Chapter Seventeen: "Do You Think…This Is The Father Angel?"

The Nibelheim reactor was an even more gloomy and oppressive than the last time Cloud had seen it five years ago. The blanket of night saturated the metal with its deepening shadows, called the wind forth from its hidden caverns, strengthening the lonely chill that spread from the rocks. He stared at the metal structure that dominated this barren and grim landscape, unable to shake its mystifying affects. His heart pounded in his chest. There were secrets here, left dormant within the hollow walls; something he was meant to find. It was the truth that caused Tifa to fear him, and Sabin to eye him suspiciously when he thought no one could see. The truth that not even Aeris, who could always speak her mind, wouldn’t tell. He simultaneously feared and anticipated such a discovery.

The interior of the building was only dimly lit and perhaps even colder than the outside, overcrowded with tubes and catwalks that no longer had any function. From the main entrance they descended a ladder, then followed the wide gangway across the deep central chasm. It was a pit that, according to Cloud, led directly down into the Lifestream itself. The next room was the egg chamber.

The group entered expecting something miraculous, but they received no such surprise. The pods had long since been deactivated, and now lay silent and dark. Cloud insisted on looking in each one just to be sure. He found nothing.

"Looks like it was deserted," Sabin remarked, hands in his pockets. He looked to Cloud inquisitively.

"There’s got to be something here," Cloud said, turning in circles. "There’s got to be. It’s here, I know it is."

Tifa glanced over at him; the reactor’s grave-like setting was already affecting her, anxiety creeping up her back. "What’s here, Cloud?"

"I don’t know." He moved to the door to the Jenova chamber and without hesitating pushed it open and stepped inside.

"Cloud—wait!" Tifa immediately jolted after him, and was met by something unexpected. At the top of a tall pipe stood the capsule that had once held Jenova, illuminated by a dull emerald glow. It was large: at least seven feet tall and three feet in diameter. The form of a human lay crumpled inside, barely visible amid the light. But even more bewildering was the young man that sat cross-legged in front of it.

"What is that?" Nadia asked as she shouldered her way into the chamber. "Is that a guy? Who is it?"

"Shh." Cloud started up the pipe, the others following close on his heels. At the top was only a small platform to stand on, and taking up most of it was the strange boy. Cloud took a step back at the sight of him, touched by an unexplainable resignation.

The youth was covered in thick woolen blankets, each far too long for their purpose as they trailed across the paneled floor like the grand cape of some illustrious monarch. The rest of him was not as splendid. His rusty-colored hair overflowed his head, his face, and his shoulders. It even managed to hide his hands; they were lifted before his face, the same green light escaping through gaps in his fingers. As for the figure in the glass container, the light made it impossible for any details to be assembled.

Aeris pushed past all of them, kneeling in front of the youth. She could see now that he was holding two pale green materia. His eyes were closed, and though his lips still moved they did so without sound. The emerald spheres were held so that his wordless breath fell across the smooth surface—she could tell by the way he opened and closed his mouth that he was silently reciting some kind of chant. It was oddly chilling, as he didn’t pause except to take another breath.

"Hey." She reached to touch him and suddenly his eyes flicked open, regarding her with orbs that matched the hue of his spells. He watched her, a bit lazy and a bit curious. "My name’s Aeris," she introduced. "What’s yours?"

The boy blinked slowly, still watching her. He didn’t pause in his spell casting to answer. She tried a different approach. "What are you doing?"

Still no response. Aeris pursed her lips discontentedly, and glanced at the others for help. Her gaze met Cloud’s almost instantly. He shuddered and stepped backwards again. "I don’t want to be here," he said.

"Why? What’s wrong? This isn’t one, Cloud."

"I know." He shifted from foot to foot and fell silent again.

Sabin, meanwhile, had been investigating the tube capsule. "Hey, there’s a guy in here," he called, then pressed his hands to the glass.

The boy flinched, and his fingers curled around the materia he held. Aeris watched him, then Sabin. "Hey back off for a second."

He pulled his hands back the boy relaxed again. "But there’s someone in there," Sabin protested the interruption of his investigation. "There’s a lot of heavy-duty magic cast on this thing, too."

