Chapter 8
Reeve watched the moonlight reflect off the Sister Ray. It was made of a giant cylindrical barrel that extended nearly the length of a plate. It was supported by twin hydraulic lifts halfway down the length. At the back it was connected to a large rectangular stock. Three pairs of small control cylinders were mounted on the top of the stock. From his office window, Reeve could tell it was nearly finished. Soon his dream would be fulfilled, and Shinra would be redeemed. He turned to Oswald and the Turks.
"How much longer before the Sister Ray is operational?" he inquired. Oswald adjusted his glasses.
"Less than twelve hours," he replied evenly.
"Can it run on six Mako Reactors?" asked Reeve. Oswald nodded.
"We can bypass Mako Reactors 1 and 5," he stated, "We'll get less power output of course." Reeve rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"That's fine," he said eventually.
"What's the target?" asked Elena. Reeve began to laugh. Reno frowned and folded his arms across his chest.
"Care to share the joke Mister President?" he asked irritably.
"Aim it at the moon for all I care!" exclaimed Reeve between chuckles. The Turks glanced at each other and wondered again if their President had gone nuts.
"Sir, what are your orders?" asked Rude. Reeve leaned across his desk.
"Take the Highwind and return to the Waterfall Cave," he instructed, "Vincent's a creature of habit."
"And he'll have to observe his handiwork in person," added Reno.
"Exactly," chimed in Elena. They left through the main doors and took the elevators to the flight deck. From there they could see a panoramic view of the entire city of Midgar at night. They could see the moving lights of automobiles and trains as they made their way between the mazes of buildings.
"It's almost pretty at night," said Elena.
"It is impressive," said Rude.
"We're not here for the view," countered Reno. Elena and Rude ignored him. Suddenly the Number 2 Mako Reactor fired up, spewing out bright green smoke.
"What the hell?" said Rude.
"Looks like it's starting," said Elena. They watched as the other five remaining Mako Reactors lit up in sequence. Once again the entire city of Midgar was bathed in the infernal green glow of Mako energy. Giant cables drew power from them into the Sister Ray. The Turks wordlessly boarded the Highwind and it rocketed off toward the horizon.
The black chocobo made its way across the frozen wastes of the Northern Continent. Pandora was wrapped up in Vincent's crimson cloak and tried not to let the biting cold bother her. Vincent seemed immune to the cold and almost anything else. She followed his gaze to the bright crystalline stars scattered in the night sky overhead. Faint ribbons of light streamed overhead.
"The Northern Lights," he explained. She nodded and marveled at the bright beauty of it all.
"It must have been so lonely," said Vincent, "Traveling the vast empty reaches of space." Pandora stared at him uncomprehendingly.
"Who was traveling?" she asked. He stared at her, his expression barely hinting at the depth of pain he felt.
"Jenova," he said, "A cruel stepmother to this Planet." Pandora dared not ask any further questions. A line of cottages came into view at the peak of a snow-capped mountain. Vincent snapped the reigns and Penumbra sprinted up the slope and into the main street of the village.
"Icicle Inn," said Vincent gesturing around him. Penumbra padded over to a small hut with a stable built next to it. Vincent dismounted and held out his hand. Pandora took it and hopped to the ground. Vincent rapped on the door. The owner, a middle aged man with gray hair peered out.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"How much?" asked Vincent pointing to the stable.
"How many nights?" countered the owner.
"One," replied Vincent.
"It'll be 500 Gil," he said. Vincent paid him and led Penumbra into the stable. Then he gestured Pandora to follow him. They walked up to a nondescript cottage, similar to the others with rustic wooden beams and a steep roof. Inside it was dry and dusty, with a square room with wooden flooring covered by a green carpet. At the far of the room was a long table. Against the north wall stood an array of strange mechanical equipment including a phonograph and a video monitor. What little moonlight there was filtered from outside through an X shaped slit in the wall. Vincent walked down the short flight of stairs from the door and peered around in the gloom. He flicked a switch on one of pieces of equipment and the slit opened wider. Pandora pulled off the cloak and walked into the middle of the room. Her eye caught framed photographs on the far wall. She peered over at the first one, a sensible looking man with dark hair and moustache. He wore glasses and a lab coat. His arm was draped around a woman with long brown hair that fell past her waist. She was wearing in a pink dress. In her arms was a small baby bundled up in white cloth.
"That's Professor Gast and Ifalna," said Vincent, "Her true parents."
