Premonitions II: Crisis Core

Chapter 86: The Cave Under the Cave

The young woman lay on the hard, cold, stone ground. As she slowly regained consciousness, she felt pain all over her body, and it was hard to tell which side might be injured.

Her eyes slowly opened. A dim view of her surroundings beheld her. She rotated her head slightly, and gasped; she was on a ledge. Below was an abyss that seemed bottomless.

Jessie rose to her feet; taking extra care not to slip and fall into the abyss. Her body ached, but she knew she could not stay where she was; she had to find food, water, and, of course, her friends.

"Funny," she said to herself. "I didn't even consider that there was a cave under..."

She scanned her surroundings. The emerald luster was still there, only slightly darker than above.

"...the cave."

Between the abyss and the cave wall was a path that was about four yards wide. She followed it in one direction, but was stopped by an obstacle that she had nearly forgotten; the dead mammoth.

"I always thought those things were extinct," she said. "I guess they are now."

She then turned around in the other direction. There were no obstacles in that direction, but the path extended for as far as the eye could see.

"Barret?" she called, hoping her significant other would hear her.

There was no response.

"How long was I out?" she asked herself.

It was not possible to tell the time of day, as the sky was completely concealed. She could only continue along the path, hoping for an exit.

Eventually, Jessie entered a small chamber with the stone forming a natural bridge over a small creek. She bent down to look for any fish to catch, but could not see any.

And then, the feelings of despair began.

She had no idea where she was, nor where anyone else was, for that matter. She needed food, and she could not find any.

"I might actually die down here," she said sadly.

The next chamber was much larger, with giant dark-green stalagmites rising out of the ground. Jessie could not care less; she was desperate for the light of day.

Still continuing to walk forward, Jessie turned her head around, hoping that there were bats or some other creature to possibly make a meal out of.

There were none.

And then, a feeling of fear entered her; she had always been told throughout her childhood to watch where she was going. He mother, in particular, had told her that she would never know what she might bump into.

She turned her head around again.

Sephiroth was standing right there, glaring right at her.

Jessie immediately stopped in her tracks. She turned and began to run, but she tripped over a rock that was on the ground. She fell face-forward, and helplessly awaited her fate.

She soon feel a pair of strong hands on her arms.

"Don't touch me, asshole!" she groaned.

She then felt the same pair of hands on her legs.

"Don't even think about having your fucking way with me!" she hissed.

"You're bones aren't broken," Sephiroth observed aloud as he pulled her to her feet. "Don't try to run again; I have my sword."

Jessie turned to face him. She sat down again in defeat.

"I suppose you came here with Vincent Valentine," Sephiroth continued as he kept his sword aimed at her.

"Why is that any of your concern?" she snapped.

"I knew you would all come after me," he replied. "As soon as I was free from my petrified state, I knew. I had to make a run for it as soon as I could walk again."

"No shit," she sighed.

"I just didn't expect it to be him to lead the chase," he admitted."

"If you're going to kill him," Jessie retorted, "forget it. He's long gone."

"Kill Vincent Valentine?" Sephiroth cackled. "That's one of the few things I'm incapable of doing. Don't you know what happened to him?"

Jessie shook her head.

"I was kind of missing and presumed dead when his life story was probably told."

"It's not a pleasant tale," he informed her.

FLASHBACK...

Vincent entered Hojo's office in the bowels of the Shrinra Mansion. It was not the first time he was doing that, but he was quite confident that it would be the last. He had requested the meeting with Hojo, and was relieved that he complied, but there was no business matter do discuss.

It was to distract him while Lucrecia moved her belongings out of their home.

Vincent and Lucrecia had agreed, in that tender moment, to run away together. They had heard of a private island that was often rented out to honeymooners; Vincent and Lucrecia had decided to buy it and live there. It would be a perfect place to hide from Hojo and the rest of the Shinra. They would effectively be dropping out of society.

And she was planning on taking Sephiroth with them as well.

The only thing that Vincent had not taken into account was what he would discuss with Hojo. He decided not to tell him he was quitting; he would get the picture when he, Lucrecia, and the infant Sephiroth went missing.

Vincent simply shrugged it off; he knew he would think of something. Gathering his confidence, Vincent entered the office.

