25 Hours Until The Firing Of The Gauntlet Of Zeus

It took all night, and most of the next morning…but before the noon deadline it was done.

The New Shinra tried everything to stop the advance of the Planet Protector Army. Yet they were forced to operate in a narrow zone. Only a few soldiers could enact anything from that distance…and in that regard the PPA had far greater individuals. It wasn't just their generals, who would have been bad enough in themselves. It was the other priority commanders in the PPA…the ones who had been with their general since the beginning and had nearly single-handedly broke out from the Dome a few months earlier. They weren't as godlike as the two generals, but they were fearsome enough as it was. Every tank, artillery unit, or barricade thrown at them was destroyed. And as soon as they tore down the defense, the rest of the army rushed forward.

More of the ferret bombs came as the enemy pushed forward. As such, artillery placements were useless, and collateral damage from rockslides continued to accumulate. The New Shinra pushed more troops forward to try and stop them again and again, but all they managed to do was slow the enemy down. They were halted, but never lost ground. And inevitably, they surged again and again. Sometimes they gained a foot. Sometimes half a kilometer. But slowly and surely…the New Shinra were being pushed back.

Had General Leers pulled his forces back one more time and consolidated them, he might have been able to put a stop to this, even with the terrible soldiers breaking through their ranks again and again. But luck was on the PPA's side, as the general feared that this was what the PPA wanted so that it could launch another ambush. After all, they had responded in counter-strikes to every traditional attack maneuver thus far. Instead, more troops were continuously thrown at the PPA, but without any emplacement or guard were unable to stand against their own rushing forces. Here in this valley, there could be only one victor when the area was this narrow.

The New Shinra Army had lost vast numbers of soldiers, and was being driven like lemmings off the field and out of the valley. Panic was still very high, especially since the impossible seemed to have happened. The PPA was practically knocking on the Dome's front door already. This only served to dishearten even more of them. They might have been able to hold the day if this invasion had happened a year ago. But with flimsy rations, cold weather, and already grim and less hopeful spirits, they offered little resistance to an army that was fighting for its life and the lives of its families. Gradually, the advancing of the attackers picked up in speed as more soldiers broke independently from the front line and went back.

At last, as the final few members of the NSA were driven from the valley, and the PPA crossed the threshold of the last guard outpost between the valley and the open snow fields beyond, they were halted for a longer time. Though they hadn't done so incredibly substantially, many of the reinforcements had gathered here and thrown up some mild barricades. And here, the PPA was constrained by the bottleneck while the New Shinra were able to open up and surround a single target zone from several sides. The attack force that the enemy had sent forward before now was finally halted as they were attacked from a 180 degree arc. Even they couldn't break through this, and were forced to pull back. The surging of the Planet Protector Army stopped soon after. No one else tried to break the line. It seemed as if the enemy had finally been held back. Debate began to occur as to whether the New Shinra Army should gather its strength and counterattack, or simply hold their ground as long as they could until the Gauntlet of Zeus was ready.

This went on for about forty-five minutes before the attack force returned…this time bearing materia. Soon the NSA barricade was shattered in a dozen places as lightning, fire, hail, and great horrific beasts materialized within them and caused widespread havoc. The attack force was not only strong personally, but they were mentally formidable as well to be able to command such powerful materia. One platoon of soldiers then caught a glimpse of the leader of the PPA coming out. His sword was like a living flame, and he cut it in front of him. In response, fire shot out in a great half-circle around him and burned into the snow. As the freezing powder was turned into gas, a massive cloud of steam and vapor resulted, shrouding the field in fog.

Then, the rest of the PPA pounced. Stunned, terrified, and broken from the materia assault, the NSA was now blind as the remainder of the enemy force came out and lit upon them. Their only defenses were soon shattered, and the last fortification protecting the Dome was wiped out in less than an hour. Many younger New Shinra members, terrified of the assault charging through the steam and fearing another materia attack, broke down all together. Some had enough sense to flee, but flee back to the Dome. Others fled into the freezing snow fields to meet almost certain death in the icy weather and darkness that reigned both day and night. Others simply surrendered. Only the veterans stood their ground, and they realized it was a battle they could not win. In the end, they broke off to the only remaining stronghold they had.

At long last, the PPA halted. Now dominating the entire lower Icicle Inn region, they paused in their furious blitzkrieg to finally get their bearings and look on what they had done. But this was only for a short while. They had achieved an almost inconceivable victory today…but it was far from over. Soon, artillery began to form a new barricade while other soldiers started to set up tents…

…We made it.

The crazy, half-baked plan had worked. With not even their full strength behind them, they had managed to take this much land from the New Shinra in such a short period of time. They were ahead of schedule. They had earned an extra hour. Luck and panic had a lot to do with it. And if Ragnar hadn't junctioned with Bahamut, he wouldn't have been able to keep going throughout the field, nor pull off that move at the end that led them to take the rest of it. But they had done it. Now they were too close to the enemy to have them risk shooting them with the Gauntlet of Zeus even if it was completed. In twelve, or thirteen, hours, they'd begin the final assault…and the long war that had consumed so much of Ragnar's life would finally be over. That was…so long as Maritza came through for them. She had thus far, he had to admit.

Ragnar should have been at his happiest and most enthusiastic.

Instead, he was so nervous he felt ready to soil himself.

Just standing here, knee deep in a mixture of pink and white snow that had been trampled countless times that day, was testament enough to the fact that he had little to be celebrating about. The snow was never this deep at this time of year. And it was never so bitterly cold either. With the heat of battle gone, he could look around him and see that many of the troops that were pitching tents and bringing artillery to the front were shuddering and stamping on the ground, struggling to keep warm. It was nearly noon, and yet the sky was so black that it felt like early night. Overhead, clouds rumbled and occasionally lightning flashed. An icy wind kept whipping by, so cold that there wasn't a soldier in the army that didn't cring and struggle to get out of it. Until now, they had been downwind of this, and the New Shinra Army had felt the brunt of it. Now that they weren't acting as a wind break, the PPA was suffering.

