Final Fantasy VII: The Story 2nd Instalment
Emerald Princess of Vernea
Chapter Forty
Deep inside the great North Crater, past its three arduous barriers and winding, rocky paths, there was a secret cavern that lay veiled from the rest of the world. Until five years ago, not a single soul had set foot in this cavern. Its secrets—secrets that had lain buried for more than two thousand years and were as old as the planet's wounds—had not been disturbed since that time. The intruder of five years previous had done nothing to awaken the planet's darkest secret and so it continued to sleep, watch, and wait.
Now a number of people were entering the cavern. There were three in total. The first was Rufus Shinra. The folds of his long white coat swayed gently behind him as he walked at a steady pace into the cavern. As he passed through the cavern's entrance he was suddenly bathed in a dazzling blue light coming from somewhere above him. He stopped and looked into the light.
Behind him came Scarlet. The woman walked boldly and with poise, strolling into the cavern as if she owned it all simply by being there. Her red silk dress reflected the light coming off the walls. As she gazed upon the contents of the cavern her thin lips widened into a covetous grin. She did not gaze upon the glowing rock face and bask in its beauty as Rufus did. When Scarlet looked at the crystalline walls her thoughts went immediately to the money. She laughed, her voice resonating off the walls.
"Wow!!" she chuckled. "That's amazing!" The sight of the wall sent pleasurable shivers down her spine as she began to count the capital. Gently she touched her soft lips with the tips of her fingers. Hungrily, she bit the tip of her finger.
As Scarlet walked closer to inspect the glowing wall, the third and final person entered the cavern. Hojo walked into the cavern with his hands behind his back. He looked around the cavern with only vague interest, noting every detail down in his mind for future examination. Though he was impressed with the levels of mako flowing in this obviously important cave, it was not the most important thing on his mind. His thoughts were on something far more important than the Shinra's hopeless search for the Promised Land. He glanced around the cave once more, thinking.
Scarlet stopped beside the wall. She leaned over to inspect it, the side of her dress falling teasingly over her thighs. Though the wall was dark it glowed with a dark blue hue—a sign of the compressed mako that made it. Satisfied, she turned her gaze upward and gasped. Up in the high reaches of the cavern, a giant cocoon of branches wound their way across the roof. The branches were built like a web or giant nest.
The source of the cavern's light came from above, as the mako wall from outside shone down through the crater and flickered through the branches. The light above the branches was so bright they could not see what lay beyond it. What they did know, however, was that it was rich in mako.
"It's all Materia!!" said Scarlet in awe.
"The outside is rich with Mako energy," said Rufus, also looking up at the cavern roof. "The inside is a treasure trove of Materia. This is truly the Promised Land."
Behind the two, over by the cavern's entrance, Hojo snorted noisily. "There is no such thing as the Promised Land," the scientist said scornfully. Scarlet turned to look at him. Hojo looked around the cavern in distaste, before turning his nose up at it all. "It's a legend… an old wives' tale… …It's utterly ridiculous."
Ignoring Hojo's blasé remarks, Rufus continued to gaze up at the mako-filled cavern. He smiled. "Everything's as I imagined it to be. Isn't it splendid?" Hojo guffawed loudly. Rufus frowned and glared at the scientist angrily, his blue eyes blazing. "It is that kind of dullness that makes you a second-rate scientist," he said sharply. Hojo said nothing and turned away from the president, instead focusing his attentions on the cavern entrance.
Rufus continued to glare at the bumptious scientist, considering sending him back to the airship. Suddenly the cavern began to shake violently. The Shinra president rocked from side to side, his arms spread to keep his balance. Scarlet struggled to stay on her feet in her ridiculously high heels. The sound of a roar rumbled from the depths of the mako wall. The three turned to face the wall.
"What's happening?" Rufus demanded.
Regaining her balance as the quake subsided, Scarlet stepped forward to examine the wall. As she approached something moved within the wall and she stepped back rapidly, her eyes wide with fright. "It's coming from within the wall!" she cried, near hysterical. "Something's in there! It's moving!"
"Weapon… Then it really does exist…" Hojo murmured softly to himself. Scarlet and Rufus turned round to face the elder scientist. As the two turned, a large outcrop in the rock face opened up. A large eye peered through the opening, its iris and elliptical pupil the same texture and shade as the rock. "I didn't believe in it," Hojo said, as the eye blinked at them and then closed again. No one saw it move.
"What does this mean?" Rufus asked him.
