Getting Cloud back into his clothes wasn't easy. His crazy stunt had not only nearly killed him, but had left him burned over most of his exposed skin. The pain had to be maddening. Combined with the drain from the overhead sun, as well as being bashed roundly by not one but two Tsunamis, and it was a wonder that the man could even walk. Although the medical supplies on board the Sierra included a cure materia, no one had been wise enough to bring it. They hadn't expected needing it. And so, they had no choice but to try and get Cloud back to the ship.
Cloud hobbled along very slowly, every move putting him in more pain. He looked the most agonized by heat now, as he felt the heat of his own beet red body burning off of him as well as the desert sun. His clothes only made things worse, irritating him and trapping in more heat than before. Ragnar looked uneasily to him again and again, wishing he could do something to help him. But touching him to carry him would only put him in more agony. He had to suffer until they could get back to the ship…or at least into the care center at the Gold Saucer.
"Dang, Cloud…" Ragnar remarked as he stared at him. "We really should have waited until nightfall."
Cloud grimaced and struggled to move onward, but he gave a nod as he did so. "Trust me…kid… She's worth it. She's worth it all…"
That phrase was said with deadly seriousness, despite how much pain that Cloud was in. What more, Ragnar did notice that he looked enthused. Ever since he had come out of the hole and recovered, in fact, the young man had seen more energy on his face and gestures than ever…even optimism. Ragnar had taken the Crystal Stone from him, but Cloud continued to look at it with an earnest expression, bearing through his agony with that same look of joy and expectation. They had found it…and now she was one step closer to their grasp. For all they knew, the hard part was over. And because of that, Cloud didn't complain once, and even bore a smile as he struggled to move his tomato-like body onward. It was indeed worth it all to him.
"I certainly hope so." Tumahab remarked, still looking at the ex-mercenary with disdain. "I've seen a lot of people in my day who would be dead or crippled with trauma at this point. I can only imagine the agony you're in, young man."
Cloud totally ignored him. Instead, he looked up to Ragnar's own anxious face, and smiled at him. "She's…the kindest…gentlest…most…innocent person I ever met…" He told him. "She loved everyone… She was always happy…always comforting… She made everything seem more alive… It seemed like a crime against nature…that anything would want to kill her…" Cloud inhaled stiffly, steadying himself again, and then looked up ahead.
"Even if…I only got to see her smile again for five minutes…it would be worth every burned cell on my body."
Ragnar continued to stare at Cloud. Despite all he had been through, the man looked happier yet in spite of it all. The young man was astonished. He had heard much about her…but he had wondered whether or not she was truly all of the things that they had said. It was true that he wanted to believe them. Something about that face he had seen…that soft, pleasant, innocent face…something told him that the spirit that had been held behind that face was truly radiant and beautiful. Yet still he had his doubts, not wanting to trust his physical senses. But now, seeing Cloud react like this, seeing his normally stoic face be confronted with such pain and yet still smile at the thought, he realized she had to be. And at the thought of that…he wanted to meet her all that much more as well.
"…Did we have a welcoming committee waiting for us?"
Ragnar and Cloud both turned to Tumahab as he announced that, forgetting about their enthusiasm a moment. They soon saw that he was staring forward, glaring at the area in front as he walked. Both men turned to see what was the matter…and they too began to grimace and breathe a bit more uneasily. Apparently…they had attracted a lot of unwanted attention.
Standing just in front of the barbed wire fence were some ten odd ruffians. And they weren't alone. More were already joining them from behind, slipping through and thickening the ranks. The initial ten had their arms crossed and were glaring at the three of them. In their arms, they wielded baseball bats, broken bottles, chains, and crude knives that had rust, or dried blood, covering them. The ones with the bats patted them against their open palms, accenting their intentions and power. The others continued to join in, some swinging chains in a circle. Some lacing metal around their fists. Some beginning to play with their knives. All darkly looked forward and glared at the three with very unfriendly intent, barring the way back into the prison. Within no time at all, twenty of them were gathered there, and stood together as a unit and formidable force.
About a hundred feet from them, Ragnar, Cloud, and Tumahab all halted. The two sides stood still and squared off against one another. Ragnar and Cloud both had rather monstrous swords, but that didn't seem to disturb the enemy in the least. Numbers tended to bolster one's confidence. For a moment, the only sound heard was that of bats patting flesh or of the howling desert wind.