"There’s nothing about it in the book," Nadia added. "This place was supposed to be deserted. It has a long history of accidents."

"I don’t want to be here," Cloud repeated, wishing there was a rail for him to grip. His face had grown almost deathly pale. But it wasn’t the boy he was staring at: it was the capsule, and the figure it hid.

Tifa took his hand, trying to reassure him. "It’s okay, Cloud," she told him softly. "Nothing’s happened so far. We just want to figure out what this is, and then we’ll leave."

"He’s the one that brought us here in the first place," Sabin muttered in annoyance, moving around to the other side of the chamber. He squatted down and tried to wipe the film off the glass—his hands tingled from the amount of power that vibrated through it. All the while the youth’s arms began to grow ridged as he chanted. Sabin didn’t notice or care. His eyes, wide and disbelieving, were locked on what he was seeing inside the tube, now clearly visible to him. "Oh hell," he murmured, leaning back.

Aeris moved over next to him, investigating for herself. "That’s a SODLDIER ensignia, isn’t it?" She whispered. "It looks more detailed, though. Like a First Class belt."

"I’m getting out of here," Cloud said abruptly, shaking Tifa’s hand off. He turned to go. Immediately Aeris gave case, and Tifa as well—she didn’t want to be in this place either, as it spread fear through her veins like a very tangible poison. She understood why he couldn’t stand it.

Cloud left the chamber, but once he’d reached the room with the eggs he began to pace. "I don’t like this," he muttered. "That guy gives me the creeps."

"Try not to let it affect you," Aeris advised. "He’s not Sephiroth, and he hasn’t tried to attack us at all yet—isn’t that a good sign?"

He sat down suddenly, then sprang back up, restless. "I can’t stand it. That guy gives me the creeps. I know he doesn’t look like Sephiroth, but his eyes were a weird green."

"My eyes are green," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but you’re special."

Tifa stepped forward then, arms crossed—she was beginning to get goosebumps. "Try to calm down," she said. "We don’t know what that guy is doing, so there’s no reason to get worked up. Besides, Sephiroth is dead, right? Even if it is him in that capsule, he can’t do anything."

"What I don’t get is how he got in there," he muttered.

Both girls exchanged glances, and Aeris shrugged. "Maybe the kid trapped Sephiroth in there," she suggested.

"Or maybe he’s protecting him," said Tifa. Her voice lowered. "I’ve had a weird feeling ever since we came here. Do you think…this is the Father Angel?"

Sabin entered then, and frowned at their expressions. "What’s going on? You guys okay?"

"If he is the Father," Cloud snarled, "then we’ll have to kill him."

Aeris moved next to him. "Let’s not jump to conclusions. We don’t know anything for sure yet." She turned to Tifa. "You’re the one that should know, isn’t that right? What do you think?"

"I…" Tifa bit her lip. "I don’t know. I mean, how should I? But he almost seems familiar. Like I know him. Do you, Cloud?"

He shook his head. "I haven’t got a clue."

"Anyway," Sabin interrupted, "there’s a lot of damn powerful magic on that thing. A couple barrier spells have been set up, physical and magic, as well as some sort of silence field to keep anyone from chanting. You can’t even talk if you touch it." He shrugged. "Nothing gets in or out. It’s just a matter of which one the guy’s worried about."

"It’s late," Aeris spoke up. "We should consider spending the night here. Where’s Nadia?"

"Still in there," Sabin replied. "Trying to get the guy to talk. Don’t think it’s gonna work."

The four looked inward to each other. None of them were keen about staying the night, but they had no choice other than sleeping outside where any of the many roaming monsters could easily attack. Frustrated and wary Cloud sat down against the wall, grumbling to himself. The rest began to settle as well. Aeris went to find Nadia. As Sabin had said, she was sitting in front of the strange boy, watching as if he were about to do something—anything. She didn’t glance up from her vigil as she said, "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Aeris sat next to her. She looked at the youth to see if he’d changed; his face was still pleasantly calm, but there was also vestiges of curiosity and elation in his eyes as he stared evenly at Nadia. He seemed captivated by her modest beauty and the softness of her features, so unlike the harsh metal edges of the reactor interior. He waited eagerly for her to say something.

