Whoo-hoo! It's done!

I finished the Wyvern Battles last night. Now, that doesn't mean that this is the last chapter of the Wyvern Battles, but it means that the end is in reach. I still have about five more chapters after this one.


The New Shinra scout slowly turned off the accelerator. His motorcycle ground to a halt a second later. Right in front of him was the source of the plume of smoke. He had seen it from a distance, even in the midst of the falling snow. He had tried to radio over there, but on getting no response, he had moved to check it out. It was possible that the revolters to the south had still another ace up their sleeve, and that this was the source of it.

The soldier turned his head to look around the area. Nothing much of interest. A single dead tree. A frozen lake. No signs of any weapon, for certain. There were some indentations in the snow that had been partially covered by the weather. It was impossible to make out what they had been exactly at this point. He turned back to the rock wall before him. A slight grate opening was letting the smoke out. Nearby was a larger crack, looking to actually be a place to walk into the cliff. The man frowned at this. This was weird. This whole day had been weird…

As if to accent that thought, another one of those sonic peels of thunder suddenly rang out. It was so sharp and harsh that the soldier cringed a bit from it. The ground seemed to shake beneath him in its wake. He swallowed nervously. This freaky storm had been tearing up the sky almost since the battle began, and it was unnerving more of the men as it went on. It only seemed to get wilder as time went by. The scout had no interest in staying apart from the main army longer than he had to.

With that in mind, he unslung his automatic rifle from his back and put it at the ready. He licked his lips once, but then dismounted the bike. Afterward, he began to creep forward toward the entrance of the cave, prepared to shoot anything that tried to leap out at him, and watching for anything unconventional. Nothing happened as he got close. There was silence on the snow-filled air except for the occasional crack of thunder. After a few moments, he had left his motorcycle behind, and was now at the entrance. First, he put himself against the wall with his back to it. He held his weapon up and inhaled deeply, steadying himself. Then, in a flash, he spun around and aimed his weapon into the cave.

A moment later, he began to calm down. There was nothing there. A half-drunk old bottle of liquor…a couple of blankets…and a lit fire that was dying down a little. On seeing this, the man relaxed and raised his weapon again. Someone had to have been using this as a shelter. It made sense. Since the New Shinra had moved in on Icicle Inn, they had found lots of temporary shelters dotting the countryside, particularly near to bodies of water. They had to be for accidents or people lost in the weather. They were handy, but nevertheless the New Shinra had destroyed all they came across. They offered too many stops on an "underground railroad" the residents of Icicle Inn knew about and could use to escape. It looked like they had found another…

However, as the man stood there, he turned back to the bottle of liquor. He hesitated a moment. He hated this cold weather…and he hadn't had a stiff drink in months.In the end, he took a step forward. Maybe he could get anip before heading back…

"Hey buddy, can we borrow your bike?"

The soldier looked to his left, toward the sound of this voice. And that was all he saw for the next few hours. At that moment, a thin yet powerful fist lashed out and smashed him against the face with enough power to crack the visor on his helmet. He let out a moan and dropped to the ground unconscious soon after. The soldier would never know, at that moment, that he had been that close to killing the general of the Planet Protector Army.

Ragnar, on his part, sighed in relief. It was a good thing the man had come in so slowly, and that there had been a place to hide against the wall inside the cave. With the man knocked out, Ragnar turned slightly behind himself and hoisted up a bit. Cloud, fully dressed again, was resting against his back, still in a state of semi-consciousness. The youth had him somewhat hung over his back now, with his arms around his neck. Despite his state, Cloud was walking a bit with him. And that was good. Ragnar now moved forward with him on his back, half-dragging him until he reached the side of the fallen soldier. After that, he ducked down to his side just long enough to go to his belt, where a key was hanging. He snatched that off, and then took off his helmet, placing it on his own head. After that, he pulled Cloud back up, turned, and exited.

The young man had heard the motor running as it approached, and he had used the time there to hide and prepare for the enemy to come in. Now, he was thrilled at the thought that they had a ride. Hopefully, wearing this soldier's helmet, the people would be too distracted to realize he was an enemy until he had passed them by. They just might be able to pull this off…

Ragnar's enthusiasm died quickly, however, when he saw what the ride was. A motorcycle. The youth paled. He had bad memories concerning motorcycles, especially on Fenrir. These weren't like the four wheelers he had stolen earlier. You actually had to balance on them, lean into turns, and consider several other factors too. It didn't help that they were on snowy ground either.

The young man thought for a moment. He had turned with Cloud when he had been riding behind him, and had stayed up tall when he wasn't… But that wasn't the same as actually driving one. One day, he had actually tried to take Fenrir for a ride. He sputtered forward about a hundred feet before giving up on it. That wasn't very hopeful… However, they had no other choice. The enemy might let them through if they were on this thing, but not if they tried to just march through.

