PART 3
"Cloud…" Marlene uttered sadly. "What is it Marlene?" Cloud asked while he was packing his things to get ready for their journey to Balamb Garden. "Are you gonna be alright?" the girl added. Denzel entered the room slowly. He was also worried. "Yes. I will be." Cloud answered back and Marlene smirked and looked on the window. "We will all be."
"Let's go Cloud!" Tifa's voice was heard all over the house. She was with the others outside 7th Heaven as they were waiting for Cid for their airship. Rain was pouring hard and Lightning rumbles all over Edge City. "Are you sure Marlene and Denzel will be alright?" Cloud said to Tifa. "Yeah! Rude can cook and clean the house… While Reno… Uhhh… Well he can be a good waiter here." Tifa replied, looked at the dim sky, and laughed. After a while, there was a sound of the engines coming not far away from them. It grew louder and louder. "Oh hey! There's our ride." Cait Sith said. The cat pin pointed to the huge aerial transportation that was surging through the strong winds and rain. "Wow…" Yuffie just looked with surprise and amazement. "Everybody get inside!" Cid spoke thru a somewhat microphone from the airship.
Inside the Airship
The storm hasn't yet subsided. Water was creeping on the huge glass of the airship. Almost everyone was seated, besides Tifa. "Where's the coordinates they gave to you Cid?" she said. "Oh… Umm… Wait." The pilot replied with uncertainty. He walked away from the controls and Barret went along with him. "Hey, is this your new Shera?" he said. "Yeah!" Cid implied. "She's my newest invention. Brand new framework, higher durability against attacks and can withstand worse weather and natural conditions. She got a defense system. Plus, better bathrooms." He chuckled. Barret just made a ridiculed expression and stopped following him in the corridors. Meanwhile, Cid went inside his cabin and grabbed a piece of paper. Maybe it was the coordinates. "Tifa, here ya' go." Tifa looked back quickly. "So you've got it. Well we better get ahead now and meet with them." Tifa added. "Balamb sure needs our help."
Somewhere the FFVIII continents…
The group was standing on a rocky plain. There was so sign of neither lush green life nor water. "Will they arrive at certain time?" Irvine Kinneas asked Squall. Zell was talking to Selphie on the back while Rinoa and Quistis were listening on their conversation. "I don't know. But I hope so." Squall answered. "Squall…" Rinoa spoke gently. "Could you contact them?" "Let's try." Squall replied and starts to speak again. "Selphie, check the radars and Zell, could you please get a signal on their communication links?" "Sure!" Selphie exclaimed with a jolly voice. "Oh alright…" Zell also answered back but he sure looks not in the right mood. "Hey guys, look." Quistis spoke while she was looking at the distance. There was some kind of beings moving from the other part of the rocky plateau. RUMBLE… RUMBLE… "Huh?" Rinoa muttered and Squall also looked. Selphie and Zell's heads appeared along the airship's door "What's that sound?" Selphie asked to the other co-members. "I don't know…" Quistis answered as she put her hand onto her whip. "Enemies." Irvine added. "Everybody, get ready!" Squall implied and made an angry face. THUMP! THUMP! The sound grew louder. It was as if they couldn't hear what they are saying to each other. Rinoa and Quistis held back because of what they saw. Squall stepped forward while Irvine was reloading his gun. "Let's turn this baby down." He said.
Inside the Shera
The whirling and chugging of the propeller was heard all over the deck. "Hummm… Hummm…" Yuffie was forcing herself to relax. Cid was holding the steering wheel on the side and looked at the girl. "Ahhhh! When will we ever get there?! Where is this place?! And what is that place anyway?!" she added with a shout. "Yuffie, stop yelling will 'ya?" Barret implied as he was sitting on a couch with arms crossed while trying to sleep. Tifa looked at the wide glass window that was being covered with running rainwater and reminisced. "He'll be alright." Vincent said to her. Tifa didn't move after what he said. Then she directed her head onto where Vincent sits and nodded. A little later… "I've got a call from Squall Leonhart and his team!" Cid announced. Everyone replied with their attentions on Cid. Yuffie and Red XIII went closer to the controls of Shera and looked on the communication device. "Helloooo?" Yuffie made a long and annoying salutation. She taps the microphone with her fingertip but only hears the sound of radio frequency.
