Chapter Five: "I Have No Origin"

"Cloud."

He was in pain; the kind of pain that stretches out lazily to all the parts of the body, too weak to complain about but too strong to be ignored. His head throbbed most of all, which forced his eyes shut and kept any stray light from stinging his sight. Cold rain dribbled over his face and off his nose in tiny waterfalls.

"Cloud."

Mud squished through his fingers as he pushed himself into a sitting position, and he gazed about as if for the first time. It was raining, and he was covered in filth. It was also dark. Figures moved lethargically about in the blanket of night, circling about some unidentifiable mass.

Someone was crouched beside him, waiting patiently as the youth called his senses back to him. He didn't say anything, nor did he move to help. He only waited.

"What happened? Who—" Cloud turned, fearful that the man was an enemy, but was quickly reassured; though he was covered in mud and cloaked in shadow still his bright green eyes shone like twin stars, luminous orbs in a lean and pale visage. He knew this man. "What happened?"

"The dragon hit you." His reply was calm and without concern, though there was something to be said in that he'd chosen to wait at the boy's side. "You're lucky to be alive. It's dead now."

Cloud knew without asking that he had been the one to kill it. He pushed himself to his feet, and though he stumbled received no help. "Where are we?" he asked, still struggling to get his bearings.

"Just outside Nibelheim. You can go ahead and get back in the truck; I'll take care of the carcass."

"SOLDIER has always been divided," Cloud explained. "Different groups are established that work well together on assignments in order to increase loyalties within members. I was paired with Sephiroth, having just made First Class, and I suppose that for a time we were friends."

Sephiroth was leaning easily against the wall of the compartment, the blade of his seven-foot sword balanced carefully in his lap. There was always something cold about him that few could accept and understand, as if he were a soulless shell surrounded in eternal winter. He was a tall man in his mid-twenties at the time, his hair long filaments of pure silver, eyes a startling emerald that almost glowed from the point of view of those that had seen him. He forever clothed himself in black. Such was the man whose name was known throughout the world as the greatest SOLDIER who'd ever lived, with a present as mysterious as his past and befriended by no one.

"Nibelheim…" Cloud stared out the window of the truck, but the rain was beating heavily and he could see nothing beyond. "What exactly is our mission?" A moment passed before he realized that his question had not been heard, and he turned away from the window. "Sephiroth?"

He raised his head, regarding the youth with silent acknowledgment. Finally he answered. "The reactor in Nibelheim has malfunctioned, and the number of monsters in that region has increased. We're going to investigate the cause, and end it." He paused. "Nibelheim is your hometown, isn't it?"

Cloud nodded barely, a strange expression crossing his face. "Yeah. I wonder how everyone is."

"Going back to one's hometown… I wouldn't know what that's like." The man's eyes closed halfway, dimming their radiant glare that surpassed Cloud's own. "I have no origin."

"No hometown?" He frowned. "What about your parents?"

"My mother, Jenova, died just after my birth," Sephiroth replied, betraying no signs of emotion his voice. "I was raised in Midgar. My father was…" He trailed off into a faint chuckle…strange, for he almost never feigned to smile, let alone laugh. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, I have no hometown to go back to, but it makes no difference. There would be nothing there for me."

"Jenova?" Sabin interjected curtly. "Isn't that the thing Lucca said was taken from Shin-ra?"

"Yes, it is." Cloud looked slightly annoyed at being stopped. "But Jenova isn't a person; I'll explain it in a moment."

Sabin crossed his arms behind his head. "Sure, okay. Go on."

There were two others in the truck with them; both normal soldiers clad in blue uniforms. One was even younger than Cloud, newly recruited, chatting endlessly about all sorts of trivial things that had happened to him in getting to Midgar. His companion seemed more interested in keeping his stomach calm, gripped by a sickness from the constant bouncing and rocking of the truck. Cloud pitied the poor fellow; motion sickness was never something he had to worry about, and he was fortunate not to have been snagged by their active member's banter. The four of them made a strange group, he reflected: two misfits and a young SOLDIER, and Sephiroth to watch over them. At least the trip would be interesting.

