Disclaimer: Final Fantasy does not belong to me. (If it did, I would add this option for the game: 'Japanese Audio and English Subtitles')

The Final Reactor - Sacrifice

Sephiroth had never felt calmer. He had never experienced such a state of utter, cold determination. Welcoming the glacial sensation, he looked up at the others slowly. He could already feel Jenova tingle inside, but was not planning to let her control him at all, and never again. As things were, he was perfectly capable of sending certain things and persons into oblivion on his own. His mouth tilted in a bitter, lopsided smirk, much to the horror of those who watched. In a blur, he noticed that everyone held weapons and materias and were ready to defend themselves for whatever they thought he would do. No one made a move to attack him.

How utterly pathetic.

They looked so disturbingly incompetent; unable to do anything right. Countless flaws could be seen everywhere in their stances and the ways they held their weapons. Yet, that was not the worst. Were they not aware that he could sit still while at the same attacking? Sephiroth did not need to move close to them at all. Did they not even realize that much?

As if to demonstrate, he let all his energy flow from him, all the power that had lingered inside him since the beginning of the journey. Creating a forceful river that coursed from him, Sephiroth let them feel the pressure as his energy pulsed in heavy waves from where he sat. His leather coat rustled and billowed and his silver hair danced in the wind. Still holding the lifeless Mika, whose body had yet to disappear to the Lifestream, he saw her long, dark hair billow in the corner of an eye. Rufus' gun, still on the floor, started sliding away as a result of his powerful energy.

He had never felt this powerful.

Remaining still in front of him, the people only watched. Were they still waiting for him to attack? His frown deepened as he moved his hand into the air, still holding the Black Materia. As realization hit them, the others stared in shock. Unable to do anything at all, they watched as Sephiroth concentrated an unbelievable amount of his surging energy into the small, dark ball in his right hand. Though shining, it remained dark, only slightly tinted with a shadowy purple color. Its shadows and its glow were only conquered by that of Sephiroth's eyes, dark and burning as his rippling gaze stared them down.

Without speaking out aloud, his lips formed the word 'Meteor', as though the word were a taboo. The incredible force that suddenly burst from him could only be described as immense. His vigorous energy ravished everything it touched, leaving nothing untouched. Offering a glance in the direction of the Turks, they were frightened, to say the least. Elena looked terrified, Reno looked paler than usual by far, and Rude's frown had never been deeper. As for Tseng and Rufus, they both stared back at him with attention that was beyond satisfactory to him. They paid no attention whatsoever to the newly arrived Avalanche team, nor to the Shinra guards in the background. Speaking of the guards; the weakest of them had already fainted from his energy.

Then the Black Materia shattered.

It broke into thousands of tiny pieces that could not be described as anything else than dust. The black, powder-like fragments were scattered in the blink of an eye, carried away by Sephiroth's flowing energy. He looked at it unbelievingly, unable to fathom it. How could such a powerful materia, created by the Cetra, compressed and handled by such powerful beings, just shatter? He was not the only one taken aback; the others glanced everywhere, and some shut their eyes as the black dust passed them.

Outraged, Sephiroth moved his hand to find all the materias he could hold in one hand at once. Between his fingers were four materias: one blue All materia, an Ice materia, a Lightning materia and one Fire materia. All were, of course, mastered. Nothing less was to be expected. The elemental materias all glowed green upon being filled with Sephiroth's growing energy. It had yet to start decreasing even a little, and he was not planning to let it.

The humans in front of him were only blurs, patches that needed to be cleaned off the surface of the Planet as soon as possible. His only intention was to erase them and he did not intend to hesitate. In the wake of the loss of the Black Materia, he pointed his arm in their direction and muttered spells too silent for them to hear. Spell by spell started working, and red, yellow and white lights erupted from the materias and flashed as the magic started working. Using the All materia at the same time, the spells would surely hit more than just one or two of them. His Ice spells were icicles resembling sharp glass, only sharper and colder by far. The Lightning spells danced to their targets, moving in a manner that made it impossible to predict where they would strike. Flames, coming from his Fire materia, flared above them and created a warmth that only lasted for seconds, then the blazing spells crashed down to drown whoever its flames wanted to shroud.

