CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: CRASH
"C – C – Captain on the bridge!" the guard announced. The bridge crew jumped to their collective feet, accompanied by the sounds of flight manuals, navigational charts, chocolate bars and coffee mugs crashing onto the wooden deck.
"At ease!" Cid snapped off a quick salute. He addressed the three sprightly young women manning the control stations, "Gimme a status report!"
"Erm… flight control and propulsion systems all check out, sir!" Kim replied, after several frantic glances at the displays in front of her.
Several seconds passed before the next reply came. "Refueling operations complete, Mako batteries at maximum charge, auxiliary power units functional," Van added on, managing to call up the required information just in time.
There was another long pause. "All crewmembers and passengers accounted for and at takeoff stations, sir," Sam completed their report, running back to her post after a quick conference with the door guard.
The pilot shook his head. "What's this &#&? My great – grandmother could've taken this ship to thirty thousand feet long before you could open your traps! You just try and take your own sweet time in the middle of a scramble when everything's being bombed to bits around you!"
His glare was met by the sheepish, hangdog expressions on their faces. He shook his head. "Oh, never mind! We're taking off in five minutes, so don't screw it up this time, kids, or I'll have your µ & for a midnight snack!" The airship pilot took his own position at the ship's wheel. He reached for his pack of Malboro Extra Longs.
"Permission to speak, sir?"
"Munch yer request!" he barked, flicking open his lighter, pausing to admire the masterly carved engraving of a nearly naked woman on its enamel surface.
"You can't smoke on the bridge, sir! It's against aircrew standing orders!" Sam pointed out.
"Whaddya know about the regs, kiddo? I'll tell you what the #& rules are on my ship! Rule number one: the Captain is always right. Rule number two: if the Captain is wrong, refer to rule number one. Rule number three: always laugh at the Captain's jokes!" Cid corrected her swiftly.
The old pilot snarled, crushing the cigarette in his hand, "These young 'uns will be the death of me!"
Ever since the Jenova War ended, almost all of his original crewmembers, Wutai vets like him, had left his ship, going on to become captains in their own right. Reeve had been kind enough to assign additional airmen to the Highwind. But Cid was starting to wonder whether that was more a curse than a blessing.
These crewmen, young and enthusiastic as they were, had been assigned to his ship after only one month of basic training, so desperate was the WRO's need for personnel to staff its new air force. Each of them had, on average, only about two or three flying hours. None of them could go solo anytime soon. But what could he do? Skilled airship pilots were at a premium already, with the recent boom in the civil aviation sector. He was lucky that he wasn't flying this ship by himself. Well, these youngsters would have to learn the fine art of flying the hard way. Hopefully, he'd still be alive by the time he was through with them.
The dragoon sucked deeply on his cigarette, drawing in the unfiltered smoke, trying to enjoy its mild narcotic effect. This was not one of his better days, and he really needed a good smoke to make up for it.
Why had he allowed that horrible man to board his ship? The last time that happened, two – thirds of his ship's company had died… of food poisoning, according to the official report from the Shinra HR Department! What a cover – up! But the Ancient had simply smiled at him, and asked very nicely… and he had just given in. That was it. He wasn't the sort to give in without a fight, not even to Shera, but why did he say "yes" to her so easily?
Well, if anything happened this time (even to those dimwits who were tripping over themselves trying to run his ship), he'd personally kick that &!$ over the side, even if the girl were to promise to give him a reach around every day for the rest of his life.
Cid thumbed the crew intercom switch. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking! Strap yourselves in and hold on to your pants, this bird's gonna soar!" He looked at his bridge crew, who were waiting expectantly for his next order. "Retract landing gear!"
The whirr of heavy hydraulics followed, as the mooring lines detached themselves from the bollards on the ground, winding themselves back into their storage compartments on the ship. A chime confirmed that the landing gear had been properly stowed. At least the new crewmen knew what buttons to push.
Cid pushed the starter button. The batteries did their trick, the Mako flowing into the engines, lighting up the jet fuel inside the combustion chamber. He could hear them rumble to life, feel them vibrate with power. He could almost taste the jet fuel being consumed to give his ship thrust. He opened the throttle, feeding fuel and air to the hungry engines, grinning as the ship, free of all restraints, surged forward into the evening sky.
"Yee – ha!" Cid yodeled, as he switched to full throttle, pulling back hard on the wheel / steering yoke, taking the Highwind into a steep climb. The little town rapidly shrunk beneath them. The clouds surged forward to meet them. Flights of birds scattered away in awe of the power of the true king of the skies. This was what he was born for!
"Warning: unsafe flying will void your warranty."
