Chapter 2-Meeting
Reeve, or Cait Sith, as he will be called from now on, approached the table where the others were sitting. Most were talking, but Barret was looking out the window, at the new Midgar.
"Ya know," he said, "I thought that nuthin' we would do would help Midgar this much. Too bad Jessie and the others can't see it."
Cait nodded. "'Ancient' is actually helping the city along. We are planting trees and flowers to help bring oxygen to the city. It's still choked with smoke and filth from when Shinra was here."
Yuffie noticed Cait and asked, "How do you get energy to the city without using Mako energy? And to the other cities?"
"Simple, really. Bolt materia are easy to use, they don't suck up spirit energy...all you need are good people to use them and direct them to the power source." Everyone looked up. Cloud had entered the chamber and had heard her question. "Well, I'm sure all of you didn't come to talk about business."
Cid pounded the table. "You're damn well right we didn't come to talk about business!" Vincent caught his arm and pulled him down. "We're here to talk about that hellish scream thing that happened yesterday!"
Cloud looked at them seriously. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who knows." He looked around. "Where is Red? I thought he would be the first to arrive."
Nanaki walked through the door. "I was. I just had a little problem with the guards downstairs. They're probably going to be up here soon yelling something about a lion." He snorted indignantly. "Anyway, did you tell them about Sephiroth's scream yet?"
Before the others could voice their surprise, a bunch of soldiers came through the door. One pointed to him and yelled, "There it is! Shoot it before it hurts someone!"
The soldiers raised their guns. With a surprised growl, he jumped across the table to the other side and up into Cloud's office. The soldiers started after him and were blocked by Vincent. Already spooked, one soldier mentioned a vampire and soon they were running down the stairs, screaming.
Cloud decided to lock the door this time. He called up to Nanaki that they were gone and soon everyone was acting like nothing had happened, though Vincent grinned once or twice afterward.
Cloud sat at the head of the table. "Okay. Now we know that Sephiroth had started that scream. What we don't know is why it had waited until know to surface."
They thought a while. Finally, Tifa spoke up. "Maybe we didn't kill Sephiroth in the crater. Maybe we just weakened him enough to keep him from holding Holy. He could still be alive." The others voiced their agreement.
Cloud shook his head. He still hadn't told them about the battle he had with Sephiroth. "No. Even a fraction from death, he could have had enough power to hold Holy."
Nanaki offered his suggestion. "I think I know the answer. You all know how powerful Sephiroth was. Even a while after his death, he held Holy at bay. And that would have required tons of energy. I think that when he had died he had done something that hasn't even been accomplished before."
Everyone was staring at him now. "You all saw how the air rippled when the scream reached each of us. The only way for that to happen would be for it to rip through space. If it could do that, then it could have ripped through time as well. That way, the scream never would have sounded until a year after he had started it."
Tifa bowed her head. "He was so powerful. He could have been our savior if he hadn't learned the truth. Why did Zach go with him into the Nibelhiem plant?"
Nanaki smiled grimly. "Because. It was fate."
Yuffie, who had stopped paying attention as soon as Nanaki started talking, pointed out of the window. "Look, out there!"
Many small bright lights landed near the crater. A larger one landed in the caved in center. The creatures had arrived.
Reeve, or Cait Sith, as he will be called from now on, approached the table where the others were sitting. Most were talking, but Barret was looking out the window, at the new Midgar.
"Ya know," he said, "I thought that nuthin' we would do would help Midgar this much. Too bad Jessie and the others can't see it."
Cait nodded. "'Ancient' is actually helping the city along. We are planting trees and flowers to help bring oxygen to the city. It's still choked with smoke and filth from when Shinra was here."
Yuffie noticed Cait and asked, "How do you get energy to the city without using Mako energy? And to the other cities?"
"Simple, really. Bolt materia are easy to use, they don't suck up spirit energy...all you need are good people to use them and direct them to the power source." Everyone looked up. Cloud had entered the chamber and had heard her question. "Well, I'm sure all of you didn't come to talk about business."
Cid pounded the table. "You're damn well right we didn't come to talk about business!" Vincent caught his arm and pulled him down. "We're here to talk about that hellish scream thing that happened yesterday!"
Cloud looked at them seriously. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who knows." He looked around. "Where is Red? I thought he would be the first to arrive."
Nanaki walked through the door. "I was. I just had a little problem with the guards downstairs. They're probably going to be up here soon yelling something about a lion." He snorted indignantly. "Anyway, did you tell them about Sephiroth's scream yet?"
Before the others could voice their surprise, a bunch of soldiers came through the door. One pointed to him and yelled, "There it is! Shoot it before it hurts someone!"
The soldiers raised their guns. With a surprised growl, he jumped across the table to the other side and up into Cloud's office. The soldiers started after him and were blocked by Vincent. Already spooked, one soldier mentioned a vampire and soon they were running down the stairs, screaming.
Cloud decided to lock the door this time. He called up to Nanaki that they were gone and soon everyone was acting like nothing had happened, though Vincent grinned once or twice afterward.
Cloud sat at the head of the table. "Okay. Now we know that Sephiroth had started that scream. What we don't know is why it had waited until know to surface."
They thought a while. Finally, Tifa spoke up. "Maybe we didn't kill Sephiroth in the crater. Maybe we just weakened him enough to keep him from holding Holy. He could still be alive." The others voiced their agreement.
Cloud shook his head. He still hadn't told them about the battle he had with Sephiroth. "No. Even a fraction from death, he could have had enough power to hold Holy."
Nanaki offered his suggestion. "I think I know the answer. You all know how powerful Sephiroth was. Even a while after his death, he held Holy at bay. And that would have required tons of energy. I think that when he had died he had done something that hasn't even been accomplished before."
Everyone was staring at him now. "You all saw how the air rippled when the scream reached each of us. The only way for that to happen would be for it to rip through space. If it could do that, then it could have ripped through time as well. That way, the scream never would have sounded until a year after he had started it."
Tifa bowed her head. "He was so powerful. He could have been our savior if he hadn't learned the truth. Why did Zach go with him into the Nibelhiem plant?"
Nanaki smiled grimly. "Because. It was fate."
Yuffie, who had stopped paying attention as soon as Nanaki started talking, pointed out of the window. "Look, out there!"
Many small bright lights landed near the crater. A larger one landed in the caved in center. The creatures had arrived.