Chapter 2
Covert Ops
Inside his office on the 70th floor of Shinra Headquarters, President Shinra was seated at his desk, with his two employees standing at attention.
"Are we on schedule?" he asked.
"The Turks are on top of it. Yes, there will be no delays," guffawed Heidegger.
"Please, Mr. President! I am asking you to reconsider—no, begging. The Sector 7 undercity is home to more than 50,000—" interjected Reeve.
"Director Tuesti," sighed the head of his corporation.
"At least let us issue a warning, Sir," he said.
"The stench of the director's cowardice fills the room yet again," sniffed the head of Public Security.
"Reeve. Progress requires sacrifice. Learn to live with it," sneered President Shinra.
"Yes, and very soon, those little sewer rats, and those meddlesome fools from Team SKYYYLAARC will all be nothing but dust and ashes beneath the rubble that is Sector 7. Also, don't worry about Scarlet. I have a feeling that she's already planning something big for any Wutaian that would dare try and take away the materia she's making for advanced weapons research," grinned Hyena.
"And all we need to do… is wait for the perfect opportunity to erase those little rats," smirked Esmeraude.
"In the meantime, I'd suggest letting Neo help the Turks in their mission to destroy the plate, and eliminate any and all witnesses that have escaped, and lived to tell the tale," added Elsa Granhiert.
"That won't be necessary. I personally asked that Akechi help out, since he still has some strong traces of darkness within him, despite surviving his close shave with death at the hands of his shadow. He will ensure that his vengeance against Sora is fulfilled, Elsa," replied the president.
However, after entering the main lobby of Shinra Headquarters, Cody, Asuka, Yumi, Yuffie, and Sonon were now in luck, as most of the employees were working to ensure that the general public would not enter a state of panic, while most of the staff tried to calm them down.
"Whoa, look at all these people…" murmured the boh-staff wielder.
"Enough to make you sick. Let's get this over with," remarked Yuffie, and the snuck on.
However, she had to slip past Damon of the Daily Buzz, a podcast that wanted to delve into the facts of Shinra's plans for destroying Sector 7, as well as other clues to what was happening later in Midgar.
"Could someone get this man to leave us alone!?" called Cody.
A security officer rushed up and stopped Damon from bugging Yuffie. Quietly, Sonon led them away, along with Asuka and Yumi. the guard ordered Damon to leave the building at once.
"Let's head to the elevators, guys. Yuffie, use your ID card," whispered Asuka.
Yuffie nodded, and used the card on the scanner. It worked, and they were now preparing to enter the elevator to reach the materia research labs. But it wasn't long when another guard arrived with Scarlet, and her personal lapdog whom she treated as her personal stool, but was now standing at attention with his weapon at the ready. Sonon's mind clicked. It was the very woman who sent one of Shinra's fighting machines on a vicious rampage after overloading its power systems that killed his sister.
"What floor?" he asked.
"The basement. Advanced Weaponry," replied Sonon, who was trying to keep himself from attacking Scarlet.
Scarlet smiled sadistically.
"Perfect. Just perfect," she said.
"Yuffie, don't antagonize her," hissed Yumi.
"But oh, how the mighty are fallen— Wutai…colluding with Avalanche and resorting to terrorism? I always thought the Wutains an honorable people. They used to be, certainly… But now? Now they're nothing but blood-sucking flies, buzzing around Shinra's face." the evil woman explained haughtily.
Yuffie was angry, until she felt Cody's hand take hold of her own, which calmed her down.
"Would you not agree? In light of recent events, I mean," she told her new "guests".
"In all honesty, I would agree with you, if my friends don't have any problem with it," Cody replied in Yuffie's stead.
This caused the white rose of Wutai to blush a little.
I can't believe he's holding my hand, as well as speaking up for me so that I don't attack without a good reason, she thought..
"You have a handsome boyfriend," Scarlet said to Yuffie.
Then as the elevator arrived, despite Cody trying to keep himself from lashing out, both he and his friends followed after her and the guards. But the doors were closed, and a shield appeared stopping them from progressing further.
"Open up!" yelled Yuffie.
"I think not. Foreign visitors should take the scenic route… And savor the opportunity to meet our latest autonomous weapons," remarked Scarlet, then she walked off with a wicked chuckle.
."Dammit!" grunted Sonon.
"What is it?" asked Asuka.
"I'll never get a better chance. That was Scarlet, director of Advanced Weaponry. It was one of her machines that killed Melphie!" he explained angrily.
"Sonon, stop! Please, that's enough. Revenge can't bring your sister back. It can't… but you need to think about what you're doing. You mustn't let your emotions guide you on a personal vendetta like it did with another of our friends who became a perfect monster, until the darkness made him want to destroy everything that he hated, after turning him into its puppet. I know that you hate Scarlet, but you need to calm down and think. We came here for a reason, and that's to get the materia that she's working on. But it'll be okay, as long as you share your burdens with us, rather than shoulder them all at once on your own. Remember, we're all in this together," Yumi explained.
Sonon turned and looked sorrowfully at her, but also noted that she did sound very much like his late sister.
"You're right… I'm sorry," he said sadly, only for Asuka to hug him.
This surprised everyone.
"Please, don't apologize, Sonon. I also know what hatred feels like. I nearly lost myself to it before, after my friends and family from Hanzo Academy were taken away by Yumi's foster sister, Fubuki. But after seeing Sora die by their hands, I didn't attack either of them. I just couldn't do it. If I did, then history would repeat itself, and I'd be no worse than Master Kurokage, whose spirit is watching over us from the afterlife. And you know what else? Yuffie also wanted to pounce on her as well, as well as choke her to death. But revenge, like hatred, can corrupt you, and you'll lose all sense of justice like I almost did in the past. But Sora's close shave with death changed me and Yumi, and we're both happy to be by his side, as well as in his heart. But Melphie's in your heart, and she's telling you not to become a seeker of vengeance," she said kindly to him.
Sonon nodded and hugged her back, then they slowly pulled back from each other.
"And the worst part is that we have to take the route she's directed us towards. And we won't know for sure, until we find out for ourselves. After all, in every crisis, there's a golden opportunity just waiting to be put to good use. Trust me, we'll get to the Materia Research center, but only if we try to have cool heads," added Cody.
They walked off down the corridors, and passed a training simulator. Cody knew about these before in the past, and even participated in them to keep his darkness under control, or else it would lead to him repeating Xehanort's past mistakes, despite the fact that he descended to evil.
"Hey, Cody. When this is over, there's something that I want to tell you, but only after we get the materia," Yuffie said to him on the way.
They entered a chamber that was lined with weaponry and machinery.
"Just look at this place. Weapons here, weapons there, weapons everywhere! They're ready for some serious action!" she said excitedly.
"It sounds like you are, too," replied Sonon.
"The feeling's mutual, unlike mine and Yuffie's fathers. And believe me, we chose to be different from them, because we'll always fight for what we truly believe in… even though Godo wouldn't, but mine does. He knows that I shouldn't repeat his past mistakes and create a cycle of warfare," said Cody.
