Ooh, very interesting. If I was Cloud, I'd be going batshit, too.

I have to agree with the previous reviewer about how abrupt the first few chapters are, but I certainly forgot about the first part when all the rest of the plot starting happening and snagged my interest.

Please update! I'd love to see how the massacre is resolved. *evil laugh*

Ah, I just had to respond to your Author's Note. While I understand what you say about having the "u" behind mako-, in Japanese, having the "u" hiragana behind "o", the pronounciation will be "o", so it's a prolonged sound of "o", whereas if they had put doubles of "o" hiragana, you would have to pronounce "o" twice -for instance Oosaka. Therefore, technically, having o and the line on top is correct (in fact, that was how a local japanese teacher taught it to me)

Hmm, this is an interesting plot. A criticism would be in the fact that the characters do seem...out of character. Since this is a fanfiction, it can be negligable, but Cloud has seemed to have lost quite a bit of his character. How he "stopped" Sephiroth from going insane was a little too abrupt, and emotions do not tally to the situation. So ddep into his reading, Sephiroth would by then be half-mad and overly obssessed or absorbed into his reading. He would be remembering and believing that his whole life was an experiment, and he would hate those that subjected him to the life of torture, and reading about Jenova, he would get angrier and more indignant (of the furious kind). Sephiroth has a very strong character - not in terms of how much he can take and bear, but in terms of dominance, stubborn-ness, etc. What Cloud did would not have been enough. There would be alot of cajoling, reasoning, evidence, and even outright shouting matches (and given his state of mind, there would even be slight violence...). It is understandable that at the end of it, the feel of something human and physical would soothen the harried mind, and just hearing someone say he loves you (even if you do not believe it) with the pysical touches could ground you, I don't think Sephiroth would be in the calm and controlled state of mind as before the mission.

Another point is the conversation flows. They seem too constructed. As if the characters already know what's going on, or they know the future that they shouldn't know, because they simply do not have or are not privvy to the necessary information to come to the deduction. Cloud would have no way of knowing that Sephiroth would go insane and destroy the world with what he was reading (and he did not even know what Sephiroth was reading, and who wrote them, til Sephiroth said it himself. Perhaps Zack would be able to come to the conclusion, since he was daring enough to snoop around the General, and close enough to be privvy to personal details about the General himself). Also, I do not believe it was Hojo's intention to destroy all of mankind for himself. It was more like an obsession to create a God, and obsession with Jenova, all that warped his mind and thus..."mad scientist". I would say that he think the masses as..unfit and below himself and his creations.

That said though, you have interesting ideas. Working out a few kinks and polishing up the plot, weaving them together would make it beautiful Thank you for posting these ideas and chapters online! Don't give up!!

Godspeed,
-thecookiejar.

Wow, very intriguing!

wow i just started reading this and it great...i cant wait for more...

Update soon!

That's because the poem is a lot creepier than you realize. I saw a documntary years ago (bordom reared its head...) & it said 2 things about it. It originated in London during the time of the Black Plague- each line is a symptom. I think you know what "we all fall down" means. Over 80% of the pop died during then...

oh you are crule, "DaD...?" THE YOU ENDED IT!! oh how could you? *sigh* oh well, joy comes to those who wait *snort* or so they say. but i luved it and cant wait to see what happens next -^~^-

Yippe KaiYay!

Thank you, thank you for the update so son... *bows low*

*settles down to read*

Magic Light eh? Didn't know that...interesting.

Poor Seph, seeing Cloud like that.

Excitment. It was a bit dumb of Zack to allow Hojo to hear that Aerith was an ancient...but then Zack isn't the brightest materia in the box...

Of course, I assumed that the voice talking to Cloud was her, but then...no...his father...

Err.. did you mean: Feel a deep seeded need for a reunion.”

or deep seated need?

Can't wait for the next update - it's really rather scary. I'm afraid for both of them.

THE REVIEWING FOOL

PS
Well..a pocket full of posies - atishoo atishoo (as in sneezing - nothing to do with tissues...they didn't exist until recently) we all fall down - is after all English... popularly believed to be sung about the Bubonic plague in of London in 1665 and Black Death in Europe in 1340s. This has been contested however.
(well, this issue is irrelvant to the story :D

I like this chapter. Nova's scary >.<

Kisses from Argentina!

Beautiful chapter. Those that have an issue with the spelling of "makaou" clearly aren't familiar with the game's original origin and should keep uneducated nitpicking to themselves.

Brilliant work!

Ok I planned on letting it go but it's driving me insane! It's 'Mako' Not Makou...sorry! But otherwise...awesomeness! I love Cloud's new look weha!

some closure with the graves for Sephiroth and Zack.
That journal entry is mighty creepy.
Now, to get Cloud under control, you will update soon, right?

*squeeky fanfare* Sephirocks to the Rescue!

Yippee...

(only he's pissed...hm)

Well, as Cloud, I'd be mass murdering pissed too...esp. to be kept away from Sephylocks...

Dammit - you know I had to read the story over again because I'd forgotten it...:))

Looking forward to the next update (hope soon? *hopeful begging look*

THE REVIEWING FOOL

Scary image.
I keep imagining Aeris with white hair...
You know, I never really paid much attention to the physical similarities between Seph & Aeris until you said that.

Enjoying this. Can't believe I haven't read it.