Red Dawn

Red Dawn: chapter 8

Author: Sweetstarlights (sweetstarlights@hotmail.com)

Site: www.lonelykitten.cjb.net

***

Author’s Note: Kick ass! This story is all I was hoping for! I haven’t gotten any bad reviews, the storyline is going great, and Eve hasn’t been labeled a Mary-Sue! [Eve: Me? A Mary-Sue? If I’m a Mary-Sue than Sephiroth is the Easter bunny....] Anyway, as you know Sephiroth is up at North Crater, so except for one part he’s really not seen until the end of the story. But that’s okay, because there shall be more death to make up for that. Okay? [Note: Eve is supposed to be a bitch! And this is an Alternate Universe, so Sephiroth could act this way. Just try looking at the story from that perspective. That’s how I look at it with all the stories I read. So give me a chance.]

OH! And a cookie for my favorite reviewer for getting the final four right! Good, then on with the story!

***

“Ahhhhhh..... Nothing beats this...” Eve mumbled as she laid on a futon. Wutai was a great place; it was like being in Japan. Well.... Japan without technology, but it was still great. There wasn’t much to do until Cloud regained his self, seeing that he was still alive but in a crazed state. She had sent Asuel to watch for the moment that it happened so that he could drive them to her, and that was two weeks ago. It’s always better for your enemies to find you, but a little push in her direction wouldn’t hurt. Though, how Asuel was going to watch him was beyond her. The silver one told me to do everything you said, and so I will, whatever that meant. Odd dragon, for some reason he never said her name, only called her ‘fair one’, just like he never said Sephiroth's.

Suddenly, Eve’s train of thought was interrupted by the sound of Asuel’s roar. Slowly she pulled herself up and walked over to the window. She watched Asuel spin in the air and disappear, leaving only the sound of the approaching airplane. Eve smiled and turned back to grab her things. In reality Wutai was much bigger than what the game showed, the inn somewhere off by Yuffie's house. Eve sat on the railing outside the inn with her back to the post, completely care-free for someone that was going to meet with people that wanted to kill her. Everything was quiet until a sudden rush of footsteps. She opened one eye and saw Cloud breathing heavily before her along with his other friends. She closed her eye again and said, “Took you long enough. Have fun being as insane as Sephiroth was, just without the ability to speak?”

“How in god’s name do you know all this is happening!!!?” Cloud yelled, his voice full of rage.

Eve raised one of her hands and covered it in glowing flames as they stepped closer. “Take one more step and I’ll torch this place like Nibelheim did five years ago.” They stopped suddenly as she brought Cloud and Tifa’s past up. Eve pushed herself up and let her legs dangle down. “Tsk, tsk. I’m not telling you anything with you armed. So if you really want to know, throw your weapons at your feet.” They eyed her suspiciously. “Look, where the hell would I be able to hide a weapon in these clothes? And the only thing I have in here,” she said while going through her pack, “is my night shirt and a materia that powers my CD player.”

“What about the fire?”

“That is a special ability; I don’t need materia to do that. But if you’re good I won’t use it.” She watched Cloud sigh angrily and throw his Buster sword to the ground, followed by everyone else. “Much better, now what do you wanna know?”

“Why the fuck are you helping him!?”

“Now need to yell, I can hear you fine. And if you must know, I’m helping him because he promised to give me my freedom. I got in trouble a lot at school, was kicked out of six of them and wasn’t allowed to have a life after that. Then Sephiroth popped up one day and promised me freedom as long as I help him become a god, so I accepted.”

“Don’t you understand that he’s going to destroy the planet? The one you live on!” Tifa was very emotional; it was hard for Eve to look her.

“It doesn’t matter to me.... I’m not from this planet anyway. So it matters to me not,” Eve replied. They stared at her in a dimwitted way, so Eve continued, “My planet’s name is Earth. Sephiroth got pulled through a dimensional hole in the Lifestream when Cloud attacked him in the reactor back in Nibelheim five years ago. After about three years on my planet he came upon me and he took me from the hell I was living.”

“You still haven’t told us how you know all this,” Cloud looked like he was getting pissed.

“Well.... if you really want to know.... On my planet all of this is nothing more than a video game. And one I played a lot. That’s why I know every move you’ve made and everything that’s happened. I even know how Vincent got in the coffin and why he hates Hojo so much.” Vincent looked at Eve with such shock that she almost felt sorry. Almost.

“What if he’s controlling you just like Cloud?” Tifa asked.

“Wait, you think I have Jenova cells in me?” Eve laughed. “No way, I have a thing with needles. I’m one hundred percent human. Sephiroth trained me, I spent a few months in a pool of mako, but that’s as far as it goes. Like I said before, I’m a free spirit, not even Sephiroth can control me.” Eve paused and remembered North Cave. “God, I know what question comes next.... someone ask before I get tired and tell you myself. I know by now all of you know.”

Yuffie took a step forward, “Is it true you-you...”

