A/N alright guys, I've noticed i have been uploading at the latest of times during the week, ignore Saturday and Sunday and such. To make up for this, i thought since this was an epic part of the story i would make an extended chapter, 11,000 words compared to the normal 5000. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. this doesn't have everyone's viewpoints, but it does show the right perspectives to me.
so without further gilding the lily, and with no more adieu, i give you ch 34 of The Stranger from the Sky!
Ch 34
"Are you sure you're fine, you were exhausted after what happened yesterday." Tifa pestered.
"It has been a long time since I let Hojo's monsters out. I simply need to get accustomed to it." Vincent answered. Tifa wasn't entirely convinced, but he had said he was well enough the next day to keep traveling so the group wouldn't lose time.
"I'm just making sure you're fine."
"I am, no need to persist." Vincent was a little tired of her. He knew she cared for the entire team and was the first to see to injures, but it could only go on for so long before she was doting over everyone.
"It's because she doesn't know how to take your transformations. They are a little threatening Vince," Nathan had pointed out, but Vincent had known that. Ever since his first transformation most of the group would be apprehensive of him afterwards. In time they would fall back in comfort and socialize with him but he would transform again and the cycle would repeat.
"I'm surprised what you have inside you, dude. Do you have to mentally keep all of those things at bay?" Nathan had asked. He was one who didn't fall into the previous situation. Instead of shifting away he would talk to him normally. Vincent had to fight against his Turk instincts when he had that thought. When he began traveling with everyone he would always have his guard up and expect to be used for something, or ordered by Cloud to give him old Shinra secrets then attempt to kill him when he had to transform the first time.
Yet none of those had every happened. Cloud never asked for secrets, no one made attempts to make him their tool or pawn, and Nathan had helped him the first time he had transformed. To be honest it was... comforting.
"If my resolve isn't strong enough then Hojo's pets would use me to kill anything and everything around me."
"How the hell did that crazy fucker get those things in you anyway?" Cid had asked bluntly, earning him a hit from Tifa.
"You don't just up and ask something like that Cid! It's rude!"
"Jeez woman, calm down I'm just wondering." He rubbed the back of his head before acknowledging Vincent again. "I guess you don't have to say anything, like I'll care later."
"When I was... turned into what I was, Hojo found a unique property in my blood." He had started. He didn't know why he had said anything, but it started and he felt he should finish the explanation, having now caught everyone's attention.
"My body had a unique ability to take other genetic information allowing me to copy over myself, thus becoming something different." Everyone had an odd look in their eye.
"So if I gave you my blood you could change into me?" Nathan asked.
"No, it must to be engraved into my genetic structure, not simply injected. Hojo spent months putting in what I have now."
"They don't seem like regular monsters you have inside you." Barret stated, Vincent only nodded.
"The Galian Beast was created from multiple monsters spliced together; Death Gigas was once an attempt to bring a person back using lighting materia as an electrical pulse." Vincent explained.
"But then what was it that you turned into before?" Red asked.
"Hellmasker, if I remember his ramblings he was once human, a serial killer that Hojo had toyed with. The man dealt with hallucinogens to make his victims go insane before killing them. When Hojo was done with him and the rest, he modified me to have their properties." That made everyone in the room shiver.
"Any other nasties we need to worry about?" Barret asked.
"...No, that was all of them."
"You don't believe that I am important?"
Vincent wanted to curse. Chaos had taking it upon itself to speak to him more when he had started traveling. Mocking him for everything wrong in his past and then telling him the future will only be more disappointing. How Sephiroth would kill all of them and he would be free. But as long as the Protomateria held he could breathe easy.
"I am trapped only to prolong this world's fate weakling, yet when you fail then Jenova will bring my arrival much faster."
"I think we are good. Let's head out everyone." Cloud said. Everyone started moving through the previous area and came out onto a ledge. What was odd was that even though they were at the highest point on the Great Glacier there wasn't any wind, in fact it was warmer compared to the rest of the mountain, something that puzzled Vincent.
"The weather is abnormal here." He said out loud.
"Yeah, it was freezing just yesterday, now I barely feel any wind." Yuffie added.
"What is wrong with this mountain?" Nathan asked.
"It's above us." Everyone turned to Aeris who had a far off look in her eyes.
"If we climb higher you'll see." She said. She started going up the short cliff first as everyone followed. Vincent worried about the sudden change in attitude but followed the same. When he reached the top he saw what Aeris meant.
Mako bursting out like a fountain in the middle of the largest crater Vincent had ever seen. Mist surrounded what looked like a large shield of whirlwind, circling the fountain, creating a gigantic pillar of a brilliant glowing green.
"Wow" Cid said, slack jawed and summing up everyone's thoughts.
"That's a lot of Mako." Barret said.
"This is where that object crashed like Holzoff said." Tifa remembered.
"The Planet had to take energy from the Lifestream to heal a wound it got from 2000 years ago." Cloud said.
"That doesn't look like healing to me." Nanaki noted.
"It's for a spell." Again Aeris caught everyone's attention.
"I thought Mako was used for energy?" Yuffie said.
"True, but being pure spirit energy it can also be used as a substitute for someone else's magic reserves." Vincent explained. He now realized what the pillar was.
"Sephiroth is trying to cast Meteor right now." Aeris stated. Everyone seemed to panic.
"So we're fucked now?" Cid asked.
"No, Meteor is a spell that takes more magic than any living thing in this world. It will take a long time for Sephiroth to complete it."
"Then we still have time, we have to keep moving, otherwise the wound won't be so small." Cloud ordered. The group started to slowly descend into the crater.
"Aeris, how do you know what is going on here?" Barret asked while everyone was climbing down. Vincent was curious and he had guessed everyone else was.
"All of this Mako... I can hear all of the voices that are inside of it, being harnessed for such a destructive magic." Aeris said, looking like she wanted to cry.
"Is it like the temple, or the city?" Nate asked.
"No... It's much worse. I don't hear whispers. It's like crying and yelling. The lifestream knows what it's being used for. It doesn't want to be used to kill itself."
"So we will have to stop him here and now. The time to settle things with Sephiroth is now, huh?" Tifa said out loud, as if contemplating something.
"I have lost many things because of Sephiroth... let's go." With some renewed vigor the team continued through the jagged rocks and mist. Vincent was getting more and more unnerved as they journeyed deeper. The experiments on his body with Chaos's tainted Mako made him sensitive to high levels of the resource, and going deeper only put him on edge.
"Using the power of souls long dead, doesn't the idea excite you?"