"So, you’ve got a name, right?" Nadia said, resting her chin on her hands. "Is it James? Samus? Mario?" His lips continued to move without words, and she made a face. "I hope you’re enjoying yourself, watching me act like an idiot, talking to myself. Ha ha, lots of laughs, huh?"

Still no response.

"I don’t think you’re doing any good," Aeris said. "He either can’t hear you or can’t answer."

Nadia pursed her lips and tried a different approach. "Well, he’s cute, though. Cut his hair and he’d be really cute. A regular stud."

His eyebrows lifted, and a smile touched his lips. She grinned. "Yeah, he can hear me. I wonder what he’d say, if he could."

Aeris shrugged. "Well, we’re going to stay the night here in any case. Everyone’s down in the main chamber. You coming?"

"Yeah, in a minute." Her grin widened. "I want to talk to this guy a while longer."

His eyes shined.

Later that night, Tifa wandered outside the reactor alone. The wind was cold against her bare arms and legs, but she needed to get out, away from the twisted machinery that was responsible for so many of her nightmares. Leaving raised a heavy weight from her shoulders, casting off layer upon layer of anxiety and insecurity. The steadiness of the mountain rock beneath her boots calmed her, as did the gentle twinkling lights from the stars. She knew this earth and these heavens—they were hers, and they protected her. She turned her head to the distant moon, a sliver of glowing brilliance in the darkness, and smiled back at it grimly. Perhaps they would give her the answers she needed, and the power to be strong for her friends. Things were resting on her—she knew that now. She needed to be the one in control, a leader and a friend for all of them. She might not understand her own usefulness yet, but when the time came she would have to be there and in full force.

But most of all, she wanted to be there for Cloud when he needed it.

***************

Her heart pounded until she couldn’t hear her own footsteps. She was running. Stray branches struck her face, and protruding roots tangled her feet.

She tripped, but a hand caught her arm and steadied her. They kept going.

She broke out of the line of trees and came upon a small clearing. Flies were buzzing hungrily over the kill. An all too familiar scent filled the air.

***************

Three years after the original accident, another SOLDIER had fallen victim to the so-called SOLDIER Hunter. The target had been two years older than Celes when he died. None of the top executives gave much thought to the matter until Link was killed a year later; Link, one of the first members of SOLDIER to join. He had inspired them all with his spirit, courage, and experience. He would never again.

Celes sat on the edge of her bed, staring down at her own two hands. She was tired of these dreams that continued to plague her nights. Each one pulled her deeper and deeper into the memories—and the pain. She couldn’t help but reenact the scenes playing across her minds eye as if somehow she could change them. Despite her efforts the outcomes were always the same.

The door opened. She already knew who it was.

"Hello, Celes," Cain said as he opened the door. He strode over and stood beside her. "I haven’t seen you around lately."

"They split us up." She didn’t look up at him for fear that she would see a corpse. Watching Cain die…the memory was still fresh in her mind.

"What? Who split up who?"

She lowered her head. "Me and Seph. They stuck me with two Fourth Class members—think I can whip them into shape." She laughed bitterly. "Yeah, right."

He sat down on the bed. "Have more confidence. You are a general."

"No, I’m not." Celes rubbed her eyes, and felt the tears on her fingers. "I haven’t been for a long time. Not since Seph started acting strange."

"Since…"

"Yeah. He’s so cold now. I just—" She looked to him for some kind of reassurance, but as she should have suspected, he was no longer there. Often in these flashbacks the people and scenery fluctuated, making it difficult to fully understand anything she was shown. She wondered vaguely if there was a point to it all.

"Of course there’s a point." Celes started, as now there was a man crouched in front of her. It was Sephiroth, just as she remembered, dressed in his less formal outfit of black and silver from the days when they were friends. "I would never waste your time, Chere. You know I hated it when people wasted time."

"Sephiroth…" Celes swallowed hard, feeling unsure even as she knew it was only a dream. "Why are you doing this?"

