BOOK ONE: MIDGAR

FIVE

They was still busy connectin' the cars together when we stepped onto the train, so I knew we'd have at least a few minutes before we got movin'. It'd be jus' enough time to lay out the plan so we all knew what we had to do an' when. We couldn't bring the bomb with us, it'd set off the alarms. That was why I'd had Cloud an' Jess go ahead last night and hide it inside the plate near Sector 4. Goddamn place was like a friggin' maze in there with all of them ducts and ladders an' shit, but it was the best way for us to sneak inside the reactor without no one from Shinra knowin' about it.

Well, 'least I'd thought they didn't know. Now I wasn't so sure. But we couldn't back out now. Everythin' was already set up an' ready to go. We jus' had to see it through. If them Shinra was waitin' in there for us, we'd at least be ready for 'em. I figured that oughta give us an edge they ain't expectin' us to have. An' the chance to turn their own plan against 'em was jus' too good for me to ignore. Tifa an' Cloud were worried, an' I got that, but I knew we could handle anythin' Shinra threw at us. An' I wasn't gonna quit 'til I'd made all them goddamn Shinra bastards pay for everythin' they'd done.

Biggs an' Jessie were sittin' in seats on either side of the car, which was pretty packed this morning. There was also a guy in a dark red suit an' the drunk from yesterday. That guy always seemed to be back there layin' around with his booze whenever we rode this train. Not likin' the crowd, I turned an' motioned to Biggs an' Jessie to get movin'. "Yo! This ain't no private car, so split up!"

They got up an' headed to the next car to get started. Normally, the exit doors wouldn't open whenever the train' was movin', but Biggs an' Jess were gonna disable the security lockouts so that we could force 'em open ourselves when we got up there. I was about to tell Cloud an' Tifa about what we was gonna do when that guy in the red suit stood up an' muttered somethin' stupid under his breath 'bout us bein' hoodlums. I didn't much like the sound'a that.

"You say somethin'?" I headed his way and asked. He'd heard me, I didn't doubt it. He jus' didn't wanna 'fess up to what he'd said. So I tried again. "I said, 'You say somethin'!?"

Most of the folks sittin' in here got up and moved on up to the next car after that, none of 'em darin' to look me right in the eye, but I could feel 'em all starin' jus' the same as they hurried past me. It was the gun-arm, I knew. It had a way of scarin' people, and while I would've liked to be able to go places without havin' folks always bein' afraid of me for once, it was a small price to pay to be able to fight Shinra.

Again, the guy in the dark red suit kept his trap shut. So I went an' stood right in front of him. "Now jus' look at that! It got real empty all of a sudden. What's goin' on?"

"DAMN!" He finally looked up at me, an' his eyes went as wide as dinner plates as soon as he did. "It… it's empty because of… because of g-guys like you…"

I slammed my gun-arm on the back of the seat next to him, an' the little runt jumped nearly a foot in the air, his huge eyes locked onto me. "You… you've seen the news reports, right? AVALANCHE says there'll be more bombings. Only devoted employees like me would go to work on a dangerous day like today."

"You work for Shinra?" I brought up my gun-arm, rage in my gut.

Tifa raced up to me jus' then, her eyes blazin' an' her fists clenched. "Barret! That's enough!"

"I won't give in to violence," that goddamn Shinra jerk whimpered as he sat there cowerin' in his seat with his hands above his head. "And I'm not giving you my seat, either!"

Still fumin', I lowered my arm. "Damn! You lucky bastard!"

If Tif hadn't intervened like she did, I honestly dunno what I'd have done. I'd like to say I was jus' tryin' to scare the guy, but I had so much anger in me back then, so much hate for the Shinra and everythin' that they was, that I've wondered sometimes if I would have actually killed him. I ain't proud of how I was in them days—I was a damn hypocrite, to be honest—an' so I'm glad Tifa stepped in to stop me. More than she probably knows. Revenge ain't any good for nothin' but causin' hurt to yourself an' jus' about everyone else around you. Took a long time an' a lot of pain an' loss for me to learn that lesson, but I did. We ain't got to that part yet, but jus' be patient an' we will. Still a long way to go yet in this story of ours.

