Final Fantasy VII [3rd Instalment]

Emerald Princess of Vernea

Chapter Eleven

The battle for Fort Condor went on until well into the afternoon. The air was filled with the sounds of gunfire and magic. The noise of the battle could be heard for miles around. The smaller monsters of the Condor Plains, terrified by the unusual noise, hid in their forests. The larger ones began prowling the withered land, waiting for the battle to finish.

It was not going well for Cid and his group. The second wave was larger and had more advanced weaponry and materia than the first group had. The second wave was also made larger by the remnants of the first joining their ranks. It was not long before they had Cid and the rebels on the defensive, trying to halt their advance.

The Shinra general fought alongside his soldiers, staying near the back of the army and out of reach of attack. His battle suit was heavy and difficult to move about in, especially on the slanted ground. He kept a small number of soldiers close to his side for extra protection as he used the suit's mako-powered guns to fire at the rebels.

The shells were made out of pure, condensed mako. When the shells were released they shot through the air like miniature meteors, leaving long, glittering trail of mako energy behind them. These shells exploded on impact: a huge explosion that made the ground tremble and sent dirt and rock flying into the air.

One such shell landed close to where Cid and one of the mercenaries were fighting, trying to halt the enemy's advance. The resulting explosion threw them off their feet, along with a number of the general's own soldiers.

The pilot hurried to his feet and swung his spear, knocking aside a soldier who tried to run past when he was down. The soldier staggered back, and the mercenary finished the job by swinging his heavy broadsword. The soldier managed one more step before he fell down, dead.

Cid stuck the butt of his spear into the dirt and looked around. The army was still advancing and at least two thirds of them were still standing. Bullets of ice and lightning and giant balls of fire were sailing through the air on both sides. Vincent had been forced to ditch the form of the Galian beast and was weaving through the enemy lines, trying to dodge the enemy's attacks. Red XIII was cornered against a rock, snarling and snapping his jaws at any soldier who tried to approach him. Barret he could not see, but by the sound of heavy gunfire, he was under attack as well. There was no other choice: it was time for the second part of their plan.

"All right! It's time! Retreat! Run back to the hut!" he ordered, hoping the others could hear him over the gunfire.

As he turned to run he saw Red XIII leap up onto the rock and scrabble away, even as gunfire trailed behind him. Vincent managed to find a path through the army and darted out, dashing up the hill. Barret came out just behind him and followed the gunman back up the mountain. From other places behind enemy lines the mercenaries emerged, following Cid's orders.

Seeing their chance of victory at hand, the Shinra army surged forward. The general stopped and watched, pleased, as his army charged after the rebels. The battle was as good as over. The hut was within their sights, and once the hut was taken, it was all over for the rebels and the people of Fort Condor.

A large shadow fell over the soldiers. The general looked up in time to see a number of large boulders come hurtling through the sky, descending upon his soldiers, who ran on oblivious to the danger above them.

"Look to the sky!" he shouted to his men, but he was too late. The rocks slammed into the earth, crushing every poor soldier who could not get out of the way fast enough. The boulders bounced and tumbled down the hill, rolling at high speed and tearing a line through the Shinra army.

On top of the mountain, Yuffie cheered and shook her fist at the startled army. "Oh yeah! Gotcha! That's what happens when you take on Yuffie Kisaragi, the legendary ninja of Wutai! Fire again, Cait!"

Behind her, the cat huffed and puffed as he pushed another heavy rock into the catapult's sack. "Give me a chance here, lass," the cat complained, wiping his furry brow. "These rocks are heavy, you know."

He gave the rock one final push, and it fell into the sack. The catapult strained beneath the weight. These wooden catapults were the traps the people of Fort Condor had set up to use in their fight against the Shinra. Situated at the top of the mountain, they made a good offensive weapon against any attacking army. The villagers knew that this path was the only way an army could reach the fort by foot, so they positioned all their catapults in two lines on the very edge of a jutting cliff, overlooking the sloping landscape. The catapults were filled with rocks and stones, broken glass and metal; anything they could find that could be thrown at the enemy.

Yuffie had managed to find a good number of large rocks to use as part of her arsenal, but that wasn't the only weapon she had available. She had her own secret weapon, and was waiting for a chance to use it against the Shinra.

"FIRE!" the ninja ordered.

Cait grabbed the rope and pulled, releasing the mechanism that fired the catapult. The head swung up and over, chucking the rocks up into the air. The remaining five catapults, manned by the men of Fort Condor (who came out to help after seeing the success of the first battle), fired just moments later.

