12 Hours Until The Firing Of The Gauntlet Of Zeus

At least you gave me something to go on this time...

And this is the final time I'll have to do this.

Red XIII couldn't really blame Cloud and Ragnar this time around. They had given him plenty of advance warning. He had known for weeks what they had planned to do once they came this far. They had stayed with them as long as they could, and had helped them break the enemy defenses multiple times. He had given him some instruction to work with too. He hadn't thought of everything, but he couldn't plan that far in advance. And they would be fighting a much more difficult and important battle very soon.

Yet that didn't change the fact that the final battle was going to once again be under his discretion.

Well...this is what I get for agreeing to be head tactician.

The time had come.

The injured had been put up as best as they could be, and the medical officers were set up as best as they could be. Camp was established and the army had their rest period. Now, it was time to move forward again. Already most of the divisions had reassembled. The artillery was being dragged to the front. The trucks were loaded down with equipment and munitions, and had been refueled and tuned up. The army was in better shape and organization now than it had been when they had first taken this area hours ago. They were prepared to begin the final move. Only one final series of steps had to be carried out.

Red XIII was a desert beast, not one from the north or mountains. As such, he didn't like the cold any better than anyone else. Yet he forced himself to stand at the head of the army at the moment, way in the front just within the barricade. Behind him, the rest of the army was gathering. Around him, the rest of the higher officers were coming around. That included which of his friends were still there. The thought of that made him feel grim. Already...he wasn't going to be seeing one of his friends ever again gathering around him. Before the day was over, there was no telling how many more would be gone. He hadn't really thought of this before now. Well...he hadn't expected it before now. He and his friends had been through so much already and had come back safe and sound. He even began to think after all the otherworldy things they had been through that they might even be immune to some of this. But now...Cid was gone. And what was even worse for him personally was that he hadn't died entirely due to the enemy. He had died in part because he was sick. That reminded the beast that he was far more long-lived than any of his friends. He would be around long after they were all dead, even if they did all survive today. Death was an inevitability that they would all be faced with some day. And now...that possibility was far closer in light of what had happened and what would happen.

The others didn't look much more enthusiastic. He didn't expect them to be. They were all doing as Ragnar had suggested...putting it out of their heads for now. They tried to think of Vincent being back, something that was good although he was badly injured himself. Yet the thought of more of their friends going into mortal peril didn't help. Barret had his normal gruff expression on, ready to attack and thinking only of the fight that was coming. Tifa was controlling herself and trying to relieve her tension with some of her own martial techniques. Yuffie was trying to look as perky and battle-ready as she normally could be, though it was obvious that it was a bit more exaggerated than normal.

There were other higher officers gathered around, and they looked far more upbeat and ready. They were nervous, but they were channeling it into their excitement to end the battle and the war. Among them, however, was Lieutenant Martiza. Despite her own lower rank, she was of critical importance to this attack. As a result, despite Red XIII's own chagrin to her physical presence, he had to deal with her own eager, enthusiastic demeanor. She was the only one who seemed outrightly happy and even joyful about the coming attack, despite how violent it would be for both sides. Yet Ragnar had said she had to be part of this, and there was no way around it.

The beast took one last look at the time, and then back up to the other officers surrounding him.

"Let's get started. The main bulk of our army is going to deploy about one quarter mile south of the Dome. This is where our artillery will be stationed and dug in. Our first movement will be to bring the artillery in as close as possible to this point and to target the Dome as soon as possible. If there is a preemptive strike, it will be up to the heavy gunners under command of Commander Barret to keep them protected until they can get into position. Most of the infantry will also be at this point.

"Two separate divisions, one under Commander Tifa and one under Commander Yuffie, of special forces will deploy farther out to the west and east. Once in position, they will hold back until called for. The main bulk will hold position and defend the area. Based on what the New Shinra Army has left to them, they will likely keep most of their forces within the Dome and rely on the artillery and the shields to hold us off. Once we have our guns in position and the enemy assumes we are at a point of siege-"

"That's where I come in!"

Red XIII frowned and closed his eyes in frustration for a moment as the others turned and looked at Maritza, who had interrupted with another joyful outburst. She was smiling and hopping up and down now, waving her hand in glee. No one bothered looking upset with her this time. They simply turned back to the beast a moment later, who opened his eyes, sighed, and then continued.

"...Lieutenant Maritza will disable the shields, at which point we will fire off all artillery at the Dome. The opening salvo should disable most of their own artillery permenantly. If we are fortunate, the knowledge that they have no further defenses open to them will make them surrender. If not, then we will continue to attack the Dome with artillery until they bring out the main bulk of their force. At that time, the two special divisions will move in on a flanking maneuver and surround the enemy from the backside. Once that happens, and the remaining army is defeated, the enemy will be given another opportunity to surrender. If it doesn't, we will push with a full invasion into the Dome itself. Is everyone clear?"

The group of officers gave nods in response.

"Then let's move out. As soon as we're in position, we'll begin."

11 Hours And 50 Minutes Until The Firing Of The Gauntlet Of Zeus

With a smile, Maritza opened the door to the semi-truck, twisted her body inside, and then shut it again behind her. She calmly buckled her seatbelt and then placed her arms across her lap. With that, she looked up and outside the front window to the area of the camp and the army assembling to move out. She patted the dashboard once.

"Alright Jeeves...step on it."

In response, Reno, in the driver's seat, turned and gave her a rather cold look. However, he wasn't doing as bad as his partners. They were holed up in the back, crouching on the end of the semi-truck between the cab and the canvas-covered device. They had to hold out through the cold. Reno himself was at least in with the heater. And so, he didn't complain but instead began to shift the truck in gear.

"How exactly are we supposed to get in there ahead of the rest of the army?" He asked as he began to put his foot on the gas. "Especially if we're wasting time with this thing?"

"Oh, we've got plenty of time." Maritza answered simply. "This won't take any time at all. Besides, we've got to wait a bit longer for our little friends to get ahead."

9 Hours And 8 Minutes Until The Firing Of The Gauntlet Of Zeus

"Come on kid. We're almost there. I don't want him to have a chance to separate us again."

