Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, Crisis Core, Before Crisis, or any other part of FFVII.

AN: Not as early as I predicted (Not even close)…But hey, faster than the last one. Also, it's not up yet but I'm working on a "Final Fantasy VII Compilation Ultimania" forum with the various pieces of information that I've managed to gather from the people who have worked to translate the guides, along with some of my own theories and ideas on the side. More on that when it's up.

"Talking"

Thoughts

Cloud shot up with a frightened gasp.

"Tifa!"

"Hey, hey, calm down. Tifa's alright, so don't worry." Zack leaned over from the stool next to the bed, lightly pushing the younger soldier back down. It's not like it would do any good for the kid to strain himself right after regaining consciousness from his last battle.

"She's okay?" He let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. But…maybe if I was a SOLDIER too, I could have done more. It wouldn't have been a problem in the first place. Um, Zack? Is something wrong?"

Zack's face had darkened into a frow as Cloud mentioned SOLDIER, and the younger boy glanced at him in confusion.

"SOLDIERs are nothing but monsters. Just forget about it."

What? Monsters? What's he talking about?

"Zack, what happened in the reactor?" Zack stood up, resting his hands behind his head as he paced around the room angrily, more aggressively than Cloud had seen him in any of their missions together. "I haven't got a clue. Not a damned clue. I don't feel like I know anything that's going on these days. But I'm going to find out."

This didn't really sound like it was going anywhere. Not anywhere pleasant, at least. So Cloud said the first thing that came to mind as he tried to come up with something that might get Zack's mind off of whatever was happening.

"Hey Zack? I, uh, I don't think I've ever seen you use that sword before." Cloud's eyes flickered over to the sword resting against the wall. "Why not?"

Zack paused, looking over towards the weapon, and for a moment Cloud wondered if perhaps he'd just made things worse. The SOLDIER seemed to have stopped paying attention to the world around him as he hefted the blade into the air with one hand, flipping it over so that the blade was angled towards the ceiling.

"Why…?" The dark haired man's posture relaxed as he appeared to realize something, and Cloud let out a relieved sigh. "Hm. Well, that's because use brings about wear, tear, and rust. And this weapon right here? This is a symbol of dreams, and pride. Honor. No point in ruining such a good weapon, right?"

It was an odd response, but Cloud laughed anyway, glad to see his friend in better spirits again. Zack joined in, and for a few minutes things felt like they were back where they needed to be. Then the older boy apparently felt he'd had enough of the attention, and that it was time for his junior to be the one off balance.

"So, ah, is Tifa an "acquaintance" of yours then?" He chuckled, with a wink and a grin to the now-blushing rookie.

"I-yeah-s-sort of, yeah."

"So did you guys talk? Before we went up there, I mean. Childhood sweethearts catching up and all that jazz?"

"No." Well, that was a good way to kill the semi-cheerful mood that they'd finally managed to establish. And in only one syllable too.

"Well, I'm not quite sure just what's going on with you two, but I've gotta ask; are you okay with that?" Cloud was sitting up again, but he seemed to have his bearings straight. At the very least he didn't look like he was about to keel over.

"Yes. Maybe. I mean, I think so." He glanced around the room curiously. "Zack?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Where's Sephiroth?" It wasn't as though he was expecting Sephiroth to be sitting faithfully at his beside or anything, and he certainly wasn't worried about the man's health, but once he knew that Tifa was safe he was sort of eager to hear what the legend had to say about his performance at the reactor.

"He's been holed up in the old Shinra Manor for days now."

"I've been asleep for days!" He blushed when the SOLDIER chuckled at the outburst. Normally self-control wasn't an issue with him, but then it wasn't every day that he passed out after defending his long-time crush from genetically altered super soldiers. He glanced out the window on the far side of the room, noting that the sun was beginning to set. He really had been out for a while.

"Yeah, you were pretty out of it. Not every day that a kid like you manages to go up against guys like that. I'm impressed, Cloud." Cloud knocked his hand away as he reached down to ruffle his hair, but Zack didn't miss the proud grin that crossed his face for a brief moment.

"Thanks."

"Just tellin' it like it is."

"So…he's in the manor then. What for? Isn't the mission over?"

"Honestly, nobody's got a clue what's going on in his head right now. We barely even see him when we're over there. The lights never go out, he doesn't leave the building, and sometimes he just kinda disappears on us and we can't figure out where he's gone off to." That…didn't sound good.