"…If you want the jewel, you're wasting your time." Ragnar finally announced, shoving the Crystal Stone into his pocket as he did so. "Once you try and get out of here with it, they'll check you before you leave. It'll only end up in Dio's pocket."
"What good is money going to do men who got life terms, dumbass?" One of the dirtier looking felons spat back. "Forget yer stinking rock. We want that GPS you got, and the ice materia. Those things are our ticket to getting out of this damn desert alive once we break for it."
Ragnar blinked a moment. He turned back to Cloud and Tumahab. Cloud didn't show much in reply as he struggled to stay standing. Tumahab merely gave a shrug. In the end, the youth turned back and shrugged as well back to them. He began to reach to his side for the GPS.
"Fair enough." He simply answered as he took it off, getting ready to toss it to the twenty.
At this, however, another felon snickered. "Ain't that simple, boys. You see…we can't very well have you three goin' back, saying that we got out after takin' yer stuff so they'll look for us. Besides…once we do get out, then that jewel will do us some good."
The other inmates began to brandish their weapons at this, and took one step forward.
Ragnar frowned. He turned his head to Cloud in response and gave a shrug. "It's a bit hot out here for me. I'm not sure how good I'm going to do."
"You got to take them, kid." Cloud simply answered with a head shake. "I'm spent."
The youth slowly sighed in response. He looked up to Tumahab, who merely glared darkly back, making no indicationg of jumping in. After that, he turned back to the approaching men. He next reached behind him, grasped the hilt of Ragnarok, and then pulled it out. In the desert sun, it sparkled like a living flame even more than before.
The felons weren't impressed. One whistled at him. "Whoo-hoo…where'd you get the pretty little sword, boy?"
"Looks like it's worth quite a bit too."
"I'll try to go easy on you all, if you want to do this." Ragnar announced as he went into a ready position. "However, I'm a bit hot today…so I can't guarantee that I'll simply cripple each one of you, and not kill you. You've been warned."
The criminals merely spat in reply and chuckled, and then began to advance again. Tumahab, on his part, sighed, bowed his head, placed his fingers on his nasal bridge, and shook it. No matter what generation he was in, stupid thieves were stupid thieves…and never took your warning seriously until you gave them a spanking.
Ragnar himself took a few steps forward, maintaining his ready position. His only goal in doing this was to distance himself from the others. After that, he watched as the felons slowly closed in, moving around him with their weapons flashing. They began to dart in and out and make themselves look more skilled and crafty, yelling out boo as they jumped forward and then went back, and giving cat calls to the young general. He didn't react to any of them. He focused himself, and began to concentrate.They continued to move in, pushing in on three sides, leaving only his back to Tumahab and Cloud. Then they closed, each one going just outside of range.
Finally it happened. One on the left sprung forward, knife drawn. Ragnar spun around and reacted, bringing his sword up to bear. Apparently, the thieves had done something like this before, because the moment he did another tried to react to stop him. He came forward and lashed out with a length of chain, wrapping it around the end of Ragnarok. In another moment, he would have yanked back and struggled to rip it out of Ragnar's grasp. The general didn't even react. He kept bringing his sword forward…and a moment later the atom edge of his blade sliced the chain to pieces. The dumbfounded felon looked at his broken chain in surprise, as Ragnar swung up and slashed through the man on his left. He made sure to go shallow, cutting open a large, painful gash…but not going so deep as to mortally wound him. After that, he spun around just as quickly and struck down the opposing felon in much the same way, who was still staring at his severed chain in surprise.
Giving a yell, another dove forward, raising up a bottle in one hand and swinging it around in a stabbing motion. Ragnar advanced and sliced up at this, going through a critical part of the man's arm. The result cut the tendons, and his arm immediately was crippled. He dropped the bottle as he recoiled in pain. Another came in on his right, stabbing out with his knife. Ragnar sidestepped this slash, letting it go harmlessly past him, before swinging around the hilt of his sword into the man's head. The burning sensation coupled with the hard knot on the end of it bludgeoned him hard enough to send him flying a foot back in agony before crashing to the ground. Another ran in from behind now, having gained enough angle to come from the back. A chain was wrapped around his fist, and he cocked back to give Ragnar a blow to the back of the head. As he approached, Ragnar merely raised his sword up and behind him…driving the tip of his blade into the man's calf as it swung back and piercing it all the way through. The pain made him drop his weapon, and as he pulled it out again, he collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain, as he seized his rapidly bleeding leg.
