Heyya!
Sorry for the long wait! I've been Hospitalized for a while, but I'm back now! Thanks for your awesome comments everyone!
On with the show!
"Who says you can't go home again, Professor?"
Within the bottomless depths of Vincent's psyche, Chaos couldn't help but gloat at this turn of events. Silently however, he couldn't have his 'friend' overhearing now.
Silence was his only answer.
"Oh don't be shy now…" Chaos smiled warmly. Quite a hideous sight. "Just because I'd kill you as soon as look at you…Doesn't mean we can't be friends."
His 'brothers' chuckled at that one.
"Desperate, are we?."
Chaos' eyes narrowed at Hojo's voice. "You can't hide forever, y'know. Vincent's already unraveling like a cheap suit, and now that he's found your little home away from home…"
"Doesn't matter how much we *&^% his little mind now. Lubitchcia got sloppy and now the playing field's level, Chaos." Hojo giggled from the darkness. "They're involved now..."
"Oooooooh how I tremble with fear! Look!"
Chaos slashed out at the darkness…hearing a small splash of blood but no cry of pain.
"That would require more intelligence than you'll ever possess."
And that final taunt, he was gone. Chaos chuckled to himself.
"So Father will be joining us after all. Splendid."
##
Premium Spirit Productions Presents
In association with Square Pictures
OBSIDIAN
A Final Fantasy VII fanfiction by Sentora
Final Fantasy and its characters belong to Square. Just borrowing them for this crazy fic. The new ones belong to me, so ask nicely if ya wanna use 'em ok?
##
Chapter 3: This one'll kill you…
She hated it on sight.
The unearthly coral like metal of its hull. The sleek shellfish like design. The sight of the huge ship dragged Yuffie back to the odd shell houses of the Ancient City…to Aeris…Sephiroth…
She mentally shook herself hard. *The one winged nutball is dead. Leave him there.*
Elena was practically beside herself.
"It must have crashed here in the mountains ages ago!" She ran her hands along the hull, yelping at the mild shock. "And it still has power after all this time! Do you know what this means? Think of what we can learn from the technology…"
"You can play Indiana Jane later, Elle." Reno cut her off. "More concerned 'bout what Four-eyes gots in there."
Elena was about to snap at him when she noticed how tense he was. "What's amatter?"
"Nothing." He lied, ignoring the peculiar…'itch' that blossomed within his nerves at the sight of the damn thing. The feeling of…Déjà vu. Instinct demanded to run like hell, but something else told him to stay.
That he belonged here.
"I need a drink." He mumbled, ignoring the weird turn his thoughts were taking.
Elena didn't believe him for a second. Neither did Rude. "Sobriety sucks, huh?" she snickered to hide her worry.
"Shut up."
They entered the twisted ruin carefully, trying not to focus on the tomb like atmosphere its cavernous, dimly lit depths radiated. Ignored the time-ravaged cadavers tossed about with an effort and pretending not to notice the gaping claw wounds or imaginative methods of dismemberment they sported.
"I thought the mansion was creepy." Elena murmured, her excitement waning somewhat. "Eeww."
The path was all too clear. Only part of the ship had power, the sputtering lights guiding them on a haphazard yellow brick road to whatever Hojo had waiting in the undamaged upper decks. Momo and Roberto took point with their heavier weapons, Elena and Rude second, Yuffie and Reno third while Vincent held the rear. He had insisted on doing so, wanting to keep an eye on both Reno and Rude. Something wasn't right. He could feel it and he knew Yuffie did too…
"Yes, I'm sure she is paying close attention to all that is Reno." Chaos snickered within. "She isn't getting much from you after all."
"You won't distract me, Chaos." He muttered to himself.
"Now why would I wish to distract you from watching another man take your woman? I enjoy reruns."
That stung more than Vincent cared to admit.
"Seriously though, I do hope you're paying attention to this little tour of home while you can. You may miss something important."
"Home? What the hell do you mean, Demon?!"
"Vincent?"
From the stares he was receiving, he had obviously said that aloud.
Elena snorted. "If you're getting…help…share with us, willya?"
"Don't ask." He mumbled irritably.
"These voices-these voices-I hear them-And where they go I follow-Ow!" Reno stopped singing when Yuffie elbowed him with a scowl.
Rude only glanced at him briefly, a knowing look behind those shades Vincent did not like.
The hallway ended abruptly as they entered the 'shell'…and although everyone was expecting the unexpected…the sight awaiting them still managed to shock the hell out of them all.
It was anyone's guess if this had been the original ship design, or if Hojo had somehow altered the ship to suit his needs, ether way it was an impressive sight. Thousands of what appeared to some sort of cocoons lined the nebulous walls, cocoons comprised of some translucent material they could not identify. Some sort of organic machinery, built into the same web like material that crisscrossed the cavernous area to form walkways and stairwells and even the very walls, monitored each one endlessly. The overall effect was that of a hive of bizarre proportions, alien as all hell.
Even Yuffie was speechless. Although Reno managed to sum up their collective thoughts in his usual way.
"^%$# Me…"
"LANGAGUE SELECTION CONFIRMED….HUMAN: MIDGAR DIALECT."
Yuffie and Vincent looked up sharply at the disembodied, but very familiar voice.
"IdidnothearthatIdidnothearthatIdidnot-"
Yuffie's mantra was interrupted as several unidentified devices began to whir to life around them…Elena hopping backward with a yelp as the floor beneath her yawned open…a platform composed of several multicolored, ornately arranged crystals rising to their level. One similar to the 'viewscreen' in the Ancient City that revealed Holy's location, Vincent noted.
Several massive tendrils suddenly spiked down from above to connect to its base, crackling with energy…the crystals flaring to life with a soothing hum as the device powered up…
Projected a life-sized hologram of a young woman everyone recognized.
"That's not the Ancient chick…Is it?" Reno asked lamely.
Yuffie gasped. She wore some odd uniform out of a Sci-fi convention, was a bit taller and her hair was cut severely short. But it was her, right down to those unearthly green eyes that always reminded Yuffie of the sea, eyes she'd never thought she'd see again now looked down at her sadly.
"It is Aeris." Yuffie breathed. " Or it's one of her past lives or something…"
'Aeris' shifted her stance impatiently, despair, guilt and several other expression warring for dominance across her pretty face. Her voice was softer now, pained.
