A D V E N T

FINAL FANTASY VII

C H I L D R E N

THE NOVEL
KIONAE
http://www.ffrepublic.com/id/Kionae

VinZent.StriFe

http://www.ffrepublic.com/id/VinZent.Baldwin

EDITION

BY

Sunlight filters through soft white clouds. Floating along on the breeze, drifting through those clouds, until at last, swift descent. Below... the land, a rocky, parched-looking, mountainous terrain of spires and outcroppings of stone. In the distance, the sounds of animals racing along the sunbaked ravine can be heard. A great lion-like creature, majestic and fearsome, and accompanying him, two small cubs. It is Nanaki of Cosmo Canyon. He leaps from the floor of the valley onto higher outcrops, bounding higher and higher, his young ones in tow, until the three of them reach the summit. He glances back at the cubs, then turns his head forward toward the unseen view again and roars. As he does so, the lush, green landscape surrounding the derelict city of Midgar is revealed. A flock of birds wings its way across the sky. *~*~*~*~* 498 years earlier... *~*~*~*~*

CHAPTER 1

The depths of the great Northern Crater were shrouded in a veil of clouds and fog. Snow was falling intermittently from the grey sky, as a helicopter circled high above the foreboding landscape. "Tseng! Look at this!" a woman's voice called out insistently over a radio. "Mm? Found it," a male voice replied.

"... Not much to look at, is it?"

Aboard the helicopter, Reno of the Turks slouched in the pilot's seat, looking bored as he listened in on their conversation via radio headset. He tapped his fingers against the armrest, his other hand resting lazily on the aircraft's control stick. "Who cares? Just get the damn thing..." he sighed, more to himself then to his two colleagues below in the crater. The wait was torture. "Reno. The chopper," Tseng's voice commanded, staticy over the headset. Reno quickly roused himself and sat up, bringing both hands to the controls. "You got it," he responded, half rolling his eyes. The helicopter descended into the fog encompassing the interior of the Northern Crater, flying low into the crater itself until it had vanished from sight. From the depths, the echoes of gunshots rang out. "Hey, hey, hey!" Tseng's voice called over the radio. More gunshots. "Reno! Hurry!" the woman cried, urgency in her voice, "Reno!" "Who the hell is that?!" Tseng gasped. Elena's voice cried out in pain. More gunshots and sounds of battle resounded from the desolate crater. "Elena!" "G-get out!"

"Damn it..." The gunshots continued a moment longer, and then the radio went dead with a crackle of static. The helicopter rose from the fog, speeding off to the south until it disappeared into the clouds. *~*~*~*~* Ribbons of Lifestream snake their way across the sky, casting a green hue over everything. 'Lifestream...' a young girl's voice explains, 'That's what we call the river of life that circles our planet giving life to the world and everything in it.' A glimpse of the recent past, the Sister Ray cannon at Midgar prepares to fire. 'The Shinra Electric Power Company discovered a way to use the Lifestream as an energy source.' Circling around Midgar, each of the eight reactors come online one by one, a shower of green Lifestream energy erupting from them. 'Because of Shinra's energy, we were able to live very comfortable lives. But wasn't that because we were taking away from the planet's life? A lot of people thought so.' Energy flows from the reactors to the Shinra tower at the center of the city. 'Shinra used their power to try and stop anybody who got in their way. Shinra had a special group of warriors called SOLDIER, and all of the SOLDIERS had Jenova cells put inside them.' Again, a glimpse of the past. High above the planet, Meteor looms ominously, a great rock surrounded by smaller fragments. A cloud of energy encompasses the threat from above, giving it the aura of being something alive. 'Jenova was a calamity that fell from the sky a long, long time ago and tried to destroy the planet.'

The body of Jenova rests within a tank in a darkened room.

'There was one SOLDIER named Sephiroth, who was better than all the rest...' A man with silver hair stands among a huge wall of flames. He gaze rises, revealing his eyes... they contain a look of madness and hate. 'But when he found out about the terrible experiment that had created him, he began to hate Shinra.' Sephiroth turns away and walks into the flames. 'And then, over time, came to hate everything...' Deep within the Northern Crater, images of the final battle play out. Barret fires his gunarm at an unseen foe, as Nanaki and Cait Sith leap forward to join the fray. Tifa, too, is there. 'Shinra and those who stood against them... Sephiroth, whose hate was so great he wished to destroy everything...' Cloud and Sephiroth are locked relentlessly in a one on one battle, their figures illuminated by a solitary point of light high above them. Vincent and Cid, as well as Yuffie, are seen, battle ready. '... And the people who tried to stop him.' Aeris kneels, her hands clasped in prayer, the hint of a serene smile on her lips. 'There were many battles.'

A lone material orb falls, splashing through the tranquil surface of an underground lake. 'For every battle, there was more sadness.' Cloud stands in the still waters of a wide pool and cradles Aeris' lifeless body. Slowly, reverently, he lowers her into the water. 'Someone I love returned to the Lifestream.' Tendrils of Lifestream energy, wind across the sky.

'And then it came... a fated day... In the end, the planet itself had to make the battles stop for good. The planet used the Lifestream as a weapon.' The Lifestream converges on Meteor. '... and when it burst out of the earth... all the fighting, all the greed and sadness... everything was washed away.' The ruins of Midgar pan by. Decimated buildings and unidentifiable structures. The once-great city of mako has fallen. 'Sadness was the price to see it end. It's been two years since they told me that.' A new metropolis appears. In the distance, the ruins of the old city can be seen. New buildings now project from the ground, showing that life is returning to normal. A billboard stands on the roof top of one building, "Loveless" written in bold, white lettering below the image of a woman. Sounds of engines and people filter up from the streets below. In the city center, a statue has been erected. It is in the shape of a great meteor. A memorial,

perhaps, to those lost. Vehicles and residents on foot as in constant motion all around the statue, going about their daily business. Beneath a flight of stairs, a lone child is huddled. Men and women bustle about. One some buildings, hang signs with the initials W.R.O. A small group of children gather and run off to play. "Let's go!" one shouts. "Ok!" another responds. 'But it seems the planet was much, much angrier than anyone believed...' In an alleyway, are other children... but these children are not out playing. They sit listlessly, some propped against the walls, others slumped over, their arms wrapped around their knees. One boy falls over onto his side, apparently unconscious, or worse, and a stained cloth falls from his body onto the ground.

A little girl watches over an older boy who lies ill in bed, the covers drawn up to his chin. On his forehead is a patch of blackened, discolored flesh. 'They call it Geostigma.' The boy moans softly and reaches a hand out from under the covers to rub his forehead. It is obvious he is in pain. The little girl looks on, unable to do anything to help him. The boy opens his eyes and looks at the girl. "Well... Marlene," he says, "How does it look?"

The girl's sad eyes look back at him helplessly. She forces a smile, and rises from her chair, taking a cloth in hand and placing it on the boy's forehead. 'Please... Please don't take Denzel away.' *~*~*~*~*

A statue of an angel with her wings spread, her hands held out to those who gaze upon her, stood tall atop the archway over one of the city's many streets. Children lingered in allies and streets, but the people passing by them ignored them. On one building a sign was prominently displayed. In the center of it's design, it read "7th Heaven". Somewhere, a phone rang. *~*~*~*~* Even in the middle of the day, the interior of the bar was dim and devoid of activity. Ceiling fans turned in a slow, endless rhythm overheard. A woman stood behind the bar, cleaning the glassware, and though the phone was ringing insistently, she was not in any hurry to answer it. "He's not here anymore..." Tifa sighed to the empty room. At last she turned off the water in the sink and dried her hands on a towel. Her appearance was much changed from what it once was... her hair shorter, her eyes just a little more world-weary, a pink ribbon tied around one arm. She turned and headed off toward the source of the ringing. In a room upstairs, Denzel lay in bed as Marlene watched over him.

"Cloud... Where are you?" he asked, feverishly.

Tifa climbed the stairs to the second floor, pausing for a moment in the hall to look in on the children, then moved toward the office to answer the phone. Papers and a soda can littered the desk. Next to the phone stood a picture of Cloud, Tifa, Denzel, and Marlene, that could easily be mistaken for a family portrait. "Yes... Strife Delivery Service..." she said, "You name it, we de... liv... er..." She paused as the person on the other end of the line cut her off. "May I ask who's calling?" She laughed quietly as the caller responded. "Yeah, I remember you..." she replied, a slight smile on her lips.

Alone on a cliff over looking the ruined city, a wolf sniffs at the ground. Next to it, a sword is planted in the dirt, sticking up at a slight angle. The wind ruffles the wolf's fur. It raises it's head, and looks toward Midgar. *~*~*~*~*

The soil was so dry that cracks had formed all along the surface... There was no vegetation in sight, save for some very brown clumps grass scattered here and there. Near the edge of a cliff, a Cloud sat astride a motorcycle, cell phone in hand, listening to the messages left on his voice mail. "I got a phone call from Reno and them in Healin," Tifa's recorded voice spoke, "They said it's a commission job. Cloud... have you been doing OK?" "You have no more messages," a recorded voice reported at the end of her message.

CHAPTER 2

Cloud closed his phone and put it away. As he did so, he briefly clutched his left arm, unable to ignore the slight twinge of pain. After a moment, Cloud looked out across the rocky terrain. Grey clouds drifted steadily across the sky, driven by a restless wind. Cloud hastily donned a pair of goggles before preparing to head off on his

10

motorcycle. Suddenly, he gasped in pain. Images flashed quickly before his eyes... too quickly to make them out. He clutched his arm, hidden by a long sleeve, and flexed his fingers tentatively as the pain lessened. When the it had past, he leaned low over the handle bars and sped off, sending up a cloud of dust from his rear wheel, traveling quickly across the barren landscape. *~*~*~*~* High on the cliff, where the wolf had been previously, three men on motorcycles stopped to look out across the plain at Midgar. The one in the middle kicked the sword from where it stood, and it fell with a metallic thud. "Hey Kadaj... Is that our brother's city?" asked the one on the right. He was slender and tall with long silver hair that trailed down his back. Like the other two, he was dressed entirely in black leather.

"Yeah," replied the one in the center, Kadaj, with a bemused laugh. Kadaj was shorter, and obviously younger than the other two... just a boy, really, but with a look of cruelty in his eyes. His silver hair fell just below his chin. Despite his age, he was the leader of the trio. "You think he'll be glad to see us?" the first man asked. "Not a chance," Kadaj replied, amused. "Don't cry, Yazoo," the third man quickly interjected, smirking. He was tall and muscular with short, cropped silver hair. "But Mother's with him..." Yazoo mused.

11

"Maybe not," Kadaj replied. "Don't cry, Loz," Yazoo admonished, mimicking the other man. Loz, in fact, did seem visibly upset. Kadaj turned his gaze to the plains below the cliff. "Look... It's our brother." Yazoo and Loz followed his gaze. Far below, a man on a motorcycle was speeding by. Yazoo turned away from the sight to glance over at Loz, who smirked and chuckled in response. Without another word, Yazoo and Loz revved the engines of their bikes, rocketing over the edge of the cliff and down the steep incline, heading straight for the man they'd seen from the clifftop. *~*~*~*~* As Cloud turned his head to briefly cast a glance backwards, Yazoo and Loz's bikes were catapulted into the air, flying over an outcropping of rock. They quickly fell into formation behind him. Dark shapes appeared on the ground in front of the two men's bikes, as if something evil were burrowing through the barren soil. They streaked forward towards Cloud, and as they began to catch up, they emerged, revealing themselves for what they were.

Great four-legged beasts with armored bodies.... six of them. They had a vicious look to them, and did not hesitate to attack. A compartment opened on the side of Cloud's motorcycle, revealing an array of swords. He quickly chose one of the blades, drawing it. One of the beast leapt at him, but Cloud easily cut it down and then forced the motorcycle into a skid, swinging the sword with great precision to dispatch a second. A third went down as it tried to overtake him from the left. As the creature shrieked in agony, Loz pulled up beside Cloud in the creature's place.

