Chapter 7: Scars
(This section will focus on Hojo as the speaker) I was feeling very pleased, sitting here studying all I could about the only living evolution class cetra named Sephieroth, sometimes seen and referred to as Kadaj. My curiosity only grew as I continued reading and hypothesizing everything I thought may be linked to her frequent transforming during battle. However, I was interrupted by my phone ringing in my pocket, and I took it out to answer "Hm? Why is Jenji calling me during the middle of a project?" I answered it, and Jenji sounded like he was in a panic "Mister Hojo, sir... I've got bad news!" I grumbled "Gahh, what now?!" Jenji replied "The subject, er... Princess Kadaj--she's gone!" Now I was furious "What?! How did she get out?!" Jenji continued his panic "Cloud Strife, that traitor--he busted the cell and ran off with her! They fell downstairs, but I know they're still alive!" I demanded "Then what are you waiting for?! Go after him and take her back! Don't stand there and blab to me about it, fool!" Jenji hesitated "B-but sir... they already got away... we can't catch up to them from here." I complained "Ohh, fine! I'll send out reinforcements then!" I couldn't take anymore and hung up without going further, shoving my phone into my pocket and rushing to the security panel and slamming the alarm button to deploy everyone I had "Gahh! Can these rookies handle anything?! It's like I do all the work around here, no matter the situation! Useless lot..!" The alarm went off, loud enough I could barely hear myself talk. Suddenly, the entire facility began shaking "What the..? First that accident, and now this?!" The shaking grew stronger, and I fell down "Oww!" I tried to get back up, but stopped: I saw JENOVA right above me, standing there looking at me with anger, pointing several metal arrows at me that seemed to come from her back. I laughed nervously "Ohh, haha... Queen JENOVA! So nice of you to come..." She withdrew her arrows, which formed two familiar metallic wings behind her "Hojo... I've received reports of you starting another project. Do you remember the law in this world?" I forced a smile "Ohh, I'm so sorry... perhaps you can give me a, um... friendly reminder?" She sneered at me, her gaze so piercing it almost hurt me all over "So you do remember, then. I'm not surprised. I got word from my youngest that you're planning on beginning something called 'Cetra Class Project', and that you intended she be the first so-called 'subject' of your abominations. All who live in this kingdom--in my world, are strictly forbidden to tamper with my cells in any way. What you attempted to do is a serious offense." I stood up and argued "But, your Majesty... I called you asking permission, and you gave it to me! So why this?!" She shook her head "I knew to be wary of this when I granted that permission. You can study and do all the research you like, but experiments and any kind of projects where tampering with my cells would occur--is not permitted." I tried to convince her "Miss JENOVA, please understand my reasons... if I can't experiment, what can the company accomplish? Without experiments such as these, scientific advancement and progression is near impossible. If I were to unlock the secret of the evolution class cetra, it could empower future generations of your children and kind. I know it's very risky and dangerous business, your Majesty... I understand that completely. But if we risk nothing, we inevitably accomplish nothing. I know you're afraid of a major accident and ordeal due to my involvement and activities during the Shinra JENOVA Project, but please trust me on this one. I know what I'm doing." JENOVA remained angry and seemed to get teary as she spoke "The man who hid my son from me for his entire childhood, the one who lied to my baby Sephiroth for all those years about everything...!" She lashed out, shaping her wings into numerous blades and hurling them towards me "The man who stole everything from me for his own profit and gain!! I'm supposed to trust you just like that?!!" She was weeping now, but angry at the same time. She didn't withdraw her blades though. I barely avoided getting hit by them when she attacked. I realized there was a wormhole behind her that was gradually closing up. I heard Sephiroth shout from somewhere "Mother! Calm down!" Sephiroth appeared from the wormhole behind her, and it immediately closed up when he entered. Sephiroth sounded strangely gentle and sweet towards her "Mother, it's ok... I won't let him do any of those things again. And I'm not gone, either; I'm right here with you... don't be sad." JENOVA returned her wings to normal, and I sighed in relief. Sephiroth gave her a hug, and her mood seemed to change. I thought I made out a faint giggle that sounded like JENOVA's "Sephiroth, my first... most precious child..." She giggled some more after that. He let go of her and approached me "You made a very bad and foolish first move, false Brother. Think about what you're doing, and what you've already done. Is science all you care about? Do the lives