The Servant: The Aleron Saga

by Piccolo Sky

The untold story of Bahamut. In this fourth installment, Bahamut's triumphant return to Gaia is cut short as he sees visions warning him of a cataclysmic future, one that will test both him and his pupil in a way most unexpected.

15. Standoff

The Fanfiction website has been acting on the fritz for days, and I've been unable to post my story. I finally got it to the point where I could edit my submissions, but now the page ruler doesn't work (the thing that puts breaks between my sections of a chapter). This is going to look really awful, but I have no other choice. I can't use symbols because the fanfiction website erases them when I try and enter them (I had the same problem when I was trying to use percentages or symbols for curse words). So in between each section, the break to a new section will be represented by the word, RULER. Sorry for this...or rather, angry at for this and not having any way to contact them about site problems...

P.S. This is the second time I've had to enter this, because the web site erases "fan fiction dot net" every time I type it. :(

RULER

Zola had never been to Junon before. He knew the countryside of the world enough, but he tended to avoid moving to human establishments for long stretches of time. He had spent some two hundred years in Icicle Inn, and he had quite his fill of strange enough events there. In retrospect, it was probably a bad choice of a dwelling place, given his reptilian nature. However, he was one of the far more ancient race of reptiles. He was warm blooded like the "best" mammal.

The place was busy enough, at least as much so as Midgar. After all, this city had never suffered the magnitude of damage that Midgar had. And for most purposes, it was still fulfilling all functions of commerce plus more that had arisen in the wake of Shinra Inc.'s end. Every one of its unique "roads" up and down the cliff it was situated on was filled with businessmen, travelers, tourists, and vehicles. It was busier than Edge on its worst day. This early, with the sun coming up and rush hour beginning, it was impossible to get anywhere without practically shoving your way through the gridlock. The sounds of people talking and walking surrounded Zola on every side as he pushed down his own particular street. Businesses were opening full force, and the local vendors were out selling up a storm and adding to the confusion. The pan handlers and less "legitimate" vendors were also starting up business, contributing to the confusion. Even as close as he was to the docks, which were already stuffed with supply ships, barges, and a few transports, Zola was having a hard time pushing through to them.

It was small wonder that he never wished to go here.

"This is nuts." Zola called out aloud to his nearby companion, whose dark presence was helping him for a change. No one even dared bump into him, and so he had a zone of open space around him as he walked along. "We'll never find them here. Even at the docks, there will be a million people around. All they have to do is wear a couple of jackets with hoods over their heads and they'll vanish into the crowd. My tongue isn't going to help one bit with all of these scents surrounding us."

"Then it is a very good thing that we are not trying to find them here." Vincent simply answered as he continued to push along through the crowd, slowly bringing them both to the docks.

"Where else are we going to find them?" Zola protested. "All they have to do is hop onto one of these ships and we'll never track them down."

"Wrong." Vincent simply responded. "All they have to do is hop onto a specific ship. It's morning. On Junon's schedule, most ships are docking and unloading. There's only a few that are outgoing. Of those that are, only some are going anywhere of use to them."

"So what?" Zola answered back. "So we only have to somehow be ten places at once instead of a hundred?"

"No, only one." Vincent answered. At this point, he had finally managed to get them both to the stairwells at the end of the streets which led down to the next lowest level. There were elevators, of course, but those were mostly being used by vehicles and people who didn't care to wait. They did. Once they reached it, they began to make their way down, heading for the lowest street level of the city.

"How do you figure that?" Zola answered.

"I've been keeping my eyes open for a few months." Vincent answered. "And haven't you noticed anything since we got here?"

"Like what?"

"Like, for example, that fisherman on the next lowest street looking over the port about a hundred yards away, talking to his shirt."

Zola turned his head at that. In the midst of all these people, they had begun to become a faceless blur to him. But now, as they were walking down the stairwell, he focused at last on one in particular. As he looked out, his eyes soon rested on the one Vincent spoke of…and, sure enough, he saw him, from this distance, holding a hand to his head and seeming to whisper into his collar.

"Or the tourist who seems to be using a rather advanced camera above us just to take pictures of the port."

Zola turned back to Vincent at that. He turned and looked up above them to see if it was true. Sure enough…a tourist wearing sunglasses and a wide hat was at the rail of the upper level of the city. At first glance, he appeared to be taking pictures of the ocean. However…on another look, it became obvious that the camera had a lens unlike any Zola had seen on commercial products…and it was aimed down at the line. Furthermore, the tourist wasn't taking a picture. He seemed to just be looking over the shore with it.

"Let's not forget the waiter at the outdoor restaurant we just passed before heading down who is cleaning glasses off of his table although they've been closed since midnight." Vincent went on. "Or the balloon vendor down there who is selling balloons at seven AM, before any kids are out and then are mostly heading to school. Or the port authority I've been keeping an eye on down there who has checked the same three boats no less than eight times since we've arrived."

"Man…" Zola uttered aloud, as he darted around, looking at each of these people as Vincent rattled them off. "This place…it's swarming with New Shinra spies."

"…I never said they were all New Shinra."

That sudden, cold statement made Zola freeze momentarily. He suddenly turned back around and looked back to the man. His face was puzzled. "…The PPA doesn't have any spies here. We have recruiters, but-"

"I never said they were PPA either."

Zola felt a chill ripple through him. He didn't like how Vincent was saying these things. He had a dark edge to his voice, and it made the basilisk uncomfortable. He swallowed a bit, and rubbed the back of his head.

"…Those freaks?"

"I've seen one or two homeless people that may be related to them." Vincent responded. "But no…I'm not talking about them either. In addition to those three…there's a fourth party running around here. I've been keeping tabs on them for months, while I was waiting for the right moment to try and join the Planet Protector Army. Junon is a hotbed of spy activity. There's things going on around here…and most likely in Midgar as well…if not the entire Planet…which is more than any one side can keep track of."

The man didn't like the sound of this. It was making him more uncomfortable. He suddenly wished that he wasn't here. Much as he disliked the people around him before…he did so even more now. Suddenly, he felt very open and vulnerable. He began to uneasily look around himself, seeing if he would spot any more "anomalies" like Vincent had found.

"The other factions aren't our concern right now." Vincent went on at last. "The point is…this town does have a good supply of covert New Shinra. And they're more on alert now than they have been for a while. They're all coming out, and risking someone noticing that something is up."

Zola looked around a bit at this, but only became more puzzled. "But why?"

"I have a feeling the answer may be more obvious than it looks." Vincent answered. "I don't think our two ladies are working with the New Shinra on this. I think the Turks weren't trying to pick them up. They were trying to capture them, just like the freaks were. And now, the New Shinra is doing the same. So far, everything they've done points to it. Why else did they not escape with the other Turks on the helicopter?"

Zola hesitated, thinking this over. In truth…Vincent might have something. Until now he had suspected they were with New Shinra…but they hadn't been acting like it. They had been running from everyone for some time now, including the other Turks. And they could only confirm one as a Turk at all…assuming she even was that. Perhaps the situation was even more complicated than it was before.

"Assuming your right…then what?"

"Then that means they can only take one ship." Vincent answered. "The one that's taking them back to Midgar."

Zola's eyes widened. "Are you serious? They spent this whole time running away from Midgar as fast as they could…and now they want to go back? They've gone to all this trouble to get to Junon just to turn around?"

"That was before things were so complicated." Vincent went on. "Once they get here, and realize just how much danger they're in, they'll be even more worried. From what you said, it looks like they weren't expecting the creatures to attack. Coupled with the threat of the Turks and the New Shinra, and they're out of their league. They might even know of this fourth faction being after them. They came here to escape the continent, but you can bet New Shinra is watching all of the boats. The only chance they have now for escape is to go in the least likely direction…which is right back to Midgar. They might think it's just a cosmic circle, but it's their only alternative. By now, they are tired, hungry, and thirsty. They can't go on much longer. Their only hope is to throw themselves on the mercies of General Ragnar. If they are foes of New Shinra after all, he might take them in."

"That's a possibility." Zola responded. "But there's no guarantee it's the move they'll make."

"Perhaps not." Vincent answered. "But they're in little shape for combat. They will be headed to the docks next. They'll be wanting to get on one of the boats out of here. My guess is that New Shinra will cover every boat that leads off this continent…leaving only a boat going to Midgar or the surrounding area. If nothing else, that will be their only place to hide. Even if that's not where they want to go, it's where they will pause to rethink their strategy. That's where we can find them."

"Assuming we do find them," Zola continued, still sounding a bit uneasy. "What then? We're surrounded by all these agents. This isn't the best place for them to stick around and talk…or us, for that matter."

"You're supposedly the member of the PPA." Vincent returned. "Maybe you can make a deal with them. Offer them amnesty and protection if they come back to the PPA now. Once on the boat, we can talk."

Zola still seemed uneasy about this. He scratched his head uncomfortably again. "I dunno…"

"The time for second thoughts or other plans has passed." Vincent answered. "This is our only chance for right now. We need to go with it…and hope that my way of thinking like a Turk is the same way the Turks think in modern days."

RULER

I could be crazy. Ok…that's the the optimal solution. That's not the best answer…but it could be right. I could have finally snapped. After all, I've had a history. Plenty of abuse…people dying one after another…being attacked by monsters… I'd say that could give me MPD or skitsophrenia. Of course…just saying I've gone crazy is kind of crazy in and of itself…

But it seems saner than what I'm doing right now.

