The Other Side of the Mirror

by T'Shael

Chapter 8

"I have no intention of helping you take over anything!" said Cloud as a wave of dizziness rolled over him.

"That's what you think," said Jenova. "I misjudged you before. I thought you were barely useful to me, but you proved to be stronger than I thought. I won't make that mistake again."

"I stopped you once," Cloud pulled at his bonds, "I'll stop you again!"

Jenova laughed. "You shouldn't talk to your mother like that."

"You're not my mother," he hissed. "You're not Sephiroth's mother either! He knows who his true mother is. You won't mislead him like you did before."

"Watch and learn." Jenova turned to Sephiroth.

"My son," she said, stroking his hair. "I've missed you very much."

Sephiroth's thoughts were scrambling. He fought to hold them intact. He blinked trying to focus on her face. "You're not my mother!"

"How can you say that Sephiroth?" Jenova cooed. "Don't you remember me? We've been through so much together."

"Not . . . my mother!" he said. "My mother . . . was human. Lu . . .crecia! You're . . . just . . . a monster!"

Jenova rushed forward and grabbed him by the hair with both hands. She raised his face to hers.

"I AM YOUR MOTHER!" she snapped. "THERE IS NO OTHER. YOU ARE MY SON!"

Her terrible eyes stared into his.

"Monster!" Sephiroth fought to say the words. "I'll . . . kill you . . . for what you . . . did . . . to me!"

"Leave him alone!" shouted Cloud. "Get away from him!"

Jenova let go of Sephiroth's hair and swung toward Cloud. "He's stronger than you. I'm saving you for last because you won't be so hard to break. Watch and learn your fate."

She turned back to Sephiroth and stroked his face. "You are my son and I love you."

"D-d-don't touch me," He rasped. "You're a monster."

Jenova shook her head, then she slapped him

"Don't talk to me like that," she growled "I won't have you talking back to me that way."

His vision cleared for a moment. "I'll kill you . . . when . . . I'm free!"

She looked shocked, then she howled in anger. Sephiroth passed out from the injection. Jenova seized him by the hair again and screamed into his face.

"I AM YOUR MOTHER! I AM YOUR MOTHER AND YOU WILL OBEY ME, DO YOU HEAR! YOU WILL OBEY ME!"

She dropped his head on the table and backed away shaking, glaring at the unconscious man.

"You won't turn him," grinned Cloud trying to keep her in focus. "You'll never turn him again."

"Shut up!" screamed Jenova. She ran across to Cloud and grabbed him by the hair. "You'll be eating out of my hands when I'm finished with you."

"You'll have to kill me first," he answered.

Jenova laughed. "That can be arranged my son. That can be arranged."

At nine o'clock, Aeris stood beside the shed staring at the snow in fear. After watching for Sephiroth from the windows, she'd gone out to the front porch to look for him. Her eyes fell on their tracks from the night before. When she followed the chocobo's tracks around the side of the house, she saw where Sephiroth had climbed off Goldie and gone into the shed. The tracks leading from the shed were the cause of her alarm.

Sephiroth's tracks came out of the shed, but halfway across the yard, they turned as if he was backing toward the house. His tracks ended in a churned up area of snow. The ground from there to the house was undisturbed. Even more disturbing were the small prints of a woman's shoe prints that came from the back of the shed. Aeris went around the shed in the opposite direction, careful not to disturb the earlier tracks. The woman's track began immediately behind the shed. There were no other tracks to show where she had come from. It was if she had fallen from the sky.

Aeris circled the tracks and went back around to the front of the house. Her hands were shaking as she went in the house and dialed Cloud's number.

"H-Hello?" Tifa answered the phone.

"Tifa, this is Aeris,"

"Aeris?" Tifa didn't sound like herself.

"Yes," Aeris tried to keep the tremor out of her voice. "Tifa, I'm scared. I can't find Sephiroth."

"What do you mean you can't find him?" Tifa's voice sounded strained.

"He's not here," said Aeris. "He never came in the house last night."

Tifa cleared her throat. "Did you have a fight? He might be somewhere cooling off."

"We didn't fight," said Aeris. "I think something is wrong. I was really tired last night when we got home. Sephiroth took me to the Lodge for dinner. He left me at the front door and went around back to put away Goldie. I went to sleep on top of the covers, clothes and all. Sephiroth never came in the house last night Tifa. Goldie is here, but Sephiroth is gone!"

