Bizarre Occurances Chapter 1
Revelations
By Dino Pollard
The man sat in the chair, planning, plotting. On his right hand, there was a tattoo of the number one. His massive sword lay on the ground by his side. To look at it alone inspired terror. If you saw him wield the 8 foot blade in battle, you would discover new levels of fear. To cross him was to die. President Shinra learned that lesson, the hard way. His name is Sephiroth. He was thought to have disappeared in this very town. Yet, five years after that fateful night, he has returned. His goal: to find the Promised Land with his mother, the creature known as Jenova. When he resurfaced, he decided to first free his mother from Shin-Ra Headquarters in Midgar. There, he slaughtered many, including President Shinra himself. After that, he made his way to Junon, where he sneaked aboard a Shin-Ra cargo ship headed for Costa del Sol. On the ship, he once again encountered Cloud Strife, the young man who had attempted to kill him five years ago after he burned Nibelheim to the ground. Now, his plan is coming into focus. “First, I shall demonstrate my ability to control Cloud like a puppet. Then, I will tell them of the Reunion, and invite them to join me.”
His lips curled into a sinister grin.
*****
The red vehicle came to a stop at a hill near Nibelheim. Five people, a lion-type creature, and a cat riding on a giant stuffed mog came out. Cloud Strife took the lead of the group. After recently elected leader of Avalanche, he’s had his work cut out for him. He was only supposed to help them on a few missions. He couldn’t care less about the Shin-Ra and Barret’s small team of rebels. But once the young woman known as Aeris was kidnapped by Shin-Ra, he felt a responsibility to rescue her from Shin-Ra Headquarters. But there, he discovered that Sephiroth was still alive. Now, he wants to settle the score, to enact revenge upon Sephiroth for destroying his hometown. After being named the leader, he has successfully gotten the team through much. But he wonders. Is it because of his leadership skills, or his he just lucky? He looks back at the rest of the team, as his spikey blonde hair slighty blew in the breeze.
Barret Wallace, the original leader of Avalanche. He had a gattling gun grafted onto his right arm. Even though his carelessness causes him to leap into a fight without thinking, Cloud knows that he’s invaluble to the team.
Tifa Lockheart, Cloud’s childhood friend. Her tight tanktop and mini-skirt perfectly displayed her features. Any man would be stunned by her beauty. But she’s also an excellent fighter. Using her fists as weapons, Tifa has rarely required help from anyone else.
Aeris Gainsborough, the mysterious woman Cloud met in Midgar. Another beautiful woman, but unlike Tifa, she’s not a very good fighter. Her pink dress is hardly proper battle attire, and is another reason why the team must help her out in battles more often.
Red XIII, the beast with fire-red fur. Despite his appearence, his intellect is uncanny!! At first, the team knew very little about him. Once they reached Cosmo Canyon, his grandfather, Bugenhagen, revealed his origin.
Yuffie Kisaragi, the 16-year old ninja. The team encountered her while heading to Junon, and she pretty much forced her way into the group. She’s a little theif, but Avalanche has grown accustomed to her methods, as well as her incredible fighting abilities.
Cait Sith, the toy cat who rides around on a stuffed mog. Not much is known about him. He tried his fortune-telling ability on the team at the Gold Saucer, and agreed to join them. He is the most mysterious and strangest member of the group. Even his attacks are strange.
*****
Tifa came and started walking alongside Cloud. “You OK?” she asked in a curious and worried manner.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“You’re worried, about going home I mean.”
“A little. But I plan to make Sephiroth pay dearly for everything he took from me.”
“You’re not the only one.”
“What?”
“You’re not the only one who’s lost a lot because of Sephiroth. Nibelheim was my home too. And I don’t have to remind you about what he did to me and my father and...”
“And who?”
“Nevermind.”
“Tifa, and who?”
“Look, there’s Nibelheim.” Cloud was surprised. Tifa acted as if there was another person in the reactor that day. A mystery for another time, perhaps.
