After a while of hearing Sephiroth speak about JENOVA, I began feeling nauseous. So JENOVA’s here, too…and we have to rid Spira of her alien ass as well as Sin. My head hurt.
After the Shoopuf docked, I dispersed my ZERO and Kuja floated down onto the ground. Sephiroth still had a slight headache, "But nothing I can handle" he told us. Yeah, right, and I’m straight.
Tidus, not wanting to wait for the crowd to subside around Yuna, began heading into the woods without them. Cait and Cid decided to follow.
"Stop following me…" Tidus muttered to the 32-year-old pilot and robotic cat.
"Jeez… what’s your problem? I just wanted to ask if you wanted your fortune read," Cait Sith squeaked, patting his Mog on the head.
"No, I—hey… what’s that?" he wondered as he walked over to a person who looked like they washed up on the shore not too long ago. "Hey, are you okay?"
The figure started to move as Steiner, Garnet and Zidane joined.
"Rikku!" Tidus exclaimed upon seeing the face of his old friend. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"You beat me up, you big meanie!" Rikku retorted as she stripped from the top layer of clothing she wore: a wet suit.
"That… thing was you?"
As Rikku and Tidus talked, another young teenager lurked in the shadows. Jumping from treetop to treetop, she observed the people from above. Let’s see… ah, Cid… Cloud… Cait… and… S-Sephiroth!!! What’s he doing here?!! Reno and Rufus too?!!
She yelped as she slipped and fell ten feet to the ground.
Sephiroth looked over to where a sound emitted.
"Did… anyone else hear a woman’s yelp?" he queried. Reno nodded and headed over deeper into the forest while Auron was analyzing Rikku.
"Bummer…" the young teen groaned, keeping still as to not further injuring herself.
"Well, well… if it isn’t what’s-her-name…"
Reno smirked as he tossed the young teen in front of Cloud, Cid and Cait.
"Is this brat anyone’s?" he quipped.
"Yuffie?" Cloud questioned. "What are you doing here?"
"Lying here… what do you think?" Yuffie Kisaragi groaned, glaring at Reno.
"I found her in that same position… you don’t think she was up to something do you?"
"I don’t even know where I am…" she grumbled. "HEY!" Yuffie exclaimed while shooting up. "Anybody got any Materia?"
The people who weren’t of the Planet Yuffie, Cid, Cloud and the others resided on, looked at her questionably.
"What’s… Materia?" Garnet wondered. Reno slapped his forehead.
"We should get going if we want to go HOME!" Reno growled. "No time for questions now…"
"Yes…" Yuna agreed. "Time for us to go now."
Auron looked up. Sephiroth, who was leaning on the red-clad warrior for support, glanced at him.
"What’s wrong?"
Auron said nothing, but held Sephiroth tightly and began walking.
Whatever Auron felt, Reno could sense it too.
"Wait…" Reno said, putting a hand up (as he was in front, the others stopped).
"What gives, eh?" Wakka piped up. He was answered by a gunshot and a yelp.
What loyalty he shows for the president… he thought, watching as Reno slumped to the ground, clutching the gunshot wound. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he has it in for himself… no… not a Turk… he takes too much pride in his job… He swooped closer to the crowd to hear their whispers of concern.
"Ohmygod, is he dead?" Rikku asked, stunned. Amarant shook his head.
"It would be the second time this week he was declared dead."
Yuna rushed over to Reno’s side.
"… See that? Damn… Vampire shot me…"
How could he see me? He wondered. How in Holy’s name did he see me through the trees…?
"Don’t speak… I’ll heal you…" Yuna whispered as she used her White Magic. Cid looked at Cloud.
"You don’t suppose…"
Yuffie looked at Cid.
"Vincent is here… he was with me when we got here… and then he… took off," she replied. Cid smiled and looked up. Auron, on the other hand, was impassive.
"I didn’t expect him to try to assassinate Rufus…" Auron muttered. Sephiroth looked at the red-clad warrior.
"Rufus has many friends… and enemies, Sir Auron."
"As always, you are correct… here… sit down, I have a feeling we’ll be here a while," he replied. Sephiroth obeyed, his back to a tree.
Another brush with death… I’m just a magnet for these things, I guess.
It was nearly nightfall when we began walking to Guadosalam again, with Vincent in our party. It took a while for us to coax him to join, since Rufus and Sephiroth were part of the party, he denied many times until Lulu and he had a chat. I don’t know what is was about, but he agreed to "follow us around" as I like to call it.
Vivi was extremely tired, so I offered to give him a ride, carrying him the rest of the way.
We finally made it to Guadosalam and, since not a lot of the others were tired, they decided to check out Seymour’s pad. The only one’s that were actually exhausted from the trip from Moonflow to Guadosalam were myself, Vivi and Sephiroth (Auron wasn’t but he wanted to stay with Seph). The others were either "too excited" or something like that, so I asked Rufus to come for the three of us when we were to go to another place.
