more importantly, he needed to know exactly what was going on with Cloud
and how Zack fitted into the whole tangled mess.  It promised to be an
excruciating experience, but Sephiroth was not about to let that stop
him.  He owed Zack, not just for the pain he had inflicted on his
friend, but for the priceless things that Zack had given him.

    Zack had been the one person who hadn't been afraid of Sephiroth...
not even at times when Sephiroth frightened everyone else, including
himself.

    >----->----->----->

    The meeting with the mayor and councilmen of the small coastal town
had been a total waste of time.  Fed up with their stupidity and fear,
Sephiroth stalked gracefully out of the meeting room, Zack discretely
trailing at his heels.  They didn't stop walking until they had reached
the hills just outside the town limits.

    Sephiroth stared out over the sea and muttered, "Those fools."
    
    "You scare the crap out of them, sir."
    
    "Zack... sometimes I scare even myself.  So why aren't you
frightened of me?"

    "Maybe I'm too stupid?" Zack said with a careless shrug. 
    
    Sephiroth snorted in rude disbelief.  He perched himself on a nearby
rock and continued to gaze at the ocean.  The minutes passed.  Finally,
he murmured, "Sometimes, I wish...."

    Zack patiently waited for him to finish.

    "....that I could be like other people.  Normal people."  There was
a soft echo of sadness in his voice.

    Zack quietly said, "I don't think you'd be happy being just one of
the crowd.  And normal people have plenty of problems, too.  Just
different ones."

    Sephiroth smiled ruefully.  "You probably think I'm exaggerating. 
Everyone thinks that their own problems are the worst."

    "My uncle used to say that the greater the gifts, the greater the
trials."  Zack murmured as he moved a bit closer.

    "Gifts!"  There was suppressed fury in Sephiroth's voice.  "I didn't
ask for any of this!  I didn't ask for Hojo's blasted meddling!  I
didn't ask to be poked, prodded, and stared at!"

    "No, you didn't.  I knew exactly what I was getting into when I
joined SOLDIER.  You didn't have a choice."

    "Neither fish or fowl, as they say.  Different enough so that people
instantly notice, but human enough to be bothered by their reactions." 
Sephiroth sighed impatiently.  "Well, I'll just have to deal with it. 
Somehow.  Because if I don't, I might as well cut my own throat and be
done with all the misery."

    Zack gave his superior officer an alarmed look.

    "No, don't worry, Zack.  If anything, I'm a born survivor.  I think
it runs in my blood.  If I had really wanted to do kill myself, I would
have done it long ago.  But sometimes it's so hard to deal with... so
lonely...."  The last words came out slowly, reluctantly, like a person
dragging a long hidden, shameful secret into the open.

    With a faint smile, Zack held out his hand and quietly said, "But
you're not alone.  Not anymore."

    Sephiroth stared at the outstretched hand, then up at Zack's brown
eyes -- eyes which had a soft greenish-gold glow.  Then, for the first
time he could remember, he reached out, taking Zack's hand and all the
unspoken promises with it.

    <-----<-----<-----< 

    Zack had not broken the faith.  Zack had kept his promises.

    No, it was he, the mighty Sephiroth, who had been the one to turn
traitor.

    But for the moment, all Sephiroth could do was keep his secrets to
himself and observe everything going on around him.  He knew he couldn't
afford to change his behavior too much.  If he became too cooperative,
Cloud and his companions would be certain to think that he was plotting
something devious... and in a way, he was.
    
    Sephiroth's thoughts had only taken an instant of real time.  With
carefully concealed effort, he slipped back into his usual cold,
sarcastic persona.  

    "What do you want?" he said, addressing Cloud in acid tones.

------------------------------------------------------
PART 7-17:  INSTRUMENTS OF DESTRUCTION  
------------------------------------------------------

    Before Cloud could reply to Sephiroth's demand, Cait Sith yelped,
"Guys!  We've got big trouble!"
    
    "Like we don't already have enough!?" muttered Yuffie.
    
    Bouncing frantically up and down on the Mog's head, the little cat
said, "We better get the hell out of here!"

    "What's wrong?" Cloud said quickly.

    "Sapphire WEAPON's suddenly changed course and is heading in this
direction!"

