Final Fantasy VII [3rd Instalment]

Emerald Princess of Vernea

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Whatcha gonna do, Cloud?" asked Barret. "Got any good ideas?"

The companions were back on the Highwind. The airship was flying low over the shores of the northern continent, while they spent some time thinking about where to go first. Cloud stood by the window watching the waves as they broke on the sand. He didn't know where to begin. 'A place even sunlight can't reach is where the key is'. What place was like that? Perhaps it was in a cave, or under the ground, or even under the ocean. More importantly, what did this key look like?

The ocean… That reminded Cloud of something else that they still needed to collect. The Huge Materia—from the Underwater Reactor at Junon—should still be in the Shinra sub. They were forced to leave it at the bottom of the ocean when they had to hurry to Junon Airport to stop the airship carrying the last piece from leaving. They never had a chance to go back and collect it, and since the attack on Meteor had failed it was unlikely that Shinra had bothered to go down and get it.

So he instructed the Highwind's crew to head south, to Junon. Cait reported that Shinra's presence there was down to a minimum, and so they did not bother to hide the Highwind this time. They landed the airship right in the open, by the alcove where they had hidden the Shinra submarine that they captured. Thankfully, the sub was exactly where they had left it. Leaving the crew in charge of the airship, they boarded the sub and headed down into the ocean.

It did not take them long to find the submarine—twenty minutes at most. As they had expected, the sub lay undisturbed at the bottom of the ocean. It was nestled in a pile of rocks and would have been invisible if it did not stick out like a sore red thumb among the grey and lifeless rocks around it.

They could not help but wince when they saw the damage they had caused. There were two large holes in the side of the submarine where the torpedoes had ripped through the engines. The hatch on the top of the submarine had broken open when it crashed into the rock, which would make their retrieval of the Huge Materia an easier task. All power in the sub had long since died, leaving the vessel eerie and dark.

Sitting in the pilot seat, Cloud brought their submarine to a stop ten metres from the vessel. Its dark, lifeless image filled the screen. "So this is the Leader Sub…" he said. Looking at the charred, black metal, he grimaced. "Damn… makes me sick just thinking about it."

He guided the submarine forward, bringing it around so that it floated just above the open hatch of the sunken ship. The inside of the sub was pitch black except for a tiny glow—that was their target. Tifa, sitting at the left-hand console, activated the submarine's retrieval program.

There was a hum from below as the hatch opened in the belly of their sub. A metallic claw and arm descended and disappeared inside the sunken submarine. A few moments later it rose again, with the Huge Materia resting snugly in the claw's fingers. Once the arm was back inside their sub the hatch closed, and the onboard computer beeped as it made its analysis of their prize.

"…Huge Materia recovered…" the computer announced once its analysis was complete. "No damage appears to have been sustained…"

"…Phew…" said Cloud with a sigh. "That's good to hear."

Vincent and Cait left the bridge to retrieve the Huge Materia. Cloud figured they would place it with the other three pieces once they had finished what they needed to do in the Forgotten City and took Bugenhagen home to Cosmo Canyon. Until then they would have to keep it with them.

Tifa slipped the sonar headphones off her head and turned in her chair to look at Cloud. "So what now?" she asked. "Have you had any ideas?"

Cloud sat back in his chair, his fingers drumming absently against the arm. In truth, he had not been able to come up with a single idea. The key was probably hidden in a cave, but they didn't have the time to travel to every cave in the world. For a moment Cloud had a nasty thought that the key was hidden in the Temple of the Ancients. If that was the case, then it was gone forever, and all would be lost.

During their flight to Junon he had cornered Cait and asked him for his thoughts, but the cat had said he did not know either. All of Shinra's files on the Ancients were closely protected and very few had access. Someone in his position, Cait had said, would not be able to gain access to them. Still, the cat promised that he would try, and that he would let Cloud know if he found out anything.