He regarded her with a simple gaze, mostly indifferent but partly inquisitive. She began to realize how much she’d missed those emerald jewels. They’d grown up together—they’d been friends, closer than any pair of friends could ever be because they’d lived the same life. But now they were far apart. Something had come between them—truth, or perhaps an illusion—and there was no returning. If she reached out her hand to him now, across the span of years, would she be able to touch him or would he shatter? He was right here watching her but he was dead. He was a stranger.

"Whatever happened, Chere?" Sephiroth asked her at long last. She almost thought she saw sincerity in his eyes. "We were so close back then. It all seems so far away, doesn’t it?"

"I don’t know what happened," she replied quietly. Her stomach twisted—his words were right out of her mind, and she wondered how many secrets of hers he’d snatched away. "You changed, Sephiroth. You became cold."

His face tightened. "I discovered the truth. We have to adapt to survive. I was the only one that understood that. And look at me now." A chilling smile crossed his thin lips. "I happen to be the only one left that’s worth a damn. Except for you, Chere." His hand reached out, fingers curling around a bit of her hair. "You were always special. None of the others could come close to understanding their significance, but you—"

Celes slapped his hand away, unwilling to deal with this twisted reality any further. It was a mockery to her. "Stop it. I never understood what made you this way. We were all like a family—you ruined it. It’s your fault they’re all dying now."

"It’s not my fault. Didn’t I tell you things would end this way?"

"They haven’t ended yet."

Sephiroth watched her a moment, and then said, "You still think it’s all my fault, don’t you? Do you need me to prove otherwise? I can."

The scene changed once more, and she was standing at a large glass window looking into a wide, low-ceilinged room. Cloud was seated in a chair—one of two in the room. He was wearing a less elaborate version of his SOLDIER outfit. As Celes watched, another man entered and seated himself in the other chair. He was dressed in a green SOLDIER uniform of his own design. The two spoke to each other in low tones.

"No…" She backed away from the viewing glass, not wanting to see, but it followed. She couldn’t escape. "No, I don’t want to watch this. Seph, please don’t make me."

Cloud raised his head. He spoke clearly and with sharp temperament, but she couldn’t hear the words. The other man was Coby*, despite his many years looking as youthful as the day she’d met him. He answered Cloud’s questions easily, grinning as always. They conversed for several moments, and all the while the general pounded helplessly on the glass. She screamed but her voice held no substance.

There was no way to stop the flow of haunting remembrances, and she was forced to watch as Cloud became enraged suddenly. He shot forward, knocking Coby from his chair. They grappled on the floor, and sparks of misguided magic flashed against the window. By the time Celes had forced her way through the room’s only entrance she was just in time to see the man brutally murdered. Blood ran thickly into pools on the uneven floor surface. And Cloud was there, watching. His blue eyes gleamed.

She couldn’t control herself then. The dream began to dissipate, as her memories from the time afterwards were not as clear. She did remember attacking him, though, until he was backed into a corner. His body trembled in shock from her wrath. His eyes met hers, and they were quivering and afraid. "He asked me what happened," he whispered, blood leaking from his nose. Suddenly his expression hardened. "He wasn’t worthy. He had to die."

Celes struck him hard across the face. "How could you?" she demanded, her face already marred with tears. "How could you…Coby…he…how could you?"

"I’ll tell you what happened!" he shouted back. "I destroyed Nibelheim! I killed them all—my friends, my family, Zack, Cloud, and Sephiroth! I enjoyed it, and I’ll do it again, and kill every pathetic one of them!"

She struck him again, so hard that he was sent reeling. But the next moment her arms pulled into a firm, motherly embrace. "Cloud, stop it," she hissed, desperate for the insanity to end. "Stop it, you hear me? Just stop. You didn’t kill anyone…"

He leaned against her, and his tears slid lightly down his chin and to the metal floor. "You’re wrong." He began to slip, and both lowered to their knees. "I killed everyone," he whispered. "I killed us all…"

***************

Tifa unhooked the PHS from her belt. She hadn’t used it for a long time—since Costa del Sol. She couldn’t even reach Barret back in Midgar anymore. Because she didn’t have anything better to do, she began to twist the dials. It was then that she noticed that all the frequencies were set wrong, at such levels that no one could possibly send or receive any kind of signal. Frowning, she charged herself with the task of fixing the device.

