Tyramir: Well, since Reeve went on strike on me, and Reno won't be tricked into the disclaimer twice...

Reno: You're damn right!

Tyramir: What was it that you won't do again?

Reno: Say "Tyramir doesn't own the rights to Final Fantasy." So don't even think of trying to... shit. I did it again, didn't I?

Elena: Dumbass.

Chapter Seventeen
River of Sorrow

The flight to Mideel was uncomfortable at best. Cloud wasn't as sure of his piloting skills as Cid seemed to be, and Barret and Hargun sharing the back seat didn't help them either. The first half of the flight was ghastly, but towards the end, as Cloud got the hang of it, he felt confident enough to attempt a landing. It wasn't until they nearly touched down that Cid's training on a proper landing came to him.

"Shit," Barret said, "whoever came up with that bull 'bout a 'landing you can walk away from bein' a good one' was full o' shit."

Cloud ducked defensively from the swat Barret directed at him. "Hey, it wasn't that bad. The Bronco's still in one piece."

"Yeah, but my behind ain't. Don't think I'll be able to sit for a week."

"Gentlemen, gentlemen. Mideel awaits us," Hargun said, gesturing towards the town.

Barret nodded, a smile on his gruff face. "I s'pose I can complain 'bout your shitty flyin' after Cid's surgery."

The two trailed along behind Hargun who easily kept ahead of them, eager to get into town.

"Damn but he moves quick for an old man," Barret remarked. "Makin' me feel old and tired just lookin' at him go. Wonder what's got him so worked up?"

"He probably wants to get back, where we have a few more members of Avalanche and Kalm's temporary police force to protect him."

"Good point. Poor guy. I been on the wrong side of a death warrant before. Shinra'll do anything to kill him, won't they?"

"Yeah. I don't even know why. I never even thought to ask him."

"Prob'ly don't even matter. Might just be a crime o' knowin' too much or some shit. Shinra does stuff like that sometimes, I hear."

A thought occurred to Cloud. "Wait. Who's ordering the Turks to try to kill Hargun?"

"Shinra, o' course."

"But who in Shinra? Rufus was killed by Diamond Weapon, you, me and Vincent destroyed Proud Cloud, with Heidegger and Scarlet in it, and Vincent and Red XIII killed Hojo. Who's left?"

"You don't think--?"

Cloud nodded. "Reeve."

"Nah, he's a stinkin' Shinra spy, but I can't see him--"

"Remember how he had Marlene kidnaped?"

That brought Barret up short. His face twisted in anger. "Damn cat can do a lot o' bad things, but I just don't think he's doin' this. Old Mayor Domo was harmless. Nah, this was someone else."

"Well, who would want Domo dead? Someone in Shinra."

"No one I know," Barret said. "Let's think this out later. We gotta catch up with that old man."

"Yeah." The thought, though, had already worked its way into Cloud's head. Could Reeve had betrayed them? Again? Could he be trying to remake Shinra, trying to create an Empire in order to suit his own greed?

The forest ended and Mideel came into sight. Cloud gasped, and heard Barret do the same.

When last they had left Mideel, it had been devastated, buildings had been torn apart, and only remnants remained.

Now... now, not even those remants were there. All that was left was the pool of Mako, softly glowing green. The words came from Cloud's mouth, saying what he knew his two companions were thinking. "What happened here?"

And as if to answer, a terrible wail let loose into the air. It sent shivers down his spine, and he knew what had caused this destruction.

Weapon.

"Hurry!" Hargun called. "We must get a sample! I'll begin scanning to see if the Mako sample I need is pure enough!"

Barret dropped the bag that he had been carrying and opened it. Hargun shoved him aside and began to rifle through it, looking for the correct scanner.

Cloud loosed the Buster sword in its sheathe. It was no Ultima Weapon, but it was some modicum of defense against the Planet's Protector.

"Found it!" Hargun announced. He began to hurriedly run alongside the river of Mako, the small device making beepings noises and sending out glowing outputs furiously.

Drawing his sword, Cloud listened. All about him everything was still. All animals and Mako-created monsters were stilled. All was silence. And then, a great shadow appeared, blotting out the sun. Cloud looked up just in time to see the shape of Weapon hurtling through the air towards them. It landed with a gigantic thud, sending the earth rumbling in all directions. He and Barret fell over. Hargun was nowhere in sight.

Desperately scrambling to his feet, Cloud raised his sword up and looked directly into the face of his enemy. It had hunched over, and was standing on all fours as if trying to get a better look at him. Its facing was only a few feet away from the Soldier washout, its breath washing over him. Their eyes locked, Mako enhanced blue staring into endless green.

Cloud gasped.

His sword fell from his fingers.

What he now knew was Obsidian, the name coursed through his mind, opened its mouth and let out a keen wail. The sound made him shiver, but he couldn't break his eyes away.

A massive explosion erupted from the side of Obsidian's face, and the Weapon flinched. No actual damage had been done, but the noise and unexpectedness of the impact threw it off. It turned towards Barret, whose gun arm Missing Score was still smoking.

"That's right. You might be a big mothah, but I still got your number. C'mon and bring it!"

Instead, Obsidian shrieked at Barret and tensed up. Instantly it was up in the air again, sailing away from the two Avalanche members.

"Hargun!" Cloud called. "Did you get that reading?"

Hargun appeared, standing up from behind a rock. "Uh, yes. Uh... reading's negative. Not pure enough. We'll have to go to Northern Crater."

Cloud and Barret both swore.

"The hell was that about?" Barret asked. With Weapon an' all that? You're not goin' all crazy on me, are you? Last time I saw that look on your face, you was all bein' controlled by Sephiroth."

Cloud nodded dumbly. He now knew the truth, but didn't want to voice it, in fear that Barret really would think he was mad.

Obsidian Weapon was Aeris.