Chapter 32: The Ultimate Sacrifice
(This section will focus on Sephiroth as the speaker) I was flying, on my way to Mako Peak to meet up with Mother and Father. She said it was an important to get there as quickly as possible, but didn't give me a lot of details when she contacted me. So, I had no choice but to take an emergency leave from JENOVA Foundation and meet Mother at her throne to discuss whatever had come up. I began to wonder if Little Sister was doing ok. I figured as long as she was still alive, it's safe to say she is ok or will be fine. I couldn't get over how successful she was during the war against Shinra despite her recklessness. It was worrying to me, but it also made me feel like a proud Brother to her. Sometimes it was hard to decide if I should let her do things her way or if I should stop her so she doesn't kill herself trying to do something she simply can't. I landed at Mako Peak, and saw Mother seated at her throne. She smiled at me and said "Thank you, my son. On time as always." I replied "No problem, Mother. I'm just doing my job and following the rules. What's going on? You called me and I knew it was an emergency. Of course, I had to leave Rufus on his own without being able to say much, but he should get over it and do fine. He didn't like me leaving last-minute like that." Mother said "I need JENBU here before I can explain the situation, but it does concern the Family Hero, Kadaj... It's going to be a painful discussion, but it's very important, Sephiroth. I need your assistance on the matter and your Father's as well." I nodded and said "Yes, Mother. I understand." We waited in silence for a few minutes, and then Father arrived, landing by my side. Mother said "Alright, JENBU, Sephiroth... I need you two to listen carefully to what I am about to explain." We both waited silently, and Mother explained "Kadaj is still unconscious... I got reports from Yazoo saying that she's barely alive, even in the thickness of my chamber underneath the foundation HQ. Based on the description he gave me, I am afraid she can't last much longer..." I said "What? But... how? That chamber has the strongest concentration of JENOVA cells in the entire kingdom. The only thing that could prevent her from recovering to that kind of extreme would be... some external force trying to pull her out of life and back into the JENOVA Lifestream, right?" Mother agreed "Correct, Sephiroth. As you and what remains of JENOVA SOLDIER knows, she faded into my lifestream because she completed her role and ceasing all war against my legacy. Likewise, that same force is trying to reclaim her, fighting against even the greatest flood of my cells as a result. Which brings us to the only possible cure for all of this..." I said "Oh no... you can't mean have us kill each other..." Father shook his head and added "Of course not. If we were to fight each other, that would mean all her sacrifices were meaningless. The only possible cure in this case is what we call the Ultimate Sacrifice, my son." Concerned, I said "The Ultimate Sacrifice...?" Mother began "Yes, Sephiroth. This is one of the only things I never taught you during the SOLDIER incident in Shinra. The Ultimate Sacrifice is when my very being is fused with that of one of my children's. Do you remember seeing Kadaj merge with me when she feels endangered?" I answered "I do, Mother... but is that everything?" Mother closed her eye and shook her head, saying "I'm afraid it doesn't end there, my son. That fusion she had with me was incomplete and only designed to protect her in life threatening situations, where she is under extreme stress. The Ultimate Sacrifice is the act of using my power and mixing it with one of my children's--to such a powerful extreme that my power can even become theirs entirely. This is the only thing strong enough to keep my Youngest alive, while cutting the connection to the force relentlessly trying to pull her away. And the only way this can succeed is by the hands and power of a skilled scientist. I cannot do this on my own; only Rufus has any shot at making this work." I couldn't believe what I just heard, and barely said "Mother, you can't be serious... you're going to sacrifice yourself just to save Little Sister..? Why..?" Father added "But JENOVA... we were finally together again... Is this what you really want?" Mother opened her eye, and said "I know hearing this makes you both very sad, but I know this is for the better. If there's anyone who has potential to succeed me besides you, Sephiroth, it's your Sister who is barely clinging to life as we speak. With my power as her own, she will become even more powerful and also inherit my