"What should we do?"

"The truth? I'm not sure. I called in to HQ the other day, had a word with Tseng of the Turks. He said to just hold tight until they figure something-eh?" The owner of the hotel rushed into the room, words coming between the gasps for air, apparently not wanting to waste time to deliver his message.

"Helicopter-Turk-down-stairs-whooboy."

"Really? Man, talk about convenient timing. Thanks for hurrying up here man!"

"Zack?"

"Don't worry about it, Cloud. I'll take care of things from here."

When he dashed out of the inn, nearly scaring the life out of any occupants who might have been unfortunate enough to be in his way in the process, he was ecstatic to see the new arrival. The long haired brunette had been the one that helped out on his mission to the northern continent to deal with Avalanche a couple of years earlier, when they were a bit more active. Not to mention that if she was here, odds are that Tseng either had a plan or was in the process of making one.

"Yo, Yuuko! So Tseng finally decided to send somebody up here, eh?"

"Fair, what's the situation?"

"Well hello to you too, sweetness. Nice to see the Turks have been spending that extra funding on sensitivity classes. Man, you're so harsh-"

"Just tell me what's going on. You weren't too clear with Tseng, so I couldn't get a proper briefing on the situation."

"Fine, fine. Long story short? There's some seriously messed up stuff going down at this town's reactor. Some kind of human experimentation or something. Ever since Sephiroth saw it he's been locked up in the Shinra Manor's basement doing who knows what. To make it worse, the Genesis Copies that attacked Banora and Midgar a while back made a little appearance. We're, well, we're really not sure what to do."

"…I see. I'll go investigate the reactor myself and report to Tseng. You stay here and keep an eye on things." She flipped out her phone, typing something out quickly before shutting it and returning it to her pocket. "I've sent you this phone's contact information. Call me if you learn anything new."

"Gotcha. And hey, take care up there." With a grateful nod, she was gone.

Damn…what should we do now? Cloud needed rest, and Tifa probably wasn't much better off, so exploring was out of the question. They wouldn't be able to go far anyway with the threat of more of the Copies showing up. Well, he could at least go check and make sure that Sephiroth wasn't going crazy. No way being locked up for that long could be good for someone. That, however, was far easier said than done.

"So you're telling me you haven't found anything yet?" The soldier that'd been driving the truck on the way up, his name was Gibb, shook his head in response while the Forra just shrugged.

"I've looked this entire manor over from top to bottom. If there's an entrance to the basement inside, I haven't found it."

"Okay, then let's go over this again. After we went up to investigate the reactor the two of you didn't notice any suspicious activity."

"Not a thing since Cloud and the boss caught up with us, Sir. First sign of trouble we noticed was when, well-"

"When Sephiroth came charging in, right?"

"Yeah. We followed him into the manor after that. You know, thought that he might have found out about something going on in here. Gibb here was the first one in the building after him."

"Are you sure you didn't see anything."

"Well, I thought I might have seen him going up to the rooms on the right, but with how dark it was in here before we got everything back up and running I wasn't sure."

"But the basement lights were definitely off before he got here, right?"

"Definitely."

"No doubt, Sir."

"Right. Then here's the deal; Jorra, go look for any possible entrance to the basement from the outside. Gibb, check all the rooms upstairs in the right wing, I'll take the left. I know you've already looked around but go over it a few more times just in case something slipped by. We'll meet back in an hour if we still can't find anything and start asking around town."

"Yes Sir!"

"Yes Sir!"

It was only ten minutes into the search that Gibb came rushing in as Zack was removing a painting from the wall on the chance that Shinra had felt like tossing in a few secret passages during construction. It was a longshot, but-

"Sir, I think I may have found a secret passage behind one of the walls!"

-Strangely possible.

"Let's go!" When he was led to a one of the back rooms of the mansion, Gibb walked towards the rounded corner of the room jutting out from the walls. "So where is it?"

"Exactly? I don't know."

"Then w-"

"Shhh! Listen." He couldn't make it out at first, but after a few seconds of silence there seemed to be a sound coming from behind the wall. "Hear it?"

"Yeah, I do. Hold on just a second." He walked over, kneeling down next to the wall and pressing his ear against it. "Sounds like…trickling water? Footsteps? Hard to make out, but there's definitely something there. Now how do we get by…?"

