Chapter Thirteen: Rites of Passage
It was unfortunate that it came as no surprise to anyone that there had been a Shinra related disaster at Gongaga. A Mako Reactor built there had collapsed just like the one in North Corel, leaving only a few survivors. In true Shinra fashion, Rufus was denying responsibility for the accident and was refusing to offer any more cleanup help than to dispatch the Turks to check things out. Like in North Corel, the Mako radiation would be left to hover in the air and contaminate the land for years to come.
Cloud drove the buggy right into the wooded town. The village had been built within the forest many years before. The dense foliage provided protection from military invasion, but no amount of trees could protect a village from the insidious infection that was the Shinra. Gongaga had done its part to let a Mako Reactor be built, and now it was being thanked by receiving a large shipment of body bags from the Shinra Headquarters.
Cloud warned everyone to stay in the buggy while he got out and checked the area. He hadn't realized that Gongaga had become a disaster area when he decided to come there, and now he had no intention of staying. Besides the Mako radiation that had undoubtedly contaminated the air with the explosion of the reactor, he knew the Shinra wouldn't be far behind. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that they would already be there.
A few villagers were standing in front of the huge wreck of metal that had once been a powerful reactor. Black body bags were strewn across the forest floor, readied for a mass burial. Standing outside the crowd of villagers, Cloud recognized the two Turks known as Reno and Rude themselves. They turned around to see Cloud with his sword unsheathed and Barret and Tifa running in his direction to back him up.
"You people better get outta here." Rude warned. "There's radiation all over the place."
"Hey, aren't you the son of a bitch that gave me this?" Reno said, holding his hand over the bandage that had been wrapped around his arm.
"Yeah, I did…" Cloud replied, "Because you pieces of shit blew up the Sector 7 slums."
"We did you motherfuckers a favor." Rude said. "The trash that lived in those slums are better off burnin' in Hell than living in Midgar."
"You son of a bitch!" Barret yelled at him, raising his gun-arm. "You say something like that again and I'll…"
"You'll what?" Reno interrupted. "You'll kill us? Bring it on, you pussy. I bet that slut standing behind you has a bigger pair than you do."
Tifa's face turned red with anger. Barret raised his gun-arm and slammed it backhanded into Reno's face. Reno yelped in pain and dropped to the floor, blood gushing out of the side of his face. Cloud was quick to swipe at Rude, who dodged out of the way and ended up on the ground next to Reno.
"Get the fuck outta here." Barret said. "If I see you two pieces of shit ever again I'm gonna slit both your throats."
Both Turks got up to their feet and began to run in the direction of the destroyed reactor. Cloud heard the beating rotors of a hovering helicopter and guessed they were running toward it.
"And tell your man Rufus he's number one on my shit list!" Barret yelled after them. "I'm giving serious thought to murdering him the next time I see him!"
He doubted they could still hear him, but it felt good to vent his anger. Cloud had already ran after them in pursuit, as well as Tifa. Barret decided to follow.
"If they get away, they're gonna let Rufus know they saw us!" Cloud yelled as he ran.
"Who cares?" Tifa yelled back. "He's got better things to worry about than us! Save the fight for another day Cloud!"
Cloud ignored her and kept running. She and Barret followed. They arrived at the backside of the crippled reactor just in time to see two helicopter hovering in the air. One was in the process of leaving, and the two Turks could clearly be seen sitting inside of it. Beneath the other, a woman dressed in red was standing and talking to what appeared to be another Turk.
"There's gotta be a better way to get energy than these God-forsaken power plants." The woman dressed in red was saying. "This happens all the time. Like I keep telling Rufus, we have to find those Huge Materia. That's the only way we can get easy energy without these reactors."
She and the other Turk, a blonde woman, approached the second helicopter as it landed to pick them up. Cloud arrived where they had been standing just in time to look up and see the two helicopters flying away from the abandoned village and its destroyed reactor.
"Fuck it, Cloud!" Barret yelled from the brush near the side of the reactor. "They got away! Let's get the Hell outta here and head for Cosmo Canyon."
"Shit." Cloud muttered under his breath. "Alright I'm coming."
They ran back to the buggy, bypassing the commotion centered around the shell of the destroyed reactor. Overhead Cloud could hear the two helicopters returning to wherever they had come from. The sound became fainter and fainter as the helicopters flew away and the party arrived at the buggy. The climbed in quickly.
"Alright, change of plans." Cloud said. "This whole town is fucked over. The radiation is gonna kill all those idiots standing around the reactor. We have to get out of here, so I say we head straight for Cosmo Canyon."
"It's about a day's trip away from here." Red XIII warned. "Are you prepared to drive for that long."
"Yeah, I'll be alright." Cloud replied. I just need you to give me directions for the shortest way there."
"Agreed." Red XIII answered. "Well then, let's get going."
As Red XIII had predicted, the travel took the rest of the day. It was just after dusk when the tiny buggy began to approach the mountains that surrounded Cosmo Canyon. The mountain rocks had a distinct red coloring, and the reddish orange colors of the retreating sun seemed to compliment it.
Red XIII sighed comfortably as the view of his home appeared through the windshield of the buggy. He tried futilely to push down the lever to lower the window, but his paw was too clumsy a limb to operate the button with. Seeing his trouble, Cloud lowered the window for him.
"Thank you." Red XIII acknowledged him. Cloud smiled and nodded, and then turned back to driving the vehicle. Red XIII breathed deeply. "Ahhh, it smells just like I remember it. Do you smell it, Cloud?"
Cloud nodded.
"Campfires?"
Red XIII nodded in turn.
"It's been too long since I've smelled it. We must be near if we can smell it so well." He said, his nostrils taking in the air as if he hadn't breathed for hours.
"Well, don't you have a good sense of smell being that you're a wolf and all?" Cloud asked.
Red XIII laughed, something Cloud never thought he'd see an animal do, and yet after the recent events in his life it didn't seem that extraordinary.
"You make an excellent point, Cloud." He replied. "But still, I know we are close. I can feel it. I can feel home."
In the back seats Aeris and Tifa had awoke. Barret was still sleeping quietly. Cait Sith was staring blankly out the window.
"Are we there yet?" Aeris asked, wiping sleep from her eyes.
Cloud put his finger to his mouth, gesturing for her to be quiet, and then pointed to the snoring Barret to remind her why he was doing so. She nodded in understanding.
"Almost." He whispered. "Sit tight, we'll be there in about ten minutes."
The small buggy looked like a tiny dot on the dusty crimson surface of the mountain. The actual town that they were driving to was at the summit, but it wasn't hard to get to because the mountain top was more like a plateau than anything else. The surface was relatively flat and the edge, beneath which was the canyon for which the town was named, was almost a straight cliff. Cloud pulled the buggy right in front of the gates of the small town, and shut down the transmission. He gestured for Tifa to wake up Barret, and he arose groggily from his seat to join the others.
"There's a guard at the front gate." Cloud said. "I'm gonna tell him why we're here, just to make sure that we're welcome. I'll come back and let you guys know if everything's okay."
The guard was a large, burly man, whose skin was tan from exposure to the sun. He was wearing a tunic that left his upper arms bare, so that Cloud could clearly see the man's very large bicep muscles. Cloud walked toward the guard, who eyed him and the buggy suspiciously.
"Who are you?" He asked, and then continued before Cloud had the opportunity to answer. "Do you know this place?"
"Yes." Cloud answered. "This is Cosmo Canyon."
"This is Cosmo Canyon." The guard replied. "But can you tell me anything else about this place? Do you know anything else about this place?"
Cloud shook his head.
"Then please leave." The guard said.
"But…" Cloud started to argue.
"I said leave." The guard said again, this time raising his spear.
Red XIII ran to the side of Cloud, the fire of his tail illuminating the night. The guard looked at him with a smile, wisps of recognition coming back to him.
"Wow, it's been a long time." The guard said. "How many years has it been?"
"Two, I believe." Red XIII answered. "I stayed up long nights wondering when I could see my home again."
"Are they with you?" The guard asked, gesturing to Cloud and the others.
