Author's Note:
After reading the last couple of chapters, I was forced to slap myself in the forehead. In the space of time it took for Rude to get from the landing strip to his hide out and have a conversation with Tifa, Cloud, Barret and Hargun apparently got in the plane, flew to Mideel, encountered Obsidian, and made it all the way to Northern Crater.
Yeah, I feel dumb. Ha. Be on the look out for small rewrites of chapters 15 and 18, where it will actually say that some time has passed, so I can make it at least a little credible. I would like to take this time to blame my editor. He skipped out on me for the weekend to attend a wedding or something. It's all his fault!
Oh right. I still don't own FF, but my agent just called, and we're negotiating the rights with Square as we speak. They're saying a firm "No" to my offer of twenty three cents and an empty pepsi bottle, but I think if I keep at it, they'll go for it.
Chapter Twenty
Dead Spirits
When Cloud had left Northern Crater after the defeat of Sephiroth, he had hoped never to have to return again. This was Sephiroth's domain, whether alive or dead. And there were just too many memories connected to Sephiroth.
The rocky climb about the crater was more difficult than before. On their last trip there, the group had made a silent pact to help each other through the treacherous climb, watch each other for any signs of danger, and look out for any monsters. The last time they had been here, they hadn't been hampered by an old man.
Cloud's patience was wearing down as he watched the old man slowly climb down yet another rope. Hargun obviously had no love of heights. Barret was visibly shaking with anger as he watched the professor.
"Shit, I don't like bein' here. Too many badass muthah's around for my likin'." The former leader of Avalanche stroked his gun-arm, quite obviously anxious to leave.
"Just one more climb down!" Hargun shouted, almost with glee. It was a facade, Cloud knew. Hargun wanted to be out of there almost as much as they did. And not just because of the potential monsters, or the jagged cliffs.
A miasma of wrongness permeated the air. It wasn't an actual physical sensation, or a scent, or anything tangible. It was a touch of uneasiness that they all felt, something that hadn't been there before. It was as if the Crater's former occupant had seaped into the rocks with his death, fouling the area.
And then there was the cry. Not long after they had arrived, the unmistakable cry of Obsidian Weapon filled the air. Somewhere it was near, and it wanted them. Cloud didn't know how Aeris had come to be Obsidian, but those green eyes had been unmistakable. A part of Cloud wanted Obsidian to come crashing into the crater, so he could see it again and confirm his belief. Another part of him wanted Obsidian, even if it was Aeris, to stay far away.
Hargun finally made it down the rope and touched down on the ground. Instantly Barret was tying a new rope around the doctor's middle, preparing to lower him down towards the soft, green lake of Mako below.
"You sure about this, doc?" Barret asked.
"Absolutely not. That's why I need to take a reading first. If the Mako is pure enough, then you will raise me back up so I can get a retrieval device. Understood?"
"Yeah. Just hurry, though. Don't want no Tonberry sneakin' up on me while I'm holdin' you up."
Barret lowered the doctor down into the pit. Cloud kept his hand on his weapon and maintained a fierce watch for any monsters.
"A little slower, Barret," the doctor said.
The large man grumbled a few complaints, too quiet for Cloud to make out. Something didn't feel right. The foul feeling the air held felt like it was solidifying... And worse, the air had taken on a more oppressive feel, as if something malevolent was watching, waiting to strike.
"Hurry, Barret," Cloud said through clenched teeth.
"You say hurry, doc says slow down. Which is it?"
Cloud said, "Hurry," just as he heard Hargun yell, "Slow down!"
A growl of frustration erupted from Barret. Cloud almost smiled. The good humor immediately slipped away. Somewhere in the distance came a small growl-like noise, followed by echoing footsteps.
"Barret! Ignore the doc! Get him down there NOW!"
"Is that what I--?"
"Yes!"
Cloud quickly recalled everything he had learned about fighting Tonberries during his last trip here. They had extraordinarily resistant bodies, making them ignore most forms of damage. Magic had little affect on them. They were slow, but always extremely accurate with their attacks. It was always best to attack a Tonberry with a group of three, each person coming at it from a different side.
"It's here! My scanner is picking up an affirmative!"
Cloud could already hear Barret struggling with the effort to pull Hargun up quickly.
A loud cry filled the air. The entire crater shook.
"Ah no!" Barret yelled, "Who the hell did we piss off?"
Just as Hargun was hauled over the edge of the pit, a fountain of Mako erupted from the pit. All three were blown away, staggered by the small explosion. Cloud hit the ground with a thud. Recovering quickly, the Soldier wash out rolled and turned to face the enemy that had been hiding in the Lifestream.
Make poured off the face of Obsidian, who stared once more directly at Cloud. Once more their eyes locked, and Cloud was certain this time. It wasn't just the eyes. There was also a presence.
"Aeris?" It wasn't Cloud that asked the question.