Ragnar understood that. And it was wise thinking too. However...he had to stop again. As far as he was able, he turned his head around and aimed it back down the long tunnel he and Cloud had passed through. Once again, he focused all of his mental faculties and senses behind him, trying to sense something being there.

For three hours, the two men had been making their way down the long conduit that Vincent had directed them to. It was easy enough to find. Although the tarp had effectively rendered it invisible to basic color vision, even one as sharp as Ragnar's, there was a lot of heat coming from it as well. It stuck out like a sore thumb for that ability. No doubt, the cable that ran underneath the snow put out a tremendous amount of heat. Even if it had been shut down, it had to have been working overtime to try and compensate for the power sources they knocked out. Sure enough, on entering the pipe, his heat vision saw burning red lines stretching north and south. Luckily they had lots of insulation on them, or he and Cloud would have had a hot foot trying to get through there. As it was, it was a rather warm trip.

Vincent hadn't been kidding about the size dimensions. This pipe clearly wasn't intended for human usage. Even with added power, Ragnar's knees were killing him long before they were done. However, in terms of speed, getting on his knees was far better than the long stretches where he and Cloud had to get on their bellies and sprawl their way through. It was a claustrophobic's nightmare. Alone it might not have been too terrible, but both men were bearing their large swords. Ragnar himself was bringing along a long bundle that had been if they had encountered Aerith. He figured that if she was coming, she had better receive this present. However, they hadn't encountered her yet. And it was a good thing too. If she had left with them, there was no way she would have been able to cross this pipe in just three hours.

Yet neither the pipe nor the coming battle were on Ragnar's mind at the moment.

He kept having the sensation that they weren't alone in this conduit. Something was following them.

Ragnar's heat vision did little good. It lacked the resolution of his sharper color vision, and as such the hot power lines acted as "heat pollution" to be able to see anything else from farther away that wasn't as warm as it. As for his color vision, that was little better. He could see a good two miles behind him, but after that he saw nothing. If there had been only the dimmest light possible, he could have more than doubled his range. But this pipe was not only dark...it seemed unnaturally dark. Just like the rest of the world, everything was getting dimmer and deader the closer they got to Sephiroth and Aleron. Bahamut's half told him that it was as if the photons themselves were being stripped out of the air.

That left hearing and scent. And unlike the visual senses, this pipe essentially acted as a magnifier for these abilities. As far as hearing was concerned, they were up to the point where the machinations of the Dome itself were beginning to bleed in. Yet he was still able to detect a very faint sound a few miles down the conduit. It sounded like movement. As to what it was, there were several options. Rats wouldn't have any trouble using this conduit...although he had seen none and hadn't smelled their scent. There were still some wild monsters on the Northern Continent, including ones that could sense heat like him. Seeing the open pipe would have provided a warm place to hunker down for the night. On a similar note, a stranded New Shinra or Planet Protector Army troop could have sought shelter in the pipe. In the former case, they might have figured that it provided a way back to the Dome, and were moving down it. That would explain the noise. Yet in any case, the sound wasn't that worthy of concern. The entrance to the pipe was near where they were camped, and by now they would have moved out and past it. No enemy could now gain entrance, and if they could then they wouldn't be a problem. If it was an ally, then it was equally irrelevant. It wasn't anyone like Sephiroth or Aleron. They wouldn't have made enough noise.

Ragnar decided to implement his scent next. It would have been easier if whatever was coming was going, and would have already left a trail that he would currently be perched on. Smelling something from over two miles away, as the entity had to be, was a bit more of a challenge. As he got a whiff, he managed to sense that it was human, which immediately eliminated the monster or rat theories. On further scent, he picked up the odors of PPA fabrics and uniforms. That meant that it was an ally, and he could probably safely dismiss it there. At the worst, it would be Aerith. She might have tried to follow them. However, based on how long it took them, they would most likely have found and defeated Sephiroth before she even got here.

However...he couldn't shake the feeling that some of it smelled a bit familiar...

"Kid, come on!"

Ragnar snapped out of his thoughts. He stopped concentrating, and the scent vanished. He thought he might focus on it a bit more. The memory had almost come through. However, he didn't want to waste anymore time. It wasn't hostile, so he might as well keep going. He had bigger concerns to worry about. With that in mind, he turned back to the front of the pipe and kept crawling.

Most of the way, Ragnar had only seen the tunnel extending ahead as Cloud had led the way, seeing occasional glimpses of the path as he moved. There was nothing to see but more darkness extending forward during that period. Yet recently, he had begun to finally see a dim light at the end of the conduit. As he got closer, he made out more detail. Some sort of basic grating was ahead, allowing a small bit of light to shine down. The light was not natural, but rather had that pale look of the industrial illumination that Ragnar remembered all too well from their last failed operation. The sounds of large pistons and steam movement became louder as well as they neared, and the scent of mako waste began to enter his nostrils. All of these things began to stir up his memories...both his as well as Bahamut's. Once again, he was wandering into the lair of the lion.

The two men crawled forward a bit more. Luckily, this part of the conduit was opening up. Apparently some maintenance was supposed to take place here. In addition to widening enough for a man to stand in here, the grating up ahead was over a metal rung series that extended down into the darkness. Cloud reached this first, and immediately grabbed on and began to ascend. He only had to go one step before his head was at the grate. He reached up and pushed, testing it at first to see if it was loose. He soon found out it was, and pushed the rest of the way. Ragnar was a bit puzzled by this. He thought they'd at least have some lock on it. They had to realize where it was, and where it would lead. At any rate, he soon followed up behind. Once the grating was gone, Cloud went up to the top and went over the edge. Ragnar grabbed on himself a moment later and began to climb as well.

As he began to ascend, he looked up and out to his surroundings. It wasn't much different from last time. The same machinery-filled chambers flooded the inside of the Dome, and the same dim industrial lights were on. They weren't to the sub-levels yet, so it didn't have the same black surroundings as the areas where he had fought Sephiroth. Even so, it felt unusually dead and stale in here. He wasn't sure if this was from the reactor itself sucking the life out of the area or something else. One thing he did notice that was unusual, however, was that Cloud seemed to have come to a stop, noticing something that made him halt. Ragnar paused for a fraction of a second before climbing up the rest of the way. He passed over the edge and put his body out onto the metal plate floor beyond. After that, he quickly brought his legs up underneath him and stood as he turned to see what Cloud was staring at.