Squall's Location
"Oh no! Squall!!!" Selphie exclaimed. "What is it Selphie?" Rinoa asked her in distress. "I know we've got a really, really big problem, but, this is another problem. I think our radio connection is being blocked by a different reception." She replied in worry. "We will handle that later; first, we need to put this thing off our way." Zell said. He put on his black leather gloves and cracked his fist. "Let's do it!" Zell added once again. Quistis and Squall looked on him and made a gesture of affirmation. RUMBLE…. RUMBLE… It was very enormous in size. It's a rock golem. Rinoa made the first attack. She shoots her bladed weapon to the enemy and hopefully, it held back. Then, Quistis glowed in blue light and energy formed in her mouth. She then released it in her exhaling. It was Aqua Breath. During her drowning spell, Zell entered with two successive punches and a kick that made the monster fall onto its feet. Selphie soared into the air as she somewhat eclipsed the glaring sun. She thrashed her nunchaku weapon to the golem and small pieces of shard and stone exploded with the compact blow.
"Guys, you just fight with that brute while I contact Cloud Strife." Selphie hurried after her attack on the rock golem. Irvine looked at Selphie then at the monster. He gritted his teeth and ginned. "Eat this!" He shoots towards the golem and a huge explosion covered the area. Unfortunately, the golem rushed upwards emerging from the dusts and rubble as it was to attack Irvine and Quistis. They gasped and dodged the crushing strike. While the golem still charging for a next attack, Squall entered and sliced one of its arm with his sword, Lionheart.
Selphie ran to the communications deck and grabbed the transistor radio. "This is Selphie Tilmitt's Ragnarok spacecraft, do you copy? Over!" The girl was talking hastily and was much perspired. "I repeat. This is the Ragnarok spacecraft, do you copy? Over." She waited but no one replied. Selphie almost lost her hope until… CHHHHHH… CHHHHHH… "This is Shera. Do you copy? Over." Cid's unclear voice was heard. Selphie's energy was likely regained and she immediately replied. "We are in need of your help now. What are your coordinates? Over." Blinding light and sparks were seen at the Ragnarok's cabin windows. The fight was obviously not to stop but everyone needs to hold on.
"Haaaaaaaah!!!" Zell gathered energy and boosted to the monster. His fist was clenched and when he was about to punch the golem, it also punched him in the gut. Both of them landed on the ground. Zell became unconscious. The earthen golem dived onto the rocks and stones. "Dammit, when will this end?!" Irrvine yelled as he shoots the second time. Squall attacked as well. Rinoa then casts Blizzaga. The golem was unable to move by the slightly frozen magic but it suddenly broke free and targeted Rinoa. "Uh oh…" Rinoa said. "Rinoa duck!" Quistis flashed with her whip. WHACK! The enemy held back again and then… "Guys, they're coming!" Selphie yelled while looked outside. Squall smiled at the turn of events and again rushed towards with his sword.
Inside the Shera
Tifa and Yuffie were waiting as Cid and Barret were still looking for a good reception on the radio transistor. "This is Shera. We are near the Centra continent. Do you copy? Over." "Cid, I think the collision of the Meteor affected the communication lines between our side of the world and theirs." Vincent said calmly. "Hmm. Yeah yer right." The captain replied. Tifa couldn't make her mind stable and went along the cabins. She saw Cloud inside his room fixing his swords. She was about to knock but then the door opened. "Cloud…" Tifa looked inside but she saw no one. "What is it?" Cloud appeared from another door. "Oh! There you are. Hehe…" the girl shyly smiled. "I'm just wondering if…" "I have no time. We need to make plans on how to rescue Squall Leonhart's team and we're almost above their soils." Tifa became mad on what he said, "Why are you pressuring yourself so much?!" Cloud just stopped and felt awkward. "I just want to…" He looked and Tifa started to have teardrops in her eyes. "I just want to help them because I know they were from Cid Kramer's soldiers. This Cid Kramer was one of Zack's friends and he wanted to assist them a long time ago when Balamb Garden helped Dollet Dukedom when it was attacked by Galbadia." Tifa couldn't stare at Cloud because right now, he's holding her hand. Cloud blushed and looked down. Tifa embraced him as she cried.
