Chapter 1 - The Road to Nibelheim
The road to Nibelheim Town had become a wide path of soft sand dunes and water-filled ditches during the constant rains of winter. The thick, grayish mud squelched beneath the feet of deer, rabbits, badgers and even squirrels as they crossed the road within the Nibel Forests.
Miserable green willows stood on either side of the road, their droopy branches arching over the mud like prowling banshees. The lifeless canopy was not developed enough to prevent the heavy rain from saturating the soil and soon there would be flooding around the valley.
But while the land remained soggy rather than soaked there were still people using the roads. The usual farmers, immigrants, messengers, merchants, adventurers and other travelers would walk on the edge of the road, keeping their eyes on the horizon for any approaching vehicles.
One vehicle using the road was an SSTT, the Shinra Soldier Transport Truck. A dark, rusty shade of brown dominated the main vehicle, while a dark-green, plastic roof covered the main storage where the soldiers stayed. The entire truck was about fifteen metres long and four metres wide with several crates and boxes piled up in the hold.
Five Shinra Soldiers occupied the vehicle. The single driver at the front and two soldiers in the storage wore the standard military uniform that consisted of leather boots, baggy blue bottoms, striped blue body-armour, white shoulder pads, a large blue helmet that covered the soldier's face and red goggle-like view-specs.
However, the other two soldiers had not dressed so customarily.
Cloud Strife was the youngest of the five men, at only sixteen years of age, and barely a fully-fledged soldier. This was one of his first major missions that didn't consist of boring training exercises and cardboard enemies to fight instead of real ones.
He wore large, brown boots, long, dark-blue bottoms, a silver belt of foreign symbols, a tight, blue, cotton vest, just one large silver shoulder pad and brown gloves. His massive buster sword hung on the sheath at his back and its tip almost touched the floor. His spiky, blonde hair surrounded his large blue eyes as he rocked up and down on the small crate that he sat on.
He had been brought up in Nibelheim and he hadn't been to his hometown for over two years. Now he would finally be able to visit his family and walk the streets that were once his playground. He guessed that two years hadn't changed the town much, but he still looked forward to revisiting the homes of people he once knew and the places he used to play at with his friends. His excitement had made the other soldiers tiresome of his childish behavior during the journey and the miserable weather outside had made them feel anything but cheerful.
As he sat on the crate, tapping his feet almost as fast as the rain tapped on the roof, he rolled his eyes to the direction of his idol. The general and leader of the mission had been a hero in the last War of the Ogon Plains and had influenced Cloud to join Shinra, the leading industry and government of the world.
His name was Sephiroth.
Despite his long, silver hair and dark rings around his eyes he didn't look much older than Cloud, perhaps in his early twenties. But it was well known that not even his superiors, of which there were only a few, knew his age or his full name. "Sephiroth" or even "General Sephiroth" was enough for him.
President Shinra himself had promoted him to such a high title right after the victory in the War and most people admired him as the greatest soldier ever. He was practically unbeatable, even against opponents such as robots and dragons. And although he was quiet and mysterious it was rather clear that he had a cocky attitude while fighting. He knew he was good.
Cloud found it a great privilege to be going into a mission with his role model and the best soldier in the world. The other soldiers seemed to act natural, although they were probably a lot older than Cloud was and had already been under command of Sephiroth in previous missions.
Sephiroth, wearing complete black and a silver necklace to match his hair, remained seated on the same crate, not saying a single word throughout the journey. His elusive attitude remained mysterious to everyone who knew him. Even when Cloud, a young talkative teenager, spoke to him with humour and wit it was difficult to get any non-serious reply from him. He was the most powerful man there was and also the most cynical.
Cloud tried to ignore the latter part of the fact and still saw Sephiroth as a great man with indescribable talents and extraordinary fighting skills. He knew that one day he would become as good a warrior as Sephiroth, if not better.
But right now, as the rain pattered heavily on the roof of the SSTT he lingered in the mind of a young recruit on his first mission. He continued to look around the small room and then stood up to stretch his legs.
"It sure is raining hard, eh?" he said loudly as he straightened his arms. There was no answer from the others. The only sound was of the rain and the bashing as the vehicle bumped up and down on the rough road.
"How you doing?" Cloud asked after turning to face the armoured soldier that sat closest to him.
The soldier looked up quickly, his face hidden within the helmet, and then looked back down at the floor. "I'm alright, I guess," he answered, his voice slightly muffled and low.
