Hello all

Hello all! Guess what today is! It's my Birthday!! Yay! Okay…enough celebrating. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, I actually got a lot of replies about the symbols! Ha ha! That was great! I think it's a little silly that they don't show up. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter and will like this one as well. Thanks for reading and reviewing! –Annubis

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Squaresoft does.

Chapter 24

"Man, I tell ya. I can't keep up with these guys." Cid shook his head as he bit into a small apple Danish.

"I agree…this is getting confusin'." Barret played with his cereal.

"I mean…one minute it seems like she's dating this guy, the next she's dating the other. damn! I bet next week she'll be dating Red!" Cid pulled out a cigarette.

"What!?" Red XIII lifted an ear up. "Are you guys talking about the drama that's been going on?" The creature stood up slowly and arched his back as he stretched.

"Yup." Cid leaned back in his chair, his arms behind his head.

"You think any of the girls would want to date me?" Cait Sith purred.

"You're a robot!" Cid spat. "You ain't even got a heart to love." Cid muttered.

"Hey! I would have you know that deep down; I'm a good guy and not just a robot!" Cait Sith leapt onto the table and sat next to Barret.

"You can have Yuffie." Barret chuckled. Cait Sith hissed and turned his back on the giant man. "Not what you wanted to hear?"

"This is silly." Red XIII shook his head.

"What about you Red? Any of them you want?" Cid cackled.

"WHAT!?" Red followed Cait Sith's actions. "That's ridiculous! I'm not even the same species!"

"Yeah, but wasn't Hojo planning on tryin' to fix ya up with Aeris?" Barret poked the fiery animal in the back.

"I've had enough! You men…honestly!" Red XIII trudged away from the men and went outside.

"Aw…maybe we were too mean!" Cid chuckled.

"You know, he is the last of his species. He probably will never be able to another like him." Cait Sith growled.

"I suppose you're right, but he knows we were just teasing!" Barret stuffed a spoonful of cereal in his mouth.

"Yeah! Besides, look at us! We ain't getting any of the action!" Cid leaned forward, pressing his elbow into the table and resting his chin on his fist.

"No Kiddin'." Barret laughed.

"What are you guys doing?" a childish voice sounded from behind Cid.

"Gah! Damn it, brat!" Cid jumped. "None of yer business." He waved her to go away.

"It's alright. I figured you were talking about them." Yuffie pulled out the chair next to Cid and sat down.

"Aw, don't sit by me, sit by Barret." Cid puffed.

"You're sucha jerk!" Yuffie slapped the man across the shoulder. He shouted some curse words and rubbed his sore arm.

"What do you mean 'them'?" Barret slid his bowl away from him. "Aren't you in the love triangle as well?"

"Naw…I left the soap opera last night." Yuffie laid her head on her arms across the table.

"Just like that? You just decided you were through with it all?" Cid squished the butt of his cigarette into the ash tray.

"Yup. Talked to Vincent last night. Told him to go to Tifa." Yuffie sighed.

"Vincent and Tifa!?" Barret raised an eyebrow.

"I thought she like Cloud. Shit! This is confusin'!" Cid pulled out a new cigarette.

"Well…she likes both of them I think. I knew Vincent had feelings for her. So I talked to him. Now, Aeris and Zack. I am not sure what all is goin' on there, but I think Cloud is slowly being shoved out of the picture." Yuffie stole Cid's Danish and took a bite out of it.

"Hey!" Cid rolled his eyes. Yuffie guffawed.

"But, if that happens, then Cloud will be open for Tifa. Then there will be an issue with her and Vincent. She'd have her own triangle!" Barret shook a fist. "I don't think either one of them is good for her. Tifa deserves better."

"Yeah! She deserves me!" Cid chortled.

"The hell she doesn't!" Barret stood up.

"What!? Now, who made you her #& father!?" Cid followed.

"Here we go." Yuffie scoffed.

"Oh I see how it is! You just wish you had her, yeah! That's what it is, isn't it!" Cid snarled. "I bet you wish you can get into that mini skirt!" Cid crossed his arms.

