Chapter 16: A Wound in the Planet

Two thousand years ago, an object of extraordinary mass and power fell down from the skies and crashed into the Planet. The resulting collision caused the lands to ripple and rise, forming into treacherous mountain peaks that crossed the continent. Earthquakes cracked the land, forming deep canyons, and the temperature dropped to unbelievable levels, making it almost impossible for anyone to live there.

When the tremors ended and the land began to settle, the Planet began to draw up energy to heal its terrible wound. It gathered up the essence of the Lifestream to the source of the wound—a deep crater that was formed by the collision. The Lifestream surged into the open wound, covering it like a soothing balm.

Now in the present day, the Lifestream continued to flow around the northern crater, found in the centre of Gaea's Cliff. The jagged mountains became a natural barrier to all who tried to reach the northern caves, keeping the wound a secret so that no one would see the Planet's pain. The only ones aware of the Planet's cries were the Cetra, the ancient race of the past, and those susceptible to the Planet's voice.

As the northern lights rippled in the night sky, the Lifestream flowed and swirled around the crater. It surged from the centre of the crater like a geyser, sending showers of sparkling blue-green mako energy falling to the ground. It formed into a vast pillar of light almost as bright as the stars that shone in the sky. A second pillar of mako encased the first, moving in horizontal rays around the crater's perimeter.

Thick layers of smoke and icy mist seeped from the crater's edge. It spread across the ground in whirling tendrils, blocking most of the path from view. A single path led down the inner slope of the outer crater and into the mist, disappearing amongst the sea of white.

As Naruto and the others watched, a gush of mako energy burst up from the depths of the crater, rising so high into the sky it surpassed the mountain's peak and rose high into the sky. It was as though the Planet was desperately trying to heal its wound… as quickly as possible. Naruto and his friends stood and stared at the pillar of light, their hearts beating in time to the Planet's pulse.

"So this must be the old wound in the planet," said Naruto.

Something moved behind him as Vincent stepped up onto the ledge and looked down at the Lifestream. "It's amassed a vast amount of energy to heal itself," he said.

The gunman's face was impassive, giving nothing away. Whether he felt the sensation of life that came from looking into the Lifestream, no one could say. Those crimson eyes, as red as the cape that covered him, showed no hint of emotion.

Aeris moved to Naruto's side and said, "There are so many voices here, all trying to heal the wound, but something is trying to prevent it from doing so,"

One by one everyone turned their eyes to the sky. The sky was dark and dotted with stars. Those stars were plentiful, tiny glittering specks against the endless ocean that was the universe. The northern lights, rippling waves of green and blue, swept over them and made them twinkle with colour. Everyone was thinking the same thing. Which of those thousands stars would Jenova use to collide with the Planet?

No, they each thought. Jenova would not get the chance to use Meteor. They would enter the north cave, find Jenova in Sephiroth's body, and retrieve the Black Materia.

With renewed vigor the eleven companions proceeded down the crater's inner slope. The path they used led steadily toward the mist, making it effortless to reach the end. The Lifestream that flowed around the crater gave off a surge of warm heat, warming their chilled bodies. Pretty soon they had forgotten about the icy winds of Gaea's Cliff and were moving down the path at speed, focused on their task.

When they were halfway down they spotted a cloaked figure walking across the path. It was another of the black-caped men, heading down into the crater. The man staggered as he walked, and thick layers of ice and snow clung to his cloak. He shivered, his feet moving slowly as though every step was an effort. When Naruto and the others approached him they could hear his heavy, laboured breathing, rasping breaths coming from frozen lungs. They reached him just in time to hear him gasp out his last words before he fell dead to the ground.

"…B, back… to… Sep… …i… roth…"

Naruto and his friends gathered around the man's lifeless body. As they watched, the man's body rippled and gurgled beneath the velvet cloak. Then the cloak fell flat, the body hidden within it returning again to the Planet. Without a word, they moved on.

It was not long before they finally reached the end of the slope. The sea of mist created by the Lifestream lay before them. A fusion of cold and warm air rose from the earth and made their skin tingle. Serrated columns of rock stuck out of the ground, the mist swirling around them in gentle waves. The path slanted toward the northern crater in the centre, rising above the mist toward the tall, rocky mass.

Naruto took the step and plunged feet first into the mist. The mist rose to his waist, parting as he entered and then clinging to his body like water. The effervescent air was warm against his skin, pulsing gently. Light showers of mako fell in tiny droplets from the sky as the Lifestream surged from the crater.

After taking a few guarded steps to make sure the mist was safe to walk in, Naruto signaled to his companions. Tentatively they dived into the mist, exclaiming as they felt its unusual warmth. Tifa walked easily through the gaze and stood beside Naruto.

