CHAPTER VIII
The lights flickered to life in the laboratory, and Cloud blinked his eyes back into focus.
Hojo was standing in the corner of the room, examining the glowing, slightly enlarged specimen as it lay in the shards of the shattered jar. The Shinra guards were still holding them all at gunpoint, and Scarlet was examining the readouts from the newly revived computer screens.
"There was a transmission from the crater, Professor," she cried out excitedly. Hojo turned and smiled.
"Excellent," he chuckled. "Just as I suspected. The Revive materia has managed to resurrect the Jenova to some degree. Unfortunately, we must move quickly if we are to ensnare those who are to retrieve it. Have you sent your troops to the North Crater as I instructed?"
Scarlet nodded. "Yes, Professor."
Hojo grinned. "Excellent. Come, Scarlet. We must depart for the Northern Crater."
Rufus shook his head in disbelief. "You're mad. You're stark raving mad. You don't honestly think that you'll be able to take down whatever is arriving to retrieve the Jenova, do you?"
Hojo smiled. "Rufus, my dear, shortsighted former employer," he chuckled, placing an emphasis on the word former. "You do not begin to see the scope of what I mean to accomplish, do you?"
When he received no answer from the captives, Hojo laughed. He gathered his belongings and headed for the door. "Take Cloud and the woman with us. They might prove useful should their comrades decide to interfere with our plans."
The Shinra guard saluted, roughly pulling Cloud and Tifa along behind Scarlet and Hojo. "What of Rufus and the Turks?" one of the remaining guards inquired.
Hojo shrugged, not turning around. "They are of no use to anyone. Kill them." With that, the doors closed, and Reno, Rude, Elena, and Rufus looked at each other.
"So, what's the next step?" Thorn asked after Nanaki had concluded his lecture.
Nanaki was about to answer when one of his assistants burst into the room. "Sir, we have received a transmission from the crater!"
Nanaki turned to face his assistant. "You mean to the crater, don't you?"
The subordinate shook his head. "No, sir. From it!"
The others stood in surprise, unable to come up with a reply to the news. Finally, Nanaki spoke. "Very well. Continue to monitor." He turned to his friends. "It appears that our presence shall be required at the crater. I believe that is where we will find our answers."
The Gold Chocobos skipped gracefully across the waters as the temperature dipped around them. They were nearing the Northern Crater.
"I must commend you on your fine breeding skills, Mr. Strife," Hojo shouted over the wind in front of them. "Your contribution has made our job much easier."
"So that was why you burned my farm!" Cloud raged. "You could have just asked nicely."
Hojo chuckled. "Would that have helped?" he shouted.
Cloud shook his head. "No," he yelled back, "but at least I could have had a good laugh."
The guard behind Cloud clipped him on the ear with the butt of his pistol. Cloud grunted and growled. "Man, when I get out of these binders, you're going to pay for that."
The guard merely snorted a laugh in reply. Cloud reverted to silence as the Chocobos continued on their path toward the crater.
The guards looked at each other with grins on their faces. "So," one asked the other, "which one should we do first?"
"I'm thinking Rufus. He always was a slave driver."
The first guard chuckled. "Fair enough. I'll flip you for it."
Rufus watched the two of them, eyes darting back and forth. Finally, Elena piped up from his right. "How about you pick on someone else, huh?"
The guards turned to look at her, and Reno lashed his foot out at the nearest guard. The guard stumbled, losing his grip on his gun. Reno followed through with another kick, knocking the guard to the ground. The other guard turned back to fire at Reno, and Elena threw herself at the guard, knocking him to the floor. Rufus crouched beside the first guard, fumbling for the keys to the binders that held him. The second guard scrambled to retrieve his pistol from its holster. Drawing it, he turned it on Rufus and fired.
Rufus stared down the approaching bullet-
-Then blinked when a flash of dark blue flew between him and the incoming projectile.
Rude concluded his flight through the air with a graceless collapse to the tiled floor at Rufus's right. Elena climbed onto the guard who had fired and kicked downward, hard. His head bounced off the floor, and he stopped moving.
Rufus finished the task of unlocking his binders, and then did the same for Reno and Elena. The three of them rushed over to Rude's side. Reno rolled him over, searching for the wound.
"I don't get it," he muttered. There was no wound to be seen.
"Mhmhffhmf," Rude muttered.
"What?" Reno pressed urgently, leaning closer.
"Mfmfgghrgfmr!" Rude added with feeling.
"I can't understand you," Reno hissed, still probing his comrade for wounds.
Rude spat something out of his mouth. It bounced with a clang to the floor, and Rude glared at Reno. "I said, would you please get these binders off of me? They're starting to chafe."
Reno picked up the bullet from where it lay on the floor and stared at it in awe. "Where the hell did you learn to do that?" he demanded.
"Does it matter?" Rude shot back.
Reno shrugged. "Not really," he replied, reaching behind Rude to unfasten his binders.
Rude nodded his thanks as he climbed to his feet. The three Turks moved quickly to disarm the guards. "So," Reno asked as he put two slugs into the guard that Rufus had plundered.
"I should think it would be obvious," Rude replied, putting the barrel of his pistol under the chin of the other guard and firing. "We head for the crater, and see if we can't stop this madman from doing whatever it is he's contemplating."
Rufus cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but-"
The Turks turned to face him. Reno leaned against a console, Elena crossed her arms, and Rude wiped his hands clean of the guard's blood with a dark blue handkerchief.
"Yes?" Reno inquired.
"Why am I still alive?" he asked. "I mean, it seems a rather bold, and perhaps foolish question to ask, but I always like to know where I stand in any agreement."
Reno chuckled. "Quite an admirable trait, Mr. Shinra. You would have made an excellent Turk. To answer your question, we do not kill our employers."
Rufus shook his head. "I don't understand."
"It's very simple," Reno explained. "Our contract of employment was with Shinra, Inc. Your father drew that contract up seven years ago, and it included anything ordered by Shinra. The contract was specifically worded so that our employer was Shinra, Inc., and not any one person. We went to Wutai to retrieve those Materia under the orders of Scarlet and Hojo, whom we believed to be the highest-ranking surviving officers of the Shinra Board of Executives. As soon as we realized that you were alive, our allegiance fell directly under you, the President and CEO of Shinra, Inc."
Rufus looked to the others, who nodded. He smoothed the collars of his tattered coat and smiled. "Very well, then. Let us depart for the Crater."
Reno and the others nodded their agreement, and the four strode out of the laboratory.
Yuffie sat at the railing of the Highwind, her nausea wrestling with her concerns for control of her attention.
Her arm had ceased hurting long ago, but she could still feel Thorn's teeth on her skin. As she rubbed her forearm unconsciously, she pondered his words. At length, she chuckled.
"Ridiculous. Afraid of men? What does he think I'm doing around all of these guys all the time? I'm perfectly comfortable around them."
That's because they're safe, she realized. The thought of Barret being any other way than the gruff ex-terrorist was laughable. Cid was married, Nanaki and Cait Sith weren't even the same species, and Cloud was hung up on Tifa, even though he would never admit it. Then, of course, there was Vincent, the man from the coffin. He was so distant and cold, Yuffie was sure he was completely asexual.
So, where was the harm in hanging out with any of them? Where was the danger?
There was none.
Maybe Thorn was right.
Another wave of nausea swept over Yuffie as the Highwind banked to port, and her musings were forgotten.
The Chocobos warked, then shivered under the cold temperatures. Hojo spurred his on toward the lip of the crater, and the others followed suit.
Cloud looked over at Tifa, who was shivering uncontrollably. She had begun to turn blue about a half-hour ago, and now she looked completely frozen.
"We need to rest," Cloud shouted over the icy wind. "She needs warmth!"
Hojo reined in his Chocobo and glared through the snow at Cloud. "She'll be fine," Hojo yelled back. He shrugged. "Or not. It matters not to me." With that, he kicked at the Chocobo and started off again.
"You son of a-" Cloud gritted, and then elbowed the guard behind him. The guard fell from the Chocobo with a grunt, and Cloud leapt from the Chocobo himself, kicking the fallen guard twice in the face. He grabbed the keys to his binders from the guard's belt and worked himself free.
The others were over fifty yards ahead. None of them had heard the scuffle over the harsh winds. Cloud snatched up the guard's pistol and hefted it. It had been a long time since he had fired a gun, but he was sure it would come back to him.
He charged through the snow after the group and took aim at Hojo. He fired, and the gunshot echoed through the air.
The bullet missed Hojo by inches. The scientist dropped from the Chocobo, and Scarlet yanked her gun free from her shoulder holster. Spotting Cloud behind them, she drew a bead on him. "What do you want me to do with him, Professor?" she asked as another bullet flew through the air, hitting the guard behind Tifa. The guard clutched his shoulder and fell from the Chocobo. The Chocobo warked beneath Tifa and bucked in surprise. Tifa fell with a cry to the snow, and the Chocobo took off.
Hojo mounted his Chocobo again. "Kill him. He has become too troublesome."
Scarlet smiled, firing two shots. Tifa looked up from the snowdrift to see Cloud tumbled backward and lay still.
"NO!" she cried, reaching out an arm.
Hojo motioned to Tifa. "Bring her. We may still need insurance."
Scarlet spurred her Chocobo over to where Tifa lay in the snow. She reached down and snatched her up, chuckling.
Tifa struggled against Scarlet, but she only laughed harder. "Looks like your hero won't be rescuing you this time, huh?" she jeered.
Tifa turned to glare at Scarlet, tears freezing to her face. "Eventually, you're going to let your guard down. When you do, I'm going to rip your throat out, you bitch."
Scarlet stopped laughing and struck Tifa on the head with the butt of her gun. Tifa slumped over across the Chocobo's back, and Scarlet kicked the bird into motion. "Strong words from a barmaid," she muttered.
CHAPTER IX
Rude piloted the helicopter out of the ruins of Midgar with practiced ease. Reno sat beside his partner and longtime friend, shaking his head. "You still haven't told me where you learned to fly a helicopter."
Rude shrugged. "Does it matter?"
Reno sighed. "I guess not." He turned to Rufus. "So, Mr. President, since Hojo saw fit to provide us with almost no fuel, what do you suggest we do to get to North Crater?"
Rufus pointed to a blip on the radar screen, headed out of the southwest. "Unless I miss my guess, Cloud's friends are on their way to assist him. All we need to do is hitch a ride. Set a course to intercept near Mt. Corel."
"What makes you think they're going to help us?" Reno inquired.
"That former specimen of Hojo's, the one he called Red XIII, is on board. I did a little reading up on his species," Rufus confessed.
Reno stared at him.
"Don't look at me like that. I make it my business to stay informed of all the aspects of my company. At any rate, the people of Cosmo Canyon are a highly honorable race. This Red XIII will have no choice but to acknowledge the fact that I saved his life in the Midgar slums. He owes me."
Reno nodded, not entirely convinced, as Rude flew to intercept the Highwind.
Yuffie stumbled to the bridge, trying to control her queasiness. Thorn intercepted her as she reached the door. "You feeling okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine, you little thief. What's it to you?" she snapped back.
Thorn smiled, shoving his hands in his back pockets. "Nothing to me, sweetness. Just curious, that's all." He moved on without a backward glance, headed for the ready room, and wishing Seth hadn't decided to stay behind.
That was harsh, Yuffie chided herself. He was just asking how you were feeling.
Well, she shot back to her inner voice, it's none of his business.
If it had been one of the others, would you have reacted like that?
She sighed. Her conscience had a point. "That's different," she muttered under her breath. "They've been around me for long enough."
So it's only okay for someone to care about you after you've had the time to figure them out?
Yuffie sighed. She knew she'd lost this argument. The door to the bridge opened, and she stepped through.
The first voice she heard was Reeve's. "We've got inbound."
Cid turned sharply. "One of those beams?"
Reeve shook his head. "A helicopter. Looks like Shinra markings. It's sending a white flag signal."
The others turned to stare at the approaching craft in shock. As it grew near, Cid decreased speed to hover in place, and one of the passengers stuck his head out of the door of the helicopter, and everyone except Nanaki jumped in surprise.
"Rufus!" Barret gritted.
"Hello again, Avalanche," Rufus called to them over the roar of the Highwind's engines and the hum of the helicopter blades.
"What the fuck do you want?" Cid hollered. "You're not getting this ship back!"
Rufus grinned winningly. "Rest assured, Captain Highwind, your ownership of this vessel is not in dispute. I simply wish to book passage for myself and my associates."
Cid squinted. "I don't follow."
Rufus waved a hand. "It's simple. You're headed for the North Crater. So are we. Unfortunately, our helicopter hasn't the fuel to get there. We need to make it to the North Crater in time to stop Hojo from what he is planning."
"Why should we believe you?" Cait Sith hollered.
Rufus spread his hands wide. "If we were lying, we would simply fly there ourselves. The truth serves us far better at the moment. It's your decision, but, quite frankly, you could use a few extra people. Hojo has command of what's left of my army. There's no telling how many have been sent there."
The group pondered their options, huddling on one side of the bridge.
"We could just stall them until they drop out of the sky," Yuffie pointed out.
Barret grinned.
"They may be telling the truth about Shinra's army, though," Cait Sith interjected.
Barret frowned. "Ya had to go and ruin it for us, didn't ya, cat?"
"I have reason to believe that Rufus Shinra's intentions are truthful. He does indeed seek passage to the North Crater. Furthermore, we are indebted to carry him there," Nanaki put in.
Cid turned to stare at the large cat. "Why is that?" he growled.