And I can't deny the fact…I actually heard some voice say "Midgar"…

Krystea tried to keep these thoughts out of her mind. Now was not the time. She had to stay careful, for both her sake and Aerith's. Her sister was still too out of it…still too apoplectic over what she had done. Right now, however, Krystea could really use her power. It would be an immense help in their present situation. So for now…she could only promise that they were actually making the insane move of going back to Midgar. It was the only thing that gave her enough clarity to think straight and keep going.

Krystea wished they didn't stick out this much…but they had no choice. The only thing they had for disguises was a closet full of OR scrubs. It was hardly inconspicuous, but it was the only way they could change their current appearance. She thanked the lord that no one had seen them walk from Fort Condor to Junon. Seeing a couple of emergency room doctors or nurses walking across a vast rocky plain was about as standing out as you could get. But here, even with the coverage of all the people in Junon, they continued to stand out. It wasn't helping that their current path was taking them farther and farther away from the hospital and into a more open area. One might be able to dismiss ER doctors taking a walk down the streets…but they would still catch attention. And heading toward the docks wasn't helping. Once there…they'd be more in the open. More exposed.

But even if they were still fleeing the continent, this would be necessary.

"How are you doing, Aerith?"

"Tired…but I'm managing. I have more stamina than yesterday at any rate."

"Good…because we might need your ability again."

Aerith was mostly being held up by Krystea at this point. The two women were staying close together, and Krystea was keeping her arm around her sister to keep her moving. But now, she felt her shudder in her grasp.

"…You can't ask me to do that again, Krystea." She nervously replied. "I need more practice…I need to know my limits. I can't control it yet. It's already growing in power again…more power than yesterday… I don't know if I could protect myself this time…or you."

Krystea hesitated after hearing that, but she didn't want to get Aerith scared again. In the end, she sighed and nodded. "Alright. Just…hang on a bit longer. We're nearly there."

The Turk continued to lead Aerith down the last few stairs, taking her to the lowest level of Junon. This was where the docks were located. It wasn't as crowded down here, but it was early in the morning. There were still plenty of dock workers, crates, and loading equipment around to keep them somewhat hidden. And this early, people were working hard and stuck on their tasks. They'd still stick out like a sore thumb if spotted. At long last, the two women stepped down the last of the stairs, and stepped onto the cobblestone landing of Junon's dock. Krystea continued to lead Aerith forward, moving more into the main drag. Filling the roadway all the way up and down the length of Junon were workers, piers, docks, and ships in port. To her right, warehouses and dry docks covered the side of the cliff. It was very busy, very modern, and in full swing of commerce at the moment.

Krystea hesitated long enough to look around, until she spotted something. There was some sort of kiosk set up just ahead, and on it were various postings as well as a long chalkboard. From her position, it appeared to be a rough sketch of what the arrival and departure schedule was for that morning. She quickly went over to it, bringing Aerith along as she did. The two ladies were soon in front of it.

Krystea scanned the sign for a moment. But then, she spotted what they were looking for, and pointed. "Right there." She told her sister. "There's a boat to Kalm that leaves in an hour."

"None to Midgar?" Aerith responded, looking a bit over the chart herself. "We really need to be in Midgar…"

"I think that's the best we can get…and it's probably safer on us both too." Krystea answered. "It's one of the last piers. We'll have to walk all the way to the-"

Abruptly, Krystea caught something out of the corner of her eye. As a Turk, one learned to be aware of everything that was happening at all times. That included keeping one's peripheral vision always on a lookout. The Turks also took pride in familiarizing themselves with as many personnel for as many organizations as they could, in particular their employers. It was that skill, as well as the one of watching her surroundings, that suddenly made Krystea freeze where she was.

And Aerith, before she had the chance to turn and see what had made Krystea pause, found herself suddenly pulled away and dragged back, away from the board, as quickly as possible.

"Krystea…wha-"

"Don't talk. Keep your head down. Try not to be seen."

Aerith had no time to protest. She found herself being forced away from the kiosk, almost in a run. Krystea put a hand up and actually forced her head down and away from the docks and the sunlight. She herself kept her head low and pushed on, trying to get clear before they were spotted. They went back through the rows of crates and workers and all the way to the warehouses in the back. It was morning business, so many of them were open and being loaded. However, there were too few workers to keep track of all of them…which was a blessing to Krystea. She quickly pushed Aerith up to the nearest set of big open doors. She led her through them and immediately turned around the door corner. She practically shoved her against the wall afterward, and only then let her go.

Krystea faced the metal wall herself right after. Luckily, this was an older warehouse. The siding was made of holey metal. Therefore, it came with plenty of peepholes. She quickly looked through one and scanned outside, seeing if anyone looked like they had noticed them…or if anyone was coming after them. She didn't see anyone…

Meanwhile, Aerith recovered from the sudden surprise, and turned back to Krystea. She didn't know what was happening, but she knew enough to realize something bad had just happened. Instinctively, she whispered when she called out to her.

"What's wrong?"

"I saw a New Shinra spy." Krystea responded. A moment later, she cursed. "Damn…there's another one. And another… The place is covered with them."

Aerith raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. They're using one of their dummy corporation outfits, pretending to be here doing shipping and loading." Krystea answered. "This is bad… They wouldn't be using one of these dummy corporations unless they wanted to put a lot of them at the piers. And it looks like that's what they've done."

Aerith paled a bit, and began to grow nervous. "…Are they after us?"

"I'm not sure…but I don't know who else they'd be after." Krystea responded. "I'm not taking any chances." She paused for a moment, looking over the outsides. She watched the behavior of the confirmed spies for a moment. As the other workers milled around…the first one she spotted seemed to be standing around normally. However, that was only until two more of his buddies came by. When they did…he suddenly motioned to them, bringing them over. Once they arrived, she saw him begin to talk with him. That was all the confirmation she needed.

Krystea uttered a more obscene curse word. "They must have seen us. That one is talking to two others. They'll start moving pretty soon. He had to have seen us run into this warehouse."

The Cetra stiffened at this, her face filling with worry. "What are we going to do?"

The Turk hesitated a moment more, but then realized she could get nothing else here. She pulled herself away from the peephole, and turned back to the warehouse. It was mostly cluttered with debris, tools, crates filled with shipping materials, and other bits of junk. However, after scanning it for a few moments…she did notice that it also had a window on its side, leading out to the alley between warehouses. On seeing this, she reached out and grabbed Aerith's arm…a bit too roughly. However, pain complaints would have to wait. She immediately pulled her off the wall and began to drag her over.

"We need to make our way to that ship and get on without being seen." Krystea explained. "Somehow…we have to keep from getting caught before then. That means we'll have to take the most obscure routes possible…and hope that the New Shinra doesn't figure out we're moving like this."

RULER

"How shall we proceed, sir?"

Leers snorted slightly on hearing this message. He was in his usual position, as always, back in the command center of the New Shinra HQ Dome, and back at his desk. There were no meetings scheduled for today, and so his desk had taken its normal business appearance back, along with all the office appurtances and tools. At the moment, he was talking to the built in intercom, having been put on speakers. He disliked having to do this. He hadn't personally commanded a unit since he arrived on the frozen rock that was the Northern Continent. However, he didn't trust the Turks any longer. And he knew full well that they had the means to break in on any radio channel from any of his minor officers and most of his higher ones. Only his own radio was safe. This was the only channel he could give orders from without fear that the Turks would be listening in on them.

Still, he thought he should have done this long ago. He was quickly believing that the Turks had indeed stabbed him in the back. It had taken only one careful deployment and day to find the specimen and rogue Turk, a fact that had been confirmed one minute ago when one of the higher members of his Junon spynet had called in with that information. Either the reputation of the Turks was far overestimated…or Leers' initial suspicions were correct.

He pressed the button and replied to the latest message.

"Capture on sight. If they don't surrender, kill them. And if any of the Turks try to interfere with your mission in any way other than to aid in the capture or killing of the two targets, terminate them as well. Get the specimen. That's the important thing."

"Yes sir. Over and out."

A clicking went off on the speakers. Leers slowly exhaled soon after, and leaned back into his chair. He folded his hands in front of his face and reclined a moment. This was it. He would have preferred to take the woman alive…but right now, he was too infuriated to care. They could harvest what they needed from her cells if it was truly that much of an issue. All he wanted was the specimen. This thing had been the focus of Shinra Inc.'s entire last year of research. She had been the keystone to all of it. She obviously was something of incredible importance to the future of mako reactors and military might. They had to have her…

"Good gracious…how violent."

Leers turned his head up at that. He hadn't even heard the door opening. He shouldn't have, it was supposed to run silent, after all. Yet even if it didn't…no one should have come in here. He had seen to that.

And yet…he heard the calm, yet subtly wily, voice of one of his head officers…and saw her smooth-moving, slinky body accompanying it as she walked into the room.

The general frowned. "I thought I locked that door."

"You did." Colonel Maritiza calmly responded. "But you forgot, I'm the one who built the lock, the door, the combination system, and the failsafe bulkheads." With that, the officer slinked forward slightly, until she came to the end of the table. After that, she leaned over slightly and placed her hands against it. Despite her totally unrevealing uniform…she seemed to be accenting her chest forward as she leaned up to the man. She kept smiling the whole way.