Vincent shook his head. The higher spirit levels would interact with the Protomateria. Chaos would be speaking to him more.
"Hey look over there." Everyone looked from Cait to a nearby ledge where a familiar cloaked figure had stumbled to. Before anyone could react though, the figure fell over the ledge.
"How the hell did these cronies get this far?" Barret asked.
"Even cannon fodder can get lucky." Nathan muttered. Vincent noticed him walk a little ways over and bend down to the ground. Coming back up, he saw the red orb in his hand.
"I wonder if this was always here, or if he dropped it. I guess I will never know." he mumbled. He pocketed the summons materia and kept moving with everyone else. However, amongst the sound of swirling wind the group started hearing mechanical swishes. Looking up everyone got a view of a large Grey airship.
"Uh guys." Cait said nervously. "Rufus is here."
"I finally found you." Rufus could barely contain his excitement. Nothing could have helped him plan for this.
Hojo had finally told Rufus where Sephiroth would end up, the Northern Crater. Rufus was almost furious thinking that Sephiroth was a whole continent ahead of them. But good news came that the Highwind was actually in working condition with a group of competent pilots. The previous day he boarded the airship along with Scarlet and Heidegger to find him. But when he reached the crater he couldn't believe his eyes. Mako was shooting out of the planet! Plentiful, pure, and untouched by human hands.
They had finally found the Promised Land. After his father invested so much to find the location, Rufus now had the place in the palm of his hands.
"Kyaa hah hah hah! This is incredible." Scarlet said, her eyes completely focused on the sight before her.
"This is the Promised Land the president has been searching for!" Heidegger said. This put Rufus in a slightly sour mood. He turned and gave the large man a glare.
"But, I'll be the one who gets it" Heidegger shrunk back and Rufus turned back to the crater. It was he who got here, not his father. He wouldn't let his deceased father take credit for getting him here. After all, if he never became president, his father would never have made the decisions that led to this.
"Sorry, old man." Rufus said. However behind the three executives was a certain scientist laughing to himself.
"Hee hee hee, that land is no ones." He didn't care about their petty greed for Mako. The crater was important, but for entirely different reasons.
"It's where the Reunion will take place... they will all gather here. I wonder if we'll see Sephiroth?" He contemplated, his toothy smile growing wide on his pale, yet slightly green splotched face.
"Let's go, he will have to find a place to land before he can do anything." Cait said. Everyone complied and started moving out. The cat shook his head while on top of the moogle.
"We need to cross when the wind is calm, otherwise we'll get swept off." Tifa said.
"How can you tell?" Yuffie asked.
"The more wind that is blown, the more Mako is moved in the air. When you can't see it then it's safe." Tifa explained, having already thought out the natural defenses weakness. Sure enough, as the wind died down the green waves started dispersing and everyone crossed, what surprised her was that the wall of wind wasn't that thick. It somehow was concentrated, it was only about twenty or so feet before she couldn't feel the winds. However when she looked ahead she was greeted by a disturbing sight.
An entire line of cloaked figures were slowly traversing the rocky path ahead of them Yet the occasional person would suddenly collapse and stop moving, or continue walking until the just went over a ledge. She could feel her heart break at each one of the people dying.
"The hell is wrong with those idiots?" Barret yelled.
"Hojo is more twisted than I imagined." Red said. Tifa looked over and saw that Aeris was basically in the same state she was in, but she looked more distraught.
"Aeris are you okay?" She asked. Aeris nodded her head a little.
"It's just the closer we get, the clearer I can hear the Lifestream. I'm not used to such clarity since I only heard a few voices at the Ancient city and temple."
"Will you be okay?" Asked Tifa, concerned for her friend.
"I'll be fine; it takes some getting used to." Aeris said. Tifa didn't fully believe her but as long as she thought she was okay than Tifa was fine with it.
Again the group found another wall of wind; however it was stronger and seemed to have an extra wave pass through it.
"Is it magic?" Yuffie asked.
"Probably, just look," Tifa pointed. On the other side of the wall she could clearly see Sephiroth and a few cloaked figures bowing to him.
"Let's go!" Cloud yelled, ignoring the dangerous wind. Tifa and everyone else followed behind and passed the wall. Everyone was tense as Cloud walked behind Sephiroth, sword in hand.
"This is the end... for all of you." In front of everyone he mercilessly cut the two people in front of him, knocking them back off the rocks and into the Lifestream.
"Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled, Tifa looked to see the rage he had built up. She got in her fighting position, ready for anything after seeing the silver haired general take out his minions.
"It's over Sephiroth, it's the end." Tifa said. The man kept his back turned to them.
"You're right...it is the end of this body's usefulness." In front of them, Sephiroth started to turn completely black in color and then vanished right in front of them.
"He just disappeared.?" Barret said, surprised.
"He might still be nearby..." Tifa said, well aware and remembering it wasn't always clear when fighting Sephiroth.
"Our purpose is to bring the Black Materia to our master." A voice said. Everyone circled around and searched for its origin. Looking forward, they saw one of the cloaked figures looking in their direction.
"Our?" Cloud questioned. Tifa was about to respond when the figure spoke again.
"Those who carry Jenova's cells..." That confirmed it for Tifa. Everyone one of these people were ones that had Hojo inject Jenova's cells into them.
"Master?" Cloud said, Tifa knew he was talking to the person now, but when it responded it was almost robotic and devoid of life.
"Of course... Sephiroth... heh heh heh."
"Above us!" Tifa heard Nate yell. Everyone jumped away from their original spots, not a second later Sephiroth had swooped down and slammed his sword into the ground. Tifa got back up quickly but wasn't ready for the new sight in front of her.
Sephiroth started to grow and morph not unlike Vincent but his skin soon became variations of dark purple and black. Soon the large mass of skin took shape and Tifa recognized it as the exact same monster they had fought twice before.
"You know, I'm happy right now, I get to kill this thing a third time!" Barret said, already starting to shoot at the giant mass of flesh. In response the monster had looked at Nate and sent a pulse at him. The attack missed however as Nate didn't take any damage and started moving around with his sword drawn. Aeris had started to cast supporting magic while Cait used his sonic attacks, Cloud hacking at the monster's base with Red assisting him, Vincent with covering fire for Cid, and Yuffie throwing her weapon.
Jenova somehow brushed off the attacks and let loose a red bubble from its mouth towards Red and Cloud. Both were hit and Tifa saw that the bubble burst and had spread what looked like lava onto both of them causing burns to start appearing on their exposed skin.
"Stay away from those!" Cloud yelled, his wounds being ignored as he moved and tried attacking at different angles. Red had come to her for healing. However Nate came up as well and shoved his newest summoning materia to her.