Nanaki looked chagrined. "Because he saved my life."
The others fell silent to stare at Nanaki, who looked uncomfortable.
"I shall explain in greater detail at another date," he allowed. "For now, let us depart."
The others mumbled a grudging agreement, and Cid turned to speak. "All right, dammit. Get your stinking carcasses on board. And be quick about it," he added.
Rufus and the Turks climbed on board the Highwind. The helicopter hovered for a few moments longer, set to autopilot, before the engines sputtered and died. The craft plummeted into the river below with a splash.
The members of Avalanche looked over the side in surprise. "You weren't kidding, were you, Rufus?" Cid observed.
Rufus shook his head. "Truth be told, after another few moments of deliberation on your part, I was going to urge you to hurry. We shall not interfere, as we agreed, but will repair to the ready room until our arrival." With that, he and the Turks departed the bridge.
The others were silent for several minutes after they departed. After a moment, Yuffie spoke. "Okay. I'm going to find a place to throw up now." That said, she wandered off the bridge.
Another silence ensued, this time broken by Vincent. "Very well," he announced. "Captain Highwind, take us to the North Crater."
Cid nodded, still dumbfounded. "This has been some fuckin' day," he muttered as he pushed the forward thrusters.
Yuffie meandered her way along the corridor, bound for the stern, when she heard a cry of surprise from the ready room.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
That sounded like Thorn, she mused, moving closer to the door.
"I could ask you the same question."
That was Reno, she realized as she pressed her ear to the door.
There was silence.
"Will whoever is standing at the door, please come in?" Reno demanded.
Yuffie flushed red and pushed the door open. Reno and the Turks were on the left side of the table. Rufus was on the right. Thorn was at the back of the room, staring openly at Reno.
"Miss Kisaragi," Reno sighed. "I should have known."
"Sorry to interrupt," she murmured, unable to think of anything else to say.
Reno waved her off. "Not a problem. Just a little reunion," he added, glaring pointedly at Thorn, who looked away.
Yuffie was confused. "Reunion?"
Reno half-smiled. "Yes, indeed. Or didn't Will tell you he was my brother?"
Hojo looked around the massive chamber, taking everything in. The walls were aglow with the green tint of untapped Mako, and the entire cavern thrummed with an audible energy wave. He could almost feel the life form beneath his feet, eagerly seeking the extra energy that would be required to complete its resurrection.
"Not just yet," he murmured. "Not until your people come for you."
He signaled to Scarlet, who shoved Tifa down in front of her and dropped to the ground. He kicked her leg out and caught Tifa under the ribcage. "Wake up, barmaid!"
Tifa groaned. What was going on? Ah, yes, she remembered now. She was back in the North Crater, a place she wished never to be again. That crackpot Hojo had dragged her down here-
-And that bitch Scarlet had killed the man she loved.
She got to her feet slowly, eyes blazing at Scarlet. "Knock it off," Scarlet groaned, rolling her eyes. "You're just lucky you didn't get one between the eyes like that spiky-headed friend of yours."
With that, she slapped Tifa hard across the face. Tifa's head jerked back, and Scarlet laughed, joining Hojo on the other side of the cavern.
"Just another thirty minutes before the ETA," Hojo whispered, his excitement barely contained. Scarlet merely smiled beside him.
"Your brother?" Yuffie echoed, surprised. "Will?"
Thorn nodded.
"Go ahead, little brother," Reno urged. "Tell her how you turned away from your duties. Tell her how you took everything your big brother did for you and threw it back in his face."
As he spoke, Reno got closer, until he was toe to toe with Thorn.
Yuffie looked from one to the other. "What's he talking about, Thorn?"
Reno looked at him. "Thorn? Is that what you go by now?"
Thorn sighed, ignoring Reno. "Reno and I were-that is, we grew up kind of poor. We lived in the slums. Reno got this great job with the Turks, and when they signed on with Shinra, Reno used his pull to get me into training to join the army."
"Paid for your tuition, bought your uniform, the works," Reno muttered.
"So, I went through training, and I excelled. I even received an invitation to join SOLDIER. I went to the academy and trained. Then something happened." Thorn looked away.
"Something," Reno mused. "I never understood that something. What was it again?"
"It was a mission. I was supposed to follow orders. I couldn't-"
"You couldn't," Reno repeated, his voice filled with contempt. "You couldn't follow orders? Little brother, here's your wake up call. You might not like the life I gave you, but it beats the alternative. You should know that. You've been living like a criminal ever since." He grabbed Thorn by the collar and thrust his face in front of his younger brother's. "You went running back to Junon! You went back home to the man that beat us daily and called himself our father!"
Thorn pushed Reno off of him. "And you think what you gave me was better? Working for a faceless company that killed indiscriminately to serve its own goals?"
"At least I had three squares a day and a roof over my head, and I didn't have to live like a thief!" Reno retorted.
"I'd rather live like a thief in the streets than be the man you wanted me to be," Thorn gritted.
Cid's voice broke in over the loudspeaker.
"Thorn, Yuffie, you might want to get up here. We'll be arriving shortly."
Thorn smirked. 'Excuse me, dear brother. My comrades are requesting my presence." He turned away from a glowering Reno and stalked out of the ready room, Yuffie following behind at a short distance.
Cloud stirred, groaning. He climbed to his feet and tried to walk, then stumbled and fell face-first into the snow once more. His hands fumbled for his shoulder, and he felt the wound. Blood was trickling out of the hole that one of Scarlet's bullets had made, but that couldn't be the source of his weakness. There had to be a bigger-
-There.
He felt it as he moved his hand higher. One of the bullets had grazed his jugular. There was no telling how long he'd been out here. He had likely almost bled to death, however. He pushed down, trying to stem the flow of the blood, and heard a wark in the distance.
The Highwind approached, cruising low over the crater. Cid surveyed the area. "Looks like another para drop."
The others groaned, especially Yuffie. "Gawd," she muttered. "Flying gets me sick enough. I can't even begin to tell you what jumping out a perfectly good airship will do."
"Look!" Thorn cried out. "Down there!"
The others rushed over. Below, amid the snowfall, was a figure collapsed on the ground. A lone Chocobo scurried frantically nearby.
"Bring us down a little lower," Thorn demanded. Cid complied, lowering the hovering Highwind a few hundred feet. "Hand me those binoculars," he requested of Vincent, who obliged.
Thorn put the binoculars to his eyes and peered for a moment at the man and beast below. "That's Tatya!"
"Who?" Nanaki asked.
"Tatya," Thorn repeated. "She's one of Mr. Strife's prize breed! That must be Mr. Strife down there!" He turned to Cid. "Where are the parachutes?"
Cid pointed out the door of the bridge. "In the storage compartment, aft of the ship. Why?"
Thorn hurried for the door. "I'm going down there," he replied over his shoulder as he ran.
"Is he nuts?" Barret asked of the others. "At this low altitude, and in that storm?"
Nanaki nodded. "Much wiser to move further north and climb a bit out of the weather."
Yuffie stood pondering a moment, then bolted out the door after Thorn.
Cid watched her go, and then shook his head. "Kids nowadays."
Thorn strapped the harness to his legs and gripped the railing. Just like he had learned in his Shinra training. This would be a low opening. He would have to almost be on the ground before he opened his chute, or he would be blown way off course.
"Thorn!"
Thorn turned around to see Yuffie standing by the hatch, a chute pack in her grasp.
"I'm coming with you," she explained.
Thorn shook his head. "It's too dangerous."
Yuffie smiled. "Now you sound like Cloud. Besides, who says you get to have all the fun?"
Thorn was still shaking his head.
"All right, fine," she huffed. "I'm worried about you, OK? Feel better that you finally dragged it out of me, huh?"
Thorn stopped shaking instead, and opted for a direct stare of open amazement instead.
Yuffie moved to the railing beside him. "So, how are we planning on doing this jump?"
Thorn snapped out of his shock and sighed. "There's no convincing you not to do this, huh?"
Yuffie shook her head.
Thorn nodded to himself. "Fair enough. This is going to be a LALO. That's low altitude, low opening. If we open too high, we catch the winds and get blown miles off course. If we open to low, it won't do any good to open them at all."
Yuffie thought for a moment. "How about if I strap in with you?"
Thorn agreed. "That might be better than having me try to cue you on when to pull." He set about the business of harnessing Yuffie to him, and moments later; they were strapped together, with Yuffie in front of him, facing away.
"Ready?" he asked, gripping the railing.
Yuffie looked down, and took a deep breath. "Almost."
She reached around, grabbed Thorn's face, and twisted hers around. Their lips met, and Yuffie kissed him, hard.
After a few seconds, she released him. "Now I am."
Thorn blinked a few times. "Me too," he stammered, and then launched the two of them over the railing. Yuffie screamed, and they plummeted into the icy air.
CHAPTER X
Kaladar twitched a tentacle anxiously and watched from his view screen as the class-M planet crept into view. In fifteen minutes, they would be entering the atmosphere of the planet. Soon, the information that the operative had acquired would be his.
"Time's running out," Nanaki observed. "We must make the jump directly over the crater if we are to intercept Hojo in time."
The others nodded agreement.
"Let's get on with it, then," Rufus demanded, strapping on his chute. "Captain, bring us in."
Cid nodded, banking the Highwind hard around and easing the ship into to a hover pattern over the crater. The group gathered at the aft railing and prepared for their jump.
"All set?" Barret yelled.
The others nodded agreement.
Barret climbed over the railing and leapt off. The others followed him, and soon eight parachutes could be seen floating down into the crater below.
Cid watched from the bridge, shaking his head. "Crazy bastards," he remarked to Nanaki, who nodded.
Several minutes earlier, Thorn and Yuffie had crumpled to the ground fifty feet away from where Cloud lay bleeding. They collapsed with a series of grunts, and lay still for a few moments.
"Are we dead?" Yuffie inquired.
Thorn groaned. "I don't feel dead. I just wish I was."
Yuffie chuckled humorlessly. "You and me both. Get me out of this harness."
Thorn unhooked the chute from the two of them, and they stumbled to their feet. Thorn spotted Cloud and raced to his side. He dropped to his knees beside his fallen employer and fumbled in his backpack.
"Mr. Strife!" he cried, pulling the Cure materia free from his pack. "Can you hear me?"
Cloud moaned quietly. His hand was firmly adhered to his neck. Thorn could see the coagulated blood through Cloud's fingers. Cloud's face was pale, and his body was cold.
Thorn concentrated on the materia, focusing all of his energy on it. The orb glowed an intense green, and Cloud was bathed in the emerald glow of the materia.
The glow subsided, and Thorn and Yuffie waited with baited breath. After a few moments, Cloud stirred. He moaned more loudly, and his hand slowly came free of the wound, which was slowly healing itself.
"That's gonna leave a mark," Cloud muttered as he sat up. He took in his surroundings. "Thorn? You're alive?"
Thorn nodded. "Yes, sir. I spotted you from the Highwind, and-"
"The Highwind!" Cloud broke in. "So you're here with the others!"
Thorn nodded. "They should be dropping into the crater any minute now."
Cloud stumbled to his feet. "No! They'll be sitting ducks! Hojo's waiting at the bottom of the crater!"
Thorn and Yuffie helped him onto the Chocobo and led it toward the crater. "We'd better hurry then," Yuffie observed, breaking into a run. Thorn and the Chocobo did the same.
Hojo looked down at his watch. "Ten minutes and counting! It is time to begin the resurrection!"
With that, he went to his case and extracted the Revive materia. He looked around for a moment, and then walked to the center of the chamber. The Revive materia glowed in his hands, and he chuckled evilly. "Soon," he whispered. "Soon."
The chamber began to shake, and the others in the cavern braced themselves.
"There!" Barret cried over the rushing wind. "Look! That glowin'! Looks like Hojo."
"He has a Revive materia," Vincent observed from Barret's right.
"If he's doin' what I think he's doin', we gotta stop him!"
Vincent unholstered his gun. "Give me a few moments. I need to be a little closer."
Kaladar smiled, baring his fangs, as his ship settled into orbit. Ten minutes until retrieval.
Cloud and the others reached the lip of the crater. Below them, Hojo was activating the Revive Materia. Cloud cursed.
"We're too late," he muttered.
"Not yet," Yuffie shot back, pulling a throwing star from her pouch. "I think I can knock it out of his hand."
Cloud and Thorn looked at her, holding their breath, as she took aim.
"Almost got it," Vincent whispered to himself as he sighted down the barrel of the Death Penalty.
Yuffie flicked her wrist, and the throwing star sailed through the air, bound for Hojo's wrist.
Vincent fired, the report echoing through the air.
Hojo focused harder on the brightly glowing orb. It was happening. Jenova was breaking free.
The ground ripped open not far from them, and a tentacle emerged, followed by another. Jenova's head reared up from its resting place, and a low growl emanated from its throat.
Yuffie watched as her star flew unerringly on its course, then suddenly and inexplicably was knocked away by something. "What the fuck?" she demanded.
"Who cares?" Cloud prodded. "Let's get down there."
Vincent cursed as they opened their chutes and floated the rest of the way down. "Where did that throwing star come from?" he demanded.
Scarlet lashed out a leg and kicked the materia from Hojo's hands. Hojo spun around in fury, and came nose-to-barrel with Scarlet's pistol. "Game's over, Professor. It's my turn now." She turned to the soldiers. "Open fire on the specimen!"
Hojo's cries were drowned out by the sound of gunfire erupting from the soldiers' weapons. He shouted in agony as the bullets tore into Jenova. She screamed in agony, green blood flowing from the wounds the bullets created. After a minute of gunfire, Scarlet raised her hand. The shots ceased, and Scarlet walked over to the body of the creature, an object in her hand.