"I've been getting lonely. You haven't stopped by in a while."

Leers kept his frown, and nearly snorted at the woman. He wasn't in the mood for this right now. He thought she wouldn't be either. He thought they both would have let this pass by now…

But apparently, he was wrong.

Leers was not a young man anymore. But then again, neither was Maritiza. Still, the years had been kinder to her than most, and she always seemed to have an inner youth and vitality to her. For years, Maritiza had been one of his more trusted officers, and he had respected and acknowledged her prowress for technology when she had taken over as head of weapons development. She had helped them out in more ways than one. This fortress was her brainchild. All of the latest weapons and automations were her work. She was a certifyable genius in these matters. However…what he had desired most from her had ended up being something far more valuable and personal.

Back in the early days…back when they first arrived…when they first started building the Dome…life was harsh, cold, and bitter. Everyone had to stay indoors almost all the time, and Leers was confined to a small house in Icicle Inn, giving out vocal orders all day and rarely leaving for anything other than a brief meeting. Everything happened in his cramped little world. He couldn't stand it. He soon began to go stir crazy. He took up pacing and being restless. He had trouble sleeping. He felt hot and stifled all the time. Food began to make him nauseous. He felt like a trapped prisoner here… He needed an outlet. He needed something to get his mind off of the walls, the snow, and the prison he found himself stuck in…

However…Leers was not a young man. And he wasn't a rapist either.

Yet there were some closer to his age that were more willing.

Maritiza's unusually youthful spirit and crafty nature was the perfect way for him to unwind. He had been cold and uptight most of his life. She was his opposite in many ways. Sharing some time with her helped him to loosen up and vent some of his closed passions. And the change was instantaneous. He was soon 200 percent better, and it showed in his work. Maritiza, on her part, seemed even more vibrant, and between the two of them, they finished their Dome and work in no time.

After that, however, Leers had more time to himself. His office was large and spacious. He was free to move just about anywhere now, with the chain of command in place. If he wished, he could move down to Neo Junon's construction sight, and receive plenty of fresh air and green fields. He was in his groove now, and no longer waiting or imprisoned. He was free and able once again.

He no longer required Maritza's services in that department.

Frankly, he wished he never had in the first place. He felt like he was some sort of hormone-crazed teenager for doing so in the first place. It was an embarrassment to him. Maritiza was his subordinate, after all. It was unethical, and improper. He wished he could erase that six month period from his life. However…he couldn't. He could only try to forget it, and do everything but order Maritiza to forget about it as well. It had been going well, actually, for quite some time. She hadn't said anything about it or indicated like she was even acknowledging it had ever happened.

However, that had changed over the past few months…

Maritza was looking more vibrant than usual. She was old enough to hold no more appeal to Leers. After all, the woman was in her early sixties now. And yet…she looked so youthful. Her face was almost free of wrinkles. Her hair was only gray at the temples. She had more streaks of gray before…but Leers supposed that she was dying her hair now. And if anything…she seemed more carefree and youthful than ever. In fact…he was pretty sure she was. She was almost acting like a teasing young woman around him now. In all honesty…it was disgusting to him. She was far too old to be acting like that. He thought they would have handled that business together like adults. She was getting more goofy about it all the time…

At any rate, he ignored this obvious gesture and looked down.

"And who, may I ask, is the unlucky victim of New Shinra vengeance?" Maritiza asked, still smiling.

Leers sighed. That was another thing. What was with her sudden use of language? Her manners about all of this? She seemed to take this business far more carefree now… At any rate, he spoke up about it.

"Just getting rid of some unfinished business. Getting the specimen back personally, like I should have done from the beginning."

Maritza slowly pushed off the table at this, looking somewhat puzzled. "Specimen?" She asked aloud. After saying so, however, she suddenly formed a look of recognition, and nodded. "Ah yes…I remember that now. I was looking into it the other day. Aerith Gainsbourough, was it? The Cetra? I thought she was supposed to be dead, however…"

"That may be true within the next fifteen minutes." Leers answered. "Frankly, I don't care whether or not a shot aimed for Krystea of the Turks misses and hits her instead at this point."

Leers was still looking down at the moment, focusing on his business and dark as always.

Because of that…he didn't see Maritza suddenly turn stiff and snap around to him.

He also didn't see, for the briefest moment…her face turn white.

"…Krystea of the Turks?" She slowly echoed, as she returned to a normal again. However, she kept an astonished look on her face for a few moments. She looked down and around afterward…seeming to be musing something over. After that, however, she turned to look back up to Leers. "And…why would the bullets of your soldiers be aimed at a Turk? I thought that they were being dispatched to bring her in…"

"They've failed." Leers answered, still not looking up. "That damn Krystea turned on us and went on the run along with the Cetra. The Turks are feeding me some BS about this being some sort of greater design or plan of hers, but I'm not buying it. Nothing would give me more pleasure at this moment than to hear that she got killed. And once the damn Turks show their true colors and try to intervene, I'll be glad to be rid of them too."

Maritza didn't move. She held her mouth open slightly, and darted her eyes about the room. She was thinking of all of this…and taking this latest information in along with what she already knew. In the end, she turned back to the general. His head was still down and his hands still folded in front of him. Maritza's mouth snapped closed. With slinking movements, she slowly reached out and pulled out one of the nearest chairs. After that, she stepped around and began to ease herself down into it.

"Well, well…" She said aloud. "Sounds like you've got yourself a bunch of problems. And I see you're ready to deal with them rather harshly and lethally…" She mused aloud, making sure that Leers could hear her. However, the general didn't react. He kept his head down, and didn't change. Maritza looked over him a moment, seeing him in his frozen position.

At that, she smiled…and began to laugh. It was light and short, just a half-giggle really. However, it showed genuine amusement. And when Leers heard it, he finally had his attention grasped. He looked up, his face turning to sudden confusion, to his colonel. Maritza, on her part, was leaning over the table and propping her head up on one arm. She smiled as she looked back to Leers.

"…Too bad you're about to make a rather gigantic, and unnecessary, mistake."

The general straightened up in his chair at that. This was another thing he hated. The woman was taking on the characteristic of "baiting" people, getting their interest and then holding them there. It frustrated him even more than her normal behavior. She didn't look ready to elaborate on that phrase. She just continued to smile and stare at Leers. He frowned. His look turned dark, and he unfolded his arms and focused hard on the woman.

"…What kind of mistake?"

RULER

Even from this distance, the sentry didn't feel safe. He knew full well what was supposed to happen to Midgar today. Being a half mile away from "ground zero" didn't really help. He wanted to be out of town along with the rest of the people…at least, everyone they had managed to get out. They never did manage to get all of the homeless residents. He only hoped there were only a few left, as did they all.

With the last fateful hours ticking down, the officers of the PPA had evacuated almost everyone from Midgar that they could. The only people still left were ones like this sentry. Currently, he was in the back of a pickup truck, with the engine idling and a driver ready to take off full speed the moment he received the word. They were on one of the streets of Midgar at the moment, one that was on a straight shot to "ground zero", the old Baptismal Church. He was standing where he was, hunched over a tripod with a telescopic device mounted on it. It was aimed back all the way to the Church, where he was monitoring it from a "safe" distance. He was one of three different cars that were left to watch what would develop from here…and to yell out to anyone they saw to run while they still could. Of course…if you were still here at this point, chances were you couldn't get around that much to hear the news in the first place. There were a lot of rather invalid and crippled homeless in this city. And sadly…there was nothing left to do for them.

The sentry himself was a bit preoccupied with his own skin. He was still sweating from the last quake that had moved through town. This one had begun to break glass in some of the closer windows, and had sent a few pieces of buildings raining down. The driver had nearly taken off then, which would have been fatal to the sentry. He wasn't secure in his current position, and driving off would have thrown him from the truck. Even if he wasn't injured in the wake of such a maneuver, he'd be stranded in Midgar with no way out before the boom. However, he was here for now, and the sentry could keep monitoring the zone.

It was fatal to get any closer than this. He saw that a green mist was constantly boiling out of the Baptismal Church by now, smothering the area with its deadly fumes. Every now and then…he thought he saw a plume of liquid mako shoot up from it, like a geyser getting ready to blow. The surrounding manhole covers were starting to give off steam as well. It was spreading faster and faster with each passing hour. Soon it would happen…and these people had to be there when it did, to send the word that the time had come…

The man wiped his brow and focused in closer on the initial site. It flared up every now and then, but it wasn't anything self-sustained. He couldn't report that. He had to keep watching, and he had to keep waiting to see if…

PFT!

A sharp sizzling sound…very loud…suddenly rang out through a mile radius. On hearing that, the driver stiffened, and only through exerting all of his will kept from mashing his foot on the gas. The sentry himself snapped back and looked up in surprise, darting his head around in confusion. What was that sound? What had just happened?

However, even as he asked this…he saw something new, without his lens. He gaped on doing so. He was stunned a moment…but then lowered his head back and watched it through the device. That confirmed it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

"What the hell was that?" The driver suddenly called, his panic evident on his voice.

