Cloud looked on as everyone came closer to him. Most everyone was there, there was Tifa's dad, Zangan, Some other people he didn't know very well and they were all in front of the Shinra Mansion. They saw Sephiroth run weeping into the Shinra mansion and they saw Sephiroth go into the basement but how? Cloud decided with a nod to go in after Sephiroth.
 Cloud entered the house. Even though it was old, it still had it's quaint charm. The antique furniture gave it a look of old and warmth and there were more than one way to get into some rooms. The mansion was well laid out this way. Cloud searched the bedrooms and he ran across the main room to the other side of the house and noticed that Sephiroth wasn't in there either. Cloud saw a Shinra soldier looking around and asked him where Sephiroth went and the soldier told that he was certain Sephiroth went into the room in front of him but he wasn't there. What WAS there was a funny looking wall. Cloud touched the surface of the rocky bricks and sure enough, it slid to the side, revealing a secret door. Cloud went down the winding stairs to the basement. There were skeletons in the basement, no doubt it was some sort of torture chamber in the past. Cloud found a locked door and went in the door next to it. There was a library and some scientific equipment, it appeared to be a laboratory. There Cloud found him, looking about the books in confusion and sadness. Cloud walked up to Sephiroth and wanted to say something but found nothing that could help. Sephiroth turned to him, and said to him gently. "Let me be alone." Cloud nodded and respected Sephiroth's wishes.

Cloud: (Sephiroth looked about and read the books. Cloud continued from outside the flashback) "He never came out of the library..." (From in the library, Sephiroth read book after book, looking up and sighing with his head down in his chest. Cloud continued from beyond the flashback.) "He began to read like he was possessed by something...and not once did the light in the basement go out..."

Sephiroth: (Looking through a particular file and sitting on the reading desk, he was in deep thought.) "Day X year X Jenova was found in a geological stratum...Jenova was confirmed to be an ancient." (Looks up and frowns.) "Jenova...My mom has the same name...is this only a coincidence?" (Sadly looks down at the floor.) "...Professor Gast...why didn't you tell me anything? Why did you have to die...?"

 Cloud went on about the story. Sephiroth didn't eat anything and never left the library. We were all becoming worried about him so I decided to ask him what he was doing and what's wrong. Cloud went back to the room with the secret passage and the guard told him that Sephiroth seemed different. Cloud went down the winding stairs and back down to the basement. He ran to the Library.

Sephiroth: (From the back of the library.) "Ha ha ha..."

Cloud: (Runs to the office area, the back of the library.) "Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth: "What is it?!"

Cloud: "It's me, Cloud..."

Sephiroth: "...humph, traitor..."

Cloud: "Huh?" (Looks at him strangely) "Traitor?"

Sephiroth: "You ignorant traitor...I've learned many things from these books. My mother is an ancient, the true rulers of the planet."

Cloud: "What?"

Sephiroth: "Fine, I'll explain it. The ancients...or the Cetra were a prominent culture in the past but all that's left of them now is in these reports. They were said to journey and migrate all over the world, trying to find the promised land... A land that promises supreme happiness." (Looks up and stares directly at Cloud, there was a cold hate in his glare.) "But those who disliked Journeying appeared and they stopped their migrations." (Smiles almost cruelly.) "Disaster struck the planet long ago...the Cetra sacrificed themselves to save the planet and the non migrating humans took over the planet that rightfully belongs to the Cetra. (Glares coldly at Cloud) "...Those were your ancestors."

Cloud: (Sadly sighs and shakes his head.) "Sephiroth..."

Sephiroth: "Don't you see? Jenova is an ancient...Jenova is my mother...that means I am an ancient...and that means I'm the one who is going to inherit the whole world!!" (Gets up.) "...I'm taking mother with me on a trip!"

Cloud: "What?!"

Sephiroth: (Jumps up and runs past Cloud, out of the library.) "Out of my way, I'm going to see mother!"

Cloud: "Sephiroth!!" (Runs after him and he eventually makes it back to the Shinra mansion, he finds the guard has vanished. Cloud runs outside and looks on in horror.)

