Sephiroth sits on the crates, looking at Zack and Cloud as the truck bounces

Cloud Strife groans... feeling quite ill

Sephiroth says, "are you ok Cloud?"

Cloud Strife says, "I’m sick.. it keeps bouncing"

Sephiroth hands him a tranq

Sephiroth says, "there you go... try that"

Cloud Strife uses it and relaxes a little"

Sephiroth hears something slam into the truck

Sephiroth says, "come on Zack.. let's take care of that"

Zack nods and puts his hand on his sword

Sephiroth gets out of the truck and strikes down the dragon with his Masamune

Zack says, "shit Seph... lemme help next time....."

Sephiroth nods

Sephiroth says, "next time love... I'll let you fight it"

Sephiroth gets back in the truck

Sephiroth says, "now for the briefing. we are going to the Nibelheim reactor.... it is malfunctioning and producing monsters like the one we just fought"

Zack nods

Cloud Strife says, "I get to see my mom for a while?"

Sephiroth nods

Sephiroth says, "yes Cloud"

Cloud Strife smiles

Zack says, "That’s right... this is the squirt's hometown... any good bars?"

Sephiroth gets out of the truck once they reach Nibelheim

Cloud Strife shrugs and hops out of the truck as well

Zack follows somewhat lazily

Sephiroth walks out in front. looks back at Cloud

Sephiroth says, "how does it feel?"

Cloud Strife says, "kinda weird... haven’t been here in a long time"

Sephiroth nods. turns back and looks at the town

Sephiroth says, "well... we only need one guard so the rest of you should get some sleep. Cloud... you can fist with people if you want"

Cloud Strife wanders off to visit with his mom

Sephiroth heads into the inn

Zack follows Sephiroth

Sephiroth goes and stands at the window

Zack watches Sephiroth for a moment then goes to bother him

Sephiroth holds his arms, looking over the scenery

Zack says, "Hey Seph.. you seem kinda moody... you ain’t getting depressed on me again?"

Sephiroth says, "This place feels odd... as if I know it... of course.. I've been all over the world for one reason or another... but..."

Zack says, "Eh... it’s just Deja-vu"

Sephiroth says, "perhaps it is"

Zack says, "You gonna come to bed? It’s late"

Sephiroth says, "I think I'm gonna stand here"

Zack says, "Seph... you need rest too"

Zack says, "I'll go keep the bed warm...."

Sephiroth says, "I need to keep watch. goodnight Zack"

Zack says, "night Seph... see you in tha morning"

Zack goes into the room and passes out almost immediately

Cloud Strife wanders in a few hours later...

Sephiroth is still standing there

Cloud Strife says, "Hey Seph"

Sephiroth says, "hello Cloud"

Cloud Strife says, "Whatcha doing?"

Sephiroth says, "pondering"

Cloud Strife says, "Oh... what’s wrong?"

Sephiroth says, "nothing... just wondering why this place is familiar"

Cloud Strife says, "Cuz I talk about it all the time mebbe?"

Sephiroth says, "maybe. get some sleep"

Cloud Strife says, "okay. Good night"

Sephiroth says, "goodnight"

Sephiroth is still there when they wake up

Zack wanders out of the room

Zack says, "Seph.. you didn’t sleep at all?"

Sephiroth says, "no..."

Sephiroth turns to Zack

Sephiroth says, "come on... we have to go to the reactor"

Zack says, "Okay.. you sure you up to it?"

Sephiroth says, "yes"

Zack hugs Sephiroth

Sephiroth walks out of the inn and waits for the others

Zack sighs and follow Sephiroth out... trailed by Cloud

Sephiroth says, "come... we must hurry to the reactor"

Zack nods

Zack says, "Alright"

Sephiroth starts up the slope, being led by Tifa

Zack follows behind Sephiroth... still trailed after by Cloud

Sephiroth starts across the bridge, then hears it start to break as they get halfway across

Cloud Strife winces and freezes

Zack grabs onto the side of the bridge instinctively

Sephiroth gets into a stance as the bridge breaks. fells himself fall as he watches Zack cling to dear life on the side

Cloud Strife squeaks as the bridge gives way and claws at the dangling bits for support

