Author's Notes
--------------------
This is an alternate universe story, so expect a lot of changes.
This version of AR has been censored for language. An uncensored version is available on my website which you can find in my profile.
Check back next weekend for chapter XII.
MatrixSailorStarKnightZ asked in her review whether the dialogue "Are you an angel?", which Cloud used in Chapter VI, was a reference to anything. Though I do have many little bits of homage in my story, this one wasn't meant to be such. Any resemblance this quote bears to something from some other story/movie/game is purely coincidental.
If you have any questions, ask them in your review or post on my forum. I'll either respond directly, or address them as best I can in the next chapter's Author's Notes.
Luminus
Chapter XI
Breakdown
After nearly four hours of attempts, the three person crew of the Highwind succeeded in putting all the fires out. Though the airship had crashed hard, its sturdy armor and construction had kept everyone alive and most of the ship intact.
With a heavy kick, Jessie knocked a ruined piece of piping out of her way and continued moving quickly through the damaged right engine compartment. She was covered in soot and blood, and her clothing was ripped to shreds, but all things considered she was just happy to be alive. Another thing she was glad about was the condition of the airship. Although the attack that crippled it and sent them crashing did enormous damage to the ship's exterior, the thick hull had kept the engine from being totaled.
"How's it look on your end, kid?" Cid's voice called out from the other end of the hot and smoking compartment.
"Not nearly as bad as it could be!" Jessie shouted back as she pulled a ripped hose out of her way and was rewarded by a spray of oil to her face. Wiping it off she yelled. "A lot of the wiring is shot, and the rotors are in pretty bad shape!"
"I see at least three belts that need replacing, and we'll have to rebuild the entire goddamn fuel and materia intake!" Cid yelled back to her. "But we have spares, so we're okay!"
"I gotta hand it to you, Cid." Jessie laughed at the situation. "This ship is something else. I bet we can have it up and running in just a couple of days."
"You're awfully chipper." Cid grunted as he popped a deformed bolt out of place with his wrench.
"Yeah. Well, some times you just have to laugh, you know?" Besides, it was far better than thinking about what had happened, and whether or not her friends at the temple were still alive.
"I'm picking up signals coming from outside." Sherra's voice crackled through the radio's Jessie and Cid were both carrying. "Looks like we have company."
"Can you see them from the control deck?" Cid asked, his voice suddenly even more grim than usual as he dropped what he was doing. "Are they hostile?"
"Sorry, no." Sherra apologized. "They're coming from the east."
"What direction is the temple in?" Jessie asked hopefully.
"We lost our bearings during the crash." Sherra sighed. "I'm not sure which way it is."
"We better go down there." Cid grumbled as he came around the engine to where Jessie was. He looked to be just as bad off as she was. "Let's go, kid."
"Right." Jessie nodded as she stood up and followed him out of the engine compartment.
It took them a little longer than usual to reach the exit, given the amount of debris lining the Highwind's corridors. Just getting down the ramp took more than they were used to, as it was facing an odd angle thanks to the crash. When at last Cid and Jessie made it to the darkness of the night time jungle, they almost ran headfirst into the people they were looking for.
"Guys!" Jessie shouted with glee as she saw Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, and Nanaki limping towards them. They looked like they'd been through hell, but she wasn't complaining. Rushing forward she gave each of them a hug, even the Cetra warrior. "We didn't know what happened to you!"
"Same goes for you." Cloud grunted, clearly in pain and out of breath from the long trek they'd made through the jungles. "We could see the smoke from the temple."
"It's not as bad as it looks." Cid boasted as he turned his head up to look at the damage from the outside for the first time. "She's a tough -----. We'll have her flying again before you know it."
"Wait a minute." Jessie said as she hugged onto Vincent a second time. Looking around at the group, her eyes filled with dread as she noticed an absence. "Where's Tseng?"
"He's dead." Vincent darkly said.
"Rude got him." Tifa quietly added. "He attacked us as we came out of the temple."
"I see." Jessie said with a grim tone as she set her jaw and stared at the ground. Though Tseng hadn't been in the little group for as long as most of them had, his actions, both before they'd met him and after, had profound effects on their missions.
"We must return to Cosmo Canyon as swiftly as possible." Nanaki said, his voice filled with misery. "My people and your friend are in grave danger."
"Why?" Cid asked. "What the hell is going on now?"
"Reno and Rude must have followed us there." Cloud said angrily. "Rude told us that Reno and a bunch of Mako Demons are attacking Cosmo Canyon."
"What about Rude?" Jessie asked. "What's he doing?"
"Rude is no longer an issue." Vincent stated coolly.
"We killed him." Nanaki declared.
"You what!" Jessie cried out. "How the hell did you do that!"
"With this." Tifa quietly said as she looked over the Atma Claws on her fist that had played a crucial role in that victory.
"Is that the weapon we came here for?" Jessie asked, staring at the alien design in awe.
"Yes." Nanaki interrupted them. "But there are greater matters at hand. We must get this ship airborne as fast as possible. The fate of the world could be at stake."
"What do you mean?" Cid grumbled.
"The Chaos orb that Bugenhagen told us about." Cloud said. "It's gone. We think that Rude stole it, but we couldn't find it on his body. He must have had some one else with him. Rufus may already have it."
"Oh, ----." Jessie breathed out, her eyes widening slightly at that horrifying possibility.
"Yeah, we know." Tifa sighed. "Let's just get in there and fix this thing up. Tell us what we can do to help."
Without a word, Cid pulled a cigarette from the pack clipped to the piloting goggles he wore around his forehead. Stuffing the cancer-stick into his mouth, he lit it with a flick of flame from his lighter and took a long drag before blowing it out and motioning for them to follow him back inside the ship.
With everyone working together the Highwind was repaired in just over a day. Though the ship still needed to undergo a much more thorough overhaul, it would be enough to get them around for the time being. With Cid at the helm, the Highwind set off for Cosmo Canyon, giving the others the first two hours of uneasy sleep they'd had in days.
