So here they were. After so long, the Farron sisters were reunited but with them stood many others. Strangers that became friends, most of them wronged by someone of power within Shinra. Others spurned by the government of Cocoon. But all brought together by corrupt government and a very powerful madman. Yet they still needed to speak. For now they were simply two ragtag groups occupying a corner of the hotel's lounge with one man glaring daggers at a pinkette woman and two people staring in disbelief at a man with black hair. The tension was beyond palpable.
"So!?" Barret barked at Claire. The only reason he was able to resist firing at her again was the man in the red cape holding his gun-arm back "What's yer fuckin' excuse!?"
"I didn't know they were going to drop the plate." Claire responded quietly.
"Deny, bury, and kill!" Barret roared "That's all you fuckin' Shinra know!"
"Barret-" Serah began gently but the large man turned his burning glare on her. The petite pinkette was silenced instantly.
"And you! Yer fuckin' sister is goddamned SOLDIER freak! Don't ya think you shoulda told at some point ya fuckin' stupid bitch!"
"Hey!" Both Snow and Zack yelled back. Nearly everyone else decided to remain silent during Barret's rage. Claire on the other hand switched from disgraced SOLDIER to offended and protective big sister.
The pink haired SOLDIER marched over to the much larger man, grabbed the collar of his winter shirt and pulled his face down to hers "Listen up you brute." She growled "I was told Avalanche was trying to drop the plate and they were sending a Turk to disarm the bomb. If i had known he was there to set it off, i would have gutted him. Shinra lied to me to help them murder thousands. I'm not happy I helped them and now I'm on your side." As Claire growled her speech and did her best to freeze his soul with her glare as she felt a familiar itch in her mind "And if you ever insult my sister, a civilian you all dragged into this war of yours, again, I will gut you." The itch in her mind deepened Do it a feminine voice with a male voice backing it up said Do it the voices commanded Slice his gut open. Feel the blood pour over your hands. Watch his organs spill out. Revel in holding his life in your hands. Claire forced Barret back, making him have to step back several times to regain his balance. The voices are starting to get to her she realized. Her hand was aching for her gunblade, her muscles ready to strike, her senses anticipating the assault of blood.
A heavy silence fell on the group as they watch Claire and Barret. Both were glaring, neither was moving. Cloud was the one to break the silence "Zack… I saw you die."
Zack gave his signature awkward chuckle in return "Yeah about that. From what I know, some Turks found me and kept me from completely dying. Then they whisked me away to Cocoon because Jihl here owed Tseng a favor." Serah felt her body tense up and freeze as Zack spoke but kept her expression calm "Or so I've been told." Cloud's gaze fell to the floor and he started reaching up to grab the Buster Sword from his back but Zack held out his hand and shook his head "No. It's yours, Cloud. SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair died back on that cliff outside Midgar and you are his legacy."
Barret gave a rumbling sigh and turned to head to his room in the hotel. Cloud left the group next, also heading to the room. Tifa looked at everyone still in this sitting area, glad other people in the hotel stopped looking at them, since the yelling stopped. Most of them looked tense or awkward. Except the woman with the sari. She was lounging in the chair she picked by the gas fireplace looking ready to have a pleasant nap. Possibly already asleep.
"So you two are sisters." Tifa finally said prompting everyone to look over at her, Fang opened one eye "I thought you two were since the Shinra building. I wanted to ask you about it, Serah. I honestly thought you were spying on us for Shinra." Serah gave a sheepish chuckle "I'm glad there are more on our side though."
"Some of PSICOM and the entire Cavalry division are working to take down Shinra and the Sanctum." Jihl commented "Especially now that Rufus is working to make an alliance. His first act was to sell you out." The blonde commander said to Claire, spiking the pinkette's temper again.
"You could have said that sooner." Claire nearly growled in response.
"I thought it would be better to get to a safe location instead of sharing useless information."