Seeing what this man was doing, and how their own tactics were not working, eight of the thieves decided to rush him at once. Grasping their weapons hard and giving out their own war cries, they suddenly ran forward as one and barreled for Ragnar. The youth turned his head, and his eyes widened a bit at this. He hadn't expected such a move. It caught him a bit off guard. He raised his blade up and brandished it for a moment, holding it at the ready as the enemy came closer and closer. He sweat for a moment…trying to think of what to do to counter this…
As Ragnar thought…he suddenly began to feel strange. He felt a sort of itching inside him. A tingling went into his fingers. It quickly increased in intensity, becoming rather uncomfortable. It was like…it was pushing him. Trying to move his body…take over his instincts… As he felt this, and felt the tension and power in his body struggle to obey…he almost thought he heard something. Something in his brain…some faint noise…almost sounding like whispering to him…directing him on what to do…
The youth didn't understand any of this, but he was so off guard and so strained at the moment that he couldn't help but obey. Before he knew what he was doing, he swung his blade out and cut it in a wide arc across the felons as they came forward. When he did…his sword suddenly blazed to life, becoming more radiant and fire-like than ever. For a moment…Ragnar thought it did become a fire. He thought he could hear it burn through the air as he swung it…
A moment later, all eight of the soldiers flew back, as if they were struck by an invisible force and not just the slash. As they crashed to the ground, Cloud and Tumahab reacted in surprise as well as Ragnar at what had happened. However, their own shock was nothing compared to that of the felons. Not only had Ragnar left a slash on them…but their clothing had ignited into flame. It seemed that Ragnarok had indeed turned into a fire for brief moment, cutting through and lighting them up. Now, the men flung themselves desperately about on the sandy ground, trying to extinguish themselves. Luckily for them, there was more than enough sand in the area to accomplish this quickly.
However, the effects were lasting in its wake. Ragnar continued to hold his sword out in the position he had ended in, brandishing it dangerously and glaring out at the felons. As the people finished putting themselves out, they and the other injured began to drag themselves away from the youth, staring at him in fear. The remaining ones hesitated, seeing how the young man had not only slashed the last ones…but had somehow burned them. His sword had turned into fire. Now…seeing Ragnar before them…they began to think he was not a warrior at all, but some sort of demon or monster who had conjured up the fire to roast them. Even now, his sword still flashed like golden flame as he showed his readiness to attack again.
At last, they had enough.
The ones who were still standing turned and ran away as fast as they could. Those on the ground turned around and dragged themselves away, some of them crying out for their brethren to help them. Those that could got to their feet and limped away as best they could. The rest just scrambled in the dust. Soon, all of them were passing over or under the barbed wire fence. Some tore themselves, but they didn't seem to notice. They just wanted to get away. Within a minute, the three were alone again.
Ragnar slowly exhaled, and then turned his sword around and placed it in his sheath behind him. After that, he straightened up again and calmed himself down, before turning and looking back. He soon hesitated, for he realized he had left an impression. Cloud, understandably, was stunned at what the youth had just accomplished. However…something that Ragnar didn't expect was that Tumahab as well looked rather surprised, seeming to be shocked that he had done that. That made Ragnar a bit more uneasy. It meant he hadn't known he was capable of that ability either…
"How did you do that?" Both Cloud and Tumahab sounded as one.
Ragnar blushed a bit, and wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. He frowned for a moment, but then finally shrugged. "…I really don't know." He finally admitted. "I was just…fighting them all like that. Then I saw the eight coming forward together…and I panicked a little. Then…I suddenly just felt like that was the right thing to do. Slash like that."
Cloud stared incredulously at Ragnar after hearing that. However…Tumahab was different. He slowly crossed his arms and leveled a harder stare at the youth, raising up a hand and scratching his chin. He seemed to be thinking something different about the young man…and it wasn't long before his staremade Ragnar a bit uncomfortable. He turned back to Cloud fully. The ex-mercenary paused a moment longer, and then shook his head.
"I've seen people do stuff similar to that who trained themselves to focus their chi, like Tifa and Yuffie…but I had no idea you could do stuff like that." Cloud spoke after a moment. "The only person I ever met who could generate energy…" However, on saying this, the man trailed off. His head lowered slightly, as something occurred to him.
Ragnar was soon unnerved by this as well. "…Who?"