Celes awoke slowly from the dreams and instantly felt nauseous. After several deep breaths she looked around, and realized that she wasn’t alone in the room: Lucca was in the opposite bed, sleeping rather awkwardly with the blankets tangled around her limbs. The general sighed and sat up.

"You saw the way Cloud killed him," Sephiroth’s last words to her from the dreamscape floated back to her despite her protesting. "Can you imagine if all that power could be used? Someone like him should not have been given so much power. But then, I can’t complain. I rather like the fellow."

Celes growled, muttering, "Leave me alone. And leave Cloud alone."

She noticed then that Lucca’s PHS was hanging half off the bed, and curiously she investigated. "I wonder why this never worked," she mused aloud, adjusting the dials. "Why didn’t Tifa ever contact us? I wonder…"

Tifa jumped as the devise sparked to life in her hands, sputtering static. Hesitantly she raised it to her ear. "Hello? Is someone there?"

"What? Hello?" A brief burst of electric fuzz drowned the other person out for a moment. "—one there?"

"Yes, yes I’m here." She adjusted the dials and the static began to clear. "This is Tifa."

"Tifa? Thank god. What happened to you?"

She frowned. "What do you mean us? You said to wait at Costa del Sol. Thanks a lot, Lucca."

"This is Celes," the voice corrected, "and I’m sorry about that. We tried to contact you when something came up."

"Trouble?"

"Sort of." There was a pause. "Where are you?"

Tifa sat down on the reactor steps. "On Mt. Nibel," she replied. "Have you heard about something called the Father Angel yet? I think we found him."

"What? In Nibelheim?" Back in Cosmo Canyon Celes began to feel uneasy. Something wasn’t right. She considered waking Lucca, but then directed her attention to what was happening. "Who is it?"

"There’s a boy here," Tifa explained. "He won’t talk to us, but we think he’s protecting Sephiroth’s body, so—"

"What?" The general was scarcely able to keep her voice in check. "Sephiroth? In Nibelheim? That’s impossible."

"But there’s someone inside the Jenova chamber—wearing a First Class SOLDIER belt. Who else could it be?"

Celes closed her eyes, as her heart had begun to pound as well as her head. Sephiroth’s body was in Nibelheim? But why hadn’t they found it before? How… It didn’t make any sense. And she didn’t know anything about a boy. What the hell was going on?

She tried to fit the pieces together. Cloud was in Nibelheim. "What are you doing in Nibelheim anyway?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"We followed Cloud," Tifa asked after a moment. "He said it was important. He said there was something here he needed to find, but I’ve got no idea what that could be."

"Neither do I. Unless…"

"You can’t blame Cloud for what he did," Lucca’s words drifted back to her. "We both know that. He’s…special. Sometimes his actions aren’t his own."

And then Professor Hojo’s. "I want to know what happened in Nibelheim. Until then we’ll be accepting no more SOLDIER applications. He has a power like none I’ve ever seen."

Cloud had led them to Nibelheim. He was looking for something. Sephiroth’s body was in Nibelheim. Gilbert had been going to Nibelheim.

Celes paled, leaping to her feet "Tifa, you have to get out of there. You have to get the Father Angel away from Sephiroth—there’s no time."

"I don’t think that’s gonna be easy," she replied, a bit bewildered. "Besides, Cecil said that I had to kill him—can’t you tell me anything?"

"Cecil? No—just get out of there, now." She understood now, and her voice quickened as panic overtook her. "As far as you can. Please, Tifa—"

"But Sephiroth is dead," Tifa was saying. "He’s locked in a chamber. We’ve been here several hours already and nothing’s happened. Cloud’s a little nervous, but—"

"Cloud is Sephiroth!" the general shouted into the headset frantically, startling Lucca from her sleep. "Cloud is the Father Angel!"

"What?" Tifa felt weak suddenly, and all of the night surrounded and suffocated her. Her head began to spin. "Th-that’s not possible," she stuttered, striding quickly back into the reactor. She followed the central gangway. "Cloud—it’s not possible. There has to be a mistake."

