In Time This Time Title: In Time This Time Author:jlsigman Rating: PG Word count: 530 Prompt: July 2 - Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, Zack, Sephiroth: catalyst - “I know an Ancient, Seph” A/N: Thanks to SilentTweak for the game script.
Zack had never seen Sephiroth so obsessed. He paced the musty basement, book in hand, flipping through the pages at an inhuman rate. “...an organism that was apparently dead was found in a 2000 year old geological stratum. Professor Gast named that organism, Jenova...” he muttered before dropping the book and getting another one. “X Year, X Month, X Day. Jenova confirmed to be an Ancient...”
Zack tried not to flinch.
“...X Year, X Month, X Day. Jenova Project approved. The use of Mako Reactor 1 approved for use.” Sephiroth looked up from the book, eyes not really seeing who was with him. “My mother's name is Jenova. Jenova Project. Is this just a coincidence?” His voice got quiet and oddly pleading. “Professor Gast... Why didn't you tell me anything? Why did you die?”
Zack waited to be acknowledged, for Sephiroth to realize what he was doing and walk away. When it didn't happen, he thought he'd give his friend and superior time to sort out what had happened on his own. He trusted his friend's strength.
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Zack cursed himself as week later as he charged up the mountain. He should've said something sooner. He should've broken down the door and gotten into his face until there was no choice but for him to listen. This was wrong, this wasn't supposed to be happening...
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“I hate you all...” Tifa whispered, and refused to let him help her.
---
Sephiroth had pulled the covering from the tank to reveal a horror. He crooned to it like he saw something different. “Mother, let’s take this planet back together.” His voice was wrong, all wrong... “I've thought of a very good plan: let’s go to the Promised Land together, mother...”
Zack wanted to scream until he woke up from this nightmare. “Sephiroth!! Why did you kill the villagers? Why did you hurt Tifa?” He tried to stop sobbing. He had to stay calm. “Answer me, Sephiroth!”
Sephiroth turned, laughing, his eyes glowing a sickly green. “Mother, those people have shown up again.” He took on a stance that was a parody of a teacher lecturing a student. “With mother's strength and knowledge, she should have been this planet's ruler. But those people... those people who took everything...” He trailed off as a vaguely confused look flitted across his face. “The planet was taken from mother, wasn't it?” He turned back to the mako tube. “But don't be sad anymore, mother. Let’s go together...” One gloved hand pressed against the glass. “Finally, we meet, mother...”
“Sephiroth! What's gotten into you?!” Zack gripped his sword, knowing it was useless, then he remembered several things at once: fragments of what Genesis had said, what Sephiroth had read out of the journals, the truth about Aerith. He shook his head. “Seph... I know an Ancient, Seph, and she's nothing like that.”
His friend's back stiffened.
“She's grows things where no-one can, she's kind and gentle, she'd never...” Zack's eyes filled with tears. “Please, Seph, I'll take you to meet her, let's leave here, leave this dead thing behind.”
Sephiroth's hand gripped his sword's hilt tightly. Slowly, he turned. Zack prayed he'd said the right things in time.