Sephiroth starts to plummet down into the chasm. Flips out his Masamune and stabs it into the cannon wall... trying to stop his descent

Zack watches Sephiroth fall ... and yells out his name

Cloud Strife yelps as what he is clinging to snaps.... and begins to fall himself

Sephiroth manages to stop his fall.. using the Masamune as a cliff anchor. stretches out his other hand and grabs hold of Cloud... catching him

Cloud Strife blinks

Zack looks down... expecting to see two smears at the bottom of the chasm

Cloud Strife trembles in fear... afraid that Sephiroth is gonna loose his anchorage

Sephiroth looks up at the ledge and then snaps his arm.... tossing Cloud up on it

Cloud Strife squeaks.. but lands safely

Sephiroth dislocates his arm in the process and grits his teeth

Cloud Strife says, "Seph... are you okay?"

Zack starts to inch his way up the bridge... in case it decides to break more

Sephiroth looks up as he dangles from his Masamune

Cloud Strife peers over the edge at Sephiroth... fighting vertigo

Cloud Strife whimpers

Cloud Strife says, "How are you gonna get up?"

Sephiroth says, "I don't know..."

Cloud Strife says, "Its a long way down.. don’t fall...... "

Sephiroth looks down

Sephiroth says, "yeah... it is far"

Cloud Strife realizes Sephiroth is going to fall anyway... since he can’t possibly pull himself up with one arm

Sephiroth looks back up at his brother

Cloud Strife says, "Seph... what are you gonna do?"

Sephiroth says, "I don't know"

Cloud Strife begins to panic slightly. wishes he had some rope.. or something

Sephiroth looks at the cliff wall. looks back up at Cloud

Sephiroth says, "brother.... go to Zack and complete the mission..."

Cloud Strife says, "Seph I can’t leave you..."

Sephiroth says, "You have to... I'll find a way back up... I order you to complete the mission"

Cloud Strife frowns

Cloud Strife says, "Please be safe.. Seph.... "

Cloud Strife waves sadly and goes off to find Zack

Sephiroth clings to the hilt and looks up and down the cliff wall

Zack sits at the edge of the bridge.. panting

Cloud Strife runs up to Zack... looking very upset

Zack says, "Where’s Seph?"

Cloud Strife says, "He told me we gotta complete the mission without him"

Zack Frowns

Zack says, "what happened to him?"

Zack Stands up

Cloud Strife says, "He dislocated his arm... but he's okay.. he'll meet us in the town *knows he might be lying and hopes for the best*"

Sephiroth sighs softly.... wondering if he should just let himself drop.... seeing that there does not seem to be any way up

Zack grumbles to himself and starts to walk towards the reactor

Cloud Strife looks back over his shoulder at where he left Sephiroth and follows Zack

Sephiroth looks around.... then notices the tilt in his blade. thinks to himself as he looks at a ledge a little ways down and at an angle from him

Zack pokes around the reactor a bit.. and after finding nothing of interest... begins to head back towards the town... with a worried Cloud tagging along behind him

Sephiroth pries the Masamune out as he places his feet to the cliff wall and pushes himself toward the ledge. lands on it and cringes as he breaks one of his legs

Zack gets back to town and finds not trace of Sephiroth.... and glares at Cloud... demanding an explanation

Sephiroth stumbles up the path, almost limping... his right arm hanging at his side

Cloud Strife whimpers and explains to Zack how Sephiroth probably fell...

Zack says, "And you left him there?"

Zack gets angry

Zack says, "Why didn’t you tell me he was dangling over a chasm?"

Sephiroth gets onto the path to the reactor and trudges up it

Cloud Strife says, "he told me to go with you and complete the mission.... I was following orders!!"

Zack growls menacingly at Cloud

Zack says, "I am going to go look for him... you are gonna stay here in case he comes back"

Sephiroth enters the reactor. looks around and gets miffed cause Cloud and Zack did not do their job. bends over in pain and fixes the valve

Cloud Strife says, "But Zack... its getting dark already...are you sure............"

Zack shoves Cloud away and trudges back into the mountains to look for Sephiroth

Sephiroth shakes his head and looks into the pods. falls back from the pod as he sees what's inside. looks at himself and thinks.... then reaches his left hand up and touches the bridge of his eyes... remembering that they have always been mako

Zack heads back to the reactor....keeping an eye out for Sephiroth

Sephiroth says, "Did... did... he do this too me too? My mothers name is the same as the name on the reactor... was it all a lie??"