"For so long I blamed Sephiroth for his actions, only to find that he was being controlled," she said.

"It's not good to look for revenge," Naruto said softly.

"I know but…" Tifa started but Naruto shushed her.

"Don't worry about it now. Let's just focus in trying to get there," Naruto reasoned. Tifa nodded.

Together the companions advanced through the mist. They moved slowly at first, for the mist, while thin, clung to their bodies and held them back. But as they moved further the path began to slant upward, taking them out of the mist until it was far beneath them, a swirling mass of white amidst the jagged rocks.

Before long the path had risen high above the fog, taking them on an uneven road toward the crater. Rivers of mako energy flowed far beneath them as the Lifestream gushed up from the crater's depths. Those rivers eventually formed into one giant ocean and gave the mist an eerie green hue. They could no longer see the bottom—if there was one. This is what the group tried not to think about as they journeyed along the path—the long drop below.

Up ahead the path came to a sudden end and branched off into two different directions. The first path was short and came to a dead end a little below them, while the second continued to head for the crater.

Another black-caped man was nearby. His body trembled with cold and fatigue as he tottered uneasily down the shorter path. Nanaki, seeing him heading for the cliff's edge, hurriedly leapt down onto the short path, but he was too late to save him. Before the hound could reach him, the black-caped man stepped off the edge and fell down into the Lifestream below, his body splashing into the water.

Saddened by his inability to save the doomed man, Nanaki sat back on his haunches and howled.

While the hound howled, Naruto jumped onto the path to pick up an object the cloaked man had dropped before plummeting to his death. It was an orb of red materia. As soon as Naruto's fingers closed around it he felt the Bahamut materia left behind from their battle in the Temple of the Ancients resonate gently in his sword that was strapped to his back once again.

'What does this mean?' he asked.

"I think that it is another form of Bahamut called Neo Bahamut," said Kyuubi as she reached out to feel the consciousness in the materia.

'Okay,' he answered as he pressed the red orb into a spare spot on his sword.

They hurried on. The path became more broken and disjointed as they walked, sometimes ending entirely and forcing them to double back. In some cases they had to jump over large gaps in order to continue moving forward. The closer to the crater they got the colder the air became, as a chill wind caused by the movement of the Lifestream began to blow.

There were more of the black-caped men in this area of the maze. Like their two predecessors they also staggered with weariness, barely able to see the ground in front of them. One of them, his mind lost to the numbness brought on by the cold, did not notice the path turn away from him and he walked off the edge. His friends did not get much farther before they collapsed, their bodies dissolving into the earth.

The eleven friends hurried through the network of broken paths. They looked up the crater's outer wall. Parts of the wall had broken away over the two millennia it had been there, and they could see the side of the Lifestream barrier as it streamed out of the Planet's core. The group came to a stop and stared in awe at the mako wall. The mako glowed brightly and they were unable to see the centre of it. Naruto looked around in wonder, before his gaze turned to the sky.

"Aww crap!"

While Cloud and his companions traveled on foot through the winding and broken paths of Gaea's Cliff, others were taking a more direct route to reach the crater. A powerful airship flew high above the ground, its many lights acting like a beacon in the night sky. The airship's many propellers whirred noisily as it flew through the air. Its destination was the same as that of the travellers below: the Northern Crater. As it approached the colossal wall of mako, the airship began to reduce speed.

Inside the airship's command centre, Rufus Shinra walked leisurely across the deck. He stopped at the front of the deck and peered out of the glass wall that safeguarded the deck. Around him, Scarlet and Heidegger stood watching, their eyes hungry as they took in the sight that lay before them. The endless stream of mako energy, born of the Lifestream, was fast approaching. Rufus Shinra stood straight with a sigh, a contented smile on his lips.

"So, I finally found you," he said, smiling.

Beside him, Scarlet began to laugh. Her hideous, screeching 'kya ha ha' laugh made everyone on deck cringe and shrink back stiffly. Her laugh was heard all through the upper decks, echoing and returning to the bridge louder than before. Turning to face the ship's crew, she laughed again, louder than before but just as painfully.

"This is incredible…" she said when she could speak. The Head of Shinra's Weapon Development glanced at Rufus, her blood-red lipstick stretching as she smirked.

In the middle of the deck, Heidegger, Head of Public Safety Maintenance, took a step forward so that he could see the wonderful view. When his eyes fell upon the endless surge of mako streaming up from the crater, his bearded face lit up. "This is the Promised Land the President has been searching for!" he exclaimed. A chuckle shook his large body, though he remembered to restrain his own dreadful laugh.