"Nate, you need to cast this." However he didn't respond which confused her. He pointed at Jenova and his mouth making her understand. The pulse attack was a silence spell.
"Nate this is a rocky area we don't have enough room for a summons." He had an angry look on his face before he shoved the materia at her again. Yuffie had jumped back and met them.
"Tifa I need to get healed." She asked. Tifa cast a cure spell and noticed Nate had an odd look in his eye before he grabbed her wrist and made her stop from participating.
"What is it?" Yuffie asked. Nate had turned her and took from her pack another red materia and thrust it to her. Tifa was already skeptical of one summons on the field, but two would endanger everyone of falling off.
"Nate we can't do that." She said. Before she could continue a red flash had suddenly hit the three of them. Tifa was surprised when it actually burned her skin; it was just a flash of light. Yet she looked at her legs and saw some burns on them. But Nate had persisted even after the attack with Yuffie, he was done with her now.
"Fine, Yuffie start casting." Tifa said. The ninja complied and started to focus. Tifa made sure everyone was safe from attacks when she saw Yuffie fall to her knees. She ran up to see her holding her head so she pulled out an ether and gave it to her. While she drank Tifa looked at Nate to see him and his sword ready while he watched the sky. Sure enough the clouds were dark, stormy, and swirling around them.
"What did you cast?" Barret came up to them, using the time to reload.
"I don't know, Nate made me cast it." Yuffie responded. The clouds dispersed when the summons appeared near the ledge. Tifa was completely surprised to see a large dark winged dragon in the skies above them.
"A dragon? We can summon dragons!" Cid said, surprised. Tifa looked at the dragon she knew as Bahamut started to charge a beam of light.
"Everyone get away!" She yelled. Cloud, Red, and Cid got way when the dragon king released its attack. The beam pierced Jenova causing the monster to scream in pain as a good chunk of its body was torn away. Tifa saw the advantage they had when she saw that it wasn't healing well from the summons attack.
"Strike now!" Cloud yelled, having the same plan. But Jenova still had some fight in it and attempted to use its red flash attack. However, because Aeris had cast haste most of the direct line fighters were okay. The only one to really get burned was Nate who had opted to attack now. Cloud got a strike in while Red took more flesh with him in his bites. Barret and Vincent focused on its face. Cait kept his sonic attacks on Jenova while Cid would take jabs with his spear.
After the summons attack Jenova was just too weak to fend off multiple targets. The beast soon started to melt down in front of the team. The screeches from the false Ancient making everyone cringe as it finally bled out and shrunk to death. But as the mass of flesh disintegrated, the whole group was surprised. In the middle was the Black Materia.
"Jenova's cells..." Cloud contemplated. "So that's what this was all about... the Jenova Reunion." This confused Tifa.
"Not Sephiroth? You mean all this time it wasn't Sephiroth we were after?" Cloud shook his head.
"I'll explain later. Right now the only thing I'm thinking about is beating Sephiroth."
"But Sephiroth is..." Tifa tried to think. If all they were fighting were illusions of Sephiroth and just giant masses of Jenova, then what was the point? Where would he be?
"He's here; the real Sephiroth is just beyond here." He pointed forward. Showing everyone would have to go farther into the crater. "It's both cruel and wicked. But it's releasing a powerfully strong will from deep within, the Planet's wound." Cloud walked to the small black orb.
"The Black materia is back in our hands. Now all we have to do is defeat Sephiroth and that will be the end of it."
"We better not take the Black Materia any further. Why don't you give it to someone else to hold onto it?" Tifa suggested. It was a sound idea, but not for obvious reasons. She still remembered how Cloud had simply given it to Sephiroth once before. Even though he was her childhood friend she didn't feel she could risk it.
"Alright then...who's willing?" The only sound Tifa heard from Cloud's request was the wind. She looked to see every last person in the group with a touch of fear on their faces. Even the ever passive Vincent couldn't keep the thought of holding the world's most destructive materia in his hands. Tifa understood though, the person would have to stay behind while everyone else went forward. She looked to Cloud as he sighed, realizing the dilemma as well.
"I'll do it." Tifa's eyes widened when she heard Nathan. The silence spell now gone.
"You seriously want to hold that thing?" Barret asked.
"Nathan you might want to think harder about this." Red said.
"Yeah, even I won't touch that materia." Yuffie added.
"No, someone is going to have to make sure Sephiroth can't use it. No one else is stepping up. I'll do it." He came forward to Cloud, holding out his hand. Cloud went up and placed the materia in Nate's hand and made him cup it with the other.
"Don't give it to ANYONE. We're counting on you Nate." He said seriously.
"I can handle the pressure, you guys go ahead." He said. Tifa noticed a sad look in his eyes. She wanted to console him but they had to move before Sephiroth grew in power.
"Alright Tifa, Barret and myself will go ahead." Cloud said. All of them nodded and the group started moving, leaving Nate and everyone else behind on the rock pad. Tifa took one last look back before she left. Nate smiled and held a thumbs up.
"Don't worry; I am the best guy for the job." Tifa smiled at his now positive demeanor. She ran to catch up with the rest of the group.
"You think the kid's gunna be alright?" Barret asked, Cloud nodded.
"Nate is strong. If he believes he can handle it than I believe in him." Cloud said. Truth be told, he had worried a little when he was the only one to volunteer to guard the materia. But it was both of their choices and they made it.
"Of course he is. Nate won't let a materia scare him" Barret added, although having feared getting the materia himself.
"He knows what's best. You made the right decision Cloud." Tifa said. Cloud nodded and continued leading the group through the whirlwind like maze. They came upon another wind wall which they passed easily. But when they trekked away from it Cloud saw a flash of light, completely clouding his vision with white.
"What is this? What's happening?" Tifa yelled, apparently experiencing the same thing. He heard several similar remarks from Barret before barking out orders.
"Calm down, its Sephiroth. Be prepared for anything." He kept walking and by the sound of the footsteps he knew everyone was following. Eventually the light died down and they were no longer on the rocky ledge. Instead they were at the entrance of Cloud and Tifa's home town. Something that angered Cloud greatly.
"Nibelheim." Tifa said. The words just above a whisper.
"Why Nibelheim? Are you high on Mako or somethin?" Barret said angrily, confused at what was going on. Cloud shook his head.
"It's just an illusion that Sephiroth made to confuse us." For what purpose he didn't know, but Sephiroth would use every dirty trick in the book to keep them away since he couldn't summon his planet destroying meteor now.
