Part 8: Hero among Soldiers

Rescuing Sephira, Deepground, proposals of how to save the planet, Serenity and Reeve, new plans for Shinra, first family trip to Destiny Islands, Kingdom Hearts, Genesis' siblings, an unwanted vistor

Part 8: A Hero among Soldiers

 

(“White Dove”- Music that will make you Cry)  “So, how do you know Reeve, where does he come into all of this?” Cloud wants some more answers.

“Oh yeah, well when I was in the Shinra Mansion one day and I overheard unfamiliar voices. I saw a Turk and another man, Veld I think his name was. Now that I think about it, I heard your voice, Vincent. You guys were talking about a man named, Reeve. He felt like someone I could trust. I got his contact information from my other contact within Shinra.”

“Who is this ‘other contact’?” Cloud asks.

“You know him, but have every reason not to trust him. I was surprised that he was so loyal to me. My contact was Rufus Shinra. Before he became vice president and while I worked with Hojo, I took care of him every so often. As a teenager, I helped him with his schooling; I was his tutor you could say. When he became vice president he still kept me in the loop, informing me of his actions and telling me to trust him and the Turks. I really don’t know what was going on with them, but he’s never betrayed me through it all. He was the one who gave me this house and monitored it to make sure we were alright.”

“That’s surprising. I thought he only cared about himself.”

“Ouch, that hurts.” Rufus enters the room. He was listening to their conversation from the kitchen.

“He’s pretty selfish but he does care about the Turks and me apparently. Any who, I got into contact with Reeve. He agreed to help me get Sephira away from Hojo.”

“It wasn’t easy. Hojo hardly ever left his lab. We monitored it for years, waiting for the right moment and you and your friends provided that moment we needed.”(End)

(“Shinra Corporation”) Testing out his new invention, the Cait Sith, Reeve lets it do a little exploring of the Shinra building. He purposely lets it wander into the science department; sneaking through the ventilation system it spies on Hojo. Sending back visuals, he maps out the lab and tries to find the best way to get her out swiftly, safely and slyly. Reeve tries luring Hojo away with his Cait Sith by purposely allowing him to notice its snooping. That didn’t work. Hojo just scolded him for his failure to control his own invention. They waited for him to go on vacation, but the lab was on lock down. The only way he could get her out is if they had a big distraction, but what they wondered. But, the day did come, a shock to all involved.

                The whole company is on alert. Avalanche has infiltrated. Still on house arrest, Rufus tells Reeve that they must make their move. He sends out his Cait Sith to access the situation to see a huge trail of blood lining the halls of the upper floors. He sees Avalanche following the trail and where it leads to and where it came from. Reeve informs Rufus to head to his father’s office and said he will catch up with him there after he secured Sephira.

                Inside the lab, she is in a tank. She looks like she is sleeping but in a coma-like state. Fluids were flowing in and out of her body as she is also suspended in fluid. Glass, blood and other fluids line the floor; every tank had been smashed open and whatever was in them was let out, every tank but hers. Reeve drained the liquid and smashed open the tank, well Cait Sith did, and carried her away to the president’s office making sure no one saw them. The halls were eerily quiet; with the dead unable to interfere he didn’t have much trouble. There, Reeve meets Rufus after Avalanche escapes and no one is there to disturb them. Rufus takes out his phone.

“I’ll let Serenity know the current situation we’re in.” She picks up immediately.

“Hey, what’s going on now? I was watching the news and they said you were under attack.”

“Yes, we were and they got away, but it was the perfect distraction. We have Sephira. What do you want us to do?”

“Bring her to me of course!”

In the background, Reeve says, “I don’t know if she is alive. She is breathing but there is no pulse.”

“Reeve, that makes no sense. Are you sure she has a pulse, but isn’t breathing?”

“What! She’s not breathing!”

“Serenity, I don’t know what he did to her, but something isn’t right.”

“Just bring my baby to me, please!”

“Rufus, her eyes are opening. They look…scary.”

“Try talking to her.”

Mumbling is heard and then, “No response, she’s just staring.” And then a blood curdling cry is heard; Sephira’s eyes turn white as a pulse returns. Rufus, Reeve and Serenity cover their ears and drop their phones. A green light radiates from her body for a couple of seconds and then she falls silent again.  This time she is sleeping. Rufus finds his phone and makes sure Serenity is on the line.

