I walked down the passageway. I trudged through garbage heaps and across piles of scrap metal until I reached a solid concrete wall. It reached up all the way to the plate far above me. However it did not take me long to locate a way through, a place where part of the wall had been broken through. I walked through into Sector 6, which I quickly learned was not more than just a construction site. As I walked through I though I could see shadows moving through and among the machinery and materials. Suddenly I heard a screech behind me, I turned just in time to dodge the attack of a small little beast. It had a snake-like body with several spidery legs and a round mouth full of razor sharp teeth. I grimaced, "Man you're disgusting," I said under my breath. The thing screeched again and leapt at me. This time I was ready and as it jumped I whirled around and sliced it in two with Reaper. As the two sections writhed on the ground I looked at the blade, "Well at least the owner didn't lie about you."
I noticed more of the creatures cowering around a pile of iron bars. I paid them no head and continued on my way until I reached the end of the construction area that opened out into another slum. I found myself in a small, rundown playground. It was half destroyed by debris and I soon found what had caused this. On the far wall was a huge opening that must have been a door. I looked up and saw a big number 7 painted above it. It was the door to Sector 7 and just like the kid had said it was completely blocked up by debris. I was determined not to give up so easily and so I began to search for some way through, in vain. Not finding anything in the lower areas I began to climb up and around the rumble heap, still with out finding anything.
As I searched I noticed something strange, a rat was crawling around near me, probably looking for food. I watched the creature in its hunt until it became aware of me. It rose up on its two hind legs and stared at me before bolting. I saw it run all the way up the heap and then disappear between what looked like the debris and the wall at the very top. This made me curious and so I went to explore. I found a man-sized hole where the rat had disappeared and it appeared to lead up. I wedged myself in and began to crawl, and to my great delight it appeared to go on straight for some time. I realized that if I were going to do this I would probably need some supplies. I had not seen anything like a supply store in Sector 5 and that left me high and dry without any ideas. I crawled back down to the ground and sat with my back resting on the rubble. As I was thinking I heard some shouting and noise coming from a tunnel off to my left. I had nothing better to do so I investigated.
I walked right into another small town area with a big sign at the entrance reading 'Wall Market.' A market was just what I was looking for. I should have been able to find what I needed and been out of there before you knew it, and I would have if I hadn't walked right into a fight. I learned very quickly what the noise I had heard was. Two big men were fighting it out in the middle of the street and their buddies looked ready to get involved. A crowd was showing up and blocking the street. I tried to worm my way through the shouting people. Everyone was cheering for one man or the other. As I tried to make my around a man I was pushed from behind and instantly sent headlong into the fray. The two men were too enraged with each other to really care who they were fighting anymore and the instant I appeared they turned on me. I decided it would be better to run than hurt one of them, or to be hurt by one of them.
The crowd seemed to close in on me, cutting off my escape. I turned around to size up the two men. They were both hulks and I knew that I wouldn't have a chance against them in fist-fighting so I drew Reaper out of it's sheath. The crowd began to 'oooo' and 'ahhh' now that the match was getting interesting. The man on my right raised his hand and someone tossed a baseball bat into it. The man on my fight took out a pair of iron knuckles and he looked like he knew how to use them. The man on my right came first swinging his club. I dodged the first swing and parried the second. Then I attacked with a full twirl spin that could have easily decapitated him. He held out the bat instead, hoping to stop my sword. My blade cut right threw the wood and severed the bat into two pieces. Without stopping to take a breath I continued the spin and came in low with handle of my sword. I thrust it up into his gut and heard the satisfying sound of air rapidly leaving his chest. He fell to the ground gasping for breath. Then my world turned to stars as the second man punched me in the back of the head. I stumbled and then regained my balance just in time to jump out of the way of his next charge. He overreached himself and left his back as a prime target. As I prepared to strike him on the back with the flat of my blade when he whirled around and struck me in the face once again with the back of his hand. I stumbled back as he swung at me again. Now I was angry, he wouldn't leave me alone. He was getting in my way and he wasn't going to move unless I took drastic measures. I expertly dodged the move and brought my blade down onto his wrist. The crowd grew silent as the man stumbled back, holding the stump of his left hand. He stared at me with a hurt look in his eyes before fainting onto the ground.