"How did you guys get out here?" Cid Highwind asked calmly. Being a former Shinra pilot and only being half invested in this mission to chase down Sephiroth he was only interested in what would make Shinra pay for taking away his dream. People, and hopefully weapons, from Cocoon could be a huge help.
"I commandeered a transport." Jihl stated plainly only partially looking away from the pinkette SOLDIER "It helps to be the commander of PSICOM." Conversation between Jihl and Cid quickly took off and soon they were discussing various military things. Claire decided she needed a drink and the group dissolved.
Serah moved to stick with her sister as they really needed to catch up. At the always open cafe counter in the hotel lounge they got some tea but while Claire was ordering Serah scanned the thin crowd. The usual assortment of tourists from around the world, nothing obviously threatening to their safety but the pink haired spy locked her gaze onto one particular pair. Two young women giggling about something, one with dark hair and the other with copper tresses in slight curls. The rather petite redhead held up her phone in a manner to take a top-down view picture of herself and her friend which allowed Serah to see that the redhead was in fact Cissnei, a Turk unknown to Avalanche, NORA, or the fugitives. She guessed the brunette was one of the other Turk agents from outside her circle. It was difficult for Serah to hide her smile as she turned back to order her tea and wait alongside her sister. Tseng was crafty and most likely, Aerith had a hand in this as well.
The sisters found a table to themselves and talked quietly. Claire repeatedly apologized for slapping Serah in the Shinra building. Serah mentioned she was very close to being caught in the Sector 7 fall with NORA and Avalanche which only made Claire's hatred for Shinra, Turks, and herself grow even more. As the conversation moved forward they summarized their simultaneous journeys with their respective groups and could not help poking fun or making jokes when they talked about the more pleasant times. But when Sephiroth came up, they realized that their encounters happened nearly at the same time even though they were halfway around the world from each other. Neither believed it was coincidence. Sephiroth had become something far more than human to be able to be in multiple places at once. On Serah's side, she felt an ever growing despair in her gut at knowing her sister hated the Turks on a very deep level and being one made Serah feel like she was betraying her sister. It did not help at all that Serah now knew it was Reno that triggered the fall of Sector 7. It was not an order from Tseng, only the president could have authorized such an atrocity.
Their conversation went on for two more hours before they decided to get some sleep.
Darkness stretched on for an eternity in every direction Claire looked yet she did not move. It was peacefully silent in this strange darkness yet it was broken by the distant sound of muffled sobbing. A look around revealed a figure on their knees crying into their hands. Claire walked toward the figure soon seeing that it was a feminine form; nude yet smooth as a mannequin, not even a naval. Her astoundingly long silver hair cascaded down her back and pooled on the ground and seemed to be gently swaying in a non present breeze.
"What's wrong?" Claire asked softly causing the crying woman to look up. Bloodshot eyes with red irises met Claire's mako blue gaze.
"My family…" the woman sobbed "They're all gone… My children have left me…" tears rolled down her cheeks adding to the already present streams "Can you help me? Please?" She begged "I don't want to be alone anymore…"
Claire knelt down in front of the woman "What happened?"
"They took my children…" the woman choked out between sobs "They took them and beat them… Beat and stabbed and drained, and broke them!" She wailed "Then they came for me…" she reached out towards Claire, reaching out for comfort "Please don't leave me alone. I just want a family again…"
Claire looked behind the woman and saw Sephiroth, Angeal, Zack, and Cloud. Then looked back down at the woman begging for comfort.
"Please Claire… please let me reunite with my family…" the woman begged softly.
A silent voice began to scream at her to back away from this crying woman. She could feel the presence of something trying to reach her but was unable to. It was an imposing force yet strangely comforting though it remained just out of sight. Then images of sector seven falling flashed through her mind and she refocused on the woman.
"I'll help." She said as she reached out to help the woman stand.
"You'll what?" She asked between sobs while wiping her eyes.