"Well… I have an idea…"

Cloud turned in his chair. The cat must have some sixth sense, he thought, for he had no sooner thought of Cait before he re-entered the room, with Vincent behind him. In the cat's paws was the last of the Huge Materia. It was at least half the size of him and must have been heavy, but the cat carried it without difficulty and took it over to Cloud. The swordsman took it from him, looked at it for a moment, and then placed it gently in his lap.

"You said you had an idea," he prompted.

The cat tilted his head, confused. "Huh? Oh, aye, that…"

He turned and climbed up onto an empty chair so the others could see him better. Finding the chair a little uncomfortable, the cat tried to soften the leather by pushing down on it with his paws. Cid tapped his spear impatiently on the floor as they waited for the cat to finish.

Once he was sat comfortably, the cat turned to look up at his friends, smiling.

"Well, this is just a rumour," he began, "but I heard that there is a cave somewhere on the western continent that can only be reached by a submarine, or a Chocobo that can cross mountains. It was discovered quite a long time ago by a professor who was doing intensive research into the mysteries of the planet."

"Really?" asked Tifa curiously. "Who was that?"

Cait scratched his chin. "I don't know. His name has been… erased from the records. I'm sure that someone like Heidegger or Scarlet or even Hojo would know. But," he added quickly, before anyone could interrupt, "what I do know is that this cave has been closely linked to the planet and the Cetra. And a cave is a place that sunlight can't reach. Perhaps the 'key' is there."

Cid raised an eyebrow. "You really think it's there?"

"It's a place to start," the cat replied with a shrug. "However, since we don't have a Chocobo handy, the only way we can get to this cave is by using this sub."

Tifa turned to Cloud. "What do you think, Cloud?" she asked.

The swordsman did not reply right away. He looked down at the Huge Materia he held in his hands, turning it over slowly. It wasn't that he did not trust Cait's information, but there was something in the manner that the cat had suddenly offered this information that made him feel a little uneasy. Even so, he couldn't deny the plausibility in Cait's argument. If this cave was linked to the Ancients in some way, then it was certainly worth checking.

"All right," he said finally. "We'll go there first. Do you know the way?"

"When have I ever let you down?" said the cat cheerfully, rising to his feet. He patted his chest. "You drive the sub and I'll lead the way! Now then, away we go!"

Cait's directions were right on the mark. He led them to an underwater tunnel that was partially hidden in the walls of the tall ocean cliffs that bordered the western continent. The wall of one of the cliffs was almost covering the entrance, making it easy to miss. It was only by chance they spotted it when a fish appeared to disappear behind the wall. They turned the sub around and entered the tunnel.

It was narrow inside the tunnel, at least in the beginning. It widened out after about ten metres, giving them room to move. The lamps on the front of the sub lit up the darkness of the tunnel, meaning they could move without fear of slamming into the walls. Still, it was very dark, and so they slowed down and moved cautiously.

The tunnel generally moved in a straight line, heading deep beneath the western continent. After a couple of miles the tunnel made a gentle curve to move further and further away from the ocean.

Just when they thought that the tunnel was never going to end, a light appeared in the distance. It was a small, faint light that grew brighter as they approached it. Realising that this light was, in fact, sunlight, they picked up the pace and hurried towards the tunnel exit.

The tunnel came out at the bottom of a large lake in the middle of a beautiful valley. The valley was surrounded on all sides by mountains so tall and treacherous that, like Cait said, it would have been impossible to reach it on foot. Only by traversing the underwater tunnels like they did, or by riding on a Chocobo that could ride through mountains, could anybody reach it.

The valley itself was beautiful; another of those rare places where Shinra's influence had not reached. The grass grew freely all over the valley, thick and vibrant, with no traces of blackness or decay. The air did not have the choking scent of machinery, but was clean, crisp and refreshing. It was not hard to see why the researcher who had discovered this place felt that it was connected to the planet. The wonders of the planet were around them in abundance.