“You sure you want her with you? She may be better off here.”

“Bring her to me…I’m sure I can help her. I am a scientist or did you forget?”

“Not a doctor, but okay, where do you want to meet?”

“Just bring her to the house, please.”

“I’ll send Cissinei and Rod with her. I have work to do, Reeve too. Something has happened and I must act.”

“What? Tell me.”

“I…I have to show you.” Rufus takes a picture of the scene and sends it to Serenity. She is speechless. A long sword pierces the body of the president who is lying at his desk in a pool of his own blood. “It seems that he is still alive and has a vendetta.”

“That…that can’t be; he died! He’s dead. Are…you sure it wasn’t Avalanche?”

“They were detained at the time of the attack. They were just as surprised as us.”

Rufus can hear her fall to the floor. “Did he kill anyone else? Where did he go? Is he still there?”

“He killed many, but the trail ends here.” Reeve replies.

“No, he is gone and left no trace. A phantom is loose…be careful, okay?”

“He won’t come for me…I’m more worried about you.”  

“I’ll be fine.”

“No, not for your safety but for your health…do one more thing for me; delete that picture off your phone.”

“…” Conflict. He had finally got what he wanted; control over the company but for some reason he wanted to cry over his father’s death, a death he welcomed with open arms. “We’re heading out. I will follow Sephiroth; he’s bound to make another move. Reeve, tail Cloud and the others; they are bound to lead us to him. Sephira will arrive in the morning.”

“Okay, thank you, tell Reeve thank you for me too.” She hangs up and Rufus stares at his father in a trance while Reeve calls Rod and Cissinei. (End)

“I thought you fled after our fight?” Cloud recalls.

(“Night Time"- The Xx) “I did, but then I returned. I had to investigate.”

“So what happened after that?” Vincent interjects.

 “My reunion was short lived. Sephira was in a state like you were after the Nibelheim incident. She was unresponsive but I kept talking to her anyways. But then, I left again; I had another vision. I saw my brother being transported to Deepground by, who I now know as, Weiss and Nero. There, they tried to get him to fight against the Restrictors, but he refused. He sealed himself away in a cavern or cave below Midgar. I was shocked that he was actually still alive. Hoping I could find this place and that he was still there, I set out once again to find my brother. This was around the time Reeve established the W.R.O. who were looking into Deepground and any other Shinra secrets. He kept me up to date with his findings.”

“Reeve, always working behind the scenes.” Vincent notes.

“It would seem so. I even helped in the fight against Deepground months ago. I ran into Azul a couple of times and as ruthless he was something inside him held back his blood thirst. I guess somewhere in the depths of his mind he remembers helping me out and how grateful I was and how I advised him to not join Soldier…maybe I reminded him of his regret.”

On vacation in Costa del Sol, Serenity and her children stay at a local hotel; the one all Shinra employees stay at. The Turks were recruiting people for Solider, but she knows that not all will be in Solider; some were being transported to Deepground. She has only heard about this place but she has no idea where it is or how extreme they are. A man was known for his strength throughout the town; pretty tall, muscular man with cerulean colored hair; the Turks took aboard their cargo ship by force. On this same ship, Serenity and her children were heading back to Midgar.  This man attacked the captors and freed the recruits. Defeating some Turks, he escapes and lets Avalanche handle the rest. During his escape, he notices Serenity with her children. He offers his help so they may reach their destination. They hide in a small shed while all the commotion is going on. There, the children rest in a hay stack while they speak.

“Thanks for the help but you really didn’t help us by interfering with our ride back home.”

“Oh, so you work for Shinra?”

“Yes, I was on vacation.”

“I see. I would be concerned if Shinra was recruiting young children.”

“They’ve done it before…for Deepground at least.” Serenity remembers reading a report about a girl named Shelke.

“Deepground?”

 “Deepground…they are trying to make super soldiers…or so I’ve heard. That is where they would have taken you most likely. You’re pretty strong already.”

 “Hmm, Shinra. They can make me stronger if I join Solider and Deepground…I will be the strongest!”

“Trust me; you don’t want what they are offering…nothing good comes out of a project like this I bet.”