"And I doubt he's actually doing well in a cold cell, Yuffie. And yet, I get the feeling that maybe he'll be able to understand that you need to have a different form of strength to continue the fight in your beliefs," added Asuka.
"And was was Sonon's mentor, so it's best if we try to be more respectful about him, even though you still hate him," finished Yumi.
"Yeah, I hear you, Yumi. But maybe there might be something that connects me and Cody, although I did say that I'll tell him about it later after the mission," smiled Yuffie.
"My god, you people are deadly boring. Luckily, I know exactly how to liven things up… with a little experiment. Just don't go dying on me—that wouldn't yield very interesting results, now would it?" grinned Scarlet on the holoprojectors.
The first test began with the slug rays and sweepers striking first, but they were quickly dispatched thanks to Cody's usage of thunder magic on full display, although Yuffie and the others helped them out as best they could. The next test had mono drives attacking them, but they too were defeated quickly. But it wasn't over yet. The third test was underway.
"What? There's more?" Yuffie asked.
But when she asked that question, the slug rays returned, and they even brought some shock rays to give them a slight edge, but the five allies quickly managed to take them down with all they had, even though the other smaller droids were immune to magic, forcing them to use melee attacks. Cannon fire whipped around them, but the two warriors of Wutai, and the three members of Team SKYYYLAARC quickly dispatched their enemies without too much hassle. The tests were finished.
"Credit where credit is due. You exceeded my every expectation. And for being such good sports… you may now leave," grinned Scarlet.
"Why did I ever think for a second she'd be nice to us!? She knows damn well it's gonna be a pain in the ass gettin' up there," groaned Yuffie.
"I know, but we gotta keep going, Yuffie. We can't afford to let Scarlet get the better of us, even after what she did to Melphie. Also, I guess it's true that you've reminded Sonon of her, even though you're different from his sister," replied Cody.
Thankfully, she was able to cut down the cables holding a storage container above, and they all worked together to bring down the ladder for them to climb up. However, as they passed through the door, Scarlet was watching from within the security room.
"Madam Director. The intruders are about to reach the research facility," said a security guard.
"And we'll let them. Meanwhile, find out what it is they want," she replied.
The guard was confused.
"You do have eyes, don't you? Then you can see that, while they are simpletons, they've made it further than any normal Wutaian ever could. Clearly, they are ninjas. Teenage ninjas. But the boy is different from them. And they've come such a long way. We simply must roll out the red carpet. My trusty steed should provide a fitting welcome, I think. Keep me apprised, will you?" explained the headmistress of Weapon's Research, and she strutted away, with her other subordinate following her on his hands and knees.
The guard ordered his men to cut power to the research facility, bar access to any date that would be restricted to the general public, retrace their footsteps, and to figure out why Cody, Yuffie, and the companions were in the labs, while also making sure not to let them out of their sight at all.
"Oh, materia, where are you?" called Yuffie, once they reached the other corridors.
They came into the ADvanced Weaponry production line, which was filled with lots of fighting machines and advanced technology, while in the center was a large generator.
"Hm? Is that materia I smell?" she asked.
"End of the line, Wutai scum!" cried a shock trooper, who jumped down with another.
"Take them down!" cried Cody.
They dispatched them quickly, although Asuka and Yumi were still uneasy about the whole killing Shinra personnel idea, since they only preferred to not stain their hands in the blood of their enemies. At last the two shock troopers were defeated, and everyone could breathe a sigh of relief.
"This their idea of mood lighting? 'Cause it's bad," she said.
"Might be the power. That thing's off too," replied Sonon.
"We should find a computer to turn it back on," suggested Yumi.
"Good idea. Everyone, split up into smaller groups. Meet up on the other side when you find a computer," said Cody.
"Talk about hitting the jackpot! This must be where they make their materia!" grinned Yuffie.
"You may be right, Yuffie. But I don't think they're the ones we're looking for. We should keep moving," replied Asuka.
"Totally, after I grab a few souvenirs," she smirked.
But they did find the computer, and used it to restart the first part of the generator. It did work, thanks to the computer letting them know. Yuffie grabbed the materia that could prove usefful to her called the Ninja Cannonball. He wanted some more material to find, so she clambered onto the pipes, and clambered up the grate.
"Wait, is that a security grate, or a ladder? Thanks, Shinra," snickered the white rose of Wutai.
But her mood soon changed when they reached the maintenance level of the weapons lab.
"Huh, that's weird… Not even a whiff of materia up here… but then there's nowhere else to go," she said.
They went into another corridor, and they did find a Volant Armlet that only had one slot for materia. But they soon came into contact with a group of Third Class Soldiers who were waiting for them, and despite the challenge they put up, took them down without much hassle. They pressed on even further, and were now hoping to reach the other part of the facility, just as they saw something that looked very much like a mechanized soldier being lowered down, after they swung from the cables. It was an armored Magitrooper, and he was armed and ready for them. The combatants charged in, but had to be careful of the EM field he was going to deploy, which would cause some serious shock damage. Suddenly, the damage the soldier sustained enabled him to use his own power core to fire an even deadlier laser at them, which would've killed Yuffie.
"Alright, that's it! Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it!" snapped Cody, and he went completely ballistic on the soldier.
However, the damage he caused made the magitrooper's armor explode, and out popped the enhanced shock trooper that was operating it. They dispatched him quickly before anyone could notice. However, they saw something that was truly terrifying to them. It looked like a new kind of fighting machine that was ready to strike. However, Yuffie found a Djinn Staff for Sonon to use, while Cody took some pictures of the mech with his gummi phone, then sent them to Sora, who would hopefully be armed with this knowledge. Then they located another computer and used it to activate the second power grid, which would create even more materia to be put to use.
"Not long now, my precious. You'll be safe in my arms soon!" smirked Yuffie.
"Please don't say that again," groaned Cody, remembering how Sora told him about Gollum always calling Sauron's One Ring his precious.
But a door opened behind them, making the kunoichi surprised that it was some sort of vault that could store materia inside of it. However, inside of it was a little training facility that she could use to improve her skills bit by bit, although magic was not an option for her to use. It did take quite a while, but at least Yuffie managed to get some practice in, and even scored a pretty high score that would easily impress Cody, but at the same time he grew worried that it would make Cloud very envious of her if they met each other.
"How'd I do, Cody?" she asked.
"You did great, Yuffie. Way to go," he praised her.
"Thank you," she replied, but she did some more intense training in the soldier training program of the Box Buster hall.
She gained even more materia from that, as well as achieved the best high score.
"Great job, Yuffie, now how about you take a little rest before we press on?" cheered Asuka.
"Again, thank you," she smiled.
A few minutes later, after Yuffie's heart stopped beating furiously in her chest, she was able to carry on with her mission with Sonon and the others trailing behind her, until they were in the deposit section of the facility.
"Hey, guys," she said.
"What?" everyone asked.
"You remember what Nayo said about helping us? That it was 'necessary for building a brighter future'? What did she mean?" Yuffie wondered.