"I wouldn't know," Cloud said patting his colleague on the back. "I've never actually had motion sickness."
The soldier clutched his stomach gently and Cloud walked to the other side of the storage area where another soldier sat behind the driving area.
"Everything okay?" Cloud asked him for no particular reason other than to seem friendly.
The soldier just nodded slowly and remained relaxed on the crate that he was slumped on. Cloud returned to the back of the truck where the sick soldier and Sephiroth were. He remained standing and put his hand by his mouth so that he could bite at his shabby nails.
Suddenly Sephiroth said his first words of the long journey. "Hey."
Cloud turned around and looked into the black eyes of his senior. He stood up straight to retain a military stance and hoped that Sephiroth had something good to announce.
"Settle down," he commanded, not the greatest thing Cloud had hoped him to say. He was about to do as he was ordered when he felt a rough warm sphere within his pockets. He remembered the materia that he had been given by the military chief before leaving for the mission.
Materia was the power and energy of the planet, found in gas, liquid and solid form. It created the elemental magic that was used by warriors and was capable of creating unbelievable powers when used properly.
All soldiers were given materia to use, although it usually took a few days to get the hang of using, especially with powerful types like Ice and Lightning. Cloud had been given Fire, a mixture of Heat and Rock Materia, forming a magic that could destroy most enemies used to the cold rather than heat.
"They gave me some new materia," he said as he exercised in the room, practicing squat thrusts by Sephiroth. "Can't wait to use it."
Sephiroth shook his head and quietly sighed. "Just like a kid."
Cloud didn't hear the comment and after a short time he stood back up again in front of the crate. It had occurred to him that despite traveling over a hundred miles he was returning to his hometown for a reason that he didn't know. Soldiers weren't told what their mission would be until they had already left, so that they would be forced to accept and have no chance to back out.
"So, you gonna brief us on our mission or what?" Cloud asked impatiently.
"This isn't a typical mission," Sephiroth said sternly with his black eyes fixated on what appeared to be nothing.
"Good!" Cloud replied, who was fed up with the usual running about and trying to dodge enemy bullets while destroying all targets without hurting any hostages. He was past that now. Now he could actually get to see the world as it really was.
For once Sephiroth faced his eyes towards Cloud and said, "Why do you say that?"
"I joined the Shinra Military to be like you," Cloud answered boldly. "But by the time I graduated the War was already over. My big hopes of becoming a hero like you ended with the War. That's why I sign up whenever there's a big mission: Kind of a way to prove myself. I still think there's hope for me yet."
"Yes," Sephiroth replied as he rolled his eyes. "Perhaps."
"Say," Cloud said, "How do you feel, General?"
"I thought you asked for a briefing," Sephiroth said, avoiding the question and obviously not interested in Cloud's sociability.
Cloud scratched the back of his neck and sat down on the nearest crate, letting Sephiroth proceed.
"Our mission is to investigate an old Mako Reactor," he said slowly.
Mako was another one of the planet's main energy supplies. It was a substance found in the core and the mantle of the planet and was what had made Shinra Inc. so successful. It was the key resource for all the cities and settlements around the globe, providing electricity, gas, oil and other fuels.
"There have been reports of it malfunctioning and producing brutal creatures," Sephiroth continued. "First we will dispose of those creatures. Then we will locate the problem and neutralize it."
Cloud was surprised to hear such an exciting account, what with monsters to search out and kill. He could see already that this mission was going to be fun.
"So where are these monsters?" he asked curiously.
"The Mako Reactor of the Nibel Mountains, not far from Nibelheim," Sephiroth answered.
"Nibelheim is where I'm from," Cloud said in a matter-of-fact manner.
"I know," Sephiroth replied, his voice quietly sighing beneath his arm.
"Really?" Cloud said, surprised that Sephiroth would actually have looked into any knowledge of Cloud's personal details. "How did you-?"
Suddenly he was interrupted as the truck bounced up high and landed with a heavy thud. Everyone fell off of their crates except for Sephiroth, who somehow remained in the same calm position.
"Sir!" shouted the driver immediately. "Something very big just hit us!"
Sephiroth stood up and said with a grin, "That would be our monster."
Cloud knew what this meant. He reached over his shoulder and pulled his massive buster sword out from its sheath.
"I'm going out there with you, General," he said confidently. "I may be the youngest here, but as I said, I'm here to prove myself."
"Very well," Sephiroth said immediately, walking towards the exit door of the vehicle. "The rest of you, stay here."