    The ninja girl smacked her hand against her forehand.  "Oh crap!"
    
    Red growled, "The Planet must have sensed Jenova-CORE reviving just
as we have.  It's sending one of the WEAPONs to destroy it!"

    Cait Sith said urgently, "It's really moving!  The thing's cruising
at over eighty miles per hour!"

    "What!?  How can anything, even a WEAPON, move that fast through
water?" blurted Elena.  The Turks and Vincent had rejoined Cloud and the
others as soon as they heard Cait Sith's warning.

    The robot cat tossed up its paws and said, "Hey, don't ask me.  I'm
just telling you what the observers are saying." 

    Cloud took a deep breath and said, "How long before it arrives,
Cait?"

    "At its current rate of speed... about 10 minutes, Cloud.  That's
just a rough estimate, of course."
 
    "There's more bad news, isn't there?"

    The cat nodded quickly. "Yup.  You see, it's the Sapphire WEAPON,
all right -- there's no mistake about that -- but there's something
different about it, too.  For one thing, from the reconnaissance
pictures, it's at least 20% bigger than the WEAPON that attacked Junon. 
And well,... all I can say is that it just looks a hell of a lot
MEANER."

    "Meaner!?  Are you trying to tell us that the damn thing's somehow
gotten more powerful?" shouted Barret.

    Scarlet snapped, "Well, it makes obvious sense.  Shinra and you guys
managed to destroy all of the original WEAPONs!  What do you do when if
a weapon fails?  You build a better one!"

    "But can the Planet modify the WEAPONs like that?  I mean, it's
supposed to be aware and all that, but can it actually do something THAT
sophisticated?" asked Tifa.

    Red shook his head.  "It may not be a conscious process as we know
it, but rather an instinctive reaction."

    Elena said, " So you're saying that when a WEAPON's destroyed, the
Planet automatically creates a stronger one in an attempt to deal with
the threat?"

    "Yes.  And it will most likely keep doing that until the threat is
eventually neutralized or the Planet itself is destroyed."

    Cid muttered, "Then why the hell didn't the blasted Planet do that
when Meteor was about to land in our laps?"

    The red-furred beast shook its head.  "Probably a lack of time.  Who
knows how long it takes to create something as powerful and massive as a
WEAPON?"

    Cloud frowned.  "If this WEAPON is more powerful, it also means that
the tactics we used before probably won't work again."

    "That's an unfortunate possibility," Red said.

    Scarlet shouted, "Now hold it!  I hope you idiots aren't planning to
stand around and fight that thing!  Because if you are, I'm outta here!"
 

    "Why are you worried?  We've handled WEAPONs before!" snapped Tifa
as she glared at the other woman.

    Cloud shook his head urgently.  "This situation is very different,
Tifa.  We fought those WEAPONs on open and stable terrain.  But if we
try to fight here, we'll have to worry about getting buried and crushed
by falling debris. Sapphire WEAPON can probably demolish this place
without breaking a sweat."

    Cid added, "Yeah.  Tifa, don't you remember what happened at Mideel?
 Nearly the entire town ended up at the bottom of a Mako sinkhole."

    "I'm glad at least a few of you guys recognizes the problem!  This
place is NOT a goddamn fortress!" snapped Scarlet.

    Tifa snapped, "You could have fooled me with all your stupid
security!"

    "What the hell does security have to do with it, you brainless
twit!?"

    "What did you call me!?"

    Cloud quickly interrupted before the argument between the two women
could become physical.

    "Tifa, what Scarlet means is that installations like Junon Fortress
are specially designed and reinforced to withstand heavy-duty military
assault.  That's why the first Sapphire WEAPON only managed to do
moderate damage, relatively speaking.  But this place is only a research
and manufacturing facility.  Its construction is primarily designed to
keep out small groups of more lightly armed intruders.  Spies and that
sort of thing.  Isn't that right, Scarlet?"

    Scarlet seemed a bit surprised by Cloud's understanding as she
slowly nodded.  "A WEAPON could probably rip this place apart with no
problem.  And if it uses energy weapons or missiles... well, get in its
way, and you'll end up dead like Rufus."  Scarlet's lips thinned and she
looked away briefly.

    Sephiroth lifted an eyebrow at the mention of Rufus Shinra's death,
but said nothing.

