Cloud used what little energy he had remaining and tried to sit up. His hands
planted firmly on the ground and fought against gravity and a piercing pain in his side in
order to push himself up into a sitting position. Cringing in agony, he reached for the
cloak Sephiroth dropped next to him with his left hand as he held the blood-soaked
wound with his right. His left arm tingled and went numb as his hand closed to grab the
cloak. Though his right hand was covered in blood, he used it to rip the cloak into two
strips. Carefully, he removed the blood-stained, sleeveless, turtleneck sweater and tied
the two strips of the cloak around the gash.
Bending his knees and digging his left elbow into the dirt, Cloud managed to roll
himself onto his stomach. His right hand was all he could use to drag himself along the
ground toward the staircase leading out of the canyon. Gradually, he pulled himself
almost halfway up the stairs before completely giving up. "I can't do this. Cloud and
Aeris, I'm sorry."
A loud, boisterous voice shouted just as the vertigo was setting in, "Maya! Where
are you?!" Cloud's ears perked up at the sound of the voice and, as he looked up, his
eyes fell upon the form of Hyori nearing the top of the stairs.
"H....Hyori...!" Cloud tried to shout out to her.
Luckily, she heard him and looked down, "Michael? What are you doing here?"
"Nevermind that! Help me!"
Hyori dashed down the steps and finally saw his blood-covered hand and the
pieces of material wrapped around his side. Though they were black, blood had
obviously soaked right through it. She threw her arms above her head and waved them
madly. "Guys! Over here! Quick!"
Sam, Biggs, and Lucrecia sprinted down the steps to help Hyori with Cloud. "We
need an ambulance!" Lucrecia exclaimed.
"No!" Cloud shouted. "I'll be fine. Get me back to my house and I can do it
myself."
"Are you crazy?!" Hyori shouted at him.
"I'm not crazy. I'm in pain, now please just do as I ask! My car is at the top of
the canyon."
Sam and Biggs knelt down and slipped their hands under him gently and lifted
him. Slowly, they carried him to his car and laid him down in the back seat. Sam
hopped into the driver's seat and Biggs left for his jeep once Cloud was securely strapped
in. The first sunlight spilled over his body, but the dawn didn't seem as welcoming as
usual. In fact, it seemed almost demonic, taunting him with the thought that it might be
the last day the planet ever sees. Cloud's face hardens as he curses the sun in his mind
and he stares straight at it. Finally, Sam broke the silence, "So, where is she?"
"Huh?"
"Where's Maya? You know where she is don't you? You probably kidnapped
her and got wounded in her struggle."
"I didn't kidnap her, but, unfortunately, I know where she is."
"I'm sure you know."
"Look, if I kidnapped her, where is Riven? Why would I come back? I would
simply disappear." Sam didn't speak after that. "I do have some things to explain,
though, that concerns all of our fates." Sam plucked the cigarette from his mouth and
flicked it outside the car as he pressed his foot down harder on the gas pedal.
The bright red car came to a stop directly in front of Cloud's house. Sam got out
first to help Cloud. He put his right arm around Sam's shoulders and made his way into
the house.
Only a few minutes later, the others were standing in his home, spread out around
the living room. Cloud was neatly bandaged and holding two pictures in his right hand.
With a slightly cracked, sullen voice, he spoke quietly to them, "I should start by telling
you all that my real name isn't Michael. All of you have heard the legend of Sephiroth,
Meteor, and the struggle to save the planet a few hundred years ago, right?" When
everyone nodded to him, he continued, "You probably think it's some sort of bedtime
story, but it's not. We are the only six who know this story. Two of the other three are
still around, but one was lost in the sands of time. The reason we are the only ones that
know is that we are all direct descendants of those people who fought to protect the
planet." Cloud tossed the first, horizontal picture on the table. It was of eight out of the
nine people in the party. "Tifa and Lucrecia Lockheart, Cid and Sam Highwind, Barret
and Biggs Wallace, and Yuffie and Hyori Kisaragi." The four of them crowded around
the picture with dropped jaws and widened eyes. Each of them looked exactly like one
of the people in the picture.
"B....but what happened to the other five?" Lucrecia asked.
