FINAL FANTASY VII

A SPECIAL SERIES FOR FEBRUARY! A SPECIAL SERIES FOR FEBRUARY!

'A Countdown To Space'

"Ah, my pride and joy!", smiled Cid. "This is quite possibly the best thing I've ever built. Better than Tiny Bronco, better than Shin-Ra No. 26, better than..."

"Hey Cid! Whatcha doing?", called a familiar voice.

"G'ah!", Cid coughed. "Cloud! Why must you sneak up on me like that?!"

"Sorry! So, is this the new rocket?", Cloud asked.

"Yep! This is my ticket into outer-space! As soon as it's up an' running, I can leave all you losers alone on the ground and conquer new worlds!"

"Thats nice.", Cloud yawned. "Hey, check out that scratch in the paint work. It sure does spoil the look of it, huh?"

"WHAT?!", exclaimed Cid as he squinted at top of the rocket. "How did that happen?! I'll have to go up and give it another lick of paint! You wait here!"

Cid climbed to the top of the rocket and began to paint the tip. Tifa and Aeris approached Cloud, who was waiting on the ground.

"Hey Cloud. Whats Cid doing?", wondered Tifa.

"Oh, he's just taking care of his new pride and joy."

"Yoohoo! Cid! Down here!", shouted Aeris. "You're doing a bang up job!"

"Huh?!", said Cid as he turned around. "Than-"

Suddenly, Cid began to lose his footing. He struggled to save himself, but it was too late. He tumbled off the rocket and hurtled towards the hard ground. He landed inside a box of old, rusty tools. Cloud, Tifa and Aeris ran to his aid.

"Cid! Cid, are you okay?!", paniced Cloud.

"Oh my God! They killed Cid!", screamed Aeris.

"You beasts!", yelled Tifa.

"Well, let's go bury his body. We can't just leave it around here. Someone might see it.", grumbled Cloud.

"Good idea!", Aeris smirked.

The three friends crouched around Cid's limp body and lifted it out of the box.

"Oooh! Blood!", shrieked Aeris. "The dead are scary!"

"I'm... not... dead!"

"What the?!", gasped Cloud. "Cid's corpse just talked!"

"No... you... idiot! It's me... I'm still... alive!"

"Oh my! It's true! Cid *is* still alive!", Tifa whelped. "Are you alright, Cid?"

"Owww... just get me to bed!", groaned Cid.

"Ew! You dirty old man!", screamed Aeris.

A few hours later, Cid was snuggled up in bed at his home in Rocket Town, with some of his closest friends around him.

"Woah! You look rough, Cid!", Yuffie commented. "Since you're out of action, you won't be needing your materia, right?"

"Ergh... Shera! Where the hell is my Goddamn tea?!", Cid yelled in anger.

"Man, you took quite a fall, Cid.", Barrett gurgled. "I'm surprised you didn't get killed!"

"Y'know the worst thing about being stuck here in bed?! It's the fact that I can't go see to my beloved new rocket!"

"Doncha worry none! Aeris and Tifa are out looking after it!", smiled Cait Sith.

"WHAT?! Did I say they could touch it?! Did I?!", Cid screamed.

Meanwhile, Aeris and Tifa were indeed outside with the rocket. They both sighed as Yuffie approached.

"Hi, you guys!"

"Oh, God! Here comes trouble!", grumbled Tifa.

"Old man Cid is still couped up in bed! And I feel like a trip to Mars, so if you'll excuse me..."

"What? Are you trying to say you want to borrow this rocket and go into outer-space?!", gasped Aeris.

"Yeah! That's exactly what I'm saying! So move it or lose it!", Yuffie growled.

"That's insane! You can't do that!", Tifa flinched.

"And who's gonna stop me?!"

Aeris and Tifa closed in on Yuffie, who advanced towards the rocket. But the ninja was too quick for them. She leapt past, ran up the ramp and jumped into the rocket. Aeris and Tifa managed to climb in before the door closed. Yuffie was sat at the controls. She pressed a few buttons and all of a sudden, the rocket took off into space.

"Yuffie! What have you done?!", bloated Aeris.

"Aw, lighten up!", Yuffie mumbled. "Old man Cid won't mind!"

"Turn this rocket around this instant!", Tifa ordered.

"Get bent! You're not my dad!", Yuffie pulled a lever near the control panel.

A hatch in the wall swung open and sucked Aeris into space. Tifa and Yuffie looked out the window in horror, as the ancient's head expanded like a balloon and eventually popped.

"Damn, we are in big trouble now...", cried Tifa.

"Hey, look! There's the red planet!", Yuffie bloated, as the rocket approached Mars.

"Yuffie! I'm warning you! Either you turn this rocket around or I'm gonna do something I might regret!", Tifa growled.

"For the last time... I ain't turning ba-"

Yuffie stared in shock at the control panel. The meter revealed that the ship was out of fuel.

"Um... Housten, we have a problem!", Yuffie gulped. "No fuel!"

"Oh... dear!", Tifa exclaimed. "There's only one chance for us now! I sure hope Cid built an escape pod in this thing!"

Cid was asleep in his bed. Just then, out of nowhere, an escape pod crashed into his room.

"Holy crap!", he yelled, as Tifa and Yuffie crawled out. "Where the Sam Hill did you two come from?!"

"...Y'know, you wouldn't believe us if we told you.", groaned Yuffie.

"Yes he would, Yuffie.", sighed Tifa. "Yes he would."

THE END__________