"If you do not rise up and bear arms against Shinra, the Planet will fall. We come to you as a last resort. There is no one else left to stand up to Shinra. The people from Fort Condor have come to help us, but they alone are not enough. It is your duty for the Planet and your nation to rise up together and protect the Planet as it has protected you. We have been on a long and difficult journey. We have run down the train's tracks, and alas, we cannot win this alone. Formerly known as Avalanche, we destroyed Mako Reactors in an attempt to keep energy inside the Planet. However, that did nothing to save the Planet. It only hurt it more in the cycle of revenge. An entire city was destroyed as a result. We lost our best friends there.

"However... Midgar was recently shut down. It is almost a ruined wasteland now. The effects of Meteor have been catastrophic on the land. Where did they go? What was once believed to be the Promised Land. Where Weapon first appeared...

"Ceron is Midgar's successor. And this time, it's worse. The Planet is being raped as we plunge into its loving heart. The Northern Crater is not only filled with Mako... it's filled with Lifestream itself. And when we steal Lifestream, we are stealing the energy of everything we have ever loved. We are stealing your dead relatives. We are stealing the trees. We are stealing the energy from future generations. Without Lifestream, the Planet will decay and literally fall apart."

"Where is the evidence of this, Mister Strife? I have seen no evidence of decay. Everything looks the same as it's always been to me. And I've been around for a bit longer than Shinra," the elder replied, chuckling.

"If you care to research the evidence at Cosmos Canyon, you will find that everything I say is the irrefutable truth. It seems to me that you have been ignoring the cries of the Planet. Who here has not heard it? It is not something you can simply ignore! Who here can honestly say they have not heard them?" The room was completely silent. Cloud Strife stood in front of them all, introducing the ridiculous idea of war against a super power.

"If you have been listening to what I've said, you know that it is imperative that we stop Shinra. And the only way to stop Shinra is to defeat them by force. We cannot win this by sneaking around and destroying reactors; they will merely retaliate and hurt the ones we love most. Shinra will burn our hometowns. There are those among us who have already had their towns burned down in retaliation in times of peace. Hundreds of thousands have died because we tried to fight that way. And millions more will die if we continue. The way to win this war is to overthrow them by force; army against army. Avalanche alone could not fight the Shinra army one year ago, and we cannot fight them now. So, I bid you this question: Will you fight with us?" Cloud breathed heavily after the lengthy speech. Exhausting.

"Your cause is good. Your reasons are well defined. However, what makes you think we can defeat them? I refuse to see the day that Wutai falls again. Once in a lifetime is enough. We have no reason to think we could possibly defeat them. You're a fool."

"We do not have to be a tourist attraction anymore. My people, the people of Wutai, I will not let my hometown be destroyed again! It was destroyed once in the first war, and it will be destroyed again if we do not fight. Do you think the alliance with Shinra will protect you when the Planet dies? Wutai will be burned down again if we do not fight; mark my words. The second they hear that you even talked with us, our town is gone! They destroy first and seek answers later...

"You think that the Planet is safe now, now that Meteor has been stopped? The Planet still cries, can you not fucking hear it? It is getting louder and fiercer. If we do not act now, it's over. There will be nothing left to protect, and you will have only yourselves to blame. If you do not fight, I will never be able to look at you with respect again. Are you the people of the great Wutai, or some pathetic resort town?" Yuffie also panted, out of breath. She was quite a bit more demanding than Cloud, since nothing had ever been more important to her than restoring the once great Wutai to a succesful, developing country.

A loud noise filled the room as another old man cleared his throat. "You realize how serious war is? It is difficult... You think that restoring our town is worth millions of lives? Shinra obliterated us before, and now you want us to take them on again? What will be different this time? You'd be a fool to ask us to enter this blindly. An even greater fool to not care about how many people will die because you want to restore Wutai to a greater power again. For what? Your pride?"