Awakened by Cid's booming voice coming through the ships intercom, they all made their way to the bridge just as the Highwind arrived at the Cetra city. Even at their altitude they could already tell that the situation wasn't good. They had known that things would be bad given that Rude had told them that Reno was here, but nothing could have prepared them for what they witnessed. Fire and smoke could be seen coming from almost every home and cave mouth that Cosmo Canyon had to offer. As the airship landed and they set out on foot, leaving only Cid and Sherra behind, the horrible tragedy became crystal clear.
The outer walls of Cosmo Canyon had been blown to pieces, as evident by the boulders and debris that covered the landscape. The bodies of hundreds of Cetra men, women, and even children littered the area, thrown about like rag dolls in ruined heaps. Blood was everywhere, and the city was scorched with the markings of an epic magical battle. One building in particular caught their eyes; a small shop that had been decimated, with only one wall still standing. The stone was burnt black, but at the center a spot in the shape of Cetra woman was not singed. A charred corpse lay on the ground below the wall as the final proof of what had happened. The carnage was gargantuan in scale, enough to make even seasoned warriors feel their stomachs churn.
Nanaki walked in shocked silence through the ruins of his home, stopping every so often to check on fallen Cetra, presumably ones he'd personally known. No one said anything to him as he stumbled about the dead bodies of his friends and family. They followed behind him, gaping at the genocide laid out before them. Even Vincent looked disturbed, not to mention the others, who were far more susceptible to such sights. The only ones here who could possibly come close to understanding what Nanaki must be feeling were Cloud and Tifa, but they had only lost one town. Nanaki had just lost his race.
Heading into one of the tunnels leading to the underground city, things became even worse. The attack on the outer walls had most likely caught the Cetra by complete surprise, which is why there were so many civilian bodies there. Apparently, this is where the scrambling Cetra warriors had met the invaders with the brunt of their forces. There were fewer civilians here, but the bodies of many Red Moon warriors were scattered about everywhere in a gory display. The tunnel walls were burnt so badly by magic that some parts of the stone had turned to darkened glass. In addition, there were also a few, massive, gray and blue skinned corpses of creatures that had long ago been human. Mako Demons; Cloud would never forget their burning red eyes and the long fleshy tendrils that grew from their heads like massive locks of hair. They were the completed versions of the type that he and Zach had stumbled upon Branch Seven of the Magic and Technology Research Division back in Midgar all those months ago.
With Tifa holding her hand over her mouth to try and keep herself from vomiting from the visions and smells, the abnormally quiet party continued on and down into the cavernous metropolis of the Cetra's underground city. When they arrived, it became painfully apparent that the Warriors of the Red Moon had failed to stop the invasion at the tunnels. The buildings here, which were far more elaborate than the farce that had been constructed on the canyon walls, lay in rubble. Many more fallen Mako Demons were visible here as well.
To their surprise, there wasn't nearly as much blood as they would have expected from the amount of bodies that could be seen everywhere. It seemed that most of them had died from massive magical attacks, or the collapse of buildings that resulted from them. It was as if a thousand powerful mages had simultaneously cast Ultima, Meteo, Flare, and a dozen other high-level spells. Some poor souls had even been turned to solid stone by the fierceness of the Mako Demon's mystical assault. The results were heart rending scenes frozen forever in time of mothers ineffectively trying to shield their children, and men and women weeping over their dead loved ones. It was like an unreal glimpse of what the apocalypse would bring. It was nearly unfathomable to think that the creature's that had done this were man made, and not truly demons.
Just a few steps into the smoke-fogged and decimated city, Nanaki nearly stumbled across the body of one of his female warriors. The others recognized her as one of the few who had helped escort them to Bugenhagen during their first visit here, just days ago. Losing the last of his mental strength, he fell to his knees next to the corpse, eyes widening as he looked over her. The deceased warrior's short hair and tribal clothing had been darkened by drying blood, the crimson inside of her throat exposed by gashes obviously left by claws. Her green, cat-slit eyes were still open, staring at nothing, as Nanaki slid his arms underneath her. The woman's head rolled limply to the side as he cradled her lifeless body. Nanaki touched his forehead to hers as a howl of misery left him and echoed through the cavern as tears abruptly soaked his cheeks.
"I'm so sorry." Tifa said, her voice sincere as she stepped up behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I wish there was something I could do."
"This is our fault." Cloud muttered, looking around at the horrible scenes of death as flashes of the slaughter of Nibelheim came to him. "We led them here without even knowing."
"No." Nanaki barely managed to say through his bitter tears. "You are not to blame. Even knowing that Rufus had taken Jenova's power, we remained here. We should have rallied and attacked him before his Empire was even built, but we had grown so complacent. We brought this upon ourselves."
The party went quiet. There was nothing any of them could say that would do this tragedy any justice, so they merely stayed silent. Nanaki continued to hold his dead warrior, though he was slowly pushing back his tears. It was then that a sound came from further down the caverns. Nanaki was the first to hear it, his pointed ears twitching and causing the others to become alert. They listened closely as they heard sounds of movements coming from deeper in the cave. Whether they were friend or foe, they couldn't tell, but they were coming closer.
"War Chief!" A heavily accented voice called out as a group of Cetra warriors appeared from behind a destroyed building.
"Tekthani!" Nanaki shouted to the other as he placed the dead Cetra female lightly on the ground and ran towards his comrades. The slaughter all around him was momentarily drowned out by the elation of seeing survivors.
Moving towards each other, and being very careful not to step on any of the bodies strewn about, the two groups met and greeted each other with great enthusiasm.
"We feared that you would not return." The Cetra named Tekthani told him. He looked to be much older than Nanaki, with the beginnings of wrinkles running over his dark skin. The clothing he wore was tattered and tarnished with blood, both red, and a peculiar bluish tinge that had probably come from the Mako Demons. A single glance at him told that he was very tired, mentally and physically. The other warriors who were with him looked much the same.
"We were attacked at the temple." Nanaki explained. "We lost one man, but we were able to defeat the Jenova spawn there."
"We too emerged victorious." Tekthani said with obvious distress in his voice. "If such devastation can be called a triumph."