When they reached Nibelheim the rain had reached a fearsome power, and the four ran quickly to the nearest inn. The owner frowned at their mud-splattered clothing as they entered the lobby. "You gentlemen travelers?" he asked, staring in dismay and annoyance at the stains they were creating on his rugs.

"We're from Shin-ra," Sephiroth replied in his normal tone. "We'll need a room for the night, and I'd like to speak to someone who knows these mountains."

"Shin-ra?" The man scrutinized them carefully. "You come to get rid of our monster problem?"

"I said I'd like a room."

He looked dissatisfied but began to flip through his books. "Room two's open," he said gruffly. "It'll be 100 gil in advance."

"Of course."

Sephiroth paid the man and accepted the key to the room, but before continuing to the second story he turned to Cloud. "Why don't you go find your home?" he suggested. "Spend the night with your mother in a place you know. We can meet outside in the morning."

"Are you sure?" Cloud was slightly surprised by this gesture, and he wasn't sure how to respond.

"Yes." He started toward the stairway. "You'll sleep better and you'll need all your strength for tomorrow."

The youth nodded, and after a moment called out to him. "Uh, Sephiroth?"

"Yes?"

"Would you mind…coming with me?"

He paused, glancing over his shoulder. Curiosity filled his expression, though repressed. "What for?"

Cloud looked away, feeling slightly awkward. "I…I just wondered if you'd like to meet my mom," he stuttered. "I'm sure she'd like to meet you, and…well…"

Sephiroth turned back to him, the ends of his mouth curling in a faint smile. It was a strange arrangement of muscles on his face, as if it didn't belong there, but it filled the young SOLDIER with a kind of pride. This man, so sinister in his appearance, only bore the look when it suited him, which was rare. So rare that it had almost become a goal of Cloud's to see him smile, to just catch a glimpse of him from an angle no one else knew. It was a challenge, and nothing he did willfully ever worked. But when something did work, it was an accomplishment, and he began to notice that he was the only one who could coax such a reaction from the man.

"All right," he said at last, tossing the key to the talkative soldiers and gesturing for them to continue. He knew that his companion was seeking bragging privileges, and followed him intently out into the rain and across the small village courtyard. It was a small house but cozy, and they waited for the door to be answered.

The door was opened by a graying woman in her forties, and upon seeing Cloud her face lighted in delight. "Cloud!" she exclaimed, ushering him quickly inside. "Get out of the rain, you silly boy—look at you." She took her own advice, holding him at arms' length so that she could view him entirely. "So this is the uniform of a SOLDIER—how amazing for you! And—" She broke off as a second figure entered. "Oh, is this a friend of yours?"

"Yes," he replied after a pause. "This is my partner, Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth? The Sephiroth?" She was speechless, eyelids battering in surprise. "I…I had no idea he was…oh, excuse me." She shook his hand rapidly. "I'm Cloud's mother, Lara. Pleased to meet you, sir."

He nodded. "Ma'am."

"Well, who don't you two sit down?" Lara said graciously, leading them to a sofa. "Please, make yourself comfortable, and I'll make some tea, all right? Don't worry about the mud—you poor boys, out in weather like this."

"Mom," Cloud hissed, annoyed, "we're not 'boys'."

"Oh, of course you're not, dear." She bustled into the kitchen, pulling out the things she needed from several different cabinets.

He gazed up at Sephiroth, slightly apprehension of what his reaction was. To his relief the older man was looking about with an expression of amusement and curiosity, the smile that had once inhabited his lips now present in his eyes. "This house is very…alive," he said quietly, almost to himself. It was a strange adjective to use, Cloud thought, for this was like any other house, and it seemed lonely and solemn in the rain.