    Red added, "Not only are we facing the WEAPON, but don't forget
about Hojo and Jenova-CORE.  I can't imagine that that Jenova-CORE will
stand around idly and allow Sapphire WEAPON to blast it into pieces."

    "Man, talk about getting stuck between a rock and a hard place!"
whined Yuffie.

    "Yeah," muttered Barret.

    "What precisely is this Sapphire WEAPON you keep talking about?"
Sephiroth interrupted sharply.
    
    Cloud said evenly, "It's a superweapon created by the Planet.  One
of several.  It's about... I'd guess about 30 stories tall, Cid?"

    "At least.  You been to Junon Fortress, Sephiroth?"

    "Of course, Highwind."

    "Fine, then you'll have some idea of what I'm talking about.  I
don't know how friggin' long the damn thing actually was, but I do know
that when it was rearing out of the water, its head was pretty much even
with the top level of the fortress."  The pilot took a long drag on his
cigarette.  "Killing it took a point-blank shot to the head with the
Cannon.  And Cait says that the new version of Sapphire that's headed in
our direction is probably more powerful."

    "I see."   An image unfolding in Sephiroth's mind... a place
littered with rock and raw Materia... a glimpse of a massive, serpentine
creature locked behind a great wall of greenish crystal....
 
    "Do you think Jenova knows about the WEAPON's approach?" asked
Yuffie.

    Cloud replied, "More than likely.  I think Jenova-CORE gave up
trying to turn my and Sephiroth's brain inside out because it somehow
sensed the WEAPON's approach."

    "Well, I'm glad that there's SOMETHING capable of giving that stupid
space bitch a hard time.  Maybe we should just get the hell out of the
way and let the Planet deal with it," grumbled Barret.

    "I wish we could, but I'm worried that the cure might be as bad or
even worse than the disease...," Cloud replied quietly. 

    "What do ya mean?"

    "Remember what Bugenhagen said?  The Planet doesn't really care
about humanity's survival.  If the battle goes on for an extended period
of time
or if the other WEAPONs join in or if Jenova creates its own
super-monsters...."

    Red nodded grimly.  "Who knows how much environmental damage could
occur?  In a worst case scenario, it could be bad enough to cause severe
climatic changes that make the world uninhabitable for humans."

    "Great.  Just friggin' great!" Barret muttered.

    Cid jerked his thumb in Sephiroth's direction.  "What about....?"

    Cloud smiled grimly.  "All our discussions about him are pretty much
moot at this point.  We're out of time.  You know we can't leave him
here in such close proximity to Jenova-CORE."

    "Shit.  I was afraid you were going to say that."

    Tifa protested, "Cloud, I know you think you're only doing what's
necessary, but have you really thought this through?  You've got to
realize just who we're talking about here!"

    "Tifa, believe me, I'm open to any other suggestions.  You know what
Jenova was capable of doing even when supposedly dead.  Can you imagine
what it's capable of now that it's fully awake?"

    She sighed and muttered, "Damn it.  You're right.  We can't afford
to leave him here, dead OR alive.  Even if we did kill him, there's no
guarantee that he'd stay dead, especially with that... that THING
around."

    In a voice brimming with sarcasm, Sephiroth murmured, "What a
generous invitation, Lockheart."  He had no intention of staying behind,
but it wouldn't do to appear too eager to join them.

    Tifa jumped to her feet.  "The only reason you're coming with us is
because you'd cause more problems if we tried to leave you behind!"

    "Dead or alive," he murmured, throwing her words back at her.  He
stared coolly at them.  "I'm willing to be... cooperative.  Not because
of your 'concern', but because I prefer to have nothing to do with
anything associated with Hojo.  And since Hojo is singing this Jenova
creature's praises, it's probably prudent to get as far away from it as
possible."

    Cait Sith said in a curious voice, "So you didn't believe Hojo when
he said that Jenova was your mother?"

    Sephiroth gave the little cat a cynical look.  "Believe Hojo on his
word alone?  Just what sort of fool do you take me for?"

    (Now isn't that interesting....)  Red flicked an ear.  (Was Cloud
right when he said that Jenova itself was largely responsible for
Sephiroth's madness?)