"Well, if we can't figure anything else out then we could probably force our way through-"

"But that'd be a pain in the ass once Shinra finds out about it. There's gotta be some kind of switch around here or something." Whatever it was, it was obvious that Sephiroth must have known at least something about it beforehand. There was no way he would have been able to make it there and find the entrance so fast with the two soldiers on his tail unless he'd at least known where to look. The fact that twenty minutes of searching under every portrait, book, shelf, and curtain yielded nothing wasn't helping to change that impression.

"Argh! We're so close, I can feel it!" Zack slammed his fist into the wall and Gibb glanced around nervously as the entire room seemed to vibrate for a moment. "We just need to-what the hell?"

Just seconds after his fist made contact with the hidden switch, a section of the wall slid backwards and to the left, revealing the very entrance they'd been looking for. Zack was disappointed to say the least.

"That's…that's it? That's all we get?"

"Um, Sir?"

"It's just that I was expecting something bigger, you know? Like lights, music, and all that kinda stuff."

"Sir, I think we-"

"I know, I know. It's just really anticlimactic." He shrugged. "Ah, oh well. Go tell Forra that we found Seph's little lair. You two take up your positions back in town and contact us if you see anything suspicious, or when the Turk gets back. And keep an eye out for Tifa. She and her teacher went out to practice and she'll probably wanna know that the kid's okay."

"Yes Sir!" Zack stepped into the passage and looked down as Gibb left, letting out a long whistle at the deep spiraling stairway.

The hell is with those Shinra bastards and their stairs?

Shut up old man, I wanna here the story!

I'm jes sayin' it don't make any damn sense!

Give it a rest Barret!

Could you all please be quiet and allow our friends to finish the story?

The cavern below the manor wasn't too large and it was relatively simple to navigate, but all the same it was amazing that they'd managed to keep something like this a secret for so long. He'd grown up in a small town so he knew perfectly well how kids and teens could get into just about anything when they were bored enough, and when he was a kid he'd have loved a giant, possibly haunted mansion to explore. Now where is…oh. This can't be good.

At the end of the long, winding tunnels beneath the manor there was a room that had clearly been used by Hojo. No one would need more than a few minutes in one of his labs to recognize the lunatic's work, and this was pure Hojo from floor to ceiling. Books, beakers, and vials were something that you'd find everywhere, but there were only a few people on the planet that still had access to the technology used for the SOLDIER Mako treatments even in modern times, and that number was substantially lower back when this facility would have been built. Yet even knowing that it was most likely Hojo's lab didn't bother him. What concerned him were the hundreds of books scattered about the room, and the tall man sitting behind the desk at the far end of the laboratory's main office, head bowed and shoulder's shaking in a silent chuckle. He moved towards his superior slowly, trying not to startle him in some way.

Has he been reading these things all this time? "Sephiroth? Sir, are you alright?"

The SOLDIER remained silent.

"Sir, we've been getting worried about you. Maybe you should-"

"I wonder, did you know? Could you have known?"

This doesn't sound too good.

"Did I know what?" Finally the older man looked up, and there was no denying that the normally beautiful, elegant swordsman wasn't well. There were dark circles beneath bloodshot eyes, marring a paler-than-normal face. His normally tidy hair ragged, shadows only further accentuating his dreadful appearance.

"That long ago a catastrophe struck this planet. The ancestors of your people survived that catastrophe by scurrying about and hiding in fear. This planet escaped certain doom through the sacrifice of the Ancients, the Cetra. After they were nearly eradicated, your kind would multiply and assume control of this planet, acting as though nothing had ever happened." He stood up and stepped out from behind the desk, grabbing one of the many books and tossing it at the younger SOLDIER's feet with disdain. "Now, the Cetra are nothing but a memory that exists only within the pages of history."

"I don't get it. What's any of that got to do with you?" Sephiroth looked up, eyes narrowed and roaming over his junior as if searching for signs of deception in his words. When he seemed satisfied his eyes softened, and he looked away.

"You truly don't understand, do you? Thirty years ago a single being was found in a scientific expedition led by Professor Gast Faremis of the Shinra Electric Power Company, unearthed in a two thousand year old stratum. This being was the last of its kind, the last of the Cetra." His gaze returned to Zack, once again filled with anger.