"Well," Cloud explained, "Cait Sith was the one lost in time, Vincent is asleep
once more in the ShinRa mansion, Aeris was killed by Sephiroth if you recall, Red is still
in Cosmo Canyon, and Cloud....If you remember, the prophecy states that when the spirit
of Sephiroth is reborn, each of the descendants would look exactly like their ancestor and
the descendant of Cloud Strife would both look and be named exactly like him. My real
name is Cloud Strife and I look identical to the one in the picture. As for the ninth
person, Aeris, she was killed by Sephiroth in the City of the Ancients long ago." Cloud
stood and started pacing while gazing at the second photo. "Cloud, my ancestor, deeply
loved her though he never actually showed it. He was devastated by Aeris's death, but no
one counted on what happened. By some twist of fate, Aeris's sacrifice by another
Cetran while she was in prayer created a child. The child was raised by Red, but no one
ever knew besides the party members." He then tossed the second picture of Cloud and
Aeris on the coffee table. "This is a picture of them while on a 'date' at the Gold Saucer
Amusement Park."
Hyori gasped as she stared, astonished at the picture, "She looks exactly like
Maya!"
"Precisely...."
"So, the spirit of Sephiroth has been reborn?" Sam asked.
"I'm not so sure of that anymore," Cloud replied. "To be perfectly honest, Riven
and Sephiroth took her."
"What the hell do you mean?!" Biggs shouted. "Why Riven? And how could
they both take her?"
"Let me explain. Last night, I told Maya the entire story about her identity. She
asked me to take her to the site, but I still have yet to figure out why. A few moments
after she disappeared into the city, Riven appeared out of nowhere and attacked me. He
hovered in the sky and was dressed completely in black. Another cloaked figure
appeared to my right, but he acted like a mere spectator. About fifteen minutes into my
struggle, Mayasha returned and the cloaked man attacked me. He gestured for Riven to
capture her, but luckily I had the staff Aeris used and I threw it to her. Though she put up
a good fight, Riven knocked her back against a wooden building and forced her
unconscious. I leaped down and tried to protect her, but the cloaked man attacked me.
His long sword sliced my left side and I fell to the ground. He untied the cloak and
revealed his identity as Sephiroth. I couldn't get up to save Maya and they took her.
They took her!"
"Where could they have taken her?" Lucrecia asked.
"I assume they took her to the Crater far up north to summon Meteor once again.
They'll either turn her to their side or sacrifice her before she can pray for Holy. First
they will, more than likely, use her as bait for us."
"How could Sephiroth have lived? And for so long?"
"I wish I knew. All I do know is that we have to go to Cosmo Canyon and
Nibelheim to find Red and Vincent. The Highwind is--"
"Highwind?!" Sam exclaimed. "Wouldn't that thing be old and falling apart by
now?"
"No, because there has been a team to take care of it and add any necessary
modifications since that time."
"Let's go!"
Meanwhile, Mayasha awoke to find herself encased in a teal cocoon of materia in
the center of a red-vined ceiling above the very bottom of the Crater where Riven and
Sephiroth made plans for the end of the world. She looked down at herself and found
that she was dressed in tight black lace with long sleeves, a solid, satin midsection, and a
slit up the right leg. Her hair was still braided and her staff was leaning against the rocky
walls on the ground. She reached out with her right hand and touched the encasing only
to be lightly shocked.
Riven and Sephiroth's attention immediately switched to her. Sephiroth grinned,
bending his knees slightly, and floated up to her eye level. For a moment, he remained
silent and Mayasha just stared right back at him, hiding the massive fear inside. Her
bright, ice blue eyes were as deep as his green ones while they tried to read each other's
minds. Finally, Sephiroth spoke, "I see you have awakened. It's about time."
"What do you want?"
Sephiroth didn't answer her. Instead, the teal case around her dissolved and she
was left suspended in air. "You're a Cetran. You should understand the journey I'm
taking. It's the journey to the Promised Land. The Cetra, our ancestors, used to migrate
and at the end of their long, hard journey, they would find ultimate happiness in the
Promised Land. I'm giving you two choices. You can either join us or be sacrificed for
our cause. Think long and hard before you answer."
"Answer me one question... How could you have survived? Cloud destroyed you
hundreds of years ago."
"Once Cloud freed Holy, Mother chronologically froze Riven and myself in the
Lifestream that rushed to protect this planet from Meteor. She waited until the right time
to use her power, then we were reawakened recently. Since my presence was too
familiar, I sent Riven to track you down."
"Riven? Riven was alive back then?"
"Yes. Little did Cloud and his friends know, I trained Riven myself here while
waiting for Meteor to strike in case I was killed before the mission was accomplished.
He almost took command, but Mother insisted on waiting for another time." Mayasha
flashed Riven an evil, angry glare while he stood by and watched.