Outside in the rain the road had become much more wider during the journey. The dense forests still surrounded the area and not much could be seen over the hills. The sky was a dark, gray/brown colour and the slippery mud was dotted with deep puddles.
Sephiroth and Cloud both slowly walked towards the middle of the road, staying as alert as possible. Sephiroth had his own six-foot-long thin curved sword ready in his hands and he retained a natural calmness.
"Stay calm and attentive," he whispered to his partner. "You must be vigilant and ready to act as soon as any obstacle presents itself. Whatever hit us is within those trees right now, watching us carefully, waiting for the chance to strike. That chance will arrive the moment you lose your awareness."
"Yeah, yeah," Cloud said impatiently. "I just wanna kill that son of a bitch."
"You should stay more stable. Your eagerness will weaken you."
"Listen, I'm ready. As soon as that monster comes out I'll easily-"
Cloud was once again interrupted as Sephiroth pushed him backwards on the wet mud. He looked up and noticed that he had been pushed out of the path of a huge, green Emerald Dragon that had tried to pounce on top of the two soldiers.
Sephiroth was back on his feet immediately and as the dragon lunged its head forward to snap him in its mouth he made a large gash on its neck with his sword. The evil beast stepped backwards, but it took only seconds for it to get ready to take another go at eating Sephiroth. It seemed to ignore the pain and continue its work for food.
"Strife!" he shouted to Cloud, "get up and help!"
Cloud slipped over several times as he tried to stand in the wet puddles of soil. He eventually stood with his sword held upright and his clothes completely covered in mud. He stood beside Sephiroth, waiting for the dragon to attack.
The reptile looked down at both at them, its long twisty neck curving at the back. Its red eyes glowed like marbles full of lava and its large, green scales reflected the light coming from the clouds.
Cloud tried to keep his balance as his feet slipped around on the slimy ground. He pointed his sword towards his enemy as a way to encourage it to stay back, but it looked at him with no sign of fear whatsoever.
Suddenly he found himself pushed into the mud again. Once again Sephiroth had saved his life by pushing him out of the path of the dragons fire breath that zoomed across the road like a bright, gaseous comet. This battle wasn't all that he had expected it to be. After all, being pushed into puddles of thick mud wasn't a particularly appealing way to fight.
He managed to get up again, but Sephiroth was on the other side of the dragon, trying to attack the side of its torso. It stood there staring at Cloud with its evil green eyes and he soon realized that he was too scared to move. He nervously shivered as the dragon moved its head closer and closer towards him until its nose was right in front him, sniffing his blonde hair.
He soon came to his senses and sliced up with his sword as hard as he could and made a large wound on its chin. It stood up on its hind legs and roared in pain, fire spraying into the air like a fountain of gold.
Sephiroth sprinted towards the dragon until he was right beneath it. It was still standing upright on its hind legs and he held his sword as steady as he could. Cloud just watched in terror as the dragon began to let itself drop back down to the ground, where Sephiroth stood about to be squashed.
Suddenly the dragon was dead.
Sephiroth's sword had pierced through its green scales, traveled straight through its heart and then out of its back. Its own weight was what had killed it, but had it killed Sephiroth too?
Cloud walked slowly towards the ribs of the dragon, rain running down his cheeks like tiny waterfalls. There was no movement whatsoever and no sign of Sephiroth.
"General?" he said softly, his heart beating rapidly. He turned around and saw the other soldiers running out from the SSTT with their machine guns in their hands. He turned back round and saw a hand poke out from beneath the dragon's belly.
He quickly rushed towards the hand to try to help Sephiroth get out from beneath the dragon, but already the massive corpse had been lifted up enough for the strong general to get out by himself.
Cloud couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sephiroth was even more powerful than he had ever imagined, slaughtering a dragon in less than a minute and then lifting the whole thirty-ton carcass up with his bare hands. It now made him wonder if anyone at all could have prevented Sephiroth from winning the war for Shinra.
"You okay?" he asked him as he wiped the mud off of his brown-stained clothes the best he could.
"Yes," Sephiroth replied. "Of course. Now, let's move on."
Once again the General didn't seem interested in talking about this marvelous incident any further and didn't seem too shocked by the ordeal of having a thirty-foot long dragon fall on top of him.
