Chocobo's Final Fantasy Haven
Ray Pang
Story
Story
Story |
CHAPTER VITHOSE ANNOYING BATSThey
reached Rocket Town the next day. Like Wutai, it had grown,
but not nearly as much. As they walked down the street they
saw perhaps a dozen new houses. As they passed between two of
them Cait stopped and pointed to the north. "Hey,
look at that." They
saw the top of a rocket poking out of the treetops. "He
must be building a new one," Tifa said. "Let's go
take a look." They
turned and hurried north. As they came out of the trees they
saw the new rocket in front of them. It looked quite similar
to the old one, but was obviously still under construction and
a long way from completion. There were still gaping holes in
the hull, and they could see a dozen technicians working on
the interior. The
launch pad was covered with pipes, electrical lines and
construction equipment. They worked their way trough the maze
until they saw Cid talking to two other men at the base of the
rocket. "Cid!"
Cloud called. He
turned and waved. They walked over to him. "So,
how do you like it?" he said as the approached, waving
his hand at the ship. "It's going to be a beauty! Twice
as powerful as the old one. If all goes well we should be done
with her sometime next year. You guys up for another trip into
space?" "I'm
not sure we're quite ready for that," Cloud replied.
"Looks like you've been working hard. I guess one trip
into space wasn't enough for you." "Ha!"
Cid spate out. "That was nothing. That just gave me a
taste and now I'm anxious for more. Who knows, with this baby,
we might even be able to reach another planet!" "Where
did you get the funding?" Red asked. "Well,
we're still a little tight there," Cid admitted.
"But I got a lot of investors once they saw that the
first rocket actually worked. Plus, we're cutting expenses as
much as possible. I've even used a lot of parts from the
Highwind." "You
took apart the Highwind?" Barret said in surprise. "Yeah,
we needed the parts. Anyway, who needs an airship when you can
have a spaceship. Besides, I've still got the Tiny
Bronco." "But
the Tiny Bronco can't fly," Cait said. "It
can now," Cid replied. "Sounds
like you've been keeping busy," Red observed. "Things
couldn't be better, actually," Cid said. "So what
have you guys been up to. I hardly expected to see you all
back here together. Are we having some sort of reunion?" "Kind
of," Cloud replied. He explained the situation. Cid
nodded when Cloud had finished. "I
see. Well, it s kind of busy here but I'm sure I can find the
time to give you a hand. It shouldn't take too long. How about
if we leave tomorrow morning?" "That
would be fine," Cloud agreed. "Okay,
then why don't you guys head over to my place. No sense in
staying at the Inn. Just tell Shera to break out some extra
cots. I'll be back as soon as I can finish up here, but it'll
probably not be till late." Just
then a man came running up, he seemed very agitated and was
shouting Cid s name. Cid called and waved him over. "What
s all this about?" he demanded. "Captain,
you've got to come quick," he shouted as soon as he saw
them. "The Turks have got Shera!"
"Why the hell didn't she have the sense to duck out of here when she saw them coming?" Cid said angrily. The were all standing in the living room of his house. "I'm
sure she would have if she had the opportunity," Tifa
said. "Don't
count on it," Cid replied. "She never did have much
sense. I've half a mind to just let them have her." "You
can't be serious," Tifa cried. "No,
I suppose not," he replied grudgingly. "But we know
it's not her they want. What do you think they'll do it we
don't show up?" The
Turks had left a message to meet them at the foot of the
nearby mountains if they ever wanted to see Shera again. "It's
the Crystal Materia they want," Cloud said. "And
they obviously have either a trade or a trap in mind. Shera is
just a means to an end to them, but that doesn't mean they
would just let her go if we don't fall for it. They can be
ruthless if they have to. Remember, it was Reno who set off
the bomb that destroyed the Sector 7 slums." "We
haven't forgotten," Barret said grimly. "So
what are we going to do then?" Cid asked. They
all looked at Cloud. "We'll
have to go see what they have to say, at least," he said
after a minute. "But not all of us. Cid and Red, you two
come with me. The rest of you stay here. This way, if it's a
trap, they won't get all of us, and you'll have an opportunity
to try to get us out of it if we have problems." He
walked over to Tifa, who did not look pleased with the plan,
and took out the Crystal Materia. "Here,"
he said. "You better hold on to this. If we do fall into
a trap we have to be sure this doesn't fall into their
hands." She
hesitantly reached out and took the materia from him. He
turned and motioned for Cid and Red to follow him. "Cloud,"
Tifa said as he walked toward the door. He
turned to look at her, and for a moment he thought she was
going to protest. "Be
careful," she said finally. "Later,"
he replied and led the others out the door.
They headed south out of town. The mountains loomed in front of them, and it wasn't long before they were walking up a steep path that wound into the foothills. They came around a narrow turn and saw the Turks standing idly on the path in front of them. Cloud
drew his weapon as the Turks turned to face them. "I
told you they'd show up," Reno muttered to Elena. "Where's
Shera?" Cloud asked grimly. "Give
us the Crystal Materia and we'll let her go," Reno
suggested. "I'm
afraid my answer is the same as it was last time you
asked," Cloud replied immediately. "Not
likely." Reno
smiled. "Where's
the rest of your little party," he asked. "Sneaking
around behind us?" "We
leave the sneaking to you Turks," Cloud answered.