"But, why?" Hojo demanded, his voice frantic.
Scarlet smiled as she scooped up samples of Jenova's blood and placed them inside the device. "It's simple, Professor. I did some research of my own. Jenova's entombment in the Lifestream has streamlined her natural genetic talent for manipulation. Her blood, infused with the Lifestream, has created the ultimate Influence materia. With it, I shall command all the world."
"Not if we can help it," a voice broke in.
Scarlet and the others turned to spot Vincent, as he landed not far away. In a flash, his chute was disconnected, and he stood with his gun trained on Hojo and Scarlet. The others quickly followed suit, landing around him. Tifa, who had been sitting against a wall, ran over. Barret quickly scooped her up and concealed her within the group.
"Well, well," Scarlet drawled, looking the group over. "Reno and his gang. You are indeed a disappointment. After all the money we paid you."
"I work for Shinra," Reno pointed out. "Not some crazed bitch with delusions of grandeur."
Scarlet screamed in outrage. "Kill him first," she ordered her soldiers, who took aim.
The voice behind her was swift and sudden. "I wouldn't advise it."
Before she could speak, a strong arm wrapped itself around her neck. She felt the point of a blade at her temple, and she gasped.
"Tell them to drop their weapons," Thorn demanded.
Scarlet hissed a laugh.
"I'm not joking, you crazy bitch!" Thorn gritted.
The soldiers waited, unsure of how to proceed.
Scarlet thrust back an elbow, catching Thorn in the gut. She reached around and grabbed under his arm, yanking him over her shoulder and snatching the knife from his hand.
"You were saying, boy?" she leered, hoisting the knife up to strike.
Her arm was caught behind her by another hand. This one whirled her around, and she found herself face-to-face with Cloud.
"Let's try this again," Cloud sneered, yanking the knife free and holding it to her throat.
"Indeed," Hojo replied from behind Cloud, a gun in his hand. He pressed it to Cloud's skull and smiled.
"Hojo! Thank God!" Scarlet cried in relief.
"Don't get any ideas, my dear. I'm not doing this to save your hide. I just don't want anything to ruin my experiment any more than they already have." He cocked the hammer on the gun. "Now, then, Mr. Strife, I'll take that knife."
"Hold it, Hojo," Yuffie called. Hojo looked up to see the young ninja perched on a rock above them. She was holding a throwing star, and it was aimed directly at his head. "If you think you can shoot him and beat my star, you're dead wrong. You drop it."
Everyone looked around at everyone else. Barret, Vincent, and the others looked to the guards, who were looking at Scarlet, who was craning to peer at Cloud, who was painfully aware of Hojo's gun pressed against the back of his head. Hojo, in turn, was looking keenly up at the ninja crouched above them.
"I believe this is referred to as endgame," Hojo chuckled.
No one moved.
There was the immutable thrumming of a massive engine overhead, and they all looked up.
"That's the biggest fucking thing I've ever seen," Cid gaped.
Kaladar rose from his seat as the ship moved into position over the crater. "Readings?" he hissed.
His helm officer growled an affirmative. "Several, sir."
"Several?" Kaladar was taken aback. He had expected only the scout. "What type of readings?"
"I'm picking up the scout, sir. Faint readings-her condition is critical. The others-humanoid. Native species, except for three, sir. They appear to be a cross-breed of some sort."
Kaladar wrapped a tentacle around the console beside his helmsman. "Science Officer, clarify."
His science officer worked the controls frantically. He looked up at his captain with an air of uncertainty. "Uncertain, sir. They are not the result of direct breeding. They appear to be mutations."
Kaladar snarled. "They're freaks. Just like the Cetra."
"Your orders, sir?" the helm officer inquired.
"First things first," Kaladar instructed. "Bring up the scout."
The helm officer grunted his affirmation and worked the controls.
A hatch opened in the massive vessel, and a glow emanated from a source somewhere beyond it. The glow intensified, and those below began to shuffle nervously.
"It is the ascension!" Hojo cried with unabashed glee. "They are retrieving the Jenova! I must join them. They will teach me! I must learn!" He jerked the gun away and ran for the beam of light that shot itself down into the cavern from the ship above.
"NO!" Yuffie cried. Alarmed by the sudden movement, she let her throwing star fly. It embedded itself in Hojo's back as he ran. Hojo stumbled, crying out in pain, then gathered himself and ran for the light again. There was a blinding flash.
"Captain," the helm officer said, "There is another life form in the transport beam."
"One of those humanoids?" Kaladar gritted.
"No, sir. It's one of the cross-breeds," the officer clarified.
"Freak," Kaladar growled. "Leave it. Reverse polarity and push it back out, then bring in the scout."
"Aye, sir," the officer agreed, working the controls.
When the flash had subsided, the Jenova was gone, leaving Hojo limp and bleeding in a heap on the ground.
"No," he whimpered. "I wanted to-"
It doesn't matter what you wanted!" Scarlet screeched. While everyone's attention was on the sobbing form of Hojo, she snapped her head back, head butting Cloud. Cloud stumbled back, then recovered, slashing at Scarlet. She had already moved, however, and was bringing her gun up to bear on Cloud. Cloud froze, knife in hand, as the others awaited the outcome.
"I left you for dead once, Strife," she growled. "I won't make the same mistake this time." She looked up at Yuffie. "Bring her down from there."
One of the soldiers motioned up at Yuffie with his rifle, and Yuffie reluctantly dropped down to the cavern floor. The soldier herded her back to the group, and she stood behind Barret, glaring at the red-dressed woman.
The Avalanche members behind Scarlet stirred, but the soldiers took aim, and they held fast.
"If they move," Scarlet ordered, "Kill them."
Her finger tensed on the trigger, and she paused. "Bring the barmaid to me," she added. One of the soldiers obliged, grabbing Tifa roughly by the arm and dragging her over. "I want her to watch this up close and personal.
The soldier stopped a few feet away, his gun to Tifa's head. Tifa watched with tears in her eyes as Scarlet took aim at Cloud.
"What of the others, Captain?" the helmsman asked.
Kaladar grinned. "Kill them all."
"Wait!"
Kaladar turned to see Aratak entering the bridge. "Yes, Aratak? You have something to add to this mission?"
There was a pause, and Aratak pulled a rifle from behind him. The other Jenova on the bridge jumped up, reaching for their weapons. "Don't!" Aratak warned. "I will shoot him!"
Kaladar stared down the communications officer. "What," he began with a dangerous purr in his throat, "do you think you are doing, Aratak?"
"Why must they die? All that they are doing is trying to live. Our mission has always been about gathering information for the Jenova High Council!"
"Our mission," Kaladar bellowed, "has always been, first and foremost, the elimination of all threats to the Jenova!"
Aratak motioned with his rifle. "Look at them, Captain."
Kaladar afforded a short glance at the view screen. "All I see is a bunch of barbarian humanoids holding each other at gunpoint."
"There is armed conflict, yes," Aratak allowed, "But that does not denote a threat to us. It is their conflict to resolve, not ours."
Kaladar turned back to glare at Aratak. "Some of these creatures have managed to genetically alter themselves with Jenova DNA!" he yelled.
"So that's what this is about, isn't it, Kaladar?" Aratak pressed, dropping his captain's title. "You don't see them as a threat to our species at all. You revile them out of pure xenophobic hatred, don't you?"
"They are a sacrilege to our race!" Kaladar insisted.
"They are a living species all their own," Aratak returned. "The Jenova cannot remain pure forever. No species can. Let them live."
"Never!" Kaladar bellowed, lunging for the firing controls.
"On your knees, Strife," Scarlet ordered.
"I don't think so," Cloud replied, his voice rumbling like distant thunder.
Scarlet sighed. "Suit yourself." She pulled back on the trigger. Cloud's eyes widened-and so did Scarlet's a moment later.
The shot went wide, grazing Cloud's temple. Cloud dropped to the ground, and Scarlet stumbled. As she dropped to her knees, She fumbled for the dagger that had embedded itself in her back. Cloud looked around wildly, and spotted Thorn as he dropped from a ledge above them.
"Kill them all!" Scarlet screamed.
The soldiers opened fire, and the Avalanche members scattered. Barret caught a bullet in the upper arm as he and Cait Sith dove for cover behind a stalagmite. He gritted his teeth and pressed his back against the rock formation for a moment, then returned fire.
Vincent, Reno, and Elena traded shots with several soldiers from behind a rock outcropping a few yards away from where Barret and Cait Sith were taking cover. Further back, Rude was covering Rufus while the former Shinra president went for a fallen soldier's gun.
Tifa ran to Cloud's side. "Cloud!" she cried. "Are you all right?"
Cloud chuckled, then coughed. The Cure materia hadn't fully taken. He was still weak from the first two gunshots. "As well as can be expected," he replied.
One of the hatches opened on the ship above, and another beam shot down into the cavern, near the group of soldiers that had crowded behind a huge stalagmite in the center of the chamber.
"Looks like whoever's up there is on our side," Cloud mused.
Another shot came down, this one lancing into the wall above Rude and Rufus. The two men bolted for safety, and Cloud sighed.
"Maybe not."
Tifa grabbed him under the arms and dragged him to relative safety under an alcove.
"Restrain him!"
The other Jenova on the bridge looked between Kaladar and Aratak, unsure of their next move.
"The captain has exhibited a disregard for his orders of research and investigation. He has shown himself to be in defiance of the High Council. He must be relieved of command!" Aratak ordered.
The Jenova paused a moment longer, then lunged for Kaladar. Kaladar cried out in fury and threw off his attackers. The two officers fell back with twin grunts against the consoles behind them, and Kaladar pressed the firing controls again and again, his mind consumed with the destruction of those below.
"We've got to get out of here," Vincent observed. He reached for his PHS. "Cid, can you read?"
Cid's voice was faint in reply. "I can hear-"
"We need a pickup. We'll rendezvous outside the crater. Get as low as you can, and lower the lift baskets," Vincent instructed.
"Affirm-" was Cid's broken reply. Vincent grunted as another beam ripped apart the rock behind them.
"Between their beams and the soldier's fire, we're going to have a hard time getting out of here."
"Tell me about it," Elena muttered.
Not far away, Scarlet was getting to her feet. She yanked the dagger free from her back with a gasp and spied the device. It was still intact. She hurried to it, ducking to avoid the stray bullet that zinged by her head, and crouched to inspect it.
It was still in one piece. She lifted the lid and gasped. The golden orb inside was glowing brightly. She touched it tentatively. It was still fragile, but it could be used-carefully. She lifted it out of the container.
"And what do you plan to use that for?" Thorn demanded.
Scarlet turned and fired, but Thorn was already moving. He ducked and rolled, the bullet missing him, and then slid the rest of the way, sweeping Scarlet's feet out from under her. She fell with a cry, and the Influence materia rolled out of her hands. She lunged for it, but Thorn held her down and dropped an elbow onto the knife wound he had inflicted. She screamed in agony and collapsed again. As she looked up she spotted Tifa scooping up the materia.
"All that trouble for this one materia?" Tifa shouted over the rain of gunfire. "All this needless suffering?"
Scarlet smiled through her pain, showing blood-soaked teeth. "You wouldn't understand, barmaid."
"Oh, but I do," Tifa replied. "I know all to well about suffering, and now it's your turn to learn." With that, she lifted the materia and focused on it, sending out a message to the soldiers.
Kill Scarlet.
The materia glowed brightly. The rain of gunfire ceased gradually as the Shinra soldiers stopped firing. As the members of Avalanche realized that they were no longer being fired upon, their weapons, too, fell silent.
Scarlet turned and gaped in horror as she saw the soldiers turn as one unit and bring their guns to bear on her. Thorn leapt out of the way and rolled into the alcove with Cloud.
"Kaladar!" Aratak yelled one final time. Kaladar ignored his subordinate, his tentacle reaching once more for the firing control.
Aratak pulled the trigger of the rifle. The blast caught Kaladar in the back, and the captain stumbled, crying out in agony. He reached again for the button, and Aratak fired three more times. The shots ripped through the Jenova leader's body, and he finally collapsed against the console, slumping to the floor.
The gunshots were unrelenting, and Tifa felt both joy and revulsion at the sound of them.
Have you suffered enough, Scarlet, she thought. Perhaps.
But you'll never suffer as we have.
She lowered the materia and stared at the bullet-riddled corpse of Scarlet. When she lowered the materia, the soldiers stopped firing. Their rifles smoked, and they stood, impassively awaiting their next order.
No more orders today, Tifa thought. She hoisted the materia above her head, and then hurled it to the cavern floor.
The other Jenova turned to look at Aratak, awaiting some sort of order. Aratak lowered the rifle.
"We depart immediately for the Homeworld," Aratak announced.
The officers nodded their agreement and set a course. Aratak moved toward the captain's chair-
-And spied the movement.
He was a moment too late in raising his rifle. Kaladar's tentacle twitched on the console, and a final blast issued from the ship's cannon.
Aratak lifted the rifle and fired three more times, taking Kaladar's head from its body. The Jenova captain twitched once, and collapsed for good.
As Tifa smashed the materia to the floor, it shattered into a thousand shards, each one dissolving moments later and seeping back through the cracks in the cavern floor.
A thunderous roar echoed through the chamber as one final bolt from the ship ripped into the cavern. It severed several large stalagmites that had hitherto been working well in supporting the ceiling. As they collapsed, the entire cavern shook. Tifa ran to the alcove and lifted Cloud. Thorn assisted her from Cloud's other side.
