Sephiroth slowly opened his eye as a piercing light was shining on him. Raising his hand up to shield his eye he slowly opened them up. Snapping up as he saw where he was, he twisted his head back and forth at his surroundings. He was standing somewhere in space as he could see stars all around and planets orbiting the sun that shined brightly in the distance.
    "Where am I?" Sephiroth asked as he scratched his head as he floated silently along. "What is this place?" he added as he watched a comet fly past him spraying a shower of dust on him.
    "Your mind."
 Turning his head to the source of the voice, Sephiroth growled, "Kakena!"
    "In the spirit." she laughed as sat on top of one of the planets floating in space. Stretching her muscles, she chuckled, "You took your time coming here, I can tell you that."
    Instinctively reaching for his sword, Sephiroth gaped as he found it missing, "Where's my Masamune?"
    Rolling her eyes at Sephiroth's question, Kakena rested her chin on her hand as she said, "This is the core of your mind, we are drifting in the nexus of your thought."
    "So this is my mind," Sephiroth said as he scratch his chin, "wait a minute, then why are you here?" "You are suppose to be dead." he snapped as Kakena pretended she was hurt by his comment.
    "How dare you think so simple of Me." she laughed as, Sephiroth frowned in confusion. Leaping off her perch and floating up to him, Kakena mused, "You think by hurling me into the Lifestream you can stop me, the Messiah of Jenova?" Not waiting for his answer, she laughed, "Of course not, but I did project myself here for one reason."
    "What's that?" Sephiroth asked as he stared at her.
    "To kill you!" Kakena cried as energy blade materialized in her hand and she plunged it into Sephiroth's chest. "Die fool." she crackled as she plunged her blade deeper into him.
    Screaming Sephiroth suddenly turned white and vanished into nothingness. Only glimmering particles of white energy floated where he was. Dematerializing her energy blade, Kakena snatched one of the particles in her hand. Examining it for a moment, her face twisted into snarl as she squeezed her hand into a fist.
    "SEPHIROTH!" she cried as her voice echo through the Cosmo.
    "Will he be okay?" Cloud asked as he stared at the prone Sephiroth on the bed. After removing his coat, they manage to bandage most of his cuts before transporting him back to Nibelhiem.
    "I can't tell," Julia Strife said sadly as she placed a wet cloth on Sephiroth's forehead, "his wounds are really serious and he lost a lot of blood." "There is another thing," she added as turned to the other who were sitting in the chairs in the back, "I fear for."
    "What other thing?" Vincent asked his mother, frowning at the way it was said. "Is there something else we should know?" he questioned as he stood up form his seat.
    Looking toward her eldest son, Julia sighed, "His mind seems to be plunge into some mental combat and I'm not sure if Sephiroth is winning."
    "What do you mean mental combat?" Zack inquired scratching his head in confusion.
    "I read a lot of from the JENOVA project when I was young and use to work in the Mansion." Julia stated as she brush some loose hair out of her face. Leaning back in her seat she continued, "There I met the Vincent Valentine of the Turk, I was really infatuated with him, but he loved another, Lucrecia." "After Lucrecia death after giving birth to Sephiroth, Vincent stumbled upon a plan that Hojo had designed." she remarked as everyone listened closely. "He learned that Hojo had plan to use Sephiroth as a sort of Living experiment whose mind would connect with that of Jenova." Julia finished as she stared at the shock others.
    "So," Vincent commented as he scratched his chin, "it is possible for Jenova to attempt to take control of Sephiroth and is doing so now."
    "Wait a minute, if Jenova and Sephiroth could have that weird mind thing, how come it didn't happen earlier?" Cloud interrupted as he walked up to his brother.
    "It's really simple," Tifa said as she stepped in between the two brothers, "Sephiroth was too strong during that time, but now that he's weak, he is more easier prey."
    "This is hurting my head." Zack cried as he clutched his head and stomped off.
    "Either way, "Julia said as she turned to Sephiroth, "there is nothing we can do for him." "All we can do is wait and hope for the best to occur." she sighed as the others nodded in comply.
    Hojo paced back and forth in his laboratory as he awaited news from his team. I told them to contact me over a minute ago he grumbled as he checked his watch. How could he betray me like this, me his father and then he had to defeat my other creation Kakena? Sephiroth, you won't escape my grasp so easily he thought as he squeezed his hand into a fist. Smirking a little, he mused, at least Kakena is still alive in the Lifestream. A perfect fusion of human and Jenova cell to make the perfect being. Hojo thoughts were abruptly interrupted as a ring from his phone broke his concentration.
    "Well?" he asked as he picked up the phone with a scowl.
    "Watch who you are addressing." the voice on the other line growled back.
    "Oh, it's you." Hojo groaned as he slouch his shoulder a little. "The plan is going along according to plan, sir." Hojo replied as he took a seat in one of his chairs. "And the president doesn't suspect a thing." Hojo added with a smirk.
