by Jawelik
The experiment was done. Sephiroth's new body was completed, and floating in a large glass incubation tube full of transparent fluid. Drakken had used nanites it the fluid to construct a pair of baggy black pants, which was the only thing the lifeless looking clone was wearing. Drakken would say he ran a PG13 lab after all.
Ron had Drakken help to fasten him to the wall with super strong metal braces around his wrists, ankles and waist. Said he didn't want to 'convulse too much during his trance' or something. He was only wearing his strapped and buckeled biker pants.
Drakken and Shego both watched from the other side of the lab, Drakken standing straight with his hands behind his back, while Shego stood at his side hugging herself in a very defensive un-Shego-like manner.
From his place mounted on the wall, Ron closed his eyes and started to take long deep breaths. His breaths gradually became shorter and faster, until he started to look like he was hyperventilating. Then with sudden, long ,wheezing exhalation of air, he slumped forward lifelessly in his bonds and stopped breathing entirely.
He just hung there motionless for a number of minutes, and Drakken and his sidekick glanced at each other, a little confused. It might be a relief if the evil freak just up and died on them, but it would also be awfully anti-climactic.
They both gasped with fright when Ron screamed suddenly and threw back his head as a cloud of appeared to be gaseous black and white mako burst out of his chest. It flowed out of him and floated in a beeline towards the incubator. The dark cloud stopped just outside the glass and slowly started to circle the clone, like it was examining it. Meanwhile, Shego and Drakken were both noticing the cloud taking a distictive shape.
A head with a stream of long black and white hair flowing behind it. It circled the tube a few more times then the ghostly visage turned to the two observers and smiled. It was a smile that could freeze the blood in their veins. And the pair of icy mako blue eyes were colder still. The handsome, fine featured face, framed with white and black hair, slowly turned towards the tube, then flew in suddenly. Passing through the glass and fluid and into the chest of it's new shell.
From the moment the soul entered, the body started to convulse wildly in its tube for a few moments, then went limp and motionless. After a few more minutes of silence Drakken and Shego glanced at each other again, then back at the clone. Just in time to be startled again by that arctic smile and eyes. This time from a living flesh and blood Sephiroth.
The silver haired man started to clench his fists and tense his muscles as he started to glow bright white from within his incubator. On pure instinct, Shego jumped in front of Drakken and erected a shield of green energy in front of herself, mere moments before the incubator exploded in a brilliant display of of white light. Thousands of shards of reinforced glass flew in all directions,but any that would have hit Shego or her boss were vaporized by her powerful defense.
When the onslaught was over, She lowered her shield and watched as the white smoke from the explosion started to clear. And there standing in a crater where his icubator once stood, was Sephiroth. Looking at his hands, turning them over and back again, before clenching and unclenching them experimentally. Then he looked up at his two observers with a smirk and started to approach them.
Both of them took a few involuntary steps back, and were relieved when diverted his course away from them and to the side, where Drakken had hung Sephiroth's new clothes on the wall. The mako infused metal he had requested was placed on a nearby workbench.
Sephiroth took the glowing blue block, which started to glow red like Ron's Lotus Blade the moment he touched it. With a sudden flash of light and a burst of black smoke, the block extended out into a sword that was longer than he was tall. It glowed red for a few moments more before fading and turning the colour of polished reflective silver.
A single experimental downwards slash of his new sword kicked up a gust of wind that nearly knocked Shego off her feet. He placed the back of his long blade against his shoulder, then approached Ron who still hung from the wall, seemingly unconscious.
"It's time to wake up partner," he snickered coldly. Ron's eyes started to open, blinked a few times then looked down at the newly reborn Sephiroth. Then those eyes shot wide as the silver haired man thrust the end of his sword into his 'partner's' heart, and deep into the rock wall behind him.
"NO!" Shego screamed.
Ron coughed up a mouthful of blood, and looked at his murderer with wide eyes. "S... Sephiroth!" he wheezed, hatefully.
"I am sorry, Ronald," he said, without a hint of sincerity. "There is only room for one God on Gaia. But don't despair." He twisted his sword, making Ron grunt as he further mutilated his heart and crunched the rock wall behind him. "Soon you, and everyone else on this world will be part of me. When I become one with not only the darkness, but all the energy flowing through this planet."
Ron the last of his life energy into his hateful glare, before the light started to fade from his eyes, then slowly his eyes closed and he fell limp and lifeless in his bonds. Sephiroth pulled his sword from Ron's chest then started to walk towards Drakken and Shego. Shego had tears running down her face, and Drakken was shivering with fright. He, like her wasn't a killer.