Luckily for Sephiroth, Vivi and myself, the Inn was right in front. The three of us, Auron included, headed inside and got our room. I immediately set Vivi down on the bed and flopped on the couch, closing my eyes and entering a world of bliss.
"You should be with Yuna now, Sir Auron…" Sephiroth noted, barely above a whisper as to not wake the sleeping Mages. The man shook his head.
"I would only be in the way there… besides, I’m worried about you."
"You shouldn’t be. I can take care of myself, thank you very much."
"Ever since you told them about JENOVA, you’ve been quiet."
Sephiroth thought for a moment. "It wasn’t my place to speak… I just…" he looked away, flustered.
"Sephiroth… I warned Jecht that she might try to take over yours and Cloud’s wills… do you know what he said to me?"
"¿Ne… que?"
"He told me that you two can "tough it out"…"
Sephiroth laughed softly, wincing when his right shoulder throbbed. "… I should get some sleep…" he replied softly, heading to another bed.
" Sonno teso…" Auron said. Sephiroth looked at him.
"Sleep tight… You… know our language?"
Auron nodded and replied, "in order to be a Guardian force, you need to know the language of everyone." He smiled underneath the high collar of his outfit. "Now, sleep tight. I’ll be back for the three of you when we head out again."
Sephiroth nodded and Auron walked out.
He’s a sweet man.
Sephiroth blinked.
Get out of my head, woman… I’m not yours anymore.
Don’t you wish he were yours?
I don’t want a relationship… I’m quite content the way I am.
I can arrange it for you to have him…
I already told you… I don’t have feelings for him… leave me alone.
You want him, boy…
Sephiroth grunted and threw a pillow over his head, trying to drown out the hissing voice of JENOVA.
Estuans iterius, ira vehementi…
Stop it…
Sors imanis, et innanis…
Leave me alone!
NE ME MORI FACIAS! You said that, didn’t you?!
Sephiroth screamed.
The Al Bhed named Rin, who ran the shop and inn, heard the silver Demigod’s scream, and immediately went to the room.
"Is everything all right?"
Sephiroth nodded, impassive. Rin nodded and left the room, leaving the angel awake.
About the same time as JENOVA’s conversation with Sephiroth, Seymour had proposed to Yuna. Cloud looked awkwardly at the Guado as Yuna drank a glass of water. The guardians gathered around as Yuna told them what Seymour had said. Cloud stood blankly.
Estuans Iterius, ira vehementi…
Cloud blinked. While the voice in his head recited Burning inside with violent anger, he was glancing at the Guado. Was the voice telling him something?
Cloud Strife… you are mine…
He blinked again. Sephiroth? No… JENOVA…
You allowed yourself this much time… there are more like the Ancient…
I like them… they’re nice… and she has a name!
You thought Sephiroth was nice; too… he was your world when you were a child up to the age of sixteen. And look what happened to him…
What are you doing? Cloud brought his hands up to his head, trying to deafen JENOVA’s hissing. To no avail. Zidane and Garnet looked at the puppet, as well as Cid, Yuffie, Vincent and Cait.
You are my puppet… I hold your strings, my marionette…
You don’t own me… I… I am Cloud Strife…I was born in Nibelheim… I joined SOLDIER to…
Wake up!
Cloud passed out.
Reno stirred slightly, hearing the sound of quiet sobs. He looked over as he saw Sephiroth; face buried in his hands, shaking. He decided to be brave and crossed over to the silver Demigod.
"Are you… okay?"
Sephiroth shook his head.
"Do you… need a hug?"
Again, Sephiroth shook his head.
"You probably would if Auron was around," Reno muttered, not in his usual voice, but in a double voice; one sounded normal, the other, high-pitched. Sephiroth rammed Reno off the bed.
"OW!! Shit… what was that for?" Reno whined. Sephiroth wiped his eyes and was about to speak when Auron entered.
"We’re heading to the Farplane."
The Farplane… my mother said something about that earlier… didn’t she?
Heading up the stairs got creepier with every step, and I could hear Yuffie whining about turning back. What a coward.
We stopped at the top of the stairs, just before entering. Sephiroth decided to head in first; he said he needed to see the faces of those he killed, while Auron stayed out.
"It’s not my place…"
Yeah right… ten to one… you’re a lost soul like myself.
Cloud went in to see Aeris; and I wasn’t surprised to hear that. I also wasn’t surprised to hear that Rikku and Yuffie didn’t want to go in. But the others…
"I’m staying back with Sir Auron," Vincent replied casually. "I’m already haunted by the nightmares…"
"It could fry my circuits…" Cait responded. Reno shook his head.
"You’re both cowards… Vincent, I’m surprised… an ex-Turk like yourself…" he grumbled as he entered the Farplane.
Vincent blinked.
"Frankly, I don’t care what he thinks."
"Sephiroth, I have to speak with you…" Cloud uttered as he sidled next to the black-clad silver. Sephiroth looked away from the figure of his true mother to face the puppet.