Rufus turned away from the window and faced his two employees. They could already taste the gold in their mouths and feel it weighing down their pockets. Rufus, on the other hand, could already taste the power. Sephiroth had led them to the Promised Land, the purest source of mako ever to be found on the Planet. With this endless source of energy, he would control the populace of the planet.

"But," said the new President, his face cold, "I'll be the one who gets it."

He turned back to face the window. Scarlet and Heidegger could have their money, if they wanted. All Rufus wanted was the power that came from owning all the mako the Planet could offer. His father had tried to use his money to find the Promised Land, and ended his search with Sephiroth's sword in his back. His son, fed up of his father's greedy ways, took a different route. And it seemed he had succeeded.

Deviously, coldly, Rufus smirked. "Sorry, old man."

Standing apart from the rest of them, at the far end of the deck, was Hojo. The Shinra scientist had his back to everyone on deck, as though he cared little for the mako wall as it loomed before them. In fact he did care little, for his mind was on other things, other theories that were coming together. Rude stood nearby, though the silent Turk paid no attention to Hojo as he chuckled ominously beneath his breath.

"That land is no one's," the scientist mused to himself. No one heard him speak, for he spoke quietly and to himself. "It's where the Reunion will take place… They will all gather here…" Hojo raised his head and looked up at the metal ceiling, the image of the Reunion forming in his mind's eye. "I wonder if we will see… Sephiroth?" Then Hojo laughed quietly, his shoulders shaking in his excitement.

After seeing the Shinra airship approach the crater, Naruto lowered his gaze and turned to face his friends. They all stared up at the airship in alarm. If the Shinra had arrived already, that meant that they were rapidly running out of time. They had to enter the crater and find Sephiroth before the Shinra did!

"I thought we had more time," he said softly. Aeris walked up to him and smiled. "It's alright, we just have to hurry,"

Turning away from the airship, the eight friends began to race down the path toward the crater's outer wall. The airship above them slowed and lowered its great bulk down near the edge of the crater, landing on a large, overhanging piece of rock on the other side of the mako wall. As the Shinra disembarked from their airship and made their way toward the entrance of the crater, Naruto and the others ran down their own path toward the mako wall.

When Naruto and the others arrived at the mako wall, they saw two more men dressed in black capes approaching it. The wall's outer barrier flowed across the rocky path in regular waves, pulsating in time to the planet's life-beat as it surged up from its core. The black-caped men did not seem to notice this wave of energy, which seemed very much like a coloured wind, and walked right into it.

The moment their bodies touched the windy barrier they were thrown back, hurled with immense force back across the path. The sickening crunch of bones breaking and shattering could be heard as they landed on the rocks. They rolled to a stop at the feet of Naruto and his companions, who looked down at the hooded men in horror. Though their faces were invisible, they could sense the pain the men were in as they gasped and rasped their last breaths.

"Uph… Se… phi… roth…" groaned one.

"Wh-…who…a," gasped the other. The laboured breaths then stopped and the bodies of the two cloaked men disappeared, along with their cloaks.

Tifa stepped forward toward the barrier. As she approached the wind picked up, blowing her dark hair around her face. The young fighter stared into the wind. The wind blew in regular waves, picking up and then slowing again to almost nothing. When the wind was quiet she could see the path on the other side, heading for the crater. Curious, she picked up a loose stone from the ground and hurled it at the barrier when the wind was low. As she predicted, the stone passed straight through. Turning back to the others, she explained her theory.

"We need to cross when the wind is calm, or we'll get swept off!" she warned them.

Following Tifa's advice, the group gathered together at the edge of the mako wall. The wind had picked up again and was blowing swiftly across the path. They could feel the heat of the mako as it blew past them. After a minute or so the wind began to die down. When it fell silent, the group charged across the path. They made it just in time, for the moment they passed through the wind immediately picked up again.

"What WAS that…?" asked Barret, stopping to look back at the wind barrier as it blocked the path. The wind died down a few seconds after they passed through, returning to a calm breeze. It surprised them how fast the wind changed when they approached, as though the wall knew someone was trying to break its barriers.

"It's a barrier," explained Naruto, gazing up at the mako wall. "The Planet is trying to protect itself against those who would try to break through and harm it. Like Jenova," He took a few steps away from the mako wall and looked up at the crater. It was no use. He could not see the Shinra airship anywhere. Shaking his head, he turned back to his friends. "Let's hurry," he said. "We haven't much time."

They continued down the path. As they reached the end of the path they were on and jumped down onto the next one, they were met with a most astounding sight.

