Lifestream

Cloud's POV

I let out a whoosh of breath. Not even sure of what to say. How the hell do you respond to something like that? Don't worry, we can help Sephiroth this time? What if Sephiroth loses the internal battle and I'm not there to help everyone fight him? The only reason Sephiroth stopped attacking back in my time was because Ryalga gave Jenova the finger and didn't let Sephiroth phase back into our world.

"Who's Jenova again?" Genesis asks, sharply.

I slowly collect my thoughts and turn to Hojo, "Do you want to tell them or should I?"

The dirty look Hojo gives me is priceless, and if I wasnt on the verge of having a mini heart attack, I would laugh. But I am... so I don't.

"Jenova is a entity from outter space. She is what part of Sephiroth is made up of. Some of Sephiroth's cells, at least. Jenova only holds a certain part of Sephiroth's genetic make-up. As a youg child he was able to hear her voice through her cells in his body. So we taught him how to ignore them. Unfortunately, in doing so, Sephiroth became defened by the planet's voice as well." Hojo explains stiffly. Sephiroth flinches.

"So she's a god damn alien." Genesis snarls. "Nice work on that one, doc."

"Who even thinks of these things?" Angeal asks, voice laced with age and exhaustion.

"Hojo." Genesis grumbles.

"Enough!" The President snaps. He looks to the red head and raven haired men, "If you are going to be a distraction, I suggest you leave before I lose my patients. Now, are you going to behave?" The President looks between Angeal and Genesis, with a slightly worried glance at the completely emotioinless and unmoving SOLDIER Hero.

Both look to the wooden table in front of them, "Yes sir." they mumble under their breath. I turn away for a moment to look at Rufus.

"What do you think?"

Rufus rubs his head, kneeding his temples roughly, eyes squinted. "Pros and cons?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," he opens his hands and drops them onto the wooden table, "Pros; we might be able to defeat Ryalga, we get to see Sephiroth's true power, all chimera dissapear, Anti-SOLDIER troops get the finger, the world might finally get it's peace."

I nod slowly, "And the cons?"

The young now-vice-again president shakes his head, "Well, Jenova could be brought back into this world with an even stronger vessle, we lose control of Sephiroth, lose all life on this planet, planets lifestream is tainted as is all the memories; including ourselves inside, or Sephiroth isn't strong enough and she ends up killing both of you and we just lost two of our best fighters."

"The cons outweight the pros," Reno grumbles. "Just our luck."

Aerith's voice is soft and gently, "I understand. This process must be done delicately and in a certain way for it to work." Everyone nods and waits for her to continue, although some look more disgruntle then others. "As I see it, you will need to figure out how to get passed everything, Cloud, Sephiroth, because all these dark feelings are going to let Jenova get enough leverage into Sephiroth and Cloud's hearts." Her voice is light but there is a chill to it. "If you surround yourself in darkness then it will corrupt you."

"How can we escape something that has latched itself to one's soul?" Sephiroth asks cynically, voice rough.

Aerith doesn't miss a beat, "Drive it out. The darkness in your soul is only as strong as you let it become, Sephiroth. Contrary to anyone's belief, your body is yours and you do have control."

Sephiroth gives the light a look to suggest he thinks her to be a crazy lady. "Do I now?"

"Yes." Aerith answers simply. "You have a choice, Sephiroth."

That seems to make him angry, for he stands up and narrows his eyes at the ball of light. "Unfortunately for you, Aerith, that statment is untrue. I never have a choice. Excuse me." With that, he turns on his heel and flys out of the room as if he couldn't stand to be here for a moment longer.

"You must understand," Aerith says in a chilly whisper, "Sephiroth can not combat his evils without assistance. No, he will need something much more then someone to offer a hand. He needs to be given the reasurence that he has always wanted. Something that has weighed heavy on his heart for years now."

"What is that?" Rufus asks, looking tired and exhausted.

"Gast."

"Gast?" I echo. "Who's Gast?"

Genesis frowns uncertain. "Professor Gast was someone very inportant to Sephiroth. He died in a terrible accident when we were only 13 years old. Sephiroth was torn up inside and never forgave himself. Apparently, he and Gast had a blow out and Sephiroth never had the chance to apologise before Gast left to head home to his family. He died sometime during his away time."

"No one knew for sure what had happened." Angeal adds. "Turks supposidly dissmissed it as an accident and that was the end."

Is it just me or did the air in the room thicken?

"And not just Gast. Sephiroth needs her help to portect himself from Jenova." Aerith says calmly as if we had said nothing.

"Now, who's her?" I ask, all confused. And here I thought I had the advantage of knowlegde but it seems I still don't know anything.