Cloud blocked, to Sephiroth's great annoyance, all of the spells. Despite that, the blonde did not attack. Even though his blue Mako eyes flashed in rage upon seeing Tifa and Barret take heavy damage, he remained still, clutching his giant sword. The ninja girl hissed upon being hit by an Ice spell that without a doubt left her freezing cold and heavily injured. The others were hit as well, with the exception of Rufus Shinra, who was shielded by the Turks. The guards in the background were the first to fall, some unconscious, others heavily wounded. To his chagrin and irritation, some of them had Restore materia. And they did not hesitate to use them.

Seeing this, Sephiroth used several of the spells consecutively, not breathing even a little between his words. Without a break, the spells kept coming. The grand waves of Fire and Ice, followed by flashes of Lightning in all directions, grew stronger as the spells mixed and intertwined on the way to their targets. Cloud cast a magic barrier around his team and shortly thereafter, he was followed by Tseng, whose spell worked almost as well as Cloud's.

Why did they not attack? Were they afraid?

Though he was certain that Cloud could see his immense will to destroy only by glancing at him, the man only stared back with a frown on his face. In one hand, he held his sword. In the other, however, he had switched his Barrier materia for an item that looked much too familiar. Sephiroth's overwhelming energy only ceased for a split second as he recognized the small object. It was a Phoenix Down, which could easily bring unconscious teammates back to consciousness. If he'd had one of those earlier, would Mika have survived?

As that stray thought wandered through his growing pile of thoughts, his energy once again peaked and his frown deepened. From behind Cloud, Vincent Valentine strode towards him. He walked past Cloud and continued until he was halfway to Sephiroth. His intention was obviously to gain Sephiroth's attention. But the man could not get any closer. The energy tore at his cloak and hair and made them billow around him, and he had to narrow his eyes as if to concentrate on not to fall back. The pressure caused by Sephiroth's energy was too strong for him to get any closer.

"Stop," Vincent said. Sephiroth could not hear him, because his voice was muffled by the mere force pulsing through the air, but he could read Vincent's lips when he spoke. Sephiroth moved his hand up to point at the man, still holding his materias. In the background, his teammates froze, ready to help their friend if he needed them to. Vincent remained still, but did not look fearless.

"I told them... about you," the man mouthed, his voice still stifled by the flowing energy, and his eyebrows knitted. It seemed as though it would never end. Vincent Valentine possessed a use of words that could be described as mastered, indeed, but if that man believed he could stop Sephiroth with mere words, he was gravely mistaken. Sephiroth used a Lighting spell and let it strike the man, who barely flinched. He obviously held materias or equipment that shielded him against elemental magic. Sephiroth's frown deepened as he switched his materias in the blink of an eye. He kept the All materia, but exchanged his elemental materias with his very much beloved and mastered Ultima materia.

Finally seeing the risk he was taking, Vincent's eyes narrowed and he moved back only a little. Sephiroth was beyond all reason; no one could stop him. If they thought he had changed, they were right. But he had not turned good. On the contrary. In the very beginning, he was normal, if only to a certain degree. Then he found out about Jenova and turned into a person desiring power, knowledge and destruction. Then, after meeting Mika, he had more or less reverted back to the person he had been before. But now, he was going through a rapid change back into what Jenova had turned him into so long ago. He was much stronger than he had ever been before, and his soul darkened more every time he offered Mika a thought. She would never return.

What if he had been there earlier? By only a minute? Some seconds? His face contorted in rage directed at his own mistake, unable to accept that he was partly to blame. Sensing his increased fury, Vincent moved a hand to find something hidden by his tattered crimson cape. Expecting a weapon, most likely a gun, Sephiroth readied himself to use the Ultima materia. He concentrated as much of his rippling energy as possible, certain it would kill the man before him. Vincent moved his hand to show Sephiroth that which he held. It was a red materia, a mastered summon materia.

And as its patterns told Sephiroth what summon it was, his ravaging energy stopped flowing altogether.

He watched it with unbelieving eyes as realization dawned on him. That was a mastered materia, holding the ability to summon Phoenix, the fire bird capable of bringing back fallen comrades no matter how wounded they were. As his energy stopped completely, he could hear his own heart pounding. Though he did not at all feel tired, he felt a need to heave for air. In a state of temporary shock, he found himself unable to tell whether or not his condition was bad; if he was truly tired, or as healthy as ever. He knew all too well that if he failed in bringing her back, that would be the second time he failed miserably in one day. He only gazed at the red, glowing object with dark eyes, his indecisiveness plaguing him.

