Chapter 16: A Day With "Dad"
I woke up as usual the next morning, and Sephiroth and Mother were also awake. Kadaj and Loz were still sleeping, and Hojo was still writing in that notebook of his. I asked “Do you ever get any sleep?” Hojo smiled “Of course I do. I just wake up long before the rest of you. Research is life, is it not?” I sighed “Tch, that didn’t even make sense…” Sephiroth said “Just ignore him, Young Brother. You know he has a one-track mind. I doubt he is likely to change at this point.” I asked “Why did you even decide to come with us in the first place? That’s what I don’t get. You certainly arent interested in the mission.” Hojo laughed “For the sake of research, of course. It’s what I live for. Project Zeta is already over, as we now know. Rufus’s interests and focus as President don’t correctly align with my own, so I made plans to resign after Project Zeta was finished. But now that Sephiroth filled me in on the incidents discussed yesterday, I’m well aware it has gone horribly wrong and the specimen was left inside a reactor for too much time. With Zeta powered-up to that extreme, I’m afraid I’d be putting my life on the line if I were to continue with the experiment, so I’d best withdraw. And that brings me to why I am with you and your family, young specimen.” I angrily groaned “Would you stop calling me a specimen already?!” Sephiroth held me back “Ignore him, Yazoo. He always talks about living things that way. Don’t let him get to you. He did it to me until I grew old enough and he saw how strong I would I become. Imagine how long I had to put up with this.” I complained “But still! That’s rude! If you refer to Mother like that Hojo, I swear I am going to kill you. And I mean it! So shut up!” Hojo teased “Oh, would you really? And who else has the skills and scientific experience needed for your plans to slay Zeta? I am the project supervisor, after all. Without my knowledge and skill, you wont be able to get close to the specimen without dying.” I couldn’t take anymore after he said that “Hmph! Whatever.” I crossed my arms and turned away angrily. Sephiroth sighed and grew firm “Hojo, stop teasing him. He’s just a little boy. If you’re going to bully my young Brothers and Little Sister, you will face my wrath. And as you well know, that wont end well… for you.” Mother added “Or worse, you will be punished by me. You’ll distaste that end even more, so I advise you to stop.” Hojo shrugged “Teasing? I am only telling the boy the truth, am I not? I did nothing at all.” Sephiroth sighed and shook his head, and Mother grew angry. She stepped forward, angrily gazing at Hojo “Stop… your lying.” Hojo smiled “And how can you do a thing without your precious wings, hm?” I gasped and quickly turned around “Uh oh…” Sephiroth warned “Hojo, that was a huge mistake…” Mother sounded as if she was crying “You..! I’ll have none of that from you, insect!” The ground began shaking, and a silver light enveloped her. The base of her destroyed wings was shining brightly, and she grabbed Hojo by the neck, holding him off the ground. He panicked “I didn’t mean that..! I was just kidding!” He kicked her, but she didn’t flinch or react in any way; as if she didn’t feel it. She lifted him even higher, then threw him away; he landed on the ground several ways ahead of us, gasping for air. He didn’t seem to be concerned about her as much as being able to breathe. He was even coughing a lot. She began walking towards him, and held her arms out at both sides. Several small white holes opened up, and metal arrows emerged from them, homing in on Hojo. Sephiroth ran ahead, quickly blocking them with his masamune. Startled, Mother calmed down and lowered her arms. The ground was still again, and the silver light around Mother’s being faded. But the bright glow of white where her wings used to be remained. Sephiroth said “Mother, don’t do it! Calm yourself!” I realized Kadaj and Loz were awake now, most likely in reaction to Mother’s attacks. Kadaj appeared to know what had happened, and so did Loz. Loz was angry and ran towards Hojo, who was now sitting on the ground “You big dummy! You’re lucky she didn’t kill you, stupid old man!” Sephiroth said “I know he’s an idiot, but we have to leave him alive. There isnt anyone else who will come this close to us without being afraid. The other reason concerns his skills, along with his knowledge about the new Zeta Weapon that was overfed with mako recently. He’s the only person who can help us on this.” Mother was still crying quietly “I know that, but he..! How could he..!” Sephiroth dropped his masamune and hugged Mother “I know you’re hurt… he went too far that time. It’s ok… don’t be sad, Mother. I’ll always be right here with you… I promised. Since the very beginning.” Mother understood “Of course…” Me and Kadaj went to Hojo, standing next to Loz. Hojo laughed nervously “Oh, aha ha ha… You needed something?” Loz armed his dual hound and said “Oh yeah, we need something, alright.” Hojo scooted away, smiling to conceal his fear “Oh no, that’s just fine… I need to return to taking notes. I’m afraid I cant play right now, young children…” Loz laughed “Oh yes, you can, and you will! I wanna play a game!” Hojo rushed to his feet and replied “No thanks… I am horribly busy—“ He ran deeper into the woods and Loz shouted “Hey! Get back here! We didn’t even get started!” Then he ran after him. Me and Kadaj laughed, and high-fived each other. Kadaj smiled “That’s more like it! Have a good time after what you did to Mother!” I laughed and shook my head “My, he really is a coward. So much for mister tough science guy, going on and on about how we’re stupid and weak just because we’re kids.” Mother came up behind us and laughed “As much as I’d like to let young Loz enjoy punishing Hojo, I think I’d better follow them before it gets out of hand. We do have valid reasons to let the man live, at least.” Sephiroth nodded in agreement, and Mother went deeper into the woods to catch up to Loz and Hojo. I shook my head “He really did it this time… we’re lucky Mother didn’t blow the entire forest into oblivion.” Sephiroth replied “I calmed her so that wouldn’t happen. She’s very sensitive about her powers. That’s why she reacted so violently; without her metal wings, she doesn’t have her full potential. I cant allow him to go unpunished for this. Hojo went too far this time. But I cant threaten his life with the punishment… I’ll have to assign him work he will hate instead.” I sighed “If Cloud hadnt broken that core, none of this would’ve happened… stupid old man. I hate him already. What’s his deal anyway?” Sephiroth answered “It isnt because of you or Kadaj and Loz, my Young Brother. It has to do with me. Cloud and I have hated each other to no end for countless years; always raging war against each other. Most likely, he was picking on the three of you because of his hatred for me. He probably knows we’re family. But I wont let him get away with it; he has no right to get you three involved in our mess. I will hunt him down and kill him after we get rid of this Zeta Weapon that’s running loose. This beast poses a greater threat than he does right now.” Kadaj asked “What if we didn’t beat Zeta? What if we caught it instead of killing it? If its really as strong as Hojo says, it would probably help us on the mission.” I replied “While I like your idea, Sister, its flooded with too much mako. Any of us would die trying to absorb it. Even in its weakened state where it would be more vulnerable.” Kadaj complained “Aww darn… just think of the fun Cloud would have playing with that thing if one of us summoned it. What a shame!” We all laughed; even Sephiroth laughed. Sephiroth agreed “How I would love to watch that play out. Unfortunately, Yazoo is probably right. Absorbing Zeta would be suicide, even for me. At least, based on Hojo’s description we’re left with. I wouldn’t suggest doubting him on this. But, if we had a more powerful and stable vessel in the family, then just maybe it might work out…” I asked “You mean Mother might be able to do it?” Sephiroth shook his head “No, it’s even impossible for her. If she so much as tried, she would become gravely ill… and most likely die from sickness. Even her body cant handle it. Mother is pure in JENOVA cells; she passes down her cells to us as the seed of our kind’s power. While it would inevitably kill us, she has enough of her cells that instant death wouldn’t be the case for her… but she would suffer so much it just isnt worth it. I don’t want to see her in pain like that… not anymore.” Kadaj suggested “But if the mako wont kill her right away, does that mean she can get close to this thing without burning away?” Sephiroth answered “Mother might be able to stand up to it without immediate disintegration, but without the powers of her wings, the fight is simply too dangerous. She wouldn’t have much time before the brutal radiation begins to harm her. This is only legend as far as I know, since I havent witnessed it firsthand, but I’ve heard her metal wings possess a special miracle that prevents her health and vitality from decreasing. If it’s true, that might explain why she is exceptionally stronger with them.” I asked “But since the core is gone, is there any other way for her to get new wings?” Sephiroth seemed sad, and tears fell from his face “The only way to do it without the miracle core… is love. She needs love—and lots of it. But there are too many bogies, and not enough