"What…?" Barret turned to Cid, fury in his eyes. "What did you say!?" The large man charged at the pilot.

"Hey! HEY! I was jes' kiddin'! Don't get so upset!" Cid turned and ran, hiding behind Yuffie. Barret raised a fist, ready to crush both the girl and the man.

"STOP IT!" Yuffie stood between the men. "What is your guys' problem!? Will you be quiet? They'll hear you!" The ninja girl walked to the edge of the room and looked up the stairway.

"You two are only going to make things worse." Cait Sith jumped onto his robotic Mog.

"Seriously. I think they're waking up now. They had a late night; will you guys just drop the drama conversation?" Yuffie went to the breakfast bar. Barret and Cid stared at each other. Barret still had a frustrated look on his face. He pointed at Cid.

"Don't ever talk about her like that again, you hear me?" Barret said quickly.

"Yeah, sheesh. Don't get yer panties in a twist." Cid took a long drag of his cigarette. There were footsteps on the stairs. "Here comes the studs." Cid scoffed and sat back down at the table as Zack and Cloud entered the room.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Zack sat next to Cid.

"What the hell!? You seem perfectly fine after what happened last night." Cid scrutinized the dark haired man.

"Oh, yeah. That's why we came down. We're gonna tell ya about last night." Zack eyed the food bar in the corner.

"Wait for me!" Yuffie called out. "I wanna hear everything!" She ran to the circular table to join the other men. Her plate was covered with donuts and danishes.

"Alright. Anyone else wanna hear?" Cloud pulled up a chair next to Zack. Cait Sith neared the table and a moment later there was a soft growl entering the room. Red XIII padded across the floor and sat next to Yuffie. She scratched him behind the ear. She was a pain, but Red still liked to sit next to her because she always patted him and scratched him.

"Now, as for last night." Cloud cleared his throat. "Aeris was doing her routine thing, trying to heal Zack. I was keeping watch as Tifa and Vincent went to make some coffee." The last statement made Barret uncomfortable.

"She was praying, the room was silent, I got tired and was falling in and out of sleep. The next thing I know, she's shaking Zack and yelling at him. It scared the hell out of me. I was shocked when I saw Zack just wake up, out of his coma like state." Cloud took a donut from Yuffie's plate.

"You just woke up, like nothin' happened?" Cid looked over at Zack. "Damn, you sure are lucky."

"That's about it. There was no green light, nothing. She just prayed and then woke him up as if he were sleeping." Cloud shrugged his shoulders. He looked over at Zack and noticed him eyeing the chocolate pastry on Yuffie's plate. The girl was looking down at Red, petting his fur. Cloud reached over and snatched it from her plate and handed it to Zack.

"You know, you could ask first." Yuffie brought her attention to the men. "I brought extra for you anyways."

"Thanks!" Zack smiled and took the snack.

"So…do you know why it happened?" Cait Sith asked the ex-SOLDIER. Zack shoved the donut in his mouth.

"Hrm?" He looked around the table. Everyone was staring at him. He swallowed hard. "Oh! Well I kind of remember what happened. I bet Aeris would be able to fill you in more."

"Well tell us what you remember." Barret snatched a pastry from the plate. Yuffie slapped his hand.

"Not for you." She stuck out her tongue. Barret grabbed it anyways and shoved it in his mouth.

"Okay…it felt like I woke up from a deep sleep. When I opened my eyes, I was in…another world." Zack scratched his head.

"Another world?" Cid smirked.

"It was dark, and there were green orbs everywhere. Green light was above and below me. It was strange." Zack yawned. "I don't remember how long I was there, but Aeris suddenly appeared."

"So was this a dream?" Red lifted an ear.

"No…I don't think so. We were talking to each other. She said I was in the Lifestream." He looked over at Cloud. "But not like the one Cloud was in. She said I was in the spiritual Lifestream. Where only Ancients are allowed."

"Only Ancients?" Yuffie tilted her head. "How'd that happen?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Zack shrugged. "She said that the orbs could heal me. So I took one and put it into my chest. She said that only Ancients were able to do that. She also said that I talked to it in the Ancient language."