They docked the airship as close to the shore of the lake as they could, before climbing out and jumping down into the water. The water was cool and revitalising, and incredibly clear.

The cave that Cait had spoken of was on the western part of the clearing. It was hidden behind a large waterfall that spilled out of a gap between two rising cliffs; in fact they almost missed it during their search. It was Yuffie who found it, as she ran barefoot through the water with Red XIII, trying to splash him with water. When she saw it she stopped and called the others over, and together they entered the cave.

It was very dark inside the cave. The waterfall blocked out most of the sunlight, and it wasn't long before they were walking in what was almost total darkness. Their hopes rose as they thought that maybe this was the place that the riddle had spoken of. The deeper they went into the cave the quieter the roar of the waterfall became, until it was nothing more than a dull roar in the background. The only other sound was their footsteps, echoing quietly around them.

After a few minutes walking down a lengthy passageway, the cave widened out into a cavern. The companions piled in and then stopped, looking around in awe.

Their eyes were immediately drawn to a great crystal edifice at the far end of the cave. It rested silently in the middle of a large, shallow pool, with numerous branches growing out in all directions around a single pillar in the centre. The whole crystal structure was glistening as though covered with a thin film of water, and shimmered with an unearthly white light. Tiny droplets of water dripped from the edge of the 'branches'; the only things to disturb the stillness of the pool.

The companions separated and spread out, examining the rest of the cave. They had no idea what exactly they were looking for. If this was the cave the riddle had spoken of, then they should find something that resembled a 'key' somewhere.

While the others searched under rocks and dug about in crevices, Vincent walked slowly along the edge of the pool. He raised his eyes and looked up at the crystal. The aura of light that the crystal emitted was the only light in the whole cavern. He stood watching it for a moment, before he turned to help the others with the search.

"Vincent…"

Vincent stopped; his head snapped around. "That voice?" The gunman turned back to the crystal, his eyes wide. "It can't be…"

Vincent turned and looked over his shoulder. The others were still looking about the cave; it didn't seem as though they had heard the voice. Vincent returned his attention to the crystal. The voice had come from that crystal, of that he was sure. He gazed up at it curiously.

Something moved within the crystal. Vincent started to reach for his gun but was stopped as a bright light suddenly erupted from the crystal and filled the cavern. The others, their attention drawn by this sudden burst of light, cried out and covered their eyes. Only Vincent stood firm, staring directly into the light.

A silhouette flickered over the crystal. The shadow then descended leisurely onto the surface of the pool and settled there. The light then receded, revealing a woman who had until then been sleeping unseen within the confines of the crystal. The woman knelt on the pool's surface, head lowered, staring into the water.

Upon seeing this woman, a wave of chill darkness almost overcame him. Black spots danced in front of his eyes, and his legs turned to jelly. Fighting to stay conscious, the gunman closed his hand tightly around his gun. The pain of the metal digging into his flesh fought back the faintness and brought back some semblance of coherence to his startled mind. When he spoke, his voice was dry and harsh.

"Lucrecia…?"

The woman stirred at the sound of his voice. She knelt at the foot of the crystal, bathed in its white light. She was clothed in a long, white dress made out of silk. It fitted smoothly around her slender form, falling in gentle folds around her ankles. Hearing Vincent's voice, she raised her head. She had a smooth, beautiful face, and a head of long brown hair that was tied up in a long ponytail, though some loose strands fell elegantly around her face. Her dark brown eyes gazed up at Vincent in confusion, as though he was not really there.

"Vincent…?"

"Lucrecia!"

Vincent could not believe his eyes. It was her. It was Lucrecia… She was alive! His heart racing, he headed towards the pool.

The woman's eyes cleared. She saw Vincent approaching her. Suddenly, her face twisted in pain and grief. She tore her eyes away from him and thrust her hand out in front of her, to stop him from getting close.

"Stay back!" she shouted.

