Blade
That Man
- AKA
- Darkside-Ky/Mimeblade
An Interview with Sephiroth
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Day XX, Year XX
It's been several years after the fall of meteor, the whole Geostigma scare, and even the whole Omega scare a while back...not gonna say I liked dealing with any of that, but...anyway.
The following is a set of transcripts I managed to record of a "conversation" with a DEAD GUY.
Yeah, you heard me...he's been long gone for a number of years.
Okay, to explain, a few years back I was a freelance magazine writer who came out of the boondocks of Gongaga. Not really news-worthy right?
Well, turns out, all the "digging" Shinra did a bunch of years back opened up some "mako fissures" nearby.
These are just old caves that are interconnected with the planet's core.
Yeah, I know you're not supposed to stray too far in or you'll get Mako Poisoning or whatnot...but this one day I was looking for a scoop and came across what I could only describe as a 'phantom' manifesting itself out of Mako!
But, from the looks of him, he looked like his body (if you could call it that) was in pain and he could barely hold himself together.
See, the guy looked like he'd come out of the Lifestream...but wasn't really "part" of the Lifestream.
Really weird. Like some kind of foreign virus or something.
He was draped in black, with pale white hair, and was just 'sitting there' hovering in the mako, half his body gone...and by the looks of things he couldn't move.
Anyways...here's my transcript.
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Me: You there!? Are you alright? What are you doing down here!?
????: . . .
Me: It's dangerous ya know? You'll get lost in the Mako and get sick and who KNOWS where you'll end up.
????: ...What do you know?
Me: What do I know?! I'm just a news reporter...I only report stuff as I see it.
????: Hahah...I see. Then what do your eyes see?
Me: Umm...you're just...floating there...in the Lifestream...like...a ghost!?
????: And you're not...frightened of me?
Me: I'm a reporter, getting the news is more important than breathing to me!
????: So you forfeit your life...for the truth?......How ironic.
Me: Huh? What's that mean?
????: It seems, however fickle Fate may be...she's not without a sense of humor.
Me: Tell me about it...nobody ever believes half the stuff I write. I swear it's the truth.
????: Perhaps this is a means that I can pass on...what I really wanted to say to 'him'. And to 'them'.
Me: Whoever 'those guys' are...I can pass on a message if you'd like? Care to tell me your story?
????: Do you remember the 'calamity from the skies'?
Me: Oh that...hmmm...Meteor, right? Or do you mean that whole research thing with Jenova I heard about coming out of Shinra's closet?
????: That's right. I'm just a shard of what's left of 'that'.
Me: So you're...Jenova? I thought she was a girl? Or...some kind of rock they dug up?
????: The crater in the north is where Jenova 'landed'.
Me: And she was 'dug up' and experimented on? I heard the horror stories from a few tabloids...not that it's easy to believe any of it.
????: Do you believe it?
Me: Well, if what you've said so far jives with anything I know, it must be true right? You're standing right in front of me...well...sorta.
????: Do you have any recollections of the Wutai Civil War...or of the exploits of SOLDIER?
Me: Well, that's a long ways back. True, with the whole "Deep Ground" problem that came up not long ago, it wasn't easy to buy any of the evidence. But through that (and managing to bypass declassification security protocols) we learned that they did a lot of Jenova experimentation on humans. Grim stuff that. Oh and...a name kept popping up...Project S.
????: I see. So what are your thoughts on Project S?
Me: They said it was an incubation thing...made a child super-SOLDIER with it...I assume there was more than one of these guys. And given SOLDIER's reputation and the legendary guys behind it...it's not unthinkable to come to the conclusion they were the results of Project S. I'm not too well-versed in Bio-ethics...but I know that whatever those guys went through, it must've been hell to get there. Most of the crew that learned about Deep Ground and Omega are kinda glad Professor Hojo is long gone now.
????: So news travels fast.
Me: There was a really weird club calling themselves the 'Sephiroth Fanclub' way back when...and some of the fringe ex-members of that club said that Sephiroth was the core 'result' of the S-Project. Not to draw any final conclusion there...but according to the info clips I heard...it was Sephiroth who caused a lot of the damage to Shinra and was the cause of Meteor falling on Midgar, not to mention was responsible for the death of Shinra's top brass... Can't say I blame him for going against the Company, considering all the crap they did to people back then.
????: What if I told you...that that 'Sephiroth' is me?
Me: YOU!? The Legendary SOLDIER Sephiroth!? But they said you were DEAD!? How is that possible? Wait...scratch that...given the recent events with Deep Ground...I'm not gonna argue the why of it...but aren't you in pain? How are you still...here?