"Is that Aeris?" asked Pandora as she stared at the baby. Vincent nodded. She walked over to a second picture. It showed Professor Gast again, this time posing with several other researchers in a laboratory. One was a surly looking young man with dark hair and glasses. Next to him stood a woman with golden brown hair tied into a ponytail. She had a superior smile on her face.
"Professor Hojo and Lucrecia," elaborated Vincent, "They performed research on biological specimens." Pandora saw a third man standing next to Lucrecia, only partially visible with raven hair and an intense stare. He was dressed in a dark suit. Pandora turned around and saw an identical expression on Vincent's face.
"That's you?" she asked. When he nodded she ran a finger on the surface of the picture and disturbed a thick layer of dust.
"But you haven't aged," she protested, "How long ago was that picture taken?" He put a hand on her shoulder.
"A long time ago," he replied, "Before you were born." She glanced uncertainly at the picture again.
"What did they do you?" she whispered. He held up his claws in front of her face.
"This was a present from Professor Hojo," he replied, "The Hand of Glory."
"What is it?" she asked fearfully.
"In legend it was made from the hand of a dead criminal," he explained, "It was used to unlock hidden doors." She began to cry. He wiped a tear away carefully with the tip of a claw.
"Why do you weep for me child?" he asked. She grasped his claws with both her hands.
"How could he do this to you?" she asked.
"Because I loved her," he said gazing at the woman in the picture, "But she loved Hojo more." Pandora nodded.
"I could accept that," he continued, "But when he wanted to experiment on her, I tried to stop him."
"And you failed?" she whispered.
"I did worse than fail," he said pulling away from her and walking towards a dark corner. He gestured to a staircase in the opposite corner leading down.
"There's a bed," he said, "Get some rest." Meekly she obeyed, descending into the bedroom below.
In Cosmo Canyon, Cloud waited until everyone had gathered inside the fire circle before he spoke.
"She's gone again," he said simply. Tifa and Yuffie looked guilty.
"I'm sorry I didn't wake up," said Tifa miserably. He smiled faintly and shook his head.
"It's not your fault," he said, "But we need to find her quickly."
"What if she chose to go with Vincent?" asked Nanaki. Cloud looked horrified at the thought.
"He might be controlling her," suggested Cid. Barrett cursed under his breath.
"Not this shit again," he muttered.
"How do we find them?" asked Yuffie.
"There is a way," mused Nanaki, "But it's dangerous." Cloud stared at him intently.
"Show us," he said.
A few minutes later they stood in the planetarium chamber inside the observatory. They stood on circular platform mounted under a dome with the images of the sun and planets. Cloud threw a switch and the platform rose until they were level with the ceiling. Nanaki adjusted the imager so the Planet filled the sky.
"Are you sure about this Cloud?" he asked. Cloud nodded.
"Whatever it takes," he stated.
"This is against my better judgment," said Nanaki, "You know that both you and Vincent have Jenova cells inside your bodies?"
"Yeah it was part of the…," began Cloud but he trailed off suddenly looking pensive.
"The cells call to each other," said the big cat, "Sephiroth used that power to call the clones to him for the reunion." Cloud began to see where this was going.
"So if I concentrate enough, I can locate Vincent," he said quickly.
"It's risky to use their power," countered Nanaki, "The cells have a strong will and may end up controlling you."
"It's happened before," reminded Tifa.
"And we won't always be here to bail out your spiky ass," rumbled Barrett.
"I'll keep that in mind," replied Cloud with a small grin. He looked over to Nanaki, who sighed deeply.
"Still a foolish boy," he said, "Close your eyes and draw your mind out as if casting a net." Cloud closed his eyes and mentally reached out into space. He felt the cool void between the ageless stars, the warmth of the sun as it hit the Planet. An ancient rage boiled up inside of him. The inhabitants of the Planet were mere insects that could be swatted as necessary. Cloud gritted his teeth and realized this anger wasn't his own. It was hers. He tried to drown out her voice but it became louder and more insistent. Flames erupted around him. He looked around to see a small snowbound village starting to burn. People ran out in to the snow banks, in fear of their lives. Cloud saw a shimmering form standing among the flames. It turned and looked up at him peering through red glowing eyes. Giant bat wings unfolded on its back and it lunged straight at him.
"No!" yelled Cloud as he drew out his sword. He swung the blade wildly and stopped when he saw he was back in the planetarium. Cloud blinked still pale with shock. Tifa ran over to him and gently pushed his sword down.
"It's okay, everything's alright," she said reassuringly. She caught him as he started to collapse and pulled his arm over her shoulder.
"You're right it was a bad idea," he said numbly, "I saw Icicle Inn in flames." Tifa flinched at the thought.