"To whom this may concern…My name is Desdemona Van Myrtar, First officer aboard the Celestial. I hope that someone receives this message before it is too late. The planet must be prepared for the crisis I have unleashed from the skies."
She closed her eyes, biting her lip. "I had been warned of trusting that man, blinded by his soft words I hardened my heart against those who mistrusted him. But I was only a pawn in his plan to disrupt Project
Renascence, a secret undertaking which I had been entrusted to protect with my life but failed. Now our actions have spawned a monster that threatens all life on the planet..."
She looked up then, all too familiar determination in her eyes.
"Circumstances have now placed me in command. We may only be a transport vessel, but the rest of the crew has agreed to do everything we can to buy our brothers' and sisters' time to confront this new menace. I swear on Holy…even if it takes this life and the next, that I will atone for this calamity no matter what it takes! It will not succeed as long as I exist!"
Then she suddenly relaxed. Cocked her head and smiled heartbreakingly like Aeris used to, half saluting to her audience. Yuffie choked back a sob.
"May our paths cross within the Lifestream..."
The hologram flickered and vanished. The vines quieted their crackle and the Jewels ceased to glow, leaving a brief silence.
"Of all the goddamn mother suckin' ass kissing &^%$ups!"
Very brief.
Reno was a towering rage now, scratching his shaggy hair madly as he slowly released the roar building deep within his gut. Yuffie, Roberto and Momo backed away nervously from him. Elena fought a snicker. Vincent raised an eyebrow and Rude wisely kept quiet.
"I HATE THIS %^&*ING JOB! We've been up all goddamn night and morning stomping round the goddamn Shinra Mansion and this goddamn oversized tuna can and all we goddamn find are more goddamn questions than goddamn answers! SHIT!" He kicked at a cocoon, yowling in pain and cursing even more as he glared at Vincent "You ain't paying me enough for this horseshit, you neck biting hippie!"
"Not like I'm getting my money's worth, Turk." Vincent shot back before he caught himself. Yuffie and Elena nearly fell over.
"Bite-!" Reno caught himself. "Suck-!" Caught himself again, settling for shooting the bird.
Vincent almost smiled.
"Bitter irony." Rude remarked, surprising everyone. "Every one reveres Aeris for her great sacrifice…now we know she was responsible for everything in the first place."
Yuffie saw red. "You listen here, Scrotum head! Don't you ever say a rotten thing like that again about my friend or I'll…"
"I'm merely stating what I've observed, Kisaragi." Rude interrupted calmly. "You said this Desdemona could have been Aeris in another life. She just admitted that Ancients were conducting some sort of experiment that led to the creation of what could have been Jenova…" He stopped abruptly, as if he'd said something he shouldn't have. "Just a theory."
Yuffie scowled at him. *I'll be there when you slip, Turkey.*
Elena was the voice of reason for once. "Instead of arguing, why don't we look around and see if we can wake them up?" she tapped on one of the cocoons. "This was a transport ship, maybe some of the crew survived in these things…"
Reno looked at her skeptically. "Umm…you remember seeing all those bodies lying around, Elena? What if that was the crew and these are what ate them?"
Elena put her hands on her hips and glared. "K, Don Quixote, You got a better idea?!"
"…What did you call me?"
Nevertheless, they once more separated and explored, scaling the mad spiral of walkways, in search of something, anything. Elena attempted to make sense of the projector, occasionally summoning other holograms but found them damaged.
No one noticed a dark shape sweep over Roberto as he fiddled with one of cocoons. Soundlessly take him without a trace.
Yuffie had decided to wander back toward the sections without power, filched flashlight in hand. Mostly to think to herself…maybe find something cool like a materia vault or something…
*Damn that Rude. How dare he say that? He wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Aeris!*
But his words nagged her more than she cared to admit. *But…what if he right about the Ancients? What if they created Jenova and it turned on them? What if everything we thought we know was a lie?*
She moaned and rubbed her temples. Gawd it was enough to give her a headache. At least she didn't have to put up with that weird smell of the shell room anymore…
…Smell?
Yuffie's eyes widened. How could she have been such an idiot!!!
Before she could sprint back to the shell, something swiped at her…the flashlight dying in a shower of sparks…
Violet eyes blinked into existence…wickedly long claws flashing in the feeble light…
Yuffie suddenly had more pressing matters.
Back in the Shell, Reno grumbled to himself as he randomly pressed buttons on some odd machine, growing more frustrated when nothing happened. Elena had given up on the projector-after a lot of unladylike swearing-and was now messing with one of the cocoons nearby. He had no idea where Rude wandered off to, probably through the rest of the ship like Yuffie. Vincent was stalking around on the walkway below…
Grinning to himself, he snorted loudly, preparing to hock the biggest loogie he could…
When something heavy dropped into his head.
Reno saw stars as he picked himself up and rubbed his head...examining the submachine gun that had bopped him. "Alright, who's the…" Reno's eyes widened as he looked up. "…Joker…"
Ugly. That was the first word that popped into Reno's head. The creature that hung upside down above him had no permanent shape, it's body still shifting as if trying to make up its mind. A Bomb's face with way too many eyes leered as it reared back and swallowed Momo's kicking legs with an audible gulp, smiling with way too many teeth. Powerful muscles rippled along its form as all six claws tensed to spring, unfolding the countless spiderlike limbs along its back…
Elena heard Reno swear loud and viscously, followed by several gunshots and a shrill roar. Looking up as one of the walkways was suddenly ripped from its moorings and flung across the room. Created a deadly domino effect that Elena screamed and ran like hell from before her walkway suffered the same fate…her desperate leap carrying her across the room to grab hold of one of the cocoons. Screamed as a particularly bloodthirsty one slammed into the wall an inch from her…Feeling each powerful CLANG in her bones before the walkways finally stopped collapsing…dangling helplessly with the nearest ledge nearly across the room…
"Urrrraaaaaggggggghhhhh….."
Hot stinking breath ruffled her hair. Elena whimpered despite herself as she closed her eyes.
Don't look up…just let it be quick…
A savage roar…and she heard the unmistakable sound of rending flesh and a shriek of pain…something huge dropping past her to slam into the floor below.
She lost her grip.