"We have to get out of here," she observed. Thorn nodded his agreement, and they moved for the cavern entrance.
Rufus and Rude met Reno, Vincent, and Elena near the center of the chamber. "We'd better make our move, partner," Reno shouted.
Rude nodded. "There's another exit on top of that outcropping. We'll get out that way."
The Turks and Rufus headed for the outcropping Rude had mentioned. They were almost there when a stalactite plunged from the ceiling high above and landed between them. A large chunk of rock flew from the shattered stalactite and slammed into Reno. He fell against the wall of the cavern, and another rock pinned him there.
Thorn heard the commotion and turned to spot Reno in his predicament. At that moment, Barret and the others had reached the three of them. Thorn eased his way out form under Cloud's arm and motioned for Barret to take his place. "Go on ahead," Thorn urged. "I'll be right behind you."
Tifa looked on in puzzlement, but Yuffie gave her a push. "It's all right," she assured her. "I know what he's doing. You guys go on. I'll wait for him."
Barret gave her a look. "Yuffie, why are you so concerned about this guy? You don't even know him?"
Yuffie ignored him, waving them on toward the exit.
Thorn reached Reno and looked over the situation. He thought a moment, and then pulled out a green materia from his backpack. He focused on it, and the rock that pinned Reno shimmered. A moment later, it shrank down to the size of a pebble.
"Where did you get that?" Reno asked, amazed.
Thorn smiled. "I picked your pocket in the ready room."
Reno shook his head, laughing. He got to his feet. "You're all right after all, kid," he declared. He nodded toward the outcropping where Rude and the others, having ascertained that Reno was safe, were now headed. "There's another way out. We're taking our own way. Come with us?" he invited.
Thorn cast a glance over his shoulder-and spotted Yuffie urgently waving at him. He shook his head. "Not this time, Reno."
Reno nodded. "Suit yourself. See you around, little brother." With that, he was away and climbing up the rock face.
Thorn turned around and ran for Yuffie. Halfway across the chamber, another quake shook the cavern, and the floor in front of Thorn ripped open. He leapt forward, thrusting his arms out as he flew across the gap that had formed in the floor. He fell slightly short and grasped for a crack in the floor. His slide was arrested, and he hung halfway in the seemingly bottomless pit. He could feel his grasp slipping-
-And then he felt a pair of hands grab him. He was hauled up to safety, and her found himself in Yuffie's embrace. His lips found hers, and she kissed him deeply.
"You didn't think I was going to leave you, did you?" she asked.
Thorn shook his head. "Let's get out of here."
The two of them bolted for the entrance. Thorn stopped when they had reached it. He turned and searched through the dust and falling rock for any sign of Reno.
He found none.
Yuffie caught his gaze, and she smiled, understanding. "I'm sure he's all right."
Thorn nodded, smiling slightly, and the two exited the cavern.
Aratak sighed as the ship lifted off. He watched through the view screen as the cavern collapsed. So much needless suffering, he mused. So much waste.
As the ship rose higher, he spied the small aircraft hovering beyond the crater. "Magnify," he ordered the helmsman. The officer obliged, and Aratak watched as the humanoids, two by two, were lifted into the vessel to safety.
Aratak smiled to himself as the ship broke through the atmosphere. The view screen faded to black, and he settled in for the trip back to the Homeworld.
The Highwind rose in the sky above the crater, and Cid watched the alien spacecraft wink out of sight between the stars.
"I'm damn glad that's over with," he observed.
He turned to face the others, who were slumped against the railing of the bridge. "So, what happened down there?" he asked.
Cloud laughed weakly. "Another time, Cid."
Tifa rose to her feet and moved to Cloud's side. "We need to get you to sick bay and have those wounds looked at."
Cloud voiced no objection as Tifa and Vincent lifted him from the floor and carried him off.
EPILOGUE
The snow whipped through the hills of the northern continent, covering all it touched in a blanket of frozen whiteness. For anyone who was willing to brave the icy winds to observe the small cave set into one of the many mountains south of the Northern Crater, a small fire would be their reward.
"How many miles further south is the Icicle Inn?" Reno asked, shivering.
Rude warmed his hands and huddled closer to the flames. "About twenty."
Rufus sighed. "That's going to be a hell of a walk."
There's no need to walk," Rude corrected him. "I've made arrangements for a team to meet us with snowmobiles. They'll take us there in the morning."
Reno turned to glare at his friend. "Where did you make that kind of connection?" he demanded.
Rude turned to stare impassively at Reno, and Reno knew what his next words would be. "Does it matter?" Rude asked.
Reno turned red despite the cold. "YES, GOD DAMMIT! IT DOES MATTER!"
Rude chuckled, and turned back to the fire.
The door to the recovery room opened, and Cloud watched as Tifa entered. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his forehead. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
Cloud smiled, a little broader than before. "I'll live," he assured her. "The doctors here are pretty good."
Tifa smiled. "They're the best. That's why we brought you to Junon."
Cloud nodded slightly. "Anyway, they finished what Thorn's Cure materia started, and they say I'll be ready to leave this afternoon."
Tifa's smile grew. "Good." Her smile faded, and she stared at Cloud. Cloud's brow furrowed, and Tifa spoke.
"Cloud," Tifa began, "I-when you disappeared, I felt like my whole life was over. I couldn't think of anything but finding you."
Cloud started to speak, but Tifa silenced him with a finger to his lips.
"Now," she continued, "I know that you have your life, and I have mine, and I don't expect that the two will ever come together, but-" she paused. "I can't lose you. I won't lose you. You don't have to promise me anything. Just promise me that you'll stay in my life."
Cloud smiled. He took her hand, and felt the cool softness of it. "Of course, Tifa. I promise."
Tifa nodded. "I'm going back to Kalm tonight," she told him. "I have to get the bar up and running again. I'll see you again soon?"
Cloud nodded. "Soon," he agreed. She smiled and headed for the door. She paused just a moment, then opened it and walked out. Cloud could hear her slump against the door as it closed. He heard her sigh, and then whisper, "I love you, Cloud Strife."
Thorn stood at the railing, looking out at Junon Harbor. The fishermen were just coming back in as the evening sun dipped over the horizon. Cargo holds were opened, nets full of fish were hauled into waiting containers, and people bustled in every direction.
Seth had vanished when Thorn returned to their old hideout. He'd found nothing but a few gil on the table and a note.
Thorn,
Got raided while you were gone. Had to skip town. I hope you're all right. I'll be in touch.
-Seth
"So," the voice spoke up from beside him. "What are you going to do now?"
Thorn jumped and whirled around. Yuffie giggled girlishly. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not sure," he answered after a moment. "I don't really have anywhere to go. I was thinking about traveling. You know, seeing the world?"
Yuffie nodded. "Why don't you start with Wutai?" she inquired. "I'm leaving shortly. You can come with me if you want."
Thorn smiled. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."
Yuffie grinned, then leaned in and kissed him. Someone cleared his throat behind her, and she started, spinning around.
Cloud was standing a few feet away, his arm in a sling and a smirk on his face. "I hate to interrupt, but could you excuse us for a few minutes, Yuffie?"
Yuffie nodded. "Sure, Cloud." She turned back to Thorn. "I'll see you at the elevator. Don't keep me waiting long."
Thorn nodded and gave her another peck on the cheek. She turned and hurried off.
Cloud leaned onto the railing with his good arm. Thorn hunkered down beside him, and they stood in silence for a few minutes.
"She's a-unique young lady, Thorn," Cloud finally observed.
Thorn smiled. "She'll definitely keep me on my toes," he agreed.
The two men chuckled, and the silence returned. Finally, Thorn spoke again.
"Cloud?"
"Hm?" Cloud replied, his eyes still fixed on the harbor below.
"I need to tell you something," Thorn confessed. He outlined his relationship with Reno, and his past in the Shinra military.
"But there was a specific reason why I left the Shinra army before I joined SOLDIER," Thorn concluded. "It was a mission."
Cloud, who had been watching the waves as he listened to Thorn's story, turned to face him. Thorn took a deep breath and began.
"My squad was sent to Nibelheim. We were charged with the task of investigating the massacre there."
Cloud's blood ran cold as he listened, but he did not interrupt. Thorn continued.
"When we got there, the entire place reeked of death. There were charred bodies everywhere. Shinra troops were already in the town, rebuilding everything. They said that they were going to bury the dead, rebuild the town, and use the survivors for Hojo's experiments.
We began our investigation by going from house to house, searching through the ashes for any sign of evidence as to who might have done this. I ordered my men to spread out and conduct a thorough search of each house. I stepped inside one dwelling, and heard the sound of footsteps upstairs. I moved quietly with my gun ready, and crept toward the source. When I entered the bedroom there was an older man crouched over a girl. He saw me, and his eyes got really big. He began pleading with me not to take the girl. He said that we could do what we wanted with him, but the girl was special.
I looked into his eyes, and something snapped in me. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't kill them. I waved him out of the room and told him to get the hell out of town. As he passed by me, I heard the girl mumbling in her sleep. She kept calling for someone."
Thorn looked up at Cloud. "I didn't realize until later that it was your name she was calling."
Cloud's breath caught in his throat. "It was Tifa," he whispered.
Thorn nodded. "There's more."
Cloud fell into silence again, and Thorn swallowed hard before continuing.
"As we completed our mission, one of the company commanders came to me. He handed me new orders-for the extermination of two errant members of the Shinra army suspected of committing this crime. I looked over the orders and recognized your name.
"I had no choice. Orders were orders. I gathered my men and headed off."
Thorn sighed. "We caught up with you and Zack outside Midgar. I knew if I let you get into the city, I'd never find you. I ordered my men to open fire, and they gunned down Zack. As they took aim on you, that girl's voice kept echoing in my mind. She kept calling your name. I ordered them to hold their fire.
"I knew that you weren't dead. I walked up to you and felt your pulse. It was at that moment I made my decision to leave the Shinra military. I turned to my men, told them you were dead, and ordered them back to Midgar. The next day, I resigned my position and came back to Junon."
Thorn looked searchingly into Cloud's eyes. "That's it. That's why I'm here."
Cloud stared in silence at the horizon. Finally, he spoke.
"You saved my life. You saved Tifa's life. Why?"
Thorn shrugged. "It was an old prayer I heard from my mother, before she died. She always used to say it with me before I went to bed. The one about night falling?"
Cloud nodded, and the two men recited the prayer in chorus.
"God above, shine your light, and guide our path to you,
May our hearts be strong, our vision clear, and our actions always true.
Though shadows rise, and darkness reigns, and our footsteps dogged with sorrow,
Though night may fall, our faith in your will hold us through tomorrow."
Cloud smiled. "I haven't heard that prayer in years."
Thorn chuckled. "Me neither. Funny how some things never leave you."
For a time, the only sound was the bustle of the streets and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore below. Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "I've made a decision, Thorn," he announced. "I'm retiring from the Chocobo breeding business. I wanted to show my appreciation for all you've done, so-here's your share."
Thorn took it, politely refraining from looking inside. Cloud smiled. "You'd better head downstairs. Yuffie's waiting."
Thorn nodded, pushing himself off the railing. Cloud straightened beside him, and Thorn extended his hand. It's been a pleasure, Mr. Strife."
Cloud shook the outstretched hand. "Likewise, Thorn."
The two men parted company, and Cloud watched him depart. Cloud heard the footsteps behind him and didn't turn around.
"So," Vincent greeted his friend, "what's your next move?"
Cloud shrugged. "I don't know. I think I might be ready to settle down."
Vincent allowed himself a small display of surprise. "Never before have I known such days," he teased.
Cloud chuckled, watching Thorn as the boy waited for the elevator. He smiled as Thorn opened the envelope, jerked his head back in surprise, and then whooped at the top of his lungs.
"How much did you give him?" Vincent asked.
Cloud shrugged again. "Three million."
Vincent was silent for a moment, and Cloud grinned as he pictured the look on his friend's face. "And you still had money left for yourself?"
Cloud nodded. "Enough to start a new life." He half-smiled as he added, "Maybe two."
The rain was pouring down onto the city of Kalm like a tempest from an angry god. Tifa sighed. Only the hardiest of customers would be in on a day like this.
She looked around the bar. The number of empty stools and tables confirmed her suspicions. A few construction workers, a couple of off-duty police officers, and a young couple were all the patrons she had this afternoon.
Tifa watched the young couple at the pool table in the corner. The girl was trying to learn the game; her boyfriend was snuggled in behind her, guiding her arms on the cue. She slipped as they tried to shoot together. The ball went wide, and they laughed, cuddling even closer.
Tifa sighed.
The door opened, and a figure huddled in a long hooded cloak entered. She watched the customer with vague interest as he made his way to the bar and sat down.
"What'll it be?" she asked.
The figure reached inside the folds of his cloak and pulled out a small box. Tifa watched as the man opened it. Inside was a gold ring, crested with a marquis cut diamond. Smaller stones, set in white gold, flanked the larger diamond. The ring glistened in the light of the bar.
The figure reached up and removed his cloak. Tifa's breath caught in her throat as Cloud smiled up at her. "You. For the rest of my life."
Tifa was speechless. Her jaw worked, but her voice was frozen.
Cloud laughed nervously. "This is real. You should say something."
Tifa finally managed to let out a trembling giggle. "Yes!" she exclaimed a moment later. She vaulted over the bar, and Cloud slipped the ring on her finger. They embraced, and Cloud kissed her with a passion that had burned within him for years.
Outside, the rain fell like the joyful tears of angels.