Eve stopped her. “No I didn’t. He kissed me. And before you ask, I’ve got no clue what the hell’s wrong with him; he’s never told me why he does that.” Eve stopped there, she wasn’t about to tell them Sephiroth was able to get her into bed, that was something she was taking to the grave. Eve jumped down from the railing. “I think that answers just about everything, so I’m gonna go and wait for the end to come.”

Eve took one step before Cloud stopped her, “You’re not going anywhere.”

“You think so?” Eve turned and jumped at the post. She did an aerial flip off it and landed behind them. “That was fun, but really must be going. Later losers.” She turned and started walking down the stairs, but stopped. “Oh... I forgot one thing....” She slipped her hand behind her and pulled a small dagger from her shirt. With lightning speed she tossed the dagger and started running, hoping that it hit someone. Eve heard a grunt of pain and the angry yells; so she lied about not having any weapons. Hell, she had her normal daggers wrapped inside her nightshirt. She could hear the quick footsteps behind her, almost behind her now as she came to a bridge. Eve sped up to inhuman speeds and ran, pushing people as she went. She was almost at the edge of the city when she heard an animalistic roar. And judging by the tone of it, it wasn’t Asuel. She turned for a moment to see a dark shape come screaming towards her. The thing hit her and tried to attack her, but Eve threw it off her like it was nothing. Eve whirled around and looked at the thing that had hit her. The thing stood there snarling at her, black wings coming from its back. It looked demonic. Then it hit her, it was Chaos. Shit, Vincent shouldn’t be able to Limit into that now! I must have killed someone important... Okay, if we’re playing the Limit game, then it’s my turn... Eve felt the power rise in her like an on coming wave. Flames shot up around her at the wave came crashing down. When the flames died away Eve had bright red wings coming out of her back and fire in her hair. It was her Dark Phoenix Limit. She had only used it once, it had been during training. Sephiroth had laughed about it after because it was the only time she could fly, it was the reason that her hair had changed into red instead of strawberry blonde. Eve lifted her wings and shot into the sky, Chaos not too far behind her.

Eve flew far from Wutai, past the bridges, to an island that was un-inhabited. Somewhere back there Eve had Summoned Asuel; she could now see him as she came to the island. “True Dragon, Ice Breathe!!!!” Eve dodged the blast of ice just in enough time for Chaos to get hit. He fell to the ground, transforming back into Vincent. Asuel sat on the sand in front of him, when Vincent looked up Eve slowly descended down and landed up top Asuel’s head. She let her wings disappear and the fires in her hair die until she looked normal. Infact, her hair had changed back to her strawberry blonde, she could see it as the wind moved it. Eve smiled, thinking that it was nice that if she died that she was going to die with her original hair color. She jumped down from Asuel’s head and landed in front of Vincent, who’s right side was covered in ice. “Geez Vincent, who did I hurt that made you so mad?”

Breathing hard he muttered, “You killed him...”

“Oh no, I hope it wasn’t Cloud, Sephiroth wanted to kill him. And it can’t be Cait Sith, that thing is nothing more than a machine and there is more of him.... hmmmm.... alright, I’m stumped. Who was it?” she asked with a sarcastic tone.

“You killed Cid, why don’t you feel anything for that!?”

“Wow, my aim must be really off. I was trying to hit you, or did he jump in front of you to save you?” Vincent hung his head in a sort of shame. “Ohhh.... I think I hit something there. I don’t feel anything because characters in a video game mean nothing to me. I feel other things, but guilt for beings created by people of my own world.... no. Besides, I haven’t had any real feelings of guilt since my parents sent my twin away.... You people should be glad that she wasn’t the one that Sephiroth found, she was a lot worse than me.”

“Still, why do this for freedom?”

“Because, I was like a caged bird at home. No one trusted me; the only time I was let out of the house was to get something for my parents. You have no idea how good it feels to do anything you want and not have to care.”

“How can you call yourself free if you take orders from Sephiroth?” Vincent was trying at something, but Eve couldn’t figure out what.

“I don’t take orders from him, he tried that when he first started training me and it failed to work. He asks me to do things for him. And I know that you heard me talking to the inn keeper before your friends chased me down the mountain. I wasn’t lying; Sephiroth does care about me... though how or why I still don’t understand. I wouldn’t still be alive if he didn’t feel something. But I feel that the only thing I’m good for now is being his plaything, the only thing left now is the end.”

“What do you mean the end?”

“Well, originally in the game this was when you and all your friends; except for Aeris, she died anyway; would go up to North Cave after saving Midgar from one of the Weapons and defeat Sephiroth. But now it will be only Cloud and three of you people and there you will die.” Eve looked at him darkly and smiled, “Should I show you mercy and kill you now? Or maybe you’d want to watch Lucrecia’s son become a god before you die....”

Vincent stared wide-eyed at Eve, “How do you know that?!”

“Were you not listening? I know everything, that’s why Sephiroth asked me to help him. That’s how we’ve been able to stay one step ahead of Cloud, my knowledge of the game you live in. The only thing I don’t know is who is his real father, Hojo... or you.” Eve paused and smiled darkly. “I should go to Lucrecia and ask her, I know where her cave is so I could go there and see for myself.”