He slowed down a bit as he finished standing. Seated on a horizontal thick pipe, looking at them calmly, was Aerith.

Both men took a moment to get their breath and looked at her. She looked simply back, not saying anything for a few moments. Her winter clothing had been discarded to the side. Princess Guard was balanced across her waist. The sounds of the Dome chugged on in the background. At last, she broke the silence.

"I needed to leave early to get here before you." She finally admitted.

"I almost thought you had reconsidered." Cloud answered.

Aerith shook her head in response. "I told you. I have to do this."

Ragnar paused a moment, beginning to look disapproving but not bothering arguing.

"...Do you know what to do just yet?"

"No." Aerith readily admitted. "But I have to be here. It's important."

Ragnar didn't respond. He only felt more uncomfortable again. He hoped that by now, Aerith would know something. He truly didn't want her to be here right now. And having her here without even knowing what she was supposed to be doing here only made him more uneasy. He gave a look to Cloud, and saw that despite his cold and emotionless self he was much the same. However, he knew that Cloud had realized the same thing that he had. Aerith was a lot safer with them knowing where she was than running around who knew where. As a result, neither of them said anything. The three were silent for a few more moments, but once the Cetra realized that there would be no more debate, she began to rise to accompany them. She took Princess Guard off of her waist and began to set it up next to her to help prop her body.

"Wait." Ragnar answered.

Aerith had just stood up, but on hearing this she stopped and looked to her husband.

Ragnar responded by bringing up the long bundle. Once he twisted it around, he adjusted it into such a way as if he was presenting it in front of him. He reached out and took the edge of the cloth afterward, and then pulled. The whole sheet immediately came off and revealed what was beneath. Cloud and Aerith were both surprised at what it was.

It was a staff. It wasn't as detailed or fancy-looking as Princess Guard, but it did have its own splendor and majesty. It was long and simple in form. The ends were rounded rather than cut off. However, it didn't appear to be made out of wood. It appeared to be made out a single piece of beaten gold. It had some runes and designs embedded on it...but most of all, it had a long set of words in a strange language. Yet one who had looked closely enough at Ragnarok would know that the words were identical to the ones on the sword. And just like Ragnarok, it gleamed with a shining luster...so much so that it seemed to be like fire. And that fire shone out brilliantly, even within the dimness of the Dome.

"That looks like..." Cloud began to say.

"I call it the Sun Ray." Ragnar cut off. "Bahamut was never a master smith, but he had learned something about it from Leviathan. I took one of the 'tongues of flame' from Ragnarok and melded it onto your original staff. It was easy. The blade changed shape to match what I wanted."

To confirm this, Aerith and Cloud both attempted to look behind Ragnar and at his sword. However, Ragnar kept his weapon in a scabbard, not just a holder like Cloud. They looked back to him. Ragnar responded by holding it out more toward Aerith.

"...I didn't really know if doing this would make a difference. But I saw Aleron's blade that night, and I don't know if Princess Guard will hold up to it or the Masamune. Also...Ragnarok helps me to channel my own abilities. I don't know if the same will work for this, because Bahamut said something about me being the right one to wield Ragnarok, but I wanted to give it a try."

Aerith hestated a moment, looking back up to Ragnar and back down to the weapon somewhat uncertainly. She eventually reached out a hand to it. Cloud stiffened here, almost telling Ragnar not to let her touch it. He remembered that the metal of Ragnarok burned anyone else who tried to touch it who wasn't Ragnar. But then again...the shards had been cool the day he carried Ragnar out of the Dome. He wasn't sure if that was the sword letting him do it, or if at the time it had just been out of power... Yet whatever he thought didn't seem to matter. Aerith extended two fingers and placed them on the staff. She held them there without reaction or pain.

Seeing this, the woman extended her hand a bit more and wrapped her hand around the main staff. A second later, she pulled it up and off of Ragnar's grip. Once she did so, she stood back and shifted her other hand to it. While looking at the weapon, she gave a few practice swings. Just like Ragnarok, the staff seemed to cut a few flaming arcs in the air. Ragnar was, to be honest, pleasantly surprised. He had barely found time to make this in between practicing with Cloud and organizing the invasion. But now that he had it, he had wondered if it would even work. However, he reasoned that Ragnarok worked for him because of his Cetra ancestry. The same might work for Aerith. And strong as his sword was, the piece he removed to make the Sun Ray had come off easily in his hand. The words and design hadn't actually been his either. They had formed themselves when he was finished enclosing the original staff.

Aerith finally lowered the weapon to her side and turned back to Ragnar. "It's good." She told him with a bit of a smile. "It feels hard, like metal...but it almost seems lighter than my first staff to me. I hope it's still sturdy enough to do damage."

Ragnar wasn't worried about that. He had thought the same thing with Ragnarok. Apparently, the sword was as heavy as any normal sword to everyone else in the world but him. Even that staff had been a bit heavy as he carried it.

"Thank you."

The Cetra smiled a bit, but also began to turn a bit red. Her face and personality still did that to him.

Cloud noticed this and cracked something of a smile himself. However, his attitude was still the same when he stepped forward.

"Alright, you two. Let's get this over with."

7 Hours And 54 Minutes Until The Firing Of The Gauntlet Of Zeus

Even for people as physically powerful and adept as Cloud and Ragnar, getting through that conduit would be, and had been, a chore. Though the men still moved faster than anyone normally would have been able to, and were able to stay on their knees and bellies for much longer without having to rest or groan in agony, it took them quite a while to move through it. Aerith had taken much longer herself. Neither man knew it, but she had only been waiting two hours at that spot before they arrived.

For children who were only around 8 or 9, however, the going was much easier. They could actually get on their feet in some places if they kept their head and backs bent. Children also were traditionally more spry and agile, even to a level that would be considered superhuman by adult standards. They could yank themselves through tight spots much faster than a grownup. And if the two children moved fast, they could get through almost at a regular walking speed.

Hence, it was only a little over an hour later, long since the pipe had been abandoned by Cloud, Ragnar, and Aerith, that a boy pulled himself over the edge, and was followed almost immediately by a girl roughly the same age.