“Thanks for the advice, but you have helped me make up my mind. I will join Soldier and go to Deepground.”

“Why!? They will make you into a monster! A monster who won’t have a mind of its own…is that what you really want?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand, why would you throw your mind away for brute strength?”

“With brute strength, you don’t need to think, you make others think for you because they know if they cross you…”

“Your just a bully…a mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

Serenity walks away and joins her children in the hay stack. He waits for the unrest to settle. He watches them sleep, still wondering what their connection to Shinra is. He couldn’t help but to feel that she wanted to leave, even if she was unaware of her own feelings. He looks at the children. The boy reminds him of someone, but he can’t pinpoint it. Still determine, he leaves; when she wakes, the man is long gone. This was the first time she started to wonder if the science department was going too far and if she wanted to be a part of it; before knowing what was done to her brother, her friend and her lover. (End)

The front door opens and closes. Footsteps walk towards the living room and stop at the doorway.

(“The Lantern”- Beats Antique) “Serenity, tell them why you really wanted them to see you.” Reeve insists. Cloud and Vincent both jump in their seats and turn to face him and then back to her.

 “Recently, I’ve been having more visions and I am not the only one having visions in my family. At first, I thought I was just hearing the voices of the Lifestream and since Sephiroth is dead, I felt like he was reaching out to me from there.  At night I feel his presence and find black feathers on my windowsill. He appears to me and asks me why I ran away with our children, but like the Nibelheim incident he doesn’t wait for an answer and comes at me with his sword only to disappear before he strikes me and all I can hear is Sephira screaming from a nightmare.  Sephira is having nightmares of a man burning a village, a man summoning Meteor, a man attacking a blonde man, a man escaping the Lifestream and using her as his vessel. I identified the man in her dreams as the father she’s never met, Sephiroth. I wasn’t able to prevent any of my vision but I can’t help feeling that I can prevent this one. I had visions of water and the Lifestream and a Goddess as well as a mass amount of Mako energy bursting out of the Planet and a figure in the sky above it all. I can’t help to think that Sephiroth is coming back and this time he might succeed in destroying the planet.”

“Not if I can help it. He is a memory and that’s where he will stay, in my head.” Cloud reassures.

“I hope your right, Cloud. I don’t know if he will ever be truly gone. I don’t know if his life force, his energy can return to the planet. It may be too strong that it has manifested into its own existence; separate from our planet.” Vincent adds.

“Well, that’s what you need to find out before this happens.” Reeve states.

“Maybe, we need to let it happen. I couldn’t prevent any of the vision I saw for a reason. Maybe it’s the Lifestream’s will to let these things happen. Maybe the Lifestream is giving up on this planet and wants to find another one. Maybe with all the extraction of Mako the planet is too weak to continue living or maybe it will suck in all our energy so it can continue to live. I don’t foresee a happy ending.”Serenity clarifies. 

 

“If we die, the planet lives. If the planet dies, we die with it.” Vincent reasons. They sit in silence. Sephira returns from wherever she went. She has a bag full of fresh apples and sets them on the dining room table to the right of the main foyer. A door opens in the kitchen from the backyard. Sakuya and Riku came into the house after she was done tanning and he was done swimming. Two more people enter the house from the back door.  They walk into the living room to see if it was more of their people. Reno, Rude and Cissnei are surprised to see Cloud and Vincent here. Serenity explains to them why they are here.

 “When a person dies, their energy is returned to the planet from which it came. If that energy was not just from the planet, but from an extraterrestrial being, that ET energy must be stripped away, right. That’s the only logical answer.” Rufus suggests.

“But how?” Serenity asks.

“I…don’t know.”

“Do you remember the rain that came down to cure Geostigma? That water is still in the church. Maybe, if put your children in the water the last of the Jenova cells on this planet will be gone and Sephiroth will have no way of staging another reunion. We must get rid of all the Jenova cells that still may be in the bodies of any person infected with Geostigma and injected with Jenova cells to become Soldiers.”  Vincent proposes. No one can come up with any other ideas so they will head to Midgar, Sector 5: The slums church. (End)

(“Our Love is Easy”- Melody Gardot)  Before they leave, they rest for the night; they will need their rest. Serenity reties to her room and when she is about to get in her bed a knock is heard at the door. She tells the person to come in and to her surprise it wasn’t Sephira or Rufus, it was Reeve. He wants to talk so they head to the balcony. Outside the cool breeze from the ocean makes Serenity grab her robe and the glass of wine she had sitting on her nightstand. She offers him some.