"They're not here. We don't need their help to take on
the likes of you." "Very
arrogant of you," Reno replied. "Still, I think you
may come to regret that. Shera is in a cave just down the path
behind us. She's there for the taking if you can get past us.
On the other hand, when we defeat you, the Crystal Materia
will be ours." "Apparently
I'm not the only one who suffers from a touch of
arrogance," Cloud replied. "Shall we have at it
then?" Cid
and Red came up beside Cloud. This time Reno and Rude closed
in immediately to battle Cloud and Cid, while Elena and Red
stayed in the back and started out casting defensive spells.
Reno knew Cloud's fighting skills well, and did not stand toe
to toe with him, but instead dodged quickly in and back out,
never giving Cloud a clear target. Most of the time Cloud's
sword, fast as it was, cut only air. Even when he did get a
hit, it was softened by the magical barriers, and Rude was
quick to cast cure spells whenever one of his partners was
injured. Still, Reno was spending so much time dodging Cloud's
blows that he had little time to try to cause any damage
himself. The
others seemed pretty evenly matched as well. Cid and Rude were
trading blows to Cloud's left, but neither one seemed to be
getting the better of the other. Occasionally Red or Elena
would attack one of the others, or the whole group, with a
materia spell, but each time the other would counter with a
defensive spell or a cure. They
fought for some time, neither team seeming to get the upper
hand. After a while they all were beginning to tire, with
neither side seeming to gain an advantage. Cloud was just
beginning to think that maybe he should have brought some of
the others, when, as if by mutual consent, the Turks suddenly
broke off the attack and turned and fled up the path. Cloud
hesitated for a moment, surprised by the suddenness of the
retreat, Then he was after them. Not even looking to see if
the others were following, he ran up the path and around the
turn the Turks had just disappeared beyond. Cid
was right behind him. Red trailed a little behind. "That
seemed awfully easy," he commented, but the others did
not appear to hear. They
came around the turn. There was no sign of the Turks, but a
cave mouth loomed on the left ahead. "That
must be the cave," Cloud said. "C'mon." He
ran for the cave, the others following not far behind. About
twenty yards in front of the cave mouth the ground suddenly
opened up below them and they plunged down into darkness. Cloud
hit the water with a splash. The others almost landing on top
of him. He came up to the surface immediately. Not
more water, he thought. He
looked around. They had fallen into a pool of dark water in
what appeared to be some sort of deep shaft. The was a rotting
wooden platform to their left, and beyond it a tunnel that led
into the darkness. He looked up to see a square of light
perhaps thirty feet above them. Reno,
Rude and Elena stepped out from behind some nearby rocks and
walked over to the mine entrance they had so cleverly
concealed. They looked in to see Cloud and the others looking
up at them. "I
guess I forgot to tell you to watch that first step,"
Reno said with a smile. "Cowards,"
Cid shouted. "You knew we were going to kick your ass.
And I guarantee you we will as soon as we get out of
here." Reno
laughed. "I
don't think you're in any position to make threats," he
replied calmly. "We'd be happy to supply you with a rope,
in exchange for the Crystal Materia, of course." "Still
trying to negotiate?" Cloud answered. "We don't need
your rope. We'll find a way out ourselves." Elena
looked at them skeptically. "Not
likely," she stated. "Have
it your way," Reno said. "I didn't think for a
minute that you would listen to reason. That mineshaft goes on
for miles, but there is no other way out. If you go into those
tunnels all you'll do is get yourselves hopelessly lost. You
won't get far in any case. There's some very nasty creatures
down there who don't like visitors. Say hello to them for us
when you see them." Reno
laughed again and the they turned and walked away down the
path. As soon as they were away from the mineshaft he turned
to the others. "We'll
let them rot in there for awhile. It's likely that something
down there will kill them all and save us the trouble. Then we
can just go down and help ourselves to the Crystal Materia. In
the meantime I think we might want to head back to Rocket
Town. Cloud is no fool. It just might be that he left the
materia with the others."
"I'm sure they're fine," Barret said. Tifa
did not reply, but continued pacing nervously around the room.