The lights flickered to life in the laboratory, and Cloud blinked his eyes back into focus.
Hojo was standing in the corner of the room, examining the glowing, slightly enlarged specimen as it lay in the shards of the shattered jar. The Shinra guards were still holding them all at gunpoint, and Scarlet was examining the readouts from the newly revived computer screens.
"There was a transmission from the crater, Professor," she cried out excitedly. Hojo turned and smiled.
"Excellent," he chuckled. "Just as I suspected. The Revive materia has managed to resurrect the Jenova to some degree. Unfortunately, we must move quickly if we are to ensnare those who are to retrieve it. Have you sent your troops to the North Crater as I instructed?"
Scarlet nodded. "Yes, Professor."
Hojo grinned. "Excellent. Come, Scarlet. We must depart for the Northern Crater."
Rufus shook his head in disbelief. "You're mad. You're stark raving mad. You don't honestly think that you'll be able to take down whatever is arriving to retrieve the Jenova, do you?"
Hojo smiled. "Rufus, my dear, shortsighted former employer," he chuckled, placing an emphasis on the word former. "You do not begin to see the scope of what I mean to accomplish, do you?"
When he received no answer from the captives, Hojo laughed. He gathered his belongings and headed for the door. "Take Cloud and the woman with us. They might prove useful should their comrades decide to interfere with our plans."
The Shinra guard saluted, roughly pulling Cloud and Tifa along behind Scarlet and Hojo. "What of Rufus and the Turks?" one of the remaining guards inquired.
Hojo shrugged, not turning around. "They are of no use to anyone. Kill them." With that, the doors closed, and Reno, Rude, Elena, and Rufus looked at each other.
"So, what's the next step?" Thorn asked after Nanaki had concluded his lecture.
Nanaki was about to answer when one of his assistants burst into the room. "Sir, we have received a transmission from the crater!"
Nanaki turned to face his assistant. "You mean to the crater, don't you?"
The subordinate shook his head. "No, sir. From it!"
The others stood in surprise, unable to come up with a reply to the news. Finally, Nanaki spoke. "Very well. Continue to monitor." He turned to his friends. "It appears that our presence shall be required at the crater. I believe that is where we will find our answers."
The Gold Chocobos skipped gracefully across the waters as the temperature dipped around them. They were nearing the Northern Crater.
"I must commend you on your fine breeding skills, Mr. Strife," Hojo shouted over the wind in front of them. "Your contribution has made our job much easier."
"So that was why you burned my farm!" Cloud raged. "You could have just asked nicely."
Hojo chuckled. "Would that have helped?" he shouted.
Cloud shook his head. "No," he yelled back, "but at least I could have had a good laugh."
The guard behind Cloud clipped him on the ear with the butt of his pistol. Cloud grunted and growled. "Man, when I get out of these binders, you're going to pay for that."
The guard merely snorted a laugh in reply. Cloud reverted to silence as the Chocobos continued on their path toward the crater.
The guards looked at each other with grins on their faces. "So," one asked the other, "which one should we do first?"
"I'm thinking Rufus. He always was a slave driver."
The first guard chuckled. "Fair enough. I'll flip you for it."
Rufus watched the two of them, eyes darting back and forth. Finally, Elena piped up from his right. "How about you pick on someone else, huh?"
The guards turned to look at her, and Reno lashed his foot out at the nearest guard. The guard stumbled, losing his grip on his gun. Reno followed through with another kick, knocking the guard to the ground. The other guard turned back to fire at Reno, and Elena threw herself at the guard, knocking him to the floor. Rufus crouched beside the first guard, fumbling for the keys to the binders that held him. The second guard scrambled to retrieve his pistol from its holster. Drawing it, he turned it on Rufus and fired.
Rufus stared down the approaching bullet-
-Then blinked when a flash of dark blue flew between him and the incoming projectile.
Rude concluded his flight through the air with a graceless collapse to the tiled floor at Rufus's right. Elena climbed onto the guard who had fired and kicked downward, hard. His head bounced off the floor, and he stopped moving.
Rufus finished the task of unlocking his binders, and then did the same for Reno and Elena. The three of them rushed over to Rude's side. Reno rolled him over, searching for the wound.
"I don't get it," he muttered. There was no wound to be seen.
"Mhmhffhmf," Rude muttered.
"What?" Reno pressed urgently, leaning closer.
"Mfmfgghrgfmr!" Rude added with feeling.
"I can't understand you," Reno hissed, still probing his comrade for wounds.
Rude spat something out of his mouth. It bounced with a clang to the floor, and Rude glared at Reno. "I said, would you please get these binders off of me? They're starting to chafe."
Reno picked up the bullet from where it lay on the floor and stared at it in awe. "Where the hell did you learn to do that?" he demanded.
"Does it matter?" Rude shot back.
Reno shrugged. "Not really," he replied, reaching behind Rude to unfasten his binders.
Rude nodded his thanks as he climbed to his feet. The three Turks moved quickly to disarm the guards. "So," Reno asked as he put two slugs into the guard that Rufus had plundered.
"I should think it would be obvious," Rude replied, putting the barrel of his pistol under the chin of the other guard and firing. "We head for the crater, and see if we can't stop this madman from doing whatever it is he's contemplating."
Rufus cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but-"
The Turks turned to face him. Reno leaned against a console, Elena crossed her arms, and Rude wiped his hands clean of the guard's blood with a dark blue handkerchief.
"Yes?" Reno inquired.
"Why am I still alive?" he asked. "I mean, it seems a rather bold, and perhaps foolish question to ask, but I always like to know where I stand in any agreement."
Reno chuckled. "Quite an admirable trait, Mr. Shinra. You would have made an excellent Turk. To answer your question, we do not kill our employers."
Rufus shook his head. "I don't understand."
"It's very simple," Reno explained. "Our contract of employment was with Shinra, Inc. Your father drew that contract up seven years ago, and it included anything ordered by Shinra. The contract was specifically worded so that our employer was Shinra, Inc., and not any one person. We went to Wutai to retrieve those Materia under the orders of Scarlet and Hojo, whom we believed to be the highest-ranking surviving officers of the Shinra Board of Executives. As soon as we realized that you were alive, our allegiance fell directly under you, the President and CEO of Shinra, Inc."
Rufus looked to the others, who nodded. He smoothed the collars of his tattered coat and smiled. "Very well, then. Let us depart for the Crater."
Reno and the others nodded their agreement, and the four strode out of the laboratory.
Yuffie sat at the railing of the Highwind, her nausea wrestling with her concerns for control of her attention.
Her arm had ceased hurting long ago, but she could still feel Thorn's teeth on her skin. As she rubbed her forearm unconsciously, she pondered his words. At length, she chuckled.
"Ridiculous. Afraid of men? What does he think I'm doing around all of these guys all the time? I'm perfectly comfortable around them."
That's because they're safe, she realized. The thought of Barret being any other way than the gruff ex-terrorist was laughable. Cid was married, Nanaki and Cait Sith weren't even the same species, and Cloud was hung up on Tifa, even though he would never admit it. Then, of course, there was Vincent, the man from the coffin. He was so distant and cold, Yuffie was sure he was completely asexual.
So, where was the harm in hanging out with any of them? Where was the danger?
There was none.
Maybe Thorn was right.
Another wave of nausea swept over Yuffie as the Highwind banked to port, and her musings were forgotten.
The Chocobos warked, then shivered under the cold temperatures. Hojo spurred his on toward the lip of the crater, and the others followed suit.
Cloud looked over at Tifa, who was shivering uncontrollably. She had begun to turn blue about a half-hour ago, and now she looked completely frozen.
"We need to rest," Cloud shouted over the icy wind. "She needs warmth!"
Hojo reined in his Chocobo and glared through the snow at Cloud. "She'll be fine," Hojo yelled back. He shrugged. "Or not. It matters not to me." With that, he kicked at the Chocobo and started off again.
"You son of a-" Cloud gritted, and then elbowed the guard behind him. The guard fell from the Chocobo with a grunt, and Cloud leapt from the Chocobo himself, kicking the fallen guard twice in the face. He grabbed the keys to his binders from the guard's belt and worked himself free.
The others were over fifty yards ahead. None of them had heard the scuffle over the harsh winds. Cloud snatched up the guard's pistol and hefted it. It had been a long time since he had fired a gun, but he was sure it would come back to him.
He charged through the snow after the group and took aim at Hojo. He fired, and the gunshot echoed through the air.
The bullet missed Hojo by inches. The scientist dropped from the Chocobo, and Scarlet yanked her gun free from her shoulder holster. Spotting Cloud behind them, she drew a bead on him. "What do you want me to do with him, Professor?" she asked as another bullet flew through the air, hitting the guard behind Tifa. The guard clutched his shoulder and fell from the Chocobo. The Chocobo warked beneath Tifa and bucked in surprise. Tifa fell with a cry to the snow, and the Chocobo took off.
Hojo mounted his Chocobo again. "Kill him. He has become too troublesome."
Scarlet smiled, firing two shots. Tifa looked up from the snowdrift to see Cloud tumbled backward and lay still.
"NO!" she cried, reaching out an arm.
Hojo motioned to Tifa. "Bring her. We may still need insurance."
Scarlet spurred her Chocobo over to where Tifa lay in the snow. She reached down and snatched her up, chuckling.
Tifa struggled against Scarlet, but she only laughed harder. "Looks like your hero won't be rescuing you this time, huh?" she jeered.
Tifa turned to glare at Scarlet, tears freezing to her face. "Eventually, you're going to let your guard down. When you do, I'm going to rip your throat out, you bitch."
Scarlet stopped laughing and struck Tifa on the head with the butt of her gun. Tifa slumped over across the Chocobo's back, and Scarlet kicked the bird into motion. "Strong words from a barmaid," she muttered.
CHAPTER IX
Rude piloted the helicopter out of the ruins of Midgar with practiced ease. Reno sat beside his partner and longtime friend, shaking his head. "You still haven't told me where you learned to fly a helicopter."
Rude shrugged. "Does it matter?"
Reno sighed. "I guess not." He turned to Rufus. "So, Mr. President, since Hojo saw fit to provide us with almost no fuel, what do you suggest we do to get to North Crater?"
Rufus pointed to a blip on the radar screen, headed out of the southwest. "Unless I miss my guess, Cloud's friends are on their way to assist him. All we need to do is hitch a ride. Set a course to intercept near Mt. Corel."
"What makes you think they're going to help us?" Reno inquired.
"That former specimen of Hojo's, the one he called Red XIII, is on board. I did a little reading up on his species," Rufus confessed.
Reno stared at him.
"Don't look at me like that. I make it my business to stay informed of all the aspects of my company. At any rate, the people of Cosmo Canyon are a highly honorable race. This Red XIII will have no choice but to acknowledge the fact that I saved his life in the Midgar slums. He owes me."
Reno nodded, not entirely convinced, as Rude flew to intercept the Highwind.
Yuffie stumbled to the bridge, trying to control her queasiness. Thorn intercepted her as she reached the door. "You feeling okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine, you little thief. What's it to you?" she snapped back.
Thorn smiled, shoving his hands in his back pockets. "Nothing to me, sweetness. Just curious, that's all." He moved on without a backward glance, headed for the ready room, and wishing Seth hadn't decided to stay behind.
That was harsh, Yuffie chided herself. He was just asking how you were feeling.
Well, she shot back to her inner voice, it's none of his business.
If it had been one of the others, would you have reacted like that?
She sighed. Her conscience had a point. "That's different," she muttered under her breath. "They've been around me for long enough."
So it's only okay for someone to care about you after you've had the time to figure them out?
Yuffie sighed. She knew she'd lost this argument. The door to the bridge opened, and she stepped through.
The first voice she heard was Reeve's. "We've got inbound."
Cid turned sharply. "One of those beams?"
Reeve shook his head. "A helicopter. Looks like Shinra markings. It's sending a white flag signal."
The others turned to stare at the approaching craft in shock. As it grew near, Cid decreased speed to hover in place, and one of the passengers stuck his head out of the door of the helicopter, and everyone except Nanaki jumped in surprise.
"Rufus!" Barret gritted.
"Hello again, Avalanche," Rufus called to them over the roar of the Highwind's engines and the hum of the helicopter blades.
"What the fuck do you want?" Cid hollered. "You're not getting this ship back!"
Rufus grinned winningly. "Rest assured, Captain Highwind, your ownership of this vessel is not in dispute. I simply wish to book passage for myself and my associates."
Cid squinted. "I don't follow."
Rufus waved a hand. "It's simple. You're headed for the North Crater. So are we. Unfortunately, our helicopter hasn't the fuel to get there. We need to make it to the North Crater in time to stop Hojo from what he is planning."
"Why should we believe you?" Cait Sith hollered.
Rufus spread his hands wide. "If we were lying, we would simply fly there ourselves. The truth serves us far better at the moment. It's your decision, but, quite frankly, you could use a few extra people. Hojo has command of what's left of my army. There's no telling how many have been sent there."
The group pondered their options, huddling on one side of the bridge.
"We could just stall them until they drop out of the sky," Yuffie pointed out.
Barret grinned.
"They may be telling the truth about Shinra's army, though," Cait Sith interjected.
Barret frowned. "Ya had to go and ruin it for us, didn't ya, cat?"
"I have reason to believe that Rufus Shinra's intentions are truthful. He does indeed seek passage to the North Crater. Furthermore, we are indebted to carry him there," Nanaki put in.
Cid turned to stare at the large cat. "Why is that?" he growled.
Nanaki looked chagrined. "Because he saved my life."
