Final Fantasy VII: Another Side

By:

Mystwalker

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII.

A/N: A Tale of Two SOLDIERs and Falling Stars will be updated soon. I just really want to get them out of Midgar before I take that on. Red's POV in the final scene because a random number generator said so, and why the heck not?

CONTEST UPDATE: I've settled on a hometown, but I'm not quite sold on a last name, so if you missed out on that from the previous chapter, suggest a last name for Kunsel in your review and I'll pick the one that most sparks my inspiration! (The previous two suggestions are still in the running too (Gohan Roxas and Riku Uzumaki).

JazzQueen, it might happen, but I won't confirm anything for sure.

Irish-Brigid, he's getting used to some things. But he's slowly becoming more competent and taking the lead more times, as some of the characters have pointed out.

Ryuukoshi, gotta love excellent and extensive training, right? And yes, trust Zack and Cloud to escape the city WITH STYLE!

DJ Meltdown of Ground Xero and Furionknight, thanks for the reviews!

XxXxX

File 012: Escape from Midgar

Sephiroth and Genesis's swords scraped against each other as the they came together again, sliding down to the hilt. Genesis smirked, his eyes traveling past Sephiroth to the highway below them. "It's getting a little late, don't you think?" he asked. "I don't mind continuing this, but...can you handle seeing them die?"

Sephiroth tensed, glancing back at the road. The Shinra troops were in hot pursuit—not surprising—but from this angle, he could see something that the men on the ground probably couldn't.

A pair of armed flying drones were skirting the building, zooming towards the truck.

Genesis pushed off on Masamune, using the added force to propel him several feet away from Sephiroth. Sephiroth turned his head as he felt the pressure suddenly ease, watching as Genesis shot him another smirk, flying off after the white helicopter.

Sephiroth stared, his grip loosening on his sword for just a moment.

XxXxX

Shinra operatives poured onto the highway in pursuit, several of the SOLDIERs zipping forward in motorcycles as well as they attempted to chase after them. Zack and Cloud drove on either side of the truck, the both of them looking back at the sound of engines. Cissnei braced the butt of the rifle against her shoulder as Barret started shooting at their pursuers, her fingers curling slowly around the grip. She took a deep breath, settling down and slowly squeezing the trigger. A bullet tore into the front wheel of one of their closest pursuers, sending him flying over the handlebars of his motorcycle as it tumbled end over end.

"Zack! Cloud!" she shouted, pulling away from the scope. "Keep them away from the truck!"

"You got it," said Zack from the truck's right, his motorcycle falling back and letting the truck go ahead as he reached for his Buster Sword.

"Ten four," said Cloud, sliding back as well. He held onto the handlebars with one hand, reaching back and grabbing his Shinra issue sword.

Zack spun the motorcycle around, putting himself between Aerith and their pursuers as he swung the Buster Sword one-handed, catching one of the pursuing SOLDIERs with the flat as Cloud immediately drove forward, trapping one of the pursuing SOLDIERs between his bike and the railing as he swung his sword. He grit his teeth as the SOLDIER attacked back, his motorcycle drifting just slightly to the left. Cloud quickly pulled it back into place, finishing the battle with one strike and sending the SOLDIER flying off his bike.

Zack grinned as he pulled his own bike to the left, dodging the falling SOLDIER. He sped up, forward and into the wind as he made to catch up with Cloud. Gunfire echoed around them as Barret started shooting at their pursuers, accompanied by the occasional sharp crack of Cissnei's more focused shots.

"Zack!" shouted Barret, causing him to look up.

The truck lurched as a SOLDIER neared it, sparks flying as the back of it hit the stone guard rails on the left side of the highway. Metal clashed on metal, and Zack watched as Kunsel leaned out the window of the front seat, sword in hand as he attacked the enemy SOLDIER. Aerith leaned forward, her grip loosening slightly from around his waist. "Zack," she prompted.

He nodded, leaning forward further and pulling up beside the enemy SOLDIER's motorcycle. He grinned, raising his hand in a friendly wave as the enemy SOLDIER looked up at him.

"Hi there," he said.

Behind him, Aerith pulled away from his back, smiling as Zack sped up. She raised her hand in a wave, gripping her staff tightly in the other. "Bye there."

The enemy SOLDIER stared after them in confusion, before returning his eyes to the road in front of him. He let out a shout of alarm as ice suddenly encapsulated his front wheel, trapping the motorcycle in place and sending him flying. Zack swerved to the right to avoid him as they drove past him, pulling up next to Cloud as Cloud kicked out at another SOLDIER, throwing him off his bike.