Zack enters the reactor

Sephiroth feels his rage build up and lifts his Masamune in his only functioning arm

Sephiroth says, "grrrrrrr"

Sephiroth brings the weapon down and slashes at the pods

Zack pauses at the entrance. seeing Sephiroth slashing at the pods

Sephiroth howls in rage... only able to keep his balance on one leg cause he broke the other

Zack moves up Behind Sephiroth and blinks...

Sephiroth finally calms down, slamming the blade into the ground and resting on it for support

Zack says, "Seph?"

Sephiroth blinks and turns his head

Sephiroth says, "Zack?"

Zack says, "Are you okay?"

Sephiroth says, "I broke my right arm and leg... and now I think I might have been lied to my whole life...."

Zack says, "Lied to?"

Zack slips his arms around Sephiroth to support him

Sephiroth looks at Zack, his mako green eyes burning brightly

Sephiroth says, "just look at what was in the pods before I hacked them up"

Zack looks into the pod

Zack says, "Da hell?"

Sephiroth says, "People.... People that Hojo is using. He thinks he can be at the same level as the great professor Gast... he's wrong"

Sephiroth chuckles a little then gets that look of rage back. picks his Masamune up out of the ground and moves out of there best he can on a broken leg

Zack follows Sephiroth

Sephiroth gets back to the town and goes to the mansion

Zack continues to follow Sephiroth... worried about him

Sephiroth goes down to the basement. puts his Masamune down and begins to look at the books... his right arm still limp at his side... his leg bleeding

Zack says, "Seph... lemme take care of you"

Sephiroth says, "I need to read this..."

Sephiroth looks at the book... his silver brows furrowing

Zack says, "Please you’re bleeding... and hurt"

Sephiroth looks at Zack, then down at his right leg.... noting the blood dripping down around the edges of his tight boot

Sephiroth says, "hmm.. I'm dripping blood on the floor"

Sephiroth limps to a chair and sits down... engrossed in the book

Zack says, "Yes... just let me take care of you then you can read all the books you want"

Zack sighs and begins to pull Sephiroth's boot off... noting that his bone is poking through his skin

Zack says, "Why didn’t you let me carry you or something"

Sephiroth says, "Do you think you could lift me?"

Zack says, "I coulda tried"

Zack starts to pull on Sephiroth's leg... hoping he can set the bone that way... but doubting it Cuz its poking through the skin

Sephiroth grits his teeth... feeling the pain thunder through him. looks at Zack

Sephiroth says, "What do you see?"

Zack says, "It hurts? Your bone is poking through the skin.... lemme see your arm"

Sephiroth moves so Zack can see it better

Zack says, "Hmm... just dislocated.. this will hurt"

Zack takes Sephiroth's arm and twists it in a manner that pops it back into place

Sephiroth grits his teeth again. moves his fingers on his right arm again

Zack takes off his shirt and uses it to wrap Sephiroth’s shoulder...until the tendons heal

Sephiroth says, "that's better"

Sephiroth turns back to his book... becoming engrossed in it

Zack sighs and sits beside Sephiroth

Cloud Strife spends some time with his mother... who asks him endless questions about being a trooper

Sephiroth hangs his head after reading the book

Zack says, "Seph what’s wrong?"

Sephiroth hands him the book..., which are details on the Jenova project

Zack says, "What is this stuff?"

Zack shakes his head

Sephiroth grabs up the closest book and begins to read

Sephiroth says, "Read it... it's on a project conducted here"

Zack says, "Your name is in here"

Sephiroth says, "yes... I'm aware of that"

Zack says, "Created... Jenova project?"

Sephiroth says, "yes… I was told when I was very small that my mother's name was Jenova. I spent the first 5 years of my life in a lab... not knowing why.... they lied to me and said it was cause I was an orphan… then they threw me out..."

Sephiroth looks down at the book he has

Zack says, "Well.. I don’t care... you are still my Sephiroth"

Sephiroth sighs softly

Sephiroth says, "I want to get them. They did this... then they threw me out. Zack... I need to learn more... I'm gonna be here a while... and I'd like to be alone for it..."