She would have felt better if she had gone with Cloud. And she
would have felt much better if he hadn't given her the Crystal
Materia. For some reason just knowing that she had it filled
her with foreboding. She wished he had given it to someone
else. She had almost asked Barret to take it a several times,
but had changed her mind each time. Suddenly
there was a knock at the door. They all looked at each other. No
one had any suggestions as to who it might be. Barret
shrugged and walked over to the door. Cait and Yuffie went to
either side as Barret opened it. "Well,
I'll be damned," Barret said, suddenly breaking into a
grin. "This really is turning out to be just like old
times." He
stepped out of the way as Vincent Valentine walked in. "Vincent,"
Cait and Tifa both said in surprise. Vincent
looked at tehm all grimly as he came in. "It
is good to see you all again," he said. "But I am
afraid this is more than a social visit. It appears we both
need each other." "What
do you mean?" Barret asked. They walked over and all sat
down around a table in the living room. "Cloud
is walking into a trap. The Turks are going to lure him into
an abandoned mine, then either finish him off or let the
creatures in the mine do it. Then they'll take the Crystal
Materia for themselves." Tifa
shook her head. . "They
can't get the materia from him." "Why
not?" Vincent asked. "Because
he doesn't have it," Tifa replied. "I
see," Vincent said. "Then he'll have nothing to
negotiate with. In any case, if he ends up in the mine he'll
never get out by himself. The mine is a huge maze. There are
ways out, but you have to know the way. I can get him out, but
it's too dangerous to go by myself. I also know where they're
holding Shera. If you come with me, I think we can get them
all back safely." Barret
was looking at Vincent with a strange expression on his face. "That's
all well and good," he said, "but how do you know
all this?" Vincent
returned his gaze evenly. "I
know because I know who hired the Turks. I know because it's
someone I'm very close to, or was. I know because
it's..." He
paused, and for a moment Barret thought he saw a great sadness
in Vincent's eyes. "Lucrecia,"
he said finally. "Lucrecia hired them." Yuffie
looked at him with both puzzlement and shock on her face. "But
why would Lucrecia hire the Turks to fight us?" she
asked. "She
didn't hire them to fight you," Vincent replied.
"She hired them to get the Crystal Materia." "But
why?" Tifa asked. Again
he did not respond at first. At last he spoke the words as if
it pained him to say them. "You
want to use the materia to bring back Aeris. But if it works
it can bring back any of the Ancients, or maybe even her
son." The
others looked at him in shocked silence. "Sephiroth?"
Yuffie exclaimed finally. "She wants to bring back
Sephiroth?" Vincent
nodded. "I'm
afraid she's not thinking clearly," he said sadly.
"In fact, it may be that she is not in her right mind at
all. She doesn't seem to realize that Sephiroth nearly
destroyed the planet, and was only out for his own gain and
would have killed her along with all the rest of us. She's
obsessed with the idea of bringing him back. She told me of
her plans, she told me all about it. That's how I know so
much, you see. But she turned against me when I opposed the
idea. She called me a traitor, said I didn't really care about
her at all. I wanted her to stop, I begged and pleaded with
her to stop, but I couldn't get through to her. She's even
attacked you, my friends, to get what she wants. I can't just
stand by and watch her do it, I have to try to stop her, no
matter how I may feel about it." He
ended lamely. The others looked at him sympathetically. All
except Tifa, who was thinking about the Crystal Materia. She
had never thought about the possibility that it could be used
to bring back anyone but Aeris. It seemed to her now that
obtaining it had been a foolish and dangerous thing to do, and
their innocent quest to save her could turn into something
dark and deadly, not just for them but for everyone on the
planet. It would have been better if they had never found the
materia, or if they just destroyed it. They would not be able
to use it then, but no one else would either. She took it out
and held it in her hand. It might be better for them all if
she just smashed it right now. She
knew she couldn't do that. Whatever might happen, she couldn't
destroy their last hope of resurrecting Aeris. At least not
without Cloud's consent. She would just have to make sure the
materia didn't fall into the wrong hands, but now the burden
felt twice as heavy. "So
what can we do?" Barret asked. "Come
with me into the mines. I know them well. We can rescue both
Shera and Cloud that way, but it is too dangerous to try by
myself. It will still be dangerous, but we may be able to make
it together. In any case, we should leave right away. The
others are in grave danger." "Good,"
Barret agreed. "But I don't think we should all go. Cloud
wanted the Crystal Materia to remain here, and I don't see any
reason to change that. Yuffie, you come with Vincent and
me." He
turned to Tifa. "You
and Cait stay here. This way the materia is safe and someone
is here to tell Cloud where we went, on the chance that he
escaped the trap and comes back." "I
don't want to stay," Tifa protested. "Don't
argue with me," Barret retorted. "You know as well
as I do that the materia has to be protected now more than
ever. We just can't chance it." Tifa
sighed but said nothing. She did not like this latest
development one bit, however. "Okay,
lets get going," Barret said. They
got up and started out the door. "Take
good care of things while we're gone," Barret said to
Cait. "Don't
worry," Cait replied. "We'll make sure nothing
happens to the materia." Tifa
said nothing, but just watched them walk out the door, more
worried than ever.
"Well, it looks like we're not getting back out that way," Cloud said, looking up. They
were standing on the wooden platform next to the water. Red
looked down the tunnel which was the only other way out. Cid
sat on the edge of the platform smoking a cigarette. "Do
you think the others can find us here?" he asked. "I
suppose," Cloud replied. "But it might be hours
before they get here. I don't think we have the time to waste.