Tifa's voice changed. "Why do you think something happened?"

"I followed Goldie's tracks to the shed," said Aeris in a hushed voice. "There are tracks in the snow that start from the back of the shed and end just as sudden. Sephiroth's tracks come out of the shed and stop in the middle of the yard. There's a place on the ground that's all messed up and then nothing. He never came in last night. Something happened in the back yard and he's gone. I don't mean to be a pest, but, I need you to come out here and help me find Sephiroth."

"Cloud isn't here Aeris," said Tifa. Aeris suddenly realized Tifa was crying. "Cloud is gone too. He was here when I went to bed but he's gone now. I have no idea where he is."

"Are you sure he didn't just go out on an early errand this morning?" asked Aeris.

"No." Tifa's voice was shaky. "His sword is gone and so are the clothes he left on a bedroom chair. Except for his sword, he didn't take any of his materia with him and that's not like Cloud. He never goes anywhere without it since that incident with the Hojo clone. I think if Cloud might have gone outside during the night but he intended to come back in. He never made it."

"You don't think Cloud and Sephiroth are off somewhere fighting do you?" asked Aeris

"Cloud was annoyed with Sephiroth, but he wasn't looking for a fight," said Tifa. "This is too strange. They both vanished last night."

"I have a bad feeling about this Tifa," said Aeris. "Something is wrong."

"I think so too," agreed Tifa. "What should we do?"

"I think it's time to-"

The line went dead.

"Aeris! Do you hear me? Aeris!" There was no answer.

Tifa broke the connection and called Aeris' number again. The line was busy. She hung up and dialed Cid.

Cid's voice came over the line. "Who the hell is calling this goddamn early in the morning?"

"Cid, it's Tifa."

"Oh." Cid's voice changed. "How the hell are you doing? Why aren't you sleeping late today?"

"Something's wrong Cid. I need your help." Her voice trembled.

Cid didn't sound sleepy anymore. "What's wrong Tifa?"

"Aeris just called me. She said Sephiroth disappeared. She was upstairs asleep and he went to put the chocobo away. When she woke up, he was gone. She doesn't think he ever came into the house."

"Maybe he just wanted some time to himself," said Cid. "Who know how he thinks these days?"

"It's not like that Cid," said Tifa. "Aeris says there are tracks in the snow that start and stop unexpectedly. From what she said, there may have been a struggle behind the house."

"That doesn't sound good," said Cid.

"It gets worse. She was talking to me and all of a sudden the line went dead."

"Shit!" Too late, Cid remembered Shera. She rolled over and looked at him.

"That's not all Cid." Tifa voice trembled again. "Cloud is missing too."

"What do you mean Cloud is missing? Where the hell did he go?" asked Cid.

"I don't know." Tifa wiped a tear from her eye. "I woke up and he was gone. Except for his sword, he doesn't have any of his materia. There's a flattened place in the grass in the front yard and he's gone!"

"Do you think they're together somewhere slugging it out?" asked Cid. "I can't imagine Cloud going up against Sephiroth without his materia."

"I don't think they're fighting," said Tifa. "Something is wrong. Can you come here and take me to see what's happened to Aeris?"

Cid was silent.

Tifa slapped her forehead. "I'm sorry. I forgot you want to be close to Shera right now."

"The baby is due soon," said Cid.

Shera motioned to Cid and he put his hand over the mouthpiece.

"What's wrong?"

"There's trouble out at Aeris' and Tifa's place," he said. "Sephiroth and Cloud have vanished and something just happened to Aeris."

"Go help them," said Shera. "Ask Elmyra to come over. I'll be in good hands."

"You sure?" Cid looked skeptical.

Shera smiled at Cid reassuringly. "Positive. Go help them. If Cloud is missing, someone has to rally the others."

Cid removed his hand from the mouthpiece. "I'm on my way. Call Barret."

"What about Yuffie?" asked Tifa.

"It will take too long to swing by and get her," said Cid. "We're in a hurry."

"See you soon." Tifa hung up.

"Liar!" Sephiroth rasped. "My mother's name is Lucrecia! You lied to me. You're not my mother!"

Jenova frowned. Sephiroth was recovering from the drug much too fast. She turned and picked up another hypodermic needle and injected him with it.

