Chapter 11: Heavy Impact
(This section will focus on Loz as the speaker) I found myself standing before Mother, in an endless white space where she sat in her silver throne. I approached her, and kneeled out of respect. Standing back up, I asked "Mother, what can I do for you?" Mother replied "I'm glad you asked before I could explain what I want you to do. Well done, my son." I smiled at her and listened. Mother explained "As you know, the experiment Rufus used to bring back Shinra Company and all connected to it left Sephiroth in grave shape... had you not called out to me when you did, saving his life would've been impossible. Even with me in my lifestream. You also succeeded in rescuing him before Rufus could do further damage, despite being unable to prevent Shinra's revival. Do you remember what happened when he was saved?" I paused to think, then answered "Wait, you don't mean when he kissed me in the black pond, right Mother?" Mother continued "Of course I do, Loz. I understand why you're embarrassed about it all, especially after seeing the birth of a new family member.... but you don't understand why Sephiroth was as touched as he was at the time. What you did means more to him than you may know, Loz." My embarrassment faded, and I listened more. Mother explained "Despite his attempts to cover up his feelings with words after you both left my church, Sephiroth is feeling very close to you because of what you did at the abandoned Nibelheim site. The experiment the enemy had done on him was complete, utter torture for him. The machine Rufus had connected him to was being used to force him into sleep where he had literally been reliving the nightmare of everything that happened after he learned the truth about me, and about who he was. The day he learned everything about JENOVA Project and worse--where it all began." I said "So that means... he was being tormented by the device?" Mother shook her head and answered "Not just that, my son... what Rufus also did with it was put him under extreme physical pain and stress to the point he would be powerless to control his emotions. Since they had also disabled his JENOVA cells, the entire problem was that much worse. Take these things, and him being forced into that Nibelheim horror, and put it all together, Loz...." I gasped "Oh my god! That's horrible! No wonder he wouldn't stop trembling and crying the entire way... but, Mother... where are you going with all of this?" Mother approached me and placed her hand on my shoulder and said "Loz, no matter the deeds you may do, even if you must die doing it... protect Sephiroth." I felt tears well up in my eyes and said "Mother... I will..." Mother wrapped her arms around me, and I was crying over her shoulder now. I finished by saying "I'll end this crisis, Mother... and become JENOVA SOLDIER 1st Class, and make sure none of this ever happens again! I mean it!" Now my sobbing was heavier. I felt someone shake my body and say "Get up, Loz!" I moaned, and the vision started to fade. I grumbled "No, don't go! Mother..!" I heard a man's voice say "Come on, Brother! Wake up!" I felt more shaking followed by a slap on my face. I cried "Owww!" Suddenly, I found myself sitting up, and looking at Sephiroth and the kid we found at Mother's church. I complained "Who hit me?! What was that all about?" I realized Sephiroth was lecturing the kid who seemed to be grumbling about something. Sephiroth said "Now, go apologize to Brother. That wasn't right." The kid moaned but approached me and obeyed "Sorry, Brother..." I sighed, then asked "Big Brother, what's going on?" Sephiroth answered "I've spotted Shinra troops outside this alley. They seemed to be in hurry, like they're looking for something." I wondered "Any idea what they're after?" Sephiroth answered "I'm still not sure. SEPHIROVA is also at a loss, to my amazement. Whatever is happening, I have a bad feeling the enemy has a mysterious signal going about that interferes with her tracking system. Along with that of the rest of JENOVA SOLDIER. We have one of two possibilities here: either Rufus has already set up a new Shinra HQ with everything going in the facility, or Vincent is using his powers to cause malfunctions. Given he is clearly an ace in dark arts, I wouldn't be surprised if he is also playing along in this 'game' of smoke and mirrors. Vincent is quite elusive. Given how much stronger he has grown, I doubt tracking him down will be an easy task. I never expected he would be the one causing such a distraction...." I added "First the WEAPON ambush, and then phantoms all over the place that look exactly like the real person... now what is he up to?" Sephiroth replied "I still can't say, but Mother told me about something called Geostigma Plant before Rufus sedated me in that machine... I didn't get to hear her finish, but it does ring a bell to me. Little