S: You could say I'm 'persistent'. But you are quick to be convinced. No room for doubts?
Me: Hmm...let's just say I met a delivery guy a while back...he says it's okay to doubt, but doubting only takes you so far, you know? Still, this is amazing. I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to record this conversation for posterity and historical significance!
S: Even after learning that I am the enemy of this Planet...you're more interested in learning about me? I'm surprised.
Me: Well...it's not that so much. I mean...if it WAS your doing...in hindsight it didn't exactly work out for you right? Not to be a wet blanket or anything.
S: . . .
Me: Think about it this way...I'm not trying to criticize the guy who nearly destroyed the world...I'm just here to find out what makes him tick! *wink*
S: Again, you keep fear at arms' length, favoring the truth. If I were still 'alive', I might've killed you for your arrogance, you know.
Me: I didn't mean any offense by it, though. Far from it. Would you be willing to continue this interview with me?
S: Hmph. Your life is but a small flicker compared to eternity beyond the life of this planet...This might be entertaining for a short while.
Me: So...for starters...like I said, Project S...is that really known as the 'Sephiroth Project'?
S: It was. The research was meant to make an ultimate SOLDIER and use him as a weapon for the company.
Me: Well it's pretty obvious that Hojo wasn't exactly using a full deck to work on something that the Cetra considered an 'enemy'.
S: The Cetra, you say?
Me: Well...it was an old report I recovered by a certain guy named Dr. G I think it was...according to that document the Cetra are the life and breath of this planet. The ancient people most attuned to its wavelengths. I guess the 'last ancient' was killed off not long ago by...umm...somebody...I don't remember...but anyway it likely had to do with Jenova.
S: Mother never meant for me to co-exist with this planet. She meant for me to rule it and merge with it...even if that meant destroying the planet's life.
Me: By your mom...you mean Jenova, right? Was she 'fighting' an old war with the Cetra, long ago?
S: You could say that, yes. There is little record of those events...but the memories were passed on from generation to generation by the Nolespole people.
Me: Interesting. So...according to your account...you're like...an alien from outer space?!
S: I never...considered myself that. Not at first...but this planet's knowledge...its people...were too strong for me to fight.
Me: That's strange, coming from a guy who was once a legendary SOLDIER.
S: It's because 'he' betrayed me. Betrayed mother. She would've taken him in, but he wished to live without those memories.
Me: By 'he' you mean....?
S: Have you ever heard the names Angeal and Genesis?
Me: Weren't they former SOLDIERs like you?
S: Angeal held strongly to his belief of what SOLDIER represented, even despite the others' betrayal (along with my own emancipation from Shinra). When he died, he passed on his beliefs to other men...and so like 'geostigma' the ideal spread. And a man who should've died long ago still holds true to those beliefs even now. I do not know where the other is.
Me: This guy sounds like a real piece of work. You still haven't told me his name yet...
S: ...Can we...stop for now?
Me: Huh!? Oh sure!! I'm sorry...I must've touched an old scar there. We can get back to this later.
S: An 'old scar' hm? And I thought I had burned MYSELF into his heart...it seems he did as much to me...no...it's time to let it all go.
Me: For now at least...I'd like to thank you, Sir Sephiroth!
S: Thank...me?
Me: It was an amazing interview...and I'd love to continue...but I think I should go up to the surface and get some fresh air and sleep. This mako smell is starting to give me a sinus headache!
S: So mako...bothers you too, then?...Yet another irony.
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This was my first encounter with the phantom claiming to be Sephiroth!! Real spooky, right?
From the looks of things, he wasn't going anywhere...and my notebook was blank, so I decided to camp out at the Cave Entrance that night and reorganize my thoughts for the next interview!
Now, I know what you're thinking...and yeah, I was a little scared...I mean, maybe the guy had Geostigma and I could catch some of that black "mako sludge" I heard rumors about.
But it seemed like he could barely hold himself together and was just barely hanging on by a thread not to get swept away by the Lifestream Tide...in hindsight it's kindof a sad way to go.
I wanted to help him out of that situation but...well...I couldn't touch him, or I'd take a dip in Mako...and given his past history with Shinra and the Planet...I don't think it would've been a very good idea.
Still, he was a real trooper, hanging on like he did...it's no wonder he's a Legendary Hero!...or at least he was.
And, a little weird but...I kinda sympathized with his anti-establishment way of thinking...the way Shinra treated people and all.
That night, I started thinking up questions I wanted to ask him...I could barely sleep, but sleep eventually came.
