33. Fire And Rain
Reno couldn't find neither Rude or Tseng anywhere. He wasn't too worried, though – they could take care of themselves. But it meant that after Reeve scurried off with a suspicious look and Scarlet left with Heidegger in tow, it was only him and Rufus in the room. Reno didn't mind the new President, but it didn't mean that they had a whole lot of things to talk about. In any case, Rufus just sat in his big swivel chair and stared at the patterns on the desk as if they might tell him something ingenious. After a few moments of silence, Reno got bored. Outside the rain was falling and leaving scars on the glass. Reno wished he could hear the sound. The world might end today, no later than – say, five o' clock – and if it did, this would be the last rain he ever saw and he couldn't even hear it properly. What a bummer. It struck him as funny, though, that he could estimate the time of the End of the World. He didn't realize he was grinning until Rufus finally broke the silence.
"What's so funny?"
"What?" Reno started. "Oh, nothing, sir, just –" He opened his mouth to explain the hilarity of a scheduled apocalypse, but what came out was something completely different. "The sound of rain."
Rufus finally tore his eyes away from the desk and looked at him, strangely.
"The glass is soundproof," he said.
"Exactly." Reno didn't feel like explaining, so he turned his head toward the window again. Rufus was right – it really was completely soundproof. Reno felt it was strange to watch a war with no sounds. He turned to Rufus.
"The fight's started. Weapon is here."
Rufus sat up straighter in his chair, anxiety rolling off him like a smoke. "And the SOLDIERS?"
"They're here too. Fighting. Or – trying to fight." Reno stuck his face closer to the window, but his breath fogged up the glass. Was that – "Tseng and Elena… and Rude, they're fighting, too."
It was far away, and the people were like tiny ants scurrying about pitifully by the raging hulk of the Weapon, but Reno could make out Elena's platinum blond hair and Rude's sunglasses. If he died, Reno thought, or if he didn't but still the world ended, Rude would have died with his sunglasses on – in rain. Reno started to grin but it didn't quite reach his lips. If he died, if they died – heartbeats, quicker. Reno screwed up his eyes and glared at the three little ants wearing the Turk uniform. Elena fell, skidded a few meters back on the road wet with rainfall. He wanted to watch them more closely but couldn't get close enough. His breath made hazy clouds on the glass. He wondered what he was doing here. Here – never mind that he had to protect the President; never mind that his electric rod would be useless in the rain. He had to be out there. Fighting. Because if the world was going to end –
He wheeled around to face Rufus. "Sir –"
But before Reno could say anything else, Rufus spoke first. "Reno, what's happening?"
Reno gulped down what he was going to say. It didn't matter anyway – not if the world was going to end. He peered out the window again.
"They're still… fighting, but it's not enough. It's not gonna be…"
When, again soundlessly, a bright light exploded in his face. Reno blinked. The outside didn't feel real. More like a scene from one of those ancient silent films. Reno recognized the airship in the air, dropping explosives like fireflies on the Weapon. It roared – it must have – and tried to reach it with its giant hand, but the airship craftily maneuvered out of its reach every time. Reno knew who must be flying it.
"It's the Highwind."
"What?" Rufus leaned forward, looking confused. Reno felt like laughing.
"It's the Highwind, they're bombing the Weapon."
"Is it… working?"
"Looks like, yes sir." He wondered if he dared to be impudent, and then wondered if he cared. "Good thing we didn't kill him."
"What? Oh… yes. I suppose." Rufus looked a little uncomfortable. Reno decided to count that as a win. He looked out again just in time to see the big Weapon utter its last groan – Reno supplied the sound with his own imagination – and fall limp. He looked for the little dots and was relieved to find that they were still standing. Well, Elena was sitting. He really did laugh, this time.
"They did it. We won."
"That's good." Rufus slumped back in his chair. Reno knew it wasn't the end, though. They had to actually get inside the broken barrier and face Sephiroth. Maim or kill him. Rufus was planning on sending the SOLDIERS, the whole lot of them, but many were wounded in the fight with Weapon. It looked like Rufus was worrying about the same thing.
"Do you think the SOLDIERS would be able to fight Sephiroth? If they started now…"
"They wouldn't get there before five o' clock."
"What's five o' clock?" Rufus frowned.
"Nothing. I don't think they'd make it in time, and even if they did, I don't think they'd be in a shape to fight Sephiroth. We need an airship."