"Yes, these are my friends." Red XIII replied. "They helped me escape from the Shinra."
"I'm sorry." The guard said to Cloud. "I didn't realize. You can all come right in."
Cloud nodded, and gestured for the others to approach the gate. Aeris helped the still groggy Barret to wake up and start walking, and Tifa locked up the buggy. Cait Sith was silent as the mog on which he was sitting walked toward the gate.
"Is my grandfather here?" Red XIII asked the guard as the others began to pass through the gate.
"I think so." The guard replied. "Last I heard, he was in his observatory."
"Okay, thanks." Red XIII responded.
"Take care now." The guard said, returning to his post.
Barret sighed as they walked into the middle of the small village. As Red XIII and Cloud had noticed, there was indeed a bonfire in the center of the village, and a few townspeople had gathered around it to eat their dinner. Red XIII walked toward the fire to greet those that he had known when before he was taken from his home.
"It's been a long time since I've been here." Barret said. "I forgot how much I liked it."
"You've come here before?" Cloud asked. Barret nodded.
"I visited here a few years back, after Corel was destroyed." He replied. "It's a good place for inspiration. I came up with the name "Avalanche" while I was here."
Red XIII ran back to them from the group of people he'd been talking to.
"Do you see that observatory?" He asked.
Cloud craned his neck to look upward. There was a huge telescope built at the top of the mountain so that it would not be affected by light pollution. It was built at the top of a large tower that occupied a large portion of the village's land space.
"Yeah I see it." He replied.
"My grandfather is there right now. The village people say they saw him there just a few hours ago."
"Well, aren't you going to say hi to him?" Cloud asked, puzzled.
"In my village it is custom for the leader of a pack of travelers to greet the town leader first." Red XIII said. "Which means that you have to greet him."
"Me?" Cloud asked.
"Yes." Red XIII confirmed. "His name is Bugenhagen. He is a world-renowned scientist and professor. Just let him know why we're here and what our current situation is. Once you've become acquainted, he'll allow the rest of us to come up."
Cloud nodded.
"Okay, sounds easy enough."
"And don't forget to tell him that you're with me." Red XIII added. "Or else he won't know how you got in the village."
Cloud nodded, and then turned to head for the entrance to the tower. There was not much inside, although it appeared that at least a few of the townspeople took their residence inside. He also noticed that a weaponsmith had set up shop near the base of the tower. He made a mental note to check that out later.
The tower extended relatively far into the sky and it took him awhile to reach the top. Along the way he encountered a few of the townspeople who confirmed that Bugenhagen was in the observatory. When he reached the top of the tower he entered the room to find an old man hovering in the air in front of the window.
"Hello, young man." He said without turning to face Cloud.
"Are you Bugenhagen?" Cloud asked.
"There are some who call me that." He answered, now turning to face his visitor. "But most here simply call me Professor."
He noticed that Cloud was looking at him in a strange way, as though he was puzzled about something.
"You look at me as though you've seen a ghost." Bugenhagen said. "Is it because I am floating, and not standing on the ground as you must?"
Cloud nodded.
"There's only one other man that I know who can float like that, and he's actually the reason that I'm here." He replied.
"Is that so?" Bugenhagen asked. "And who would that be?"
"A man named Sephiroth."
"Ah yes. The great general from the Midgar - Wutai War I presume. I thought he was dead."
"So did I, until a few days ago." Cloud responded. "He showed up at the Shinra Headquarters. Speaking of which, myself and a few others were able to free your grandson from the testing lab in Midgar."
"Nanaki!" Bugenhagen exclaimed. "It's been two years since I've seen him."
"Nanaki?" Cloud asked.
"Yes, of course. He never told you his name?"
"Dr. Hojo was referring to him as Red XIII, so he told us to call him that too."
Bugenhagen visibly grimaced.
"Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. He's on of the most illegitimate scientists the world has ever known, and yet he's also one of the most successful." He said, with obvious scorn for the man. "Anyway, Nanaki never much liked his name so I'm not surprised that he elected for you to call him by another."
"You know, you never told me how you can float like that." Cloud remarked.
"The powers of the mind are more powerful than you might imagine." Bugenhagen answered cryptically. "So, you mentioned that you are here because of Sephiroth."
"Yeah. Red….I mean, Nanaki said that you might be able to help us figure out why he's suddenly decided to come out of hiding for so many years and kill the Shinra President."
"He killed the President?" Bugenhagen asked, surprised. "I heard he went insane before he died, but I did not realize he was homicidal as well."
"He must have had a reason for killing the President, and that's what we're trying to figure out."
"Who exactly is "we"?" Bugenhagen asked.
"The party that I led here." Cloud replied. "Some of us are from Avalanche, and others are here because they want answers to their questions."
"Avalanche? So you're the ones that were making trouble for the Shinra in Midgar. Well, I can respect your cause. The Shinra are truly destroying the planet right before our eyes."
"That's what Barret always says. He's here too. He was the leader of Avalanche before I joined"
"Well I think I'd enjoy speaking to him then. And if Nanaki says that I can help you learn more about Sephiroth, then I hope I can."
"It's very strange." Cloud said. "I feel as though my whole body is drawn to learn more about Sephiroth. To find him. To catch up to him and be near him."
"Did you know him well in the past?" Bugenhagen asked.
"Yes, but it isn't just because I want to see him again. I honestly don't. He killed my mother years ago when he lost his mind, and from then on I knew he was no longer the man I once knew. But still, I feel as though I've lost control. Every part of me tells me to seek him out and meet him."
"Well, I must admit that is strange." Bugenhagen said. "Have you found any clues as to why he might have come out of hiding?"
"Not really. I spoke to Dr. Hojo not long before we came here, and he said that Sephiroth had picked now for a reason. He mentioned something about a great reunion or something like that, but I didn't really understand."
"Well, we'll need to speak further about that." Bugenhagen said. "For now, I'd like to meet the rest of your party and I'd like to see my grandson again."
"Sure, I'll go get them." Cloud said. "Oh, and by the way…how is he your grandson if he looks like a wolf?"
"Well, he's not actually my biological grandson." Bugenhagen answered. "I was his father's caretaker, and his father referred to me as his father. It seemed only natural for Nanaki to refer to me as his grandfather, as so he was raised that way."
Cloud nodded.
"Okay, I'll go get the others." He said, and then turned to walk back down the tower. He only had to go down one floor, because the others were waiting for him.
"Is my grandfather ready to see us?" Red XIII asked.
"Yeah he is, …Nanaki." Cloud replied.
"I see he told you my real name."
"Why didn't you tell us? It's a much better name than Red XIII."
"You're real name is Nanaki?" Aeris asked. "I like it!"
"You do?" Red XIII asked, surprised. "I never liked it. That's why I was content to just let you call me Red XIII. I felt it suited me just fine, and to be honest I'd prefer that you continue to call me that."
"Hey, it's up to you." Aeris replied. "Whatever makes you happy."
Red XIII walked forward to lead the rest of them, and together they marched up the stairs toward the observatory. Bugenhagen was waiting for them when they arrived.
"Nanaki…it has been so long." He said as his four legged grandson entered the room. "How have you been?"
"I've been fine, grandfather. It's been a long journey, but my friends helped me through it."
"I'm glad to hear it. I feared the Shinra would destroy you in their experiments, yet somehow I knew that you were well. It is a relief to see you again."
He floated closer to the group, and then moved out of the way so that they could all comfortably enter the room.
"Please, everyone have a seat." He said. "I hope you don't mind if I float. I find it more comfortable than sitting."
Everyone sat down, except for Red XIII who curled up on the floor and Cait Sith who remained seated on his mog perch.
"Now," Bugenhagen began, "Which one of you is Barret?"
"I am." Barret answered, having now fully awakened.
"I heard that you are the leader of Avalanche, are you not?"
"Damn straight I am. Can you tell us anything that can help us beat the Shinra?"
"Yes, I believe I can." Bugenhagen answered. "But first, I need you to tell me a few things. First of all, why do you want to destroy the Shinra?"