Fell no more than a foot before something caught her…feeling the air whooshing beneath her before she was lowered gently to a walkway.
She blinked owlishly at a concerned Vincent. "Are you ok?"
She nodded. Creepy as he was, especially with the healing cut above his eyes, she could have kissed him.
"Where's Reno?"
Another shriek drew them to look over the railing, Elena seeing something she would take to her grave.
Whatever had attacked them writhed in agony below…pathetically trying to crawl away even as blood and gore flew from its bulk in gouts…attempting to regenerate even as new limbs and flesh were shredded as quickly as they appeared…
And Reno stood triumphantly atop it…howling madly with glee…slicing his attacker to pieces with his with his bare hands…drenched in its blackened blood…
Elena nearly fainted, pale as a sheet. "Not again…"
Vincent could only stare at the horrendous sight, recognizing the attack Reno used all too well.
Chaos Saber.
Soon nothing recognizable was left of the creature…Reno snarling gutturally at the twitching remains before making a sweeping guesture…the ground heaving upward in the unmistakable shape of the Satan Slam…the flames the 'skull' spewed leaving no traces of anything. Reno stood there as the spell ended, panting with the effort.
Then snarled at Vincent and Elena, animosity in his now coal black eyes…
Vincent immediately picked up Elena and leapt impossibly onto the higher levels, using his inhuman speed to put some distance between them and…whatever Reno had become…
Whoosh…Clang!
Vincent stopped abruptly as Reno landed a few feet ahead of him. Set Elena on her feet and stepped in front of her.
*Can't shoot him…*
Reno stared at them both for a moment. First at Elena with something flickering across his face, then naked anger at Vincent.
He was on him in three steps.
Below, Yuffie tumbled out the hallway and into the shell…immediately rolling to her feet as her attacker sliced through the decking …dropkicking Lucrecia and following with a sweep she easily sidestepped. Traded blows back and forth before Yuffie caught her right claw and snapped her elbow…
Lucrecia laughing as her limb morphed and snaked around her Yuffie's neck, repeatedly pounding her headfirst into the floor before tossing her high into the air with a laugh…Yuffie bouncing off the wall but grabbing hold of a walkway railing with one hand…shaking her head to clear it.
"Don't hurt him!" Elena shrieked somewhere above.
Gawd…Just like the dream…
Lucrecia pounced on the projector's controls, claws practically flying as she typed out a series of commands. The tendrils immediately detached and snaked upwards, attaching to several plugs telescoping
out of the walls to meet them…the strange machinery whirring to life with a vengeance as Lucrecia giggled madly.
"I'm sure you realized the modifications Hojo made to the crew, Kisaragi! Not quite as precise as Vincent, but they should be rather entertaining!"
That was what she smelled earlier: That quack Hojo had used Jenova cells to mutate the ship and Ancients in stasis!
Lucrecia leapt onto the walkway with ease, playfully raking her claws along the railing as Desdemona's voice blandly announced stasis release in five minutes…
Yuffie somersaulted onto the ledge and charged her sneering enemy…
Above, Vincent and Reno grappled as Elena watched fearfully.
*His strength matches mine!* Vincent realized. *What-*
"That would be telling, Vinnie…"
Chaos!
"Now move over. You need a nap."
"No…"
Had he not been weakened from lack of sleep and the still healing head wound suffered earlier…Vincent felt the change overtake him as Chaos laughed wildly…
Vincent vanished in a burst of crimson light, Reno stepping back as Chaos exploded from his prison. Elena watched helplessly as their Chaos Saber attacks canceled each other, sparks flying as they increased their speed to overpower the other until grappling again…
*They kill each other if I don't do something! But what?!*
"Stasis release in three minutes…"
"What?!" Elena looked at the cocoons around her, which began to convulse as small cracks appeared. The hairs on her neck rose at the beastly moan from within. Seems Reno was right about leaving them alone…
"That's not fair!"
Below, Yuffie and Lucrecia continued their deadly dance…
*Gawd, could this get any worse?!* Yuffie was struggling to match the disturbing skill of the 'woman'. She may look and dress like a scientist, but she more than equaled the young ninja in hand to hand. Toying with her. If that wasn't enough, Yuffie could swear that her style was…
Then Lucrecia somersaulted back, crimson light flaring as she dropped into a stance Yuffie recognized with dread.
"BLOODFEST!"
Yuffie vainly attempted to block the multiple blows of her own limit break…sent bouncing down the walkway in a dazed and bloody heap…the clank of Lucrecia's heels unbearably loud as they neared…
"…How…"
"Like I told you before, Yuffie Kisaragi." Claws flashed. "I'm family..."
Several gunshots rang out, Yuffie wincing at the gouts of foul black blood that splattered near her, her vision clearing enough to see Lucrecia staggered to her feet before a final shot struck her between the eyes.
Elena's jaw hit the floor as the woman glared up at her in annoyance.
"Little girls shouldn't play with guns…"
"And you should finish what you start!"
Elena had bought Yuffie time to throw the Conformer with all her strength as Lucrecia turned.
Her head soundlessly tumbled down the walkway.
Her body ran and kicked Yuffie in the stomach with such force she flew into the wall, sliding to her hands and knees as her weapon buried itself into the wall beside her.
Watched as her head scamper over on the spiderlike legs it shaped its hair into, leaping back onto her shoulders and reattached itself with a twist.
"Good advice."
"RUBY LIGHT!"
An unearthly shriek nearly deafened them all…Everyone shielding their eyes from the miniature supernova Rude's spell had created…The crimson light soothing and healing Yuffie and Elena's injuries as it washed over them…
Lucrecia screamed in agony as her body began to smoke and boil…taking flight and smashing through the ceiling to escape…
Chaos and Reno reeled before the spell. Reno slumped to the floor while Chaos howled…Vincent regaining control…Quickly scooping up Elena and Reno in each hand and leaping off…spreading his wings to slow their descent even as they began to smoke…Changing the moment they touched down and wincing at his burns…
The cocoons burst into flames just before hatching, their hideous contents screaming as they tumbled and burned and died. The walls and walkways, everything infected by Jenova joined them, the shell quickly becoming an inferno…
"Run!" Rude shouted as Yuffie joined them, slinging Reno onto his back. "It's gonna blow!"