of us… too much war all around… that’s why she went so many years without them. How her previous recovery helped her regain them is beyond me… I wish I knew, but I don’t. Aside from Shinra’s many years of stealing her power for themselves, that is. She suffered so much… all because of me..! I wasn’t there for her for so many years you children don’t have a clue… she was lonely, all by herself… no one else was there to help her. All because of him..! That foolish man lied to me about everything!” I worried “Big Brother…” Kadaj said “No, Big Brother… You’re not the bad one. If Cloud didn’t get in your way, she would be smiling right now. I don’t blame you; I blame Cloud. He’s the bad one, even worse than Hojo. At least Hojo isnt out to kill all of us… but I don’t trust Cloud. He’s so scary… I cant stand him.” Sephiroth calmed down, then turned back to us “Don’t worry, I wont let him get any of you again. Together, we’re stronger than him.” We nodded in agreement. I smiled at Sephiroth, and he smiled back. He lifted me up, and held me in his arms. I laughed playfully “I love you, Big Brother…” Sephiroth replied “I love you too, my Little Brother. You’re a very brave boy. I’m proud of you. You have excellent leadership skills for your young age, and you’re a smart kid. Don’t ever forget any of that, ok?” I understood “Thanks… I won’t. I promise.” Sephiroth rubbed the back of my head, then put me down “I need you to keep JENOVA SOLDIER on the right track, ok? Keep up the good work.” I nodded “Thanks. I will.” Mother came back shortly after, with Loz walking beside her. Hojo looked pretty bruised up, and Mother was holding him by the arm, and looked to be gripping tightly. I tried my best not to laugh to avoid provoking him, covering my mouth. Kadaj laughed “Look at you! He probably went easy on you, too!” Hojo moaned and sounded exhausted, but to my surprise he didn’t protest. I had a feeling he learned his limits this time and smiled, lowering my hand. Sephiroth said “I guess I don’t need to find work he wont like as punishment… unless you want that as well, Mother.” Mother answered “While I do think he learned his lesson after receiving Young Loz’s beating, he needs at least one day’s time for full penance. Likewise Hojo, I think it’s time for you to change jobs for today and be entertainment for my young remnant children. You owe them a big apology for your display this morning.” Hojo panicked “What?! But that’s not fair! I was already a punching bag for your son! Is that not enough?!” Mother answered “It isnt. Do as I say or I’ll be the one to beat you next.” Hojo groaned “Urrgh..! Fine!” She let him go, and he fell down. He got to his feet and grumbled “I’m a scientist, a seasoned researcher! And I am to be some useless entertainment for mere children?! What kind of mockery is this? Life is too short for such a waste of time!” He brushed his lab coat and sat down around the fire pit we made, then angrily crossed his arms. Sephiroth said “You’re one to talk. You’re even more childish than Loz. Listen to yourself.” Hojo angrily replied “You lot! Enough of that! I didn’t sign up for this; I signed up for science, for progress! And for your family, nonetheless. And this is how you repay me?” Kadaj shook her head “Wow… he’s really mad now…” Mother said “Enough of that rambling on, Hojo. Stop being a big baby and follow orders. If you don’t, your time starts over tomorrow.” Hojo sighed “Fine. Whatever you want. I only wish to end this nonsense, anyway.” I had never seen Hojo so angry like this. But it wasn’t our fault. If he hadnt provoked Mother, this wouldn’t be happening right now. I realized he was responsible for the morning mess, and everything that followed up to now. He had a really big mouth. I worried that his attitude might get us in trouble later on if he wasn’t careful, or if none of us stepped in to silence him. We didn’t end up traveling today; instead, Hojo got out an extra notebook and decided to make stories he had read to us as he went. It seemed to go on forever. The stories werent very interesting; in fact, they were pretty boring and badly put together. Loz had yawned, and went to sleep. I assumed he got bored and slept from boredom. Kadaj was nodding off, trying to stay awake. I wasn’t even listening anymore, just staring off elsewhere, waiting for this to be over. Mother said “Um, Hojo… I don’t think these stories are entertaining my children. Perhaps you should go for a walk with them instead, or find something different to do that they might like.” He grumbled “Are you kidding me..? As if this isnt difficult enough already… I even wasted a good, clean notebook I could have recorded valuable research data in instead.” I yawned “I’m tired… could we do something else?” He groaned under his breath “Ok, fine… we’ll walk, let’s go already.” He sighed and stood up, and Kadaj did the same. I shook Loz awake and said “Hey Brother, come on. We’re going for a walk.” He yawned, and I helped him to his feet “Whew, finally… I’ve never played such a boring game! Glad that’s over… I thought it would never end.” Kadaj giggled “Loz, you slept through almost the whole thing! But you’re actually right about that, even if you werent awake for most of it… I was ready to fall asleep too.” I shook my head “That just makes me even more curious how he raised Big Brother. No way did Hojo do this stuff. He couldn’t have.” Hojo replied “Enough complaining. I will have no more of that from any of you. Don’t go running off ahead of me, is that clear? If you three get lost and I don’t find you, your Mother is going to kill me. Literally. I’d prefer not to have an untimely demise because of some mere children.” I sighed “Just shut up and lead the way already. We know you don’t wanna do this.” He seemed angry but didn’t respond, then led the way out of the forest. Mother and Sephiroth waved goodbye to us, and we waved back before they were out of sight. Loz asked “So Mister Hojo, you’re our father? Sephiroth said you raised him when he was a kid.” Hojo hesitated, but calmed himself “I did in fact raise him during his childhood. I was a strict father, though. But he was a tough boy during his younger years because of me approach as the parent during that time. It was extremely rare of Sephiroth to cry, even as a child. The boy was quite strong as a youth. It’s because of me that Sephiroth is the hardened man he is now who is capable of taking hits, and why he has a stubborn side to his demeanor. When he is set on doing something, there is no changing his mind. He was always like that.” I laughed “I guess that explains my personality. I rarely move from my place as well. But if you did such a good job with Big Brother, why arent you that interested in us? That’s pretty weird, don’t you think? We are related to him, after all.” Hojo answered “I, well… you three specimens are, how do I say it..? You’re inferior to him, even though you do share blood. The three of you are only remnants in classification, lesser parts, whereas he is whole and complete.” Kadaj sighed “I hate to say it, but he’s actually right… We are incomplete…” Loz added “But we’re still kids, right? So doesn’t that mean we could turn out like Sephiroth since we’re still growing?” Hojo shrugged “You and Yazoo, most likely not… but Kadaj may have a glimmer of potential on that one, fortunately. She is special, and quite different from the two of you.” I said “Now that you mention it, Big Brother did say there’s something very important about Little Sister, especially for the success of the mission we’re tasked with as Mother’s children. But me and Loz have yet to find the answer about what it is… I’m confused, but I believe Big Brother. He wouldn’t make something like this up.” Kadaj suggested “Do you think it means I’ll look like Big Brother when I grow up..?” Loz said “I thought that might be the answer too, but somehow it doesn’t sound like that’s everything when he said that… I’m confused too, Little Sister.” I replied “I think the best way is to let time show us the answer once Little Sister gets big enough… I’m sure that will reveal the answers, at least. But it’s a long way off still…” Hojo agreed “Sometimes a little patience will help you find what you’re looking for, young specimens. Science didn’t get where it is now with people blindly charging forward without stopping to observe or for a bit of perspective.” I smiled “You’re right about that one, Hojo. No sense in denying that.” I didn’t care about him calling us specimens for the first time then; I decided to feel happy that he said something valuable for once, instead of being cocky and acting like he knows everything the way he usually projected himself. That was our job, not his. Kadaj and Loz seemed to feel the same way I did. Loz asked “So uh… where are we going, anyway?” Hojo shrugged “I havent a clue. Wherever the road takes us, is where we are going. I know little more than you do.” Kadaj warned “And what’s gonna happen if we get lost and you don’t know how to get back to our hideout in the woods, huh?” Hojo replied “Ohh, well, you see uh… Your Mother will know where we are, wont she? She never blinks.” I said “Maybe she doesn’t, but she cant fly anymore. If we get stuck out here and run into a dangerous creature, she might not make it on time to help us. Mother’s gonna be really mad if that happens, especially at you. And after what happened earlier, I don’t think the next punishment will be so lenient. I wouldn’t go that way