"Because they're destroying the planet. Those Mako reactors that they built everywhere suck the life out of the planet. And also because the Shinra don't care about the poor people like me that live in the slums. They're only out there to make money."
"Well, at least you know what you're fighting for." Bugenhagen replied. "To be certain, your cause is a noble one. Can you tell me anything more about the Shinra?"
"The former President was on a desperate search for the Promised Land." Aeris said. "But he didn't realize what it actually was. He thought it was an actual land from which he could mine an unlimited supply of Mako."
"And do you know what the real Promised Land is?" Bugenhagen asked.
"Yes, I do." Aeris replied. "But I have a hard time explaining it. Like I told Cloud once, I know it more as a feeling than something that I can describe."
"I understand." Bugenhagen said. "I sense that you know much about the planet."
"I should." Aeris said. "I am an Ancient."
Bugenhagen smiled.
"So it is you." He said. "The last surviving Ancient. I could tell as soon as I saw you walk in the room." He turned to face the entire group. "I believe I can help you defeat the Shinra, although I am not as sure about helping you find Sephiroth. I will do my best, however. But first, there is something I must show you that will clarify a lot of things that may be confusing you."
He walked over to the far end of the room and pulled down a lever. A large circular platform descended from the ceiling and lowered to the floor. He stepped on top of it and gestured for the others to do the same.
When he pulled the lever a second time, the platform ascended back to the ceiling taking the group with it. As it rose, they could see that they were being brought into a large, dome shaped chamber. Bugenhagen flipped a switch, and the lights went out leaving behind a projection of tiny dots of light on the black dome above their heads.
"A planetarium." Aeris whispered, gazing with wonder at the cosmos being simulated above her head.
"I had this installed years ago to help me with teaching astronomy." Bugenhagen said. "But it has other uses as well."
Above them, a simulated shooting star flashed over the dome, temporarily illuminating the "sky." Bugenhagen flipped another switch, and suddenly the projection became three dimensional, plunging the group into the middle of the solar system. Cloud was standing next to the representation of the Earth. He could see the Sun not far from where he was, and circling around it were all the planets in the system.
"Look closely at the model of the Earth." Bugenhagen told them.
As they stared intently at the surface, the image of a man appeared standing on the top of the planet. He glowed, as though his figure was made of pure energy.
"It has been said that everything in the universe is fundamentally composed of energy." Bugenhagen whispered softly. "What we think of as matter is really nothing more than a certain type of energy."
The man standing on the planet could be seen decomposing into his component energy. Energy streams created from the remains of the man sprang up and then returned to the planet surface. On the other side of the planet, the figures of two children sprang up.
"And since energy cannot be created or destroyed, but merely transferred, some speculate that living beings never truly die. They're life energy is simply returned to the universe in its simplest form."
The figures of the children could be seen growing taller and older until, like the man, they decomposed into their component energy and returned to the planet.
"This energy is the lifeblood of the planet. It is known as the lifestream, and it is what creates life and everything which we see around us. When human beings on Earth die, the essence of their soul returns to the lifestream. There, the soul can achieve a greater consciousness beyond anything at can be experienced as a mortal on Earth. This pinnacle of thought and conscience is known as the Promised Land."
From the surface of the planet, thousands of streams of energy arose and began circling around it. The Earth was illuminated in the blackness of the simulated space around it by the lifestream.
"The Mako which the Shinra harvest to fuel their cities is the lifestream in its tangible form. By mining the Mako, the Shinra are in effect killing the very sustenance of our planet. Without the lifestream, the planet will wither and die like an animal without nourishment."
Suddenly the energy circling the planet began to disappear. To the disturbed eyes of Bugenhagen's audience, the planet began to become barren as the last wisps of life giving energy vanished. The entire planet crumbled, and in mere seconds it disappeared from the void of space.
Bugenhagen pressed the lever again, and the lights came on. The platform descended back into the observatory, and he walked into the room followed by the others.
"So you see, Barret is quite right. The Shinra really are killing the planet." Bugenhagen finished. "And our time is short. The planet is already beginning its downward decline. As we speak, the amount of barren deserts are increasing, while life bearing forests and lakes are vanishing. If something isn't done soon, the planet will die just like the one in the simulation. Now you see why your mission to stop the Shinra is so critical."
"Why didn't you contact us before?" Barret asked. "The funny thing is that I came up with the idea of Avalanche the last time I can here to Cosmo Canyon a few years ago. Our group could have used your help from the very beginning."
"It would have been too risky." Bugenhagen answered. "I am well known throughout the world. By helping you I would have exposed you. The fact that your group managed to stay low profile until the time when you actually struck and destroyed two Mako reactors is the very reason why you were never stopped."
"So what do we do now?" Barret asked. "At best we can destroy a few more reactors before they finally destroy us. But we can't take on the Shinra by ourselves."
"I fear that they may destroy themselves soon, but it may come at the loss of many innocent lives." Bugenhagen replied.
Barret looked puzzled, as did the others.
"Do you know something that you haven't told us?" Cloud asked.
"The Shinra have been doing some research lately on the ways of the Ancients." Bugenhagen replied. "I know because I like to keep tabs on them, especially Professor Hojo. You probably thought that the only reason they wanted to experiment on the girl was because they wanted to know how to reach the Promised Land."
"That was what the President said he wanted." Aeris said.
"The President, yes." Bugenhagen replied. "But not Professor Hojo. Hojo had much less control over the former President. But since Rufus became the leader, Hojo has more influence. And he has more potentially destructive plans than the old President ever did."
"What do you mean?" Aeris asked.
Bugenhagen floated over to the window and looked out at the nighttime view.
"Hojo is in search of the Black Materia." Bugenhagen said. "There is a prophecy that the Black Materia, locked away in the Temple of the Ancients, has the power to summon a meteor that will destroy all living things on Earth. It was created by the Ancient mages in case mankind ever reached its pinnacle.
The Ancients knew that if human beings reached the point at which they could harvest the lifestream in mass quantities, they could potentially destroy the planet in doing so. So they created the Black Materia so that should that dark time ever come, the meteor would destroy all things living on Earth. The essence of all those living things would then return to the planet to be reincarnated into new life. Everything would be destroyed and life would have to start over again, but at least the planet would still exist."
"So why does Hojo want the Black Materia?" Aeris asked.
"He doesn't realize the implications of it." Bugenhagen replied. "All he knows is that the power to summon such a horrible creation would make him the most powerful man on Earth."
Everyone else was speechless. They had not been prepared for such a revelation.
"The Shinra must never be allowed to find the Black Materia." Bugenhagen said. "If they do, everything that we know will be destroyed."
"What happens if they find it and the summon Meteor?" Red XIII asked.
"The planet will unleash the Weapons." Bugenhagen replied. "They are the planet's final resort before Meteor hits. Once Meteor is summoned, it takes a long time to reach the Earth. Before that time comes the Weapons, which are huge monsters summoned by the planet itself, will try to destroy the people that are misusing the lifestream. If the Weapons are successful in doing so, then Meteor will vanish, its mission no longer needed."
"So if Meteor were ever summoned, the Weapons would appear and begin destroying the Shinra?" Barret asked.
"In theory, yes."
"Then why don't we let Hojo summon it." Barret suggested. "He obviosuly doesn't realize what would happen. The Weapons would do all the dirty work for us and save the planet."
"Unfortunately, it isn't as simple as that." Bugenhagen replied. "The Weapons, as foretold in the scriptures of the Ancients, are not efficient. They kill anything in their way to stop those that misuse the lifestream, including innocent people. And there is no guarantee that they will destroy the Shinra before Meteor arrives and wipes out everything. So that is not an option. You must make sure that the Shinra do not get their hands on the Black Materia."
"How exactly do we do that?" Cloud asked.
"You must travel to the Temple of the Ancients and recover the Black Materia yourselves." Bugenhagen replied. "If you bring it to me, I can assure you that I will keep it safe from the Shinra."
"Where exactly is the Temple of the Ancients?" Cloud asked.