"Yes, I know" Nanaki said, his anguish sweeping over his face once more as Tekthani's words reminded him of his surroundings. "Tell me what happened here."
"A Shinra agent led an army of creatures to attack us." He replied with a quiet voice. "We believe their numbers were nearly one hundred."
"One hundred?" Nanaki wheezed in disbelief. "How could such a small number do this!"
"The Mako Demons are very powerful." Cloud interrupted. "It takes entire teams of Imperial Special Operations soldiers to kill even one or two of them."
"Yes." Tekthani nodded in agreement, his body quivering at the memories of the beasts he saw. "The creatures were very formidable, but the most damage was dealt by the one who led them."
"Reno." Vincent spat out in disgust.
"He displayed power unlike we have ever witnessed with our own eyes." Tekthani shook his head as if to deny the astonishing things Reno had done. "Surely he was a demon."
"He was no demon." Nanaki growled with seething hatred for the man who had destroyed his home and his people. "But he was calling upon the power of one. That bastard used the strength of Jenova."
"How did you beat him?" Tifa asked in confusion, realizing that they must have been able to drive him off; otherwise he would still be here attacking them.
"We did not." Tekthani said as he dropped his eyes in disgrace. When he spoke again, his voice was one of a defeated soul. "Forgive me, Nanaki. We were powerless against this man."
"It isn't your fault." Nanaki assured him, placing his hands on the warrior's shoulders in a firm grip to show him that he was sincere. "Just tell me what happened."
"He fled." One of the other Cetra spoke up.
"He did what now?" Jessie asked with doubt in her voice.
"Orivan speaks the truth." Tekthani looked to the woman with pain in his eyes as he defended his warrior. "The man you call Reno could have destroyed us all, but he left a little over a day ago."
"Perhaps he could sense that Rude was killed?" Nanaki asked, looking to Cloud for his opinion.
"I guess that's possible." The blond nodded. "That would probably be enough to spook him into going back to Midgar. After all, they haven't had anyone who could stand up to them in nearly a century."
"Or perhaps he has Chaos." Vincent pointed out. "Rude may have some how sent it to him for safekeeping, and he in turn took it to Rufus."
"I don't know about that." Tifa rebutted. "I don't think he'd send something that valuable back into the heart of an even bigger battle than what he was about to get into."
"She's probably right." Cloud agreed. "It's more likely that Rude had one of these Mako Demons, or maybe a regular Turk with him, and they took it back to Midgar."
"Chaos is gone?" Tekthani asked, his face paling at the dread such a thing invoked.
"Yes." Nanaki let out a deep sigh and tried to push this catastrophe out of his mind for now. "And we must retrieve it. Take me to Bugenhagen; we must have his council on this matter."
The group of Cetra warriors instantly fell silent. None of them, not even their current leader Tekthani, said a word as almost all of them looked to the ground or diverted their eyes away from Nanaki.
"Where is my grandfather?" He asked in a quiet whisper as a horrific feeling crept up on him.
"I am so sorry, Nanaki." Tekthani said with heartfelt sorrow in his eyes and a broken voice. "The elder perished in the attack, along with many of our brethren."
Silently, Nanaki took a step backwards, a terrible pain running through his body as his face twisted with emotional chaos. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. After a moment of uneasy silence, he took three shaky steps away and sat down on a pile of rubble, his back to them as he dropped his head into the palms of his hands.
"Nanaki." Jessie quietly whispered from behind him as all the others looked to him with sympathy. She began to walk towards him, hoping to lend some comfort, but Cloud stopped her with an upraised arm. Jessie looked to him in confusion as he shook his head quietly.
"What about Aerith?" Tifa asked the Cetra warriors quietly, clearly worried for the girl's safety. "She was with Bugenhagen, is she alright?"
"She is no longer here." Tekthani spoke softly as he watched Nanaki mourn. "Just as the battle began, Bugenhagen sent her away through the back tunnels in a buggy."
"Do you know where she is now?" Jessie asked.
"Bugenhagen told us that she is going to Midgar."
"Midgar!" Cloud exclaimed in a harsh whisper, verbalizing the shock that was on all their faces while trying desperately to not disturb Nanaki. "What the hell is she going there for!"
"She is planning to use Holy to destroy Rufus." Tekthani said as he sighed and looked away from his War Chief, turning his bright eyes to Cloud. "Bugenhagen said that it was the will of the lifestream."
"But she can't go alone!" Tifa said in panic.
"She is not to be unaided." Tekthani shook his head. "The elder was quite clear that she would be joined by others before the battle with Rufus was to commence."
"Grandfather was highly attuned to the lifestream." Nanaki whispered from his seat near them. "Perhaps he wished for her to leave for Midgar so that we would follow after her."
Tifa began to walk over to him with the same intention that Jessie had a few moments previous, but she too was stopped, except this time it was by Nanaki.
"I will be fine." He said in strong voice that surprised everyone. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he stood back up and turned to them. Although his face still wore signs of internal misery, he straightened himself and held back his anguish as best he could. "There is no more time for tears. As War Chief of the Red Moon, I must lead my people in the absence of my grandfather."
"Are you saying that he may have sent her to Midgar to act as a catalyst for a confrontation with Rufus?" Vincent asked.
"It is possible." Nanaki replied as he regained more of his usual composure.
"Well, he was damn right." Cloud grimaced. "We have to get to her right away. We can't let her do this alone."
"Settle down, Cloud." Jessie told him. "On her own it's going to take her a while to get to Midgar. Let's head back to Wutai, repair the ship real fast, and get Colonel Miyama's help."
"I think that's a good idea." Tifa nodded her approval.
"Fine." Cloud grunted, though he didn't sound very happy about it. "I'll have Miyama contact this Reeves guy and have him watch for Aerith. If he really does work in the government, hopefully he can spot her in the city before she gets too close to Rufus."
"What would you have us do, Nanaki?" Tekthani asked, his voice filled with pride and respect for the other Cetra.
"How many of our people remain?"
"We have not been able to do a proper tally." Tekthani sighed with remorse. "But there cannot be more than three or four thousand. We still search for survivors in the ruins."