"I'll help you reunite with your family." Claire reply making the woman smile brightly and begin to sob again.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She lunged forward to embrace Claire, who stood still in the awkward embrace "I'll find some way to repay you! I swear!"
The pinkette chuckled and wrapped her arms around the woman "It's the least I can do."
Zack woke up in a cold sweat and took a look around the room he was sharing with Hope and Sazh. They were still fast asleep and he did not hear anything, besides the faint sounds of a young couple elsewhere in the hotel, and was unable to recall what he was dreaming. After getting up to towel off the sweat he lay back down and listened to the room for a few minutes before drifting off again.
Down in the lounge, Vincent was staring into the gas fireplace when he felt a shift in the air. Something had changed and it was a major yet subtle effect on the world. Deep inside him something stirred as it sensed the change though neither he nor the thing could tell what it was.
Elsewhere in the world Aerith was woken up from an afternoon nap by the deafening cries of the planet. She had to cover her ears while Gran Pulse wailed making her wait to find out what was wrong but she could tell it was not pain causing the cries. It was fear. Something had happened to cause such a profound fear to resonate through the lifestream. She tried to find an answer among the countless voices but none could say what it was. But all knew it was related to the monster.
It was a relatively peaceful night for the combined group that was brought to an abrupt end by Tifa. She went room to room waking everyone up to loudly inform them that Cloud had disappeared during the night. His gear was missing but the Buster Sword waited where the blond had left it the previous evening. Zack hefted the massive blade onto his back and politely asked the two at the reception desk to put his Cavalry sword in the back with other secured valuables. Claire did not miss her friend reaching back to touch the blade frequently and the fleeting sadness and misery passing through his eyes each time his fingers brushed the weapon. She shared the feelings.
What once was a symbol of integrity, honor, and fortitude had become a painful reminder. The Buster Sword had become a kind of grave marker for the kindest of the SOLDIER's and with it memories of happier times for Claire and Zack. Her friend once wielded the Buster Sword with pride to honor his mentor but now… Claire could see that it hurt Zack to wear it. Not only did it serve as the painful reminder of what has happened, it was a solid and heavy testament to his failures that he tried to leave behind when he became a Cavalry soldier. The pinkette wished she could help her friend feel better in any way, even-
Claire gave herself a hard pinch to stop that thought, using her nail to draw blood. With a quick shake of her head to make sure that fog was gone, she refocused on the important tasks at hand.
The combined groups split up to ask around about their blond comrade. They quickly learned that he had borrowed a snowboard and set off further north via the most risky slope near the town just after dawn. Most people in Icicle Inn merely assumed he was looking to have some fun but the group knew better. Jihl made an attempt to commandeer a snow vehicle to get down the mountain slope but was rudely reminded that PSICOM has no power in Icicle Inn due to the Northern Accords.
Nearly an hour later the group rejoined in the middle of town and Fang announced she found a way to get further North. A couple trucks were packing up to deliver supplies to a few houses at the base of Gaea's Cliff. It would be close to an eight hour trip because of the roundabout route the vehicles had to take but it was safe and not much faster than travelling on foot from the bottom of the snowboard trails. Fang also shared that the drivers had helped other potential climbers get to the cliff but rarely have to transport any back, meaning the cliffs around the Northern Cave have claimed many lives over the years and the people of Icicle Inn, and the so called Base Camp, have stopped trying to prevent expeditions. Now they merely provide advice, warnings, and try to retrieve the bodies but the winds are usually too harsh for aircraft. Definitely comforting thoughts for them all, yet onto the trucks they climbed to endure the long drive.
Barret, Snow, and Tifa refused to be in the same truck as Claire, which was understandable. The fugitives from Cocoon stuck together letting Avalanche fill the other truck with the exception of Serah and Vincent. Now that they were reunited and enemies of the government Claire refused to be apart from her little sister. The pinkette SOLDIER had an arm across Serah's shoulders and eyed the mysterious red caped man. He on the other hand seemed to be most interested in Fang, his crimson gaze barely leaving her as they got comfortable.