Slowly Hojo turned around to face the president and Scarlet. Truth be told, he had almost forgotten that they were there. But it was no matter. They would learn what Weapon was soon enough. After looking at Rufus, to Scarlet, and back to Rufus, he began to recite what he knew of Weapon. "…Weapon. Monsters created by the Planet. It appears when the Planet is in danger, reducing everything to nothingness. That's what was stated in Professor Gast's report."
"I never saw that report…" said Rufus, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. He crossed his arms and stared hard at the Professor Hojo. "Where is it?" he asked.
Hojo smiled and turned away. He tapped the side of his head. "Here, right here."
"You keep a lot of things to yourself," said Rufus, scowling at him. Behind them, the eye of Weapon opened once more, fixing its piercing stare upon the three.
Meanwhile, Red XIII and the others were still waiting on the windy path outside of the crater. They knew nothing of the events occurring inside the crater, nor did they know about their friends' encounter with Sephiroth shortly after leaving them. But as time ticked by, Red XIII became more and more concerned. He found himself unable to keep still. He paced around until Barret ordered him to sit and keep still. Red XIII obeyed, but his tail continued to twitch. Where were they?
Every now and then, Red XIII would stop and looked back at the Black Materia, which was still clipped behind his ear. He still felt very uneasy about having such a powerful and very dangerous piece of materia in his possession, and he had to keep checking to make sure that it was still there. He could not let Cloud down. He could not let the Black Materia fall into anybody else's hands.
After checking the Black Materia, Red XIII looked around at the others. They were quiet and solemn, waiting patiently. The hound's tail twitched. The silence was making him uneasy. He needed to hear something… anything!
"I wonder how Cloud and the others are…" he said suddenly, glad to hear the comfort of his own voice in the silence. No one paid attention to him. That did not surprise the hound, but he continued anyway. "It's hard to believe… such a small piece of materia is able to destroy the Planet…"
Red XIII lowered his head and sighed heavily. The air around him flashed. The hound jumped up in astonishment as he saw that the others had vanished. The path was empty. They had been standing beside him just a moment ago but now, in the blink of an eye, they had gone!
As he watched, the air began to thicken as green-black smog descended upon him. It seeped in from nowhere, hiding the path and the crater from view. It blocked even the bright glow of the mako below him. Red XIII backed up nervously as the vapour spread underneath his paws. Fear crept over Red XIII. The fur on his back and neck stood up straight as he looked through the green-black landscape he was now in.
"What the!? Is everyone all right?" Red XIII called. His mouth felt muffled and sticky, as though it had been stuffed with cotton wool or glue. His words were dull, barely passing through his jaws before vanishing into the emptiness. There was no reply. Desperate to hear someone's voice, Red XIII ran forward, his head twisting left and right in a frantic search to find somebody—anybody! "What's going on?" he yelled as he ran. "Where am I? Don't leave me alone!"
"Red XIII, you're here! I'm so glad!!"
Red XIII stopped in delight as he saw Tifa running towards him. So glad he was to see her smiling face that he almost pounced on her, but he kept himself in check. Tifa ran toward him, her face red and breathless, as though she had been running for a long time. As she slowed and stopped, the green-smog evaporated, revealing the path once more. But Red XIII barely noticed, so happy he was to see her.
"Tifa!!" he said happily, and bounded over to her. He was so overjoyed he didn't notice the difference in her scent. A difference he would have noticed—should have noticed—if it were not for the confusion. "Something is strange…" the hound said to her. "Why was it dark all of a sudden and where is everybody?"
"Everyone's waiting!" Tifa interrupted him, leaning over and panting heavily. After pausing for a brief moment to take a few deep breaths, she looked up pleadingly at Red XIII. "Cloud's in trouble! Please come. Help us!" She pointed to the crater. "Over there!" Tifa looked back at Red XIII, her eyes desperate.
Seeing the look in Tifa's eyes pushed away any doubts he might have had. "R, right!" he said, standing up. "I'm not sure I understand… But I'll go if you want me to." Giving her a reassuring nod he ran forward, running with all his strength toward the crater. Tifa watched him go, a grateful look in her eyes.
When Red XIII disappeared over the ridge, Tifa turned away from the crater and looked down the path. A strange smile spread on her face and she chuckled. "And remember…" she said. Her body began to flicker, her image fading. Then it vanished. "…The Black Materia!" finished Sephiroth, spreading his arms and laughing.
