Awakening by Dark Knight Sephiroth

Chapter 1-Planting the seed

The ground shifted and the planet groaned with agony as the place known as Northern Crater collapsed into itself and vanished. A lone figure growing limp and cold struggled to muster the last of it's strength pushing all of it's last life into one final action. it pulsed with energy and light for not even a moment and something shot out from it's body, something small and inoccuous something that no one saw in the utter chaos and confusion. Something that landed on it's intended target with great percision silently absorbing into it's skin.The seed was planted now it simply needed time to see what grew.

kill...kill them...all of them...

Tifa snapped awake for the fourth time in the same night she had been having a terrible nightmare one in which she single handedly killed off all of her dear freinds not one of them ever suspecting a thing untill they were already dieing. It terrified her that she could have such dreams such thoughts and what was worse was that voice the one she had just heard telling her to kill. where had this come from? what was happening to her? why did it want her to kill? or maybe she was just insane...simply questioning said unseen voice brought her to wonder if she really had gone insane. "This is crazy..." She muttered to herself. peeling off the sweat soaked cover that lay atop her and standing she was still among her freinds they all lay asleep in some manner or another around her. She took in a deep breath and held it for a moment before exhaling as memory faded in. This was Cosmo Canyon and tonight was their last night together before everyone would go their seperate ways so everyone had gathered by the great fire for their last night together.

She sighed looking at the stars the only thing that seemed to calm her and allow her to forget the horrifying images of her nightmares and the voice in her head whoever, or whatever it was.

Cloud sat up as she stood there having been awakened by her constant tossing and turning."Tifa? You ok?" he asked hesitantly he wasn't sure if he should even speak to her she looked at peace staring at the sky.

When she heard him she snapped out of her world and back to reality. "Oh..uh...Cloud what're you doing up?" She asked surprised that he'd not only been awake but had noticed something was wrong.

"I couldn't sleep with you tossing and turning besides you looked like you were having a pretty bad dream...wanna talk about it?" he asked looking up at her staring right into her eyes as if searching for what troubled her.

"Oh." She said simply at first 'well that's just great...what do i tell him?.' she thought "It was nothing...just a stupid nightmare I'll be fine go on to sleep I'm going to sit up a while longer." She said hoping he'd be willing to leave it at that.

Cloud stared at her for awhile searching her eyes before letting out a sigh. "Alright..." he replied finally much to Tifa's relief and laid back down

That taken care of Tifa decided to go for a walk and get away from them before anyone else could get up or that voice could surface again. Though she noted one of the sleeping bags was empty she didn't bother to take a count and figure out who the missing person was. Instead she just wandered on eventually winding up on the cliffside near the item shop she sat with her legs dangling off the edge and laid back to stare at the sky when she saw Vincent standing over her. 'figures he'd be the one wandering about' she thought and looked up at him expectantly.

"Nice night isn't it?" He said with a hidden smirk he too knew that something was a miss with Tifa but hadn't bothered to ask her about it afterall she gave him his peace without any questions so he would let her have hers.

"Vincent...why're you up now? what is everyone going to get up one after another and ask me how i'm doing?" She asked him sitting up.

"No..I just happened to be up I didn't know you were awake untill I saw you just now." He answered leaning against the wall.

"Oh..." She said simply and hoped he wouldn't ask about her nightmares.

"Besides it was hard to sleep after you kicked me in the head during that nightmare of yours." He added.

Tifa froze she had been hoping he wouldn't make any mention of th nightmare but apparently she had awoken him too. Then again it was pretty hard to ignore a kick in the head now wasn't it?

"Sorry about that..." she replied turning to look at him scanning for a bruise or mark she had no idea she had even kicked him much less how hard she might have kicked him.

He simply shook his head in response "Don't worry about it." was all he said and he looked up he wasn't going to ask if she wasn't willing to tell that his rule.

They were silent for awhile before Tifa spoke. "Vincent...Chaos and the others are they ever trouble? like nagging voices in your head?" She asked the question suddenly and Vincent if one could see his face would have looked shocked.

"Yes..all the time Chaos being the most dominant the others aren't really a problem." he replied still refusing to pry.

"Do they...ever give you...nightmares?" She asked and he saw where she was going with this.

