Jenova Cells

By LoveAnimeForever

Jenova cells. Kadaj smiled.

Some had leaked out, and it was to be regretted, but certainly this much was still enough to revive Sephiroth. It had to be. Kadaj could tell by the excruciating pain that overtook him as the cells merged with his, multiplied, took over his body and consciousness…

Vincent's head snapped up when he felt the angry prickle down his back.

"Sephiroth…"

He checked that Cerberus was fully-loaded, equipped a few more rounds, and left in a rustle of red cloak.

Kadaj was falling, falling…

Cloud jumped off the building in pursuit, dodging around the blocks of cement that were falling behind him, passed through a cloud of dust, and –

Contact.

He could feel First Tsurugi crying in protest, in pain, It's not Souba, Cloud, its Masamune, Masamune!

Masamune?!

The dust cleared.

Vincent's back hurt, hurt, screamed, and Vincent knew he must move, move towards the one who had created that pain, and he must protect him, no matter what happened to his own body, or to his friends, to his comrades… No, they weren't his comrades anymore…

Obedience, the pain demanded.

Cloud staggered back, panting. How many cuts and stab wounds had he, already? Despair, pain…

But he was the proof that Zack had existed, he was living for Zack, and for Zack he would fight now.

With renewed strength, he got up, flew at Sephiroth.

He was met, not by a long sword at his throat, but by a gun, and its red-clothed owner.

Vincent?!

Obey, child of Chaos, obey…

"What's the matter, Cloud? You would fight, and fight we shall."

Vincent could still hear Sephiroth's laughs that night. Cruel, deranged, and followed by footsteps closing in on his coffin. The lid that had been imprisoning him, protecting him, was wrenched off all too easily, and his body was lifted out, spirited to an unknown location. Vincent only knew all this because Chaos had been awake all the time he'd been asleep, waiting for the time he could take over. When Sephiroth restored them both to animation, Chaos had jumped at the chance. It had been his downfall… And Vincent's too.

Louder than the laughter was his own screams, pleading for mercy on the body he hadn't felt for so long. Had he only been awakened to suffer again? Chaos had cried with him that night, in anguish and frustration at his host's broken body, at the gaping 'S' Sephiroth had carved into their back, at the blood he had injected, that forced Vincent and Chaos both to bow to his will.

Cloud yet didn't know what despair meant. Neither did he know what hope meant. His was a feeble shadow. He would never understand Vincent's pain, would never understand the new light he had brought when he'd gently helped Vincent up from the coffin, making Vincent think it had all been a nightmare, a trick of the endless sleep he'd been in.

And now…

Vincent landed in a crouch beside Cloud's newly lifeless body, breathless and gasping.

"Congratulations, pet, you just killed your only hope."

The gun-wielder winced at the thought.

"Why the despair? You should be ecstatic. The Remnants would have died" – Sephiroth smiled cruelly, the image of Kadaj flitting across his mind – "to be in your place."

The seal on his back burnt again, and Vincent could feel the forced euphoria inching its way into his brain. He could feel a small smile turning his lips…

Chaos would not stand for it.

"Enough of this nonsense! Chaos bows to no one!"

Now golden-eyed, so much more bestial, Chaos-Vincent sprung at him, golden claws glinting dangerously. Dangerous, that is, for mortals. But not for the son of Jenova, no…

"Heel, mutt," Sephiroth purred coolly.

No, no! Chaos' red-black wings folded themselves against his will, and the crown of red around his forehead shrunk back into the red headband it had been. Golden faded back to red, Death Penalty's lifestream particles fell away to reveal Cerberus underneath, and Vincent was alone, defenseless…

Obedient.

Jenova cells. Sephiroth smiled.