The youth sighed again, but then gave up. Ruefully, he walked himself and Cloud up to it. Once there, he first settled Cloud on top and into the seat. Holding him up, he walked over the edge and got on himself. After that, he nervously settled himself into the seat, quivering a bit as he did. Once he was inside…he only reluctantly extended his key down and into the ignition. He hesitated, but then turned it on.

The rumble of the engine made him jump. The youth leapt back a bit against Cloud, causing his friend to groan in response. However, he then blinked, and sighed in relief. Slowly, he rested his hands on top of the handles. Once there, he tightened them into grips of iron. He slowly kicked away the stand beneath him, and then put his feet on top. A moment later, he began to wobble, and the bike started to fall. Giving a yipe, Ragnar quickly put his feet out again and stabilized it. He quivered a moment, struggling to maintain his balance. Then…he slowly pulled his feet up again and placed them on the bars. He tried to keep himself steady…but it didn't work. He began to fall again…

Ragnar stopped himself and swore. This was never going to work. He…

Stay calm.

The young man froze. There it was again. That voice…it suddenly went through his head, clear as day. The youth looked around himself for a moment, seeing if anyone was there. But there was nothing. Just the falling snow all around. Cloud sure hadn't been the one who had said that.

Steady yourself.

Ragnar blinked in response as he looked ahead. The voice was still in his mind, but it wasn't painful this time. As he listened…it sounded much softer, more comforting…and it did seem to be female. He thought about that for a moment… But then, he did as he was told. He swallowed once, and then began to breathe slowly, calming himself down as Bahamut had told him. His quivering slowly ceased. His anxiety diminished. His hands steadied themselves.

Move forward slowly.

With much calmer movements, he slowly turned the ignition. His feet were still at his sides now, keeping his balance as he started. The engine rumbled slightly, and then began to inch forward. Ragnar's feet dragged in the snow, but he also kept it balanced. He wavered a bit, but soon he positioned his extended legs more properly. His upper body shifted into the right position.

Go faster…and pull your legs inside.

The youth gunned up the engine a bit more. It responded by moving a bit faster. Slowly, he pulled his feet up at the same rate and back into the cycle. He wavered a bit, and nearly panicked…but the voice kept him calm. It was very slow and patient, and it made him be the same. He stayed focused, and adjusted his balance as he pulled his feet up and put them against the motorcycle. Soon, he was resting on the bars…and going forward. Ragnar let out a nervous chuckle, and began to smile. He was doing it. He was riding a motorcycle.

However, he suddenly realized he was still going forward. He needed to turn, to get back to the Cetra Valley. That was hard, however. He was still so unsure he was afraid to move at all. How was he supposed to…?

Turn the bars…and lean just a little.

The voice once again came to his aide. Ragnar hesitated again, but then did as he was told. He turned the bars, and the bike began to angle and go in that direction. As he did, he began to lean into the turn. He accelerated a little, and kept his body moving down as he made the turn sharper…

That's good.

Immediately, Ragnar stopped leaning. He felt nervous, but with how he had turned the bike it was just in the right position. The motorcycle continued to make the turn, cutting a pretty good ninety-degree curve. When it was done, Ragnar straightened the wheel as he leaned back up. He maintained balance, and soon he was once again straight, and the motorcycle was moving along straight as well.

The young man let out another nervous chuckle. He was actually doing it. That voice had come to his aid again, teaching him how to ride this thing. In the end, however, he didn't dwell on it long. He had to get moving. Feeling a bit more confident, he gunned the engine a bit more, driving up the acceleration. It was far from Cloud's own crazy pace, but it was faster. Soon, he was racing down the snowfields and back to the exit.


Red XIII snarled and seized the nearest soldier's throat. With one furious snap, he took him down to the ground and slew him. Barret nearby cried out as he continued to fire away at the troops that were now surrounding them on all sides. Yuffie was throwing her shuriken twice as fast, and actually reappeared more often to hit some of the troops away. Cait Sith smashed his huge body into a sweeper, causing it to be knocked back and shoot wildly at the surrounding enemy forces. As Red XIII stepped off of his latest victim, he cursed and fired out another powerful attack, this time a discharge of lightning. Another twenty troops were thrown away in agony from the attack. It was especially painful now, because many of them were standing in a pool of gathering water, and it spread to the others.

The soldiers behind them only slowly clambored down their ropes. They weren't that good at climbing down yet, unfortunately. Silently, the beast nearly growled at them to urge them on. He needed them down as fast as possible. They had to move to the next enclave before they got pinned down. Mighty as they were, they couldn't fight them all off with just the four of them.