"It'll be alright. As long as we know it's an illusion, there is nothing to be afraid of. Keep going" He said, calming the team down.
"Yeah he's right." Barret agreed, still looking perplexed at the sudden change of scenery.
"Look!" Tifa yelled, Cloud turned to see Sephiroth calmly walking to them. He drew his sword and everyone else had their weapons. But Sephiroth just walked past them. He didn't even acknowledge their presence. He then turned to the three figures following behind him.
"Alright, let's go." Sephiroth ordered. The three figures turned out to be Shinra MP's and one person Cloud didn't recognize.
"Isn't that supposed to be you?" Barret asked. Cloud nodded. He couldn't understand why Sephiroth had just switched him with someone else image. What was the point?
"Sephiroth...stop." Cloud turned to Tifa who was wide eyed and actually very scared. Maybe she knew the man and he was messing with her, but why Tifa? It didn't make any sense. What was the goal behind this?
"This is so stupid." Cloud scoffed. The four figures disappeared and the gang was left alone again..
"I don't like this place, I want to leave." Barret added. Cloud nodded and started moving forward. Tifa soon came up to him.
"Cloud... it's just an illusion. Don't worry about it." He raised an eyebrow. Tifa was looking into this too deeply. He was just annoyed at the attempts to mess with his head. Cloud remembered how he was controlled, and this didn't even compare to what happened before.
Another flash of light, and Cloud found himself and everyone else in the middle of a burning Nibelheim. The fires exactly as they were when he was there.
"It's probably not even me who's going to come out of the mansion. He's going to show us another stupid illusion." Sure enough a figure exited out of the Shinra mansion. The same black haired male from before, taking Cloud's place.
"I don't want to... watch this. Cloud... please don't watch." He ignored Tifa, she was falling for Sephiroth's tricks. He needed to calm her down.
"Tifa what's the matter? I told you before right? As long as we know it's an illusion then it can't hurt us." He said.
"Hey are you alright?" Barret went up to the body of one of the fire victims, when he touched him though, Cloud saw his hand pass right through him.
"That's a good trick," Barret said. Cloud shook his head, he had enough of this.
"Sephiroth! I know you're listening. I know what you want to say! That I wasn't at Nibelheim five years ago. That's it, isn't it?"
"So you finally understand." The man said as he appeared in front of everyone, a devilish smile on his face.
"What you are trying to say is that you want to confuse me, right?" He wasn't as confused as he was at the temple, but Sephiroth tried. In Cloud's mind he failed to do so.
"But... even making me see these things won't affect me. I remember it all! The heat of the fire... the pain in my body... and my heart!" He clenched his fist before pointing at the general, who just shook his head.
"Oh is that so? You are just a puppet... you have no heart... and you cannot feel pain. How can there be any meaning in the memory of such a thing." Sephiroth spread his arms emphasizing the scenery.
"What I have shown you is reality. What you remember... THAT is the illusion... do you understand?" Sephiroth asked. Cloud scoffed.
"I don't want to understand." he said, but Cloud got one idea in his head. Something that he needed to ask to make sense of all this. "But I want to ask. Why... why are you doing this?" Sephiroth vanished and appeared in the middle of the group. Everyone jumped away as he laughed.
"Ha, ha, ha... I wanted to take you back to you real self... the one who gave me the Black Materia that day..." His low baritone voice took a deeper tone, amused.
"Who would have ever thought a failed experiment would prove so useful; Hojo would die if he knew." This served to piss Cloud off more.
"Hojo? What does he have to do with me?" Sephiroth ignored Cloud's yell and brushed some hair out of his face.
"Five years ago... you were constructed. Piece by piece, right after Nibelheim was burnt to the ground. A puppet made up of vibrant Jenova cells, her knowledge, and the power of Mako. An incomplete Sephiroth clone, not even given a number... That is your reality." He was made...like those figures? But wasn't complete?
"Cloud, just close your eyes, please just close them." He shook his head.
"Tifa I'm fine, I'm not affected by his lies." But Tifa just persisted.
"You weren't constructed. Remember everything we did together? The memories we shared as kids?"
"Ha ha ha... Tifa." Sephiroth interrupted. "Why are you so worried, and scared by those words? Shall I show everyone what's in your heart?"
"Tifa, I don't like this, what the hell's going on?" Barret said, his voice rising.
"You don't look like you're feeling well." Sephiroth added. Now Cloud couldn't keep back his thoughts. Tifa was so worried... could what Sephiroth was saying... be true?
"Tifa... Sephiroth is lying... right?" She just looked at him, fear in her eyes.
"Cloud..." she whispered. He shook his head; the illusion was getting to her, that was all.
"Tifa don't worry about me, I'm fine. No matter how confused I am I won't fall for his tricks...I mean...its true I can't figure out who I am at times, a lot of things are muddled up in my memories" He was beginning to doubt himself. But he remembered when he saw Tifa at the train station.
"Remember Tifa... you said how long has it been? The train station? Those words will always support me. I'm Cloud, the one you grew up with at Nibelheim. No matter how much I lose faith in myself, that's the truth." To him the words didn't sound so reassuring; he shook himself out of it.
"That's why you shouldn't be scared. No matter what anyone else says to me, it's your attitude that counts."
"No... That's not true...Cloud." This surprised him; after all he said she still didn't believe him? What wasn't the truth? Was she hiding something?
"What's not? Aren't I the same Cloud you grew up with?" She shook her head, doubt clearly on her face.
"That's not what I mean... I just don't know how to say it."
"Cloud please, your scaring her." Barret said.
"Sephiroth please stop this!" Tifa yelled.
"Cloud, don't blame Tifa." They all turned to see Sephiroth on the steps to the upper part of town.
"The ability to change ones looks, voice, and words, is the power of Jenova." Sephiroth pointed at him.
"Jenova's cells merged inside you with Tifa's memories, creating you. Out of Tifa's memory, a boy named Cloud was just a part of them." Sephiroth disappeared again. Cloud couldn't get it out of his head. He had seen Jenova's power first hand... was Sephiroth... actually telling the truth?
"Cloud... don't think right now." Tifa pleaded.
"Cloud I would listen to her, something is wrong." Barret cautioned.
"Ha ha ha! Think Cloud! Oh, I apologize. Hah ha ha. You never had a name."
"Shut up Sephiroth." His head was hurting; all of these thoughts were making him lose his concentration. He looked to see the man with a disappointed look.