It had been many long years since he and Lucrecia first met. It was about thirty years, in fact, though neither of them looked even a day older than they did then. That was all thanks to Shinra and their secret experiments, though Vincent would not learn the true depth of those experiments for another few years, when the truth of the days he'd spent with Lucrecia and Professor Hojo came to light.

In those days, Vincent Valentine had been a member of the Turks. He had been sent to Shinra Manor in Nibelheim to be the bodyguard of one of Shinra's young but brilliant scientists: Dr Lucrecia Crescent.

Dr Crescent had been stationed in Nibelheim alongside Professor Gast and Professor Hojo, aiding them with their research on the planet and the Ancients. Vincent had not known the full content of their research, only that it involved the study of an Ancient that had been discovered on the northern continent. The specimen had been brought from the northern continent and stored at the mako reactor at Mt. Nibel for safe-keeping, though that knowledge had been carefully kept from the townspeople.

Those old days brought back many memories. Watching as Professors Gast and Hojo, along with Lucrecia, walked up to Shinra Manor that was the base of all their research. In time, as he and Lucrecia grew to know one another, they would take regular walks through the town and admire the beautiful landscape. Lucrecia would talk often about her work, her theories, anything that came into her mind. Vincent, in turn, would listen to her talk, taking in every word.

It was only natural that he would come to love her. Lucrecia bright and intelligent, and so kind in her ways that falling in love with her was almost inevitable. She always greeted him with a smile and when they spoke she always looked directly into his eyes. In his heart Vincent was thankful to Shinra that he had been assigned to protect her. He wanted to carry on protecting her… always.

One day, he finally made up his mind to tell her that. He approached her and, plucking up every ounce of courage he had, he asked for her hand.

The reaction he received was not what he expected. Lucrecia's face, always full of smiles and laughter, suddenly shattered like glass. Tears came into her eyes and rolled unchecked down her cheeks. Without saying a word she turned and ran from him, crying and shaking her head. Vincent did not go after her. He simply watched, confused by her tears, as Lucrecia ran as fast as she could away from him.

He saw Lucrecia again that very same day. She had been by the town entrance with Professor Hojo, though neither seemed to be aware that Vincent was nearby. As Vincent watched, Lucrecia suddenly fell into the professor's arms, holding him close. Hojo, in turn, put his arms around her, a smile on his face. Vincent stood and watched them for a moment, before he turned and walked away.

"If she is happy then… I don't mind."

Unbeknownst to Vincent, Lucrecia was not happy. Torn apart by her decisions, she spent many hours pacing in her room at Nibelheim Inn. She would stop only to grab her head with her hands, tug at her hair, and cry to herself. Yet despite her pain she would always return to Hojo's side, her face cold, and her eyes flat like glass.

It was on one such day, when Hojo and Lucrecia were together in the professor's office, that Vincent confronted them. He had heard from one of the other researchers staying at the Manor that Hojo and Lucrecia were going to use the cells of the Ancient stored at the mako reactor in a human experiment: one that would create a human with the extraordinary powers of the Ancients. Professor Hojo, he'd heard, had drawn up the plans for that experiment. And that Dr Crescent—Lucrecia—had offered herself to be the mother of that child.

"I'm against it!" Vincent at shouted at the two. "Why experiment on humans!"

Lucrecia remained silent; she refused to even look at him. Professor Hojo, on the other hand, sighed heavily and spoke as though he was speaking to a child. "She and I are both scientists!" he said.

Vincent had argued long and hard, but his words fell on deaf ears. Professor Hojo refused to listen to him. Even Lucrecia stubbornly refused to listen, determined to continue with the experiment regardless of the risks, or what Vincent or anyone else said to try and stop her. She was sure, she had said…

In the end, the experiment went ahead. Vincent did nothing else to try and talk Lucrecia out of it. He simply stood by and watched as Professor Hojo and Lucrecia worked to gather the required cells from Jenova, the Ancient that lay sleeping in the mako reactor. Once the cells were ready, those cells were injected into Lucrecia… and into her unborn child.