Where is Lieutenant Noonian? Or for that matter…Lieutenant Zola, Commander Tifa, our two Generals…

The evactuation was in full order. In a desperate attempt to buy their troops more time, Barret, Red XIII, Yuffie, and Cait Sith had charged right into the bottleneck as in the last battle. They were still a fearsome force to contend with, and the army soon learned to fear them if nothing else. A few soldiers stayed behind to try and provide as much coverage as possible, but most of them were clearing out as fast as they could. Another group was planning one last ditch effort to secure the area. They were placing more explosives around the elevator array that had been assembled on the cliff leading to the area. Once it was destroyed, the enemy would barely be able to move, and would be powerless to bring down its tanks. It would take months to build a ramp for them. That would buy them a few more hours minimum… But they had to hold until it was done.

The four had another task now. The enclaves were all pinned down at this point. They were moving to each and holding the area as long as they could, giving the people time to come down and escape. It was a risky business. They could be shot while coming down the lines… Yet that wasn't what disturbed Red XIII the most. It was the fact that there were two enclaves too far to try to assist. Those soldiers would have to be abandoned…

Red XIII snarled in his own self fury as he spun forward and sliced through another trio of soldiers. The hellish storm wasn't letting up as it thundered around them, seeming to be continuing as long as the armies continued to wage war on another. The sun was beginning to go down now…long as this battle had lasted. Soon, they'd be fighting in mud and darkness. And still no sign of the General…

Ragnar…wherever you are you're almost out of time…


Bahamut swung himself around in two spirals before smashing his heel alongside the face of Wyvern. He kept swinging afterward to hit him with his tail as well. The blow was hard and earth-shaking, and sent the creature flying back slightly. The esper immediately dove on him again, and pounded him in the stomach for all he was worth, trying to break his nonexistent bones. Nevertheless, the shimmering being grit its teeth, obviously feeling something, while he did this. After that, Bahamut followed up with an uppercut, sending Wyvern soaring into the sky. Not satisfied with that, Bahamut immediately tore into the air after him, and hit him with a second one of even more power. The radiant being flew into the air even faster than before.

The esper balled his hands into fists, and shot after the creature yet again. He opened his mouth again as he rose, and discharged another Pyron. The thing looked too stunned to recover, and he hoped so as he extended his fist to add more injury once his Pyron hit. However, just as the Pyron ball was about to strike, the creature recovered. It bent down, crossed its arms in front of itself, and let the attack harmlessly strike its crossed arms. Bahamut swore as he shot further into the sky, fist outstretched, meaning to smash in Wyvern's beak. But as he closed on it, the being merely did a forward somersault in the air, spinning out of the way. By the time Bahamut reached Wyvern's level, the creature was already behind him with his back to him. A second later, Bahamut yelled out in agony as he felt a powerful rear kick strike him in the back. A rib snapped, and he was sent flying through the sky himself. Yet he wasn't quite fast enough. As he sailed forward…the shimmering creature reappeared in front of him. He grinned maliciously for a moment before he swung both fists down, smashing against Bahamut's head and fracturing his jaw before sending him hurtling back to the Planet.

The power was too great. Bahamut knew what the result would be on landing…but he was powerless to stop himself. He could only groan in pain and agony from the strike of Wyvern before he connected against the mountainous ground. Immediately, a giant mushroom cloud of dust erupted in his wake. Pillars of earth were ejected from the groundby his earth-shattering impact. As his body blasted a crater into the crust of Gaia, faults and cracks began to spread out from it. Another sphere of water was blasted up…so far that it reached the heavens. The clouds themselves overhead seemed to form part of a sphere in the wake of the damage. Any trees in the surrounding two mile radius that had survived were now snapped and flung away like toothpicks. The rain and dust mixed, and a hail of mud slowly dribbled back to the ground.

Bahamut, now at rest, groaned slowly from the bottom of the quarter-mile deep crater he had made. Mud splashed down against his eyes and face. Very slowly…he felt his rib reposition itself and rejoin. He shattered jaw merged again. His regeneration was slowing down, however. It was no longer instantaneous. The esper knew what that meant. He was running out of energy. His body could no longer sustain itself on that level of performance. He was losing again…

Slowly, the esper cracked open his eyes and rolled his head off of the ground. When he did…he stopped. Standing ten feet in front of him…or rather hovering…was Wyvern with arms crossed. He grinned wickedly from his celestial-like face, still shimmering in the darkness. It was even darker around him now, for night was beginning to fall. The water and mud seemed to not touch him as it fell on the esper and stained him. Bahamut managed to grit his teeth, and began to rise back to his feet again.