*****
The team slowly approached the town. Once it came into view, Cloud nearly fell over in shock!!
“Wh-what is this?” He exclaimed.
“Yo Cloud, I thought you said Sephiroth burned dis place down!!” Barret said.
“He did.” Cloud replied. “I remember it as if it where yesterday.”
“So do I.” Tifa broke in. “The town should be nothing but a pile of ashes.”
“Did you lie to us, Cloud?” Red asked.
“N-no!! I remember it al!! The heat of the flames!! The anger I felt!!”
“Look, let’s just find out if Sephiroth IS here.” Aeris said.
The team walked into the inn, and Cloud started interogating the inn keeper.
“Good evening, how may I help you?”
“What’s your story?” Cloud asked.
“Excuse me?”
“This town was burned down by Sephiroth five years ago.”
“I’m sorry sir,” the inn keeper replied. “I’ve lived here all my life, and what you say never happened.”
*****
The team walked outside, and Cloud spotted his house.
“So Cloud, what’s da plan?” Barret asked.
“Just a second, Barret.” Cloud replied as he made his way to his house.
“What the hell was that all about?” Barret asked again.
“Barret, just leave him alone for now.” Tifa answered. “He needs to find this out for himself.”
“Huh?”
*****
Cloud walked into the home where he had lived until he was fourteen. He spotted an old woman standing by the stove.
“Yes? Do you need something?” The woman asked.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?”
“This is my home. Is there something you need, dear?”
“You’re lying.” Cloud clenched his teeth and fists as he spoke those words. “I lived in this house until I was fourteen.”
“Are you sick saying those things?” she asked. “Get out!! Get out now, before I call the police!!”
*****
Cloud made his way back to the group. “It’s not right. It’s a cover-up. By the Shin-Ra”
“A god-damn Shin-Ra cover-up!!!!” Barret yelled. “Those bastards know no limits!!!”
“Take it easy Barret.” Aeris said in a calm voice. “Why would the Shin-Ra create a cover-up?”
“It’s actually quite simple and logical when you think about it.” Red said. “Shin-Ra didn’t want anyone to know that their world-famous general had gone insane and burned down a town. Also, it might have caused information concerning the Jenova Project to be leaked.”
“Yeah, what he said!” Yuffie replied with a smirk. Cait Sith chuckled a little at her remark.
Cloud walked up to a man in a black cape.
“The great...Sep-hi-roth....is near.” the man said. “In....inside...the-the......mansion.”
“The mansion,” Cloud repeated.
*****
Aeris entered the mansion with uncertainty. She was the last surviving Cetra, or so she thought. Was Sephiroth also a Cetra? She couldn’t be sure.
“Cloud, look at this.” Red called out.
“What’d you find, Red?” Cloud asked.
“A piece of paper.” Red replied.
“A piece of paper?” Cait repeated. “How’s that gonna help us against Sephiroth?”
“A piece o’ damn paper?” Barret replied. “HA HA HA!!! A piece o’ damn paper!!”
Red let out a low growl to Barret, then turned back to Cloud. “It says that there is a man locked in the basement, and the key is locked in the safe upstairs.”
“Hey, can I see that?” Cait asked. Red picked up the paper in his mouth and dropped it by the stuffed mog’s feet.
“Pick it up, mog!” Cait ordered through his megaphone.
“Let’s find the safe then.” Cloud said. “Where is it?”
“Upstairs.” Red replied.
*****
A short time later, the team found the room with the safe.
“Looks like we need a combination.” Aeris said.
“How about I blast it open?” Barret asked.
“Barret, be careful.” Tifa said.
“Do it, Barret.” The large man fired several shots at the lock, with no luck.
“Damn.” Barret said. “Guess the dude in the basement has jes’ gotta wait until we get a grenade or somethin’.”
“No need!! I found the combination!!” Cait said, as he came bounding in.
“Where’d you find it?” Cloud asked.