"All right, who the hell had this wonderful idea to install this talking piece of junk?" he questioned.
"You told us to upgrade the nav computer, sir. You said you wanted a female voice," Kim replied, desperately holding onto the edge of her seat.
"I meant a SEXYfemale voice! Not that &#§! Bitchin' Betty!" The "bridge bunnies" had so much more to learn about their captain's sparkling personality.
The Highwind quickly reached cruising altitude. Cid eased up on the throttle, letting the ship fly straight and level. "Seatbelts off, boys and girls. Enjoy the scenery while you can! If this tail wind keeps up, we'll be at Nibelheim by ten!" the pilot announced. Almost immediately, another chime sounded. A quick glance at the command console indicated that someone was now using the heads.
"Come on, don't you wanna enjoy the view? Switch that autopilot on," he told his crew.
He relaxed his hold on the wheel, watching his ship break new ground, the clouds an airy cushion beneath them. All around the sky was peaceful and empty, an endless rose – coloured expanse, warmed by the rapidly setting sun. Not even these wet – behind – the – ears crew members could spoil his day this time, with a view like this.
"Time for another smoke."
♥♥♥♥♥
The flower girl looked out the viewport, watching life pass her by.
Aerith had always wondered what things looked up high up in the heavens, how it was like to be flying just like a bird. She had never seen the sky until she left Midgar, save for a ray of daylight or two, living beneath the heaviness of the Plate. When she was at Junon, she had only enough time for a brief glimpse at the Highwind, before she was forced to escape into the inner city. That one look was good enough for her. Like a child biding his time before his birthday, she knew that she would take to the skies one day.
Now, this dream had been fulfilled. She was flying on the Highwind. Of course, she was happy. But she knew she could've been happier. She had no one to share her happiness with.
Or was there? Well, there was someone else around here who might excite her interest… if he was willing to accept.
Well, where was the man anyway? The lower deck was sealed off, the doors refusing to open this high up in the air. He wasn't in the cockpit, neither was he in the war room or the stables. He certainly wasn't using the toilets, because she could hear Yuffie vomiting inside.
She finally found him alone in the crew cabins, lying down on a bed, staring at the ceiling, looking as if he wanted to be somewhere else instead.
"Hmph!?"
She squatted down beside him. How was she to start? Pick – up lines were mainly designed with guys in mind, rather than girls. She couldn't think of anything that didn't sound cheesy.
"Thanks for joining us, Sephiroth, " she opened the conversation. "I'm glad you came with me," She quickly added. Well, that was pretty lame. She'd thought that it would be an uphill struggle persuading him to join her on this trip. Surprisingly, however, she did not even have to open her mouth to get him to go. He simply came. That was all.
"I didn't do this for your sake." He threw aside the sheets, getting off the bed. He pushed Aerith aside, reaching for the door, wanting to get out of her sight.
He walked briskly along the main corridor, trying to find a place where he wouldn't have to set eyes on her. But the girl wouldn't give up so easily.
Aerith looked straight into his eyes, reaching out carefully, running her fingers across the high wall that blocked off his soul from the rest of the world. But Sephiroth was a man whose passions would often run high, like savage breakers crashing against a seawall, wearing it down slowly, and she soon found a tiny crack in the dyke, just enough for her to take a little peek inside… to have a glimpse of the real Sephiroth.
Saevam iram, iram et dolorem…
Saevam iram, iram et dolorem…
Sephiroth!
Sephiroth!
Aerith lowered her eyes, rubbing away a tear as his emotions swept over her.
But this contact, this meeting of hearts, was all too brief, as she suddenly found herself shaken back and forth, struggling for breath as two large hands crushed her throat.
Sephiroth let go of her just as abruptly as he had seized her, and she found herself on the floor, in a daze. He quickly hid his hands in the pockets of his coat. A minute or two passed in silence.
"Don't ever do that to me!" he finally said.
"Such anger… such ferocity… such pain…" Aerith shook her head, "Your memories… they seek violent release, they're consuming you…" She stretched out her hands. "Let me heal you!" she pleaded.
"You can't do anything! You weren't there when I was made to suffer! You don't understand anything about my pain! You know nothing about my misery! No one ever will! Don't pretend to be able to help! No one can!"
"You won't know until you try, and those who never try will never know! Just let me help you."
"I won't let you! Who do you think you are? My mother? My auntie? I don't even know you! Just leave me alone!" Sephiroth yelled.
He glanced furtively at the exit door. If only he could open it and get himself blown out of the ship! He'd probably die and go back into limbo, but at least he'd be far, far away from her. Or better still, she'd be the one sucked out, and he'd have some peace for a while, at least until she came back to life again.
He almost got his wish.