We've got to try to get ourselves out of this." "So
into the tunnels it is then?" Red asked. "Into
the tunnels it is," Cloud agreed. The
tunnel sloped slightly upward as they walked into it. Cloud
was in the lead, his sword ready, Red behind him and Cid in
the rear. Cloud didn't know whether the Turks had been
bluffing about the creatures down here, but he thought it wise
to be prepared for anything. It seemed unlikely that Reno
would trap them down here without some sort of nasty surprise
waiting. The
tunnel turned sharply and then divided in two. The right hand
side plunged downward while the left seemed to remain level. "So
which way do we go?" Red said. Cloud
peered down each tunnel, listening carefully. Finally he shook
his head. "I
guess we'll just have to pick one at random. We'll just keep
making lefts," he decided. "This way at least we'll
be able to find our way back." He
led them down the left hand passage. It was narrow and
twisted, so they could not see very far ahead. They passed
side tunnels half a dozen times, and each time chose the left
hand passage. They went on for quite some time this way,
always on guard but seeing nothing threatening. Time seemed to
crawl by. Cloud wasn't sure how long they had been down here,
but it seemed like hours. He was just thinking that maybe they
would have been better off waiting for the others when they
came around a turn and saw a flickering light ahead. Cloud
moved forward cautiously. He could see a large chamber ahead
of them. It flickered with light that was obviously cast by
fire. He edged up to the end of the passage and peered out. He
could see fires burning brightly at either end of the chamber.
In the center of the cavern stood a square wooden cage. Shera
sat in one corner of the it, unmoving. At first he thought
that, except for her, the room was deserted, but then a shadow
flickered though the air. He looked up and saw that the
ceiling was crowded with dark figures. He retreated back to
the others. "We've
found Shera. But she's being guarded by giant bat like
creatures." He
motioned for them to follow and led them back to the entrance
so they could see for themselves, then they retreated again. "There
must be dozens of them," Cid said. "I don't think we
can take them all on." "If
we can get Shera and get back into this tunnel we might be
okay," Cloud said thoughtfully. "It's too narrow for
them to use their numbers against us. They could only come at
us one or two at a time. We could hold out a long time." "A
long time," Red agreed, "but not forever. It's not
going to do us much good if we get Shera and can't find our
way out. We have to find an exit first." "We
could spend hours looking for an exit," Cid countered.
"And even then there's no guarantee that we'll be able to
find our way back here, or that Shera will still be here when
we do. I say we get her now while we have the chance and trust
to luck to find the way out." "It'll
be twice as hard to search for an exit once we have alerted
these creatures to our presence," Red retorted. "And
it doesn't look like Shera will be going anywhere anytime
soon. The prudent thing to do would be to find the exit
first." They
both turned to look at Cloud. He
looked back down the passageway. It would make sense to find
the exit first, but he felt pressed for time. He wondered what
the Turks were up to while they were trapped down here. It
seemed in hindsight that perhaps it hadn't been such a good
idea to split up the group. He had a feeling they had to get
out of here as soon as possible. "We'll
get her now and trust to luck," he said. "But there
are too many of them to just run out there. We need some kind
of diversion." They
edged back to the entrance and looked out carefully. A narrow
path led down from the tunnel they were in onto the main
chamber floor. Shera's cage was perhaps thirty yards away, in
the middle of the room with nothing around it. "If
one of us ran out there and attracted their attention,"
Cloud whispered," the others may have time to get Shera
out." "That's
fine for everyone except the person who attracts their
attention," Cid replied. "It won't do us any good to
exchange one prisoner for another." "If
he could keep moving, he might be able to get back to the
tunnel after we get Shera out," Cloud said. "It's
risky, but I don't see what else we can do." "So
who's the poor fool who gets to go out there?" Cid asked.
"It's
my idea," Cloud replied. "I'll go. As soon as you
see them come after me, get Shera, then get back in the
tunnel. I'll circle around the chamber and join you
here." "No,"
Red cut in. "I'll go. The job requires speed and agility
more than strength. With my four legs I'm more than twice as
fast as you. I'm the logical choice." Cloud
hesitated. He had not expected anyone to object, but he had to
admit that Red had a point. Finally
he nodded. "Okay,"
he said. "You just have to keep their attention for a
minute or two. As soon as you see us get Shera, get back here
as fast as possible." "Right,"
Red replied. He crept up closer to the entrance and crouched
down. He remained still, staring out into the chamber for a
moment, only his tail twitching occasionally. Suddenly he
leapt out as one of the bats flew by. He caught hold of it
with his claws and they both tumbled to the floor together.
Then he was up and dashing across the room. There was a flurry
of activity above their heads and suddenly shadows began
swooping down all around him. Cloud
waited a moment to give Red time to get far enough away from
the tunnel entrance. "Now!"
he said, and ran out of the tunnel straight toward the cage,
with Cid close at his heels. Shera looked up at the commotion
when Red had run out, now she stood and turned toward them as
she saw them coming. Two
bats swooped down out the sky, but with a flash of sword and
spear they fell to the ground. Cloud and Cid ran on until they
were next to the cage. "Get
back," Cloud said. Shera
stepped back and Cloud swung his sword. The wooden poles of
the cage where no match for hardened steel. In seconds the
poles were kindling and Shera was free. "Now
quickly, back to the tunnel," Cloud shouted. They
turned and ran back. Cloud chanced a look over to see how Red
was doing. He could barely make him out in the tangle of
shadows across the room, but he could see he was still on his
feet. Some of the bats saw them and came back to attack, but
most of them still clustered around Red. The few that got in
their way were quickly dispatched. They reached the tunnel and
stopped safely inside. Cid and Cloud turned to see Red
fighting for his life against more than a dozen bats at the
far end of the chamber. They both pulled out materia orbs. Red
scrambled along the wall, desperately trying to keep from
being trapped. He knew the bats would overwhelm him if he had
to stand and fight. He was quicker than they were, but their
flying ability made up for that to a great extent. In spite of
his speed he eventually found himself cornered. Just
then a double flash of fire and ice blasted the bats that had
blocked him in to the left. Clawing ferociously at the bats
nearby he broke free in that direction, then dashed back to
the relative safety of the tunnel, where he paused with the
others, panting. "That
wasn't as easy as I thought," he said. "It
s not over yet," Cloud replied. "Shera, are you
okay?" "Yes,"
she said. "I'm unhurt. Thank you." "Save
the thanks for later," Cid said. "Right now We've
got to get out of here. Which way?" "Like
we said before, we have to trust to luck," Cloud replied.