Denzel was panting and sweaty. Although he liked how the inside of the pipe was warm, it had tired him out in no time as he struggled to make his way through the long conduit toward the end. He had been in a rush to move through and get after Cloud and Ragnar, but he simply couldn't move that fast and twist so much for that long of a time period. He and Marlene had to take a break more than once. The warm pipe had soon become a stifling hindrence rather than a help. It also didn't help that the whole pipe interior had been shrouded in darkness. Denzel had banged his head a few times, forcing an unintended break here and there. Marlene was in back and managed to avoid most of it. Staring ahead into the darkness, however, had been a rather intimidating thing in and of itself. Although Denzel was determined to get revenge on Sephiroth...something about the long blackness in front of him brought out childish fears of monsters and beasts in the dark. He kept on thinking he saw one of those hounds from the Wastelands coming out...and that the last thing he would ever see would be its blood-stained jaws opening for his face. He felt less safe and secure with each moment he moved onward. Marlene herself had been very afraid, and had wanted to go back on two occasions. However, Denzel was determined to be brave like Cloud. He swallowed his fear and kept going, and so long as he kept on so did Marlene.

She looked far more tired than Denzel as she stumbled out of the conduit. She didn't stand, but instead drug herself over to a horizontal pipe nearby and leaned against it. She pulled off her hat and coat a moment later, but for the moment let it sit in a pile underneath her. As she caught her breath, Denzel yanked off his own hat and coat. He wished he had thought of getting rid of it earlier, but when he first started he was so cold from the outside that he thought keeping it would be a good idea.

"So what do we do now?" Marlene asked after a moment.

"We need to find Cloud and Mr. Ragnar. They'll be going to Sephiroth." Denzel readily answered.

"How?"

"We'll keep following them."

"But where?"

Denzel was about to answer this, thinking it was a rather simple question...when he realized what Marlene was talking about. As he looked around into his new surroundings, he realized that all that was around him was a maze of pipes, valves, cables, girders, grids, and industrial lights. In some places they formed walls. In others, he could look through grated walkways up what looked like five stories. All of these things came together to form a confusing series of passageways and paths in several different directions. And any one of these could lead to Sephiroth or the two men. On seeing this...Denzel's enthusiasm finally died down, and his nervousness began to come out. Until now, he had come forward with boldness and readiness. His decisions were quick and motivated. But now...he really didn't know where to go or what to do from here. He had made it this far. Was he expecting a sign that read, "This way to Sephiroth"?

"Denzel! Look!"

Marlene's latest sound made the boy forget about his latest dillemma and turn back to her. He saw her pointing to the side of the horizontal pipe. He looked as well, and saw that there was a set of piled-up winter clothing. Not only that, but something was poking out from the top and bottom of it. It looked as if the person had tried to cover it up who had been here last, but hadn't had much success. And after having seen it so many times, the two children readily recognized it based on the ends.

"It's the Princess Guard!"

Denzel's face turned to puzzlement. "What's it doing here?"

Marlene turned back to Denzel. "Ms. Aerith must be here too."

The boy turned back to his friend, still looking confused. "But she didn't go with Cloud and Mr. Ragnar."

The girl paused for a moment after hearing this. However, after a short time, her face suddenly grew fearful. "Oh no..."

This, in turn, made Denzel uneasy. "What's wrong, Marlene?"

"This is just what happened last time." The girl went on, growing more afraid with each word. "Aerith went after Sephiroth alone, and she ended up dying... Now she went off again."

Denzel hesitated a moment here. He began to grow tense as well. He liked Ms. Aerith too, and although he hadn't been around last time he knew what had happened. After all, what Sephiroth had done to Aerith had made him mad along with everything else. And it was true that she had come with the army...and that she hadn't been with Cloud and Ragnar. It was possible that she had come here on her own, but that didn't necessarily mean that she was in danger...not yet, at least. However, at the same time...why would she had just left her weapon here? Or did she only leave it here because something had already happened to take her away from it...? Either way, Denzel was soon rather uncomfortable himself. He didn't want to stick around here any longer.

"Let's try and find her." He finally concluded.

"But which way?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to try one and go back if it doesn't work."

Six Hours Until The Firing Of The Gauntlet Of Zeus

The red beast exhaled a blast of frosty air, and looked over the field ahead of him. Lights were switched on within his own encampment to illuminate the area, although it hardly mattered at this point. Ahead of him, he could see for miles around due to the illumination of the Dome.

They were there.

At midnight, they had moved out as Red XIII had instructed. Yuffie and Tifa took their divisions wide to the west and east. The rest moved in from the south. They encountered no resistance as they moved up. Apparently, anyone left who was going to fight back had taken refuge in the Dome. The outposts were abandoned. The barracks were emptied. They saw nothing for several miles as they slowly rolled their equipment north. Day came…but it was unnoticed. The sky seemed to only turn darker…and the storm that was growing overhead flashed more violently. The increasing darkness began to effect troops from either side. Before it was unusual…but now it was beginning to scare them.

They arrived about an hour ago. They had seen the Dome from far off. Many had never witnessed it before, and now marveled at its sheer size. Framed in the image of the black storm, the army began to grow nervous despite how far they had already come in such a short time. But the officers led them on, and they watched as the Dome only grew bigger and more monstrous. When they began to near a half mile from the area…the sounds of huge machinery echoed in the valley. The people watched, and saw as panels slid aside all over the Dome. In their wake, large cannon barrels began to extend and take aim toward the south. As they began to pass the half mile point…a warning shot was fired. It hit no one, but the explosion that resulted half buried a division in pieces of ice and snow. Once they dug themselves out and pulled back, Red XIII ordered the barricade to be struck there. They weren't getting any closer to the quarter mile mark.