"You’ve got to get him out," Celes continued. "I don’t care what excuse you use or what you have to do—just get him out. Get out of the mountains and head for Rocket Town if you can. Just—"

"He’s gone." Tifa turned in circles inside the egg chamber. Everyone was lying asleep—except Cloud. "He’s not here, Celes. What should I do?"

A cry echoed from the door to the Jenova chamber, and the device slipped from her hand. It clattered to the ground.

Celes pulled the headset off as it squealed shrilly in her ear. She cursed. "Lucca, we’ve got problems."

"What? You got in contact with the others?" She grabbed the device and started readjusting. "Hello? Someone there?" She shook her head. "Must have dropped it. No one’s answering.

"God damn it, I should have known," the general hissed, pacing back and forth. "It was so obvious. He kills President Shin-ra and convinces everyone it was Sephiroth. He leads them to Nibelheim—god, I was a fool. Five years and we never knew." She stopped. "Where’s that man Belthasar? I need to speak with him."

"Most likely he’s sleeping," Lucca replied, still confused. "Can you tell me exactly what’s going on?"

Celes stared down at her, her eyes glowing in the dim lighting of the room. "Cloud is the Father Angel," she said in a low voice. "And Sephiroth may still be alive."

Tifa pounded uselessly on the door to the Jenova chamber, barely able to stand as she was shaking so much. Cloud, the Father Angel? It wasn’t possible—her mind was in shock. Because if it was true, then she—

"Get away," Sabin instructed, pushing her aside. He faced the locked entrance, fists tightening. In a flash of movement he shot forward and the room echoed with the impact. The door fell away. "Come on."

Tifa entered the Jenova chamber first. A bright green materia light filled the small holding cell, blinding her with its intensity. Even when she squinted she couldn’t see. But she could hear; Cloud was there somewhere, groaning in pain, and another man’s heavy breath gasped for air.

"What’s going on?" Aeris asked, suddenly beside her. "I can’t see."

"Neither can I." The light began to fade, until the outlines of the thick pipe and glass capsule were visible. Tifa started up. As her vision cleared she could see Cloud sprawled on the ground with the boy standing over him. Both looked utterly exhausted. She dropped to Cloud’s side, and found that blood was seeping from his mouth, nose, and ears. "Cloud?" She shook him fiercely. "Cloud!"

"Stay away from me," Cloud whispered, his eyes slowly opening. "You’re not supposed to be here." He climbed to his feet and she followed suit. "Stay back."

"Cloud, let’s get out of here," she pleaded. "Please, let’s just go. You don’t have to—"

"I said back off!" he shouted, and she stumbled on the edge of the platform. Aeris steadied her so that she wouldn’t fall. His blue eyes swirling, Cloud turned and charged at the boy, slamming him into the tube. The youth grunted but didn’t look the least bit hurt, retaliating by kicking him in the stomach. They tried to reach for each other’s throats.

Sabin snuck past Tifa and Aeris, clearly intending to interrupt the battle, but his efforts proved wasted. The moment he touched Cloud’s arm he was thrown from the platform, landing hard on his back on the chamber’s metal floor. He cursed, attempting to stand.

"Cloud, stop it!" Aeris hollered, but her words were as useless as Sabin’s force. "Leave him alone!"

He ignored her. He and his opponent circled, then charged. The boy was once again pinned against the glass tube, the thick gloved hands about his throat, but his barriers let through no agony. He was about to counter when something shattered. He’d stuffed his materia into a pocket in the front of his coat, but Cloud had found and crushed them single-handedly. Their pieces fell like glittering dust from his fingers as the boy could only watch in horror.

Cloud tossed the boy aside with disgust, turning his eyes on the capsule. A look of anticipation and awe settled in his contorted features. He swung his sword and with an explosion of light the glass chamber was shattered. Tifa and Aeris were sent tumbling down the pipe with the resounding shock wave; they landed in a heap with Nadia, who had stayed back until then. As they struggled to organize themselves a deathly silence fell over the entire chamber. Tifa could feel the hair on the back of her neck rising. Filled with dread, she looked to Cloud.

Cloud was still standing on the platform, bathed in the light of that power which he had released. He waited. He looked at the body and felt a sharp pain in his chest, and then nothing at all. The world began to grow dark. He was slipping…

…falling…

…deeper and deeper…

…into darkness…

And then nothing. He was alone.