"Keep starin' at me like that an' I'm gonna get all hot and bothered." Fang teased with a smirk but Vincent only spoke in response.
"There is something off about you." He said plainly.
"Ya got me. I'm actually a man." The huntress said with a laugh in response, making Zack laugh and Sazh groan. Vincent gave no visible reaction and slid his gaze away from her to focus on the window of the covered truck bed they were in.
"Who are you?" Claire asked in her usual harsh tone.
"Vincent Valentine." He answered curtly.
"Where are you from?" The pinkette asked calmly.
"I joined Avalanche in Nibelheim." Hearing that name again sent another pang of hurt through Claire, though she could not figure out why. Vincent had turned his gaze onto the pinkette, noticing the very small change in her expression.
Serah's thoughts drifted back to Nibelheim as well, back to those monsters they encountered. Those Cie'th and their screams. The faces of men, women, and children all twisted into expressions of horror and pain. What could have possibly caused such a change in people? Though Serah did know that everyone that had been living there after the incident were Shinra employees, so what happened? Did anyone in Shinra know about the people? Did they cause it?
"You two were in SOLDIER?" Vincent asked Claire and Zack and both nodded, Claire gave one shallow bow of her head while Zack enthusiastically nodded.
"What of it?" Claire asked back, hostility in her voice.
"It is interesting to me that there are three rogue SOLDIERs currently heading north." Vincent reply blankly. His tone was really grating to Claire, it reminded her heavily of Tseng.
"Why is that interesting?" instinct was screaming at Claire that the mysterious Vincent knew more than he let on.
"One must wonder why Sephiroth would choose to head north to begin with." It was impossible for Claire to detect if that was a misleading statement or what he truly thought.
"Why are you with Avalanche?" Zack asked, trying to change the topic to calm Claire. She was becoming more and more volatile during the last few days.
"To bring vengeance to Hojo. He has much to answer for." Vincent reply.
"D'ya always talk so cryptically?" Fang asked with a smirk.
Vincent turned his crimson gaze onto the woman and merely stared for a few seconds before turning his eyes back to the window.
"Why are you with us, Sazh?" Vincent asked, tone as devoid of of emotion as always.
"The Sanctum has my son. I need to make sure he is safe."
"Wouldn't reporting the location of your comrades be enough to make certain of his and your safety?" Vincent followed up, making Hope, Vanille, and Serah start paying attention. Fang's expression darkened.
"I thought it would. I did report us back in Academia." He confessed. The caped man did not miss the others tensing up "But after what happened on the Palamecia, I know no one is safe from Dysley."
Silence fell on the group and minutes turned into hours. Zack fell asleep making Claire wonder how he could sleep peacefully at a time like this. Though it did make sense to rest and be ready for the inevitable climb. At one point Serah pulled the pink crystal out of a pocket and began to spin in between her fingers. Fang asked about it and Serah explained where she found it which lead to Fang making a joke about raiding a temple but then there was a puff of smoke and the moogle was present.
"Okay. How much weirder are things gonna get?" Sazh asked no one specifically. Zack woke up and joined the others in staring dumbly at the moogle.
The moogle spun in place in the air to look at everyone "Hello, kupo!" It squeaked.
"What are you?" Claire asked.
"It's so cute!" Vanille's accented voice rang out.
"I'm a moogle!" The moogle stated cheerfully.
"Yeah, we know that." Sazh reply "Know but don't believe." He added.
"It's a Cetra creation." Vincent spoke up as he really did not want to go through a repeat introduction "A shapeshifting lesser eidolon that has to be bound to specific people to function."
"So why a moogle?" Zack asked making Serah blush heavily from embarrassment.
"I take the form of the creature my owner adores most, kupo!"
"Backup a second. Lesser eidolon?" Hope asked "We've met the actual Eidolons."