of others involved... have no value to you? You were ready to sacrifice my Sister, who happens to be just below me in overall potential, for the sake of research alone. If she had died during whatever you planned, you'd be in serious trouble: more trouble than you're in now. The games are over, Hojo: in this world, you can be persecuted by Mother's laws for such recklessness. Maybe Shinra didn't have any laws in place for that, but Shinra is dead. This... is JENOVA Kingdom. You are bound by Mother's laws and rules in this world, whether you're a cetra or not. Even humans such as yourself are bound by her rules, whether you like or not. I still can't believe Cloud willingly rescued her and got her to safety, but at this rate...." he turned away, seeming to be in deep thought "I'll reserve my judgement for the now, but Cloud is clearly trying much harder than you obviously are. You aren't trying at all." JENOVA interrupted "Sephiroth, even Cloud has a heart... certainly more than the disgrace standing behind you. When I gifted him, during that fast but memorable moment outside... he didn't attack me. He kept saying 'I can help you, you don't have to do this'... he said 'tell me what's wrong'. Even though I didn't respond to his words, he knew I was suffering... without even getting an answer from me. I was impressed." Sephiroth approached her "It's that hole again... isn't it..?" She nodded silently. I was confused "What hole? What are you two blabbing about now?" JENOVA turned my way "I won't tell you what it is, but I will say this so you hopefully get a grip and do things right: you and Cloud are the only ones who can fill that hole and seize all war among my kingdom. Until you and him learn to cooperate and get along with me and Sephiroth, my Planet is doomed into endless cycles of war--one after the other. The only way that can work is by both of you 'righting the wrongs', if you understand what I speak of. Fix what you both did wrong, and peace eternal will finally come to my kingdom." Sephiroth added "And so far, only Cloud is making any progress here. You're still at square one, Hojo." Then they both disappeared into another dimension, the wormhole closing behind them. I shook my head "I guess I'll have to cancel the whole thing then... I'd rather not have the entire kingdom watch me get killed." I turned the alarm off, and groaned, sitting back down at my desk "And what's this hole they were talking about? Perhaps I should make uncovering that a priority for now... even if I do know nothing."
To be Continued...
(This section will focus on Hojo as the speaker) I was feeling very pleased, sitting here studying all I could about the only living evolution class cetra named Sephieroth, sometimes seen and referred to as Kadaj. My curiosity only grew as I continued reading and hypothesizing everything I thought may be linked to her frequent transforming during battle. However, I was interrupted by my phone ringing in my pocket, and I took it out to answer "Hm? Why is Jenji calling me during the middle of a project?" I answered it, and Jenji sounded like he was in a panic "Mister Hojo, sir... I've got bad news!" I grumbled "Gahh, what now?!" Jenji replied "The subject, er... Princess Kadaj--she's gone!" Now I was furious "What?! How did she get out?!" Jenji continued his panic "Cloud Strife, that traitor--he busted the cell and ran off with her! They fell downstairs, but I know they're still alive!" I demanded "Then what are you waiting for?! Go after him and take her back! Don't stand there and blab to me about it, fool!" Jenji hesitated "B-but sir... they already got away... we can't catch up to them from here." I complained "Ohh, fine! I'll send out reinforcements then!" I couldn't take anymore and hung up without going further, shoving my phone into my pocket and rushing to the security panel and slamming the alarm button to deploy everyone I had "Gahh! Can these rookies handle anything?! It's like I do all the work around here, no matter the situation! Useless lot..!" The alarm went off, loud enough I could barely hear myself talk. Suddenly, the entire facility began shaking "What the..? First that accident, and now this?!" The shaking grew stronger, and I fell down "Oww!" I tried to get back up, but stopped: I saw JENOVA right above me, standing there looking at me with anger, pointing several metal arrows at me that seemed to come from her back. I laughed nervously "Ohh, haha... Queen JENOVA! So nice of you to come..." She withdrew her arrows, which formed two familiar metallic wings behind her "Hojo... I've received reports of you starting another project. Do you remember the law in this world?" I forced a smile "Ohh, I'm so sorry... perhaps you can give me a, um... friendly reminder?" She sneered at me, her gaze so piercing it almost hurt me all over "So you do remember, then. I'm not surprised. I got word from my youngest that you're planning on beginning something called 'Cetra Class Project', and that you intended she be the first so-called 'subject' of your abominations. All who live in this kingdom--in my