There were figures marching steadily up the path. Nearly a hundred men, they figured, though it was impossible to be sure. All of them were dressed in the long black robes of the men they had seen on the mountain cliff, the Temple of the Ancients, and in Nibelheim.

In the Gold Saucer they had thought there to be only thirteen of them, Nanaki presumably the last of them, but now they saw that they had been horribly, horribly wrong. The figures filled the entire path, which stretched up into the distance toward the second barrier of the mako wall.

Naruto and the others began to make their way through the throng of men. The men were moving slowly, tottering on their legs as though they were barely aware that they were walking. They were careful not to touch the men if possible, afraid of catching whatever it was that was making them like they were. The men were muttering to themselves as they walked. Murmurs of 'Sephiroth', 'Reunion', and 'Jenova', could be heard from every direction. Some of the men collapsed as they walked, while others lost all sense of direction and walked off the edge of the path. No one tried to help them, no one tried to stop them. Not a single one of the cloaked men even noticed those standing beside them, so focused they were on making it across the path.

By the time Naruto's team reached the second barrier, the number of black-caped men strolling up the path had nearly halved. The exertion of their journey from wherever they had started had taken its toll on the majority of them and they died on the spot with Sephiroth's name on their lips.

The next mako wall they reached was more difficult to pass than the first one. This second wall not only had a barrier of wind, but also a pulse of mako energy that shot across the path in irregular bursts. It appeared at erratic intervals, appearing when the wind was blowing and when it was calm. It took precise timing in order to pass through the wall unharmed. They eventually managed it, and ran on.

They had to climb up a rocky wall to reach the next path, which rose a good few feet above the previous path. They climbed up the wall and walked through a haze of mako, they suddenly came to a stop.

Sephiroth was on the path before them. The large soldier stood with his back to the group, facing two more of the black-caped men who had somehow made it through the second barrier. Sephiroth had his sword in his hands, stained with red blood. As they drew near they could hear Sephiroth speaking to the two men, his voice carrying above the roar of the mako walls around them.

"This is the end…" Sephiroth was saying to the two black-robed men. "For all of you."

In a single swift movement, Sephiroth raised his masamune and slashed it in front of him. A second later the two robed men fell back away from him and tumbled over the edge of the path. Their robed bodies fluttered down and splashed into the sea of glowing mako below. They did not even cry out in pain. Sephiroth lowered his sword. Fresh blood dripped off the shiny edge of his sword's blade.

"Sephiroth!" Sephiroth turned his head slightly. Cloud ran up and stopped behind him, his hand around the handle of his Buster Sword. But the soldier did not turn. Cloud, growling deep in his throat, stepped closer. "This is the end!"

Sephiroth turned to look at Cloud. His glowing mako eyes glared at Cloud with a knowing malevolence, and the beginnings of a sneer tugged at the corner of his mouth. When he spoke it was with the softness and care of a loving parent, but carried with it a restrained sense of malice.

"You're right," said Sephiroth in a distorted voice with a slight female voice over the top. He looked down at his gloved hand, smiling as he gazed upon the leather that covered his flesh. When he clenched his hand into a fist, the thick leather creaked. "This is the end of this body's usefulness."

Without warning a wave of dark light suddenly swept over Sephiroth's body, moving from the feet up and casting a dark shadow over the soldier's leather-clad form. His silver hair turned black. White amour became shrouded in shadow. Pale skin was enveloped in darkness.

The last to change was Sephiroth's eyes, which continued to glow even as the darkness covered his face until they too vanished in the gloom. Then, in the blink of an eye, Sephiroth suddenly vanished. It was so sudden that it startled the group, who were not prepared for this sudden act. Cloud ran forward to where Sephiroth had stood. There was no trace of the soldier anywhere. He had completely vanished.

"He disappeared!" exclaimed Cloud in disbelief.

"He might still be nearby…" said Naruto, coming to stand near Cloud. "Remember, its Jenova who is the enemy, not Sephiroth."

The eight companions stood still and glanced around the path. The air around them seemed to dim and darken, as though after two millennia night had finally pierced through the sea of mako and reached the ground. They looked up and down, and left and right, and then up and down again. But Sephiroth was nowhere to be seen.

Then, a voice began to speak out from the shadowy depths, making the group jump. At first they thought it was Sephiroth's voice, but they soon realised that it wasn't. The voice spoke smoothly and eerily, whispering like a spirit in their ears.

Our purpose is to deliver the Black Materia to our master.

Cloud looked up in surprise. The voice seemed to come from all around him, as well as inside him. It spoke in his head, in his heart, and in the very air.

"Our…?"

Those who carry Jenova's cells…

Another voice had spoken, different to the first one. But it still was not Sephiroth.

