Author's Notes: The two characters, Violence and Hatred, are just characters that I made up and doesn't have to do with the F

Author's Notes:  The two characters, Violence and Hatred, are just characters that I made up and doesn't have to do with the real FF 7 game.

Chapter 3:  The Crater

          The creatures were closing in.  Their wings have scales instead of feathers.  They look more like a reptile than a bird in the air.  They were unusual.  Cloud doesn't have the time to plan the battle.

Cloud: We have no time left.  Let's get them now!

Tifa:  You're right!

Cid:  Okay!  You guys stop them from entering the Highwind, while I guard the cockpit.

          Cloud and Tifa went outside.  The creatures were everywhere.  They were surrounded.  Suddenly a woman came.  The woman has a long black hair and carries a dagger at her waist.  Her face is full of hatred and doesn't seem to smile.

Cloud:  Are you one of Sephiroth's minions?
Woman: Good for you to know.  I'm called Hatred and I am the sister of Violence.  If you think you can defeat my minions just like you did to Violence's minions, then you are wrong!

Tifa:  We'll do everything no matter what!  We won't give up!

Hatred: Very well, let the fight begin!

          The creatures started to attack with their sharp claws.  Their wings can wipe them all in a single blow.  Cloud and Tifa were having a great disadvantage.

Tifa: What should we do?  They can kill us in a single blow…

Cloud:  Don't lose hope.  We'll do everything we can do no matter what!

          Cloud started attacking the creatures with his sword while Tifa used her arts to attack them.  Unfortunately, their attacks were weak against the creatures.  They have to use stronger moves to defeat them.  Cloud used his limit break, cross-slash, against the enemy and it worked effectively.  Tifa used magic to defeat them. 

Cloud:  Eat this!

Tifa:  Dodge this!

          At last, the enemies were decreasing in numbers.  Suddenly Hatred ordered them to use their wings to blow Cloud and Tifa away.

Hatred:  My minions!  Blow them away with your giant wings!  Do not let them escape!

Creatures:  Roar!!!

          Cloud and Tifa didn't have a chance to evade and they flew high up the air…

Hatred:  Resistance is futile…

Tifa:  Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!!

Cloud:  Don't worry Tifa.  Hold my hand!

Tifa: Thank you…

Cid:  I must catch them before they fall.

          Cid controlled the Highwind towards them and luckily they fell in the Highwind without major injuries. 

Cloud:  Are you all right?

Tifa:  Yeah… Thanks (Said while smiling).

Hatred:  So, Lucky for you to survive that attack…

Cloud:  I told you we, won't give up no matter what…

Hatred:  This time I'll show no mercy… Minions!  Attack them full force!

Creatures: Roar!!!

          It's the second round of the battle. Now it's even, the enemies are lesser than the first round.  This time, Cloud used Tornado on the enemies and half flew into the air and never came back.

Tifa:  This time, it's total wipe out! 

          Tifa equipped the Bahamut Materia and summoned the great Bahamut over the enemies.  Bahamut used Mega Flare.  In a single blast, the enemies got wiped out except Hatred.  Hatred used one of her dark spells to protect her from the blast.

Hatred:  You are stronger than you look.  No matter, let's continue our battle in the Crater itself.  I warn you now it will be difficult to reach the center.  I doubt that you can reach the center…. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!    

Cloud: Don't discourage us we've encountered greater dangers than this.

Tifa:  Right!

Hatred:  We'll see…

          Then, Hatred disappeared.  The Highwind went into the Crater at last.

Cloud:  Thanks Cid!

Cid: No problem.  I forgot, take this with you (Giving an item to Cloud).  This is a remote just press the red button to signal me so I can get to the Crater as soon as you are finish with your quest.

Cloud and Tifa: Thanks Cid!

          So, off they went into the crater while the Highwind went back to Rocket Town.  The crater was covered in darkness and there were dead corpse inside it.

Tifa: I don't like this place at all…

Cloud:  Don't worry I'm here for you…

Tifa: … (Surprised what Cloud had said to her).

          Suddenly the old man appeared out of nowhere.  Cloud and Tifa were shocked to see him.

Old man: What took you so long to reach this place?!

Cloud:  What the--!? How come you're already here?

Old man:  It doesn't matter how I got here faster than you… Take this with you (Handing over a sphere to Cloud)…  There now, don't mistake this for a materia, but it is similar to a materia.  This is called a Life Sphere… This is an important item, so keep it safe…

Cloud: I understand… Thank you.

             Again, the old man disappeared.  They continued to go to the center of the Crater.  As they were getting deeper, they encountered stranger creatures than before.  It was easy for Cloud to defeat them since he became stronger than before.  As they got deeper than before, they saw something… Something really impossible… They saw Shiva, Ramuh, Ifrit and other summons getting nearer to them…  These summons are different.  They don't look like the original ones… They are covered with darkness…   

Tifa:  Impossible!  How did they gain control to all of them?!

Cloud:  They might be copies. They might be exact replicas of the original summons.

Tifa:  What should we do?!

Cloud:  We'll have to use our own summons against them.

          They used their most powerful summons against the copies.  Cloud used the great Alexander while Tifa used Bahamut Zero…

Cloud:  I summon you Holy Alexander come forth!  Defeat these imposters!

Tifa:  Bahamut Zero, protect us with your great strength!

Alexander and Bahamut Zero:  Do not worry we shan't fail you…

          For the first time, they heard summons talk.  Cloud and Tifa were surprised because of the incident… To much question to ask why…  All they can do is to see the battle, Summons versus Summons…  Alexander used Holy judgment against the dark summons while the God of the Dragons used Terra Flare to wipe them all out.  However they're outnumbered, more and more summons came out and used their spells against the two summonses.  Try as they might, they continued to attack the copies until their last breath…

Alexander and Bahamut Zero:  We're sorry masters, we can't defeat them…

Cloud: Don't lose hope you have our faith.

Tifa:  That's right!

          With those words, Alexander and Bahamut Zero regained their life back and started to attack the copies.  Their attacks were even more powerful than before.  Thus, they have defeated the copies.

Cloud and Tifa:  Thank you!

Alexander and Bahamut Zero:  Don't thank us thank yourselves…  Because of your faith in us, you have strengthened our powers.  Now that our job is done, we will go back to our own materias…

Cloud:  Wait…

          However it was too late.  They went back into their materias before Cloud could ask them…

Tifa:  Don't worry about that, as long as they won't turn their backs at us.  We'll be safe.

Cloud: I guess you are right…

Tifa: Hey look (Pointing to a distance)! We're near the center! And look there's a small cave… Let's rest there for a while, shall we?

Cloud:  Okay…

          They sensed purity in the small cave, so they rested in that cave for a while. 

To be continued…