"It is on a small Island to the Southeast of here. I will show you on a map before you leave." Bugenhagen replied. "But you must recover the Keystone before the may enter the temple."
"The Keystone?" Cloud asked. This was starting to become very complicated.
"Yes. It is the key that allows you into the temple. Surprisingly enough, the key has become a valuable artifact to collectors. I believe a man by the name of Dio who runs the Gold Saucer amusement park is its current owner."
"If it's valuable, I don't think he'd give it to us." Cait Sith spoke up. "He's not known for being generous."
"We'll have to convince him." Cloud said. "So I guess once we leave here we'll head back to Gold Saucer."
"I'm sorry to put you through all this, but you must understand how urgent the situation is." Bugenhagen said. "I'd like to give you more information about Sephiroth, but I'm afraid this must take precedence for now."
"I understand." Cloud said. "Don't worry, we'll find the Black Materia."
"Please, stay here for the night." Bugenhagen suggested. "The bonfire is still alive. You can dine there and then sleep beneath the stars. Tomorrow morning I will give you rations and supplies to take with you on the trip."
"Thank you." Cloud said.
Bugenhagen smiled and nodded. The others began to leave the room, except for Red XIII who remained curled on the floor. Cloud turned to walk out of the room, but Bugenhagen called to him.
"One more thing, Cloud." He said. "If you truly feel like you are physically drawn to find Sephiroth, then perhaps it is your fate to do so. Destiny is speaking to you. I suggest you listen to what it has to say."
Cloud nodded, and then walked out of the room. He left behind an old man and his grandson, both of whom had a lot of catching up to do.
***
As Bugenhagen had suggested, they ate dinner around the campfire and became acquainted with some of the townspeople. Red XIII joined them after awhile, and he too ate dinner. Someone had the idea to tell stories around the fire, and most of them agreed. Tifa told everyone the story about what happened in Nibelheim from her point of view, with a little story telling help from Cloud. When she was finished, everyone sitting around the campfire that hadn't yet heard the story now felt that they hated Sephiroth.
Cait Sith told a relatively meaningless story about an incident that happened at the Gold Saucer. Aeris told a story about the Ancients, and how they once outnumbered the humans but were now all but extinct, save for herself. Barret told about how his brainchild, Avalanche, had been born when he was here in Cosmo Canyon. Red XIII enjoyed listening to the stories, but was too tired to tell his own. He was the first to fall asleep.
In the morning, Cloud went back up the tower to get the supplies from Bugenhagen. He gave them rations, some light wrist and shoulder armor that he'd picked up from the weaponsmith, and some materia that he had laying around and no longer needed. Cloud gathered the supplies and everyone in the group by the buggy. It took awhile to get everything packed in for the long trip. He thought everything was ready when suddenly Red XIII burst through the front gate to the town.
"Wait for me!" He yelled as he ran toward them.
"You're coming with us?" Cloud asked. "You're home now. I thought you'd want to stay."
"Yes, I'm home." Red XIII said. "But there's nothing for me here anymore. You are my friends now. I want to stay and help you."
"Well we're glad you're coming." Tifa said as she packed the last of her things into the back of the buggy. "You're always welcome with us."
Red XIII tried to smile, but only wound up looking frightening as he bared all of his teeth. But Tifa knew what he meant, and she smiled back. With everyone ready and set in the buggy, Cloud turned on the engine and pulled away from his makeshift parking spot. He waved goodbye to the guard as he turned the buggy around and drove away.
Tifa had taken the passenger's side seat next to Cloud this time, and she had already unfolded the map. It would take awhile to get back to Gold Saucer, and Gongaga wasn't an option as a pit stop.
"Any ideas on how we're gonna get to Gold Saucer?" Tifa asked.
Cloud put the buggy into park and unbuckled his seatbelt. He leaned over to get a better look at the map. Looking at the neighboring towns in the vicinity of Cosmo Canyon, he noticed a familiar name.
"Nibelheim is very close to here." He said.
"Isn't that the town where you grew up that you told us about at Kalm?" Aeris asked.
"Yeah." He replied. "I wonder if they ever rebuilt it after Sephiroth burned it down."
"I heard they did, but I never went back after I came to Midgar." Tifa said.
"I think we should take a look." Cloud said. "We aren't far, and I'd like to see what's it's like after all these years."
"Another sidetrack?" Barret asked, incredulously. "We're supposed to be going to Gold Saucer. Nibelheim's in the opposite direction."
"I'd like to see Nibelheim too, Cloud, but I think Barret's right." Tifa said.
"Well, like you said before, it's gonna take a long time to get to Gold Saucer from here." Cloud replied. "If we go to Nibelheim for a little while, we can head for Rocket Town which is on the other side of Mt. Nibel. We could probably get someone to take us to Gold Saucer in a small airplane. A lot of retired pilots live there."
"Rocket Town?" Barret asked. "Man, what the fuck are you talkin' about. We gotta go straight to Gold Saucer and get that damn key thing the old guy told us about."
"That's true, but I think Cloud may have a point." Red XIII spoke up. "Rocket Town is named after the Shinra rocket that was supposed to be launched into space years ago from the launch site there. The launch failed, and the rocket is still there on the launch pad. A lot of retired pilots live around the rocket, and most of them own airplanes. We could probably get a ride from someone if we paid for it."
"So then let's go straight to Rocket Town and fuck Nibelheim." Barret said bitterly.
"We have to go through Nibelheim to get there anyway." Cloud said. "Nibelheim is at the foot of Mt. Nibel, and we have to cross through Mt. Nibel to get to Rocket Town."
"I'd like to see Nibelheim too." Aeris said. "I think it would be interesting."
Barret looked at Cait Sith, who had been silent the whole time.
"You wanna go there too?" He asked.
"Oh, I don't care." Cait Sith said. "I'm just along for the ride."
"Bugenhagen said that my destiny is trying to tell me something, and that I should listen to it." Cloud said. "And I feel like we should go to Nibelheim. So I'm gonna go. I think it would be for the best if everyone else came too."
"Alright." Red XIII replied. "I think that would be the best course of action."
"Uh, yeah me too." Tifa said.
"Me three." Aeris chimed in."
"Yeah whatever." Barret said. "I'm in."
"Like I said, I'm along for the ride." Cait Sith spoke up, and then became silent again.
"Alright it's settled then." Cloud said. "I'll drive straight for Nibelheim. Let's just hope they rebuilt it, otherwise it'll be hard to get to Mt. Nibel."
He put the buggy back into drive and sped away. Red XIII stared out the back of the buggy as the small town at the top of the Canyon became smaller and smaller, until he could no longer see it. He was sad to be leaving it already, but he knew that he had to remain loyal to his newfound friends, and they would need his help to complete the quest that Bugenhagen had given them.
Tifa saw him looking sadly out of the back window of the buggy. She shifted on the seat so she was closer to him and rubbed her hand over his muscular back. He turned to look at her.
"You're with friends." She said smiling. "We'll take good care of you."
"I know." He replied. "I don't regret coming with you. But I do miss home a little. It's hard getting used to being away."
"That's how I used to feel after I left Nibelheim." She said. "But after awhile Midgar became like home to me."
"You really want to see what Nibelheim is like now, don't you?" Barret asked from the seat behind her.
"Yeah, I guess I do." She replied.
"Well I hope it looks better than North Corel did." He sighed, turning to look out the window.
In the front of the buggy, Cloud drove apprehensively toward the place that he had once called home. He was a little nervous that it would be just a large pile of burnt rubble. He hoped it would be rebuilt, so that he could at least imagine that he was home for a little while.
He felt a strange feeling inside of him. It was the same feeling that he'd felt when he first realized that Sephiroth was alive. A feeling that drew him to Sephiroth. A feeling that made his entire being want to find Sephiroth, and to be near him. The same feeling drew him to Nibelheim. He wished he knew what it all meant.
"Destiny is speaking to me." He whispered to himself. "And I have to listen."
Outside, the Sun was beginning to rise above the horizon as the tiny buggy sped on its way toward its destination.