immortality as a result of the sacrifice. She might be a reckless one, but she is smart and has what is needed to rule in my place with you by her side. There's only one thing I want you and JENBU to promise me about this...." Me and Father listened with intent. Mother finished "Teach her well... she is very strong, and will grow even stronger with me sealed inside of her... but she still has much to learn. I want you both to protect her, and teach her well and carefully. If you do that, she will make a fine Queen some day. I'm sure of it. She just needs a little guidance." Mother smiled, and I smiled back. Mother giggled, and said "Maybe I won't be gone forever, either. Some day.... I will regain life once more. So, you'll see, my son. As long as the Infinite Reunion remains so, I am bound to regain physical shape with enough time." Father said "Yeah, but... Kadaj said something about Aerith and letting her come back, didn't she?" Mother replied "She did, JENBU. Whenever I regain physical form, I can easily take her back to this kingdom with me... and Kadaj will get what she wants on that day. I only ask that you and Sephiroth help her gain the skills needed to rule as Queen in my place until my Fourth Coming manifests. The road to my Fourth Coming is a long one, but with you and Sephiroth here I know my kingdom is in safe hands. After Rufus completes the Ultimate Sacrifice, it will be in even safer hands with proper guidance and training. Bring my legacy honor, and help my Youngest do the same to her best ability." Me and Father cried "We will!" Mother stood up and bolted her silver metal wings, slightly flying above the ground. I didn't want Mother to go, but I knew she had an excellent point with everything she just explained. I hoped to see her return she described too. It was sad to let Mother sacrifice herself for our Sister who was barely alive, but I would not let her will to do this go for naught either. This opportunity she was giving us would help Sister become a better SOLDIER and help her refrain from the reckless behavior she was well known for. If we trained her carefully enough, I knew she would be less likely to get careless on the battlefield. Mother flew towards me, and lifted my arms. I bolted my black wing and flew in front of her. She was looking me in the eye now. Mother said "Sephiroth, my son... don't be sad about this. Just see that nothing goes awry with the experiment at JENOVA Foundation... keep Rufus under strict supervision and provide backup to see the Ultimate Sacrifice is safely completed. For the future of my kingdom, these are my final wishes, Sephiroth. You know the rest of what I want, and JENBU also does. I trust you both with this final, most important task... for the sake of my legacy." Then she let go of my hands and slowly flew out of sight, heading for JENOVA Foundation HQ. I couldn't even speak; I just stayed where I was and watched her fly out of sight. I barely made out my words "M-Mother..." I felt heavy tears fall from my face, and said "Why..? Why did it have to come to this..?" I couldn't think about anything but Mother now. I didn't want it to end this way, but I knew I had to carry out her wishes about helping Sister become a great Queen who can effectively rule in her place until she regains life again. There was no other choice. I knew Mother was not going to change her mind. I heard Father say behind me "Don't worry, JENOVA... We'll make sure you get what you want. I promise..." Father gently pulled at my arm, and said "Sephiroth, listen..." I turned around to face him, and he continued "I know it hurts to see JENOVA go like this, I know it does... I love her too. But we can't let in any sorrow with these important things she's leaving us with; we have to take care of them with the same joy we would if she was still with us. If we do that, I know she's more than likely to return to us one more time." I added "You're right... I'll just have to start arrangements at JENOVA Foundation and make certain the procedure is done flawlessly. But when it is finished... will Sister regain her angelic form? She reverted to her larva state because she was too weak to be in her strongest form... which may be why she is still alive enough for this to work." Father paused, then said "She should, especially given the nature of the Ultimate Sacrifice. She could even take a greater form since JENOVA's power will become hers... but either way, it will prevent her from dying." I then flew away, heading for JENOVA Foundation. On my way there, I said "Don't worry, Mother... We'll keep our promise. And this time, I won't mess anything up." I felt my expression harden, and my tears stopped.
