FINAL FANTASY: POINT OF INTERSECTION
BOOK 1: THE APPROACHING STORM


CHAPTER 5


Cloud shivered, his breath steaming in the chill air, and pulled his coat tighter around his shoulders. He didn't mind the cold so much, not when he had properly prepared for it. Keeping one hand steady on the reins of his chocobo, he carefully adjusted the thick wool scarf tied loosely around his neck above the collar of his thick winter coat. The knot in the scarf always seemed to want to come undone, at least whenever he tied it himself. He wished he had remembered to ask Tifa to tie it for him before he had left, but he'd had other things on his mind at the time.

Around him, dusk deepened as the sun's last waning light sifted its way feebly through the snow-laden branches of the trees that densely covered the lower slopes of the mountains. The ground gradually rose upward and grew steeper as Cloud and his companions continued to ride westward into the coming night. Behind them the sky was already dark, a star or two beginning to emerge in the twilight.

For almost three hours now, Cloud and his companions had ridden in pursuit of the elusive ice witch who had abducted Miri. Red kept the others on the trail, often running a ways ahead to ascertain which way Miri's scent had gone. So far, the trail had led almost steadily due west, and Cloud had the uncanny and unsettling feeling that this was somehow too easy, that there was something more going on here than just a simple kidnapping. He wondered where the ice witch was leading them.

It wasn't long before he found out.

Red padded up a short time later, his paws almost soundless in the snow. There is a cave no more than a mile further west of here, Cloud. The entrance is somewhat hidden, but Miri's scent led me to it. The trail goes directly inside. The ice witch must be in there with Miri.

Cloud answered, bringing his mount to a brief halt as the others did the same, we'll ride on for another half mile and then go the rest of the way on foot. Red, go on and see if you can get an idea of how deep that cave is. Some of the tunnels under these mountains go on for miles, and I don't want to lose Miri down there.

Red nodded and loped off westward through the trees back the way he had come.

Tugging on the reins of his chocobo, Cloud led the others onward in the direction Red had departed. They rode in silence save for the creaking of the harnesses and the crunching of the chocobo's feet in the snow. Smells of pine and spruce filled Cloud's nostrils as the leafless beeches and oaks gradually gave way to towering evergreens.

Had this been a casual ride or even one of his patrols, Cloud would have enjoyed being out here away from civilization for a while. He had always liked the outdoors, reveling in the brisk mountain air, the sight of leaves changing from green to a vibrant splash of reds and yellows and oranges during the autumn, and the trickling streams that meandered aimlessly along through the woods from springs high in the mountains. Mostly, he enjoyed the peace and quiet he often found there, a relaxing sensation so much different from the faster pace of civilization.

Pushing his thoughts aside, Cloud brought his chocobo to a halt and signaled his companions to do the same. He carefully dismounted from the large bird, patting her gold-tinged feathers affectionately as he tethered her to a nearby tree. Ayla was of an extremely rare breed of chocobo, for there were only a handful of golds in the entire world. This particular bird had been a gift from a traveler in Kalm for defeating the monstrous Ruby Weapon that had emerged in the Corel Desert in the days just prior to the destruction of Meteor.

Adjusting the massive Ultima sword strapped to his back, Cloud slowly made his way forward through the woods, occasionally glimpsing Red's leonine form ghosting soundlessly between the trees ahead of him. His companions followed close behind, weapons ready, and Cloud was well aware of their presence as they spread out to either side of him.

A short time later, they reached the cave entrance. Red was waiting for them just outside the dark opening in the hillside. The trees and brush were thicker here and much closer together, and had Cloud and the others not followed Red they might have passed the cave without even knowing it. The black maw of the cave mouth yawned ominously at them in the darkness.

Alright, let's go pound that witch! Yuffie exclaimed, shattering the silence.

Not so goddamn loud, squirt! Cid hissed irritably. You tryin' to let her know we're here?

Why the heck not? She should know by now that we're gonna kick her sorry frozen behind from here to the North Crater!

Cloud glared sternly at her. Pipe down, Yuffie. We don't know how good her hearing is, and I'd like to keep the advantage of surprise for as long as I can. Got it?

Fine, then! the young ninja huffed, crossing her arms and frowning belligerently as she fingered her five-pointed shuriken.