Even in the dead of the harshest winter, it didn't get this bad up here.

Ragnar knew it was a testament to a greater cause.

The storm had been growing ever since they had arrived. Granted, they were headed further north all the time, and as they did they were going closer and closer to its source. But his keen senses could tell that it had still been getting worse even without that aspect. Ragnar knew what that meant. They were up to something. Maybe it was because they were here now. Maybe it was some alterior motive… They did seem to want the Gauntlet of Zeus to fire for some reason…

And so, Ragnar found himself standing near the front line with his gaze on the north. Behind him, many tents had already been pitched and were being anchored down to keep from blowing away. Soldiers were quickly getting inside to weigh them down before that happened. A trench had been dug, and the artillery was on the brink of it. A guard division was pacing it now. They had the worst job. Not only were they denied sleep, but they were the most exposed to the weather. Many troops were clamboring back into the canyon to try and get out of the freezing gale. But that was foolishness on their part. With the way clear between them and the wind, the cold air was only being magnified as it blew into that portion. Field hospitals were struck, and the most critically wounded were being treated. Those who had only minor wounds…or in some case major…were forced to doctor themselves and bear with it, or hope that an opening would come in the next twelve hours. Though their attack had been costly for the NSA, they had lost many in the process as well. And more would be lost before midnight tonight. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that Ragnar had the wounded from the initial shore invasion brought north with them. The medical facilities on the navy were already filled from the casualties of sailors, and the general only allowed field hospitals to be put up this far north. He wanted most of the medical staff here, where they would soon receive their biggest influx of patients. It had been a hard decision, but it had been necessary to maintain the fast attack speed.

Yet Ragnar could barely think about that decision or even his army's welfare now. It seemed so miniscule compared to what was coming.

I need to stop thinking about this and rest. He told himself. I never should have been in the front line. I used up a lot of my stamina today. It won't matter if I get us north and stop the Gauntlet of Zeus if Sephiroth lives. I have to devote everything to that. Damnit…why does this always have to coincide with the war? This is the time the army needs me more than ever, and yet I have to abandon them again. And since Cloud is coming too, there won't be any generals here to lead the forces. I suppose I can tell them that I'm infiltrating the Dome myself to knock out the key figureheads…which is truth enough…but I doubt many people will understand.

…

Master…wherever you are in my head, I did not need that image of what happened when Wyvern struck and I wasn't with the army last time. You know as well I do that this is more important. I don't need to be second guessing myself right now. I…

A hand suddenly came down on Ragnar's shoulder.

"We're going to bed, kid."

Despite his heightened senses, Ragnar's train of thought had been so intense that he snapped around to the source, and nearly went for his sword. However, he quickly calmed when he recognized who it was. Cloud…the only other person in the army other than Ragnar who seemed to be totally immune to the freezing weather…was there. He was looking as battle haggard and tired as Ragnar, but unlike him seemed to be far more confident and controlled. He was trying to reassure him, and exude confindence in this time of doubt.

Ragnar stared back at him a moment. He understood the wisdom of what he was saying. Ragnar himself had thought that a moment ago. However, as he sighed and began to turn around, he shook his head. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to sleep. I can't stop thinking about what's coming. Last time I went up against him…"

"You and I both know thinking that isn't helping." Cloud cut off.

Ragnar frowned a bit. His head bowed momentarily before looking back up to his friend. "How did you do it last time?"

Cloud cracked a bit of a smile before turning to face the same direction as Ragnar, back to the camp. "To tell the truth…I didn't. I wasn't scared either, though. I had trained myself at that point in my life to feel only hate and vengeance toward Sephiroth. There wasn't any room left for fear or doubt. And to be honest…I wanted to kill him a lot more then than I did now. I had lost far more at that time." The man paused here, and turned forward to begin walking to the camp. He had gone one step, with Ragnar nearby following him, before he stopped.

His smile widened a bit, and he snickered once.

"Here's another truth. I think that night was the greatest night of my life, and I'm glad I didn't sleep during it."

Ragnar's face turned slightly puzzled at this.

"That was the night before the single greatest event of my life…but it was also the first night I ever spent lying next to Tifa. At this point, the only thing I had left was Sephiroth. He was my only desire now…to make him pay for what he did to the world…for killing Aerith…for using me as his tool. Beyond that…my mom was dead…my town was dead…my home was gone… I had nothing else. I couldn't see rebuilding anything of what I had lost. I had gone too far…become something both less and more than human. For all purposes, I thought my life would end after Sephiroth's death.

"But that night when I felt Tifa come up next to me, I realized that I wasn't alone in this world. I had wanted Tifa's love for as long as I could remember. Even after what happened to us in the Lifestream, I wasn't really sure that I had it. But that night…I realized that I still had something very great. I had one new beginning in the midst of everything I had lost. I had a wonderful person who would go with me into Hell and back. It wouldn't be for another two years that I'd realize that I had a lot more than that, and that I didn't have to be afraid to live and love again…but that night was the first step. The Cloud who lived in Nibelheim died the night he stabbed Sephiroth in the stomach. The Cloud that I am now…the life and man that I am now…was born that night."

Ragnar stared at Cloud a bit after this, thinking about what he told him. Again, he had forgotten that he wasn't going into this alone. And he had forgotten just how many hopes and nightmares that Cloud had already been through. Although much of what Cloud said didn't apply to him, there was some reassurance in it. This had played out before, and it had ended for good and not bad. And he had people who loved him and cared for him too, ones who were behind him all the way in spirit if they couldn't be so physically. Not only them, but the spirits of his dead ancestors were with him too. And as Cloud had his strength from Tifa, Ragnar drew his from Aerith. Something of what Cloud said made him feel better…more hopeful…

As he was thinking this, however, his thoughts were once again interrupted by a cry.

"Cloud! Ragnar!"