Anyway, I grunted an' went to the back of the train car to join Tifa an' Cloud. He hadn't moved the whole time. Seemed a bit preoccupied, in fact. Probably still worryin' about the mission. Or jus' thinkin' about Jess. I hadn't missed the way he'd looked at her when she'd been in here earlier, or how she'd gazed back at him when she'd thought that no one was watchin'. The girl had it bad, even I could see that. Jessie was damn crazy about him. Cloud didn't have a clue, far as I could tell, but he did seem to like her a bit. That cool face he always kept on seemed to thaw out some whenever she was around, an' I wondered what else had gone on between them last night up at the plate.

"So what now?" Cloud asked, jerkin' me from my thoughts.

I frowned at him. "Shit! The hell you so calm for? You're bustin' up my rhythm!"

Before he could say anythin', though, there was a loud rumblin' an' a hissin' of steam jus' outside. Tifa looked up when she heard it. "Looks like they just finished connecting the cars. We're finally leaving."

"So what's the plan?" Cloud repeated.

"Ha! You jus' wanna get right to work, dontcha?" I laughed as we started movin'. Cloud didn't laugh back. Damn kid couldn't take a joke. "Awright, I'll tell ya. Jessie's probably already mentioned it, but there's a security checkpoint at the top plate. It's an ID scan system checkin' out all the trains."

"Which Shinra is very proud of," Tifa added.

I continued. "Since Shinra's got the train runnin' on security mode now, we can't use our fake ID's."

Jus' then, the overhead speaker came to life as the conductor made his announcement. "Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Midgar Lines. Arrival time at Sector 4 Station is 11:45am."

"That means we've only got three more minutes until we reach the ID checkpoint," Tifa said, tightening her gloves.

I looked from her to Cloud. "So in three minutes, we're jumpin' off this train. Got it?"

They both nodded and headed off to the far end of the car to get a look at that map on the monitor down there. I busied myself adjustin' my gun-arm in the meantime while the train rumbled beneath my feet as it ran on the rails.

It was about the only sound here amidst all them empty seats lined up along either side of the train car. I had jus' finished gettin' ready and was grabbin' onto one of them shiny metal poles as I stood there when suddenly them red lights flashed on.

"That's odd," Tifa murmured. "The ID checkpoint was supposed to be further down.

Before I could say a thing, the sirens went off, beepin' like crazy as alerts started floodin' the overhead speakers:

"Type A Security Alert! Several unidentified passengers confirmed! A complete search of all cars will be conducted! Repeat! Type A Security Alert! Unidentified passengers confirmed! A complete search of all cars will be conducted!"

"What the hell's goin' on?" I yelled as I joined the others.

Jus' then, Jess came runnin' through the door, her eyes wide as she beckoned to us. "We're in trouble! I'll explain later! Just get to the next car! Hurry!"

"Shit! Someone blew it! Goddamn fools…"

I followed Jessie, runnin' after her through the train with Cloud an' Tifa right behind me. More alerts were goin' off, talkin 'bout gettin' the car ready for lockdown and takin' it on back to the station. We headed outta there, meetin' up with Biggs on the way, an' got into the next car jus' in time. But the alert was still goin on', so we didn't stop but kept on goin' right through a third car. When we got into the fourth, the alarms turned off as quick as they came on an' the lights went back to normal. I had to blink for a minute to let my eyes adjust to the sudden change as we finally slowed down.

"Awright!" I said, catchin' my breath. "We clear!?"

Jessie shook her head. "No, not yet. They're starting another check, and if we're caught, we're done for! But don't worry. If we keep moving up the train, car by car, we should get past it!"

So we kept on goin', brushin' past the other folks on the train as we tried to outrun the security lockdown. Only a couple more cars left to go and we'd be at the end of the train.

From there we'd be home free, assuming that Jess an' Biggs got the doors open. But I wasn't worried 'bout it. The red lights started flashin' again as we was movin', but by this time I wasn't payin' any attention to it, jus' had my eyes fixed on where we had to go.

I was so dead set on gettin' through the train that I barely noticed a seedy-eyed tattooed guy brushin' past us in the other direction. By the time I realized my wallet was gone and whirled around, Cloud already had him by the arm. Damn kid was quick as a cat. The little thief took one look at those glowin' mako eyes of his and practically shoved my wallet back in his hand before runnin' the other way. Cloud tossed it to me without a word, an' I nodded my thanks to him before gettin' back underway. Caught Tifa grinnin' at us the whole time as we headed into the next car. That girl didn't miss a thing, I tell ya.