"You still don't understand... then... do you remember that picture we took before going to Mt. Nibel? Tifa you remember, right? But there is no way he'd know... now what happened to that picture?" Sephiroth eyed the false body. He walked up to it and to everyone's shock was able to touch the illusion. He searched the dead man's pockets before he took out a small square paper.
"Yes this is it... do you want to see it?"
"Cloud... don't" Tifa said. Cloud ignored her.
"I should be in the picture. Even if I'm not in there it's just an illusion." Sephiroth tossed the photo to Cloud. As he suspected it had the same black haired man in his place, standing next to Tifa and off the side of Sephiroth. The group looked at the picture. The only one to react was Tifa, who looked very distraught.
"A fake... the truth is in my memory. Five years ago I came back to Nibelheim to inspect the reactor. I was sixteen. The town didn't change at all... what did I do?" Cloud started recollecting, these were his memories, he had it all down.
"Oh yeah...I saw mom, I saw the people in the town. I spent the night and went to Mt. Nibel. I was so excited; it was my first mission after becoming a SOLDIER first class." Yeah, it was amazing when he became a SOLDIER, after all, he had to... had to... had... to...
"...SOLDIER, first class?" Cloud kept drawing a blank. "When did I join SOLDIER?" It was there, it had to be...he had entered by... he was made because... he was the best at... why couldn't he remember?
"How did I join SOLDIER? Why can't I remember!" Cloud clench his head in anger, his brain didn't have anything on it... when had he entered... what he had to do... it was all just absent... maybe...
"That's right… I don't have to worry about it... because I was..."
"Cloud?" Tifa interrupted. He turned to her; he felt a sad smile on his face.
"Let's go Tifa... I'm alright." He was only a puppet after all, he couldn't feel anything.
After landing Rufus had found a tunnel that lead to the depths of the crater. Inside he could clearly see crystallized Mako as the foundation for the entire complex.
"This is amazing!" Scarlet ran up, her high heels clicking as she eyed the entire cavern, looking at it from top to bottom.
"It's all materia!" She said, seeing the various colored jewels etched into the walls.
"The outside is rich with Mako energy. The inside is a treasure trove of materia. This truly is the Promised Land." Rufus said, calm but filled with utter satisfaction.
"There is no such thing as the Promised Land. It's a legend... an old wives tale. It's utterly ridiculous." Of course Hojo would try to dispute it. A man of science to the end.
"Everything is as I imagined it to be. Isn't it splendid? It is that kind of dullness that makes you a second rate scientist." Before he could argue more, the cavern started to shake. Rufus almost lost his balance and started to look around.
"What is happening?" He yelled, an equally surprised Scarlet looked at the objects in the walls.
"It's coming from inside the wall! It's moving, something's inside." A single giant eye blinked, almost to prove that something was alive. Rufus was scared now; a giant was stuck inside this place and was trying to get out. Yet he was angry also at Hojo who was simply giggling.
"WEAPON... then it really does exist. I didn't believe in it."
"What does it mean?" Rufus asked, trying to comprehend what was happening.
"WEAPON... monsters created by the Planet. It appears when the Planet is in danger, reducing everything into nothingness. At least that is what was stated in Gast's report."
"I never saw this report? Where is it!" Rufus demanded. He needed to know what these things were, if they were a threat, if they protected the Promised Land. The only thing he got was Hojo tapping his head, a smile on his face.
"Right here." Rufus wasn't amused.
"You keep too many things to yourself Hojo."
So... I have the Black materia now... I can tell why no one wanted the thing. Just holding it I can feel the sinister magic inside of it. I don't get why the Ancients even thought of documenting what it could do. This thing has caused more trouble than it could possibly be worth.
"Nathan, are you okay?" I looked up to see Nanaki looking at me.
"Just thinking about how I'm the only one that should hold this." I said.
"Will your plan work?" He asked. I nodded.
"Sephiroth can only cast illusions now. I know what it's going to be about. And as long as I have you on the outside, I don't have to worry about getting lost." I said, however he didn't seem pleased.
"Then why run away with the materia? Everyone will think you've gone off the deep end." I nodded. That was most likely true.
"Even so, it's the only way I can make sure he can't summon Meteor. Now can you cover me for a short time? I just need five minutes and I should reach the first wind wall"
"Nathan, everyone would worry about you. I know you think you have a good plan. But they would get you and hold you down if you pull this stunt. I know and that's the problem.
"Can't you just ignore the illusion? Just stay put and let it try to convince you?"
"Nanaki even though Sephiroth is going to focus on illusions, it doesn't mean he doesn't have an extra ace up his sleeve. In the game everyone was basically knocked out when the illusion lifted. I doubt that he made images so boring it put everyone to sleep." God damn it.
"Nathan, you need to be calm and concentrate. You can think of something."
"How can I Nanaki? I overlooked one thing in the game, one, and that's you guys are here with me and I am supposed to just run off with the materia. I thought the group ran off and left the one person here! Now I screwed up again... I suck." I can't make a plan worth shit.
"Nate you okay?" I looked over to see Yuffie come up.
"Just a little stressed. Holding the end of the world in my hands right now, all that jazz." I said. Yuffie had a sad look in her eye before she sat next to me.
"Don't be a chicken now; you can do this, it's just one Black orb."
"Yuffie I know for a fact that this is the one materia that you want to be away from. So don't lie to me about it just being an orb."
"Well no one else would take it." She said. I understood, I did wonder why Aeris didn't volunteer though; it's just the temple in a small ball. I looked over to her and saw she had a small pained look on her face.
"Aeris you okay?" I got up, she looked worse than before.
"She's been getting slightly worse over time." Vincent said.
"Just cast a cure spell and be done with it." Cid added. I took out a potion and made her drink it. But she looked exactly the same.
"Aeris, what's wrong?" I shook her; she didn't give me any eye contact. She just clutched her head with her free hand.
"I... can hear it... the Planet... screaming."
"Aeris, it's going to be okay, focus on my voice." I said. It didn't seem to work as she kept mumbling.
"It's too risky... she has to die... they have to be released." Wait... shit she's talking about the WEAPONS.
"Aeris its okay, Jenova and Sephiroth don't have the materia. It's alright." I said, shaking her slightly. She just wouldn't stop.
"Nanaki help me." I asked, I didn't get a response.
"Nanaki please." Again nothing.
"What are you guys..." I turned back to see no one behind me... in fact there was an absence of the rock ledge I was standing on. I look back to see Aeris gone, the same nothingness around me.
"Damn it... too late to do anything." I was caught now. It was only a matter of time before...
"Nate!" Well, speak of the devil's brother and he shall come.
"Tifa." I said neutrally.