Drawing his sword, Cloud sighed and crept silently into the cave, motioning as he did so for Red to take the lead. The pale beam of Barret's flashlight spilled into the gloom, illuminating a single rough tunnel that seemed to lead deeper into the mountain. The cave was silent save for the faint sound of water dripping in some other tunnel or chamber nearby, and a damp, musty odor filled the air.

After several hundred feet or so, the corridor reached an intersection, branching into three different passageways. To the left, one tunnel descended steeply into inky blackness amidst a small forest of stalactites and stalagmites that made the tunnel seem like the open jaws of some huge dragon. Cloud shrugged off that thought and glanced to the right, where a less cluttered passageway rose upward along a somewhat gentler incline before turning a corner out of sight. The central corridor continued straight ahead, narrowing as it went on into the darkness.

Which way? Barret asked.

Cloud shrugged and turned to Red. Can you pick up Miri's scent in any of these tunnels?

The fierce, pantherlike beast padded forward a bit, turning his head this way and that as he sought the elusive trail that had brought Cloud and his companions this far. Red approached each of the three tunnels, actually going a short distance inside each one of them, before finally sighing in defeat and returning to where the others waited.

I am sorry, Cloud, but I cannot be sure which direction the ice witch went. Miri's scent is here, but it has grown faint and difficult to track.

Cloud grimaced. We'll have to split up, then. Barret, Yuffie, take the left. Red, Vincent, you two follow the tunnel on the right. Cid, you're with me. We'll keep going down the middle corridor and see where it takes us. If the rest of you guys don't find anything in half an hour, meet back here at the intersection. Everyone understand?

The others nodded and began moving off quietly in their assigned directions, quickly disappearing into the tunnels on either side as Cloud headed cautiously with Cid down the main passageway. The gloom around him held at bay only by the steady purplish-white glow of his sword, Cloud strained to make out something, anything, in the silence and shadows of the cave. To his left, Cid gripped his Venus Gospel spear tightly, his expression set and determined as a few wispy tendrils of smoke drifted up from the cigarette firmly clamped in the corner of his mouth.

After what seemed like hours, the corridor began to widen into a larger chamber. Long, jagged spears of rock hung down from the high ceiling, some of them reaching nearly to the ground. Stalagmites thrust up here and there around the room like monstrous teeth, in places joining with the stalactites to form natural columns that left parts of the chamber veiled in deep shadow.

What riveted Cloud's attention, however, was the young girl lying against the base of one of the stalagmites nearby. Her wrists and ankles were both securely tied, her arms bound behind her back, and her mouth had been firmly gagged with a thick gray cloth. Miri was wearing her bright pink winter coat, a matching hat with a white pompom on top, and a pair of black rubber galoshes. Strands of blond hair hung limply around her ears, and she stared out at her surroundings with wide, frightened blue eyes.

Cloud immediately hurried over toward Miri, intent on freeing her, but stopped abruptly when a soft, husky voice purred seductively from the shadows to his right.

So, warrior you have come at last. I have been waiting for you

Weaving his way awkwardly among the clusters of stalagmites and stalactites that stubbornly continued to somehow get in his way, Barret grunted sourly as he tried to keep up with Yuffie. He had been following her through this tunnel for what seemed to him like hours, his flashlight doing little to illuminate the ever-present gloom of the cave. More than once, the big man had bumped his head into a low-hanging stalactite or banged his toes painfully against a stalagmite, muttering to himself in annoyance and glaring sullenly at the offending rock formations.

This place is way too goddamn small, Barret growled irritably under his breath. He hated cramped, enclosed areas like this.

Glancing up, he noticed that Yuffie had stopped a short distance ahead of him and was staring oddly off into the shadows at something too far away for him to see just yet. Squinting his eyes in the darkness, Barret slowly made his way toward her until he was standing just behind the young ninja's left side. He let out a low whistle as his flashlight illuminated what had caught Yuffie's attention.

The passageway ahead of them was choked with rubble and fallen rock, preventing any further progress in that direction. Barret guessed that the ceiling had collapsed at some time or other in the recent past, and he shivered uneasily as he suddenly thought of the countless tons of rock and earth over his head. Though he had once been a coal miner, he had never quite gotten comfortable being underground.