12

"Where's Mother?" he asked, brandishing a lethal-looking weapon attached to his left arm. He didn't bother to wait for an answer from Cloud. The weapon crackled with energy as Loz took a swing at Cloud's head. Cloud managed to avoid the attack, throwing his motorcycle into a spin. As he fought to regain control of the vehicle, however, Yazoo took the opportunity to attack from the right, firing at him with a short-barreled rifle. "We know you hid her, Brother," Yazoo proclaimed, maneuvering close to Cloud. Cloud deflected another round of shots from Yazoo with his sword, and Yazoo peeled off from the pursuit. A fourth creature attacked as Yazoo moved out of range, forcing Cloud into a skid to avoid it. A fifth beast fell into step beside it, continuing the chase. Yazoo and Loz circled Cloud, attacking sporadically as they did so. *~*~*~*~* "Don't tell me... You're leading me on," Kadaj said firmly, "Mother's really THERE, isn't she?" Kadaj was speaking into his cell phone as he watched the action below from his position on top of the cliff. He sat casually on his motorcycle. "No need to shout," he laughed, as though whomever was on the other end of the line amused him greatly. "I don't wanna talk to you anymore," he continued, suddenly becoming serious, "Put the president on." Meanwhile, Cloud was still fending off both the creatures and the two silver haired men. He struck down the fourth creature, but two more still pursued him and Yazoo and Loz still badgered him at every opportunity. Loz tried a frontal attack, sending his motorcycle into a skid directly in front of Cloud's, and forcing cloud to jump his bike right over Loz. Cloud came down hard, his bike wobbling as he fought for control. Loz was immediately after him again,

13

riding alongside Cloud on the right, his weapon poised to strike. Cloud managed to fend off an initial blow, but suddenly he was assailed by the pain in his arm once again. He gasped, looking momentarily away from Loz, but he recovered quickly and struck at Loz. Loz parried the attack, sending the sword flying from Cloud's hand. Cloud watched as it sailed away, and when he turned back, he saw that Yazoo was on a collision course with him... and there was little he could do about it. Yazoo upended his bike, sending it airborne and taking careful aim with his gun as his target rode beneath him. Cloud looks in astonishment up at Yazoo as he fired. The shot struck Cloud goggles, knocking them away, but leaving Cloud unharmed save for a small cut above his left eye. Yazoo landed smoothly behind him and resumed his chase. The two remaining creatures, too, were still hot on Cloud's trail, and as they ran, they were joined by still more, appearing from nowhere. The new creatures emerged seemingly from thin air to join the hunt. Cloud wove back and forth trying desperately to avoid them, as Yazoo and Loz fell back. The creatures surrounded Cloud, now having the upper hand. They converged on him and leapt. Cloud's fate seemed sealed as the descended upon him.

High above the battleground, Kadaj raised a hand into the air, and just as quickly as they appeared, the creatures turned to dust, vanishing in an instant. Cloud looked around in disbelief, catching sight of Kadaj on top of the cliff. Loz laughs as he and Yazoo broke off their pursuit for good, leaving Cloud to his journey. As they rode out of sight, Cloud came to a stop, turning to watch them go. Kadaj smirked, and then he too rode off, leaving a very confused Cloud alone on the plain.

14

*~*~*~*~* Not much later, Cloud's motorcycle was traveling down an unpaved, but well-worn road. Large boulders, and flourishing plant life adorned the road on either side. Once again, Cloud was checking his voice mail. "What up, foo'?! It's Barret! I am the man! Oil, Cloud. I just found the biggest damn oil field you ever seen! Survey is done, so I should be able to get out there and see Marlene soon! You let her know, alright, Spiky?" Higher up in the cliffs lay Cloud's destination. Healin Lodge. He rocketed past a sign directing passersby to the place. "Reno called again," Tifa's recorded voice said, "He says to hurry. And he sounded kind of strange. Be careful, Ok?"

Cloud drove over a short span of bridge. Healin Lodge was in sight. It was a building that looked quite small beside the mountain range that rose up majestically behind it. At last, Cloud pulled up in front of the building, parking his bike. He strode purposefully up the long flight of stairs that led to the door. He didn't bother to knock, throwing open the door while simultaneously drawing one of his swords from the sheath on his back, expecting the inevitable. Immediately, a blur of red, and Cloud was suddenly attacked by an assailant who had been lying in wait. Sparks flew as his sword connected with his attacker's weapon... an arm-length metal rod. It was none other than Reno of the Turks. Reno backed off momentarily, but only long enough to gain ground to renew his assault. Again, he struck out with the rod, charging forward determinedly. But Cloud sidestepped, and the surprised Turk's own momentum sent him stumbling

15

out the open door. Unsteadily, Reno wheeled around for another try, but Cloud slammed the door in his face. "Ok... so you're good," Reno drawls, his voice muffled by the heavy door that now stood between himself and his would-be opponent. Cloud responded by flipping the deadbolt on the door, locking Reno out, and then turned back to the now-empty entryway. Across the room, a door opened, and a second figure emerged. Cloud took a few steps away from the door, ready for another fight. This time, it was Rude. As the Turk advanced, he pulled on a pair of fighting gloves. Facing Cloud, he took up a defensive stance.

"Yeah Rude! Lookin' sharp!" Reno shouted from outside, eagerly cheering on his fellow Turk. The stoic man didn't reply. With a flick of his arm, Rude revealed a weapon identical to Reno's, but Cloud's sword was at Rude's throat before the Turk could attack. Rude said nothing, but backed off. "Good... You fight like the Soldier you once claimed to be," proclaimed a voice from the other room. The soft whine of an electric motor droned in the air as a wheelchair emerged from the doorway. Cloud turned to look, but did not immediately lower his weapon. The occupant of the wheelchair was shrouded in a white blanket, most of his body, and his face, hidden from view. He maneuvered the chair between the two men, and Rude took up a position behind him, looking every bit the stoic bodyguard. "You haven't lost your touch," the man in the wheelchair continued. *~*~*~*~* Flashback to the destruction of the Shinra Building in Midgar, its top levels destroyed by a blast

16

from WEAPON... a loan figure within tries to shield himself from the shower of glass and flame that is suddenly upon him, only to be engulfed by the explosion. The tower erupts in flames, warning sirens droning all around the city. *~*~*~*~* Cloud took a good look at the man before him. "Is that you, Rufus?" he asked, not sure he entirely believed that the president of Shinra Electric Power Company could still be alive. He glanced over at Rude. "Do I feel sorry for you," Cloud said. Rude shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked away, before clearing his throat and resuming his statue-like position. "That day..." Rufus began. But Cloud didn't want to hear it. "What do you want with me?" he demanded. "I managed to get out..." Rufus attempted to continue, but again he was cut off. "Who were those people who attacked me?" "... of the building before it collapsed," Rufus intoned, wanting to tell his story. "I'm leaving," Cloud declared, tired of this little game. He turned away from Shinra's president.

"We need your assistance," Rufus said at last, his hand reaching up to pull the blanket down to better hide his face. Bandages were visible at his neck, and on his right hand were black markings similar to those on Denzel back in Midgar. It is clear that he,

17

too, is infected. "Not interested," Cloud replied. "I acknowledge that Shinra owes the planet a lot," said Rufus, "It goes without saying that my company and I are the ones who put the world in the sorry state it's in. Therefore, it's our responsibility to set things right." "I'm still out here!" Reno's voice called from outside, obviously annoyed. He had been listening at the door. "As a first step," Rufus went on, ignoring the Turk, "we have commenced an investigation into the influences on the planet that Sephiroth left behind." "Yep, at the Northern Crater," Reno added from the other side of the door, unwilling to be left out of the discussion. "What do you think we found?" Rufus asked. Clouds expression changed, some amount of concern registering in his eyes. "Nothing. There was nothing," said Rufus, "You can relax... However, not everything went according to plan. We were... interrupted. By the same three who attacked you... Kadaj's and his gang." "Kadaj?" Cloud replied, more interested now. "It seems he doesn't want us finishing what we started," explained Rufus, drumming his fingers on the armrest of his wheelchair. "Really, I don't know why..." he concluded with a sigh. "What does that have to do with me?" Cloud asked. "You're our buddy, aren't ya?" Reno piped up, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Cloud responded by giving the door a hard kick, in the hopes that the Turk had his ear firmly pressed against it.

18

"Kadaj's group is young and violent," Rufus warned, "They're extremely dangerous. So, we decided it might be in our best interest to hire a little... muscle." "Too bad... I'm a delivery boy now," Cloud insisted dismissively. "You're all we have," responded Rufus. His tone was insistent, almost pleading, "Cloud, look... you're an ex-SOLDIER, aren't you?" "Hmph... in my head," Cloud replied, ending the discussion. He turned away and walked toward the door, unlocking it and pulling it open a crack. Reno was still lingering outside. "What's this 'Mother' they were talking about?" Cloud asked before leaving. "Why? Did Kadaj say something to you?" Rufus replied with a chuckle, trying to make light of the matter, "Well, don't worry about that. There are children all over the world who yearn for their mothers. You're living with orphans, I hear... Think about it. Don't you want to put smiles back on their faces?" Cloud neither responded nor looked back. "All we want, in the end, is to rebuild our world, Cloud."

At this, Cloud did turn back to look at him. "But I..." "Come on Cloud, think about it. Together, we could rebuild Shinra," Reno cut in. Cloud turned back to the door, and pushed past Reno.

19

"Not interested," he said with finality, giving the door a pull behind him. "Reno!" Rude and Rufus chorused, exasperated, and the redhead turned back as the door closed in his face a second time.

20

A heavy wooden door swung open, creaking on its hinges. Tifa stood on the other side, gazing into the vast space beyond for a moment as Marlene pushed past her into the old church in Sector 5. Marlene ran down the church's main aisle, smiling as she approached the patch of yellow and white flowers that grew up from beneath the broken floorboards. She crouched in front of them, inhaling their sweet scent. As she looked around the church, her eyes fell upon an assortment of camping gear. Tifa saw it as well. "Does Cloud live here?" Marlene asked.

"I guess he does..." said Tifa. The two visitors strolled over to have a closer look. Marlene paused before a large box. "What's this?" she asked.

Tifa smiled and shook her head, as if to say that it was nothing for Marlene to concern herself with. Tifa's gaze traveled to a patch of white on top of a crate that seemed to have been used as a makeshift table. As she moved close, she could see that it was a stained bandage. Marlene, too, approached the table, taking the strip of cloth into her hand. "It's just like Denzel..." she said with a note of concern, looking up at Tifa "Is Cloud sick?" "Why didn't he say something?" Tifa wondered. "Did he leave because he's sick?" asked Marlene.

CHAPTER 3

21

"He just... wants to fight alone," Tifa told herself. "Fight?" "No..." Tifa said, sadly, more to herself than to Marlene, as the reality sunk in, "I don't think that he will..." "Tifa?" Marlene queried, trying to recapture the woman's attention. Tifa lowered herself down to Marlene's level. "Let's go home, Marlene," she said, forcing a smile. Marlene stormed away from her. "We can't! Cloud's not here yet!" she shouted. Tifa, considered for a moment, then picked up the bandage from where Marlene had left it. "I know sweetie," she replied, walking back toward Marlene, "I miss him, too." "Yeah!" Marlene agreed. "So... Say he comes back..." Tifa said, again crouching down so that she is eye to eye with the little girl. "We'll all go home together!" Marlene replied, firmly. "But not until he gets a lecture," Tifa declared. "Agreed!" Marlene cried, happily. *~*~*~*~*

22

Back at Healin Lodge, the Turks were on the receiving end of a rather effective beating. Both Reno and Rude lay groaning on the floor, in obvious pain. Rude struggled to get up, but he simply no longer had the strength for it, pushing himself up only briefly before collapsing once again. Reno lay on his side, one arm wrapped around his middle, gasping. "I hate lairs, you know," said their attacker as he strolled calmly toward Rufus, who sat in his wheelchair on the far side of the room. It was Kadaj. "I apologize," said Rufus, in as calm a voice as he could manage, "This time you'll get the truth. The object you seek fell from the helicopter while we were running from you. I'm afraid we were careless." Until then, Kadaj had had his back to the crippled man, but now he turned ever so slightly toward him, still not entirely looking at Rufus. "Is that so?" he said in measured tones. "I swear it," Rufus replied. Kadaj still did not look at him. Instead, he produced two cards from a hidden pocket.