Both men snapped around to the source. They saw shortly in front of them, running to their position, was Tifa. She had taken quite a pounding today as well. Her gloves were nearly flaking off from how many people and things she had punched. Also, her normal attire was too little for her in this weather. She had thrown on a military-issue coat and zipped it up. Yet the weather didn't seem to be bothering her that much right now. Her face was tight with concern about something else.

Cloud recognized her first, and the look on her face, and called out.

"Tifa! What's wrong?"

The woman was close enough now, and so she ground to a halt and shouted out the rest to them as she turned and began to motion them back.

"It's Vincent! He's here!"

Five minutes later, all three of them were looking down on what was left of him.

Ragnar felt extreme irritation with himself now. Vincent had been badly hurt, and yet because of his orders to strike the field hospital far to the north he had been carried with only first aid supporting his broken body for hours before receiving treatment. The man was strong and could deal with pain for that long, but it made him think about other soldiers who had been dragged north who weren't so well endowed with supernatural strength and healing.

It was quite a mess within the tent itself. Naturally, it was packed with the wounded, and many were still struggling to find places to put the injured. Due to the weather, they could only set them in certain places without risking them being exposed from the chilly air that pierced every crack and exposure within the temporary facility. The physicians and nurses were running everywhere, trying to stop bleeding and patch up people long enough to go to surgery to remove bullets or shrapnel. Crowded as they were, they had to struggle to make room for a clean field OR. Many had a small chance of survival, but infection would make that chance even smaller. Luckily, the cold air had arrested the growth of many microbes this far north. Some physicians were even putting the chronic bleeders out in the snow to let the cold seal their wounds.

Ragnar, Cloud, and Tifa had only managed to get in due to their position in the army. Otherwise, they would have been an unnecessary inconvenience and obstacle to movement. Aerith was present as well…and unlike them, she was most welcome. Many of the physicians had never seen the woman's healing powers brought to bear before. Yet as the saying goes…there are no atheists in a foxhole. The same would go for there are no superstitious in a field hospital. Her techniques were making people better, and so they allowed her to continue. Currently, she was bent down over their missing friend, exerting her own healing powers over him. She had been doing this since the three had arrived. Not saying anything, they merely let her go about her work.

Vincent's clothing was in tatters. It was almost like bloody rags in some places. His exposed flesh was bruised and lacerated. Half of his face was puffy and swollen, while his jaw looked like it had been fractured. Worst of all was his chest. It looked like a spear had been driven into it. Ragnar knew enough to see that it had not gone through anything that would have resulted in instant death, but it still could have caused plenty of internal bleeding. No doubt, this was what Aerith was focusing her power on now. He had to have many other broken bones they couldn't yet see. His boots and shirt had been stripped. This was the first time they were seeing him without clothing over his chest. They were most surprised to see that some large scar was over his heart area, looking like some hand-sized object had been in there at some point. However, the strangest thing was that the scar didn't really look like a scar…but more like a closed opening into his chest…

Aerith's hands stayed over Vincent a while longer, but then she exhaled from obvious fatigue and lowered her arms. Ragnar repressed the urge to tell her to keep going. If she wore herself out now, then there was no way she would be able to go near the Dome or Sephiroth. He almost hoped that scenario would occur. Yet he stayed quiet, and after a pause the Cetra turned to them.

"I think he'll live now." She told them. "I stopped his bleeding. If he stays still, the wounds won't reopen. They will take a few days to seal up enough for him to get around. Also, I can't heal his bones. He'll be in pain if he tries moving around with them."

An abrupt grunt resulted a moment later. The four turned their full attention down to the source, and soon found themselves looking to Vincent's face. His head was shifting, and his face was tightening up. It was obvious that he was waking. His arms began to lift, showing he was preparing to rise.

Immediately, Aerith reached out and placed his hands on him. "Don't move. You're hurt too badly." She told him.

Vincent's eyes cracked slightly at the sound of Aerith's voice. Despite her insistence, Vincent's head began to rise, and his eyes rested on Aerith's body. His vision seemed weak, and he seemed to still be wandering in and out of consciousness.

"K…Krys…tea?" He half-moaned.

Aerith hesitated here, as did the others. Ragnar understood. After all, Krystea…at least, the Krystea that had existed before being consumed by Aleron…was a clone of Aerith. They bore a resemblance to each other through weak eyes. What did confuse him, however, was why Vincent would have said that over recognizing Aerith.

It indicated that he had her on the brain…

"It's Aerith, Vincent. Stay still."

Vincent's face tightened again, this time seemingly in confusion. He blinked a few times, before his eyes opened even wider. Once they did, he seemed to become fully conscious and aware of his surroundings. He looked around himself for a moment, and recognized who was standing over him. After that, he leaned his head back slightly, seeming to obey Aerith's command.

"…Where am I?" He asked in a much stronger, yet still faint, voice.

"Our field hospital in the southern Icicle Inn area." Ragnar answered. "We brought you here from New Junon."

Vincent blinked again, and looked to the ceiling.

"…How long have I been unconscious?"

"Close to a day by now." Aerith answered.

This made the man raise an eyebrow. "Only that? Your invasion must be going well."

"You came to help us during the invasion, didn't you?" Cloud asked. "Where have you been all these months? And how did you know we'd be invading now anyway?"

"…For the third question, it was easy. After Ashiah made that statement, I knew that'd be the only thing you could do."

"It was a good thing for us." Ragnar commented. "You're the one who stopped Aleron from blowing up our fleet, weren't you?"

Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith all snapped to Ragnar at that. Vincent alone seemed not that surprised. However, it was simple deduction. Aleron had blown away everyone who tried to shoot her down. The only way she could have been stopped was a ground assault. Naturally, the NSA wouldn't try to. She was helping them, after all. Vincent was the only man who had been on shore, he now knew. What more, there weren't many people alive who could do this to the dark man. And the chest wound, though not in a vital spot, was made by a rather powerful and deadly blade. He had seen a wound from it before on Reno. Either the others believed Ragnar, or they began to reach the same conclusions, for their surprise faded and they slowly turned back to Vincent. Aerith, on her part, looked a bit more concerned.