"Let's go." He
led them back the way they had come as fast as Red and Shera
could go. At the first turn off he headed in a different
direction. At each turn thereafter he picked a tunnel at
random. He tried to keep track of all their twists and turns,
but it was just about impossible. Every once in a while a bat,
or a group of them, would block their path, or come up behind
them, and each time they had to stop and fight. Soon Cloud was
acutely aware that they were completely lost. Even
if they were lost, he knew the bats were keeping track of
them. Though now they no longer attacked, he could hear the
rustle of their wings behind them whenever they paused, and
occasionally saw the red glint of their eyes. He knew the bats
could not take them in the narrow tunnel, but how long would
that last? They couldn't run around down here forever. He
turned into another tunnel which led down a steep set of
steps. At the bottom they stopped at the entrance to a large
chamber, so dimly lit that they could not see the other side.
Cloud stopped them and turned to look back up the stairs. He
could see dark forms coming down the steps. He hesitated for a
moment, unsure. The steps were safer, but they would have to
fight there way all the way back. He looked around the
chamber. It appeared empty. Perhaps they could get across
quickly. "C
mon" he said, and ran out into the room. The others
swiftly followed. As they neared the center of the room he saw
the dark outline of another tunnel ahead of them, but before
they reached it a figure stepped out of the tunnel as raised
it's hands. Instantly
the cavern was filled with light as fires flared up to their
left and right. They looked up to see that the ceiling above
was literally crawling with bats. They halted and looked at
the figure who stood in their way. In the firelight they could
easily make out her features. "Lucrecia,"
Cloud said.
"Would you sit down and relax," Cait said. "You're driving me crazy. I thought Barret was bad." "I'm
sorry," Tifa replied, but she did not sit down. "I
can't help but worry. It's so frustrating to be sitting here
when I know the others are in danger." "I
know how you feel," Cait replied. "But there's
nothing we can do about it. I'm sure they'll all be
fine." "I
know," she said. "It's just that it seems like hours
that they've been gone. Don't you think they should have been
back already? How long do we have to sit here and wait?" Cait
shrugged. "I
don't know," he replied. "Even if they get into
trouble, I'm sure one of them will be able to get back here.
It could take them a long time. They weren't going on a
picnic, you know. At any rate, I don't think it would help if
we ran off as well." Tifa
shook her head. What Cait was saying was true, but that didn't
mean she had to like it. She just wished they'd get back! Cait
was concerned as well. Even though he had confidence in his
friends abilities, it had been a long time that they had been
gone. "I'm
worried too," he said. "But it s not going to help.
Come and sit down and have a drink. Your nerves are shot, and
it'll help you relax." Tifa
didn't think it would do much good, but she was about to
accept his offer when they heard footsteps outside the door. "Finally,"
she said. She started over to the door but stopped when it
opened to reveal Reno and Rude. Cait
jumped up out of his seat. "Run,
Tifa," he cried. "I'll hold them off!" Tifa
turned to run for the back door, only to see Elena coming from
the kitchen behind them, cutting her off. Reno
stood in the doorway and folded his arms across his chest. "You
sure know how to make a person feel unwanted," he said
casually. "What
do you want?" Tifa questioned fiercely. "I
think you already know that," Elena responded. "You're
not getting the Crystal Materia," Cait said angrily. Reno
looked at Rude. "I
told you Cloud wouldn't bring it with him," he said
smugly. Then he looked at Cait. "Thank
you for verifying that for us," he said. "I'm afraid
that you don't have much choice. You're no match for us
without your friends. Hand it over and we won't be forced to
hurt you." Tifa
looked around desperately. Now that she realized what they
were planning she knew she could not let the materia fall into
their hands, but she also knew that they were probably right.
She and Cait couldn't defeat them alone. Still,
she knew she had no choice but to defend the Crystal at all
costs. Without
a word she slowly walked over to Reno, head bowed. A smile
spread across his lips, but it disappeared as she suddenly
launched a vicious kick at his groin. He dodged enough to take
it on the hip instead, but it still knocked him off his feet.
He stumbled back and fell to the floor. "We're
more than a match for the likes of you," she said
defiantly. For
an instant he did not move, then he turned and slowly got up.
He looked at her furiously. "You're
going to pay dearly for that," he said. "I
wouldn't be too sure about that," said a strange voice. They
all turned to see a someone standing in the doorway. He wore a
black cloak and was carrying a long sword, and for a moment
Tifa almost gasped in shock because she thought it was
Sephiroth. But looking at his face she saw it was not. The man
had short dark brown hair and darker features than Sephiroth,
though the same green eyes that glowed as the mark of SOLDIER.