"Fine. Then swear it on these," he said, tossing them casually to the floor. They were Shinra staff ID cards... spattered with what could only be blood. The faces imprinted on the cards were all too familiar... Tseng and Elena. Rufus gazed down at them, his mouth set in a grim frown.

23

"Why did you do this?" he asked after a moment. "We need Mother's power," Kadaj replied, simply, "We have to have it for the Reunion." The pupils of his catlike eyes contracted as he finally turned around to face Rufus. "Reunion..." Rufus repeated, not certain he understood. "My brother's and sisters who share Mother's cells will all assemble and together, we'll take revenge on the planet," explained Kadaj, laughing softly, as he raised his arms in a gesture of grandeur, "We've already sent out the invitations..." The Turks still writhed on the floor, Reno now on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Rude had managed to raise himself onto his hands and knees, but only just. He lowered his forehead back down to the floor as if the effort of trying to force himself upright was too much for him. "But you see," continued Kadaj, smirking at the two fallen Turks with sadistic glee, "Someone's hidden the guest of honor." "Invitations?" asked Rufus. Despite the danger, he was determined to get as much information out of Kadaj as he could. "The 'Stigma?" Kadaj pointed out, turning away from the Turks to look at Rufus again. He gaze fell upon Rufus' hand, marred with the markings of the disease, and he added, with a sarcastic tone, "But you know all about that, don't you, sir?" Rufus said nothing to the baiting comment. "Mother's memetic legacy lives on in the Lifestream and makes it happen. She does so much for us," said Kadaj, "And yet we... We don't even know to find her!" he added, incredulously, as he began to pace, "But what can we do?" "We're just remnants... Merely remnants of Mother's legacy," he continued his tone becoming more and more maniacal, "Until we find Mother and receive her cells, we

24

can't be whole again. Geostigma and a legacy aren't enough! Not for a true Reunion..." "... what are you talking about?" asked Rufus, becoming gradually more and more unnerved as Kadaj grew more and more unbalanced. Kadaj smirked.

"Sir... Surely you've noticed..." he replied, taking a few steps toward him, before lowering himself to one knee, casting his gaze to the floor. When he looked up again, there was something in his eyes that wasn't their before... something that Rufus recognized. Kadaj changed, momentarily becoming something entirely different. The partial transformation seemed to stir the planet's notice as the whole room trembled, and Rufus knew that whatever suspicions he may have formed before now were undoubtedly confirmed. *~*~*~*~* Cloud, having returned to the cliff that overlooked the battleground where he'd first fought Yazoo and Loz, restored the sword to it's former position. It was an old and worn, but familiar sword. One that once belonged to a friend. Cloud stepped back and looked at the blade. "I said I'd live out both our lives" he said, quietly, "Easy to make that promise." In his mind, he relived days long past. ----"You wannabe in Soldier? Hang in there!" says a uniformed man with spiky black hair... Zack. -----

25

"Hey, you doin' ok?" Zack asks. He is looking down at Cloud now, concern etched on his features... ----And then they are in the bed of a yellow pickup truck. Zack is gazing at the blue sky above them as the truck rumbles along the road. "What are you gonna do when we get to Midgar?" he asks, conversationally, "We're friends, right?" ----Sephiroth disappears into the flames as Nibelhiem burns... ----"Cloud, run!" Zack shouts. ----A vision of Kadaj at Healin Lodge also flashed before Cloud's eyes, and Cloud suddenly dropped to his knees as pain assailed him again. He clutched at his arm, gasping at the intensity of it, fingers clawing into the dirt. More visions appeared, alternating between Kadaj and the more fearsome figure of his old enemy, Sephiroth. *~*~*~*~* Marlene hummed quietly to herself as she played in the little flower garden at the church. Tifa stood off to one side, watching her. Without warning, the doors flew open, and both of them turned to look. Marlene rose, assuming that Cloud had returned and and began to run to greet him. But Tifa, sensing that something is not right, quickly stopped her. A tall figure entered the church and strode down the aisle toward them, coming to a halt beneath a beam of sunlight that shone down through the broken roof.

26

"Wanna play?" Loz asked, extending his hand toward them. When neither Tifa nor Marlene responded, he sighed and lowered his hand, "I guess that's a no. Ah well..." He advanced on them, asking, "Where's Mother?" He looked down, finding that he was standing in the middle of the patch of flowers. Loz's face contorted into a look of disgust as he raised a hand to his nose. "Ugh... It stinks," he said, sounding offended, "Where's Mother?" "There's no one here!" Tifa quickly replied, shielding Marlene protectively. "Fine... Play with me," Loz said with a cruel grin. Tifa urged Marlene to take cover, and the little girl ran to the safety of a stone pillar. Loz watched her go without much interest. Tifa pulled a pair of black gloves from her back pocket and put them on, raising her fists in a battle stance. Loz laughed, and mirrored the pose. "Hmph... This'll be fun!" he stated. Tifa rushed forward scoring the first blow, as well as the second, sending Loz reeling back in surprise. She continued with a barrage of punches and kicks, driving the man back, ending with a painful kick to his head. Loz, realizing he had underestimated his opponent somewhat, resorted to using the weapon mounted on his arm, delivering a shock that sent Tifa flying. She recovered just in time, landing on her feet and skidding to a halt in the patch of flowers. Loz laughed again and and raised his weapon so she could see it, a smug grin on his face. Tifa flexed her hand as a residual charge from the weapon surged through

27

her fingertips. She charged forward again and tried to sweep his legs out from under him, but Loz easily avoided her attack. Tifa her second attempt was marginally better, this time slamming Loz into the wall, following it up with a kick to the chest, and finally a backflip that delivered another painful kick to the chin. Loz recovered quickly, however, and glared at her, but Tifa wasn't through with him. She aimed a punch at his face, but in one fluid movement, he captured her arm and retaliated with a kick that knocked her back several paces. He attacked with his weapon again, and Tifa had only seconds to duck. The tip of the weapon slammed into the wall, crackling with energy, and Tifa took the opportunity to punch Loz in the stomach. He flew backward as Tifa leapt on top of him, driving her feet hard into his chest, gripping the collar of his shirt with both hands and using her momentum to slam his head into the floor. Loz grunted in pain, but still managed to catch Tifa by the ankle as she tried to leap away from him, and swung her in a wide arc. Her body made contact with several of the church pews as he did so. At last Loz released his grip, sending Tifa careening towards the far wall. Tifa however, had no intention of going down so easily. She deftly caught herself, turning her body so that her feet planted themselves firmly on the wall, glowering at Loz, who was looking up at her smiling in amusement. Flower petals from the garden that were sent airborne by Tifa's unexpected flight descended like snowfall. Tifa pushed off the wall, catching Loz by the throat and knocking him to the floor. Her momentum carried them both down the church aisle. Loz freed himself and leapt into the air, intending to renew his attack, but Tifa was too fast. She, too, leapt, and caught him again, throwing him to the ground. Loz landed with a thud in a pile of demolished pews. There was no movement from the pile as Tifa dropped to the ground several feet away, believing herself to be victorious. "Tifa!" Marlene called out, running over to her, smiling. Suddenly, music rang out... The Victory Fanfare. Tifa and Marlene looked around for the source. The song played a second time, and Loz emerged from the rubble.

28

Tifa watched in dismay. The music sounded a third time, and this time, midway through, Loz pulled out a cell phone and flipped it open. "She's not here," he answered, ignoring Tifa and Marlene for the moment, pausing as the person on the other end of the line responded. "I'm not crying!" he growled, turning away from Tifa and Marlene, embarrassed. He glanced back at them, scowling as he listened to the caller. "No, I got it," he said, "I'll bring the girl..." He put the phone away.

"Where were we?" he asked Tifa, sounding almost bored. Tifa resumed her fighting stance, and Loz hurled a broken church pew at her. Marlene cowered behind Tifa as the heavy object flew toward them both, but Tifa easily smashed it to pieces with a single strike. But the attack was just a diversion. Loz was suddenly behind her, having moved faster than Tifa could see, revealing that he possesses a power he had not previously revealed. He laughed wickedly, as he drove his weapon into Tifa's back. Marlene watched, here eyes wide in fear as Tifa fell. Loz grabbed her by the front of her shirt and slammed her into a pillar before giving her another shock from the weapon and tossing her into the flower patch. Tifa landed hard, in obvious pain, and Loz strolled over to her calmly and straddled her, snatching her vest and using it to lift her half off the ground so that he could look into her eyes. He raised his weapon again, preparing to deliver a final blow. Suddenly, a softly glowing green orb struck him in the side of the head with a sharp crack. Loz dropped Tifa to the ground and turned toward the source of the rather pathetic attack, more annoyed than anything else. There, he saw Marlene, standing

29

beside the box she had been so curious about earlier. It stood open now, and inside was a large quantity of materia. Marlene looked are him defiantly, but with obvious fear in her eyes. Loz then caught sight of the contents of the box and grinned, rising to his feet and moving toward Marlene. He towered over the little girl, and she backed away in terror. "Cloud..." she called out, futily, clutching Cloud's bandage in her hands. "Run!" Tifa cried. *~*~*~*~*

Denzel was suddenly roused from his stupor. He sat alone, on the steps outside the door of Tifa's bar. A little girl in pigtails, carrying a moogle toy, wandered down the alley, stopping in front of him. "You've got Geostigma, too, don't you?" she asked. Denzel didn't immediately look at her. His gaze lingered on her doll. At last he looked up into her face. "Come on... He says they're gonna fix us," the girl continued, as she took Denzel's hand and pulled him to his feet, leading him off down the alleyway. Moments later, they reached their destination. A group of children had gathered around an old truck. Some of the older ones had already climbed into the back. Denzel was cautious at first, but eventually his curiosity overpowered him, and he joined the other children. At the front of the truck, Yazoo stood silently, supervising. Satisfied, he turned and walked away to seek out and collect others afflicted with Geostigma.

30

Cloud walked slowly down the aisle of the church, taking in the damage that had befallen it in his absence. As he came to the edge of the patch of flowers, something caught his eye. "Tifa!" he cried, rushing forward, heedless of the flowers he trampled. He knelt beside her and pulled her into his arms. "Tifa!" he said again, trying to wake her. She slowly came to. "You're late..." she replied in a pained voice. "Who did this?" Cloud demanded to know.

"He didn't say..." she said. Suddenly she sat up.