The tremors of the underground explosion were felt as far as Gongaga. Nibelheim was shaken up the worst, but fortunately there were no casualties or property damage.
There were reports of smoke coming from the mountains however. A few villagers swore that something resembling a woman had flown southwest moments before. One child said she saw a couple of strangers leaving the Shinra Mansion during the confusion and slip out of the town.
The incident would later be written off as a minor earthquake, some egghead giving just enough explanation to satisfy the curious and mind numbing enough to discourage those not so easily fooled.
The little people were so easily manipulated.
##
Turk Headquarters Infirmary: Recovery room 18, Junon.
They had been extremely lucky and they knew it.
Elena looked guiltily at Reno as he slept. He'd suffered bruised ribs and a concussion, but he would be fine.
Vincent's burns were almost healed, and the rest of them had gotten off easy with some bruises.
*I shouldn't have listen to Rude and told him!* Elena cursed herself. *I shouldn't have let him take this mission! That shapeshifting bastard could have killed him!*
Said shapeshifting bastard was standing in the corner, brooding. The brat was perched on the other bed, quiet for once and sneaking worried glances at Reno. Elena fought the sudden itch to dropkick her out the door, wondering why she even gave a damn.
Rude returned from filing the report and informing Momo and Roberto's families. Yuffie glared at him suspiciously, Rude ignoring it as he walked over to Reno's side. Vincent wasn't as obvious about it, but he was also watching tall Turk like a hawk.
She couldn't blame them really. Rude had been acting strange ever since this mess started. And that spell he cast earlier, what the hell was that? Elena vowed to get some answers even if she had to kick his…
"Are you sure about what you told me, Elena?"
She scowled. "I shot that bitch three times in the chest and once in the head. And she just looked at me like I was stupid! The brat cut her head off and she put it back on!"
"I can only think of one creature that can survive without a head." Rude commented. "But she was supposedly destroyed by AVALANCHE if I recall the stories."
Yuffie bristled at the taunt but Vincent beat her to it. "We killed Jenova's final form before facing Sephiroth. This must be something else, possibly another of her kind."
"Of course."
"That's it." Yuffie was through with tact. "Why don't you just cut the shit? Share with the rest of us?"
Rude just looked at her.
"You don't fool me, Scrotum head! We spend all night looking for clues, yet you find everything we needed after we leave you alone in the library. You conveniently disappear just when we get jumped by the freak show, and you cast some weird ass spell I've never seen before! You're hiding something and I wanna know what!"
"You first."
Despite the shades, Yuffie felt a chill. "Wha-What that's supposed to mean?"
"How did you learn that Vincent was coming to Nibelheim in enough time to get here ahead of him? Why did that woman only attack you? Using the same fighting style as you do?" He smiled thinly. "I'm not the only one with secrets here."
She reddened. "Don't you try sidetracking me, Cue ball!"
"…Not so loud, Legs…"
Elena felt her heart leap as Reno sat up, nursing his head. Squashed it down. "Welcome back, loser."
"…Tell me some good news." He mumbled. "All I remember is getting smacked around by Ugly."
Vincent looked up sharply at this but remained quiet.
"Rude was just about to give us some answers about this whole mess." Yuffie sneered. "Right Rudy?"
Rude glared at her. Reno looked blanker than usual.
"What's she babblin' bout?"
Rude sighed. "Your timing sucks, Yuffie. But if you insist…"
Rude slowly removed his shades.
Yuffie was expecting a missing eye or something gross like that hiding under them. But to her disappointment, Two perfectly normal eyes of a deep green blinked back at her. Faintly glowing from Mako treatments.
She wasn't disappointed long.
Rude suddenly stood shock still, Elena hopping back with a scream as his eyes rolled back into his head. Rolled back a second later to regard them.
Now an electric blue that literally crackled with energy.
"…I have no choice but to grant your request."
Rude's deep scary voice suddenly got ten times nastier. Ancient.
"The *&^% are you?" Reno's ribs protested as he sat up in alarm. Vincent and Elena drew their guns while Yuffie stared goggle eyed. "What have you done with the real Rude?"
"Both Rude and myself exist within this vessel. Such is his duty as this generation's Avatar to provide us with a link to the outside world." 'Rude' looked disdainfully at their guns. "You have no need for those. Surely you remember the name Ramuh from your quest?"
"The summon Ramuh?!" Yuffie blurted. "Drop a lighting bolt on your monkey ass Ramuh?!!"
A faint chuckle answered her. "Indeed, although 'Summon' is an incorrect term for my people…"
He tucked the sunglasses into his coat, smiling warmly despite the distrust in their eyes.
"We've always preferred…Espers."
##
"Damn that Avatar! I thought I killed the last!"
Phantom pain screamed through Lucrecia's body, damaged nerves protesting every movement. She wanted to just curl up in her hideout and die for a while.
But she had work to do.
She had practically walked into Turk HQ. Anyone who noticed her saw someone they recognized, Lucrecia clouding their minds with ease. And Turks were supposed to be the best the humans had to offer. Headed straight for the Infirmary lab, twitching at the raw power she sensed as she passed the recovery rooms.
Esper. Ramuh. Spilling his guts through the Avatar no doubt, the bastard.
Not that it matters, she sneered. They'll never stop me in time.
The lab was empty thankfully, Lucrecia rummaging through the current blood samples until she found the ones she was looking for.
Reno
Elena
Rude
Kisaragi, Yuffie
Valentine, Vincent
Science was one of the few human inventions she respected. Enjoyed even. It was such a two edged sword, a lesson Hojo taught her well…
As she expected, The avatar had ordered tests to see if they'd contracted anything from the ship. Just in case. According to the reports, nothing had been found as unusual, though they admitted to not fully understanding the…'unique properties' of Vincent's sample.
Heh.
She held up Vincent's sample and concentrated on it. 'Speaking' to the cells within to learn what human technology could not.
She smiled at their answer. Perfecto.
Next was Reno's. The constant pain eased somewhat at her discovery, nearly bursting with pride.
Won't be long now…
She examined Yuffie's with a scowl.
Little bitch's further along than I thought…
Elena's was the last. She outright laughed.
This calls for champagne…
She replaced the samples, not bothering with Rude's. Things were better than expected, she could even move up the timetable a bit.