Meanwhile…
A breaking sound from Squall's Lionheart clashed with the golem's hard surface. The enemy tried to retaliate but the SeeD member evaded the attack. Rinoa called Angelo; it was her Limit Break – Wishing Star. Her pet dog ravaged to the site of battle and both of them, Rinoa and Angelo, became duets in the attack. The animal glided through midair and tackled the golem several times until it fell under its knees. "Good job!" Rinoa praised Angelo as it rushed to Ragnarok. Selphie, who was still waiting for any replies from Shera, patted Angelo's head and once again went back to the fight. She made agile movements and her nunchaku crackled with the hard stones of the golem. Then… wind coming from below the barren plains brought forth dusts and dry soil. "HEY EVERYONE, YOU NEED HELP?" Cid stormed out using the Shera's microphone. "Ugh…" Zell murmured. "Whoa. Uhhh… Are they here?" he asked to Quistis. "Yes, and they're here to help us." The woman bent down and replied. The AVALANCHE members came down from the Shera with their weapons. "Where's the trouble maker ehh?!" Yuffie shouted. "Here it is!" Irivne replied. "Then let's do it." Yuffie retorted. The golem stood up and prepared to strike Squall and the others then, Cloud blocked the punch with his sword. Cait Sith and Vincent slipped infront and is awaiting for the next attack. Vincent came first with his gun. He ran sidewards while Cait Sith striked it with a strong blow. Rubble came out of the enemy again. Yuffie was carried by Barret and was hurled to the air to release a more powerful boomerang throw. Her weapon shredded the wind and deeply lacerated the golem. Just as Yuffie landed on the ground softly, Tifa and Zell rushed and made a combo. Quistis casts Firaga and then Barret and Cid follow with attacks. BAM BAM BAM! Barret fires massive kegs. Rinoa shoots her boomerang and the golem falls. Irvine shoots. The golem became somewhat recharged and jumped towards Rinoa, Barret and Cid but then Selphie glowed in aura and does her Limit Break, Slot. "ULTIMA!" Selphie shouts and magic came out and exploded four to seven times. The golem couldn't stand any longer and dissolved to the lifestream.
"YOU BEINGS GIVE ME NO CHOICE." An ethereal voice with a tinge of evil surrounded every length of span a sound wave could reach. "Huh? Who are you?!" Barret replied with confusion. "HAHAHAHA! SQUALL! I KNEW YOU'D CALL THESE PEOPLE FROM THE OTHER CONTINENTS TO DEFEAT ME, ULTIMECIA!" All of them grew more aggressive. They were changing their views and looking where the voice is coming from. "Oh man, the last years was Sephiroth, now this?!" Cid implied. Rinoa stepped forward, "Ultimecia, release mistress Edea from your tricks or we will do something about it!" she said with full of energy. "HAH! YOU MY DEAR WAS MY PLANNED REPLACEMENT, BUT NOT ANYMORE. I DO NOT NEED YOU PUNY HUMANS TO CHANNEL MY FORCE INTO YOUR PHYSICAL WORLD. SINCE I KNEW THAT THE LIFESTREAM OF GAIA WERE MORE VISIBLE, I ALSO HAVE DISCOVERED THAT YOUR LANDS, SQUALL, ALSO HAVE THESE MYSTICAL POWER SOURCES! AND I WILL USE THEM TO REGAIN ME ONCE AGAIN THROUGH EDEA!" Cloud and Tifa were the last ones to come down from the Shera and they also heard the voice. He went closer. Squall looked at him. "That's Ultimecia." Cloud looked back. "So where can we find this Ultimecia?" he asked. "Right now she's inside our mistress Edea. Possessing her." Quistis joined the conversation. "So far were here in the continent of Centra. This land was used to be filled with settlements until the Lunar Cry." Squall said. "That Lunar Cry was likely similar on your Meteor but this happened several thousands of years ago." The man added. While on the back, Cid and Selphie were talking. "I'm sorry Miss Tilmitt. I suppose there was a communication inconvenience between our continents and yours. That's why we're hard to reach you." Cid said. "Yeah… It was really hard for me doing all those fight and blabbering and blabbering in the radio transistor waiting for nothing. Selphie replied frivolously.
A few hours later, after the two teams made an orientation about their missions and their members, they have decided to continue their journey. "Guys, it will be almost dark and we need to continue traveling to Balamb Garden to save Squall's country and Headmaster Cid's wife." Cloud announced. "Okay, I'm sure this'll be pretty fun…" Red XIII said sarcasticly. Zell chuckled with him.
END OF PART 3
Preview of Chapter 4:
The continuation of the journey
More action-packed scenes
Fujin, Reijin, and Seifer
Note: I just made a few editings on Rinoa's Limit Break and changed the lines concerning and related to the said attack.