"Y... You killed him. Oh, God, you killed him!"
"Indeed," he replied coldly. "And the fool never saw it coming."
With a snarl, Shego lit up her hand and swung her claws at his face. Quicker than the eye could follow, he caught her wrist in a crushing grip. She gasped, as the pain caused her concentration to waver and the emerald flames to dissipate from her fingers.
"Oh please," he scoffed. "You didn't seriously think that would work, did you? All his power is mine now! I am every bit as strong as he was! You're no match for me, even with your vaunted power boost."
"Bastard!" she screamed. "Murdering Bastard! You'll never get away with this!"
She gasped as he squeezed her wrist a little tighter. "Speaking of that power boost. I think its time I took it back." Her glow fired up with no commands from her, and the green energy started to flow into the murderer. She was starting to feel sick and light headed. It felt like he was draining out her soul. She collapsed onto her knees after he released her wrist, Drakken hurriedly went to her side placing her hands on her shoulders.
"Shego? Are you alright?"
Sephiroth smiled as he clenched and unclenched his fists again. "Ah it feels good to be me again." He looked down at the worried Drakken and his sidekick who looked like she'd just been clocked by an anvil. "I must say, Doctor, you did an excellent job on this body."
For once he was completely disinterested in praise for his work. He looked at him coldly. "What are you going to do to us?"
He smiled that blood freezing smile. "Well my initial plan was to kill you when I got what I wanted. But you have done such a wonderful job, I don't think I will. At least not yet."
Drakken's frown deepened. "What does that mean?"
"I'm planning to kill the world, my good doctor. Everyone and everything. Their spirits will further enrich this planet's energy before I absorb it into myself. And I've decided as a thank you for all your fine work, I'm going to kill you two last. You can watch helplessly as the planet dies around you.
He gave the tall man a frightened look, as he watched him turn back to where his new clothes were hanging on the wall. With a wave of his hand the clothes evaporated into black smoke, which floated down and gathered around his feet. The smoke swirled around him, up from his feet to his neck, and reconstituted itself into clothes on his body. In moments he was wearing a black vest under a long backed coat with white shoulder guards, and a heavy pair of black boots along with the baggy black pants he'd been wearing all along. Now fully clothed he headed for the exit to the cave lair.
"Now if the two of you will kindly excuse me, I have appointment at the northern crater. There are some people there I simply must kill."
"Hey, Sephiroth!"
He stopped and turned to look at the green hued woman who had called out. She was still kneeling on the floor and still looked dizzy. Despite this though, she still managed to have a confident look on her face as she glared at him.
"When Kimmie finds out what you did to her friend... There's no doubt in my mind, that she's gonna kill you."
Sephiroth smirked the turned and continued on his way out of the cave. "Hmph! You're just as deluded as he was." As he left, he dragged the tip of his sword along the top of the only exit causing it to collapse behind him, and trapping the duo inside.
Drakken frowned deeply. "Now what are we going to do?"
She looked at her boss with a serious look. "I don't know about you, Dr D, but I'm gonna be hoping like crazy that Kim Possible really can do anything."
XXXXX
Kim and a few of her comrades were on the deck of Cid's airship, which he had dubbed The Shera after his wife. Kim, Yori and Tifa were all standing there while poor Yuffie had her head hung over the edge of the railing with her usual case of air sickness.
"Flying," she moaned. "Why does it always have to be flying?"
Kim looked apologetically towards the ninja, but Tifa just smiled. Yori though had been unusually silent for a long while.
"We have to fly, Yuffie, because the submarine is in the shop," Tifa said, matter of factly.
Yuffie moaned miserably. "Oh please don't mention subs! The only thing worse than flying is... Just thinking about it is enough to... Ugh! Urk!" She was cut off by her retching and placed her hand over her mouth.
Tifa giggled under her breath. Even she had to admit, that sometimes being mean could be fun.
The door from inside the ship opened and Cloud stepped out with some bottles of water. He handed one to Kim and then walked up behind Yuffie, and offered it to her back. "Yuffie. Water."
She groaned incoherently then reached up behind herself and accepted the bottle without moving her head from where it was hanging over the railing. She held the bottle but made no move to open it.
Kim and Cloud both opened thier bottles and took a sip. Then at the exact same moment thier eyes went wide and they both dropped thier bottle, spilling water all over the deck. Both gasped and clutched thier chests as if thier hearts had just stopped.
The General and his protege looked at each other. "You felt that too?" Cloud asked.
Kim nodded mutely.
Tifa looked at the pair worriedly. "What is it?"
"Something's wrong," Kim whispered, and Cloud nodded in agreement.
