An Equestrian Lifestream Corrupted and Manipulated

It was atop a lonely hill that Cloud looked upon Edge, the city bordering the remnants of Midgar. For a while now, everything seemed fine as reassured by Aeris. However, darkness came again to his mind. It was always the same thing too – Sephiroth. Even in present times of tranquility and peace, his last words rang though like a silent buzz one hears in complete silence. It is that eerie feeling in one’s own isolation that brings apprehension, paranoia, and worry to light. One is consumed by their thoughts to avoid this silent insanity but it only worsens it. This is how Cloud felt watching Edge from afar. He cherished everyone and everything. But if Sephiroth still existed, would he be able to keep him from the ones he loves most?

Cloud sat on that hill listening to the wind's breeze carrying an almost silent whisper from the past,

I will…never be a memory.

It would be folly to take Sephiroth’s words lightly and Cloud knew this well. The words were spoken as though they were a promise. With the wind blowing against his body, Cloud sat on the hill trying his best to relax.

Cloud? a familiar voice different than the one in his thoughts was carried in the wind’s breeze.

Cloud snapped out of his thoughts to look around for anyone nearby but didn’t spot others nearby. Perhaps he was starting to hear things. It was a voice with a soothing tone that filled his heart with familiar comfort.

Cloud? Aeris’s voice came to him a little clearer now that he was intently listening for it. He immediately recognized the voice an old friend.

“Aeris?” Cloud replied in hopes of hearing her voice again.

Yes, Cloud. It is me. Please come to the Sector 5 Church. I need to talk with you.

“On my way,” Cloud said as he got up from his sitting position. He mounted his nearby motorcycle used for the courier service he and Tifa ran and headed to the Sector 5 Church.

[/hr]

It was amazing the way the church was the only structure untouched by the fall of Meteor. Anytime Cloud saw the building, he felt a warmth and hope in seeing it stand among the irradiated ruins that littered the landscape. Arriving at the church, he got off the motorcycle and made his way through its doors.

He was soon greeted by the same flowers he knew so well for they were the only ones that grew in Midgar. To have beauty such as these grow in a shambled place of disrepair could uplift anyone’s spirit. He looked around which was pointless for he knew no one would be here.

“Aeris? I’m here.”

He waited a few minutes for a response heading in the flowers’ direction. He stopped on the edge of the flowerbed to take in their beauty without disturbing them.

Cloud, the voice rang clearly but still silently in the Church’s walls. I have a favor to ask.

“Is there a problem, Aeris?”

Yes. I know I told you everything was fine but…

Cloud didn’t want the answer but knew the purpose of this meeting before it was said. He felt the darkness overtake his mind again.

“It’s Sephiroth…isn’t it?”

…yes, it is. I wanted you to remain happy. I didn’t want to tell you.

“I’m fine Aeris,” Cloud lied.

No, you’re not. Even in the lifestream, I can sense your troubled mind.

“Don’t worry about it,” Cloud said calmly as he didn’t want to cause a friend to worry.

I wish there was another way, Cloud. But Sephiroth needs to be dealt with again. The corruption of Geostigma is gone. However, its weakening effects still linger in the lifestream. Sephiroth has taken this opportunity to gather himself together and escape its weakening grip to the living world. This gathering includes Jenova’s essence existing in the lifestream from those such as Kadaj. As we speak, he’s gathering Jenova within himself in a cave on an island south of the Ancient Forest. The lifestream’s hold on him is weakening every day and soon he’ll be free to corrupt the planet again.

Fed up with Sephiroth's inability to stay at rest, Cloud burst out in anger revealing much pent up frustration in keeping this shadow of a man from those he loves.

“He refuses to be taken in by the lifestream! I can’t escape his shadow!” Cloud said beginning to pace back and forth. “He won’t let go of his lust for power and control! What am I supposed to do, Aeris!? Just keep fighting him!? I’m not going to live forever! What do I do when I pass on!? Fight him in the lifestream forever too!? I don’t want to deal with him for an eternity, Aeris!”

Cloud, please calm down. I’m not asking you to fight him. That’ll not remove his poison from the lifestream. I see this as an opportunity now that his and Jenova's essence are in one location.

“It doesn’t seem like an opportunity to me, Aeris.”

Cloud, trust me. Please stop and hear me out.

Cloud stopped his pacing, cleared his mind, and sighed an ok.

Aeris continued, From his long struggle within the lifestream, Sephiroth is in a weakened state much like the lifestream's grip on him. We need to remove the poison from this planet to attain everlasting peace.

“How do you propose we ‘remove’ him?”

Cid was building another rocket, yes?

“Last I heard, yes.”

Here’s the plan I propose to you: Find one of Hojo’s experiment containers in the ruins of Midgar, contain Sephiroth, and use Cid’s rocket to expel Sephiroth into the sun.

“Aeris, that’s crazy.”

Yes, I know. A slight giggle could be heard.

“Considering his ‘oxygen tank’ miscalculations in the past, I don’t see Cid’s rocket sustaining life. It would be crazy to board his faulty junk.”