"I don't know, but the splinter cell believes that Avalanche and Wutai aren't connected to each other. And they'll never ever see eye-to-eye, Yuffie. But, I get the feeling that when we meet up with the splinter cell, the fact that they worked alongside the main force of Avalanche was willing to settle their differences with them, as well as avoid any further unpleasant confrontations. Or, at least that's what I believe anyway," explained Cody.
"Also, just before you got here, Sonon did some scouting around in the city's other sectors, and was most disturbed after Mako Reactor 1 went supernova. But he also learned that they want free elections, workers' rights, fair distribution of wealth… you get the gist," added Asuka.
"Also, people have the freedom to see how the world works, even though they have a lot of differences. I just hope that Barret and his friends do their best to protect Sector 7 from being turned into rubble," sighed Yumi.
"And when you look at the world, what do you see?" she asked.
"Homes bombed to dust… plumes of gunsmoke…people pleading…bloodshed," sighed the bo-staff wielder.
"Me too. And I'll never forget," replied Yuffie.
But they soon ran into some serious trouble. There was no possible way to cross to the other side, and there was no door either. Godo's daughter was now in a state of disarray.
"Easy now. Focus," assured Sonon.
"Sonon's right, Yuffie. There's always a way. And like they always say, where there's a will, there's a way," agreed Cody.
They did share a few Da-chao beans, and they soon began to brainstorm some ideas together.
"Guys, look!" said Asuka.
Yuffie looked up, and saw some steel girders above. This gave her an idea. She stepped back, flung her shuriken, and made a little bridge for them to cross. They soon ran into another squad of soldiers, and fought them all, one by one, leaving them all badly beaten. They pressed on yet again, and after passing through some more corridors, they found the room with a large leather chair in it, and ahead was a test tube that would generate new materia for testing, if it was stable enough for use. Yuffie, of course, tried it out for herself, and it felt very comfortable. But at times she would sit on the benches and rest a bit, but her excitement was now on full display.
"Guys! Check that out!" she said, pointing to the tube.
"It does look more important than the others…" he replied.
"Then that's gotta be what we've been looking for. But we need to find something that can give us some more light," said Cody.
"Oh yeah, you're right, Cody. I think there might be another computer that's not in this place," smirked Yuffie.
They ran through another corridor, and activated the final computer, which activated the third level power grid.
"Now we're cookin'! I'm comin', materia, ready or not!" grinned the hyperactive kunoichi.
She raced back with the others following her, but her mood changed to disappointment.
"Man… Another stupid dud!' she groaned.
But she spoke too soon. Two shock troopers, an elite and a magitrooper burst through the door to eliminate them. But Cody, motioned for everyone to take them all down after summoning his Keyblade, and Asuka and Yumi readied their weapons as well.
"SHINOBI TRANSFORMATION!" they cried.
"Quit holdin' out on us, Shinra! We're here for materia, not these dorks!" complained Yuffie, as they fought them off.
Combining their strengths, they took out the first soldier, as well as the grunt that was operating it with little trouble, but Sonon was nearly close to death.
"Oh, shoot! Yumi, help Sonon!" cried Cody.
With the first soldier down, they could now focus on the other, while Yumi made sure that Sonon wouldn't die a horrible death. After destroying the other soldier's armor, they unleashed a vicious combo that brought an end to him. But the trouble was only getting worse, when Scarlet watched the security feed after returning.
"So—have you found out what they want yet?" she asked sternly.
"We think so. We can't say for certain, as their behavior is…erratic. But they appear to be searching for materia," replied her subordinate.
"Excuse me? You mean to say that these savages have gone to all this trouble for materia?" questioned the department head.
"So far as we can tell, yes," he said nervously.
"How very dull. Be that as it may, I suppose I should talk to them," remarked Scarlet, and she triggered a holographic projection.
The red image appeared before them.
"Enjoying yourselves, I trust?" she asked the intruders.
Yuffie jumped back, but Cody pointed his Keyblade at her.
"Not exactly, Scarlet. And you don't scare us that easily!" he remarked.
"You're not afraid of my image? How precious. But I know just what you need—to loosen up a little. After such a long journey… You must be so tense! Luckily, I have toys for that—all far more entertaining than this," sneered the evil woman.
"What do you want!?" demanded Sonon, his hatred of Melphie's killer slowly rising again.
"Sonon, don't," warned Asuka.
"Oh dear. Is that any way to talk to your host?" asked Scarlet.
"I'm afraid she's right. Don't let your personal vendetta get the better of you," Yumi said worriedly.
"Really though, as guests, it's more about what you want. And I think you'll find it just up ahead," she continued.
A door opened behind them, piquing Yuffie's interest.
"Hurry now. Don't keep me waiting," she said, and the hologram vanished.
"Yuffie, what do you think this is all about?" asked the ninth member of Team SKYYYLAARC.
"That we're walking into a trap, I guess. But it's nothing we can't handle, right?" she replied cautiously, and walked off.
"Couldn'a said it better myself," Sonon smirked, despite his hatred of Scarlet still bubbling beneath.
They soon went down the corridor into another chamber, where Scarlet's hologram appeared again.
"Welcome to our state-of-the-art weapons testing facility. This is where we push every piece of ordnance to its limits…and beyond. SUch tests are an invaluable part of the development process. Go on, see where the magic happens," the recording said.
"I don't trust that woman one bit," hissed Cody.
"Yeah, neither did I, Cody. Even though Melphie's blood is on her hands," replied Sonon.
"Sonon, please, what can vengeance solve?" Yumi asked worriedly.
Yuffie decided to tackle the sweepers first, and they boarded the lift that took them to the first testing platform. After they stepped off upon arrival, they engaged the machines, with Yuffie using her lightning ninjutsu to give them the edge, and Cody did the same, by channeling lightning magic through his Keyblade. The first machine went down quickly, its circuits now shorting out, and was turned into scrap iron. The second followed suit, but through their strength combined in the arts of war. Next, they chose the cutter, the machine that used buzzsaws instead of machine guns like the sweepers. The battle began in earnest, with the first blade being turned to scrap, and the second undergoing the same fate. It was now in a pressured state, which meant that it was now wide open for an all or nothing final attack. But although it recovered, they still managed to take it down, and watched it be transformed into tiny pieces of debris. Next it was Asuka's turn to decide what they would face, and she chose the monodrives. They boarded the next lift, and went to confront them on the test bed. They fought with all their worth, and the monodrives were all reduced to tiny pieces of scrap. Then Yumi decided to take her turn, and she saw that there before them were the same armored magitroopers they fought before. But these ones were far stronger, until one of them blasted Yuffie back with the red laser thanks to the power core. Unfortunately, after damaging the first one, it's armor burst, knocking Sonon out. But of course, Yuffie wasn't willing to give up despite her wounds, and she used a healing potion to recover some of her strength. However, despite this minor setback, she had to be careful, as the troopers were actually immune to magic of all types. She decided to go in for a full frontal assault, and forced the soldier to eject after his armor took much damage. At last, after the last soldier was defeated, Sonon was back on his feet, and he used a healing spell to restore him to full strength. Then came the final test, which of course was a Deathwheel fighting machine. They selected it, and rode the last lift towards the end. The machine charged at them as they ran to either side of it, and fought it off with all they had available to them. The machine fired a volley of missiles at them, which they either endured or cut through with their weapons, but still they continued to put up a valiant fight, until at last, the deathwheel was reduced to scrap iron.