"Jenova." Zack's eyes widened, prompting a smirk from the legendary SOLDIER. "Yes, you're beginning to see the greater meaning behind this story, aren't you?"

"You're telling me that you were-"

"The Jenova Project began shortly after her discovery. The aim of the project was to create a human being with the mystical powers of the long-dead race of seen only in myth and legend. The result of this project? Three children were created, only three. A failure, left with his family and a gaping hole in his heart which he desperately attempted to fill through violence and destruction. His closest friend, whose only true solace lay in his honor and pride, all torn from him for the sake of the selfish desires of those who abandoned his people two millennia before. And finally, well, you see the final result standing before you now."

"So what does all this mean? What are you thinking right now, Sephiroth?" Just tell me this isn't going to change things.

"This planet belongs to Mother. So first I'm going to see her-"

No. Oh no.

"And then we're going to take it back."

"Sephiroth, you ca-" He was cut off as Sephiroth appeared in front of him, driving his fist into the younger SOLDIER's chest hard enough to send him crashing through one of the several mako tubes placed throughout the room.

"Stay out of my way Zack. You won't get another chance." And without another word he was gone, inhuman speed carrying him beyond Zack's sight before he could even begin to stand. He dragged himself up, breaking into a sprint before he'd completely gathered his bearings and racing through the cavern, up the stairwell into the now empty room. He didn't even bother with the stairs, instead simply leaping to the ground below and kicking off back into a run, bursting through the doors of the manor. For all of his effort, it hadn't been nearly fast enough.

Nibelheim was burning.

It was easy to make out the bodies that were strewn about the square, several twisted into unnatural positions that didn't bear a second glance. His fellow soldiers weren't far from the entrance, Gibb's skull caved in and Jorra's chest barely attached to the rest of his torso. Zack rushed to the center of town as Cloud, now back in full uniform, burst out of one of the houses and dropped to his knees, coughing violently. He jumped through the flames to the younger boy's side, kneeling down and placing a hand against his back.

"Cloud, you okay!" It was a stupid question, and he winced even as he realized that he'd said it. Cloud just shook his head, shoulders heaving, and Zack let out a curse.

Where did Sephiroth go?

"Z-Za-" He broke into coughs again.

"Yeah, I'm here buddy." Cloud shook his head again and took a deep breath.

"Z-Zangan. He's-" They both jumped in surprise as the beast of a man that had introduced himself as Tifa's martial arts master barreled through one of the upper floor windows with a smaller figure in his arms. Landing hard on his feet but not stumbling or faltering, Zangan lowered the man gently to the ground, leaning him against the wall, speaking to him quietly for a moment before noticing the two Shinra employees.

"Kid, were there any…" Cloud's shoulders slumped, and that was all the answer he needed. "Damn! We have to finish up quickly; Tifa went chasing after her father, and he was going up to the reactor after Sephiroth!"

Both men tensed at that. Zack clapped his hand down on Cloud's shoulder.

"Cloud, I'll go help Tifa. Help Zangan find any survivors and catch up when you can." His tone was stern, but soothing all the same, prompting Cloud to nod in agreement.

"Right!"

Smoke? The long-haired brunette's eyelids lowered a small fraction, a suspicious expression that only her fellow Turks would have recognized. She slipped her phone back into her pocket, deciding to put off her report to Tseng until she saw what was going on. There was more than enough smoke to signify a possible attack and what was that coming towards her? It looked almost like…

"Sephiroth." There was blood on the sword. Not a good sign. Had it not been for the almost gleeful smirk on the SOLDIER's face, she might have thought that he was in pursuit of the monster or group responsible for the smoke coming from the direction of the village. But one didn't become a Turk without trusting one's instincts and hers were telling her that the man in front of her didn't have intentions quite so noble. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Oh, look at that. Another traitor in our midst. It would seem fate is not in your favor today, dog of Shinra." With a flick of his wrist the Masamune sent a wave of blue energy at the woman before she could react, the blade-like beam ripping across her chest and flinging her into the rocky wall, cracks visible in the stone behind her as she stumbled to the ground. She was no medic, but she'd been injured in missions often enough to realize that this was not a good situation. Even ignoring that it was almost certain that a few ribs were broken, more probably cracked, coughing up blood generally wasn't a positive sign.

