In The End
By V.Valentine
A/n: Well, this has certainly been a long time coming. The end of Shifting Sands. I'll be working on "Upon Fields of Gold" next, and then I may take some time off before working on the sequel to Valentine's Day. As always, no money was given to me for these Characters, and I don't own them. You know, that old bag.
I'd like to thank everyone that reviewed this story, and their patience for putting up with me for this long. Go check out Valentine's Day and Upon Fields Of Gold and review those too!
Ja ne!
Cid had never seen such a sight. Standing there before them, a large, glowing generator hummed before them, pulsating and crackling with energy. Red had led them down a long shaft that lead to what he believed was the center of the ship, and this certainly seemed like it. The bodies of several Borg Drones were in their wake, mainly due to Cloud's perseverance, and Yuffie's Materia.
"Holy Bahamut on high." Cid breathed in, as he looked to Cloud. "So what do we do? Blow it up?" Cid asked, looking to the leader of their group. Cloud, sheathing the Ultima Weapon on his back, looked back to Cid.
"I guess, but we can't do it here. We cause an explosion, the whole ship will probably go with it." Cloud mused, walking up to the massive power generator. lightly placing a hand on what seemed to be a glassy surface covering the titanic tower. Looking over and down to Red, he spoke again. "What do you think?" Cloud asked, as Red started to pace around the power generator.
Padding around the tower slightly, he then stopped as he reached Cloud again, and then looked to him. "I think that our best coarse of action would to be time detonate it. That would leave us enough time to get out of here and to blow up the ship." Red surmised as he looked back to the generator.
"That's all fine and good, but none of brought any goddamned explosive charges. All we've got is Materia." Cid stated bluntly, as Red looked away from the tower for a moment, then to Cid.
"I don't think we'll need to use charges. I believe I can figure out a way to blow it up and still get us out of here, using their own technology." Red stated, then looked above him to a panel covered in multicolored buttons and configurations. Moving to stand up on his hind legs, he looked over the panel and began to sniff at it. "Fascinating." Red stated simply, as he looked back to Cloud. "I may need a few minutes." Red said, as he experimentally began to punch at the buttons.
"Take your time, Red." Cloud said simply, until a large thud erupted behind them all, as all of them turned to look around, save for Red, to see a Borg Drone come out of the floor. But this drone was different. While the normal drone was normally sized to be like a normal person, this one had to be at least ten feet tall. It's eye sensor moved to scan the intruders in front of it, just as soon as its organic eye moved to look over them all.
"Actually, Red, scratch that. Hurry the fuck up!" Cid exclaimed, just before rushing forward with the Venus Gospel in his hands, raised for a downward stab, before the Borg Sentinel slapped it away with a movement of it's giant hand.
"Report, Harry!" Captain Janeway barked, as Harry wearily looked up from his console.
"I'm reading several energy fluctuations throughout the whole ship. Power surges are running rampant throughout the whole Cube." Harry reported back, as Janeway nodded as she looked over to Tuvok.
"How much longer can we keep this up?" Janeway asked, as Tuvok looked over his own readings.
"Borg Shields are down to 73. We no longer have any more photon torpedoes, and phaser strength is down to 50, with all of the modulations." Tuvok stated looking to Janeway, as Janeway nodded, looking straight ahead to the view screen. Aside from some very visible scorch marks from phaser fire, the Borg Cube remained seemingly intact.
"Let's just hope our new friends aren't having any trouble. Fire at will, Tuvok." Janeway stated with determination, as she sat back down in her chair.
The Borg Sentinel was a lot tougher and hit harder than any of the drones they had encountered before. Cloud leaned against his sword tiredly for a moment, looking over the Borg Sentinel that was slowly coming towards the huddled group of Avalanche.
"At what point, did we lose control here?" Cid asked, panting heavily. Cloud looked to him for a moment, before letting a small smile grace his face.
"I don't think we ever had control of this one." He says simply and truthfully, as he then forced his legs to stand up and grip his sword in his hands in a defensive posture. "If anybody has any bright ideas, now's the time." Cloud called back to the rest of the group.
"I believe I have an idea." A voice called out softly, but firmly, as Vincent stepped into the view of them all from the shadows. Letting a small smile grace his lips, he looked to Cid. "Take a breather, Cid. You'll need to get off the ground for this one." Vincent said as he then looked to Cloud and Yuffie. "Cloud, distract him long enough to let Yuffie summon Leviathan. I'll take it from there." Vincent said with determination, as Cloud and Yuffie nodded, as Cid moved to sit on the same platform that Red XIII was on.
"We can do that." Cloud said with a grin, before launching himself at the Borg Sentinel, forcing it back with stroke after stroke of the Ultima Weapon. Yuffie moved directly behind him, pulling her Conformer off of her side, and looking to the red Materia orb right in the dead center of the shuriken.
And behind her, Vincent stood, letting the rage and anger wash over him yet again.
"Yuffie, now!" Cloud yelled, just as he knocked the Borg Sentinel up against the wall, then moving to sheath his sword on his back, then jumping up to grab on to one of the metal walkways. Yuffie then shot forward towards the stunned massive drone, leaping into the air, just as multicolored lights and symbols surrounded her. "Tidal Wave!" She cried out, just before disappearing from sight, and Leviathan taking her place.