 Nibelheim was now a horrible blazing wildfire. The flames crackled and popped loudly as they danced on the rooftops and inside the windows. There were some bodies on the ground along with more searing heat, light and flame. Zangan was tending to a body of a guy who was still alive. Cloud ran to him and looked around in terror.

Zangan: (Bandaging up a fallen guy.) "He you! You still sane? I want you to look inside the houses for any people!" (Runs into the in among the burning flames.)

Cloud: (Ran to his house and looked inside. There were no survivors and looked in other houses and there wasn't anyone in there that was living. Tifa was gone and so was her dad. Cloud came out and shook his head mournfully.) "Horrible...Sephiroth, this is too horrible..." (Runs to the beginning of the stone stairs that lead to the Shinra Mansion and the Mount Nibel trail.)

 Sephiroth was fencing and slashing the Soldiers that attempted to restrain him. They fell bloody and lifelessly to the ground and the flames took over their souls. Among the flames was Sephiroth, strangely unscathed. He looked up at Cloud and gave him a cold, evil half smile and turned away from him. The fires were blazing around him as he seemed to vanish into the air.
 Cloud realized he was heading to Mount Nibel where the reactor. Cloud followed Sephiroth's monstrously swift accent up the peaks to the reactor. Cloud followed Sephiroth inside and he jumped down to the lower level. He ran across the platform when he noticed Tifa kneeling over a slumped body, drenched in blood. Tifa was examining her father.

Tifa: "... ... father ..." (Looks at his wound and at the sword that caused it.) "Sephiroth?!" (Begins to cry) Shinra...SOLDIER...Mako reactors... (Screams) I HATE THEM ALL!!! (She gets up from her dead father and picks up Sphiroth's sword and hastily runs into the next room.)

 Cloud runs into the room and sees Tifa run up the stairs to the Jenova room. She was screaming. "...Father...the people and the town of Nibelhiem...how could you do such a terrible thing! I'll take revenge!!" Tifa takes Sephiroth's sword and tried to stab him with it. Sephiroth grabbed her and she swung and missed. Sephiroth took the opportunity to take the sword from her and he took a swing and slashed Tifa in the stomach. Time seemed to slow down as she flew back and hit the stairs, she bounced twice and landed right beside Cloud. Sephiroth shrugged and opened the door to the Jenova room. Cloud didn't follow him but looked into Tifa's scared and pained eyes and gently carried and laid her down on the side, against a pod. She looked on weakly as Cloud tore off a large piece of his shirt and pressed it against the wound. Tifa gasped and smiled weakly. "You came...to my rescue..." Cloud and Tifa hugged at that, Cloud was careful not to irritate the wound and he drew his sword and ran into the Jenova pod. Tifa closed her eyes and winced.

Sephiroth: (Approaches the Jenova tank and saw it was covered by some sort of winged lamia like statue. He smiled and began.) "Mother...I'm here...I know that I'm an ancient and we're supposed to rule the world... But they...those worthless creatures...they're stealing the planet away from you mother... But don't worry...I have a plan..." (Sephiroth comes closer in an almost dreamlike way and grunts as he takes the top half of the statue off. There was smoke and it came out of the eyes of the statue, almost looking like tears. Sephiroth looks at the real Jenova tank and sees it as a frail, naked woman with wires and tubes coming out of her. Sephiroth cuts off the woman's head and takes it in his hands.)

Cloud: "You're sad? YOU'RE SAD, SEPHIROTH!? You destroyed everything in my world! My sadness is the same as your sadness!" (Points a shaky finger at him and begins to draw his sword.)

Sephiroth: "Ha ha ha...what have I to be sad about? I'm going to be the ruler of the planet!"

Cloud: (Sighs and droops) "Sephiroth...I've trusted you..."

 They both face off. Cloud takes up a fighting stance and Sephiroth raises his arms and slowly brings them to his sides. He had his sword already drawn, still stained with Tifa's blood. He took up a fighting stance and so did Cloud. They glared with burning eyes and Cloud began to crouch and jump...

Cloud: (Back at the inn) "...And that's the end of my story."

Barret: "What?! That's it? No more?!"

Cloud: "That's all I remember."

Vex: (Smiles warmly.) "That was a really cool story! It could have used a vampire though..." (Looks at the clock on the wall.) "Hey! My laundry is done! I'm gonna go get it!"