"So…you're an Ancient?" Cid rubbed his chin.

"No, I don't think so." Zack sighed. He looked down at the white table cloth. "I'm not sure. I didn't think I was talking in another language. To me, it was normal. I didn't feel any different."

"Aeris thinks it has something to do with the experimentation done on Zack." Cloud continued. "Maybe his body is reacting differently to the Mako and Jenova cells."

"Like Sephiroth." Barret added.

"…" Zack was silent. "I don't want to be like that monster." The dark haired man stood up. He made his way to the exit.

"Is he okay?" Yuffie stared in the direction the young man went.

"I think so. He's just tired and a little stressed about the strange things that has been happening to him." Cloud stood up. The rest of the group was making their way into the room. "Are you guys almost ready? We should head out soon." Cloud said to everyone.

"Cosmo Canyon?" Red XIII stood up quickly. A grin crossed the animal's face.

"That's right." Cloud smiled at the animal and patted him on the head. "We're leaving as soon as you three are ready." Cloud pointed at Tifa, Aeris and Vincent.

"Okay. We'll grab a few things to eat and meet you all on the ship." Aeris nodded and grabbed a plate to put some food on. Vincent turned and headed outside.

"Aren't you hungry?" Tifa asked him.

"…No. I'm not big on breakfast." He said simply and followed Cloud and the others.

"Oh, okay." Tifa stared at the cloaked man.

"You okay, Tifa?" Aeris asked. Tifa looked at the other woman. Her green eyes were glowing and her small mouth had a pleasant smile.

"Yes. I'm fine." Tifa grabbed a blueberry muffin. She was silent for a minute and then looked back at the glowing woman next to her. She seemed different, like a load of stress was removed. "Aeris…." Tifa started.

"Yeah?" She grabbed a small juice box.

"I need to talk to you." Tifa looked at her feet and did not meet Aeris' gaze.

"Oh? Why do you look so sad, Tifa?" Aeris set her plate down and faced her friend.

"Um…last night…" Tifa pulled down her mini skirt. "Well, you see. I wasn't myself." Tifa stumbled to find the right things to say. She was nervous and scared.

"Is it about you and Zack?" Aeris asked. Her tone was full of happiness.

'Why is she so happy?' Tifa felt her face turn red.

"Um…yeah. It is." Tifa met Aeris' eyes. "Aeris, I really didn't mean to! I shouldn't have done that! I-." Aeris held up a hand and stopped her friend.

"Tifa, it's alright. I understand." Aeris picked up her plate.

"Y-you're not mad?" Tifa asked with relief.

"No! I'm not mad! Tifa, I shouldn't have been outside with Cloud last night." Aeris shook her head. She and Tifa walked slowly outside towards the Highwind.

"I didn't want to intrude. I didn't mean to overhear everything." Tifa said quietly.

"You thought I said I loved him." Aeris said finally.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah. You thought I told Cloud that I loved him right?" Aeris glanced in Tifa's direction.

"You didn't?" Tifa asked slowly.

"Nope. I told him I loved Zack." Aeris giggled.

"I knew it! Oh, I'm so stupid!" Tifa stopped walking.

"Don't get upset! I would have done the same thing!" Aeris placed a hand on Tifa's shoulder.

"But, I didn't want to hear you say it so I left quickly. I just assumed that's how you were going to respond." Tifa lowered her head; her dark hair fell over a shoulder.

"It's alright. What I did to Cloud was…a little cold. I had to end it though. It was causing too much trouble. I still care for him, but I can't forget about Zack." Aeris smiled. "I never stopped loving him."

"So…is Cloud upset?" Tifa and Aeris continued walking. The Highwind was nearing into view. The engine started loudly as the girls came into sight.

"I think he was at first, but mostly hurt. He'll be alright though. I believe he'll be fine." Aeris glanced at Tifa. The woman was twisting a strand of her dark hair around her finger, there was a small smile crossing her lips.

"He will be. Cloud is strong." Tifa opened the hatch to the Highwind. "Come on, before they leave us!"