"Three thousand?" Nanaki whispered as he ground his teeth together. "From a city of nearly fifty times that number?"
"Had we not evacuated civilians to the furthest caves when we realized what we were fighting against," Tekthani's shoulders slumped in defeat. "That number would be even smaller."
Nanaki looked down, closing his eyes and breathing heavily as he attempted to clear his mind and touch the lifestream to gain the clarity and strength he required at this time. At last, he looked up and turned to Cloud.
"Can you give us the location of Ahziralirul? My people can no longer stay here. We must relocate to some place where we can be safe."
"Of course." Cloud nodded. "The Highwind probably has exact records of where it was in its maps."
"Good." Nanaki looked back to Tekthani. "Take what remains of our people and journey to the coordinates this man gives you. Bring only what you need, and stay hidden as you go. You must depart hastily and travel even more so. Rufus could send forces back to finish what Reno started, so you must leave no trace of where you are headed."
"We will do as you command, War Chief." Tekthani bowed his head. "But what of you?"
"I will go with these humans and do battle against Rufus." Nanaki said, his voice stern and hateful. "I will bring honor back to our people, and I will make Shinra pay for what they have done here, and to the rest of this world."
From the luxurious surroundings of his office at the top of the Shinra Imperial Government Tower, Rufus watched the city of Midgar. From his glass and marble desk a record player released the soothing sounds of classical symphonies into the otherwise quiet chamber.
A deep purr came from his left, prompting him to reach over and pet the enormous feline form of Kuro who sat at his side. Standing here watching his city and basking in his music, he could almost be at total peace, but he wasn't. All was not right in the glorious Holy Shinra Empire, and it hadn't been since Cloud Strife and his band of revolutionaries had begun causing trouble.
Quick footsteps invaded his solitude and Rufus turned to see Reno come to a stop just a few feet short of him. The Turk said nothing, but his posture and expression betrayed his silence for him.
"What happened?"
"It's Rude." Reno grimaced. "He's dead."
"Dead!" Rufus asked in shock. "How is that possible!"
"I don't know." Reno admitted, shaking his head and running a hand through his long red hair in a nervous gesture. "We split up, so I didn't see it."
"Are you sure about this?" Rufus asked, the thought of losing his longtime friend weighing heavily on his mind.
"Yeah." Reno said in a defeated voice. "I felt it hit me pretty hard. He must not have been real far from where I was."
"Why did you split up?" Rufus asked as he felt the sudden need to sit down.
"Right when he got there, Cloud and his pals left the city in the Highwind. We decided that Rude would go after them, and I'd stay with the Mako Demons and blow up the city since they left Aerith inside."
"But how could they possibly kill him?" Rufus asked, bewildered. "You fought them when they had Sephiroth with them, and even then they were no match for you."
"Yeah." Reno said, looking disturbed. "But when I attacked the city I found out that it was more than it seemed. The people living there were all Cetra."
"An entire city?" Rufus asked, the thought of it almost too incredible to grasp. "So that's why they went there. The Cetra must have given them the means to fight against Jenova's power!"
"I was kind of thinking the same thing." Reno said and sounded not too happy about the possibility. "Another Atma Weapon, maybe?"
"How could we have been so careless?" Rufus wondered out loud as he placed his hand over his eyes and rubbed at his temples. "I can't believe Rude is dead."
"We were deep in combat with the Cetra when I felt it happen." Reno mumbled. "I didn't know what was going on, and I was worried that they might have a way of attacking me too, so I took off and left the fight to the Mako Demons."
"And Holy?" Rufus asked, looking up. "What happened to it?"
"I don't know." Reno admitted. "I'm not sure if she was still even in the city by that point. I mean, I figure she'd have used it during the fight, or at least been spotted by the demons. I think she must have had another way out and took it."
"You mean that Rude is dead," Rufus gritted his teeth. "And we have nothing to show for it?"
"Well he contacted me and said that he'd followed the Highwind to something important." Reno said, trying to find something to help salvage this botched mission. "He said he'd give me more details later, but then they must have got him."
"That does us little good if he's not here to give us the details, now does it?" Rufus let out a frustrated sigh.
"Look, I'm sorry." Reno said, equally frustrated. "I didn't know what else to do than to come back and let you know."
"No, it's alright." Rufus said, raising a hand to silence the Turk. "You did the right thing under the circumstances. I'm just not very happy with this news."
"Well, it's not like I am either." Reno grumbled. "I've known him just as long as you have."
"Yes, I know." Rufus replied, but his thoughts were now elsewhere. "If they have an Atma Weapon and still have Holy, then we have to assume they plan to use them."
"You think they'll come after us here?"
"They have no other choice." Rufus grunted. "They know we won't leave Midgar when we could be in danger."
"What do we do then?"
"We need to plan." Rufus breathed out a heavy sigh. "Everything we've worked to create is at stake."
Beneath the city of Midgar, hidden within the sewers and catacombs found there, the terrorist organization known as Avalanche waited in secret. Many long months had passed since their not-so-coincidental encounter with Cloud Strife that had sent one of their members with him across the globe. Since that time Barret, Biggs, and Wedge had remained relatively quiet, forgoing their usual bombing runs as they waited for the Empire to forget about them. Though they had tried their best to find out who it was that Reeves was now working with, they uncovered practically nothing. It didn't surprise them, per se. After all, Reeves had hidden his dealings from Rufus; he could certainly hide them from Avalanche.
This night, however, was different. It had been apparent for several days that something major had occurred. Now, at last, Reeves had set up a meeting with them to explain the details. So now here they stood with their backs to the sewer walls at the spot Reeves had specified, waiting for him to arrive so he could give them the news, and so they could ask him some questions.
With an unspectacular splash, Reeves stepped through a puddle and they all looked to see him. Again in his white and blue suit, he stood out against Avalanche's mottled array of camouflage and armor.
"Glad you could make it." Reeves said to the trio as he shook the water from the bottom of his shoe.
"Likewise." Barret grunted. "We were starting to think you'd forgotten about us."