Barret shrugged his broad shoulders and sighed. Guess we came all this way for nothing, squirt. Let's head back to the intersection and try ta catch up to Spike and Cid. Mebbe they're havin' better luck than we are, least I hope so.

Wait a sec, Barret! she exclaimed suddenly. Look over there to the right!

The big man shone his flashlight in the direction Yuffie indicated, off to the young ninja's right side. Hidden amongst a few shards of fallen rock at the base of the wall was a small, narrow crawlspace no more than two or three feet high and shrouded in gloom. Peering inside the dark, cramped tunnel, Barret shuddered nervously.

You gotta be kiddin' me, he muttered. There's no way I'm goin' in there with ya!

Yuffie grinned impishly at him. If you want, Barret, you can wait here for me, but I'm thinkin' we should go and see where this tunnel leads!"

How can you be so sure that's where Miri is? She could be anywhere by now. And how would you know where in the hell yer goin' when you can't see a goddamn thing? Sides, there ain't no way we can fit in that goddamn tunnel anyway.

Oh, sure there is, Barret! Yuffie snapped. We just go on our hands and knees and crawl our way through. And I don't need to worry about the dark, either. I'm only the best ninja in the world, after all, and I've trained in blind fighting and stuff like that for years in Wutai. Miri could be somewhere down this tunnel waiting for us to come save her, so let's go, already!

Without waiting for him to reply, Yuffie knelt and crawled headfirst into the tunnel. Barret sighed and shook his head in disgust, yet got down on his knees to follow her anyway. As he entered the cramped passageway and the rock walls closed tightly around him, Barret shivered and tried not to think about what would happen if he got stuck. He felt as though he were clamped in a huge vise pressing inexorably together and threatening to crush him flat.

There was one terrifying moment during this slow journey when Barret's flashlight suddenly winked out, plunging the big man into utter darkness. Panicked at the thought of getting stuck here in the dark, he banged the flashlight repeatedly against the wall until it eventually sputtered to life again. Barret sighed in relief, not even bothering to comment when Yuffie smirked at him over her shoulder.

At last, after so many long, silent minutes that Barret had lost count, the tunnel came to an end as it opened into a much larger chamber. Barret started to pull himself gratefully out of the confined tunnel, but Yuffie, who had already exited ahead of him, quickly turned and motioned him to wait. She was kneeling quietly in front of a natural column of rock, one of several clustered nearby, and peering intently further into the shadows of the large room.

she whispered, turn off your flashlight! Someone's out there!

The big man nodded reluctantly and flipped the switch to cut off the light, plunging himself and Yuffie into near total darkness. As he crawled out of the tunnel and knelt next to the young ninja, however, he could see that towards the far end of the room was another light source, a dim purplish-white glow that he recognized almost immediately.

Damn, it looks like Cloud's down there somewhere, an' Cid too, probably. That light's gotta be Cloud's big ol' sword. Let's go an' see if he's found anything.

Barret started to get up, but Yuffie suddenly grabbed his arm and pointed. Wait! There's someone else coming out now, I can just barely see. It's gotta be the ice witch, Barret, and if she's there, then Miri's definitely down there, too.

Well, what are we waitin' for? Barret growled. Let's go!

Not so fast, big guy. Leave this to the expert! I'll sneak up and get the jump on the ice witch when she isn't looking, and you just stay here and cover me in case something goes wrong.

What's wrong with me comin' with you? I can't hardly see much, anyway, Barret grumbled.

Yuffie was already brandishing her shuriken in anticipation. You'd make way too much noise, Barret. She'd hear you coming a mile away! But I can be so quiet that I could creep up right behind the witch and she'd never even know I was there. Trust me, this'll work!

Fine, have it your way, squirt. Just don't come cryin' to me when you screw it up.

Just you wait and see, Barret! Yuffie grinned, I'll give that witch a beating she'll never forget!

The lithe young ninja flitted stealthily from pillar to pillar and crouched furtively behind one rock formation or another as she began to slowly make her way soundlessly towards Cloud and the ice witch. Grumbling sourly to himself, Barret sighed and brought up his gun-arm. It had been quite a while since he had last used it, but he didn't doubt it would do the job if needed. Sighting along the barrel as he tried to take aim in the near darkness, he hoped he wouldn't have to find out.