"Mr. President…" said Scarlet, her eyes wide and trembling as she looked around the cavern. "I've got a bad feeling about this place…"
Rufus nodded in agreement. He was beginning to feel the same. When they entered the cavern it had been peaceful and serene. Now a sense of malevolence was beginning to grow deep within the cavern walls. Whatever it was that was moving in there… Weapon or otherwise… clearly did not want them in there any longer.
"Hmm… maybe we should go back to our ship now," he advised, turning to her. "We need to prepare for the inspection anyway." Scarlet nodded, thankful.
Scarlet and the president turned to go. Only Hojo remained where he was. The Shinra scientist continued to gaze around the cavern, his eyes occasionally straying to the network of branches that crisscrossed across the top of the cavern. There was nothing. Sighing in disappointment, he turned to follow the president.
Suddenly the cavern flashed white and three figures appeared in the middle of the chamber. It was Tifa, Cloud, and Yuffie, returned to their actual location when Sephiroth's magically induced illusion ended. The two women were staring in silence at Cloud, whose head was lowered and had his back to them. His shoulders had sagged. He did not seem to notice the change in location. Scarlet, recognising the party from the reports received from Heidegger and the Turks, glared at them.
"Hey!!! Where did you come from?" she shouted at them.
Tifa and Yuffie glanced anxiously at Cloud, who had not moved since Sephiroth's departure. The swordsman let out a soft sigh before slowly lifting his head. "…Don't know…" was all he said in reply. He turned to face those behind him. His face was weary, his eyes heavy. There was a strange isolation about him, like all the life and will to fight had been suddenly drained from him. The look startled the likes of Tifa and Yuffie, and even Rufus, who raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Cloud shook his head. The throbbing pain in his mind had deadened now, leaving just a tiny pulse echoing in his mind. But the voice was still there. Struggling to raise his eyes and meet the gazes of the others, Cloud spoke. "This place is going to get rough," he said. "Better leave things to me and get out of here while you still can!"
"Leave things to you?" said Rufus doubtfully. "Hmph… I don't know what you mean." His eyes narrowed and looked at Cloud. Cloud stared back at him, holding his gaze for only a brief moment, before he hurriedly turned away and looked at the floor.
"This is where the Reunion is happening," he answered. His lips began to tremble, and he fought to control them. "Where everything begins and ends."
"Cloud!!" shouted Tifa. Unable to watch this any longer, she started to run forward.
Then Tifa stopped as the sound of running feet echoed down the tunnel and Red XIII ran into the cavern. The hound was panting heavily, breathless after running all the way from the outside of the crater. He looked around warily at the inside of the cave. He saw Yuffie, the people from Shinra and, to his surprise, Tifa. Then he saw Cloud, and quickly remembered why he had come. He bounded over to Cloud.
"I'm here! I'm here to help you, Cloud!" the hound called, stopping by the cave door.
Slowly, steadily, Cloud raised his head. His head throbbed as he moved. Holding his head in both hands, he shook it gently. The pain was growing again. It was spreading from his mind to the back of his eyes—sharp jolts of pain that made his vision waver and darken. When he looked up he saw Red XIII. The air around him had blurred to hazy fuzz, leaving only the hound in clear view. Cloud took a few unsure steps. The pain returned, sharper than before—he was becoming impatient. The swordsman paused for a moment to shake his head once more, before walking the last few steps toward Red XIII.
"Thanks… Red XIII," said Cloud, his voice sounding strained and flat despite the vastness of the cavern. He looked up at Red XIII. The haze had spread around the hound. Now only his head was clear. Cloud blinked. "Where is the Black Materia?"
"Cloud!!" yelled Tifa again.
Red XIII replied, "It's safe. I'm holding onto it." To prove to Cloud that he still had it, he tilted his head to the side, revealing the feathery clip he wore just behind his ears. In the clip's thick metal band was the Black Materia, resting soundly in its curved slot. The materia's black surface was dull, though a cloudy night blue was swirling inside it. Cloud's eyes widened a little as he saw it and he smiled a little. Then the smile disappeared as Cloud turned his eyes to the ground.
"I'll take it from here," he said, his voice a whisper. "Give me the… Black Materia."
"You can't hear my voice?" she said, shouting as loud as her voice would let her. But her words did not seem to reach Cloud and Red XIII. The sound of her voice died before it could reach him. Either that or Cloud had chosen to ignore it—to block it from his hearing. He was drifting away from her. Tifa very much wanted to run forward and grab him, to stop him from doing what he was doing, but she could not move. Whether by her will or not, she could not move. All she could do was watch.