First thing in the morning, I had a hearty breakfast, then dove into my notebook and took a hike back into the cave's depths.
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S: So you've returned. You're a tenacious one.
Me: Hah! And you're still here...I could say the same of you.
S: My hatred sustains me, but it won't hold out forever.
Me: Hm...Yeah I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to pick up where we left off last night...?
S: It means little to me what you do. Time on this planet will pass, and any record of any words will lose their meaning in time.
Me: That's a little harsh, but you do have a point. But well, getting words while they're fresh and passing them on is probably for the best anyway, right?
S: I suppose that is ONE way of accomplishing the impossible.
Me: Well, that's why I'm here I guess...to get to the bottom of your way of thinking.
S: You wish to 'understand' me?
Me: For starters...it doesn't take a Rocket Town Scientist to know why you went up against Shinra...but if memory serves...didn't all that start at Nibelheim?
S: It was the first time I had learned the 'truth'. And when that truth came to me, I rejoiced in knowing Mother was by my side.
Me: Oh! I see! So you felt like you were no longer alone! Man...what did Hojo and Shinra DO to you?
S: Even I do not know the full extent of what it was they were trying to accomplish...even with the records found in the Shinra Mansion's basement. It was a fool's endeavor.
Me: I KNEW IT! That place was locked tight for years and they would never let reporters in to see their dirty secrets! Only official employees had a certain level of access to the information they kept there. It's been years, but they tore that place down...now there's no records left of anything that happened...it's just a barren countryside now.
S: I returned to that place for a short time, after I had 'awakened' and 'he' was waiting for me. Perhaps if 'he' had learned the full truth about himself...maybe 'he' would have been like a brother to me, instead of just a puppet like the others...
Me: So this guy who betrayed you was linked to SOLDIER and to Project-S somehow? This is pretty deep stuff.
S: 'He' wasn't the only one. Professor Hojo had many subjects locked away in that basement.
Me: Man...that's eerie. But wait...you said you returned to that mansion? How many times did you go? What kind of information did you dig up?
S: The first time I went, I had barely a glimpse of what I truly was. It wasn't until I saw the test subjects located at the Mako Reactor that I learned more of the truth. It was Genesis who insisted I look into the matter and learn for myself. Anything else was trivial by comparison.
Me: Genesis, huh...his name keeps popping up in Deep Ground records...I'll have to dig into it some more.
S: Genesis was desperate to inherit my Mother's power...he believed I could be the one to save him from degenerating.
Me: Sounds to me like he was a failed project...what made you decide to abandon him?
S: I do not know. Call it 'doubt' if you wish. He was not a man to be trusted.
Me: Makes sense. Shinra betrayed you, whose to say who else would betray you? Who could you possibly trust?
S: I trusted no one, save my Mother.....Perhaps I was a fool to trust even her.
Me: No, no, I don't think so...you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. I had to live in Midgar's slums for a while...so I know what it's like not being able to trust anyone. It's better to just make your decisions and move on in life. Some people you CAN trust...others you just CAN'T. That's just life. No need to regret things.
S: You don't give in to despair easily, do you? You remind me of 'him'.
Me: Well...everybody gets sad sometimes. It's only natural. The only thing to do is pick yourself up and move on.
S: ...I suppose...that's why 'he' betrayed me. He could not stand the loneliness of being the Planet's enemy.
Me: You still haven't told me who this 'guy' is, you know? But, if you don't want to say his name, it's fine.
S: Cloud.
Me: Hm?
S: His name is Cloud. He called himself an Ex-SOLDIER. Even though he was never one of us in the first place. My hatred for him is all that keeps me bound in this place.
Me: Huh...that's an unusual name. Sounds awfully familiar though...oh well...regardless I think he must've done a number on you for you to hate him that much.
S: You might say that...but I know more about him than I know about myself...and yet still...he is fine with that.
Me: Interesting guy...but, changing topics, I wanted to ask you if you knew any more about the Ancients or Deep Ground?
S: Those who harnessed the power of the Cetra...they are long gone. They saw me as nothing but their enemy, and I saw them as weak...but their knowledge proved to be my undoing. As for SOLDIER...I only know what Shinra would tell me.
Me: So it was on a need-to-know basis, huh? Figures. Still...I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but Deep Ground was still trying to recreate a 'Sephiroth' clone of you you know?
S: So they continued their research? They don't understand Mother at all.