Cloud frowned and shook his head. "Nevermind. Now that we've taken care of these bozos, let's get out of here."
"It's Reno. We're here."
In response, the metal sliding door to General Leers' main office slid open. It was locked by default, ever since that one visit that he had gotten almost half a year ago. However, as it opened up, it didn't reveal much that was new. The office was still the same as it had been ever since they had first showed up. The metal table from before was still there, with all of Leers' desk appurtances at the end. He was looking over his computer screen and an open file at the moment, and was somewhat reclined in his own chair. His look was rather dark and unpleasant as he stared at it. When the door opened, he turned his gaze up to the others.
"Sit." He simply ordered.
Reno raised an eyebrow, obviously not liking being talked to like a dog, but in the end, he gave a simple shrug and began to walk into the room. Rude, stoic as always, followed shortly behind. Elena, frowning and impugnant, came after. She had never quite believed that Leers knew nothing about Tseng's disappearance. She always regarded him with suspicion. Finally, Krystea, calm and businesslike, followed the rear. The four Turks walked up to the table, moving into the positions that they had been in previously. As they did so, they noticed that their former positions seemed to have folders placed at each of them, obviously a briefing.
One by one, they all went to their spaces. Rude, Elena, and Krystea sat normally in their spots, while Reno kicked back and put his boots on the table. He began to fish out a new cigarette to light it.
Leers closed his own folder at this, and then put it to one side. He turned his full attention in front of him. He still looked rather upset and dark…and it only increased as he turned his head to Reno, seeing how he was acting. Slowly, he folded his strong hands in front of him and rested them on the table.
"…Mr. Reno…while you are putting that cigarette back into your pack, I would like it very much if you took your shoes off of my 20,000 gil table." The air was not of a request at all, but of a command. "Today…I truly lack the patience for your blatant disregard for my décor."
Reno looked back to him innocently for a moment. He had just gotten his cigarette out by now, and was about to put it in his mouth. But seeing how dark Leers looked…and how void of humor he appeared…the Turk finally gave a shrug. He slowly pulled his feet off the table one at a time, while he tucked his cigarette behind his ear. After that, he leaned forward and put both of his elbows and arms on the table. He flashed a large, sardonic smile at Leers after doing so.
The General frowned once at this, but then turned to the whole table. "The reason I am so upset is that it appears that one of my captains decided to be a glory seeker in the middle of our first naval offense, and as a result an invasion had to be called off, and the enemy was given even more time to prepare for the next assault. However, regarding that is not why I called your four in here.
"We received an anonymous tip about the whereabouts and actions of certain key members of the PPA. Most of all, we were tipped off to the fact that they may be acquiring a person of certain importance. Frankly, I didn't believe any of it at first, but we verified the old files from the original Shinra Inc., and everything they say confirms it. The file was supposed to be closed, but on review we found that there was no basis for doing so. I'm not exactly sure what these members are planning or what they even think they're doing, but they are going to make contact with an ex-specimen of Shinra Inc. in one way or another, we deduce. To do so, they will be invading the Northern Continent. With the power of their airship, it shouldn't be too hard to slip a few people in.
"We hear they're making for the City of the Ancients. We didn't bother dispatching many people there before now, although that is changing immediately. However…I'd rather not intercept them with our troops. I'd rather send you four in. You see…the key members appear to be none other than the two generals of the PPA. I'd love to see them assassinated, but not before they make contact with this specimen. Based on our knowledge, this one is worth her weight in gil to our researchers. Once they find the specimen, take it from them. On doing so I am prepared to award you with one million gil each."
Elena and Krystea's eyes widened a bit at that, not expecting such a hefty sum. Rude, however, was still stoic, and Reno simply leaned back again. "I told you once, General… We've been called to get one of these generals before. I'm not sure we can get him…not without a lot of pain involved."
"I know." Leers responded darkly. He had wanted to dispatch them on an assassination mission months ago to eliminate the general of the PPA. They were ready to do it, until they found out who the other people were who were around him, in particular a General Cloud Strife. On doing so, they declined the one job that seemed "difficult enough" for them. However…this time he was ready to supplement it.
"Therefore…I'm willing to give you a one million gil bonus each for the assassination of Ragnar Vice on this mission, as well as a five hundred thousand gil bonus apiece for the assassination of Cloud Strife, and another one for the sabotage and destruction of their airship."
