Crisis Core: The Female SOLDIER

37

Within the reactor were human-sized pod-like devices containing things that Sera didn't even want to know. As the three SOLDIERs made their way up the stairs, Sera's head began to pound again, the voices of the lifestream that had faded a while ago had suddenly come back in full force, practically screaming in her ears the further they went up the stairs.

'IT'S HERE.... CALAMITY...HERE....' the voices were deafening.

'What? What is here? What the hell are you talking about?' Sera held her head as the pounding worsened.

'HARBINGER... CALAMITY... MUST NOT... LIVE...' the voices were everywhere, layering on top of one another as they spoke so many different words other than what she can catch, some even speaking in a different language. She could not make it out.

'Stop it... Just stop it! I can't understand what you're saying if you keep screaming in my head!' Sera shouted in her ears but the voices would not abate.

Sera fell to her knees on the steps as she held onto the railing for support, her other hand clutching her head tightly as the pounding continued. She barely heard Zack and Sephiroth calling out to her as she fell.

At the sight of Sera falling to her knees, Zack and Sephiroth quickly went towards her and noticed her pained expression. "Sera! What's wrong?!" Zack demanded, but Sera just shook her head.

'Head... hurts," Sera could only groan out.

"It could be the Mako saturating the area. It must've made her unwell," Sephiroth assumed, hand beginning to glow green with cure magic as he moved closer to her.

'CALAMITY SPAWN! STAY AWAY!' All the voices suddenly spoke as one and Sera abruptly jerked back at the words, quickly moving away from her mentor who pulled his hand back at the action, eyes holding a look of surprised confusion.

"Sera?'

"I-It's nothing," Sera stammered out, keeping her distance from him as she wondered why the voices were calling Sephiroth a calamity spawn. "I just need to rest a bit. I'll be fine. I don't need a cure spell."

"Are you sure?" Sera nodded her head in confirmation. "Just go ahead, I'll be alright soon enough."

Sephiroth nodded after a moment as he stood back up. "Very well then," He turned to Zack who only stood there with a look of worry. "Probably just a migraine. She'll rest here for the time being. Zack, head up the stairs to see if the door is open. I'll investigate the pods." At Sera's assuring nod, Zack finally relented, turning to head back up the stairs while Sephiroth headed down.

Zack finally reached the top of the stairs, looking at the large metal in front of him. He looked up at the sign above. "JENOVA... interesting," He tested out the door. "The door is... sealed of course," He was about to head back down the steps before he finally caught the words and he turned back in shock. "Jenova...?" He glanced down at Sephiroth who walking down the steps towards one of the pods. He walked back down the stairs, stopping halfway to check on Sera who was gradually standing up from sitting on the stairs, having successfully blocked the voices out for the time being.

"Hey, are you alright?" Zack asked, placing a hand on her back, keeping his voice soft to avoid another migraine.

"Sort of," Sera answered.

"What happened?"

"Dunno," She shook her head. "My ears... my ears are ringing. My head's pounding... There's screaming."

"Screaming?" Zack was confused.

"Not here. Tell you later," Zack looked like he wanted to ask more but upon her pleading look, he sighed and nodded his head, earning a grateful look from her. They made their way down the steps.

"Sera, are you alright now?" Sephiroth asked, noticing both Zack and Sera heading down the steps. Sera nodded and he turned back to the pod he was standing in front of. "This is the cause of the malfunction. This section is broken."

"Zack, go seal the valve," Sephiroth ordered once the two had joined him and Zack nodded, going towards the wheel. Sephiroth continued to gaze into the pod. "Why did it break?" he asked.

Sera went towards her mentor, stopping beside him. She could not understand why the voices were telling her to stay away from him, calling him a calamity spawn.

"My mother's name is Jenova. She died shortly after I was born."

"Jenova, the calamity that fell from the sky."

'CALAMITY SPAWN! STAY AWAY!'

She quickly shook her head. 'That can't be possible... can it?' Sera thought, recalling the words.

"What is it?" Sera was pulled away from her thoughts at her mentor's question and she saw he was looking at her. She shook her head. "It's nothing." 

Sephiroth could tell she was lying but luckily didn't press further as he moved towards another pod. Zack and Sera followed him to the other pod and he stepped back, allowing them to take a look inside. Zack went to look first, only to step back in shock. "W-What is that?"

Sera moved to him to glance inside as well and was shocked. There was a mutated figure inside!

"You average SOLDIER members are mako-infused humans," Sephiroth replied, and the two turned to face him. "You're enhanced, but you're still human. But then, what are those things? Their mako energy levels are exponentially higher than yours."

"Are they... monsters?" Zack asked.

Sephiroth moved away. "Yes," he answered. "The Shinra scientist Hojo was the one who created them."

"That madman?" Sera growled.

"Abominations spawned by Mako energy... That's what monsters are." Sephiroth told them.

"You said 'average' member. What about you?" Zack asked.

"Zack!" Sera hissed at him, knowing that was a touchy subject, and he looked at her in surprise, seeing her glare. "What?" He asked, confused. What did he say wrong?

It was like Zack's words had pulled a trigger, for Sephiroth was now the one with a throbbing head, stumbling as he clutched it tightly.

"Hey, Sephiroth!" Zack tried to help him but was shoved away as he continued to stumble forward.

"Sephiroth!" Sera called out, worried.

"Could it be... that I...?" He looked down at his hands, recalling what he had seen in the pod. "Was created the same way? Am I the same as these monsters?"

"What?" Sera was stunned by her mentor's words. "Don't be foolish, Sephiroth! You're not a monster! You're..." Sera faltered.

'Awakened...' the voices were back again. 'The spawn has awakened...'

'Shut up!' Sera shouted in her mind. 'Stop saying that! Sephiroth is not a spawn!' She was sick of hearing them say that.

'Sephiroth is not a spawn of the calamity, of Jenova. He can't be!"