The great sea beast reared back its head, and then shot it forward, bringing forth a massive tsunami with a loud and piercing screech. The tidal wave slammed the Borg Sentinel back up against the wall more, just as Yuffie reappeared again and moved to join Cloud up on the walkway. The Borg Sentinel just barely had time to look, to see a massive Frankenstein creature towering above him.
It breathed in heavily, just as it brought its fist back, the gray skin starting to change to yellow as it crackled and hummed with electricity and power. With a massive roar, Death Gigas shot his arm and first forward, placing the electrified hand on the Borg Sentinel's head, letting the natural attraction with electricity and water occur on his skull, just before it blew to pieces and the headless body falling to the ground.
Everyone, save for Red, moved back to each other, just as Vincent slowly started to change back to normal. As the transformation completed, Cloud looked to him with a slight grin. "Maybe I should let you lead the mission next time." Cloud says as Vincent shrugs and looks to him. "I just saw what was right in front of me. No big deal." Vincent says, but then gives him a small smile, as they moved back over to Red.
"There, I think I've done it." Red says as he hopped off the platform joining the others. "I set it for three minutes." Red says simply, as Cid looked to him, almost choking on the fresh cigarette he was lighting. "Goddamn it, Red! How are we supposed to get out of here now?" Cid proclaimed, just as the familiar blue white aura of Voyager's transporters engulfed them all.
"Oh." Cid said simply, as they all vanished back across Voyager, just before the Borg Cube blew up into a magnificent explosion that is still being talked about on the Planet's surface, to this day.
"We owe a lot to you and friends. I'm sorry that we don't have more time to spend together, but as you know, we have a home to get back to. Just as you have yours." Captain Janeway said, as she looked to all of them on the Transported pad. "I wish you all the best of luck, and hope that maybe, some where and somehow, we'll meet again." Janeway said with a warm smile, as she extended her hand out to Cloud, who shook it warmly.
"To you as well, Captain. I hope you all get home soon." Cloud said with a warm smile, just as she let go of his hand. But just then, everyone turned to the transporter room doors, just as Vincent came in later than everybody else, and joined the others on the Pad.
"I apologize for my tardiness." Vincent said simply, but not wanting to let anyone see his face for some reason.
And just as Vincent had came in, Seven of Nine followed, her eyes not wanting to look to anyone else's, and her hair a little unkempt for some odd reason.
Looking to Vincent, then back to Seven of Nine, Cloud gave Vincent a raised eyebrow look, just as a small smile graced his face.
"Energize." Janeway said simply, just as the transporter fields enveloped all of Avalanche, and sent them back to the Planet.
Standing in the same field that they had been taken from, the members of Avalanche looked around, and saw that they were truly back home. "It's good to be home. I'm not flying again for a year." Yuffie said grimly, just before vomiting into the tall grass behind her.
Red nodded, smiling, but then looked up, as he sniffed the air slightly. "Is that perfume?" Red asked, as he followed it over, to find the source.
Vincent.
"Vincent, why is there perfume on you?" Red asked confused, as Vincent shrugged, and bent down to pluck a red rose from a bush. Moving to sniff it lightly, then looking over it's surface, he looked back to Red.
"Ours is not to reason why." Vincent said, simply, but with a grin on his face as he moved to walk off towards Junon, to catch the boat back to Costa del Sol, and then onto Nibelheim.
Meanwhile in the Delta Quadrant...
Space was momentarily silent. It was momentarily empty. Until a speeding Borg Cube cut through space, accompanied only by Sephiroth's maniacal laughter.
"Well, I hope you're happy with all of this." Aeris said softly. as she looked over to her astral counterpart. Both of them were sitting on a star that the Borg Cube just passed by. She looked over with emerald green eyes, to a middle aged man, in swim shorts and sitting on a lawn chair underneath an umbrella, sipping on a Pina Colada.
"Happy? My dear, as you'll find out, I'm always Happy. Unless I get stuck in the affairs of a worthless race." Q said with a grin, looking to her from underneath his sunglasses.
"My friends aren't worthless. But I cannot believe you allowed Sephiroth to come back. Do you know how much damage he will do?" Aeris questioned as Q looked to her.
"Absolutely. That's why I let him come back. And why he's off picking out his new planet to conquer. And I hope he conquers more than one. I'll have my eyes on him." He says, just before snapping his fingers, making the chair, the umbrella, and the drink fade away. "Besides, who says that's the only thing I did?"" Q asked with a mischievous grin.
Back on the Planet, midnight...
Cid moved to groggily get up into the kitchen, walking over to the fridge, and pulling out a beer from inside. Wincing as he flipped on the light switch, he moved to scratch his stomach, as he looked to something lying on the kitchen table.
Not noticing anything there before, he moved to pick it up and look it over. But as he read it over, his eyes got as wide as dinner plates.
"Shera! Get your ass up and get some tea on the stove! We got work to do!" Cid hollered running back to his wife, in their bedroom. And there lying back on the kitchen table, laid a small data pad, with a bold headline across the top.
"WARP CORE BLUEPRINTS"
Well, it's finished. It's done. Hope you all liked it. It may seem rushed, but I wanted to include everything. Read and Review!