“I looked at the sheet again. It says where all the combos are. I hadta solve some riddles though.”
“Where were the combos?” Red asked.
“The first one was ‘Look for the lid of the box with the most oxygen’, so I did.” Cait replied. “Right 36.
The second one said ‘Behind the ivory’s short of tea and ray’. Left 10.
The third was ‘The creek in the floor near the chair on the second floor. Then to the left five steps, up nine steps, left two steps, and up six steps’. Right 59.
The last one was still on the paper written in invisible ink. When I put it to the light, it said ‘Right 97’.”
“Right 36, left 10, right 59, right 97.” Cloud said as he put the combo in. The safe door popped open, and a red materia orb and the key were in there.
Cloud grabbed the key, and examined the materia. “It’s....Odin summon.”
“MATERIA!!!” Yuffie cried out as she lept for the glowing orb. Cloud quickly pocketed it, and the young ninja fell to the floor. “OW!!”
“Sorry Yuffie.” Cloud said. “But this is the most powerful materia we have so far. I think it’d be safer if I kept an eye on it.”
“Fine,” Yuffie said, in a pouting manner.
*****
A few minutes later, the team had made it down the secret passage into the basement.
“Hey Cloud, I think this is the door that needs the key.” Red said. Cloud nodded and walked over to the door, placing the key in. He turned it, and the door swung open.
“Ewwww, cobwebs!!” Yuffie said, breaking them up with her shuriken.
“Three coffins are open, the fourth is covered.” Cloud said.
“Cloud,” Tifa began. “You don’t think there’s really a man in there, do you?”
“I don’t know Tifa.” He replied. “If there is, he might be long dead by now. But there’s only one way to find out.” Cloud carefully began to slide the lid off when it popped right off!!
“Who is it?!?” Yelled a male voice. The team looked inside the coffin and found a man dressed in black with a gold claw for his left arm, a red caped drapped around his shoulders, a red headband, black hair, and a gun holstered by his side. He observed the team with red eyes, cautiously.
“You were having a nightmare,” Cloud said.
“Hmm. You must leave. This mansion is the beginning of your nightmare.”
“No shit.” Barret said.
“What?” The man asked.
“Well, as you said, this mansion is the beginning of a nightmare,” Cloud began. “But it’s not a dream, it’s real. Sephiroth found out his true origins here and burned down this very town.”
“Sephiroth....?” The man asked.
“YOU KNOW SEPHIROTH?!?!?” Cloud and the man said in unison.
“You go first,” The man said.
Once the story has been explained, the man sits back in his coffin.
“And that’s the story.” Cloud finished off.
“Hmmm, listening to your story has added upon me yet another sin. More nightmares shall come to me now.” The man lied back down, and the lid seemed to drop back down on his coffin. Cloud opened it again.
“What do you want now?” The man said, apparently angered and annoyed.
“At least tell us your name.” Cloud said.
“I was formerly with the Shin-Ra Branch of Espionage and Supernatural Investigation, the Tactical Unison Recon Killers, otherwise know as the Turks. I am Vincent.” he said. “Vincent Valentine.”
“The Turks?!?” Cloud asked.
“FORMERLY of the Turks,” Vincent replied. “I have no connection to Shin-Ra anymore. And who are you all?”
“I’m Barret Wallace, from Avalanche!!!”
“Tifa Lockheart, same as Barret.”
“I am Nanaki!! Son of the great warrior Seto and defender of Cosmo Canyon, I am also known as Red XIII.
“Aeris Gainsborough, a flower girl from the slums of Midgar.”
“Fortune telling machine Cait Sith here.”
“I’m Yuffie Kisaragi, good ta meetcha!!”
“Cloud Strife, former SOLDIER First Class.”
“So, you were also with Shin-Ra?” Vincent asked. Cloud nodded. “Then do you know Lucrecia?”
“Who?” Cloud asked.
“Lucrecia, the woman who gave birth to Sephiroth.”