"I'm so glad you're here, everyone's waiting up ahead. Cloud's in trouble!" I had to give Sephiroth credit; she looked exactly like Tifa, even showed real emotion.
"I can't leave Tifa, I have to protect the Black Materia." I noticed the world fazed back to normal, sans everyone else.
"Nathan we need back up, everyone is getting hurt. Nanaki is injured." She pleaded. So Sephiroth knew about my friendship with him... what else will he use?
"Tifa I can give you some of my materia, that's it." I said. She grabbed a hold of my arm, surprising me. Either she was solid or that is how good he is.
"We have to leave! Nate don't you care?" She was tearing up.
"You know, in the darkest, sickest, most twisted part of my mind... I'm going to enjoy this." Before she could respond I held up my hand and blew on my fire materia, a flame enveloped Tifa. I heard screaming coming from her for a second before she disappeared.
"Impressive." I heard a very familiar voice behind me. Fusion already drawn I turned and saw Sephiroth not twenty feet from me.
"I must ask, how did you see through it?" I saw he had his sword with him, it could just be a threat.
"I don't need to answer you."
"Very well, it isn't important. What is, is for you to hand over the Black Materia."
" Sorry Sephiroth, but you can't touch me. We got rid of your copy body, and messing up my mind will take quite a lot of energy and time. By then everyone else will figure out something is wrong."
"It is true I can't hold these forever, but you will help deliver the Black Materia."
"You know Sephy I always wondered." I saw the small annoyance in his eyes before walking closer to the rock ledge. "Did you believe you Jenova would kill us this time, is that why you didn't deliver it yourself? Is Cloud your back up plan? I always did wonder why you took the time to play with his mind like you did." He didn't answer; I took it as hitting the nail on the head. I took out the Black Materia and held it over the ledge.
"I could stop all this right now, it would take you years to find this and the world would have more than enough time to eliminate your precious mother and you."
"But you won't." He said matter of factually. Before I could respond he walked a few feet away from me. Suddenly Aeris appeared. "Unless you want her dead." My arm froze for a second before I readied myself.
"You're bluffing." I stated.
"Now why would I? Killing her would please mother... or perhaps your companion." Another one appeared, Nanaki was now lying unconscious in front of me.
"You can't touch them." Even if they were real, he is an illusion. He can't harm anyone.
"Maybe I can, maybe I can't. But would you risk your friend's life? Would you be able to make that decision? The world or a precious person's life?" I knew he was trying to manipulate me, confuse me, I knew Sephiroth damn near in and out. But I wasn't sure. I couldn't know if he had the power or didn't. And I knew I could never make that choice, hell I made sure to avoid it with Aeris before... but now?
"Make your decision quickly." He summoned his sword, it was in the middle of both of them, he was already about to strike.
"Wait." I said. His sword went still. His stone facade cracked with a small grin.
"I won't throw it out... but how can I be sure you won't kill them anyway?" He lifted it.
"You don't...but I suppose since you will all die anyway it won't matter to delay some of your deaths." He said, sure of his success. I walked away from the ledge. At the same time he stepped away from Aeris and Nanaki.
"I still won't do it, you can't make me." I could still hold him off.
"I can't, that's why it is no longer up to you." Almost in a flash he was on me, but having been battling for months now I was able to hold up my sword and block his strike. The same cat like smirk grew wider on him. This wasn't an illusion, he kept his body, we didn't destroy all of him.
"Let's see if you're what mother thought you could be." He made for another slash, I blocked and jumped away, but his speed allowed him to catch up and attack me again. I couldn't get a hit in edgewise, he hit like an anvil, and had the speed to bat at me constantly.
Thinking on my feet I let off a fire spell as he went for another hit. I thought he would dodge but he swept through it, getting a slash on my arm.
"This is it? What did mother see in you?" I ignored him and decided to go directly for my big guns. I channeled my magic through Fusion and let loose an air-slash at him. When it approached he held up his own blade to slice the shock wave away from himself. I took out my Masamune and stabbed it into the ground as he charged again. He went for a slice but with my sword in his way it just swiped the sword, easily breaking it into two, allowing me to get an attack on him, but he reacted fast enough to jump back and for me only to cut his clothing.
"That is it? How can mother even consider you like herself? You're weak, no prowess, even using a cheap imitation... I'm done toying." I held up my sword to parry his own when he went for a jab and disappeared, reappearing on my right and switching to take a hit to my back. Unguarded I felt the full force of it and fell to one knee, holding in my yells.
"Pitiful, the puppet surrounds himself with weaklings and then believes they can help him kill me, the Planet's new god."
"You're nothing more than a puppet yourself." I said, my bitterness getting the better of me.
"How so? I am mother's favorite, I am the strongest in the whole world."
"Do you really think Jenova cares for you? You're just a host, a medium for it to use so it can get what it wants." I saw him narrow his eyes before he flicked his sword, making a deep gash in another part of my body.
"Mother needs me; I am the only one who can help her fulfill her dreams and mine." I spat out some blood.
"Mother... I wonder Sephiroth, do you want to know who your birth mother was?" Another strike to my side, I clenched my teeth before continuing. "Perhaps your father... oh how you would surely hate me then."
"You know nothing of my past." He said coldly, I just smiled.
"You always felt different as a kid... special in a way. You advanced quickly into SOLDIER, becoming the general. People revered you... except two. Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley were two first classes that were considered your friends. Both who were also genetic monsters of Jenova." I said, and felt the smallest amount of pleasure when I didn't get cut, and the widening of Sephiroth's eyes.
"It was Genesis that caused you to go insane you know, back at the reactor. If he hadn't said you were an experiment that your life was a lie, you would have never met Jenova and she never would have been able to use you." I was pulled up by my collar, my feet grazing the ground as Sephiroth lifted me with ease.
"You know nothing." I saw the anger in his eyes, the one emotion he really could show. I smiled, I don't know what came over me, but taunting him was the only thing that was keeping him away from the Black Materia.
"You know those books you read about Jenova are a lie too. We found out the truth. Your mother is the Calamity From the Sky, you're no Ancient, you're the exact opposite." I felt his grip tighten.
"You will be silent."
"Like I care, apparently you can't touch the materia yourself now, you need someone to take it, and it isn't me. Your work is a bust Sephiroth. Your mother is a complete sham; you want to know who your real parents were?" I was thrown to the ground, I finally yelled when I felt a rib crack. I could still breathe.
"You were born from Lucrecia Crescent, a scientist that studied Jenova... and your father? He was none other than Hojo. The very man you hate offered you as a test subject for Jenova cells!" My breath was cut short when I felt a slash across my chest. Sephiroth looked at me with cold eyes.