if I were you; you never wanna make Mother angry. You’re lucky you’re even alive right now.” Kadaj suddenly changed the subject “Mister Hojo, when you talked about the monster called Zeta Weapon… how did the Shinra guy who wanted the project started plan to control something so powerful?” Hojo replied “He had hoped to have a living vessel with great enough magical powers control Zeta with the willpower of their own mind. How he planned to achieve such a thing, I do not know otherwise. The only known species that could even hope to accomplish that is the Cetra. But because your kind was endangered at the time and still is, it would have inevitably never happened. Even the inferior specimen we held captive several years ago was too inferior to do it, and she was one of the few survivors of her species. The only other known specimen of her kind back then was your older Brother Sephiroth, and catching him was obviously suicide. Even for the top brass of Shinra’s militia. I had tried urge President Shinra to try regardless of the obvious sacrifice, but he refused. I feel he desired to let Sephiroth roam free and allow him to do as he pleases, most likely because of the miracle he turned out to be. I decided it was best to respect to this, and went through long and thorough research in order to discover another possible conduit who would be strong enough to control Zeta. I reached countless dead ends, one year after the other, but refused to give up. To this very day, I have yet to find a living specimen powerful enough to handle this job.” I listened in disbelief “Dang… is it really that hard?” Hojo answered “A powerful specimen requires a powerful will to be controlled by an external source. Sephiroth appears to be the only possible candidate at this time, or would be. But since Zeta was inside of a reactor for too long, controlling it at this point is simply impossible. It inevitably has a mind of its own now, especially since it warped sector 7 and Shinra HQ from ruin to good as new. It’s too dangerous to attempt controlling the specimen at this point.” Kadaj suggested “And what if we tried anyway? What would happen then?” Hojo shrugged “If you want to that reckless, then be my guest. But don’t blame me if you perish trying or the specimen takes control of you instead of the reverse.” Kadaj understood “I know why you and Mother and Sephiroth don’t want us doing anything dangerous or that might get us in big trouble, mister… but if we never do anything reckless, we wont get super strong or learn what we’re capable of. Sometimes taking the biggest risks can give the best rewards, right?” I sighed and shook my head “You know what, I think she’s right… I don’t like disobeying Mother, I really don’t. But if we don’t risk anything we wont make any progress on the mission. Besides, if we survived the last two accidents we had at Shinra HQ, we can survive another mess, right? We’ve been through chaos and back how many times now?” Loz smiled and nodded in agreement. Kadaj agreed “Yeah, I wanna work hard and risk everything so I can help Mother get this Planet back—and her happiness with it! I wanna do everything I can so she can be happy again and get new wings!” I wondered “But… what exactly is going to happen when Mother gets the Planet back? Big Brother told us that the day Mother gets the Planet back is when something called the Great Beginning happens… but what is the Great Beginning? Is it when everyone else in this world dies and comes back as one of us, or is rewriting the Planet from scratch..?” Kadaj was very interested “Now that you mention it, I remember hearing him say that too… like a very long time ago. It was so hard to see though… everything was a swirling black and silver mist, and I felt so weak when I heard his voice say that… I cant remember anything else but that. Were we being born when he said those things to us?” Loz wondered “Maybe? I don’t really know either, but I heard it too and saw the same thing you did… everything was black. But not the kind of black you see when somebody hits you hard and you get put to sleep by force…” I laughed “Loz, that’s called unconsciousness, silly Brother!” Kadaj and me laughed, and Loz protested “Ohh, uh… I knew that! It just came out wrong, that’s all…” Hojo seemed to overhear us “The Great Beginning, you say? Do you mean to erase me from this world as well?” He suddenly looked sad, and tried to hide it in his voice. We suddenly stopped laughing, and I felt a strange emotion sweep through me. Hojo continued “Surely I have caused you much trouble already, but do you intend for my efforts to aid your family to be in vain, rather than properly rewarded..?” I hesitated “I… look, we don’t know what it is either, ok? Just… calm down, mister… I mean, Dad… We’re probably wrong about it anyway. It was just a random guess…” I hardened my expression, and found myself in a strange mental predicament. Suddenly, I firmly snapped “Just stop it… I’m sure you’ll just be one of us when this is all finished, ok?” Kadaj worried “Yazoo…” I drifted “We can take him with us… I’m sure of it. There’s gotta be a way..!” I couldn’t take the mental noise any longer, and groaned, holding my head with my arms “Grr..!” Loz cried “Mister, look out!” I cried “Urrgh..! I cant take anymore!!” I screamed, and the ground shook briefly. I was gasping for air, and Kadaj shook me to get my attention “Um, Yazoo… there’s something over there…” Startled out of my fit, I looked ahead and saw what she was talking about: there was a large and tall patch of what looked like crystals or some kind of rocks filled with black. I gasped “Oh my goodness… where did these come from..?” I looked towards the side of them, where Loz appeared to have lunged into Hojo and knocked him down. The both got up after he got off of him. I asked “What just happened..?” Hojo answered “While I have no confirmation, I believe it was your screaming and anger that these giant rocks were spawned of. You nearly killed me!” I felt guilty, stepping away “I didn’t mean to do that… it was an accident! I’m really sorry…” Kadaj tried to comfort me “Yazoo, it’s ok… You didn’t know you had that power. And Loz and mister Hojo are ok too, see?” Loz smiled “It’s ok! I’ll just break them!” I happily agreed “That’s a great idea, Loz!” He armed his dual hound and prepared to strike them, but Kadaj panicked and blocked his way “No… no it’s not a great idea. Don’t hit those!” Loz asked “Huh? But why?” She replied “Because we don’t know anything about these. If they’re some kind of magic crystals, they might blow up and destroy us all. Is it really worth that?” I realized she might be right “I didn’t even think about that… we’d better leave them alone, then. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Let’s just keep going.” Hojo continued leading us, and we followed behind him. Hojo said “You’d better control that temper of yours, Yazoo. Especially since I lack data on those things that appeared during your fit.” I sighed “I said I’m sorry. Cant you just forget about it already? I didn’t do it on purpose!” Loz accused “Yeah! If anyone here gets the blame, its you, stupid!” Hojo argued “What?! What did I do? That makes no sense!” Kadaj sighed “Loz, don’t start up with him… please. I don’t want another big mess with this man. Especially since Mother isnt here to shut him up when he needs to stop.” I agreed “Make that both of us.” Kadaj changed the subject “Moving on, though… how are we supposed to know where Zeta Weapon is when we go to look for it? We cant blindly search when we don’t know what we’re up against.” Hojo answered “Oh, that will be easy. I invented a special device that was supposed to be used to trace mako levels in order to monitor Zeta’s feed during the experiment. And since the specimen has been overloaded based on what I have hypothesized from Sephiroth’s explanation, locating it should be relatively easy. However, the device can also react to mako levels in a nearby reactor which will be naturally high on readings, so it isnt perfect. Long story short, catching up to the specimen will be a scientific scavenger hunt, children.” I understood “Ok, but… shouldn’t it go crazy if the monster close by, like more than around a reactor?” Hojo paused, then said “I do not know, I’m afraid. If Zeta gives higher readings than a reactor, though, you’d better be prepared for a brutal contest. I’ve never encountered anything that formidable, nor have I heard of anything like it.” Out of nowhere, we all stopped after hearing a loud roar that seemed to come from far away. Kadaj cried “Wha… what the heck was that..?!” Hojo was tensed and studied the area, but there was no sign of a creature being nearby. Loz said “That noise… wasn’t Zeta, right, mister Hojo?” Hojo hesitated “Wha… me? I’m pretty sure… it wasn’t…” I shook my head “That didn’t sound very convincing, Father.” Kadaj replied “Maybe not, but maybe he was just startled by the noise like the rest of us. Let’s keep going and forget about it.” We all nodded, then turned back to Hojo. He still seemed to be in a panic but turned around and kept leading the way without saying anything. Kadaj moaned and seemed to be pain, and I asked “Are you ok, Kadaj?” She nodded, reaching her arm behind her back to rub it “I’m alright, I think my back hurts a little though… I also have a stomach ache, too…” Hojo laughed “Well then, it must be lunch time already! Let’s find a place where I can feed you children.” Kadaj disagreed “No, it’s