"Here you are." Lara handed them both cups of steaming tea, seating herself in a chair nearby. "You two look absolutely exhausted," she chattered, "and soaked to the bone. Would you like me to prepare a bath? Please say you're not going out again until the rain stops."

"Mom…" Cloud was beginning to think that inviting his partner over had not been such a good idea, embarrassed by her motherly care. He cast another glance at the man, who was drinking his beverage in silent repose. "We're on duty, Mom," he said at last. "We came to get rid of the monsters in the mountains."

"Oh, is that safe?"

"Of course it is, Mom."

Aeris interrupted with a fit of giggles, and covered her mouth to try and stifle them. Cloud glared at her. "What?"

She shook her head and started to laugh, and though they suspected he would get angry, he was only more insistent in discovering the source. "What's so funny?"

"You're so cute," she said, her green eyes sparkling. "That's absolutely adorable."

"What? What is?"

"You, silly!" They were forced to wait for her to stop giggling before an explanation could be received. "You're on a dangerous mission, and you invite the strongest, most powerful man in the world to drink tea with your mother."

Sabin laughed as well. "It does sound funny when you put it that way."

By now Tifa and Nadia were giggling, too, and Cloud shrugged. "I was just showing off, I guess," he said easily. "We all looked up to Sephiroth back then." He paused. "I was hoping I'd find you too, Tifa, to prove that I met Sephiroth like I said I would. But my mother said you weren't home."

"So you just drank tea," Aeris filled in.

"As charming as this all is," Nadia broke in abruptly, "can we please get on with the story?"

Cloud shrugged again. "I don't really know what happened after that. Sephiroth went back to the inn and I spent the night at home, I guess."

"You guess?"

He didn't seem to hear Tifa's question, and went on. "In the morning we met outside the Shin-ra mansion to prepare before heading up the mountain."

"Oh, this was in Nibelheim," Nadia declared suddenly. "I remember now—Rufus told me about it." Tifa stiffened, afraid of what the girl might reveal, but there was no time to stop her. "Sephiroth was killed, wasn't he? Everyone was in shock."

They could tell by the look on Cloud's face that he was slightly shocked as well. "Sephiroth died in Nibelheim?" he repeated quietly.

"Yup. I didn't hear all the details; something about the reactor there."

Tifa shifted in her seat, hoping that she hadn't stumbled upon something that would prove dangerous. "Let's just let Cloud finish the story," she said, voice strained a bit. "Then try to figure everything out."

He nodded. "Anyway, we met at the mansion…"

Cloud shuffled his feet, excitement in his sparkling blue eyes. He'd been waiting for an important mission like this, a chance to prove himself as a true SOLDIER First Class. He looked at Sephiroth a moment: his face was coated with the frosted calm usual for him, but there was also a kind of waver in his solid exterior, intangible and very faint, but still there. He wondered briefly what had caused it and if either of the other soldiers noticed.

"I've hired a guide to lead us through the mountains," Sephiroth told them, carefully adjusting the blade on his hip. "We'll leave as soon as she arrives."

Cloud blinked. "She?"

"Sorry I'm late!" A young brunette raced up the path, dressed in town clothing and wearing a broad-brimmed hat. Cloud took a step back, startled by her appearance there. It was a girl he knew very well, and from a long time ago…or so it seemed. She hadn't changed at all.

"This is Tifa," Sephiroth introduced, glancing up as another figure emerged from the path. "She'll be our guide. Who's this?"

"Oh, nobody, sir," the man said brightly. "No one at all. I was just wondering…" He pulled a large camera out of a pouch around his neck. "Would you mind if I took a picture?"

Sephiroth blinked slowly, the closest sign of annoyance that cloud be pulled from him. "That seems rather pointless."

"For prosperity's sake," the man insisted. "It'll only take a moment."

Cloud caught the girl's gaze, and she smiled faintly with the recognition. Then she looked away, moving toward the cameraman. Cloud, however, couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was the same as he remembered her—perfect, from her smooth brunette hair, slender figure and long legs, to her shinning brown eyes. Absolutely perfect.