"Still haven't learned, Bahamut? I guess you truly are the dumber of us two now." Wyvern calmly responded. "I'm feeling your bones break underneath my fists more often than not. You can't even scratch me. I can tell you are seething with hatred toward me…but you must understand it is simply inevitable. I am merely the enactor of fate. Any misery you feel is entirely your own fault…punishment for your sin…and a consequence of you thinking that you could just ignore it and have a mortal life. Hell opens its mouth wide for you…and you cannot avoid your inevitable trip down there."

Bahamut stumbled once, but then came to his feet again. His yellow eyes glared darkly at Wyvern's own shimmering ones, and his beak clenched again. He cracked his fists and unfurled his wings. As he did so…he began to stretch out his tendrils of energy seeking blackbodies. He cracked his neck once and then exhaled. Once more, he forced his tiredness away and focused his strength. As he began to absorb the power…he took off for the creature again.

Wyvern merely laughed and swung out a hook to knock him out of the sky. However…the smile on his face faltered as Bahamut kept coming after his blow hit him. To his surprise, Bahamut had pushed himself so fast that he appeared to go right through the fist when he dodged it. A moment later, and Wyvern's face was snapped violently one way as Bahamut crossed him. The beast ducked after that, and pounded Wyvern in the stomach two more times, forcing so much power that the chest at last gave way under the blows. Wyvern swung up after a moment, trying to hook him with his legs, but Bahamut merely ducked under that, and then swung his body down to balance on one hand temporarily. He brought his other two feet up using that as a fulcrum, and smashed his two feet against the side of Wyvern's head, snapping it the other way.

Bahamut quickly went back up to his feet, and smashed a blow into Wyvern's solar plexus…at least where it should have been. He followed up with another upper cut to his face. As Wyvern staggered back from that, Bahamut cupped both hands into fists, swung his body around, and then smashed them against the head of the creature with all his might just as he recovered. Wyvern's head was snapped violently to one side as a result, harder than it had moved yet. But that wasn't enough. Bahamut swung his body around and put even more power into the next blow. He smashed it into the side of Wyvern's head again just as he recovered. This time, one of Wyvern's shimmering teeth went flying from his mouth, and a part of his crest was fractured. Genuinely stunned both physically and mentally, Wyvern's face turned to one of disbelief as he looked back to him.

That was all he could see before Bahamut reared back and smashed his foot into his face. The result snapped him back, giving Bahamut enough time to strike him in the gut afterward. This made the creature double over. Not wasting a second, Bahamut ducked in and drove his fist up and deep into Wyvern's already collapsed body. The result pounded him hard, and forced him into the air, over Bahamut's head. With that done, Bahamut positioned underneath him, opened his mouth wide, and let fly.

"Giga-Pyrin!"

The stunned Wyvern could only look down before a sizzling hot, air shredding bolt of energy impacted him. The deadly burning force immediately began to fry his outer layer of cells as his body was forced upward and into the sky at a blinding speed. Bahamut's new ZERO body was capable of forcing more power and energy into that attack than ever before. He rocketed upward at a fraction of the speed of light, being fried on one side by energy and crushed on the other by the force of the eruption. The shimmering being was powerless to stop itself as itrose into the sky, soon plowing a tunnel through the overhead rain clouds, exposing a second of blue sky. The deadly energy turned him into a spark for a moment, before the clouds flowed back in and covered where he had gone. Soon, he had vanished, and Bahamut knew he was well on his way back into space.

The esper, at that point…collapsed to one knee. His eyelids drooped, and he began to breathe hard. That last bout had taken him everything he had. He didn't know if Wyvern felt any pain, but he definitely had felt surprise when he had unloaded on him like that. And he could take damage. What more, Bahamut actually felt the creature's energy diminish a bit with each mighty blow, so he didn't have unlimited power either. Nevertheless…this didn't help things. Bahamut was nearly drained by now. That beam would hold the creature off for a while, but not forever. At the best…he had only made him mad. This was looking more and more hopeless…

Bahamut realized he had to think of a plan, and soon. He had to find a way to kill this thing while he still could. And he had to hurry. Even if he could survive this onslaught…there was no telling what would happen to Gaia in its wake…


Red XIII went backward as best as he could. Bipedal organisms were far better suited to this, but he wasn't going to risk putting his back to them. Cait Sith continued to bat away pursuing soldiers and robots with his spring-loaded fists. Barret was out of minigun bullets by now, and instead turned his microlaser on the opposition. Yuffie flung out her shuriken one more time to take off the chain guns of an approaching tank. The four continued to back up to the lines, with the last soldiers they were able to save running behind them. The last of the barricade continued to shelter some twenty or so troops, who covered the area the best they could as they withdrew. Everyone else was pulling out. As the four got closer, they too began to back away.