is known about Geostigma Plant, but word has it that if absorbed after being summoned, it grants an individual unspeakable power. Power that may even exceed Mother's.... however, it's only known in family myth as of present. No one in Mother's legacy has ever truly seen Geostigma Plant, so it could be no more than legend." I asked "But Geostigma Plant is just a huge a blob of pure JENOVA cells, right? So if you absorbed it, don't you run the risk of killing yourself if you aren't strong enough to handle it?" Sephiroth nodded and agreed "You speak the truth. But death isn't the only potential fatality if it's too much for you. The other possibility is being completely consumed by it and become powerless to control your thoughts and actions. According to what the rumors say, this is a sort of berserk mode that cannot be undone. Long story short, the only thing that can save you if this happens is being killed by another strong enough to face you. The presence of JENOVA cells alone is harmless to our kind, but absorbing more of them than your body can safely handle can cause unwelcome problems, or even death." I asked "But why did she mention Geostigma Plant in the first place?" Big Brother answered "I can't say since she didn't finish, but it may concern the enemy's goal. If Rufus were to develop a vaccine for the stigma, he could safely travel the kingdom without getting infected. Vincent, on the other hand... I don't know what he is anymore. I'm not even sure if he's a human. The things he is doing, the power he possesses... I've never seen anything like it. And since JENOVA Foundation is now kaput, we lack a central intelligence network outside of JENOVA SOLDIER. This is not going to be an easy battle.... we can't rely on Mother this time, either." I didn't know what to say. At the rate this fight was going, things were just getting worse and worse. If we didn't do something, it would only be a matter of time before the enemy would overrun JENOVA Kingdom. Even Big Brother was at a loss here. The young boy also seemed sad and speechless, and said "What's gonna happen to us, Dad..?" Sephiroth turned to him, and gently took him into his arms, then said "Don't worry, Suufi... We'll figure something out." I scooted towards Sephiroth who was also sitting on the ground, and said "But we can't give up! Mother's legacy is on the line here! If we don't do something, no one else will!" Sephiroth added "I know, but we still don't know enough about the enemy to do anything other than mount heaviest resistance possible." I said "Then so be it! Send out defenses, fortify the kingdom, whatever! We can't just let them rampage the kingdom. What kind of children are we if we can't put up a fight?" Sephiroth glanced at me with a strange look on his face. I suddenly remembered the mysterious man we fought during the last war, and said "Sephiroth, do you remember SAKUI? The guy who invaded the kingdom and birthed the enemy virus known as Crimstigma? You know, the disease that gave the host bloody eyes and black hair with blood in it and forced them into a vicious berserk mode where they snarled like wolves?" Sephiroth smiled and said "You're right. Maybe we can't rely on Mother, but maybe him and his cosmic armies... I still don't trust him completely, but we're running out of options with SEPHIROVA's tracking system being blocked and JENOVA Foundation also in ruins. We don't have a choice..." I agreed "I know, it's risky. But we have to bet on SAKUI for the time being if we want any effective retaliation here. Mother has superior knowledge to that of humanity, but he also does on a different scale. A scale that would put Shinra back in the dark!" I gave a bold and daring smile, and Sephiroth replied "You're right. Even if we don't trust him 100%, we have to do it anyway. The only problem is he is above the Planet in one of his galactical bases. Which means the only way to reach him is with the power to fly . Only me or SEPHIROVA can go that far without being harmed." I added "I hope you're a fast flyer, Big Brother. That's a long flight by using your wing alone..." Sephiroth said "Unless you can use meteor. Then its only a few minutes. I could use this Planet as a vessel and that would bring us to him quickly." I protested "But then you'd flambé the whole kingdom! You can't do that!" Sephiroth laughed and said "I'm just kidding, Brother. You know that's too sacrificial." I sighed and complained "Not funny! This is bad enough already!" Sephiroth flashed me a smile and shoved me playfully. I remembered Mother's final words to me in the dream I had, and forced a smile back to him. I said "So, who's gonna go after him and who's going to distract the enemy long enough for the other person to come back?" Sephiroth replied "I think SEPHIROVA should tend to the issue, but since she is the Queen, I can't order her to do things. I