"You alright there?" asked Zack.

Cloud looked over at him. "Fine," he said. "Behind you."

"Gotcha," said Zack, pulling away from Cloud and falling back so that he was driving beside the enemy motorcycle. The driver turned towards him, reaching up for his sword. Zack shook his head. "Oh no, you don't," he said, swinging the Buster Sword around and catching him in the chest with the flat. He went tumbling into the air, his bike going on without him for a few moments before crashing into the railing.

Zack ducked underneath a flying piece of metal as it zoomed over his head, tilting the motorcycle and riding right underneath it. Aerith let out a squeal of surprise, grabbing onto him tightly as he straightened up. "Zack!"

"Sorry about that," he said, grinning sheepishly as they sped past. He looked back at her to make sure she was alright, but she only seemed to have been startled. "How's the truck?" he asked, returning his eyes to the road.

He felt Aerith slowly pull away from his back, looking over her shoulder. "It's good. Cloud's taking care of it."

Zack grinned. Cloud was getting better at this everyday. He flexed his grip on the handlebars. "Alright," he said. "Let's give him some room to work." Zack fell back, glancing through the mirrors as a pair of SOLDIERs immediately moved to flank him, reaching for their swords.

"Hey, Aerith. You got this?" he asked, speeding just out of reach.

"Mm!"

"Okay," said Zack. "Get ready."

He slowed down, falling back and directly between their two pursuers. As soon as he did, he felt Aerith release her hold on him completely, leaning back and grabbing her staff in both hands. She closed her eyes, and he felt electricity crackle around her as her staff floated in front of her horizontally.

"Thunder!" she called.

Lightning erupted from both ends of her staff, catching both SOLDIERs off-guard. They shouted as they were both flung outwards from the blast. One of them released his hold on his bike, flying off and crashing into the railing. The other turned, bike and all, veering too far to the left and tumbling onto the ground. She quickly snatched her staff out of the air as the spell finished, gripping it in her right hand and hooking her left arm around Zack's waist. Zack took the hint, speeding off quickly and out of the way of the first SOLDIER's spinning motorcycle.

He and Aerith both let out the breaths they were holding as the motorcycle straightened up, resuming a steady speed. Aerith leaned forward, wrapping her other arm around his waist. He felt her turn her head, looking back to measure their progress.

"Zack!" she called suddenly, alarmed.

Zack immediately swerved as he caught sight of something in his rear view mirror, dodging the missile that fell out of the sky. Aerith screamed as it embedded itself in the ground a few feet away from their bike, and Zack quickly zoomed off, the motorcycle tilting slightly as the missile exploded, peppering the both of them with debris even with the distance they had taken. He righted the bike, looking up.

A pair of silver robots with the Shinra logo painted on the sides of them were flying through the sky, their guns trained on him, Cloud, and the truck. A second missile exploded on the ground, and Zack saw both the truck and Cloud swerve in opposite directions, Barret and Red throwing themselves to the floor of the truck bed as Cissnei quickly covered her head with her arms. Cloud swerved out of the way and righted himself, but just barely.

The robots flew close together, preparing to fire another blast. Zack grit his teeth, getting ready to dodge it.

A black and silver figure suddenly flew between the two machines, corkscrewing through the space between them. Both robots exploded in the air, the figure continuing to plummet towards the ground. Zack saw Sephiroth spread out his wing at the last moment to slow his descent, landing crouched on the roof of the truck. He landed with a thud, the truck shaking somewhat from the force of his fall.

Cissnei, Barret, and Red immediately looked back at him.

"Sephiroth!" he heard Cissnei shout.

Sephiroth glanced back at them, before looking back at the road in front of him. "Drive!" he ordered.

Cloud nodded, flanking the truck before pulling away from it and chasing down another pursuing SOLDIER. Cissnei whipped around, raising her rifle and firing at a group of three. She caught the tire of the leading one, his motorcycle spinning out and slamming into the other two and throwing the group of them back.

Zack fell back, driving beside Cloud. Aerith slowly lifted herself from his back, looking behind them.

"They're falling back!" she said.

Zack frowned, gripping onto his handlebars tightly. "That's...not a good sign," he said.

"Zack, the road!" shouted Cloud in alarm.

Zack's eyes widened. The road ahead of them sloped upwards before seeming to disappear completely, leaving nothing but empty sky and the Midgar wasteland in the distance. He immediately skidded to a stop, turning the bike around so that it was facing the way they had come. Cloud followed, bringing his own motorcycle to a stop just a few feet away from him.