Finally we made it into the last car, an' at the far end were Biggs an' Jess, disguised now like we'd planned. The exit door on the left side was wide open an' waitin' for us.

The roar of the train coastin' on the tracks was louder now, and we had to almost shout to be heard. The breeze comin' in ruffled the edges of my sleeveless jacket as I knelt near the openin' and clapped Biggs on the shoulder. "Awright! We made it! We're gonna dive on outta here!"

Tifa looked at Cloud. "Scary, huh?"

"Too late for that now," he said. "Why'd you come along, anyway?"

That was a good question. She hadn't had to come with us, but she had insisted upon it when I'd been talkin' it over with her before Jessie had headed downstairs to wake up Cloud earlier this morning. I didn't understand why it was so important to her, but if she wanted to go that bad, I wasn't gonna stand in her way.

She ran a hand through her hair. "Because–"

"Hey, you two!" I cut in. "There ain't no time for that!"

She nodded an' stood by the door. "Yeah, you're right! I've made up my mind! Watch closely, guys! I'm gonna jump!"

A second later, she did, her hair flyin' out behind her as she leaped out into the tunnel. After sayin' somethin' to Jess about her disguise—I didn't catch what it was, but it must've been somethin' good 'cause she started beamin' like a fool an' turnin' red right afterward—Cloud went over to the open door and got ready to follow Tifa outside.

"You don't care if I go first?" he asked.

I shook my head. "A leader stays 'til the end. Don't worry 'bout me, jus' go! And don't be gettin' your spikey ass hurt, either, you hear? This mission's jus' gettin' started!"

A few minutes later, the three of us stood together in the tunnel as the train sped down the tracks and disappeared from sight. I noticed it was actually the very same tunnel that Jessie and I had driven through last night. Glancing around, I wondered if there were any more Shinra soldiers waiting for us somewhere, but nothing showed itself. We were alone, at least for the moment.

A series of glowing red lights were mounted on the walls at regular intervals, and a row of thin concrete columns divided the tunnel in two every few feet or so. My eyes scanned the shadows, of which there were far more than I would have liked, but there was no sound aside from our own breathing, the low hum of electricity and the faint dripping of water from some far-off pipe.

Barret nodded. "Good. So far, everything's goin' as planned. Don't be lettin' your guard down 'til we get to the reactor. Biggs an' Jessie got everythin' ready for us, an' Wedge'll be there, too. So move it!"

We did so, hurrying cautiously down the tunnel as it curved off to the right. Before long, we came to a part of the tunnel where the walls, floor, and even the ceiling were scorched and blackened in places from Jessie's bombs yesterday. Some of the lights were out, and many others flickered fitfully. There was nothing else, though. The fallen bikes were gone along with their riders. Shinra must have sent repair crews earlier, I supposed, but they apparently hadn't finished yet.

Moving onward, we soon came up to a dead end where a barrier of green energy beams stretched across the tunnel. At the base of the wall to the left was an opening just big enough for us to fit into. This was a different entry from the one Jessie and I had used the night before, and I wondered why we hadn't gone this way instead. But a look inside the opening showed me soon enough why she'd chosen to use an alternate route rather than come here.

Tifa knelt beside me as I peered into the duct. "Doesn't seem to be anything that'll get us stuck in here."

"Right," I agreed, "but if we go down this duct, we won't be able to come back."

The duct sloped downward at a steep angle, from what I could see, and it was too narrow for us to turn around. There was nothing to grab onto, either, if we were tried to return this way. We'd just end up sliding back down. So the only way out was through the reactor. Barret joined us, shivering as he gazed into the opening. "That's one damn tiny hole. You tellin' me to squeeze into that to get under the plate?"

"You don't like tight spots?" I asked.

"Not a bit, Cloud. You sure we gotta go this way?"

I shrugged. "Not much choice, really. The entrance Jess took me to is back in the other direction, and I don't think we have enough time to go and find it."

"Yeah, I s'pose you're right," Barret admitted. "But damn, that thing gives me the chills."

"You can hold my hand if you want," Tifa teased.