Putting most of his weight on his hands, Cloud pushed himself off the couch and
to his feet. Walking over to the wall to his right, he began to remove each of the
weapons from their cases. After they were all bundled in his arms, he opened a flimsy,
brown bag and stuffed the weapons in it, trying the rope around it. His fingers wrapped
around the hilt of his Ultima Weapon, reached up over his right shoulder, and slowly
sheathed it across his back. Then, he approached the case where Aeris's, now
Mayasha's, Princess Guard was previously kept. Placing his hand gently on the smooth
glass, Cloud hung his head and whispered, "Aeris, I promise your death will not be in
vain." The expression on his face turned angry and determined. His body shook with the
tense feeling in his muscles. "I will save her and the planet. Neither Sephiroth nor Riven
will stop me. I swear it on my life." Salty tears started to form in the corners of his eyes.
"Though I have only known her for a little over a week, I know exactly what my
ancestor, the original Cloud Strife, felt for you." The others watched him with quiet
sympathy, not saying a word. His voice broke the silence, "We must go to Nibelheim
and awaken Vincent, then to Cosmo Canyon to find Red and decide what we're going to
do." He opened the case that his sword was kept, curled his fingers around a handle, and
pulled down. The bare wall space to his right opened to reveal a secret passage that went
down beneath the ground. Picking up the brown back, Cloud turned to face the others as
they gathered their courage and stood up and said, "Let's go."
Down a stone stairway and through a twisted, damp hall, the group of five
traveled until they reached an enormous room where the Highwind was kept. Workers of
all kinds rushed around, preparing the plane for takeoff. "Sam, your ancestors have
always loved airplanes and so do you am I correct?" Cloud asked.
Sam plucked the cigarette from his mouth, dropped it on the ground, and put it
out with the tip of his right foot, "Yeah, ever since I was a little boy."
"Then you should have no trouble accepting a captain's position." The crew
members quickly boarded the plane and the team hopped in after them. Large, overhead
doors opened as the Highwind rose from the ground and shot off through the sky.
Cloud stayed outdoors on a platform on the belly of the aircraft. Though the sky
was clear and beautiful, there seemed to be a dark cloud hovering over him. As he
leaned over the side of the Highwind, the wind combed his hair and his deep blue eyes
were so distant. Hyori leaned against the rail beside him and smiled the best she could,
"Hey, Cloud! Be careful or you'll fall over the side! I'm sure that's just what this planet
needs, a dead Cloud Strife!" Though she meant well, she wasn't exactly the most
sentimental person in the world. "Don't worry, we'll get her back!"
It wasn't long before the Highwind landed just outside of Nibelheim. Cloud took
a deep breath before his eyes settled upon the villiage. From the pictures he had seem,
the town hadn't changed a bit. The off-white houses with Indian red roofs and dark
brown trim, and the small tower in the center of the town still remained. They made
their way into the empty town, and on the opposite side of the villiage was...the ShinRa
mansion. It looked similar to all the other buildings in Nibelheim, but it was much
larger.
Before continuing to the mansion, Cloud stopped in front of a small house. It had
only a door in front, but the windows were on each side of the house other than the front.
He remembered that it was his ancestor's house and sighed as he stared at it. As Lucrecia
neared him, he asked, "Do you feel strange?"
With a puzzled look, she replied, "Yeah, I do. Do I know this place?"
He nodded and pointed to a larger, two-story house next to the tiny one, "That
was Tifa's house before she moved to Midgar. Cloud's house was this small one to the
left. Cloud and Tifa were childhood friends that were reunited during the crisis."
Once the rest of the team had caught up, they ascended the small staircase to the
left of the small house and stood in front of the mansion. The ShinRa mansion was a
haunting figure, sending chills up each person's spine. It was surrounded by an almost
solid wooden fence with a damaged black metal gate.
Certainly, the inside was much more horrific than the outside. Only a small
amount of light reached inside the house through the large, dusty, towering windows at
the top of a grand staircase. The wooden floor creaked eerily beneath their feet as they
scaled the right side of the stairs and followed the top platform to the right. The old,
musty smell of the house was almost gagging. After making their way through the aged
rooms that were falling apart, they approached a doorway in the middle of a rounded,
cobblestone chamber in the upper right hand corner of the room. Normally, the door
would have been closed to conceal it. They descended a long, wobbly, spiral staircase to
the basement. It was damp and the musty smell was even worse. An occasional bat flew
past their heads as Cloud ducked into a door on his right. In the back of the room was a
coffin and the walls were decorated with chains and other metal objects. Sitting on the
coffin was a tall, dark figure. He was dressed in black except for a long, flowing crimson
cape that wrapped around his shoulders, neck, and up around his forehead. Cascading
raven hair fell around his shoulders, metal rings encircled his ankles, and from the center
of his foot to the pointed toe of his boot was metal. "I knew you would come," the figure
mumbled.
"Vincent," Cloud said from the doorway, "we need your help. The planet is in
danger once again."