not that kind of pain… it feels like some kind of super tiny blade cutting through me in those places. I don’t know why though…” I worried “You werent injured when I accidently made those black rocks appear, were you?” She shook her head “No… it started just now, when we heard… something roar.” I offered “Do you need help? I can carry you if it hurts too much, Sister.” She nodded, accepting my offer, and I carefully picked her up, holding her. She smiled up at me “Thanks, Yazoo.” I replied “Sure, no problem.” Loz wondered “Should we go back?” Kadaj said “No, I’ll be alright. I might be hurt from Cloud beating us up the other day…” Hojo asked “And why would Cloud want you three?” I said “We don’t know. Even Sephiroth wasn’t sure. But I don’t like him at all. He’s crazy. And that girl who knew him was just weird.” Loz complained “Argh! Why the heck didn’t I beat her up?! I couldve gotten us outta running into him if I did! Plus, she was stupid anyways!” I calmed him “Don’t blame yourself, Loz. I’m sure you were too bummed out at the time to think of doing that. We all were.” He groaned “Uggh!! That stupid, stupid girl! I’m gonna get her someday, I mean it! She’ll wish she never saw my face I’ll beat her so bad!” Hojo added “Hmm, you probably mean Tifa. She’s his friend. But if you train well enough, young Loz, I can see you easily besting her in combat. You’ll grow plenty strong to be capable of it, even if you are inferior to Sephiroth.” Loz happily cried “You know it! I’m gonna make her regret everything she did to us yesterday!” Kadaj laughed “Well look at that, Loz has found himself an archenemy.” Suddenly, a heavy tremor started, knocking us all down. Loz cried “Oww! What in the world..?!” Kadaj got back to her feet and warned “Umm, mister… there’s something over there… and it’s huge.” Hojo got up and gasped “Oh my god… run, children! Run right now!” I quickly got up, and Loz also got up. I turned to where Kadaj was pointing and saw a giant creature that had large black dragon-like wings, metal silver arms, and numerous blades protruding from several places on the sides of its body. It had crimson red eyes, and a silvery face with long blades in its mouth that seemed to act as fangs. It’s arms spread out, and it flew off the ground, revealing a massive silver tail with golden glow flowing through it, roaring out in fury at the sight of us. The rest of its body was pitch black. For the first time in my life, I was trembling with fear, leaning against Hojo “H-h-hojo… what is that thing?!” Hojo kept his stare hard on the beast that stood before us “This creature… no! It cant be the same thing we locked up my laboratory..!” Kadaj cried “That’s the Zeta?!” Loz yelled “Forget about what it is! Just run! There’s no way we can beat that thing! Look at the size of it!” Hojo shouted “Get out of here, you specimens! Save yourselves and go back home!” Kadaj and Loz obeyed, but stopped some ways ahead when they realized I wasn’t with them. Loz yelled “Brother, what are you doing?! We need to get outta here or we’ll die!” I realized I was crying. I couldn’t leave Hojo by himself. He didn’t know the first thing about how to battle and fight creatures off; he was just a scientist without those skills. I cried “I… I cant! I’m not leaving anyone behind!” Hojo was shocked “What?! You cant beat Zeta! Are you mad, boy?!” I looked at him, hardening my expression “Neither can you! I’m not going anywhere without everyone!” I drew my revolver, aiming at the massive beast that stood before us. I was shaking all over with fear. Hojo cried “You foolish child! You’re nuts!” I pulled the trigger, firing several shots at the creature. It roared furiously, and opened its mouth, charging a ball of green. Hojo panicked “That’s pure mako..! Yazoo, out of the way!” When it finished charging its attack, I ran out of the way as quickly as I could “Ahh, shoot…! One hit from that, and we’re done for!” Hojo said “Keep going! We’re no match!” A heavy explosion came from close behind us, and I fell down, coughing. The impact was so powerful, it shook the ground. Kadaj was crying “Oh my god..! Yazoo, no!!” Someone picked me up, and my vision began to going blurry. Loz shouted “Keep going, guys! We’ll hide and let it escape! It’s the only shot we have at getting away!” Hojo agreed “Of course!” I couldn’t see; my vision was too blurry. We ended up stopping someplace, and Kadaj whispered “Yazoo, are you ok?! Say something, I’m begging you!” I moaned “Unngh… Sister..? I tried to make out what was above me, and things began to regain shape. I saw Kadaj looking down at me with worry “Oh, thank goodness!” Hojo said “Let me see the boy.” Kadaj agreed “Of course.” Hojo put me in his lap, holding me over my back, and felt my forehead “Oh no… I think he was struck… The boy is flushed and has a terrible fever. Fortunately he evaded a direct hit, but the radiation is hurting him badly…” Loz stood up and peeked outside “I think it’s gone… at least for now… But we need to find Mother! Yazoo’s in trouble right now!” I realized we were in a small forest, and said “Is it… gone..?” Hojo answered “Seems like it. The specimen probably flew somewhere else. But, you crazy kid! What were you thinking back there?!” I replied “I couldn’t do it… I couldn’t just leave you like that… Hojo, you don’t know the first thing about fighting. I cant let you die like that, even if I am sick because of what I did.” Hojo hardened his expression, and narrowed his eyes “You… idiot…” I saw tears fall from his face, and he wiped them away with his sleeve. Kadaj worried “He looks awful… we need to find Mother, and quick! Yazoo looks like he will pass out any second!” Hojo shook his head in disbelief “It’s too far to go back… he wont make it that long!” Out of nowhere, my left arm started wracking with pain. I moaned, tightly shutting my eyes. My revolver fell from my hand. I moaned “Unngh..! What the..?! I cant move..!” Kadaj cried “No!” She panicked, and the pain in my arm had suddenly stopped. But it still hurt from whatever happened. I lifted it up to look at it, and saw some blood stained on my leather sleeve “I think I’m alright… but what the heck?” I heard Mother say something from somewhere close by “Hold on, my children!” I looked the other way, and saw Mother and Sephiroth come toward us. Hojo was confused “Hm? How did you know?” Mother picked me up and held me in her arms “Because I always know when my children are in trouble. We need to go back to the woods on the other side.” Sephiroth studied me and said “He’s sick. Nice work, Hojo.” Hojo protested “What?! This isnt my fault! It was only an unfortunate encounter! I have nothing to do with it! I cant predict everything, you know!” Kadaj said “He’s telling the truth. It was an accident. We ran into this giant thing and it fired a mako beam at Hojo and Yazoo. The radiation is what made Yazoo sick after we hid in here and it lost track of us.” Sephiroth said “A mako beam? But that would mean the beast was…” Hojo shook his head sadly “Indeed, it was Zeta… Yazoo got sick because I wouldn’t run from it with Kadaj and Loz. I was planning to distract it while the three of them could get away unharmed, but he wouldn’t leave me. So, he tried to fight it with that gun of his and that’s when it unleashed a heavy mako beam at us. We both evaded a direct hit, but young Yazoo was not unscathed, as you can see… I cant tell you how sorry I am…”Sephiroth sighed “It’s not your fault… he’s very protective. Even as reckless as it was in this case, even deadly, his attitude and priorities remained unchanged. Even all three of them wouldn’t stand a chance against this beast. I don’t know what to say… he’s not scared of anything.” Hojo agreed “I know. He knew he wouldn’t be able to beat it, and yet he stood there pointing his gun at the specimen just so I could survive… unreal.” Kadaj asked “Mother, is he gonna be ok?” Mother replied “He seems weak, but if he stays in close proximity with me, he should be good as new in a few days. Until then, Yazoo cant be separated from me. Only reunion can cure mako stigma. I am needed for that to work since he is still growing.” Hojo sighed “Thank goodness you have that… I was busy preparing for you to kill me over this fiasco.” Mother said “Let’s go back home. I’ll carry Yazoo.” Mother and everyone else started walking together, and I relaxed in Mother’s arms “Mother… thanks for coming back for me.” She smiled down at me and kissed my cheek “I’m just glad you’ll be ok.” Hojo asked “Does my time still restart tomorrow?” Mother giggled “Do you want it to?” Hojo panicked “What?! No, of course not! Don’t be ridiculous!” Everyone laughed; I smiled. Mother said “Then it wont.” Hojo sighed in relief “Thank goodness! I can actually return to being myself when we get back… about time.” Sephiroth said “I was out hunting while you and my young brethren were on your walk, so everyone can enjoy dinner when we return.” Loz happily agreed “Thank goodness! I’m starving!” Mother said “I need to take Yazoo somewhere else though, for the sake of healing. I’ll feed him there. Everyone else, return to our temporary base in the woods.” Sephiroth replied “Understood. I’ll lead everyone else the rest of the way, then.” I asked “Mother… where are we going?” Mother paused, stopping at the edge of an ocean, then said “To someplace very important… and special.” I felt like I was being lifted off the ground, but I went unconscious before I had a chance to see what was going on.