"…Distracted her is more appropriate." Vincent answered at last.

Aerith hesitated a moment, but then spoke up in an uneasy voice. Her face looked rather uncomfortable. "Did you…finish her?"

Vincent paused. For a moment, Ragnar thought he saw him look to Aerith, and seemed to study her expression momentarily. He looked like he was trying to get her emotional reaction.

"…I couldn't." Vincent finally said. "It was hardly a battle. It was more a struggle for survival. I only left a mark on her because she was overconfident and caught off guard." He paused, and then seemed to look to Aerith. When he spoke, his voice almost seemed reassuring… "It wasn't serious. She's probably long since healed it."

Ragnar noticed this, but kept his mouth shut, although both he and Bahamut's half mused over it.

"So…they can regenerate as well?" Tifa asked.

"I couldn't see that well at the time…but she seemed to hang onto the blood I spilled. And the lesser wounds from the shrapnel healed instantly." Vincent answered.

Ragnar had feared this was true. With unlimited energy, their bodies had a store of power in them that could be called on immediately and endlessly to heal flesh. Combined with the fact that they couldn't tire, he knew that meant that only be striking a fatal wound could he kill them. Although…he wondered exactly how fatal it would have to be. Would a stab to a major artery do it? Or would he actually have to sever their heads?

"For your second question…" Vincent continued. "There was no way out for me after that day at the Dome. Security was too tight. There wasn't even a way for me to leave the building. I had almost no ammunition left, and so there was no way I could fight my way out. I took the opportunity to look at what the Turks and the enemy were doing. It wasn't until you invaded that security lessened enough for me to make my way down to New Junon."

Ragnar turned a glance to Cloud. The man was staring back expressionlessly, but he could tell that the ex-mercenary was thinking the same thing as him. That was a rather simplistic explanation of a time period of over a third of a year. Getting off the continent would be hard, but not impossible, especially not for someone like Vincent. However, he was only reluctantly even saying this much. He had obviously done more…but they weren't going to hear it now irregardless of whether they wanted the truth or not. And at the moment, Ragnar didn't really care to pressure him.

"What did you find out?" Tifa asked.

"…Probably not much more than what you already knew. Their Admiral is psychotic at best, however. After what happened with Heidegger and Scarlet five years ago, I wouldn't put it by her to try something foolish if it meant her getting revenge on this army."

Cloud and Tifa grimaced at that. Ragnar and Aerith were likewise uncomfortable, but seeing as they hadn't been present during the storming of Midgar or the battle with the Proud Clod, they didn't grasp the full seriousness of what Vincent was saying.

"…They're in there, somewhere."

That sudden statement interrupted Ragnar's thought train and turned him and Cloud back to fully focusing on Vincent. "What?"

"…Sephiroth and Aleron, if that's what you call what Krystea has turned into." The dark man answered. "They've kept themselves pretty hidden…but I managed to spot them. They left from time to time…I didn't know why. Whenever I caught a glimpse of them, they didn't seem to care I was following. I think I even saw one of them turn and smile at me. Hence…I didn't bother following until today. In the past, it's been a bad idea for us to follow when they want us to. I never saw exactly where they came from…but they're in the Dome. Somewhere in the sub-basements. I almost think they wanted me to know that was where they were. They never attacked me though. I believe they didn't think I was worth the effort."

This made the two generals uncomfortable, Cloud in particular. Sephiroth could be very stealthy, but when it came to Cloud, he made himself bait in the past. And when he did, it usually led to disaster. He had likely let Vincent see where he was simply so that when this day came he would point them to him. He was the one setting the battlefield, and the one whose rules they'd be playing against. Ragnar supposed this was the only way it could have occurred. The truth was that if Sephiroth didn't want to fight, then there was no way they could make him come to them. Only when the man was ready to kill them would he stand his ground long enough.

"…How strong is Aleron?" Cloud asked at last.

"Above Kadaj, at least." Vincent answered. "I'm not sure how much higher. She has more of Sephiroth's abilities than his. If you two are planning on fighting her, you can probably beat her without much trouble if you take her together. Sephiroth is the problem."

That was a sigh of relief to Ragnar. Vincent didn't know that both he and Cloud had vastly increased their strength and ability. If he and Cloud would have been able to take Aleron before, then now either one of them independently should be able to handle her without a problem. That was good news. He was still stretching his brain as to how he was going to beat Sephiroth…and he didn't need to worry about another one being just as mighty.

"Is there a way into the Dome without alerting their guards?" Ragnar asked.

"About a mile directly north of the valley's entrance, there's a spot on the ground I covered up with a snow-white tarp. Underneath it you'll find a pipe I blew my way out of. It's a main power conduit stretching from the Dome to New Junon. The power was cut in it now, seeing as they're diverting all power to the Dome itself, so you don't have to worry about electrocution. There's not much room in it. You'll have to crawl on your belly or all fours most of the way, which is probably why it isn't better guarded. It runs all the way to the reactor level of the Dome. Just the reactor level, mind you. The reactor itself is guarded by more than security robots and locked doors after our failed strike. It's how I got out of the Dome, and how I think Sephiroth and Aleron did too. I'm not sure how they got out without putting a hole in the pipe, but that's where mine is. It will take you a few hours to go a few miles in that pipe, so you'll want to leave soon if you plan to take that route."

Ragnar, however, wasn't worried. With his new speed and strength, even something as mundane as crawling was faster business to him. Cloud was no doubt the same. Both had now heard all that they needed to hear. They looked up and to one another, and with a resolute stare gave a nod.

"We'll leave at 2300 hours." Cloud stated. "Let's rest up until then."

Ragnar nodded back, and then both turned and began to leave the tent.