“No thank you. I’m not much of drinker.” She sets the bottle on the railing.

“So, what do you want to talk about?”

“Us.”

“Yes?”

“Well, when this is all over, I would love to stay here with you.”

“But how much will you be here, really? You have to lead W.R.O right?”

“I’m willing to do that from afar. I have Cait Sith, remember and a pretty good group of officers.”

“Watching from afar isn’t the best idea; you can’t keep track of what happens behind closed doors. Former President Shinra is testament to that.”

“Would you rather me go then?”

“No, I want you to stay but, is it really in the best interest, not for me or you but everyone else that is counting on you, to stay with me. I don’t want to be selfish, anymore. I ask others too frequently to solve my problems, but not myself.”

“Serenity, being with you is not a problem, helping raise your children is not a problem, loving you…is not a problem. There are no problems to solve so if you ask me to stay, you are not being selfish. If anyone is being selfish, it is I.” Serenity walks closer to him, grabs his hand and interlocks hers with his.

“Reeve, I don’t know if I can give another that space in my heart. I don’t know if anyone can ever fill it-forever.  It’s a really big space; a space for my mother, my father, my husband, my brother and a really good friend.”

“When my mother died and I wasn’t there when she needed me; I had a hole in my heart and it only took a story from a boy who carried one of her handkerchiefs to fill it. Everyone has empty spaces in their hearts and everyone can fill them if they allow themselves. I know I can never replace them and I may not be able to fill that space, but I can fill it as much as I can and whatever I can’t fill can we filled over time with your children, your new friends and old and future friends and family. So please, can you begin to heal and allow me to heal with you?”

“Love is easy, hate is easy, but longevity, hope, faith are hard to maintain…happiness is hard to maintain.”

“That is life; nothing last forever but forever you want it to last. I want to live out the rest of my forever with you.”

“Reeve,” She puts her hand on his cheek and brings his lips to hers. “I love you and I hope we can have enough faith in each other, even if were apart for long periods of time, that we will be happy together-always.”

                          He wraps his hand around her waist as she loosely wraps hers around his neck. He picks her up and carries her back into her room where they lower themselves onto the bed, but another knock was heard at the door. This time it was Sephira. They laugh and Reeve leaves for the night to let Sephira sleep with her mother by her side. The Turks and Rufus are outside preparing the helicopter while Sakuya and Riku get to know Vincent and Cloud. (End)

(“Turk’s Theme”) On the beach in the backyard, the Turks, being Reno, Rude and Cissinei, check the engine, propellers and any other component that if it malfunctioned they would be in trouble. Rufus stands before the ocean and gazes at its vastness. Cissinei walks over to him, approaching him from behind, “We’re almost done with our inspection. Anything else or can we retire for the night?”

“That should be good.” He continues to stare off into the distance.

“That should be good.” He continues to stare off into the distance. She walks next to him.

“You know, you’re gonna have to return to Midgar or Edge. You’re still president, president of a company the world blames for our current state.”

“I know, I am the only one who can fix it.”

“Yes, the people need to see that not all of Shinra was or is bad.”

“And together we can rebuild, Shinra.” Reno intrudes.

“No, not rebuild but renew; a new company with the planet’s and the people’s interest at heart. A company that will make the necessary sacrifices, people that will make the necessary sacrifices to live their lives in the best interest of the planet.”

“Yes, we won’t live as comfortably as we previously did but we will be more independent and make use of the things the planet has provided us; all of the renewable resources.” Rude suggests.

“We just need to be prepared for those who haven’t come to the realization.” Cissinei points out.

“An ongoing battle for ages.”

“And that’s where the Turks come in! We always handle to dirty work.” Reno reinsures.

“Hmm, some more gracefully than others.” Rude states

“Hey, I might not be gracefully but I got style.” Reno smirks a sexy smile and winks at Cissinei.

“Ha, in  your dreams.”