Aeris: "In just your underpants? Get real, buster." (Turns to barret) "Barret, give him some extra clothes."

Barret: "'The hell you talking about?! I only got the clothes on m'back so no deal!"

Tifa: "Wait! I've got just the thing!" (Searches the bathroom and fetches a house coat.) "Here you go, sweetie."

Vex: "I can't wear this!" (Looks at her funny.) "It's pink, you gotta be outta your mind! It's frilly too! Totally Girlish!"

Tifa: "Well, it's either that or nothing at all...and you can't just wear your underpants. It's rude. Barret walks around in them when he first wakes up...it's disgusting..."

Barret: (Looks at her.) "Huh?"

Vex: "Of all the people to give me a lecture on rudeness..."

Tifa: (Instantly looks at him.) "What was that?"

Vex: (Smiles innocently and blushes a bit.) "Nothing! I'll go get my clothes..."

Cloud: (Goes with Vex to the stairs.) "You change too, we'll be moving out soon."

Red 13: (They all get up and start for the stairs down to the first floor and Red 13 stretches and gets up.) "What a fascinating story..." (He goes down the stairs.)

Vex: (Runs down the stairs and listens) "I don't hear the laundry machines so my clothes must be finished." (Runs into the laundry room and checks up on machine number 8. He looks in and finds no clothes at all.) "What the hell?"

Cloud: (He and Tifa run in and look at his worried and angry face.) "What's wrong?"

Vex: "My clothes aren't in here!"

Cloud: "They have to be. You put them in the machine right?"

Vex: "Yeah! I put them im machine number 8. They're gone!!" (Puts his head in his hands and sighs.) "God! I can't stand it! My CLOTHES have been stolen!"

Tifa: "Are you sure you haven't put them in another machine?"

Cloud: "Let's search for them." (Cloud begins to search the Machine #1 but only finds a single gil. He put it in his pocket. "They aren't in this one."

Tifa: (Looks in Machine numbers 2 and 3 and finds them empty.) "Not here..."

Aeris: (Walks into the laundry room.) "Hi, guys what are you looking for?"

Vex: "Someone stole my clothes!"

Tifa: (Looks in machines four, five, six and seven) "Not in here."

Aeris: "I'll bet they're in here..." (Looks in machines 9, 10 and eleven and finds a scandalous looking teddy and shows it to Vex) "Unless you have some sort of creepy wild side I don't know about, these aren't you're clothes." (Turns to Cloud) "Hey, Cloud! How do you like them?"

Cloud: (Blushes) "Dunno...they look good but..."

Vex: (Growls loudly at them all.) "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk about how my clothes are not in this room." (Sighs and then yells at them with fiery anger) "I AM NOT COMPLETING THIS JOURNEY IN JUST A GIRLY, FRILLY BATHROBE!!!"

Tifa: "Okay...where could they go?"

Vex: "I saw a paper beside my machine, but I thought it was just the bill so I left it alone." (Rips it from the machine and turns to them.)

Aeris: "How dishonest!"

Vex: "Wait, these machines are coin operated. So...this note here I'm gonna read." (Reads it aloud)

Note: "Dear Stupid Kid who jumped us..."

Vex: "That's stupid, that's no way to open a letter! That's rude!"

Note: "We have kidnapped your clothes, meet us at the three way crossroad and we'll talk about ransom. PS: Bring lots and lots and lots of gil because it's going to be expensive."

Vex: "Let's go!" (Runs out of the laundry room and clear out of the inn.)

Cloud: "Hey, wait Vex!" (Runs after him.)

Tifa: (Sighs to Aeris) "We might as well go after them..."

Aeris: "I know." (Shakes her head, a little annoyed.) "It's just the thing we want to do in the hot afternoon. Run after some idiots who want to ransom a kid's clothing." (Aeris and Tifa both run after the guys and they all meet outside of the inn at the gates of the town.)

Cloud: "What are we gonna do now? Where's the crossroad?"

Vex: (Runs out the gates) "I know where it is..." (Everyone follows him.)