Zack says, "Want me to bring you anything?"

Sephiroth shakes his head

Sephiroth says, "I'll be fine"

Zack says, "Don’t be getting suicidal on me again"

Sephiroth says, "If I wanted to die Zack... I would not have bothered in breaking my leg in swinging to that ledge"

Zack says, "Alright..... I'll check up on you but I won’t disturb you"

Sephiroth says, "Thank you"

Sephiroth hops up from the chair and begins to read... making sure he gets every book

Zack sighs and leaves Sephiroth alone

Sephiroth reads down there... for days... never once turning out the light. is sitting in the back part of the library once finished with the books. His laughter echoes through out the library

Zack walks into the library and hears the laughter

Zack says, "Seph?"

Zack goes to the back of the library

Sephiroth chuckles, sitting on a chair at a desk

Zack says, "Seph... what’s up?"

Sephiroth raises his eyes up and looks at Zack... his eyes dancing with flames

Sephiroth says, "heh heh heh"

Zack says, "Seph? You feeling okay?"

Sephiroth says, "ohhhh... I'm feeling just great... hah hah"

Zack says, "How's your leg?"

Sephiroth stands up

Sephiroth says, "look for yourself..."

Zack checks Sephiroth's leg

Zack says, "Seph.. It’s all infected and stuff. C'mon... lets get you to a doctor"

Sephiroth says, "I'm not going anywhere except to mother..."

Sephiroth picks up his Masamune

Zack says, "Mother? You said your mom was dead? You ain’t suicidal again are you?"

Sephiroth laughs

Sephiroth says, "Mother is immortal... she is in the reactor core..."

Zack blinks

Sephiroth starts to walk... his infected leg-oozing puss as he moves

Zack says, "Seph"

Zack grabs for Sephiroth to restrain him from hurting himself

Sephiroth picks Zack up and drags him around... using the arm that was dislocated a few days before

Zack says, "C'mon... stop being an ass and let me take care of you... "

Sephiroth says, "No.. it does not matter..."

Zack says, "What? Why? Do you know how worried Cloud and I have been?"

Sephiroth swings Zack over his shoulder and starts to walk. walks out of the basement

Zack says, "hey... umm.... where we going? An how the hell can you carry me with a broken leg?"

Sephiroth says, "We are going to see mother..."

Zack says, "Mother?"

Sephiroth says, "Jenova..."

Zack says, "Jenova? That thing they talked about in that book?"

Cloud Strife leans against the wall at the top of the stairs...yawning

Sephiroth says, "yes"

Zack nods

Zack says, "AN... umm... why?"

Sephiroth says, "you'll find out"

Sephiroth walks out of the stairway

Cloud Strife has fallen asleep at his post

Sephiroth brushes right by Cloud and down the stairs

Cloud Strife says, "Huh? "

Cloud Strife blinks

Cloud Strife says, "Seph?"

Sephiroth walks out of the Mansion. lifts up his left hand and casts fire 3 at the town

Zack says, "What the heck are you doing Seph?"

Sephiroth heads for the reactor... carrying Zack on his shoulder

Cloud Strife follows them out of the Mansion in time to see Sephiroth set his town on fire. blinks in horror and tries to get to his house.. but it pushed back by the intense flames

Cloud Strife says, "Mom..."

Sephiroth moves his Masamune up and down as people come at him... watching them die as he presses on through the flames

Cloud Strife follows Sephiroth.. wanting to know why he did it

Zack says, "Seph... ? Why are you killing those people?"

Zack wriggles

Sephiroth heads up the slope.. leaving a trail of his own blood and puss from his infected leg

Sephiroth says, "mother told me too"

Zack says, "That was your kid brother's hometown.... "

Sephiroth heads into the reactor. drops Zack as he enters the pod room

Sephiroth says, "Mother... let me in"

Cloud Strife follows at a distance.. now afraid of Sephiroth as he saw him kill all the townspeople that got in the way

Sephiroth raises his arms up

Sephiroth says, "mother... please let me in"

Zack watches Sephiroth for a moment... then slides his sword slowly out of its sheath.. realizing his lover has gone nuts and needs to be stopped

Sephiroth watches the door open and begins to walk in... his left leg still dripping blood and puss. stares at the container with Jenova in it

Sephiroth says, "mother..."