"Master…!"

More voices were joining in. Now there were a multitude of different voices, laughing and joking mockingly from their hiding places… wherever they were.

Of course… Sephiroth. Heh, heh, heh…

Suddenly, from above them, Sephiroth appeared. His masamune was in his left hand, its blade seeming to glow and glint in the green light of the mako. He hovered above the group, unseen, before he suddenly swept down at them. Before anyone had time to look up, Sephiroth struck. He swung his sword, striking everyone with the flat of his blade in a single movement. Everyone instantly fell to their knees, shocked and stunned.

'What happened to me? Kyuu-chan, are you alright?'

"Ha, as if he could hurt me. I'm way more powerful than him."

'Now's not the time to boast.'

Struggling and shaking, Cloud climbed to his feet. Sephiroth stood before him, his arms spread wide, not facing him. In his right hand he clutched a piece of Jenova's mutilated body. Blood dripped down the pinkish skin and onto the floor. Sephiroth turned to face Cloud, and rapidly swung his sword. Cloud did not move, even as the blade stopped mere inches from his stomach. Sephiroth smiled wickedly. Then he lowered his sword and flung Jenova's flesh forward.

The marred flesh landed at Cloud's feet. Cloud watched as it flopped about on the gravely floor, his face twisted in disgust. When he looked up Sephiroth was gone, the only sign of his presence being a small, fading wisp of cloud.

Naruto struggled to his feet as he drew his sword and pointed it at the piece of Jenova. Then, as regular as clockwork, the flesh began to convulse and bubble, expand and stretch, forming into the familiar figure that was Jenova.

But this Jenova was different. The pinkish flesh had been drained of colour, leaving it a frightening, deathly black. The sight of this new form took the others by surprise, causing Yuffie to scream and Cid to drop his spear onto the ground. Everyone backed up, alarmingly afraid.

Only Naruto remained where he was, his sword still steady in his hands. He raised his eyes slowly up to look at Jenova. "We don't have time for this!" he yelled. "Kyuu-chan! Pump some of your chakra through the blade!" The sword started shining brightly and red flames flickered around the blade. Naruto then pushed his own chakra into the blade and the flames turned black with a gold outline. Naruto charged at Jenova and brought his sword around for a mighty swing.

"WRATH OF THE SUN GOD!"

The black shockwave slammed into the monster and it burst into flames, but it was not enough. As Naruto rested Yuffie came to a stop in front of Jenova. Holding her shuriken firmly in one hand, she moved it in front of her in some kind of ritualistic movement, before raising it up above her head. The red materia she had received back in Wutai flashed brightly in response.

The ground around them rumbled, and then suddenly a surge of water rose up from the depths of the Lifestream. The water rose in a single towering wave, rising until its frothy peak was high above the path. From the depths of the water a single thin shadow moved, sliding up through the water as it headed for the surface. It broke through the surface of the water with a piercing roar, bursting into the night. Droplets of water fell upon Jenova and the companions as they looked upon the sacred beast of Wutai.

The creature was Leviathan, a great sea serpent whose power was passed on to the leaders of Wutai. The serpent's massive body was covered in thick, bluish scales that were as hard as diamonds. Powerful fins lined his long, sleek form. His head was long and dragon-like, ending in a pointed jaw filled with dozens of tiny serrated teeth. Water constantly slid down his scales, as though the beast himself generated the water by will alone.

Bursting free of the water, Leviathan turned his long body downward. His fins flapped through the air and the serpent began to swim forward, swimming through the air as easily as if it were water. He slid his way around the group, passing close to Yuffie, who was lost in the trance of her summoning.

Nanaki ran forward, his powerful legs pounding the rock with each bound. Upon his back sat Cait Sith, megaphone in hand and clutching the long hairs at the back of Nanaki's neck. The hound caught up to Leviathan as he swam forward and leapt upon his back. He dug his claws into the hard scales and hung on.

Seeing the sea dragon approach, Jenova protectively drew her large shoulder blades close to her, making the large pieces of hard flesh close around her upper body like a shield. Leviathan roared loudly, making the ground shake with his mighty cry. Upon his back Nanaki howled, then bared himself for the collision.

Leviathan struck, ramming into Jenova. Jenova must have used a special attack at the same time, for the impact sent a rippling shockwave of heated wind down Leviathan's snake-like body. Cait bellowed, leaning forward and clinging to Nanaki's fur to stop him from falling. Nanaki dug his claws deeper into the serpent's scales.