    Sephiroth's eyes narrowed ominously, "However, as soon as
circumstances permit, I want a full and complete explanation of what's
been going on."

    Cloud took a deep breath and said tersely, "Fine. I'll tell you the
whole story... everything... AFTER we get the hell out of here.  My word
on it."

    "Cloud!" Tifa objected.
    
    He shook his head and said urgently, "No more lies, Tifa.  That's
how Hojo gets his way.  I won't do that."  

    Fully occupied with convincing Tifa, Cloud failed to notice the
quick exchange of anxious looks between Cait Sith, Cid, and Red.

    "And what if he can't handle the truth and goes around the bend like
he did last time!?" muttered Barret.
    
    "Then it's better to find out sooner than later, isn't it?"  
    
    Red said thoughtfully, "Yes, it suppose it is."
    
    Cloud looked back at Sephiroth, his blue eyes hooded and wary. 
"Your cooperation in exchange for information.  Satisfied?"

    The ex-general smiled faintly.  "I'll suppose it'll have to do."

    Cloud felt a surge of relief as soon as Sephiroth grudgingly agreed
to accompany them.  He had been dreading the thought of trying to drag
an uncooperative Sephiroth out of the weapon facility.

    // Seph, you can be such a stubborn, stiff-necked ass at times. //

    Cait Sith's Mog quickly hopped over to Cloud's side and held out the
Ultima Weapon.  The little cat chirped, "You shouldn't leave valuable
things like this lying around."  

    With a faint grin, Cloud slung the massive broadsword over his
shoulder and said, "Thanks, Cait.  How much time have we got?"

    "About eight minutes.  We've got to get moving!"

    "Right."

    Yuffie called out, "Hey, Cloud!  Here!" and tossed something toward
him.  He caught it easily and stared in surprise at his familiar
Mystile.  He was more amazed to realize that none of the Materia was
missing.

    "Yuffie!?" 

    The ninja girl flushed bright red and stared nonchalantly at the
ceiling as she muttered, "Well, you shouldn't leave valuable stuff like
that lying around.  You're lucky I found more interesting Materia to
play with."

    Cloud shook his head and chuckled ruefully.  "Right.  I'll be sure
to keep that in mind, Yuffie."
    
    Red glanced up at his blond-haired friend.  Although Cloud looked
fit enough, the faint traces of physical and mental stress told the
beast that his friend was not fully recovered from his recent ordeal.
 
    Cloud answered Red's silent question.  "I'm okay for now.  Cid!"
    
    "Yo!  Just a moment!"  

    They could hear the pilot having a loud conversation with the crew
of the Highwind II.  He shouted into his phone, "No!  I want you guys to
stay the hell away from this area.  I'll call you in for a pickup when
we're a safe distance away.  That's a friggin' order!  This place is
about to become a goddamn battle zone and I'll have your asses if you
guys get yourselves blown up and make me walk all the way home!"

    As he hung up, they heard Cid muttering about 'those insubordinate
sons-of-a-bitch'.

    With everyone together, Cloud said, "Okay, guys.  Let's get ready to
move out.  We've got no time to spare."

    Vincent's low voice intruded with a question.  

    "What about Hojo?"

    Cloud turned and looked at the dark man and Reno.  Clenching his
right hand, he said, "Vincent, Reno, if I thought we had the slightest
chance of finding him before all hell breaks loose, I would be after
that bastard this very moment.  Believe me, I want to take him apart as
badly as you guys do, but there's no way, not in the little time we've
got."

    For an instant, he was afraid that Vincent would go after Hojo by
himself, but after a few seconds of frightening stillness, the
dark-haired man slowly nodded.

    Reno muttered, "I'd really hate it if that damned WEAPON manages to
kill Hojo off," as he tapped his Nightstick impatiently against his
shoulder.

    Cloud said bitterly, "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that.  I
doubt he'll die so easily.  Like a roach, he always seems to come back."


------------------------------------------------------
PART 7-18: JOINT ENDEAVORS  
------------------------------------------------------

    Cloud shook off his angry mood, then turned to more pressing
matters. "Scarlet, what's the quickest way out of here?  We have less
than...."  He glanced questioningly at Cait Sith.