"Marlene?!" Tifa cried, realizing the little girl was no longer there. She sank back into Cloud's arms, as though that one action had taken all of her remaining strength, and then passed out again. Cloud looked around desperately, but there was no sign of the girl. "Damn!" Without warning, his arm convulsed in pain, and once again, visions of Sephiroth danced before his eyes as the world around him began to spin. Black liquid dripped from his infected arm onto the flowers around him, the effects of Geostigma. ----

CHAPTER 4

31

A drop of water splashes into a crystal clear pool, sending tiny waves rippling out from the center. Cloud and Tifa lay unconscious among the flowers in the haven of a dream world. A lone wolf watches over them as they sleep. *~*~*~*~*

When Cloud awoke, evening had already set in. He found himself in a bed, in familiar surroundings. Tifa's home. On another bed, next to his, was Tifa, still unconscious. He dragged himself from the bed and moved towards her, to assure himself that she was alright. "You know, you're pretty heavy," drawled a voice from behind him. Cloud turned quickly toward the sound, and came face to face with Reno and Rude. They stood on either side of the room's door. "... Weren't there some kids living with you?" said Rude. "... 'Cause they ain't here," Reno informed him. Cloud lowered his gaze, fearing what might have happened to the children. "You don't care?" asked Rude. "I just..." Cloud began after a moment. He looked over at Tifa, helplessly. Reno heaved a sigh, realizing that their presence was not wanted. "Hmph... You're a real handful," he muttered, and the two Turks left Cloud to tend to Tifa, slamming the door behind them. *~*~*~*~*

32

In the Forgotten Capital, Loz had met up with Kadaj... and he had not come empty handed. He had brought with him the large box of materia that Cloud had been keeping, and Marlene, as well. The little girl was held firmly by her shoulder at Loz's side, unable to get away. "Look at what Brother was hiding..." said Kadaj, as he reached down to pick up one of the translucent spheres, "The power born from the Lifestream. He laughed. "With this materia that power will be ours," he continued. Kadaj pressed the sphere against his forearm, and it began to meld with him, infusing itself into his body. The materia's glow radiated from where it had been embedded, and Kadaj studied this newly acquired power. *~*~*~*~* The angel statue in Midgar overlooked a darkened street. Indoors, Cloud gazed, contemplating, out the window, while on the bed, Tifa at long last stirred to consciousness. She sat up. "Reno and Rude are out looking," Cloud said. "You have Geostigma, don't you?" Tifa replied, ignoring Cloud's comment. ----Cloud races along through a strange forest on his motorcycle. The trees surrounding the road he travels seem almost crystalline, giving off their own light in the darkness of the night. ----"You're gonna give up and die, is that it?" Tifa chastised him. When he didn't answer,

33

she turned away from him, and hugged her knees to her chest, "As I thought." "There's no cure," Cloud said simply. "Yeah, but that's not stopping Denzel is it?" Tifa countered, "Don't run. Let's fight it together. We can help each other, I know we can." ----The trees gradually become denser as Cloud travels deeper into the forest... -----

"I guess that only works for real families..." Tifa sighed. "Tifa..." Cloud began, unable to meet her eyes, "I I'm not fit to help anyone. Not my family... Not my friends... Nobody." "Dilly dally, shilly shally," Tifa said, her frustration evident in her voice, "Dilly dally, shilly shally!" "I think she wants you to move on, man" Reno's voice interrupted. He and Rude had managed to enter without being noticed by either Tifa or Cloud. Reno stood beside the door, his arms crossed over his chest. Rude stands on the opposite side, looking smug. "Did you find them?!" Tifa cried. "No. Only a witness. Kadaj's gang took the kids," Reno replied, casually strolling farther into the room.

34

"Where are they?" Cloud asked him. Reno started to answer, but Rude unexpectedly beat him to it. "They're at their base... the Forgotten City." ----Cloud's motorcycle gains speed, flying through the forest. *~*~*~*~* A crowd of children, all afflicted with Geostigma, stood gathered around a small pool. Across from them stood a massive shell-like structure. Denzel was among them.

"Mother has given me a very special gift," Kadaj proclaimed to the crowd, standing on the far bank of the pool with his arms raised skyward, "The power to fight against a planet that torments humanity." Yazoo and Loz were on either side of Kadaj. Loz still had Marlene in his grasp, and the little girl struggled, but could break free. "She gave this gift to all her children," Kadaj continued, "That's right... You and I are brethren. Brothers and sisters chosen when we inherited Mother's memetic legacy through the Lifestream!" He turned his back on the children and dramatically walked toward Yazoo and Loz. "But..." he added, turning back to face the crowd, "But the planet doesn't approve of that at all. It's doing everything it can to hold us back. That's why it's wracking our bodies with pain and filling our hearts with doubt!"

35

He pointed toward the children, allowing his gaze to settle on them individually. The children nodded, seemingly in agreement. "I'll cure you," he stated, "And we will go to Mother together." Energy began to emanate from his body, rising like mist. "We will join as a family and strike back at the planet" he continued, his voice rising, gaining strength. As he spoke, he began to change, much as he did before Rufus back in Healin Lodge, his face taking on the appearance of another. Denzel watched from the crowd, unable to take his eyes off of Kadaj. As quickly as it began, Kadaj's transformation stopped, and he returned to normal. "Do as I do," he said, and he waded unflinchingly into the waters of the pool, waist deep. As he did so, the water surrounding him began to turn black. Kadaj cupped his hands and drank some of the water. After a moment's hesitation, the children followed him in. Denzel, too, cupped his hands and lifted some of the water to his lips. "Denzel..." Marlene called, alarmed, but he ignored her and drank the water. "Denzel!" she cried. Moments later Denzel's eyes took on the same cat-like appearance of Kadaj's. *~*~*~*~*

Cloud's journey through the forest is interrupted without warning, as his surroundings vanish. He suddenly finds himself in a world of white light.

36

"You came," said a woman's gentle voice from behind him, "Even though you're about to break, hmm?" He knows the voice. It can only be Aeris. A hand touches the arm that is covered by his sleeve, but Cloud does not turn around. "That's a good sign," she says to him. Suddenly there are flowers all around... flowers exactly like those that grow in the church. "So!" Aeris says playfully, "Why did you come?" "I think... I want to be forgiven," Cloud replies, "Yes... more than anything." "By who?" Aeris asks, laughing. Cloud turns around, but the dreamworld vanishes, and he finds himself once again on his motorcycle, speeding toward the Forgotten Capital. ----Without warning, shots rang out from directly ahead of him, and Cloud swerved out of the way, narrowly avoiding being hit by the gunfire. Yazoo, Kadaj, and Loz had anticipated his arrival, and had prepared an ambush. Yazoo and Loz had let loose a barrage of bullets, while Kadaj stood calmly between them. Cloud opened the compartments on either side of his bike, and an array of swords was revealed. He drew two of them, at the same time aiming his bike toward the three men. Kadaj stepped forward, drawing a cruel-looking double bladed katana. He raised his hand and motioned toward the trees. In response, the children he had collected came out of hiding, gathering in the path between Cloud and the three men. At the front of the group was Denzel... beside him was Marlene, who looked on in silent desperation. She tugged at his arm, trying to get him to run, but he was completely oblivious to her. Cloud threw his bike into a skid, a desperate act to avoid hitting the children. He tumbled gracelessly to the ground, and the children scattered out of the way as the motorcycle careened, riderless along the ground. Kadaj jumped over it effortlessly,

37

and behind him, Loz stopped it's journey. Cloud tumbled along the ground, coming to rest at Kadaj's feet, his swords knocked from his grip in the fall and landing several meters away. "I'm glad you could make it," Kadaj shouted, sounding amused and very pleased with himself. "I only came for the kids," said Cloud, glaring at the younger man. "See this man? He's our big brother," Kadaj ranted, speaking to the gathered children who had surrounded the two men, as if he hadn't even heard Cloud. He circled Cloud, his sword in hand, "But alas, in our happy flock... he's what you'd call a black sheep." Kadaj leveled his sword at Cloud's throat, a murderous glint in his eyes. He raised the sword preparing to strike. "Cloud!" Marlene shouted from somewhere among the throng of children. Her cry distracted Kadaj momentarily... just long enough for Cloud to recover from his fall, and reclaim his sword.

Cloud lunged for Kadaj, swinging the sword hard, but Kadaj was fast. He leapt out of the path of the blade, landing several feet away, ready for a fight. From a distance, Yazoo fired at Cloud, but Cloud managed to block the round with his sword. While Yazoo kept him occupied, Loz charged in for an attack, using the same speed ability that so effectively ended his battle with Tifa. In a matter of seconds, Cloud was forced to contend with not only Yazoo's gunfire, but Loz's physical attacks. Loz aimed a kick at Cloud's chest, but Cloud easily blocked it. Several more blows

38

sent Cloud flying backwards, but he landed on his feet and skidded to a halt. Cloud raised his blade and charged toward Loz, but the silver-haired man, batted him aside, leaving him sprawled on the ground quite some distance away. Cloud's sword clattered to the ground. He quickly reclaimed it, and revealed a secret of the sword... that it separated into two blades... just in time to block a frontal attack from Yazoo. Behind him, Loz slammed his weapon into the ground, sending up a shockwave through the earth. It traveled swiftly toward Cloud and Yazoo. Yazoo broke off his own attack, and leapt to a safe distance, leaving Cloud directly in the path of the oncoming wave, firing relentlessly at him as he retreated. Cloud managed to block Yazoo's shots, and then raised one of his swords, the blade glowing with blue energy, and brought it down harshly against the ground. A wave of pure energy streaked out from the blade, colliding with the incoming earth attack, effectively negating it and sending dirt and debris flying in all directions. But Cloud did not have time to relax, as Loz took the opportunity to slip in close to him for a more direct assault. Yazoo, too, returned to the battle, and the two men drove Cloud back, pummeling him. Cloud made a desperate leap into the air, but with a lift from Loz, Yazoo was not far behind. The two men battled in mid-air, until finally, one of Yazoo's shots caused Cloud to lose his grip on one of his swords. It landed, embedded in the trunk of a tree. Cloud jumped from branch to branch, racing to collect it. He reached it at last, and swung around to land on top of the blade, hoping to gain an advantage of height... but Loz was at the base of the tree, and with one great punch, it came toppling down.

Cloud retrieved his sword and Yazoo stalked toward him, gun blazing, as the tree fell. Cloud leapt again, but Yazoo and Loz were on him, ganging up on him again. He managed to lose them temporarily among the branches. He gaze finally settled on Kadaj. Cloud recombined his swords into a single blade and

39

attacked. Kadaj was fast... perhaps too fast for Cloud to handle, as the younger man's onslaught of blows drove Cloud back. For a moment, it appeared that Kadaj might be victorious as Cloud fell to the ground, disarmed. Cloud's cell phone tumbled from his pocket and landed in the pool, sinking quickly out of sight. But before Kadaj could finish him off, the swirl of a familiar red cloak descended from above, gathering around Cloud's fallen form. Gunshots fired from within the mantle, keeping the three men occupied. They tried to fight back, but as quickly as it arrived, it was gone, taking cloud along with it and disappearing high into the tree branches. Kadaj watched it go, annoyed by the loss of the battle. *~*~*~*~* Safely away from the battle, Cloud sat beside a small lake, somewhere in the strange forest. "See? I knew I'd be no help," Cloud said. He rubbed his covered arm. At last he looked up at the person who had come to his rescue. "Vincent... What do you know about this?" he asked. "I come here often..." Vincent replied, leaning against a tree. He flipped his cape aside and strode toward Cloud, "... I've seen what Kadaj's group is doing."

Vincent gripped Cloud's arm tightly, and Cloud flinched in pain. "Geostigma," Vincent said, knowingly, "It's a symptom of alien matter infesting the body. The body tries to eliminate it and overcompensates." He released Cloud's arm, and stood, moving off to stand beneath one of the trees.

40

"Inside our bodies is a current like the Lifestream," Vincent continued, "That current is what fights off any malevolent intruders." "Intruders..." Cloud echoed, trying to make sense of it all. "The Sephiroth gene... Jenova's memetic legacy," Vincent clarified, "Call it what you want." "You're well informed," Cloud commented, gazing out across the lake. "Tseng and Elena," Vincent explained, "They were brought here half dead. They must have been brutally tortured. I did what I could to save them but... we'll see." "Tortured?" "You reap what you sow," Vincent replied, with a half shrug, "They got their hands on Jenova's head." "Then the Mother that Kadaj is searching for is..." "Heaven's dark harbinger... The calamity," said Vincent, "Jenova. If they wanted to, they could recreate Sephiroth." "Kadaj..." Cloud asked after a moment, "What is he?" "Hmph... I'd rather not know," said Vincent. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes, and both men abruptly turned, expecting a fight. But from the bushes, emerged Marlene. She ran toward Cloud, and threw herself into his arms. "Marlene!" "Cloud! Denzel... Tifa... they...!" she gasped, out of breath. "Tifa is alright," Cloud assured her. "I want to talk to Tifa!" Marlene cried. Cloud searched his pockets, but only now realized that his cell phone is gone. Marlene turned toward Vincent.