He snorted, rolled his eyes, and followed her inside the duct. After one last look around the tunnel, I went in after him. The duct stretched on, and the only light in there was from the flashlight Tifa was holding. We made our descent without a word, the only sound the soft rustling of our bodies against the walls as we made our way down. Time slowed to a crawl, and I wondered how Barret was holding up. He hadn't said anything, but his breathing had grown noticeably heavier.

I tapped him on his broad shoulder. "Just try to relax, Barret. We're almost there."

"The hell? You concerned 'bout me now, SOLDIER boy?" he shot me a surprised glance.

"Don't be ridiculous. I just don't want you freaking out in here and getting us all stuck, that's all."

He shook his head and grinned as he kept moving forward. "Yeah, jus' keep tellin' yerself that. I think we're startin' ta rub off on ya, Cloud. You jus' wait an' see."

"Don't count on it." I muttered.

By then, Tifa was dropping out of the duct and into a short tunnel beneath us. Barret seemed a bit more relaxed as he followed her, which was exactly what I'd been hoping for by distracting him with our little argument. Not that I'd have ever told him that, though.

A moment later, we stood in the tunnel, taking a minute to stretch our cramped limbs before moving on again. As we did so, I saw a small sparkle off in the corner and bent close to check it out. It was a slender vial of glowing, bright green fluid sealed shut with a round black cap. I picked it up and showed it to the others.

"The hell is that?" Barret asked.

"Ether," I explained. "When you use a lot of magic, it can wear you out. These things help rejuvenate you when that happens. But what's it doing here? Ordinary maintenance workers don't use them."

Tifa frowned as looked at it. "I'm not sure. Could it have belonged to a Shinra soldier?"

"It's possible. They don't all use magic, of course, but some of them do. And that raises another question. What was a Shinra soldier doing here in the first place?"

We looked at each other, and I found my unease mirrored in their eyes. Something wasn't right, and we all knew it. If the Shinra had been here sometime before us, where were they now? Where had they gone? It didn't make sense, and I didn't like it at all. We didn't have any choice but to keep on going, though, so I put the ether into my pocket and got moving again.

I led the way forward through the tunnel, and it ended just a short distance away where a metal ladder was set into the floor. We climbed down it into another, larger duct, and then followed it until we found a second ladder that descended still further.

After climbing down this one, we found ourselves inside the same open area full of connected platforms and railings that Jessie and I had traveled through yesterday when we had been down here together. But this time, I could hear the sound of gunfire below us, and as I dropped low to the floor in a crouch, I drew Buster and looked around, my eyes darting back and forth until I spotted what was going on.

At the base of a short flight of stairs, Wedge was kneeling behind a few wooden crates and shooting at a patrol of Combatants with a semi-automatic rifle. While Barret brought up his gun-arm and opened fire, I raced past him toward the enemy, Tifa at my side. Wedge flashed us a grin as he kept up his barrage of bullets, and a moment later, one of the mechs toppled over, full of holes. There were still half a dozen more of them, but that's where Tifa and I came in.

If there's one thing about Tifa, it's that she can kick ass like no one's business. While I dove beneath a flurry of blue bolts and slashed Buster at the nearest droid, she slammed aside the slicing claws of another one and smashed it with a string of quick punches, then followed it up with a brutal uppercut that sent the mech skyward. And while it was still in midair, she hit it with a swift roundhouse kick that sent it flying across the platform to land in a ruined heap of smoking metal.

In the meantime, I had already finished off the first mech and was busy fighting another. It slashed at me with its claws, but I swept Buster across and easily blocked the attack before quickly reversing the stroke and slicing a deep gouge across its chest. It staggered backwards, but I wasn't going to let it recover, so I pressed the attack, hitting it again and again, high, low, and high again. When the mech fired another salvo of blue energy beams, I spun low and impaled it through the chest with a backhand stab, then yanked my sword free as it collapsed.

Then another droid went down, falling apart as Barret and Wedge filled it with lead. Only two mechs to go. I shared a determined glance with Tifa, and we both closed in on the same enemy. Shrugging off the sting of the few stray energy bolts that managed to graze her arm, Tifa grabbed the Combatant by the shoulder, slammed it into the floor, and drove her elbow right into its chest, and as she sprinted out of the way, I jumped up and slammed Buster down onto the fallen roboguard in a swift overhead chop that nearly cleaved it in two and left it a twitching and sparking mess on the platform.

"Cloud! Tifa!" Wedge called. "Incoming!"