Zack stands and follows Sephiroth into the core. shakes his head and lunges at Sephiroth. sinks his sword into Sephiroth’s back... trying not to damage anything important

Sephiroth feels the sword sink into him and starts to laugh

Zack blinks

Zack says, "Umm. you ain’t supposed to be laughing"

Sephiroth turns around and grins at Zack

Cloud Strife peeks into the core of the reactor

Zack says, "Seph... c'mon.. remember me ? Zack? the one who loves you?"

Sephiroth grabs Zack by the throat and pulls him up

Sephiroth says, "yes... I know"

Zack gags

Sephiroth shakes the sword out of his back... hearing it clang to the floor. sets Zack down on his back by Jenova's tube

Zack looks up at Sephiroth.. with a puzzled expression

Sephiroth looks down at him.... his silver hair spilling onto Zack

Zack says, "Seph... what are you doing?"

Sephiroth brings forth his Masamune

Sephiroth says, "We'll die together.... for mother...."

Sephiroth pulls himself over top of Zack

Sephiroth says, "now...."

Sephiroth looks down into Zack's eyes

Zack says, "What??"

Sephiroth places the blade of the Masamune against both their necks as Sephiroth keeps him pinned

Zack says, "Seph.... why are you doing this?"

Zack reaches up to touch Sephiroth's cheek

Sephiroth says, "mother commands it..."

Cloud Strife sneaks into the core and picks up Zack's sword. Swings the flat of the blade and cracks it against the side of Sephiroth's head

Sephiroth closes his eyes, letting go of the hilt of the Masamune. streaks his hand out and grabs Cloud's arm

Cloud Strife says, "I.... I..."

Sephiroth snaps it suddenly.. making him drop the sword

Cloud Strife squeals in pain

Zack squirms out from beneath Sephiroth and grabs his sword again

Zack says, "Sephiroth quit it... first you say you don’t want anyone to hurt the kid and now your breaking his arms?"

Sephiroth let’s go of Cloud's arm and looks at Zack

Cloud Strife backs away a bit... cradling his arm... looking hurt and confused

Zack kicks the Masamune away

Sephiroth says, "I need that"

Zack says, "No you don’t"

Sephiroth says, "mother commands it"

Zack says, "I don’t give a damn what your momma sez... I don’t wanna die..."

Cloud Strife sniffles and babbles to himself

Sephiroth raises to his feet... his right leg angled so oddly the others can see the bone sticking way out of it

Zack winces and decides he can kick that leg out if he needs to

Sephiroth looks at them, then looks up at Jenova

Sephiroth says, "Mother... they do not believe in you... but I am here for you now"

Cloud Strife says, "Why'd you kill the only person.. who ever cared about me? You obviously never did....."

Sephiroth ignores the talking and rips the metal away from the tube

Zack picks up the Masamune and walks out of the core... planning on throwing it in the mako

Sephiroth says, "mother..."

Sephiroth gazes at his mom... a little transfixed

Cloud Strife sniffles

Sephiroth leans against the tube... his silver hair stained red with his own blood in back

Cloud Strife watches his brother through tear filled eyes

Sephiroth says, "yes mother... I will..."

Sephiroth takes off his cloak... knowing that it is now ripped

Zack returns.... having stowed the Masamune somewhere safe for now

Sephiroth turns around and looks at them

Sephiroth says, "You do not believe in mother...."

Zack says, "not if it means I gotta die"

Sephiroth chuckles to himself. walks down.. or rather limps because his right leg is way messed up. pushes Zack into a wall

Sephiroth says, "you do not want to die with me?"

Sephiroth looks into Zack's eyes

Zack says, "Fine.... but don’t drag your brother into this"

Sephiroth says, "where is my Masamune?"

Zack says, "I put it somewhere safe"

Sephiroth says, "bring me to it..."

Zack says, "I don’t mind dying with you... since you are my life... C'mon then... Cloud.. scram..."

Sephiroth smiles softly

Cloud Strife sniffles

Zack quietly formulates a plan in his head....