"Kupo!" The moogle adorably growled at Hope "I'm an actual eidolon too! But yeah, I can sense them here with most of you."
"Really?" Claire did not care for the small vermin.
"Kupo!" The moogle once again cheered as it looked at Claire "You have the eidolith of Odin the Knight. He's the leader of the Eidolons, kupo."
"Hang on." Hope interjected "How can you speak our language but the others can't?"
"I learned it from Serah." The moogle answered "The others will learn in time, kupo. And you have Alexander the Unbreakable." The moogle looked to Sazh next "You have Brynhildr the Reaper." Then looking to Zack "You have the Shiva twins, the Duality." Now looking to Vanille "And Hecatoncheir the Destroyer."
"There were six pedestals where we found the eidolons. Which one is missing?" Jihl asked. The moogle turned to her and drooped.
"Kupo…" it whined.
"Which one?" Jihl pressed but the moogle did not respond "Tell us." Jihl snapped making the moogle retreat to Serah.
"Can you please tell us?" Serah asked softly.
"Kupo… Bahamut the Dragon King."
"What happened to him?" Vanille asked.
"He abandoned us with Caius the Eternal kupo."
"Now who is Caius?" Fang asked.
"The immortal guardian of the seeress Yeul, kupo. She was reborn with every generation."
"Ha!" Zack shouted "I knew he was real!"
"Just how many legends are actually true…" Hope said to himself "Do you know where Caius is?"
"Kupo…" the moogle lamented while shaking its head "I've been locked away in place of the White Materia for five hundred years." Serah figured out in that moment where the White Materia was hiding. Aerith had it. It was her lucky useless materia.
"I know who has the White Materia!" Serah announced, she had everyone's attention "Aerith has it!"
"What?" Zack was ripped out of his triumphant mood "You know Aerith?"
"She was travelling with Avalanche." Serah said with a smile but lost the happy expression when she realized what she was going to have to explain next.
"What happened to her?" Zack asked with a dark and sad tone.
"She was wounded by Sephiroth. Snow's friends, Team NORA, stayed behind with her." Serah explained.
Before Zack could press Serah for more information Vincent spoke up "Sephiroth stabbed her and left her paralyzed on purpose. I suppose it is fortunate he was unaware of her having the White Materia."
"Where is she now?" Zack asked trying to remain calm but Claire could detect the tears trying to fight their way out of him.
"We don't know." Serah answered "But she is in good hands."
"As long as she is safe." Zack reply "Thank you."
The truck came to a stop and not a minute later the doors of the bed were opened to reveal howling wind, biting cold, and the light of dusk. The driver offered to help everyone get out but only Vanille and Serah accepted. Avalanche was grouped up across the dug out road between two large buildings and Gaea's Cliff could be seen beyond them with thick clouds obscuring the top. Two groups rejoined and some shared greetings letting the fugitive group, plus two, see Nanaki who was seemingly unperturbed by the climate. Nanaki was the one to point out that one building was marked Lodge and the other was Storage. Tifa was the first into the lodge and immediately asked about Cloud relaying the information about the lodge proprietor, Holzoff, not having seen the man. The group agreed to take shifts watching for for Cloud through the night but the plan was shot down by Vincent saying he would stay up and keep watch. There was nearly enough beds for the group, three short to be exact, so a few people had to double up in the beds. Claire and Serah, Fang and Vanille, as well as Zack and Hope all offered to double up in beds.
The morning brought them to the base of the cliff. They towered over the terrain and continued up into the clouds making them all the more formidable. The group gathered all their climbing ropes and tied lifelines to each other until the entire group was bound together with ten feet of slack between everyone with the exception of Nanaki, he said he would free climb just fine and help lead. Before they began the climb Jihl pointed out that if Snow or Barret were to fall they would pull everyone down with them and in response the Cocoon fugitives pulled out the crystals from the eidolons and shattered them to summon the Cetra constructs, startling Avalanche. After a brief explanation the climb began with the eidolons to either side and Alexander below to assist. Mog, as Serah had taken to calling it, fluttered next to Serah and the Shiva's flew around the group mostly keeping an eye on them. Hecatoncheir and its many arms were the greatest help with the climb and was helping them make very fast progress.
