Note: Well, I've finally reworked this chapter. I originally butchered this part because I hadn't played Final Fantasy 7 for so long. I had weapon attacking and obliterating Midgar, and there were more than a few mix ups between the Juno attack and the Midgar attack. I've gone through, and redone it, and I'm actually happier with this newest incarnation anyway. Well hope you enjoy it, and sorry it took so long to get out.
Second note: The first note was the original one for it, but seeing as how it took me so long to finish typing this chapter (not to mention sneak it on) I've decided to add another one. I'm going to rework all of the chapters and get them edited. It'll be the same thing; just I'm going to bring them up to snuff with some of my newer writings, such as my short stories. It shouldn't take long, and I'm not going to take off the story, but I won't post six until I have reworked them all, so once you see that chapter 6 is up, check out some of the old chapters, because they should be redone.
Dedications:
Riku-of-Darkness: Thanks for reading some of my stuff and commenting. I always look forward to your reviews, because they usually offer good advice. Even if you couldn't remember I was a guy, I still really appreciate everything you have done for me and progressing my writing talents.
Lvkishugs: You inspired many of my works, and made me see that stories can be both dark and light. Thanks to you I have progressed tons, and I really hope we can work on a Kairi centric fic some day, since I decided to cancel the one I told you about. I've always loved reading your stories, and they are some of the ones I look forward most to on this site.
Needles of Seether: Thanks for all the help you have given me, and I'm sorry I haven't finished up the nest chap to our fic yet (oops…) but I really enjoy time spent with you, and hope that you'll enjoy some of my stuff as much as I enjoy yours.
Focker919: I've really enjoyed some of your works, and you are a very talented writer. I appreciate that you would ask me to help out with your C2, and I'm sorry ii haven't posted some more stuff for it. Any who, thanks for your help, and know I'll be willing to help at anytime.
Orealie: Sorry I don't know you better, but I just wanted to thank you for following all of my chapters, and being dedicated to reviewing them. Thanks!
Well, now that that is over, on with the show!
I jumped to the left to avoid the pendulum, rolling to my feet in time to notice another one coming after me. Wishing to analyze my surroundings, I hopped on top of this pendulum, and grasped on for dear life. The black room I had previously been in had become a ceilinged hallway, and the walls were slowly closing themselves in on me. I noticed more pendulums waiting to be released from the walls, and also spotted what appeared to be holes running down the side of the walls, obviously meant to shoot objects out at me. Then I noticed a door at the end of the hall.
"Let me guess, I gotta get there? Great, just great…" jumping off of the pendulum, which had gotten stuck in to the wall, I made a mad dash for the door. Dodging swinging pendulums and arrows being shot at me from the holes in the wall, I was slowly but surely working my way to the door. Just as I thought my goal was in reach, I stepped onto a part of the floor that had multiple holes in it.
"SHIT!" I let out a loud scream, glancing down at the searing pain in my foot. There was now a hole where the middle of my foot had been. Breathing heavily, I collapsed onto the ground, more holes awaiting my arrival. Just before I hit the ground I thought, Come on, I defeated Ansem to be taken down by a few pathetic spikes? Then I hit the floor.
"AHHHH!" I felt long needles protruding from every part of my body. I could still see out of one eye, and the last image I had was that of the blood dripping from the spikes that now held my body levitating in the air.
The first thing I remember thinking once I started to regain consciousness was, I'm dead, I'm dead… Over and over this one thought played in my head, until my omnipresent voice snapped me from my slumber.
"You have not perished. Stand up and look at yourself." Opening my eyes I stood up and scanned my body. There were no marks or scars of any kind. I felt no pain, and I was more refreshed than when I had initially taken my step onto the crossroads.
"How?.." the idea baffled me. Had I not been slain, pierced through by countless spikes? How was I still alive?
"You are alive because what you experienced was both real and not at the same time. You experienced this through a form of astral projection, but the challenges, pain, and rewards are very real. You may have failed this time, but do not despair. You will be presented with a similar trial at the next crossroads."