Aerith watched Tifa frown as she saw both men just up and leave. She opened her mouth to protest to them for not even saying "thank you", but it was too late. Both of them were moving with a purpose now. And in the crowded tent, calling out to them wouldn't be heard. Soon they pushed through a few people blocking the way, and were leaving the tent flap in the rear.

Aerith supposed she should have been upset too. After all…she was leaving with them. She hoped they understood that by now. If they didn't, she didn't want to have to argue when it was time. Of course…the crawling through that several mile-long pipe didn't appeal to her either. Maybe she should leave now…

Tifa frowned a moment longer, but then sighed and turned back to Vincent. "Sorry. Since you've been gone, we've had a lot of you-know-who on the brain."

"It's not a problem." Vincent answered, genuinely sounding unoffended.

"Thanks a lot, Vincent. Stay still and rest up. I think we can handle this battle by ourselves."

Giving a bit of a smile, Tifa rose after finishing this, and then turned to run after the men…no doubt to give them a bit of a tongue lashing for just walking out on an injured man. That left Aerith kneeling at Vincent's bedside. Both of them looked after Tifa as she too vanished into the crowd and then out the tent. They thought they could faintly hear her begin to yell at Cloud and Ragnar, but that sound vanished soon as well. Aerith stared a bit longer before slowly exhaling. Nervousness began to settle in on her too. She still had no idea what she was supposed to do when she arrived at the Dome. She wished she had a bit more to go on other than hope…

"…If you leave now, I'll tell them that you went back to your tent if they ask for you."

Aerith turned back to Vincent on hearing him say this, her face turning to puzzlement. Vincent, on his part, calmly looked back without alarm or change in expression. The Cetra was confused.

"How…how did…?"

"I can read expressions very easily. And I can read reactions as well." Vincent simply answered. "I saw how you responded when I talked about Krystea. She's your sister and she risked her life for you. I expect you'll be doing the same."

Aerith paused for a moment after hearing this. After that, she inhaled slightly and exhaled, bowing her head a bit as she did so.

"…I know the truth now, Vincent. I know she can't be-"

"It didn't matter that Kadaj wasn't your son."

Aerith turned her head back up at this, and once more stared at Vincent in surprise.

"I'm sure this doesn't matter now."

The woman stared curiously on at Vincent for a moment longer. He silently stared back. While she might have been "easy to read", this man was impossible. She couldn't tell what was going on inside his head. However, in light of what he was saying…she had a feeling that something very different was going on. Ever since he had met Krystea he had been different. He had known all along that Krystea had no relation to him…and yet something in him changed when they met. He seemed to suddenly understand much more about how Aerith…how all of them…thought and responded to other people. And he didn't seem as cold and uncaring about such things as he used to be either…

Aerith's curiosity slowly faded…and something of a smile almost appeared on her face as she stared on at him.

"…You said if we ever met again, you'd tell me why."

Vincent stared back without a word.

She wasn't sure if she saw this or if was just some illusion, but almost what appeared to be the faint edges of a smile spread across his face from under his collar.

"…Ask me again tomorrow, if either of us are still here."

16 Hours Until The Firing Of The Gauntlet Of Zeus

I blame this debacle entirely on you, General.

This never would have happened if I was there.

Ashiah thought this, and let the thought continue to incense her and fuel her inner rage, as she walked down the metal hallway. It was abandoned. Where normally there would have been officers and troop patrols moving through it constantly, it was now void of life. The normally white lights had been replaced with red ones, asserting that the New Shinra HQ Dome was now on full red alert. That meant that an attack was either underway or imminent. In this case, it was the latter. Yet that was more than enough on its own to fill the Dome with fear and growing panic, and to irritate the Admiral.

She was still in full uniform and looking proper, but her face was tight and stained with sweat from the angry fit she had thrown hours ago…when she had cursed her traitorous crew and the incompetent general. In her mind, the only reason the NSA had truly lost was because they had been trying to surrender the entire time. They had purposely given up the fight to the WGN. They were traitors, and if she had her way would have them executed. And because of them, the rest of the continent was falling. The enemy was now at their doorstep. All of their lines of defense, fortified and reinforced for years, were now broken. The enemy was going through as if they didn't even exist.

More traitors had to be at work. After all, how else could they break through so quickly? It had to be espionage. The whole continent was overflowing with spies. She didn't know who to trust anymore, other than herself and her intuition.

If she had been there, she would have made the Juggernaut fight to the death. All she needed was that flagship. With it, she could have destroyed every ship in their fleet. Nothing could touch it. It was invincible with her in command. She didn't buy for a moment that the enemy had found a way to damage it. That was impossible. She had taken it into battle time and time again, and didn't have a scratch anywhere on it. It had to be internal explosives. Naturally, the enemy knew there would be no way to ever verify that, as they had taken the area and kept the wreckage from ever being probed or investigated. Yet she firmly believed only an internal enemy could have sank that ship. That was why they had wanted to get rid of her…so that they could destroy her beloved ship and she couldn't stop them. They had all been planning to get her out of the way the moment the enemy was about to come…so that they could hand the invincible Juggernaut over to them.

Leers was a fool. She was convinced now that he thought nothing of her or her power. She would have kept them in line. Her strength of will and command would have terrorized the rebellion out of the most dubious ensign. They would still have most of the continent if he hadn't misjudged how great she was…how what a shining, stalwart persona she was in battle. The more she thought on this…the more she believed it. The more she believed that the sole reason for their current dilemma was as a result of Leers' poor judgment in removing her from battle. She was the difference between victory and defeat. She had always been. People had always called her away whenever they lost. Undermining imps…trying to stop her at every turn…surrounding her… If they weren't working for her destruction, she could have led this whole army to victory long ago.

And the more important she believed herself to be…the more importance she placed on herself.

I've carried this army and navy on my shoulders for months. I'm the most powerful person within it…the one with the greatest ability to lead and command. It's practically my army. It should be my army. What has Leers ever done? Haven't I fought all his battles? Gained all his real victories? Protected his shores? He's nothing. I'm the true will and spirit to win. I am the true commander-in-chief.