"Sometimes." He replied simply "but a nightmare is just that a nightmare it's up to me to keep it from becoming reality. everyday I must keep my resolve and hold back Chaos from taking over my body against my will if he ever managed to he'd simply do what he liked and as you well know that is to destroy.It's the same with your nightmares whatever may happen remember that it is only a nightmare reality is all that matters." Tifa looked at Vincent that must have been the most he had ever said to her at once since he joined them at the shinra mansion. She was fairly speechless her mouth wanted to move to say something but she couldn't think of what she should say. Vincent seeing as he had stunned her with his profound thought removed himself from the wall and left. leaving her to think on the words.

a short while after he'd gone she found her voice. "He's right...reality is all that matter voices and bloody images be damned..."

Then I'll make the images the reality

Tifa jumped the voice had spoken againbut this was the first time it had done so while she was awake and now she was truly afraid. she huddled up against the wall pulling her knees up and hugged them muttering to herself "I did not just hear that..."

Elsewhere Someone else was hearing Voices or rather a single voice the difference being he knew who and what this voice was.

get up child...GET UP

"m...mother?...you're still alive?...wait...I'm...alive..." realization hit him like a sledgehammer but with it came the pain of being concious and the revelation that he was buried under an incredible amount of debris. 'so it spit me out like a vile infection...' he thought and began to move or at least try to. he found he had enough room to get into a kneel. however standing upright was out of the question.

"Mother...what do you want me to do? I failed...we failed the pawns rebelled..." He muttered

Heal first child...then go...home

"home?..." he was lost at first before he realized what she meant "..I understand."

good now go

After that his mothers voice fell silent and Sephiroth was left sitting there to figure out a way out of the rubble.

The next day

Tifa awoke slowly she had been without a nightmare for the rest of the night but she was still incredibly tired. She looked around trying to get a gauge for what time it was the highwind was still here so none of the others had left yet. But the sun was pretty high so she figured it must have been getting pretty close to noon. "Guess it's time to get up..." She mumbled standing and stretching with a great deal of difficulty and pain. "Owowowowow...stiff...sore...owww..." She groaned sleeping in such a position had it's cost and now she was paying it.

She tried to work out some of the kinks in her arms painful as it was to do so before working on her legs. the rest she would just have to deal with for now it's not like she could give herself a massage and she doubted any of the others knew how to give one.

So she slowly made her way down to the flame and found only Nanaki was still there.

"Good morning." He said upon seeing her. 'so it IS still morning' she thought

"good morning...where are the others?" she asked looking around.

"Cid,Barret and Cloud are having drinks at the bar. Yuffie is well...honsetly I don't know but if i had to guess she's with Grandfather.Vincent dissapeared as well. and a chopper already picked up Cait Sith." he answered

"whoa wait..Cloud..is having a drink?...With Barret and Cid!" She couldn't believe it.

Nanaki gave a nod "Yes they dragged him off saying he needed to learn to live a little and have a drink seeing as it's the last chance they're going to have to all have one together for awhile."

"huh? have they already decided what they're going to do?"She asked

"Yes seems Barret wants to have Cid help him in rebuilding Corel...which reminds me Cait Sith mentioned Something about...Neo Midgar? I believe it was." He shifted slightly to his left looking curiously at the way Tifa was standing which showed that she hadn't really gotten rid of her soreness.

"oh...So they're rebuilding Midgar...and Corel...wait...what's Cloud going to do?" She asked suddenly realizing He'd been left out.

"He doesn't know. Says he's got no where to go back to and nothing to really do." Nanaki replied

"I see...well we'll see about that." TIfa said storming off in the direction of the bar 'how dare he say he has no home to go back to? we have...a...' she stopped in mid thought could the Neibelham that existed now really be called home? for her maybe Shinra hadn't put anyone in her house. But for Cloud it'd never be the same. He had gotten so angry when he saw it rebuilt like that like nothing ever happened and everyone claimed that he had never been there.

She stepped into the bar and found the place filled with loud talk and cigarette smoke obviously Cid and Barret were still here that much was apparent before she even looked around. Cid, Barret, and Cloud were sitting at a table in the corner each of them downing drinks like they were water. "Cloud!" She half yelled.

He looked up at her surprised and instinctively got up. "uh oh...looks like the parties over for me guys..." He said going to her.

Barret whistled "Man I dunno what he did but he's in trouble."