Noting the animosity in Barret's voice, Reeves looked up from his shoe to see the three men glaring at him as if they were considering mugging him.
"I know I haven't been in contact lately," Reeves spoke evenly, not frightened by their stares. "But that's no reason to turn on me now."
"No, but you hiding ---- from us is." Biggs snapped out.
"What are you talking about?"
"You know damn well what he means." Barret cut in before Biggs could respond and stepped up to Reeves, trying to let his towering height intimidate the politician. "The last mission you helped us on was attacking Branch Seven, where we just happened to run into the very man we've been watching for this whole damn time. We even helped him bust their friend out of jail and get them out of the city, and we had almost no resistance from the military or the Turks."
Reeves, who didn't seem phased by the enormous man leering down at him, just shook his head. "And your point would be?"
"It was set up." Wedge chimed in.
"Oh really?" Reeves raised a brow.
"Yeah." Biggs added. "And not only by you. Even you don't have connections that great. Who're you working with?"
Reeves took some time to look back and fourth between, and observe the members of Avalanche before he finally let out a tired sigh of resignation. "Fine. If you really must know, Anthony Zahn helped me set it up."
"Zahn?" Biggs gawked at him. "As in the Lieutenant General of the HSIA?"
"That's the one."
"Are you out of you're ----ing mind, man!" Barret rumbled at him as he shook his fist in the air. "That guy commands half the god damn army!"
"Thank you for informing me." Reeves sarcastically retorted. "That's precisely what makes him such a valuable asset right now."
"And you really think you can trust this guy!" Wedge was practically choking on the candy bar he had just taken a bite out of.
"Not at all." Reeves shook his head no. "But we have a common enemy, and for now, that's enough."
"How the hell do you know he's not reporting all of this ---- directly to Rufus!" Barret shot back.
"Please." Reeves sighed again. "If that were the case, I'd have been killed long ago, and none of this would have come so far."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Wedge asked.
"The fewer who know about his involvement, the easier it is to keep it a secret. He's in the spot light enough that even a simple rumor about him turning traitorous against Rufus could ruin it all."
"I don't like him being in on this, man!" Barret scowled. "Not one bit!"
"You're just going to have to trust me." Reeves sounded sincere. "You and I both want Rufus removed from power. We've worked together for a long time; don't lose faith in me now."
Barret's eyes narrowed as he considered the politician's words for a long while before reluctantly nodded. "I guess there's nothing else we can do about it. Fine, we're still in. Now spill the news, we want to know what's up."
"My sources in Wutai contacted me yesterday." Reeves said in a more relaxed tone now that the brief hostilities were over. "They're preparing to launch an attack."
"Where are they going to strike?" Biggs asked.
"Here."
"Midgar?" Wedge sounded suitably surprised.
"That was always the plan." Reeves reminded him. "You knew it was coming one day."
"Yeah, but we heard that Sephiroth was dead." Biggs chipped in. "We kind of figured that had thrown the old plan out the window."
"Ah, that." Reeves nodded with understanding. "Well, it seems as though your old friend Cloud Strife has taken General Kagemusha's place. He and his team seem to have found a way to fight against Rufus."
"Are you sure?" Biggs sounded doubtful. "I mean, Sephiroth searched for a long time and never found anything."
"From what I hear, Sephiroth had been involved in what they were investigating." Reeves explained. "And even if he hadn't been, they've already proven that they have the means to fight. They killed Rude."
"You gotta be kidding me." Biggs stared at him, wide eyed with disbelief.
"Reno himself reported it to Rufus just this morning."
"Holy ----!" Wedge let out a whistle. "Rude was one of the top dogs!"
"I knew that damn boy had it in him." Barret couldn't help but grin. "So what do you need us to do?"
"A simple task." Reeves said as a sly smirk crossed his face. "When Wutai arrives, I need you to open the door for them."
With a hum that was nearly melodic, Elena activated the softly beeping caster sphere on her desk. As the ball spun to life, illuminating her office within the Kalm cathedral while it sent her image to Midgar, the glass screen to its left blinked on.
"Hello Elena." Rufus said as his upper body became visible on the screen, his face serene as always.
"Good afternoon, Divine Emperor." Elena smiled as she bowed her head to his image. "You wished to speak with me?"
"Yes, indeed." He said as his voice took on a darker tone. "I come bearing unfortunate news, I'm afraid."
"What's wrong?" Elena asked, realizing that anything upsetting to Rufus was dire.
"The demons that we've been battling for so long seem to have evolved." Rufus said, going straight to the point. "I have learned that a handful of them have managed to take human form."
"Are you certain?" Elena was appalled by the very thought, and also extremely worried about the possibilities of such a thing. "This would represent a terrible risk to our security."
"I'm afraid it's true." Rufus sighed. "I've learned that a small group of men and women that have been committing terrorist activities across the globe for many months now are, in fact, demons in disguise. Many of them were even former citizens of our Empire."
"I think I've heard you speak of them before. A former soldier named Cloud Strife, I believe?"
"Yes, that's the one. I had Rude following them, and he learned of their true forms." Rufus lowered his eyes and his voice became softer. "Unfortunately, the information cost him his life."
"Rude!" Elena was horrified. "But he was one of your greatest disciples! You blessed him with such awesome power!"
"Yes, I know." Rufus bowed his head, his creased brows showing the pain he felt over the loss of his friend. "So you understand what a threat these new demons pose."
"What will we do?" She asked, still bewildered by the terrible news.
"I don't know where they are now, but I believe they intend on coming here to do me harm. It's very probable that they already have agents in Midgar, disguised in this human form of theirs and waiting for their chance to strike at me."
"But surely you can stop them." Elena hopefully said. "You are the Divine Emperor!"
"That may no longer be enough. These demons have obtained terrible powers." Rufus said, shaking his head. "Their evil may have evolved to a point where they can even counter my divine gifts."
"Can this be true?" Elena held a hand to her chest in the hopes of slowing her heart rate. "What can we do to protect you?"
"I will take care of defending Midgar myself, Elena." Rufus said in a soothing voice to try and calm her. "What I ask of you is that you address the people."