"Alright! We got things to do!" Aeris grinned. She was happy that Tifa was alright, and by the look the other woman had, Aeris could tell that everything was going to be fine. The two women made their way into the main cabin. Cid was puffing away with a fresh cigarette and Yuffie was holding on for dear life as the plane lifted into the air.

"Took ya long enough! Let's hurry it up, ladies!" Cid coughed. "Next stop, Cosmo Canyon!" The Highwind whirred loudly and flew towards Red XIII's native village.

"Woo hoo hoo!" Bugenhagen wrapped his arms around Red XIII. "Grandson, how are you, my boy?"

"Grandpa! I'm fine! Can you help us?" Red XIII sat next to the old man.

"Help? What do you need?" The old man looked towards Cloud and the others. He noticed Zack and smiled. "And how are you?"

"Ah, better then ever." Zack smirked. The old man hooted at Zack's comment.

"What are you searching for?" Bugenhagen pulled the lever on the wall. The sliding panel to the observatory lowered. He waved for the group to follow him to the upper floor.

"Meteor…Shinra tried to blow it up, but it just pulled itself back together." Cloud explained.

"I know. I saw it happen from the observatory. Will you all stand in the center please?" Bugenhagen turned off the lights and the observatory hummed, revealing an image of meteor. "What are you seeking?" Bugenhagen asked everyone.

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked.

"Think, deep down inside, what are you seeking." The old man asked again. "Whatever it is you're seeking, should show up in this observatory." Bugenhagen informed.

The group stood in the center. Many had confused looks on their faces. Some were deep in thought.

"It's not working." Cloud shrugged. "I know…I wanna stop meteor but I don't know how."

"Me too." Tifa agreed.

"I don't know what the hell's goin' on." Cid leaned against the back wall, smoking his cigarette.

"…I do…" Aeris whispered. The observatory went dark.

"You do?" Bugenhagen floated to the woman. "What do you know?"

"…Well, it's hard to explain. I know bits and pieces but I don't know everything. The planet is sometimes hard to understand." Aeris crouched down and placed a hand on the floor. The observatory flashed a bright light. Aeris' materia lit up with it.

"Ohhh hoo hoo!" Bugenhagen touched Aeris' braid where the materia laid by her pink bow. "This is the white materia! It is responding to your thoughts!" The old man spun in a circle.

"You know about my materia?" Aeris stood up, touching the now white orb. "It's flashed like this before. When I was on the altar in the City of the Ancients."

"And….what was it you were doing on that altar?" Bugenhagen asked the girl. His beady eyes seemed to study her. The rest of the group stared at her as well. In the chaos of all those events, no one had asked her why she left the group to go on her own and face Sephiroth.

"I never asked." Cloud said.

"I thought I could save the planet." Aeris whispered. "By summoning Holy."

"Holy?" Tifa asked.

"Hoo ho!" Bugenhagen touched the materia. "Holy. It's the only way to save the planet. But, did you finish what you were doing?"

"…No." Aeris said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Cloud said with interest.

"Just as I thought." Bugenhagen turned towards the group. "When Holy is summoned, usually the summoner returns to the planet. It's the only way Holy can work. The host and the magic flows inside the planet and when the time comes, the planet will decide how it'll heal itself." The old man floated to the image of the meteor. Bright lights flowed around the rock.

"Heal itself?" Yuffie tilted her head in confusion.

"By destroying whatever it is that is killing the planet." Bugenhagen continued.

"Meteor." Cloud said.

"Not only that, but anything else harmful. Sephiroth, WEAPON, humans." He looked back towards Aeris. "But you didn't finish because you're still alive."

"…" Aeris stared at her feet. Her secret was out.

"What?" Zack approached the woman. "You were going to sacrifice yourself for the planet!?" He grabbed her arm.

"…" Aeris sniffled.

"Are you insane!?" Zack let go of her and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's the job of the Ancient." Bugenhagen replied. "Though, not a pretty one."

"The key." Aeris mumbled.

"The key?" Bugenhagen asked.