Another man stood as Cloud’s body dropped at his feet. He was tall and silent, tiny shimmering emeralds sunk into his skull. Those eyes turned to the form in front of him. "Good job," he said, the chilling tones of his voice filling every crevices of the metal. "You did well." With slow footsteps he descended from the platform.

Tifa stared, as there was nothing else she could do. Watching the black-clad man her body was paralyzed. She couldn’t move as he approached her, smiling with satisfaction. Her friends were similarly inactive: Sabin was on his knees, wide-eyed; Aeris was trembling and she wrapped herself in her arms; Nadia only stared. The man’s hand touched and slid across Tifa’s face—still she was inert. His lips moved close to her ear. "Thank you, Tifa," he whispered. And then like a shadow he had gone, exiting the chamber.

Sabin jerked to his senses as the rusty-haired boy sprinted past him and gave chase, and he quickly joined the pursuit. Aeris and Nadia hurried to the platform where Cloud lay. But Tifa dropped to her knees at the base of the pipe, stunned and unable to act. Her mind was in a whirl. She could see the man’s face burned into her retinas; his cruel, calculating smile, and then his hands wielding a sword, bringing it down at her…

Sabin returned not long after with the boy, reporting that Sephiroth had vanished and no trace of him could be found; they all knew that it had been Sephirth. They did find, however, the body of a SOLDIER—the tall, violet-haired man that had killed Cecil in Nibelheim. Sabin also admitted that it was the same member he and Cloud had encountered in the marsh, and on the boat to Costa del Sol. He’d been stabbed in the back and was dead.

The boy dropped to the metal, his face twisted with rage, and frustration and failure marred his cheeks with their salty liquid. His fists pounded the floor, but he soon calmed himself and sat silent. They let him be.

Sabin crouched beside Tifa. "He’s gone," he said quietly. "Get up, Tifa."

She did, and without a word climbed the pipe to where Cloud was lying on his back. His eyes were wild and unfocused. His lips clumsily formed the words "He’s gone" and "He left me," over and over, barely above a whisper. Aeris glanced at Tifa, her face grim. For once she didn’t know what to say.

Tifa laid her hand on Cloud’s forehead, and it was surprisingly cold. "Cloud," she whispered, her voice strained and choked, "can you hear me?"

"I hear nothing," he replied, head lolling toward her though his gaze still refused to fall on her clearly. "I am nothing. I’m alone. Alone. Tell him to come back."

"Hush now." Aeris closed his eyelids gently; they remained shut. "Don’t worry about it. It’s over."

"Tell him to come back…" His breath shuddered in his lungs. "Tell him…tell him to come back."

"Is he all right?" Sabin called from below.

"No," Aeris answered quietly. She was still trembling a bit. "We have to get him away from this place." She wiped cold sweat from his face. "Can you carry him, Sabin? Can we leave tonight?"

"Sephiroth might still be out there," Sabin warned.

She nodded. "Maybe, but staying here won’t help us any."

"What about him?"

Aeris looked in the direction that he’d indicated: to the boy whose name they didn’t even know, huddled against the wall. "We should take him with us," she said at last. "We need to know what just happened, and he’s the only one that might help."

"I’ll talk to him," Nadia volunteered. She went up to him as Tifa and Aeris helped drape Cloud over Sabin’s shoulders. The boy didn’t even seem to notice her approach until she was kneeling beside him. "Hey," she said quietly, knowing by his expression that he was suffering almost as deeply as Cloud. The only difference was that he appeared to be in control of his own thoughts. "I’m sorry. We all are. We didn’t come…" Her voice trailed off into silence as she touched his arm and, remembering the silence field Sabin had mentioned, she pulled her hand back and tried again. "We didn’t come here intending this to happen—we don’t even know what did happen. But it’s over now, and we need your help."

The boy raised his head, watching her for a moment with a look that scorned her. She had the feeling that he would have shouted at her if he could; she had no idea what they’d done, and how much he would suffer because of it. But soon he began to soften as if he’d stopped caring, and he nodded. His lips moved though there was no sound. After realizing that she couldn’t hear him he began to trace his fingers in the metal. She realized that they were letters. "C-R-O-N-O," she spelled out. "Crono? Is that your name?"