am of great enough rank in JENOVA SOLDIER though to propose a suggestion, provided I give a valid reason of course. As JENOVA SOLDIER 1st Class Hero, I've more than enough power in terms of rank for that permission. That doesn't guarantee I will convince her, but it's still a choice I am granted. If she insists I depart for this, then I am still expected to obey and follow the rules. Bottom line is, she is the current Queen and ruler overall in Mother's place until Reunion Day when Mother has her Fourth Coming and regains life. Nothing changes that." Curious, I asked "What happens if Shinra isn't dead by Mother's Fourth Coming?" Sephiroth seemed sad and replied "She will be furious... if Mother comes again during a war like this, disaster is certain to strike them without question. Worst case scenario, she will take a dark form where she is consumed by fury and hatred, only capable of thinking about reclaiming what was stolen from her. If that happens, she will not be herself at all." I worried "Oh no... we can't let that happen... if Mother becomes drowned in darkness like that, we may not be able to save her from herself, which would mean..." Sephiroth finished "The death of her legacy, and everything on this Planet along with it. If Mother dies in such a form, the consequences are catastrophic to Reunion altogether. And you know what that means." I added "Everyone dies..." Sephiroth said "But we can't waste anymore time. The longer we sit here doing nothing, the sooner disaster is going to hit us all. If Mother takes a dark and malicious form on Reunion Day, there's no telling what might happen. For that reason, we have to keep fighting until Shinra is once again completely and utterly destroyed." I nodded in understanding, and Sephiroth continued "Maybe the enemy blocked SEPHIROVA's tracking system, but I highly doubt they can interfere with the Reunion System. All that's left on that is for me to teach her how to use it." I asked "What's the Reunion System?" Big Brother answered "It's a special power that only Mother has that allows her to use the JENOVA Lifestream as a combat weapon. Naturally, it's destructive power cannot be denied. Since Mother sacrificed herself to save Sister, SEPHIROVA inherited the ability to do the same thing. I doubt Shinra won't run away crying if we pull this out against them. I'll explain about it later, though. We have to get moving!" I cried "Right, let's go!"
To be Continued...
(This section will focus on Loz as the speaker) I found myself standing before Mother, in an endless white space where she sat in her silver throne. I approached her, and kneeled out of respect. Standing back up, I asked "Mother, what can I do for you?" Mother replied "I'm glad you asked before I could explain what I want you to do. Well done, my son." I smiled at her and listened. Mother explained "As you know, the experiment Rufus used to bring back Shinra Company and all connected to it left Sephiroth in grave shape... had you not called out to me when you did, saving his life would've been impossible. Even with me in my lifestream. You also succeeded in rescuing him before Rufus could do further damage, despite being unable to prevent Shinra's revival. Do you remember what happened when he was saved?" I paused to think, then answered "Wait, you don't mean when he kissed me in the black pond, right Mother?" Mother continued "Of course I do, Loz. I understand why you're embarrassed about it all, especially after seeing the birth of a new family member.... but you don't understand why Sephiroth was as touched as he was at the time. What you did means more to him than you may know, Loz." My embarrassment faded, and I listened more. Mother explained "Despite his attempts to cover up his feelings with words after you both left my church, Sephiroth is feeling very close to you because of what you did at the abandoned Nibelheim site. The experiment the enemy had done on him was complete, utter torture for him. The machine Rufus had connected him to was being used to force him into sleep where he had literally been reliving the nightmare of everything that happened after he learned the truth about me, and about who he was. The day he learned everything about JENOVA Project and worse--where it all began." I said "So that means... he was being tormented by the device?" Mother shook her head and answered "Not just that, my son... what Rufus also did with it was put him under extreme physical pain and stress to the point he would be powerless to control his emotions. Since they had also disabled his JENOVA cells, the entire problem was that much worse. Take these things, and him being forced into that Nibelheim horror, and put it all together, Loz...." I gasped "Oh my god! That's horrible! No wonder he wouldn't stop trembling and crying the entire way... but, Mother... where are you going with all of