Barret stood, appearing dumb-struck, staring at the massive Weapon. His gun- arm was raised, but as realization hit him, he lowered it.
"No!" the voice that screamed was female. It didn't come from Obsidian. Cloud and Barret both whirled about to stare at Hargun. The old man's body was shifting, warping into something else, his face changing into something more feminine. "I will not be thwarted by you, you Cetra bitch! He's mine!"
The two looked once more to Obsidian, who had raised on hand. In that hand it gently held a figure of what looked to be a man. As the Mako cleared from it, the shape became more distinct, more obvious...
"Vincent!" Barret yelled.
Hargun, who was almost completely changed, drew some sort of weapon from his... no, her coat. Cloud realized with a shock that now he knew why Hargun had looked so familiar, but not quite right. With the illusion gone, Cloud now recognized the doctor for who she was.
Lucrecia.
She was drawing a weapon of some sort. It looked like a gun, but like the woman, Cloud also recognized it. A state of the art Mako-fusion pistol, not unlike the one Palmer had used in a battle against Avalanche once, a weapon that had torn up a large chunk of Rocket Town. This one, though, had an active supply of Mako in the air to power it.
Cloud began to rush at Lucrecia, intent on taking the blow for Obsidian. He didn't need to.
With a casual swat from Obsidian's other hand, Lucrecia was sent hurtling into the air. An angered scream exploded by as Lucrecia was sent flying away from the Crater. Cloud frowned. It was too much to hope for that she was dead. Those affected by Jenova were difficult to kill. A gasp tore through Cloud as he realized that Lucrecia had been Cid's only hope of walking again.
A small grunt issued from Obsidian, and Cloud looked over. The unmistakable sense that it was Aeris filled the air. He began towards the Weapon. Its free hand immediately lifted up, then descended for a crushing blow.
Cloud didn't flinch.
The hand came down beside him, turning the Tonberry that had been sneaking up on him into a small smear.
That was the last piece of proof he needed.
"Thank you. May we have him?" he asked, indicating Vincent.
Obsidian looked down at the man it held in its hand, then back to Cloud. It ducked down a little, then launched itself into the air, sending a rain of Mako down on both Barret and Cloud.
"Shit... the hell just happened? Was that...?"
"Yeah. We have to get back to the others and figure out what we're going to do."
Author's Note:
While I liked writing this chapter, I have to admit it's hardly my best job. The whole while I was distracted by the thought of having to rewrite previous chapters, and that really didn't please me. Look for those rewrites next, then a new chapter.
After reading the last couple of chapters, I was forced to slap myself in the forehead. In the space of time it took for Rude to get from the landing strip to his hide out and have a conversation with Tifa, Cloud, Barret and Hargun apparently got in the plane, flew to Mideel, encountered Obsidian, and made it all the way to Northern Crater.
Yeah, I feel dumb. Ha. Be on the look out for small rewrites of chapters 15 and 18, where it will actually say that some time has passed, so I can make it at least a little credible. I would like to take this time to blame my editor. He skipped out on me for the weekend to attend a wedding or something. It's all his fault!
Oh right. I still don't own FF, but my agent just called, and we're negotiating the rights with Square as we speak. They're saying a firm "No" to my offer of twenty three cents and an empty pepsi bottle, but I think if I keep at it, they'll go for it.
Chapter Twenty
Dead Spirits
When Cloud had left Northern Crater after the defeat of Sephiroth, he had hoped never to have to return again. This was Sephiroth's domain, whether alive or dead. And there were just too many memories connected to Sephiroth.
The rocky climb about the crater was more difficult than before. On their last trip there, the group had made a silent pact to help each other through the treacherous climb, watch each other for any signs of danger, and look out for any monsters. The last time they had been here, they hadn't been hampered by an old man.
Cloud's patience was wearing down as he watched the old man slowly climb down yet another rope. Hargun obviously had no love of heights. Barret was visibly shaking with anger as he watched the professor.
"Shit, I don't like bein' here. Too many badass muthah's around for my likin'." The former leader of Avalanche stroked his gun-arm, quite obviously anxious to leave.
"Just one more climb down!" Hargun shouted, almost with glee. It was a facade, Cloud knew. Hargun wanted to be out of there almost as much as they did. And not just because of the potential monsters, or the jagged cliffs.
A miasma of wrongness permeated the air. It wasn't an actual physical sensation, or a scent, or anything tangible. It was a touch of uneasiness that they all felt, something that hadn't been there before. It was as if the Crater's former occupant had seaped into the rocks with his death, fouling the area.
And then there was the cry. Not long after they had arrived, the unmistakable cry of Obsidian Weapon filled the air. Somewhere it was near, and it wanted them. Cloud didn't know how Aeris had come to be Obsidian, but those green eyes had been unmistakable. A part of Cloud wanted Obsidian to come crashing into the crater, so he could see it again and confirm his belief. Another part of him wanted Obsidian, even if it was Aeris, to stay far away.