After much pushing and shoving Leviathan finally won, pushing past Jenova's body and sending her hurtling backward. The serpent swam forward at speed, his body passing close to Jenova's as he passed. At this point Nanaki leapt from Leviathan's back and onto Jenova's. He landed on her great shoulders, which were just reopening. He went straight for her neck, while Cait jumped off and began to beat her face with his megaphone.

"All right, lads, it's your turn!" the cat called before returning to his beating.

As Leviathan disappeared into the watery depths of his tidal wave, the others ran in to attack. Tifa went into the fray with her fists accurately ablaze. The Fire materia in her wrist armor was active, turning her fists into blazing balls of flame. She proceeded to kick and punch Jenova's lower body with all her might, leaping up to avoid the lashing tail that tried to knock her down.

Gaara was making good use of his materia as well. His materia active, it turned the bullets he fired into bullets of ice. These bullets pierced Jenova's hard flesh easily, digging much deeper and causing more damage than any other bullet would.

The others were all attacking with equal ferocity, stabbing and shooting and hitting with everything they had. Cid clambered up Jenova's back and thrust his spear forward. The spear barely pierced the flesh, but went deep enough to cause Jenova to screech and flail wildly. This created an opening for Vincent, who was leaping from rock to rock and firing his gun each time he saw an opening.

As Jenova flailed her chest became exposed and Vincent leapt off the rock. Closing one red eye he aimed at the spot where he thought her heart would be, and fired. Somehow sensing the threat, Jenova swung her arm to block the bullet. The bullet passed straight through the arm, but was slowed enough to barely penetrate her chest. Blood spurted from the wound in her arm.

Behind Vincent, Yuffie leapt off a rock and into the air. She flicked her wrist and threw her shuriken away from her. The circular razor ring spun through the air like a deadly Frisbee. It zipped past Tifa, narrowly missing her head as she flipped upside down to land a powerful kick. It skimmed past Cid, nearly making him fall. It suddenly spun round and sliced through Jenova's shoulder, cutting a deep groove before zipping back to Yuffie, who caught it briefly before throwing it again.

Nanaki and Cait Sith were still working together to sever Jenova's head. The hound had his jaws locked around the calamity's thick neck and was kicking his back legs furiously. The acrid taste of blood filled his mouth and dripped down his jaw, but he resisted the urge to retch and continued to claw. Cait Sith shouted his support as he continued to hit Jenova's head.

Her bloodlust turning to rage, Jenova turned her head to glare at Cait Sith. The cat, too busy bashing her forehead and yelling fierce insults, did not see what was coming. Jenova's dark eyes lit up into narrow slits of blood red light and focused on the robotic feline. Cait noticed only at the last second before Jenova fired.

Twin beams of thin red light burst forth from Jenova's eyes. They struck Cait in the chest, pushing the cat off her shoulder and into the air. Cait yowled in pain and shock as he was pushed back. The world spun before his eyes, the ground moving constantly so that it was never in the same place for more than a second.

Suddenly a flash of pink-white appeared before his eyes as he crashed into something large and soft. The thing he landed on fell back and rolled over with him. Cait closed his eyes, praying to whatever god there was that this ended soon. When he finally stopped Cait opened his eyes, dazed. The Mog was beneath him, looking equally as dazed. Cait cried in relief and hugged the Mog body tightly as Aeris, who was on support duty, used a healing spell on the cat.

Cloud and Naruto tag-teamed and were now both attacking, cutting huge chunks of flesh from Jenova's shoulders. The two blades together caused major damage to Jenova's form as more and more pieces of flesh fell to the ground. With each new wound more blood filled the air, and with each new wound Jenova became more incensed.

Her eyes lighting up once more, Jenova turned to face the other creature still clinging to her neck. Nanaki saw the attack coming and released his hold on her neck. He leaped aside just as the beams were released. The twin beams missed Nanaki's body but hit the end of his tail, making the hot flame flicker and threaten to go out. Nanaki yelped more in surprise than in pain. In anger he pounced upon Jenova's face, his sharp teeth seeking out her eyes.

Jenova could do nothing to defend herself. The attack left her momentarily blind, and in that instant Nanaki's teeth found their mark and delved into her sunken sockets. Jenova screeched loudly as blood and lumps of jelly poured freely down her face. She could do nothing to defend herself—her arm was too short, her body too large. All she could do was thrash her small head this way and that and try to throw the hound from her face. But Nanaki had dug his claws deep into her flesh and would not let go.

"Hey, Nanaki!" came Barret's voice from below. "Get away from there!"

Nanaki complied, giving Jenova one last, vicious bite before jumping away. Though now blind, Jenova could smell the hound nearby and swung her left shoulder with all her might. Nanaki turned his body out of the way and instead used the misshapen flesh as a springboard, pushing himself away so that he was safely behind her. Then Barret, using his own Ice materia opened fire, letting dozens of ice bullets rip through the flesh around Jenova's face and neck.