Whistling jovially, even 'waltzing' briefly with a scientist that walked in, she left as easily as she entered. Lost herself within the bustling crowds of Junon…
##
Everyone stared at him. A loss for words.
"The ^%$#'s an Esper?"
Well, almost everyone.
Ramuh sighed. "Allow me to show you."
He raised his hands, palms upward, a gnarled staff appearing in them with a crackle of energy. Gently, he nudged it into the air, everyone staring apprehensively as it floated over to them.
"Touch the staff and all will be explained."
When no one moved to do so, Yuffie snorted in aggravation and grabbed it. And when she didn't drop dead or something like that, The other slowly joined her one by one…
And their world spun wildly.
Fighting the urge to panic, they rode the flood of images and garbled voices until they began to make sense.
Until it felt like they were actually experiencing them…
They saw a world vastly different from their own, yet very familiar. Thousands of years before they were born.
Humanity and Espers struggling to recover from a pointless war…the lost art of technology slowly being rediscovered…
Fearsome machines not unlike walking tanks stalk the land, powered by something not unlike magic.
Vector: The massive empire that commanded them, a medieval Shinra hungering for more power.
A young, green haired woman named Terra Branford, searching for her past…Never realizing that she is the center of the coming storm…
The infamous 'treasure hunter' that would come to her aid, Locke Cole.
The handsome inventor of weapons, King Edgar Figaro.
His twin brother and martial artist, Sabin Figaro
Former General of Vector Forces Celes Chere, trained as a soldier since birth.
The feared assassin for hire known as Shadow and his trained attack dog Interceptor.
Knight of the murdered city of Doma, Cyan.
Wandering Gambler and owner of the world's only airship, Setzer Gabbani.
The child raised by the beasts of the Veldt, Gau.
The mysterious 'Simulacrum' Gogo.
The savage Umaro and his moogle 'boss' Mog.
Descendant of the legendary Mage Knights, Strago Magus
His young granddaughter gifted with the ability to bring her painting to life, Relm Arrowny.
The clownish monster of a man they would challenge for the sake of the planet, Kefka.
The incredible journey that united these strangers unfolded before their eyes, witnessing their triumphs and tragedies, both within and without as if they were a part of them. The startling revelation of Terra's Esper heritage. The discovery of Vector's cruel experiments on captured Espers and the price of magic. The betrayal at Thamasa. The discovery of the source of all magic: The Three Goddesses. Kefka's madness as he drained their imprisoned forms and ascended to godhood, destroying the world and scattering the heroes to the ends of the earth. Their reunion against all odds, uniting to defeat Kefka and restore the world to its prime. The high price they paid: Magic fading from the planet forever, the Espers forced to abandon their world forever…
And then it was over.
Yuffie blinked. "Whoa…That would have made a awesome movie or video game..."
Vincent remained silent. Reno slowly digested what he'd seen and heard. Elena however, sat down on the bed, frowning in deep thought before speaking her mind.
"What you said defies the laws of physics. Since Magic is a form of energy, it simply can't just disappear or be destroyed. Which means…" Elena fixed Ramuh with a glare. "You Espers lied. Why?"
Reno blinked. "Umm…Yeah what she said."
Ramuh chuckled. "Very perceptive of you, Elena. That secret, one we have kept for thousands of years, is at the core of the problem we face today."
The staff returned to his hand, Ramuh cradling it as he pulled a chair over with a guesture and sat down.
"As you said, Magic is a form of energy. Energy produced by the planet and all living things. But unlike Electricity or Heat, Magic has its own laws and requires a delicate balance. That is why the Goddess Statues were created, acting as gloried generators and reservoirs to maintain that balance. After Kefka's defeat, we not only had to correct the balance and restore the dead planet, but also ensure that no one else could gain such power again. So we sacrificed ourselves to redirect the flow of magic into the planet itself, much like a one would build a dam to alter a river's course. Our gambit was successful and the planet was saved..."
"And creating the Lifestream as a result…" Elena finished with a goofy grin. "Brilliant…Simply brilliant!"
"As a result of our actions, we were forever bonded with the planet, existing outside the physical plane of existence like ghosts. And with the flow of magic altered, it was easy to convince the humans that magic was gone forever since they were no longer part of the balance. A cruel trick but we could ill afford another Kefka."
Reno scowled. "English for the rest of us, please?"
"I'll put it in terms you can understand Reno." Elena said sweetly. "Remember the time you broke your leg falling down the stairs cause you were too drunk off your ass to see them? Same thing."
"Why did you just say so?" He shot back. Elena stuck out her tongue. Ramuh Sweatdropped.
"Ok…" Yuffie scratched her head thoughtfully. "Where do the Ancients come in?"
Ramuh recovered with a cough. "We soon learned that our solution had an unexpected side effect: With the humans removed from the balance, A surplus of magical energy had begun to occur that would become dangerous to the planet in time. So the planet took matters into its own hands, creating mako springs and crystallizing some of that energy into what you know as Materia."
"The planet also began to 'awaken' some of the humans to its presence, using magic to slowly evolve and separate them from ordinary humans as the centuries passed. Now the balance had properly been restored, and those 'adopted' by the planet as its 'children' became known as the Cetra, dedicated to protecting the planet."
Ramuh closed his eyes in memory.
"It was truly a golden age. The humans lived in harmony with their Cetran 'cousins', who also came to be called Ancients because of their long life span. The Cetra taught them the secrets of the planet, restoring their ability to use magic through Materia, while Human technology aided them in journeying to the stars in search of other planets and civilizations like their own. It was a calling they all felt at some point at their life they could not understand, a need to leave their home for a time and explore the universe, but they would always return after a while. Especially when it was time to join their forefathers in the Lifestream…"
"Pardon my interruption, Ramuh." Vincent broke his silence, staring evenly at Ramuh. "But it was more than simple curiosity, wasn't it?"
Ramuh nodded, obviously impressed. "Our 'contribution' to the Cetra, insurance that their people would survive if something would befall the planet. A luxury our people never had. The Cetra may be extinct here, but its very likely that there are still some out there in the universe still exploring, Maybe even Cetran colonies. It's not a much of a stretch."
Yuffie felt oddly comforted by this. *You weren't the last of your kind after all, Aeris.*
"Sounds really peachy, Old man." Reno still eyed Ramuh warily. "So what ^%$#ed up your little slice of heaven? What was the Aeris lookalike babbling about with this Project Renascence whatzit?"