The Shinra army was in a panic. They were all clumped together and did not know which way to run to avoid the falling rock. The general solved their problem by raising his metal-encased arm and firing several mako shells from his palm. The shells exploded on impact, blowing the rocks apart. The smaller rocks and showers of dust and dirt rained down on the soldiers, painful but harmless.

Up by the hut, the villagers groaned in dismay. Red XIII shook his head. "This isn't good," he said. "Those catapults are our last line of defence. If he can blow them to dust in a single shot, then there's no way we can continue to defend this place."

"Ah, quit complaining, sour-puss!" Yuffie snapped. She rubbed her hands together. Red XIII turned and cocked his head at her. "You think I haven't thought of that?" the ninja said with a wink. "You just watch this: you're gonna love it!"

"Ah, quit complaining, sour-puss!" Yuffie snapped. She rubbed her hands together. Red XIII turned and cocked his head at her. "You think I haven't thought of that?" she said with a wink. "You just watch this: you're gonna love it!"

The hound watched as Yuffie walked over to the nearest catapult, where Cait was tugging at the rope to pull it back into position. After helping him to secure the catapult's head, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a ball of red materia.

Cait leaned over and looked at the red materia curiously. His ears twitched with interest. "Isn't that the Shiva materia? Didn't Tifa have that one?" He looked up at her accusingly.

Yuffie's face was perfectly innocent. "What of it? She doesn't need it right now, and we do. Just get ready to pull the rope."

Cait shook his head and grabbed the rope. He watched as Yuffie reached behind her, presumably scratching her back. She then placed her hands over the catapult sack, one on top of the other, with the Shiva materia between them. She closed her eyes and concentrated. The Shiva materia began to glow and the air around her became crisp and cold. Her breath came out in cold puffs of steam and more icy clouds were beginning to rise from the materia in her hand.

"Get ready," whispered Yuffie, her eyelids half-closed. The white light of the materia intensified, and the clouds began to form tiny, floating shards of ice. Yuffie watched closely as the light grew brighter. "Wait… Now!" She pulled her hands back sharply.

Cait pulled on the rope. The head was released, and the sack swept up the growing ice shards and propelled them into the air. The ice took form as it rose; shaping itself into the beautiful ice maiden that was Shiva. Acting on the silent commands passed on to her by Yuffie at the moment of summoning, Shiva spread her arms out in front of her and called forth a giant wall of ice. The ice was shaped like an upturned bowl and descended rapidly on the soldiers, falling with a loud roar.

Once more the general raised his arm. He fired three mako shells at the ice bowl. They hit the bowl with such intensity that the ice shattered like glass. The general lowered his arm and watched with satisfaction as the broken shards fell to the ground like rain. The smile then left his face s he saw the true source of the roaring noise appear from behind the bowl, ready to strike.

Behind the ice bowl was Leviathan. The water dragon burst out from where he had been hiding behind the ice, along with a giant torrent of water that had appeared when he was summoned. The roaring noise had been the water forming and striking the bowl of ice. Now that the ice had been cracked the water had been unleashed, and was hurtling towards the enemy.

The general started to order his men to brace themselves, but the command came too late. The water slammed into the ground with more force than the mako shells, tearing up the very earth as it plunged down the mountainside. Leviathan roared; a terrible roar that pierced the ears of all who were within range. The water fell over the soldiers and swept them off their feet.

The Shinra commander braced himself as the water struck. The strength of the current was incredible. It tore over him and around him. The weight of the battle suit kept it firmly on the ground, but he could feel the suit strain against the intense pressure. Through the rippling current he could see Leviathan slither past, unfazed by the current. For a brief second the general caught Leviathan's eye. The intensity of the dragon's eyes was just as strong as that of the water. The dragon swam so close that he brushed past the suit, almost knocking the general off his feet.

The dragon swam up and out of the water, rising back into the sky. The water rose after him, following him up into the air. The dragon swam in an upward spiral, and the water copied like a shadow, swirling and churning, and moving faster and faster as the dragon rose. Light began to sweep down the dragon's body, covering his body in pure white light. The water dragon screeched and then vanished. At the same time the pressure of the rising water intensified and the water exploded, sending showers of water falling over the mountain.

Yuffie twirled the Leviathan materia in her hands along with the Shiva materia. She had a smug smile on her face. The water fell over her and the materia, sliding down her face and arms. It slicked down the materia, and the droplets that fell on the Shiva materia froze into place. Yuffie placed both materia back into her pouch.

"Well, that's the Shinra army dealt with," she said cheerfully, turning back to face the others. "I'll leave the rest up to you." She grinned. "Don't mess it up, okay?"

