Two years later...

    Tifa quietly sneaked back into her room, after another night of training under her master Zangon. She knew her father would blow his hide if he found out what she was doing. Quietly shutting the window and sneaking across the hallway with expert stealth the sound of talking below drew her attention. She recognized the first voice, her father, the other she never heard of.
    "I tell you, another one of the villagers was assaulted by that mako monster." Samuel growled slamming his fist on the table as the suited individual he was talking to nod. "We've been having these problem ever since your stupid Reactors started to act up." he continued as the other figure frowned at the accusation.
    "Mr. Samuel, I understand your frustration, but we of Shinra are working as hard as we can to remedy the situation for you." the suited figure replied talking in a firm calm voice. "We'll be sending a group of some our best SOLDIER to clear out the area of your monster infection and take care of the Reactor." he stated as he fixed his glasses.
    "Yeah right," Samuel barked as he stared back at the guy, "you're going to send those SOLDIER in to keep us quiet about some foul-up you made." "Most of the town still remembers what you guys did over twenty three years ago and we are going to fall for your little trick as easily." he growled as the figure eyebrow was raised a little.
    "I believe you have no need for concern," the figure replied as he stood and put on his hat, "two of the SOLDIER we've assign here are form your own village." "Goodnight." he finished as he stepped outside the door.
    "Damn Shinra." Samuel muttered as Tifa seeing it all quickly sneaked off to her room.
    Lying on her bed she thought what of what the figure from Shinra had just said, two of the SOLDIER we've assign here are from your own village. Could it be Cloud she thought as she hugged her pillow and stared at the starry sky. Please be Cloud she wished as fell asleep.

    "At ease." Heidegger replied as Sephiroth stopped saluting. "Your mission now is an important one for Shinra." he continued taking a puff from his cigar. "The people of Nibelhiem have been reporting problems with the Reactor we set up a long time ago, also a monster has been ravaging their town to boot." he continued chewing the end of his cigar.
    "Ah sir," Sephiroth commented clearing his throat, "what would make it so special that a contingent of SOLDIER is required to investigate the situation?"
    "The monster is believe to be Mako based, a remnant of a past project we conducted there a long time ago." Heidegger remarked as he snuffed his cigar in a tray. "The people there are slightly suspicious of Shinra since that project, I'm afraid." he muttered as he pulled out a folder. "This folder contains data about the incident that caused the distrust, read it so you'll be ready in case they hurl anything at you." he finished as he turned his chair around as Sephiroth took the folder and left.

    Hojo sat silently in his laboratory as he studied the recent mission to Nibelhiem, chuckling he muttered, "Soon Sephiroth will embrace Jenova." Typing through the archive of information Hojo noticed a blinking file name in the directory. Someone accessed that file? he thought as he looked at the file. Eye widening as he saw the report on the file he quickly searched for the last person to access it. Getting the name, Hojo quickly got up and marched out of the lab.
    "Why did you access that file?" Hojo barked toward Heidegger who looked indifferent to the scientist. "Answer me you Neanderthal reject." he continued to growl.
    Knowing the scientist was going to leave till he got his answer, Heidegger replied, "I gave them to Sephiroth for his mission, he needed it as background information."
    "You gave them to Sephiroth!" Hojo cried lifting the man surprisingly up by the collar. Dropping him back down, Hojo let out a curse as he stormed out of the office. The project is in danger he thought as he stormed through the hallway.

    "I don't feel good." Cloud moaned as he look a bit unsettled in the cramp back section of the Shinra Truck as they made their way to Nibelhiem.
    "Come on Cloud," Zack muttered as he leaned against the side of the truck nearby, "you can't become a head SOLDIER if you keep getting motion sickness." "Is he always like this?" Zack asked as he turned to Vincent he sat opposite of him in some boxes next to Sephiroth. Getting no answer, he inquired, "What are you reading Sephiroth?"
    "Just a little report about Shinra's previous involvement in Nibelhiem." Sephiroth answered as he sorts through the sheets and pictures.
    "So what's our mission?" Vincent asked as he stared as the three other soldiers who were also with them. "We've haven't been brief about what are we doing or what we are up against." he added as he stared down at Sephiroth.
    Closing the folder, Sephiroth said, "Well if it would shut you all up a bit." Clearing his throat, he stated, "As you know we are heading to Nibelhiem, we are to repair the damaged Reactor there and to eliminate a monster." Folding his arms, he added, "Remember this thing has already assaulted several villagers to date and is extremely dangerous."
    "Ah sir?" the soldier who was driving asked.
    "Yes Biggs, what is it?" Sephiroth asked impatiently at the driver.
    "Does this thing happen to portray mako eyes, by any chance?" he stuttered as he looked through the front window at the raining outside.
    "Yes, it's a mako monster, why?" Sephiroth questioned.
    "Because I think it's outside!" Biggs cried as a huge black thing blurred by the front window. As the thing pass, an inhuman screamed could be heard outside chilling their blood still.