Vincent looked at her with horror and anger. I guess he doesn’t like me knowing where his love hides... Suddenly he blurted out, “He’ll kill you in the end too.”

“I know that. I’ve always known, but the object of freedom was too alluring to pass up. Even if I’m free for only this short amount of time, I’ll still die happy. Besides, I can’t change sides now. I’ve killed too many people and Sephiroth would kill me anyway for doing so, so I’m stuck doing this.”

Eve.... why are you wasting your time with this bleeding heart?

Eve turned her head to the north, Sephiroth?

Yes.... so answer my question.

He attacked me and started asking me more questions since I killed Cid.

How many more are you going to kill before you become bored? Sephiroth asked with a hint of amusement.

One more, I have to leave you some. I’m not doing all your work for you. Eve hear Sephiroth laugh in the distance.

Okay, then kill the last person and be done with it. I wish to meet this Lucrecia.

The father thing finally get to you?

Yes. Though... I had no idea you had a twin....

Yeah well... she got in more trouble than me and my parents sent her away years ago.... I haven’t seen her since... We’re identical twins; the only difference is that her hair is a darker color than mine.

With a few more words Sephiroth was gone, leaving Eve to deal with Vincent. “It seems that I have some work to do.... Oh, don’t worry; I don’t have to kill you yet. Sephiroth seems to want to prolong your suffering. But there are other places for me to go.” Eve walked back over to Asuel, who had sat patiently in the sand during the whole conversation, and jumped on top his head. As he rose, Eve thought she heard Vincent yell something but she had already turned her CD player on. “I linger in the doorway of alarm clocks screaming, monsters calling my name. Let me stay where the wind will whisper to me, where the raindrops as they’re fall tell a story.....” She sang quietly, luring Vincent into sleep, falling over onto the sand as Asuel flew into the sky.

“So, now where to Fair One?” the dragon asked.

“Head to Midgar, I have some unfinished business there....”

***

Cloud stood in the middle of the Centra’s lost city, trying to understand what he just saw. First, the rocket failed to destroy the meteor. So they returned to the City of the Ancients to find another way to stop it. Well, they did. The White Materia. They relived the moments were Aeris, Barret and Red XIII died only to find out that the fire manipulator Eve holds it. No one saw that coming. No one could believe it. But they saw it shine in her hand when the flames shot it back up out of the water. No one was speaking, Vincent was quieter than usual, at least since they had found him unconscious on some island. What happened to him he wouldn’t say, but it must have been bad. They walked back to the Highwind, which was no longer manned by Cid because Eve kill him after saying she was unarmed. They were all on the ship when Cait Sith began acting very oddly. It started jumping around crazily before stopping right in front of him.

“Hey Cloud, did ja miss me?!” the thing yelled. As Cloud stared at Cait Sith it began laughing insanely. “Oh, I know. You don’t seem to recognize my voice because of the machine. This is Eve, all the way in Midgar!”

There was a series of gasps through out the ship while Cloud yelled, “What?! You control Cait Sith?”

“What? No way.... That Shin-Ra dude Reeve does, but.... he’s in dispose right now....” Eve emitted a high pitch giggle that sounded like a child.

“What did you do to him?!”

Eve giggled through Cait Sith again and answered, “Well.... if you really want to know.... I snuck up on him and took away the controller for this little toy away before he could sound an alarm. Then I listened to him beg for mercy before I slit his throat....” She giggled away and moved Cait Sith around in a circle.

“You monster!” Tifa screamed. Tears began to stream down her face as she stared at the bouncing stuffed animal.

“Me, a monster? Honestly I thought you’d have more a problem with Sephiroth seeing that he’s going to be your god soon..... But I must be going... the Diamond Weapon is on its way to destroy Midgar. Later Fools!” Cait Sith stopped moving suddenly, and just as Cloud started to walk over to the motionless toy it emitted a high pitch scream. The toy sat up and waved its arms around before smoke puffed up for the cat. Then Cait Sith stopped moving entirely, the cat and the mog falling different ways before stopping all together.

***

“Well, that was tons of fun! I never knew that torture was that fun.... though a little messy,” Eve mussed as Asuel lifted off the ground.

There came a low rumble from the beast under her, which Eve thought to be laughter, followed by, “If you wanted to kill humans then you should have fed them to me, it would have turned out a lot less messy. What are we to do now?”

“We are going back up to North Cave; Sephiroth wishes to meet his mother.”

***

It was a short flight to North Cave, the dome of light that surrounded it opened to let Asuel fly through it. Sephiroth was waiting for them at the hole in the where Holy was being confined. He smiled up at Eve as she descended from the clouds. When Asuel landed she didn’t bother to get off the dragon’s head, she only sat there and looked down at him.

“You have no idea how boring it is up here without you to keep me company....” Sephiroth commented as Asuel lowered his head to the ground.

“Yeah right, you probably only wanted more sex....” Eve answered. She glared at him as he continued to stand there and yelled, “Are you gonna stand there all day?! I have better things to do than this!”

“Really now? What could that be?”