After the fight I felt that I was not welcome and so I bought the supplies I would need and left as quickly as possible. I trudged back to the Sector 7 with all of the things that I would need in a knapsack. I climbed up to the hole and began my ascension to the upper world. For nearly a day I crawled and squirmed my way up through the tiny hole. Sometimes debris would block my path and I'd have to pry it out of the wall of rubble so that I could continue climbing. Finally I looked up and could see light up above me. It gave me new strength and I pushed my way all the way out onto the top. I shaded my eyes from the sunlight raining down on me. It had been a long time since I had seen the sky and I reveled in the warmth. I climbed down a little way and took in my surroundings. I saw that I had somehow climbed through a narrow crack between the concrete barrier wall and the huge metal plate. I looked up and far away I could see the largest building I had ever seen before in my entire life. I knew that it had to be Shinra HQ; it was as if I could remember it. I also saw that it would not be easy to get there. In front of me was an impassable field of destruction. I realized that no one could have survived the disaster and that probably several thousand people had died as the plate crushed them. The kid had told me that Shinra might have been responsible. If a company could do something like this I wondered what else they might do. They were probably not anyone I'd want to meet, but somehow I had to get into that building. I could never cross the Sector 7 plate. The wreckage had totaled everything, streets were shattered and buildings had crumbled. What's more, I thought that I could see more of those disgusting creatures scavenging in the ruins. I had to find another way up, but first I needed to rest.
I sat down and took out some food. After a quick meal and a drink of water I got up and started looking. I wandered around the edge until in the distance I saw a set of large cables hanging down off of the sector above me. They came all the way down to the wreckage and I decided that they must have been pulled down during the disaster. It looked like that was going to be my best shot at getting out of this place so I started to walk towards them. After a few hours of walking the sun began to set and twilight set in. I continued to walk until I heard several screeches behind me. "O no, not again," I said to myself. The creatures had found me but this time they had numbers in their side. Over a hundred of the little beasts were following me and now they all prepared to strike. I pulled out Reaper and cut the first attacker in two. I cut and stabbed my way out of the circle they had formed around me and tossed a grenade right into the middle of the pack. The explosion threw me back onto my back and tossed little monster parts all over the place. I jumped to my feet to meet the next wave. More attacked this time than before and I decided to use my materia to stop them. I blasted, froze, and electrified four whole waves, but more just seemed to be coming and I was getting tired. Just as five of them leapt at me I activated my barrier materia and created a shield around me that stopped them in their tracks. Now that I was temporarily safe I turned to run.
I tuned around to see the entire horde hot on my trail. They were surprisingly agile for snake-spiders with mouths bigger than their bodies and they were catching up quickly. I was almost to the cables when one of them jumped onto my shoulder. It hissed at me and bit deep into my shoulder. With a yell I tore it off and flung it away like a rag doll. Suddenly I was at the cables and without even stopping began to climb. I was going slowly because of my shoulder, which was bleeding badly and hurt exceedingly. I looked down to see that the monsters had started to climb up after me. They punctured the cables with their sharp legs and would jump up to a higher level. Normally I would have been able to out-climb them, but I was exhausted from the chase and I had lost a lot of blood. As they began to close in on me a plan began to form in my mind. I took out a grenade and held it up. As the closest one leapt straight at me I chucked the bomb as hard as I could right at its face. The grenade landed right in its open mouth and propelled it back down. As it fell the grenade exploded in midair, severing the cables and tearing the monsters that were climbing them to shreds. Everything beneath me fell into a giant heap of monster guts, scrap metal, and slag. I smiled as a few of the beasts began to hop around on two or three legs fewer than they were used to. Their screeches had turned to squeaks and most of them began to run, or crawl away as fast as they could. Once I knew that I was safe I began to climb again until I reached the top plate. I immediately made a bandage for my shoulder before climbing over a few Caution fences. I looked around. I had finally made it out of the slums. "Well wasn't that fun," I said to myself just before I blacked out.