"I think things just got a lot worse…" The sentry returned. "The closest manholes…they just turned into pillars of mako steam. They're billowing them out like a smokestack…"

"Forget that!" The driver yelled back. "What the hell was that sound? It was like-"

The driver didn't finish…but he soon got his answer anyway. Abruptly, an object fell from the heavens and struck his car. It came at an angle, but through some act of fate only smashed its way through the hood of the car and embedded itself sideways in it. It didn't damage the engine or anything vital. It gave a rather large crunching sound. The sentry, hearing it, wheeled around to see what it was. But he wasn't as fast as the driver…who gaped in shock at what he now saw stuck in the front of his vehicle.

It was the manhole cover lid from a half mile away.

PFT! PFT! PFT! PFT!

More eruptions soon happened…and with them another quake began to ripple through the city. That was too much. Forgetting about the man in the bed of the truck, the driver mashed his foot down on the gas and took off full speed. The hapless sentry didn't even realize what was going on before the inertia threw both him and his tripod out of the back of the truck. They toppled back through the air and landed down on the road, with the tripod coming first and the sentry smashing it with his own body. The impact was painful and violent, and his body was wrenched terribly as his head was smashed against his own telescope, making a considerable wound and dazzling him.

But the driver no longer cared. His fear had already led him to the conclusion that going back was suicide. It was happening…and he left the sentry to his fate as he struggled to save himself.

RULER

Just have to keep going a bit further…

Krystea kept telling herself this as she pulled herself through the latest warehouse window. That was the eighth one she had broken since they had started. Not having time to fiddle with locks and picks, she had just smashed the glass out of the side of every warehouse they had entered, hoisted Aerith through, and then went through on her own. In doing so, she managed to stay in object-filled warehouses and alleys, staying out of the eye of the New Shinra and whatever agents they had out there. For now…it had been going well.

But it was getting worse. She risked a look outside a few times, and didn't like what she saw. There were three dummy companies running around out there. The New Shinra had to have mobilized at least a hundred people, and they were all centering on the docks. They were beginning to do more than just stand around. Some of them were starting to move out, visibly looking out at containers and behind potential hiding places. If this kept up…they'd soon make their way to the warehouses. They had to get out of here before that happened.

Luckily…it wasn't much further.

Krystea touched down on the ground a moment after. Once here, she took in her new surroundings. Again, it was another stuffed warehouse. Good. One couldn't easily see around inside here. She turned back to Aerith after a moment, and then took her hand and led her forward, toward the front. It was time to take another look at their progress. Aerith obediently followed until they reached the front, and then allowed herself to be put to one side. Once there, Krystea leaned forward once more and put her eye to a hole in the sheet metal.

Someone up above had to still like her…because there they were. The final dock, the one with the Kalm-bound ship, was right there. And there was no sign of New Shinra anywhere. That was probably because the loading crew for the ship was out in full force, and it would look too suspicious for them to start poking their noses about their work. They still were trying to maintain their anonymity. This was great. Just three hundred feet away…and there was a ship to freedom. At least…temporary freedom. She had a feeling that the crew wouldn't very well like them coming aboard…but Krystea would find some way to get them on. They could still try to stowaway. But first…they had to get to it.

After taking this in, Krystea turned and looked back to her sister. "We're here. And the coast looks clear."

Aerith grew enthusiastic on hearing this. After all…she was eager to get back to Midgar, and it was showing. "Then let's go while we can."

Krystea immediately began to get up, and moved to the doors of the warehouse. These ones weren't as open as the ones that she initially ducked into, but they were still cracked more than enough for two women to slip out. Aerith moved herself over to her, and pressed in close. "Stay next to me…and if anything happens…run onto the boat. With any luck, the sailors will at least get a stroke of chivalry and will help you out."

Aerith looked a bit nervous at that. It appeared she didn't like the idea of her sister possibly dying. To tell the truth, Krystea wasn't that big on it either. But Aerith wasn't as battle-hardened as her. She had to run for it if the worst case scenario played itself out. Once more, Aerith braced herself against Krystea, and relied on her to lead the way. The Turk moved to the crack in the door and looked out, turning her head from side to side, and looking for any potential threats. She saw none…and so she at last inhaled and stepped out, leading Aerith with her.

Feeling themselves move into open air with the sun beating down made Krystea painfully aware of her vulnerability. She had to struggle not to cringe. Now wasn't the time. She just had to move as quickly and rapidly as she could out of here and to the ship without making any noise or generating any attention to herself. She looked to her left as she ushered Aerith on. She could see some of the New Shinra…but they were standing far away and their backs were turned. They hadn't even reached the warehouses yet. So long as one didn't turn and spot her… She turned back ahead soon after. They were still working their way through the crates. This was good for her. She purposely wormed her way into the bigger ones, moving between the large cargo carriers. They obscured her somewhat. She guided her course into a small alleyway between a six foot tall, thirty foot long one on the left, and a similar sized one on the right. Doing so effectively made her invisible for those thirty feet to anyone looking this way. She stayed against it as she walked on. They were nearly to the workmen… They were almost halfway to the ship...

"…I think the OR is the other way, doctors."

Krystea heard this as she stepped out from behind the cargo carrier. She only managed to take a single step away from it…before she heard a gun click right next to her ear. The end of a barrel lightly touched the side of her head, and rested there. The Turk froze…but as she did, anguish and fury welled up silently within her.

Damnit…we were so close…

Sweat began to run from Krystea's brow, and she didn't dare move. Aerith, at her side, looked up and saw this. For a moment, she hesitated…forgetting the instructions that had happened earlier, and hesitating with Krystea. But in the end, with a rueful look, she turned and moved to run. In another moment, she would have screamed for help…

But that moment never came.

Two more forms stepped out from in front of the adjacent crate. One of them raised a gun and pointed it right in between her eyes…instantly making her freeze and catching the sound in her throat.

Krystea slowly moved her eyes to her left, seeing who was holding the gun. She was still nervous, and desperately wracking a way to get out of this. She had made a bad move. By moving in between these crates, she had hid herself…but also created an opportunity to be ambushed without being able to call for help to any bystander. Her opponents had obviously known that…

And when she saw who was holding the gun against her head…and just what gun it was…she realized why.

"Left without saying goodbye, Krystea." Reno spoke with a smile.

Krystea didn't answer. She stiffened, and looked ahead of her. Sure enough, the other two were Rude and Elena. The latter was backing Aerith up right now, back to her sister. Krystea swallowed. She turned back to Reno, still not knowing what to do.

"…In the end…I guess it was you guys who got me." She remarked aloud.

"But of course, Krystea." Reno calmly answered, shrugging with his free arm. "You know us. You know our policies. We're the best. We always do our jobs. You should have known that and believed it. If you had…you might have killed us rather than just knocked us out on the Sierra. It would have been safer for you and your sister."

Krystea tightened her jaw. "I wasn't trying to betray you. I still thought of you as my friends. I couldn't just-"

However, the Turk suddenly froze. Had her mind just played tricks on her again? Maybe it was another fantasy like the weird ethereal voice saying Midgar? But no…she hadn't imagined it. She knew that the moment she froze and looked back to Reno. He still had that calm, large smile on his face, but it wasn't from being satisfied that Krystea was caught. It was from having surprised her with his knowledge. Blinking in surprise, she turned her eyes over to Rude and Elena. They were smiling too.

"…I'm still trying to get used to the fact you're related to this witch." Elena threw in.

Krystea blinked once. "How…?"

"Your jacket got left behind." Rude answered.

"That's not the important thing." Reno responded. "The real important thing…the one million dollar question…is why you didn't tell us this before you shot us in the neck with tranquilizers."

Krystea hesitated again. She looked around to her and the Turks. Aerith was still afraid. And yet…despite the fact that guns were still pointed at them, Krystea suddenly didn't feel in nearly so much danger as before. That might be a fallacy on her part, but she went with it. She swallowed and finally spoke up again.

"…I wasn't supposed to find that file." She said out loud. "I stumbled across it while looking for Tseng. Then the mission began. I know our policies for finishing missions. I didn't think I could get you to change your mind. And if I told you why…and you wanted to go forward…you just would have expected it when I attacked you. If you decided to help me, then all of our heads would be in nooses. It was better that one of us take the fall than all of us. This was my concern, not yours."

"Well, I can think of a number of things wrong with your reasoning in coherence with our policies." Reno simply answered. "At the very least, if you had explained yourself before…we might have been able to say that both of you were KIA. As it is, we're all now in trouble. And the longer we stay here, the longer we could all die. And so…ladies, if you will…get on board the ship to Kalm."

On hearing this, both Krystea and Aerith formed looks of surprise. Astonished, they both turned to Reno, although the guns were still on them. He was still smiling, looking smooth and crafty as always.

"You mean…you're…letting us go?" Aerith ventured.

"I didn't say that." Reno answered. "There's still some things to sort out. A lot of them, in fact. But over the past few days, any time I spend more than five minutes standing around doing something, something worse happens. So let's move. And until we're on the ship, the guns stay on your heads."

Krystea didn't know what to make of that, but Reno soon gave her a light shove, like he would to a common prisoner. She was confused. Were they going to help her after all? Or were they going to take them in? She didn't know… Reno did seem to at least understand her. That was something, though she wasn't sure how much it counted for. Somehow, however…she felt as if her friends weren't going to stab her in the back. At any rate, it made sense. If the Turks didn't make it look like the two women were their prisoners, all of the New Shinra agents might suspect something. And so she complied.