The truck swerved to a stop, Tifa yanking on the wheel and turning it sharply. Behind them, a large tank lumbered through the tunnel, its cannons focused on them.

"Oh no..." said Aerith.

Zack scowled, reaching for his sword. Beside him, Cloud stood up, grabbing onto his own blade as well.

Before any of them could do anything, Sephiroth pushed off from the roof of the truck, leaping towards the tank.

Masamune cut a single line down the tank's middle, sparks and fire flaring up in its wake. Sephiroth reached the other side, calmly and coolly swiping the blade in front of him as the tank buckled and collapsed, falling into two pieces on the highway.

Zack stared, slowly releasing his grip on his sword. He glanced over at Cloud to see the other man staring as well, his blue eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. Sephiroth turned and walked towards them, seeming oblivious to the sudden silence. He reached down and picked up a coiled metal cable near the edge of the road, holding it lightly in his hands. As Zack watched, he looked back, his eyes hardening into a glare as he looked over at the city.

He tossed the coil towards Zack. It struck him squarely in the chest, and Zack blinked in surprise, catching it in his hands before it could fall.

"Start climbing," said Sephiroth, turning around fully and watching as the others started climbing out of the truck. He gripped Masamune in his left hand, turning it slightly so that the edge of the sword gleamed. "I'll cover you."

XxXxX

Red XIII watched as Cissnei slid down the last few feet of cable, landing neatly on the ground. Getting everyone down had been a little bit of a challenge, but they had managed it, despite having to tie the cable around him and painstakingly lower him down the hundreds of feet to the ground. He flexed his claws, feeling the solid earth beneath his feet. It was an odd feeling, after so many years in the lab. He had almost forgotten what it was like. For a moment, he was possessed by the sudden urge to run without stopping. He resisted. Despite his appearance, he was not an animal.

The ex-Turk tugged once on the coil, taking a few steps back. There was a rustle of feathers as Sephiroth swept down from above, landing on the ground neatly. He straightened up, his black wing slowly folding into his back until there was no trace of it. He gave them a sidelong glance, his silver hair concealing part of his face from view for a moment, before turning towards them.

He was met with silence for the first few moments. Red didn't say anything, simply watching him, as he recalled those last few moments in the President's office. Unlike the others, he did not know this man. However, he would have been one of those inclined to agree that aside from the untimely arrival of Rufus Shinra, Sephiroth might just have done the world a favor.

It was Zack who broke the silence first, stepping forward. "Sephiroth, you're hurt," he said, his tone concerned.

Sephiroth glanced down at the wound on his chest. It certainly looked bad—at the very least severely burned. He shook his head, looking over at Zack. "It's nothing," he said. "The sword cauterized the wound on the way out. I'll survive."

"Still—," began Zack.

The Cetra hesitated for a moment before hurrying forward, moving past Zack. She raised her hands, holding them lightly over Sephiroth's chest. They glowed with a green light. Sephiroth blinked in surprise, looking down at her. "I said—," she began.

Aerith shook her head, not looking up from her work. "It will make me feel better," she said. "Humor me."

Sephiroth frowned, but relented, looking over at the rest of the group. He stood still for a few seconds, before placing his hand on Aerith's wrist, slowly pushing her away. The green light faded, leaving the wound looking better than it had before, but still present. "That's enough," he said, when Aerith looked at him in confusion. He released her wrist, stepping away from her. "There are others who need it more."

He turned towards Barret, who was sitting on an upturned piece of scrap metal, watching Sephiroth closely. Barret looked up. "So..." he said. "What now?"

"You're asking me?" asked Sephiroth. Barret shrugged in response, shaking his head.

"Not much of AVALANCHE left, is there?" he asked. He looked over at the group, snorting. "'Sides this crew. Me 'n Tifa's pretty much all that's left."

Sephiroth frowned in response, looking out at the wasteland. "I..." he began. He shook his head. "...Genesis left with Rufus Shinra. Whatever is happening...whatever he's planning...the two of them are very close to the center of it. And I...suppose I have to settle a score." His voice grew cold. "But this doesn't involve the rest of you," he said. "I'll go alone."

"Are you out of your mind?"

Sephiroth's eyes widened slightly, and he looked back. Zack was walking up to him, his expression determined. "You saw what happened back there in the lab," said Zack. "With all the things Genesis is getting caught up with...don't you think that might happen again? Who's going to stop you if you're alone? Besides..." He stopped, standing beside Sephiroth and facing him. "You're not the only one with a score to settle."