To Be Continued…
I woke up as usual the next morning, and Sephiroth and Mother were also awake. Kadaj and Loz were still sleeping, and Hojo was still writing in that notebook of his. I asked “Do you ever get any sleep?” Hojo smiled “Of course I do. I just wake up long before the rest of you. Research is life, is it not?” I sighed “Tch, that didn’t even make sense…” Sephiroth said “Just ignore him, Young Brother. You know he has a one-track mind. I doubt he is likely to change at this point.” I asked “Why did you even decide to come with us in the first place? That’s what I don’t get. You certainly arent interested in the mission.” Hojo laughed “For the sake of research, of course. It’s what I live for. Project Zeta is already over, as we now know. Rufus’s interests and focus as President don’t correctly align with my own, so I made plans to resign after Project Zeta was finished. But now that Sephiroth filled me in on the incidents discussed yesterday, I’m well aware it has gone horribly wrong and the specimen was left inside a reactor for too much time. With Zeta powered-up to that extreme, I’m afraid I’d be putting my life on the line if I were to continue with the experiment, so I’d best withdraw. And that brings me to why I am with you and your family, young specimen.” I angrily groaned “Would you stop calling me a specimen already?!” Sephiroth held me back “Ignore him, Yazoo. He always talks about living things that way. Don’t let him get to you. He did it to me until I grew old enough and he saw how strong I would I become. Imagine how long I had to put up with this.” I complained “But still! That’s rude! If you refer to Mother like that Hojo, I swear I am going to kill you. And I mean it! So shut up!” Hojo teased “Oh, would you really? And who else has the skills and scientific experience needed for your plans to slay Zeta? I am the project supervisor, after all. Without my knowledge and skill, you wont be able to get close to the specimen without dying.” I couldn’t take anymore after he said that “Hmph! Whatever.” I crossed my arms and turned away angrily. Sephiroth sighed and grew firm “Hojo, stop teasing him. He’s just a little boy. If you’re going to bully my young Brothers and Little Sister, you will face my wrath. And as you well know, that wont end well… for you.” Mother added “Or worse, you will be punished by me. You’ll distaste that end even more, so I advise you to stop.” Hojo shrugged “Teasing? I am only telling the boy the truth, am I not? I did nothing at all.” Sephiroth sighed and shook his head, and Mother grew angry. She stepped forward, angrily gazing at Hojo “Stop… your lying.” Hojo smiled “And how can you do a thing without your precious wings, hm?” I gasped and quickly turned around “Uh oh…” Sephiroth warned “Hojo, that was a huge mistake…” Mother sounded as if she was crying “You..! I’ll have none of that from you, insect!” The ground began shaking, and a silver light enveloped her. The base of her destroyed wings was shining brightly, and she grabbed Hojo by the neck, holding him off the ground. He panicked “I didn’t mean that..! I was just kidding!” He kicked her, but she didn’t flinch or react in any way; as if she didn’t feel it. She lifted him even higher, then threw him away; he landed on the ground several ways ahead of us, gasping for air. He didn’t seem to be concerned about her as much as being able to breathe. He was even coughing a lot. She began walking towards him, and held her arms out at both sides. Several small white holes opened up, and metal arrows emerged from them, homing in on Hojo. Sephiroth ran ahead, quickly blocking them with his masamune. Startled, Mother calmed down and lowered her arms. The ground was still again, and the silver light around Mother’s being faded. But the bright glow of white where her wings used to be remained. Sephiroth said “Mother, don’t do it! Calm yourself!” I realized Kadaj and Loz were awake now, most likely in reaction to Mother’s attacks. Kadaj appeared to know what had happened, and so did Loz. Loz was angry and ran towards Hojo, who was now sitting on the ground “You big dummy! You’re lucky she didn’t kill you, stupid old man!” Sephiroth said “I know he’s an idiot, but we have to leave him alive. There isnt anyone else who will come this close to us without being afraid. The other reason concerns his skills, along with his knowledge about the new Zeta Weapon that was overfed with mako recently. He’s the only person who can help us on this.” Mother was still crying quietly “I know that, but he..! How could he..!” Sephiroth dropped his masamune and hugged Mother “I know you’re hurt… he went too far that time. It’s ok… don’t be sad, Mother. I’ll always be right here with you… I promised. Since the very beginning.” Mother understood “Of course…” Me and Kadaj went to Hojo, standing next to Loz. Hojo laughed nervously “Oh, aha ha ha… You needed something?” Loz armed his dual hound and said “Oh yeah, we need something, alright.” Hojo scooted away, smiling to conceal his fear “Oh no, that’s just fine… I need to return to taking notes. I’m afraid I cant play right now, young children…” Loz laughed “Oh yes, you can, and you will! I wanna play a game!” Hojo rushed to his feet and replied “No thanks… I am horribly busy—“ He ran deeper into the woods and Loz shouted “Hey! Get back here! We didn’t even get started!” Then he ran after him. Me and Kadaj laughed, and high-fived each other. Kadaj smiled “That’s more like it! Have a good time after what you did to Mother!” I laughed and shook my head “My, he really is a coward. So much for mister tough science guy, going on and on about how we’re stupid and weak just because we’re kids.” Mother came up behind us and laughed “As much as I’d like to let young Loz enjoy punishing Hojo, I think I’d better follow them before it gets out of hand. We do have valid reasons to let the man live, at least.” Sephiroth nodded in agreement, and Mother went deeper into the woods to catch up to Loz and Hojo. I shook my head “He really did it this time… we’re lucky Mother didn’t blow the entire forest into oblivion.” Sephiroth replied “I calmed her so that wouldn’t happen. She’s very sensitive about her powers. That’s why she reacted so violently; without her metal wings, she doesn’t have her full potential. I cant allow him to go unpunished for this. Hojo went too far this time. But I cant threaten his life with the punishment… I’ll have to assign him work he will hate instead.” I sighed “If Cloud hadnt broken that core, none of this would’ve happened… stupid old man. I hate him already. What’s his deal anyway?” Sephiroth answered “It isnt because of you or Kadaj and Loz, my Young Brother. It has to do with me. Cloud and I have hated each other to no end for countless years; always raging war against each other. Most likely, he was picking on the three of you because of his hatred for me. He probably knows we’re family. But I wont let him get away with it; he has no right to get you three involved in our mess. I will hunt him down and kill him after we get rid of this Zeta Weapon that’s running loose. This beast poses a greater threat than he does right now.” Kadaj asked “What if we didn’t beat Zeta? What if we caught it instead of killing it? If its really as strong as Hojo says, it would probably help us on the mission.” I replied “While I like your idea, Sister, its flooded with too much mako. Any of us would die trying to absorb it. Even in its weakened state where it would be more vulnerable.” Kadaj complained “Aww darn… just think of the fun Cloud would have playing with that thing if one of us summoned it. What a shame!” We all laughed; even Sephiroth laughed. Sephiroth agreed “How I would love to watch that play out. Unfortunately, Yazoo is probably right. Absorbing Zeta would be suicide, even for me. At least, based on Hojo’s description we’re left with. I wouldn’t suggest doubting him on this. But, if we had a more powerful and stable vessel in the family, then just maybe it might work out…” I asked “You mean Mother might be able to do it?” Sephiroth shook his head “No, it’s even impossible for her. If she so much as tried, she would become gravely ill… and most likely die from sickness. Even her body cant handle it. Mother is pure in JENOVA cells; she passes down her cells to us as the seed of our kind’s power. While it would inevitably kill us, she has enough of her cells that instant death wouldn’t be the case for her… but she would suffer so much it just isnt worth it. I don’t want to see her in pain like that… not anymore.” Kadaj suggested “But if the mako wont kill her right away, does that mean she can get close to this thing without burning away?” Sephiroth answered “Mother might be able to stand up to it without immediate disintegration, but without the powers of her wings, the fight is simply too dangerous. She wouldn’t have much time before the brutal radiation begins to harm her. This is only legend as far as I know, since I havent witnessed it firsthand, but I’ve heard her metal wings possess a special miracle that prevents her health and vitality from decreasing. If it’s true, that might explain why she is exceptionally stronger with them.” I asked “But since the core is gone, is there any other way for her to get new wings?” Sephiroth seemed sad, and tears fell from his face “The only way to do it without the miracle core… is love. She needs love—and lots of it. But there are too many bogies, and not enough of us… too much