"What is it?" he asked, exasperatedly.
"It’s about JENOV—"
"I don’t want to talk about it!" he hissed. The puppet blinked and looked at the figure in front of them.
"Lucrecia…"
Sephiroth looked down.
"This must be the reason Vincent didn’t want to come here… because of Lucrecia…" Cloud pondered.
"… I… was supposed to be his son, I heard… he loved my mother, didn’t he?" Sephiroth whispered. Cloud nodded.
"We’re both just very confused and scared shitless right now," he said, trying to make the Demigod feel better. Sephiroth said nothing.
"My… real mother…" Garnet looked up as she saw the face of not Queen Brahne, but her actual mother, the Summoner.
"She’s pretty," Zidane chimed. Garnet nodded and held her hand to her chest.
"I look… just like her," she said softly. Zidane nodded reassuringly.
"Let’s see who else these people have conjured up," he whispered. Garnet nodded, smiling slightly, and walked away with Zidane.
Rufus J. Shinra found himself face-to-face with a tall, strawberry-blonde woman with piercing blue eyes.
"It seems like everyone’s finding their mother…" Reno said, not looking at the woman, but at a girl about 19.
"Including you?"
Reno shook his head.
"This is my sister you never got to meet… … it’s a shame she died so young… she was a real angel…"
Rufus looked at her.
"My… older sister, Nera—she…" Reno scoffed. "She was stupid enough to follow me to a gang fight." He growled and turned away from the figure. She disappeared as soon as Reno stopped thinking about her. "It was a stupid mistake that cost her… her life," Reno continued softly, voice cracking. He cleared his throat and finished strongly, "I’ll be out there with the others…"
Rufus watched as the Turk walked away. He then turned to the figure in front of him.
"Mother… do you see what I have to put up with?"
"So," Vincent started as Reno stepped out, "Couldn’t take it in there?"
"Blow me," Reno shot back then sat down as far away from the Farplane as he could.
It wasn’t long after I exited that the others did as well. A few of the Guado had come up the stairs. I was still a little off after seeing my sister ten years after her death, but not as off as when the Guado realized that another had come out of the Farplane.
Yuna had to send him, but not before a little hesitation.
We went back to Guadosalam, back to the inn. I couldn’t stand staying in one place with a couple of the people in our party, so I went outside and walked around. For some odd reason, Kimahri decided to follow me.
"Listen, Fido, I’m in no mood for this, okay?"
"Kimahri not say anything."
Reno looked at the Ronso and sneered.
"Your problem is you think you no go back home. Kimahri say have faith," he stated softly, his tail flicking.
"I KNOW I’ll be able to go back home, furwad. I don’t give a shit what you think."
Kimahri blinked, his amazingly golden eyes narrowing.
"Kimahri no care if Reno give shit what Kimahri thinks."
"Just leave me alone, got it?"
"Kimahri think Reno need to talk to someone… about problems…"
Reno’s hands balled into fists.
"I don’t have problems… unless it involves people who try to butt into my life," he growled, teeth clenched.
"Kimahri think Reno have emotional issues—"
Reno punched the Ronso. Kimahri looked at his attacker, overwhelmed. He got up and brushed himself off.
"You’re mocking me now?!" Reno shrieked as he brought out his nightstick and upped the voltage to its maximum. The Electro Mag rod hummed softly in the Turk’s trembling hand.
"Kimahri no think it good time to fight… but if Kimahri must defend self, so be it," the small Ronso replied, bringing out his Knight’s Lance.
Time stood still as the two warriors glared at each other and, for Reno, the rage inside wanting to scream out "KILL HIM!"… For Kimahri, the only reason to fight Reno would be to defend himself and nothing more.
Reno took a step forward, feigning an attack with his nightstick and cast Demi at the Ronso, who only sidestepped and countered with a blow to Reno’s side. He blocked it barely with his nightstick and kicked Kimahri in the side. I’ll fight dirty… it’s the only way… Reno thought as he followed up his kick with an open-palm to the Ronso’s chin. Kimahri stumbled back, stunned by the blow to his chin when Reno electrocuted the Ronso with not 50,000, but 100,000 volts of pure electricity. Kimahri caught himself yowling in pain and fell back.
Reno jumped back; giving Kimahri plenty of time to attack while the Turk mustered enough mana to perform his mother’s attack, Diamond Dust.
Kimahri, in fact, did get up, and he eyed the Turk warily. Jumping up, the Ronso revolved his lance to pierce Reno’s shoulder and flew back down.
The lance met its mark as Reno cried out, ripping the spear-end out of his shoulder. He then proceeded to tackle the Ronso, repeatedly punching and growling obscenities in his native language. He lost the strength to, after a while, and Kimahri was halfway unconscious anyways. The Turk slumped off the Ronso and held his shoulder tightly, stumbling up and away from the battle scene.
No one knew what happened.