Reno turned his head at that and cracked a smile, now seeming pleasantly surprised as well. He turned his head to Rude to confirm it. The man had straightened up a bit, and had cracked a bit of a smile himself. He gave a single nod in response. Elena and Krystea were overwhelmed themselves, looking to each other in disbelief. They had never been paid that much for a job before. Reno turned back to Leers, gave a nod of his head, and then leaned back again. He pulled his folder off of the desk shortly thereafter.
"Well…that does sound rather nice. And I think it'll just cover the trouble…so long as our medical services are taken care of."
"Of course." Leers answered.
Reno smiled again and chuckled a bit at the thought of the money. As he did, he began to crack open his file. The others began to take their own folders and open them by now, seeing as it was almost agreed on that they were taking this job. They too began to read through them and flip through the pages. "So…" Reno announced after a moment. "Who is this oh-so-valuable specimen we're recovering? I sure hope it isn't another Sephiroth-larva, because I've had quite enough of…"
Reno suddenly trailed off, and his smile vanished. He stared blankly at the paper in front of him. One by one, the others began to turn to it as well. Rude likewise stopped, and his look became totally stoic again. Elena, when she reached her page, raised an eyebrow and looked rather confused.
But Krystea was worst of all.
When she reached the page…her skin seemed to lose its color. Her pupils almost seemed to shrink while her jaw lowered. For a moment, she was as still as a statue, frozen looking at the picture on the page. But after a moment, she snapped out of it and turned to the side. She seemed to frantically be reading the bio information.
Reno looked a little puzzled, and scratched his chin. "…Let me get this straight… You want us to pick up for you a nice, gooey corpse?"
"I know that label in there says 'deceased'…" Leers started.
"Yeah, you know why is says, 'deceased'?" Reno asked. "Because I'm the one who confirmed it. She's fish food."
"Is this biographic information accurate?"
This sudden outburst disrupted both Leers and Reno, as well as the others. They looked forward to see who had spoken. To the surprise of the Turks, it was Krystea. She had looked up and to Leers now…but she had changed. Some sort of fervor was on her expression. She suddenly seemed anxious and excited…far more than they expected. Her questioning tone was almost insistent…
In the end, however, Leers gave a nod. "Yes. That's all accurate to the best of our knowledge."
This only seemed to make Krystea more eager, as she turned down and looked at her file again.
Reno stared back at her a bit uncomfortably for a moment, but then turned his head back to Leers. The general looked to him plainly, however. "Then you should remember that you gave us this information without a body to confirm it."
"Trust me. She's dust." Reno answered. "Me, Elena, Rude, and Tseng had to deal with her and her little friends for months, so long that we started to grow sick of hearing her name."
"Reno's right." Rude tossed in. "She's dead. D-E-A-D."
"Right now, I don't care if she's been living in a cave for four years or if she's a mummy lying in a sarcophagus." Leers finally spoke up. "We can get a lot from her living or dead, and living or dead these two generals seem to think she's worth getting. I want her brought here, however you find her, before that happens."
Reno and Rude looked to each other and exchanged frowns. After that, they turned and looked to Elena. The woman still seemed a little confused as to why they were having to do this, believing her as dead as the other two.
Krystea, however, immediately looked up and ready.
"We'll do it. When do we leave?"
The other three turned incredulously to her, looking surprised at her sudden response…especially how eager it sounded.
"Krystea…she's fertilizing daisies…kicked the bucket…passed on…" Reno began to rattle off.
"And I may never have liked her…but I sure don't want to go around messing with her corpse…especially after four years of rotting." Elena threw in.
The woman paused a moment at that. She seemed to be a bit uncertain or at a loss of what to say. But in the end, she turned to the others with an earnest look. "Guys…I really want to do this job." She finally spat out, a bit too eagerly. This, of course, made the others only more confused and puzzled. Krystea seemed to pick up on that, and looked a bit uneasy. But in the end, she gave a shrug. "I mean…I've…" Finally, she got more force behind her voice. "I've been bored out of my mind for six months. I haven't had a decent job since I joined the Turks. You guys all keep talking about how tough this Cloud guy is. I want to see if I can do any better against him. This is finally a real challenge. And think about the money we're getting. I mean, even if all we do is pick up her bones…" Krystea hesitated here. It seemed as if that thought unsettled her…even more so than Elena. But she shook it off. "That's still a million apiece. I can't stand waiting around on another one of these minor jobs anymore. I need a real challenge. Come on…what do you say?"