♥♥♥♥♥
The airman looked over the displays for seemed the thousandth time today. And for the thousandth time, everything checked out normally. This must have been the most boring job on the Planet. This ship was almost fully automated, every last device running like clockwork, leaving precious little for a flight engineer like him to do.
There were three more hours before the next shift. If only he could have a little excitement to break the monotony of this journey!
The doors to the engine room clanged open. No one came in, however.
Well, it seemed as if not everything was plain sailing today after all.
"What's wrong with that stupid door?"
"I'll try to fix it," his partner volunteered, leaving his seat. The airman yawned, training his tired eyes on the screen once again.
He heard a dull thud. Turning around, he found his colleague lying in a crumpled heap, a large, smoking hole in his chest.
"What the?"
A dark shadow flitted past, a phantom hidden at the edge of his vision. He looked left and right, up and down. He was still alone in the engine room. Yet he felt the hairs on his neck rise.
The WRO soldier drew his sidearm, but found no one to point it at. The shadow teased him in perverted fashion, dancing away when he turned to confront it.
"This ain't funny! Show yourself! I'm not afraid of – mph!"
A hand clamped over his mouth, and he felt the searing kiss of an energy blade slicing open his neck. He finally set eyes upon his killer, and when he did, he wished Doom would come a little more quickly for him.
A little girl stood over him, her eyes filled with orange fire.
♥♥♥♥♥
"Time for another smoke."
But Cid would never smoke that cigarette.
"#&Ω it!"
There was a loud thud, sudden enough to make him jump, as if an anvil had fallen right next to him. For a moment, he could not see anything. He could not hear anything, save the roar of air tearing into his ship. The wheel spun wildly, as the ship suddenly veered towards the left. His lighter clattered to the floor.
"Great, an explosive decompression!" he cursed.
"One of the exit doors has blown out!" Van cried.
"We're losing altitude, sir!" Sam trembled.
A siren wailed. "Warning: cabin pressure below recommended levels. Please begin emergency descent procedures immediately," Bitchin' Betty helpfully chimed in.
"Owww!!!" An oxygen mask fell from the ceiling, hitting him square in the forehead.
"Gimme manual control, now!" Cid shouted, putting on the offending mask. At the same time, he pulled a lever at his console, causing several leather restraints to appear. He quickly wound his arms around them, stepping into the stirrups. He would need all of these, if he wasn't to be tossed around like a doll.
"Hold onto your panties, gals! I'll teach you to ride this rollercoaster!" He pulled back on the wheel. The clouds now shot past him, except they were going in the wrong direction. Stacks of papers quickly pasted themselves on the windshield, the chairs and coffee mugs joining them with several sickening crunches and cracks.
"We've lost power to Engine No. 1, Captain!" Kim screamed, her knuckles white around her emergency handle.
"She'll hold together!" Cid reassured his crew, "Hear me baby, hold together!" He'd always seen handsome, swashbuckling airship pilots say the same thing in the movies, and they'd always come out fine and dandy.
"Antigravity systems failing! We can't control her sink rate!"
Just as he thought the wheel would break off in his hands, the Highwind finally responded to his touch, coming out of the near – suicidal dive. A quick look at the gauges showed that they had fallen more than twenty thousand feet in just a few minutes. He sighed, removing the mask. At this height, they wouldn't have to worry about passing out from lack of air, or being sucked out of the airship, for that matter.
"Everybody! There's been an accident! We're gonna make an emergency landing at Junon, so stay where you are, and don't wander off, or you'll wish you had wings like me!"
Cid took his finger off the intercom switch. "Get off your bum and make sure everyone's in one piece!" he told the door guard, clucking his tongue at the rapidly spreading stain on the man's pants.
"Now where the !& is my lighter?" he asked, finding nothing to light up his cigarette with.
♥♥♥♥♥
It was as if a bomb had exploded right in front of them. The exit door shot away, revealing the deadly black beauty of a moonless sky.
Aerith found herself in the air, hurtling towards the doorway. Her arms flailed around, trying to find something to hold onto. Luckily, her hand closed around a metal pole, bent out of shape when the door blew out.
A dark shape flashed past her.
"Sephiroth!!"
She could see the expression of shock and surprise on his face, the lack of resistance he offered to the devouring wind. She reached out for him, but her hand seemed to take forever to find his, as the warrior drifted away from her. Then, she found herself holding his hand!
"Don't let go of me!"
The wind raked her with renewed fury, its cruel, transparent claws tearing him away from her. This was not the welcome, refreshing breeze the Planet sent to speed ships on their way and to help farmers mill their grain. It was nothing like that at all!