It would appear that we have found yet another fork in the road, Vincent observed quietly.

He and Red had followed this passageway for some time as it had twisted and turned this way and that, sometimes even doubling back on itself, ascending or descending seemingly at random. At times, the corridor had narrowed so that Vincent and Red had been forced to proceed in single file, and in other places the passageway had been wide enough for four people to walk abreast.

His keen eyes seeing clearly even in the darkness, Vincent pondered the new passageway that split off to the left of the main corridor and descended deeper into the mountain's roots. This tunnel was the first such side passage he and Red had encountered thus far on their dark and silent journey. So far, the two companions had found no other sign of Miri or the ice witch, although Red had still been able to detect faint traces of the young girl's scent.

Do we split up once again? Vincent queried.

Red, his good eye peering intently into the gloom, crept softly over to the new corridor. The small flame that continually burned on the tip of his tail weaved its way languidly through the air like a will o wisp floating in the darkness. Its bright orange glow did little to lessen the shadows around Vincent and his companion, though both could see well enough.

Padding a few steps just inside the new corridor, Red suddenly froze. I do not believe that will be necessary, Vincent. Look here!

Cocking the trigger of his Death Penalty rifle, Vincent crept soundlessly to Red's side and followed his friend's gaze. Lying upon the ground to one side of the passageway was a purple wool mitten, identical to the one Hamfast had shown everyone back at Tifa's home. Vincent knelt and with the bronze claw that served as his left hand, he carefully grasped the mitten and gazed at it quietly for a moment before tucking it carefully into one of the inside pockets of the thick cloak he wore over his other clothing.

Vincent's eyes narrowed. It would seem that our search has not been completely futile after all. It may still come to naught, however, if the witch escapes with her captive.

That is yet to be discovered, my friend, Red admonished him. We can still hope to save the girl, but we must hurry. There is no time to go back and tell Cloud of this discovery, so we must follow this corridor and hope to find Miri ourselves.

Vincent nodded, and together he and Red set off down the tunnel at a brisk pace, hurrying cautiously through the dark, lightless corridor as it descended back down into the depths of the mountain's roots. Moving with the silent, deadly grace of one long used to dwelling in places where light seldom reached, Vincent made no sound as he crept swiftly along the passageway. He had always felt at home in the shadows, in the darkness where few others ever dared to tread. Light had no meaning for him, and hope was nothing but ashes and dust. Joy had left him long ago, left him along with the woman he had once loved and the humanity that had been cruelly stripped away until nothing was left but a bitter, monstrous creature that had once been a man.

Moving soundlessly through the tunnel, he was just another shadow in the gloom save for the crimson eyes that stared intently into the blackness as clearly as though it was broad daylight. He wrapped the darkness around himself like a shroud, losing himself in its familiar embrace. Grasping his weapon firmly in his good hand, he silently followed his companion as the great beast loped steadily onward in determined pursuit of their elusive quarry.

Gradually, Vincent began to pick up the sound of voices speaking somewhere still some distance ahead. He didn't need to look at Red to know that his companion, with his exceptionally keen ears, had also heard the soft murmurs of exchanged dialogue, although at this distance it was difficult to make out what was being said or who was saying it.

As he and Red went on, however, Vincent thought he recognized at least one of the voices as belonging to Cloud. The other, though, was unfamiliar yet undeniably feminine, and Vincent guessed it to be the ice witch. He exchanged a brief glance with Red and nodded, tightening his grip on the Death Penalty's trigger as his companion flattened his ears and unsheathed his sharp claws.

Cloud watched guardedly as the ice witch stepped slowly out from behind a pillar of rock to his right. The fabric of her gray robes rustled softly as she approached him, her face hidden in the depths of her hood, and Cloud felt the air suddenly grow chill as she drew near. Goosebumps rose on his skin, and he gripped the hilt of his weapon more tightly as he attempted to quietly edge closer to Miri without alerting the ice witch of what he was doing.

To continue your current course of action would be most unwise, warrior, the witch said, her voice soft yet laced with steel, if you value the child's life.