Then, in the corner of an eye, he spotted something start to flash slightly. He turned to Mika. She was leaving, about to be taken back into the Lifestream, in which hundreds of those he had once killed awaited her. Small pyreflies – firefly-like lights of Lifestream – levitated around her, about to leave. In less than a blink of an eye he let go of his own materias and his arm snapped up to grab the Phoenix materia, and he once again let his energy course out of him. This time, however, he did not let it flow freely. He let it all into the summon materia, careful not to break it in the process. Vincent stepped back as Sephiroth summoned the great bird, not wanting to get in the way of the dangerous man.

In the air above the open reactor, a tiny ball of fire formed. It seemed small, but they could all tell that it was just compressed, and its warmth pulsed through the air like Sephiroth's energy had done only moments before. It shrunk until it was but a scorching spot in mid-air, its flames far warmer than that of any other fire. It exploded in a flash, leaving flames everywhere. Though undoubtedly warm, none of the people hit were damaged by the flames that shrouded them. The strong light ceased and burning feathers fell to the metal floor. A fire started spreading, disturbingly fast, allowing no escape. Out of the yellow and red tongues of fire, a flaring bird emerged and flew up into the air. It came to a halt and spread its wings, a wave of sparks looming around it. And as the Phoenix let out an ear-bursting cry, it seemed as if the empty space around it shattered into countless blazing pieces and fell down, leaving star-like rain to fall upon those who beheld the sight.

Most of the seemingly frozen, yet warm flame shards fell onto Sephiroth and Mika, as he was the one who had summoned it. Then the bird faded and disappeared into thin air, leaving everyone behind in utter silence. Sephiroth let go of the summon materia, which dropped to the floor and rolled away, then watched Mika, hoping to see life return to her. He only hoped it wasn't too late. If it was, he would...

...kill.

And upon hearing her give a weak cough, he found himself overwhelmed by a sensation that he had never before experienced. The relief he felt was so stunning he felt as though his insides had been unexpectedly soaked in icy water, quite impolitely cleansing him without asking. As he saw her eyes move a little, then barely open, he found himself incapable of doing anything at all. He only stared, his head lowered in a way that surely made it look like he was kneeling over her. With one arm supporting her back and the other resting at her leg, he watched her look at him in tired wonder, her eyes dull, yet very much alive.

"...What the..." she said in a barely audible whisper, sounding so fragile he was not sure how to react, and she frowned weakly as color returned to her face. Slowly, she looked around. The damage done to the reactor was quite visible. As were the ashes left behind by the Phoenix summon. Avalanche, the Turks and Rufus Shinra were still there. The guards in the background slowly got to their feet after being healed by the Phoenix and their fellow soldiers. Mika looked into his eyes again, suddenly displeased.

"I... I've been a horrible nuisance these last minutes, haven't I?" she whispered, her voice breaking, and he narrowed his eyes. At loss of words, his jade orbs glanced from one of her eyes to the other while trying to find a suitable reply. Frowning to regain his long lost concentration, he tilted his head back a little to look down on her.

"...That was quite an evil thing to do, indeed," he said silently, his voice not as dark as it used to be, yet still controlled. He was rewarded as Mika frowned and pursed her lips at his answer. That, however, only made him smirk. Not one of his usual wry smirks, but a smirk including both corners of his mouth. Being Sephiroth, he was not willing to call it a smile, but it was close enough. And it was still lopsided.

His attention snapped back to the others as he saw movement. The Turks approached him, but were stopped by Avalanche. Cid was there as well, having left his airship somewhere nearby. Cloud and Vincent remained still, watching Sephiroth. Out of instinct, his grip around Mika tightened and he moved his other arm in front of her as if to shield the two of them. Cloud was still frowning. Vincent's face was partially hidden by the collar of his maroon cloak while he exchanged some words with Cloud. What did he say earlier? Something about having told Avalanche about him. If Vincent had spoken with them about Sephiroth changing, it must have taken all the skills the man could muster. Had he managed to convince them?