"This isn't about the restoration of Wutai. This is about the Planet. It is dying." An elder coughed to speak up, but Cloud quickly glared at him. "If we don't fight; ok, you live for a few more years. But the future generations will all die off. The Planet will ultimately be dismantled. You're delaying an inevitable conflict."

"Either way, we lose."

"Just listen: The last time, you lost to the greatest General the world had ever known. Sephiroth destroyed you, not Shinra. Sephiroth...

"I guess I have to mention this," Cloud muttered as he glanced at Tifa for support. She gave him a quick nod. "Sephiroth is alive." Silence. "It's irrelevant, but... it's best that you're aware of this. He has his own agenda, however, and Shinra is our main concern as of now."

"'That is dire news indeed. Unfortunately, I think that our decision to decline. With the news of Sephiroth..."

"I killed Sephiroth before. That's irrelevant. I need you to defeat Shinra; not Sephiroth. Stay on topic."

"We have no way to fund a war. The people do not want to go to war, and even if they did, we do not have equipment for them. Not like Shinra. They outclass us in every way." His voice was shaky. It was not that he did not want to restore the previous honor that Wutai had, but that to win a war against Shinra now seemed impossible.

"I shall fund you. Avalanche gained billions of gil chasing after Sephiroth. We do not have time to train your soldiers; that is something you will have to do. We, however, can outfit each and every one of your soldiers with a gun or blade. Your best soldiers will be outfitted with elite equipment. Don't get me wrong, though. The decision is not to be made on equipment or the power of the enemies' army. It should be made on the fact that Shinra is still around. They still control the Planet; they still take from it... the Planet is dying. I don't mean to be rude, but my fate and yours rests on this decision. Please consider it... I understand that war is a very serious subject, but it is a last resort." Phew. Long speech. Cloud had made his major points, and looked to the Elders with innocent eyes, anxious to know what they had to say.

The Elders of Wutai, along with Godo, nodded. "We have taken heed to your request, and it will be considered tonight. You will know our decision in the morning. Get some rest and we will speak again tomorrow. It is a heavy burden to make such a decision, one to go to war. It is not easy, but it must be done. Go, now. We must discuss this alone."

Cloud and Yuffie left the huge, spiraling tower that held their meeting with the Elders. They had made very powerful arguments, but Cloud was still worried. He thought Yuffie was a little too demanding; they needed to convince them to join, not piss them off. But... her argument was still convincing, at the least. A little off topic, but good. Nothing like a little patriotism to encourage the people.

"So, you know them better than I do. What do you think?" Cloud tilted his head as Yuffie scratched her head after hearing the question; unsure.

"I don't know... I know my father, Godo, is a great military leader... but for most of my life after the war, he's been a lazy old fool. I hope he joins us, Cloud. If he does, we can win against Shinra, and Wutai will finally be prosperous again! I just know it!"

Cloud grinned. "I'm afraid it'll take even more than Wutai's support to win the war."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll find out soon enough. So... continue?"

"Yea... um... I know that stealing from you guys was the wrong way to go about it... and you guys know that blowing up stuff was the wrong way to beat Shinra... but, if ya think about it, we've both learned a lot from our battle against Meteor, and we now know that this is the only way to do it. We have different goals, but the same path. If we can just get my dad to side with us, I know everything will be alright." It was the climax for Yuffie. She never really attained what she was working for after Meteor. To be honest, no one did. Everyone in Avalanche still had a goal they had to complete. At first, it seemed like they had won. But sometimes, when you win, you really lose. And they lost a lot... the battle for justice was never fought without casualties.

"We won't know til tomorrow, so let's get back to the airship and rest. After that, I'm sure everyone will want to know how it went. I'll let you tell them that we know nothing, ha."

"Eh, you don't want to be the bearer of bad news? Grow up and take some responsibility, Cloud." She gave a playful smirk, knowing that she was the youngest and most immature member of the group. And nobody knew better than Cloud about responsibility; it was hard being a leader.