war all around… that’s why she went so many years without them. How her previous recovery helped her regain them is beyond me… I wish I knew, but I don’t. Aside from Shinra’s many years of stealing her power for themselves, that is. She suffered so much… all because of me..! I wasn’t there for her for so many years you children don’t have a clue… she was lonely, all by herself… no one else was there to help her. All because of him..! That foolish man lied to me about everything!” I worried “Big Brother…” Kadaj said “No, Big Brother… You’re not the bad one. If Cloud didn’t get in your way, she would be smiling right now. I don’t blame you; I blame Cloud. He’s the bad one, even worse than Hojo. At least Hojo isnt out to kill all of us… but I don’t trust Cloud. He’s so scary… I cant stand him.” Sephiroth calmed down, then turned back to us “Don’t worry, I wont let him get any of you again. Together, we’re stronger than him.” We nodded in agreement. I smiled at Sephiroth, and he smiled back. He lifted me up, and held me in his arms. I laughed playfully “I love you, Big Brother…” Sephiroth replied “I love you too, my Little Brother. You’re a very brave boy. I’m proud of you. You have excellent leadership skills for your young age, and you’re a smart kid. Don’t ever forget any of that, ok?” I understood “Thanks… I won’t. I promise.” Sephiroth rubbed the back of my head, then put me down “I need you to keep JENOVA SOLDIER on the right track, ok? Keep up the good work.” I nodded “Thanks. I will.” Mother came back shortly after, with Loz walking beside her. Hojo looked pretty bruised up, and Mother was holding him by the arm, and looked to be gripping tightly. I tried my best not to laugh to avoid provoking him, covering my mouth. Kadaj laughed “Look at you! He probably went easy on you, too!” Hojo moaned and sounded exhausted, but to my surprise he didn’t protest. I had a feeling he learned his limits this time and smiled, lowering my hand. Sephiroth said “I guess I don’t need to find work he wont like as punishment… unless you want that as well, Mother.” Mother answered “While I do think he learned his lesson after receiving Young Loz’s beating, he needs at least one day’s time for full penance. Likewise Hojo, I think it’s time for you to change jobs for today and be entertainment for my young remnant children. You owe them a big apology for your display this morning.” Hojo panicked “What?! But that’s not fair! I was already a punching bag for your son! Is that not enough?!” Mother answered “It isnt. Do as I say or I’ll be the one to beat you next.” Hojo groaned “Urrgh..! Fine!” She let him go, and he fell down. He got to his feet and grumbled “I’m a scientist, a seasoned researcher! And I am to be some useless entertainment for mere children?! What kind of mockery is this? Life is too short for such a waste of time!” He brushed his lab coat and sat down around the fire pit we made, then angrily crossed his arms. Sephiroth said “You’re one to talk. You’re even more childish than Loz. Listen to yourself.” Hojo angrily replied “You lot! Enough of that! I didn’t sign up for this; I signed up for science, for progress! And for your family, nonetheless. And this is how you repay me?” Kadaj shook her head “Wow… he’s really mad now…” Mother said “Enough of that rambling on, Hojo. Stop being a big baby and follow orders. If you don’t, your time starts over tomorrow.” Hojo sighed “Fine. Whatever you want. I only wish to end this nonsense, anyway.” I had never seen Hojo so angry like this. But it wasn’t our fault. If he hadnt provoked Mother, this wouldn’t be happening right now. I realized he was responsible for the morning mess, and everything that followed up to now. He had a really big mouth. I worried that his attitude might get us in trouble later on if he wasn’t careful, or if none of us stepped in to silence him. We didn’t end up traveling today; instead, Hojo got out an extra notebook and decided to make stories he had read to us as he went. It seemed to go on forever. The stories werent very interesting; in fact, they were pretty boring and badly put together. Loz had yawned, and went to sleep. I assumed he got bored and slept from boredom. Kadaj was nodding off, trying to stay awake. I wasn’t even listening anymore, just staring off elsewhere, waiting for this to be over. Mother said “Um, Hojo… I don’t think these stories are entertaining my children. Perhaps you should go for a walk with them instead, or find something different to do that they might like.” He grumbled “Are you kidding me..? As if this isnt difficult enough already… I even wasted a good, clean notebook I could have recorded valuable research data in instead.” I yawned “I’m tired… could we do something else?” He groaned under his breath “Ok, fine… we’ll walk, let’s go already.” He sighed and stood up, and Kadaj did the same. I shook Loz awake and said “Hey Brother, come on. We’re going for a walk.” He yawned, and I helped him to his feet “Whew, finally… I’ve never played such a boring game! Glad that’s over… I thought it would never end.” Kadaj giggled “Loz, you slept through almost the whole thing! But you’re actually right about that, even if you werent awake for most of it… I was ready to fall asleep too.” I shook my head “That just makes me even more curious how he raised Big Brother. No way did Hojo do this stuff. He couldn’t have.” Hojo replied “Enough complaining. I will have no more of that from any of you. Don’t go running off ahead of me, is that clear? If you three get lost and I don’t find you, your Mother is going to kill me. Literally. I’d prefer not to have an untimely demise because of some mere children.” I sighed “Just shut up and lead the way already. We know you don’t wanna do this.” He seemed angry but didn’t respond, then led the way out of the forest. Mother and Sephiroth waved goodbye to us, and we waved back before they were out of sight. Loz asked “So Mister Hojo, you’re our father? Sephiroth said you raised him when he was a kid.” Hojo hesitated, but calmed himself “I did in fact raise him during his childhood. I was a strict father, though. But he was a tough boy during his younger years because of me approach as the parent during that time. It was extremely rare of Sephiroth to cry, even as a child. The boy was quite strong as a youth. It’s because of me that Sephiroth is the hardened man he is now who is capable of taking hits, and why he has a stubborn side to his demeanor. When he is set on doing something, there is no changing his mind. He was always like that.” I laughed “I guess that explains my personality. I rarely move from my place as well. But if you did such a good job with Big Brother, why arent you that interested in us? That’s pretty weird, don’t you think? We are related to him, after all.” Hojo answered “I, well… you three specimens are, how do I say it..? You’re inferior to him, even though you do share blood. The three of you are only remnants in classification, lesser parts, whereas he is whole and complete.” Kadaj sighed “I hate to say it, but he’s actually right… We are incomplete…” Loz added “But we’re still kids, right? So doesn’t that mean we could turn out like Sephiroth since we’re still growing?” Hojo shrugged “You and Yazoo, most likely not… but Kadaj may have a glimmer of potential on that one, fortunately. She is special, and quite different from the two of you.” I said “Now that you mention it, Big Brother did say there’s something very important about Little Sister, especially for the success of the mission we’re tasked with as Mother’s children. But me and Loz have yet to find the answer about what it is… I’m confused, but I believe Big Brother. He wouldn’t make something like this up.” Kadaj suggested “Do you think it means I’ll look like Big Brother when I grow up..?” Loz said “I thought that might be the answer too, but somehow it doesn’t sound like that’s everything when he said that… I’m confused too, Little Sister.” I replied “I think the best way is to let time show us the answer once Little Sister gets big enough… I’m sure that will reveal the answers, at least. But it’s a long way off still…” Hojo agreed “Sometimes a little patience will help you find what you’re looking for, young specimens. Science didn’t get where it is now with people blindly charging forward without stopping to observe or for a bit of perspective.” I smiled “You’re right about that one, Hojo. No sense in denying that.” I didn’t care about him calling us specimens for the first time then; I decided to feel happy that he said something valuable for once, instead of being cocky and acting like he knows everything the way he usually projected himself. That was our job, not his. Kadaj and Loz seemed to feel the same way I did. Loz asked “So uh… where are we going, anyway?” Hojo shrugged “I havent a clue. Wherever the road takes us, is where we are going. I know little more than you do.” Kadaj warned “And what’s gonna happen if we get lost and you don’t know how to get back to our hideout in the woods, huh?” Hojo replied “Ohh, well, you see uh… Your Mother will know where we are, wont she? She never blinks.” I said “Maybe she doesn’t, but she cant fly anymore. If we get stuck out here and run into a dangerous creature, she might not make it on time to help us. Mother’s gonna be really mad if that happens, especially at you. And after what happened earlier, I don’t think the next punishment will be so lenient. I wouldn’t go that way if I were