Chapter 5: Mysterious Legacy
(This section will focus on Cloud as the speaker) I finally had finished the babysitting job for Sephiroth's kids, and decided to walk around and observe for now since there wasn't anything else to do. JENOVA's approval of me was clearly minimal, which meant I probably wouldn't be tasked with anything big or special in any way. This world was very depressing to me. Even though everyone around here seemed happy and at peace, I just couldn't manage to smile or even feel faint joy. Everyone I ever knew and respected, some I had even loved; they were all dead. Except for Aeris. I still couldn't understand why she was here, and everyone else somehow vanished from existence. I had a flashback, remembering that awful day she was murdered right before my eyes, me being powerless to do anything about it, and the confusion grew heavier "What happened to the Planet..? What's going on? And how is Aeris alive, but everyone else is dead? This doesn't make any sense..." I began to think about where JENOVA's roost might be, hoping to find the answers I seek by confronting her. I knew the risks of direct confrontation with her, but it was my best bet if I wanted to know what happened. Even if I did find her, I had doubts she would tell me anything about all of this. I heard what sounded like something flying in the skies above me at great speed, and glanced up to see what it was. I expected it to be Sephiroth spying on me, but instead I saw something big and metal homing in on me, and I ran away as quickly as I could "Agh, shoot..! Was this another trap?!" Something made a heavy landing behind me, and I fell down. I carefully got back up, drawing my sword, and turned around. When the rubble cleared, I saw JENOVA come into view, who had blasted the strange machine to pieces from the inside. She was shining brilliantly with green and black, clearly overflowing with power. She noticed me and approached me. I began to lower my sword slowly, until she was right in front of me and placed her hand over my arm, forcing it down. I asked "What do you want?" JENOVA sneered, knocking me away with a strong blow of her cells "That is no way to talk to your Mother." I was confused "What? What are you talking about?" I began to ramble "First, your priority mission is to kill me, then you decide to spare me some years later in this new world, and now this? You don't even trust me! You're not making any sense, JEN--" She attacked with her metal wings, shaping them into long arrows that stopped directly before my face; I stopped in silent fear. JENOVA began "You have a choice, Cloud: either be my new child, or be executed right here, right now. My kingdom needs your strength. I simply have to share my power with you so you're pure like the others in my kingdom." I was too pinned down to safely argue "What..? But why me?" I could hear her whimper faintly, the arrows slightly pulling back to her, but they didn't withdraw completely "I can't tell you... I just need your energy. If you refuse, my children are doomed into endless cycles of war among the kingdom... that is all I will say." I sighed; there was no choice. I knew this JENOVA far exceeded the one I remembered in power, and I would not be strong enough to defeat her. I didn't really like the idea of her entire mass of remnants coming after me like an avalanche, either; I figured that even if I did kill her, that would be the consequence. It wasn't a light one, either. A long silence came between us, but JENOVA didn't withdraw her wings that she somehow shaped into sharp blades, inches from my neck. I was the first to break the silence "JENOVA, er... No, Mother... even if you do try to convert me, it wouldn't work. Your cells are too powerful; a direct invasion in my body from you would kill me, even if that isn't your goal. I will die if you try to do that... I'm a human, not a cetra... I can't handle a high excess like that. I don't know what's wrong, or why you feel distressed right now, but even if I let you do as you say you will, I would die anyway... JENOVA, Im... I'm very sorry." Angered, she defiantly cried "No! You will let me do it, and you will survive it!" I felt fear creep over me at her heated response. I had never seen her so angry; even through the numerous fights I had against her in the past, her anger was more controlled than it was here. Whatever was hurting her or worrying her, I knew she was being very serious here. Out of nowhere, she pulled the blades away from me, forming her metal wings again; their natural appearance. Her red eye showed piercing fury. I felt so scared, I couldn't even move; I didn't know why. I tried to move my arm to retrieve my sword I dropped when she attacked me, but it was impossible; I couldn't move, no matter how hard I tried to "Ungh..! What in the world? Why can't I... do anything..?!" All I could do was watch helplessly as JENOVA approached me, the anger not fading from her gaze. She stood in front of me now, angrily staring down at me "Tell me... what it is that you want. Do you want the chance to save this world, to