The ice witch lifted an arm, palm outward, and from around the stalagmite where Miri lay, a thick, greenish-black tentacle brushed lightly across the little girl's boots. The monstrous appendage then wrapped itself tightly around a low-hanging stalactite nearby and squeezed until the rock formation abruptly exploded into a shower of stone fragments and dust. Miri shrieked in terror, flinching at the noise, and tears ran from her eyes as the tentacle wrapped itself securely around her neck.

Cloud swore and immediately halted in his tracks, motioning Cid to do the same, as his friend, livid with rage, was about to charge headlong at the witch. Reluctantly, the gruff pilot complied, spewing out a stream of angry epithets as he did so. Cloud couldn't really blame him, but attacking the ice witch now would likely only get Miri killed.

I believe that we have reached the part of this encounter where I ask you to divest yourselves of your weapons, have we not? the ice witch continued, Do not make the mistake of hesitation, warrior. Neither you nor your companion would like the consequences of such inaction.

With a sigh, Cloud dropped his sword to the ground as Cid tossed his own weapon aside and glared balefully at the witch. Alright, you goddamn ice bitch! We did what you fuckin' asked us to do! Now who the fuck are you, and what the fuck do you want?

The ice witch ignored him, turning instead to Cloud. Your companion has a most foul tongue, warrior. I suggest you teach him to restrain it, lest I cut it out.

Try it, bitch, Cid growled.

Cloud glared and shook his head at the crusty pilot before turning back to the Snow. You didn't answer his question, madam. Who are you? And what do you want?

Stepping closer, the ice witch drew back her hood to reveal a coldly beautiful face framed with silken strands of dark blue hair that hung down past her shoulders. Her skin was pale, with a faint bluish tint, and her full lips were a deep blue as well. Lined with lashes such a dark blue they were nearly black, eyes the color of blood stared chillingly at Cloud with a strange yet undeniable hunger.

I am known as Iseldra, and as for what I want, warrior, it is quite simple. She paused a moment for emphasis before continuing.

Why me? Cloud asked.

Because it was you who deprived my sister of her life, warrior. You tried to poison her with water from that filthy hot spring, and when that did not work, you cut her down and robbed her. Did you not know that the materia you so callously stole from her had been kept safe by our kind for generations before you took it? Now, warrior, your misdeeds have come back to haunt you.

What do you mean? Cloud exclaimed, I never tried to poison or rob anyone, madam! Your sister attacked me when I tried to take shelter in her cave. A storm had come up while I was out there with my friends on the glacier, and we needed a place to camp for the night. We didn't know the cave was inhabited when we found it, otherwise we would have moved on.

Iseldra sniffed disdainfully. Excuses, warrior. They do not alter the fact that my sister is dead. Her blood cries out to me for vengeance.

Even after four years? That's a pretty long time to hold a grudge.

It matters not. My vengeance will be all the sweeter for the waiting I have endured, and I will savor the moment of its arrival that much more.

Why not just kill me and be done with it? Cloud shrugged.

Iseldra shook her head, a slight devilish smile playing across her lips, That would be too quick, warrior, and far too easy.

So you mean to torture me, then.

No, warrior, Iseldra breathed, drawing close to him and letting her fingers trail lightly along his arms as she gazed hungrily at him. I mean to have you.

Reaching up to the clasp of her cloak, she unfastened it and let the thick garment fall away unheeded to the cave floor. Iseldra wore little underneath it save for a diaphanous blue garment that left little to the imagination and showed a wealth of pale bluish skin along her arms and legs. Her soft breasts pressed tightly against the fabric, revealing a more than generous amount of cleavage below her bare shoulders, and her dark blue hair hung down all the way to the curves of her hips.

Cloud stared, his breathing gone quite suddenly heavy as his eyes wandered over Iseldra's scantily clad, voluptuous figure. He tried desperately to think of his wife and her own lovely body but found his thoughts inexplicably foundering as Iseldra wove her way sinuously up to him like a cat in heat. She wrapped an arm around him and lightly stroked the back of his neck with her fingers as she pushed her breasts and groin firmly against him.

you call this revenge? Cloud wondered, trying to ignore the distracting and unnerving sensation of the witch's body pressed against his.

Ah, but of course, warrior, Iseldra breathed, her cheek brushing against his as she lightly touched her lips to his ear, To own you, to make you mine when your heart is forever bonded to another, and to make you willingly betray that bond. That is a much sweeter vengeance than your blood or screams could ever hope to be, for I will have instead broken your very spirit.