Nor, she realized as she tried to follow after her opponent, was being unable to move your legs. She reached forward, trying to pull herself after him (Stopping him was out of the question, but she might be able to land a tracking device on him if she could get a decent shot lined up), but knew within moments that even so much as keeping him in sight was going to be impossible. She struggled to stand for several minutes as her vision began to blur, and she fell back to the ground with a jarring crack. She managed to make out the form of a young woman running through her field of view before her already hazy vision darkened and the world faded away.

How long she'd blacked out wasn't certain, but the sound of her named seemed to pull her back to consciousness for at least a moment. She was lying on her back, she realized, seeing the gray silhouette of the clouds behind the familiar face.

"Yuuko!"

What? Zack…Zack!

"Zack. Sephiroth, he's going fo-for the reactor. Couldn't stop him. You-"

"Hey, hey, quiet now. It's okay, I've got this."

"Zack, wait. Girl…she went…after…"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of Tifa, you just worry about your own injuries." He shook a small, empty vial that she recognized as one of Shinra's many potion products. That was a stupid move. If he planned to fight Sephiroth he would need it more than her.

"Zack…"

"Hey, just rest. Trust me." And she did, nodding in thanks before allowing herself to fall back into unconsciousness.

As Zack left his fellow Shinra employee to recover, Tifa stumbled upon another scene of brutality just like those in the town. However, there was one distinct difference that separated the body in front of her from the others, forcing her to her knees in horror. Even without any kind of medical training it was clear that her father wasn't going to last much longer, assuming he was even still alive.

"D-Dad? Dad?" She reached down, pushing on his shoulder. "Daddy?"

"Ti…fa." His hand reached up toward her face. She gripped it with her own, guiding it to her cheek. "Run. R-run…away. Now!"

"No, please! You'll be okay, we just need-" His arm went limp. "Just…just need…to…"

Tifa screamed.

The sound echoed through the mountains for only a moment, and everything was calm again. She rested her father's hand back on his stomach, and looked towards the abnormally long blade embedded in the stony ground a few feet away, blood still dripping along the metal.

"Sephiroth." She stood, shaking as she walked towards the blade. "Sephiroth did this to you, didn't he? Sephiroth. SOLDIER. Shinra…I-"

She gripped the hilt of the Masamune, grunting with the effort of lifting the heavy weapon as she tore it from the earth.

"I hate them all!"

The reactor was the only place for him to go in these mountains. Had she not been in such a state of rage as she entered the facility, she might have noted the stifling atmosphere, the unnatural nature of what was contained in the pods of the main chamber. Yet all she could focus on was the man standing before a large door at the top of the stairway.

"Mother, I'm here! I've come for you, so open the door! Your son has returned!" What he said wasn't important. All that mattered was that she stopped him, here and now. So she silently padded up the stairs, making sure to carefully avoid allowing the blade to crash against anything. Even in her rage she was very aware that she was just a sixteen year old girl, and this was quite probably the most powerful human being on the planet. If she didn't strike him unawares, he would likely kill her with ease. His hands were resting against the door, his head turning about frantically as he tried to find some kind of lever or switch beside the door that would allow him entrance. The only sound she made was a small grunt as she hefted the blade back before swinging it down. The Masamune met its target.

It just didn't meet it in the way she'd expected.

Her expression struggled between terror and fury as she realized that he'd noticed her. She didn't know how, but he'd known she was there. And as the blade had neared him, he'd whirled around and caught it between his left thumb and forefinger, looking down at her with disdain.

"Pathetic."

Faster than she could respond, the blade was being ripped from her hands as the SOLDIER reached forward to grip the hilt with his right hand and swinging the blade once in a single motion. And from then, Tifa knew only pain. Sheer, inescapable agony flooded her senses, her mind not quite recognizing the feeling of the red fluid spraying from her chest, or the sudden jolts as she slammed into the steps over and over while tumbling away from the insane warrior. Sephiroth didn't spare a second glance at the bloodied child, instead turning to seek access to his mother once again. It was taking too long to reach her.

So instead of searching any longer, he lifted his hand to the door and allowed the energy to flow through him into the materia in the Masamune's hilt, freezing the metal barrier. Then with a swing, nothing stood between them.

Minutes later the black haired SOLDIER ran into the room and came to a stop at the base of the stairs where the young girl was sprawled on the ground, blood pooling around her prone body. He knelt next to her and let out a sigh of relief. She was alive, at least for now. If he could end this quickly enough then they might be able to save her. He rolled her onto her back and nearly jumped in surprise as he realized she was awake.

