The silence was deafening. There was only a vivid green-ish mist, mako mist, surrounding him. The air was so thick his chest ached. He walked and walked and walked untill, without warning, a blinding light emerged from the fog and everything was washed by white. He walked a while longer just before reaching a mysterious chamber. It looked quite familiar, but the image was so fuzzy it made it almost impossible to make out his real location. In the center of the alcove lay a pond. Just beneath its surface, was a small orb of light.
"How could such a small thing be so bright?" he tried to vocalize, but his voice was imprisoned. He directed his footsteps towards the spherical flash entering the pond's shallow clear water. As he did so, the orb exploded in a rainbow and a feminine character appeared. She moved her soft lips... "Ho... ho hoo!"
Genesis opened his eyes.
"Ho ho hoo! Eat your breakfast and come meet me at the campfire site. I have a different lesson for you, today. Ho ho hoo!" said Bugenhagen.
"Damn that annoying laugh, interrupting my dream." Genesis got up. "That place was in Banora. The cave where I fought with Zack, wasn't it? What was the Goddess trying to tell me...?"
No use in over thinking it. Whatever it was, he would surely find out sooner or later. He ate his breakfast and did as the old man had instructed him.
Near the campfire, besides Bugenhagen, Nanaki also stood there.
"Follow us." And so he did.
In a few minutes, they found themselves in front of a huge metallic door. Nanaki pressed a button on the left and the door opened.
"In your journey you'll need more than just your knowledge and sword. Deep down this cave, a gift awaits you but only if you can reach it, of course, ho ho hoo."
Genesis didn't say a word and walked through the door. Quite a few sets of stairs were planted along the way. He descended calmly, already guessing that monsters would be lurking around in the lowest level. And he sure got that right.
"I'll take care of these little guys in a jiffy." he smirked while taking the Rapier out of its sheath and cutting half a dozen monsters at once.
The path was very slender and long. Some more monsters charged against the man, but he wouldn't even flinch. They were way to weak.
Genesis went on until the road split in 4. He pondered for a while which one to take and decided on the rightmost walkway. His hunch was, once again, correct. It connected to a huge room guarded by a King Behemoth.
That was the real challenge. He hadn't fought one of those in a long time.
Soon after arriving, the behemoth faced him. It quickly prepared and pressed for a head-on attack, but the green-eyed man jumped, avoiding the hit. However, the beast took the chance and whipped its hard tail. Since he was in midair, there was no way to move and dodge that one. The blow projected him against the wall.
"You're a clever one, aren't you? But I am, as well." A grin was drawn in his face implying that thrust didn't make any damage, whatsoever. He shook his head and observed his surroundings. There were a few stalagmites and stalactites in the vicinity he could use. He ran to where they were and sliced them and hurled them to his foe to create a diversion. While the monster tried to defend itself from the pieces, Genesis severed one of Behemoth's back limbs. Or so he intended to, were the monster's skin softer.
He realised he had to put all his strength in his sword to be able to pierce to the bone. He needed to come up with a new strategy. What if he used the concave walls to propel his body above the huge skull or neck? That could work! He, then, initiated his brand-new tactic.
It was all going as planned. Unfortunately, the King beast saw right through him, that damned bastard! In counter attack, it bestowed one of its colossal horns through Genesis' right shoulder. He groaned in pain, it was so intense his movements came to a halt for a few seconds. He closed his eyes and concentrated. A red magic sigil painted the floor where the Behemoth stood still. Genesis raised his free arm in the air and cast powerful lightning strikes, causing the sigil to explode.
The monster was instantly disintegrated and the battle ended.
The back door could finally be reached. He rushed in. When he entered he stopped. There was something else in that cave.
"The wind sails over the water's surface. Quietly, but surely. I can sense you, show yourself."
A woman emerged from the shadows. Genesis hurried to place a thrust with his sword to cut the air?
"Where are you aiming at? I'm behind you."
He turned around as fast as he could but his body froze still. Curses, the enigmatic woman had cast stop on him!
"Your skills are amazing, just as I'd expected. Though you're a little rusty at the moment." she giggled. She placed her soft snowy-white hand upon his face. Her face was just a few millimeters away from his. He could clearly see her eyes, bright yellow but full of evil intent. Her scarlet hair fell perfectly over her chest and a sweet but daring fragrance hugged her impeccable body. "You don't mind me taking this beauty with me, do you, darling?" she teased. A small red orb reflected the few lights that sneaked in.
"A Summon?!"
"Yes, Ifrit. It was lying around here, abandoned... I'm sure it wants to be useful again, and I have just the perfect usage for it."
"What do you need it for?"
"You'll know, when the moment comes." she finished as she disappeared in the shadows just as fast as she arrived.
Back outside, he reported what succeeded inside the Cave of the Gi.
"WHAT?! Who stole my materia?!"
"Ah, Yuffie. You're here." Nanaki stated.
"YOU! Why did you let a cat-burglar steal such an important materia, MY materia?!" she stood in front of Genesis punching the air.
"I don't have time for brats."
Yuffie saw the man walk away and noticed his injury. She decided to throw at his head a cure materia. Not because she was worried but because she would make him retrieve the stolen Summon once he got better. Or so she convinced herself in her head.
Genesis picked the materia up and continued on to his room.
"Who was that, anyway?"
"I'll explain things better once Cid arrives."
The Ex-SOLDIER sat down on top of his bed and cast cure. Such a weak magic would only be able to stop the bleeding, the pain would persist for a few days. But he didn't mind. It meant he was alive.
"I really... am rusty, huh?" he admitted with utmost dissatisfaction. He picked himself up and started doing squats. He used to hate doing those, back when he was a SOLDIER in training but they did help his legs become stronger.
"I suppose the Goddess was trying to warn me about this in the dream..."
Obs: The ability Genesis used to finish off the King Behemoth was his limit break called Apocalypse; The quote he recites when he first enters the Summon chamber is from LOVELESS, Act IV; The mystery woman does not belong to Final Fantasy nor Square Enix. She's an original character created to help with flow of the story.