"What the hell is he doing there?" demanded Barrett.
"That's on the way to the North Cave," suggested Yuffie.
"Or the City of the Ancients," countered Cid.
"That's the wrong way Jichan," pointed out Yuffie.
"Does he have to go in a straight line?" retorted Cid.
"We'll split up and go both places," ordered Cloud, "Cid, take Yuffie and go to the North Cave."
"You got it," said Cid.
"I'll go with Tifa to the City of the Ancients," continued Cloud.
"What about me?" demanded Barrett.
"Are you sure you want to be involved on this fool's errand?" asked Cid cheerfully.
"Damn straight!" exclaimed Barrett clenching his metallic fist.
"Marlene will be safe here," added Nanaki. They all regarded each other intently.
"Let's go," said Cloud.
In Icicle Inn Vincent put a hand to his forehead and sat up suddenly. He felt a splitting headache coming on. Pandora was sitting front of one of the video monitors, staring blankly at a screen full of static.
"You weren't watching the videos all night were you?" he asked softly. She turned to him and nodded.
"They had so much hope," she said in quiet despair, "And it was all taken away from them."
"The Turks pursued Ifalna to the ends of the Planet," said Vincent sadly, "She lasted long enough to give the infant Aeris to Elmyra." Pandora let that sink in.
"I met her," said Pandora, "She was nice to me." He crossed over to her rubbing his forehead absently.
"You look awful," she said in a worried tone, "What's wrong?"
"We have to go quickly," he said, "That is if you still want to learn the truth." Pandora felt fearful but determined.
"I have to know," she said simply.
Soon they were back on Penumbra, riding over mountain peaks toward the southern edge of the continent. The black chocobo ran into a deep valley, with frozen glaciers on either side. An inverted white cone loomed at the far end. As they got closer they could make out that the cone was made up of a long twisted series of interconnected pale braches tightly bundled together. The base was sheltered under enormous leaf shaped canopies. Penumbra ran along a road that looked like it was lined with bones. They made their way among ruined buildings that looked like giant whelk shells. They reached the center of the white forest, where a tall white mollusk-like building sat surrounded by a reflective pool. Vincent dismounted and walked over to the edge of the water. Pandora climbed down off of Penumbra carefully and joined him.
"Is this the place?" she asked nervously. He glanced at her and gestured for her to follow him. They walked up the pathway into the interior. A spiral floor led down to a central pond. She followed him and saw a crystalline staircase leading down through the pond's surface. They made their way down the long winding staircase through a dark void, like the bottom of the ocean. Pandora looked down and saw a cluster of buildings built on stilts in a circle. As they descended the stairs echoed as if they were made of glass. They reached the base between a wide cylindrical building and a squat tower. Pandora froze in her tracks, feeling a cold chill.
"This is where she died," she whispered. Vincent took her hand and led her to the edge of a platform overlooking a series of pilings. He leapt from one piling to another and climbed up a short flight of stairs to a central dais. He turned to face her, his expression blank. Pandora crossed the pilings and walked up to him. He put a hand on her shoulder and turned her so she was facing away from him. Gently he pushed her down onto her knees.
"She came to this place all alone," he began, "She had hoped to stop Sephiroth."
"Sephiroth," whispered Pandora numbly.
"The greatest Soldier produced by Shinra," elaborated Vincent, "But his mind was poisoned by will of Jenova." He gestured to the pilings with a claw.
"Cloud came down those steps to rescue her," he elaborated, "Under Sephiroth's control; he drew out his sword and approached her as she knelt in prayer." Vincent walked past her and raised his claws over his head. His shadow fell over Pandora.
"He tried to strike her," said Vincent, "But something inside made him stop." He walked back behind her and grasped the back of her neck with his right hand.
"She opened her eyes in time to see Cloud," he said drawing back his claws, "Then Sephiroth pounced." Pandora gasped as she felt a twinge between her shoulder blades.
"He drove his sword through her heart," said Vincent darkly, "And she fell lifeless to the ground." Pandora slumped facedown onto the cold hard marble. Her shoulders heaved as she began sobbing. Vincent stood over her impassively. He noticed an object driven into the floor nearby. It was an ancient rusting sword with a broken tip and three slots carved into the blood groove.
"Apocalypse," he said, "So Cloud has returned to mark her grave." He grasped the hilt with his claws and pulled the sword free. He walked over to Pandora and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Forgive me my child," he murmured, "She was the sacrifice to save the Planet." She grasped his cloak desperately.
"I can't…," she cried. He began stroking her hair with his hand.