---

"Lord Sephiroth has requested that you remove all personnel from this area. It is a request if you comply; if you choose not to, then it is a demand that will be forcibly acted upon." The clone smirked. He doubted anyone would actually challenge Sephiroth's word. Then again, men were fools...

Many scientists in white lab coats hurried out, stumbling over stairs and tripping like the stereotypical nerd. They knew what was going on. Shinra had been taken over internally by Sephiroth. It was strange how a small, select group of men had taken over the entire corporation. Sephiroth, he was never known to be a normal man... The clones really took it over for him... still, it was by his command.

The reactor was filled with the disgusting smell of burning chemicals. The heat itself from the process of Mako production was intense. It was said that only certified soldier's were allowed in the reactors. All scientists there had been showered with Mako.

That was the thing about soldier. They were the elite warriors of the world. And they were different from the infantry in Shinra's army. One difference. All soldier's had a green tint in their eyes. They were all showered in intensive Mako.

It was true that only the strong could survive the process. Weak people were slaughtered by the Mako poison. It was like a viral disease that your body had to resist and maintain at the same time. Except it really wasn't a virus. It was unlike any living organism in the world.

It was energy. Energy that, when processed, became one with cells in the human body. As the disease spread, most people died. Less than forty percent of the people who applied for soldier survived the process. Those who lived but rejected the energy were branded failed subjects and either sent to the infantry or dismissed. It was rare to live and reject, though. Those who survived and accepted joined the elite fighting force of the world.

A personthat survived was resistant to the initial poisons of Mako. They became stronger and more efficient as the disease spread throughout the body. The body would eventually get used to the Mako. It would have no problem resisting the toxins it produced. But the strength... the mutations it caused in cells... a weapon like no other.

And then... there was Jenova. Sephiroth, the only man on the entire Planet that was completely immune to Mako mutations and poisoning. He was born with a true virus.

While in his mother's womb, Jenova cells were injected inside of him. The Calamity From the Skies. She was not even human. The cells... they were like viruses to a human. They always went under a lysogenic process of distribution. It was a method known to humans long before the alien creature crashed into the Planet. So... it was believed that Jenova was a member of the Cetra race. The race that cultivated the Planet in its earliest years.

There many subjects before and after Sephiroth. Each and every one of them failed. The cells were always rejected by the body and destroyed before they could reproduce in sufficient number. The immune system of even the youngest child was far too quick in destroying it.

Test subject Neo. An elderly man with an extremely weak immune system. Negative. Nothing ever worked. Nothing except the unborn child. Sephiroth. The only succesful product in the Jenova Project.

There was a still a fool standing inside the reactor. Annoying. "You there. Leave this place if you value your life."

"Hmm? Haha. What if I want to pick a fight with you? What are you doing at my home? I was busy absorbing energy here. Am I going to get in trouble with Sephiroth?" A man with green mako eyes, a red cloak, and black underneath stood at the top of the stairs. He looked down upon the clone, as if he were superior.

"Vincent. You are his father. We were told... you died. How strange. Must you die for the second time?" He drew his katana. It was blazing sharp from the tip to the hilt. With this, he pointed the short blade to Vincent.

"I am not Vincent, you fool." Twin blades, mounted at the back of his wrists, pointed towards the ground. "My name is Sora. You are correct on one thing, though. Vincent is dead." Immediately after, the Sephiroth clone practically flew up the stairs, trying to push his blade into Sora.

"Oh, dear me!" Sora jumped elegantly into the air, spirally landing at the bottom of the stairs and easily dodging the attack. "You're not able to fight me. You should apologize for wasting my time."

"I am Seventeen, and I only apologize to Lord Sephiroth. He knows you're here. We are psychically linked. You will not make it out of here alive if you continue your foolish actions, 'Sora'. Leave now or face the consequences." Once again, he pointed the katana towards Sora's heart.