Holstering his Lariat on his right hip, he nodded, "I understand."
Back at the Crater, Mayasha separated herself from Riven and Sephiroth in order
to think of a way she could get herself out of that place. In a different room, she sat on a
small ledge, crossing her right leg over her left and not caring that the slit on the right
exposed most of her leg. She hit her head lightly against the wall behind her that was
made completely of materia and continued to think.
Just then, Riven strolled into the room with his deep, grassy green eyes scanning
over her. Mayasha's stare wasn't exactly a warm welcome to him. A grin spread across
his face as he spoke, "Maya, I'm glad to see you again."
"Spare me the pleasantries, Riven. I'm not exactly happy with you. One minute
you act all nice and helpful, and the next you want to destroy the world....two-faced if
you will."
"I was only doing as I was instructed."
"And what's this about being well over two hundred years old?"
He nodded and sat down beside her, "Chronologically, yes I am about two
hundred and twenty-four years old, but I'm only twenty-four in mind and body." His
right hand reached up to caress her face, but Mayasha pulled away, feeling disgusted by
his touch. "Please, Maya. I do care about you. I always have, but it's not my fault that
you were my target." Riven leaned forward and forced a kiss upon her lips. She went
along with it as her right arm reached around a corner where her staff was leaning against
the wall. Her hand gripped it tightly and swung it around to hit him in the stomach.
Once Riven had his guard down from being hit, she raised her exposed right leg to push
him onto the ground away from her. Jumping up from the ledge, Mayasha stood ready in
case he tried something else. Riven laughed slightly as he pulled himself from the
ground and unsheathed a sword. It was a dark blue blade to start out, but it gradually
faded to a lighter sky blue color as the top edge fanned out a little. "This is the Rune
Blade. Cloud used to have one of these if I'm not mistaken. If this is the way you want
to play, then let's play." Mayasha's glare was unwavering as she watched Riven's every
move.
Suddenly, an evil laugh echoed throughout the room. Sephiroth stood in the
doorway with a grin on his face. "I see that you have inherited my strong will and
determination. Excellent. You could prove very useful to me." While her guard was
down, Riven swiftly relieved her of her weapon and held her arms behind her back.
"However, you don't know that you're not supposed to take your eyes off your enemy."
"And who says that I will help you?" she snapped.
"You might not have a choice. Riven, I am leaving you with the responsibility of
summoning Meteor while I take care of a few other things. Do not fail me."
Riven bowed, letting go of Mayasha's arms, and strolled out of the room.
Sephiroth stayed for a few minutes and she didn't budge. She was completely paralyzed
with fear, but her exterior did not show it. "I know you will help me. We are the last of
an ancient race that should have been dominant over this planet."
"I'm sure that our ancestors would try to preserve the planet in the most selfless
way possible. It was your 'mother' that wounded the planet and tried to destroy it!"
"Mother was the true ruler of this planet and it is through me that she will realize
that dream." Swiftly, he drew his Masamune, a 7-foot-long sword, and thrust it under her
neck. The movement was so quick, that the fear immediately spread across her face. "If
you were any other person, I would have killed you like I did Aeris. Don't get in my
way. Either you help us or you will end up like the rest of them will very soon." Slowly,
he lowered the blade, turned, and walked out of the room.
As soon as he was gone, Mayasha fell to her knees and whispered, "Cloud, please
hurry."
By this time, the Highwind had landed near Cosmo Canyon. Arriving at the top
of the stairs that led to the villiage, a man that stood guard said, "Nanaki has been
waiting for you. He is in Bugenhagen's observatory." All the houses and shops were
built right into the rock that was on top of a small plateau above the canyon. Green roofs
sheltered the balconies that extended out from the rock. Most of the places were only
accessible by ladders. A fire, known as the Candle, blazed on a small platform in the
center. The team scaled well over five flights of stairs to reach the enormous
planetarium that overlooked the villiage.
Once inside, a voice called, "Welcome everyone." A lion-like creature emerged
from the shadows. He had firey red fur, a short, spiky mane, feathers decorating his ears,
metal cuffs around his ankles, tatoos around the shoulders of his front and hind legs, and
a flaming tail. There was also a scar on his right eye that inabled him to see out of it
"Hello, Red," Cloud replied.
"The planet is in grave, immediate danger and so is the girl. Like my grandfather,
I can tell that the planet is in great dispair right now. It is shuddering beneath Sephiroth's
evil grasp. I have no doubt that Meteor will be making an appearance."
"Then we have no time to waste. We must get to the Crater."
The group headed out the door only to stop abruptly and shift their attention to the
sky. The sky was tinted a blood red as a crimson ball of fire hung just above the clouds.