Me: Which brings me to an interesting question: You know how the Cetra could pass on their knowledge from generation to generation? This 'knowledge of the ancients'...kinda took the form of Materia (or so I heard) and could lead to the 'Promised Land'. I'm kinda wondering if, throughout all that mess a bunch of years back...if you ever FOUND your Promised Land? And also, if any knowledge was passed on to you by your Mother? Stuff that goes further back, beyond this planet's history maybe?
S: You mean 'memory inheritance'? Hmmm...
Me: I understand if that's a tough question but...your mother came from space, right? If that's true, then she must've visited other worlds besides this one and told you about it, right?
S: The 'Promised Land' never came to me. I sought but could never find it. Even if I drifted for years in the Lifestream...I could never find the peace and wisdom I sought. It seems I am not the true heir of this Planet...even beyond my Mother's desires.......Once 'Omega' flees this realm and leaves this barren world a husk, I will continue to remain, dormant...as my mother once was...deep in the stratum. And perhaps someday someone will find me just as they found my mother.
Me: Must be tough...being 'you' that is. Still...did you learn anything at all from your 'mother'?
S: Mother has no 'determinate shape'. Nor does she require one. The people of this planet called her a 'parasite'...feeding off the essence of the planet...this is only partly true. She is...a 'fragment' of a far greater knowledge...a far more ancient knowledge than you can ever know, that has travelled the darkness of space for eons.
Me: That far back?...It must be hard to take all those memories in!? Still, I think it's cruel to call someone a 'parasite' when they're only trying to survive...and it doesn't help that Shinra Company treated her so badly.
S: Even saying that...Shinra and myself had one thing in common: we both desired knowledge and power. If my strength returned to me...your life would be forfeit, even now.
Me: Well, it's self-preservation. At least that's what I think. And if that's your way of trying to scare me...it's not gonna work!
S: You live in a merciless, selfish world...sometimes it betrays you...sometimes it embraces you for its own ends. And should the world perish, you will just as easily perish along with it. You sleep easily, knowing that?
Me: Hey, I didn't ask to be born here...but, you gotta take your lumps with your joys in life as they come to you, you know?
S: So you can brush aside the despair, so long as you eventually find a 'hope' in fleeting happiness?
Me: That's about all I can do to function as a mortal being, really. Besides, wallowing in despair isn't really that productive for a fragile guy like me, I don't think.
S: Hmph. You make a good point.
Me: Well, I'm not trying to debate philosophies of the ancients here...all the same though. It wouldn't hurt to give yourself a second chance.
S: This world no longer desires my presence. 'He' would rather I remain locked away in nothing but his memories...as a hidden nightmare.
Me: That's pretty cruel for this Cloud guy to do...but well...maybe if you weren't 'you' and trying to destroy the planet...he might accept an apology?
S: Hmhmhm...how absurd. I will never be a part of this planet.
Me: It was just a whimsical thought. Anyway, I think it's time I take a break. I'd bring you some lunch too but...I dunno if you can eat anymore.
S: I am....'fine'.
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Interview #2 complete!
This guy...he's really gothic...all ancient knowledge and spooky foreboding apocalyptic eternity stuff.
It'd help me if he were a tad more upbeat, but what can you expect from a dead guy?
As for this "Cloud" guy he mentioned...I think I met a guy who matches his description...but darn it, I can't remember where!!
Oh and, I know he kinda 'threatened' me back there...but it wasn't really a threat...more like...a defense mechanism on his part.
You'd probably feel the same way if the entire WORLD was your enemy!
Still...I don't really 'get' that Planet mumbo-jumbo about the Lifestream 'embracing/betraying' me or something...somebody once told me it had to do with Geostigma, but I dunno...they could've been full of bunk.
That night, I wrote down a few things, put some notes on my 'to do list' to further explore the stuff he mentioned later on...and maybe get to the bottom of this Shinra fiasco!
Poor guy went through a lot if you ask me. Sure he wasn't the nicest guy and according to the rumors he was a merciless enemy...but still, that's the kind of life a hero on the edge lives, you know?
He also mentioned some stuff about Jenova and "Omega" that I want to check out and confirm! I know the WEAPONS are a major part of the Planet's Ecosystem...but understanding how they work might really help us out in finding a way to preserve this planet a little longer! The NGO at least should learn about this stuff (if they haven't already!)
Still, it must suck knowing that even if you're 'dormant' (well okay I said 'dead' but his body's not really Lifestream, but still incorporeal) you'll never get to become whole and have to sit there till the Planet goes bye-bye and sit in the rock until someone finds you again.
He mentioned 'ancient knowledge beyond ancient knowledge'...I wonder if he's referring to 'Mako Creation Theory'?
I remember a guy...some old mystic in Cosmo Canyon...saying that Materia is the 'crystalized form' of knowledge.