Ashiah had thought on this for a long time…and now she intended to give it to the General. She was the single most valuable person in this military. It was time she started to receive the consequent responsibilities. It was time Leers moved over for someone who could get them out of this hole he had placed them in.

Yet although Ashiah had much to be angry about…and although the thought of the overconfident, ramshackle PPA snickering like hyenas just a ways to the south at their own "cleverness" and "power" filled her with a desire to spill their blood herself…she kept a smile. Every time she saw those people cackling in delight, reveling over what they had done, congratulating themselves on making fools out of the NSA…she thought of the flesh searing off of their bones. She thought of them learning that their families were ash and dust now. She thought of them burning alive and screaming for mercy…

Come as far as you want, you little wretches. The Gauntlet of Zeus will kill you all.

Nothing changes the fact you have less than a day to live.

The woman at last arrived at her destination. She had come to the end of the hall, and the large double doors leading into Leers' office loomed in front of her. As she neared them and came to a halt, they stayed shut. It figured. He had locked himself up in his room when his army needed him to lead them to victory. This army did need her badly. At any rate, it made little difference to her. As one of the high officers in the New Shinra, she could override this. She dipped into her pocket for a small device, and then brought it out and aimed it at the door. She pressed a button on it, and the large sliding doors obliged her by parting.

As the interior was revealed, the woman needed to pause to have her eyes adjust. It was dark in there. The warning lights weren't on. Only one light was lit at the moment, and that was over at the main desk. There, moving in the small amount of light it produced, was General Leers.

He didn't seem to notice her at first. He was too wrapped up in his work. He was pulling files out of his desk and putting them in an open briefcase. That wasn't all. He was in full military dress…for outdoor weather. His hat was already on his head and his coat was on his shoulders. He moved like a man in a hurry…a hurry to get out of the room.

Ashiah's eyes narrowed on seeing this.

Leers noticed that the door was open a moment later, and he turned up and looked to it. His appearance was hard and stern as it had always been. Expressionlessly, he locked eyes with Ashiah. Despite her own ferocity and passion, he was cold and formidable himself, and didn't break down in the wake of it.

"What do you think you're doing in here, Admiral?" He asked. It wasn't loud. Rather…it was in a low, dangerous tone…as if he was suppressing a large amount of anger at seeing her here. "When my door is shut, that means keep out. Didn't they teach you that in ROTC?"

The woman wasn't miffed. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes again.

"I'd like to know what exactly I'm looking at, General." She answered in her own dangerous voice.

Leers' jaw tightened. He threw one last file into his briefcase, not turning away from Ashiah for a moment, and then slammed it shut and began to fasten it. "Your position is not to question me or my decisions. You are still my inferior officer. You will obey me. Turn around and return to your chambers."

"I'd like my question answered first." Ashiah retorted immediately.

Leers had been beginning to move out from behind his desk, taking up the briefcase as he did so. But on hearing this, he stopped again. He glared at Ashiah even more hatefully than before, with more anger growing in him. However, he released his briefcase and returned his hands to his sides.

"…It's over."

Ashiah turned her head slightly.

Within her…a fire was ignited.

"…I beg your pardon?"

"Don't be an idiot, Ashiah." Leers answered, dropping the formal title. "It's done. After two and a half years, it's done. It should have been over long before then."

Ashiah's lips curled into a sneer.

"…You're going to surrender to them, aren't you?"

"I'm going to save what's left of my army, and, if you're lucky, your head and mine from being cut off!" Leers yelled back, losing his temper. "Use your brain for once, Admiral! Your precious navy is gone! The Defense Grid is in pieces! We've lost half of the army in two days! They're on our doorstep!"

Ashiah's look didn't change.

The fire in her burned stronger.

"I always knew you'd be a coward in the end." She sneered under her breath, just loud enough for Leers to hear in the silence.

"You're a stubborn fool." Leers retorted. "And you're an arrogant little bitch too. Accept it, Admiral. I have. It took me the better part of today to do it, but I did. He beat us. The little escaped con we thought so little of beat us. We gambled on power and money, and he gambled on peoples' innate hatred for Shinra. He won out. The world doesn't want us."

"What do we care what the world wants?" Ashiah nearly yelled back. "We're in control here! We're the ones with the power and the technology! We didn't care what the world wanted three years ago! All we wanted was to make this world come under one nation! We wanted everything to be ours!"

Leers paused a moment here, but it was only to calm slightly. His anger faded a bit, and his tone dipped down slightly. But he continued as resolute as before.

"It was a stupid dream to begin with."

Ashiah's eyes opened wide as if she had been slapped in the face.

The fire within her surged.

"I'm seeing that now for the first time in five years." Leers continued. "My ideals got out of control. I maintained position in Icicle Inn because I was awaiting Midgar to put itself back together and give us orders. When Midgar was destroyed, I held on because I thought that the leaders would come and help us relocate to the capitol. When the leaders were gone, I tried to maintain command so that the Shinra Company would still have order. And when Shinra's factories and reactors were raided by the very citizens that once purchased from them, I tried to keep this army going so that something of Shinra would remain. I was going to take back what was the Shinra's. Nothing more. But I blew it up more. I wanted to make a nation out of it. I wanted to take the chance to make Shinra a real country…a chance to have real order and advancement for this world.

"But I've been trying to bring a ghost back from the dead. We all have. Shinra died five years ago and no one told us until today. All we're fighting for now is ourselves. We're just some other hostile force out there. No one is looking to us for help or guidance anymore. They just want to destroy us. I've been keeping the hopes of thousands of people alive for five years that they'd one day go back to lives that were better than the ones they had right now. But I don't have the power to give them that life and neither does anyone else. I've been making them perform CPR on a skeleton. It's time to end this and try and reclaim what of our lives we still can."