"Are you all right, Cloud?" asked Red XIII, craning his neck to look up at Cloud. The swordsman nodded slowly. Red XIII shifted nervously, his claws scratching the surface of the rock. Finally, he made up his mind. "Then… here you go. I was a little apprehensive holding this thing."
Tifa's eyes widened. "No, don't!!! Please stop, Cloud!"
Cloud stepped up and took the Black Materia from Red XIII. The hound sighed with relief and shook out his mane, glad to have the burden of carrying the materia taken from him. Cloud stepped back, holding the materia close to his chest like he was cradling a dear child. He looked up. He had a sad, almost forlorn smile on his face.
"Thanks…… Leave the rest to me," he said. Even as he spoke an image of Sephiroth burned in the back of his mind. The long, silver lengths of hair that framed his face shimmered around a wide smile. Sephiroth's glowing eyes were wide and expectant, the pupils contracted into dots, eyeing the Black Materia impatiently.
Come on. The Black Materia.
The image faded. Holding the Black Materia firmly in his hands, Cloud slowly turned to face everyone in the cavern. Rufus and Scarlet were staring at him, their confusion plainly visible in their faces. Hojo was watching him curiously, his thoughts as unreadable as the rock. Yuffie, the proud ninja of Wutai, carefully avoided his gaze. Only Tifa looked at him directly. The fighter stared at him, her eyes wide.
"Everyone, thanks for everything," Cloud began. He looked up and glanced around at everyone in the cavern. "And… I'm sorry." Taking a deep breath, he began to turn to each of his friends in turn. First, he turned to Yuffie. "…Sorry," he said. The ninja swallowed deeply. She could not bring herself to look at him. Cloud turned to Red XIII. "…Sorry," he said to the hound. Finally Cloud turned to look at Tifa, who was beginning to shake. His eyes softened as he looked upon her.
"Especially you, Tifa," he said. "I'm really sorry. You've been so good to me…… I don't know what to say…" He shook his head. "I never lived up to being 'Cloud'. Tifa…… Maybe one day you'll get to meet the real 'Cloud'."
Tifa could not take it any longer. Her legs buckled beneath her. She fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Tears fell unrestrained down her cheeks, trickling off her chin to fall in puddles on the rocky floor. She covered her mouth with her hands, but it did nothing to stop her tears. She wanted to punch the ground so hard that it opened up to the planet's core, where she could give her sorrow to the planet. The sound of her mournful tears echoed throughout the cavern.
Then, over the sound of her tears, came the horrible sound of Hojo's triumphant laughter. "Ha, ha, ha…" the scientist laughed. His face was euphoric. Cloud turned to face him. "This is perfect!!! It means that my experiment was a complete success. What number were you?" Hojo looked down at Cloud's arm. His smile ceased. "Huh? Where is your tattoo?"
"Professor Hojo…" said Cloud hesitantly, walking up to the scientist. "I don't have a number. You didn't give me one because you said I was a failed experiment."
"What the--?" Hojo turned away. "You mean only a failure made it here?"
"Professor… please give me a number. Please, Professor…"
Professor Hojo turned back, his face fierce. "Shut up, miserable failure…"
Cloud sagged, his last sense of self shattering into pieces within his heart. He did not belong here either, it seemed. Suddenly his mind burned with Sephiroth's image and he felt himself being lifted up from the ground, carried by someone else's will. Despairingly Cloud looked up into the nest of branches above, searching for some shred of fellowship within the piercing light. The light was cold and hurt his eyes, but he refused to look away.
He was hovering now, floating in the middle of the cavern just beyond everyone's reach. Cloud glanced down long enough to see everyone staring up at him, startled and afraid. Cloud then closed his eyes and submitted to the force that was holding him. Instantly he shot upward, breaking through the lower canopy of branches and disappearing into the nest.
"Who… was that?" asked Rufus, looking up.
Hojo answered him. "…He's a Sephiroth clone I created after the real Sephiroth died five years ago. Jenova cells and Mako, with my knowledge and skills, have been combined with science and nature to bring him to life. …I'm not wild about the failure part, but the Jenova Reunion Theory has been proven." The professor came forward, his thin lips twisting into a smile. "You see, even if Jenova's body is dismembered, it will eventually become one again. That's what is meant by Jenova's Reunion.