"My, my, how impressive! Seems I may have underestimated how resilient you ninjas can be," grinned Scarlet, as her image appeared.
"'May have'!? How 'bout 'did', you old hag!?" remarked Yuffie.
"You Wutaians, so feisty. But let's see how you fare against what I have in store for you next. It's quite the treat, I assure you. Only the best for our honored guests, after all," said the femme fatale.
"Oh, well thank you, Scarlet. We can't wait to see it," Cody replied sarcastically.
"Then please come this way," she beckoned them, and her hologram faded away.
The strange group boarded the final lift, and rode it up towards the top to another door. However, they had to make sure they were ready to fight what Scarlet had in store for them, as they made final preparations before marching through the doors ahead of them into the Heavy Weapons Platform Testing site.
"Where are we? That thing…can't be operational, can it?" wondered Yuffie.
"I just hope not, Yuffie," replied Yumi.
"I agree with Yumi, Boss," added Sonon.
"At long last, Wutai's finest deign to join us. And the same holds true for the three newcomers, and the boy who is none other than the fabled Child of Xehanort Hyena told me about. You've performed admirably," Scarlet smiled seductively at them.
"Yeah, Cody's Xehanort's kid. Now quit acting all superior. We all know you're afraid of us!" remarked the younger kunoichi.
"Is that so? Well, maybe I am," she chuckled.
"Even so, I may be Xehanort's child, Scarlet, but I've learned that there's more to light than meets the eye! A lot more than you know, and we will stop you! After all, I've two more ninja girlfriends who've accepted that there's no such difference between those who are rich or lowly commoners, like me! But can you imagine, if in a couple of years, we all had kids who were not just ninjas, but Keyblade masters as well? It'd be like a whole clan of them knocking on your front door!" Cody said bravely.
"Oh my! We must do something right away!" Scarlet replied, feigning fear.
"Unfortunately, you won't," Yumi said determinedly.
"Don't say that. Won't you at least give us a chance?" she asked them, and with a click of her fingers, her fighting machine activated.
Then she jumped into the canopy, and began operating the controls. Yuffie jumped back.
"Allow me to present… the latest innovation in Shinra battle armor… Designed by yours truly," smiled the evil woman.
"Alright, then come and get it like your life depends on it!" smirked Asuka.
"Oh, it would be my pleasure, darling," smirked Scarlet, as she jumped down to face them in her fighting machine, the Crimson Mare.
"This'll be a memory to cherish for the rest of your lives. All thirty seconds of them," she added wickedly.
"Oh, look, we're surrounded," sneered Yuffie.
"Not for long, Yuffie. Asuka, you and Yumi take out the turrets, we'll deal with Scarlet," said Cody, as he, Sonon, and his other ally fought off the other machine.
Scarlet fired at them, but Cody deflected the gunshots with his Keyblade. Bullets scattered everywhere, as Sonon charged in, his hatred now on full display.
"Rather rude to ignore your playmates, is it not?" she asked.
"Not as rude as turning your weapons to scrap," Cody remarked furiously, and he lunged at her with a deadly combo of his own.
He cast lightning on the sentry launchers, destroying them one by one. Once they were gone, they could now focus on Scarlet and her fighting machine, which proved to be a very serious challenge for them. They dodged and weaved past her blades, then counter-attacked viciously, but Scarlet was prepared for them, and even blocked some of Cody's attacks. However, Asuka and Yumi combined their ninja techniques for some powerful combos, hoping to put their opponent off balance. Scarlet jumped back, as the tests were still getting more and more interesting, and re-equipped her machine with some more deadly weaponry. She jumped back down to face them.
"C'mon, team! Let's show this wench that we're not to be taken lightly!" cried Cody.
"You're a brave boy, Cody. Though I rather you would've just embraced the destiny of your bloodline, thanks to your father," smirked Scarlet, as she fired at them.
"Cody's father may have been evil, but he learned that godhood is not the right course of action, and he chose to let go of his madness!" remarked Yumi.
"Yeah, so leave him alone! There's no way he's gonna be like his dad at all! Not unless we have a say in the matter!" added Asuka.
"That's a long range loadout!" gasped Sonon, as he evaded the laser beams.
"So what! Just smash it up!" yelled Yuffie, as they all attacked together.
The first cannon was destroyed after a deadly barrage of lightning magic.
"My, aren't we tenacious," smirked Scarlet.
"And then some!" Yuffie and Cody remarked, as they charged in again, hoping to destroy the other cannon.
"When will you learn some manners?" she asked.
"Here's some manners for you! Secret Ninja Art: STARBURST STREAM!" cried Asuka, and she attacked the machine with her blades now fully empowered by the light within her heart.
"A moment, if you please," she said.
"Hey! Don't you know that's cheating!" yelled Yuffie, as she watched her jump back and change equipment.
Then she dropped back down with a large energy blade and shield to replace her weapons. But the claymore was destroyed by Sonon's power after it suffered heavy damage, thanks to a clap of thunder from above, which sent a bolt of lightning down. That managed to stagger Scarlet's machine for the moment, and the five warriors charged in to destroy it furiously, causing it even more damage. Of course, the managed to destroy the shield too, and continued to keep up the pressure on the staggered machine.
"Not getting tired, are you?" questioned Scarlet, as she jumped away, and changed equipment once more.
She got new mako cannons that were more powerful and deadly than before, but Cody wasn't afraid.
"Your toys aren't impressing us, Scarlet," he said, and attacked her after unleashing Ars Solum, a technique he learned from Terra.
It was able to damage the right one, just as Yuffie called Ramuh to the fray. Like before, both cannons were destroyed, and the battle was now in full swing for the six rebels who were now giving their all. Scarlet was now getting more angry than before.
"You savages are nothing if not resilient," she said venomously, as she changed equipment yet again.
"We can't have you getting bored, now can we?" smirked the weapons specialist.
She soon jumped back in, just as Ramuh was now charging up his attack, Judgment Bolt, yet again. Then Yuffie unleashed her limit break, Bloodbath, and damaged the machine even further. This was Ramuh's chance to finish it quickly. Just like before with the Gigantipede, he created a plateau to stand on with Yuffie and the others safely below, then brought down a bolt of lighting, which served as a symbol of true judgment. The Crimson Mare's power systems overloaded, and explosions buffeted the machine, forcing Scarlet to abandon it.
"Useless! Not nearly mobile enough. Should've known those actuators weren't up to the task. Time for an overhaul," she scowled.
"Wrong! You've lost this battle, Scarlet. It's all over," interrupted Cody, as he and the others walked up to her.