As their units began to dig a few trenches, struggling to keep their fingers from freezing even through gloves in the weather, the scouts of their own army reported that the enemy was ready for them. They had dug at least three trenches that effectively surrounded the Dome and filled them with troops and artillery. They'd have to be taken and filled in places to move their own artillery into close range. The guard was doubled as they set up. The PPA watched as openings around the base of the Dome slid aside and let out several new divisions. Last but not least, two lines of sweepers came out and stood before the final trench, surrounding the area. After that, they came to a halt. The PPA was allowed to finish digging their own trenches and place some artillery within. However, the far majority of their own heavy artillery and troops were outside or crouching behind barricades of snow and dirt. Red XIII wanted them a bit thicker, but no one could work for more than fifteen minutes at a time before their hands and feet began to go numb. Then they had to go to one of the mobile heaters. Unfortunately for them, the NSA must have been getting power and at least some cast-off heat from the Dome itself. They were likewise hampered by elements, but not to the same degree. One good thing was that even now the NSA seemed to be outnumbered in troops on the field…but no one was sure how many more were within.

The beast looked around him. Nearest to him was Barret, arms crossed and look hard, along with heavy armored guards behind a solid barricade. It helped break the wind a bit, which was a relief to him. At his sides, towering over his head, were the Gungir Cannons, the longest-range weapons in the arsenal of the PPA. Isuzu Industries had meant to ship twenty of them with them…but due to the rushed invasion they had only four. They were the only weapons that could hit the Dome from this distance. The rest of the cannon was mostly aimed at the trenches and battlefield. Ragnar's intended bombardment of the Dome would be delayed, it seemed, until they gained more ground. In addition, there were several large speakers near Red XIII as well, wired into a headset he now wore.

The Colonel checked the time again. It was a minute past 0600 already.

I can't delay this anymore.

He looked up again, and surveyed his own army and the enemy's. Despite the cold, they held on strong and stared at each other hard and unyielding. And they were both still terrible forces to contend with. With that in mind, he turned fully to the Dome, although it really didn't matter due to the speaker position, and called out.

"This is Colonel Nanaki of the Planet Protector Army, speaking on behalf of both that army as well as the Wutai Gold Navy. I request to speak with General Leers to negotiate an end to the war."

Red XIII's voice was magnified several fold, and echoed throughout the entire valley. However…it did seem to be a bit dimmer than intended. So did everything else, though. Nothing seemed to be working at full power…not even the personnel who were rested. At any rate, the only visible change was to the scouts, who saw a few soldiers in the New Shinra ranks shift slightly. Other than that, there was nothing but silence. Seeing as neither side made a move, however, Red XIII was patient and waited. A few minutes went by, in which there was nothing but silence. The beast waited throughout all of this, with no change other than feeling colder. In the end, he was ready to speak out again.

Yet something unexpected to both him and the rest of the army cut him off.

Laughter.

It was magnified much as Red XIII's voice had been, no doubt coming from loudspeakers from the Dome. Yet it was not as controlled or businesslike as the beast had been. It was far looser…wild even. It sounded like it was coming from some cackling idiot rather than from anyone sane, rational, or possessing military discipline. When it didn't stop after a few moments, Red XIII began to grow a bit uneasy. The scouts noticed that even the New Shinra troops were a bit puzzled. Most of all, Red XIII realized the voice was not male…but female.

"Isn't your general a big boy, Colonel?" A response was finally made. The tone was cruel, biting…and had an undertone of viciousness. "Does he have to send his dog to speak for him?"

Red XIII maintained composure. "…I requested to speak with General Leers…"

"General Leers isn't going to give you country hicks and farmboys with rifles the time of day. You should feel lucky that his Admiral is saying anything to you at all." The tone snapped back…almost sounding insulted and, as a result, angrier. Nevertheless, this answer puzzled the Colonel.

Admiral? As in Admiral Ashiah?

"Why the hell ain't she wit' the navy?" Barret groused nearby.

"At any rate, you should feel glad I'm not out there. Otherwise I'd spit in your face. We are not accepting any negotiations. The only way this will end is if you unconditionally surrender. You think a bunch of ragtag, undisciplined civilians are supposed to frighten us? You're not an army or a nation. You're a joke being run by a criminal."

Barret sneered in response. "Damn bitch… Doesn't she know what we've been doin' to her precious army over the past two days?"

Red XIII, however, narrowed his gaze in his one remaining eye. Barret had brought up a good point, though he may not have realized it. The beast had noted that Ashiah seemed to be less and less under Leers' control when it came to fighting them. And the Wutai spies had informed him and the generals of how mentally unstable she was, in particular in regards to her temper. She was the one who sent that radio transmission that warned them of their imminent doom. He knew that was simply arrogance on her part. General Leers would never have allowed it if he was competent at all. He would have wanted it to be a surprise, then demand surrender while they were still reeling. And now…she was speaking for the General.

He had a feeling something bad might have happened within the enemy ranks.

Nevertheless, Red XIII drew in a deep breath, and answered the insults of Ashiah with perfect calmness and logic.

"Admiral…your war is over. Your navy has been destroyed. Your bases south of here have been overrun. Your defenses are in pieces. Your remaining troops are scattered and divided. We know you've been hurting for munitions and food. There is now no way of obtaining relief. The only escape has been blockaded by our forces. Attempting to escape any farther north will lead to countless unnecessary deaths. Your final fortification has been surrounded with artillery and infantry alike. You might be able to hold us off with a siege, and you might be able to do so for several months. But in the end, you and your army will starve and/or run out of fuel to power your weapons and heat. If you fight, you will kill many of us, but you will kill far more of your own forces. In the end, you will be defeated. You can spare thousands if you cooperate. I give you the word of both Generals Cloud and Ragnar that no one will be put to death or tortured. Both of us have fought for a very long time, and both of our sides are tired and worn out from death. Let us put an end to this."

Red XIII's words and voice were calm and genuine, and he struggled especially to not appeal to the Admiral so much as to appeal to her forces. Each one of them who might have been ignorant to their current standing now had it spelled out for them. The only part that was an exaggeration was the NSA's inevitability of defeat. They could still possibly rout them from the Northern Continent, but in the end it would mean little. They'd never rebuild before the PPA made a counterattack, and in the end more would die. However…Red XIII seriously doubted that the woman herself would listen…especially since she was probably thinking of the one trump card that the beast didn't mention.

Another spurt of mocking laughter confirmed that Red's words were wasted a moment later.