Eve stared at Sephiroth with wide eyes, trying to think of something. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind. Finally she muttered, “Damnit...”

Sephiroth chuckled and climbed on top of the dragon and sat beside Eve, “That’s what I thought.” He looked at Eve’s hair in surprise. “What happened to your hair?” Asuel lifted off the ground and started flying.

“Don’t really know; I Limited and when I came out of it, it was like this. Just like the first time.” Eve ran her hand through her hair. “But I like it much better this way.” She saw Sephiroth smile out of the corner of her eye, but she ignored it.

“Where to now?” the dragon asked impatiently.

“Fly towards Nibelheim; look for a lake with a waterfall..... WATCH OUT!” Asuel swerved, nearly missed being hit by a great bolt of mako energy flew passed them.

“What the hell was that!?” Sephiroth yelled.

“That was Shin-Ra’s last attempt to stop you. The only thing that did was destroy your little barrier. But don’t worry about Cloud; he’ll be too busy with trying to stop Hojo.” Eve had a little run in with Hojo before leaving. In the end she had talked him into trying to kill Cloud so that Sephiroth wouldn’t have to deal with him. He was actually quite happy to do so. Eve quickly told him what had happened. “So, all in all.... we have a few days until the final battle.” A wide smile crept across Sephiroth face, and Eve knew what he was thinking about. She groaned in disgust as Asuel continued on to the waterfall.

***

A tall woman with brown hair in a white lab coat stood on the crystalline alter as Eve and Sephiroth entered the cave behind the waterfall. She stared at them as they walked closer, stopping a few feet from where she located.

“Lucrecia?” Eve asked.

“Yes, who are you?” Lucrecia asked in a dreamy voice.

“No one really important. But, I brought someone to see you.”

“And who is that?”

“Your son Sephiroth.” Eve stepped out of the way and presented Sephiroth to the shimmering image of the woman that Lucrecia once was. She stared at Sephiroth with wide eyes, not believing what she saw. Eve stepped out of the way as Lucrecia began walking towards a very confused Sephiroth. As she placed her ghostly hands on Sephiroth's face, Eve quietly walked out of the cave, feeling out of place in this loving scene. Asuel was already gone, in case Cloud or someone decided to intrude and find him there. Eve walked down to the lake, which reminded her of the one back in Tahoe, and sat down. Suddenly she was tired, more tired than she had felt in a while. She tried not to fall asleep, but it was no use.

***

Dreaming, Eve heard footsteps off in the distance of her mind. She opened her eyes and lifted herself up and saw that she was in the same void of swirling mist that she last saw the spirit Jasmine. Eve slowly stood up and looked around. Nothing to see but the mist.

“It’s good to see that you really can take care of yourself Eve.”

Eve turned around violently and saw the very spirit coming towards her. She was going to yell at her to leave before Sephiroth came, but stopped. The purple shimmering spirit turned into mist and was blown away by an imaginary wind, leaving someone shorter in its place. Eve thought she was looking at some other self that was living in her mind, wearing Earth military fatigues, until she got a closer look. No... Her hair has less blonde... and her eyes are a darker grey... “Dawn?”

Eve’s identical twin looked at her with loving eyes and smiled, “I’m so glad you still remember me after all the fun you’ve been through.” Eve, utterly speechless, ran over to her sister and embraced her.

“God, you don’t know how much I missed you. Where did mom and dad send you after spray painted the school gym with anti-war slogans?” Eve drew back and looked at Dawn.

“Military school, it sucked. It reminds me of the time before we had parents....” Eve shuddered at the thought.

“So it was you this whole time.... I mean the spirit thing.”

“Yeah... sorry about that. I was really scared that something might happen to you. Same thing with the sex thing, I thought that if one of us had sex then we wouldn’t be able to talk to each other anymore. But with resent events......” Dawn smiled as Eve blushed bright red. “Anyway, I’m here to tell you some things before you meet your end.”

“I’m really gonna die, aren’t I?” Eve asked in a whisper.

“Yeah.... I’m sorry Eve. But it’s okay, when it happens I’ll grab your soul and I’ll bring it back home. I’m at home right now, they sent for me when they found out you ‘died’. But back to what I wanted to tell you. It’s about why Sephiroth demanded that you help him.”

“Oh good, because that’s been bothering me since I got here and he never told me.”

“Well.... it has to do with the time before parents.” Eve motioned fore Dawn to continue. “I never told you about that. It seems we were in some project funded by the Pentagon. It seems we are no better than Sephiroth.”

“Say what?”

“Okay, I hacked in the Pentagon and did some research. We were ‘created’ in a laboratory; at least Sephiroth had a mother and a father, because we don’t. And we weren’t the only ones, there were at least ten others. We were just the only ones to escape.” Dawn pause for a moment to let it all sink into Eve. “We are engineered super-soldiers, and someone decided to mess with our genetics and add feline genes to the human.”

“So you’re saying we’re like that TV show ‘Dark Angel’ that got canceled?”

“Yes, only that they somehow figured out the whole psychic thing and gave all of us those weird powers.”

“And which ones did we get?”