“Where is the Director?” Rufus wonders. “Haven’t heard from him in a while.”

“He and Veld are traveling around the planet gathering intel. Elena went with them as well.” Cissinei informs. “He was waiting for you to recover. So contact him when you’re ready to get back to work.”

“Yeah, they currently returned to Edge. That red beast that travelled with Cloud and them was also helping them. They’re probably at 7^th Heaven sharing information.” Rude adds.

“Seems that is where we must start after we are done with all this.”

“Sir!” The Turks voice in perfect synchronization.

                         Feeling refreshed, they head inside to gain even more energy. As they walked towards the back door they are caught off guard and jump at loud sounds. They realized that someone had fired gunshots. (End)

(“More than This”- Charlie Hunter ft. Norah Jones) It was a couple months after Serenity parents were killed and the children were brought back to Midgar. Packed bags lay in the middle of the living room floor in Sephiroth’s apartment. Sakuya and Riku bounce on the couches in excitement. Serenity is still packing her bags as Sephiroth talks on the phone. The door is opened and the children duck behind the couch, jump up and scream, “Hey, Rufus!”

“Hi, you two. And no, you didn’t scare me.” They stick their tongues out at him.

“Are you almost ready, Serenity?” Sephiroth calls to her.

“Just take the bags to the helicopter, I’ll be out soon.”

Sephiroth and the kids grab their bags and Rufus carries his own.

“I thought you were supposed to be on a ‘Long Term Business Trip’ Mr. Vice President.” Sephiroth states.

“I am. The only reason I’m going on this trip is to get some business done. I have many plans for Shinra’s future.”

“I’m sure you do.” Sephiroth knows about Rufus’ growing resentment for his father, it has been stirring in his heart since his mother left. Being vice president is just one step below his father and his father is the only one in his way of taking over Shinra.

“I’m surprised you’re taking a vacation with all this chaos going on within Solider.”

“I’m not. Serenity is taking a break with our children. They have endured so much as of late. As for me, I need to find Angeal and Genesis.”

“Figures; that is the right thing to do. Duty comes first, right? Especially when it involves your ‘family’.”

“When this is resolved, my family and I can finally find peace outside of Shinra and away from Midgar, I promise them that. I advise you to do the same.”

They load the helicopter and strap Riku and Sakuya in. He kisses them on the cheeks and heads back to the building to help Serenity load her bags into the helicopter. He kisses her as she takes her seat in between their children. He closes the door and waves from the platform as they take off. Piloting the helicopter is the Martial Art male Turk and Shotgun. Rufus and Tseng sit in front of Serenity and the kids.

                Arriving in Costa del Sol they head to Destiny Island to Rufus’ vacation home. He let Serenity’s parents use the same vacation home when they bought Sakuya and Riku here for an extended vacation three years ago. The kids were excited to see their friends again. The first thing they did was throw their bags into their rooms and run down the street to the main beach knowing that their friends are getting ready to head over to their “secret island”. Rufus and the Turks head to a local bar while Serenity places an umbrella in the sand, lays a towel in its shade and read a book with waves creeping onto her feet every now and then. When evening came, Serenity decides to take a walk around the island hoping that her children would show up soon. As she walks down the street, she notices one of the Turks talking to a woman in her front yard.

She recognizes him as the martial artist. The woman goes inside while the man sits on the steps of the front porch.  Serenity waves to him from the road. He motions her to come inside the yard and she joins him on the steps.
“Good evening, Maur was it?”

“Yes Maur and good evening, Serenity.”

“Is this your home? It is very lovely.”

“It is. This is my hometown. This is the house my wife inherited from her parents.”

“Very nice. She’s really pretty too.”

“Why, thank you. I wish I could tell her that more. I’m always working so hard. I barely spend any time with her and our son as well.”

“You have a son!”

“Yeah; he is actually only a year younger than Riku. His name is, Sora.”

“Sky, what a wonderful name.”

“My wife, Sia and I loved lying in the sand for hours just staring at the sky and I loved staring into her blue eyes.”

Serenity put her hand on her heart and says, “How romantic.”

From the kitchen window his wife shouts, “Hey, Serenity if you are hungry dinner is almost ready. I’m sure the kids are together and almost back. We can enjoy dinner together.”