"Yea she looks mad." Cid agreed.

Tifa grabbed him by the arm and dragged him outside. "Cloud what's this I heard about you saying you've got no home to go to?" She asked

"What? I don't Shinra put some woman in my house remember?" He replied

"So what? Kick her out it's not her house anyway and Shinra is gone now we should kick out the whole damn lot of them." she didn't know why but she was suddenly angry.

"Tifa we can't do that they've been living there for years now I doubt any of them have anywhere to go with or without Shinra." he said calmly

"So then just what ARE you going to do then?" She asked

"I...I dunno...wander for awhile see the world we saved and take in the sights." He said looking up at the sky.

"Cloud...I...I want you to come back with me...I'm going back to Neibelham." She half whispered looking down.

"Why? there's nothing there for us Tifa nothing at all...it's just a mirage that refuses to go away even after the people that created it are gone...I can't live there I couldn't live in an illusion I'd go crazy trying to live like nothing ever happened." He said looking away from her.

"Fine...go then wander off out of my life again and just show up at my door half dead in another 5-7 years!" she yelled angrily and walked away.

Cloud just stood there stunned Cid and Barret had heard the whole thing. Cloud went back inside "Someone tell me what just happened there?" He asked looking at the two knowing they had been listening.

"Well...you got chewed out cuz yer an Asshole who just rejected an absolutely beatiful girl." Cid informed him.

"Ok...thanks for the rundown..." Cloud Replied sitting still stunned.

"Gawddamnit Cloud you know she cares about ya so why not just go?" Barret asked

"I can't...don't ask me why I just can't man..."Cloud said grabbing the drink he left behind and downing it.

"The jackass doesn't love her end of discussion." Cid cut in.

"You're a damn fool man." Barret told Cloud.

"I know...that's why I can't go back there...I'll only do something stupid." He told them

Tifa found her way back to the same spot she had been sitting in before "stupid cloud..." She muttered holding back tears. "why does he have to make everything difficult and complicated?" She wondered aloud.

"Because then nothing would be any fun" She gasped and looked up at who had spoken once again Vincent had surprised her.

"Oh..it's you again...don't you have anything better to do than sneak up on me?" She asked

"not really with everyone splitting up and all. besides it was hard to miss the racket you made yelling at Cloud I'll be all of Cosmo Canyon is talking about it by now." He told her.

"and since when did you get all talkative?" She asked

"huh?...oh..guess I have been speaking lately haven't I? I suppose with my sins atonned for I can at least try and live a normal life so I decided to get used to talking to people as I have no intention of going back to that coffin." He informed her.

"So where will you go?" she asked dissapointed that yet another who should have been going back to Neibelham was desserting her.

"Dunno See the world I guess...sure we saw alot of It but that was just the major cities and such... there's alot of places I missed.Besides I need to find Lucretia...we...need to talk." he explained

"I see...so I'm the onlyone going back then..." she sighed.

"so thats what that was all about...I came in a bit late about when you were screaming about him walking out of your life.." He said.

"Yea...it was stupid but...I really wanted him to come." She told him.

you won't be alone...the angels will be there

Tifa visibly stiffened the voice had spoken for the second time while she was awake.

Vincent frowned "what is it?"

"Oh uhm...nothing...just thought I heard something that's all." She replied fairly honestly aside from the fact that she knew what she heard. though she didn't understand what it meant.

"hm...well come on...I imagine it'll be time for us to go soon. I saw yuffie earlier she was already bouncing off the walls of the highwind apparenlty she's all hyped up because of all the materia she's getting. even if we did forbid her from a few." He told her offering his hand. She took it and stood.

"alright...but if Cloud is going to be there don't expect me to be nice." She fumed.

they came down to find that by now the others had gathered and were all standing in front of the highwind ready to go well all except Nanaki who was staying in Cosmo Canyon for awhile.

They got onto the highwind one by one each saying their goodbye's to Nanaki untill they had all gotten aboard and the highwind was taking off. they waved to him even then as the highwind left and it was time to decide what the first destination would be.

"Wutai! Wutia! Head to Wutai!" Yuffie repeated over and over again until Cid agreed just so he could get her off his damn ship.

when they arrived her bag of materia was tossed down after and they were gone or rather Cid was taking off again the others were saying goodbye or trying to. guess it didn't pay to annoy your driver when you were getting a ride home.