She could hear it singing to her and Sephiroth, to everyone else on the Planet, every note deafening her, every word filling her soul with fear, a horrific form of anti – music that drained the life from everyone who heard it, that corrupted everything exposed to it.
Veni, mi fili. Veni, mi fili…
Hic veni, da mihi mortum iterum…
Veni, mi fili. Veni, mi fili…
Hic veni, da mihi…
Noli manere in memoria…
Saevam iram et dolorem…
Ferum terrible fatum…
Ille iterum veniet!
Evil was returning.
But she had no time to worry about this right now. His glove was loosening, becoming limp in her hand, his fingers slipping through hers. She was going to lose him!
Give me strength! Aerith cried. And the spirits of the Lifestream answered her desperate plea.
Tendrils of green energy began wrapping around his arm, joining his hand to hers in a bond that no man could break. The two of them began to glow as a cocoon of sacred energy covered them, protecting them from the hurting wind, blocking out its deadly music, keeping away its chill.
Denied its prize, the winds of hate fled, roaring with primal fury. The evening sky reappeared, brightening up the passage. Letting go of the girl's hand, the SOLDIER leapt effortlessly through the doorway, re – entering the airship.
Aerith decided to press the advantage. This time, she had saved him. Now, he couldn't say that she was evil and all out to destroy him. Now, he would have to acknowledge that she was here to help him with his problems, to keep him safe from his inner demons. Unfortunately, he wasn't as game as Cloud. Asking for a date now would probably make him flip out. She'd have to lead him along slowly and carefully. She'd start small, so that she wouldn't scare him… too much!
The Ancient leaned forward, tapping his shoulder. "Well, Sephiroth, it seems as if I've saved your life. You're now in my debt. Why don't you give me something in return for my services?"
She received an index finger in her face for her troubles. "I will not submit to you, girl! Why do you keep asking me this? Do you think so low of me, that I am only a lap dancer with a metal bikini and a chain?"
"Come on, I'm not asking for very much, you know. I just want you to be my friend."
Sephiroth just stared blankly at her. She saw his lips move a little. For some reason, she could tell what he was saying under his breath.
My friend…
Poor Sephiroth! He had gone through his thirty years of life alone, without having a single friend. Like a child trying hard to learn a new word his mother taught him, he was mouthing the words, unable to put a meaning to them. Now that someone was offering to be his friend, he had absolutely no idea what to do!
"Friends don't harm each other, they care for each other. If your friend is happy, you'll share her joy, and you'll be happy too, and if she's sad, you'll help her get over her sorrow. When a friend needs help, you help her out, knowing that she'll be there to lend you a hand when you need it," she quickly explained.
"I'm willing to be your friend, Sephiroth. How about you? Will you be my friend?" She stretched out her hand.
"..."
She folded her arms, tapping her foot on the deck. "I'm waiting, Sephiroth."
The general started looking at the ground, avoiding contact with her eyes. His mouth remained slightly agape. He swallowed a lump. She could have sworn that she saw a drop of sweat trickle down his brow.
His hand remained where it was. He began to walk very, very quickly back the way he came.
The Cetra girl giggled uncontrollably. He had looked so cute when he was trying to make up his mind! There was still hope for her… a lot of it, in fact. That was good. She had come pretty close to getting him she wanted him to go. He would be hers soon enough!
♥♥♥♥♥
"Sir, there's an unidentified airship coming at us from behind at 200 mph!"
Cid peered down at his monitor. A large, bulbous helicopter filled the screen. Painted in brown camouflage colours, it was bristling with missile launchers, miniguns and rocket pods. He didn't know what this attack helicopter was, or who it belonged to, but he was willing to bet his airship that it had not come to say hello to them.
It was a pity the helicopter had caught them at this time; he could just have taken the Highwind into a climb, as no chopper could fly as high as an airship. He could not fight back either; the Highwind was unarmed, being an exploration vessel, rather than a warship.
Cid groaned as the ship's computer suddenly gave off a series of slow, steady beeps. He'd heard that terrible sound all too often in the past, and he had wished he would never have to hear it again. He found himself traveling back in time to the middle of the war. He was at the helm of a battered, burning airship, outmanned, outgunned, facing the insurmountable task of defending his lone airship against a sky full of swifter and deadlier Wutaian fighters. Every beep made his ears ring, a shrill reminder that explosive death was dogging his every step.
The chopper had switched on its radar, locking on to the Highwind, preparing to fire a missile at them. Cid twisted and turned the wheel, jinking here and there, trying hard to throw off the enemy's aim. But the airship was too close, and the helicopter pilots only had to make a few minor adjustments to keep the ship within their sights.