The beast looked around him as he stepped over the lines. It was almost time. As one final distraction, they were going to blow the barricade itself, leaving a large trench in the ground that would slow down the approaching units long enough for the last of the PPA to get to the elevator, withdraw, and then blow it as well. The creature sighed as he stepped over it, discharging another Flare. He was getting tired. He only had enough power to fire it one more time, and then that would be it. He hoped that wherever the General was, thathe wasn't on the enemy side of the lines. It would be all but impossible to get across in just a moment…


Ragnar briefly shut off the engine. His eyes widened at the sight in front of him. He had made it back. He was crossing out of the snow and onto bare rock. Now, he was on the last hill before he descended into the Cetra Valley. But ahead of him, flooding the valley about a quarter mile ahead of him, was the New Shinra. They were still there, and there were still thousands of them unhurt. Their machines were still operating and still tearing onward. They filled it like a swarm of hungry locusts. They were pushing forward too, still making progress down the valley. They were so thick in it that there was no way through, and they were still advancing. That could only mean one thing…

The youth pushed that out of his mind for now. He couldn't wait long. Already, some of the rear guard was turning and looking to him. He had to go now. Swallowing again, the youth tightened his hands on the handlebar. He gunned the engine again, revving it a few times. He was more comfortable with his motorcycle now…but what he was about to do was crazy for an expert stuntman. He shivered once, and gunned the engine a few more times in hesitation.

Time to see if those reflex lessons paid off.

"Cloud…if you're still there hang on tight…and try to lean with me."

With that, Ragnar put the accelerator to full speed, and tore down the hillside and to the valley.

His motorcycle soon picked up more speed than it was supposed to. He went past the forty miles an hour he had been adjusting to and all the way to eighty. Ahead of him, like a wall of flesh, was the New Shinra. More of them heard him now, and were turning back to him. They were surprised, seeing one of their soldiers barreling right into them. They began to wave their hands and yell to him, trying to be heard above the engine noise. Ragnar's eyes stayed cold, and he only pushed it faster. He then put his thumb on the horn, and began to let it blare. He held it down without release as he went up to maximum velocity. It attrached more attention to him as he came down into the valley. And as they saw, the soldiersbegan to turn fearful, realizing he wasn't going to stop. Finally, at the last moment, they dove for cover, screaming out. Ragnar plowed into the valley soon after.

The youth descended into a nightmare. His heart raced and his eyes darted about fearfully as he was surrounded on every side by enemy units. They blocked his way in every direction, with nowhere to move. He blared the horn continuously, and screaming they would jump out of the way just barely in time. They dove onto each other as they tried to get away. Still, the youth had to twist his bike this way and that. Sweepers, tanks, and other pieces of artillery were everywhere. There were also soldiers who wouldn't move. He was caught in a maelstrom of confusion and bodies as he went through the ranks, plowing his way at maximum speed into the valley.

This was horrible. Ragnar used every bit of his reflexes and learned skill to maneuver through what surrounded him. Metal scraped his sides more than once. His uniform was torn once or twice, and a cut was made in it from barely avoiding things. The trip was rough, for he couldn't watch the ground ahead of him as he ran. He bounced off of rocks, into potholes, and was jarred painfully one way and the other. The motorcycle nearly lost its footing more than once, and he almost slid and burned. Yet somehow…he miraculously managed to figure out the right balance to keep, and regained control just in time. Ragnar began to breathe hard. His heart felt like it would rip out of his chest. Yet still he kept going at full speed, his world a swirling cacophony of blue and metal…

Then, at last, there was a brief break in the ranks. Ahead of him, after their brief pause, Ragnar saw a pile of twisted metal and flames. Soldiers were hunkered down behind it, although some were working around and forward. He knew what it was. The bottleneck. He had made it. However…he soon realized something else. The soldiers weren't paying attention to him, and they had already filled up the valley. There was no way to break through. A massive pile of fire and twisted metal was ahead of him…and he was headed straight for it.

Sweating coldly now, Ragnar swallowed.

"Cloud…I really need you to hang on now."

Then, the youth did the craziest thing yet he could recall as he kept the motorcycle going, and snapped his body back to put it into his first wheelie…


Red XIII was now back behind the lines. The others quickly moved back as well. The soldiers left moved to the walls now, getting what protection they could. One of them was preparing the detonator. The New Shinra saw that they had routed the enemy at the same time. Immediately, they began to break out from behind their barricades and charge forward, hoping to swamp them while they had their backs turned…

And yet…everyone froze a moment later, as something new came.