"Her?" Hojo repeats, eyes narrowed. "By 'her' do you mean, Lucretia?"

"Yes."

"Who's Lucretia?" I ask, still feeling confused and left out of the loop.

"Professor Lucretia," Verdot chimes in at last, for once being the first to initiate a thought. "is Sephiroth's birth mother. She died giveing birth to Sephiroth."

"Or maybe she ran away," Hojo dissmisses it as uninportant. "She suddenly vanished and there was a lot of blood."

"You never looked into it?" Angeal grinds out through clench teeth looking like he is struggling to keep his composure. "Never found out if maybe something had happened?"

"No," Verdot says sharply. "We looked but found nothing at all. Only lots and lots of blood. There was a problem in the birth. Sephiroth was hurting Lucretia on the way out. He broke 3 of her ribs, ruptured her stomach and tore her up all the way out."

"Damn," Reno hisses, "Boy wanted out."

"He didn't relise it was hurting Lucretia," Hojo, for whatever reason, defends Sephiroth.

"Lucretia is alive."

"Alive?" Multiple people echo but I can't pinpoint who, I'm too focused on the light now.

"Or should I say as alive as one cased in crystal can be? The planet... did not want to take her soul. There was still much it needed to do, but you are correct. Her injuries would not of allowed her to live long enough to complete the tasks, so the planet incased her in crystal until she is needed. Worry not, she has someone protecting her." Aerith says calmly.

"Who?" The President asks.

"Who has always protected Lucretia?" Aerith asks as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

I'm lost.

"Vincent Valentine." Hojo hisses with such venom, I think a flower wilted.

"Yes, now, get Vincent to get Lucretia and bring her here, once she gets here, bring Sephiroth, her and Cloud to the City of the Ancients." She orders, chillingly. "Be quick, everyone. The darkness is moving closer and at an alarming rate. I suggest you fortify the city, the Chimera will be coming for Cissnei and Sephiroth."

The light begins to fade slowly.

"But then what do we do?" Reno asks, looking worried and acting uncharacteristically serious.

Aerith's light fades even more, I almost thought she would not reply and when she does, I almost wish she didn't.

"Survive."

And then she is gone, along with all the wisdom she could possibly offer to us.

"Foresaken..."

Vincent seemed to notice the urgency on my face. He turns away from Yuffie and follows me into the hall without quesion.

"Cloud."

I look into my loyal friend's crimson red eyes. "Vincent... I need you to get Lucretia and bring her here."

Black eyebrows furrow. "Lucretia? Why?" Thos familiar eyes study me, not in a cautious reguard but a concerned one.

"Aerith says to." To anyone else, this might have sounded strange, but Vincent doesn't seem to react other then with more confusion and concern.

"Lucretia is unable to do anything in her state, Cloud." He says slowly.

I look away. "I understand but... it's what Aerith said. I'm not sure, maybe the planet will give her a hand or something. I mean, there has to be a reason Aerith is sending you to go find her. I mean, other then to talk with Sephiroth."

Vincent's eyes narrow a bit. "What would Lucretia say to Sephiroth?"

I look Vincent pleadingly into the eyes. "Please, Vincent. I don't know anything. All I know is that she needs to be brought here so we can all go to The City of the Ancients. I know nothing more then that other then it will help Sephiroth out. I guess he could get some reasurence or some strength to fight Jenova's influence if he knew who his real mother is."

The sound of the alien's name makes Vincent tense up. "Jenova?"

I shake my head. "Nothing has happened yet, but it's a prepercation I think. Look, Vincent please? I know you have a lot of questions but I just don't have the answers. I'm tired and there is still so much to do."

Seemingly understanding my predicament, although unhappy about it, Vincent agrees to go and get Lucretia. With that he goes back into the room where he and Yuffie previously occupied to let her know what is going on before turning into red smog and flying out the window and racing away into the distance.

"You look exhausted." Yuffie nots, as I sit on the bed next to her.

"I am," I admit. She laughs dryly.

She gets up and walks over to me. "You should get some rest, thing should slow down until this afternoon when the Turk girl shows up, right? I'll wake you when she arrives. You can't work well with such little sleep."

I wanted to argue, I really did, but the thought of some shut eye was too good to resist. I hope that Angeal and Genesis are able to calm Sephiroth down by the time I wake up. I hate leaving matters unresolved but I'll be no help and they both assured me that they could handle him.

A/N: I am so sorry everyone! I have been so busy with school and being in the play that I haven't had time to update at all! I made this one a little longer then I usually do, as an apology. Sorry. I'll hopefully be able to update again soon. This story is almost over, so stay tuned!