Ramuh sighed. No one could mistake the guilt that flashed in his eyes.
"Over time, we learned to create physical forms to enter this dimensional plane. It was similar to how you humans later learned summon us in battle, and would return to planet if we 'died'. This was very useful in keeping an eye on Human affairs, insuring that they didn't repeat certain mistakes of the past."
"However, this discovery had repercussions still felt to this day."
"King Leviathan lost his mate during the Betrayal at Thamasa, and nearly mad with grief he swore he never to take another queen. Then one day, enjoying one of his usual walkabouts in the world as a human, he met a woman with a shocking resemblance to his murdered wife. a human named Lilith. It came as no surprise that he fell madly in love with her and pursued her, convinced that the Lifestream had returned his slain wife to him. Even I admit Lilith not only resembled her beauty, but her warm personality and remarkable courage."
"I swear it sounds like a *&^%ing Hallmark movie." Reno remarked.
"Show some respect!" Elena hissed.
"As their relationship grew, Leviathan knew he couldn't hide the truth from her forever. More importantly, even if she accepted him, human lifespans were so short…and he refused to lose her again. But even when he finally revealed his true identity, our existence, everything, Lilith remained at his side, confident that love would find a way keep them together."
Elena and Yuffie sighed girlishly. Reno rolled his eyes.
"Leviathan knew the answer to his problem. We all did: Vector's Magitek transfusion technology. It was a long shot, but it could possibly be used to transform a human into a Full or Half Esper. Or monsters like that bastard Kefka. But could we safely resurrect that damned technology? We ran an awful risk repeating history if we did. If we didn't, we condemned Lilith to die, and Leviathan would go insane if she did. Not much of a choice."
"After much debate…We decided to go for it."
"Wait a sec," Yuffie interupted again. "Leviathan is part of our culture and none of that is in our legends!"
"Patience, Lady Kisaragi." Ramuh chided. "I'm getting there."
"Taking too long." Reno muttered.
"We enlisted the aid of Human and Ancient scientists we trusted, establishing the experiment aboard the next two ships heading out into deep space: The Dreamer and it's escort, The Celestial. It was named Project Renascence, another word for rebirth. Our comrades learned that it was possible to transform Lilith into one of us using Magitek, but it was a gamble: She would have to maintain a state of calm during the slow metamorphosis, strong emotion would drastically affect the result. I accompanied her, along with her family for support."
"There were Espers against the project however, fearing that allowing Magitek to return would lead to disaster. Convinced certain dangerous humans that Lilith was an unwilling subject of Project Renascence, and more humans would suffer at the hands of these renegade Ancients if they weren't stopped."
"Bastards!" Yuffie muttered.
"These humans, lead by a young military genius named Angelus, infiltrated the ships before launch with those Espers' aid by posing as crewmembers. Angelus kept informed of the project's progress by seducing the Celestial's first officer, A naive Ancient named Desdemona. Once he gained all the information he needed, he planned to seize control of the ships, kill the scientists and rescue Lilith."
"This is where the shit hit the fan, right?" Reno remarked.
"Indeed. Desdemona stumbled into her lover's plot but it was too late. The Celestial had been seized, and her captain murdered. She did manage to warn the Dreamer just before the attack, preventing Angelus' takeover…but he murdered Lilith's family in the resulting battle…"
His hands tightly gripped his staff as he closed his eyes.
"I'll never forget what happened next: Lilith somehow felt the death of her family during her slumber…and her grief and rage violently altered the transformation process. She became something not quite Human or Esper, the creature unlike anything I'd seen before-"
"Jenova." Elena finished. Vincent's expression darkened.
"She tore free of her containment and attacked Angelus and his men. Tore them apart. Angelus took the longest to die…I can still hear his screams sometimes…see that horrible smile on her face…"
Ramuh shuddered, regained control.
"But she didn't stop there. She had raped Angelus' mind for the names of those responsible, and the knowledge drove her mad. She swore revenge on all of us, Human, Ancient, Esper…We would all pay for our betrayal and murder of her family. I tried to reason with her, but she 'killed' me, banishing me back to the planet."
Reno suddenly laughed. Everyone stared at him in shock.
"All that shit you preached earlier, Old man…Lording over us Humans to keep us from repeating history? Then you ancient assholes go and create the biggest mass murderer that ever lived! All so their king could get a piece of ass!"
"Reno!"
"Don't 'Reno' me, Elle!" Reno glared at Ramuh. "Nothing pisses me off more than Self righteous pricks who bad mouth somebody then play innocent when they &^%$ up! No better than that fat bastard Shinra. At least he'd own up and settle his own shit instead flinging it at someone else!"
Vincent suddenly closed the space between them. Eyes quietly glowing as they bored into Reno's.
"Shut up and let him finish. Point the finger later."
They stared each other down, the girls fidgeting. Ramuh calmly watched.
Surprisingly, Vincent broke the stare first, returning to the window. Reno snorted in disgust and lay back.
"Anytime, old man."
Ramuh cleared his throat. Continued.
"A year passed. The Celestial and Dreamer had simply vanished. Leviathan's punishment of the traitors was severe but well deserved. But like we feared, he was slowly going mad as he endlessly searched for any sign of Lilith. Somehow the humans learned what happened, an ugly rift growing between Human and Ancient. Both blamed the other, even those who weren't even involved. We could only watch as our perfect world fell apart."
"And then she returned."
Watching him, one would get the impression Ramuh was no longer in the present. Reliving his horrible tale.
"Her plan of attack was simple yet wickedly effective: She hurled the Dreamer into the planet like a spear, nearly destroying Knowlespole and gravely injuring the planet when it detonated. The attack severely weakened us as well, especially since the planet gathered life energy to heal itself. So we were utterly helpless as thousands of Cetra gathered to lend their aid…and Lilith wreaked her terrible revenge on them. First gaining their trust and then infected them with her power, transforming those she didn't murder into savage beasts. She approached the Cetran tribes one by one and did the same, sweeping over the planet and destroying everything in her path. Human, Ancient, man, woman, child…it no longer mattered to Lilith, who soon came to be known as Jenova…Crisis from the Skies…"
"In a matter of days, both Humanity and Cetra neared the brink of extinction…"
"Desperate, the survivors banded together for a final stand against Jenova, defeating her after a viscous battle and imprisoning her within the ice of the Northern Crater…"
Ramuh shook off the haunted look, looking tiredly at them all.