"We don't have an airship. Weapon destroyed the last one."
"There's one floating right there." Reno pointed outside the window. Even from where the President was sitting, the tail of the Highwind must be visible.
"But it's… you think they'd let us borrow it?" Rufus looked doubtful. Knowing Captain Cid, Reno thought probably not. But as always – he had a brilliant solution.
"We don't have to, sir. Strife and his minions – what are they after?"
"Oh." Realization dawned on Rufus's face, wearing an uncomfortable color. "Well, that's…"
A shrill beep interrupted them. The speaker came to life with a crackle, followed by Scarlet's frantic voice.
"Sir! Are you there?"
"Yes, Scarlet. What's the matter?" The air electrified with tension again, so soon after it had left it.
"We have a problem with the cannon, sir! The reactor's output is increasing all by itself and I can't fix it!"
"What do you mean you can't fix it?"
"I'm locked out. Someone's switched it to mainframe operation."
"So it can only be manipulated manually?" Reno asked.
"Yes. You have to physically be there, at the cannon. Who is this?"
Reno didn't bother answering. He looked at Rufus, and the President nodded. "Go."
"Will you be alright, sir?"
"It doesn't matter. Go, Reno."
Reno nodded and sprang out the door. The elevator was out – the power was cut during the chaos. He hadn't run more than a few set of staircases, though, when he almost ran straight into Reeve.
"Where are you flurrying to?" Reno asked after they both stabilized again.
"I heard! Did you hear about the reactor?" Reeve sputtered. Reno nodded.
"Yeah, I'm going to the cannon to fix it,"
"It's no use. The way is blocked."
"What?"
"Sector Eight is blocked by buildings and fallen beams that Weapon destroyed – you can't get in."
"Damn." Reno muttered. "We need an airship. If only…" He looked through the small window in the hallway, at the white sky that was crowded with Meteor and the Highwind, dotted with rain like Christmas decorations. Reeve followed his gaze. His face morphed into a stunned expression.
"Oh," he said. "An airship. I am so stupi –" He fumbled for his phone inside his jacket pocket and almost ripped the fabric in the process. Reno watched him punch in a set of numbers that he must have memorized by heart. The receiver picked up only after three or four rings.
"Hello? My name is Reeve Tuesti. I… we need your help." Reeve paused, and looked at Reno with an expression that looked like guilt. "Uh, who am I? That's a good question… I'm, well. I'm Cait Sith."
The name was familiar from somewhere. Reno raised his eyebrows when he remembered where.
"Reeve, you crafty old man." Reno commented when Reeve hung up.
"It's not that. It's… I'm their friend now." Reeve protested. Reno only grinned.
"Whatever you say. So they're coming?"
"They're going straight down to Sector Eight with parachutes."
"I like the spirit." Reno said. "Well, I should get back to Mr. President. He…"
He couldn't finish his sentence. The building started to rumble, and Reeve shrieked as he fell down the stairs. Reno reached for Reeve and tripped; the shaking got worse. First the ground came up to meet his shoulder, then his head collided with something hard – as blackness swallowed every sound and movement, he wondered what he was going to say in the first place. He thought it sucked that he didn't even have proper last words, and fell into the darkness.
- L.
"Will it even work? In the rain?" Barret looked at the dangling parachutes that Yuffie was tying around her waist. She shot a dirty look at him.
"I'm going down anyway. Better than staying in this flying metal… thing."
There were only three parachutes aboard the Highwind. Cloud and Tifa were going, and because she insisted – Yuffie took the last parachute. Cloud met Vincent's eyes, though, and thought he might not need a parachute anyway.
"Okay, we're going." Cloud said. Cid opened the hatch. Wind rushed to beat him in his face, against his arms. He felt his hair flying wildly. Raindrops splattered and sliced his skin, leaving it raw. It was hard to breathe, the air stormed into his nose and mouth like they were running away from the cold rain. Cloud jumped.
The landing wasn't entirely smooth, because the waters had weighed the parachute down. Cloud rolled a couple of times in the dirt, as the parachute landed on top of him like snow. He shook out of it and looked for Tifa and Yuffie. They were both alright, if a little disoriented. Cloud shot a glance at a church that had fallen sideways, blocking the road and sealing the sector off. On top of the church was also the remnants of the Sector Eight Plate. Cloud had seen, aboard the Highwind, Weapon's massive hand smashing over half of the Plate. Thankfully, someone must have evacuated the people just in time – no dead bodies lying around, broken. The Sector Eight Underplate could finally see the sky – rain touched the ground straight from the clouds for the first time in years – but there was no one left to see it.