He nodded again.

Nadia smiled faintly. "Thank you. Please, come with us Crono." She took his hand, which surprised him, and helped him to stand. By now the others were waiting at the chamber entrance. She released his hand so that she could talk to them. "This is Crono," she introduced. "He’s going to come with us. Crono, that’s Sabin, Aeris, Tifa, and…well, that’s Cloud."

Crono nodded, a look of recognition in his eyes that was a mixture of relief and anger. She didn’t understand what exactly he might have been thinking, but knew it was better not to question.

The group left the reactor together, trying not to look at the body of the dead SOLDIER that lay just beyond the steps. Traveling at night would be dangerous, but none of them wanted to stay behind where they could be easily discovered. Tifa retrieved the PHS she’d dropped and set about fixing it again, as the fall had damaged it somewhat. "We’ll go to Rocket Town like Celes said," she told everyone. "We might be able to get some way to Cosmo Canyon from there."

They agreed, and started out once more. Tifa looked back at the reactor one last time; it looked even more foreboding and dark than when they’d first arrived, even now knowing that it was empty. She cast her gaze to the surrounding rocks. Sephiroth was there, somewhere. She could feel his presence being carried on the wind, all around her, mocking them. It had all been so sudden, and she hadn’t done a thing to stop it. Who was she that Sephiroth would thank her for doing nothing? Was he even truly alive? Were they hallucinating just like Cloud? Cloud, who was…

Tifa shook her head. No, never. She could never harm Cloud, no matter what happened. Trying to keep herself clear she followed the others into the night.

Celes paced back and forth in the small room. The pain had left her stomach but was replaced by an anxiety that was just as strong and just as deep. "I’m such a fool," she muttered, crossing her arms behind her back. "How could I have not figured it out sooner? We had him for five years—five years, and we never suspected. How could we not know?"

"It’s not your fault," Lucca said. They were all gathered—even Belthasar and Mog were there—to discuss what had taken place and the truths discovered. "I mean, we didn’t even knew the Father Angel thing existed until now, and we still don’t know what it is. Hojo didn’t even know Cloud had any kind of importance like this."

"Of course he did. He must have—why else would he spend so much time trying to get him to remember?" She stopped pacing, considered several things, then continued. "God, I wish I knew what was happening. I’ve got a bad feeling."

Locke rubbed his eyes, having been unwillingly dragged out of bed at such late hours. "Stop pacing," he yawned. "You’re making me dizzy."

"I can’t help it." Lucca’s headset barked static, and the entire room jumped in surprise. "Who is that?" she demanded instantly. "Is it them?"

Lucca adjusted her device and held up a hand for silence. "Hello? Tifa?" More adjustment. "Someone there?"

"This is Tifa," a voice came through. "Who is this?"

"It’s Lucca." But then she paused. "Uh, I’ll switch you over to Celes."

The general thanked her and slipped on the PHS headset. "Tifa, where are you?"

"Just outside the reactor," she replied wearily. "We’re leaving the mountains."

"Thank god." Celes finally allowed herself to sit down, sinking into a chair beside Locke. He put a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "What happened? Is Cloud okay?"

Tifa didn’t answer for a long time. "I’m sorry. I was too late. He…Sephiroth’s gone."

She pounded her fist on the table. "Damn. And Cloud?"

"I…" The voice on the other end wavered. "I don’t know. He’s completely delirious, going on and on about absolutely nothing. He’s…scaring us. What’s wrong with him?"

Locke watched the general carefully. "What’s she saying?"

"Shh." Celes licked her lips and tried to collect her thoughts. "Okay, Tifa, it’s all right—it’s not too late. Just be strong. Try to get here—we’re in Cosmo Canyon. I’m sure the people of Rocket Town will help you, and Lucca and I will be able to help Cloud. Other than that, is everyone all right?"

"Yes. A bit bruised, but we’re okay."

"Good. Get here as fast as you can—we’ll be waiting."

"Yeah, see you in a few days."

"Good luck." And then the transmission ended.

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