He took a grenade from his belt and tossed it at the last droid. Tifa and I dove for cover, and just a second later, thunder filled our ears as a fiery explosion ripped across the platform and tore the last mech apart. After a moment or two, I stood up and tried not to cough too much on the smoke hanging in the air while Tifa did the same, springing lightly back to her feet. She turned as Barret and Wedge walked up to us from behind the crates. "You guys alright?"

"We're jus' fine, Tifa," Barret grinned. "So much for the welcomin' committee, eh?"

"Jessie and I got here just a little while before you guys did," Wedge explained. "We were just about to head up to the hiding spot when our mechanical friends showed up."

I frowned. "Where is she now? Is she alright?"

"Jessie's fine, Cloud. I kept these buggers busy while she went to get the bomb. The reactor entrance is up this ladder. It's just past the room with the hiding spot, so you can't miss it. Biggs is up there, too."

Barret nodded. "You did good, Wedge. Now get on back home, you hear? We'll take care of the rest."

"Hey, Wedge," I said as he started to move away. "Nice work."

He grinned, waved, and ran off, disappearing into the same duct Jessie and I had used to get here last night. After he was gone, I started climbing up the high ladder while Tifa and Barret followed behind me, our boots clinking on the metal rungs.

A few minutes later, I found Jessie right where Wedge had said she was, standing in one corner of the little room near the panel where she had hidden the bomb. She looked up at us for a moment as we entered but wouldn't meet my gaze. I hurried over to her, not liking how upset she seemed. It reminded me too much of last night and how she'd been so torn up about the casualties from her bomb.

"What is it, Jess?" I asked.

"Oh, Cloud, I'm so sorry. The ID scan problem on the train, it… it was all my fault. I modified your ID card, and… and that's what set off the alarms. I did my best, but… I failed. You can yell at me if you want. I… I don't mind."

I shook my head. "Why would I do that?"

"Aren't you mad at me?" she stared at me in disbelief. "I wanted to make your ID into something really special, but I messed it up and we nearly got caught because of it."

"You didn't mean for it to happen. Don't worry about it."

Barret nodded. "He's right, Jess. Don't you go thinkin' on it. What's done is done. Best thing for ya to do now is to jus' keep movin' forward an' don't let it get ya down."

A smile slowly crept across her face. "Thanks, guys…"

Kneeling down, she carefully pried off the wall panel with her little spanner, reached inside, and withdrew the bomb from its hiding place. While Tifa replaced the panel, Jessie handed me the bomb, and I put it into a small bag hanging from the side of my belt. As I started to follow Tifa and Barret down the tunnel leading to the reactor entrance, Jessie touched my arm. "Can I talk to you for a minute, Cloud?"

"Sure, Jess," I looked at the others. "Go on ahead, guys. I'll catch up in a minute."

Barret nodded. "Don't be long, then. An' you be careful, Jessie. Get yourself home in one piece."

"I will, don't worry," she assured him.

"We'll be waiting for you just up ahead, Cloud," Tifa added.

With a parting wave, they left, and then I was alone with Jessie. She didn't say anything at first but simply stood there in the middle of the room, the low ceiling not that far above her head. I thought of the time she and I had spent here yesterday, of how I had held her when she had broken down and how we had sat together in the quiet and the stillness of this place, just staying close to each other, for who knew how long. What was on her mind?

After a minute, Jessie walked over and slid her arms around me. "I have a really bad feeling about this mission. I'm not sure why. It's just… something I feel. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "I feel it, too."

"Be careful, okay? I just… I don't want anything to happen to you."

I gave her a small grin. "I will, Jess, don't worry. I'll be fine. I was in SOLDIER, remember?"

She hugged me, the gentle pressure of her body against mine not at all unpleasant, and I found myself wishing that she wouldn't have to let go, that this moment could go on a while longer. But I knew it couldn't, and so did Jessie. There wasn't time, and we both had things we had no choice but to do.

As I started to let go, Jess leaned in and touched her lips to mine. It only lasted a second, maybe a little more, but it was as if I had just been hit by one of my own lightning spells, and I suddenly had to remember how to breathe as my heart slammed against my chest so hard and fast I thought my ribs would break.

"For luck," she whispered, pulling away.