"You're skilled in speechcraft, dog. You're trying to sink our spirits. But our resolve has never been stronger. You should know that no amount of troops, munitions, supplies, boats, or anything else will matter within less than six hours. That's how long you have before we wipe everything you cherish from the face of the planet before we send you to join it. The Gauntlet of Zeus is still quite secure, and it will stay that way until it's time for you all to die. You can kill every last one of us…but so long as I am here to give the order to destroy your towns, it won't matter. So perhaps it's you who should rethink that unconditional surrender…although at this point, I won't hear it unless you beg for mercy."

The scouts soon confirmed that not everyone was liking what they were hearing from Ashiah. If this had been New Junon, perhaps their army would have broke then without the Admiral's consent. But this was farther north. This was where the original Shinra army was located…where troops that had seen how angrily the people of the world destroyed everything with the name Shinra on it after Meteorfall were still located and leading troops. They were disciplined and would not tolerate insubordination at any time. And they honestly believed that if they put themselves in the hands of a man who had been tortured and enslaved by them that they would meet the same fate…or worse. Though they didn't relish the idea of possibly dying here…they believed they faced certain death if they surrendered. They held their ground.

Red XIII tried again.

"There is nothing to gain from destroying Midgar or Wutai at this point, Admiral. It will not end this siege. It will only cause more tragedy."

"Only for you and your foolish followers, mongrel. Not us. If you really hate it, blame that oaf that gathered you together, and blame yourselves for making me angry. This is your punishment for making us waste three years engaging you in one pointless battle after another."

Red XIII kept noticing that Ashiah was turning the conversation personal. No doubt, this was her own vendetta now…not the will of the whole NSA. The beast tried to play that angle while he still could.

"And if you do destroy Midgar, what then? What will keep you from destroying our supplies in Junon? Or allies in Fort Condor? From destroying everywhere that could possibly support us? You haven't forgotten that much of your own army is from Midgar, have you? Do you think your troops will approve too much of your destroying of their hometowns? What will you gain if you destroy all of your spoils of war?"

An enormous clicking sound that echoed through the valley silenced any further comment from the Colonel. Red XIII looked out over the field, and saw that the enemy lines had shifted. All at once, the sweeper lines had come to life. And now, they were beginning to move forward toward the PPA's own defenses.

Barret frowned at the sight. "Hearin' somethin' she don't wanna hear…tryin' to shut us up."

"Or keep us from saying any more to her forces." Red XIII answered. "We've planned for this, however."

"It's gonna be a pain in the ass to take out all these guys." Barret grumbled as he began to shift his artificial arm into his minigun.

The beast inhaled and exhaled. After that, he turned his head away from directly in front of him and to the combat line. A bit further along, about three hundred feet away, something loomed just behind the front line that was supposed to be key to the coming operation.

"…Not if this does what it's supposed to."

While the rest of the PPA was tightening up, and even the Turks frowned at the sight as they got their own weapons ready, Maritza beamed another childish grin and clapped her hands in delight.

"Yay!" She announced. "It's finally time for me to unleash my secret weapon!"

The woman said this with such exaggerated enthusiasm it was like listening to some little cartoon character about to pull out the largest pop gun in history to attack some animated squirrel. The Turks and what soldiers were nearby turned and looked to her at this. The Turks were closest, however. Seeing the size of the canvas truck had made most people back off. Only they weren't letting her out of their sight, and were standing to the side of it just like she was. However, now she snapped around to the side and reached into her pocket. A moment later, she came out with what looked like a garage door opener. She aimed it at the truck and pressed the button. Seconds later…after giving out a sound like a car unlocking…a whirring went out. It was rather loud, showing that some large piece of machinery was under that canvas.

Slowly, one of the sides pulled away from the rest of the machine. Something lowered away from the craft afterward and toward the ground to the side of the truck. The Turks watched, and saw that it looked like some sort of chair on a hydraulic arm. It had a set of controls and even what looked like an affixed laptop attached. As the sounds of the coming sweepers grew closer, Maritza merrily seemed to hop into the chair, quickly fastened a seat belt, and then began to type away.

The Turks were still confused.

"Are you going to tell us what this thing is yet?" Elena asked. "It looks like some sort of cannon."

Maritza snickered a bit at that, as if it was a joke. As she did, the hydraulics began to work again. Her chair began to lift. Yet she kept typing. "Something like that…" She mused in response. "But mostly, it's a pet project I've been working on ever since the Planet Protector Army launched their little Operation Hiccup."

As the chair began to rise…the truck suddenly came to life. Much larger hydraulics began to work, and large engines beneath the canvas began to fire up. Something that sounded much bigger than an engine also began to go. It sounded like a massive electric generator. It began to whir as it too became active. The sides of the canvas bulged as large, girder-sized pieces of machinery began to extend from it. Reno and the others were so surprised that they actually took a step backward. The surrounding soldiers, however, were far more nervous. On seeing how the large machine was expanding, they forgot about the sweepers and the cold and put an even farther distance away from the truck. For all they knew, it would turn into some giant robot and start stomping on the ground. Yet through this all, Maritza kept her grin, kept typing, and kept talking. As she did…the canvas ropes began to snap simply from being pulled by the expanding machine.

"That was when I saw, on a rare occasion, a machine that I had never thought of building myself. When I and my crew checked out the reactor, we noticed the wreckage of one particular device that I knew wasn't one of ours. It took me two days of analyzing the wreckage, but I finally figured out what exactly it was supposed to do. It was an Electromagnetic Pulse Projector. A fascinating device…one that would shut down any electronic apparatus it was aimed at. However, this one was broken, and even if it was fixed it was far too small to be effective on a large scale. Not to mention the sheer power that would be required to fire off a single burst."

The canvas started to lift off here. The Turks could make out some sort of machinery beneath. Much of it was glowing and sparking from what had to be lots of machinery and electricity. As for the girders that extended, they suddenly angled down on their tips and buried them into the snow. Reno saw and understood. They were bracing the main body. The wind began to catch the sides of the canvas, and began to pull it off the rest of the way. Something large began to rise from beneath it. At this point, Maritza was about fifteen feet in the air. It stopped rising here, although she kept working.

"I figured what this device had been intended to do. So I figured…'If this little thing can generate enough of a pulse to short out a reactor, why couldn't I build one a hundred times as big to shut down the Dome?'"