"After that, a child was born to Lucrecia… That child's name is… Sephiroth…"

It happened a few days after the birth of her child. Lucrecia was alone in her room at the Inn. She was pacing the room as she always did, her face carrying that worn, weary look that had become customary in the months leading up to her child's birth. She crossed the room and headed to the window to look out at the town.

Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain ripped through her lower abdomen. Lucrecia cried out and fell to her knees, clutching at her stomach. The pain was intense, burning. She tried to stand, but her strength gave out and she fell facedown onto the wooden floor. There she lay, twitching, before her body became still and she moved no more.

When Vincent heard what had happened, he was livid. He confronted Hojo in his lab, demanding that he answer for what he did to Lucrecia. Hojo, in his temper, drew out a gun and shot Vincent in the chest. The Turk staggered back, startled, and then fell to the ground. Hojo stood over him, the gun still in his hand, laughing triumphantly.

Shortly afterward, Professor Hojo had Vincent's unconscious body strapped to a table. The wound in his shoulder was bad, but luckily for him it was not fatal. Hojo stood at his side, hard at work, with a scalpel in his hand. There was a wicked smile on the professor's face as he worked, picking up a syringe and slowly injecting its contents into the wounded Turk's left arm. Putting it down, the professor picked up a second, and injected the contents of that one also.

Vincent came to a few hours later. He was alone in the laboratory; Professor Hojo had gone. The Turk sat up slowly. A wave of dizziness and nausea overcame him as he moved, and put his hand to his head. He waited until the dizziness passed before he climbed off the table, standing on his two feet. His legs wobbled, and he almost found himself on the floor again. In an attempt to keep himself from falling, he reached out to grab hold of the table.

Suddenly, Vincent stopped and stared down at his hand. Feeling suddenly cold, the Turk raised his other hand and looked at that, too. It was the same. His hands were strange, bizarre… inhuman.

Unable to fight the rising panic, the Turk raised his arms into the air. "Urrrrrrrrgh!" he cried, his voice garbled and monstrous. That was the last thing he remembered, before his vision went dark once more.

"This body is… the punishment that's been given to me… I was unable… to stop them… All that I was able to do was watch… That is my punishment…"

Vincent stopped a few feet from the edge of the pool. Seeing that he had stopped, Lucrecia slowly lowered her hand. She brought it close to her chest, resting it over her heart. Her face was marked by sorrow and anguish, which only increased when she raised her eyes and looked up at Vincent, standing before her.

Though Cloud and the others now stood around him, awestruck by Lucrecia's sudden appearance, Vincent did not pay them any heed. All of his thoughts, his feelings… they were all on the woman who knelt before him now. The woman he had thought to be dead all of this time… Lucrecia Crescent.

"Lucrecia…" he breathed, in wonder. "You're alive…"

Lucrecia's eyes filled again as she heard Vincent speak her name. She clasped her fingers tightly in the folds of her dress and looked away from him, full of shame.

"I wanted to disappear…" she said softly. "I couldn't be with anyone… I wanted to die… But the Jenova inside me wouldn't let me die…"

Lucrecia paused and took a shaky breath. Vincent watched her in silence, unable to say a word. Even the others, standing around him, were perfectly silent.

When she had recovered her composure, Lucrecia continued. "Lately, I dream a lot about Sephiroth… My dear, dear child. Ever since he was born I never got to hold him, even once… Not even once. You can't call me his mother… That…" she said, after a moment's hesitation, "is my sin…"

Her voice broke, and she raised her fingers to her lips as she fought back a sob. Vincent took a step towards her, thinking to console her. Seeing him move, Lucrecia quickly thrust out her hand again.

"Back!" she shouted. "Stay back!"