"What are you doing to him?" Cloud struggled against his bonds. They creaked, but held.

Jenova leaned over him and spoke in a soothing voice. "I am Jenova, your mother."

"You're not my mother!" Sephiroth screamed in her face.

Jenova jumped back and narrowed her eyes.

Sephiroth's head dropped back on the table as he felt the effects of the shot.

"You're not my mother," he moaned. "My mother was human. She wasn't evil like you."

Jenova moved up to the table and pressed her fingers against both sides Sephiroth's face.

"You need an attitude adjustment my son," she snarled.

Her fingers seemed to melt. They ran into Sephiroth's skin. There was no way to tell where her Jenova's fingers ended and where Sephiroth's face began. Sephiroth screamed. His back arched from the table. The bonds held. Jenova pushed her mind against his. Sephiroth fought her. She pushed harder. He struggled to pull his head free but he couldn't separate her skin from his face. He screamed again and Jenova pushed into his mind even harder. Sephiroth wouldn't let her in. She sent a charge through his body. His eyes opened wide and his mouth opened in a silent scream. She stopped the charge and he fell back against the table.

"What the hell are you doing?" Cloud's eyes were wide with shock.

"Let me in" she whispered.

"NO!" Sephiroth's eyes were glassy.

"Let me in!" she demanded.

Sephiroth gasped for air.

"Let me in DAMN YOU!" screeched Jenova.

"Stop it!" shouted Cloud.

"AERIS!" Sephiroth closed his eyes and screamed again. "AERIS!"

"Don't call that bitch!" Jenova sent another charge into his body.

Sephiroth closed his eyes in pain and concentrated on Reflect.

Jenova screamed as feedback from her charge surged through her body. She allowed one of her hands to separate from Sephiroth's face. Raising it above her head, she slapped him to break his concentration. Quickly she placed her hand back against his face and allowed it to bond to his skin again.

"Let me in!" she whispered.

He screamed and tried to pull his head away from her.

"Don't fight me son." She leaned close to him. "Don't be afraid of your mother."

His eyes opened wide. "You're NOT my MOTHER!"

The strength of his will forced Jenova to unbond her fingers and back away. Sephiroth started fighting his bonds. The drugs she'd given him should have made him pliable to her commands, but he was still fighting her. Jenova stood at a loss until she heard one of the bonds creak ominously. Quickly she grabbed another hypo and injected him with it. Sephiroth fought his bonds a moment longer than fell unconscious. Feeling a bit unsteady, Jenova moved to lean against one of the walls of the cave. This was going to be more difficult than she thought.

Cloud stared at her in helpless fury.

"I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be going to rescue Sephiroth," grumbled Barret as he stepped aboard the Highwind.

"It's not just Sephiroth," said Tifa. "We have to find Cloud too, and we don't know what happened to Aeris. We've been trying to reach her for an hour. She isn't responding.

"Do you think whatever happened Sephiroth and Cloud has happened to Aeris?" asked Barret.

"We hope not," said Cid.

"I'll keep trying to reach her," said Tifa. "We'll be there soon."

"Man," muttered Barret. "If anything has happened to Aeris . . . again."

"Don't say that," said Tifa sternly. "Don't even think it."

There wasn't much conversation after that. When the Highwind landed on the grassy peninsula, Tifa led two gold chocobos out of the Highwind's stable.

"We're not going to ride those damned things are we?" asked Barret warily.

"We have to get across the snow fast," said Tifa. "We don't have time to fight monsters right now. These chocobos can outrun anything on the glacier."

"I guess that leaves me out," said Barret. "You two go on ahead and I'll walk. There's not enough room for me to ride double with either of you."

"I thought you'd feel like that," said Cid. "That's why I brought three."

Barret frowned as a crewman led another gold chocobo down the ships' ramp.

"Where did you get three gold chocobos?" he asked suspiciously.

"Two belong to me and Shera. The third was borrowed from a neighbor."

Barret mumbled under his breath.

"Hop aboard," grinned Cid.

Barret muttered again as he climbed aboard the animal.

"If this thing tosses me just once," he threatened, "I'm having barbecue tonight."

Cid lead the way as they raced up the glacier and headed for Icicle Village. It didn't take long to find Aeris' house. They tied their chocobos to the porch. The front door was unlocked.

"Aeris? Aeris where are you?" called Cid.