It was unfortunate that it came as no surprise to anyone that there had been a Shinra related disaster at Gongaga. A Mako Reactor built there had collapsed just like the one in North Corel, leaving only a few survivors. In true Shinra fashion, Rufus was denying responsibility for the accident and was refusing to offer any more cleanup help than to dispatch the Turks to check things out. Like in North Corel, the Mako radiation would be left to hover in the air and contaminate the land for years to come.
Cloud drove the buggy right into the wooded town. The village had been built within the forest many years before. The dense foliage provided protection from military invasion, but no amount of trees could protect a village from the insidious infection that was the Shinra. Gongaga had done its part to let a Mako Reactor be built, and now it was being thanked by receiving a large shipment of body bags from the Shinra Headquarters.
Cloud warned everyone to stay in the buggy while he got out and checked the area. He hadn't realized that Gongaga had become a disaster area when he decided to come there, and now he had no intention of staying. Besides the Mako radiation that had undoubtedly contaminated the air with the explosion of the reactor, he knew the Shinra wouldn't be far behind. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that they would already be there.
A few villagers were standing in front of the huge wreck of metal that had once been a powerful reactor. Black body bags were strewn across the forest floor, readied for a mass burial. Standing outside the crowd of villagers, Cloud recognized the two Turks known as Reno and Rude themselves. They turned around to see Cloud with his sword unsheathed and Barret and Tifa running in his direction to back him up.
"You people better get outta here." Rude warned. "There's radiation all over the place."
"Hey, aren't you the son of a bitch that gave me this?" Reno said, holding his hand over the bandage that had been wrapped around his arm.
"Yeah, I did…" Cloud replied, "Because you pieces of shit blew up the Sector 7 slums."
"We did you motherfuckers a favor." Rude said. "The trash that lived in those slums are better off burnin' in Hell than living in Midgar."
"You son of a bitch!" Barret yelled at him, raising his gun-arm. "You say something like that again and I'll…"
"You'll what?" Reno interrupted. "You'll kill us? Bring it on, you pussy. I bet that slut standing behind you has a bigger pair than you do."
Tifa's face turned red with anger. Barret raised his gun-arm and slammed it backhanded into Reno's face. Reno yelped in pain and dropped to the floor, blood gushing out of the side of his face. Cloud was quick to swipe at Rude, who dodged out of the way and ended up on the ground next to Reno.
"Get the fuck outta here." Barret said. "If I see you two pieces of shit ever again I'm gonna slit both your throats."
Both Turks got up to their feet and began to run in the direction of the destroyed reactor. Cloud heard the beating rotors of a hovering helicopter and guessed they were running toward it.
"And tell your man Rufus he's number one on my shit list!" Barret yelled after them. "I'm giving serious thought to murdering him the next time I see him!"
He doubted they could still hear him, but it felt good to vent his anger. Cloud had already ran after them in pursuit, as well as Tifa. Barret decided to follow.
"If they get away, they're gonna let Rufus know they saw us!" Cloud yelled as he ran.
"Who cares?" Tifa yelled back. "He's got better things to worry about than us! Save the fight for another day Cloud!"
Cloud ignored her and kept running. She and Barret followed. They arrived at the backside of the crippled reactor just in time to see two helicopter hovering in the air. One was in the process of leaving, and the two Turks could clearly be seen sitting inside of it. Beneath the other, a woman dressed in red was standing and talking to what appeared to be another Turk.
"There's gotta be a better way to get energy than these God-forsaken power plants." The woman dressed in red was saying. "This happens all the time. Like I keep telling Rufus, we have to find those Huge Materia. That's the only way we can get easy energy without these reactors."
She and the other Turk, a blonde woman, approached the second helicopter as it landed to pick them up. Cloud arrived where they had been standing just in time to look up and see the two helicopters flying away from the abandoned village and its destroyed reactor.
"Fuck it, Cloud!" Barret yelled from the brush near the side of the reactor. "They got away! Let's get the Hell outta here and head for Cosmo Canyon."
"Shit." Cloud muttered under his breath. "Alright I'm coming."
They ran back to the buggy, bypassing the commotion centered around the shell of the destroyed reactor. Overhead Cloud could hear the two helicopters returning to wherever they had come from. The sound became fainter and fainter as the helicopters flew away and the party arrived at the buggy. The climbed in quickly.
"Alright, change of plans." Cloud said. "This whole town is fucked over. The radiation is gonna kill all those idiots standing around the reactor. We have to get out of here, so I say we head straight for Cosmo Canyon."
"It's about a day's trip away from here." Red XIII warned. "Are you prepared to drive for that long."
"Yeah, I'll be alright." Cloud replied. I just need you to give me directions for the shortest way there."
"Agreed." Red XIII answered. "Well then, let's get going."
As Red XIII had predicted, the travel took the rest of the day. It was just after dusk when the tiny buggy began to approach the mountains that surrounded Cosmo Canyon. The mountain rocks had a distinct red coloring, and the reddish orange colors of the retreating sun seemed to compliment it.
Red XIII sighed comfortably as the view of his home appeared through the windshield of the buggy. He tried futilely to push down the lever to lower the window, but his paw was too clumsy a limb to operate the button with. Seeing his trouble, Cloud lowered the window for him.
"Thank you." Red XIII acknowledged him. Cloud smiled and nodded, and then turned back to driving the vehicle. Red XIII breathed deeply. "Ahhh, it smells just like I remember it. Do you smell it, Cloud?"
Cloud nodded.
"Campfires?"
Red XIII nodded in turn.
"It's been too long since I've smelled it. We must be near if we can smell it so well." He said, his nostrils taking in the air as if he hadn't breathed for hours.
"Well, don't you have a good sense of smell being that you're a wolf and all?" Cloud asked.
Red XIII laughed, something Cloud never thought he'd see an animal do, and yet after the recent events in his life it didn't seem that extraordinary.
"You make an excellent point, Cloud." He replied. "But still, I know we are close. I can feel it. I can feel home."
In the back seats Aeris and Tifa had awoke. Barret was still sleeping quietly. Cait Sith was staring blankly out the window.
"Are we there yet?" Aeris asked, wiping sleep from her eyes.
Cloud put his finger to his mouth, gesturing for her to be quiet, and then pointed to the snoring Barret to remind her why he was doing so. She nodded in understanding.
"Almost." He whispered. "Sit tight, we'll be there in about ten minutes."
The small buggy looked like a tiny dot on the dusty crimson surface of the mountain. The actual town that they were driving to was at the summit, but it wasn't hard to get to because the mountain top was more like a plateau than anything else. The surface was relatively flat and the edge, beneath which was the canyon for which the town was named, was almost a straight cliff. Cloud pulled the buggy right in front of the gates of the small town, and shut down the transmission. He gestured for Tifa to wake up Barret, and he arose groggily from his seat to join the others.
"There's a guard at the front gate." Cloud said. "I'm gonna tell him why we're here, just to make sure that we're welcome. I'll come back and let you guys know if everything's okay."
The guard was a large, burly man, whose skin was tan from exposure to the sun. He was wearing a tunic that left his upper arms bare, so that Cloud could clearly see the man's very large bicep muscles. Cloud walked toward the guard, who eyed him and the buggy suspiciously.
"Who are you?" He asked, and then continued before Cloud had the opportunity to answer. "Do you know this place?"
"Yes." Cloud answered. "This is Cosmo Canyon."
"This is Cosmo Canyon." The guard replied. "But can you tell me anything else about this place? Do you know anything else about this place?"
Cloud shook his head.
"Then please leave." The guard said.
"But…" Cloud started to argue.
"I said leave." The guard said again, this time raising his spear.
Red XIII ran to the side of Cloud, the fire of his tail illuminating the night. The guard looked at him with a smile, wisps of recognition coming back to him.
"Wow, it's been a long time." The guard said. "How many years has it been?"
"Two, I believe." Red XIII answered. "I stayed up long nights wondering when I could see my home again."
"Are they with you?" The guard asked, gesturing to Cloud and the others.