I noticed more of the creatures cowering around a pile of iron bars. I paid them no head and continued on my way until I reached the end of the construction area that opened out into another slum. I found myself in a small, rundown playground. It was half destroyed by debris and I soon found what had caused this. On the far wall was a huge opening that must have been a door. I looked up and saw a big number 7 painted above it. It was the door to Sector 7 and just like the kid had said it was completely blocked up by debris. I was determined not to give up so easily and so I began to search for some way through, in vain. Not finding anything in the lower areas I began to climb up and around the rumble heap, still with out finding anything.
As I searched I noticed something strange, a rat was crawling around near me, probably looking for food. I watched the creature in its hunt until it became aware of me. It rose up on its two hind legs and stared at me before bolting. I saw it run all the way up the heap and then disappear between what looked like the debris and the wall at the very top. This made me curious and so I went to explore. I found a man-sized hole where the rat had disappeared and it appeared to lead up. I wedged myself in and began to crawl, and to my great delight it appeared to go on straight for some time. I realized that if I were going to do this I would probably need some supplies. I had not seen anything like a supply store in Sector 5 and that left me high and dry without any ideas. I crawled back down to the ground and sat with my back resting on the rubble. As I was thinking I heard some shouting and noise coming from a tunnel off to my left. I had nothing better to do so I investigated.
I walked right into another small town area with a big sign at the entrance reading 'Wall Market.' A market was just what I was looking for. I should have been able to find what I needed and been out of there before you knew it, and I would have if I hadn't walked right into a fight. I learned very quickly what the noise I had heard was. Two big men were fighting it out in the middle of the street and their buddies looked ready to get involved. A crowd was showing up and blocking the street. I tried to worm my way through the shouting people. Everyone was cheering for one man or the other. As I tried to make my around a man I was pushed from behind and instantly sent headlong into the fray. The two men were too enraged with each other to really care who they were fighting anymore and the instant I appeared they turned on me. I decided it would be better to run than hurt one of them, or to be hurt by one of them.
The crowd seemed to close in on me, cutting off my escape. I turned around to size up the two men. They were both hulks and I knew that I wouldn't have a chance against them in fist-fighting so I drew Reaper out of it's sheath. The crowd began to 'oooo' and 'ahhh' now that the match was getting interesting. The man on my right raised his hand and someone tossed a baseball bat into it. The man on my fight took out a pair of iron knuckles and he looked like he knew how to use them. The man on my right came first swinging his club. I dodged the first swing and parried the second. Then I attacked with a full twirl spin that could have easily decapitated him. He held out the bat instead, hoping to stop my sword. My blade cut right threw the wood and severed the bat into two pieces. Without stopping to take a breath I continued the spin and came in low with handle of my sword. I thrust it up into his gut and heard the satisfying sound of air rapidly leaving his chest. He fell to the ground gasping for breath. Then my world turned to stars as the second man punched me in the back of the head. I stumbled and then regained my balance just in time to jump out of the way of his next charge. He overreached himself and left his back as a prime target. As I prepared to strike him on the back with the flat of my blade when he whirled around and struck me in the face once again with the back of his hand. I stumbled back as he swung at me again. Now I was angry, he wouldn't leave me alone. He was getting in my way and he wasn't going to move unless I took drastic measures. I expertly dodged the move and brought my blade down onto his wrist. The crowd grew silent as the man stumbled back, holding the stump of his left hand. He stared at me with a hurt look in his eyes before fainting onto the ground.