The next crossroads? How many are there, and better yet, where the hell am I? I had finally taken some time to take in my surroundings. I was in a never-ending field. O it appeared to be at the very least. The area was very hilly. I found myself in a valley between two larger hills. Wanting to get a better view, I climbed to the top of the nearest one.
I was overlooking a vast overgrown city. It appeared to be floating in the air, or possibly held up by massive columns. It looked as if it had at one time been a great place of twisted metal and industry. In the end however, it appeared that a greater force overcome and destroyed it.
"This is the future of your friend Cloud's home world. This future is currently being challenged. Sephiroth has gained access to the heartless, and he has also figured out how to control them. Find Cloud and his companions, and stick with them. Aid them in defeating Sephiroth, or this future shall be changed. Now, witness the true face of this world."
As the voice said this, the world before me began to change. It seemed as if a plaque was spreading from my body, for starting at where I was standing and spreading out, the land seemed to die. Grass was replaced by dirt, flower by stone, and as I watched, the destroyed city began to reform itself. As I stared at the now living city, I felt a sudden rush in my stomach. Before I knew what was happening, I was somewhere else. I was inside of some random building. As I tried to make sense of what had just happened, the force that had brought me here released me, and I fell from the ceiling, landing on top of someone.
"Ahh!" I heard a woman scream as I fell down. She was dressed in red, and seemed to have an air of haughtiness about her. "Get the vile cretin off of me!"
"Yes, Madam Scarlet," I heard a gruff voice say, and suddenly two men in blue uniforms dragged me off the woman.
"You have picked a poor day for practical jokes," Scarlet said to me. "Looks like we have another conspirator for the public execution," as she said this she let out a very high pitched and irritating laugh, then had the men handcuff me.
"Wait! I didn't even do anything!" I cried out, struggling to get free from the two men in blue.
"Well, you have now, it's called resisting arrest," She let out another stupid laugh. "Besides, it's not like they are going to believe you over me," she motioned for her men to follow her and to bring me along.
We came to a door way in what appeared to be a medical wing of some kind. The guards held me still as a man in a white overcoat came walking out, then shoved me into the doorway.
"Hello Tifa and Barret. Time for your executions," She said this in such a sweet way that It almost made me sick. "I'd say I'm sorry, but I doubt you're in the mood to be lied to, so I won't. Oh, and here is a friend we found for you to accompany you in the executioners room," A large black man and a beautiful girl looked over at me. The man was in a green vest with a white undershirt, and had a gun grafted directly onto his arm. The woman wore a white t-shirt with green shorts and fighting gloves. When he saw me, the man grew really angry.
"I can understand why you want to get rid of us, but what the f did that little kid do?" He grew restless, and it took both guards to subdue him. They pinned him on the ground and placed handcuffs on him as well, then made their way over to the girl.
"He made me mad, and I was already in a bad mood, plus, the more that are condemned for this crime, the safer the people will feel, and the more they'll trust the Shinra," she let out another one of her damn laughs. She was lucky my hands were tied. She motioned for the guards to grab us, and then led us out of the room.
I and my fellow prisoners were led out of the room and down a maze of hallways. We wandered for what seemed like hours, eventually arriving in a room with TV cameras all over.
"Wait a minute, this is going out on live television?" I was confused. No one needed to see this, especially not younger eyes that this would taint. No one should have to watch a merciless slaughter, it does stuff to you. I know first hand.
"Of course," Scarlet said, "A bit graphic yes, but the audience is enjoying it, and the ratings are skyrocketing." She let out another irritating laugh, then led us up onto a podium. "Hello all you viewers. Today we bring you the execution of three people that have been convicted for the crime of awakening Weapon, and summoning Meteor." she went on and on, and I simply tuned her out after a while. I allowed myself to scan over the crowd. There were a bunch of official looking people sitting up front, but there was one person that caught my eye in particular. He was extraordinarily large, probably three to four times as large as a normal man. I wondered how he was even able to move.