this?" Mother approached me and placed her hand on my shoulder and said "Loz, no matter the deeds you may do, even if you must die doing it... protect Sephiroth." I felt tears well up in my eyes and said "Mother... I will..." Mother wrapped her arms around me, and I was crying over her shoulder now. I finished by saying "I'll end this crisis, Mother... and become JENOVA SOLDIER 1st Class, and make sure none of this ever happens again! I mean it!" Now my sobbing was heavier. I felt someone shake my body and say "Get up, Loz!" I moaned, and the vision started to fade. I grumbled "No, don't go! Mother..!" I heard a man's voice say "Come on, Brother! Wake up!" I felt more shaking followed by a slap on my face. I cried "Owww!" Suddenly, I found myself sitting up, and looking at Sephiroth and the kid we found at Mother's church. I complained "Who hit me?! What was that all about?" I realized Sephiroth was lecturing the kid who seemed to be grumbling about something. Sephiroth said "Now, go apologize to Brother. That wasn't right." The kid moaned but approached me and obeyed "Sorry, Brother..." I sighed, then asked "Big Brother, what's going on?" Sephiroth answered "I've spotted Shinra troops outside this alley. They seemed to be in hurry, like they're looking for something." I wondered "Any idea what they're after?" Sephiroth answered "I'm still not sure. SEPHIROVA is also at a loss, to my amazement. Whatever is happening, I have a bad feeling the enemy has a mysterious signal going about that interferes with her tracking system. Along with that of the rest of JENOVA SOLDIER. We have one of two possibilities here: either Rufus has already set up a new Shinra HQ with everything going in the facility, or Vincent is using his powers to cause malfunctions. Given he is clearly an ace in dark arts, I wouldn't be surprised if he is also playing along in this 'game' of smoke and mirrors. Vincent is quite elusive. Given how much stronger he has grown, I doubt tracking him down will be an easy task. I never expected he would be the one causing such a distraction...." I added "First the WEAPON ambush, and then phantoms all over the place that look exactly like the real person... now what is he up to?" Sephiroth replied "I still can't say, but Mother told me about something called Geostigma Plant before Rufus sedated me in that machine... I didn't get to hear her finish, but it does ring a bell to me. Little is known about Geostigma Plant, but word has it that if absorbed after being summoned, it grants an individual unspeakable power. Power that may even exceed Mother's.... however, it's only known in family myth as of present. No one in Mother's legacy has ever truly seen Geostigma Plant, so it could be no more than legend." I asked "But Geostigma Plant is just a huge a blob of pure JENOVA cells, right? So if you absorbed it, don't you run the risk of killing yourself if you aren't strong enough to handle it?" Sephiroth nodded and agreed "You speak the truth. But death isn't the only potential fatality if it's too much for you. The other possibility is being completely consumed by it and become powerless to control your thoughts and actions. According to what the rumors say, this is a sort of berserk mode that cannot be undone. Long story short, the only thing that can save you if this happens is being killed by another strong enough to face you. The presence of JENOVA cells alone is harmless to our kind, but absorbing more of them than your body can safely handle can cause unwelcome problems, or even death." I asked "But why did she mention Geostigma Plant in the first place?" Big Brother answered "I can't say since she didn't finish, but it may concern the enemy's goal. If Rufus were to develop a vaccine for the stigma, he could safely travel the kingdom without getting infected. Vincent, on the other hand... I don't know what he is anymore. I'm not even sure if he's a human. The things he is doing, the power he possesses... I've never seen anything like it. And since JENOVA Foundation is now kaput, we lack a central intelligence network outside of JENOVA SOLDIER. This is not going to be an easy battle.... we can't rely on Mother this time, either." I didn't know what to say. At the rate this fight was going, things were just getting worse and worse. If we didn't do something, it would only be a matter of time before the enemy would overrun JENOVA Kingdom. Even Big Brother was at a loss here. The young boy also seemed sad and speechless, and said "What's gonna happen to us, Dad..?" Sephiroth turned to him, and gently took him into his arms, then said "Don't worry, Suufi... We'll figure something out." I scooted towards Sephiroth who was also sitting on the ground, and said "But we can't give up! Mother's legacy is on the line here! If we don't do something, no one else will!" Sephiroth added "I know, but we still