Red and the others gasped, "It's here."
planted firmly on the ground and fought against gravity and a piercing pain in his side in
order to push himself up into a sitting position. Cringing in agony, he reached for the
cloak Sephiroth dropped next to him with his left hand as he held the blood-soaked
wound with his right. His left arm tingled and went numb as his hand closed to grab the
cloak. Though his right hand was covered in blood, he used it to rip the cloak into two
strips. Carefully, he removed the blood-stained, sleeveless, turtleneck sweater and tied
the two strips of the cloak around the gash.
Bending his knees and digging his left elbow into the dirt, Cloud managed to roll
himself onto his stomach. His right hand was all he could use to drag himself along the
ground toward the staircase leading out of the canyon. Gradually, he pulled himself
almost halfway up the stairs before completely giving up. "I can't do this. Cloud and
Aeris, I'm sorry."
A loud, boisterous voice shouted just as the vertigo was setting in, "Maya! Where
are you?!" Cloud's ears perked up at the sound of the voice and, as he looked up, his
eyes fell upon the form of Hyori nearing the top of the stairs.
"H....Hyori...!" Cloud tried to shout out to her.
Luckily, she heard him and looked down, "Michael? What are you doing here?"
"Nevermind that! Help me!"
Hyori dashed down the steps and finally saw his blood-covered hand and the
pieces of material wrapped around his side. Though they were black, blood had
obviously soaked right through it. She threw her arms above her head and waved them
madly. "Guys! Over here! Quick!"
Sam, Biggs, and Lucrecia sprinted down the steps to help Hyori with Cloud. "We
need an ambulance!" Lucrecia exclaimed.
"No!" Cloud shouted. "I'll be fine. Get me back to my house and I can do it
myself."
"Are you crazy?!" Hyori shouted at him.
"I'm not crazy. I'm in pain, now please just do as I ask! My car is at the top of
the canyon."
Sam and Biggs knelt down and slipped their hands under him gently and lifted
him. Slowly, they carried him to his car and laid him down in the back seat. Sam
hopped into the driver's seat and Biggs left for his jeep once Cloud was securely strapped
in. The first sunlight spilled over his body, but the dawn didn't seem as welcoming as
usual. In fact, it seemed almost demonic, taunting him with the thought that it might be
the last day the planet ever sees. Cloud's face hardens as he curses the sun in his mind
and he stares straight at it. Finally, Sam broke the silence, "So, where is she?"
"Huh?"
"Where's Maya? You know where she is don't you? You probably kidnapped
her and got wounded in her struggle."
"I didn't kidnap her, but, unfortunately, I know where she is."
"I'm sure you know."
"Look, if I kidnapped her, where is Riven? Why would I come back? I would
simply disappear." Sam didn't speak after that. "I do have some things to explain,
though, that concerns all of our fates." Sam plucked the cigarette from his mouth and
flicked it outside the car as he pressed his foot down harder on the gas pedal.
The bright red car came to a stop directly in front of Cloud's house. Sam got out
first to help Cloud. He put his right arm around Sam's shoulders and made his way into
the house.
Only a few minutes later, the others were standing in his home, spread out around
the living room. Cloud was neatly bandaged and holding two pictures in his right hand.
With a slightly cracked, sullen voice, he spoke quietly to them, "I should start by telling
you all that my real name isn't Michael. All of you have heard the legend of Sephiroth,
Meteor, and the struggle to save the planet a few hundred years ago, right?" When
everyone nodded to him, he continued, "You probably think it's some sort of bedtime
story, but it's not. We are the only six who know this story. Two of the other three are
still around, but one was lost in the sands of time. The reason we are the only ones that
know is that we are all direct descendants of those people who fought to protect the
planet." Cloud tossed the first, horizontal picture on the table. It was of eight out of the
nine people in the party. "Tifa and Lucrecia Lockheart, Cid and Sam Highwind, Barret
and Biggs Wallace, and Yuffie and Hyori Kisaragi." The four of them crowded around
the picture with dropped jaws and widened eyes. Each of them looked exactly like one
of the people in the picture.
"B....but what happened to the other five?" Lucrecia asked.
"Well," Cloud explained, "Cait Sith was the one lost in time, Vincent is asleep
once more in the ShinRa mansion, Aeris was killed by Sephiroth if you recall, Red is still
in Cosmo Canyon, and Cloud....If you remember, the prophecy states that when the spirit
of Sephiroth is reborn, each of the descendants would look exactly like their ancestor and
the descendant of Cloud Strife would both look and be named exactly like him. My real
name is Cloud Strife and I look identical to the one in the picture. As for the ninth
person, Aeris, she was killed by Sephiroth in the City of the Ancients long ago." Cloud
stood and started pacing while gazing at the second photo. "Cloud, my ancestor, deeply
loved her though he never actually showed it. He was devastated by Aeris's death, but no
one counted on what happened. By some twist of fate, Aeris's sacrifice by another
Cetran while she was in prayer created a child. The child was raised by Red, but no one
ever knew besides the party members." He then tossed the second picture of Cloud and
Aeris on the coffee table. "This is a picture of them while on a 'date' at the Gold Saucer
Amusement Park."