With this, the last of the canvas blew away, and what was beneath extended outward.

By now, most of the PPA could see the massive weapon towering over their lines…and those who had survived Operation Hiccup saw and understood.

It was a massive EMP Projector. It seemed to be about four or five stories high in all. The last portion formed a huge barrel with a series of rods bent inward on the end, just like the original had been. Behind it a massive electronic engine churned and sparked, creating enough noise so that half of the army could hear it. That had been Lieutenant Maritza's ultimate project. That was why she had been happy even after the Dome had sustained so much damage. This was the secret she had kept from everyone, even her superiors in the NSA. None of them knew she had been building this.

And now, it was being used.

The woman shifted to a smile as the EMP Projector finished deploying and clicked to a stop. But the moment it was done, she typed a few more buttons and began to manipulate her controls. The massive weapon responded by angling itself around and aiming straight for the Dome. She typed a bit more after this.

"If I had been a bit closer, as I thought I was going to be, I could have taken out every electronic device in the place." She explained. "As it is, I'll only be able to take out the shield and the artillery on this half, as well as whatever immediate devices are there. But such is life. This baby is only good for one shot before I blow out the generator. That should be enough to create ample mayhem, though…"

The huge device began to whir louder. The engine beneath it was building up power. The blue lights within it crackled as electricity shot from its vents. It quickly began to increase in speed and intensity…and the Turks backed away a bit farther. Even so, they and the surrounding soldiers felt their hair and fuzzy clothing begin to prickle and raise. Maritza herself, right next to the beast, had her hair turn into a giant puff that only became more rigid as the machine whirred louder and louder. The sweepers, oblivious to this, continued to close the distance. They were moving halfway across the field by now. But Maritza only continued to smile and cackle like a madwoman at her helm.

The engine lights began to grow blinding, and the electricity snapped out far farther than anyone would have wanted. The rods on the end of the projector began to spark, and the disk began to glow blue. The rods continued to spark until electricity began to snake down the edges of them. It did so until electricity from all four rods streamed forth and met in the center. There they seemed to gather. The whirring became painful to hear. The Turks covered their ears and watched. By now, most of the PPA was watching, for many didn't know what this was going to do. Maritza's eyes turned wild as she cackled one last time when the machine reached its apex. The whirring went up to its loudest point…the back of the machine seemed to almost be glowing blue itself…and to top it all off, either in a comic irony or Maritza's twisted sense of humor, what sounded like a giant microwave bell went off as the machine finally fired.

The back of the device died down while the disk in front turned bright blue…and then the pulse erupted. It was the oddest sound many of the soldiers had ever heard…like a great cosmic ripple in water had went out. And when it did…a huge blue blast came out of the end of the weapon and shot straight for the Dome. It looked like some energy ripple or cloud. There was really no other way to describe it. Although the sweepers kept coming, the enemy paused and looked up to see what this strange attack was. They continued to watch as it shot across the sky for a few moments…all the way to the side of the New Shinra HQ Dome. When it struck…it was like water being thrown on rock. It spread out and moved across the surface. And yet, it didn't seem to make any explosion or cause any other loud noise of impact.

However…the damage it did was soon all too apparent.

Almost immediately, the floodlights from the Dome flickered and then went out. The beacons that stood on the end of the shield rods faded soon after. Those inside the Dome, unseen by the PPA, suddenly panicked when their targeting arrays for their cannons went completely dead. All artillery being wired through cables in the Dome went out along the enemy trenches. They had some portable generators, so not all of their lights or equipment went dead…but more than enough went out to make the officers look about in shock. Last but not least…the sweepers took one more step before each one of them, moving together, stood still and idled. They didn't go offline, but neither did they move or take an attack position.

As both sides of the army temporarily stood stunned…wondering what had just happened…the EMP Projector began to sputter and die down, like an engine that had just blown out something and was slowly spinning to a rest. The rear stopped glowing blue and the electricity died back. Humming a pleasant tune to herself, Maritza typed a few more keys, and began to lower to the ground.

"Just as I thought…" She mused aloud as she fell. "That brainless dolt wired all the sweepers into central command. With the Dome's relay towers taken down, they all went into idle mode. It'll take a half hour before those in the trenches patch themselves through to them…assuming any are still standing by then."

The Turks stood about as dumbfounded at the rest of the army. Reno had done some sabotage work before, but never anything this widescale or effective. This was a whole new realm of warfare. Maritza continued to hum as she lowered back to the ground. But once she was there…at last a yell went up from the Planet Protector Army line. When it did…the cannons all fired off at once. Shots streaked out to the field, and large sections of the sweeper line were immediately obliterated. More shots went farther and struck the first trench line. As for the four big cannons…their shots sailed across the sky and impacted the Dome. The NSA soon were further shocked when they saw the cannon fire go right through where their shields were supposed to be and impacted the sides instead. Giving another yell…whatever artillery that was mobile began to be moved forward, to get within closer range. The infantry moved out with it. The NSA, having been crippled by another surprise attack, struggled to get ready to repel the assault and to repair what weapons they could before the enemy destroyed them.

In a few moments, the Turks, Maritza, and her weapon were being left behind as the rest of the army moved onward. The Turks went out of their daze and turned back to her when this happened. As for the woman herself, as she reached the bottom she simply unbuckled herself and went onto the ground.

"And with that, boys and girls…" She announced. "My duties to the Planet Protector Army are fulfilled…and I officially resign from military duty. From this point on…all of what I do is personal. And now has come the time for you to do what you followed me all this way north for."

Now on the ground, Maritza moved around to the rear of the truck. Despite the EMP Projector taking up most of the room, there were still large compartments left. She made her way to these. The Turks followed her from behind, wondering what she was doing now, and making sure she wasn't trying to double cross them. As the battle began to heat up farther away, Maritza dipped into her pocket and pulled out a regular set of keys. She proceeded to the nearest compartment, stopped, and unlocked it. Once she opened it up, she pulled out a few things and began to slip them into her pockets and sides. They looked like a few different guns, which made the Turks eye her warily, and what looked like a few large memory sticks. Once she had those loaded into her clothing, she moved to the next compartment and unlocked it as well. As she opened this one, she stood to one side and gestured in.