Vincent did as he was told and stopped, right at the edge of the pool. The tip of his boots touched the water, sending a small, minor ripple across its surface. Lucrecia caught sight of the movement and watched silently as that ripple moved past her knees, stopping at the edge of the crystal. Her fingers ceased trembling. Carefully, she rose to her feet, standing just above the surface of the pool. Finally she raised her head without fear and looked Vincent in his red eyes.

"Vincent…" she said. "Won't you please tell me?"

Vincent looked back at her, confused. "…What?"

"If Sephiroth is still alive?" Lucrecia took a half-step forward, and her feet made another ripple in the pool's surface, heading for Vincent. "I heard that he died five years ago. But I see him in my dreams so often… And I know that physically, like myself, he can't die so easily. Please, Vincent," she begged. "Tell me…"

Vincent did not answer straight away. Behind him, Cloud stepped forward, preparing to tell her the truth about her 'dear child'.

Seeing Cloud move, Vincent turned and thrust out his arm. Cloud stopped in his tracks and stared at the gunman in surprise. Vincent's eyes were firm, their message clear. It was he and he alone who could answer Lucrecia. It was up to him to tell her what she needed to hear… so that she would be able to rest in peace.

Vincent lowered his arm and turned back to Lucrecia. She looked back at him with her face in earnest, her eyes filled with tears.

"Lucrecia…" He paused. He looked directly into her eyes, his face impassive. "Sephiroth is dead…"

As Vincent said those words, Lucrecia's face fell. She looked down into the water. A single, solitary tear rolled down her cheek. It dripped off her chin and splashed into the water, creating another ripple.

A gentle white light radiated from the crystal behind her. The light wrapped itself around Lucrecia's body, drawing her into it. When the light faded Lucrecia was inside the crystal once more. Her hands were clasped gently over her chest and her eyes were closed, as though in sleep.

Vincent gazed up at the crystal, his eyes on Lucrecia. Unable to die, she had said… because of the Jenova cells living inside her. That was why she had sealed herself away here, in the crystal cavern, where nobody else could find her.

Her dreams of Sephiroth were also caused by the Jenova cells inside her. The Reunion… As Sephiroth called out from the Lifestream to all those bearing Jenova's cells, he also woke Lucrecia from her long sleep. Only the crystal protected her, and so she believed that her visions of him were simply dreams.

And it was lucky for her that she did. To see what her son had become, and the things that he had done… Vincent was thankful she had been spared that pain, at least. Now it was up to him—and his friends—to make sure that those dreams ended.

With that thought firmly in his mind, Vincent turned and walked out of the cavern. He did not look back. He couldn't—not until he confronted Professor Hojo and made him pay for what he had done to Lucrecia. Only then would he come back here to see Lucrecia again.

The others waited a moment before following him. They were startled by what they had just seen, but were also a little disappointed, for this meant that the key was not here after all. They would have to come up with something else.

Cloud was the last to leave. He stopped at the entrance and took one last look at the crystal where Lucrecia slept. So this was Lucrecia, the woman that Vincent had loved, and the woman who had given birth to Sephiroth.

Yet it was Jenova whom Sephiroth claimed as his mother, not Lucrecia. That was thanks to the Jenova cells that had been implanted into both Lucrecia and Sephiroth, before his birth. Cloud had to wonder… did Sephiroth even know about Lucrecia? Or had her name been carefully stricken from the records, as was Shinra's way?

He heard Tifa's voice, calling his name. Cloud turned from the crystal and ran down the tunnel to catch up to his friends. It did not matter who Sephiroth's parents were. In fact, seeing Lucrecia only gave them another reason to find him and stop him from doing harm to anybody else.

The others were waiting for him by the cave entrance. Vincent stood a little ways apart from them, looking out at the valley that surrounded the cave. He looked troubled and deep in thought, but that was not surprising considering what he had just seen. Until now, he had believed Lucrecia to be dead. Many thoughts were likely running through his head right now. It was probably a good idea to leave Vincent alone for a while, and let him sort out his feelings by himself.