Hyori gasped as she stared, astonished at the picture, "She looks exactly like
Maya!"
"Precisely...."
"So, the spirit of Sephiroth has been reborn?" Sam asked.
"I'm not so sure of that anymore," Cloud replied. "To be perfectly honest, Riven
and Sephiroth took her."
"What the hell do you mean?!" Biggs shouted. "Why Riven? And how could
they both take her?"
"Let me explain. Last night, I told Maya the entire story about her identity. She
asked me to take her to the site, but I still have yet to figure out why. A few moments
after she disappeared into the city, Riven appeared out of nowhere and attacked me. He
hovered in the sky and was dressed completely in black. Another cloaked figure
appeared to my right, but he acted like a mere spectator. About fifteen minutes into my
struggle, Mayasha returned and the cloaked man attacked me. He gestured for Riven to
capture her, but luckily I had the staff Aeris used and I threw it to her. Though she put up
a good fight, Riven knocked her back against a wooden building and forced her
unconscious. I leaped down and tried to protect her, but the cloaked man attacked me.
His long sword sliced my left side and I fell to the ground. He untied the cloak and
revealed his identity as Sephiroth. I couldn't get up to save Maya and they took her.
They took her!"
"Where could they have taken her?" Lucrecia asked.
"I assume they took her to the Crater far up north to summon Meteor once again.
They'll either turn her to their side or sacrifice her before she can pray for Holy. First
they will, more than likely, use her as bait for us."
"How could Sephiroth have lived? And for so long?"
"I wish I knew. All I do know is that we have to go to Cosmo Canyon and
Nibelheim to find Red and Vincent. The Highwind is--"
"Highwind?!" Sam exclaimed. "Wouldn't that thing be old and falling apart by
now?"
"No, because there has been a team to take care of it and add any necessary
modifications since that time."
"Let's go!"
Meanwhile, Mayasha awoke to find herself encased in a teal cocoon of materia in
the center of a red-vined ceiling above the very bottom of the Crater where Riven and
Sephiroth made plans for the end of the world. She looked down at herself and found
that she was dressed in tight black lace with long sleeves, a solid, satin midsection, and a
slit up the right leg. Her hair was still braided and her staff was leaning against the rocky
walls on the ground. She reached out with her right hand and touched the encasing only
to be lightly shocked.
Riven and Sephiroth's attention immediately switched to her. Sephiroth grinned,
bending his knees slightly, and floated up to her eye level. For a moment, he remained
silent and Mayasha just stared right back at him, hiding the massive fear inside. Her
bright, ice blue eyes were as deep as his green ones while they tried to read each other's
minds. Finally, Sephiroth spoke, "I see you have awakened. It's about time."
"What do you want?"
Sephiroth didn't answer her. Instead, the teal case around her dissolved and she
was left suspended in air. "You're a Cetran. You should understand the journey I'm
taking. It's the journey to the Promised Land. The Cetra, our ancestors, used to migrate
and at the end of their long, hard journey, they would find ultimate happiness in the
Promised Land. I'm giving you two choices. You can either join us or be sacrificed for
our cause. Think long and hard before you answer."
"Answer me one question... How could you have survived? Cloud destroyed you
hundreds of years ago."
"Once Cloud freed Holy, Mother chronologically froze Riven and myself in the
Lifestream that rushed to protect this planet from Meteor. She waited until the right time
to use her power, then we were reawakened recently. Since my presence was too
familiar, I sent Riven to track you down."
"Riven? Riven was alive back then?"
"Yes. Little did Cloud and his friends know, I trained Riven myself here while
waiting for Meteor to strike in case I was killed before the mission was accomplished.
He almost took command, but Mother insisted on waiting for another time." Mayasha
flashed Riven an evil, angry glare while he stood by and watched.