"Who
the hell are you?" Rude questioned. "That's
not really important," Tarkin replied, looking at Reno.
"What is important is that you are interfering in
something you do not understand. Things you cannot understand.
None of your small minds can comprehend what you are really
dealing with here. You are like children playing with a deadly
weapon, and it's just a matter of time before you do something
that will destroy you all." "What
kind of nonsense is that?" Elena demanded. "It
is not nonsense, " Tarkin countered. "It is deadly
serious. It is also unimportant. It doesn't really concern me
whether you destroy yourselves or not. What does concern me is
the Crystal Materia. I am afraid I cannot let you take it. In
fact, I can assure you that it would be in your best interests
to just walk out the door right now and never bother these
people again." "C'mon
Reno," Elena said, "let's just kick his butt
too..." She
stopped as Tarkin turned and looked at her sharply. Tifa could
almost feel the power emanating from him. She had felt the
same feeling from Sephiroth, and she shuddered inwardly. Even
though he didn't look like him, they way he spoke, the way he
acted and moved, all reminded her vividly of their former foe.
"I
don't know who you are, but we don't need any help," she
found herself saying, even though she knew it was not true. "Be
silent," he said and turned to stare at her. The look hit
her like a physical blow. He
turned back to look at Reno. For a long time they just stood
there, staring at each other, and Tifa could feel the power
flowing between them. Finally Reno looked away. "Maybe
this isn't the right time," he said slowly. He looked at
the other two. "C'mon,
let's get out of here." Elena
seemed about to protest, but Tarkin looked at her again and
she said nothing. The Turks turned and walked slowly out of
the room without another word. Tifa
felt totally lost. Who was this guy and where did he come
from? How did he know so much about what they were doing? She
wanted to thank him for helping them, but she had the distinct
feeling that he hadn't done it for their benefit. In fact, she
felt that she was in greater danger now than they had been
when confronted by the Turks. She suddenly realized that she
was slowly backing away from the man. He
turned to look at her again, and laughed coldly. Even that
reminded her of Sephiroth. "You
have no need to fear me," he said softly. "At least,
not yet." He
looked over at Cait for a moment, then, still chuckling,
turned and strode deliberately out the door. Tifa
looked at Cait, but he said nothing. She quickly walked over
to the door. She could see the man walking away. She closed
the door, turned, and leaned up against it. "Now
that was really weird," she muttered. Tarkin
continued down the road, still laughing to himself. The irony
of actually helping Cloud and his friends was just too much,
he thought, shaking his head. Lucrecia was such a fool sending
the Turks to interfere. She could have ruined everything
without even realizing it. As it was she had forced him to
reveal himself. He really didn't think that would matter now,
but one never knew. The funny thing was that they were both
working for the same goal. It wasn't enough to bring Sephiroth
back, Cloud also had to pay for what he had done. But she was
so shortsighted! Let them keep the materia, let them do the
dirty work. She didn't see that in order for the revenge to be
perfect, Cloud had to be the one to bring the materia into the
lifestream. Cloud had to be the one to bring back Sephiroth!
Lucrecia looked at them darkly. "You
have slain my son," she said. She spoke evenly, neither
angrily nor sadly. "But you have also obtained the means
to bring him back to me. You can redeem yourselves. You can
right your wrong. Give me the Crystal Materia so I can have my
son back." Cloud
glanced up. There seemed to be hundreds of bats in this room.
Many more than had been in the previous chamber, and they were
out in the open, exposed. "Lucrecia,"
he said slowly. "We didn't want to hurt your son. But
don't you see what he was doing? He was going to destroy the
planet. He was going to destroy all of us. We had no
choice." "He
would not have done it," she answered sharply. "I
know he did some things he shouldn't have. I know he had his
problems. But they weren't his fault, and he could not have
done all these things he was accused of. Now give me the
Materia. I know you didn't mean to hurt him. I do not wish to
hurt you, I do not wish to see any further death. But you must
give me the Materia." Cloud
looked at the others. "Should
I tell her we don't have it?" he whispered. "I
don't think she'll be too happy to hear that," Cid
observed. "I
suppose not," Red agreed, "but she's going to find
out eventually." Cloud
glanced around one more time, but there was no where to run.
He decided to tell her the truth. "We
don't have it," he said. "What
do you mean?" she questioned. "We
didn't bring it with us," he replied. "We thought it
would be too risky. We left it with the others." Lucrecia
stared at them, and Cloud saw a look of anger pass across her
face. "I
should slay you all," she said sternly. "But I will
not kill you needlessly. You shall remain here as my
prisoners. You shall never see the light of day again unless
the Crystal Materia is delivered into my hands." "Lucrecia,
stop this." They
all turned to see Vincent, Barret and Yuffie walk into the
cavern from a tunnel off to the right. Lucrecia stared at
them, anger plain on her face. "I
told you never to come back here!" she said sharply. "I'm
only here to help my friends," Vincent replied. He walked
over to Cloud, seemingly unconcerned by Lucrecia's anger or
the bats flew restlessly above their heads. "Is
everyone all right?" he asked. "We're
fine," Cloud replied. "Good,"
he said. "C'mon, let's get out of here." "They
must give me the Crystal Materia!" Lucrecia shouted. Vince
turned and looked at her angrily. "Leave
them alone," he said. "They did nothing wrong.