Zack says, "C'mon Seph... this way"

Sephiroth follows after him

Zack takes his hand and leads him towards the open mako pit at the entrance to the reactor

Sephiroth says, "where is it?"

Zack puts his arms around Sephiroth... leaning him against the railing slightly

Zack says, "I’m sorry bout lying to you just this once... but"

Sephiroth looks into Zack's eyes... fire burning in his

Zack kicks Sephiroth's leg out... causing the both of them to tip over the railing and into the energy below

Sephiroth says, "Wha?"

Sephiroth crashes into the Mako

Cloud Strife sits up in the core.. alone and afraid.. having no where to go

Sephiroth feels himself sinking with Zack

Zack finds that the mako burns just as he imagined it would

Sephiroth ignores the pain and wonders why Zack did this. uses a mind link from the mako energy and talks to Zack

Sephiroth . o O ( why did you do that? )

Zack . o O ( If I had to die with you I was gonna make sure you didn’t kill Cloud too.... )

Sephiroth . o O ( I wasn't going to... )

Sephiroth feels them being carried out of the reactor as he feels death approaching. leans his head onto Zack's shoulder

Zack . o O ( well we are together anyway... )

Sephiroth . o O ( yes... )

Cloud Strife sniffles and begins to head down towards the town.. or where there once was a town

Sephiroth dies in Zack's arms and feels his spirit continue to float

Cloud Strife sits in the middle of the town where the water tower was... and cries.... unsure where to go

Zack washes up and groans... finding himself without Sephiroth

Hojo walks into the burned town and looks around

Hojo says, "what happened here?"

Cloud Strife is sitting in the middle of it all.. face smudged with ashes and looking quite forlorn

Hojo walks to Cloud

Hojo says, "Son... what happened here?"

Cloud Strife looks up at Hojo

Cloud Strife says, "Sephiroth.... he.. burned down my town....."

Hojo says, "he what?"

Cloud Strife says, "He killed my mom....."

Hojo blinks and adjusts his glasses

Cloud Strife hangs his head

Hojo says, "why did he do that?"

Cloud Strife says, "I .. don’t know... he an Zack disappeared"

Zack sees Sephiroth's body lying at the edge of the stream as well

Zack says, "Shit.. Seph!"

Zack shakes the body... but can already tell he is gone

Sephiroth has a wound down his back and the bone still sticking out of his leg

Hojo sits down next to Cloud

Zack pulls the body onto his lap and weeps

Hojo says, "was he in the mansion?"

Zack says, "I’m sorry Seph.... "

Cloud Strife nods

Cloud Strife says, "he stayed down there for a long time... Zack said he was reading"

Hojo says, "oh dear… then he must have found out the truth"

Cloud Strife says, "What did you do to him?"

Hojo says, "He was born the way he is..."

Zack says, "I wanted to be with you Seph... what do I do now? Go find your bro and take care of him for you?"

Sephiroth can't talk... is dead

Zack says, "I don’t know why you freaked out on me... but.... I guess I'll do that for you"

Hojo says, "He was born powerful... we thought he was going to be a Cetra..."

Cloud Strife says, "Born that way? was his mom different?"

Hojo says, "Well... his real mom was a scientist.... she vanished after he was born... but we had injected her the year before with Jenova cells. they were born into Sephiroth"

Cloud Strife blinks

Cloud Strife says, "So... he was a hybrid? What was Jenova?"

Hojo says, "we don't know... we thought she was a Cetra"

Cloud Strife says, "That thing.... in the reactor... didn’t look human... or anything like it"

Hojo says, "that was Jenova"

Zack begins to dig a shallow grave for his lover's body. crying softly the whole time

Cloud Strife says, "They are going to question me to death... now.. I was the only survivor of a mission where a whole town and two Firsts were killed...."

Hojo says, "don't worry.. come with me and let me run some tests..."

Zack digs a hole and places Sephiroth's body in it

Cloud Strife says, "Tests?"

Hojo nods

Cloud Strife says, "What kinda tests?"

Zack looks down at his lover and closes his eyes

Zack says, "Sleep well Sephiroth... when my time comes I will be with you again"

Zack slowly begins to scoop the sandy wet earth over Sephiroth......

Hojo says, "you'll see.. but I will not let then question you..."