"It'll only be a minute," he heard himself saying, and he moved to Tifa's side to be in the picture. Finally Sephiroth joined them, neither disgruntled nor pleased, allowing the shot to be taken.

"That'll be a good one," the photographer said, pleased with his work. "I'll give you each a copy once they're developed, if you'll grant me permission to publish it in the town paper."

"If that's your job," Sephiroth replied, moving away again. "Now, we must be going."

Tifa ran to catch up, watching the older man with a look of admiration painted on her face. It caused heat to spread through Cloud's skin, and he followed close behind them.

The young guide led them on the paths and up to a large cliff joined to the mountain by a long, rickety bridge that swayed with the wind. The rain from the night before had left the wooden planks slick. Sephiroth took the lead then, testing the effect of his weight on the supports. They held him. With a nod to the others he strode smoothly and without hesitation out into the center of the bridge.

"We don't have bridges like this back home," the younger soldier remarked as they went across. "Not any mountains, for that matter. But there are trees; big trees, and when you climb to the top the wind blows you back and forth, back and forth, just like on this bridge."

"Cut it out," his comrade hissed weakly, struggling to catch up, as he was lagging behind. The movement of the bridge being spoken of was wreaking havoc on his health, and already his face had turned a pasty shade of green. "Enough of your babbling already."

The bridge groaned beneath them, and Sephiroth paused. His green eyes flashed side to side as he investigated the sound. "Everyone hurry," he commanded suddenly, quickening his pace.

Cloud started, recovering his wits as the sound of ropes snapping echoed throughout the valley. He snatched Tifa's wrist and began to run, but it was too late. His feet felt as if they were being lifted, and he began to fall forward, and the world twisted beneath him—

He was falling. Without thinking he encircled Tifa's waist with his arm, landing them both safely on a small rock spire that stood on the bridge's side. They slide recklessly down the narrow slope, and landed roughly among a pile of rocks. A moment later Sephiroth was beside them, carrying one of the soldiers under his arm—the elder of the two, and he cursed and spat as he was dropped ungracefully into the dirt. "Are you two all right?" the leader asked, shaking dust off his coat.

"We're okay," Cloud replied a bit hoarsely, helping Tifa to stand shakily on her own. When he was sure she was steady he turned about, and realized that they were missing one. "Sephiroth," he said, "did you see what happened to the little guy?"

He took only a moment to scan the surroundings, and found no trace of him. "I know this sounds cruel," he told them grimly, "but we'll have to go on without him. With any luck he'll find his way back." He set his intense gaze on Tifa. "Do you know where we are?"

She nodded, his strong faith in her forcing her to pull herself together. "It'll take a little longer," she answered, "but there's another path, and it'll lead us to the top from here."

"Good. Then let's go."

The reactor was nestled between two towers of ancient rock, and it dominated over the jagged terrain like a hovering vulture waiting for its next meal. Its worn metal surface was bright with pale rays reflected off pools of rain in its dents and crevasses. There was a kind of morbid beauty held by this place, perhaps because of the untapped power lying patiently below it to be harvested. But whatever the reason, it demanded the utmost respect from the four travelers, and even a taint of fear.

"Cloud and I will go inside," Sephiroth told them, his gaze fixed steadily on the reactor's looming figure as if it held some secret for him. "You two will wait here." He turned to the soldier. "Watch after the girl."

Tifa made a disgruntled face, putting her hands on her hips, but his face was serious, and she didn't resist. Cloud met her gaze briefly. She returned it but didn't smile or notice him in any way; an occurrence he'd been used to in the past, but somehow it disturbed him more now, knowing that she was all too eager to acknowledge Sephiroth when he looked at her.