"We have to go to the City of the Ancients." Aeris said quickly.

"Of course, of course! It all makes sense now! To the Ancient City!" Bugenhagen stirred everyone out of the room.

"You're coming, grandpa?" Red asked.

"Of course! I can't pass up an opportunity like this!" He looked at Aeris. "I have to see how she works!"

The group slowly descended to the lower floor. Zack looked straight ahead. Aeris was afraid to talk to him. She had never seen him so angry. Cloud met her eyes for a second and then dropped back to the floor.

"Hey, Bugenhagen?" Cloud turned to the old man. "We have some Huge Materia. We would like to keep it in a safe place."

"By all means, leave it here! It's safe here, and no one will bother it if it's in the observatory!" the old man hooted.

"Alright. We'll do that." Cloud nodded.

'We're going back to the city. I hope I can find some way to stop meteor.' Aeris sighed.

Aeris led the way to the crystalline city. It was glowing with beauty. The waters winding around the large shell-like buildings made the whole scene surreal. The young woman walked slowly down the stone stairs into a large room. There were balconies lining the upper walls and the center was decorated with a fountain like structure. Aeris ran her hands over the strange carvings and symbols on the surface.

"What does it say?" Cloud looked over at Bugenhagen.

"I haven't the slightest idea." The old man chuckled and pushed his glasses further up his nose.

"You're helpful." Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Hey, there's something written on the side!" Yuffie pointed at some chalk markings under the symbols.

"Even sunlight can't reach…Key." Cloud read out loud.

"Key?" Vincent asked. "Didn't you say something about a key?" he said to Aeris.

"The key…is hidden." Aeris whispered.

"Where?" Cloud asked.

"Where sunlight can't reach it." Aeris turned to the group. "A cave."

"Hoohoo! A cave! This is getting mighty interesting!" The old man turned towards Red XIII. "There's an underwater cave. It's suspicious and no one has been able to get into it safely. There are mysterious creatures in those depths. I have no idea how you'll reach it!"

"The submarine." Cloud said. "We're going to that underwater cave. If it's been unexplored, it's got to contain the key!"

"It does." Zack said.

"Huh?" Cloud turned towards Zack. The dark-haired man was running his hands over the letters in the fountain's surface.

"It says it right here." He pointed at it. Aeris slowly walked up to the man and ran her hand over the symbols as well. She closed her eyes, thinking hard about the strange letters. She was having a hard time reading a few of the words, how could Zack understand so easily?

"It does." Aeris opened her eyes quickly. "Let's go!"

"How are you able to do that?" Aeris asked Zack. They were sitting by the chocobo stable, feeding Hector.

"I don't know. It's like I've always known it. Like…when I'm near it, I understand it. But when I am not, I have no clue what's going on!" Zack shook his head. "I really don't understand how I know. I've never been able to do things like that before, until I broke out from Hojo's lab."

"He did something to you. We have to find out." Aeris kept her distance from Zack. She did not want him to bring up the subject of her sacrifice.

"But…why?" Zack rubbed the chocobo on the beak. It cooed quietly.

"Why has he been chasing me my entire life? He has an interest in Ancients. He created Sephiroth and has been trying hard to get you back. My only guess is, he's disappointed in Sephiroth and wants to start over through you." Aeris played with the end of her braid.

"I doubt he wants to benefit the Ancient race. He is not a man to do good things." Zack turned towards Aeris. "Why would you do it?" He changed the subject.

"Because, I'm the only one that can." Aeris said quickly and turned away from the man.

"But it's not fair." He said.

"Nothing's fair. It's my job, Zack. I have to take care of the planet. I have to protect everyone…I have to protect you." her words were soft.

"That's bullshit." Zack rolled his eyes. "How can one person be responsible for this entire planet?"

"Zack, I'm the only one left!" Aeris tried to explain. She did not know how to. She knew it was her duty. The planet talked to her and everything it said made plenty of sense. It was something humans could not understand fully.

"You're all I have left." Zack wrapped his arms around Aeris' waist. He rested a chin on her shoulder.