“I would love to, thank you.” She knows Rufus and the other Turks are busy, so why not enjoy her time her with her kids, her children’s friends and their families.

Pretty soon, Riku, Sakuya and Sora had returned with two other girls and two boys. Sora’s mom invited them all to dinner and they accepted. The other kids rushed home to get their parents. One of the girls was, Kairi. The mayor and his wife had adopted her. The other girl was Selphie and she lived with her father. She always has her jump rope resting on her shoulders. One of the boys was Tidus who lived with his mother and father who is trying to create a new water sport. “I’ll call it, Blitzball.” He announced to the table. Tidus rolls he eyes, annoyed with his father. The other boy was Wakka, he was a little older than Riku and he lived with his brother, Chappu and their mother. He wants Tidus’ father to teach him how to play. Serenity knew she has found a second home. Only a few years later, Rufus’ vacation home and Destiny Island became their new permanent residence and Riku and Sakuya finally had friends that they bonded closely with and shared a better childhood with than they would have had if they stayed in Midgar. (End)

(“Meu Coracao”- Akiko) In the front yard, Vincent, Cloud, Riku, Sora and Sakuya are talking. Sakuya is happy to see her brother and is interested in talking to these men. She’s been hugging him and holding onto him since they came in the house earlier.

“You really love your brother don’t you, Sakuya?” Vincent figures.

“She just misses me. I’ve been away for two years now.”

“And where did you go?” Cloud asks.

“Yeah, where did you go? You told mom, but haven’t told me yet. We were so worried about Sora, Kairi and you.”

“To other worlds; I knew there were other worlds than our own, but I never realized how many there are.”

“How did you learn to travel through space? You may have to share your secrets with Cid.”Cloud suggests.

“The Darkness; I let the darkness swallow me and I followed it to other worlds. Darkness, was swallowing the worlds and with each one gone…another star faded.”

“Some type of void. Like the ones I saw around the Tsveits, Nero is particular.”Vincent points out.

“Yes, it’s a portal drawn from the darkness of the heart.”

“That night of that storm…that’s when you disappeared. I remember a dark cloud looming over the island where we children play. I remember the next morning you were gone and Sora’s mom was looking for Sora and concluded that he was gone too. We thought that you and your friends went to the island to check out the ominous cloud and drowned. I had Rufus send out a search team to look for you guys and they turned up nothing. Mom was in and out of the house, so Rufus and I just kept it a secret. Luckily, Kairi returned and told us that you and Sora were alive and stuck in another universe.” Sakuya tells Riku and Sora.

“It felt like a different universe, an alternate world. It was weird because I saw Cloud, Aeris, Tifa, Cid and Sephiorth, but it felt like you guys were just individual consciouses.  Cloud, you were looking for Sephiroth and he was lurking in the darkness of your heart. Tifa was looking for Cloud, trying to help him anyway she could. Aeris was always dishing out great advice and Cid sold me Gummi parts.” Sora explains.

“Gummi Parts?” Sakuya laughs at the name.

“Yeah, for my Gummi Ship. That’s how I traveled to different worlds.”

“Sounds like an adventure. Why were you three swept away?” Vincent wonders.

“Because Kairi is a Princess of Heart and all three of us are Keyblade wielders.” They summon their Keyblades.“They unlock the hearts of people. Every world has a door to its heart and the door to the heart of all worlds is Kingdom Hearts. The Keyblade can lock and unlock those doors.” Sora answers.

“There are those who conducted experiments on the heart and created beings called Heartless and Nobodies. This one person wants to forge the χ-blade using these Princesses of Heart, but seven keyblade wielders have to keep these thirteen Seekers of Darkness away.” Riku clarifies.

“This χ-blade does what? And who is this ‘one person’ who wants it?” Sakuya questions.

“This blade unlocks the true Kingdom Hearts and whoever wields it will be able to control all worlds.” Kairi answers.

“We three still have much work to do; we must stop Xehanort from carrying out his plan.” Riku adds.

Vincent takes a step back and his eyes scan the ground while he is deep in thought.

“What’s wrong Vincent?”