Cloud smiled and exited the church to gather what he needed for the trip. At the exit, he turned to look once more to the flowers and thought he caught a glimpse of Zack standing next to Aeris hand in hand.

[/hr]

Cloud gathered who he could in Rocket Town. Those that were present were Cid, Tifa, Barret, Vincent, Nanaki (Red XIII), Shera, and Cid’s workers. Cloud had made calls to his friends after obtaining one of Hojo’s containers used for his experiments to ask for their help in light of the rising situation. Most agreed though reaching Vincent took at least twenty calls as he was apparently ‘busy.’ Yuffie refused to come because of urgent matters in Wutai. This was an obvious cover up for her motion sickness. Cait Sith stayed behind with Marlene (Barret’s daughter) as Reeve wasn’t sure of the distance his remote control would work.

The group stared in awe at the rocket built by Cid and his pride obviously shined in his over-the-top boisterous voice describing its features. He made it clear that the rocket was to be named Shera 2. Cloud said that not everything could be named after his wife to which Cid replied that the numbskull should mind his own !@#$!#$@ business. When asked how it was going to reach the sun, Cid pointed out that Barret’s oil field find was very helpful but not enough. So, they resorted to dabbling into nuclear technology. Shera calmed the group down when they heard this and reassured them that she overlooked its implementation with her meticulous manner. Once preparations were made, they went to go collect Sephiroth.

[/hr]

In Cid’s airship, Shera (now Shera 1), they arrived at a lone island in the waters south of the Ancient Forest. They knew this was the right place as the Mako readings were abnormally high. The lone island was a bit gloomy in its appearance. Cid landed the ship next to a cave spotted by the helmsman. On foot, they approached the cave carefully unsure what they were going to find. The cave had a single path in and went on for about a mile. The further they went into the cave, a certain glow of an unknown source grew brighter. An opening appeared before them to a large spacious room where three figures stood in the distance. A single opening in the cave’s ceiling allowed some light to shine in illuminating the three figures.

“The world needs you no longer, Sephiroth. I am its protector and will not allow your return,” one of the figures spoke down to another on the ground.

The group recognized the one on the ground as Sephiroth only half-formed and looking like he was in a constant state of struggle. Despite this, Sephiroth looked up at the one that spoke to him.

“Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return,” he smiled as he said this, “right Genesis?”

The one called Genesis flinched and looked upon Sephiroth with contempt evident in his facial expression.

“I am the hero now – not you. I have received the Gift of the Goddess and shall use the gift to defend the planet from threats. This includes you.”

With a means to use it, he pointed his sword at Sephiroth. Sephiroth, on the other hand, remained unperturbed enjoying the frustration from the one holding the sword.

“If the ‘gift’ of the Goddess is so great, why do you continue to deteriorate from a simple scratch?”

Genesis’s anger appeared to be rising with the continuing conversation.

“You’re a failure, Genesis. It's that simple. Miserably, you fail in all aspects of life due to your simple-minded dedication to a single love story. Ha, even ‘mother’ is greatly ashamed of you. I know because she is right here within me," Sephiroth said this while struggling to raise a left finger pointing to his chest. "And whatever made you think I wanted that gift in your pocket? You are Loveless.”

“Wipe that smug grin off your face, Sephiroth! Or I’ll do it for you!”

“Isn’t that what we were going for here? Aren’t you supposed to be striking me down like the ‘hero’ you are?”

The third figure spoke up and produced two swords. “I’ve heard enough. I’m finishing this, brother.”

“Weiss, is it?” Sephiroth turned his head to face the third figure. “What is your brother, Nero’s, thoughts on this course of action?”

Weiss stood still and did nothing.

Sephiroth continued, “Your brother exists within you but is dead nonetheless so I guess you won’t get much of a response considering how unclean you are now. Tell me, what’s it like to feel your brother dying inside you? Soon there will be nothing left and you'll have nobody to blame but your own ignorance. Tell me, whatever made you think two consciousnesses could cohesively exist in one body forever?”

“You have no right to speak of Nero.”

“You have no right to speak to me. Genesis is not your brother and neither am I. Once the one inside you ceases to exist, you'll have no one and be completely alone. Such is the life of a failed experiment once perfect but choosing an unclean path.”

Upon hearing these words, Weiss was absolutely livid with fury. Genesis, however, raised his head and turned it toward the direction of Cloud and his friends. He had noticed they were not alone for he could see some silhouettes in the darkness.

“We have company. We’ll finish this later, Sephiroth. When we do, there will be no talk. You best be prepared for the end for it will come without mercy.”

"Without mercy, Genesis? Be careful whom you threaten. Remember that even a snake with sharp fangs can, itself, be bitten."

Genesis and Weiss disregarded this reply and sheathed their swords with Genesis grabbing Weiss’s shoulders flying out of the opening in the cave’s ceiling.

Cloud and his party took this opportunity to approach the being in the center of the room. Sephiroth did not acknowledge their presence as he lowered his head covering his face with a disheveled curtain of silver hair. The party spared no time in placing Sephiroth into the container. They covered it with a cloth so as to not see the being within it and departed for the rocket. Cloud approached the container only after the cloth was placed over it. He wanted nothing to do with the being inside that container.