That was just the beginning of the assault. As Barret fired, Tifa charged forward. The fighter's fists were clenched and the diamond studs on her knuckles were glowing red with flame. Tifa leaped up as Barret quit firing, and landed on the hard, ice-covered flesh in front of Jenova's face. Jenova's sightless eyes, black and dull, looked around blindly.

"Take THAT!" yelled Tifa.

Tifa punched forward, striking Jenova's jaw with her right fist. The sheer force of Tifa's expert punch sent the calamity's head flying back with a loud, painful crack. The ice around the head shattered and fell away, taking the top layer of flesh with it. Then Tifa attacked with her left fist, knocking the head sharply to the right. Jenova gave a garbled cry as her jaw fell open, broken. Her tongue lolled out of her broken jaw, black and thick with blood.

Still Tifa was not finished. Without waiting for Jenova to retaliate, she grabbed the limp head of the calamity and brought it swiftly to her knee, butting it firmly against her. The sound of cracking bone could be heard, but Tifa did not care. Releasing the head and spinning smoothly around, the fighter swung her leg and kicked it straight across Jenova's warped face. Tifa continued to kick and punch, using all the moves she knew from Dolphin Blow, a swift upper kick, to Meteodrive, where she grabbed Jenova's head and thrust it back.

Finally, Tifa jumped back from Jenova's head. She drew her fist behind her, drawing all the power of her Fire materia into her fist. The flames gathered around her hand, compressing and contracting into a sheer ball of flame. With a mighty cry Tifa punched forward, slamming the ball into Jenova's chest.

The force of Tifa's punch sent Jenova flying backward. A shockwave filled the air as she was forced back, tumbling over herself as she careered over the rocky path. She slammed into a large piece of jutting rock, causing it to shatter beneath her heavy bulk. Tifa landed on the ground, the flames dissipating around her.

Slowly, steadily, Jenova stood up. The multiple attacks—the stab wound in her back, the chunks cut from her body, the bites to her neck—had left her weaker than she had expected. The collision with Leviathan had severely damaged her insides—she could feel the blood filling in the depths of her stomach and other vital organs. Pain filled her from every point on her body. Pain caused by the humans.

Jenova became so enraged by the humans that she sought to end their lives in a single strike. Though blinded and with a broken jaw she roared loudly, her roar sounding more like a garbled cry. She spread her shoulders wide as though they were wings, and cried again. She cried to the heavens, drawing upon all the energies that gave her power. Yes, she would end the lives of these humans in one strike.

As Jenova roared, a strong wind began to blow. It was a tropical wind, unbearably hot to the touch and filled with the bitter scent of acid and rotting flesh. The wind came from Jenova's body, powered by her body and getting stronger the more she roared. Her sightless eyes were turned to the starry sky above.

Naruto saw this coming and using the rest of his chakra, flashed through complicated handseals before saying "Ninjutsu: Chakra Shield!" A bright blue sphere grew out of his chest and expanded to encompass everyone. The hot wind collided with the barrier. His arms opened wide as if he held the barrier together. Everyone looked at him in awe. Naruto just said in a shaky but loud voice, "I can't keep this up forever!"

As the wind subsided, so did the barrier. Naruto collapsed on the ground, panting heavily. While Aeris started healing Naruto the remaining companions were making their final assault on Jenova. Tifa had just leapt back from another ferocious martial assault when Vincent drew his gun and joined Barret in shooting the creature down. The two together used their Ice materia to shoot gaping holes into Jenova's flesh. Cid threw his spear at the calamity. It pierced the base of her neck, sending blood flying.

Cloud finished slicing through Jenova's shoulders and returned to the ground, landing between his friends. Naruto thanked Aeris and stood up. He pushed chakra into two summon materias. He thrust the sword down, sending two large beams of red light hurtling toward Jenova.

The two beams separated as they reached Jenova, curving away from the calamity and flying out into the distance around the great crater. The two beams expanded and began to take shape. The light flickered and wavered, swirling as the forms of two powerful dragons emerged from them. The dragons, similar by name but different in power, spread their wings and began to fly back toward the path.

The dragon Bahamut attacked first. The large black dragon beat his great wings against the air, pushing his body ahead to reach Jenova. Before he reached the calamity Bahamut pulled his body back, bringing his powerful black legs forward. The thick talons of his feet found their mark and delved into the marred flesh of Jenova's shoulders. Using the momentum of his flight Bahamut flapped his wings and lifted Jenova up. Roaring as only a dragon can, he threw Jenova into the air.