Cloud stepped back, away from the powerfully alluring ice witch, and eyed her incredulously. And why in the hell would I ever do a thing like that?

In answer, Iseldra lifted her hand, and the tentacle around Miri's neck tightened even further. Cloud narrowed his eyes and sighed, clenching his fists tightly in frustration. How could he ever possibly betray his wife, the woman he loved more than life itself? Yet to save Miri, he had no other choice. He wouldn't let an innocent little girl die if he could help it.

How do I know you'll let her go if I stay with you? Cloud asked warily.

The tentacle loosened its tight grip around Miri ever so slightly at Iseldra's silent command but still gripped the girl's neck securely. Cloud wondered briefly what manner of creature the clammy, hideous limb belonged to, hidden deep in the inky blackness beyond his sword's illumination. Shivering, he decided he didn't want to know.

Suddenly, a bright circle of metal shot out of the shadows to Cloud's left, slicing cleanly through the tentacle that held Miri captive, and Cloud recognized the foreign object instantly as Yuffie's razor-tipped shuriken. The ninja herself soon followed, retrieving her weapon and quickly scooping up the little girl in her arms as an angry, bestial roar sounded loudly from the blackness and scores of writhing tentacles suddenly shot out at Yuffie and Miri.

Instantly, Cloud dove and retrieved his sword, rolling effortlessly to his feet and assuming a defensive stance, both hands gripping the hilt of the blade. Cid also had grabbed his spear and was speeding toward the mass of tentacles that lashed angrily after the two girls. Yuffie was agile and quick, skillfully ducking and dodging the grabbing appendages and slicing at them with her shuriken, but Cloud knew she couldn't hold out forever, especially burdened as she was with Miri.

The creature finally emerged into the dim light, a vast insectlike thing with dozens of tentacles lining its round, gaping maw. Two bulbous black eyes sat on its head, and each of its ten legs ended in a sharp, knifelike claw. The beast's segmented body was armored with a hard, chitinous exoskeleton that threw off showers of yellow sparks as it deflected the bullets suddenly shooting through the air in rapid succession, and Cloud guessed that Barret was somewhere nearby providing cover fire.

Glaring menacingly at the ice witch, Cloud grabbed her arm and pointed with his sword at the monstrous beast. Iseldra! Call that damned thing off, now!

Not even I can control it when it is enraged, warrior. In its present state, it will not heed my commands, nor even hear them.

Cloud swore in frustration. He was about to head into the fray himself when a bright reddish blur leapt out from his right and slammed into the side of the massive creature, followed by several thundering rounds from a heavy shotgun as Vincent suddenly emerged from the shadows nearby. He shifted his aim slightly, and one of the beast's eyes burst open when he fired again.

Cloud nodded to his friend and concentrated on the materia in his sword and bracers. His companions were too close to the creature to risk using Ultima or Bahamut, but maybe a little lightning would work. Focusing on the magical energy of the Thunder materia, Cloud strained to bring its power to bear upon the massive beast, yet somehow nothing happened, no thunderbolt appeared. The blond warrior tried again, only to encounter the same strange result.

As its eye collapsed, the creature roared in pain, its maw gaping open and its tentacles thrashing wildly, and smashed its way through the stalactites and stalagmites as its fury continued to build. Cid suddenly reached inside his coat, withdrew a stick of dynamite, and lit it with the end of his still-burning cigarette before tossing it inside the beast's open mouth.

Fire in the hole, asshole! he shouted and dove to the side.

The creature's head suddenly exploded, blood and gore spattering everywhere as the massive body slumped lifelessly to the ground with a heavy thud. Silence hung in the air for long moments as the dust settled, and then Miri began to sniffle from within Yuffie's arms. Cloud sighed in relief as he saw that the rest of his friends appeared to be unhurt save for a few minor scratches here and there.

Iseldra suddenly yanked free from Cloud's grip on her arm and bolted toward the exit tunnel. The blond warrior quickly caught up to her, however, grabbed her from behind, spun her around and held her firmly against the wall as he brought the tip of his sword to rest lightly against her neck. The ice witch glared defiantly at him but said nothing.

Going somewhere? Cloud asked, eyes narrowing.