"That's right," agreed Yuffie.
Scarlet turned to face them.
"My, my, my, how the tables have turned…" she grinned.
But the evil woman just laughed coyly.
"Proud of yourself, little savage?" asked Scarlet.
But then she pressed a button on her right stocking, near her upper thigh.
"What are you doing!?" demanded Sonon.
But the five of them rushed at her, and tied her up. But what they didn't know was that there were two men far below the headquarters. One had pure white hair that was spiked, and partially covered his face, while his eyes were blue with white rings around the pupils. He wore a white mako coat with black lining, and a pair of white pants tied with a black sash similar in appearance to a karate uniform, and on his back were two gunblades that looked like katanas, but could be fired like pistols or sub machine guns. The other man was thin with long unkempt black hair and magenta eyes with feline irises. A mechanical pair of wings spread across his back, which he would often use since they resembled wings, but could not be used for flight. He wore a gray Mako suit with a straitjacket that bound his arms to him, a set of mid-calf boots with blue soles, and strips of metal across his face. His whole body was covered in an aura of pure darkness that made him mentally unstable. They were Weiss the Immaculate and Nero and Sable, who slowly stepped out of his holding cell.
"Sleep well?" asked his older brother.
"Weiss? This is a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?" wondered the other sibling.
"These idiots want to 'digitally replicate' me, so I'm indulging them," he replied.
"All set," said a scientist.
"Transporting…" added another.
They collected the date on Weiss' being, and created a data-based projection of him for the upper floor training center, which of course, Chadley saw to.
"When will Shinra learn? There is no replicating you. They ought to know better," chuckled Nero.
"Looking forward to this?" wondered Weiss.
"I am. It has been too long since my last hunt," replied his brother, as the darkness whooshed about him.
"That's actually quite good to know, Nero the Sable. Do make it a good one for all in Deepground to watch," grinned Hyena, who was part of the Deepground branch of Shinra.
"Don't worry, Hyena. I will do exactly as you say, as long as my brother doesn't mind you giving me that idea," Nero grinned wickedly beneath his mask.
"What'd you do? Tell us!" yelled Sonon, after Scarlet was tied up.
"Is this how it's done in Wutai? You just howl until you get what you want?" scoffed Scarlet.
"That's enough, Sonon. I got this," assured Yuffie.
"Yuffie's right. Just stand down before we're forced to teach you a lesson about why vengeance is wrong," added Asuka.
"Now, we want you to tell us exactly where you've hidden the new materia. Do that, and we won't bring harm unto you," Yumi said firmly.
"Well, well… You and Asuka aren't Wutaians, but I see that you are also very clever like they are in intelligence operations. That… or we have a mole in our midst," remarked the evil woman.
An explosion resounded outside of the testing chamber.
"What was…?" Yuffie was about to ask.
"I'll check on it," said Sonon, and he raced away.
"We'll go too, Sonon," the ponytailed kunoichi replied, and both she and the snow kunoichi went with him, while Cody and Yuffie remained behind.
"Okay, but be careful, and please don't die on us," called Cody.
Then the two allies readied their weapons.
"You are correct that we're in the process of creating an exquisite new materia. However, it is far from complete," explained Scarlet.
"Is that so? Do you honestly think that we're a bunch of idiots, you techno witch?" he remarked sharply.
"Oh, of course not, my boy. Regrettable though it is, other plans have been deemed a higher priority," she said.
"What other plans?" questioned Yuffie.
"Well… just between the three of us… My colleagues and I… are going to drop Plate Number 7 on the slums. And then we're going to blame it on Avalanche and Wutai," answered the cruel woman.
"No! That's where Cloud's friends are!" gasped Cody, remembering what Zhije had told him.
"Cody…" murmured the kunoichi, taking his hand.
"Hey, try to stay calm, okay? I want you to pay attention to only what I'm gonna say to you. Your friends will survive, I promise you. They're gonna be okay. You have to believe me," she assured him.
Cody nodded, then gently wrapped his fingers around Yuffie's hand. But the moment was interrupted by another explosion outside of the chamber.
"Oh dear. I think your friends might've run into trouble. Aren't you going to save them?" said Scarlet, as she stood up, despite her hands being bound.
The Son of Xehanort cursed under his breath and raced away, but Yuffie seemed hesitant.
"Quickly now!" she insisted with a cruel cackle.
"Yes, my dear. Run after your precious Cody Xehanort," Hyena added as he watched from the shadows.
Yuffie hurried out of the chamber, and saw Sonon battling some soldiers that were wearing the same uniform that Nero had, but they had different looking helmets. She charged in, and saved Sonon, Asuka and Yumi from being shot down by these new soldiers who were far more deadly and vicious than the standard Shinra soldiers, while Cody cut some of them down with his Keyblade.
"There you are!" he said.
"Who are these assholes!?" Yuffe asked as more came charging in.
"No clue! They just appeared," replied Sonon.
"Yeah, well here's the bad news. There's no special materia at all. It's still in development by Scarlet and her cronies, but we'll be sure to get it after it's been completed. But for now, we gotta take care of these guys in those spooky uniforms," explained Cody.
"And she mentioned something else. They're gonna drop Plate Number 7," added his friend.
"That's not fair! There are still innocent people in the slums!" gasped Asuka.
The soldiers opened fire at them, forcing them to evade the bullets and strike back at them.
"Then it looks like Zhije was right! Sector 7 is the target Shinra was searching for! They're gonna kill both Yuffie's cell as well as Barret's cell, and wipe them off the map!" cried Yumi.
"Don't worry! Sora and the others will know what to do! They'll get the rest of the people to safety, including Marlene!" the Son of Xehanort called over the chaos.
"Let's go!" replied Yuffie.
"Right behind ya! We may not have that materia, but we do have good intel. And we can't afford to let it die on us!" agreed the martial artist.
"You guys keep these soldiers busy! I'll try to contact Sora!" replied Cody, and he raced off to find a place to hide.
As the battle intensified, Cody alerted Sora.
"Sora, it's Cody! We have a problem," he said.
"We know, Cody. Shinra's gonna destroy Sector 7. They're gonna drop the plate onto the slums and get a lot of innocent people killed. Fortunately, Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Kirito, Asuna, Yui, Yang, Ruby and I are gonna make sure that it doesn't happen. But, what's going on? And why are you calling me from Shinra Headquarters?" Sora replied.
"Asuka, Yumi and I met another Avalanche cell that's different from Barret's. And we even met two ninjas named Yuffie Kisaragi and Sonon Kusakube. We can't give you the full details yet, but we'll let you know after this is done. Also, please make sure that you help Marlene. I know she's a child, but I get the feeling that Barret would be devastated if she was killed as well," explained Cody.
"That'll never happen, Cody. There's no way we're letting Marlene die, I promise you," informed Asuna.
"Mommy's right. Both Marlene and I became good friends, and Barret was truly happy that we did. We promise to tell him that she'll be okay after she's taken to safety," agreed Yui.