“Well, we can talk to each other in our minds, and we can move objects with our minds, there were a few others between us but I can remember them all. Hell, up until we left you never said anything to anyone, you only talked to me.” Again she paused. “Now this is all leading up to Sephiroth's picking you. Out of all the people in the program we were the most outstanding. Together we would be unstoppable, the ability to fight is imprinted on our brains, so when he ‘trained’ you he was only making you remember what you already knew. But you see, I knew when Sephiroth suddenly appeared one Earth. And I would have gone with him, if I didn’t lack the courage to leave the planet. So on the psychic level I stayed quiet, and it was you he went after.”

“So, you’re telling me that Sephiroth puts up with me because I’m more screwed up than him!? That I’m not even human and he is!!!!!?” Eve clutched her head and tried not to freak out.

Dawn, sensing her sister’s distress, grabbed Eve’s head and stopped her from hurting herself. “Eve, calm down. It’s okay, and as for the Sephiroth thing, let me explain. In the records stat that a person looking like Sephiroth, and I believe it was him, broke into the training facilities were our brothers and sisters were and started killing all the scientists in the place. In the end the whole place was burned to the ground.”

“What happened to everyone else?”

“I was getting to that. The document ended there, but one of the high level mind readers contacted me and told me that everyone was able to escape. By this time I was already in the military school and you had forgotten most of our childhood. So when Sephiroth asked which of them was the strongest I told the mind reader to say your name.”

“Why me?”

“Because I knew you’d be more up to leaving the planet than I would. Now, the mind reader also told him that you’d escaped years and years ago and had probably forgotten everything, which you had. So that is why Sephiroth never mentioned it to you, he was kind-of protecting you from it. All in all, this is why he was so confident that you’d survive being in a mako pool, which I have to say was way gross.” Dawn crossed her arms and waited for her sister to say something.

“Okay.... but why does he put up with me? With the way I act sometimes I wouldn’t wanna be with me.”

“Beats me, maybe with you around he doesn’t feel so alone.”

“Or maybe he feels better being around a genetic freak,” Eve added sourly. There was a short silence before Eve asked, “How is it that I can make fire?”

“Another one of those powers, you are a pyro. The mako only ‘woke’ it after the time you nearly burnt the house down.”

“How can we do all this?”

“It has something to do with the brain. They put these receptors in our heads that sometimes occur naturally in nature so we could do the government’s dirty work. You know, read the minds of the world’s most dangerous criminals, burn down houses with presidents in them, and stuff like that.” Eve didn’t speak to her sister for a long period of time. “Come on Eve! It’s not that bad. Hey, if it makes you feel any better you’ve got tiger genes in you!”

Suddenly there was a loud rumbling, muffled by the outside of Eve’s head. “That’s Asuel. Someone must be coming.”

“Then it’s time for you to wake up. Don’t worry, I’ll stay outta Sephiroth's radar.” With a final hug Dawn disappeared and the swirling mist gone with her.

***

Eve woke with a start as Asuel screamed. He was circling the lake, roaring at the depths of the dark blue waters. Eve leaned over the shore and looked down into the water. She could see something, a dark shape in the already dark water. Asuel roared one last time before flying off. Looking back into the lake it finally hit her. Oh, crap! It’s the submarine! Eve started running as fast as she could towards the waterfall.

“They’re here!” she yelled as she ran into the room. Fear and anger spread across Sephiroth face as he turned to face Eve. “It’s too late to leave, they’re already on the shore by now.”

Sephiroth muttered curses under his breathe as he tried to think of a way out. “This way,” Lucrecia said, pointing at the long rows of crystals behind her alter. “Go hide behind one of those, I’ll deal with Vincent.”

Eve stood wondering how she knew about Vincent before Sephiroth grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the largest crystal. He pull Eve close to him, infact he was holding her to him, as he listened for Cloud. Eve leaned forward, letting all her sister had told her soak in. Sephiroth turned his head and looked down at Eve, her mood was getting very dark. Not like her had been before the temple of the ancients, a lot worse.

“Lucrecia....?” Sephiroth stiffened as Vincent spoke in surprise. Eve was too absorbed in her thoughts to care.

“Stop!” Lucrecia’s cry echoed off the walls. “Lately I dream of Sephiroth...... my dear, dear child. Tell me... what happened to him...?” Lucrecia knew Sephiroth was alive, but it seemed that she wanted to see if Vincent was going to lie to her. Eve knew he would, but it must have been one of those things people had to do after they die.

There was a short, uneasy silence before Vincent answered, “Sephiroth is dead.”

The silence that was in the room was gone, replaced by soft laughing. “You’re lying. I saw him with my own eyes. He was here, but now he’s gone. Left on a dragon with the woman that brought him here....”

“They were here?!” After a series of gasps Vincent continued, “What did he say?”

“He told me many things. Like how you wanted to kill him and the woman..... How could you? He is my child and you want to take him away!”

“Lucrecia, you don’t know what he plans to do.”

“I don’t care, he’s my son.”