Putting most of his weight on his hands, Cloud pushed himself off the couch and
to his feet. Walking over to the wall to his right, he began to remove each of the
weapons from their cases. After they were all bundled in his arms, he opened a flimsy,
brown bag and stuffed the weapons in it, trying the rope around it. His fingers wrapped
around the hilt of his Ultima Weapon, reached up over his right shoulder, and slowly
sheathed it across his back. Then, he approached the case where Aeris's, now
Mayasha's, Princess Guard was previously kept. Placing his hand gently on the smooth
glass, Cloud hung his head and whispered, "Aeris, I promise your death will not be in
vain." The expression on his face turned angry and determined. His body shook with the
tense feeling in his muscles. "I will save her and the planet. Neither Sephiroth nor Riven
will stop me. I swear it on my life." Salty tears started to form in the corners of his eyes.
"Though I have only known her for a little over a week, I know exactly what my
ancestor, the original Cloud Strife, felt for you." The others watched him with quiet
sympathy, not saying a word. His voice broke the silence, "We must go to Nibelheim
and awaken Vincent, then to Cosmo Canyon to find Red and decide what we're going to
do." He opened the case that his sword was kept, curled his fingers around a handle, and
pulled down. The bare wall space to his right opened to reveal a secret passage that went
down beneath the ground. Picking up the brown back, Cloud turned to face the others as
they gathered their courage and stood up and said, "Let's go."
Down a stone stairway and through a twisted, damp hall, the group of five
traveled until they reached an enormous room where the Highwind was kept. Workers of
all kinds rushed around, preparing the plane for takeoff. "Sam, your ancestors have
always loved airplanes and so do you am I correct?" Cloud asked.
Sam plucked the cigarette from his mouth, dropped it on the ground, and put it
out with the tip of his right foot, "Yeah, ever since I was a little boy."
"Then you should have no trouble accepting a captain's position." The crew
members quickly boarded the plane and the team hopped in after them. Large, overhead
doors opened as the Highwind rose from the ground and shot off through the sky.
Cloud stayed outdoors on a platform on the belly of the aircraft. Though the sky
was clear and beautiful, there seemed to be a dark cloud hovering over him. As he
leaned over the side of the Highwind, the wind combed his hair and his deep blue eyes
were so distant. Hyori leaned against the rail beside him and smiled the best she could,
"Hey, Cloud! Be careful or you'll fall over the side! I'm sure that's just what this planet
needs, a dead Cloud Strife!" Though she meant well, she wasn't exactly the most
sentimental person in the world. "Don't worry, we'll get her back!"
It wasn't long before the Highwind landed just outside of Nibelheim. Cloud took
a deep breath before his eyes settled upon the villiage. From the pictures he had seem,
the town hadn't changed a bit. The off-white houses with Indian red roofs and dark
brown trim, and the small tower in the center of the town still remained. They made
their way into the empty town, and on the opposite side of the villiage was...the ShinRa
mansion. It looked similar to all the other buildings in Nibelheim, but it was much
larger.
Before continuing to the mansion, Cloud stopped in front of a small house. It had
only a door in front, but the windows were on each side of the house other than the front.
He remembered that it was his ancestor's house and sighed as he stared at it. As Lucrecia
neared him, he asked, "Do you feel strange?"
With a puzzled look, she replied, "Yeah, I do. Do I know this place?"
He nodded and pointed to a larger, two-story house next to the tiny one, "That
was Tifa's house before she moved to Midgar. Cloud's house was this small one to the
left. Cloud and Tifa were childhood friends that were reunited during the crisis."
Once the rest of the team had caught up, they ascended the small staircase to the
left of the small house and stood in front of the mansion. The ShinRa mansion was a
haunting figure, sending chills up each person's spine. It was surrounded by an almost
solid wooden fence with a damaged black metal gate.
Certainly, the inside was much more horrific than the outside. Only a small
amount of light reached inside the house through the large, dusty, towering windows at
the top of a grand staircase. The wooden floor creaked eerily beneath their feet as they
scaled the right side of the stairs and followed the top platform to the right. The old,
musty smell of the house was almost gagging. After making their way through the aged
rooms that were falling apart, they approached a doorway in the middle of a rounded,
cobblestone chamber in the upper right hand corner of the room. Normally, the door
would have been closed to conceal it. They descended a long, wobbly, spiral staircase to
the basement. It was damp and the musty smell was even worse. An occasional bat flew
past their heads as Cloud ducked into a door on his right. In the back of the room was a
coffin and the walls were decorated with chains and other metal objects. Sitting on the
coffin was a tall, dark figure. He was dressed in black except for a long, flowing crimson
cape that wrapped around his shoulders, neck, and up around his forehead. Cascading
raven hair fell around his shoulders, metal rings encircled his ankles, and from the center
of his foot to the pointed toe of his boot was metal. "I knew you would come," the figure
mumbled.
"Vincent," Cloud said from the doorway, "we need your help. The planet is in
danger once again."
Holstering his Lariat on his right hip, he nodded, "I understand."