"Tifa!"

"Zack?"

"Sephiroth did this, right?" She nodded. "What the hell is he thinking? He's completely lost it!"

"You guys…you came here for an investigation. That's all it was, wasn't' it? Then why…" Her voice cracked as tears began to escape. "Why did you…"

"Tifa…"

"SOLDIER, and Shinra, and even you…I hate you." She turned away, closing her eyes, and Zack stood with a sorrowful expression. He turned away from her and began moving up the stairs towards the chamber where his superior had no doubt gone.

"I won't ask you to forgive me. But let me put an end to this." In only a few steps he was through the door at the top, looking on as Sephiroth spoke to some bizarre alien creature in a massive tube that resembled those used in the process used to create members of SOLDIER.

"Mother…I've come at last! Let's take this planet back…" He reached forward to run his fingers along the glass. "Together."

Zack leapt to the platform where Sephiroth was standing, bringing his blade up to the older man's neck.

"Sephiroth!"

"I've come up with a wonderful plan, Mother." He didn't even seem to realize the other man's presence. "Let's go to the Promised Land together, Mother."

"Sephiroth, listen to me! Why did you kill the villages? Why did you hurt Tifa? Answer me!" The blade was trembling as Zack fought to hold it stead, all of his instincts screaming at him to finish things then and there. Sephiroth only chuckled.

"Look, Mother. The traitor has shown himself again. These fools wish to stop us from reclaiming our birthright. What do you think we should do, Mother?"

"What happened to you…?"

"I agree, Mother. There is only one fate that awaits a traitor." Zack's eyes widened as Sephiroth spun around, knocking the Buster Sword away and bringing the Masamune upwards toward him. He jumped back off of the platform onto some nearby piping hanging out over the massive pit of mako and looked up towards the calm warrior.

"I might have spared you once, you know. You have power, and courage, and a kind heart, all admirable qualities for one of your kind. I wouldn't have objected to allowing you a few extra months to make peace before sending you to join the rest of your race. Yet you continue to interfere. I suppose I have no choice…" And Zack barely managed to maneuver the Buster Sword behind him as Sephiroth actually disappeared, the force of the Masamune against the his own blade throwing him from the piping towards a hanging platform, the green glow of the Mako below emanating throughout the room. He twisted in the air to look back up at Sephiroth, and was met with the smirking face as his blade arced forward, sending a burst of blue energy towards the younger SOLDIER, sending him spinning into the reinforced glass platform below, suspended by only a few smaller metal platforms beneath it.

Zack rolled to his feet as Sephiroth followed, seeming to hover slightly before coming to a rest a dozen feet in front of him. Contrary to his hesitant landing, Sephiroth kicked off the moment his feet touched the ground. The Masamune was little more than a mere blur as it flashed through the air over and over, just missing its target by mere inches in every strike as Zack desperately fought to keep up with the incredible speed, not even registering the small tears in his uniform nor the small cuts running across his arms and torso, increasing in number with every attack from the silver haired warrior.

But then, imitation was a key advantage to Zack's fighting style. It was through imitation that he'd mastered techniques that Angeal had preferred, and that he'd seen Genesis use, and that he'd developed with the inspiration of his friends. To do this, he had to use one of the most important features of imitation. This feature was the recognition of patterns. And for all of his inhuman ferocity Sephiroth still had a pattern and flow to his movements, a flow that he could exploit if he could just keep focused on it. Left slash, right, upward left, overhead, upward, thrust, left twisting, right…opening!

Not enough time to strike, not with the Buster Sword. He focused his energy into the materia in the blade's hilt as Sephiroth drew his arm back for a wide strike, when the younger SOLDIER would normally have been off guard from the greater force of the last blow. A brief image of surprise flickered through Sephiroth's eyes as he arched backwards, bolts of electricity passing harmlessly above him. He shot back into position and hefted the Masamune up to block the oncoming Buster Sword, bracing the back of the blade with one hand and grunting with surprise at the power. And here he'd assumed that Zack would have been too worn down for a counterattack at this point.

Amusing.