"But we knew it would not last. Even Leviathan realized that his Lilith was gone, and the monster that she'd become would not rest until she'd destroyed them all. But the planet had shown him a vision of future: The rise of Shinra. The return of Jenova. Sephiroth. And the heroes that would rise to the aid of the planet and stop her once and for all. So once again we buried the truth and hid our existence and prepared. Forged weapons of great power to aid these heroes, such as the Venus Gospel and Ultima Sword. Altered or erased the memories of the survivors and rewrote Cetran history, so no evidence of us or the technology that created Jenova remained. Established the use of Avatars, men and women whom we used to spy or manipulate certain events to our benefit. Whatever it took to insure the future of the planet."
"That was two thousand years ago. The rest is history."
A long silence fell as he finished his tale, everyone warring with his or hers inner thoughts. Elena looked halfway intrigued and disgusted. Reno looked oddly thoughtful. Vincent continued to brood by the window.
And Yuffie…Yuffie looked pissed.
She couldn't stop clenching and unclenching her hands, blinking back angry tears as she fought the urge to punch Ramuh right in his face. Even if it was Rude's.
"Reno's right! You bastards are no better than Shinra!" she accused. "All those people who Sephiroth murdered since Nibelheim! The Shinra/Wutai war! Every life Hojo ruined! You just sat back and let all that shit happen after you guys created the bitch! That makes you just as guilty!"
"Yuffie…"
"Don't 'Yuffie' me, Vincent!" This time she did cry. "They could have stopped Jenova themselves a long time ago! Momma and Aeris wouldn't have…have…"
She turned to Vincent and cried into his shoulder, the former Turk tentatively holding her close in comfort.
"Believe me child." Ramuh stood and walked toward her. "If we could have stopped Jenova ourselves we would have long before. There isn't a day we don't regret the calamity we have brought upon the planet."
And then he dropped the bomb.
"It was also to protect you as well, child…"
Vincent looked Ramuh in the eye as he protectively held Yuffie closer. She squirmed in his hold enough to stare at him as well.
"What?!"
"Earlier you asked me why the fact that Leviathan had a queen wasn't recorded in the Wutainese legends. And now I will answer you, though you may refuse to believe it."
"After all that you dumped on us already? Try me."
Ramuh smiled.
"Leviathan and Lilith were married sixteen years before we managed to modify Magitek for Project Renascence. Had only one daughter, who like Terra Branford, was half human and Half Esper."
"Her name was Kisaragi."
You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed.
Yuffie just stared at him.
"Yuffie?" Vincent waved his claw in front of her. No response. "Yuffie?"
"I think you blew her tiny mind." Elena snickered.
Yuffie blinked at that. Suddenly very glad that Vincent was holding her or she'd be on the floor.
"Are you saying…"
Ramuh nodded. "Your family directly descended from Leviathan himself. Which means you have Esper blood in your veins…"
"It also means that Hojo's favorite pet project's your grandma!" Reno blurted. "Talk about ^%$#ed up!"
Yuffie suddenly felt ill. Vincent thoughtfully sat her down on the bed. "…That's why…she called me…family…knows our secret techniques…"
"Kisaragi was instrumental in defeating Jenova, determined to put her mother's memory to rest. Afterward she and a few of the survivors settled down and established what would become Wutai and the Kisaragi Dynasty. She insisted on keeping her bloodline secret to protect the one that would help destroy Jenova as foretold by the planet. You."
Yuffie whapped herself side the head to clear it. "No way."
Ramuh gave her a knowing look. "You didn't leave Wutai two years ago just to hunt Materia, right? You felt a calling you couldn't explain, and it led you right to Cloud and the others. You can also detect Jenova's presence whenever nearby, as an odd smell you can't really describe." He tapped her forehead with his staff. "Finally, you're obviously experiencing the Dreamsense, otherwise your dreams wouldn't have told you that Vincent was heading to Nibelheim back then. Am I right?"
"Don't be a smart ass." She snarled. "Does this mean I call you grandpa or something?"
"If you wish."
"Ok, now it's getting weird." Elena remarked. "If you have nothing else to unload on us, can you bring Rude back?"
"What for?" Reno muttered, sounding hurt.
"Rude was no traitor to the Turks, Reno." The redhead stiffened at the comment. "He never knew we existed until a couple weeks ago. We can make an Avatar without his or her consent if we wish. In fact, after Jenova learned Professor Gast was one and had him murdered, we decided not to reveal his substitute and keep Rude alive. We're not totally heartless."
Reno's eyes narrowed. "Shut your wrinkled ass up and get the ^&%$ out of my buddy."
Ramuh sighed. "As you wish. I hope we can be of further use in future."
The staff vanished and Rude's eyes returned to normal, the big man slumping against the wall. Elena helped him into her chair, placing his sunglasses back where they belonged.
"Welcome back…" Reno smirked. "Scrotum head…"
Tired and not in the mood, Rude gave him the finger. Reno laughed.
"Well, Reno…" Elena yawned. "I hope that enough answers for you cause I'm going to go sleep for the rest of the year…"
"If you don't mind, Elena." Vincent spoke up. "I have a request before you go."
"What now?"
"A blood test for me and Reno."
Elena froze. Rude stiffened.
*Damn!*
Reno blinked. "You ain't getting any free samples from me!"
Vincent nearly rolled his eyes. "I need to know if I'm right about what I saw back there."
Reno immediately sobered. "Back there? What's he talking about, Elle?"
She couldn't look at him.
"You don't remember what you did, Reno?" Vincent talked to him like a child. "You killed that monster using two attacks I use as Chaos. You fought me to a standstill, even when I transformed."
"Now is not the time for this…" Rude's voice was ice.
"The ^%$# it isn't!" Reno was angry now. "Look at me, Elena. What the hell is he talking about?"
Elena wrung her hands, looking like a child caught in the cookie jar.
"You've been having blackouts lately, Reno. Started a month ago. Your eyes turn black and you turn psycho. Remember that hostage situation a few days back? You're the reason why we had to scrape them off the walls. I watched you rip that monster apart with your bare hands then wrestle that flying meat grinder that bastard over there changes into. That's what he's talking about."