After the first three hours of climbing the group began finding the remains of previous expeditions. They all had been expecting to find frozen corpses but that is not exactly what they found. The first frozen remains were clearly mutilated bodies, hardly anything more than frozen shreds of meat and clothes. Second was a torn open backpack with a long since frozen solid flag planted in it. Next had to be dug out of the snow and was a man next to a charred pile, froze to death while trying to heat up. There was a lengthy break before the fourth remains and Nanaki was waiting for them on the ledge.
As they climbed up the animal said as a warning "These cliffs seep evil." And the group agreed when they crested the ledge.
It is an outcropping big enough for a small campsite which there is remains of. Two tents, both open and shielding the corpses from the snow allowing all to see the remains within. In one tent was a man with a climbing pickaxe lodged deep in his head and another with a crushed skull. The other tent held one lone body, a woman with her neck sliced down to the bone and sliced open clothes. Fang blocked the sight from Vanille while Jihl gasped in shock and Serah heaved while turning away. Vincent wandered closer to investigate and Claire stood with the others and wondered what happened. Her question was answered by a voice on the wind.
Trespassers...
"My god." Barret commented.
"What the fuck…" Cid spoke for everyone.
"Let's keep moving." Vincent stated, same tone as always "No time or reason to mourn these strangers."
No one argued with Vincent this time. Partly due to not wanting to be around these bodies and mostly because Vincent was in the same outfit as when he was met in Nibelheim and yet no frostbite or even discomfort due to cold. He was truly the most freaky of the bunch.
As they climbed higher and higher up the rocks and ice the air became increasingly thin and the light eventually began to fade. They knew they would have to make camp but nowhere seemed suitable on the cliffs. Until the eidolons intervened. The humans heard cracking and sundering of stone and tracked the sound to below them, finding a large stone platform that was not there before. Nanaki was the first back down on the platform to investigate and reported up that Alexander was below holding it up. Both Shiva's hands began to glow and a wall of ice formed on the platform to shield from the wind and snow. Brynhildr created a fire for the humans and then eyes of all the eidolons stopped glowing as they went dormant for the night. The group gathered inside the extra large ice shelter for one of the calmest nights of the journey. Many of them truly believed that soon it would be over.
Morning brought a surprise for the group. Sunshine and calm winds. It was still freezing but they were not going to be snowblind for the day. They thanked the fact they were on the south face of Gaea's Cliff so they would have light all day. The eidolons eyes started glowing again as the group began climbing again. Alexander dissolved the stone platform and started climbing with the rest of them. As the sun began to set they got close to the top and wanted to push on. When the light faded the noticed green light shining from over the peaks. They crested the cliffs and stared in awe, the northern mountain range was a ring and right in the center was a massive geyser of pure lifestream swirling around into the sky like an upside down tornado. Everyone was exhausted from the climbing but determined, however, Zack was adamant about making camp to rest up to ensure they were ready to face Sephiroth. Tifa was getting increasingly worried and depressed about Cloud.
Sleep was difficult that evening. The bright green light of the lifestream geyser was no help and neither was their altitude. The eidolons did what they could to help the humans sleep but there was only so much that could be done to fight the elements. When morning came around it was a slow start to the day but everyone was ready to finish this mission. The climb down was much easier than the climb up, the eidolons rarely had to help. Eventually the ground sloped from vertical to a relatively gentle angle down towards the geyser though the ground was still incredibly perilous and the temperature steadily increased. Ravines and gaping fissures ran through the ground leaving narrow paths in some areas. As they hit the seeming bottom of the area the temperature had reached a tolerable level and forced the group to ditch their winter gear leaving them in their usual clothes. The eidolons were forced to be dismissed as their presence threatened the structural integrity of the narrow paths. Winds grew harsh as they got closer to the swirling geyser. Just outside the geyser a sight of blond hair met them and Tifa was sprinting past the others.