save my beautiful kingdom.... or are you still having your pathetic pity party over the rotting world that is no more?" She bolted thin, pink tendrils from her back, gently reaching them towards me. All I could feel was fear and helplessness now. I had a series of flashbacks about my encounters with Sephieroth: the fight at the Meteor Monument, where I fought her, Yazoo and Loz by myself... the exact moments when I'd pushed my blade through Yazoo, and then Loz immediately thereafter... I saw them both fall down, barely alive; I saw Sephieroth in her larva state, as Kadaj, cry her Brothers' names and hurry to help them... I remembered watching them die, and saw and heard Kadaj crying over their deaths, before lashing out recklessly against me in rage. I saw and heard all of this, almost reliving it all; until I realized JENOVA had placed her hand over my forehead. I asked "What are you trying to do...?" I suddenly felt bad for Kadaj, what I had done to her and the position I left her in by killing her Brothers... only to find myself in this strange world that was filled with countless remnants, Sephiroth still alive, and to be looking at JENOVA, who was significantly stronger than she used to be. I wondered what had given her such extreme power. She stood back up, and said "Very well, Cloud... The change will be a very painful one, but I assure you it will be worth it in the end." Snapped out of fear, I managed to get up and protested "Wait, what? I didn't answer your question yet--" Before I could finished, she sent her bolted tendrils directly at me. I turned around, trying to escape as quickly as I could "Even if she is too strong, I have to do something..! I can't let her get me too!" I heard her giggle playfully, and her laughter seemed to echo as if it were right behind "You can't run from me. This is my land: I am anywhere, and everywhere." Suddenly, I stopped, and felt myself get turned around: I was looking directly at her now, and she was smiling at me in what I thought was a sweet and playful fashion "Good night... my new son." Her tendrils began to penetrate my body, and I started to feel weak "JENOVA, please... if you just tell me what's wrong, I can help you... You don't have to do this. I know you don't trust me completely, but I'm telling the truth... please listen.. !" She didn't let go at all, just kept smiling like she hadn't even heard what I said. My vision started to blur, and I fainted within seconds; I barely made out my final words "I can... save you..." After that, I blacked out.
To be Continued....
(This section will focus on Cloud as the speaker) I finally had finished the babysitting job for Sephiroth's kids, and decided to walk around and observe for now since there wasn't anything else to do. JENOVA's approval of me was clearly minimal, which meant I probably wouldn't be tasked with anything big or special in any way. This world was very depressing to me. Even though everyone around here seemed happy and at peace, I just couldn't manage to smile or even feel faint joy. Everyone I ever knew and respected, some I had even loved; they were all dead. Except for Aeris. I still couldn't understand why she was here, and everyone else somehow vanished from existence. I had a flashback, remembering that awful day she was murdered right before my eyes, me being powerless to do anything about it, and the confusion grew heavier "What happened to the Planet..? What's going on? And how is Aeris alive, but everyone else is dead? This doesn't make any sense..." I began to think about where JENOVA's roost might be, hoping to find the answers I seek by confronting her. I knew the risks of direct confrontation with her, but it was my best bet if I wanted to know what happened. Even if I did find her, I had doubts she would tell me anything about all of this. I heard what sounded like something flying in the skies above me at great speed, and glanced up to see what it was. I expected it to be Sephiroth spying on me, but instead I saw something big and metal homing in on me, and I ran away as quickly as I could "Agh, shoot..! Was this another trap?!" Something made a heavy landing behind me, and I fell down. I carefully got back up, drawing my sword, and turned around. When the rubble cleared, I saw JENOVA come into view, who had blasted the strange machine to pieces from the inside. She was shining brilliantly with green and black, clearly overflowing with power. She noticed me and approached me. I began to lower my sword slowly, until she was right in front of me and placed her hand over my arm, forcing it down. I asked "What do you want?" JENOVA sneered, knocking me away with a strong blow of her cells "That is no way to talk to your Mother." I was confused "What? What are you talking about?" I began to ramble "First, your priority mission is to kill me, then you decide to spare me some years later in this new world, and now this? You don't even trust me! You're not making any sense, JEN--" She attacked with her metal wings, shaping them into long arrows that stopped directly before my face; I stopped in