If that's true, then ancient knowledge beyond ancient knowledge...must mean that the world originated from large Materia, maybe?
Whoa...I think I maybe have stumbled on some crazy origin story, here!
But I'll save that for later! In the meantime, I've still got some questions to ask Sir Sephiroth! I bet he's got a ton of old war stories to tell!
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Me: I'm back.
S: It seems I was repeatedly mistaken about the people of this planet. As weak-minded and fragile as they are...they still have a strong determination.
Me: You referring to me?
S: In part you helped me realize that. But I have given up on making attempts to take over this slowly-dying planet. I will simply await it's end and seek another.
Me: I won't say I'm not relieved to hear you say that but...why quit?
S: My soul doesn't contain enough strength...only enough to maintain this form, so long as I am 'in stasis' I cannot utilize the Lifestream's power.
Me: You mean mako, right? You know...I heard from an old man that Mako was supposed to be the Cetra's "Promised Land". Any truth to that?
S: The Promised Land is not something I can inherit...if it was I would not be here.
Me: Right. But what about what you said before...about 'ancient beyond ancient' knowledge? Isn't the memories your mother passed on to you inherently more powerful than anything on this planet?
S: The 'power' those memories contain was only strong enough to 'preserve' me. It cannot grant me freedom or the power I sought. However...if there was another fragment of it...
Me: Oh, so...Jenova's memories are like a single piece of a giant puzzle? Something bigger than the planet itself!?
S: There is only one thing that dominates Mother's memories...above all else.
Me: ...And that is?
S: The Crystal: It is the means and source of all life. The 'Lifestream' of this planet is a mere shadow of its power. Long ago, mother once bathed in the light of this Crystal. She was 'chosen' by it, and like many others became as a God. She travelled through the darkness of space...but lost track of that light and became like a black dormant "stone". Her body was broken, even long before Shinra discovered it. But her 'inner crystal' remained. Project S was a means to preserve her 'inner crystal'...which gave birth to me...And so I have inherited her 'destiny'...Her original...'focus'.
Me: Wait, wait, wait, WAIT! You mean like...something larger than a Giant Materia? Whoa.....this is a HUGE SCOOP!
S: This is...my last message...'he' and 'they' won't understand...but perhaps...perhaps you will.
Me: Wait, hold on! Last chance? What are you--
S: Soon I will be dormant...as my Mother before me. And when this planet 'dies'...I will drift in the darkness to the next world...until one day I will return to the Crystal...where my Mother was born...and I will finally understand her 'focus'. I will understand why she was 'cursed'...and bring an end to everything.
Me: (Oh man, he's starting to turn into a Materia statue!) Wait! Hang on, what are you trying to tell me!?
S: Cloud...and that 'man bound to Chaos'...and maybe even...Genesis...if they managed to inherit even a 'fragment' of Mother's power...tell them 'I will be waiting in the Light at the End of Days'...waiting to extinguish it.
Me: Don't tell me you plan on destroying...'that'? You're still hell-bent on getting revenge!?
S: 'He' will understand more than anyone, since 'he' rejected Mother. But no matter what he thinks...he is no longer a part of this Planet, even if the Planet chose him as its champion. He can try and stop me but it will all be futile. 'He' will bear witness...'they' will all bear witness...to the moment I strike down the Light and bring Ruin to all!
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At this point, I couldn't continue my interview because the Mako started flooding further into the Cave and I had to leave, pronto. BUT WOW! WHAT AN INTERVIEW!
Also, the guy's 'body' became something hard and 'obelisk-like'...I dunno...the best way to describe it....'anti-materia'?
Once his body (or what was left of it) turned all black and solid, he got swept away by the Lifestream...I can only imagine where he went.
But what he said brought shivers down my spine! I barely understand ANY of it! It sounded like the ravings of a madman on a mission!
If I ever do come across this "Cloud" guy...he's not gonna like this one bit!
I can't really say I like the sound of this either, but...something tells me I might not live long enough to see it happen...Quite a mystery.
And man...if that really was Sephiroth...just what was he really? What was Jenova?
Just too much to take in...
I know he said 'words lose their meaning over time'...but I hope mine make it to the right ears in time!
If you're reading this and know what he's talking about...I suggest you find a way to stop him! Not just for this planet...but for any other planets to come!
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Author's Note
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I wrote this as an experimental practice fanfic, just trying to flex my FF brain-muscle again, since recently getting back in to Final Fantasy.
If I'm wrong on a few points, don't laugh too hard, just go along with it and enjoy the read!