"Mr. Valentine," Hojo greeted. "What can I do for you."

Vincent took a deep breath.

"We have a problem," he began,

"A problem?" Hojo inquired.

"And I need your input," Vincent added.

"Go ahead," Hojo permitted nonchalantly. "Tell me."

"A strange creature was spotted below the Mythril Mine," Vincent began. "It remained stationary until a miner approached it. The creature opened its eyes and fired a beam from them. The miner was immediately vaporized. No bones or anything. I have reason to believe it might be one of the Weapons."

Hojo removed his glasses, wiped them on his lab coat, and put them back on.

"May I ask you one thing?" he requested.

"Go ahead," Vincent permitted.

"Aren't you a little ashamed of yourself to have made up all this bullshit?"

"Excuse me?" Vincent asked.

Oh, shit!

"I know what you did with my wife," Hojo hissed. "Both on our wedding day, and when our son was born. And I know the real reason you're here."

"What are you talking about?" Vincent attempted to ask innocently.

"I'm a man of mass surveillance," Hojo replied. "I had cameras hidden in those rooms both times. I like to know everything my wife is doing."

"That's disgusting," Vincent grunted.

"I obviously couldn't trust her," Hojo retorted. "Do you know what that price for that is going to be?"

"Lucrecia carried your goddam experiement for nine months!" Vincent informed him. "It was a painful labor."

"Looks like you just admitted to being there," Hojo observed as he reached into his pocket.

He then pulled out a firearm.

Vincent knew he could not simply run away; he would need to quickly overpower Hojo and take his gun. It would not be as difficult as it seemed; Turks were trained for it.

"Talk! Why did you let this happen?!" Vincent exclaimed as he began to approach his rival.

"Silence!" Hojo demanded.

It's now or never.

Vincent began to charge.

"SILENCE!" Hojo exclaimed loudly.

He aimed his handgun.

He pulled the trigger.

Vincent fell to the ground.

He knew right away that he had been shot in the heart; his consciousness immediately began to fade.

And then, his chest stopped rising.

...END FLASHBACK

"The man disgusts me," Sephiroth continued. "I don't care if I'm his sperm."

He then scanned the ailing Jessie.

"There's two more chambers this way, and then the great outdoors," he said. "And what you seem to be seeking."

"And what might that be?" Jessie inquired.

"The Great Father," Sephiroth replied. "I doubt your friends will find him."

"Why do you say that?" Jessie demanded.

"He knows how to hide," Sephiroth continued. "Anyone who stays too close to him for too long loses their memories. Hence, you found me here. Away from him."

"They lose their memories?" Jessie inquired skeptically.

"He has the power to drain people of their memories and absorb them himself. His victims start losing their petty, unimportant memories first. They might forget the date, or what they were doing last week. Then, they forget what's important. Who their parents are. Who their spouse is. Eventually, they even forget how to sit up and lay down. Finally, they die. Not a nice way to go. The process lasts two to ten weeks; it's heartbreaking to watch."

"But why?" Jessie asked.

"Because the Great Father wants to be left alone," Sephiroth explained.

"Did he create the Storm Belt?" Jessie asked.

Sephiroth shook his head.

"That thing's a freak of nature," he replied. "It's been there ever since the world was reformed."

"Did you go through it?" Jessie then inquired.

Sephiroth began to cackle again.

"No," he finally replied. "You'll be rather surprised when you find out how I got here!"

"How did you get here?" Jessie asked.

"I may answer that at another time," he answered.

He then pointed his sword at Jessie.

"Let's go," Sephiroth commanded.

"Where are we going?" Jessie asked as she nervously rose herself to her feet.

"To meet the Great Father," he replied.

Realizing she was out of options, Jessie rose to her feet and began her captive march.

And then, Jessie stopped, and gasped.

Before her lay an elderly man on his front, face-down on the cave floor. He did not move; Jessie could immediately tell he was dead. On closer inspection, she recognized him from the security footage as Noba.

"Did you kill him?" Jessie asked.

Sephiroth shook his head.

"His heart just couldn't take it," he replied. "The Great Father's influence is stronger on the elderly than young people like us."

"You seem like you're on his side," Jessie observed.

"Not necessarilty," Sephiroth dismissed. "But he has promised to protect me."