you; you never wanna make Mother angry. You’re lucky you’re even alive right now.” Kadaj suddenly changed the subject “Mister Hojo, when you talked about the monster called Zeta Weapon… how did the Shinra guy who wanted the project started plan to control something so powerful?” Hojo replied “He had hoped to have a living vessel with great enough magical powers control Zeta with the willpower of their own mind. How he planned to achieve such a thing, I do not know otherwise. The only known species that could even hope to accomplish that is the Cetra. But because your kind was endangered at the time and still is, it would have inevitably never happened. Even the inferior specimen we held captive several years ago was too inferior to do it, and she was one of the few survivors of her species. The only other known specimen of her kind back then was your older Brother Sephiroth, and catching him was obviously suicide. Even for the top brass of Shinra’s militia. I had tried urge President Shinra to try regardless of the obvious sacrifice, but he refused. I feel he desired to let Sephiroth roam free and allow him to do as he pleases, most likely because of the miracle he turned out to be. I decided it was best to respect to this, and went through long and thorough research in order to discover another possible conduit who would be strong enough to control Zeta. I reached countless dead ends, one year after the other, but refused to give up. To this very day, I have yet to find a living specimen powerful enough to handle this job.” I listened in disbelief “Dang… is it really that hard?” Hojo answered “A powerful specimen requires a powerful will to be controlled by an external source. Sephiroth appears to be the only possible candidate at this time, or would be. But since Zeta was inside of a reactor for too long, controlling it at this point is simply impossible. It inevitably has a mind of its own now, especially since it warped sector 7 and Shinra HQ from ruin to good as new. It’s too dangerous to attempt controlling the specimen at this point.” Kadaj suggested “And what if we tried anyway? What would happen then?” Hojo shrugged “If you want to that reckless, then be my guest. But don’t blame me if you perish trying or the specimen takes control of you instead of the reverse.” Kadaj understood “I know why you and Mother and Sephiroth don’t want us doing anything dangerous or that might get us in big trouble, mister… but if we never do anything reckless, we wont get super strong or learn what we’re capable of. Sometimes taking the biggest risks can give the best rewards, right?” I sighed and shook my head “You know what, I think she’s right… I don’t like disobeying Mother, I really don’t. But if we don’t risk anything we wont make any progress on the mission. Besides, if we survived the last two accidents we had at Shinra HQ, we can survive another mess, right? We’ve been through chaos and back how many times now?” Loz smiled and nodded in agreement. Kadaj agreed “Yeah, I wanna work hard and risk everything so I can help Mother get this Planet back—and her happiness with it! I wanna do everything I can so she can be happy again and get new wings!” I wondered “But… what exactly is going to happen when Mother gets the Planet back? Big Brother told us that the day Mother gets the Planet back is when something called the Great Beginning happens… but what is the Great Beginning? Is it when everyone else in this world dies and comes back as one of us, or is rewriting the Planet from scratch..?” Kadaj was very interested “Now that you mention it, I remember hearing him say that too… like a very long time ago. It was so hard to see though… everything was a swirling black and silver mist, and I felt so weak when I heard his voice say that… I cant remember anything else but that. Were we being born when he said those things to us?” Loz wondered “Maybe? I don’t really know either, but I heard it too and saw the same thing you did… everything was black. But not the kind of black you see when somebody hits you hard and you get put to sleep by force…” I laughed “Loz, that’s called unconsciousness, silly Brother!” Kadaj and me laughed, and Loz protested “Ohh, uh… I knew that! It just came out wrong, that’s all…” Hojo seemed to overhear us “The Great Beginning, you say? Do you mean to erase me from this world as well?” He suddenly looked sad, and tried to hide it in his voice. We suddenly stopped laughing, and I felt a strange emotion sweep through me. Hojo continued “Surely I have caused you much trouble already, but do you intend for my efforts to aid your family to be in vain, rather than properly rewarded..?” I hesitated “I… look, we don’t know what it is either, ok? Just… calm down, mister… I mean, Dad… We’re probably wrong about it anyway. It was just a random guess…” I hardened my expression, and found myself in a strange mental predicament. Suddenly, I firmly snapped “Just stop it… I’m sure you’ll just be one of us when this is all finished, ok?” Kadaj worried “Yazoo…” I drifted “We can take him with us… I’m sure of it. There’s gotta be a way..!” I couldn’t take the mental noise any longer, and groaned, holding my head with my arms “Grr..!” Loz cried “Mister, look out!” I cried “Urrgh..! I cant take anymore!!” I screamed, and the ground shook briefly. I was gasping for air, and Kadaj shook me to get my attention “Um, Yazoo… there’s something over there…” Startled out of my fit, I looked ahead and saw what she was talking about: there was a large and tall patch of what looked like crystals or some kind of rocks filled with black. I gasped “Oh my goodness… where did these come from..?” I looked towards the side of them, where Loz appeared to have lunged into Hojo and knocked him down. The both got up after he got off of him. I asked “What just happened..?” Hojo answered “While I have no confirmation, I believe it was your screaming and anger that these giant rocks were spawned of. You nearly killed me!” I felt guilty, stepping away “I didn’t mean to do that… it was an accident! I’m really sorry…” Kadaj tried to comfort me “Yazoo, it’s ok… You didn’t know you had that power. And Loz and mister Hojo are ok too, see?” Loz smiled “It’s ok! I’ll just break them!” I happily agreed “That’s a great idea, Loz!” He armed his dual hound and prepared to strike them, but Kadaj panicked and blocked his way “No… no it’s not a great idea. Don’t hit those!” Loz asked “Huh? But why?” She replied “Because we don’t know anything about these. If they’re some kind of magic crystals, they might blow up and destroy us all. Is it really worth that?” I realized she might be right “I didn’t even think about that… we’d better leave them alone, then. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Let’s just keep going.” Hojo continued leading us, and we followed behind him. Hojo said “You’d better control that temper of yours, Yazoo. Especially since I lack data on those things that appeared during your fit.” I sighed “I said I’m sorry. Cant you just forget about it already? I didn’t do it on purpose!” Loz accused “Yeah! If anyone here gets the blame, its you, stupid!” Hojo argued “What?! What did I do? That makes no sense!” Kadaj sighed “Loz, don’t start up with him… please. I don’t want another big mess with this man. Especially since Mother isnt here to shut him up when he needs to stop.” I agreed “Make that both of us.” Kadaj changed the subject “Moving on, though… how are we supposed to know where Zeta Weapon is when we go to look for it? We cant blindly search when we don’t know what we’re up against.” Hojo answered “Oh, that will be easy. I invented a special device that was supposed to be used to trace mako levels in order to monitor Zeta’s feed during the experiment. And since the specimen has been overloaded based on what I have hypothesized from Sephiroth’s explanation, locating it should be relatively easy. However, the device can also react to mako levels in a nearby reactor which will be naturally high on readings, so it isnt perfect. Long story short, catching up to the specimen will be a scientific scavenger hunt, children.” I understood “Ok, but… shouldn’t it go crazy if the monster close by, like more than around a reactor?” Hojo paused, then said “I do not know, I’m afraid. If Zeta gives higher readings than a reactor, though, you’d better be prepared for a brutal contest. I’ve never encountered anything that formidable, nor have I heard of anything like it.” Out of nowhere, we all stopped after hearing a loud roar that seemed to come from far away. Kadaj cried “Wha… what the heck was that..?!” Hojo was tensed and studied the area, but there was no sign of a creature being nearby. Loz said “That noise… wasn’t Zeta, right, mister Hojo?” Hojo hesitated “Wha… me? I’m pretty sure… it wasn’t…” I shook my head “That didn’t sound very convincing, Father.” Kadaj replied “Maybe not, but maybe he was just startled by the noise like the rest of us. Let’s keep going and forget about it.” We all nodded, then turned back to Hojo. He still seemed to be in a panic but turned around and kept leading the way without saying anything. Kadaj moaned and seemed to be pain, and I asked “Are you ok, Kadaj?” She nodded, reaching her arm behind her back to rub it “I’m alright, I think my back hurts a little though… I also have a stomach ache, too…” Hojo laughed “Well then, it must be lunch time already! Let’s find a place where I can feed you children.” Kadaj disagreed “No, it’s not that kind