Cloud Strife says, "Will you fix my arm?"

Hojo says, "yes"

Cloud Strife says, "Seph..... broke it....."

Hojo says, "he did?"

Cloud Strife nods

Cloud Strife says, "I.... hit him with a sword Cuz he was gonna kill Zack. An... he was gonna kill himself… There’s nobody left for me now.... he killed my mom....."

Hojo says, "he was going to kill himself?"

Hojo blinks

Cloud Strife says, "He said his mother told him to do it......"

Hojo says, "Jenova?"

Sephiroth is now buried in the sand

Cloud Strife says, "I think so"

Zack pats the sand over the grave and lugs a rock onto it as a marker

Hojo says, "Well.. you do have me"

Cloud Strife nods

Hojo stands up and looks at his son

Cloud Strife looks at Hojo.... with a rather expressionless face

Hojo says, "come on..."

Cloud Strife stands

Cloud Strife says, "alright"

Hojo takes his hand. heads for the mansion

Cloud Strife follows quietly

Zack notes that he is in a very familiar section of mountains

Hojo leads him to where Sephiroth had been and notes the puss and blood on the floor

Hojo says, "what's this?"

Cloud Strife says, "he broke his leg Zack said..."

Hojo says, "and it got infected?"

Zack says, "Hmm..... this looks like the other side of Nibelheim...."

Cloud Strife nods

Hojo says, "well... let me take a look at you... though you will have to strip"

Cloud Strife nods and removes his clothing... not wanting to seem disobedient

Hojo looks his son over with a instrument

Hojo says, "hmmm..."

Hojo looks at the tubes against the wall

Hojo says, "Please get in the examination tube"

Cloud Strife gets into the tube.. hoping it won’t hurt too much

Zack stumbles down from the mountains into the burnt out town.. and sighs

Hojo shuts the door and begins to play some knobs

Zack says, "Well.. since the mansion is the only place left... I'll assume Cloud went there"

Hojo fills the tube with a liquid... watching Cloud fall asleep

Cloud Strife panics slightly before knocking out

Hojo goes about taking notes and cleaning his lab space up

Zack goes into the mansion and gives the upper floors a thorough sweep... knowing the kid is prone to hiding when he is upset

Hojo puts the books back on their shelves

Zack heads into the basement... wondering why cloud would choose such a creepy place to hide

Hojo hears Zack and turns around

Zack blinks as he comes into the lab... and sees Cloud in what appears to be a giant test tube

Zack says, "Da hell?"

Hojo says, "well... hello there. you seem hurt"

Zack says, "I just crawled out of the lifestream... What are you doing to Cloud?"

Hojo says, "I'm healing my son and running some tests on him"

Zack says, "He isn’t a lab rat...."

Hojo says, "Well... seeing that one son seems to have lost it... my only hope is to run some tests on my other son..."

Zack says, "Nice pop you are... let him out"

Hojo says, "Why?"

Zack says, "Cuz I said so.. I’m gonna watch over him now that Sephiroth is dead"

Hojo adjusts his glasses

Hojo says, "Sephiroth is dead?"

Zack nods

Zack says, "I buried him myself"

Hojo sighs

Hojo says, "Then my tests are even more important. how did he die I might ask?"

Zack says, "Guess the lifestream got him... it just washed me ashore"

Hojo says, "I see. Now.. perhaps you might walk into the other pod?"

Zack says, "Why would I be dumb enough to do that?"

Hojo says, "you look hurt"

Zack says, "I'll heal on my own thanks"

Hojo says, "I also want to run some tests on you... seeing that you were with Sephiroth when he died"

Zack says, "And what’s that matter?"

Hojo says, "The answer to what happened"

Zack says, "He died... and I don’t trust you one bit"

Hojo says, "no... I mean... what happened here?"

Zack says, "how is poking me gonna find that out?"

Hojo says, "you were there when he died"

Zack says, "So....?"

Hojo pulls out a dart gun

Hojo says, "you leave me no choice"

Hojo darts him

Zack says, "Wha tha....."

Hojo puts the dartgun away and goes to Zack

Hojo says, "good night"

Zack falls over from the quick acting sleep toxin

Hojo drags him into the pod. puts him in and watches the pod fill with liquid