    "Estimated ETA for Sapphire WEAPON is... about seven minutes," the
cat chirped.
    
    Scarlet frowned.  After a few seconds, she said, "There's a shaft
near here that leads to a catwalk that runs the entire length of the
main manufacturing area.  It's a straight shot to the storage rooms and
the exit tunnel.  The problem is that this manufacturing area is one big
open room.  There's no cover once we hit the catwalk.  We'll be dead
easy targets...."

    "Don't you have anything better?" snapped Cid.
    
    "Not if we want to get out of here under seven minutes.  As it is,
it's going to be damn close," said Scarlet with a shrug.  "And if we get
bogged down in combat...." 

    Cloud said firmly, "Then we'll make sure that doesn't happen."
    
---------------------------

    As they quickly followed Scarlet, Tifa hung back and whispered to
Barret, "I don't like it.  Sephiroth's being too damn quiet.  He's
barely said a thing in the last couple of minutes.  All he does is watch
everyone else, especially Cloud."

    "Yeah, I noticed," her old friend replied.  "But we can't really do
anything about it right now.  Cloud's right.  We damn well can't leave
the bastard here in Jenova's lap.  It'll be better to have the freak
where we can keep an eye on him instead of letting him run loose."

    "I know, I know.  It's just that...."  Tifa gritted her teeth
unhappily.

    "Hang tough, okay?"  Barret gently thumped her on the shoulder and
urged her forward.

---------------------------

    Less than a minute later, they were all clustered around a hatchway
in the floor.  A narrow ladder extended downward nearly fifty feet to a
sturdy steel platform that connected to a broad walkway suspended high
above the floor of the manufacturing area.  The only problem was that
the platform was fully occupied by Hojo's twisted minions. 

    As they cautiously peered down the ladder shaft, Cid whispered,
"You've GOT to be friggin' well joking."  
    
    "Those buggers are creeping all over the place," Yuffie hissed
quietly.

    "I'm not blind, you twerp!" the pilot hissed back in annoyance.
    
    In a whisper, Tifa complained, "Scarlet, are you SURE this is the
only way out?"

    "Yes, unless you've got a real quick way of burrowing through
several hundred feet of rubble."
    
    "Down there!?" muttered Elena.
    
    Cait Sith murmured, "Guys, six minutes and counting."
    
    A few yards away, Reno paced impatiently.  Somehow he had managed to
shove the matter of his sister Regina  to the back of his mind for the
moment.  He knew that Cloud was right.  Hojo was probably going to find
a way to survive the upcoming battle between Sapphire WEAPON and
Jenova-CORE... and when the bastard popped up again, he and Vincent
Valentine were going to be waiting to rip Hojo's miserable mutated ass
to bits.
    
    Cloud had been silently observing the activity below.  He finally
whispered, "We've got to clear the area somehow.  They all look
reptilian so I'd guess that cold would have the most effect on them."

    "A Shiva summoning?" Red grumbled softly.

    Cloud murmured, "Not powerful enough.  We need to clear as much as
that room as possible.  We can't afford to stand and fight.  And our ice
Materia just doesn't have the range to cover...."  He drummed his
fingers silently on the edge of the hatchway, then abruptly stopped.

    "I know just the thing," said Cloud with a slow grin -- a cheerful,
yet wicked sort of grin.  He suddenly looked up at Sephiroth, then made
a slight twirling gesture with his right hand.

    Sephiroth's eyes widened in surprise, then a corner of his mouth
quirked upward in a secretive, half-smile as if he was sharing a private
joke with a close friend.  Which, in a way, was exactly what he was
doing.
 
    Cloud glanced at the confused faces around him.  

    "Stay out of the way, but get ready to follow us."
    
    "Out of the way of what?  What the hell are you planning to...?"
hissed Cid as he and the others backed away from the hatchway.
    
    Before they could ask any more questions, Sephiroth rose to his feet
and  elbowed Tifa away from the hatchway even as he neatly dumped a bolt
spell down the shaft.  Almost before the crackles of lightning faded,
Cloud grabbed the sides of the ladder and slid downwards like a stone. 
He was followed almost immediately by Sephiroth.