The gun twisted around so that it faced behind Krystea's head as she walked out, once again emerging into daylight. Elena did the same with Aerith, putting herself behind her and shoving her a bit harder. Rude stood in front of them, leading their small group. They all soon walked out past the crates, and resumed walking the fateful distance between themselves and the ship.

They didn't get far.

Abruptly…two forms shot out like blurs from behind the crates at their sides and stood before them. Krystea and Aerith froze and gaped, and both Reno and Elena stopped as well. Rude was stunned for a moment, which was unfortunate for him. The two people immediately went to work. A sword popped out and placed itself against Rude's neck. The other person drew out a weapon in a flash and aimed it between Elena's eyes.

"…That's far enough."

Krystea and Aerith were frozen in surprise. The Turk blinked a few times. After all, the sun was rising in her eyes, and she couldn't see that well. Stepping out into light from the shadow of the crates didn't help. But as she stepped out and looked…she suddenly began to recognize just who was in front of them. And on doing so…her heart skipped a beat, and her mind was overwhelmed with a sudden onrush of joy.

"Vincent!"

However, Krystea soon received another surprise. When she called out his name…it sounded as if she was in stereo. That was because her similar sounding sister, likewise suddenly enthused, yelled out his name at the exact same time. The two turned and looked to one another, now showing their evident confusion.

"What? You know him?" They both said at once.

However, Krystea wasn't the only one muddled. Vincent, normally stoic, cold, and uncaring…suddenly widened his eyes as he saw the woman that he had been relentlessly chasing for two days. It was a face he had never expected to see again…and it broke his cold exterior and emotionless with astonishment.

"…Aerith?"

The newest person, one that none of them recognized, yet who seemed to be wielding a monstrous green pronged sword that happened to be nearly resting at Rude's neck, appeared to be the most confused of all as he darted around. "…You actually know these ladies?"

"I should! He's my big brother!" Krystea exclaimed.

"Your brother?" Aerith incredulously answered.

"It is you… How are you alive?" Vincent spoke out, directing his full attention on Aerith at the moment.

"Hey…will everyone slow down and shut up for a minute!" Reno suddenly outburst. This caused the three groups to go silent momentarily, and turn their heads back to the Turk. Reno looked around for a moment, and after seeming satisfied that all was well, let out a slow exhale and then turned back ahead of him.

"Vincent…I don't know what piece of woodwork on this dock you popped out of, but get out of the way. I've got no time to reminisce about how the Turks were back in your day. We're taking these ladies out of here."

"Like heck you are!" The new one suddenly outburst, indicating the position of his blade. "We've been tailing them for days! We're not letting you take them away just as we're about to get some answers."

Reno looked down at this new person a moment. He furrowed his brow in confusion, and then looked back up to the darker man. "Who's this wiggler? You get yourself a sidekick in the past two years or something? At any rate, it doesn't matter. This is non-negotiable."

"Oh yeah?" The man challenged with a grin. "You seem to forget that I have a sword on your buddy up here."

"And you seem to forget that we have a pair of guns behind the ladies' heads." Reno responded, unimpressed by the man's challenge. In response…the man grimaced a bit and blushed. "And Vincent, whether he's your boss, bodyguard, or brother-in-law…only has one on us."

In response to that, Vincent's face turned cool and calm again. He turned off of Aerith for the moment, and reached down with his claw arm. A moment later, with a smooth gesture…he pulled up what was a rather large and nasty looking shotgun…one that Reno and the Turks saw and remembered all too well. Using this free arm, he raised the gun up and leveled it between Reno's eyes. The Turk didn't lose his smile or confidence…although a bead of sweat now rolled down the side of his head, and his face paled a moment. The group was now frozen. Elena had Aerith and Vincent had her. The new guy appeared to have Rude…but Rude knew no less than two dozen ways of disarming a person in this position. Reno had Krystea and Vincent had him. However…good as he was, against fast gunners like him and Reno, he wouldn't be fast enough to do both at the same time. Reno, on the other hand, had Krystea's weapon. It might take his arm off in the process, but he could blow away both Vincent and the new guy with it. This created an interesting predicament, during which the seven people now involved went silent and waited for a new development.

Unfortunately…one came.

The seven were nearly snapped out of their poses as the massive crate just behind Reno suddenly lurched forward. Those that could risked a look, and were shocked at what they saw. Something from within had suddenly flung itself against the metal…and dented it in. Now, the sound of huge blows was ringing out as whatever had caused it began to beat against the metal walls. And with each sound, the metal deformed a bit more, bulging out. That wasn't all. A hissing sound was beginning to emerge as well, from the opposite crate. The people turned and looked…and were again surprised. Something on the other side of the crate was melting it. The paint was hissing and peeling off, and the metal behind it was beginning to bubble and deform. It was quickly spreading, becoming a man sized area, while the other crate continued to bulge and twist. The metal began to break on both sides, revealing darkness within the crates…

But then, at last, something broke through the thin, melting metal wall while one last blow smashed open the crate on the other side. Both carriers were broken open…and immediately things began to run out from them. By now…all three parties had seen these things before. The same shrouded figures, covered in old clothing that hid almost all of their features, poured out and began to flood around the area. Some walked on all fours. Some hissed and growled at them. But all of them descended on the group, and quickly moved to surround them. Frozen in their current position, the seven could do little more than watch as they moved out and around. Their foul smells began to pour over them, and the various abominations beneath the clothes began to ready themselves.

The new guy seemed to recognize the largest of the bunch, who appeared to purposely dig his feet into the ground as he moved forward, sneering and growling deep in his throat as he did so. He looked rather mad at this point.

"The runt killed Bartus…the witch killed Erea…" He grunted. "I say we kill 'em all now…"

"Silence, you big fool!" Another hissed in response, his voice strained and twisted like that of a wolf. "We'll be like this forever if we don't bring them back to the doctor!"

The seven began to progressively pay less and less attention to each other and more to the hoarde they now found themselves surrounded with. There were thirteen of them, outnumbering them almost two to one. And given how some of them had done last time, that wasn't comforting. There was an air of anxiety growing among their inner group.

"…I don't suppose they're with you." Reno finally asked, directly his question to Vincent.

"No." The dark man answered.

"Would you guys care to introduce yourselves this time, or do we want to just up and fight again?" The new guy asked.

The big one bristled at that, and took a step forward. It was only because his partner put out a hand and held him back that he didn't charge. The wolf-sounding one spoke up soon afterward, however. "For what it's worth…my name is Fen. But that doesn't matter. All that matters to you is turning over those women right now before we do things to you that are unnamed thus far…"

To accent this, the various things around them seemed to twist themselves into newer positions, each one looking like some animal posed to strike. The seven were silent, and looked over the thirteen for a moment. Krystea herself was frightened…but the moment helped her to remember something. She turned again to the new guy…and suddenly it hit her. She had been in this situation before… Of course, he was the man who saved them that one night. If he had taken on those things and lived…where the four Turks had been beaten so easily…maybe they could still get out of this alive. But it was quite a gamble…

"I think I'd rather take my chances, and see if I can't beat the tar out of all of you again." The new guy answered with a smile.

"You only won due to luck and the fact that we were driven off before." One of the group sneered. "This time, you're surrounded. And Claive has a bead on you already, prepared to melt that skinny little skull of yours off the top of your neck."

"We'll make you a deal." Fen continued. "Surrender now…and we'll just kill you. We won't take you back to be the replacements for the seven of us that you have killed. Trust me…death is a bigger favor to you."

"I'll take your word for it." Reno responded…and then finally changed. In a flash, he released Krystea and spun around to face his opponents. He held out Valentine in one hand, aiming at the giant, and pulled out his nightstick to brandish it toward another. The other two Turks saw this…and saw that priorities had suddenly changed. With that in mind, they wheeled around to face the thirteen around them as well. Elena aimed her gun at another, while Rude dropped into a ready stance as he turned and faced others. Seeing this…Vincent too broke off and turned around, and the new guy, confused at this all, finally shrugged and did the same. Now, the five people formed a protective circle around Krystea and Aerith.

"We'll settle who gets the girls after we're done with these morlock wannabees." Reno threw behind him.

Vincent didn't answer that. "Both of you…" He addressed the women. "Get behind us all and stay down."

Krystea and Aerith were surprised for a moment at the sudden change of allegiance. But in the end, they didn't dispute it. Krystea was unarmed, and Aerith wasn't going to be using her power again anytime soon. Both of them pulled in behind their five protectors. Now, it seemed as if things had turned around, and that they were embroiled in a totally new situation. The hissing, horrible creatures in man form continued to stay, but did not move. Savage and monstrous as they were, they feared death like anyone, and because of that they feared who might be lost first in a blind charge. Another standoff occurred…

And, just like the last, was broken.

So preoccupied was everyone on each other…that they hadn't noticed a change happening to them. However…they did so now. A chorus of clicking suddenly went out, ringing around the circle of foes like a wave at a baseball game. Both sides looked up in confusion at that, not expecting this, and turned and looked out to see what was the cause. The creatures in rags were soon justly surprised. While this had been going on…all three of the dummy crews had moved in around the group. Now, they were surrounded on all sides by some hundred New Shinra agents, each one dressed as some lowly peon or worker…and yet each one having found a military issue weapon. They had taken position while they were arguing, forming yet another circle around the group. Now, each one of them, cold and merciless, were drawing beads.