Hargun finally made it down the rope and touched down on the ground. Instantly Barret was tying a new rope around the doctor's middle, preparing to lower him down towards the soft, green lake of Mako below.
"You sure about this, doc?" Barret asked.
"Absolutely not. That's why I need to take a reading first. If the Mako is pure enough, then you will raise me back up so I can get a retrieval device. Understood?"
"Yeah. Just hurry, though. Don't want no Tonberry sneakin' up on me while I'm holdin' you up."
Barret lowered the doctor down into the pit. Cloud kept his hand on his weapon and maintained a fierce watch for any monsters.
"A little slower, Barret," the doctor said.
The large man grumbled a few complaints, too quiet for Cloud to make out. Something didn't feel right. The foul feeling the air held felt like it was solidifying... And worse, the air had taken on a more oppressive feel, as if something malevolent was watching, waiting to strike.
"Hurry, Barret," Cloud said through clenched teeth.
"You say hurry, doc says slow down. Which is it?"
Cloud said, "Hurry," just as he heard Hargun yell, "Slow down!"
A growl of frustration erupted from Barret. Cloud almost smiled. The good humor immediately slipped away. Somewhere in the distance came a small growl-like noise, followed by echoing footsteps.
"Barret! Ignore the doc! Get him down there NOW!"
"Is that what I--?"
"Yes!"
Cloud quickly recalled everything he had learned about fighting Tonberries during his last trip here. They had extraordinarily resistant bodies, making them ignore most forms of damage. Magic had little affect on them. They were slow, but always extremely accurate with their attacks. It was always best to attack a Tonberry with a group of three, each person coming at it from a different side.
"It's here! My scanner is picking up an affirmative!"
Cloud could already hear Barret struggling with the effort to pull Hargun up quickly.
A loud cry filled the air. The entire crater shook.
"Ah no!" Barret yelled, "Who the hell did we piss off?"
Just as Hargun was hauled over the edge of the pit, a fountain of Mako erupted from the pit. All three were blown away, staggered by the small explosion. Cloud hit the ground with a thud. Recovering quickly, the Soldier wash out rolled and turned to face the enemy that had been hiding in the Lifestream.
Make poured off the face of Obsidian, who stared once more directly at Cloud. Once more their eyes locked, and Cloud was certain this time. It wasn't just the eyes. There was also a presence.
"Aeris?" It wasn't Cloud that asked the question.
Barret stood, appearing dumb-struck, staring at the massive Weapon. His gun- arm was raised, but as realization hit him, he lowered it.
"No!" the voice that screamed was female. It didn't come from Obsidian. Cloud and Barret both whirled about to stare at Hargun. The old man's body was shifting, warping into something else, his face changing into something more feminine. "I will not be thwarted by you, you Cetra bitch! He's mine!"
The two looked once more to Obsidian, who had raised on hand. In that hand it gently held a figure of what looked to be a man. As the Mako cleared from it, the shape became more distinct, more obvious...
"Vincent!" Barret yelled.
Hargun, who was almost completely changed, drew some sort of weapon from his... no, her coat. Cloud realized with a shock that now he knew why Hargun had looked so familiar, but not quite right. With the illusion gone, Cloud now recognized the doctor for who she was.
Lucrecia.
She was drawing a weapon of some sort. It looked like a gun, but like the woman, Cloud also recognized it. A state of the art Mako-fusion pistol, not unlike the one Palmer had used in a battle against Avalanche once, a weapon that had torn up a large chunk of Rocket Town. This one, though, had an active supply of Mako in the air to power it.
Cloud began to rush at Lucrecia, intent on taking the blow for Obsidian. He didn't need to.
With a casual swat from Obsidian's other hand, Lucrecia was sent hurtling into the air. An angered scream exploded by as Lucrecia was sent flying away from the Crater. Cloud frowned. It was too much to hope for that she was dead. Those affected by Jenova were difficult to kill. A gasp tore through Cloud as he realized that Lucrecia had been Cid's only hope of walking again.
A small grunt issued from Obsidian, and Cloud looked over. The unmistakable sense that it was Aeris filled the air. He began towards the Weapon. Its free hand immediately lifted up, then descended for a crushing blow.
Cloud didn't flinch.
The hand came down beside him, turning the Tonberry that had been sneaking up on him into a small smear.
That was the last piece of proof he needed.
"Thank you. May we have him?" he asked, indicating Vincent.
Obsidian looked down at the man it held in its hand, then back to Cloud. It ducked down a little, then launched itself into the air, sending a rain of Mako down on both Barret and Cloud.
"Shit... the hell just happened? Was that...?"
"Yeah. We have to get back to the others and figure out what we're going to do."
Author's Note:
While I liked writing this chapter, I have to admit it's hardly my best job. The whole while I was distracted by the thought of having to rewrite previous chapters, and that really didn't please me. Look for those rewrites next, then a new chapter.