"To what end?"
"In order to bring these demonic assassins to light and destroy them, I am forced to place Midgar under martial law. Tomorrow the gates will be shut and they will not be reopened until the demons in the city can be weeded out."
"Martial law?" Elena was shocked. In all the years of the Holy Shinra Empire, such a thing had never been done. To see it occurring in the capital city was unthinkable.
"I know this is not something you want to see happen, but these are dark times." Rufus seemed distressed by the idea as well. "I must act to preserve the peace. I need you to calm the people of the Empire during this process and assure them that everything will be alright, so that I can concentrate on ending this ordeal as quickly and painlessly as possible."
"It just seems so unreal." Elena's voice was distant as she stared at her desk.
"Elena, I must have your support." Rufus gently spoke to her. "You are the High Priestess, and you have stood by me for many years. If I do not have your trust, then I have already lost this battle."
"My faith in you has never wavered, Emperor." She straightened her back and brought her thoughts back into focus, her face growing determined. "If this is what we must do to keep you and the people safe, then you have my unquestioning support."
"Good." Rufus smiled at her. "I knew I could count on you, Elena. You've always been a strong woman. Now I must go, I have much to prepare for."
"Of course." Elena said, bowing her head to him. "I will ready a statement for the Caster News Network."
Rufus' image faded from the caster screen and Elena reached over to the spinning sphere and shut it off, watching as its speed slowed and its light faded. Rufus was right; she had always been strong in her faith. Ever since she was a little girl, and even more so after she became the High Priestess of the Holy Shinra Empire, she had remained steadfast. Never had she wavered in her resolve or questioned the word of her Divine Emperor. Rufus was a wise and kind man, far more than any other human being in existence, which is why he had been reborn as a god to lead their race out of darkness. Yet now, staring at the blank screen before her and thinking of the things that were about to transpire, she couldn't help but fear for the future.
As his conversation with Elena came to a close, Rufus sat back in his chair, folding his hands in front of his chest and watching as the caster sphere ceased its transmissions. Even after her image was gone, he continued to stare at the dull white screen with extreme discomfort.
"You think she bought it?" Reno asked from the shadows to his left where he'd been standing the entire time.
"Of course she did." Rufus sighed with regret. "She's always trusted me."
"Then why do you look so ----ty?"
"I don't like to lie to her." Rufus said as he shot a cold glare at him for his comment. "It doesn't feel right."
"We lie to millions of people every day." Reno shrugged it off. "What's the big deal?"
"She's not like everyone else." Rufus looked back to his desk and narrowed his eyes. "We lie to the masses so that we can keep the peace. But Elena? She's not a foolish person, and she's not a mindless zealot. She puts her faith in me because she truly believes in everything I've said."
"Well, you better get over it." Reno grumbled. "We don't have time to be feeling bad for things we can't help."
"Emperor, your guests are in the lobby." The voice of his secretary came from his desk, interrupting the very uncivilized comment he was preparing to hurl at Reno.
"Very well. Send them in." Rufus straightened himself up as Reno stepped up behind him and to his left.
In a matter of seconds the doors to the office swung open as two men stepped through and began walking towards the desk. Stopping somewhat short, both Lieutenant General Zahn and General Heidegger saluted and awaited their orders. Donned in their blue officer's suits, the two men couldn't possibly be any more different from one another. Heidegger was short and rotund while Zahn was tall and well built. Zahn was well groomed while Heidegger's mess of a beard looked as though it might contain small birds. Even their postures were opposite; Heidegger's salute and stand were lazy while Zahn's were a perfect display of military training. In fact, it was well known that Zahn was a far better military leader than Heidegger ever had been or ever could be. The only real reason why Heidegger was above him in the chain of command was because Zahn's intelligence made him more difficult to control. Heidegger, on the other hand, was a complete fool.
"At ease, officers." Rufus said to them.
"What are your orders, sir?" Heidegger's booming voice asked.
Lieutenant General Zahn remained silent, knowing full well that it was not his place to speak without permission as Heidegger had or out of turn as he would be doing if he interrupted the idiotic man.
"There is much to do, so I will be brief." Rufus said. "Midgar is in danger of an imminent attack from demons. Some may already be hiding within the city, disguised as humans. Until they can be captured and peace restored, I will be placing the city under martial law."
Heidegger seemed to want to speak up, but something stopped him. Perhaps the realization of how serious such a thing was.
"General Heidegger, you will take your men and set up blockades at all entrances and exits to the city. I want no one coming in or going out of the city until these demons have been discovered. I am authorizing you to utilize any means necessary to keep the peace; if you see any suspicious behavior, deal with it."
"Understood, sir." Heidegger saluted.
"As for you, Lieutenant General." Rufus turned to look at Zahn. "During this dangerous time I will be placing you in charge of security for this tower. I want this entire building to remain perfectly safe from attack or infiltration. To this end, you are authorized to organize your own security teams using the men and women in your Special Operations unit. Pull them from other assignments if need be. I want you to choose only the best for this."
"It will be done, Emperor." Zahn saluted as well.
"That is all. Return to your posts and prepare for your new orders. Your troops must be in place by tomorrow night. The city will be quarantined during the night to reduce the risk of delays by citizens when the martial law status is announced the following morning."
With another round of salutes, the two men turned on their heels and marched out of the room. As the door closed behind them, Reno dropped his tough guy body guard act and sat on the edge of Rufus' desk, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Putting Zahn in charge of security, huh?" Reno asked skeptically. "Think that's a good idea? He's a smart one; he might figure things out if he has full control over the tower."
"It's a risk, yes." Rufus admitted. "But he's the best tactician we have. If he can't keep this tower secure, no one can."
Upon leaving his briefing with Rufus, Lieutenant General Zahn parted ways with Heidegger and headed for his own office on the forty-first story of the tower. The spacious room was dark as he entered it, but the moonlight filtering in through the windows gave just enough illumination to keep him from turning on the lights. Though, even if it had been pitch black he would have known that he was not alone.