The general was the only one left standing on the battlefield. The rest of his army had been carried off by the water and now lay scattered across the mountainside. Some soldiers had been thrown from the mountain entirely, and now lay injured or worse on the darkened land surrounding the mountain; helpless prey for the hungry fiends that were prowling the land. The general, realising that he was now fighting alone turned his attention back to the fort.

The rebels were on the move again. Filled with renewed vigour, they charged back down the mountain towards him, ignoring the slick ground beneath their feet.

Acting quickly, the general raised his arm and fired two mako shells at the rebels. They dodged the shells and carried on moving, even as the shells exploded and made the earth tremble. Red XIII leaped over a large rock and pulled ahead of the others, his sharp teeth bared and glinting in the light.

The general tried to fire a third shot, but as he tried the suit's arm made a loud popping and clinking noise and refused to fire. He looked down, and his eyes opened wide in horror. There was a long, deep gash in the battle suit's metal plating, cutting right through the arm and exposing the electrical cables and mako pipes that powered the arm. Electricity crackled from the exposed area.

The general stared at the damage. When had this happened? He had been at the back of the army the whole time, well out of range of any attacks! Then he remembered Leviathan. The water dragon had brushed past him when the water had covered the mountainside. The scales that covered the dragon's body were stronger than diamond, and had cut through the suit as though it was paper.

His attention was drawn back to the battle as he heard Red XIII roar. Quickly the general raised his other arm to shield his face as the hound leaped up at him. Red XIII latched himself onto the general's arm and clamped his powerful jaws around the metal plating that covered his lower arm. In anger the general swung his arm, but Red XIII had a firm grip and was refusing to relinquish it. The general then began to hit the hound on the head with his other arm, delivering powerful, painful blows in an attempt to force the hound to let go. After a few brutal hits, Red XIII lost his grip on the battle suit's arm. He yelped as the general gave him another hard strike to the shoulder and then tossed him aside.

There came the sound of a gunshot, and a bullet pinged off his shoulder. Vincent jumped overhead and fired more shots that zipped past and bounced off his armour. The general turned and raised his arm to shield his face from the gunshots. As he turned he saw a blur of movement through the corner of his eye. Cid was standing just behind him, swinging his spear in an attempt to knock him off balance.

The general stepped back and ducked as low as the suit could manage. The spear swept over him, missing him by just an inch. Without pausing the general lunged forward and up, bringing his clenched fist up to connect with Cid's unguarded chest. Cid cried out in pain as he was picked up and thrown back by the force of the punch. He landed on the dirt and skidded until he finally stopped, winded.

"Cid!"

Barret roared in anger and used his gun-arm to unleash a relentless attack at the Shinra general. The bullets clanged and pinged off the armour, denting the metal plating but never quite piercing it. He continued to fire, unyielding, keeping the soldier on his guard.

Vincent landed on a rock and turned to face the Shinra general. Resting his gun on his forearm, he took aim and fired. The shot hit the suit's damaged arm, and the metal plating split apart. The plates fell away from the suit, leaving the general's arm and the mako plates exposed and vulnerable. The general started to lower his arm and as he did Vincent another shot. The shot landed right in the gash made by Leviathan, going right through the metal and the general's arm beneath it.

The general cried out in pain and staggered back, clutching at his injured arm. Smoke was billowing from the mechanics, and mako was leaking from the damaged pipes, mixed with the soldier's blood. Desperate and outraged, the soldier started to run towards Cid.

He did not get very far before Red XIII was on him. The hound leaped onto his back and closed his jaws around what would have been the soldier's neck if he had not been wearing the suit. The sudden appearance of the hound caught the general off guard and he staggered forward.

Cid was back on his feet and, as the general lurched forward, he picked up his spear and thrust it out in front of him. The spearhead jammed into the gap between the suit's waist and torso plates. Red XIII relinquished his grip and leaped off as Cid pulled on the spear and lifted the general off the ground. Sweat poured down Cid's brow as he strained with the weight.

Caught on the end of the spear, the Shinra commander was completely helpless. He struggled, trying to dislodge the spear from his armour, but the suit's weight kept him in place. Cid pulled the spear up and over, and on its descending arc he pushed with all his strength. The suit finally came away from the spear and the general was thrown into the side of a large jutting rock. Cid readied his spear and started to run forward, ready to end it.

"Hold it! This guy's mine!"

Cid stopped as Barret charged past him, swinging his great, muscular arms. He caught the general just as he was trying to stand up. He slammed his gun-arm into the visor protecting the commander's face, smashing it to pieces. He then swung his good fist, landing a devastating punch to the soldier's unshielded face.