Red XIII looked up, and saw as the flames ahead of him suddenly parted. Shooting out through the sky overhead, motor blaring, looking like a bat out of hell…was a motorcycle with two passengers. The beast's eyes widened, and he immediately threw himself to the ground. The bike was headed straight for him. The rest of the soldiers stopped and stared up in amazement as they watched it. It sailed through the air for a few moments…before it went right over the trench line and landed on the ground. It hit too hard. Immediately, the axle snapped, and the bike pitched to the side and went wildly out of control. It ground against the rubble that now surrounded it, swerved to one side, and then fell over. Its two passengers fell off of it a moment later and were run against the ground. As for the bike, it continued to wildly scrape its way forward before the engine busted. With a sputter, it came to a halt and then stopped, beginning to smoke.

The beast hesitated a moment, but then shook it off. He didn't know what had happened, but that didn't change the situation. He turned to the front again and yelled out the order. "Blow it!"

The soldier pushed the detonator. Immediately, the New Shinra units vanished behind a wall of fire and rock as the entire front line barricade was destroyed. Sand was blasted everywhere, creating a smoke screen of sorts. But the attack hadn't just been isolated to the top level. It destroyed the ground below too, upheaving the rock floor of the valley in considerably sized pieces. The PPA was forced to recoil and guard themselves again as large pieces of debris were cast about the area. The New Shinra themselves halted and ran back as rocks rained down on them. Both armies were halted momentarily in the wake of the new blast.

However, after a moment, the smoke began to die down again. Red XIII looked ahead. He was satisfied. Already, he was beginning to see a trench form in the wake of the eruption. It was over a yard deep. With that in mind, he turned away. He had seen enough. While the smoke was still clearing, the rest of the army had to run for it. Already, the remaining soldiers broke and began to run back for the cave entrance. Only Cait Sith, Barret, and Yuffie were lingering, backing up and continuing to provide coverage.

Yet that wasn't all they did. They also began to look down to the two men that had arrived. Red XIII turned his own head down to them, and rushed over to their fallen bodies. The wreck had to have shaken them both up a bit at least, and both of them appeared to be unconscious in the wake of their daredevil maneuver. However, as Red XIII rushed forward to evacuate and see who these men were, he started to slow down. Even before he reached them, he caught their scent. He halted, and widened his one good eye as the others rushed over to their sides and looked down. They soon looked startled as well, recognizing who they were.

"I don't believe it…" The lion/wolf spoke aloud.

Yuffie, on her part, scowled and lowered her own head to scream into the ears of the unconscious men. "It's about time you guys showed up!"


Ragnar…

Ragnar tried to open his eyes…but received nothing for his efforts. His vision was swimming. His head throbbed with pain, and he felt a hot gash against one of his legs. Yet even those pains were distant. He thought he heard voices, but they were swirling around him, turning up and down…like some sort of deformed amplifier. He couldn't tell where he was anymore. He couldn't feel his position well enough, and he only saw swirling lights for a few moments.

Ragnar…

The youth snapped his head up a bit more, and tried to open his eyes more. However, he could see and hear no better. He only became more dizzy and disorientated for his efforts. And yet…somehow, this was only isolated to his conscious self. His unconscious self…if that's what one could call it…the part of him that operated even in senselessness…it felt focused and aware. In fact, it seemed almost as if Ragnar was looking out through his mind's eye, and only seeing his body on the fritz or something. As for the voice, however, he recognized it. And he felt himself able to respond to it mentally in his semi-conscious state.

"Master…" Ragnar tried to say. The thought was clear in his mind, but his mouth only managed a half moan that he could barely decipher himself. "Where are you…?"

There's no time, Ragnar. This might be the last message that I send you.

Ragnar struggled to look up more at that, but he was powerless to. "Master…what…?"

I'm fighting with Wyvern. He's gone totally mad…assuming he had any sanity left before. He's reached a whole new level of megalomania. And he's more deadly than ever. He's transcended life as we know it to become some sort of horrific new being. I've been fighting him all day, but he has barelyweakened. But I know what he'll do once he's done with me. He'll come after you. He'll make you and your friends suffer even more than they have already. He'll torture you all to death if he can, regardless of whether I'm dead or not. He feels he actually has to kill you as well to fulfill some sort of divine purpose.

The youth was stunned into silence…at least in the unconscious sense. His body merely went limp again in the real world. Inside his brain, fear filled him. It lacked the means to travel into his body, but his mind was gripped with terror. "Then…we have to fight him…"

It's impossible, Ragnar. He's beyond the traditional methods of death now. I doubt even I can kill him. Each part of his body now is its own unit, working together as one mass. I just knocked off a piece of him, and I had to obliterate it afterward because it was still alive. I don't think there is a thing living in the known universe that can destroy him now…so I have only one choice. I have to totally destroy him. I have to somehow force him into the one energy source I know of that's still stronger than him…the sun. His body has to be totally eradicated. If the slightest fragment survives…a cell…a piece of magicite…anything…he'll be able to come back one day, and he'll be worse than ever. I wanted to talk to you once more…because I doubt I'll be coming back from this fight…

Now, Ragnar's control of his body was beginning to be restored. His eyebrows raised. He weakly called out in an almost audible voice, both to him and his surrounding friends. "Master…no…"

I wanted to tell you…I'm very proud of you. You are the true next generation of Light Warriors. Destroy the New Shinra. Save the world. I believe in you.