There was no answer. Cid and Barret decided to check the bottom floor, Tifa raced up the stairs. There was no one in the first bedroom. The bathroom was empty. When Tifa peeked into the master bedroom, she saw Aeris laying on the floor. The phone was a few inches from her outstretched hand.

"Cid! Barret! I found her!" Tifa ran to Aeris and kneeled by her side. She heard Barret and Cid stomping up the stairs.

"Where are you?" called Cid.

"In here!" she answered.

Aeris lay partially on her side. Her face was pale. Cid raised her head and tapped her cheeks lightly with his open palm.

"Aeris, wake up," he said. "Can you hear me?"

She didn't respond.

"Tifa," he said urgently. "Get a damp cloth and a glass of water."

Tifa rose and left the room.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Barret. "She looks so pale."

"I don't know," said Cid hanging up the phone. "It looks like she fainted."

"If that's all," said Barret, "She's been out a long time."

Cid was thinking the same thing and it worried him.

Tifa returned with the water and the damp cloth. Cid set the glass aside and bathed Aeris face with the cool cloth. She stirred and her eyes opened.

"Cid?" She looked at Tifa. "Tifa?"

"I'm here too," said Barret moving into her line of sight.

Tifa helped Cid raise Aeris higher. He handed her the glass of water. Her hand was shaky, so he helped her get it to her lips. She took a few sips and tried to sit all the way up. Cid helped her.

"What happened?" asked Tifa.

"The P-Planet called," said Aeris weakly. "It was really bad this time. I heard Sephiroth too."

"Sephiroth?" asked Tifa. "Where?"

"I don't know." A tear slid down Aeris' cheek. "He was screaming."

"Screaming? Why?" asked Cid. "Because of the Planet?"

"No." Aeris held her head in her hands. "He was in pain."

"This is too weird" said Tifa. "First you and Sephiroth can hear the Planet together and he can feel your pain, when you're not around. Then the Planet talks to Sephiroth and not you. Now it's talking to you and you can feel his pain when he's not around."

"Where are the tracks you were talking about?" asked Cid.

"They're in the backyard." Aeris let Cid and Tifa help her to her feet. She led them down the stairs, through the kitchen and out the back door. She pointed.

Cid, Tifa and Barret traced the chocobos tracks around the side of the house to the shed. They saw Sephiroth's tracks come out and go halfway across the yard. He was walking backwards. The woman's shoe print started at the back of the shed and ended off to one side. Sephiroth's tracks ended at a disturbed spot in the snow.

"What are those snake-like marks in the snow?" asked Cid.

"What snake-like marks?" asked Barret moving closer.

"Those." Cid pointed. "It looks like something long and thin was crawling in the snow. The only problem is, they're in this one spot. How did whatever the hell it was get to this spot and get away without leaving marks anywhere else?"

"If we were talking about any other man than Sephiroth," said Tifa, "I'd wonder why he was meeting a woman behind his house in the dark."

"Sephiroth wouldn't do that," said Aeris.

"That's my point exactly," said Tifa. "I wonder who she was?"

"What I want to know," said Barret "Is how she got behind the shed and left the area without leaving more tracks."

"A better question is why was Sephiroth backing away from her?" Cid puffed his cigarette thoughtfully. "I get the impression this wasn't a friendly meeting."

"This is just as weird as the flattened grass in front of Tifa's house," said Cid. "Why would Cloud leave the house in the middle of the night and not return?"

"Tell us what happened here Aeris," said Barret.

Aeris told them about going to dinner and coming back exhausted.

"I was so tired, I laid on the bed fully dressed and went to sleep," she said. "When I woke up, Sephiroth wasn't here."

"You didn't hear anything?" asked Barret.

Aeris shook her head. "Not a thing. I was so tired, I wouldn't have heard a dragon if it was in the living room."

"I don't understand this." Tifa put her hands on her hips. "It doesn't look like Sephiroth walked out of here on his own. Why would that woman want to kidnap him?"

"As strong as he is," added Cid. "Why does she still have him?"

"These tracks don't prove Sephiroth was kidnaped by a woman," said Barret. "It just proves she was here. Maybe she was in with whoever did this as a distraction."

"And whoever that is has Cloud and Sephiroth," said Aeris.

"Why do you think that?" asked Tifa.