Everyone returned to the SSTT and not a word was spoken. Even Cloud, who was still astonished and excited by the amazing confrontation that had took place, did not speak a word. The truck continued on its long journey along the road to Nibelheim…
The road to Nibelheim Town had become a wide path of soft sand dunes and water-filled ditches during the constant rains of winter. The thick, grayish mud squelched beneath the feet of deer, rabbits, badgers and even squirrels as they crossed the road within the Nibel Forests.
Miserable green willows stood on either side of the road, their droopy branches arching over the mud like prowling banshees. The lifeless canopy was not developed enough to prevent the heavy rain from saturating the soil and soon there would be flooding around the valley.
But while the land remained soggy rather than soaked there were still people using the roads. The usual farmers, immigrants, messengers, merchants, adventurers and other travelers would walk on the edge of the road, keeping their eyes on the horizon for any approaching vehicles.
One vehicle using the road was an SSTT, the Shinra Soldier Transport Truck. A dark, rusty shade of brown dominated the main vehicle, while a dark-green, plastic roof covered the main storage where the soldiers stayed. The entire truck was about fifteen metres long and four metres wide with several crates and boxes piled up in the hold.
Five Shinra Soldiers occupied the vehicle. The single driver at the front and two soldiers in the storage wore the standard military uniform that consisted of leather boots, baggy blue bottoms, striped blue body-armour, white shoulder pads, a large blue helmet that covered the soldier's face and red goggle-like view-specs.
However, the other two soldiers had not dressed so customarily.
Cloud Strife was the youngest of the five men, at only sixteen years of age, and barely a fully-fledged soldier. This was one of his first major missions that didn't consist of boring training exercises and cardboard enemies to fight instead of real ones.
He wore large, brown boots, long, dark-blue bottoms, a silver belt of foreign symbols, a tight, blue, cotton vest, just one large silver shoulder pad and brown gloves. His massive buster sword hung on the sheath at his back and its tip almost touched the floor. His spiky, blonde hair surrounded his large blue eyes as he rocked up and down on the small crate that he sat on.
He had been brought up in Nibelheim and he hadn't been to his hometown for over two years. Now he would finally be able to visit his family and walk the streets that were once his playground. He guessed that two years hadn't changed the town much, but he still looked forward to revisiting the homes of people he once knew and the places he used to play at with his friends. His excitement had made the other soldiers tiresome of his childish behavior during the journey and the miserable weather outside had made them feel anything but cheerful.
As he sat on the crate, tapping his feet almost as fast as the rain tapped on the roof, he rolled his eyes to the direction of his idol. The general and leader of the mission had been a hero in the last War of the Ogon Plains and had influenced Cloud to join Shinra, the leading industry and government of the world.
His name was Sephiroth.
Despite his long, silver hair and dark rings around his eyes he didn't look much older than Cloud, perhaps in his early twenties. But it was well known that not even his superiors, of which there were only a few, knew his age or his full name. "Sephiroth" or even "General Sephiroth" was enough for him.
President Shinra himself had promoted him to such a high title right after the victory in the War and most people admired him as the greatest soldier ever. He was practically unbeatable, even against opponents such as robots and dragons. And although he was quiet and mysterious it was rather clear that he had a cocky attitude while fighting. He knew he was good.
Cloud found it a great privilege to be going into a mission with his role model and the best soldier in the world. The other soldiers seemed to act natural, although they were probably a lot older than Cloud was and had already been under command of Sephiroth in previous missions.
Sephiroth, wearing complete black and a silver necklace to match his hair, remained seated on the same crate, not saying a single word throughout the journey. His elusive attitude remained mysterious to everyone who knew him. Even when Cloud, a young talkative teenager, spoke to him with humour and wit it was difficult to get any non-serious reply from him. He was the most powerful man there was and also the most cynical.
Cloud tried to ignore the latter part of the fact and still saw Sephiroth as a great man with indescribable talents and extraordinary fighting skills. He knew that one day he would become as good a warrior as Sephiroth, if not better.
But right now, as the rain pattered heavily on the roof of the SSTT he lingered in the mind of a young recruit on his first mission. He continued to look around the small room and then stood up to stretch his legs.
"It sure is raining hard, eh?" he said loudly as he straightened his arms. There was no answer from the others. The only sound was of the rain and the bashing as the vehicle bumped up and down on the rough road.
"How you doing?" Cloud asked after turning to face the armoured soldier that sat closest to him.
The soldier looked up quickly, his face hidden within the helmet, and then looked back down at the floor. "I'm alright, I guess," he answered, his voice slightly muffled and low.