world, are strictly forbidden to tamper with my cells in any way. What you attempted to do is a serious offense." I stood up and argued "But, your Majesty... I called you asking permission, and you gave it to me! So why this?!" She shook her head "I knew to be wary of this when I granted that permission. You can study and do all the research you like, but experiments and any kind of projects where tampering with my cells would occur--is not permitted." I tried to convince her "Miss JENOVA, please understand my reasons... if I can't experiment, what can the company accomplish? Without experiments such as these, scientific advancement and progression is near impossible. If I were to unlock the secret of the evolution class cetra, it could empower future generations of your children and kind. I know it's very risky and dangerous business, your Majesty... I understand that completely. But if we risk nothing, we inevitably accomplish nothing. I know you're afraid of a major accident and ordeal due to my involvement and activities during the Shinra JENOVA Project, but please trust me on this one. I know what I'm doing." JENOVA remained angry and seemed to get teary as she spoke "The man who hid my son from me for his entire childhood, the one who lied to my baby Sephiroth for all those years about everything...!" She lashed out, shaping her wings into numerous blades and hurling them towards me "The man who stole everything from me for his own profit and gain!! I'm supposed to trust you just like that?!!" She was weeping now, but angry at the same time. She didn't withdraw her blades though. I barely avoided getting hit by them when she attacked. I realized there was a wormhole behind her that was gradually closing up. I heard Sephiroth shout from somewhere "Mother! Calm down!" Sephiroth appeared from the wormhole behind her, and it immediately closed up when he entered. Sephiroth sounded strangely gentle and sweet towards her "Mother, it's ok... I won't let him do any of those things again. And I'm not gone, either; I'm right here with you... don't be sad." JENOVA returned her wings to normal, and I sighed in relief. Sephiroth gave her a hug, and her mood seemed to change. I thought I made out a faint giggle that sounded like JENOVA's "Sephiroth, my first... most precious child..." She giggled some more after that. He let go of her and approached me "You made a very bad and foolish first move, false Brother. Think about what you're doing, and what you've already done. Is science all you care about? Do the lives of others involved... have no value to you? You were ready to sacrifice my Sister, who happens to be just below me in overall potential, for the sake of research alone. If she had died during whatever you planned, you'd be in serious trouble: more trouble than you're in now. The games are over, Hojo: in this world, you can be persecuted by Mother's laws for such recklessness. Maybe Shinra didn't have any laws in place for that, but Shinra is dead. This... is JENOVA Kingdom. You are bound by Mother's laws and rules in this world, whether you're a cetra or not. Even humans such as yourself are bound by her rules, whether you like or not. I still can't believe Cloud willingly rescued her and got her to safety, but at this rate...." he turned away, seeming to be in deep thought "I'll reserve my judgement for the now, but Cloud is clearly trying much harder than you obviously are. You aren't trying at all." JENOVA interrupted "Sephiroth, even Cloud has a heart... certainly more than the disgrace standing behind you. When I gifted him, during that fast but memorable moment outside... he didn't attack me. He kept saying 'I can help you, you don't have to do this'... he said 'tell me what's wrong'. Even though I didn't respond to his words, he knew I was suffering... without even getting an answer from me. I was impressed." Sephiroth approached her "It's that hole again... isn't it..?" She nodded silently. I was confused "What hole? What are you two blabbing about now?" JENOVA turned my way "I won't tell you what it is, but I will say this so you hopefully get a grip and do things right: you and Cloud are the only ones who can fill that hole and seize all war among my kingdom. Until you and him learn to cooperate and get along with me and Sephiroth, my Planet is doomed into endless cycles of war--one after the other. The only way that can work is by both of you 'righting the wrongs', if you understand what I speak of. Fix what you both did wrong, and peace eternal will finally come to my kingdom." Sephiroth added "And so far, only Cloud is making any progress here. You're still at square one, Hojo." Then they both disappeared into another dimension, the wormhole closing behind them. I shook my head "I guess I'll have to cancel the whole thing then... I'd rather not have the entire kingdom watch me get killed." I turned the alarm off, and groaned, sitting back down at my desk "And what's this hole they were talking about? Perhaps I should make uncovering that a priority for now... even if I do know nothing."
To be Continued...