The Turks looked to see what it was…and realized that it was a massive metal cylinder with some sort of device on top incorporated into its shape. It was over half the size of a man.

"Alright…which one of you big strong men want to carry this in for me?"

The others looked surprised at this. Reno raised an eyebrow.

"Carry it in for you?"

"Well we're not going to do anything out here." She simply answered. "And you think my shoestring muscles are going to lug something that heavy inside?"

Reno frowned a bit, but he didn't feel like wasting time. He took a step forward soon after and toward the compartment. There were some handles on the sides of the cylinder, so he grabbed these. He thought of lifting it up and slinging it over his shoulders, and then carrying it balanced on his back.

Wrong.

The moment Reno pulled it out with his initial movement, he winced and grunted as he felt his back strained. Immediately, the cylinder went crashing down, hitting the side of the truck so hard that it dented it slightly before peeling off and going into the snow. He cursed under his breath at the pain. The cylinder had to weigh fifty kilos easy.

Reno scowled as he started to look up. "What the hell do you have in this-"

The Turk cut himself off.

Maritza was standing right in front of him…and glaring at him with absolute anger.

Rude and Elena had noticed this. When Reno had dropped the cylinder and dented it, Maritza's cheery carefree demeanor had immediately evaporated. She suddenly looked deathly serious…and her eyes blazed with rage. Small as she was, her sheer ferocity suddenly made them nervous, and actually stopped them from immediately intervening. The woman now glared at Reno's bent body, immobilizing him with her stare.

"What is within that cylinder…" She slowly spoke through clenched teeth. "…I consider more valuable than my life…or the life of anyone else on the face of this planet. Anyone. If what is inside is damaged because of you…I will kill you. Plain and simple."

It was indeed plain and simple. She didn't raise her voice. She didn't bother making any cute threats or using any special language. She simply said she would kill him as simply as saying "if it rains today, I will take an umbrella". And because of that…Reno knew she was deadly serious. Despite his greater physical ability, the way she said it made him feel she could do just that.

And yet, a moment later, the anger evaporated. She suddenly grinned wide once again, and was her merry old self once more. "Alright then! Shall we go in?"

The Turks hesitated a moment, but then smoothed out as well. They continued to give Maritza an uneasy look, and kept their eyes on her as they went on, however. Reno himself braced his body a bit, still looking at Maritza, and then grunted as he lifted the cylinder again. This time, he was far more careful.

"How?" Elena asked, breaking the uneasy silence at last. "They're fighting now. We'll never get through them."

Maritza sighed tiredly, as if Elena was a child asking her "are we there yet". She looked into the sky and shook her head. "Oh ye of little brains…" She exhaled. With that, she simply turned away from the truck and faced directly out from the side to some point in the snow. She looked down at her feet a moment later, and with stiff movements walked out from it a step at a time. It looked like she was counting paces, like someone who would be searching for buried treasure. After taking ten, she sharply turned ninety degrees north and took another five. When she stopped there, she reached for her keys again, bent down in the snow, and dug in a short way. Once she had gone about a foot, she dipped the end of her keys into the snow and seemed to insert them into an unseen lock. She turned a moment later.

She backed up as soon as she did…for the pile of snow beneath her suddenly shifted. As the Turks watched, surprised again, the snow rose to one side and then sloughed off, revealing a curved metal surface beneath. It continued to rise until it was on its end. There it came to a stop. The Turks hesitated a moment, while Maritza simply stared down at what she had done. But after that, Reno inched forward, still carrying the cylinder carefully. When he reached the metal, he saw that there was a hole now in the ground. He looked over the edge and inside.

The Turks had made sure to know all the secret ins and outs of the Dome when they had worked here. They knew of the way that Ragnar, Cloud, and Aerith had taken. However, where they could have gotten in was far from their current position. They had shifted east of it. This opening was completely unknown to them. However, it wasn't to Maritza. She had counted on possibly needing to escape the Dome in a hurry one day. So she had this tunnel incorporated into the design when it was constructed, and then removed it from all schematics and positioning systems. After all, she wanted to have exclusive rights to who entered it and how. She had deployed the EMP Projector right here with it in mind. Even when she left the Dome months ago, she had planned to reenter it right here.

Reno looked down a moment, and noticed the dimensions of the tunnel.

"…We can only move on hands and knees in there."

Maritza readily nodded. "I know. I'm the one who built it, remember?"

The man turned and frowned at her. "It will take hours for me to push this heavy thing through here with only my hands and legs available to budge it."

The woman merely smiled.

"Well then…we better get started, shouldn't we?"

The entire Dome shifted slightly from what had to be a series of explosions.

The trio hesitated for a moment and looked up here.

Ragnar, Cloud, and Aerith had moved out of the industrial area and maintenance corridors. They had moved pretty slowly at first. After all, they had to get to an elevator at another portion of the Dome, and would possibly have to go through regular military corridors to get there. They weren't sure how many workers or troops they would run into. Luckily, it wasn't that hard. The Dome was on high alert now. Most of the areas were red and flashing rather than illuminated with regular white lights. The troops had almost all been called to the southern edge of the Dome, where they were preparing for invasion. Most of the Dome seemed abandoned. The security cameras were still running, but it seemed that whoever was behind them didn't really care about three individuals at the moment. They were avoiding all the ones they could, but no platoons had tried to stop them when one accidentally got a glimpse of them. Besides, they were spending most of their time cutting through maintenance corridors. Only rarely did they get into halls.

However, they were in one now. They had been shifting along the edge of one particularly long corridor, trying to stay out of range of one of the sweeping cameras. Their boots had clicked a bit more than they wanted as they moved along, but there was nothing for it. The red lights continued to go around and flash, and they continued to encounter nothing, when an eruption suddenly shook the Dome. This made them stop and look to the ceiling as tiny flakes of dust came off of it.

"It's starting." Cloud announced.

Ragnar was a bit surprised. Already? He raised his watch and looked to it a moment later. Sure enough, there was only five hours and forty-five minutes left until noon. Time had slipped by without him knowing it. This was taking much longer than he had thought.

"We can't do anything about it now." He answered. "Except for pray that they win. Let's keep moving."

To be continued...

NEXT CHAPTER: The final battle begins.