"Cloud and Sephiroth have something in common that could be very dangerous to this world," said Aeris. "I think we should be very worried that they both vanished on the same night."

"What the hell do they have in common?" asked Cid.

"Jenova cells." Aeris looked tired.

"Damn," said Barret softly. "All this shit started happening when those Jenova samples vanished."

"That's true, now that you mention it," said Tifa.

"The only one who was interested in using them was Hojo and he's dead," argued Cid.

"What's if there's another Hojo clone running around that we don't know about?" asked Tifa

"If that's the case, Aeris is in danger too," said Cid. "After all, Hojo wanted Cetra cells too."

"Why didn't they grab Aeris when they had a chance?" asked Barret. "She was upstairs asleep."

Everyone looked at each other.

"I don't know what going on here," said Cid, "But Aeris, you're going back to Nibelheim with Tifa while the guys and I sort this out. We can't leave you out here alone."

"I can't leave," said Aeris shaking her head. "If Sephiroth finds his way back here, this is where he'll expect me to be."

"When he doesn't find you here, he'll come to us," said Tifa.

"This is our home," protested Aeris. "I want to stay here."

Cid shook his head. "I'm not taking no for an answer Aeris. You're coming back with us if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you back to the Highwind."

In spite of her fears Aeris laughed.

"What's so damn funny?" asked Cid. "I'm serious!"

"I know you are," smiled Aeris. "You just reminded me of someone. Let me pack a few things, and I'll be ready."

Cid nodded. "Hurry up."

Jenova approached Sephiroth when she saw his hand twitch. He didn't believe she was his mother. Why was that? She pulled back one of his eyelids. She was pleased to see he hadn't thrown off the effects of the drug this time. She stepped back and waited. Sephiroth's eyes fluttered open.

He felt dizzy. The lights in the cave hurt his eyes. Jenova's face swam in and out of focus. The drug in his system made it hard to concentrate long enough to call on his powers.

"You're my son," said Jenova.

"No." He closed his eyes against the glare.

"Why don't you believe me?" she asked.

"I told you. He knows who his mother is, you monster!" Cloud had recovered from his injection. "You can't use that crap on him again!"

Jenova glared at Cloud, then turned her attention back to Sephiroth. She placed her fingers on his face as before. "You'll forget that Cetra bitch and be my son again."

"No." Sephiroth tried to turn his head but couldn't. "I love her."

"No you don't." Jenova forced her mind against his resistance. "You don't love her."

"Yes!" he kept fighting.

Jenova narrowed her eyes and sent a charge through his body. Sephiroth screamed. She did it again and he screamed louder.

"Stop that!" yelled Cloud.

She ignored him. She concentrated. Her flesh liquefied and she pressed her fingers into his face halfway up her knuckles. The cells making up the tips of her fingers broke away from her hands and forced themselves into Sephiroth's blood stream. Slowly Jenova pulled her fingers out of his face. Her fingertips sealed themselves as they made contact with the air in the cave. Inside Sephiroth's body, Jenova's cells began their journey to his brain. She moved away from him with a smile on her face.

"Soon," she whispered.

Clouds eyes were wide and staring. "What did you just do?"

"I sent some of my cells into his bloodstream," she explained. "They will travel to his brain and set up something like a control center. He'll obey me when they've done their work. I'm glad you're watching so carefully Cloud. When I'm sure Sephiroth is coming along okay, you're going to be next."

"Don't you touch me," said Cloud with revulsion on his face.

Jenova smiled. "You'll feel differently when you accept me as your mother."

"NEVER!" Cloud shouted.

"We'll see about that," said Jenova. "We'll see."

She stepped up to Cloud and placed the fingers of both hands around his face.

"Maybe I'll give you a sample of my power now."

Cloud felt his skin begin to tingle under her fingertips.

"No!" he screamed striking out with both feet. He kicked her in the stomach. Jenova stumbled back and fell on the floor. She bounced up like a rubber ball, screeching in anger. She raced up to Cloud and began striking him around the head and chest.

After several blows, she backed away breathing hard. Cloud's nose was bleeding. Blood welled around a split in his lower lip, and his ribs ached.

"You can beat me to death, if you like," he told her. "I'll never take orders from you."

Jenova stretched out a tentacled arm and banged his head against the wall. Cloud went limp.

"You will," she said, looking for a set of chains to attach to the cave wall for his feet. "You will."