To be Continued...
(This section will focus on Sephiroth as the speaker) I was flying, on my way to Mako Peak to meet up with Mother and Father. She said it was an important to get there as quickly as possible, but didn't give me a lot of details when she contacted me. So, I had no choice but to take an emergency leave from JENOVA Foundation and meet Mother at her throne to discuss whatever had come up. I began to wonder if Little Sister was doing ok. I figured as long as she was still alive, it's safe to say she is ok or will be fine. I couldn't get over how successful she was during the war against Shinra despite her recklessness. It was worrying to me, but it also made me feel like a proud Brother to her. Sometimes it was hard to decide if I should let her do things her way or if I should stop her so she doesn't kill herself trying to do something she simply can't. I landed at Mako Peak, and saw Mother seated at her throne. She smiled at me and said "Thank you, my son. On time as always." I replied "No problem, Mother. I'm just doing my job and following the rules. What's going on? You called me and I knew it was an emergency. Of course, I had to leave Rufus on his own without being able to say much, but he should get over it and do fine. He didn't like me leaving last-minute like that." Mother said "I need JENBU here before I can explain the situation, but it does concern the Family Hero, Kadaj... It's going to be a painful discussion, but it's very important, Sephiroth. I need your assistance on the matter and your Father's as well." I nodded and said "Yes, Mother. I understand." We waited in silence for a few minutes, and then Father arrived, landing by my side. Mother said "Alright, JENBU, Sephiroth... I need you two to listen carefully to what I am about to explain." We both waited silently, and Mother explained "Kadaj is still unconscious... I got reports from Yazoo saying that she's barely alive, even in the thickness of my chamber underneath the foundation HQ. Based on the description he gave me, I am afraid she can't last much longer..." I said "What? But... how? That chamber has the strongest concentration of JENOVA cells in the entire kingdom. The only thing that could prevent her from recovering to that kind of extreme would be... some external force trying to pull her out of life and back into the JENOVA Lifestream, right?" Mother agreed "Correct, Sephiroth. As you and what remains of JENOVA SOLDIER knows, she faded into my lifestream because she completed her role and ceasing all war against my legacy. Likewise, that same force is trying to reclaim her, fighting against even the greatest flood of my cells as a result. Which brings us to the only possible cure for all of this..." I said "Oh no... you can't mean have us kill each other..." Father shook his head and added "Of course not. If we were to fight each other, that would mean all her sacrifices were meaningless. The only possible cure in this case is what we call the Ultimate Sacrifice, my son." Concerned, I said "The Ultimate Sacrifice...?" Mother began "Yes, Sephiroth. This is one of the only things I never taught you during the SOLDIER incident in Shinra. The Ultimate Sacrifice is when my very being is fused with that of one of my children's. Do you remember seeing Kadaj merge with me when she feels endangered?" I answered "I do, Mother... but is that everything?" Mother closed her eye and shook her head, saying "I'm afraid it doesn't end there, my son. That fusion she had with me was incomplete and only designed to protect her in life threatening situations, where she is under extreme stress. The Ultimate Sacrifice is the act of using my power and mixing it with one of my children's--to such a powerful extreme that my power can even become theirs entirely. This is the only thing strong enough to keep my Youngest alive, while cutting the connection to the force relentlessly trying to pull her away. And the only way this can succeed is by the hands and power of a skilled scientist. I cannot do this on my own; only Rufus has any shot at making this work." I couldn't believe what I just heard, and barely said "Mother, you can't be serious... you're going to sacrifice yourself just to save Little Sister..? Why..?" Father added "But JENOVA... we were finally together again... Is this what you really want?" Mother opened her eye, and said "I know hearing this makes you both very sad, but I know this is for the better. If there's anyone who has potential to succeed me besides you, Sephiroth, it's your Sister who is barely clinging to life as we speak. With my power as her own, she will become even more powerful and also inherit my immortality as a