“Wait a damn minute!!!” Barret yelled. “I thought Jenova was Sephiroth’s mom!!”
“Well, that’s partly true, but not completely. You deserve to learn the whole story,” Vincent began. “It all began about 30 years ago. I was assigned to accompany Professor Hojo and Lucrecia to Nibelheim. That’s how Lucrecia and I fell in love. But she was married to Hojo at the time. However, we still snuck away and talked with each other, away from Hojo and the Jenova Project. Hojo had planned to create a being constructed from Jenova, but all his attempts failed. Therefore, the only solution was to inject an unborn baby with Jenova cells. Lucrecia understood the scientific merits it would bring, so she agreed. I watched painfully as she underwent the Jenova treatments, even she grew sick with what she had done. She hated herself, and she made me promise to take care of the child when he was born, and to not let him fall into Shin-Ra’s hands. I was not able to see her go through childbirth, and I was forced to listen to her cries of agony and pain. I was told she died right after the child was born. I was not able to find the child either, until I went into Hojo’s lab in this very basement. It was there that I saw the young boy who Lucrecia had named Sephiroth before she died, being tested by Hojo!! I drew my gun, and aimed it at him. Before I could fire, a bullet hit my left arm. I spun around to see myself face-to-face with Tseng, another Turk, gun armed, and prepared to fire a second shot. Instead, a bullet from Hojo caught me in the back. When I awoke, I found myself with this claw grafted onto my arm. Hojo did something to me. I tried to attack him, but instead, three Shin-Ra MPs came after me. I quickly disposed of each one of them. Hojo had left by that time, and I knew my sins. I took the three dead soldiers into a room with four coffins. I placed each one of them in a coffin. The one in the center was to be mine. I closed the lid, and I have slept for thirty years. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have sins to atone for. Let me sleep.”
“I guess that’s it, gang.” Cloud said. “Looks like he’s not coming, so we’ve gotta find Sephiroth!!”
*****
As the team made their way to the library, a voice called out from behind, “Wait.”
“What is it?” Cloud asked, as he spun around to see Vincent. “You?”
“If I go with you, will I see Hojo?” Vincent asked.
“Probably,” Cloud replied. “We need to take down the Shin-Ra as well, and Hojo’s a part of them.”
“Lucrecia…” Vincent said, turning away.
“Let’s hurry and kill Sephiroth then,” Cloud ordered.
“No,” Vincent protested.
“What the hell do ya mean no?” Barret asked.
“Sephiroth is a victim of Shin-Ra’s manipulations,” Vincent began. “We need to convince him of the truth.”
“That’s a good idea!” Aeris said. “Maybe he’ll even join us and help fight the Shin-Ra!”
“No way, it’s out of the question!” Cloud said. “He needs to be killed, I won’t work with a murderer!!”
“Let’s just go see what Sephiroth DOES plan to do.” Red said.
*****
Sephiroth sat in the chair, and he began to hear the voices and footsteps approaching, and it made him smile.
“They’re here mother,” He said. “We can begin.”
He stood and waited by the bookcase, his massive sword, the Masamune, sheathed at his side. He watched them walk in one by one.
“Sephiroth!” Cloud exclaimed. He said the name like a curse, and Sephiroth liked that.
“Will you take part in the Reunion?” Sephiroth asked.
“What reunion? What are you talking about?” Cloud asked.
“Jenova will be at the Reunion, and she will be like a calamity from the skies.” Sephiroth replied. “I will travel north past Mt Nibel. If you wish to find out, then follow.”
“Wait,” Vincent said. “Sephiroth, we need to talk.”
“Who are you?” Sephiroth asked.
“I’m Vincent Valentine, I knew your mother.”
“How could you have known my mother?” Sephiroth cried. “My mother is Jenova!!”
“Not true.” Vincent said. “Your mother was a beautiful woman named Lucrecia.”
“You LIE!!!”
“And your father is.....” Vincent began. “Hojo.”