Elena and Rude both grimaced, and still looked a bit uneasy at the idea. Reno himself showed nothing. But cocky and carefree as the man looked…he wasn't an idiot. He could tell right now that Krystea was hiding something else. She had some sort of private interest in this, and it seemed to stem from the old flower girl. Of course…why she would was beyond him. Then again…he could think of something. If she grew out her hair a bit more, let it hang more loose, smiled a bit pleasantly more often…she might be considered a dead ringer for the woman. That in and of itself might freak her out a bit…to see she had a double running around somewhere in the world. He supposed she had to get this out of her system, whatever it was. After all…Krystea had a tendancy to go AWOL when it came to things she was interested in.
At last, Reno turned back around to Leers, and gave a shrug. He supposed it was alright. After this, at least they would never have to deal with Aerith Gainsbourough again…
"Alright…you heard the lady. When do we leave?"
The lieutenant finished disconnecting the phone, and then placed it into the cardboard box. He immediately began to load other items from his desk into it after doing so. Behind him, in the back room, other privates were already carrying out the spare forms and chairs. They walked right past him as he straightened up his desk, and soon passed out through the front door, leaving him to his work as he continued to clean up.
To say that he wasn't upset was an understatement. They had spent six months making this part of Midgar into a base, and had just repelled the first invasion rather successfully. Now he got a call saying that they needed to start packing up and moving again. Why? What was the big idea? The enemy wasn't coming…and even if they were, they were far better equipped now. He didn't know. All he knew was that he would soon have to start finding space to set up a new recruiting office. And that would be a big chore in and of itself…
Someone suddenly entered the room through the front door. The lieutenant paused for a moment at this. He wasn't looking up to the door, and he had heard nothing. And it wasn't like he had a sixth sense or anything. But somehow…he knew that someone had just entered the room. He suddenly felt as if some sort of presence had come on the air…something much different than him. Not only that, but he knew it wasn't the privates from before either. This felt…different. He didn't even know he could feel people differently…but he did so now. The room suddenly seemed a bit dimmer and cooler. He felt as if a shadow had fallen on the room from the doorway.
After a moment, the lieutenant managed to recover. He started to raise his head to look to the door. "…We're closed for the day. We won't be able to accept any new recruits…until…"
The officer froze as he raised his head and looked to who had come in. When he did…he felt some sort of nameless fear run through him. He didn't know why. He had never seen this man before. Yet as he looked at him…it seemed as if terror was being squeezed from his body, overriding all other emotions, just as this man seemed to blot out the light around him as he stood in the doorway.
The man was dressed mostly in black, save for steel, pointed boots of a brass color. One of his hands were flesh and bone, and was hovering next to a rather large handgun strapped to his waist. His other hand, however…was artificial, and fashioned into some sort of bronze talon. Even now, the fingers shifted slightly on the arm, and the razor-sharp claws slid against one another. Most of his body was hidden, concealed under a cape as red as fresh blood that was over his shoulders and fastened to his neck via a rather high collar, that concealed most of his pale face. His long, straight black hair covered most of the rest, and was only kept out of his eyes by a special headband. His eyes themselves were as blood red as the cape…a totally unnatural, terrifying color. His gaze was fixed on the officer like a predator on its prey.
"…I am interested in enlisting." The man finally said, his voice was cold and hollow as a gravestone.
The lieutenant couldn't answer. No breath would come out of his lungs. He almost felt his heart stop a moment at this tall, deadly-looking figure. He slipped and stammered a moment.
"We…we, uh…um…w-w-we're…c-c-closed… I mean…we're not…not operating…right now…"
"…Why?" The man asked, his voice still and emotionless.
"E…E…Evacuation…or-orders…" The officer was so caught off guard that he had forgotten that this was classified, and wasn't supposed to be told to others.
"…Then I wish to talk with the general." He responded after a pause.
The lieutenant blinked and swallowed. "I…I don't…don't know…where…"
"No matter." The man simply responded. "I'll find him on my own. Thank you."
With that, the dark man turned and flourished his blood red cape behind him as he walked out. At least…he appeared to walk out. It almost looked as if the cape swept around him and then was carried off by the wind, as if he had disappeared, leaving only that red cloth behind. The lieutenant was left standing still and stammering, still gripped with an unknown fear by seeing that figure there. He was unable to think or move or act normally.