“But-”

“Leave now.” Vincent took a breath to protest, but then came the sound of his cape swirling in the air and the sound of receding footsteps. Sephiroth exhaled, not realizing that he had been holding it. Eve was still motionless in his arms. When he was sure that they were gone he let go of Eve, who merely slide out of his arms. As she walked passed him Sephiroth saw the dark look on her face. He followed her, wondering what was wrong with her now. Sephiroth murmured to Eve that he wanted to speak with Lucrecia for a little while longer; Eve only grunted and walked out. Eve wasn’t really mad, it was the whole genetic thing that was getting to her. If Sephiroth wasn’t already destroying the planet she would. She summoned Asuel, who happily landed a few feet from her.

“You must forgive me Fair One, for running as I did.” He looked down at the small shape of Eve and asked, “Are you okay?” Eve didn’t say anything, she only dropped to the ground and stared out at the lake. With her eyes fixed on a small rock on the ground she concentrated all of her energy into the rock. Slowly the rock began to rise off the ground before it shot off over the lake to land in the water with a splash. The next one was larger and was just as easily tossed into the lake. By the time Sephiroth appeared she was tossing rocks the size of her fist into the water. She heard him coming but didn’t acknowledge that he was there. She only focused on a rock nearly the size of her head and shot it so far it slashed into the middle of the lake.

Sephiroth stared in wonder as Eve picked another rock the same size and throw it with her mind farther than the last. How the hell is she doing that?! “Eve?” Eve didn’t move, three small rocks lifted up and began spinning in little circles. He didn’t bother to try to speak to her a second time. Sephiroth probed Eve’s mind to see what the matter was, only to hear bits and pieces of her enraged thoughts.

...Knew all this time.... never told me.... not human....

Sephiroth walked closer to Eve, knowing what had her so mad. He just couldn’t figure out what had triggered her to remember such things. The rocks dropped suddenly, the glazed look in her eyes gone. Eve stood up, not once looking at Sephiroth, muttered that they should leave before they came back. Asuel lowered his head and allowed Eve to slowly climb on top of his head. Sephiroth followed after her, wondering what Eve was going to say to him when she came out of her current mood.

***

Three days. She hadn’t spoken a word for three days. Eve had never gone so long without speaking to Sephiroth. Eve was spending all her time up at the lip of the hole, staring up at the stars half the night. If he didn’t think that if she wasn’t up there that Cloud and his damned friends would catch them unprepared. The silence was killing him, the only thing he could hear was the monster Jenova lurking in the darkness. Sephiroth went farther into the earth, stopping when he found the glowing mass that was the magic of Holy. As long as he was alive it couldn’t leave here to stop his meteor. And Eve did have the materia, so if it came down to it Eve could destroy the materia and stop Holy. But gods, her not talking to him was driving him crazy! It reminded him too much of flouting in the Lifestream alone. Then suddenly being sucked into a black hole only to reappear outside of that damned place where they were creating super humans like Hojo had. All of them children, none over the age of seventeen, but they were all being trained for the same purpose that he had been. There were others, but none of them survived... they all die once they reach the age of eighteen so that none will ever escape.....

They all had the same look as he had, only lacking the glowing eyes, but they all had the eyes that no longer cared for the world. That’s why he killed everyone in the building and set the children free. We have no parents.... we were created in test tubes and given numbers, tattooed on the back of our necks.... under the hair when we survived the incubation period..... Somehow they knew who he was; one of them had over heard one of the scientists talking about the game. They said that one of them would help him destroy his world. Her number was 601b; she was one of the only ones to escape from here... but she is a trained assassin, so she would be of great help... Right, she has a twin, 601a. She must have escaped with her, but the only one that would know that was Eve. And did not feel like enduring her wraith right now.

***

Come on Eve, are you going to spend the rest of your short life mad at him? whispered Dawn as Eve stared up at the setting sky.

“Yes,” she replied out loud. “Even if it was that bad he still should have told me!”

Oh yeah, what did you expect him to say? ‘Hey Eve, I forgot to tell you that your government created you in a lab and you have no parents.’ Come on, we both know that he barely talks as is and something like this he’d take to the grave. Eve shifted and looked at the barren landscape. She sighed and looked back up at the now dark sky. Hey Eve, do you hear something?

Eve listened to the night, at first not hearing anything. But then she could hear something very faint. Slowly standing up Eve surveyed the sky. Suddenly she saw it, a light that looked like a star. But it got brighter with ever passing moment. The Highwind. Eve reached for her summon gem and called Asuel form where he was hiding. “Asuel!” she yelled as he landed in front of her. “When they come closer attack the ship and use acid to melt it. Can’t have them trying to escape now, can we?”

Asuel lifted his head high and yelled, “Yes, Fair One!” before jumping into the sky. Eve slipped into her pack and pulled out several items and began prepping for the battle ahead. Then she started to make her way down into the depths of the earth, not hearing the sound of twisted metal behind her.