"I wouldn't know," Cloud said patting his colleague on the back. "I've never actually had motion sickness."
The soldier clutched his stomach gently and Cloud walked to the other side of the storage area where another soldier sat behind the driving area.
"Everything okay?" Cloud asked him for no particular reason other than to seem friendly.
The soldier just nodded slowly and remained relaxed on the crate that he was slumped on. Cloud returned to the back of the truck where the sick soldier and Sephiroth were. He remained standing and put his hand by his mouth so that he could bite at his shabby nails.
Suddenly Sephiroth said his first words of the long journey. "Hey."
Cloud turned around and looked into the black eyes of his senior. He stood up straight to retain a military stance and hoped that Sephiroth had something good to announce.
"Settle down," he commanded, not the greatest thing Cloud had hoped him to say. He was about to do as he was ordered when he felt a rough warm sphere within his pockets. He remembered the materia that he had been given by the military chief before leaving for the mission.
Materia was the power and energy of the planet, found in gas, liquid and solid form. It created the elemental magic that was used by warriors and was capable of creating unbelievable powers when used properly.
All soldiers were given materia to use, although it usually took a few days to get the hang of using, especially with powerful types like Ice and Lightning. Cloud had been given Fire, a mixture of Heat and Rock Materia, forming a magic that could destroy most enemies used to the cold rather than heat.
"They gave me some new materia," he said as he exercised in the room, practicing squat thrusts by Sephiroth. "Can't wait to use it."
Sephiroth shook his head and quietly sighed. "Just like a kid."
Cloud didn't hear the comment and after a short time he stood back up again in front of the crate. It had occurred to him that despite traveling over a hundred miles he was returning to his hometown for a reason that he didn't know. Soldiers weren't told what their mission would be until they had already left, so that they would be forced to accept and have no chance to back out.
"So, you gonna brief us on our mission or what?" Cloud asked impatiently.
"This isn't a typical mission," Sephiroth said sternly with his black eyes fixated on what appeared to be nothing.
"Good!" Cloud replied, who was fed up with the usual running about and trying to dodge enemy bullets while destroying all targets without hurting any hostages. He was past that now. Now he could actually get to see the world as it really was.
For once Sephiroth faced his eyes towards Cloud and said, "Why do you say that?"
"I joined the Shinra Military to be like you," Cloud answered boldly. "But by the time I graduated the War was already over. My big hopes of becoming a hero like you ended with the War. That's why I sign up whenever there's a big mission: Kind of a way to prove myself. I still think there's hope for me yet."
"Yes," Sephiroth replied as he rolled his eyes. "Perhaps."
"Say," Cloud said, "How do you feel, General?"
"I thought you asked for a briefing," Sephiroth said, avoiding the question and obviously not interested in Cloud's sociability.
Cloud scratched the back of his neck and sat down on the nearest crate, letting Sephiroth proceed.
"Our mission is to investigate an old Mako Reactor," he said slowly.
Mako was another one of the planet's main energy supplies. It was a substance found in the core and the mantle of the planet and was what had made Shinra Inc. so successful. It was the key resource for all the cities and settlements around the globe, providing electricity, gas, oil and other fuels.
"There have been reports of it malfunctioning and producing brutal creatures," Sephiroth continued. "First we will dispose of those creatures. Then we will locate the problem and neutralize it."
Cloud was surprised to hear such an exciting account, what with monsters to search out and kill. He could see already that this mission was going to be fun.
"So where are these monsters?" he asked curiously.
"The Mako Reactor of the Nibel Mountains, not far from Nibelheim," Sephiroth answered.
"Nibelheim is where I'm from," Cloud said in a matter-of-fact manner.
"I know," Sephiroth replied, his voice quietly sighing beneath his arm.
"Really?" Cloud said, surprised that Sephiroth would actually have looked into any knowledge of Cloud's personal details. "How did you-?"
Suddenly he was interrupted as the truck bounced up high and landed with a heavy thud. Everyone fell off of their crates except for Sephiroth, who somehow remained in the same calm position.
"Sir!" shouted the driver immediately. "Something very big just hit us!"
Sephiroth stood up and said with a grin, "That would be our monster."
Cloud knew what this meant. He reached over his shoulder and pulled his massive buster sword out from its sheath.
"I'm going out there with you, General," he said confidently. "I may be the youngest here, but as I said, I'm here to prove myself."
"Very well," Sephiroth said immediately, walking towards the exit door of the vehicle. "The rest of you, stay here."