But at last, he broke. He suddenly bowed his head and took a deep breath, as if something had been smothering him. He practically collapsed backward into his chair, and struggled to steady himself.
What in the world had that man been that he could paralyze a person just by looking at them?
"You still look pretty bad."
"I'll live." Cloud answered, stifling a bit of a groan as he did so. He was back at the controls of the Sierra, piloting it onward across the landscape. By now, they had reached the ocean, leaving the rest of the Central Continent behind them. His skin was still rather pink, and some places still looked a bit tomato red. But much of his flesh was a healthier color now, and he was enduring it. Unfortunately, cure materia could only do so much where burns were concerned. The rest would require time to heal. He only hoped Cloud could endure the pain long enough for it to do so. However, the slight bit that had healed had only served to encourage him. He more eagerly than ever drove himself on now.
After the incident at the Corel Prison, the three of them had little trouble getting back to the elevator and back up the shaft. After that, Cloud had to visit the nurse's station at the Chocobo Race Track to get his body smothered with every bit of first aid cream they had. Once that was done, however, they were on their way. Cloud was set to get back on the tram and back down to Corel, where they returned to the Sierra and took off. Inside, Ragnar had whipped out the cure materia and used it on as much of Cloud as he could. It was a very good thing that Cloud had been wearing his underwear at the time of being fried. That had preserved at least some of his private parts… Yet despite his pain, he had readily launched the Sierra, forcing Ragnar to take up his old assistant station to get it off the ground, and soon the three were headed north…now bearing the legendary Crystal Stone in tow.
Tumahab looked out through the glass windows, observing the change in the sky. "It's growing late…"
"Good." Cloud responded. "That means we'll have cover of darkness pretty soon. I'm not all that good at flying this thing…certainly not to maneuver it."
"I hope you can land it." Ragnar uneasily answered. "I think I know a place in the valley wide enough to put this thing that's out of the way. Let's just hope that they don't have much in the way of radar that far out, or guards on route to the city."
"Let's just make sure we know the plan before we get there, because there won't be any time for talking once we do." Cloud responded. "I fly the Sierra in wide so that I come to the City of the Ancients from the West. Once there, I land this thing where you show me, and if we are lucky enough to get past any anti-aircraft artillery and radar we hike through the valley to the City. Once there, we sneak back into the grove, where we pick up Aerith's body. We do whatever we need to do with the stone and then bring her back to the ship. As soon as we have a moment, we get out of here."
"There's still one problem." Ragnar ruefully added. "You said Aerith was stabbed through the heart and maybe the spine. She won't be able to live if we bring her body back to life."
"Leave that to me, gentlemen." Tumahab interjected. "Remember…I am a skilled surgeon here."
"Let's just hope that she's not rotten…" Cloud murmured in addition, growing a bit uneasy as he said so. "Or this whole trip will have been for nothing…"
The three were silent for a moment after that. Ragnar, however, wasn't that worried about that aspect, and apparently neither was Tumahab. He still hadn't come out with the truth yet, and right now he really didn't want to do so. He wasn't sure how Cloud would react. However, after a few moments longer, he thought of something else to bring up.
"…We've got three pending messages on the radio."
Cloud turned his head slightly behind him at that. "Really? Of what?"
Ragnar frowned slightly. "Well…the first was Cid blowing a gasket yelling at us… I didn't have the heart to look at the other two after how vicious he was on the first…"
"Well, I personally think it was rather worth it." Cloud answered with a shrug. "You will too, when we get there. I just hope this works."
In the time it took the Sierra to get far enough north, the sun was setting. This was good, in their opinion. The cover of darkness was always preferable. As they neared the zone where they were susceptible to attack, Cloud veered the craft off to the west and began to encircle the continent instead, making sure to give it a wide berth as he did so. He only hoped, along with the others, that the New Shinra hadn't invented a newer type of long range radar. They didn't want anyone to notice they were coming. It would be hard enough trying to get back to the City without alerting every soldier on the Northern Continent.