"Yes, these are my friends." Red XIII replied. "They helped me escape from the Shinra."
"I'm sorry." The guard said to Cloud. "I didn't realize. You can all come right in."
Cloud nodded, and gestured for the others to approach the gate. Aeris helped the still groggy Barret to wake up and start walking, and Tifa locked up the buggy. Cait Sith was silent as the mog on which he was sitting walked toward the gate.
"Is my grandfather here?" Red XIII asked the guard as the others began to pass through the gate.
"I think so." The guard replied. "Last I heard, he was in his observatory."
"Okay, thanks." Red XIII responded.
"Take care now." The guard said, returning to his post.
Barret sighed as they walked into the middle of the small village. As Red XIII and Cloud had noticed, there was indeed a bonfire in the center of the village, and a few townspeople had gathered around it to eat their dinner. Red XIII walked toward the fire to greet those that he had known when before he was taken from his home.
"It's been a long time since I've been here." Barret said. "I forgot how much I liked it."
"You've come here before?" Cloud asked. Barret nodded.
"I visited here a few years back, after Corel was destroyed." He replied. "It's a good place for inspiration. I came up with the name "Avalanche" while I was here."
Red XIII ran back to them from the group of people he'd been talking to.
"Do you see that observatory?" He asked.
Cloud craned his neck to look upward. There was a huge telescope built at the top of the mountain so that it would not be affected by light pollution. It was built at the top of a large tower that occupied a large portion of the village's land space.
"Yeah I see it." He replied.
"My grandfather is there right now. The village people say they saw him there just a few hours ago."
"Well, aren't you going to say hi to him?" Cloud asked, puzzled.
"In my village it is custom for the leader of a pack of travelers to greet the town leader first." Red XIII said. "Which means that you have to greet him."
"Me?" Cloud asked.
"Yes." Red XIII confirmed. "His name is Bugenhagen. He is a world-renowned scientist and professor. Just let him know why we're here and what our current situation is. Once you've become acquainted, he'll allow the rest of us to come up."
Cloud nodded.
"Okay, sounds easy enough."
"And don't forget to tell him that you're with me." Red XIII added. "Or else he won't know how you got in the village."
Cloud nodded, and then turned to head for the entrance to the tower. There was not much inside, although it appeared that at least a few of the townspeople took their residence inside. He also noticed that a weaponsmith had set up shop near the base of the tower. He made a mental note to check that out later.
The tower extended relatively far into the sky and it took him awhile to reach the top. Along the way he encountered a few of the townspeople who confirmed that Bugenhagen was in the observatory. When he reached the top of the tower he entered the room to find an old man hovering in the air in front of the window.
"Hello, young man." He said without turning to face Cloud.
"Are you Bugenhagen?" Cloud asked.
"There are some who call me that." He answered, now turning to face his visitor. "But most here simply call me Professor."
He noticed that Cloud was looking at him in a strange way, as though he was puzzled about something.
"You look at me as though you've seen a ghost." Bugenhagen said. "Is it because I am floating, and not standing on the ground as you must?"
Cloud nodded.
"There's only one other man that I know who can float like that, and he's actually the reason that I'm here." He replied.
"Is that so?" Bugenhagen asked. "And who would that be?"
"A man named Sephiroth."
"Ah yes. The great general from the Midgar - Wutai War I presume. I thought he was dead."
"So did I, until a few days ago." Cloud responded. "He showed up at the Shinra Headquarters. Speaking of which, myself and a few others were able to free your grandson from the testing lab in Midgar."
"Nanaki!" Bugenhagen exclaimed. "It's been two years since I've seen him."
"Nanaki?" Cloud asked.
"Yes, of course. He never told you his name?"
"Dr. Hojo was referring to him as Red XIII, so he told us to call him that too."
Bugenhagen visibly grimaced.
"Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. He's on of the most illegitimate scientists the world has ever known, and yet he's also one of the most successful." He said, with obvious scorn for the man. "Anyway, Nanaki never much liked his name so I'm not surprised that he elected for you to call him by another."
"You know, you never told me how you can float like that." Cloud remarked.
"The powers of the mind are more powerful than you might imagine." Bugenhagen answered cryptically. "So, you mentioned that you are here because of Sephiroth."
"Yeah. Red….I mean, Nanaki said that you might be able to help us figure out why he's suddenly decided to come out of hiding for so many years and kill the Shinra President."
"He killed the President?" Bugenhagen asked, surprised. "I heard he went insane before he died, but I did not realize he was homicidal as well."
"He must have had a reason for killing the President, and that's what we're trying to figure out."
"Who exactly is "we"?" Bugenhagen asked.
"The party that I led here." Cloud replied. "Some of us are from Avalanche, and others are here because they want answers to their questions."
"Avalanche? So you're the ones that were making trouble for the Shinra in Midgar. Well, I can respect your cause. The Shinra are truly destroying the planet right before our eyes."
"That's what Barret always says. He's here too. He was the leader of Avalanche before I joined"
"Well I think I'd enjoy speaking to him then. And if Nanaki says that I can help you learn more about Sephiroth, then I hope I can."
"It's very strange." Cloud said. "I feel as though my whole body is drawn to learn more about Sephiroth. To find him. To catch up to him and be near him."
"Did you know him well in the past?" Bugenhagen asked.
"Yes, but it isn't just because I want to see him again. I honestly don't. He killed my mother years ago when he lost his mind, and from then on I knew he was no longer the man I once knew. But still, I feel as though I've lost control. Every part of me tells me to seek him out and meet him."
"Well, I must admit that is strange." Bugenhagen said. "Have you found any clues as to why he might have come out of hiding?"
"Not really. I spoke to Dr. Hojo not long before we came here, and he said that Sephiroth had picked now for a reason. He mentioned something about a great reunion or something like that, but I didn't really understand."
"Well, we'll need to speak further about that." Bugenhagen said. "For now, I'd like to meet the rest of your party and I'd like to see my grandson again."
"Sure, I'll go get them." Cloud said. "Oh, and by the way…how is he your grandson if he looks like a wolf?"
"Well, he's not actually my biological grandson." Bugenhagen answered. "I was his father's caretaker, and his father referred to me as his father. It seemed only natural for Nanaki to refer to me as his grandfather, as so he was raised that way."
Cloud nodded.
"Okay, I'll go get the others." He said, and then turned to walk back down the tower. He only had to go down one floor, because the others were waiting for him.
"Is my grandfather ready to see us?" Red XIII asked.
"Yeah he is, …Nanaki." Cloud replied.
"I see he told you my real name."
"Why didn't you tell us? It's a much better name than Red XIII."
"You're real name is Nanaki?" Aeris asked. "I like it!"
"You do?" Red XIII asked, surprised. "I never liked it. That's why I was content to just let you call me Red XIII. I felt it suited me just fine, and to be honest I'd prefer that you continue to call me that."
"Hey, it's up to you." Aeris replied. "Whatever makes you happy."
Red XIII walked forward to lead the rest of them, and together they marched up the stairs toward the observatory. Bugenhagen was waiting for them when they arrived.
"Nanaki…it has been so long." He said as his four legged grandson entered the room. "How have you been?"
"I've been fine, grandfather. It's been a long journey, but my friends helped me through it."
"I'm glad to hear it. I feared the Shinra would destroy you in their experiments, yet somehow I knew that you were well. It is a relief to see you again."
He floated closer to the group, and then moved out of the way so that they could all comfortably enter the room.
"Please, everyone have a seat." He said. "I hope you don't mind if I float. I find it more comfortable than sitting."
Everyone sat down, except for Red XIII who curled up on the floor and Cait Sith who remained seated on his mog perch.
"Now," Bugenhagen began, "Which one of you is Barret?"
"I am." Barret answered, having now fully awakened.
"I heard that you are the leader of Avalanche, are you not?"
"Damn straight I am. Can you tell us anything that can help us beat the Shinra?"
"Yes, I believe I can." Bugenhagen answered. "But first, I need you to tell me a few things. First of all, why do you want to destroy the Shinra?"