"Warning: incoming enemy missile!" Bitchin' Betty announced in a somewhat casual tone.
"Ah, #β!"
"We're doomed!" Sam screamed hysterically.
"I'm too young to die!" Kim wailed.
"Mother…" Van wept.
"Oh, shut your &? pieholes! They ain't gonna get us so easy!" Cid insisted. The beeps became faster and more insistent. The missiles were coming closer and closer to the Highwind.
With one engine out, and his flight controls damaged, there was no way he could outrun or outfly those missiles. But he could certainly let the enemy do the dirty work for him.
"Put everything you have in Engine No. 2! Right now!" Amazingly enough, the bridge crew showed no hesitation in carrying out his orders. With all his might, he spun the wheel hard to starboard, pushing the throttle fully forward, heading straight towards the chopper.
It only took seconds for him to pull alongside the enemy ship. Just in time, too – the warning beeps had become one solid tone; the missiles were practically inches behind him!
The Highwind trembled as the missiles blew up all around her in large plumes of orange flame, aborted at the last second by the Dragonfly's pilots. Spider veins grew on the windshield, pipes bled here and there, rivets rocketed around the room, but the ship held together, just as Cid had prayed. They were safe… for a very brief moment.
"We're alive!" the three girls cried in celebration.
But Cid wasn't ready to take the champagne out from cold storage. The helicopter had disappeared! He turned the ship around, nosing up and down, trying to see where the chopper had gone. The cameras mounted around the exterior of his ship didn't pick up the Dragonfly either. The radar screen at Sam's console indicated that the helicopter was still around – in fact, it was in exactly the same spot as the Highwind.
"The hell's going on?"
Cid suddenly thought of something.
"Kim, look through the security cameras. See anything?"
The airman punched the buttons on her monitor, looking through each camera in turn. "Everything's OK, sir…" She suddenly gasped. "Sir, we're being boarded!"
Cid was at her side in a second. The Dragonfly had actually managed to land on the ventral gondola of his ship! Trooper after blue – armoured trooper climbed out of the vehicle, rushing off screen. It seemed as if the chopper contained a limitless number of passengers. What skill… and what nerve! The sheer audacity of it all!
"#$ them! No one comes aboard this ship without my signed permission!" He rushed back to the wheel, bringing the Highwind into a steep dive, dislodging the helicopter from its perch. The last few men who had debarked fell overboard; it would be a long drop for them, with no rope to support them. However, the damage had already been done.
"Security alert, Van!"
A series of shrill whistles, the modern – day, electronic version of the boatswain's pipe, screamed over the speakers. All hands repel boarders!
Cid walked to the back wall of the command deck, adorned with a picture of another nearly naked woman, painstakingly painted by his own hand. He pulled a tiny little ring, designed to blend in with the titillating bikini top of the painted lady, and the wall slid back, revealing a little closet with some goodies he'd kept for emergencies such as these.
He took a Griffon out of the weapons cabinet, slapping in a magazine, cocking the handle.
"You know how to use this puppy?" There was no response from his subordinates. The captain began to wonder exactly how many corners the WRO had cut from their training programme.
"Well, start learning!" He tossed the submachine gun to Sam, who barely managed to keep it from hitting the deck and showering everyone with lead, "Now's your chance to be a real butch, girl!"
He gave out the remaining weapons to the bemused bridge crew, leaving the Venus Gospel for himself. He would have none of those loud and clumsy boomsticks.
Cid leaned against the wheel and waited. There was simply no point playing hide and seek with those guys. He'd let them come to him. If they wanted his ship, they'd get it – over his dead body, of course.
If only he could find that $ψ& lighter! He'd gone for eight minutes without a smoke already!
♥♥♥♥♥
"In Weiss' name!"
Those detested shackles! Would he be bound forever by the chains of his memories?
Sephiroth slid right into the middle of the phalanx of soldiers, leaving trails of burnt black rubber in his wake. The Masamune hissed, slicing the trooper in front of him in half, the scabbard tearing through the man beside him, pinning him to the wall. The next two unfortunates barely had any time to scream as their weapons and their hands clattered weakly onto the deck, but they had enough time to moan as the sword's magic quickly bled them to death. Another two men found themselves literally too close for comfort as the incredibly long blade skewered both of them.
He had killed an entire squad of DG troopers in less than three seconds. Only the squad leader was left. He did not retreat, but activated his energy shield, coolly raising his gun to eye level, squeezing out round after round at the oncoming terror.
Sephiroth did not care for such heroics. Nor did the Masamune. The intelligent weapon paid no heed to the wall of force keeping it out. It merely invited itself into the bosom of its latest victim.