"I am tired of your lies." He stabbed his sword in my chest multiple times, not deeply, just enough to puncture and make me bleed more. I could feel my body start to slow down from the blood loss. I looked down and saw the Black Materia on the ground. I looked back up to see Sephiroth with his sword not an inch from my face.
"I fucking dare you." I said. I didn't care anymore, I tried to fight him, but even a clone is too strong for me. I was in over my head in this. Cloud and everyone else would win without me, I was confident. I looked into Sephiroth's eyes and stared him down. Yet he pulled his sword away.
"No...I think it is better you suffer." I wanted to question but I saw him unravel the illusion around the area. Everyone else was on the ground.
"I will break you, as I have the puppet." I saw his body morph. Finally I felt terrified. He had turned into a copy of me and another Tifa appeared. I saw and everybody had woken up. They were confused until Sephiroth spoke.
"Guys its horrible!" The fake Tifa yelled.
"What? Wait, what happened?" Cid said, panicking.
"It's Tifa, she needs our help." the false me said, I looked to see everyone focusing on them and not me, somehow I was covered up by Sephiroth.
"We need to help Cloud quickly, he's having problems."
"Wait a minute what's going on?" Yuffie yelled as the false Tifa ran off.
"Nathan where is the Black Materia?" Vincent asked, the fake me looked around.
"I don't know, Tifa startled me, I don't have time to talk guys they need our help."
"It's right here." It was Yuffie who picked up the materia. She was not two feet away from me and I couldn't speak, and she couldn't see me.
"Yuffie, bring it with. We can't have it fall into anybody's hands." Why wasn't Nanaki stopping this? Why wasn't he questioning it?
"Something's wrong with these two!" I heard Cait yell. I looked to see Nanaki and Aeris both still unconscious, I cursed. Sephiroth had made it so both of them were asleep, I guess revealing them would have woken them up if he didn't do anything.
"Carry them, we can catch up. Come on." I wanted to yell out, everyone was moving forward. Sephiroth's plan was still in effect. No one was wise to his plan. When everyone was gone I saw the false me with a smile.
"No matter what you do, I will become god. Know that you failed as you die." The image soon started to morph again; a cloaked figure was in front of me, which then fell to the ground dead.
Sephiroth bested me... he got me good... I could already feel my consciousness slipping, but I didn't want to go. I wanted to keep fighting. I didn't want to die, or be controlled by my insanity. Everything was against me again. But I didn't want to give up now of all times.
I grabbed my broken sword and Fusion. I barely had any strength in my arms, they were hit the most. I used the two blades as leverage as I lifted myself up. I took a breath and took one step, then another, then another, then another...
"Mr. President, I have a bad feeling about this." Scarlet said. The shaking had finally stopped but the executive was still scared.
"Maybe we should go back to the ship? We need to prepare for inspection anyway." Rufus said, covering the fact he too was a little frightened at the large creature next to him. But before he could move a light flashed in the room. All three Shinra representatives covered their eyes until it died down. When they opened them, they saw three AVALANCHE members suddenly standing with them.
"Hey! Where did you come from?" Scarlet yelled, Cloud lifted his head and looked around the chamber.
"...I don't know..." He turned to Rufus, a dead look in his eye. "This place is going to get rough. You need to leave things to me and get out of here while you can." Rufus scoffed.
"Leave things to you? Hmph...I don't know what you mean." Cloud looked away and then at his feet. His tone getting more depressed.
"This is where the Reunion is happening. Where everything begins and ends."
"Cloud!" Tifa yelled, yet no one responded to her. Cloud looked up hearing footsteps, only to see the rest of the group here now.
"Cloud what do you need help help... shit! Shinra's here." Cid said, at the front with his spear ready. Cloud looked at the group before he held his head in his hands. He felt like crying, he got to see his friends one last time.
"Thanks guys... do you have the Black Materia?"
"Yeah, Nate gave it to me. He's right behind us" Yuffie said.
"I'll take it from here... give it to me." Yuffie pulled out the materia and handed it to Cloud.
Tifa yelled again but saw not even the rest of the group was acknowledging her. Cloud walked back to the center of the room.
"Everyone, thanks for everything. And... I'm sorry." He said, confusing the group. He faced Rufus.
"...Sorry." He then turned to face Tifa, surprising her.
"Especially you, Tifa. I'm really sorry. You've been good to me... I don't know what to say... I never lived up to being Cloud. Tifa... Maybe one day you'll meet the real Cloud." Tifa couldn't hold it in anymore. She started crying, no one being able to hear her or Barret in the room
"Ha, ha, ha... this is perfect! It means that my experiment was a complete success!" Hojo yelled, excited. He faced Cloud, almost gleefully looking at the depressed man
"What number were you? Huh? Where is your tattoo?" Cloud shook his head sadly, staring at his feet.
"Professor Hojo... I don't have a number. You didn't give me one because I was a failed experiment." Hojo looked appalled when he heard this. He turned, anger clearly written on his face.
"What the...? You mean only a failure made it here?"
"Professor... please give me a number. Please, Professor..." Cloud pleaded. Hojo just turned and looked him in the eye.
"Shut up, miserable failure..." In front of everyone Cloud finally broke down and screamed, his body starting to levitate as he got louder, finally shooting him up to the ceiling of the room. Rufus was completely confused; this wasn't the same person they had been following.
"Who...was that?" He mumbled out loud.
"...He's a Sephiroth-clone I created after the real Sephiroth died five years ago. Jenova cells and Mako, with my knowledge and skills, have been combined with science and nature to bring him to life. I'm not wild about the failure part, but the Jenova Reunion Theory has now been proven. You see, even if Jenova's body is dismembered, it will eventually become one again. That's what is meant by Jenova's Reunion. I have been waiting for the Reunion to start. Five years have passed, and now the Clones have begun to return. I thought the clones would begin to gather at Midgar where Jenova was stored, but my predictions were not entirely correct. Jenova itself began to move away from the Shinra Building."
All the while Hojo explained. Cloud was traversing the giant root in the ceiling, looking at it intensely.
"Show yourself Sephiroth, I'm here. I brought you the Black Materia."
"But being the genius that I am, I soon figured it out. You see, it was all Sephiroth's doing. Sephiroth is not just content to diffuse his will into the Lifestream; he wants to manipulate the Clones himself."
Cloud walked up to the crystal. Looking inside.