The general staggered back, his vision blurred by the blood that poured down his face. He tried to raise a fist to strike back, but one more punch from Barret and the soldier was out for the count. He fell to the dirt, out cold. The battle was over at last.

Seeing the Shinra commander lying harmlessly on the floor, Cait Sith left his place by the fort and ran down the mountain to join Cid and the others. He ran past them and went over to the unconscious commander and clambered onto the battle suit. He opened a hatch in the suit's chest and, after a rummage, pulled out a small, flashing electronic device filled with mako. He jumped off the suit and faced the others.

"This is the control unit for the battle suit," he explained. He pushed a button on the unit, and the lights went out. "Without this, that suit is harmless." The cat grinned.

"YES! We did it!"

The lookout was almost leaping with joy. Cid and the others all stood, exhausted, inside the hut. They were a little worse for wear. They were covered in scratches and wet from the water, smeared with dirt and worn out from the lengthy battle. The remnants of the Shinra army: those soldiers who had managed to gather themselves together and return to the battlefield, had quickly fled when they saw their commander, stripped of his battle suit, lying tied up at the foot of the mountain. They had even forgotten to take their commander with them. Even though Cid and the others were exhausted, the people of Fort Condor were ready for celebration.

"That was wonderful!" the lookout continued. He had a large smile on his face, and he clapped his large hands loudly. "Thank you! I doubt Shinra will attack now."

Cid took a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped his forehead. It came back damp. Every muscle in his body ached with fatigue. Every movement sent wracking pain throughout his body. He was looking forward to returning to the Highwind and taking a long, refreshing shower, and then a long sleep. Unfortunately, some part of his brain told me that he was going to have little time to do either.

Still beaming, the lookout turned back to the window and looked out at the condor. The giant bird had stayed on top of the reactor throughout the entire battle, guarding its single egg, which was nested on top of the reactor. Unfazed by the actions of the humans below it, the condor had remained asleep during the battle. The lookout leaned against the wooden frame and looked up at the condor.

Suddenly, the lookout's eyes opened wide. "A, arrggh……" he choked.

The condor was still there, sleeping peacefully on top of the reactor, with its giant wings half unfolded and shielding its egg from the garish light of Meteor. The egg was sat upright, nestled in its resting place. The egg was coloured unusual shades of violet, brown and cream, and emitted an unearthly glow.

As those inside the hut watched, a strong breeze began to blow outside. It swept aside the white clouds that dotted the sky, and a thick blanket of black clouds moved in to take their place. A dark shadow fell over the mountain and Fort Condor, until the only light that remained was the glow coming from the condor's egg.

A crack appeared on the surface of the egg. The crack splintered and spread, growing larger and larger. Flakes of the shell began to float into the air through some unknown power. Still the condor slept, unaware.

The cracks spread until they reached the bottom of the shell. At this point a bright white light burst from inside the shell, expanding until it covered the whole of the reactor. The light thinned and changed hue, forming a glowing sphere of violet light.

What remained of the broken egg suddenly erupted into flames; flames that engulfed the roof of the reactor within seconds. The flames also swept up the chest of the condor, and it was at this the condor finally awakened, screeching in pain. The flames grew and grew until they filled the light sphere, swirling round and round, powered by an unknown force.

A black shadow emerged from amongst the swirling flames. The shadow swirled within the sphere and started to take form. The form was that of a bird: a large bird with giant, flaming wings. The flames of the fire flickered and danced around the shadow, which flashed once and then vanished. The sphere of light dissipated, and the flames inside spread out into the air and then faded into nothing. The dark clouds that covered the sky also vanished, and the white clouds returned to the blue sky. The condor also turned to its sleeping state, and silence returned to the valley.

Suddenly the condor raised its giant head and screeched painfully. It lost its grip on its perch and tumbled backward. It fell from the reactor and landed on the dirt below. The impact of its large body on the mountain made the whole fort shake, and a cloud of dust rose into the air. The motionless condor then slid down the side of the mountain. The final shards of the condor's egg fell away, and its contents glowed in the sunshine.

The lookout gripped the edge of the window frame, leaning out as far as he could. "Th, that light just now……" His voice was shaky, startled by the sight he had just witnessed. "The condor…… the eggs…… What!?" He shook his head and turned to Cid. "Would you go outside and see what it was?"

Cid was too tired to argue with him. He left the others and went out onto the mountaintop again. Following the markers that were signposted along the reactor, he went up to the top where the condor had made its nest.