"Sora! Guys!" Cloud called from far away.
"Thanks, guys. And good luck," he replied, and shut off his phone. He soon rejoined them as more Deepground SOLDIERS Came pouring out.
"Have visual. Commence cleansing!" said one.
Readying his Keyblade, Cody charged at them, and both Asuka, Yumi, Sonon and Yuffie did the same, taking down each soldier with all they had. They were surrounded at first, but then the snow kunoichi saw something, as they continued to fight.
"No way I'm givin' up!" cried Yuffie.
"That's the spirit. Let 'em have it!" replied Sonon.
"We're not going down till we've been to the Happy Turtle!" she said firmly.
Another soldier opened a door into a training facility, which they all quickly retreated into. Suddenly, one of the Deepground SOLDIERS tossed a grenade at her, sending Yuffie flying back. Everyone raced inside, but Cody, point-warped to the other side and caught her in his arms, only to land on his back hard, with her on top. Quickly, Sonon, Asuka and Yumi shielded them from the soldiers, as the doors closed between them.
"Is it over?" she asked.
"Somehow, I seriously doubt it," replied her partner, as Yuffie slowly stood up, followed by Cody.
"Ow… my head. I just hope we don't go outside again. But I'm more worried that we won't have another choice like this, if at all," he groaned.
But then Yuffie wrapped her arms around Cody, and hugged him.
"Hey… Thanks for breaking my fall after I got flung back by that grenade's blast," she said.
"Even though you may not be Melphie, I just… I couldn't bear to see you get killed. But, if you like, I guess I could help you get better at improving your chances at surviving, as well as getting stronger," he replied.
"What are you guys talking about?" wondered Sonon.
"Shhh… let's not disturb them," whispered Yumi.
"Please don't mind us, Cody and Yuffie. We're just gonna talk to Sonon about why we shouldn't interrupt moments between friends," added Asuka, and she gently led him away. With her friend trailing behind.
"Even though you, Asuka and Yumi were part of the splinter cell, I didn't want to just send you away. But, after seeing that look in your eyes, I was kind of taken aback by how you'd think I was cute and chipper, and I can be pretty charming when I choose to. Still, thanks again, Cody. You really are the best guy I've known who doesn't see women as objects, thanks to Sora's personal experiences. Also, I was wondering… maybe I can take you around Wutai later, and show you why it's not what it used to be," she explained.
"I look forward to it, Yuffie. And I promise… we'll both do our best to make sure that it's a better place, even though you and your father have a bit of history with each other," replied Cody, as he gently hugged her back.
When they finished with their little moment, Asuka, Yumi and Sonon returned.
"Well, we're safe for now, but we should probably head back out before we get into even more trouble," she said.
"Good call, Asuka," replied the staff fighter.
They went to the door controls and tried to activate them, but nothing happened. Yuffie began fiddling with it in desperation.
"Work, you stupid…" she said.
She turned to the others.
"No good. Door won't budge," Yuffie told them.
"Meaning we're trapped," he replied, and readied his staff for battle.
But it was more than just a trap. Scarlet, after being set free from her bonds, marched up to the training dome, as the soldiers snapped to attention. Following after her was Nero, eager for blood.
"I want them… to suffer," she said angrily, and began punching in a series of commands onto a console.
She had set the pain sensation to maximum, so that Yuffie and the others would die a very slow and painful death.
"The rest, I leave to you," Scarlet told the Tsviet of darkness.
Nero nodded, then extended his wingblades slowly, and his darkness exploded everywhere, killing the soldiers around him. His laughter echoed everywhere at the carnage around him. Suddenly, an alarm sounded inside the training dome, and the five friends readied themselves for battle.
"Alright, guys, if they want to give us a challenge, then I say we rise to it! But just make sure to watch each other's backs," Cody said firmly.
Yuffie, Sonon, Asuka and Yumi nodded, and readied themselves for battle, although the kunoichi of Wutai was more disturbed by the fact that several creatures appeared in the virtual environment of the dome. They fought against the new types of monsters that were truly more dangerous than most, until they vanished into particles of data. The first round was over, but the computer began creating some new combatants to deploy against them.
"Where are these freaks even coming from? 'Cause I'd like to really like 'em to stop!" cried Yuffie.
Two Zenenes appeared and tried to rip them apart, but the group of five struck back and managed to defeat them with some mild scratches. But the third round was only just beginning.
"Jokes on you, Sinra, if you think we're dying in this ugly box!" she snipped.
This time some grunts appeared. Two were riot troopers, and the third was an elite grenadier. All three were taken care of. Now there was just one more round for them to deal with, before the real game began.
"Okay, this is gettin' old!" quipped Yuffie.
"There's gotta be a projection mechanism around her somewhere. If we can just find it…" replied Sonon.
"There it is!" called Yumi, and they all got ready to dismantle it.
But something appeared and looked very grotesque, like some sort of eldritch horror.
"Crap! We gotta take out the monster that's protecting the projector!" said Asuka.
"Right! Take out the creature, then take out the projector!" replied Cody.
They fought off the Diabolic Creation with all they had, as well as evaded the tentacles that would come up from the floor below them, but they were all prepared for when it would teleport near them. Asuka and Yumi nodded towards each other. It tried to ensnare them, but they were quick to evade it thanks to Cody's instructions, or else they would be in very deep trouble. At last, the monster was beaten, and the projector's shields were down.
"Guys, the projector! While it's down!" called Sonon.
"Okay, leave it to us!" replied Yuffie, and they all charged at the machine.
They hammered it with all they got, even though it was a tough piece of machinery. However, as it recovered, the Diabolic Creation returned, much stronger than before. They knew what they had to do now. Take out the monster first, then damage the projector. Luckily, Yuffie called Ramuh into battle yet again, and the tide slowly began to turn, now that the odds were evened out. Even after Sonon got turned into a frog, Cody, Asuka, and Yumi still continued to give it their all, while Yuffie gave commands to Ramuh to tip the scales in their favor. He was able to turn back to normal, while the battle in the training dome raged furiously within. Then the Lord of Levin unleashed his Judgment Bolt attack upon the creature, giving them the edge they needed. Sadly, Yuffie got grabbed, despite bidding her summon farewell, and was slammed to the ground. However, Sonon cast a thunder spell, destroying it. The projector's shields were down again, which meant doing the same thing. The process continued as per usual, but this time, Cody had enough.
"THIS ENDS NOW!" he yelled, and he unleashed his own attack against the monster.
This was none other than Berserk Omnislash, a technique that he adopted from Sora's usage of Ars Arcanum, as well as his adaptation of the Omnislash from the other Cloud of Radiant Garden. The Projector was also destroyed as well, after he delivered the final killing blow. The simulation was over.
"Now can we please get out of here already?" Yuffie asked, having grown sick and tired of the madness.
"Actually, I agree. It's time we left Shinra Headquarters for good," said Yumi.
"Same here," sighed Asuka.
It was a relief to her, but it was short lived when the doors opened, revealing several Deepground soldiers lying dead, and surrounded by darkness. They were all disturbed by the sight.