She finally looked up at him. And regretted it.
Reno swung his legs off the bed and stalked toward her, eyes blazing.
"And when was you going to *&^%ing tell me about it?" he roared. "First Invasion of the goddam body snatchers and now I'm turning into a &^%$ing freak?"
"We didn't want to tell you until we found out what…"
"Not another word!" He screamed in her face, Elena cringing. "I don't wanna hear another ^%$&ing word you lying bitch-"
She kneed him viscously in the groin, even Vincent wincing.
Reno collapsed onto the bed, squinting through the pain to see her lip quivering threateningly, the hurt in her eyes making him feel worse. If that was possible.
"*&^% you Reno!"
Then she fled before she broke down, slamming the door behind her.
"Now that you had coming, Turkey."
Rude offered no sympathy either. "That was uncalled for, Reno. I ordered her not to say anything."
"Gee…" Reno gasped "Fat lot that does me now, buddy…"
He sat up with an effort, glaring at Vincent when his eyes uncrossed.
"As for you, I'm tellin' ya right now: I didn't let Hojo near my ass so I ain't like you, Bela."
"What I saw tells me otherwise."
Reno smirked, even though it hurt to do so.
"Maybe you bit my mother while she was carrying me then…"
Vincent stiffened at the remark.
"Do you remember your mother's name Reno?"
"Course I do, damnit!" he snapped irritability. "Lucy. Lucy Tartarean!"
"…You lie!"
"Don't you call me a liar or I'll stake your ass, Valentine!"
Vincent was shaking with fury, Yuffie immediately at his side. "Vinnie?"
"It can't be true! Lucy…Lucrecia Tartarean died thirty two years ago…giving birth to Sephiroth!"
To be continued!
Author's notes.
Ok, I know what you guys are thinking now.
WTF?!!!
I'm not just tossing things out at random. I swear! If you really think about it, FF7 had so many parallels with FF6 you can't help but wonder if it isn't a direct sequel! Even if it wasn't the intention of the writers, it opens up a lot of story possibilities. Let me show you a few.
Magic spawned technology: Vector drained the magic/life-force of Espers to power their 'Magitek' war machines and infuse Generals like Celes, Leo and Kefka with magical abilities. Shinra built mako reactors that sucked the life out of the planet to power Midgar, Junon, cars, etc. Give mako transfusions to make their soldiers stronger. Whose to say someone didn't pick up where Dr. Cid (FF6) left off centuries later?
Corrupt Empires: Vector and Shinra both ruled with military might and crushed anyone in their path. Conducted horrible experiments. Hunted a mysterious race to steal their secrets. Both spawned heartless bastards who killed hundreds and nearly destroyed the world. (Kefka actually did destroy the world!)
Magic system: In FF6, the heroes gained magic by using Magicite, the crystal like remains of Espers when they died. In FF7, the heroes use magic with the aid of crystallized mako orbs called Materia. This may not seem like a big deal, FF5 had a similar system, but I thought I mention it.
Returners Vs. Avalanche: Who would win I wonder? Just kidding.^_^ Seriously though, both groups had a lot in common. Members were former experiments. (Terra, Celes, Cloud, Vincent, Red,) Formerly employed by the enemy. (Terra, Celes, Cloud, Cait, Cid, Vincent,) Martial artists. (Sabin, Shadow, Tifa, Yuffie) Thieves. (Locke ^_^ and Yuffie.) Assassins. (Shadow and Vincent) Seeking Revenge, answers to their past, or other mysterious reason. (Terra, Locke, Cyan, Shadow, Vincent, Barret, Cloud, Tifa, Aeris,)
Belonged to a 'special' or Nonhuman race. (Terra, Mog, Umaro, Strago, Gogo, Red, Cait, Aeris,) Less than model citizens- AKA: Rogues, 'criminals', infamous. Hard to trust ^_^ (Locke, Setzer, Shadow, Barret, Vincent, Cait, Cloud, Yuffie,) or just plain eccentric: (Gau, Strago, Gogo, Relm, most of the FF7 crew.) Makes you wonder if the members of Avalanche weren't descendants of some of the Returners? It's possible.
Endangered Species: The Espers were hunted, hated, betrayed, and made labrats by Vector because of their power. The Ancients had it just as bad with Hojo, Shinra, and Jenova. And in the end, they both sacrificed themselves to save the planet.
I think you guys get the point right?
Ok, new additions to the cast.
Aeris/Desdemona: One of my friends, major Aeris fan, suggested Jennifer Conelly. He said that Aeris should have a mellow, laid back kind of voice that's relaxing to listen to, and Jenny played that kind of role perfectly in Dark City. Plus she looks like a Tifa-especially in Career Opportunities-which is kinda funny.
And although I'm NOT resurrecting her, I may have Aeris drop by in some form or another.
Ramuh: Tony Jay. One of the top ten scariest voices on the planet. If you have no idea who this guy is, Remember that creepy Judge Frollo from Hunchback of Notre Dame? The Elder God from Soul Reaver, Megabyte from Reboot, Overlord from Savage Dragon…and the list goes on…
They may or may not show up, but here's the preliminary voice cast for the rest of the crew if they do.
Cloud: Michael Keaton. Hey, look at the original-and best-Batman movie and Desperate Measures.
Tifa: Ming na Wen. Say what you will about the FF movie, but I think she has the voice and acting skill to convincingly pull of Tifa when Square gets off its ass to make a movie of FF7. She proves it in Spirit-Come on, am I just crazy or didn't the doc remind you of Tifa?-and in her other movies like the Joy Luck Club.
Barret: Ving Rames or Micheal Duncan.
Red 13: Micheal Dorn, who we all know as Worf of Star Trek.
Cid: Bruce Willis. Nuff said.
Cait Sith/Reeve: For now, Jim Carrey. Because I need someone who can be serious enough for Reeve and goofy as hell for Cait.
Godo: Ye old fart. ^_^ Serious when he needs to be, a lazy, bad tempered mooch most of the time? Jackie Chan comes to mind. And he has practice at dealing with a 'Yuffie' on his animated series.
Shera: Until someone can give me a better one, Juila Roberts?
Well, gotta go! Seeya next time! Comments welcome as always!