"You can make the pain go away," he said reassuringly, "Call on the power of Holy." She opened her eyes and stared into his warm gaze. She bowed her head and interlaced her fingers. He took several steps back but frowned as he heard footsteps echoing overhead. He looked up to see Cloud and Tifa standing at the top of the crystal staircase.
"Vincent!" shouted Cloud, "Don't kill her!" Vincent clenched his claws tightly around the hilt of Apocalypse.
"Not yet!" he exclaimed as he drew out the Death Penalty. He aimed upwards and fired a single shot. The bullet whizzed through the third step below Cloud's foot. Cracks spread on the surface of the steps as Vincent fired a second bullet through a step further down. Cloud stepped over the broken step as that whole section of the staircase broke and fell away. Tifa grabbed Cloud collar and yanked him back to safety. The section hit the roof of a building nearby Vincent, sending hundreds of glasslike shards flying through the air. Several struck Vincent, cutting his face and arms. Undeterred he aimed for a lower section of the staircase.
"Vincent!" pleaded Tifa, "Don't do this!" Vincent shot out another section of the staircase lower down. Cloud glanced fearfully at Pandora.
"Screw this!" he snapped as he dove off the staircase. He plunged several stories and landed in the water feet first. Vincent walked to the edge of the shore and watched him surface. Another section of staircase came crashing down as Cloud clambered onto dry land. Both Cloud and Vincent got hit by the shards. Cloud wiped the blood from his forehead and drew out the Ultima Weapon.
"How dare you desecrate her grave!" he yelled nearly in tears. Vincent shouldered the Death Penalty as Cloud lunged at him. Vincent guarded with the Apocalypse held in his claws.
"Do not appeal to my conscience," said Vincent soothingly, "I have none left." Cloud tried to slash from the side by Vincent parried again. He looked over his shoulder at Pandora.
"Aeris!" he yelled, "I'm coming for you!"
"She cannot hear you," said Vincent coolly, "She is praying to the Planet." Tifa jumped from broken section to broken section of the staircase. As she reached the bottom she gasped as she saw white sparks rising from the water.
"At last," said Vincent with grim satisfaction. The white sparks drifted toward Pandora and condensed between her hands into a glowing white sphere. Vincent lowered his sword to his side, presenting a perfect target to Cloud. But he was too transfixed by the sight to move. The sphere crystallized into a green orb with stripes on its surface. The inside still shone white hot. Pandora levitated off of the ground and floated in midair. Vincent walked halfway towards her and turned to face Cloud. He shouldered the Apocalypse.
"Behold Aeris," he said with a gesture, "She lives within the light of Holy."
"How did you…," stammered Cloud, bewildered.
"I am deaf to the cries of the Planet," replied Vincent, "But I can hear the voice of Jenova." Cloud frowned as Tifa joined him.
"I don't understand," he said. Vincent stared at him intently.
"We are the last of our generation," replied Vincent, "Only we can hear her voice now."
"No!" snapped Cloud as he held his hands to his ears.
"You weren't afraid to use her power to find me," reminded Vincent, "Let me teach you another lesson." He turned the blade of Apocalypse edgewise against his left shoulder and began sawing. Blood flowed down the back of his cloak and began dripping onto the floor. Tifa's eyes grew wide with horror. Vincent switched to his right shoulder began to cut again. Cloud slowly lifted his head. Vincent crouched onto the floor and drove his claws into the stone, gouging huge marks. He screamed in agony as two bloody spines shot out of the wounds on his back. The spines unfurled into membranous wings, glistening with blood like a newborn. Vincent slowly rose to his feet, his face calm again.
"Once you give into the darkness, it's not so bad," he said with a faint shudder. Cloud leveled the Ultima Weapon at him.
"The Vincent I knew is dead," he said dully. Vincent chuckled and flew backward into the air, flapping his wings. He came up alongside Pandora and wrapped his right arm around her waist.
"The child still belongs to me," he stated evenly, "Come to the Waterfall Cave."
"Let her go!" snarled Cloud.
"Vincent!" begged Tifa. Vincent gave them a grim smile.
"Not until I free her," he replied, "Then my life is yours to take." Cloud ran forward as Vincent flew upwards toward the ceiling with Pandora in his clutches. Cloud and Tifa watched them disappear from sight.
"Damn it, we were so close!" shouted Cloud despairingly. Tifa put a hand comfortingly on his shoulder.
"Cloud do you really think that Aeris is…?" she asked. Cloud sighed deeply.
"I want to see her again," he said quietly, "There's so much I have to tell her." Tifa nodded pressed her face against his.
"I know," she said, "Let's hurry and save her."