41

"May I?" she asked. Vincent pulled his cloak aside to show that he did not have one. "You don't have a phone?" the little girl lamented. "Vincent... Will you take Marlene to Tifa?" Cloud asked, "I'm going to talk to Shinra about this." "I can't do that," Vincent replied, shaking his head. "But..." "Forget it Cloud," Marlene shouted, fed up with Cloud's attitude. She pushed away from him "Why don't you ever pay any attention to us?!" She ran to Vincent's side, and Vincent sheltered her beneath his cape, so that only her feet could be seen. "Marlene..." Cloud said, trying to explain his desire to gather more information before taking on the trio again, "Please give me some time. There's a battle to be fought... but it's not as simple as just fighting. Understand?" "No, I don't!" she shouted angrily from her hiding place. "Cloud, you sure this is about fighting?" asked Vincent. Cloud lowered his gaze, thinking back to earlier conversations. ---"Where are they?" Cloud asks. "They're are their base now... The Forgotten City," Rude replies. "Go," says Cloud, looking away, "I have to talk to Rufus."

42

"Stop running!" Tifa shouts, "I know. Even if you find the kids you might not be able to help them. Something might happen that can never unhappen, and that scares you, doesn't it?" Reno and Rude stand awkwardly by the door, debating on whether or not they should leave before this discussion turns into to a lover's spat. "But you need to think about now! Really take it in!" she says firmly, "Look at you, you think you've got it so damn hard! Well, you hate being alone so let people in." Reno, signals to Rude that they should make a hasty exit, and heads out the door, but Rude grabs him and drags him back into the room. "Sure, you might not answer the phone" Tifa said, "But I don't see you throwing it away, either." "You go. The base is all yours," Reno says, forcing Cloud to do what Tifa wants him to... go after the children. He and Rude at last take their leave. "Which is it? A memory or us?" Tifa asks when they are gone. "But... I just let her die..." he replies. ----Cloud once again finds himself surrounded by white light and flowers. "Dilly dally, shilly shally," chastises Aeris' voice, "Isn't it time you did the forgiving?" ----Back in the present, Cloud silently debated what he should do. "Are sins ever forgiven?" Cloud asked at last. "... I've never tried," Vincent replied. Marlene peeked out at Cloud from under Vincents cape.

43

"You mean..." Cloud began, "Never tried..." He had come to a decision. "Marlene," he called, "Let's go." Marlene came out of her hiding place and nodded in agreement. "I'll give it a try," Cloud said to Vincent, turning to go, "I'll phone in the verdict." Marlene caught up with him, taking hold of his hand, and they walked off into the forest. *~*~*~*~*

Elsewhere in the forest, Cloud's phone sinks into the murky depths of the pool. They messages stored in it's memory play as if falls. "It's me, Reeve. How's work going? I saw your flier... How in the world do you stay in business? You never change, Cloud. If it's alright, I was thinking about helping you out, but I guess I'll call back another time." "I got a phone call from Reno and them in Healin," says Tifa's recorded voice, "They said it's a commission job. Cloud... have you been doing OK?" "Surprise! It's me, Yuffie! So hey, all the kids are missing from Wutai... have you heard anything about it? Fill me in, ok?" "What up, foo'?! It's Barret! I am the man! Oil, Cloud. I just found the biggest damn oil field you ever seen! Survey is done, so I should be able to get out there and see Marlene soon! You let her know, alright, Spiky?"

44

"Reno called again. He says to hurry. And he sounded kind of strange. Be careful, Ok?" At last the phone comes to rest at the bottom of the pool. "I've never blamed you," says Aeris' voice, "Not once. You came for me. That's all that matters." The cell phone finally goes dead. ----Back on the surface, at the edge of the pool, a lone wolf stands by the bank, gazing into the water.

45

Meanwhile, outside of Midgar in Edge, Yazoo and Loz had brought the children back. The two men had positioned them in a wide circle around the memorial statue in the town's center. Chains had been fastened to the memorial, and Yazoo and Loz prepared to tear it down. The children stood motionless as if in a trance, a human shield, as the citizens of Edge demanded an explanation. "Hey! Are you listening?" one man in the crowd shouted at them. "Why are you doing this!" another demanded, trying to go after the two silver-haired men. A woman held him back desperately. Yazoo ignored them, and looked over at Loz, who nodded. Yazoo smirked, and raised his hand, as if signaling for silence. The crowd quieted momentarily, but Yazoo's gesture had a more violent meaning. Without warning, a beast materialized and attacked one of the protesters. It was the same kind of creature that had attacked Cloud during his first encounter with the three men. The beast mauled one man, and people scattered. A woman carried off one of the children as she fled. One by one, more creatures appeared all around the memorial statue. People ran for their lives, pushing and trampling one another, but many are not fast enough to escape the savage attackers. The woman who grabbed the child was shoved to the ground, cradling the little boy protectively as she falls. In the midst of the chaos, was Tifa. She looked around helplessly. Suddenly her eyes fell upon Denzel, and she rushed to him.

CHAPTER 5

46

"Denzel!" She grasped him by the shoulders, shaking him. "Denzel? Denzel!" He looked briefly up at her, his eyes glazed and catlike. They momentarily shifted to some semblance of normal, but the trance had a strong hold on the boy, and he remained unresponsive. *~*~*~*~*

On the far side of the memorial, Yazoo and Loz surveyed the carnage with detached eyes. Satisfied, they turned back to the job at hand, taking up the chains, and preparing to tear down the statue. "And what are we up to?" drawled a voice from behind them. Yazoo and Loz turned toward the source of the voice in surprise. Reno and Rude strolled toward them as if nothing unusual were going on. Reno tapped his weapon casually against his shoulder. "Hmph... We know. Mother is here," Yazoo said, gesturing toward the statue behind him. "Oh yeah?" asked Rude. "Yeah... This... uh... thing? A memorial statue?" said Loz, "Shinra's the one that made it." Reno grinned mockingly.

47

"Oh no... You're just too clever," he said with a note of sarcasm. "Except you're wrong," Rude added.

"And wherever she is, we don't know either," continued Reno, snickering loudly. "What?" Yazoo countered, snidely, "The peons aren't trusted?" Reno abruptly stopped laughing, and turned back to glare at the other two men, at a loss for words, he was so insulted. Rude, too, had nothing to say. Finally, instead of retorting, Reno attacked, Rude right behind him. *~*~*~*~* In a building, one that was still heavily under construction, overlooking the city, Kadaj and Rufus watched the events unfolding below. "Say Kadaj... I've got a question for you," said Rufus. His wheelchair rested near the edge of the floor. With no wall to stop him, a fall would certainly prove fatal. "I've got an answer," replied Kadaj. He stepped out onto a girder, and looked down at the city. "You said you needed Jenova cells in order to be whole again. What did you mean by that?" ----Visions of the past... Sephiroth tearing away the statue-like facade that hides the body of Jenova at the Nibelhiem reactor.

48

----"Him. He's coming back," Kadaj said simply. ----Sephiroth in the flames, as Nibelheim burns... ----"Sephiroth?" said Rufus, "The nightmare." "So I hear..." "So you hear? "I've never known Sephiroth... I just... I sense him there." ----Jenova, sequestered in a tank, locked away inside of the Nibelheim reactor. -----

"It's unbearable," Kadaj mused, "To think that Mother might want Sephiroth more than me." "Poor little remnant," Rufus said, cutting him off with feigned sympathy. "It doesn't matter who she picks, you'll all meet the same end!" Kadaj replied angrily.

49

----Meteor, hovering above the planet... the would-be bringer of doom. ----"Mother came to this planet after a long journey," continued Kadaj, "... to rid the cosmos of fools like you. But you know as well as I do... nothing's changed since she got here. I have to change things to make her happy." ----The ruins of Midgar, the aftermath of Meteor's attack. ----"If Mother willed it, I'd do anything..." Kadaj finished. "Hmph... The nightmare returns," Rufus commented. "As long as you exist, the nightmares will come again and again," replied Kadaj. "The Lifestream courses through our planet... back and forth across the borders of life and death," said Rufus, "If that cycle is the very truth of life, then history, too will inevitably repeat itself." ----The Sister Ray... years before, preparing to fire... ----"So go on. Bring your Jenovas and your Sephiroths," Rufus added, "It won't matter. We'll do as life dictates and stop you every single time." "Sir, is that your excuse for going after Mother yourself?" Kadaj replied, "You don't

50

seem all that sorry." "Sorry?" Rufus answered, "I've never had this much fun..." The materia lodged in Kadaj's arm began to glow. "Good," he said, "Then let's put an end to all this..."

Rufus watched in morbid fascination as Kadaj called upon the power of the Lifestream within the materia. The magic swelled and rose around the silver-haired man as he raised his arm toward the sky, with a look of sadistic glee. A burst of energy sailed off from his hand, high into the air, splitting the clouds. High above Edge, the atmosphere turned dark, swirling, blocking out the sun. Lightning flashed... and something began to emerged. *~*~*~*~* On the ground, people took notice, despite the chaos all around them. Some stood back to watch in terror as from the swirling mass of clouds, the great dragon, Bahamut Sin, materializes, spreading his massive wings and descending upon the city. Now the people of Edge had a new foe to contend with. Many of those who had managed to avoid the creatures brought forth by Yazoo and Loz, now fell victim to Bahamut. People scattered with renewed horror.

51

"Denzel, we've got to get away!" Tifa begged, trying to rouse the boy from his trance. Behind her, one of the smaller creatures targeted them and leapt in for the attack. Tifa turned, ready to defend Denzel, but before the creature could reach them, Bahamut landed, it's giant foot crushing the beast into the pavement. Tifa drew back, knowing that in this battle she was hopelessly outmatched. She seized Denzel, drawing him to her protectively as Bahamut roared. But she was not the great dragon's target. Bahamut spread his wings, and bounded forward, landing on the memorial statue. On the opposite side of the memorial, Reno and Rude were about to engage Yazoo and Loz. Reno swung his weapon back, preparing to strike at Yazoo, but on seeing the figure of Bahamut, he stopped short. Rude did not. Reno's weapon slammed into Rude's face, and the Turk went down. Reno didn't seem to notice. He was too busy taking in this new threat. Rude pulled himself to his feet, sunglasses askew, one hand holding his injured nose, the other hand pulling into a fist, and aiming a punch at Reno's head in retaliation. But as he followed Reno's wide-eyed gaze toward the statue, he too froze. Bahamut snapped one of the chain with the slightest shake of his head. "Hello..." Reno gasped. "Hell no," Rude moaned. Reno turned and took off running, narrowly missing hitting Rude a second time as he dis so. Rude didn't stick around either. Yazoo and Loz stood before Bahamut, unconcerned. With a look of determination, they went after the fleeing Turks.

52

Reno paused in his flight only long enough to turn back and grab one of the children, who still stood oblivious to the danger all around him. He grabbed the boy, trying to pick him up, but the child pushed back, unwilling to be moved. One hand pressed against Reno's face, resulting in the boy's fingers being jammed up Reno's nose. The Turk grunted, annoyed, but yanked the boy off his feet just as Loz attacked from above. Bahamut rose into the air and prepared to fire a ball of energy at the memorial statue. Reno raced from the scene, still clutching the boy. Rude was soon right beside him with two other children tucked under his arms. "Is it after us?" Reno shouted. "I'm not lookin'," replied Rude. Bahamut fired a blast at the statue, the energy radiating outward. The Turks were thrown through the air, as were Yazoo and Loz, as Bahamut let out a roar. *~*~*~*~*

Moments later, Reno and Rude found themselves face down on the street, the children they carried away from danger nearby. The children climbed to their feet, finally brought back to reality, and staggered off in search of shelter, leaving the Turks where they lay.