"Because they're destroying the planet. Those Mako reactors that they built everywhere suck the life out of the planet. And also because the Shinra don't care about the poor people like me that live in the slums. They're only out there to make money."
"Well, at least you know what you're fighting for." Bugenhagen replied. "To be certain, your cause is a noble one. Can you tell me anything more about the Shinra?"
"The former President was on a desperate search for the Promised Land." Aeris said. "But he didn't realize what it actually was. He thought it was an actual land from which he could mine an unlimited supply of Mako."
"And do you know what the real Promised Land is?" Bugenhagen asked.
"Yes, I do." Aeris replied. "But I have a hard time explaining it. Like I told Cloud once, I know it more as a feeling than something that I can describe."
"I understand." Bugenhagen said. "I sense that you know much about the planet."
"I should." Aeris said. "I am an Ancient."
Bugenhagen smiled.
"So it is you." He said. "The last surviving Ancient. I could tell as soon as I saw you walk in the room." He turned to face the entire group. "I believe I can help you defeat the Shinra, although I am not as sure about helping you find Sephiroth. I will do my best, however. But first, there is something I must show you that will clarify a lot of things that may be confusing you."
He walked over to the far end of the room and pulled down a lever. A large circular platform descended from the ceiling and lowered to the floor. He stepped on top of it and gestured for the others to do the same.
When he pulled the lever a second time, the platform ascended back to the ceiling taking the group with it. As it rose, they could see that they were being brought into a large, dome shaped chamber. Bugenhagen flipped a switch, and the lights went out leaving behind a projection of tiny dots of light on the black dome above their heads.
"A planetarium." Aeris whispered, gazing with wonder at the cosmos being simulated above her head.
"I had this installed years ago to help me with teaching astronomy." Bugenhagen said. "But it has other uses as well."
Above them, a simulated shooting star flashed over the dome, temporarily illuminating the "sky." Bugenhagen flipped another switch, and suddenly the projection became three dimensional, plunging the group into the middle of the solar system. Cloud was standing next to the representation of the Earth. He could see the Sun not far from where he was, and circling around it were all the planets in the system.
"Look closely at the model of the Earth." Bugenhagen told them.
As they stared intently at the surface, the image of a man appeared standing on the top of the planet. He glowed, as though his figure was made of pure energy.
"It has been said that everything in the universe is fundamentally composed of energy." Bugenhagen whispered softly. "What we think of as matter is really nothing more than a certain type of energy."
The man standing on the planet could be seen decomposing into his component energy. Energy streams created from the remains of the man sprang up and then returned to the planet surface. On the other side of the planet, the figures of two children sprang up.
"And since energy cannot be created or destroyed, but merely transferred, some speculate that living beings never truly die. They're life energy is simply returned to the universe in its simplest form."
The figures of the children could be seen growing taller and older until, like the man, they decomposed into their component energy and returned to the planet.
"This energy is the lifeblood of the planet. It is known as the lifestream, and it is what creates life and everything which we see around us. When human beings on Earth die, the essence of their soul returns to the lifestream. There, the soul can achieve a greater consciousness beyond anything at can be experienced as a mortal on Earth. This pinnacle of thought and conscience is known as the Promised Land."
From the surface of the planet, thousands of streams of energy arose and began circling around it. The Earth was illuminated in the blackness of the simulated space around it by the lifestream.
"The Mako which the Shinra harvest to fuel their cities is the lifestream in its tangible form. By mining the Mako, the Shinra are in effect killing the very sustenance of our planet. Without the lifestream, the planet will wither and die like an animal without nourishment."
Suddenly the energy circling the planet began to disappear. To the disturbed eyes of Bugenhagen's audience, the planet began to become barren as the last wisps of life giving energy vanished. The entire planet crumbled, and in mere seconds it disappeared from the void of space.
Bugenhagen pressed the lever again, and the lights came on. The platform descended back into the observatory, and he walked into the room followed by the others.
"So you see, Barret is quite right. The Shinra really are killing the planet." Bugenhagen finished. "And our time is short. The planet is already beginning its downward decline. As we speak, the amount of barren deserts are increasing, while life bearing forests and lakes are vanishing. If something isn't done soon, the planet will die just like the one in the simulation. Now you see why your mission to stop the Shinra is so critical."
"Why didn't you contact us before?" Barret asked. "The funny thing is that I came up with the idea of Avalanche the last time I can here to Cosmo Canyon a few years ago. Our group could have used your help from the very beginning."
"It would have been too risky." Bugenhagen answered. "I am well known throughout the world. By helping you I would have exposed you. The fact that your group managed to stay low profile until the time when you actually struck and destroyed two Mako reactors is the very reason why you were never stopped."
"So what do we do now?" Barret asked. "At best we can destroy a few more reactors before they finally destroy us. But we can't take on the Shinra by ourselves."
"I fear that they may destroy themselves soon, but it may come at the loss of many innocent lives." Bugenhagen replied.
Barret looked puzzled, as did the others.
"Do you know something that you haven't told us?" Cloud asked.
"The Shinra have been doing some research lately on the ways of the Ancients." Bugenhagen replied. "I know because I like to keep tabs on them, especially Professor Hojo. You probably thought that the only reason they wanted to experiment on the girl was because they wanted to know how to reach the Promised Land."
"That was what the President said he wanted." Aeris said.
"The President, yes." Bugenhagen replied. "But not Professor Hojo. Hojo had much less control over the former President. But since Rufus became the leader, Hojo has more influence. And he has more potentially destructive plans than the old President ever did."
"What do you mean?" Aeris asked.
Bugenhagen floated over to the window and looked out at the nighttime view.
"Hojo is in search of the Black Materia." Bugenhagen said. "There is a prophecy that the Black Materia, locked away in the Temple of the Ancients, has the power to summon a meteor that will destroy all living things on Earth. It was created by the Ancient mages in case mankind ever reached its pinnacle.
The Ancients knew that if human beings reached the point at which they could harvest the lifestream in mass quantities, they could potentially destroy the planet in doing so. So they created the Black Materia so that should that dark time ever come, the meteor would destroy all things living on Earth. The essence of all those living things would then return to the planet to be reincarnated into new life. Everything would be destroyed and life would have to start over again, but at least the planet would still exist."
"So why does Hojo want the Black Materia?" Aeris asked.
"He doesn't realize the implications of it." Bugenhagen replied. "All he knows is that the power to summon such a horrible creation would make him the most powerful man on Earth."
Everyone else was speechless. They had not been prepared for such a revelation.
"The Shinra must never be allowed to find the Black Materia." Bugenhagen said. "If they do, everything that we know will be destroyed."
"What happens if they find it and the summon Meteor?" Red XIII asked.
"The planet will unleash the Weapons." Bugenhagen replied. "They are the planet's final resort before Meteor hits. Once Meteor is summoned, it takes a long time to reach the Earth. Before that time comes the Weapons, which are huge monsters summoned by the planet itself, will try to destroy the people that are misusing the lifestream. If the Weapons are successful in doing so, then Meteor will vanish, its mission no longer needed."
"So if Meteor were ever summoned, the Weapons would appear and begin destroying the Shinra?" Barret asked.
"In theory, yes."
"Then why don't we let Hojo summon it." Barret suggested. "He obviosuly doesn't realize what would happen. The Weapons would do all the dirty work for us and save the planet."
"Unfortunately, it isn't as simple as that." Bugenhagen replied. "The Weapons, as foretold in the scriptures of the Ancients, are not efficient. They kill anything in their way to stop those that misuse the lifestream, including innocent people. And there is no guarantee that they will destroy the Shinra before Meteor arrives and wipes out everything. So that is not an option. You must make sure that the Shinra do not get their hands on the Black Materia."
"How exactly do we do that?" Cloud asked.
"You must travel to the Temple of the Ancients and recover the Black Materia yourselves." Bugenhagen replied. "If you bring it to me, I can assure you that I will keep it safe from the Shinra."
"Where exactly is the Temple of the Ancients?" Cloud asked.