"Who could've done this?" asked Sonon.
"I don't know, but I have a very bad feeling about this," shivered Cody.
They soon followed the trail of dead bodies into the corridor that led into another room.
"I don't like the looks of this… I doubt they're here to help," Yuffie said cautiously.
They soon saw Nero the Sable, standing in a room filled with debris.
"Subjects on sight. It's time. Initiate the Tsviet field test," said one of the scientists who was watching the fight about to begin.
The soldiers around them were engulfed by the darkness, and swallowed up by it. Cody started to become very pale at what he was seeing, until another dark cloud appeared overhead, with thick black tendrils bearing down on the Deepground SOLDIERS, and wrapped them up tightly. Even Yuffie was disturbed.
"What are you doing? Aren't you all on the same team?" she asked Nero.
"'Team'? Fool there are no 'teams' in Deepground," he remarked coldly.
"So that's the name of those soldiers we fought. And you're also part of Deepground as well?" shuddered Yumi.
"Yes. The place where my brother and I like to play," Nero grinned from beneath his mask.
"Cool, now mind moving aside?" inquired Yuffie.
But the Tsviet of Darkness merely chuckled at her.
"Let's take a different tack," suggested Sonon.
"Right. Yuffie, I hate to say this, but if we wanna get out of here, we need to fight this guy," said Cody, readying his weapon yet again.
The others soon followed suit.
"Well, you can't blame a girl for trying," added Yuffie.
"Now…let the games begin," declared Nero.
"What's with this company? They have a 'freaks only' policy?" she wondered, just as the Tsviet lunged at her.
"Careful. This 'freak's' no pushover," he warned her.
They had to be cautious while dodging most of Nero's attacks, but they also made sure to fight bravely against him, despite the fact that he was dangerous. Cody barely blocked the wingblades that came at him with his Keyblade, then struck back at his enemy. A hail of gunfire rained down upon them, but Yumi cast Ice Wall to stop the bullets.
"Do I frighten you?" asked the masked man.
"He's creeping me out…" squirmed Yuffie.
"Be brave, Yuffie. We can't let fear win," assured Cody.
"Listen to Cody," agreed her ally.
They continued to keep up the pressure, but Nero's darkness was slowly getting stronger and stronger, he staggered back, just as the scientists in the control room picked up an energy spike on their computers.
"Abnormal readings detected. The control program's been compromised!" cried one of the scientists.
"Containment Protocol!" said another.
Nero was bound in the center of the room by a powerful dampening field, right as Yuffie and Cody charged at him.
"You're dead!" they yelled, and proceeded to strike him down.
However, they were stopped by his wingblades after he broke free, and flung them into the control room.
"Guys!" cried Sonon, Asuka and Yumi, as they saw them crash through the glass.
Nero's arms were now free, as he lowered them to his side.
"How dare you? How dare you stand in my way?" he glowered at them.
The Tsviet sent a burst of darkness at his would-be captors, and swallowed them up inside of it, making him grow stronger than before.
'What in the…" gasped Yuffie, just as her friends joined her.
"Now then… where were we?" he asked.
"About to kick your butt, Nero!" answered Asuka.
"Dunno what this crap is, but it's definitely not good!" she said quickly.
"Surrender to the darkness. Embrace it," Nero hissed wickedly.
"No way! I refuse to give into the darkness in my heart! And I will never become part of you, or be like my own father Xehanort!" Cody remarked bravely.
Angered by what he heard, Nero unleashed powerful bursts of darkness at the Son of Xehanort, but he quickly dodged out of the way, and struck back at him with all he had. Asuka and Yumi did the same, but had to make sure not to get caught by his wingblades.
"Ew… I don't want that stuff anywhere near me!" squealed Yuffie, even as she fought as well.
"Stay focused! We'll get through this," assured Sonon, but he got grabbed by his wings.
"Let him go!" yelled Yumi, blasting him with Dark Ice.
"As you wish, foolish girl," replied Nero, and tossed him back towards her.
Asuka caught him, and the party retaliated even more furiously against the Tsviet.
"Yes, Savor this pain," laughed the Sable.
But Yuffie got touched by the darkness too, and she was now on the very verge of being absorbed by it.
"Oh, Weiss. This is it. This is it!" Nero said joyously at what he was feeling.
"No darkness! Get it away from me! Get it away!" she cried in desperation, as they pushed him back.
"It hurts, Brother. It hurts… so much…" groaned the Tsviet as he was suffering severe injuries.
His darkness became even more unstable than before, and was now truly at it's strongest.
"This is bad!" gasped Yuffie.
"Agreed. Let's get out of here!" replied Sonon, and they all tried to run back through the door they came from.
However, Nero refused to let them go, as their battle was not yet finished.
"This is where you die," he said to them.
"Gross! It's everywhere!" wailed the kunoichi.
"Let's end this before it swallows us too," said the staff fighter, as he tried to stay brave.
Nero quickly cast haste on himself to give him an edge, but Cody and the others knew that they had to be smarter than him. He began raining even more gunfire with his bullets infused with darkness, which were more deadly than usual. Finally, they brought the Tsviet down to his knees, and began to hammer it home with him, until he slowly recovered from the onslaught. However, Ramuh needed to be called in again, just as Asuka unleashed a deadly combo with her swords.
"It's time I brought this to a close," he declared menacingly.
Then he unleashed a powerful burst of darkness that struck the ground, and everyone now began to feel their life force slowly start to eb away from them.
"No! I won't let you do this, Nero! I refuse to let you kill us! We have far too many people who are counting on us! WE WON'T LET THEM DOWN!" he cried, and unleashed the power of Divine Eternity.
Yuffie, Sonon, Asuka, and Yumi were surprised. They had never seen this kind of power before.
"You may be all darkness, Nero the Sable, but all things are made up of light and darkness! And seeing that you're pure evil, we will defeat you, and reunite with our friends outside of Shinra Headquarters after they survive Sector 7's destruction!" Cody said firmly, as his wings of light and darkness were fully unfurled.
Yuffie followed suit as well, as the battle raged on, and she called forth Ramuh once more. But this time it would be for the last time, as their enemy was getting more and more desperate. However, things were getting more desperate, as Nero prepared to use his Soul Erosion attack, which would destroy the souls of his enemies, and absorb their hollow shells into himself. But once more, the party continued to put up a valiant fight, and even brought Nero down to his knees again, after his wings suffered heavy damage. At last, they had him on the ropes, as the Tsviet grabbed his head.
"Yes, yes! I must know more of this feeling! Of pain! Of death!" he cried out in his own form of ecstacy.
"Now, guys! Let's finish this!" cried Sonon, hitting Nero in his abdominals.
"Don't gotta tell us twice!" replied Yuffie, and both she, Cody, and the other kunoichi struck him down after performing one last charge.
It was over. Nero was defeated, and he vanished into the darkness, which also faded away.
"Did we?" she asked.
"We did," assured her friends.
"Nero the Sable is defeated," said Cody.