Pieces of the broken shell were scattered across the roof. Even though the place had been torched by flames, nothing seemed to have been burned. Sitting in the middle of the egg was a baby condor. Like its mother, it was much larger than the average condor, far bigger than Cid and his friends put together. The baby bird looked around the rooftop, then opened its beak and squawked hungrily. Cid felt sorry for it. The chick was unaware that its mother now lay at the foot of the mountain, out cold or possibly even dead. He hoped it was the former.

As he watched the baby condor, a bright glint caught his eye. Cid lowered his gaze and looked at the ground a few feet from the condor's nest.

Lying on the ground was a ball of materia. It must have tumbled from the nest when the egg cracked open, maybe even caused it. It was red materia, summon materia. Cid went over to it and picked it up. It was hot to the touch, almost burning, but even as Cid held it he could feel the strength return to his tired limbs. Steam rose from the scratches on his arms, and they started to heal. Cid stared at his arms, and then down at the materia. What kind of materia was this?

Inside the materia's smooth surface, the image of a bird flickered past. Cid recognised the bird instantly. It was a well-known bird, popular in old folklore. It was a phoenix, a bird of fire whose flames could both heal and destroy. In this instance the materia had destroyed the shell that had contained it, engulfing the reactor in flames. But those flames had not burned anything else, and healed Cid's wounds when he picked it up. It was a very rare and very powerful materia.

A high-pitched screech caused Cid to return his attention to the chick. The pilot watched as the baby condor spread its wings, which were large even though it was just a baby. He watched, astounded, as the newborn flapped its wings and rose out of its nest. These were no ordinary condors, to be able to fly so soon after being born. He watched as the chick flew once around the nest and then turned to the northern skies, flying off to find a new home.

Cid returned to the hut, holding the Phoenix materia in his hands. It was cooling down now. The others were waiting for him inside. They had also seen the baby condor, from the open window. The lookout was still peering out at the now empty spot where the condors used to be.

"Gone…" he breathed. He lowered his head. Cid had a feeling that the lookout was more taken aback by the sight of the condor falling, and the birth of its chick, than he was by anything else he had seen that day. After a few moments the look out raised his head and faced Cid, his face solemn. "Be sure to report to my father, too," he said, and then returned to looking out the window, silent.

The old man was still sitting at the table down below, continuing to nurse his mug of steaming tea. Cid and the others wondered if he had been sat there the whole time, even while the battle was going on outside. He looked up as Cid and his friends approached, and a wide smile spread on his face.

"Everyone, thanks," he said, the gratitude showing in his eyes. "I really mean it. Thanks. Although there isn't anything we can give you, we'll make sure you can stop in and stay any time, so be sure to drop by. Yes, yes, and there's one thing I forgot to tell you…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Huge Materia.

Cid looked down at it. "Huh? What's this?" he asked.

Vincent's eyes opened wide in recognition. "This is……"

"Damn, man, it's Huge Materia," said Barret.

They all looked down at the Huge Materia. It was coloured a deep crimson. No light seemed to shine within its crystalline surface; it was as dark as blood.

The smile on the old man's face grew wider. "The truth is, this is the materia inside the reactor."

Cid looked at the old man and then at the Huge Materia. He looked at the old man again. "What the hell did we fight for?" he demanded accusingly.

The old man held out the Huge Materia. Vincent stepped forward and took it from him, holding it carefully in his hands. "We weren't protectin' the reactor," he said, "we were protectin' the condors. When that reactor was built, they forced us to help. That's how we knew what was inside the reactor. I knew this day would come, so after the Shinra left, I sneaked in and took the materia. I didn't mean to fool you, but I guess that's how it ended up. I'm really sorry."

Cid scratched his head. "Just forget about it. Anyway, we're still alive."

"I see," the old man said. He stared thoughtfully into his mug. "If you put it that way…… we're really grateful."

The pilot gave the old man a pat on the shoulder, and then turned to Cait Sith, who was back on his Mog, still holding the control unit. "So the last Huge Materia that Shinra's after's in the underwater reactor in Junon."

"We must get there before them and stop them!" said Red XIII.

"But you know," Cid said, scratching his chin, "Shinra's probably on high alert since we always mess with 'em." He scratched his chin a moment more, before facing the others. "How 'bout we take a break and go see that little fella for a bit?"

Barret crossed his arms. "You mus' mean Cloud……"

Cid nodded. "Yeah, I'm worried 'bout Tifa; she may have collapsed takin' care of the guy. How 'bout checkin' on 'em?" Before anyone could answer, he raised a fist. "Down to Mideel!"

A Note from the Authoress

And that concludes my least favourite part of the game, and possibly one of the longest battle scenes I have written to date. I am amazed I managed to write that much. I hope everyone liked it; I was worried that my playing with this section would drift too far from the game. I also tried to add a little more magic and summons for you.