53

Finally, the two men stirred, pushing themselves up onto their hands and knees. Loz and Yazoo approached them from behind. "Are we having fun yet?" Yazoo laughed. "The time of my life!" Reno growled, as he and Rude simultaneously jumped to their feet and attacked. Reno takes on Yazoo, and the silver-hair man laughed, toying with the Turk and throwing him easily. Reno landed on his back, skidding across the concrete, but quickly recovered and charged back into the battle. "When are you gonna call it a day," he muttered. He swung his weapon at Yazoo, but Yazoo leapt effortlessly onto a building well out of the Turk's range. "I told you... just as soon as you give back Mother, that will be the end of this," Yazoo called down to him. Reno glared at him, and not to be outdone, scaled the wall, attacking when he reached the top... a blow which Yazoo neatly avoided. Back down on the street, Rude was facing off with Loz. "Punks..." Rude grumbled as he captured both of Loz's fists in his hands, "What do you want Jenova's head for?" Loz tried to force Rude over backwards, but the Turk headbutted him. Loz reeled backwards, and Rude took the opportunity to flip him... or at least he attempted to. The two men ended up precariously balanced bent over backwards and face to face, their head inches above the ground. Loz smirked at the surprised look on the other man's face, and then threw him head over heels, sending him flying past Yazoo and Reno. Reno attacked with as much force as he could muster, but most of his blows were avoided. "Forget your little Reunion and get a grip," he taunted. "All we want is to be with Mother," Yazoo replied, easily avoiding Reno's weapon and wild swings. At last he tired of playing with the Turk and delivered a kick that

54

sent the redhead flying off of the building. Below, Rude slammed into a pile of crates. "When Mother gets here, she'll decide what's best," Loz said, stalking towards him, as Rude struggled to get to his feet, "Now... where's Mother?" Before he could answer, a sign fell from above, smacking Rude in the head. "Damn... Son... of... a..." he said as he staggered, temporarily dazed... and to make matter worse, just as he recovered, Reno dropped on him, too. "Reno!" he shouted as he reflexively held out his arms to catch his fellow Turk. Both men went down hard, and Reno ended up sprawled on top of Rude. Reno was the first back on his feet, accidentally trampling Rude's lost sunglasses on the way up, and crushing them to bits. Rude stared in disbelief as his favorite accessory was destroyed, looking up at Reno accusingly, though the other Turk takes no notice.

"Mother... Mother... It's Jenova's freakin' head," said Reno, dusting himself off. Rude climbed to his feet, extracting a second pair of sunglasses from an inner pocket of his jacket. "Hey! I will not have you refer to mother that way!" Yazoo shouted angrily. "You meanie," added Loz. "... Our apologies," Rude responded, putting his sunglasses on. "That's right... Wait... Why are WE apologizing?!" Reno yelled. Both men rushed

55

Yazoo and Loz. Reno leapt at Yazoo, and Rude got in several good hits on Loz while the man was distracted by Reno's attack. The silver-haired men were both knocked down, and Reno turned back to give Rude a thumbs up, very pleased with himself... which unfortunately for him, gave Loz plenty of time to recover, and punch him in the face as he turned back toward the fight. Reno was thrown backwards, colliding with Rude, and both men went down again. They managed to get up, but it was obvious that they were tired and out of breath. Yazoo and Loz, unfortunately, were neither.

56

Bahamut still ravaged the memorial statue, but had not found what Kadaj had sent him for. On the ground nearby, was Tifa, her unconscious body draped over Denzel. The boy slowly came to. "Tifa?" he prodded, shaken from his trance at last. He angrily looked up at the dragon and shouted, "Son of a bitch!" Denzel got to his feet and charged at Bahamut. The dragon rounded on him. Meanwhile, Tifa had awoken as well, and watched, terrified as the boy rushed to what could potentially be his death. Suddenly, a metallic hand reached out and grabbed Denzel by the shoulder, stopping him. As the hand lifted away from him, it transformed, becoming an intimidating triple barreled cannon firing rapidly at the dragon. "Stay here and protect your mom!" shouted Barret, pausing in his assault on Bahamut. "Barret!" Tifa cried, relieved.

CHAPTER 6

"Marlene better be safe, huh?" he asked before turning back to the task at hand. As he moved in closer to Bahamut, he was joined by another comrade... Nanaki had arrived, and fell into step beside Barret, the little robotic cat, Cait Sith, riding on his back. Nanaki leapt and sank his teeth into Bahamut's hide as Barret continued shooting. The dragon swooped low, and Barret was forced to duck, before climbing higher and higher, taking Nanaki and Cait Sith along with him.

57

"We can't handle this!" Cait Sith shouted. Nanaki was flung loose, and the two of them fell hard. Nanaki recovered quickly, the cat-robot landing on his back, facing the wrong way around, and leapt high for a second attempt. At the same time, Barret fired a powerful energy burst that brought it's target to the ground. The victory was short lived, however, as Bahamut charged him. Barret's gunarm jammed, and for a moment, it looked as if he was in serious trouble. Just as the dragon moved in for the kill, a shuruken sailed through the air, landing a blow on Bahamut's face. The dragon roared angrily as the shuruken turned, boomeranging back to it's owner, who caught it deftly. Tifa and Denzel watched as Barret's savior arrived by parachute. Yuffie grinned at them and shoved the parachute aside as she stood up, a bit nauseous from her motion sickness, but otherwise ready to fight. "Alright, who's been messing with my materia?!" she demanded of Tifa. "The bad guys, of course," Tifa replied. "Damn them!" she shouted, running off to join the battle.

"Who's that?" asked Denzel. Before Tifa could answer, one of the smaller creatures ambushed the two of them from behind, quickly joined by several more. Tifa moved to protect Denzel, unable to get them out of the way in time, and braced for the inevitable strike. But before it came, Cid Highwind was there, spear in hand, fending them off.

58

"She's a beaut!" he shouted, pointing up into the sky at the large craft hovering over the city, "The Sierra! The latest model. I'll give you the grand tour afterwards!" He too, headed off to join the others. "Where can I buy a phone?" Vincent asked, in as close to a joking tone as the man got, referring to his earlier need for one, as he too, headed in the direction of the action. "Who's that guy?" asked Denzel. "They're all friends," Tifa replied. Suddenly, Denzel heard a familiar sound. He turned and was greeted by the sight of Cloud arriving on his motorcycle. Cloud pulled to a stop in front of them and drew a sword from one of the bike's compartments. "Marlene's safe. I took her home," said Cloud. "Right," Tifa replied, relieved. "It feels lighter," Cloud went on, referring to the burden of his memories. "Hmm?"

"Maybe I lost some weight, all that dilly dallying," he added, taking a moment to look up at Bahamut circling high over the city. He drew a second sword, and Tifa smiled, seeing some of the old Cloud in him for the first time in a long time. "I'm gonna go back and see Marlene," said Denzel, "We'll wait for you."

59

He ran in the direction of the store, then stopped and turned back. "We'll see you there, won't we Cloud?" he called. Cloud nodded affirmatively, and Denzel smiled and ran off. Tifa climbed onto the back of the motorcycle, and she and Cloud peeled off to lend the others a hand with Bahamut. *~*~*~*~*

Barret fired in rapid succession at the great dragon from his position high in the towering iron and steal structures in a newer part of the city, but it was having little noticeable effect. The dragon veered toward him, opening its mouth to hurl an energy shot at Barret. He leapt from his perch seconds before it hit, grabbing onto a twisted piece of metal before he fell to the ground. Vincent was propelled upward from far below, drawing his gun as he came into position to aim, taking three shots at the descending dragon's head. He landed on a rail, rolling to avoid the dragon's claws as it retaliated. Vincent managed to get off a few more rounds before it winged back into the sky, but the effort seemed to have little effect on the enraged creature. Cid raced along a metal platform as Bahamut rose, and jumped, plunging his spear into the dragon's armored neck. Bahamut flew wildly, trying to shake him loose, finally aiming for a tower in an attempt to crush Cid. But before the dragon connected with the structure, Nanaki was there, seizing Cid by the back of his shirt and carrying him out of harm's way. Bahamut took hold of the corner of a building, using it as a perch, and roared loudly at his attackers before swooping in to take his revenge. Vincent followed, him leaping from spire to spire, shooting as he went. Bahamut circled back, and Yuffie

60

tried her luck as well. Vincent continued firing, as the dragon tried to crush him... but Vincent was too quick. He leapt onto Bahamut, firing quickly, constantly moving, as the dragon swatted at him. Yuffie raced up a vertical wall, backflipping and sending her shuruken soaring, the weapon landing a glancing blow against the dragon's head. Nanaki, Cait Sith in tow, managed to sink his teeth in again as the ninja-girl retrieved her weapon from midair. Bahamut aimed another energy blast at Yuffie, but Cid was quick to intervene, again stabbing his spear into the dragon's head, causing the blast to miss its intended target. Unfortunately, it hit the side of a building directly over the spot from which Barret was taking aim. Flaming debris fell toward him dangerously fast. Luckily for Barret, Cloud had at last arrived. He seized Barret's shirt, dragging him from his perch and tossed him to safety. "Where the hell you been?!" Barret yelled good-naturedly as Cloud landed on a platform a short distance away.

Bahamut howled in frustration, and Vincent, Cid, and Tifa took the opportunity to regroup. Now it was Cloud's turn... both swords drawn, he jumped from his platform, toward Bahamut. The dragon snatched one of Cloud's swords in his teeth and tossed him upwards, but Cloud was determined, and attacked again, striking him over and over. He joined his blades together to form a single sword, and charged in again, raining blow after blow down upon Bahamut. At last, Bahamut fell, crashing to the ground. But the dragon was no so easily defeated. Vincent, Tifa, and Cid watched anxiously as Bahamut took to the sky once more. *~*~*~*~*

61

Safely away from the battle, Kadaj and Rufus continued their conversation. "This is too fun, sir. Any requests for the next act?" Kadaj laughed maniacally. But as he turned to face Rufus, the president of Shinra Company rose from his wheelchair, casting aside the blanket that had been concealing his body. Bandages covered his left eye, and his neck. In his hand was a sealed black box. Kadaj looked on in disbelief. "Mother?" he gasped. "A good son would have known," he said calmly, and tossed the box off the building. Kadaj screamed in anger, and aimed a magic spell at Rufus. *~*~*~*~* Bahamut climbed higher and higher, seemingly in retreat. Cloud was not about to let him get away so easily, and he leapt high into the air, but not high enough. But just as gravity was about to take over and send him crashing to the ground, Barret reached out a hand, grabbing onto Cloud. "Ally oop!" he shouted, propelling him upwards, high enough to strike Bahamut. But soon he was falling again. This time, it was Cid who came to his aid, swinging his spear like a baseball bat, allowing Cloud to use it as a spring board. "There you go!" he said, as Cloud was flung into the air. Bahamut was still gaining altitude. Nanaki and Cait Sith decided to lend a paw, the lion-creature catching Cloud by the sheath on his back and giving him another boost up. Cait Sith shouted in encouragement as Cloud gained speed and momentum. Then Yuffie made her own contribution to Cloud's flight, rocketing him skyward even faster. Bahamut hovered high above the city, preparing a massive energy blast.

62

Cloud readied his sword as Vincent extended his hand to him. "Fly!" said Vincent, aiming Cloud toward his final target. "No giving up!" cried Tifa as she, too, lent him her strength, and a blue glow surrounded Cloud as he streaked higher still. Bahamut fired as Cloud soared toward him, but Cloud passed directly through the energy blast. The others watched from below, hoping that it will be enough. As he began to lose his momentum, one last ally came to his aid. The world around Cloud seemed to slow as Aeris' hand reached out to him.