"Mm," said Cloud, coming forward as well. Sephiroth glanced at him. "Genesis attacked Nibelheim. I can't just let that go. And Sector 7..."

"I'm coming too," said Cissnei, walking forward. Sephiroth looked up at her as well, his eyes widening imperceptibly. "There's nothing more for me here," she said, looking back at Midgar. "Not with Tseng and the company wanting me dead. Besides..." She looked up, meeting Zack's eye and smiling slightly. "Zack made me a promise."

Zack glanced at her, a smile spreading over his face as well. "You bet," he said.

"If this'll help save the Planet," said Barret, jumping up from his seat and coming to stand with the rest of them. "Then I'm comin' with. You won't get rid of me that easily, pretty boy."

"I'll go too," said Aerith quietly, stepping forward. She walked over to Zack, coming to stand next to him. Aerith didn't look at him, instead looking off at the vast expanse of wasteland ahead of them. "...I have...things that I want to find out..."

Sephiroth glanced over at her. "About the Ancients?" he asked.

She lowered her eyes to the ground. "...Many things."

"If Zack and Aerith are going, then so am I," said Kunsel. "There's no point in me staying anymore."

Red shook his head. "...I suppose I don't need to say where I stand in all of this," he said, slowly padding over to where the others were standing.

"I guess this is goodbye, Midgar," said Tifa, walking over to Cloud and staring at the base of the city.

"We can't all leave together," said Cissnei, folding her arms as she glanced out at the desert. "They'll be pursuing us. We'll stick out like a sore thumb if all nine of us try to leave Midgar by the same route."

"Then let's split up," said Zack. He looked over at the others. "Three groups of three?"

"Mm," said Tifa, looking around.

"Let's meet back up at Kalm," said Barret. "In case anythin' goes wrong. We can figure out what to do from there."

"Then we need three leaders, don't we?" asked Aerith, looking around. Kunsel stepped forward, folding his arms.

"That's easy enough," he said. "Zack, Sephiroth, and..."

"Course, only me could be the third one," said Barret, getting up.

Tifa frowned, tilting his head towards him. "You think so?" she asked.

"I think it should be Cloud," said Aerith, smiling.

Cloud looked up, his eyes widening. "Who? Me?" he asked.

Cissnei glanced over at Cloud, a smile slowly spreading onto her face. "...I agree," she said.

Zack grinned. "Hey, great idea!" he said, patting Cloud on the back. "You'll do fine, buddy!"

Barret sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Oh, awright..." he said. "So...who's going with who?"

Zack turned towards Aerith, grinning. "Aerith, with me?" he asked.

She met his eyes, nodding once. "Sure, Zack," she said, smiling. "I'll go with you."

Zack nodded, looking past Aerith and over at Kunsel. "Hey, Kunsel, what about you?"

"Because I really want to be your third wheel," teased Kunsel, smiling at Zack.

Zack shook his head. "Come on, man," he said. "It's not gonna be like that."

"I'm just kidding," said Kunsel, stepping forward. "Of course I'll come with you."

"I'll go with Cloud, I guess," said Barret.

"Me too," said Tifa, nodding.

"Which leaves the three of us," said Cissnei. Red glanced up, looking over at her and Sephiroth. The silver-haired SOLDIER glanced from one to the other, before giving a resigned sigh. He nodded once, facing the wasteland.

"At Kalm," he said.

"At Kalm," repeated Cloud, nodding.

"You guys be careful!" said Zack, walking off. Aerith and Kunsel followed him. "See you there."

Sephiroth nodded, walking off in one direction. Cissnei followed him, and after a moment's pause, Red did as well. As he walked, he could just hear the beginning of a conversation coming from Aerith and Zack, as they walked down their own path into the desert. He looked over at them, watching the two of them walk away.

"...This is my first time leaving Midgar," said Aerith, her hands clasped behind her back.

"Oh really?" asked Zack. He frowned down at her. "You scared?"

Aerith paused for a moment to think about this, tilting her head back. She smiled warmly at him, shaking her head.

"No," she said quietly.

"No, not at all..."

XxXxX

Tseng clasped his hands behind his back, staring down from his office window at the commotion below. The report hadn't officially come in, but he had seen some of the chaos on the highway from his office. He already knew what it would say. Slowly, he turned around, glancing down at the screen on his desk.

A picture was on display there, one taken from the top of the support pillar. It showed Cissnei, the wind in her hair and her hand on her shuriken as she stared up defiantly at the helicopter.

He didn't hesitate, leaning forward and pressing a single button.

SEND.

END FILE