He flicked the blood off his blade. Those minnows were hardly a challenge. Of course they knew that, when they sent those tin soldiers after him. They were merely playing with him. As his mind played tricks with him. As another side of his story mocked his current existence.
A sudden burst of heat and light and sound sent him reeling, as the wall buckled and split open before him. The bulbous visage of the Dragonfly filled up the rough-hewn opening. They had sent a toy copter after him.
The SOLDIER took his time, letting the pilots train the nose – mounted cannon on him. Even so, the incendiary bullets failed to find living flesh, having to settle with just going up in large puffs of white smoke and flaming debris.
By then, he was already on top of things. It took just one cut to free the main rotor from its housing. The blades whirled away in all directions. The Highwind shook as the deadly splinter of metal embedded itself in her side, bleeding thick, oily fluid. Sephiroth leapt back to safety as the attack helicopter careened away uncontrollably, plunging quickly out of sight.
What foolish games they liked to play with him!
He stepped away from the hole in the hull, wondering what else was in store from those who had called out to him. He didn't have to wait too long, as he came face to face with something he didn't expect to see for a pretty long time.
The Dragonfly still wanted to dance with him!
Sephiroth scowled. He had to concede that he'd underestimated those DG troopers. By just a little bit, though. This helicopter had been built to last. Even without its rotor, it was still capable of flight, being equipped with an antigravity device, more commonly seen in large airships such as the Highwind.
A salvo of heavy rockets screamed towards him, a mass of deadly gossamer tentacles about to smother him. The general grimaced, preparing to dodge and roll, his sword and scabbard ready to block the deadly volley. Whatever he did now, he would certainly be caught in the blasting zone. Those missiles were just too close him, and there wasn't much room for him to run. But being knocked off his feet and having his hair singed a little wasn't as bad as being strapped down on Hojo's operating table for ten seconds. It was time for him to suffer a little pain.
The rockets never hit him. They tumbled around, like dice in a giant cup, caught in a swirling vortex of untamed air, an unseen force pushing them away from him, returning them to their sender. It was the Dragonfly that ended up being smothered in flames instead.
The Tornado spell started battering the helicopter, causing it to start rocking around like a baby in a wind – swept bough. Its cannons blazed uselessly, hitting everything except their intended target.
Sephiroth was quick to take advantage of this momentary weakness. He attached his scabbard to the handle of his sword, turning the Masamune into a sixteen – foot lance. He would make sure that there would be no second wind for his enemy. The blade began to pulsate with black energy – the power of terra corrupt.
"Tyrant Spear!"
He hurled the outsized lance at the Dragonfly. It simply passed through the aircraft, as if it did not exist at all, traveling for more than a mile before it disappeared in a flash of darkness. The helicopter stayed where it was, as if it had been immobilized by the passage of the Masamune through its vitals. Sephiroth stayed equally still, watching and waiting for his handiwork to bear fruit.
The Dragonfly suddenly groaned, the airframe giving way along the fault lines the Masamune had created, holding together no longer. The chopper fell apart in two halves, giving him a nice cutaway view of the inner workings of the aircraft. He saw the pilots tumble out of the gunship, and noted with grim satisfaction that they, like most Shinra pilots, had not been equipped with parachutes. A few thousand feet, and several muffled booms later, he was absolutely sure that the Dragonfly would not return to annoy him again.
He turned to his unexpected helper. "Why trouble yourself with keeping up this little charade? I don't need your help, and you know that. Did you honestly think that this little gesture on your part will make me fall down and worship you all of a sudden?"
"You see, Sephiroth, friends always help each other. You could get by on your own, but life will be so much easier if someone's around to lend you a hand. I'm willing to be your friend, Sephiroth. Why don't you be my friend?"
Her words were poison, worming undetected through the night, carried aloft in the storm on her light, sweet voice, insidiously working their way into his bed of sable sadness, sickening him softly till his black rose withered and died.
He would resist it with every fibre of his being! … Or would he? He knew, as any sensible person would, that there was something right in what she had said, in this reasoned appeal to emotion. He'd never had any friends. But he'd seen Cloud and Zack together, and witnessed how no adversity could break the bond between them, how they had trusted each other with their lives, one ultimately giving his own so that the other would have a future. Together, their lives had been so much richer.
And within himself, he remembered the distant past. A few people had gone out of their way, giving him aid, allowing him to cling on to the slippery rungs of survival just a little more firmly. But Cloud was Cloud, and Zack was Zack! They were different people. How could he compare himself with them? It was like comparing a seal to a sea lion! The great Safer Sephiroth could do everything on his own. He never needed any friends. And he wouldn't need any now!