"Can't take me on, so you've got to call the boss, eh?" Flash. Seventeen did not dare move as the twin blades were right on his neck. They were so sharp... he could feel the burning sensation of the blades. The burning... it was like acid.

"You really should apologize, but I suppose I can forgive you. You have no mind of your own, it seems. You only think for little Sephiroth. Well, I have a message for you to give him. I'm sure he's listening anyways, since you're all 'psychically' linked. Little Sephiroth, do not get in my way. You are a tadpole swimming in a pool of piranhas. You have no idea of what you are getting into yet. Stop playing with High Materia and live a normal life. You do not have the power to control what we do not wish you to. Get over yourself." Sora laughed. It was a bold statement.

Seventeen took his chances, elbowing Sora in the stomach in retaliation. The escape was double edged as the blades cut his neck deeply. The burning hurt more than ever, yet he pretended not to feel it as he quickly turned and thrusted his blade into Sora.

Sora parried it with his own, laughing like a maniac. "Let's take it to level two, shall we?" The air was still hot. Burning. Sora grinned, his hands bleeding. The daggers that came right out of his skin became longer. "They say a sword is only an extension of ourselves. I agree..." Sora lunged foward, slashing with his daggers in a whirlwind frenzy. Seventeen parried the first few attacks, but could not react to all of them. The katana would not move fast enough. Cut, cut, and cut again. He was bleeding openly. The wounds... he would surely die if this kept up.

Seventeen fell to the ground, coughing spurts of blood and looking upon the victor with hatred. He was disgraced, yet would not die a coward. He only looked upon Sora with a fearless, cold hatred. "Do your worst...."

"Actually, I've wasted enough time with you today. I've got to go. I'll see you some other time. I'd stay, but... you know. I've got people to kill. And fortunately, I'm letting you live today." Sora looked down at Seventeen pitifully. "Why? It's too early in the story for you to die, little guy. If you died now, where would your guilt go? Exactly. You wouldn't feel it." Sora waved playfully and disappeared in a flash.

"What... was he doing here? In a reactor? Absorbing mako energy? His skill... damn." Seventeen smashed his hand into the ground. He was so weak compared to Sora. It simply burned his pride. Was there nothing he could have done? Couldn't he have reacted faster? It was so shameful... All he could do was stare at the ground in weakness. He wanted to prove a worthy soldier.

Err. Damn. Sephiroth was coming. He could feel his presence. It was a feeling like no other. Seventeen felt shaky, nervous like. His stomach had that strange sort of pain. It wasn't really hurting, but yet it did. Never knew what Sephiroth would say. He could truly be called the manifestation of fear.

Sephiroth appeared in a cloud of dust. He always made that kind of entry now, with his new abilities. They all thought of him to be invincible, yet no one knew how he gained them. It was all a mystery. He said the Planet favored him. Yea, whatever.

Sephiroth looked up with shallow, careless eyes and spoke up. "This Sora... He is strong. Do not worry, I will take care of him. No one could have taken him on. He is at a skill level perhaps beyond my own. I must go on a different mission right now. In the meantime, make sure no one comes here unless you permit it. I am going to get the body of Aeris myself. I need you to stop this reactor from giving energy to the city, and instead begin to store it. Once that is done, add the black and white materia into the powering grid."

Sephiroth took Seventeen's hand firmly. "I trust you, Seventeen. This is an extremely serious matter. You know my reaction to failure. Do not chase Sora." Seventeen grimaced at the last remark. He could've done it... if he was just a little bit stronger. Such a failure.

Seventeen nodded and Sephiroth disappeared again. It was empty and quiet. No one was near the reactor. He had many things to do in a very short time. All alone. "I... feel joy. Or do I? Do I have feelings of my own, or am I mindless puppet of him? ...No!" He paused again for a long time, thinking. "I do this because I love him. There is no question. I feel love..."