"We caught one of these people today, so in order to keep on schedule, I will place two of them in at once," as she said this, the guards came over and grabbed me and the girl. I decided it was best to just go along with it, as I had spied several guards all lurking in the corners of the room. This Shinra as they called themselves was obviously not stupid. I was led into an adjacent room that contained one chair and multiple pipes coming out of the walls.
"Do you like my gas chamber? I designed it myself," The woman said as she stood there gloating over it. "Do you have anything else to say?"
"Self righteous bitch," the woman named Tifa said as she was being strapped into the chair. Scarlet turned red, walked over to Tifa and slapped her. As I watched this, I didn't notice the guard walk up to me until after he had succor-punched me in the gut.
"I hope you two enjoy a slow and painful death," she laughed once more as she walked towards the door. I raised my head from my crouched position, just in time to notice one of the guards drop his key. Scarlet and her two guards left the room, locking the door behind them.
"Ughh…"I lay collapsed on the floor, still groggy from the immense pain. I heard the girl struggling to get out of her restraints, but after a short while she gave up.
"Grr…this is hopeless!" as she said this, gas began pouring in from the vents. "No! I can't die yet! I haven't had a chance to tell him how I feel…" I noticed her looking around the room, and saw her eyes rest on the keys. "Hey kid, can you move?"
"I…I think so," I said groggily, moving to stand up, "And the names not kid, it's Sora."
"Well Sora, I'm Tifa, and unless we do something we're both dead," I heard the emphasis of distress in her voice. "Do you see that key?"
"What, the one the guard dropped?" I asked, finally rising to my feet.
"Yeah, can you get it?" she had begun to struggle to free herself once more, but again she was unsuccessful.
"Yeah, I think so," I walked over to it. I lay down on my back, and tried to grab the keys, seeing as how my hands were still cuffed. As I struggled to get them, a voice came through the doorway.
"Tifa! Tifa! Can you hear me?" a deep voice was coming through.
"Barret! Get us out of here!" Tifa yelled.
"I'm working on it! The damn lock controls aren't in this room. I'm gonna go find 'em. Be careful, that weapon thing is coming here!" Barret pounded his fist on the door a few times, then it grew quiet again. After a few seconds, I heard a loud metal clang.
"Your friend won't be helping you now!" Scarlet screamed in a deranged state. "I locked him out of here, and I'm the only person who can open this door!"
"Got it!" I said sounding triumphant. I had finally managed to grab the keys, hopping up to my feet as I did so.
"Great, now come over here and sit on my lap!" I turned around quickly with a questioning look. "Not like that you little perv! Sit on my lap so I can grab the key with my teeth and we can get out of here!"
I walked over to the chair and sat down on top of Tifa. I held the key so that she could grab the end part with her mouth. I felt the key leave my grasp and hopped off of her. She unlocked her first shackle, and then the second. After she was free she walked over to me and unlocked mine. Once I was free she ran over to the door and tried to push it open.
"It won't budge!" she said after a few seconds. Suddenly a large explosion was heard, followed by a beam of light shooting through the roof of the room we were in. When the smoke had cleared, a large hole was left in the roof. The gas began to pour out of the chamber, and Tifa and I were rewarded with some fresh air.
"What's going on in there?" Scarlet screamed. "Let me in right now!"
"Make up your damn mind!" Tifa yelled back. "First you lock us in here, and now you want me to open the door?" Scarlet began screaming uproariously, and began yelling at one of the guards to unlock the door.
"Come on Tifa, we gotta get out of here!"
"How do you suppose we are gonna do that?" she asked. I pointed at the newly made hole in the roof. "Are you crazy? We got no idea where that leads!"
"Would you rather stay and find out what psycho out there does when she catches us?" I bent down and cradled my hands, making a place for her to step. "Come on, I'll give you a boost."