    "Good, when the New Order comes you will be greatly awarded for your service to Me." the voice promised as it chuckled slightly. "Soon the old fool will be no more." he chuckled to himself as Hojo just listened. "Don't fail me or else," the voice warned before hanging up, "I won't take the fall alone."
    "Stupid bureaucrat." Hojo cursed as he put his phone away.
    Am I dead? Sephiroth thought as he opened his eye finding himself in an empty void of nothingness. What happen to my wound? He inquired as he noticed the place where Kakena had struck him was unscathed. All this mind stuff is really complex. I wonder where Kakena is?
    "Sephiroth..."
    "Huh?" Sephiroth stuttered as he turned to a glowing ball of light before him. "Who or what are you?" he asked keeping his distance from the thing.
    "How I miss you my son." the thing sighed as it forced itself into the form of a black hair lady dressed in a lab coat. Her pale face reflected inner torment and sadness as she stared at Sephiroth before her.
    "Mom..." Sephiroth gasped as he looked at her.
    "I am your mother Lucrecia, please forgive me." Lucrecia said as she bowed her head to Sephiroth. "I couldn't stop Hojo's madness," she cried as tears grace down her cheek, "or what he has done."
    "I don't blame you for anything." Sephiroth said as he went up to her. "Mom, I never got a chance to see you ever." he replied sadly as he faced her.
    Wiping her tear away, Lucrecia shook her head sadly, "If only you knew." "If only you knew the truth of your father you wouldn't say that." she said sadly as she started to drift away. "At least I got a chance to save you just once for a time," she added as she started to fade away, "and see you."
    "Wait mom," Sephiroth cried as he reach out toward her, "there is so much that I want to know about you."
 As she faded away she smiled and said, "Sephiroth don't look back to the past, it is nothing but pain and misery, but you future is so bright just look ahead."
    "Mom!" he cried, as his hand met nothing as she faded away. Holding his hand outstretch as if to grasp her, he closed his eye and muttered, "I love you mother." A single tear glistened in his eye as he stared up into the void.
   "I will too always." Lucrecia voice echoed.
 Smiling as he wiped the tear from his eye, Sephiroth faced turn serious as he cried, "Kakena!" Glancing behind, he snapped, "I know you're there."
    "You've improved over the short time you've been here." Kakena commented as she materialized out the darkness. "But so have I." She smiled as her eyes glowed as the scenery shifted to that of a metal frame of a construction building.
    "Where we fight is no matter." Sephiroth said as he turned to face her. "This realm is my unconsciousness and I can manipulate thing to my will." he remarked as he flinched his hand causing a Masamune to materialize in his hand. "I won't let you win, I owe it to my mother not to." he cried as he took a sword stance.
    Closing her eyes as she spoke, "Once again you return to your puny human emotion." Opening her eye, she generated her energy blade and laughed, "We'll see how much you puny thoughts can survive against someone who is the flesh and blood of Jenova!"
    The two leaped at each other swords sparking as they pass and landed on opposite beams. Growling Kakena held out her free palm and released an orb of energy at Sephiroth. Raising his sword up, Sephiroth sliced through the orb causing it to explode. Charging out of the smoke, Sephiroth made several slashes at Kakena who barely parried them. Running back into a wall, Kakena teleported away as Sephiroth sword imbedded itself into the wall.
    Damnit, Sephiroth thought as he pulled out his sword looking back and forth. Where did she go? He wondered as he held his sword ready for anything. Hearing the sound of wind whistling, Sephiroth titled his face up as he gape as several I beams were coming straight down at him. Barely leaping back as they slam right through the wall, Sephiroth cursed his carelessness. Twisting around Sephiroth gasped as he took the full brunt of Kakena's punch sending him flying back.
    "It's over!" Kakena smirked as she towered over Sephiroth holding her energy blade up to finish him off. "In the end this is all you humans are made up of." she chuckled at Sephiroth. "Now die!" she cried as she stabbed her sword down at Sephiroth.
    Rolling out of the blade downward strike, Sephiroth snapped, "Not yet." "I got one last thing to try." he said as he held Masamune in two hands one on the hilt and another on the blade. "This is my final limit technique!" he cried as energy started to circle around him.
    "Pretty good, but it doesn't cut it!" Kakena growled as she gritted her teeth. Holding out her hand she cried, "Shadow Flare!" A huge ball of blackness slammed into Sephiroth consuming him in it, before it faded away it to nothing leaving Sephiroth unscathed. "Impossible." she muttered as she slowly stepped back.
    "Light-years!" Sephiroth cried as he raised his sword and slammed it into the ground. Waves of pure light energy burst form the tip of the blade straight toward Kakena. Huge flashes shoot out from the sword as everything became blinding before it turned back to normal. Little bits of energy shaped like cherry blossom slowly floated down as Sephiroth stared at Kakena.
    "How..." she whispered as she shattered into nothingness.
    Looking up at the cherry blossom like energy, Sephiroth said, "Mother I won." Letting out a small smile, Sephiroth eye rolled upward as he collapsed to the ground. His sword vanishing into nothingness in his hand as the cherry blossom slowly fell down around him.
