Under the right circumstances, I do think Sephiroth would choose his friends over Jenova. And that he would be able to recognize Genesis, Angeal, and Zack’s love for him over that of mumsy’s toxic facade. You don’t even have to get the mind shenanigans involved—I just genuinely think that, with enough time dedicated to their friendship, Sephiroth would reach a point in his life wherein he wouldn’t trade the raw, tangible, and existing love of his best friends for anything in the cosmos.
Ultimately, Sephiroth chose Jenova because he felt like he’d lost everything: Gast, Genesis, Angeal, and the illusionary comfort that’d allowed him to serve ShinRa for so long. He chose her because his trust in humanity had been eroded beyond repair. He chose her because, after seven days of seclusion, his own fantasies were the only thing he had left to cling onto. He chose her because Reality was too painful, and the intoxicating delusion that someone—may they be human or a creature in a tank—loved him unconditionally, and always would, was able to numb the repeated betrayal that had skinned alive up to his point.
…So, what would happen if that unconditional love did exist?
What if Genesis never left?
What if Angeal never died?
What if Zack grew closer to him?
Because, personally (and in a completely hypothetical sense), I do think that Sephiroth would value his existing relationships over Jenova’s promises. I think he would see that the bond he shares with AG/Z holds the same validity, weight, and value in his life that a connection with his mother would entail. We know from CC that Sephirotn is willing to sacrifice company orders to keep Angeal & Genesis safe; in Ever Crisis, we see him actively fighting Jenova’s illusions and choosing to stand by Angeal’s side. And from Tseng’s line about AG being Sephiroth’s only friends + the flashbacks seen throughout CC, we can infer that AG were a very important part of Sephiroth’s life, and that they kept him anchored to sanity in a way that proved to be irreversible once their friendship ultimately fractured.
All is to say: Sephiroth loved his friends.
So much that he never recovered from losing them.
And would never, ever give them up.
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