Chapter 10: Dark Link's Resurrection

Rufus: Why do you want to fight me?

Cloud: You seek the Promised Land and Sephiroth.

Rufus: Hm, exactly.

(He walks to the side of Cloud.)

Rufus: Mm? Did you know that Sephiroth is an Ancient?

Link: … We heard from your dead father.

Cloud: ...A lot has happened. Anyway, I can't let either you or Sephiroth have the Promised Land!"

Rufus: I see. I guess this means we won't become friends.

Dark Link: I guess this is my queue.

Rufus: Ah, yes, meet my new Vice-President.

Link: So … Ganon has resurrected you!

Dark Link: Ahahahahaha, Think you can defeat me now?

(Cloud and Link fight and defeat Rufus and Dark Link.)

Dark Link: You've gotten strong Hero of Light! But we'll meet again.

Rufus: Heh... That's all for today.

(Rufus grabs the runner of the helicopter circling overhead with Dark Link and makes a spectacular getaway. Cloud and Link return to the 69th floor, where they meet up with Tifa.)

Tifa: Where's Rufus?

Cloud: We couldn't finish 'em. Looks like this's gonna get complicated.

Link: Yeah, he turned tail and ran.

(Aeris, Barret, and Red arrive on the bottom floor. They go to the main exit.)

Barret: I'll go on ahead!

(Barret goes out, to be met by a hail of gunfire. He ducks back in.)

Barret: *&^%(*... surrounded, huh? If I was alone this wouldn't be a thang but, I gotta reputation to protect.

Aeris: You all get out while you can. It's not you they're after... it's me.

Barret: Yeah, well that ain't happenin'. You got caught up in this over Marlene. Now, it's my turn to watch out for you!

(He turns back to the doorway.)

Barret: Ok, playtime's over for you jackasses...

(Aeris takes a step toward him.)

Aeris: ...thank you, Mr. Barret!

(He turns.)

Barret: Who you callin' Mr. Barret? That don't sound right!

Red XIII: Well then... If you are through talking, may I suggest that we think of a way to get out of here.

Barret: Huh? Oh, oh yeah... You a cold man. Just like somone else 'round here I know.

Red XIII: Did you say something?

Barret: Notta thing. So what're we gonna do?

Tifa: Barret!

(Tifa comes sprinting down the stairs.)

Barret: Tifa! Where's Link and Cloud?

(Tifa runs over to the side of the room.)

Tifa: Everyone, over here!

Barret: Huh? What's up? Where's Cloud and Link?

Tifa: I'll tell you later! Hurry, Hurry!

(The party follows Tifa to a safe distance. Cloud and Link rides two motorcycles from the Shinra Showroom down the stairs. The party jumps into a pickup truck also from the showroom and follows them; they drive up the stairs and crash through a window onto the freeway outside.)

Tifa: (yelling from the truck) Hey Link, where'd you learn to ride that thing.

Link: Let's just say I'm getting a 'crash' course!

(The team make their way to the end of an unfinished highway, and make their escape from Midgar.)

Barret: Well, what do we do now?

Cloud: Sephiroth is alive. I... I have to settle the score.

Barret: And that'll save the Planet?

Cloud: ...Seems like it. Link … Who or what was that Dark version .. of you?

Tifa: ? Dark version of Link?

Link: It's as you saw … He's called Dark Link. My evil 'twin'. Created by Ganondorf to kill me... If he's here, that only means Ganon has found away to regain his strength, and possibly his body.

Red XIII: So … if that's true. This has become bigger than just finding the promised land.

Link: Yeah... Ganon is my responsibility, I failed to stop him in Hyrule. Now this world is in danger... The Hero of Light failed... I failed... So, I'm going with you all. I will become the true Hero of Light.

Barret: Awright, I'm going.

Aeris: I'll go too. ...I have things that I want to find out.

Cloud: About the Ancients?

Aeris: ...Many things.

(They all climb down a rope hung from the edge of the highway, landing in the outskirts of Midgar.)

Tifa: (Stands by Link) I guess this's good bye, Midgar.

Red XIII: I'm going backto my hometown. I'll go with you as far as that."

Tifa: ...I guess this is the start of our journey...

Link: It's going to be a long hard journey, you going to be ok?

Tifa:...Mmm. but you know, it should be all right if you stay with me.

Aeris: You know what? This is the first time I've ever left Midgar...

Cloud: Really? ...You worried?

Aeris: A little,... no, maybe a lot. But I have my bodyguard, right?

Barret: We told Aeris's mom to go somewhere safe, so Marlene should be safe too.