"How did it go?" Reeves asked from his seat at Zahn's desk. A direct meeting between them inside the tower itself was possible at the moment only because Rufus was so busy making preparations for the impending martial law declaration. He simply didn't have time to watch over everything as he usually would.
"As anticipated." The officer replied while he walked to a small cooler and poured himself a glass of scotch.
"When does it begin?"
"Tomorrow night." Zahn poured a second glass and brought it to Reeves.
"That's awfully sudden." Reeves said as he took the drink.
"It's not unexpected." Zahn sipped from his glass. "He certainly doesn't have all the details, but he knows that he's in danger."
"Do you think he expects Wutai to attack?"
"It's difficult to say. He knows I could mount a more effective defense of the city, but he put Heidegger in charge anyway. So perhaps he doesn't expect a full assault."
"But?"
"He may just be more concerned about the defense of this tower than the city in general. A logical move, considering the danger that a team capable of killing Rude poses to him."
"And what about us?" Reeves asked as he took a drink.
"Now that's something I can answer with certainty." Zahn smirked in the darkness. "He still doesn't completely trust me, but he expects that I'll do my job without question. I've been given authorization to hand-pick the security teams tonight, but of course I already know who I'll be using. Come tomorrow, this tower will be filled with soldiers loyal to me, not Rufus."
"Mainly from Special Operations, I'm sure?"
"Most of them, yes." Zahn nodded as he looked out the window to the city below. "I don't want my best soldiers to be killed in the actual fight down there. I'll need them once Rufus is gone, so I can't risk losing them to a simple distraction."
"And you're confident that you can 'secure' this tower like we need it to be?"
"Don't worry about it, Reeves." A sly smile crossed Zahn's pale lips. "Everything is under control."
In the mountains of the Republic of Wutai, the sky was turned brown and green as a massive fleet of airships took flight. The western coast of the ocean was a similar scene as boats filled with soldiers headed into the seas. Amidst one of the largest military deployment in the history of this nation, a single airship devoid of any paint and sparkling purely from the silver color of the iron and steel it was forged from rose out of the mountains. Larger and faster than even the mighty Wutai carriers, the fully, albeit hastily, repaired Highwind rose above them and soared ahead.
For the first time since it had been stolen from the Shinra base near Rocket, the Highwind had a full and capable crew composed of its usual passengers as well as Wutai technicians and soldiers. On the bridge, Cid and Sherra flew the ship and directed their Wutai assistants as Colonel Miyama and the young assassin, Yuffie, looked on.
Standing on the deck, strangely comforted by the massive materia cannons found there, Vincent and Jessie stood together with their hands and arms braced against the airships railing as they watched the Wutai airships mix with the night time stars.
Truly alone in both appearance and mind set, Nanaki sat alone in one of the crew quarters, his legs crossed beneath him on the small and not entirely comfortable cot as he closed his eyes and let the will of the lifestream bring him peace in this time of fear and uncertainty.
Cloud and Tifa sat on opposite ends of the otherwise empty crew lounge, remembering the last time that all of them had been together in this room before death had stolen away members of their party.
No matter where they were, everyone was thinking the same things, and everyone was mentally preparing themselves for what lay ahead of them. This would be the first and last offensive against the might of the Holy Shinra Empire. While Wutai attacked the city to distract the armies stationed there, their small team would infiltrate the tower and settle things with Rufus. One way or the other, today would be the beginning of the end of the war. If they succeeded, Rufus would no longer be able to lie to and manipulate the world. If they failed, Wutai would be far too crushed to ever stand up to Shinra again and there would be no one left with the weapons or means to challenge Rufus' supremacy.
There was little talking on the Highwind. Everyone was in their own world, wondering and perhaps even praying about the future. Even those who were standing along side of others they knew and cared for said nothing. Words could not express what they were all thinking, so they chose to remain quiet. The tension was too thick to be cut with mere words.
Looking up and across the crew lounge, Cloud Strife found himself staring at Tifa. For his entire life he'd known her. They'd grown up together; they'd shared more experiences than he could possibly remember. It was rare for them to even be apart. Yet now, looking at the beautiful young girl who sat with her head in her hands, clearly trying to steady herself, Cloud thought about what they were about to undertake.
He looked away, his eyes searching the room for something to take his mind off of what had just occurred to him, but there was nothing here to look at except for her. Internally, he struggled with his feelings; the same struggle that he'd had for years now, only now much more intense. He'd always felt that it would be better to keep her from finding out, but this could very well be their final moments together, and he realized that she deserved the truth. At long last, and with a great amount of fear in his heart, he stood from his seat and walked across the lounge to her.
Tifa looked up as he sat down next to her, tucking her hair behind her ears from where it had fallen into her face. As she looked at him, her eyes were filled with worry. Perhaps she was thinking about the same thing that he was.
"Tifa, I-" Cloud cut off as he realized his voice was off. Pausing to breathe and clear his throat, he steadied himself and tried again. "We need to talk."
"What about?" She asked with the hint of a sniffle in her voice.
"Well. You know." Cloud let out a short sigh and leaned forward in his chair, bowing his head down and avoiding eye contact with her. He was a near fearless warrior, but the thoughts swimming in his head right now were scaring the hell out of him. "Stuff."
"I'm afraid, Cloud." Tifa said it for him, her voice slightly quivering. "We've done a lot that was dangerous, but never anything like this before."
"Yeah." He said in a soft voice. "I know. There's a good chance we may not make it out of this alive."
"I don't want to lose you." Tifa stammered as tears began to form in her eyes, her emotions uncontrollable. "I don't know how I'd live without you."
"I know, Tifa." Cloud said, taking another deep breath to try and steady his own voice. "It's not an easy thing to think about."
"Listen, I know you don't want to talk about this, but we may not have another chance." Tifa sniffled. "Back in Corel-"
"I've always known how you felt." Cloud cut her off, knowing exactly what she was going to say. He focused his eyes on the floor, intent on not looking at her if he could avoid it. "I just didn't want to hurt you, Tifa."
"Hurt me?" Tifa wiped at her eyes. "What do you think that did to me, make me feel better?"