“So, that’s where he went. My estrange older brother; Xehanort Valentine also disappeared years ago”. (End)

(“While on Saturn’s Rings”- Ernest Gonzales) They make their way from Banora and the Mideel continent to Costa del Sol. Sariya is in a state of internal conflict. She wanted to keep Genesis, but she knew neither one of them could provide for him. She was too young to raise a child on her own and he was too much of a wanderer to settle down. She only lasted three more years with Xehanort until she left him and settled down in a small town in the valley between Corel and The Gold Saucer. 

She was pregnant again and refused to travel in this state; she wanted a normal life for herself and the baby. Xehanort let her stay and he continued on his way, telling her he would return one day. While pregnant, she can’t help to think about her first child. She wanted to return to Banora to see him and a year later she did. When she got there, she saw a happy young boy playing with his sister and friend. She saw Ivan and Nia playing with them too She decided that he was better off where he was. Nia and Ivan have longed for a child and now they have two. They deserve their happiness and she doesn’t want to ruin it. She returns to the small village and finds herself missing Xehanort, but doesn’t look for him. She enjoys the peace, quiet and her mundane life. Soon, she met a traveler named, Raymond Rui who had injured himself and had an infection; he needed medical care. 

Sariya was the village doctor being very skilled natural medicine-herbalist. She reminded herself everyday that she was the one who kept Xehanort and her alive during all their years of traveling together. Falling in love with his caretaker, he remains in the village and soon they are married and have their first child, Shalua Rui. Everything seemed to be going fine until her son was taken from her in the middle of the night. She knew who it was but had no way of getting him back. A few years later, they have their second daughter, Shelke Rui. Sariya was ready to be a mother, but her time with her children was cut short. She and Raymond caught a mysterious illness and passed away when Shelke was only seven years old. The children were now orphans, but the village people watched over them. By the time Shelke was nine, Shinra had taken interest in her for their Deepground Soliders project and she was kidnapped. Shalua Rui was left all alone and in the following decade she searched for her sister only to have a short lived reunion when she found her. Shalua Rui had joined with the Lifestream knowing that her sister was alright and knowing that she was able to see her one more time before her time came. (End)

(“Passacaglia”- Secret Garden) As for Xehanort, he never looked back. He wasn’t saddened by Sariya leaving him, he expected it. He expected her to feel remorse and return to Banora to retrieve their son. He had no interest in returning to her or gaining back a son and an unborn child he never claimed. He continued to travel the planet, looking for a way to leave this planet. He goes to the Shinra Mansion to see if he can find any information on planetary travel and myths that might lead to truths. Here, he meets Hojo and professor Gast who are conducting experiments of their own. He also meets a young woman named Vanessa who is working with them in Lucrecia’s disappearance. She reveals to him that she is Hojo’s and Hollander’s younger sister and head of the Deepground Medical Division, a facility for wounded Soliders of the Wutai War. 

She’s determined to develop new medical techniques to treat the Soliders while also planning to breed more advanced ones. She studied Grimoire Valentine’s research on stagnant Mako and combined that knowledge with the knowledge she gained from her brother about the Jenova Project. Xehanort was very intrigued by his father’s work and the work Vanessa was about to do. While working on her proposal to Shinra, Xehanort became her partner and the two had a son together. This one he claimed and named him, Weiss. Vanessa took a break in her research to take care of him, while Xehanort traveled some more to follow up on some leads she had found. 

 

He finds himself in Costa del Sol. He has read that Destiny Islands have a strange energy. He has heard of many disappearing at sea in the area between Costa del Sol and Midgar. Strange winds push sailors towards the Bone Village but another wind for the Forgotten City causes a vortex in which the sailors are sucked in and never return and when they disappear, a star shoots across the sky…so the legend says. Xehanort believes this to be his way to other planets and off of Gaia. The legend wasn't proven to be false or true but Xehanort found his way to another life. He was gone for five years and when he returned he returned to Vanessa so he could share all his new knowledge with her. Now in Midgar, Deepground was ready their rounds of experimentation with Stagnant Mako. Believing that this baby would surpass Sephiroth, Genesis, Angeal, Rosso and Weiss, she wants the experiment done on her own child; she wanted to create a being even greater than her brothers’. Xehanort had returned at the right time and she became pregnant with their second son. Xehanort was ready to have two sons carry out his plans for the universe. He already decided that his son’s name would be, Nero. His goal is to have a perfect universe, a universe in which all worlds have a perfect balance of light and dark, a universe in which he would rule over using the χ-keyblade to open Kingdom Heart.