Ashiah's hands began to ball into fists. Her own jaw was tightening. She held her anger for now, but it was still growing within her. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. What sort of man had she been following all these months? After everything they had done…how far they had come…he was just throwing it all away. Things had gotten tough, and now he didn't have the spine to get through it. He was feeding her this sanctimonious crap because he didn't have any will power left to carry them through to victory. The world was going to be theirs in less than one day, and he was backing down.

"Did you forget what we still have?" She finally stated, the anger in her voice becoming apparent. "In less than a day, this war will be over. The Gauntlet of Zeus can annihilate both of their home cities in less than an hour."

"That won't save us and it won't end this siege." Leers answered.

"I disagree." Ashiah answered. "I think that striking at their homelands and families would be the perfect thing to weaken their fighting spirits. Why would they bother fighting us if they have nothing left to fight for? Once they're full of despair we can go back out and crush them."

Leers' eyes merely narrowed.

"And what if that only makes them angry? What if that makes them more determined to destroy us than ever?"

"Then we stomp them flat!" Ashiah suddenly cried back…with such force that even stone-faced Leers pulled back slightly in surprise. "We'll blow them away with the Gauntlet too! You've been letting these country civilian idiots make a fool of you for three years! Punish them! Make them afraid to ever lift a hand against you again! Do it if you have any courage or command ability in you!"

Leers stayed pulled back for a slight moment…but then recovered and stayed as bold as before.

"You want me to fire on this army. Have you forgotten that at this point we could blow ourselves away? That we're going to lose at least half of the territory we have left? That we'll kill thousands of our own troops?"

"Damnit, you stupid fool!" Ashiah lashed back, answering Leers' calmness with rage. "They're casualties of war! What does it matter if we lose a fourth, a half, or even ninety percent of this damn army so long as we win!"

Leers glared hard back at Ashiah, his face not changing. However…his eyes now seemed to probe her. They moved over her now-enraged face, tight and furious. They saw her fume and sweat, and glare out with nothing but murderous intent in her eyes. And when they did…he at last saw the full truth.

"…You're insane."

Ashiah didn't change.

"I should have had you committed years ago. I should have believed your first officer when you brought up those mutiny charges. You don't care about this army or navy or the New Shinra. All you want is revenge on them. You just want to satiate your own bloodlust. And you don't care how many of them, how many of us, or how many people who have nothing to do with it die."

No change.

"Well, you listen here you psychotic bitch. This is the last order I'm ever giving you. You will stand down right now. You are hereby stripped of your rank and command. I'm walking out of this office. I'm going to contact their army. I'm going to try and put an end to this madness before anyone else has to die. And, so help me, if you are still standing in my way within the next five seconds, I'm going-"

BLAM

Although the special handguns with acid rounds had been originally designed for Leers' use, some of the higher commanders and officers had some licensed for them. Ashiah had been one of them. Naturally, she carried her sidearm with her at all times, seeing as she constantly expected to be stabbed in the back by a traitor. She had practiced drawing and firing her weapon numerous times before today, in case she ever had to use it against someone. And she was quite good at it.

Hence, even if the round hadn't had acid in it, it would have immediately killed Leers anyway due to breaking right through his forehead and out the back of his skull in less than a hundredth of a second.

Leaving only a plume of foul smelling smoke, the general went limp and collapsed to the ground. The briefcase clattered after him with a rather loud noise. Ashiah, on her part, replaced her gun at her waist and then walked forward. She stepped carefully around the dead body of her superior officer before making her way to his desk. After turning the chair around, she sat down in it and pulled herself up. She then reached over and pressed a button, commanding the front doors to slide shut again.

I knew you were a jellyfish, Leers. But I never thought that the next traitor I had to execute was you. Nevertheless…it felt rather good to kill you. And it was necessary. You had lost sight of our goal and you were going to doom us all to destruction and defeat. I couldn't let you do that to us after how much blood and sweat we shed for you. I can't let us give up now when we've come so far, and we're so close to victory. A pity that you couldn't see that we were about to win…but I suppose you gave in to despair long ago. You called me crazy…but only a crazy man would give up right when we're about to destroy every last one of them.

I've finally taken the position I should have had years ago. I'll lead us to victory where you couldn't.

Wherever you are, boy…I will live to see you burn.

13 Hours Until The Firing Of The Gauntlet Of Zeus

One hour before it was time for the Planet Protector Army to launch its final invasion…two lone warriors made their way north.

Although the area had been trampled by thousands of footsteps earlier, it was so cold this far north that all snow was powder. Normally it would have melded together by this time of year, but due to the unnatural chill it retained its fine texture. As a result, the tracks had been blown smooth, and the area looked unbroken and perfect. So naturally, neither warrior noticed that a newer, single set of footprints had been in the snow hours earlier. Both of them, in fact, were somewhat optimistic, thinking that the owner of the set of tracks was back in the camp, safe and sound, having had a last minute change of heart.

They continuously looked north as they came, looking to the growing storm on the horizon. Although they could not see the New Shinra HQ Dome from here, they could see that the sky was growing more violent. It was anticipating what was coming. A battle far greater than any other that had been waged in this war was nearing. Both men knew it. Yet they steeled themselves and kept going.

At last, the two came to a stop. From a distance, it looked as if they had randomly halted in the middle of the white wasteland. Yet such was not the case. One of them bent down, seized something, and then gave a pull. In response, a portion of the white landscape shifted, and a few inches of snow powder fell off of it as it was pulled up. It was a white tarp. And as soon as it was out of the way, a small hole with a rather crude, jagged edge was revealed. The edge was made of metal, and the hole opened into blackness. However, neither warrior was afraid of that.

Both stopped only to look up to the storm again.

After both took a deep breath, they jumped in.