***

There really wasn’t any turning back now. Asuel had done well; their ship was nothing more that scrape metal and acidic goo now. She crept behind Cloud and the others now, the monster Jenova attacking them earlier than it had in the game, but still failing to stop them. Eve saw a chance to dwindle their numbers even further. Yuffie was walking far behind the ground. Creeping through the shadows, Eve came up behind the girl and grabbed a hold of her head. She sliced her throat before Vincent could even turn around. Cloud and Tifa turned as Yuffie’s bleeding corpse fell to the floor.

Eve smirked as she met their horror struck faces and licked the blood on her blade. “Mmmmm...still warm....”

“You monster!” Cloud roared. He unsheathed his Buster Blade and ran for Eve. He attempted to slash her but she was too fast. Eve jumped the cave wall and grabbed hold of a rock formation hanging for the ceiling. As Vincent started taking shots at Eve she took her dagger and rammed the blade into the rock, causing it to come crashing to the ground.

“You’re right,” Eve said as she stepped up top the rock. “I’m not human....” Eve could feel the energy of a Limit building. As it reached its peck she screamed, “I’m something far worse!!!” A great white light surrounded Eve as she lifted off the ground. Waves of psychic energy threw rocks of all sizes back to the walls of the cave; Cloud, Vincent and Tifa barely able to hold their ground. Then came a roar, one like that of a large feline. When the light disappeared what they were left looking at barley looked human. White and orange fur covered Eve’s skin, black strips visible on the orange. Rounded tiger’s ears replaced her own and a tail stuck out of the top of her shorts. When she smiled they could see fangs. No words did Eve say, only a low growling.

Once again Cloud tried to do a running slash, but Eve jumped backwards. Suddenly he lunged at her as she stood between two rocks, thinking her to be trapped. But at the last second Eve jumped and wedged her legs against the two rocks, missing the thrust by inches. The sword imbedded itself into the wall, so as Cloud tried to pull it free Eve put her hands to the blade and used the balance to kick him squarely in the face. Cloud stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. Eve stood up on the blade and used it like a diving board to propel herself at the other two combatants. Eve dodged the bullets and disarmed Vincent before he could stop her. He tried to attack her with his claw arm but as he went to rack her with his claws she grabbed hold of the wrist [if he even has a wrist on that arm...] and threw him over her shoulder into a wall, small rocks raining down on him and he fell limp to the floor. Eve spun and faced Tifa, roaring and she lunged at her. Tifa ducked out of the way and tried to attack her with a series of martial arts move, each one Eve was able to dodge. Finally the feline Eve tired of Tifa’s attempts, she bent down on all fours and sprinted passed her. Using the wall, Eve forced herself at Tifa, who dodged the attack again. But Eve knew she would. As she landed on the ground she grabbed her leg and pulled Tifa down. Then using all her weight, Eve sent her flying into Cloud, who had just recovered his sword. They both crashed into the floor, Cloud trying to stand as Eve growled at them. An animalistic roar came from behind Eve, she turned in enough time to come face to face with Chaos before he rammed into her. They both went flying into the floor, a mass of snarling beasts. Chaos’s claws bit into the fur-covered skin of Eve, who in turn racked her across the side of his face. Finally Eve was able to push Chaos off of her, making great rents in the membrane of his wings as she freed herself. He roared in pain as Eve jumped away. Out of nowhere Eve heard someone yelling behind her. She turned and saw Cloud coming towards her, but too late. Cloud’s sword got her in the stomach, as he pulled it out blood came out Eve’s mouth. She collapsed onto the ground, blood pouring for the wound. Her eyes took a glazed look to them. They walked away for Eve’s body and continued on to where Sephiroth was hiding.

***

Sephiroth stared into the glowing light of Holy as Cloud approached him. Sephiroth hear the footsteps and turned to meet those that had survived Eve’s merciless blades. Heh... only three... she must have gotten bored... “Bravo... you survived.... And where is Eve in all this?”

“She’s dead!!!!” Cloud yelled. “Now you’ll pay for all the lives you’ve taken!”

“Actually... I’m right here.”

Cloud, Tifa and Vincent spun around and found Eve standing calmly behind them, completely human again. She was covered in blood but showed no sign of pain. “H-How are you still alive!?” Tifa cried.

Eve smiled and licked the blood on her lips. “Mmmmm... strawberry flavored.” She reached under her shirt and pulled out a metal plate with a small bag attached to it, the red fluid coming out of it. The hole in her shirt showing that the skin underneath was unmarked. “Your moves are so predictable, Cloud.... you seem to favor attacking people at their stomachs...”

Sephiroth laughed, “I believe it’s time to destroy their hope Eve....”

Eve smiled and pulled the White Materia for her pocket. “Oh... do you mean this...?” The small orb fell to the ground, and as Cloud went to grab for it, Eve smashed it underneath her boot heel. Cloud yelled in dismay as the green light behind Sephiroth turned black, casting a purplish glow to everything. “Opps... was that important?”

Sephiroth laughed again, now holding the Black Materia in his hand. “I see you’re not mad at me anymore...” he took the materia and placed it inside the black glowing light.