Back at the Crater, Mayasha separated herself from Riven and Sephiroth in order
to think of a way she could get herself out of that place. In a different room, she sat on a
small ledge, crossing her right leg over her left and not caring that the slit on the right
exposed most of her leg. She hit her head lightly against the wall behind her that was
made completely of materia and continued to think.
Just then, Riven strolled into the room with his deep, grassy green eyes scanning
over her. Mayasha's stare wasn't exactly a warm welcome to him. A grin spread across
his face as he spoke, "Maya, I'm glad to see you again."
"Spare me the pleasantries, Riven. I'm not exactly happy with you. One minute
you act all nice and helpful, and the next you want to destroy the world....two-faced if
you will."
"I was only doing as I was instructed."
"And what's this about being well over two hundred years old?"
He nodded and sat down beside her, "Chronologically, yes I am about two
hundred and twenty-four years old, but I'm only twenty-four in mind and body." His
right hand reached up to caress her face, but Mayasha pulled away, feeling disgusted by
his touch. "Please, Maya. I do care about you. I always have, but it's not my fault that
you were my target." Riven leaned forward and forced a kiss upon her lips. She went
along with it as her right arm reached around a corner where her staff was leaning against
the wall. Her hand gripped it tightly and swung it around to hit him in the stomach.
Once Riven had his guard down from being hit, she raised her exposed right leg to push
him onto the ground away from her. Jumping up from the ledge, Mayasha stood ready in
case he tried something else. Riven laughed slightly as he pulled himself from the
ground and unsheathed a sword. It was a dark blue blade to start out, but it gradually
faded to a lighter sky blue color as the top edge fanned out a little. "This is the Rune
Blade. Cloud used to have one of these if I'm not mistaken. If this is the way you want
to play, then let's play." Mayasha's glare was unwavering as she watched Riven's every
move.
Suddenly, an evil laugh echoed throughout the room. Sephiroth stood in the
doorway with a grin on his face. "I see that you have inherited my strong will and
determination. Excellent. You could prove very useful to me." While her guard was
down, Riven swiftly relieved her of her weapon and held her arms behind her back.
"However, you don't know that you're not supposed to take your eyes off your enemy."
"And who says that I will help you?" she snapped.
"You might not have a choice. Riven, I am leaving you with the responsibility of
summoning Meteor while I take care of a few other things. Do not fail me."
Riven bowed, letting go of Mayasha's arms, and strolled out of the room.
Sephiroth stayed for a few minutes and she didn't budge. She was completely paralyzed
with fear, but her exterior did not show it. "I know you will help me. We are the last of
an ancient race that should have been dominant over this planet."
"I'm sure that our ancestors would try to preserve the planet in the most selfless
way possible. It was your 'mother' that wounded the planet and tried to destroy it!"
"Mother was the true ruler of this planet and it is through me that she will realize
that dream." Swiftly, he drew his Masamune, a 7-foot-long sword, and thrust it under her
neck. The movement was so quick, that the fear immediately spread across her face. "If
you were any other person, I would have killed you like I did Aeris. Don't get in my
way. Either you help us or you will end up like the rest of them will very soon." Slowly,
he lowered the blade, turned, and walked out of the room.
As soon as he was gone, Mayasha fell to her knees and whispered, "Cloud, please
hurry."
By this time, the Highwind had landed near Cosmo Canyon. Arriving at the top
of the stairs that led to the villiage, a man that stood guard said, "Nanaki has been
waiting for you. He is in Bugenhagen's observatory." All the houses and shops were
built right into the rock that was on top of a small plateau above the canyon. Green roofs
sheltered the balconies that extended out from the rock. Most of the places were only
accessible by ladders. A fire, known as the Candle, blazed on a small platform in the
center. The team scaled well over five flights of stairs to reach the enormous
planetarium that overlooked the villiage.
Once inside, a voice called, "Welcome everyone." A lion-like creature emerged
from the shadows. He had firey red fur, a short, spiky mane, feathers decorating his ears,
metal cuffs around his ankles, tatoos around the shoulders of his front and hind legs, and
a flaming tail. There was also a scar on his right eye that inabled him to see out of it
"Hello, Red," Cloud replied.
"The planet is in grave, immediate danger and so is the girl. Like my grandfather,
I can tell that the planet is in great dispair right now. It is shuddering beneath Sephiroth's
evil grasp. I have no doubt that Meteor will be making an appearance."
"Then we have no time to waste. We must get to the Crater."
The group headed out the door only to stop abruptly and shift their attention to the
sky. The sky was tinted a blood red as a crimson ball of fire hung just above the clouds.
Red and the others gasped, "It's here."