"I have been waiting for the Reunion to start," he continued. "Five years have passed, and now the Clones have begun to return. I thought the clones would begin to gather at Midgar where Jenova is stored. But my predictions were not entirely correct. Jenova itself began to move away from the Shinra Building."
Up in the branches of the nest, Cloud sat upside down on a branch. His legs were drawn up to his chest, his forehead resting on his knees. He hugged his arms close to his chest, the Black Materia still in his hands. He held onto it tightly as he listened to what Professor Hojo was saying down below. As he listened he slowly uncurled himself and stood up, glancing down at the gathering below.
Professor Hojo was still talking. "But being the genius that I am, I soon figured it out. You see it was all Sephiroth's doing. Sephiroth is not just content to diffuse his will into the Lifestream; he wants to manipulate the Clones himself."
Cloud sat back down. Yes, that was how it got started, he thought.
"I wondered where the clones were going, but I was never able to figure it out."
I couldn't figure it out either. Cloud leaned his head against the branch behind him.
"The one thing that I did know was that Sephiroth was at their final destination."
Cloud sighed heavily. I wasn't pursuing Sephiroth, he thought to himself bitterly. I was being summoned by Sephiroth. All the anger and hatred I bore him made it impossible for me to forget him. That and what he gave me.
Cloud swallowed hard and pushed himself to his feet. He looked around at the upturned nest. The branches wound around him, piercing through the light. They seemed to grow directly from the rock, pushing steadily downward. Cloud looked around… searching for Sephiroth.
Sephiroth? Sephiroth? I'm here, Cloud said with his mind, knowing Sephiroth would hear him, wherever he was. And I brought you the Black Materia. Show yourself to me. Where are you?
A sudden feeling in the back of Cloud's mind made him turn around. Cloud turned to face the very centre of the nest. Here the branches grew thickest, winding down to a central point a little ways below him. Cloud looked up into the light, where the bottom of a crystal could just be seen poking through one of the upper canopies.
Sephiroth… So we finally meet again.
Cloud stepped up to the edge of the branch. The nest began to shake as he moved, the branches quivering perilously back and forth. The branches supporting the centre canopy snapped, releasing the crystal it held secreted within. The crystal slipped from its grasp, sliding down the few feet toward the bottom. Rocks and twigs tumbled from the nest toward the people below. Rufus and Scarlet ran from the cavern as the twigs fell, Scarlet screaming for her life.
Inside the crystal, a lone figure was sleeping. Though human in appearance, the body from the waist down had gone, dispersed into the Lifestream before the protective crystal could contain it. The torso above was bare, revealing the well-built chest, strong face, and long silver hair of Sephiroth. The swordsman's eyes were closed in sleep. However the spirit inside was all too awake.
The disturbance of the nest caused a great disruption in the cavern. An earthquake began to rupture the walls around them. Small chunks of rock became dislodged from the wall, crumbling to the ground. The ground shook and a deep growling noise rumbled from within the wall.
Even as the rocks fell, Hojo looked up at the nest in delight. "Did you see it!! It's Sephiroth! So he IS here!" The scientist laughed heartily, his eyes burning almost feverishly. "This is perfect! Both Jenova's Reunion and Sephiroth's will! They won't be diffused into the Lifestream, but gathered here!" He laughed again.
"What are you so happy about, Professor?" Tifa barked, her eyes livid as she glared at the mad scientist. "You know what this means, don't you? Cloud has the Black Materia! Sephiroth is going to summon Meteor! Every single person is going to die!"
Hojo simply looked at her and smiled. Tifa clenched her fists tightly. Didn't he care what happened to the planet—to the people that lived on it? She was about to smack that conceited smirk from Hojo's face when Rufus walked back into the cavern.
"What I say now is too little… too late……" he said. "We must evacuate. He looked around at Tifa and her friends. "I want you all to come with me," he told them. "There is still much more I want to hear."
The three companions hesitated. Despite how much danger they were in, with the cavern beginning to break apart around them, the last thing they wanted was to put their lives in the hands of the Shinra. They looked up. Cloud had stepped down from the branch and was now floating in midair in front of the crystal where Sephiroth slept. Red XIII ran forward, shouting over the roar of falling rock.
"Cloud, NO! Stop! Please!"
As they watched, Cloud began to float down away from the crystal. The young swordsman keeled over, holding his head tightly in his hands and moaning as though in pain. Suddenly he was pulled up again toward the side of the crystal.
"Cloud------!!" called Tifa.