Tifa gave me a hesitant look, then ran straight at me. She placed one foot in my hands, and then leapt toward the hole. Once I'd seen her get over the gap, I walked back toward the door. I readied myself, and then ran for the hole myself. I jumped up and managed to get a grasp on the edge. I shimmied over the edge, and slid down the domed wall. I landed right next to Tifa, giving her a hopeful look as I did so.
"So where do we go now?" I asked her.
"Why are you asking me? This was your escape plan." She looked over at me, and I at her. I heard the door above us open, and Scarlet come rushing in.
"Where did they go?" she yelled. "You two go outside and check to see if they're there."
I scanned around the edge of thee small platform we now stood on, and saw a spot that looked as if it had grooves.
"Ok, I know this is a long shot, but let's try to climb down over there," I said, pointing towards the area I had seen. She nodded toward me, and we made our way over. I allowed Tifa to go first, then quickly followed her. As we were climbing down I heard a man scream. I looked up in time to notice one of the guards in blue falling to his doom. This was the first time I had looked down, and I noticed that we were over some water. I heard the man land with a large splash, but managed to find the courage to continue on. I wasn't about to die. I still had to get back to Kairi.
At the base of the place we were climbing down, we came to a long cylindrical object. Tifa took off running down it, and I followed behind as closely as I could. I now realized just how fast she actually was. I realized about halfway down that this object was in fact a giant cannon. Shocked by this fact, I looked up towards Tifa. She had stopped running and was looking up at something. I heard a whirring sound, and turned my gaze to where Tifa's was. A helicopter was descending with the woman in red riding on a ladder. When she was close enough, she jumped off, landing in front of Tifa.
"You didn't honestly think I would let you get away now did you?" Once again she realized her painful laugh. I pulled out the Keyblade, and slowly moved into my fighting position.
"Stay out of this Sora, this is my fight." Tifa held up one of her hands in a gesture for me to stay where I was. I hesitantly obliged, and refocused my attention on the helicopter. Tifa then turned to face Scarlet. "Come on you old hag, I ain't getting any younger."
"Hag! You'll pay for that whench!" Tifa drew herself into a defensive fighting stance, obviously expecting a punch or at least a kick, but to both of our surprises, Scarlet slapped her. Tifa rubbed her cheek with painful indignation, before lashing back with a slap of her own. This continued until finally Scarlet fell to her knees. She stood up slowly, and cast Tifa an angry glare. "Don't think this is over, I'll be back." Scarlet grabbed onto the ladder as it was re-lowered from the helicopter. After she had it pulled away, leaving nothing more than a dot on the horizon.
"Bitch…" Tifa muttered, her eyes still transfixed on the dot that was Scarlet. After a few seconds, a large booming voice came from out of nowhere.
"RUN TO THE END OF THE CANNON!" Tifa grabbed onto my arm, and pulled me along as we ran swiftly to the cannon's edge. After a few moments I caught up to her stride, and she released my hand. We ran full on towards the end, when suddenly a gigantic airship rose up to meet us.
"Grab on!" Barret was standing at the edge of a small platform, grasping a rope ladder. He tossed it to us, Tifa grabbing a hold of it, then grabbing my arm. I grasped the ladder, and then we both scaled it to the platform where Barret was.
"So, does the kid got a name?" Barret said, casting me a funny stare. As I stood there the mixture of gas, sudden exertion of physical strength, and the speed at which the airship now moved caught up to me. I began to sway from left to right, but managed to get out one last phrase.
"Yeah…I've got a name…It's Sora…" As I said this I collapsed and blacked out, but not before noticing I was falling next to a very familiar looking raven haired girl.
Final note: Well? I finally got to where this story is going to go, just know there are at least two other places I'm hoping to have Sora visit, possibly three. I think that this chapter is just as long as the rest of the story combined. I hope to continue this trend, and make the story more detailed, so as to reflect the changesI have undergone as a writer. It may take me a bit to get the next chapter out, but by then I will have redone all the other chapters, so it will be like a brand new story. Thanks to all my dedicated readers, and I hope you like where I'm taking it.