"Ready?" she said simply, taking his hand, and sending him across the final leg of his journey. At last, Cloud emerged from the energy blast, sinking his sword into a very surprised Bahamut. His blade carved a path along the great dragon's armored back, and the dragon fell, in final defeat, crashing to the ground as those below watched. Cloud, too, fell to earth, landing on the remains of a metal support column. Though Bahamut was defeated, suddenly he heard a cry of rage and looked toward a distant building. *~*~*~*~* Kadaj screamed, enraged, and aimed a magic spell at Rufus. It tore away the bandages around the president's head, but Rufus threw himself from the ledge at the last moment. The spell struck the other end of the building, setting it ablaze. As Rufus fell, he drew from within his coat a shotgun, and fired at Kadaj in retaliation. His shots missed, but Kadaj didn't seem to care about them one way or the other. Hi mind was only on one thing. "Mother!" he cried, watching the box plummet. He leapt headfirst off the building as

63

Rufus continued to fire at him. Understanding Kadaj's intentions, Rufus chose a new target. He opened fire at the box. On the street directly below, the Turks, and Yazoo and Loz were preparing for one final round. As flames erupted from the upper stories of the building Reno and Rude looked up. "Sir, no!" they shouted in unison, upon seeing what was happening. Meanwhile, Cloud, on his motorcycle, was rushing to the scene. Kadaj and Rufus were falling fast, and it seemed that Kadaj would be the first to reach the box. Rufus continued to fire, the bullets streaking past the silver-haired man, utterly missing their intended target. At last, one shot connected, striking the box, and splitting the side open. Greenish liquid leaked out. But Kadaj reached out an snatched the box before Rufus could destroy it completely. The ground rushed up at the two men. As they neared the ground, Tseng and Elena emerged, simultaneously firing a set of nets across the path of Rufus' descent, and the president landed safely in them.

Kadaj, on the other hand, landed on his feet, right in front of the other two Turks and the rest of his trio. He studied the damage to the box, then looked up at Reno and Rude, who now quite suddenly realized that they were outnumbered. But Kadaj didn't stay to fight. His eye had caught sight of Cloud racing toward them. Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz rushed to their own bikes, and tires squealed as they fled. Reno and Rude forgot them for the moment, and began to climb up to where Rufus had landed, to retrieve him. Rude, however, was not much of a climber, and only managed to make it up a few feet before slipping and tumbling back to the ground.

64

Cloud followed the trio as they raced off, tearing through the streets of Edge. Eventually they reached a long stretch of highway, blocked off by a "Do not Enter" sign. Kadaj paid it no heed and and crashed through the barrier. Loz and Yazoo hung back to tackle Cloud in a no holds barred motorcycle free for all. Yazoo and Cloud locked blades as Kadaj raced off away from the action, holding tight to the box containing Jenova's head. The two men forced Cloud into a tunnel, where the battle intensified. Loz raced his bike up and around the curved wall of the tunnel, and attacked Cloud from above, landing on the front of Cloud's bike. He was quickly thrown off, but landed with ease aboard his own vehicle, as Yazoo moved in for an assault, gun blazing. Cloud deflected the shots even at close range as the motorcycles he and Yazoo were riding spun in wild circles along the road. In a last ditch effort, Loz dug his clawed weapon into the pavement, swinging his entire bike into the air and hurling it at Cloud and Yazoo. Time seemed to slow as Yazoo slipped away and dodged the incoming motorcycle. Cloud had only moments to react.

CHAPTER 7

He leapt into the air, sword ready, and sliced the bike cleanly in two. But Loz was waiting for him, and attacked. What remained of his motorcycle burst into flames as Loz went after Cloud. For a moment, he seemed to have the upper hand, especially after Yazoo, too, joined in to double-team the blond man. But Cloud surprised them both, throwing them to the ground and destroying their weapons. Loz had mere

65

moments to toss his aside before it exploded in a shower of sparks. Cloud sped off as the two silver-haired men reclaimed the remaining bike. Yazoo tossed his ruined weapon to the ground, and accelerated after their target with Loz riding behind him. *~*~*~*~* Kadaj sped along an overpass, passing next to the tunnel's exit without a glance. In front of the tunnel, on the road at the mouth of the tunnel sat a helicopter, emblazoned with the logo a Shinra Electric Power Company... and positioned in front of that helicopter were Reno and Rude, waiting.

"Yo... Partner," Reno said casually, glancing toward Rude, "This thing got any bite to it?" He held up what could only be a bomb... a very home-made looking one, at that. "Shinra technology at it's finest," Rude answered. "You made this shit?" "If nothing else, it's... flashy," Rude replied. "Oh-hoh good..." "You love it, I know." "Looks like today we're clockin' out early," Reno said with a slight smirk. The two Turks stood calmly as Cloud roared past them. Yazoo and Loz emerged from the tunnel seconds later, as the timer on the bombs counted down. Yazoo sow, too late, what awaited him, and Reno grinned.

66

*~*~*~*~* Behind him, the blast from the Turks' bombs was so powerful is sent Cloud spinning for a moment, but he didn't look back to see what their fate may have been. He was determined to catch up to Kadaj.

Kadaj, on the other hand, did look back... just in time to see Cloud's motorcycle make a flying leap over the guardrail, landing nearly on top of him. Cloud's sword was poised to attack, and Kadaj drew his own blade to deflect the incoming blow. Cloud drove him forward toward the unfinished end of the road, a steep drop into the remains of Midgar's Sector 5 slums. They careened down the incline, still locked in battle, until finally Kadaj scored a direct hit on Cloud's arm. Cloud pulled to a stop as Kadaj disappeared around a bend. Cloud tore away the remains of his sleeve, torn in the fight, to reveal his arm, heavily infected with Geostigma. The action also revealed that he, too, wore a pink ribbon in honor of Aeris. He revved the motorcycle and charged off in the direction Kadaj had taken. *~*~*~*~* Kadaj skidded to a stop inside the Sector 5 church. "Mother!" he cried, peering into the damaged container he'd been so desperate to protect. His face fell as he saw it's contents and how much had been lost. "Mother... Mother!" he sobbed, clutching the box to his chest. And agonized cry escaped from him. The sound of an engine outside brought him back to reality. Holding the box protectively, he looked up. At the entrance to the church was Cloud ready to resume the fight.

67

Cloud's bike charged toward Kadaj, and the silver-haired man took off, the wheels of his own bike squealing on the floor of the church. With a violent motion, and thanks to his recently stolen materia, he fired a bolt of magical energy at one of the pillars that lined the building. The pillar toppled, narrowly missing Cloud as he skidded beneath it, and came to rest wedged like a ramp leading to the roof. Kadaj maneuvered his bike onto it and began to ascend. Cloud came to a stop some distance away. He looked up just in time to see Kadaj aim a second blast at him. The energy sent Cloud's bike flying end over end. Kadaj laughed maniacally, surveying the damage he'd done, as Cloud staggered to his feet. He gripped his Geostigma-infected arm, coughing in the dust and debris, and turned his gaze up at Kadaj again. The silver-haired man already had a third spell ready for him. He continued to laugh as the glow of the materia's magic encircled his raised hand.

But below, water slowly welled up from the site where Kadaj's last spell had decimated the floor. When Kadaj say it, he paused, uncertain as to what was happening. Cloud, too, looked on in astonishment as the water came up, spilling across the floor. From the center of the pool rose as crystal-clear pillar of water that arched out as it reached the crumbling ceiling. The water began to fall like rain. Kadaj hissed in pain as the water came into contact with him, and tried unsuccessfully to fend it off. Cloud gasped as it hit his arm. The Geostigma in his left arm took on a green glow and began to disintegrate, rising away from his body and dissipating into the air. Kadaj realized that he couldn't stay any longer. He revved the engine of his bike and retreated, disappearing into the ruins of Midgar. Cloud stood silently beneath the falling rain. He was cured. Somehow, miraculously, cured. The church's floor had become a great pool, and slowly the rain began to subside, the last few drops striking the surface of the water.

68

"Go, Cloud..." a voice seemed to say. *~*~*~*~* Moments later, Cloud was on his bike, following in the wake of Kadaj. Eventually his trail led him to what was left of the Shinra Building. He removed his swords from the bike. Kadaj waited atop a pile of debris.

"Brother! I'm with her at last!" he shouted down to Cloud. "So what's gonna happen now?" Cloud asked, locking his gaze on his opponent. Kadaj laughed. "Mother's going to tell me..." "I guess a remnant wouldn't really know," said Cloud. "So what if I'm a puppet?" Kadaj asked, glaring at him, gathering materia-powered energy in his hand once more, "Once upon a time... you were, too!" He let loose the magical energy. Cloud leapt to avoid it, sword at the ready. Kadaj, too, drew his sword, ready for one last battle with his 'Brother'. Their fight ranged from one pile of debris to the next, neither man letting up, swords moving nearly as fast as they themselves were. The Sierra swooped in from above the clouds, and Kadaj spared a moment to look up at it, as if gaging how much trouble it might cause him. *~*~*~*~*

69

On board the Sierra, Cloud's allies had assembled. "Cloud! I brought you materia!" Yuffie shouted, her arms laden with shining, translucent spheres. The airship makes a sharp turn, nearly causing her to lose her footing, "Whoa! Hey watch it!" "Yo, Cid! Park this heap!" Barret yelled. "Shut up! You want off, then jump. Get off my back" Cid groused. "He can handle this alone," Vincent said matter-of-factly. "Huh?" Yuffie gasped, turning to look back at Vincent. Below, the two men were still locked in battle. "Kadaj is a remnant of Sephiroth," he explained, "Think of him as a sort of larval form." "Larva," Yuffie cried, disgusted, "You mean he's some kind of insect?" "Lassie... shut up!" Cait Sith intoned from his seat on Nanaki's back. "So the punk's gonna become Sephiroth?" Cid queried, steering the airship in a wide arc around the battle site. "Vincent... Does Cloud know? About Kadaj?" Tifa asked. "One would think..." the brooding man replied. "Then... You're right," Tifa said, "It's his fight now."

70

"What? I don't get it," Yuffie whined, "Why can't we help out?" "This is man talk," Cid stated from the helm. "Sexist!" the young ninja shouted, nearly dropping her materia, "Sexist!" "Can't you just shut yer mouth?!" Cait Sith yelled at her, sick of the bickering. "The men don't get it either," Barret added, hoping to appease her a bit. He turned back to watch the action on the ground below. "Two years ago... Think of the strength we all had when fought that last battle. It's only been a few years, but already that feeling is gone," said Tifa, never taking her eyes off of Cloud, "But Cloud... I think he's found it again." "He's got ten minutes," Barret snorted. "That Cloud a royal pain in the ass... Like always," said Yuffie. "Cloud is Cloud," Tifa replied. The Sierra backed off from the battleground leaving Cloud to handle things. *~*~*~*~* Cloud landed on a rooftop, only to immediately send himself airborne again as Kadaj struck. A sword in each hand, he fended Kadaj off, sometimes gaining ground, sometimes losing it. He no longer knew how long this had been going on. He only knew that he had to beat Kadaj. The two men pulled apart, each retreating some distance as they planned their next moves. Kadaj was the first to charge, racing toward him across the rooftop, sword ready. But Cloud was ready for him. Kadaj leapt into the air, planning to strike from above, but one great swing of Cloud's sword sent him flying. Kadaj's sword was knocked from his grasp, and he fell, catching himself with one hand on a narrow ledge. His other hand still held tightly to the box that contained Jenova's remains. He turned his head and watched as his sword tumbled to the ground far below.