Cloud: Yeah, she should be

Aeris: She said she didn't want to stay in Midgar anymore. ...Maybe it's for the best.

Link: Standing around worrying about it, will get us nowhere. And the more we wait, the farther away Sephiroth and Ganon gets.

Cloud: You think they are working together?

Link: There's no doubt in my mind...

(Cloud heads out, away from Midgar.)

Cloud: Let's go!

(Barret starts boxing with the air)

Barret: We need a group leader for our journey. 'Course only me could be the leader.

Tifa: You think so...?

(Aeris walks to Cloud.)

Aeris: It would have to be Cloud.

(Barret stops abruptly and looks at Aeris.)

Barret: ^#$^%... awright. Go Northeast to a town called Kalm. If something happens, we'll meet up there."

(Barret sits down.)

Barret: Sides, we can't have 6 people strolling down the fields. Split us into 2 parties...

Cloud: Alright … Link and Tifa are with me. You take Aeris with you and Red.

Barret: ...Thought you'd do that. Later, at Kalm!

(They all leave Midgar, and head out into the outside world for the first time. They arrive at the city of Kalm. It is a charming, idyllic town with a Dutch appearance.)

Tifa: So this is Kalm?

Link: Quaint.. Come'on everyone's probably at the Inn by now.

Tifa: Let's go Cloud.

(Tifa, Link, and Cloud enter the Inn and head upstairs. The others are waiting.)

Aeris: Cloud, you're late!

Barret: Yo man, you're late!

Cloud: Sorry to keep you waiting.

Aeris: Guess everyone's here now.

Barret: So let's hear your story... You know, the one about Sephiroth and the crisis facing the

planet. Let's hear it all."

(Cloud looks at his feet.. then looks at Barret.)

Cloud: ...I used to want to be like Sephiroth, so I joined SOLDIER. After working with Sephiroth on several missions, we became friends.

Barret: You call that a friend?

Cloud: Yeah, well... He's older than me, and he hardly ever talked about himself.

Tifa: ...

Cloud: So I guess you'd call him a war buddy... We trusted each other. Until one day...

Link: What happened?

(Cloud turns away from the others.)

Cloud: After the war it was SOLDIER's duty to put down any resistance against the Shinra. ...that was 5 years ago. I was 16...

( Cloud's memory)

Cloud: It sure is raining hard.

(He walks over to one of the guards. He isn't looking well.)

Cloud: Hey, how are you doing?

(The soldier makes a dismissive gesture, then sinks down lower.)

Soldier: I'm all right.

Cloud: I wouldn't know... I've never had motion sickness.

(He walks to the other guard.)

Cloud: Everything okay?

(He walks to the middle of the truck. Sephiroth looks up.)

Sephiroth: Hey.

(Cloud turns.)

Sephiroth: Settle down.

(Cloud starts doing his squat thrusts.)

Cloud: They gave me new Materia. I can't wait to use it.

Sephiroth: ...just like a kid.

(Cloud stops.)

Cloud: You going to brief us about this mission?

Sephiroth: ...this isn't a typical mission.

Cloud: Good!

Sephiroth: Why do you say that?

(Cloud walks to the back of the truck and looks out.)

Cloud: I joined SOLDIER so I could be like you. But by the time I made First Class, the war was already over. My big hopes of becoming a hero like you ended with the war. That's why I always sign up whenever there's a big mission. Kind of a way to prove myself.

(He turns.)

Cloud: Say, how do you feel, MISTER Sephiroth?

Sephiroth: ...I thought you wanted a briefing?

(Cloud smooths his hair and walks to Sephiroth.)

Sephiroth: Our mission is to investigate an old Mako reactor. There have been reports of it malfunctioning, and producing brutal creatures. First, we will dispose of those creatures, Then, we'll locate the problem and neutralize it.

(Cloud taps his foot.)

Cloud: Brutal creatures... Where?

Sephiroth: The Mako Reactor at Nibelheim.

Cloud: Nibelheim... That's where I'm from.

(Sephiroth nods.)

Sephiroth: Hmm... hometown...

(A loud crash rattles the whole truck. The driver turns to the back.)

Driver: Sirs, something strange just crashed into our truck!

(Sephiroth stands.)

Sephiroth: That would be our Monster...

(Sephiroth thrashes the dragon.)

Cloud: Sephiroth's strength is unreal. He is far stronger in reality than any story you might have heard about him.

Aeris: So... Where do you come in?

Cloud: Me? I was mesmerized by the way Sephiroth fought.

Tifa: ...

Cloud: ...and then we reached Nibelheim.