"I'll consider it!" Why was he even saying this? He was giving her an inch, and before he knew it, she'd be asking him for a mile.
Mercifully, the Cetra decided to let him off at this point, gifting him with a sly little wink before vanishing to whatever hole in the wall she had come out of. He had this sinking feeling that she was slowly twisting him around her finger. Worse still, a tiny but vocal part of him actually seemed to like it.
Sephiroth sighed. He had craved power, and he had gotten it. All along, he had thought that by being master of people's lives, he would be master over his own. But the more he squeezed, the more those he sought to control slipped through his fingers. It was futile for him to go back to the old ways. They would simply end up mastering him instead, no matter how much he believed in the absolute nature of his own powers. What was he to do, then? Was the girl right, then? Did he really need someone to help him become his own master, to control the forces that dictated his destiny, to aid him in the coming struggle against the enemies who were coming forth from his past? Did he really need "friends", then? How was he to "make" them? Where was he to "find" them? Were there even any "true" friends at all?
After all, the only allies were his enemies!
♥♥♥♥♥
"All right, pipe down little children, the big bad wolf's dead, he ain't gonna munch on yer chinny chin chin anymore."
A Deepground soldier lay sprawled in the doorway, his helmet still spinning around a little in a corner. An expression of shock was writ large on his bloodstained face. He did not know what had killed him, whether it had been the shock of having the flight deck doors slammed full in his face, or being unlucky enough to be hit by just one of a volley of untrained shots fired by desperate women.
However, his comrade, who had managed to get a few feet in front of him, didn't even know who or what did him in. An angry purple bruise had blossomed on the back of his unprotected neck, courtesy of a large spanner the Captain always carried around for special occasions like these. The pilot didn't even have to use his lance this time.
The screams finally died down. Cid took advantage of this moment of peace to look out of the viewports, watching the flaming remnants of the Dragonfly slowly plummeting away. He wasn't sure who had disposed of that chopper, but he sure was grateful that he didn't have to mess with it anymore.
Cloud appeared in the doorway, ducking just a little to avoid a hastily fired burst of bullets.
"Hold yer fire, little ladies! You don't wanna blast poor Prince Charming off his feet, right?" Cid chided them, "So, you got rid of all the rats on our ship?"
"Yeah, and if you read the fine print of my service contract, it's 50 extra for calling in the exterminators after five on a weekday." Cloud was merely joking, of course, but the truth was that these terms were already very generous for a security consultant these days. Things had gone crazy for a while after the fall of the tyrannical Shinra empire, and it was only now that the WRO was managing to bring things back to something resembling a state of normalcy.
"Well, don't look at me, charge it to the Commissioner's card, he's the bottomless pit, remember?" Cid retorted. One thing the parliamentary select committees had never been able to find out was how Reeve got all the money to fund all of his various ventures. The money just appeared every month at WRO headquarters, in unmarked suitcases, in non – sequential bills. When quizzed by the Shadow Commissioner, Reeve had simply replied that he didn't know who was behind it; perhaps it was just someone who wanted to give a little back to the Planet. No one doubted that Reeve had given an honest answer, but his explanation wasn't sufficient to answer the question of the identity of that mysterious donor.
"Anyway, I hope you brought more than an overnight bag, for we ain't gonna reach Nibelheim tonight. This bird's had enough fun for now, she'll need to spend some time in the drydock if we don't want her to get eaten up by the next chopper that comes by."
He turned to the still – shaking bridge officers. "Sam, set a course for Junon. If anyone asks for a landing permit, tell him that I'll squeeze his $& so hard he'd wish he was born without them!"
The Highwind suddenly lurched forward, causing the pilot to lose his footing. Luckily, he was still holding onto one of the leather straps on his console. Cloud was not so lucky, cracking his head against the Captain's chair. No sooner had they regained their balance, did the airship suddenly start climbing. The mercenary tumbled away, the doors slamming shut behind him.
"#!+& it!" The ship kept nosing up and down, refusing to respond to the wheel despite his best efforts.
"Fluid pressure for hydraulic lines 1, 2 and 3 at zero! All control surfaces have failed!"
"What a great day to fly, huh?" Well, whoever had brought the Dragonfly down had done his work a little too well. $&# it. Some stupid little piece of flying debris must have hit the Highwind in one of the worst possible places,severing all the control lines in the ship. He'd seen enough airships going down in battle to know what would happen next. Out of control, the airship would keep bobbing up and down like a cork, losing precious altitude each time. This vicious cycle would continue until she kissed the ground in violent fashion, dooming herself and all her passengers.
"What about line 4? There must be some juice in that damned pipe, right?"