The creatures were stunned. They looked about in fear, not having expected to be caught. Stealth and anonymity was their greatest weapon…and they might have just lost it. One of the new group, an especially cold-looking and older one who had to be an officer, gave out a sharp order.

"Get down on your knees with your hands behind your head. All of you."

The creatures panicked. They weren't sure what to do. They hadn't expected this latest change. Now another factor was in their midst. Reno, cracking a grin at this turn of events, uncocked Krystea's weapon and began to lower it.

"I think I'll have to respectfully decline your generous offer, boys." He announced to the creatures. After that, he turned to the officer who had spoke, and gave a smile and a nod. "Great work, gentlemen. I thank you for-"

"I said all of you." The officer coldly snapped, cutting Reno off. His expression was not warm or friendly. "Reno of the Turks…you are under arrest for suspicion of collaborating in PPA espionage. The same goes for your accomplices. You will all be taken into custody and returned to the New Shinra HQ Dome for questioning. Resist and we will open fire."

The Turk was struck dumb. Krystea swallowed from where she was, as her three friends suddenly looked a bit anxious, and started to turn around and look at the New Shinra personnel that had them surrounded. Slowly and surely…they began to realize that they were targets as much as the mutated things that surrounded them. The Turk felt like kicking herself. This was her fault. Despite her intentions, the New Shinra still thought that the others were in on busting out Aerith. They were all in the same jam now, and because of that they were all targets.

On realizing this, Fen turned his head slightly behind him. He let out a snicker. "Heh…nice choice of comrades, moron. We may be monstrous…but at least we have solidarity. What a pity. You get to die with the rest of us freaks, it seems."

"No offense…but I ain't dying with you today." Reno retorted. After doing so, he snapped back to Krystea. The woman was taken aback by this sudden reaction…but even more so when Reno tossed her the Valentine. Krystea reacted by stepping back a bit…but her quick reflexes soon took over, and she was able to catch the gun soon afterward.

"Think you can give their officer a number two, Krystea?" Reno asked her, flashing her a sly grin as he did so.

Krystea hesitated a moment, interpreting what that meant. But then, she remembered. For a moment…her old Turk self took over, and she flashed a dangerous smile of her own. It was a good thing her braces were still on her body. Those had been on her when she arrived at Fort Condor. And now with her gun back, she was once again the deadliest thing on earth with a gun. She proceeded to turn it outward and aim it at the New Shinra officer.

The man merely snorted. "If you think that simply threatening my life is going to save you in any way, shape, or form…"

"Whoever said I was threatening your life?" Krystea answered back, grinning a bit as she surprisingly took on the characteristics of Reno.

"That's not a number two." Reno filled in with a grin of his own. "Either you call your hundred boys off, or you'll go around for the rest of your life without your two best friends and with a plastic bag taped to your leg."

The officer froze at that, his cold exterior cracking. He got the implication immediately, and it made his forehead break out into a sweat. Again…the situation was changing. The five were still aiming at the creatures. The creatures were turning around, and preparing to fight the hundred units that had them surrounded. And now, Krystea had a bead on the family jewels of their head officer. Things were getting more complicated all the time, and who exactly was on whose side, and for how long, was getting hard to keep track of. Again, the people were frozen in a standstill, no one sure what to do, but no one backing down. Yet another standoff…

Everyone was silent once again, and constantly looking around to see what was going to happen next. However…as they stood there silently, everyone couldn't help but hear something approaching. It was two sets of boots, clicking along the ground slowly. They were also getting louder, showing that they were coming closer. The mass of people continued to stare each other down…but one by one they began to turn and look to see who was coming.

The ones in the center couldn't see that well, between the bodies of the creatures and the bodies of the New Shinra. However, Krystea could just make out that what looked like two of the sailors on the boat for Kalm were coming forward. They were dressed in the same uniforms as the others, so she assumed that was true. They were wearing basic work coveralls, and had caps pulled low on their heads advertising their company. In the early morning light, it shrouded their faces mostly in shadow. They seemed to be casually going about their business at first. But then…it became more clear that they were walking with a purpose. They were actually moving up to the people in the standoff. What more…they didn't seem to be threatened or fearful of the fact that there were over a hundred loaded and ready-to-fire guns crushed into that small space.

It didn't take long for other people to notice them, especially since they boldly walked right up to the side of the ring, and then stopped there. The officer was a bit perturbed at the imminent threat to his person…but he also managed to look to the side slightly, and see them there. They appeared to be standing on the sideline and spectating.

"This pier is closed." He finally called out to them. "Get lost."

The two men stayed silent and still for a moment. But then, one of them cracked a smile. He began to reach for his hat as he did so.

"I got a better idea."

Krystea and the others turned and risked a look. When they did, they saw not only this one but his partner reach for their hats. On grabbing them, they immediately yanked them off and shook their heads once to let their hair straighten itself out again. That was especially necessary for the one who had stayed quiet, because his hair was rather tall and spiked. Almost immediately…Krystea remembered the two faces that were revealed. Not only her…but everyone in the group. And they weren't alone. Many of the New Shinra forces began to recognize the faces from wanted posters and mug shots…

General Ragnar Vice and General Cloud Strife of the Planet Protector Army tossed their hats aside, flinging them away without a care, and then crossed their arms and glared at the group of gunmen.

"…How about you put down your weapons and surrender?"

On seeing these two, however, Aerith suddenly perked up. Having had a sinking fear that they might have been dead until now, she was overjoyed to see they were alright.

"Cloud! Ragnar!"

Hearing this, naturally, also made Vincent raise an eyebrow and turn his head. He soon rested his eyes on the two men. At the same time, Cloud and Ragnar were looking over the crowd. And when Cloud saw Vincent…he too stopped, and formed a look of amazement.

"…So there you are." Vincent announced aloud. "And with the leader of the PPA no less. He's younger than I imagined…"

Ragnar frowned slightly on hearing that. But Cloud ignored it, and continued to look surprised. "We could have used you months ago, Vincent. Where have you been? And when did you get here?"

"I got here three days ago. You weren't around." The dark man simply answered.

To this, the new guy turned and looked to ex-Turk. "You actually know the General? Does that mean you weren't pulling my chain back there?"

"Zola?"

On hearing this word, the new guy, obviously named Zola, who had been focused on Vincent a moment ago…suddenly paled and recoiled a bit. Wincing all the way, he slowly turned and looked back out to the ring again. But it was too late. General Ragnar was staring right at him, and had obviously recognized him.

"What are you doing out here?"

Zola swallowed a bit, and innocently grinned. "Would you believe…protecting your interests?"

Reno sighed and rolled his eyes. "Here we go again…"

"So…you're General Ragnar Vice." The New Shinra officer suddenly announced. His tone had an edge on it, and because of that the others went silent. Everyone turned their attention back to him. He was still looking cold, but he also had a disdainful expression, and gave a snort in Ragnar's direction. "I thought you looked like some snotty runt in your pictures. In real life you look even more like one. I don't know where you came from, or why you thought just by throwing your weight around off of the Northern Continent would make us surrender…but you've just made our day. You'll make a far better prisoner, or corpse, than any of these guys. And since you've gone to the trouble of bringing your number two man along, he can join the ride too."

Ragnar didn't change in response to that, and neither did Cloud.

"Someone is going to be taken prisoner today…"

A familiar sound went out after Ragnar said this…only much louder than before, indicating the level of numbers. Hearing it, the current group turned and looked around themselves. To their surprise…they found themselves caught in their own trap.

The entire crew of the boat to Kalm, which had turned out to be much larger than normal, had maneuvered themselves around the group. Only they weren't merely surrounding them. Some were perched on top of loading containers. Some popped out from behind crates. Others merely stuck their gun barrels out through whatever openings they could find. But in the end…there were a lot of them, and they had the group surrounded far better and more effectively than they had their own prisoners surrounded. In all of their haste to deploy here, they had neglected to see if they were being watched, or moved on, by any other potential agencies. And now, they found themselves at the mercy of another herd of gunmen, this time upping the number of those involved to another three hundred.

"This is getting ridiculous…" Reno muttered aloud.

"Next, we'll be surrounded by the local authorities…and then who knows what else…" Zola agreed in a similar vein.

"Lay down your arms right now and you'll be treated fairly." Ragnar ordered. "But resisting is hopeless. We have three men to each one of your units."

The officer looked around at his situation for a moment, but then formed a look of defiance. "I'm a military man. I don't surrender to kids."

"I wonder if your unit shares that sentiment, officer." Ragnar simply answered. "Do they really want to get shot in the back for refusing to let a couple of women go?"

"We still have a bead on those women." The officer retorted. "We will kill them if you don't lower your own weapons."

"Just remember I have a bead on your beads." Krystea called out challengingly from her position.

"And I can crush two dozen of you in the worst way before you bring me down." The big creature, surprisingly, contributed.

"You tell 'em, Tiny." Zola threw in.

"You're going to be the first of that two dozen, asshole." The creature sneered in response, wheeling his head around behind him.

