Early the next morning, Cloud regrouped with his team outside the thick iron gates of Shinra Mansion. He and the other Shinra Trooper, Cyan, were in full uniform with there helmets masking their identities. A man approached Cloud with a camera.

“Hey,” the cameraman said, “Do you think Sephiroth would mind if I take his picture? He’s a hero to me.”

“I don’t know,” Cyan said, “Why don’t you ask him and stop bothering us.”

“Disrespectful punk,” the cameraman said sauntering away.

Cloud noticed another man walking with Sephiroth. He remembered him. It was Tifa’s father.

“Listen to me, Sephiroth,” Tifa’s father said, “In case anything happens…”

“Trust me,” Sephiroth responded before the father could finish his thought.

Following them was a girl wearing a brown sunhat with a matching dress and boots. Her long black hair swayed as she walked. Her face was familiar.

“I’ll be all right. I have two men from SOLDIER with me,” she heads to Sephiroth, “I’m Tifa nice to meet you.”

Cloud had thought about how he would face Tifa after so many years. But seeing her right there in front of him froze his nerve. Cloud didn’t reveal himself. He had promised Tifa that he would return a SOLDIER, and now that he wasn’t there was no point in exposing himself. Cloud thought he would keep a low profile, and not say anything. Tifa wouldn’t be able to recognize him with the helmet on anyway.

The man with the camera asked Sephiroth if he could take his picture. Zack urged Sephiroth to play along.

“C’mon, it’ll be cool,” he looked to Tifa, “Hey, lets have our guide in it too.”

“Sure,” Tifa said walking beside him.

Zack smiled with her, “C’mon, last chance.”

Sephiroth finally obliged and stood next to Tifa. The man took a step back lifting the camera to his face.

“Say cheese…” he said snapping the picture. A blinding flash filled the air.

“Thanks. This should come out great,” the man said running off, “I’ll make a few copies for everyone.”

Zack patted Tifa on the back, “All in a days work.”

“I’m sure there’s more to being a SOLDIER than looking cool and taking pictures,” Tifa said.

“Nope, that’s about it.” Zack said joking with her. Tifa began to giggle.

“Enough,” Sephiroth said sternly, “We have a job to do. Lets move.”

Tifa waved good-bye to her father as they all began to follow the path up Nibel Mountain. Cloud walked at the end of the line keeping an eye on Tifa. He remembered the route they were following. It was the same path he and Tifa fell from so many years ago. It didn’t seem so menacing to him anymore. Tifa led the pack with her knowledge of the mountain. Cloud was amazed by how well she had conquered the same mountain that almost killed her ten years ago.

They soon reached a rotting drawbridge. Sephiroth went first followed by Zack.

“Its clear,” Zack said giving everybody the signal it was safe to follow. Tifa held the ropes as she walked over the creaking wood. Cloud and Cyan followed.

“Everybody head back!” Sephiroth yelled.

“What’s wrong!” Tifa asked in a panic.

There was a loud snap. Cloud felt the bridge disappear from beneath his feet. Before anyone knew what had happened, they were free falling as the bridge collapsed. The world spun in a fury as they felt the force of gravity pull them closer the ground. Cloud closed his eyes bracing for the sudden stop.

“Cloud…” a voice said.

It was dark. He couldn’t see anything but a voice repeatedly call his name. As his eyes focused he saw Zack over him.

“Your alive!” the young SOLDIER said relieved.

He picked Cloud up, “Damn, your not even scratched. I guess that helmet came in handy.” Zack said smacking him on the head.

Cloud looked around. They were the only ones in the area. Tifa and the rest were nowhere to be found. Cloud feared she didn’t survive the fall. He collapsed in the dirt. His eyes began to burn as his hands trembled. Zack knelt beside him.

“Hey, man, you all right?” Zack asked.

Cloud pounded on the ground, “It’s happening again!” he yelled

“Yo, chill, man!” Zack said trying to calm him down.

“Hey, you guys!” a voice yelled.

Suddenly Cloud’s heart fluttered. He knew it was Tifa’s voice. He turned to see the girl walking with Sephiroth. She was completely undamaged. Cloud looked up above to see how far they had fallen. It was impossible for anybody to survive the fall, but there they all were. Without a scratch.