But Kim shook her head. $&# it again. The Highwind Jr, which had saved their lives in their escape from the Northern Crater, couldn't help them this time, her control systems also damaged beyond recovery by that same piece of rogue shrapnel. Their getaway ride was just as good as a paper aeroplane.
"One last thing you need to learn, gals. You gotta know when you've gotta go! Van, hightail it to the loading bay. Get those 'chutes ready, 'cos we'll soon be skydiving!"
Cid began to work the throttle, increasing speed one moment, then cutting back the next, causing the ship to bounce up and down a little less wildly. But even this little trick would simply delay the inevitable. They'd have to bale out pretty soon, or not at all.
Van rushed back in, holding a parachute pack. "No go, sir! Someone's cut up all the parachutes!" Festoons of silk ribbons spilled to the floor as the pack fell from her numbed hands.
Cid sighed. What a comedy of errors this was. He watched the needles on his altimeter turn the wrong way, spinning faster and faster, closer and closer towards oblivion. "Tough luck. That's Sod's Law for you."
The airman pulled an emergency toggle, dumping the ship's fuel stores, draining the Mako batteries. Well, he'd have to go down with his ship. But to think of it, he wouldn't have it any other way. At least he'd die at the wheel, rather than in a hospital bed from lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or something.
"Warning: terrain features encountered. Please pull up immediately." With a snap and a crackle, Bitchin' Betty ceased her endless complaints, silenced forever by a well – placed spanner. He didn't need her to announce the fact of his impending demise.
Cid was soon treated to the sight of a giant checkerboard made of neatly – tilled plots of farmland, golden with grains which were yet to be harvested. At least they weren't going to crash into a mountain or a jungle, or someplace too remote. However, despite his tricks with the throttle, they were moving far too quickly, and descending far too rapidly to land safely.
He pressed the intercom switch. "Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking, most probably for the last time. We're going in for a hard landing. Tighten your seatbelts and remember to lean forward and place your hands on the seat in front of you. Thank you for traveling with Cidwind, and I hope you haven't had too unpleasant a flight."
It was out of his hands now. Hopefully, Lady Luck wouldn't fail him this time either.
The bridge officers were huddled together in a corner, holding each other close, scared beyond tears, petrified beyond words. Cid felt sorry for them. He'd been around long enough to have a little fun, but they were far too young to die, but war, like his brother, cared not for age. But at least they could derive a little solace from each other's presence. Death was so much harder to face alone.
Take care of yourself, Shera. Hope you'll find a less #$!! – up bloke than me…
The old pilot stood up, breathing deeply. Having found his lighter a minute ago, he had just enough time for one last cigarette. He rested his hands on the wheel, chin up, looking straight ahead. Cid Highwind CXVII, ace pilot, master and commander, sailor amongst the stars, watched and waited as the Planet rushed forward to receive him in her timeless embrace.
"Holy # !$& –––– "
From the Author's Mouth
Hi everyone! I just can't believe that someone's still reading my story! Thanks for all your reviews, not giving up on me ). I'm currently stuck in your typical high-stress, no-life office job, so I hope I can keep this up!
I'm trying to include characters and story elements from Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus in my story, makes this a lot more interesting. But things won't unfold in the same way as it happened in the Compilation of FFVII. Some people who survived might die, others who officially died might yet get a reprieve. Unfortunately, I like to make my plans as I go along, unlike more accomplished authors like JK Rowling, so I haven't thought things through yet. And as with the last chapter, I'm hoping to put in a few references to some of the other games Square made, like the Mana or Chocobo series, which are works of art in their own right. And maybe even another Final Fantasy…
One tiny challenge I encountered was trying to describe the various things that were happening to the Highwind in something remotely intelligible, without boring everyone to tears with meaningless technobabble. I admit I'm no pilot myself – I just took everything from Wikipedia. The Wikimedia Foundation should get a Nobel prize or something, I've learned a lot of things I wouldn't even have heard of, just by surfing that website!
Remember the "Terrible Trio", collectively known as Sammie, Kim and Vanessa? And Henri (or Bruno), their implacable pipe-smoking captain? As you can see, I'm trying to take fan service as far as possible without jumping the shark! I loved the Robotech books written by Jack McKinney. The books really helped to flesh out what happened in the cartoons. But the Sentinels series just wasn't worth the paper they were printed on, but maybe because I didn't really like the weird ideas Harmony Gold was coming up with, like skintight spandex uniforms.
Well… I guess that's all I can think of for now… hopefully, I can get this fic done, within my lifetime ). Or maybe it'll be a true epic that spans generations, a masterpiece taking many hundreds of years to complete… maybe it won't be done even by the time Red XIII comes around and starts roaring at what's left of Midgar ).