With that, Jessie let go and hurried back toward the tunnel we had entered from. But just before she ducked inside, I called to her, an idea suddenly coming to mind. "Hey, Jess. After I get back, what do you say we take the Hardy out for a spin? No mission or anything. Nothing we have to get done. Just a ride."

Jessie gasped in delight. "I… I'd really like that, Cloud. That would be wonderful!"

"Then make sure she's ready for us."

"You bet!" she smiled. "Thank you. I'm really looking forward to it! I'll make you a better ID, too. I'll be back at the hideout in my research room workin' on it."

I nodded. "See you soon."

Jess disappeared down the ladder, beaming like a searchlight gone haywire, and I turned and headed in the direction Barret and Tifa had gone, my mouth still tingling from Jessie's kiss. I found the others just a few moments later, kneeling next to another ladder that descended out of sight into a deeper part of the plate's interior. They both looked up at me as I approached, relief etched into their faces. I was glad to see that they were okay, too.

"There ya are," Barret grunted. "Everythin' alright?"

"Yeah. She's just a little worried about the mission, that's all. So am I, to tell the truth."

He sighed and nodded. "I know. Bothers me, too. But we jus' gotta keep on goin' an' see where it leads. Ain't no helpin' it. Anyway, let's get movin'. Biggs is waitin' for us at the reactor entrance."

Without another word, Barret started climbing carefully down the ladder. Tifa glanced at me for a moment, as worried about all this as we were, and then followed him. I brought up the rear, and soon we found ourselves on an elevated catwalk bound by metal railings.

We hurried along the catwalk as it turned sharply to the right, and at the far end, near a ladder leading up into another opening, Biggs lay amidst a small group of wrecked roboguards, their bodies riddled with bullet holes from the twin handguns he held. Biggs was still struggling to get up as we ran to him.

"Biggs!" Barret called. "You okay?"

He laughed and gave us a crooked grin as Barret and I helped him to his feet. "Yeah, I'll be alright, don't worry. These guys here just snuck outta the reactor and caught me from behind. I got 'em, though, as you can see. Not much left of 'em now, eh?"

Tifa concentrated for just a moment, and then the Restore materia set into her glove glowed a bright green as she cast a Cure spell on him. Sparkles of emerald light enveloped his body, and the minor burns and scratches on his face and arms faded and disappeared, leaving nothing behind of the injuries he had sustained. While Biggs holstered his guns and looked down at himself to check out his healed arms, Tifa lowered her hand and smiled. "How's that?"

"Feels good, Tifa. Thanks!"

"No problem. Everything ready to go?"

In answer, he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a handful of small vials with dark, swirling liquid inside. "Yeah. I peeked inside the reactor for a minute when I first got here. They got some noxious stuff in there, like we thought, so I bought some antidotes before we left the slums. Figured they might come in handy. Here, you guys should each take some, just in case."

He handed each of us a few of the antidotes as he continued. "The reactor's laid out in exactly the same way as Reactor 1, so you shouldn't have any trouble getting through it. We're gonna pull out now, but we'll meet you all back at the hideout. We're countin' on you guys to blow up the reactor! Don't let us down!"

"We gonna go torch this sucker, dontcha worry 'bout that!" Barret swore, hefting his gun-arm. "You jus' get yerself back home an' wait for the fireworks ta start!"

I slipped the bundle of antidotes into my bag and glanced at Biggs. "Watch your back."

Biggs laughed, clapping his hand on my shoulder. "You too, Cloud! Blow this place sky high!"

I nodded, and then he was gone, hurrying back the way we'd come. I went over to the ladder leading into the reactor and glanced up at the opening for a moment and the pale bluish glow coming from it as Tifa and Barret joined me on either side.

What was in there waiting for us? If I had known then what I know now, I never would have gone forward. But if I hadn't, things may have turned out quite differently than they did. And you and I wouldn't be here now. So maybe I would have gone in, after all.

What ultimately came of this mission, and what it led to—not just immediately, but the entire chain of events that it set into motion—was what eventually started us on our long journey. And that journey led to us facing the crisis that this whole story is about.

We might never have fought those battles or have found each other and come together the way we did if we had never made the journey in the first place, if I hadn't taken those steps and gone inside the reactor. So now, thinking about all that, I realize that I still would have entered. It was the place where everything really began. Every quest has a place where it starts. Ours was here.

Grabbing the ladder, I climbed up and went inside, Tifa and Barret close behind me.