A second set of legs grabbed onto Jenova's flesh and carried her higher into the air. Neo Bahamut, Bahamut's more powerful form, was a fiercer dragon covered in dark red scales. Age and wisdom caused this dragon to grow a second set of wings, making him lord of the skies. This dragon lifted Jenova easily, carrying her up and up into the air. Bahamut followed, flying past the older dragon and landing fierce bites and slashes on Jenova whenever he could.

When the two dragons had taken her high enough, they let Jenova go. The calamity fell from the skies for a second time, the wind howling past her as she fell to the ground. Bahamut hovered in the sky and opened his mouth. From the depths of his throat a burning light grew, and the air around him began to shimmer and draw together. The air took shape into a ball of light, which Bahamut then fired down in a long beam of light.

The flare pierced Jenova as she fell, pushing her down faster until she smashed into the ground. Clouds of rock and dust flew into the air around her, blocking her from view. Bahamut raised his head to the skies and roared loudly, while Neo Bahamut circled him, roaring in triumph. The two dragons continued to roar even as their bodies faded into the night.

On the ground, Jenova lay unmoving amidst the rubble on which she had landed. Her tentacle-arm, half-severed by Bahamut's flare, twitched feebly before falling limp onto the ground. Around her the companions watched, waiting for the inevitable moment when her body would dissolve into the planet.

They did not have to wait for very long. As Jenova passed away for the third time, her body bubbled and hissed as it began to dissolve and disperse into liquid. She dissolved into black water, which seeped steadily across the rock and dripped off the sides of the path into the Lifestream at the bottom. As the black water touched the green water it fizzed and disappeared, sinking from view. In less than a minute all traces of Jenova's presence were removed from view… Except for one.

Floating about half a meter off the ground was the Black Materia. That was all that remained of Jenova after she disappeared into the Lifestream. The group stared in awe as the seemingly harmless black ball floated gently in front of them, rising up and down steadily as though breathing. Nobody dared to step forward and take it.

Eventually Naruto stepped forward. He stepped up to the Black Materia and picked it up. There was something different about the Black Materia this time round. When he touched it, it sparked with energy, as though fighting for life. Naruto clasped his other hand over it and turned back to his friends.

"Ok, well I don't want this thing so I'm going to give it to someone else," he said. He looked around at the others. Nobody looked too keen to hold the Black Materia for him, and with good reason. This materia had the power to destroy the very planet on which they stood. Guarding it would be a heavy burden on anyone's shoulders, and was not one many were willing to take. Yuffie conveniently looked away from Naruto, finding the ground much more interesting to look at. Vincent was impassive, but even he did not look too keen.

"No, not the Black Materia, please," pleaded Cait when Naruto looked his way.

"Me and Black Materia just don't mix," Cid said.

Naruto turned to Barret and Nanaki. Barret looked at the Black Materia in distaste, while Nanaki clawed the floor nervously. Both were good candidates. Barret had the strength to defend the Black Materia, though his hotheadedness would surely get them into trouble. Nanaki was destined to be the guardian of Cosmo Canyon, and his speed and skill could take him far away if need be. His mind made up, Naruto walked over to Nanaki and held the ball out. Nanaki stared, his eyes wide.

"You want me to take the Black Materia?" he asked nervously. Naruto nodded. "Out of everyone, you have the most speed. We don't want anyone getting this," The hound stared, wide-eyed, at the Black Materia. Nanaki swallowed nervously. "…All right," he said finally. "I understand." He lowered his head, and Naruto clipped the Black Materia to a small materia slot on the back of Nanaki's head clip.

"Don't give it to ANYONE," Naruto warned the hound. "I'm counting on you bro."

Nanaki tilted his head. The materia was light—he could barely tell it was there. "Naruto, be careful!" he said, giving Naruto a gentle pat on the leg with his paw.

"You never know when Sephiroth may show up…" Vincent said to Naruto sternly. "So don't let your guard down."

"I know that!" said Naruto.

"Let's find Sephiroth!" said Tifa, running over to stand by Naruto. Before Naruto could say anything, Yuffie also ran over to join them. She was determined not to miss any possible battle with Sephiroth. Cloud also came to stand by Naruto. "We're going in first!" he said to the others. "You guys stay and keep watch." He nodded to Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie, and the four of them ran up the path.

Nanaki watched as the three began to run up the path. Suddenly feeling apprehensive, he leaped up and bounded to the front of the group. Clambering onto a large rock, he shouted, "I'll protect the Black Materia no matter what!" as loudly as he could. He prayed they could hear him.