"Awesome…" sighed Yuffie, as she slowly squatted down to the ground.
"Don't wanna spoil the moment, but…we should probably get going," explained Sonon.
"But I'm so tired…" moaned the White Rose of Wutai.
"Then, would it be okay if we carried you out?" asked Yumi.
"You win," she scoffed, and walked away.
Cody couldn't help but chuckle, since he did seem to take a bit of a liking to her attitude. But as they were heading to the elevator, darkness slowly began to seep out of the debris in the chamber. Sonon looked back in shock. The memories of Melphie's death played out before him, and without wanting to see Yuffie share in his sister's fate, he pushed her back and took the blow that was meant for her, just as she was about to ask why he would do that. Then they all saw the blade pierce through his chest.
"Sonon!" cried Cody.
Then he saw Nero, resting his hand on his friend's shoulder.
"You leave him alone," he shuddered, right as the darkness slowly began to engulf his friend.
"Go…"he wheezed, and pressed the up button to call the elevator to them.
"No, we—" Yuffie was about to protest.
"Please," begged Sonon, blood trickling down the sides of his mouth, and they hit the floor below with a few drops.
Then the blood drops splattered onto Yuffie's left cheek, below her eye, and some even landed on Cody's right cheek. Nero laughed wickedly as his darkness continued to spread everywhere. Everyone was shocked.
"Yuffie… You gotta keep going… for us," her friend said weakly.
"No… Stop it…" gasped Yuffie, as her eyes welled up with tears, which rolled down her cheeks.
"Sonon, you can't die," added Asuka.
"We don't want to tell Sora about what happened to you," agreed Yumi.
"Please, you have to live," finished Cody, as the four of them were now in tears.
But they staggered back as the elevator doors opened, while Sonon was bound by the dark tendrils that prevented him from moving.
"Sonon!?" she tried to get his attention.
"Cody, please… Promise me you'll take care of Yuffie," Sonon coughed, just as the doors closed between them.
Then the elevator rose up as Asuka and Yumi looked at the ground in sorrow, while Yuffie wailed in despair, and Cody started to cry.
"No… Sonon… You can't die like this… You can't…" he sobbed, as the two kunoichi of Team SKYYYLAARC placed their hands on his shoulders, but they too hugged him as they were also distraught over leaving Sonon behind.
Below, more blades pierced through Sonon from within, until he dropped to his knees. His last thoughts were of his sister, who was happy that he found friends who truly cared about him, as well as held out a Da-chao bean for him to eat. Even in his weakened state, he took the bean, then bit on it weakly, after he saw Melphie eat one.
"Damn…" he gasped, and dropped it to the floor.
Sonon even remembered cradling Melphie as she lay dying in his arms, as well as warned him not to let vengeance corrupt his heart, just as Yumi had, until she breathed her last. But then the darkness slowly began to swallow him up entirely, as he knew that his sister was indeed the last thing that was on his mind.
"Melphie…" Sonon breathed his last, as the darkness burst out from behind him, and then consumed him through Nero's wicked touch.
Sonon Kusakabe was no more. Outside, Yuffie was now racing past the people around Shinra HQ's main entrance, as well as the news crews and the Security Officers, with Cody, Asuka, and Yumi following after her, following that traumatic moment they witnessed.
"You asshole! I'm not a kid! I'm not your sister!" she sobbed.
"Yuffie, wait!" called the ponytailed kunoichi.
However, there was something else that was truly more terrible. A massive explosion erupted before them, and they all saw the Sector 7 plate falling down towards the slums, with bursts of flame erupting over it, and the buildings began to fall to the ground. Poor Yuffie dropped to her knees, as the others joined her. The other two kunoichi placed their hands in front of their chests, and prayed for those who didn't escape to rest in peace.
"This is just wrong…" gasped Godo's daughter, as new tears rolled down her cheeks, which mixed with Sonon's blood still on her cheek.
"Yuffie…" murmured the Son of Xehanort.
Then he saw her grip her hand in anguish, and then, without hesitation, Cody wrapped his arms around her, and held her tightly as she screamed in pain and agony to the heavens above.
"Poor Yuffie…" Yumi whispered.
"C'mon. We should leave them alone for a while," said Asuka, after they finished praying, and they walked away.
"Good idea, Asuka. We'll lay low until Sora and the others show up. After that, Team SKYYYLAARC will be reunited, with the exception of Cody. We'll tell him everything about how our new friend Yuffie, and how she's lost someone important to her. But, I also hope that he understands Cody's feelings for her, until we regroup with them," she replied, and they both quietly walked away from their friends.
Once they were gone, Cody gently wiped the blood off of Yuffie's cheek, and they held each other for a very long time.
"Oh, Sonon… I'm so sorry. It's my fault. I let you die," Yuffie sighed somberly, her eyes still red from the crying.
"No. You can't think like that or say those things. Shinra killed SOnon. You're not responsible for his death. They will pay for this, but not if you let vengeance corrupt your heart. Your father taught you that before Wutai Surrendered to Shinra, which led to you hating him. Well you know what, Yuffie? I hated my father also. He did terrible things and all of his crimes have led to many people saying that I'm guilty of them. So, you see, I understand you, Yuffe. Know that I was envious of how Sonon cared about you, but now that he's gone, I feel the same way you do," Cody explained in protest.
"What do you mean, Cody?" she asked.
Then she heard him take a slow deep breath, then quietly let it out as a somber sigh.
"The truth is… I actually love you, Yuffie Kisaragi, daughter of Godo and Kasumi. I truly, deeply love you, even more than you believe. And I promise, we'll find a way to make sure that Shinra pays for his death, and the destruction of Sector 7, but not with vengeance. Sora told me that vengeance always creates sorrow, rather than happiness, and I have a feeling that Sonon would be ashamed of us if we chose that road," he said to her without hesitation.
"Oh, Cody… I love you, too. Even though you told me about how you have fluttershy and many more girls who love you just as you love them. Also, I guess you and I have a shared history with both of our fathers. But, unlike mine, yours turned to evil, and the people think you're guilty of his crimes. And yet, you and I are exactly alike. Also, whatever happens, I too promise to be there for you. And yes, if the two of us do get married, I have a feeling our children will be so gifted with our talents, which would pave the way for the next generation of ninja," Yuffie smiled after she calmed down.
Then the two lovers gently kissed each other, and their bond of love was forged. Sometime later, after leaving Midgar behind, Cody and Yuffie, now a couple, were on a chocobo that was in another part of Gaia. she sighed sadly, just as her boyfriend gently slid off the bird, and she lay on her back on the saddle.
"Don't think I can do this with just you," she said quietly.
"Don't worry. We'll find someone who can help you embrace this trauma, and both Asuka and Yumi have as well, despite what happened before. Also, both Sora and the others will be happy to see you join forces with us," replied Cody, and the two of them exchanged a kiss with each other once more.
"The amazing Cody and Yuffie want you! Join their team and the sky's the limit!" Yuffie called to the heavens, while pointing at the clouds in the sky.