He untied the parachute and made his way to the tunnel that Cait Sith – someone called Reeve Tuesti – had told them about. Tifa and Yuffie followed. The rain stopped over their heads when they entered the dark tunnel, but wet footsteps echoed all around. Nobody said anything, not even Yuffie. Cloud thought he could feel the nearing End with every cell in his body. It felt like fire, dancing from the inside.
When the tunnel ended, the rain started on them again but he hardly felt the cold. The Great Cannon came into view first. It was gleaming silvery gray with dripping rainwater, sliding and breaking and again falling on its big body.
Beneath the cannon was Hojo.
"Stop it, Hojo." Cloud said. Hojo turned around, his fingers hovering above the wet controls connected to the cannon. His hair was dripping wet, too, hanging in long black locks. Rainwater slid on his spectacles. He paused a little to see who it was, and then broke into a crooked grin. Cloud had always hated that grin – now he remembered why.
"Oh, it's you. My failed experiment." His voice croaked against the sound of the rain. "Actually, I'm actually a little ashamed to have declared you as failed. When you're the only one who's survived."
"Step aside." Cloud said. He found it strange that Hojo's words didn't affect him much anymore. Maybe it was the rain, or the fire inside. Hojo scrunched up his face in a mocking sneer.
"What're you going to do, then, kill me? Let's see what's quicker. My finger, or that monster sword of yours – even if you throw it, I'll be quicker. No," Hojo turned slightly, contemplating the button and his finger hovering just above it. "I have to do this for my son."
"What?" Cloud paused.
"Your what?" Yuffie said in a shrill voice. Hojo didn't look at her.
"Sephiroth will have all the Mako energy he needs. I have to do this…"
"But Midgar will be destroyed. All these people." Cloud said, even though he knew that Hojo didn't care. That he'd stopped caring a long time ago. Maybe when he lost the one real thing he thought he knew. Cloud thought of Lucrecia, wondered if Hojo really had loved her in another lifetime. It didn't matter. It was too late. Cloud saw Yuffie clutching her boomerang, but even that would be too slow to reach him in time. And – and Cloud didn't want to kill him, even though…
"It's not too late, Hojo. You can do the right thing." His words were empty. He wondered if he really meant it. If he only thought he didn't want to kill him, or if he really didn't. Memories were dancing around in his head and exploding in bright lights. The fallen church, the sky. Rain fell over everything.
"You think?" Hojo was laughing. "Watch me."
Cloud started to run, but knew it was useless anyway. Many thoughts flashed across his mind, none of them lasting. He knew Hojo would press the button first, and that cannon will fire – he might get there in time to kill Hojo in spite, but the cannon will overload anyway and kill everyone near Sector Eight. Which meant that this – running at Hojo with his sword raised – would be the last of him, the last moments of his life, and he thought –
That was when there was a gunshot.
Hojo screamed. The bullet had gone through his hand. Hojo's eyes grew wide. "You…" His other hand reached for the button. A second bullet hit his head. Hojo fell, hit the mud and lay still. Blood pooled and then washed away.
Cloud turned his head and saw Vincent, his gun still pointing at the air where Hojo used to be.
"Vincent?" Yuffie gasped. "Where did you come from?" Vincent didn't answer. He lowered his gun slowly, like he was completing a ritual. Cloud looked at him for a moment, but Vincent didn't look back.
Cloud walked to the consoles and pressed the buttons in the order that Reeve had told him. He stepped back, and the cannon fired; not destructively, but enough to break Sephiroth's barrier. Although he had covered his ears, the ringing lingered inside his skull.
"The barrier's broken." Tifa said.
"Yeah, but it's not over." Cloud answered her. His voice sounded strange, distant. "We have to go inside."
"And face Sephiroth." Tifa said, looking over at Cloud. Cloud met her eyes. Her hair slid against her shoulder in a smooth cascade. He remembered a similar day long time ago. Rain had smothered the air then, too. They had played pointless games to pass the time, like counting the raindrops.
"And face Sephiroth." Cloud repeated.
The End, in his veins.