    "You are strong." a huge monstrosity commented as it black hulking shape appeared out of the shadows slithering up to Sephiroth. Stroking Sephiroth's hair with its tentacles, Jenova laughed, "Now I know why Hojo had such high hope for you."
    A gunshot rang out as Jenova screamed in pain as its tentacle was shot off. Turning to the edge of the building overlooking the city below it, eyes furrowed as it saw its enemy.
    "Vincent..." Jenova hissed as it regrew the lost tentacles and as Vincent Valentine materialized before it standing over Sephiroth.
    "He is not yours anymore." Vincent replied as he stared calmly into Jenova as he held up a smoking pistol. "I will protect him anywhere and anyway possible as I promised." he said flatly as he aimed his gun toward Jenova head.
    "This isn't over Valentine." Jenova hissed as it vanished away.
 Kneeling down toward Sephiroth, Vincent said, "It was very brave of you to face Kakena like that." Staring up through the frames to the starry sky, he added, "Just try not to get kill in the process okay?"
    "Vincent..." Sephiroth stuttered as he opened his eye a little.
    "He's waking up!" Cloud cried as everyone was to the bed.
    "What happened?" Sephiroth asked groggily as he sat up on the bed holding his hand to his head. "Where am I?" he questioned as he looked around.
    "Where back at our home." Vincent said as Sephiroth slowly remembered. "So what happened to you?" he inquired as the other nodded too.
    Rubbing his head, Sephiroth said, "I was trapped in some weird surreal realm of my own consciousness and I had to do battle with Kakena in there." "Even got to meet my Mom in there to boot." Sephiroth added as he placed his feet on the floor.
    "So Julia was right." Tifa commented as Cloud merely shrugged.
    "Hey, where's is Julia?" Sephiroth asked as he noticed her face not in the crowd.
    "That's strange she was here a minute ago?" Vincent muttered as he scanned the room. "She must have left while we weren't paying attention." he remarked as Zack walked in side.
    "Well look who's up and adam." Zack joked as he walked up to Sephiroth. "I just passed by Julia a moment ago, she said she was going to the store for something and will be right back." he added as everyone sighed in relief at the news.
    "Well that solves that problem." Sephiroth sighed as he stood up momentarily lurching form the aching muscles. Stretching his arms a little as he picked up his coat nearby and put it on, he said, "I don't know about you guys, but after this mission I'm cutting my ties with Shinra." Staring up at the ceiling, he sighed, "As long as I remain in their grasp there is no telling what horror they might make me do."
    "I'm with you big guy." Zack cheered on as he struck a dramatic pose. "The evil of Shinra can not be allow to consume our souls," he said as stars filled in his eye and everyone slouched at the scene, "for righteousness is on our side."
    "I see this is the only choice in the future." Vincent remarked as he examined the edge of his sword. "Besides I never did like Hojo anyway, he is like a fruitcake." he added as Sephiroth stared at Cloud for an answer on his path.
    Shrugging his shoulders, Cloud responded, "Sure I'm always with you guys."
    "Then it's settled, but first we got to do something about Jenova, we can't let Shinra keep its hand on It." he stated as he paced across the room. "Who knows what else Hojo might concoct with its power and cells." he mumbled as the other nodded in agreement.
    Their conversation was interrupted as the door slammed open and a tall figure stepped into the room. The wind slowly fluttered by him as his robes danced lightly against it. His hair was dull gray and a huge beard covered his face as he stared at them all with his eyes. A huge necklace made out of hulking brown beads decorated his neck as red sash was draped against his chest. His muscle remained tense as he coldly examined them all.
    "Who are you?" Zack yelled as he pulled out his sword, until Tifa grabbed his arm and twisted it back.
    "Hold on it's Zangen." Tifa snapped as Zack looked at her confusingly while trying to ignore the pain. Sighing, as it seems everyone was obviously clueless, Tifa explained, "He's a traveling Martial Art Expert and he's been training me."
    "So that's why you are dislocating my arm?" Zack gasped as he started to turn red, realizing what she was doing Tifa immediately let go and stepped back. Rubbing his sore arm, Zack asked, "So Zangen what brings you here to make such a rude entrance?"
    "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I come with grim tidings." Zangen apologized as he bowed to them. "Julia Strife has just been discovered murdered." he said sadly as everyone gasped.
    "What?" Cloud gasped as he took a few steps back.
    "Can you take us to her?" Vincent stepping forward asked as Zangen nodded as everyone raced outside to the Mayer house.
    Watching this all from his perch on one of the ledges overlooking the town, a long black hair figure merely chuckled as he watch them run. He was the Turk one of the best there was in Shinra and he would never be anything else. Julia was such an easy prey to kill he mused as he looked down at the town sprawling below. Soon this entire village will fell the wrath of Vincent Valentine, the Turk thought as he clenched his golden claw into a fist