---------------------------

    Before the survivors of the bolt spell recovered, Cloud had landed
on the platform.  As soon as he touched down, he sprang clear of the
ladder while simultaneously casting the most powerful ice spell he could
manage.  A fraction of a second later, Sephiroth landed beside him and
started on his own spell.  

    The result stunned the watchers above.  Sephiroth's perfectly timed
wind spell transformed Cloud's already potent magical attack into a
devastating storm of ice shards.  Driven by hurricane force winds, the
razor sharp chunks of ice began to shred virtually everything in the
cavernous room around them.  And whatever didn't get ripped apart ended
up encased within many inches of rock hard ice.

    Overhead, Yuffie peered down the shaft and managed to choke out an
amazed, "Will you look at THAT...."

    Red whispered, "Unbelievable.  A synergistic spell combination
that's at least an order of magnitude more powerful than the simple
additive effect of the two individual spells."

    Barret growled, "Use smaller words, why don't you?"

    "In short... wow."

    As Cloud and Sephiroth stood side-by-side surveying the damage, they
felt a sudden vibration ripple through the catwalk.  They both stared
downwards, then looked at each other.  They both had pinpointed the
source of that vibration and understood its significance.  

    Something very large was moving in the ground below them and it was
coming closer.  

    There was a muffled crack, then an eerie light gradually washed over
the room as glowing green liquid seeped up through the broken concrete
floor and slowly spread underneath the thick layer of ice that had
formed on the floor.  The ice immediately began to hiss and melt.  The
glowing liquid was unmistakably Mako, but it was contaminated by large
globs of some mysterious reddish-purple substance.  

    Their goal was the hallway at the far end of the manufacturing area,
about 500 yards away.  Clustered near the hallway's entrance were
several of Hojo's more powerful monsters who had managed to survive the
magical ice storm.  As the two men warily surveyed the floor below, the
enraged creatures began charging toward Cloud and Sephiroth. 
     
    Neither men said a word.  There was no need.  Sephiroth took off
down the catwalk to deal with the oncoming monsters while Cloud glanced
up the shaft and snapped, "Get down here, guys!"
    
    His friends shook off their amazement and hastily began to scramble
or slide down the ladder as Cloud kept a wary eye on the steadily
growing pool of Mako below the catwalk.  

    As he landed on the platform and took a good look around, Reno
muttered, "Holy shit!"

    Cid couldn't have said it better.  The entire manufacturing area had
been turned to a huge glittering ice cavern... a cavern that was now
starting to glow with a stomach-churning combination of green and purple
light.

    "What the hell's causing that!?" blurted Yuffie.

    Cloud's expression was grim.  "Mako.  I don't know where it's coming
from but...."

    Scarlet went pale.  "It has to be from the reactor below us, but
that's a good four floors down!  And what the hell's all that dark crap
floating around in the Mako?" 

    "No idea," replied Cloud as another, stronger vibrations rippled
through the catwalk.  "But I think that something big is trying to break
through the floor and forcing the Mako up with it."

    Red's ears went flat and his neck ruff bristled.  "It's probably
Jenova-CORE."

    Cait shouted, "Less than four minutes, guys!"

    "Where the hell's Sephiroth!?" yelled Barret.

    Cloud jerked his head in the direction of the aerial walkway and
said, "Ahead of us, cleaning out the remaining monsters."  

    Sephiroth was already well down the catwalk, Masamune in hand.  With
elegant, efficient precision, he cut down any monsters who were still
capable of attacking.

    Cloud continued briskly, "Red, you keep an eye on Sephiroth. 
Scarlet, you're the guide.  Cait Sith, I want you and Yuffie to stick
tight to Scarlet.  Make she sure she doesn't get into trouble OR gets
any bright ideas about leaving us behind."

    "Gotcha!" the ninja girl said.

    "Now wait a minute...!" Scarlet automatically protested.

    Cloud leaned toward her and snapped, "If you haven't noticed, we
don't HAVE a minute to spare!"  He firmly shoved her on her way.  He
quickly looked around.  "The rest of you, get going!  This place can
come apart at any moment!  Barret, Tifa, and I will take up the rear. 
Now move out!" 

---------------------------

    Sephiroth had done his job well.  There was nothing to hinder the
others' progress as they dashed down the catwalk.  But their pace
inevitably began to slow as the tremors became increasingly strong.  The
catwalk began to creak and sway alarmingly before most of them  had
passed the halfway point.  It soon became a struggle to stay on their
feet, much less run.