It had not been easy for Denzel and Marlene to come this far. The distance, they soon found out, was too great for them, and it was too cold for them as well. They had only gotten through half of New Junon before they had to take a rest and tried to find shelter. However, at that point, luck, or perhaps fate, intervened for them. Several of the divisions of the invading PPA were ordered to act as liberators in case they found any work camps. One of the units happened to come across the two children. As the army was too large for any one soldier to recognize the children of any major officer, it was assumed that the only reason two children were there was because their families were prisoners, and that they had escaped during the invasion and were hiding out. Neither Denzel nor Marlene challenged this assumption.

The military issue coats and hats that the two had been given were hardly their size, but they were welcome anyway. Both children had hidden their clothing in their towels when they broke out of Reeve's apartment, but they couldn't fit their own coats in without making the towels bulge too much. The ride on board the truck was welcome too. They never would have been able to walk that far north. Although the back of the truck was only canvas covering a flatbed, it still got some of the heat from the front. The food they were given was also helpful, although it was only basic rations. It was a bit unsettling to the children that they would have to "ditch" their rescuers at the first available opportunity after all they did for them, but there was nothing for it. So they let them take them as far as they could.

As it was, all divisions, including theirs, were working their way north. In time, the refugees and freed prisoners would be moved back south, but given the speed of the operation they were moving with the army in order to stay safe. It took a few hours, and the children had hunkered down more than once as they heard explosions and fighting far in the distance, but they finally made it to the camp. Once there, as the truck driver was checking in, they finally leapt out the back and ran for it. They were spotted, and someone tried to yell out to them to stop them, but with all of the people crammed into such a small space, it was easy for two smaller people to get through and vanish into the multitude.

No doubt, they caused quite a few stares at first. But seeing a pair of children wearing PPA clothing was only mildly intriguing. Many assumed that they were children who had been freed, and were now running around the camp. They were deemed only a nuisance at worst, but most didn't have the heart to try and scold children who may not have parents anymore from having a bit of fun. At any rate, Denzel didn't let them stay out long. They ran back to where they had stayed well-hidden before: the supply drops. They stayed there for a short time to plan their next move. It wasn't easy. It was even colder now, and though the coats were large enough for them to put over their legs it was freezing.

The first thing they wanted to do was to find the adults in their lives, even if they didn't wish to be seen at this time. They had no idea where their tents might be, however. Luckily, Marlene had guessed, and guessed correctly, that Aerith would be helping the wounded in the tent where they brought hurt people. That part was easy to find. It was large, and more people were being carried into it all the time. Again, either by some act of luck or fate, they arrived just moments after Cloud, Tifa, and Ragnar did. Ragnar looked to their direction as he entered the tent, and they had barely ducked out of sight in time, but after pausing a moment he went in anyway. Neither child knew that Ragnar's keen senses easily heard their familiar footsteps, and he caught a whiff of their scent as he walked by. Yet the youth's detection was muddled by the multitude around him, and he had assumed it was nothing.

The two soon found a space on the outer canvas from which they could listen in on their friends and family. Apparently, Vincent was here, something that made Marlene rather happy. Of more interest to Denzel, however, was hearing about how to get into the Dome, and when Cloud and Ragnar were leaving for it. Both of them broke off when they heard Cloud, Tifa, and Ragnar leave…and so neither caught the last part of the conversation between Aerith and Vincent.

After this, the two children made their way to a mess tent, where they were once again allowed to come in, get warm, and be fed. They stayed there a few hours, letting time tick by, and watching as the soldiers gradually went from relaxing to start prepping for action again. Then, as 2300 hours neared, they broke off again. Now they headed for the north end of the camp.

Once they got there, they soon saw Cloud and Ragnar come by. They watched from a distance, letting them move rather far before considering following. Luckily, the landscape was broad and flat, and it was easy to see them even from a half mile away. Getting out and following was harder. There were guards posted to make sure nothing entered the camp, but they could just as easily make sure nothing left too. For a few minutes, they were stuck.

Then a minor calamity occurred. Although the PPA had brought generators with them, they hadn't counted on the cold being so severe. Moreover, they realized that something else was happening the further north they went. The generators seemed to be running weaker…slower. At first they attributed this to weather, but then they noticed that the generators that the New Shinra left behind were the same way. It was taking twice as much power as they anticipated to keep their equipment running. Even then, the system was desperately strained. The straw that broke the camel's back, however, was when Maritza plugged her large, hidden machine into a power source to charge it. One of the generators immediately broke down, and a mixture of chaos at the loss of power and anger at the lieutenant's machines caused an uproar in the camp.

The sky was still completely dark. Hence, the only way the guards could see out into the night was to have some floodlights placed. Those now went dead, blinding them. The soldiers stationed began to panic. They thought the enemy was attacking them in the same way they had been attacked before. Some of them broke back and struggled to get the power back on themselves. Others began to move out in the field with their flashlights drawn, struggling to see if anyone was moving out there. Miraculously, no friendly fire occurred. Part of that was due to the PPA knowing how badly the NSA had damaged itself doing that earlier and being careful. However…in the darkness and confusion, no one noticed how two children managed to slip past the barricade and out into the night.

By the time the soldiers pulled back and turned the lights on, the children were just two small shapes vanishing into the horizon. Some of the guards were suspicious, but based on their size they reasoned that they had to be some sort of animal or monster that was fleeing in the wake of the lights coming back on. The children were free to keep going north. Here, they weren't guarded from the icy winds, and they were strong enough to blow them back as well as cut through their clothing. Yet they pushed on. It took quite a while, and to them it seemed like half of the night…but at last they arrived at their destination. Half-covered with new blown snow already, a hole opened in front of them. It led down into darkness.

Both kids were a bit scared now. They had no powers like Aerith or Ragnar, but even they could sense that something was down that hole that wasn't nice. The cold air seemed to grow a bit older and foul just from standing downwind of the opening, and the blackness within it was so dark it stood out from the rest of the night. But Denzel was brave and determined, and Marlene would not abandon them.

One after the other, the two children entered into the opening as the three people had before them.

Two more players in the next cosmic game for the future of Gaia had arrived.

To be continued...