“NO!!!” Sephiroth yelled. “YOUR LIES WILL NOT FOOL ME!!! THAT MAN CANNOT BE MY FATHER!!! JENOVA IS MY MOTHER!!! JENOVA!!!”
“No Sephiroth, you are wrong.” Vincent calmly replied. “You were misinformed.”
“I AM SEPHIROTH!!! I WILL BE AT THE REUNION WITH JENOVA!!! IF YOU WISH TO FOLLOW, GO NORTH PAST MT NIBEL!!!! THERE, I WILL BECOME ONE WITH THE PLANET!!”
“You are mistaken, imposter.” a voice said.
“Who said that?” Sephiroth asked. “WHO SAID THAT?!?” He drew his sword, prepared to strike.
“I did.” The man stepped out of the shadows, and everyone’s heart, including Sephiroth’s, stood still. “I, SEPHIROTH!!”
“Damn!!” Barret said. “TWO Sephiroths!!!”
“No,” the new Sephiroth just said. “I am the true Sephiroth, he is just a clone.”
Sephiroth chuckled. “A clone, am I?” He said. “Could a clone have....THIS?!?” He removed his right glove, revealing the number 1 tattooed on the back of his hand.
“HA HA HA!!!” The other Sephiroth removed his left glove, revealing the number 1 tattooed on his hand. “But how did YOU get the same tattoo?”
“This can’t be!!” Sephiroth exclaimed.
“This is bizarre.” Red stated.
“Then he must be Bizarro-Sephiroth,” Cloud said.
“I will carry out my plan,” Bizarro-Sephiroth said. “If you wish to find out, go north past Mt Nibel.” He flew out.
“NOOOO!!!” Sephiroth cried out. “I WILL DESTROY YOU!!!”
“Give it a rest, foo’” Barret said. “The bastard’s gone.”
Sephiroth turned to Avalanche. Everyone save for Vincent , Red and Aeris readied themselves for battle. “You understand, of course, that I have no time for you.”
“Wh-what?!?” Yuffie said.
“I need to eliminate my imposter.” he replied. “And Jenova seems to believe he is the true Sephiroth. She cannot tell the difference. Therefore, he must be eliminated.”
“Why not a partnership?” Aeris suggessted.
“Aeris, are you NUTS?!?” Cloud yelled.
“No, she’s not,” Vincent said. “In fact, she’s acting in a very sane manner.”
“I think we should all discuss this,” Red said, turning to Sephiroth. “Privately.” Sephiroth chuckled and turned away.
“Listen Cloud,” Aeris began. “He wants to kill his imposter, and his imposter is also a threat to the planet. If he’s on our side, we have a much better advantage.”
“I agree.” Red said. “It’s very logical.”
“No way,” Cloud replied.
“I will go too,” Vincent broke in. “That way, I can inform him of the truth. Then perhaps he won’t attack us once the battle has ended.”
“Am I the only one who remembers he’s a maniac?!?” Cloud exclaimed.
“Don’t be blinded by your rage,” Vincent replied. “Give it a chance.”
“Fine,” Cloud said, teeth clenched. “But if he shows any signs of betraying us, I’ll kill him myself.”
“Agreed,” Aeris said. She turned back to Sephiroth. “Sephiroth? We’ve decided that you can join us.”
Sephiroth chuckled once again. “You’re all useless. However, it is an intriging proposition. Very well, I’ll join you. For now.”
“Great!” Aeris exclaimed. “Then we should start heading for Mt Nibel.”
__________________________________________________________________
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I know right about now you’re thinking that Bizarro-Sephiroth is the corniest thing since Batman & Robin and that it’s just a poor excuse to make Sephiroth a hero. Well, I thought the exact same thing. Then I began to think about it and figured that it could really work. I have very specific plans for Bizarro-Sephiroth, including his origin. In Chapter 2, the new Avalanche heads to Rocket Town and meets Cid Highwind.
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