    "Let's go." Sephiroth ordered as he scooped up his Masamune and stepped out side into the rain. "Turn on the scope lights." he yelled to the soldiers, who quickly obliged. "Where is that thing?" he asked as he squint his eyes in the rain as it poured down upon them.
    "If it wasn't raining so hard and dark, we could find it easily." Cloud said as he cautiously held his sword out.
    A low growl quickly caught everyone attention, as mako eyes quietly glowed upon the roof of the van. Quickly placing the scope lights at it, the team got a good look at the thing they were hunting. The creature was three times the size of the van as it scaled covered hide rested on the roof. Huge bat like wings sprouted from the back of its shoulder with a long needle mane trailed down from its head to it's back. A huge snout with a horn sticking out and tooth filled maw made up it's face as flames like it's chomp. Standing up on all four the creature let out a terrifying howl before it leaped off the truck to the ground.
    With a flick of it's tail, it slammed Cloud and the soldiers into the side of the van with loud thud. Cursing Zack leaped at the thing, but the creature claws quickly swatted him out of the air. Turning to face, it's remaining two opponent the creature opened it's huge maw and a huge funnel of flame engulf Sephiroth as Vincent leaped out of the way. The creature's eyes widen as it saw Sephiroth stepping out of the flames totally unfazed by the attack. A sting of pain was the last the creature felt before its head came rolling off, as Vincent sheathed Apocalypse back.
    "What was that thing?" Cloud moaned as he got up from his hit, clutching his side in pain. "I've never seen that in the bestiary in Shinra." he groaned as he leaned against the van.
    "It was a Mako Beast." Vincent stated as he scanned the surrounding with his glowing red eyes, different from the common Mako eyes of other SOLDIER.
    "If you would like to know more, wait till we reach the Reactor." Sephiroth added as he stepped into the van. Looking at Zack, Cloud shook his head and climb in as they drove off to Nibelhiem the rain slowly stopping. However as the sun slowly shined down on the field, a soft glow started to form in the beast's eyes.

    The rest of the trip was uneventful as Sephiroth immersed himself into the contents of the folder. Vincent and Zack exchanged cold stares as Cloud examined the materia he had carefully. They quickly reached Nibelhiem by mid afternoon. The team quickly got off as they waved goodbye to Biggs as he drove back to base. Vincent and Cloud took a deep breath as they stared as the archway toward their town.
    "Well how does it feel to be back in your own hometown?" Sephiroth asked as he walked through the archway staring at the town. Looking back as Vincent and Cloud just shrugged, he sighed, "Is there an old mansion in here?"
     "Yeah," Vincent replied as he walked forward, "it's near the back, it's an old mansion that use to belong to Shinra a long time ago."
    "So then it's true." Sephiroth murmured as he strolled toward the town center looking at the well there. "Is this it, my place of origin?" he mused as his companion eyes widen at his statement. "Catch." he said as he tossed Vincent the folder he was reading. "Contained in that report is the final days of the Jenova Project." he stated as leaned back against the side of the well. "In it a Turk by the name of Vincent Valentine was killed trying to steal the child of the late scientist named Lucrecia who died a week before." he continued his eyebrow frowning. "However he was stopped and killed by a team of soldiers lead by Hojo and the kid was retrieve." he stated as he grit his teeth "The name of that kid was Sephiroth." he finished as his companions gasped.
    "So that means your mother wasn't really Jenova." Vincent murmured as he scratched his chin.
    "Man, Vincent Valentine and Vincent Strife. What a strange coincident." Cloud remarked as Vincent whacked him in the back of the head.
    "Well everything suddenly comes together somehow." Zack chuckled as he looked at Sephiroth.
    "So my past is no longer a mystery." Sephiroth breathed, as it seemed a burden has been lifted from him. "But why did Hojo lied to me and why did he went through so much trouble to retrieve me." he questioned as the other could give no reason to help. "The secret lies in the Reactor." he stated as he looked toward the mountain range in the distance.
    "The heart of the Jenova Project." Vincent muttered as he stared at the picture of the Nibelhiem Reactor in the folder.