"What're you doing! That's Sephiroth! He needs to be taken out! What are you waiting for?" Elena shouted, glancing past the Avalanche members at Sephiroth. Adapting to the situation, Sephiroth quickly collected his materia that he had dropped earlier and put them into a pocket. Then he seized Masamune. He moved the hand holding his sword under Mika's knees and tightened his other hand around her. He rose to his feet, and she moved her hands to hold onto whatever she could find. The belts at his chest rustled as she seized them.

Once he was standing upright, the others once again quieted down.

"...Though not forever... farewell," Sephiroth said, his voice once again familiar and dark, which pleased him. As he took off, flying up into the air and disappearing out of their sight, they only stared. If they thought he would thank them in person, they were, of course, out of their minds. Being Sephiroth, he would never be able to make amends with them. At least they were no longer mere enemies, but that was as far as things would go. Though scarred by Jenova, he had regained what he had before finding the truth about Jenova: he had regained himself. That was a feat.

As the two of them continued up into the air, the reactor eventually turned really small below them.

But, come to think of it, should they not destroy it?

Mika, feeling strangely light-headed and pleased at the same time, looked down. The reactor was still there. This seemed to bother Sephiroth, whose features darkened as he watched the large building. It looked like a small circle on the ground, and the roof was still open. It was probably designed to let Shinra arrive and leave with helicopters and airships inside so the fiends wouldn't get to them. This time, however, their vehicles were left outside just in case the reactor would be destroyed. Mika turned to Sephiroth.

He did not look back. At that, she flashed a smile and moved one hand into a pocket until she found what she was looking for. The small remote control, holding only a few buttons, failed to catch his attention. He was probably lost in thought, pondering how to destroy the reactor. At that, she moved the small object to block his view, then pushed the red button, which was slightly larger than the others. His eyes widened a little upon seeing it, then his attention snapped to her and then back to the reactor below.

Several small, yet powerful explosions followed, shrouding the reactor in dark smoke. Sephiroth lowered a little to see better, then gave a wide smirk. With his smirk still intact, he looked at her.

"The lights are out," he stated. Mission completed. Mika smiled heartily, but then remembered something.

"Where's the Black Materia?" she asked.
"...Gone. Shattered and sacrificed. If it hadn't..." he muttered, an unfamiliar expression blemishing his features for a brief moment before disappearing. Mika looked at him with wide eyes, searching his face and his jade orbs. Though she was not sure how, he had saved her life.

"What is the most important thing to you?" Sephiroth suddenly asked in a distant voice, as if to distract her from the subject. Her grip around the belts at his chest tightened considerably in case he would drop her upon hearing her answer. Before she could say a thing, though, he spoke again.

"Will you give me the happiness... of taking that away from you?" he added, testing her. If ignored the way one corner of his mouth was tilted up, and instead judged from how mischievous his eyes looked, she doubted he was being serious. She flashed him a smart smirk, her confidence increasing. At least that made it easier to answer the question.
"That would be rather hard, because the most important thing to me happens to be you," she countered, earning a set of narrowed eyes.

"I love you," she stated, sounding oddly business-like, as if to get it over with before she could stop. Sephiroth blinked, then arched his eyebrows so slowly it almost hurt. He tilted his head back only a little and looked down at her, but it was enough to make her feel incomparably inferior. Not managing to look into his eyes, she lowered her head and averted her gaze. Perhaps he only viewed her as a vital part of his daily entertaining. Her shortcomings and weaknesses were many, and much contributed to her imperfectness. That sounded like something he would say.

"...Sorry for my flaws," she muttered, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Upon hearing her words, though, he surprised her by pulling her closer until she looked up at him in confusion. His eyes were still dark, but if she wasn't mistaken, she would say he looked different. Perhaps like his good old self, even.

"Apparently, taking into consideration the most recent events..." he started, making sure she didn't look away.
"...It is your flaws... that I have come to cherish," he finished. Her eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at the strong man holding her in his safe grip. And just as she opened her mouth to reply, he started flying away at an incredible speed, leaving behind the black smoke coming from the final reactor. Finding it intimidating to be held in the arms of the former antagonist of Gaia as he lowered until they were dangerously close to the ground, Mika moved her arms over his shoulders and linked them behind his neck. The wind was freezing, forcing her to close her eyes as it threatened to sting them if she didn't.

"Where-Where are we going?" she managed to ask, and her words were almost carried away by the wind.

"Anywhere. Everywhere," he replied, sounding more content than she had ever heard him before.

The End

R.R.

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