“Yeah.... well, I figure that you had a good reason not to tell me I was a walking bundle of screwed up genetics. But...” Eve looked at each the morons before her, “this game is getting really boring.... can you end it now and be done with it already?” Sephiroth smiled and exchanged a few words mentally with Eve before drawing his sword. Cloud wiped around and went to grab his, but suddenly there was a rope around his throat. “Lesson one: never take your eyes off your enemy....” she whispered into his ear. Cloud was shorter than Eve by two inches, so she was able to lift him off the ground some. While he clawed at his throat, Cloud watched as Sephiroth killed his two remaining friends without difficulty.

Eve let Cloud drop to the ground, his pained sobs making her sick. “Why? You sick bastard, why?!” he cried.

Sephiroth glared down at Cloud, “You can blame your friend Vincent. If he hadn’t let Hojo experiment on my mother none of this would have happened. I’m not sure what’s worse... knowing that he was my father or that he didn’t to stop Hojo. And as for your little girlfriend, she was merely in the way.”

Sephiroth lifted his sword, posed for attack. Cloud shut his eyes and waited for the final blow to be dealt. There was the sound of steel cutting through flesh, but wasn’t his. Cloud opened his eyes and saw Eve hanging limp, the point of Sephiroth's sword coming out of her back. Blood came out of her mouth, real blood. Dark and thick, the blood of the heart. She made no noise, her face showing no emotions. Sephiroth pulled his sword out of her dripping her blood. Eve fell forward with her eyes closed, her face looking like the child she really was.

Cloud stared in horror at Eve’s dead body and looked up at Sephiroth. “Why did you kill her? She helped you, and you killed her!”

“What does it matter to you? She killed most of your friends, you should be happy that she’s gone.” Sephiroth turned and faced Cloud. “Eve was useful, but I didn’t plan to share my place as a god with her. Now... its time for you to meet your friends....” Sephiroth lifted his sword and brought it down on Cloud neck, severing his head for his body. Sephiroth turned and grabbed the Black Materia. He looked down at Eve’s dead body before forcing himself to leave. The world might be empty to him, but it no longer mattered. He was going to be a god, so he needed no one.

***

The Lifestream was full of souls when Cloud awoke in it. All of his friends were around him, Aeris was even there. They all told him that it wasn’t his fault, but he kept feeling that it was. But how the hell are you supposed to fight someone when they know everything you’re going to do? He stood up and looked around looking for the soul of the one person that had ended everyone’s hopes.

“Cloud, what are you looking for?” Aeris asked.

“Eve.... he killed her just before me.... she’s here-” Cloud spotted Eve yards away, rocking back and forth. As he walked up to her he heard her humming a nameless song as she sat on the ground. She didn’t even look sad; she held the same blank expression she had when she died. “You....”

“Shhh.... I’m waiting for someone,” Eve said and continued to hum her song.

“If you’re waiting for him, I doubt that he’s coming.”

“Please... I’m not waiting the person that killed me. I’m waiting for someone else. You gotta remember, I came from a different planet, so I really don’t belong in the Lifestream.” Eve stopped humming her song and only looked into the distance, if the Lifestream had distance.

“Then who are you waiting for?”

“My twin sis. She said that she’d come get me when this happened....” Eve looked up and looked thoughtful for a moment. “Oh, found out that I’m not really that human. I was born in a test tube; I was created to do my government’s dirty work. I’m part feline, so that makes me less human than Sephiroth was....”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Eve looked up at Cloud, “Because I feel you have a right to know. Back on my planet, when you die you supposed to know everything. And since there isn’t anyone here to tell you this, I guess I should.” Eve turned back to the direction she was staring. “Maybe freedom isn’t worth all this.... the killing I mean. I had more freedom at home than I ever had in the place I was before I escaped with my sister....”

“Ah come one Eve, I don’t know what’s worse. When you don’t talk or when you’re depressed.” Cloud looked up and found himself staring at another Eve.

“Dawn, are you here to take me home?”

“Yup, before that ass comes back here and decides to bring you back to life.” Dawn noticed Cloud and said, “Wow.... you must feel bad if you’re talking to Eve. Last I remembered she killed a lot of your friends.” When Cloud failed to answer fast enough Dawn turned back to Eve, “Kaye time to go before his friends decide to find him and see you.” Dawn held out a necklace with a large purple crystal on it and held it before Eve. Eve’s images wavered and final disappeared, the crystal bright with the essence of Eve’s soul. “And no,” she said suddenly, “I’m not dead; I’m just here to pick my sis up.”

Dawn turned around and started walking back the way she came. Then she was gone. The person that had helped the person that was about to become his god had turned out to be as harmless as a kitten. Cloud turned back and started walking back to his friends, not knowing what the future had in store for them.... or their new god.


***

And that’s it! It’s over! Everyone died, Sephiroth get to be a god and Eve is on her way back home. Actually, there is more to this story, but I don’t know if I’m gonna do it. Cause you know that Sephiroth is gonna notice that Eve isn’t in the Lifestream and is gonna go and see her sister about getting her soul back. But tell me if you wanna hear it. But now it’s time to focus on school work and other stories. That’s to those that read the story. Later.