Sephiroth would have killed them if they hadn't killed him
first. Just like he killed all those other people." "I
won't listen to you!" she cried angrily. "They must
stay here. If you try to leave I will have my bats destroy you
all!" "Your
bats will not attack me," Vince replied evenly. "I
have just as much power over them as you. They will not harm
my friends while I am here." He
motioned for them to follow and walked back over to Barret and
Yuffie. "Vincent!"
Lucrecia said. "Do not defy me. Help me. You cared for me
once. Those feelings can't be all gone. You couldn't help me
then, but do so now. Help me get my son back!" Vincent
stopped and looked down at the floor. Slowly he shook his
head. "Give
up this foolish quest before it destroys you," he finally
said. "I
cannot," she replied. "It is all I have left." "If
you believe that than you are already dead," he replied.
"But I don't believe that. My friends and I are leaving.
The only way to stop us is to kill us. Do you wish to add more
blood to your son's legacy?" He
motioned for the others to head back to the tunnel he had
first emerged from. "Please
don't do this," Lucrecia said, and now there was no anger
in her voice, only sadness. They
walked into the tunnel. Vincent last. He turned and looked
back at her one more time. She stood unmoving in the
firelight, no longer looking foreboding or evil, just very
much alone. "It
doesn't have to be like this," Vincent said. "Come
with us. Help us attempt to heal some of the damage Sephiroth
did. In the end you might heal yourself as well." "My
wounds are too deep for that," she answered. For
a moment more he looked at her, then he turned and followed
the others into the darkness.
"So this guy just walked in and scared the Turks off without any explanation?" Barret asked. Night
had fallen by the time the others returned. Now they were all
gathered in Cid's living room. "That's
right," Tifa replied. "It was the strangest
thing." "And
you have no idea who he was," Cloud said. "No,
I've never seen him before. Have you, Cait?" Tifa said,
looking at him closely. Cait
shook his head. "Never."
"Well
if that don't beat all," Barret said. "Looks like
we've got a mysterious benefactor on top of everything
else." "Whoever
he was, he was not our friend," Tifa replied quickly.
"I'm sure of that. There was an unmistakable feeling of
coldness about him. It seemed to me he wouldn't have thought
twice about slitting our throats if he thought it
necessary." "So
then why did he help you?" Cid questioned. "I
don't know," Tifa said. "I don't think he did it for
us. For some reason, he did not want the Crystal Materia to
fall into the Turk's hands. I think he has his own plans for
the Materia, but what that might be, I have no idea." "If
that were true, then why didn't he take it from you
himself?" Cloud asked. "I
don't know," Tifa said emphatically. "The whole
thing just doesn't make any sense to me. I had the feeling
that if he had wanted the materia, he could have taken it from
us. I don't know what stopped him. I don't know what his plan
is, but one thing I know for sure, he doesn't have our best
interests in mind." They
all fell silent, digesting this newest information. Cloud did
not like this latest twist in their adventure. He had thought
things were becoming clearer now that they knew who the Turks
were working for, and what they wanted, but now this. What was
he supposed to make of this? Who was this person? What was he
after? Was he friend of foe? Tifa obviously thought he was a
foe, and he had no reason to distrust her judgement. But if so
what did he want, and how did he know so much about them? It
disturbed him that he had no answers to these questions, but
even with these new developments their mission was unchanged. "Irregardless
of whether this person is working for or against us, we still
have a mission to complete," he said. "Cid, you
didn't get to tie up the loose ends on the rocket today as you
had planned. Can we still leave tomorrow morning, or will we
have to postpone it?" Cid
shrugged. "We
can go," he said. "I was just being a mother hen.
The rocket is in good hands, and they can live without me for
a few days. If we take the Bronco it shouldn't take much
longer than that. Tomorrow morning will be fine." "Good,"
Cloud replied. "Well, I suggest we all relax for a while
and then get a good night's rest. Whoever this mysterious
person is, I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him. I've a
feeling what he is up to will be apparent soon enough." Cid
grunted in agreement and the gathering broke up. Most of the
others went off into the rooms where they were going to be
sleeping. Cid turned to look at Shera, who was cleaning up in
the kitchen. "Shera,
what the hell are you doing?" he asked . She
looked at him questioningly. "Cleaning
up," she responded. "Sorry I didn't have time
earlier." "You've
had a tough day," he said. "Go get some rest. You
can clean up tomorrow." She
put the cup she was holding down on the counter. "Okay,"
she said. "Thank you, for everything." "There's
no need to thank me," he said quickly. "Now go
on." She
walked out of the room. Cid watched her go, shaking his head. "You're
lucky to have her." Cid
jumped. He turned and saw Vincent sitting in a darkened corner
of the room. He had thought he and Shera were alone. "Her?