"Finally. We meet again Sephiroth." The root in the ceiling now let down the giant crystal it carried to show everyone what was inside. Sephiroth, or what was left of him, as there was only the upper bodily portion of himself left. The entire room started to shake, Rufus and Scarlet already long gone. The only ones left being AVALANCHE and Hojo staring at the ceiling.
"Do you see it! It's Sephiroth! He is here! This is perfect! Both Jenova and Sephiroths will be diffused by the Lifestream and gather here." The mad doctor yelled excitedly. Tifa looked appalled at the man.
"What are you so happy about? You know what this means don't you? Cloud has the Black Materia! Sephiroth is going to summon Meteor and we're all going to die!" Hojo ignored her, simply babbling how he was a true genius.
"Whatever, I say it's too little too late. We must evacuate." All turned to see Rufus at the entrance. "I want you all to come with me. There is still much more I want to hear." The group was on guard, they couldn't possibly trust Rufus on a whim, but they needed an escape, and the only safe one was the Highwind.
"Cloud, get down, we have to leave!" Tifa yelled. The blond man looked down but turned away.
"Cloud listen! We have two injured teammates! We have to go." Cloud just shook his head more. He looked at the Black Materia in his and sighed. He placed it into Sephiroth's Mako surroundings. The materia drifted until it was in the center of his torso before it started to pulsate. The room started shaking; the ceiling cracked and started to fall apart.
"Cloud get down!" Tifa yelled, before she could try again Barret grabbed her.
"We need to leave, we can't stay!" Tifa didn't want to go, she wanted to get Cloud, make him see what really happened, why she hid so many things from him. "Come on!" Barret pulled harder, forcing her to run. Outside they ran down until the saw the Highwind ready to fly.
"Wait? Where's Nate?" Yuffie yelled.
"Why isn't he behind us?" Vincent said, urgency in his voice.
"We have to find him before its too late!" Cait yelled.
"You either get on now or you get left behind, the pilots done." Rufus yelled, climbing onto the airship.
"We can't leave without him!" Yuffie yelled.
"HELP!" Everyone heard, they looked over and saw Nate, bloody, beaten, and exhausted. He was completely fine the last time they saw them. Now he was the worst out of them.
"Shit the kid ain't gunna make it" Cid said. Yuffie shook her head.
"He just needs help." Yuffie ran, ignoring the group's cries. She went up the hill and across the rocky paths. The shaking ground made everything harder to move on since it was falling apart. She ran up to Nathan, seeing him use his two swords as canes.
"Nathan come on, we have to go." She pulled his arm, he groaned loudly and she let go.
"Yuffie...I'm too tired...I can't walk anymore." He panted. Yuffie ignored him.
"You had enough getting this far, you can take a few more, now run!" She took his hand and he complied. Both stumbled through the now even more dangerous rock paths as they ran as fast as they could. Yuffie was slowed down now; Nate was more wounded than expected. He limped the entire way, making it take longer than needed.
"Nate just a few more steps, I can see the ship." But she felt her heart sink when the Highwind started to take off. It was flying next to the platforms but was about to go higher.
"Nate we have to jump." She said, taking his swords and putting them back on his back.
"Yuffie, I don't have the strength..."
"Yes you do! You got through that blizzard, you can get through this! Now run as fast as you can and jump with me." She backed the both of them up as the Highwind got closer. Soon it was level with their platform.
"Run!" Yuffie sprinted as she tried to help Nate along, who did his best to keep up. Both reached the ledge and jumped, Yuffie had landed just off the edge of the ship where everyone else was. Nate though fell short; he barely touched the safety guards before he started to plummet. Reacting Yuffie grabbed his hand as his momentum switched and he slammed into the ship. His scream of pain causing Yuffie to cringe.
"It's okay I got you." She said. She tried to pull his one arm up when he slipped in her hands with all of his blood coating it.
"Nate, give me your other arm." She struggled to say, his dead weight already having an effect on her.
"It's no use...its broken, I can't move it Yuffie." He said, she heard the sadness in his voice but ignored it.
"Nate just put your strength into it. I need help here!" She yelled. She tried to pull him up again but was stopped when she looked at the exploding energy coming from below. Several large monsters, hundreds of stories high were coming out of the crater now. She saw a blue monster with a fish like face crawl and eventually launch itself out. Another was a giant white monster with red eyes slowly exiting.
"The fuck are those!" Yuffie heard Barret say.
"God damn look at the size of those things!" Cid said.
"By the Goddess..." The rest of the group including Yuffie saw a Shinra MP drop his gun before looking up. Another monster, but it was flying and right next to the Highwind.
"Get the pilot to change course. Now!" Rufus yelled. Before the airship could do so, the monster roared before a blue aura surrounded it. Suddenly the dragon like monster flew away, the shockwave from the flight rocking the Highwind.
"Oh god!" Yuffie yelled, she lost her footing and almost fell with Nate, the only thing keeping her from falling where her legs tangled in the bars.
"Yuffie...just drop me." She heard Nate say.
"No, we can still do this!" She yelled. Nathan shook his head.
"They can't save both of us Yuffie... listen. When you're all out and you have the Highwind... talk to Nanaki, he'll know what to do."
"Nathan what's wrong with you?" She tried to lift his arm and surprisingly he started to lift himself up. She was almost ecstatic.
But instead of trying to get himself up to the bars he leaned forward, and kissed her. Her eyes widened when he did and he pulled back, smiling.
"I needed that, after all I can't take you on that date now, can I?" She couldn't process what he did, he had kissed her and he sounded like he was...
"No Nate, you're not giving up. You have to own up on that kiss. You aren't going anywhere!" She said angrily, tears running down her face. He just smiled at her.
"It was really fun Yuffie, I know you guys will get through this... goodbye." He let his grip on her relax. His weight and slick arm making it so Yuffie couldn't hold onto him anymore. She felt her fingers slip as she watched Nate close his eyes and fall to the giant Mako pool below. She wanted to scream, she wanted to yell. But all she could do was stare as he fell.
"Don't worry I gotcha!" She felt her legs get pulled up as Cid brought her back on board. He saw the empty look in her eyes. He looked over the edge and saw the small figure in the air. He realized right away what happened and sighed.
"I'm sorry kiddo..." Cid said. The only words that he could think of to comfort her.
"What happened, where's Nate!" Barret asked, she looked at both Yuffie and Cid before he thought of the answer himself.
"You mean..."
"He fell... he let go... with that stupid smile..." Her eyes were flowing now, she didn't care. She fell on the airships bridge and cried. The only sound drowning her out was the propellers of the flying ship, as it distanced itself from the crater. Anyone conscious thinking about about the lose of two friends.