It's another Norco Fanction!! That is, a fiction by Norco.
I own nothing, except for my computer, the clothes on my person, and my sanity. 
Sometimes not even that...
norco@fantasysquare.com

End of Battle; Start of War -- Chapter 5.

Arcturus was sort of good looking, Yuffie decided as the group ran down the 
corridors of the Jenova ship, searching for a safe haven amongst the chaos. 
Standing at nearly two metres, with a nice tan and  ponytail, and wrapped up in 
a black, nearly-skintight jumpsuit, Arcturus was quite the model of male 
perfectness. However, he didn't notice her as he an Cloud conferred on how best 
to proceed. Finally, they reached a small cargo bay. Barret and Vincent took up 
flanking positions around the door; Cid, Tifa and Red sat against a wall, 
gratefully sinking onto the floor. 
  "So, what's going on here?" Cloud said as Arcturus's quarterstaff slid back 
into it's handle.
  "It's actually quite simple," Arcturus said, latching the now retracted 
quarterstaff to his belt. "You've stumbled across a Jenova civil war" he said, 
smiling a tiny bit. "And Earth is the point of the despute"
  "Now there's a lovely thought," Cid growled. Cloud agreed with him. He looked 
towards their newest ally for an explanation, and got an acknowledgement in 
return.
  "As with any other species, with the exception of a few, Jenova has a 
masculine and a feminine side. The Jenova that you are familiar with, the Jenova 
that controlled Sephiroth, is Female. Sephiroth's manipulator is the Mother 
Jenova, the matriarch of our race. Mother Jenova is convinced of our races' 
superiority, and has decided to intergrate the human species, one of the most 
dynamic, yet under-developed species in this galaxy, into itself, and then lay 
waste to the remaining Cetra of the galaxy, as revenge for their distaste for 
Jenova after the disease came to Earth. Father Jenova, on the other hand, 
opposes the enslavement of the humans. All that happened on your planet with the 
Mako experiments, Shinra, Sephiroth, all of it was Mother's attempt to stop any 
resistance against her taking over."
  "Does that mean that I am a part of this ... Mother of yours?" Cloud demanded 
sharply. "Becuase if I am -" Arctutus cut him off with a short smile and an 
upraised hand.
  "No. You're actually a bit of both. Mother and Father, a true child of Jenova. 
If you were of Mother, you would have tried to kill me on sight. A small part of 
Mother's children's DNA tells them to destroy the Children of Father on sight. I 
am of Father."
  "But I did try to kill you, if you remember correctly," Cloud said, his voice 
a little calmer.
  "Yes. You did. But that was a pathetic attempt and you know it. Your main 
purpose was to get me to come out into the open. My purpose for attacking was to 
test you. I had to make sure that you weren't all of Mother." Arcturus said, the 
smile now gone from his face.
  "So what now?" Barret asked, turning his head to face Cloud, gun-arm pointed 
at the door. 
  "We find mother, and face her. And her emmisary." he added, giving Cloud a 
dark look. A chill ran up Cloud's spine. Something about the way he'd said that 
-
  "Who is the emmisary for Father Jenova?" Tifa asked quietly.
  "I am the emmisary for Father." Arcturus said. "And so is Cloud."
  "And the Mother's emmisary?" Tifa asked.
  "Sephiroth" Cloud stated, turning from Tifa to face Arcturus. "Isn't that 
right?"
  "Yes," the other said, his voice firm.
  "How can that be?!" Cait Sith asked, who'd been silent the entire time. "We 
beat him!"
  "I'm not sure. But I know he's here. I can feel it." Acturus shook his head.
  "Then let's get going. The sooner we beat him, the better." Vincent said, the 
suddeness of his statement turning all others to face him.

  The Jenova ship that was in orbit over the planet was a large bulky section 
with engines which stemmed into a long neck which in turn stemmed into a saucer 
shaped bridge. Cloud and his team had landed in the engine section. The troop 
ran quickly, yet quietly, through the winding halls of the ship, to their date 
with destiny, when several mechanical clanking noises made themselves heard a 
couple of metres a head. The troop wasted no time jumping to action. Almost 
before the twelve robots had appeared, Cloud and Acturus sprung into the air, 
Cloud's sword slicing through a robot, and Acturus' staff slicing neatly through 
two more. Barret and Vincent let off a stuttering slavo of bullets, turning 
robots to hot, fused slag as the bullets found their targets. Yuffie's shuriken 
sliced through robots repeatedly, while Lightning struck from the ceiling 
repeatedly, fusing robot after robot. That would be Red, Cloud thought, as he 
sliced through another. His sword came around to attack another robot, the fire 
lancing out to meet the oncoming metal, and was stopped by another fire, a 
bright orange. Acturus. He grinned sheepishly, pulling the staff away, realizing 
that he and Cloud had both just slammed their weapons into each other. 
 
  The troop resumed its trek to the bridge of the ship. There was no 
conversation between them, no doubt recounting their last encounters with 
Sephiroth and Jenova. Cloud himself, mulling over the possiblity that Mother 
Jenova may be able to exert some sort of twisted, obscene control over him, and 
force him to attack his friends. He knew that with his SOLDIER training and new 
sword, that he was almost unstoppable. Drawing his thoughts back to the present, 
he realized that they had reached the bridge. Three figures stood illuminated in 
the gloom. One familiar, on the left, the others, not so familiar. The lights 
came on, causing Cloud and the others to wince. 
  "Greetings, Cloud." Sephiroths face was unmistakeable. It's just an illusion, 
Cloud told himself.
  "I've been waiting for you, son" the figure in the middle grated. "I am your 
mother, Jenova."
  "Hummmm. Now, scum, you will die!" said the third figure, a young man about 
the same height and build.
  "Jus' who the hell are you?" Barret demanded, whirling the gum arm towards the 
newcomer. 
  "I am Peregrine," the figure said, waving an arm towards Barret and the 
others. "Back!!" All in the room, with the exceptions of Cloud and Acturus, were 
swept several metres away. Peregrine loosed a chilling laugh. A medium length, 
wicked looking Katana style sword appeared in his hand. He took a step towards 
Acturus. He responded by extending the staff. Peregrine swung, the sword 
deflecting harmlessly off the staff. Striking again and again, the two slowly 
moved away, absorbed in the clashing weaponry. Cloud turned his attention back 
the the illusionary Sephiroth.
  "Well Cloud, shall we begin," he said, the familiar and powerful Masamune 
appearing in his hand. Cloud shuddered, and drew the Ultima Weapon. And with 
that, the two familar enemies squared off for battle. Again. Mother Jenova 
looked on with aplomb, seeming oblivious to the loud fights between her sons. 
She glared at the remainder of the Highwind crew. "You are mine. I have decreed 
you will die". 

And that's when the monsters began to fall from the roof. Dark, twisted 
distorted creatures, nightmarish ones, and ones that were just big. Barret 
readied his gun-arm. Things were not looking good.

END OF CHAPTER 5