The inside of the reactor was a maze of gangways, pipes, and ladders, the energy coursing through its steel veins causing everything to hum softly. Cloud followed his partner across the central catwalk and into the inner chamber. It was a tall-ceilinged room with a terraced floor, each step dotted with egg-shaped containers nearly eight feet tall. On the top step was a door, heavily locked. Engraved over it was a name.

"Jenova…" Sephiroth's face twisted in confusion. "Jenova was…my mother's name…" He started forward slowly, but then stopped, shaking himself. "No. A coincidence. It must be…"

Cloud watched him for a moment, alarmed by the sudden emotion in the man's expression. He looked…unsure, and anxious. "Sephiroth?"

"Nothing." He turned away from the door, pushing it from his mind. "We're here about the monsters." Each of the containers was adorned with an array of flashing switches—presumably controls to the thick steel doors. However, several of the lights were off on many of the shells, and further investigation showed that the locks were malfunctioning. "The seal on this one has been broken," the SOLDIER mused, frowning. "Whatever was in here is out now."

Cloud moved to another of the pods, one that was still active. It was fitted with a glass viewing window just above his head. Gripping the steel frame he was able to pull himself up and see inside. What he saw shocked him: a creature, horribly misfigured beyond recognition, like the face of some legendary beast from a troubled imagination. Its eyes opened to reveal pale green orbs of iridescent light. The youth fell backwards out of surprise, landing roughly on his back. "W-What the hell?" He swallowed hard, a strange fear crawling up and down his flesh. "Sephiroth, what is that?"

Sephiroth glanced at him briefly, then moved to look for himself. His face grew dark. "Cloud…" he stated quietly, "do you remember what I once told you about materia? Where it comes from?"

He nodded dumbly, wetting his lips. "Yeah. From Mako, when it's been condensed."

"But this…" The older man's fists clenched, and his body was shaking. "Hojo, this is insane," he murmured, mostly to himself. "Putting people inside…you've made them monsters. You'll never equal Dr. Gast's brilliance. Not with this."

"Sephiroth, what are you talking about?"

He moved to the next working pod, explaining. "Members of SOLDIER are those exposed to Mako, like you. But these… they've been immersed in it, filled with it. They're not even…"

He stopped, and the silence was deafening. The air was thick with tension, wrapping about the young SOLDIER and choking him with its thick stench. "Sephiroth?" he called weakly, heart pounding fiercely in his ears. "What's going on?"

"It's not possible." In a sudden movement he drew his sword and struck out, causing the metal to ring with his blow. Cloud leapt back in surprise. "It's not possible!" the man raged, slashing against the pod again and again in undirected fury. "I'm not one of them—I'm not a monster!"

"Sephiroth, stop—"

The door on the egg-container sparked and swung open suddenly, spilling rays of white splendor into the dark chamber. A wave of spreading warmth cascaded over Cloud as he sat there, paralyzed and afraid. He couldn't see what was happening through the glare. Sharp cries of pain echoed through the reactor's innards, accompanied by a sickening rip of flesh; the stench of life spent filled his nostrils. He began to feel sick.

The light died down, plunging the two SOLDIERs back into darkness. A body was laid out across the floor, and it moaned softly as blood poured from a large, deep wound in its gray torso. Sephiroth stood over it. He was breathing heavily, silver hair tousled in front of his face. His eyes glowed with a light unseen in them before.

"Sephiroth?" Cloud pulled himself to his feet, staring down in stunned astonishment at the creature slowly dying on the chamber floor. Then he looked at Sephiroth and shuddered.

"Then Tifa and the other soldier came inside, and I don't know why, but he calmed down. I think he didn't want them to see him that way." He glanced at Tifa, and she nodded. He continued. "We all returned to Nibelheim, but as soon as we got there Sephiroth vanished. Later we discovered that he was in the Shin-ra mansion, searching through reports in the basement library. I tried talking to him but he insisted on being left alone. I stayed in the house anyway, keeping an eye on him."