Outside in the rain the road had become much more wider during the journey. The dense forests still surrounded the area and not much could be seen over the hills. The sky was a dark, gray/brown colour and the slippery mud was dotted with deep puddles.
Sephiroth and Cloud both slowly walked towards the middle of the road, staying as alert as possible. Sephiroth had his own six-foot-long thin curved sword ready in his hands and he retained a natural calmness.
"Stay calm and attentive," he whispered to his partner. "You must be vigilant and ready to act as soon as any obstacle presents itself. Whatever hit us is within those trees right now, watching us carefully, waiting for the chance to strike. That chance will arrive the moment you lose your awareness."
"Yeah, yeah," Cloud said impatiently. "I just wanna kill that son of a bitch."
"You should stay more stable. Your eagerness will weaken you."
"Listen, I'm ready. As soon as that monster comes out I'll easily-"
Cloud was once again interrupted as Sephiroth pushed him backwards on the wet mud. He looked up and noticed that he had been pushed out of the path of a huge, green Emerald Dragon that had tried to pounce on top of the two soldiers.
Sephiroth was back on his feet immediately and as the dragon lunged its head forward to snap him in its mouth he made a large gash on its neck with his sword. The evil beast stepped backwards, but it took only seconds for it to get ready to take another go at eating Sephiroth. It seemed to ignore the pain and continue its work for food.
"Strife!" he shouted to Cloud, "get up and help!"
Cloud slipped over several times as he tried to stand in the wet puddles of soil. He eventually stood with his sword held upright and his clothes completely covered in mud. He stood beside Sephiroth, waiting for the dragon to attack.
The reptile looked down at both at them, its long twisty neck curving at the back. Its red eyes glowed like marbles full of lava and its large, green scales reflected the light coming from the clouds.
Cloud tried to keep his balance as his feet slipped around on the slimy ground. He pointed his sword towards his enemy as a way to encourage it to stay back, but it looked at him with no sign of fear whatsoever.
Suddenly he found himself pushed into the mud again. Once again Sephiroth had saved his life by pushing him out of the path of the dragons fire breath that zoomed across the road like a bright, gaseous comet. This battle wasn't all that he had expected it to be. After all, being pushed into puddles of thick mud wasn't a particularly appealing way to fight.
He managed to get up again, but Sephiroth was on the other side of the dragon, trying to attack the side of its torso. It stood there staring at Cloud with its evil green eyes and he soon realized that he was too scared to move. He nervously shivered as the dragon moved its head closer and closer towards him until its nose was right in front him, sniffing his blonde hair.
He soon came to his senses and sliced up with his sword as hard as he could and made a large wound on its chin. It stood up on its hind legs and roared in pain, fire spraying into the air like a fountain of gold.
Sephiroth sprinted towards the dragon until he was right beneath it. It was still standing upright on its hind legs and he held his sword as steady as he could. Cloud just watched in terror as the dragon began to let itself drop back down to the ground, where Sephiroth stood about to be squashed.
Suddenly the dragon was dead.
Sephiroth's sword had pierced through its green scales, traveled straight through its heart and then out of its back. Its own weight was what had killed it, but had it killed Sephiroth too?
Cloud walked slowly towards the ribs of the dragon, rain running down his cheeks like tiny waterfalls. There was no movement whatsoever and no sign of Sephiroth.
"General?" he said softly, his heart beating rapidly. He turned around and saw the other soldiers running out from the SSTT with their machine guns in their hands. He turned back round and saw a hand poke out from beneath the dragon's belly.
He quickly rushed towards the hand to try to help Sephiroth get out from beneath the dragon, but already the massive corpse had been lifted up enough for the strong general to get out by himself.
Cloud couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sephiroth was even more powerful than he had ever imagined, slaughtering a dragon in less than a minute and then lifting the whole thirty-ton carcass up with his bare hands. It now made him wonder if anyone at all could have prevented Sephiroth from winning the war for Shinra.
"You okay?" he asked him as he wiped the mud off of his brown-stained clothes the best he could.
"Yes," Sephiroth replied. "Of course. Now, let's move on."
Once again the General didn't seem interested in talking about this marvelous incident any further and didn't seem too shocked by the ordeal of having a thirty-foot long dragon fall on top of him.
Everyone returned to the SSTT and not a word was spoken. Even Cloud, who was still astonished and excited by the amazing confrontation that had took place, did not speak a word. The truck continued on its long journey along the road to Nibelheim…