The others fell silent to stare at Nanaki, who looked uncomfortable.
"I shall explain in greater detail at another date," he allowed. "For now, let us depart."
The others mumbled a grudging agreement, and Cid turned to speak. "All right, dammit. Get your stinking carcasses on board. And be quick about it," he added.
Rufus and the Turks climbed on board the Highwind. The helicopter hovered for a few moments longer, set to autopilot, before the engines sputtered and died. The craft plummeted into the river below with a splash.
The members of Avalanche looked over the side in surprise. "You weren't kidding, were you, Rufus?" Cid observed.
Rufus shook his head. "Truth be told, after another few moments of deliberation on your part, I was going to urge you to hurry. We shall not interfere, as we agreed, but will repair to the ready room until our arrival." With that, he and the Turks departed the bridge.
The others were silent for several minutes after they departed. After a moment, Yuffie spoke. "Okay. I'm going to find a place to throw up now." That said, she wandered off the bridge.
Another silence ensued, this time broken by Vincent. "Very well," he announced. "Captain Highwind, take us to the North Crater."
Cid nodded, still dumbfounded. "This has been some fuckin' day," he muttered as he pushed the forward thrusters.
Yuffie meandered her way along the corridor, bound for the stern, when she heard a cry of surprise from the ready room.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
That sounded like Thorn, she mused, moving closer to the door.
"I could ask you the same question."
That was Reno, she realized as she pressed her ear to the door.
There was silence.
"Will whoever is standing at the door, please come in?" Reno demanded.
Yuffie flushed red and pushed the door open. Reno and the Turks were on the left side of the table. Rufus was on the right. Thorn was at the back of the room, staring openly at Reno.
"Miss Kisaragi," Reno sighed. "I should have known."
"Sorry to interrupt," she murmured, unable to think of anything else to say.
Reno waved her off. "Not a problem. Just a little reunion," he added, glaring pointedly at Thorn, who looked away.
Yuffie was confused. "Reunion?"
Reno half-smiled. "Yes, indeed. Or didn't Will tell you he was my brother?"
Hojo looked around the massive chamber, taking everything in. The walls were aglow with the green tint of untapped Mako, and the entire cavern thrummed with an audible energy wave. He could almost feel the life form beneath his feet, eagerly seeking the extra energy that would be required to complete its resurrection.
"Not just yet," he murmured. "Not until your people come for you."
He signaled to Scarlet, who shoved Tifa down in front of her and dropped to the ground. He kicked her leg out and caught Tifa under the ribcage. "Wake up, barmaid!"
Tifa groaned. What was going on? Ah, yes, she remembered now. She was back in the North Crater, a place she wished never to be again. That crackpot Hojo had dragged her down here-
-And that bitch Scarlet had killed the man she loved.
She got to her feet slowly, eyes blazing at Scarlet. "Knock it off," Scarlet groaned, rolling her eyes. "You're just lucky you didn't get one between the eyes like that spiky-headed friend of yours."
With that, she slapped Tifa hard across the face. Tifa's head jerked back, and Scarlet laughed, joining Hojo on the other side of the cavern.
"Just another thirty minutes before the ETA," Hojo whispered, his excitement barely contained. Scarlet merely smiled beside him.
"Your brother?" Yuffie echoed, surprised. "Will?"
Thorn nodded.
"Go ahead, little brother," Reno urged. "Tell her how you turned away from your duties. Tell her how you took everything your big brother did for you and threw it back in his face."
As he spoke, Reno got closer, until he was toe to toe with Thorn.
Yuffie looked from one to the other. "What's he talking about, Thorn?"
Reno looked at him. "Thorn? Is that what you go by now?"
Thorn sighed, ignoring Reno. "Reno and I were-that is, we grew up kind of poor. We lived in the slums. Reno got this great job with the Turks, and when they signed on with Shinra, Reno used his pull to get me into training to join the army."
"Paid for your tuition, bought your uniform, the works," Reno muttered.
"So, I went through training, and I excelled. I even received an invitation to join SOLDIER. I went to the academy and trained. Then something happened." Thorn looked away.
"Something," Reno mused. "I never understood that something. What was it again?"
"It was a mission. I was supposed to follow orders. I couldn't-"
"You couldn't," Reno repeated, his voice filled with contempt. "You couldn't follow orders? Little brother, here's your wake up call. You might not like the life I gave you, but it beats the alternative. You should know that. You've been living like a criminal ever since." He grabbed Thorn by the collar and thrust his face in front of his younger brother's. "You went running back to Junon! You went back home to the man that beat us daily and called himself our father!"
Thorn pushed Reno off of him. "And you think what you gave me was better? Working for a faceless company that killed indiscriminately to serve its own goals?"
"At least I had three squares a day and a roof over my head, and I didn't have to live like a thief!" Reno retorted.
"I'd rather live like a thief in the streets than be the man you wanted me to be," Thorn gritted.
Cid's voice broke in over the loudspeaker.
"Thorn, Yuffie, you might want to get up here. We'll be arriving shortly."
Thorn smirked. 'Excuse me, dear brother. My comrades are requesting my presence." He turned away from a glowering Reno and stalked out of the ready room, Yuffie following behind at a short distance.
Cloud stirred, groaning. He climbed to his feet and tried to walk, then stumbled and fell face-first into the snow once more. His hands fumbled for his shoulder, and he felt the wound. Blood was trickling out of the hole that one of Scarlet's bullets had made, but that couldn't be the source of his weakness. There had to be a bigger-
-There.
He felt it as he moved his hand higher. One of the bullets had grazed his jugular. There was no telling how long he'd been out here. He had likely almost bled to death, however. He pushed down, trying to stem the flow of the blood, and heard a wark in the distance.
The Highwind approached, cruising low over the crater. Cid surveyed the area. "Looks like another para drop."
The others groaned, especially Yuffie. "Gawd," she muttered. "Flying gets me sick enough. I can't even begin to tell you what jumping out a perfectly good airship will do."
"Look!" Thorn cried out. "Down there!"
The others rushed over. Below, amid the snowfall, was a figure collapsed on the ground. A lone Chocobo scurried frantically nearby.
"Bring us down a little lower," Thorn demanded. Cid complied, lowering the hovering Highwind a few hundred feet. "Hand me those binoculars," he requested of Vincent, who obliged.
Thorn put the binoculars to his eyes and peered for a moment at the man and beast below. "That's Tatya!"
"Who?" Nanaki asked.
"Tatya," Thorn repeated. "She's one of Mr. Strife's prize breed! That must be Mr. Strife down there!" He turned to Cid. "Where are the parachutes?"
Cid pointed out the door of the bridge. "In the storage compartment, aft of the ship. Why?"
Thorn hurried for the door. "I'm going down there," he replied over his shoulder as he ran.
"Is he nuts?" Barret asked of the others. "At this low altitude, and in that storm?"
Nanaki nodded. "Much wiser to move further north and climb a bit out of the weather."
Yuffie stood pondering a moment, then bolted out the door after Thorn.
Cid watched her go, and then shook his head. "Kids nowadays."
Thorn strapped the harness to his legs and gripped the railing. Just like he had learned in his Shinra training. This would be a low opening. He would have to almost be on the ground before he opened his chute, or he would be blown way off course.
"Thorn!"
Thorn turned around to see Yuffie standing by the hatch, a chute pack in her grasp.
"I'm coming with you," she explained.
Thorn shook his head. "It's too dangerous."
Yuffie smiled. "Now you sound like Cloud. Besides, who says you get to have all the fun?"
Thorn was still shaking his head.
"All right, fine," she huffed. "I'm worried about you, OK? Feel better that you finally dragged it out of me, huh?"
Thorn stopped shaking instead, and opted for a direct stare of open amazement instead.
Yuffie moved to the railing beside him. "So, how are we planning on doing this jump?"
Thorn snapped out of his shock and sighed. "There's no convincing you not to do this, huh?"
Yuffie shook her head.
Thorn nodded to himself. "Fair enough. This is going to be a LALO. That's low altitude, low opening. If we open too high, we catch the winds and get blown miles off course. If we open to low, it won't do any good to open them at all."
Yuffie thought for a moment. "How about if I strap in with you?"
Thorn agreed. "That might be better than having me try to cue you on when to pull." He set about the business of harnessing Yuffie to him, and moments later; they were strapped together, with Yuffie in front of him, facing away.
"Ready?" he asked, gripping the railing.
Yuffie looked down, and took a deep breath. "Almost."
She reached around, grabbed Thorn's face, and twisted hers around. Their lips met, and Yuffie kissed him, hard.
After a few seconds, she released him. "Now I am."
Thorn blinked a few times. "Me too," he stammered, and then launched the two of them over the railing. Yuffie screamed, and they plummeted into the icy air.
CHAPTER X
Kaladar twitched a tentacle anxiously and watched from his view screen as the class-M planet crept into view. In fifteen minutes, they would be entering the atmosphere of the planet. Soon, the information that the operative had acquired would be his.
"Time's running out," Nanaki observed. "We must make the jump directly over the crater if we are to intercept Hojo in time."
The others nodded agreement.
"Let's get on with it, then," Rufus demanded, strapping on his chute. "Captain, bring us in."
Cid nodded, banking the Highwind hard around and easing the ship into to a hover pattern over the crater. The group gathered at the aft railing and prepared for their jump.
"All set?" Barret yelled.
The others nodded agreement.
Barret climbed over the railing and leapt off. The others followed him, and soon eight parachutes could be seen floating down into the crater below.
Cid watched from the bridge, shaking his head. "Crazy bastards," he remarked to Nanaki, who nodded.
Several minutes earlier, Thorn and Yuffie had crumpled to the ground fifty feet away from where Cloud lay bleeding. They collapsed with a series of grunts, and lay still for a few moments.
"Are we dead?" Yuffie inquired.
Thorn groaned. "I don't feel dead. I just wish I was."
Yuffie chuckled humorlessly. "You and me both. Get me out of this harness."
Thorn unhooked the chute from the two of them, and they stumbled to their feet. Thorn spotted Cloud and raced to his side. He dropped to his knees beside his fallen employer and fumbled in his backpack.
"Mr. Strife!" he cried, pulling the Cure materia free from his pack. "Can you hear me?"
Cloud moaned quietly. His hand was firmly adhered to his neck. Thorn could see the coagulated blood through Cloud's fingers. Cloud's face was pale, and his body was cold.
Thorn concentrated on the materia, focusing all of his energy on it. The orb glowed an intense green, and Cloud was bathed in the emerald glow of the materia.
The glow subsided, and Thorn and Yuffie waited with baited breath. After a few moments, Cloud stirred. He moaned more loudly, and his hand slowly came free of the wound, which was slowly healing itself.
"That's gonna leave a mark," Cloud muttered as he sat up. He took in his surroundings. "Thorn? You're alive?"
Thorn nodded. "Yes, sir. I spotted you from the Highwind, and-"
"The Highwind!" Cloud broke in. "So you're here with the others!"
Thorn nodded. "They should be dropping into the crater any minute now."
Cloud stumbled to his feet. "No! They'll be sitting ducks! Hojo's waiting at the bottom of the crater!"
Thorn and Yuffie helped him onto the Chocobo and led it toward the crater. "We'd better hurry then," Yuffie observed, breaking into a run. Thorn and the Chocobo did the same.
Hojo looked down at his watch. "Ten minutes and counting! It is time to begin the resurrection!"
With that, he went to his case and extracted the Revive materia. He looked around for a moment, and then walked to the center of the chamber. The Revive materia glowed in his hands, and he chuckled evilly. "Soon," he whispered. "Soon."
The chamber began to shake, and the others in the cavern braced themselves.
"There!" Barret cried over the rushing wind. "Look! That glowin'! Looks like Hojo."
"He has a Revive materia," Vincent observed from Barret's right.
"If he's doin' what I think he's doin', we gotta stop him!"
Vincent unholstered his gun. "Give me a few moments. I need to be a little closer."
Kaladar smiled, baring his fangs, as his ship settled into orbit. Ten minutes until retrieval.
Cloud and the others reached the lip of the crater. Below them, Hojo was activating the Revive Materia. Cloud cursed.
"We're too late," he muttered.
"Not yet," Yuffie shot back, pulling a throwing star from her pouch. "I think I can knock it out of his hand."
Cloud and Thorn looked at her, holding their breath, as she took aim.
"Almost got it," Vincent whispered to himself as he sighted down the barrel of the Death Penalty.
Yuffie flicked her wrist, and the throwing star sailed through the air, bound for Hojo's wrist.
Vincent fired, the report echoing through the air.
Hojo focused harder on the brightly glowing orb. It was happening. Jenova was breaking free.
The ground ripped open not far from them, and a tentacle emerged, followed by another. Jenova's head reared up from its resting place, and a low growl emanated from its throat.
Yuffie watched as her star flew unerringly on its course, then suddenly and inexplicably was knocked away by something. "What the fuck?" she demanded.
"Who cares?" Cloud prodded. "Let's get down there."
Vincent cursed as they opened their chutes and floated the rest of the way down. "Where did that throwing star come from?" he demanded.
Scarlet lashed out a leg and kicked the materia from Hojo's hands. Hojo spun around in fury, and came nose-to-barrel with Scarlet's pistol. "Game's over, Professor. It's my turn now." She turned to the soldiers. "Open fire on the specimen!"
Hojo's cries were drowned out by the sound of gunfire erupting from the soldiers' weapons. He shouted in agony as the bullets tore into Jenova. She screamed in agony, green blood flowing from the wounds the bullets created. After a minute of gunfire, Scarlet raised her hand. The shots ceased, and Scarlet walked over to the body of the creature, an object in her hand.