"I remember hearing a lot about that mansion," Nadia mused aloud, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "All sorts of stuff inside. Used to be Dr. Gast's private estate for a time, so I heard. Him, Hojo, Marguez and a women." She frowned, and after a moment shrugged. "That's all I remember. Secret stuff."

"And important stuff," Cloud added. "Sephiroth stayed in that basement for a week, just reading. I didn't understand what it was all about until I went looking for him one day."

"Sephiroth's been in there a long time," the soldier said diffidently, his voice low. "I've been looking out for him like you asked, but he doesn't make any noise and he doesn't eat the food I give him. What's going on?"

"I'll go talk to him," Cloud assured. "I have a bad feeling about this; we have to get back to Midgar." He entered the mansion, and instantly the hair on his arms bristled with goosebumps. The mansion was saturated with cold shadows. It felt like a tomb. He made his way hesitantly to the small passageway that opened into a stairwell; he'd traversed the path several times in the last week. It led into a deep, wide well, with wooden planks circling into the earth. The stones were dank and rough against his hand.

"Sleeping fool." The voice echoed through the underground caverns, and he followed it to a side chamber unnoticed before. There Sephiroth was leaning over the open lid of a coffin, his face ghostly pale but his eyes shockingly luminous. "Your innocence lies not in nightmares. Find peace in hell." Then he stood back, recovering the box before Cloud could see what lay within. He straightened and faced the intruder.

Cloud took a step back, fear edging his words. "Sephiroth, let's go back," he said tremulously. "Let's leave this place. We found the problem—let the scientists handle it."

But the older man strode past him as if not hearing, following the rocky tunnel that lead to the small subterranean library. Books of all sizes and shapes lay in careless piles about the floor. "You amuse me, Cloud," he said, his voice low and tainted not with bitterness, but secretive mirth. It filled his partner with dread. "You've always amused me. That's why I'll tell you." He lifted a book off one of the shelves, paging through it quickly until locating a folded charcoal drawing. It was a fist-sized animal with one circular eye in the center. It was labeled "Jenova."

"Jenova was the name of my mother," Sephiroth explained darkly, watching his comrade's reactions with careful scrutiny. "They told me she died, but that was a lie." His gaze became unfocused, wandering from book to book that lay on the shelves or open on the floor. "Many years ago Professor Cid del Norte Marquez discovered a creature 2000 years old, buried in a deep cave. He believed it to be an Ancient, and it was hidden for several decades. But then Gast came along, and with Hojo and Lucretia he was able to extract some of its cells, creating a being that would retain all the old knowledge and power held by that ancient race. The creature they found was Jenova." A malevolent smile twisted on his face. "The being they created was me."

Cloud was shocked, confused and suddenly afraid. He stepped back, stuttering "B…But that's not possible. They can't just create a person."

He laughed, like thunder rolling through the musty catacombs, and the younger dropped onto his back in shock. "But they did!" he exclaimed. "Born of Jenova, stronger than all the Ancients and rightful owner of this planet. Your ancestors took it from her, but I will gain it back. I will devour this world!"

"What are you talking about?" Cloud clambered to his feet, trying to comprehend. "Sephiroth, what are you going to do?"

"Out of my way." He pushed the boy aside with such force that he collided with the chamber's center worktable, scattering instruments to the floor. "I'm going to see my mother."

Cloud braced himself against the table in order to keep his balance, stunned by the impact. The SOLDIER had left, leaving an air of ill intent in his wake. After a pause his companion was able to give chase, but before he could reach the well-stairway a hand gripped his arm, pulling him to a halt. He struggled violently. "Let me go! I have to stop him!"

"You don't stand a chance against him," a gruff voice rasped, and he turned to see a man wearing a dark suit that had long since become tattered and stained. "He'll kill you."

"I have to talk to him," he insisted, breaking free. "Leave me alone!" Ignoring the man's shouts he sprinted up the old and narrow stairs, around and around. He could see his quarry several layers above him, forcing greater speed into his strides. But the faster he ran the further away he seemed to be. Each step drew a larger gap between them, twisted reality itself until he was far behind.