"Zack…you have your parents." Aeris suggested.

'Oh damn. I forgot about mom and dad. I bet they are worried sick about me.' Zack mentally hit his forehead.

"They're worried about you." Aeris whispered.

"I'm worried about you. They can wait until I save the planet." Zack looked into her green eyes. He slid the sunglasses from his face and clipped them onto the collar of his shirt.

"What do you plan to do?" Aeris asked her lips against his neck.

"Save you, and everyone else, and destroy Sephiroth. If I kill him, meteor will be stopped, right?" Zack pulled the woman closer to him.

"That's not necessarily true. If Holy can work after I am dead, then meteor may not be affected by his death." Aeris whispered.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Zack smirked. "You let me try that, and if meteor is still falling, we'll think about the Holy thing. But only as last resort." Zack kissed Aeris on the cheek.

"Zack…" she sighed.

'Once he makes up his mind, there's no turning back.' She hugged him tighter.

"I'm the only one that can do it." He whispered.

"It's about time they let her go." Reno groaned. He and Tseng had been sitting in the waiting room all day and the nurses were giving them hell for taking Elena from the hospital so soon. They both stood and entered the room Elena was kept in.

"You almost ready?" Tseng asked the girl.

"Yes…Just gotta put my shoes on." She grunted and made a sound of pain. Tseng and Reno ran to her side.

"You sit down. We'll get your shoes." Tseng ordered. She smiled in embarrassment as Tseng and Reno shoved her feet into her dress shoes.

"I'm not a baby." She said quietly.

"Yes you are." Reno said quickly. She frowned at him. "That's why we gotta take care of ya'." He smiled at her as he stood up. Elena smirked slightly.

"Where's Rude?" She stood up slowly.

"He'll be here in a minute to pick us up. He had to work today." Tseng helped her walk out of the room.

"Does it hurt?" Reno asked.

"Like hell." Elena muttered.

"What should we do?" Reno asked Tseng. "About her pain?"

"Don't worry, they just filled me up with drugs, I think they'll kick in a minute." The blonde yawned.

"Are you going to be well enough to come with us?" Tseng asked the girl.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She mumbled.

"I think those drugs are kicking in." Reno chuckled. The three made their way through the sliding doors. There was a soft honk from a car as it pulled up.

"There's Rude." Tseng helped Elena into the car and slid in next to her in the backseat.

"You alright, Elena?" Rude asked the girl.

"Hrm?" She mumbled.

"Drugs." Reno pointed a thumb towards Elena.

"Oh." Rude smirked. "Where to, boss?" He asked Tseng.

"We're heading to headquarters." He said quickly. The car was silent.

"Headquarters?" Reno asked nervously. "Is that a good idea?"

"We have to talk to the president. We'll let him know about what Hojo has been up to." Tseng said sternly.

"But what if he's on Hojo's side?" Reno asked.

"Our job is to serve the president. If Hojo gets too out of control, the president may be in danger. Also, Hojo has been experimenting and injuring the Turks, the president's own bodyguards. In a way, he's harming the president." Tseng continued.

"Sounds like a plan. We'll get that crazy bastard." Reno cheered. The car moved forward slowly, leaving the hospital parking lot.

"Hrmm?" Elena muttered.

"Are you sure she's going to be alright?" Rude looked at the blonde woman through the rearview mirror.

The submarine drifted through the deep waters. Everyone was keeping watch out for the underwater cave. The cabin was quiet for the most part, besides Bugenhagen's odd rambling. He was getting more excited by the minute.

"There." Aeris pointed to the left. "Turn in there. It's inside."

"Aye, aye!" Cid saluted and pulled the sub into the dark hole. "What if that monster comes back?"

"Don't worry about him. He knows we're here. I explained to him that we would need this key." Aeris said.

"When did you talk to him?" Yuffie asked.

"When we first got into the sub. He inspected it to make sure we weren't enemies." Aeris smiled. Everyone gawked at her. "What?"

"Will you tell us the next time that happens?" Cloud said nervously. "That's just a little creepy."

"A, alright." Aeris bit her lip. The sub shook slightly as it squeezed through the cave.