    Sephiroth led the way, with Red right behind him.  They were
followed by Scarlet, who was surprisingly fast on her feet. 
Fortunately, Yuffie was even faster.  The teenager's speed was probably
one of the reasons Cloud had picked the ninja girl to keep on eye on the
former head of Shinra's Weapons Development division.  And despite its
silly appearance, Cait Sith's Mog bounced along like a rubber ball and
had no trouble keeping up.

    Behind Scarlet's group were Cid, Vincent, and the Turks who were
somewhat slower, but not by much.  Cid was probably having the worst
time of it, huffing and wheezing noticeably, but he still kept up the
pace.  

    "Yo, Cid, are we goin' to have to carry you?  Maybe we should get
Reeve to find you a stuffed Mog to ride on!" growled Barret.

    Cid managed to find the breath to gasp out, "Screw... you...
Barret...."

    Tifa panted, "Quit joking... and keep running!"

    They were within a hundred yards of the catwalk's end when the
entire building shuddered.  Everyone was forced to grab for the nearest
railing or support.

    Cait Sith shouted, "It's here!"

    "I never would've guessed, you stupid furball!" screeched Scarlet in
return.  
    
    "What!?  I thought we had at least two minutes left!"

    "That was just a rough estimate, Cid!  It must have picked up speed
at the last moment!"
    
    A few seconds later, the shockwave of a huge explosion knocked most
of them to the walkway's floor.  Only Cait Sith's squat Mog and the
four-footed Red XIII managed to stay on their feet as the entire room
shook wildly.  Clinging to the catwalk, Cloud and his friends grimly
rode out the next series of shocks and tremors which left most of them
battered and bruised.

    Yuffie staggered back to her feet and swiped at her bloody nose. 
"Whoa, what a ride...."

    As they slowly stood, Tifa looked backward and shouted, "LOOK!"

    They all spun to stare in horrified disbelief as the entire back end
of the factory room seemed to fold in on itself.  A second or two later,
they realized that the other end of the factory had not simply caved in,
but rather that nearly a third of the building -- including a huge chunk
of the underlying rock foundation -- had been neatly sheared off from
the cliff and was now sliding into the sea below.

    Through the newly formed opening, they caught a glimpse of the
culprit.  Silhouetted against the afternoon sky was the massive,
towering form of the Sapphire WEAPON, surrounded by hordes of smaller
creatures that swarmed all over it like so many biting flies.  The
WEAPON's huge tentacles flailed, effortlessly leveling an entire wing of
the facility with a single swipe.

    Cloud and the others quickly began to retreat when another rumble
got their attention -- this one coming from underneath them.  The tremor
did not subside, but continued growing in strength, like the approach of
a massive freight train.  Then, almost without warning, the ice-covered
floor of the manufacturing room buckled and heaved upward as a great
fountain of the purple-splotched Mako exploded upward less than two
hundred yards from where they were standing.  It was much too close for
comfort.  Everyone frantically dodged falling globs of glowing liquid as
dark, purplish blue tendrils reached upward through the shattered floor.

    More and more tendrils appeared, until the middle of the room looked
like a forest of alien purple trees....

    ....then a towering form slowly rose into view.

------------------------------------------------------
PART 7-19: THE CORE OF THE BEAST  
------------------------------------------------------

    The new monster kept rising as the contaminated Mako poured off its
alien flesh and joined the growing pool of liquid on the floor.

    The slim female form and pale blue skin made the entity instantly
recognizable to Cloud, but this particular incarnation was bigger than
any he had ever seen before... much, much bigger.  In addition to a set
of human-like arms, the creature had masses of dark purple tentacles
which sprang from its shoulders and fanned out behind its torso almost
like a great pair of wings.  Its legs -- if it had any -- were lost amid
the frilly mass of fleshy tissue that swirled around its lower body. 
And on the entity's head were arrayed several elaborate pairs of
sweeping, curling horns... or perhaps they were antennae.  There was no
way of knowing.