"You truly are my brother's apprentice, Fair. Angeal taught you well." He moved his right hand from the back of the Masamune to grip the edge of the Buster Sword, focusing his own energy into the weapon. Zack's only just had the time to be shocked as the materia in his own weapon activated before the explosion sent him careening backwards, slamming into the platform with more than enough force to crack even the reinforced surface. He dragged himself to his feet, confused as to how he was still alive. Sephiroth was confident, but he'd never known the man to be arrogant. He wouldn't have wasted such a blatant opening…and why was he still smirking? The question was answered moments later, as the Masamune began to glow with blue energy, Sephiroth twisting it so the tip of the blade hovered perhaps a foot over the ground.

"Let's make this a bit more interesting." The tip shot down into the ground, and the glass below them shattered. Zack stumbled, hardly able to keep his footing as he raised an arm to his eyes to keep the tiny, flying shards away. When he brought it down, he cursed silently to himself. Oh yes, "interesting" indeed. Of course his superior officer would find battle on a few small metal support beams over a giant chasm leading directly to the Lifestream an interesting playground.

He had little time to ponder the thought before a wave of blue energy was tearing across the ground, and even when he brought his blade up to defend it pushed him back towards the edge of the platform. He swept the Bust Sword into the air, sending the blast into the ceiling. Several more waves came in quick succession, nearly knocking him off the side each time, but he was beginning to recover more quickly…and Sephiroth was in turn apparently getting bored with the "game" he'd devised on the spot.

"You've always impressed me, Zack, but it's time to bring this to an end." He'd placed the Masamune at his waist as if to sheathe it in the nonexistent scabbard, and Zack could already see the familiar signs of his Spirit Energy as the blue glow began to flow around where his hand met the hilt, the impending strike obvious. Yet as some have come to understand over time, however, realizing that someone clearly intended to strike and being able to defend against that obvious strike were two very, very different things. He blocked the first strike. That was simple enough.

It was being flung into the air as a result of blocking the attack that caught him by surprise. It was the feeling of the Masamune repeatedly piercing his arms, legs, and chest that brought him to the realization that he'd never seen Sephiroth fight before. Oh, he'd seen him defeat things, but he'd never seen the man genuinely fighting to destroy his opponent before. Ignoring the pain coursing through his limbs, he adjusted just enough for Sephiroth's downward slash to contact the Buster Sword, sending him crashing back to the platform. He rolled to his feet, leaping back upwards towards the exit of Jenova's chamber as Sephiroth landed, Masamune racing through the air where he'd been just milliseconds earlier. As soon as he landed Zack whirled around, barely able to keep his grip on the blade.

And Sephiroth appeared in front of him, looking no more winded than when they'd begun the battle. This time, Zack wasn't able to keep his footing as the blades made contact. His former mentor's weapon spun through the air, clanging against the ground a few feet from where he'd been standing as Zack was thrown from the room, crashing into one of the experimental pods in the main chamber, the metal caving in with the force of the impact. Through his blurred vision he could make out Sephiroth turning back to the alien being, not even bothering to check in case Zack wasn't completely out of the fight.

All the same, he was. And that was how Cloud found him when he arrived, glancing between Tifa and his friend in shock. He'd always known that Sephiroth had been the most powerful SOLDIER out there, everyone did, but to see Zack in such a horrible state…he'd thought the man was only just short of invulnerable. He clenched his fist and slowly moved towards the chamber at the top of the stairs, reaching it just in time to see Sephiroth ripping something from a large tube. He pulled the Buster Sword from the metal with ease, not even registering the immense weight in his hands through his anger. Gripping it in both hands he ran up to the platform without a sound, and drove the wide blade into the SOLDIER's back.

The man's silence outside of a single grunt was unnerving, even to someone lost in a rage.

"You…"

"Sephiroth, why are you doing this? What about my home, my family, my friends! What about my sadness! I looked up to you! You were my hero! Tell me why!"

He remained silent, and Cloud ripped the blade from his back, watching as the man crumbled to his knees. With a disgusted snort he turned away, throwing off his helmet and running from the room and down the stairs to where Tifa lay. She was unconscious, but still seemed to be alive. He set down the blade next to the pod where Zack had crashed and looped his hands behind her knees and back, lifting her and carrying her off to the side and setting her down in a more comfortable position. Maybe Zack had some kind of materia that could help. He just needed to-

That thought process came to an abrupt halt as he heard a pained groan from the entrance to the chamber. He looked up and couldn't help the frightened gasp that escaped at the sight of Sephiroth standing, stumbling slightly but still standing, at the top of the stairs, a bizarre, head-like object in one hand and the Masamune in the other.