"But, why?" Hojo demanded, his voice frantic.
Scarlet smiled as she scooped up samples of Jenova's blood and placed them inside the device. "It's simple, Professor. I did some research of my own. Jenova's entombment in the Lifestream has streamlined her natural genetic talent for manipulation. Her blood, infused with the Lifestream, has created the ultimate Influence materia. With it, I shall command all the world."
"Not if we can help it," a voice broke in.
Scarlet and the others turned to spot Vincent, as he landed not far away. In a flash, his chute was disconnected, and he stood with his gun trained on Hojo and Scarlet. The others quickly followed suit, landing around him. Tifa, who had been sitting against a wall, ran over. Barret quickly scooped her up and concealed her within the group.
"Well, well," Scarlet drawled, looking the group over. "Reno and his gang. You are indeed a disappointment. After all the money we paid you."
"I work for Shinra," Reno pointed out. "Not some crazed bitch with delusions of grandeur."
Scarlet screamed in outrage. "Kill him first," she ordered her soldiers, who took aim.
The voice behind her was swift and sudden. "I wouldn't advise it."
Before she could speak, a strong arm wrapped itself around her neck. She felt the point of a blade at her temple, and she gasped.
"Tell them to drop their weapons," Thorn demanded.
Scarlet hissed a laugh.
"I'm not joking, you crazy bitch!" Thorn gritted.
The soldiers waited, unsure of how to proceed.
Scarlet thrust back an elbow, catching Thorn in the gut. She reached around and grabbed under his arm, yanking him over her shoulder and snatching the knife from his hand.
"You were saying, boy?" she leered, hoisting the knife up to strike.
Her arm was caught behind her by another hand. This one whirled her around, and she found herself face-to-face with Cloud.
"Let's try this again," Cloud sneered, yanking the knife free and holding it to her throat.
"Indeed," Hojo replied from behind Cloud, a gun in his hand. He pressed it to Cloud's skull and smiled.
"Hojo! Thank God!" Scarlet cried in relief.
"Don't get any ideas, my dear. I'm not doing this to save your hide. I just don't want anything to ruin my experiment any more than they already have." He cocked the hammer on the gun. "Now, then, Mr. Strife, I'll take that knife."
"Hold it, Hojo," Yuffie called. Hojo looked up to see the young ninja perched on a rock above them. She was holding a throwing star, and it was aimed directly at his head. "If you think you can shoot him and beat my star, you're dead wrong. You drop it."
Everyone looked around at everyone else. Barret, Vincent, and the others looked to the guards, who were looking at Scarlet, who was craning to peer at Cloud, who was painfully aware of Hojo's gun pressed against the back of his head. Hojo, in turn, was looking keenly up at the ninja crouched above them.
"I believe this is referred to as endgame," Hojo chuckled.
No one moved.
There was the immutable thrumming of a massive engine overhead, and they all looked up.
"That's the biggest fucking thing I've ever seen," Cid gaped.
Kaladar rose from his seat as the ship moved into position over the crater. "Readings?" he hissed.
His helm officer growled an affirmative. "Several, sir."
"Several?" Kaladar was taken aback. He had expected only the scout. "What type of readings?"
"I'm picking up the scout, sir. Faint readings-her condition is critical. The others-humanoid. Native species, except for three, sir. They appear to be a cross-breed of some sort."
Kaladar wrapped a tentacle around the console beside his helmsman. "Science Officer, clarify."
His science officer worked the controls frantically. He looked up at his captain with an air of uncertainty. "Uncertain, sir. They are not the result of direct breeding. They appear to be mutations."
Kaladar snarled. "They're freaks. Just like the Cetra."
"Your orders, sir?" the helm officer inquired.
"First things first," Kaladar instructed. "Bring up the scout."
The helm officer grunted his affirmation and worked the controls.
A hatch opened in the massive vessel, and a glow emanated from a source somewhere beyond it. The glow intensified, and those below began to shuffle nervously.
"It is the ascension!" Hojo cried with unabashed glee. "They are retrieving the Jenova! I must join them. They will teach me! I must learn!" He jerked the gun away and ran for the beam of light that shot itself down into the cavern from the ship above.
"NO!" Yuffie cried. Alarmed by the sudden movement, she let her throwing star fly. It embedded itself in Hojo's back as he ran. Hojo stumbled, crying out in pain, then gathered himself and ran for the light again. There was a blinding flash.
"Captain," the helm officer said, "There is another life form in the transport beam."
"One of those humanoids?" Kaladar gritted.
"No, sir. It's one of the cross-breeds," the officer clarified.
"Freak," Kaladar growled. "Leave it. Reverse polarity and push it back out, then bring in the scout."
"Aye, sir," the officer agreed, working the controls.
When the flash had subsided, the Jenova was gone, leaving Hojo limp and bleeding in a heap on the ground.
"No," he whimpered. "I wanted to-"
It doesn't matter what you wanted!" Scarlet screeched. While everyone's attention was on the sobbing form of Hojo, she snapped her head back, head butting Cloud. Cloud stumbled back, then recovered, slashing at Scarlet. She had already moved, however, and was bringing her gun up to bear on Cloud. Cloud froze, knife in hand, as the others awaited the outcome.
"I left you for dead once, Strife," she growled. "I won't make the same mistake this time." She looked up at Yuffie. "Bring her down from there."
One of the soldiers motioned up at Yuffie with his rifle, and Yuffie reluctantly dropped down to the cavern floor. The soldier herded her back to the group, and she stood behind Barret, glaring at the red-dressed woman.
The Avalanche members behind Scarlet stirred, but the soldiers took aim, and they held fast.
"If they move," Scarlet ordered, "Kill them."
Her finger tensed on the trigger, and she paused. "Bring the barmaid to me," she added. One of the soldiers obliged, grabbing Tifa roughly by the arm and dragging her over. "I want her to watch this up close and personal.
The soldier stopped a few feet away, his gun to Tifa's head. Tifa watched with tears in her eyes as Scarlet took aim at Cloud.
"What of the others, Captain?" the helmsman asked.
Kaladar grinned. "Kill them all."
"Wait!"
Kaladar turned to see Aratak entering the bridge. "Yes, Aratak? You have something to add to this mission?"
There was a pause, and Aratak pulled a rifle from behind him. The other Jenova on the bridge jumped up, reaching for their weapons. "Don't!" Aratak warned. "I will shoot him!"
Kaladar stared down the communications officer. "What," he began with a dangerous purr in his throat, "do you think you are doing, Aratak?"
"Why must they die? All that they are doing is trying to live. Our mission has always been about gathering information for the Jenova High Council!"
"Our mission," Kaladar bellowed, "has always been, first and foremost, the elimination of all threats to the Jenova!"
Aratak motioned with his rifle. "Look at them, Captain."
Kaladar afforded a short glance at the view screen. "All I see is a bunch of barbarian humanoids holding each other at gunpoint."
"There is armed conflict, yes," Aratak allowed, "But that does not denote a threat to us. It is their conflict to resolve, not ours."
Kaladar turned back to glare at Aratak. "Some of these creatures have managed to genetically alter themselves with Jenova DNA!" he yelled.
"So that's what this is about, isn't it, Kaladar?" Aratak pressed, dropping his captain's title. "You don't see them as a threat to our species at all. You revile them out of pure xenophobic hatred, don't you?"
"They are a sacrilege to our race!" Kaladar insisted.
"They are a living species all their own," Aratak returned. "The Jenova cannot remain pure forever. No species can. Let them live."
"Never!" Kaladar bellowed, lunging for the firing controls.
"On your knees, Strife," Scarlet ordered.
"I don't think so," Cloud replied, his voice rumbling like distant thunder.
Scarlet sighed. "Suit yourself." She pulled back on the trigger. Cloud's eyes widened-and so did Scarlet's a moment later.
The shot went wide, grazing Cloud's temple. Cloud dropped to the ground, and Scarlet stumbled. As she dropped to her knees, She fumbled for the dagger that had embedded itself in her back. Cloud looked around wildly, and spotted Thorn as he dropped from a ledge above them.
"Kill them all!" Scarlet screamed.
The soldiers opened fire, and the Avalanche members scattered. Barret caught a bullet in the upper arm as he and Cait Sith dove for cover behind a stalagmite. He gritted his teeth and pressed his back against the rock formation for a moment, then returned fire.
Vincent, Reno, and Elena traded shots with several soldiers from behind a rock outcropping a few yards away from where Barret and Cait Sith were taking cover. Further back, Rude was covering Rufus while the former Shinra president went for a fallen soldier's gun.
Tifa ran to Cloud's side. "Cloud!" she cried. "Are you all right?"
Cloud chuckled, then coughed. The Cure materia hadn't fully taken. He was still weak from the first two gunshots. "As well as can be expected," he replied.
One of the hatches opened on the ship above, and another beam shot down into the cavern, near the group of soldiers that had crowded behind a huge stalagmite in the center of the chamber.
"Looks like whoever's up there is on our side," Cloud mused.
Another shot came down, this one lancing into the wall above Rude and Rufus. The two men bolted for safety, and Cloud sighed.
"Maybe not."
Tifa grabbed him under the arms and dragged him to relative safety under an alcove.
"Restrain him!"
The other Jenova on the bridge looked between Kaladar and Aratak, unsure of their next move.
"The captain has exhibited a disregard for his orders of research and investigation. He has shown himself to be in defiance of the High Council. He must be relieved of command!" Aratak ordered.
The Jenova paused a moment longer, then lunged for Kaladar. Kaladar cried out in fury and threw off his attackers. The two officers fell back with twin grunts against the consoles behind them, and Kaladar pressed the firing controls again and again, his mind consumed with the destruction of those below.
"We've got to get out of here," Vincent observed. He reached for his PHS. "Cid, can you read?"
Cid's voice was faint in reply. "I can hear-"
"We need a pickup. We'll rendezvous outside the crater. Get as low as you can, and lower the lift baskets," Vincent instructed.
"Affirm-" was Cid's broken reply. Vincent grunted as another beam ripped apart the rock behind them.
"Between their beams and the soldier's fire, we're going to have a hard time getting out of here."
"Tell me about it," Elena muttered.
Not far away, Scarlet was getting to her feet. She yanked the dagger free from her back with a gasp and spied the device. It was still intact. She hurried to it, ducking to avoid the stray bullet that zinged by her head, and crouched to inspect it.
It was still in one piece. She lifted the lid and gasped. The golden orb inside was glowing brightly. She touched it tentatively. It was still fragile, but it could be used-carefully. She lifted it out of the container.
"And what do you plan to use that for?" Thorn demanded.
Scarlet turned and fired, but Thorn was already moving. He ducked and rolled, the bullet missing him, and then slid the rest of the way, sweeping Scarlet's feet out from under her. She fell with a cry, and the Influence materia rolled out of her hands. She lunged for it, but Thorn held her down and dropped an elbow onto the knife wound he had inflicted. She screamed in agony and collapsed again. As she looked up she spotted Tifa scooping up the materia.
"All that trouble for this one materia?" Tifa shouted over the rain of gunfire. "All this needless suffering?"
Scarlet smiled through her pain, showing blood-soaked teeth. "You wouldn't understand, barmaid."
"Oh, but I do," Tifa replied. "I know all to well about suffering, and now it's your turn to learn." With that, she lifted the materia and focused on it, sending out a message to the soldiers.
Kill Scarlet.
The materia glowed brightly. The rain of gunfire ceased gradually as the Shinra soldiers stopped firing. As the members of Avalanche realized that they were no longer being fired upon, their weapons, too, fell silent.
Scarlet turned and gaped in horror as she saw the soldiers turn as one unit and bring their guns to bear on her. Thorn leapt out of the way and rolled into the alcove with Cloud.
"Kaladar!" Aratak yelled one final time. Kaladar ignored his subordinate, his tentacle reaching once more for the firing control.
Aratak pulled the trigger of the rifle. The blast caught Kaladar in the back, and the captain stumbled, crying out in agony. He reached again for the button, and Aratak fired three more times. The shots ripped through the Jenova leader's body, and he finally collapsed against the console, slumping to the floor.
The gunshots were unrelenting, and Tifa felt both joy and revulsion at the sound of them.
Have you suffered enough, Scarlet, she thought. Perhaps.
But you'll never suffer as we have.
She lowered the materia and stared at the bullet-riddled corpse of Scarlet. When she lowered the materia, the soldiers stopped firing. Their rifles smoked, and they stood, impassively awaiting their next order.
No more orders today, Tifa thought. She hoisted the materia above her head, and then hurled it to the cavern floor.
The other Jenova turned to look at Aratak, awaiting some sort of order. Aratak lowered the rifle.
"We depart immediately for the Homeworld," Aratak announced.
The officers nodded their agreement and set a course. Aratak moved toward the captain's chair-
-And spied the movement.
He was a moment too late in raising his rifle. Kaladar's tentacle twitched on the console, and a final blast issued from the ship's cannon.
Aratak lifted the rifle and fired three more times, taking Kaladar's head from its body. The Jenova captain twitched once, and collapsed for good.
As Tifa smashed the materia to the floor, it shattered into a thousand shards, each one dissolving moments later and seeping back through the cracks in the cavern floor.
A thunderous roar echoed through the chamber as one final bolt from the ship ripped into the cavern. It severed several large stalagmites that had hitherto been working well in supporting the ceiling. As they collapsed, the entire cavern shook. Tifa ran to the alcove and lifted Cloud. Thorn assisted her from Cloud's other side.