“Everybody okay?” Sephiroth asked.

“Yeah,” Zack said, “but we’re missing somebody.”

Cyan was absent.

“I know it may seem cold, but we have to keep going.” Sephiroth exclaimed.

Without any objections from the others, they continued to the Mako Reactor. Tifa knew of a nearby cave that would bring them to the Mako Reactor. The green caves were abundant in Mako Energy. That’s why the reactor was built in that location.

As they made their way through the caverns they were ambushed by four kyuvildunis. The monsters were giant locus-type insects that inhabited the damp caves. The creatures crept towards the group chattering like numerous beetles. The sounds echoed off the emerald walls as they inched their way closer. Sephiroth stood unfazed by the situation.

He put his hand out and in an instant his body was surrounded with light, which illuminated the cave. With a ferocious cry, Sephiroth yelled “Ultima!” The kyuvildunis were devoured by a fiery green light. When it had settled, all the creatures were dead and lay in there own pasty brown fluids. Sephiroth had used a powerful Magic Materia to dispose of all the monsters. Tifa was amazed by his abilities. Sephiroth didn’t even seem human. He was much more than any normal being.

They reached a cave filled with trees and a glowing fountain in the center. It seemed unnatural to have such lush scenery in the belly of a cave.

“What is this?” Tifa said stopping to observe the vegetation and flowers.

“A Mako fountain,” Sephiroth said, “It’s a miracle of nature.”

Tifa’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the fountain. “It’s beautiful,” she said walking towards the glowing emerald water.

Sephiroth and Zack followed her. Cloud kept watch from behind as the others surrounded the Mako fountain.

“If the Mako Reactor continues to suck up the energy, this fountain will dry up,” Tifa said to herself.

“Materia,” Sephiroth suddenly said, “If you condense Mako Energy, Materia is produced. Its very rare to be able to see Materia in its natural state.”

“You mean in a couple of years this will turn into Materia,” Tifa said amazed, “By the way…why is it that when you use Materia you can also use magic too?”

“The Knowledge and Wisdom of the Ancients is held in the Materia,” Sephiroth began to say, “Anyone with this Knowledge can freely use the powers of the Land and the Planet. That Knowledge interacts between ourselves and the Planet, calling up magic…or so they say.”

Zack responded by saying, “…A mysterious power.”

Sephiroth began to laugh. It caught everyone off guard. Zack didn’t mean to say anything funny, and found no humor in his comment.

“Did I say something funny?” Zack asked.

He stopped laughing to explain himself, “A man once told me never to use an unscientific term as mysterious power. ‘It shouldn’t even be called magic!’ he said. I still remember how angry he was.”

“Who was that?” Zack asked.

“Hojo of Shinra Inc.,” Sephiroth said, “An inexperienced man assigned to take over the work of a great scientist. He was a walking mass of complexes.”

Tifa’s wide eyes were hypnotized by the fountains eerie jade glow.

“A Mako fountain,” she said in a whisper, “So this is where the Knowledge of the Ancients is.”

After the long hike through the Mako cave the team had arrived outside the Mako Reactor. The landscape was barren with the reactor being the only construction lofting over everyone. The earth had dried up and died in that region. The sun hid behind the orange and gray clouds of the gloomy skies. A loud humming sound exited the reactor.

Sephiroth stopped at the bottom of the stairs, which led to the Mako Reactor entrance. He looked to Tifa.

“You must stay out. This reactor is full of Shinra’s industrial secrets. You stay with her,” Sephiroth said directing Cloud to keep watch of Tifa while he and Zack inspect the interior.

“Oh, man!” Tifa said disapproving the decision. She looks to the Shinra Trooper, “You better take good care of me.”

Sephiroth and Zack ascend the metal stairs, disappearing into the Mako Reactor.

Cloud was left with Tifa. Only she didn’t know it was Cloud under the obscure helmet.

“So do you have a name?” Tifa asked him.

Cloud froze. If he spoke she would recognize his voice. He still didn’t want her to find out he failed at becoming a SOLDIER. His pride and shame were more powerful than his reasoning. He didn’t reply.

Tifa became peeved, “Great! They stuck me with a mute.”