 Vex ran ahead of them effortlessly and they all ran up the grassy hill to the top of it. They ran a little more, past some trees to a sign at the crossroad. They looked over the area and surveyed some lush trees and grass all around them. There was some flowers growing right beside the signs and the sign showed a detailed map of the area. The road they were just on led to Kalm town. The road that headed southward was to the Chocobo ranch and the west path headed back to Midgar. There they saw the two hoodlums. They had Vex's clothes in a bag and a mean look on their faces. They were bandaged up from their last encounter.

Prowler1: (Whistled at Vex with the bathrobe which made Vex even more angry.) "Hey, kid! You look good! Well..."

Prowler2: "Now, how much will you give us for the Clothes?"

Cloud: "Um..."

Vex: "No, no, NO!" (Shakes his head and grinned evilly.) "You two are going to get lots."

Prowlers: (Look at one another and laugh in a moronic sort of way.)

Vex: (His eyes gleam malevolently.) "Oh yes, You two are going to get lots more all right...Lots more then you bargained for!!" (Leaps up in the air and lands on the shoulders of the guy that was holding his clothes and he swiped the bag from them.) "Now..." (Takes out the boots, uniform and nightstick and puts them all on.) "I'm gonna open up a can of whoop ass on you guys!!"

 Vex leapt up and came back down on the first prowler, he cried out as he hit the ground. Vex smiled and grabbed the foot of the prowler and lifted him up and swung him around. He launched him up and he crashed down on the hill and rolled down on the hill. Vex huffed and took on the second. The prowler gasped and backed away from him. Vex lunged and tackled the Prowler to the ground. Vex saw the prowler's belt and ripped it off of his pants and his pants fell down. The prowler cried out as Vex ripped his shirt and pants off of his body and threw them away. Vex took the belt in one hand and the prowler's ankle in the other. Cloud, Aeris and Tifa looked on, dumbfounded as Vex dragged the Prowler to a nearby tree and tied the belt tightly around the prowler's ankle and threw him over the branch of a tree. Vex tied the belt down and now the Prowler was hanging from the tree in nothing but his underpants. Vex smiled and stepped back and ran to Cloud, Aeris and Tifa.

Vex: (Points to the screaming, yelling, sobbing Prowler tied to the tree) "Beautiful isn't it?"

Tifa: "Hmmm...I really wouldn't call it that..."

Aeris: "That's pretty cool...but...beautiful?"

Cloud: "Don't really care..."

Vex: (Walks up to him.) "Now...how much will you give me for your clothes?"

Prowler: (Almost crying) "I, I, I, don't have any m, money..."

Vex: "Fine. All I want you to do is answer me a question."

Prowler: "Fine...fine..."

Vex: "Who's the man?"

Prowler: "... ..."

Vex: "Come on, say it!"

Prowler: (Quietly) "You da man..."

Vex: "Um, yeah? I can't hear you. Who's the man?"

Prowler: "You da man!"

Vex: (Yelling) "Louder! Who's THE MAN!?"

Prowler: (Yells it out in a way that all can hear.) "YOU DA MAN!!!"

Vex: "Thank you." (Jumps up on the tree branch and places the clothes there and walks back to the group, they were laughing to themselves and they all begin to walk south)

Prowler: "Wait! Aren't ya going to cut me loose?"

Vex: (Yells back) "No...!!"

 They all laugh to themselves as they begin their walk on the road. They walk through the valley and take in the beautiful scenery as they run. They spot Red 13 and Barret looking out on what looked like a huge marsh. They walk up to Red and Barret who were a little apprehensive about it.

Red 13: "What are we going to do, now? Sephiroth crossed this marsh."

Vex: (Shrugs) "So, let's cross it."

Barret: "What?! You nuts or somethin'?!"

Vex: "It's slimy...but I'm sure we're gonna make it." (Shrugs again and looks on.) "What's the big problem?"

 They looked on as they saw a large bird fly down and land on the murky water. It suddenly bolted up when it saw the form underneath the water. The bird tried to escape by flying up and the gigantic cobra lunged up, roaring and hissing from the marsh water's surface and snapped its jaws mercilessly on the bird. The sight was horrible. The bird screamed in pain and terror as it got bloody chewed up and swallowed. The giant snake coughed twice and they saw the bird's beak and feet fly from its mouth and land right beside them.

Vex: (Gulped.) "Oh now I see..."