"We have to get out of here," she observed. Thorn nodded his agreement, and they moved for the cavern entrance.
Rufus and Rude met Reno, Vincent, and Elena near the center of the chamber. "We'd better make our move, partner," Reno shouted.
Rude nodded. "There's another exit on top of that outcropping. We'll get out that way."
The Turks and Rufus headed for the outcropping Rude had mentioned. They were almost there when a stalactite plunged from the ceiling high above and landed between them. A large chunk of rock flew from the shattered stalactite and slammed into Reno. He fell against the wall of the cavern, and another rock pinned him there.
Thorn heard the commotion and turned to spot Reno in his predicament. At that moment, Barret and the others had reached the three of them. Thorn eased his way out form under Cloud's arm and motioned for Barret to take his place. "Go on ahead," Thorn urged. "I'll be right behind you."
Tifa looked on in puzzlement, but Yuffie gave her a push. "It's all right," she assured her. "I know what he's doing. You guys go on. I'll wait for him."
Barret gave her a look. "Yuffie, why are you so concerned about this guy? You don't even know him?"
Yuffie ignored him, waving them on toward the exit.
Thorn reached Reno and looked over the situation. He thought a moment, and then pulled out a green materia from his backpack. He focused on it, and the rock that pinned Reno shimmered. A moment later, it shrank down to the size of a pebble.
"Where did you get that?" Reno asked, amazed.
Thorn smiled. "I picked your pocket in the ready room."
Reno shook his head, laughing. He got to his feet. "You're all right after all, kid," he declared. He nodded toward the outcropping where Rude and the others, having ascertained that Reno was safe, were now headed. "There's another way out. We're taking our own way. Come with us?" he invited.
Thorn cast a glance over his shoulder-and spotted Yuffie urgently waving at him. He shook his head. "Not this time, Reno."
Reno nodded. "Suit yourself. See you around, little brother." With that, he was away and climbing up the rock face.
Thorn turned around and ran for Yuffie. Halfway across the chamber, another quake shook the cavern, and the floor in front of Thorn ripped open. He leapt forward, thrusting his arms out as he flew across the gap that had formed in the floor. He fell slightly short and grasped for a crack in the floor. His slide was arrested, and he hung halfway in the seemingly bottomless pit. He could feel his grasp slipping-
-And then he felt a pair of hands grab him. He was hauled up to safety, and her found himself in Yuffie's embrace. His lips found hers, and she kissed him deeply.
"You didn't think I was going to leave you, did you?" she asked.
Thorn shook his head. "Let's get out of here."
The two of them bolted for the entrance. Thorn stopped when they had reached it. He turned and searched through the dust and falling rock for any sign of Reno.
He found none.
Yuffie caught his gaze, and she smiled, understanding. "I'm sure he's all right."
Thorn nodded, smiling slightly, and the two exited the cavern.
Aratak sighed as the ship lifted off. He watched through the view screen as the cavern collapsed. So much needless suffering, he mused. So much waste.
As the ship rose higher, he spied the small aircraft hovering beyond the crater. "Magnify," he ordered the helmsman. The officer obliged, and Aratak watched as the humanoids, two by two, were lifted into the vessel to safety.
Aratak smiled to himself as the ship broke through the atmosphere. The view screen faded to black, and he settled in for the trip back to the Homeworld.
The Highwind rose in the sky above the crater, and Cid watched the alien spacecraft wink out of sight between the stars.
"I'm damn glad that's over with," he observed.
He turned to face the others, who were slumped against the railing of the bridge. "So, what happened down there?" he asked.
Cloud laughed weakly. "Another time, Cid."
Tifa rose to her feet and moved to Cloud's side. "We need to get you to sick bay and have those wounds looked at."
Cloud voiced no objection as Tifa and Vincent lifted him from the floor and carried him off.
EPILOGUE
The snow whipped through the hills of the northern continent, covering all it touched in a blanket of frozen whiteness. For anyone who was willing to brave the icy winds to observe the small cave set into one of the many mountains south of the Northern Crater, a small fire would be their reward.
"How many miles further south is the Icicle Inn?" Reno asked, shivering.
Rude warmed his hands and huddled closer to the flames. "About twenty."
Rufus sighed. "That's going to be a hell of a walk."
There's no need to walk," Rude corrected him. "I've made arrangements for a team to meet us with snowmobiles. They'll take us there in the morning."
Reno turned to glare at his friend. "Where did you make that kind of connection?" he demanded.
Rude turned to stare impassively at Reno, and Reno knew what his next words would be. "Does it matter?" Rude asked.
Reno turned red despite the cold. "YES, GOD DAMMIT! IT DOES MATTER!"
Rude chuckled, and turned back to the fire.
The door to the recovery room opened, and Cloud watched as Tifa entered. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his forehead. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
Cloud smiled, a little broader than before. "I'll live," he assured her. "The doctors here are pretty good."
Tifa smiled. "They're the best. That's why we brought you to Junon."
Cloud nodded slightly. "Anyway, they finished what Thorn's Cure materia started, and they say I'll be ready to leave this afternoon."
Tifa's smile grew. "Good." Her smile faded, and she stared at Cloud. Cloud's brow furrowed, and Tifa spoke.
"Cloud," Tifa began, "I-when you disappeared, I felt like my whole life was over. I couldn't think of anything but finding you."
Cloud started to speak, but Tifa silenced him with a finger to his lips.
"Now," she continued, "I know that you have your life, and I have mine, and I don't expect that the two will ever come together, but-" she paused. "I can't lose you. I won't lose you. You don't have to promise me anything. Just promise me that you'll stay in my life."
Cloud smiled. He took her hand, and felt the cool softness of it. "Of course, Tifa. I promise."
Tifa nodded. "I'm going back to Kalm tonight," she told him. "I have to get the bar up and running again. I'll see you again soon?"
Cloud nodded. "Soon," he agreed. She smiled and headed for the door. She paused just a moment, then opened it and walked out. Cloud could hear her slump against the door as it closed. He heard her sigh, and then whisper, "I love you, Cloud Strife."
Thorn stood at the railing, looking out at Junon Harbor. The fishermen were just coming back in as the evening sun dipped over the horizon. Cargo holds were opened, nets full of fish were hauled into waiting containers, and people bustled in every direction.
Seth had vanished when Thorn returned to their old hideout. He'd found nothing but a few gil on the table and a note.
Thorn,
Got raided while you were gone. Had to skip town. I hope you're all right. I'll be in touch.
-Seth
"So," the voice spoke up from beside him. "What are you going to do now?"
Thorn jumped and whirled around. Yuffie giggled girlishly. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not sure," he answered after a moment. "I don't really have anywhere to go. I was thinking about traveling. You know, seeing the world?"
Yuffie nodded. "Why don't you start with Wutai?" she inquired. "I'm leaving shortly. You can come with me if you want."
Thorn smiled. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."
Yuffie grinned, then leaned in and kissed him. Someone cleared his throat behind her, and she started, spinning around.
Cloud was standing a few feet away, his arm in a sling and a smirk on his face. "I hate to interrupt, but could you excuse us for a few minutes, Yuffie?"
Yuffie nodded. "Sure, Cloud." She turned back to Thorn. "I'll see you at the elevator. Don't keep me waiting long."
Thorn nodded and gave her another peck on the cheek. She turned and hurried off.
Cloud leaned onto the railing with his good arm. Thorn hunkered down beside him, and they stood in silence for a few minutes.
"She's a-unique young lady, Thorn," Cloud finally observed.
Thorn smiled. "She'll definitely keep me on my toes," he agreed.
The two men chuckled, and the silence returned. Finally, Thorn spoke again.
"Cloud?"
"Hm?" Cloud replied, his eyes still fixed on the harbor below.
"I need to tell you something," Thorn confessed. He outlined his relationship with Reno, and his past in the Shinra military.
"But there was a specific reason why I left the Shinra army before I joined SOLDIER," Thorn concluded. "It was a mission."
Cloud, who had been watching the waves as he listened to Thorn's story, turned to face him. Thorn took a deep breath and began.
"My squad was sent to Nibelheim. We were charged with the task of investigating the massacre there."
Cloud's blood ran cold as he listened, but he did not interrupt. Thorn continued.
"When we got there, the entire place reeked of death. There were charred bodies everywhere. Shinra troops were already in the town, rebuilding everything. They said that they were going to bury the dead, rebuild the town, and use the survivors for Hojo's experiments.
We began our investigation by going from house to house, searching through the ashes for any sign of evidence as to who might have done this. I ordered my men to spread out and conduct a thorough search of each house. I stepped inside one dwelling, and heard the sound of footsteps upstairs. I moved quietly with my gun ready, and crept toward the source. When I entered the bedroom there was an older man crouched over a girl. He saw me, and his eyes got really big. He began pleading with me not to take the girl. He said that we could do what we wanted with him, but the girl was special.
I looked into his eyes, and something snapped in me. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't kill them. I waved him out of the room and told him to get the hell out of town. As he passed by me, I heard the girl mumbling in her sleep. She kept calling for someone."
Thorn looked up at Cloud. "I didn't realize until later that it was your name she was calling."
Cloud's breath caught in his throat. "It was Tifa," he whispered.
Thorn nodded. "There's more."
Cloud fell into silence again, and Thorn swallowed hard before continuing.
"As we completed our mission, one of the company commanders came to me. He handed me new orders-for the extermination of two errant members of the Shinra army suspected of committing this crime. I looked over the orders and recognized your name.
"I had no choice. Orders were orders. I gathered my men and headed off."
Thorn sighed. "We caught up with you and Zack outside Midgar. I knew if I let you get into the city, I'd never find you. I ordered my men to open fire, and they gunned down Zack. As they took aim on you, that girl's voice kept echoing in my mind. She kept calling your name. I ordered them to hold their fire.
"I knew that you weren't dead. I walked up to you and felt your pulse. It was at that moment I made my decision to leave the Shinra military. I turned to my men, told them you were dead, and ordered them back to Midgar. The next day, I resigned my position and came back to Junon."
Thorn looked searchingly into Cloud's eyes. "That's it. That's why I'm here."
Cloud stared in silence at the horizon. Finally, he spoke.
"You saved my life. You saved Tifa's life. Why?"
Thorn shrugged. "It was an old prayer I heard from my mother, before she died. She always used to say it with me before I went to bed. The one about night falling?"
Cloud nodded, and the two men recited the prayer in chorus.
"God above, shine your light, and guide our path to you,
May our hearts be strong, our vision clear, and our actions always true.
Though shadows rise, and darkness reigns, and our footsteps dogged with sorrow,
Though night may fall, our faith in your will hold us through tomorrow."
Cloud smiled. "I haven't heard that prayer in years."
Thorn chuckled. "Me neither. Funny how some things never leave you."
For a time, the only sound was the bustle of the streets and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore below. Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "I've made a decision, Thorn," he announced. "I'm retiring from the Chocobo breeding business. I wanted to show my appreciation for all you've done, so-here's your share."
Thorn took it, politely refraining from looking inside. Cloud smiled. "You'd better head downstairs. Yuffie's waiting."
Thorn nodded, pushing himself off the railing. Cloud straightened beside him, and Thorn extended his hand. It's been a pleasure, Mr. Strife."
Cloud shook the outstretched hand. "Likewise, Thorn."
The two men parted company, and Cloud watched him depart. Cloud heard the footsteps behind him and didn't turn around.
"So," Vincent greeted his friend, "what's your next move?"
Cloud shrugged. "I don't know. I think I might be ready to settle down."
Vincent allowed himself a small display of surprise. "Never before have I known such days," he teased.
Cloud chuckled, watching Thorn as the boy waited for the elevator. He smiled as Thorn opened the envelope, jerked his head back in surprise, and then whooped at the top of his lungs.
"How much did you give him?" Vincent asked.
Cloud shrugged again. "Three million."
Vincent was silent for a moment, and Cloud grinned as he pictured the look on his friend's face. "And you still had money left for yourself?"
Cloud nodded. "Enough to start a new life." He half-smiled as he added, "Maybe two."
The rain was pouring down onto the city of Kalm like a tempest from an angry god. Tifa sighed. Only the hardiest of customers would be in on a day like this.
She looked around the bar. The number of empty stools and tables confirmed her suspicions. A few construction workers, a couple of off-duty police officers, and a young couple were all the patrons she had this afternoon.
Tifa watched the young couple at the pool table in the corner. The girl was trying to learn the game; her boyfriend was snuggled in behind her, guiding her arms on the cue. She slipped as they tried to shoot together. The ball went wide, and they laughed, cuddling even closer.
Tifa sighed.
The door opened, and a figure huddled in a long hooded cloak entered. She watched the customer with vague interest as he made his way to the bar and sat down.
"What'll it be?" she asked.
The figure reached inside the folds of his cloak and pulled out a small box. Tifa watched as the man opened it. Inside was a gold ring, crested with a marquis cut diamond. Smaller stones, set in white gold, flanked the larger diamond. The ring glistened in the light of the bar.
The figure reached up and removed his cloak. Tifa's breath caught in her throat as Cloud smiled up at her. "You. For the rest of my life."
Tifa was speechless. Her jaw worked, but her voice was frozen.
Cloud laughed nervously. "This is real. You should say something."
Tifa finally managed to let out a trembling giggle. "Yes!" she exclaimed a moment later. She vaulted over the bar, and Cloud slipped the ring on her finger. They embraced, and Cloud kissed her with a passion that had burned within him for years.
Outside, the rain fell like the joyful tears of angels.