"What?" Tifa pressed.
"I don't know... But..." he glanced at Kim before continuing. "Sephiroth told me I'd know when it was time. I think this is it." Kim nodded.
His expression hardened as he went into full on authoritive General mode. "Yuffie!"
"BLERRRGGGHHH!"
The full on authoritive General actually cringed as Yuffie stopped holding back and started throwing up. He'd forgotten about her sickness for a second.
"Okay, maybe not Yuffie." He turned to the other closest availiable ninja. "Yori!"
She stood at attention and spoke for the first time in what seemed like days. "Yes sir?"
"Get to the bridge ASAP and tell Captain Cid to set a course for the northern crater. Top speed!"
"Yes sir!" She saluted and ran off through the door Cloud had arrived through.
"Nooooo," Yuffie groaned miserably. "Please not faster! Anything but-urk!"
He looked apologetically at the girl. "Sorry, Yuffie. Have to."
She slumped and sighed. "S'Ok. If it means helping a friend, a little air-urk... sickess is the least I'm willing to go through... Lets go save Ron!" She stood up straight and threw her arms up in the air and started shouting. "You hear that, Ron, old buddy old pal? This air sickness I'm going through now is all for you!" Then she lurched over the railing again. "BLERRRRGGGHHH!"
Kim and Cloud both cringed. "You know," she mused. "As disgusting as that was, I still think Ron really would've appreciated the sentiment."
Cloud just nodded.
XXXXX
They all arrived at the crater within the hour. The airship landed and everyone disembarked, all ready for a fight. Except for Yuffie who was going through her after landing ritual of hugging the ground like a long lost best friend. Everyone from the last battle with Ron was there for the fight. Except for Josh, who was still in traction. Apparently idiot SOLDIER agents who didn't know how to follow orders weren't worth an expensive shot of healing nanites. Though his absence was more than made up for by the presence of the Turks.
After about an hour of waiting though, with little more to do than to look at the pretty materia crystal formations and massive mako fountain, some of the more impatient ones in the group started to get restless.
"Are you sure he's coming?" Reno asked restlessly. "I'm getting bored here."
Cloud frowned at the red haired man. "He's coming. I can feel it in my gut."
"Well soooo-ry, if I doubt the precognative abilities of your stomach noises! OW!"
Cloud was about to retort but stopped when someone kicked Reno in the shin. The self proclaimed 'playboy of the Turks' turned to the person that kicked him and growled. "Bonnie? Dammit, woman, what is with you and kicking me?"
"You need to watch your mouth, Reno," she said, calmly. "Where all on the clock, and the General outranks you. You're making the Turk's look bad."
His face turned almost as red as his hair in anger. "Where does a newbie like you get off telling me..."
"She's right, Reno," the leader Tseng cut him off. "Watch yourself. Save the smart alec remarks for when you're off duty."
Reno frowned, put his hands in his pockets and turned away grumbling under his breath.
Cloud and Kim looked curiously at Bonnie. Neither of them were particularly fond of Bonnie, especially after what she did to Ron a Junon Harbor. But they both couldn't help but admire her professionalism. How she put her personal feelings aside when she was on the job.
Forgetting that for now though, Kim walked up and whispered to her mentor. "Reno does have a point. I thought for sure he'd be here by now."
"Me too. It's not like Sephiroth to be late..."
"Oh I'm sorry," a new voice snickered from behind them. "Have I kept you waiting?" Everyone spun around to see the silver haired man who had arrived without any of them noticing.
Everyone drew their various weapons, and Cloud spoke. "Sephiroth. So you got your new body..."
"Indeed. Drakken did a splendid job, don't you think? All of Stoppable's power and none of his conscience."
Kim and Cloud were both confused by this. "Conscience?" Kim asked.
"Oh, you don't think what you faced before was the true darkness do you? Yes, it was bought to the surface, but was still chained. Think about it. There has not been a single fatality. You think it was the darkness rationalizing that weaklings weren't worth killing? That killing you would be no fun? You think the darkness let Shego do all the fighting in Sci-Tech, when he knew she wouldn't kill anyone?"
"That was Ronald. Your Ronald. Chaining up and holding back all that darkness, even while being imprisoned himself." He sighed at that then smiled at them. "It was terribly stifling."
Kim and Cloud both started to look around then glanced at each other before looking wide eyed at thier enemy. "Where is Ron?" Kim hissed.
Sephiroth's cold smile widened and he started to chuckle.
"Answer the question, Sephiroth!" Cloud snapped. "Where the hell is my brother?"
"Oh Cloud, when have you ever known me to share power?"
They just froze and stared as they let what he was saying sink in.