She knelt beside the prone man "Cloud!" The martial artist called while lifting the man into her lap and shaking him "Cloud wake up!" his SOLDIER blue eyes opened slowly and he hauled himself to his feet, first looking at the approaching group then turning to Tifa. He was perfectly fine, which was a physical impossibility.
"Liar." He said in an uncharacteristically confident and accusing voice.
"Cloud." Zack called to his friend.
"Deceiver." Cloud reply while glaring at Zack.
"What are you saying? What happened?" Tifa's voice cracked and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"He witnessed the truth." The voice of their enemy rang out drawing their attention "I revealed to him the truth you tried to hide."
"What truth?" Zack asked the air but was drowned out by Tifa shouting to the wind.
"What are you talking about!?" Sephiroth appeared before them after Tifa's cry.
"The truth of Nibelheim. The truth his closest friend was aware of the entire time and yet said nothing." Sephiroth smiled at Tifa then turned his unblinking green stare on Zack "The truth you are hiding from a close comrade."
"You bastard!" Tifa shouted and ran at the silver haired monster but was thrown back by an unseen force.
"Nibleheim burned because you two," Sephiroth pointed at Zack and Claire "Disregarded your duty. Such an insult to your mentor."
In an instant Claire was hit with the memories of Nibelheim. Every minute they spent in the mountain town from when they arrived to seeing the Shinra trooper boots before she passed out and slipped into a four year coma. Her vision slid over to Zack, the man wearing an expression of guilt. He had known. His memory of the events was intact. He knew what happened, every detail, and never told her. It was leverage. Some kind of sick blackmail to manipulate her. Zack played his part of a goof very well but in truth he was just as bad as a Shinra snake.
"And after everything, when you had the chance to make Genesis pay for being the catalyst in the downfall of SOLDIER, you let him live for a childish wish." Sephiroth had been talking but Claire missed the first part. All that mattered to her was Genesis is possibly still alive. Zack let him live.
Rage boiled up within Claire. Her muscles tensed, her breathing quickened, and her jaw clenched. She could feel herself trembling with pent up raw visceral rage. But then something in her mind clicked and the rage was gone. Now she felt calm but ready. People were talking, Sephiroth was going on about something, but it all sounded like she was listening to them from underwater. Sephiroth laughed to himself and vanished. The others talked for a while but that did not matter, Claire knew what she was going to do. After this mission to stop Sephiroth, she was going to kill Zack and then she would track down Genesis and destroy him. A simple death was too good for that man.
"Fang. Give me the Black Materia." Claire ordered.
"Uh, Ligh'? Remember wha' ya said when ya gave it to me?" The huntress questioned.
"Yes, I do. But I can fight it long enough to use the ultimate weapon to destroy Sephiroth." Her blue gaze met her sister's similar colored eyes "Quick and painless." Those words were meant as a reassurance for her sister that their father would not suffer from madness any longer.
Fang relinquished the sinister orb to her party leader and opted to follow her into what was certainly Hell. Cloud refused to move from the spot he stood and roughly refuted Tifa's attempts to reach him. Together with fracturing trust and confidence, the group ventured into the caves within the geyser. An amalgamation of bad feelings washed over many of them as green tinted fog blocked out the sky and eventually the way back. Deep in her heart, Serah knew something bad was going to happen.
Just arriving above the mountain range, outside the geyser were two very different airships. One from Shinra dubbed Highwind and the other from Cocoon bearing no name but a symbol unique to Sanctum Templar. Their presence only allowed by the lack of extreme weather.
Its finally here. Hope you all enjoy it. Let me know if anything needs a touch up.
Please leave a Review.