silent fear. JENOVA began "You have a choice, Cloud: either be my new child, or be executed right here, right now. My kingdom needs your strength. I simply have to share my power with you so you're pure like the others in my kingdom." I was too pinned down to safely argue "What..? But why me?" I could hear her whimper faintly, the arrows slightly pulling back to her, but they didn't withdraw completely "I can't tell you... I just need your energy. If you refuse, my children are doomed into endless cycles of war among the kingdom... that is all I will say." I sighed; there was no choice. I knew this JENOVA far exceeded the one I remembered in power, and I would not be strong enough to defeat her. I didn't really like the idea of her entire mass of remnants coming after me like an avalanche, either; I figured that even if I did kill her, that would be the consequence. It wasn't a light one, either. A long silence came between us, but JENOVA didn't withdraw her wings that she somehow shaped into sharp blades, inches from my neck. I was the first to break the silence "JENOVA, er... No, Mother... even if you do try to convert me, it wouldn't work. Your cells are too powerful; a direct invasion in my body from you would kill me, even if that isn't your goal. I will die if you try to do that... I'm a human, not a cetra... I can't handle a high excess like that. I don't know what's wrong, or why you feel distressed right now, but even if I let you do as you say you will, I would die anyway... JENOVA, Im... I'm very sorry." Angered, she defiantly cried "No! You will let me do it, and you will survive it!" I felt fear creep over me at her heated response. I had never seen her so angry; even through the numerous fights I had against her in the past, her anger was more controlled than it was here. Whatever was hurting her or worrying her, I knew she was being very serious here. Out of nowhere, she pulled the blades away from me, forming her metal wings again; their natural appearance. Her red eye showed piercing fury. I felt so scared, I couldn't even move; I didn't know why. I tried to move my arm to retrieve my sword I dropped when she attacked me, but it was impossible; I couldn't move, no matter how hard I tried to "Ungh..! What in the world? Why can't I... do anything..?!" All I could do was watch helplessly as JENOVA approached me, the anger not fading from her gaze. She stood in front of me now, angrily staring down at me "Tell me... what it is that you want. Do you want the chance to save this world, to save my beautiful kingdom.... or are you still having your pathetic pity party over the rotting world that is no more?" She bolted thin, pink tendrils from her back, gently reaching them towards me. All I could feel was fear and helplessness now. I had a series of flashbacks about my encounters with Sephieroth: the fight at the Meteor Monument, where I fought her, Yazoo and Loz by myself... the exact moments when I'd pushed my blade through Yazoo, and then Loz immediately thereafter... I saw them both fall down, barely alive; I saw Sephieroth in her larva state, as Kadaj, cry her Brothers' names and hurry to help them... I remembered watching them die, and saw and heard Kadaj crying over their deaths, before lashing out recklessly against me in rage. I saw and heard all of this, almost reliving it all; until I realized JENOVA had placed her hand over my forehead. I asked "What are you trying to do...?" I suddenly felt bad for Kadaj, what I had done to her and the position I left her in by killing her Brothers... only to find myself in this strange world that was filled with countless remnants, Sephiroth still alive, and to be looking at JENOVA, who was significantly stronger than she used to be. I wondered what had given her such extreme power. She stood back up, and said "Very well, Cloud... The change will be a very painful one, but I assure you it will be worth it in the end." Snapped out of fear, I managed to get up and protested "Wait, what? I didn't answer your question yet--" Before I could finished, she sent her bolted tendrils directly at me. I turned around, trying to escape as quickly as I could "Even if she is too strong, I have to do something..! I can't let her get me too!" I heard her giggle playfully, and her laughter seemed to echo as if it were right behind "You can't run from me. This is my land: I am anywhere, and everywhere." Suddenly, I stopped, and felt myself get turned around: I was looking directly at her now, and she was smiling at me in what I thought was a sweet and playful fashion "Good night... my new son." Her tendrils began to penetrate my body, and I started to feel weak "JENOVA, please... if you just tell me what's wrong, I can help you... You don't have to do this. I know you don't trust me completely, but I'm telling the truth... please listen.. !" She didn't let go at all, just kept smiling like she hadn't even heard what I said. My vision started to blur, and I fainted within seconds; I barely made out my final words "I can... save you..." After that, I blacked out.
To be Continued....