It was no use. Cloud could not hear her. The unseen force that held him was pulling him toward the crystal. The sound of the cavern breaking apart and Tifa's voice was drowned out by the call of Sephiroth, demanding the Black Materia. Cloud shook his head, pushing all doubts aside, and moved toward the crystal. He held out the Black Materia as he pushed his hand toward the crystal.
The crystal's surface liquefied at Cloud's touch, becoming a water-like substance that allowed Cloud's hand to enter the crystal. He extended his hand and released the Black Materia to Sephiroth's will. As Cloud pulled his hand away the materia began to glow, emitting a dark black light that filled the crystal and cast an eerie light over Sephiroth's face and torn torso.
Sephiroth's face remained unmoving as the crystal began to vibrate with incalculable power. Bolts of lightning and swirls of dark cloud began to erupt from the materia's surface, filling the crystal with its powerful energy. As the crystal shook the nest shook with it, sending great tremors down the branches toward the cavern walls.
Down below, the eye of Weapon snapped open as the ground began to shake and tremble violently. Tifa and the others fled for their lives as the ground began to burst from the inside, as though something large and powerful was trying to force its way out from deep beneath the planet's surface. The tremors caused the crystal to fall free of the nest, and it fell to the cracking ground. The abandoned nest then fell apart as the waves of mako flowing above crashed down into the cavern like a raging waterfall.
Outside, a great beam of light rose from the depths of the North Crater, bursting past the barriers and swirling wall and up into the night sky. The pillar of light expanded, shattering the mako wall and beginning to spread further across the outer crater. As it moved, the Shinra airship took flight, speeding away from the crater as fast as possible.
Inside the crater, a great being awoke and stepped out of the darkness. Giant in size and covered with a body of great dark blue armour, its yellow eyes flashed as it was brought from the darkness of sleep and into life. Lightning surged past its body as it rose swiftly from the crater, breaking free from the mako light and into the sky, where it vanished into the night.
A long, metallic arm rose from the icy depths. Long fingers, tipped with sharp claws, dug deep into the ice as a second creature climbed from the crater and onto the surface. It was another giant, with shoulders as massive as the inner crater, and emitting a red light from its face, presumably its eyes. As it clambered up from the ice and let its massive frame stand on the planet's surface, it raised its arms and roared.
On the airship above, Cait bounded over the deck toward Tifa and the others, who had gathered at the railing to see what was happening. They saw the two giants emerge from the ice, felt the fear that was brought with them as they broke through to the surface.
Suddenly the airship shuddered, and those on board toppled and fought for balance as the deck tilted from side to side. They turned to find that a third monster had risen from the crater's depths and was hovering alongside the airship. This one resembled a great metallic dragon that rivalled even Neo Bahamut in size and strength. It hovered beside the airship, a red-pink hole in the centre of its chest glowing like a beacon in the night.
The dragon looked down at the airship, which was meagre in size compared to its great bulk. This knowledge was visible in the dragon's eyes, which were as red as fire. The monster roared, and all those on board the airship had to cover their ears to block out the noise. The hole in the dragon's chest began to pulse, and blue ripples of light began to swell in front of it. It was preparing to leave.
The crew of the airship rushed to turn the ship around, and were only halfway through a turn when the dragon surged forward. The shockwave created by the dragon's passing skimmed the side of the airship, causing it to rock precariously back and forth once more.
On deck, Tifa struggled to keep her balance as the deck rocked violently from port to starboard. The surging wind blew her hair in front of her face and fought to knock her over. She in turn fought to stay upright, fighting against the wind. Suddenly the airship rocked forward, knocking Tifa off her feet. She fell hard onto the wooden deck as Barret ran up to her, too late to catch her but quick enough to stop her rolling off the deck. Tifa glanced up at him through eyes watery and bleary from the wind before her eyes rolled back and she passed out.
Barret looked over the starboard side of the airship. The light around the North Crater gathered and exploded as four monsters burst forth from its depths, rising in waves of light into the sky. The first two rose first, exploding into the sky and flying at high speed away from the crater. Two new ones followed it, red and green, zipping through pillars of light into the distance.
As the light around the North Crater began to fade and the monsters disappeared over the horizon, the airship flew away, its passengers wondering what was going to happen next.
End of Part Nine
You have now reached the end of Final Fantasy 7: The Story 2nd Instalment. The story will continue on a separate file titled Final Fantasy 7: The Story 3rd Instalment.
Coming Soon:
Final Fantasy 7: The Story 3rd Instalment
Part Ten: Weapon Strikes