"Naturally in a fair fight we would have been far too evenly matched. A fight between us probably would have had no end. Fortuneately after separating his soul from mine he was tempoarily vulnerable. I never would have killed him, if hadn't done it while he was still unconscious."
Not just Cloud and Kim, but everyone's eyes were wide with shock.
Cloud's fists were clenched so hard his arms were shaking. "You... Killed my brother?"
"Ron..." Kim choked. "Oh God!"
"Yes, I killed him with this very sword," he said holding up his overly long blade. "Drove it right through his heart. Reminds me of how I ended his older sister." He snickered evilly. "Unlike his sister though, he cried and screamed like a little girl."
Both of them were shaking with rage now, and Sephiroth smiled at thier pain. "Oh, if you need some time to cry before we fight, that's fine... I can wait."
They looked at each other again, wearing the same serious expression. "So..." Kim said deceptively calmly. "We're killing him now, right?"
Cloud nodded. "Oh yeah."
Both turned with scowls of pure hatred. Holding thier weapons ready they started charging thier smugly smiling enemy, with a quickly rising battle cry.
"HaaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
XXXXX
For the second time in his life he found himself slowly falling through and endless ocean of white. And just like last time he soon landed on the most beautiful bed of flowers he had ever seen. He just stood there staring blankly, and didn't even turn when he felt an extremely warm and reassuring presense come up behind him. Two slender arms wrapped around his chest in a loving hug, the small hands resting over his heart that had just been stabbed.
He stood silently for a while before speaking to the presence. "Hey sis."
His sister sighed, and he felt her rest her chin on his shoulder. "Oh, little brother... What have you done?"
He swallowed hard before speaking again. "I'm actually dead this time, aren't I?"
He felt her nod against his shoulder. "I'm afraid so, Ron. Sephiroth realized something that the darkness did not. That once he was separated from you, the darkness wouldn't be able to maintain control. That made you too much of a threat."
He sighed and looked to his feet. "No one else can stop him, can they."
"No."
"And he's going to kill everyone, isn't he?"
"Yes."
"I just know the first person he's going to want to kill is going to be the only one I really protected from him. I can feel it."
"Kim," she whispered, sadly. "You're probably right."
He placed his large hand on her small delicate ones, then gently pulled them them away and stepped out of her embrace. He finally turned to face her and she was a little surprised by the expression on his face. He was wearing that goofy and endearing smile of his.
"You know what, sis? That just won't do."
He turned away and looked up with his arms outstretched. "Come on power, you're part of me! You're mine, not his! Now show me some love!"
Aeris watched in amazement as her brother started to glow and start to float and rise back up through the endless white ocean of lifestream. Then she smiled with pride. "Go get him, little brother."
XXXXX
"Shego!" Drakken snapped. "Could you come over here and help me dig please?"
She ignored her boss who was trying in vain to dig his way out of the cave in Sepiroth had caused when he left. Approaching the corpse of Ron Stoppable, that still hung limply from the wall, she felt a tear run down her cheek. She couldn't remember the last time she had shed tears. Placing a gentle gloved hand onto his cheek, she lowered it to the side of his throat, in the small hope she might find a pulse. There wasn't of course, Sephiroth had pretty much mutilated the poor guy's heart, so there was not likely to be a pulse without a heart to beat.
She placed her forehead against his shoulder and felt more tears spill down her cheeks. "I..." She hesitated, then let go. "I'm sorry, kid. I mean, I know we were enemies and all, but... You didn't deserve this. You were a good kid... Which of course one of the things I hated about you, but... I'm just... so sorry!" Lifting her head from his shoulder she took one last look at the poor kid's face.
"GAHHHH!" she screamed, falling back onto her butt when she found herself looking into the open mako eyes, and goofy grin on the face of the meant to be dead Ron Stoppable.
"I accept your apology, Shego," he said cheerfully, before ripping his way out of his super strong metal bonds like they were wet tissue paper. He stepped up to the flabbergasted woman, who seemed to be shaking in shock, then bent over and placed his hands on his knees to look Shego in the eye. "Now tell me. In which direction did the silver haired psycho go?"
XXXX
to be continued...
I know I do this every chapter but I must apologize for the lateness of this update. You know, if anyone actually read it, it has been a while. Every time I make excuses, but I promised I was going to finish it, and I will. Actually recent events have made me realize that like a lot of writers I'm a whole lot more depressed than I thought I was. I have taken measures to improve my mental health, and they're working pretty well. For the first time in a long time, I wrote because I wanted to, and not just because I'd promised to finish the story. Please leave a review and I'll update again soon.