Ragnar's world began to stop spinning. Pain became more vivid. His ears began to hear more clearly the sounds of rain, and he started to feel it fall on himself. He raised his hand out into the fading swirls, as if Bahamut was there.

"Master!"

"Damnit, Scrawny! Snap out of it!"

A meaty slap soon struck Ragnar across the face. Fresh hot pain streaked one side of his head. When it did…the rest of his senses came rushing back. His unconscious self left and he was thrown back into reality. It wasn't a nice visit. His leg began to burn in pain. His head ached. But he began to feel the ground underneath him. He felt the rain fall against him. Most of all…he began to see where he was. Up above him, the sky was growing dark gray. Lightning and rain continued to fall. The edges of the cliffs of the Cetra Valley were on either side. Finally…he saw that four faces were hovering over him. Barret, Cait Sith, Red XIII, and Yuffie. He was back with his officers.

Cait Sith frowned and looked up to Barret. "What are you doing? Trying to ruin whatever brains he has left after that?"

"Forget waking him up!" Yuffie yelled back. "Let's just get him out of here! They're coming!"

"No…" Ragnar croaked in response. This caused everyone to focus on him again. The general grunted, but then pushed away his pain. Tightening his fists and gritting his teeth, he forced himself to sit up. The result left him feeling dizzy and sick, and he wanted to vomit. But he didn't stop. Quickly, he began to put his agonized leg underneath him, dripping blood against the ground, and forced himself to start standing. "Just…get Cloud…"

The others paused a moment, but then turned and looked to him. Cloud was in a similar heap to how Ragnar had been a few moments ago. However, he had not gotten up yet. He was breathing, but he looked totally out of it. Barret and Cait Sith ran over to him and knelt down to his side. They put their hands on him and tried to shake him, and started calling to him. However, he didn't react. Cursing, Barret reached out and put his arms under Cloud's armpits. Cait Sith likewise directed his moogle to grab his legs. As they did this, the dizzy, sore general rose to his own feet. He wobbled a bit once he was up. However, he saw where he was. Ahead of him was the cave entrance. It didn't take him long to guess from the situation when he arrived in the valley that there was an evacuation going on. And so, he began to limp toward it.

As he did, Red XIII and Yuffie fell in at his side. Yuffie turned around behind to the ditch that they had blown open. She flung her shuriken out at it, although no one was firing yet. She caught it again a moment later, and then threw it out once more. Barret and Cait Sith finished getting Cloud up, and they began to drag him off too. Soon, all six were making for the cave as fast as they could.

"What happened to him?" Red XIII asked, not bothering to press Ragnar for his own reasons as to why he hadn't been there, but turning his attention instead to Cloud's condition.

"Wyv…I mean, some guy…working for New Shinra, I guess…" Ragnar choked out a moment later, trying to withstand his own pain. "He tricked him. He kidnapped Tifa…told him to come after him. I caught the message just as Cloud left. I knew it had to be a trap. I tried to follow after him… He somehow tricked Cloud into getting into a frozen lake. He had been expecting me too…wanted me to go in after him. Thought the hypothermia would kill us both. But there was a shelter nearby… We couldn't come back that soon. We needed to warm up first…"

Red XIII took this in, and gave a frown as he turned his head back down. Yuffie caught her shuriken again, and then fully turned ahead to the cave. A couple of soldiers were in the entrance, beckoning them on. Barret and Cait Sith, bearing their load, went through it a moment later. They were followed quickly by their three friends. The cave was dark inside, but Ragnar knew his way through well enough, and quickly rushed deeper into its depths. They had to get to the elevator.

"I wonder if this had anything to do with that man who affected the army somehow this morning…" The beast darkly uttered. "Or the sabotage that we later discovered…"

"I'm not sure…but I know two people who are involved." Ragnar answered, his voice turning a bit dark and angry as he spoke. His eyes began to blaze with the light of vengeance. "We need to evacuate right away…but put out an order for arrest on Lieutenants Zola and Noonian. If they resist…shoot on sight."


Bahamut ignored the stinging rain slapping at him as he tore back into the sky. He tried to get the last message out of his mind. It made him focus too much on other people…when he needed to focus on fighting. After being with Terra…just once he would like to stay alive…watch one of the people in his life grow and live after he had interacted with them… But it appeared that fate did not have that meted out for him. He would miss that young man…but he was not going to let him be killed by Wyvern. Neither him nor his army.