After the fight I felt that I was not welcome and so I bought the supplies I would need and left as quickly as possible. I trudged back to the Sector 7 with all of the things that I would need in a knapsack. I climbed up to the hole and began my ascension to the upper world. For nearly a day I crawled and squirmed my way up through the tiny hole. Sometimes debris would block my path and I'd have to pry it out of the wall of rubble so that I could continue climbing. Finally I looked up and could see light up above me. It gave me new strength and I pushed my way all the way out onto the top. I shaded my eyes from the sunlight raining down on me. It had been a long time since I had seen the sky and I reveled in the warmth. I climbed down a little way and took in my surroundings. I saw that I had somehow climbed through a narrow crack between the concrete barrier wall and the huge metal plate. I looked up and far away I could see the largest building I had ever seen before in my entire life. I knew that it had to be Shinra HQ; it was as if I could remember it. I also saw that it would not be easy to get there. In front of me was an impassable field of destruction. I realized that no one could have survived the disaster and that probably several thousand people had died as the plate crushed them. The kid had told me that Shinra might have been responsible. If a company could do something like this I wondered what else they might do. They were probably not anyone I'd want to meet, but somehow I had to get into that building. I could never cross the Sector 7 plate. The wreckage had totaled everything, streets were shattered and buildings had crumbled. What's more, I thought that I could see more of those disgusting creatures scavenging in the ruins. I had to find another way up, but first I needed to rest.
I sat down and took out some food. After a quick meal and a drink of water I got up and started looking. I wandered around the edge until in the distance I saw a set of large cables hanging down off of the sector above me. They came all the way down to the wreckage and I decided that they must have been pulled down during the disaster. It looked like that was going to be my best shot at getting out of this place so I started to walk towards them. After a few hours of walking the sun began to set and twilight set in. I continued to walk until I heard several screeches behind me. "O no, not again," I said to myself. The creatures had found me but this time they had numbers in their side. Over a hundred of the little beasts were following me and now they all prepared to strike. I pulled out Reaper and cut the first attacker in two. I cut and stabbed my way out of the circle they had formed around me and tossed a grenade right into the middle of the pack. The explosion threw me back onto my back and tossed little monster parts all over the place. I jumped to my feet to meet the next wave. More attacked this time than before and I decided to use my materia to stop them. I blasted, froze, and electrified four whole waves, but more just seemed to be coming and I was getting tired. Just as five of them leapt at me I activated my barrier materia and created a shield around me that stopped them in their tracks. Now that I was temporarily safe I turned to run.
I tuned around to see the entire horde hot on my trail. They were surprisingly agile for snake-spiders with mouths bigger than their bodies and they were catching up quickly. I was almost to the cables when one of them jumped onto my shoulder. It hissed at me and bit deep into my shoulder. With a yell I tore it off and flung it away like a rag doll. Suddenly I was at the cables and without even stopping began to climb. I was going slowly because of my shoulder, which was bleeding badly and hurt exceedingly. I looked down to see that the monsters had started to climb up after me. They punctured the cables with their sharp legs and would jump up to a higher level. Normally I would have been able to out-climb them, but I was exhausted from the chase and I had lost a lot of blood. As they began to close in on me a plan began to form in my mind. I took out a grenade and held it up. As the closest one leapt straight at me I chucked the bomb as hard as I could right at its face. The grenade landed right in its open mouth and propelled it back down. As it fell the grenade exploded in midair, severing the cables and tearing the monsters that were climbing them to shreds. Everything beneath me fell into a giant heap of monster guts, scrap metal, and slag. I smiled as a few of the beasts began to hop around on two or three legs fewer than they were used to. Their screeches had turned to squeaks and most of them began to run, or crawl away as fast as they could. Once I knew that I was safe I began to climb again until I reached the top plate. I immediately made a bandage for my shoulder before climbing over a few Caution fences. I looked around. I had finally made it out of the slums. "Well wasn't that fun," I said to myself just before I blacked out.