"Well then…now that we're all dead set on killing one another…hows about we see how many other organizations we can join in?" Reno sarcastically called. "The local scouting organization? The senior citizens branch? Maybe what few dock workers are here today that aren't spies? Damn, you ladies are popular…"

For the final time, the groups stood frozen. No one was sure who to aim for first, or who to move on first. With these many parties running around, the friendly fire damage alone was going to be tremendous, and everyone knew it. It was making them nervous, wondering how many people were going to be standing when they got underway. All it was going to take was one person to slip and fire a shot, and within two seconds a few hundred were going to be dead. One last time, everyone went silent, and darted about gazes on each other group, wondering how they had gotten involved into such a huge mess…and wondering what, if anything, was going to get them out of it…

Ironically…and somewhat humorously…what broke the standoff was something simple.

Someone's cellular phone began to ring.

Such a puzzling noise made the four hundred plus people involved in this standoff look up in confusion. They turned their heads and looked around for a moment, wondering where it could have come from, and wondering if it was actually from one of them. Reno sighed.

"Ok…who forgot to put their phone on vibrate before getting into a gunfight?"

Everyone looked around a bit more, before they finally isolated the noise. It was coming from none other than the New Shinra officer. He had his own barretta out, and was aiming for someone in the inner circle of people. However, he also became aware, slowly, that his phone was ringing. He hesitated for a moment, seeming to wonder whether or not to look away and answer it. He, like everyone else, thought that the slightest wrong move would trigger being shot from ten different angles. In the end, he finally swallowed, and reached down to his pocket. He fished around in it for a moment, not daring to look down and see what he was doing, and finally pulled it back up again. Again, without looking at it, he began to open it up.

"We're slightly busy at the moment, so I'd suggest taking a message." Reno threw out.

The officer didn't answer. He held the open phone in front of him, so that he could continue to aim his gun at his target and read who was calling at the same time. Once he saw who it was, he brought the phone back to his head and answered it.

"Yes?"

The four hundred, strangely enough, all found themselves turning to the officer and seeing what was going on. It seemed rather odd, that all of these mortal enemies would be simultaneously being patient and waiting for whatever word was being said to the officer. However…none of them felt safe doing much else. It took a couple of minutes, during which the officer said nothing. But in the end, he gave a nod.

"Acknowledged. Over and out." He answered as he shut his phone again. Slowly, he pulled it back off of his head and returned it to his pocket. With that done, he turned and looked back out to the standoff circle. A bit to his surprise, everyone was staring at him, seeming to want to know what he had heard as if he was a regular joe in a bar who had been interrupted from a pleasant conversation by a cell phone call. After a moment, he swallowed and spoke out, addressing his unit in particular, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"…General Leers has ordered an immediate termination to the operation of recovering Aerith Gainsbourough." The officer began. "As for those parties involved…namely the four members of the Turks, including Krystea Anne Valentine…all four are cleared of any wrongdoing. They will be compensated one million gil each for their troubles, and receive a new mission on returning to the New Shinra HQ Dome."

Krystea could have been knocked over with a feather. Totally overwhelmed, she turned and looked to her sister and to her partners. Elena was utterly flabbergasted. Even Rude's stoic face seemed a bit surprised. Aerith was one of the most shocked of all. She turned to Krystea in disbelief. Had they heard that right? They were essentially…both free? After the two day death hunt, it was over? Just like that? What more…she was cleared? It sounded too good to be true… Perhaps it was. Perhaps it was just a trick. Maybe it was something to get them to come back. But it sure didn't sound like it, considering the timing. It made no sense…but somehow, it sounded like it was over.

The Turks weren't sure what to do for a moment. They didn't know how exactly this changed their present situation, let alone the one they would be in once out of this. In the end, they had to turn to their acting leader. Reno himself looked a bit confused as to this sudden change of fortune, and as to what it meant. This seemed rather weird…to suddenly drop everything just like that, especially after going to such lengths. And Leers didn't like them. So why suddenly the change of heart? But in the end, he decided those were problems they could worry about after they found a way out of this standoff.

"Like the saying goes, ladies…and gentleman…don't look at rings before you arrive in Mist. I say for the moment we accept this generous offer."

"We have nothing on Aerith Gainsbourough now, General." The officer called out to Ragnar. "She's yours."

In response to this, however, one of the shrouded creatures called out. "Not quite. Our master still wants both her and the other."

Reno turned his head to this…and cracked a smile. "Well then, buddy…I'm afraid today's going to be your day of disappointment, because allegiences have just shifted around here." After saying that, he tilted his head back and called out. "Lieutenant…now that things are back to how they've been before, I reserve my executive privilege to command New Shinra personnel and resources in a time of need. Arrest these manimals."

"Don't let them get away, General!" Zola yelled out at the same time. "They've been running around under Midgar, spying on us for who knows how long! I saw them crawl out when the women first arrived!"

However, he didn't need to say that. Ragnar was already in the midst of giving the order. "Ignore the New Shinra units for now. Cover the thirteen surrounding Aerith and the Turks."

Within a few instants, the previous enemies redirected their efforts, and aimed all four hundred of their weapons on the creatures that surrounded the inner group. On their part, they changed sides and aimed for the creatures as well. Krystea in particular aimed the Valentine at the big one. Again, allegiences and situations had changed, and now the thirteen odd creatures found themselves facing now insurmountable odds. That caused a corresponding change in them. They began to look around nervously, staring at their sudden change in situation. And now, things were much worse. They began to shrink a bit, and some started to quiver.

"Let's fight our way out." The big one grunted.

"Shut up, fool!" Fen hissed. "They'll kill us all before we get anywhere near busting free!"

"We can't let ourselves be captured!" Another one whined in response. "The doctor said he'd never change any of us back if we let any one of us get caught!"

On hearing this phrase, Ragnar raised an eyebrow from where he was. Where everyone else until now had dismissed most of the pantering of the creatures they had run into…Krystea noticed that this man seemed to be paying attention to it. And it seemed to intrigue him as well. His face turned and became somewhat puzzled. But then, he spoke out again. As he did, he raised his hands in a stopping gesture…and tried to talk slower and more quietly, more calmly…

"Hang on a second." He announced. "What are you talking about? Are you trying to say that someone did this to-"

However, Ragnar's efforts at discussion or negotiation were wasted. Abruptly, Fen spun around to another. "Meryl! Use your blast!"

The one, named Meryl, was obviously one of the more timid members of her following. She was shrinking and cringing away from most of the enemy. But now that she had a job to do, she seemed to quiver even more. "I…I never used it against so many…" She quivered.

"Do it, or we're all doomed!" Fen yelled back.

"Wait!" Ragnar called out. "We won't fire! Just talk to me for a-"

However, it was too late. Spurred on by her leader's orders, the one named Meryl quivered a second more, but then abruptly turned her head to the sky. The hood slipped back a bit, but they never saw her face. Instead…some glistening, molten ball of light suddenly burst forth from the end of the hood. It looked like a great firework. The light immediately covered her face, obscuring all her features, and forced those around to look away. It was dazzling, and painful to keep ones eyes on. At any rate, the ball began to raise into the sky.

As it did…Krystea happened to notice something. The rest of the creatures were shrinking down, pulling their hoods more tightly over their heads…

Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening. She quickly reached out and seized the Turks on either side of her as she cried, "Everyone grab on and hold tight! It's a-"

Her warning might have come a bit too late. Abruptly, the ball of light detonated…and a deafening eruption rocked the air and sent a sonic echo throughout the entire city of Junon. At the same time, a totally blinding blast showered the area with light.

Krystea's fear turned out to be justified, as she found herself nearly paralyzed. Whatever that ball had been…it worked as a flash grenade. A blinding burst of light, a painful eruption of noise, and the force of a sonic tremor moving over her. It was the same effect. It overloaded the senses, leaving whoever was near it caught in a state of immobilized vegetation for a few precious seconds as their sensory systems reset. She had managed to reach out and grab those on her side just in time. Luckily, she felt two more hands grab her sides as well. She hoped that others were grabbing as well. She concentrated as best as she could on keeping her hands locked. So long as they held on…the creatures shouldn't be able to grab them and yank them away…

Sure enough…while still blind and deaf, Krystea felt a rough hand grab her shirt. Unable to process anything, unable to move…she focused all of her attention on holding on. She had to hold on. Aerith was behind her. She would be a victim herself…but if she moved then they would get Aerith. The grip was strong and powerful, and it began to rip at her scrub. However, mercifully, it was short. As Krystea's senses began to come too again, the hand released her and vanished. Obviously, the creatures were more concerned with escaping while they could. And if they couldn't take them with them…then they were forced to leave empty handed for now.

As everyone came back "online", so to speak, the world faded back in around Krystea. Sure enough, the creatures were gone. They had used their brief respite to run while they still could. What was left were some four hundred moaning, groaning soldiers, who didn't even recognize at first that they had all lost their targets. Krystea turned and looked behind her…and received some good news for a change. They were all still here. Aerith was safe, slowly rising back up out of the midst of the Turks. Yet again…they had managed to evade the creatures, and once more they were in the clear.

Everyone took a moment to gather their bearings all around. In the end, Reno raised up again, and looked around at the situation. Seeing how things were…he turned and looked over to General Ragnar. The man had recovered by now as well, and was surmising the situation too.

"Well…now that that's taken care of…" He announced. "I suppose we'll be leaving…"

Ragnar turned to him when he said this. His look was dark.