Next was Tifa she wanted to get off at Neibelham despite being the only one who was going there. She knew where everyone else was going already and she wanted to get away from Cloud before she blew up at him again. Her good byes were a bit more tender as Cid was in no hurry to be rid of her. There was hugs all around except for Cloud who Simply got a "hmph...bastard" and she turned away from him. Even Vincent despite his refusal to do it found he had no choice in the matter when she clung to him untill he hugged back. it was also decided that She would take the left over materia that yuffie had been forbidden to have. which consisted of the summons, shield, elemental, and slash all Cloud was allowed to keep double cut for his wanderings and was charged with Guarding the black materia after which had been dropped straight from the hands of sephiroth after his defeat and Vincent got Deathblow. the master materias were each hidden inside the huge materia and left there likely never to be bothered again.

Now it was time to figure out a way to start over in this forsaken town she started first by bringing her things into the house. She drew alot of attention it seemed the idea that someone was moving in was unspeakable to them they stood there staring at her like scarred rabbits.

"E..excuse me miss but..what're you doing?" One of them finally spoke up a young man in fact the same one Cloud had questioned when they had come here last time.

"What's it look like? I'm moving back in my old house." She said plainly and the murmurs arose "she said 'old house'" she heard one of them say " She must have been here..." she heard another say. Then she finally turned and faced them "So you all DO know about what happened."

This startled them they had been hoping to be below her range of hearing but found that it was quite good. "er uh...what're you talking about?" the same one who had just spoken stammered she was staring at him hard.

"You all know very well what I'm talking about Sephiroth, Jenova, the bloodshed. THAT" She said angrily.

"We have no idea what you're talking about nothing like that has ever happened here." the boy recycled his old line.

"What're you a trained monkey?" She asked glaring at him. "That's the same line you used when Cloud and I came back here last time but you can't deny I lived here the fact I still have a key to my house that works is proof of that." She said "Oh and don't bother counting on Shinra to come and fix my being here because there isn't a Shinra anymore." She informed them. that one met gasps and brought on more murmuring apparently they were waaay out of touch with the rest of the world here.

"well...that explains why our checks didn't come..." she heard one woman say and she picked her out of the crowd.

"Aha! You! so you all do work for Shinra. Just as we all suspected no one else would've rebuilt everything and put people here claiming nothing happened." She said pointing at the woman who looked like a deer in headlights to them Tifa might as well have been a bandit with a gun. She just looked that tough afterall they were simple employees none of them with combat training.

"Alright alright...that's enough" An older man stepped out from the crowd

"So I take it you're in charge here?" She asked sitting atop a box with her legs crossed.

"Yes I am." he replied.

"good then you'll tell them that I'm moving in and that's that it IS MY house." She said agitated

"Of course we can't stop you from moving in we didn't believe anyone survived that horror...but most of these people here don't know about what actually happened. it was deemed better that way made them more believeable. still a few of us were told just in case this happened. and we were told not to stop you." He told her.

"Good then" She waved a hand "Shoo now all of you shows over." still they remained

show them some force...

The voice made it's precense known again but for once she listened to it.

"I said shoo!" She yelled getting up and stomping the ground which to her surprise shook slightly. after that they scattered.

'what...what was that?' she wondered 'I know I'm strong but I most certainly don't have that kind of strength...wait that was you wasn't it?' she was now mentally speaking to the voice the first time she had acknowledged it's precense. A major turning point and step one for the voice was completed.

of course it was. who else would have given you strength?

'well don't do that again...it's scary...'

scary because you have so much power or scary because I gave it to you?

'both' at that the voice cackled ceaselessly in her head for some time which she ignored in order to not look like a crazy.

She finished unpacking without further incident. No one had the guts to say anything to her after what had happened.

She flopped down on the couch and wondered aloud "So what now?"

we could kill...

the voice cut into her thoughts again not as freindly as before 'NO! jesus what is you're obsession with murder?...who are you? what are you? and where did you come from!' she shot questions at it rapidly it was time for some answers seeing as it just wouldn't go away.

go to the reactor

'that isn't an answer'

it will be when you get there...

'oh theres no way i'm going now'

scared?

'terrified'

good you should be.

End Chapter 1