71

Cloud stood on the ledge above him, looking down at Kadaj. Kadaj narrow his eyes, and flung the box into the air at him. Reflexively, Cloud turned his sword on it, slicing it neatly in two. Kadaj saw his chance now. He pushed himself off hard from the side of the building, sailing back several feet and allowing himself to fall, catching the newly opened container as he did so. He reached inside, pulling out it's contents. Cloud watched in shock as realization dawned on him. "My Reunion," Kadaj said simply, holding the contents of the box tight against his chest, as he fell, "Bet you're dying to watch..." Cloud leapt after him, but it was too late. Kadaj's body was already absorbing Jenova's cells. Kadaj moaned as the cells infiltrated his body, and landed gracefully on the rubble below. Cloud was not far behind, his sword poised for a killing blow. But it was not to be, for Kadaj's transformation was complete. Cloud's sword was blocked by Kadaj's... only it was no longer Kadaj. Before him, now stood his nightmare... Sephiroth. Kadaj's sword transformed itself into the legendary Masamune. "Good to see you... Cloud," Sephiroth said smoothly, as he raised his eyes to look directly into Cloud's.

72

Cloud's eyes widened as Sephiroth threw him back. He sailed upwards, landing on the rooftop once more. Sephiroth followed him up, launching himself into the air, and easily coming to a rest in front of his opponent. "Your Geostigma is gone," he stated, "That's too bad." "Sephiroth," Cloud finally spoke, "What do you want?" Sephiroth smiled cruelly. "The last thoughts of Geostigma's dead. Those remnants will join the Lifestream and girdle the planet, choking it, corroding it. What I want, Cloud, is to sail the darkness of the cosmos with his planet as my vessel. Just as my mother did long ago." He raised his hand aloft, and the sky darkened, foreboding clouds blocking out the sunlight. "Then one day, we'll find a new planet," he continued, "And on it's soil, we'll create a shining future." "What about this planet?" Cloud demanded. "Well," Sephiroth replied, baring his teeth in challenge, "That's up to you, Cloud." Lightning flashed in the sky as the two men flew toward each other.

73

From the darkness above the city, smoke-like tendrils descended. It looked, to those who saw it, like the Lifestream, but corroded and evil. The people in Edge looked up and took notice of this new danger. Elsewhere in Edge, Marlene and Denzel watched from the window of the apartment above Tifa's bar. Denzel raised a hand to his forehead, as pain surged through the Geostigma infection. Marlene looked at him in concern, wishing she could do something to help him. Then suddenly, she felt something... a sense of love and comfort. Something telling her to be brave and not worry, because everything would be alright. Something... or someone... very familiar. "Is it her?" she gasped. Images of the pool in the church, and a familiar figure flashed momentarily before her eyes. *~*~*~*~*

CHAPTER 8

In Midgar, Cloud fought against Sephiroth tirelessly. He knew he could not lose this battle, for to do so would mean the end of the world. Sephiroth goaded him at every turn, attacking then retreating as if it were all a game to him. He drove Cloud into

74

the remains of a crumbling. As their swords clashed, Sephiroth spoke. "Mmm... Where did you find this strength?" "I'm not about to tell you!" Cloud declared, throwing him back. He followed after him, finding himself outside on the rooftops once more, but Sephiroth was nowhere in sight. Suddenly, a massive piece of debris crashed down from higher up on the building heading straight towards him. He had mere second to leap out of the way, and when he turned around, Sephiroth was there again, sword singing in the air as it came at him. Cloud only just blocked it in time, but recovered enough to swing mightily, bands of energy ripping the ground to shreds as he brought the blade down. Sephiroth was too fast to be caught be the attack, though. He dodged easily, taking to the air, and coming to rest on another building opposite the one he'd attacked Cloud on. Sephiroth's legendary strength, and two great strokes of the Masamune, cleaved the vast sheet of concrete and sent it tumbling downwards toward Cloud. Cloud leapt out of the way, and Sephiroth attacked in mid-air. "I've thought of a wonderful present for you," Sephiroth said, egging him on, "Shall I give you despair?" Cloud didn't answer, only continued his onslaught of blows. In the end, Sephiroth had the upper hand, and sent Cloud hurtling downward. But Cloud was not about to give in. He drove his sword into the wall of a building, halting his decent, and perched on it, trying to anticipate where Sephiroth's next attack would come from. He didn't have to wait long. High above him, Sephiroth gazed down at him. "On your knees," he said, "I want you to beg for forgiveness." The topmost portion of the building collapsed then, and Sephiroth readied himself, already knowing that it was coming, for he'd been the cause of it. The Masamune sliced easily through the concrete, and Sephiroth vanished into the cloud of debris. Farther down, Cloud too, prepared for the incoming avalanche. He pressed down on the hilt of his sword, and it separated into two blades. Taking one in each hand, he

75

push off, away from the building in a freefall, as the debris rained down on him, cutting through it as it did so. And suddenly, there was Sephiroth, blade ready, emerging from the midst of the avalanche. He attacked, and Cloud parried again and again. The two men landed briefly on piece of the falling rooftop, clashing swords until it tilted to far for either of them to keep their footing. They leapt to the next available surface and then the next and the next, pausing only to find purchase upon the moving battlefield. At last, Cloud retreated into the cover of the debris, emerging on the other side of the falling mass, and touching down on a rooftop. He staggered, the battle having taken a toll on his strength, but he didn't have long to rest, for Sephiroth was soon upon him.

And so the battle continued, but now Sephiroth had the upper hand. Cloud was quickly becoming exhausted. A misstep on Cloud's part gave Sephiroth the chance to send him sprawling to the ground. Cloud struggled to get up, but Sephiroth was relentless, tossing Cloud into the air like a rag doll, and slamming him into a vertical slab of concrete. Cloud gasped in pain as unforgiving steel impaled his shoulder, pinning him to the slab. "Tell me what you cherish most," Sephiroth demanded, looking down on him. Cloud grimaced and laid his hand on the blade of the Masamune near his shoulder. "Give me the pleasure of taking it away," said Sephiroth. In an instant, fury welled up inside of Cloud. Images... memories... or the people he cared about, the people he loved, filled his mind, and he found a new strength. He seized the blade that impaled him and pulled it out, much to Sephiroth's surprise,

76

planting it firmly back in the slab once he was clear of it. In an instant, he was on his feet again, ready to continue. Sephiroth yanked the blade from the stone, and readied himself once more. "I pity you," Cloud said calmly, "You just don't get it at all." Sephiroth snorted in contempt and charged. The two men launched themselves into the air. "There's not a thing I don't cherish!" Cloud shouted, and raised his sword. The weapon took on a powerful glow, and separated into it's component blades, each of which took up a position hovering around Sephiroth. Cloud struck with the blade that still remained him his hand, rocketing past Sephiroth and seizing the next sword. This, too, he thrust into Sephiroth, moving past him again, and taking up the next blade. Over and over, he pummeled him, until the last blow from the last sword had made contact. Cloud landed on the rooftop below, the swords raining down in a circle around him and lodging firmly in the concrete. The final one he caught himself. "Stay where you belong," he said, looking up at Sephiroth, "In my memories." Sephiroth gazed down at him, knowing he had lost. A single black wing extended from his back.

"I will never be a memory," he replied coldly, and wrapped the wing around his body. The wing disintegrated, and when it was gone, so was Sephiroth. In his place, was the form of Kadaj. Abandoned by Sephiroth, he fell to Cloud's level, weakened and injured. He staggered to his feet, and made one last attempt against Cloud, but

77

he simply didn't have the strength. He stumbled, and fell into Cloud's arms. On instinct, Cloud held him as he lay dying.

"Brother..." Kadaj moaned. Cloud looked down at him, in pity. 'Kadaj?' Aeris' voice spoke, though only the dying man could hear it. He looked up as a gentle rain began to fall. 'You don't have to fight any longer,' the voice told him. "Mother?" Kadaj asked, "Is that you?" 'Everyone's waiting,' she said, 'If you're ready...' Kadaj nodded, and lifted a hand to the sky, wrapping his fingers around and invisible outstretched hand. His body vanished in a flurry of life energy, as he at last returned to the planet.

78

In Edge, the rain continued to fall steadily, and the people looked up into the sky as the darkness cleared. Children with Geostigma watched in joy as the infection was washed away. In a quiet alley, Rufus Shinra, too, was cured of the disease by the healing rain, as all four of his Turks looked on. Reno and Rude's fate, it seemed, had not been sealed by the explosion on the bridge. Tseng and Elena, too, were quite whole.

The Sierra lingered above the city, and those aboard stood watching as the rain came down. "Oh, yeah! We rock!" shouted Yuffie.

CHAPTER 9

"See? What'd I tell you foo's?" Barret added. "A little push is what he needs," declared Tifa, "That's all." "Y'all calm down," said Cid, "Hold on to yer briches." He turned the Sierra towards the rooftop where Cloud stood, waiting for them, victorious. Tifa gazed up at the glass ceiling of the Sierra, where a single drop of rain

79

had found it's way through a crack. "Somehow, I knew you were there," she said, "Thank you." *~*~*~*~* Cloud gazed at the Sierra, then closed his eyes, letting the rain wash over him. Without warning, a shot rang out from behind him, and Cloud stumbled forward from the impact, falling to his knees.

Yazoo lowered his weapon, groaning softly, as the rain that washed away the Geostigma from those afflicted slowly ate away at his body. Loz, too, was near death. They were, after all, merely remnants. The stolen materia shone from within their bodies. "We'll go... together," he managed weakly, his gun slipping from his hand. "Together," Loz echoed, "We'll play." Cloud turned, gathering his strength and rushed toward them, the tip of his blade dragging along the ground and sending out a shower of sparks. He leapt, sword poised to strike them down. With everything they had left, Yazoo and Loz used the materia. A massive explosion engulfed them all. "Cloud!" Tifa shouted, as she watched in horror. *~*~*~*~* From the window, Denzel and Marlene also saw the explosion.

80

"He'll come back," said Denzel, "He said that he would." They stood in silence, hand in hand, watching... hoping. *~*~*~*~*

Brilliant white surrounded him. Cloud felt as though he were floating... drifting. Everything was so peaceful... so silent. A gentle hand touched his forehead. "Mother?" has whispered, too content to let his eyes open. "Again? Why is everyone calling me their mother lately?" Aeris' voice asked. "I guess they must be fond of you," a new voice replied. This voice Cloud also recognized... Zack. "This one's a little too big to adopt," Aeris laughed. "Tough luck, friend," said Zack, "Sounds like you don't have a place here." With that, they drifted away from him. And Cloud at last made peace with his memories. *~*~*~*~* When Cloud awoke, he was still floating. Small hands held him steady, and after a moment, he realized that he was indeed floating. He had awoken in the church, his body supported by the water in the pool that had formed there. All around him were children... the orphans he had fought to protect.

81

He stood slowly, looking around. People from all over Edge were there. "It's like she said," said one little girl, "Wait here, and Cloud will come back." "welcome back!" Marlene called from the edge of the pool. Cloud turned and saw his friends and allies gathered at the water's edge. "I'm back," Cloud said simply. "There are still children with Geostigma," Nanaki pointed out. "Yeah," replied Cloud, as he waded towards them. "Hey," Tifa said to Denzel, "Let's get you fixed up." Cloud reached out a hand to Denzel. "Come on," he said, "I'm here."

"It's ok," Tifa assured him, smiling, and Denzel stepped forward. Cloud picked him up, and set him in the water. He cupped his hands, and raised them above the boy's head, showering him with water from the pool. The effect was immediate. The healing water washed away the infection. Denzel gazed at his reflection in the surface of the pool and smiled. Cloud nodded, and Denzel turned to the others. As one, the other children jumped into the water as those not infected cheered them on. Cloud silently surveyed the scene around him. As he looked toward the door of the church, his eyes falling upon a familiar figure clad in a pink dress. The woman was crouched beside two young children, speaking to them. As Cloud watched, the

82

woman rose and walked toward the door. A second figure leaned lazily against the doorframe.

As he watched her go, Aeris slowly turned back to look at him and smiled. "You see?" she said, "Everything's alright." And she turned once more, and walked away. Zack gave him a friendly wave and followed her. And then they were gone. 'I know,' Cloud thought to himself, 'I'm not alone. Not anymore.' And he smiled.

83

~END~

84