The clouds went by, and Bahamut flew into the dark clear sky beyond. The sun was almost down now. The sky was painted dark at this point. But still he rocketed upward, letting the sky continue to get darker as he went higher and higher. He clenched his hands into fists as he made his way upward, and tightened his jaw once again. He felt the air and atmosphere grow thinner and thinner…but still he was able to breathe and withstand it.

However, still inside the atmosphere of Gaia…he saw a glowing light up in the sky. It was far closer than a star. Immediately, he banked himself and headed straight for it. Within a few instants, he was pulling to a stop right in front of the glowing object, and straightened himself out again. He stared a few feet aheadcoldly.

Wyvern was hovering there, arms crossed, and smiling as always. The crack in his crest had come back together, and he grinned to show that all of his teeth were back. The Giga-Pyrin hadn't left the slightest sign of damage on him. Bahamut could sense his power…and it appeared to be diminished slightly, but he still had more than enough to give Bahamut a cocky look.

"It's about time you showed up." Wyvern addressed. "I've been waiting here for five minutes. I know how broken up you are about our potential damage to Gaia, so I figured we might as well take this fight higher. After all…she's my mother too."

Bahamut glared at him. "…Pity you didn't feel the same way about Etteca."

"That was your fault. I had no choice." Wyvern calmly answered. "You had infected it. It had to die."

Bahamut's eyes blazed as he bared his own teeth.

"So do you."

The two titans sailed to each other again, and renewed their battle.


At long last, Cloud began to hear voices again. His head still ached, but he felt warm again now. They were echoing all around him, faint and indistinct. He couldn't tell what was going on. He was still too disorientated. He felt as if he was being carried through many voices, but as he tried to open his eyes and see…he could only see swirling blurs. He was placed down somewhere after a moment, but the voices continued. Was he dead? No…that place was filled with white…and he knew he would hear one voice…actually two voices…more clearly than anything else if he was there. But where was he? How had he gotten here? His memory was fuzzy…

The last he remembered…was falling into the ice. It was so cold there…so numbingly painful… He couldn't even notice his head injury. It felt like it was smothering him. But before he ran out of air…he was already feeling his body shutting down. After that…despair. Dark, empty sadness and terror… That was all he could remember as a voice kept trying to beckon him out of the gloom and darkness. But he wouldn't go. He couldn't go… That was because he knew what that man had said. He knew what he had done. He did something to Tifa…he said he'd send him after her…

Tifa…what did he do to her?

Cloud's eyes finally snapped open. His vision hurt. Everything hurt. But now, he became fully aware. His eyes cleared. He felt pain in the back of his head…which was why he was now lying on his side. He felt hot pain through his opposite side too…yet he was resting on something. However, all of those thoughts vanished as soon as they came. One clear thought dominated as his eyes looked ahead.

Tifa's smiling face stared back at him.

The sound caught in the man's throat. His mouth slackened. There she was. She looked tired…weak… She appeared to be on some sort of green cot, covered with a green blanket. If Cloud had more of his senses, he would have realized that this was the medical tent. He would have also realized he was in it too, resting on a similar green cot and covered with a similar green blanket. But he couldn't think of anything else. Just the woman in front of him.

"Hey you…"

Cloud blinked again. He couldn't believe it. He had been sunk in despair…dying… And when he woke up she was right there in front of him.

"Am…am I dead?"

"No, Cloud. You're going to be fine."

The ex-mercenary stared forward a bit longer. He couldn't believe it at first. But then…he began to understand. This was real. This was life around him. He could feel pain and substance. And this was a tent somewhere… It was the real world. He was still alive. And she was still in front of him…which meant she was alive as well. Slowly…his mouth closed. It quivered after a moment, and then began to form a smile. He began to gradually extend his hand out from where he lay, and started to reach over to her. Tifa blinked once back, still smiling, and then quivered as she extended her own hand out to his. They were both weak…but both managed to do it. Their arms spanned the space between cots before their hands finally touched. Tifa was warm and real… Immediately, Cloud clutched the hand and held it. As he did, he felt his throat tighten. His eyes began to water…

"I…I thought I lost you…"

"I'm here, Cloud. You won't lose me again."

The general continued to stare at her. He continued to hold her hand fiercely. He wished he could drag himself over to her…to kiss her and taste her and make sure she was there. He wished he could at least pull her hand up to him and feel it against his face. But for now, this was all he had. This, and the woman before him. That would have to do. And right now…it felt like enough.

Slowly…Cloud's smile began to widen as tears began to fall from his eyes.

Beaten as he was, he couldn't remember the last time he had been so happy.


To be continued...