Finally the end was in sight, and Cloud raced through the mansion and burst outside. He was met with a flaring heat and dark smoke. There was a fire in the town—no, the entire village was burning. Red-orange flames licked the sides of houses and shops, crumbling walls into piles of ash. All around he could see the townspeople darting among the fires, shrieking in fright and mourning those already dead. He couldn't imagine how so much damage had been done in so short a time.

A scream alerted his attention, and Cloud spun around. Ripples of liquid fire reflected off the blade of a sword as it sliced cleanly through a man's abdomen: the photographer from the week before. His killer chuckled darkly as the body dropped, a moment later several others joining it.

"Sephiroth!"

The man raised his head, emerald fireflies flickering dangerously in the fluid of his eyes. Evil satisfaction had corrupted the still calm of his lean features, so that he looked like a different person entirely. His gaze locked on the boy. All time froze. Then he slowly turned, striding without hurry away from his partner. Cloud couldn't move, stunned and horrified, as the form was swallowed into a wall of flame.

Cloud shook himself, wiping the ash from his eyes and hair. He cursed to find tears marring his soot-covered visage. "Sephiroth, why?" he whispered, throat rough from breathing in the smoke. "How…my home…why…?"

He didn't know what to do. When he looked back to Nibelheim's square all he could see were the dead bodies all around, lying in the streets or trapped under debris. People he knew. He could see his house, and Tifa's house burning—

With a strangled cry on his lips he turned and raced after Sephiroth.

Cloud stopped then. His eyes had closed themselves during the last part of his tale, and they were closed now. Several silent moments passed as they waited for him to continue, but he didn't. Finally Aeris spoke up. "Is that all?"

"I don't remember what happened then," he admitted, head lowered, a chilling stillness settling into his face. "I followed him to the reactor, and then…" He trailed off.

Sabin let out a low sigh, leaning forward in his chair. "So that's it? You really don't know what happened?"

"If I did, I'd tell you."

"It's okay," Tifa said quickly, placing her hand on Cloud's arm. She gave Sabin a stern, yet somewhat unsteady look. "If that's all, it'll have to be enough."

Nadia cocked her head to the side. "But you were there," she pointed out. "Do you remember anything?"

"I…" Tifa took a deep breath. "I remember everything Cloud's told so far; or, at least, everything that involved me. But after the fire…" She shook her head. "My father went after Sephiroth and I followed. They…" Her voice was quickly becoming strained, and her hand wandered, trembling, to her forehead. "He killed him. I found him in the reactor. I went after Sephiroth, and then…"

"Tifa, stop it." Cloud had her wrist, and she noticed that her fingernails had begun to dig rivets in his arm. "It's okay, Tifa. That's enough."

She lowered her head, and an awkward silence hung about the small band. Cloud and Tifa sat together, without a word comforting the other's sorrow and confusion. No one felt they had the right to disturb them. After a while Nadia decided she was tired of being still and started to get ready for bed. Despite her work at stealth, the movement caught Cloud's attention. "Nadia," he said quietly, "you know a lot about Shin-ra, obviously. Can you tell us anything?"

She paused, feeling suddenly self-conscious as all eyes turned to her. "I don't know that much," she replied, a bit sadly. Despite her embedded fear of the man, listening to his story had forced her to consider a not of compassion. "But father talked a lot about Sephiroth, just before and after he was reported dead. They say he was brilliant, and unbeatable."

He nodded, withdrawing back into his own subconscious safety enclosure. No one spoke as they picked out bedding arrangements; by now it was deep into the night. Aeris shared a bed with Nadia while giving Tifa the other, sending Cloud to the sofa and Sabin to his chair. Finally settled they dimmed the lights, digesting the disturbing past they'd gained, and attempted to find slumber.

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