The stagnant Mako’s power was too great and when Nero was born a void of darkness swallowed Vanessa and she was sent to another dimension. Xehanort demanded that the scientist contain his darkness and told them to keep Weiss with his brother. Xehanort leaves Gaia and prepares himself for a new universe and allows his sons to remain in Deepground. His next step was retrieving his second son, who is now seven, from Sariya and takes him to The Land of Departure to make him a Keyblade wielder. He knows he will be useful for something. 

He checks on his sons throughout the years while also searching for their Vanessa who he believes to be on some other planet. As a Seeker of Darkness, he takes action into bringing about another Keyblade War and waits for the day he can share it with his sons. (End)

 (“Death and Rebirth”) An unwanted visitor stops by. Vincent shots at him, but he misses.  He has Shelke under his right arm while he uses his left arm to shield himself from the bullets with his sword.

“Weiss, put Shelke down, now!” Vincent orders. He drops her, draws his other sword and hovers it over her neck.

“Listen to what I have to say and she won’t get hurt.”

“As if she’ll let you.” Cloud knows how tough she is.

Weiss delivers a message, “He is waiting for those with the cells to gather, he is waiting for those with “S” and “G” cells to gather. ‘They must gather in Midgar where the Lifestream reachs the surface.’ We are waiting for you and His children.” He says looking at Cloud.

“The Jenova cells.”

“Yes, Shelke, you, those children, Genesis and I have the remaining ones of the survivors. We must rid the planet of them. And you Vincent have the power to do so.”

“Chaos.”

“Precisely, we must hurry. She will awaken soon.”

“Who?”                                                                                     

“The girl, Sephira?”

“No, Jenova.” (End)

                      (“WRO March”) “Jenova, I thought she was reduced to just a head.” Cloud voices with concern.

“Her physical body was destroyed, this is true, but her spirit lingers on separate from our planet, from our Lifestream. The only way to rid ourselves of this phantom Sephiorth is to rid the planet of Jenova.”

“So they are one in the same?” Riku asks.

“Yes, the Sephiroth you’ve come to despise is like Kradaj, a remnant. All those with her cells are remnants she can posses. She’s waiting for the right time to strike down the planet.”

“And this time would be when?” Sakuya asks.

“Very soon; since some obstacles have been removed.”

“Obstacles?”Cloud questions.

“Her reach has grown with most of the cells being in the Lifestream, it weakens and Omega awakened. Omega could have got the job done, but Vincent got in the way of that to her dismay. Since Omega and the other weapons are destroyed or dormant and won’t awaken Chaos in you Vincent, they are not there to fight her off. The planet is virtually unprotected.”

“So we must keep her from possessing those with the cells?” Riku asks.

“We must gather to draw her out.”

“And then what?” Sakuya wants to know.

“Let nature run its course. Who will prove to be stronger? The only remaining obstacle is the Cetra and she wants to use us to destroy the last of them and rid the Lifestream of their existence.”

“And what if she’s able to take control over us?” Riku voices with concern.

“She won’t if you don’t let her. You and your siblings are Cetra too, are you not? Which side will you let take over? You’ll know what to do when the time comes.”

“What makes you so sure?” Vincent questions.

“Because, Genesis told us. He spoke with her.” Shelke awakes rubbing her head.

“Who?” They all ask.

“The conscious of the Lifestream, Minerva.”

 

“The summon that leaves behind no Materia.” Rufus and the Turks make it to the front yard with Serenity, Sephira and Reeve.

“She has faith in us that we will know what must be done, what the Lifestream wants us to do. Everyone needs to be on the same side, this includes Sephiroth.”

“And where is he?” Serenity wonders.

“Here, within those with his cells. He waits for Jenova’s call.”

“We must head to Midgar to meet Genesis, tonight.” Shelke informs.

“They must gather in Midgar where the Lifestream reaches the surface.’ We need to go to the church in the slums, the only place where the Lifestream is pure.” Cloud announces.

“Exactly, where the Cetras’ souls rest. They too wait for the right time to rid the planet of Jenova forever.”(End)