"You…are weak. All of you. Your entire miserable, worthless species…nothing but disgusting cowards, content with allowing my people to die out while you ran and hid so you wouldn't have to face true fear."

Cloud ran back to Zack's side and retrieved the blade, holding it with both hands as he heard a whisper from his side.

"Cloud…you've got…to finish him."

"Right." He nodded. He could do this! Sephiroth was already weakened, so he just needed to finish the job. He dashed up toward the older man and leapt into the air, swinging the Buster Sword down with a howl.

And it was promptly stopped in its tracks as Sephiroth batted it aside with his own blade, kicking Cloud back into the air as he started to land before ramming the Masamune through his chest.

"Don't press your luck kid!" He hissed before slinging Cloud through the entryway back to the chamber where he'd stabbed him only minutes ago. Sephiroth stumbled after him, the first signs of true rage that Cloud, that anyone had likely ever seen on his face.

"You're out of your league, boy. You should have just stepped aside. I won't be so merciful this time." He walked over to Cloud and lifted his foot, then drove it down against the boy's chest above the wound, his pained cries resounding through the room.

"Your home? Your family? Your friends? Your sadness? My entire race is gone because of your ancestors. All that's left of the Cetra are Genesis, Mother, and I. And your kind will no doubt do everything they can to ensure that our shattered remnants of the only family I've ever had are eliminated as well, just as your ancestors allowed us to fade into history." He lifted his foot away and stepped back, then drove the Masamune through his stomach.

"Your kind destroyed my home. Your kind destroyed my family. Your kind killed my friends! And thanks to your kind, I have no more sadness left in me. This isn't about vengeance. As the last of my race, I will make certain that humanity suffers the same fate that it forced upon the Cetra." He lifted Cloud into the air, still impaled on the end of the sword, and held him up over the pit of Mako. "This is the justice that my people deserve!"

"This…" Justice? I never hurt you. Mom, Zack, Tifa, no one in this town has ever hurt you! This isn't justice! "…is wrong."

It was barely a whisper, so light that even Sephiroth didn't notice it.

"Do you understand now, Cloud? Only once their tormentors have suffered as they have shall my people be able to have true peace!"

"No…" Sephiroth's eyes narrowed as Cloud lifted his arms away from his sides.

"What was that?"

"You're wrong!" Cloud's hands slammed against the blade, dragging himself forward across the weapon until he could feel his feet touching the ground. Sephiroth could only stare in amazement as Cloud pulled himself forward one last time to gain his footing, and then braced himself before reversing their positions and flinging Sephiroth across the room and into the wall, creating a sizeable dent where the former SOLDIER was now stuck. Sephiroth looked across at him in confusion, his wounds finally beginning to catch up with him. Yet it wasn't enough to miss the green glow in Cloud's eyes, like staring into the Lifestream itself.

"Those eyes! Impossible…" And he was calm once more. "Humph. Nothing will get in my way…"

With that he closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall from his position into the Lifestream below. His own task now completed, Cloud dropped to the floor and fell into darkness, not to awaken again for several years.

"And…Well, that's really all. After that Shinra did a few experiments on us until we decided to break out, and one thing led to another."

"Waitwaitwait, that's the end of the story!" Yuffie pouted. She'd actually been getting in to things.

"Sorry kid, but that's all there is to it. Unless you guys have anything else to add?" Zack looked between Cloud and Tifa. Cloud shook his head, but Tifa spoke up again.

"I don't remember much else myself. All I know is that after you showed up I passed out, then Master Zangan found me and got me out of there."

Nanaki let out a curious "tsk" as he thought over the situation, and Barret let out a low whistle. He wouldn't have expected the little blond kid to have that kind of fight in him. After a few moments, he asked the question that they were all thinking.

"So…what do we do now?"

AN: So, how was it? Good? Bad? Meh? As per usual, I love to hear what you guys have to say. Also, yes, there were one or two moments that neither Zack, Cloud, nor Tifa could have known about, but I wanted to give a clearer idea of how Nibelheim went down in this story. So it'd be easier to just assume that if it wasn't a moment that they could know about, they didn't actually mention it in their recounting of the tale.