"It is on a small Island to the Southeast of here. I will show you on a map before you leave." Bugenhagen replied. "But you must recover the Keystone before the may enter the temple."
"The Keystone?" Cloud asked. This was starting to become very complicated.
"Yes. It is the key that allows you into the temple. Surprisingly enough, the key has become a valuable artifact to collectors. I believe a man by the name of Dio who runs the Gold Saucer amusement park is its current owner."
"If it's valuable, I don't think he'd give it to us." Cait Sith spoke up. "He's not known for being generous."
"We'll have to convince him." Cloud said. "So I guess once we leave here we'll head back to Gold Saucer."
"I'm sorry to put you through all this, but you must understand how urgent the situation is." Bugenhagen said. "I'd like to give you more information about Sephiroth, but I'm afraid this must take precedence for now."
"I understand." Cloud said. "Don't worry, we'll find the Black Materia."
"Please, stay here for the night." Bugenhagen suggested. "The bonfire is still alive. You can dine there and then sleep beneath the stars. Tomorrow morning I will give you rations and supplies to take with you on the trip."
"Thank you." Cloud said.
Bugenhagen smiled and nodded. The others began to leave the room, except for Red XIII who remained curled on the floor. Cloud turned to walk out of the room, but Bugenhagen called to him.
"One more thing, Cloud." He said. "If you truly feel like you are physically drawn to find Sephiroth, then perhaps it is your fate to do so. Destiny is speaking to you. I suggest you listen to what it has to say."
Cloud nodded, and then walked out of the room. He left behind an old man and his grandson, both of whom had a lot of catching up to do.
***
As Bugenhagen had suggested, they ate dinner around the campfire and became acquainted with some of the townspeople. Red XIII joined them after awhile, and he too ate dinner. Someone had the idea to tell stories around the fire, and most of them agreed. Tifa told everyone the story about what happened in Nibelheim from her point of view, with a little story telling help from Cloud. When she was finished, everyone sitting around the campfire that hadn't yet heard the story now felt that they hated Sephiroth.
Cait Sith told a relatively meaningless story about an incident that happened at the Gold Saucer. Aeris told a story about the Ancients, and how they once outnumbered the humans but were now all but extinct, save for herself. Barret told about how his brainchild, Avalanche, had been born when he was here in Cosmo Canyon. Red XIII enjoyed listening to the stories, but was too tired to tell his own. He was the first to fall asleep.
In the morning, Cloud went back up the tower to get the supplies from Bugenhagen. He gave them rations, some light wrist and shoulder armor that he'd picked up from the weaponsmith, and some materia that he had laying around and no longer needed. Cloud gathered the supplies and everyone in the group by the buggy. It took awhile to get everything packed in for the long trip. He thought everything was ready when suddenly Red XIII burst through the front gate to the town.
"Wait for me!" He yelled as he ran toward them.
"You're coming with us?" Cloud asked. "You're home now. I thought you'd want to stay."
"Yes, I'm home." Red XIII said. "But there's nothing for me here anymore. You are my friends now. I want to stay and help you."
"Well we're glad you're coming." Tifa said as she packed the last of her things into the back of the buggy. "You're always welcome with us."
Red XIII tried to smile, but only wound up looking frightening as he bared all of his teeth. But Tifa knew what he meant, and she smiled back. With everyone ready and set in the buggy, Cloud turned on the engine and pulled away from his makeshift parking spot. He waved goodbye to the guard as he turned the buggy around and drove away.
Tifa had taken the passenger's side seat next to Cloud this time, and she had already unfolded the map. It would take awhile to get back to Gold Saucer, and Gongaga wasn't an option as a pit stop.
"Any ideas on how we're gonna get to Gold Saucer?" Tifa asked.
Cloud put the buggy into park and unbuckled his seatbelt. He leaned over to get a better look at the map. Looking at the neighboring towns in the vicinity of Cosmo Canyon, he noticed a familiar name.
"Nibelheim is very close to here." He said.
"Isn't that the town where you grew up that you told us about at Kalm?" Aeris asked.
"Yeah." He replied. "I wonder if they ever rebuilt it after Sephiroth burned it down."
"I heard they did, but I never went back after I came to Midgar." Tifa said.
"I think we should take a look." Cloud said. "We aren't far, and I'd like to see what's it's like after all these years."
"Another sidetrack?" Barret asked, incredulously. "We're supposed to be going to Gold Saucer. Nibelheim's in the opposite direction."
"I'd like to see Nibelheim too, Cloud, but I think Barret's right." Tifa said.
"Well, like you said before, it's gonna take a long time to get to Gold Saucer from here." Cloud replied. "If we go to Nibelheim for a little while, we can head for Rocket Town which is on the other side of Mt. Nibel. We could probably get someone to take us to Gold Saucer in a small airplane. A lot of retired pilots live there."
"Rocket Town?" Barret asked. "Man, what the fuck are you talkin' about. We gotta go straight to Gold Saucer and get that damn key thing the old guy told us about."
"That's true, but I think Cloud may have a point." Red XIII spoke up. "Rocket Town is named after the Shinra rocket that was supposed to be launched into space years ago from the launch site there. The launch failed, and the rocket is still there on the launch pad. A lot of retired pilots live around the rocket, and most of them own airplanes. We could probably get a ride from someone if we paid for it."
"So then let's go straight to Rocket Town and fuck Nibelheim." Barret said bitterly.
"We have to go through Nibelheim to get there anyway." Cloud said. "Nibelheim is at the foot of Mt. Nibel, and we have to cross through Mt. Nibel to get to Rocket Town."
"I'd like to see Nibelheim too." Aeris said. "I think it would be interesting."
Barret looked at Cait Sith, who had been silent the whole time.
"You wanna go there too?" He asked.
"Oh, I don't care." Cait Sith said. "I'm just along for the ride."
"Bugenhagen said that my destiny is trying to tell me something, and that I should listen to it." Cloud said. "And I feel like we should go to Nibelheim. So I'm gonna go. I think it would be for the best if everyone else came too."
"Alright." Red XIII replied. "I think that would be the best course of action."
"Uh, yeah me too." Tifa said.
"Me three." Aeris chimed in."
"Yeah whatever." Barret said. "I'm in."
"Like I said, I'm along for the ride." Cait Sith spoke up, and then became silent again.
"Alright it's settled then." Cloud said. "I'll drive straight for Nibelheim. Let's just hope they rebuilt it, otherwise it'll be hard to get to Mt. Nibel."
He put the buggy back into drive and sped away. Red XIII stared out the back of the buggy as the small town at the top of the Canyon became smaller and smaller, until he could no longer see it. He was sad to be leaving it already, but he knew that he had to remain loyal to his newfound friends, and they would need his help to complete the quest that Bugenhagen had given them.
Tifa saw him looking sadly out of the back window of the buggy. She shifted on the seat so she was closer to him and rubbed her hand over his muscular back. He turned to look at her.
"You're with friends." She said smiling. "We'll take good care of you."
"I know." He replied. "I don't regret coming with you. But I do miss home a little. It's hard getting used to being away."
"That's how I used to feel after I left Nibelheim." She said. "But after awhile Midgar became like home to me."
"You really want to see what Nibelheim is like now, don't you?" Barret asked from the seat behind her.
"Yeah, I guess I do." She replied.
"Well I hope it looks better than North Corel did." He sighed, turning to look out the window.
In the front of the buggy, Cloud drove apprehensively toward the place that he had once called home. He was a little nervous that it would be just a large pile of burnt rubble. He hoped it would be rebuilt, so that he could at least imagine that he was home for a little while.
He felt a strange feeling inside of him. It was the same feeling that he'd felt when he first realized that Sephiroth was alive. A feeling that drew him to Sephiroth. A feeling that made his entire being want to find Sephiroth, and to be near him. The same feeling drew him to Nibelheim. He wished he knew what it all meant.
"Destiny is speaking to me." He whispered to himself. "And I have to listen."
Outside, the Sun was beginning to rise above the horizon as the tiny buggy sped on its way toward its destination.