"It's a tight squeeze." Barret looked through the window to the roof of the cave.

"Do we have any scuba gear?" Cloud asked.

"I don't think so." Tifa went to the back of the sub.

"It doesn't matter; you'll be squished if you go out there." Bugenhagen advised. "The pressure's too high."

"So…how do we get the thing?" Cloud leaned against the sub wall.

"Is there a mechanism on this submarine that is like an arm? It can reach out there and grab the key and pull it in." Bugenhagen suggested.

"Haven't figured that one out yet." Cid grabbed the manual from Barret. He flipped through the pages to the index. "Hmm…that's a creative name. 'The Grippy Grab'." Cid laughed.

"Can you use it?" Bugenhagen asked.

"Well of course I can!" Cid threw the booklet over his shoulder and moved the sub further forward. It shook more as it scraped sides with the hard, pointed rock.

"Stop!" Aeris said quickly. Her green orb was glowing softly. "It's around here somewhere. Can anyone see it?" she pressed her face against the glass. There were mechanical scraping and winding noises. Cid pulled on two levers and the sub tilted slightly.

"Is this it?" Cid asked as he pulled a dark, thin object from under a pile of seaweed.

"Cid! Put that down! You're gonna kill it!" Yuffie smacked him on the back.

"Ow! What the & is it!?" Cid let go of the item and it slithered away quickly.

"It was an eel, you idiot." Barret glanced at the pilot sideways.

"Well! I never seen one of them s before!" He spat.

"There…" A low murmur came from the end of the cabin.

"You see it Vincent?" Aeris ran to his side. He pointed with a metallic claw in between two rocks.

"It's held up between those two rocks. Cid, pull it out gently." Vincent said with a monotone voice.

"Alright, leave it to me." Cid whirled the arm around quickly and stopped in front of the two boulders. It pushed forward slowly, opening for the staff-like key. He clamped down on the stem and pulled upwards. The key slid from the sand and boulders with ease. Cid moved it slowly to the front of the sub and pushed a button on the panel. A second later there was a whirring noise and a soft thud.

"Here it comes!" Cid smiled at his accomplishment. A hatch beneath the panel popped open and the key slid out into Cid's hands. "Piece of cake!"

"Can I see it?" Bugenhagen reached for it but Cid pulled back.

"I think we should let the girl look at it first." He sputtered and handed the key to Aeris.

"It's beautiful." Aeris ran her hands over the surface. The key was about a foot long and made of magnificent stone and marble. There were small jewels lining the sides.

"We should hurry back to the city, there's so much to do and so little time!" Bugenhagen said.

"Let's find out what this key can do." Aeris grinned.

There was a knock on President Shinra's office door. He sat up quickly and shoved Scarlet from his lap.

"Yes?" He said with impatience. "Come in." The door slid open and Reno entered the room.

"Evening, sir!" Reno said as he trudged over to Scarlet.

"What the hell do you want?" Scarlet hissed.

"Evening, Pussy Cat." Reno nodded at her and shoved around her to the president.

"Sir, there's something very important at hand right now. We have something we need to discuss and it can't wait." Reno said quickly.

"I'm very busy right now Reno." Rufus stood from his chair and pulled the string to the shades covering the large office window.

"I know sir. I'm sorry, but it just cannot wait." Reno tried his best to get the president's attention.

"What's so important that you interrupted me now?" Rufus looked outside to the streets below.

"It's about the Turks safety, and your own." Reno said with a seriousness the president had never heard before.

"Scarlet, out." Rufus pointed to the door.

"Yes, sir." She said angrily. She turned quickly on her heels and stomped out of the room. She slammed the door behind her.

"Okay, get started. What's going on?" Rufus took a seat.

"Now…you remember Tseng right?" Reno walked to the door he entered from. Rufus raised an eyebrow.

"Of course." He said with suspicion. "What's your point?"

"Well, sir. Tseng's not dead!" Reno opened the door and in walked Rude, a wounded Elena, and Tseng.