don't know enough about the enemy to do anything other than mount heaviest resistance possible." I said "Then so be it! Send out defenses, fortify the kingdom, whatever! We can't just let them rampage the kingdom. What kind of children are we if we can't put up a fight?" Sephiroth glanced at me with a strange look on his face. I suddenly remembered the mysterious man we fought during the last war, and said "Sephiroth, do you remember SAKUI? The guy who invaded the kingdom and birthed the enemy virus known as Crimstigma? You know, the disease that gave the host bloody eyes and black hair with blood in it and forced them into a vicious berserk mode where they snarled like wolves?" Sephiroth smiled and said "You're right. Maybe we can't rely on Mother, but maybe him and his cosmic armies... I still don't trust him completely, but we're running out of options with SEPHIROVA's tracking system being blocked and JENOVA Foundation also in ruins. We don't have a choice..." I agreed "I know, it's risky. But we have to bet on SAKUI for the time being if we want any effective retaliation here. Mother has superior knowledge to that of humanity, but he also does on a different scale. A scale that would put Shinra back in the dark!" I gave a bold and daring smile, and Sephiroth replied "You're right. Even if we don't trust him 100%, we have to do it anyway. The only problem is he is above the Planet in one of his galactical bases. Which means the only way to reach him is with the power to fly . Only me or SEPHIROVA can go that far without being harmed." I added "I hope you're a fast flyer, Big Brother. That's a long flight by using your wing alone..." Sephiroth said "Unless you can use meteor. Then its only a few minutes. I could use this Planet as a vessel and that would bring us to him quickly." I protested "But then you'd flambé the whole kingdom! You can't do that!" Sephiroth laughed and said "I'm just kidding, Brother. You know that's too sacrificial." I sighed and complained "Not funny! This is bad enough already!" Sephiroth flashed me a smile and shoved me playfully. I remembered Mother's final words to me in the dream I had, and forced a smile back to him. I said "So, who's gonna go after him and who's going to distract the enemy long enough for the other person to come back?" Sephiroth replied "I think SEPHIROVA should tend to the issue, but since she is the Queen, I can't order her to do things. I am of great enough rank in JENOVA SOLDIER though to propose a suggestion, provided I give a valid reason of course. As JENOVA SOLDIER 1st Class Hero, I've more than enough power in terms of rank for that permission. That doesn't guarantee I will convince her, but it's still a choice I am granted. If she insists I depart for this, then I am still expected to obey and follow the rules. Bottom line is, she is the current Queen and ruler overall in Mother's place until Reunion Day when Mother has her Fourth Coming and regains life. Nothing changes that." Curious, I asked "What happens if Shinra isn't dead by Mother's Fourth Coming?" Sephiroth seemed sad and replied "She will be furious... if Mother comes again during a war like this, disaster is certain to strike them without question. Worst case scenario, she will take a dark form where she is consumed by fury and hatred, only capable of thinking about reclaiming what was stolen from her. If that happens, she will not be herself at all." I worried "Oh no... we can't let that happen... if Mother becomes drowned in darkness like that, we may not be able to save her from herself, which would mean..." Sephiroth finished "The death of her legacy, and everything on this Planet along with it. If Mother dies in such a form, the consequences are catastrophic to Reunion altogether. And you know what that means." I added "Everyone dies..." Sephiroth said "But we can't waste anymore time. The longer we sit here doing nothing, the sooner disaster is going to hit us all. If Mother takes a dark and malicious form on Reunion Day, there's no telling what might happen. For that reason, we have to keep fighting until Shinra is once again completely and utterly destroyed." I nodded in understanding, and Sephiroth continued "Maybe the enemy blocked SEPHIROVA's tracking system, but I highly doubt they can interfere with the Reunion System. All that's left on that is for me to teach her how to use it." I asked "What's the Reunion System?" Big Brother answered "It's a special power that only Mother has that allows her to use the JENOVA Lifestream as a combat weapon. Naturally, it's destructive power cannot be denied. Since Mother sacrificed herself to save Sister, SEPHIROVA inherited the ability to do the same thing. I doubt Shinra won't run away crying if we pull this out against them. I'll explain about it later, though. We have to get moving!" I cried "Right, let's go!"
To be Continued...