result of the sacrifice. She might be a reckless one, but she is smart and has what is needed to rule in my place with you by her side. There's only one thing I want you and JENBU to promise me about this...." Me and Father listened with intent. Mother finished "Teach her well... she is very strong, and will grow even stronger with me sealed inside of her... but she still has much to learn. I want you both to protect her, and teach her well and carefully. If you do that, she will make a fine Queen some day. I'm sure of it. She just needs a little guidance." Mother smiled, and I smiled back. Mother giggled, and said "Maybe I won't be gone forever, either. Some day.... I will regain life once more. So, you'll see, my son. As long as the Infinite Reunion remains so, I am bound to regain physical shape with enough time." Father said "Yeah, but... Kadaj said something about Aerith and letting her come back, didn't she?" Mother replied "She did, JENBU. Whenever I regain physical form, I can easily take her back to this kingdom with me... and Kadaj will get what she wants on that day. I only ask that you and Sephiroth help her gain the skills needed to rule as Queen in my place until my Fourth Coming manifests. The road to my Fourth Coming is a long one, but with you and Sephiroth here I know my kingdom is in safe hands. After Rufus completes the Ultimate Sacrifice, it will be in even safer hands with proper guidance and training. Bring my legacy honor, and help my Youngest do the same to her best ability." Me and Father cried "We will!" Mother stood up and bolted her silver metal wings, slightly flying above the ground. I didn't want Mother to go, but I knew she had an excellent point with everything she just explained. I hoped to see her return she described too. It was sad to let Mother sacrifice herself for our Sister who was barely alive, but I would not let her will to do this go for naught either. This opportunity she was giving us would help Sister become a better SOLDIER and help her refrain from the reckless behavior she was well known for. If we trained her carefully enough, I knew she would be less likely to get careless on the battlefield. Mother flew towards me, and lifted my arms. I bolted my black wing and flew in front of her. She was looking me in the eye now. Mother said "Sephiroth, my son... don't be sad about this. Just see that nothing goes awry with the experiment at JENOVA Foundation... keep Rufus under strict supervision and provide backup to see the Ultimate Sacrifice is safely completed. For the future of my kingdom, these are my final wishes, Sephiroth. You know the rest of what I want, and JENBU also does. I trust you both with this final, most important task... for the sake of my legacy." Then she let go of my hands and slowly flew out of sight, heading for JENOVA Foundation HQ. I couldn't even speak; I just stayed where I was and watched her fly out of sight. I barely made out my words "M-Mother..." I felt heavy tears fall from my face, and said "Why..? Why did it have to come to this..?" I couldn't think about anything but Mother now. I didn't want it to end this way, but I knew I had to carry out her wishes about helping Sister become a great Queen who can effectively rule in her place until she regains life again. There was no other choice. I knew Mother was not going to change her mind. I heard Father say behind me "Don't worry, JENOVA... We'll make sure you get what you want. I promise..." Father gently pulled at my arm, and said "Sephiroth, listen..." I turned around to face him, and he continued "I know it hurts to see JENOVA go like this, I know it does... I love her too. But we can't let in any sorrow with these important things she's leaving us with; we have to take care of them with the same joy we would if she was still with us. If we do that, I know she's more than likely to return to us one more time." I added "You're right... I'll just have to start arrangements at JENOVA Foundation and make certain the procedure is done flawlessly. But when it is finished... will Sister regain her angelic form? She reverted to her larva state because she was too weak to be in her strongest form... which may be why she is still alive enough for this to work." Father paused, then said "She should, especially given the nature of the Ultimate Sacrifice. She could even take a greater form since JENOVA's power will become hers... but either way, it will prevent her from dying." I then flew away, heading for JENOVA Foundation. On my way there, I said "Don't worry, Mother... We'll keep our promise. And this time, I won't mess anything up." I felt my expression harden, and my tears stopped.
To be Continued...