"Hardly." He answered. With that, he gestured around him. "They're all under arrest, including the four Turks."

Krystea snapped to Ragnar at that, but for a moment there was another concern. On hearing this, the New Shinra people looked up, and began to turn to aim at their captors. But the PPA operatives had the advantage in numbers and position now. Soon, they raised their guns and had them all in their sights. And now, there were no creatures to distract them from aiming at them. The officer looked around at this, and grit his teeth in frustration.

"I don't want to have to kill you if I don't have to." Ragnar announced on seeing this. "Your mission is over, Lieutenant. You'll be dying for nothing if you force your way out of this, which is already a futile gesture. If I were you…a momentary humiliation would be more than worth another thirty years of life."

The officer hesitated on hearing this. He looked around at his men. They were only half turned. In the time it would take for a message to attack to reach their ears, be understood, cause them to turn, acquire a target, and fire…it would already be too late. They'd be dead. He considered his options for a few moments more, surveying all of this. But in the end, with a dark look, he lowered his gun. The other New Shinra operatives saw this…and with similar frowns began to slowly lower their own weapons.

"…We'll be freed in two months, once your group gets crushed by the navy." The officer finally finished.

Ragnar only paused for a moment on hearing that, before turning to the other soldiers and motioning them forward. Two of them kept each covered, but one out of every three broke off and shouldered their weapons. They moved forward to begin handcuffing and leading away the remaining hundred. Cloud, however, seemed to be a bit more interested in this comment.

"You mind telling me what justifies you saying that?" He asked the officer.

In response, the lieutenant turned to Cloud…and smiled darkly to cement his small victory.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Cloud glared back, but didn't react anymore. Krystea wasn't sure what was going through his head, but it didn't really matter. The rest of the New Shinra were being led away around them, and as the crowd was finally beginning to disperse, she noticed that more soldiers were moving in on them. They hadn't disarmed yet, although they were no longer at the ready to fire. The PPA was coming in to arrest them regardless, and when they got there they knew they would lose their weapons.

Rude turned slightly to his side to Reno. "…Should we go for it?"

Reno merely shook his head. "No need. The General is a bleeding heart, and so are his buddies. We'll be out in no time. The worst they'll do is stick us in some nickel and dime prison."

Rude gave a nod in response. The PPA guards finished closing on them. Once they did, Reno gave the nearest dark-faced one a pleasant smile, and graciously handed over his nightstick. Rude was a bit more stoic as he allowed them to check him for weapons. Elena fumed all the way as she practically slapped her gun into her guard's hand. Krystea was uneasy herself. She liked her gun…and she had just gotten it back. Now she had to give it up again. She wasn't comfortable with anyone else handling it. However, in the end, she sighed and ruefully shelled it out. If they did end up escaping…she had to make sure to get it before they did.

The soldiers who went up to Vincent and Zola faced somewhat more resistance.

"Couldn't keep out of trouble, could you?" One of the soldiers darkly snapped at the thin one.

Zola's face turned anxious. "Aw, come on!" He griped. "I was tailing the ladies! I was repelling those creature things! Cut me some slack!"

"Um…I'll take…I mean, m-m-may I have your guns?" A much more nervous and pale soldier asked Vincent, obviously having turned that way the moment he approached him.

"…Take them." Vincent simply responded, not showing it as being an indicitative response or a challenge. However…he calmly returned both to his sides, and let his cape fall over them. After that, he stared at the man with his blood-red eyes, and moved no more. Needless to say, the soldier was soon paralyzed, and made no move to attempt to take the weapons.

With this done, the rest of the New Shinra began to be led to the boat. As they were, the two generals started to make their way forward, toward the group of people. The Turks, Aerith, Vincent, and Zola all turned to face them as they came. Once they reached them, Cloud slowly let out an exhale, and then crossed his arms.

"…I have a feeling the explanations that go around over the next few hours are going to be rather incredible."

Krystea said nothing to that. After all…he was probably right. As it was, she still didn't understand a lot of what was going on…

Yet before anyone could say anything else or venture another course of action, Aerith suddenly spoke up from the midst of the others.

"We can try and sort it out later. We don't have time right now." She immediately called out. "I have to get in touch with the Planet immediately."

Krystea turned her head over to Aerith at that. "…About what's going on in Midgar, right?"

On hearing that, however, both Cloud and Ragnar seemed to look a bit surprised, which in turn got the attention of the others who were in the gathering.

"You know what's happening in Midgar?" Ragnar asked incredulously. "How did you-"

"Ragnar…everyone…there's no time for anything else." Aerith immediately spoke up, cutting Ragnar off and holding up her hands in a stopping gesture. She turned around to look at all of the parties gathered for a moment, and then looked back to the two generals. "Just…give me some time and some quiet. This is the first chance I've had to finally be able to relax and try this, and I think I'm finally strong enough to sort it out. Everyone just stay still and don't disturb me."

Without another word, Aerith suddenly dropped to the ground, putting herself into a seated position against the stone pier. Reno frowned and scratched the side of his head. Zola looked likewise puzzled, and opened his mouth to say something. But before anything could come out, Vincent moved like a shot and covered his mouth. Krystea saw this, and realized that Vincent must have trusted Aerith a lot too. Perhaps they did know each other…though the woman could hardly fathom how that had been possible. No one had even seen Vincent in so long… She thought he was dead… However, she could sort that out later. For now, she turned down and looked to Aerith. They all did, standing still and silent as she adjusted herself, folding her hands in front of her in a prayer position, and began to concentrate.

For a few minutes, there was silence. The people were patient, however, and watched her to see what would happen. The truth of the matter was that only Ragnar and Cloud knew there was even a problem, but Krystea was earnest to see what would turn up, and the others followed suit. Aerith, on her part, stayed as silent and motionless as a statue. On seeing this for too long…Cloud began to swallow and stiffen. Krystea noticed this, but she didn't suspect the reason why.

That was just the way she looked before she had been murdered.

At long last…Aerith's eyes slowly opened. She seemed almost mesmerized for a moment, or coming out of a dream. Her face was expressionless, and her eyes soft.

"…I forgot how it felt to truly talk with the Planet…" She slowly murmured.

"What did you hear, Aerith?" Ragnar immediately asked, his own voice earnest now that she was done. "Was it anything about what's happening in Midgar?"

"Just out of curiosity…" Reno suddenly interrupted, having gotten somewhat bored while waiting for Aerith and now was tired of not knowing the situation. "Exactly what is happening in Midgar? The place was a ghost town last we went through it…"

"And with good reason." Cloud retorted, looking up to the Turk. "We found out a few days ago that there is going to be a massive mako eruption. It's going to tear apart the entire city and poison the surrounding area. The army has been evacuating everyone. It's scheduled to happen today. That's why we had to get a boat to Kalm instead of Midgar."

Elena crossed her own arms and exhaled. "Finally…something making sense." She responded. "No wonder we got into town so easily. Although I'd still like to know how Cid knew we were on that ship…"

However, before anyone else could interrupt, Aerith let out a slow exhale. It seemed to clear her mind, and enabled her to look up again. She turned over to Ragnar and Cloud. Now normal…her face began to turn somber and dark. A rueful look began to form in her eyes.

"…I thought it was the Planet trying to tell me to get in contact with it. I was wrong." Aerith began. "It was my ancestors, telling me to get back to Midgar as soon as possible. Only now have I established contact with Gaia." She hesitated at this, and let out a single chuckle. However, it was in a melancholy sort of fashion. "…She's happy to see that a Cetra is alive. Evidently…there were so many spirits that she couldn't keep track of such a small number unless they spoke with her. Anyway…I found out what was wrong, namely the eruption, and I asked the Planet to stop it. She has stopped the buildup of Lifestream, cutting off any further eruptions in the future…" Aerith trailed off slowly at this, her mood growing more grim.

Krystea had a feeling this wasn't a good thing. And she wasn't alone.

"…But…" Cloud said for her, adding to her explanation the most powerful word in the world.

"But…" Aerith echoed, growing darker yet. "…It's already too late. The buildup cannot be stopped. Too much pressure has already gathered." She stopped after this, and slowly sighed, turning her gaze downward again. "…Don't blame yourself for it, Cloud. It would have been too late if I had spoken to the Planet the moment after I came back to life…"

Aerith hadn't noticed that slip…but Krystea's face turned to confusion again as she did.

…Came back to life?

Aerith finished soon after with one wistful phrase. "The only thing that would have stopped it is if I would have been there… Maybe I could have redirected it then…"

The group was silent a moment. However, Ragnar then straightened, and gestured behind him. "Wait a minute. Maybe it's not too late. We still have the ship. At full speed, we could be back in Midgar in six hours…"

Aerith, however, darkly shook her head, and turned and looked back up to the general.

"You don't understand, Ragnar." She answered grimly. "It's happening right now."

RULER

To be continued...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I got the reference from FFIV right this time! For those of you who forgot, saying "don't look at rings before you arrive in Mist" is the equivilent of saying "don't look a gift horse in the mouth". (I created this variation on this proverb because it comes from The Odyssey namely the Trojan Horse, which is a book that doesn't exist in the FF universe. So instead I used another object that concealed a surprise destructive force: the Bomb Ring from FFIV, which Cecil and Kain unknowingly delivered to Mist, only to have it release a storm of bombs which burned the city to the ground.)