"No. I know that hurt you. That's not what I meant." Cloud sighed, stumbling on his words.
"Then what did you mean?"
"I don't know." Cloud paused for a long moment to gather his thoughts. "I'm not a great person, Tifa. I'm vengeful, I'm reckless, and I'm a failure."
"What are you talking about?"
"I couldn't stop Sephiroth from destroying Nibelheim." Cloud said as his eyebrows creased from the painful memories. "I tried, but I was too weak, and everyone I loved died because of that weakness. When I finally returned to Midgar, you were the only thing I had left in the world."
"You barely talked to me when you came back." Tifa murmured. "You acted like you didn't want to be around me."
"I wasn't trying to hurt you. I was scared. I was scared that you would blame me for what happened; that I might lose the only person I had left."
"I never blamed you, Cloud." Tifa said as tears began slowly rolling down her soft cheeks. "It wasn't your fault. You tried to stop him, just because you couldn't doesn't make it your responsibility."
"Maybe." Cloud said quietly. "But I couldn't shake the feeling. I was so scared of losing you that even after we started talking again, I pushed my feelings away, even knowing what you wanted."
"What are you saying?" Tifa sniffled.
"Tifa-" The words caught in his throat. He'd never been the shy type, but he was finding this to be one of the most difficult things he'd ever done in his life. Even above riding on top of an enraged young Midgar Zolom.
"Just say it, Cloud." Tifa pleaded. "I need to know what you feel."
At those words, he could no longer avoid looking at her. Turning his head, he gazed into her deep brown eyes, and let out a quiet sigh. "I love you, Tifa. I guess in a way, I always have."
With that admission, Tifa's slow tears instantly burst into a fountain. Her brows creased as a mixture of elation and misery crossed her delicate features. "Then why do you always push me away?"
"I'm not good enough for you, Tifa." Cloud said, his face displaying the anguish he was feeling.
"But you're good enough for Aerith, is that it?" Tifa snapped as the tears continued to pour.
"What?" Cloud's eyes darted back to hers. He didn't understand that sudden accusation. "What are you talking about? Aerith is a great person, yeah, but she's only a friend."
"You were so happy around her in Wutai." Tifa cried, putting her hands to her face. "She told me she liked you, I just thought.."
"No. No, no." Feeling intensely bad for her, Cloud suddenly reached over and wrapped his arms around her. Pulled to him, Tifa buried her face in his chest and shuddered. "There was never anything between me and Aerith. I promise you."
"If there's no one else, then why can't you just love me?" Tifa cried.
"I do, Tifa." Cloud cradled her as he felt her body shake. "I've always been so worried that if I let it become something I'd just end up hurting you in the end."
"And what do you think you're doing by pushing me away?" She choked out. "My feelings about you aren't going to change just because you try to deny them, Cloud! How could you do this to me?"
"I'm sorry, Tifa." Cloud said with complete honesty. "I'm just stupid, I can't help it. I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear."
"Why are you telling me all of this now?" Tifa's voice was muffled by his shirt.
"We may not make it out of this alive." Cloud said as he gently pulled her up so he could see her face. "I didn't want to go and die without ever telling you. You deserve better than that. I've been such an idiot for so long, but if we make it out of this alive, I swear that's going to change."
"What do you mean?" Tifa asked, her lips trembling.
As an answer, he leaned his head down and pressed his lips to hers. Tifa's eyes went wide at the unexpected move, but then slid shut as she accepted and returned the action, her arms hugging around Cloud's chest tightly. After what seemed like an eternity the kiss ended. Tifa laid her head on his shoulder and continued to quietly cry from a mishmash of emotions. Cloud held her close to him and leaned his cheek on the top of her head, hoping against hope that they would survive to see tomorrow together.
No matter the time, Midgar always seemed to have enough lights for people to get around with little trouble. On this night, while soldiers were on the move and plans to barricade the city's many gates were made in secret, most of the citizens were making their way back to their homes, or to their places of twilight employment. Among the low amounts of traffic and pedestrian's heading in every direction, one girl in particular stood out from the rest. Clad in a simple, sleeveless violet dress that was buttoned from midway down her legs to just above the tops of her breast, Aerith Gainsborough walked towards the high rising Shinra Imperial Government Tower in as relaxed a fashion as she could manage.
It had been surprisingly easy for her to make it to the Imperial capital. As Bugenhagen had told her, the back caves of Cosmo Canyon had brought her just outside of a small village called Gonzaga. After a brief stop there for directions, she'd taken the buggy that she'd been given to Costa Del Sol to buy passage to Junon on a cargo ship. Once on Midgar's continent, she'd driven the buggy all the way across the mountains and straight into the city where she'd abandoned the vehicle on a curb just hours earlier. Not even once had she been stopped or questioned during the entire trip. After all, she was just a pretty young girl; hardly someone who would be considered a threat to the very core of the Holy Shinra Empire.
As she approached the tall tower, Aerith reached to the back of her hair and touched the smooth surface of the Holy orb in her ribbon, uttering a silent prayer for strength as she did so. She'd thought about how she would go about getting into the tower the entire time she'd been heading here. She knew of only one person, really only a name, that could help her, and so she had at last come to a single, simple conclusion.
She would knock.
The soldiers guarding the entrance to the tower paid her no mind as she stepped up to the glass doors that slid open for her. The building was bustling with activity, even this late at night, so she wasn't greeted with suspicion. With a single glance around the massive lobby that made up most of the first floor, she walked to an enormous reception desk at the center of the room where several men and women were helping visitors.
"Excuse me." Aerith said to a blond haired woman as she placed her hands on the desk and smiled at the receptionist. "I was wondering if you could help me. I'm looking for some one."
"Certainly ma'am." The receptionist smiled back at her. "Who do you need?"
"A politician who works here. His name is Reeves."
"Well, this is a little late for him to have any appointments scheduled." The woman said. "Is he expecting you?"
"Yes, I believe so." Aerith smiled and nodded. "Could you please just tell him that a friend is here to see him? I'm sure he'll know who it is."
Knock, knock.