What are you crazy?" he responded. "She's caused me
nothing but trouble since the first day I met her." "She
is devoted to you, and it is obvious you care for her more
than you let on. Don't make the mistake of taking her for
granted." "Oh
please." Cid began, then "...is it really that
obvious?" Vincent
nodded. "Man,
I must be losing my touch," Cid muttered. "I
envy you, my friend," Vincent said slowly. "Oh
stop it," Cid said. "My life ain't so great. And
things could get better for you too. I'm sure Lucrecia will
come around." Vincent
shook his head. "I
have little hope of that," he said sadly. "All I've
ever wanted to do was please her, and something has always
prevented it from happening. If anything the rift between us
has grown, and now the gap is so wide that I am afraid no
bridge can span it. She has been poisoned by life's
bitterness, and the flower I once knew has grown withered and
dry. Even if I were to grasp it in my hand now, it would
merely turn to dust." Cid
didn't know what to say. He never considered himself what you
would call a deep thinker, and Vincent's philosophical bent
usually went right over his head. This was way too heavy for
him. Still, it didn't take a genius to see that his friend was
in a darker mood than was usual, even for him. "I
think you need to relax for a while and forget about your
troubles" he said, walking into the kitchen. " And
there's nothing better at helping you do that than a stiff
drink."
"Barret." He
turned as he was about to enter his room and saw Tifa coming
up to him. "What's
up?" he asked. "I
wonder if you can do something for me," she said. "Name
it," he replied. She
hesitated. "It's
probably nothing," she said finally. "Just kind of a
feeling I got. I wouldn't want to bother the others with it.
And I certainly wouldn't want to spread any unfounded
rumors." She
stopped again, as if not sure how to continue. "Just
spit it out," he prompted. She
nodded. "I
want you to keep an eye on Cait." He
frowned. "What
makes you say that?" he questioned. "Like
I said, just a feeling," she replied. "He hasn't
done anything to make me suspicious, not really. But he
deceived us once when he was spying for Shinra. I would hardly
say it's a stretch to think that he might do it again." Barret
looked at her like he thought there was more to this than she
was letting on, and indeed, that was exactly what he thought.
If she had suspicions about Cait, why had she waited until now
to broach them to him? In spite of her statement to the
contrary, he must have done something. "Sure,
I'll keep an eye on him if you want me to. I have to admit
it's difficult to trust Cait after what he did in our last
adventure," he said bluntly. "But in the end he
helped us fight against Sephiroth and Shinra. Not to mention
that he helped us find the vault at Shinra headquarters just
recently. You didn t seem to harbor any suspicions then. Did
something happen while we were gone?" She
hesitated again, which made him sure he was right. The only
question was whether she was going to share the information
with him or not. "Like
I said," she replied. "I don't want to spread any
rumors. Especially since I could be reading this completely
wrong. It's just that before our mystery man left, he and Cait
looked at each other and I thought I saw something in the way
Cait looked at him. There was something in his eyes. Something
like..." Barret
looked at her impatiently. "Like
what?" he blurted out. "Recognition,"
she replied slowly.
"Cloud." Aeris
voice. He heard her as clearly as if she were standing in the
room right next to him, and for a moment he almost opened his
eyes to look. But he didn't. He knew the voice was in his
head, yet he also knew that it was not from his own mind that
the voice came. He had no doubt that the voice was her's, and
her's alone, even though she might not be in the room with him
but someplace far away. "Aeris,"
he said without speaking. "Aeris, we're coming for
you." For
a long time there was no answer, and he sensed some kind of
hesitation or perhaps confusion. But her voice was calm and
even when she spoke again. "It
is not necessary." Now
he felt confused himself. "Don't
you understand?" he said. "We want you to come
back." He
sensed amusement. "But
I haven't gone away," she replied. "I've been there
with you all along, just as you have been with me. We are all
part of the planet, no matter what form we take. You have no
need to feel sorry for me, or for what happened." Cloud
shook his head. "But
I don't just want you to be here in spirit," he replied.
"I want you here for real. I want to see you standing
before me. I want to see you and touch you. I want to bring
you back to this life and I think we may have found a way. Are
you telling me you don't want to come back?" "Being
there in spirit is real," she replied softly but
emphatically. "Your senses tell you that is not true, but
your senses can be deceived. But no, I do not begrudge you
your quest. I just want you to be sure of your motives. You
owe me nothing. What happened was my fault, if anyone's, but I
chose freely, and I accept my fate. You must decide if you are
searching for me or yourself." "I
don't understand," he said. "Let
go of your anger and your guilt," she replied, "and
then do as your heart tells you." "My
heart tells me to go on," he said immediately. "But
your heart is troubled," he said. "and that prevents
you from seeing things clearly. You do not see the road ahead,
it is dark and dangerous, and going down the wrong path will
lead you swiftly to disaster. You may find that it demands
sacrifices you are not prepared to make. You must be sure of
yourself." "We've
been down many a dark and dangerous road before," he
said. "Indeed,
but this time..." Then
there was silence. "Aeris?"
Cloud
waited, but he got no response, and suddenly he felt deeply
troubled. He thought something had happened to her. Someone,
or something, had abruptly cut her off, even as she had been
in the middle of trying to tell him something important. What
had happened? He
called to her for some time, but there was only silence. Try
as he might, he could not reestablish contact. Eventually, and
inevitably, he fell into a fitful sleep.
|
Contact
Music (FF7) |
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Author: Frank Verderosa, all rights reserved. |