Sephiroth walked into the core of the mako reactor. Another boring mission. The great general thought to him self.
Why do I keep signing up for these things? He snorted. Because then you don't have to stop and remember the pain.
Zack followed closely. Sephiroth entered the centre room first. He immediately spotted the problem. While waiting for Zack to catch up, he carefully looked around the room. It was filled with rows of capsule like tubes that slowly ascended a short flight of stairs, what the tubes were filled with; he didn't care. What caught his attention and interest was the name plastered above a door at the top of the stairs, ‘Jenova’.
Zack walked up behind him. "Find the problem?" he asked.
Sephiroth pointed and said, "The valve."
Zack sighed and went to fix it.
Meanwhile Sephiroth stood in thought, his thin silver eyebrows coming together. Why is my mother's name inscribed above that door? Unless...
A million thoughts raced through his head. He could come to only one conclusion, one he didn't like one bit. He decided to test his theory and peeked into a tube closest to him. It was filled with what seemed to be mako and a hideous creature. Looking at the abomination Sephiroth realized that it had once been human. He looked away in shock. No it couldn't be true. It just couldn't be. He felt a whisper of something at the edge of his mind, but shook it away.
Zack came up behind him, finished with the task of repairing the valve. "What's up Seph?"
Sephiroth pointed toward the tube and answered, "Take a look for yourself."
Zack looked into the tube and then immediately jumped back. "What the hell is that?" Disgust showing up easily on his face.
"Hojo's handiwork." He replied and then turned away, making his way back out of the reactor.
There has to be a way to confirm this, to find out all of the truth. His mind screamed at him. The Shinra mansion! There should be something there.
Zack followed quickly. "Seph, are you OK?" When he didn't answer, Zack asked again with a deep concern laced through his voice. "Hey, Sephiroth are you all right?"
She would know. She would say something. She would put all my worries to rest. Sephiroth thought, still not answering his friend. But she isn't here anymore. She's dead.
Sephiroth and Zack had a silent journey back to the small town of Nibelheim. When they got there, Sephiroth without a word headed toward the Shinra mansion and promptly locked himself in the basement reading through every book he could find.
************************
Sephiroth sat at the only desk in the basement of the Shinra mansion. Zack had been down a hundred times already; each time he had pushed his friend away.
It didn't matter though he had found the truth. He held it in his hand in the form of an open folder that he had discovered in the very desk he sat at. He looked for the millionth time at the pages in front of him. He read it again making sure he hadn't missed a word.
"Project Jenova. Experiment A. October 14 - An unborn fetus, with the cooperation of its parents, Lucrecia and Hojo (also my lab assistants) will be injected with reanimated Jenova cells and mako. In all estimation the child should be born with abnormal strength and intelligence.
Project Jenova. Experiment A. December 26 - The Experiment is moving smoothly. We have determined that the child will be a boy. Lucrecia has already decided to name him Sephiroth.
Project Jenova. Experiment A. May 21 - The treatments being given to the child, while as not seeming to harm the fetus, are making Lucrecia ill. I wanted to discontinue the treatments, but Lucrecia was adamant that she was fine and there was no need. Hojo though seems to have become detached from her, which is unfortunate.
Project Jenova. Experiment A. Friday, July 13 - Lucrecia gave birth only an hour ago. She did not survive. It is with a heavy heart that I write this. The child was given the name Sephiroth as she wished. The boy is in surprising health and Hojo has already taken his son to see to it that the treatments did not have the same effects as seen on his mother. It can only be hoped that this was not all just a mistake."
Professor Gast's signature was at the bottom.
Sephiroth laughed. My own father is the very man who tortured me most of my life.
Sephiroth only laughed louder. She would tell me I'm being silly. Suddenly he stopped. The whisper that had been at the edge of his mind was getting louder.
Son, the strange female voice said.
Who are you? He questioned the voice.
You know who I am.
Sephiroth thought a moment. Jenova.
Good boy. I need your help. Will you help me, my dear boy?
Sephiroth laughed at her. Never. And I'm not your son.
If you help me you can rule the world and destroy all those fools who hurt you.
I don't want to rule the world.
I'll give you what ever you desire. You can have anything. Jenova sounded a bit exasperated.
You can't give me what I want. He replied sadly.
Jenova grew angry at her inability to seduce his mind. She began to fight him for control.
Sephiroth retreated to the furthest corner of his mind. If you want it, then you can have it. I don't actually care. He threw out to her.
Jenova hesitated a moment, but not long. She immediately took control of his body.
Sephiroth sat down on the plane of existence that was his mind. She'll think I'm weak for not fighting back. But what is life without her? Sephiroth sat and remembered back to when he had first seen her.
Author’s Note: I probably should have mentioned this at the beginning
but anyway, anything in italics is something that a character is thinking.
Also if anyone noticed that Professor Gast’s notes don’t take nine
months, its because you need at least thirty days before pregnancy can be
determined accurately. And if anyone wants to argue about Sephiroth’s
birth date, then by all means don’t be afraid to e-mail. I always enjoy
other people’s opinions (and a really good argument).