of pain… it feels like some kind of super tiny blade cutting through me in those places. I don’t know why though…” I worried “You werent injured when I accidently made those black rocks appear, were you?” She shook her head “No… it started just now, when we heard… something roar.” I offered “Do you need help? I can carry you if it hurts too much, Sister.” She nodded, accepting my offer, and I carefully picked her up, holding her. She smiled up at me “Thanks, Yazoo.” I replied “Sure, no problem.” Loz wondered “Should we go back?” Kadaj said “No, I’ll be alright. I might be hurt from Cloud beating us up the other day…” Hojo asked “And why would Cloud want you three?” I said “We don’t know. Even Sephiroth wasn’t sure. But I don’t like him at all. He’s crazy. And that girl who knew him was just weird.” Loz complained “Argh! Why the heck didn’t I beat her up?! I couldve gotten us outta running into him if I did! Plus, she was stupid anyways!” I calmed him “Don’t blame yourself, Loz. I’m sure you were too bummed out at the time to think of doing that. We all were.” He groaned “Uggh!! That stupid, stupid girl! I’m gonna get her someday, I mean it! She’ll wish she never saw my face I’ll beat her so bad!” Hojo added “Hmm, you probably mean Tifa. She’s his friend. But if you train well enough, young Loz, I can see you easily besting her in combat. You’ll grow plenty strong to be capable of it, even if you are inferior to Sephiroth.” Loz happily cried “You know it! I’m gonna make her regret everything she did to us yesterday!” Kadaj laughed “Well look at that, Loz has found himself an archenemy.” Suddenly, a heavy tremor started, knocking us all down. Loz cried “Oww! What in the world..?!” Kadaj got back to her feet and warned “Umm, mister… there’s something over there… and it’s huge.” Hojo got up and gasped “Oh my god… run, children! Run right now!” I quickly got up, and Loz also got up. I turned to where Kadaj was pointing and saw a giant creature that had large black dragon-like wings, metal silver arms, and numerous blades protruding from several places on the sides of its body. It had crimson red eyes, and a silvery face with long blades in its mouth that seemed to act as fangs. It’s arms spread out, and it flew off the ground, revealing a massive silver tail with golden glow flowing through it, roaring out in fury at the sight of us. The rest of its body was pitch black. For the first time in my life, I was trembling with fear, leaning against Hojo “H-h-hojo… what is that thing?!” Hojo kept his stare hard on the beast that stood before us “This creature… no! It cant be the same thing we locked up my laboratory..!” Kadaj cried “That’s the Zeta?!” Loz yelled “Forget about what it is! Just run! There’s no way we can beat that thing! Look at the size of it!” Hojo shouted “Get out of here, you specimens! Save yourselves and go back home!” Kadaj and Loz obeyed, but stopped some ways ahead when they realized I wasn’t with them. Loz yelled “Brother, what are you doing?! We need to get outta here or we’ll die!” I realized I was crying. I couldn’t leave Hojo by himself. He didn’t know the first thing about how to battle and fight creatures off; he was just a scientist without those skills. I cried “I… I cant! I’m not leaving anyone behind!” Hojo was shocked “What?! You cant beat Zeta! Are you mad, boy?!” I looked at him, hardening my expression “Neither can you! I’m not going anywhere without everyone!” I drew my revolver, aiming at the massive beast that stood before us. I was shaking all over with fear. Hojo cried “You foolish child! You’re nuts!” I pulled the trigger, firing several shots at the creature. It roared furiously, and opened its mouth, charging a ball of green. Hojo panicked “That’s pure mako..! Yazoo, out of the way!” When it finished charging its attack, I ran out of the way as quickly as I could “Ahh, shoot…! One hit from that, and we’re done for!” Hojo said “Keep going! We’re no match!” A heavy explosion came from close behind us, and I fell down, coughing. The impact was so powerful, it shook the ground. Kadaj was crying “Oh my god..! Yazoo, no!!” Someone picked me up, and my vision began to going blurry. Loz shouted “Keep going, guys! We’ll hide and let it escape! It’s the only shot we have at getting away!” Hojo agreed “Of course!” I couldn’t see; my vision was too blurry. We ended up stopping someplace, and Kadaj whispered “Yazoo, are you ok?! Say something, I’m begging you!” I moaned “Unngh… Sister..? I tried to make out what was above me, and things began to regain shape. I saw Kadaj looking down at me with worry “Oh, thank goodness!” Hojo said “Let me see the boy.” Kadaj agreed “Of course.” Hojo put me in his lap, holding me over my back, and felt my forehead “Oh no… I think he was struck… The boy is flushed and has a terrible fever. Fortunately he evaded a direct hit, but the radiation is hurting him badly…” Loz stood up and peeked outside “I think it’s gone… at least for now… But we need to find Mother! Yazoo’s in trouble right now!” I realized we were in a small forest, and said “Is it… gone..?” Hojo answered “Seems like it. The specimen probably flew somewhere else. But, you crazy kid! What were you thinking back there?!” I replied “I couldn’t do it… I couldn’t just leave you like that… Hojo, you don’t know the first thing about fighting. I cant let you die like that, even if I am sick because of what I did.” Hojo hardened his expression, and narrowed his eyes “You… idiot…” I saw tears fall from his face, and he wiped them away with his sleeve. Kadaj worried “He looks awful… we need to find Mother, and quick! Yazoo looks like he will pass out any second!” Hojo shook his head in disbelief “It’s too far to go back… he wont make it that long!” Out of nowhere, my left arm started wracking with pain. I moaned, tightly shutting my eyes. My revolver fell from my hand. I moaned “Unngh..! What the..?! I cant move..!” Kadaj cried “No!” She panicked, and the pain in my arm had suddenly stopped. But it still hurt from whatever happened. I lifted it up to look at it, and saw some blood stained on my leather sleeve “I think I’m alright… but what the heck?” I heard Mother say something from somewhere close by “Hold on, my children!” I looked the other way, and saw Mother and Sephiroth come toward us. Hojo was confused “Hm? How did you know?” Mother picked me up and held me in her arms “Because I always know when my children are in trouble. We need to go back to the woods on the other side.” Sephiroth studied me and said “He’s sick. Nice work, Hojo.” Hojo protested “What?! This isnt my fault! It was only an unfortunate encounter! I have nothing to do with it! I cant predict everything, you know!” Kadaj said “He’s telling the truth. It was an accident. We ran into this giant thing and it fired a mako beam at Hojo and Yazoo. The radiation is what made Yazoo sick after we hid in here and it lost track of us.” Sephiroth said “A mako beam? But that would mean the beast was…” Hojo shook his head sadly “Indeed, it was Zeta… Yazoo got sick because I wouldn’t run from it with Kadaj and Loz. I was planning to distract it while the three of them could get away unharmed, but he wouldn’t leave me. So, he tried to fight it with that gun of his and that’s when it unleashed a heavy mako beam at us. We both evaded a direct hit, but young Yazoo was not unscathed, as you can see… I cant tell you how sorry I am…”Sephiroth sighed “It’s not your fault… he’s very protective. Even as reckless as it was in this case, even deadly, his attitude and priorities remained unchanged. Even all three of them wouldn’t stand a chance against this beast. I don’t know what to say… he’s not scared of anything.” Hojo agreed “I know. He knew he wouldn’t be able to beat it, and yet he stood there pointing his gun at the specimen just so I could survive… unreal.” Kadaj asked “Mother, is he gonna be ok?” Mother replied “He seems weak, but if he stays in close proximity with me, he should be good as new in a few days. Until then, Yazoo cant be separated from me. Only reunion can cure mako stigma. I am needed for that to work since he is still growing.” Hojo sighed “Thank goodness you have that… I was busy preparing for you to kill me over this fiasco.” Mother said “Let’s go back home. I’ll carry Yazoo.” Mother and everyone else started walking together, and I relaxed in Mother’s arms “Mother… thanks for coming back for me.” She smiled down at me and kissed my cheek “I’m just glad you’ll be ok.” Hojo asked “Does my time still restart tomorrow?” Mother giggled “Do you want it to?” Hojo panicked “What?! No, of course not! Don’t be ridiculous!” Everyone laughed; I smiled. Mother said “Then it wont.” Hojo sighed in relief “Thank goodness! I can actually return to being myself when we get back… about time.” Sephiroth said “I was out hunting while you and my young brethren were on your walk, so everyone can enjoy dinner when we return.” Loz happily agreed “Thank goodness! I’m starving!” Mother said “I need to take Yazoo somewhere else though, for the sake of healing. I’ll feed him there. Everyone else, return to our temporary base in the woods.” Sephiroth replied “Understood. I’ll lead everyone else the rest of the way, then.” I asked “Mother… where are we going?” Mother paused, stopping at the edge of an ocean, then said “To someplace very important… and special.” I felt like I was being lifted off the ground, but I went unconscious before I had a chance to see what was going on.
To Be Continued…