"What!?" Rufus stood up quickly from his chair. He trusted the Turks with his life and respected them more than anyone else, especially Tseng.

"Sir." Tseng saluted.

"What the hell is going on!?" Rufus shouted.

"Let me explain." Tseng walked to the president. "Hojo has gone out of control."

"Hojo?" Rufus stared at Tseng as if he were a ghost.

"I was killed in the Temple of the Ancients, but Hojo somehow figured a way to bring me back to life. When I had awoken, I was in his lab, being experimented on. He planned on using me as one of his clones. Or shall I say soldiers?" Tseng looked back at Reno.

"Soldiers?" Rufus asked.

"Yes, sir. He's been creating his own army of failed experiments and clones. He has attacked with Shinra soldiers before. In fact, he's been controlling the army for his own purposes." The ex-Turk straightened his tie. "Reno found me in the lab and tried to get me to safety. We took an elevator in his lab and ended up in a sub-basement lab. We figure that is where he's been doing unauthorized experimentation. As we were down there, Elena showed up as well. Soon an army followed, trying to kill us all."

"Elena? What happened to you?" Rufus pointed at the numb girl, leaning on Rude's shoulder.

"She's a little out of it right now." Reno laughed.

"I'll explain. I was taken to Elena's to be safe. The next morning she was ambushed by Shinra soldiers. She was shot three times, it was very fatal. All was Hojo's doing, in order to get to me." Tseng stopped. Rufus was clenching his fists. He was seething.

"She had to be hospitalized. We've been keeping the lowdown lately. We don't want to be caught up in Hojo's tricks again." Tseng finished.

"This is outrageous!" Rufus slapped his desk. He pushed a button on his phone and spoke into the speaker.

"Yes, sir?" A voice called.

"Get me Hojo. Immediately! I don't care what he is doing. Just get him, and if he isn't near, find him! Send out troops, do whatever you can, just find him!" Rufus shouted. There was a beep and then another call.

"Yes, sir!" The voice ended. A second later there was an alarm and troops were being dispatched.

"This is the part of the job I've always loved!" Reno rubbed his hands together.

"What's that?" A mumble came from Elena.

"What?" Reno noticed she was looking out the window.

"That's the Junon Cannon." Rufus said.

"No…not that…that." She pointed towards the ocean. A large wave washed up the shore. A moment later a huge creature was making its way towards Midgar.

"Oh, shit!" Reno lifted up his dark sunglasses.

"WEAPON!" Rufus ran back to his phone.

"Where in the hell are we?" Cloud asked Cid.

"I dunno. You told me to surface so I did!" Cid shrugged. They were in a valley between mountains in a deep lake connecting to the ocean.

"Hey…there's a cave on the other side of that waterfall." Yuffie ran around the deep lake and towards the waterfall.

"I wanna see!" Tifa followed.

"Me too!" Aeris giggled.

"I guess we all should check it out real quick." Zack suggested and followed the girls.

"Wow! Check out this place!" Yuffie's voice echoed. There were giant crystals and precious stones lining the walls.

"So pretty!" Tifa agreed.

"Oh! Who's that?" Aeris whispered.

"Oh, we're sorry. We didn't mean to bother you." Yuffie backed towards the entrance of the cave. A woman stood in the corner, staring at a crystal. She looked sad and very disturbed. She turned her head slowly looking at the group of people entering her cave.

"Don't just run off like that you stupid- Oh." Cid stopped and stared at the woman. Everyone was silent looking at each other. Vincent stumbled in last. He noticed everyone was standing still. The silence worried him. He stepped out into the open to get a good look and froze. The woman's eyes met his and stared. For a minute they stared at into each other's eyes. Vincent took a step toward her. Everyone else huddled together, giving them space. Vincent's claw twitched slightly. The woman's eyes were soft and glowing slightly with new tears.

"Lucrecia…" Vincent's whisper was deafening in the silence of the cave.

Okay, this one isn't too long, but I gotta stop for today. I don't know what I think of this chapter. What did you think? I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to post sooner if possible. Thanks for reading and reviewing I love hearing from you all! –Annubis.