Cloud walked forward and gave Vincent a pat on the shoulder before he headed off along the shore, back to where they had docked the sub. Vincent looked at Cloud as he walked away, before he gave a slight nod of his head and followed him.

The sub was just as they had left it, although it had had attracted a few feathery friends that sat perched on top of it. They chased the birds away and reluctantly climbed back inside the sub. They were more than a little subdued when they took their seats on the bridge, because they had yet to find any clues to the whereabouts of the key, and also because they already missed the warmth of the sunlight.

Once Cloud had submerged the sub and guided it back into the dark tunnel, Cid spoke out.

"Well, that sure was a waste of time," he moaned. "Not even a key." He leaned against the wall; pulled out a cigarette. "So where next?"

No one answered right away. They all looked at the floor, waiting for someone to come up with an answer.

Cloud sighed heavily. It was true: they had come all this way across the ocean, and they had found no clues as to where the key might be. He wished they'd had a chance to ask Lucrecia, but that was impossible now. It really did seem that they had come all this way for nothing.

Cait Sith was sitting on the edge of the console beside Cid. He drummed his fingers lightly on the side of his megaphone and tilted his head left to right. Finally he nodded his head and looked up. "Well…" he began, a little hesitantly. "I don't know where we might go to look next… But… since we're down here…"

"I knew it." Cloud brought the sub to a stop in the middle of the tunnel and turned his chair around to face the cat. His eyes narrowed. "I knew there was another reason you wanted us to come all this way. It had nothing to do with the cave."

"That's not true!" the cat protested, looking hurt. "I really did think there might be a clue there. It's just that while we're here, there is a place I'd really like to check out. You see, I heard that one of our airships crashed and sank somewhere near here, and I just wanted to see if that was true."

"Just your general curiosity?" asked Barret, sceptical.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know," said Yuffie, fiddling with her boot.

Cid rubbed his temple. "It's killin' me, and I ain't no cat!" he grumbled.

"Curiosity aside, I think it might be worth us checking out," Cait insisted. "Remember: this is a Shinra airship. And I heard Scarlet had put some special items on that airship. We might be able to find something that we can put to use."

Everybody on the sub looked at Cloud, waiting for his decision. Seeing that it was going to be him who made this decision, Cloud sighed again.

He wanted to go back to the Forgotten City, to see if Bugenhagen had managed to translate any more of the Ancients' writing. That would mean going all the way back to the eastern continent and getting back on their airship. They would be wasting more valuable time just traveling.

Also, as much as he hated to admit it, Cait had piqued his curiosity about the sunken airship. It would be a very great shame if they were to leave behind anything that could help them in the fights that were to come ahead. It would be more of a shame if Shinra were to retrieve them and use them against Cloud and the others.

Cloud ran a hand through his hair and tugged the end of one of his spikes. It would be wasting more time, he thought, but if there was anything that could help them it would be worth the risk. Curiosity killed the cat…

"We'll check out the airship," he answered finally. Cait jumped for joy. "But we'll just take a quick look. If we can't find anything useful, we leave and go back to the Forgotten City." He looked at the jumping cat. "I assume you know where the airship sank?" he asked. Cait stopped jumping and nodded. "All right, then. Let's go."

The others nodded. If Cloud thought it was okay to check out the airship, then they did, too. Cait jumped off the console and climbed up onto his Mog, smiling broadly.

"You won't regret it, Cloud," he said. "I promise you."

Cloud really hoped that he wouldn't.

A Note from the Authoress

A revised ending, after I decided that the old ending was, well, crap. I really have to stop rushing to get a chapter finished. Once I'm on the last 500 words or so I get eager to finish and upload it, and the result is always sloppy. Well… it's better to realise sloppy work and correct it, rather than go 'I can't be bothered; I'll just let it be.'

Also, I realise there wasn't a waterfall outside Lucrecia's Cave: I just added that to add to the beautiful scenery.