It took hours to accomplish. It was dark by then. Cloud wasn't the best pilot in the word, and darkness didn't help. He had to have Ragnar and Tumahab both monitor the navigation devices to make sure he was on the right course. They couldn't turn on any lights for fear of attracting any enemies or unwanted attention. In the end, however, they did find their way around and west of their destination. From here, the City of the Ancients was directly east, up a sheer cliff and across rather rugged terrain. No invasion could happen from here, but Ragnar doubted that the New Shinra had deemed the possibility of the Sierra attacking as a non threat. Cloud was forced to lower the altitude as close to the ground as he dared, and slowly crept his way inland. Moving very slowly and relying heavily on hovering to stay aloft, the crew cleared the tall sheer cliff and slowly made their way inland on the Northern Continent.
This was the real nerve wracking part. Because the bridge cast off so much light through transparent windows, they darkened it as well. The only illumination was soon the lights shining off of their instruments. The three peered outside anxiously as the Sierra slowly crept up and down, over the landscape. Cid might have been good enough to take them within seven feet of the mountain and canopy that went over them, but Cloud could barely manage it at fifty feet. Even then, it seemed painfully close… Ragnar frequently turned to a special instrument he was monitoring that would register if a sonar or radar blip was hitting them. Every time he heard the slightest noise, he snapped around to it. However, it would always be nothing.
It took another two hours moving at this slow speed to maneuver the Sierra forward, over the landscape and inch close to the City. It was getting past midnight by then. Still, they had encountered no difficulty. At this time, Ragnar began to look out the window, searching for signs of their stop. It took some time, but he did begin to recognize the area. It was hard to see in dim starlight and moonlight, and being up high didn't help at all. But the valley did start coming back to him. After clearing one particular mountain, Ragnar noticed something to the right. There was a rift in the ground, between the mountains.
Ragnar pointed it out. "There. That's the canyon."
Cloud looked out and to it. Immediately, he frowned. "Rather thin…"
"At least they won't see us."
"They may hear us when I scrape this ship up against the edge…" Cloud murmured. But in the end, he tipped his controls forward and began to direct the ship toward the canyon.
This part took quite a while. It didn't take long for Cloud to move the Sierra over to the canyon and put it into a hover, but to go from there took much longer. He was terrible at making microadjustments. He struggled for close to thirty minutes maneuvering the ship, turning it one way and the other, raising and lowering it, and struggling to get it to fit just right. Ragnar had to frequently run up to the deck and look over the side, to make sure that the airship was clear. It was very tedious, and it made far more noise than Ragnar or the others would have cared for. But somehow, after a ton of trial and error, they managed to maneuver it correctly and land it.
Cloud gulped nervously and held the controls as steady as possible as Ragnar slowly powered down the thrust. The world in front of them grew dark as the canyon walls rose around them. There was barely enough room in this canyon for the Sierra to fit its massive bulk into. However, it did manage to make it in the end. It scratched against a few rocks that stuck out, making the three shudder, but for the most part it slid in. As the canyon walls rose on all sides before them, the engine powered down fully, and then came to a stop. Now, the huge airship hovered above the ground slightly only on its own steam and air bag.
Letting out a large sigh of relief, Cloud removed his hands from the controls, and wiped his brow. Ragnar himself loosened his collar a bit. Tumahab even looked a little uneasy, but he calmed down quickly. Once they all had adjusted, they each turned to one another and quickly got ready to move.
"Alright…that's one more obstacle we've passed." Cloud started. After saying this, he looked up to the wall of the Sierra's cockpit. It was still dark inside, but a green LED illuminated a set of numbers. He frowned a bit at them, but then looked back down. "This whole trip has taken us up until 0230 hours. Dawn is at 0700. I think I can speak for us all when we'd like to be out of here before daylight."
The two men immediately nodded.
Cloud nodded as well, and then focused on Ragnar. "So how far away is it?"
"Ten miles." Ragnar answered, a bit regretfully at the distance. "Even running, we're going to cut it really close."
Cloud frowned as well. "Even if she's up then…she can't run that far. One of us will have to carry her on the way back." He turned to Tumahab after this. "I'm willing to wait until dawn and even up until tomorrow evening if that's how much time you need, but how long would it take to patch her up?"
"It shouldn't take long." Tumahab answered. "However…you're going to have to be gentle with her for acouple days. If she's strained too much, one of her injuries might reopen. Then there's the fact that all of her muscles and neurons have probably atrifuted by now. She won't be on her feet right away."
The man nodded back as well. "Well…technically this shouldn't even be possible, so anything we get is good. I don't think we can be choosers."
"At any rate, we don't have long." Ragnar finally concluded. "Let's get going while we still have darkness on our side."
To be continued...