    However, no matter how large this particular form was, it was still
dwarfed by the mountain-sized Sapphire WEAPON.  The WEAPON's great
yellow eyes slowly focused at the strangely beautiful, yet unspeakably
alien creature that was its designated target.

    Jenova.

---------------------------

    As the others continued to back away until they had reached the
dubious safety of the hallway, Cloud continued to stare at this new
incarnation of their true enemy.  The Ultima Weapon was rock steady in
his hands, drawn from its sheath more by instinct than by deliberate
thought.

    Fear and loathing didn't even begin to describe what Cloud felt at
that moment.  It wasn't really fear for himself, but for the people he
cared about... and one in particular.  As for loathing, the only person
he might hate and despise more than Jenova was Hojo.  So much pain and
destruction could be traced directly back to their various plots and
schemes. 

    Jenova and Hojo both had a talent for finding people's weaknesses. 
Once those weak points were located, they burrowed inside minds and
souls like maggots, corrupting and devouring everything they came in
contact with.  One was an alien from space and the other had once been a
human being, but on the inside, they were very much the same, down to
the same dark aura of malice and madness that seemed to hover over each
of them.

    Cloud wanted nothing more than to tear this monstrous entity to
pieces for what it had done to him... to Sephiroth... to everyone.  But
he had enough sense to realize that he couldn't do it alone.  More
importantly, no matter how badly he wanted to destroy Jenova, he wasn't
about to recklessly endanger his friends.  They had risked their lives
to rescue him and he wasn't about to let them die for their loyalty. 

    His friends might be willing to risk death or even sacrifice
themselves if necessary, but Cloud was not about simply throw away his
friends' lives on some stupid, vengeful impulse.  And haphazardly
jumping into a battle between these 'improved' versions of Jenova or the
Sapphire WEAPON would be courting disaster.

---------------------------

    For a long moment, the alien monstrosity stood still, its back
toward Cloud and the others, its long tendrils rippling in an almost
hypnotic pattern... then it slowly pivoted, turning its torso and head
in their direction.  

    The pale blue face was startlingly beautiful, with fine elegant
bones and an eerie serenity.  Shadows obscured the upper portion of its
head and prevented any clear view of the creature's eyes.  However,
there was no doubt that it was aware of their presence... and that it
was aware of Cloud and Sephiroth in particular.

    Then Cloud did something that would have shaken him to the core had
he been the least bit aware of what he was doing.  Without conscious
thought and without taking his eyes off the towering alien, Cloud took a
step back and two steps to his left.  The instinctive movement put him
neatly between Sephiroth and Jenova.

    As Cloud held his blade ready and warily watched the towering form
of Jenova with an uncommon look of determination on his face, only three
people caught the significance of Cloud's actions.  

    Both Red XIII and Cait Sith were irresistibly reminded of a mother
wolf protecting its cub.  Of course the mere idea of someone trying to
protect Sephiroth, of all people, was ludicrous, but still....  Neither
of them could shake the mental imagery.  

    Red could clearly remember seeing that very same look of unshakable
resolve and determination on his mother's face when she had stepped
between a huge acid wyrm and her tiny cub.

    Tifa had also noticed Cloud's movements, but her feelings was very
different from the other two.  Anger, hatred, and another unnamed
emotion -- one she wasn't willing to identify -- seemed to form a
painful knot in her chest as she glared in Sephiroth's direction. 

---------------------------

    As for Sephiroth, the sheer enormity of Sapphire WEAPON's physical
presence was shocking enough, but the bizarre creature rising out of the
floor amid a steady geyser of tainted Mako left him badly shaken.  He
took a few deep breaths, then silently stepped up behind Cloud. 
Standing within inches of the other man, Sephiroth softly murmured, "Is
that...?"

    Without taking his eyes off the alien creature, Cloud answered in an
even and equally quiet voice.

    "Yes, Seph.  Jenova." 


------------------------------------------------------
[end of Part 7]

------------------------------------------------------

In part 8, 
    Find out whether Rocket Town becomes a seaside town as Jenova and
Sapphire WEAPON start tearing up the place....
    Cloud treads the razor's edge between love and hate in more ways
than one....   
    Sephiroth begins to discover the true cost of his past actions....
    A secretive foe continues to make its presence felt....

--------------------------------------------
madamhydra@aol.com         /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/:E

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