Zack walked the narrow steel bridge to the opposite side where the core of the reactor was. The humming sound became ear blistering. The grinding of gears and banging of the old rusting pipes contributed to the noise pollution. Green mist rose from beneath. Zack leaned over to find the vivid emerald glow of Mako Energy. The reactor was built right above a Life Stream. Giant pipes sucked the energy strait from the earth.

Sephiroth opened the door of the core. The portal opened with a hissing sound and steam. They entered the red-lit interior where the creatures were being produced. Large rows of capsules, lined in a strait form, littered the room from top to bottom. Each capsule had a small window port to view the contents inside. Sephiroth walked up the incline ramp where another door was located. He stood in front of the sealed entrance Bold letters featuring J-E-N-O-V-A were inscribed across the top.

“So what’s the problem?” Zack asked.

Sephiroth turned away from the door and whatever secrets lied within. He walked down the ramp back to Zack.

“This is the reason for the malfunctioning,” Sephiroth said pointing to a valve handle, “This part is broken.”

Zack knelt down to close the valve. He got back up dusting his hands.

“Why did it break?” Zack asked.

There was no response from Sephiroth whom was already busy looking into one of the capsules. His bright green eyes widened as he peered through the port window. Sephiroth pulled away from the device and began to speak to himself.

“Now I see Hojo. But even doing this will never put you on the same level as Professor Gast.”

Zack was baffled by Sephiroth’s behavior, “What’s he going on about?”

Sephiroth looked to Zack and said, “All these capsules pipes and gears are a system that condenses and freezes the Mako Energy…that is, when its working correctly. Now what does Mako energy become when it’s further condensed?”

Zack looks up and begins to think, “Oh yeah!” he finally said, “It becomes Materia.”

“Right. Normally,” Sephiroth began, “But Hojo put something else in there. Take a look.”

Sephiroth stepped aside to let Zack take a peek. He placed his face in front of the window. Inside, a hideous blue creature with white horns and a face like a dragon lied dormant. Its eyes opened. Zack fell backwards spooked by the sudden occurrence. The evil green eyes of the monster still etched in his mind.

“Wh…what is that!” Zack shuddered.

“You see,” Sephiroth explained, “Normal members of SOLDIER are humans that have been showered with Mako. Different from other people, but still human.”

“But what are they,” Zack said as he got up from the floor. He couldn’t grasp the concept.

“They’ve been exposed to a higher degree of Mako,” Sephiroth said, “Far more than you, Zack.”

He looks at the capsule, “Is this some kind monster?” Zack asked.

“Exactly,” Sephiroth said, “And it’s Hojo of Shinra that produced these monsters. Mutated living organisms produced by Mako Energy. That’s what these monsters really are.”

Zack slowly turned his head to his cohort, just then realizing that the monster in the capsule had the same radiant green eyes as Sephiroth.

“Normal members of SOLDIER?” Zack said, “You’re different?”

A cold wind blew through the core of the reactor. Sephiroth hung his head low holding his hair tightly. He began to tremble uncontrollably as a sudden revelation came to him.

“N…no,” Sephiroth stuttered, “Was I…”

He took his Masamune Sword from his side and struck the capsule in anger. His strike wasn’t enough to destroy it.

“Was I created this way too?!” Sephiroth yelled in an infuriated roar. The words echoed and amplified as it bounced of the crimson walls. He swiftly moved to another capsule, and, with his sword glinting in the dim light, struck it twice with all his might. The window shattered with green fluids immediately oozing out. Zack jumped back as Sephiroth went on his destructive frenzy.

“Am I the same as all these monsters?” He said swinging his sword in a rage of confusion.

“Sephiroth!” Zack hollered.

He turns to Zack. His Mako green eyes were pungent and filled with resentment. His sword stayed in his hands by his side. Zack feared Sephiroth had snapped. He had become unpredictable. Zack feared Sephiroth would turn his sword on him. He slowly walked backwards, away from the maniac.

“You saw it!” Sephiroth cried, “All of them…were humans!”

“Human?” Zack said in disbelief, “No way!”

Sephiroth settled down and his voice was calmer and managed, “I’ve always felt when I was small…that I was different from the others. Special in some way,” he turned away from Zack, “But…not like this.”

He collapsed to the grated metal floor on his hands and knees. His tone was now shaken and disturbed, “Am I human?”